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An Overt Talk with Syria

Late Allāma Abūl-Hasan Ali Nadvi, the eminent Muslim thinker and theorician of the 20th century, presented a pivotal speech in the state-run radio station of Syria in 1956. 

 

The following is the summary of his discourse:

Let me salute Syria; a country which I like it a lot, since childhood until now. O Syria! Accept salutations of a person who has spent his life with your memories and news, a person who used to read the epics and stories of Mujāhideen in this land. A salutation from my entire existence and heart; I salute you on my behalf and on the behalf of millions of people who love you, although they live in a far land, miles away of you.
Whenever, Muadhins, announcers to prayers, proclaim: «أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله و أشهد أن محمد رسول الله», “I bear witness there is no god but Allāh and Muhammad is the messenger of Allāh;” they remember Muadhin of the last messenger of Allāh, Bilāl Habashi, whose long-term purlieus is Shām (ancient Syria).

When, Muslims proceed to the topics of Fiqh and Hadith, they see the dignified jurists, Qūrrā, narrators and Muhaddithin inside Syria’s long history. Many companions of the last messenger, peace be upon him, including Mu’ādh bin Jabal, Abu-Dardā, Sa’d bin Obādah and Obayy bin Ka’b take rest in Shām.

Whenever any tyrant ruler discriminates among his nation, depredates public wealth for amusement and proves his selfishness, people remember you and the ideal leader of the final years of the first Higri century, who amazed humanity and the history by his just stances; he provided justice to all equally actuating the society towards Islām and Islāmic morals. In his rule, every needy person got his/her needs, public welfare was given to all, poverty was ablated, agents were looking up for poor and needy citizens to give them Zakāh but there was not any poor in the entire country; it was the leadership of Omar bin Abdol-Aziz, may Allāh pray on him.

Oh Damascus! There is a lion taking rest in your heart whose boom uprooted the crusaders; as he impressed the Westerns by his kindness and high humanitarian features, this humane brave man was Sūltān Salāh-ud-Deen Ayyoubi.

O dear Syria! When your name was “Shām”, you were ruling upon the most parts of the civilized and living world of that era. But your territory was diminished gradually, borders went back and the circle remained limited to the current small territory. You lost the leadership of the globe. O Syria! It is a fact that the key of your success and leadership of the world for a century was in guiding a nation with global duties. Your great leaders were spreading Islām and knowledge; they were teaching people morals, virtues and respect.

O Syria! But later on you preferred to focus on getting more power and occupy more lands instead of advancing your causes and duties; you were amassing wealth and money not purifying people’s morals and deeds. Nations can not get the leadership by any particular language, culture and civilization; it is divine responsibility, preaching and great ideas which make nations dominant.

O Syria! Your grace on our country [India] can not be forgotten; Mohammad bin Qāsem Thaqafi headed towards sub-continent India in the rule of Waleed bin Abdūl-Malek along with a diligent, faithful and sincere army. India accepted them wholeheartedly. Bin Qāsem gave the taste of faith to most of the people in India; by his arrival, a new era was begun in the region. May Allāh have mercy on all of them.

First published in Neday-e-Islam Magazine, Vol. 14, No. 52-53