Muslim historians have generally started their from Hazrat Adam. While others have done it from the creation of the earth and the heaven. But I shall begin my history of Islam from the last Prophet Muhammad of Allah, for states of things before him were not beyond doubt, and there was also no particular arrangement of writing history in the world before the Prophet Muhammad. Moreover, it is from him that the beginning of Islamic history is thought of, because it is commonly called that he was the founder of Islam and the people of his Ummah alone are called the followers of Islam, otherwise Islam has made its presence on earth right from Hazrat Adam , the father of man.
Among all the nations and religions of the world, from the beginning to the end, Islam alone is such a religion and Muslims alone are a nation which have their history wholly and solely preserved and intact, and no part thereof has ever been doubtful. The Muslims have never from the days of the Prophet * up to the present day, acted with negligence and carelessness in reducing states and events to writing and preserving them for days to come. The Muslims are, therefore, privileged to take pride in the fact that they can at any time, compile the whole history of Islam with the help of contemporary historians and eyewitnesses.
Moreover, they can very safely show the similar statements about events with unbroken chain of different authoritative narrators.In short, the Muslims are the only nation which has a complete, exhaustive and authentic history of its own, and no nation of the world can share this peculiarity and distinct feature of this nation.
Historians of Islam have practiced as much caution as to take downthe event and its nature as it were, without their personal opinion whatever so that the readers are influenced not the least with the views of the historian. Thus, the readers are at liberty to make their own decisions and form their own opinions in their own way, without toeing the line of thinking adopted by the historian. The greatness and glory of Islamic history exerts deeper impressions on heart when it is noticed that any time or any part of Islamic history can be safely put to the acid test of reasoning and it will pass off without any impurity, flaw and defect.
The best among the historians is one who is righteous in creed and pure in religious affairs; what he writes should be true as a statement; he is supposed to neither conceal anything nor add anything untrue on his own behalf. Wherever there is chance of stumbling or being victim of misunderstanding, it is permissible to explain and clarify it. It is essential for a historian neither to indulge in sycophancy nor harbor malice against anybody. The style of writing should be simple, intelligible and spontaneous.
Orientation in words and style kills the very purpose of the historiography. This is the reason why histories written in the form of poems are considered below standard with respect to reliability and authenticity. He must be noted for honesty and integrity; he has to be distinguished in speaking truth and acting gracefully; he is tb be miles away from nonsense talking, hate and dejection.
The work of compiling, collecting and editing needs very hard labor and determination from a historian, but still, he is not to be very sure of the veracity of events, for sure access to facts behind an event is not guaranteed. Besides having considerable knowledge of astronomy, geology, civics and religions of the world, a historian must be intelligent, discerning and fair-minded along with being a litterateur and a man with perfect command on expression so that he could state his motive easily and effectively. Despite all this, there are some difficulties which appear to be insoluble; for instance, a narrator relates about sbmeone going to a theatre. Now, such a narration gives a number of reasons about his visit and nothing can be said to be essentially true;
• The person who went to the theatre is fond of songs.
• He is not fond of hearing songs but is actually a lover of beauty.
• He is not a lover of beauty but, all of a sudden, he has fallen in love with an actress.
• He is not a lover of anybody but he was essentially to meet a friend there.
• He wanted to write an article on theatre and hence he was bound to go there.
• He had to deliver a lecture against theatre and hence had to observe it closely.
• He is employed in secret service and his bounden duty led him there.
• He himself hated theatre but his friends forced him to go there.
• He was a godly person and a pious man of high degree, but he went to theatre to dissolve the devotion of the people to himself.
• He had gone there with the sole purpose of picking pockets.
Now, the Noble Qura'n is sent down. Arabia overcasts the entire world. All the societies appear to be (according to the Qur'an) "... scatteredfloating particles of dust." before Arab society. History, in fact, starts from here. Apart from magnificent task of arranging and compiling Ahadith and Asma'-ur-Rijdl, thousands of Muslim historians are there who have worked such wonders in this field that one is filled with amazement. There is no branch of society or human living which has been left unnoticed or untouched by the Muslims.
Authenticity of narration is the life and running spirit behind all historical activities. And the Muslims have taken this aspect into consideration in such magnitude that none except the Muslims as a nation may be cited as an example. The Muslims have devoted their supreme abilities in compiling histories even of other nations and countries.
It is the Muslim nation alone which has taken the art of writing history to the level of a science, and the name of Ibn Khaldun, the originator of the principles of history, will keep receiving laurels till the end of this world. From the time the Muslims have been overcast by clouds of decline and ill-luck as a nation, and lost much of their promptitude in their endeavors in this field, their pupils, i.e., the European historians have picked up from there /to some extent.
The distinctive feature of man as against other animals is that while the animals have been kept within limits and their required provisions are within their reach without endeavor, humans have been given opportunity to get according to their efforts and struggle.This object may also be described in the manner that man is constantly in a state of travel and is being created to go from lower to higher ranks. Among men one makes more travel or reaches greater heights, looks upon others who are lower or lagging behind, but as he is never to attain perfection, he being higher than others, is also inferior to those above him. He by nature is endowed with the sens of devotion and obedience as has been said:
"And I (All^h) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone).".
Thus, the man who is ahead of others is forced by his very nature to obey some power greater than and superior to him. This explains the existence of kingdom and rule. A king or ruler is only lawfully perfect and not in real terms, for real perfection is found in the one J^hois absolute and not limited, immortal and not mortal, one and not numerous. And that One Self-Existent is Allah the Almighty Who is free from very flaw, defect and evil and is the Possessor of all attributes in their perfection.
And thus. He is the real King, real Ruler and real Authority. Since man is obeying by nature, hence, he is to obey and follow others as a part of his very nature. And his real Ruler has prevented him from doing so, as has been said:
"Obey Allah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad), and those of you who are in authority."
Shadow law-enforcing authority or king may be only one who is more perfect than others. Hence, it is the demand of human nature to keep under sway whoever appears lesser in position, status and rank. But since, man against his nature, has also the capability of moving towards his downfall instead of rising up, it is the logical aspect of mental attitude to develop a desire for something he doesn't deserve. This is the reason why constant conflict is a common spectacle in the world of rules and kingdoms. Enforcing authorities may be kept in two different categories — spiritual and physical, or to say Prophethood and Sultanate. The skills required for materialistic rule have been stated in regard to kingdom of Talut (Goliath) and Dawud (David) in these words:
"And their Prophet (Samuel) said to them: 'Indeed Allah has appointed Talut (Saul) as a king over you'."
When the people heard of the kingship of Talut, they objected to it and got the reply:
"Verily, Allah has chosen him above you and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature."
It was further said about Dawud.
" And Dawud killed ffUut, and Allah gave him the kingdom and AI-Hikmah (Prophethood), and taught him of that which He willed."
Our next Post is come soon.its totaly on islam.
