Get Up MuslimOttoman Empire, also sometimes called as Turkish Empire, was the recent epitome of Islamic governance holding peace and justice, for Muslims and non-Muslims equally, and primarily protecting Islamic faith and values from ambiguous ideologies. Understanding their exemplary governance and the fall of Muslim Ummah is of utmost importance. The objective would be, to draw a clearance between the Islamic system (nizãm) and the contemporary Imperialism [As genocide of Palestinians continues, we need analysis of these issues].
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Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire was a recent Islamic governance (13th- 20th century) controlling centrally from Anatolia (modern Turkey) stretching to Europe, South Asia, and North Africa. As Islam guides mankind for establishing khilafat that will maintain justice, peace, security to all, Muslims and non-Muslims equally, and hence fulfill the command of shukr (gratitude to Allah).
To achieve universal domain of justice, the circle of justice (daire-i adalet) was implemented. This was the concept of maintaining justice, formerly mentioned by Aristotle and later reproduced by Arab scholars Ibn al-Biṭrīq (d. 815 CE) and Ibn Khaldun (d. 1406 CE),” that emphasised the interdependence between rulers and subjects and formed the basis for Ottoman security and protection”. As Kınalızâde Ali Çelebi , Ottoman writer and jurist, describes the relation of social system as;
There can be no royal authority without the military …There can be no military without wealth …The subjects produce the wealth …Justice preserves the subjects’ loyalty to the sovereign… Justice requires harmony in the world …The world is a garden, its walls are the state …The Holy Law (shari’a) orders the state …There is no support for the shari’a except through royal authority1
Exemplary Governance
Ottoman’s maintenance of justice was not like current day speeches of politicians but perfect examples for Muslim Ummah. For them, Justice and righteousness was the ultimate, even Sultans were to face court if did any injustice.
Even sultans could not interfere in the courts or qadis. If needed, the courts asserted the public against the sultan. Laws were above the sultan. For example, the sheikh al-Islam, the supreme judge and highest official, Ebussuud Efendi, objected the orders of the sultan, reportedly saying, “If the customary law goes against ecclesiastical law, even the sultan’s orders aren’t valid.”2
The society free from despotism , giving full-scale power of law to fight against injustice is the sole motivation for public support.
Bartholomaeus Georgieviç, who stayed in the Ottoman Empire as a captive in the 16th century, said, “The judges of Turks and Christians are the same. Muslim judges offer the same justice to everyone without any discrimination. The one who killed is killed, the one who stole or took something by force is executed by hanging. The same rule is enforced for a janissary who drank a cup of milk of a woman in the bazaar and does not pay for it. I witnessed it in Damascus.3
The exercise of power, by Ottomans, was exemplary for both maintaining Justice as well as protection of Islamic religion from foreign ideological invasions. Among them was Mehmed II, who attained three titles for his glorious Caliphate ; Gazi, Khan, and Caesar. As Khan, Mehmed II prevented any of Timür’s descendants from claiming overlordship. Likewise, as Caesar, Mehmed II seized possession of the Roman imperial throne, caused the downfall of Byzantium, and prevented an anticipated crusade. And Gazi, as he built Eyüp Sultan Mosque at the site of constantinople to emphasize the importance of the conquest to the Islamic world.
Another example, the Sultan Suilaiman I, who continued principles of sharia and fair treatment of his citizens regardless of their religion. His governance, as Kınalızâde Ali Çelebi states, was the actual form of leadership which Plato had dreamt.4
Ottoman Empire sustained, primarily our religion, and provided true version of freedom and social security. Everyone, Muslims and non-Muslims, enjoyed their idealistic lifestyle which reduced discord between various social group and ultimately increased longevity of the Empire.
“The reason of the fall of Empire (in 1922-23) was incompetency with the western industrial revolution which equipped them with might of machines and war arsenals”.
Western Imperialism
Western imperialism was the web to oppress people without even allowing them to scream for help. As Ottoman Empire became weak and exhausted, various Western powers invaded the region to gain their mutual interests and continue full scale oppression of natives with their might and power. In 1916, an agreement negotiated by Sir Mark Sykes (1879-1919) and François Georges-Picot (1870-1951), called as Sykes-Picot agreement5. It was a secret deal to divide Ottoman region into British and French colonialists. They did it with aim to weaken the Ottoman might and mark long-lasting divisions of the region. Under this agreement, French controlled North and British south. This led to the divisions which we see today and even they erased of the then Ottoman map which only depictes names of regions like Hijaz. In 1917, Balfour Decleration was passed for the establishment of Jewish state in Palestine. Woodrow Wilson, in 1919, led the foundation of League of Nations which acted as a law body for approving these divisions. They recognised Israel as a state and not Palestine. It was a clear sign of expanding Israel state as well as oppressing Arabs in their homeland.
Arab sold Economy of Ummah
The creation of Israel and selling economy of Ummah were the two deepest tragedies in Ummah. It was 1930s when oil reserves were found in Saudi Arabia that moved US by its volumous amount. In 1945, when Abdul Aziz ibn Saud was the King of Saudi Arabia, a meeting was held with Franklin D Roosevelt for acquiring oil deal and fulfill Jewish interests6. Roosevelt persuaded the King in agreeing a permanent deal of oil with America and allowing 10,000 Jews for settling in Palestine.
Kings sold blood and economy of Ummah for establishing pleasant relationship with our enemies
It is this Roosevelt that funded modern day education system for developing docile subjects and factory workers, How can we continue their system of education which primarily serve Jewish interests.
SummaryWe have seen in above their cruel approaches in controlling our economy leaving us their servants. Also we have seen the perpetual effort for the creation of Jewish state.
In 1928, Husain al Bina led the foundation of an organisation known as Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan ul Muslimeen) in Egypt. The organisation had prioritised Islamic way (khilafat) of governance. Supporters of the organisation faced continual subjugation and oppression from the government for foreign interests. During the period of Gammal Nasser, 1950s-1960s, it’s members were arrested, like Sayyed Qutb, and even many suffered execution, such as Hasan al-Binna7.8 As Muslim Brotherhood won election in 2011, Mohammad Morsi was shortly ousted in 2013 and impresoned by the coalition of Saudi Arabia, US, Israel.
Palestinian students supporting the militant group Hamas hold a poster depicting Hassan Al-Banna, during an election campaign for students’ council at Palestine Polytechnic University in the West Bank city of Hebron in 2015SummaryGuess the madness played by our rulers in the pursuit of comfort and sustain their rank.
In 1956, Gammal Nasser tried to Nationalise Suez Canal for the development of Aswan High Dam that was subsequently followed by the attack from Israel, British and French which otherwise were opponents.9
NotesThey played a game of a butcher to collectively undermine Arab state and ate like hungry dogs! We can’t forget Afghan and Iraq invasion, we can’t neglect destruction of Syria and Yeman, we can’t fade away the assassination of Libyan Gaddafi who promoted justed.
Summarize
There are two factors for Western animosity towards Arabs; Religion and Resources. They put their every effort undermining Islam by circulating propagandas against it and killed Millions of Muslims without making a single sigh. We need to return to our Islamic values and our culture. As religion and culture are strong forces that unites people. As Zuraykh, member of Arab Nationalist Movement, states
whenever Islam was flourishing, so was Arab civilization; and whenever Islam “reduced itself to beliefs transmitted blindly and religious laws and statutes unwisely imposed, Arab civilization waned”.10
Also, Arab reserves allured them so deep that they crossed every redline in achieving them.
#history #islam #IslamAndWest #IslamicResearch #IslamicResurgence #israel #middleEast #MuslimWorld #OttomanAndWesternImperialism #turkey
