<Home> <Ethics> <Topics in Islamic Medicine> <The Spirit of the Red Cross in the Teachings of Islam>

Henry Duant - founder of the Red Cross

BASIC CONSIDERATIONS

1. Islam, as conveyed by Mohammad - God's prophet and messenger - is the ultimate message of God to man. It confirms and supports all previous God sent religions. The new features about Islam as compared to its predecessors are

a) It addresses itself to all humanity and not to a certain people or tribe or locality.

b) It is the last of the' series of God's messages by direct revelation from God to a human messenger .

c) It corrects certain erroneous concepts that vitiated the previous messages having been introduced into them by human error.

d) It lays the foundation of a legal system which is God's prescription concerning human interrelationships. The preeching of love, fraternity and morality- essential as it is -would never abolish the need of humanity of "Law. " Both totality and flexibility are recognized features of Islamic jurisprudence.

The battle of Solferino that inspired Dunant to conceive the idea of the Red Cross

2. Becasue Islam recognizes and revers previous reli- gions, a muslim is in fact inclusively a believer in Jesus, Moses, Abraham and all "links of the God sent chain of messengers. The Qoran- God's book revelated to Moham- mad by Angel Gabriel -reads:

"Say ye: 'we believe in God, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord, we make no difference between one and another of them, and to Him we are surrenderers (Mus- lims)." (2:136)

3. Inspite of divergence of opinion and difference in faith Islam never puts the muslim in a situation of 'muslim versus nonmuslim.' The muslim holds the "people of the scriptures'- (christians and jews) as fellow believers who covered a long way towards Islam.. but stopped short of it. It certainly condemns the rejection by the jews of Jesus, accusing him of being a liar and imposter. It also differs with those amongst christians who maintain that Jesus is God, or the only son of God, or that he is nonhuman or ought to be worshipped. According to Islam, Jesus was created by God, into the womb of virgin Mary , by immaculate conception, without a father, and was sent as God's word and messenger to the Israelites to guide their souls and correct their wrong doings. Some believed in him and became christians: others fought him and called for his death, and those remained jews. Both muslims and christians agree on the fact that when Jesus was last seen on earth he was alive. Christians believe that Jesus was killed and resurrected, while muslims believe that his enemies did not kill him -although they thought they did - and that God took Jesus up unto 'Him.

About Jesus the Qoran says:

a) "Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an apostle of God, and His Word, which he bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in God and His apostles, Say not "three: desist: it will be better for you, For God is One God, glory be to Him (far exalted is He) above having a son, to Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth, and enough is God as a Disposer of affairs,"

b ) " And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: '0 children of Israel: I am the apostle of God (sent) to you, confirming the Law ( which came) before me, and giving glad tidings of an apostle to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad, But when he came to them with clear signs they said, This is evident sorcery'," (61:6)

c) "Behold! the angels said: O'Mary: God give thee glad tidings of a word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the here after. and of (the company of) those nearest to God, He shall speak to the people: in childhood and in maturity, and he shall be amongst the righteous, ' She said: '0 my Lord, , how shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?' He said:. Even so: God createth what He willeth; when He hath decreed a plan He but said to it "Be. ..and it is! and God will teach him the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel. and (appoint him) an apostle to the Children of Israel. with this message:, I have come to you with a Sign from your Lord. in that I make for you out of clay, as it were. the figure of a bird, and breathe into it and it btcomes a bird by God's leave: And I heal those born bl~nd. and the lepers, and I quicken the dead by God's leave. and I declare to y,ou what you eat and what you store in your houses: Surely theirin is a Sign for you if you believe. (1 also have come to you) to attest the Law which was before me; and to make lawful to you part of what was (before) forbidden to you. I have come to you with a Sign from your Lord: so fear God, and obey me. It is God who is my Lord and your Lord: so fear God, and obey me. It is God who is my Lord and your Lord so worship Him. .this is a way that is straight. When Jesus found unbelief on their part he said, Who will be my helpers to (the work of) God?' said the disciples, We are God's helpers. .we believe in God, and do thou bear witness that we are muslims (surrenderers to God).' And (the unbelievers) plotted and planned, and the best of planners is God. Behold, God said, O Jesus, I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of the falsehoods) of those who blaspheme. I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject faith, to the day of resurrection, then shall ye all return unto Me, and I will judge between you of matters wherein ye dispute. ' (3:45-55)

Sigining the first geneva convention - 1863.

YET. ..inspite of all divergence of opinion, Islam inculcates an attitude of tolerance, clemency and friendship towards the 'people of the scriptures' ...except of course any group who open hostility against Islam. In an Islamic community muslim christian and jewish citizens are equal. The legal dictum "they have our rights and our duties" applies. A muslim may take a wife from them. Their food is not prohibited except items specifically banned (pig and alcohol). They have the right to be exempted from military service upon paying a special tax called the "jizia " (The leader Abu Ubaida refunded the jizia to the people of Horns when he received orders to withdraw from it). The old and poor were exempted from the jizia. Christians and jews did not pay the 'Zakat tax" due on :muslims. ..and although it was often cheaper to pay the jizia than zakat, many of them voluntarily changed to Islam. The Qoran reads: God forbids you not with regard to those who fight you not for (your) faith, nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them, for God loveth those who are just.

4. That the muslim would love to make all people see the light of Islam is one thing; to force them to it is absolutely another. a muslim's duty is to convey the call of Islam and preach its cause by wisdom and graceful argument, but then everybody is free to decide. Surely Islam prepares the muslim to live in peace and love with people of other faiths and variant views. At one stage Mohammad felt sorry for those who were not responsive to Islam. ..until God made it clear that it is His wish that people would fifer. The following quotations from the Qoran are illustrative:

a) "Let there be no compulsion in religion: truth stands out clear from error: whoever rejects evil and believes in God hath grasped the most. trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks and God heareth and knoweth all things." (2:256)

b) "H it had been thy Lord's wish, they would all have believed an who are on earht. Will thou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe?" (10:99)

c) "Therefore do thou give admonition, for thou art one to admonish, you are not one to decide their affairs" (88: 2122)

d) " invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and blautiful preaching: and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious. For thy Lord knoweth best who have strayed from His path and who are receptive to guidance." (16:125)

e) "Ye all people, We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes so as you may get to know each other. The dearest to God amongst you are those who fear Him most." (49:13)

5. This open-heart attitude tononmuslims is only part of a generalised loving attitude to all beings. Asked about rewardable charity the Prophet said "Charity to all creatures with a wet liver ( denoting any living creature) has its reward." The Prophet taught in a saying (hadith) of his: "As a man was travelling he found a well in the desert around which a very thirsty dog circled in the burning sunshine but quite unable to reach down for the water. The man took his shoe off. filled it with water and offered it to the dog. God rewarded him with His gratitude and forgiveness. "

The Prohphet also told about the ill fate of a woman wo imprisoned a cat: "neither did she feed it nor did she set it free to find its own food. ..With this attitude towards animals, that towards human beings needs no emphasis.

6. The word 'Islam' literally means 'surrende-r' (to God). Covering all aspects of life, it expects a muslim to live his 24 hours everyday in accordance with the way of God. Greed, creed. mood and emotion, action and- reaction are all tamed by initial finding out whether they were acceptable to Islamic standards. The Qoran says:

It is not fitting for a believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by God and His Apostle, to have any option about their decision. If anyone disobeys God and His Apostle. he is indeed on a clearly wrong path." (33:36)

7. So far this prelude helps -it is hoped -to give a glimpse of Islam. .and of the muslim personality in the making. For it is with this personality that the Muslim will act and interact in various situations including peace and war.

Needless to say, various sources have done their best to disfigure the image of Islam and distort it in the eyes of those who have had no chance of a closer look. Whatever their motive, this is to be regretted as it does not serve the truth.