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Chapter 4. REFLECTIONS ON PERIODICITY IN HISTORY.
Looking at the totality of what has already been said in the last chapters, one cannot help but wonder at this concept of Markers and Periods, and how a pattern emerges. One is never without a thought and so one is never without a bias. When I read the history with the intellectual attempts to form patterns, it does make a disjointed story. But when I view it through the words of Quran and Ahadith, the pattern emerging has a strict order of time and sequence. It is as if Allah is saying that whatever he creates he creates it in stages.
Consider the word stage. It has in it a duration or period. In Quran the time is called Dahr. This in the form of units is called Yom, or Ajal or Saat. In usage Yom is used for very long periods like the period of Resurrection is quoted as equal to 1000 years of our reckoning. Ajal is a shorter period used as a term decreasing, like a count down. The usage in Quran of Ajal is for the power to a people, which on measurement comes to 600 years. Saat is an instant or an hour, when fast change over occurs in nature. The usage in Quran is again to say that Ajal for a people is fixed and not a Saat can be “ increased or decreased”.
Also in the word stage is the concept of start and finish. That is the start date and the end date. Also the end date may be the start date of the next stage. However Markers would be the condition when stages are of equal duration in a concept. Also implied in the word stage is a continuity between them. A flow of “improvement” seen when stages are collectively viewed together as a “System”. Thus it is possible to define a stage as a process achieving a result. Or it is possible to describe the stage as a “state of affairs”. So Aalameen would be a stage.
In the holy books (Quran and Ahadith) and in Sufi literature, Allah as Truth (Huqq) as a constituent of Reality (Haqiqat) is governing. He does it by decree (Qader) and destiny (Qada). Say for example he decrees that you (as one Reality) are going to be a Doctor. Then events will conspire to make you join a college on a fixed date. There will be a fixed Period in which you will complete the course. You will not be able to hurry or delay this period. Then on its Marker you will become a Doctor. Consider the Marker. A day before this you are a Doctor but the world does not treat you as a doctor. You lead a life of a student. A day after the Marker you are treated like a doctor, although no difference in your knowledge from the day before. You have reached your destiny of the decree in a fixed period, and are now in next period.
As I view the reality in history, in my life and around me I see everything in a stage of change. This Reality on Earth is a Yom. Mankind’s life on Earth is a Yom, which is smaller. My life on Earth is a Yom or Ajal, which is smaller still. Allah says that after the Yom of this Reality there will be another Yom of a different Reality. There each soul will be recreated, but their state in that next Yom will be the result of their Life of Din (Law) they followed in this Yom on Earth. Allah calls the next Yom as “Yom al-Din”, where Al-Din is His Law and code of life.
Two questions are raised from the last paragraph. One is how is that result related to the present stage or Yom. Secondly how is man’s efforts related to this result. Answering the first question, let us see what Allah has to say about “Yom Al-Din”.
Surat 82. Infitar.
“ Nay, but you lie about Al-Din”. A.9.
“ Although without doubt there are Angels appointed to look after you”.
“ Honourable, writing down”.
“ They know what you do”.
“ No doubt the Righteous will be in the Place of Gifts”.
“ No doubt the wicked will be in the Fire”.
“ They will enter there in the Yom Al-Din”.
“ They will not be able to avoid it”.
“ What do you know what is Yom Al-Din”.
“ Again, What do you know what is Yom Al-Din’.
“ The Yom in which no Person will be able to do anything for anybody; and all Actions in the Yom will be from Allah”. A.19.
This makes it amply clear about the sorting in the Future the Actions of Today. This is a fearsome news for some of us living in this Yom. Trying to visualise the next state of affairs, it looks that it is Bi-Polar. Either it is very bad, or it is very good. In both the Ikhtiar (Freedom to Act) is missing. We have the gift of Actions here where we can do on others good or bad to some extent. This creates a Relationship with other fellow men. There in next Yom this freedom of Action will be missing. All actions will be from Allah, and we will be a passive receiver of these Actions. By developing and using this ability of establishing Relationship in this Yom to have a Relationship with Allah here, in the next Yom this Relationship will survive and work for you. That is why you will feel yourself in a Place of Gifts.
But how do we relate this to our Today? Let us see what Allah says in Surat RUM.30. Ayat. 30.
“ So set thou thy face Repeatedly towards Al-Din (Devine Law) Inwardly, Characterisation of Allah on which he Characterised Mankind, do not change this Handiwork of Allah, this is the Al-Din of Qiamah (Attainment), but most men do not understand”.
This gives us a Stance of Life to endeavor towards. A Philosophy to pursue. A Thought that can remain in our Minds. For the first time we know that Man has this Intrinsic Characteristic towards Al-Din, ( law of debt towards Allah ).
We come to the second question; i.e., how does our effort relates to the desired result. Can we optimize our efforts. Always with Mankind his Prayers sum up beautifully his Limitations, and his Desires beyond them. Man is the only Animal I know who Prays, and not just Desires. Specially when with a Miracle Allah through his Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon Him), and his Quran, has given us this Prayer called Surat Fateha, or the seven oft Repeated Ayats: -
“ With the Names of Allah, The Gracious, The Merciful”.
“ All praise to Allah who is Rabb (Evolver) of Al-Aalameen (All Creation Ages)”.
“ The only Gracious, the only Merciful”.
“ Owner of the Yom Al-Din”.
“ Thee only we obey, and Thee only we ask for help”.
“ Guide us on the Path of Mustaqeem (Attainers)”.
“ Path of those on whom you favoured gifts; those on whom you did not shower Anger, and who do not go astray.”
By Repeatedly turning towards this Prayer, Allah starts Training you for Yom Al-Din. By experience I can say that He changes you in a Way, that it is not possible to change yourself. Only He is able to effect a change in a Person. Only He knows what the final Product you should be. He Creates a mini Yom Al-Din around you, here in this Yom. This is the Gift from Ar-Rahman. As you start to change you feel a relationship of Walijat with Allah. Not all will ever understand this.
Some of course will never believe this. Their assessment will be different. They will reject the evidence and the whole theory as not Reality. They find this Proposition of Infinity addressing them as utterly astounding. How can this be true, and why should He? Their stance towards Life is that they should be suspicious towards everything. Over the years by Trial and Tribulation they think they have Discovered out the Powers Invisible that help them in their “Good Luck” Statistically. They think that addressing these man made Gods actually produce Opportunities for them for better life in this World. They do not want to consider another World. This State they think is better than facing the hard times as unexplained accidents, i.e., Atheism. Through Intellect they say that of course by definition there is only one over all Power who has made all the Cosmos. But why should such an Infinity try to Address them, leave aside have a Relationship with them. What is more feasible to them is that they Discover minor Powers that they can work with, not He discovering them.
This stance does not leave in their Hearts feeling for a loving Creator. In fact a demi God appears as a cruel Creator who like a sheepherder is interested in consuming his flock. This makes them and their Civilisation cruel. This is their Psychology, and hence also their Ability to discern Reality. Just as Parents love their Children much more than the children love their parents, our Creator loves his Creation much more than we can love Him. That is why He the Infinity is interested in us. On this the Quran says in S32, A13 “If we wanted we would have given every soul the ability to discern its way towards us, but our those words came true when we said I will fill hell with Jinn & Men together.” What He is indicating here is the average Result in Yom Al-Din. Some will believe in Him. Some will not believe in Him. And among His Believers some will consider Him and His Al-Din as true and obey Him and His Rasul. These are called the People of the Right in holy Quran. Others from the Believers will Love Him and try to have a Relationship with Him here in this World. These are called the People of the Near, in the holy Quran.
About the people who feel they have established a Relationship with Allah here, He says in Quran, Surat 9, Al-Tauba, Ayat 16.
“ Or think ye that ye shall be abandoned as though God did not know those among you who have done Jihad, and take none save except Allah, and his Rasul and Momins, as Walijat; but God is well acquainted with All that you do”.
This Translation you will find different to others in terms of the word Walijat. Others have termed it as Wali, i.e. a friend and protector. Quran says that Allah and his Rasul and Momins are your real friends (wali). Infact words of the family of WALI are used in 235 Ayats. But the family of the word Walijat are used in 14 places in Quran, and this word Walijat is used only once, and here only. The Total meaning of this word as used in the Quran are, Narrow Passage (like Camel through the eye of a needle), Entry of a thing (like Night into Day, or into Earth of all invisible things), A Personal friend and not a blood relation who can affect the above difficult task. So here this Ayat is saying that only Allah is walijat, or his Rasul or Momins. And he is lovingly assuring those who have considered all the above as walijat, and done jihad for Him; that He knows them and has not abandoned them. The problem now is that after knowing all this, can you really by yourself make them your Walijat?
Before rejecting the reader should reflect that if he agrees till this point, that the results of Man’s efforts are complex, some doing materially well and some not, at various times of their lives. If so then there should not be patterns in his history. As they exist, this proves that he is governed Invisibly. He must develop the Intellect of discerning these Invisible workings. Infact Quran starts the first sentence about “this Book being for people who accept the Invisible.”. Also consider the Ayat 93, of Surat 27. “ And say praise be to God who will soon show you his Patterns and you will recognise them ; and your Lord is not unmindful of all that you do”. Does this not mean that Quran is predicting the revelation of this Pattern of his Periodicity to Mankind in their History ?
Let us look at the chronology of world history. Can we see smaller periods within “Ajals” of 600 years. We see Arabs as Muslims starting their period of dominance from 638 AD when they capture Jerusalem, and 661 AD when Capitol shifts to Damascus, and Empire forms. Their end of dominance is signalled finally on the Marker of 1244 AD when Ayub a Mamluke Turk captures Jerusalem. Baghdad is sacked in 1258 AD. So 638 to 1244 is 606 years, and 661 to 1258 is 597 years. We see Turks getting their power around 1200 AD. So we see them starting the Muslim India by forming the Sultanate of Delhi in 1206 AD. Their dominance must peak at 1500 AD and end at 1800 AD. Around 1500 AD we see Babar of Turkish origin coming to India and starting the Mughal Empire. We see at 1707 AD Aurangzeb dies and the Empire although at its most extensive goes into recession. The leaders become immoral and the services calcify. Adding 50 years we come to a date of 1757. Here we see the Muslims suffering their first defeat by the British at Battle of Plassey.
Add 50 years and we come to an event on 1803 when British take Delhi and Install a puppet king. This marks the end of Turk Rule. Adding yet another 50 years we come to 1857 and see an Indian war of Independence. The result is that British mark Muslims as their enemy. They systematically destroy their leadership, their Libraries and their educational system. They are reduced to a people in a dark age. Their leaders are maintained by the ruling British with the understanding that they are to keep their people depressed. That was their job. Utter feudalism. The Muslims dilemma therefore starting at 1800 AD reaches utter desperation in 50 years period of 1850 - 1900. So adding 50 years to 1857, we come to the event of 1906 to see the formation of Muslim league.
Adding 40 years we come to 1946, and see the struggle of Muslims taking a very sharp rise . In 1947 we see Partition, but we have to wait for 10 years after 1946 to come to the event in 1956 March to see Pakistan becoming a Republic. What is this Pattern of 50 years with strict dates doing in history ? And what is this figure of 40 +10 years. We can see that 50 years by 12 gives us 600 years. It is like 12 months in a year. So we can see in details of 50 years as a month in the life of 600 years Period of Dominance of a people. Is it a coincidence that the first defeat of Turks in India is in 1757, and the first defeat of Ottomans is in 1774 by the Russians. The Ottoman Empire started shrinking after 1800. In 1793 Saleem III puts reforms. In 1821 Greek war of Independence starts. The expansion started under Orhan son of Osman in 1324AD, and ended when it became a Republic in 1922AD, lasting a Period of 598 yr.
In History we see that a Nation or People exist only for 600 years, or 1200 yrs, or 1800 years, i.e. for one to three Ajals. After this they are replaced by other People. Taking the example of The Roman Empire, Rome being founded on 800.B.C. the Empire ceased on 410.A.D.a period of 1200 years, or two Ajals. The Germanic Races entering Europe in 300 AD. Toppled the Empire within 100 years, and changed the Land into a new Civilisation. These people had their first Ajal ending in 900.AD. when we see a great Empire under Charlemagne. In the second Ajal we see them in what is now called the Dark Age. This ends in 1500.AD, and they start their Third Ajal. Here they get the “Power on Earth”, as explained in last chapters. This should end in 2100.AD, ending their Civilisation.
Another example is that of Jews or the Children of Israel. Their first Ajal starts with Prophet Abraham ( peace be upon Him), in 1800.BC, ending in 1200 BC, with Exodus led by Prophet Moses,(peace be on Him). In their second Ajal we see Prophets Dawood and Sulaiman ( peace be on Them), ending in 596.BC, when their King is deported, and 10 years later, when they go into Exile in Babylon. This second Ajal was their “Power on Earth” Ajal. Their last Ajal ends on the Birth of Prophet Jesus Christ (Peace be on Him) 5 BC. He is so called crucified on 35.AD, After two Saats of 50 years each, i.e. 135.AD, they are scattered under Diaspora. They ceased to be a Nation and a Civilisation. They are made to live as Minority among many Nations. Then it is reported that the first Riots started in Jerusalem in 1935.AD, due to influx of a flood of Jews. Thus after 1800 years Allah caused them to assemble as a crowd under the Ayat, “And we said onto the children of Israel, dwell in the Land but when the promise of Akhir comes, we shall bring you as a crowd gathered out of various Nations”. S.17. A.104. They were a crowd from 1935 till 1948, when they became a Nation of Israel. Till When?
Considering Indian Subcontinent, The Indus Civilisation starting from 3400.BC. Ends suddenly without an Archaeological cause in 1600.BC. a span of 1800 years or 3 Ajals. Assuming the New Hindu People coming as Aryans in 1600 BC, their Aalameen of 3 Ajals should then end in 200.AD. What we see is that towards 0.BC. they are of the Vedas and Buddhist culture. Around 70.AD. Kushan people invade north India. From the coins of this Era we find that Budhist symbols are being minted as official patronage. Suddenly from 200 AD we find the coins are now depicting goddess Siva as official patronage and religion. We can roughly surmise that the present Hindu culture of Idols and Caste system started around 200.AD. This is very different to the Veda and Buddha religion of the past Aalameen. So the Aalameen of the present Religion of Siva and Trimurti should then End in 2000.AD. The new Religion claimed is Sawaraj, a Hindu society over whole India.
Coming to the Markers of Muslims of 1906 & 1956, adding 40 years we come to 1996 and should see strife due to ethnic differences being at war with Islam. The reality is that Allah has ordained Ethnic differences and also supra to this the community of Islam. It looks 1996 to 2006 should see 10 years of strife to learn this lesson, that is that ethnic difference is not against Islam. They will learn to work out both by giving the price of blood. Of course the period of 1990 to 2000 the 10 year Hindu revolutionary period would effect also the Muslims of India.
How did Allah raise Adam from Neanderthal Man? Consider the following Quranic Ayats :-
“ The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him be, and he was”. S3. A.59.
As we know from Quran that Jesus SS, was conceived by Mary SS, without the help of a man. Similarly Adam must have been created in a womb of say a Neanderthal woman as a single Egg Cell.
“ O Mankind reverence your Rabb who created you from a Single Cell, from it created its Mate, and from them created many Men and Women; and trust Allah from whom you ask for your Rights and Wombs, and Allah watches over you”. S.4. A.1.
This makes clear the Evolutionary puzzle between us and the Neanderthal Man. Adam and Eve must have been born as twins from a Neanderthal woman.
“ Say travel through the Earth to see how He originated Creation; so will Allah Raise the latter Raising, for Allah has power over all things”. S. 29. A. 20.
The above beautifully illustrates the Raising of our Aalameen; and in future the Raising of the Aalameens of the next Adam, and of Us in the next Al-Yaum.
Verily in the creation of the heavens and earth, and in the succession of the night and day, there are indeed messages for all who are endowed with insight; (and) who remember God when they stand, and when they sit, and when they lie down to sleep, and (thus) reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: “O our Sustainer! Thou have not created this without meaning and purpose. Limitless art Thou in Thy glory! Keep us safe then from suffering through fire!” S. 3. A. 190,191.
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