UMMAH VALUES IN THE COLLECTIVITY UMMAH THE VALUES OF MUSLIMS AS COLLECTIVITY UNITY MERCY EGALITARIANISM MINIATURE PAINTING OF A CITY IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE BY MATRAKCI NASUH THE CITY COLLECTIVITY & CIVILIZATION • Islamic teaching can be implemented individually, but to develop a civilization embodying the Islamic values requires collective efforts as an ummah. • Many aspects of Islamic teaching are more closely related with the trade-based life in the urban than in the agricultural-based life in the countryside. • Madinah [Madinat ar Rasul or Madinat al Munawwarah after Yathrib] serves as an exemplary city. • Dilemma between the establishment of a great city or maintaining the simplicity of life in amsar (garrison city). UNITY THE VALUES OF UMMAH ۡ َاح َدة ً ف اختَلَفُ ۡو ِ اس اِ َّ َّۤل ا ُ َّمةً َّو ُ ََّو َما َكانَ الن and [know that] all mankind were once but one single community, and only later did they begin to hold divergent views [Yunus: 19] ُون ِ ِإ َّن َه ِذ ِه أ ُ َّمت ُ ُك ْم أ ُ َّمةً َو ِ اح َدة ً َوأَنَا َربُّ ُك ْم فَا ْعبُد verily, [O you who believe in Me,] this community of yours is one single community, since I am the Sustainer of you all: worship, then, Me [alone]! [al Anbiya: 92] ِإنَّ َما ْال ُمؤْ ِمنُونَ ِإ ْخ َوة All believers are but brethren. [Hujurat: 10] UNITY & PLURALITY THE VALUES OF UMMAH اس ِإنَّا َخلَ ْقنَا ُكم ِمن َذ َك ٍر َوأُنثَى َو َجعَ ْلنَا ُك ْم ُ َّيَا أَيُّ َها الن ُ ارفُوا َ َشعُوبًا َوقَبَائِ َل ِلتَع O men! Behold, We have created you all out of a male and a female, and have made you into nations and tribes, so that you might come to know one another (Al Hujurat: 13) Ambitious symbolization on the Unity of Ummah: Baghdad experiment. Expressing Unity & Supremacy Global & Cosmic Centers Connecting with the Center • Installment of Ottoman Sultan in the Mosque of Eyup • Mahmal from Cairo • Surre Alayi from Istanbul • Lightbulb in Madina • Hijaz Railway line connecting Istanbul and the Holy Lands Contemporary Connection with the Center MERCY THE VALUES OF UMMAH AS COLLECTIVITY ْ ُكنت ُ ْم َخي َْر أ ُ َّم ٍة أ ُ ْخ ِر َج وف ِ اس تَأ ْ ُم ُرونَ بِ ْال َم ْع ُر ِ َّت ِللن ع ِن ْال ُمن َك ِر َ ََوت َ ْن َه ْون you are indeed the best community that has ever been brought forth for [the good of] mankind: you enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong (Ali Imran 110) ََاك ِإ ََّّل َر ْح َمةً ِل ْلعَالَ ِمين َ س ْلن َ َو َما أ َ ْر And [thus, O Prophet,] We have sent thee as [an evidence of Our] grace towards all the worlds (al Anbiya: 107) ق َو ِفي أ َ ْنفُ ِس ِه ْم َحتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَ ُه ْم أَنَُُّ ْال َح ُّق َ ِ سنُ ِري ِه ْم آيَا ِتنَا ِفي ْاْلفَا We shall show them our signs in the horizons and in themselves, until it is clear to them He is the truth.” (Fushshilat:53) Local Social Welfare Facilities BEYAZID II KULLIYE, EDIRNE EDUCATION TRADE RITUAL HEALTH PHYSICAL (MEALS) SPIRITUAL SPIRITUAL Global Trade Facilities CARAVANSERAI Maranjab Caravanserai, Iran WAKALA Wakala Ghuri, Cairo BAZAAR Grand Bazaar, Istanbul EGALITARIANISM THE VALUES OF UMMAH ٍاح َدة ِ اس اتَّقُواْ َربَّ ُك ُم الَّذِي َخلَقَ ُكم ِمن نَّ ْف ٍس َو ُ َّيَا أَيُّ َها الن َّ ََو َخلَقَ ِم ْن َها زَ ْو َج َها َوب ساء ً ِث ِم ْن ُه َما ِر َجاَّلً َكث َ ِيرا َون َّللا َكان َ َ ّللا الَّذِي ت َ ام ِإ َّن َ َْواتَّقُوا َ ساءلُونَ ِب ُِ َواأل َ ْر َح علَ ْي ُك ْم َر ِقيبًا َ Mankind! Be conscious of your Sustainer, who has created you out of one living entity, and out of it created its mate, and out of the two spread abroad a multitude of men and women. And remain conscious of God, in whose name you demand [your rights] from one another, and of these ties of kinship. Verily, God is ever watchful over you! EGALITARIANISM IN RITUAL THE VALUES OF UMMAH • No priesthood and intercessors • Relationship with Allah is direct and equal • Piety is valued for all EGALITARIANISM IN URBAN SPACE THE VALUES OF UMMAH • Urban space is created by its inhabitants [mediated by qadhi] in incremental growth rather than planned by higher authority. • The result is “disorder” urban arrangement with stronger order in the interior Transformation of the Roman City into “Islamic City” of Aleppo, Syria The Registan Square as city center of Samarkand La dharar wa la dhirar Some rules in the creation of urban settlement maintaining the privacy of the inhabitants and providing access to the people The Failure of Baghdad EGALITARIANISM IN URBAN SPACE THE VALUES OF UMMAH • The City of Cordoba (Europe) • The City of Bursa (Asia) • The City of Marakkech (Africa) SOME CONTEMPORARY ISSUES • Conflicts in Muslim countries • Muslims as minority Calais, France Some large mosques in the former USSR Moscow, Kazakhstan, Chechnya and Kazhan
