• a • prolific • ibn • hazm • quote •

sound familiar?? [this is Ibn Hazm talking about the state of al-Andalus once the Umayyad Empire fell and the divisions occured.. how history repeats itself subhanAllah]

••

Ibn Hazm (rahimahullah) in al-Radd ‘ala ibn Nagh’rilah al-Yahudi wa Rasa’il Ukhra

“As for your query about the fitnah with which the people are afflicted due to their indifference to the worsening political situation, we are now its victims and subject to its test. We seek Allah’s security from it. This is an evil fitnah in which religious norms are being destroyed, save for those who are protected by Allah. Its description needs a lengthy exposition. However, in the main it is that rulers of every city and fortress throughout al-Andalus of these days, from the beginning to the end, are enemies of Allah and His Messenger and are perpetrators of corruption in the land. All that you see openly is that Muslims’ properties are being robbed and taken away. It is due to such rulers’ oppression. They permit their soldiers to commit highway robberies in the areas under their control. They have levied jizyah and exercise tax even upon Muslims. They have appointed Jews as their tax-lords to collect jizyah and other taxes from the Muslims. They make excuses for the necessity of such un-Islamic taxes and to make legitimate what has been prohibited by Allah. Their sole end is to perpetuate their rule and impose their laws by replacing the laws of Allah. Also do not be deceived by the behaviour of the evil-doing self-claimed religious leaders who are wolves disguised in sheeps` clothing they adorn the evils of these evil-doers [rulers] with their own wickedness and support the rulers in their transgressions. By God, had these rulers seen that their rule would continue by worshiping the cross, they would have done so without hesitation. We see them that now they seek help from the Christians, make the Christians masters over Muslim men, women and children. They send Muslims as captives to their Christian masters, hand the Muslims’ lands over to the Christians willingly where the symbols of Islam are being replaced by the symbols of Christianity.”