Certain Issues

[S.O.S]

The Muslims were constantly besieged by the Abyssinian Christians because of their weakness due to lack of unity and internal differences. Starting with Amda Seyon's invasion of Ifat, who killed and maimed his way through our territories until he captured the Sultan and finally defeated Muslim alliances in the early part of the 14 th century; to Secadedin's defeat and capture in Zaylac by the start of the 15 th century, and subsequent exile of his family to Yemen. From Zara Yacquub's advances and attacks inside the frontier regions halfway 15 th century, to the killing of Amir Maxfuudh at the start of 15 th century and soon after that, the destruction of Zaylac by the Portuguese fleet.

 

The Abyssinian Christians used all of these opportunities to organize series of murderous attacks against innocent Muslims in general, but the Reer Baadiyye in particular suffered every time their flocks of animals were looted and many died as a consequence of starvation. Cities were also destroyed, villages burnt and masaajid turned into churches. There were a lot of instabilities, frequent changes of power, assassination of kings, infighting, chaos and disorder, and general hopelessness. Muslims were divided on many levels such as ineffective occupied little emirates (like Dawaro, sidema, Bali, etc.) and fierce tribal divisions among the Reer Baadiyye of Somali-dominated Sultanate. Given the complete social disintegration at the time, how did Imam Axmad Gurrey achieve in such a short period of time, the turnaround that has become one of our most celebrated historic moments ever?

 

How then, you may wonder, is possible to achieve unity and social order when I've suggested that the Reer Baadiyye have culturally innate disposition to rebel and disregard any authority, be it divine or human in nature? The factors causing such disposition are that they're "more likely to be in ignorance" as Allah said, and that they "pay no attention to the Religion" as our Prophet (pbuh) said. All of these characteristics (pride, arrogance, rude, aggressive, etc.) are a consequence of their cultural life styles and the environment they live in with their cattle, but can easily be overcome by redirecting their loyalty towards newly acquired identity and purpose, and away from their traditional inclinations (tribal superiority, wealth and status).

 

Ibn Khalduun explaining about the Reer Baadiyye: "But when there is religion (among them) through prophethood or sainthood, then they have some restraining influence in themselves. The qualities of haughtiness and jealousy leave them. It is, then, easy for them to subordinate themselves and to unite (as a social organization). This is achieved by the common religion they now have. It causes rudeness and pride to disappear and exercises a restraining influence on their mutual envy and jealousy." More importantly, Ibn Khalduun asserts that "no people are as quick to accept (religious) truth and right guidance, because their natures have been preserved free from distorted habits and uncontaminated by base qualities." That is consistent with what I gather from history in relation to the religious role of most, if not all major achievements of our past.

 

So contrary to his predecessors, Imam Axmad Gurrey had the genius to attract the Somali Reer Baadiyye by (1) preaching them to fulfill their Islamic duties and wage Jihaad to defend their territories, (2) granting them greater power and positions of authority within the region and (3) changing the traditional self-defense strategies in favour of an offensive one. In normal circumstances, it would practically be impossible to unite so many Reer Baadiyye tribes who normally fight/retaliate and regularly carry out barbaric raids among themselves. It's one thing to achieve that by our Prophet (pbuh) in the Arabian Peninsula, but altogether quite something else to occur within the Reer Baadiyye of the Horn region. Of course the principles are exactly the same!

 

I will insha'Allah continue on these very principles next time.

[xiinfaniin]

^^Good read yaa Shams!

Waiting for the finale....

[S.O.S]

Brother Xiinfaniin, I know you're dying to get your teeth stuck in the plenty of camel meat on display, so I'll change my planned strategy and start throwing the issues prematurely rare from the cooking pot.

 

Principles of unity, in my humble opinion can best be achieved through the Qur'an and Sunnah. I'll do my best to very quickly summarise the principles found mainly in the Qur'an (perhaps we could discuss the Sunnah another time) as a course of action for every Reer Baadiyye society.

 

The first principle is very simple; it's about obeying Allah (swt) and His will.

Second principle of unity, happens then through His grace and mercy for those favoured slaves with guidance after their obedience. Thus relates Allah (swt) in the Qur'an clearly the following:

 

"And hold fast, all of you together, to the rope of Allah (i.e. the Qur'an), and be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allah's Favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His Grace, you became brethren (in Islam), and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.,) clear to you, that you may be guided." (Aali Imran 3:103)

 

Third principle negates any other possible way of achieving the same/similar effect, and we must disbelief whoever comes forth with such claim. It may sound tempting and pleasing for the ears, but it cannot be done. So Allah (swt) says:

 

"And He has united their (i.e. believers') hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allah has united them. Certainly He is All-Mighty, All-Wise." (Al-Anfal 8:63)

 

Fourth principle is also straightforward and follows this simple logic; in unity lays our strength and in division our weakness. Our weakness means our enemies' strength, with what we see in today's world as a consequence thereof. Allah (swt) warns:

 

"And those who disbelieve are allies to one another, (and) if you (Muslims) do not do so (i.e. become allies, as one united block), there will be Fitnah (wars, injustices, polytheism, etc.) and oppression on earth, and a great mischief and corruption." (Al-Anfal 8:73)

 

Fifth principle is that when we unite using aforementioned Islamic principles, our unity will be far superior to any other political convenience or worldly interests based union. For that's neither a union of the hearts nor minds, let alone the love and compassion we aspire to. Allah (swt) informed us in that respect by saying:

 

"They fight not against you even together, except in fortified townships, or from behind walls. Their enmity among themselves is very great. You would think they were united, but their hearts are divided, that is because they are a people who understand not." (Al-Hashr 59:14)

 

Whereas our unity stems from our identity, per se speaking, we don't distinguish unity and identity as these reciprocally necessitate each other. We believe in a division, not based upon race, wealth or nationality, rather one based upon ideological differences through the choices people have taken: Believers or non-believers. When Allah described His creation and how their division came about, He (swt) said:

 

"Mankind were but one community (i.e. on one religion), then they differed (later), and had not it been for a Word that went forth before from your Lord, it would have been settled between them regarding what they differed." (Yunus 10:19)

"And had Allah willed, He could have made you (all) one nation, but He sends astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. But you shall certainly be called to account for what you used to do." (An-Nahl 16:93)

 

Final principle that I wish to add is that of sacrifice. Without striving for these believes with your wealth and lives, it'll not suffice to achieve the higher status of common purpose, identity and ultimate success in both this life and the next. It has been Allah's Sunan that the cost of such achievements is quite high in materialistic sense, but the returns are so in multitude that those original input tally could never proportionally warrant anything like it! The Reer Baadiyye would always find satisfaction in what Allah said:

 

"Say (O Muhammad SAW) to the Reer Baadiyye who lagged behind: "You shall be called to fight against a people given to great warfare, then you shall fight them, or they shall surrender. Then if you obey, Allah will give you a fair reward, but if you turn away as you did turn away before, He will punish you with a painful torment." (Al-Fath 48:16)

 

Some of the certain issues;

Do you believe like I do that the dominant features of our behavioural culture are based on the Reer Baadiyye tradition? If you do not ascribe to that hypothesis, what are your major points of contention? If you do ascribe to the Reer-Baadiyye-hypothesis, how then do you propose to establish peace in Somalia without unity?

 

Given the fact that historically observed Reer Baadiyye have collectively only united on two opposing matters of, either Jahiliyyah or guidedence –and let's say you're, or to your credit at least come across that way, a propagator of unity, do you hold the view that we should seek unity by means of Jahiliyyah methodology (compromise or no compromise)? If you're proposing to achieve unity between us on the basis of religious subservience, would that entail identity before unity or unity before identity?

 

Enjoy your meat

[xiinfaniin]

Originally posted by S.O.S:

Some of the certain issues;

 

Do you believe like I do that the dominant features of our behavioural culture are based on the Reer Baadiyye tradition? If you do not ascribe to that hypothesis, what are your major points of contention? If you do ascribe to the Reer-Baadiyye-hypothesis, how then do you propose to establish peace in Somalia without unity?

 

Given the fact that historically observed Reer Baadiyye have collectively only united on two opposing matters of, either Jahiliyyah or guidedence –and let's say you're, or to your credit at least come across that way, a propagator of unity, do you hold the view that we should seek unity by means of Jahiliyyah methodology (compromise or no compromise)? If you're proposing to achieve unity between us on the basis of religious subservience, would that entail identity before unity or unity before identity?

 

Enjoy your meat

Many thanks brother SOS. It was a good read!

 

Now let me say, that unity, i believe, is a sacred concept. But it’s a very fragile one and can easily be violated.

 

Now, on your first question, I do agree with you that Somalis are by and large reer miyyi people. We have plenty of things to cite to prove that general point!

 

On the second question, some istifsaal is in order before I comment on it.

What do you mean by ‘Jahiliyyah methodology’ in the Somali context? What is ‘religious subservience’?

A quick explanation of those two terms would suffice!

[S.O.S]

On the second question, some istifsaal is in order before I comment on it.

What do you mean by ‘Jahiliyyah methodology’ in the Somali context? What is ‘religious subservience’?

A quick explanation of those two terms would suffice!

Brother Xiinfaniin,

 

The first is concept is based on ignorance, tribalism and injustice; whereas the second is as you've probably guessed, strictly based on the credo-dictum rules of Islam.

[xiinfaniin]

Originally posted by S.O.S:

If you're proposing to achieve unity between us on the basis of religious subservience, would that entail identity before unity or unity before identity?

I would never sing, good SOS, what one of the Pan Arabism concept proponents once sung:

 

Salaamun calaa kufrin yuwaxidu baynanaa

Wa ahlan wa sahlan bacdahu bijahanama

 

So take the ‘if’ out. It’s clearly xarfu shakk!

 

Now, in order to do justice to your topic, give me time to lay out what I think the real issues are. As a young man I read a book by the title of Awlawiyaat A-dacwah by Yusuf Qardawi. I wish the heading of your post could have borrowed the title. cuz that's what i think the real issue is!

[S.O.S]

Originally posted by Xiinfaniin:

 

So take the ‘if’ out. It’s clearly xarfu shakk!

Why don't you take the 'if' as a xarfu shard?

 

I'm looking forward to your take on the subject, it'll undoubtedly benefit us to gain deeper understanding.

[xiinfaniin]

This thread should not die. I was meaning to post my take in the thanksgiving week. It was not made possible. I shall find the time to at least get this going again...

[S.O.S]

Even if this thread dies, this is not a topic that would die any time soon. So take your time to suit your earliest convenience, especially in these sacred days, priorities always require some reshuffling.