Insights from the Prophet’s Social and Economic Reforms

In the course of reforming society, after emigration and founding the new nation, the Prophet (PBUH) depends on the following points: 1. The Divine revelation was in the right time i.e. it fits the need of society. For example, Zakat (religious duty like taxes) was imposed when the society was in need for money and funds.

2. The Divine methodology of social morals is not theoretical; it is an educational one, with events and situations. A problem happens, Allah (SWT) leaves people deal with it the way they want, then finally He (SWT) sends Quranic ayahs to tell them where right is.
3. The Prophet (PBUH) represented a role model for the people in society. For instance, people were very poor, and when one of them went to the Prophet (PBUH) to complain of hunger, he found him in the same state too .The Prophet (PBUH) never ate except after the people ate. Being such an example, the Prophet (PBUH) helped the people to be patient; he (PBUH) was an example in everything.
4. The most important factor at large which helped the Prophet ( PBUH ) to plant good morals and to reform society was Al-Jannah ( paradise ). But how? He (PBUH) made it concrete in the minds of people, and used it as a stimulus to encourage people to do well. Our Prophet (PBUH) managed to find solutions for many problems with this stimulus. For example, to solve the problem of orphans and poverty he promised those who help those categories of poor people and orphans to be his companions in Paradise .Not only this , but even in the economical field he ( PBUH) preached that those who accurate their works are rewarded with paradise . He also used the reverse i.e. Jahanam (Hell ) to prevent bad manners . Modern psychologists are trying nowadays many theories such as "the reward- punishment" theory that has existed 14 centuries ago.
On the economical level, the society was very poor, but they moved towards developing all aspects of life . At that time, the role of businessmen started. Othman Ibn Affan, who was very rich, bought a water well from the Jews and offered it to the Muslims as a gift. The Prophet (PBUH) also set up a new market in Medina as the Jews were controlling the trade. There were also 70 youths from the companions who established a group to teach Ahlul – Saffa some handcrafts (small projects), to practise by day like turnery . Creativity found an outlet as well; using the minbar (pulbit) was the idea of a woman from the companions. She told the Prophet (PBUH) that to achieve better communication, he should stand on a high place to see the people and to be seen by them while delivering his speeches.

Do you miss him *P.B.U.H* , as he did

A short time before his death, the Prophet (PBUH) visited the martyrs of Uhud (one battle of Muslims), then he cried. The companions asked him "why are you crying?" he said: "I missed my brothers and sisters."

They said: "are we not your brothers and sisters?" he said "no, you are my companions; my brothers and sisters are those who come after my death, and believe in me without seeing me, I missed them so I cried." This is how the Prophet (PBUH) missed his Ummah (the people of his nation), loved them and wished to see them even if they were centuries to come after him. Nevertheless, the people of our nation may also say that they really miss their master and the savior of humanity in his lifetime. They may say that the companions of the Prophet (PBUH) succeeded because he was with them, which is not the case for us now. But let us see what Allah says in the ayah which can be translated as "And know that among you is the messenger of Allah" (TMQ)

We all know that Quran is valid in any time, and Allah says that his messenger is among us; so, is he among us? Of course he is, with his sunnah, with his legacy and the great heritage of knowledge and experiments in life which are yet to be all explored in the present days.

By revealing the path of the beloved (PBUH) and showing how the Prophet reformed in different fields of life, by exploring the life of the Prophet ( PBUH) and deriving various lessons , we do believe now that the idea of revival is not a dream: It is a reality which can work in our nation, but with one condition : following the footsteps of the Prophet (PBUH) and applying the lessons and meaning of his experiment as his model was the most successful one in all the human history.

Al-manahidj participation in the 15th international book-fair

'Israel flotilla raid was unlawful'

UN Gaza aid probe says the raid of Israeli forces on flotilla was in violation of international law.

The UN Human Rights Council's fact-finding mission has accused Israeli forces of violating international law when they raided a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

The three UN-appointed human rights experts said in a report released on Wednesday that Israeli forces showed "incredible violence" during and after their raid on the aid flotilla that left eight Turkish activists and one Turkish-American killed.

The UN probe said there was "clear evidence to support prosecutions" against Israel for "wilful killing" and torture committed when its troops stormed the aid flotilla last May.

Israel's military response to the flotilla "betrayed an unacceptable level of brutality" and violated international law "including international humanitarian and human rights law." The three-member panel said.

"The conduct of the Israeli military and other personnel towards the flotilla passengers was not only disproportionate to the occasion but demonstrated levels of totally unnecessary and incredible violence."

The report is scheduled to be debated by the Human Rights Council on Monday.

The report also rejected Israel's stance that its forces acted in self-defence when they raided the flotilla, arguing that even those who did not attempt to stop Israeli soldiers from boarding the aid ships "received injuries, including fatal injuries."

"It is apparent that no effort was made to minimise injuries at certain states of the operation and that the use of live fire was done in an extensive and arbitrary manner. The circumstances of the killing of at least six of the passengers were in a manner consistent with an extra-legal, arbitrary and summary execution."

Israel's reaction

Israel rejected the report as "biased" and "one-sided."

"The report... is as biased and as one sided as the body that has produced it," the statement said.

"Israel... is of the opinion that the flotilla incident is amply and sufficiently investigated as it is. All additional dealing with this issue is superfluous and unproductive."

Israel insisted that it acted in line with international law, arguing that it had the right to retaliate against ships attempting to breach its blockade of the impoverished Gaza Strip.

However, the panel said that since Gaza was suffering from a humanitarian crisis on the day of the deadly raid, for this reason alone, Israel's blockade is unlawful and cannot be sustained in law.

Hamas welcomed the report and told Al Jazeera that the findings show that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories violates human rights.

"More should now be done, the commander who led the raid should be taken to International Criminal Court." Hamas said.

The fact-finding mission, chaired by Karl Hudson-Phillips, former judge of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, had travelled to Turkey, Jordan and Britain to interview witnesses and officials for the probe.

Desmond de Silva, former chief prosecutor of the Sierra Leone War Crimes Tribunal, and Shanthi Dairiam, as Malaysian human rights expert, are the other members of the panel.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/09/2010922195831956543.html

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Turkish PM accuses opposition of supporting Tel Aviv

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused the main opposition leader Sunday of “advocating on behalf of Tel Aviv.”

Although Erdoğan did not give any names, arguing that he did not want to “promote them,” his remarks in the northwestern province of Bursa were clearly directed at Republican People’s Party, or CHP, leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

“Some people speak in the name of Tel Aviv, advocate for Tel Aviv,” Erdoğan said. “They question our way of diplomacy. The way you did things put us in this dire situation. As I said earlier, we do not work as the ‘mon cher’ diplomats do.”

Erdoğan said Turkey could not step aside since it has historical ties with the region and Jerusalem is a holy city for all three of the world’s largest monotheistic religions.

Kılıçdaroğlu had said Turkey should have made more diplomatic efforts for the Gaza aid flotilla, which was the target of a deadly attack by Israeli soldiers last week.

The CHP chief had also criticized Erdoğan for making a reference to the Torah and telling the Jewish people that their religion forbids murders. “Erdoğan uses the Ten Commandments as a tool,” he said. “But the eighth commandment says, ‘Thou shall not steal,’ what about that?” asked Kılıçdaroğlu, accusing the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, government of corruption.

Erdoğan was harsh in his response. “Thank God, I have read both the Torah and the Bible,” Erdoğan said Sunday. “I have read the Quran various times, he should read them. He should then talk to the people around him before making such comments.”

Support for initiative

Erdoğan met Saturday with sports figures during the fifth leg of the Dolmabahçe meetings, which are being organized to discuss the government’s democratic initiative with prominent people.

Commenting on the agenda by using a sports analogy, Erdoğan said: “It is not the time to pass the ball around in the midfield. It is time to make unerring passes, to perform a team play and, in the end, to score a goal.”

Addressing criticisms leveled against the government’s slow-moving democratic initiative, Erdoğan said: “We have to sustain it. We cannot walk ahead with the guidance of yesterday’s parameters and the burden of the past on our backs... We cannot build the future by covering or burying the issues or delaying coming to terms with them.”

Erdoğan said he had been particular irked by recent remarks on a TV channel that equated the Turkish aid flotilla with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.

“Replying to my quotation of the New Testament, ‘Thou shalt not kill,’ [the commentator] asked, ‘What are you going to do about the killings of the PKK by the security forces?’” Erdoğan quoted the person as saying.

“What kind of reasoning is this? On the one hand we have a humanitarian aid ship cruising in international waters; on the other hand are those who are trying to violate the rights of others to live under humane terms in their own country,” the prime minister said. “How can you confuse these two?”

A lack of communication pervades all of Turkey’s problems, Erdoğan said, adding that political institutions, state institutions and especially governments have long resisted participating in efforts to establish communication and negotiate.

“Nobody has been harmed by listening, talking, carrying out discussions in a civilized manner or by constructive criticism,” he said. “Turkey has changed as we have tried to arrive at a better understanding of each other.”

Meeting with Internet media administrators at another location in Istanbul on Saturday, Erdoğan complained about user comments below news stories that he said contained such unbearable insults against his person that they could “drive one to murder.”