Пророк Ислама

Пророк Ислама

[Material with minor changes taken from Prof. Muhammad Hamidullah (1908-2002) Introduction to Islam (Paris: Islamic Cultural Center, 1969)] 1. In the history of mankind, there have always been people who devoted their lives to the social and religious transformation of their peoples. Such people constantly appeared all over the world. In India, there lived personalities who told the world about the Vedas, and the famous Gautama Buddha also lived there. China had its own Confucius, and the Avesta was assembled in Iran. Babylonia gave the world one of the greatest reformers - the Prophet Abraham (not to mention such ancestors as Enoch and Noah, about whom we know very little). Jews can rightfully be proud of a whole succession of reformers, among whom were Moses, Samuel, David, Solomon and Jesus. 2. Two points should be emphasized: - First, these reformers, as a rule, proclaimed that they were the bearers of the Divine mission, and left behind them sacred books, which included a code of life, so that their peoples could be guided by it. - Secondly, there have been many fratricidal wars, massacres and genocides in history, as a result of which these divine messages were almost completely lost. We know nothing about the scrolls of Abraham, except for their name. About the books of Moses, historical documents report that they were repeatedly destroyed, and they were only partially restored. Conception of God 3. If we judge a person according to the evidence of history, then we can find that he has always been aware of the presence of the Supreme Being, the Lord and Creator of everything and everyone. Approaches and methods may have differed, but people of every era have left behind evidence of their attempts to obey God. The possibility of communication of a limited group of people with a noble and exalted soul with the Omnipresent and at the same time invisible God was also recognized. Whether this connection involved a Divine incarnation, or whether it simply found its manifestation in the way in which Divine messages were received (through inspiration or revelation), in any case, its purpose was to instruct people. It is absolutely natural that the interpretation and explanation of some systems turned out to be more viable and convincing compared to others. 3.1. Every metaphysical system, every religion has its own terminology. Over time, terms begin to take on meanings that hardly fit the word itself, and translations often no longer fit the purpose of the terms. And yet there is no other way than to use these terms so that people in one group can understand the train of thought of another group. I especially wanted to draw the attention of non-Muslim readers to this. The fact under consideration is an undoubted, but at the same time inevitable obstacle to understanding. 4. By the end of the VI century AD. Humanity has already taken a big step forward in various areas of life. During that period, there were religions that openly declared that they were intended only for a certain people or group of people, which means that they did not bring salvation for the diseases of all mankind. There were also several religions that were considered universal, but they argued that in order to be saved, it is necessary to renounce this world. These religions were intended for select circles and focused on an extremely narrow group of people. There were also regions where no religion existed, where atheism and materialism reigned, where everyone thought only of himself, not at all caring about the rights of other people. Arabia 5. Looking at the continents on the world map, we see that the Arabian Peninsula has a unique geographical position - at the junction of three great continents: Asia, Africa and Europe. During the period we are considering, this vast Arabian subcontinent consisted mainly of desert lands, inhabited by both nomads and those who lived a settled life. It often happened that members of the same genus were divided into these two groups and maintained relations with each other despite the fact that they followed a different lifestyle. The means of subsistence in Arabia were very limited. Living in the desert imposed certain difficulties, and participation in trade caravans was much more significant than agriculture and crafts. This in turn led to a lot of travel, 6. Not much data has been preserved about the Central Arabian Libyans, but there is information about Yemen, which is rightfully nicknamed "Arabia Felix" (Happy, Fertile Arabia). Even before the founding of Rome, this territory was famous for the Sabaean kingdom and the Minean civilization. Subsequently, the territory of Yemen extended to the borders of Byzantium and Persia, from which he was able to seize several provinces. In the period we are considering, Yemen, whose peak of power was already behind, was divided into an innumerable number of principalities and was even partially occupied by foreign invaders. The Sassanids, who came from Iran, penetrated the territory of Yemen and managed to take possession of Eastern Arabia. Their capital Ctesiphon was engulfed in political and social chaos, which was reflected throughout the country. Northern Arabia succumbed to Byzantine influence and faced its own problems. Only Central Arabia remained unaffected by the demoralizing effects of foreign occupation. 7. In this limited area of ​​​​Central Arabia, the very existence of the triangle Mecca - Taif - Medina seemed to be something predetermined. Mecca, deserted and devoid of water and agriculture, was characteristically the epitome of Africa and the scorching Sahara. Almost fifty miles away, Taif represented much colder Europe. Medina, in the north, was no less fertile than even the most temperate countries of Asia, such as Syria. If climate has any influence on a person's character, then this triangle, located in the center of the main hemisphere, was more than any other region on Earth a miniature copy of the whole world. It was here that the descendant of the Babylonian Abraham and the Egyptian Hagar, Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, was born, Religion 8. From the point of view of religion, idolatry was widespread in Arabia, except for a very small number of people who converted to Christianity, Zoroastrianism, etc. The Meccans still had the concept of the One God, but they also believed that idols could intercede before Him. It is curious that the inhabitants of Mecca did not believe in the Resurrection and life after death. They still retained the tradition of pilgrimage to the House of the One God (Kaaba), established by divine inspiration by their ancestor Abraham. However, the two thousand years that separated them from Abraham reduced this pilgrimage to a kind of trade fair spectacle and an event of mindless idolatry that did not lead to anything good, but only destroyed human behavior: both social and spiritual. Society 9. Despite the relative scarcity of natural resources, Mecca was the most developed city of this triangle. Of the three cities, only Mecca was a city-state governed by a council of ten hereditary chiefs whose power was clearly divided. (Thus, there was a minister of external relations, a minister of the temple, a minister of divination, a minister of offerings to the temple, responsible for determining offenses and reparations, and another person was responsible for ensuring that the decisions of the ministers were implemented in the city council (parliament). There were and ministers responsible for military operations: keeping the flag, leading the cavalry, etc.). As well-known caravan drivers, the Meccans could obtain permission to cross the lands of neighboring empires - Iran, Byzantium and Ethiopia - and enter into agreements with the tribes that met on the caravan routes. The agreements included the possibility of visiting their countries, carrying out import and export operations. The Meccans also accompanied foreigners who traveled through their lands, as well as the territory of allied tribes in Arabia (cf. "Muhabbar" Ibn Habib). Although they were not particularly interested in preserving their ideas and records in writing, they passionately developed such humanities as poetry, oratory and folk tales. Women were generally treated with dignity. Women had the right to own their own property, they agreed to marriage, at the same time, they could even put such a condition as the right to divorce from their husbands. They could remarry if they remained widows or divorced. In certain circles, there was indeed a practice of burying girls alive, but still it was a rare occurrence. Birth of a Prophet 10. It was in this environment that Muhammad was born in 569 CE. His father Abdullah died a few weeks before the birth of his son, and his grandfather took care of the Prophet. According to the customs of that time, the child was entrusted to a Bedouin nurse, with whom the Prophet spent several years in the desert. All biographers point out that the baby suckled only one breast of his nurse, leaving the second breast for feeding his milk brother. When the child was brought back home, his mother Amina went with him to her brothers in Medina to visit the grave of Abdullah. On the way back she was overtaken by a sudden death. In Mecca, another heavy loss awaited him - his loving grandfather died. At that time the boy was eight years old. In the end, he was left in the care of his uncle Abu Talib, who was naturally generous but almost always poor, 11. In this regard, the young Muhammad immediately had to earn his living. He began to tend the flocks of some of his neighbors. At the age of ten, he went with his uncle to Syria, who was leading a caravan there. There is no mention of any other trips of Abu Talib, but there are references to the fact that he had his own shop in Mecca (see Magarif by Ibn Kutaiba). Perhaps Muhammad helped him in this matter as well. 12. By the age of twenty-five, Muhammad was already well known throughout the city for his high morality and honesty. A wealthy widow named Khadijah took him to work and instructed him to ship her goods to Syria for sale. Delighted by the extraordinary profit with which Muhammad returned, and his personal charm, she offered him her hand and heart. According to sources, at that time she was 40 years old. Their marriage turned out to be happy. After the marriage, the Prophet went several times to the fair in Khubasha (Yemen) and at least once to the lands of Abd al-Qays (Bahrain-Oman), as mentioned by Ibn Hanbal. There is every reason to believe that the latter refers to the great fair of Daba (in Oman), which, according to Ibn al-Kalbi (cf. Ibn Habib's "Muhabbar"), brought together annually both by land and by sea merchants from China, Hindu and Sindh (India and Pakistan), Persia, Eastern and Western countries. There are also references to one trading partner of Muhammad in Mecca. This man named Sahib reports: “We replaced each other. If Muhammad was leading a caravan, then he did not enter his house until he paid me in full. If I was leading a caravan, then when I returned, he inquired about my health and well-being, saying nothing about his money, which he entrusted to me. Union of Honor 13. Foreign merchants often brought their goods to Mecca for sale. Once a Yemenite (of the Zubayd clan) wrote a satirical poem directed against some Meccans who refused to pay for the goods he sold, and against those who refused to support him and come to his aid when this happened. When Zuhair, the uncle of the Prophet and the head of his family, heard this just satire, he felt ashamed. He summoned the leaders and organized the Hilf al-Fudul honor alliance to help the oppressed in Mecca, whether they were residents of the city or not. Young Muhammad became an active participant in this organization. Later, he would talk about it like this: “I participated in this and am not ready to give up this right even for a whole herd of camels. If anyone addresses me even today on the basis of that promise, The beginning of a religious awakening 14. Little is known about the religious practice of Muhammad before he was 35 years old. However, it is known that he never worshiped idols. This is confirmed by all his biographers. It can be said that there were a few other people in Mecca who opposed the meaningless pagan tradition, while maintaining their commitment to the Kaaba as the house that its builder Abraham dedicated to the One God. 15. Around 605 AD. the coverings of the outer wall of the Kaaba caught fire. The building was badly damaged and could no longer withstand the torrential rains that soon followed. In this regard, the reconstruction of the Kaaba was begun. Each resident took part in this in accordance with their capabilities. Only honestly earned donations and gifts were accepted. Everyone participated in the construction of the building, and Muhammad even injured his shoulders while carrying stones. To determine the place where the ritual of going around the Kaaba was to begin, a black stone had to be installed in its wall, which took its history, probably from the time of Abraham. Disputes began between the inhabitants about who would get the right to move and install this stone in the right place. When the danger of bloodshed arose, someone suggested that the matter be left to Providence, and as a result, all agreed to decide who would come to them first. It so happened that Muhammad just at that moment was going there as usual to work. He was known by the nickname "Al-Amin" (honest), and everyone accepted his decision without hesitation. Muhammad spread a piece of cloth on the ground, on which he laid a stone, and then asked the heads of all the clans of the city to take up the matter and transfer it. After that, he himself laid the stone in its proper place in one of the corners of the building. In the end, everyone was satisfied. and then he asked the heads of all the clans of the city to take up the matter and transfer it. After that, he himself laid the stone in its proper place in one of the corners of the building. In the end, everyone was satisfied. and then he asked the heads of all the clans of the city to take up the matter and transfer it. After that, he himself laid the stone in its proper place in one of the corners of the building. In the end, everyone was satisfied. 16. It is from this time that we find that Muhammad becomes more and more immersed in spiritual contemplation. Like his grandfather, he spent the whole month of Ramadan in a cave in the mountain Jabal-an-Nur (mountain of light). The cave was called "Gar-Hira" or the cave of searches. There he prayed, meditated, and shared his meager provisions with passing travelers. Revelations 17. He was forty years old, and it was already the fifth year since he began to retire annually in the mountains. On one of the last nights of the month of Ramadan, an angel came to him and announced to him that the Lord had chosen him as His messenger for all mankind. The angel taught him the rules of washing, the ways of worshiping the Lord and praying. He gave him the following Divine message: “In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful! Read in the name of your Lord, who created all things. He created man from a clot of blood. Read, because your Lord is the most magnanimous. He taught by means of a writing stick - He taught man what he did not know. (Quran, 96:1-5) 18. Deeply moved, he returned home and told his wife what had happened, sharing his fears that it could be something diabolical or the work of evil spirits. She reassured him, saying that he had always been a merciful and generous person, helping the poor, orphans, widows and the needy, and assured him that God would protect him from any evil. 19. After that there was a pause in the revelations, which lasted for three years. The Prophet must have been shocked at first, then felt calm, longing, and after a period of waiting, growing impatience or nostalgia. News of the first Divine revelation spread throughout the city. During the three-year hiatus, skeptics began to taunt him and come up with caustic barbs. They even went so far as to say that God had abandoned him. 20. During these three years of waiting, the Prophet began to devote more and more time to prayer and spiritual development. After this, the revelations continued, and God assured him that He had not left him in the least: on the contrary, it was He who guided him to the straight path, and therefore he should take care of the orphans and those who ask and proclaim the mercy of the Lord over him (cf. Koran, 93:3-11). Actually, it was a command to preach. Another revelation commanded him to warn people against committing evil deeds, to encourage them to worship the Only God and no one else, and to leave everything that could displease the Lord (Quran, 74: 2-7). Another revelation ordered him to warn his close relatives (Quran, 26:214), and another commanded: “Proclaim what you are commanded, and turn away from the polytheists. Indeed, Mission 21. At first, the Prophet began to preach his mission in secret among his close friends, then among members of his family, and only then openly in the city itself and its suburbs. He preached faith in the One Almighty God, in the Resurrection and the Day of Judgment. He urged people to charity and good deeds. He took the necessary steps to preserve the revealed revelations in writing, and commanded his followers to memorize the revelations. This continued throughout his life, since the Qur'an was not sent down at once, but in parts on one occasion or another. 22. The number of his followers gradually increased, but with their rejection of paganism, the hostility from those who continued to strictly adhere to the beliefs of their ancestors increased. Over time, this hostility resulted in physical abuse of the Prophet and those who accepted his religion. Such people were stretched on hot sand, burned with red-hot iron, their feet were sharpened in shackles. Some died as a result of torture, but no one gave up their religion. In desperation, the Prophet Muhammad invited his companions to leave their native city and seek refuge outside of it, in Ethiopia, “where a just king rules, in whose kingdom no one is oppressed” (Ibn Hisham). Though not all, but dozens of Muslims took advantage of his advice. These secret escapes led to further persecution of those who remained in the city. 23. Prophet Muhammad (it was ordered to name this) religion by the name "Islam", i.e. obedience to the will of the Lord. Its two main features are as follows: - A harmonious balance between the worldly and the spiritual (body and soul), which allows you to fully enjoy all the blessings that the Lord has created (Quran, 7:32), and at the same time imputing to each person the duties of attitude towards God, such as: worship, fasting, charity, etc. Islam was to become the religion of the masses, and not just a select part of society. - The universality of the call: all believers became brothers and equals to each other, regardless of their class, race or language. The only superiority that is recognized is personal and based on greater piety and greater piety (Quran, 49:13). public boycott 24. When a large number of Meccan Muslims migrated to Ethiopia, the heads of the pagans sent an ultimatum to the Prophet's family demanding that he be separated from their family and handed over to the pagans to kill him. All members of the Prophet's family, including both Muslims and non-Muslims, rejected this requirement (cf. Ibn Hisham). After that, the city dwellers decided to completely boycott this clan: no one was supposed to talk to them, enter into trade and marriage relations. A group of Arab tribes called the Ahabish, who lived in the suburbs of Mecca and were allied with the Meccans, also supported the boycott, which led to great suffering on the part of innocent people, including women, men and children, the elderly, the sick and the weak. Some of them died as a result of this boycott, but no one was going to hand over the Prophet to his persecutors. However, the Prophet's uncle, Abu Lahab, left his family and joined the boycott along with the pagans. After three difficult years, during which the Prophet's family was forced to eat even crushed skins, a few more humane (compared to the rest) non-Muslims from various clans openly declared their rejection of the unjust boycott. At the same time, as Muhammad had predicted, the document on which the boycott agreement was written and which was hung in the temple was found eaten by termites, leaving only the words "God" and "Muhammad" intact. The boycott was lifted, but as a result of the suffering that was endured, the wife of the Prophet and his uncle, the head of the clan Abu Talib, soon died. Вознесение 25. It was during this period that the Prophet Muhammad was granted a miraj (ascension): he was received in reality by God in heaven and witnessed various miracles in heaven. Returning, he brought his people a divine gift - namaz (Islamic prayer), which is a kind of communication between the Lord and man. If you pay attention to the last part of the Muslim prayer, you can see that believers, as a sign that they are in front of God himself, do not use specific objects (as others do during communion), but the words of greeting that were exchanged between the Prophet Muhammad and God during miraj: “Blessed and pure salutations to the Lord! - Peace be with you, O Prophet, as well as the mercy and blessings of the Lord! – Peace be with us and with all the (righteous) servants of God! » The Christian term "communion" implies participation in the Divine. Muslims consider this term too pretentious and speak of "ascension" to God and being received in His presence. Thus, God remains God, and man remains man, that is, each in his place. 26. News of the meeting in heaven led to more hostility from the Meccan pagans, and the Prophet was forced to leave his hometown to seek refuge. He went to Taif to his uncles on his mother's side, but immediately returned back, as the vicious inhabitants of Taif drove the Prophet out of the city, throwing stones at him and wounding him. Relocation to Medina 27. Ежегодное паломничество к Каабе приводило в Мекку людей со всей Аравии. Пророк Мухаммад пытался убедить одно племя за другим, чтобы ему предоставили убежище и позволили продолжить свою реформаторскую миссию. Пятнадцать племен, к которым он обращался, одно за другим отказывали ему в этом: кто-то более, а кто-то менее суровым образом, – однако Пророк не отчаивался. Наконец, он встретил около шести жителей Медины, которые живя по соседству с иудеями и христианами, имели некоторое представление о пророках и божественных посланиях. Они также знали, что эти «люди Писания» как раз ожидали прихода пророка – последнего утешителя. Поэтому они решили не упускать возможности приобрести преимущество над другими и тотчас приняли Ислам, пообещав найти еще больше последователей и оказать необходимую помощь из Медины. На следующий год еще дюжина жителей Медины присягнули на верность Пророку и попросили его, чтобы он прислал им учителя, который бы обучал их религии. Таким учителем был выбран Мусаб, и результаты его трудов оказались очень успешными: ко времени паломничества он привел в Мекку семьдесят три новообращенных мусульманина. Они пригласили Пророка и его мекканских сподвижников переселиться в их город и пообещали дать им прибежище и обращаться с ними как со своими друзьями и родственниками. Тайно, малыми группами большая часть мусульман переселилась в Медину. Узнав об этом, язычники Мекки не только забрали себе имущество переселенцев, но и замыслили заговор с целью убийства Пророка. Теперь ему было невозможно оставаться в своем доме. Необходимо отметить, что несмотря на всю свою враждебность по отношению к его миссии, язычники полностью доверяли его честности — настолько, что многие из них отдавали ему на хранение свои сбережения. Пророк Мухаммад передал теперь все эти сбережения своему двоюродному брату Али, наказав ему возвратить их должным образом владельцам. После этого он втайне покинул город вместе со своим верным другом Абу Бакром. Преодолев ряд трудностей, которые произошли на их пути, они смогли в безопасности достичь Медины. Это случилось в 622 году, и именно с этого времени берет свое начало календарь по хиджре. Преобразование общины 28. Для того чтобы переселенцы лучше и быстрее приспособились к условиям в новом городе, Пророк установил братские отношения между ними и таким же количеством обеспеченных жителей Медины. Семьи каждой пары таких братьев теперь работали вместе и помогали друг другу в бытовых и других вопросах. 29. Далее Пророку пришла мысль, что общее человеческое развитие пошло бы лучше, если б он скоординировал религию и политику как две составные части единого целого. С этой целью он пригласил представителей как мусульманского, так и немусульманского населения города и близлежащих районов: арабов, иудеев, христиан и людей других вероисповеданий, — и предложил образовать город-государство на территории Медины. С их согласия он наделил город письменной конституцией (первой своего рода в мире), в которой он определил права и обязанности граждан и главы государства, которым был единогласно провозглашен Пророк Мухаммад, и отменил ранее бытовавший самосуд. Правосудие становилось отныне заботой центральной организации общества граждан. Конституция также устанавливала принципы обороны и внешней политики, учреждала систему социального обеспечения, которая называлась маакиль, подразумевавшую помощь для тех, кто оказался в слишком тяжелых условиях. Конституция признавала, что за Пророком Мухаммадом будет закреплено последнее слово во всех спорах, и его законодательная власть будет безграничной. Она также открыто провозглашала свободу религии, в частности, для иудеев, которым конституционный акт предоставлял такие же права, что и мусульманам, по всем вопросам, касающимся земной жизни. 30. Мухаммад несколько раз отправлялся в поездки с целью расположить к себе соседствующие племена и заключить с ними соглашения о союзе и взаимной поддержке. С их помощью он решил оказать экономическое давление на мекканских язычников, которые прибрали себе имущество мусульманских переселенцев и нанесли им огромный ущерб. Препятствия, с которыми начали сталкиваться мекканские караваны при проходе через регионы, прилегающие к Медине, разозлили язычников, и вскоре они развязали кровавую войну. 31. Забота о материальных интересах общины никогда не отводила внимание от ее духовного развития. Едва прошел год после переселения в Медину, как для всех мусульман (мужчин и женщин) стала обязательной самая строгая тренировка духовности – ежегодный пост в течение всего месяца Рамадан. Борьба против нетерпимости и неверия 32. Не довольные переселением мусульманских жителей из города, мекканцы направили жителям Медины ультиматум, в котором требовали от них выдать или хотя бы изгнать Мухаммада и его сподвижников. Однако, как и следовало ожидать, все их попытки оказались безуспешными. Спустя несколько месяцев, во втором году хиджры, они отправили сильную армию против Пророка, которую он встретил в битве при Бадре. Армия язычников, троекратно превосходившая мусульманский отряд, была разгромлена. После года приготовлений мекканцы вновь направили свои войска на Медину, чтобы отомстить за поражение при Бадре. На этот раз язычников было в четыре раза больше, чем мусульман. После кровавого столкновения при Ухуде противник отступил, так и не поставив точку в этом противостоянии. Наемники из мекканской армии не хотели чересчур рисковать и подвергать себя опасности. 33. Тем временем, иудеи, проживавшие в Медине, начали нагнетать обстановку. Примерно в то время, когда произошла победа при Бадре, один из их лидеров, Ка'б ибн аль-Ашраф, отправился в Мекку, чтобы заверить язычников в союзе с ними и спровоцировать войну отмщения. После битвы при Ухуде племя того же самого лидера замыслило убить Пророка, сбросив на него с башни жернов, когда он приходил навестить район, в котором они проживали. Несмотря на все их козни, единственное требование Пророка заключалось в том, чтобы члены этого племени покинули район Медины, забрав с собой все свое имущество, продав свои дома и взыскав долги с мусульман. Проявленная к ним снисходительность имела противоположный ожидаемому эффект. Изгнанные иудеи связались теперь не только с мекканцами, но и с племенами, которые жили севернее, южнее и восточнее Медины. Мобилизовав военные силы, они планировали захватить Медину со стороны Хайбара. Численность их войск в четыре раза превосходила армию, задействованную при Ухуде. Мусульмане приготовились к осаде и вырыли ров, чтобы защитить себя от самого тяжелого из всех испытаний. Хотя предательство иудеев, которые все еще оставались в Медине, впоследствии разрушило всю стратегию, тем не менее, Пророк, используя мудрую дипломатию, успешно разрушил союз противников, и вскоре вражеские группировки стали отступать одна за другой. 34. В этот период также были объявлены запрещенными для мусульман спиртные напитки и азартные игры. Примирение 35. Пророк попытался призвать мекканцев к миру еще раз и для этого направился в Мекку. Блокада путей северных караванов разрушила мекканскую экономику. Пророк пообещал мекканцам безопасность транзита, выдачу беглецов и выполнение всех условий, которые они желали, согласившись даже на возвращение в Медину без совершения паломничества к Каабе. В результате, в Худайбие, пригороде Мекки, две стороны пообещали сохранять мир, а также соблюдать нейтралитет при конфликтах с третьими сторонами. 36. Воспользовавшись миром, Пророк начал интенсивную работу по распространению Ислама. Он отправил письма правителям Византии, Ирана, Эфиопии и других земель. Византийский патриарх Дугатур Аравийский принял Ислам, но был за это растерзан толпой христиан. Префекта палестинского города Маан постигла та же судьба: он был обезглавлен и распят по приказу императора. Мусульманский посол был убит в Сирии/Палестине, и вместо того, чтобы наказать преступника, император Ираклий помчался со своей армией, чтобы защитить его от карательной экспедиции, отправленной Пророком (битва при Муте). 37. Надеясь воспользоваться трудностями, с которыми столкнулись мусульмане, мекканские язычники нарушили условия договора. В ответ на это Пророк лично возглавил десятитысячную армию и бескровно взял удивленную Мекку. Проявляя великодушие, он созвал поверженных противников, напомнил им об их злых деяниях, о том, как они преследовали мусульманам, несправедливо отнимали имущество беженцев, беспрестанно организовывали вооруженные набеги, бессмысленно враждовали на протяжении двадцати лет подряд. Он спросил их: «Чего же вы теперь ждете от меня?» Когда от стыда все опустили голову, Пророк провозгласил: «Да простит вас Аллах, идите с миром! С вас сегодня не спросят, вы свободны!» Он даже отказался от притязаний на мусульманскую собственность, конфискованную язычниками. Это немедленно произвело огромный психологический эффект на сердца людей. Когда же лидер мекканцев, услышав об этом всеобщем помиловании, приблизился к Пророку, чтобы заявить, что он принимает Ислам, Пророк сказал ему: «В свою очередь, я назначаю тебя правителем Мекки!» Не оставив в побежденном городе ни одного солдата, Пророк вернулся в Медину. Исламизация Мекки была завершена всего за несколько часов. 38. Сразу после этого жители Таифа собрали свои войска, чтобы сразиться с Пророком. С небольшими трудностями враг был разбит в долине Хунайна, но мусульмане решили снять осаду близлежащего Таифа и использовать мирные средства для сведения на нет сопротивления региона. Меньше чем через год в Медину приехала делегация из Таифа с предложением подчиниться. Однако они требовали, чтобы с них были сняты обязанности совершать молитвы, выплачивать налоги и нести военную службу, и чтобы они по-прежнему могли свободно совершать прелюбодеяния, предаваться внебрачным связям и распивать спиртные напитки. Они даже требовали сохранения в Таифе храма идолу аль-Лату. Но Ислам не был материалистическим безнравственным движением; и вскоре сама делегация застыдилась того, что они попросили в отношении молитв, прелюбодеяния и вина. Пророк согласился сделать уступки в отношении выплаты налогов и службы в армии и добавил: «Вам не надо разрушать храм своими руками – мы пришлем своих людей, которые сделают это. И если после этого будут какие-то последствия, которых вы опасаетесь из-за своих суеверий, то они постигнут этих людей (а не вас)». Этот поступок Пророка показывает, какие уступки можно делать людям, только что принявшим Ислам. Переход жителей Таифа в Ислам был настолько искренним, что в скором времени они сами отказались от сделанных им уступок и, как и в других мусульманских регионах, в их области появился назначенный Пророком сборщик налогов. 39. За все время проведения этих «войн», продолжавшихся на протяжении десяти лет, немусульмане потеряли всего около 250 человек убитыми, а потери мусульман были еще меньше. И несмотря на это, весь регион Аравии с его площадью в миллионы квадратных метров был исцелен от нарыва анархии и безнравственности. За эти десять лет безучастных сражений все народы Аравийского полуострова, а также южные регионы Ирака и Палестины добровольно приняли Ислам. Некоторые христианские, иудейские и зороастрийские группы продолжали придерживаться своей религии, и им была дарована свобода вероисповедания, а также законодательная и судебная автономия. 40. В 10 году по хиджре, когда Пророк отправился в Мекку чтобы совершить хадж (паломничество), он встретил там от 90 до 114 тысяч мусульман или даже больше того (как гласят разные источники), собравшихся из различных регионов Аравии для выполнения своей религиозной обязанности. Он обратился к ним со своей знаменитой проповедью, в которой резюмировал свои учения: «Вера в Одного Бога без изображений и символов; равенство всех верующих независимо от расовой и классовой принадлежности; преимущество одного человека над другим только на основе его благочестия; неприкосновенность жизни, имущества и чести; отказ от ростовщичества, кровной мести и самосуда; лучшее обращение с женщинами; обязательное наследование и распределение имущества умерших между ближайшими родственниками обоих полов; устранение возможности аккумулирования богатства в руках небольшой группы людей». Коран и поведение Пророка должны были служить основой законодательства и здравым критерием во всех вопросах человеческой жизни. 41. По возвращении в Медину он заболел. Спустя несколько недель, когда он был на своем смертном одре, к нему пришло чувство удовлетворения, что он успешно справился с задачей, за которую взялся, – донести до мира Божественное послание. 42. Он завещал последующим поколениям религию чистого монотеизма, из царившего хаоса создал хорошо организованное государство и заменил постоянные междоусобные войны миром. Он установил гармоничное равновесие между духовным и тленным, между молитвенным ковриком и боевыми доспехами, оставил после себя новую систему законодательства, осуществлявшую беспристрастный суд, к которому даже глава государства мог быть привлечен наравне с любым иным гражданином. В этой системе религиозная терпимость была настолько велика, что в мусульманских странах даже немусульманское население в равной степени имело судебную, законодательную и культурную автономию. Коран установил принципы формирования государственного бюджета и уделял наибольшее внимание бедным слоям населения. Государственные доходы отныне никоим образом не могли считаться частной собственностью главы государства. И главное: Пророк Мухаммад явил собой личный благородный пример, в полной мере исполнив все то, чему учил остальных. Article borrowed from the Muslim Student Association of the University of Southern California Source (English): Central-Mosque.com Translation: AskImam.ru