It was the 29th day of Ramadan, the year 1099. Muslims had gathered for prayer in the main mosque in Baghdad. Suddenly the door burst open and a man who had the signs of a long travel entered. Standing in the middle of the prayer hall he began to eat in front of everyone. The offence had been caused, but this man was the notable scholar and judge Qadi Sa’ad al-Harawi and he had come with a message to the Abassid Khalifah al-Mustazhir.
The Khalifah at the time was young and inexperienced. Although the head of an enormous state, his power had become heavy with complacency. When Qadi al-Harawi was taken to the court of al-Mustazhir, he was delicately tending to his flowers, oblivious of the state of his ummah. 1099 was the year the Crusaders had taken Palestine after a forty day siege, eventually slaughtering thousands and converting Al-Aqsa into stables for their horses. Qadi al-Harawi was in no mood to mince his words,
“How dare you slumber in the shade of complacent safety, leading lives as frivolous as garden flowers, while your brothers in Syria have no dwelling place save the saddles of camels and the bellies of the vultures? Blood has been spilled! Beautiful young girls have been shamed, and must now hide their sweet faces in their hands! Shall the valorous Arabs resign themselves to insult, and the valiant Persians accept dishonor?…Never have the Muslims been so humiliated,” al-Hawari repeated, “never have their lands been so savagely devastated.”
It was a speech that brought tears to many an eye and moved men’s hearts, including the Khalifah. The entire audience broke out in wails and lamentations, but al-Harawi had not come to elicit sobs.
“Men’s meanest weapon,” he shouted, “is to shed tears when rapiers stir the coals of war.”
These words and deeds of one of the Ulama has little comparison today. Qur’an reciters, TV superstars and Internet preachers have made names out of disseminating their knowledge, yet when Gaza faced the relentless Ramadan massacre they have been found wanting. Many continue with their activities, oblivious of any sense of priority, some meekly make dua, carefully choosing their words. Are they afraid of the Kings and Presidents above Allah yet recite the Qur’an with such melody and aplomb? Unfortunately many from the Ulama fear their positions and prestige over any sense of priority. The Ulama are a part of this ummah, and their positions and notoriety places more of a burden upon them to account the rulers and the armies for staying silent whilst the blood of Muslims is spilt so cheaply.