IN GIVING, WE RECEIVE

During the reign of Umayyads, a grand Jamia mosque was erected in Damascus. On one side of the mosque was an ancient church. Muslims wished to include a part of the church in the mosque, but the Christians did not agree to this development. Caliph Abdul Malik offered a considerable amount of money, but the Christians did not agree. Consequently, a part of the mosque remained incomplete. Then came the reign of the Caliph Waleed bin Abdul Malik, Muslims tried again to get hold of a part of the church to complete the construction of the mosque. The Christians remained steadfast again. Waleed bin Abdul Malik used force and got the possession of the land unrightfully. He included this land in the completion of the mosque. Many years passed. Umar bin Abdul Aziz became the Caliph. His fame as a just and fair ruler spread far and wide. The Christians decided to meet him and present their grievance. After hearing their complaint, Caliph Umar bin Abdul Aziz commanded that the unrightful construction over the church land be razed and the land be handed over to the Christians. This judgement proved hard for the Muslims. They protested against razing the mosque in which they had called people for prayers and performed prayers. Umar bin Abdul Aziz replied, “Be whatever it may. If this was a place of prayer for the Christians, it must be duly returned to the Christians.” Now, it was the turn of the Christians to be enthralled. They had a change of mind. They said, “Our claim has proved to be true. We need no more than this. We now give this piece of land as gift to the mosque.” (Tareekh-e-Baladhuri) In this world, one who gives; receives. One who always seeks to receive, will eventually lose. This is the unshakeable law of the world. This law has always existed and will exist forever. No nation can aspire to be at the forefront of worldly affairs unless it carves for itself the image of a giver group. The recent Babri Mosque verdict announced by the Indian Supreme Court is a great opportunity for the Muslims to carve out this image. Acceptance of the verdict wholeheartedly will open up new horizons and prospects for the Muslims in the subcontinent. o No nation can aspire to be at the forefront of worldly affairs unless it carves for itself the image of a giver group.