Will the Maldive student in el-Azhar call this is a Pagan document?

Recently someone who claimed to be a Maldive student at the el-Azhar seminary in Cairo contacted Majid by chat. It was possible to trace him electronically to an address in Cairo. He described his institution as the largest and foremost centre of Islamic learning in the world.

According to him the genealogical material in this site is vain and Pagan. Genealogy, he added, is a Pagan discipline and therefore alien to Maldive culture. This is an interesting point of view which warranted further investigation.

The document shown here on the left is a much-coveted Shehadeh Nesab or a Certificate of Genealogy confirming one's lineage from the Prophet Mohamed. This was issued by the Egyptian Syndicate of the Ashraaf ("Nobility"). This organisation was founded in 1895 by the Ottoman viceroy of Egypt, Abbas Helmi Pasha. It was condemned and marginalised to a certain extent by the Nationalist-Marxist regime of Colonel Gemal Abdel Nasser that ruled Egypt (1955 - 1970) through the humiliating defeat in war at the hands of the State of Israel, in which the Arabs lost control over Jerusalem.

The Syndicate is fully functional again under the pro-Western regimes of Presidents Anwar el-Sadat and Hosni Mubarak.

With the Fatimid accession to power in Egypt, the Commander of the Faithful (Caliph) Al-Mu'izz Li-Din-illah (reigned AD 973 - 975) established an organisation charged with keeping a register of the Ashraaf in Egypt. In subsequent Ayyubid and Mameluke times, the Ashraaf were recognised as a special group, but enjoyed no official status.

During the Ottoman era, the Ashraaf once more participated actively in state matters. Their head in Egypt attended meetings of the viceregal cabinet.

Today, although the Syndicate of Ashraaf is an autonomous organisation in Egypt, it usually invites the Egyptian minister of religious endowments (Awqaaf), the grand sheikh, the grand mufti, and the chancellor of el-Azhar to their symposia.

The question to the Maldive student in el-Azhar, and others of similar thinking, is whether or not these esteemed dons are dabbling in Paganism? Or does he and others apply a different rule when genealogy is of the Maldive royal families? | Feedback (click here) |

The mosque of el-Azhar Seminary, Cairo

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A Maldive doctor writes:

The comment from the Azhar student is a typical symptom of the malady that afflicts the Ummah as it hesitantly totters into the 21st century. The Ulema are busy splitting theological hairs on frivolous issues, while the burning questions confronting the community remain on the sidelines.

Take the comment in question. I am sure our friend can quote enough authorities to justify his point of view. But what is the point? If genealogy is so bad why does Salahudeen’s Seerath begin with the lineage of the Prophet (S.A.W.)? And, why does Mohammed Jameel’s Thaaleem-ul-Dhiyana teach us the same thing? Besides, is this an earthshaking issue?

While we are talking of Seerath, let us also deal with the related issue of “Islamic” names. If you read the Seerath carefully you will notice that with rare exceptions (the names of pagan Gods) the pagan names of Muslim converts were not changed. Thus common names like Umar and Ali were originally pagan names.

Azhar claims to be one of the oldest institutions of learning in the world. However, it is yet to grow out of its ‘seminary’ image and become a modern university. When will it produce the scholars who will regain the past glory of Muslims as the most civilized society on Earth?

“Only the teachers and educators are the saviors of nations.” –Mustapha Kemal Atatürk

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The el-Azhar Maldive student exercises his right of reply

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el-Laat: Fertility goddess of the Arabs. She was one of the trinity of Arab goddesses named in the Koran. el-Laat was worshipped in the Kaaba

In pre-Islamic days of ignorance (el-Jahiliyya) a persons social and moral status was determined by his/hers ancestors, or by the tribe s/he belongs to. A person who could boast about his ancestors or tribe, his social standing was greater and higher than a person who could not. Consequently, Arabs greatest enthusiasm was on their family and tribal pride. Generally, Arabs had deep rooted love and loyalty for the clan to which they belonged. No wonder a large number of pre Islamic Arabs poetry contained expressions of fanaticism and tribalism. It is important to note that this belief (tribal pride) led the tribes to sculpt a special deity of their own; to it, they glorify to win its favour. For instance, the tribe named Kalb worshipped Wadd, Quraysh had Yaghuth, and Khaywan had Ya'uq and so on.

Anyhow, in my belief or any other Moslems, genealogy has no relation with Paganism or pagan. In fact, genealogy is a fashionable and reasonable knowledge, which assists us to identify who we are, and together it helps us to have connections with our own family but all humanity as well. When I saw Majid’s incredible work on this website; precise researches, and interesting articles concerning with his family (most of them) made me to think that majid is boasting and exaggerating about his family, which I believe as a similar act of jahilees (pre Islamic pagans). While talking to Majid, when I said "genealogy is kind of pagan thing" I didn't use the word “pagan” to intend Heathen or idol worshiping or "el-shirk" (polytheism) or else. However, what I Intended there is "el-jahilee". It is apparent in the early Islamic context; the word "pagan" could mean "el-jahilee". So I believe it’s probably very clear what I intended by the word "pagan" and by the sentence itself. Perhaps “pagan” wasn’t the most accurate word. Although I don’t think, it's an earthshaking issue even, if I have used the word “pagan” to mean “el-jahilee”.

el-Uzzah the youngest of the three daughters of the pre-Islamic Allah. She was the patron goddess of Mecca and was worshipped in the Kaaba.

Nevertheless, we should aware that Islam has forbidden the calls of jahiliyya and there are many textual evidences (Koran and Hadith) which prohibit all of the discriminations and manners of el-jahiliyya and their actions, except the good and respectable habits which Islam approved. Hence, everything, which is outside the call of Islam and the Koran, with regards to lineage, land, nationality, schools of thoughts and ways, it is from the calls of el-jahiliyya. The prophet (pbuh) said, “indeed Allah has revealed to me that you should have humility, and that no one should act proudly and oppressively over anyone else, nor should anyone boast over anyone else." (Saheeh Muslim 8:120). The truth is all mankind are the children of Adam, and Adam was created from clay and there is no excellence for an Arab over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab over an Arab, nor a white person over a black person, nor a black person over a white person expect through piety and obedience to Allah, like the prophet (pbuh) taught us. And which accords with Allah's saying,