Thursday, July 19, 2007

Islamic wisdom

I can't fault either of these (via the welcome return of the Skeptic):

Now that I’m free again, I have time to read. Books and stuff. A few interesting scraps for today:

افضل الجهاد كلمة حق عند سلطان جائر

“The best form of jihad is a word of truth to a tyrannical ruler.” (Hadith no. 4011 from the Sunan Ibn Majah)

And Abu Bakr’s great inaugural address:

“Oh people, I have been entrusted with authority over you, but I am not the best of you. Help me if I am right and correct me if I am wrong.” (recounted by Abd al-Malik Ibn Hashim in his Sirah al-Nabawiyya)

I too want my rulers to be that modest.

2 comments:

salomé. said...

Hello! I couldn't read all your posts: some because I need more time to read them and some because I couldn't underestand them (my mother tongue is Spanish)..
But I congratulate you for this post.

I think everywhere we wish the same.

Peter Risdon said...

Salome, I agree. Il me faut ecrire en francaise de temps a temps, peut etre.