Daily Times

Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz had appointed Hur bin Abdur Rahman as Governor of Spain. It was under his governance that the Muslim armies crossed into Southern France. He used to write a journal of important events in Arabic. Around 920 CE, a Spanish officer, Simone Ashbillia, found his diary in an unkempt state and translated what had survived into Spanish. In 1910, Dennis Montgomery, a British academic examined it carefully and translated it into English as it covered the important period of around 100 AH. The contents of this diary corroborate with the earlier mentioned works of Hussain Kazimzade and Abdul Qadir Moosvi as well as with the writings of Abdul Jabbar Fatimi kept in the Istanbul archives.

Bin Abdur Rahman wrote how the plots of the Magians (Zoroastrians) had created trouble in Iraq during the first few decades of Islam, and they still caused trouble from time to time. Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Hussain, as Governors of Iraq, had made it a paradise on earth but two Magians, Jamsed Khurasani and Jaban bin Hormuzan, martyred them. But the blood of Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Hussain was not spilled in vain as Kufa and Basra were more peaceful and prosperous than Syria and Egypt in 100 H. Needless to say, there is no mention of the tragedy of Karbala. The diary concludes around 116 AH (732 CE) with an important event when Muslim armies marched into France under Abdur Rahman Ghafiqi and fought valiantly at Tours before he got killed accidentally. Had Muslims won that battle, the history of Europe and the rest of the world would have been different.

The readers must wonder why this version of history remains unknown. It is because the original records were systematically destroyed in the Abbasid era and since then the official versions have prevailed over the centuries with vigorous endorsement from our clergy. When Baghdad fell in 1248 CE, Naseeruddin Toosi (of Magian origins) was the chief advisor of Hulagu Khan (invader) and a closet Magian Ibne Alqami (real name, Nasr Nawsher Alqami) was the prime minister of caliph Musta’sim Billah (being invaded). You can imagine the result when Khan attacked Baghdad because it was Alqami who had invited him covertly. Before doing so, Alqami had made sure that the army had been cut to size, and Muslims were busy in Dua’s and debating halal and haram. Mongols killed everyone in sight (including Alqami towards the end) and the Magians made sure that all the books in the biggest library in the world were destroyed under the supervision of Alqami.

The history which has reached us through Magians and their allies has bizarre contradictions. Let me share an interesting but less known example.

When Persia was conquered in 642 CE, prisoners of war were brought to Medina. They included three daughters of Yazdegerd-III, the King of Persia. Hazrat Umar decided to marry them to Hazrat Hussain, Hazrat Muhammad bin Abi Bakar and Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar. The idea was that this act of generosity would create good relations between the two nations. In another version, there were two daughters of Yazdegerd and they married Hazrat Hasan and Hazrat Hussain. Whichever version is accepted; two historical facts would be difficult to swallow. Firstly, Yazdegerd was 12-21 years old when he ascended the throne and Persia was lost a few years later. How could he have 2-3 daughters of a marriageable age by that time? Secondly, Hazrat Hussain was born in 4-5AH and by the time of this event in 16 AH, he was 11-12 years old. How could this marriage have taken place? If you are confused, let me add two more versions in which these girls were sisters of Yazdegerdor daughters of Yazdegerd’s brother.

The readers must wonder why this version of history remains unknown. It is because the original records were systematically destroyed in the Abbasid era and since then the official versions have prevailed over the centuries with vigorous endorsement from our clergy

I could go on citing discrepancies but let me instead mention innovations which crept into Islam through Magian machination: the caliph became God’s shadow on earth, Nowruz (Zoroastrian/Persian New Year Day) started being celebrated officially, Shab-e-Barat (Zoroastrian concept) was invented as a religious episode, religious laws separated from the public laws causing parallel authorities(clergy versus government), belief in the preordainment of Fate (Taqdeer) was invigorated, mysticism (‘communication’ with God through spiritual exercises) was promoted, encouragement of Capitalism by paying only 2.5 percent of Zakat, and the concept of Jihad was clouded. In short, according to Allama Iqbal, the conquest of Persia unfortunately resulted in Islam being overshadowed by Zoroastrianism than vice versa.

Islam is not a new religion. It was not promulgated because people were not praying, fasting or giving charity. It came to revive the same message brought by other messengers of God with minor additions due to human cognitive development. It was about equality, justice, fair distribution of wealth and establishing a direct relationship of God and man (through Quran). However, this did not suit the political and religious establishment because they wanted to subjugate the masses and become self-decreed intermediaries to God. They continue to work together to maintain the status-co established by the Abbasids and keep Muslims busy with the rituals whose meanings have changed and with disputes which never end.

To be continued

The writer is a Consultant Psychiatrist & Visiting Professor. He tweets @AamerSarfarz

Published in Daily Times, November 15^th 2018.