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🌹Understand Islam 4️⃣8️⃣9️⃣
❓Annie Besant’s Lecture on ‘Beauties of Islam’
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✅Annie Besant (1847-1933) was a British socialist, theosophist, writer, orator, and women’s rights activist. Annie Besant first visited India in 1893 and later settled in India. Annie Besant gave a talk on Islam in the light of Theosophy (Divine Wisdom). This lecture was published many times in the form of a booklet with the title “Beauties of Islam”.
Criticism Directed at Islam:
Annie Besant rightly opines that Islam as a religion is often unfairly attacked because it is utterly misunderstood as to the greatness of its Prophet and the nobility of his teachings to the world. The three chief attacks the Westerns make against Islam are that it is fanatically persecuting and not progressive; that the position of women in Islam is not such as it should be and lastly that it does not encourage learning, science, and intellectual endeavor. She dismisses all these allegations with cogent reasons and factual arguments, often Quoting the Holy Qur’an and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)
Prophet Muhammad(ﷺ):
About Prophet Muhammed, Annie Besant points out that there is no intermixture in his history of the mythic element. His life was led in the glare of history in the seventh century of the Christian era. To quote her: “How utterly ignorant are they who attack the Prophet Muhammad, is shown by history. Many do not know the history of his life – so simple, so heroic and so noble in its outlines; one of the great lives of historic men.” Later she says: “And how simple and frugal his life! He mended his broken shoes, patched his own coat – tailor and cobbler for himself, even when, towards the close of his life, thousands around him bowed down to him as Prophet.”
Islam and Knowledge:
Annie Besant says that Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) lays great emphasis on learning and knowledge, and she also mentions the Prophet’s quote: “The ink of the scholar is more precious than the blood of the martyr.” She also mentions the great strides made by Muslim scientists in subsequent years which greatly influenced the West and triggered scientific advancement in the world.
Status of Women in Islam:
Annie Besant dismisses the arguments that Islam discriminates against women and states that in Islam, men and women are put on a perfectly equal footing in matters of religion. Regarding polygamy, she observes that when Islam was revealed, people were living in promiscuity and had no sex morality. Only gradual reform was possible and therefore man was allowed to have four wives but on the condition that a husband might only take a second wife if he could treat her in all respects as the first.
Islam and the Sword:
Another common diatribe against Islam is that it is a persecuting faith, a religion of the sword. Annie Besant clarifies that the injunction “Slay the infidels” is only for those who attack you. She says: “Some of the exhortations, now interpreted as universal, were really addressed by the Prophet, as a general, to troops just going into battle, and were only intended to rouse them to courage in the approaching fight… Moreover, we find that he stopped the universal practice of killing prisoners taken in battle and taught his soldiers to treat their captured foes with the utmost kindness.”
Need for Interfaith Harmony:
Her concluding remarks are very much pertinent to the present times. She states that the people from all religions should understand each other: “…Shall we not all put aside theological hatreds and feel alike brothers? Shall we not learn to respect each other’s faith, and reverence each other’s worship? Each should not only love his faith but also live it and realize that his neighbor’s faith is as precious to his neighbor as his own is precious to himself”.
