Kuffaar donations – Honour or Disgrace?

A lesson in history
By Moulana Afzal Ismail

Kuffaar donations – Honour or Disgrace?

The Topkapi Palace treasury in Istanbul contains many precious gifts which were sent to the Uthmani Khilafah by rulers and kings of the time. As the Uthmani Khilafah ruled over the greatest portion of the then known world, the great empires of the time sought to win its friendship by sending valuable gifts to Istanbul. The beauty and value of these treasures by themselves give us an idea of the power of the Uthmani Sultans. Their adherence to the commands of Allah brought the world to their feet.

Consider the awe that the Uthmani Khilafah struck in the hearts of the Europeans from one example. During the reign of Sultan Sulaimaan, the evil practice of public dancing emerged in Europe. When the Sultan heard about this, he sent a message to the French king: “I have heard that a base form of entertainment called dancing has been invented in which men and women embrace each other in front of other people and behave contrary to morals and modesty. There is a chance that this disgraceful act will spread to my nation as we share a common border. So as soon as this letter reaches you, put an end to this disgraceful practice. In the event that you do not, I am certainly capable of coming there and putting an end to it myself.” The historian, Hammer, recorded that as a result of this letter, public dancing in France was forbidden for an entire century.

Lesson

When the Muslims adhere to the principles of Islam, fear and awe develops in the hearts of their enemies. The kuffaar will seek to win Muslim recognition.

On the other hand, when the Muslims abandon the principles of Islam, they will line up to seek donations and favours from the kuffaar. This is humiliation and disgrace.