This was the third or fourth occasion that I read something similar and I thought for a while as how a common sense might come to digest it. References change, fields change and the authors change but themes badly resemble each other. Let’s start the analysis of such writings in an order:

The first writing I read was in a magazine. The writing is about the modern economic system and its different organs. Different mechanisms and processes of present day economies are discussed in detail. Then the writer takes the readers more than 1400 years into history, into the reign of second caliph and one of the closest friends of our Holy Prophet (PBUH), Hz. Omar (R.A.). Writer has read and given reference of doctoral thesis of a number of renowned Islamic scholars and some books written in this regard. The writer tries to prove that almost 14 decades before when the world was covered with illiteracy, and superstitions, Hz. Omar (R.A) had invented and implemented laws and procedures of economy which formed the basis of modern day knowledge of economics. In this regard, the writer has given numerous examples like the allocation of monthly allowances for infants, widowed and the needy and others which are in practice in the present day developed nations of the world. The writing finishes with a claim that modern day economists have done nothing except copying from the great minds of the Islamic golden age. This is a very pleasant and quite expected ending having a look at the readers and their thoughts.

The next writing was about the system of donations and charities being in practice in the golden age of Islam. I read this writing again in a magazine which has circulation in hundreds and thousands of copies and is found in almost every corner of the world. The writing starts with the description of modern day missionary efforts carried out by a number of Christian organizations and NGOs, backed by their respective governments and mostly managed by or in coordination with the church. The author has claimed that in the golden age of Islam, the charity work was conducted in very organized and effective manner. He has quoted the examples of some charity organizations or ‘waqfs’ functional under the Islamic government of Spain, the Abbasids of Baghdad and others. As expected, the writing ends with a pleasing discovery that Muslims were already the champions of donations and charity work when the West was sleeping in its dark age.

The third writing was an article in a newspaper in which two scientists have been compared, in which one belongs to West and the other to the Muslim world. The scientist from the West is considered as one of the pioneers of modern scientific knowledge and his theories and writings are still in our textbooks. As usual, the writer starts the article by mentioning the important works of the Western scientist in the fields of mathematics, astronomy and other applied sciences. After this, the writer brings into light the scientific achievements of the Muslim scientist. It must be mentioned here that the western scientist lived three to four hundred years ago while the Muslim scientist lived more than one thousand years ago. The writer proves that the Muslim scientist was an expert in a number of fields of knowledge like mathematics, astronomy, medical sciences, logic, and philosophy. It is also mentioned that the keen observation and study of the work of the Western scientist would reveal that he was much impressed from the ideas of the Muslim scientist and he particularly based his ideas on the ideas of the Muslim scientist who had given these ideas more than 700 years before him. According to the writer, the books of the Muslim scientist were translated into Latin and Greek and were taught in the universities of Europe till the recent past.

If I keep describing the similar writings, our article would end with them and we would not be able to come to the point of discussion. I extend my sincere apologies for all those who might have got hurt by my description of the above writings. At the same time, I would like to make clear that I have no doubt that Hz. Omar (R.A) had established very advanced system of economy in his time. I also believe that Muslim scientist made remarkable contribution in the field of science and knowledge and I also accept that there was an organized chain of charity activities in the Islamic countries many centuries ago as mentioned by the writer but what hurts me the most is the poor condition of Muslims in the present day.

Many years before a friend of mine came to me for my advice. He was looking for an international standard textbook for English learning that should be according to our values, culture and religious beliefs. He had tried a lot but had failed to find a book that should not contain anything, in sentences or picture, against our values, cultural beliefs and religious practices. I told him clearly that he would never be able to find such a book as all the international standard books for learning English are written by western or American writers who may not have adequate knowledge or required sensitivity about our religion, values or cultural factors. It was a sad fact that in the whole world, there was not present any Muslim writer who should have written an international standard book to be used in teaching English to the students.

It is also a sad fact that, ranging from business studies to political studies and from medical sciences to engineering, we can find Muslim writers and intellectuals that can be easily counted on fingertips. Except them, the rest of the writers are from America, Europe, Australia, India and even Africa.

If Hz Omar (R.A) gave the first concept of a welfare state, it is also a reality that present day welfare states are found in Europe and not in the Muslim world. If a Muslim scientist made remarkable contributions in the field of scientific knowledge, there is not coming any contribution from Muslims in the field of science. If Muslims were the founders of charity system, today they are the major receivers of donors and international monetary assistance.

Such writings may be aimed for keeping us optimistic about future and not losing the hope but it would be better if we direct our young generation to read books, gather knowledge and rear love for knowledge and research. Otherwise, the writings can only work as a sleeping dose when we will be only comforting ourselves by the past memories and achievements, giving a reason for our lack of efforts in present.