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RUNNING HEAD: BLINDNESS IN ISLAM Blindness in Islam Paper Presented in CEC Conference 2004 - New Orleans, Louisiana Abdulelah Almusa Special Education Department King Saud University Dr. Kay Ferrell Division of Exceptionalities and Bilingual/ESL Education University of Northern Colorado Blindness In Islam Abstract: The word blindness in Arabic has always been related to creativity. This paper describes how Islam relates to blind people and the changes that occurred when Prophet Muhammed was sent to the Arabian Peninsula, bringing justice and equality for all. The author contends that Islam supports the participation of people with disabilities in society socially, economically, and politically and protects the rights of all people with disabilities, including those who are blind. 2 Blindness In Islam Introduction Islam is the religion and the way of life of about one-fifth of the world’s population. Its people, who are called Muslims, believe that Islam is Allah’s (God’s) final message to humankind, that Muhammad is His last Prophet, and that the Qur'an are His words (Atabek, 2004, Copeland, 2002,). The main Muslim belief is that there is only one Allah, unique, incomparable, eternal, absolute and without peer or associate. Other important tenets of Islam are that Allah is the Creator of all that exists, and His will is supreme (Yahya, 2003). According to Khurshid (1999), the Arabic word Islam means submission to the will of Allah and the peace one finds through submission to Allah’s will. Islam is not an individualistic faith; rather, it is a faith community, or a nation, in which everybody interacts with everybody else and everybody has a place. Therefore, everyone has a responsibility to contribute to the best of their ability (Fahmy, 1998). Islam has called for protecting the rights of people with disabilities, including people who are blind, for more than fourteen centuries (Fahmy, 1998). This call was not limited only to people with disabilities, but also included people with illnesses in general. Today, any person with an illness or disability knows that his or her rights are protected under the name of Islam. 3 Blindness In Islam Musse stated that Islam views disability “as morally neutral. It is neither a blessing nor a curse” ( p, 3). Clearly, disability is therefore accepted as an inevitable part of the human condition. It is simply a fact of life, which has to be addressed appropriately by the society of the day. One of the fundamentals propositions of Islam is to respect all human life and to value the potential of every individual. Therefore, the Muslim community as a whole is enjoined to accept all people, regardless of ability or disability. As Muslims, we are required to support people with disabilities and to address their needs. According to the interpretation of the Holy Qura’n: Allah’s Message is a universal Message, from which no one is to be excluded, rich or poor, old or young, great or lowly, learned or ignorant. If anyone had the spiritual craving that needed satisfaction, he was to be given precedence if there was to be any question of precedence at all. (p. 1898) According to the Holy Qura’n, the word blindness has two meanings: first, losing vision and inability to see as physically blind; and second, the loss of the mind, as in ignorance, or when a person has a blind heart. Ibn Alkaim (1998) stated that the word “blind” in the Arabic dictionary is defined as (a) losing vision, (b) inability to see, (c) sightless, and (d) objects that are hidden from view. According to Ibn Mandhoor (1986) in his book Lisan Ul-Arab (a famous Arabic dictionary), Arabs use the verb blind amiya to refer to not seeing, or not being able to see. He mentioned that in the Holy Qura’n, the passive voice of the verb blind amiya was used in at least nine verses to refer to the inability to see in terms of the spiritual guidance. However, only three times the word blind a’ma was used to refer to a person who has lost his or her eyesight. 4 Blindness In Islam People who are blind are believed to sense beauty through touch, and they can love. Love can be felt and expressed through three ways: vision, mind, and spirit or heart. If we take away the vision part (33%), one-third of the feeling is lost, but the majority of love is still present – sometimes ordinary people do not have that much (The Holy Qura’n). Ibn Alkaim (1998) and Al-Jibaly (2003) both stated that the heart can be blind when people physically see things, but they have no interpretation of what they saw. Also they indicated that the heart can be deaf when people hear sounds, but they cannot distinguish among them. In the Holy Qura’n, Allah says, “It is no fault in the blind, nor in one born lame, nor in one afflicted with illness, Nor in yourselves, that ye should eat in your own houses, or those of your fathers, or your mothers” (Verse 61, Surah 24). Qutub (1980) and Ibn Katheer (1971) stated that after these verses were revealed to Prophet Muhammed, Muslims started to take the blind, the lame, and the ill who are poor to eat and socialize with them in their own houses. As a result, individuals with disabilities or illnesses would not be isolated from society, but rather would live life as normal as possible. The major purpose of this paper is to describe how Islam approaches blind people with justice, equality, independence, and full membership in society. Islam opens up doors for the blind, which helps their voices to be heard and helps them to participate socially, economically, and politically in their communities. Hopefully, this paper will also help increase understanding between the two cultures, Arabic and American, in terms of their attitudes toward people with disabilities, and especially among educators who teach blind people. While many attitudes and philosophies towards persons with 5 Blindness In Islam disabilities are shared by both cultures, some aspects of Islam beliefs may be unknown to an American audience. Historical Perspective Alqurtuby (1997) stated that before Islam, blind people in the Arabian Peninsula had been victimized, discriminated against, and marginalized by sighted people. This was because of the contrived attitude that blind people were inferior. Due to the lack of values and morals before Islam came to the Arabian Peninsula, Arab society had negative attitudes towards all ill people and people with disabilities. They were considered worthless and were always neglected, and interaction was avoided because there was a fear of contagion. Alqurtuby (1997) also mentioned that before Prophet Muhammed was sent, Arabs would avoid eating with ill people, including the blind and the crippled. However, Arabs were not the only nation with these horrific traditions. Lowenfeld (1973) and Ross (1951) pointed out that other nations were just as horrific towards newborns with disabilities. For example, according to Lowenfeld (1981): Annihilation of blind and imperfect children was, for instance, practiced by the Spartans who set them out in the wilderness of the Taygetus Mountains and left them to starve; in Athens, they were put into clay vessels and left by the wayside; and in Rome, baskets were sold on the market so that infirm children could be put into them to be floated on the Tiber River in which they drowned. (pp. 129-130) In early societies, people felt that the elderly and the disabled were worthless and should be avoided. This increased feelings of isolation, and some people with disabilities preferred death over living in pain and sadness. Because of society’s negative attitudes 6 Blindness In Islam towards people with disabilities, they often developed attitudes of fear and anger towards their societies and life in general (Lowenfeld, 1981; Ross, 1951). Alqurtubi (1997) stated that when Islam arrived, it corrected the wrong path that humans were taking and showed them the right path to follow. Prophet Muhammed was able to instill good values and morals in people and removed that which was bad. People with disabilities were given rights and privileges, including the right to a normal life just like anyone else. Prophet Muhammed encouraged people to interact with ill people and people with disabilities by telling everyone not to be afraid of catching an illness from them.. Kirtley (1975) stated, “In early Islamic countries, that state of the blind was somewhat more satisfactory than in Europe” (p. 8). According to Ross (1951): When Mahomet [Muhammed] stirred up Arabia in the seventh century a wave of enlightenment washed around the blind, with far-reaching effects. Most of the medical lore of the ancient world had been lost or destroyed during the early Christian era. But the Arabian renaissance flashed light on the treatment of eye diseases-a subject that had fallen into neglect with the rise and fall of empires. (p. 29) Lowenfeld (1975) indicated that the first hospital ever built for people who were blind was located near Cyr in Syria. Rose (1951) pointed out that the Arabians opened the first hospitals in Damascus and Cairo along with rooms for lecturing; and Muslims in Spain brought the sciences from Baghdad. Rose gave credit to the gifted Arabian scientists that studied eye diseases during the eighth century. In 1497, Isa Ibn Ali published the famous book on ophthalmology in Venice called Memoranda for Eye Doctors. 7 Blindness In Islam Rose (1951) indicated that Egypt is the “country of the blind,” because it was the first county to prepare blind people or adults to become scholars with a means for earning a living. According to Kirtley (1975), Farrell (1956), and Ross (1951), the first university established for people who were blind was the University of Al-azhar in Cairo in 970, where the courses lasted twelve years and the way of teaching was recitation. Almusa (1992) stated that this initiative allowed blind people to study with their peers and had great effects on the lives of people who were blind and their peers as well. In fact, AlZhar University became a model for other Islamic countries throughout history and is still in operation today. Almusa (1992) stated that the principle of equality between people is a highly valued principle that all humans strive to accomplish. When humans were unable to accomplish this equality before Islam, Allah brought the Islamic religion, which considers equality between people one of its most important aspects. Equality in Islam is not based on wealth, ethnicity, gender, or physical, emotional, or mental abilities. Instead, it is based on worshiping Allah. The guidelines for interaction between different social groups including people with disabilities are modern methods governed by the true understanding of the potentials and abilities of each group and by mutual respect. Islam guarantees a suitable environment for people with disabilities. In this environment, they are able to take advantage of their abilities in order to achieve their goals. In the eyes of Islam, a person with a disability is a human with a normal rights first and a person with a disability second. The disabled person is a person who has responsibilities just like any other person in the society (Almusa, 1992). Social Life 8 Blindness In Islam Before Islam, people with disabilities felt different than normal people. They felt left out of the society because of their disabilities and this affected their lives. They used to live in dark shells surrounded by sadness. They felt that there was a huge gap between them and their societies (Fahmi, 1998). Fahmi stated that the society also had different attitudes towards people with disabilities. It treated them differently than normal people. Before Islam, society felt that people with disabilities were burdens, thus isolating them further. In Islam, having a disability does not mean that the person is not an active member of society. Many people with disabilities have contributed more to our society than have most normal people (Almusa, 1992). The author stated that one of the characteristics of the Islamic society is its positive point of view towards people with disabilities; Islam gives people with disabilities equal rights and allows them to be active members of society. People with disabilities have been given these rights in order to go beyond shame, so they can feel that they are capable of being themselves and moving on to be effective people in society. Prophet Muhammed changed the lives of people with disabilities by implementing good values and morals and by valuing each person’s life as being as important as everyone else’s. First, the Prophet taught that there were no stigmas or bad attitudes not just for people with disabilities, but also for people with diseases in general. The Prophet emphasized that sickness itself cannot affect you if you have good beliefs. Second, the Prophet asks people to interact with people with disabilities and those who have illnesses. Finally, the Prophet gave people with disabilities the confidence to be 9 Blindness In Islam themselves, by being among those people who were very close to the Prophet; so they, too, were eating and socializing with people without disabilities (Almusa, 1992). The Prophet also mentioned that Allah would reward those persons who were ill and living with disabilities. He mentioned that every time a Muslim becomes ill or is even hurt by a simple thorn, he or she will have his/her sins erased. Prophet Muhammed gave people with disabilities a higher self-esteem and erased the sadness and misery they used to live in, and this in turn helped them to interact easily with other people in the society (Alnawawi, 1996). Abu Hurira, a companion of the Prophet, narrated that a man who was blind came to the Prophet and said, “Oh Prophet of Allah, there is no one who can guide me to the Masjed [the mosque] and I need permission to pray at home.” The Prophet gave him permission and the blind man went away. Then the Prophet called the blind man and asked him, “Do you hear the call for prayer?” The blind man said, “Yes.” The Prophet said, “Then, answer the call.” This is interpreted to mean that at the mosque, the blind man can socialize and interact with other people by coming to the Masjed five times a day (Alnawawi, 1996). Fahmi (1998) indicated that the Islamic society is known for its positive attitude towards people with disabilities. It provides them with people who help with transportation and also builds treatment facilities. During the sixth and seventh centuries, Islamic Caliphs (leaders), such as Omer Ibn Alkhattab (634–644), Abdulmalik Ibn Marwan (685-705), and Omer Ibn Abdulaziz (717-720), gave special attention to ill people and those with disabilities, including providing social services. Fahmi (1998) pointed out that Omar Ibn Abdulaziz provided services to all people with disabilities at 10 Blindness In Islam that time. He provided assistance for every blind person and a servant for every physically disabled person. Among the rights that Islam gives to the blind is that they can participate in the same social activities with family and relatives without feeling different. Blindness and Creativity Many Muslim scholars whom influenced the lives of sighted people were blind (Alshaya, 1999; Ibn Alkhim, 1998; Almusa, 1992; Ibn Katheer, 1971). Al-Jibaly (2003) stated that losing vision does not mean the end of a person’s life and becoming hopeless or desperate; instead, it means developing the remaining senses that may compensate for the loss of vision. The word blind in the Arabic language has been related to creativity in such a way that the first impressions of people who are blind are of creativity rather than an inability to see. Most blind people are believed to have special gifts and talents that most ordinary people do not have. Under this belief, it is rare to find a blind person who is not clever, and almost always every blind person is talented because his mind and heart come together to compensate for the loss of vision. Anas Ibn Malik narrated that Prophet Muhammed said that, “if I [Allah] test my slave in his/her lovers [eyes] and he/she was patient I will enter him/her into paradise” (Alnawawi, 1996). This is a big emotional reward for people born blind and those adventitiously blinded. As the Prophet Muhammed once said, “No one has ever been awarded a bounty better than patience and submission.” As Muslims, if we have been tested by losing our eyesight, Allah will give us something else that substitutes for the inability to see, such as self-sufficiency or self-satisfaction. Therefore, it is not necessary to focus on people’s deficiencies, but we can move on and focus on people’s gifts and talents instead. People who are blind are encouraged to confront their disabilities and to 11 Blindness In Islam be an active member of society. We believe that if Allah takes away something from us, He will give us other things that are sometimes better. The Case of Abdullah Ibn Umm Maktoom In the Holy Qura’n, the story of Abdullah Ibn Umm Maktoom was described in the first sixteen verses of Sura [Chapter] Abasa. He is one of the Prophet Muhammed’s companions who was born blind. Qutub (1980) stated that one day, Abdullah Ibn Umm Maktoom came to Prophet Muhammed and asked him to read a verse from the Qur'an. He said, “O messenger of Allah, teach me from what Allah has taught you.” The Prophet frowned and turned away from him. He turned his attention instead to the prestigious group of Quraysh (the same tribe of the Prophet Muhammed), hoping that they would become Muslims and that by their acceptance of Islam they would bring greatness to the religion of Allah and strengthen his mission. As soon as he had finished speaking to them and had left their company, Prophet suddenly felt partially blinded and his head began to throb violently. At this point the following revelation came to him: He [The Prophet] frowned and turned away when the blind man approached him! Yet for all you knew, [O Muhammad], he might perhaps have grown in purity or have been reminded [of the Truth], and helped by this reminder. Now as for him who believes himself to be self-sufficient – to him you gave your whole attention, although you are not accountable for his failure to attain to purity. But as for him who came unto you full of eagerness and in awe [of God], him did you disregard. Nay, verily, this is but a reminder and so, whoever is willing may remember Him in the light of His revelations blest with dignity, lofty and pure, borne by the hands of messengers, noble and most virtuous. (Verse 1-16, Surah 80). 12 Blindness In Islam According to Bazna and Hatab (2003): [The] initial reading of these verses indicated that people with disabilities are to be treated with full regard and to have the same subject-to-subject relations that are granted to the non-disabled. . . . The above stated examples comprise Islam’s position and attitude towards evaluating mankind: the real merit of people lies in the degree with which they seek the truth. (p. 11) These are the sixteen verses that were revealed to the Prophet about the blind Abdullah Ibn Umm Maktoom that have continued to be recited from that time until today and will be into the future. This incident was only a passing incident, but after explaining the eternal principles of revelation, the Sura recapitulates the Mercies of Allah to a man, and the consequences of a good or a wicked life here. From that day the Prophet did not cease to be generous to Abdullah Ibn Umm Maktoom, to ask him about his affairs, to fulfill his needs and take him into his council whenever he approached (The Holy Qura’n). According to the interpretation of the Holy Qura’n: It may be that the poor blind man might, on account of his will to learn, be more likely to grow in his own spiritual development or to profit by any lessons taught to him even in report than a self-sufficient leader. In fact, it was so. For the blind man became a true and sincere Muslim and lived to become a governor of Madinah [a second Holy city for Muslims in northwest Saudi Arabia]. (p.1897) When the Quraysh intensified their persecution of the Prophet and those who followed him, Allah gave His Prophet and his companions permission to emigrate to AlMadinah. Abdullah’s response was prompt. He and Mus'ab Ibn Umayr were the first of the Companions to reach Al- Madinah. As soon as they reached it, they began discussing 13 Blindness In Islam with the people, reading the Qura'n to them and teaching them the religion of Allah. When the Prophet arrived in Al- Madinah, he appointed Abdullah Ibn Umm Maktoom to be muadh-dhin calling for the prayers for the Muslims, proclaiming the Oneness of Allah five times a day, calling man to the best of actions and summoning them to success. One of the responsibilities that the Prophet placed on Abdullah Ibn Umm Maktoom was to put him in charge of Al-Madinah in his absence. This was done more than ten times (Bazna and Hatab, 2003). Bazna and Hatab (2003) indicated that Abdullah Ibn Umm Maktum was among those Muslims who came from different places to participate in the battle of AlQadisiyyah. When the army reached Al-Qadisiyyah, Abdullah Ibn Umm Maktum was prominent, wearing a coat of armor and fully prepared to participate. According to Bazna and Hatab (2003): In spite of being excused from fighting, Abdullah Ibn Umm Maktum was not content with staying among those who remained at home while others had to fight. He fixed a role for himself on the battlefield saying: “Place me between two rows and give me the standard. I will carry it for you and protect it, for I am blind and cannot run away.” He took part in several battles before he was killed on the battlefield clutching the flag of the Muslims. (p, 13) This story of Abdullah Ibn Umm Maktum is included here to illustrate the importance of blind individuals to Muslims and how they live with their families as members of their communities. It also demonstrates that blind individuals contribute to their communities in an equal way, giving to and receiving from society. This story brings out three important points. First, it illustrates the value of forbearance on the part 14 Blindness In Islam of the person with the disability. More important, it affirms the right of individuals to draw attention to their special needs and to speak out for their rights as a matter of social justice. Finally, the story points to the important role of advocacy and the support that the wider community is expected to provide to the blind individual. Conclusion As stated before, in Islamic societies, after the Prophet Muhammed came to the Arabian Peninsula and until now, blind people have not only overcome their disabilities but they have become a source of knowledge. Most of them became famous scholars by memorizing the Holy Qura’n and interpreting the Sunnah (the life of Prophet Muhammed), because they emphasize the universality of language and religions constructed from the perceptions of five senses and the representative function of language itself as well. The Islamic religion has instilled in all of its followers the highest principles and the best values and morals. These values and principles guarantee that the blind will be able to succeed not only in their school life with others as normal people, but also in their life in general. The Muslim community is always looking beyond how blind people learn and socialize, to how they can become leaders to lead sighted people as well as themselves. Prophet Muhammed was the first advocate of people with disabilities when he called for inclusion of all people rich or poor, old or young, literate or illiterate, normal or disabled as part of the community and valued their individualities. As a leader, Prophet Muhammed educated his people about the importance of accepting people with 15 Blindness In Islam disabilities and addressing their needs. Indeed, he appreciated their gifts, talents, and leadership abilities. In Islam, people with disabilities, especially those who are blind, become great scholars and leaders. Their leadership roles are always beneficial to their communities, because their societies acknowledge that their contributions have changed lives. However, a leading Muslim judge in Spain in the twelfth century, Ibn Hazam, advocated that disability would not be an impediment to becoming a leader. In fact, the history of Islam is full of people who overcame their disabilities and served their communities competently. A well-known case is the man to whom Prophet Muhammed delegated responsibility in his absence for governing the city of Al-Madinah. This man is Abdullah Ibn Umm Maktum, and he was legally blind. Muslims are neighbors, colleagues, and fellow citizens of Americans. Understanding Islam and Muslims in the United States cannot be achieved in ignorance, but can be promoted through knowledge and the understanding that grows from that knowledge. So, I am hoping that this paper will help to increase, first, the understanding of American people of Muslims’ attitudes toward people with disabilities and those who are blind. Second, I hope this paper has increased the understanding of American people of the Muslim culture and the important events that occur in the US and abroad. Finally, I will be grateful to provide any further information about blindness in Islam or other issues related to Islam and Muslims in general. 16 Blindness In Islam References Alnawawi, Y. (1990). Riyadh Alsalheen. Beirut: Muassasat Alresalah. Almusa, N. A. (1992) Mainstreaming visually handicapped children in regular schools: it’s nature, progress, and rationale. Research educational center. Riyadh: King Saud University. Alshyaa, A. A. (1999). Ibn Timiyah’s perspective toward disabilities. Riyadh: Dar Alsaiami Publisher. Al-Jibaly, M. (2003). Sickness: regulations & exhortations (2nd ed.). Arlington,TX: Alkitaab & As-Sunnah Publishing. Alqurtubi, (1997). Aljamaa Le Ahkam Alqura’n [Interpretation of the Great Book]. Atabek, N. (2004). Allah Both Transcendent and Immanent. Retrieved November 24, 2004, from http://www.islamonline.net/english/introducingislam/belief/Allah/ article03.shtml. Bazna, M. S., & Hatab, T. A., (2003). Disability in the Qur’an: The Islamic alternative to defining, viewing, and relating to disability. Retrieved November 25, 2004 from http:// www.lancs.ac.uk/fss/apsocsci/events/dsaconf2004/fullpapers/bazna_ hatab.pdf. Copeland, M. (2002). The Religion of Islam. Retrieved November 20, 2004 from http://www.ccel.org/contrib/exec_outlines/islam/islam_so.pdf. Fahmi, M. S. (1998). Alsulook Alejtemaai Llemwaqeen [Social behavior for people with disabilities]. Cairo: Almaktab Aljamaai. Farrell, G. (1956). The story of blindness. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Khurshid, A. (1999). Islam: Its Meaning and Message (3rd Ed.). Leicester, UK: The Islamic Foundation. Kirtley, D. D. (1975). The psychology of blindness. Chicago: Nelson-Hall. Ibn Katheer, I. (1971). Tafseer Alqura’n Alatheem [Interpretation of the Great Book]. Cairo: Dar Alshaab. Ibn Mandhoor, J. (1986). Lisan Al-Arab [The tongue of the Arabs]. Beirut: Dar Ehia AlTourath Al-Arabi. 17 Blindness In Islam Ibn Qayyim Aljawziyyah (1998). Zaad Almaad Fi Hadi Khayr Alebad [Provision of the hereafter from the guidance of the best of Allah’s servant]. Beirut: Muassasat Alrayyan. Lowenfeld, B. (1973). The visually handicapped child in school. New York: John Day Co. Lowenfeld, B. (1975). The changing status of the blind: From separation to integration. Springfield-IL: Charles C. Thomas. Lowenfeld, B. (1981). Berthold Lowenfeld on blindness and blind people. New York: American Foundation for the Blind. Musse , I. A. (2002). Disability an Islamic Insight. Retrieved November 2, 2004 from Qutub, S. (1981). Fe dhilal Alqura’n [In the shadow of the Holy Qura’n] (Interpretation of the Great Book). Beirut: Dar Alshrooq. Ross, I. (1951). Journey into light: The story of education of the blind. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc. The Holy Qur’an. English translation of the meaning and commentary. Almadinah, Saudi Arabia: The custodian of the two holy Mosques King Fahad. Yahya, H. (2003). Belief: Six Pillars. Retrieved November 15, 2003 from http://www. islamonline.net/english/introducingislam/topic01.shtml. 18