George Washington, the Pseudo-Muslim
So not enough of us know our history. As a matter of fact, the only way to really learn American history is to get it from really deep scholars….NOT Prentice Hall publishers that make your standard US History books for 11th grade. Yikes! That stuff is scary!
I mean, honestly, who cares how tall each of our Presidents were? Who cares??!! But it never fails, the introduction to the chapter about George Washington tells us that he cut down that cherry tree (another completely useless piece of information) and that he was approximately 6′ tall. Skip a few hundred pages of useless treaties and war dates and you’ll find that Abraham Lincoln was 6′4″ and “rawboned,” whatever that means. So yeah, point being, you don’t know much of anything about the real important stuff until you embark on your own and delve into the lives of these interesting men who had the brilliant idea to break away from the mighty Crown of England.
Most of you have already probably stopped reading because this has to do with history and Anglo-Saxon white dudes. Well, for those of you who have stayed with me, you’re in for a treat. George Washington’s Farewell Address of 1796 is chalk full of….Islam! And it’s not just some far-fetched analogies. Oh no, this is good stuff. Let’s get into it!
The Presidency as an Amana
In his farewell address, Washington reveals that he is a man of character as he continually refers to his position as President as “that important trust.” George Washington understood his post as President to be a weight, a responsibility weighing on him, like our understanding of the Arabic word, “amana.” He treated his position as a duty to his people and to his God, and thus understood the true meaning of public service.
GW Warns of the Dangers of Bida
SubhanAllah, George Washington, in his Farewell Address, also warned the American people of the dangers of innovations, or as we are familiar with the Arabic term, “bida.” He asserted, “Towards the preservation of your government, and the permanency of your present happy state, it is requisite, not only that you steadily discountenance irregular oppositions to its acknowledged authority, but also that you resist with care the spirit of innovation upon its principles, however specious the pretexts.”
He understood that innovations, no matter how great they look on their face, have the tendency to weaken and corrupt the permanency of preservation of established authority. This is the same understanding that we have in Islam. It is truly amazing to read the writings of great minds and find Islam interwoven in their ideas. To me, this type of finding renews my faith and reminds me that Islam is fitra, it is what all good, pure people have inside of them. Obviously, George Washington, with this intricate wisdom, was such a man.
George Reiterates the Necessity of Religion
Furthermore, George Washington, contrary to many of the extreme leftists of modern times (I am a democrat, by the way, so I can rake on leftists), understood that religion is an integral part of man’s existance. Washington went so far as to say that man cannot perform his civic duties without a sense of a higher power overlooking and guiding his work. SubhanAllah….he says,
“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice ? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
George Advocates Peace Unless Oppression is Ever-Present
If you would like to understand how George Washington would have handled the Israel issue, just read the Farewell Address section starting with the phrase, “Observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all. Religion and morality enjoin this conduct…”
You will find his advice to be most interesting. Maybe some of you who take the time to read Washington’s musings on foreign policy can comment on how his thoughts should be carried out today. But I think it is enough to examine this bold statement,
“The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop.”
These are just a few of the insights that George Washington’s Farewell Address contains. Islam, it principles, ethics, and morals are much more a part of the true and original fabric of this country than most people know or will admit. This country, in its roots, at its best, loves what Islam has to offer, could benefit greatly from the implementation of true Islamic principles, and would welcome the spirit of Islam within its government structure and communities. For these reasons, we have to read our history. We have to learn and make these connections and grow in our knowledge of our own Islamic legacy. Once connections are made, bridges can be constructed and people can begin moving across to the light.
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