A Logical Solution to the Hagia Sofia Controversy
What the Holy Quran & Commentators Say
[They are] those who have been evicted from their homes without right – only because they say, “Our Lord is Allah.” And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned. And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.
(Holy Quran 22:40)
Ibn Khuwaiz said: Included in this verse is the prohibition of demolishing the churches of non-Muslim citizens, their temples, and their houses of worship.
Source: Tafseer Al-Qurtubi 22:40
This legal requirement is part of the tolerance, compassion, and good will that Islam teaches concerning other religious groups. The Prophet PBUH defined Islam as safety and security for people in general.
Many of the foremost commentators conclude that the name of Allah is often mentioned in the synagogues, churches, and mosques.
Ibn Kathir writes:
وَقَالَ الضَّحَّاكُ الْجَمِيعُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسْمُ اللَّهِ كَثِيرًا
Ad-Dahhak said: In all of them the name of Allah is often mentioned.
Source: Tafseer Ibn Kathir 22:40
Ibn Al-Qayyim writes:
وَهُوَ سُبْحَانُهُ يَدْفَعُ عَنْ مُتَعَبَّدَاتِهِمُ الَّتِي أُقِرُّوا عَلَيْهَا شَرْعًا وَقَدَرًا فَهُوَ يُحِبُّ الدَّفْعَ عَنْهَا وَإِنْ كَانَ يُبْغِضُهَا كَمَا يُحِبُّ الدَّفْعَ عَنْ أَرْبَابِهَا وَإِنْ كَانَ يُبْغِضُهُمْ وَهَذَا الْقَوْلُ هُوَ الرَّاجِحُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَهُوَ مَذْهَبُ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ فِي الْآيَةِ
Allah the Exalted defends their houses of worship that have been sanctioned by law and decree. Thus, He loves to defend them even if He might detest something therein, just as He loves to defend their owners even if He might detest something about them. This is the preferred view, if Allah wills, and it is the way of Ibn Abbas regarding the verse.
Source: Ahkam Ahlu Dhimmah 3/1169
The general rule in Islam is that any peaceful and law-abiding non-Muslim enjoys the same basic human rights as Muslims. In fact, if any non-Muslim is oppressed by a Muslim, the Prophet will plead on behalf of the non-Muslim against the unjust Muslim on the Day of Judgment.
Sufwan ibn Saleem reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Perhaps the best example of strictly safeguarding the rights of non-Muslims in early Islamic history was the practice of Hazrat Umar Ibn Al-Khattab RA, the second Caliph of Islam.
After defeating the Romans and neutralizing the threat they posed to the Muslim community, Umar promised the Christians in Jerusalem that their lives, their property, their houses of worship, their religious icons, and their entire communities would be protected by the Muslims.
At-Tabari records Hazrat Umar’s RA covenant as follows:
“In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. This is what is granted of security by the servant of Allah, Umar, the commander of the faithful, to the people of Jerusalem.
He grants them safety for their lives, their property, their churches, and their crucifixes, for their ill, their healthy, and their entire community.
Their churches will not be occupied, demolished, or reduced in number. Their churches and crucifixes will not be desecrated and neither anything else of their property. They will not be coerced to abandon their religion and none of them will be harmed.”
Source: Tareekh At-Tabari 2/449
Can anyone be more explicit, more clear than him?
History of Hagia Sofia
The Ottoman Emperor Sultan Fateh disgracefully and sinfully ordered that the great Byzantine Cathedral of Hagia Sophia which had been constructed 1000 years earlier by the Emperor Justinian, to be converted into a Masjid.
When Muslims conquered Jerusalem at the time of the Khilafah of Hazrat Umar bin al Khattab (RA), the Patriach of Jerusalem, Sophronius, refused to hand over the city to other than the Khalifah himself.
Hazrat Umar had to travel from Madinah to Jerusalem to accept the keys to the city. While he was being escorted on a tour of the holy churches of Jerusalem the time for Salat arrived and the Patriach graciously invited Umar to perform his Salat right there in the Church of the Resurrection. Umar declined because he feared that it might constitute grounds for Muslims to subsequently convert the church to a Masjid.
The Ottoman conversion of Hagia Sophia to a Masjid was not an ordinary event. This was the greatest and most magnificent church in the entire Christian world. It had retained that position for 1000 years. In converting the church to a Masjid the Sultan not only embarrassed the world of Islam, but also drove a venomous knife into the very heart of eastern Byzantine Christianity that would never ever be forgotten.
Turkey to this day, even under the rule of so called Islamists and Erdogan, has still not apologized to the eastern orthodox Christian community for the takeover of Hagia Sophia or the other horrendous crimes committed by the Ottoman Empire.
More on this and about the so-called conquest of Constantinople here:
Orthodox Christians in the Holy Quran
وَ لَتَجِدَنَّ اَقۡرَبَہُمۡ مَّوَدَّۃً لِّلَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوا الَّذِیۡنَ قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّا نَصٰرٰی ؕ ذٰلِکَ بِاَنَّ مِنۡہُمۡ قِسِّیۡسِیۡنَ وَ رُہۡبَانًا وَّ اَنَّہُمۡ لَا یَسۡتَکۡبِرُوۡنَ
(Holy Quran: Surat No 5 : سورة المائدة – Ayat No 82)
You WILL most certainly find the nearest of them in affection to the believers those who say, “We are Christians.” That is because among them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant.
Laam Ta’keed لام تاکید
Laam of emphasis
Of which there is no doubt (for those knowing translation and grammar of the Holy Quran, see the importance of لام تاکید)
This message is for all generations to come.
It is most likely addressing the Orthodox Christians, whose teachings are the closest to the original, who are monotheistic,
And have other characteristics described in the Holy Quran in the verse.
We must remember Hazrat Najashi RA, who as an Orthodox Christian ruler (later on reverted to Islam) gave shelter to Muslims, companions of the Holy Prophet PBUH, on their migration to Abyssinia.
Unfortunately many of us have never reached out to such Christians mentioned in the Holy Quran, whether at an individual level or at the state level
And here Allah Almighty is saying You will most certainly find,
Have we ever sought?
It may be interesting to note that many viewers of my articles on Orthodox Christianity are from Russia and other Orthodox Christian nations
We must reach out to them. Handover Hagia Sofia to them as token of immense gratitude and you will see them become even more closer to us Muslims than ever
But will we ever do it?
I doubt it.
Turkey: An Important Muslim Member of NATO
Why Hagia Sofia Controversy Now?
It seems more of a political and nationalistic move by cunning Erdogan. Yes, it was wrong for Kamal Ata Turk to convert the Mosque to a museum (which itself was wrongly converted to a mosque by Sultan Muhammad Fateh)
But two wrongs do NOT make a right. Just like Christians converting Mosques to Churches etc does NOT give Muslims the Holy right to convert Churches in to Mosques. What example of Islam are we setting?
Turkish lira hits new low in sharp decline:
https://www.ft.com/content/6bba02fc-d0ca-499c-adae-87d6fd162f6b
The Great Game By Zionists and NATO
Winning Hearts of Millions Over Hagia Sofia
The destruction and then conversion of Hagia Sophia, the largest Orthodox Christian church by the Ottomans is considered a great crime by some scholars like Sheikh Imran Hussain and I agree.
If Muslims hand over Hagia Sofia to the Orthodox Christians now, it would be a victory for Islam and Muslims around the world
We would win the hearts of millions of people of all religions.
Since, even Muslim scholars are having different opinions on the issue, there would be no harm in doing so and according to one school of thought, it would be very well justified as explained by the Sheikh, with whom I totally agree
Orthodox Christians are the people with whom Muslims will be making an End Time alliance according to a famous prophesy of Prophet Muhammad PBUH.
They include Christians of Russia, Greece, Bulgaria and others.
Getting Russia on our side would be a great political move as well.
Russia, Rum and the Victory Ahead
Russia is slowly but surely reverting to Orthodox Christianity and the teachings of the Bible of Barnabas.
Russia is the only country left now which is capable of breaking the US/NATO/Israel/Indian hegemony of the global elite.
And Russia is now believed to be part of the people of “Room” (روم), who are promised ‘another’ victory. with whom Muslims will have an End Time alliance.
Therefore Turkey, Pakistan and other Muslim nations should form an alliance with Orthodox Christians of Russia.
And together shun the Petrodollar and any sort of alliance with USA, Israel and India.
The Ultimate Fate of Turkey
Conquest of Constantinople in the End Times
According to this Hadith:
Narrated Mu’adh ibn Jabal: The Prophet (PBUH) said:
The flourishing state of Jerusalem will be when Yathrib (i.e., the city of Madinah) will be desolate; the desolate state of Yathrib will be when the great war comes; the outbreak of the great war will be (followed by) the conquest of Constantinople; and the conquest of Constantinople will be (followed by) Dajjal’s (Antichrist) coming forth (i.e., appearing or emerging). He (the Prophet) then he tapped with his hand the thigh or the shoulder of the one to whom he was talking and said: This is certainly true like you are (sitting) here (he meant Mu’aadh ibn Jabal).
(Sunan Abu Dawood)
Conclusion: Return Hagia Sofia to the Orthodox Christians NOW!
And Allah Almighty knows best!