Mouaz Al-Nass, while on his trip to Spain, visited The Alhambra, which is a palace and a fortress complex situated in Granada, Andalusia in Spain. While he was there, he called out the “Azaan” which is a summoning call made by the muezzin (servant of the mosque) towards the Muslims in the area for mandatory worship.
We have attached the video right below.
https://www.facebook.com/MouazNass/videos/1899635730053141/
Mouaz Al-Nass reportedly told IlmFeed, a news site that the reason he called out the Azaan (or Adhan) was because he felt ‘the walls had missed hearing the call to Allah‘.
Spain and the History of Islam
This sentiment is especially touching when you consider the tragic history of Islam in Spain.
Islam was a widespread religion in what is now Spain and Portugal for approximately nine centuries. It ended with the gruesome expulsion of the “Moriscos” in the early 17th century.
Moriscos are descendants of Spain’s Muslim population who were given the choice between expulsion and conversion into Christianity.
Now, though they practiced Christianity in public, they continued to adhere to their old beliefs in private. Observing this rampant and passionate response to oppression, Ahmad Ibn Abi Jum’ah, an Islamic scholar in North Africa, issued a fatwa.
Islamic law being a highly interpretive law depends on the interpretations of scholars and other authorities. Therefore, when a question of law is raised, a recognized authority, like an Islamic scholar, is asked to rule on the question and his ruling, though not binding, is deemed as an answer and that answer is called a “Fatwa”.
Through the Fatwa, he ruled that Muslims could outwardly practice Christianity, as well as drink wine, eat pork and other forbidden things if they were under compulsion to conform and subject to persecution. Survival became a priority since abstinence from wine or pork reportedly caused people to be denounced to the Spanish Inquisition.
A number of other tragic things happened with the Muslims, including but not limited to the ban of the use of Arabic language, the issue of a ban on the Islamic religion and dress, customs and practices of Islam. In one incident, troops commanded by Don John of Austria destroyed the town of Galera east of Granada, after slaughtering the entire population. The Moriscos of Granada were subsequently rounded up and dispersed across Spain.
The Story of The Alhambra
Now, The Alhambra had a similar fate in store.
It used to be a place where artists and intellectuals could take refuge as the Spanish Christians won victories all over. The Alhambra is considered a testament to Moorish culture in Spain and the skills of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian artisans, craftsmen, and builders of their era.
But after the Christian conquest of the city in 1492, the conquerors began to alter the Alhambra. Portions of the fortress were rebuilt in the Renaissance style of the period and majority of it was destroyed to make Italianised rooms. The paintings and gildings were effaced, and the furniture was either soiled, torn, or removed.
So when Mouaz Al-Nass says that he felt the walls of The Alhambra had missed ‘hearing the call to Allah’ he meant the walls must have missed the presence of a friendly soul calling out in harmony to other peaceful souls in the neighbourhood.
Image Credits: Google Images
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