Press Release
Refutation of the Ignorant Conclusions about Islam by the Vice President Rafael Hakimov of the Academy of Sciences of Tatarstan
(Translated)

The popular Tatarstan Gate published online on 21/03/2015 CE, an article by the Vice President of the Academy of Sciences of Tatarstan, Rafael Hakimov under the title "I remember the great Tatar habits that crushed our Imams.", we did not rush to respond, thinking that the religion's administration and Dar ul Ifta' will fulfill its duty, but unfortunately they did not rise to defend Islam against this ignorant attack, they did not even intend to do so.

In the Hakimov article, it sited the impact of culture on the work, it stated, "Islam does not contain laws addressing administrative corruption, and does not support education and the development of research, and does not have a vision of successful work."

What is well established is that Islam is a complete and comprehensive system for all aspects of life, it did not fight corruption only, but also prevents the actions that lead to it. The history of Islam for 13 centuries is witness to that, even after the fall of the Ottoman Khilafah "Caliphate" in 1924 CE, Islam did not evaporate from the society but it dominated the prevalent thoughts in society and the Ummah; this is why all that contradicts Islam is rejected, stealing is shunned and considered a crime for the saying of the Prophet (saw):

« إِنَّمَا أَهْلَكَ الَّذِينَ قَبْلَكُمْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا إِذَا سَرَقَ فِيهِمْ الشَّرِيفُ تَرَكُوهُ وَإِذَا سَرَقَ فِيهِمْ الضَّعِيفُ أَقَامُوا عَلَيْهِ الْحَدَّ، وَايْمُ اللَّهِ، لَوْ أَنَّ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتَ مُحَمَّدٍ سَرَقَتْ لَقَطَعْتُ يَدَهَا »

"People before you perished because when one of their nobles steals, he is left unpunished and if the weak amongst steals they would carry out the hudood punishment on him, by Allah if Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad steals, I would cut off her hand."

And for his (saw) saying,

«لَعَنَ اللَّهُ الرَّاشِيَ وَالْمُرْتَشِيَ وَالرَّائِشَ»

"Allah curses the one who bribes and the one who take bribes and the one who mediates between them."

With regards to his saying, "Islam does not support education or the development of research, and does not have a clear vision of successful work", considering the existing states in the Muslim world as representatives of Islam today is like China representing the Communist ideology today. It is not fair to judge the level of education in Russia through these absurdities of Rafael Hakimov.

He continues, "There is not one single credible university in the Muslim world, Kazan's universities compared with the Muslim world is civilized and advanced, we do not only teach but we also design and manufacture heavy equipment. Islam does apply human capabilities, but it makes him adopt the so-called will of Allah, which radical parties are working to achieve".

Did the writer of this article hear anything about the Islamic civilization??? Which is known to everyone that it was like the blooming flower in the dark European era, a great attention was given to education throughout the Islamic history. It was a symbol of greatness in cities such as Baghdad and Cordoba, Cairo and Basra and others, it had Muslims who built great structures and science research centers, huge libraries, and from these centers Volga, Bulgaria, and the Muslims are the first to start primary and higher education. And thanks to these educational institutions Muslims achieved the leadership in the resounding success in various fields of science; this is why it's ridiculous to be told that Islam is at war with science and education. The names of famous scholars must be mentioned to remove this myth, for example, Jabir Ibn Hayan, 721-805, in the British scientific encyclopedia he is described as the founder of the science of chemistry, he founded the gelling concepts, melting and distillation. Thanks to Khwarizmi 787-850 the zero was established and the concept of a number. Battani was the first to use astronomical calculations accurately in his time and contributed to the development of the world map, as well as the astronomers As- Samarqandi and Al-Biruni and, Ibn Sina and Ibn Rushd, and Ibn al-Nafis, Ibn al-Haytham, Abu Mansour Al-Harawi and the list goes on, their efforts and the results of their inventions are recognized to date even by the Kuffar. Islam has contributed to the progress of the world in general and in particular in Tatarstan. Stinwood Cup the founder of the World Association for Development and Culture was true and just when he said "the fact is that Islam was the father of Europe in the renaissance era."

At the end of his article, Hakimov confirms: "If the Tatars were successful in the era before the revolution, it was only due to leaving Islam and adopting man-made laws."

We respond to this with the words of Professor of History Michael Vodolegheina, "This great Tatar people just need to have the opportunity to become active and the world will be in their grip, if Lenin was delayed in the revolution only thirty years, power would have been in the hands of three hundred millionaires who are not alcohol dependent. This is amazing, what ideology is this? It's grip".

The writer should have studied religion and history, and especially that of the Tatar people; it is thanks to Islam that we will not abandon it.
The good will not disappear from the Tatar people or any people as long as they uphold the truth and as long as there are people among them like those described by the Prophet (saw):

«يَحْمِلُ هَذَا الْعِلْمَ مِنْ كُلِّ خَلْفٍ عُدُولُهُ، يَنْفُونَ عَنْهُ تَحْرِيفَ الْغَالِينَ، وَانْتِحَالَ الْمُبْطِلِينَ، وَتَأْوِيلَ الْجَاهِلِينَ»

"This Knowledge (Qur'An and Sunnah) in every century will be carried by the pious ones (‘udool), they will remove from it the deviation of the people of innovation (Al-Ghaleen) and the false allegations and the explanations (of Qur'an and Sunnah) of the ignorant people."

And Allah (swt) said,

(أَفَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَهَهُ هَوَاهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ وَخَتَمَ عَلَى سَمْعِهِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَجَعَلَ عَلَى بَصَرِهِ غِشَاوَةً فَمَن يَهْدِيهِ مِن بَعْدِ اللَّهِ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ)

"Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allah has sent him astray due to knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allah? Then will you not be reminded?" [Al-Jathiyah: 23]

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Russia