Muslim Woman

In spite of volumes of literature on the subject, a vast majority of Muslims young and old are ignorant of Islamic history. Yet, the importance of the knowledge of history cannot be overemphasized. According to Allama Iqbal, history is like long term memory where the voices of nations are preserved. So a people without knowledge of history are a people without memory. And people who cannot remember, obviously, cannot benefit from the lessons of history.

The Quran demands that Muslims reflect upon history, not merely to know it but to learn from it. By studying history, Muslims can gain an understanding of how Allah Almighty laws work in the extended lives of nations. The rise and fall of empires is not random, nor does God preordain the fate of nations. Rather, it is the actions of nations that cause their downfall; when the people fail to uphold the laws of society that Allah Almighty has set forth in the Quran. This is why God repeats and reminds us of the history of past nations throughout the Quran, so we can learn from their stories; if we repeat their mistakes, pointed out by the Quran. We will suffer similar consequences.