Introduction
This Charter first recognizes Allah as the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, the Supreme Authority and the Sovereign Lord of all, besides Whom there is no other. It recognizes the Quran as His Word, Islam as His religion and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as His final prophet and messenger.
This Charter represents the foundational document for the Muslim Village project as set up by members of the Medinah-Project. The Charter defines and elucidates upon the objective of the project, the structure of the village and the standards of conduct expected by its members/residents. Failure to respect and abide by the precepts of the Charter therefore can present grounds for suspension or cancellation of membership.
May Allah grant us His Mercy and Guidance as we pursue this humble effort to please Him. Ameen!
Chapter 1: Purpose
Article I
The ultimate purpose of the Muslim Village is as a means to serve and please Allah and to protect and nourish the iman (faith) of its members. All other merits and advantages to the Muslim Village are secondary to the primary niyat (intention) of establishing the village as a critical form of worship (ibadah) to the Divine Authority in the current and future circumstances. The Muslim Village therefore represents just a means to seek to please Allah rather than an end in itself.
Article 2
This Charter recognizes that the world has approached the stage of End Times (Akhr- u l -Zaman) as prophesized by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This stage of history was identified by him as one of great tribulation (fitna) and hardship particularly for those of the Muslim nation (umma) who are concerned with guarding their faith. The Muslim Village is thus a response to the realization of the precarious nature of the time period in which we live.
Article 3
This Charter identifies modern Western civilization which has infiltrated and dominated global affairs including the political, economic, religious and social systems in Muslim countries over the past several hundred years as setup for the emergence of the Anti-Christ (Masih-u-Dajjal). The most visible stamp of this civilization is that of godless secularism which is antithetical to the Islamic way of life. The Muslim Village is intended as a refuge from the threat of this irreligious way of life especially prevalent in the city environments and a preparation for the eventual advent of Imam Al-Mahdi.
Narrated Ibn Umar:
"Once Allah's Apostle stood amongst the people, glorified and praised Allah as He deserved and then mentioned the Dajjal saying, 'l warn you against him (i.e. the Dajjal) and there was no prophet but warned his nation against him. No doubt, Noah warned his nation against him but I tell you about him something of which no prophet told his nation before me. You should know that he is one-eyed, and Allah is not one-eyed.'" (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 55, Number 553 )
It follows the inspiration of the young men of the Cave as told by Allah in the Quran and the advice of the Prophet Muhammad (peace by upon him) to flee from places of trial and spiritual corruption in order to preserve one's faith.
"(Remember) when the young men fled for refuge (from their disbelieving folk) to the Cave, they said: 'Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Yourself, and facilitate for us our affair in the right way!'" (Surah 18, verse 10)
Narrated Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri:
"Allah's Apostle said, 'There will come a time when the best property of a Muslim will be sheep which he will take to the tops of mountains and the places of rainfall so as to flee with his religion from the afflictions .'" (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 88, Number 210 )
Article 4
The Muslim Village will seek to be an escape from the dominant global interest (riba) based monetary and financial system that uses fiat paper currency that is fraudulent, unethical and haram.
Article 5
The Muslim Village will disassociate itself from the shirk (worship of any being with the Divine or acceptance of the sovereignty of any other than Allah) and godlessness inherent in the political model of the modern secular state.
Article 6
The Muslim Village will disconnect from the moral degradation and corruption rampant in the modern urban lifestyle (manifest in the form of sexual lewdness, adultery, gambling, consumption of alcohol, etc.).
Article 7
The Muslim Village seeks to establish on a micro-level a free and fair market with a monetary and economic system conforming to standards based on the Quran and Sunnah; free from riba and as independent from the macro-market outside the village as possible.
Article 8
The Muslim Village seeks to pursue a policy of being self-sufficient in food production and energy usage. It will seek to create an organic food supply of agriculture and livestock and will distance itself from the genetically modified, hormone and pesticide ridden food supply found in mainstream markets. The first step is generating a kind of emergency provision for an expected global economic breakdown or war.
Article 9
The Muslim Village seeks to provide an alternative educational structure for the next generation of Muslims residing within the Muslim Village, based firmly on Islamic principles and practices rather than only secularized knowledge and education.
Article 10
The Muslim Village will present itself as an admirable model of simple and upright Islamic life and act as a form of invitation (Dawah) for non-Muslims to learn more regarding Islam as a counter to widespread propaganda. It can also function as a unique practical template for Muslims in other localities to develop their own villages.
Chapter 2: Village Principles
Article 11Given that the central purpose of the Muslim Village is to preserve the faith of its members, the social, legal, economic, and political spheres of life in the village will be based on the grounds of the Quran and Sunnah. The defining characteristic of the Muslim Village is that it will strive to be an abode of Islam with the strict enforcement of Shariah as much as possible. The Shariah will be interpreted in accordance with the Shafi'i Mazhab, for practical reasons in order to have a quick reference and to avoid disputes. The villagers may apply other rulings based on Qur'an and Sunnah if Ameer, Qadi and Shura agree to that.
Article 12
The lifestyle of the Muslim Village should be one of simplicity, austerity and piety. It should encourage a daily routine of spiritual, mental and physical effort complemented by a healthy and natural diet. It will not cling to luxuries and extravagances attached to the modern urban lifestyle that may be contrary to a true religious way of life.
Article 13
The Muslim Village will adopt a stance of non-confrontation with the State of Indonesia, and it will not be an attempt to interfere with or control the State. Security of the village is thus limited to protection against criminal elements such as thieves and not defense against the State.
Chapter 3: One Jama'at
Article 14
All full-time members of the Muslim Village constitute one jama'at irrespective of age, race, nationality, ethnicity, family name or socioeconomic status. They form a collective brotherhood and sisterhood with the faith in Islam as their common bond.
"According to Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, the Prophet (SAW) said, 'Believers are like the different parts of a building, each one supporting the other.' Then he demonstrated what he meant by interlocking his fingers." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
Article 15
Though the village members form one Jama'at, it remains non-sectarian in nature and outside of the current trouble of sects and divisions plaguing the Muslim umma. The goal of the Jama'at is to remain a unified fraternity and not to engage in divisive competition or debate with fellow Muslims. The Jama'at of the Muslim Village does not exclusively associate itself with any particular sect or school of thought but identifies itself foremost as Muslim. Propagation and invitation to certain groups in public are forbidden, which includes using the mushalla or other public places for speeches or a tertib not agreed upon by the majority of the villagers and the Ameer. The village should not be dominated by any group and new memberships can be restricted accordingly. In general, Muslims not following any specific group / specific understanding / specific tertib and / or using an additional name other than Muslim are preferred.
Article 16
As one jama'at, members of the Muslim Village are expected to act respectfully towards all its members regardless of background and not pose a risk to the harmony of the village. Members of the jama'at are expected to contribute, each according to his or her own capacity, to the overall Muslim Village project, be it through planning, manual labor and/or funding.
Chapter 4: Ameer
Article 17
The Charter recognizes the advice of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on the importance of selecting a leader (Ameer) for a group of Muslims.
"When three men travel together, they should make one of them their leader." (Hadith of Abu Dawud, on the authority of Abu Sa'id 'Al Khudri)
In order to maintain the internal integrity and discipline of the Muslim Village, members of the jama'at are required to follow the leadership of the Ameer and respond to his enforcement of the Deen with as-Sam'u wa at-Ta'atu (listening and obeying). Members must refrain from public displays of criticism and insubordination towards the Ameer unless in response to a grave offense on the part of the Ameer.
Article 18
The appointment of the Ameer can be periodically reviewed as the village grows in both size and membership. The appointment of the Ameer can also be reviewed if his actions or commands run contrary to the Quran and Sunnah as determined by the Shura Council.
Article 19
The Ameer has the responsibility of decision-making in matters including, but not limited to, village land planning and development, task delegation and implementation of Shariah and village regulations. His responsibilities end if the villagers for any reasons have to leave the village (e.g. take refuge in the nearby forest).
Article 20
Full-time members of the jama'at are required to give bai'ah (pledge) to the Ameer for their loyalty in accepting his command so long as it does not contravene the Quran and Sunnah. Members must not have a previous bai'ah with another jama'at and must relinquish all previous loyalties before giving bai'ah to the Ameer.
Article 21
Definition what concerns the village and the community and how far the authority of the Amir reaches:
• Things which have no sound proof in Qur'an and Hadith like Maulid have to be kept out of public life but may be practiced in private or at a neighboring local village.
• Things which are haram must be avoided at any location, it does not matter e.g. if somebody sells alcohol in the village, 10 km away or still gets profit from it while his business is in America.
• The Ameer has a say in any activities which is found in the local region (Kabupaten) the Medinah-Project is situated in. It is e.g. not allowed for the villagers to open a business without the consent of the Ameer or behave in any way inappropriate towards the locals. Any activities in this region are not considered private but as if done in the village itself. The reason is that the locals do not differ between foreigners! You cannot tell them: "Well, they are not our friends, just our neighbours!" or "What they do in 10 km away from the village is not our business and responsibility!" The locals will always put us in the same basket and say: "Look at these foreigners / those people living there!" Any problems arising because of misconduct of individual members in the region will have consequences for the community.
• Within the region the Amir can also decide if a communal affair has priority over a private one as he can check if the private issue is really that much more important than the communal one. If a villager leaves the region, it is generally considered important and the Ameer has no right to interfere except at very rare occasions and then only with consultation and consent of the Shura. (If e.g. a village member leaves the region at every weekend when there is communal work order, and it appears to be no coincident, then the member can be held responsible too.)
Chapter 5: Shura Council
Article 22
As per the Sunnah, the Ameer should consult a selected Shura Council for further insight and information on specific decisions. The Shura Council is responsible for guidance, interpretation and execution of decisions regarding, but not limited to, village land planning and development and implementation of Shariah and village regulations.
Article 23
Shura Council members can either be personally appointed by the Ameer or appointed by consensus of larger jama'at membership. Appointment of a new member to Shura Council should be made aware to all members of village jama'at.
Article 24
Though Shura Council members must be male as per the Sunnah, they may consult with a delegated Muslimah member representative regarding the opinion of female village members on a decision.
Article 25
A Shura Council member may assume caretaker duties for Ameer in the event of absence of the Ameer or with Ameer's stated approval.
Article 26
Division, zoning and infrastructure on the public land will be determined by the Ameer and the Shura Council.
Article 27
The Shura Council is responsible for planning and arranging village religious and recreational group activities. It can also change / edit the village charter if need may be with approval of the Ameer.
Chapter 6: Rules and Regulations for Village Activities
Article 28
The legal code regulating village activities will be based upon Shariah as commonly accepted through the Quran and Sunnah as much as possible. Members found in violation of laws or restrictions found in Shariah will be punished as per the Shariah penal code.
Article 29
Members of the jama'at must either accept the legal enforcement of Shariah by the authorities on themselves in the public arena of the Muslim Village or cancel their membership and leave the Muslim Village premises.
Article 30
Muslim religious practices that cannot be established as based on the commonly accepted Quran and Sunnah by the Ameer and Shura Council must be relegated to the private personal residences of members and not be practiced in the public area to become a potential source of conflict within the jama'at.
Article 31
The Ameer and Shura Council may consult the legal opinion of a respected spiritual advisor agreed upon by the jama'at on matters concerning implementation of Shariah as well as guidelines concerning village life. Said advisor may also function as Qadi (judge) in adjudicating matters of justice in the village.
Chapter 7: Guidelines for Village Lifestyle
Article 32
In order to promote a lifestyle of simplicity and righteousness in accordance with the Deen, certain practices may be expressly promoted or discouraged though they will not be explicitly enforced or prohibited by Shariah, as determined by the Ameer and the Shura Council.
Article 33
Members of the jama'at are expected to contribute to the cleanliness and maintenance of the Muslim Village and should not engage in littering and minimize wastage.
Article 34
Members of the jama'at should dress according to the modest Islamic dress code with preference for Muslim cultural garb.
Article 35
Male members of the jama'at should attend each of the five daily congregational prayers at the village musalla.
Article 36
Members of the jama'at (particularly foreign members) should respect the local customs and etiquette of the surrounding rural population so long as they do not conflict with the Quran and Sunnah, and maintain friendly relations with this local population.
Article 37
In regards to technology, members of the jama'at should consult with the Ameer and Shura Council over the permissibility of introducing new technology to the public area.
Article 38
Members of the jama'at should refrain from smoking in public in the Muslim Village (and outside of it)..
Article 39Non-Mahram men and women are prohibited to be together privately alone.
Article 40
Members are expected to adopt the Islamic adab (manners) in the interactions with other members (such as avoidance of backbiting/slander, no shouting, respect towards elders, loving attitude towards young children, etc.).
"You will observe that the believers are like the parts of the body in relation to each other in matters of kindness, love and affection. When one part of the body is afflicted, the entire body feels it; there is loss of sleep and a fever develops." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Nu'man ibn Bashir)
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According to a hadith sahih, somebody who revives the Sunnah at a time, when the Sunnah is already destroyed, gets the reward of 100 times Shahied! Unfortunately, modern life is far from being according to Sunnah. And, true Sunnah cannot be lived alone, it needs a Jemaah! A Congregation But where can one find a taste of the original spirit of Iman and Islam? Where can one find real brotherhood and the feeling of working together for one goal: the pleasure of Allah Subhana Wataala.?
