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| Question: In
your opinion, is there any reality of an Islamic civilization, and if it
does exist, then how different is it from other civilizations?
Answer: If we insist on giving the name of Islamic civilization to a particular civilization, then, in my opinion, any civilization which accepts these three fundamentals can be declared Islamic despite a thousand variations in culture and tradition, way of living and etiquette and customs: 1. Oneness of God
These three things permeate a civilization
as its spirit and, with inconsequential divergences, accept every structure
for human civilization. Therefore, the same has happened in the history
of Muslims elapsed so far. Islam has played this very role in the formation
of civilization. Every civilization, according to its inclination and capacity,
adopted these fundamentals and moulded them in their peculiar frame. This
is the reason that any particular mould or frame should not be termed Islamic
civilization. These fundamentals became conspicuous in the Arab civilization
in a distinct manner. Later on, the coalescence with non-Arabs imparted
some new colours to it and now if western civilization also accepts these
fundamentals, then, with a few divergences, this civilization can also
be termed an Islamic civilization.
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