Jalees Ahmad, Al Hakam
“Remember, remember, the 5th of November, Gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason Why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot.”
These lines are from a traditional poem that comes to mind each year as November arrives. November: the crackle of fireworks filling the air, and the sky glowing with colour. Families gather to enjoy the warmth and cheer of Bonfire Night. However, beyond the celebration, what is it that people in the UK truly remember?
Approximately 400 years ago, in November 1605, to be precise, a group of 13 men, including Guy Fawkes, plotted to blow up the Houses of Parliament and assassinate the Protestant King, James I, in order to replace him with a Catholic monarch.
“Gunpowder, treason, and plot,” as the poem goes. Interestingly enough, the Shakespearean play Macbeth, written between 1606 and 1607, also hints at these themes: a story about treason and the assassination of a king.
Nevertheless, some potent questions are: What is being commemorated, and where did it all begin? Who was Guy Fawkes, and how is he linked to this dark chapter of England’s history? One thing is known for certain: Such an act was the result of frustration from the Catholics and of persecution – religious persecution – and a negation of religious toleration to Catholics.
Guy Fawkes, a Yorkshire-born Catholic convert and soldier famed for his courage, was recruited from the Spanish army in 1604 by a group led by Robert Catesby to aid in their plot against the Protestant King.
Fawkes was one of the 13 plotters; however, Robert Catesby was the mastermind behind the plot. “The prince of darkness”, as he is stated to be, “at the centre of the Gunpowder Plot was Robert Catesby, not Guy Fawkes.” (Antonia Fraser, Faith and Treason: The Story of the Gunpowder Plot, p. 90)
It should also be noted that Catesby believed these acts were necessary, declaring that they were undertaken for the sake of the Catholic cause, “this must needs be done,” Catesby said. (Ibid., p. 145)
Indeed, this was a dark chapter in England’s history. And history, as they say, is deeply interconnected; every chapter is linked to those that came before and after.
To understand what fuelled this sad sooth, we must go back 100 years, to Christian Europe in the early 1600s where the followers of Christ fell into division despite sharing the same message. For much of its early history, England was entirely Catholic. So, what changed?
From loyalty to Rome to loyalty to the Crown: England before the Gunpowder plot
It’s early Tudor time. A time when England saw many changes. The land of England was a Roman Catholic country, with its ultimate loyalty to none but the Pope in Rome. Religion guided daily life and political loyalty. They believed in God, followed the Bible, and saw the Pope as the head of the Church, a spiritual father and guide of the universal church.
However, religion, like any source of power, is vulnerable when abused and mixed with worldly ambition. England was grappling with the overlap between religion and royal power.
The King at the time, Henry VIII, desired to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, who was unsuccessful in giving birth to a male heir. The Pope refused to grant permission to the King, and that denial flared one of history’s great schisms. Thus, King Henry now had a choice: spiritual loyalty or political control.
In 1534, King Henry broke away from the Catholic Church and declared himself head of the Church of England, known as the Act of Supremacy.
Resultantly, what occurred was a natural pattern we read much about in history: divided now were the Catholics, who remained loyal to Rome, and Protestants, who supported the new Church of England. For many, religious devotion became intertwined with loyalty to the crown. A tension that would later fuel events like the Gunpowder Plot.
Interestingly in history, when a Catholic monarch came to power, such as Queen Mary I, Henry’s daughter, Protestants were in turn heavily persecuted. Yet, when a Protestant ruler returned, such as Queen Elizabeth I, the roles reversed.
In fact, it is said that “England’s Elizabethan Catholics were public enemy number one. Their Masses were banned and their priests were executed.”
Faith had become a test of loyalty, not of sincerity. The same followers of Jesus, who shared the same message, saw each other as rivals.
Elizabethan England was a deeply divided society in which Catholics had to navigate a dual existence: publicly conforming to the Protestant state while simultaneously secretly maintaining their own faith. Such was the tension. Such were the survival strategies imposed by religious and political pressures. (Faith and Treason The Story of the Gunpowder Plot, Antonia Fraser, p. 22)
The Gunpowder Plot and its aftermath
It was this backdrop that led and fuelled the Gunpowder pilot.
Every collision has its climax. Indeed, it was in 1605 that the climax of this tension between the two came: The Gunpowder Plot.
A group of Catholics, including Guy Fawkes, attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament to kill King James I. Their aim, goal and purpose: to restore a Catholic monarchy. As history testifies, and as we are yearly reminded, the plot failed.
Yet, the anxiety it birthed worsened the already distrust that had been polluting England’s air. Suspicion, as well as hatred increased for generations. The plotters themselves had anticipated this outcome, questioning what Catholics could accomplish even if Parliament were destroyed. They said that, as they lacked foreign support, even if the government were initially thrown into confusion, it would soon regroup to suppress and eliminate all Catholics in England. (Antonia Fraser, Faith and Treason The Story of the Gunpowder Plot, p. 145)
After the failed conspiracy, fears of further plots led to stricter enforcement of anti-Catholic laws. Ordinary Catholics bore the brunt of these measures, suffering the most as laws were passed that prevented them from practising law, serving in the army, or even voting. The entirety of the Gunpowder Plot created such distrust that many people even blamed Catholics for the Great Fire of London. (London’s Burning: The Great Fire, bbc.co.uk, 29 March 2011)
What we can learn and remember today
Every year, on 5 November, people – even after 400 years – continue to light bonfires and fireworks, commemorating the King’s survival and the failure of Guy Fawkes and the 13 plotters. A forceful reminder of a time when believers of the same faith turned their backs on unity and justice, and were driven by personal hatred.
Now, when I am reminded of 5 November, the words of the Holy Prophetsa resonate in my mind. He said:
“The ruler over the people is a shepherd, responsible for his flock; a man is a shepherd in charge of the members of his household, and he is responsible for them; a woman is a shepherdess, responsible for her husband’s house and children; and a man’s slave is a shepherd in charge of his master’s property, and he is responsible for it. Thus, each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is accountable for your flock.” (Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-kharaj wal-imarah wal-fay’, Hadith 2928)
This means that each of us has responsibilities, and the leaders of a family, community or country, carry the duty to uphold justice and treat everyone fairly. This hadith serves as a reminder that we will all be held accountable for the roles we play and how well, or poorly, we fulfill our responsibilities.
I would like to imagine – nay! I am certain that had the words of my beloved Master, Prophet Muhammadsa, been upheld even by people of other faiths and leaders, such atrocities would simply not have occurred.
So what can we remember from this dark chapter in history?
(1) Religion must never be used for power. Leadership in Islam is a trust, an amanah, not a privilege. Otherwise, the community will fracture.
(2) Disagreements can arise, but they shouldn’t result in extreme reactions, in order to ensure peace is maintained in society.
(3) Justice is the test of sincerity. When we are fair, even with those who oppose us, we prove that our faith is not just words but principles. Justice is easy when it scores points against your opponents. True justice is a test.
The tragedy of this episode in history reminds us that when people forget the essence of revelation, religion becomes a banner of conflict instead of a light of mercy.
The Holy Quran calls us back to what all prophets taught: hold firmly to the way of God, stay united upon it, and be just, even when it’s hard. Because faith bereft of unity turns to chaos, and faith bereft of justice becomes hypocrisy.