Riving the Ummah to Glory!
A quick look at the Muslim world shows nothing but a dark picture. The entire Muslim Ummah is suffering from every sickness one can imagine: Muslim lands are occupied such as, Palestine, India, Spain, the Balkans. Muslim blood is being spilled generously as in Bosnia, India, Palestine, Philippines. Poverty and hunger is plaguing them, like in Somalia, Bangladesh, and India. Extreme political oppression is exercised on Muslims, as in Libya, Iraq, Algeria, Syria etc. Muslims' honour is being violated as in Bosnia. The list continues. Active Islamic organisations have been trying to remedy these problems. One can see that these organisations belong to three different categories depending on their analysis of these problems and the solutions they offer: The first category consists of those organisations that have neglected the subject matter all together. Their opinion can be summarised by saying that the problem lies in our Iman. Since our Iman is weak, they state, Allah (SWT) is inflicting this punishment on us. Consequently, we should concentrate on our individual Iman-building. Such statements are not worthy of an answer from the Islamic point of view. The Iman-building these people are referring to is not that which is brought by Islam. Maybe it is brought by Hinduism or Bhuddism, but definitely not by Islam. From the point of view of Islam, Iman is strengthened not only by obeying Allah (SWT) in performing the obligations, but also by doing the Sunnas and even the Nafila. It is also strengthened by not only refraining from that which is prohibited, but also by abandoning the Makruh and even some of the allowed fearing to fall in the Haram. How can any body imagine that Iman can increase without fulfilling the obligation of helping the Muslim Ummah?! The Messenger (SAAWS) says as narrated in Sahih Muslim: ( translation) "Whosoever is not concerned for the affairs of the Muslims, is not one of them." The second category is more dangerous than the first. They are the ones who fit the political terminology of 'riding the wave.' These organisations take advantage of every hot topic and try to convince the Muslims that this topic is the main and vital issue for them. Examples are in abundance: Palestine, from 1948 was the prime topic for Muslims. Every one was told that the most important problem that Muslims were facing was the occupation of Palestine. Therefore all resources must go toward the liberation of that Holy Land. Sure enough these Islamic organisations went on collecting money and recruiting people to derive the Jews out. This continued until Afghanistan was invaded by the Russians. Then Afghanistan was made, by these Islamic organisations, the vital issue for the Muslims. The wealth, time, and even lives of the Muslim Ummah were given for Afghanistan for more than fourteen years. This process lasted till Kashmir with the atrocities committed in it came to over sha! dow Afghanistan and Palestine, even though both were not resolved. After collecting funds for so long, and in the US, (petitions for American interference were collected by those brothers as well), the massacre of Bosnia started. Due to the size and types of atrocities committed against Muslims there, Bosnia practically placed all of the above mentioned cases in the back stage, and Bosnia became in the spotlight without any competition. These Islamic organisations truly excelled in making Bosnia on the top of the priorities. Not only that they collected funds, food, clothing, signed petitions for an American interference, sent individuals to fight there, but they also managed to gather over twenty thousand people to march to Washington to show support and to ask for intervention. Such approach is wrong and dangerous for the following reasons: a) It is counter productive. The best proof for this counter productivity is that not a single problem they worked for is solved. The truth of the matter is that an actual solutions for such problems are beyond the ability of any organisation. b) Such approach is a simple reactionary one. No thinking of the root-cause of these problems is exercised by these organisations. Also this approach concentrates on the emotional aspect of the problem. Meaning , such approach toys in reality with the emotions of the Ummah. c) It is dangerous because it drains the Omaha's resources, energy, and emotions, without any actual solution in sight. This drain pushes the Ummah to a state of despair and hopelessness. d) This approach leads the Ummah to set its agenda on the basis of what is given to it by the Kuffar, not on the basis of what it should do. This is due to the fact that it is the Kuffar, primarily the United States, Britain, and France that created these problems to safeguard their interests. When Muslims resolve the problems as created for them by the West, Muslims in turn will be following the Western agenda that is set for them. Also, by such organisations leading Muslims in this direction, these organisations are, knowingly or unknowingly, helping the Kuffar execute their plans. This is another area where such organisations pose a great danger to Muslims. The third category of organisations are those who see these problems as mere symptoms of an actual sickness. They see that the Muslim Ummah has lost its shield of protection which lead it to become easy prey to all these problems. This shield is the implementation of Islam in life. Some may wonder how the implementation of Islam would be the root cause of all. It must be clear that Islam cannot be implemented in its entirety without a state. Meaning, the Islamic State i.e., the Khilafah State is the method through which the Islamic rules are to be executed. It is a known fact that solving all of the above mentioned problems is an obligation. It is also a fact that such problems can only be solved by a state. Since it is the duty of the Islamic State to execute all divine laws, and helping all Muslims in their respective problems, such help is the duty of the Khilafah State. Therefore it is the duty of the state to feed the hungry, and save the endangered. The Prophet (saws) said, in translation, "The Amir is a shepherd and he is responsible for his followers" [Sahih Muslim]. The second Khalifah, Umar (Raa) manifested this responsibility when he said, "If a mule trips in the land of Iraq, Allah will ask me for it." This realisation of responsibility continued throughout the Khilafah State. An example of it is the incident where a Muslim woman was kidnapped by the Romans on the days of Al-Khalifah Al-Mutasim which resulted in him waging a war to free her. Furthermore, what makes the establishment of Islam in its entirety the vital and central problem for Muslims is the fact that Islam is the foundation of all things. It is strange that Muslims would feel angered for atrocities committed against Muslims but they would not feel a thing for the fact that Islam is abolished from life. How come no one feels angry when they see the laws of Islam broken? How come they don't feel the disgust of having the Kuffar dominate them with their Kufr laws? Why do they remain silent for the non-existence of the punishment system, or Jihad? If it were not for Islam, no body would care for Palestine, India, or Bosnia. If it were not for Islam, no one would feel any pain for the killing of Muslims and the raping of Muslim women! Establishing Islam, in order for us to live the life of the Muslim in its entirety, is the central and vital, and top priority matter for Muslims. Such analysis is of utmost importance because without analysing the situation of the Muslims, no correct solution can be given. And consequently the Ummah will not survive let alone be glorified. We the Muslim Ummah have a great task ahead. It is the task of changing the situation of the Muslims, carry da'wah to other nations, and change the entire present international law to those of Islam. It is not an easy task. It is about time we stopped following our emotions and started following the Islamic ladder of priorities. The Sahabah (Raa) were faced with similar urgent matter after the death of the Prophet (saws). The army of Usama was to fight the Roman who were preparing to meet the Muslims, a large section of the Arabs committed Ridda (apostasy) and declared war against Muslims, and the Prophet (saws) had just died and required burial. All of these required immediate attention. If such problems were left to the nowadays Muslims, chances are they will start by burying the Prophet (saws), fighting the awaiting enemy and making the appointment of a Khilafah as the "long term goal". Such unsubstantiated logic is shattered by the consensus of the Companions where the agreed on delaying Jihad and the burial of the Prophet (saws) till they elected the Khilafah. Therefore, Islam set up the priorities and made the election of a Khilafah as the top one. No wonder, therefore, that the Muslim scholars defined the Khilafah as "the obligation that protects all other obligations". The road to glory for Muslims starts by realising this problem and its solution. Muslims must realise that Islam is the most important thing in life. Rather, it is more important than life itself. It was narrated that the Prophet (saws) replied to his uncle's request to stop attacking the Meccan society's values by saying, "O uncle if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand to abandon this matter (Islam), I will not till Allah makes it dominant or die for it." Thus Islam and its domination take precedence over life. Muslims must know that actual solution can exist till all of Islam is implemented through the establishment of the Islamic Khilafah State. Then and only then can we say that Muslims have taken their first step on the road to Glory.