Wikileaks confirms the treachery of the Muslim Rulers
The recent wikileaks releases have sent shock waves around the world exposing the views of western diplomats regarding foreign governments and individuals. Causing a mixture of embarrassment and political incidents, the leaks have left the American government scrambling around the world to maintain damage control. In addition to America's humiliation, the leaks have given the world a better understanding of western views of other heads of state, as well as confirmation of the true nature of the Muslim rulers.
The leaked documents give candid accounts of meetings with many leaders, exposing their real concerns and views. A number of documents focus on the deep concern towards Iran, where many Arab nations repeatedly raised concerns over Iran. King Abdullah claimed Iran was meddling in ‘Arab matters' and called the state liars. Abu Dhabi's crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan also suggested that the US should send in ground forces if air strikes were not enough to "take out" Iranian nuclear targets. Egypt's intelligence chief general Omar Suleiman called Iran "a significant threat to Egypt....supporting jihad and spoiling peace," furthermore Hosni Mubarak told a US congressman, "Iran is always stirring trouble". These statements amongst many others actually encourage military action against the Ummah.
These accounts show the intimate relationship between the US and the Muslim rulers, where these leaders are raising their fears hoping the US will help them. The appreciation and care shown to the US is remarkable. In a discussion with the US, Saudi King Abdullah said, "We (the U.S. and Saudi Arabia) spilled blood together" in Kuwait and Iraq, the King continued, and Saudi Arabia valued this tremendously. Friendship can be a difficult issue that requires work, Abdullah said, but the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have done it for 70 years over three generations. "Our disagreements don't cut to the bone," he stated. Zardari showed similar appreciation for US help during the Pakistani elections stating, "We are here because of you."
However the most staggering example of this relationship was from Yemen's president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who assured the US that missile strikes conducted in his own country by the US in Yemen would be claimed as a Yemeni army assault, and he would "continue saying the bomb are ours, not yours." One of the leaked cables showed in one attack 41 local residents, including 14 women, 21 children and 14 other Muslims were killed. General Petraeus on the same issue but in another cable is recorded as saying that the attack had caused the deaths of "only" three "civilians".
Whilst the Muslim rulers continue their relationship of subservience to the West the US views the world only in terms of its national interests. As captured in the leaks Turkey has been used to negotiate with Iran regarding their nuclear ambitions and was even reprimanded by the US when they weren't dealing with Iran adequately. The cables show that US diplomats have grave doubts about Turkey's dependability, quoting one high-ranking government adviser as saying that Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu would use his Islamist influence on Erdogan, describing him as "exceptionally dangerous." Regardless of how much help Recep Erdogan has given the US over years with Iran, Israel, Iraq and Gaza, the AKP's commitment continues to be questioned.
A number of the leaked cables show pure condescension of the Muslim rulers. Chief of the Defence Staff Jock Stirrup stated that although Zardari has "made helpful political noises, he's clearly a numbskull.", furthermore Permanent Under-Secretary for Security Affairs Peter Ricketts characterized Zardari as having "not much sense of how to govern a country...I fear he talks and talks but not much happens." This is not the first time the US has backed a less than desirable leader as an ally since their objective is not to promote a leader who will bring his people progress but one who would be an active accomplice in their global plans.
The wikileaks cables have only come to confirm the widely held belief that our rulers are exceptionally inept in their role. The cables prove that in addition to merely being concerned about building palaces and holding on to power, they are also delusional, seeing their role in the US grand schemes as indispensible and privileged. The cables show the world that our leaders are quick to give help to the west in order to gain some crumbs, happy to sell their own people to achieve western aims.
The leaked cables show us that the US is only concerned with the pursuit of its interests in the world and an ally is seen merely as an aid to attain these interests. These leaders leave our Ummah vulnerable to the interests of the west, happy to accommodate them where the only vision is to please their colonial master.
To gain protection from the colonialist wolf and progress as an ummah it's time we had the vision for the true Islamic ruler as seen in Khaleefah's of the past who followed in the way of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Sunday, 2 January 2011
Monday, 5 April 2010
People
The dangers of dismissing people
Allah (swt) emphasised thinking well of the believers when He (swt) said: “Why then, did not the believers, men and women, then you heard it (the slander) think good of their own people.” [TMQ an-Noor: 12]
Furthermore Abu Hurayrah (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “If a man says the people have perished then he has destroyed them.”
We must realise the importance of realising the goodness amongst the Muslims, for if we didn't see it would lead us to dismissing the Ummah resulting in the failure of the Da'wa and the negligence in the obligation. It would lead to us becoming disheartened souls with a minuscule vision. We would give up in achieving the victory even though the victory may be closer than we possibly imagined. The life of the Da'wa would be removed from us and we would become empty vessels revolving around ourselves.
Therefore it is incumbent upon us to realise the reality of the goodness within the Ummah and the reality of people in general. As we should know, people act on the basis of their concepts, therefore if their concepts are corrupt their actions would proceed in an incorrect manner, if their concepts were righteous then their actions follow in a manner leading to the gardens of bliss under which rivers flow as promised in the Qur'an.
If we apply this upon the people around us and to the millions in the Ummah we would see their incorrect actions resulting from the declined concepts. However we should realise that these millions possess the Islamic Aqeeda and the mind which Allah (swt) has blessed them with, this should be enough for us to realise their potential and not become detached from them. For if the Islamic Aqeeda existed in ones heart then this would be a starting point for us regardless of his behaviour. Even if this Aqeeda was held in an emotional manner we would make it rational. If it was rational yet the individual shaped his life from other than Islam then we would re-ignite his thought upon the implications of the rational Islamic doctrine and link this to all aspects of his life. If he is shallow in thinking, we would broaden his horizons thus turning him into a thinker rather than one who his led.
This potential definitely exists in the Ummah and we must look for the goodness in them rather than only focusing upon the negative points. So if one did not work for the resumption of Islam yet prayed the Salah and smiled to his brothers in order to achieve reward. We should see this and see that it is linked to Islam, we should attempt to understand the basis upon which he builds the rest of his life and rectify it.
If one was arrogant yet he dealt with his children in a kind way, we should realise his potential for the good actions and attempt to show him the errors of arrogance and pride, the dangers they would lead to and their non-conformance with Islam.
This mentality would make us productive thinkers, so if we were to face a society in which their was much lewdness and degradation in values, we would not get defeated. Rather we would look at the thoughts and sentiments that exist in that society and see the multitude of problems as something which would make it easier for the people to realise the error of the system and instil the desire to change it. The countries of the Indian sub-continent which many of us have visited may come to mind. We can see their potential for Islam, even the fact that the governments have to use the name of Islam should be a sign demonstrating the deep rootedness of the Aqeeda within the people. Even the armies in those lands possess a feeling for Islam.
Indeed even the ones who do not possess the Islamic Aqeeda have the potential for change. For if this wasn't the case then Islam would not have spread and it would have remained in the mind of the Prophet (saw). The fact that the Islamic message was embraced by millions demonstrates the reality of change. The Prophet (saw) did du'a to Allah (swt) asking him for one of the two Umar's to come to Islam, these two were Abu Jahl (whose real name was Umar) and Umar bin al Khattab. As we all are well aware of Umar bin al Khattab embraced Islam and was transformed from the one who used to bury his infant daughters alive to the one who became one with the most exalted behaviour, the one who became the Amir and Shield of the believers, the one who was praised by the Prophet and of whom it was said: "When Umar walks down one side of the street, the Shaytan walks down the other side"
Even though Abu Jahl never embraced Islam, the Prophet (saw) must have seen the potential for him to change otherwise he wouldn't have delivered the Da'wa to him or make the Du'a.
Many examples can be given that prove the power of the Islamic call and the influence it has in radically and comprehensively transform individuals and entire societies.
Inshallah understanding this should make us into people who urge to remove the darkness in the world with the light of Islam.
Allah (swt) emphasised thinking well of the believers when He (swt) said: “Why then, did not the believers, men and women, then you heard it (the slander) think good of their own people.” [TMQ an-Noor: 12]
Furthermore Abu Hurayrah (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “If a man says the people have perished then he has destroyed them.”
We must realise the importance of realising the goodness amongst the Muslims, for if we didn't see it would lead us to dismissing the Ummah resulting in the failure of the Da'wa and the negligence in the obligation. It would lead to us becoming disheartened souls with a minuscule vision. We would give up in achieving the victory even though the victory may be closer than we possibly imagined. The life of the Da'wa would be removed from us and we would become empty vessels revolving around ourselves.
Therefore it is incumbent upon us to realise the reality of the goodness within the Ummah and the reality of people in general. As we should know, people act on the basis of their concepts, therefore if their concepts are corrupt their actions would proceed in an incorrect manner, if their concepts were righteous then their actions follow in a manner leading to the gardens of bliss under which rivers flow as promised in the Qur'an.
If we apply this upon the people around us and to the millions in the Ummah we would see their incorrect actions resulting from the declined concepts. However we should realise that these millions possess the Islamic Aqeeda and the mind which Allah (swt) has blessed them with, this should be enough for us to realise their potential and not become detached from them. For if the Islamic Aqeeda existed in ones heart then this would be a starting point for us regardless of his behaviour. Even if this Aqeeda was held in an emotional manner we would make it rational. If it was rational yet the individual shaped his life from other than Islam then we would re-ignite his thought upon the implications of the rational Islamic doctrine and link this to all aspects of his life. If he is shallow in thinking, we would broaden his horizons thus turning him into a thinker rather than one who his led.
This potential definitely exists in the Ummah and we must look for the goodness in them rather than only focusing upon the negative points. So if one did not work for the resumption of Islam yet prayed the Salah and smiled to his brothers in order to achieve reward. We should see this and see that it is linked to Islam, we should attempt to understand the basis upon which he builds the rest of his life and rectify it.
If one was arrogant yet he dealt with his children in a kind way, we should realise his potential for the good actions and attempt to show him the errors of arrogance and pride, the dangers they would lead to and their non-conformance with Islam.
This mentality would make us productive thinkers, so if we were to face a society in which their was much lewdness and degradation in values, we would not get defeated. Rather we would look at the thoughts and sentiments that exist in that society and see the multitude of problems as something which would make it easier for the people to realise the error of the system and instil the desire to change it. The countries of the Indian sub-continent which many of us have visited may come to mind. We can see their potential for Islam, even the fact that the governments have to use the name of Islam should be a sign demonstrating the deep rootedness of the Aqeeda within the people. Even the armies in those lands possess a feeling for Islam.
Indeed even the ones who do not possess the Islamic Aqeeda have the potential for change. For if this wasn't the case then Islam would not have spread and it would have remained in the mind of the Prophet (saw). The fact that the Islamic message was embraced by millions demonstrates the reality of change. The Prophet (saw) did du'a to Allah (swt) asking him for one of the two Umar's to come to Islam, these two were Abu Jahl (whose real name was Umar) and Umar bin al Khattab. As we all are well aware of Umar bin al Khattab embraced Islam and was transformed from the one who used to bury his infant daughters alive to the one who became one with the most exalted behaviour, the one who became the Amir and Shield of the believers, the one who was praised by the Prophet and of whom it was said: "When Umar walks down one side of the street, the Shaytan walks down the other side"
Even though Abu Jahl never embraced Islam, the Prophet (saw) must have seen the potential for him to change otherwise he wouldn't have delivered the Da'wa to him or make the Du'a.
Many examples can be given that prove the power of the Islamic call and the influence it has in radically and comprehensively transform individuals and entire societies.
Inshallah understanding this should make us into people who urge to remove the darkness in the world with the light of Islam.
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Wealth
Imam Ahmad, An-Nasaa'i, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Heban in their Saheeh report the hadeeth of Ka'b ibn Malik al-Ansari (ra) of the Prophet (saw), who said:
"Two hungry wolves let loose among sheep are not more harmful than a person craving after wealth and status is to his Deen."
At- Tirmidhi said, "It is hasan saheeh."
It is also reported from the Prophet (saw) in the hadeeth of Ibn `Umar, Ibn `Abbaas, Abu Hurairah, Usama ibn Zayd, Jaabir, Abu Sa`eed al-Khudree and `Aasim ibn `Adiyy al-Ansaree (ra), and the wording of the hadeeth is that of Jaabir (ra):
"Two ravenous wolves which spend the night amongst sheep whose shepherd is absent, will not cause more havoc for the people than will love of status and wealth to a Believer's Deen."
The hadeeth of Ibn Abbaas (ra) narrates as, "…love of wealth" in place of "…craving."
This analogy given to us by the Prophet (saw) clearly illustrates the dangers of craving wealth and worldly status. The hadeeth explains that desire for wealth is more dangerous to man than hungry wolves are to a flock of stranded sheep. The hadeeth explains that very few sheep can escape the havoc caused by the wolves, implying that very little of a Muslim's Deen is safe in the face of his lust for wealth and status. This is a severe warning against the evil of craving wealth and status in the world.
Craving for Wealth
Craving wealth, or “Hubb Al-Dunya,” is when a person has an intense desire for wealth, relentlessly exerting effort to attain it – even if through halal (lawful) means. It was reported that this hadeeth was in response to the emergence of some elements of Hubb Al-Dunya, as Al-Tabaraani reports from `Aasim ibn `Adiyy (ra) who said,
“I bought one hundred shares from the shares of Khaybar, and that reached the Prophet (saw), so he said, ‘Two ravenous wolves remaining amongst sheep whose owner has lost them will not be more harmful than a Muslim's seeking after wealth and status will be to his Deen’.”
Based on the situation and the response by the Prophet (saw), the craving for wealth, is the extreme love for material possession that leads a man to relentlessly chase after it.
For a man to chase after wealth is to waste his efforts on something that he cannot change. The provision of every man is fixed by Allah (swt), and he cannot increase it. So, rather than running after his Rizq (something already guaranteed for him), the Believer should strive to attain a high rank in Paradise (something not already guaranteed for him). Abdullah bin Mas'ood, Abu Amamah, and Huthayfah bin Al-Yaman (RAA) narrated that the Prophet (saw) said:
"The Holy Spirit (Gibreel [as]) inspired to me that no person shall die except after they have completed their share of Rizq (wealth, sustenance, livelihood appointed for them), so fear Allah when seeking wealth" [Ibn Heban]
The wealth of this world has no lasting benefit for man. It must eventually be abandoned, and all that it brings is accountability for its possessor on the Day of Judgment. This in itself is indeed enough to show the blameworthiness of craving for wealth.
Abu Hurairah reported that Allah's Messenger (saw) said:
“A servant says, ‘My wealth, my wealth’, but out of his wealth three things are only his: whatever he eats and makes use of or by means of which he dresses himself and it wears out or he gives as charity, and this is what he stored for himself (as a reward for the Hereafter), and what is beyond this (it is of no use to you) because you are to depart and leave it for other people.” [Muslim]
This hadeeth has been narrated on the authority of Al-'Alaa' bin 'Abd al-Rahman with the same chain of narrators.
Craving after this world torments a person – he is so preoccupied with amassing wealth that he does not attain any joy or pleasure in it. Furthermore, he does not find time – due to his love of this world – for the Hereafter, and is obsessed with that which will perish, while forgetting that which will last and remain.
Purpose of Our Life
We are taught by Islam that the real objective of our existence is to worship Allah (swt) through righteous actions while living in this world. Allah (swt) revealed:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ (56) مَا أُرِيدُ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ رِزْقٍ وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ يُطْعِمُونِ (57) إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ
"I have not created the jinn and the men except for this that they should worship Me and I do not ask any sustenance of them, nor do I ask them to feed Me and Allah Himself is the Sustainer, Possessor of power and might" [TMQ 51:56 – 58]
Securing our material well being is important, even a fard (obligation) for those in a position of responsibility, but it is not the ultimate goal of this life. A Believer must never allow his thoughts and actions to be consumed by such an objective. In contrast, the secular-Capitalist mentality views economic well-being as the central focus of one’s very existence – resulting in perpetual mental anxiety, consumed by chasing the fleeting desires of this world. Islam deems the satisfaction of one’s needs as necessary and indispensable, but does not view them as the purpose of life. As Allah (swt) has warned us in the Qur’an that wealth becomes an allurement and a delusion if man loses sight of his real purpose. Allah (swt) revealed:
وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ
“The life of this world is but a delusion”[TMQ 3:185]
Therefore, the right path is to engage in worldly economic matters in the manner prescribed by Allah (swt) and His Prophet (saw), both at societal and individual level. Allah (swt) states:
وَابْتَغِ فِيمَا آَتَاكَ اللَّهُ الدَّارَ الْآَخِرَةَ وَلَا تَنْسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا
"'Seek the other world by means of that which Allah has bestowed upon you, and do not be negligent about your share in this world " [TMQ 28:77]
It is clear from the above ayah that we, as Muslims, are instructed to focus on the Akhirah (i.e. "the other world") while not forgetting about (i.e. "and do not be negligent") what we require in order to survive in this world. In other words, our minds must be preoccupied with the Akhirah to the point where we need to remind ourselves about pursuing “our share of this world.”
May Allah (swt) make us among those who fear Him in all aspects of our lives, and make us among those who will not be deceived by this dunya.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ فَلَا تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا وَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُمْ بِاللَّهِ الْغَرُورُ
"O people, the promise of Allah is surely true. Therefore, let not the worldly life deceive you, nor let that great deceiver deceive you concerning Allah" [TMQ 35:5]
"Two hungry wolves let loose among sheep are not more harmful than a person craving after wealth and status is to his Deen."
At- Tirmidhi said, "It is hasan saheeh."
It is also reported from the Prophet (saw) in the hadeeth of Ibn `Umar, Ibn `Abbaas, Abu Hurairah, Usama ibn Zayd, Jaabir, Abu Sa`eed al-Khudree and `Aasim ibn `Adiyy al-Ansaree (ra), and the wording of the hadeeth is that of Jaabir (ra):
"Two ravenous wolves which spend the night amongst sheep whose shepherd is absent, will not cause more havoc for the people than will love of status and wealth to a Believer's Deen."
The hadeeth of Ibn Abbaas (ra) narrates as, "…love of wealth" in place of "…craving."
This analogy given to us by the Prophet (saw) clearly illustrates the dangers of craving wealth and worldly status. The hadeeth explains that desire for wealth is more dangerous to man than hungry wolves are to a flock of stranded sheep. The hadeeth explains that very few sheep can escape the havoc caused by the wolves, implying that very little of a Muslim's Deen is safe in the face of his lust for wealth and status. This is a severe warning against the evil of craving wealth and status in the world.
Craving for Wealth
Craving wealth, or “Hubb Al-Dunya,” is when a person has an intense desire for wealth, relentlessly exerting effort to attain it – even if through halal (lawful) means. It was reported that this hadeeth was in response to the emergence of some elements of Hubb Al-Dunya, as Al-Tabaraani reports from `Aasim ibn `Adiyy (ra) who said,
“I bought one hundred shares from the shares of Khaybar, and that reached the Prophet (saw), so he said, ‘Two ravenous wolves remaining amongst sheep whose owner has lost them will not be more harmful than a Muslim's seeking after wealth and status will be to his Deen’.”
Based on the situation and the response by the Prophet (saw), the craving for wealth, is the extreme love for material possession that leads a man to relentlessly chase after it.
For a man to chase after wealth is to waste his efforts on something that he cannot change. The provision of every man is fixed by Allah (swt), and he cannot increase it. So, rather than running after his Rizq (something already guaranteed for him), the Believer should strive to attain a high rank in Paradise (something not already guaranteed for him). Abdullah bin Mas'ood, Abu Amamah, and Huthayfah bin Al-Yaman (RAA) narrated that the Prophet (saw) said:
"The Holy Spirit (Gibreel [as]) inspired to me that no person shall die except after they have completed their share of Rizq (wealth, sustenance, livelihood appointed for them), so fear Allah when seeking wealth" [Ibn Heban]
The wealth of this world has no lasting benefit for man. It must eventually be abandoned, and all that it brings is accountability for its possessor on the Day of Judgment. This in itself is indeed enough to show the blameworthiness of craving for wealth.
Abu Hurairah reported that Allah's Messenger (saw) said:
“A servant says, ‘My wealth, my wealth’, but out of his wealth three things are only his: whatever he eats and makes use of or by means of which he dresses himself and it wears out or he gives as charity, and this is what he stored for himself (as a reward for the Hereafter), and what is beyond this (it is of no use to you) because you are to depart and leave it for other people.” [Muslim]
This hadeeth has been narrated on the authority of Al-'Alaa' bin 'Abd al-Rahman with the same chain of narrators.
Craving after this world torments a person – he is so preoccupied with amassing wealth that he does not attain any joy or pleasure in it. Furthermore, he does not find time – due to his love of this world – for the Hereafter, and is obsessed with that which will perish, while forgetting that which will last and remain.
Purpose of Our Life
We are taught by Islam that the real objective of our existence is to worship Allah (swt) through righteous actions while living in this world. Allah (swt) revealed:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ (56) مَا أُرِيدُ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ رِزْقٍ وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ يُطْعِمُونِ (57) إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ
"I have not created the jinn and the men except for this that they should worship Me and I do not ask any sustenance of them, nor do I ask them to feed Me and Allah Himself is the Sustainer, Possessor of power and might" [TMQ 51:56 – 58]
Securing our material well being is important, even a fard (obligation) for those in a position of responsibility, but it is not the ultimate goal of this life. A Believer must never allow his thoughts and actions to be consumed by such an objective. In contrast, the secular-Capitalist mentality views economic well-being as the central focus of one’s very existence – resulting in perpetual mental anxiety, consumed by chasing the fleeting desires of this world. Islam deems the satisfaction of one’s needs as necessary and indispensable, but does not view them as the purpose of life. As Allah (swt) has warned us in the Qur’an that wealth becomes an allurement and a delusion if man loses sight of his real purpose. Allah (swt) revealed:
وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ
“The life of this world is but a delusion”[TMQ 3:185]
Therefore, the right path is to engage in worldly economic matters in the manner prescribed by Allah (swt) and His Prophet (saw), both at societal and individual level. Allah (swt) states:
وَابْتَغِ فِيمَا آَتَاكَ اللَّهُ الدَّارَ الْآَخِرَةَ وَلَا تَنْسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا
"'Seek the other world by means of that which Allah has bestowed upon you, and do not be negligent about your share in this world " [TMQ 28:77]
It is clear from the above ayah that we, as Muslims, are instructed to focus on the Akhirah (i.e. "the other world") while not forgetting about (i.e. "and do not be negligent") what we require in order to survive in this world. In other words, our minds must be preoccupied with the Akhirah to the point where we need to remind ourselves about pursuing “our share of this world.”
May Allah (swt) make us among those who fear Him in all aspects of our lives, and make us among those who will not be deceived by this dunya.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ فَلَا تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا وَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُمْ بِاللَّهِ الْغَرُورُ
"O people, the promise of Allah is surely true. Therefore, let not the worldly life deceive you, nor let that great deceiver deceive you concerning Allah" [TMQ 35:5]
Saturday, 17 October 2009
The Muslim woman – East, West or Islam?
Allah (swt) says: “I have not created jinn and humankind except to worship me” [TMQ 51:57]
We all know that our objective in life as Muslims is to worship Allah (swt), this means that we must follow the commands and prohibitions of Allah in all the aspects of life whether in the Masjid, home, market, hospital or school.
Many of us may be aware of this objective in general, however unfortunately when it comes to the role of the Muslim woman our roles and responsibilities we find that there is much confusion.
Today the Muslim women are being pulled between two cultures, the Western culture which many of the youth are being attracted to and the Eastern culture which a lot of the elder generation are influenced by. Often people have a confusion between the Eastern cultural view of a woman and her role and the Islamic view of women, they mix these together and see them as one.
People unfortunately don’t realise that there is a third option and true alternative – Islam and its view of the woman and her role
The Western culture promotes freedom, liberation of the woman and so-called equality – that a woman can be like a man and do whatever a man can do, that she should not be restricted by her parents, family or even religion. This view seems appealing to some, especially the youth as the media continuously spreading these ideas
For example:
· If we look at Sania Mirza, she is portrayed in the media as a successful Muslim woman, so some of our daughters may look at her as a role model
· Also if we look to the famous bollywood stars they are also seen as role models to some
· Especially amongst the youth the issue of fashion, looking good when going out of the house, especially at weddings – so it is common to see on the streets of Muslim women who are not covered according to the Islamic rules of wearing the Khimar (headscarf) and the Jilbab (outer garment).
· The issue of boyfriend and girlfriend relationships is also penetrating the Muslim community, where our daughters even hide from their parents their relationships with boys
On the other hand we see people especially some from the elder generation affected by the Eastern culture. For example:
· According to the Eastern culture, women are slaves to their husbands and exist to fulfil their needs – this becomes their objective in life
· The concept of arranged marriage where the family chooses someone for the girl without her consent or sometimes without even seeing the man before marriage
· Tribalism and nationalism is deeply rooted where even amongst the Muslims people only give their daughter in marriage to a certain tribe or family which is similar to them – so the Siddiqi’s may only marry other Siddiqi’s, Sayyid’s, Choudry’s, etc. This is very common.
· The Eastern concept of modesty and dress does not emanate from Islam, so women may be wearing Salwar Kameez, Saari’s with a dupatta when they go out and they think they are dressing properly even though in the eyes of Allah they are naked if they are showing their hair, necks and other parts of their body in front of non-mahram men.
· Backbiting (Gheebat) is common where people talk negatively about other Muslims
As a result of these different views it is common to see arguments in households between mothers and daughters on a variety of issues such as dress code, modesty and marriage.
However we need to realise that the solution to our problems does not lie in the sick Western culture where the women is seen as a commodity, where the charms of women are used to sell everything from ice creams to cars, where fornication (Zina) and adultery are commonplace where they think they have equality but in reality they are slaves to the lusts of men.
Nor does the solution lie in the disgusting Eastern culture which comes from the idol worshipping religions who worship animals and even deny the oneness of Allah, who follow their forefathers blindly as the Quraysh at the time of the Prophet (saw) did without thinking whether it is right or wrong.
We need to think - who can define the role and responsibilities of women correctly, the one who created men and women or limited human beings?
Have we ever really questioned what our role should be or do we simply just imitate and follow what we see people around us doing?
Since Allah (swt) created the male and the female and He knows best the situation of the man and the woman, then we must limit ourselves to the rules which He (swt) has legislated and not overstep them. This applies to whether these rules are intended solely for the men or exclusively for the women or whether they are for humans irrespective of their being men or women, because He (swt) knows best what is suitable for the human.
Both the Western and Eastern view of the woman are wrong as they don’t come from Allah (swt), the creator of the Universe. The source of guidance for us is the Quran and Sunnah, not tradition, not what the media says, not what our parents say, not what the community says, not what the government says. So let us understand what Islam says about women, obviously in this short talk I cannot go into all the details, however I want to address some key points:
a) The primary role of the woman: The Shari’ah has made the woman a mother and a housewife. It addressed her with rules relating to pregnancy, childbirth, to suckling, custodianship and to the waiting period (‘Idda). These rules are specified to women and not to men. Allah (swt) obliged men to earn income for himself and his family and he did not oblige this on women. Both men and women are equal in the sight of Allah, however they are different and have different roles and responsibilities according to the Shariah.
According to Islam the primary role of the woman is that she is a mother and housewife because it is through this action the human race survives and because she is distinguished by this from the men. However, the woman’s primary role as mother and housewife does not mean she is confined to this role and prevented from pursuing other activities.
So we as women must link our actions to what the Shariah has said and not just to engage in them because that’s what people do in society. So when we breastfeed our children, we should know that will be rewarded by Allah (swt) for that.
When we look after our husbands, we don’t just do it due to public opinion or because of what the community thinks, rather we do it to please Allah (swt).
One woman said to the Prophet(saw) ‘O Rasulallah, you brought tidings to men but not to women’. He said, “Does it not please any of you that if she is pregnant by her husband and he is satisfied with her that she receives the reward of one who fasts and prays for the sake of Allah? And when the labour pains come none in heaven or earth knows what is concealed in her womb to soothe her. And when she delivers, not a mouthful of milk flows from her and not an instance of child’s suck that she receives for every mouthful and for every suck, the reward of one good deed. And if she is kept awake by the child at night, she receives the reward of one who frees 70 slaves for the sake of Allah” [Tabarani]
Some rules may be specific to men like praying Jumm’uah (Friday) Salah, some may be specific to women such as the exemption from Salah during period (menstruation).
However there are many shariah rules that are applicable to both men and women such as the obligation of Salah, fasting, working for Khilafah, seeking knowledge, prohibition of backbiting, riba (usury) etc.
b) Women are not slaves: Contrary to how the media portrays it, in Islam the man is the guardian of the woman and not the master as is in Eastern culture. Allah (swt) said:
“Men are the guardians of women” [TMQ An-Nisa: 34]
Unlike in Eastern culture, in Islam the aim of marriage is for the man and women to gain tranquillity by having companionship with each other. Although the man is the guardian of the women, she is not his slave. Allah (swt) has given rights to the man and the woman and they should cooperate in helping each other achieving these. The best of examples, the Prophet (saw) used to come back from Jihad and help his wife with the housework. The wives of the Prophet (saw) used to discuss with him and even debate with him, he used to treat them with respect and honour, he used to be kind and gentle with them and used to show compassion, love and mercy.
c) Tribalism and nationalism completely contradict Islam and we should never use them as a basis for marriage.
The Prophet gave his cousin Zaynab bin Jahsh (ra), who was from the exalted people of the Quraish, in marriage to Zayd bin Haritha (ra) who used to be a slave and was freed. We should look for Taqwa (piety) more than anything else.
d) Muslim women can participate in society: If we look to the Sahabiyat they participated in society, it is allowed for Muslim women to work, to be doctors, nurses, engineers, teachers, etc of course with the permission of their guardians. For example Khadija (ra), the first wife of the Prophet (saw) was a businesswomen, Aisha (ra) was a scholar of Islam – many of the Sahaba used to come and ask her questions about the Deen, Shifaa bint Abdullah (ra) was a doctor at the time of the Prophet (saw) – she was literate and he (saw) even asked her to teach one of his wives to read and write, she was appointed as a Qadi (judge) of the marketplace during the Khilafah of Umar (ra).
Today it is good for Muslim women to be successful in different fields without compromising their Islam
e) The importance of da’wa: This is a neglected obligation, the obligation to work to resume to the Islamic way of life and re-establish the Khilafah is a Fard on both men and women without distinction. The evidences to work for change are general upon both men and women, for example the Prophet (saw) said:
“Whosoever sees a munkar (evil) must change it with their hand, if they cannot then with their tongue and if they cannot then they must hate it in their heart and that is the weakest of Iman.”
The Prophet (saw) said “whoever” meaning whether male or female
Today we must be active in spreading the message of Islam within our communities, to raise the awareness of our sisters about the Deen. Many are even unaware that Islam has solutions for all problems including how to raise our children and how to solve the problem of Iraq, how to treat our husbands and how to liberate Palestine for the Israeli occupation, how to deal with our parents and how to eliminate poverty in the world.
There are two things we must be engaged in:
1) Seeking knowledge: How can we engage in Da’wa without having knowledge, of course seeking knowledge is an obligation. We must continuously seek knowledge by reading, thinking and asking questions about the Deen. We should be thinking women like the Sahabiyat and women of the past. We should be aware about the problems of the Ummah and not just consumed in our own family problems where we think more about whether the roti gets burnt rather than thinking about our children being burnt by the bombs of the Kuffar in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and other lands. We are consumed in thinking about what clothes we are going to wear on some wedding or on Eid rather than thinking about how to solve the problem of the Muslims in our lands who have no clothes due to the poverty created by our corrupt rulers who are agents of the West.
2) Giving Da’wa: The Prophet (saw) said: “Even if you know one ayah (verse) propagate it”.
We as Muslim women are in a good position to help create the atmosphere of Da’wa within our families and communities. So when we meet other women instead of only talking about petty things like what we have cooked, or what has been happening in the dramas on Zee TV, what new films are out, etc – we should discuss issues of the Deen. We should learn knowledge from each other and help each other in this.
Some of you may feel that it is difficult to be engaged in Da’wa due to household responsibilities and time constraints. However we must think practically of how to instil Da’wa into our normal lives, day to day we meet many people and interact with our families, we must ensure that we instil the correct Islamic culture within our children and not allow them to be brought up by the Kufr society.
The Sahabiyat were da’wa carriers we should look at their examples. They were also mothers, wives and daughters, but they were also Da’wa carriers.
Summayah (ra) was the first martyr of Islam who was struggling with the rest of the Sahaba to establish the Deen of Allah (swt), she was tortured to death by Abu Jahl, but she never gave in. The sister of Umar ibn al-Khattab did not turn away from the Deen and gave Da’wa to Umar even though he beat her very badly. Asma bint Abu Bakr (ra) continued to be a da’wa carrier even until she was an old woman when she spoke out against an oppressive leader Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. Women like A’isha (ra) had a remarkable memory and reported over 2000 ahadith. She had a deep understanding of tafseer, hadith and fiqh. At the age of 18 people came from all over Arabia to ask her questions about the deen because she was one of the most knowledgeable scholars.
Umm Amarah (ra) even participated in Jihad, she was a skilled fighter and fought in many battle, most famously in the Battle of Uhud where she protected the Prophet (saw) with her own body, not caring about herself. The Prophet (saw) is reported to say that wherever he turned, whether to his left or right, he saw Umm Amarah (ra) fighting to defend him.
May Allah (swt) give us the strength to carry this da’wa like the Sahabiyat in the past!
We all know that our objective in life as Muslims is to worship Allah (swt), this means that we must follow the commands and prohibitions of Allah in all the aspects of life whether in the Masjid, home, market, hospital or school.
Many of us may be aware of this objective in general, however unfortunately when it comes to the role of the Muslim woman our roles and responsibilities we find that there is much confusion.
Today the Muslim women are being pulled between two cultures, the Western culture which many of the youth are being attracted to and the Eastern culture which a lot of the elder generation are influenced by. Often people have a confusion between the Eastern cultural view of a woman and her role and the Islamic view of women, they mix these together and see them as one.
People unfortunately don’t realise that there is a third option and true alternative – Islam and its view of the woman and her role
The Western culture promotes freedom, liberation of the woman and so-called equality – that a woman can be like a man and do whatever a man can do, that she should not be restricted by her parents, family or even religion. This view seems appealing to some, especially the youth as the media continuously spreading these ideas
For example:
· If we look at Sania Mirza, she is portrayed in the media as a successful Muslim woman, so some of our daughters may look at her as a role model
· Also if we look to the famous bollywood stars they are also seen as role models to some
· Especially amongst the youth the issue of fashion, looking good when going out of the house, especially at weddings – so it is common to see on the streets of Muslim women who are not covered according to the Islamic rules of wearing the Khimar (headscarf) and the Jilbab (outer garment).
· The issue of boyfriend and girlfriend relationships is also penetrating the Muslim community, where our daughters even hide from their parents their relationships with boys
On the other hand we see people especially some from the elder generation affected by the Eastern culture. For example:
· According to the Eastern culture, women are slaves to their husbands and exist to fulfil their needs – this becomes their objective in life
· The concept of arranged marriage where the family chooses someone for the girl without her consent or sometimes without even seeing the man before marriage
· Tribalism and nationalism is deeply rooted where even amongst the Muslims people only give their daughter in marriage to a certain tribe or family which is similar to them – so the Siddiqi’s may only marry other Siddiqi’s, Sayyid’s, Choudry’s, etc. This is very common.
· The Eastern concept of modesty and dress does not emanate from Islam, so women may be wearing Salwar Kameez, Saari’s with a dupatta when they go out and they think they are dressing properly even though in the eyes of Allah they are naked if they are showing their hair, necks and other parts of their body in front of non-mahram men.
· Backbiting (Gheebat) is common where people talk negatively about other Muslims
As a result of these different views it is common to see arguments in households between mothers and daughters on a variety of issues such as dress code, modesty and marriage.
However we need to realise that the solution to our problems does not lie in the sick Western culture where the women is seen as a commodity, where the charms of women are used to sell everything from ice creams to cars, where fornication (Zina) and adultery are commonplace where they think they have equality but in reality they are slaves to the lusts of men.
Nor does the solution lie in the disgusting Eastern culture which comes from the idol worshipping religions who worship animals and even deny the oneness of Allah, who follow their forefathers blindly as the Quraysh at the time of the Prophet (saw) did without thinking whether it is right or wrong.
We need to think - who can define the role and responsibilities of women correctly, the one who created men and women or limited human beings?
Have we ever really questioned what our role should be or do we simply just imitate and follow what we see people around us doing?
Since Allah (swt) created the male and the female and He knows best the situation of the man and the woman, then we must limit ourselves to the rules which He (swt) has legislated and not overstep them. This applies to whether these rules are intended solely for the men or exclusively for the women or whether they are for humans irrespective of their being men or women, because He (swt) knows best what is suitable for the human.
Both the Western and Eastern view of the woman are wrong as they don’t come from Allah (swt), the creator of the Universe. The source of guidance for us is the Quran and Sunnah, not tradition, not what the media says, not what our parents say, not what the community says, not what the government says. So let us understand what Islam says about women, obviously in this short talk I cannot go into all the details, however I want to address some key points:
a) The primary role of the woman: The Shari’ah has made the woman a mother and a housewife. It addressed her with rules relating to pregnancy, childbirth, to suckling, custodianship and to the waiting period (‘Idda). These rules are specified to women and not to men. Allah (swt) obliged men to earn income for himself and his family and he did not oblige this on women. Both men and women are equal in the sight of Allah, however they are different and have different roles and responsibilities according to the Shariah.
According to Islam the primary role of the woman is that she is a mother and housewife because it is through this action the human race survives and because she is distinguished by this from the men. However, the woman’s primary role as mother and housewife does not mean she is confined to this role and prevented from pursuing other activities.
So we as women must link our actions to what the Shariah has said and not just to engage in them because that’s what people do in society. So when we breastfeed our children, we should know that will be rewarded by Allah (swt) for that.
When we look after our husbands, we don’t just do it due to public opinion or because of what the community thinks, rather we do it to please Allah (swt).
One woman said to the Prophet(saw) ‘O Rasulallah, you brought tidings to men but not to women’. He said, “Does it not please any of you that if she is pregnant by her husband and he is satisfied with her that she receives the reward of one who fasts and prays for the sake of Allah? And when the labour pains come none in heaven or earth knows what is concealed in her womb to soothe her. And when she delivers, not a mouthful of milk flows from her and not an instance of child’s suck that she receives for every mouthful and for every suck, the reward of one good deed. And if she is kept awake by the child at night, she receives the reward of one who frees 70 slaves for the sake of Allah” [Tabarani]
Some rules may be specific to men like praying Jumm’uah (Friday) Salah, some may be specific to women such as the exemption from Salah during period (menstruation).
However there are many shariah rules that are applicable to both men and women such as the obligation of Salah, fasting, working for Khilafah, seeking knowledge, prohibition of backbiting, riba (usury) etc.
b) Women are not slaves: Contrary to how the media portrays it, in Islam the man is the guardian of the woman and not the master as is in Eastern culture. Allah (swt) said:
“Men are the guardians of women” [TMQ An-Nisa: 34]
Unlike in Eastern culture, in Islam the aim of marriage is for the man and women to gain tranquillity by having companionship with each other. Although the man is the guardian of the women, she is not his slave. Allah (swt) has given rights to the man and the woman and they should cooperate in helping each other achieving these. The best of examples, the Prophet (saw) used to come back from Jihad and help his wife with the housework. The wives of the Prophet (saw) used to discuss with him and even debate with him, he used to treat them with respect and honour, he used to be kind and gentle with them and used to show compassion, love and mercy.
c) Tribalism and nationalism completely contradict Islam and we should never use them as a basis for marriage.
The Prophet gave his cousin Zaynab bin Jahsh (ra), who was from the exalted people of the Quraish, in marriage to Zayd bin Haritha (ra) who used to be a slave and was freed. We should look for Taqwa (piety) more than anything else.
d) Muslim women can participate in society: If we look to the Sahabiyat they participated in society, it is allowed for Muslim women to work, to be doctors, nurses, engineers, teachers, etc of course with the permission of their guardians. For example Khadija (ra), the first wife of the Prophet (saw) was a businesswomen, Aisha (ra) was a scholar of Islam – many of the Sahaba used to come and ask her questions about the Deen, Shifaa bint Abdullah (ra) was a doctor at the time of the Prophet (saw) – she was literate and he (saw) even asked her to teach one of his wives to read and write, she was appointed as a Qadi (judge) of the marketplace during the Khilafah of Umar (ra).
Today it is good for Muslim women to be successful in different fields without compromising their Islam
e) The importance of da’wa: This is a neglected obligation, the obligation to work to resume to the Islamic way of life and re-establish the Khilafah is a Fard on both men and women without distinction. The evidences to work for change are general upon both men and women, for example the Prophet (saw) said:
“Whosoever sees a munkar (evil) must change it with their hand, if they cannot then with their tongue and if they cannot then they must hate it in their heart and that is the weakest of Iman.”
The Prophet (saw) said “whoever” meaning whether male or female
Today we must be active in spreading the message of Islam within our communities, to raise the awareness of our sisters about the Deen. Many are even unaware that Islam has solutions for all problems including how to raise our children and how to solve the problem of Iraq, how to treat our husbands and how to liberate Palestine for the Israeli occupation, how to deal with our parents and how to eliminate poverty in the world.
There are two things we must be engaged in:
1) Seeking knowledge: How can we engage in Da’wa without having knowledge, of course seeking knowledge is an obligation. We must continuously seek knowledge by reading, thinking and asking questions about the Deen. We should be thinking women like the Sahabiyat and women of the past. We should be aware about the problems of the Ummah and not just consumed in our own family problems where we think more about whether the roti gets burnt rather than thinking about our children being burnt by the bombs of the Kuffar in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and other lands. We are consumed in thinking about what clothes we are going to wear on some wedding or on Eid rather than thinking about how to solve the problem of the Muslims in our lands who have no clothes due to the poverty created by our corrupt rulers who are agents of the West.
2) Giving Da’wa: The Prophet (saw) said: “Even if you know one ayah (verse) propagate it”.
We as Muslim women are in a good position to help create the atmosphere of Da’wa within our families and communities. So when we meet other women instead of only talking about petty things like what we have cooked, or what has been happening in the dramas on Zee TV, what new films are out, etc – we should discuss issues of the Deen. We should learn knowledge from each other and help each other in this.
Some of you may feel that it is difficult to be engaged in Da’wa due to household responsibilities and time constraints. However we must think practically of how to instil Da’wa into our normal lives, day to day we meet many people and interact with our families, we must ensure that we instil the correct Islamic culture within our children and not allow them to be brought up by the Kufr society.
The Sahabiyat were da’wa carriers we should look at their examples. They were also mothers, wives and daughters, but they were also Da’wa carriers.
Summayah (ra) was the first martyr of Islam who was struggling with the rest of the Sahaba to establish the Deen of Allah (swt), she was tortured to death by Abu Jahl, but she never gave in. The sister of Umar ibn al-Khattab did not turn away from the Deen and gave Da’wa to Umar even though he beat her very badly. Asma bint Abu Bakr (ra) continued to be a da’wa carrier even until she was an old woman when she spoke out against an oppressive leader Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. Women like A’isha (ra) had a remarkable memory and reported over 2000 ahadith. She had a deep understanding of tafseer, hadith and fiqh. At the age of 18 people came from all over Arabia to ask her questions about the deen because she was one of the most knowledgeable scholars.
Umm Amarah (ra) even participated in Jihad, she was a skilled fighter and fought in many battle, most famously in the Battle of Uhud where she protected the Prophet (saw) with her own body, not caring about herself. The Prophet (saw) is reported to say that wherever he turned, whether to his left or right, he saw Umm Amarah (ra) fighting to defend him.
May Allah (swt) give us the strength to carry this da’wa like the Sahabiyat in the past!
Monday, 15 June 2009
Women in Islam
The role and status of women in Islam
The role and status of women in Islam has been misunderstood by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Some Muslim countries have misapplied and misinterpreted Islam. Some Muslim communities adhere to cultural and traditional practices such as ‘honour killing' and forced marriages that are not from Islam. The misinterpretation of Islam and some cultural practices that predate Islam have caused confusion even amongst those who implement them. Furthermore, the media has utilised these misconceptions to portray a negative image of Islam and Muslim women.
As a result, whenever the term ‘Islamic Shariah' is mentioned, people's minds are quick to be filled with images of a ‘Taliban state' or Saudi Arabia where women are excluded from politics and public life. These portrayals are enough to make people view Islam as oppressive towards women. Yet, the confusion may rise even more when they see women striving to wear the Islamic head covering and calling for the implementation of Shariah in secular Muslim countries such as Turkey and Indonesia. One begins to wonder ‘Why would Muslim women call for the implementation of Shariah if it was biased and oppressive against themselves and their daughters?'
If we look at the customs and traditions held by some minority communities such as honour killing, forced marriages and female circumcision, these have in some instances been linked to Islam. The act of ‘honour killing' (when a person is killed for dishonouring the tribe or family name), clearly predates Islam. It exists in some Muslim communities but not others. It also occurs in some non-Muslim communities. This shows that such acts are based on traditions and tribal customs. There is no evidence from Islamic text that encourages or allows such practices. On the contrary, Islam came and abolished many unjust acts. During pre-Islamic era, the Arabs used to commit various atrocities against women. One of the most common practices was the burying of daughters alive. The Qur'an admonished this barbaric act. It is a major sin and illegal under Islamic Shariah. The Qur'an states in An Nahl:58-59 "And when the news of the birth of a female child is brought to them (the Arabs pre-Islam), his face becomes dark and he is filled with grief! He hides himself from the people because of the evil of that he has been informed. Shall he keep her with dishonour or bury her in the earth. Certainly evil is their decision." Unfortunately, Muslim governments today have turned a blind eye to similar atrocities against women and have not challenged their practices in the way that the Qur'an obliged them to.
Islam has also been accused of excluding women from public life. They use examples from countries such as Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia where women are not allowed to travel alone, vote or drive and ‘are forced' to cover from head to toe. These countries are said to adhere to a ‘strict' interpretation of Islamic Shariah. If we study the time of Prophet Muhammad (saw) women were never excluded from public life. Women participated in society, in education, trading, commerce, medicine and various other fields. Women used to teach Islam to men such as the great scholar and narrator of ahadith (sayings of the Prophet), Aishah r.a. There is no better example of Islam than the time of Prophet Muhammad (saw). The rigid laws applied on women in these countries are not due to Shariah rules; rather it is a result of extreme reaction to the Western liberal and secular values and misinterpretation of Islam.
However, we also need to recognise that the true Islamic Shariah is contrary to Western values. This is because fundamentally, the Western belief is completely different from the Islamic belief. The secular creed dictates that God should not rule men whereas Islam makes God the legislator and that a believer should submit to God in private and public. Therefore, a believing woman would cover herself for Allah's sake. She would fast, pray, not leave the house without her guardian's permission, engage in politics and account the rulers, refraining from prohibited acts such as bribery and fornication, all for the sake of Allah.
Islam has its own set of values based on its unique view of the world. It cannot be judge by the standards of Western secular values. For example, if we look at Western value of freedom, it is about individuals being free to do whatever they want for the sake of happiness. Freedom sees no harm in encouraging socialising between men and women. It is the norm. This socialising can happen anywhere, men and women will meet up for companionship, flirting or mere chitchat. It is not a crime to be promiscuous, have one-night stands or affairs even if this leads to adverse consequences. There is a rise in teenage pregnancies, single parent families, sexually transmitted diseases, family breakdown and other social ills and yet the West tolerates these side effects for the sake of freedom. Islam cannot fit into these values of freedom. Although Islam emphasises that both men and women must participate in society but it makes segregation the basis in social affairs. Men and women interact only in order to achieve a common goal such as in trade, education, industry, work, politics and in protecting the state. Under Shariah law, women are obliged to seek knowledge, they are allowed to work, become professionals, attend mosque, go shopping, eat in public places and carry out her daily activities without harassment. However, men and women should not sit together for idle chitchat or flirting. The Islamic rules are put in place to ensure an atmosphere of segregation such as the women's Islamic dress and respect for homes and privacy. Islamic shariah obliges men to lower their gaze and not to stare at women. It forbids men and women who are non related to be alone together. All of these rules are to ensure that segregation is observed and is a safeguard against vice.
The basis for gender equality aspired to by the West needs to be examined. In 2006, The Equal Opportunities Commission admitted that it will take another 200 years for women to achieve equality in Britain and blames this inequality on women's ‘life choices' referring to women choosing family above career. Gender equality is measured purely on economic terms. A women's priceless contribution to society by being a dedicated mother and wife has no measurable economic value. The measurement of success is the man with a high flying career and a six-figure salary. This has become the yardstick that men and women in the West aspire to achieve. Having children and family is seen as an obstacle for a woman reaching her full potential. Islam places a high status on women for being a mother and a wife. The Qur'an states 46:15 "And We have enjoined on man to be good to his parents. His mother carried him in pain and gave birth to him in pain, and his carrying and weaning for thirty months until when he attains full strength..."
Islam views the family unit as an important social structure. The unique love and companionship between a man and a woman is preserved through marriage. It also permits the free interaction amongst unmarriageable kin. The family structure ensures that there is cooperation and harmony between the spouses. The husband is entrusted to provide for the family and the wife is entrusted to look after the children and the home. The responsibility that the man carries is a burden upon him to ensure that his family have enough provision and security. It is not, as some claim a reason for him to make life difficult for his wife or himself by preventing her from going outside the house to carry out her daily chores.
The attack on Islamic Shariah focuses on individual rules such as the women's dress, inheritance laws, witness and testimonies without making reference to the purpose of the Shariah. The Islamic Shariah aims to achieve a tranquil society based upon worshipping Allah and adherence to his commands.
Allah s.w.t says Al Ahzab:35 "Verily! The Muslims men and women, the true believers (Muhmin) men and women, the men and women who are obedient to Allah, men and women who are truthful, men and women who are patient, men and women who are humble (before Allah), men and women who give charity (sadaqah), men and women who fast, the men and women who guard their chastity, the men and women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues. Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward". Clearly God places high status for both men and women in Islam and will reward them according to their deed.
The role and status of women in Islam has been misunderstood by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Some Muslim countries have misapplied and misinterpreted Islam. Some Muslim communities adhere to cultural and traditional practices such as ‘honour killing' and forced marriages that are not from Islam. The misinterpretation of Islam and some cultural practices that predate Islam have caused confusion even amongst those who implement them. Furthermore, the media has utilised these misconceptions to portray a negative image of Islam and Muslim women.
As a result, whenever the term ‘Islamic Shariah' is mentioned, people's minds are quick to be filled with images of a ‘Taliban state' or Saudi Arabia where women are excluded from politics and public life. These portrayals are enough to make people view Islam as oppressive towards women. Yet, the confusion may rise even more when they see women striving to wear the Islamic head covering and calling for the implementation of Shariah in secular Muslim countries such as Turkey and Indonesia. One begins to wonder ‘Why would Muslim women call for the implementation of Shariah if it was biased and oppressive against themselves and their daughters?'
If we look at the customs and traditions held by some minority communities such as honour killing, forced marriages and female circumcision, these have in some instances been linked to Islam. The act of ‘honour killing' (when a person is killed for dishonouring the tribe or family name), clearly predates Islam. It exists in some Muslim communities but not others. It also occurs in some non-Muslim communities. This shows that such acts are based on traditions and tribal customs. There is no evidence from Islamic text that encourages or allows such practices. On the contrary, Islam came and abolished many unjust acts. During pre-Islamic era, the Arabs used to commit various atrocities against women. One of the most common practices was the burying of daughters alive. The Qur'an admonished this barbaric act. It is a major sin and illegal under Islamic Shariah. The Qur'an states in An Nahl:58-59 "And when the news of the birth of a female child is brought to them (the Arabs pre-Islam), his face becomes dark and he is filled with grief! He hides himself from the people because of the evil of that he has been informed. Shall he keep her with dishonour or bury her in the earth. Certainly evil is their decision." Unfortunately, Muslim governments today have turned a blind eye to similar atrocities against women and have not challenged their practices in the way that the Qur'an obliged them to.
Islam has also been accused of excluding women from public life. They use examples from countries such as Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia where women are not allowed to travel alone, vote or drive and ‘are forced' to cover from head to toe. These countries are said to adhere to a ‘strict' interpretation of Islamic Shariah. If we study the time of Prophet Muhammad (saw) women were never excluded from public life. Women participated in society, in education, trading, commerce, medicine and various other fields. Women used to teach Islam to men such as the great scholar and narrator of ahadith (sayings of the Prophet), Aishah r.a. There is no better example of Islam than the time of Prophet Muhammad (saw). The rigid laws applied on women in these countries are not due to Shariah rules; rather it is a result of extreme reaction to the Western liberal and secular values and misinterpretation of Islam.
However, we also need to recognise that the true Islamic Shariah is contrary to Western values. This is because fundamentally, the Western belief is completely different from the Islamic belief. The secular creed dictates that God should not rule men whereas Islam makes God the legislator and that a believer should submit to God in private and public. Therefore, a believing woman would cover herself for Allah's sake. She would fast, pray, not leave the house without her guardian's permission, engage in politics and account the rulers, refraining from prohibited acts such as bribery and fornication, all for the sake of Allah.
Islam has its own set of values based on its unique view of the world. It cannot be judge by the standards of Western secular values. For example, if we look at Western value of freedom, it is about individuals being free to do whatever they want for the sake of happiness. Freedom sees no harm in encouraging socialising between men and women. It is the norm. This socialising can happen anywhere, men and women will meet up for companionship, flirting or mere chitchat. It is not a crime to be promiscuous, have one-night stands or affairs even if this leads to adverse consequences. There is a rise in teenage pregnancies, single parent families, sexually transmitted diseases, family breakdown and other social ills and yet the West tolerates these side effects for the sake of freedom. Islam cannot fit into these values of freedom. Although Islam emphasises that both men and women must participate in society but it makes segregation the basis in social affairs. Men and women interact only in order to achieve a common goal such as in trade, education, industry, work, politics and in protecting the state. Under Shariah law, women are obliged to seek knowledge, they are allowed to work, become professionals, attend mosque, go shopping, eat in public places and carry out her daily activities without harassment. However, men and women should not sit together for idle chitchat or flirting. The Islamic rules are put in place to ensure an atmosphere of segregation such as the women's Islamic dress and respect for homes and privacy. Islamic shariah obliges men to lower their gaze and not to stare at women. It forbids men and women who are non related to be alone together. All of these rules are to ensure that segregation is observed and is a safeguard against vice.
The basis for gender equality aspired to by the West needs to be examined. In 2006, The Equal Opportunities Commission admitted that it will take another 200 years for women to achieve equality in Britain and blames this inequality on women's ‘life choices' referring to women choosing family above career. Gender equality is measured purely on economic terms. A women's priceless contribution to society by being a dedicated mother and wife has no measurable economic value. The measurement of success is the man with a high flying career and a six-figure salary. This has become the yardstick that men and women in the West aspire to achieve. Having children and family is seen as an obstacle for a woman reaching her full potential. Islam places a high status on women for being a mother and a wife. The Qur'an states 46:15 "And We have enjoined on man to be good to his parents. His mother carried him in pain and gave birth to him in pain, and his carrying and weaning for thirty months until when he attains full strength..."
Islam views the family unit as an important social structure. The unique love and companionship between a man and a woman is preserved through marriage. It also permits the free interaction amongst unmarriageable kin. The family structure ensures that there is cooperation and harmony between the spouses. The husband is entrusted to provide for the family and the wife is entrusted to look after the children and the home. The responsibility that the man carries is a burden upon him to ensure that his family have enough provision and security. It is not, as some claim a reason for him to make life difficult for his wife or himself by preventing her from going outside the house to carry out her daily chores.
The attack on Islamic Shariah focuses on individual rules such as the women's dress, inheritance laws, witness and testimonies without making reference to the purpose of the Shariah. The Islamic Shariah aims to achieve a tranquil society based upon worshipping Allah and adherence to his commands.
Allah s.w.t says Al Ahzab:35 "Verily! The Muslims men and women, the true believers (Muhmin) men and women, the men and women who are obedient to Allah, men and women who are truthful, men and women who are patient, men and women who are humble (before Allah), men and women who give charity (sadaqah), men and women who fast, the men and women who guard their chastity, the men and women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues. Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward". Clearly God places high status for both men and women in Islam and will reward them according to their deed.
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
Elections
The Ruling of Islam on Elections
Elections are among the means allowed under the Islamic law (Shari'ah) to choose attorneys (agents or representatives). The Messenger of Allah (saw), during the Pledge of Allegiance at Aqabah, said, "Bring out from you twelve foremen to be responsible for their people's upholding of their duties."
The regimes ruling in Islamic lands nowadays are all un Islamic. That is they are regimes of Kurt because their systems are not derived from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (saw) (except for some portions of it). It is forbidden for a Muslim, who believes in Allah and his Messenger (saw), to help, participate in or be a part of these regimes. Rather he must work with utmost diligence and speed to dismantle it and establish the system of Islam in its place. Allah (swt) said:
"And those who do not rule with that which Allah has revealed, are indeed the Kaffiroon." [TMQ 5:44]
The rating regimes are fostering and protecting munkar, nay they are the head of munkar. The Messenger (saw) commands all Muslims: "Whoever of you sees a Munkar, let him change it with his hand. If he cannot, then (let him change it) with his tongue. If he cannot, then (let him change it) with his heart and that is the weakest of belief."
Therefore, what is requested of you, O Muslims, is not only to refrain from assisting or participating in the regime, but also to change it. Change with the heart is possible for every Muslim through hating Kufr and Munkar and renouncing it by saying: ‘0 Allah this is a Munkar that we are not pleased with, Change with his tongue is also possible, for every Muslim in many different situations: amongst his family, relatives, friends, and neighbours. As for the one who applauds these regimes, praises their rulers and supports them, he does not even harbor an iota of Iman in his heart. Beware 0 Muslims, do not belittle the issue for it is a matter of Iman and Kufr!
Is it legal (Halal) for a Muslim who fears Allah to contest elections within these regimes of Kufr? Yes, if he announces publicly, simultaneously with his candidacy, that be does not believe in this system, that he will not become a part of it or co-exist with it whether he is elected or not, that he will not help a candidate who believes in the system neither individually nor as a part of an electoral list and that he does not want more than to use the podium of Parliament to deliver the word of Haq and to call upon all Muslims to eradicate the Taghut (rule of Kurt) from its roots (via intellectual actions and means). It is not enough for a candidate to, just believe in this idea but conceal these conditions. He is obligated by the Shari'ah to declare it publicly, for an individual becomes a suspect and a subject of charges as soon as he announces his candidacy tinder these regimes. If he keeps himself a subject of suspicion and charges, he is sinful. It is illegal (Haram) for a Muslim, in this case, to elect him, help him or congratulate him if he wins.
The duties of a Member of Parliament include legislation, vote of confidence in cabinets, ratification of treaties, election of a Republic's President and holding the regime and its institutions accountable. Only the last action is legal (Halal) for a Muslim Member of Parliament to practice. All other functions are illegal (Haram). Legislation cannot emanate from sources outside the Book (Qur'an) and Method (Sunnah). The Sovereignty belongs to Allah, i.e., He is the Legislator, Nothing is legal but that which Allah has made legal (Halal) and nothing is illegal but that which Allah has made illegal (Haram). Allah (swt) said:
"They took their Rabbis and Priests for gods instead of Allah.”[TMQ 9:31]
The Messenger of Allah (saw) was reading this verse when Adee ibn Hatem At-Ta'ei entered wearing a cross around his neck. Adee said: They did not worship them. The Messenger of Allah responded (saw): "Yes (the followers did), they made illegal what is legal and made legal what is illegal and they (the followers) followed them. This is their worship of them." Then Adee became a Muslim. So that who legislates, making things legal and illegal without Allah's permission, is transgressing against Allah and making a god of himself. And those who follow him in this matter has rendered the one followed a god instead of Allah. So wake up, 0 Muslims! The Member of Parliament who gives confidence to a cabinet rating with Kufr, ratifies treaties based on Kufr laws or elects a president who rules with Kufr is an accomplice with them in their crime. A Muslim individual, who helps that Member of Parliament in getting there, is an accomplice with him in his crime.
A Muslim's main concern, whether he is a Member of Parliament or not, is the vital cause of the Ummah, which is saving the ummah from the claws of the West's idolatry (the so-called Western Culture) and guiding it to the light of Islam through the reestablishment of the Khilafah. In lieu of this, we see the members of Parliament these days work as street builders and endorsers of transactions for their constituents, despite the fact that a Parliament Member's interference in the work of the judiciary or other government departments is a transgression. We read these days that a block of Jordan's Members of Parliament (The Islamic Action Front) are threatening to submit their resignation from the Parliament if the Jordanian government does not retract its decision to raise the price of bread. We ask: why didn't they resign when Jordan signed for peace with the enemy? Why don't they resign because of the belief they hold that the system is a Kufr system, or is the price of bread more important?! Would the regime care if they resign or continue their resignation (submission)?! Let the candidates who humiliate themselves to win Parliament seats, regardless of the means, take a lesson front the existing Members of- Parliament. They found that their existence there is meaningless. They found that what they thought of as shrewdness and understanding of realities was in fact nothing but a mirage and a clear cut case of short sightedness. It was the regime's enslavement and exploitation of them and of Islam - in whose name they sit in Parliament. When those Members of Parliament, who promised to put Islam in the, position of policy-making, fail many people will think that Islam itself failed and not only the individuals who participated.
Some candidates try to find a pretext (it a Fatwa for their actions on the legal basis "The least of two evils." Based on this, the Arabs supported Peres, against Netanyahu in the Jews' elections, deeming Peres and Netanyahu as evil but Peres as the lesser of the two. Thus, it became obligatory for the Arabs to elect Peres. In Russia's elections, Yeltsin and the Communist Zyuganov were deemed evil but Yeltsin was the lesser evil so it became obligatory for the Muslims to support Yeltsin. Here they say; if X gets elected he would be evil and if Y gets elected he would be evil but X is lesser so it is obligatory to elect X and so on. This is definitely not Fiqh nor ljtihad. The legal basis is not applicable here. Why is Peres' evil less than that of Netanyahu, for example? Who said that X is less evil than Y? These are mere desires. The legal basis is only applicable when a legal text defines one of two evils to be lesser than the other and where there is no way out but one of these two evils. In elections, there is a way out which is for the candidate to obey the laws (of Shari'ah) from the outset of his candidacy to the end. This is viable and possible. The use and abuse of the legal basis of "The least of two evils" as a pretext is thus invalid hem. Actually, a Muslim has another stand which is not to elect and not to sink into the abyss of evil.
It is untrue that a Muslim cannot work (whether for the vital cause or small issues) but through the Parliament. It is untrue that his work from within (Parliament) is always more effective. Indeed in most cases his participation in Parliament is a false testimony, a sedative against work and change and a release valve for the Ummah's pent-up drive, especially if he fears Allah (in the people's opinion). The best position is for those individuals who fear Allah to avoid this as long as they are going to be a tool to deceive others.
We witnessed a couple of years ago that the Islamic Salvation Front's winning of the elections in Algeria did not lead it to the establishment of the Deen. Rather, it led (the Front) to jails because those who hold authority (and power) do not allow it to be transferred to their enemies. We are currently witnessing in Turkey that the power brokers did not give the cabinet to the Refah Party until it swore to and gave guarantees that it will adopt secularism and do everything the way those who hold power desire and require. So the solution does not come from within the Parliaments, rather it comes by taking authority through the seeking of support from those who have strength.
The despair of the Muslims (or some of them) of Islam's resumption of its victories; this despondency drives them to resign themselves to the regimes of Kufr. It's time for this despondency to go away. It's time for the Western concepts and standards, which pervaded our culture and made us ran after benefits and selfish ness, to be destroyed. It's time for us to establish our Khilafah, apply our law (Shari'ah) and elect the Members of the Ummah's Assembly under the Islamic State instead of elections in a Kufr domain under Kufr systems.
"It is He who has sent His Messenger with the Guidance and the Deen (Way of Life) of truth to make it victorious over all ways of life, even if the disbelievers detest it." [TMQ 9:33]
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Islamic Thoughts
Creating Confidence in Islamic Thoughts
As for how we should solve this problem, the solution is restricted in returning to the point from which the error occurred in order to rectify this mistake, and it is nothing more than this. Thus the Muslims are still Muslims despite their current situation. Their 'Aqeedah is still Islamic. Islam is still, fundamentally the Kitab and Sunnah, as it was in the days of Rasoolullah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Ahkam Shari'ah deduced are still as they were in the age in which they were first deduced i.e. in the Umayyad or Abbasid eras. The manner of deduction is still as it was in the time when the science of the principles of Islamic jurisprudence (Usul ul-Fiqh) was laid down. There is no deficiency amongst the Muslims in their belief in Islam and nor has there been any change in Islam. Rather, there is only the shaken confidence in the thoughts and rules emanating from the Islamic 'Aqeedah. This resulted in shortcomings in the entity of the Ummah and in the entity of the State. This in turn led to the destruction of the State and drove the Ummah onto the path of destruction, until it put her on the brink of the abyss, at risk of annihilation. Thus, the solution will be found by returning to the point from which the mistake started, i.e. by solving the shaken confidence in the thoughts and rules emanating from the Islamic 'Aqeedah. It was this shock that destroyed the state and almost annihilated the Ummah. The objective of the solution is to revive the Ummah and re-establish the State in order to resume the Islamic way of life and carry the Islamic Da'wah to the world. This is the issue and this is the core of the problem. Some say that confidence comes from the conviction in the correctness and veracity of a thing, and that the conviction comes from the emotions. Thus, conviction comes to the human being without proofs and goes from the human being without proofs. Therefore, confidence is not obtained by proof and logic but by creating conviction that comes by chance and goes by chance. This statement is invalid and not consistent with reality. It is correct that confidence arises from conviction in the correctness and veracity of a thing, i.e. by its agreement with the reality or natural disposition (Fitrah). However, it arises based on a proof that establishes the correctness and veracity of that thing. This proof can be intellectual and linked with emotions, i.e. the rational evidence has established the correctness and veracity of the matter and the person truly feels its correctness and veracity. Or he can only feel its correctness and veracity, but without a rational evidence to prove it; however by doing this repeatedly, conviction is obtained and confidence is developed. So confidence does not come by chance and it is not lost by chance. Rather it comes from repeatedly proving that the thought is in agreement with reality or natural disposition (Fitrah), intellectually or emotionally, i.e. repeatedly proving the correctness and veracity of the thing. It is also lost by repeatedly proving the incorrectness and falseness of the thought. This is what will generate the conviction and this is also what will shake the confidence and makes it go. This means that before confidence can be generated, the correctness and veracity of the matter must move from the stage of establishing its proof to the stage of it being self evident. This will take place by repeatedly proving its correctness and veracity with the proof, rationally and through emotions. Just as it is difficult to generate confidence, especially in an atmosphere of doubt, it is difficult to shake confidence, especially in an atmosphere of Iman.
It was difficult for the Kuffar, the Westerners to shake the confidence in the suitability of the rules of the Islamic Shar'a in solving problems of the modern age when the atmosphere was one of Iman. Similarly it is not easy for those working for Islam in this atmosphere of doubt to restore the confidence in the suitability of Islam, i.e. to consolidate the Islamic viewpoint about life or the special Islamic way of life, that is the Islamic ideology. Confidence cannot be implanted in the minds of the Muslims and the rest of the people except by establishing the intellectual and emotional proof regarding the correctness and veracity of the Islamic thoughts and Islamic rules. Therefore, the first step in restoring confidence, in order to revive the Ummah and establish the State, should be that the tangible incidents and current events should reflect the correctness, veracity and suitability of the Islamic thoughts and rules. This will initiate the intellectual and emotional proofs, which will generate the conviction in this correctness and veracity, which in turn will create the confidence. As for how these incidents will be made to reflect this, it will be by conveying the Islamic Da'wah with the political method. It is by working to establish the Islamic State via the Islamic thoughts, which have a reality according to which the people deal with each other, whereby their thoughts relate to life's affairs or the organisation of the relationships. In other words, it is through the political work to establish the Islamic Khilafah via the dissemination of Islamic thoughts and the struggle in this path.
That is because the people are ruled by an existing authority that has been seized by rulers amongst them or from others. These rulers look after the affairs of their citizens with specific thoughts and laws. This caring for the affair is done for specific incidents with specific thoughts, i.e. specific problems are solved by specific solutions. So these incidents are tangible and perceptible and their solutions are tangible and perceptible and their results in terms of providing the interest and maintaining it are also perceptible. All that is required of those working to establish the Islamic State on the ruins of this ruling system is that they draw the people's attention to the corruption of these solutions, i.e. to the invalidity of the thoughts and rules with which these incidents are treated. They also have to demonstrate that the correct solution for such incidents is a particular thought or a particular rule and that this is the thought of Islam and the rule of Islam. So the Islamic thought or the Islamic rule is applied to the current incident. Thus, the reality of the rule is comprehended and its meaning is perceived, which then provokes thinking and incites the emotions. As for demonstrating the invalidity of the thoughts and rules with which the rulers solve these incidents, it is not correct to do this in terms of realising or not realising an interest. Rather the clarification should be in terms of them being Kufr thoughts or Kufr rules. It is not correct that their invalidity is demonstrated by showing that they do not achieve an interest or that harm arises from the thoughts and rules or that they do not preserve an interest or that they waste an interest. Rather, their invalidity should be demonstrated by showing that they are un-Islamic rules and that they are rules of Kufr and that judging by them is judging by Taghut(falsehood). The invalidity that has to be demonstrated is that they are thoughts and rules of Kufr, because the issue is one of Kufr and Islam and not one of interest or harm. Similarly, when the correct solution is shown as such and such thought or rule and it is the thought or rule of Islam, it would not be correct to show its suitability and explain its correctness in terms of realising an interest or removing harm. Rather its correctness should be demonstrated and its suitability explained in terms of it being a Hukm Shar'i by bringing its Shar'i evidence from the Kitab and Sunnah, or from a principle deduced from the Kitab and Sunnah, or of it being a branch or a case from the branches and cases of a Hukm Shar'i whose evidences are well known.
This is the manner by which the invalidity of specific solutions with which the rulers solve specific problems is shown and by which the correctness and validity of the thoughts and rules of Islam are also shown. Thus the solution to current incidents should be directly linked to the Islamic 'Aqeedah. So the Islamic 'Aqeedah is taken as the only basis through which these thoughts and rules are viewed. They are looked at from the perspective of Islam and Kufr and nothing else. For the rules in the world are either rules of Islam or rules of Kufr, there is no third category. It can also be said that the whole world is either Dar al-Islam or Dar ul-Kufr, there is no third category. Therefore the refutation of thoughts and rules should be on this basis only, i.e. Islam or Kufr and nothing else whatsoever. So we should say about a thought or rule that this is Kufr if it is Kufr, or this is Haram if it is Haram and the Shar'i evidence will show that it is Kufr and the Shar'i evidence will show that it is Haram. It must be explained to the people that the one who adopts an un-Islamic thought or rule will leave the fold of Islam, thus committing Kufr and apostasy if the thought or rule comes under the orders of Allah pertaining to Iman, like the thought of separating religion from state or giving donations for the building of a church. He will be committing a sin and will be punished for it in the Hellfire if the thought or rule was from the orders of Allah that relate to actions and not to Iman, such as the thought of nationalism or taking an interest based loan from the bank. Thus, the basis of the thoughts and rules must be the Islamic 'Aqeedah and their criteria should be Islam, Kufr, Halal and the Haram. Accordingly, their falseness or correctness is judged on this basis and according to these criteria.
When attention is drawn to the corruption of the current solutions, it is done so for the purpose of explaining the corruption of the existing society, i.e. the corruption of the existing relationships between people. Their corruption does not arise from the fact that they realise an interest or prevent harm or the opposite. Rather it results from the corruption of the viewpoint about life which controls these relationships and from which these solutions emanate. That is why we must link the solutions with their basis and their error must be explained in terms of the falseness of their basis and not in terms of the interest or harm. Thus it is inevitable that the solutions should be linked with the 'Aqeedah from which they emanate. These solutions should then be challenged in the sense that they emanate from a corrupt creed. In other words, they should be challenged as rules and thoughts of Kufr, irrespective of the presence or absence of an interest. Therefore it is imperative that the challenging of existing relationships between people is done in the view that they are relationships that are established on thoughts and rules of Kufr, and the challenge should concentrate on this basis. This is because the objective of challenging them is to change the current society in its capacity as a non-Islamic society and to remove the current thoughts and rules in their capacity as thoughts and rules of Kufr. This is done in order to establish an Islamic society and generate the thoughts and rules of Islam in the existing relationships between people. So the aim is to make the Islamic viewpoint about life prevalent and to make the Islamic way of life the way of living for the people, whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims. This will not be achieved by explaining the benefits and the harms. It will only be achieved by making the Islamic 'Aqeedah the sole basis for life, and the Halal and Haram as the only criteria for actions.
So the problem is one of restoring confidence in the thoughts and rules of Islam, in their capacity as Islamic thoughts and rules deduced from the Kitab and Sunnah, or what the Kitab and Sunnah guides to as evidences. The issue is not one of restoring confidence in the thoughts and rules of Islam in terms of the interest or harm. The direct action that needs to be taken is to attack the existing relationships, whose falseness and corruption has resulted from the viewpoint from which the relationships emanated. Therefore it is imperative that this attack against the existing relationships be an attack against the thoughts and rules of Kufr in their capacity as Kufr with Islamic thoughts and Islamic rules in their capacity as being Islamic and nothing else. It is here that the fierce struggle takes place, i.e. around these thoughts and rules. It is an ideological struggle in which minds and hearts clash intellectually and emotionally, emitting sparks and thus the light of truth shines and its glory radiates and the corruption of the current thoughts and emotions becomes clear by demonstrating the corruption of the viewpoint from which they emanated. The Muslims then feel the link with the Kufr beliefs and their emanation from a Kufr viewpoint, just as the Kafir and hypocrite feels, from the intellectual struggle and deep discussion, the fallacy of this Kufr viewpoint and the correctness of the Islamic viewpoint. Then the people will feel the corruption of the existing regimes and the correctness of the ruling (Hukm) of Islam. With this the tangible incidents and current events will reflect the correctness and veracity of the thoughts and rules of Islam and there will be conviction in them. From this conviction, confidence in these thoughts and rules alone will develop to the exclusion of all other thoughts and rules present in the world. When this conviction becomes common amongst people and the confidence is concentrated in the minds and there is a public opinion emanating from a general awareness, then, without doubt, revival would have seeped into the Ummah, and she would have established the state whatever the obstacles standing in her way. This is because the dynamic thoughts blow away the strong political force and destroy every false thought and every corrupt rule. This is the methodology that makes the events and incidents reflect the correctness and veracity of the thoughts and rules of Islam. It is to engage ourselves in politics on the basis of Islam, by disseminating the thoughts and rules of Islam on the political basis. In other words, it is to carry the Islamic Da'wah according to the political method. Consequently, we understand the secret of the campaign undertaken by the Kuffar via their Muslim agents to distance the Muslims from politics, to drive them away from politics and to make politics appear in contradiction with the sublime nature and spirituality of Islam.
We also realise the secret of the war fought by the Kafir states and the rulers, who are agents of the Kuffar, against the Islamic political movements. These are the only bodies that will revive the Ummah, establish the State, attack Kufr and return the glory to Islam. For that reason they fight the Islamic political movements and drive the Muslims away from politics. The confidence of the Ummah will not return, the Islamic Ummah will not be revived, the Islamic Khilafah will not be established and the Islamic state will not return except by engaging in politics on the basis of Islam.Therefore, the issue of saving the Ummah from annihilation is to restore her confidence in the correctness, veracity and suitability of the thoughts and rules of Islam. This is achieved by making the events and incidents reflect this correctness and veracity so that the complete conviction will be obtained as a result. In other words, it is through conveying the Islamic Da'wah in its political path, i.e. by the work to bring back the Islamic Khilafah through the dissemination of the Islamic thoughts and the struggle for this cause. This is the path with which the Rasool ul-Allah brought about the Islamic Ummah and the Islamic State. Apart from the fact that this is a tangible reality that drives the person to take this path and adopt no other path, it is a Hukm Shar'i which the Muslim must adhere to and he must restrict himself to its path and not follow any other paths. Consequently, this alone is the path that Muslims are obliged to follow. So the only work Muslims are obliged to undertake today before they undertake any other action is the establishment of the Islamic state, i.e. the re-establishment of the Islamic Khilafah. The method for this is the intellectual and political revolution that destroys the false thoughts and demolishes the corrupt ruling.
As for how we should solve this problem, the solution is restricted in returning to the point from which the error occurred in order to rectify this mistake, and it is nothing more than this. Thus the Muslims are still Muslims despite their current situation. Their 'Aqeedah is still Islamic. Islam is still, fundamentally the Kitab and Sunnah, as it was in the days of Rasoolullah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Ahkam Shari'ah deduced are still as they were in the age in which they were first deduced i.e. in the Umayyad or Abbasid eras. The manner of deduction is still as it was in the time when the science of the principles of Islamic jurisprudence (Usul ul-Fiqh) was laid down. There is no deficiency amongst the Muslims in their belief in Islam and nor has there been any change in Islam. Rather, there is only the shaken confidence in the thoughts and rules emanating from the Islamic 'Aqeedah. This resulted in shortcomings in the entity of the Ummah and in the entity of the State. This in turn led to the destruction of the State and drove the Ummah onto the path of destruction, until it put her on the brink of the abyss, at risk of annihilation. Thus, the solution will be found by returning to the point from which the mistake started, i.e. by solving the shaken confidence in the thoughts and rules emanating from the Islamic 'Aqeedah. It was this shock that destroyed the state and almost annihilated the Ummah. The objective of the solution is to revive the Ummah and re-establish the State in order to resume the Islamic way of life and carry the Islamic Da'wah to the world. This is the issue and this is the core of the problem. Some say that confidence comes from the conviction in the correctness and veracity of a thing, and that the conviction comes from the emotions. Thus, conviction comes to the human being without proofs and goes from the human being without proofs. Therefore, confidence is not obtained by proof and logic but by creating conviction that comes by chance and goes by chance. This statement is invalid and not consistent with reality. It is correct that confidence arises from conviction in the correctness and veracity of a thing, i.e. by its agreement with the reality or natural disposition (Fitrah). However, it arises based on a proof that establishes the correctness and veracity of that thing. This proof can be intellectual and linked with emotions, i.e. the rational evidence has established the correctness and veracity of the matter and the person truly feels its correctness and veracity. Or he can only feel its correctness and veracity, but without a rational evidence to prove it; however by doing this repeatedly, conviction is obtained and confidence is developed. So confidence does not come by chance and it is not lost by chance. Rather it comes from repeatedly proving that the thought is in agreement with reality or natural disposition (Fitrah), intellectually or emotionally, i.e. repeatedly proving the correctness and veracity of the thing. It is also lost by repeatedly proving the incorrectness and falseness of the thought. This is what will generate the conviction and this is also what will shake the confidence and makes it go. This means that before confidence can be generated, the correctness and veracity of the matter must move from the stage of establishing its proof to the stage of it being self evident. This will take place by repeatedly proving its correctness and veracity with the proof, rationally and through emotions. Just as it is difficult to generate confidence, especially in an atmosphere of doubt, it is difficult to shake confidence, especially in an atmosphere of Iman.
It was difficult for the Kuffar, the Westerners to shake the confidence in the suitability of the rules of the Islamic Shar'a in solving problems of the modern age when the atmosphere was one of Iman. Similarly it is not easy for those working for Islam in this atmosphere of doubt to restore the confidence in the suitability of Islam, i.e. to consolidate the Islamic viewpoint about life or the special Islamic way of life, that is the Islamic ideology. Confidence cannot be implanted in the minds of the Muslims and the rest of the people except by establishing the intellectual and emotional proof regarding the correctness and veracity of the Islamic thoughts and Islamic rules. Therefore, the first step in restoring confidence, in order to revive the Ummah and establish the State, should be that the tangible incidents and current events should reflect the correctness, veracity and suitability of the Islamic thoughts and rules. This will initiate the intellectual and emotional proofs, which will generate the conviction in this correctness and veracity, which in turn will create the confidence. As for how these incidents will be made to reflect this, it will be by conveying the Islamic Da'wah with the political method. It is by working to establish the Islamic State via the Islamic thoughts, which have a reality according to which the people deal with each other, whereby their thoughts relate to life's affairs or the organisation of the relationships. In other words, it is through the political work to establish the Islamic Khilafah via the dissemination of Islamic thoughts and the struggle in this path.
That is because the people are ruled by an existing authority that has been seized by rulers amongst them or from others. These rulers look after the affairs of their citizens with specific thoughts and laws. This caring for the affair is done for specific incidents with specific thoughts, i.e. specific problems are solved by specific solutions. So these incidents are tangible and perceptible and their solutions are tangible and perceptible and their results in terms of providing the interest and maintaining it are also perceptible. All that is required of those working to establish the Islamic State on the ruins of this ruling system is that they draw the people's attention to the corruption of these solutions, i.e. to the invalidity of the thoughts and rules with which these incidents are treated. They also have to demonstrate that the correct solution for such incidents is a particular thought or a particular rule and that this is the thought of Islam and the rule of Islam. So the Islamic thought or the Islamic rule is applied to the current incident. Thus, the reality of the rule is comprehended and its meaning is perceived, which then provokes thinking and incites the emotions. As for demonstrating the invalidity of the thoughts and rules with which the rulers solve these incidents, it is not correct to do this in terms of realising or not realising an interest. Rather the clarification should be in terms of them being Kufr thoughts or Kufr rules. It is not correct that their invalidity is demonstrated by showing that they do not achieve an interest or that harm arises from the thoughts and rules or that they do not preserve an interest or that they waste an interest. Rather, their invalidity should be demonstrated by showing that they are un-Islamic rules and that they are rules of Kufr and that judging by them is judging by Taghut(falsehood). The invalidity that has to be demonstrated is that they are thoughts and rules of Kufr, because the issue is one of Kufr and Islam and not one of interest or harm. Similarly, when the correct solution is shown as such and such thought or rule and it is the thought or rule of Islam, it would not be correct to show its suitability and explain its correctness in terms of realising an interest or removing harm. Rather its correctness should be demonstrated and its suitability explained in terms of it being a Hukm Shar'i by bringing its Shar'i evidence from the Kitab and Sunnah, or from a principle deduced from the Kitab and Sunnah, or of it being a branch or a case from the branches and cases of a Hukm Shar'i whose evidences are well known.
This is the manner by which the invalidity of specific solutions with which the rulers solve specific problems is shown and by which the correctness and validity of the thoughts and rules of Islam are also shown. Thus the solution to current incidents should be directly linked to the Islamic 'Aqeedah. So the Islamic 'Aqeedah is taken as the only basis through which these thoughts and rules are viewed. They are looked at from the perspective of Islam and Kufr and nothing else. For the rules in the world are either rules of Islam or rules of Kufr, there is no third category. It can also be said that the whole world is either Dar al-Islam or Dar ul-Kufr, there is no third category. Therefore the refutation of thoughts and rules should be on this basis only, i.e. Islam or Kufr and nothing else whatsoever. So we should say about a thought or rule that this is Kufr if it is Kufr, or this is Haram if it is Haram and the Shar'i evidence will show that it is Kufr and the Shar'i evidence will show that it is Haram. It must be explained to the people that the one who adopts an un-Islamic thought or rule will leave the fold of Islam, thus committing Kufr and apostasy if the thought or rule comes under the orders of Allah pertaining to Iman, like the thought of separating religion from state or giving donations for the building of a church. He will be committing a sin and will be punished for it in the Hellfire if the thought or rule was from the orders of Allah that relate to actions and not to Iman, such as the thought of nationalism or taking an interest based loan from the bank. Thus, the basis of the thoughts and rules must be the Islamic 'Aqeedah and their criteria should be Islam, Kufr, Halal and the Haram. Accordingly, their falseness or correctness is judged on this basis and according to these criteria.
When attention is drawn to the corruption of the current solutions, it is done so for the purpose of explaining the corruption of the existing society, i.e. the corruption of the existing relationships between people. Their corruption does not arise from the fact that they realise an interest or prevent harm or the opposite. Rather it results from the corruption of the viewpoint about life which controls these relationships and from which these solutions emanate. That is why we must link the solutions with their basis and their error must be explained in terms of the falseness of their basis and not in terms of the interest or harm. Thus it is inevitable that the solutions should be linked with the 'Aqeedah from which they emanate. These solutions should then be challenged in the sense that they emanate from a corrupt creed. In other words, they should be challenged as rules and thoughts of Kufr, irrespective of the presence or absence of an interest. Therefore it is imperative that the challenging of existing relationships between people is done in the view that they are relationships that are established on thoughts and rules of Kufr, and the challenge should concentrate on this basis. This is because the objective of challenging them is to change the current society in its capacity as a non-Islamic society and to remove the current thoughts and rules in their capacity as thoughts and rules of Kufr. This is done in order to establish an Islamic society and generate the thoughts and rules of Islam in the existing relationships between people. So the aim is to make the Islamic viewpoint about life prevalent and to make the Islamic way of life the way of living for the people, whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims. This will not be achieved by explaining the benefits and the harms. It will only be achieved by making the Islamic 'Aqeedah the sole basis for life, and the Halal and Haram as the only criteria for actions.
So the problem is one of restoring confidence in the thoughts and rules of Islam, in their capacity as Islamic thoughts and rules deduced from the Kitab and Sunnah, or what the Kitab and Sunnah guides to as evidences. The issue is not one of restoring confidence in the thoughts and rules of Islam in terms of the interest or harm. The direct action that needs to be taken is to attack the existing relationships, whose falseness and corruption has resulted from the viewpoint from which the relationships emanated. Therefore it is imperative that this attack against the existing relationships be an attack against the thoughts and rules of Kufr in their capacity as Kufr with Islamic thoughts and Islamic rules in their capacity as being Islamic and nothing else. It is here that the fierce struggle takes place, i.e. around these thoughts and rules. It is an ideological struggle in which minds and hearts clash intellectually and emotionally, emitting sparks and thus the light of truth shines and its glory radiates and the corruption of the current thoughts and emotions becomes clear by demonstrating the corruption of the viewpoint from which they emanated. The Muslims then feel the link with the Kufr beliefs and their emanation from a Kufr viewpoint, just as the Kafir and hypocrite feels, from the intellectual struggle and deep discussion, the fallacy of this Kufr viewpoint and the correctness of the Islamic viewpoint. Then the people will feel the corruption of the existing regimes and the correctness of the ruling (Hukm) of Islam. With this the tangible incidents and current events will reflect the correctness and veracity of the thoughts and rules of Islam and there will be conviction in them. From this conviction, confidence in these thoughts and rules alone will develop to the exclusion of all other thoughts and rules present in the world. When this conviction becomes common amongst people and the confidence is concentrated in the minds and there is a public opinion emanating from a general awareness, then, without doubt, revival would have seeped into the Ummah, and she would have established the state whatever the obstacles standing in her way. This is because the dynamic thoughts blow away the strong political force and destroy every false thought and every corrupt rule. This is the methodology that makes the events and incidents reflect the correctness and veracity of the thoughts and rules of Islam. It is to engage ourselves in politics on the basis of Islam, by disseminating the thoughts and rules of Islam on the political basis. In other words, it is to carry the Islamic Da'wah according to the political method. Consequently, we understand the secret of the campaign undertaken by the Kuffar via their Muslim agents to distance the Muslims from politics, to drive them away from politics and to make politics appear in contradiction with the sublime nature and spirituality of Islam.
We also realise the secret of the war fought by the Kafir states and the rulers, who are agents of the Kuffar, against the Islamic political movements. These are the only bodies that will revive the Ummah, establish the State, attack Kufr and return the glory to Islam. For that reason they fight the Islamic political movements and drive the Muslims away from politics. The confidence of the Ummah will not return, the Islamic Ummah will not be revived, the Islamic Khilafah will not be established and the Islamic state will not return except by engaging in politics on the basis of Islam.Therefore, the issue of saving the Ummah from annihilation is to restore her confidence in the correctness, veracity and suitability of the thoughts and rules of Islam. This is achieved by making the events and incidents reflect this correctness and veracity so that the complete conviction will be obtained as a result. In other words, it is through conveying the Islamic Da'wah in its political path, i.e. by the work to bring back the Islamic Khilafah through the dissemination of the Islamic thoughts and the struggle for this cause. This is the path with which the Rasool ul-Allah brought about the Islamic Ummah and the Islamic State. Apart from the fact that this is a tangible reality that drives the person to take this path and adopt no other path, it is a Hukm Shar'i which the Muslim must adhere to and he must restrict himself to its path and not follow any other paths. Consequently, this alone is the path that Muslims are obliged to follow. So the only work Muslims are obliged to undertake today before they undertake any other action is the establishment of the Islamic state, i.e. the re-establishment of the Islamic Khilafah. The method for this is the intellectual and political revolution that destroys the false thoughts and demolishes the corrupt ruling.
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