About the Author

Sayyid Qutb’s Birth, Education, and Career

Sayyid was Sayyid Qutb’s given name. Qutb was his ancestral surname. His forefathers came from the Arabian Peninsula and settled in northern Egypt. His father’s name was Haji Ibrahim Qutb. Ibrahim Qutb had five children: Sayyid Qutb, Muhammad Qutb, Hamid Qutb, and Amina Qutb. The name of the fifth daughter is not known. Sayyid Qutb was the eldest among the siblings. All the brothers and sisters received higher education; they struggled to establish the Islamic way of life and demonstrated steadfastness through severe trials.

Sayyid Qutb was born in 1906 in the village of Musha, in Egypt’s Asyut Governorate. His mother, Fatima Ghosain Osman, was an extremely devout and God-fearing woman. Sayyid’s father, Haji Ibrahim, was a farmer, but he too was deeply religious and virtuous.

Sayyid Qutb began his education at the village primary school. At his mother’s wish, he memorized the Qur’an in childhood. Later, his father began living in a place called Helwan on the outskirts of Cairo. After completing his education at the Tajhiziyyat Darul Uloom madrasa, Sayyid enrolled in Cairo’s renowned Darul Uloom madrasa. In 1933, he obtained a B.A. degree from that institution and was appointed a professor there.

After teaching for some time, he was appointed a school inspector under the Ministry of Education. In Egypt, that position was considered highly prestigious. The Ministry of Education itself sent him to the United States to study modern educational methods. He completed a two-year course and returned home from abroad. While in America, he observed the miserable condition of materialistic society. He became firmly convinced that only Islam could truly lead human society toward well-being.

Immediately after returning home from America, he began examining the ideals, objectives, and program of the Ikhwan al-Muslimun movement. In 1945, he became a member of that organization. During the Second World War, the British government promised to grant Egypt independence after the war. As soon as the war ended, the Ikhwan began a movement demanding that the British leave Egypt. As a result, its popularity increased tremendously. Within only two years, the number of active workers in the organization reached 2.5 million. The number of ordinary members, supporters, and sympathizers was several times greater than the number of workers. Frightened by the Ikhwan’s popularity, the British and Egypt’s autocratic government jointly began conspiring against the organization.

In July 1952, a military revolution took place in Egypt. That same year, the Ikhwan was reinstated. Dr. Hasan al-Hudaybi was elected the organization’s General Guide. Under his direction, the department for propagating the organization’s ideals and expanding the movement continued to advance. He devoted himself completely to the work of the movement.

In 1954, he was elected editor of the periodical published by the Ikhwan, “Ikhwan al-Muslimun.” After only six months, Colonel Nasser’s government shut down the periodical because it had criticized a new treaty that year between the Egyptian government and the British. After closing the periodical, the Nasser government began persecuting the organization. On the charge of a fabricated assassination conspiracy case, the Ikhwan al-Muslimun was declared illegal and its leaders were arrested.

Arrest and Persecution

Sayyid Qutb was among the arrested Ikhwan leaders. He was held in various prisons in Egypt. At the time of his arrest, he was suffering from a severe fever. A military officer arrested him in that condition. His hands and feet were shackled. Not only that, Sayyid Qutb was forced to walk to the prison while suffering from a high fever. He fainted several times on the way and fell to the ground. When he regained consciousness, he would say: ———— (God is greatest, and praise belongs to God).

As soon as he entered the prison, the prison employees began beating him, and the torture continued for two hours. Then a trained dog was set upon him. The dog bit his leg and dragged him around the prison yard. After this initial welcome, he was interrogated continuously for seven hours. His health was no longer capable of enduring such torture. Yet, through the strength of his firm faith, the words continued to issue from his stony lips: —————– (God is greatest, and praise belongs to God).

The dark cell of the prison was locked at night. During the day, he was made to parade regularly. He became seriously ill. He suffered from various ailments, including chest pain, a weakened heart, and pain in every joint throughout his body. Nevertheless, his body continued to be seared with fire. Police dogs scratched his body with their claws and teeth. Very hot water was poured over his head, followed immediately by extremely cold water. Kicks, blows, punches, and abuse in obscene language were daily occurrences.

On July 13, 1955, he was sentenced to fifteen years of hard labor by a people’s court. Because of his illness, he could not appear in court. After he had served one year in prison, the Nasser government offered to release him if he applied for forgiveness through the newspapers. The answer given by this believing man to that offer will remain undimmed in the pages of history. He said:

“I am extremely astonished to hear this offer: the oppressed are being asked to seek forgiveness from the oppressor. By God, even if a few words of apology could save me from the gallows, I am still unwilling to utter such words. I wish to appear before God in a state in which I am pleased with Him and He is pleased with me.”

Later, whenever he was advised to seek forgiveness, he said the same thing: “If I have truly been imprisoned for a crime, then I am content with it. But if the forces of falsehood have imprisoned me unjustly, then I will never seek forgiveness from falsehood.”

In mid-1964, Iraqi President Abd al-Salam Arif visited Egypt. When he recommended Sayyid Qutb’s release, Colonel Nasser released him and confined him to his own residence.

Re-Arrest and Sentencing

Before a year had passed (?), he was arrested again on the charge of attempting to seize power by force. Yet he was still under strict police surveillance. More than twenty thousand people were arrested, including not only him but also his brother Muhammad Qutb and his sisters Hamida Qutb and Amina Qutb. About seven hundred of them were women.

In 1965, while Colonel Nasser was visiting Moscow, he announced in a statement that the Ikhwan al-Muslimun had conspired to assassinate him. Immediately after this announcement, a widespread roundup of Ikhwan leaders and workers began throughout Egypt. Under a new law issued on March 26, 1964, the president was granted the power to arrest anyone, confiscate their property, and impose other penalties. It was also declared that the legality of the president’s actions could not be challenged in any court. Some time later, their trial began before a special military court. At first, it was announced that scenes from the proceedings would be broadcast on television. But when the accused refused to confess and disclosed details of the physical torture inflicted on them, the television broadcasts were stopped. The trial then continued behind closed doors. The defendants had no lawyers. Lawyers from other countries applied to represent them, but their applications were rejected. William Thorp, the former president of the French Bar Association, and two Moroccan lawyers formally applied to represent the defendants, but their applications were denied. Two Sudanese lawyers reached Cairo, registered with the local Bar Association, and appeared in court. The police pushed them out of the courtroom and forced them to leave Egypt. During the trial in January and February 1966, Sayyid Qutb and the other defendants stated before the tribunal that they had been subjected to inhuman physical torture to force them to confess. The tribunal’s president paid no attention to anything the defendants said.

In August 1966, the military tribunal pronounced death sentences against Sayyid Qutb and two of his companions. A storm of protest arose throughout the world. Nevertheless, the sentence was carried out on August 25, 1966.

Sayyid Qutb’s Scholarship and Literary Work

Sayyid Qutb was one of Egypt’s renowned scholars and writers. His literary career began with children’s literature. He demonstrated his talent by writing stories of the prophets in attractive language for children. He wrote stories to awaken Islamic thought in children’s minds and to improve their character. Later, he wrote a novel imbued with Islamic ideas called ‘Ashwak’ (Thorns). He subsequently wrote two more novels of the same kind: ‘Tifl min al-Qarya’ (The Village Boy) and ‘Madinat al-Mashhur’ (The City of Magic).

A description of his books follows:

(1) —————– (Scenes of the Day of Judgment Drawn by the Qur’an). Among the 114 surahs of the Holy Qur’an, the Day of Judgment is discussed in 80 surahs at 150 places. With great skill, Sayyid has drawn pictures of the plain of Resurrection, Hell, and Paradise from those descriptions.

(2) ——————- In this 200-page book, Sayyid Qutb discusses the language, rhythm, rhetorical devices, and captivating style of the Qur’an.

(3)———————- (Islam and Social Justice). The book has so far gone through its seventh edition. It has been translated into various languages of the world, including English, Persian, Turkish, and Urdu.

(4) ———————- An unparalleled contribution by Sayyid Qutb. A sea of knowledge completed in eight volumes. It is not exactly a tafsir; rather, he set down on paper the thoughts that arose in his mind while studying the Qur’an, and skillfully explained such matters as the means of correcting the hidden call within each verse, warnings, and knowledge of God.

(5)—————(The Conflict between Islam and Capitalism).

(6)—————– (World Peace and Islam).

(7)——— (Islamic Writings).

(8)——————-(The Principles and Methods of Literary Criticism).

(9)——————— (A Critique of the Book Called ‘The Future Culture’).

(10) —————– (Books and Personalities).

(11)————– (The Image of Islamic Society).

(12)————(The America I Saw).

(13)—————- (The Thoughts of Four Brothers and Sisters). It brings together the writings of Sayyid Qutb, Muhammad Qutb, Amina Qutb, and Hamida Qutb.

(14)——— (A Collection of Poems).

(15)———– (Stories of the Prophets).

(16) ————(A Collection of Poems).

(17)————-(A Collection of Poems).

(18) ————- (The Poet’s Real Work in Life).

(19)————— (The Course of Social Revolution).

——— The Egyptian government charged Sayyid Qutb for writing this book, and he was sentenced to death on that charge. The Egyptian military’s newspaper ————— published an account of the charges previously brought against him in issue no. 446, dated October 1, 1965. What was stated there is summarized below:

“The author has vehemently opposed both Western civilization and society and Marxist ideology. He claims that those ideologies contain nothing for humanity. In his view, the present world has sunk into ignorance. Human sovereignty has been unjustly established in place of God’s sovereignty. The author emphasizes reviving the Qur’anic outlook and eliminating that ignorance, and calls upon people to sacrifice everything they possess for this purpose.

He calls all rulers other than God false deities. The author says that declaring jihad against falsehood is a condition of faith for every Muslim. By calling unity based on language, skin color, lineage, region, and so forth false, he is inciting Muslims to build unity on the basis of Islamic creed and to wage uncompromising struggle against this ideology.”

“Through that book, the author presented a plan to wage jihad against the established government, begin destructive activities throughout Egypt, and overthrow the established government.”

Introduction

The Plight of Humanity

Humanity today has come to stand at the edge of an unfathomable abyss. This situation has not arisen simply because the destruction of the present age is poised to eradicate humanity completely. Rather, this condition is only a symptom of the disease. That is not the real disease. The fundamental reason for the danger facing humanity today is that people have lost the values of life necessary for their overall development and genuine progress. Even in the Western world, their spiritual bankruptcy has become clear, and they now feel that they possess no values of life capable of guiding humanity along the right path. They know that they have no capital with which to satisfy their own conscience and preserve its individuality.

Democracy in Western countries has become fruitless and ended in failure; as a result, they seem compelled to adopt the thoughts, ideologies, and way of life of the East. Clear proof of this is that, in the name of socialism, they are introducing the East’s economic system in the West. The Eastern bloc is in the same condition. Their social system, especially Marxist ideology, initially attracted the attention of large numbers of people in East and West because this ideology was formulated on the basis of a definite fundamental belief.

But Marxist ideology has suffered defeat on the plane of thought. It is no exaggeration to say today that no country in the world is genuinely Marxist. This ideology is fundamentally opposed to human nature and basic human needs. The Marxist ideal can spread only in a degraded or lifeless society crushed for a long time under the millstone of dictatorship. But even in such societies today, its materialist economic system is failing to solve problems. Yet materialist economics is the foundation of Marxist ideology. Russia, the master of the Communist countries, is itself now facing food shortages. The Russia that produced surplus food under the tsars is today importing food from abroad in exchange for its stored gold. Farming based on collective farms is the cause of this failure. In other words, Marxist ideology has encountered failure because a system contrary to human nature was introduced.

The Need for New Leadership

Humanity today wants new leadership. Western leadership is now declining. The reason is not the material poverty of Western culture or weakness in its financial and military power. The Western world has been forced to relinquish its position of leadership over humanity because it no longer possesses the fundamental qualities that once infused it with vitality and placed it in the seat of leadership.

The new leadership of the coming age must, while preserving and developing Europe’s creative contributions, present humanity with a great ideal and set of values that have remained undiscovered until now. Future leadership must present humanity with a positive, constructive, and practical way of life fully compatible with human nature.

Only the Islamic system is capable of providing the aforementioned values and way of life.

The ascendancy of science, too, has come to an end. The Renaissance movement that began in the sixteenth century and reached the heights of victory in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries has now faded and lost its power of revival. All the nationalist and extreme chauvinist ideologies born in the modern age, and all the movements and ways of life built upon them, have now become lifeless. In short, all ways of life devised by human beings have ended in failure.

At this delicate and confusing turning point, the time has come for Islam and Muslim society to fulfill their own responsibility. Islam has never prevented humanity from discovering the material resources of the created world. When God Almighty sent human beings to the earth with the responsibility of vicegerency, He declared that fulfilling the responsibility of guiding humanity to the right path was worship of God under certain conditions. Not only that, He also made it clear that this was the purpose of human creation:

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And when your Lord said to the angels, ‘I am about to place a vicegerent on earth.’ — Al-Baqarah: 30

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And I did not create jinn and humankind except to worship Me. — Adh-Dhariyat: 56

That covers vicegerency and worship. At the same time, the moment has come to fulfill the responsibility that God Almighty has placed upon His servants toward humanity.

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Thus We have made you a middle nation so that you may be witnesses over humanity and the Messenger may be a witness over you. — Al-Baqarah: 143

You are the best nation raised for the benefit of humanity. You enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and believe deeply in God.

__ Al Imran: 110

Islam’s Role

Islam cannot fulfill its role without taking concrete form within a society or nation. In particular, people in the present age are not willing to accept an ideology merely by hearing praise of it. They can readily judge only a system that has been put into practice. From this perspective, we can say that the Muslim nation has lost its existence for several centuries. For that very reason, it is currently unable to point to any land where Islam exists in its complete form. When we look at Muslims today, it is difficult to believe that their near ancestors were devoted followers of Islam. In reality, the word Muslim refers to a group of people whose conduct, ideas, laws, and values are all derived from Islamic sources. From the moment that the distinctively Muslim community disappeared from the face of the earth, this has ceased to be the case.

If Islam is to be re-established in the position of leadership over humanity, the Muslim ummah must recover its original form. For centuries, the Muslim ummah has remained buried beneath the debris of man-made customs. Today, the Muslim ummah is overwhelmed by the weight of erroneous laws and practices that have not the slightest connection with Islamic teachings. Yet Muslims take pride in calling their own territories the Islamic world.

I know that a vast gap has arisen between rebuilding themselves and restoring their leadership over humanity. For the existence of the Muslim ummah has long since disappeared from the visible world, while the leadership of humanity has long been taken over by other ideologies, un-Islamic concepts, different systems of life, and non-Muslim nations.

During the period under discussion, European genius made remarkable progress in science, culture, law, and material production; as a result, human society advanced greatly in creative power and in the techniques of producing the means of material benefit. It is not easy to point out the defects in the invention of these remarkable instruments. Especially when the Islamic world is completely deprived of creative genius, it is even more difficult to criticize the inventors of mechanical devices in the Western countries.

Nevertheless, despite all these obstacles and difficulties, an Islamic revolution is essential. There is certainly a vast gap and endless obstacles between reviving the Islamic ideal and restoring the position of world leadership. Yet, as a first step, work must begin without wasting time on reviving the Islamic ideal.

Qualities Necessary for World Leadership

If we wish to work with knowledge and insight, we must certainly learn what qualities the Muslim ummah needs to acquire in order to fulfill the responsibility of world leadership bestowed upon it by Allah. We need to acquire the necessary knowledge so that we do not stumble when beginning the work of reform and reconstruction.

Today’s Muslim ummah is incapable of displaying before humanity either the ability to make material discoveries or promising creative talent. It is sheer fantasy to hope that the people of the present world will acknowledge the superiority of the Muslim ummah and grant it the position of leadership despite this incapacity. In this field, Europe’s creative intellect is far ahead, and we cannot even imagine defeating Europe in competition over the next several centuries and attaining superiority in mechanical development. Therefore, we must acquire qualities that are rare in modern civilization.

That does not mean that we shall neglect material progress at all. Rather, we shall also attach due importance to worldly comforts and benefits. For material advancement is necessary not only for providing leadership to humanity; it is also indispensable for preserving our own existence and that of Islam. Islam has granted human beings the status of Allah’s vicegerents on earth and declared that fulfilling the responsibility of a vicegerent and worshipping Allah are the purposes of human creation. Therefore, as Allah’s vicegerents, improving His world is obligatory for us.

To provide leadership to humanity, we must offer something more than material advancement. That is a fundamental belief about human life—iman—and a system of life formulated on the basis of that belief. This system will preserve all the contributions of modern science and technology. At the same time, it will be capable of maintaining the standard of the wonderful arrangements and facilities that modern knowledge and science have created for fulfilling humanity’s basic needs and providing people with comfort. This belief and system of life will take practical form and manifest itself in human society, that is, in Muslim society.

The Jahiliyyah of the Modern Age

Looking toward the origins of modern life makes it clear that the entire world today is revolving in the whirlpool of Jahiliyyah, and that alongside all the modern means and instruments of comfort and benefit and its remarkable inventive genius, ignorance is also clearly visible. Rebellious conduct against Allah’s sovereignty is the proof of Jahiliyyah. As a result, sovereignty—one of Allah’s supreme attributes—has been transferred to human beings, and a few people have established domination over human society. Of course, this Jahiliyyah does not directly deny Allah as did the ancient and primitive ages. Rather, rebellion is declared in practice by claiming the right to determine standards of good and evil, enact laws for collective life, formulate systems of life, and choose them. For no human being can do these things without rejecting the instructions Allah has given concerning them. The inevitable consequence of this rebellion against Allah’s authority is oppression and persecution of His creation.

In communist society, humanity is subjected to extreme humiliation, while the greed for wealth and imperialist attitude of capitalist society result in ruthless exploitation and oppression of ordinary people and weak nations. This is the inevitable consequence of declaring rebellion against Allah’s authority and denying the dignity Allah has bestowed upon human beings.

From this perspective, it will be seen that Islam alone is the system of life. For under every other system of life, in one form or another, people are compelled to accept servitude to other people. Only under the Islamic system of life can a person become completely free from servitude to human beings, submit solely to Allah’s commands and prohibitions, bow only before Him, and worship Him.

The Difference between Islam and Jahiliyyah

From this point onward, Islam’s course becomes distinct from that of other systems of life. We can present before human society a system of life founded on this new view of life and perfectly suited to practical life. Present-day human society is unaware of this fundamental message of Islam. This is not a philosophy of life conceived by Western inventors, whether European or Eastern and Western intellectuals.

There is no doubt that the philosophy of life in which we believe is complete in every respect. This distinctive quality of Islam remains unknown to the people of the world. Nor are they capable of presenting any system of life superior or equal to it.

I have already mentioned that the complete beauty of this system cannot be appreciated unless Islam is implemented in a particular area. It is therefore essential to establish a society under this system and present it as a model before the world. For this purpose, the Islamic society must be re-established in some Muslim country. In the near future, the group seeking the revival of the Islamic society will gain leadership of the world.

The Revival of the Islamic Society

How is the revival of the Islamic society possible? For this, a pioneering group must determine its destination and advance across the world-devouring, boundless ocean of Jahiliyyah. Along the way, the soldiers of this group must protect themselves from the touch of the all-pervading Jahiliyyah while also taking help from it.

This pioneering group must know the correct place from which to begin its journey, the direction of the overall route, its lanes and by-lanes, all the dangers along the way, and the purpose of the long and arduous journey. Not only that, it must enter the field with a complete understanding of where and to what extent Jahiliyyah has spread its roots throughout the world; when and with whom what degree of cooperation is required and when it must separate from them; what qualities and characteristics must be acquired and what characteristics the surrounding Jahiliyyah possesses; in what language to speak with the bearers and advocates of Jahiliyyah; which subjects and problems should be placed on the agenda; and how and from where the necessary guidance is to be obtained.

The source of the strength of our iman is the fundamental teaching of the Holy Qur’an. The Qur’anic teachings and message that kindled torches of light in the hearts of the standard-bearers of Islam in the golden age will be our provision. With this provision, Allah’s chosen people in the past were able, by Allah’s command, to change the course of human history.

I have written this book for the leaders of this revolution, and I have tried to present in it a practical course of action that is necessary.

This book was formed by making minor changes in a few places to four chapters of another book of mine, entitled Fi Zilal al-Qur’an, in order to bring them into harmony with the subject under discussion.

I wrote its introduction and the other chapters at different times. Here I have tried to set forth the profound truths I came to understand while reflecting and researching the philosophy of life presented by the Holy Qur’an. At first sight, these thoughts of mine may seem scattered and unconnected. Yet one truth is that my thoughts are provisions for the path ahead and indications of the path to be abandoned. These writings of mine are only the first installment of a continuous work. In the future, with Allah Almighty’s help, I intend to write more on this subject.

And the mercy of Allah Almighty is the principal support for this work.

The Author

Chapter One

The Group Conveying the Message in the Holy Qur’an

In every age and every country, those who convey the message of Islam must know how to present the da’wah to human society and receive training in this matter. The Qur’an once produced a group of people. They were the noble Companions of the Messenger of Allah. There is no equal to these memorable figures not only in the history of Islam but in the history of all humanity. After that golden age of Islam, no group of people possessing all their virtues was ever born in the world. It is true, of course, that in various ages and different places on earth, a few such scholars were born; but in no age of history has any organized group of people possessing the high standard of qualities mentioned above been seen as in the golden age.

This is an undeniable historical fact. Therefore, we must reflect deeply on the matter and uncover its secret.

Why Are People Equal to the Noble Companions Not Seen?

The message of the Holy Qur’an is still preserved intact in our possession. In addition, the hadith of the Noble Messenger, his instructions concerning his practical life, and his biography have all been preserved for us. The message of the Qur’an and the teachings of the Messenger are with us exactly as they were before the Muslim ummah of the golden age. Only the physical presence of the Messenger of Allah is not among us. Is this why an Islamic society has not been fully established in any country of the world?

If the physical presence of the Messenger of Allah were indispensable for implementing and extending Allah’s law, Allah Almighty would never have revealed the Islamic way of life as the only din for all the people of the world, nor declared it the final revealed message for the people of the world and a din suited to every time and age.

Allah Almighty Himself has undertaken to preserve the Holy Qur’an. For He knew that even after the death of the Messenger of Allah, the Islamic system of life would be able to be implemented and bring welfare to humanity. For this reason, after twenty-three years of prophethood, Allah Almighty summoned His beloved Messenger to His presence and declared that Islam would remain effective until the final moment of the world’s existence. The physical absence of the Messenger of Allah is no obstacle to implementing Islamic law.

First reason:In searching for the real reason, we will first see that other substances have become mixed with the pure spring from which the Muslims of the golden age quenched their thirst. We must also investigate what kind of training the Muslims of that age received. Perhaps the method of training, too, has become adulterated.

The spring from which the Noble Companions drank the water of life to the full was the Holy Qur’an. I repeat: it was the Qur’an alone. For the hadith and the Messenger’s remaining instructions were merely streams flowing from that spring. When the Mother of the Believers, Lady Aisha, was asked about the character of the Messenger, she said plainly: “The Holy Qur’an was his character.”

The Noble Companions quenched their thirst from the Holy Qur’an alone, and they molded their lives exclusively according to the Qur’an. The Qur’an was their sole guide not because there was no civilization, culture, science, literature, or schools in that age. In fact, Roman civilization, culture, literature, and jurisprudence of that time are still regarded as the foundation of European civilization. Greek civilization was also influential in that age. Greek logic, Greek philosophy, art, and science are still considered sources of Western thought. Persian civilization—with its art, science, poetry, legends, religion, and political system—was powerful. Other civilizations also existed in nearby and distant regions. Indian and Chinese civilizations may be mentioned as examples. Roman and Persian civilizations were established to the north and south of the Arabian Peninsula, while Jews and Christians lived in its central region. Thus, the Muslims of that age did not accept Allah’s Book as their sole guide in life out of ignorance caused by a lack of civilization and culture; rather, they reached this decision only after deep reflection. As an example, one may mention the occasion when Umar was present before the Messenger of Allah with passages from the Book of the Torah. The Messenger of Allah, displeased, said to Umar: “By Allah! If Moses were alive today, even he would have been obliged to follow me.”

This incident makes it clear that, at the initial stage of training his early followers, the Messenger of Allah prescribed that they acquire knowledge solely from Allah’s message. The totality of that message is the Qur’an. He had determined that his Companions would devote their lives solely to Allah’s Book and would shape their lives exclusively according to the teachings of this Book. That is why the Messenger of Allah expressed displeasure as soon as he saw Umar becoming attentive to another book.

In reality, the Messenger of Allah wanted to create a group of people whose hearts, minds, and understanding would be completely free from impurity and every kind of pollution. Allah Almighty, the Revealer of the Holy Qur’an, Himself taught them the method of training.

The people mentioned above drank deeply from the serene spring of the Qur’an and attained a position of possessing incomparable qualities. Later, adulterated substances from other sources entered and mixed with the pure stream of the Qur’an. The sources from which later generations gathered material were Greek philosophy and logic, ancient Persian legends and ideas, the books and customs of the Jews, the priesthood of the Christians, and scattered elements of other religions and civilizations. The Qur’an’s commentators incorporated these matters into their scholarly discussions, and as a result they became intertwined with the fundamental principles provided by the Holy Qur’an. Later generations acquired knowledge from these adulterated sources. Consequently, they could never attain qualities and character like those of the first group.

We can say without hesitation that the reason for the difference between the Muslims of the golden age and Muslims of later times is that the doctrine produced by mixing other ideals with the pure Islamic ideal loses its Islamic characteristics.

Second reason:Another reason in this matter should also be mentioned. The method by which the Muslims of the golden age acquired knowledge was also remarkable. They did not study the Qur’an to satisfy a thirst for culture, information, or knowledge. No one in that age studied the Qur’an to inflate his store of learning, find solutions to scientific or legal problems, or fill an intellectual deficiency. Rather, they turned to the Holy Qur’an solely to learn what commands and prohibitions Almighty Allah had revealed for themselves and their entire group. Just as a soldier engaged in battle is eager to carry out his daily military instructions, so the believers of that age followed the Qur’an’s instructions. They did not study a large portion of the Qur’an at one time, because they understood very well how difficult it was to bear the burden of a large number of commands and prohibitions. At most, each of them would read and memorize ten verses at a time and live according to their meaning. We learn these matters from a hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Masud.

“The purpose of revealing the ahkam is to follow the commands and prohibitions.” This realization opened the doors of spiritual development and the expansion of knowledge for the people of that age; had they studied the Qur’an merely to discuss, acquire learning, and collect information, these doors would never have opened to them. Moreover, because of this realization, following the Qur’an’s commands and prohibitions became easy for them and the burden of responsibility became lighter. They expressed the Qur’an so fully in their conduct and daily lives that each of them appeared as a living image of iman. This iman was not hidden in a book or in the mind; rather, it became manifest through a revolutionary movement advancing with a program for the comprehensive transformation of human life.

Indeed, the Qur’an never opens its treasury of knowledge to those who do not wish to learn its commands and prohibitions and live accordingly. The Qur’an is not merely an erudite discourse, a work of literary study, a collection of stories, or a history book, although all these subjects are discussed in it. The Qur’an has brought a system of life. The central point of this system of life is submission to Allah. Therefore, Allah Almighty did not reveal the entire Qur’an all at once. Rather, He revealed it gradually, little by little, at intervals:

We have revealed the Qur’an little by little, so that you, O Prophet, may recite it to the people at intervals; and in this way We have revealed the revelation gradually. —Bani Isra’il: 106

The entire Qur’an was not revealed all at once. Rather, different portions of the Holy Qur’an were revealed to solve the new problems of the gradually expanding Islamic society, to correspond with the development of social life in accordance with the flow of people’s attitudes and thought, and to answer the questions that the Muslim society faced in practical life. One or more verses were revealed in response to particular circumstances and events. The verse or verses answered the questions that arose in people’s minds concerning the matter, presented the form of a specific event, and explained what was to be done in that particular situation. These verses removed the errors in people’s understanding and actions, brought them closer to Allah, and explained Allah Almighty’s attributes and the nature of creation. Thus, they clearly understood that every moment of their lives was under the direction and control of the Almighty Creator and that they were spending their days beneath the shelter of Allah Almighty’s mercy. It was because they realized this profound relationship between life and Allah Almighty that they were always striving to shape their lives according to the system of life given by Allah.

In this way, the Muslims of the golden age became accustomed to translating all the instructions concerning life into practical life. Muslims of later ages turned the system of life into a subject of learned discussion and enjoyment. Undoubtedly, this is one of the reasons for the change seen among Muslims of later ages.

Third reason:A third reason can also be found in the history of the Muslims, and we should know it as well. In the time of the Messenger of Allah, whoever accepted iman severed all ties with Jahiliyyah. After taking refuge beneath the tranquil shade of Islam, he began a new life. The new Muslims completely separated themselves from their former way of life, immersed in ignorance of Allah’s law, and joined the new society. Regretting the erroneous manner in which he had lived during the age of ignorance, he lived thereafter in constant fear and firmly believed that, after entering Islam, it was improper to maintain any connection with the old way. If, at any time, because of human weakness, the old way of life began to influence him, or old habits attracted him and he fell into an error or shortcoming in following Islam’s instructions, he would become agitated with remorse and repentance and immediately hasten to the Qur’an to correct himself.

Thus, after accepting Islam, the lives of the Muslims began to flow along a course completely different from the way of life of the former Jahiliyyah. Since a person who accepted Islam took the step only after careful prior reflection, he would fully observe the injunctions and prohibitions of Islam and sever all relations with Jahiliyyah. Of course, they abandoned Jahiliyyah while continuing material transactions with the polytheists, because material dealings and compromise in matters of ideology are two entirely different things.

At the root of abandoning the environment, customs, conduct, and ideas of Jahiliyyah was the adoption of a Tawhid-based philosophy of life in place of the polytheistic misconceptions about Allah and the universe, joining the Muslim community, accepting the leadership of this new society, and demonstrating complete obedience.

Accepting Islam meant living life along a new path—a new life free from the influence of all the values and ideas of Jahiliyyah. Apart from persecution by the opposing side, the Muslims faced no other difficulty. But before setting foot on the path of Islam, they had resolved in the innermost depths of their hearts to remain steadfast in the face of every inhuman torture. Therefore, the cruel persecution of the oppressors could not disturb the Muslims’ steadfast patience.

Our Duties

Today, we too have become confined within the enclosure of Jahiliyyah, just as people were in that age, and the Jahiliyyah of the present is even more dangerous than that of that age. Our entire environment, the beliefs and creed of the people, their character and customs—all are Jahiliyyah. Indeed, even what we know as Islamic culture, Islamic sources, Islamic philosophy, and Islamic thought is also a product of Jahiliyyah.

That is why true Islamic values do not take root in our hearts. That is why our hearts never become illuminated by Islamic concepts and beliefs. And that is why people equal in qualities to the pioneers who emerged during the golden age of Islam do not arise among us.

Therefore, at the beginning of the Islamic movement and during the initial stage of our training, we must completely separate ourselves from the present environment under the influence of Jahiliyyah. We must acquire knowledge from that pure source from which the Companions received guidance. And we must carefully keep that source free from every kind of adulteration and mixture. From this source we must learn about the course of the universe, and about the relationship of the created world and human nature with the true Allah, the highest and most exalted Being of human nature. From these same sources, we must establish our fundamental ideas concerning the administration of government, politics, economics, and other spheres of life.

We will not return to the fundamental sources of Islam merely for learned discussion or enjoyment. Rather, we will follow this path for the purpose of obeying Allah and adhering to Islamic law. We will shape ourselves precisely into the kind of people Islam wants us to become. At the same time, we will continue studying the literary quality of the Qur’an, its sublime style of expression, its depictions of the Day of Resurrection, logic, and other such features. We will certainly benefit from these subjects, but they are not the main purpose of studying the Qur’an. From the Qur’an, we want to know what kind of way of life it presents for us; what view of the universe it teaches us; how it presents Allah; what kind of moral standards and conduct it teaches; and what kind of laws and system of governance it directs us to establish for human society in the world.

At the same time, we must become completely free from the grip of the social sciences, ideas, customs, and Jahili leadership of Jahiliyyah. We cannot compromise with the social system of Jahiliyyah. It is not possible for us to accept that system and live under it. Reconciliation with that society is impossible because that system is false. Therefore, we must first change our own lives and then bring about the transformation of that society.

Our principal objective will be to transform all the customs of the Jahili society. This change will come from the very roots of society. For the foundation of the Jahili society rests on false doctrines; therefore, it is opposed to Islam, and this system keeps us away from all the benefits of Allah’s chosen way of life solely through brute force and oppression.

First, we must free ourselves from the noose of the way of life based on Jahili values and ideas. We will not change our values at all in order to compromise with the established false society. The route taken by our social system and that taken by the prevailing false social system are completely different. If we follow the path of Jahiliyyah, we will never reach our destination.

We are aware that as soon as we set foot on this path, many difficulties and obstacles will block our way, and we will have to make many sacrifices and offer many acts of devotion. Yet, if we are to follow in the footsteps of those great oppressed people of the golden age through whom Allah established His religion in the world and trampled Jahiliyyah underfoot, we cannot retreat because of these obstacles and difficulties.

We need clear knowledge of the path ahead. We must begin our journey only after learning well which path we will take, what circumstances we will encounter along the way, which lanes we must pass through before reaching Islam’s radiant highway from the deep darkness of ignorance, and how the great Companions of the Prophet achieved success.

Chapter Two

The Fundamental Lessons of Sacrifice from the Makkan Period

The portion of the Holy Qur’an revealed in Makkah over thirteen years emphasized only one subject. Without changing the subject’s essential message, it was presented in new forms each time through the Qur’an’s own style of expression. As a result, each time it seemed as though the subject were being discussed for the first time. That subject was the first and foremost fundamental question in the new way of life: belief concerning the Creator, humanity, and the relationship between the two.

The question was placed before all humanity. Whether they were Arabs or inhabitants of any other region, whether they belonged to that age or to any later age, the question was the same for all people, and the answer was likewise identical.

The fundamental questions of the human mind never change. Humanity’s position in the created universe, the destination of human life, human dignity within creation and humanity’s relationship with the world, and the nature of the relationship between human beings and their Creator are the same for people of every age and region. These fundamental matters cannot be changed, because they are inseparably connected with human existence.

During the Makkan period of the Qur’an’s revelation, the hidden mysteries of humanity and the world surrounding it were explained. Where did human beings come from? What is their identity? For what purpose did they come into this world? What is their destination? Who brought them into existence from nothingness, and what will their fate be? These were the subjects discussed in the first stage of the Qur’an’s revelation. There are many aspects of creation that people can see and touch. There are also many whose existence can be sensed but which cannot be seen or touched. At this stage, the Qur’an gave humanity knowledge of both kinds of created things and objects. It also discussed, during the Makkan stage, who created this magnificent universe and who determined the form and nature of all created things. Similarly, the Qur’an showed humanity how to maintain the relationship among the Creator, the material world, and human beings. This is the important question on which human existence depends and will continue to depend until the created universe perishes.

That is why, throughout the thirteen years of the Makkan period, the answer to this important and fundamental question was explained from various perspectives, since all other questions connected with human life arise from this fundamental problem.

During the Makkan stage, the Qur’an made the matter of fundamental creed its principal subject, and nothing was said at that time about other questions arising from it. The All-Knowing Allah had decided that no other injunctions would be presented to them until faith had been firmly and completely established in the hearts of a group of people. For it was essential that firm faith first be established in the hearts of those who would later establish His religion in the world.

Those who convey the message of Allah’s religion and those who wish to implement the way of life presented by this religion must especially remember that for thirteen years the Holy Qur’an presented only the call to faith and deferred the propagation of the detailed laws, rules, and prohibitions of the way of life founded upon that faith.

The Beginning of the Da’wah Work

By Allah’s infinite store of knowledge, it had been ordained that the initial subject matter of the Messenger of Allah’s da’wah would remain limited to faith and creed. The first message that the Messenger of Allah presented to people was to bear witness that there is no lord or deity other than Allah. At the same time, he devoted himself to introducing people to their true Deity and explaining the rationale for worshipping Him alone.

From limited human knowledge, it might be assumed that the brief set of words constituting the da’wah could not win the Arabs’ hearts at the initial stage. In reality, the Arabs understood their mother tongue very well, and therefore they had no difficulty understanding the meanings of the words ilah and La ilaha illallahu. They knew that uluhiyyah meant sovereign power, and they also understood that assigning sovereignty exclusively to Allah would result in all authority being wrested from priests, tribal chiefs, and wealthy rulers and entrusted to Allah. Its practical consequence would be that declaring Allah’s sole authority over people’s thoughts, religious rites, distribution of wealth, administration of justice, and other fields of national life—in short, over the human soul and body—was a direct challenge to every authority established in society. It amounted to rebellion against all the political and social systems then in force and a declaration of war against the legislative and governing authority of every power besides Allah. The inhabitants of Arabia were not unaware of the significance of the declaration La ilaha illallahu, uttered in their mother tongue, or of its effect on their accustomed way of life. Therefore, they became enraged by this revolutionary message and mounted strong resistance against the declaration. This is well known to all.

Why did the call to the religion begin in this manner? Why did Allah decide to expose the message of His religion to trial at the very initial stage?

Nationalism and the Religious Call

When the Messenger of Allah began conveying Allah’s message, the Arabs did not possess their own land and wealth; rather, they were in the hands of others. In the north, Syria was under Roman occupation. Similarly, in the south, Yemen was part of the Persian Empire. The local Arabs ruled that region while acknowledging the supremacy of the Persian kingdom. Arab authority was established only in the regions of the Hijaz, Tihamah, and Najd, but those areas were nothing but desert. Apart from a few oases, the entire region was a waterless, sandy expanse.

It is also universally known that Muhammad, peace be upon him, had been given the titles al-Amin and al-Sadiq (the trustworthy and truthful) by his close relatives and neighbors. Fifteen years before he received prophethood, the Quraysh chiefs selected him as arbitrator in the dispute over restoring the Black Stone to the Kaaba and were extremely pleased with his settlement. He belonged to the Banu Hashim clan, which was renowned as the most noble clan among the Quraysh. Thus, it may readily be said that Muhammad, peace be upon him, could easily have united the people of that society by raising the slogan of Arab nationalism. The Quraysh would have responded very readily to the call for Arab unity, because the unending cycle of tribal warfare and bloodshed had wearied them. He could have gathered the Arabs, divided into countless factions, around an appeal for linguistic unity, liberated the Arab lands occupied by the Roman and Persian Empires, and established a united Arab state; none of this would have been difficult for him.

Instead of enduring inhuman persecution for thirteen years and calling people to the religion amid fierce opposition, the Messenger of Allah could easily have gained public support through an appeal to nationalism, and his leadership over all the Arabs would have been recognized.

It may also be said that, after uniting and consolidating the entire Arab land under his leadership and authority in this way, he could have prepared the people to believe in Allah’s oneness; after accepting his own authority, they would easily have been compelled to accept Allah, their Sustainer, according to his advice and teachings.

But Allah, the source of all knowledge and the All-Wise in all matters, did not allow His Prophet to follow that path. Rather, through an open declaration, He instructed him to reject the authority of everyone besides Allah and instructed the Messenger of Allah himself and his few companions to face intense opposition with patience.

The question is: why all this? The Messenger of Allah and his beloved Companions were not made victims of persecution without reason. He knew that the objective could not be achieved by any other means. The purpose of this movement was not to free the Arab land from Roman and Persian oppression and replace it with Arab oppression. All oppression, whether domestic or foreign, is one and the same. The earth belongs to Allah and must be kept pure for Allah’s authority; the world cannot be purified without the message of La ilaha illallahu. Human beings are servants of Allah alone, and only under the influence of La ilaha illallah can they live as obedient servants of Allah. Arabic was their mother tongue. Therefore, they understood clearly that this message meant: ‘There is no sovereign power except Allah; no one besides Allah has the right to make laws; and no human being can exercise authority or lordship over another.’ For Allah Himself is the sole owner of all authority. Islam declared that faith would be the basis of human unity. By the standard of faith, Arabs, Romans, and Persians are all equal. That is why the call to the religion was begun on the basis of the message of the declaration of faith.

Economic Revolution and the Message of the Religion

At the time when the Messenger of Allah received prophethood, there was no means of equitable distribution of wealth in Arabia. Consequently, justice was also absent there. A small number of people had monopolized all wealth and commerce and continued increasing it through usurious dealings. A vast number of the inhabitants were poor and hungry.

The wealthy alone were regarded as noble and superior, and ordinary people were not only deprived of wealth; their human dignity was not even recognized in that society.

It may also be said that Muhammad, peace be upon him, could have led a social revolutionary movement by declaring war against the wealthy and noble people of society, seizing the wealth of the rich, and distributing it among the poor.

Everyone would also acknowledge that if the Messenger of Allah had begun such a movement, Arab society would have split into two, and a vast number of poor people would have joined it, because they were tormented by the oppression of a handful of wealthy, noble, and powerful individuals. In contrast, as a result of proclaiming the message of Tawhid, the Messenger of Allah encountered obstacles at every step, and consequently no one except a very small number of noble-hearted people responded to this call.

It must also be acknowledged that after winning the majority of society over to his position, Muhammad, peace be upon him, as their leader, could have taken possession of the vast wealth of the few rich people and, by using his influence and prestige, made the people of society believe in Tawhid as part of fulfilling his prophetic mission. After accepting the authority of the Messenger of Allah, they would have raised no objection to acknowledging Allah’s oneness in accordance with his commands and advice.

But Allah, the All-Knowing and possessor of perfect knowledge, did not direct His beloved Prophet along this path either.

Allah knows best that this is not the correct path. He knows that true social justice can come only through complete submission to Allah. The entire society must be prepared to accept the just principles of distribution given by Allah. Everyone in society—the small and the great, the giver and the receiver—must believe without doubt that by following Allah’s law they will not only attain well-being but also be rewarded in the Hereafter. It is never desirable for some members of society to become mad with greed for wealth while the masses are forced to live in a state of agitation. In a society established by denying Allah’s authority, every matter is decided through weapons. In a society where fear and terror are daily occurrences, most people are forced to live like the dead, broken-hearted and devoid of enthusiasm and inspiration.

Beginning the Movement through a Moral Organization

When the Messenger of Allah began his da’wah work, Arabia had reached the lowest level in terms of morality. Apart from a few tribal customs inherited from ancient times, that society had no other moral code.

Oppression and persecution were daily occurrences in that society. The famous poet Zuhayr ibn Abi Sulma narrated:

“Whoever does not defend himself with weapons will inevitably meet death.”

“And whoever does not oppress will certainly be oppressed.”

Another proverb from the Age of Ignorance was as follows:

“Help your brother in all circumstances, whether he is an oppressor or oppressed.”

Drinking alcohol and gambling were part of social custom, and people took pride in these habits. All the poetry of that age was composed around wine and gambling.

Various forms of adultery were prevalent everywhere in that society, and people immersed in both ancient and contemporary ignorance took pride in them according to their customs. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, described the society of that time in the following words:

“There were four kinds of marriage in the Age of Ignorance. One kind was like the marriage practiced today. That is, a man who wished to marry would present a proposal to the woman’s father or guardian and give him a gift on that occasion. A second method was that a man would tell his wife to conceive through intercourse with a designated other man during the interval between two menstrual periods. During that time, the husband would refrain from touching his wife and would not have sexual relations with her until signs of pregnancy appeared. After signs of pregnancy appeared, the husband would have intercourse with her at his own discretion. The purpose of adopting this method was to obtain offspring from a noble lineage. The third method was polyandry, meaning that a group of no more than ten men would have intercourse with one woman. A few days after the woman conceived and gave birth, she would summon and gather the men who had intercourse with her. No one had the right to refuse this summons. When they had all assembled, the woman would say: ‘You already know the result. I have given birth to a child.’ Then she would identify one of those present and declare: ‘This man is the father of this child.’ The child would then be named after the identified man and regarded as belonging to him. That man had no right to refuse responsibility for the child.”

“The fourth method was that many men would go to the same woman, and she would receive them all. In reality, these women were prostitutes. A special kind of flag would be placed at the door of their house. Any man could have intercourse with them if he wished. When such a woman became pregnant and gave birth, many people would gather and determine the child’s paternity through an expert, based on the child’s appearance and features. The person whom the assembled people declared to be the father of the child was obliged to take responsibility for it. There was no way to avoid this responsibility.” (Bukhari, Book of Marriage)

Muhammad, peace be upon him, could also have begun a movement of moral reform with a program for improving character, purifying society, and purifying the self. Like any social reformer, it would not have been impossible for him to obtain the support of some courageous and energetic individuals in that society who desired its reform.

It may easily be said that, had the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) begun an movement of this kind, he could have gathered quite a number of people. Because of their high moral standards, these people would readily have accepted the message of Tawhid and prepared themselves to undertake the responsibilities that followed. Had work proceeded in this way, the message of the Kalimah “There is no deity but Allah” would not have faced such intense opposition.

But the All-Knowing Allah knew very well that this was not the correct path. He knew that morality is formed only on the foundation of faith. It is faith that points to a higher authority as the ultimate source of the standards of good and evil. That authority determines the reward for accepting these values and the punishment for rejecting them. Without knowledge of this authority, all values and moral standards prove temporary—there is neither a sense of accountability before any authority nor hope of receiving a reward for good deeds.

Total Revolution

When, after strenuous effort, faith became firm; when full obedience to the Master in whom they had believed was expressed through actual conduct; when people recognized their true Creator, Master, and Sustainer and began to glorify Him alone; when they became free in all matters from the influence of others—even from the influence of their own desires; and when the Kalimah “There is no deity but Allah” had been engraved upon their hearts, only then did Allah Almighty help them in every matter. The land of Allah was freed from the domination of Rome and Persia, but this freedom was not intended to replace the rule of non-Arabs with the rule of Arabs; it was intended to establish the sovereignty of Allah. The eradication of all rebellious forces—Roman, Persian, Arab, and others—was the objective of this revolution.

With the establishment of the Islamic social system, all forms of oppression and persecution came to an end. Completely impartial justice was established by weighing everything according to the standards prescribed by Allah Almighty. The banner of justice was raised in the name of Allah alone. That banner was known as Islam. Nothing except “There is no deity but Allah” was written on it.

Character improved, and hearts and minds were purified. As a result, except in a few cases, there was no need anywhere to impose the extreme punishments prescribed by Allah Almighty. For at that time, people’s consciences themselves became eager to obey the law. In place of the police and courts, the desire to attain Allah’s pleasure, the hope of receiving a reward from Him, and the fear of becoming objects of His wrath took root in people’s hearts.

The human community rose to the highest horizons in moral standards and other values of life within a society free from corruption.

Never before had humanity attained such a high standard of living, nor was it later possible to rise to that level by any means other than Islam.

How Did the Revolution Come About?

This became possible because those who introduced Islam as a way of life, a system of government, and a framework of laws first established this system within themselves through faith, character, worship, and the methods of maintaining mutual relations. Those who struggled to introduce this system were promised no worldly benefit—whether victory in war, political power, or the establishment of the religion at their own hands. They were assured only one reward. That reward was Paradise. “There is no master except Allah”

In return for the steadfast patience and boundless endurance with which the believers continued their struggle amid the fierce opposition of the standard-bearers of vested-interest Jahiliyyah, who rose up against the declaration, “There is no master except Allah,” they were promised only that one reward.

Allah left them to their trials. They demonstrated steadfastness and forgot personal comfort and enjoyment. Allah saw that they were not covetous of worldly opportunities and advantages. They were not working with the limited aim of witnessing the victory and establishment of this message during their own lifetimes. When their hearts became free from inherited nobility, nationalism, pride in country and tribal arrogance, and Allah Almighty judged them to be pure of heart, He entrusted them with an exceptionally sacred trust: the responsibility of the Khilafah. They possessed pure, undiluted faith. This was the primary requirement for fulfilling the responsibility of the Khilafah. For the principal field in which Allah Almighty’s sovereignty is to be established is the heart and conscience, as well as moral conduct and the methods adopted for transactions and social dealings. Allah Almighty became assured that, after gaining political power to establish Allah’s laws and ways, they would properly preserve this system. He found that they would not use political power for their personal, family, tribal, or national interests; rather, they would properly implement this system, received from Allah as a trust, under His authority and for the purpose of attaining His pleasure. In truth, they had prepared themselves to be bearers of the banner of truth.

Had the Islamic da‘wah not begun with the message of Tawhid, and had the caravan of the movement not advanced along a path that seemed difficult and fraught with danger, this great way of life could never have been established in the real world. Had the movement begun in the name of national interests, an improvement in living standards, or social reform, and had any other slogan been mixed with the Kalimah “There is no deity but Allah,” this desired way of life could never have become a reality.

The Makkan stage of the Holy Qur’an accomplished the glorious task of firmly implanting in people’s minds and hearts the belief that there is no master besides Allah, and of encouraging the Muslims to advance resolutely along a path that outwardly seemed extremely difficult.

The portion of the Qur’an revealed in that era placed emphasis solely on strengthening faith. The detailed account of the way of life that would be founded on faith was deferred. Those who wish to undertake the work of calling people to the religion must pay close attention to this matter. In fact, the Islamic way of life itself demands this method. For this religion is founded entirely on deep faith in Tawhid, and all the rules and laws necessary for living are derived from that great faith. This religion may be compared to a vast tree. A huge, lofty tree spreads its branches over a wide area, with its crown raised toward the sky. Such a large tree will naturally drive its roots deep into the earth and spread them over a wide area in every direction, corresponding to its shape. The condition of this religion is exactly the same. This way of life contains guidance concerning every matter, large and small, connected with human life. It does not provide regulations only for this world; it also provides regulations for the Hereafter. It reveals the mysteries of both the visible and invisible worlds. It is not content merely with the material world; it also reforms thought. Thus it resembles a tall, firmly rooted, enormous tree, whose roots penetrate deep into the earth in proportion to the form of its branches.

From this special aspect of the Islamic way of life, we understand that the movement and establishment of an ideal are possible only by sowing the seed of faith in people’s hearts. This method is extremely necessary for sound development. Through it, it is possible to maintain the connection between the branches of the Islamic tree stretching into the lofty sky and its roots scattered here and there deep within the earth.

Once belief in “There is no deity but Allah” becomes firmly rooted in the heart, it spreads throughout every sphere of life, and this becomes the practical interpretation of the Kalimah. In this way, the believers are mentally prepared to accept the Islamic system even before its laws are enacted. As soon as the laws are enacted, and because this is the first demand of faith and of this attitude, the believers accept all the laws of Islam willingly and joyfully.

Thus, as soon as an order is issued, they bow their heads. To implement the law, it is enough merely to convey the order to them. In this way they abandoned all the habits and dispositions of the Age of Ignorance. A few verses of the Qur’an or a few words uttered by the Prophet of Allah were enough to accomplish that vast transformation. Compare this with the method by which secular states in the present age enact laws. At every stage, secular states have to depend on legislative councils, constitutions, the police, military power, propaganda machinery, and the press. Even then, they are able to suppress only part of the matter of overt violations of the law. As a result, society remains filled with illegal and prohibited activities.

A Practical Way of Life

Another aspect of this way of life is also noteworthy. Indeed, it is a practical way of life. Islam is a practical way of life. Its purpose is to regulate the real affairs of human life. Therefore, after examining the prevailing conditions of human society, it gives a ruling on whether they should be retained, reformed, or completely changed. Thus, in a society that has acknowledged Allah’s sovereignty, Islam legislates only after considering the conditions prevailing at that time.

Islam is not merely a collection of principles based on ideas and theories. Therefore, before this way of life can be introduced, a Muslim society must first come into existence. This society will believe that no one may be obeyed except Allah. A society possessing such faith and creed is compelled to reject the authority and legislative power of everyone besides Allah.

Once such a society comes into existence and encounters various problems in the practical field, and feels the need for a particular method of formulating laws and regulations, Islam then drafts a constitution, enacts laws, and introduces rules and customs. Islamic regulations apply only to the society that has accepted, in principle, the authority of these laws and rejected un-Islamic laws and regulations.

The Need for Power to Implement the Ideal

Those who believe in this ideology must possess the power to introduce the Islamic way of life and enforce Islamic law in their own society. It is also extremely necessary for them to have the power to formulate laws in order to solve the various everyday problems that arise in daily life.

The Muslims in Makkah did not possess the power to formulate the laws they needed. Nor did they have any influence in that society. They had not yet organized themselves into a permanent structure capable of enabling them to live according to Allah’s law. Therefore, during the Makkan period, Allah Almighty did not reveal to the Muslims any regulations suited to their collective needs. At that stage, they were taught only faith and the basic moral principles connected with faith. Later, after a self-governing state was established in Madinah, an environment suitable for meeting the needs of Muslim society developed, and the power to introduce laws and regulations was acquired. Only after this condition had arisen did general laws and regulations begin to be revealed to the Muslims.

During the Makkan stage, Allah Almighty did not reveal all the laws and regulations and then provide a complete way of life to be implemented after the migration to Madinah. For that would not be consistent with the Islamic ideal. Islam is more practical and far more far-sighted. This ideal does not proceed to solve imaginary problems. It first examines the prevailing condition of society; and if, according to its standards, the condition and surroundings of society possess the characteristics of a Muslim society and are completely surrendered to Allah’s commands, then the Islamic ideal arranges for legislation in harmony with that society’s needs and circumstances.

Today, no society anywhere in the world can be seen to have Allah’s Shari‘ah established in place of man-made laws, nor is there any political power capable of fulfilling such a responsibility. Even after seeing this situation with their own eyes, those who demand the practical form of the Islamic ideal and the formulation of a complete constitution and body of laws according to that ideal have altered the characteristics, nature, and heritage of the Islamic way of life. Influenced by the defeatist mentality born in their minds from the conflict with the imperfect man-made way of life, they wish to attain their goal by a shortcut. They also wish to view the Islamic way of life as merely a collection of unrealistic principles and qualities in name only. But Allah Almighty desires its re-establishment through exactly the method by which the Islamic ideal was established in the past. First, firm faith in one particular matter must become deeply rooted in people’s minds and hearts. That matter is this: people will bow their heads before no power except Allah and will not agree to accept the laws and commands of any other authority. Only when a group of people possessing minds and hearts shaped by this creed becomes fully prepared and gains actual control of a society will it be possible to formulate laws suited to that society’s needs while preserving the foundational creed. Allah Almighty has prescribed this method for implementing the Islamic way of life. No other method can be acceptable if it violates what He has prescribed.

The Correct Way to Establish the Religion

Those who call people to the Islamic way of life should know that they must first invite people to have complete faith in the fundamental creed of Islam. Although they claim to be Muslims and are identified as Muslims in official records, those calling to Islamic law must first explain to people that Islam means accepting the Kalimah “There is no deity but Allah” with its correct significance. The correct significance of the Kalimah is to acknowledge Allah Almighty’s sovereignty in every sphere and department of one’s life and to reject the authority of those who claim sovereignty for themselves in opposition to Allah’s sovereignty. After accepting this meaning of the Islamic creed, it is essential that this belief be reflected in their minds, lives, and conduct.

Whoever begins the movement to re-establish the Islamic way of life must give this matter importance as the first step. The first Islamic movement began in precisely this way. The Makkan stage of the Qur’an’s revelation was devoted for thirteen years to firmly establishing this matter. Only the group of those who join the movement after understanding the above significance of the Islamic movement may truly be called an Islamic organization or Islamic society, and only that Jama‘ah or society is capable of implementing the Islamic ideal in collective life. For they have voluntarily decided to embody the Islamic ideal throughout their lives and to accept the sovereignty of no one besides Allah Almighty, the One and Only.

Thus, when a society of the above kind comes into existence and Islamic teachings are adopted as the foundation of that society, only then will it proceed to formulate Islamic regulations in response to its surrounding needs. This is the practical and wise course of action for introducing the Islamic ideal.

A certain group of sincere people who have failed to understand the characteristics of the Islamic ideal become hasty in this matter. They do not understand that true welfare lies in the method that the All-Knowing and All-Wise Allah Almighty has prescribed for establishing the religion. They believe that as soon as people are informed of the fundamental principles and laws of the Islamic ideal, they will voluntarily advance to establish that ideal. In reality, this is an imaginary notion held by people eager to accomplish something in haste.

Had this notion been presented to the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him), and had he called the people toward geographical nationalism, economic revolution, or a reformist movement, his task would have been much easier. But he did not adopt that path. Before informing people about the detailed laws of the Islamic ideal and attracting them toward it, it is essential to instill deep faith in Allah within their hearts, to reject all other systems, and to submit completely to the system given by Allah. Love for Allah’s Shari‘ah will arise as a result of complete submission to Allah and refusal to accept other forms of human servitude—not from judging Allah’s laws superior to other laws. Of course, there is no doubt that the system given by Allah is in every respect superior to man-made systems. For this system was authored by the Creator Himself, and the systems authored by the Creator and the created can never be equal. But the superiority of the law cannot be the foundation of the Islamic movement. Its foundation is the unhesitating acceptance of the Divine Shari‘ah and the direct rejection of every kind of system outside the Shari‘ah. This is the meaning of Islam; nothing else is Islam. Whoever is attracted to the fundamental basis of Islam need not be given a detailed explanation of the differences between Islam and other systems. This is the essence of faith.

Islam in Confrontation with Jahiliyyah

Let us now discuss how the Qur’an built faith and creed during the thirteen-year Makkan period. The Qur’an did not present faith and creed as a mere theory or spiritual notion, nor did it adopt the method of composing books used by learned scholars. The Qur’an constantly directed attention to human nature and encouraged people to observe their own being and the countless signs of the Creator spread throughout their surroundings. The Qur’an freed people’s faculty of thought from superstition and bigotry and sharpened their latent intelligence. In this way, it gave their rusted powers of perception the ability to understand the subtle workings of the mysteries of creation. This was one general aspect of Qur’anic teaching. The revolutionary aspect of its teaching was to begin a struggle against all Jahiliyyah and oppressive ideologies within the society established on the foundation of Tawhid. When the millstone of false ideology was crushing human society, merely preaching moral aphorisms was meaningless. Therefore, the Qur’an resolutely began an uncompromising struggle to tear apart the veil of false ideology and shatter the walls of falsehood. Qur’anic teaching was not propagated through the boastful theories, dialectics, and logic introduced later. The Qur’an began a struggle against the entire man-made social system. It addressed humanity crushed by corruption, injustice, and oppression. For although Islam is fundamentally a way of life based on faith, its objective is to regulate real life. The Qur’an was not revealed merely to remain confined to moral discussion and spiritual speculation.

On the one hand, the Qur’an tended the seed of faith in the hearts of the members of the Islamic Jama‘ah and nurtured its gradual growth; on the other, through those very members it launched attacks on the fortress of Jahiliyyah and conducted a campaign to completely eradicate the influence of Jahiliyyah from the Muslims’ own thoughts and conduct. Faith gains strength only through storms and upheavals in a society engaged in a four-front battle. Scholarly theoretical discussion cannot produce such strength. Islam is an ever-active, well-organized, living movement, and Muslim society is the embodiment of this movement. The thought, moral standards, and education of the Islamic Jama‘ah develop in harmony with the spirit of faith. The progressive development of the Islamic movement is the practical expression of the progressive development of faith, and this is the correct method of implementing the Islamic ideal: the Islamic movement must expand and spread in harmony with the quality and level of the strength of faith.

Islam Is Not Merely an Ideology

The workers of the Islamic movement must remember the revolutionary method described above. A little reflection will make it clear that during the long Makkan stage, the work of strengthening faith and the work of creating an organization trained for establishing an Islamic society were not carried out separately through the method described above. Rather, the sowing of the seed of faith and the establishment of an organization on the basis of Islamic teaching began simultaneously and at the same time. Therefore, whenever an attempt is made in the future to revive the Islamic ideal, its objective cannot be achieved without adopting this comprehensive method.

A long period is needed to strengthen faith and creed, and for this reason progress toward the desired goal takes place gradually and slowly. Every step must be firm and correct. No time should be wasted at the level of mere moral and theoretical discussion. Rather, the content of faith must be manifested as a practical example in working life. First, faith will enter people’s hearts and give birth to an ever-active Jama‘ah whose every external and internal aspect and department will visibly embody the practical meaning of faith. Through its struggle against Jahiliyyah in word and deed, this revolutionary Jama‘ah will bring the living form of faith into clear expression.

Those who think that the Islamic ideal will develop and become established merely through praising Islam and through scholarly theoretical and cultural study of Islam must be thoroughly warned about the grave consequences.

The Qur’an was not revealed in a single day. Rather, thirteen years were needed to sow the seed of faith, construct the framework of faith, and strengthen the power of faith. Had Allah Almighty so willed, He could have revealed the entire Qur’an in a single day. He could then have given the workers of the Islamic movement thirteen years to acquire knowledge about Islam and understand that ideology properly.

But Allah the Exalted did not adopt this method, because His will was different. He wanted to establish on earth an unprecedented way of life. He wanted, at the same time, to build the fundamental creed of that way of life, organize a movement that would carry and uphold its ideals, and establish a social structure reflecting the desired ideology. He wanted to develop a congregation and movement strengthened by faith, while simultaneously strengthening faith progressively through the activities of the congregation and movement. It was pleasing to Allah that the strength of faith should increase in step with the progress of the congregation and movement, and that the public activities of the congregation and movement should become a manifestation of faith. Allah, the All-Wise, knew perfectly well that reforming people and establishing a sound society cannot be accomplished overnight. For building a creed requires as much time as is needed to form a well-organized congregation.

This is the distinctive feature of the Islamic way of life. The Makkan period of the revelation of the Qur’an provides evidence of this very feature. We must become aware of this aforementioned characteristic of the Din and refrain from attempting to change it, being dazzled by the hollow glitter of meaningless man-made ideals. Through the influence of its own distinctive character, Islam formed in ancient times a vast and magnificent Ummah known as the Muslim Ummah; and whenever, in the future, the reconstruction of the Muslim Ummah on earth is deemed necessary, it will be possible only through the distinctive character of the Din and its own method of action.

Like the circulation of blood through the human body, the fundamental creed of Islam will flow through the veins and arteries of society and remain radiant like a blazing torch within the bodily structure of an active Islamic organization. Those who dream of establishing the Din merely by proving Islam’s superiority over false ideologies through theoretical discussion and the pursuit of knowledge, while changing the distinctive character and course of the Islamic way of life, are not only making a grave mistake; they also seek to advance along a dangerous path.

The demand of the Islamic creed is that this faith occupy a place at the heart of living people, an active and energetic organization, and a promising society, and launch an all-out struggle against the Jahili environment. While conducting the struggle to free the established society from the influence of Jahiliyyah, the power of faith will continue fighting to erase every stain of Jahili society from the minds, intellects, and characters of those who have accepted Islam. For the bearers and supporters of the Islamic movement were born in a society influenced by falsehood and Jahiliyyah, and it is not unusual for some influence of Jahiliyyah to remain in their lives even after they accept Islam.

Because of the characteristics mentioned above, the Islamic creed occupies a vast and extensive place in the human mind and intellect. Mere theoretical discussion and efforts to praise Islam do not have such far-reaching effects. For Islam does not stop at influencing the intellect alone; rather, it also encompasses people’s practical lives and character.

Islam’s explanation of the Creator, creation, life, and humanity is not only comprehensive and complete; it is also practical and positive. In accordance with its distinctive nature and inherent demands, Islam does not wish to remain confined to something merely intelligible or to a subject of intellectual study. That is contrary to its nature and ultimate purpose. Islam seeks to express itself through the way of life of active people, an active organization, and a practical movement. Through the activities of revolutionary people, a revolutionary movement, and an ever-active organization, it expands in such a way that the ideas it presents correspond to practical life. It never wishes to remain merely an abstract noun denoting a quality; rather, it always maintains harmony between principles and practical programs.

It is clear that the notion of first acquiring complete knowledge of Islam in principle and then, at a later stage, implementing the Islamic ideal in the practical field is not merely mistaken but extremely harmful. It is contrary to Islam’s true purpose and distinctive character.

Allah the Exalted says:

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“We have revealed the Qur’an gradually so that you may recite it to the people over time, and We have sent it down progressively.” — Bani Isra’il: 106

According to the above word of Allah, two matters were taken into consideration at the same time. First, revealing the Qur’an little by little, and second, reciting the Qur’an to the people gradually. The purpose of adopting this arrangement was to build a living and active organization on the basis of faith and gradually bring that organization to the stage of perfection. For this way of life came to be implemented, not merely to be recognized as an excellent ideology.

The Allah-Given Program for Implementing the Allah-Given Ideal

The bearers of the message of the Din must understand very clearly that Islam is the way of life given by Allah, and that the method of establishing this divine law was also specified by Allah the Exalted Himself through divine revelation. Therefore, establishing the Din is utterly impossible without adopting that method. They must also understand that this Din aims not only to change creed and the pattern of life. It develops a particular kind of creed, creates a distinctive Ummah, and simultaneously brings a particular mode of thought and action to perfection through gradual development. To the extent that this Din succeeds in bringing change to belief and life at any given time, to exactly that extent it deploys strength for its establishment. Thus, introducing the desired way of thinking and developing a specific creed take place alongside one another and at the same time. Rather, it may be said that these are petals of the same flower.

From the discussion above, we learned that the Din’s own method of action is clearly defined. At the same time, we also learned that this method is self-sufficient and eternal. It was not devised for a particular stage, condition, or environment of the Islamic Da‘wah. Nor was it specially applicable only to the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. Rather, this method is free from the constraints of time and age. Whenever the movement to establish Islam begins in the world, it must be conducted through this very method; establishing this Din by adopting any other means or method is impossible.

Along with changing people’s creed and all the activities of their practical lives, Islam also changes their outlook and way of thinking. Its method of change is entirely different from man-made methods of change, because the latter are meaningless and narrow-minded.

Unless we adopt the method prescribed by Allah the Exalted, we will in no way be able to benefit from divine revelation or change the thinking and habits of humankind.

When we try to study Islam merely as an ideology or turn it into an attractive topic of discussion in gatherings devoted to the pursuit of knowledge, we in fact separate it from the revolutionary method and way of thinking given by Allah. In this way, we reduce Allah’s way of life to the level of man-made ways of life. Through such activities, we try in practice to reform man-made methods and elevate them to a status equal to that of man-made methods. Such an outlook is extremely dangerous and is the outcome of a defeated mentality.

The message of the Great Truth provides the workers of the Islamic movement with a particular standard for thought. With the help of this standard, they can purify themselves from the influence of the erroneous ideas that enter our minds and intellects under the influence of the Jahiliyyah prevalent in the world, confusing our reason and poisoning our educational culture. If we undertake to change our Din according to the outlook of the existing Jahiliyyah, which is contrary to its nature, this Din will become devoid of benefit for human society, and human society will be deprived of the benefit of the true Din. Not only that, we ourselves will be unable to remain safe from the harmful effects of Jahili ideologies. In this respect too, the matter is extremely harmful.

Thought and effort to establish the Islamic ideal in human society are no less important than, nor separate from, having faith in the Islamic creed and way of life.

Although efforts and measures through verbal and written means to propagate Islamic ideology and prove the superiority of the Islamic way of life may seem very good and pleasing to us, we must remember that Islam can never be established in the world as a practical reality through mere propagation and praise. We must understand that only the workers of the Islamic movement can benefit from the method mentioned above, and even they can benefit only to the extent that the movement progresses. Therefore, I say again: as soon as one believes in Islam, one must begin the movement to establish this ideal, and the movement must truly and perfectly manifest Islam.

I also wish to reiterate that the method of conducting the Islamic movement has likewise been determined by divine revelation, and that this method is perfect, enduring, and highly effective. More than any other method, it is deeply connected with human nature. For this reason, before entering into a practical movement, creating a living conception of it in people’s hearts, and following this method step by step, Islam presented it to people as a specific and complete method.

If the foregoing statement is true regarding the fundamental principles of the Islamic creed, then the same truth applies to the organizational structure of Islamic society and to the formulation of detailed laws. The firmly established Jahiliyyah surrounding us has exerted such influence on the minds of some sincere workers of Islam that, eager to pass too quickly through the natural stages of the Islamic revolution, they have raised the following questions: What are the detailed injunctions of the ideal whose message we are propagating? How much research have we conducted to establish them? How many matters have we organized and how many articles have we written so far? Or has a jurisprudence (Fiqh) suited to the age been formulated for the ideal? Hearing their questions, one would think that every other task had been completed except research for formulating Islamic law and writing a detailed jurisprudence (Fiqh). It seems as though everyone in society has accepted Allah’s law and become ready to live according to it, and the only deficiency is a group of Mujtahids to write a modern, age-appropriate jurisprudence. This is a vile mockery of Islam. Every believer in Islam must beware of such mocking behavior.

By adopting the method mentioned above, Jahiliyyah is merely seeking excuses to prevent the implementation of the Divine Law and preserve a system that establishes human domination over humanity. It tells the workers of the Islamic movement to hold back their faith-based strength from the revolutionary movement and remain satisfied with merely believing in the superiority of the ideal. Jahiliyyah seeks to divert those who utter the name of Islam from the correct path of striving to implement the Islamic ideal. The aim of false ideologies is to keep believers away from the movement and struggle through which the Islamic creed matures, through which the Islamic system develops amid struggle and conflict, and through whose various stages timely Islamic laws are enacted to resolve practical problems and difficulties.

These devious tactics of those who seek to establish the Islamic ideal must be exposed and falsehood must be crushed to dust. In a society that is still unprepared to reject man-made laws and accept Allah’s laws, the ridiculous effort to modernize Islamic jurisprudence must be rejected. These statements are made precisely to divert the workers of the Islamic movement from its central objective and waste their time and labor in building castles in the air. They must certainly defeat all such conspiracies.

The movement must be conducted only through the method that this Din has prescribed for its own establishment. Within this method lies the secret of the Din’s strength, and the victory and success of those who establish Islam are its inevitable result.

The Islamic ideal of life and the method of fully establishing Islam are equally important, and there is no difference between them. However attractive any other means or method may appear, the Islamic ideal cannot be established through it. Other methods may establish man-made ideals, but in the case of our ideal such methods are entirely meaningless. Therefore, in the Islamic revolution, following its own method is as important as adhering to the fundamental creed and way of life of the Din.

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“Indeed, this Qur’an guides to the most straightforward path.” — Bani Isra’il: 9

Chapter Three

The Characteristics of Islamic Society and the Means of Building Society

The Fundamental Message of the Prophets

The message with which Muhammad (peace be upon him) came to the world was the final stage in the succession of messages preached by Allah’s prophets since the beginning of creation. Throughout the whole history of humanity, this message has remained one and identical. It is to acknowledge the One and Unique Lord and Sustainer, submit to Him, and declare the end of every form of human domination. History shows that, apart from a few scattered individuals, human society as a whole never denied the existence of Allah the Exalted or His sovereignty over the universe. Rather, people either held mistaken notions about Allah’s attributes or imagined many other gods as His helpers. In matters of creed and worship, or by recognizing the sovereignty of a power other than Allah, they attributed helpers or partners to Allah. Both approaches are Shirk.* For they distance people from the Din revealed to the prophets, peace be upon them. After each prophet’s departure, his followers live for some time in accordance with the commands of the Din. But after a long period, they gradually advance along the path of error. Eventually, they again become immersed in Jahiliyyah and begin living a life of Shirk. At times they commit Shirk in faith and creed and in worship; at times they recognize the sovereign power of forces other than Allah; and at other times they become involved in both forms of Shirk.

Human Dignity in the Created World

At every stage of history, the Din of Allah has presented the same message. The objective of this Din is Islam. Islam means making people obedient and submissive to Allah, freeing them from servitude to human beings and devoting them exclusively to the servitude of Allah; rescuing human society from human sovereignty and from the octopus-like grip of man-made ways of life and values, and establishing Allah the Exalted’s sovereignty, authority, and laws in every aspect and sphere of life. Muhammad (peace be upon him) came to the world with this purpose, and his preceding prophets had the same responsibility. The entire natural universe follows the laws and rule of Allah the Exalted, and human beings, as an infinitesimal part of the natural universe, are compelled to follow the laws of nature. To maintain harmony with the laws governing the organs and limbs of the human body, it is essential in practical life also to follow the laws and rule of Allah, the Lawgiver. Human beings can never reject the rule of this law and invent a separate system or a different way of living for themselves. Nutrition in the human body, its illness and health, life and death—all are completely helpless before Allah’s law. Humanity has no power to change the laws of Allah prevailing in the universe. Therefore, in that part of life where people have been granted the right to obey or disobey Allah’s law, they must also recognize Allah’s sovereignty and authority and establish complete harmony in life.

The Means of Liberation from the Octopus-like Grip of Jahiliyyah

Jahiliyyah is in fact another name for human domination over human beings. Therefore, it is contrary to the laws prevailing in the natural world. By adopting the ideals of Jahiliyyah, people create a conflict in practical life with that part of life in which they are compelled to follow natural laws. The final Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and all the prophets before him struck at this Jahiliyyah by preaching the message of acknowledging the sovereignty of the One and Unique Allah. Jahiliyyah is not merely an ideology. In some cases, it has no ideology at all. Everywhere, Jahiliyyah takes the form of an established society, and an active movement always supports it. This society introduces its own leadership, concepts, values, customs, disposition, and way of thinking. Jahiliyyah is well organized. Through mutual communication, cooperation, organization, and discipline, the people of this society unite in such a way that the whole society, knowingly or unknowingly, remains equally active in preserving that social system; it removes from the face of the earth those it considers harmful to its existence. When Jahiliyyah takes the form of an active movement rather than remaining merely an ideology, it can never be overthrown and human society brought again under the worship of Allah the Exalted by presenting the Islamic ideal merely as an ideology. Jahiliyyah controls the material world, and an active organization remains constantly active under its patronage. In such circumstances, it is not merely impossible to fight it effectively with an ideology; it is impossible even to stand before it. Naturally, one must conclude that Islam aims to overthrow the ideal of established Jahiliyyah and establish an ideal with entirely different characteristics and customs. Since Jahiliyyah remains established through an organized society and organization, the campaign to overthrow it must also enter the field of battle in the form of an organized movement. This new movement must be more organized than Jahiliyyah, and the mutual bonds among its participants must be stronger and more firmly established.

The Ideological Foundation of Islamic Society

At every stage of Islamic history, the ideological foundation upon which Islam built its own society was bearing witness to the declaration, ‘La ilaha illallah.’ The meaning of this declaration is that Allah alone is the Lord; He alone administers the universe; He alone is the true ruler and the possessor of sovereign power. The mind and intellect must be illuminated by the light of His oneness. His oneness must be demonstrated in worship and devotion. His oneness must be manifested in the customs and laws of practical life. The testimony of La ilaha illallah cannot be given in practice in any other way than through such a complete and comprehensive approach. From the perspective of the Shari‘ah, only such a testimony will be reliable.

This complete and comprehensive approach gives verbal testimony the form of an effective system, on the basis of which the one who gives this testimony may be called a Muslim and the one who rejects it a non-Muslim. In ideological terms, establishing this foundation means placing human life entirely under obedience to Allah. In no sphere of life will a person make a decision independently. Rather, returning to Allah, the person will obey Him alone. There is only one way to learn Allah’s commands, and that is through the Messenger of Allah. In the second part of the testimony of faith, this means is called the second pillar of Islam: Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah—I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah.

This is the ideological foundation upon which the Islamic edifice is established. This is the very essence of Islam. This foundation formulates a complete way of life for human beings, which must be implemented in every aspect of life. This way of life solves every problem, whether the problem arises in Dar al-Islam or outside it, whether it concerns relations connected with the Muslim society or relations between Muslim and non-Muslim societies.

Muslim Residents of a Jahili Society

According to the description above, Islam is not some stagnant and meaningless ideology that someone may choose to accept as a creed, finish his task merely by performing worship, and then continue in practice as a follower of the established and active Jahili society. If those who accept Islam are in such a condition, the establishment of Islam in reality is impossible, regardless of how numerous they may be. For those so-called Muslims who become parts and organs of the Jahili society will inevitably be compelled to fulfill that society’s organizational needs. Consequently, knowingly or unknowingly, they will become active in fulfilling those fundamental needs that are indispensable to the vitality and existence of social life. Moreover, they will stand as guardians of that society and eliminate whatever means and elements they consider dangerous to its existence and administration. For when the whole society performs all these duties, they must move along with the whole society and perform those duties, knowingly or unknowingly, as an unavoidable part of it.

The Method of Islamic Revival in a Jahili Environment

The moment the declaration of faith, “La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah,” is uttered by a person, he must decide to take revolutionary action. Without this revolutionary action, a Muslim society cannot become a reality, regardless of how numerous the people in the world may be who fundamentally believe in Islam and care for it. It cannot be established until they become active through mutual cooperation; until people of different classes organize themselves and strengthen their power like the various organs of a living human body; and until they launch a united movement under leadership completely free from the influence of the society of Jahiliyyah, in order to defend themselves against attacking forces. To establish this society, the aforementioned leadership will advance the movement toward its destination through single-minded effort, coordination of organizational activities, formation and development of Islamic character, and purification from all the influences of the false society.

This is how Islam was established. Centered on a concise creed, Islam encompassed the whole of life. As soon as people believed in this way of life, a vigorous and active movement was born. This movement did not merely separate itself from Jahiliyyah; it also declared rebellion against the established false social order. Islam did not come into the world as an imaginary doctrine without real existence. Nor can its existence in the future be manifested except through a real system. If the light of Islam is to be kindled anew amid the darkness existing in every pore of Jahili society, then, in every age and country, there will be no alternative but first to understand Islam’s essential nature. That nature is this: its manifestation and development are utterly impossible without a movement and an organizational structure.

The Development of Humanity

When, according to the method described above, Islam establishes the foundation of a Muslim ummah on the basis of Tawhid, and this ummah then becomes active, with belief in Tawhid alone determining the bond of mutual relations, its principal objective becomes to awaken and develop people’s humanity, make it firm and strong, and qualify it to prevail over their other instincts and impulses. Islam seeks to realize this objective. In some respects, human beings resemble animals and even inanimate matter. Thus, the scientists of Jahiliyyah have fallen into the error of regarding human beings as animals or, in some cases, as inanimate matter. In reality, despite human resemblance to animals and inanimate objects in many respects, people possess certain characteristics because of which they are regarded as the best of creation. Even the bearers and champions of Jahili science have been compelled, reluctantly, to acknowledge this truth. Yet their acknowledgment is neither sincere nor clear. *

The beneficence of the Islamic way of life is highly practical and unparalleled. Breaking the weak bonds of race, language, country, material interests, geographical boundaries, and the like, Islam has made faith alone the basis of society and mutual relations. Instead of developing those qualities in which humans resemble animals, this society develops only human qualities and gives them precedence in human society. The whole world is witnessing the fruits of this great work. Islamic society becomes an open and generous society. Its doors remain forever open to people of every race, language, and region. In this vast ocean of Islamic society, the rivers of diverse talents and qualities merge into one. As a result of this great union, within a very short time a reality that astonished the world dazzled everyone’s eyes. Despite the extremely weak means of communication and travel in that era, the finest talents of human society in thought, knowledge, and science became part of this reality.

In the ocean of Islamic society, people of all nations and tribes from Arabia, Persia, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, China, India, Rome, Greece, Indonesia, Africa, and other countries gathered. Their diverse characteristics became linked by a single thread, and through mutual cooperation and interaction they took part in building the Islamic ummah and Islamic culture. This magnificent civilization was never, even for a single day, an Arab civilization; rather, it was a purely Islamic civilization. Islamic civilization never created a nation; rather, it formed an ummah on the basis of faith.

People speaking every language in every country were equal partners in building this civilization. Bound by love and morality, they established deep relations with one another. They were all travelers on the same path. Therefore, they devoted all their abilities to building the desired society. By pouring out their tribal characteristics and their personal and national qualities, they enriched this society. For, as members of Islamic society, each of them was equally responsible. The basis of their relationship was deep love for Allah. Thus, everyone’s personality developed freely in this society. The qualities that emerged among the people of that age have no parallel in the history of humanity.

In ancient history, Roman society was known as the finest society. People of different tribes, languages, races, and dispositions had also gathered in that society. But their unity was not organized on the basis of human relations. No higher ideal created a bond of unity among them. Rather, class division was the basis of their unity. Throughout the empire, there was the noble class on one side and a vast number of slaves on the other. These two classes divided the empire into two classes. In addition, tribal characteristics had gained particular prominence. Members of the Roman tribe occupied positions of leadership everywhere, while all people of other tribes were their slaves. Therefore, this society could never attain a status as elevated as that of Islamic society, nor could it ever provide humanity with the benefits that Islamic society bestowed upon it.

Various societies have also arisen in modern times. The British Empire may be cited as an example. It is the heir of the Roman Empire. Greed for national interests is the foundation of this empire, and the British nation is its leader. Its aim is to exploit all the colonies of the empire. The same applies to the other European empires. The former Spanish and Portuguese empires, and present-day France, followed the same path in exploitation and oppression.

Communism entered the arena claiming that it would break down the barriers of race, tribe, language, and geographical nationality and build a new society. But that society too accepted class division as the basis of society, excluding human relationships. In this respect, communist society is simply the opposite side of ancient Roman society. In Roman society, the nobles predominated; in communist society, the proletariat predominates. Its guiding principle is to harbor hatred and hostility toward the other class. Such a selfish and vengeful society can do nothing except awaken people’s animal instincts. Its program is to excite and further strengthen those animal instincts. In the view of communism, human beings’ basic needs are like those of animals: food, shelter, and the satisfaction of sexual appetite. Thus, in their view, the entire history of humanity is nothing but the history of obtaining food.

Islam alone is Allah’s way of life that prepares the ground for establishing a high-quality human society by awakening and developing people’s noble qualities and refined faculties. To this day, this feature of Islam remains unique and without equal. Those who abandon this system and attempt to build society on the basis of nationalism, patriotism, race, tribe, language, or class are in reality enemies of humanity. They are unwilling to adorn people with the qualities bestowed by Allah. Nor do they want human society to benefit from the combined qualities and abilities of all lineages and tribes, build a balanced and integrated society, and live in comfort and prosperity. Concerning such people, Allah the Exalted has said:

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“O Prophet, shall We inform you of those who are the greatest losers in their deeds? They are those whose efforts are lost in the life of this world while they think that they are doing good. They are the ones who deny the verses of their Lord and the meeting with Him. So their deeds are worthless, and We will assign them no weight on the Day of Resurrection. That is their recompense because they disbelieved and took My signs and My messengers in ridicule.” — Al-Kahf: 103–106

Chapter Four

Jihad in the Path of Allah

The Various Stages of Jihad

Imam Ibn Qayyim wrote a chapter in his famous book Zad al-Ma‘ad entitled “The Conduct of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) toward the Disbelievers and Hypocrites from the Beginning of His Prophethood until the Last Moment of His Life.” In that chapter, the learned author wrote about the nature of jihad: The first revelation sent to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was—

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(Read in the name of your Lord, the Creator … and so on.)

This marked the beginning of prophethood. Allah the Exalted commanded His Prophet to recite the verses mentioned above privately. At that time, however, he had not yet been instructed to convey the divine message to others. Then Allah the Exalted said—

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(O you wrapped in garments, arise and warn the people.)

Thus, through the command “Iqra,” he was entrusted with prophethood, and through the address “Ya ayyuhal-muddaththir,” with the responsibility of messengership. Then he was told to warn his close relatives. Accordingly, the Noble Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, first conveyed Allah’s message to his close relatives. Then he addressed his neighbors, thereafter all the Arabs, and finally humanity throughout the world with a warning. For nearly thirteen years, he sought through conveying the message to instill fear of Allah in people’s hearts. During this period, he neither fought anyone nor demanded jizyah from anyone. Rather, he was instructed at that time to refrain from action, exercise patience, and adopt a tolerant course. Then he received the command to migrate. After the migration, permission was granted for armed struggle. Then the command was revealed to fight those who took up arms against the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and not to interfere with those who remained neutral. Later, the command was given to fight the polytheists until Allah’s religion was fully implemented. At that time, the disbelievers were divided into three groups: the first group consisted of those bound by treaties, the second of those engaged in warfare, and the third of the dhimmis.

Those with whom the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, had previously concluded peace treaties were to be treated by the Muslims according to those treaties so long as they complied with them. If there was suspicion that either party had violated a treaty, the Prophet of Allah was instructed to cancel it through a public declaration, and it was forbidden to take up arms against them until the other party had been informed that the treaty was being annulled. Along with this, the command was revealed to fight those who violated treaties.

All three types of instructions were given in Surah al-Tawbah. It was stated there plainly that fighting would continue against those among the People of the Book who opposed Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, until they paid the jizyah tax or accepted Islam’s way of life. In the same surah, the command was given to wage rigorous jihad against the disbelievers and hypocrites. In accordance with Allah’s command, the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, took up arms against the disbelievers, while he struggled against the hypocrites through presenting arguments and engaging in discussion. That surah also ordered the cancellation of all previously concluded treaties with the disbelievers, and divided the treaties into three categories. The command was given to fight the people in the first category; they themselves had violated the treaty, and the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, fought them and prevailed. With the people in the second category, he concluded peace treaties for a specified period. They had neither violated the treaties nor assisted any enemy of Islam in any way. Allah the Exalted commanded that the treaties concluded with them remain in force until their specified term. No treaty was made with the people in the third category, but they had never acted hostilely toward the Messenger of Allah. Those with whom peace treaties had been concluded for an indefinite period were also included in this category. The order was issued to grant these people four months and then fight them after that period.

Thus the Prophet of Allah killed those who violated treaties, granted four months to those who had not violated treaties or with whom treaties had been concluded indefinitely, and treated those who honored their treaties according to the terms until the specified period ended. Consequently, all the people accepted Islam, and within the specified period they abandoned disbelief. The non-Muslim residents paid the jizyah tax and became obedient subjects of the state. Thus, after the revelation of Surah al-Tawbah, the disbelievers came to be divided into three groups: the first consisted of enemies waging war against Islam, the second of treaty-bound parties, and the third of dhimmis. The opposing camp always feared the Prophet of Allah. Now the people of the entire world became divided into three groups: the first, Muslims who believed in the Prophet; the second, dhimmis granted protection; and the third, disbelievers at war. Allah the Exalted instructed His beloved Prophet to accept the hypocrites’ outward obedience, leave the hypocrisy in their hearts to Allah, and continue attempting to reform them through reasoning and discussion.

Allah the Exalted forbade His Prophet from performing the funeral prayer for the hypocrites, standing beside their graves to pray for them, or interceding before Allah for the forgiveness of their sins. Rather, Allah the Exalted declared that even if the Prophet sought forgiveness for the hypocrites, they would not be forgiven. This was the policy adopted by the Prophet of Allah toward the disbelieving and hypocritical enemies.

The discussion cited above has presented, in a very concise manner, all the stages of Islamic jihad in an excellent way. It offers an indication of the characteristics of the religious movement and its far-reaching results. The subject deserves to be examined with profound attention. Here we are merely pointing to a few matters.

The First Characteristic of Jihad:The first distinctive beauty of the religion of truth is that it is a practical way of life. The movement of this religion draws people toward itself under all circumstances and uses in its work whatever means and resources are compatible with the circumstances. From the very beginning of the Islamic movement, conflict began with the false society. The prevailing society’s thought and creed remain under the influence of Jahiliyyah. The structure of that social order is built upon the foundations of Jahiliyyah. In comparison with the power established proudly over society through the patronage of economic and political authority, an equivalent level of means and resources is indispensable. Therefore, Islam corrects thought and creed through conveying and propagating the message. It conducts jihad by using worldly power to change the established social order, because that society governed by Jahiliyyah obstructs the purification of creed and thought. Using material means and misleading programs, it compels people to remain loyal to the Jahili society. As a result, society has no option but to live bowing before human beings instead of the Almighty Allah. Therefore, the Islamic movement cannot regard mere da‘wah and propagation as sufficient for its campaign to uproot Jahiliyyah empowered by worldly forces. Yet changing people’s creeds by coercion is not the principle of the Islamic ideal. In conducting the movement of this religion, both of the above methods are equally important, and both approaches are equally acceptable. For the purpose of the movement is to free people from servitude to other people and place them in the worship of the One and Only Allah.

The Second Characteristic of Jihad:The second characteristic of Islam is that it is a practical movement. It advances step by step, acquiring at each stage the means required by its needs and preparing the ground for the next stage. This religion contains no unrealistic scheme for confronting real problems merely through fine principles, nor does this ideal movement depend on some unchangeable, rigid formula for solving the problems that arise at its various stages. Those who discuss Islamic jihad and cite Qur’anic verses in support of jihad do not pay attention to this matter. Rather, they fail even to understand the stages through which the Islamic movement must pass as it advances. Naturally, they also cannot grasp what significance the Qur’anic verse revealed at each stage of the movement carried. Thus, with vague notions, they undertake discussions of jihad, jumble together the movement’s various stages, distort the true nature of jihad, and extract certain general principles from Qur’anic verses revealed at different times. Yet those verses offer no scope for discovering principles according to their personal desires. They regard every Qur’anic verse as the final limit of the religion. Those who think in this manner, having been born in today’s nominally Muslim society, adopt this role as the result of a defeated mentality under the pressure of a despairing environment.

Under the influence of a defeated mentality, they say, “Islam permits only defensive war.” The extremely unfortunate thing is that they believe they have served the religion’s supreme welfare by offering this interpretation of jihad. The truth is that, by misinterpreting jihad, they are abandoning the very characteristics of the religion. The purpose of this interpretation is to divert the religion from its basic objective. Once this interpretation is adopted, Islam loses its objective of freeing people from the power of Taghuti forces and placing them in the worship of Allah, without partner. Islam certainly does not command people to change their creeds by coercion. Rather, it gives people the opportunity to choose their path of life freely. It also abolishes that governing power in order to free the people from the oppression of the established political power. Thereafter, it allows them to live as loyal residents of the Islamic state by paying the jizyah tax. As a result, all forces that forcibly obstruct people from freely accepting the Islamic ideology are removed, and the people gain the opportunity to decide freely whether or not to accept Islam.

The Third Characteristic of Jihad:The third characteristic of this religion is that the religious movement, advancing progressively through arduous struggle, never deviates even by a hair’s breadth from its fundamental objective under any circumstances. From the very first day of the movement, whenever and at whatever stage the Prophet of Allah, peace be upon him, addressed and invited his relatives, the Quraysh, or the entire world, he called them toward that fundamental objective. He preached the same message in all circumstances: he called everyone to acknowledge servitude to the One Allah and to declare rebellion against all other false claimants to lordship. There is not the slightest room for compromise or flexibility on this matter. To achieve this objective, the movement advances according to a plan and proceeds through various stages. At each stage, the need arises to use the means and resources required by the circumstances. We have already mentioned this above.

The Fourth Characteristic of Jihad:The fourth characteristic is that Islam has provided permanent regulations governing relations between the Muslim ummah and other non-Muslims.

This is known from the quotation above from Zad al-Ma‘ad. The essence of this regulation is that Islam—the acceptance of servitude and obedience to Allah—is a universal ultimate truth, and accepting it is essential and obligatory for all humanity. Those unable or unwilling to accept Islam must adopt a conciliatory attitude toward Islam and must not create obstacles, by seeking the help of political or any other power, in the way of propagating and expanding Islam’s message. Every person needs an environment free from pressure in which to decide whether or not to accept Islam. If anyone wishes to accept Islam, then the anti-Islamic camp must not use force against that person or in any way

prevent him. If anyone does prevent him, it is Islam’s duty to fight that person, and the fight will continue without interruption until the obstructer dies or submits.

When weak and defeatist-minded writers discuss Islamic jihad and, according to their own outlook, attempt to remove the “stain” of jihad from the body of Islam, they unnecessarily mix up two matters. The first is not compelling anyone to accept Islam by force. Allah Himself has clearly given this instruction in the Holy Qur’an through the declaration: “There is no compulsion in religion.” The second is that Islam commands the eradication of those political and worldly powers that stand as a wall between people and Allah, prevent people from entering Allah’s servitude, and make them their slaves. These two principles are entirely distinct. There is no inconsistency between them, nor do they contradict each other. But because of their defeated and defeatist outlook, weak-minded people seek to mix these two matters and describe Islamic jihad as defensive warfare. Yet Islamic jihad is a struggle of an entirely different nature. It has no resemblance to the wars and conflicts prevalent in the modern age. Neither in the conditions of warfare nor in its external nature can the conditions of Islamic jihad be found in the nature of Islamic law, its role in the world, the great objectives Allah has prescribed for this religion, or the purpose for which He entrusted the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, with the mission of prophethood and granted him superiority among all the messengers.

A Worldwide Revolutionary Proclamation

The true religion is a worldwide revolutionary proclamation. Its essence is to free people from servitude to other people, and even from servitude to their own desires. The inevitable consequence of proclaiming Allah’s sole sovereignty is that all people are equal participants in receiving His mercy. Therefore, Islam is the declaration of complete revolt against human mastery and sovereignty, in whatever form or manner they may be established over people. Human rule over people is in reality a claim to Allah’s power. That is, in a social system where final authority to decide all matters lies in human hands, and where people possess the power to issue binding commands and prohibitions for other people, some individuals are unlawfully claiming Allah’s power. Those who acknowledge their authority, in Qur’anic terminology, take them as “lords besides Allah.” Thus, proclaiming Allah’s sole sovereignty and authority means wresting power from those who unlawfully exercise Allah’s power and returning it to Allah, and abolishing those who establish mastery and authority over people by devising man-made laws and regulations. For they had placed themselves on God’s throne and turned human society into their slaves. In short, proclaiming Allah’s lordship and sovereignty means ending all human authority and power to rule over people and establishing the authority of the Lord, Creator and Sustainer of the entire world.

Allah the Exalted has said in the Holy Qur’an:

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“He is God in heaven and God on earth.” — Az-Zukhruf: 84

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“The authority to command and rule belongs solely to Him. His command is that you worship none but Him. This is the upright way of life.” — Yusuf: 40

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“Say, O People of the Book, come to a common word between us and you: that we worship none but Allah, associate no partners with Him, and do not take one another as lords instead of Allah. If they turn away, then say, ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims.’” — Aal Imran: 64

The Means of Establishing Allah’s Rule

Establishing Allah’s sovereignty does not mean rule by a few self-appointed “holy” persons, as in the Church’s system of governance, or an arbitrary system of rule by a handful of people who claim to represent Allah, as in priestcraft. Establishing Allah’s rule means that the supremacy of Allah’s law will be acknowledged, and that Allah’s revealed law must be regarded as final in settling all matters. It must be remembered that establishing Allah’s sovereignty, overthrowing human kingship, wresting governing power from the hands of tyrants and entrusting it to Allah, and replacing man-made laws with laws revealed by Allah cannot be accomplished merely through preaching and propagation. Those who have established divine authority over people will not relinquish power simply because they are impressed by preaching and propagation. If that were so, establishing Allah’s religion would have been very easy for Allah’s prophets. But the stories of the prophets and the history of the true religion over many centuries show that establishing the religion was easy for none of the prophets.

Alongside proclaiming the revolutionary message that Allah, the Master of the universe, alone possesses sovereign power, declaring revolt against all other claimants to lordship besides Allah is not merely a doctrine, a philosophical theory, or the utterance of a negative statement. Rather, the aim of such a proclamation is to establish divine law over people and, by the use of force, rescue people from servitude to other people and bring them within the bounds of servitude to Allah, the One without partner. It can easily be understood that, for such a great revolutionary transformation, it is essential to launch a movement alongside the call and propagation, and to confront the false forces that obstruct the advancing movement at every stage.

Islam proclaims humanity’s freedom from subservience to every power besides Allah. Therefore, at every stage of human history, false creeds, beliefs and ideologies, brute force, and political, social, economic and tribal systems stand in its way. This happened in the past, is happening today, and cannot be different in the future. Moreover, the obstacles mentioned above become even stronger because false beliefs mixed with faith and superstitions gain a foothold in people’s hearts.

Propagation and preaching purify people’s thought and creed, while the movement removes worldly obstacles. At the forefront of these worldly obstacles stands political power. This power is deeply intertwined with beliefs, lineage and class distinctions, and collective and economic customs. In this way, preaching and the movement together continue to exert influence on the established social order from every direction and help establish a new way of life. It is extremely important to understand that both methods must be adopted if human society living on the earth is to lead a truly free life.

The Significance of Servitude

Islam did not come with a message of liberation only for Arabia. The objective of this religion is the entire human race, and its field of action is the whole world. Allah is not the Sustainer only of the Arabs or of those who believe in Islam. Rather, He is the Sustainer and Protector of the entire world. He wishes to free the whole world from every form of human servitude and bring it back under His encompassing protection. In Islam’s view, imposing man-made laws and regulations upon oneself is in reality servitude, or worship. Islam therefore declares that worship and servitude are due to Allah alone. Whoever accepts the worship or servitude of anyone besides Allah—no matter how religious he considers himself—in reality stands outside the bounds of the religion. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, stated plainly that obedience to prevailing laws and systems of government is another name for worship. When the Jews and Christians distanced themselves from this meaning of worship, they came to be regarded as polytheists.

Imam At-Tirmidhi relates from Adi ibn Hatim that after the Messenger’s message, peace be upon him, reached him, he fled to Syria, for he had embraced Christianity during the age of ignorance. But his sister and several other members of that clan were captured. The Prophet treated his sister kindly, released her without ransom, and allowed her to return to her people with some gifts. When she met her brother, she encouraged him to accept Islam and advised him to meet Allah’s Prophet. Adi agreed to this proposal, and the people of Madinah awaited his return. When he came to meet the Prophet, a silver cross hung around his neck. The Prophet was then reciting the following verse:

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“They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah.” — At-Tawbah: 31

Adi said, “I said to the Prophet, peace be upon him, ‘They do not worship their religious leaders.’” The Prophet replied, “They regarded as lawful whatever their religious leaders declared lawful, and they regarded as unlawful whatever their religious leaders declared unlawful. This is how they worshipped their religious leaders.”

What the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said in explaining the Qur’anic verse quoted above is an unmistakable and binding formulation of the Shariah. That is, accepting anyone’s laws and regulations besides Allah’s is a form of worship. Whoever engages in such worship leaves Islam. This hadith also makes clear that when some people take another person or several other people as “lords instead of God,” that too is counted as worship. The true religion was revealed to eliminate this kind of unlawful servitude and obedience. And this very religion has declared in unambiguous terms that people living on Allah’s earth must live freely, without serving anyone besides Allah.

If a situation contrary to the proclamation above is observed in people’s practical lives, the Islamic ideal must enter the field of action with both preaching and the movement as its weapons.

The objective of the Islamic movement will be to strike at the political forces that seek to establish unjust domination over people and introduce rule in complete disregard of Allah’s Shariah. Because of the obstacles created by these political forces, those who wish to live according to Islam’s message are deprived of the freedom to hold their views. Islam therefore abolishes, through preaching and the movement, the forces that seek to establish domination. Whether that force is political or bears the banner of lineage, tribal and class discrimination, true freedom cannot be achieved without eliminating it. Islam therefore, after uprooting that false force, safeguards humanity’s genuine freedom by introducing a new social, economic and political system and opens the way for the progressive development of a free way of life.

Human Freedom in Islam’s View

Islam’s objective is not to force beliefs into people’s minds. But it must not be forgotten that Islam is not merely a particular kind of creed. As we have discussed earlier, Islam is the revolutionary proclamation of freeing people from servitude to other people. At the very beginning of the propagation of Islam’s message, it was clearly proclaimed that Islam seeks to uproot all governments and institutions that establish domination over people. After rescuing human society from political servitude, Islam strives to purify people’s minds from the corrupting influence of false forces. Once this task is completed, it grants their free reason and conscience full freedom to accept or reject Islam. But this freedom does not mean that people may themselves accept servitude to their selfish inclinations or to another person, or decide to preserve a system that establishes human domination over people.

Wherever and whenever a system of government is established on earth, it must be established upon recognition of servitude to Allah. Allah’s sovereignty must be acknowledged as the source of the way of life. Only under this ideal-based system of government will people have freedom of personal belief. This is the only path by which religion, worship and obedience can be devoted exclusively to Allah. The meaning of the word religion is far broader than creed. Entrusting every aspect and department of human life to a particular system is what religion means, and the Islamic religion is founded upon faith and belief. Yet the scope of religion extends beyond creed. Therefore, after expressing obedience to the Islamic system of government, a person may live in that society without adopting Islamic beliefs in his personal life.

Jihad Is Not Merely Self-Defense

From what we have learned above about the objective of religion, it is clear that Islamic jihad must begin in both forms: jihad by the sword (jihad with weapons) and jihad by speech (jihad through preaching). Establishing the religion is impossible without both kinds of jihad. We have also understood that Islamic jihad is not what is meant by defensive warfare in the restricted terminology of the present age. It was a group of weak-minded people, pressured by circumstances and unable to give an adequate reply to the cunning attacks of Western writers, who tried to confine Islamic jihad within that narrow boundary. Islam is a living revolution. Its objective is to enable people to experience genuine freedom. To achieve this purpose, Islam conducts a reform campaign in every aspect and department of people’s practical lives, employs all available means and resources in society, and advances step by step. At each stage, it uses the necessary means and takes steps to reach the next stage.

If Islamic jihad is used in the sense of defensive warfare, then the conventional meaning of self-defense must be changed, and jihad must mean humanity’s self-defense against the oppression of forces that deprive it of freedom. These tyrannical forces take the form of false beliefs and economic, tribal and class discrimination and seek to deprive human society of its freedom. When the Islamic ideal first came into the world, those misguided forces held dominance, and modern jahiliyyah has likewise created such misguided ideas and ways.

After adopting this broad meaning of self-defense, we become able to understand Islam’s true form. The general meaning of Islamic jihad, or self-defense, is as follows:

“Proclaiming humanity’s complete freedom from servitude to other people; establishing Allah’s sovereignty throughout the world; abolishing the authority of selfish and tyrannical people; and implementing Allah’s law in every aspect and department of human life.”

Some people put forward various arguments to prove that Islamic jihad is merely defensive warfare, and conduct research day and night to produce evidence in support of their arguments. They search out historical events and accounts that can be used to prove Islamic jihad to be a struggle to “defend Islamic lands.” Some of these people regard only the Arabian Peninsula as Islamic territory and claim that jihad became necessary at that time only because Arab lands were attacked by enemy groups from neighboring regions.

These people, who are well-intentioned toward Islam, either failed to understand Islam’s role in solving the problems of the world, or merely adopted a weak position under the influence of adverse circumstances and the cunning attacks of Western writers.

Who can claim that if Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Umar and Hazrat Uthman, may Allah be pleased with them, had received assurances that they would not be attacked by Rome and Persia, they would have halted the expansion of the Islamic movement? The answer can only be “no,” because the spread of Islam was utterly impossible without jihad. Many kinds of obstacles and difficulties stood like walls in the path of this movement. In particular, the political systems and the governmental structures of the states that supported them were all opposed to the Islamic movement.

After proclaiming a revolutionary message and declaring freedom for humanity throughout the world, the idea of advancing solely through verbal preaching in the face of the obstacles mentioned above is nothing but folly. Of course, the Islamic movement also uses verbal preaching. But when? When people are completely free to accept or reject an ideology. Only after freeing people from every kind of pressure and bondage does Islam spread through mere preaching, in accordance with the principle that “there is no compulsion in religion.”

The call to the Islamic way of life is a revolutionary proclamation of complete freedom for humanity. Naturally, after this proclamation, the desired freedom cannot be achieved merely through philosophical discussion and descriptions of the beauty of religion. Rather, it is necessary to engage in actual conflict with the hostile environment and to use every necessary means and resource to remove the obstacles encountered by the advancing movement at each stage. This kind of movement is jihad. In Islamic terminology, the homeland of the Islamic way of life is called Dar al-Islam. Whether Dar al-Islam is at peace or at war with neighboring enemies, the responsibility of jihad does not increase or decrease. Establishing peace is Islam’s objective, but Islam does not aspire merely to maintain peace and order within the limited territory of Dar al-Islam and be content with this partial peace. The peace Islam seeks is that Allah’s religion be fully established everywhere on Allah’s earth, that all people serve Allah alone, and that every form of human authority and domination over people be completely ended. After the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, the final stage of jihad must be pursued with this objective in view. There will be no need to establish the initial and intermediate stages, because those stages have already been passed. Imam Ibn Qayyim says: After the revelation of Surah At-Tawbah, the Prophet, peace be upon him, dealt with the unbelievers in three ways. The unbelievers engaged in war against Islam were open enemies. The second group consisted of unbelieving communities bound by treaties, and the third consisted of the protected non-Muslim subjects. After the treaty-bound unbelievers accepted Islam, only the two groups of combatant unbelievers and protected non-Muslims remained. The combatant unbelievers always feared the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and therefore they continually persisted in hostility. Thus, in the eyes of the Messenger, peace be upon him, the people of the entire world became divided into three groups. The first group consisted of believing Muslims. The second consisted of protected non-Muslims living in the Islamic state under a peace treaty, and the third consisted of combatant unbelievers. Such is the very nature of the Islamic ideal: from the beginning of its movement, people become divided into these groups. But the interpretation of jihad given by those who are weak-minded and have surrendered in defeat before the attacks of Western writers is far removed from the characteristics of Islamic jihad. After the Muslims migrated from Makkah to Madinah, Allah initially revealed the following verse instructing them to refrain from fighting:

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“Restrain your hands, establish prayer, and give zakat.” — An-Nisa: 77

After some time, permission to fight the enemies was granted in the following words of the Qur’an—

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“Permission to fight is given to those against whom war is waged, because they have been wronged. Allah is certainly capable of helping them. They are those who were expelled from their homes unjustly, merely because they declared, ‘Our Lord is Allah.’ Had Allah not repelled some people by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques, in which Allah’s name is often mentioned, would surely have been demolished. Allah will certainly help those who help Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful, Almighty. Those who, when We grant them authority in the land, establish prayer, pay zakat, enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. And the outcome of all matters belongs to Allah.” — Al-Hajj: 39–41

After this stage had been passed, the command was given to wage jihad against all who took up the sword against the Muslims—

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“And fight against those who fight against you.” — Al-Baqarah: 190

Finally, Allah commanded jihad against all polytheists—

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“And fight all the polytheists together, just as they fight you all together.” — At-Tawbah: 36

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“Fight those among the People of the Book who do not believe in Allah or the Last Day, who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have declared unlawful, and who do not adopt the true religion, until they pay the jizyah with their own hands and submit.” — At-Tawbah: 29

The aforementioned verses of the Qur’an, the numerous hadiths encouraging jihad, the military expeditions of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him), and the entire history of Islam are replete with accounts of jihad. Because such sound evidence exists, the Muslim masses are not prepared to accept the new interpretations of jihad offered by Western-minded writers. For those writers have become confused by adverse circumstances and the deliberate propaganda of scheming authors from Western countries.

Those who read Allah’s clear injunctions, possess knowledge of the hadiths of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and study the history of Islam, replete with tales of victory, can never accept that jihad was a temporary measure, prescribed only for the changing society of that time, and that fighting merely to defend the borders was the true permanent objective of jihad.

When granting permission for jihad, Allah had informed the believers that His permanent practice in governing the world is that He suppresses one group through the aid of another in order to keep human society free of corruption. Thus—

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“Had Allah not restrained one group of people through another, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which Allah’s name is mentioned would surely have been destroyed.” — Hajj: 40. It is therefore clear that this struggle is not temporary; rather, it is a permanent institution. For truth and falsehood cannot coexist in the world. Whenever Islam has declared its resolve to establish Allah’s sovereignty and liberate people from servitude to other people, those claiming tyrannical lordship have stood against this declaration with drawn swords and have refused to tolerate this movement in any way. Islam has inspired an uncompromising struggle to eliminate these rebels against Allah and liberate the people of the entire world from the oppressive rule of these tyrants. Therefore, this struggle of truth against falsehood will continue unceasingly until the religion belongs exclusively to Allah.

Why Armed Jihad Was Prohibited at the Makkan Stage

The instruction given at the Makkan stage to avoid fighting and expand the da‘wah was a temporary activity within a long-term plan. This policy remained in force for some time even after the Hijrah. But when, at the end of the initial stage, the Muslims became determined to undertake jihad, it was not merely a defensive war for the city of Madinah. The question of Madinah’s security certainly existed, but that was only an occasion for reaching a goal. The defense of Madinah was necessary in order to keep the movement’s center free from enemy attacks, continue the struggle to make people truly free and liberated, and resist every obstacle and impediment.

The rationale for not permitting fighting while in Makkah is readily understandable. The Messenger of Allah enjoyed the protection of Banu Hashim. Thus, he was able to convey the message of the religion through public proclamation. Through personal meetings and small discussion gatherings, he sought to influence the minds and hearts of the people. Moreover, no organized state system in Makkah was obstructing his preaching or the people’s response to it. Therefore, there was no need to use force at that stage. In addition, there were several other reasons why it was appropriate not to engage in warfare in Makkah at that time. I have mentioned those reasons in my tafsir entitled Fi Zilal al-Qur’an, while explaining the following verse—

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“Have you not seen those who were instructed to restrain their hands?” — An-Nisa: 77

A second reason for prohibiting fighting at the Makkan stage of the movement was that, at that time, the Islamic movement was forming a cadre through training in a particular environment for the fulfillment of a specific purpose. It was extremely important to train those who were accepting Islam in that environment for that special purpose. For example, it was absolutely essential to give them the mental strength to endure circumstances to which the Arabs were unaccustomed. They needed training in patiently bearing oppression and persecution inflicted upon themselves or their relatives; controlling self-conceit and personal pride; suppressing personal resentment or the desire for revenge; and refraining from self-worship and enslavement to desires. Through such training, it was necessary to change the new Muslims’ conception of the purpose of life in Arabia at that time. For in the Age of Ignorance, the principal purpose of their lives had been to ensure the safety of themselves and their relatives. After accepting Islam, the purpose of their lives changed. It was therefore essential to prepare them to acquire self-control, so that they would not become angry under the influence of excitement and lose all sense of direction. Rather, they had to become capable of taking balanced and dignified steps with calm and composed minds. It was also necessary to train them to work as members of a disciplined organization under the command of a great leader, and to act in every matter after learning the leader’s opinion. Their attitude was being changed so that, even if they personally disliked an order of the leader, they would obey it in order to maintain discipline. Training the Arabs in these matters was extremely important for building their lives. For the goal of the Islamic movement was to establish an orderly, morally refined, civilized society, free from animal impulses and tribal disputes and dissension.

Another reason behind the instruction to refrain from fighting at the Makkan stage may have been that the Quraysh were steeped in pride over their lineage and status. Efforts to attract them to the religion through persuasion and explanation were more effective and fruitful. Fighting and warfare would have increased hostility and anger and intensified their inborn thirst for blood. Earlier, the wars of Dahis, Ghabra, and Basus had been waged for years on the basis of tribal hostility, and tribe after tribe had been wiped out on those battlefields. Had Islam become a victim of that kind of tribal hostility, its ideological and missionary appeal would not have stirred anyone’s heart. It would merely have become an instrument of an endless, bloody struggle. In such circumstances, there was a danger that its message and fundamental teaching would be crushed beneath tribal conflict.

Preventing the widespread spread of civil war may also have been one of the purposes of avoiding warfare in Makkah. For there was no lawful government in Makkah to oppress the believers and obstruct their movement. Rather, the relatives and fellow tribesmen of each Muslim were themselves obstructing their da‘wah and persecuting them. Had permission to fight been given in such circumstances, a battlefield would have been established in every family, and this civil-war pattern would have continued unabated. The opposition would also have gained an opportunity to spread the claim that Islam causes domestic conflict. In fact, such propaganda had already begun. During the Hajj, when people came to Makkah from distant places for pilgrimage or trade, the Quraysh leaders would approach them and say, “Muhammad has not been content merely to create division within his own tribe; he has even caused conflict between fathers and sons.” Yet at that time the use of force against enemies was prohibited. Had sons been permitted to cut off the heads of fathers opposed to Islam, and slaves the heads of masters hostile to the religion, it would be difficult to say how much propaganda would have been made against Islam or what kind of situation would have arisen in practice.

Allah certainly knew that many of those who were exceedingly active against the Islamic movement and ruthlessly persecuting the Muslims would later embrace faith and become devoted soldiers of Islam. Was Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) not one of them? This too was a reason why the instruction not to fight had been given.

Another possible reason for avoiding warfare is that, in accordance with tribal custom, the Arabs’ temperament had developed in such a way that they became sympathetic toward people who displayed steadfastness in the face of oppression and persecution. This attitude was even stronger toward noble and upright members of the tribe. Numerous incidents provide evidence of this. When a dignified and honorable man like Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) attempted to migrate from Makkah, Ibn ad-Daghina could not tolerate it and brought Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) back. Ibn ad-Daghina considered the departure of such a person from his homeland dishonorable for Arab society. He therefore announced his decision to grant Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) protection and patronage. Further evidence of this can be found in the breaking of the pact by which Banu Hashim had been confined in the Valley of Abu Talib. When the hunger and suffering of the Banu Hashim became severe, the Arab youths themselves tore that document to pieces. A notable characteristic of ancient Arab society was that sympathy arose in their hearts for the oppressed. In the society of their contemporaries, however, those who remained patient in the face of oppression were mocked and ridiculed, while oppressors were regarded with respect.

Another reason was that the Muslims were very few in number at that time, and the Islamic da‘wah had not yet spread beyond Makkah. Only vague reports of it had reached some areas. The people of other tribes regarded the matter as an internal affair of the Quraysh and were waiting to see how the dispute would end. Had fighting taken place at that time, there was a danger that the small community of Muslims would be annihilated. Although they were capable of killing enemies several times their own number, they had virtually no prospect of surviving, because they were so few. If all of them had been killed as a result of beginning the war prematurely, shirk would have remained in place and the goal of establishing an Islamic society could never have been realized. But Islam came into the world to be implemented. Therefore, it was not appropriate to begin the war before its proper time.

Avoiding Armed Warfare for Some Time Even After the Hijrah

Even after the center of the Islamic movement had been transferred to Madinah, warfare remained prohibited for some time. This was because the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) entered into a treaty with the Jews and the polytheist Arabs living within and around Madinah, binding them to a mutual pledge not to attack one another. At this stage of the movement, taking such a step was extremely necessary. The background of this treaty was as follows:

First, complete freedom to preach Islam and express opinions had been established in Madinah. Since Madinah had no state authority, there was no power capable of interfering with the people’s acceptance or rejection of opinions. All the inhabitants of Madinah had recognized the newly established Islamic state and accepted the leadership of the Messenger of Allah to resolve all their political problems. Thus, the treaty stipulated that no inhabitant of Madinah could, without the Messenger of Allah’s permission, conclude a peace treaty, declare war, or establish any other kind of relationship with anyone outside. In these circumstances, political power in Madinah was in the hands of the Muslim leadership, and complete freedom of expression prevailed there.

Second, at this stage the Messenger (peace be upon him) wished to concentrate all his strength and bring the Quraysh opposition to a final settlement. The opposition of that clan had become an obstacle to people of other tribes accepting the religion; they were waiting to see the outcome of the Quraysh’s “internal dispute.” Therefore, without delay, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent small detachments in various directions. The commander of the first detachment he sent was Hamzah ibn Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him).

This force was sent in Ramadan, before six months had passed after the Hijrah. After this force, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) continued sending one detachment after another: the first one year after the Hijrah, the second thirteen months later, and the third at the beginning of the sixteenth month. At the beginning of the seventeenth month after the Hijrah, a detachment was sent under the command of Abdullah ibn Jahsh, and bloodshed occurred during this expedition. It was the month of Ramadan—according to the accepted norms of the Arabs, warfare was prohibited in that month. The Qur’an discusses this matter in the following words:

“They ask you, O Prophet, about fighting in the sacred month. Say: Fighting in it is a grave matter, but obstructing people from living according to Allah’s way, disbelieving in Allah, preventing Allah’s servants from reaching the Sacred Mosque, and expelling its inhabitants from the Sacred Precinct are more grave in the sight of Allah. These acts of oppression are worse than bloodshed.” — Al-Baqarah: 217

The Battle of Badr took place in Ramadan of the second year after the Hijrah. It is also discussed in Surah Al-Anfal.

A comprehensive review of this stage of the Islamic movement shows that there is no valid reason to describe Islamic jihad as defensive fighting. This is merely the disgraceful product of thinkers influenced by the attacks of misleading Western writers. As the Muslims’ relationship with Islam weakened, they lost their glory and superiority and adopted a weak posture; taking advantage of this, Western writers hostile to Islam launched attack after attack against the Islamic ideal. Feeling the intensity of these powerful attacks, a group of faint-hearted people calling themselves Muslim “researchers” tried to interpret Islamic jihad as “defensive war.” By Allah’s great grace, a group of resolute Muslims have remained free from the influence of this propaganda, and they have boldly declared that Islam’s goal is to liberate people completely from servitude to every authority other than Allah and to dedicate the religion exclusively to the One, Unique Allah. But apart from this small group, all the so-called thinkers remain busy trying to satisfy the opposing camp by presenting moral arguments in support of Islamic jihad. Yet there is no room for any further argument after the statement Allah Himself has made in the Holy Qur’an explaining the rationale of Islamic war.

“Those who sell the life of this world in exchange for the Hereafter are the ones worthy of fighting in Allah’s way. Whoever strives in Allah’s way, whether victorious or killed, We shall grant them a great reward in either case. What is the matter with you that you do not strive in Allah’s way, while helpless men, women, and children cry out to Allah, saying, ‘Our Lord, rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors, and appoint for us from Yourself a protector and a helper’? Those who believe fight in Allah’s way, while those who disbelieve fight in the way of the taghut. So fight against the forces of Satan. Indeed, Satan’s schemes are truly weak.” — An-Nisa: 74–76

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“Tell the disbelievers that if they desist, whatever they have done before will be forgiven. But if they return to their former conduct, then the fate of the earlier nations is already known. O believers, fight the disbelievers until all fitnah is completely eliminated and the religion belongs exclusively to Allah. But if they desist from fitnah, then know that Allah is watching all that they do. And if they refuse, then remember, O Prophet, that Allah is your Protector and the best Helper.” — Al-Anfal: 38–40

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“Fight those from among the People of the Book who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day, who do not refrain from what Allah and His Messenger have declared unlawful, and who do not adopt the true religion as their way of life, until they submit. The Jews say, ‘Ezra is the son of Allah,’ and the Christians say, ‘The Messiah is the son of Allah.’ These are merely repetitions of the statements of their misguided predecessors. May Allah destroy them! How far they have been led astray. They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah, and so too the Messiah, son of Maryam, although they were commanded to worship none but Allah. There is no one worthy of worship except Him. He is exalted far above what they associate with Him. They seek to extinguish Allah’s light with their mouths, but Allah will not allow His light to be perfected, even though it is unbearable to the disbelievers.”

— At-Tawbah: 29–32

The gist of what the above verses say about the rationale and importance of jihad is as follows:

The objective of jihad is to establish Allah’s absolute lordship in the world, embody the true religion sent by Allah in human life, eliminate every satanic force and every way of life devised by Satan, and end human domination over other humans. Man was created solely to serve Allah. Therefore, no human being has the right to establish lordship over another or impose laws and regulations according to personal desire. The matters mentioned above demand that jihad be initiated. At the same time, the instruction of the verse “There is no compulsion in religion” must also be obeyed. That is, after liberation from human lordship and authority, only Allah’s lordship will remain established. The religion will belong exclusively to Allah. No person may be compelled to accept Islam.

What has been learned from the foregoing discussion about the importance of jihad is that Islam has prescribed jihad precisely to guarantee people a truly free life. It liberates people from servitude to other people and establishes Allah as One and Unique, with no equal to Him. Naturally, people cannot bow before any power other than Allah. Is this one reason alone not sufficient to begin jihad? Thus, Muslim mujahids always participated in jihad with the attitude described above. When asked about the purpose of war, no mujahid would say, “I am fighting because my country is in danger,” or, “Persia and Rome have attacked us, so I am fighting in self-defense,” or, “We are fighting to expand our kingdom and seize the spoils.” Rather, this was also the answer given by Rabi ibn Amir, Hudhayfah ibn Muhassin, and Mughirah ibn Shu‘bah in response to the question of Rustum, the Persian commander. Up to three days before the Battle of Qadisiyyah, Commander Rustum asked each of these three mujahids separately, “For what purpose have you come to fight?” They replied: “Allah has commanded us to liberate people from servitude to other people and bring them under the lordship of Allah, the One and Unique; to bring them out of the confines of narrowness into the vast expanse of the earth; and to rescue them from the oppression of false religious ordinances and place them beneath the cool shade of Islamic justice. Allah sent the Prophet into human society with a way of life in order to fulfill this purpose.”

“We accept the acknowledgment of those who accept the way of life we have presented, withdraw from them, and return their country to them. But we fight those who declare rebellion against Allah’s religion, and we continue fighting until we attain martyrdom and enter Paradise or victory is granted to us over the enemy.”

Another Reason for Jihad

The stated reasons for jihad are firmly rooted in the intrinsic spirit of Islam. Likewise, proclaiming universal liberation from the servitude of power-hungry people, confronting comprehensively the actual conditions prevailing in human society, and using appropriate means and resources at every stage of progress are all included among the practical demands of this religion. The proclamation of jihad is implicit in proclaiming the da‘wah of this religion. Whether or not there is a possibility of attack by hostile forces against the Islamic state, its jihadi spirit cannot change on that account. The prevailing condition of an un-Islamic society and the emergence of the Islamic movement are mutually confrontational. Therefore, jihad is not a limited activity arising only from the temporary need for national or self-defense. No Muslim participates in jihad by sacrificing life and wealth to fulfill personal interests or greed.

Before stepping onto the field of jihad, a mujahid must first triumph in another great jihad. This is the struggle against Satan, who whispers in his heart; his own desires; personal interests and comforts; the interests of his family and people; and other such matters that stand in the way of serving Allah and establishing Allah’s sovereignty on earth. Only after overcoming these obstacles can a believing man enter the field of jihad. The great inspiration guiding the lives of believing mujahids is to wage an uncompromising struggle against every slogan and ideological movement opposed to Islam in society, eliminate false lordship, and establish Allah’s rule.

Islam and National Defense

Those who wish to restrict Islamic jihad to the defense of the country seek to diminish the greatness of the Islamic way of life. They wish to say that the Islamic ideal is no more important than the homeland. Islam does not support the perspective from which an un-Islamic way of life regards the homeland and similar matters. This perspective arose from the conditions of the modern age. This perspective and sentiment are wholly incompatible with the Islamic ideal.

The preservation of the creed and beliefs of the Din in the light of the Islamic way of life is the objective of Islamic jihad; or the preservation of the way of life that presents the practical reflection of Islamic creed and beliefs—or, in other words, the preservation of that ideal way of life—is the objective of Islamic jihad. In Islam, territorial land has no value. A territory can attain dignity only when the way of life given by Allah takes root there. A fortress of Islamic creed and belief is established in that territory. It becomes the homeland of the Islamic ideal (Dar al-Islam) and the center of humanity’s freedom and liberated way of life. In such circumstances, defending that territory means preserving Islamic creed and belief—preserving the social structure that represents the Islamic way of life and Islamic ideals. Mere defense, however, cannot be the fundamental and ultimate objective of Islamic jihad. Nor is the defense of Dar al-Islam the fundamental objective of Islamic jihad. The defense of Dar al-Islam is merely an occasion for establishing Allah’s system of governance. Moreover, from Dar al-Islam, the center of the Islamic beacon, the radiant rays of the Islamic way of life will spread to every corner of the world and ensure freedom and liberation for human society. I have already mentioned that the objective of the Din of Islam is the welfare of all human society, and that the entire world is its field of action.

The Natural Demand of Islam: Jihad

From the foregoing discussion we have learned that certain worldly obstacles stand in the way of establishing Allah’s rule in the world. The prevailing social system, antisocial politics, and the overall environment of human society—each of these stands as an obstacle in the path of Islam. Islam uses force to remove these obstacles. The purpose of using this force is to convey Islam’s message to every person, remove the barriers that prevent each person from examining Islamic law, and thereby create an opportunity for Islam’s immortal message to reach people in a free and liberated environment. Jihad is an indispensable means of rescuing people from the bonds of artificial gods and giving them the opportunity to freely distinguish between good and evil.

We must not become confused or frightened because of the propaganda that Western writers are spreading against jihad. It would in no way be proper for us to give jihad an interpretation compatible with the Islamic way of life merely because of adverse circumstances or the opposition of great powers. Jihad is an eternal ordinance. Whether or not there is a need for defense or a military cause, the need for jihad will never come to an end. When studying the rise and fall of history, we must not ignore the spirit present in the nature of this way of life, its universal proclamation of liberation, and its practical course of action. It would be a very erroneous step to combine military causes and the need for defense with the fundamental objective of the Din.

Of course, adopting a complete arrangement for self-defense against attacks by external enemies is also a demand of this Din. Declaring Allah’s sovereignty, conveying the message to rescue human society from servitude to all others besides Allah, launching a revolutionary movement on the basis of this declaration and propagation, expressing distrust of un-Islamic leadership, and establishing a new kind of leadership are also objectives of the Din. As soon as Islam declares its intention to completely reject human dominion and establish the absolute dominion of the One and Only Allah, the jahili society that acknowledges human dominion launches a powerful attack on Islam in order to preserve its own existence. Naturally, the Islamic movement will be compelled to adopt defensive measures to preserve its existence. It is entirely natural for such a situation to arise at the very beginning of the Islamic movement. The question of whether Islam likes such conflict is irrelevant, because such conflict is imposed upon the Islamic movement. Since two mutually opposed ways of life cannot coexist, the insistence of each on preserving its own existence inevitably brings them into conflict. It is because of this practical truth that Islam has no alternative but to fight defensively.

There Is No Compromise with Jahiliyyah

Another, even more important, characteristic of the Islamic way of life is that Islam is inherently determined to liberate all humanity completely from servitude to anyone other than Allah. Therefore, this way of life cannot confine itself within geographical, tribal, or any other restricted boundaries and leave the people of the world in servitude to others. At some point, the anti-Islamic camp may decide, as a tactic, not to take aggressive action against the Islamic movement. In return, it may ask that the jahili social system be maintained in its own territory and that Islam’s campaign to establish the charter of human liberation in its territory be postponed. Islam will not accept a ceasefire of this kind. However, if the opposing camp accepts Islam’s authority and agrees to pay the jizyah tax, its security will be guaranteed. For in that situation it commits itself not to create political obstacles to the propagation of Islam’s message. This is the very nature of the Din. Its course of action is to proclaim Allah’s sovereignty and conduct a campaign to establish worship of Him everywhere in the world. The beginning of this movement from a geographical area is not the same as limiting itself to a geographical nationality. In the first case, the territory is the center of a dynamic revolutionary movement; in the second, the national state is merely a passive territory that abstains from every kind of revolutionary activity.

To understand Islam’s revolutionary role, it is necessary to remember that Islam is Allah’s law given for humanity. No individual, group, class, or tribe formulated this law. Therefore, there is no need to search for external reasons in support of the rationale of Islamic jihad. By searching for such reasons, people forget that abolishing artificial gods through the establishment of a state directed by Allah is itself part of the program of this Din. Those in whose hearts this revolutionary program of the Islamic way of life is alive have no need to seek external causes in support of jihad.

Two Concepts Regarding Islamic Jihad

At the initial level, it is not possible to perceive the difference between two concepts regarding Islamic jihad. One concept is that Islam had to fight against jahiliyyah entirely unwillingly, because its very appearance compelled jahiliyyah to attack Islam. Islam was then compelled to take up arms in self-defense. The other concept is that Islam itself advanced to strike at jahiliyyah and ultimately engaged in intense warfare against it. At the initial level of thought, the difference between these two concepts will not become clear, because both concepts compel Islam to enter the battlefield. But once the destination is reached, it will be understood that there is an enormous difference between the attitudes held by the proponents of the two lines of thought regarding Islam’s objective and significance.

There is a vast difference between accepting Islam as a way of life given by Allah and, on the other hand, considering it a regional ideology. According to the first conception, the objective of the Islamic way of life is that people accept servitude to Allah in the world. In that society, the Divine Law alone is the supreme law. This is Islam in its true form, and this Islam commands the eradication of all forces that obstruct the realization of its objective. Only in this way can human society be liberated from man-made systems of government and the noose of social bonds. According to the second conception, because Islam is considered a regional ideology, when a foreign power attacks the inhabitants of that particular territory, the people of that region are compelled to fight for self-defense. The difference between these two conceptions is extremely clear. In either case, Islam commands jihad. But if jihad begins in two separate circumstances under the influence of the two stated conceptions, their causes, objectives, and results must be entirely different in their fundamental outlook and practical course of action.

Islam does indeed take the initiative in jihad, but Islam is not the property of any country or nation. This way of life given by Allah was revealed for the welfare of the entire world. Therefore, it is extremely necessary to eliminate those social systems and customs that deprive people of their freedom and bind humanity in the chains of servitude. Islam does not attack peoples—it does not seek to impose its ideal upon anyone by force. Its opposition is directed toward customs and ideologies. Human society can be freed from the poisonous influence of false ideals only by changing those customs and ideologies.

Islam can never deviate from its objective of freeing people from servitude to other people and placing them in the service of the One and Only Allah. It is for the attainment of this objective that Islam, through its movement, gives people the opportunity to fully experience freedom. In both its fundamental beliefs and its practical program, true freedom for humanity can be achieved only through the Islamic social system. Allah’s law alone can be impartial and beneficial for rulers and subjects, black and white, rich and poor, close relatives and strangers alike. People of every class must obey this law equally. Under other ways of life, people remain enslaved to one another. Legislation is one aspect of Allah’s power. Any individual or group that claims the right to make laws for people is, in effect, claiming authority belonging to Allah. Whether or not this is uttered verbally, claiming the right to legislate is in reality nothing other than claiming authority belonging to Allah.

Western Misconceptions about Jihad

Among our Muslim writers, those who have been misled by the conditions of the present age and the deceptive criticism of Western writers are not prepared to acknowledge this revolutionary role of the Islamic way of life. Western writers have portrayed Islam as a bloodthirsty ideology. They seek to convince believers that Islam wants to impose its ideal upon others by means of the sword. Yet they know very well that Islam is not like this. Nevertheless, through deception, they are trying to distort the fundamental principles and causes of Islamic jihad. Influenced by this kind of propaganda from Western writers, some Muslim writers among us have also entered the field with the aim of washing the ‘stain of disgrace’ of jihad from Islam’s brow, attempting through complex arguments to prove that Islamic jihad is merely a defensive war. Yet they are ignorant of the nature and fundamental objective of the Islamic way of life. They do not even know that taking the initiative is an inherent demand of Islam as a benevolent ideology for the world. In the minds of so-called researchers whose mentality has been influenced by other nations, Western thought about religion remains active. Westerners believe that religion is the name of a belief, that its place is in the human heart, and that religion has no connection with practical life.

But Islam never taught the kind of religious doctrine mentioned above. Nor was the banner of jihad ever raised under the influence of beliefs resembling those of the West. Islam is the law given by Allah for human life. This way of life establishes the sovereignty of Allah alone as a sign of worshiping and obeying Him. Islam is capable of solving every problem, from the major problems of human life to the smallest details of daily life. Jihad is the all-out effort to establish this system of Allah as a victorious ideal in the heart of society. However, everyone’s freedom in matters of personal creed and belief will remain intact. Islam seeks the complete implementation of its own ideal by removing the obstacles created by those who do not acknowledge people’s freedom to hold opinions and to accept or reject them. As individuals, everyone has the freedom to accept or reject any creed, belief, or opinion. It can readily be understood that there is an enormous difference between the Islamic ideal and the Western conception of religion. Therefore, wherever a society is established as a practical model of the Islamic way of life, it will be the people’s duty, by virtue of the right granted by Allah, to advance, seize political power, and implement the Islamic way of life. It has already been explained that Islam recognizes people’s freedom regarding personal creed and belief.

At the beginning of Islam, Allah temporarily restrained the Muslim Ummah from jihad. This was part of a long-term plan—not a principled decision. In light of this discussion, we will be able to understand the meaning of the Qur’anic verses concerning jihad. Different verses were revealed according to the needs of the various stages of the steadily advancing Islamic movement. When examining these verses, we must remember that they served two kinds of needs. To recover the meaning of the verses revealed at each stage of the movement, it is necessary to remember that stage and its background. Another aspect of the verses is their permanent instruction. These enduring lessons cannot be changed under any circumstances. In conducting the Islamic movement and seeking guidance from the Qur’an’s directives, we must not confuse these two aforementioned aspects of the verses and the Qur’anic instructions.

Chapter Five

The Islamic Way of Life

The foundation of the Islamic way of life is ‘La ilaha illallah,’ meaning that there is no ilah besides Allah. This declaration is the first pillar of Islamic creed, or the first part of the Kalimah Shahadah. It affirms that there is no one worthy of worship besides Allah. ‘Muhammadur Rasulullah’ is the second part of Islamic creed, or the Kalimah Shahadah. It means accepting that the way shown by Muhammadur Rasulullah (peace be upon him) is the correct way to worship Allah.

This Kalimah (declaration), with its two stated parts, becomes firmly rooted in the heart of every believer. For the other matters of faith and the subsequent pillars of Islam are consequences of this declaration. Naturally, belief in the angels, the heavenly Books, the Prophets (peace be upon them), the Hereafter, the good and evil of destiny, and other such matters, as well as all activities including Salah, Sawm, Zakah, Hajj, distinguishing between halal and haram, transactions, laws, advice, and instruction, can be carried out through worshiping Allah and following the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

The Islamic society will present a practical picture of the Kalimah Shahadah and its demands. A society in which the form of the Kalimah Shahadah does not become manifest is not an Islamic society. Therefore, the Kalimah Shahadah is the foundation of a complete way of life, and the great edifice of the Muslim Ummah is built upon this foundation. Unless this foundation is firmly established, no way of life can be formulated. A society built by relying on some foundation other than this one, or by partially mixing another ideal with this foundation in an attempt to formulate a way of life, can in no way be called an Islamic society. Allah the Exalted says—

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“The authority to command belongs exclusively to Allah. He has commanded that none but Him is to be worshiped. And this is the firmly established way of life.” — Yusuf: 40

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“Whoever obeys the Messenger has in fact obeyed Allah.” — An-Nisa: 80

This concise yet decisive declaration guides us in formulating a program for conducting the movement of the true Din and its establishment. First, this declaration determines the nature of Islamic society. Second, it sheds light on the method of forming Islamic society. Third, it tells us what steps must be taken to transform jahili society. Fourth, it explains how to change the prevailing rules and systems of human society. At every stage of the Islamic movement, the need for correct guidance on these matters existed in the past just as it does in the future.

Characteristics of Islamic Society

The characteristic of Islamic society is that every aspect of society is conducted on the basis of worshiping Allah alone. The Kalimah Shahadah acknowledges this worship and determines its method and manner. The society’s creed and beliefs, all acts of worship, laws, and customs merely present practical examples of this worship. Whoever does not believe in the Oneness of Allah is in reality not prepared to worship the One and Only Allah.

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“And He has forbidden obedience to two gods belonging to Allah. There is only one ilah. So fear Me alone. Whatever is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him, and only His Din is in force. Will you still fear others instead of Allah?” — An-Nahl: 51–52

Likewise, whoever bows before any power besides Allah or considers that power a partner of Allah cannot be a servant of the One and Only Allah.

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“Say, O Prophet, ‘Indeed, my Salah, my sacrifice, my life, and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. He has no partner. I have been commanded to do this, and I am the first of those who submit.’” — Al-An‘am: 162–163

Again, whoever abandons the laws introduced by the Messenger (peace be upon him) and undertakes to formulate laws from another source is likewise deprived of sincere worship of Allah.

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“Or have they appointed authorities besides Allah as partners? And has that authority instituted for them a system equivalent to the Din, which Allah has not permitted?” — Ash-Shura: 21

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“Whatever the Messenger gives you, accept it, and whatever he forbids you, refrain from it.” — Al-Hashr: 7

This is the source of authority in Islamic society. Allah’s worship is embodied in the creed and conduct of individuals in society. Likewise, if their acts of worship and ceremonies, collective administration, laws, and social principles remain deprived of the worship of Allah, then that society becomes deprived of Islam in its entirety. For because of such an emptiness, society cannot be built on the foundation of the Kalimah Shahadah.

Only in this way can a society be transformed into an Islamic society. Until an attitude of worship is adopted with complete sincerity, no group can be known as an Islamic group and no society as an Islamic society. For unless the first foundation of Islamic society—the Kalimah ‘La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah’—takes form at every level of society, there is no way for an Islamic society to emerge.

Therefore, the very first step in undertaking to establish an Islamic society must be to free people’s hearts from the tendency toward servitude and obedience to every power besides Allah. Only those whose hearts have been freed from servitude to other powers and attained purity will unite to form an Ummah. Only an Ummah whose creed and beliefs, worship, laws, and all other matters are completely free from obedience to every power besides Allah is worthy of establishing an Islamic society. Those who wish to live an Islamic life will enter this society of their own accord, and their creed and beliefs, worship and devotion, and customs will all become dedicated to the One and Only Allah. In a word, the lives of these individuals will embody the practical form of the Kalimah ‘La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah.’

The first Muslim Ummah was formed in this very way, and as the natural consequence of forming this Ummah, Islamic society came into existence. This is the only path to forming the Muslim Ummah and establishing Islamic society.

The Means of Forming Islamic Society

An Islamic society can be established only after individuals and the community together completely renounce servitude to every power besides Allah. Whether it is complete obedience to other powers or obedience mixed with obedience to Allah Almighty, freedom must be attained from both forms of subjection. For Allah Almighty has no partner. One must resolve to organize life on the basis of surrendering oneself in this way to Allah Almighty. From this resolve a new ummah will be born. Within the bosom of the ancient society founded on jahiliyyah, a new society emerges; through a new creed, a new ideology, and this new mode of life, this new society assumes its full form through the kalimah, ‘There is no deity but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’ The ancient jahili society may dissolve into this new society, reach a compromise with it, or fight against it. History shows us that at the very first initiative to establish an Islamic society, the jahili society declared war against the pioneers of the movement. As soon as a small number of people responded to the call of this movement at its inception, the struggle began from the side of jahiliyyah. As the movement gained strength, their struggle grew more intense. Indeed, even after the establishment of the Islamic society, the group bearing the banner of jahiliyyah continued the fight. From Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him) to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the false society has adopted the same method in response to the call of every prophet.

It is therefore clear that the Muslim ummah cannot be formed until it acquires the strength necessary to repel the attacks of jahiliyyah. And if it is formed, it will not be able to survive at all. Strength must be acquired in every sphere. It is extremely essential to acquire the strength of faith and creed, training and morality, the strength to organize an ummah and sustain it, and—if not to prevail over falsehood—at least the strength capable of repelling the attacks of the forces of falsehood.

Jahiliyyah and Its Remedy

Let us now examine what we mean by a society based on jahiliyyah and how Islam seeks to confront such a society:

Every social system outside an Islamic society is a society based on jahiliyyah. To define such a society more clearly, it must be said that any society whose creed, ideas, acts of worship and customs are not founded on surrender to the One and Only Allah is a society of jahiliyyah.

According to this definition, every society existing in the world today is a society of jahiliyyah.

Communist society is one of these jahili societies. The first proof of this assertion is that this society denies the existence of Allah Almighty and believes that all human activities and history are controlled by economics or by the means and materials of production. Second, all the customs of this society are founded on surrender to the Communist Party—not to Allah. In every communist country of the world, complete control and leadership of the country rests in the hands of the Communist Party. Moreover, the practical consequence of this social system is that human basic needs are treated on the same level as the needs of animals. In this society, no human need beyond the need for food, drink, clothing, shelter and sexual desire is considered. The communist system has completely abandoned the spiritual development of human beings. Yet it is precisely here that the distinction between humans and beasts begins. The first step in spiritual development is belief in Allah and the freedom to publicly declare this belief. Most importantly, this social system deprives people of the freedom to develop their individual selves. The individual self develops through the following:

One: Ownership of private property.

Two: Freedom to choose a profession.

Three: The right and opportunity to acquire special proficiency in any profession.

Four: The right to express one’s attitude through various arts and crafts.

It is through the matters mentioned above that human beings attain superiority over animals and machines. But because the communist system deprives people of these things, they are compelled to descend to the level of beasts and machines.

Pagan society likewise represents the same form of jahiliyyah. Societies of this kind exist in India, Japan, the Philippines and Africa. The characteristics of pagan jahiliyyah are as follows:

One: They worship other imaginary gods alongside Allah—in some cases, they accept other gods instead of Allah.

Two: They have devised detailed rules and procedures for worshipping various gods and goddesses.

Likewise, their laws and customs—in other words, their way of life—are formulated from sources other than the Shariah given by Allah Almighty. These sources include religious priests, astrologers, magicians, community leaders, and bodies that assume full authority to make laws in the name of a nation, party or something else, without attaching the slightest importance to the Shariah given by Allah. Yet absolute authority to legislate belongs to Allah Almighty, and these laws may be implemented only according to the way followed by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).

All societies formed by Jews and Christians are founded on jahiliyyah. They have altered their original creed. They have also attributed some of Allah’s attributes to other powers. They imagine various kinds of relationships between Allah and human beings. They believe certain individuals to be sons of Allah. Again, they divided the One Allah into three and created the doctrine of the Trinity. At times they describe Allah in strange ways, although this description is entirely different from Allah’s true identity.

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“The Jews say, ‘Uzayr is the son of Allah,’ and the Christians say, ‘The Messiah is the son of Allah.’ They repeat these baseless statements, imitating those who came before them. May Allah destroy them! How are they being turned away?” — At-Tawbah: 30

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“They have certainly disbelieved who say, ‘Allah is one of three.’ For there is no deity except One Allah. If they do not desist from what they say, those among them who disbelieve will be afflicted with a painful punishment.” — Al-Ma’idah: 73

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“The Jews say, ‘Allah’s hand is shackled.’ In fact, their own hands are shackled, and they are cursed for what they say. Rather, both His hands are outstretched; He spends as He wills.”

— Al-Ma’idah: 64

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“The Jews and Christians say, ‘We are the children of Allah and His beloved.’ Say, ‘Then why does He punish you for your sins?’ Rather, you are human beings among those He has created.”

— Al-Ma’idah: 18

Everything in the methods of worship, customs and practices of these societies is derived from their erroneous creeds, and for this reason these societies are jahili societies. They are also jahili societies because all their institutions and laws are not founded on submission to the One and Only Allah. They do not follow Allah’s law, nor are they prepared to recognize Allah’s commands as a source of law. Instead, they have granted assemblies composed of human beings full authority to formulate laws. Yet this authority belongs exclusively to Allah. During the era in which the Qur’an was revealed, the Qur’an called those who had granted their religious scholars and priests the authority to formulate laws polytheists.

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“They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah, and also the Messiah, son of Mary. Yet they were commanded to worship none but One Allah. There is no deity except Him. He is far above what they associate with Him.” — At-Tawbah: 31

These people did not regard their scholars and priests as gods, nor did they worship them. However, they followed the rulings of those religious scholars and priests. Allah Almighty had not permitted them to do so. Therefore, the Qur’an called the Jews and Christians of that era polytheists. The same situation exists today; the only difference is that the right to formulate laws has been taken from the hands of religious scholars and priests and entrusted to elected legislative assemblies. Needless to say, the members of legislative assemblies are merely human beings, just like religious scholars.

Finally, it is also noteworthy that the so-called Muslim societies of the present age are likewise jahili societies. They have neither believed in nor worshipped any gods or goddesses besides Allah. Nevertheless, their societies are jahili societies, because they have not determined their way of life on the basis of surrender to the One and Only Allah. Despite believing in the Oneness of Allah, they have entrusted the right to formulate and enforce Allah Almighty’s laws and regulations to people like themselves; by accepting human-made customs, practices, laws, regulations and values of life, they have acknowledged human authority in almost every aspect and sphere of life.

Regarding governance and the formulation of laws, Allah Almighty has said—

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“Those who do not judge according to what Allah has revealed are disbelievers.”

— Al-Ma’idah: 44

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“Have you not seen those who claim, time after time, that they believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you? Yet they seek judgment from the Taghut for the settlement of their disputes and affairs, although they were commanded to reject it. — An-Nisa: 60

Allah Almighty previously declared the Jews and Christians guilty of this crime and accused them of turning away from the worship of Allah through shirk and disbelief, and of granting religious scholars and priests divine authority. Today, those who claim Islam have entrusted these rights to some people like themselves. Just as Allah Almighty called it shirk for the Christians to make Jesus, son of Mary, their ‘Lord’ and ‘Deity’ and worship him, so He called it shirk to grant religious scholars and priests the right to formulate laws and regulations. He made no distinction between these two forms of shirk. Both acts mean abandoning the worship of the One and Only Allah Almighty, deviating from Allah’s religion, and acting contrary to bearing witness that ‘there is no deity but Allah.’

Many among the Muslims also openly believe in secularism. They have no relationship with the Din at all. Others verbally profess belief in the Din but then completely abandon it in practical life. They say that they do not believe in the unseen. They supposedly want to build their social life on the basis of science. In their view, science and matters of the unseen are mutually contradictory. Needless to say, the cause of these statements is ignorance. Only ignorant people can make such statements. Some societies have handed the right to formulate laws and regulations to others besides Allah. Those lawmakers formulate laws according to their own desires and say, ‘This is Allah’s Shariah.’ Although these societies differ in various ways, they share one common feature: they do not surrender to Allah.

The foregoing discussion has clarified Islam’s view of all kinds of jahili societies. In a word, Islam regards these societies as non-Islamic societies. Whatever their outward labels may be, inwardly they are all identical in this respect: they have not formulated a way of life on the basis of complete surrender to the One and Only Allah Almighty. In this regard, they follow the path of disbelief according to the practice of jahili societies.

We now face the final question. The matter was mentioned at the very beginning of this chapter. The question is: by what means does Islam purify human activities and conduct? How has it done so in the past, and what means will it adopt for this purpose in the near and distant future? In the discussion entitled ‘The Nature of Muslim Society,’ we explained that this society makes decisions in all matters on the basis of complete surrender to Allah Almighty.

Once the characteristics of Muslim society have been established, it becomes easy for us to find the answer to the following question: On what basis will the human way of life be formulated? Will the Din and way of life given by Allah Almighty be suitable for human beings, or a system created by humans?

In answer to this question, Islam tells us in an extremely clear and forceful manner that only Allah’s Din and the way of life derived from it constitute a workable system for humanity. Without accepting this Din, the first pillar of Islam, ‘There is no deity but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,’ can never be established, and the kalimah will have no effect in any sphere of life. Without adopting this principle wholeheartedly and following it faithfully, complete surrender to Allah Almighty in accordance with the Prophet’s teaching is impossible. Allah Almighty has said:

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“Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it.” — Al-Hashr: 7

Moreover, Islam has also posed this question to humanity—

—————- “Do you know more, or does Allah know more?” Then, while giving the answer to this question Himself, He says—

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That is, “You have been given only a little knowledge.” It must be accepted quite naturally that the One in whose hand is the storehouse of knowledge is the Creator and Sustainer; He alone is the ruler of humanity, and only the way of life given by Him can be the correct way of life for humankind. His command alone shall be the source of law and regulation. Breakdown and destruction arise from human-made ways of life, laws and regulations. For people formulate laws with incomplete knowledge and, in some cases, ignorance. Consequently, those laws become inconsistent and unsuitable after a short time. Moreover, ignorance and incomplete knowledge give rise to various complications.

Allah’s Din is not a collection of temporary, wavering principles. Through the latter half of the kalimah, the phrase ‘Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,’ the fundamental principles of the Islamic way of life have been made definite and immutable. The picture and fundamental principles of Islam established by Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) are eternal. In any matter concerning which the Qur’an or the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) has clearly declared a principle, that stated principle shall form the basis of the decision. Only when no clear instruction is found on a matter should a decision be made through ijtihad (reflection and research). It must be remembered, however, that ijtihad must be conducted within the bounds of the fundamental principles given by Allah Almighty and His beloved Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). No decision may be made according to one’s own wishes.

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“If you differ over anything, refer it back to Allah and the Messenger.” — An-Nisa: 59

The rules for conducting ijtihad and for reaching a decision by analogy between one matter and another compatible matter have also been established. These rules are extremely clear and universally known. But no one has the right to declare laws and regulations of their own making to be Allah’s Shariah. However, if Allah’s sovereignty is acknowledged, if He alone is accepted as the rightful authority to formulate Allah’s laws and regulations, and if laws are formulated sincerely according to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), rather than placing any nation, party or individual in that position of honor, then those laws and regulations must rightly be accepted as Allah’s Shariah. But no one has the right to formulate laws according to personal desires by using Allah’s name, as in the European church. Islam has no ecclesiastical system. No human being besides the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has been granted the authority to issue regulations on behalf of Allah.

Islam has imposed certain conditions and defined limits for ijtihad. No one has the authority to transgress these limits.

The expression ‘a way of life for life’ is often interpreted in a very wrong sense and used in a highly inappropriate manner. Certainly, Islam was revealed to make the way of human life easy. But what kind of life? The Islamic ideal of life was established so that people might live according to a way of life and system founded on Islam’s own fundamental principles. This ideal is completely compatible with human nature and capable of fulfilling all human needs, for the Creator of human beings knows best the needs of His creation.

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“Does He who created not know what He created? He is the Subtle, the All-Aware.” — Al-Mulk: 14

It is not the function of the Din to allow people to live according to their own desires while Islam supports all their good and bad actions. The Din is the criterion of good and evil. Whatever is proved good by this criterion is acceptable, and whatever is proved evil is to be rejected. If the entire structure of the established society is based on an ideology contrary to the Din, then Islam’s objective is to change the whole social structure and establish a new society. This, then, is the correct interpretation of ‘a way of life for life’: the purpose of the Din, or way of life, is to shape life according to the way of life.

It may be asked here: is promoting human welfare not the best criterion for solving problems? In answer, we again quote the question raised by Islam and the answer given by Islam. The question is—

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“Do you possess more knowledge, or Allah? The answer is

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“Allah possesses true knowledge, and you are ignorant.” — Aal ‘Imran: 66

The Shariah that Allah Almighty has formulated and what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) has conveyed to us were ordained precisely to fulfill human needs. If anyone thinks that there is no welfare for humanity in following the way of life given by Allah, but that welfare lies in disobedience, then first of all that person is immersed in a false notion. Allah Almighty has said about them—

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“They follow only assumptions and their own desires, although guidance from their Lord has already come to them. Is a human being to have whatever he wishes? Yet to Allah belongs the good of this world and the Hereafter.” — An-Najm: 23–25

Second, that person should understand that the attitude he has adopted toward Allah’s Shariah is merely another name for disbelief. After declaring that human prosperity and welfare lie in violating the commands and prohibitions of the Shariah, how can a person be known as a follower of the Din? After violating the Shariah, no one can in any way be regarded as religious.

Chapter Six

A Universal Way of Life

Islam establishes the foundation of human creed and way of life upon complete surrender to Allah. This surrender to Allah is expressed by maintaining harmony among its fundamental ideas, acts of worship, and all the rules and regulations formulated for living. The practical form of the kalimah, ‘There is no deity but Allah,’ becomes manifest through human conduct as servants. Second, in order to formulate detailed laws and regulations in every sphere of life, one must follow the path demonstrated by Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).

These two parts of the Kalimah, taken together, define the outline and characteristics of the social structure founded on the Islamic way of life. Naturally, this social structure gives birth to an unparalleled society, entirely different from all societies created by human beings. This new and distinctive society introduced by Islam becomes completely harmonious with the natural laws prevailing throughout the universe, including the human body.

According to the Islamic view, the entire universe is Allah’s creation. Allah Ta‘ala willed to create the universe, and as a result this vast world came into existence. Then He ordained certain laws and regulations for the created world, which it began to follow. It is noteworthy that the laws prevailing in different parts of the created world, known as natural laws, are completely harmonious and consistent with one another.

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“When We intend to create something, We merely say, ‘Be’—and it comes into being.” — An-Nahl: 40

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“He created everything and precisely assigned each of them its proper place.” — Al-Furqan:

An unseen will is controlling the created world. A tremendous power is directing every atom and molecule of creation. A firm law has bound this vast universe in the bonds of order. This power maintains balance among the various parts of creation and controls the movement of the world in motion. That is why the different parts of creation never clash. Disorder appears nowhere; its natural motion never suddenly comes to a halt. Nor do the forces existing in the universe ever become separated from one another. As long as the Creator directs them in this manner, they will proceed according to His will. The entire created world is obedient to the Creator. The created world has no power to violate His laws or disobey Him. It is through steadfast obedience to the Creator and complete surrender before Him that the entire created world remains sound and continues to perform its respective duties without the slightest disorder anywhere.

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“Surely Allah Ta‘ala is your Lord, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself upon the Throne. He causes the day to cover the night with darkness and makes the night revolve behind the day. He alone created the sun, the moon, and the stars. All are obedient to His command. Remember, creation belongs to Him, so this creation will proceed only according to His command. He is Most Exalted, the Lord and Sovereign of the entire universe.”

The Biological Aspect of the Human Body

Human beings are a part of this great universe. The biological aspect of the human body also follows the laws and regulations observed by the created world. Allah Ta‘ala alone is the Creator of the universe and of humankind. The human body was created from clay. Yet Allah Ta‘ala granted human beings certain qualities through which they attained a much higher status than the clay, the basic substance of their creation. Nevertheless, in its biological aspect, the human body follows the laws of the created world just like other living beings. Human beings are born by Allah’s will, not by the will of their parents. Parents may unite with each other, but they have no power to form a human being from a single drop of semen. Human beings are born by following the laws Allah has established concerning the beginning of human life in the womb, the period of gestation, birth, and so forth. They breathe in the atmosphere created by Allah according to the method and measure He has prescribed. In every matter—the acquisition of sensation and understanding, the experience of pain and distress, hunger and thirst, and eating and drinking—they are compelled to follow the laws prescribed by Allah. In this respect, there is no difference between human beings and the other animate and inanimate creations. All have surrendered unconditionally to Allah’s will and decree.

The great Allah Ta‘ala who created the vast universe and humankind, and who created the human biological body subject to the natural laws, has also prescribed a Shariah for human practical life. If human beings follow this Shariah, their practical life becomes harmonious with their bodily nature. From this perspective, it becomes clear that the Islamic Shariah is itself a part of the universal natural law, and that this natural law governs the human body and biological being. Every word of Allah—whether command or prohibition, glad tidings or warning, law or counsel—is merely a different part of Allah’s universal decree. These laws and decrees are known as natural laws, and this ever-active law is always perfect and effective. The Shariah prescribed for human life is likewise firm and effective, as part of the unchanging and timeless law whose dominance we observe throughout the universe from the beginning of creation. The objective of the Shariah given by Allah is to organize human life in complete harmony with the general natural laws prevailing in the created world.

Therefore, following Allah’s Shariah is indispensable for human beings, because only through following this Shariah can human life become harmonious with the course of the created world. Not only that, Allah’s Shariah alone can harmonize the moral laws of human practical life with the natural and biological laws operating in the human body. Only in this way can the inner and outer personalities of human beings become well integrated.

It is not possible for human beings to comprehend the true nature of all the laws of creation. Nor can they understand the thread that unites these laws. They cannot always grasp the underlying purpose of the natural laws operating in their bodies, laws whose biological regulations they cannot violate even for a moment. Therefore, human beings have no capacity to formulate a way of life for themselves that preserves harmony with the created world. They are incapable even of devising a well-balanced system suited to the inner and outer needs of their own bodies. This task is entirely within the authority of the Creator of humankind and the universe. He controls not only the natural world but every aspect of human practical life, and according to His own will He formulates and promulgates impartial and faultless laws and regulations for all.

Therefore, submission to the Shariah is extremely important for establishing harmony among the various aspects and departments of life and for strengthening Islamic faith and creed. For it is impossible to become a true Muslim without complete surrender before Allah Ta‘ala according to the path shown by Muhammad (peace be upon him). In other words, unless the two parts of Islam’s first pillar—‘There is no god but Allah’ and ‘Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’—are manifested in people’s real lives, no sphere of individual or collective life becomes illuminated by the light of Islam.

Establishing harmony between human life and natural laws is highly beneficial for human beings. This arrangement is essential for protecting human life from disintegration and disaster. It is indispensable to formulate a well-balanced system in harmony with the natural world in order to attain peace within oneself and the comforts and benefits arising from peaceful coexistence with the natural world. In this same way, people will experience happiness and peace in their minds, because their way of life will be capable of meeting the natural demands of their bodies. Then the biological needs of the body and the human way of life will not oppose one another.

Allah Ta‘ala’s Shariah very easily establishes harmony between people’s outward conduct and inner needs. When human beings succeed in establishing a relationship of harmony and cooperation with nature, cooperation and complementary relationships naturally arise in their mutual relations and in conducting the ordinary struggle of life. For when people become accustomed to living in harmony with the natural world, their way of life and the laws of nature come under the overall system governing the universe. Consequently, disharmony and mutual contradiction in the collective aspect of human life disappear, and a sound and perfect social system emerges. Humanity attains welfare, happiness, and peace.

As a result of this system, the hidden mysteries of the natural world are revealed to human beings. The countless hidden powers of the expanding universe and its resources come under their control. The servants of Allah employ these forces and resources of nature for the welfare of humankind in accordance with Allah’s Shariah. No conflict arises anywhere. There is no contradiction between human beings and the natural world. Personal greed and desire cannot raise their heads against Allah’s Shariah. Allah Ta‘ala says—

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“Had the Supreme Truth followed their desires, the order of the heavens, the earth, and all that lies between them would have been disrupted and ruined.” — Al-Mu’minun: 71

The Supreme Truth Is Indivisible — The discussion above has shown that the Supreme Truth is a complete unity. The foundation of the Din rests upon it. All the systems of the heavens and the earth have been established on the basis of the Supreme Truth. All matters of this world and the Hereafter will be decided according to the Supreme Truth, and people will have to answer before Allah concerning this Supreme Truth. Allah Ta‘ala will punish transgressors with the justice of the Supreme Truth, and He will judge people’s actions by its standard. The law by which the vast universe is governed and controlled is itself another name for the Supreme Truth. Everything in the created world, whether animate or inanimate, has surrendered to this Supreme Truth, and all creation is bound by its firm bonds.

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“In the Book We have sent down to you, there is mention of your own affairs. Will you not understand? How many wrongdoing towns have We destroyed, replacing them with other nations. When Our punishment descended upon them, they began to flee. (They were told,) ‘Do not flee. Return to your homes and places of amusement; there you will be questioned about what you did.’ They cried, ‘Alas for our misfortune! Indeed, we were wrongdoers.’ They continued crying out in anguish until We reduced them to ruin and annihilation. We did not create the heavens, the earth, and what lies between them as a game. Had We intended to make toys, We could have produced playthings by another means. But We strike falsehood with the Supreme Truth, crushing its head, and falsehood vanishes. Your destruction lies in the very fabrications you utter. To Allah belongs everything created in the heavens and the earth. Those angels who are with Him never refrain from worshipping Allah out of pride, nor do they become humbled. They glorify Him night and day and never deviate even slightly.” — Al-Anbiya: 10–12

The Created World Is Founded upon the Supreme Truth

Deep within human nature there exists a full awareness of the Supreme Truth. The form and structure of the human body, the nature of its constitution, and the artistry and materials of the vast created world around it remind people that the universe is founded upon the Supreme Truth. The Supreme Truth is its basic substance, taking the form of a powerful central law that grants creation permanence and firmness. That is why disorder appears nowhere in the created world. One part does not clash with another. Nothing appears to occur without purpose. Nor is there any sound reason to regard anything in the whole of creation as the result of mere accident. Nothing in creation is without a plan, nor is there even the slightest sign here of the bizarre activity of deranged human beings. Rather, the created world is seen moving freely along a definite course under strict discipline and order. When people deviate from the Supreme Truth hidden in the deepest recesses of their hearts and begin to move contrary to their own nature, giving priority to their own opinions instead of Allah’s decree under pressure from their unruly impulses, disaster begins. Instead of surrendering to the Lord of the universe in harmony with the entire created world, people declare rebellion; then unrest appears everywhere.

The Consequences of Deviating from the Supreme Truth

Once contradiction and conflict begin between human beings, their own nature, and the natural world, they gradually spread and create separation and hostility among individuals, groups and parties, and different nations and tribes. As a result, all the powers and resources of the universe, instead of being employed for human progress and welfare, become causes of humankind’s destruction.

The discussion above shows that the purpose of establishing Allah’s decree in this world is not merely the welfare of the Hereafter. This world and the Hereafter are not two separate things; rather, each complements the other. The Shariah given by Allah Ta‘ala establishes harmony between the two and connects human life with the firm laws and regulations prevailing in the universe. As a result of harmonizing human life with the laws prevailing in the universe, people become worthy of attaining boundless good fortune and welfare, and this benefit is not postponed solely for the Hereafter. Rather, its fruits also appear in worldly life. Of course, the benefits of the Islamic way of life will attain their completion in the Hereafter.

The fundamental points of the Islamic conception of the created world and of human beings as a part of that world have been discussed above. This conception is entirely different from all the beliefs and ideas prevalent in the world. For this reason, the Islamic conception of the created world and humankind does not impose certain duties and obligations upon people. According to the Islamic conception, there must be complete harmony between human life and the created world, and between human nature and the laws prevailing in the natural world. People will thereby be able to live as servants of Allah, and no human being will strive to establish mastery over another.

What we have discussed above can be clearly understood from the conversation between Ibrahim (peace be upon him), the father of the Muslim Ummah, and Nimrod. Nimrod was a tyrannical ruler. He claimed divinity. But he did not claim divinity over the natural world, outer space, the planets, and the stars. Before him, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) presented the argument that in human life sovereignty can belong only to the One whose absolute power is established over the natural world—not to anyone else. Nimrod could not answer this argument at all.

In the Holy Qur’an, Allah Ta‘ala has described the incident in the following words—

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“Have you considered the person who argued with Ibrahim (peace be upon him) about his Lord because Allah Ta‘ala had granted him a kingdom? When Ibrahim (peace be upon him) said, ‘My Lord is He in whose hand are life and death,’ the man replied, ‘I am the master of life and death.’ Ibrahim then said, ‘Well, Allah brings the sun up from the east every day; then bring it up from the west.’ Thereupon the disbeliever was silenced. Allah Ta‘ala does not guide the wrongdoers to the straightforward path.”

Allah Ta‘ala has again said with complete truth—

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“Do they seek a way other than obedience to Allah Ta‘ala, while everything in the heavens and the earth submits to Him willingly or unwillingly? And to Him they will all be returned.” — Aal Imran: 83

Chapter Seven

Islam Is the True Civilization

The Fundamental Difference between Islamic and Jahili Societies

Islam recognizes only two kinds of society: one is the Islamic society and the other is the Jahili society. The society in which Islam holds overall authority, and in which Islam’s dominance prevails in all matters—people’s faith and beliefs, worship, laws and regulations, state administration, moral character, mutual dealings, and so forth—is the Islamic society. Conversely, the society in which the superiority of Islamic beliefs and laws, customs, Islamic morality, and principles of exchange and interaction has not been recognized is the Jahili society.

A society is not an Islamic society merely because it is formed by people bearing the name ‘Muslim’ while granting the Islamic Shariah legal status. Nor can it be an Islamic society merely because arrangements for Salat, Sawm, Hajj, and Zakat exist. Rather, its leaders have freed themselves from observing the laws given by the Messenger (peace be upon him), invented a new version of Islam according to their own wishes, and named it ‘Progressive Islam.’

Jahili society takes various forms. But its essential form is remaining deprived of the knowledge given by Allah. At times it even denies the existence of Allah Ta‘ala and interprets human history as dialectical materialism. The social system formed on the basis of this doctrine is called ‘scientific socialism.’ At other times, Jahili society takes another form. It does not deny Allah’s existence, but confines His authority and lordship to the heavens and the upper world, banishing His commands and prohibitions from the earth. Allah’s Shariah is not implemented in this society. Nor are the eternal and everlasting values that Allah Ta‘ala Himself prescribed for human life respected in it. The officials of this society permit people to worship Allah Ta‘ala within the four walls of mosques, temples, and churches. But they are not prepared to recognize the supremacy of the Shariah given by Allah in people’s practical lives. In this respect, they oppose Allah’s sovereignty on earth, because in practical life they reject Allah’s Shariah. Yet Allah Ta‘ala has said in the clearest words—

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“He is Allah, the Sovereign Lord of the heavens and of the earth as well.” The society that Allah Ta‘ala has called the ‘Din al-Qayyim’ in the following verse is not the pure society described above.

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“The authority to command and legislate belongs exclusively to Allah. He has commanded that none but Him may be worshipped. And this is the ‘Din al-Qayyim’ (a well-balanced and firmly established way of life).” — Yusuf: 40

Despite proclaiming a thousand times their belief in Allah’s existence and granting people unrestricted freedom to go to mosques, temples, and churches for worship, a society of this type will still be regarded as a Jahili society because it rejects Allah Ta‘ala’s commands in practical life.

Only the Islamic Society Is Truly Civilized

In light of the definition of Islamic society that we gave at the beginning of this chapter, it would not be inappropriate to say that the Islamic society alone is the truly civilized society. Whatever form the Jahili society may take, it is backward and devoid of civilization in its fundamental way of thinking.

Once, when I submitted a book I had written to the press for publication, I announced its title as ‘The Civilized Islamic Society.’ But in a later announcement I dropped the word ‘civilized’ and titled the book simply ‘The Islamic Society.’ An Algerian author writing in French noticed this change in the title of my book and commented that I had supposedly made such a change under the influence of a defensive attitude while taking up the pen in Islam’s defense. He expressed regret and said that because my thinking about Islam was immature, I was unable to face reality. I consider the said Algerian author deserving of forgiveness. I too once held an attitude like his, and when I first began writing on this subject, I thought exactly as he does today. The difficulty he faces today was the very difficulty I experienced at that time. The question is: What is the definition of civilization? Until that time, although I had been attracted to the Islamic ideal, I had not been able to remove the influence of misguided culture from my mind and intellect. Despite the literature and thought of Western writers being contrary to my Islamic faith and beliefs, they had clouded my mind. The Western definition of civilization was my standard of judgment. Consequently, I could not examine every matter with a sound and subtle perspective.

Later, my vision became clear, and I realized plainly that ‘Islamic society’ itself means a civilized society. Thus, when reconsidering the title of the book under discussion, I understood that the word ‘civilized’ was unnecessary in that title. Rather, using that word would cause readers’ thinking to fall into the same confusion as the thinking of the earlier period. Now let us see what the word civilization means.

If sovereignty in a society is entrusted solely to Allah, and as its practical proof the supremacy of Allah’s Shariah is recognized at every level of that society, then only in such a society can people attain genuine and complete freedom from the servitude of human beings. This genuine and complete freedom is another name for “human civilization.” For human civilization requires a standard under which every person can enjoy true freedom in full and acquire all human rights without hindrance. Conversely, in a society where a few people occupy the position of “lords” and “legislators of the Shariah,” all the remaining people are subservient to them and are deprived of all basic human rights.

In this connection, it should be mentioned that legislation is not limited merely to formulating laws. Today, many people hold such a narrow conception of Shariah. In reality, ideas, the pattern of life, the values of life, the standards of acceptance and rejection, habits, and customs—all are influenced by law. If a particular group separates these matters from the commands of Allah Most High and imprisons the people of society within a code of conduct devised by itself, then that society cannot be called a free society. In such a society, some people sit enthroned as lords, possessing rububiyyah or sovereignty, while all the rest are compelled to serve and submit to them. Therefore, this society will be regarded as backward; in Islamic terminology, it is the truly jahili society.

Only in Islamic society is Allah’s sovereignty established, and people break the chains of servitude to their fellow human beings and devote themselves to servitude to Allah. It is through this path that people taste true freedom and attain the dignity and honor bestowed by Allah. Having been appointed Allah’s khalifah on earth, a person gains greater glory than even the angels.

The Fundamental Difference Between Islam and Jahili Society

In a society whose ideas, creed, and way of life are all founded on the sovereignty of Allah alone, people attain the highest dignity and glory. For there no person is the slave of another, and the ideas, creed, and way of life of that society are not products of the minds of one or more people claiming lordship. Only in such a society do the hidden abilities and qualities of the human self and intellect fully develop. Conversely, in a society where race, lineage, language, and geographical territory are accepted as the basis of mutual relations, these supposed bonds of unity place various chains of restrictions on humanity’s feet, with the result that people have no opportunity to develop their higher qualities. People can live free from the confines of race, language, and territory. When the development of the soul and intellect is obstructed, a person no longer retains human dignity. A person can voluntarily change his ideas, creed, and way of life. But it is not possible to change race, lineage, blood, or geographical nationality. A person is unable to choose voluntarily to be born into a particular lineage or region. Thus, a society that recognizes the right to adopt opinions and ways with the help of an independent conscience and intellect is a civilized society; but a society in which there is no scope for examining and choosing the true path through conscience and intellect is backward and devoid of civilization. In Islamic terminology, such a society is called a jahili society.

Only Islamic society binds people to one another in an unbreakable bond of brotherhood on the basis of creed, and through that creed brings black and white, Arab and Greek, Persian and Negro, and the nations divided into hundreds of groups throughout the world into one line and incorporates them into a single ummah. The supreme authority in this society belongs solely to Allah, and people bow only before Him, not before anyone else. The more elevated a person’s character, the higher his status in this society. In the eyes of the law given by Allah, all people in society are equal.

A society in which humanity is given the highest place and the cultivation of human character is given priority is materialism. Of course, materialism appears in different forms at different times. For example, one may mention the elevation of matter to the highest status in the Marxist interpretation of history, or refer to the United States, Europe, and other societies, where humanity is slaughtered on the sacrificial ground of material goods. Such a society is certainly a backward-looking society and, in Islamic terminology, a jahili society.

A civilized society, that is, an Islamic society, does not regard material goods with contempt. Islam does not hesitate to assign matter its proper value, nor does it deny the importance of producing material goods. Rather, Islam recognizes that the world in which we live, by which our lives are affected and over which we also exert influence in many matters, is composed of matter. Islam also recognizes that the production of material goods is the backbone of Allah’s earthly khilafah. The difference is simply that Islamic society does not favor worshipping material goods by abandoning human qualities such as human freedom and dignity, mutual customs, morality, and values in exchange for material comfort and luxury. In contrast, jahili society does not hesitate to crush human values and dignity for the sake of obtaining an abundance of material goods.

A society in which human values and elevated human character prevail is a civilized society. Human values and elevated human character are not obscure or inexplicable matters. Contrary to the claims of materialist interpreters of history or so-called scientific socialists, human values and elevated character are not ideals that change along with the means of production or are disconnected from any central point. In reality, Islam draws a line of distinction between values and the animal. As a result, human beings advance beyond the level of animals and attain the level of humanity. Unlike jahili society, the values and standards of character of this society do not reduce people to the level of animals.

The True Standard of Civilization

If we examine the matter from this perspective, a clear line of demarcation emerges between Islam and jahiliyyah, and despite the persistent futile efforts of so-called progressive and scientific socialists, the importance of moral values is not diminished in the slightest. The Islamic view is that circumstances and changing conditions cannot alter moral values. Rather, moral values remain permanent, disregarding all changes of time and environment. Therefore, there is no justification for dividing morality into agricultural, industrial, capitalist, socialist, bourgeois, and proletarian morality. In reality, moral values are completely free from the influence of environment, economic conditions, and the stage of social development. These changes are very temporary and artificial. On the other hand, through highly realistic analysis we can conclude that values and standards of character are divided into only two categories. One is human values and human standards of character; the other is animal-like values and standards of character. In Islamic terminology, we may call these “Islamic values” and “Islamic standards of character,” and “jahili values” and “jahili standards of character.”

Islam certainly raises people from animality to a higher status through the cultivation of human values and standards of character. Wherever the Islamic way of life is established, it awakens those moral standards and values and takes care to improve and strengthen them. This society awakens the same standards of character and human values in all kinds of societies—among farmers, laborers, Bedouins, herders, urban and rural inhabitants, the rich and the poor, industrialists and capitalists alike—and develops people’s human qualities and attributes in all conditions and environments, so that animal-like character never emerges in them. The human values and moral character mentioned above elevate people above the level of animals, and when this boundary of values and standards of character is erased, human decline begins. Even if such a society, fallen from the level of humanity, possesses abundance and material progress, it cannot be called civilized. Rather, it will be regarded as a declining, backward, or jahili society.

The Importance of Family Conduct in the Development of Civilization

If the family is regarded as the foundation of society, family responsibilities are distributed between husband and wife according to their innate characteristics and natural abilities, and the upbringing and training of children are made the aim of the family, then this society will undoubtedly be considered civilized. The kind of family environment described in the Islamic way of life provides a field for creating human values and elevated character in succeeding generations. Conversely, if unrestricted sexual relations and illegitimate children form the foundation of society, and physical desire, sexual appetite, and animal-like excitement determine relations between men and women; if family responsibilities are not distributed between husband and wife according to innate characteristics and natural abilities; if the role of women is merely to make themselves attractive to other men in order to create sexual appeal; if women are freed from the responsibility of raising children and, voluntarily or under the influence of the social environment, devote their abilities to increasing material wealth as air hostesses, ship stewards, and hotel attendants; and if increasing wealth is regarded as more profitable and honorable than increasing the human race, then that society is a jahili society.

The nature of family customs and marital relations can itself determine whether a particular society is sound. If these relations are confined merely to the fulfillment of physical needs and animal instincts, then no matter how advanced that society may be in industry and science, it cannot be considered civilized. The family presents an accurate picture for judging the overall progress or decline of any society.

A Sample of Western Civilization

In all the jahili societies of the present age, the moral qualities that distinguish human beings from animals have been abandoned. In these societies, illicit sexual relations—even homosexuality—are not considered signs of immorality. Morality has been confined to the spheres of economics and politics, because in these two spheres morality is considered necessary for governmental interests. As an example, the sexual scandal involving Christine Keeler and the British minister Profumo may be mentioned. British society did not regard the matter as shameful on the grounds of sexual wrongdoing. Since Christine Keeler had sexual relations not only with the British minister Profumo but also, at the same time, with a naval officer at the Russian embassy, it was the possibility of state secrets being disclosed that was considered blameworthy. The sexual scandal itself was not declared a crime at all. The most disgraceful matter was that the minister had made a false statement in the British Parliament, and later that false statement was exposed. Those among American citizens who became involved in similar espionage-related scandals received political asylum in Russia. There too, no objection was raised to granting asylum to persons involved in sexual offenses.

Writers, journalists, litterateurs, and storytellers in all jahili societies, near and far, whether unmarried or married, openly advise unrestricted sexual relations and express the view that this is not a moral offense. In their view, however, if a young man or woman comes together without genuine, sincere love, that is a crime. If a wife, despite having no love in her heart for her husband, continues to protect her honor and chastity, then in that society the woman is condemned. Rather, finding another lover in such circumstances is praised. Dozens of stories are written in support of adopting this course. Through editorials, general articles, serious and light features, and cartoons in newspapers, people are urged toward a filthy and shameless way of life.

From a human perspective and according to the standard of humanity’s progressive development, a society of the aforementioned kind is backward and devoid of civilization.

The upward course of human development proceeds from the level of animal instinct toward higher values. To satisfy the desires arising from the animal instincts in human nature, developing societies introduced the family system. Along with fulfilling the body’s biological needs, this system emphasizes raising future generations and training them so that they develop with fully human qualities. Human civilization can survive in this way. Naturally, a society that is eager both to control people’s animal instincts and to provide full opportunities for the development of human qualities must adopt an adequate degree of precautionary measures to preserve family purity, peace, and order. Such measures are essential to give the family an opportunity to perform its fundamental duties free from the influence of physical excitement. But in a society where anti-moral education and a poisonous surrounding environment prevail, and where sexual promiscuity is not considered contrary to moral values, what opportunity is there for humanity to develop?

Therefore, only Islamic values and morality, and Islamic education and defensive system, constitute the proper arrangement for human society. Through the permanent, unalterable, and correct measures adopted for the development of human society, this truth is recognized: Islamic civilization is the true civilization, and Islamic society is the genuinely civilized society.

God-Fearing Civilization and Material Progress

When people establish Allah’s khilafah on earth, they devote themselves, as required by the khilafah, to servitude to Allah alone and free themselves from servitude to every power other than Allah. They implement the way of life given by Allah, abandon all human-made ideologies of life, follow Allah’s Shariah, and reject every other kind of law. They accept the values and standards of character determined by Allah and refuse to accept all other standards. With the establishment of the divine khilafah, people’s conduct changes in the manner described above on the one hand. On the other hand, they engage in thought and research to uncover the laws governing the created world. They apply the results of this research for the welfare of humanity, keeping them within the commandments and prohibitions given by Allah Most High. As Allah’s khalifah, a person gathers from creation food supplies and raw materials for industry, and advances the establishment and development of various industries through the application of technical and scientific knowledge. When people perform all the necessary tasks for material progress with God-fearing hearts as Allah’s representatives, and remain conscious of Allah’s commandments and prohibitions in all moral and material affairs, only then do they become fully civilized. Their society reaches the highest summit of civilization. Islam does not regard mere material progress as civilization, because jahili society also achieves material progress. In many places, the Qur’an has called societies of this kind jahili societies despite their material progress.

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“What is the matter with you that you build great palaces on every high place merely as monuments? When one sees the huge palaces you have built, it seems that you will live forever in this world. Whenever you lay hands upon anyone, you do so as tyrants. Fear Allah and obey me—the One who has bestowed upon you many things that you know. Live in fear of Him. He has given you livestock, children, gardens, and springs. I fear for you the punishment of a terrible day.”

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“Do you think you will live happily forever amid these gardens and springs with whatever worldly goods you possess? Amid these cultivated fields and date gardens laden with ripe fruit? You carve mountains and build huge houses as symbols of pride. Fear Allah and obey Him. Do not live in obedience to those who spread disorder and corruption on earth and do not establish peace and order.”

“When they forgot the admonitions they had been given, We opened for them the gates of ease. Then, while they were exulting in the worldly abundance We had given them, We suddenly seized them, and they became utterly hopeless. Thus We annihilated the root of the wrongdoing people. All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” — Al-An‘am: 44–45

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“When the earth was adorned with flowers and fruits, the cultivated fields were laden with crops, and their owners believed they would profit from those crops, Our command came upon them unexpectedly, by night or by day. We destroyed them so completely that no trace of their existence remained.” — Yunus: 24

We have already mentioned that Islam is not opposed to material progress or to the discovery and acquisition of material goods. Rather, material progress under the way of life given by Allah has been called a blessing from Allah. Allah Most High also gives people the good news of that blessing as a reward for obeying and submitting to Him.

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“(Prophet Noah said,) I told my people: Ask forgiveness from your Lord—surely He is Forgiving. He will send abundant rain upon you, strengthen you with wealth and children, grant you gardens, and provide flowing rivers for you.” — Nuh: 10–12

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“If the people of the towns had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened for them the blessings of the heavens and the earth. But they rejected the truth, so We seized them for their evil deeds.” — Al-A‘raf: 96

Material progress alone is not the measure of the standard of human society. It is the ideas on which the vast edifice of material and industrial progress is built, the values of life that hold society together, and the imprint of human civilization that emerges through the conduct and customs of society as a whole—these, in reality, determine the standard of a society.

The Gradual Development of Islamic Society

Because Islamic society comes into existence through a movement and takes the form of an excellent way of life, it possesses unprecedented characteristics. Therefore, the outlook, attitude, and program required to establish a jahili society can in no way be effective in the movement to establish an Islamic society. Islamic society is born through a long period of life-and-death struggle. The methods of conducting this struggle are also circumscribed by Islam’s boundaries. It is this struggling movement that determines the value and status of every individual in society and, after assessing each person properly, assigns social responsibilities and duties. The movement from whose womb Islamic society is born derives its ideas and program from a source beyond the material world and above the limits of human power. The source of this struggling movement is faith, or iman, revealed by Allah to humanity. This faith creates a particular conception of the created world, human life, human history, and the value and purpose of life, and also provides a way of life suited to living according to this conception. In short, the source of the Islamic movement lies beyond the human mind and brain, or the material world; it lies beyond human knowledge and intellect and the material world. The principal characteristic of the formation of Islamic society is faith revealed from the higher world.

The creed revealed from the higher world does not arise from human thought, research, effort, or expedience. The iman received through divine revelation sows the seed of the Islamic movement and simultaneously prepares people to conduct the struggle. When the divine message of iman reaches someone who believes that this message has been revealed by Allah, the work of sowing the seed begins through that person. Such a person does not keep his faith suppressed in his heart and sit inactive. Rather, he begins striving to convey to others the message in which he has believed. This is the nature of iman. The very nature of a strong and active movement is dynamism. The Powerful Being from the higher world who kindles the light of iman in people’s hearts knows very well that the light of iman does not remain confined within the heart; rather, it spreads rays of light throughout the vast earth.

When the number of believers reaches three, this very iman tells them, “Now you have become a society, and this society is a distinctive Islamic society. Your society is entirely different in nature from the prevailing jahili society, because the jahili society is not being governed according to your iman.” Once three believers have organized themselves, a concrete model of Islamic society emerges.

The number of believers grows from three to ten, from ten to one hundred, from one hundred to one thousand, and from one thousand to several thousand; in this way, Islamic society gradually expands and becomes stronger.

The struggle against the jahili society had already begun. On one side of the two contending parties stood the newly formed Islamic organization. A small, newly born society, complete with its ideas, values, standards of civilization, organizational structure, and so forth, emerged as entirely distinct from the jahili society and marked by its own characteristics. On the other side, the jahili society stood in the way of this newborn society, and as conflict continued between the two, people from the jahili society joined the Islamic society one or two at a time. During the long period from the beginning of the movement until it became established as a victorious power, the Islamic society tested each of its members and, through examination and testing, assigned each person the rank and responsibility suited to him according to Islamic standards. The Islamic society assesses people’s abilities, capacity for work, status, and so forth as necessity demands. No one needs to step forward and put forward a claim to his own ability or status. Rather, a person’s creed and values compel him to conceal himself from society’s searching gaze, because his society is always looking for capable people to entrust with responsibility. At the same time, the individual does not consider himself more capable than others. Therefore, he prefers to remain hidden.

However, in the society born as the natural consequence of Islamic creed, no one can conceal his abilities. Every member of this society must become active. His creed will manifest enthusiasm and fervor. The blood in his body will run hot. Thus, driven by a spirit of action, each individual in Islamic society will pour all that he possesses into the path of struggle in order to reach the threshold of constant activity. The struggle waged against the jahiliyyah surrounding the Islamic organization will advance at full speed. This struggle has no pause, no rest, and no compromise with falsehood. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Jihad will continue until the Day of Resurrection.”

As it advances through rises and falls, each person’s status becomes determined, and during the struggle the movement achieves success through each person fulfilling the responsibilities and duties suited to his own ability. The Islamic society’s two characteristics—namely, the beginning of the movement and its method of organization—give its structure, form, nature, customs, and program a status wholly distinct from all other non-Islamic societies. Therefore, just as the characteristics of Islamic society cannot be understood by judging it according to the creative vision of other ideologies, dreaming of establishing an Islamic society by borrowing the customs of non-Islamic movements is nothing but folly.

Islamic Civilization: The Heritage of All Humanity

According to the definition of Islamic civilization that we mentioned above, Islam is not the ideology of a particular period recorded on the pages of past history. Rather, Islamic civilization is an answer to the demands of the modern age and a light of hope for the future. This ideal has come for every age. Just as people can still gain immeasurable benefit from contact with the Islamic ideal today, so will they be able to do so in the future. And only the Islamic ideal can rescue today’s world from the solidly dark cave of jahiliyyah. Nations advanced in industry, science, and economics can benefit from the Islamic ideal, just as weak and poor nations can.

The values we mentioned above took form in human society only during the age of Islamic civilization. They did not do so in any other age. We call that civilization Islamic in which human values fully develop. But a civilization that gives importance only to industrial, scientific, and economic progress, while human values decline, cannot be called Islamic civilization. Islamic values are not imaginary; they are profoundly real. Whenever people properly strive to acquire values in the light of Islamic teachings, only then will they attain this treasure. Whatever the environment, and whatever level of development an industrially and scientifically advancing society has reached, striving to acquire these values does not diminish its pace of development in the slightest. Human values are not opposed to development. In fact, Islam encourages efforts toward material progress and scientific thought and research, because material progress assists in fulfilling the responsibility of khilafah.

Likewise, in countries lagging behind in industry and science, these values do not approve of people sitting idle; rather, they encourage them to make every possible effort to advance in industry and science. Islamic civilization, together with human values, can take practical form in every kind of economic environment.

The way of life and commercial form of Islamic society change according to the age and environment. But the values at the foundation of Islamic civilization are permanent, firm, unchanging, and established upon historical reality. When we call these values “historical reality,” we mean that there is a chapter of history that is aware of Islamic values. These values are not a product of history; rather, history has been influenced by them. The actual fact is that, by their very nature, Islamic values cannot be confined to any particular age or environment. These standards and values were not fashioned by the human mind or in the natural world. Rather, they were ordained from the higher realm for the welfare of humanity in every age and every environment.

Islamic civilization may take various outward forms in terms of its material and organizational structure. But its principles and values are eternal and everlasting. They are servitude to Allah; establishing mutual relations on the basis of tawhid; establishing the supremacy of humanity over material possessions; suppressing animality through the development of human values; and granting the family system its proper dignity. They also consist of establishing Allah’s khilafah on earth according to Allah’s commands and conducting all the affairs of the khilafah according to His Shariah.

It has already been mentioned that Islamic civilization uses ability and productive power for scientific organization. Therefore, even while maintaining its permanent and unchanging values, it is entirely natural for Islamic civilization to undergo some modification in its outward forms in order to remain compatible with the industrial, scientific, and economic environment of the society in which it is established. This adaptability is also inherent in Islam’s inner nature. It has not been borrowed from any outside ideology. But timely changes in the outward forms of civilization do not mean a change in creed or values. There is no scope for confusing outward modifications with changes in inner principles.

When Islam entered Central Africa, it sowed the seeds of civilization among naked peoples. Wherever Islamic influence spread, the people covered their naked bodies with clothing, and those accustomed to moving about unclothed entered the bounds of civilization by wearing garments. Under the influence of Islamic teachings, they abandoned their former lives, cut off from human society, and, inspired by Islam, people deprived of civilization learned to perform physical labor in order to discover nature’s hidden resources. Islam drew them out of their narrow tribal confines and cast them into the vast ocean of the Islamic society, teaching them to worship the one Allah, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, instead of sitting in mountain caves and worshipping various imaginary gods and goddesses. If this tremendous transformation is not civilization, then what is the definition of civilization? This was the civilization of a particular environment, and it used the materials available in that environment at the time. Likewise, if Islam enters another environment, its activities will be designed in harmony with that environment, and civilization will take the form appropriate to the condition of that society. Thus, according to the method taught by Islam, no particular level of industry, science, or economics is prescribed for the development of Islamic civilization. Wherever Islamic civilization enters, it will use the material elements available there and give them a more refined form. If such material elements do not exist in a society, it will teach the means of acquiring them and move that society forward on the path of progress.

But it must be remembered that Islam will be established upon its eternal and everlasting principles, and wherever and whenever it is established, its distinctive characteristics will become manifest there. A special organization will also be formed to establish and maintain it, and with its own distinctive characteristics and organizational structure, Islamic civilization will emerge in a form entirely different from the jahili society.

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“Take on Allah’s color. And whose color is better than Allah’s? — Al-Baqarah: 138

Chapter Eight

Islam and Culture

In Chapter Six, I mentioned that the first part of the first pillar of the Islamic way of life is submission to the One and Only Allah. This is the meaning of the phrase “There is no god but Allah.” The second part of this pillar is that the method of living a life submitted to Allah must be taken from Muhammad (peace be upon him). The second part of the declaration of tawhid—Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)—expresses this very meaning. The practical model of submission to Allah and servitude to Him is that, in matters of creed, practical life, the formulation of laws, and obedience to law, Allah alone must be accepted as the Lord worthy of worship. No Muslim can regard any power besides Allah as possessing Allah’s status or as worthy of worship. A Muslim can never even contemplate worshipping any created being besides Allah or acknowledging it as a sovereign power.

In the previous chapter, we explained worship, faith, and sovereignty. In this chapter, we will discuss the significance of sovereignty and its relationship with culture.

The Scope of the Divine Shariah

According to the Islamic viewpoint, Allah’s sovereignty is not limited to accepting Him as the source of legislation or judging and deciding matters according to His law. The meaning of Islamic Shariah is not merely a system of laws. All the customs and practices necessary for life are included in the Shariah. That narrow conception is not the proper understanding of Islamic Shariah. All the instructions Allah has given to humanity form the foundation of the Shariah of Islam. Creed, principles of governance, judicial procedure, standards of morality, forms of mutual relations, and the basic principles of the pursuit of knowledge and science—all these matters are included in the Shariah.

All matters relating to human life—people’s ideas about the Creator and creation, whether concerning the visible or invisible world, their own nature, and their status in the created world—are included in the Islamic Shariah. Likewise, political, social, and economic matters, and the principles governing them, fall within the scope of the Islamic Shariah. Complete submission to Allah in these matters is the aim of the Divine Shariah. Along with the matters mentioned above, regulating the legally constituted affairs of society is also a task within the scope of the Shariah. For this reason, we generally understand Shariah to mean only laws or a legal system. In reality, however, the scope of Shariah is much broader. Moral conduct and the standards by which society’s values and standards are judged are also parts of the Shariah. All branches of learning and the basic principles of science and the arts are likewise parts of the Shariah. This is because, in all the matters mentioned, we are as dependent on Allah’s guidance as we are in matters governed by laws.

We have already discussed accepting Allah’s sovereignty in matters concerning laws and government. Similarly, the necessity of implementing Allah’s sovereignty in matters of morality, transactions, values, and the standards of acceptance and rejection has also been explained clearly. It is important to note that values, standards of acceptance and rejection, morality, and conduct are consequences of the creed established in a society, and that these matters too are derived from the same divine source from which the creed originates.

But when they hear discussion of applying Islamic creed and divine knowledge to literature and the arts, many people—not only ordinary people, but also readers and writers of Islamic literature—are astonished.

In a book of mine published earlier on the arts and sciences, I stated that every kind of art is merely a reflection of people’s creed and ideas. The concepts and beliefs held in the mind about human life and the universe take form and become manifest through the artist’s brush. Islamic ideas give birth to Islamic art. This is because Islamic creed concerning the created world determines the relationship between creation and the Creator and between human beings and the Creator. In particular, humanity’s place and status in creation, the purpose and role of human life, human responsibility, and the proper assessment of the value of human life all belong to Islamic creed. For Islamic creed is not something confined to imagination and the realm of thought; rather, it is a living, active, influential, and ever-vigilant ideology, and it is this creed that influences human emotions and inclinations toward action.

The gist is that detailed discussion is needed concerning the application of Allah’s word in art and literature. As I mentioned earlier, not only educated people but also many Muslims who believe in Allah’s sovereignty are astonished by my views on this subject.

Whether the subject is faith or ideas about life, the forms and methods of worship or morality and mutual dealings, values or the standards of acceptance and rejection, the outlines of economics and politics or the interpretation of history, in none of these matters may a Muslim seek guidance from any source other than Allah’s revealed word. Therefore, to acquire knowledge of all these matters, a Muslim must always turn to a knowledgeable Muslim. The words and deeds of the person regarded as knowledgeable must always be consistent. Only then can he properly teach Islamic knowledge and science.

A Muslim is, of course, permitted to learn specialized subjects from a non-Muslim. Examples include chemistry, physics, astronomy, medicine, the arts, agriculture, governmental work (only administrative methods), technical education, military training, and national industry and science. It is true, however, that after the establishment of an Islamic society, a sufficient number of specialists must be produced in all these fields. Acquiring knowledge in these matters is fard kifayah for Muslims—that is, a sufficient number of people must attain expertise in the above subjects according to the needs of society. Otherwise, the entire Islamic society will be held sinful. Until enough skilled people have been produced in the various fields of knowledge and science, however, Muslims may turn to specialists, Muslim or non-Muslim, to gain expertise in particular disciplines and branches of knowledge, or may entrust them with responsibility for various tasks.

It was concerning such matters that the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) said—

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That is, “You have greater experience in worldly matters.” These matters are not connected with life, the created world, human beings and the purpose of their creation, human responsibilities and duties, or the relationship of human beings with the created world and the Creator. Nor are these sciences related to the principles of legislation that regulate and determine the nature of society, morality, conduct, customs, traditions, habits, values, or the standards of acceptance and rejection. Therefore, learning the above-mentioned subjects from non-Muslims poses no risk of corrupting a Muslim’s faith or causing him to return to jahiliyyah.

But to explain the underlying ideas and significance of human activity—whether the activity is individual or collective—it is necessary to analyze the individual self and the history of humanity. Likewise, matters concerning the origin of creation and the beginning of human life belong to metaphysics (that is, they are not connected with chemistry, physics, astronomy, or medicine), and therefore, like laws and legal systems, they regulate human conduct. These matters indirectly influence people’s creed.

Therefore, a Muslim cannot become the disciple of a non-Muslim in order to acquire knowledge of the matters mentioned above. Knowledge of all matters that influence the way of human life may be acquired only from a devout and God-fearing Muslim, and one must hold the conviction about the teacher concerned that he relies solely on the knowledge given by Allah. In short, a Muslim’s mind must firmly understand that those matters are connected with creed. Therefore, determining one’s views and way of life regarding these matters in the light of divine revelation is an essential part of servitude and an unavoidable demand of the declaration of faith.

There is no objection to studying and critically analyzing the views of supporters of jahiliyyah in order to learn how much misleading information has been presented in their writings and books and by what means people can be protected from those erroneous doctrines. Indeed, this is necessary in order to introduce people properly to Islamic creed.

Philosophy, the interpretation and analysis of human history, psychology (apart from results obtained through experience and experimentation—for these are not anyone’s opinions but the actual results of experience and testing), ethics, theology and comparative studies of religions, sociology (apart from statistics and results obtained through experience), and similar subjects have been directly influenced by various erroneous ideologies at different times in the past and present. Indeed, the entire structure of these subjects has been built upon jahili creeds and ideologies. This is why most of the above-mentioned sciences conflict with the deen and are generally hostile to all religions, and particularly to Islam.

Among the subjects of human thought and research, the matters mentioned above are not like chemistry, physics, biology, and medical science. If these subjects remain limited to results obtained through experience and experimentation and do not attempt to construct doctrines based on conjecture and speculation, there is no reason for them to corrupt creed. But if they exceed the limits of experimentation and resort to imagination, they will certainly be misleading. Darwin’s biology may be cited as an example. In conducting experiments and making observations concerning biology, he denied, without logical proof and without necessity, the need to believe in the existence of any power beyond the material world when discussing the origin of life in creation and its gradual development.

Regarding these necessary matters, the knowledge given by Allah that Muslims possess is sufficient and complete. Knowledge concerning firm faith in Allah and complete submission to Him is knowledge of an extremely high order. Compared with the knowledge given by Allah, all of humanity’s imaginary doctrines and arguments are nothing but laughable efforts.

Some people hold that culture is the collective heritage of humanity. Culture is not confined within the boundaries of any particular country, nation, or religion. This is largely correct with regard to science, the practical effectiveness of technical knowledge, and their explanation and analysis. The condition, however, is that one must refrain from going beyond the results of experimentation and research to philosophical explanations of metaphysics, analyzing the purpose of human life and its historical role, and formulating speculative doctrines about literature and the arts. But those who call culture and civilization the collective heritage of humanity violate this condition and resort to deception. As a subtle maneuver in the worldwide Jewish conspiracy, advocates of this view, in the name of culture, seek to weaken every kind of moral restraint, especially religious creed. By infiltrating world politics, they are trying to free people from moral and religious restrictions so that the Jews’ evil objectives may be implemented throughout the world. The first stage of the Jewish conspiracy is usurious business. Through this business, they suck the blood of humanity and continue to enrich the treasuries of Jewish-run, interest-based institutions.

In Islam’s view, once pure scientific facts and their practical applications are set aside, we find two kinds of culture. One is Islamic culture, built upon Islamic creed. The other is jahili culture. Jahili culture manifests itself through various ways of life. Yet it accepts all ways of life created by jahiliyyah and the ideologies underlying them without testing them against the standard given by Allah. Islamic culture influences every kind of human thought and method of action, and provides the principles and methods suited to energizing cultural activity and giving it distinctive character.

Experimental Science in Europe

It should be remembered that the life force of modern Europe’s industrial civilization is the method of scientific inquiry and experimentation. This method of experimentation was not invented by Europe; it was born in the Islamic universities of Spain and the East. Islam has clearly indicated the created world, the laws of nature, and the countless forces and resources hidden within creation, and this indication encouraged Muslims to conduct research and experimentation concerning the created world. Later, Europe began a special movement for scientific research and experimentation by following the path shown by the Muslims, and gradually reached the summit of progress. Meanwhile, the Muslim world began to move away from Islam, with the result that the pursuit of knowledge and science in Muslim society first became stagnant and then ceased altogether. One of the many causes underlying this inactivity was the internal weakness of the Islamic society of that time, and another was the repeated armed attacks by Christians and Jews upon the Muslim world. Europe learned the method of scientific research from the Islamic world and severed its connection with Islam. Later, they declared rebellion against the Church because the Church was oppressing ordinary people in the name of Allah’s system of governance. In opposing the Church, they also abandoned the Islamic method of scientific research. Consequently, the course of intellectual inquiry in Europe advanced along the path of jahiliyyah; in its essential nature it was not merely completely severed from Islamic ideas, but also flowed in an anti-Islamic direction. Therefore, it is the duty of a Muslim to adopt Islamic ideas and beliefs as the foundation of all thought, research, and activity. When his knowledge and ability have become sufficiently sound, he should begin thinking independently from an Islamic perspective, or learn from a God-fearing, reliable scholar.

The maxim, “Acquire knowledge wherever you can,” is not applicable in every matter from the Islamic point of view. One cannot run about here and there in search of knowledge concerning faith, the way of life, morality and values, customs and practices, and matters relating to human relationships.

Certainly, Islam permits learning chemistry, physics, astronomy, medicine, technical skills, agriculture, administration, and all similar kinds of engineering knowledge from a non-Muslim or a disobedient Muslim if a God-fearing and reliable Muslim teacher is unavailable. The present condition of Muslims is grievous. Many of them have moved far away from their religion and way of life. They have forgotten that Islam appointed them as Allah’s vicegerents on earth and urged them to acquire proficiency in all branches of knowledge and science and to increase their capacity and competence in order to discharge the responsibilities of the caliphate. Therefore, in the present circumstances, permission may be given to acquire purely technical and engineering knowledge from non-Muslim scholars. But Islam does not permit learning from any non-Muslim or from a person who merely bears the name Muslim while disobeying Allah concerning such matters as the fundamentals of belief, the foundations of concepts relating to life, Qur’anic exegesis, Hadith, the explanation and analysis of the Prophet’s biography, the philosophy of history, philosophical evaluation of human activity, social customs, methods of establishing government, and the fundamental principles of politics.

Before presenting the foregoing views to you, I spent forty years trying to learn the results of human thought and research in various fields of knowledge and science. I conducted expert-level thought and research in the subjects that particularly attracted me. Then I turned my attention to the source and origin of my faith, and was astonished to discover that whatever I had previously learned was extremely insignificant. Yet I have no regret over spending forty years of my life studying these branches of knowledge and science. For during that period I had the opportunity to learn the nature of jahiliyyah, its confusion, deviation, and ignorance, and at the same time I clearly saw the emptiness concealed behind its roars, threats, and clamour. It was then that I fully understood that a Muslim can never adopt the source of jahiliyyah alongside the Divine source in acquiring knowledge.

Nevertheless, this is not merely my personal opinion. The matter is extremely important, and decisions on such important matters cannot be made on the basis of the personal opinion of one person or a few people. Especially where Allah Himself has laid down a standard, there is no question of giving precedence to the opinions of a few Muslims. We must decide this matter in accordance with the guidance Allah and His beloved Prophet have given us. It is the duty of every Muslim to heed Allah’s and the Messenger’s guidance in all matters of dispute. Remembering this duty, we shall seek what Allah and the Messenger say on this subject. Concerning the evil designs of the Jews and Christians against the Muslims, Allah says—

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“Most of the People of the Book wish to turn you back from faith to disbelief after the truth has become clear to them, merely out of envy. So pardon them and overlook them until Allah issues His decision concerning them. Surely Allah is Powerful over all things.”

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“They will never be pleased with you until you join the Jews and Christians. Say: ‘Allah’s guidance is the only guidance.’ If you follow their wishes even after knowledge has come to you, no one can protect you from Allah’s punishment.”

— Al-Baqarah: 120

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“O believers! If you follow a group from among the People of the Book, they will turn you back toward a life-system of disbelief.” — Aal ‘Imran: 110

The statement of the Messenger of Allah, quoted by Hafiz Abu al-‘Ali from Jabir, Hammād, and Sha‘bi, is as follows—

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“Do not ask the People of the Book about anything. They will never show you the right path, because they themselves are astray. Under their influence, you may accept a falsehood as truth or truth as falsehood. By Allah, even if Moses were alive today, no path other than following me would be permissible for him.”

Even after Allah Himself has warned the Muslims about the evil designs of the Jews and Christians, if we believe that they will correctly teach us Islamic beliefs and Islamic economics, that would be the height of foolishness. For it would mean that we regard the Jews and Christians as our well-wishers, benefactors, or seekers of truth. Yet Allah has exposed their true nature. Even after such an open declaration from Allah, if we hold such an opinion of them, it will merely prove the extreme deficiency of our intelligence and foresight.

Allah Himself has said— ——————————— (Say, O Prophet: “Allah’s guidance is the true guidance”). Through this declaration He has made it known that in all matters a Muslim must reach decisions by relying solely on the knowledge given by Allah. Otherwise, there is no correct knowledge anywhere except in guidance; hence there is no hope of finding the right path from any other source. In the above verse, everything outside Allah’s guidance is thereby established as false and evil. The meaning of this verse is perfectly clear and cannot be interpreted in any other way.

The Qur’an has given an unequivocal instruction that Muslims must maintain no relationship with those who turn away from the remembrance of Allah and whose sole objective is worldly interest. Revealing the nature of such people, the Qur’an says that they proceed only on the basis of conjecture. It has also declared that they possess no knowledge—

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“Do not attach importance to the one who has turned away from My remembrance and has no objective beyond the worldly life. Such people’s knowledge extends only that far. Allah knows best who has gone astray and who has received guidance.”

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“They know only the outward aspects of worldly life, while they are ignorant of the Hereafter.” — Ar-Rum: 7

These superficial people, who look only at outward matters and are deprived of true knowledge, are heedless of the remembrance of Allah and absorbed in the pursuit of the temporary interests of worldly life. This is the condition of all the scientists and specialists of the present age. No Muslim can sincerely rely on the knowledge they have acquired, nor can one learn from them without hesitation anything other than technical skills. It is not permissible for a Muslim to place confidence in them regarding beliefs related to human life or the mysteries of creation. This is not the knowledge that the Qur’an repeatedly praises. In the Holy Qur’an Allah says—

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“Can those who know and those who do not know ever be equal?” — Az-Zumar: 9

Those who interpret this verse by severing it from its preceding and succeeding context are mistaken! A clear boundary concerning knowledge is found in the following verse—

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“(Is the conduct of the aforementioned disobedient people better, or that of) one who is obedient, standing during the night, prostrating, fearing the Hereafter, and hoping for the mercy of Allah? Ask them: Can those who know and those who know nothing ever be equal? Only people of understanding accept admonition.” — Az-Zumar: 9

Those who bow their heads before Allah in the darkness of night, standing or prostrating, pleading before their Lord, and whose hearts tremble with fear of the Hereafter are the fortunate people who are rich in the wealth of knowledge. In the Qur’anic verse, this very knowledge is called true knowledge. That is, the knowledge that leads a person to Allah, the knowledge that gives birth to God-consciousness and sincerity in the human heart, is true knowledge. But the learning that corrupts human nature and drags a person along the crooked path of atheism and misguidance can never be called knowledge.

The scope of knowledge is not limited only to beliefs, religious duties, and knowledge of the Shariah. Rather, its scope is much broader. The same degree of relationship that knowledge has with beliefs, religious duties, and the Shariah exists with the laws of nature and with all matters relating to establishing and administering humanity’s caliphate over the world.

According to the Qur’anic definition, knowledge that has no faith at its source does not belong to the category of knowledge praised by the Qur’an. Those who possess knowledge but are deprived of the wealth of faith do not belong to the class of the knowledgeable at all from the Qur’an’s perspective.

The sciences that study the created world and the laws of nature—such as astronomy, biology, physics, chemistry, and geology—create a firm belief concerning existence. Of course, when people’s thinking has become distorted, these disciplines lead them away from belief in Allah’s existence. Europe was the first place where this unfortunate attitude arose. At one point in its history, a fierce dispute emerged between scientists and oppressive clerics, and as a result of this opposition the entire movement of scientific research in Europe began with an anti-Allah attitude. This movement exerted far-reaching influence over every aspect and sphere of European life. Consequently, the direction of European thought changed. Thus, the hostility and opposition did not remain confined to science and the European Church; Western knowledge and science as a whole became hostile toward all religions, and whatever resources Europe gathered through thought and research in the fields of knowledge and science, it all advanced along the path of irreligion. The same condition exists in every field, including metaphysics, philosophy, and technical science.

Western thought and science thus developed under the poisonous influence of hatred toward religion, and particularly of an even more hostile attitude toward Islam. After this discussion, it is not difficult to understand the reason for the Western world’s intense hatred and opposition toward Islam. They themselves have conducted a despicable campaign against Islam in a planned manner. The purpose of such propaganda is to weaken Islamic beliefs and, at the next stage, to destroy the entire structure of Islamic society.

Even after learning these facts, if we rely on Western thought regarding the study and teaching of Islamic knowledge and science, that will be an unforgivable crime on our part. Of course, in the present age we have no alternative but to turn to Western knowledge for the study of purely technical sciences. Nevertheless, while studying these disciplines we must carefully avoid speculative and philosophical material. For the philosophy and speculation of Western science arose from a mentality hostile to Islam. Therefore, there is a danger that its influence may muddy the pure spring of the Islamic way of life.

Chapter Nine

The Nationality of Muslims

From the day Islam presented new concepts concerning morality and values and the means of attaining them, it also taught a new method for establishing relationships among people. Islam came into the world precisely to establish the relationship between human beings and their Lord and to teach that the standards of acceptance and rejection, and the principles for evaluating all things, must be received solely from Allah. Likewise, Islam declared that Allah Himself has established the principles governing human relationships. We were born by His will, and to Him we must return. Islam has proclaimed in a commanding voice that, in Allah’s sight, only one bond unites people with one another; when this bond is strong, bonds of blood and all other ties become insignificant.

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“You will never find those who believe in Allah and the Last Day forming loving relationships with the enemies of Allah, even if they are their fathers, sons, brothers, or close relatives.” — Al-Mujadilah: 22

There is only one party of Allah in the world. Every party besides this one is the party of Satan and Taghut.

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“Those who believe fight in the way of Allah, while those who disbelieve fight in the way of Taghut. So fight against the allies of Satan. Surely Satan’s schemes are weak.” — An-Nisa: 76

There is only one path leading to Allah. Every path other than this one takes people away from Allah.

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“This is My straight path, so follow it. Do not follow other paths, lest they lead you away from His path.” — Al-An‘am: 153

There is only one life-system for humanity, and that is Islam. Every life-system besides Islam is jahiliyyah.

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“Do they then seek the judgment of jahiliyyah? Yet who is better in judgment than Allah for people who are firmly convinced?” — Al-Ma’idah: 50

There is only one Shariah worthy of being followed, and that is the Islamic Shariah. Every Shariah besides the one given by Allah has been formulated from the desires of the self.

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“Then We set you upon a clear Shariah, so follow it and do not follow the desires of those who have no knowledge.” — Al-Jathiyah: 18

There is only one true path in the world, and it is indivisible. Every path besides this true path is a path of confusion or misguidance.

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“What is there beyond truth except misguidance? So where are you being turned away?” —

There is only one territory in the world worthy of being known as Dar al-Islam, namely an Islamic state in which Allah’s sovereignty is acknowledged, Allah’s Shariah is implemented, and all collective affairs are administered on the basis of mutual consultation among Muslims. Every territory besides this state is Dar al-Harb (a state of disbelief). Muslims may maintain one of two kinds of relations with Dar al-Harb: war, or a peace treaty concluded for a specified period under specified conditions. A state bound by such a treaty can never be considered part of Dar al-Islam.

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“Those who believe, emigrate, and strive with their wealth and lives in Allah’s way, and those who give shelter and help the emigrants, are allies of one another. As for those who believe but do not emigrate, you have no obligation of friendship toward them until they emigrate. But if they seek your help in religious matters, it is your duty to help them, except against a people with whom you have a peace treaty. Allah sees all that you do. If you do not support one another, there will be persecution and great corruption in the land. Those who believe, emigrate, and strive in Allah’s way, and those who give them shelter and help, are the true believers. For them is forgiveness and a noble provision. Those who believe later, emigrate, and strive alongside you are part of you.” — Al-Anfal: 72–75

Islam came into the world with the complete guidance and decisive instructions described above. It freed people from bonds of dust and flesh and elevated them to a position of high honor. The land where the Shariah given by Allah is implemented, and where the basis for relationships among its inhabitants is judged according to their relationship with Allah, is the homeland of Muslims. Muslims have no nationality other than faith and the bond of faith. By virtue of this faith alone they can become members of Dar al-Islam—not by any other qualification. Muslims have no kinship or closeness except through the bond of faith and belief. The brotherhood founded upon faith and belief becomes extremely deep and strong. Mothers, fathers, brothers, wives, and other relatives cannot be regarded as Muslims’ kin unless they establish a relationship with Allah.

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“O humanity! Fear your Lord, Who created you from a single soul, created from it its mate, and spread from the two countless men and women. Fear Allah, in whose name you appeal to one another, and honor family ties.” — An-Nisa: 1

It should be noted that a relationship with Allah does not prohibit a person from treating parents of different beliefs kindly and maintaining social relations with them, so long as they do not take a place in the front ranks of the enemy camp of the Islamic movement. If they openly support the forces of disbelief, then the bond of kinship and affection between Muslims and those parents is severed. A Muslim is not obliged to treat parents who are hostile to Islam kindly. Hazrat Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), son of Abdullah ibn Ubayy, the leader of the hypocrites in Madinah, left an exceptionally brilliant example for us.

Ibn Jarir, citing Ibn Ziyad, narrated that the Prophet of Allah called Hazrat Abdullah, son of Abdullah ibn Ubayy, and said, “Do you know what your father has said?”

Hazrat Abdullah said, “May my father and mother be sacrificed for you—what did he say?”

The Huzur (peace be upon him) said, “He says that after returning to Medina, the honored will drive out the humiliated.”

Hazrat Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)! By Allah, he has spoken the truth. Allah is witness! You alone are the honored one. The people of Medina know that before you came to this city, I was extremely obedient to my father. No one was more obedient than I. But today, if Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) would be pleased if I were to behead my father with my own hand, I would be ready to do it immediately.” The Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “No, do not do that.”

As the Muslim army entered Medina, Hazrat Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), son of Abdullah ibn Ubayy, stood in his father’s way with an unsheathed sword and said, “Did you say that, upon returning to Medina this time, the honored would drive out the humiliated? By Allah, you will know immediately whether you are honored or whether the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is more honored than all people. I swear by Allah that you cannot enter Medina until the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) gives permission. And will you also escape from my hand?”

Abdullah ibn Ubayy cried out twice, “O people of the Khazraj tribe! Look, my own son is not allowing me to return to my home.” Despite his cries, Hazrat Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) repeatedly said, “By Allah, I will not allow you to enter Medina at all until the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) gives permission.” Some people tried to restrain Hazrat Abdullah, but he continued repeating the same words. At last, some people informed the Prophet (peace be upon him) of the matter. After hearing everything, he told the messengers, “Go and tell Abdullah not to prevent his father from returning home.” When this message reached Abdullah, he said, “Yes, if the Prophet of Allah has given permission, then he may enter Medina.”

Once the bond of faith is established, people become bound to one another by deep ties of brotherhood despite having no blood relationship. This bond becomes so close that all Muslims regard themselves as different limbs and organs of a single body. Allah the Exalted says—

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“The believers are but brothers to one another.” — al-Hujurat: 10

Although brief, this statement provides a permanent standard for determining relationships. He further says—

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“Those who believed, emigrated from their homes in the way of Allah, and struggled with their lives and wealth, and those who gave them refuge and assistance, are allies of one another.” — al-Anfal: 72

The mutual guardianship mentioned in the above verse is not limited only to men and women living at the same time; rather, it is desirable that this relationship continue among succeeding generations as well. In short, the earlier members of the Muslim ummah cherish love and sincere affection in their hearts for those who come after them, and those who come after them do likewise for those who preceded them.

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“Those who had made Medina their home and embraced faith before the emigrants arrived—that is, the Ansar—loved those who emigrated to them. When spoils were distributed among the Muhajirun, they felt no desire in their hearts for what was given to them; rather, even while facing financial hardship themselves, they gave preference to their emigrant brothers. Those who are protected from the greed of their own souls are the successful. Those who came after them say, ‘Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and do not place in our hearts any ill feeling toward those who believe. Our Lord, surely You are Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.’” — al-Hashr: 9–10

Faith as the Foundation of Unity

In His Holy Book, Allah the Exalted has related the stories of the sacred communities formed by the great prophets and presented several examples for the believers. These noble prophets came in different eras and led the Islamic caravan in their respective times. In these examples, Allah has stated that every prophet regarded the relationship of faith and creed as the only true relationship, and that no other kind of relationship can be beneficial or wholesome once this relationship is abandoned.

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“And Noah said to his Lord, ‘My Lord, surely my son is of my family, Your promise is true, and You are the Wisest of judges.’ He replied, ‘O Noah, he is not of your family, for his conduct is unrighteous. So do not ask Me about something of which you have no knowledge.’ Noah said, ‘My Lord, I seek refuge in You from asking You about something of which I have no knowledge. Unless You forgive me and have mercy on me, I will be among the losers.’” — Hud: 45–47

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“And remember when Abraham was tested by his Lord with certain commands and fulfilled them all. Allah said, ‘I am appointing you as a leader of humanity.’ He asked, ‘And from my descendants?’ He replied, ‘My covenant does not extend to the wrongdoers.’” — al-Baqarah: 124

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“And when Abraham prayed, ‘My Lord, make this city a city of peace and provide its inhabitants who believe in Allah and the Last Day with wholesome fruits and crops.’ Allah said, ‘As for those who disbelieve, I will grant them enjoyment for a short while, then I will force them into the punishment of Hell—and what an evil destination!’” — al-Baqarah: 126

When Hazrat Abraham (peace be upon him) saw his father and his people determined to persist in misguidance, he severed relations with them and said—

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“I disassociate myself from you and from those you invoke besides Allah. I will continue to call upon my Lord, and I hope that I will not be disappointed in calling upon my Lord.” — Maryam: 48

While relating the story of Hazrat Abraham (peace be upon him) and his people, Allah the Exalted has placed these matters before the believers in particular. They should understand them.

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“You have an excellent example in Abraham and those with him. They said to their people, ‘We are completely disassociated from you and from whatever you worship besides Allah. We reject your gods, and there will be no relationship between us and you until you believe in Allah, the One and Only.’”

When the courageous young men known as the People of the Cave realized that there was no opportunity to live in their country, among their relatives, tribe, and family while preserving the priceless treasure of their religion and faith, they abandoned their families and kinsmen. They emigrated from their homeland, carrying the treasure of faith, and set out toward their Lord so that they might find a place to live as servants of Allah alone, as faith required.

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“They were young men who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance. They stood forth and declared, ‘Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We will never call upon any deity besides Him; if we did, we would have uttered an outrageous falsehood.’ Then they said to one another, ‘Our people have taken gods besides Him, the Lord of the worlds. Why do they not bring clear proof for their beliefs? Who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah? Now, after separating ourselves from them and their gods, let us take refuge in the cave. Your Lord will spread His mercy over you and provide for you a means of support.’” — al-Kahf: 13–16

The Qur’an also mentions the stories of the wives of Hazrat Noah (peace be upon him) and Hazrat Lot (peace be upon him). The wives of these two great prophets held different beliefs and were involved in polytheism. Therefore, both prophets severed relations with their wives.

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“For the instruction of the disbelievers, Allah has presented the example of the wives of Noah and Lot. Both women were married to two righteous servants of Mine, but they betrayed them. So their husbands could not protect them from Allah’s punishment. It was said to both women, ‘Enter Hell with those who enter it.’” — al-Tahrim: 10

At the same time, the story of the wife of Pharaoh, that tyrannical and rebellious king of Egypt, has been presented as an example for the believers.

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“To admonish the believers, Allah has mentioned the wife of Pharaoh. She prayed, ‘My Lord, build for me a house near You in Paradise, save me from Pharaoh and his deeds, and save me from the wrongdoing people.’”

— al-Tahrim: 11

Thus the Qur’an has presented examples of every kind of kinship. The story of Hazrat Noah (peace be upon him) gives an example of the father-child relationship. The story of Hazrat Abraham (peace be upon him) presents examples of the relationship with a son and with one’s homeland. In the story of the People of the Cave, complete examples of relatives, tribe, lineage, family, country, and homeland are presented together. The stories of Hazrat Noah (peace be upon him), Lot (peace be upon him), and Pharaoh present examples of marital relationships. In the view of the Qur’an, even close relatives cease to be a believer’s relatives once they abandon the path of faith.

The Middle Ummah

After discussing the great prophets and the bonds of relationship and kinship among them, we shall examine the condition of the group called the Middle Ummah. We also find countless examples among this ummah. This Middle Ummah began to follow the same way of life that Allah had revealed for humanity from the earliest times. Whenever the bond of faith with a close relative was severed—in other words, when the very unifying link for forming relationships among people was severed—people of the same tribe, lineage, and family became separated from one another in accordance with the demands of faith. Allah the Exalted said, while describing the believers—

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“You will not find those who believe in Allah and the Last Day befriending those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they are their fathers, sons, brothers, or close relatives. These are the people whose hearts Allah has inscribed with faith and whom He has strengthened with support from Him. He will admit them into gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they will remain forever. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. They are the party of Allah. Surely, the party of Allah will be successful.” — al-Mujadilah: 22

We have seen that all blood ties between Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his uncle Abu Lahab, as well as his tribal relative Amr ibn Hisham (Abu Jahl), were severed. The Muhajirun who came from Mecca took up arms against their close relatives and fellow tribesmen, and they themselves stood in the front ranks and fought at the Battle of Badr. On the other hand, a strong relationship based on faith was established between the Muhajirun of Mecca and the Ansar of Medina. Their relationship became like that of full brothers and proved stronger than blood and hereditary kinship. This new relationship awakened a sense of brotherhood among Muslims. All Muslims, Arabs and non-Arabs alike, became bound by ties of brotherhood. Suhayb al-Rumi, Bilal al-Habashi (a native of Abyssinia), and Salman al-Farsi (from Persia) forgot the distinctions of homeland, mother tongue, and tribe and caste. Their tribal conflicts, pride of lineage, birthplace, and national glory vanished completely. The beloved Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) addressed them, saying, ‘Abandon these things; they have now become rotten corpses.’ He further said—

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“Whoever calls toward the hatred and division of the Age of Ignorance is not one of us; whoever fights on the basis of hatred and division is not one of us; and whoever dies holding the belief that creates hatred and division is not one of us.”

Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Harb

In short, all slogans of hatred and division cease in the presence of Islam. Nationality formed on the basis of lineage, tribe, and regional interests is discarded as a rotten corpse. Abandoning the narrowness of country, soil, blood, and flesh, people’s vision turns upward. From the day Muslims broke through the bounds of narrowness and expanded their horizon, their dwelling-place came to be called Dar al-Islam. For there the rule of faith is established and the supremacy of the Shariah given by Allah is recognized. Those who live beneath Islam’s cooling shade provide security for that land. Those who sacrifice their lives in defending that land and seeking to expand the boundaries of territories under Islamic rule are martyrs. All who wear the necklace of Islamic creed around their necks and accept Islamic Shariah as the governing law of their lives find shelter in Dar al-Islam. Even those who do not accept Islamic beliefs but submit to the rule of Islamic Shariah may, as protected non-Muslims, enjoy all the benefits of this state. But a country where the banner of Islamic rule has not been raised and where Islamic Shariah is not implemented is Dar al-Harb for both Muslims and protected non-Muslims. A Muslim will always remain prepared to fight against Dar al-Harb. Even if that Dar al-Harb is his homeland, even if his relatives live there, and even if Muslims have financial, property, or other worldly interests connected with it, he will never hesitate to take up arms against that country when necessary. Hazrat Rasulullah (peace be upon him) took up arms against the people of Mecca, although Mecca was his sacred birthplace. His relatives and fellow clansmen lived there. He and his beloved Companions had their homes and fields in Mecca. They left all these possessions when they emigrated toward Medina. Nevertheless, until Mecca submitted to Islam and accepted the rule of the Shariah given by Allah, even a worldly city like Mecca did not become Dar al-Islam.

This is Islam. Islam does not mean uttering a few words, performing certain rituals, or being born into a particular lineage or country.

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“No, by your Lord, they can never be believers until they accept you as the sole judge in all disputes among them, then find no hesitation in your decision and submit to it wholeheartedly.” — al-Nisa: 65

This ideal is called Islam, and a state governed by this ideal is Dar al-Islam. The soil of a country, a particular tribe, lineage, or family is not Islam or Dar al-Islam.

Islam has freed humanity from the bonds of every chain. These chains had bound people downward. Once freed from them, humanity gained the ability to rise above the heavens. By freeing humanity from blood ties and the impulses of animal desire, Islam has elevated it to a rank higher than that of the angels. Islam has taught that the homeland a Muslim loves and for whose defense he is ready to sacrifice his life is not merely a piece of land. The nationality that identifies a Muslim is not a nation formed according to a definition issued by any government. Muslim kinship and unity are not built on blood relations. The flag for whose elevation a Muslim would be proud to give his life is not the symbol of any particular country. The victory for which a Muslim will always strive, and after attaining which he will bow his head before Allah, is not merely a temporary victory; it is the victory of the ultimate truth. Allah the Exalted has said in the Holy Qur’an—

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“When the help of Allah and victory come, and you see people entering Allah’s religion in multitudes, then glorify your Lord with praise and seek His forgiveness. Surely, He is Ever-Accepting of repentance.” — al-Nasr

This victory is achieved only beneath the banner of faith. Slogans of other banners’ hatred are not used here. Jihad is waged here to establish Allah’s religion and implement His Shariah, not to achieve any other interest or objective. Jihad is needed to defend the Dar al-Islam described above—not out of an attitude of protecting the honor of one’s homeland or nation. After victory, the victorious army does not become preoccupied merely with seizing spoils.

The purpose of this victory is neither worldly fame nor the display of bravery. Rather, attaining Allah’s pleasure is the believer’s highest desire. Therefore, through tasbih and seeking forgiveness, the victorious army becomes intensely eager to attain the pleasure of Allah, the Most Merciful. Patriotism or nationalism does not inspire jihad. Nor is protecting one’s family and children the objective of jihad. However, jihad is certainly necessary to free the country, nation, family, and children from the attack of false ideals and to safeguard their religion and faith.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was asked, “One man fights to display his bravery, another fights to gain honor, and another fights to be seen by people. Tell us, which of them is fighting in the way of Allah?” He replied, “Only the one who fights so that the word of Allah may be exalted is fighting in the way of Allah.”

The honor of martyrdom can be attained only by fighting in the way of Allah. It cannot be attained by fighting for any other purpose.

A country that wages war against Muslims’ faith and creed, prevents them from observing religious commands and prohibitions, and has abandoned Allah’s Shariah is Dar al-Harb.

Even if Muslims’ relatives, families, and clans live in that country, even if Muslims have businesses or land there, and even if their financial interests are connected with that country’s security, its character as Dar al-Harb cannot be changed. Conversely, a country where Muslims’ faith and creed are free from every pressure and their supremacy is recognized, and where Islamic Shariah is put into practice, is called Dar al-Islam. Even if Muslims do not live there with their families, even if none of their lineage or tribe resides there, and even if Muslims have no business, commercial, or other economic interests connected with that country, it is nevertheless Dar al-Islam.

The country where Islamic belief governs, where Islam is recognized as the way of life, and where Allah’s Shariah is implemented is the homeland of Muslims. This meaning of homeland is fully compatible with humanity. Likewise, Islamic nationality is formed on the basis of creed and way of life, and it is there that human dignity truly flourishes.

Attempts to create unity on the basis of family, tribe, nation, lineage, race, and geographical region were ideas of the Age of Ignorance. When people’s spirituality was at an extremely low level, they regarded these matters as bonds of unity. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) called them stinking, decayed corpses. The Jewish community claimed, on the basis of its hereditary nationality, to be especially beloved by Allah. Allah the Exalted rejected this claim and flung it back in their faces, declaring that for every age, lineage, tribe, and place there is only one standard for attaining Allah’s nearness, honor, and esteem: faith in Allah. He says:

“The Jews and Christians say, ‘Become a Jew or a Christian, and you will be rightly guided.’ Say to them, ‘No; rather, follow the creed of Abraham, abandoning everything else. He was not a polytheist.’ Say, ‘We believe in Allah, in what has been revealed to us from Him, in what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants, and in what was given to Moses, Jesus, and the other prophets. We make no distinction between any of them, and we submit to Allah.’ If they believe in these matters as you believe, they will be rightly guided. But if they turn away, they have become obstinate. In that case Allah is sufficient for you. He is All-Knowing, All-Hearing. Take on Allah’s color. And whose color is better than Allah’s? We worship Him alone.”

In reality, the beloved servants of Allah are the Muslim ummah, because they have forgotten the distinctions of tribe, race, nation, and geographical region and gathered beneath the banner of the One and Only Allah.

“You are the best ummah brought forth for humanity. You have been formed to guide and lead humankind. You enjoin righteous deeds and virtue, restrain people from evil and sinful acts, and believe in Allah yourselves.” — Al Imran: 110

In the front ranks of this revolutionary force composed of Allah’s servants stood the noble-born Arab Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him); Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) of Ethiopia, Suhayb (may Allah be pleased with him) of Rome, and Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) of Persia were all included in this group as members on the basis of equal dignity and rights. In later times too, this ummah was built upon a wondrous brotherhood regardless of lineage, tribe, race, or region. Their nationality was tawhid. Their homeland was Dar al-Islam. Allah’s sovereignty was the chief characteristic of the state they governed, and the Qur’an was its constitution.

Hatred of Countries and Nations Is Contrary to Tawhid

It is essential that the above concepts and beliefs concerning homeland, nationality, and mutual relations become firmly engraved in the minds of those who call people toward Islam.

They must erase from their hearts every influence of the Age of Ignorance. The minds of the members of the group that follows the supreme truth must be completely freed from all forms of jahiliyyah and from every form of shirk prevalent in today’s world in the guise of worship of nation, homeland, worldly interests, and so forth. Allah the Exalted has gathered all the notable examples of shirk in a single verse of the Noble Qur’an, placing them on one side of the scale and faith and its demands on the other, and granting people the freedom to choose either of the two.

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“O Prophet! Say: Are your fathers, sons, brothers, wives, relatives, accumulated wealth, businesses, and pleasant homes dearer to you than Allah, His Messenger, and striving in Allah’s path? If so, then wait for Allah’s decision. Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient.”

Therefore, those who call people to the faith should have not the slightest doubt about the nature and identity of Islam and jahiliyyah, Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Harb. For misguidance arises by way of doubt. In a country where Islam is not predominant, where Islamic Shariah has not been implemented, and whose laws are not Islamic, everything outside faith is kufr, everything outside Islam is merely jahiliyyah, and everything opposed to truth is nothing but falsehood.

Tenth Chapter

Far-Reaching Change Is Necessary

How the Call to Islam Must Be Presented

When calling people to accept Islam, whether the opposing party is Muslim or non-Muslim, we must always remember one matter. This matter is implicit in the very nature of Islam, and it can also be understood from Islamic history. In brief, it is this: Islam, as a way of life arising from a conception and belief concerning the relationship between human life and the nature of the universe, is entirely different from all other ideologies, along with all their branches. The Islamic conception and belief regarding life opposes every form of ancient and modern jahiliyyah. Of course, when a detailed system is formulated on the basis of a way of life, some aspects of jahiliyyah may resemble some aspects of Islam. But the fundamental conception and belief from which these detailed rules are formulated is always completely opposed to jahiliyyah. From the perspective of the Islamic philosophy of life, every known ideology is jahiliyyah.

The first task of Islam is to transform people’s way of life on the basis of its own faith and creed and mold it in its own form, directing human society along the path of life prescribed by Allah the Exalted. Allah the Exalted has presented the Muslim ummah as a practical model for human society. He says—

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“You are the best ummah, raised for the welfare of human society. You enjoin virtue and restrain people from wrongdoing, and you yourselves believe in Allah.”

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“They are those who, if We establish them in the land, establish prayer, give zakat, enjoin righteous deeds, and restrain from wrongdoing.” — Al-Hajj: 41

Islam is not prepared to adopt any policy of compromise or coexistence alongside the jahiliyyah prevalent in the world. On the day it first descended into the world, it refused to compromise or coexist with jahiliyyah; it refuses today, and it will never agree in the future. Whatever age jahiliyyah belongs to, it is nothing but jahiliyyah. Jahiliyyah means abandoning the worship of Allah the Exalted and declaring rebellion against the way of life given by Allah. Accepting ways of living, laws, and systems from dark sources unacquainted with Allah is the religion of jahiliyyah. Conversely, calling people to submit to Allah and, abandoning jahiliyyah, hasten toward the way of life given by Allah is the very nature of Islam.

Islam is not confined to any age or period; rather, this way of life is beneficial to people in every age and every period. Islam’s purpose is to bring humanity under its guidance. It must be stated plainly that jahiliyyah is willingly accepting the worship of people according to their own desires. That is, a few powerful people, by force, abandon the law given by Allah, formulate laws according to their own whims, impose them on society, and society, accepting them, becomes enslaved to the lawmakers. Islam says that all humanity will worship the One and Only Allah and will derive all beliefs, conceptions, laws, and standards of acceptance and rejection solely from Allah. Freed from subordination to created beings, they will live devoted solely to Allah.

Such is the very nature of Islam. This is clear from the role Islam is playing in the world, and it will play the same role in the future. To whomever we present the message of Islam, Muslim or non-Muslim, we will explain this role of Islam to them in the clearest possible terms.

Whether in matters of creed and belief or in matters of the way of life, Islam is not prepared to compromise with jahiliyyah. In one place at one time, either Islam will exist or jahiliyyah. Islam has no arrangement by which half Islam and half jahiliyyah can coexist. Its position on this matter is completely clear. It declares without ambiguity that the supreme truth is an indivisible whole. Wherever there is no bearer and champion of the supreme truth, there is falsehood or jahiliyyah. There is no room for mixing, compromise, or coexistence between truth and falsehood, or between haqq and batil. One must obey Allah’s commands, or those of jahiliyyah; either Allah’s Shariah will be implemented in society, or the rule of human whims and arbitrariness will prevail. The Qur’an has shed light on this matter in various verses.

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“(O Prophet!) Judge between them according to what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their desires. Beware of them, lest they turn you away from some of what Allah has revealed to you and cast you into misguidance.” — Al-Ma’idah: 49

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“Continue calling them to this truth, remain steadfast as you have been commanded, and do not follow their desires.” — Ash-Shura: 15

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“If they do not respond to your call, know that they are merely following their own desires. Who is more astray than one who follows his own wishes without regard for Allah’s guidance? Allah never guides the wrongdoers.” — Al-Qasas: 50

“(O Prophet!) We have established you upon a clear Shariah. So follow it, and do not follow the desires of the ignorant. They will be of no benefit to you against Allah’s displeasure. Indeed, the wrongdoers are allies of one another, while Allah is the patron of the God-fearing.” — Al-Jathiyah: 18–19

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“Do they seek the judgment of jahiliyyah? Yet who can be a better judge than Allah for those who have faith in Him?” — Al-Ma’idah: 50

These verses make clear that there are only two paths. There is no third path. One must either accept the command of Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him), or live according to the desires of the self. One must either accept Allah’s judgment or bow one’s head before jahiliyyah. The inevitable consequence of not accepting the law revealed by Allah as the standard for resolving all matters is to abandon and disobey Allah’s command. Since the above verses are mentioned in Allah’s Book, there is no room for any further dispute on this matter.

The True Objective of Islam

The foregoing discussion makes it clear that Islam’s principal task in the world is to remove jahiliyyah from the leadership of human society, take the reins of leadership into its own hands, and gradually implement its own distinctive way of life. The purpose of establishing this righteous leadership is the welfare and development of humanity. This purpose can be fulfilled only by submitting to the Creator and establishing harmony between human beings and the created world. The aim of this faith is to raise people to the high status desired for them by Allah the Exalted and free them from servitude to the self. In answering the question of the Persian commander Rustam, Rabi ibn Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) referred to this very objective. Rustam asked, ‘Why have you come here?’ Rabi (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, ‘Allah the Exalted has entrusted us with the responsibility of freeing people from servitude to other people and engaging them in the worship of Allah; bringing them out of slavery to the narrow interests of this world and leading them to the expansive realm of this world and the Hereafter; and breaking the harsh bonds of man-made systems of life so that they may have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of Islamic justice and principles.’

At different times, people express the desires of their own inclinations in the form of various doctrines and intellectual currents. Islam was not sent down to lend support to these doctrines and currents born of ignorance. Such doctrines and outlooks already existed at the very beginning of the Islamic call. In today’s world, doctrines produced by human inclinations exist in both the East and the West, and they will continue to exist in the future. Islam came to eradicate the notions, laws, and customs created by selfish people and to create a new world, based on complete submission to Allah the Exalted, by building a new creed and belief concerning human life. At times, some particular aspect of Islam may seem compatible with jahiliyyah. In reality, however, those aspects are neither jahiliyyah nor parts of it. Such resemblance in minor matters is purely accidental. In truth, the roots of the two ideologies are mutually opposed. The great tree of Islam was planted, sprouted, developed, and brought to perfection from the source of Allah’s knowledge. Jahiliyyah, on the other hand, was born in the waste-filled place of human selfishness.

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“A good land produces excellent crops by Allah’s permission, whereas a bad land produces only scanty crops.” — Al-A’raf: 58

Whether modern or ancient, jahiliyyah is impure and misleading. Although its form and appearance change in different ages, its roots are always buried in the refuse of selfish people’s whims. Jahiliyyah can never escape the bounds of ignorance and personal interest. At most, it is compelled to revolve within the orbit of protecting the interests of a handful of people, a particular class, tribe, or nation. Consequently, selfishness prevails over truth and principles of justice, fairness, and goodwill. But the law given by Allah severs the roots of these selfish interests and introduces an impartial system. Human ignorance, selfishness, and the desires of the self have no access to it. No desire to pursue the interests of any group, class, or tribe can even approach Islamic law.

Herein lies the fundamental difference between the system of life given by Allah and man-made laws. Therefore, the coexistence of these mutually opposed ideologies is entirely impossible. Trying to create a new doctrine by mixing partial Islam with partial jahiliyyah is therefore sheer absurdity. Just as Allah is unwilling to forgive the sin of associating partners with His own Essence, He likewise does not approve of combining the way of life He has given with any man-made system. In His view, these two sins are equal. The truth is that both attitudes arise from the same source.

When calling people to Islam, the concepts and beliefs about Islam stated above must become firmly rooted in our minds. For when presenting Islam’s call, there must be no room for doubt or hesitation on our tongues. Rather, with firm resolve, we must make the opposing party acknowledge that, after accepting the Islamic way of life, human life will take on a new form. Islam radically transforms their creed and beliefs, conduct, customs, manners, and ways of thinking. As a result of this transformation, they will gain immeasurable welfare. We must explain to people that Islam will refine their ideas and manners and establish them in a high, humanly worthy position. Once Islam is established, nothing of jahiliyyah remains except one or two minor matters. Only those few negligible matters that happen to be considered compatible with the Islamic ideal will survive. Even these, however, will not remain exactly as before. Rather, their nature will change as a result of being linked to the Islamic ideal. They will then no longer help spread jahiliyyah in society. Islam will not reject what people have achieved through thought, research, and experimentation in the fields of knowledge and science. Rather, it will strive for further progress in these matters. When speaking publicly, the bearers of Islam’s message must be careful not to let people fall into the mistaken notion that Islam too is a man-made system of life. They must not think that, like the man-made systems of life that have appeared in different forms in different ages, Islam is merely another man-made ideology. Rather, it must be made entirely clear that Islam is a distinct way of life possessing permanent characteristics. This way of life has its own creed, beliefs, and conceptions, as well as its own distinctive mode of living. The welfare Islam seeks to give humanity is far more valuable than the man-made systems of life imagined by human beings. Islam is a great, radiant, pure, and justice-based way of life. Its source is the infinite storehouse of the knowledge of Almighty Allah.

When we correctly understand the essence of Islam, this understanding will create complete confidence and patience in us. When calling people to Islam, we will be able to show them the fullest sympathy. Our confidence will be the confidence of one firmly convinced that Islam alone is truth and everything outside Islam is false. Seeing people in misguidance and a distressing condition will awaken sympathy and compassion for them in our hearts. Seeing them live on the wrong path will arouse pity for them, because we know the means of rescuing them.

After correctly understanding the nature of Islam, there is no need to alter Islamic principles to suit the tastes and ideas of misguided people. We will tell people in the clearest terms: “The jahiliyyah in which you are immersed is impure. Allah the Exalted wants to rescue you from this condition. The environment in which you breathe is extremely poisonous; Allah wants to purify it. Your present life, immersed in worldly indulgence, is an extremely degraded life. Allah the Exalted wishes to grant you a much higher status. You spend day and night in humiliation and disgrace. Allah the Exalted wants to make your way of life simple, upright, and blessed. Islam will change your doctrines and outlooks and bring change to your actual lives as well. Through contact with Islam, you will gain new values. The standard of your life will rise so high that you yourselves will realize the futility and baseness of your present way of life. After a revolutionary change comes to your daily lives, you will feel disgust toward the state of affairs in the world. After encountering the civilization to which Islam will introduce you, you will regard it as deeply disgraceful to preserve in human society the structure of the so-called civilization prevailing in today’s world. Unfortunately, you cannot see the true form of Islam with your own eyes, because the enemies of Islam have united and stand in the way of implementing the Islamic ideal in society. Come, let us introduce you to the true form of the Islamic ideal. By Allah’s grace, the complete image of the Islamic ideal is engraved in the realm of our hearts. Through the windows of the Qur’an, Shariah, and history, we have seen the complete picture of Islam. We have no doubt about the bright future.”

When presenting Islam’s message, we must speak in the manner described above. This is the nature and course of Islam. This is how Islam first appeared before people. Wherever Islam entered—the Arabian Peninsula, Persia, Rome, and other lands—its call was presented in the manner described above.

Islam looks down upon human society from a very high position, because its own position is truly high. Islam has addressed people in a compassionate tone, because compassion for humanity is inherent in its nature. Islam has explained every matter to people in exceptionally clear language. There was no ambiguity in the message it presented. It never gave people the false assurance that their lives would not change after accepting Islam. It never said that it would be enough to leave their conduct, social habits, customs, beliefs, and values as they were, making only minor adjustments. Islam never proposed adapting itself to the other ideologies prevalent in society. Those who today raise the slogan of introducing Islam by using names such as ‘Islamic democracy’ and ‘Islamic socialism,’ or by leaving the prevailing economy, politics, and laws unchanged, are in reality saying that Islam should compromise with the whims of people who believe in misguided ideologies.

In reality, Islam is an entirely different kind of ideal. To establish Islam by uprooting the prevailing jahiliyyah throughout the world requires far-reaching and comprehensive change. All forms of jahiliyyah prevalent in ancient and modern times are completely different from the Islamic ideal. It is not at all an easy task to rescue people from the wretched condition in which they live today. The objective cannot be achieved through minor alterations in the present social system. To rescue humanity from its humiliated and miserable condition, a sweeping and far-reaching revolution is necessary. All life-ideologies devised by human beings must be uprooted, and the law revealed by Allah must be implemented on earth. People must be rescued from human rule and brought under the rule of the Creator of the universe. This is the correct means of salvation, and it must be declared plainly today. There must not remain the slightest doubt or uncertainty about this in people’s minds.

At the outset, such a clear declaration may cause people some displeasure—it would not be surprising if it created some fear of Islam in their minds and led them to keep somewhat distant from it. Indeed, this happened during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). People became frightened upon hearing Islam’s message because he criticized their beliefs, opposed their deities, rejected their customs, and, abandoning their social practices, established for himself and his followers new kinds of customs, conduct, and values in opposition to the practices prevailing in society.

What happened in the end? Those who had initially withdrawn after hearing the message of the Great Truth returned and took refuge in the nest of peace. Their flight was like the flight of the donkeys described in the Qur’an, fleeing in fear of a lion.

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“They are like frightened donkeys, fleeing swiftly from a lion.” —Al-Muddaththir: 50–51

They devoted all their strength to opposing this da’wah. They made it impossible for those who accepted Islam to live in Makkah. Through ever-new forms of persecution and cruelty, they made their lives unbearable; and after the Muslims migrated to Madinah, when they saw them gradually growing stronger, the opposing camp launched attack after attack to harass them.

The Key to Success

The Islamic movement faced no less difficult circumstances in the era of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) than it does today. The message of Islam seemed strange to the people of that age, so they immediately rejected this ideology. Islam was confined to the mountainous valleys of Makkah. Influential people began vehemently opposing the movement. Tyrannical rulers bitterly hostile to Islamic beliefs had entrenched themselves throughout Arabia. Yet the Islamic movement possessed an appealing power. It remains as powerful today as before, and it will remain so in the future. The fundamental strength of this da’wah lies in its faith. That is why the call of this religion continues to advance steadily despite intense opposition and hostility. The source of its strength is Islam’s simple, straightforward, radiant message.

Beliefs completely consonant with human nature are the key to its success. No matter how backward people may be economically, socially, scientifically, or intellectually, Islam guides them upward from their respective levels until it brings them to the highest summit of progress. By virtue of its miraculous power, Islam completely rejects the misleading ideologies of jahiliyyah and their material power, and it is not willing to alter even a single letter of its own life-ideal. It never compromises with jahiliyyah, nor does it adopt a policy of coexistence with falsehood by resorting to lame arguments. In unequivocal language, it presents its complete message to society all at once and informs people that the message of this religion contains welfare, mercy, and blessing.

Allah is the Creator of human beings. Therefore, He is fully aware of the movements and tendencies of their minds and hearts. He knows that when this great message of truth is presented to human society without hesitation, in clear language and with force, it directly takes its place in their hearts.

Human beings are creatures capable of abandoning one way of life and adopting another, and in many cases a complete change of life is easier for them than a partial change. Therefore, moving toward a more complete and pure way of life than the former is entirely consistent with human nature. But if Islam is content merely to change one or two minor matters within jahiliyyah, then people have no rational reason to abandon jahiliyyah and hasten toward Islam. In that case, remaining satisfied with the old system is more reasonable, since it is established in society and familiar to people. If necessary, making some corrections to the old system is not difficult either. In such circumstances, if there is no fundamental difference between the old and new ways of life, there is no point in abandoning the established social system and adopting a new one.

There Is No Need to Offer a Defense

Some statements offered by certain well-wishers of Islam in support of the religion give the impression that Islam is standing in the dock while the speaker has become a lawyer pleading its case. The manner in which they defend and advocate for Islam is as follows:

“It is claimed nowadays that modern ideologies have accomplished this and that, whereas Islam accomplished nothing in comparison. My brothers! Islam did all these things long ago. Modern ideologies merely repeated those old achievements fourteen hundred years after Islam.”

What a disgraceful defense! Islam can never claim the jahili system and its erroneous activities as its own glory. The so-called civilization of the modern age has dazzled many people and clouded their minds. In reality, this unadulterated jahiliyyah is extremely inferior, hollow, and misguided compared with Islam. The argument that the standard of living of those under modern ideologies is higher than that of inhabitants of certain so-called Islamic states or Islamic lands is not sound at all. The inhabitants of these regions have not suffered because they are Muslims; rather, they have reached this condition because they turned away from Islam. Islam claims superiority over jahiliyyah in every respect. It was revealed not to preserve jahiliyyah but to uproot it, and it came to rescue people from being crushed under the millstone of modern civilization.

It is utterly inappropriate for us to adopt the defeated mentality of searching for similarities between Islam and the prevailing ideologies and modes of thought of the modern age. Regardless of whether the ideal of jahiliyyah comes from the East or the West, we shall declare it null and void outright. For compared with Islam, these ideologies are backward and completely opposed to the dignity that Islam seeks to bestow upon human beings.

When we present Islam’s message to human society in the manner described above and explain its complete form to them, a voice supporting the validity of this life-ideal will rise from within their own hearts. They will then be able to understand the value of abandoning one set of beliefs and adopting another, and rejecting one way of life in favor of a new one. But we will never be able to attract people with the following argument: “Abandon the established old system and adopt a new one. Of course, this new system has not yet taken shape in any territory. However, the new system will merely make a few necessary changes to the established social system; you should have no objection to these minor changes. Whatever you do in the present society, you will continue doing in the new society as well. The new ideal will demand only a few minor changes in your character, conduct, and tastes.”

At first glance, working by adopting this strategy may seem easy. But it has no appealing power. Moreover, the da’wah described above is not true. Islam has openly declared that it changes not only beliefs and perspectives concerning human life, and not only collective life, laws, and the judicial system; it also transforms feelings and emotions so completely that no resemblance remains between it and jahiliyyah. In short, Islam’s goal is to free people from subservience to other human beings in every matter, great or small, of human life, and transfer them into the worship of the One and Only Allah.

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“So whoever wishes may believe—and whoever wishes may disbelieve.” —Al-Kahf: 29

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“Yet those who disbelieve should know that Allah is independent of the worlds.” —Aal Imran: 97

It is necessary to have a clear understanding that this is in reality a question of faith and disbelief, tawhid and shirk, and Islam and jahiliyyah. Those who live the life of jahiliyyah are not Muslims, even if they claim a thousand times to be Muslim. If they wish to deceive themselves or others by claiming that Islam can be brought down to the level of jahiliyyah, there is nothing anyone can do about it. But their self-deception or deception of others cannot change the truth. Their Islam is not true Islam, nor are they themselves Muslims. If the Islamic movement begins today, it will first be necessary to call these misguided Muslims to the path of Islam and make them Muslims anew.

We are not calling people to adopt the Islamic ideal in the hope of receiving compensation from them. Nor do we seek to seize power or create disorder in the country. We have not been blinded by greed for worldly interests. The reward for our reckoning and deeds is due not from people but from Allah. We love people and seek their welfare, and for this reason we invite them to accept Islam. Even if they hurl mountains of persecution upon us, we will not deviate from our duty. This is the characteristic of those who call people to the path of the religion—and this very characteristic supports their work. The public should form a correct understanding of Islam from our way of life. Similarly, from our conduct people will learn what responsibilities Islam places upon Muslims and what blessings may be hoped for as the reward of fulfilling those responsibilities. It must be made clear to people that, in Islam’s view, the prevailing social system is sheer jahiliyyah: since it does not come from the sources of the Shariah, it is merely the product of people’s self-serving and ignorant whims. And because it has no connection with al-Haqq, the Great Truth, jahiliyyah is nothing but falsehood.

“What can there be beyond the truth except misguidance?”

There is nothing in our Islamic faith for which we should feel ashamed or adopt an attitude of defeat. There is no need to plead in order to conceal any fault in Islam, because Islam has no such defect. Nor is there any need to smuggle the Islamic life-ideal into some particular society instead of presenting it to people. And instead of proclaiming Islam’s complete da’wah openly, trying to attach various labels to it is nothing but absurdity.

After accepting spiritual and intellectual defeat in the face of the jahiliyyah prevailing in the East and West, the hearts of some ‘Muslims’ have become afflicted with various diseases of the kind mentioned above. As a result, with their diseased minds they search for elements supportive of Islam within man-made systems of life, or point to particular achievements of jahiliyyah and say, ‘Islam also accomplished this kind of thing at one time.’ A person who feels the need to defend Islam and Islamic teachings, or pleads for Islam with a weak attitude, can never properly represent this religion. He is a foolish supporter of Islam. His mind has been defeated by jahiliyyah and influenced by its effects. Jahiliyyah is in reality nothing more than a collection of mutually contradictory ideas and countless errors. Yet, through their ignorance, the people mentioned above assist jahiliyyah while searching within it for support for Islam. They are enemies of Islam—they only harm Islam; they provide no benefit to the religion. On the contrary, they mislead people. Their arguments and discussions give the impression that Islam is standing in the dock and has appointed these gentlemen as lawyers to save it from the judge’s sentence.

During my stay in America, some people would argue with me by presenting the arguments mentioned above. Several people known to me as supporters of Islam were also present. During the debates, they would take a defensive position by presenting arguments in Islam’s favor. I, however, would attack Western jahiliyyah, their wavering attitude toward religion, their social and economic systems, and Western society. I would tell them, “Consider the Christians’ doctrine of the Trinity. Not one of their doctrines concerning the definition of sin, the expiation of sin, and so on is rational or reasonable. Capitalist economics, landlordism, the policy of taking interest, and the other oppressive features of the economic system are anti-human. In this society’s so-called individual freedom, there is not the slightest sense of collective responsibility or mutual sympathy. Nothing has any influence here except the force of law. Because of this society’s materialistic outlook, the death of the soul, animal-like sexual behavior in the name of free interaction between men and women, the spread of obscenity and shamelessness in the name of women’s freedom, irrational and unrealistic marriage and divorce laws resembling childish games, impure and emotion-driven racism—none of these things reflects humanity. On the other hand, consider the Islamic way of life. Where can its practical systems, inherent welfare, happiness, prosperity, and elevated outlook be compared with these? The high standard of humanity presented by this life-ideal is desired by everyone; everyone strives to reach that high place, although reaching such a height may not become possible. Islam is the ideal of real life. Therefore, it solves problems while maintaining harmony with the whole of human nature.”

We had the opportunity to see the practical problems of Western life firsthand. When we analyzed this social system in the light of Islam, even the most ardent advocates of the Western life-ideal were forced to hang their heads in shame. Yet there are some well-wishers of Islam who have accepted defeat before the corrupt society of the West and search for similarities between the Islamic ideal and the stinking heaps of Western refuse and the filthy materialism of the East.

The Proper Role of Those Who Call Others

After this discussion, I need not mention again that those who call people to the religion can never adopt a policy of accommodating themselves to jahiliyyah. It is impossible for us to compromise with any one of jahiliyyah’s ideologies, customs, or features of its social structure. Therefore, even if the upholders of jahiliyyah run a steamroller of persecution over us, we are not prepared to yield in the slightest.

Our foremost responsibility is to uproot jahiliyyah and introduce Islamic values and Islamic practices. This objective cannot be achieved through an attitude of cooperation with jahiliyyah or by maintaining parity with it for some distance at the outset. Some of our well-wishers consider moving forward in this way. But if we truly do so, it will amount to admitting defeat at the very first step.

Of course, it is also true that the prevailing ideologies and customs of present society exert powerful pressure to break our backbone. This pressure becomes especially intense concerning women. The unfortunate Muslim women are forced to whirl about when confronted by the fierce whirlwind of jahiliyyah. But there is no escape from stark reality. These are real obstacles in our path forward. We must face the adverse circumstances with determination and courage and overcome them. Then we must point out clearly to jahiliyyah that, compared with Islam’s lofty values, it is immersed in the deep darkness of profound ignorance.

This great task cannot be accomplished by adopting a program of maintaining parity with jahiliyyah and traveling alongside it for some distance. Nor can the objective ever be achieved by immediately severing all relations with jahiliyyah and hiding ourselves in a dark chamber. We must interact with jahiliyyah while preserving our distinctiveness. We must conduct transactions with them while maintaining our self-respect. We will proclaim the message of the Great Truth without hesitation, but in a tone of love and affection. We will establish the superiority of faith through good manners. We must remember that we live within the environment of jahiliyyah. Our path is straightforward and simple compared with jahiliyyah. Yet changing jahiliyyah and introducing the Islamic system is an extremely far-reaching and long-term task. We want to rescue humanity from the darkness of jahiliyyah and raise it onto Islam’s radiant path. Between jahiliyyah and Islam lies a broad and deep valley. It is not possible to build a bridge in the middle to unite the two. However, we must try to build a bridge by which people from the other side can abandon jahiliyyah and take refuge in Islam’s cool shade. Whether those who come are Muslim inhabitants of an Islamic region or non-Muslims from a non-Islamic region, a path must be opened for all of them to leave darkness for an illuminated place, escape the condition of being immersed from head to toe in the mire of misery, attain salvation, and hasten to enjoy the promised benefits of Islam. Those who properly understand Islam and wish to live under its protection must sever the bonds of jahiliyyah and hasten toward Islam. If anyone does not like our da’wah, then we too shall proclaim what Allah commanded His Messenger to declare—

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“For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.” —Al-Kafirun: 6

Chapter Eleven

The Superiority of Faith

Allah’s Declaration

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“Do not lose heart and do not grieve. You will prevail if you are believers.”

—Aal Imran: 139

The first impression created by reading the verse above is that Allah has guaranteed help and victory in armed jihad. But the verse’s underlying message is much broader and more far-reaching than armed jihad. The verse presents a picture of the believer’s mental state. The believer’s thought, values, analysis of events, and method of reckoning reveal his ever-awake conscience. In every condition, every environment, and every matter, his mind will uphold the superiority of faith. Whatever events and matters he encounters, he will assess them all from the perspective of faith and determine his course of action accordingly. He will reject without hesitation the values of acceptance and rejection prevalent in the world that exclude the source of faith, and will give precedence to faith. Likewise, in the believer’s view, worldly forces that are not empowered by faith have no importance whatsoever. It will be the believer’s responsibility to abandon without hesitation those customs, laws, education, culture, and ways of life deprived of the wealth of faith, and to establish the superiority of faith.

The strength of faith is the believer’s true wealth and fundamental power. Even before a tremendously powerful ruler, the strength of faith does not bow. Faith does not bow before any social custom or false law. However popular a system deprived of the light of faith may become, the believer can never accept that faithless system. In a word, the believer’s life is a living example of a permanent and total jihad against faithlessness. Confronting the enemy with steadfastness and courage in armed battle is merely a practical step toward establishing the superiority of faith. Whether believers are weak or strong in terms of worldly means, whether few or many in number, whether poor or wealthy, they will uphold the superiority of faith in every condition.

The morale created by faith is not a temporary emotional impulse or a fleeting spark. The awareness of the Great Truth and steadfast belief in that truth give rise to a lasting sense of superiority in the believer’s heart. This awareness of truth is far stronger and more enduring than prevailing arguments, environmental pressure, social habits, and inherited customs, because faith in the Ever-Living Allah gives birth to everlasting strength in the believer’s heart.

Certain ideas and doctrines become dominant in society. Social bonds and strict law and order compel every individual to follow the prevailing ideas and doctrines. Without the support of some powerful group within society or the assistance of an external power, no one can oppose established doctrines and ideas. On the other hand, the established doctrine exerts a powerful influence in society. Only after becoming attracted to a superior doctrine and system of thought does a person realize the futility of the former doctrine and thought and become ready to reject it. Otherwise, there is no escape from the influence of prevailing doctrines and ideas. It is impossible to free oneself from the influence of an established doctrine without the support of a power stronger, greater and superior to the forces by whose assistance the prevailing doctrines and ideas have survived in society.

A person who raises his head against the prevailing current of society, opposes the viewpoint supported by the ruling power, and declares rebellion against the defects and harmfulness of prevailing customs, rituals, ideas and doctrines will need some support more powerful than people, stronger than mountains and dearer than life itself. Otherwise, in that society he will not only realize his own helplessness but will be unable to find even a small place of refuge in the vast world. In such circumstances, the Most Merciful and Compassionate cannot leave the believer alone to face suffering and persecution in the midst of an oppressive society. Therefore, He revealed these words of reassurance to the believers—

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It is natural for people’s enthusiasm to decline and their courage to weaken under the unending oppression of an adverse environment. At that very moment, this assurance from Allah the Exalted instills strength and inspiration in the believer’s heart. The believer triumphs over every adversity not merely through patience and steadfastness, but while keeping in view a sense of superiority and a lofty goal. The believer rises so high in faith and thought that, from that height, all the tyrannical forces of the world, mighty rulers, ideas supported by political power, laws and customs are considered utterly low and insignificant.

The believer is truly superior. For just as he is superior, so too is the source of his creed and faith superior. The vast empire is insignificant in his sight. People possessing immense power are trivial to him. The believer is not attracted to something merely because a large number of popular people in society are seen to like it. In this respect, the believer stands above all. He has received guidance from Allah the Exalted, the sole source of all knowledge. In every matter he seeks to know the command of Almighty Allah, and whatever guidance he receives from Him concerning any matter, he follows that alone.

The believer’s creed concerning the creation and stability of the universe is also the highest and finest. Through faith in Allah and the doctrine of tawhid that Islam has taught him, he has become capable of fully grasping the complete truth. The picture of the universe presented by the doctrine of tawhid is far above all the ancient and modern doctrines of the world. Upon examining the futility, contradictions and absurdity of religions founded on shirk, the creeds of misguided People of the Book, and all doctrines produced by loathsome materialism, one becomes firmly convinced that those who possess a correct understanding of the universe are undoubtedly the finest people in society.

The believer’s conception of the values of life and of the standards for assessing and selecting matters, objects and people is superior and foremost compared with the ideas of others. The faculty of understanding produced by faith in Allah the Exalted, Possessor of the attributes described by Islam, uncovers the mysteries not only of the limited earth but of the infinite universe; the values of life and the standards of acceptance and rejection that it grants the believer’s heart are better, pure and realistic than the generally prevailing, inconsistent and defective standards. Human knowledge is extremely limited. Therefore, people are repeatedly compelled, age after age, to change their standards of good and evil. Indeed, different standards often prevail even within the same nation. At times it has been seen that the same person expresses one opinion on a matter in the morning and gives precisely the opposite judgment in the afternoon.

Through faith in Allah, the believer acquires the finest qualities in conscience, understanding, character and conduct. For Allah the Exalted Himself possesses the most beautiful names and the finest attributes. The believer’s creed and faith inspire in him self-respect, purity and cleanliness, good manners and civility, eagerness to do good deeds, and the ability to fulfill his responsibility as Allah’s khalifah on earth. Moreover, this creed gives the believer the firm conviction that the Hereafter is the true place for receiving the results of one’s deeds, and that the rewards there for righteous deeds and a pure life make the sufferings of worldly life utterly insignificant. As a result of such feelings, deep peace descends upon the believer’s heart. Thus, even while deprived of worldly happiness and wealth throughout his life, he makes no complaint.

The laws and way of life followed by the believer are the best and finest. After examining all laws made by humans from ancient times to the modern age, the believer becomes firmly convinced that whatever people have achieved through all their efforts is nothing more than child’s play compared with the Islamic way of life and its laws. He also becomes convinced that all the effort people have made to formulate laws is comparable to a blind person trying to find his way. Thus, when the believer, from his position, sees the anxiety and helplessness of people who have lost their way, he feels compassion for them and understands himself to be victorious over misguided human society.

In the age of jahiliyyah, people were intoxicated by the pride of hollow power and the glitter and splendor of worldly wealth. Through the grace of Islamic creed and faith, the believer realizes the futility of worshipping such things and acquires the qualities and character mentioned above. The age of jahiliyyah is not confined to any particular period. Whenever people abandon Islam’s radiant path, they become surrounded by jahiliyyah. The same rule applies to all times and ages—past, present and future. I shall quote, in the words of Abu Uthman al-Nahdi, the attitude expressed by Hazrat Mughirah ibn Shu‘bah (RA) after seeing the varied forms of jahiliyyah in the splendid camp of the famous Persian commander Rustam:

“Crossing the river bridge, Mughirah ibn Shu‘bah (RA) reached the camp of the Persian army. They made him sit and requested permission from Rustam for him to meet him. Despite having been defeated in battle, they had not reduced their pomp in the slightest. After receiving permission, Mughirah proceeded forward. Everyone in the camp was wearing prescribed attire. Some had golden crowns on their heads and garments embroidered with gold on their bodies. A space measuring more than a hundred cubits was covered with heavy, costly carpets. Mughirah entered the tent. He went straight up onto the raised platform and sat beside Rustam. The courtiers rushed over, took him by the hand and brought him down. Hazrat Mughirah began: ‘Until now we had heard much of your intelligence. But today we have found that you are a foolish people. In our society all people are equal—no one is anyone else’s slave. Prisoners of war are a separate matter. I thought that you, like us, gave one another equal dignity. Before treating me as you did, you should at least have told me that in your society some people have established lordship over others. I came here at your invitation—I did not come willingly. Therefore, the treatment you gave me is in no way good treatment. I have understood that your social structure is extremely weak. Thus your defeat is inevitable. No empire can survive with such character and mentality.’”

On the eve of the Battle of Qadisiyyah, Rabi ibn Amir (RA) likewise displayed the same attitude before Rustam and his courtiers. The incident is as follows: Before the Battle of Qadisiyyah, Hazrat Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas sent Rabi ibn Amir (RA) as an envoy to Rustam, the Persian emperor’s commander. Entering the camp, Rabi ibn Amir (RA) saw that the audience chamber was decorated with costly carpets. Rustam, dressed in garments adorned with a golden crown and jewels, sat on a golden throne atop a raised platform. Rabi (RA), wearing torn clothes and carrying a small shield and spear, entered the court mounted on a lean horse. He tied the horse to a costly bolster and proceeded toward Rustam. He was still wearing his battle attire. As he advanced wearing an iron helmet and armor, the courtiers told him to remove his battle clothes. Rabi ibn Amir (RA) said, ‘I did not come here of my own desire. You invited and brought me here. If you dislike these clothes, I will leave.’ Rustam said, ‘Let him come.’ Leaning on the spear in his hand, he advanced. The spear damaged the carpet in several places. Rustam asked, ‘Why have you come?’ He replied, ‘Allah has sent us to free people from the servitude of other people and bring them into the worship of the One, the Unique Allah; to lead those who wish to free themselves from the narrowness of this world to the boundless prosperity of the Hereafter; and to rescue people from the oppression of man-made religions and bring them under the justice and principles granted by Islam.’ (Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, Ibn Kathir)

In the course of time, a revolution created weakness in the Muslims’ outlook and they became attracted to worldly wealth. Nevertheless, their sense of their own superiority remained. If the lamp of faith still burns in their hearts, then even when defeated themselves, they will regard the victorious nation as inferior and low compared with them. They firmly believe that worldly dominance is only temporary. Sooner or later, the destruction of the victorious misguided nation is inevitable. Even standing face to face with death, the believer will not kneel before falsehood despite lacking worldly wealth. The believer considers the opponent’s death a very insignificant matter, but for himself he has the honor of martyrdom. He is certain that immediately upon departing this world he will enter Paradise, while today’s powerful and victorious party will be cast into the painful torment of Hell in the Hereafter. For the believer has heard Allah’s clear declaration concerning the fate of himself and his opponents. He said—

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“Do not be deceived by the power of the disbelievers over the land. It is only a little enjoyment for a few days. Then their final destination will be Hell—an exceedingly evil place of return. But those who live in fear of their Lord will have gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they will abide forever. This is hospitality from Allah for them. And what is with Allah is better for the righteous.” —Aal ‘Imran: 196–198

Creeds, values and standards opposed to the believer’s faith, creed, values and standards may become dominant in society. Yet the believer’s conscience cannot forget for a moment his own high status and the low condition of all others. From his lofty position, preserving his self-respect and dignity, he looks upon society with patience and compassion, and an irresistible desire arises in his heart to guide them and pull them from their fallen state to the summit of progress.

Falsehood creates an astonishing commotion, makes everything tremble with its roars and cries, stands puffing out its chest, twirls its moustache, and gathers a huge army of flatterers around itself to confuse other people’s outward eyes and inner vision. People in society cannot see the dreadful, grotesque and hideous face of falsehood concealed behind the glitter that distorts their vision. Seated on a lofty throne, the believer observes the empty thunder of falsehood and sees the deceived state of misguided people, but no weakness finds a place in his heart—he feels no sorrow, and his firm faith in the Great Truth does not weaken in the least. His feet do not deviate even a hair’s breadth from the Sirat al-Mustaqim. Rather, his eagerness and motivation to guide misguided and deceived people to the path of guidance become still stronger in his heart.

The jahili society becomes immersed in desires and passions. Base impulses sweep over it like a flood. Everywhere, obscenity and filth enjoy themselves freely and safely, released from all restrictions. Eventually, a pure environment and halal food become scarce in that society—indeed, unavailable. Sitting above all this, the believer looks upon society floating in a current of rubbish and filth. Even though alone, he does not become frustrated or saddened by the direction and condition of society. Not for a moment does he wish to cast away the covering of purity and modesty and drift with the flowing current of obscenity. Through the sweetness of faith and the joy of his creed, he sees himself far above that filthy society.

In a society rebellious against the deen, a society that has fallen after losing its sense of honor and dignity, a society lacking high values, courtesy and good manners—in short, a society that has abandoned all the qualities of purity and modesty—the believer clings to the deen and Islam like someone holding a burning coal in the palm of his hand. Those accustomed to drifting with the herd mock and ridicule the believer’s steadfastness, label his thinking madness, and wound his cherished values with criticism. But the believer sees and hears everything, and no weakness appears in his heart. With his broad and tolerant view, he looks at the mockers and critics, and words like those uttered by Hazrat Nuh (AS) come from his mouth. Addressing the mocking crowd while traversing the long, thorn-strewn road, Hazrat Nuh (AS), the embodiment of patience and steadfastness, said—

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“Today you mock us, but one day we will laugh at you just as you now laugh at us.” —Hud: 38

In the light of Allah the Exalted’s sacred word, the believer clearly sees the fate of both himself and the opposing party. Allah has said—

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“Indeed, the guilty used to laugh at the believers in the world. When they passed by them, they winked at one another in mockery. When they returned to their families, they would return joking about them. And whenever they saw the believers, they would say, ‘Surely these are the misguided.’ Yet they had not been sent as guardians over them. Today, in the Hereafter, the believers will laugh at the disbelievers and, seated on their couches, look at them. Have the disbelievers been rewarded for what they used to do?” —Al-Mutaffifin: 29–36

The Holy Qur’an has also informed us by reproducing the disbelievers’ words of mockery toward the believers:

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“When Our verses are recited to them clearly, the disbelievers say to the believers, ‘Tell us, which of the two groups is better in position and which has the more splendid gathering?’”

In other words, which of the two groups is better? One group consisted of the tribal chiefs, social leaders and wealthy people who had not believed in Hazrat Muhammad (SAW), while the other consisted of the poor and helpless people who had believed. Their question was: which of the two groups was superior? Nasr ibn al-Harith, ‘Umar ibn Hisham, Walid ibn al-Mughirah and Abu Sufyan ibn Harb were established leaders and elders of society. In contrast, Hazrat Bilal, Hazrat ‘Ammar and Hazrat Khabbab (RA), among others, were without support or resources. The disbelievers would say, ‘If Muhammad (SAW) were truly Allah’s Prophet, why would these lowly people of the Quraysh join his group? Were there no people of greater standing in society than them?’ They did not even have a good place to gather together apart from the house of an ordinary person—the house of Hazrat ‘Ikrimah. The opposition to Islam, on the other hand, possessed spacious meeting places such as Dar al-Nadwah. They had grandeur and abundance, and they led the nation.

This is the outlook of worshippers of worldly interests. In every time and age, everywhere in the world, their gaze has always been directed downward. They have never looked toward the lofty horizon.

Allah the Exalted Himself has ordained that those enriched with faith and creed should remain above the allure of worldly pomp and fleeting glitter. They will not yearn for proximity to rulers, government favors, cheap popularity or the gratification of their desires. He has also decreed that the believer’s course is to continue striving through severe sacrifice and self-denial, even up to martyrdom. As each person advances along the path of Islam, he must clearly understand that he accepted the deen solely because of the superiority of faith and creed. Apart from Allah’s pleasure, there is no worldly interest here. This path is closed to those attached to greed, desire and splendor. Only those who seek Allah’s pleasure may advance along it—no one else.

The believer is dependent on no human being to determine his values, ideas, or standards of acceptance and rejection. In every matter, he takes guidance from Almighty Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and the standard granted by Allah is sufficient for him. He does not depend on people’s wishes. Therefore, he need not change his opinions as people’s wishes change. The believer has believed in the Great Truth. Truth is firm and unchanging; it never wavers. The believer draws no inspiration from this limited and temporary world. The source of all his inspiration is the Creator, Director and Sustainer of the vast creation. Therefore, the believer’s heart cannot become weak, and he is never overcome by despair. After being connected to the Lord of humanity, the supreme source of truth and the central source of all power, can there be any reason for fear or apprehension?

The believer is established upon truth. If he deviates from truth, nothing will be gained except falsehood. Let falsehood have its drums and trumpets, and let crowds gather around it; truth cannot change because of that. He will never leave the path of haqq and truth to compromise with falsehood. To expect such a thing from him is sheer absurdity.

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“Our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Surely You are the Bestower. Our Lord, You will certainly gather all people on a Day about which there is no doubt. Indeed, Allah never breaks His promise.” —Aal ‘Imran: 8–9

Chapter Twelve

A Blood-Stained Path

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“By the sky full of mighty fortresses, and by the promised Day, and by the witness and the witnessed. Destroyed were the trench-makers, whose trenches were filled with blazing fire, when they sat beside them watching what was being done to the believers. Their hostility toward the believers was only because they had believed in Allah, the Almighty, the Praiseworthy, Who owns the heavens and the earth, and Allah is Witness over everything. Indeed, those who persecuted believing men and women and did not repent afterward will have the punishment of Hell and the punishment of burning. Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds will have gardens beneath which rivers flow—a sure reward. That is the supreme success. Indeed, your Lord’s seizure is severe. He originates creation and repeats it. He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Loving, Lord of the Throne, the Most Glorious. He does whatever He wills.” —Al-Buruj: 1–16

The story of the trench-makers mentioned in the Qur’an prompts reflection in every believer. This surah, Surah al-Buruj, is extremely important for those who wish to engage in the work of calling people to the deen in the world.

In the way the Holy Qur’an presents the introduction, details, commentary and lessons of the story, it clearly outlines the journey of those who call people to Allah’s path. It gives a clear understanding of the nature of the religious movement, the reactions of humanity, and what may occur as this da‘wah spreads throughout the vast world. Through the narrative, Allah the Exalted mentions the obstacles and difficulties that may arise in the believers’ path and encourages them to bear every possible kind of danger, hardship and suffering.

This is the story of a group of believers. They believed in their Lord and openly proclaimed the object of their faith. But the oppressive and powerful enemies of society were unwilling to grant them the right to believe in Allah, the Praiseworthy and Almighty. Thus the believers faced extreme persecution. In an attempt to strip them of the honor granted by Allah and turn them into playthings in the hands of the ruling class, the enemy displayed depraved taste by inflicting cruel physical torture upon them.

But the pure-hearted people strengthened by faith passed the trial that befell them with complete success. They triumphed over their mortal bodies. Therefore, they were not shaken in the slightest by the oppressors’ threats, fear and terror; rather, they were thrown into the blazing fire and died slowly, piece by piece. Yet they were unwilling to move even a hair’s breadth away from their deen. They were free from the enchantment and attraction of worldly life. For this reason, even when preparations were made to slaughter them like animals in a merciless manner, they could not abandon their creed in exchange for life. They cast off the allure of worldly happiness and wealth and departed fearlessly for the higher world. What a magnificent triumph of the power of faith over a short-lived life.

Opposed to the fully believing, noble, righteous and well-mannered people were those rebellious against Allah, reckless, immoral and criminally inclined by nature. They sat at the edge of the blazing pit of fire, enjoying the spectacle of the believers’ agonizing and miserable deaths. Curious to see how the blazing fire swallowed living people and burned them to ashes, they had gathered beside the pit.

Whenever a believing young man, young woman, child, elderly woman or aged person was thrown into the fire, their delight turned into frenzy. At the sight of spurts of blood and burning pieces of flesh, they would dance with joy. This horrifying account shows that the oppressive group had completely lost its conscience and reason and had sunk below the level of beasts. For a wild animal hunts to satisfy its hunger; it does not kill living beings for amusement.

The same event also gives a clear idea of the believers’ elevated rank. They had ascended to the summit of spirituality. Their steadfast reliance upon Allah had reached perfection. For people of every age and every era, this level of faith has always been regarded as supremely desirable.

At a superficial glance, it appears that oppression and persecution had triumphed over faith and creed. Although the faith of these virtuous, patient and God-fearing people had reached its highest point, the outcome of the event seems to suggest that their faith had failed the test of strength against falsehood. We do not know from the Holy Qur’an or any other book whether the pit-diggers were punished in the same way that the peoples of Noah, Hud, Salih, Shuʿayb and Lot were punished for such heinous crimes. Nor is there any way to know whether they were punished as severely as Allah had seized Pharaoh and his forces. Thus, from a materialistic viewpoint, the fate of the believers in this event was extremely tragic.

But is that the end of the matter? Did that God-fearing and virtuous group, who had reached the higher levels of faith, perish only by being burned to ashes in the fire of the pit amid oppression and persecution? And did those tyrannical, beast-like people completely escape punishment? From a worldly perspective, many questions arise in the mind about this matter. But the Qur’an gives believers a different kind of teaching and opens before them the door to another mystery. The Qur’an presents a new criterion for distinguishing good from evil—a criterion that helps determine the believers’ path in the conflict between truth and falsehood.

The life of this world, with its comforts, pleasures and deprivations, is not the decisive factor in human life. Nor do these alone determine the balance of gain and loss. Temporary domination is not victory, although domination is one of the various means of victory. By Allah’s standard, only the weight of faith is heavy. In Allah’s marketplace, only the commodity of faith is in demand. The finest example of victory is the predominance of faith over material things. The event mentioned clearly shows that the believers’ spirits achieved complete victory over fear, suffering, the comforts of worldly life and the desire for pleasure. The victory and honor the believers attained in the face of extreme persecution created a glorious chapter in human history. This is the true victory.

All people die, but the circumstances of death vary. Not everyone is granted the success of the believers mentioned above. Nor can many attain such a high level of faith. Not everyone can enjoy this kind of complete freedom. In His boundless grace, Allah selects a group of people who die like all others, but whose circumstances are supremely fortunate. No one else can attain this fortune. They attain a rank and honor higher even than that of the mighty angels. By this standard of honor and rank, they become the holders of the highest status in human history.

The believers mentioned above could have abandoned their faith and saved their lives. But how greatly would they themselves and all humanity have suffered had they done so? If the great truth that ‘life without faith is not worth even a farthing’ had been abandoned for the sake of saving life, humanity would have suffered immensely. Once people lose freedom of creed and belief, they become destitute. If a tyrannical ruling group can persecute the body and also establish its authority over the soul, the human essence becomes utterly degraded. The believers mentioned above had reached such a level of faith that even while the burning power of fire acted upon their living bodies, they remained steadfast upon the supreme truth and purity. While their mortal bodies were burning in the fire, their lofty ideals were ascending the ladder of success. Indeed, the fire gave even greater radiance to their devotion to their ideals.

This struggle between truth and falsehood is not confined to the stage of the earth. Nor is worldly life alone the complete human life. In this struggle, it is not only the people of the contemporary age who participate. The angels also take part in the war of truth against falsehood, observe the course of the battle and witness whatever takes place. Moreover, they weigh events on a scale. This scale is entirely different from every human scale of every age and kind. Indeed, the angels’ scale possesses distinct characteristics even from the scale of the entire human race. The angels are Allah’s mighty creation. At a given time, their number is several times greater than the number of people living throughout the world. Therefore, there is no doubt that the praise and respect of the angels for the people of truth are far more valuable than the respect and praise of the inhabitants of the world.

Beyond all these stages lies the Hereafter, and that is the true place where results are revealed. This worldly stage is connected to the Hereafter—it is not separate from it. This is the real truth, and it is also the unwavering faith of the believer. The struggle between truth and falsehood does not end on the battlefield of this world. The stage of its true conclusion has not yet arrived. It is neither correct nor just to reach a judgment based only on the portion of the struggle that has taken place on the worldly stage, for then the judgment would be limited to only a few ordinary clashes of the battle.

Those who regard worldly life as the only life have a very narrow and restricted outlook. It is restless-minded people who hold such an outlook. The second outlook—that of the Hereafter—is far-reaching, realistic and comprehensive. The Qur’an cultivates this second outlook in the minds of believers. It is the realistic outlook. Upon it is built the vast edifice of faith-based thought. The reward Allah has promised believers for steadfastness in faith and obedience and for remaining patient through the trial of faith is peace of heart. It is stated:

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“Those who believe find peace in their hearts through the remembrance of Allah. Surely, it is through the remembrance of Allah that hearts find peace.” —Al-Ra‘d: 28

Along with this is the promise of Allah’s pleasure, love and affection.

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“Indeed, those who believe and live by righteous deeds—Allah will create love for them in the hearts of people.” —Maryam: 96

There is also the promise that they will be discussed in the heavenly realm.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “When the child of one of Allah’s servants dies, Allah calls the angels and asks, ‘Have you taken the soul of the child of My so-and-so servant?’

The angels say, ‘Yes, indeed!’

Allah again asks, ‘Have you taken the cherished piece of My servant’s heart?’

They say, ‘Yes, indeed, O Lord!’

Allah says, ‘What did My servant say at that time?’

The angel says, ‘He praised You,’ and ‘He said, “Surely we belong to Allah, and to Him we must return.”’

Allah then commands, ‘Build a palace in Paradise for that servant of Mine and name it Bayt al-Hamd (the House of Praise).’ —(Tirmidhi)

It is also narrated from the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) that Allah says, “I am exactly as My servant thinks of Me. When he remembers Me, I am with him. If he remembers Me within himself, I remember him within Myself. If he remembers Me before a gathering, I remember him in a gathering greater than it. If he comes toward Me by a handspan, I come toward him by a cubit. If he comes toward Me by a cubit, I go toward him by several cubits. If he comes to Me walking, I go to him at a run.” —(Bukhari and Muslim)

There is also the promise that prayers are offered for believers in the heavenly realm and that deep love and compassion exist there for them.

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“Those angels who bear the Throne and those around it glorify their Lord with His praise and believe in Him. They seek forgiveness for the believers before Allah, saying, ‘Our Lord! Your mercy and knowledge encompass everything. So forgive those who repent and follow the path You have shown, and save them from the punishment of Hellfire.’” —(Al-Mu’min: 7)

Allah has promised eternal life to the martyrs—

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“Do not call those who are killed in Allah’s path dead. Rather, they are alive and are provided sustenance by their Lord. They are delighted and content with what Allah has graciously given them. They are certain that those believers who remain in the world and have not yet reached the Hereafter have no cause for fear or grief. They are pleased with Allah’s reward and grace, and they have understood that Allah does not allow the reward of the believers to be lost.” —(Surah Al ‘Imran: 169–171)

Similarly, Allah has issued a warning concerning those who reject the truth, the wrongdoers and the criminals. He says that in worldly life He gives them some respite by loosening their reins for a while, and that they will be judged in the Hereafter. At times Allah also seizes them in this world. Nevertheless, the true punishment is reserved for the Hereafter.

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“Do not be deceived by the activities of those who rebel against Allah throughout the land. These are only temporary provisions of a short-lived life. In the end, their abode will be Hell, and it is the most evil of places.”

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“Do not think Allah unaware of what the wrongdoers are doing. He is only granting them respite until a Day when their eyes will stare in terror and they will run with their heads held high. On that day their gazes will be raised upward and their souls will flutter in distress, longing to depart.” —Ibrahim: 42–43

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“Let them remain absorbed in idle talk and play until the promised day arrives. On that day they will emerge from their graves and begin running as though hastening toward a destination. Their eyes will be lowered, and humiliation and disgrace will mark their faces. That is the promised day.”

—Al-Ma‘arij: 42–44

Thus human life is connected with the life of the angels, and worldly life with the Hereafter. The struggle between truth and falsehood, good and evil, and faith and rebellion against Allah does not end on the temporary stage of this world, nor are its results revealed here. The comforts and hardships, pleasures and deprivations of worldly life are not decisive by Allah’s standard. In this respect, the field for testing the strength of good and evil is much broader and longer-lasting, while the standards and scope of success and failure are far more extensive. This aspiration is very lofty. Therefore, this earth and its adornments, and this life and its necessities, are considered insignificant by the believer. As his outlook and judgment broaden, the purpose and goal of his life continue to rise higher and higher in keeping with them. The story of the pit-diggers is highly helpful in creating such generous, noble hearts and sincere faith.

The account of the pit-diggers and the discussion of Surah al-Buruj also shed light on another aspect: the nature of the call to the religion and the role of its callers in the face of the possible reactions along this path. Throughout world history, the movement of calling to the religion has witnessed the conclusion of struggles waged against other movements in various forms.

This movement has witnessed the destruction of the respective peoples of Noah, Hud, Shu‘ayb and Lot, and the deliverance of a small number of believers. But the Qur’an has not told us what role those who escaped destruction later played. These examples show that, at times, Allah makes the rebels against Him taste partial punishment in worldly life as a remedy for their excesses. Appropriate punishment after complete judgment will certainly be given in the Hereafter.

The movement of the Islamic call witnessed the destruction of Pharaoh with his armies, the deliverance of Moses (peace be upon him) and his followers, and his later acquisition of sovereignty. In the history of that age, the Children of Israel possessed virtuous character. Although they never demonstrated complete steadfastness and never established Allah’s religion as a complete way of life in this world, their example was nevertheless different from that of their predecessors. History has also witnessed heaps of the corpses of those polytheists who did not believe in Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and turned away from the way of life he brought. History has further witnessed how, after the rule of faith was fully established in the hearts of the believers, Allah’s help came and placed the garland of success around their necks. And the world saw, for the first time, an example of Allah’s system being fully implemented in human life. This had never been seen before or after that time.

History has witnessed the event of the pit-diggers. We too have seen it. Besides this, history has seen many ancient and modern events. Of course, these did not occupy an important place in history. Even today history is witnessing countless events that resemble, in one way or another, events from the centuries-old history of Islam.

It is certainly necessary to review other events. But the event of the pit-diggers deserves special mention, because it provides a brilliant example of the trial by fire of faith. In this trial, no worldly help came to the side of the people of truth, nor were the people of falsehood punished in worldly life. To firmly establish this belief in the hearts of believers and callers to Allah’s path, such events may recur as a result of their advancing along the path they desire. In such events, no power will come to their aid. Their affairs and the affairs of their faith are entirely in Allah’s hands. In this situation, the believers’ duty is to depart from this world while remaining steadfast in their duty. Their duty is to take Allah alone as their supreme and ultimate desire, regard creed and belief as more precious than life, and, when cast into the trial by fire, bring their faith through that trial successfully. In such circumstances, believers will testify to the truth of Allah’s religion through their hearts, words and deeds. As for what the fate of the enemies of the religion will be and how the work of calling to the religion will advance, it is best to leave these matters to Allah. Allah may lead them toward outcomes like those recorded in the past history of Islam, or He may decree a new outcome for the bearers of the banner of the true religion and for the people of falsehood.

The people of truth are workers for Allah’s religion. Whatever kind of work Allah wishes them to perform, whenever, wherever and by whatever method He makes them perform it, it is the believers’ duty to fulfill it accordingly and receive the specified reward. The future of the Islamic movement is not in their hands, nor do they have the power to decide anything about it. That is solely the work of the true Owner. The workers need not trouble themselves about it at all.

Believers receive the first installment of the reward for their deeds in this world itself. That reward is peace of heart; a high quality of thought and understanding; excellent ideas; and freedom from worldly greed, fear, grief and suffering. They also collect the second installment in this world. That reward is increased honor for them in the assembly of angels and discussion of them there. People of appreciation in this world praise them as well. Discussion of them in the assembly of angels indicates an increase in their rank in the heavenly realm. The greatest installment of the reward will be given in the Hereafter. There they will undergo an easy and ordinary reckoning and receive immeasurable gain. Through all these installments, the finest reward of every reward is attaining Allah’s pleasure in every installment. In His infinite kindness, He has chosen the believers for His work and selected them to serve, according to His will, in every task as Allah’s soldiers in this world. This too is supreme good fortune.

As a result of the teachings given by the Qur’an, the first great caravan of the Islamic movement attained the higher level of character described above. Inspired to work as Allah’s soldiers, they forgot their own selves and personalities, and in every situation and at every time they were content with Allah’s decision.

Alongside the Qur’an, the training of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) directed their gaze toward Paradise and developed in them the attitude of carrying out their duty with unwavering firmness until Allah’s decision was reached. Allah’s decision was their supreme and ultimate desire for the welfare of this world and the Hereafter. When Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) and his parents were subjected to extreme physical persecution by the tyrants of Mecca, the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw their condition with his own eyes and uttered only these few words:

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“O family of Yasir, be patient; the promise of Paradise for you has been made certain.”

Khabbab ibn al-Aratt (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “We complained to the Prophet (peace be upon him) while he was resting in the shade of the wall of the Kaaba. We asked, ‘Why do you not seek help from Allah? Why do you not pray for us?’ He replied, ‘Before you, people were seized and buried alive. Others were cut apart alive with a saw. Yet this did not turn them away from the true religion. By Allah, He will establish His religion completely. A time will come when a rider will travel alone from Sana’a to Hadramawt, fearing no one but Allah along the way. He will have no reason to fear any danger except the possible attack of a wolf upon his flock of sheep. But you are becoming very impatient.’”

A beneficial purpose is hidden in every act of Allah. He governs the entire created universe. From beginning to end, He is always fully aware of all that takes place throughout creation. Whatever happens in the world happens by His arrangement. Only He knows the benefit hidden in the unseen world. Hidden benefits write history by Allah’s will, and the mysteries of events eventually become manifest according to His pleasure.

Sometimes the underlying mysteries of past events are uncovered centuries later, although the people who lived at the time of those events could not understand their significance. In their own age they merely asked, ‘What is this, O Lord? What is happening, and why is it happening?’ and so on. Such questions are a sign of ignorance. Therefore, the believer does not raise such questions, because he firmly believes that wisdom and benefit are embedded in all of Allah’s acts. The breadth of the believer’s thought, his sense of the value of place, time and circumstance, and his far-sightedness keep him away from such thinking. With complete contentment and an attitude of obedience, he continues advancing with the religious caravan along the path Allah has ordained.

The Qur’an was preparing hearts capable of bearing the responsibility of Allah’s vicegerency on earth. For this, hearts were needed that would be strong, pure and sincere. As they advanced along the path of the religion, these hearts would be ready to sacrifice everything and eager to face every trial courageously. At the same time, their gaze would be fixed not on worldly wealth but on the happiness and prosperity of the Hereafter, and their hearts’ supreme desire would be only to attain Allah’s pleasure. In other words, hearts would be created that would display sacrifice and steadfastness in the face of poverty, hardship and physical persecution throughout life, without hoping for immediate beneficial results. They would not even be anxious to hasten the spread of the call to the religion, the victory of Islam, the Muslims’ acquisition of power and dominance, or the destruction and defeat of the contemporary tyrannical and rebellious groups—as Allah had previously seized and destroyed the enemies of the religion.

When hearts of the kind described above have been formed and continue fulfilling the responsibility of the religion in worldly life without expecting any reward, regarding the Hereafter as the true arena for the final judgment between truth and falsehood, and when Allah becomes pleased with their sincerity, steadfastness, sacrifice and wholehearted devotion, He helps them in this world itself. He entrusts them with the sacred trust of administering vicegerency on earth. This trust is given to them not for the fulfillment of the believers’ interests, but for the interests of the true religion.

They earned the qualification and right to bear this great responsibility on the very day they embarked upon this path without any promise of a possible reward in this world, directing their gaze toward the interests of the Hereafter instead of worldly interests. From the day they abandoned all desire for rewards other than Allah’s pleasure, they became included among Allah’s specially favored servants.

The verses of the Holy Qur’an that promise Allah’s help to the believers, mention the spoils of war, and warn that the unbelievers would be destroyed in this world were all revealed in Madinah.

After every desire for worldly interests had been removed from the hearts of the believers, Allah Himself came forward and gave them the glad tidings of His help. Allah promised such help with the purpose of establishing His pure religion as the way of life for human society. Help was not sent down to the believers in worldly life as a reward for their hard work, sacrifice, and courage; rather, it was Allah’s own decision. Today we are able to understand the inherent wisdom of this decision.

All those associated with every country, nation, and lineage who are interested in the work of Da‘wah to the religion should think carefully about this matter. This subtle point clarifies the entire path of Da‘wah to the religion, along with each of its stages and turns, and gives steadfast patience to those who are determined to reach the end of the road without caring about the outcome. They believe that whatever outcome Allah has decreed for Da‘wah to the religion and for those who call to this path is right. As they advance over the corpses of their fellow workers along an extremely perilous and blood-stained road, they will not eagerly await an imminent victory. Of course, if Allah Himself decides to bring the movement of Da‘wah to the religion to completion and establish His religion through the efforts of the believers, that is certainly welcome. But if such a decision is made, it must be regarded solely as Allah’s will—not as a reward for the believers’ endurance and sacrifice. For this world is not the arena in which deeds receive their recompense.

While commenting on the story of those who dug the trench, the Qur’an has pointed to another fact as well. Each of us should pay attention to it. The Qur’an says—

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“The only reason for their hostility toward these believing people was that they believed in Allah, the Almighty, the Praiseworthy.” — Al-Buruj: 8

People of every age and every lineage should think deeply and attentively about the fact stated in this verse. The struggle between the believers and the opposing party takes place solely because of differences in faith, creed, and thought—not because of any other worldly interest. The opposing side cannot tolerate the believers’ faith. The root cause of all their anger and hostility is the believers’ creed and conviction. Political aims, economic interests, or the attainment of lineage-based superiority are never the objectives of this struggle. Such disputes can easily be resolved or controlled. But here, a struggle over pure ideals is taking place. The issue in dispute is: “Will the system of unbelief continue, or faith? Will ignorance remain, or Islam?”

In Makkah, the polytheists offered the Prophet (peace be upon him) wealth, authority, and other worldly advantages. They had only one condition: that the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) stop the conflict over creed and belief and, in return, obtain other opportunities and interests from them. Had the Prophet (peace be upon him) agreed to fulfill their wishes, he would have had no dispute with the polytheists. Thus, one must remain alert to the fundamental issue at stake in the dispute. For the reason behind the enemy party’s hostility and anger is that the believers have believed in Allah, the Almighty, and obey Allah alone—they bow their heads only before Him.

The opposing side may try to recast the struggle over creed and belief as a political, economic, or tribal dispute in order to confuse the believers about the struggle’s real objective and extinguish the flame of faith burning in their hearts. Therefore, the believers must never be deceived. They must understand that a deliberate, conspiratorial attempt is being made to dislodge them from their position. Those who raise such slogans in this struggle are in fact intent on depriving the believers of the priceless instrument of ultimate victory. This victory may be achieved in the form of spiritual superiority, political independence, or worldly gain resulting from the steadfast elevation of rank exemplified by the believers scattered in the trench.

In today’s world, particularly amid the deceptive propaganda and efforts to distort history by adherents of Christianity, we witness attempts to create confusion. They keep claiming that the underlying objective of the Crusades was the acquisition of empire. This claim is entirely false! The truth is that the Crusader faction adopted the mask of imperialism long after the Crusades. For the creed and beliefs of the Cross cannot reappear in the arena today in the same form in which they were able to manifest themselves during the Middle Ages.

For this reason, they had to adopt a new mask. The creed of the Cross had been shattered in collision with the wall of molten metal built from the united strength of all Muslims, regardless of lineage, race, or tribe. Among those Muslims were such figures as Saladin of the Kurdish tribe and Turan Shah of the Mamluk tribe. Forgetting their tribal and genealogical differences, they relied solely on the strength of faith and achieved victory under the banner of Islam alone.

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“The only reason for their hostility toward the believers was that they had believed in Allah, the Almighty, the Ever-Praised.” — Al-Buruj: 8

Allah’s word is true in every detail, while the deceitful, sorcerous, and oppressive faction are liars and misguided.

— The End —