
Pave The Way of Prosperity For Others
Chapter 12
Muslims must be equipped to provide answers to the challenges put forth by modern society.
As Muslims, our most essential references lie in the Qur’an and Sunnah. After all, this is what spurred on our predecessors to tremendous conquests and success leaving many western minds to ponder and attempt to explain the phenomenally rapid expansion of the early Islamic state during the 7th century CE.
“The rise of Islam offers perhaps the most impressive example in world history of the power of words to alter human behaviour in sudden, surprising ways.” William H. McNeill
The Quran taught the early generations to be prepared to lead mankind in spiritual and worldly matters alike. But all of that disappeared for subsequent generations, when power shifted to those who had nothing of Islam except superficial traditions and were not strongly connected to the guidance of the Qur’an.
“It is hard to free fools from the chains they revere.” — Voltaire.
Today, there are several 800 lb gorillas in the room that simply cannot be discussed because it offends the sensibilities and feelings of many who are comforted by the current status quo of interest based banking. It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. By living this way, you might “succeed” in a material sense but you’ll remain impoverished in all other ways that matter.
Former president Obasanjo, commented on the debt Nigeria faces: “All that we had borrowed up to 1985 or 1986 was around $5 billion and we have paid about $16 billion. Yet we are still being told that we owe about $28 billion. That $28 billion came about because of the injustice in the foreign creditors’ (lenders) interest rates. If you ask me what is the worst thing in the world, I will say it is compound interest.” — Jubilee 2000 News Update, August 2000
According to UNICEF, over 500,000 children under the age of five died each year in Africa and Latin America in the late 1980s as a direct result of the debt crisis and its management under the International Monetary Fund’s structural adjustment programs. These programs required the abolition of price supports on essential food-stuffs, steep reductions in spending on health, education, and other social services, and increases in taxes. — Ross P. Buckley, The fatal flaw in International Finance.
Noam Chomski said “Policy decisions are choices by the powerful, based on perceived self-interest, not mysterious economic laws. Technical devices to alleviate their worst effects were proposed years ago, but have been dismissed by powerful interests that benefit.” — The Guardian, January 21,1999
The more you learn about existing policies (those that help and those that damage the environment and people), the more you will realise how regulations and legislation can play a critical role in supporting the adoption of clean technology and economic justice.
For Kwame Nkrumah, “The essence of neo-colonialism is that the State which is subject to it is, in theory, independent and has all the outward trappings of international sovereignty. In reality its economic system and thus its political policy is directed from outside.”
Their ultimate purpose is to exploit — without facing resistance or obstacle — underground and overland resources such as energy, gas and oil, nourishing their greed and enabling their empire to grow larger.
Our Religion Compels us to Pave the Way of Prosperity for Others
This is the lofty, dignified ideal the Qur’ān exhorts people to toil towards. The current rules make it very difficult for ethical businesses to get ahead. There is an urgent need for Muslims to challenge the status quo, change legislation, build a robust interest free banking system, facilitate halal activity and create an economy that aims to maximise human well-being.
This is not just an idealistic dream but an Islamic obligation that has been neglected for far too long. We can’t allow the hegemonic system of domination, looting and exploitation to consolidate its power.
Fard Kifaayah — Communal Obligation
Belief is not a mere word we say; it is a reality that imposes duties, a trust that carries requirements and a struggle that demands patience and perseverance.
Acquiring specific worldly knowledge helps us to carry out our religious obligations and there is no doubt that this type of knowledge comes under the heading of fard kifaayah (communal obligation) — which, in principle, is an obligation that does not fall on everyone’s shoulders. As long as a sufficient number of people in society take it up, everyone else can follow other pursuits.
However, today it is becoming more and more of an individual obligation. We live in an age of unprecedented technological challenge and we are witnessing a Muslim incapacity that is quite startling.
Establishing the religion requires a high degree of expertise in some areas. Those who are able to learn them are obliged to do so, thus fulfilling the obligation of fard kifaayah, because the people are in need of that. The greater the need, the greater the obligation and reward.
Furthermore, there exists a principle in fiqh that states “whatever helps to carry out an obligation becomes an obligation”. This is a fundamental principle that must be taught, practised and demonstrated.
For example, women should be seen by female gynaecologists. So if this is not the case then it becomes a fard kifaya on the community to produce female gynaecologists who can address such a need.
Knowing that “whatever helps to carry out an obligation becomes an obligation” the people are therefore obliged to setup institutions in suitable environments to facilitate such learning and practice. This principle extends to all things that Islam encourages us to establish and protect. It begins with the desire to learn and then taking the means to pursue it.
With regard to worldly sciences such as medicine, engineering, agriculture, etc., Muslims have to learn whatever the Ummah needs to know. If the Muslims need to manufacture a needle, there has to be someone among them who can learn how to make this needle.
Vicegerents on Earth — Call to The Ummah to Live Out its Mandate
At the outset we are khulafā and bear responsibility to those who inhabit the Earth with us and must always remember that our activity and inactivity is a matter of consequence in both this world and the next. It is a trust so heavy that even the mountains rejected it.
Allah tells us in the Qur’an: “We did indeed offer the trust to the Heavens and the Earth and the mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook it; he was indeed unjust and foolish.” (33:72)
We are tasked with representing the Prophetic message, epitomising nobility and ensuring the holistic welfare of people. As believers, we should never lose sight of this great responsibility. It is the fulfilment of that mission that transforms us from ‘the lowest of the low’ (95:5), into ‘the best of people arisen for mankind.’ (3:110)
We cannot protect humanities interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining a strong body of people dedicated to the cause of giving victory to the religion in different areas.
This is the lofty, dignified ideal the Qur’ān exhorts people to toil towards, an ideal in which man’s exaltation is in neglecting his own pride and where his soul’s freedom is in his subservience to God.
The Muslims before us understood the gravity of this responsibility and endeavoured to facilitate its implementation however they could.
They acted within the framework of seeking good and warding off and combating evil. As stewards of Islam, they were prepared to spread and protect what was entrusted to them by Allah by any means necessary.
We belittle our religion by not committing any meaningful resources to its victory. As believers we should enhance our capabilities to check and frustrate evil wherever it is found and proudly proclaim Allah’s message and glory to all of creation.
Make Things Easy
The Prophet said “Make things easy and do not make things difficult. Give glad tidings and do not frighten them away.” (Muslim)
Making things easy does not mean to neglect the obedience of Allah and abandon religious obligations and commit prohibitions. But rather it is to facilitate their affairs, deal with them gently and teach people the concessions and exceptions in rulings.
In principle, a Muslim is religiously required to fulfil religious obligations and refrain from committing prohibitions, and whoever is really unable to do so, then Allah does not overburden a soul more than it can bear.
To this end, the Muslims should build safe and effective systems within which we can all fulfil our duties.
Dignified Response
There was a time in our History, that once it so happened, that in a Roman City, one Muslim sister was attacked. Unlike the far graver atrocities that are reported today, only to fall on deaf years of our rulers, this news of attack reached the then ruler of the Caliphate. When the Caliph, Mutasim Billah heard about the cry of the women, calling “Ya Mutasim”, he was stunned.
He immediately ordered a meeting, for which an emergency Adhan (Sixth Adhan) was given in the Masjid, and the relevant personals gathered. They inquired the Caliph, “What is the matter?”, to which he replied, “a report has reached me that one Muslim sister was abused in a Roman city.”
He proceeded, “Wallahi, I will send an army that is so big that when it reaches them it will still be leaving our bases.” This was the decisive response of the Khalifah, when the honor of one of our women was touched. A historic equivalent to 10000 tons of diplomacy (aircraft carriers) by sending such an unrelenting force.
When Al Mu’tism’s army conquered the Roman city he insisted on opening the jail cell of the sister himself… and he did and when she saw him, she was amazed and he smiled and said: “I heard your call, sister.”
It is worth noting the swift and decisive response of the Caliph, with regards to protection of human rights. The Caliph did not send a team of lawyers to take up the issue in the courts of Romans, nor did he dispatch State diplomats to plea and request the ‘safety’ of the victim. The state did not delay the matter to first gauge public sentiments. Neither did the Muslim rulers exploit the issue for their own personal gain. Any attack on the Muslims or their allies was met with an unrelenting force.
However, times have changed and one should not be too surprised by the lack of action taken by many Muslim states today who are in a humiliating position of relying on the enemies for their own security and survival.
Avoid The Trivial
Too many people are still giving far too much importance to non issues whilst ignoring significant matters.
It is always astonishing to observe the disconnect between what we see in the media and the reality of the world around us. We care about the “wrong” things. We obsess about issues that don’t matter.
The problem is that we are spending too much time on things that don’t matter as oppose to the very few things that do.
Of course, the difficult question is; How do we stop being baited by the insignificant? How do we persuade ourselves to focus on what’s truly vital?
Play Your Part
Do we think we have been given access to all this and not be accounted? We could sit back and say nafsi nafsi myself myself. Or recognise that our test is in our response. How is our surplus wealth, resources and intelligence used to alleviate the suffering of others and aid the religion.
“O you who have believed, fear Allah and seek the means (of nearness) to Him and strive in His cause that you may succeed” (5:35)
It is a part of every Muslim’s responsibility to strive and contribute, in the best way, to the protection and defense of the religion. For sure, we will be questioned in the hereafter as to how conscientiously we discharged our responsibilities.
The Ummah should seek to unite its political authority and position itself to lead because it is responsible for the care taking of this world. We are hopeful that today the Muslim world is going through a transitionary phase from post colonialism to true independence and strength.
We must do everything we can to advance an international order that is conducive to our security, prosperity and values.
The fact remains that the destiny of a nation depends on the determination of its people, but there has to be a leader with vision, courage and wisdom to inspire them to unite in their struggle for safeguarding the sovereignty and independence of their people, and to put it on the path of progress and prosperity.
There is a desperate need for this type of work for anyone seeking the pleasure of Allāh and the home of the hereafter. It is high time for the Muslims to double down on things that actually matter, because we have so much at stake.
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It is not enough that people should claim to believe. When they make this claim they are not left alone. They are subjected to tests so as to prove their sincerity and true mettle, just as gold is tested with fire so as to separate it from any cheap elements.
When things become chaotic and complicated, it becomes ever more urgent to cut through the noise, simplify and hone in on what really matters. So the question remains, what can you do to make Islam a deeper reality. Ask yourself;
What are the most pressing needs of today?
How and where am I most effective?
