It is noted that governments in general fear public opinion and give it a great deal of attention; they value public opinion highly and realise its effect, this is why they tend to monitor it closely.
In times of war and disturbances, the control of public opinion becomes all the more significant, and governments move swiftly to quell any public opinion against them. In times of peace their control of public opinion becomes more relaxed; however if they felt that some concepts which may damage their credibility were being spread they at once move to quell them and prevent them from provoking a public opinion against them, also if they sensed that some concepts or news items may trigger a public opinion against them, they would soon take the initiative to combat such items and prevent it.
In the Second World War, we witnessed the warring governments controlling public opinions closely, preventing the spread of opinions and concepts which would threaten them and become a potential unfavourable public opinion; and in the wake of the Second World War, when an agreement between the U.S. and Russia was struck about spreading the concepts of freedom, independence and progress in the colonised countries; Russia had meant eradicating colonialism and the U.S. meant changing the style of colonialism. In order to resist this, the other colonial powers took steps towards fighting those concepts by either resisting and suppressing them or by attempting to implant them and give them an erroneous significance and a reality contradictory to their essence.
When Hizb ut-Tahrir came on the scene, carrying the concept of the Islamic state, all the governments consented that it should be resisted and that its opinions should be stopped in their tracks lest they turned into a public opinion against them. And when the Messenger of Allah (SAW) was sent, Quraysh did not budge at first, however when she sensed that his Message threatened to turn into a public opinion, she soon moved to resist it and prevent it from turning into a public opinion. Therefore, almost as a rule, every government tends to fight any concept or opinion or news item that could potentially turn into a public opinion against it.
So what is the method which these governments adopt in fighting the public opinion?
In answer to this, it is noted that governments tend to concentrate their efforts in combatting the concepts and opinions which could potentially become public opinions, this is done by banning these concepts and opinions from being broadcast in public places, whether by way of direct talk such as oratory or ordinary talk, or by way of indirect contact such as writing in newspapers, magazines and books. The government’s work is concentrated chiefly in preventing public debates; as for the private talks, the governments do not make an issue of it. It is true that in some cases they tend to clamp down on private meetings, but this in fact happens rarely and it is usually taken up by regimes which do not realise the meaning of rule, and such cases are actually isolated and do not form part of the government’s strategy; therefore they are not considered part of the government’s work designed to combat the concepts which could turn into a public opinion.
As far as a political party is concerned, governments tend to prevent the party from holding any public activity; they ban the leaflets, magazines, newspapers, books, speeches and public talks whether in the streets, mosques, or cafes etc... As for the study circles and talks in private places, governments have never made it their business to ban them, however it is known that there were some isolated cases which took place in certain countries and these were very rare and not in fact based on governments’ initiatives and directives, thus they do not form part of the governments’ drive in combatting the concepts which could become public opinions. In reality, no attempts have been made to ban the activities taking place in private places such as study circles and talks; if the governments had wanted to ban the circles in the way they banned the speeches and public talks they would have been able to do so, in the same way they managed to ban leaflets. If they did not do so, this is because they did not make it the focus of their attention and because their method of preventing the concepts from turning into public opinion is by banning the spread of the concepts, opinions and news in the public places.
This is also noted in the tradition of the Messenger of Allah (SAW), Quraysh was very anxious to prevent the Messenger of Allah (SAW) from talking in public places; the disbelievers used to first send someone to counter the talk of the Messenger of Allah (SAW), they then resorted to harming and persecuting him in order to prevent him from talking to people in public places; they also used to prevent Abu Bakr from praying in his mosque which he built by his house.
This indicates that the method which the rulers used to prevent the concepts is to ban the public talks; this also indicates that the effective way of bringing about a public opinion is by talking to people in the public places.
Therefore, the method of generating public opinion would be by talking to people in public places. However, the talk in public places could be conducted privately with one or several persons, such as talking to persons in a cafe while sitting at an isolated table in a way that would not enable other persons to come and listen to the talk, or such as talking privately to a patient in a hospital; this type of talk would not help generate a public opinion, the talk must be open so that it is heard by whomever wants to listen. Also, one could talk in the streets or the mosque or the cafe in way that enables anyone to listen, however, the speaker may give some general and vague concepts and he may attempt concealing what he really wanted to say, this would also not generate public opinion for the listener and whoever wanted to listen may not be able to realise what the talk is about and therefore he would not be able to pass it on to others; the talk must therefore be frank and clear.
Furthermore, the speaker could be delivering a clear and frank talk, and when he sees a government agent he keeps silent, or when he reaches a point which he knows that the listener does not agree with, he abstains or avoids the subject; this also does not establish public opinion, the talk should not contain any reservations so that the concept is conveyed clearly and completely as it stands, in order to enable it to be spread in full and in detail.
Therefore, to bring about a public opinion, the talk must be held in public, openly, clearly, frankly and without any reservations, and this could be carried out in two ways:
1 - The indirect contact by way of newspapers, leaflets and books.
2 - The direct contact such as through speeches and conversations.
The indirect talk would generate a public opinion but it does not initiate a public awareness nor does it help the building of a popular base.
The public opinion which we aim to generate is the one that emanates from a general awareness, and the one which we aim to build, upon a popular base. And this cannot be brought about unless the contact is direct and personal.
Therefore, the public opinion which we aim at generating is the one carried out by way of talking personally to people in the public places openly, frankly and without any reservations. And this is what is known as the popular contact. Therefore, the method of generating the desired public opinion is to conduct the popular contact.
However, it should be known that the meaning of popular contact in this context has no link with the slogans which are being trumpeted nowadays such as the popular leadership and popular reaction etc, it is rather a specific term which has been put to indicate a certain reality.
And what is nowadays being repeated is merely a group of terms which have been taken from what the Westerners have written in the books of psychology and sociology about the groups, their establishment and their formation. These terms convey the wrong meaning for two reasons: One is because when the psychologists and sociologists wrote about these issues they did so on the basis that those events were partial, then they erred when they made general analogies with all the events; therefore, what they wrote formed part of the general analogy and that was wrong. Besides, some of what was written was based on logical deductions and not a sense of reality; the logical deduction is prone to error, for it is a host of theories which have been logically deduced and then taken as principles, to base actions upon these would be wrong without any doubt, therefore it would be wrong to consider them.
The second is because those who repeat such slogans try to implement them on events which are different to the one they had been theoretically designed for. Therefore they go wrong when they attempt to implement them, thinking that the theories are correct, they therefore contradict themselves, they sometimes say : “The shallow minded masses”, other times they would say: “The masses have become aware”. Awareness contradicts shallow mindedness, therefore, what is being said about the masses by those affected by the western culture should be disregarded, a look at reality would be the appropriate approach.
In fact the masses mean the group that is gathered permanently. The various groups are usually found in public places, it would be very rare to come across various groups in private places, although a group would be gathered in a private place, however such group cannot be called masses. And what is meant here is to talk or communicate with the groups that are gathered permanently. Therefore the right term to describe the popular contact would be talking to the people in the public places.
Attention should here be drawn to a couple of matters:
1 - The popular contact does not mean talking to the group or the groups, but talking to people in the places where the groups i.e. the masses are to be found, regardless of whether the talk is to one person, or to a group or groups, this means talking in the public places; therefore, talking to a group in a private place, as for instance talking to a group in a house would not be regarded as popular contact, on the other hand talking to one single person in a well frequented shop or in the streets would be considered popular contact and this could generate public opinion, thus that which is of consequence would be the place where the talk is held and the situation of the talk, not the group or the individual.
Therefore, when the governments decide to prevent a public opinion they tend to ban the talks in the public places even to one person, whereas they do not attempt to ban the talks held in private places even if it were to a group; the house raids which take place during a state of emergency to ban a meeting are a rare occurrence and isolated cases which do not form part of a method or a strategy, this type of ban is in fact to prevent a conspiracy and not to prevent a public opinion.
2- The popular contact is not talking to society, thus it would be inappropriate in this context to monitor the type of existing relationships between people, it is rather talking to people with the aim of conveying to them concepts or opinions or news which the people would in turn talk about and transmit and spread, thus the aim would be to get them to talk about those concepts and opinions. Therefore, no difference should be made between a town and a village, nor between a rich area and a poor area, nor between a Muslim and a non-Muslim area, nor between a capitalist society and an Islamic one; the same path should be tread in any place and with every group, as long as the talk is taking place in a public place regardless of any other consideration.
This is the nature of the popular contact: To talk personally, openly, frankly, clearly and without any reservations to people in public places.
This contact would be in various situations, some of which are:
-To talk openly in the streets.
-To talk openly in the cafes.
-To talk openly in the mosques.
-To talk openly in the hotels and the offices.
-To talk openly in the governmental departments.
-To talk openly in the well frequented public baths and not the deserted beaches or river banks.
-To talk openly in the car, train, plane etc..
-To talk openly in the hospital and the doctor’s surgery.
-To talk openly in public parks.
-To talk openly at radio and television stations and using loud speakers.
All these are situations where the popular contact could take place and where one can choose the situation he wants or the one that could be made available to him. As for the types of popular contact they are confined to what could be actually spoken, for instance the oratory is one type, the other type would be ordinary talk which includes debates, discussions and lectures; all these types are widely available to everyone, if one could not make a speech he could hold an ordinary talk and if one cannot give a lecture he could take part in a debate or a discussion.
As for the styles of popular contact, these are not restricted, but they are determined by the nature of the contact; a person for instance could use the style of opposition to an action or an opinion, or he could ask about an action or an opinion or something, he could also draw attention to something or to an action or to an opinion; and there are numerous other styles where the originality could reap tangible results and shorten the time of generating a public opinion.
This is the method of generating the desired public opinion, which is to carry out the popular contact in any of its various situations and in any of its types and in styles where originality is apparent.
Saturday, 17 October 2009
Monday, 15 June 2009
Science
Islamic Civilisation and Science
For the last two centuries the world has witnessed unprecedented leaps in science and technology, the development of railways, aeroplanes, nuclear technology, the internet, IVF, genetically modified food, penicillin, cloning and the development of nanotechnology. Such developments have taken place in parallel to the development of the West, reaching levels unheralded in history. The West today has monopolised technological and scientific progress and consider the adoption of liberal values a pre-requisite for development.
Most thinkers, scientists and philosophers claim Islam has no place in the world today, a view which itself is built upon the premise that none of the Muslim countries have produced anything in terms of scientific research or technological advancement. The West claims that progress in science and technology occurred when the West rid itself of the authority of the church and separated religion from life. For them the church stifled the development of science and reason, as religion is inherently built upon faith and superstition and, only with its removal from the public sphere, did the West manage to launch an industrial revolution and then flourish in Science. Today's liberals claim it is they who invented science as we know it, laid its foundations and created its numerous branches.
Such a narrative omits a number of historical developments that are not Western and shows how the West continued to view its history as the history of the world. Such a narrative also conveniently omits what the West took from previous civilisations and especially the Islamic civilisation. Historically all civilisations have been characterised with some form of technological and scientific development, the West has documented the contributions the Romans made to science and medicine, whilst the Islamic world in the 8th - 10th century translated the works of the Greeks in the area.
Science in essence is the study, research, and experimentation into the observable parts of the universe. The development of automobiles was due primarily to the development of the combustion engine; this is where the burning of fuel in an engine acts on the pistons causing the movement of the solid parts, eventually moving the automobile. This was possible due to the British Empire which originally used steam and then coal to drive pistons and then eventually to generate rotary (motion) to move machines. Such developments where based upon Al-Jazari's work in the 12th century where he invented the crankshaft, and created rotary motion through the use of rods and cylinders. He was the first to incorporate it into a machine.
The above example and a number of other examples show that no civilisation can lay claim to science belonging inherently to them but rather they made a contribution to this universal area. The fact atoms and molecules are subjected to the rules of the universe, which can be manipulated will not change if one is a Muslim, Christian or a liberal; this is something that is universal and not affected by ones belief. The real debate is therefore which civilisation made significant contributions to science and what exactly drove them to excel in the field.
The Islamic golden age, which is considered to be between the 8th and the 13th century, saw the Muslims rapidly progress in many fields. During this period, engineers, scholars and traders in the Islamic world contributed to the arts, agriculture, economics, industry, law, literature, navigation, philosophy, sciences, and technology, both by preserving and building upon earlier traditions and by adding to them. Howard Turner, an expert on medieval history mentioned in his book ‘Science in Medieval Islam,' "Muslim artists and scientists, princes and laborers together created a unique culture that has directly and indirectly influenced societies on every continent." There were a number of specific elements within Islam that motivated Muslims to excel in scientific and technological advancement.
The worship of Allah (swt) was one such factor that lead to a number of inventions, the times of the five daily prayers, the direction for qiblah (the direction Muslims face when praying) and the beginning and ending of Ramadan required accurate readings of the positions of the stars and the moon. It was due to this that Muslims began to invent observational and navigational instruments, this is why most navigational stars today have Arabic names, e.g. Acamar, Aldebaran, Altair, Baham, Baten Kaitos, Caph, Dabih, Edasich, Furud, Gienah, Hadar, Izar, Jabbah, Keid, Lesath, Mirak, Nashira, Okda, Phad, Rigel, Sadr, Tarf, and Vega. Muslims made a number of contributions to Astronomy and eventually to the development of the astronomical clock. A mechanical lunisolar calendar with gear train and gear-wheels was invented by Abu Rayhan al-Biruni in the 10th century. Based on such designs Taqi al-din invented the mechanical clock in the 15th century. The need to ascertain the Qibla, lead to the development of the compass, which itself was based upon the findings Muslim astronomers had collated. Muslims developed the compass which displayed the orientation of the cardinal directions, north, south, east and west on a map and nautical chart. Allah (swt) said in the Qur'an
"and it is He who ordained the stars for you that you may be guided thereby in the darkness of the land and the sea" (6:97).
This motivated Muslims to begin to find better observational and navigational instruments, thus most navigational stars today have Arabic names. Such instruments were used to explore the world, which many Muslim geographers collated into manuals. They were driven by the ayah in the Qur'an where Allah (swt) said
"and we have placed in the earth firm hills lest it quake with them and we have placed therein ravines as roads that happily they may find their way" (21:31).
Early Muslims understood that Islam views all the material matters, which include the sciences, technology and industry, as merely the study of the reality and a study of how matter can be manipulated to improve the condition and living standards of humanity. As many lands came under the folds of the Islamic civilisation, urbanisation led to a number of developments. Muslim engineers were able to overcome the scant water supplies of the Arabian Desert by developing canals from the Euphrates and Tigris. They also managed to drain the swamps around Baghdad and free the city of Malaria. Muslim engineers perfected the water-wheel and constructed elaborate underground water channels called qanats. This led to the development of advanced domestic water systems with sewers, public baths, drinking fountains, piped drinking water supplies and widespread private and public toilet and bathing facilities.
Muslims thinkers, scientists, engineers and experts made significant contributions to science as well as many other disciplines. Many of these contributions were later used by the West who made further contributions to the field. The nature of science as a universal subject means no single civilisation can lay claim to inventing it, but rather most civilisations have documented their contributions throughout history, which acted as previous information when experimentation was carried out by later civilisations. Prior to the emergence of Islam in the Middle East the host population made no contribution to science. When the very same people accepted Islam they made contributions which later generations utilised to invent new items, which today still remain with us. Islam rather then being an obstacle to scientific advancement was the trajectory that drove Muslim contribution to science.
Jared Diamond, a physiologist who won the Pulitzer Prize for his book: "Guns, Germs, and Steel," said: "Medieval Islam was technologically advanced and open to innovation. It achieved far higher literacy rates than in contemporary Europe; it assimilated the legacy of classical Greek civilization to such a degree that many classical books are now known to us only through Arabic copies. It invented windmills, trigonometry, lateen sails and made major advances in metallurgy, mechanical and chemical engineering and irrigation methods. In the middle-ages the flow of technology was overwhelmingly from Islam to Europe rather than from Europe to Islam. Only after the 1500's did the net direction of flow begin to reverse."
For the last two centuries the world has witnessed unprecedented leaps in science and technology, the development of railways, aeroplanes, nuclear technology, the internet, IVF, genetically modified food, penicillin, cloning and the development of nanotechnology. Such developments have taken place in parallel to the development of the West, reaching levels unheralded in history. The West today has monopolised technological and scientific progress and consider the adoption of liberal values a pre-requisite for development.
Most thinkers, scientists and philosophers claim Islam has no place in the world today, a view which itself is built upon the premise that none of the Muslim countries have produced anything in terms of scientific research or technological advancement. The West claims that progress in science and technology occurred when the West rid itself of the authority of the church and separated religion from life. For them the church stifled the development of science and reason, as religion is inherently built upon faith and superstition and, only with its removal from the public sphere, did the West manage to launch an industrial revolution and then flourish in Science. Today's liberals claim it is they who invented science as we know it, laid its foundations and created its numerous branches.
Such a narrative omits a number of historical developments that are not Western and shows how the West continued to view its history as the history of the world. Such a narrative also conveniently omits what the West took from previous civilisations and especially the Islamic civilisation. Historically all civilisations have been characterised with some form of technological and scientific development, the West has documented the contributions the Romans made to science and medicine, whilst the Islamic world in the 8th - 10th century translated the works of the Greeks in the area.
Science in essence is the study, research, and experimentation into the observable parts of the universe. The development of automobiles was due primarily to the development of the combustion engine; this is where the burning of fuel in an engine acts on the pistons causing the movement of the solid parts, eventually moving the automobile. This was possible due to the British Empire which originally used steam and then coal to drive pistons and then eventually to generate rotary (motion) to move machines. Such developments where based upon Al-Jazari's work in the 12th century where he invented the crankshaft, and created rotary motion through the use of rods and cylinders. He was the first to incorporate it into a machine.
The above example and a number of other examples show that no civilisation can lay claim to science belonging inherently to them but rather they made a contribution to this universal area. The fact atoms and molecules are subjected to the rules of the universe, which can be manipulated will not change if one is a Muslim, Christian or a liberal; this is something that is universal and not affected by ones belief. The real debate is therefore which civilisation made significant contributions to science and what exactly drove them to excel in the field.
The Islamic golden age, which is considered to be between the 8th and the 13th century, saw the Muslims rapidly progress in many fields. During this period, engineers, scholars and traders in the Islamic world contributed to the arts, agriculture, economics, industry, law, literature, navigation, philosophy, sciences, and technology, both by preserving and building upon earlier traditions and by adding to them. Howard Turner, an expert on medieval history mentioned in his book ‘Science in Medieval Islam,' "Muslim artists and scientists, princes and laborers together created a unique culture that has directly and indirectly influenced societies on every continent." There were a number of specific elements within Islam that motivated Muslims to excel in scientific and technological advancement.
The worship of Allah (swt) was one such factor that lead to a number of inventions, the times of the five daily prayers, the direction for qiblah (the direction Muslims face when praying) and the beginning and ending of Ramadan required accurate readings of the positions of the stars and the moon. It was due to this that Muslims began to invent observational and navigational instruments, this is why most navigational stars today have Arabic names, e.g. Acamar, Aldebaran, Altair, Baham, Baten Kaitos, Caph, Dabih, Edasich, Furud, Gienah, Hadar, Izar, Jabbah, Keid, Lesath, Mirak, Nashira, Okda, Phad, Rigel, Sadr, Tarf, and Vega. Muslims made a number of contributions to Astronomy and eventually to the development of the astronomical clock. A mechanical lunisolar calendar with gear train and gear-wheels was invented by Abu Rayhan al-Biruni in the 10th century. Based on such designs Taqi al-din invented the mechanical clock in the 15th century. The need to ascertain the Qibla, lead to the development of the compass, which itself was based upon the findings Muslim astronomers had collated. Muslims developed the compass which displayed the orientation of the cardinal directions, north, south, east and west on a map and nautical chart. Allah (swt) said in the Qur'an
"and it is He who ordained the stars for you that you may be guided thereby in the darkness of the land and the sea" (6:97).
This motivated Muslims to begin to find better observational and navigational instruments, thus most navigational stars today have Arabic names. Such instruments were used to explore the world, which many Muslim geographers collated into manuals. They were driven by the ayah in the Qur'an where Allah (swt) said
"and we have placed in the earth firm hills lest it quake with them and we have placed therein ravines as roads that happily they may find their way" (21:31).
Early Muslims understood that Islam views all the material matters, which include the sciences, technology and industry, as merely the study of the reality and a study of how matter can be manipulated to improve the condition and living standards of humanity. As many lands came under the folds of the Islamic civilisation, urbanisation led to a number of developments. Muslim engineers were able to overcome the scant water supplies of the Arabian Desert by developing canals from the Euphrates and Tigris. They also managed to drain the swamps around Baghdad and free the city of Malaria. Muslim engineers perfected the water-wheel and constructed elaborate underground water channels called qanats. This led to the development of advanced domestic water systems with sewers, public baths, drinking fountains, piped drinking water supplies and widespread private and public toilet and bathing facilities.
Muslims thinkers, scientists, engineers and experts made significant contributions to science as well as many other disciplines. Many of these contributions were later used by the West who made further contributions to the field. The nature of science as a universal subject means no single civilisation can lay claim to inventing it, but rather most civilisations have documented their contributions throughout history, which acted as previous information when experimentation was carried out by later civilisations. Prior to the emergence of Islam in the Middle East the host population made no contribution to science. When the very same people accepted Islam they made contributions which later generations utilised to invent new items, which today still remain with us. Islam rather then being an obstacle to scientific advancement was the trajectory that drove Muslim contribution to science.
Jared Diamond, a physiologist who won the Pulitzer Prize for his book: "Guns, Germs, and Steel," said: "Medieval Islam was technologically advanced and open to innovation. It achieved far higher literacy rates than in contemporary Europe; it assimilated the legacy of classical Greek civilization to such a degree that many classical books are now known to us only through Arabic copies. It invented windmills, trigonometry, lateen sails and made major advances in metallurgy, mechanical and chemical engineering and irrigation methods. In the middle-ages the flow of technology was overwhelmingly from Islam to Europe rather than from Europe to Islam. Only after the 1500's did the net direction of flow begin to reverse."
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Idea
INTRODUCTION
An ideology can generally be defined as a set of related concepts and beliefs that constitutes the basis of the political, economic, social system. Upon further scrutiny of the fundamentals and essence of any ideology and application, one arrives at the understanding that an ideology invariably includes a method or technique by which its ideas can be realised. Hence, we understand that an ideology consists of two main elements: Idea and Method.
In light of this, we must seek to confine all out actions, in the pursuit of the revival, to the method which emanates from our ideology. Failure to do this will result in our carrying out actions which do not emanate from the Islamic ideology, thus negating the Islamic goals and objectives.
In order to comprehend the realm of actions considered as part of the Islamic method, we must understand the nature and distinction of what constitutes Means, Style, and Plans as well as the concept of Strategy and Tactics.
IDEA (Fikrah)
The term Fikrah can be translated as an idea or thought. The most fundamental thought, the doctrine of creed, is termed the Aqeeda. The resultant thoughts and a system dealing with all aspects of life emanate from the Aqeeda.
Thus, the Idea - in the sense of it being one of the two elements of an ideology - can refer to the Aqeeda, and the resultant thoughts.
1. Aqeeda or doctrine itself is the fundamental thought about the universe, man and life.
'' Say, Allah is One.'' ( Al Ikhlas; 112:1 )
This ayah is an idea directly related to the Aqeeda.
2. Resultant rules ( Ahkam ) are derived from the doctrine and used for solving the issues of life in general.
'' ..Allah has permitted trading and forbidden Riba. '' ( Al Baqara; 2:225 )
This ayah results in thoughts related to specific relationships, i.e. the economy and acts of worship. Other ayat have thoughts related to the conditions for and conformation of the Khalifa, the Islamic viewpoint towards men and women, rules related to business transactions, food, clothing, etc.
METHOD (Tareeqah)
The method is the material manifestation of the idea which seeks to bring the ideology into application. The method addresses the following subjects;
A) Implementation of the solutions.
B) Preserving the Aqeeda ( creed ).
C) Conveying the ideology.
The Islamic method for the implementation of Islam in the society is through the Khalifa. The Khilafa is a complete structure of the state, tasked with over seeing the implementation of Islam in the affairs of life, including the Khalifa, his Executive and Delegated Assistants, the Judiciary, and the rest of the system.
To categorise an action as part of the method, it has to be validated by Daleel or evidence. Additionally, any action which is part of the method has to be validated by a Daleel to categorise it as such. For example, Jihad is a method from which many actions branch off. Each one of them is based on an evidence. For example, initiating combat of how Islam is to be presented to those whom we are to fight with, are all based on evidences. Other evidences specifically describe and clarify the circumstances in which fighting is allowed to be temporarily suspended. It becomes quite clear that these actions are part of the method which have to be adhered to by performing the acts exactly the way they were performed by the Prophet ( saaw ). Hence, it is totally forbidden to modify ( add, delete, or alter ) any of these acts. It is totally forbidden to deviate even slightly from these acts because they all stem from the method.
From the aforementioned, it is clear that the Idea and the Method comprise the Ideology. Therefore, both should be adopted and adhered to with a full and strong conviction because it is forbidden to adopt the Idea and relinquish the Method just as it is forbidden to adopt the Method and relinquish the Idea. Consequently, discarding the Salah is just as forbidden as forsaking the penalty of cutting the hand of the thief, and abandoning the payment of Zakah is just as forbidden as neglecting Jihad, and committing cannibalism is not any worse than conspiring against the Muslims, and drinking alcohol is just as forbidden as the political disunity of the Muslim Ummah. All of these thoughts and concepts are a coherent part of Islam which have to be adopted comprehensively because Allah, The Most High, says:
'' And you who believe is a part of The Book and disbelieve is a part. The punishment of those who do that among you is the humiliation in this life, and they will be subjected to the most severest chastisement in The Hereafter. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.''( Al Baqara; 2:285 )
Thus, Islam clarifies both the Idea and the Method and commands us to uphold and adhere to both of them and prohibits us from abandoning either one.
Now that the Idea and Method have been expounded upon, we will elucidate the Style, the Means, and the Plan of the Aqeeda. These three concepts may sound synonymous in meaning, but in reality they differ from one another. Each one of these terms has to be clearly defined so that we can deliver Islam in the correct manner, and the clarity of these terms has to maintained at all times to safeguard ourselves against any deviation from the correct path. One may question the importance of clarifying the differences amongst these terms and to define them separately.
The importance of realising these differences becomes quite relevant when we look in retrospect to the recent annals of Islamic history, where the Muslim Ummah could not distinguish between technology and culture. The Ummah imported and adopted many cultural elements from the Western civilisation.
The lack of understanding and awareness of the differences amongst the Style, the Means, and the Plan have led Muslims to the weakest and darkest period of their history and the Ummah is still suffering from the consequences of this lack of awareness. The Muslims took from the Western civilisation what Islam prohibited and renounced and left what Islam allowed them to adopt from it. Thus, it is important for the Muslims to fully understand the Style, the Means, and the Plan of the Aqeedah and to clearly distinguish between them.
THE STYLE ( Usloub )
The Style is an act which branches from the Method. However, it differs from the Method in that no Daleel is specifically prescribed for this type of action. In this instance, the Daleel for the fundamental act is considered as an enactment and reinforcement of the Style.
For example, in Jihad, there is evidence that compels us to prepare as much power as possible to fight the enemy.
''...And prepare as much power for them ( the enemy ) as possible. '' ( Al Anfal 8:60 )
This preparation entails many acts of preparation, such as using a specific style for manufacturing weapons, adopting certain military techniques styles and so on. All of these acts are implicitly included within the word 'prepare', so there is no need for evidence to prescribe each act since the general evidence that ordains the preparation is considered adequate for all of the acts.
Similarly, selecting one Khalifah for all Muslims is an act from which branches out several acts such as adopting certain procedures of election and tallying votes. Adopting certain styles to prepare a force against the enemy, and a certain procedure to select the Khalifah are all acts that do not need specifically prescribed evidence. The Style, which is a set of branching acts, assumes the same verdict or ruling as the one for the fundamental act without the need for a specific evidence. Adopting certain martial arts, a certain procedure of tallying votes, a certain traffic system and dividing the military forces into subdivisions are all considered styles adopted to accomplish a certain objective and allowed for adoption. The exception is when a specific style has to be adopted, in which case this specific style becomes obligatory because the legal rule states:
'' That which is required to accomplish the obligation, is itself obligatory.''
From this we can see that no one is obliged to follow a certain style ( except when a specific style is obligatory ) because it is considered to be a natural part of an individual's personality. For this reason, the style may differ from one person to another, such as in writing a letter, a book, or expressing oneself. Styles take on different forms and shapes and are receptive to changes from one situation to another.
Moreover, it is not prudent to be confined to a certain style as a standard upon which all other styles are evaluated. This is because one style may be very successful in a given situation and a total failure in some other situations. The Style is dictated by the nature of the action. For this reason, it is not accepted to be stagnant and depend upon certain styles in refusal of adopting and other style.
Moreover, it is obligatory that we relentlessly search for the most effective styles. In many instances, effective styles led to marvellous outcomes, like the manoeuvring of Khalid Bin Al-Walid when he withdrew his army in the Mut'ah battle. The outcome was that he saved the army from immanent destruction.
DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN THE METHOD AND THE STYLE
Throughout the history of the Da'wah, one can see that there are many circumstances that clarify the differences between the Method and the Style, and that we are obliged to adopt and uphold the Method without any deviation. It should be made clear that we are not obliged to adopt a specific style. The Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammed (saaw) is considered to be an inseparable and coherent part of Islam. The Sunnah explains and describes in detail, many thoughts and rules that are ordained in the Qur'an. The explanation and illustration of a certain thought has the same verdict and ruling as the thought itself. For example, how to pray is an illustration and enactment of the order of Allah to pray. Allah, The Most High ordained the performance of prayers and Hajj and its details. All of these acts carry the same verdicts as the thought itself because these acts only illustrate how these thoughts are to be enacted.
However, some of the acts of the Prophet Muhammed (saaw) were not an illustration of a thought. In this case, these acts need to have supporting evidences to prove that they are either obligatory, recommended, permissible, or are exclusively reserved for the Prophet (saaw). To know whether a given act of the Prophet (saaw) is obligatory, recommended, or allowed, rules outline in Usul ul Fiqh need to be considered.
By investigating the acts of the Prophet (saaw) throughout the different phases of the Islamic Da'wah, certain acts are part of the Method and others are part of the Style. The Prophet (saaw) conveyed Islam following a method and initiated some acts through the course of conveying Islam. It is obligatory to follow the Prophet Muhammed (saaw) when his (saaw) acts are considered to be a Method and recommended to follow when his (saaw) acts are only recommended.
For example, the method of the Prophet (saaw) in conveying Islam and moving from one phase of the Da'wah to the next and his initiation in every phase of a new act that was not done in the previous phase, and his persistence and perseverance to carry out the same acts despite the potential dangerous outcomes are all considered to be an abundant number of supporting evidences that these types of acts are obligatory and part of the method. Specifically, the fact that the Prophet (saaw) was relentlessly persistent in concentrating his effort on culturing individuals in sessions and educating the general public and his steadfastness and endurance in this act undoubtedly presents a mountain of supporting evidence that educating the public and the individuals is part of the Method. Consequently, it has to be adopted. The initiation of the second phase of the Islamic Da'wah by the Prophet (saaw) involved two acts which were not initiated in the first phase:
A) Addressing the abominable practices of the society in the manner mandated by Islam as when the Prophet (saaw) attacked fraud, cheating in the scales and burying of young girls.
B) His initiation to uncover the plots of the pagans against the Muslims as occurred during the war between the Romans and the Persians.
All of these acts indicate that uncovering the plots of the non-Muslims and addressing the issues of the society on the basis of Islam are part of the Method. The fact that the Prophet (saaw) initiated these kinds of acts in the second phase of the Da'wah, but not in the first, indicates that these specific acts are necessary and obligatory in that particular phase.
Also, the initiation of the Prophet (saaw) of seeking the protection for the conveyance of Islam and his persistence in doing so and his sending of Mus'ab Bin Umayr to Al-Madina indicates that seeking the protection for conveying Islam is part of the Method as well. Thus, to convey the Islamic Call, it is necessary to implant the Islamic thoughts into the life of the general public in the first phase of the Islamic Call. It was also necessary to uncover the plots of the non-Muslims and address the issues of society on the basis of Islam in the second phase of the Islamic Call. Subsequently it was necessary to establish the Islamic State, which is considered the third phase of the Islamic Call. Additionally, it was required to confront the ideology of the pagans and persevere in doing so. All of these are part of the Method. The persistence of the Prophet (saaw) and the initiation of these acts was to illustrate the obligation of these acts in conveying Islam. The evidence that these acts are obligatory is the ayah:
'' Indeed, there is an exemplary character in the Messenger (saaw) for you.'' ( Al-Ahzaab 33:21)
Following the steps of the Prophet (saaw) is accomplished by the initiating the acts which are performed by the Prophet (saaw) in the exact manner that the acts are carried out. This is an issue that is discussed in detail in the books of Al 'Usool. Imaam Al Qarafi dedicated one chapter in his book Al Furooq, in which he explained that what the Prophet (saaw) did as an Imaam or Qadi cannot be performed by anyone else unless he is an Imaam or Qadi, and what the Prophet did as a Caller to Islam is obligatory upon us as carriers of Islam.
Thus, it is not allowed, when we carry the message of Islam, to initiate any material actions prior to establishing the Islamic State, since only the Islamic State conducts a material struggle. This is because the Prophet (saaw) initiated material actions only when he became the Imaam of the Islamic State. For this reason, the Prophet (saaw) did not initiate any material actions in Makkah because he (saaw) was not ruler in Makkah.
In addition, we find that the Prophet (saaw) initiated some acts when he (saaw) was conveying the Message of Islam. The actions of educating the public took on different forms while the intensified education delivered in the private arena took on the forms of study circles ( like the sessions of Al Khabab). The speech addressed to the general public assumed different styles such as when the Prophet (saaw) invited some people to a meal with the objective of delivering the Message if Islam or when he stood on Al Safa and broadcast the call of Islam.
All these acts are to be considered branches from a fundamental concept, which in this case is public education. Here, the obligatory issue is public education but the but the style that were employed differed, and thus we are not obliged to follow the same styles adopted by the Prophet (saaw). We can speak to the people where people gather, such as the mosque, weddings, or funeral; through the media, such as buses, trains, planes, etc. Similarly, the Prophet (saaw) initiated a number of acts what he (saaw) was seeking protection. He (saaw) sought protection only from Muslim tribes and strong Muslim individuals.
Consequently, we can seek the protection of tribes, military commanders, or the masses as long as they are Muslim. These are classified as styles, which take on many forms and shapes according to the circumstances. Seeking protection from the positions of power does not change but the positions of power themselves may change. In summary, the style is defined as how a given obligatory issue is executed, not requiring a specific Daleel since it is already substantiated by the evidence for the main or root action and objective that may be pursued. For example, the preparation of forces to confront the enemy is an obligatory act that can be accomplished through many styles, that can be effectively used to accomplish the objective.
THE MEANS (Waseelah)
The Means are the physical tool that are permitted for adoption when initiating a particular act. Using a sheet of paper for writing, or a radio station for talk, or the sword as a means of fighting are all classified as a Means. The Qa'idah in 'Usul al Fiqh states that all objects are allowed except those that are specifically forbidden by textual evidence. For example, we can utilise ballot boxes as a means for election, we can adopt certain means of fighting such as possessing intercontinental ballistic missiles, or use satellites as a means for communication. Furthermore, we can address the people through a pamphlet, leaflet, or periodicals. All of these means are allowed. The Prophet (saaw) once sent someone to Yemen to master the manufacture of swords and adopted this new technology.
THE PLAN (Khittah)
The Plan is a general policy directed towards accomplishing a particular goal dictated by the 'Aqeedah and the Method. The Prophet (saaw) viewed this world from a specific perspective. He (saaw) conveyed the Message of Islam to the society at large. The Quraish in Makkah were the first State in Arabian Peninsula and a major obstacle in the path of the Islamic call. For this reason, we find that the Prophet (saaw) engineered the appropriate plan to deal with this obstacle. The plan reveals that the Prophet (saaw) sought to isolate the Quraish from the other tribes. So he (saaw) had the Quraish surrounded with tribes who submitted to Islam or who had peace treaties with the Muslims. Following this, the first task that the Prophet (saaw) performed after he (saaw) settled in Al Madina was to establish a treaty with the tribes who inhabited the are between Al Madina and the Red Sea, such the tribes of Johinah and Bani Doomarah and Ghaffar, and monitored the movements of the Quraish.
As a result of this plan, the battles of Badr, Uhud and Al Ahzaab occurred. Subsequently, when the Prophet (saaw) became aware of the communication between the tribe of Khaibar and Quraish, he (saaw) devised anther plan that established a treaty between the Muslims and the Quraish. This way, the Prophet (saaw) poured all his efforts to subdue Khaibar after he (saaw) could not establish any treaty with them. Then, the Prophet (saaw) initiated acts that would help accomplish the goal of this plan until it materialised in the treaty of Hudaybiah. Then, when he (saaw) subjugated Khaibar, Makkah was next, so he (saaw) engineered another plan that dictated the suppression of the Quraish. As a result, the conquest of Makkah took place.
The Prophet (saaw) devised another plan, to carry Islam outside as a universal Call. He (saaw) sent a letter to the Kings in the Arabian Peninsula and all the Kings of the surrounding lands. Letters were sent to the King of Egypt, Muqawqas; Emperor of Rome, Hercules; and the King of Persia, Kisrah. Thus, we find that the Prophet (saaw) devised plans to accomplish certain goal and changed the plans when the goal changed. In addition, the Prophet (saaw) adopted certain styles to accomplish a certain plan which he (saaw) initiated. Suppressing the Quraish dictated the monitoring of the Quraish and establishing communications with the tribes around Quraish. Also, establishing a treaty with the Quraish dictated certain acts that happened in the treaty of Al Hudaibiya, and certain manoeuvres performed by the Prophet (saaw) immediately prior to and after the ratification of the treaty. When a state implements plans, it does so to accomplish certain goals that are dictated by the policy of the state. When it is needed to change the plans, the state has to change them and it is forbidden not to abandon plans because it is necessary for the Islamic State to function as the leading state in the world.
Abandoning the execution of adopted plans means abandoning the message of Islam, which in turn means abandoning the leadership position which translates into the suppression of the State's power as was characterised by the Ottoman State towards its end. Planning is necessary for the State and for the Da' wah carriers because the Prophet (saaw) laid out plans in Makkah and in Madina. He (saaw) did not abandon planning any at any phase of the Islamic Call. Every phase of the Islamic Call may dictate a certain plan. For example, gaining the public support for the Islamic thought dictates interaction with the society, which in turn dictates living with the society. Living with the society does not happen until we enter the society. For this reason, entering the society is a necessary plan that dictates many styles and public speech and political struggle.
Two additional terms that one ought to be aware of are strategy and tactics. Initially, strategy and tactics were used as military terms. However, today they have a broader connotation. The relationship between the strategy and tactics is similar to the relationship between the plan and style.
THE STRATEGY (Estrateegya)
The strategy is defined as the art of employing the political, economic, psychological, and military forces of a nation or a group of nations to afford the maximum support to adopted policies in peace or war. The policies are built on the ideology of the nation. Some people also refer to this as the grand or higher strategy to distinguish it from the original purely military use of the word strategy. Since the war is nothing but an action to accomplish a goal, which the state could not accomplish by diplomacy, it is appropriate to discuss strategy in its broader meaning. The strategy deals with the entire theatre of operations of a state, at the diplomatic, economic, and military level. It is concerned with determining which resources the state will use and to what extent in order to achieve the objective. In other words, the strategy is the global plan to the State.
As an example, the Prophet's (saaw) objective was to carry Islam to the Arabs and non-Arabs. This required a strategy to enable the Islamic State to first, survive in and then dominate the Arabian Peninsula. In the regard, Muhammed (saaw) sought to isolate the major tribe, the Quraish, be entering into a series of treatise with her neighbours. The he (saaw) sought to politically and militarily engage the Quraish. As a result of this engagement, Muhammed (saaw) was able to neutralise Quraish. This enabled him (saaw) to dominate the Arabian peninsula, after which the state continued to carry Islam to the rest of humanity.
The Prophet's (saaw) objective was to carry Islam to the Arabs and non-Arabs. This required a strategy to enable the Islamic state to first dominate the arabian peninsula. First, in this regard, Muhammad (saaw) sought to isolate the major tribe, Quraish, by entering into a series of treaties with her neighbours. Then he (saaw) sought to politically and militarily engage the Quraish. As a result of this engagement, Muhammad (saaw) was unable to neutralise the Quraish. This enabled him (saaw) to dominate the Arabian peninsula, after which the Muslims continued to carry Islam to the rest of humanity.
THE TACTICS (Takteek)
The tactics, in warfare, is the art of fighting battles on land, on sea, and in the air and the execution of movements for attack or defence. In general, it is the art or skill employing available means to accomplish an end. It is concerned with the handling of one or more strategic resources in a specific manner to serve the object of strategy. Similar to a style, the tactics too will be based on what is thought to be effective at a particular time. It does not need a Daleel to make it permissible, unless if a specific tactic or style involves haram actions. If that is the case, then the tactic will be haram, i.e. sitting with people who are drinking wine with the objective of carrying the dawah to them.
The tactic requires creativity, as it will be a function of the situation that one is faced with. It should also be flexible, such that one would be able to adapt to the changing situation. For example, the Prophet (saaw) knew about the communications between the tribes of Khaibar and the Quraish. He (saaw) tried to cut off these communications. This was the tactic he adopted initially. When this failed, the Prophet (saaw) changed to a new plan, which was to establish a treaty with the Quraish. For this, he initiated new tactics, such as the Umrah to Mecca, and the stance he took during the campaign at Al-Hudaibiyah, near Mecca. Thus, the tactic changed during this campaign according to the new plan and circumstances.
For example, the Prophet (saaw) knew about the communications between the Khaibar and Quraish tribes, so he (saaw) tried to cut off these communications. He (saaw) first made contact with Khaibar to establish a treaty, but his attempts were of no avail. The Prophet (saaw) then changed his tactic to establishing a treaty with the Quraish. He (saaw) initiated actions or tactics to accomplish this goal. Thus, the tactic changed according to the circumstances.
These are the conventional meaning of these concepts that should be upheld and advocated by Muslims and especially the callers to Islam. Also, since the callers of Islam are future statesmen, they should develop and increase their awareness of all the issues that are related to these concepts. We should live up to the statement of Umar Bin Al-Khattab (ra), when he said: '' I am not a deceiver and the deceiver cannot deceive me.''
An ideology can generally be defined as a set of related concepts and beliefs that constitutes the basis of the political, economic, social system. Upon further scrutiny of the fundamentals and essence of any ideology and application, one arrives at the understanding that an ideology invariably includes a method or technique by which its ideas can be realised. Hence, we understand that an ideology consists of two main elements: Idea and Method.
In light of this, we must seek to confine all out actions, in the pursuit of the revival, to the method which emanates from our ideology. Failure to do this will result in our carrying out actions which do not emanate from the Islamic ideology, thus negating the Islamic goals and objectives.
In order to comprehend the realm of actions considered as part of the Islamic method, we must understand the nature and distinction of what constitutes Means, Style, and Plans as well as the concept of Strategy and Tactics.
IDEA (Fikrah)
The term Fikrah can be translated as an idea or thought. The most fundamental thought, the doctrine of creed, is termed the Aqeeda. The resultant thoughts and a system dealing with all aspects of life emanate from the Aqeeda.
Thus, the Idea - in the sense of it being one of the two elements of an ideology - can refer to the Aqeeda, and the resultant thoughts.
1. Aqeeda or doctrine itself is the fundamental thought about the universe, man and life.
'' Say, Allah is One.'' ( Al Ikhlas; 112:1 )
This ayah is an idea directly related to the Aqeeda.
2. Resultant rules ( Ahkam ) are derived from the doctrine and used for solving the issues of life in general.
'' ..Allah has permitted trading and forbidden Riba. '' ( Al Baqara; 2:225 )
This ayah results in thoughts related to specific relationships, i.e. the economy and acts of worship. Other ayat have thoughts related to the conditions for and conformation of the Khalifa, the Islamic viewpoint towards men and women, rules related to business transactions, food, clothing, etc.
METHOD (Tareeqah)
The method is the material manifestation of the idea which seeks to bring the ideology into application. The method addresses the following subjects;
A) Implementation of the solutions.
B) Preserving the Aqeeda ( creed ).
C) Conveying the ideology.
The Islamic method for the implementation of Islam in the society is through the Khalifa. The Khilafa is a complete structure of the state, tasked with over seeing the implementation of Islam in the affairs of life, including the Khalifa, his Executive and Delegated Assistants, the Judiciary, and the rest of the system.
To categorise an action as part of the method, it has to be validated by Daleel or evidence. Additionally, any action which is part of the method has to be validated by a Daleel to categorise it as such. For example, Jihad is a method from which many actions branch off. Each one of them is based on an evidence. For example, initiating combat of how Islam is to be presented to those whom we are to fight with, are all based on evidences. Other evidences specifically describe and clarify the circumstances in which fighting is allowed to be temporarily suspended. It becomes quite clear that these actions are part of the method which have to be adhered to by performing the acts exactly the way they were performed by the Prophet ( saaw ). Hence, it is totally forbidden to modify ( add, delete, or alter ) any of these acts. It is totally forbidden to deviate even slightly from these acts because they all stem from the method.
From the aforementioned, it is clear that the Idea and the Method comprise the Ideology. Therefore, both should be adopted and adhered to with a full and strong conviction because it is forbidden to adopt the Idea and relinquish the Method just as it is forbidden to adopt the Method and relinquish the Idea. Consequently, discarding the Salah is just as forbidden as forsaking the penalty of cutting the hand of the thief, and abandoning the payment of Zakah is just as forbidden as neglecting Jihad, and committing cannibalism is not any worse than conspiring against the Muslims, and drinking alcohol is just as forbidden as the political disunity of the Muslim Ummah. All of these thoughts and concepts are a coherent part of Islam which have to be adopted comprehensively because Allah, The Most High, says:
'' And you who believe is a part of The Book and disbelieve is a part. The punishment of those who do that among you is the humiliation in this life, and they will be subjected to the most severest chastisement in The Hereafter. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.''( Al Baqara; 2:285 )
Thus, Islam clarifies both the Idea and the Method and commands us to uphold and adhere to both of them and prohibits us from abandoning either one.
Now that the Idea and Method have been expounded upon, we will elucidate the Style, the Means, and the Plan of the Aqeeda. These three concepts may sound synonymous in meaning, but in reality they differ from one another. Each one of these terms has to be clearly defined so that we can deliver Islam in the correct manner, and the clarity of these terms has to maintained at all times to safeguard ourselves against any deviation from the correct path. One may question the importance of clarifying the differences amongst these terms and to define them separately.
The importance of realising these differences becomes quite relevant when we look in retrospect to the recent annals of Islamic history, where the Muslim Ummah could not distinguish between technology and culture. The Ummah imported and adopted many cultural elements from the Western civilisation.
The lack of understanding and awareness of the differences amongst the Style, the Means, and the Plan have led Muslims to the weakest and darkest period of their history and the Ummah is still suffering from the consequences of this lack of awareness. The Muslims took from the Western civilisation what Islam prohibited and renounced and left what Islam allowed them to adopt from it. Thus, it is important for the Muslims to fully understand the Style, the Means, and the Plan of the Aqeedah and to clearly distinguish between them.
THE STYLE ( Usloub )
The Style is an act which branches from the Method. However, it differs from the Method in that no Daleel is specifically prescribed for this type of action. In this instance, the Daleel for the fundamental act is considered as an enactment and reinforcement of the Style.
For example, in Jihad, there is evidence that compels us to prepare as much power as possible to fight the enemy.
''...And prepare as much power for them ( the enemy ) as possible. '' ( Al Anfal 8:60 )
This preparation entails many acts of preparation, such as using a specific style for manufacturing weapons, adopting certain military techniques styles and so on. All of these acts are implicitly included within the word 'prepare', so there is no need for evidence to prescribe each act since the general evidence that ordains the preparation is considered adequate for all of the acts.
Similarly, selecting one Khalifah for all Muslims is an act from which branches out several acts such as adopting certain procedures of election and tallying votes. Adopting certain styles to prepare a force against the enemy, and a certain procedure to select the Khalifah are all acts that do not need specifically prescribed evidence. The Style, which is a set of branching acts, assumes the same verdict or ruling as the one for the fundamental act without the need for a specific evidence. Adopting certain martial arts, a certain procedure of tallying votes, a certain traffic system and dividing the military forces into subdivisions are all considered styles adopted to accomplish a certain objective and allowed for adoption. The exception is when a specific style has to be adopted, in which case this specific style becomes obligatory because the legal rule states:
'' That which is required to accomplish the obligation, is itself obligatory.''
From this we can see that no one is obliged to follow a certain style ( except when a specific style is obligatory ) because it is considered to be a natural part of an individual's personality. For this reason, the style may differ from one person to another, such as in writing a letter, a book, or expressing oneself. Styles take on different forms and shapes and are receptive to changes from one situation to another.
Moreover, it is not prudent to be confined to a certain style as a standard upon which all other styles are evaluated. This is because one style may be very successful in a given situation and a total failure in some other situations. The Style is dictated by the nature of the action. For this reason, it is not accepted to be stagnant and depend upon certain styles in refusal of adopting and other style.
Moreover, it is obligatory that we relentlessly search for the most effective styles. In many instances, effective styles led to marvellous outcomes, like the manoeuvring of Khalid Bin Al-Walid when he withdrew his army in the Mut'ah battle. The outcome was that he saved the army from immanent destruction.
DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN THE METHOD AND THE STYLE
Throughout the history of the Da'wah, one can see that there are many circumstances that clarify the differences between the Method and the Style, and that we are obliged to adopt and uphold the Method without any deviation. It should be made clear that we are not obliged to adopt a specific style. The Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammed (saaw) is considered to be an inseparable and coherent part of Islam. The Sunnah explains and describes in detail, many thoughts and rules that are ordained in the Qur'an. The explanation and illustration of a certain thought has the same verdict and ruling as the thought itself. For example, how to pray is an illustration and enactment of the order of Allah to pray. Allah, The Most High ordained the performance of prayers and Hajj and its details. All of these acts carry the same verdicts as the thought itself because these acts only illustrate how these thoughts are to be enacted.
However, some of the acts of the Prophet Muhammed (saaw) were not an illustration of a thought. In this case, these acts need to have supporting evidences to prove that they are either obligatory, recommended, permissible, or are exclusively reserved for the Prophet (saaw). To know whether a given act of the Prophet (saaw) is obligatory, recommended, or allowed, rules outline in Usul ul Fiqh need to be considered.
By investigating the acts of the Prophet (saaw) throughout the different phases of the Islamic Da'wah, certain acts are part of the Method and others are part of the Style. The Prophet (saaw) conveyed Islam following a method and initiated some acts through the course of conveying Islam. It is obligatory to follow the Prophet Muhammed (saaw) when his (saaw) acts are considered to be a Method and recommended to follow when his (saaw) acts are only recommended.
For example, the method of the Prophet (saaw) in conveying Islam and moving from one phase of the Da'wah to the next and his initiation in every phase of a new act that was not done in the previous phase, and his persistence and perseverance to carry out the same acts despite the potential dangerous outcomes are all considered to be an abundant number of supporting evidences that these types of acts are obligatory and part of the method. Specifically, the fact that the Prophet (saaw) was relentlessly persistent in concentrating his effort on culturing individuals in sessions and educating the general public and his steadfastness and endurance in this act undoubtedly presents a mountain of supporting evidence that educating the public and the individuals is part of the Method. Consequently, it has to be adopted. The initiation of the second phase of the Islamic Da'wah by the Prophet (saaw) involved two acts which were not initiated in the first phase:
A) Addressing the abominable practices of the society in the manner mandated by Islam as when the Prophet (saaw) attacked fraud, cheating in the scales and burying of young girls.
B) His initiation to uncover the plots of the pagans against the Muslims as occurred during the war between the Romans and the Persians.
All of these acts indicate that uncovering the plots of the non-Muslims and addressing the issues of the society on the basis of Islam are part of the Method. The fact that the Prophet (saaw) initiated these kinds of acts in the second phase of the Da'wah, but not in the first, indicates that these specific acts are necessary and obligatory in that particular phase.
Also, the initiation of the Prophet (saaw) of seeking the protection for the conveyance of Islam and his persistence in doing so and his sending of Mus'ab Bin Umayr to Al-Madina indicates that seeking the protection for conveying Islam is part of the Method as well. Thus, to convey the Islamic Call, it is necessary to implant the Islamic thoughts into the life of the general public in the first phase of the Islamic Call. It was also necessary to uncover the plots of the non-Muslims and address the issues of society on the basis of Islam in the second phase of the Islamic Call. Subsequently it was necessary to establish the Islamic State, which is considered the third phase of the Islamic Call. Additionally, it was required to confront the ideology of the pagans and persevere in doing so. All of these are part of the Method. The persistence of the Prophet (saaw) and the initiation of these acts was to illustrate the obligation of these acts in conveying Islam. The evidence that these acts are obligatory is the ayah:
'' Indeed, there is an exemplary character in the Messenger (saaw) for you.'' ( Al-Ahzaab 33:21)
Following the steps of the Prophet (saaw) is accomplished by the initiating the acts which are performed by the Prophet (saaw) in the exact manner that the acts are carried out. This is an issue that is discussed in detail in the books of Al 'Usool. Imaam Al Qarafi dedicated one chapter in his book Al Furooq, in which he explained that what the Prophet (saaw) did as an Imaam or Qadi cannot be performed by anyone else unless he is an Imaam or Qadi, and what the Prophet did as a Caller to Islam is obligatory upon us as carriers of Islam.
Thus, it is not allowed, when we carry the message of Islam, to initiate any material actions prior to establishing the Islamic State, since only the Islamic State conducts a material struggle. This is because the Prophet (saaw) initiated material actions only when he became the Imaam of the Islamic State. For this reason, the Prophet (saaw) did not initiate any material actions in Makkah because he (saaw) was not ruler in Makkah.
In addition, we find that the Prophet (saaw) initiated some acts when he (saaw) was conveying the Message of Islam. The actions of educating the public took on different forms while the intensified education delivered in the private arena took on the forms of study circles ( like the sessions of Al Khabab). The speech addressed to the general public assumed different styles such as when the Prophet (saaw) invited some people to a meal with the objective of delivering the Message if Islam or when he stood on Al Safa and broadcast the call of Islam.
All these acts are to be considered branches from a fundamental concept, which in this case is public education. Here, the obligatory issue is public education but the but the style that were employed differed, and thus we are not obliged to follow the same styles adopted by the Prophet (saaw). We can speak to the people where people gather, such as the mosque, weddings, or funeral; through the media, such as buses, trains, planes, etc. Similarly, the Prophet (saaw) initiated a number of acts what he (saaw) was seeking protection. He (saaw) sought protection only from Muslim tribes and strong Muslim individuals.
Consequently, we can seek the protection of tribes, military commanders, or the masses as long as they are Muslim. These are classified as styles, which take on many forms and shapes according to the circumstances. Seeking protection from the positions of power does not change but the positions of power themselves may change. In summary, the style is defined as how a given obligatory issue is executed, not requiring a specific Daleel since it is already substantiated by the evidence for the main or root action and objective that may be pursued. For example, the preparation of forces to confront the enemy is an obligatory act that can be accomplished through many styles, that can be effectively used to accomplish the objective.
THE MEANS (Waseelah)
The Means are the physical tool that are permitted for adoption when initiating a particular act. Using a sheet of paper for writing, or a radio station for talk, or the sword as a means of fighting are all classified as a Means. The Qa'idah in 'Usul al Fiqh states that all objects are allowed except those that are specifically forbidden by textual evidence. For example, we can utilise ballot boxes as a means for election, we can adopt certain means of fighting such as possessing intercontinental ballistic missiles, or use satellites as a means for communication. Furthermore, we can address the people through a pamphlet, leaflet, or periodicals. All of these means are allowed. The Prophet (saaw) once sent someone to Yemen to master the manufacture of swords and adopted this new technology.
THE PLAN (Khittah)
The Plan is a general policy directed towards accomplishing a particular goal dictated by the 'Aqeedah and the Method. The Prophet (saaw) viewed this world from a specific perspective. He (saaw) conveyed the Message of Islam to the society at large. The Quraish in Makkah were the first State in Arabian Peninsula and a major obstacle in the path of the Islamic call. For this reason, we find that the Prophet (saaw) engineered the appropriate plan to deal with this obstacle. The plan reveals that the Prophet (saaw) sought to isolate the Quraish from the other tribes. So he (saaw) had the Quraish surrounded with tribes who submitted to Islam or who had peace treaties with the Muslims. Following this, the first task that the Prophet (saaw) performed after he (saaw) settled in Al Madina was to establish a treaty with the tribes who inhabited the are between Al Madina and the Red Sea, such the tribes of Johinah and Bani Doomarah and Ghaffar, and monitored the movements of the Quraish.
As a result of this plan, the battles of Badr, Uhud and Al Ahzaab occurred. Subsequently, when the Prophet (saaw) became aware of the communication between the tribe of Khaibar and Quraish, he (saaw) devised anther plan that established a treaty between the Muslims and the Quraish. This way, the Prophet (saaw) poured all his efforts to subdue Khaibar after he (saaw) could not establish any treaty with them. Then, the Prophet (saaw) initiated acts that would help accomplish the goal of this plan until it materialised in the treaty of Hudaybiah. Then, when he (saaw) subjugated Khaibar, Makkah was next, so he (saaw) engineered another plan that dictated the suppression of the Quraish. As a result, the conquest of Makkah took place.
The Prophet (saaw) devised another plan, to carry Islam outside as a universal Call. He (saaw) sent a letter to the Kings in the Arabian Peninsula and all the Kings of the surrounding lands. Letters were sent to the King of Egypt, Muqawqas; Emperor of Rome, Hercules; and the King of Persia, Kisrah. Thus, we find that the Prophet (saaw) devised plans to accomplish certain goal and changed the plans when the goal changed. In addition, the Prophet (saaw) adopted certain styles to accomplish a certain plan which he (saaw) initiated. Suppressing the Quraish dictated the monitoring of the Quraish and establishing communications with the tribes around Quraish. Also, establishing a treaty with the Quraish dictated certain acts that happened in the treaty of Al Hudaibiya, and certain manoeuvres performed by the Prophet (saaw) immediately prior to and after the ratification of the treaty. When a state implements plans, it does so to accomplish certain goals that are dictated by the policy of the state. When it is needed to change the plans, the state has to change them and it is forbidden not to abandon plans because it is necessary for the Islamic State to function as the leading state in the world.
Abandoning the execution of adopted plans means abandoning the message of Islam, which in turn means abandoning the leadership position which translates into the suppression of the State's power as was characterised by the Ottoman State towards its end. Planning is necessary for the State and for the Da' wah carriers because the Prophet (saaw) laid out plans in Makkah and in Madina. He (saaw) did not abandon planning any at any phase of the Islamic Call. Every phase of the Islamic Call may dictate a certain plan. For example, gaining the public support for the Islamic thought dictates interaction with the society, which in turn dictates living with the society. Living with the society does not happen until we enter the society. For this reason, entering the society is a necessary plan that dictates many styles and public speech and political struggle.
Two additional terms that one ought to be aware of are strategy and tactics. Initially, strategy and tactics were used as military terms. However, today they have a broader connotation. The relationship between the strategy and tactics is similar to the relationship between the plan and style.
THE STRATEGY (Estrateegya)
The strategy is defined as the art of employing the political, economic, psychological, and military forces of a nation or a group of nations to afford the maximum support to adopted policies in peace or war. The policies are built on the ideology of the nation. Some people also refer to this as the grand or higher strategy to distinguish it from the original purely military use of the word strategy. Since the war is nothing but an action to accomplish a goal, which the state could not accomplish by diplomacy, it is appropriate to discuss strategy in its broader meaning. The strategy deals with the entire theatre of operations of a state, at the diplomatic, economic, and military level. It is concerned with determining which resources the state will use and to what extent in order to achieve the objective. In other words, the strategy is the global plan to the State.
As an example, the Prophet's (saaw) objective was to carry Islam to the Arabs and non-Arabs. This required a strategy to enable the Islamic State to first, survive in and then dominate the Arabian Peninsula. In the regard, Muhammed (saaw) sought to isolate the major tribe, the Quraish, be entering into a series of treatise with her neighbours. The he (saaw) sought to politically and militarily engage the Quraish. As a result of this engagement, Muhammed (saaw) was able to neutralise Quraish. This enabled him (saaw) to dominate the Arabian peninsula, after which the state continued to carry Islam to the rest of humanity.
The Prophet's (saaw) objective was to carry Islam to the Arabs and non-Arabs. This required a strategy to enable the Islamic state to first dominate the arabian peninsula. First, in this regard, Muhammad (saaw) sought to isolate the major tribe, Quraish, by entering into a series of treaties with her neighbours. Then he (saaw) sought to politically and militarily engage the Quraish. As a result of this engagement, Muhammad (saaw) was unable to neutralise the Quraish. This enabled him (saaw) to dominate the Arabian peninsula, after which the Muslims continued to carry Islam to the rest of humanity.
THE TACTICS (Takteek)
The tactics, in warfare, is the art of fighting battles on land, on sea, and in the air and the execution of movements for attack or defence. In general, it is the art or skill employing available means to accomplish an end. It is concerned with the handling of one or more strategic resources in a specific manner to serve the object of strategy. Similar to a style, the tactics too will be based on what is thought to be effective at a particular time. It does not need a Daleel to make it permissible, unless if a specific tactic or style involves haram actions. If that is the case, then the tactic will be haram, i.e. sitting with people who are drinking wine with the objective of carrying the dawah to them.
The tactic requires creativity, as it will be a function of the situation that one is faced with. It should also be flexible, such that one would be able to adapt to the changing situation. For example, the Prophet (saaw) knew about the communications between the tribes of Khaibar and the Quraish. He (saaw) tried to cut off these communications. This was the tactic he adopted initially. When this failed, the Prophet (saaw) changed to a new plan, which was to establish a treaty with the Quraish. For this, he initiated new tactics, such as the Umrah to Mecca, and the stance he took during the campaign at Al-Hudaibiyah, near Mecca. Thus, the tactic changed during this campaign according to the new plan and circumstances.
For example, the Prophet (saaw) knew about the communications between the Khaibar and Quraish tribes, so he (saaw) tried to cut off these communications. He (saaw) first made contact with Khaibar to establish a treaty, but his attempts were of no avail. The Prophet (saaw) then changed his tactic to establishing a treaty with the Quraish. He (saaw) initiated actions or tactics to accomplish this goal. Thus, the tactic changed according to the circumstances.
These are the conventional meaning of these concepts that should be upheld and advocated by Muslims and especially the callers to Islam. Also, since the callers of Islam are future statesmen, they should develop and increase their awareness of all the issues that are related to these concepts. We should live up to the statement of Umar Bin Al-Khattab (ra), when he said: '' I am not a deceiver and the deceiver cannot deceive me.''
Saturday, 7 March 2009
Holding on
Holding onto the Islamic personality in the 21st century
Muslims since the dawn of Islam have faced numerous challenges in holding onto Islam. The early Muslims faced persecution and death if they refused to accept the pagan beliefs of the Quraish. The death of Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم resulted in a number of people turning their backs on Islam and stirring doubt in the minds of other Muslims. As Islam spread and Muslims came into contact with other cultures and customs Muslims faced the challenge of ensuring the purity of Islam and reconciling Islam with the foreign beliefs of other people.
Today a similar battle continues, that of wining the hearts and minds of Muslims around the world and integrating Muslims living in the West into Western societies. Successive governments have outlined policies on integrating Muslims in the West and a number of areas have been highlighted in order to achieve this, in summary these include:
- Promoting the superiority of Capitalism, its institutions, systems, freedoms and civilisation
- Abandoning policies which concentrate on cultural differences (such as multiculturalism) and concentrating on shared values (capitalist values)
- Promoting people and organisations who view Islam in line with liberal values
- Subverting all those who call for political Islam by branding them as extremists
- Corrupting those ideas of Islam which are political and anti-liberal such as one Ummah, Islamic state, Shari'ah, Islam is a system and Islam's applicability in the 21st century
- Branding those who hold onto Islam as backward and traditionalists
For Muslims, holding onto the Islamic personality in the 21st century has become even more important as there is a campaign to corrupt the Islamic personality and to secularise it which means Muslims will view the world from the lens of capitalism rather then Islam. So the question needs to be asked, what is the Islamic personality? How do we build it? How to we maintain and develop it? And how do we ensure it does not become corrupted?
The personality
Various thinkers throughout history have attempted to define the personality similar to the attempts to define the mind and the soul. In Ancient Greece, Socrates his student Plato, and his student Aristotle, attempted to answer the question of what is the personality. Their conclusions were very vague and included elements which were not part of the human makeup and also for them included a combination of one's clothing, speech, tastes etc.
The Muslim philosophers of the 10th century attempted to define the personality, as well as scholars such as Imam Ghazali, and they all mentioned in their respective books the different traits which can constitute the personality.
The Christians defined the personality as the struggle that occurs internally between matter and spirit. With the development of science in the 18th century experiments were carried out on human beings that lead to the study of human nature turning eventually into psychology which became the study of human behaviour. Today psychologists continue to add to the body of research on what constitutes the personality which includes one's traits, genetics and actions.
Communists also had a view on the personality and for them it was nothing more then the reflection of the reality on the mind.
Because the personality is the study of the human then its definition should be perceived from reality and should be applicable on all humans. This is because humans in all times and generations do not change in nature, the human make up, aside from some people born with deformities, humans generally are the same. So we see all people have physical characteristics that usually distinguish them from others. Although the colour of one's eyes, earrings, hair style, clothing, the type of books they read and how much skin they may expose are what we see of other people, these are in reality the result of one's personality. This is because such characteristics would be decided by the beliefs and ideas one carries.
Hence the first part that defines a person is the ideas they carry, in this way matters are judged as good and bad, right and wrong. The second aspect of the personality is one's behaviour. Although all humans have the same instincts we see that people satisfy them differently. We see although all humans have the procreational instinct, some marry, others do not, whilst some marry the same gender. One's behaviour is the manner in which one satisfies their different instincts and this is what distinguishes one person from another.
The way one thinks and behaves defines the type of personality one has. One's behaviour is determined by the ideas one carries hence the one who views drinking alcohol as good would act upon this compared to the one who views it as wrong. So one's ideas would determine one's behaviour and this is why one's beliefs are central to defining the personality.
The Islamic personality
Islam has provided a comprehensive solution for Muslims to create for themselves a particular personality distinct from all others. With the Islamic ‘Aqeedah (creed) Islam treated thoughts of all Muslims by making for humans an intellectual basis upon which all thoughts can be built. So a Muslim's mentality is built upon the Islamic ‘Aqeedah which provides one with a distinct mentality.
At the same time, Islam treats human actions which stem from there instincts and organic needs with Shari'ah rules that emanate from the ‘Aqeedah itself. The Shari'ah rules regulate but do not suppress the human instincts. They harmonise the different instincts together but do not leave them free to be satisfied in any manner. The Shari'ah rules do permit Muslims to satisfy their needs in a way that will lead the human being to tranquillity and stability.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى in the Qur'an mentioned in a number of ayaat the traits Muslims should be characterised with, amongst the many ayaat the following outlines this very clearly:
وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا
وَالَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّدًا وَقِيَامًا
وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اصْرِفْ عَنَّا عَذَابَ جَهَنَّمَ إِنَّ عَذَابَهَا كَانَ غَرَامًا
إِنَّهَا سَاءتْ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَمُقَامًا
وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَنفَقُوا لَمْ يُسْرِفُوا وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُوا وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ قَوَامًا
وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا
يُضَاعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهَانًا
إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُوْلَئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا
وَمَن تَابَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَإِنَّهُ يَتُوبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَتَابًا
وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ الزُّورَ وَإِذَا مَرُّوا بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّوا كِرَامًا
وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ لَمْ يَخِرُّوا عَلَيْهَا صُمًّا وَعُمْيَانًا
وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا
أُوْلَئِكَ يُجْزَوْنَ الْغُرْفَةَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا وَيُلَقَّوْنَ فِيهَا تَحِيَّةً وَسَلَامًا
خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا حَسُنَتْ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَمُقَامًا
"And the servants of (Allah) most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant (people) address them, they say, Peace! Those who spend the night in adoration of their Lord prostrating and standing. Those who say, Our Lord! Avert from us the Wrath of Hell, for its Wrath is indeed an affliction grievous; Evil indeed is it as an abode, and as a place to rest in; Those who, when they spend, are not extravagant and not niggardly, but hold just (balance) between those (extremes); Those who invoke not, with Allah, any other god, nor slay such life as Allah has made sacred, except for just cause, nor commit fornication, and any that does this (not only) meets punishment; (But) the Penalty on the Day of Judgment will be doubled to him, and he will dwell therein in disgrace; Unless he repents, believes, and works righteous deeds, for Allah is oft-forgiving, most merciful; And whoever repents and does good has truly turned to Allah with an (acceptable) conversion; Those who witness no falsehood, and, if they pass by futility, they pass by it with honourable (avoidance); Those who, when they are admonished with the Signs of their Lord, droop not down at them as if they were deaf or blind; And those who pray; Our Lord! Grant unto us wives and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and give us (the grace) to lead the righteous; Those are the ones who will be rewarded with the highest place in heaven, because of their patient constancy; therein shall they be met with salutation and peace; Dwelling therein, how beautiful an abode and place of rest!" [Al-Furqan: 63-76]
This verse represents a complete whole that elucidates the different virtues, the Muslim character and demonstrates the Islamic personality.
Common misconceptions
There are a number of misconceptions that exist amongst Muslims in regards to the Islamic personality. Some believe the individual with a beard and who wears the Islamic dress with the Islamic hat is an Islamic personality. Some believe it's impossible to be completely Islamic as we can never be like angels.
Such misconceptions only exist because what constitutes the Islamic personality has become blurred in the minds of the Muslims. So those who envisage that only an angel can have an Islamic personality are making a serious misjudgement. The resultant damage they cause to society is enormous, because they look for angelic figures from amongst the people and never find them because they cannot find such a person even amongst themselves. Thus they despair and give up all hope in Muslims. Such thinking helps promote the idea that Islam is utopian, impossible to implement, and is composed of supreme ideals and standards that humans cannot implement or maintain. Many people as a result turn away from Islam or accept their weakness and turn away from implementing Islam completely in their lives because they are rendered too paralysed to act.
Islam was not revealed to the angels, rather to the imperfect humans. Hence Islam recognises that from time to time a Muslim may fall short of his or her adherence to Islam. However this in no way justifies not using Islam as a basis. Islam is realistic and it deals with the realities humans face.
When Islam mentions the pious mumin, it mentions this in the context of the level of the ideal Islamic personality. Those who fall below this are not rendered un-Islamic. Thus the common Muslims who are below this level and who act in accordance with Islam, or those who confine themselves to performing the Fard (compulsory) actions and abstain from performing the Haram (prohibited) are Islamic personalities.
An individual who has a beard, wears the jilbiyah and comes across as pious is not necessarily an Islamic personality. This is because the traits of a Muslim are not the determining factor in deciding one's personality. What decides one's personality in being Islamic is if they have adopted the Islamic Aqeedah as a basis for their views and inclinations. Hence an individual could actually have very little knowledge on Islam but because he always refers to Islam to find the ruling for his actions this would make him an Islamic personality. The type of clothing one wears, their piety and smile indicate that this person does actions which Islam promotes but they in no way prove that the person holds the Islamic Aqeedah as a basis for such actions.
Strengthening the personality
Islam demanded the performing of actions beyond the Fard actions and demanded the avoiding of actions beyond the Haram (forbidden actions) to strengthen one's behaviour. This ensures ones inclinations are capable of deterring any inclination incompatible with Islam. All this is intended to enhance the Islamic personality and set it on the path towards a sublime pinnacle.
However the types of personalities among the people will vary in their degree and strength. What matters in judging whether someone holds an Islamic personality or not is whether he or she takes Islam as the standard for their thinking and inclinations. It is on this basis that the Islamic personality, mentality and behaviour are defined and characterized.
Constant observation of building one's thoughts and inclinations on the basis of the Islamic ‘Aqeedah must be maintained at every moment in life for the individual to remain an Islamic personality. After the initial formation of the personality, work is focused on maintaining it by developing the mentality and the inclinations. The inclinations are developed through worshipping the Creator and drawing closer to Him by doing acts of obedience, and by constantly building every desire for anything on the Islamic ‘Aqeedah. Development of one's thinking is achieved by understanding the Islamic Aqeedah and then by understanding and comprehending all its results i.e. the ahadith, tafseer, fiqh and all the other disciplines.
Those who Commit sins
Many Muslims perform actions incompatible with Islam and many Islamic personalities sometimes display behaviour contradicting Islam. One may think such actions and behaviour are clearly incompatible with Islam and ostracise the person in question from Islam, and would therefore render him or her non-Islamic or even Kafir on some occasions.
A person is not ostracised from Islam unless they abandon the Islamic ‘Aqeedah either by speech or action. One is not divested of their personality unless they no longer take it as the basis for thoughts and inclinations. This is because humans are liable to have discrepancies in their actions - they are not infallible. However if one consistently contradicts Islam then this would bring into question what he takes as a basis. In the situation where one consistently contradicts Islam this is evidence that the person does not take Islam as a basis, however a lapse, which usually takes the form of individual discrepancies, this proves ones weakness but does not mean someone is no longer an Islamic personality.
What needs to be kept in mind is that the associating of thoughts with actions is not a mechanical process where concepts always function in line with ones ‘Aqeedah. It is a social process that can be separated from the ‘Aqeedah or re-associated with it. Hence Muslims will from time to time be disobedient and violate the commands and prohibitions of Allah سبحانه وتعالى in one of their actions. This can be for a number of reasons:
- A person might imagine that it was in his interest to do what he did but then repents and comprehends the error of what he has done.
- A person may occasionally fail to link his concepts to his ‘Aqeedah, because he was reactionary or emotional
- A person may be ignorant of the contradiction between any concepts alien to Islam and his ‘Aqeedah
- Ones heart may be influenced by Satan, causing him to distance himself from his ‘Aqeedah in one of his actions.
A violation of Allah سبحانه وتعالى's commands and prohibitions does not on its own take someone outside the fold of Islam. A disobedient person or a Faasiq (sinner) is not considered Murtad (apostate), but disobedient in the act in which he was disobedient. A person remains a Muslim as long as they embrace the Islamic ‘Aqeedah of Islam. In the instance that the Muslim commits the action of disobedience it should not be said he is a non-Islamic personality, as long as his adoption of the Islamic ‘Aqeedah as a basis for his thoughts and inclinations is intact and free of doubt.
The Sahabah (companions of the Prophet) were involved in various incidents during the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم when a companion would violate a command or prohibition. Such violations did not remove the Sahabah from the fold of Islam, nor did they compromise his Islamic personality. This is because they were humans not angels. They are just like all other people and they are not infallible because they are not Prophets.
For example, Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah رضي الله عنه conveyed to the Quraish of Makkah news of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم's intention to invade them, although the Prophet was careful to maintain the secrecy of the invasion.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم twisted the head of Al-Fdl Ibn Al-‘Abbas when he saw him staring with lust and desire at a woman talking to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
In the year of the Conquest of Makkah, the Ansar spoke about the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and claimed he had abandoned them and returned to his kinsfolk despite his vow not to do so.
The senior Sahabah fled the war at Hunain and left the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم alone with few companions.
These are just a few incidents which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم never considered as undermining the Islam of the instigators or as a stain upon the personality of the Sahabah concerned. The criterion for judging whether a Muslim holds an Islamic personality is the soundness of his Islamic ‘Aqeedah and the building of his thoughts and inclinations upon it. As long as this occurs the occasional gaps in conduct will not compromise his Islamic personality.
Today's Struggle
It is of utmost importance to build the Islamic aqeedah soundly and correctly as the rest of Islam is built upon this. Any shortcomings in understanding the Islamic aqeedah will result in one compromising Islam and leave one open to adopting from other then Islam. Embracing the Islamic ‘Aqeedah means belief in the entirety of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم's message, and those detailed matters whose evidence is beyond doubt; and the acceptance of all this must be matched with contentment and submission. Mere knowledge is insufficient and refusal to accept even the most minor of matters definitely proven to be part of Islam ostracises the person and detaches him from the ‘Aqeedah. Islam is an indivisible whole as far as belief and acceptance is concerned and relinquishing even a fraction of it is Kufr (disbelief). Hence belief in the separation of the Islamic Deen from life's affairs (secularism) is indisputably Kufr.
Muslims in the West are on the receiving end of a barrage of propaganda against Islam and their non-adherence to Islam effectively places the victory in the hands of the West before the struggle and debate begins. Similar to this are all those who view the Islamic personality as spiritual only, abandoning the worldly life due to its corruption and remaining silent in the face of the propaganda directed at Islam.
Adherence to Islam apart from being compulsory has a number of profound effects.
Adherence to Islam shows to the wider Muslims that Islam can be easily followed and does provide solutions to the various problems humans face.
Adherence also shows to non-Muslims that Muslims have values which are eroding in the West such as looking after elders, treatment of women, respectable youth and the fact Islam represents a value system which people in the West should aspire to.
Holding onto Islam after building the Islamic aqeedah correctly, soundly and rationally will ensure the purity of one's personality and in today's climate is even more critical due to the propaganda directed at it.
Muslims since the dawn of Islam have faced numerous challenges in holding onto Islam. The early Muslims faced persecution and death if they refused to accept the pagan beliefs of the Quraish. The death of Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم resulted in a number of people turning their backs on Islam and stirring doubt in the minds of other Muslims. As Islam spread and Muslims came into contact with other cultures and customs Muslims faced the challenge of ensuring the purity of Islam and reconciling Islam with the foreign beliefs of other people.
Today a similar battle continues, that of wining the hearts and minds of Muslims around the world and integrating Muslims living in the West into Western societies. Successive governments have outlined policies on integrating Muslims in the West and a number of areas have been highlighted in order to achieve this, in summary these include:
- Promoting the superiority of Capitalism, its institutions, systems, freedoms and civilisation
- Abandoning policies which concentrate on cultural differences (such as multiculturalism) and concentrating on shared values (capitalist values)
- Promoting people and organisations who view Islam in line with liberal values
- Subverting all those who call for political Islam by branding them as extremists
- Corrupting those ideas of Islam which are political and anti-liberal such as one Ummah, Islamic state, Shari'ah, Islam is a system and Islam's applicability in the 21st century
- Branding those who hold onto Islam as backward and traditionalists
For Muslims, holding onto the Islamic personality in the 21st century has become even more important as there is a campaign to corrupt the Islamic personality and to secularise it which means Muslims will view the world from the lens of capitalism rather then Islam. So the question needs to be asked, what is the Islamic personality? How do we build it? How to we maintain and develop it? And how do we ensure it does not become corrupted?
The personality
Various thinkers throughout history have attempted to define the personality similar to the attempts to define the mind and the soul. In Ancient Greece, Socrates his student Plato, and his student Aristotle, attempted to answer the question of what is the personality. Their conclusions were very vague and included elements which were not part of the human makeup and also for them included a combination of one's clothing, speech, tastes etc.
The Muslim philosophers of the 10th century attempted to define the personality, as well as scholars such as Imam Ghazali, and they all mentioned in their respective books the different traits which can constitute the personality.
The Christians defined the personality as the struggle that occurs internally between matter and spirit. With the development of science in the 18th century experiments were carried out on human beings that lead to the study of human nature turning eventually into psychology which became the study of human behaviour. Today psychologists continue to add to the body of research on what constitutes the personality which includes one's traits, genetics and actions.
Communists also had a view on the personality and for them it was nothing more then the reflection of the reality on the mind.
Because the personality is the study of the human then its definition should be perceived from reality and should be applicable on all humans. This is because humans in all times and generations do not change in nature, the human make up, aside from some people born with deformities, humans generally are the same. So we see all people have physical characteristics that usually distinguish them from others. Although the colour of one's eyes, earrings, hair style, clothing, the type of books they read and how much skin they may expose are what we see of other people, these are in reality the result of one's personality. This is because such characteristics would be decided by the beliefs and ideas one carries.
Hence the first part that defines a person is the ideas they carry, in this way matters are judged as good and bad, right and wrong. The second aspect of the personality is one's behaviour. Although all humans have the same instincts we see that people satisfy them differently. We see although all humans have the procreational instinct, some marry, others do not, whilst some marry the same gender. One's behaviour is the manner in which one satisfies their different instincts and this is what distinguishes one person from another.
The way one thinks and behaves defines the type of personality one has. One's behaviour is determined by the ideas one carries hence the one who views drinking alcohol as good would act upon this compared to the one who views it as wrong. So one's ideas would determine one's behaviour and this is why one's beliefs are central to defining the personality.
The Islamic personality
Islam has provided a comprehensive solution for Muslims to create for themselves a particular personality distinct from all others. With the Islamic ‘Aqeedah (creed) Islam treated thoughts of all Muslims by making for humans an intellectual basis upon which all thoughts can be built. So a Muslim's mentality is built upon the Islamic ‘Aqeedah which provides one with a distinct mentality.
At the same time, Islam treats human actions which stem from there instincts and organic needs with Shari'ah rules that emanate from the ‘Aqeedah itself. The Shari'ah rules regulate but do not suppress the human instincts. They harmonise the different instincts together but do not leave them free to be satisfied in any manner. The Shari'ah rules do permit Muslims to satisfy their needs in a way that will lead the human being to tranquillity and stability.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى in the Qur'an mentioned in a number of ayaat the traits Muslims should be characterised with, amongst the many ayaat the following outlines this very clearly:
وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا
وَالَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّدًا وَقِيَامًا
وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اصْرِفْ عَنَّا عَذَابَ جَهَنَّمَ إِنَّ عَذَابَهَا كَانَ غَرَامًا
إِنَّهَا سَاءتْ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَمُقَامًا
وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَنفَقُوا لَمْ يُسْرِفُوا وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُوا وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ قَوَامًا
وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا
يُضَاعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهَانًا
إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُوْلَئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا
وَمَن تَابَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَإِنَّهُ يَتُوبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَتَابًا
وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ الزُّورَ وَإِذَا مَرُّوا بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّوا كِرَامًا
وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ لَمْ يَخِرُّوا عَلَيْهَا صُمًّا وَعُمْيَانًا
وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا
أُوْلَئِكَ يُجْزَوْنَ الْغُرْفَةَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا وَيُلَقَّوْنَ فِيهَا تَحِيَّةً وَسَلَامًا
خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا حَسُنَتْ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَمُقَامًا
"And the servants of (Allah) most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant (people) address them, they say, Peace! Those who spend the night in adoration of their Lord prostrating and standing. Those who say, Our Lord! Avert from us the Wrath of Hell, for its Wrath is indeed an affliction grievous; Evil indeed is it as an abode, and as a place to rest in; Those who, when they spend, are not extravagant and not niggardly, but hold just (balance) between those (extremes); Those who invoke not, with Allah, any other god, nor slay such life as Allah has made sacred, except for just cause, nor commit fornication, and any that does this (not only) meets punishment; (But) the Penalty on the Day of Judgment will be doubled to him, and he will dwell therein in disgrace; Unless he repents, believes, and works righteous deeds, for Allah is oft-forgiving, most merciful; And whoever repents and does good has truly turned to Allah with an (acceptable) conversion; Those who witness no falsehood, and, if they pass by futility, they pass by it with honourable (avoidance); Those who, when they are admonished with the Signs of their Lord, droop not down at them as if they were deaf or blind; And those who pray; Our Lord! Grant unto us wives and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and give us (the grace) to lead the righteous; Those are the ones who will be rewarded with the highest place in heaven, because of their patient constancy; therein shall they be met with salutation and peace; Dwelling therein, how beautiful an abode and place of rest!" [Al-Furqan: 63-76]
This verse represents a complete whole that elucidates the different virtues, the Muslim character and demonstrates the Islamic personality.
Common misconceptions
There are a number of misconceptions that exist amongst Muslims in regards to the Islamic personality. Some believe the individual with a beard and who wears the Islamic dress with the Islamic hat is an Islamic personality. Some believe it's impossible to be completely Islamic as we can never be like angels.
Such misconceptions only exist because what constitutes the Islamic personality has become blurred in the minds of the Muslims. So those who envisage that only an angel can have an Islamic personality are making a serious misjudgement. The resultant damage they cause to society is enormous, because they look for angelic figures from amongst the people and never find them because they cannot find such a person even amongst themselves. Thus they despair and give up all hope in Muslims. Such thinking helps promote the idea that Islam is utopian, impossible to implement, and is composed of supreme ideals and standards that humans cannot implement or maintain. Many people as a result turn away from Islam or accept their weakness and turn away from implementing Islam completely in their lives because they are rendered too paralysed to act.
Islam was not revealed to the angels, rather to the imperfect humans. Hence Islam recognises that from time to time a Muslim may fall short of his or her adherence to Islam. However this in no way justifies not using Islam as a basis. Islam is realistic and it deals with the realities humans face.
When Islam mentions the pious mumin, it mentions this in the context of the level of the ideal Islamic personality. Those who fall below this are not rendered un-Islamic. Thus the common Muslims who are below this level and who act in accordance with Islam, or those who confine themselves to performing the Fard (compulsory) actions and abstain from performing the Haram (prohibited) are Islamic personalities.
An individual who has a beard, wears the jilbiyah and comes across as pious is not necessarily an Islamic personality. This is because the traits of a Muslim are not the determining factor in deciding one's personality. What decides one's personality in being Islamic is if they have adopted the Islamic Aqeedah as a basis for their views and inclinations. Hence an individual could actually have very little knowledge on Islam but because he always refers to Islam to find the ruling for his actions this would make him an Islamic personality. The type of clothing one wears, their piety and smile indicate that this person does actions which Islam promotes but they in no way prove that the person holds the Islamic Aqeedah as a basis for such actions.
Strengthening the personality
Islam demanded the performing of actions beyond the Fard actions and demanded the avoiding of actions beyond the Haram (forbidden actions) to strengthen one's behaviour. This ensures ones inclinations are capable of deterring any inclination incompatible with Islam. All this is intended to enhance the Islamic personality and set it on the path towards a sublime pinnacle.
However the types of personalities among the people will vary in their degree and strength. What matters in judging whether someone holds an Islamic personality or not is whether he or she takes Islam as the standard for their thinking and inclinations. It is on this basis that the Islamic personality, mentality and behaviour are defined and characterized.
Constant observation of building one's thoughts and inclinations on the basis of the Islamic ‘Aqeedah must be maintained at every moment in life for the individual to remain an Islamic personality. After the initial formation of the personality, work is focused on maintaining it by developing the mentality and the inclinations. The inclinations are developed through worshipping the Creator and drawing closer to Him by doing acts of obedience, and by constantly building every desire for anything on the Islamic ‘Aqeedah. Development of one's thinking is achieved by understanding the Islamic Aqeedah and then by understanding and comprehending all its results i.e. the ahadith, tafseer, fiqh and all the other disciplines.
Those who Commit sins
Many Muslims perform actions incompatible with Islam and many Islamic personalities sometimes display behaviour contradicting Islam. One may think such actions and behaviour are clearly incompatible with Islam and ostracise the person in question from Islam, and would therefore render him or her non-Islamic or even Kafir on some occasions.
A person is not ostracised from Islam unless they abandon the Islamic ‘Aqeedah either by speech or action. One is not divested of their personality unless they no longer take it as the basis for thoughts and inclinations. This is because humans are liable to have discrepancies in their actions - they are not infallible. However if one consistently contradicts Islam then this would bring into question what he takes as a basis. In the situation where one consistently contradicts Islam this is evidence that the person does not take Islam as a basis, however a lapse, which usually takes the form of individual discrepancies, this proves ones weakness but does not mean someone is no longer an Islamic personality.
What needs to be kept in mind is that the associating of thoughts with actions is not a mechanical process where concepts always function in line with ones ‘Aqeedah. It is a social process that can be separated from the ‘Aqeedah or re-associated with it. Hence Muslims will from time to time be disobedient and violate the commands and prohibitions of Allah سبحانه وتعالى in one of their actions. This can be for a number of reasons:
- A person might imagine that it was in his interest to do what he did but then repents and comprehends the error of what he has done.
- A person may occasionally fail to link his concepts to his ‘Aqeedah, because he was reactionary or emotional
- A person may be ignorant of the contradiction between any concepts alien to Islam and his ‘Aqeedah
- Ones heart may be influenced by Satan, causing him to distance himself from his ‘Aqeedah in one of his actions.
A violation of Allah سبحانه وتعالى's commands and prohibitions does not on its own take someone outside the fold of Islam. A disobedient person or a Faasiq (sinner) is not considered Murtad (apostate), but disobedient in the act in which he was disobedient. A person remains a Muslim as long as they embrace the Islamic ‘Aqeedah of Islam. In the instance that the Muslim commits the action of disobedience it should not be said he is a non-Islamic personality, as long as his adoption of the Islamic ‘Aqeedah as a basis for his thoughts and inclinations is intact and free of doubt.
The Sahabah (companions of the Prophet) were involved in various incidents during the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم when a companion would violate a command or prohibition. Such violations did not remove the Sahabah from the fold of Islam, nor did they compromise his Islamic personality. This is because they were humans not angels. They are just like all other people and they are not infallible because they are not Prophets.
For example, Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah رضي الله عنه conveyed to the Quraish of Makkah news of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم's intention to invade them, although the Prophet was careful to maintain the secrecy of the invasion.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم twisted the head of Al-Fdl Ibn Al-‘Abbas when he saw him staring with lust and desire at a woman talking to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
In the year of the Conquest of Makkah, the Ansar spoke about the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and claimed he had abandoned them and returned to his kinsfolk despite his vow not to do so.
The senior Sahabah fled the war at Hunain and left the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم alone with few companions.
These are just a few incidents which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم never considered as undermining the Islam of the instigators or as a stain upon the personality of the Sahabah concerned. The criterion for judging whether a Muslim holds an Islamic personality is the soundness of his Islamic ‘Aqeedah and the building of his thoughts and inclinations upon it. As long as this occurs the occasional gaps in conduct will not compromise his Islamic personality.
Today's Struggle
It is of utmost importance to build the Islamic aqeedah soundly and correctly as the rest of Islam is built upon this. Any shortcomings in understanding the Islamic aqeedah will result in one compromising Islam and leave one open to adopting from other then Islam. Embracing the Islamic ‘Aqeedah means belief in the entirety of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم's message, and those detailed matters whose evidence is beyond doubt; and the acceptance of all this must be matched with contentment and submission. Mere knowledge is insufficient and refusal to accept even the most minor of matters definitely proven to be part of Islam ostracises the person and detaches him from the ‘Aqeedah. Islam is an indivisible whole as far as belief and acceptance is concerned and relinquishing even a fraction of it is Kufr (disbelief). Hence belief in the separation of the Islamic Deen from life's affairs (secularism) is indisputably Kufr.
Muslims in the West are on the receiving end of a barrage of propaganda against Islam and their non-adherence to Islam effectively places the victory in the hands of the West before the struggle and debate begins. Similar to this are all those who view the Islamic personality as spiritual only, abandoning the worldly life due to its corruption and remaining silent in the face of the propaganda directed at Islam.
Adherence to Islam apart from being compulsory has a number of profound effects.
Adherence to Islam shows to the wider Muslims that Islam can be easily followed and does provide solutions to the various problems humans face.
Adherence also shows to non-Muslims that Muslims have values which are eroding in the West such as looking after elders, treatment of women, respectable youth and the fact Islam represents a value system which people in the West should aspire to.
Holding onto Islam after building the Islamic aqeedah correctly, soundly and rationally will ensure the purity of one's personality and in today's climate is even more critical due to the propaganda directed at it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)