The Concept of God in Islam

The first part of the Muslim confession of faith (the Shahada) is the basis for the concept of God in Islam.The Muslim bears witness that: "There is no god but God". or "no divinity but the (one) Divinity". The revealed Scripture of Islam, the Qur'an, is like a vast commentary on this simple statement, drawing from it all its implications for human life and thought.

This conception of the Deity is strictly monotheistic and unitarian. God alone has absolute being, totally independent and totally self-sufficient. Whatever exists or ever could exist does so by His will. He has no "partner" either in creating the universe or in maintaining it in existence. He is not only the "First Cause" hut also ultimately, the only cause, and He is Himself uncaused. The Qur'an tells us: "Say: He is Allah. One, the utterly Self-sufficient: He begets not neither is He begotten, and there is nothing that is like unto Him". It tells us also that: "When He wills a thing to be. He but says unto it - Be!; and it is".

A further implication of the first part of the Shahada is that there can be no power, force or agency in the heavens or on earth which is independent of God.Everything that exists -and everything that happens-is subject to His control; there is nothing that can compete with Him or that escapes His grasp, nothing that does not bear witness to His creative power and majesty. "The
seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein praise Him", says the Qur'an.

"And there is not a tiling that does not hymn His praise, though you understand not their praise".
In the Islamic view, it is impossible for the human mind to form an adequate conception of God as He is in His eternal and absolute being. The creature cannot comprehend the Creator. According to the Qur'an, "No (human) vision encompasseth Him, yet He encompasseth (all) vision".

But Islam does not demand blind belief. The Qur'an tells us a great deal about the nature of the Divine, and it describes God by a number of terms-called "The most beautiful Names" - which help us to understand Him. The Qur'an tells us: "Allah, there is no god but He, the Living, (the eternally Self-subsistent. Slumber overtakes Him not, nor sleep. To Him belong all that is in the heavens and all that is upon earth. Who is there than (can) intercede with Him except by His leave? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they comprehend naught of His knowledge save what He pleases. His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and He is not wearied by preserving them; and He is the Most High, the Immense".

He is Al-Ahad. "the One", absolute unity. This is in sharp contrast to the Christian conception of the Trinity. The One cannot be divided, nor can it be diminished or "humanised" by incarnation in any created form. God does not become His own creature, in fact He does not "become" anything: because He is the God.

The Qur'an describes Him also as Al-Ala. "the Most High", totally transcendent in relation to His own creations and therefore infinitely beyond all that we might attempt to associate with Him. He is Al-Aziz. "the Almighty", and Al-Jabbar", for there
is no one and nothing that could possibly resist His power,which governs and regulates all existence in accordance with a predetermined measure. It follows that there is no earthly power that is not derived from Him, no strength nor any virtue that is not loaned to us by Him: and no one can help us except by His will, nor can anyone harm us unless He permits them to do so (in which case this harm is a trial to be horne with patience).

He is called Al-Haqq, "the Truth" (or "the Reality"),and to deny Him is to be far distant from truth at every level of experience. The Arabic word Al-kafirun, and this word suggests a deliberate act of "covering", in other
words, those who deny Him whose name is "the Truth" have "covered" their own understanding with an opaque
covering so as not to see what is ultimately self-evident. In so doing they have shut out the light, for another of His
names is Al-Nur. "Light". These are they whom the Qur'an describes as the "blind", for "Allah is the Light of
the heavens and the earth". In Islam everything is derived from the divine nature and therefore from the "names" by
which God has made Himself known, and it He were not "Light" there could be no light any where, whether

The Muslims Condition

Allah (swt) has decreed:

"InnAllaha laa yoghayyiru maa bi Qawmin hattaa yoghayyiroo maa bi anfusihim" [Ar-Ra'ad: 11].

“Allah will not change what is in any nation, until they all collectively make a change occur in what is in themselves” [TMQ Ar-Ra'ad: 11].

Many from amongst the sincere and insincere Muslims utilise this Ayah in an attempt to justify not working for the Khilafah by reviving the Ummah in a collective way. Instead, they claim, that one should perfect what is within oneself first, and only then can they look to the ills of society. Thus, they emphasise the perfection of the individual, as Allah (swt) has said that He (swt) will not change the situation of the people until they first change what is within their own selves.

Without de-emphasising the importance of tazkiyyat un-nafs (purification of oneself), it is necessary to eradicate the above false understanding, especially the idea that through tazkiyyah alone, one can revive the Ummah. In fact, such a twisted interpretation of the glorious words of Allah (swt) cannot be further from the truth. The following Tafseer of this ayah will explain its true meaning by breaking down the Arabic word by word with the aim of elucidating the collective nature of the Islamic Da'wa. At the same time, the Tafseer will refute the secular interpretation of those smitten by western individualism.

The nature of the ayah

The ayah in question is ikhbariyyah (informative), therefore it informs about when Allah (swt) will change the situation of a people. It does not provide a detailed method for revival and should not be used for such an understanding, just as no scholar has used this ayah for this purpose before. Imam ul-Qurtubi said in his Tafseer entitled ‘Al-Jaami'u li Ahkam il-Qur'an' that “akhbara Allahu” (meaning, ‘Allah informs') necessitates that it is an informative ayah (akhbara being the verb from which the adjective ikhbariyyah is derived) since it informs us on Allah's (swt) law regarding change.

Upon who does the change occur (maf'ool ul-fi'l)?

The verb (fi'l) under discussion is the change, and the instigator (faa'il) of this change is Allah (swt). So what is the object of the verb (al-maf'ool)? That is to ask, who is Allah (swt) going to change?

Allah (swt) stated, “…maa bi Qawmin…” meaning, ‘(Allah will not change) whatever is in any Qawm.'

It is clear that the change will occur upon the Qawm. What is the meaning of this word Qawm, and what is the nature of this change? The maa here is 'Aam (maa al-'Umoom), thus it applies to whatever is in the Qawm. Furthermore, the word Qawm is in the Mutlaq (unrestricted) form, and thus, it even applies to the Kafir Qawms. Therefore, the meaning is that Allah (swt) will not change whatever is in any Qawm.'

Please note that the word Qawm has been used, which means that the subject matter is the issue of collective change in society, not individual change. Qawm, in the Arabic language, means nation or sha'ab (people), and it can also mean Ummah. It does not however, mean an individual or even a collection of individuals. Fard or shakhs refers to an individual or a person respectively, and afraad or shakhsiyyaat are the plurals, meaning a collection of individuals or people. These words may be used to denote the work that treads the path of individual reform.

Allah (swt), however, used none of those words in this ayah; instead, He (swt) used ‘Qawm,' which means nation, or Ummah. Nation has a specific connotation. It means a group or collective of people, but more than that because this is merely afraad. The difference is that this collective, known as a Qawm is bonded by a common identity, having some form of common unifying force, which is why it can also be used to describe a nation unified by race, hence the noun qawmiyyah (nationalism). However, here it is not restricted to ethnic groups, as the Muslims are included in its meaning. Also, it is not restricted to ideological societies. The word Ummah would be better to use here, as ethnic groupings are not necessarily ideological, yet they are also known as a Qawm. Thus, in this ayah the word Qawm is used loosely, denoting any nation, not necessarily along racial or ideological lines; thus, it is Mutlaq (unrestricted) and applies to all collective groupings of people.

This is what the word Qawm means in Arabic and even in the English language. So, from this it is clear that the meaning taken by some people that Allah (swt) will never change the situation of individuals until each one changes what is in his own self, is in fact a twisted meaning, rather than Allah's (swt) meaning. Shakhs (person) has not been mentioned, nor has people or afraad (individuals). If it had been, then the protagonists of such a fallacy might have had a case, as merely a collection of individuals does not denote a collective work. Thus, they may have been able to argue that each person should correct himself first and foremost, then convince another to change, until they become large in number and can go about individually changing others. Indeed, this fits the description of afraad or shakhsiyyaat, but it does not fit the description of Qawm. So clearly, in this ayah Allah (swt) is addressing change in the collective.

The final meaning, therefore, refers to everything in general in any Qawm (nation), whether Muslim or Kafir. The fact that it can be applied to Kuffar as well, is relevant.

What must the Qawm do?

Allah (swt) stipulates, “…hattaa yughayyiroo…” means ‘until they all change…'

These words are in the form of a conditional clause (seeghat us-shart), due to the use of the shart (condition) ‘hattaa' (until). This renders the meaning, ‘Allah will not change…(them)…until they all change.' The usage of the shart here means that the mafhoom ul-mukhalafah (opposite understanding) of this ayah can be taken. Thus, rendering the meaning that if the Qawm does not collectively change together, then Allah (swt) will not change their situation. So, a condition for change is that action must occur from the Qawm, and that means doing, not passively waiting for Allah (swt) to provide the change. Allah (swt) used the active verb ‘yughayyirooo,' so, in response, the Qawm must actively do something to be eligible for the change, without which they will not get it.

What is expected from this Qawm in order that they qualify for Allah's (swt) change to occur? Is it that each and every individual changes himself alone and then asks every other individual to change? No, Allah (swt) addressed the Qawm with the verb ‘yughayyiroo,' which means ‘until they change…' So, the nation must ‘yuhaghayyiroo' or act accordingly. This word is an active verb (f'il) in the plural (jam'a) third person (ghaa'ib) masculine (mudhakkir), and it is in the present tense (mudaari). Because it is an active verb, in order to qualify for the said condition, the Qawm must do something, not wait for something to be done to them. Thus, the fatalistic concept prevalent nowadays that encourages people to practice patience without action, whilst Allah (swt) brings change, is blatantly flawed. It being masculine means that it includes both male and female, as the masculine plural in Arabic means a mixed group unless indicated. In this case there is no indication, therefore it applies to male and female. The fact that it is in the plural form means that all individuals within the Qawm must do something, and it also reinforces the point that the Qawm, or a collective, is being addressed. Therefore, the plural masculine verb renders the meaning ‘until they all, male and female, collectively make a change occur…' Thus, is it 'Aam, and all people are required to make a change.

What do they have to change?

“…Maa bi anfusihim”
“…Whatever is in themselves…”

In this portion of the ayah, Allah (swt) informs us about the target for the change, which is “…Maa bi Anfusihim.” The maa here is maa al-'umoom, so again, it means everything must be changed in the specified target. Also, the ism (noun) ‘nafs' is used. This means oneself, not what is inside a person in any spiritual or mystic way. Rather, it simply means oneself, similar to the English usage of the noun ‘himself' when saying, “Zayd went by himself (alone).” This would be rendered in Arabic as “Jaa'a Zayd bi nafsihi.” Anfus is the plural for nafs. Therefore, Allah (swt) has decreed that He (swt) will not change the situation of any Qawm until they all collectively change all that is within themselves, as a nation, not as individuals, because they are addressed as a ‘Qawm,' rather than ‘afraad.' The verb came in the plural form, and so it is not addressing each individual alone, in fact it is addressing every individual in the nation, that Allah (swt) will not change their nation until they all make a change occur in themselves and in others.

What is the nature of this change?

The word Qawm being in the Mutlaq (unrestricted) form means that this khabar (news) that Allah (swt) has graced us with about the wisdom of how He (swt) makes change in societies is universal. In other words, it applies to any nation or group of people. This is the Sunnah of Allah (swt). Thus, my dear brothers, it cannot be taken from this that the Muslims must simply pray, fast and encourage one another, and then revival will come. This is because the Kuffar are also addressed by this ayah, and despite the fact that they do not pray and fast, their nations have progressed and revived (albeit incorrectly). Thus, the nature of the change needed cannot be restricted to ibadat, morals, clothing, Taqwa or even being Muslims. The word Qawm is Mutlaq, and it applies to the Kafir nations, or anything that can be described loosely as a nation. Indeed, we have witnessed that the Kuffar have progressed beyond us to the extent that they dominate us. This was despite the fact that these nations took the rebellion from religion as the cornerstone of their ideals, adopted immoral practice as their constitutional rights and have never ceased oppressing those who Allah (swt) loves: the Muslims. Indeed, they progressed despite all this. Therefore, the change mentioned cannot be moralistic, religious or ritualistic, despite what some may preach; for, the Kuffar of today are of the most immoral, atheistic hedonists that the world has ever witnessed.

So what change is being addressed here? It must be some form of change that is available for the Kuffar too. This change is the ideological change, the change that occurs in a nation when they unify around one common ideology (something Muslims or Kuffar can do). It is about altering the way in which they view life, the basis of their relationships and their ruling system. Thus, when the communists unified around Communism, they progressed. Allah (swt) changed their affairs, despite the fact that he despises those who deny him and reject his signs. Also, when the Europeans before them adopted secularism as their ideology, as did the Americans when they rebelled from the Europeans, they all progressed beyond bounds. Allah (swt) altered their affairs and they dominated us, even though He (swt) loves us and despises the arrogant deniers of his haakimiyyah (right to rule), the secularists. This was all done in accordance with the Sunnah of Allah (swt). That is why whenever any nation alters itself and bonds around a common basis, she progresses.

Alas, the Islamic Ummah has the best ideology, Islam; yet, she does not unify around it, nor does she make it her basis for solving all of life's problems. She does not change her Qawm (the Islamic Ummah) to bond upon it. She has the best ruling system, the Khilafah, yet she does not work for it. Thus, Allah (swt) will not change her affairs until she does. The result of understanding the ayah in this manner, means that when the Ummah returns to her ideology as a whole, basing her relationships upon its ‘Aqeedah alone, and governing her interests by its ruling system, only then will Allah (swt) revive her. This is just like when the Kuffar adopted a complete ideology, and Allah (swt) allowed them to revive, albeit on a false basis. Likewise, if she abandons the ideology, then she will decline, just as she did and just as the communists did when they dropped their ideology.

Imam al-Qurtubi, in his Tafseer entitled ‘Jami'u li Ahkam il-Qur'an,' is careful in explaining the ayah, as he knew that a twisted meaning would distort it:

“Allah informed in this ayah that he does not change what is in a Qawm until change takes place from them, whether it be from them, or from their supervisor (of their affairs - leaders), or from he who is (appointed) from them… So the meaning of this ayah is not that it was only revealed for individual punishment and to address nothing but progress from a sin. Instead, it has been revealed for the correction of others sins too. As he said (in the hadith), “…It was asked, ‘will we be destroyed whilst the righteous are amongst us?' He (saw) said, ‘Yes, if the corruption increases (beyond bounds)'” [Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of Zaynab bint Jahsh about the Ya'jooj].

So you see, dear Muslims, al-Qurtubi demonstrates in his Tafseer of this ayah that it is not simply for the individual focus. His quotation on the hadith provides an admonishment, in the form of complete destruction, for the whole community if they leave others alone to practice corruption without addressing it, despite the fact that the righteous may live amongst them. Therefore, this ayah reinforces the correctness of the work of those brothers who work to alter society collectively, via their political work, to bring back the Khilafah. After this lengthy explanation, we may now revisit the final meaning of the ayah. It may be correctly rendered as, ‘Allah will not change what is in any nation, until they all collectively make a change occur in what is in themselves.' Please, dear Muslims, do not ever again use it to mean perfection of the individual alone, or Allah (swt) will ask you concerning this on al-Qiyaamah. Wa Barak Allahu Feekum.

Concept of Worship in Islaam

Love, Fear and Hope

One of the most beautiful things about the concept of worship in Islaam is the truly unique way in which it incorporates the feeling of love, fear and hope within the hearts of the worshippers of Allaah. Understanding how to combine these three qualities into the worship (ibaadah) of Allaah is one of the most essential things that every Muslim must grasp, not least because every sect which has drifted from the Straight Path has strayed in the aspect of worship. The deviation of the other religions in this regard is clear for all to see: “God is love! Jesus is love!” say the Christians, denying the fact that Allaah should be feared too. As for the Jews, their hearts were filled only with hope; hope that the Fire will never touch them, since they were the “Promised People”.

In Islaam however, no worship is complete without the presence of all three qualities: love of Allaah, hope in His Mercy and fear of His Punishment. Contemplate the opening Soorah of the Qur'aan - Soorah al-Faatihah - and you will see this for yourself.

Aayah 1: “All praise [and thanks] is for Allaah, Rabb of all the worlds.”

In this opening aayah (verse) of the Qur'aan, we have LOVE of Allaah and every time we recite this aayah we are testifying to our love for Allaah. How is that you ask?

It is because in the aayah, we are acknowledging that Allaah is our Rabb and the Rabb of all the worlds. Rabb is usually translated as ‘the Lord’, but this translation does not do justification to this name of Allaah and all the meanings this name carries. In reality, Rabb means that Allaah is the Creator of everything; He sustains and nourishes everything; He gives life and Death; anything good that we have is from Him; everything is dependant on Him and nothing can happen unless He wills it. Furthermore, for the Muslims He - the Rabb - in the One who has guided us to the Truth and given us good morals and manners.

Thus when we testify that Allaah is our Rabb, then we are acknowledging that He is the One who has given us so many blessings - so many that if we try to enumerate His blessings, we would be unable to do so. So how could we not but LOVE Him?

After all, we all love those who show kindness towards us or present us with gifts. And therefore the Messenger of Allaah (salla-allahu alaihe wa-sallam) encouraged the exchange of gifts between Muslims because it helps to strengthen ties and develop love for one another. He (salla-allahu alaihe wa-sallam) said, “Give gifts to one another, you will come to love one another.”

So imagine the LOVE we should have for our Rabb who has given us everything: nice families, shelter, security, food, health and above all the Guidance of Islaam and the Sunnah. We should be overwhelming in our love for Him. That is why we praise Him and thank Him and say, “All praise (and thanks) is for Allaah, Rabbil-‘aalameen.”

Aayah 2: The Rahmaan (Merciful) and the Raheem (Mercy-Giving).”

In the first aayah of Soorah al-Faatihah, Allaah mentioned He was the Rabb. In this aayah two more of His beautiful names are mentioned: ar-Rahmaan and ar-Raheem. Ar-Rahmaan means that He is the Most Merciful. Ar-Raheem means that He is the Giver of Mercy, in other words His actions are full of Mercy and He shows Mercy to His creation.

When we mention these two names of Allaah, then we have HOPE. Since He is the One who is full of Mercy, and we hope He will forgive our mistakes and shortcomings. We should never loose hope, because Allaah says in the Qur'aan,

“O My slaves, who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, Verily Allaah forgives all sins (except sins). Truly He is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful” [39: 53]

The need to have FEAR in our worship is shown by the next aayah of Soorah al-Faatihah.

Aayah 3: “King/Master of the Day of Judgement.”

When we recite this aayah, we remind ourselves of the Day of Judgement - that awful Day, when all of humanity shall stand before Allaah … naked, uncircumcised and barefooted. People will appear drunk though they are not.

On that Day, every person will stand before Allaah and account for his sins, knowing that not even the smallest action which he did is hidden from Allaah:

“So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom shall see it.” [Soorah 99 : 7-8]

So when we recite this third aayah of Soorah al-Faatihah, we remind ourselves of this Judgement and accountability and that should bring about in us a sense of fear - that maybe our evil actions will be too great and we will be responsible for them - May Allaah protect us from such a fate. Then the next verse goes on to say: “You alone we worship.” i.e. we single out Allaah for our worship. And how do we worship Him? With LOVE, HOPE and FEAR. And in order to achieve these qualities, we need Allaah’s assistance, so we say then, “We seek Your Aid.”

Striking the Balance

After understanding the need to have love, hope and fear in our worship, the next question that naturally arises is that, in what proportion should these qualities be present in our worship? Again we turn to the Qur'aan for the answer.

“Call upon Him with Fear and Hope.” [ Soorah (7): 56]

“Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in Fear and Hope.” [(32): 16]

So both fear and hope should be present in our hearts in equal proportions. Anas reported that the Prophet (salla-allahu alaihe wa-sallam) entered upon a young boy who was dying. The Prophet (salla-allahu alaihe wa-sallam) asked, “How are you?” The boy replied, “O Messenger of Allaah, I am in between hoping in Allaah and fearing for my sins.” The Prophet (salla-allahu alaihe wa-sallam) said, “The like of these two qualities do not unite in the heart of a servant except that Allaah gives him what he hopes for and protects him from what he feared.”

Therefore whenever we do a good action, we should hope that it has been accepted by Allaah, but at the same time we should also have fear that maybe it isn’t enough or that the good deed has not been worthy of acceptance. Likewise when we sin, we should have hope that Allaah will accept our repentance and forgive us, but we should also fear that we may be accountable for it.

This balance should be reflected in our Dawah (which of course is also worship). So when we invite others to the Truth, we should not give them the impression that ‘they have nothing to worry about’, nor do we suggest that ‘they are doomed forever’. Rather we couple warnings with encouragement. We inform them of the horrors of the Fire and tell them about the bliss of Paradise. Just as we find Allaah telling us in the Qur'aan:

“Verily your Lord is Quick in Punishment and verily He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Giver of Mercy.” [(7): 167]

And the scholars of Islaam say, “He who worships Allaah with hope only is a murji’ee. He who worships Him in fear only is a Harooree [Khaarijee]. And He who worships Allaah in love only is a Zindeeq [eg. the Soofis, the Christians, etc]. But he who worships Allaah in fear, love and hope is a Muwahhid Mu’min [a believer upon Tawheed].”

The Murji’a were a sect that emerged within the first century of Islaam. The people of this sect (i.e. the murji’ees) believe that sins do not affect faith i.e. no matter what sins a person commits, his eeman (faith) is complete and perfect. They worship Allaah only with hope because they believe that as long as one believed and testified to Islaam, they would enter Paradise regardless of their actions.

Unfortunately, all too often nowadays we find a similar attitude amongst many Muslims today, which is why we find that so often we try to advise someone to turn to the Deen and abandon sin, they just point to their hearts and say, “Allaah knows what is in my heart”, or “Allaah forgives”, or something else like that.

As for the Khawaarij, they worshipped Allaah in fear only because they held that anyone who commits major sins was a disbeliever and would therefore dwell in Hellfire forever. This of course is gross extremism and straying from the correct path. The Prophet (salla-allahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: “There were two men of Banoo Israa’eel who strove equally. One of then committed sins and the other strove hard in worship. And the one who strove in worship cto see the other in sin and kept saying to him: “Desist.” So one day he found him committing a sin and so said to him: “Desist” So he replied, “Leave me by my Lord, have you been sent as a watcher over me?”. He said, “By Allaah, Allaah will not forgive you, nor will Allaah admit you to Paradise”. Then their souls were taken and they came together before the Lord of the Worlds. So Allaah said to the one who strove in worship: “Did you have Knowledge of Me, or did you have any power in what is in my Hands?” And He said to the sinner: “Go and enter Paradise through My Mercy.” And He said to the other: “Take him to the fire.” Aboo Hurairah t said: “By Him in whose Hand is my soul! He spoke a word which destroyed this world and the hereafter for him.”

Therefore we should never say of anyone that he or she is a ‘lost cause’ or ‘doomed’ or the like for this is a great sin. However, we fear for those who commit major sins because they have been threatened with punishment in the Qur'aan and the Hadeeth. However it is up to Allaah whether He chooses to punish them or whether He will forgive them.

The Zindeeqs - or the heretics - are groups, such as many of the Soofis who have become like the Christians and reduced the religion to just ‘love’ and so all their talk and their mystical practices are centred around developing more ‘love’.

It is thus clear how imbalances in any of the three qualities of worship can lead to major deviation and straying to the True Guidance. It is therefore important for every Muslim to combine all three of them in his heart properly. As was mentioned before, the fear and hope should be in equal proportions[6], but as for love then that should be uppermost. As Fudayl ibn-‘Iyaad - rahimahullah - (d.187H) said,

“The love is better than the fear. The fear checks us from sinning, and the love makes us do what is prescribed with an open heart.”

May Allaah grant us what we hope for and protect us from what we fear. And may the Blessings of Allaah be upon our Prophet Muhammed, upon his family, his Companions and upon all those who follow Guidance until the Last Day.

Footnotes:

[1] Collected by Imaam Bukhari in al-Adabul-Mufrad and declared hasan by al-Albaanee in al-Irwaa (1601)

[2] As explained by Ibnul-Qayyim (d.751H) in Badaa’I ul-Fawaa’id.

[3] Collected in Sunan at-Tirmidhi and Sunan Ibn Majah and authenticated by Sheikh al-Albani in Ahkam al-Janaa’iz (no.2)

[4] Quoted by Ibn Rajjab in al-Takhweef minan-Naar.

[5] Collected in Sunan Abu Dawood (english trans. vol.3, p.1365, no.4883). See Saheehul-Jaami (4455) by Sheikh al-Albani.

[6] This was the opinion of most of the Salaf. Al-Fudayl ibn ‘Iyyaad said that, when one is healthy and well, then fear should predominate, but when terminally ill then hpoe should predominate - so that one should strive to do good when well and not despair of Allaah’s Mercy when terminally ill. [Al-Takhweef minan-Naar]

[7] Reported in Al-Takhweef minan-Naar of Ibn Rajab. Note that some scholars hold that the fear is better than love, and Allaah knows best.

Rethinking Islam

Serious rethinking within Islam is long overdue. Muslims have been comfortably relying, or rather falling back, on age-old interpretations for much too long. This is why we feel so painful in the contemporary world, so uncomfortable with modernity. Scholars and thinkers have been suggesting for well over a century that we need to make a serious attempt at Ijtihad, at reasoned struggle and rethinking, to reform Islam. At the beginning of the last century, Jamaluddin Afghani and Mohammad Abduh led the call for a new Ijtihad; and along the way many notable intellectuals, academics and sages have added to this plea - not least Mohammad Iqbal, Malik bin Nabbi and Abdul Qadir Audah. Yet, ijtihad is one thing Muslim societies have singularly failed to undertake. Why?

The why has now acquired an added urgency. Just look around the Muslim world and see how far we have travelled away from the ideals and spirit of Islam. Far from being a liberating force, a kinetic social, cultural and intellectual dynamics for equality, justice and humane values, Islam seems to have acquired a pathological strain. Indeed, it seems to me that we have internalised all those historic and contemporary western representations of Islam and Muslims that have been demonising us for centuries. We now actually wear the garb, I have to confess, of the very demons that the West has been projecting on our collective personality.

But to blame the West, or a notion of instrumental modernity that is all but alien to us, would be a lazy option. True, the West, and particularly America, has a great deal to answer for. And Muslims are quick to point a finger at the injustices committed by American and European foreign policies and hegemonic tendencies. However, that is only a part, and in my opinion not an insurmountable part, of the malaise. Hegemony is not always imposed; sometimes, it is invited. The internal situation within Islam is an open invitation.

We have failed to respond to the summons to Ijtihad for some very profound reasons. Prime amongst these is the fact that the context of our sacred texts – the Qur’an and the examples of the Prophet Muhammad, our absolute frame of reference – has been frozen in history. One can only have an interpretative relationship with a text – even more so if the text is perceived to be eternal. But if the interpretative context of the text is never our context, not our own time, then its interpretation can hardly have any real meaning or significance for us as we are now. Historic interpretations constantly drag us back to history, to frozen and ossified context of long ago; worse, to perceived and romanticised contexts that have not even existed in history. This is why while Muslims have a strong emotional attachment to Islam, Islam per se, as a worldview and system of ethics, has little or no direct relevance to their daily lives apart from the obvious concerns of rituals and worship. Ijtihad and fresh thinking have not been possible because there is no context within which they can actually take place.

The freezing of interpretation, the closure of ‘the gates of ijtihad’, has had a devastating effect on Muslim thought and action. In particular, it has produced what I can only describe as three metaphysical catastrophes: the elevation of the Shari`ah to the level of the Divine, with the consequent removal of agency from the believers, and the equation of Islam with the State. Let me elaborate.

Most Muslims consider the Shari`ah, commonly translated as ‘Islamic law’, to be divine. Yet, there is nothing divine about the Shari`ah. The only thing that can legitimately be described as divine in Islam is the Qur’an. The Shari`ah is a human construction; an attempt to understand the divine will in a particular context. This is why the bulk of the Shari`ah actually consists of fiqh or jurisprudence, which is nothing more than legal opinion of classical jurists. The very term fiqh was not in vogue before the Abbasid period when it was actually formulated and codified. But when fiqh assumed its systematic legal form, it incorporated three vital aspects of Muslim society of the Abbasid period. At that juncture, Muslim history was in its expansionist phase, and fiqh incorporated the logic of Muslim imperialism of that time. The fiqh rulings on apostasy, for example, derive not from the Qur'an but from this logic. Moreover, the world was simple and could easily be divided into black and white: hence, the division of the world into Daral Islam and Daral Harb. Furthermore, as the framers of law were not by this stage managers of society, the law became merely theory which could not be modified - the framers of the law were unable to see where the faults lay and what aspect of the law needed fresh thinking and reformulation. Thus fiqh, as we know it today, evolved on the basis of a division between those who were governing and set themselves apart from society and those who were framing the law; the epistemological assumptions of a ‘golden’ phase of Muslim history also came into play. When we describe the Shari`ah as divine, we actually provide divine sanctions for the rulings of by-gone fiqh.

What this means in reality is that when Muslim countries apply or impose the Shari`ah – the demands of Muslims from Indonesia to Nigeria - the contradictions that were inherent in the formulation and evolution of fiqh come to the fore. That is why wherever the Shari`ah is imposed – that is, fiqhi legislation is applied, out of context from the time when it was formulated and out of step with ours - Muslim societies acquire a medieval feel. We can see that in Saudi Arabia, the Sudan and the Taliban Afghanistan. When narrow adherence to fiqh, to the dictates of this or that school of thought, whether it has any relevance to real world or not, becomes the norm, ossification sets in. The Shari`ah will solve all our problems becomes the common sentiment; and it becomes necessary for a group with vested interest in this notion of the Shari`ah to preserve its territory, the source of its power and prestige, at all costs. An outmoded body of law is thus equated with the Shari`ah, and criticism is shunned and outlawed by appealing to its divine nature.

The elevation of the Shari`ah to the divine level also means the believers themselves have no agency: since The Law is a priori given people themselves have nothing to do expect to follow it. Believers thus become passive receivers rather than active seekers of truth. In reality, the Shari`ah is nothing more than a set of principles, a framework of values, that provide Muslim societies with guidance. But these sets of principles and values are not a static given but are dynamically derived within changing contexts. As such, the Shari`ah is a problem-solving methodology rather than law. It requires the believers to exert themselves and constantly reinterpret the Qur’an and look at the life of the Prophet Muhammad with ever changing fresh eyes. Indeed, the Qur’an has to be reinterpreted from epoch to epoch – which means the Shari`ah, and by extension Islam itself, has to be reformulated with changing contexts. The only thing that remains constant in Islam is the text of the Qur’an itself – its concepts providing the anchor for ever changing interpretations.

Islam is not so much a religion but an integrative worldview: that is to say, it integrates all aspects of reality by providing a moral perspective on every aspect of human endeavour. Islam does not provide ready-made answers to all human problems; it provides a moral and just perspective within which Muslims must endeavour to find answers to all human problems. But if everything is a priori given, in the shape of a divine Shari`ah, then Islam is reduced to a totalistic ideology. Indeed, this is exactly what the Islamic movements – in particularly Jamaat-e-Islami (both Pakistani and Indian varieties) and the Muslim Brotherhood – have reduced Islam to. Which brings me to the third metaphysical catastrophe. Place this ideology within a nation state, with divinely attributed Shari`ah at its centre, and you have an ‘Islamic state’. All contemporary ‘Islamic states’, from Iran, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan to aspiring Pakistan, are based on this ridiculous assumption. But once Islam, as an ideology, becomes a programme of action of a vested group, it looses its humanity and becomes a battlefield where morality, reason and justice are readily sacrificed at the alter of emotions. Moreover, the step from a totalistic ideology to a totalitarian order where every human-situation is open to state-arbitration is a small one. The transformation of Islam into a state-based political ideology not only deprives it of its all moral and ethical content, it also debunks most of Muslim history as un-Islamic. Invariably, when Islamists rediscover a ‘golden’ past, they do so only in order to disdain the present and mock the future. All we are left with is messianic chaos, as we saw so vividly in the Taliban regime, where all politics as the domain of action is paralysed and meaningless pieties become the foundational truth of the state.

The totalitarian vision of Islam as a State thus transforms Muslim politics into a metaphysics: in such an enterprise, every action can be justified as ‘Islamic’ by the dictates of political expediency as we witnessed in revolutionary Iran.

The three metaphysical catastrophes are accentuated by an overall process of reduction that has become the norm in Muslim societies. The reductive process itself is also not new; but now it has reached such an absurd state that the very ideas that are supposed to take Muslims societies towards humane values now actually take them in the opposite direction. From the subtle beauty of a perennial challenge to construct justice through mercy and compassion, we get mechanistic formulae fixated with the extremes repeated by people convinced they have no duty to think for themselves because all questions have been answered for them by the classical `ulamas, far better men long dead. And because everything carries the brand name of Islam, to question it, or argue against it, is tantamount to voting for sin.

The process of reduction started with the very notion of `alim (scholar) itself. Just who is an `alim; what makes him an authority? In early Islam, an `alim was anyone who acquired `ilm, or knowledge, which was itself described in a broad sense. We can see that in the early classifications of knowledge by such scholars as al-Kindi, al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, al-Ghazali and Ibn Khuldun. Indeed, both the definition of knowledge and its classification was a major intellectual activity in classical Islam. So all learned men, scientists as well as philosophers, scholars as well as theologians, constituted the `ulama. But after the ‘gates of ijtihad’ were closed during the Abbasid era, ilm was increasingly reduced to religious knowledge and the `ulama came to constitute only religious scholars.

Similarly, the idea of ijma, the central notion of communal life in Islam, has been reduced to the consensus of a select few. Ijma literally means consensus of the people. The concept dates back to the practice of Prophet Muhammad himself as leader of the original polity of Muslims. When the Prophet Muhammad wanted to reach a decision, he would call the whole Muslim community – then, admittedly not very large – to the mosque. A discussion would ensue; arguments for and against would be presented. Finally, the entire gathering would reach a consensus. Thus, a democratic spirit was central to communal and political life in early Islam. But over time the clerics and religious scholars have removed the people from the equation – and reduced ijma to ‘the consensus of the religious scholars’. Not surprisingly, authoritarianism, theocracy and despotism reigns supreme in the Muslim world. The political domain finds its model in what has become the accepted practice and metier of the authoritatively ‘religious’ adepts, those who claim the monopoly of exposition of Islam. Obscurantist Mullahs, in the guise of the `ulama, dominate Muslim societies and circumscribe them with fanaticism and absurdly reductive logic.

Numerous other concepts have gone through similar process of reduction. The concept of Ummah, the global spiritual community of Muslims, has been reduced to the ideals of a nation state: ‘my country right or wrong’ has been transpose to read ‘my Ummah right or wrong’. So even despots like Saddam Hussein are now defended on the basis of ‘Ummah consciousness’ and ‘unity of the Ummah’. Jihad has now been reduced to the single meaning of ‘Holy War’. This translation is perverse not only because the concept’s spiritual, intellectual and social components have been stripped away, but it has been reduced to war by any means, including terrorism. So anyone can now declare jihad on anyone, without any ethical or moral rhyme or reason. Nothing could be more perverted, or pathologically more distant from the initial meaning of jihad. It’s other connotations, including personal struggle, intellectual endeavour, and social construction have all but evaporated. Istislah, normally rendered as ‘public interest’ and a major source of Islamic law, has all but disappeared from Muslim consciousness. And Ijtihad, as I have suggested, has now been reduced to little more than a pious desire.

But the violence performed to sacred Muslim concepts is insignificant compared to the reductive way the Qur’an and the sayings and examples of the Prophet Muhammad are brandied about. What the late Muslim scholar, Fazlur Rahman called the ‘atomistic’ treatment of the Qur’an is now the norm: almost anything and everything is justified by quoting individual bits of verses out of context. After the September 11 event, for example, a number of Taliban supporters, including a few in Britain, justified their actions by quoting the following verse: ‘We will put terror into the hearts of the unbelievers. They serve other gods for whom no sanction has been revealed. Hell shall be their home’ (3: 149). Yet, the apparent meaning attributed to this verse could not be further from the true spirit of the Qur’an. In this particular verse, the Qur’an is addressing Prophet Muhammad himself. It was revealed during the battle of Uhud, when the small and ill equipped army of the Prophet, faced a much larger and well-equipped enemy. He was concerned about the outcome of the battle. The Qur’an reassures him and promises the enemy will be terrified with the Prophet’s unprofessional army. Seen in its context, it is not a general instruction to all Muslims; but a commentary on what was happening at that time. Similarly hadiths are quoted to justify the most extremes of behaviour. And the Prophet’s own appearance, his beard and cloths, have been turned into a fetish: so now it is not just obligatory for a ‘good Muslim’ to have a beard, but its length and shape must also conform to dictates! The Prophet has been reduced to signs and symbols – the spirit of his behaviour, the moral and ethical dimensions of his actions, his humility and compassion, the general principles he advocated have all been subsumed by the logic of absurd reduction.

The accumulative effect of the metaphysical catastrophes and endless reduction has transformed the cherished tenants of Islam into instruments of militant expediency and moral bankruptcy. For over two decades, in books like The Future of Muslim Civilisation (1979) and Islamic Futures: The Shape of Ideas to Come (1985), I have been arguing that Muslim civilisation is now so fragmented and shattered that we have to rebuild it, ‘brick by brick’. It is now obvious that Islam itself has to be rethought, idea by idea. We need to begin with the simple fact that Muslims have no monopoly on truth, on what is right, on what is good, on justice, nor the intellectual and moral reflexes that promote these necessities. Like the rest of humanity, we have to struggle to achieve them using our own sacred notions and concepts as tools for understanding and reshaping contemporary reality.

The way to a fresh, contemporary appreciation of Islam requires confronting the metaphysical catastrophes and moving away from reduction to synthesis. Primarily, this requires Muslims, as individuals and communities, to reclaim agency: to insist on their right and duty, as believers and knowledgeable people, to interpret and reinterpret the basic sources of Islam: to question what now goes under the general rubric of Shari`ah, to declare that much of fiqh is now dangerously obsolete, to stand up to the absurd notion of an Islam confined by a geographically bound state. We cannot, if we really value our faith, leave its exposition in the hands of under educated elites, religious scholars whose lack of comprehension of the contemporary world is usually matched only by their disdain and contempt for all its ideas and cultural products. Islam has been permitted to languish as the professional domain of people more familiar with the world of the eleventh century than the twenty-first century we now inhabit. And we cannot allow this class to bury the noble idea of Ijtihad into frozen and distant history.

Ordinary Muslims around the world who have concerns, questions and considerable moral dilemmas about the current state of affairs of Islam must reclaim the basic concepts of Islam and reframe them in a broader context. Ijma must mean consensus of all citizens leading to participatory and accountable governance. Jihad must be understood in its complete spiritual meaning as the struggle for peace and justice as a lived reality for all people everywhere. And the notion of the Ummah must be refined so it becomes something more than a mere reductive abstraction. As Anwar Ibrahim has argued, the Ummah is not ‘merely the community of all those who profess to be Muslims’; rather, it is a ‘moral conception of how Muslims should become a community in relation to each other, other communities and the natural world’. Which means Ummah incorporates not just the Muslims, but justice seeking and oppressed people everywhere. In a sense, the movement towards synthesis is an advance towards the primary meaning and message of Islam – as a moral and ethical way of looking and shaping the world, as a domain of peaceful civic culture, a participatory endeavour, and a holistic mode of knowing, being and doing.

Why are we so Divided

WHY ARE WE SO DIVIDED?

... Because of Shirk, innovations and leaving the Sunnah

All Praise is for Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) Lord of all the creation and May His peace and Blessings be upon is last Prophet Muhammad (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) and upon the Prophet's (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) family and upon the companions and on all those who follow the path of guidance until the last day.

We saw in last weeks issue that without doubt the Muslim Ummah is in a divided and fragmented state and that this division is prohibited in Islaam. Rather Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has enjoined upon us to hold onto the rope of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala), which we established is the Qur'aan and the Sunnah as understood by the Companions. But how did we reach this state in the first place, what causes disunity?

Shirk - Associating partners in worship with Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala)

Without doubt one of the major causes for people splitting up the religion and leaving holding on to the rope of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) is shirk. This is the grave sin of ascribing partners with Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) in worship. Today throughout the world there are numerous examples of shirk amongst the Ummah, such as those who call upon the dead in the grave. Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:

"And invoke not besides Allaah anything that will neither profit you nor hurt you, but if (in case) you did so, you shall certainly be one of the Dhalimoon (polytheists and wrong-doers)." [Surah Yoonus 10:106]

Verily Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has created us to worship Him alone, as He (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:

"And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)." [Surah adh-Dhaariyaat 51:56]

So the one who gives worship to other than Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has he not committed the most severe sin. Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:

"Verily! Allaah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners (in worship) with Him, but He forgives whom He wills sins other than that." [Surah an-Nisaa 4:116]

It is reported that Ibn Masood (radhi-Allaahu 'anhu) asked the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam):

"Which is the Greatest sin?" The Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said: "That you set up a rival for Allaah, While He is the one who created you." [Bukhaaree]

O noble reader it will not be hidden from you that throughout the world Muslims are stooped in such practices of calling upon the dead saint in the grave, asking him to remove their difficulty whether it be Abdul Qaadir al Jeelanee or al Badawee or other people who's graves have been made places of worship. How can unity be achieved amongst the Muslims when some Muslims cannot unify their worship for Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) alone? O noble reader consider the following, how many Muslims:

Wear Amulets and charms, despite the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) saying:

"Whoever wears an amulet has committed shirk." [Ahmad]

Read astrology in magazines or go to fortune tellers, despite the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) saying:

"Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him something and believes in his words, will have his prayers rejected for forty days." [Muslim]

So while all these non-Islaamic beliefs and practices are present amongst the Muslims how can unity take place? Is not our first obligation to give da'wah to those Muslims who are stooped in these practices? Thereby calling to tawheed as all 124,000 Prophets from Aadam (alayhi-salam) to the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) did. They all began their call to the people with Tawheed - worshipping Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) alone.

Having incorrect beliefs

Another major reason for disunity is the wide range of beliefs prevalent amongst the Muslims. Despite us having the same Qur'aan and the same Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), Muslims still have different beliefs. Why is this? If we all are referring back to the Qur'aan and the Sunnah in every matter then why the differences. Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:

"(And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allaah and His Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), if you believe in Allaah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination." [Surah an-Nisaa 4:59]

So verily O noble reader, imagine if every Muslim acted upon this ayah - would there be any differences then? NO, except maybe in the issues of fiqh, such as the prayer. But our beliefs and methodology would be one, so why is this not the case? It is because many Muslims today do not refer every issue back to Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) and His Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), rather they ask their local Imaam or their parents or refer it back to their madhab.

Know O noble reader that the first thing that all the Prophets called to was the rectification of the beliefs, before calling to the Islaamic state or to Jihaad, the first thing was purifying the beliefs of the Muslim. So how can we have unity while there are Muslims who believe:

That Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) is everywhere, despite Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) saying:

"They fear their Lord Who is above them, and they do what they are commanded." [Surah an-Nahl 16:50]

That the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) was not human and was made from light, despite Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) saying:

"Say (O Muhammad sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam): 'I am only a human being like you. It is revealed to me that your Ilaah (God worthy of being worshipped) is One Ilaah (God)." [Surah Fussilat 41:6]

That the saying of an Imaam should be acted upon over the hadeeth, despite Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) saying:

"And let those who oppose the Messenger's (Muhammad sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) commandment (i.e. his Sunnah) beware, lest some Fitnah (trials i.e. shirk) should befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on them." [Surah an-Noor 24:63]

That Imaan does not increase or decrease, despite the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) saying:

"Imaan has seventy odd or sixty odd branches. The most virtuous of them is the statement, 'There is none worthy of worship except Allaah', and the slightest of them is to remove something harmful from the road. And hayaa is a branch of Imaan." [Bukhaaree and Muslim]

Bid'ah - Innovations in the religion

Another cause for disunity and not holding fast to the rope of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) is the occurrence of innovations in this Ummah.

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has informed us in the Qur'aan that He has completed this religion of Islaam for us as He (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:

"This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islaam as your religion." [Surah al-Maa'idah, 5:3]

Since the religion is complete how can it be that we need to add new things and ways of worship to Islaam? Whatever was not part of the religion at the time of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) cannot be accepted as a part of the religion now. The Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) has warned us against adding new things to the religion when he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said:

"Whoever Innovates in this affair of ours that which is not from it will have it rejected." [Muslim]

The people who propose unity at all costs have a saying that 'An innovation that unites us is better than a Sunnah which divides'.

SubhanAllaah look at such a statement O noble reader, innovations are grave and serious and a cause for entering the fire as he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said:

"... and every innovation is misguidance and all misguidance is in the Hellfire." [Reported by an-Nasaa'ee (1/224)]

So if someone said to you look there is a fire over there, lets all hold hands and unify and then go in to it, you would think they were crazy! So how can we come together upon something as dangerous as innovations, such as the innovations of mystics, who practice all kinds of weird and innovated invocations, which at times involve switching off the lights or chanting one of Allaah's name so that after some time what they are chanting is unrecognizable as a name of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala). Or the innovations of those who take their scholars as 'spiritual leaders' giving their allegiance to them and 'selling' themselves to these 'scholars' obeying everything they say. How O noble reader can unity occur amongst all the Muslims as long as these practices, which have nothing to do with Islaam, keep occurring?

Blind following and Partisanship

This is one of the most evil of occurrences today and a major cause for disunity. Muslims are following their madhahab or their scholars over and above the Sunnah of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) despite Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) saying:

"And whosoever opposes the Messenger (Muhammad sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination!" [Surah an-Nisaa 4:115]

When you tell Muslims that 'you should do this because it says so in the Qur'aan and the Sunnah', they reply 'well that's not what it says in my madhab' or 'that's not what my Shaykh says'. SubhanAllaah, O noble reader why did Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) send us His final Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) if it was not to teach us the religion of Islaam.

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:

"But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission." [Surah an-Nisaa 4:65]

No Muslim will openly say I am disobeying the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), but how many of us ask for the proof on issues of beliefs and practices and look to see what is the truth.

Another problem is the setting up of groups and parties with members, then being loyal only to that party, believing in the beliefs and aims of that party - not questioning it. Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has warned against this:

"And be not of Al-Mushrikoon (polytheists). Of those who split their religion, and became sects, each group rejoicing in that which is with it." [Surah ar-Room 30:31-32]

Setting up groups is a cause for disunity and spreads hatred amongst the Muslims so that a Muslim from one group will not give salaam to a Muslim from another group just because they belong to different groups. Or a group from one masjid will not like Muslims from another masjid to come and pray in their mosque. All this stems from partisanship and it divides the Ummah. Unity will not occur whilst Muslims are in this state rather unity will occur when an end is put to partisanship (hizbiyyah) and Muslims love each other because they are all have the same aims, beliefs and practices.

The Means for Revival

Having looked at the reason why we are so divided, the question now arises as to what the means for reviving this Ummah are. Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has given us the means for the revival of this Ummah, when He (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:

"Verily! Allaah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves." [Surah ar-Ra'd 13:11]

The Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) also said:

"When you involve yourselves in interest bearing business transactions, and you hold on to the tails of cows, and you are pleased with agriculture (i.e. the land) and you abandon making Jihaad in the Cause of Allaah, Allaah will send humiliation down upon you. He will not remove it from you until you return back to your Religion." [Abu Dawood and al-Bayhaqee]

So this humiliation that Muslims are under will not be removed from us until we return back to the religion of Islaam. So what is the religion of Islaam if not Tawheed, having the correct Aqeedah, worshipping Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) correctly? So should we not start our revival with these issues.

So just as the condition of the Arabs during the Days of Ignorance (Jaahiliyyah) was not rectified except by the coming of their Prophet Muhammad (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) with revelation from the heavens, which aided them in this world and which will save them in the next, then know O noble reader the foundation that the Islaamic revival must be built upon in this time, is nothing else but the return to the Qur'aan and the Sunnah, as implemented by the noble companions.

We know from the Book of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) and the Sunnah of His Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) that the way towards realising this revival is only one way, and it is the way which Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has mentioned in His (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) saying:

"And verily, this is My Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path." [Surah al-An'aam 6:153]

The Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) explained this to his Companions. Thus, one day he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) drew a straight line for them on the ground and then drew short lines on the sides of it. Then, while his (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) noble finger moved up and down the straight line, he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) recited the aforementioned verse. Then he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) pointed to the lines that were drawn on the sides of the straight line and said:

"This is the Path of Allaah and these are the (other) paths. At the top of each of these (other) ways, there is a devil calling towards it." [Authentic hadeeth, graded in Dhilaal-ul-Jannah fee Takhreej-is Sunnah(16-17)]

Furthermore, Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:

"And whosoever opposes the Messenger (Muhammad sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination!" [Surah an-Nisaa 4:115]

In this ayah there is profound and extensive wisdom, for Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala), has connected the "the believers' way" to what the Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) came with. The Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) has (also) indicated this point in the hadeeth about the splitting up of the Ummah into sects. When he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) was asked concerning the saved sect, he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) responded: "That which (adheres to what) I and my companions are upon today."

What then is the wisdom behind Allaah's mentioning of "the believers' way" in this ayah? And what is the significance in the Messenger of Allaah's (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) linking of his companions to himself in the previous hadeeth?

The answer is: These noble Companions (radhi-Allaahu 'anhum) were the ones who received the two revelations (i.e. the Qur'aan and Sunnah) from the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), having that explained to them by him (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) directly, without there being any intermediary. They best knew how to implement the Sunnah, so after knowing this O noble reader can any Islaamic revival take place when the way of the Companions (radhi-Allaahu 'anhum) is abandoned and not adhered to, rather No it can not. For us to revive Islaam and bring unity to the Muslims we must adopt the way and example of the Noble Companions (radhi-Allaahu 'anhum).

Imaam Maalik (rahima-hullaah) said:

"The latter part of this Ummah will not be rectified except by that which rectified its former part." [ash-Shifaa of Qaadee 'Iyyaadh, (2/676)]

So it will be clear to the reader that the only way to revive the Ummah is to return every affair of the Muslim back to the Qur'aan and the Sunnah as understood and implemented by the best generation, the Companions (radhi-Allaahu 'anhum). To believe as they believed, to worship as they worshipped, to look like them, to give da'wah in the way they gave it. Then only will we be united and have a true Islaamic revival.

So dear noble brothers and sisters your Lord (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says....

"Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe to be affected by Allaah's Reminder (this Qur'aan), and that which has been revealed of the truth." [Surah al-Hadeed 57:16]

Womens Liberation Through Islam

Today people think that women are liberated in the west and that the woman’s liberation movement began in the 20 th century. Actually, the women’s liberation movement was not begun by women but women but was revealed buy god to a man in the seventh century by the name of Muhammad (peace be upon him) who is known as the last prophet of Islam. The Qur’an and the traditions of the prophet (Hadith or Sunnah) are the sources from which every Muslim women derives her rights and duties.

I. HUMAN RIGHTS:

Islam, fourteen centuries ago, made women equally accountable to God in glorifying and worshipping Him setting no limits on her moral Progress.

Also, Islam established a woman’s equality in her humanity with men, in the Qur’an in the first verse of the chapter entitled "women" God says

"O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord who created you from a single soul and from it its mate and from them both have spread broad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty toward Allah in whom you claim (your rights) of one another and towards the wombs (that bore you) LO! Allah has been a watcher over you"(4:1)

Since men and women both come from the same essence, they are equal in their humanity. Women cannot be by nature evil (as some religions believe) or them men would be evil, also. Similarly, neither gender can be superior because it would be a contradiction of equality.

II. CIVIL RIGHTS:

In Islam, a woman has the basic freedoms of choice and expression based on recognition of her individual personality. First, she is free to choose her religion. The Qur’an states;

"there is no compulsion in religion. Right has been made distinct from error". (2:256)

Women are encouraged in Islam to contribute their opinions and ideas, There are many traditions of the Prophet (p) which indicate women would pose questions directly to him and offer their opinions concerning religion, economics and social matters.

A Muslim woman chooses her husband and to keep her name after marriage. A Muslim woman's testimony is valid in legal disputes. In fact, where women are more familiar, their evidence is conclusive.

III. SOCIAL RIGHTS:

The Prophet (s) said, "seeking knowledge is a mandate for every Muslim (male and female )’’. This includes knowledge of the Qur’an and the Hadith as well as other knowledge. Men and women both have the capacity for learning and understanding. Since it is also their obligation to promote good behavior and condemn bad behavior in all spheres of life Muslim women must acquire the oppropriate education to perform this duty in accordance with their own natural talents and interests.

While maintenance of a home, providing support to her husband and bearing, raising and teaching of children are among the first and very highly regarded roles for a women, if she has the skills to work outside the home for the good of the community, she may do so as long as her family obligations are met.

Islam recognizes and fosters the natural differences between men and women despite their equality. Some types of work are more suitable for men and other types for women. This in no way diminishes either’s effort nor its benefit. God will reward both sexes equally for the value of their work though it may not necessarily be the same activity.

Concerning motherhood the prophet [pbuh] said, "Heaven lies under the feet of mothers" this implies that the success of a society can be traced to the mothers that raised it. The first and greatest influence on a person comes from the sense of security affection and training received from the mother therefore a woman having children must be educated and conscientious in order to be a skillful parent.

IV. POLITICAL RIGHTS

A right given to Muslim women by God 1400 years ago is the right to vote. On any public matter, a woman may voice her opinion and participate in politics. One example narrated in the Qur’an (60:12) MUHAMMAD [Pbuh] is told that when the believing women come to him and swear their allegiance to Islam he must accept their oath. This established the right of women to select their leader and publicly declare so. Finally Islam does not forbid a woman from holding important positions in government. Abdurrahman Ibn Auf consulted many women before he recommended Uthman Ibn Affan to be the caliph.

V. ECONOMIC RIGHTS:

The Qur’an states:

"by the creation of the male and female: Verily [the ends] ye strive for are diverse"(92:3-4)

In these verses, God declares that he created men and women to be different, with unique roles, functions and skills. As in society, where there is a division of labor so too in a family, each member has different responsibilities. Generally, Islam upholds that woman are entrusted with the nurturing role, and men, with the guardian role. Therefore woman are given the right of financial support.

The Qur‘an states:

"Men are the maintainers of woman because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend of their wealth (for the support of woman" (4:34)

This guardianship and greater financial responsibility is given to men requires that they provide women with not only monetary support but also physical protection and kind and respectful treatment.

Muslim woman have the privilege to earn money, the right to own property, to enter into legal contracts and to manage all of her assets in any way she pleases. She can run her own business and no one has any claim on her earnings including her husband. The Quran states:

"and in no wise covet those things in which Allah hath bestowed his gifts more freely on some of you than on others: to men is allotted what they earn and to woman what they earn: but ask Allah of his bounty for Allah hath full knowledge of all things." (4:32)

A woman inherits from her relatives .The Quran states:

"For men there is a share in what parents and relatives leave and for women there is a share of what parents and relatives leave whether it be little or much an ordained share." (4:7)

VI. RIGHTS OF A WIFE:

THE Qur’an states:

" And among His signs is that he created for you mates from among yourselves that you may live in tranquility with them and he has put love and mercy between you; Verily, in that are sings for people who reflect". (30:21)

Marriage is therefore not just a physical or emotional necessity but in fact a sign from God! It is a relationship of mutual rights and obligations based on divine guidance God created men and women with complimentary natures and in the Qur’an, He laid out a system of laws to support harmonious interaction between the sexes

"they are your garments and you are their garments." (2:187)

Clothing provides physical protection and covers the beauty and faults of the body. Likewise, spouse is viewed this way. Each protects the other and hides the faults and compliments the characteristics of the spouse.

To foster the love and security that comes with you and security that comes with marriage, Muslim wives have various rights. The first of the wife's rights is to receive mahr, a gift from the husband which is part of the marriage contract and required for the legality of the marriage.

The second right of a wife is maintenance. Despite any wealth she may have, her husband is obligated to provide her with food, shelter and clothing. He is not forced, however, to spend beyond his capability and his wife is not entitled to make unreasonable demands. The Qur’an states:

"Let the man of means spend according to his means and the man whose resources are restricted, let him spend according to what Allah has given him. Allah puts. No burden on any person beyond what he has given him."(65:7)

God tells us men are guardians over women and are afforded the leadership in the family. His responsibility for obeying God extends to guiding his family to obey God at all times.

A wife's rights also extend beyond material needs. She has the right to kind treatment. The Prophet (pbuh) said. Go"The most perfect believers are the best in conduct. And the best of you are those who are best to their wives." God tells us He created mates and put love, mercy and tranquility between them.

Both men and women have a need for companionship and sexual needs and marriage is designed to fulfill those needs. For one spouse to deny this satisfaction to the other, temptation exists to seek it elsewhere.

VII. DUTIES OF A WIFE:

With rights come responsibilities. Therefore, wives have certain obligations to their husbands, The Qur'an states:

"The good women in the absence of their husbands guard their rights as Allah has enjoined upon them to be guarded." (4:34)

A wife is to keep her husband's secrets and protect their marital privacy. Issues of intimacy of faults of his that would dishonor him, are not to be shared by the wife, just as he is expected to guard her honor.

A wife must also guard her husband's property. She must safeguard his home and possessions, to the best of her ability, from theft or damage. She should manage the household affairs wisely so as to prevent loss or waste. She should not allow anyone to enter the house that her husband dislikes nor incur any expenses of which her husband disapproves.

A Muslim woman must cooperate and coordinate with her husband. There cannot however, be cooperation with a man who is disobedient to God. She should not fulfill his requests if he wants her to do something unlawful. A husband also should not take advantage of his wife, but be considerate of her needs and happiness.

VIII. CONCLUSION:

The Qur'an states:

 "And it becomes not a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His messenger (Muhammad) have decided on an affair (for them). That they should (after that) claim any say in their affair; and whose is rebellious to Allah and His messenger, he verily goes astray in error manifest," (33:36)

The Muslim woman was given a role duties and rights 1400 years ago that most women do not enjoy today even in the west. These are from God and are designed to keep balance in society; what may seem unjust or missing in one place is compensated for or explained in another place. Islam is a complete way of life.

Free Muslim Women

If the media and its ensuing stereotypes are to be believed then Islam does not have very much to offer women, except for a life of misery, oppression and slavery. However, if one bothers to look closely at Islam then it has an abundance to offer men and women alike.

There is little doubt that many Muslim women are subject to abuse and subjugation - without making sweeping generalizations, many women in some so called Muslim lands are denied the rights given to them by Islam - rights to which they are entitled as human beings and as women. However we must separate Muslims from Islam; we must separate theory from practice. In Islam this separation is possible - Islamic legislation has given women unprecedented status, even if Muslims did not always live up to these amazing standards.

Let us take a quick look at some of the rights of women in Islam, comparing them with some of the legislation relating to women in Britain:

Education

Considered by many these days as a basic human right, in Islam both men and women are duty bound to seek education for the Prophet Muhammad said: "The search for knowledge is a duty on every Muslim." (Bukhari) So, while there were no places at British Universities until the late 1870s (Ox. Ill. His. Brit. p493), there have been records of Islamic Universities with women students throughout the history of Islam: Nafisah was an early 8th century hadith scholar and the great jurist Shafi participated in her circle at Al-Fustat. Shaika Shuhuda another 8th century scholar was a lecturer at Baghdad University - the Oxford and Cambridge of its time. Nazhun was a 12th century scholar and of course we cannot forget Ayesha, the wife of the Prophet who in the 7th century was one of the greatest relaters of hadith.

So, whilst Muslim women were attending universities and were lecturers and scholars in the 8th century, 80% of London Women and 100% of East Anglican women were illiterate in 1640 - figures taken from A. Fraser page 129 and D. Cressy page 178.

Political Participation

Women in the UK managed to gain the right to vote in 1918, but that was only for women over thirty. They did not manage to gain full voting rights equal with men until 1928. These gains were not achieved easily though - to gain the vote the Suffragettes marched, rallied, chained themselves to railings, went on hunger strike and eventually one of them jumped in front of the Royal Horse on Derby Day. Muslims women however each had the right to give or not to give their allegiance from the beginning - and this right was given them without them having to march, rally, not eat or jump in front of a horse.

Property

Up until 1801 British women did not have the right to own anything - not even themselves. For up until this time a husband had the right to sell his wife. In Sweden in 1984 a man was entitled to half his wife's earnings. Islam though has allowed women to own their own property from the outset. Everything a woman earns belongs to her. She is not a chattel to be bought and sold, but rather an individual human being, responsible to no one for her income except for God. A married woman may remind her husband: "What's his is theirs, what's hers is her own!"

It would be easy to go on with a list of the rights of women in Islam - but how does Islam really benefit women?

Islam has given women the right to be themselves! They are equal before God - on the Day of Judgment they will be answerable as individuals and cannot say "my husband told me to do it", "my, father, brother, uncle - led me astray". Nor will they be treated unfairly because they are women - women have souls in Islam - and there has never been any debate about that in Islamic history unlike in Christianity!

Islam offers to women, as it does to men, a belief in God, and this upholds everything. Belief in the Creator gives life a wholeness, and a balance, for it means that we do not look at everything in the short term - the intrinsic whole is this world and the Hereafter. This belief in God, this taqwa - God consciousness - thus shapes everything in Islam.

Men and women in Islam are protecting friends of one another; they are garments of each other hiding each other's faults. The Qur'an says:

"Verily, for all men and women who have surrendered themselves unto God, and all believing men and believing women, and all men and women who are true to their word, and all men and women who are patient in adversity, and all men and women who humble themselves before God, and all men and women who give in charity, and all self-denying men and self-denying women, and all men and women who are mindful of their chastity, and all men and women who remember God unceasingly: for all of them has God readied forgiveness of sins and a mighty reward"
(Surah 33: verse 35).

This verse offers women so much; it offers them paradise on the basis of their own actions. It demands of them good character, tells both men AND women to be active; and instills in them the sense of individual responsibility.

So, Islam offers to women, as it offers to men - paradise as a reward, it offers a complete picture which considers both this world and the hereafter - built solidly upon the foundation of a believe in The Creator. A relationship with one's Creator brings untold peace - for men and for women.

Islam allows women to know themselves as they are. Thus in Islam women are equal to men, but they are not the same. Men and women are equal before God - they are the protecting friends of one another, they are garments of one another, hiding one another's faults; but they are not the same. In Islam - imitation is not liberation.

Women are not men - an obvious statement, but one which is often overlooked. Islam offers a balance - which can be seen if one looks to nature - black and white, up and down, day and night etc. etc. Two halves to form a whole. Balance is absolutely vital. But, after the industrial revolution women and men are becoming more and more alike. Men have become cogs in the system. Women have also been pulled into the consumerism of an industrialized society and have been forced into the work place, but still receive no help at home - a recent study showed that 9 out of 10 men were not 'New Men' and did not help out at home (The Times, Nov. 1995).

Western society has ignored the balance and told women that for them to have status they must achieve what men achieve. Western society has created a new image for women based on the male - and this is very objectionable. Rather than highlighting her individual strengths, she is told to compete according to male criteria in order to have value. But she is not given any help to cope with her additional responsibilities. "Work, have a career to achieve status - but we will not provide crhche facilities, or time off during school holidays." We are now facing a situation where, as the President of Bosnia, Alija Ali Izebegovic, said:

"Modern civilization has disgraced motherhood... It has preferred the calling of a salesgirl, model, teacher of other people's children, secretary, cleaning woman and so on to that of mother. It has proclaimed motherhood to be slavery and promised to free women from it." (Islam Between East and West p.144-145)

So, we have put down the feminine and are saying: 'masculine criteria is the best, indeed only thing to judge by, feminine criteria is second class - useless'.

But in Islam both are equal, but they are different. So in Islam we do not have the situation where: -the logical is perceived as better than the lateral; the firm is perceived as better than the tender; the analytical is perceived as better than the intuitive. In Islam women do not say: "I'm only a housewife" - Where did this ONLY come from? - It came from taking the masculine criteria as best. Why is being in the rat-race superior to being a mother? Because we see the masculine as superior to the feminine. Where is the spirit of the Malcolm X (Malik El Shabazz) quote:

"If you educate a man you educate one person; if you educate a woman you educate and liberate a nation".

Women in Islam of course have a role beyond that of motherhood - one does not spend 25 years preparing for and another 25 years recovering from motherhood - but the point is do not demean motherhood; and do not demean and belittle the feminine. Islam offers to women pride in the feminine. The equal but different roles of men and women in Islam have to be understood, and in understanding - individuals can be themselves, and thus find a balance and true happiness.

And this peace and security allows and gives room for the development of a woman's potential based on her own strengths.