Our Debunked Strategy as a Muslim

“Indeed the worst of the beasts in the eyes of God are those deaf and dumb people who don’t use their intellect.” [Qur’an 8:22]

When God wants to denounce a community, the first and foremost thing that He does is to take away the power to think rightly. This is what that seems to be happening to Muslim community as a whole.

We spend a lot of time accusing the external factors for all the mishap that is begetting us. Most of our brothers and sisters spend their considerable time accusing the US, Israel, India and the west as a whole for all our misfortune. Albeit there might be a bit of truth in the global conspiracy against Muslims and Islam as a whole, but then all the blames cannot be passed on to them. We are equally or rather more to be blamed for the dire situation that we have landed ourselves into.

We should all look within for the cause of the misfortune that is befalling this community instead of getting into the blame game. Our community leaders and intellectuals should take this issue head on. We cannot sit back as mere spectator and let our youth waste their energy, which is counter productive for the following reasons;

• Blaming the west for all our suffering is creating a false impression that nothing is seriously wrong with us. The outcome of this is that we as a community are not doing enough to reform morally, spiritually as well as materially, ourselves.
• The people whom we blame will never listen to us as they gain politically and economically from the unrest in the Muslim world. So what is the use of wasting our time and resources?
• Strong criticism of the west by us is creating a big divide between the Muslim world and the Western world, which is hampering the exchange of ideas and discussion with them. Branding anyone as kafir is futile for we can never approach them again with the message of Islam. Had the Prophet followed this strategy of branding all kafir, he would never have got Hamza or Umar into the fold of Islam. We are loosing potential Marmaduk Pickthall, Ingrid Matson, Allama Iqbal (his grandfather was a Hindu pundit) in field of scholars, Malcom X in the field of leaders, Muhmmad Ali, Abdul Karim Jabbar in field of Sports, A R Rahman, Yusuf Islam in the field of Music to name a few and the list goes on.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_notable_converts_to_Islam)

• This negative emotional charged rhetoric against the external forces has led many to take up arms without following the moral principle of picking up weapons, thus killing thousands on innocents, in turn tarnishing the image of Islam as a natural peaceful religion, which has high value and moral at its base.
• We are helping in creating an impression that the supper power states of this day are controlling the world, rather than God. What if these misfortunes facing the Muslims are a punishment onto us by God for deviating from the principle of value and morality?

Let us introspect and see where we all stand today (this is general though but there are exceptions);

• Do we not blame most of the Muslim nations or rather the rulers to be corrupt? If we look at our own society do we see the following issues of cheating, not fulfilling commitments, not valuing merits are rampant among us which shows us the hypocrisy of us Muslims in general?
• Aren’t we ignorant in claiming that despite the above hypocrisies the non-Muslims will be doomed while we will succeed in the hereafter just because we call ourselves Muslims?
• Why do we not want to be friends with non-Muslims, calling them ‘kafirs’? Are we trying to bring them closure to us and see how good Muslims are and what is the teaching of Islam or are we forcing them never to come and listen to us?
• What makes us believe that God will judge us for being distinct from them by our outward appearance, dress sense and ritualism rather than their intentions and deeds?

The following verses of the Qur’an might throw some light on our state. We just need to replace the ‘Children of Israel’ with ‘Muslims’.

“And We gave (Clear) Warning to the Children of Israel in the Book, that twice would they do mischief on the earth and be elated with mighty arrogance (and twice would they be punished)!

When the first of the warnings came to pass, We sent against you Our servants given to terrible warfare: They entered the very inmost parts of your homes; and it was a warning (completely) fulfilled.

Then did We grant you the Return as against them: We gave you increase in resources and sons, and made you the more numerous in man-power.

If ye did well, ye did well for yourselves; if ye did evil, (ye did it) against yourselves. So when the second of the warnings came to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to disfigure your faces, and to enter your Temple as they had entered it before, and to visit with destruction all that fell into their power.

It may be that your Lord may (yet) show Mercy unto you; but if ye revert (to your sins), We shall revert (to Our punishments): And we have made Hell a prison for those who reject (all Faith).

Verily this Qur'an doth guide to that which is most right (or stable), and giveth the Glad Tidings to the Believers who work deeds of righteousness, that they shall have a magnificent reward;

And to those who believe not in the Hereafter, (it announceth) that We have prepared for them a Penalty Grievous (indeed).” [Qur’an 17:4-10]

The major question that now arises is what the focus and strategy of this community should be!

• Should we not try to strive for peace rather than confrontation! We should learn from history that the most formative period for any civilization is when there was peace. ‘Treaty of Hudaibiya’ and the peace thereafter should teach us the lesson that peace rather than confrontation is more productive.
• Should we be focused to attain back the moral, spiritual and material progress of this community! The successes of the Muslims in the formative years were not martial might but moral justice and spiritual might.
• Should we not try to project the true religion of God as it is supposed to be based on peaceful existence and striving about for the good for the whole of humanity! People coming into the fold of Islam into thousand were not due to sword but due to its value, equity and equality.
• Should we undertake ‘Jihad’ not against nation but against poverty, disease, ignorance and illiteracy, these being the biggest enemy of the Muslim nations! Golden period were those when there was good distribution of wealth, best medical care and had world class centers of education.

These so called confronters, instead of picking up arms should address the problems at hand within us (morality, value and education) that are causing God to be displeased with Muslims if they want to go back to the glory that the Muslims used to have. It’s the duty of the silent intellectuals of this community to come forward and strive for the good cause instead of just observing the events from the distance.

“Remember how the Unbelievers plotted against thee, to keep thee in bonds, or slay thee, or get thee out (of thy home). They plot and plan, and Allah too plans; but the best of planners is Allah.” [Qur’an 8:30]