Short Description
A lot of Muslims suffer from a serious disease, which is the separation between Policy and the call to Islam. There are many elements that led to such separation. Among these are: the Mass Media that offers the views of eastern and western politicians in a way that causes confusion, the absence of the right Islamic bringing up in Muslim societies in general and in those interested in political issues in specific. This resulted in the loss of clear methodology as well as confusion among good Muslims.
The question that needs a clear answer is: As Muslims, What is our role in the world?
The answer comes in two points. First is to worship Allah, the Almighty, in the way He wants. Second is to teach the whole world how to worship Allah.
We were not created to care only for ourselves. Allah blessed us with the blessing of Islam so that we may teach it to the rest of His creations who do not know this blessing. We understand this from Allah's saying: {you are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah.} [Ali `Imrân: 110]
This is one of the most important aims of the Muslim Nation.
Accordingly, it is not the duty of Muslims on earth to fight the peoples who do not believe in Allah or destroy them. We – Muslims who understand Islam – hope that Allah guides them to belief in Islam and saves them from hellfire.
Situations from Prophet's Life
Refer to the biography of the Prophet. When I call you to refer to his biography, I am not calling you to refer to biography of wise man or a philosopher, who might be right in some case and wrong in others. Rather I am calling you to refer to the biography of the Prophet, peace be upon him, whom Allah made as an example to be followed in all actions. He is an example not only in the matters of doctrine and worship but also in other fields such as policy, economy, Jurisdiction, dealing with others, etc. Allah says: {there has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an example to be followed by anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.} [Al-Ahzâb: 21]
During his life, the Prophet was praying for Allah to guide the disbelievers to Islam. He did not invoke Allah to perish them, except in very few cases.
He prayed for such disbelievers in situations that are hard to be understood except in the light of the role of Muslim Nation. One of these situations is: when the battle of Uhud ended. Seventy of the companions of the Prophet were martyred in this battle and their bodies were distorted by the enemies. The Companions of the Prophet asked him to pray to Allah to perish Qurayish. Upon this the Prophet raised his hands and prayed: {O Allah! Forgive my people (Qurayish) because they do not know}!!
This situation shows us how the Prophet used to think as a caller to the way of Allah. We know that he was one of the best politicians and warriors. He did not utter these words out of weakens, but he understands his responsibility toward those people who do not know Allah.
The tribe of Daws, a Yemeni tribe, refused to accept Islam and planned to fight Muslims. A famous member of this tribe who was a Muslim, namely At-Tufayl Ibn `Amr, asked the Prophet to pray to Allah to perish this tribe. However, the Prophet, peace be upon him, raised his hands and prayed: {O Allah! Guide the tribe of Daws to Islam and bring them as Muslims before me.}. A similar situation happened when the Prophet besieged the city of At-Tâ'if, which was dwelled by the tribe of Thaqîf. Thaqîf is the tribe that drove the Prophet out of their city and did not even listen to him. They are the ones who ordered their slaves to throw the Prophet with stones. Despite all of this, the Prophet refused to invoke Allah against them. He prayed for them: {O Allah! Guide Thaqîf to Islam.}!
Unchangeable Policy
Some might object saying: but the Prophet did pray to God to perish the leaders of Mecca, especially seven of them. He said: {O Allah! Perish Abu Jahl, `Utbah Ibn Rabî`ah, Shaybah Ibn Rabî`ah, etc.}. Moreover, they say that the Prophet remained for one month praying to Allah to perish the tribes of R`el, Zakwân, and Lihyân when they killed seventy of his Companions. Those tribes asked the Prophet to send some of his companions to teach them Qur'an. The Prophet sent seventy companions – who were known for their excellence in Qur'an memorization -, and they were killed by those tribes.
I say to those who object: easy, easy and let us understand our religion.
In most of his life, the Prophet used to pray to Allah to guide those disbeliever leaders to Islam. All of us remember the Prophet's prayer for Abu Jahl: {O Allah! Give strength to Islam especially through either of two men you love more: Umar Ibn Al-Kattab or Abu Jahl Ibn Hishâm.} This continued until Allah revealed to the Prophet that Abu Jahl will never accept Islam and that the aforementioned leaders, whom the Prophet prayed that Allah may perish them, will never accept Islam too. Consequently, the Prophet asked Allah to perish them so that they do not force some Muslims to abandon Islam. What witnesses to this, is that some of the leaders of the disbelievers did not accept Islam until they became old in age and the Prophet never prayed to Allah to perish them. Among those are Abu Sufyyân, Khalid Ibn Al-Walîd, `Amr Ibn Al-`As, Talha Ibn `Uthmân, Safwân Ibn Umayyah, `Ikrimah Ibn Abu Jahl, etc. When those were fighting the Muslims in the battlefield, the Prophet did not mind killing them, but he – at same time – wished that they convert to Islam instead of being killed as disbelievers.
The Prophet did pray to Allah for one month to perish the tribes who killed the seventy Muslims – who were famously known as Seventy Reciters of the Qur'ân. I am not going to talk about the heinous crime that those people committed and the punishment they deserve, but I will mention something that many people might wonder upon knowing it. Allah revealed to the Prophet to stop his invocation against those criminals. Allah says :{ Not for you, [O Muhammad, but for Allah], is the decision whether He should [cut them down] or forgive them or punish them, for indeed, they are wrongdoers.} [Ali `Imran: 128]
Despite being wrongdoers, if they repent to Allah, He will forgive them!
Noble policy & Media Delusion
Such noble policy will change a lot of our behaviors and our handling of matters and incidents. We are not going to stand in lines praying to Allah to perish the Americans, make their children orphans, make their wives widows, or destroy their lands. Rather, we will raise our hands saying sincerely: "O Allah! Guide the Americans, Chinese, Japanese, Europeans, and all peoples to Islam."
We are not going to pray to Allah to perish them. We will deliver our message to them white and clear. We will show them the great good that they did not know during all these long years. We will explain to them the Islamic way that will bring them happiness in this world as well as in the hereafter. We will be happy that Allah saved them from Hellfire as the Prophet was happy when he called a Jewish boy to Islam and the boy accepted Islam and the Prophet said: "Praise be to Allah Who saved the boy from the Hellfire."
We need to think and meditate saying to ourselves:
Who is to help those children who were born in America or Japan and learnt that their Lord is Jesus or Buddha? Those children who watch pornography in their homes and schools were brought up in a way that changed their pure instincts.
Who is to help those peoples who live in permanent oppression that prevented them from practicing true Islam?
In past, injustice and oppression were practiced through weapons and whips. However, nowadays, such injustice is practiced through different Media types. Unfortunately, peoples are controlled by the Media of their countries. Americans, for example, are among the most ignorant peoples when it comes to current events and issues.
No wonder, then, to find newspaper front pages handling issues such as water pipe break, murder crime, or opening a new school, while the political news come in the last pages. An American accountant, in one of America's banks, asked me when she knew that I am Egyptian: "Is Egypt the capital of the state of Africa?!" It was obvious that her knowledge does not go beyond the borders of the city where she lives, not the borders of America. Then how far is her knowledge about the Muslim World, Islam, the Prophet Muhammad, and the Islamic legislation? She receives her knowledge about these matters from CNN, CBS, US Today, or from Washington Post.
I demand every reader to ask himself/herself: What is the difference between Ash-Sham (Syria, Jordan, and Palestine) and Egypt in pre-Islamic era and America, England, or France in the modern time?
Both Ash-Sham and Egypt were Christian countries. How did they convert to Islam, change their life courses, realize the reality of the world and its goal, and know how to worship their Lord?
The answer is: The efforts of sincere men who carried the responsibility of calling people to Islam. If the Prophet and his companions prayed to God to perish the people of Ash-Sham and Egypt, merely because they were ruled by the tyrant Roman army, Islam would not have prevailed in these countries.
Demanded Balance & Coming Hope
However, I do not want to be misunderstood. My previous words do not mean that Muslims shall accept injustice and occupation of their lands without doing anything hoping that those occupiers may finally accept Islam. The Prophet, peace be upon him, continuously prayed for the disbelievers without stopping fighting them back in defense of the Muslims, Islam, and Muslim properties. The Prophet, who was praying for the disbelievers after the battle of Uhud, prepared an army after less than 24 hours to attack back those disbelievers who raided Medina. This is the balance which we seek and the comprehensive thought we urge.
This is the example of the successful politician we seek, a politician who is always aware of the cases and issues of Islam.
I have a dream that one day the American people as well as other peoples will be praying, fasting, paying Zakah, and performing Hajj.
I have a dream that these peoples will recite the Qur'ân and study the Sunnah.
I have a dream that they will be striving in the cause of Allah, raising the banner of Islam, and defending Islam everywhere.
If some view that this is impossible, then I ask them refer to history of the countries of the Muslim World before they embrace Islam. Read the story of As-Sham, Egypt, East Africa, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
I know that this dream needs hard work, great efforts, as well as strong patience in order to become reality. The first step – however – is to understand our mission, to realize our goal in this world, to be aware of the problem of those people who do not know Allah or His Prophet.
I ask Allah to glorify Islam and Muslims.
Dr. Ragheb ElSergany
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