This is the most dangerous malady that the modern West suffers from at present. It has poisoned all life. Humanity is torn and divided, one part set against the others. Peace, harmony and tranquility have become rare phenomena. But still there is one last hope: that is Islam. Let humanity turn towards this word of God, as this alone can save it from the doom brought on it by the Godless. Islam equips man with a sound outlook upon life telling him that whatever knowledge he acquires or the material or spiritual benefits he enjoys, are in fact so many gifts to him of a Beneficent God. And that He is pleased with man so long as he employs the knowledge thus acquired in the service of mankind; and that God of Islam does never get angry with his creatures for their aspiring, after knowledge, nor does He have any fear whatsoever of them that they would challenge His authority or vie with Him; and that He is provoked to anger only when man abuses his knowledge of science and makes it a means to torment others or commits aggression against his fellowmen.
Thus Islam establishes not only peace and harmony but also ribs mankind of tyranny and oppression. The contemporary world presents in this respect no better view than it did thirteen hundred years ago, when Islam freed it from all false gods. Tyranny still struts abroad in the guise of haughty kings, insolent demagogues and heartless capitalists who are busy as ever in sucking up the blood of the working millions, subjugating them and making capital out of their haplessness and miserable plight.
The assertion that Islam helps humanity shake off all of these shackles may occasion some readers to ask: why does not Islam then liberate its own followers from the oppressive tyranny of some of their rulers who have usurped all their liberties and exposed them to the most revolting forms of disgrace and dishonor in the very name of Islam? To such readers we would like to point out that though these dictators exploit the name of Islam yet is far from being in power in their domains or exercising any control or check over them. They belong to the class about which God Himself has declared that:
And those who do not rule in accordance with what is revealed by God are disbelievers” (v: 44). And that:
“But no! By your Lord! They do not believe (in reality) until they make you a judge of that which has become a matter of disagreement among them, and they do not find any straitness in this hearts as to what you have decided and submit with entire submission” (iv: 65)
The Islam that we call upon fellowmen to adopt as their guide in life is not one and the same thing as that passed off under this name by some Muslim rulers of today. They have no respect or regard for the Divine Law as they seldom hesitate in breaking it at will. Thus when deciding their affairs they feel no need to be faithful to it following sometimes a man-made law borrowed from some countries and sometimes the Divine Law as may suit their needs or whims at the time. They are thus guilty of injustice towards both, towards men as well as God, for they choose from either side not what is right according to them but only that which might sever their personal ambitions, greed or lust.
The Islam that we know of is rather that which jolts down the haughty kings and insolent tyrants from above their proud seats of power. It makes them subject to the Divine Law along with other men and women or does away with them once for all, for “…As for the scum, it passes away as a worthless thing, and as for that which profits the people it tarries in the earth” (xiii: 17)
In the domain of this Islam and as a consequence thereof, there shall be no tyrants as it countenances no tyranny, nor does it allow any man to subjugate others to imposes upon them his will, save that to God and His Apostle who command but that which is good and just. The ruler in such a community shall, as a part of his obligations towards men and God, be required to enforce Divine Law failing which he may no longer have any lawful claim to his subject obedience. They may in such a situation quite lawfully disregard his orders. This was explicitly stated by the first Caliph, Abu Bakr (may God be pleased with him) when he said that “Obey me only so long as I obey God with respect to you; and if I should happen to deviate from God’s obedience, then in that case my obedience shall no longer be incumbent upon you”.
This is so because Islam itself is a religion of glory and power and as such it cannot tolerate that men should degrade themselves by prostrating at the feet of the false god of imperialism. Islam prescribes a very simple code of life for man. It exhorts him to strive hard to gain the pleasure of his Creator, surrender his will to that of His, follow His commandments and come forward with all the resources at his disposal to fight against the damned spectre of imperialism and tyranny.
Let men, therefore, turn towards Islam for right now is the times that all should flock together under its standard so as to sweep off from the face of the earth all the vestiges of imperialism. Therein lies the solitary hope of humanity of freeing itself from the clutches of this spectre that still clouds the world scene. Here is the way to real freedom such as allow of no serfdom, promises all men freedom of thought, action, property and religion jealously safeguarding their integrity as well as honor. For only thus can we become Muslims worthy of our God, the path He chose for us: “This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favor on you and have chose for you Islam as religion” (v: 3).
Such a radical reformation effected by Islam is by no means a parochial one confined to the Muslim community alone, but is, on the other hand, by its very nature universal in character. It is nothing less than a blessing for the world of today afflicted as it is with internecine wars, with a still another and far more terrible third world war looming large on the horizon.
Today’s world is divided into two big power blocs-the capitalist and the communist blocs, each set against the other in a deadly struggle for the capture of world-markets and important strategically points on the globe. They, however, despite all their differences still remain one and the same thing as both are imperialistic in outlook and are out to enslave other peoples of the world. With this end in view they are both anxious to capture the maximum possible resources, human as well as material. Other human being are in their eyes no better than so many chattels (manpower they call it) or mere tools with which to realize their nefarious designs.
Islam is the only future hope of humanity, and its victorious emergence out of the present ideological warfare is the only guarantee of man’s salvation. But important as the triumph of Islam is for the future of mankind, its realization is also not a mere illusion. For this purpose they may not stand in need of any help whatever from outside. Such a triumph of Islam would, for the modern man, mean the abolition of the ever-menacing shadows of an approaching worldwide conflagration; it would mean no nervous breakdowns, no physical or psychological tensions, in fact a happy home and a happy, peaceful world.
There is, however, yet another aspect of the matter too. The Modern People has achieved tremendous success in the field of science, yet in the field of humanity it remains as savage and backward as ever. Under its dominance science advanced but man lagged far behind gradually losing all respect for the higher values in human life. Modern civilization stressed matter more than spirit, attached more importance to sensuality rather than spirituality with the result that the individuals have come to attach far more importance to their personal pleasures and selfish interest than strive or suffer for the common weal. That is why we find the modern man so engrossed in his sensual pleasures. Such a state of affairs can hardly be termed as man’s progress and scientific advancement, for it means not only material progress or humanity advancement but man’s freedom from the dominance of his oppressive animal appetite as well. It is here that Islam steps in; it alone can make man progress and be really advanced.
This is indeed a very distressing picture of today’s world but still there is one redeeming factor that is Islam. It freed mankind from the tyranny of animal appetites thirteen hundred years ago; now again it is the only hope for mankind to shake off the shackles of lust and be free to direct all its faculties to reach a higher spiritual plane and propagate virtue and goodness in life.
To be continued
