The 2010 monsoon rains have left death and destruction across Pakistan. The monsoon season due every year near the end of July has in 2010 produced a year’s rain in 36 hours. The Indus River which flows through Pakistan was overwhelmed leading to the flooding of many villages.

Images of the president of Pakistan shuttling European cities as his own citizens pulled dead bodies from the floods beamed around the world as Zardari confirmed once and for all his complete disregard for his own people in the face of this unprecedented disaster.

Whilst it has become common practice to throw a number of emotional rants in times of government incompetence, successive governments in Pakistan have failed the nation one after the other and one disaster after the other. On this occasion we should go beyond this. Historically national disasters, war and travesties are occasions to review national purpose and a nation’s identity. The Pearl harbour bombings of 1941resulted in the US to mobilise for WW2. The new found purpose resulted in the expansion of the national defence system and society viewed it as its duty to defend America. This new found purpose turned America into the world’s superpower.

Pakistan is at such a cross road once again where its government has shown how it really feels about its people. The 2010 floods is Zardari’s Lal musjid and we should use this national disaster to chart a new course for the Ummah of Pakistan through establishing the Khilafah. Some of the actions a future Khilafah in Pakistan could undertake are:

1. Currently Pakistan has an unnecessary reliance on the US. The US needs Pakistan rather than Pakistan needing the US. The US relies on Pakistan for 80% of all equipment for its war effort in Afghanistan. It also needs Pakistani territory for meeting its fuel needs. According to Strategic Forecasting, the Texas-based private intelligence agency: "Pakistan remains the single-most important logistics route for the Afghan campaign. This is not by accident. It is by far the quickest and most efficient overland route to the open ocean." As most of Pakistan was being subsumed by the flooding America was dropping bombs on Pakistan. On Pakistan’s Independence Day 13 Muslims were killed in a US drone attack. Three missiles were fired at a village near Mirali in Pakistan’s northwest tribal area of North Waziristan. It is not the so called extremists who are taking advantage of the floorings it is the US who is expanding is failed endeavour in Afghanistan into Pakistan. Pakistan can very easily weaken the US in the region by turning its back on it. The US is already losing the war in Afghanistan and it is only the current compliant leadership in Pakistan that allows the US to avoid embarrassment.

1. China from many perspectives needs Pakistan due to its strategic location. China’s navy has a strategic presence on the Mekran coast in Baluchistan, and along the Gwadar port that overlooks the supply routes for oil needed to keep the Chinese economy growing, and for checking on India’s hegemonistic ambitions. Developing strategic relations with China will allow Pakistan to move away from the US area of influence. This will at the same time complicate US plans to contain China. Pakistan should use such bargaining power with China to solve its Xinjiang separatist problem with a treaty of Hudaibiyah type deal.

1. Pakistan could begin to make better use of its strategic resources. Pakistan has significant quantities of copper, chromite, iron, antimony, zinc and Gold. Baluchistan has the world’s fifth largest reserves of copper and over 20 million ounces of untapped Gold reserves. Pakistan has no shortage of coal and gas. Pakistan has been blessed with the world’s largest coal field at Thar in Sindh. It comprises around 175 billion tonnes of coal which is the equivalent of 618 billion barrels of crude oil; this would meet the country’s fuel requirements for a century. Pakistan has been able to build five oil refineries and whilst their capacity is small, under an industrialisation drive these can be expanded and will make Pakistan self sufficient in energy. The shortage of oil refineries in the Middle East can potentially make Pakistan an important location for energy.

1. Pakistan should build upon its existing industry in order to industrialise and become self sufficient and independent. Pakistan surprisingly has managed to develop the foundations of an advanced military industry even though it has a dysfunctional economy. Pakistan began with virtually no military production capability, however it has managed to become self sufficient in areas such as aircraft overhaul, tanks, helicopters, frigates, submarine construction and fighter jets. Pakistan has on some individual military areas made stunning advances which need to be built upon. These include the development of nuclear weapons, the development of an advanced tactical ballistic missile programme, the development of a basic space programme and the development of its own drones. Such developments are the key for rapid industrialisation.

1. This national disaster is perfect time to end the army’s role in America’s war on terror where they can be re-deployed to reconstruction and relief efforts in the country. Politically America will undermine itself globally if it were to pressure Pakistan to leave its units where they are on the border to fight America’s war when the Muslims of Pakistan are drowning in the floods.

1. Whilst the UN and many around the world are organising charity, Much of Pakistani funds are going on America’s war on terror or on debt repayment which in handcuffing Pakistan for the foreseeable future. Pakistan politically can call for such debt to be written off in the face of this national disaster. This will then allow Pakistan to divert government funds to the relief effort. In this way Pakistan can come out of this disaster independent and stronger.

Whilst this is by no means an exhaustive list of actions that can be taken by Pakistan, Pakistan has all the necessary ingredients to rapidly industrialise, unify with the Muslim world and become a global player. From many perspectives Pakistan is in a much better position on the eve of development than many of the industrialised nations were. Both the US and Britain had very small populations whilst Germany and China today have energy challenges. Pakistan today has a population of 172 million where 50% of the population is under the age of 15. Only 4% of the population is over 65.

The Muslims of Pakistan must not allow this disaster to lead to some artificial change, its time the Ummah took their destiny into their own hands and made this change a reality. Those who save the deen, work to establish it and strengthen it have an exalted position in the eyes of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Their names will be remembered throughout history, with successive generations making du’a for them, and they will be highly rewarded by Allah سبحانه وتعالى.  The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم prophesied that Constantinople will be conquered one day, and it was Muhammed al-Fatih who Allah blessed with this honour. The 2010 floods should be the last time the Muslims of Pakistan are left to fend fore themselves when their government litters their pockets.

source: http://www.khilafah.com/index.php/the-khilafah/issues/10118-how-would-a-khilafah-in-pakistan-deal-with-the-floods

For thirteen centuries, the Muslim Ummah enjoyed unmatched prosperity in this life through the implementation of the rules of Islam. This prosperity was not limited to the advancement in science and medicine, as we often hear, but it spanned all aspects of life including social well being, healthcare and education. Even during the weaker periods of the Islamic State, the well being of its citizens, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, was always one of the primary functions of the State. This is not surprising since Allah (swt) said in Surat Al-Anbiya:
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ
“We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures”[TMQ 21:107]

And in Surat Taha:
فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا يَضِلُّ وَلَا يَشْقَى (123) وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنْكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَى
“… whosoever follows My Guidance, will not lose his way, nor fall into misery. But whosoever turns away from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment”[TMQ 20:123-124]

In this issue, we will provide some examples of how people lived under the rule of Islam throughout Islamic history. This will inshaAllah, help us appreciate and better understand the reality of life under the rule of Islam.

Healthcare
In Islam the health of an individual is highly valued, and is considered one of the basic needs of man, along with food and security. RasoulAllah (saw) said:
“Whoever becomes free of illness, secure and safe among his people, and has food for his day, then it is like if he owns the dunia”[Al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah]
Consequently, in Islam, providing free and competent healthcare has been made a responsibility on the Islamic State towards all its citizens – rich, poor, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. RasoulAllah (saw) said:
“The imam (khalifah) is the caregiver and he is responsible for his people”[Al-Bukhari]
Providing free healthcare to people was exemplified by RasoulAllah (saw) in Madina. Ibn Ishaaq reported in his sirah book that a tent was built in the masjid and a woman named Rofaydah from the tribe of Aslam used to provide diagnosis and medication to people free of charge for both the rich and poor. When Saad Ibn Muadh (ra) was hit by an arrow during the Battle of the Trench, RasouAllah (saw) told the companions to take him to the tent of Rofaydah. Rofaydah was paid by the State through shares from the booties of war as Alwaqidi mentions in his book Almaghazi.

Providing healthcare services to the citizens of the State continued throughout the Islamic history and the kuffar themselves bear witness to this. For example, Mr. Gomar, one of Napoleon’s leaders during France’s campaign (1798-1801) to occupy Egypt, described the healthcare services and 600 year-old health facilities that he saw, “all sick people used to go the Bimaristan (i.e. hospital) poor and rich, without distinction. Doctors were hired from everywhere in the east, and they were well paid. There was a pharmacy stocked with medicine and instrumentations. Two nursing personnel were serving every patient. Those with psychological disorders were isolated in a separate section and were taken care of. They were entertained by storytelling among other things. Those who recovered (from either physical or psychological illness) would spend some time in the rehabilitation section. When discharged, each patient would be given five pieces of gold so the patient would not need to work as soon as he/she left”. The French Orientalist, Prisse D’Avennes, describing the same hospital, said, “the patients’ halls where either cooled down by using huge fans spanning from one side of the hall to the opposite side, or warmed up by burning perfumes. The floors of these halls were covered by branches of the (Hinna) or pomegranate trees or other aromatic trees”.

Well Being.
The well being of citizens is exemplified by the hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayra in Sahih Muslim stating that RasuolAllah (saw) said:
“whoever leaves money, then it is for the inheritors, and whoever leaves weak offspring then it is to us”[Muslim]
That is, the State is responsible for providing the basic necessities like food, shelter, and clothing to those who cannot afford it for any reason. The well being of the people under the rule of Islam is a result of implementing the ahkam of Allah (swt). The understanding of the responsibility that the khaleefah and State have towards people is what made Abu Bakr (ra), as the khaleefah, serve an old blind women living in the outskirts of Madina. Omar Ibn Alkhattab (ra) wanted to serve her too, but he found that Abu Bakr (ra) had already cooked food, cleaned the house and washed her clothes for her. It is the same understanding and feeling of responsibility that made Omar (ra), when he was the Khaleefah, go back to Bait-ul-Mal (treasury) and carry bags of wheat and food on his own back all the way to a woman and her kids living outside the Madina and cook food for them. He (ra) refused his servant’s offer to carry the bags for him by saying, “will you carry my sins and responsibilities for me on the day of judgment?”

The care for people extended to children too. During the Khilafah of Omar, there was a policy to pay a stipend whenever a child finished breastfeeding. However, one day Omar (ra) heard a baby crying so he asked the child’s mother to “Fear Allah (swt) in your baby and take care of him”. She explained that she stopped breastfeeding early in order to receive the stipend from the Islamic State. The very next day, after Fajr, Omar revised the policy to pay the stipend at birth. Omar (ra) feared Allah’s (swt) accounting and said while crying “even the babies O Omar!” – meaning he would be accounted for harming the children.
Animals are also safeguarded by the Khalifah. Ibn Rushd Alqurtobi reported on the authority of Malik that Omar (ra) passed by a donkey burdened by blocks of stones. Realizing the animal was in distress he removed two blocks from its back. The donkey’s owner, an old woman, came to Omar and said “O Omar, what do you have to do with my donkey? Do you have an authority to do what you did”. Omar said “what do you think makes me fill this post (khaleefah)?” Omar (ra) meant that by assuming the responsibility of Khaleefah Omar (ra) was responsible for all the ahkam of Islam, which includes acting on the hadeeth of RasoulAllah (saw) that was narrated by Abu Dawood, on the authority of Abu Hurayra (ra): “Beware not to take the backs of your animals as (minbars), for it that Allah (swt) has made them to carry you to a place that would be hard for you to reach, and made the earth so you fulfill your needs on its surface.” That is, we must be merciful to animals and not overburden them.

This pattern of providing for the people and caring for their well being continued throughout the khilafah until its destruction in 1924. Ibn Aljawzi reported in his book about the lifetime of Omar Ibn Abdulaziz that Omar asked his governors throughout the State for the counts of all blind people, those with chronic diseases, and the disabled. He then assigned a guide for every blind and two servants for every chronically ill or disabled person throughout the whole Islamic State that spanned from China in the east to Morocco in the west, and Russia in the north to the Indian ocean in the south. Ibn Aljawzi also reported that Omar asked his governors to bring any poor person in need. Once they did, he covered all their needs from Bait-ul-Mal. He then asked for those who had debt and could not pay back. He paid their debt, in full, from Bait-ul-Mal. Then he asked for those who wanted to marry but could not afford to, and he paid for their marriage. The well being and prosperity of the people under the Islamic rule was such that during the khilafah of Omar Ibn Abdulaziz, the State could not find poor people to pay the zakat money to.

Ibn Jarir reported during the time of khaleefah Alwaleed Ibn Abdulmalik that the State built and took care of the masjids, built roads, fulfilled the needs of people, paid the disabled and ill people, and ordered them not to beg people but rather ask the State if they did not have what sufficed them. He was the first khalifeeah to build and institutionalize Bimaristans (hospitals). He assigned a servant for every disabled person, a guide for every blind person, salary for the imams (of masjids), and built “guest houses” for strangers and travelers everywhere in the State.
During the Ummyads and Abbasid khilafah, the travelers’ routes from Iraq and bilad-uSham (today’s Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine) to Hijaz (region of Makkah) were setup with “guest houses” along the routes which were equipped with water, food and shelter supplies everyday to ease the travel for people. The remnants of these facilities can be seen today in bilad-uSham. The records of the charity trusts (Waqf) for some hospitals in bilad-uSham testify to this. For example, the records for the charity trusts of Alnnoori hospital in Allipo (Syria) mentions that each mentally-ill person was assigned two servants who are responsible, everyday, for giving him/her a shower, dressing in clean cloths, assisting in prayer (if he/she can) and listening to Quran, and walking him/her outside in the open air to relax.

The Uthmani Khilafah carried out this obligation too. This is evident in servicing the people by building the famous Istanbul-Madina “Hejaz” railway during the time of Sultan Abdulhameed II to facilitate travel for the pilgrims to Makkah as well as to improve the economic and political integration of the distant Arabian regions. While the Muslims rushed to donate and volunteer to building the railway, the Uthmani khilafah offered the transportation service to people free of charge.

This is only a snapshot of how the life of people under the rule of Islam used to be in the days of khilafah. May Allah (swt) help us all to work for it and make us witness and enjoy its existence again… Ameen.

Source: http://islamicsystem.blogspot.com/2010/06/prosperity-of-muslim-ummah.html

Once I was in a place where they had a lot of wild pigeons. I asked the people if they could catch such pigeons and they replied, "We can’t, because they are very wild."

One day when I was in a gathering, I went to the window to get some fresh air and suddenly I saw two pigeons. I snatched at them and caught them both. I rushed back to the gathering and asked them, "What is in my hands?"

I had already hidden the pigeons behind my back. They kept guessing and giving wrong answers until I showed them the pigeons. They were amazed and they asked me how I caught two when catching one was impossible? I answered: "They were fighting so hard that their beaks were buried in each other’s skin. They were blind to me. All I had to do was grab both of them from their heads with a single hand."

I added; I wonder how blind we Muslims are these days, fighting on small differences while our enemy is having all the advantage to plot and plan against us as a whole.
We should open our eyes before it is too late.

Source:  Quran Club

The 3rd of March is a date that is etched into the history of the Muslim Ummah as one of its darkest days ever. It was on this date in the fateful year of 1924 CE that the last vestige of legitimate Islamic rule was ended. The office of Khilifah was abolished by the treacherous Mustafa Kamal and the Muslim Ummah has since then been plunged in to darkness and humiliation. Thus any trace of the Uthmani Khilafah was extinguished as the 101st Khaleefah of Islam, Abdul Mejid II was exiled from the now secular Republic of Turkey.

His banishment from the land of Anatolia with little more than a suitcase and some cash was the beginning of the humiliation that the Muslim world has suffered to this very day. With what was described as the shield of the Muslims by the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم – now in exile, the Ummah was set to be subjected to numerous tragedies that would involve against it murderous wars, foreign occupation, economic strangulation, political manipulation as well as a cultural colonialism that sought to distance the Muslim world from the concept of Islamic ruling and the obligation of living under the Khilafah.

With the sole legitimate leadership of the Muslims, the Khilafah, destroyed the lands of Islam were divided in to numerous statelets and disputed territories. These new entities were established along the lines of ethnicity, sectarianism and racism by the colonialist powers of the day in an attempt to ensure that Muslim Ummah would never rise again. Nationalism that was nurtured by the colonialists in the run up to the destruction of the Khilafah helped to ensure that these new entities would remain at loggerheads, never to think of uniting again. In addition, the blessed land of Palestine was occupied, its inhabitants dispersed so as assuage the West’s guilt and a great injustice was committed in establishing the state of Israel. Any attempts to replicate the power of a unitary leadership of the Muslim world were replaced by pathetic and impotent bodies such as Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC). These organisations were designed to perpetuate disunity and division as they preserved the borders and barriers betweens Muslims that the colonialists had established. These states have never had the interests of Islam and the Muslims at heart. This can be seen to this day, as the OIC and Arab League issue countless resolutions on issues such as Palestine and Iraq without ever actually doing anything to change the status quo. These resolutions are but lip service by the insincere leaders of these entities to the cause of Islam, designed solely to pacify their Muslim populations into thinking that Islam cannot solve the Ummah’s problems.

These rulers have committed far more heinous crimes against the Muslims than simply issuing empty resolutions. Western colonialism put in place a motley crew of dictators, monarchs, autocrats and downright puppets that have served their colonial masters in a manner more loyal than their own populations. Successive rulers have betrayed the interests of Muslims. With their brutality and lack of self-respect seemingly having no limits, the Muslim rulers are falling over themselves in an attempt to please. For example, Qatar today hosts the largest airstrip in the Middle East, to be used exclusively by the US Air Force to bomb Muslim lands and control the skies of the Middle East. Bahrain, which previously hosted the naval forces of the British Empire, now serves as the base for the US Navy’s 5th Fleet. Almost every nation in the Muslim world today has facilitated the military aims of the various colonial at some point. Present day Pakistan, in a clear contradiction of General Musharraf’s own motto of “Pakistan First”, is engaging in a war with his own people whilst compromising the sovereignty of the country in allowing US troops to act with impunity. Deploying his powerful military not to defend Muslims from aggression, he has made the Pakistani Armed forces nothing more than mercenaries. They are forced to act as mercenaries by the regime for some paltry economic aid for a corrupt government whilst the blood and honour of their brothers and sisters is violated on a global scale. Due to these tyrannical rulers the armies of the Muslim world have been held back, shackled to their bases, unable to come to the aid of their brethren in Chechnya, the Balkans, Kashmir, Afghanistan, Iraq or anywhere else that conflict rages.

Since the destruction of the Khilafah in 1924 there has been an assault on the resources in the Muslim lands. Starting with the 100-year contracts signed with western oil companies to drill for oil in the 1930’s, lucrative contracts are being signed by western agencies for natural resources that rightfully belong to the Ummah. The most recent of which have been the colonial style Production Sharing Agreements (PSA’s) for Iraqi oil. These agreements mean that Iraq oil will be privatised, ending up in the hands of foreign, mostly US, oil companies. In addition to this, these agreements spell out that these oil companies will make up to a massive 75% profit on the oil, with 65 of Iraq’s roughly 80 known oil fields being offered to these companies for exploration. In the words of Dick Cheney during his time as Haliburton CEO in 1999 who said, "By 2010 we will need [a further] 50 million barrels a day. The Middle East, with two-thirds of the oil and the lowest cost, is still where the prize lies.” Even the wealth that has been generated has not been utilised by the rulers for the benefit of the people or to secure long-term independence and self-sufficiency. A lack of investment in education, employment and technological infrastructure means that billions of dollars are wasted on importing resources, which could be developed at home. It is shocking that Iran, the world’s fourth largest oil producer, can only produce 57% of the nation’s daily petrol consumption due to a lack of refineries.

The Muslim world has indeed seen destruction, devastation and calamity for the past 83 years. However, the signs of awakening for the return of the Khilafah are now clear for all to see. The proof of this can be seen in the growing gulf between the rulers and the ruled; the speeches and Khutbahs in universities and mosques throughout the Muslim world that call for a sincere and rightly guided Khaleefah to lead the Ummah; witness the mass demonstrations against the bombing and killing of innocent Muslims by US and UK forces in Karachi, Jakarta, Hebron, Dhaka and other places; the increasingly brutal methods and oppression that the regimes are forced to use to quell the desire for political change such as in Egypt and Uzbekistan. It can also be seen by the actions of the colonial powers who realise that the rulers they imposed upon the Muslim world have no support and no legitimacy, hence they are forced to resort to occupying Muslim lands and cementing their presence through military bases. The global reawakening for Khilafah can also be seen in the desperate and pathetic attempts by the regimes and their scholars, who they have bought for a cheap price, to malign, slander and attack the idea of Khilafah. They lie by saying that the Khilafah cannot be established in the modern age, that Islam and politics do not mix, that sectarian differences are too great, that the western powers are too powerful and that the Ummah of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم can never be unified. All of the efforts of the enemies of Islam will be in vain for Allah سبحانه وتعالى has promised the believers that the Khilafah will return on the method of the Prophet and there is no power or might other than Allah سبحانه
وتعالى.

The Muslim world has bewildered many experts who have researched the potential of the Islamic lands. Many have questioned how it is even possible that a people who are so rich and so plentiful in resources came to be so poor in reality. Many have an unfortunate tendency to compare the development of the West and conclude that the absence of liberal values will always act as an obstacle to industrial development in the Muslim world.

There are a number of factors that have hindered development in the Muslim world, many of them originate from outside the Muslim world.

1.Colonialism – Much of this currant situation in the Muslim lands stems from the colonial era and is summed up best by David Fromkin, Professor and expert on Economic History at the University of Chicago: "Massive amounts of the wealth of the old Ottoman Empire were now claimed by the victors. But one must remember that the Islamic empire had tried for centuries to conquer Christian Europe and the power brokers deciding the fate of those defeated people were naturally determined that these countries should never be able to organize and threaten Western interests again. With centuries of mercantilist experience, Britain and France created small, unstable states whose rulers needed their support to stay in power. The development and trade of these states were controlled and they were meant never again to be a threat to the West. These external powers then made contracts with their puppets to buy Arab resources cheaply, making the feudal elite enormously wealthy while leaving most citizens in poverty."

Throughout the 18th century European nations competed with each other in conquering territories, enslaving the host population and stripping the conquered people of their mineral resources. In November 1917 when the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia, Lenin’s communists discovered amongst the documents of the czarist foreign ministry a secret document that outlined plans to carve up the Ottoman Empire after the war (WW1) and the distribution of its constituent parts to the victorious allies. The details were worked out in February 1916 before the beginning of the war. The Sykes-Picot Agreement was a secret understanding between the governments of Britain and France defining their respective spheres of post-World War I influence and control in the Middle East. The region was carved up and given boundaries, dividing the people in the region who had lived as one nation for over 1000 years. Historian Mehran Kamrava outlined the geopolitics at the time, “It is here that geo-political boundaries clash violently with demographic realities, constructing a number of societal problems, many of which have not been resolved to this day. In some cases this was due to historical ignorance, but in others it was a deliberate choice to weaken the occupied people. France divided Lebanon and Syria against religious demographics in this very fashion to guard against anti-French resistance rallied under Sunni Muslim solidarity. The British created Transjordan from the western portion of Palestine and gave it an entirely separate government under the Hashemites. The national boundaries created during this time visibly outline those still seen today, and are the source of much conflict due to mistakes made in their drawing.”17 The effect of such colonialism has meant that although the colonial nations eventually physically departed from such lands their influence has remained and the colonised nations remain linked to the nations that enslaved them. It remains in the interests of the West even today to ensure the colonized nations do not develop and gain independence.
“But one must remember that the Islamic empire had tried for centuries to conquer Christian Europe and the power brokers deciding the fate of those defeated people were naturally determined that these countries should never be able to organize and threaten Western interests again. With centuries of mercantilist experience, Britain and France created small, unstable states whose rulers needed their support to stay in power. The development and trade of these states were controlled and they were meant never again to be a threat to the West.”
In Iraq Miles Copeland, a veteran CIA operative, through a number of his publications exposed the coups the US initiated which include bringing Saddam Hussain’s Baath party to power

2. During the colonial era most of the colonial nations made use of elements form the conquered territories to deal with the day-to-day running of colonies. In the post WW2 era although many of the conquered territories were given so called independence, an architecture that was nurtured over a generation was left in place ensuring the colonised nations remain linked to their masters. To maintain superiority, control and influence over the region, the West placed corrupt leaders into positions of power and supported the overthrow of those that were not seen as favourable. This has also served to keep the host populations at bay, in return for militarisation, power and personal wealth for the elite. The struggle to control access to important resources such as oil has even led to competition between the West. The links between the British and the house of Saud are no secret, it was the British Empire that brought the Saud family into power and provided them with the arms and technical help to dismember from the Khilafah. The Saud’s close work with the British empire at the time was repaid through giving Trans-Jordan to King Abdullah and Iraq to King Faisal. Similarly the US brought Gamal Abdul Nasser to power overthrowing the pro-British King Farook, during the same period in Operation Ajax both Britain and the US collaborated in bringing the Shah to power over-throwing the democratically elected Mohammed Mossadeq. In Iraq Miles Copeland, a veteran CIA operative, through a number of his publications exposed the coups the US initiated which include bringing Saddam Hussain’s Baath party to power. In the Far East for long the US provided military assistance to the Suharto regime. Such foreign interference which continues today has meant Western agents abandoned the nation’s interest and because rulers were never independent this stifled the prospect of any industrial development that would have benefited the nation. On the few occasions where a Western inspired coup turned its back on the West it was very quickly on the receiving end of a counter coup – as the Shah of Iran found in 1979. Such interference continues today and continues to act as an obstacle to any development in the Muslim world. A recent case of this was the Anglo-America plans to bring Benezir Bhutto to power in 2008. In order to replace General Musharraf dozens of meetings took place in the UK and Dubai between former US and UK ambassadors in order to agree the terms of her return. Sir Mark Lyall Grant former British ambassador to Pakistan led the negotiations and confirmed the meetings that took place between the Bhutto faction, the Musharraf faction and representatives of the US.18 Zardari confirmed the deal in September 2009.19 It is such agent rulers that have been a disaster for the Muslim world and will ensure no independent development will ever occur.
"The United States has viewed all multilateral organisations including the World Bank, as instruments of foreign policy to be used in support of specific US aims and objectives…US views regarding how the world economy should be organised, how resources should be allocated and how investment decisions should be reached were enshrined in the Charter and the operational policies of the bank."

3. The IMF and World Bank through their structural adjustment polices and many other highly questionable polices in countries such as Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Egypt have ensured such nations never develop the necessary fundamental industry to even start an industrial revolution. Both Bretton Woods institutes prescribed policies of concentrating on exports and focusing on repaying the loans borrowed. In the nations that comprise of the Middle East and North Africa 14% of regional export earnings go to debt service. In Lebanon, debt service accounts for 47% of the government’s budget. Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey all spend more on debt service than they do on education; all spend twice as much on debt service than they do on health care. Sudan and Yemen are among the 41 countries identified as Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs). Pakistan continues reeling with external debts of over $50 billion. The loans and development advice provided has only caused more structural problems to the economies of the Muslim world and this has severely stunted any development, the loans in reality are the obstacle to development. The Brooking institute confirmed in a report "The United States has viewed all multilateral organisations including the World Bank, as instruments of foreign policy to be used in support of specific US aims and objectives…US views regarding how the world economy should be organised, how resources should be allocated and how investment decisions should be reached were enshrined in the Charter and the operational policies of the bank."

4. The Muslim rulers and many who have positions in the governments across the Muslim world have been unable to develop anything in the realm of policy. This has resulted in no consistent basis form which policies could be derived giving the nation direction. As a result many of the Muslim economies are full of contradictions and the economy as a whole fails to move in a unified direction. Examples of this include:
-
Pakistan continues to import Coal even though it has the world’s largest Coal field and the world’s largest Coal reserves after the US.
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Iran is flush with huge oil reserves and Gas, but due to a refinery shortage it imports gasoline and diesel to keeps its cars and trucks rolling.
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Pakistan is the worlds 14th largest agricultural producer; however 52 million people live in poverty.
-
Saudi Arabia has been endowed with mineral wealth which is a prerequisite for industrialisation. Saudi Arabia has not only failed to develop but 20% of its population live under the poverty line.

5.The absence of any structured way of generating wealth and distributing wealth has created a situation where everyone in the Muslim world needs to fend for themselves and attempt to make the best out of a chaotic situation. This has compounded the problem further as many resort to bribery, stealing and fraud to make ends meet. This situation has allowed a minority in most of the Muslims lands to live in comfort and luxury at the expense of the rest of society. This situation means many of the elites refuse to invest in capital intensive industries and would rather place their wealth in the West and in the global financial markets.

6. Many of the Muslim economies are not built on their strengths. Many of the African nations have been forced to concentrate on single commodities rather than build their economies upon minerals and resources they have in abundance. Nigeria and Egypt have neglected their agricultural potential in order to build a service based economy. In the Middle East the abundance of fossil fuel has not translated into the development of industry, in fact countries such as Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states are so focused towards oil this has stopped the development of other sectors which would have created millions of jobs. Pakistan and Bangladesh’s strengths lay in their agricultural landscape and mineral resources however recent government have geared the economies around foreign direct investment (FDI) and telecoms. Whilst the Western word is dominated by the service sector this has been after industrialising. By not structuring the Muslim economies around their strengths such resources have been squandered and on most occasions have been at the centre of Western interests.

7. The removal of Islam as a comprehensive system thorough the Islamic system of governance – the Khilafah in 1924 has stunted development. This is because Islam was the trajectory that drove development in the Muslim lands. After the death of the Messenger (saw) the expansion of the Islamic lands resulted in many economic, political and social problems not previously confronted by the Messenger(saw). The expansion of the Khilafah into new lands brought it into contact with foreign cultures, customs, languages, traditions and political structures. These included Greek, Persian, Roman, Berber, Asian and Assyrian. This created internal challenges of distribution and production of wealth, rights of minorities, administration of an expanding ruling apparatus, judiciary, appointment of local governors and accountability. Such issues were tackled through the process of Ijtihad, leading to the development of some of the most accomplished scholars in Islamic history. Islam itself drove many developments, the need to find the Qibla for the five daily prayers led to developments in the compass. Islam acted as a comprehensive basis which continuously solved all problems Muslim encountered. It was in this scenario that many prematurely reasoned that all issues had been addressed, this understanding stalled creativity and was ebbed away only to be replaced by intellectual apathy. The industrial revolution created a number of bizarre views and opinions leading to the demise of the Khilafah as a system. Ever since Muslims have been unable to tackle scientific, economic and social developments in a coherent way. Islam was the catalyst that led to the development of the Muslim lands in history, its absence remains one of the most fundamental reason stifling development today.
The above is an excerpt from the book "Constructing an Industrialised Muslim World" by Adnan Khan

via http://islamicsystem.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-has-muslim-world-failed-to-develop.html

Recently, Saudi Arabia’s interior minister warned the pilgrims that they should not involve politics in Hajj. The current rulers in the Muslim lands are attempting to prevent Muslims from gathering and discussing issues and ideas which are pertinent to the future of the Ummah. Politics which is the act of "taking care of the affairs of the Ummah according to Shar’a rulings" is an integral part of Islam. We must take it upon ourselves to reclaim Islam and discuss the issues affecting the Muslim Ummah in all gatherings.

Prior to the commencement of Hajj, Saudi authorities were warning pilgrims not to stage any protests during the ritual. Saudi Arabia’s interior minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz said, "It is not permitted to undertake any actions which are not part of the ritual… and we will not permit anyone to damage the hajj or the pilgrims."
Hajj is an amazing journey where Muslims have an opportunity to strengthen their relationship with Allah سبحانه وتعالى. It is also an event where Muslims from every corner of the earth gather together as one Ummah to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood. Today, the pilgrims are grouped according to the nation states they belong to. Furthermore, Muslims are not given an opportunity to bond with each other, by getting to know one another and discuss our condition as Allah سبحانه وتعالى has revealed:

إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا
"We have created you of a male and a female, and made you tribes and families that you may know each other." [Al-Hujraat, 49:13]

Obstructing the Ummah: Hajj and Beyond
The discouragement of Muslims gathering and discussing the affairs of the Ummah is not only seen at the time of Hajj. Rather, this is a recurring theme throughout the Muslim world. Rulers regularly prevent Muslims from gathering and discussing issues and ideas which are pertinent to the future of the Ummah. Such preventions are usually enforced with great hostility and aggression:
• Palestine – In November 2007, 36-year-old Hisham Baradi died in a hospital after Palestinian police shot him in cold blood. According to reports, riot police and other security forces moved in on members of Hizb-ut-Tahrir as soon as they left masjids in the cities of Ramallah, Nablus and Hebron aiming to march in non-violent demonstrations planned against the treacherous Annapolis Conference attended by Abbas and other Arab rulers.
• Turkey – In July of this year, KöklüDeÄŸiÅŸim Magazine organized a Khilafah conference in Istanbul. Two weeks prior to the conference, the organizers received permission from the Governor of Istanbul and notified him of the speakers along with a summary of their speeches. On the day of the conference – in the early morning – the Turkish police arrested (without any resistance) 200 speakers and attendees which led to the cancellation of the conference.
• Bangladesh – In September of this year, Muslims in Bangladesh organized a peaceful rally outside the national masjid after Jummah prayers calling for the re-establishment of the Khilafah and a unified Muslim Army. The rally, which was attended by several thousand Muslims was prevented by the police. Furthermore, they arrested 30 Muslim activists.
• Pakistan – In October of this year, 30 members of Hizb-ut-Tahrir were arrested in Islamabad while they were having a seminar in a residential home.

Islam: A Complete Way of Life
Islam is more than a mere set of rituals; rather it is a complete way of life. Islam does not confine the relationship between man and his Creator to his personal sphere. Instead, Islam properly recognizes that man needs guidance from Allah سبحانه وتعالى in all affairs, especially in the matters of siyasah (politics), which is "taking care of the affairs of the Ummah according to Shar’a rulings". As such, it is part of our Deen to be concerned with the affairs of our brothers and sisters across the world. Allah سبحانه وتعالى revealed:
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

"The believers are nothing else than brothers. So make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy." [Al-Hujraat, 49:10]
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "You will see the believers in their mutual kindness, love and sympathy just like one body. When a limb complains, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever." [Muslim & Bukhari]
The ayah and hadith make it clear that it is part of our Deen to be concerned about the Ummah. Just as our hearts fill with joy when we see our brothers and sisters in their success, we are also overwhelmed with sadness and pain when we see their hardship and suffering. As a result, it is only natural that when we meet our fellow Muslims – be it at Hajj or after prayer at the masjid – that we discuss our problems and the solutions on how to resolve them.

Siyasah in the Gatherings of Muslims
When we look to the example of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the Sahabah (ra), we see that the Muslims gathered and engaged in siyasah (politics) be they in Hajj, or outside of Hajj.
In the Hujat-al-Wada sermon which occurred during the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم Hajj, RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم discussed many issues that concern the affairs of Muslims including the property of a Muslim, riba, the obligations of men towards women and the equality of all Muslims with the exception of their Taqwa.
The masjid itself (which today is known only as a place of Juma, Jamat, Qiyamul-Layl and maybe some Islamic education) used to be the center of all activities. During the time of RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم it was a place to congregate and discuss the affairs of the Ummah. For example, the news of Zayd (ra), Jafar (ra) and Abdullah ibn Rawaha (ra) being martyred at the Battle of Mua’ta was relayed to the Muslims by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in the masjid while he was on the minbar.
After the death of RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم and prior to burying his body – an action which Shar’a requires urgency – the Sahabah (ra) gathered, discussed and debated as to who should be the leader of all Muslims. It was after heated discussions that Abu Bakr (ra) was nominated as the Khaleefah. Only after the appointment of Abu Bakr (ra) was the body of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم buried.
During the Khilafat of Abu Bakr (ra) the tribes in the Arabian Peninsula apostatized and rebelled against the Islamic State. He then gathered the Sahabah (ra) in the masjid to discuss whether the Muslims should declare war on the apostates and rebels. When Umar (ra) was the Khaleefah, he used to meet the Wulaa (governors) during Hajj to discuss their activities and any issues of the Muslims in the region.
We can also see throughout the Islamic history stories of how the Ummah would not let any wrong pass by their eyes without correcting it even if it was the doing of a governor or the Khaleefah himself. Those in authority did not respond by imprisoning, suppressing or torturing these people rather they were quick to correct themselves as they understood the great responsibility and accountability they had before Allah سبحانه وتعالى.
When Umar (ra) was the Khaleefah, he received some cloth and distributed it equally amongst the Muslims by giving them one piece each. When he was on the minbar it was apparent that he was wearing 2 pieces of cloth. Immediately, Salman al-Farsi (ra) said, "By Allah, we will not hear you, because you prefer yourself to your people." At this point Abdullah ibn Umar (ra) explained that he gave his father his cloth. Salman al-Farsi (ra) responded by saying: "Now we shall hear you."
In another incident, Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan who was a governor ordered a person to sell a silver utensil received from the spoils of war for payment to the soldiers who went out in battle. The news of (this state of affairs) reached Ubada bin Samit (ra) and he stood up and said, "I heard Allah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم forbidding the sale of gold by gold, and silver by silver, and wheat by wheat, and barley by barley, and dates by dates, and salt by salt, except like for like and equal for equal. So he who made an addition or who accepted an addition (committed the sin of taking) interest." So the people returned what they had received. This reached Mu’awiya and he stood up to deliver an address. He said, "What is the matter with people that they narrate from the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم such tradition which we did not hear though we saw him and lived in his company?" Thereupon, Ubada bin Samit (ra) stood up and repeated that narration, and then said, "We will definitely narrate what we heard from Allah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم though it may be unpleasant to Mu’awiya. I do not mind if I do not remain in his troop in the dark night."

Seeking Solutions
The Ummah is seeking solutions to the problems that are currently plaguing it. The Muslims are growing tired of insincere rulers who would rather host a concert with scantily clad women than permit our Muslim sisters to wear the niqab at universities, as has happened in Egypt. It is fear that drives these despotic rulers to try their utmost to clamp down on any sincere gathering of Muslims working to free the Ummah of the problems that ail it. They are aware that they are sitting on borrowed thrones which do not rightfully belong to them, but rather belong to a sincere leader who will rule only by what Allah سبحانه وتعالى has revealed and fear no one but Him. It is only then that we can see this great Ummah return to the state that it was. Insha-Allah we will again see rulers who follow the method of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and fulfil their covenant towards Allah سبحانه وتعالى and the Ummah.
With ample evidence that all of Islam was discussed and that there was no separation between the rituals and other aspects of Islam we must take it upon ourselves to reclaim Islam from the treacherous rulers. By obeying only the commands and prohibitions of Allah سبحانه وتعالى we must return Islam back to the norm by making Muslim gatherings such as Hajj, the masjid and even family gatherings an arena to discuss the current affairs of the Muslim Ummah.
May Allah سبحانه وتعالى replace the current rulers with one who will work with the Ummah to resolve our issues in a manner that is pleasing to Allah سبحانه وتعالى.
وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاء بَعْضٍ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلاَةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ اللّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ أُوْلَـئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ اللّهُ إِنَّ اللّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
"The believers, men and women, are Auliya’ of one another; they enjoin (on the people) Al-Ma‘ruf, and forbid (people) from Al-Munkar; they perform As-Salat, and give the Zakat, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah will have His Mercy on them. Surely Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise." [At-Tawba, 9:71]

We can all learn from this short poem/video. The Ummah’s downfall began way back in the early 1900′s and went downhill from there.

from Al Balagh.net

Amr-bil-Maroof
By Khalid Baig

It is the most common activity in all social settings. Sometimes it is explicit: we argue for or against something. At others it is implicit: we show interest or lack of interest. More often than we realize we are engaged in persuading others or are being persuaded by them about big and small things in life. It is a very powerful force also. That is why marketers yearn for word of mouth publicity and powerful media machines long for becoming the talk of the town.

Concerned with good as it is, Islam gives this tremendous social force a purpose. It must be used for promoting good, truth and justice and checking evil and injustice. That is the essence of amr-bil-maroof-wa-nahi-anil-munkar. And Qur’an declares it as the defining mission for this ummah:

“You are the best community that has been raised for mankind. You enjoin good and forbid evil and you believe in Allah.” [Aal-e-Imran, 3:110].

At another place Qur’an declares promoting good as an attribute of believers and promoting evil as an attribute of hypocrites:

“The believers, men and women, are protectors of each other: they enjoin what is right and forbid what is evil.”[Tauba, 9:71]

On the other hand,

“The hypocrites, both men and women, proceed one from another. They enjoin the wrong and forbid the right…”[Tauba, 9:67]

The implications are clear. It is not that a believer will never commit a mistake or be involved in evil. Only that he will never insist on it, justify it, or promote it. He may fail to do some required good. But he will never be a force opposing it. In the Islamic society sin is a private weakness, not a public cause. It is for this reason that repentance for a public sin must also be made in public while we must repent privately for our private sins. A public sin may have encouraged others to do the same. A public repentance will counter that.

Still in this life there will always be tendencies to deviate from the Straight Path. And in the institution of amr-bil-maroof, the Community of Believers has a built-in self- correcting mechanism. Consider cruise control in an automobile. Once turned on, it keeps monitoring the car speed and pulling it towards the set point. It does not mean absence of tendency to deviate from the desired speed, only an effective mechanism for monitoring and countering it. What cruise control does for car speed, amr-bil-maroof does for the direction of the society.

This mechanism works at two levels. At one level it is the responsibility of every member of the society. When we see a wrong we should correct it. A very famous hadith declares it as an issue of faith. “Whoever amongst you sees an evil should change it with his hand. If he is unable to do that then with his tongue. If he is unable to do that, then with his heart, and that is the weakest level of Iman.” [Muslim] So if a person does not even feel bad about an evil, he has no faith whatsoever. Similarly we are encouraged to promote good. One hadith promises that a person who persuades another one to do some good deed will get the same reward as the person he persuaded. At this level the responsibility of every member of the society is for his or her own sphere of influence: family, friends, colleagues, neighbors. When taken together these spheres would encompass the entire society.

At a higher level this is a specialized task. A full time job for a qualified group to always monitor the direction of the society and fight deviations at a collective level.

“Let there arise out of you a group inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong. They are the ones to attain success.”[Aal-e-Imran, 3:104]

This is the responsibility of the experts, the scholars, those qualified to lead the entire community.

Can we imagine what the ummah would look like had we followed this one teaching seriously? For today we seem to be doing exactly the opposite. There are Muslim women who have been pressured out of observing hijab by friends and relatives. Men and women have been enticed into riba transactions. All innovations (bid’at) and false social practices continue under social pressures. Bribery, backbiting, corruption, indecency, and dishonesty flourish under social approval. It is frightening to see how our real life matches the description given for the hypocrites. For we are warned that if we persuade others to commit a wrong we’ll add to our burden of sins by the same amount. It is one thing to commit a wrong out of weakness. It is totally different to advocate the wrong and willingly multiply our burden of sins.

At the collective level also, especially in the Muslim communities in the West, one can see a tendency to avoid raising voice against prevalent and accepted ills. It is far easier to give a pep talk about the virtues of Islam at the Friday Khutbah. At other places one may even hear advocacy of wrong in the name of ijtehad.

Of course for today’s secular world amr-bil-maroof is an alien concept. This world is driven by interests not principles. It professes belief in some moral values — like freedom– to be interpreted in the light of perceived interests. Thus defense of a person’s obscene attacks on Islam becomes a virtue. Yet it finds nothing wrong in curbing the freedom of those who may challenge its ideas, whether in Algeria or Egypt, in Kashmir or Palestine, because that threatens its interests. No one should be surprised at such contradictions when interests override relative moral values.

Yet we see a growing attitude in the Muslims in the West under the influence of this slogan of freedom. It effectively says: “This is my life, leave me alone.” But we must remember that the Islamic society is the only society with a declared mission of promoting good and forbidding evil. Its definition of good and evil is not subject to the whims and desires of every generation or the perceived interests of a nation-state either. They are permanent concepts as defined in its unalterable sources: Qur’an and Sunnah. In a world of moral relativism these permanent values are the hope for the whole mankind. To keep these alive in the society we need the institution of amr-bil-maroof.

Shaykh ‘Abdullah ‘Azzam, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

“You cannot live alone. Do not live alone, as the wolf eats up the lone sheep, and Satan is close to the one who is alone and is farther from two who are together. So, if you live somewhere, live with at least one other person, and this one person should be righteous.

Friends are like a row of connected test tubes: if liquid overflows in one tube, the excess flows into the other tubes until there is an equal amount of liquid in all the tubes. Likewise, if you live with corrupt people, they will take away many of your good deeds, and you will decrease and decrease and decrease until you are all equal in status. You will definitely end up like these interconnected test tubes. A group of friends are all like each other, and the longer the friendship lasts, the closer the character and manners of each person in the group will be to the others. Do not believe that a good person can live for long with a corrupt person, unless the corrupt person improves and follows the example of the good person.

This is why you should look for the good people, and a friend is like a chain: he will either drag you into Paradise or drag you into Hell. He will either cause you problems or he will help you solve your problems…

After this, work on guarding your tongue, because most of the torture in Hell is because of the tongue: “And will people be dragged on their faces into Hell because of anything other than what their tongues have brought forth?”

After this, work on making good use of your time. Do not waste your time. Always try to bring about some benefit from your social gatherings. So, if you see people talking about food, drink, telling jokes, etc., tell them: ‘Guys, I read a story today to tell you about something that happened in Syria, or something that the Afghans did,’ or say: ‘What do you think about this hadith? I read the tafsir of this verse to tell you about,’ etc. Benefit them in this gathering, and occupy them with something that will benefit them. Sit down together and read the Qur’an, read the biographies of the Prophet and the Companions, a simple explanation of the Qur’an such as ‘Tafsir al-Jalalayn’ – a simple, general explanation – and read a simple book of Fiqh, especially regarding how to pray. Read the entire section on how to pray, such as ‘Fiqh as-Sunnah.’ Read in detail how to make wudu’, because it doesn’t make sense to sit for thirty years not knowing the proper way of making wudu’, performing prayer, etc. – you pray while not knowing the fundamentals of the prayer and wudu’, and you do not know the details of optional fasting, etc. So, do all of this combined with good friends and a pure, truthful intention.

And stay away from women (and likewise, women should apply the same for men), as this is the source of all tribulation for those at your age, and in fact for those at any age. Stay from women who are forbidden for you. It is an obligation for you to stay away from them. Of course, all of the women in this land are forbidden for you. It is forbidden for you to look at them, it is forbidden for you to sit with them, it is forbidden for you to chat with them, and it is forbidden for you to be alone with them. The heart cannot bear these things because the glance is one of Iblis’s poisonous arrows. Whoever lowers his gaze from what Allah has forbidden will be given a sweetness by Allah that he will feel in his heart. But to look, to continue looking, and to allow this arrow to strike you in the heart – not just an arrow, but a poisonous arrow that poisons your heart – to let an arrow strike you day after day after day, this will make your heart weak and unable to face the problems of life. This is why you find a person who is drowning in desires to be weak-hearted…As for the heart of the believer, his heart is strong and he isn’t affected by anything. His heart is strenghtened by worship, and therefore does not become scared or shaky. As for the heart of the sinner, you see it shaking. Why? Because the arrows have killed him just like someone who has an ulcer in his stomach and cannot eat because of it.

Work for Allah and stick together, and the more you work for Allah, the more your souls will become strong and rise, and you will ascend rapidly upon the path of those who are ascending towards Allah. I advise you to recite the Qur’an everyday, because the Qur’an is like water for a plant. It is the life of the heart, and the water and life for the heart is the Qur’an…”

['at-Tarbiyah al-Jihadiyyah wal-Bina''; 5/35-36]

from the Ignored Puzzle Pieces

thanks to Mohammed Hassim who emailed me this article.

Physically Challenged Deserve Dignified Treatment!
By A Husein

Historically, people with physical disabilities have been referred to as “handicapped,” as “disabled,” and as “crippled,” but more recently, there has been a shift to use more dignified terminology and so more and more we hear talk of the “physically challenged.”
According to Islamic teachings, we say that Almighty Allah has tested such and such person with blindness or hearing loss or any number of other physical challenges. Saying someone has been tested by Almighty Allah is very different than treating them differently because of whatever physical challenge with which Almighty Allah has tested them. Islamic teachings enjoin us to treat with dignity and respect those in our family and community who are physically challenged.

Twice Tested: First By Allah, Then By Family and Friends
Most often, people who are physically challenged are already very self-conscious with the level of their consciousness being directly related to the type and nature of their particular challenge. They accept that they have been tested by Almighty Allah, and that according to Islamic teachings, they are not to engage in the type of self-victimizing thinking which leads to thoughts and statements. such as “why me,” or “why is Almighty Allah punishing me,” or even worse, “I wish I was dead and did not have to live like this.”

The real problem is that in addition to being tested by Almighty Allah, such people are often further tested by family and friends. Much in contradiction with the sublime teachings of the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), we end up testing people who are physically challenged further by treating them as if they are somehow less human; less complete than the rest of us.
Depending on the particular familial or cultural approach, this contradiction manifests itself in a number of ways ranging from the physically challenged person being relegated to some corner of the house with little or no social contact, to being constantly reminded of how embarrassed the family is because of their condition or how difficult it is on the family to have to bear the burden of having to care for or provide for them.
If the physically challenged person is young, the consequences are sometimes worse because other young people might not only treat them differently, they might actually ridicule them, abuse them verbally and physically, and alienate them entirely. All such behavior is contradictory to our Islamic teachings. Disrespecting the physically challenged tests them beyond that with which Almighty Allah has already tested them. It is time that we restore to them the dignity and respect which Almighty Allah has granted them.

Valuing the Physically Challenged For Who They Are
As a young Muslim, especially if Almighty Allah has blessed you with good health, you have to appreciate that your quality of life is much different than a young or old person who is physically challenged. Therefore, you have a tremendously significant role in changing the manner in which your own family and community treat such people.

We must begin to value the physically challenged for who they are. Ask yourself what possible gain is there in ridiculing a person who is unable to walk? A person who is unable to talk? A person who is unable to hear? What possible gain is there in ridiculing a person who is blind? What can they do if they have been tested by Almighty Allah with the loss of sight?
Spending time with a blind person might help us to realize that although they cannot physically see the world, there is much about the world, which they can perceive, and about which they have ideas, opinions, and feelings.
There are, for example, increasing efforts around the world to refine the production of Qur’ans in Braille text so that blind people can have access to the beautiful message contained in it. There are also various efforts being made to help blind children to memorize the Qur’an.

Valuing the physically challenged in general, and especially the blind, for their tremendous inherent potential is a lesson which Almighty Allah saw fit to include in the Qur’an. During the height of his efforts to convey the teachings of Islam to the powerful and influential men of Makkah, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was approached one day by a blind man who sought to understand the message of Islam. In a very human moment, which has been recorded in the Qur’an for eternity, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) frowned and turned his attention away from the blind man. A chapter of the Qur’an is entitled “He Frowned” (Sura Abasa) and it documents the Prophet’s actions and the reminder from Almighty Allah that while on the surface the man seeking knowledge was blind, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and all of us should keep in mind that perhaps he and others like him, would benefit from being valued and accepted for who they are.

In another example, Ibn Um Maktum, (may Allah be pleased with him) was in the company of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), as he dictated to Zaid bin Thabit the Prophet’s scribe, the verse: “Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home) and those who strive and fight in the Cause of Allah.”
We learn from the narration of Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) that “Ibn Um Maktum came while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was dictating to me, and said, “O Allah’s Apostle! By Allah, if I had the power to fight (in Allah’s Cause), I would,” and he was a blind man. Therefore, Almighty Allah revealed to His Apostle “Except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame etc).” (Sahih Bukhari, Book 60, Hadith 116).

So valued are the physically challenged in the sight of Almighty Allah that their physical challenge was not held against them; rather, they were given an exemption from the requirement of those who are physically able, to strive in the path of Almighty Allah.

Final Thoughts
Islamic teachings enjoin upon us the treatment of physically challenged people with respect and dignity. Despite all of the advances in medicine and biomedical engineering, there are still among us people who live daily with the physical challenges with which Almighty Allah has tested them. To the extent they are capable of doing so, they should be given the opportunity to enjoy all aspects of life. Our goal should be that we will not test such people further.

We should do our best to ensure that we do not treat the physically challenged differently. We should value them for who they are; beautiful and unique human beings who have been created by Almighty Allah.

“Anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day should say what is good or keep quiet.” Sahih Al-Bukhari,