Allah is beautiful and loves beauty. It is for this that the whole of Allah’s creation has been designed and created according to the highest heavenly standard of splendor and order impossible to be ever emulated by anyone. Allah says : “Such is the Creation of Allah: now show Me what is there that others besides Him have created…” (Luqman 31:11). “…(Such is) the artistry of Allah, Who disposes of all things in perfect order…” (al-Naml 27:88). Since man has been created as the vicegerent on earth to whose use all things in the heavens and on earth had been subjected (Luqman 31:20), man stands for an essential part of the intricate picturesque network of creation, serving the Creator’s universal plan: “We have indeed created man in the best of moulds” (al-Tin 4). Man is created as the most beautiful creature on earth. He is given the power of reasoning and insight. He is created as the vicegerent on earth never to be forsaken by God’s words of guidance. It is the duty of a good Muslim to work for the welfare of the whole world. The great and glorious heritage of Muslims can be recalled by briefly surveying what Islam has already contributed to the world’s civilization, education, culture and to scientific development. It is unfortunate that Muslim world at present is kept busy in war. Our fellow Muslims are abused and wronged, and we just make sure that our “country” is safe. It is sad to see that everyone nowadays thinks in terms of “countries”, not Ummah. It is really very sad to see that more and more Muslim countries keep suffering due to foreign atrocities, and majority of the Muslims just do not care. When will we wake up and support each other, or at least support and guide those who wish to try?
According to Holy Quran 03:103 (Surah al-Imran) And hold fast, all together, by the Rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah’s favor on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren; and ye were on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus doth Allah make His Signs clear to you: That ye may be guided. Today, the primary cause of bloodshed in the Muslim world is the conflict among Muslims. Contrary to the very spirit of the holy Qur’an, some Muslims have come to regard one another as enemies.
Based solely on this perverse belief, they consider themselves as justified in killing one another and shedding the blood of one another. According to Holy Quran 06:159 (al-An’am) As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, thou hast no part in them in the least: their affair is with Allah: He will in the end tell them the truth of all that they did. Allah’s Apostle (PBUH) said, “Whoever prays like us and faces our Qiblah and eats our slaughtered animals is a Muslim and is under Allah’s and His Apostle’s protection. So do not betray Allah by betraying those who are in His protection.” The oppression and slaughter of Muslims in every part of the world could end right away with the establishment of a union of Islamic countries. In this union, while member states’ independence and national borders are preserved, they can be united under a shared Islamic culture, and develop common policies.
Today, however, because of the largely sectarian disputes, Muslims remain disintegrated, merely watching the persecution going on from a distance. In the Qur’an, God commands all Muslims to be united, and to join forces for an intellectual struggle against oppression in this world. Despite this clear obligation, however, Muslims fail to fulfill this important command because of the ongoing conflicts and disagreements among themselves. Muslims’ Divine Book is the Holy Qur’an; and God reveals everything that He has made unlawful and lawful for His servants in the Qur’an. According to the holy Qur’an, Muslims are brothers, and any sort of quarrel and dissension among brothers are unacceptable. Islam stresses what unites people, and not what causes division. There is co-existence, collaboration and opting for the common ground for the sake of the good of humanity, and not separation, self-righteousness, and self-interests. Focusing on discrepancies and differences among the different Islamic schools would deliver no positive results for any individual in the Islamic world. The good of the Islamic world lies in the spirit of ‘unity and solidarity’ which is set forth in the Qur’an. Obey God and His Messenger and do not quarrel among yourselves lest you lose heart and your momentum disappear. And be steadfast.
God is with the steadfast. (The Qur’an; 8: 46) In the Islamic world the tendency to blame the West for the troubles afflicting Muslims is prevalent; the real blame, however, lies with the Muslim world that is unable to escape the trap of disunity. Establishing the unity, as God commands in the Qur’an, and living by the real conception of Islam revealed in it will quickly disperse the dark clouds over the Islamic world. This is the recipe God shows us in the Qur’an. If the Islamic world does not make an alliance within itself, God informs us that there would be mischief and turmoil in the land. (The Qur’an; 8; 73) The main accomplishment of the Islamic world would be to disallow any conflict among schools or races, and meet on the common ground. This unity will be the means by which the beauty of Islam will spread to the entire region. This unity will ensure the solution to internal problems and prevention of other countries’ intervening in the internal affairs of Muslims. Furthermore this unity will be the means by which all the conflicts among various schools – as well as civil wars and seemingly unceasing turmoil – will come to an end. The Islamic world should keep in mind that they can only stand in unity as one body when it is integrated around one center.
It is well said that, when there is “unity” the entirety of the organs of the body are in comfort and function like the gears of a factory in harmony and completion. In the good morals of Islam, one hand does not compete with another, one eye does not criticize the other, the tongue does not object to the ear, the heart does not divulge the error of the soul; on the contrary, all these complement and cover their deficiencies to provide for all their needs. In brief: the rights of the entire Muslim world will be preserved, all discrimination, unjust practices and oppression will end, and an amazingly mighty political, social and economic power will arise. There are different cultures and traditions in the Islamic world. This is perfectly normal. However without making it a matter of dissension, it is important to bring these differences together in a unity of belief and pluralistic solidarity. Let us remind ourselves that weak faith overshadows the brightness of a heart as we learn from a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): “There is no heart that is not covered by a cloud like the cloud covering the moon when it is shining, and so it suddenly goes dark, but when it (the cloud) goes away, it shines again.” (Reported by Abu Na’eem in al-Hilyah, 2/196; al- Silsilat al-Saheehah, 2268) A sincere effort on our part can help us repel such darkness, which manifests itself as dissatisfaction in life, depression, and misery.
If the Islamic world does not make an alliance within itself, God informs us that there would be mischief and turmoil in the land. (The Qur’an; 8; 73)
According to the Islamic moral values Muslims must always keep in mind that they are brothers. And their race, language, nation or school does not alter this fact. Therefore, differences within the Islamic world must be regarded as sources of wealth. These differences must not be rendered into causes of division and conflict that lead Muslims to fall out with one another. In the current global scenario, a country cannot live in isolation. The world has literally been transformed into a global village wherein interests of various countries are intertwined. This is the very reason behind formation of several international unions so as to enable various countries help coordinate with each other effectively for mutual gains. Numerous international organizations such as the United Nations founded on the heels of the World War II, the European Union founded during the Cold War, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (renamed Organization of Islamic Cooperation), the Arab League, the Warsaw Pact (reformed as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization), NATO and the Socialist International are all active within the framework of their own policies. Unfortunately, none of these organizations have so far succeeded in weeding out evils from the world. The only rational thing to do is therefore for people who espouse goodness; love and affection get united against those groups that are allied with evil.
For years, materialist and imperialist currents have led to wars, occupations and destruction and still pose a great threat to humanity. If the Islamic world wished to emerge as a power, stable and prosperous bloc among the comity of nations, it must act as one. Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) as saying: The similitude of believers in regard to mutual love, affection, fellow-feeling is that of one body; when any limb of it aches, the whole body aches, because of sleeplessness and fever. The importance of unity has become more important in the current scenario as absence of unity is preventing a common voice being heard from the Islamic world. The divides among Muslims have left innocent Muslims at the mercy of others and literally unprotected. Helpless women, children and old people in many countries like Syria, Palestine, Bangladesh, Kashmir and Myanmar etc. are all waiting for their brethren to save them from persecution. These innocent people are the responsibility of the Islamic world more than anyone else. We must not forget that Islam orders Muslims to forge unity among their ranks. And Allah has ordered Muslims to strive together if they are wronged.
We need to wage an intellectual struggle and get united against injustice and violence of human rights. It is high time Muslims formed an alliance on the lines of the European Union envisaging broader economic, political, military, social and cultural collaboration. If one studies the idea carefully, he/she would be surprised that the geostrategic location of the entire Muslim bloc makes the idea viable and easy to implement and if we pool all our resources and ease trade and travel regimens, the results will be beyond our imaginations. We will have an edge over all such unions, as ours will be a union of love, friendship and willingness. In that respect, the Islamic Union will be a grand union of peace envied by all. All the Muslim countries that join the Islamic Union must promise to respect the independence, equality and sovereignty of the states in their common territory. In this way, member countries will maintain their own state structures but be able to act as a common and single nation toward the outside world on those matters on which they agree to collaborate.
Member states should be independent in their internal affairs, and must encourage resolution of disagreements through peaceful means. Protection of minorities as commanded by Islam should be ensured to gain respect worldwide. Of course, the tolerance inherent in Islam, meaning peace, and the conception of love and union of the Age of Felicity when our Holy Prophet (pbuh) was alive will be the reference points for the establishment of the fundamental principles of this union. The OIC with its 57 member states has been active since 1969. In its present form, however, the organization is far from possessing the characteristics of this union of love we just proposed. Despite the fact that it is the world’s second largest organization of its kind after the United Nations, the effectiveness of this conglomeration is still questionable. It was founded to resolve the problems of 1.6 billion Muslims and establish cooperation among countries.
Unfortunately, it has miserably failed in resolving issues facing the Muslim world or in emerging as a strong voice supporting Muslim causes. In the wake of the unrest in various Muslim countries in the Middle East, foreign powers had to fill the gap of authority and power and intervene to resolve the internal issues of the Muslim world. This is very saddening. Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, “Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales and do not look for the others’ faults, and do not spy on one another, and do not indulge in Najsh, and do not be jealous of one another, and do not hate one another, and do not desert (stop talking to) one another. And O Allah’s worshipers! Be brothers!” (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 73, Number 92) What needs to be done is the immediate establishment of a voluntary union that resolves problems, and looks to the development issues and problem resolution on a constant basis rather than just meeting once a year. It is time to act together to build an Islamic territory in which Muslims live in peace and tranquility in Islamic cities constructed with artistry, in which quality of life is raised to the highest possible level and where all of us embrace each other wholeheartedly. This is perhaps the only way to get rid of the negative impact of the so-called spring that has marred all prospects of peace and prosperity in the Muslim world. Unity of Muslims is essential for the good of each Muslim in this world. In the absence of unity, the Muslim world is merely setting itself up to be torn asunder. To conclude, muslims should be patient and encourage reform through non-violent actions as long as they are not commanded to commit sins.
The holy Prophet (pbuh) said: Listening to and obeying the leader is an obligation upon a Muslim, whether he likes it or dislikes it, as long as he is not commanded to disobey Allah. If he is commanded to disobey, then there is no listening or obedience (Sahih al-Bukhari 2796). Muslim must be patient and wise in the face of injustice, it may be necessary to become vocal and assertive if the ruler or anyone in power is a stubborn oppressor. Speaking the truth infront of a tyrannical ruler is a form of non-violent jihad without weapons. Let us pray for Allah to guide the rulers and their supporters to right conduct.
——( The author a teacher at S K University of Agriculture Sciences & Technology-SKUAST Srinagar writes on Islamic topics exclusively for “Kashmir Horizon”)