Combating Secular Extremism

August 14, 2008

This article was written for a leaflet given out by Dawah carriers at the Secularist talk: ‘Combating Islamic extremism’ given by Tariq Ramadan, hosted by City Circle on 27th March 2006 at the London School of Economics.

Combating Secular Extremism

 

Whereas some people may ask “how do we combat Islamic extremism?” the first question that should be asked is “what is Islamic extremism and is it a bad thing?” This question must be asked, because the term ‘Islamic Extremism’ not only is attached to a negative preconception, but is used to refer to a reality and people which aren’t in truth ‘extreme’, this smacks of a prejudice unbefitting a society that believes that individuals and ideas are ‘innocent till proven guilty’.

 

Islam is a comprehensive way of life. It is an ideology that contains a specific viewpoint to life (the establishment of man’s purpose in life in the affairs of life) which forms an ideal and a basis for human society and whose solutions to human problems naturally and purposefully manifest themselves in the forms of Political, Economical, Ruling, Educational and Social systems as well as peoples universal rights.

 

If Islam is understood as such, then those who call for this way of life, comprehensively and ideologically and who reject systems built on the philosophic compromises between man’s life and his purpose in life (Secularism) and the ruling system of it- Democracy (a self-interest based selection by the majority- of a minority to rule the people), are actually in fact, being true to their beliefs and making a principled stand for them.

 

These people should not be labeled ‘extremists’ by a others who misunderstand them and their ideas but rather their should be labeled ‘Ideological’, like others who hold the ideology of Communism or Capitalism. Would it be fitting to call a Communist- an atheist extremist? (Because dialectical materialism and materialism is based on atheism) or would it be fitting to call a Capitalist- a Secular extremist?

 

These other ideologies propagate the comprehensive implementation of their core creeds and the rejection of others so why can’t the Muslims do the same?

The REAL problem is not the Muslims who stay true to their comprehensive way of life, it is the Muslims who have adopted Secularism and fused it with Islam using Islamic principles taken out of context, so that Islam becomes compatible with western ideology and restricted to merely being a religious set of beliefs with no further political impact locally or globally and Muslims integrate into artificial nationalities which sever them from considering the affairs of Muslims in other parts of the world.

 

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“He who wakes up in the morning and does not think of the affairs of the muslims is not one of us” (Sahih muslim)

 

These ideas are the real problem and Muslims should make their utmost efforts to intellectually combat them and those who champion them.

 

The Messenger of Allah (saw) also said,


من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد

‘Whoever brings something that is not from our affair (Islam), it is rejected.’ (Sahih Bukhari)

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Posted by Abdullah al Andalusi

Who Needs a Secular State?

August 12, 2008

 

This article was written for a leaflet given out at the talk: ‘Who needs an Islamic State?’ given by Abdul-Wahhab ul Affendi, hosted by City Circle on 6th June 2008 in Abrar House.

Who Needs a Secular State?

(or ‘Who needs a Secular Muslim Revisionist?’)

 

‘Who needs an Islamic state?’, the question would be funny if it weren’t so serious. It is the equivalent of asking ‘Who needs to believe in One God?’ or ‘Who needs to believe in Muhammed (saw) to be Muslim?’

 

Unfortunately, due to the absence of the practical implementation of the Islamic way of life on a societal level, and the pervasiveness of the Capitalist ideology (a.k.a ‘liberal democracy’), some Muslims have become so defeated, they question Islamic history from a pro-secular viewpoint, and adduce that Islam had no model for ruling and organising Man’s affairs (i.e. politics, economics, penal system etc).

 

This is despite the blatant fact that the Prophet Muhammed (saw) was a political leader who ruled according to the revelation from God, in ALL matters pertaining to politics, diplomacy, economics, social system, judiciary/penal system and many other areas.

 

‘And so (O Muhammad) judge/rule [Hukm] among them in accordance with God’s revelations to you’

[Quran 5:49]

 

Can we use Western methods to achieve Islamic objectives?

 

There is much talk of using ‘modern methods’ to establish ‘Islamic objectives’, but in reality these are deliberately misused in order to pervert the Islamic system of ruling, and turn the Muslim concept of politics into something subservient to western political theory and ruling systems.

 

Though Islam and the West have a concept called ‘Justice’, do they mean the same thing? Likewise, do Muslims and the West both have a conception of terrorism and fighting for justice, when Muslim anti-occupation fighters are called terrorists and the US Marines are called just?

 

Obviously, Islam has a very different concept of justice to the West. This is just as the West has a different concept of justice to communists. The West have, in the pursuit of it’s definition of justice, imposed virtually absolute legal equality upon it’s citizens, whereby everyone under the law gets equal rights. But it does not take into account that people are different from each other, with some who are stronger and others who are weaker than others (e.g. free speech for everyone to slander who they like and verbally defend themselves is good, until you consider that media mogul Rupert Murdoch has considerably more power than you to express his opinions! – though you both have equal rights!).

 

Likewise, communists believed in economic equality, where everyone gets the same about of wealth, thereby creating justice. The problem with this is, that different people have different abilities, thus those who had more to offer society felt oppressed and unsupported to reach their full potential.

 

Islam answers this differently. Islam does not believe in equality because people are different to each other in strengths, weaknesses, abilities and skills. Islam addressed man’s human nature by assigning to man EQUITY amongst his fellow man. The Islamic concept of justice is about preventing the strong from oppressing the weak, or having an advantage against the weak such that the weak do not realise their rights as humans [Islam also has a different concept of human rights, but this is for another discussion!].

 

Finally, since Islam was not the first to introduce the concept called ‘Justice’, why did the Quran come in the first place if it were possible to establish justice without revelation?

 

We have sent our messengers with Clarifications. And We revealed with them the Book (of Allah) and the STANDARD, so that people may establish Justice…

[Quran 57:25]

Secularism, an irrational ideology

 

In conclusion, Islam must be studied rationally, devoid of prejudice or bias to derive solutions for how mankind should live. Furthermore, it is not only Islam that should be studied rationally, but also Western political theory. If Western political theory was studied rationally, then the blatant flaws in it’s premises and derived solutions would become apparent.

 

If we looked at Secularism, we notice that it stipulates a separation of religion from lifes affairs (politics). If this is the case, does that make sense? How can man’s purpose in life be separate from his life’s affairs?

It’s like saying ‘a car’s purpose for transportation has no connection to its natural use’! Again, it would be funny if it weren’t so serious…

 

Response from the Quran to Western Social Theory

 

Would Allah (swt) fail to mention how humans should live in accordance with his purpose?

 

Does man think that he will be left aimless?

[Quran, 75:36]

 

Can humans determine there own criteria of what is good for them, and build a system of life around it?

 

It may be that you hate something when it is good for you and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. God knows and you do not know

[Surat al-Baqara: 216]

Was the Prophet’s state a democracy? Did he rule by will of the people?

 

‘Do not follow their wishes, and beware lest they divert you from some of GOD’s revelations to you, if they turn away, then know that GOD wills to punish them for some of their sins. Indeed, many people are wicked.

[Quran 5:49]

What does the Quran say about Majorities being able to make decisions?

 

“And if you obey most of the people on Earth, they will lead you astray”

[Quran, sura al-Anaam 116]

 

Has Allah (swt) not given us a method by which we may implement the laws of Islam?

 

‘To each among you have we prescribed a law [hukm] and a way [Tahreeq – method of implementation]’

[Quran 5:48]

 

Was the Prophet Muhammed (saw) merely an absolute ruler?

 

It is not (right) that a man, to whom is given the Book, and Wisdom, and the prophetic office, should say to people: “Be ye my servants rather than Allah’s”: on the contrary (He would say) “Be ye worshippers of Him Who is truly the Cherisher of all: For ye have taught the Book and ye have studied it earnestly.” 

[Quran 3:79] 

 

Can Islam use other Ideologies and theories to supplement it’s viewpoint to political system?

Say (O Muhammad): “Shall I seek for judge [HAKAMan] other than Allah? – when He it is Who hath sent unto you the Book, explained in detail.” They know full well, to whom We have given the Book, that it hath been sent down from thy Lord in truth. Never be then of those who doubt.

[Quran 6:114]

All these verses, conclusively prove that Islam has a distinct, detailed and elaborate system of ruling and government. This system is pure, consistent with human nature, and able to advance the potential of man further than any other ideology in the world today.

 

Instead of aping the West and prostrating ourselves to western political theory and solutions, let us be proud of Islam, strive to establish it and create a noble, progressive and advanced Khilafah, to take us into the 21st century and beyond.

 

May Allah (swt) bring victory to the dawah carriers, Unity to the Ummah and enlightenment to those who ponder over the signs of Allah (swt).

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Posted by Abdullah al Andalusi

The New Muslim Marriage Contract

August 11, 2008

This article was written for a leaflet given out at the event: ‘Launch of ‘The Muslim Marriage Contract’’ hosted by City Circle on 8th August in Abrar House:

http://www.thecitycircle.com/events_full_text2.php?id=521

The New (Western) ‘Islamic’ Marriage Contract

In western culture and social theory, men and women are legally exactly equal. The actually existing differences between a man and a woman are portrayed as not different to the issue of race.

Western theory casually ignores the importance of the concepts of femininity and masculinity as key psychological actors which serve to bind a couple together in a perfect and compassionate relationship, and thus treats the issue of family as no different to a partnership of two people without gender.

Furthermore, the self-sufficient individuality and self-centred culture in the west has created a society of people which not only shirk responsibility, but actually detest it! Into this milieu, the west has created a legal system which inhumanely ignores the physical and psychological differences between and man and a woman, and consequently ignores their psychological and physical needs with regard to the opposite sex.

 

The west’s androgynous culture has led marriages to become scenes of power struggle, conflicting interests and disfunctionality, to such an extent that half of all marriages either end in divorce or whether a storm of infidelity, neglect and even abuse!

 

In line with Western legal theory on the nature of a male and female, women are not in need of protection, so they do not need to be given away by a guardian, marriages are terminable by either the male or the female at whim, and the female may be granted access to the males financial assets even though she might of initiated the divorce unjustly.

 

So it is conspicuous, but not coincidental, that suddenly a new marriage contract for Muslims is being devised which, under the pretext of ‘guarantying greater harmony within Muslim marriages in Britain’, uncannily resembles Western legal opinions on the issue of marriage rights.

To discuss the points in depth, orthodox Islam grants the right to women to get a divorce if her Islamic rights are breached. If this is the case, she is are allowed alimony (financial recompense from the husband). But if the woman divorces her husband on her whim (e.g. shes is bored of him etc), she is not allowed to claim alimony – as this will be an injustice on the man if he is made to pay. If the man divorces his wife on whim, he MUST pay alimony, since she has been divorced for no good reason. This is the justice of Islam that the secularists seek to unravel and change into an image pleasing to the west!

Also, orthodox Islam and every single madhab has concurred with the irrefutable textual evidence, that the woman must have a wali (guardian) to give her away, and if she has none, she may choose a reputable sheikh (under Islamic law, the Caliph was the wali to women who had none). Having a wali, acts as a protection and prevents women from being abused (aka ‘played’ to coin a western term). To remove this protection from women, opens up any woman to being vulnerable to unserious and insincere suitors and will cause serious harm to society (as is already witnessed in the west).

 

Islam does not believe in equality of the sexes, but rather, Islam believes in equity. It acknowledges a man’s differences and a woman’s differences, and seeks to organise them in an enlightened manner so as to bring peace and fulfillment to both, in accordance with their purpose as created human beings.

 

“…and the male is not like the female…” [Quran 3:36]

“Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel (physically) the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women)” [Quran 4:34]

 

Furthermore, how does ‘ the role Muslim women play in modern societies’ create a different human environment then has been encountered before by Muslims 1400 years ago? When woman worked, taught and became scholars of hadith! Did Islam give exceptions for the Islamic rules of marriage then? The answer, much to the dismay of ‘modernist’ (aka secularist or status quoist) Muslims, is no.

“…And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them in kindness, and men are a degree above them…” [Quran 2:228]

 

 

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Posted by Abdullah al Andalusi

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