Part 2
Written by: Mufti Bashir Ahmad Muhajir
The Quranic verse:
“وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَا تَنَازَعُوا فَتَفْشَلُوا وَتَذْهَبَ رِيحُكُمْ وَاصْبِرُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ” (سورة الانفال: ۴۶ )
Translation:
“And obey Allah and His Messenger and do not dispute and [thus] lose courage and [then] your strength would depart; and be patient. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” (Surah Al-Anfal: 46)
This verse, which we referenced in the initial segment of this series, imparts a crucial lesson to the entire Muslim Ummah: Comply with Allah Almighty and His Messenger (peace be upon him) entirely and abstain from internal conflicts.
If a nation or Ummah replaces obedience to Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) with disobedience, rebellion, and sin, Allah punishes that nation in two ways:
1. By subjecting them to a general calamity.
2. By imposing oppressors over them, humiliating and disgracing them until they become utterly subjugated.
Now, let us examine the state of the Ummah, referred to as “Khair-ul-Umam” (the best of nations). This is the Ummah of the last Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him), which is the most honorable among all nations. The pioneers and leaders of this Ummah were the conveyors of knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and humanity to the world. This Ummah uprooted the vices of evil, corruption, misfortune, and ignorance. It disseminated ethics across the world, showcased humanity its rightful status, shut down the avenues of tyranny, and reconciled foes, uniting them as kin.
Intellectuals and thinkers are perplexed: What has caused such a noble Ummah—once a source of every virtue, every good deed, and every upright human being—to now head toward destruction and loss? Why has it descended into decline, losing ground day by day?
Despite being the world’s second-largest community by population and having Islam— the truth— as its faith, contemporary Muslims tend to adopt religions such as Hinduism, laden with ignorance, fallacies, and superstitions. They are also adopting other invalidated religions whose books have been corrupted and filled with human fabrications. Yet, Muslims abandon their faith, worship idols, or place their trust in the false beliefs.
The forsaking of the true religion and the embrace of pernicious ideologies or abandoning Islamic traditions for alien cultures reveal a deeper issue. It evinces that certain ideations and trends have surfaced within the Ummah, diverting it from its primary objective, steering it towards moral degeneration, impiety, immorality, and indecency.
The Causes of Decline in the Muslim Ummah
1. Abandonment of Jihad
One of the primary reasons for the decline of the Muslim Ummah is its abandonment of Jihad. By neglecting Jihad, the Ummah has lost its honor and dignity and has distanced itself from obedience to Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him). The forsaking of Jihad has led to the loss of Islamic systems and the caliphate.
Today, Muslims lack control over their own territories and politics. Internal disputes grow daily, and much of their leadership is controlled by external forces. Reflecting on this, the question arises: What path can the Muslim Ummah take to emerge from this state of humiliation and disgrace and restore its glorious history and honor? How can it once again implement the sacred laws of Islam globally and reclaim the lands it has lost?
The only solution to this dire condition lies in returning to Jihad.
Wherever Muslims encounter hardships and tribulations today, it is because they have forsaken the divine decree of Jihad. Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
اذا تبایعتم بالعینة وأخذتم أذناب البقرورضیتم بالزرع وترکتم الجهاد سلط الله علیکم ذلا، لاینزعه شیئ حتی ترجعوا الی دینکم). “رواه احمدوأبوداؤد”
Translation:
“When you engage in usurious transactions, hold onto the tails of cows, become content with farming, and abandon Jihad, Allah will inflict a humiliation upon you which will not be removed until you return to your religion.” (Ahmad and Abu Dawood)
This prophetic warning illustrates that abandoning Jihad and focusing solely on worldly pursuits will lead to the Ummah’s humiliation. This disgrace will persist until the Ummah returns to the teachings of its religion.
