Hassan Mujahid
During the blessed Prophetic era, Muslims consistently triumphed over the disbelievers. Whenever they embarked on a military campaign, even if it required a journey of several weeks, their enemies would tremble in fear, and the mere mention of their arrival would send waves of panic through opposing ranks.
In the Battle of Badr, 313 dedicated mujahideen defeated an army of over a thousand well-equipped enemies. At the Battle of the Trench, a small group of Muslims employed brilliant strategy by digging a trench, successfully halting a coalition of ten thousand. They went on to conquer the mighty fortresses of Khaybar, which were considered virtually impenetrable. In the Battle of Mu’tah, just three thousand Muslim warriors faced a Roman force of two hundred thousand and held their ground with honor after a fierce engagement.
These victories were not isolated. The golden ages of the Rashidun, Umayyad, Abbasid, and Ottoman Caliphates bear witness to widespread Islamic conquests and the continuous defeat of disbelieving forces. Yet, with the fall of the Ottoman Caliphate, Muslims began to drift from the path that once led them to glory, while the disbelievers adopted three foundational strategies that reshaped global power dynamics.
1. They chose unity over enmity. The Jews aligned with the Christians, who in turn joined forces with the polytheists, forming a unified front against Islam.
2. They made intellect, education, and modern technology their instruments of power.
3. They waged intellectual warfare against Muslims, colonizing minds, sowing doubt in Islamic beliefs, culture, and values, to the extent that some, under the banner of Islam, began to oppose it from within.
In stark contrast, Muslims abandoned the core principles that once brought them success.
1. They replaced unity with division, prejudice, conflict, and fragmentation.
2. They turned away from the religion of Allah, becoming entangled in worldly distractions and pleasures.
3. They forsook modern education and intellectual advancement, choosing instead frivolity and a directionless existence.
The consequences are tragically evident. Today, a global population of merely 13 million Jews wields disproportionate influence over 2 billion Muslims. On one side of the globe, disbelievers operate drone aircraft powered by advanced computer technology; on the other, they bomb Muslim lands, while Muslims remain unable to respond or defend themselves. They are being killed mercilessly, like helpless livestock, while the Ummah watches in sorrow, eyes filled with tears.
It is vital to recognize a fundamental truth: when the battlefield is governed by strength, crying and protesting yield no result. If preparation were not essential, Allah would not have commanded in the Qur’an:
“And prepare against them whatever you are able of power…” (Surah Al-Anfal, 8:60)
We, the Muslim Ummah, possess all the resources needed for power and dignity: minerals, gems, oil, gas, and the raw materials necessary for technological advancement. These blessings lie beneath our soil. Yet, we have embraced heedlessness. We have turned our backs on hard work, knowledge, and unity, and have settled for lives of humiliation and decline.
If we truly desire revival and honor once again, we must awaken from our slumber. We must reflect deeply, pursue meaningful education, adopt beneficial technologies, restore unity, and above all, return to Allah. For indeed:
“Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves.” (Surah Ar-Ra’d, 13:11)
