Global Intifada

One of the greatest objections to the establishment of an Islamic form of government is that it will be ‘oppressive’ and the people will rebel against it.

Two Responses:

Firstly, if we want to accuse Islam of being ‘oppressive’ and ‘unmodern’, we need to first define what these terms mean and how Islam understands them. For example, Allah (swt) in the Qu’ran recognizes that oppression is bad, but it also recognizes that it is worse than slaughter, and therefore legitimizes warfare by a valid state for a just cause so long as the means for prosecuting the war are also just and do not become oppressive themselves. In Islam, it is true that the enforcement of laws by the State may be deemed co-ercive and ‘oppressive’ from the vantage point of some. However, allowing people to do certain sins is more oppressive because oppression isn’t limited to the harms of a state against an individual or a group against an individual or an individual against another individual, but also includes the harms that an individual does against his own self either through rejecting the message of Islam after it has been clearly explained to him or the sins that he commits. As such, coercion by the state is not an issue if the objectives of the state are valid and their is a valid means for prosecuting it.

Secondly, this doesn’t necessarily mean that we impose the Shari’ah all in one shot. We should note that in the time of the Prophet (saw), the laws were revealed gradually, largely in Madinah. Prior to Madinah, the Sahabah (ra) had a lot of time to absorb the aqeedah of Islam. The Muslims of today, however, have major issues with their aqeedah, going so far as questioning basic principles of our aqeedah, rejecting hadeeth, and some go so far as to say that the Qur’an is no longer a valid legislative text. (naudhubillah!) Furthermore, unlike previous generations were the Islamic state was temporarily dissolved, this generation of Muslims have been without an Islamic form of government for almost 100 years and have, in the meantime, adopted a way of life that is not from Islam, and in fact, is mutually exclusive to Islam in many ways. Recognizing the conditions of our society enables us to construct better solutions.

Given that Muslim society today is in shambles, with an unprecedented period of jahiliyyah, the method of implementing the Shari’ah is going to be slightly different than has occurred in previous generations. My recommendation would be the implementation of five year programs supplemented by the Islamicization of the naitonal educational curriculum.

With regards the five year plans, the state should first focus on major crimes such as murder, theft, consumption of intoxicating substances. Then, after five years, if the execution of the law has been efficiently conducted and is actually applied, then more laws of the Shari’ah will be enforced. Such as prayer, hijab, etc. The point is to start on the big things and then work your way down. Hence, the application of the law will be implemented in accordance to the condition of the people. A law which is not able to be enforced is not a law at all. It is important, in reviving the Ummah, that we revive not only the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law. As such, it is important that we recognize that each law within the Shari’ah has a purpose that is instrinsically related to the goals of the Shari’ah (Al Maqasid al-Shari’ah).

However, this in and of itself will not be sufficient. One of the major problems of our era is jahiliyyah. People might reject certain laws of the Shari’ah out of pure ignorance of the Sciences of Islam. This jahiliyyah has been caused by two major reasons: firstly, the elimination of the authority of the ‘Ulema from the ‘top’, i.e. being evicted from important roles in the government as advisors to the rulers and as independent adjudicators; secondly, the elimination of the authority of the ‘Ulema from the ‘bottom’ due to the rice of mass education and literacy which has resulted in the creation of new elites (often educated in the Western sciences and liberal arts) and confusion amongst the masses. The only way to remedy this jahiliyyah, which will be one of the most immediate goals of the newly established Islamic state, will be to develop solutions to these two problems. The first problem’s solution is quite simple: restore the authority of the ‘Ulema by giving them positions in both the executive as advisors to the ruler and also allow them to run the judiciary as independent adjudicators (keeping in mind the distinction between the ‘Alim and the Qadhi). The second problem requires a more challenging solution. Obviously, one cannot introduce radical changes within the national educational curriculum nor can one stop school. The best solution would be the Islamicization of the national educational curriculum. The goal of Islamicization is not merely to ‘Islamicize’ knowledge that is secular . . . such as by supplementing Science courses with a special section on ‘the Islamic view of evolution’ or ‘the history of Islamic science’. Although such supplements should happen in the educational curriculum and are crucial in the formation of an Islamic identity, in and of itself it will not be a sufficient solution to the problem of jahiliyyah. It is important for the educational curriculum to teach the sciences of Aqeedah, Fiqh, and Tasawwuf and prepare all students for the basic knowledge that enables them to maximize their iman, islam, and ihsan. In other words, the educational curriculum, in addition to teaching tajweed and Arabic (two subjects that are necessary for furthering Islamic education to the level of a scholar), it should actually teach the basic Islamic sciences. After all, the average Hifdh program runs from 3-5 years and the average ‘Alim program is usually 5-10 years. The total time for both programs is approximately 15 years, the average running time for primary education (elementary, middle, and high school). Thus, if the educational curriculum is revised to incorporate various Islamic studies in a Traditional format, than the average child will be at the level of a hafidh ul Qur’an and ‘Alim without specialization. In effect, each school would be transformed into a maddrasseh, but more than a maddrasseh, an academy of learning that will prepare our youth for their challenges as Muslims both within Islamic civilization and also in relation to Western civilization. At the level of college, a similar program can be offered. A fusion between Islamic and Western knowledge, the best of both worlds, which will produce individuals who are capable of dealing with both. After all, that is also the objective of the educational system: the formation of a new type of scholar. A scholar who is a product of propagating the four objectives of the Intellectual Revolution: Firstly, a revival of the sacred sciences; secondly, a refutation of Western ideologies; thirdly, a formation of Islamic theories of power, economics, society; and fourthly, the refutation of deviant groups. Such scholars would be independent from both the decadent aspects of Islamic and Western education. Their Islamic education will not obfuscate the fiqh that was developed in a particular time/locality with the Shari’ah and will also not adopt Western paradigms, but will also be capable of raising powerful critiques against it. Furthermore, they will also be financially independent since they will be acquiring vocational knowledge as well. They will not have to rely on other individuals, groups, or the state to provide for their financial needs since they can pursue any job they like. Lastly, a generation that understands the sources of the Shari’ah, will be far more likely to adhere to the rules.

Thus, within 20 years, when this generation reaches its prime, and the implementation of the Shari’ah through the five year program, the citizens of the country will finally be able to withstand the full implementation of the Shari’ah.

As for the elder classes, they may very well never adjust to the implementation of the Shari’ah. However, there are two points: firstly, they can be educated through other mediums such as television, newspapers, books, and colleges. Secondly, as a general rule, in most cultures, people tend to get more religious as they grow older and near death. So as the generation of jahiliyyah ages, their grip on society will relax, they themselves will become more likely to become religious, and as such, the problem will gradually disippate.

Once the society has become fully Islamicized, the objective of the State will shift and instead, become expand its focus from its own problems, to the problems of the Ummah as a whole.

The major challenge for the Islamic State within 20 years will be just to survive. Both the kuffar, the munafiqeen, and the ignorant will do whatever is in their power to destroy the nascent Islamic State.

May Allah (swt) raise up a leader from amongst us who will unite our Ummah and end this fitnah. Ameen!

EDIT:

Here is a response to this post by Br. Luqman.

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