– Bilal Hasan (M.Lib.Sc. AMU)
Dear friends!
The so-called world leader America which calls itself the peacekeeper of the world is now struggling to keep its own land safe. But from whom? Did any of the foreign powers invade it? Did China launch an economic war or Russia started a proxy war? Certainly not. America is today trying to save itself from America. It seems humorous, but in reality, it is a bitter truth. Some decades ago, some western philosophers like Francis Fukuyama were boasting that the world is witnessing the end of history with liberal democracy being the final stage of political evolution. This attitude carried in itself their mentality, a mentality which was not much different from tyrants of the past. Although these thoughts were debated at that time with regards to their validity, we have now witnessed that this same Liberal democracy taking refuge in the streets of Washington. From the mismanaged Covid outbreak to black Lives matter protests and now the recent Capitol Hill siege, it reminds us of the famous couplets of Allama Iqbal:
Tu Ne Kya Dekha Nahin Maghrib Ka Jumhoori Nizam
Chehra Roshan, Androon Changaiz Se Tareek Tar!
Have you not observed the democratic system of the West? With a brilliant exterior, its interior is darker than Genghis’s.
Politics is an integral part of our social life and it encompassed human life in various spheres. The Creator of the worlds knows far more than our tiny brain about its essence. For the same purpose, He has ordained us in His holy book and made practical manifestation though his beloved Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم about how to ensure smooth functioning of society by giving a strong and robust political system. The principles of politics are widely elaborated in the Qur’an and Allah SWT necessitates its implementation, take for instance the verses in Surah Shura which emphasizes on establishing the “Deen”, which clearly means the establishment of the political system of Islam:
He has ordained for you (believers) the way which He decreed for Noah, and what We have revealed to you (O Prophet) and what We decreed for Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, commanding: “establish the Deen, and make no divisions in it.” (Ayah 13)
As a believer in Islam, if we testify that the message of Islam is for all generations to come, we also need to testify that it’s political principles are as valid today as they were robust 1400 years ago. If one doubts it, he could take the lessons from the Seerah and the history of Khulafa e Raashideen and check their validity. These principles, if applied today, will be the final refuge of mankind who is in dire need of a renaissance. Mankind has knocked several doors for refuge but every time it finds itself a bloodthirsty host eager to drink its blood in every possible way. Unfortunately, many of us are unaware of these realities and still try to find political solutions from the west. It is high time for us to realize the political aspect of Islam and try our best in implementing it.
