Losing the Vision

﷽

It is said that a blind man once approached his Sheikh and asked, “Can anything be worse than losing the eyesight?”, the Sheikh replied, “Yes, losing the vision”

Today, Western secular ideas dominate much of the world, either through choice or by force. Can it be said that as a result, Muslims have lost their true vision? Are Muslims even aware of the Islamic vision or have their minds been blurred by foreign ideas and ambitions?

What is the Islamic vision?

Allah (swt) says,

“It is he (Allah) who has sent his Messenger (saw) with guidance and the religion of truth (i.e. Islam), in order for it to be dominant over all other religions, even though the Mushrikoon (disbelievers) hate it.” 9:33

And the Prophet (saw) said,

“Verily Allah has shown me the eastern and western part of the earth, and I saw the authority of my Ummah dominate all that I saw.” (Saheeh Muslim, hadeeth #2889)

The vision is for Islam to dominate over all other ways of life and illuminate the earth with guidance and truth. Dominance does not mean for all of mankind to convert to Islam, but rather the system (i.e. authority) of Islam and Shari’ah be established upon the people whether they are believers or disbelievers. To further support this Imam Ahmad recorded from Tamim Ad-Dari that he said,

I heard the Messenger of Allah saying,

“This matter (Islam) will keep spreading as far as the night and day reach, until Allah will not leave a house made of mud or hair, but will make this religion enter it, while bringing might to a mighty person (a Muslim) and humiliation to a disgraced person (who rejects Islam). Might with which Allah elevates Islam (and its people) and disgrace with which Allah humiliates disbelief (and its people).”

Tamim Ad-Dari (who was a Christian before Islam) used to say, “I have come to know the meaning of this Hadith in my own people. Those who became Muslims among them acquired goodness, honor and might. Disgrace, humiliation and Jizyah befell those who remained disbelievers.”

We know that the Jizyah tax can only be applied upon the non-Muslim citizens of the state by the Imaam of the Muslims. Therefore, Islamic dominance is for the Shari’ah of Allah to be applied upon mankind – This is the Islamic vision.

We can clearly see from the reality that this vision has not been achieved. The spilling of Muslim blood has become a daily occurence, the flames of sectarianism continue to be stoked, and our lands are in a state of utter destruction. Western colonialism dominates our lands and the rulers have abandoned the law of Allah for the law of man.

In Western nations, Muslims are continuously seeking approval and acceptance. Some have gone as far as participating in the secular democratic system, whether that be through fear from the rise of the far-right or their own self-interest. The participation of some Muslims in the EU referendum is a clear example of this.

If Britain leave the EU, sovereignty will lay completely with Britain, and if they remain, sovereignty will be partially with politicians in Brussels. Either way, sovereignty will belong to man ahead of Allah al-Malik (The Sovereign)! The unity of Europe (or Britain for that matter) is not an Islamic cause, whist the unity of the Ummah under one central leadership without any borders is no doubt an Islamic duty.

Muslims need to become active in Islamic politics as opposed to partaking in secular politics. Islam will never rise from an entity which seeks to suppress Islam. The Messenger (saw) never participated in internal Qurayshi politics but had his sights firmly set on the vision of Islam, that is to establish an entity which would implement the Deen of Allah and propagate its message to the rest of the world via Jihad. The Prophet (saw) achieved this in Medinah and the Sahabah continued with this noble mission. If they were not visionaries and focussed solely on their current situation, Islam would not have spread further than Medinah.

The Ummah has gone from strength to strength in its perception of Islam, and many now actively call for the resumption of Islam in every aspect of life. We must continue this mission which the noble Prophet (saw) began and refrain from anything which could side-track us from the clear Islamic vision.

The Prophet (saw) said,

“Verily the Grinder of Islam will continue to grind, so continue with the Qur’an wherever it moves (i.e. stick to the Qur’an). Verily the Qur’an and the authority (of Islaam) will be separated from each other, do not leave the Qur’an. There will be rulers amongst you, who will allow for themselves things which they will prevent for you. If you disobey them then they will kill you. If you obey them they will misguide you.’ They (as-Sahabah) asked, ‘What do we do in such a situation?’ He (saw) said, ‘Do as the apostles of Isa ibn Maryam (as) did; they were cut by saws and hung upon wood. Being killed in obedience to Allaah (swt) is better than a life of sin.”

(Recorded by Imaam at-Tabaraani upon the authority of Mua’dh bin Jabal (ra))

Your brother, Jahir