Why the world needs Islam today
These are some of the distinct features of Islam, which make it
necessary for modern man to seek his salvation through this ideology:
First, it must be well understood that Islam is not a mere ideological
vision. It is a practical system of life that fully appreciates all
the genuine needs of humankind and tries to realize them.
Second, in trying to meet the genuine requirements of man, Islam
effects perfect balance between all areas of life and activity. It
starts with the individual maintaining a balance between the
requirements of body and soul, reason and spirit and in no case allows
one side to dominate the other. It does not suppress the human
instincts in order to make the soul ascend the higher planes, nor does
it allow man, in his efforts to fulfill his bodily desires, to stoop
down to the low level of animalism and hedonism. On the contrary, it
makes them both meet on a single higher plane, doing away with all the
internal psychological conflicts that threaten the human soul or set a
part of it against the other parts.
In the social sphere, it proceeds to achieve equilibrium between the
needs of the individual and those of the community. It does not allow
an individual to transgress against other individuals, or against the
community. Nor does it allow the community to commit transgression
against individuals. It also does not approve of one class or group of
people to enslave another class or group of people. Islam exercises a
beneficent constraint on all these mutually opposed forces, prevents
them from coming into collision with one another, and harnesses them
all to co-operate for the general good of humankind as a whole.
Thus, Islam strikes a balance between different sectors of society and
between different aspects of existence, spiritual as well as material.
Unlike Communism, it does not believe that economic factors, i.e. the
material aspect alone, dominate human existence. Nor does it
contribute to what the pure spiritualists or idealists say, claiming
that spiritual factors or high ideals alone are sufficient to organize
human life. Rather, Islam holds that all these diverse elements put
together, form what is called human society; and that the best code of
life is that which takes note of all these, making full allowance for
body as well as reason and spirit, arranging them all in the framework
of a harmonious whole.
Third, it must always be kept in mind that Islam has an altogether
independent existence of its own as a social philosophy and an
economic system. Some of its outward manifestations may on the surface
appear to resemble those of Capitalism or Socialism, but in fact, it
is far from being the one or the other. It retains all the good
characteristics of these systems, yet is free from their shortcomings
and perversions. It does not extol individualism to that loathful
extent which is the characteristic of the modern West. It was from
this germ that modern Capitalism sprang and institutionalized that
concept of individual freedom, where man is allowed to exploit other
individuals and the community only to serve his personal gain. Islam
guarantees personal freedom and provides op****tunities for individual
enterprise, but not at the cost of society or ideals of social
justice.
The reaction to Capitalism has appeared in the form of Socialism. It
idolizes the social basis to an extent that the individual is reduced
to an insignificant part of the social machine with no existence of
his own. Therefore, the community alone enjoys freedom as well as
power, the individual has no right to question its authority or demand
his rights. The tragedy of Socialism and its variants is that they
assign to the State absolute powers to shape the lives of the
individuals.
Islam strikes a balance between the two extremes of Capitalism and
Socialism. Being appreciative of their role, Islam harmonizes the
individuals and the State in such a way that individuals have the
freedom necessary to develop their potentialities and not to encroach
upon the rights of their fellowmen. It also gives the community and
the State adequate powers to regulate and control the socio-economic
relation****ps to guard and maintain this harmony in human life. The
basis of this whole structure as visualized by Islam is the
reciprocity of love between individuals and groups; it is not erected
on the basis of hatred and class conflict, as is the case with
Socialism.
It may also be pointed out here that this unique system of life as
visualized by Islam, did not originate as a result of any economic
pressure, nor was it an outcome of some mutually conflicting interests
of antagonistic groups of people. It was revealed to the world as the
ordained system of life, at a time when men attached no particular
im****tance to economic factors, nor did they know anything about
social justice in the sense we know it in modern times. Both Socialism
and Capitalism are much later developments. Islam presented its scheme
of social reform much before any of the social movements of our times.
It guaranteed the basic needs of man =96 food, housing and ***ual
satisfaction =96 more than 1400 years ago. The Noble Prophet , said:
=91Whosoever acts as a public officer for us (i.e. the Islamic State)
and has no wife, he shall have a wife; if he has no house, he shall be
given a house to live in; if he has no servant, he shall have one; and
if he has no animal (a conveyance), he shall be provided with one.
Anyone who takes more than this has exaggerated (i.e. taken more than
he deserves).=92 [Ahmad]
This historical announcement of fundamental human rights not only
contains those rights voiced by many a revolutionary in our times, it
adds to them some more as well, without necessitating any inter-class
hatred, bloody revolutions, and without rejecting all those human
elements in life that do not fall under the above three heads: food,
housing and family.
These are some of the salient features of the Islamic code of life.
They are sufficient to show that a religion with such laws and
principles, that is comprehensive and includes the complete human
existence, emotions, thoughts, actions, wor****p, economic dealings,
social relation****ps, instructive urges and spiritual aspirations =96
all arranged in the framework of a single harmonious but unique system
of life, can never lose its usefulness for mankind. Nor can such a
religion ever become obsolete, as its objectives are the same as those
of life itself and therefore, destined to live on so long as there is
life on this planet.
Considering the existing state of affairs in the contem****ary world,
humankind cannot reasonably afford to turn its back upon Islam or
reject its system of life. Humankind is still afflicted with the most
savage and odious forms of racial prejudices. Surely, the world in the
twentieth century has yet a great deal to learn from Islam. Long ago,
Islam freed humanity from all racial prejudices. It did not content
itself with the presentation of a beautiful vision of equality alone,
but it achieved in practice an unprecedented state of equality between
all people, black, white or yellow, declaring that none enjoyed any
superiority over the others except in virtue and piety.
It not only freed the black from slavery, but also fully recognized
their rights to aspire even to the highest seat of authority in the
Islamic State. They could become the heads of the Islamic State. The
Prophet , said: =91Listen and obey even if a black slave be appointed as
your superior, so long as he should enforce amongst you the Law of
Allaah (God).=92
How can also the world of today ignore the message of Islam, stricken
as it is with the evils of imperialism and tyranny with all their
barbarous attributes? Islam alone can help humankind shake off these
chains. It is opposed to imperialism and all forms of exploitation.
The way Islam treated the people of the countries it conquered was so
generous, just and sublime that the eyes of =91civilized=92 Europe can
hardly penetrate those heights. We may in this regard cite the famous
decision of the Caliph =92Umar to whip the son of =92Amr bin Al-=91Aas,
the victorious general and honored governor of Egypt, as he had beaten
an Egyptian Copt without any legal justification. This shows the
social liberty and human rights that were enjoyed by the subjects of
the Islamic State.
Then there is the evil of Capitalism that has poisoned all life. Its
abolition and the need to rid humanity of its evil consequences again
call for Islam.
Fourth, Islam prohibits usury and hoarding which, taken together, form
the mainstay of the Capitalist economy. This, in other words, means
that Islam alone can effectively check the evils of Capitalism as it
did check them 1400 years ago.
Finally, the world with the shadows of war still hanging over it
cannot but turn towards Islam =96 the only way to establish and maintain
real peace on this earth. The era of Islam has in a way just started,
not ended; it is not a spent force, but a living dynamic force, its
future is as bright as its great historical past is glorious, when it
illumined the face of earth at a time when Europe was still groping
its way in the dark recesses of Medievalism.
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