It has been
shown in previous articles that the purpose of Islam (a name for genuine
religion in general) is to enable human beings to adjust themselves to reality,
for their own welfare and development. As long as Muslims clung to their
religion they prospered and created a high Civilization. But as they departed
from it, they degenerated owing to erosion of standards, scattering of
psychological energy, purposelessness, unawareness, stagnation, conditioning,
enslavement to habits of action and thought, automatism, and unobtrusive
introduction of foreign corrupting influences. These also caused them to fall
into sectarian conflicts that weakened them. They fell asleep, the spirit
drained out of them and only a dead shell remained. Concerted and organized
action has given way to ineffective and counterproductive mindless mob
demonstrations and hysteric. Knowledge, power and prosperity passed into the
hands of other peoples. This was predicted in the Quran itself:-
"Systems have passed away before you. Do
but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequences for those who did
deny the messengers." 3:37
"We are able to replace them by others
better than them. And We are not to be outrun." 70:41
"Such is the guidance of Allah wherewith
He guides whom He will of His servants. But if they had set up for worship
anything besides Him, then all that they did would have been in vain. Those are
they unto whom We gave the Scripture and command and prophethood. But if these
disbelieve therein then indeed We shall entrust it to a people who will not be
disbelievers therein." 6:89-90
"O you who believe! Those of you who
become renegades from your religion, know that instead of them Allah will bring
a people whom He loves and who love Him, humble towards believers, stern
towards disbelievers, striving in the way of Allah, and fearing not the blame
of any blamer." 5:54
There is little
doubt that Islam, in common with all other religions, has degenerated as
predicted by the Prophet (saw) himself. As the Quran tells us throughout the
Quran, religion tends to degenerates and is renewed by the coming of new
Prophets who reformulate the message for the new age and the new conditions of
life. There is a Day of Judgement and a destruction of the degenerate
communities that do not reform.
“Say: He is able to send calamities on you from
above you and from beneath your feet, and to confuse you with dissenting sects,
and to make you taste the violence of each other. See how We explain the Signs,
in various ways that haply they may understand. Thy people called it a lie, and
yet it is the truth. Say: I have not been put in charge over you. For every
Announcement (Message, prophecy) there is a set term, and ye will soon know
it.” 6:65-67
But there are no
further Prophets to come. Man is to be left to his own devices and it is up to
him to reformulate the message.
Many Muslims,
specially the militant types who look back on past worldly glories and want
political action, put the blame for the state of the Muslim world on other
nations, usually the Western World, not on themselves. It is easier to find
scapegoats than to look into oneself, reform and make intelligent efforts. But
the Quran tells us:-
"Whatever calamity and misfortune befalls
you, it is because of what your own hands have earned" 42:30
Learning and
development always require conscious efforts. But having learnt something such
as walking or cycling, it becomes automatic and unconscious, a habit. Learning
stops. Though habit is efficient in dealing with a particular set of
conditions, when those conditions change, as the accumulation of the results of
human activities itself makes inevitable, then maladaptation and suffering
results. This suffering continues until it either destroys or re-awakens.
The domination
and even the persecution by other peoples and nations, and even by tyrants of
their own, and the fights between their sects, and the suffering caused by all
this may be regarded as divine punishment. It has also led to a new awakening.
But this has caused bewilderment because the world has changed while they were
asleep and is quite different from what it was since Islam was first
propagated. Advances in Science, Technology and Organization have changed the
conditions of life, behaviour, thinking and motivation. The world has shrunk,
people have become more inter-dependent, all kinds of alien ideas compete for
attention and acceptance - it has become much more complex. This leads to three
alternative attitudes: - To abandon religion altogether, to divide life into
two separate compartments, a secular and a religious one, or to rediscover
religion. The first leaves people without values and goals; the second produces
inner conflicts and militates against psychological integration; the last
requires that a higher understanding of religion should be achieved than that
which satisfied people in the past.
The secular
system of life has brought with it a great amount of psychological, social and
environmental malfunctions. These produce much suffering and are threatening to
destroy civilizations, and indeed, the planet itself. This in itself also shows
that the compartmentalization of life does not work. Nor is it an intelligent
thing to do, to allow one part of life to be governed by faith without a system
of facts and the other by facts without a system of values. Human beings are a
wholeness in which each part affects the others, at least at the unconscious
level. If consciously they create such a division then they must also suffer
from self-contradiction. Where this is attempted, schizophrenia results, people
become unbalanced and full of inner conflicts. Most people still retain some
inkling of the fundamental underlying Unity, not only within themselves but
also in the Cosmos. Owing to this more and more people are returning to
religion, or they are creating new cults. The Revival of Islam has become
essential because it is the last of the genuine religions, one that is
universal in its teachings, has been completed, and is much nearer to the
modern world. In fact, as shown in a previous article, it was a major factor in
the arising of the Modern World. The purpose of this series of articles,
entitles "Views of Islam" has been to show that Islam is indeed fully
comprehensive and relevant to present and future times. Since technology has
given man the possibility of supplying all his physical needs, the focus of
attention in the future must shift to his social, and then to his psychological
needs, welfare and development.
In the past when
Religion had been corrupted and the quality of life was deteriorating
throughout the world, Islam came in order to reverse the trend and bring about
regeneration. This was the task of Prophets. But man has matured, the guidance
is complete, and it is now up to him to learn from observation, study,
thinking, and his own mistakes. But there are several problems connected with
the revival of Islam.
It is necessary
to (a) identify what the problems are (b) design a plan of action and (c)
implement it.
The main
problems appear to be as follows:-
(1) Religions,
like man, have three layers - (a) the spiritual which refers to the
distinctively human characteristics of consciousness, conscience and will and
it is the central purpose of religion to stimulate and facilitate human development
in this area; (b) a mental and social level where intellect, feelings and
voluntary actions prevail and allows adaptability; (c) a physical or mechanical
level at which we find instincts, automatism, habits, institutions, formalisms,
rigid laws, and these are required in our interactions with the physical world.
We share this level with animals.
Intelligence
demands that the first should be the goal of, and control, the second level,
and the second should be the goal of, and control conditions at the third
level. Degeneration means that human beings have stopped functioning at the
spiritual level altogether and even at the second, but have become wholly
subject to habit, tradition, mental conditioning, dogmatism, ritualism and
institutionalisation. When Islam came into the world, it came as a revolution
in attitudes and ideas and liberation from the habits of thought, motives and
actions that had trapped consciousness.
But, though
Islam is incorporated in the Quran which remains fully in tact, it gradually
became corrupted by:-
(a) Reduction
and Sloganisation to a narrow set of practices and ideas – the minimum
requirements of the Pillars are still ritually practiced widely but the inner
ethical teachings of the Quran regarding justice, love, and truth are ignored.
(b) Increasing
rigidity and superficiality through formalization and legalism,
(c) Islam has
been conventionalized, made tradition bound and inadaptable owing to adherence
to the interpretations of past scholars whose writings had been made
sacrosanct, though their ideas relate to the conditions of their times.
(d) Adulteration
and distortion by alien ideas and practices of the people they came in contact
with, specially Greek and Christian ones.
(e) The Quran
has been made into a kind of fetish so that instead of a source of guidance, it
has become an object of worship. They recite it without pondering and
meditating on its meaning, understanding or applying it.
(f) Whereas
Muslims are required to judge by the Quran, they have allowed other even
contradictory ideas to take precedence over it and tended to judge the Quran by
extraneous values.
(g) The Hadith
which contain reports of what the Prophet and some of his companions said and
did should have been a secondary guidance, but have more often been allowed to
take the primary role even though it is known that their genuineness and
reliability varies. Apart from the existence of spurious hadith, the
circumstances, mood, and purpose of what the Prophet said is not always known,
nor whether they were meant for one person, some people in particular
situations or for all always.
(2) Connected
with the above is a narrowing of horizons and a low sense of values which shows
itself in occupation with trivialities and lack of goals. There are a great
number of psychological, social and environmental problems that are threatening
mankind in general and Muslim nations in particular, but most Muslims appear to
be oblivious to these. Instead they grow hot about the details of ritual
ablutions or the like. It is also the non-existence of goals that leads to the
disintegration of the person and the society into parts which drift according
to every accidental impulse, scattering psychological energy uselessly or
wasting it in mutual contradiction and conflict.
(3) Muslim
peoples are educationally backwards. This means that:- (a) intellectually they
are incapable of grasping and dealing with the development of modern ideas and
knowledge; (b) emotionally they have failed to adjust to the new conditions of
life brought about by the development of transport and communication - the
shrinking world, the globalisation of commerce and cultures, the increasing
inter-dependence of peoples, and the migration and mixing of people; (c) they
have failed to develop the various physical skills required by the modern
world.
(4) The above
produce social problems which include cultural, political and economic ones.
Muslims are technologically backwards which makes them economically and
politically dependent on others. They are also organizationally backwards and
have failed to create useful political structures. This leads either to
constant conflict between groups or to the rule by dictators and tyrants, one
leading to the other. The economic weakness leads to political conflicts, which
leads to more economic weakness. Muslims have failed to create a culture in
which science, technology and political tolerance can exist and be encouraged.
Conversely the economic and political conditions encourage a culture where
these are absent.
(5) The result
of these human conditions reflects in their interaction with the environment.
The population increase puts pressure on the resources and leads to over
exploitation, wastage, pollution, and disruption of the ecological system. But
though it is not the Muslims countries that are mainly responsible for
environmental problems, they do live in a world, all parts of which are
inter-dependent, and have responsibility towards it as vicegerents that they
failed to discharge.
(6) However, it
is also true that Muslim peoples are not free to determine their own affairs
but are dominated and exploited by domestic and foreign political and economic
power groups in the latter’s interests. The struggle against them is
inevitable, though often the methods are stupid, naive, desperate, and
ineffective which leads, also inevitably, to condemnation by the exploiters.
The revival of Islam is also seen as a threat by power-seekers, materialists,
sensualists and the depraved. Since it is they who have the power, they mount a
propaganda, political and economic campaign against them, which makes recovery
difficult because it encourages hysteria, militancy, retaliation and extremism.
While all these
problems remain the Muslim countries will inevitably continue to degenerate.
Others might continue to progress for some time but are likely to be destroyed
by the psychological, social and environmental problems they are creating. They
appear to be unwilling or unable to solve them and some of these they have
failed even to recognize.
Firstly, there
is no possibility of re-establishing an Islamic Civilisation without a
spiritual change:-
"Allah changes not the condition of a folk
until they first change that which is in their hearts; and if Allah wills
misfortune for a folk there is none that can repel it, nor have they a defender
besides Him." 13:11
The method
adopted by the Prophet Muhammad (saw) had the following stages:- (a) A period
of teaching a reformulated version of the universal religion. (b) A period of
organizing a way of life where the teaching could be applied and practiced. (c)
A period of consolidation, defence and expansion. A similar pattern will be
required to bring about the revival of Islam. It requires several aspects
simultaneously and successively:- A period of re-thinking, a period of
re-organization, a period of application. The last will provide data which
leads back to re-thinking and so on.
Secondly, the
Quran tells us:-
"And every community (or nation) has its
term, and when its term comes, they cannot put it off an hour nor yet advance
it." 7:34
Nations like
individuals are born and die and cannot be revived. It seems, therefore, that
the revival of Islam entails the creation of new communities.
We are also told
:-
"For every announcement there is a term,
and ye will come to know." 6:67
Ideas, like
people also have a life time. They are at first consciously held and applied
and then gradually familiarity leads to habit and erosion. Religions have to be
reformulated from time to time. Spiritual resurrection and Renewal takes place
just as spring follows winter, or like in all organisms one generation replaces
another. Or :-
"Allah sends down water from the sky and
therewith revives the earth after her death. lo! Herein is indeed a portent for
a folk who hear." 16:65
Owing to the
changes and the complexity of life, it is no longer possible to keep to a
simple and naive understanding and application of religion. The development of
the sciences and a universal educational system has raised the ability to
question and the demand for explanations. It has also caused bewilderment owing
to the great profusion of different ideologies and points of view, which arise
because all, owing to human limitations, possess only partial knowledge and
different parts of the totality. Unfortunately, development in the study and
understanding of religion has not kept pace with developments in the secular
world. This contradiction between need and availability has led to renewed
thinking on the subject.
The question is:-
Is it really possible to bring about a spiritual regeneration without a
Prophet? Where is the spiritual impulse and power to come from?
There is indeed
a promise in the Quran that a Messenger will be sent at the end of times
(3:81), but in the meantime as the verse 16:65 above indicates spiritual
revival may come about more directly from time to time. See also 30:48
"Allah guides whom He will unto the
Straight Path" 2:213, See also 2:247, 3:73, 6:88, 10:25, 24:21,35, 39:23,
57:21,29, 74:31
"He giveth wisdom unto whom He will, and
he unto whom wisdom is given, he truly has received abundant good. But none
remembers except men of understanding." 2:269
"He sends down the angels with the spirit
of His command unto whom He will of His servants, saying: Warn mankind that
there is no god save Me, so keep your duty unto Me." 16:2 Also 40:15
In any case, we
are also told that it is not really the Prophet who guides man, but Allah.
"Lo! Thou, O Muhammad guides not whom thou
lovest, but Allah guides who He will." 28:56
“Say: Lo! The guidance of Allah, Himself, is
Guidance." 2:120
Muhammad is the
"Seal of the Prophets" (33:40), and the teachings of the Quran are
complete (5:3) and will be preserved (15:9, 41:42), and it contains the
teachings of previous Prophets (41:43). The Muslim is required to believe what
all the Messengers teach (2:4,136,285, 4:150-151). It seems, therefore, that
human beings are expected to have matured, no longer needing to be led like a
child by a parent, but having their own discernment. The truth is still there,
and can be recovered, and they ought to be able to see the unitary truth that
lies behind the apparent diversity.
Note also
" Fain would they put out the light of
Allah with their mouths, but Allah disdains all save that He shall perfect His
light, however much the disbelievers are averse." 9:32
"He it is Who has sent His messenger with
the guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it conqueror of all
religion, however much idolaters may be averse." 61:9
But revival of
Islam requires that there be a sufficient and increasing leadership of high
quality. It is also necessary that they should make several different kinds of
organized and concerted efforts. In order to do this a new Central Islamic
Organization (CIO) will have to be set up with the following tasks:-
(1) It is
necessary to counteract the bad image Islam has been given ever since the
crusades were mounted against it by Christians. It seems, however, that Islam
keeps expanding despite this as, indeed the Quran predicted (9:32) It is also
necessary to counteract the activities of ignorant Muslims who bring disrepute
on Islam. However, people with false values, prejudices and antipathies towards
Islam based on self-interest will criticize Islam what ever Muslims might do.
It is not only necessary to explain Islam to non-Muslims and to obtain new
converts, but it is necessary to explain Islam to, and reconvert, most Muslims
themselves, and that in the light of modern knowledge, conditions of life and
experience. It is only converts who can behave consciously and there is little
virtue in automatisms.
(2) There are
numerous Islamic organizations in many countries. Most of them are working
independently. It is necessary that the C.I.O should encourage the federation
of all these. They can all belong as parts of the C.I.O, which can coordinate
and aid their activities.
(3) It is
impossible that the Islamic world can survive without better technology,
education and organization. But this means that they have to adopt those already
developed in the West, and this may destroy Islam. It could also destroy
eventually the whole Civilization and world structure owing to the accumulation
of the psychological, social and environmental problems. Or they must develop
their own and superior ways. But this requires a new interpretation,
understanding and application of Islam. It requires starting from first
principles. The advanced world, however, has its economic, political and
cultural grip on all parts of the world and manipulates all things and peoples
to its own advantage. If the Muslim nations were to combine together they could
have produced a most powerful and influential block in the middle of the world
stretching from the Far East through Central Asia, the Middle East and Northern
Africa. They could even have had a common language, Arabic (besides their own
regional languages), and a common military force to defend themselves,
supported by appropriate sciences and technologies collectively financed. But
they appear to be too stupid to do this owing to ambition for personal power.
This stupidity is not unconnected with the failure to achieve psychological
development by the correct understanding and application of their religion. It
is necessary that the C.I.O. should encourage the federation of Islamic states,
and cooperation in the research and the development of new and appropriate
technologies.
(4) The main
problems confronting the revival of Islam must be identified and counteracted.
Sectarianism is
only one of the problems though it is connected with others, the inability to
organize and the lack of a sense of values and purpose.
Certain
fundamental Islamic ideas must be inculcated in the general public,
particularly parents, and into children from the earliest years, through books,
magazines, radio, television, films, video tapes and specially arranged public
lectures in mosques and else where.
The main ideas
to be emphasized are the following:-
(a) Firstly, it
is necessary to inculcate the idea that Islam is "Surrender to Allah"
and no one else. All other loyalties or attachments are forms of idolatry which
is the greatest sin in Islam. Clearly, Sectarianism is based on attachment to
some person or group and is Shirk. All other loyalties should be sub-ordinate
to loyalty to Allah. The loyalty to Allah should also produce loyalty to the
community of Muslims.
(b) It has to be
emphasized that Allah is Unity and Truth. Therefore, submission to truth, even
against one's own subjectively perceived interest is necessary. Ultimately it
is the seeking of, and the adherence to, truth that will be beneficial to a
person. We are required to "Surrender" our subjectivity to Objective
truth.
(c) Surrender
implies humility, the control over the ego. The egocentric value system based
on selfishness, greed, lust, ambition, boasting, rivalry self-seeking for
wealth, power and prestige of all kinds, must be discouraged. Remember,
however, that the economic and political success of the West depends on the
fact that they have cultivated and harnessed these impulses. Communism failed
because it flouted or ignored them while people, specially their leaders, were
spiritually primitive. Since these also cause all the psychological, social and
environmental problems, it is necessary to control and channel them. This
possibility arises from the fact that the above-mentioned worldly impulses are
themselves a product of the channelling of natural needs for self-preservation,
reproduction, social interaction and self-enhancement. It is necessary to
inculcate a spiritual value system. The attributes of Allah provide these
values. The idea that a Muslim should be a Vicegerent needs to be deeply
established. A good self-image is essential.
(d) It is
necessary to distinguish between the Quran and the interpretations and opinions
about it. This is part of humility. The difference between reality and one's
opinion about it can be demonstrated in numerous ways. It is a great sin to
attribute to Allah that which might be false or inadequate. The truth is
usually much more comprehensive than a report about it even if correct. It has
many aspects and can be seen from many angles and reported in many different
ways. These different reports are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
(e) The
acquisition of Knowledge is a progressive thing. We cannot with justice claim
that we have the whole truth at any given time. The aim should be to increase
knowledge. This involves the readiness to discard old habits of thought, and to
learn from others.
(f) The word
"knowledge" should not be understood in the narrow sense of mere
impersonal factual information, but as something organic which modifies the
individual and causes his psychological or spiritual growth. It manifests in
motives and action as well as thought. Unintelligent mob demonstrations and
hysterics must be discouraged.
(g) It is
necessary through suitable exercises to inculcate the habit and skills of
self-examination, particularly of one's opinions, motives and actions.
Self-consciousness and self-control is what ought to distinguish human beings
from animals.
(h) An Islamic
institution or organization is one in which Allah is the Supreme Authority.
Since Truth and Goodness - Knowledge, Awareness, Justice, Beneficence, Mercy
etc. are attributes of Allah, then these are supreme. This also means that
those human beings who have these qualities to a greater extent must be
regarded as nearer to Allah and, therefore, accepted as guides. It is the duty
of those who have been such bounties to share it with others and guide them.
There should, therefore, be a mutual advantage which causes those above on the
ladder to lift up those below, and this enables the former to climb even
higher.
(i) But there is
no compulsion in religion. People obey only for their own good. A Muslim is one
who has chosen to Surrender to Allah. This makes Islam into a Theocracy. But
subject only to the above considerations, Islam is a democracy - that is,
everything has to be done by mutual consultation. The Vicegerency has been
placed in all human beings. The flouting of this principle can be regarded as
oppression or persecution. The Muslim is required to fight oppressors until
persecution is no more. But he is not allowed to be an aggressor. (2:190-191).
(5) The CIO
should set up New Islamic Schools, Colleges or Educational Institutions (NIEI)
where specially selected people may be given an education specially designed to
set up Islamic Communities which can become self-sufficient. That is, apart
from a knowledge of Islamic Theology, Ideals and Ethics, they will learn some
organizing and administrative skills, some sciences including psychology,
sociology, physics, chemistry, biology and various agricultural and industrial
skills. The aim is not to create specialist but balanced persons who have
comprehensive knowledge and skills. They can be known as Islamic Social
Advisers (ISA).
Those who
graduate from these schools will have three kinds of functions: - (a) To go as
advisers to various villages or communities; (b) to set up self-sufficient
communities, including industries, social and religious institutions, schools
etc. on Islamic lines. As a truly Islamic system has to be built up from first
principles, here all social experimentation can be done and that which is found
to be successful can then be spread to other communities. These can be called
New Islamic Communities (NIC) (c) To set up other school which can produce
similar ISA.
The Islamic
Communities so set up will cooperate with one another and form a Federation
(FNIC). Each community will have its own Council, which will send
representatives to the Federal Council, and so on. The system is open-ended and
does not necessarily correspond to a geographical area. Islam forms communities
not territorial nations.
(6)
Arrogance, selfishness, greed and conflict is built into ordinary politics and
business and many Muslim intellectuals have been conditioned by western secular
habits of thought and motivation. They have abandoned Islam altogether and
cannot understand it. This brings them into conflict with the people in general
who still have Islamic aspirations, but unfortunately they are relatively less
educated and they are ignorant about the modern developments in science and
technology. Most of them come under the influence of equally ignorant
self-appointed priests or religious authorities. This occurs despite the fact
that Islam has no priesthood and everyone is responsible for his own
development. Therefore, Democracy is almost impossible in most Muslim
countries, and civil conflicts are inevitable. The installed regimes are
oppressive to various degrees. But this state of affairs propagates itself.
Each provokes the other. Westernisation continues at the top with aid of
foreign powers and alienation, powerlessness and ignorance continues at the
bottom. A new Pan-Islamic movement will be required which by passes political,
commercial and religious authorities. Without such development the desire to
recreate an Islamic Civilisation is a futile dream. A Global Umma Movement
(GUM) should be created which also ignores sectarian divisions. It can also be
done using the Internet.
(a) There will
be a centre where all Muslims willing to join the GUM will register their
names. They will have to know, understand and accept the basic tenets of Islam.
They will be given a membership number and a set of rules and privileges. These
numbers will act as a passport giving them access to the organization (or the
Internet site for this organization).
(b) The world
will be divided into 7 zones - Zone A, Zone B etc. The sizes of these zones
will vary but they will be more or less equal as to the population of Muslims
in each zone.
(c) Muslims in
each zone will be contacted personally or by e-mail in order to encourage them
to find Muslims willing to register their names in the Global Umma Movement.
These do not need to be computer owners or have their own e-mail facilities.
But they ought to have access to someone who has such facilities and who is
willing to transmit ideas, suggestions, information to, and from, the Internet
to these members. If necessary such Internet sites should be set up by the GUM
in areas where none exist.
(d) As
membership of a group grows then when it reaches say 150, it will split up to
form 2 groups which need not be equal. A group should have a minimum of 50
members and a maximum of 150.
(e) At Level 1
of the organization every average of 100 members known as Members Level 1 (ML1)
will form a group, known as Group Level 1 (GL1). The purpose of the group is to
discuss all matters of relevance and interest to the members of the group, to
make practical suggestions and to find ways and means of implementing them. It
also has an educational function. The matters for discussion can be civil,
social, political, economic, financial, legal, environmental, cultural,
academic or religious. It can direct trade between members or collect cash to
finance projects and so on. Cash could, perhaps, come from a membership fee. They
will also elect a leader or representative, known as ML2, and a few advisers to
the leader. The leader may also choose his own advisers. The leader can be
dismissed and replaced at any time by the members.
(f) If the number
of members ML1 becomes large enough then they may split into several sub-groups
which may each concentrate their attention on one or more topic. Any ML1 can be
a member of more than one sub-group. The same applies to the higher
organizations.
(g) At Level 2,
every average of 100 representatives, known as Members Level 2 (ML2) will form
a higher group, known as Group Level 2 (GL2). The members of this group discuss
all matters of relevance and interest to the groups they come from. They too
can make practical suggestions and find ways and means of implementing these,
and set up various projects. They pass information from and to the members of
their GL1. This group also elects its leader or representative, known as ML3
and advisers.
(h) At Level 3,
every average of 100 ML3 will form a GL3. Their function will correspond to
that of the ML2 but appropriate to Level 3. They will elect a leader or
representative, known as ML4, with advisers.
(i) At Level 4,
every average of 100 ML4 will form a GL4. Their function will correspond to
that of the ML3 but appropriate to Level 4. There will be a GL5 within each of
the 7 Zone consisting of 5 representatives from each of the GL4s.
(j) The global
organization is GL6 consisting of 10 members from each of the 7 zones. This
constitutes the Islamic Shura. It should, in time, be capable of making all
Muslim communities independent and self-sufficient without any political
upheavals. Although it by passes all existing political and commercial
institutions, it can become powerful enough to influence them all and even
replace them. It chooses a Leader with a committee of 6 Advisors, which
constitutes a Cabinet of 7. This is the highest Authority, GL7. The Head of
this may be elected by the whole membership of the GUM, the candidates being
chosen by the GL7. The membership at any level also has the right to remove
their representative at anytime from the higher body.
The GUM will not
come into conflict with present Political and Commercial institutions but may
use them and influence them. The GUM will tend to increase in power as the
number of Islamic Communities increases. If it grows sufficiently effective and
powerful the GUM will gradually replace all present political and commercial
institutions.
These are
suggestions only and can be amended by discussion within the CIO or GUM.
Human affair are
governed by three inter-dependent things – their psychological state, the
social conditions, and the nature and state of the environment. Of these the
first is most important because it can change the other two. But it is itself
dependent on the other two factors. Policies must be constructed and action
must be taken on all three fields. Economic conditions must certainly reach a
point where all or an increasing number of people have enough attention, time,
and energy to spare from the business to making a living which can be devoted
to the improvement of social affairs and to their psychological
self-development.
It is important
that there is a balance between the size of the population and the resources of
the land they live on, mediated by the level of technology. The development of
appropriate and adequate technology together with its wise use can change the
size of the population that can be sustained by an environment at an adequate
level of mutual benefits. This implies the practice of Birth Control. As this
also releases women from domestic duties and allows them to enter the
industrial and public field, it creates social changes. Some of these have been
beneficial and some have proved harmful. However, the increase in knowledge and
organization has also created the necessity as well as the opportunities that a
greater amount of expertise and time should be devoted to the bringing up and
development of children and the social and psychological welfare of the
population as a whole. There is no reason why women cannot organize to fulfil
this enhanced role.
This ability to
create and use technologies depends on the nature and level of the educational
system and the inherent capacities of the people. The educational level will
depend partly on economic conditions and partly on social and cultural
conditions. The inherent capacities will also depend on those social conditions
that govern reproduction. It is necessary that conditions are set up where the
most able also earn the most and are encouraged to sustain larger families
while the less able are encouraged to limit their families by their lower
economic standards. Inbreeding is one source of degeneration that needs to be
countered. The practice of marriages between close cousins in these latter days
has had harmful effects on Muslims. It was much rarer in the days when Islam
was expanding and the mixing of races and cultures was probably one of the main
causes of its vigour.
All this also
requires that there should be greater respect for sexuality, family, life and
the dignity of the person, and that everything which militates against this,
including indiscriminate and frivolous sexual activity, should be discouraged.
The revival
of Islam will be feared, opposed and sabotaged, not only by most of those who
have depraved values and have achieved a great amount of wealth, power and
privileges under other systems, but also by Governments, particularly by the
USA. But the Muslim World is potentially strong having a population in excess
of a billion which also has untapped natural and human resources. It is a question
of achieving progressive political unity. This can be in the form of
Federations as already outlined. There should be a gradual pooling of
resources, strengthening of commercial ties and a common Market with a common
currency. A Central Scientific and Technological Research Institute should be
established that can advise on all aspects of life. A central system of Law
that takes into account local needs and variations and eventually a Central
Police force that is nevertheless accountable to local communities should also
be established. It is essential that the Muslim world have a central United
Military Force armed with the latest weapons including Nuclear ones. We have
seen that the strong powers such as the USA
bully and invade weak nations that do not conform to the US self-interest. And while they
themselves have amassed and used nuclear, chemical, biological and
psychological weapons, they prevent others from developing them - it is in
their interest to keep others weak and dependent. This hypocritical state of
affairs cannot be allowed to continue.