Post by brmaruf on Aug 21, 2004 10:06:42 GMT -5
I am posting this here because this is where it also relates as well.
I just finished reading What went Wrong? Western Impact and Middle Eastern Response by Bernard Lewis, an appropriate book figuring that I am now in the Middle East. Bernard Lewis says in the book that Muslims failed to see the difference in modernizing technology or westernizing society. Basically as the West created things like the clock and printing press Muslims failed to use ijtýihad to manipulate these tools to their advantage. So what went wrong according to him was that Muslims sputtered and turn their Wheel, next attempted to account for this by becoming Western or Kufr in politics, military, and civil life {with women}. He also explains that at the same time the West {through their agents of course} imported nationalism on the Turks, Arabs, and Persians. Nationalism is a western creation. He mentions throughout the book that the Jews, which he is one, received more justice under Islaamic rule versus non islaamic rule, that their is no doubt that Muslims were the leaders of the world at one point, the west progressed when it turned towards “free thought and exploration” while Muslims lost it by not applying ijtihad to progress technologically with the west. He talks about the issue of women, but this is a silly poýnt for if the muslims lead the world with islaamic social system back in history why would we change towads western ways as a solution?. He mentions as well that despite Muslims attempting to adopt western ways of government and society the Muslims have remained declined.
A lot of what he says is indeed true. Muslims failed to hold tight unto the rope of Allah and use ijtihad to deal with a changing world at that time. The west infiltrated the ummah with agents within and without. Muslims should have turned back towards islaam and crushed the agents while making ijtihad to develop the society or to use modern technology. It is Allah’s promise that the righteous would be the rulers and it is my belief that this ummah can rise again but it will not happen with Muslims not putting themselves in the forefront of the islaamic movement and ummah’s cause. Too many people I have heard from are scared of the regime, pessimistic and cynical of movements and Muslims , or closer to disbelief versus belief. The state implements isalaam, where there is no state some Muslims would just sit around and watch impostors fake isalaam or sinners ruin society. Now perhaps more than ever sincere leaders are needed who are aware, courageous, and dedicated to the isalaamic cause. The problem is a political one, for when they pulled islaam apart it was not because no one was praying or reading the qur’an, but the impostors and agents destroyed the political unity and administration of islaam which was made easy due to the decline in thinking of the ummah at that time. So what Muslims must do is get the political ruler-ship back apply ijtihad to new issues and manage the affairs of people through islaam. That is when the greatness will return and no sooner. This is the vital issue. It clearly supersedes all other issues and it is the road towards revival IN-SHA Allah. May Allah help us to see it in our life time an let us remember that life and death are already written and there is no way to avoid what is written by Allah. Many blessings are around nowadays for struggle…why would we cancel this route for more concentration on salaat and talawah while the whole society around us is going to hell ruled by Tyrants who impose kufr over us?
was-salaam
br.ma'ruf
I just finished reading What went Wrong? Western Impact and Middle Eastern Response by Bernard Lewis, an appropriate book figuring that I am now in the Middle East. Bernard Lewis says in the book that Muslims failed to see the difference in modernizing technology or westernizing society. Basically as the West created things like the clock and printing press Muslims failed to use ijtýihad to manipulate these tools to their advantage. So what went wrong according to him was that Muslims sputtered and turn their Wheel, next attempted to account for this by becoming Western or Kufr in politics, military, and civil life {with women}. He also explains that at the same time the West {through their agents of course} imported nationalism on the Turks, Arabs, and Persians. Nationalism is a western creation. He mentions throughout the book that the Jews, which he is one, received more justice under Islaamic rule versus non islaamic rule, that their is no doubt that Muslims were the leaders of the world at one point, the west progressed when it turned towards “free thought and exploration” while Muslims lost it by not applying ijtihad to progress technologically with the west. He talks about the issue of women, but this is a silly poýnt for if the muslims lead the world with islaamic social system back in history why would we change towads western ways as a solution?. He mentions as well that despite Muslims attempting to adopt western ways of government and society the Muslims have remained declined.
A lot of what he says is indeed true. Muslims failed to hold tight unto the rope of Allah and use ijtihad to deal with a changing world at that time. The west infiltrated the ummah with agents within and without. Muslims should have turned back towards islaam and crushed the agents while making ijtihad to develop the society or to use modern technology. It is Allah’s promise that the righteous would be the rulers and it is my belief that this ummah can rise again but it will not happen with Muslims not putting themselves in the forefront of the islaamic movement and ummah’s cause. Too many people I have heard from are scared of the regime, pessimistic and cynical of movements and Muslims , or closer to disbelief versus belief. The state implements isalaam, where there is no state some Muslims would just sit around and watch impostors fake isalaam or sinners ruin society. Now perhaps more than ever sincere leaders are needed who are aware, courageous, and dedicated to the isalaamic cause. The problem is a political one, for when they pulled islaam apart it was not because no one was praying or reading the qur’an, but the impostors and agents destroyed the political unity and administration of islaam which was made easy due to the decline in thinking of the ummah at that time. So what Muslims must do is get the political ruler-ship back apply ijtihad to new issues and manage the affairs of people through islaam. That is when the greatness will return and no sooner. This is the vital issue. It clearly supersedes all other issues and it is the road towards revival IN-SHA Allah. May Allah help us to see it in our life time an let us remember that life and death are already written and there is no way to avoid what is written by Allah. Many blessings are around nowadays for struggle…why would we cancel this route for more concentration on salaat and talawah while the whole society around us is going to hell ruled by Tyrants who impose kufr over us?
was-salaam
br.ma'ruf