Traveling Through Time
Let us begin by reflecting on the past and present of
the Muslim Ummah: her quandaries and dilemmas, her swinging fortunes, her
glorious and at times pathetic history, her uncertain present, and, finally,
her unknown destiny.
Every concerned and thoughtful Muslim is sure to ponder,
at one time or another, over the question of our bewildering rise to
politico-economic prominence and then the tragic and
deplorable decline. Every
historian — whether Muslim or non- Muslim — has his own
theory to explain the ups and downs in our fourteen hundred years odyssey. We
Muslims, however, are a unique group of people, radically different from all
other nations, races, or communities in our very essence. (Our only
resemblance, in certain respects, is with the Jews, as we shall discuss later.)
This implies that
the factors which usually cause rise and decline among
other cultures are often not relevant for, or applicable to, the Muslims of the
world.
Therefore,
in order to
make sense of
all that is happening to the Muslims throughout the
world, it is imperative that we investigate our history very carefully. We must
pinpoint the decisive element in our rise and fall. We must identify the law
that is governing our ups and downs. We must analyze our history because the
threads of the past are closely linked with those of the future. History, as we
keep hearing, repeats itself. By probing the past we may be able to get a
vision of the shape of things to come. By examining our history, we may be able
to catch a glimpse of our future. Moreover, it is clear that we can chart our
future course of action, prudently and wisely, only when we know the path which
has led to the present.
