Introduction - Rise and Decline of Muslim Ummah

INTRODUCTION

The substance of the present tract draws mainly from a long article published by Dr. Israr Ahmed under the same title in the October/November 1974 issue of ‘Meesaq’ magazine. It was later included in a booklet entitled ‘Sar- Afgandem’ which comprises, among other things, the contents of a marathon speech delivered at the end of 21- days   long   Qur’anic   study camp   held   at   Lahore   in September 1974, in which Dr. Israr Ahmed publicly announced the formation of ‘Tanzeem-e-Islami’ – a well- disciplined religious group to work for the propagation and revival of Islam in its totality.

Histories of the Jews and the Muslims, being typically woven around divine revelation, provide a scholar ground for a thoughtful and  perceptive  comparative  study  of them. Though in the present day political climate, Jews and Muslims form two totally divergent people, yet striking similarities in their temporal histories are found and pointed out. In particular there is a strong parallelism regarding the two phases of rise and decline experienced by the two religious fraternities during the long course of their histories thus proving literally a tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam) on this subject reproduced elsewhere in this monograph.

The view of history in the Muslim mind is, and should be, a prophetic one. In the Qur’an over and over again the historic sequence is repeated – a warning, followed by either repentance or destruction, as God sends His messenger   to   one   nation   after   another.   The Qur’an provides a basis for the moral interpretation of history ‘The course of history is a moral agency through which the morally superior elements rise to the top, while those who are morally inferior sink to the bottom’. That virtuous living, which is the outcome of a healthy religious faith, must inevitably lead to success*. This interpretation is deeper and broader than that of Karl Max because it covers both the moral and material aspects, while that of Marx concentrates entirely on the material aspect, being greatly influenced by the materialistic evolutionary philosophies of his time.  
[*1 Siddiqui, Mazheruddin: The Qur’anic Concept of   History, Karachi, 1945.]
 
Religion is not opium for the people. The impulse towards social emancipation is surely found in Islam. It always aimed at a society where equality, justice and prosperity would prevail. Islam teaches that God is concerned not only with moral and spiritual life of man but also with total social emancipation and betterment of economic conditions. The Prophet (sallalahu ta‘alah ‘alaihi wa Sallam) left for us not only a theory that is preached, but concrete experience and historical facts.

Dr. Israr Ahmed’s analysis presented here avoids the so- called cool and uncommitted academicism typical of modern writers of Islamic themes. It cannot be squared with  an  anti-activist  or  ‘spectator’  view  of  Islam  and Islamic literature that aims merely at an enlargement of the understanding. Indeed here it becomes an essentially practical  subject  of  vital  importance:  it  seeks to get Muslims to do things. He firmly believes that if history is read backwards, it is lived forwards. Dr. Israr Ahmed has a clear and well-defined view of the ‘future imperative’ regarding the revival and resurgence of Islam. Moreover, he himself sounds an optimistic note in the beginning of this monograph about a world embracing movement towards Islamic renaissance. Islam’s inner capacity for renewal has more than once surprised both friends and foes. It has at various times raised up reformers to rekindle the light of faith when it had grown dim. It has better chance than any other faith or ideology of holding and extending its power over the hearts and wills of men, as there is a fresh search for reality, especially among the young and the highly educated.

One thing that becomes clear from a perusal of this tract is that the warp and wool of the author’s entire thinking is made up with Qur’anic concepts. The very categories of his  thinking  are  those  of  the  Holy  Qur’an  and  the prophetic  traditions.  He does not quote from the Holy Book just to prove his point or buttress his argument. The Qur’an, for him, is meant to inspire and we must look to it for the stimulus to spiritual experience and historical understanding. It is only through practice and experience and not through clever interpretation that we can give it genuine significance. The spontaneity and facility with which he quotes the Qur’anic verses amply shows that the teachings of the Divine Book permeate his thinking and imagination thoroughly.

Dr. Sanaullah Ansari took great pains to translate this monograph from Urdu into English. Later, a number of amendments in linguistic style and syntax were made at various places in the first draft. We do hope that he would find it much improved in the present form. The Anjuman Khuddam-ul-Qur’an is highly indebted to him for this valuable help.

DR. ABSAR AHMED

Director (English Deptt.)

Qur’an Academy, Lahore

Source: Rise and Decline of Muslim Ummah

To Be Continued....

Rise and Decline of Muslim Ummah

Contents

The Two Periods of the Rise and Decline of the

Muslim Ummah ...................................................................... 13

A Survey of Present Revivalist Efforts................................. 24