They
absorb mankind into their global godless melting pot (Qur’an
and Hadith)
Surah al-Kahf of the Qur’an has recorded Dhul
Qarnain’s warning that Allah Most High would one day destroy/demolish/make-level
the barrier that he had built with blocks of iron. When the barrier is
destroyed and Gog and Magog are released into the world by divine decree, they
would merge like waves into all the different nations, tribes and people who constitute
mankind in such wise that all of mankind, save the true servants of Allah Most
High, would be absorbed into the godless decadent Gog and Magog meltingpot.
This is quite clear from the Hadith which disclosed that on
Judgement Day, 999 out of every 1000 of mankind would have become Y’ajuj
and M’ajuj and would all enter into the hellfire:
“Narrated Abu Said Al Khudri: The Prophet
said: On the day of Resurrection Allah will say: O Adam! Adam will reply:
Labbaik our Lord, and Sa’daik. Then there will be a loud call (saying): Allah
orders you to take from among your offspring a mission for the (Hell) Fire. Adam
will say: O Lord! How many are they for the (Hell) Fire? Allah will say: Out of
each thousand, take out 999. At that time every pregnant female shall drop her
load (have a miscarriage) and a child will have grey hair. “And you shall see
mankind as in a drunken state, yet not drunk, but severe will be the torment of
Allah”. (Qur’an, al-Hajj, 22:2) (When the Prophet mentioned this), the people
were so distressed (and afraid) that their faces got changed (in color)
whereupon the Prophet said: From Y’ajuj and M’ajuj nine hundred and ninety-nine
will be taken out, and one from you. You Muslims (compared to the large number
of other people) will be like a black hair on the side of a white ox or a white
hair on the side of a black ox and I hope that you will be one-fourth of the people
of Paradise. On that we said: Allahu-Akbar! Then he said: I hope that you will
be one-third of the people of Paradise. We again said: Allahu-Akbar! Then he
said: (I hope that you will be) one-half of the people of Paradise. So we said:
Allahu-Akbar.” (Sahih Bukhari)
There would be very few (i.e. one in a
thousand) left in the world who would successfully resist the test and trial of
Gog and Magog.They would be equivalent to ‘square’ pegs incapable of being
absorbed in ‘round’ Gog and Magog holes. They would be those who faithfully
followed the blessed Prophet (sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam).
The message of Islam
brought by the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad pbuh was the
last link in the long chain of invitations toward Allah Almighty by the noble Prophets.
Throughout history, this message has remained the same: that human beings
should recognise that their true Sustainer and Lord is One God, that they
should submit to Him Alone, and that the lordship of man be eliminated. Except
for a few people here and there in history, mankind as a whole has never denied
the existence of Allah Almighty and His sovereignty over the universe; it has
rather erred in comprehending the real attributes of Allah, or in taking other
gods besides Allah as His associates.
This association with Allah
Almighty has been either in belief and worship, or in accepting the sovereignty
of others besides Allah. Both of these aspects are Shirk in the sense that they
take human beings away from the religion of Allah Almighty , which was brought by the Prophets.
After each Prophet, there was a period during which people understood this
religion, but then gradually later generations forgot it and returned to Jahiliyyahh. They started again on the
way of Shirk, sometimes in their belief and worship and sometimes in their submission
to the authority of others, and sometimes in both.
Throughout every period of
human history the call toward Allah Almighty has had one nature. Its purpose is
'Islam', which means to bring human beings into submission to Allah Almighty,
to free them from servitude to other human beings so that they may devote
themselves to the One True God, to deliver them from the clutches of human
lordship and man-made laws, value systems and traditions so that they will
acknowledge the sovereignty and authority of the One True God and follow His
law in all spheres of life. The Islam of Muhammad pbuh was for this purpose as well as the messages of the earlier Prophets.
The entire universe is
under the authority of Allah Almighty, and man, being a small part of it,
necessarily obeys the physical laws governing the universe. It is also
necessary that the same authority be acknowledged as the law-giver for human
life. Man should not cut himself off from this authority to develop a separate
system and a separate scheme of life. The growth of a human being, his
conditions of health and disease, and his life and death are under the scheme
of those natural laws which come from Allah Almighty; even in the consequences
of his voluntary actions he is helpless before the universal laws. Man cannot
change the practice of Allah Almighty in the laws prevailing in the universe.
It is therefore desirable that he should also follow Islam in those aspects of
his life in which he is given a choice and should make the Divine Law the
arbiter in all matters of life so that there may be harmony between man and the
rest of the universe.
Jahiliyyahh, on the other hand, is one
man's lordship over another, and in this respect it is against the system of
the universe and brings the involuntary aspect of human life into conflict with
its voluntary aspect. This was that Jahiliyyahh
which confronted every Prophet of Allah Almighty, including the last Prophet pbuh in their call toward submission to One God. This Jahiliyyahh is not an abstract theory;
in fact, under certain circumstances it has no theory at all. It always takes
the form of a living movement in a society which has its own leadership, its
own concepts and values, and its own traditions, habits and feelings. It is an organized
society and there is a close cooperation and loyalty between its individuals,
and it is always ready and alive to defend its existence consciously or
unconsciously. It crushes all elements which seem to be dangerous to its personality.
When Jahiliyyahh takes the form, not of a
'theory' but of an active movement in this fashion, then any attempt to abolish
this Jahiliyyahh and to bring people back
to Allah Almighty which presents Islam merely as a theory will be undesirable,
rather useless. Jahiliyyahh controls the practical
world, and for its support there is a living and active organization. In this
situation, mere theoretical efforts to fight it cannot even be equal, much less
superior, to it. When the purpose is to abolish the existing system and to
replace it with a new system which in its character principles and all its
general and particular aspects, is different from the controlling Jahili system, then it stands to reason that this new system should also
come into the battlefield as an organized movement and a viable group. It
should come into the battlefield with a determination that its strategy, its
social organization, and the relationship between its individuals should be
firmer and more powerful than the existing Jahili
system.
The theoretical foundation
of Islam, in every period of history, has been to bear witness "La ilaha illa Allah"-"There is no deity
worthy of worship except Allah" - which means to bear witness that the
only true deity is Allah, that He is the Sustainer, that He is the Ruler of the
universe, and that He is the Real Sovereign; to believe in Him in one's heart,
to worship Him Alone, and to put into practice His laws. Without this complete
acceptance of "La ilaha illa
Allah", which
differentiates the one who says he is a Muslim from a non-Muslim, there cannot
be any practical significance to this utterance, nor will it have any weight according
to Islamic law.
Theoretically, to establish
it means that people should devote their entire lives in submission to Allah
Almighty, should not decide any affair on their own, but must refer to Allah's
injunctions concerning it and follow them. We know of Allah's guidance through
only one source, that is, through the Messenger of Allah pbuh. Thus, in the second part of the Islamic creed, we bear witness 'Wa ashhadu anna Muhammadar Rasul Allah" - "And I bear
witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."
It is therefore necessary
that Islam's theoretical foundation – belief – materialize in the form of an
organized and active group from the very beginning. It is necessary that this
group separate itself from the Jahili society, becoming independent
and distinct from the active and organized Jahili
society whose aim is to block Islam. The centre of this new group should be a
new leadership; the leadership which first came in the person of the Prophet pbuh himself, and after him was delegated to those who strove for
bringing people back to Allah Almighty's sovereignty, His authority and His
laws. A person who bears witness that there is no deity worthy of worship
except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger should cut off his relationship
of loyalty from the Jahili society, which he has
forsaken, and from Jahili leadership, whether it be
in the guise of priests, magicians or astrologers, or in the form of political,
social or economic leadership, as was the case of the Quraish in the time of
the Prophet pbuh. He will have to give his
complete loyalty to the new Islamic movement and to the Muslim leadership.
This decisive step must be
taken at the very moment a person says, "La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadar Rasul Allah" with his tongue. The Muslim
society cannot come into existence without this. It cannot come into existence
simply as a creed in the hearts of individual Muslims, however numerous they
may be. Unless they become an active, harmonious and cooperative group,
distinct by itself, whose different elements, like the limbs of a human body,
work together for its formation, its strengthening, its expansion, and for its
defence against all those elements which attack its system, working under a
leadership which is independent of the Jahili
leadership, which organizes its various efforts into one harmonious purpose,
and which prepares for the strengthening and widening of their Islamic character
and directs them to abolish the influences of their opponent: the Jahili life.
Islam was founded in this
manner. It was founded on a creed which, although concise, included the whole
of life. This creed immediately brought into action a viable and dynamic group
of people who became independent and separate from the Jahili society, immediately challenging it; it never came as an abstract
theory devoid of practical existence. And, in the future it can be brought
about only in this manner. There is no other way for the revival of Islam in
the shade of Jahiliyyahh, in whatever age or
country it appears, except to follow its natural character and to develop it
into a movement and an organic system.
When Islam, according to
the method described above, starts a Muslim community on this basis, forms it
into an active group, and makes this faith the sole basis for the relationship
between the individuals of this group, its ultimate aim is to awaken the
'humanity of man', to develop it, to make it powerful and strong, and to make
it the most dominant factor among all the aspects found in man's being. It
seeks to implement this purpose through its teachings, its rules, its laws and
injunctions.
Some human characteristics
are common with those of animals, even with those of inorganic matter. This has
misled the exponents of 'scientific Jahiliyyahh' to consider man to be nothing more than an animal, or even than inorganic
matter! But in spite of the characteristics which man shares with animals and
inorganic matter, man possesses certain other characteristics which distinguish
him and make him a unique creation. Even the exponents of 'scientific
ignorance' were forced to admit this, the evidence of observational facts
choking them; but even then, their admission of this fact is neither sincere nor
unequivocal.
In this respect the service
rendered by Islam's pure way of life has produced concrete and valuable
results. Islam based the Islamic society on the association of belief alone,
instead of the low associations based on race and colour, language and country,
regional and national interests. Instead of stressing those traits which are
common to both man and animal, it promoted man's human qualities, nurtured them
and made them the dominant factor. Among the concrete and brilliant results of
this attitude was that the Islamic society became an open and all-inclusive
community in which people of various races, nations, languages and colours were
members, there remaining no trace of these low animalistic traits. The rivers
of higher talents and various abilities of all races of mankind flowed into
this vast ocean and mixed in it. Their intermingling gave rise to a high level
of civilization in a very short span of time, dazzling the whole world, and
compounding the essences of all the human capabilities, ideas and wisdom of
that period, in spite of the fact in those times travel was difficult and the
means of communication were slow.
In this great Islamic
society Arabs, Persians, Syrians, Egyptians, Moroccans, Turks, Chinese,
Indians, Romans, Greeks, Indonesians and Africans were gathered together - in
short, peoples of all nations and all races. Their various characteristics were
united, and with mutual cooperation, harmony and unity, they took part in the
construction of the Islamic community and Islamic culture. This marvellous
civilization was not an 'Arabic civilization', even for a single day; it was
purely an 'Islamic civilization'. It was never a
'nationality' but always a ‘community of belief.’
Thus they all came together
on an equal footing in the relationship of love, with their minds set upon a
single goal; thus they used their best abilities, developed the qualities of
their race to the fullest, and brought the essence of their personal, national
and historical experiences for the development of this one community, to which
they all belonged on an equal footing and in which their common bond was
through their relationship to their Sustainer. In this community their
'humanity' developed without any hindrance. These are characteristics which
were never achieved by any other group of people in the entire history of
mankind!
The most distinguished and
best known society in ancient history is considered to be the Roman Empire.
Peoples of various races, languages and temperaments came together in this
society, but all this was not based on 'human relationship' nor was any sublime
faith the uniting factor among them; rather their society was ordered on a
class system, the class of 'nobles' and the class of 'slaves', throughout the
Empire. Moreover, the Roman race - in general - had the leadership and the
other races were considered its subjects. Hence this society could not achieve
that height which was achieved by the Islamic society and did not bring those
blessings which were brought by the Islamic society.
Various societies have also
appeared in modern times. For example, consider the British Empire. It is like
the Roman society to which it is an heir. It is based on national greed, in
which the British nation has the leadership and exploits those colonies annexed
by the Empire. The same is true of other European empires. The Spanish and
Portuguese Empires in their times, and the French Empire, all are equal in
respect to oppression and exploitation. Communism also wanted to establish a
new type of society, demolishing the walls of race and colour, nation and
geographical region, but it is not based on 'human relationship' but on a
'class system'. Thus the communist society is like the Roman society with a
reversal of emphasis; there nobles had distinction, while here the proletariat
has distinction. The underlying emotion of this class is hatred and envy of
other classes. Such a selfish and vengeful society cannot but excite base
emotions in its individuals. The very basis of it is laid down in exciting
animalistic characteristics, and in developing and strengthening them. Thus, in
its view, the most fundamental needs of a human being are those which are
common with the animals, that is, ‘food, shelter and sex.’ From its point of
view, the whole of human history is nothing but a struggle for food!
Islam, then, is the only
Divine way of life which brings out the noblest human characteristics,
developing and using them for the construction of human society. Islam has
remained unique in this respect to this day. Those who deviate from this system
and want some other system, whether it be based on nationalism, colour and
race, class struggle, or similar corrupt theories, are truly enemies of
mankind! They do not want man to develop those noble characteristics which have
been given to him by his Creator nor do they wish to see a human society
benefit from the harmonious blending of all those capabilities, experiences and
characteristics which have been developed among the various races of mankind.
Allah Most High says about
such people:
“Say (O Muhammed), ‘Shall we
(believers) inform you of the greatest losers as to (their) deeds?
(They) are those whose effort is
lost in worldly life, while they think that they are doing well in work’
Those are the ones who disbelieve in
the verses of their Lord and in (their) meeting Him, so their deeds have become
worthless; and We will not assign to them on the Day of Resurrection any weight
(i.e. importance).
That is their recompense – Hell - for
what they denied and (because) they took My signs and My Messengers in
ridicule.” Surah al-Kahf 18:103-106.
Many Muslims respond to
lectures on riba with many very important questions and
observations. Some question the juristic opinion of some ulama that there is no
riba in Dar al-Harb. What is Dar al-Harb?
Allah the Most High, informs
us in the Qur’an that the whole earth belongs to Him (7:128). He further
informs us that His righteous servants shall inherit the earth (21:105). What
they, in fact, inherit is the responsibility for maintaining a state of salaam
on the earth, since Allah the Most High, calls for such (10:25). Salaam means
peace, security and the warding off evil. That state of salaam is violated when
aggression is committed, or when a people are being oppressed and tyrannized,
and are themselves crying to the heavens for deliverance from oppression, in
such a situation, Allah the Most High, makes it obligatory on Muslims to fight
to respond to aggression and to liberate the oppressed (4:75). Since the Arabic
for war is harb, such a territory (i.e. territory with which Muslims are at
war) was designated Dar al-Harb.
There is nothing in the Qur'an
or the ahadith of Prophet Muhammad (s) which make riba lawful in
Dar al-Harb! In the Hanafi School of Law, however, there is an opinion which
has now been applied in a rather careless and dangerous way to North America.
The opinion is that riba can be accepted in Dar al-Harb. Here is
the relevant section from Imam Muhammad al-Shaybani’s Kitab al-Siyar al-Kabir
which is the most authoritative work in Hanafi jurisprudence on the Islamic Law
of Nations:
764. I asked:
If a Muslim entered into a transaction with a harbi (i.e. someone from dar al-Harb)
involving usury (riba), or corpses (dead animals), do you-think that
such a transaction would be rejected as null and void?
765. He (Imam
al-Shaybani) replied: Yes, if it took place in Dar al-lslam. If it were in the
dar al-Harb, it should not be regarded as null and void according to the
opinions of Abu Hanifa and Muhammad (b. Al-Hasan).
766. I asked: Why?
You have said that if a Muslim enters the Dar al-Harb, it would be permissible
for him to sell corpses and take two dirhams in exchange for one.
767. He
replied: Yes, it would be quite all right to do so in their land, but not - as
in the former situation - in the Dar al-Islam, where Muslim rulings are binding
on them and where it would not be lawful to do so save what is lawful among
Muslims. If (on the other hand) the Muslims were in Dar al-Harb under an aman,
it would be lawful for him to acquire property from them in accordance (with
their law) by their consent, since Muslim rulings would not be binding on them
there. This is the opinion of Abu Hanifa and Muhammad (bin al-Hasan). However,
Abu Yusuf held that he would not approve of (a Muslim being involved in) a
transaction in the dar al-Harb involving riba, wine, or dead animals,
and he rejects it. But Allah knows best!
Even if it were to be agreed
upon that there is no riba between a Muslim and a harbi in the
territory of Dar al-Harb, we would still argue that United States of America is
not Dar al-Harb and hence, the prohibition would still apply In USA. We do so
for the following reasons:
In the first place there can
be no Dar al-Harb without Dar al-Islam. And there is no Dar al-Islam existing
anywhere in the world today, not even in Makkah and Madinah! it was too early,
in his time, for an outstanding scholar like Maulana Manazir Ahsan Gilani to
perceive that Dar al-Islam was coming to an end in his age. Nor even, could
Al-Azhar University perceive this when it convened the Caliphate Congress in
Cairo in 1926 in order to respond to the Turkish abolition of the Caliphate in
1924.
In order for a territory to
be designated Dar al-Islam Muslims must have the freedom, in that territory, to
submit to the supreme authority of the Word and Law of Allah the Most High. In
other words, the shariah must have supremacy over any and all
other laws in that territory. That is no longer possible anywhere in the Muslim
world today. Articles 24 and 25 of the Charter of the UN, for example, are in
conflict with that essential requirement of Dar al-Islam, since they require
that member States recognize, instead, the supreme authority of the Security
Council of the United Nations:
Article 24;
In order to ensure prompt
and effective action by the United Nations, Its members confer on the Security
Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and
security, and agree that in carrying out its duties under this responsibility
the Security Council acts on their behalf. . .
Article 25:
The Members of the United
Nations agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council in
accordance with the present Charter.
The Charter of the United
Nations was signed on 26 June 1945, in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the
United Nations Conference on International Organization, and came into force on
24 October 1945. Very few Muslim countries were free from colonial rule at that
time. One of them was Saudi Arabia, which signed this document.
This is just one example
demonstrating that all Muslim countries which are members of the UN (such as
Iran and Sudan. and all others), and are thus contractually obliged to submit
to the supreme authority of the Security Council of the UN, rather than the
supreme authority of Allah the Most High, do not conform with the most
fundamental of all due characteristics of Dar al-Islam. namely that the authority
of Allah. the Most High, must be supreme over the Muslims.
Also, in order for a
territory to be designated Dar al-Islam, the rights of the Muslims must be
respected in that territory. Among those rights are the following:
freedom
to enter the territory of Dar al-Islam,
a
Muslim does not need a visa;
freedom
to reside in that territory,
he
does not need a residence permit;
freedom
to seek his livelihood in that territory,
he
does not need a work permit;
and
freedom to participate in the political process (in accordance with the
political Sunnah) in that territory,
he
does not need citizenship!
No Muslim country respects
these rights anymore, not even Iran and Sudan. And foolish Muslims who have
been absorbed in the jahiliyah of nationalism would actually
oppose efforts to restore those rights. And yet the European Community has
copied this aspect of Dar al-Islam and established all of these rights for all
citizens belonging to member countries of the EC.
In order for a territory to
be recognized by Muslims as Dar al-Harb, it has to be so designated in a
proclamation issued by the Amir al-Mumineen. The last time such a proclamation
was made was in 1914 by the khalifa (Caliph) in Istanbul. (The present King of
Saudi Arabia once declared jihad against Israel. He appears to have forgotten
about it). Again in 1991 there was the declaration of jihad which preceded the
Gulf war, and which entered into history as the first ever ‘Yankee jihad’.
If the Muslims were to restore Dar al-Islam anywhere in the world, those
Muslims resident in that territory will then be in a position to elect a khalifa
or Amir al-Mumineen. He, the khalifa, can then (if conditions so-justify)
declare USA or any other country in the world to be Dar al-Harb in accordance
with the laws of war and peace in Islam!
When a territory is
designated Dar al-Harb then Muslims are not permitted to reside in that
territory. If they have any temporary business there they are supposed to
attend to it and then promptly leave that territory.
Harbis (i.e. the citizens of
Dar al-Harb) are a people with whom all Muslims are at war. Hence a harbi can
be killed by any Muslim in accordance with the laws of war. If United States of
America is Dor al-harb then a Muslim would be permitted by his religion to kill
an American (i.e. harbi) in accordance with the laws of war. The harbi may,
however, enter into Dar al-Islam in safety if he is granted an aman (a
guarantee of safety) by any Muslim, male or female.
Finally, the property of a
harbi can be seized by any Muslim in accordance with the laws of war. This
would apply to the property of Americans if United States of America is Dar
al-Harb. The above observations should force Muslims resident in North America
to pause before they accept any opinion to the effect that USA is Dar al-Harb
and that it is permissible for Muslims to take loans on interest in USA, or to
utilize for their own benefit the interest which is paid to them!
If a Muslim accepts the view
that USA is Dar al-Harb, and yet seeks to acquire or to retain US citizenship
or permanent residence (Green Card), he or she would, firstly, be engaged in
clear hypocrisy and even treason against Islam! Such Muslims would face
terrible consequences on the Day of Judgement unless they made tauba and
sought to leave Dar al-Harb as soon as possible. Secondly, the US government
would be entitled to revoke the citizenship and Permanent Residence (Green
Cards) of all such people and arrest or deport them.
