Riba & The strategy of public confrontation

THE PROHIBITION OF RIBA IN THE QUR’AN AND SUNNAH

PROPOSAL FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ISLAMIC PUBLISHING COMPANY BASED ON MUSHARAKA OR MUDARABA

We propose for the consideration of Muslim entrepreneurs, wherever in the world this book may reach, the establishment of an Islamic Publishing Company which would publish strategic literature on Islam such as books on the prohibition of riba. The establishment, Islamic publishing companies, would be scared to publish Islamic books which reveal the true nature and mission of modem dominant godless European civilization and its war against Islam.

Books on Islam, to be published by this publishing company, would fulfill the following very specific needs:

1. Defending Islam and Muslims against attacks which are increasingly being launched by an essentially godless and largely Jewish-controlled media and publishing industry;

2. Defining Islam authentically and thus protecting Muslims from being misled by revisionist and modernist interpretations of Islam. An excellent book, which performs precisely such a function, is the two-volume work entitled: “The Qur’anic Foundations and Structure of Muslim Society” by Maulana Dr. Muhammad Fadlur Rahman Ansari (may Allah him mercy on him).

3. Articulating Islam to the modem secularly educated world in a manner which would demonstrate Islam's capacity to solve the most serious and dangerous problems facing all of humanity (and in particular families) today;

4. Introducing the Qur’an in a manner which would conclusively demonstrate to non-Muslims as well as to secularized Muslims that it is the Word of Allah the Most High, - indeed, that it cannot be other than the Word of Allah the Most High;

5. Using the city in which the publishing company is located as a base for guiding public opinion to facilitate the effort of protecting the faith of the believers and for restoring the jama'ah and Imam/Ameer who must he obeyed;

Such an Islamic Publishing Company would also perform the crucially important function of providing an avenue for local Islamic scholars to conduct research and to write books which, will be highly relevant to local challenges. No such avenue exists today. Such a publishing company can be established as a commercial venture and should yield a positive return on investment. Local laws should permit such a venture to be established. Eventually, of course, Muslims will no longer have this freedom. But while still the freedom lasts it should be used.

THE STRATEGY OF PUBLIC CONFRONTATION 

After a program of public education has been effected, a mobilization of the latent faith in the bosom of the oppressed masses should be the next goal of the revolutionary Islamic movement. The oppressed have to be roused to participate in a mass struggle for liberation from economic oppression. When that struggle is led by Muslims it will lead to the restoration of the sovereignty of Allah the Most High, over territory and that would be Dar al-Islam, and a rejection of the false claim to sovereignty of the modem secular State.

There is, I believe, much which we can learn from the strategy of mobilizing the oppressed displayed in the success of the call for a million-man march of the oppressed to Washington DC in October 1995. The oppressed responded to the call of Louis Farrakhan because he was perceived to be someone who had established credentials for making such a call. Farrakhan, like Imam Khomeini, stood outside the system and denounced it! He did not form part of the system. No one else in USA could have made the call for a million-man march of the oppressed and succeeded because no one, including the so-called leaders of the Muslims, have worked for or earned such credentials. Fidel Castro succeeded in his struggle against the oppressors in Cuba because the oppressed masses responded to his call. They did because he also did not form part of the system, and he opposed it from outside.

The Islamic movement cannot earn the revolutionary credentials necessary for successfully mobilizing the masses if it functions as part of the political system created and sustained by the oppressors. We have great respect for Maulana Abul 'Ala Maududi (may Allah have mercy on his soul) but we must direct attention to the disastrous mistake which he made when the revolutionary Islamic movement which he created, i.e., the Jamaai-e-lslami (of Pakistan), was registered as apolitical party and then operated within the political system of Pakistan in a futile attempt to bring about revolutionary change to Pakistan. The Jamaat-e-Islami and other such revolutionary Islamic movements as the Tanzeem-e-Islami (led by that outstanding Islamic scholar. Dr. Israr Ahmad), have to earn such credentials as would result in them being perceived by the oppressed masses as fortes which can liberate the oppressed from oppression. Those credentials cannot be earned without the following;

1) Scrupulous adherence in the command of Allah the Most High, in the Qur'an prohibiting relationship of dependency on, and subservience to, Christians and Jews. (Qur’an; al-Mai’da:-5:54). This implies that we, Muslims, must not submit to the dominant Judeo-Christian Western civilization and must carefully guard our independence from their dominance and influence. The monarchy and government in Saudi Arabia committed treason against Islam by talking the Arabian heart-land of Islam into a client State relationship with the Judeo-Christian West. One of the criteria by which we can recognize the true guides and scholars of Islam today is that they unequivocally denounce the treason of the Saudi regime, and of all other such regimes which today control the world of Islam on behalf of their western masters. Western civilization has all but declared war on Islam. Allah, the Most High, responds in the Qur’an by wanting:

Oh you who believe! Take not My enemies and yours as protecting friends, offering them your love, even though they have rejected the Truth which has come to you . . .

(Qur’an: al-Mumtahinah:-60:1)

2) Making the straggle for the liberation of the oppressed their first priority. This can never be achieved if they become part of the system of politics and economic oppression. Islam cannot be accommodated within a system of oppression.

3) Educating the oppressed so that they will understand the nature of the political, economic and religious oppression to which they are subjected. The most important element of this process of education would be education concerning riba.

4) Confronting, denouncing and challenging the oppressors, in particular those engaged in the economic oppression that is riba.

5) Waging an armed struggle for the liberation of the oppressed within the world of Islam (after exhausting all peaceful efforts to achieve that goal).

That armed struggle for the liberation of the oppressed who reside outside the world of Islam cannot be waged until the world of Islam has itself been liberated! And so the strategy for the Islamic movement outside the world of Islam is the same as that which was adopted in Makkah prior to the Hijrah, i.e., passive resistance with the greatest effort possible to ensure that faith in Allah the Most High, is not corrupted and destroyed.

If anyone entertains any doubts concerning the legitimacy of waging an armed struggle for liberation from the oppression of riba, he should recall the very last revelation of the Qur’an, sent down when the Prophet (s) was about to die, and sent down after Allah the Most High, had announced the perfection of religion and the completion of his favor to the believers, in which Allah the Most High, and His Messenger (s) declare war for that very purpose!

Source: IMRAN N. HOSEIN

to be continued . . . . 

The Prohibition of Riba (Interest) by Imran Hosein

The Prohibition of Riba (Interest) (Q&A) by Imran Hosein

Understanding Jihad, “Striving in the Cause of Allah”

Understanding Jihad, “Striving in the Cause of Allah” by Dr. Israr Ahmad

If we were to make a list of all the Islamic terms and concepts that have been inadvertently misconstrued or deliberately distorted, by the apologetic Muslims or Western orientalists, then Jihad can easily be placed at the top of that list.

Although the significance of Jihad in the Qur’an and Sunnah cannot be overstated, its exact place in the overall framework of Islamic values and imperatives has been a matter of some debate. Some writers have described Jihad as the fifth pillar of Islam, while others have relegated it to a mere Fard Kafayah (a collective, rather than personal, duty). A highly misleading but popular idea in this respect is that any war in which the Muslims are engaged, even if the motives are other than purely Islamic, is Jihad fi Sabeel lillah. In view of the confusions and misunderstandings that surround this most fundamental of Islamic concepts, we are going to discuss here, very briefly, the meaning and import of Jihad vis-à-vis the other duties and obligations of a Muslim.

The word Jihad is not synonymous with “Holy War” which is what the Western media wants everyone to believe. After four decades of Cold War, the Western powers suddenly found themselves without a legitimate enemy, and, consequently, they have designated Islam and the Muslims as the most deadly threat to world peace. The image of all Muslims as terrorists was inculcated by numerous so-called documentaries, like the infamous Jihad in America (PBS). In the face of such widespread media stereotypes, it is indeed an uphill task to educate the non-Muslims regarding the true meaning of Jihad. Much more important, however, is the task of removing the misconception which are prevalent among the Muslims themselves.

The foundation of the edifice of Islam consists in the verbal testimony of God’s unity and Muhammad’s (SAW) prophethood. Built upon this foundation are the four pillars of Islam with which all of us are familiar, i.e., Salat, Zakat, Saum, and Hajj. Please note, however, that Iman (or faith) also has two pillars: an unshakable inner conviction in the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and the struggle in the path of Almighty Allah (SWT). This has been described in the Qur’an thus:

They alone are the mo’min who come to believe in Allah and His messenger and afterwards never doubted, and who strive in the way of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Only they are truthful and sincere. (Al-Hujurat 49:15)

What does this ayah really mean? It means that there is absolutely no way, for a person who claims to be a believer, to avoid Jihad fi Sabeel lillah and still remain a believer in the sight of Almighty Allah (SWT). Indeed, the very definition of a mo’min, as given in Surah Al-Hujurat, necessitates that a strong faith and state of inner certitude be coupled with an active struggle in the path of Allah (SWT).

The word Jihad and the verb that goes with it mean to struggle against some opposition. Thus, each and every human being is engaged in Jihad, in the sense that everyone has to struggle for his existence. However, the kind of Jihad we are talking about should be qualified as fi Sabeel lillah, that is to say, trying and exerting one’s utmost in the path of Almighty Allah. It is an earnest and ceaseless activity involving the sacrifice of physical and mental resources, wealth, property, and even life, only for the sake of attaining the pleasure Almighty Allah (SWT).

In order to understand the meaning of striving in the path of Allah, we should first have a clear concept of the responsibilities of a Muslim. According to the Qur’an and the Sunnah, the obligations of a Muslim are three-fold: A Muslim is required to become an obedient slave of Almighty Allah (SWT), he is required to mold his life, his values, his priorities, and his ambitions according to the commands of his Lord. Secondly, he must preach and disseminate the ideational and practical guidance of Islam to his fellow human beings, to enjoin all that is good and prohibit all that is evil. Thirdly, he must try his utmost to establish the domination of Islam over all other systems of life, all over the world.

Even a superficial analysis of these three obligations is enough to establish the fact that none of them is easy to fulfill. There are immence difficulties to overcome, all sorts of oppositions to put up with, and countless problems to solve at each of the three levels. A Muslim must put in a great deal of hard labor in fulfilling these obligations, he must exercise all his abilities and all his resources if he is to fulfill his duties. In other words, he is required to engage in a constant Jihad. This struggle or Jihad covers a wide spectrum of religious obligations, and its inherent activism can be understood as having nine different stages or aspects, as explained below:

In trying to live a life of total obedience to Almighty Allah (SWT) and to follow the example of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), a Muslim must resist the following:

• the sinful impulses and evil inclinations of his own nafs;
• the temptations implanted by Iblees and his progeny;
• the ridicule, opposition, and pressures from the un-Islamic society in which he happens to live.

In trying to spread the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and those of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to every nook and corner of the world, a Muslim will encounter three types of people, and therefore he must develop different approaches and levels of scholarship to cater for each of these groups:

• the educated and intelligent classes;
• the common people, or the masses at large;
• the rigid and inflexible adversaries.

In endeavoring for the establishment of the ascendancy of Islam over all other systems of life, members of the Islamic movement will have to go through the following stages:

• Passive Resistance, enduring all verbal and physical persecution without retaliation;
• Active Resistance, challenging the un-Islamic system when there is enough strength available to do so;
• and finally, the Armed Conflict (or a non-violent and disciplined popular movement)

It should be obvious from the above discussion that armed conflict or Qitaal constitutes only the last of the nine stages or aspects of Jihad, and that these two are not synonymous terms. Thus, we see that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) spent the entire twelve years of the Meccan period in calling people towards Islam, in organizing and training those who responded, and, during all that time, both he and his Companions endured all verbal and physical harassment with a non-violent attitude. 

It was only after Hijrah, when a strong center of the Islamic Movement was established in Medina, that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) decided that now there was enough strength at his disposal to challenge the Quraysh, and only then the Islamic movement entered the phases of Active Resistance and Armed Conflict. In view of this, all the revivalist and revolutionary Islamic groups throughout the Muslim world must keep the following fact in mind: While an armed struggle against an un-Islamic political system is permissible under certain conditions (whether or not it is feasible in today’s world is another issue), such a struggle cannot be launched without first going through the initial eight stages of Jihad.

It is vitally important that those who are trying to change the world in accordance with the will of Allah (SWT) must first change their own lives. It is indeed ironical that the life-style of many of the Muslims who are engaged in Islamic activism cannot be described as ideal or exemplary. We must keep in mind that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has described the struggle to make one’s own self obedient to Almighty Allah (SWT) as the “Greater Jihad.” We cannot expect to eradicate the evils in our society unless we first subjugate our own sinful impulses. Similarly, it is also essential that all the available means and resources be utilized in calling people towards the light of Islam, in removing their false beliefs, and in helping them realize the truth of Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) teachings, before initiating the final phases of Jihad.

What, exactly, is the nature of the relationship between Iman and Jihad, or faith and struggle? During the days of early, pristine Islam, we find that the two major realities — which formed the focus of attention for the Muslims — were Qur’an and Jihad. Qur’an was the source of Iman, and Iman manifested itself in Jihad. Primarily, it was the force and appeal of the Qur’anic verses that conquered the hearts and souls of the Companions (RAA), leading to a profound change in their values, priorities, ambitions, and thinking pattern. This inner transformation quite naturally led to a sense of dissatisfaction and discontent with what was happening in their environment, resulting in the development of friction and a lack of harmony between the Muslims and their un-Islamic milieu. A genuine inner change necessarily leads to a conflict with the status quo. In the case of the Companions (RAA), the inner transformation was characterized by Iman, and the resulting conflict took the form of Jihad.

Things began to change, however, when Islam entered the era of “statehood” and ceased to be a “movement.” As a result, the attention of the Muslim community gradually started to shift from the moving and inspiring verses of the Qur’an to legal and judicial matters, from the inner dynamics of Iman to the external manifestation of Islam, and from Jihad in the path of Allah (SWT) to warfare for the defense — or expansion —of the Muslim territories. The idea that Jihad is a Fard Kafayah was made popular by the legalistic mind which equated it with the responsibilities of the armed forces.

How can we bring about an Islamic Renaissance in our own times? It will be possible only by following the methodology of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). The only surefire and unfailing strategy for Islamic Renaissance, therefore, must involve the revitalization of Iman through the Qur’an, and the launching of an Islamic movement on the basis of the dynamism thus unleashed. 

We need to establish a strong nucleus of true conviction and faith among the educated and rational elements of the Muslim society — the brain-trust of the Muslim Ummah — by means of the propagation of the Qur’anic wisdom at the highest intellectual level. The light of Iman will then illuminate all other segments of the society. This is the essential prerequisite for Islamic Renaissance, as it constitutes the only methodology to generate the dedicated and committed man-power to undertake the Jihad for the establishment of the domination of Islam over all other systems of life, all over the world.

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