Choose Between Enervation and Hope

There are more than two billion Muslims worldwide. In addition, numerous researchers project that Muslims will outnumber Christians by the year 2050. [World Population Review, 2023]. Muslim lands are rich with immeasurable quantities of resources such as the world’s 70% crude oil reserves, 50% natural gas amongst other natural resources besides its huge human resource. However, the mindboggling question is, why are the Muslims suffering across the world despite such capability? The misery includes but not limited to poverty, social disintegration, military conflicts, intellectual stagnation and brain drain etcetera.

Perpetual witnessing of chaos and cries from directions where Muslims are located is the norm. Some of the atrocious examples are Xinjiang (China), Kashmir (India), Gaza (Blessed Land of Palestine), Somalia, Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya and Sudan. Are the Muslims’ anguish justifiable or misplaced?

In order, for us to respond on the above, it is imperative we draw our attention to the following statements of Allah (swt) and the sayings of the Prophet (saw):

Allah (swt) said following:

[وَمَا خَلَقۡتُ ٱلۡجِنَّ وَٱلۡإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعۡبُدُونِ]“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” [Adh-Dhariyat:56]

[وَلَن يَجۡعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ سَبِيلاً]“and never will Allah give the disbelievers over the believers a way [to overcome them].” [An-Nisa: 141]

[وَمَنۡ أَعۡرَضَ عَن ذِڪۡرِى فَإِنَّ لَهُ ۥ مَعِيشَةً۬ ضَنكً۬ا وَنَحۡشُرُهُ ۥ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ أَعۡمَىٰ * قَالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرۡتَنِىٓ أَعۡمَىٰ وَقَدۡ كُنتُ بَصِيرً۬ا * قَالَ كَذَٲلِكَ أَتَتۡكَ ءَايَـٰتُنَا فَنَسِيتَہَا‌ۖ وَكَذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ تُنسَىٰ]

“And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed [i.e., difficult] life, and We will gather [i.e., raise] him on the Day of Resurrection blind. (124) He will say, “My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I was [once] seeing?” (125) [Allah] will say, “Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot [i.e., disregarded] them; and thus will you this Day be forgotten. [TaHa: 124-126].

Thawban (ra) narrated that the Prophet (saw) said:

‏«يُوشِكُالأُمَمُ أَنْ تَدَاعَى عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا تَدَاعَى الأَكَلَةُ إِلَى قَصْعَتِهَا»‏.‏ فَقَالَ قَائِلٌ وَمِنْ قِلَّةٍ نَحْنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ قَالَ «بَلْ أَنْتُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ كَثِيرٌ وَلَكِنَّكُمْ غُثَاءٌ كَغُثَاءِ السَّيْلِ وَلَيَنْزِعَنَّ اللَّهُ مِنْ صُدُورِ عَدُوِّك الْمَهَابَةَ مِنْكُمْ وَلَيَقْذِفَنَّ اللَّهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمُ الْوَهَنَ»‏.‏ فَقَالَ قَائِلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا الْوَهَنُ قَالَ «حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا وَكَرَاهِيَةُ الْمَوْتِ»‏

“The people will soon summon one another to attack you as people when eating invite others to share their dish. Someone asked: Will that be because of our small numbers at that time? He replied: No, you will be numerous at that time: but you will be scum and rubbish like that carried down by a torrent, and Allah will take fear of you from the breasts of your enemy and last enervation into your hearts. Someone asked: What is wahn (enervation). Messenger of Allah (saw): He replied: Love of the world and dislike of death.” [Sunan Abi Dawud 4297]

Narrated by Hudhaifa bin Al-Yaman:

يَقُولُ كَانَ النَّاسُ يَسْأَلُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الْخَيْرِ، وَكُنْتُ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الشَّرِّ، مَخَافَةَ أَنْ يُدْرِكَنِي فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا كُنَّا فِي جَاهِلِيَّةٍ وَشَرٍّ فَجَاءَنَا اللَّهُ بِهَذَا الْخَيْرِ، فَهَلْ بَعْدَ هَذَا الْخَيْرِ مِنْ شَرٍّ قَالَ «نَعَمْ»‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ وَهَلْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الشَّرِّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ قَالَ ‏«نَعَمْ، وَفِيهِ دَخَنٌ»‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ وَمَا دَخَنُهُ قَالَ «قَوْمٌ يَهْدُونَ بِغَيْرِ هَدْىٍ، تَعْرِفُ مِنْهُمْ وَتُنْكِرُ»‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ فَهَلْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الْخَيْرِ مِنْ شَرٍّ قَالَ ‏«نَعَمْ، دُعَاةٌ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ جَهَنَّمَ، مَنْ أَجَابَهُمْ إِلَيْهَا قَذَفُوهُ فِيهَا»‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صِفْهُمْ لَنَا‏.‏ قَالَ ‏«هُمْ مِنْ جِلْدَتِنَا، وَيَتَكَلَّمُونَ بِأَلْسِنَتِنَا»‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ فَمَا تَأْمُرُنِي إِنْ أَدْرَكَنِي ذَلِكَ قَالَ «تَلْزَمُ جَمَاعَةَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَإِمَامَهُمْ»‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ جَمَاعَةٌ وَلاَ إِمَامٌ قَالَ «فَاعْتَزِلْ تِلْكَ الْفِرَقَ كُلَّهَا، وَلَوْ أَنْ تَعَضَّ بِأَصْلِ شَجَرَةٍ، حَتَّى يُدْرِكَكَ الْمَوْتُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ»

“The people used to ask Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about the good but I used to ask him about the evil lest I should be overtaken by them. So I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! We were living in ignorance and in an (extremely) worst atmosphere, then Allah brought to us this good (i.e., Islam); will there be any evil after this good?" He said, "Yes." I said, 'Will there be any good after that evil?" He replied, "Yes, but it will be tainted (not pure.)'' I asked, "What will be its taint?" He replied, "(There will be) some people who will guide others not according to my tradition? You will approve of some of their deeds and disapprove of some others." I asked, "Will there be any evil after that good?" He replied, "Yes, (there will be) some people calling at the gates of the (Hell) Fire, and whoever will respond to their call, will be thrown by them into the (Hell) Fire." I said, "O Allah s Apostle! Will you describe them to us?" He said, "They will be from our own people and will speak our language." I said, "What do you order me to do if such a state should take place in my life?" He said, "Stick to the group of Muslims and their Imam (ruler)." I said, "If there is neither a group of Muslims nor an Imam (ruler)?" He said, "Then turn away from all those sects even if you were to bite (eat) the roots of a tree till death overtakes you while you are in that state."” [Sahih al-Bukhari 7080].

Indeed, the above verses and hadith give us the answer that it is justifiable to us Muslims to be in this perilous situation across the world because of enervation (wahn) as confirmed:

First, we are no longer slaves to Allah (swt) instead; we are slaves to the Western colonialists. By adopting their secular creed and capitalist ideology, its systems and values. On the hand, we have cast aside our Political Islamic creed (aqeedah).

Second, we have accepted and continue to promote fallacious and contradictory secular capitalists’ concepts such as patriotism and nationalism all in the name of social-fit-in at the expense of the Islamic bond and unity.

Third, we have taken the non-believers (kufar) to be our allies and leaders against Allah (swt), His Prophet (saw) and believers who are calling for the complete submission to the Shari’ah. Hence, we participate in their boardrooms to plot against Islam and Muslims.

Fourth, our mission in this transient dunya is based on the end justifies the means principle. Therefore, we strive day and night to succeed in this dunya but at the price of losing everlasting Akhera! We have equated success to the acquisition of material riches and sensorial glorification. No wonder we have dropped below the level of animals.

In conclusion, it all depends on a personal choice either you remain in this state of enervation (weakness) or embrace hope. Allah (swt) said:

[إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوۡمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنفُسِہِمۡ]

“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” [Al-Rad: 11].

The only way to proof that you have indeed embraced hope, is by unshackling yourself from the Western colonialists’ hegemony. Casting aside their secular (ilmaniya) creed and capitalist ideology, systems and values. By embarking on the call for the resumption of the Islamic way life via the reestablishment of the genuine Islamic Government i.e. the Khilafah (Caliphate) on the method of Prophethood.

By having/embracing hope, it means you expend your utmost efforts (material or otherwise) in seeking the pleasure of Allah (swt) via joining the movement of raising public awareness, opinion and accounting Muslim rulers in the Muslim world. The Muslim rulers to do away with the Sykes-Picot arrangement that divided our once One United Khilafah / State into statelets with colonial boundaries that have wreak havoc since their foundations to-date.

Therefore, they either accept Islam as the basis of their government(s) and rule by the Shari’ah; or toppled and their place(s) occupied by a Muslim man as the Khalifah (Caliph). Indeed, it is up to you to either drown in wahn (love of the world and dislike of death) and hope.

Allah (swt) said:

[وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۥ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فَإِنَّ حِزۡبَ ٱللَّهِ هُمُ ٱلۡغَـٰلِبُونَ]

“And whoever is an ally of Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed – indeed, the party of Allah – they will be the predominant.” [Al-Maidah: 56].

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Ali Nassoro (Abu Taqiuddin)
Member of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir