Q&A: Public Awareness and Public Opinion by Sheikh Ata' Abu Rashta

The following is the translation of an Arabic Q&A from the website of Sheikh Ata' Abu Rashta.

Question:

It is mentioned in the book "Methodology of HT" (It is by favour from Allah on the people that there now exists a public opinion for Islam, which has now become the hope of the Ummah for its salvation. And the name of Khilafah has become constantly repeated on the tongue of every person when previously it was not. So establishing the Khilafah and bringing back the rule of Allah becomes the hope of all Muslims.) (Methodology of HT, page 50 Arabic).

Hence the Question is: The words mentioned herewith are the public opinion and not the public awareness; so what is the reason for that? In any case, while discussing the second phase of the method, it was stated: (Collective culturing of the masses by the thoughts and rules of Islam which the party adopted ….. so as to give the Ummah a public awareness and to interact with it.) (Methodology of HT, page 43 Arabic). i.e. the public awareness has been specified and not the public opinion …? So, why is such difference?

Then what is the meaning of "public awareness"? and how is the public awareness is built in favor of Khilafah, for example?

Answer: 

We have mentioned on several occasions "public opinion emanating from public awareness"… and whenever we mention only "the public opinion" or only "the public awareness" it is correct, in view of the fact that the required public opinion emanates from the public awareness. Both expressions are from the same series and mentioning a part of the series with the omission of other one is correct.

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ إِذَا أَنْتُمْ بَشَرٌ تَنْتَشِرُونَ

(Among His Signs is that He created you from dust; and then Behold ye are men scattered).

The Almighty says:

 الَّذِي أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ الْإِنْسَانِ مِنْ طِينٍ

(He Who has made everything which He has created most Good. He began the creation of man with (nothing more than) clay)

The Almighty says: 

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ مِنْ حَمَإٍ مَسْنُونٍ  

(we created man from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape)

The Almighty says: 

خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ كَالْفَخَّارِ 

(He created man (Adam) from sounding clay like the clay of pottery)

You can see the above verses mentioning sometimes the dust, and at some other times, the clay, sounding clay from mud moulded into shape, sounding clay like the clay of pottery; "And the sounding clay is a dry clay which is rattled and not cooked, and if cooked, becomes like the clay of pottery".

For the reason that they all are from the same series: dust, then clay, then clay dried up without being cooked, and then the cooked clay … and mentioning any part of the series is correct.

And thus to say "public opinion emanating from a public awareness", is a series. You are right when you utter them together "public opinion emanating from a public awareness" or you may simply say "public opinion" or "public awareness". All of them are correct and there is no difference, particularly at a time when the context is clear.

As for the meaning of public awareness, it is as follows:

* The word Al Waie is derived from "Waie" which linguistically as mentioned in Lisan Al Arab: (is to learn something by heart. For instance, he comprehended the thing and speech very well: i.e. remembered, understood and accepted it, and therefore he is a conscious and vigilant person. Similarly, this person is more conscious than that one i.e. is more capable of memorizing and understanding the things, and it was narrated in one Hadith: May Allah make the one, who heard my statement and committed it to memory, to flourish. Many a message bearer is more conscious than hearer).

* In terminology, this awareness is all-inclusive of the most prominent aspect of the issue.

As for how a public awareness on the Khilafah to be created, so it is not a partial knowledge of the word Khilafah; rather the word also includes some prominent rules related to the subject matter such as it is an obligation, the Khalifah has to be one and the Bai'ah has to be made through consent and choice … as well as some prominent powers endowed with the Khalifah such as the care of internal and external affairs of the Islamic State … We say here "some" because the public awareness does not mean knowing all the details but some brief knowledge is enough so that the man get aware of the Khilafah for the sake of public awareness … and like this are the other matters.

22^nd Shawwal, 1432 AH

20^th September, 2011 CE. 

Arabic Source