The Muslim revolutions: That which is required to make them a sound and productive process towards change

Al-Wa'ie Issue 334
Dhu-l-Qa'dah 1435/September 2014

Introductory word from Al-Wa'ie:

The Muslim revolutions: That which is required to make them a sound and productive process towards change and the path forward.

Four years ago the talk was about a radical change from the roots and a comprehensive revolution within the Arab lands which was met with huge skepticism and mockery by many at the time. Then the region exploded like a volcano which tossed its lava out in all directions following the 'Bouazizi' incident witnessed by the small town of Sayyidi Bouzaid in Tunisia. The storm then spread to Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Syria, Bahrain and Al-Iraq whilst having a much lesser effect in Jordan, Morocco and Sudan amongst other lands.

However these revolutions have all failed until now to meet the aspirations of the people in terms of rooting out corruption, oppression, despotism, subjugation, shame, humiliation, poverty and servitude to the foreigner. In spite of the fall of a number of the most malicious of Arab tyrants like what occurred in Tunisia, Yemen, Egypt and Libya and regardless of the plurality of reasons for the failure, the one who examines the issue precisely will find that there are fundamental reasons that must be paid attention so that they can be dealt with, otherwise the revolutions will continue to go round in empty vicious cycles.

The first reason: The dominance of the colonial exploits and influence:

The colonial western exploits and influence in the region penetrates deeply and it works to prevent its inhabitants from being freed from its control as it considers it to be a strategic region which is of utmost sensitivity. Indeed the West regards the disturbance to its designs to represent a strategic threat to its interests. The Middle-East possesses Islaam which represents a unique way of life which obliges a particular political, social, economic and moral system, and it is capable of becoming a powerful international competitor if it was able to attain control and if its authority returned to belonging to the Ummah. In addition it possesses vast natural and human resources, a history overflowing with inspiration and a geographical location that represents the heart of the world connecting three continents together. For this reason the American President Barack Obama was clear and resolute in respect to America abandoning or relinquishing the region when he gave his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on 24/09/2013 when he presented features of the US policy towards the unstable Middle-Eastern region and North Africa affirming that: "The United States will move forward to direct action in order to remove the threats when it is necessary and it will use military force when diplomacy fails" and he rejected: "Any US abandonment of the region" and he considered: 'That this matter will lead to a vacuum which no other State will be able to fill'!

We therefore find that the policies of the major States at the head of which is America are attempting with effort, whether by means of military coups like what happened in Egypt or by way of permitting violent bloody chaos like what is happening in Iraq and Syria, to override the attempts of the people who are undertaking revolutions to seek real change and to free themselves (from outside interference), with the aim of containing them, causing them to fail and greater than that, to force the people to surrender to the solutions that they enforce.

Based upon this it is essential to treat and deal with the western disbelieving states as representing the enemy just as it is essential to cast out their agents, projects and their filthy dealings in a decisive and firm manner without the least amount of complaisance or consideration. This is because the change will never serve its purpose or be worth anything if it is attempted through cooperation with the major states or by makings adjustments to go along with them just as it will never be fruitful by making alliances with the western agents or by allowing to be swept along into their projects. All of this represents a great harm with dire consequences for the Ummah and upon her movement for change.

It is not possible for any revolution to succeed and achieve its objectives without a clear vision of the alternative and without a clear vision of the method that will lead to it and of the manner that all of that will be applied practically in the reality. Lack of clarity in regards to what we have mentioned above will lead to differing, instability, chaos, stumbling and despair. All of this will provide the western states, those possessing influence and means with the time and opportunity to shape this reality and to push their agents and followers to penetrate and infiltrate the people’s movement using maneuvers, initiatives, projects and personalities in order to divert the revolutions from their direction and take them towards certain failure. It is therefore essential to engage in widespread and continuous contact with the people to correct and clarify their thoughts and concepts in regards to the process of change. This especially includes:

- Unifying their visions, thoughts and proposals in relation to the only suitable and acceptable change which has worth being the change that is completed by Islaam in order to apply it and establish its state.

- Limiting the process of change to the Ummah and its strength alone whilst keeping clear of and casting out any change that has come from the west or its agents as that would merely be a form of suicide in respect to the change and will lead to fatal calamities.

- Order and discipline the method of change in accordance to the Ahkaam of Islaam and the methodology of the Messenger of Allah (saw). This is a method that does not call to reckless and blind revenge just as it does not call to pointless acts, chaos and destruction. Indeed, it was an ever evident mark and characteristic of mercy in his Seerah (saw) and especially after he (saw) was able to take control over his enemies, after they fell within his grip (at the time of Fat’h-ul-Makkah) and after all that had befallen him and his companions prior to that in terms of harm, persecution and their eviction from Makkah, that he (saw) said to them: ‘What do you think that I will do with you?’ and they responded: ‘(You will treat us) with goodness honorable brother son of an honorable brother’. He then said: ‘I will say to that which Yousuf (as) said to his brothers:

لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ يَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ

No reproach be upon you on this day, may Allah forgive you (Yousuf 92).

Go for verily you have been released in freedom to go (without reproach)’.

As such, we realise that the methodology of change adopted by the revolution to accomplish its objectives must be reflective of the thoughts, directions and objectives which are line with the establishment of Islaam within life. This is because: ‘We are a nation whom Allah has honoured and given might to by Islaam and whoever seeks honour and might (‘Izzah) by other than Islaam, Allah will bring him low (and humiliate him)’.

- Providing the thoughts in a clear, smooth and simple manner. This is because the people run away from the complicated, obscure and unclear thoughts. Beyond that Islaam by its true nature is simple, smooth and clear and this is one of its most distinguishing qualities and source of its strength, durability and power in respect to its capacity to influence, expand and spread.

- The removal of the corrupt systems, despotism and servitude does not mean the removal and overthrow of people but rather it means changing the false systems and replacing them with the ruling system of Islaam which is responsible for and alone capable of putting an end to the sufferings, tragedies and pains of that the Ummah lives through. Any other Da’wah to establish patriotic or nationalistic, liberal or democratic systems amongst others is contrary to Islaam and it makes sure of the Ummah’s servitude to others culturally and politically.

The second reason: The absence of coming together upon an aware ideological leadership:

For the revolution to be successful in achieving its sought after aim, it requires as an obvious matter of fact, a sincere, truthful, aware, devoted, alert, inspirational and innovatory leadership that directs the movement upon clear insight and vision. This is a leadership that prepares the people, strengthens their resolve and directs her energies in a productive manner. It is a leadership that possesses a complete and comprehensive political, social, economic and moral vision, a vision that emanates from the ‘Aqeedah of the Ummah and her culture, fulfils her aspirations, hopes, treats her pains and draws out for her a clear methodology to proceed upon to accomplish change based on Islaam and for Islaam, for the benefit of the Ummah of Islaam, the Ummah of mercy, goodness, justice and true humanity.

It is necessary to point out here that this leadership could be of a person or a Kutlah (bloc/party/group) whilst reiterating that the effectiveness of the Kutlah and its strength is far greater than that of individuals. Also attention needs to be brought to the point that the measure of suitability and being qualified for leadership must sprout from the experience of the Ummah with it and its success in respect to remaining firm upon the ideology and overcoming the challenges enabling it to sweep away faults or blemishes being attached to it, in accordance to its following of the qualities of truthfulness, depth, seriousness and radical thinking from the roots. Following a leadership must be based upon awareness and insight and its reference must be the message of Islaam which represents the ideology of the Ummah.

This is in accordance to the speech of Allah (swt):

قُلْ هَذِهِ سَبِيلِي أَدْعُو إِلَى اللَّهِ عَلَى بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِي وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

Say this is my way, I call to Allah upon clear sight (awareness), I and those who follow me and Subhaanallahi. And I am not from the Mushrikeen (Yousuf 108).

And His speech (swt):

وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ أَفَإِنْ مَاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انْقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَى أَعْقَابِكُمْ وَمَنْ يَنْقَلِبْ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَنْ يَضُرَّ اللَّهَ شَيْئًا وَسَيَجْزِي اللَّهُ الشَّاكِرِينَ

And Muhammad is no more than a Messenger, and indeed (many) Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels (as disbelievers)? And he who turns back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah, and Allah will give reward to those who are grateful (Aali ‘Imraan 144).

The path forward:

The major events taking place in our region provide an exceptional opportunity to the one possessing the ability to interact with them in order to have an effect upon them and make them proceed towards achieving his objectives. In spite of our awareness of the huge scale of capabilities at the disposal of the major powers it is however possible to confront them if the Ummah’s leadership is successful stripped away from the agents, shallow people, the immature and those who are careless in respect to her future. These people have burdened the Ummah and made her suffer whilst preventing their revival and the attainment of the change that is sought after. For this reason the direction of the revolutions has to be corrected and protected from being hijacked, stolen and contained. This would happen by spreading general awareness within the Ummah upon truthful thoughts that would provide the people with the measures they need to see clearly and distinguish the truth from the falsehood. Similarly it is necessary to clearly explain the challenges that the Ummah is confronting and to expose the conspiracies hatched against her in a precise and unambiguous manner. This must be done in a manner where the general masses sense the truthfulness of the Da’wah and the suitability of its carrier to lead them.

Within this framework the spread of general awareness must be accompanied by:

- The serious work to win over the trust and confidence of the ordinary person in our lands because success in this represents an important factor in respect to breaking the back of the Western schemes. This is because the revolutions depend upon this element within the popular mass movement.

- Making contact in a concentrated, direct and continuous way with the live and effective environments amongst the Ummah. Indeed this must be done with every person who has a placing in the society or is capable of affecting his surroundings and whether these surroundings are economic, societal, political, Deeni or cultural. The result of winning over regular people and affecting those of influence in a widespread manner is that many of the Western schemes and those of their helpers would be hindered and obstructed.

- The realisation that rectifying the current revolution and transferring it from a condition of rebellion, anger and chaotic and pointless upheaval, as has been seen, into a condition and situation of sound and productive change in accordance to the Islamic vision, its methodology and its Ahkaam, the realisation that this represents a pivotal factor and cause for the creation of a suitable environment for influencing and affecting the forces whose movement is the decisive and determining factor in respect to the revolutions. This is whether these forces and sources of power are in the positions of making the decisions or amongst those who the decision makers rely upon to protect their authority and the continuation of their policies either directly or indirectly.

Finally but not least, there is a great responsibility upon every Muslim who is devoted to his Ummah and aware of her issues to carry the Da’wah so that everyone who is conspiring and plotting against the Ummah will lose their opportunity to do so and fail to achieve what they aim for. This must be done to bring about the correct change in a sound manner that bandages the Ummah’s wounds, halts her bleeding and takes her to living in safety and security.

The current opportunity is very favourable to bring about fundamental and substantial changes by engaging in live and effective interaction with the Ummah and this particularly because:

- The reasons that led to the eruption of events in our lands and the launching of storms of revolution in them are still present and standing. Poverty, oppression and deprivation mingled with humiliation and degradation, in addition to the doses of violent suppression which generate anger and eruptions, are still completely dominant and prevailing and indeed are even steadily increasing.

- The people have declared their aversion and absolute rejection to the rotten regimes and systems of repression, humiliation and tyranny and there no longer remains any choice apart from getting rid of them. Submission to these regimes and systems only means increased suffering and decline towards an abyss and complete destruction.

- Our people have affirmed and reiterated by way of speech and action that they are in opposition to the wretched life that they are living and that they are a people who are alive with vitality and are ready to sacrifice and struggle generously and greatly to change their circumstances.

- The clique or small faction that has attempted to westernise the Ummah over the last fifty years has fallen and collapsed and this has especially proven to be the case after all of the prominent leftist, liberal, secular, nationalist and patriotic figures have openly put their support behind the corrupt regimes in opposition to the clear choice of the Ummah to return and restore Islaam in reality within its life and living.

- The Ummah has noticeably turned towards the Islamic solution for politics and Mu’aamalaat (societal transactions) whilst at the same time we have noticed her aversion to the West whose conspiring against the Ummah has been exposed in addition to it being empty of any values that they can have pride in. The vast majority of the Muslims have realised that there is no salvation for the Ummah unless they are independent from the west and unless they make Islaam the judge and rule in their lives.

Allah (swt) said:

وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَى أَمْرِهِ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

Allah has full dominance and control over his affairs, but most of men know not (Yousuf 21).