Ar-Raayah Newspaper
The presence of political awareness within the Ummah protects her from collapse
Abu Hamzah Al-Khatawaani
22/04/15
22/04/15
In the case where political awareness means viewing the world from a specific angle, its existence within the Ummah means the existence of the greatest weapon that protects it from falling and collapse. This is because this political awareness consists of two matters that are of extreme importance and these are: The world view and the specific angle. As for the world view then this includes within it all assumed enemies whether these are present within the Muslim regions like the Jewish State in the Middle-East or States like America and the rest of powerful and ambitious colonial States or local States which are clients and agents to the major powers. The comprehensive view of all of the active powers in the world provides the Ummah with essential knowledge which aids it to not only protect itself alone but also assists her to extend, expand and spread to all of the corners of the world. This is what makes her an effective and influential Ummah in international, regional and local politics in addition to making her an Ummah which is held in awe and possesses a respectable international weight and presence.
For this reason the local or regional view in the absence of the international view is a limited view that falls short and does not generate the complete political awareness. Due to this the societies were exposed to falling into the clutches of subservience as is the case in respect to the Muslim lands in our current time. This limited view led to their demise and falling into insignificance after being divided and uprooted from existence like what happened to the ‘Uthmaani State. For this reason the local and regional view is in truth categorised by superficiality and shallowness.
This is in respect to the first part of the political awareness which relates to possessing a world view. As for the second part which is for the view to be from a ‘specific angle’, then its importance and significance lies in it that it makes a solid firm political basis from the Islamic Aqeedah. This is a basis that the Muslim is not neglectful of for a single instance or moment when he is acquiring political information and through it a distinguished political culture is brought into being that protects the one possessing it from falling into the traps of the rulers, agents and their masters from the disbelieving colonial States.
Even if the specific or special angle is firm in its generalities and considered to be the basis for the carrying of the Islamic Da’wah and for its spread in the world, it however also represents a specific characteristic and quality in respect to how the Islamic State looks at and understands events, realities and political actions that occur upon the face of the earth. So in relation to the Messenger (saw) the angle of work and action that he relied upon shortly after the establishment of his State in Al-Madinah was to restrict all political and hostile military action towards the Quraish however when he became aware of information indicating the probability of the Jews of Khaibar joining the Quraish in an alliance he altered the first strategy and adopted a new one established upon the basis of making a truce with Quraish. This was so that he good deal decisively with Khaibar and break the possibility of the alliance being made between the two which was all undertaken to guarantee the supremacy of the Islamic force and to prevent it from being exposed to a danger that would threaten its existence.
This change in the political vision for the angle of action in respect to the specific (special) angle happened as a result of the political information which continually flowed to the political leadership from the areas that surrounded the Islamic State. This continuous information flow of news necessitates Muslims being continuously connected to the world. This is so that they can formulate an awareness about its reality and conditions, comprehend its problems and issues, know the motivations of its States and peoples, follow and pursue the political actions that take place in it, to take note of and pay attention to the political plans and manoeuvres that the enemies of Islaam are hatching, to expose them and then cause them to fail, in addition to taking all the necessary political precautions in the face of them.
Based upon this understanding the external (or foreign/world) politics is an essential matter for groups, party structures and individuals in order to protect the State and the Ummah in addition to representing a fundamental matter to keep in control and on top of the carrying of the Islamic Da’wah. It is therefore necessary to encompass information about all of the States surrounding the land of Islaam in addition to the major and influential States. This information must be encompassed completely because it is truly considered to be the primary pillar in respect to the priorities of political understanding.
Political awareness is not only political information that is related to political events and occurrences that happen in the world even if it is necessary for this information to be present. Rather political awareness is essentially political thoughts relating to the caretaking of (people’s) affairs and it includes the Aqaa’id (beliefs), Qawaa’id (principles) and Ahkaam (rulings). In other words political awareness comprises the firmly established Islamic concepts and uses them to take care of the affairs of the people and this is done by applying these concepts upon the realities that are continually occurring.
The presence of political awareness specifically requires an understanding of the international situation which in the majority of time is in a state of change. This is in the case where if the condition of the leading State has not altered the condition of the competing States is normally where change would occur. Understanding the international situation and its changes helps us to explain and analyse that which is taking place in the subservient and weak-willed Muslim lands. This also enables us to locate points of weakness in those subservient regimes for the purpose of being successful in bringing their downfall and transforming them into an Islamic State.
Political awareness existing amongst individuals and parties also helps them not to fall prey and as victims to the agent rulers and the client regimes. What we have seen in our current day in respect to Islamic movements being pulled into the Saudi net in relation to their military operation in Yemen is due to the lack of political awareness amongst them. Similarly what we have witnessed in terms of particular individuals including 'Ulamaa and others of influence or high-profile being pulled into the same net and failing the test presented before them in the international and sectarian war in Yemen. These included Salmaan 'Audah, Nabeel Al0'Audiy, Abdul Majeed Az-Zindaani and Taariq Swedaan in addition to well-known 'Ulamaa from Saudi like Al-'Areefi, Al-Qarni and all of those who expressed their support to Saudi in their aggression against Yemen, thanking it, praising its leadership and even writing lines of poetry in support of the aggression and those behind it. Falling into such depths would not have occurred had they been in possession of political awareness which establishes and affirms that the leaders of Saudi are nothing more than tools in the hands of the West and agents to its States.
Political awareness existing amongst individuals and parties also helps them not to fall prey and as victims to the agent rulers and the client regimes. What we have seen in our current day in respect to Islamic movements being pulled into the Saudi net in relation to their military operation in Yemen is due to the lack of political awareness amongst them. Similarly what we have witnessed in terms of particular individuals including 'Ulamaa and others of influence or high-profile being pulled into the same net and failing the test presented before them in the international and sectarian war in Yemen. These included Salmaan 'Audah, Nabeel Al0'Audiy, Abdul Majeed Az-Zindaani and Taariq Swedaan in addition to well-known 'Ulamaa from Saudi like Al-'Areefi, Al-Qarni and all of those who expressed their support to Saudi in their aggression against Yemen, thanking it, praising its leadership and even writing lines of poetry in support of the aggression and those behind it. Falling into such depths would not have occurred had they been in possession of political awareness which establishes and affirms that the leaders of Saudi are nothing more than tools in the hands of the West and agents to its States.
It is therefore necessary to culture the Ummah with Islamic political culture, to present the Islamic political thoughts to her, to connect all of the political events and occurrences to the specific (special) angle, pursue them and connect them with firm connecting principles without being exposed to whims or applying previously held opinions upon them. This is for the purpose of planting the correct Islamic political concepts within the Ummah so that they become part of her daily life and as a result she will not be deceived by the media of lies which casts the actions of the tyrants in a good light and highly praises them.
For that reason it is particularly necessary to focus upon international politics considering it to represent the daily bread of politicians. This is so that the behaviour and actions of the enemies can be fully understood and what their statements, speeches and international relations indicate. As a result of this their plans and intentions can be known and then be exposed before the Ummah.
In conclusion the carriers of the Da'wah in particular have to lead the Ummah in the path of political awareness and for them to follow and pursue the news without becoming bored or it becoming tiresome. They must collect the information, evaluate it and then connect the significant parts with the correct connecting principles related to international politics. After that they must not strip it from its circumstances, conditions and surroundings whilst at the same time they should not make analogy upon it upon the basis of previous (apparently) similar occurrences or events. If they were to become accustomed to this approach and methodology they would become political thinkers capable of leading the people. They would not possess political awareness alone but in addition they would possess the ability of political thinking which represents the highest and hardest of all types of thought.
Personal (unofficial) translation from the Arabic original:
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