Obligations to God Comprehensive Islamic View

8/14/2019 Obligations to God Comprehensive Islamic View

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Duties of a Muslim - A Building Block ConcepiP

0 .-Ar Establishing the Total System of Islam (Third Level)

RealFaith


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--OBLIGATIONS TO GOD

A COMPREHENSIVE ISLAMIC VIEW

Dr. Isvar Ahmad

(Translated and Abridged into English)

LAHOREMARKAZI AN JUMAN KHUDDAM-UL-QUR'AN2002


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Contents

Opening Aymt ..........................................................................................................................................................ntroduction 6

My Concept of Religious Duties .............................................7The First Duty. ersonal Submission ................................... 8Partial Obedience is Unacceptable .......................................1Pillars of Islam and Their Importance ............................. 3The Second duty . aking the Message of Islam...................................................................................o Others 15The Third Duty . stablishing Islam ....................................1A Summary of Our Religous Obligations..........................0Three Pre-Requisites for our Islamic Duties .......................31The First Pre-Requisite.ilznd...............................................1

........he Second Pre-Requisite. o Join an Organization 38The Third Pre-Requisite . Baiy'ah or Pledgeof Allegiance............................................................................1Conclusion ...............................................................................5


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In tlze nnme of God, the Beneficent, tlie MewifillOpeningAyaat

0 You who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and dienot except in a state of Islam. (Al-i--'liirr~it3:102)

9.- -41+$j ~ l & j5 -

And I created not the jinn and mankind except that they shouldworship Me. (Az-Znriyflt 51:56)

Thus We have made you a just nation, that you be witnessesover mankind and the Messenger [Muhammad (SAW)] be a

witness over you. (Al-Bnqnmh 2:143)

He (Allah) has ordained for you the same religion which Heordained for Nuh (Noah), and that which We have revealed to

you, and that which We ordained for Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa(Moses) and Isa (Jesus) saying you should establish religion and

make no divisions in it. (Ash-Slroorri 42:13)


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Introduction

Let us first ascertain the significance of the topic understudy through an example. Suppose someone has beenemployed to perform a certain number of tasks, and hedoes only half of the given tasks in a particular day. Evenif he has performed his tasks efficiently, ineticulously,sincerely and painstakingly, his job will remain undone.Furthermore, it is likely that the missed duties are the mostimportant and vital ones to his company or employer. Forthis reason, we must reassess our obligations to God, sinceit is likely that our condition is not too different from theone in the above-mentioned example. Before commencingwith the subject, however, let us understand itsimportance from yet another angle.

There are two main factors that determine one'sactions: (1) Intentions and (2) Clarity of purpose.Intentions, no doubt, occupy the pride of place. Theseshould be driven by our faith in God as the One True Godwithout partners or associates, that the ProphetMuhammad (SAW) is His messenger, and that there willhe reckoning in the life Hereafter. In the absence of one'sintention to obey all of God's commands, it is futile toproceed further since it plays a central and decisive role inthe worthiness of one's actions in Islam. Equallyimportant is the related point that one should have a clearunderstanding of his/her responsibilities on the basis ofwhich there will be a Reckoning. If one's understanding islimited or faulty, the performance will also be limited orfaulty, resulting in potentially devastating consequences inthe Hereafter.

I will therefore take this opportunity to elucidate abird's eye view of our obligations as Muslims bydeveloping a framework for understanding the entirety ofIslam. This framework should prompt soul-searching,


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self-reflection and criticism. It may be that our ownpriorities and concepts are upside-down, and the dutieswe neglect are the most important in the eyes of ourCreator, depriving us of the essential tasks while we willrest content with the secondary duties. Let us not be likethose who neglect the main obligations of our faith,remaining oblivious of our real duties under the delusionthat we are observing the dictates of our faith in its totality.This misconception can only be corrected when we have aclear understanding of our duties.My Concept of Religious Duties

In light of my limited study of the Qur'an andSti~znnhand of the insights into faith flowii~g rom it (allblessings are due to God), and which 1 strictly followaccording to my capacity and understanding, I will narratemy understanding of the'duties of a Muslim. By so doing Ido not rule out the possibility that my understanding isimperfect. What is presented here is my understanding ofour religious' duties, which I have learnt from my study ofthe Qur'an, Seerall and Stltznnh, account of the companions,and our history in general.

There are three fundamental duties of a Muslim,and three prerequisites for fulfilling them (which will bediscussed later on). While entering into our study, wemust recognize that terminology has its own value andany real understanding of a branch of learning is obtainedonly through its own terminology. Islam has its specific1 Usually the term religion is limited to the private affairs of thepeople. But here (and other places in this book) it includes theprivate as well as the public. Islam includes dogma, rituals andsocial customs at the private level as well as the political, socialand economic system at the Public level. Therefore, in commonuse we describe Islam as a complete way of life. The arabic termfor this is Deen which has no direct equivalent in Englisl~.

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terminology and we will approach the subject at hand withreference to this terminology.

The first and foremost obligation of a Muslim toGod is to submit to His commands at a personal level. Thesecond obligation is to disseminate the message of Islam toothers, and the third and final obligation is to strive toestablish Islam as a complete socio-politico-economicsystem. We shall discuss each of these three duties one byone.The First Duty - Personal SubmissionThe following four Qur'anic terms express the essence ofpersonal submission in slightly different ways: Islam,obedience ( t l ) abstinence (tnq-tirn) and worship('ibndrzh).

1.IslamIslam is the most basic of these four terms. Literally itmeans to completely surrender, to give up resistance, andunquestioningly obey Divine commandments. The Qur'anrequires of us that we enter Islam wholly:

p-r 9 "' L K W I A lGifl+l;+jJjl. .. if&0 ye who believe! Enter into Islani wholly (Al-Rnqnrn l l2 :208)

There is no such thing as partial acceptance ofIslam or partial obedience to God. It is unacceptable toobey certain commands and disregard others. If one is notprepared for an attitude of total submission then he/shemust choose another path. Islam represents a case of "take


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it all or leave it all". There cannot be any compromise inthis principle.

2. Obedience ( i ta'ah)Obedience represents the spirit of Islam from an enhancedperspective. While Islam signifies surrender and givingup any resistance, obedience denotes one's willingsubmission in an active and positive sense. One's resolveto observe the dictates of faith willingly is branded asobedience. The Qur'anic position is:

"Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, but if youturn away, the duty of our Messenger is only toconvey clearly." (At-T~glmbrrii: 4:12)What is stated in the definition of Islam also lies at

the core of obedience (itn'nlt), which is the "all or none"law. The Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (SAW), had theduty of conveying the Divine message, a duty that hedischarged in an exemplary fashion. If one who hasreceived the message turns away from it, he/she will besolely responsible for this defiance and rebellion. There isno room for partial obedience.

3. Abstinence ( t aqwa )The term abstinence approaches the concept of Islam fromthe opposite direction of 'itcr'nh. Whereas obediencerepresents an active and positive respoilse to therequirements of Islam (submission),abstinence is its activebut negative dimension. Implicit in the term are thefollowing connotations: . Avoiding any disobedience todivine commands, shunning any disobedience to God,

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entertaining the fear of His displeasure and striving roravoiding His punishment. Taq-roa is a very comprehensiveattitude and it is difficult to define this term in a singleexpression. The Qur'an comprehensively uses the termTlrq-ct~nn the following a y h :

0 believers! Fear Allah as He should be feared,and die not except in a state of Islam. (Al-I-'111irrzlz :102)

4. Worship ('ibadah)This is perhaps the most comprehesive term regardingpersonal submission. As a term it might be defined as,"To surrender oneself completely otit of Zor1e". The Qur'andeclares that the very purpose of the creation of humanbeings is to worship God, a point made in n!jlrll56 of SrrrallAz-Zariylrt:

I have only created Jinns and men, that theymay serve Me. (Az-Zrzriynt 51:56)

The Arabic word "'iblrdlrh" stands for bothworshipping and praising, embracing the twinconnotations of obedience and love. A person'srelationship with God is similar to the relationshipbetween a master and his slave. A slave by definitionsubmits his/her entire life to the will of the master. Thedistinction between a slave and a servant is crucial tounderstanding this concept. A slave is at the master's beckand call twenty-four hours of the day, fulfilling everycommand, whereas a servant is merely an employee who


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is there for part of the day and then free to live as he/shedesires. The former serves the master all the time andconstantly, while the latter merely fulfils the terms of amutually agreed upon contract. If a servant has chosen towork as a clerk, he/she is not obliged to do any other taskunless there is an amendment to the contract and salary.Furthermore, a servant who is employed for particularhours will be paid overtime salary if asked to stay longer,and has the option of refusing to do so. The Persian poet,Sheikh Sa'di, draws attention to this truth in his profoundcou p let:

Li fe hns come for slaz7elyLife devoid of slrn~el?~s slrn~rreLet us be absolutely clear that God's servitude

alone does not constitute,worship. It sl~ould e permeatedby extreme love and devotion.

Partial Obedien ce is UnacceptableIt must be clear by now that Islam does not admit partialobedience, but demands complete submission. Referencehas already been made to nyn11 208 of Srlrnlr 01-B~qflmlr,which asks the believers to enter into the fold of Islamcompletely. There is another Qur'anic n y l 1 that bringshome this point even more emphatically. Although thisnynll addresses the Jews, it should be borne in mind thatGod's principles are not different for the Muslims. TheQur'an projects the Jews as an example to show that if theMuslims behave in the same manner, their fate shall be 110different. The Qur'an says:


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Then do you believe in a part of the Scripture,and reject the rest? Then what is the recompenseof those who do so among you, except disgracein this life? And on the Day of Judgment theyshall be consigned to the most grievous torment.For Allah is not unmindful of what you do. (AI-Bnqflmk 2235)

The Jews stand cursed for their partial and selectiveobedience to God's commands, an attitude of hypocrisyand duality of behavior that is unacceptable in Islam. Incontsast, God demands total and exclusive devotion. TheQur'an emphatically condemns hypocrisy is the followingnljnlr:

.?.. " *+jj ~ f k ~ ~ l ~ i ~ i 2 & l ; ~Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depthof Hellfire. You will find no help for them. (An-Nisn 4:145)

Those familiar with the contents of the Qur'anrealize that God's wrath is directed more against thehypocrites than against the unbelievers. Anotherprofound illustration of this is in the following nynlr:


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0 believers! Why do you say that which you donot. Most hateful it is with Allah that you do saythat which you do not do (As-Snf 61:2-3)In light of our reasoning thus far, it is easy toappreciate that entering into Islam is not necessarily a bed

of roses, particularly in this world. Perhaps this is whyAllama MuharnmadIqbal has said:

When 1proclailn t h t 1a111 a Musii~n, shti~iderFor 1ant cognizantof tlw del~lnlzds ffrritlzPillars of Islam and Their ImportanceTo recapitulate, our first and foremost duty is to practiceour faith by accepting and fulfilling all of our obligations.For this purpose, four terms are employed: (1)Islam, (2)Obedience (ita'ah) (3)Abstinence (taqnpa), and (4) Worship('ibndnll). Of these, Worship ('ibrzdnh) is the mostComprehensive term since it stands for total andunrelenting subservience to God out of His love. We havealso elucidated the perilous state of hypocrisy and thattotal submission as desired in Islam might not be as simpleas is prevalent today in the popular imagination.However, God has been gracious to confer upon us fourmodes of worship, which if performed diligently can makethe task easy. It is reported on the authority of Abdullahibn 'Umar that the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said:"Islam is based upon five things, testifying that there is nogod besides Allah and that Muhanunad is His slave andMessenger, establishing the Prayer, paying znhli,performing the -pilgrimage and fasting the month of


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Ralrradrziz. On uttering the above creedal test~mony, neenters the fold of Islam and remains in its fold hypractically observing the other four tenets. Together, thesefive have become to be commonly known as the "pillars ofIslam". We inadvertently call the last four as 'ihndrzat,whereas these are actually the exercises that are togenerate within us the spirit of 'ihadnll. The Qur'an doesnot use the term 'ibadrzh for any of these modes of worship.Rather, it reserves the term 'ihadrzh for describing theholistic concept and attitude that has bee11 presentedearlier.

To summarize, worship signifies immense love forGod and His subservience in our overall attitude, behaviorand ambitions. The above-mentioned modes of worshipprepare the believer mentally for the fulfillment of such alife and help remove the obstructions in the path of faitha i d its practice. Thus the divine directive for prayers isthat one should suspend his/her worldly activities fivetimes a day and stand before God to affirm: "We worshiponly You and we seek assistance only from You." Thisaffirmation renews our relationship with the Divine. TheQur'an describes the wisdom and purpose of prayers bysaying: "Offer prayers for remembering Me." By keepingthe remembrance of God fresh in the minds of those whopray, it protects them from falling into forgetfulness andindifference. By the same token, zakrzlz has been prescribedso that one should be purged from the love of wealth,which can be potentially fatal for one's moral a i d spiritualhealth and the root cause of many evils. Fasting has heel1prescribed so that one may develop a sense of tnr1~1,rzorabstinence, enhancing the ability to avoid disobedience.The human self is prone to weaknesses. Fasting helps oneto be protected from the'unbridled desires of the self. Allthe blessings accruing from these "modes of worship"appear in their combined form in the religious clutv ofH q j . The Hrzjj includes prayer (the remembrance of God,


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the ilz~lzmnzwhich has restrictions resembling fasting, andthe expenses that are incurred resembling the zakalz. 111summary, these four pillars of Islam have been prescribednot as the essence of the Islamic teachings, but as the basicedifice upon which the structure of Islam can be erected.These pillars act as the ramparts for faith. God has doneus a great favor by giving us these methods forconditioning ourselves for His service.

Let us -now turn attention to the second duty ofconveying the message of Islam to others.The Second duty -Taking the Message of Islam toOthers

Whereas our first obligation was at the individualand personal level, the second obligation has to do withreaching out to others. As in the first case, the Qur'an usesseveral terms to describe this duty. There are again fourterms that are worthy of our special attention.

1. Preaching ( tableegh)This literally means taking the message to others. Islamwill reach far and wide only when it is take11 far and wideby those who profess to believe in it. God enjoined theProphet Muhammad (SAW) in the following manner:

0 Messenger! Proclaim which has been sent toyou from your Lord. (Al-Mnidn 5:67)Likewise, the Prophet (SAW) has instructed us to

convey his message (even if it is a single n!jnlr) to others:


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And convey on my behalf, even i f it is a singlefl!/flh.

On the occasion of his farewell pilgrimage heentrusted the responsibility of preaching to the Muslimcommunity with the words:

Those present here should convey this messageto those who are not here.

2. Calling others to Islam (da'wah)Dn'utnli means calling others to Islam. God says:

And who is better in speech than he who callsmen to Allah and does righteous deeds and saysI am one of the Muslims. (Fassilnt 41:33)

And in Surah An-Nnhl:

Invite all to the way of your Lord with wisdomand beautiful preaching; and argue with them in


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Invite all to the way of your Lord with wisdomand beautiful preaching; and argue with them ina way that is better. (An-Nahl 16:125)

3. Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil ('amr bil ma'rufw a nahi 'anil munkar)Amr bil ma'ruf wa nahi 'anil munkar is a very importantQur'anic term and is performed at different levels. If onehas authority and power, evil should forcibly be stopped,and if not then it should be spoken out against. If there isfear that even speaking out against it might cause moreharm than good, then the least that can be done is to detestit from the core of the heart. These levels of 'amr bil ma'rufwa nahi 'anil munkar have clearly been described in a Hadithon the authority of Abi Sa'eed a1 Khudri which is cited byMuslim:

Whosoever among you observes some evil, it ishis duty to stop it by his hand, if he is unable todo so, then with his tongue, and if he is unableto do even this, he should condemn it in hisheart, but this represents the weakest degree offaith.In another hadith, the concluding words are that

there is no faith beyond this point. What is meant is that ifone witnesses evil, oppression, or clearly forbidden actsand it does not make him/her shake from inside even inthe slightest, the person is devoid of the light of faith:


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Such is the ruling by the Prophet Muhammad(SAW) himself. Who can dare deny his religious opinionorfahoa?4. Being Witnesses unto Mankind (shahadah 'ala an-naas)This fourth term most comprehensively describes thenature of our second religious obligation. It stands forbeing God's witness over the people so that one mayaffirm and testify on the Day of Judgment that the duty ofconveying the message to others and adequatelyrepresenting the Divine commands had been dulyperformed. In performing this duty one becomesrepresentation of God's messengers, since it was this verytask that has been defined as the mission of the messengersthemselves, a point clearly made in the following ayah:

How then, when we brought from each peopleand we bring you as a witness against thesepeople? (An-Nisa 4:41)On the Day of Judgment, the Messenger will t e s w

that he had preached the Divine message to them, therebyabsolving him of any responsibility for the conduct of theiractions in this world. Let us reflect on this whether thistestification by the Prophet (SAW) will be in favor of oragainst the Muslims. By any measure of the yardstick, thistestimony will be against us. The Prophet Muhammad(SAW) will affirm in God's court that he had faithfullyconveyed divine message to the people. It was, in turn, theresponsibility of the people to preach it to others. It is veryclearly and forcefully stated in the following ayah thatMuslims, who are raised as the "best community" for all of


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mankind, owe the responsibility of being the witnesses forall of humanity:

Thus we have made of you an Ummah, justlybalanced, that you might be witnesses over allpeoples, and the messenger a witness over you.(Al-Baqarah 2:143)

After personal submission, this testimony before allof mankind is the most important duty prescribed for theMuslims. We should grasp its natural base the consequentsof our lives and the priorities we have chosen for ourselveswhile we claim to be members of this ummah and followersof Muhammad (SAW). Had the Prophet Muhammad(SAW) not conveyed the Divine message, God would havetaken him to task. Since he has faithfully and effectivelyconveyed divine message he stands free of any burden ofthe deeds of those who claim to be his followers. He leftfor his heavenly abode after entrusting this duty to theMuslim community. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) hadbeen sent down as the messenger for the entire mankind,not just the Arabs. This point comes very sharply atseveral places in the Qur'an. For example, it is said inSurah As-Saba that he was sent as Warner and bearer ofglad tidings for the whole mankind. In SurahA1 -A1araf, itis declared that he is the Messenger for all peoples.Almost the same point occurs in Surah Al-Anbiya, where heis spoken of as mercy unto all of the worlds. If this taskwas his alone, then it does not make any sense that his lifeended before his mission was complete. The fact of thematter is that he entrusted this responsibility on theMuslim ummah.(as pointed out earlier that on the occasion


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of the farewell pilgrimage he entrusted his duty to thewhole Muslim community). I f this community of believersfails to deliver the goods, it will be condemned not only forits own failure, but also for the errors and failures of all ofhumanity. Others will be perfectly justified in making theplea on the Day of Judgment that Muslims, though blessedwith the final and complete Divine message, faith, shariah,and despite being members of the final Messenger'scommunity, not only failed to convey this message to thembut misrepresented the message altogether, thus making itunappealing and repulsive.

I shall be failing in my duty as a sincere adviser toyou, if I do not caution you against forgetting the verypurpose of our being bound together in the form of anummah. Oversight in this can lead to grave consequenceson the Last Day. Can any one give me a satisfactory replyto the question that during the final accountability whenwe are interrogated about our duty of shahadah 'a la an-naas,what answer we will possibly have? We happen to bemembers of the Prophet Muhammad's (SAW) community.We possess his teachings and the Qur'an, the very Word ofGod. It goes without saying that we will not have anyexcuse or defense on this count. We will be certainly heldresponsible for our failure to convey the Divine message toothers. Sadly, far from preaching Islamic faith andadequately representing it to others as a community, it isour misfortune and plight that we ourselves are unable topractice sound faith and character as individuals. We areMuslims only by birth and in name only. As Iqbal puts it:

You might be a Syed, Mirza, or AfghanYou might be al l , but are you a Muslim?


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The Third Duty - Establishing IslamLet us turn to the third and final duty - establishing Islamas a com plete way of life. Preaching the creed and ideas ofIslam at a dogmatic level is one thing, b ut calling others tojoin together in establishing it as a practical reality issometh ing completely different. There is a world ofdifference between these two. Since Islam is a completeway of life, a point explicitly made in the Qur'an, its veryexistence is meaningless unless it is established as suchand its limits enforced in regulating the collective affairs ofth e people. We take great pride in claiming that Islamrepresents a com prehensive code of conduct. There ishard ly a single Muslim who is no t persuad ed of the verityof this statement. It is generally believed that Islam offersguidance in all walks of life. At least, the readers of ourwritings are in general fully cognizant of these 'facts.However, it is intriguing that no practical steps are takenfor enforcing it at the level of the state an d civil authority.We are prone to pay mere lip service to the comprehensivenature of our religion in the form of catch phrases orclich6s m ean t for publicity or for earning praise. In asense, Islam is a religion only if its injunctions are enforcedand its morality is established in society, otherwise, itrepresents at best a utopia, having nothing to do withgrou nd realities.

Following the trend in describing Qur'anicterminologies for the o ther two duties, four Qu r'anic termsbring out the Qur'anic injunctions of this third duty aswell. Of these, two term s come in Makki Surahs and two inMadani Surahs:


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1. Supremacy of the Lord (Takbeer-e-Rabb)This is the first of the terms that has come in the MakkiQur'an. The Qur'an says:

And make your Lord Supreme. (Al-Mudathir74:3)

The Qur'anic expression employed in the above ayahliterally means that God's supremacy is established onearth. It is not easy to grasp the gravity of this statement ata glance. However, since humanity by and large does notrecognize God's Supereminence, the Qur'anic command isthat He be recognized by humanity. The command andauthority (hukm) belongs only to Allah in the ultimatesense. Iqbal draws attention to the same truth byasserting:

Sovereigntj bepts only that Irresistible Essence,He is the sole ruler, the rest are idols of AzarTaken in this sense Allah's grandeur is not

recognized in the world presently. Humanity has usurpedpower and sovereignty and insists on enforcing its ownwill to regulate human interaction, exchange andgovernance, remaining oblivious of His greatness and trueright as Sovereign. Everyone betrays this attitude. Only inthe call to prayer (adhan)can it be heard that indeed God isgreat, and perhaps as lip service in public meetings.However, in reality we do not recognize and concede Hisgreatness as a living force in our lives, which is clear by thefact that His will, as dictated to us in our Scriptures, is not


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enforced anywhere. In our public life and institutions wedo not recognize Allah's absolute sovereignty. It is ourduty as Muslims that all authority and power be vested inHim and His judgment accepted unquestioningly. Only atrue Islamic system that protects the commands of Godand ensures the morality, ethics, brotherhood, sisterhood,and code of conduct (taught by Islam, will signify in realterms Allah's glory and greatness.

The first command sent down to the ProphetMuhammad (SAW) in the first revelation was to read inthe name of his Lord. In this first revelation, he was notasked to take the message of Islam to others or to establishGods Glory in its entire splendor. The emphasis was onreciting, a point illustrated by the opening ayaat of SurahAI-Alaq, which are also the very first ayaat of the Qur'an tobe revealed:

.Read in the name of your Lord and CherisherWho created man, out of mere clot of congealblood. Recite and your Lord is most Bountiful.He Who taught the use of the pen and taughtthe man that he knew not. (Al-'Alaq 961-5).Another set of ayaat that are also amongst the

earliest revelations are of Surah Al-Mudathir. In these ayaat,The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is addressed directly as:

0 you wrapped up in a mantle. Arise and warnthe people, and make your Lord Supreme! (Al-Mudathir 74:l-3)


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This address involves the very first command (notthe first revelation) to the Prophet (SAW) to arise from hiscondition of meditation and begin his second obligation oftaking the message to the people. The second commandcomes in the very next ayah and it involves the thirdobligation of making his Lord Supreme (or establishing thereligion as a concrete reality). Since Muhammad (SAW) isa messenger to all of humanity, he himself was obliged torespond to these commands by taking the message to all ofhumanity and establishing Islam over all peoples. Thoselying in slumber of negligence should be told clearly that itis not all about the life in this world, rather the real life hasto begin after death - a life that is everlasting:

And this life of the world is only an amusementand a play! Verily, the abode in the Hereafter isindeed the real living, if they only knew. (Al-Ankabu t 2954)The Prophet (SAW) told mankind clearly that thereal abode is the Hereafter. Likewise, he warned them

against the approaching Day of Judgment, when everyonewill stand before the Lord for reckoning:

Do they not think that they will be resurrectedon a mighty day, a day when (all) mankind willstand before the Lord of the worlds? (Al-Mutafifin 83:4-6)


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Human beings should not suffer from the delusionthat the Prophet Muhammad's (SAW) warning is hollow.The Day of Judgment is an undeniable reality and on thatDay the real winners and losers will be decided:

The Day when He will assemble you (all) on theday of assembly, that will be the Day of mutualloss and gain. (Af-Taghabun649)This warning of the Hereafter marked the starting

point of the Prophet Muhammad's (SAW) call andstruggle. So if this was the starting point, what was theculminating point of his mission in this world? Hisultimate goal, the culminating point, was to instate Allah'sgreatness beyond the level of hypothetical dogmaticassertions - as concrete reality. It is for anybody to decidethat in his Prophetic career of twenty-three years whetherhe accomplished this mission or not. One is compelled toconcede the fact that he did implement the commands ofGod and established His supremacy in toto within theArabian Peninsula.

Let us not lose sight of the point that this duty ofestablishing Allah's Supereminence on earth was entrustedto the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) only when he had beenelevated to the august office. 1 make this point inparticular in recognition of the stance of some Qur'anicscholars that the first five verses of the Surah Al-'Alaq markthe beginning of his "Prophethood", whereas the firstseven verses of Surah Al-Mudaththir inaugurate his"Messengerhood. (Indeed only God knows best).


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2. Establishing Islam (Iqamatud Deen)This duty of establishing Islam is specifically

mentioned in the Makkan Sura AI-Shoorah:

That you establish the relipon and make nodivisions therein. (Ash-Shoora 42:13)The expression employed in the verse is especiallyused for making something stand upright. When

something is laying flat on the ground, then it makes senseto ask that it be made "upright". Whose responsibility is itto make something that has fallen down, stand upright? Isit not the duty of those who profess to believe in the realityand truth of the matter? I f Islam is already established as asystem the believers are obliged to keep it in tact, keep itfirmly upright. I f it is lying shattered on the ground, theyare obliged to establish it. The economy, social life,political system and all public institutions should be inaccordance with the dictates of Islam and under Divineauthority. Only then it may be said that Islam isestablished. Otherwise, it should be clear that Divinerevelation is not merely for recitation and praise. It isclearly said in the Qurfan:

Sdy: 0 people of the Book! You have nothingunless you establish the Law of the Gospels andall the revelation that has come to you from yourLord. (Al-Maidah 5:68)Once again, the same word 'to establish' occurs in

the above ayah and even though it refers to the Jews and


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Christians, it nevertheless serves the purpose of anexample for the Muslims, who are required to establish thecommands of the Qur'an. Since the Qur'an is a guide tohuman life in all its respects, it must be enforced as acollective system. It is the responsibility of the Muslims tolive in accordance with the Qur'anic teachings individuallyas well as collectively. These are the implications of thethird duty.

3. Supereminenceof Islam (Ad-deenu kulluhu lillah )This term is of the Madinan period and comes in twoMadinan Surahs - Al-Baqarah and Al-Anfal:

And fight them on until there is no more tumult(or oppression) and the religion is Allah's. (Al-Baqarah 2:193)This idea is extended further in the following ayah

of Surah Al-Anfal:

And fight them on until there is no more tumult(or oppression) and there prevail justice andfaith in Allah alone." (Al-Anfbl8:39)The fragmentation of religion is forbidden, and this

point can only be understood if the meaning of religion isunderstood in its complete and holistic capacity. Wemight be offering Prayers, fasting, paying Zakah,performing Hajj and 'Umrahs, but if the political systemgoverning the country has no place for Islam, economicmatters are decided without any reference to Islamiceconomic teachings, rather excuses are rapidly put

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forward to avoid implementation of Islam, it means thatthere is no Islam, since partial obedience is tantamount todisobedience. Having reservations in enforcing Islamicpenal laws and declaring the segregation of the sexes as anunacceptable practice in modem times (rather prescribingto the equal social role of the sexes with no regard forfemale modesty*), is sheer hypocrisy, not Islam. We seemto be more concerned with appeasing a particular sectionof the society while having little or no regard fordispleasing God and in the process incurring His wrath.In this way, the Muslims of today have fragmented' thelslamic teachings into segments; there are some teachingsthat we consider as essential and there are those teachingsthat are no longer applicable simply because they appearto be impractical, outdated, inconvenient, or simplyembarrassing when viewed in terms of the current trendsin society! How ironic is in that although Pakistanestablished the Shari'ah court on the one hand, certainmatters such as Muslim family law were declared asbeyond its jurisdiction. This position was adoptednotwithstanding the obvious fact that family laws havebeen legislated in detail in the Qur'an. These lawspccur inseveral Qur'anic Surahs. Even the British rulers did notdare temper with lslamic family laws, nor did they touchour personal law. To our misfortune, Islamic family lawshave been mutilated in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan atthe hands of Muslims after the departure of thecolonialists. After the imposition of martial law, thesedistorted un-Islamic laws were forcibly applied andstrengthened with the passage of time. It is deplorablethat the Muslims have accomplished what was

2 In Islam man and woman are equal on the basis of humandignity. Islam also considers them equal in their capacity tospiritually rise and attain God's pleasure. But when it comes totheir social role in this world, Islam has given them differentresponsibilities.28


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unthinkable even by the non-Muslims out of respect forour faith. This we did shortly after God gave us politicalfreedom and sovereignty.

It emerges clearly from the above-quoted extractsof Surahs Al-Baqarah and Al-Anfal that loyalty shouldwholly be for God. This very point was emphasized in ourdiscussion on the concept of worship ('ibadah) that it is anall-embracing activity covering every aspect of our lives.

4. Ascendancy of Islam (izharu deenil haqq 'ala ad-deenkullihi)The fourth term in this context appears in the

following ayah of Surah Al-SufiLwhich represents also thecentral subject matter of the whole Surah:

It is He, who has sent His Messenger withguidance and the true religion (Islam) to make itvictorious over all way of life. (As-Sag 61:9)Same wordings (without any difference in theslightest) also appear in Sura At-Tawbah and Al-Fath. InSurah Al-Tawbah and As-Sufi the ayah concludes with the

words: "Though it may displease the Mushrikeen3" whilein Surah Al-Fath it ends with: "And Allah suffices as awitness. " Although each of these endings carries greatsignificance, the point to be made here is that the term(izharu deenil haqq) can be readily appreciated withreference to these three ayaat.

3 Those who associate others with Allah.


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A Summary of Our Religious ObligationsLet us not be overwhelmed or distracted by the

increasing number of the terms in our discussion. Ourattempt has been to present the message in as simple,concise and plain a manner as possible. To recap, our firstand the foremost religious obligation is that we practicefaith ourselves. The second is that we should preach andspread the message to others, and the third is that westrive to establish the teachings of this message as acollective reality and politico-socio-economic system.These are the three Islamic duties that are binding on us.

Let us now visualize these obligations in the formof a three-storied building. The creedal statement (totestify oneness of God and Muhammad (SAW) as Hismessenger) is like the visible part of the foundation, aboveground4, while Prayer, Zakah, Hajj and Fasting are fourpillars upon which the actual structure of the buildingrests. The building has three floors represented by eachone of the three duties defined above. A pictorialrepresentation of the building summarizing our religiousduties is shown on the inside cover of this booklet. If oneappreciates this concept of our duties, his understandingof Islam is sound and clear. Contrarily, if one thinks ofduties in the traditional narrow and restricted sense ofPrayers, Zakah, Hajj and Fasting only, he/she is concernedonly with the pillars, having no idea that these are merelythe supports upon which the essence of Islam stands.These are means, not ends in themselves. Furthermore, letus not miss the obvious point that a structure having onlypillars can at best be regarded as ruins of a bygone era.One important point here is that the foundation has two

4 The invisible pa rt underground, represents real, heart-felt faithwithin the believer which is full of conviction and has noshadow of doubt in i t .30


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parts, a visible part and an invisible part. The visible partis the testification with the tongue, whereas the invisiblepart goes deep into the ground. Without a deepfoundation, the building will be unstable and a minorearthquake or wind will be able to knock it down. Theinvisible part of the foundation is conviction of the heart.

As for the floors, the first floor is that of personalsubmission. Unless one personally submits to God andHis Messenger (SAW), how can he be expected to preachGod's message to others? After personal submission, onecan rise to the second floor of taking the message of Islamto others. Finally, when enough people are convinced ofthe just system of Islam, they can join together to strive toestablish its teachings at the collective level of human life,which is the third and the final floor of the building ofIslam. Let us now turn towards some pre-requisites tofulfilling these religious obligations.Three Pre-Requisites for our Islamic Duties

Just as there are three levels of obligations to God,there are three pre-requisites to fulfilling these obligations.A pre-requisite is not an obligation in itself, but it issomething in the absence of which an obligation isimpossible to fulfill, thereby making it an indirectobligation. This is easily understood by drawing ananalogy to the prayer. Since ablution ( u ~ d u )s essentialfor prayer, it is an indirect obligation in Islam, but only sobecause prayer is the real obligation, without which therewould be no need for the ablution per say.The First Pre-Requisite- Jihad

In order to fulfill our obligations to God, it isessential to strive in His cause (which is the literal meaningof lihad).This is the starting point and also the culminating

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point. Nothing can be accomplished without makingsincere and concerted effort. Likewise, Muslims aresu pp os ed to strive in the light of the ir faith. The clashesthat take place as a result of this striving (which m ight beof multiple natures such as personal and internal,psychological, ideological or even physical) are called" J i h a d . Let us discuss the term Jihad with reference to itsthree basic and fundam ental demands. .

1. Striving Against One's Own Self (jihad ma'a an-nafs)This jihad relates to our first obligation of personalsubm ission. The question arises that wha t can possibly th e

lihad be when one is submitting to God as an individual?The obvious an sw er is tha t one has to wage lihad, a fiercebattle, against one's own self. O ne will have to strive ha rdto make his /he r self sub-servant to the com m and s of God.The human self is vulnerable and prone to transgressingon the basis of the uncontrollable desires of his materialexistence:

The (human) soul is certainly prone to evil.(Yousuf 1253)First of all one has to bring these desires un de r th econtrol of h is /her real self, the soul tha t w as breathed intoeach and every one of us by God himself. For example, a tdawn, there is Adhan signifying God's call to Prayer, but

the self desires the sweet sleep of the early m orn ing hours.If one has control over one's self, one will be able toovercome this physical desire in favor of a spiritual onean d w ill rise to pray. A failure to do so might ultimatelylead to total disregard of one's duties in favor of this-worldly pursuits of wealth, luxuries and personal


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gratification at the material level. The struggle against theself is, in fact, the foremost and perhaps most vital stage ofliltad. The following Hadith demonstrates the importanceof the struggle against one's own self:

The real miijahid5 is one who strives against thedcsires of his/her material existence.It is therefore evident from the above Hadith that

the primary level of Iihad and its starting point is to fightagainst one's own material self and try to control andsubjugate it.

2. Jihad Through Qur'an (Jihad Bil Qur'an)This \illad corresponds to our second religious

obligation, that of taking the message of Islam to others.When one enters the field of inviting others to faith,countless obstacles come in the path to spread the word oftruth. Striving against these obstacles is jihad, but more atthe conceptual level. Many ideologies such as atheism,materialism, fascism, communism and other faith andbelief systems are poised to confront every effort of yours.Forces representing unbelief are very well entrenchedthroughout society - a reality that truly dawns only whenone enters the struggle to confront them with the pristinelight of Islam. However this confrontation is purely on anideological and philosophical level. Our wealth andenergy must be invested in this battle. When ProphetMuhammad (SAW) was calling towards monotheism, AbuJahl and his followers were defending polytheism and

5 One who strives in the cause of God.


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idolatry. This eventually led to a bitter encounter betweenthem. Do you honestly think that if there is a struggle topreach faith, invite others to the path of Islam, enjoin goodand forbid evil, and act as a witnesses of God untomankind , th at atheism and disbelief will fold in their ca rdsall at once withou t offering any resistance? It is a folly toassume that the forces of falsehood will vanish into thinair. It sho uld be know n clearly that there will ensu e a longdrawn out ideological battle whenever there is a call forIslam in the real sense. Thus this represents a moredifficult or advanced stage in jihad than th e first one. Inthe first stage man engages in a jihad against h is ow n self,but at this stage he must confront the forces outside ofhimself - forces of falsehood, atheism, permissiveness andwrong ideologies. Note that the first struggle (againstone's own self) intensifies as these challenges areconfronted. As to the instrum ent to be employed in thislihad, God gu ides Muslims to w age this lihad w ith the he lpof th e Qur'an:

But strive against them with this (Qur'an) atruly p a t truggle! (Al-Furqan 2552)God makes plain that the Qur'an stands out as asword that is capable of rooting out each an d every false'ism'. The Qur'an is described here in term s of a weapon.Iqbal voices the same view when he says that with thesw ord of th e Qur'an Satan himself can be conquered:


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Since in the battle against the self, Satan is yourbaser se lf s ally and h e whispers in the dep ths of the heart,if a real sword is used, one will end up killing oneselfrather than Satan. Therefore, in order to defeat him, aspecial sword needs to be used that slices through theheart, killing Satan whereas leaving the heart intact andpure, an d this is the sw ord of Qur'an! God has blessed theMuslims with this mighty and effective sword, whichrepresents the greatest miracle granted to ProphetM uham mad (SAW). It is a pity that we treat the Qur'an asa mere object around which we can perform our ritualsrather than making it a living entity to be used in thisdynam ic fashion.

Therefore, in this stage of lihad, Muslims shouldeq uip themselves intellectually and ideologically by m eansof the Qur'an. They are supposed to up ho ld and establishtruth and in so doing they should expend their money andphysical resources to spread the light of Qur'an. They willhave to use both the tongue and the pen in order to fulfillthe requirements of taking the message of Islam to others.They have to employ all the modem mediums ofcommunication and the facilities of the mass media inorder to promote and circulate the Qur'anic call andteachings.3. To Fight in the Cause of Allah (Jihad B is-Sain

The third and final level of Iihad co rrespon ds to th ethird and final religious obligation of establishing Islam asa socio-politico-econom ic reality. At this stage, jihadreaches its zenith, for it stands for an open conflict in thebattlefield against the forces that represent otherideologies. At the stage of calling an d inviting people tothe path of Islam, one is faced with an ideological and


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intellectual battle. However, in the stage of enforcing Islamat the collective level, there is a conflict with the forces ofimmorality. They will naturally obstruct, rather obliterate,the efforts for enforcing Islam in public life in a desperateeffort to maintain the status quo in which they have theirvested interests. They will not easily bear with a situationin which Islam gains ascendancy. There are privilegedclasses in every system based upon a false ideology. Theygovern public life and reap the benefits of power andauthority, and they will never take kindly to the efforts fordepriving them of their sway. Therefore, confrontation isinevitable at the physical level, in spite of winning thebattle at the ideological level. This final confrontation willbe in multiple stages. The first level is of passiveresistance, the second of active resistance (agitation orchallenging the system in the form of civil disobedience)and the third one is physical confrontation (which todaymight take the form of unarmed revolt against the system).I f people of faith lack the material resources (human orotherwise), they should restrain themselves to passivelyresisting persecution and slander as they wage theirideological battle. As a strategic move they should notinitiate any physical revolt against the system. We findthat this was the policy that was followed by the Prophet(SAW) and his companions during the Makkan period.The believers were directed to bear all kinds ofpersecution, violence and oppression. They were notallowed to retaliate in the same coin, but were asked tobear it patiently. heir example is perhaps the highestrepresentation of passive resistance witnessed in humanhistory. However, after gaining enough strength andresources, the believers are obliged to launch an offensiveagainst the status quo. Those who were forbidden fromtaking an initiative in Makkah were permitted in Madinahto wage war according to the following ayah of the Qur'an:


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To those against whom war is made, permissionis given to fight, becduse they have beenwronged. And verily, AUali is most powerfulfor the did. (Al-Hajj22:.19)Armed conflict is the final stage of this struggle and

in the fulfillment of our ultimate obligation to God - tomake a society whose principles are based on Hiscommands - a society based on justice and fair play. It hasalready been pointed out with reference to S~irallAs-Sufithat fighting in the cause of Allah is the highest obligationthat is worthy of God's highest pleasure and approval.The Qur'an says:

Truly Alldl1 loves thost) who fight in His cdust.in bdttlt) drrdy, ds if they wort) d solid structurt>.(As-Snff 61:4)Let us take note of the following Hadith cited in

Salzih M~lslinz and narrated on the authority of AbuHurairah, who said that the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)said:

One who dies in a stdte thdt he did not fight inAlldh's cdust) ~ n dt) did 11oL even wish Lhdt heshould do so, he suffers from d sort ofhypocrisy.It is possible that some of the people participating

in the struggle pass away to their eternal abode before the37


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final stage of armed confrontation arrives. Nevertheless,they should at least entertain this desire in their heart. Ifone has genuine faith, he should all along nurse the desirethat he will lay down his life for establishing the system ofIslam. Those devoid of this desire suffer from at least ashade of hypocrisy according to the teachings of ourbeloved Messenger (SAW).The Second Pre-Requisite- To Join anOrganization/Party

In addition to jihad, another pre-requisite forfulfilling our Islamic duties is that one should join anorganization that is working towards the establishment ofIslam. No one can dare claim that fulfilling the threeduties completely is possible by individud or personalstruggle alone. It is beyond any doubt that these dutiescan be performed only provided there is an organizedmovement. Since worshipping God, obeying Him, actingas witnesses unto mankind, enjoining good and forbiddingevil, enforcing Islam and making the obedience wholly forGod's sake is obligatory, the pre-requisites are equallyobligatory. Whatever is required for performing anIslamic duty is an equally important duty in itself. Forexample, offering the prayer is a duty and performingu ~ d u s its pre-requisite, as described earlier in thebeginning of this segment of our discussion. Just like u ~ d ubecomes a duty in order to fulfill the obligation of prayer,being in an organized collective endeavor becomes a dutyin order to fulfill the obligation of establishing Islam.Another instance is of the 1111.17111 for performing Ha); andU1tlral1, which is elevdted into the genre of duties being thepre-requisite of religious obligations. Thus, if we agree inthe overall framework of religious duties presented in thistreatise, it is obligatory on each of us to join an appropriategroup for discharging them. On the authority of Harith A1


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'Ashari (RAA), it is reported that the Prophet M uhamm ad(SAW) said:

I declarc obligatory upon you five things. Theyare: organization, 1iste1i.n~obeying, makingHijrah, and making lihad for the cause of Allah.Hijralzl in essence, is to leave everything that is notapproved by God. This is mentioned in one of the Hadithof th e Prophet (SAW):

Onc t. the Prophc.1 Muhdmmdd (SAW) wds dskcdds to which form of Hijrah B most cxtcllt~ntl owhich he replied: "That you give up whdttwerdispleases your Lord."Hence, one is obliged to leave all habits andpractices that are disliked by his Lord, to the potnt ofleaving his home and country of origin, which will then

represent the highest degree of Hijralz, in the sam e sense asfighting in Allah's cause stands for the highest degree ofIihad. As for jihad, u7e have already taken note of the po in tthat lilzad in God's cause commences with the fightingagainst one's self and culminates w i th the actual fightingin the battlefield. According to the above Hadith, bothHijralz and Iihad are obligatory on every believer, and it is

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apparent from the wordings in the narration that thesemust be performed not only as individuals but in anorganized and collective manner. It is for everyindividual to assess whether he is a member of anorganized collective effort working towards establishingIslam and taking its message to all of mankind. I f one is amember of an organization working for public welfdre,social service, mass education or professional interests, itdoes not qualify as an organization in the above sense, forIslam demands that Muslims join a group workingactively and specifically for the ascendancy of Islam. Aslqbal says:

W e live so that th y nanze reinnin in the landHow can the cup revzain u ~ i f h o u fhe cup-bearer?

And,

The ail11 of m y life is the doionzin~rzcc f Your ReligionFor this 1 'uz a Mtislinz, for this I'nz one ujho prays

Let it also be realized that this organization shouldrun on the Islamic principles of obedience. to the leader, apoint eloquently made in the above-quoted Propheticsaying. If one is not a member of such an organization, Imust say that he betrays lack of concern for fulfilling hisreligious duties. Let it be pointed out that if one is not ableto place his confidence in any group or leader because hefinds none worthy of such a claim, it by no means absolves40


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him of his obligations to God. He must, then, make a callto others to join hands with him in the grand task ofestablishing Islam and taking its light to all peoples. I f hedoes not find himself worthy or qualified to make such acall, then there is no justification for him to live in society,since ultimately his obedience will be of a system that isnot in obedience to the Divine. This is a difficult point toswallow, but it is the only logical conclusion to what 1 havecome across by way of the teachings of lslam, and i tconforms to a Haditlz in which the Prophet (SAW) advisesthose who do not find an appropriate organization with aleader to leave civilization and live the rest of their liveswithout participating in the institutions of society.The Third Pre-Requisite - Baiy'ah or Pledge ofAllegiance

The third pre-requisite for fulfilling our religiousobligations is the method of organization that a groupstriving for the establishment of lslam should adopt, whichis on the basis of the principle of Baiy'ah or personalallegiance to the leader. The Qur'an and S~~nnahuide usto follow this principle. It is the only system oforganization that we find mentioned in the Qur'an andpractically adopted in the S~lrz-nah. have not been able todiscover in the Qur'an and Sunnah any system other thanthat of Baiy'ah in the context of struggling to fulfill theaforementioned religious obligations, nor has anyone everpointed one out any other system to me. Now let us try tounderstand first the meaning and implications of the. . Baiy'ah. It stands for establishing a link with a manthrough a pledge for performing his/her Islamic duties in

-.-.. an organized and disciplined manner. This Bniy'ah of jihad*..." signifies the pledge for performing such lofty lslamicduties as preaching Islam, spreading the message of Islam,acting as a witness unto mankind and striving for theestablishment of lslam as a complete way of life backed by


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civil authority and government. lncluded in it is thecommitment to join an organization based on the principleof obedience to its leader (anrccr) and the resolve toconduct \illad and Hijrah under his leadership.

Our recent history has witnessed the movementlaunched by Syed Ahmad Shaheed in the lndian sub-continent - the "Tehreek-e-Shaheedain" (The Movementof the two Martyrs). It is named after Syed AhmadShaheed and Shah Ismail Shaheed, who was the grandsonof Shah Waliullah. Thousands of Muslims associated withthis movement attained martyrdom (may God bless theirpious souls). In the wake of this movement there was anarmed conflict in the Indian sub-continent in the cause ofGod. Syed Ahmad Shaheed first took a pledge bfallegiance for guldance (Buiy'ali A/-lrsllad) and later he tookthe pledge for /illad. The final stage of lilinll happened aspart of this pledge in that many pious souls literally foughtwith their swords in the battlefield and attainedmartyrdom while fighting against the Sikh army, andconsequently won Allah's immense pleasure and reward:

And say not of those wh o dre slain in the way ofAllah; they are dead . Nay, Lhey are living,though you do not perceive il. (Al-Baqarah2:153)The entire movement was based on the principle of

the personal pledge taken by Syed Ahmed Shaheed. Theterm Bniy'nh has been abused much today, which is why itmight bring bad images to peoples minds when I use it inthe context of fulfilling religious obligations. The sameholds true for the term Mtirecd (disciple). Many terms thatare co~iinionly sed in reference to lslamic teachings havelost their original flair and comprehensive connotation42


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with the gradual decline of our religion over fourteen longcenturies. Yet, this should not prevent us from attemptingto clarify these terms and employing them in their correctand holistic usage. Our main concern is to revive andinstill the real spirit of these terms into the life and bloodof the Ullzllzah.

Another noteworthy point is that it is generallyperceived in the religious circles that if one has notpledged loyalty to a renowned religious figure, he may notsatisfactorily perform his religious duties. Let me statewith dl1 the clarity as a matter of principle that this is mosttrue for the Baiy'ah for jihad. I f one is not associated withsomeone for the purpose of Iilzad for the fulfillment of theduties that I have spelled out at length with reference tothe Qur'an and Hadith, then these duties cannot bedischarged at all.

A crucial point that must be addressed at thisjuncture is that since no Prophet or infallible figure isamongst us, we will have to look among ourselves for aperson and a group that is striving to perform these dutiesand is inviting others towards this end. I f one is convincedabout the intentions and integrity of such a person andgroup and in his/their understanding and sincerity, one isbound to join him/them in the struggle. 1 do not mind atall if hundreds and thousands of such organizations comeinto being, as long as they are sincerely working towardsthe same objective. In so far as they have a sound conceptof the duties and are in accordance with the Qur'an andthe S~innah, t is immaterial how many such groups areworking in this field for they are on their way to the samegoal. It is not at all necessary that there be only one groupin existence at any one time. Furthermore, it is not for theleaders of any of these groups to demand unconditionalobedience, as was the case with the Messenger (SAW),since none of them are Prophets. Obedience to the leaders

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of these groups will be conditional on their remainingw ithin th e limits of the Qur'an an d the Siinncrlz. A practicalanalogy for having mult iple groups is the presence ofnumerous caravans moving from Mina to Arafat duringth e Hajj. Each group carries its own banner, yet they allhea d tow ards the sam e direction and are com mitted to thesa m e goal. It is, therefore, im material that they ar e m an yin number. However, if it is felt that there are somegr ou ps that lack a so un d concept of the d utie s or th at theyare heading in the wrong direction (or even opting forillegitimate short cuts that could possibly distract themfrom their goal), or even if the group members a re notsatisfied with the sincerity of their leader, it is imperativethat they look for another leader or gather like-mindedpeople together to form their own group . No one has amonopoly that forbids others to the right of organizingtheir own group and implement ing their ownun de rsta nd ing of Islam's mission an d th e m ethodologytha t is to be utilized for its achievem ent. Th ere is no thi ngw ro ng in this arrange m ent, as long as the intention is pu reand sincerity of purpose is there, there is no unnecessarywra ngling with others, a nd there exists a dist inct pur po seof establishing Islam. I f this is the case, then themultiplicity of suc h g ro u p is besides the point. Th e gr ou psthat are imbued with sinceri ty wil l eventually mergetogether.

Unfortunately, today the case is that peop le neither= m o v e themselves nor le t o thers m ove. However, thoseHw h o ha ve com m itted sincerely to the cause of Islam sho uld-jo in a gro up that they consider is the best for achieving the

ultimate objective of m aking lslam sup rem e. Th ey must,however, keep their hearts an d m inds op en to join ano the rorganiz atio n if they h ap pe n to find on e th at fulfills theirrequirem ents in a better fashion. Is it not the sa m e tha t w edo in our worldly dealings? I f one embarks upon aparticular trade in business and fails to do well, he44


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immediately changes his trade and tries his luckelsewhere. This is normal human behavior that should bedisplayed in matters of faith as well i f there is acommitment to succeed.Conclusion

1 have clearly laid out six salient points that bringout the comprehensive, clear concept of our duties asMuslims. Further details may be added to this descriptionfor 1 have merely provided a sketch or a synopsis. In theabsence of a sound concept of these duties, we might bepracticing Islam only partially, which could end up beingunacceptable in the end. It is imperative that we formulatea complete and comprehensive concept of therequirements that lslam places before us and follow it bytaking appropriate and concerted action. I f one pursuesthe path with his eyes set on the ultimate objective, he willnot be held responsible for not fulfilling his duties even ifhe fails to reach his goal in this world, for the ultimateobjective is not to succeed here, but to fulfill ourobligations by striving towards them with the best of ourabilities and earning God's pleasure. As mentioned in thevery beginning, in lslam actions are judged by intentions.God will recompense us with reference to our intentions.Whoever left his home to migrate to Madinah desiring thepleasure of God and showing obedience to the Prophet(SAW), he will be reckoned as a Mtilmjir, whether hemanages to reach Madinah or not. The Qur'an says thatwhoever emigrates with the intention of Hijrnh and dies onthe way will be rewarded in full by God:

, - s . * k6 . .I;;j + - L l ; ~ ( j ~ l J i ~ 6 > 7 - :-t 9 3


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He w ho forsakes his home in the cause of Allah,finds in the earth many cl refuge, wide andspacious: should he die cls d refugee from homefor Allah and His Messc?nger, lus rewardbecomes due and sure with Allah: and Allah isOft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Al-Nisa4:100)In short, whoever intends to perform Hijralz is

assured for his reward. At the stage of embarking uponthis venture, it cannot be said with certainty whether onewill realize the final goal. For example, the activists in themovements launched by Syed Ahmad Shaheed and Shahlsmail Shaheed did not succeed (apparently) and insteadlost their lives in the process. However, they are destinedto attain success and prosperity in the Hereafter. Had theabove-mentioned movement been a success, the wholeIndian sub-continent or at least the present territory ofPakistan would have certainly been transformed into anabode of Islam. You may not be aware of the role of thosewho sabotaged this movement. The Sikhs alone could nothave thwarted it by themselves. There were some amongthe Muslims themselves who regrettably destroyed thismovement by betraying their fellow brethren.

The ultimate objective of a true Muslim is to gainDivine pleasure and attain success on the Day ofJudgment. For achieving this objective we get detailedguidance from Qur'an and Surlrznll regarding our religiousobligations, which may be described with reference to thefollowing three important terms: (1)Personal enslavementto Cod, (2) Acting as witnesses unto all of mankind, and(3) Establishing the system of social justice of Islam. Wehave clearly spelled out the pre-requisites of these duties atlength. Of these, /i/zad in Cod's cause and joining acollective and organized effort (organized on the basis ofBaiy'nh) under one leadership of a single Anzeer in whomcomplete confidence can be vested (without compromisingon the limits of the Shnri'nh) is essential. May God give us


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the strength and the ability to m ake u p o ur m inds firmlv toperform these duties. May' G od grant us the strength toinitiate steps for progressing tow ards this en d. Allstren gth a nd ability a re fro m Allah A lmighty alone. 1 seekAllah's forgiveness for all Muslims, males and females,an d in conclusion I praise Cod who is the Lord of theworlds!


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was born in 1932 inHiar (India),graduatedfrom King Edward MedicalCdM0(More) En 1932 and recelved his Masttrrr in Islamic Studies from The University of Karachi in1965. He actively participated In the lndcpendence Movement md was deeply affected by thtathoughts of Maubna MahmoodW s a n , A l l a m Muhammad Iqtral, Maulana Abul Kalam Azadand IYlaulm A h 1 Ale Mawdudi. He gave up hismedicalprackckcen 1971 in order to devote thebest of Ms tlme and abiWes in serviix of Islam and itJ revival. As a result of his efkrts, ThelRarkazi Anjuvnan Khwlamul-Qur"an Lahore was estaMi~shedn 1972, Tamwn-s-ldami wasfounded in 1975, andTehreek-eJ-Khilaf9takistanwas launched in 1Wl.

The Sole Aim W o r e

The Mrkazi Anjuman Khuddam-ubQur'an Lahorek o Dwwmin;rteand PropagatetheKnowledge andW w

The Holy Qur'an(The FwnWort-Headd Faith and Enlqthtenmerit)On a Vast Scale and at the Highest IatelWuai Level

So as toAclriwe

The Revitalizatbn of FaithAmong the Muslkns in General and Their In&ll@ntsia in Particular

Wh the Ultimate Objectiveof BringingAbout an

Islamic RenaissanceAnd Usherhlg in,for the &wandTlms InHiatmy, the Em

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