3) The suffering from the regime and the rulers:
The objective is to establish Islaam within the reality of life which means making the rulings of Islaam the regulator of the people’s behaviour and conduct, in addition to making the Islamic rules the basis of what regulates the relationships that exist within the society. It also means making the sovereignty belong to the Shar’a (Divine Islamic legislation) and to carry Islaam to the world until the proof and argument has been established upon mankind and the people have been taken out of the darkness and brought into the light. This is what bringing Islaam into the reality of life means and what it means to build an Society (Ummah), change what the society is upon and to establish a State that takes over the responsibility to apply and implement Islaam internally and to carry it as an invitation to the world.
The work aims to build an Society (Ummah) and to change the thoughts and sentiments that the society is established upon. This work means that the corruption of the standing relationships is made evident and clear to the people, whether these are relationships that exist between the individuals amongst themselves or relationships that exists between the people and the executive body and authority, or the corruption of the relationships between the executive body and the other institutions and departments. If this work was undertaken and even if it was only undertaken by utilising the power of thought alone where the straight line is presented in front of the crooked line, this work would still unsettle and provoke those who have been placed in the positions of authority and are responsible for the implementation of the system. It will provoke their anger and push them towards attempting to finish off this Da’wah using many different styles to achieve this, the least and lightest of which is imprisonment. This is because they comprehend and realise that the existence and presence of this thought within the Society (Ummah) would mean for them the disappearance of their ruling authority and the end to their interests.
Fir’aun is an example of such tyranny and cruelty due to the oppression and suppression that he unleashed upon the people and due to what they suffered in terms of humiliation and contempt, to the point that he even demanded that the people worship him.
I have known of no other God for you (to worship) other than me (Al-Qasas 38).
The Lord of the worlds described him as being from amongst those who cause corruption on the earth and as a tyrant and oppressor.
However despite that this Fir’aun accepted to fight proof against proof and evidence against evidence. Allah (swt) narrated what was upon the tongue of Fir’aun when he said:
[Pharaoh] said: "So who is the Lord of you two, O Moses?" He said: "Our Lord is He who gave each thing its created form and then guided [it]." [Pharaoh] said: "Then what is the case of the former generations?" [Moses] said: "The knowledge thereof is with my Lord in a record. My Lord neither errs nor forgets." (Ta Ha 49-52).
Following this Fir’aun met with his inner circle and advisors and they said:
They said: "Indeed, these are two magicians who want to drive you out of your land with their magic and do away with your most exemplary way (Ta Ha 63).
And they said:
They said: "Delay him and his brother for a while and go out to the cities to gather. Every learned, skilled magician will be brought to you (Ash-Shu’araa 36-37).
Then Fir’aun met with Musa (as) and said:
He said: "Have you come to us to drive us out of our land with your magic, O Moses? Then we will surely bring you magic like it, so make between us and you an appointment, which we will not fail to keep and neither will you, in a place assigned." [Moses] said: "Your appointment is on the day of the festival when the people assemble at mid-morning.”َ(Ta Ha 59)
How amazing is this dialogue that has come in Surah Ta Ha and took place between Musa (As) and this tyrant! Subhaanallah, this Fir’awn who has been described with tyranny and ruthlessness accepts a battle of proofs and accepts for the evidences and proofs to be presented in front of the eyes and ears of the people. So if this was the example of the one described with oppression, suppression and arbitrary ruthlessness then what is the reality of the rulers presiding over the necks of the people in this day and age? The truth of the matter is that they are those who do not accept for even one rule or law to be criticised or allow any criticism of the system that regulates the relationships of the people. And what is the recompense for the one who does that except that he will be imprisoned, tortured, killed or driven from his home. This is the inevitable reality facing any Kutlah that is working to confront the system and regime and there is no other way or alternative method that can possibly lead to the building of the Society (Ummah), correct the society, change the system and establish the thought in life’s reality.
This is because the society is established upon the permanent relationships that exist between the people and the criticism of any relationship is inevitably a criticism of the standing regime and system. Criticising the Nizhaam (system/regime) is part and parcel of the work that is attempting to remove it. However the work to remove the regime in the view of the ruler is a crime whilst the one undertaking the action in the view of the law is a criminal who deserves to be punished. The work that aims at changing the societal relationships necessitates that the corruption of these relationships be exposed, in addition to the corruption of the regime and system. For this reason suffering and patience is an obligatory matter and due to this the recompense is great and the reward is plentiful. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: (The best of martyrs is Hamzah (ra) and a man who stands up to an oppressive ruler and is killed for that) and is there any better recompense and more plentiful rewards than being in the company or ranks of the master of martyrs, Hamzah Ibn Abdul Mutallib (ra), the lion of Allah and the paternal uncle of the Messenger (saw).
So how can we reconcile between two opposing and contradictory matters (the work of the Da’wah and personal safety and wellbeing)? The work means manifesting the Haqq (truth) and taking down the Baatil (falsehood) which means exposing the corruption of the current relationships existing between the people and exposing the system and regime that is responsible for applying these relationships.
This is the same whether these relationships are economic, social or cultural. This is because the constitution and laws are what have specified these relationships and explained how they should proceed. This includes all what happens in the street to what words are spoken, in addition to goods that are bought and sold, a house that is rented, goods that imported, a woman that is married, wealth or property left for inheritance, the running of a school and the subjects that are taught within it amongst many other matters. So all of these are relationships that are governed and regulated by the law and the ruler is the one who implements them. Therefore exposing any corruption in any of these areas inevitably means exposing the corruptions of the ruler and the bodies that are responsible for their implementation and this is considered a crime that leads to imprisonment or death for the one who has perpetrated it. On the other hand self preservation and safety necessitates abandoning and leaving this work. So how can we reconcile between this work and personal safety and wellbeing? Undertaking the work means prison and persecution whilst abandoning the work means sinfulness and earning the anger of the Lord of the servants.
Allah (swt) has commanded us with this work:
And let there be from amongst you an Society (Ummah) that calls to the Khair (Good) and orders the Ma’roof (the good) and forbids the Munkar (the bad) and they are those who are successful (Aali ‘Imraan 104).
And he (saw) said: (You must enjoin the good and forbid the bad or Allah will make your evil ones dominate over you and then your best will make Du’aa and they will not be answered) (Al-Bazzaar and At-Tabaraani in Al-Awsat).
And he (saw) said: (The one who is silent over the Haqq (truth) is a Shaitaan Akhras (mute)) or in a wording that is similar.
So how do we reconcile between undertaking the work and imprisonment, or between obedience to Allah and our personal wellbeing and safety?
In truth the work necessitates suffering, perseverance and enjoining upon patience and it is this decision that will define the meaning of the person’s life. The position he takes can either mean the greatest loss for him, if he decides to leave the work or it can mean the supreme success for him, if he engages in the work and enjoins upon the truth and patience.
And may Allah’s mercy be upon the one who said: ‘By Allah, if I was not to find resistance from my family and the people who are closest to me, and if I was not to find opposition and resistance from the people and if I was not opposed and fought against by the current standing regimes, then I would have doubted the very path that I was treading because my criteria and measure are represented in his words (saw): ‘There is no rest after this day O Khadijah’. My only method is the method that he proceeded along in addition to what Allah (swt) has narrated from the lives and paths of the early Anbiyaa and Mursaleen and what they were afflicted with from their people and families. And how meaningful was the statement of Waraqah Bin Nawfil when he said to the Messenger of Allah (saw): If I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly. The Messenger (saw) said: Will they drive me out? He replied: None have come with the like of what you have come with except that he was driven out’.
Allah (swt) said:
[This is] the Sunnah (established way) of Allah with those who passed on before; and you will not find in the Sunnah (way) of Allah any change (or alteration) (Al-Ahzaab 62).
Allah (swt) says:
And thus we have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you (Al -Baqarah 143).
And He (swt) stated:
You are the best Society (Ummah) raised up for mankind, you order what is right and you forbid what is wrong and you believe in Allah (Aali ‘Imraan 110).
Download the book An-Nahdah (Revival) from here