The Great Scandal – The World's Great Shame

 Human nature is the same across crowded continents, stretching through yesterday, today, and tomorrow. People taste the sweet and bitter fruits of this nature, and their judgments rarely differ. Injustice is repulsive, justice is commendable, baseness is a flaw, and honor is a virtue.

Nevertheless, those who love crookedness and despise righteousness are numerous, so much so that it has almost become a norm for people. The tyranny of oppressors has blackened the history of the world.

Regarding this, Al-Mutanabbi says:

"People before us accompanied time... And its affairs concerned them as they concern us."

Then he says:

"Whenever time grows a spear shaft... A man mounts a spearhead to it."

Committing Crimes, Minor and Major

Indeed, many find no qualms in seizing the hard-earned efforts of workers and acquiring ill-gotten gains. Many find their comfort in getting rid of their opponents and ending their lives. Many find pleasure in furtively obtaining illicit gains, rather than acquiring them through legitimate, sweet, and pure means.

The strange thing is that minor instances of these crimes can be controlled and held accountable, but in major instances, escaping with illicit gains is easy and common. I once read these words from a journalist: "Thieves steal and flee. Some are caught and punished, while others escape with what they stole and plundered without harm! The one who steals a loaf of bread goes to prison, but the one who steals the bakery does not! Because the bread thief is a weak thief, but the bakery thief is a powerful thief who cooperates with powerful gangs and finds enough money from what he stole to dizzy justice. He hires the best lawyers, and between the brilliance of the defense and the weariness of the judiciary, the truth disappears."

The escape of criminals from the hands of justice is not surprising, but what is astonishing is the existence of another kind of thief: very honorable thieves who are never accused or brought to justice. These thieves hold esteemed positions, resounding titles, and influential words! They openly stole from their people, accumulated immense wealth, and silenced tongues, so no one dares utter a word against them!

Such thefts occur incidentally, or as a consequence of seizing power, taking control of affairs, and usurping governance out of overwhelming lust—which is different from assuming power in the name of God and with the nation's consent. The first is depravity, and the second is piety.

The Rarity of the Pious in Political History

It seems that the pious in the political history of nations were rarer than water in the desert. Those who dominated the destinies of most people were skillful highway robbers of glories and competencies, building prestige, power, and splendor on the ruins of the downtrodden and lost! The Quran narrates that one of those pharaohs argued with Abraham about his Lord, claiming that he had authority comparable to God's authority on earth: Was he not able to put to death whomever he willed and spare whomever he willed?

It was common for these rulers to declare war and drive thousands of people to the battlefield to achieve glory for themselves and write the record of their greatness with their blood. It was also common for the fruits of the land to be collected for their noble person as direct and indirect taxes to first meet their needs and the needs of their followers, and then the remaining crumbs would be thrown to public interests.

Europe preceded us in clipping the claws of its rulers, killing some in angry revolutions and establishing precise constitutions to control the conduct of the rest, until governance there became a public service for which the most competent are chosen, monitored by vigilant bodies, and dismissed without honor if anything suspicious appears.

As for the Islamic East, political corruption remained in most of its regions until the fourteenth century AH. It is several centuries behind on the path of global progress. Gaining power there is still easy, and ruling and flattering rulers remain the shortest path to wealth and prestige. What is astonishing is the great difference between the teachings of Islam and the conditions of Muslims.

Those Engaged in Religious Sciences and the Great Disgrace

What is even more astonishing is the stance of those engaged in religious sciences and Islamic jurisprudence... It is as if these individuals were specially formed to be mere footnotes to rulers! I was horrified to see one of their prominent figures clapping his hands—like a reckless boy—in honor or to appease a ruler! I know he was chosen for this very reason! But the degradation should not reach this low, not even to protect appearances. Moral decay is a bane for some religious scholars, but I believe this is a secondary reason for the corruption of governance in the Islamic world. The primary reason is the flawed jurisprudential thinking among the vast majority of those who discuss jurisprudence!

I heard a debate among people discussing the ruling on touching a woman and touching one's private parts, and the conflicting opinions on this issue!

I told them: "These rulings are decided in hushed tones, and the differences of opinion on them are mentioned with much exaggeration. This matter does not deserve such enthusiasm or obstinacy!"

They looked at me disapprovingly! I said to their elder: "Do you know anything about the great disgrace in Islam?" The response came quickly: "Which disgrace?"

I said: "The loss of Islam in Andalusia, the disappearance of its influence, the end of its state, and the erasure of its civilization! Have you studied the reasons for that, and taken precautions so that the tragedy does not repeat itself?"

I am astonished when a pedantic person comes to me asking: "Should the follower make up the rak'ah if he did not recite Al-Fatiha but caught the imam bowing?"

I said to this questioner: "The majority opinion is that he does not have to make it up!"

He said rudely: "No, he must make it up, and the authentic Sunnah mandates that!" I told him: "As long as he prefers the other opinion, let him make up the rak'ah!"

He wanted to start a scholarly battle on this issue.

I told him with dwindling patience: "Your attachment to these disagreements is baseless! I want to ask you: Mutual support among Muslims is an obligation, so how can a Muslim in Africa support his brother in Asia? Have you thought about this and discovered a material or moral means?"

Governments deal with ordinary and serious religious matters. Have you thought of a way to advise them, present different viewpoints, compel them to uphold justice if they refuse it, and secure their opponents if a tyrant thinks of harming them?

The backwardness of Muslims is shameful in the eyes of the world. Have you thought of a way to remove this disgrace from them? So that when they advance industrially and culturally, they can defend their beliefs and protect their mosques from systems that want to close them and prevent the name of God from being mentioned therein?

Then the foolish jurist said to me: "This is politics, and I am talking to you about jurisprudence!"

I said: "I am talking to you about jurisprudence, and you and your likes are victims of contemptible politics that have occupied the masses with minor disagreements, so that the wicked can proceed on their path without obstacles..."

Political despotism has, over time, managed to remove important chapters from the "transactions" section of our vast jurisprudence! Or to make their realities withered and weak because discussing them has dreadful consequences.

Consequently, there has been lengthy discussion on trivial matters, with many ramifications and far-fetched imaginations, while jurisprudence has remained silent on grave matters.

The great issues of Muslims have been decided among groups of murderers who remember themselves and their followers frequently, and God only sparingly...

Tragedies have occurred in governing environments that make one's forehead sweat, and they have been covered with dust without comment. In Yemen, a prince killed—or conspired to kill—nine of his brothers so that the Imamate of Muslims would be exclusively for the murderous brother!

And Islamic jurisprudence is required to concern itself with the placement of hands in prayer! Or with raising them before bowing! These are rulings where opinions are equal, and no Muslim sins by inclining towards the negative or positive.

Yes, it is required to elaborate on these issues and form gangs of rabble-rousers who occupy worshippers with these rulings and stir up discord among them! As for governance and finance, the connection of jurisprudence to them is severed. It is enough for a number of contemporary scholars to repeat sick opinions, decided by cowardly fugitives or deficient thinkers...

The bitter result was that Muslims were ruled by men who could not be trusted with anything, and who were moved only by childish instincts of megalomania and monopolizing power...

The force hostile to Islam was not heedless! And when was it ever heedless? From time to time, it penetrates this breach in our society to destroy crops and progeny, and it does so by our own hands, not by the hand of some 'Zaid' or 'Amr'!

For long ages, this intellectual chaos has prevailed in the Islamic world, diverting its steps from the path of a noble goal, so great issues die in their place, unheeded by anyone.

While trivial matters excite both the elite and the general public!

The Law of God Continues

And the law of God has proceeded in our nation as it has in every disordered society, so we have tumbled from a position of leadership to the tail end of the human caravan, and we have harmed our religion as much as we have harmed ourselves...

And moments of awakening, accountability, and pangs of conscience have arrived! We have begun to be angry at what has befallen us and regret what we have lost. So, what is to be done?

Some want to continue on the same path that led them to humiliation... Some stubbornly refuse to understand why others have progressed... Some are unable to understand human nature and think of religion as a war against it!