After the Islamic nation lost its leadership, wandered astray, while nations pounced on it like hungry wolves, various renaissance projects have emerged to rescue the nation. Different approaches and means are being proposed, with religion being a focal point of contention. Some view religion as essential to the renaissance process, while others reject this idea.

Elements of Renaissance

According to the principles of sociology, there are certain elements necessary for any renaissance project to succeed. These elements can be summarized as follows:

Firstly: The Central Idea

Dr. Jasim Sultan defines it as "a set of principles and beliefs upon which the value system is built and which colours the societal system."⁽¹⁾ It is the ideology that permeates society, the foundation upon which it is based, shaping all aspects of life within it, and governing its affairs according to its principles and teachings. Examples include the Arab civilization, which was based on Islam, the Soviet Union, which emerged from communist ideology, and the United States, which is founded on liberal principles.

The Values Arising from the Society's Culture Regulate Individual Behaviours Even in the Absence of Legal Deterrents

Secondly: The Motivating Idea

It is the concept that addresses psychological motivations and human instincts, touching people's lives. It stems from the central idea and is connected to it. Algerian thinker Malek Bennabi referred to it as the motivating idea: "The greatest miracles in history are always associated with motivating ideas."⁽²⁾

For example, communism adopted a motivating idea expressed through slogans like "We want bread," while the Zionist project had a motivating idea to gather Jews in Palestine, encapsulated in the term "Land of Milk and Honey," referring to the bounties of Palestine, adding to the idea of the "Promised Land."

Thirdly: Culture

Malek Bennabi states: "Culture is scientifically defined as a set of innate characteristics and social values acquired by individuals since birth, as initial capital in the environment they were born into. Culture, in this sense, is the environment that shapes an individual's traits and personality."⁽³⁾

The importance of values arising from society's culture lies in their regulation of individual behaviours even in the absence of legal deterrents, which cannot cover all aspects of individuals' lives. These cultural values are fundamentally derived from the central idea we mentioned earlier, representing the ideological framework.

Sociologists Assert That Only Religion is Suitable as the Central Idea in Renaissance ProjectsTop of Form

Fourthly: Productivity

Productivity is the natural outcome of adhering to the three mentioned components: the central idea, the motivating idea, and culture. Following these, the efforts of individuals in the society, regardless of their specialties and capabilities, converge towards a unified direction, with each contributing a brick to this construction.

Religion as the Central Idea

Let us delve further into the central idea, which serves as the foundation for the other components. The disagreement among the renaissance projects in our nation revolves around this foundation: what does the central idea entail? Is it religion or another basis?

• From a religious perspective:

There is no salvation or renaissance for this nation except through what its predecessors adopted and succeeded with. It is the source of its dignity and elevation, as Caliph Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "We were the most humiliated people, and Allah honoured us with Islam. Whatever we seek honour in, other than what Alah honoured us with, will humiliate us."⁽⁴⁾

An observer of the periods of strength and weakness experienced by the nation can clearly see its progress, renaissance, and cultural prosperity during the periods in which it adhered to its religion. Conversely, weakness, degradation, backwardness, poverty, and ignorance only afflicted it during the periods in which it deviated from the teachings of Islam.

According to Sociology, There Is No Renaissance for the Nation Except Through a Central Idea Represented by Islam as Creed and Law

That's because Islam is a religion of action, construction, and embracing means of strength and civilization. It rectifies both this world and the Hereafter, motivating and encouraging knowledge, progress, and prosperity. It even makes the necessary specializations in the nation obligatory duties, and everyone is deemed sinful if there's no one to fulfil them.

• From a Sociological Perspective:

Here, we're discussing religion as a central idea from a sociological viewpoint. Sociologists argue that only religion is suitable as a central idea in renaissance projects. Among those who advocate for this is Arnold Toynbee, who said, "I lean toward advocating the role of religious beliefs in the course of history. When we look at civilizations that have persisted until our present day, we find that behind each of them lies some form of religious belief."⁽⁵⁾

This fact is also affirmed by Malek Bennabi, who stated, "Civilization only emerges from religious belief."⁽⁶⁾

Indeed, this is an undeniable truth. Anyone who examines the seeds of civilizations that have arisen in the East and the West will discover that their seeds were religious ideas.

The central idea must reflect the cultural identity of the society, which has been entrenched over a long history. It should express its final character, not be an imported, alien idea from another society. This idea must encompass a solid, unchanging component, which is a clear creed capable of explaining and organizing the relationship between humans and the universe. It must also provide clear answers to questions about their Creator, humanity's position among other creations, and their purpose for existence. Additionally, it should include a flexible component, represented by the ability to deal with the developments of the era and keep pace with changes, which is represented by the system of teachings of the Sharia.

Hence, according to a sociological perspective, this nation, for which Islam has come to become its final identity and ultimate reference point, has no renaissance except through a central idea represented by Islam as creed and law. As for imported ideologies, foremost among them secularism, they are ideas that emerged in a different climate, amidst the void of Western societies lacking a religious idea that fulfils those aforementioned criteria, making it suitable to be a central idea.

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(1) Laws of Renaissance, Jasim Sultan, p. 14.

(2) The Problem of Ideas in the Islamic World, Malek Bennabi, p. 42.

(3) Preconditions of Renaissance, Malek Bennabi, p. 83.

(4) Narrated by Al-Hakim in Al-Mustadrak, and Al-Dhahabi said in Al-Talkhis: Authentic according to the conditions of Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

(5) Abridged Study of History, Arnold Toynbee (3/152).

(6) Preconditions of Renaissance, Malek Bennabi, p. 56.

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“The time in Gaza is not a neutral element; it doesn't lead people to contemplation but pushes them to explode and collide with reality. Time there doesn't turn children from childhood to old age; instead, it turns them into men in their first encounter with the enemy.” These words are taken from a prose poem by the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, written over 15 years ago. They vividly depict the resilience of Gaza, its people, and its children resonating anew amid the events of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” battle and the ruthless “Israeli” aggression on the Strip. It's as if the poet was foretelling the future while writing his poem.

When we speak of a child in Gaza, it's far from the stereotypical image in our minds of ordinary children's lives. This is not a child who chooses their own toys from among dolls, nor is it a child who falls asleep to their mother's bedtime stories. This is not a child whose meals are carefully prepared with high nutritional value or who is eagerly waiting for the bus outside their home to take them to school.

The child in Gaza has grown up amidst the oppressive blockade, choking the land and depriving it of the essentials of life. Under the ruthless occupation that controls even the tiniest drops of drinking water supply.

This is a child who knows the meaning of pain and loss. Not a single child in Gaza has been spared the scenes of successive wars on the Strip, each one accompanied by their mother's embrace, fearing the buzzing of planes, the sounds of destruction, the smell of smoke, and the mourning of the martyrs.

 The child in Gaza has grown up amidst the blockade, suffocating its land and depriving it of life’s essentials

 One of the children in Gaza was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” His striking, chilling response was, “The little ones here don't grow up.” Just like that, he was able to reflect the perspective of the children on the life they navigate along with their shattered dreams.

Gaza has nearly a million children, as those under 15 constitute approximately 40% of the population in the Strip, according to “UNICEF” estimates. Health Ministry statistics in Gaza indicate that 9,000 children have been martyred, with children and women making up 70% of the 7,000 missing persons. The World Health Organization has estimated that 160 children have died daily in the past month, not to mention the thousands of children injured due to destructive bombings.

Hundreds of newborns have died due to the absence of incubators, and more than a thousand children have undergone amputation surgeries.

The children in Gaza can be found in a long line, holding a bowl to receive a handful of rice or flour to give to their grieving mothers, which will serve as their sustenance throughout the day, or clutching an empty bottle, searching for drops of uncontaminated water to quench their thirst. Often, they resort to drinking polluted water, making the children of Gaza vulnerable to epidemics, Intestinal diseases, and skin infections.

“There is no safe place in Gaza” has become the stark reality seen by every child in the Strip. Safety is no longer an option, even if they seek refuge in a mosque, church, hospital, or school. Every inch of the land has become a target, and the father's embrace is no longer a secure haven, as this fortified fortress may crumble at any moment.

Children of Resilience

Amidst this misery and hardship, the young ones in Gaza experience a unique condition not shared by other children worldwide, for they have gotten accustomed to severe adversity. Rockets fall around them at night, and they play in their craters in the morning. They have surpassed the initial shock of losing loved ones, now speaking of their casualties as if they have traveled away and not perished!

Children in Gaza are experiencing a unique state, unlike any other, for they have gotten accustomed to the severe calamities they face

 Look into the eyes of Gaza's children, filled with helplessness, sadness, and terror from the beginning of the aggression, now reflecting defiance in the face of death, resentment towards their enemies, and a desire to join their loved ones.

Children in Gaza have been brought up under the eyes of Allah, raised by Him through trials and hardships, enduring what humans could not bear. They have become bearers of a cause, with some acting as journalists, conveying news of the aggression and the people's conditions to the world. Who instilled in them this sense of public responsibility?

Remarkably, a child barely over ten years old, being tended to in the hospital, reassures them, saying, “I'm fine; there's nothing wrong with me.” What kind of child is this, and what spirit does he carry?

Another girl, around 8 years old, asks the paramedics in the hospital to first attend to the injuries of her brother and her family. Who taught her this selflessness, sacrifice, and sense of responsibility?

Yet another child says that they are not leaving their land, regardless of what the Zionists do to them, speaking of martyrdom or victory!

In the midst of such continuous aggression that spares nothing, it is natural for the child's focus and concern to be on the destruction that befell them, their families, and their land, not on the aggressor. However, in Gaza, the situation is different. The child is aware of what is happening, understands the nature of war, recognizes their enemies and their goals, and comprehends the Zionist hostility towards their homeland. But how did they reach this level of awareness?

Await for Revenge

The direct answer lies in what their innocent, clean slate memory has stored of the crimes of the Zionist enemy. They grew up questioning every deficiency, every loss, and every ruin, only to find that the answer is always one: the Zionist enemy.

The awareness of fathers and mothers in Gaza about the cause, the nature of the conflict, and Gaza standing in the face of the Zionists' attempt to swallow Palestine has naturally transferred to their children. Every child in Gaza knows who’s their enemy—the one responsible for the destruction.

 The occupation has filled every child in Gaza with revenge, as the scenes of their loved ones deaths are vividly imprinted in their memories

The occupation committed its greatest stupidity by instilling in every child in Gaza a sense of vengeance. Scenes of their killed loved ones will remain etched in their eyes. They will not forget a father lost under the rubble, a mother who died while embracing their infant sibling, a sibling whose remains were gathered, or a friend who once shared dreams and childhood joy but now became a mere memory.

This aggression has created a generation that knows no fear. In the past, Muslim leaders used to terrorize their enemies with the message, “I bring you men who love death as much as you love life.” The ultimate fear for humans is death, but what if the one before you doesn’t fear death but instead sees it as rest and a reunion with loved ones?

Some empathizers speak of the need for psychological treatment for the children of Gaza, but with the continuous onslaught, destruction, and martyrs, I believe that Gaza's children have surpassed such matters today. Their psyche has been shaped based on the understanding that there is no remedy for them except revenge and retaliation against the Zionist enemy.

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