The question of renaissance seems to be the central issue that our Ummah has been pondering for many decades: Why have we fallen behind while others have advanced? How can we rise again? Should we start from the top or the bottom? Through the gateway of politics or economics? From thought or practice and movement?
The question of renaissance appears to stir a lot of controversies, leading to the emergence of various intellectual schools that differ greatly in understanding the nature of religion and its role, and the relationship between it and the devout, both in the current era and in previous times. We are not speaking of a divide between the religious and non-religious, but rather among the supporters of the religious current itself. This is a complex question that encompasses many detailed inquiries, intertwined with successive disappointments, the most intense of which were the failed or sabotaged experiments, the destructive chaos that has plagued the region, returning it to the most stagnant states. The alliance of imperialist forces with the corrupt on one side and those susceptible to colonization on the other, resulting in an imbalance of power between those aspiring for our Ummah’s cultural renaissance, who have not yet been able to provide a satisfactory answer to the question of how we rise, and the remnants of colonialism in all its forms, equipped with the tools of power, influence, and media.
Many young people adrift in the sea of open skies have ignored this question of renaissance, perhaps because they feel unqualified to answer or even to contemplate the great questions our Ummah needs. Perhaps they feel powerless and that they have nothing to offer as an answer to this question, or maybe they are disheartened by those who led previous failed experiments under the banner of renaissance. They may feel they cannot confront a global system dedicated to their Ummah’s backwardness, deciding to distance themselves from their Ummah, abandon its language, and refrain from seeking reform or progress. Their dreams may have centered on emigrating to an already advanced society that can fulfill their humanity, which has been denied its needs in their homeland.
The question arises: Do we really need a detailed answer to the question of renaissance? Must we cross to renaissance through its major gates and central issues? Are there tools with which we can overcome that bitter taste of immobility? Is there a way to attract young people away from the black holes seeking to swallow their cultural identity? More precisely, are there small gates through which young people can sneak to the land of renaissance?
Small Gates
It is said that the devil is in the details, and we can also say that angels are too; our Ummah has descended through small, slow, and perhaps marginal steps; “O you who have believed, do not follow the footsteps of Satan.” (An-Nur: 21), and maybe we can rise in the same incremental way; “Do not belittle any good deed.” (Narrated by Muslim) This is the tiny grain of good and evil mentioned in the Quran.
The grain of good is a small, possibly minuscule gate, characterized by ease and attractiveness, challenging the difficulty of starting and resisting feelings of helplessness. These gates are numerous and varied, reflecting the diverse interests of young people. In the aforementioned hadith by Muslim, examples include: “Do not scorn anything correct, even pouring water from your bucket into the bucket of someone else who asks you for water or talking to your brother with a happy face. Beware of dragging your waist-wrapper - it is part of arrogance and Allah does not like it. If a man blames you for something he knows about you, do not blame him for anything you know of him.” Small gates to renaissance include offering support to those in need, smiling at others, humility, and avoiding psychological harm.
Other examples of small gates mentioned by the Prophet (peace be upon him) include: “Administering of justice between two men is also a Sadaqa. And assisting a man to ride upon his beast, or helping him load his luggage upon it, is a Sadaqa; and a good word is a Sadaqa; and every step that you take towards prayer is a Sadaqa, and removing of harmful things from the pathway is a Sadaqa.” (Agreed upon)
If we take a single example of a small gate, namely removing harm from the road, which the Prophet (peace be upon him) described as the least of the branches of faith; meaning the smallest and simplest, it is highly suitable for young people to engage with positively. The youth, impressed by the cleanliness and beauty of Western cities, can make such a challenge a central issue for themselves. They can organize events and participate in activities, expand to planting trees on roads or on rooftops; “If the Final Hour comes while you have a shoot of a plant in your hands and it is possible to plant it before the Hour comes, you should plant it.”
They can do all this as environmental activists combating global warming and as responsible individuals in this world, and at the same time as Muslims who see many important details in their religion. These details can transition them and their community to the other side of civilization.
A Dual Gate
The small gates of renaissance can play a crucial role in attracting young people to cross the bridge of renaissance by giving them broad spaces of hope. The feeling of being unable to change chokes the youth, and at the same time, these gates serve as a training model for young people, allowing them to ascend to gates that represent bigger challenges. This gradual approach is part of the strategy that the Quran followed in elevating the believing community.
The only condition for these small gates to succeed in achieving the goal is that they are accompanied by a high spiritual spirit, having good expectations of Allah, and sincerely seeking the way forward.
We should also note that these small gates are dual gates, naturally leading to major gates: “And your Lord glorify. And your clothing purify.” (Al-Muddaththir: 3-4) Simple purification is the path or the gate to the greater goal of worship. Removing harm, protecting animals, planting trees, practicing discipline, and avoiding aggressive behavior are all small gates to more vital practices on the path of cultural renaissance.
More precisely, small gates to renaissance naturally prepare for the larger gates of challenge, while simultaneously providing a training model for the ability to bear cultural responsibility. Successfully crossing these gates provides young people with the vital fuel to continue and move forward on the path of renaissance, as they can see themselves as significant players in the equation of cultural renaissance.
Small gates do not mean ignoring major issues and focusing on marginal ones, as some might think, but rather highlighting areas that have not received their due attention, despite being closely related to major issues. Ignoring these small gates molds religion into static images, far from the vibrant details of life.
For example, taking another small gate, which is the appreciation of beauty that refines the human soul, makes emotions more delicate, and conscience more transparent, we find that it is a Quranic objective; “And [He created] the horses, mules and donkeys for you to ride and [as] adornment.” (An-Nahl: 8) The adornment, meaning the aesthetic value, is an objective no less important than the functional value of a means of transportation, which also applies to the colors of plants and the stars in the sky.
This aesthetic appreciation or the aesthetic drive, which Algerian thinker Malek Bennabi considered one of the pillars of renaissance, is generally marginalized under the sharp hammers of disagreement over some issues. Why don’t we restore its importance? Why don’t our youth dream of cities as beautiful as Granada instead of singing the praises of Parisian streets?
Small gates are numerous, and each gate may attract a certain segment of the youth, which is something we desperately need to progress steadily on the path of renaissance.
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