THE year 2000 AD is only 42 days away. Although Muslims should not be affected by the hoopla surrounding Y2K as they are not supposed to be number fetishists, the event is grand enough to demand a soul-searching exercise.
When the world celebrated “Y1K”, Muslims were on top of the world. Ibn Sina was one of the most renowned doctors. He was known as the Sheikh al-Rais or “leader among wise men”.
Ibn al-Haitham or Alhazen was a great Muslim physicist who provided the platform for the science of optics which was taken to greater heights by later scientists, such as Roger Bacon and Johannes Kepler.
Al-Biruni was perhaps the best astronomer who ever lived. His “Elements of Astrology” became the standard text for the teaching of Quadrivium or mathematical sciences for centuries.
In the meantime, the surgeon al-Zahrawi was churning out tool after tool for use in surgery. To many, his ingenuity in this field naturally conferred him the title “Father of Surgery”.
In short, the list of great Muslim men at the beginning of the second millennium mimics that of the present-day Nobel Prize recipients.
However, the same cannot be said of third millennium Muslims. Not many are making a significant impact on the global scene.
Nevertheless, one cannot deny the fact that there are many Muslims who are striving hard to rediscover and recapture the past glory of Islamic civilisation.
Muslims in Malaysia, for example, have been toiling to reposition Islam as a noble and relevant religion. Over the years they have made commendable progress.
An Islamic system of economics and social life incorporating both the physical and spiritual aspects of man has been drawn up and is available for anyone to adopt.
A system of education that combines intellectual growth with emotional development has been put into practice. A legal recourse that takes into account the need of both Muslims and non-Muslims has also been established.
A stable and safe living environment is prevalent in the country. Opportunities too, are aplenty to explain true Islam through the media. Infrastructure conducive to the practices of Islam is abundant, and Muslims have no problem carrying out the religious duties prescribed in either the Rukun Islam (testimony of Islamic practices) or Rukun Iman (testimony of Islamic faith) injunctions.
In the meantime, the needs and requirements of non-Muslims have not been neglected.
They are also expected to fulfil their responsibilities to the country and community.
However, numerous caustic challenges are ahead. There are some who are critical of the Government’s moderate and practical approach in promoting Islam.
In his book The Law of State in Islam, Professor Yusuf al-Qardawi notes that from the left, die-hard critics are proposing a government system akin to the theocratic form of government dominated by Christian priests in Europe during the Dark Ages.
Rightists, on the other hand, are demanding that the Government adopt a fully secularised administration. In this case, there is a clear divide between work and religion, and never the twain shall meet.
Naturally, neither option is in tune with the Islamic concept of governance. Al-Qardawi contends that a moderate Islam, or Al-Wasathiyatul Islamiyah is the best choice.
A moderate Islam views Islamic teachings with one eye, and present realities with the other. It also invites the use of intellect to discuss modern issues while referring to established texts for guidance.
Despite various efforts by a large section of the Muslim community to move forward, a small minority chooses to remain defiant.
Rather than capitalise on the competitive advantage endowed by God to achieve excellence for themselves and others, these Muslims prefer to pay attention to petty issues.
They bask in scepticism, arguing that everyone willy-nilly has beliefs. They relish making value judgments that their course of action is better than others.
Actually, what some of them have succeeded in doing is to precipitate disunity among Muslims. It is no secret that Muslims today are split in many ways. They are divided into various parties, associations, factions and coalitions, each with their own agenda.
The most obvious focus of these groupings is to outdo each other in the hope of capturing the sympathy and support of the unsuspecting Muslim masses.
Unfortunately, according to Dr Taha Jabir al-Alwani in his book, Ethics of Disagreement in Islam, the masses are totally confused by these developments.
Most sincere and simple Muslims have always supposed that their problems would be solved when the parties which profess to be Islamic come to power.
Imagine their disappointment when those parties split and began disputing among themselves over abstruse points of law and theology, forgetting their higher aims and purposes.
To support their claims of representing “true” Islam, some of these groups go so far as to label other Islamic parties non-believers, apostates and heretics.
Al-Alwani also opines that when engaged in such activity, Muslims consistently lose sight of the higher principles and purposes of the Islamic law or syariah.
The syariah aims to provide Muslims with perspectives far wider than those afforded by polemics over points of law and procedure, or fine distinctions between conflicting theological arguments.
Further, according to the author, experience has shown that a long immersion in such futile debate often renders the mind incapable of comprehending real situations and making value judgments on changing circumstances.
This is also an outright and blatant transgression of the main Islamic principle of enjoining good deeds and avoiding evils.
On this matter the Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said: “Avoid suspicions, for suspicion is the greatest lie. And do not be inquisitive about one another, or spy on one another, do not outbid one another with a view to raising price. And do not feel jealous and do not entertain grudge against one another and do not backbite and the servants of Allah like brothers amongst yourselves.”
As for the sceptics bent on hindering the progress of Islam in this country and the world over, the Prophet has this to say: “Woe to him who speaks and tells a lie in order to make the people laugh by that. Woe to him, woe to him.”
