My Advice – Dr Ahmad Totonji
From the situational reports it seems that enemies are determined to uproot anything Islamic anywhere. Some of them say that the only good Muslims are dead Muslims. After 911, they can annihilate anyone.
Knowing that the circumstances are like these, this is not the time for confrontation. Our options and the results are limited. If we can save the lives of Muslims, it is an asset to the ummah. We cannot afford to have our best people to be sacrificed like this. If a strong wave passes round, we have to bend to let it pass. Do not face it directly. We need some time to think, to reorganize and recover. Some are dangerous, serious situations. Find other alternatives for it; if not we are annihilated.
We are guilty until proven guilty. This happens even in America. Dedicated young people are imprisoned. Al-Amoudi was given a 23 year prison sentence - just for visiting Libya without a permit and not declaring some income he had. These people are going for the kill. They have the means to do it. Therefore, please cool it down as much as humanly possible. It is as if you are in a jail and not being allowed to move. Any Muslim coming to the US expects to be and is harassed.
Many times we are acting without information. We need information to act in a wise manner. Our adversaries are willing to send lots of disinformation to destroy us. There are lots of peaceful ways if we can organize better. Find the ways and means. There are still a lot of people with good conscience: governments, officials, institutions, NGOs. Facilitate solutions.
We have to play low with the confrontations. If we look at Bangladesh a few years ago. They had no choice but to fight in the streets because they had to defend themselves. Now they choose more civil means, they won elections, negotiated with the political parties and formed a coalition. Now they are talking of nation building and no more confrontations. The recent events need to be handled with care and wisdom. They have seen the fruits of their work. We have to have examples of alternative ways and by doing so we are opening the avenues of da’wah.
When we come to a wall, don’t hit it. Try to go around it. No direct hits. Stay low. Be careful with the lives of Muslims.
We have to organize to get the best education. Educated people shall surely come to be decision makers of the future. Find ways and means to provide good education for them. Illiteracy among Muslims is enormous, it is much worst in ICT. Nowadays if we don’t work with computers, we are illiterate. We need modern gadgets, we need to surpass them. Consider Mindanao, generations have passed without schools, roads and basic amenities. The situation is not good.
We have to have people in the political aspects. We need political skills, training and information. Make surveys. Be vocal in helping our people. We need to develop negotiating skills. Only the best can negotiate, if we look at in the past, people like Amr al-‘As are amongst the best negotiators. Usrahs should introduce such literature on human skills. At least we have the basis for maneuverability. We have to upgrade and change the system of tarbiyyah of our halaqahs, to introduce new things.
From the situational reports it seems that enemies are determined to uproot anything Islamic anywhere. Some of them say that the only good Muslims are dead Muslims. After 911, they can annihilate anyone.
Knowing that the circumstances are like these, this is not the time for confrontation. Our options and the results are limited. If we can save the lives of Muslims, it is an asset to the ummah. We cannot afford to have our best people to be sacrificed like this. If a strong wave passes round, we have to bend to let it pass. Do not face it directly. We need some time to think, to reorganize and recover. Some are dangerous, serious situations. Find other alternatives for it; if not we are annihilated.
We are guilty until proven guilty. This happens even in America. Dedicated young people are imprisoned. Al-Amoudi was given a 23 year prison sentence - just for visiting Libya without a permit and not declaring some income he had. These people are going for the kill. They have the means to do it. Therefore, please cool it down as much as humanly possible. It is as if you are in a jail and not being allowed to move. Any Muslim coming to the US expects to be and is harassed.
Many times we are acting without information. We need information to act in a wise manner. Our adversaries are willing to send lots of disinformation to destroy us. There are lots of peaceful ways if we can organize better. Find the ways and means. There are still a lot of people with good conscience: governments, officials, institutions, NGOs. Facilitate solutions.
We have to play low with the confrontations. If we look at Bangladesh a few years ago. They had no choice but to fight in the streets because they had to defend themselves. Now they choose more civil means, they won elections, negotiated with the political parties and formed a coalition. Now they are talking of nation building and no more confrontations. The recent events need to be handled with care and wisdom. They have seen the fruits of their work. We have to have examples of alternative ways and by doing so we are opening the avenues of da’wah.
When we come to a wall, don’t hit it. Try to go around it. No direct hits. Stay low. Be careful with the lives of Muslims.
We have to organize to get the best education. Educated people shall surely come to be decision makers of the future. Find ways and means to provide good education for them. Illiteracy among Muslims is enormous, it is much worst in ICT. Nowadays if we don’t work with computers, we are illiterate. We need modern gadgets, we need to surpass them. Consider Mindanao, generations have passed without schools, roads and basic amenities. The situation is not good.
We have to have people in the political aspects. We need political skills, training and information. Make surveys. Be vocal in helping our people. We need to develop negotiating skills. Only the best can negotiate, if we look at in the past, people like Amr al-‘As are amongst the best negotiators. Usrahs should introduce such literature on human skills. At least we have the basis for maneuverability. We have to upgrade and change the system of tarbiyyah of our halaqahs, to introduce new things.
Divorce in Saudi Arabia is more than 40%. This rate is just like any of our countries. This causes much destruction. People do not know what they are entering into. These are areas where we are weak. Put it in our halaqah studies. If someone is not happy in their families, the person will not be able to perform da’wah. Spouses must support each other in the cause of da’wah. Parenting ought to be made compulsory just like what they do in IIU.
We have to go out of our box, out of our bounds. 9/11 has changed a lot.
We are backward in our dealing on women in Islam. Local taboos influence our culture. Remember, women can go to the masjid and ask directly the Prophet s.a.w. Women can speak to and disagree openly with Omar r.a. We have seen that the IIU produces the best women graduates anywhere.
In the '40s, Hasan al Banna commissioned three eminent persons to study and work on three important issues respectively: First, Mahmud Abu Saud to work on Islamic Economics. His fine work enabled us to delve into this challenging field later on. Second, Sayyid Sabiq to work on Fiqh. He produced a magnificent compendium of fiqh entitled Fiqh Sunnah. Third, Abd Halim Abu Shu’qah to work on women issues. He took 20 years to produce the book. He was very careful and meticulous in his study on how Islam shows the way women are treated. We have to study this. There will be opposition from good and bad people in this issue. The Muslim Student Association MSA in Canada at one time had a lady president.
Do not remain isolated from our brothers and sisters. Use the available means of communication, the internet, have mailing lists. Alone we are weak and can be beaten. Our hearts must be together. Two Muslims who work together with full understanding will have a strong resultant force. If there are many then there will be a greater force. Rasulullah s.a.w. converted opposing forces and brought them together that even the super powers of that time could not stop.
Rasulullah taxied, had a low profile for up to 13 years of the Makkah period until that critical point. Concerning the sulh Hudaibiyah, the treaty, even the best sahabah were unhappy with the terms. But it was proven that under peaceful conditions, we work best for da’wah. It is not the matter of the essence of the Qur’an and the Sunnah but our understanding of it is inadequate and limited. So, if we say that the solution is the Qur’an and the Sunnah, we have to look at it wholly. Someone has to be articulate in order to save the ummah, to articulate in all the Islamic aspects and fields.
In the case of Rohingya which is without resolution since 1962 (as in other situations of oppressed minorities), we need to articulate the problems. Bring another dimension to it. Aung Sung Su Kyi articulated effectively her plight. Find some other method or find people in the West. There are good people in the West who want to help, to liberate and to alleviate the problem. These people in the West want justice. We can join up with the others in opposition to the regime. We enter into a dialogue to help the cause. If we can articulate our case, if it is for human rights, for values and humane interests, we can convince them, even the non-Muslims. This is human nature. Build bridges. Don’t conclude that there are no bridges with other people. Tap the resources. The American Civil Liberties Union ACLU is doing a wonderful job in defending Muslims in the US.
Find a way of dialogue with the extremists. We need some kind of understanding. Don’t cut off but find the bridges. Not all of us should go crazy.
As a final word: In the Qur’an it says that those who believe and do not cloak their iman with injustice, they are entitled to security; they are the ones with guidance. If people continue with the injustice, they cannot achieve security and they have to deal with it themselves and not make us as scapegoats.
Notes of the roundtable discussion by Dr Ahmad Totonji at ABIM’s 34th Muktamar Sanawi 20/8/2005. Dr Ahmad Totonji is the Vice President of the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT). He was the first Secretary General of the International Islamic Federation of Student Organization (IIFSO). He is also a founding member of WAMY, MSA and Islam Online.
by AbuOmar abuomar_asia@yahoo.com
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