The methodology of the
Islamic dawah is described in the book Concepts of Hizb ut Tahrir
as radical. The book goes further to say that without using the
radical method, change from the existing situation of the Muslims
can not occur. The concept of radical change therefore has great
significance and it is vital to understand what it means.
Commonly it is understood that a
person that takes this radical approach is someone who opposes the
way things are currently done and wants to change everything
completely, fundamentally and from the root. There are some that see
this approach as impractical and view those that adopt the radical
method as unreasonable people that disagree with everything and are
detached from the way things work and get done. They view actions undertaken on the basis of the radical method are self
defeating and will simply cause alienation from those they wish to
change.
In order for the work for
transforming the existing situation to one in which Islam is
implemented – those working to bring change need crystal clarity
about the concept of radical change so that the work they engage in
is effective.
The purpose of this article is to
explore the subject of “radical change” with a view to attaining crystallisation about what it means and how the radical
approach should be applied in everyday dawah.
The Need For Change
The existing conditions in the
Muslim world, the rampant poverty, injustice, military, economic ,
political and cultural occupation by the kafir west – is enough to
convince any Muslim that change needs to occur. Even though some may
be happy with their circumstances most would agree that collectively
change needs to occur.
The question in the minds of most
Muslims is how is it that this change needs to occur? We see that
there are a plethora of views about the nature of the problem of the
Muslims and its solution. These range from defeatist apathy to those
who think that they are making valuable contribution to change by
helping Muslims around the globe by engaging in charity work ,
educational projects or the like.
Many Muslims jump to action to try
to change the situation out of sincerity – however due to their thinking not being strong inevitably these attempts fail or they achieve some
limited results. This leads to a perpetual cycle of misery
afflicting the Ummah as every glimmer of a new dawn turns out to be a
false one.
For this reason discussion about
the problem and the solution, is the first intellectual battlefront
for the dawah carrier where the current declined thinking of the
Muslims must be challenged, changed and elevated so that they can
see the true solution to the problem. The Ummah needs to view change
in the correct way. The Ummah has a choice - it can take the reality as the source or it could
take the Islamic ideology as a source. The Ummah has to be convinced
to make Islam the source of its thought and the reality the subject
for change.
Approach to Change
The approach to change is
determined by the mode of thinking. The mode of thinking being
described here can either take reality as its source i.e. pragmatism
or make the reality subject of thinking i.e. the radical approach.
The book concepts of Hizb ut
Tahrir states that it is not correct to sense a problem and
jump to action without applying adequate thought and trying to
achieve a specific objective. The example of those brothers and
sisters that believe in doing charity works by perhaps organising
convoys of aid for Gaza – jump from sensation to some superficial
thinking to action to achieve an ill thought out aim. They feel for
the plight of the Muslims – but because they have no deep thought
about the reality of the situation and the nature of Islam they
select a course of action that will not lead to change. Or a
solution that addresses the problem properly. This approach can be
seen in the actions of countless Muslims and Islamic movements. The
actions of demonstrators in the so called Arab Spring also show how
Muslims have been jumping from sensation of a problem to action
without any deep thinking. Will removing a ruler and replacing him
with another bring change to their lives? Do they know what the aim
for the calls for change are? Where is the deep ideological thought
that would elevate the masses thinking? Or does it emanate from emotion and a feeling of despair and helplessness?
It is for this reason that it is
mentioned about jumping from sensation to action in the book
concepts of Hizb ut Tahrir
“Such
behaviour will never change the reality, Instead it will make the
person succumb to
reality and become
reactionary proceeding in life with declined thinking and making
reality
the source of thinking rather than the subject of the thinking.”
The Radical Method - The
Correct Approach to Change
Contrary to the approach adopted
by those that jump from sensation to action. The correct approach
that has to be adopted is mentioned in the book concepts of Hizb ut
Tahrir.
While the one who senses the
reality then thinks of the methodology of changing it and then acts
according to this thought is the one who changes the reality
according to his ideology, and changes it completely. This is the
type of person who complies with the radical method, which
is the only method to resume
the Islamic way of life.
This is because this method
mandates that thought should result from sensation (of the situation)
and this thought be crystallised in a way that the blueprint of the
Fikrah and the tareeqah are well understood. The individual will then
understand the ideology correctly leading him to
undertake the action. In
such a way a complete radical change occurs in the thought,
so man proceeds then to
prepare the people, societies and environment with this thought,
producing a radical change in public opinion after generating general
awareness of the ideology (as a Fikrah and Tareeqah)
The dictionary definition of the
term radical or mutaraf in Arabic is given as follows
1. Of or going to the root or origin; fundamental.
2. Thorough going or extreme, especially as regards change from
accepted or traditional forms: e.g. a radical change in the policy of
a company.
3.Favouring drastic political,
economic, or social reforms: radical ideas; radical and anarchistic
ideologues.
The radical method is to do with
change, it is not about being controversial, although it may be
considered to be so by others. The purpose of the radical way is not
to upset others even though it may. It is not to be a Che Guevara,
Lenin or Trotsky type demagogic figure. The radical method is about
transforming the situation of the Muslims from a declined one to an
elevated one. Without the radical approach being applied the Muslims
will continue to live in this declined situation.
The radical method is to do with
sensing the problems faced and applying deep thought (based upon an
ideological perspective) upon the reality and performing actions that
will change the reality. It differs from the pragmatic approach
where one studies the reality and finds actions to undertake from the
reality in order to address his problem.
One may sense a problem with the
lack education in particular place. The one who adopts and
understands the Islamic ideology will correctly identify that this is
a failing of the state – the correct course of action is to
address the root cause that this state will not solve the problem
because it is corrupt - the only way to change this is to remove the
existing system and replace it with the Islamic one. This approach is
the effective one as it deals with the root of the issue. The state
will then discharge its duty to provide education. The same could be
said about the building of roads, hospitals and other infrastructure.
The
pragmatist on the other hand, will see that the state is not
functional and depending on his motivation or how strongly he feels
about this would move in order to address this. He may set up school,
hospital etc. himself or try some other means to address problem or
simply give up. The difference in the course of
action chosen is due to the thought. This would be an example a
weak approach based on shallow thought
The Requirement of Deep Thought
Radical change can not occur in
the absence of deep thought. One can witness in the so called Arab
spring - people called for change but because there was an absence of
deep thought built collectively amongst the people they could not
move to change the situation radically. Rather they satisfied
themselves in changing the faces – so Mubarak went , Ben Ali went
but the ruling structures remained almost the same. No real change
was achieved and the colonialists played the situation to suit their
interests.
It is mentioned in the book
concepts of Hizb ut Tahrir
Such a radical method
necessitates that the thought should arise from sensation, be linked
to the action and aim at a specific objective. Nothing could lead to
this except the deep thought
What is meant by deep thought in
this context – is the understanding of Islam as ideology complete
with details of the systems. This deep thought would include a
detailed understanding of the Islamic aqaid, fikra, tariqa and
indeed political concepts like understanding the motivation of
nations on the international arena. If this is was comprehended well
amongst the masses then real change would be possible – if not the
Ummah's calls for change would mould themselves to fit the reality
and they would be exploited by the colonialists.
This means that the dawah carriers
should at every opportunity build this deep thought amongst the
ummah. For example it would not be sufficient to call for slogans
without building the details of the deep thought in the minds of the
Ummah. It would not be sufficient to tell the Ummah that we need to
implement the Quran for example and leave the interaction at that.
Rather the details of what the Quran Kareem points to like aqaid, or
solutions for life's affairs need to elaborated and built amongst the
ummah.
Every opportunity should be taken
to build the deep thinking amongst the ummah the ideal is that a
comprehensive understanding of the Islamic ideology be built – but
at least the major elements of the Islamic ideology like fikra, tariqa and solutions for society would require addressing. These would vary upon the
reality and the current thinking of the people that are being
addressed. It would be insufficient to rely on slogans like we need
Khilafah, the rulers are corrupt we need to implement Quran or other
slogans without elaborating and detailing thought behind such
statements.
Some may feel that the “Ummah is
ready” and all that is required is political direction. So such
individuals may consider that the dawah should be conducted on the
basis of slogans. This would be a mistake. This is because the public
opinion and awareness ebbs and flows – like the tide of the sea.
Thus it would be a mistake and a long term blunder that would
threaten the future viability of the state once is established as the
deep thought amongst the ummah may not be sufficiently strong to
sustain the state.
Others may feel that we need only
address people on the basis of political interests and give direction
in this alone. This would be a departure from the method of change as
it is not sufficient to talk only about politics whilst not culturing
the ummah. The danger of this would be the grievances could be exploited by others-NATO exploting the grievances of the Muslims in Libya can be taken as an example.
This is why the dawah carriers must
address as many issues and events as possible with the
Ummah on the basis of the Islamic culture. They must do this
relentlessly and continually. Examples of such topics could include a
massive variety of issues from addressing the future of Libya, the
role of the mind , spirituality, moon-sighting, the Islamic view
about internet spouse finding, the governments plan for the Muslims
etc. As many realities as possible must be used to build the deep
thought in the ummah.
Application of the Radical
Method by the State
Once the state is established it
would not be enough for those in ruling to perform an assessment of
the reality and enact some “policies”. This would not be
acceptable as the state would without a doubt decline once again and
head towards extinction. Rather the radical approach would need to be
adopted. Whereby the state would would assess the reality and address
it on the basis of its ideology and then engage in actions in order
to change the reality to make the reality conform with the ideology.
It may be the case that the when the state is established that it
faces no major threats as the powers around it may be in disarray.
The assessment may be that there is no need to build up a military
on the basis that there is no major threat and that there is time. This
would be a purely pragmatic stance. This stance may be justified
collectively and everyone may buy into it – but this would be built
upon declined thinking. It would be a pragmatic move that would build
weakness in the states thinking process.
In this scenario if the state were
to jump from sensation to action without reference to the ideology
this would lead to decline. Rather it would need to understand that
building its military capability on the basis of the Islamic thought
i.e. the numerous adillah referring to Jihad and its priority and its
obligation on state then it would take the correct course of action.
The example of Abu Bakr (RA) in
his capacity as the Khalifah is one where we can see an example of a
radical approach. The non payment of zakat by some of the Arab
tribes led Abu Bakr to take a radical stance. Even though some of the
companions like Umar bin al Khataab (RA) were initially of a
different viewpoint as they viewed that it is not allowed to fight
against those that profess the shahaada- Abu Bakr took a radical
stance to preserve the authority of the state.
Ibn Kathir in his Tarikh stated
that some Arabs of those tribes said “we obeyed rasool Allah as
long as he was amongst us. Yet what is the hakimiyah (ruling) of Abu
Bakr. We are bewildered.”
The approach of Abu Bakr was to
sense the reality before responding with action . We can see the
presence of deep thought i.e. understanding what the implications of
negotiating with those that refused to pay the zakat. The action that
was undertaken was well thought out with an aim that sought to
preserve the the authority of the state . The radical words of Abu
Bakr ( RA) after the Arab tribes came to negotiate that they were
prepared to accept salah but zakat and Abu Bakr responded
“Until
you give me ropes that you tie up animals with as your payment of zakat
I will fight you” Tabari
III, 244.
We can see in this example that
Abu Bakr was determined to mould the reality to suit his thought, even at
the expense war and the spilling of blood rather than to be pragmatic
and try to negotiating with those that refused to pay the zakat. We
see the consequence that he moulded the reality according to his deep
thought based upon his understanding standing of Islam and its
objective.
Application of the Radical
Method by an Islamic Political Party
In the scenario where the
Khilafah state does not exist the work of such a group would be to
re-establish it. The change could only occur if there was the
presence of a deep understanding of the Islamic ideology in relation
to the reality the Ummah finds herself in.
It is mentioned in the book
concepts of Hizb ut Tahrir
Such a radical method
necessitates that the thought should arise from sensation, be linked
to the action and aim at a specific objective. Nothing could lead to
this except the deep thought
Generating this deep thought
and the preparing of people by the ideology requires from those who
work for the change to undertake a detailed study of Islam and
society. This cannot be achieved except through culturing he mind
with information. Study is the easiest and shortest way to
communicate information to the mind in order to help generate the
thought.
It is also mentioned in the same
book
In
such a way a complete radical change occurs in the thought, so man
proceeds then to prepare the people, societies and environment with
this thought, producing a radical change in public opinion after
generating general awareness of the ideology (as a Fikrah and
Tareeqah) Based upon this and through the ruling authority the
ideology will be implemented radically, without accepting any gradual
or patchwork implementation.
Prior to establishment of the
Islamic state and indeed after the work of such a movement would be
to prepare the individuals with the deep thought through culturing
and then they would work as bloc
to radically change public opinion
after creating a general awareness about the ideology, This would be
the work of such a movement. It would not be pragmatic and jump upon
every new event that occurs without first passing it through an ideological thought process before deciding to act – if it suited a
particular objective. Neither would it address events to gain
popularity rather it would always pass the correct view on the basis
of the ideology. It would not engage in actions that would distract it from
its objective, or try to address the problems within the current
scenario.
If such a party were to become be
influenced by the non radical approach its work would be on the back
foot. Instead of leading the ummah with the thought it would become
led by the ummah and begin responding to events rather than being the
vanguard (leading band of people) movement of the ummah in her quest
for revival.
Application of the Radical
Method by Individuals
The ideal for the individual is
that he would comply with the radical method in all his affairs. Thus
he would proceed in all his affairs by shaping the reality in which
he lives in according to his thought- rather finding himself to be
helpless and a victim of external factors. Many of those that we see
living successful lives have not compromised their thinking and
accepted the reality around them. Rather they have moulded the
reality around them to suit their thinking These type of individuals
have few financial, family or other issues in their lives as they
have made hard choices and changed the reality around them. Whilst
those that have used the reality as the base continue with problems
and leave it to what circumstances that they were raised in to
progress.
However in his capacity as an
individual the reality is that there will be many issues that he can
not address from the root . For example it may occur to him that his
car has too many mechanical issues and the root cause is that it is
old and requires replacing – yet he would still keep it and keep
paying for the repairs as he could not afford another one. Here he
would not be aiming to address the issue from its root – would that
be a departure from the radical method ? Or if he were to find that
someone usurped his ownership of land in a particular place he could
recourse to the authorities that exist in order to correct this. Or
if there were no jummah in a certain place but there were sufficient
Muslims he could organise it – this would not be a departure from
the radical method. As long as the the actions that he engaged in
were permitted by Islam there would not be a problem.
This however would be in his
capacity as an individual. If his political views and concepts
towards dawah became tainted with this approach i.e. to take
solutions from the reality. Without striving and being concerned with
fundamental change, he would be on the path of compromise and selling
out his ideology. When for example there was a crisis like a natural
calamity, or lack of basic amenities like a clean water supply or
electricity and he looked to solve the problem within the current
framework with no consideration of addressing the root of the problem
by correcting the system then his ideological death would be assured.
If he neglected reference back to the ideology in that case he would
way departed from radical approach.
The non radical approaches of the
individual must never be allowed to enter the state or party
apparatus- this would be a calamity for the dawah as it will destroy
the dawah delivery mechanism to society and or in the case of the
state the means of implementing and conveying Islam. It is mentioned
in the book Takataul hizb
Furthermore, knowing the
Hizbi bloc itself is essential to ensure that it maintains sharp
perception, deep thinking, and absolute sincerity. The Hizbi bloc
must ensure that the events taking place in society must not weaken
its belief in Islam and its laws, and that all temptations,
intimidation, threats, favors and trials have no effect upon it
whatsoever. It must also ensure that it upholds its inherent values
to a high standard, and its belief must be safe, and the bloc’s
inculcation with deep Islamic thoughts, its adoption of the public
interests and its sense of responsibility, must be complete. It must
also make sure that the ideology is preserved without any compromise
or violation, no matter how much oppression, tyranny, hardship and
threat befalls the bloc, and the bloc must ensure that it is
determined to shoulder its responsibility, while being fully aware of
all the consequences and be ready to bear them.
The Radical Method and
Interaction with the Ummah
The path of the Islamic dawah has
never been one of ease and it will never be. It is a path of
struggle, challenge and sacrifice for the sake of the idea. The
message of Islam came to challenge and indeed destroy all other ways
life. If this is the case then would the adherents of other ways
allow this to happen without a struggle? This can never be the case
. The enemies of Islam spend huge amounts of money, time and deploy
strategies to fight the dawah. Therefore the posture of those that
carry the dawah has to be correct. If the enemies of Islam were to
succeed removing the radical approach of dawah from the minds of
those carrying it they would have scored yet another stunning goal
against Islam. The dawah can not be carried in a tame, lame way if it
is to have any effect in the ummah and achieve the desired result.
Whilst the dawah carrier does not
seek to upset or alienate people and strives to carry the dawah in
the most productive manner -he must deliver his message in an
uncompromising manner. He can not accept truce or compromise with
those that carry the incorrect views that stop the ummah from
reviving. He must smash the eggs to make the omelette, it is
inevitable that there will be those that oppose the call as well as
those that support it. He should never think that he is gaining
friends and aiding the dawah by toning down his message or remaining
silent. The objective is not to to make friends or build alliances
rather it is to pass the the correct ideas to ummah to revive. Even
if this means that he encounters hostility from others.
The underlying nature of the
Islamic dawah is hard, tough and uncompromising. It cares not for
position and standing in society or indeed the consequences. It is in
a life and death struggle with all other doctrines.
Sometimes there is a reluctance in
engaging the ummah by giving solutions based upon radical thinking.
The reasons behind this can be many. The harsh climate against the
dawah in which there is need to build bridges rather than burn them.
The fear of being rejected and alienated as a lone voice that is
calling towards a particular solution whilst the others are not. Or
it could be cowardice and fear of the repercussions of following such
an approach – as in the English saying discretion is the better
part of valour meaning that it is often better to think carefully
and not act than to do something that may cause problems.
Whatever the cause of hesitation the dawah carrier, whether in his capacity as a leader
that can direct the efforts of the dawah or an individual - he must
understand that he cannot hold back. This is regardless if the people
would accept his message or reject it. As long as the message and the
angle are well thought out and true then in the long run he will be
successful.
Similarly, the da’wah
carrier has to challenge everything. This includes challenging the
customs,
traditions, erroneous thoughts and concepts, the public opinion when
it is
wrong
even if he has to struggle against it. He has to challenge the
doctrines and
religions
despite the fact that he might be exposed to the fanaticism of their
followers
and
the hostility of those who stick to their distortions.
The effect of the this interaction
with the radical thought is nicely put in this quote from the book
the warm call of Hizb ut Tahrir
It is an ideological
struggle in which minds and
hearts clash intellectually and emotionally, emitting sparks and thus
the light of truth shines and its glory radiates and the corruption
of the current thoughts and emotions becomes clear by demonstrating
the corruption of the viewpoint from which they emanated.
Not holding back does not mean
that the dawah carrier is not concerned about the consequence of his
actions. The dawah carrier needs to estimate what the ripples caused
by his actions will result in. He must still carry the dawah in the
radical way but fine tune the styles and means that he employs
according to his analysis of the situation.
For instance, as part of the
radical approach is he obliged to hold talks attacking the state of
Israel at university? Even though it may rally the Muslims around
the dawah carriers and engage them in the dawah. The ripple created
by this needs to be considered before the action is engaged in. The
consequences could be a detriment to the dawah for many years to come
depending on how these actions were perceived and manipulated by
others.
In extreme circumstances depending
on how those in authority react it could mean that the authorities
wipe out the dawah carriers entirely – by rounding up and
imprisonment or worse. This shows the need for actions in the dawah
to be well thought out and the consequences need to estimated and a
decision needs to be taken to see if a style is effective or worth
engaging. This however should not give a green light to compromise
the dawah and to change it to suit the reality.
This requires the dawah carriers
to be skilled in weighing situations and performing the calculus
that would allow them to undertake the best actions. This skill set
needs to be developed and the default position should not be to
hesitate for fear of negative consequences. A fruit of the culturing
process should be that the dawah carrier has the ability to think in
order to weigh up circumstances – or at least there is a supportive
atmosphere amongst those that carry the dawah to allow views about
the repercussions of actions to be formed. If this skill set were
developed and interaction were carried in a correct way then the all
the other viewpoints carried in the ummah would soon be demolished
leaving only the Islamic ideology standing – thus unifying the
ummah on the basis of thought.
The radical approach is not a
style – it can not be compromised if we are to say that we are
carry the dawah in the way of the Muhammad (saw). The styles and
means of the delivery of the dawah can be dropped or adopted
according the the circumstances. This requires thought, sound
judgement and experience. The ability to sense analyse and deliver
the dawah correctly should be developed by every individual engaging
in the dawah. If this is not done then ill thought out actions with
undesired consequences will occur - or in alternative complete
hesitation, inactivity and lack of progress. The building of the
correct process of thinking in the minds of the dawah carriers is
essential – so that they can judge situations and develop the
correct styles to deliver their call without postponement and delay.
The Radical methodology and
Dawah in the West
Those that live in the west may
think that there is no requirement for the radical approach. Under
the pretext that they live in a different reality to that of the Muslim
world. They may argue that for this reason the dawah can be conducted in a lax fashion
and no real challenge is required for winning the minds of the
people. Pragmatism may seep into the minds as the radical approach is
no longer followed.
In truth, fundamentally the dawah
in the West is no different to the dawah in the Muslim world. The
conceptual framework is the same. The difference being that society
as a whole is not addressed but only the Muslim segment of society.
The ummah is considered as one
ummah, there should be no line drawn for considering the Muslims of
Britain to be different to any others. The thoughts to be addressed
would be the same, the work therefore would be to radically change the
thought of the Muslims in the same way as in the Muslim world.
Should those that carry the dawah
in the west adopt pragmatic forms of thinking, they would eventually
relinquish the ideology. It has been noted that one time sound
individuals that carried the Islamic dawah – due to adopting
pragmatic thinking have begun to engage in western politics.
The intellectual battle lines are
clear and the radical thought must be used to challenge and indeed
replace the views adopted by those that knowingly or unknowingly are
supporting views that are built on other than the Islamic ideology.
This is regardless of people being happy or upset with this approach.
Summary of Key Points
The Islamic ideology moulds the
reality to fit with it, rather than being changed by the reality.
The Ummah wants change yet is
confused and requires guidance – the deep thought of the Islamic
ideology has not taken firm a hold.
The Ummah must not jump from
sensation to action without thought. Rather she needs to think
deeply. The dawah must enage the ummah on this intelectual
battlefront
This deep thought is based upon
the correct Islamic ideological culture that must be delivered by
the carriers of the Islamic dawah.
The radical method requires that
the reality be changed according to the Islamic thought, so that
reality is shaped by Islam.
The pragmatic approach means that
no real change can occur rather those adopting this stance will be
changed by the reality they find themselves in. If such an approach is deployed there can be no real change.
The khilafah state must use the
radical approach in its affairs or face decline and eventual collapse.
The Islamic political party must
use the radical approach or it will become irrelevant and another
group amongst failed groups.
The non radical approach of
individuals must never be allowed to effect the structure of the
state or the ideological political party
Whilst following the radical
approach, dawah carriers need to understand the consequences of
their actions and have the ability to assess situations and deploy
the most effective styles and means
Holding back and hesitation in
interaction with the ummah must be eliminated.
Those carrying the dawah should
possess the excellent adaab and ikhlaq based on the Islam and they
have to marry these with the radical approach.
If the radical approach is lost,
forgotten about or relinquished – then this is a victory for the
enemies of Islam – as the chances of establishing a state built
upon Islam are slim if not non existent.
No regard should be given to
those that are offended by the thoughts of the Islamic ideology, if
they are upset by it, so be it – this is the nature of the Islamic
dawah they can take it or leave it.
The the radical methodology is
not a style it is part of the method to carry the dawah and as such
it can not be dropped like styles or means,
Some may argue that we are being
political and dealing with people in a politically shrewd manner.
This is fine as long as the radical thought is not hidden from the
people and call is not masked to appease those that find it
offensive.
Relinquishing the radical
approach is more probable in the Western world due the object of change not being the entire society. This would have
disastrous consequences in making people that carry dawah
pragmatists. This could in extreme circumstances making them leave
the dawah and may be even the ideology.
The dawah in the West must still
be carried using the radical approach there is no excuse for not
doing so.
