The colonisation of the Muslim mind & the ideological defeat

 Dr. Firoz Mahboob Kamal

 The lost immunity

An invincible immunity is crucial for survival in an environment embedded with millions of lethal bugs and viruses. These bugs and viruses stay ever ready in thousands on the body surface, in the mouth, nose and other parts for any possible erosion of the defence immunity. Hence, the Almighty Allah –the Most Merciful, has blessed every man and woman with an inbuilt system of immunity. An effective defence barrier with highly potential cellular and biochemical weapons exist in every part of the body against any invading toxic agents. Similar defensive immunity is also crucial for the healthy conceptual or ideological survival of a believer. Otherwise, his mind gets quickly occupied by corrosive beliefs and ideas. Such ideas quickly kill iman. This is why colonisation of the Muslim mind always receives the highest strategic priority in enemies’ ideological warfare against the Muslims. Hence the enemy bombing campaign or occupation is always accompanied by powerful propaganda war. The European colonialists always initiate such invasive ideological projects from day one of their occupation of the Muslim lands. In fact, the current subjugation of every Muslim country to the imperialists owes not to any sustained military or political occupation but to the deep colonisation of the Muslim minds. Because of such intellectual occupation, Islam doesn’t stand victorious even in Muslims’ conceptual premise, let alone overwhelm other arenas of the Muslim countries.

Proper nutrition and vaccination help immensely to enhance the body’s immunity against lethal diseases. A man with enhanced immunity can walk safely even amidst the infected people with killer bugs and viruses. HIV (Human Immune Deficiency Virus) does the opposite by destroying the body’s immunity. It causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) and brings death by dismantling the body’s protective immune barrier. As a result, millions of opportunistic bugs that live normally and silently on the body surface quickly get access deep inside the body and speed up the dying process. Similar immunity lapse has developed in the ideological cum conceptual premise of the Muslims. As a consequence, there exists little or no barrier in most of the Muslim minds against wicked ideologies like racism, tribalism, nationalism, secularism, capitalism, socialism, fascism and many other toxic ideologies. Hence, instead of Islam, these illicit ideologies get practised in most of Muslim countries. So, the Muslim countries make little or no difference from a non-Muslim country in practising kufr, shirk, hypocrisy and betrayal against the commands of Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la.

Against Islam, the imperialists now give enormous importance to ideological warfare. They call it Cold War. They have seen its efficacy against the Soviet socialist bloc. Islam is the next target. The western imperialists deployed only their ideological weaponry to dismantle the United Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and needed not to fire a single bullet to dissolve this nuclear World Power. But against the Muslims, the imperialists’ war is two-pronged; they are fighting both militarily and ideologically. It is indeed the intensification of the same old war that started about a thousand years ago in the name of Crusade. The European colonialists never stopped by mere military occupation of the Muslim lands; rather continued with the colonisation of the Muslim mind, too. Now, such a project has received further re-enforcement through aggressive western media all over the world. The ongoing socio-political engineering under the UN patronage is also an important part of it. The secularist governments of the Muslim countries also work as close partners of such project.

AIDS dismantles bodily immunity and thus brings physical death. But, the ideological invasion of the enemies destroys the intellectual cum conceptual immunity; hence cause spiritual death. Since the Qur’anic knowledge is the lifeline of iman generates immunity against non-Islamic faiths; the imperialists and the ruling Muslim mercenaries –the parter in the war against Islam inflict a lethal blow to iman by restricting the Qur’anic education and destroying the Islamic institutions in the occupied Muslim lands. In fact, it has always been the key strategy of all anti-Islamic occupying forces in the Muslim lands. Moreover, it has never been a hidden strategy of the enemy either. Mr William Gladstone -the nineteenth-century British Prime Minister and a prominent promoter of colonialism and imperialism, very emphatically told in the British Parliament that unless the Muslims are taken away from the Qur’an, they can’t be brought under the British rule. He didn’t make any mistake to realise that the Holy Qur’an makes the Muslims totally incompatible with the kuffars’ ideologies and their rule. Therefore, the colonialists’ war of occupation was not aimed at cleansing the Muslim lands of the Muslims; but to cleanse their minds off the Qur’anic teachings. And, the project still continues.

The ideological corruption

A man’s vision, mission, objective, deeds, attitude, behaviour, culture, politics and warfare are indeed the exact expression of his conceptual model. It is equally true for a Muslim too. His or her guidance or misguidance entirely depends on it. The immense importance of such a conceptual model is revealed in the following Qur’anic verse: “Tell (O Muhammad), everyone acts according to his (conceptual) model (shakela) and your Lord best knows who is rightly guided.”–(Sura Isra, verse 84). For a Muslim, the conceptual model is fully based on the teaching of the Holy Qur’an. If such an internal model of his belief pattern gets dismantled, no more one can survive as a true Muslim, rather becomes either a kafir or munafiq. Therefore, occupation of the conceptual premise of the Muslims is so crucial to the enemies. Hence, they occupy not only the Muslim lands but also the Muslim minds. And, cleansing the Muslim mind off the Qur’anic teaching is their topmost agenda. This is why the Muslims’ fate of survival as a true Muslim is not decided on prayers, fastings, hajj and charity, rather on their ability to defend the Muslim state as well as the conceptual territory of the Muslims. This is why jihad is so crucial in Islam; spending a few minutes in jihad is more valuable than whatever exists on earth. But the Muslims have terribly failed on both counts.

What the colonialists did in the past, now the US-led imperialist coalition is doing the same all over the Muslim World. Not only bombs, drones and missiles are added to their arsenal, billions of dollar are also invested to enhance Muslims’ deviation from the Qur’anic road map. Not only the defence installations but also the teaching curriculum and media of the Muslim countries are strictly and constantly under their rudder. They have enforced tight restriction on teaching and learning of the Holy Qur’an not only in schools, colleges, madrasahs and mosques but also in all media, public discourses and seminars. 

The absence of sharia, hudud, shura, jihad, khilafa and other Islamic basics in the Muslims’ life clearly demonstrates how badly they have lost the ideological war. It shows enemies’ total ideological seize on the Muslim World. The imperialists’ coercive cum manipulative strategy has been very successful to cause a deep ideological cleansing of the Muslim mind. During the long colonial era, the enemies used and abused the whole education system as a massive tool to take the Muslims away from the Holy Qur’an. They even established religious madrasahs to corrupt the Muslims intellectually. They could also raise even a huge army of ulama, mullah and Muslim intellectuals to serve their cause. They are busy eulogising other good teachings of Islam but not jihad. Whereas, according to the Hanafi school of thought, jihad becomes obligatory on the Muslims of the occupied land on day one of the kuffar occupations. But, because of ideological cleansing of the mind, the Muslims show little commitment or motivation for such an obligatory jihad. 

The ideological cleansing has other sinister consequences. Not only it brings deviation from the right path –siratul mustaqeem but also generates a deep distaste to know the right path –as shown in the Holy Qur’an. Instead of seeking knowledge on the Holy Qur’an, mere recitation gets the priority. They even think that understanding of the Holy Qur’an is the exclusive domain of the ulama. To make it worse, the subservient governments of the Muslim countries work as partners of such project.

Al-Qur’an is the only book of true Divine guidance. A Muslim is faith-bound to work as the viceroy (khalifa -the Quranic jargon) of Allah Subhana wa Ta’la on the earth. For that, he must know the service rules that are explained in the Holy Qur’an.  Therefore, without understanding Qur’an, how one can get the Divine guidance to discharge his duty as His viceroy? It is indeed the criminal neglect of the assigned Divine role and the ugliest disrespect of the greatest gift of Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la. Such disrespect of the Holy Qur’an can only leave a man with no choice but to seek guidance from kufr –like the western ideas, laws, politics, and economics. Awfully, this is the reality in the Muslim World. Even the political maps of the Muslim countries are made by the enemies. The disintegration of Arab land into 22 states gives testimony to that. Such a deviated state of the Muslims can only please Shaitan and bring wrath from Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la.

Seeking Qur’anic knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim man and woman. Wickedness or sinfulness of an action or inaction is judged by its harmful effects. In such a contest, the evilness of ignorance is the worst. Ignorance makes it impossible not only to be a true Muslim but also a true human. It makes it impossible to follow the true path. Hence in Islam, staying ignorant is a major sin. It is revealed: “Among all His servants, only those who are filled with the knowledge (of Qur’an) are the ones who truly fear Allah.” –(Sura Fatir, verse 28). Hence, for becoming an Allah-fearing Muslim, one must be a man of Qur’anic knowledge. This is why every companion of the prophet (peace be upon him) was a great a’lim.  Moreover, how a seeker of the true path can stay ignorant of the only treasure of true guidance on earth? Such guidance can’t be acquired by mere rote recitation or memorisation; it needs proper understanding. This is why, in the Holy Qur’an, Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la has repeatedly asked for tafah’hum (understanding), tawaq’qul (contemplation), tadab’bur (pondering) on the Qur’anic revelation.

Disastrous than AIDS

Any distaste against understanding the Holy Qur’an can only increase the deviation from the straight path and take people to the hellfire. Those who stay ignorant of the Holy Qur’an, Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la is very explicit on the damage. They are labelled as deaf, dumb, and blind. The All-Wise Almighty even called them inferior to the cattle. The early Muslims could excel as the followers of the straight path only because of their deep Qur’anic knowledge. In those days, the thirst for seeking guidance from Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la’s revelation was so intense that those who were from the non-Arab countries like Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania and many others left their mother tongue and embraced Arabic to feed their intellectual appetite. Whereas, in those days, there was no school, college or government institute to execute such a linguistic revolution.

As a result of the long colonial occupation, the Muslims have lost the track of the Qur’anic guidance. Hence, they fail very badly to grow up as true Muslim. The fallout of such a failure is catastrophic -more disastrous than AIDS or any killer disease. AIDS and other killer diseases do not take people to the hellfire, but the conceptual perversion cum moral death definitely takes them there for infinity. The European colonialists allowed the Muslims only to live with rituals like five-time prayers, month-long fasting, hajj and charity; but not with Islam’s inclusive enterprise of educational, cultural and socio-political engineering –as was the key tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Rather, they started their own state-run project of de-Islamisation. They raised educational, cultural and political institutions as tools to vaccinate Muslims’ mind with evil ideologies. They also heavily embedded the Muslim countries with wicked institutions like pubs, clubs, prostitution hubs, gambling and dancing cells, and riba-based banks and other civil and military institutions to destroy the Islamic faith and culture. Those who are raised and trained in such institutions developed strong immunity against the core concept of Islam. Due to such deep de-Islamisation, toxic ideologies like secularism, tribalism, racism, nationalism, socialism, capitalism, fascism and hedonism got a strong base and huge clientele even in the Muslim majority countries.

The direct enemy occupation of Muslim lands has ended. But the same evil occupation in the forms of its ideological, cultural and economic dimensions still survives by the hands of the native mercenaries. Therefore, the enemy project of corrupting and colonising the Muslim minds still continues. These native mercenaries work as the ideological and political watchdogs against any resurgence of Islam in any part of the Muslim World. This is why those who violently oppose the implementation of Islamic basics in Muslim countries are not the infidels, they are the de-Islamised local Muslims. Wherever these local mercenaries face any defeat, the imperialist arch enemies of Islam are very quick to dispatch the heavy re-enforcement and bomb the Muslim cities to rubbles –as seen in Iraq and Syria during Obama and Trump era. It goes to the credit of the home-grown mercenaries that they could successfully foil any effort of implementation of Islam in the Muslim lands. This way these mercenaries could prove their servile usefulness in the eyes of Islam’s enemies.

The Sunnah of Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la

Humans’ journey towards the hellfire doesn’t start with a disease in any of the body parts. Rather it owes entirely to a disease in the conceptual premise. The only treatment is through enlightenment with the Qur’anic Truth. Only this way, one can fortify his inherent defensive immune barrier against any evil ideas. So, it has been the strategy of Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la to accomplish the first thing first. He sent thousands of prophets and revealed Divine Books to address this critical issue. The Holy Qur’an is His final prescription to work against the disease till the last day of the planet. Hence, learning the Holy Qur’an was made the first and the most important obligation on every believer since its revelation. Rituals like five times prayer, fasting in Ramadan and hajj became obligatory more than a decade later. The Holy Qur’an is the source of Divine Light; it shows the right path even in the deepest darkness of ignorance. Because of the Qur’anic enlightenment, the early Muslims could enlighten their souls; and could raise the necessary resistance and fighting spirit against the falsehood. As a result, even in kuffar environment of Makkah, the diseases like idolatry, adultery, vulgarity, obscenity, racism, tribalism, and other evil dogmas couldn’t touch their souls. This is why the conceptual premise of the early Muslim could remain heavily protected from the enemy occupation. In fact, this worked as the precursor and the moral foundation of all the great successes of the early Muslims.

The Qur’anic knowledge has always shown its massive strength in raising people’s immunity against falsehood. Because of that, a true believer in Allah Sub’hana wa Ta’la never gets meltdown in a kuffar society. This is why Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) could stand alone and declare war against Nimrod and his whole tribe. And Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) could stand in front of the brutal tyrant like Pharaoh. Because of similar immunity, the early Muslims in Makkah could roam amidst the vulgar idolaters and their obscenity without an iota of influence. In absence of such resistance, melting down into the dominant political and ideological milieu becomes the rule. Such a melting down phenomenon is indeed working not only among the Muslims living in non-Muslim countries but also among those who live in the Muslim majority countries. This is why tribalism, nationalism, secularism, fascism, monarchism, despotism and other evil ideologies could get massive followers even among Muslims. Because of such moral collapse, hubs of evils like pubs, clubs, riba-based banks, prostitution enclaves and secular political parties could attract a huge number of clients even in the Muslim societies. In Prophet’s (peace be upon him) days, could anyone ever imagine such propensity of the Muslims towards such evils?