DIALOGUE, NOT WARS

DIALOGUE, NOT WARS M uslims around the world today face destruction and humiliation. This period of hardship has lasted throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. For two hundred years, from Sultan Tipu (1751-1799) of India to Yasir Arafat (1929-2004) of Palestine, this cycle of destruction has continued, and there are still no signs it will end. The cause of this destruction is not inactivity; instead, it happens amid ongoing and intense action. It would not be an overstatement to say that Muslims worldwide have sacrificed more lives and wealth in these two centuries than in the entire rest of Islamic history. So why, despite all this action and sacrifice, have Muslims in the modern age failed to achieve honour and dominance? The Quran and Hadith clearly promise that God will never waste the efforts of true believers and will grant them success over those who oppose them. The answer to this question is that today’s Muslim leaders have chosen the wrong approach for their efforts. They have not carried out their work in the way that would bring God’s help. Indeed, success in this world belongs