Part One: SEERAH (Biographical Sketch) CHAPTER

C:\Users\Admin\Dropbox\The Message - Material of Maulana\16. Books and Review\Apa's Books\Life And 79 culture might be. Today this concept has been accepted all over the world. But Muslims are not yet ready to accept it wholeheartedly. The reason for this is that, traditionally, Muslims have cherished the concept of pan-Islamism for several centuries. They believe that Muslims living all over the world are one nation. That is to say, the Muslims’ traditional bent of mind caused them to regard the basis of nationhood as religion rather than homeland. This concept runs counter to the modern concept of the state, although Muslims in every country enter in their passports their nationality as being that of their country of residence. Evidently their minds are confused in this regard. The reason again being that the scholars of modern times have not exercised Ijtihaad on the subject of nationhood, and have thus failed to give clear guidance to Muslims. Events tell us that, through sheer force of circumstances Muslims all over the world are following in the footsteps of other nations. This state of affairs has led them to opt for a life of contradiction. They adopt something they consider unIslamic owing to practical compulsions. Their thinking and their actions are not in accord with one another. It was the responsibility of Muslim religious scholars to exercise Ijtihaad and guide Muslims in solving these modern problems so that they might wholeheartedly adopt such values as they have already adopted by way of compulsion. This is the only way of extricating Muslims from the state of confusion and its grave consequences. Since their minds are not clear in these matters they are able to take part in the modern world only in a limited fashion owing to worldly compulsions. This is why they are lagging behind all other nations in the race of progress. Other nations in modern times are wholeheartedly advancing along the path of progress. But Muslims’ participation is minimal because of their halfhearted approach. This is the sole reason for Muslims’ backwardness in modern times. Apart from lagging behind in the race of progress, they are also suffering from many socio-political and cultural problems at both national and international levels. For example, on the national level, Muslims living as a