Military Mindset and Peaceful Means

harnessing modern opportunities within a framework of non-violence. This approach could have earned them a position of respect and influence not only in Kashmir but throughout India—a far more beneficial outcome than the so-called Azad Kashmir. Additionally, present-day Muslim leaders, who continue to engage in “power struggles” across various Muslim nations, are inadvertently contributing to the destruction of their own societies. If they had embraced peaceful methods, they could have transformed their nations into flourishing societies. This is evident in the achievements of secularists in countries like Singapore, where peace-based principles have led to remarkable progress. Criticism and Ijtihad Critique and taqlid (blind imitation) are opposites. Where taqlid prevails, critique cannot thrive, and where genuine critique flourishes, taqlid disappears. In contrast, ijtihad (independent reasoning) inherently requires critique. Without an environment of critique, the process of ijtihad cannot continue. However, critique must be genuine and constructive, not mere fault-finding. True critique involves scientific and logical analysis, whereas fault-finding is driven by the desire to highlight flaws and level accusations. When critique devolves into fault-finding, it ceases to be meaningful and becomes mere slander, devoid of intellectual value. After the Crusades, certain Christian clergymen authored books criticizing Islam and Muslims, depicting Arabs as a barbaric nation. One of their claims was that Umar ibn al-