Revival of Islam in the Modern Age

grudges, and to be willing to bear all kinds of material losses. This relation of da‘i and mad‘u can be founded only on the basis of unilateral sacrifice on the part of the da‘i. There is no doubt about it that this is the most difficult of tasks, one for which one has to forfeit a great deal. The willingness to make sacrifices and other such attributes must be possessed by those who come forward for the mission of Islamic revival. For the preparation of such individuals in modern times, again the same planning is required as was carried out in the first phase. In modern times we are in need of a high standard training centre with all the latest facilities. Set up in the pure surroundings of nature, far from the corrupting centres of civilization, such a training centre would respond fully to this exhortation of the Qur’an: ...some should stay behind to instruct themselves in religion and admonish the others when they return, so that they may take heed (9:122). The training of talented individuals in such an isolated location would be the equivalent of the setting of Haiar and Ismael in barren, uncultivable terrain, so that their religiosity would grow and be strengthened. For this proposed training centre to give the maximum benefit, parents like Abraham should be willing to sacrifice talented children, in the sense of taking them away from the lure of economic opportunities and putting them in surroundings where, even by giving of their best, they would have nothing in return save the concept of reward in the Hereafter. The successful running of such a training centre would be akin, in the words of Philip Hitti, to producing a nursery of heroes. But unless a considerable number of such individuals are made available, no real steps can be taken towards the revival of Islam. That is to say, a group of intelligent, talented individuals of the nation should be brought to a different, special environment, set apart from mundane things, where they are given training and education specially to prepare them to successfully undertake the revival of Islam in modern times, thus becoming warners and givers of good tidings for the peoples of the world. In order to facilitate the Islamic revolution in its the first phase, God made the special provision of setting the mighty Roman and Persian empires—the greatest opponents of monotheism—on a collision course, and consequently