The Guidance of the Prophet

Such communal and political rivalries, even if they are in the name of Islam, are not Islamic. This amounts to engaging in non-Islamic politics in the name of Islam. It means carrying out non-religious activities in the name of religion. It is high time that Muslims realized that it is incumbent upon them to totally abandon such communal and political activities, and plan anew their approach in order to build a bright future for generations to come. The kind of communal politics Muslims are engaged in have not shown any positive results so far, nor is this going to show any such results in the future. A Comprehensive Concept of Islam There are some who present a comprehensive concept of Islam. They insist that Islam is a complete system and includes not only beliefs, worship and ethics but also a political system without the establishment of which Islam remains incomplete. This would appear to be a comprehensive concept of Islam. But, in reality, it is a purely destructive concept. It is this so-called comprehensive concept of Islam which has lead directly to the Muslim militancy of the present day. If you believe in Islam, worship according to the Islamic way and observe the ethical principles of Islam, this all relates to your personal life. In doing so, you do not come into confrontation with anyone. But the moment your target is to establish Islamic rule over some land, political power being almost always in someone else’s possession, this immediately sets your foot on the path to confrontation. This political goal thrusts you into thinking that it is right and proper to occupy those seats of power -- which are seldom vacant -- and take the reins of power into your own possession. Such thinking naturally takes one on to a collision course, causing two groups to unnecessarily clash with one another. The Muslim militancy affecting different parts of the world today is directly the result of this so-called “complete” concept of Islam. The truth is that Islam, in actual fact, consists of following the commands of God in letter and spirit. In so far as the enforcement of the political and legal commands of Islam in society is concerned, the prevailing circumstances must first be taken into account. If the society in question is willing to accept these commands, then through peaceful efforts these commands may be enforced -- otherwise not. The principle of Islam is: responsibility is according to one’s capacity (2:286) The Guidance of the Prophet