TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE

which probably never existed in previous communities. When the Prophet said that while the previous communities were divided into seventy-two sects and the Muslims would be divided into seventy-three sects, he was giving an example of this other kind of ghulu (extremism) which can be described as political extremism. No previous community had ever been crowned by such political glory as was enjoyed by the Muslims for almost a thousand years after the emergence of Islam. Political glory was not, however, a part of the Islamic creed, but a part of history. But Muslims stressed this fact of political glory to such an extent that, for all intents and purposes, it became incorporated in their religious creed. The result of this political extremism is the violent jihad we experience in the Muslim world of today. Ultimately, extremist concepts such as ‘Muslims are God’s vicegerents on earth and, as such, they have their right to rule over other communities’, were developed. Religion came to be regarded as synonymous with a complete state and a religion of this nature could not be fully observed unless it was established as the basis and framework of the state. Those promoting these ideologies and politicising Islam believed that Muslims were a superior community with the right to treat other communities as inferior. As a result to this day, Muslims find it difficult to tolerate any sort of dominance. They believe that their religious obligations can never be fully discharged just by performing prayers and observing fasting. They imagine that it is incumbent upon them to strive to establish divine rule on earth. A set of beliefs such as these has nothing to do with the religion as revealed by God. It is nothing but a case of political extremism. But present day Muslims are largely under the influence of this extremist way of thinking— some consciously and others unconsciously. Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, achieved considerable political success while he was still alive, and this was built on rapidly by his successors, the Caliphs. Unfortunately along with success comes the opportunity to abuse it. That is why, according to the Hadith, the Muslims were divided in terms of ideological extremism, into seventytwo sects, while the seventy-third sect was concerned with political extremism. Of course, the evil of ideological extremism is found as much in Muslim as in other communities, but it is the former’s bent of political extremism that has aggravated the issue further. People will remain ignorant of the true spirit of Islam so long as they are conversant only with its forms and attach importance only to the externals.