THE PHENOMENON OF DEGENERATION

The decline of an ummah means decline in terms of spirit, and not in terms of form. Forms or rituals have always been in existence: what disappears is the spirit. So, it is the spirit that needs to be revived, and not merely forms or rituals. What is degeneration? Degeneration is simply a kind of detachment. When people forget the original message of Islam and cling merely to some lifeless rituals—that is the sign of degeneration. At such times Muslims need to revive their faith, to rediscover the living ideology of Islam and to re-awaken their minds along the lines which were followed by the Prophet and his Companions. It is this act which is called in the Hadith (saying of the Prophet) tajdeed, or revival. The process of tajdeed cannot be successful if the reformers only want to revive the ritualistic form of Islam. The above example of the barren land tells us that the starting point for reform is intellectual awakening and not just the revival of ritualistic practices. Moreover, the task of revival needs a creative approach, entailing the use of the contemporary idiom; reformers should try to sense their listeners’ moods and preach in such a manner that their minds may be addressed. If people’s minds are not addressed, then no reform movement will yield any positive results. o Super Achievement Super achievement is everyone's dream, but super achievement does not suddenly knock at your door. It requires hard labour, continuous effort, well-considered planning, the utilization of full energy on a single focus, and most importantly, unshakable positive planning.