Saad H. Bashir

As we approached the month of Ramadan, Muslim media was inundated with exhortation to gather goodness and blessings during this month, with emphasis on worship and worship rituals.

The Quran says:

2:183 كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلصِّيَام

Fasting is ordained for you.

Those who are excused are described as well. This command from Allah has to be followed.

A few ayats later we see this command:

2:216 كُتِبَ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡقِتَالُ

Fighting is ordained for you.

Identical words. No exceptions mentioned.

But as Muslims we follow the first command with great diligence, fanfare and emphasis. But do we follow the order to do battle with the same fervour? In fact it is hardly mentioned.

The Quran says:

أَفَتُؤۡمِنُونَ بِبَعۡضِ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَتَكۡفُرُونَ بِبَعۡضٖۚ فَمَا جَزَآءُ مَن يَفۡعَلُ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمۡ إِلَّا خِزۡيٞ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖ وَيَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰٓ أَشَدِّ ٱلۡعَذَابِۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعۡمَلُونَ

2:85

So do you believe in some parts of the Scripture and not in others? The punishment for those of you who do this will be nothing but disgrace in this life, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be condemned to the harshest torment: God is not unaware of what you do.

This ayat explains why the ummah is in the dire straits it is. It is because it follows those commands of Allah that suit it.

Allah says:

وَمَا لَكُمۡ لَا تُقَٰتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡمُسۡتَضۡعَفِينَ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ وَٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلۡوِلۡدَٰنِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَخۡرِجۡنَا مِنۡ هَٰذِهِ ٱلۡقَرۡيَةِ ٱلظَّالِمِ أَهۡلُهَا وَٱجۡعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيّٗا وَٱجۡعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ نَصِيرًا

4:75

And what is the matter with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and for the oppressed among men, women, and children who say, “Our Rabb, take us out of this city the people of which are cruel and vicious of and send for us from Yourself a protector and appoint for us from Yourself a helper?”

When Muslims were being tortured, killed, raped and massacred in Kashmir, Bosnia and Myanmar, we did not organize ourselves or take concrete steps to end the aggression against our people. Similarly, we have not united thoroughly through 78 bloody years of Israeli Occupation.

Of course, there are thousands who have tried to help financially, through the media, through armed struggle, and by political action, but as a united ummah, we have done nothing to comply with the command of Allah – that fighting is ordained upon us.

Muslims governments, with the exception of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Yemen, and the organized resistance in Lebanon, Hezbollah, have done nothing. In fact, most have been facilitators of the genocide in Palestine by either accepting normalization with the Occupation entity or collaborating in one shape or another with the Occupation’s financier, the United States.

Ignoring the immutable orders of Allah, the ummah is busy with cultural rituals, religious rituals, worship, and prayer.

Muhammad Iqbal, the great Quranic thinker, misunderstood as only a poet from the subcontinent, said in one of his poetic collections:

So what if the fanfare of Umra and Hajj continues? What is regretful is that the unsheathed sword of the Momin has been blunted.

While the killings, torture, and humiliation of Palestinians continue daily – and are visible on videos and testimonies posted daily on social media, Muslims are shamelessly sending felicitations to each other on St Valentine’s Day, concerts are being held in the land of Hijaz, Basant, and other activities that dull our minds have been celebrated in Pakistan’s Punjab province at great expense.

The Ummah violates the explicit orders of Allah – be it continuing the use of Riba based economic system, or avoiding jihad – and yet prays fervently to Allah to spare it from jahannum and enter it into Jannah.

The Quran says:

أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ خَلَوْا۟ مِن قَبْلِكُم ۖ مَّسَّتْهُمُ ٱلْبَأْسَآءُ وَٱلضَّرَّآءُ وَزُلْزِلُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ مَتَىٰ نَصْرُ ٱللَّهِ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ نَصْرَ ٱللَّهِ قَرِيبٌۭ

2:214

Do you think you will be admitted into Paradise without being tested like those before you? They were afflicted with suffering and adversity and were so violently shaken that even the Messenger and the believers with him cried out, “When will Allah’s help come?” Indeed, Allah’s help is near.

Worship and rituals will get us there.Only the Palestinians qualify.

The Quran says:

لَن تَنَالُوا۟ ٱلْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ ۚ

3:92

None will attain good until you spend what is dearest to you and keep it open for others.

This is the way of the Quran and the way of the ummah’s resurrection.

فَٱعْتَبِرُوا۟ يَـٰٓأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرِ

59:2

Take heed, those who can see.

The US-Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran is a planned one.

Its purpose is to degrade the final Muslim state and power that stands in the way of the US and Israeli imperialist plans for the region. Muslims around the world need to evaluate their own individual and collective attitude towards this in the light of the explicit directives of the Quran.

Should we continue cultural rituals and celebrations while the ummah is being slaughtered in Iran, Lebanon and Palestine? There are some who think that Iran should compromise in the face of overwhelming might ranged against it.They should actually be castigating the rest of the Muslim world for standing aloof, as Ali Larijani has. Had the rest of the Muslim nations taken the same principled stand as Iran’s – a united stand against anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian aggression – neither Iran nor the Palestinians would be in the situation they find themselves in.

It is time to take action – we must apply pressure on our own governments and organize within our own communities for justice and self-determination for our Islamic community.

Saad H. Bashir is a neurosurgeon and a life-long student of the Quran and Muslim history.