وَلاَ تَهِنُوا وَلاَ تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنتُمُ الأَعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
"Be not, then, faint of heart and do not grieve: for you are bound to rise high if you are [truly] believers." (Quran 3:139)

Things cannot get any worse for the Muslims today. We are consumed by internal challenges and external interferences. We are witnessing some of the most profound profanities against our faith orchestrated by people who claim to be Muslims. Our faith is being desecrated; our sacred has been violated, our sensibilities have been trampled and our name has been high jacked by some so-called Muslims. In the world today the Muslims have become the worse enemy of the Muslims.

The question I would like to explore is under such circumstances it is possible for the Muslims to remain optimistic and positive? Is it plausible to even imagine the possibility of a better future? Is it conceivable that with positive mental attitude things can get better?
In this article I wish to lay down the challenges and explore some solutions. I would like to suggest that things will get better but we have a lot of work to do and a lot of changes to make. For true believers optimism is the only way.

Let me start by listing a number of internal and external problems. In my view, it is through knowing our problems we can arrive at a more positive solution. I am a strong advocate of positivity and optimism and the following are my personal thoughts that I have chosen to share here.

There are five such internal mischief-makers (mufsidoon) in the Muslim world today:
1. Illegitimate rulers: The entire Middle East is ruled by the worse type of enemies of Islam. They are dictators and despots, dynastic monarchies and boot licking stooges. They are the remnants of the colonial era and soviet revolution mixed into a degenerative ruling elites. They rule by iron fist, terror and brutal repression. They remain in power at the mercy of their paymasters. They are the curse on the Muslim world!

2. Religious extremist ideologues: These include the likes of Al-Qaeda, ISIS and any other violent groups and intolerant advocates who wish to bring a change in the society using brutal force. They wish to cleanse the Muslim world of the illegitimate rulers but want to replace it with ultra-strict and puritanical orthodoxy that tolerates no one apart from their own ilk. They wish to create a utopian society using an extreme and literalist interpretation of Islam as the panacea to all the modern day malaise. They are the modern day “Khawarij”.

3. Muslim Secular fundamentalists: These include a large number of the confused intellectuals who claim to be culturally Muslim on one end of the spectrum to the complete rejection of Islam at the other end of the same spectrum. Some of them have an allergic reaction when they hear anything about Islam. Some of them insist on fundamentally altering Islam to suit their misguided ways. They portray themselves as liberals and enlightened. In fact they are far from being liberal, they are equally intolerant and fascist, in my view, wolves disguised in sheepskin.

4. Ill-educated and ignorant masses: Vast majority of the Muslims today do not possess the basic Islamic intellectual framework for their faith or life. They follow Islam as an inheritance and culturally accepted norms, habits and expressions infused in dogma and semi religious traditions. The outcome is lethal. Vast majority of them are emotionally driven and react to the slightest criticisms, they are extremely sentimental and are willing to die for the most frivolous causes hyped up by religious fervors. They don’t have the intellectual capacity to prioritise between issues. They are very impressionable, passionate but blind followers.

5. Opportunists and elites: They are the most dangerous mischief-makers in the Muslim community. They are driven by their economic and self-interest. They change their allegiance based on whoever avails for them the best favours and opportunities. They would have no problem in endorsing an evil dictator or selling their own family members as long as they can make money out of him. They often stand in the way of change because they fear financial loss and being caught in their corrupt ways. They give scant regard to the hungry masses, downtrodden population and inhuman condition that are endured by the poor and disadvantaged. They can never be trusted.

Under the above stated internal challenges Muslim world is buckling from within. There is no real freedom for nearly 2 billion people around the world today, no democratic governance and no regard to their basic human rights. The rot has eaten away most of the beautiful expressions of a people whose culture and civilization towered the world for centuries. The knowledge and innovation of the Muslim civilization laid down the foundation for science and technology to proliferate. The sad reality is that the Muslims are nowhere near the daily leaps and bounds science and technology is making to the humanity today. Muslims are too busy fighting for their basic survival – it is the existential struggle!

The external interferences are equally destructive and soul destroying. Every opportunity the Western world gets to put rights it centuries of bad practices it nearly always opts for the bad old habits. – Divide and rule, support of illegitimate regimes and irrational fear of Islam. The Western world has time and again chosen to place the Muslim world as its archenemy and its foreign and economic policies are thus reflective of this terrible mindset.

There are three forms of interference the West actively pursues:
1. Political interference: The Western government has always preferred to sleep with the devil in the Muslim world than support a genuine transition to democratic rules. For example, it supported Saddam Hussain during the Iraq and Iran war only then to illegally invade Iraq to topple their darling butcher causing permanent instability, death and destruction and untold misery to the millions of local Iraqi people. The current Iraqi regime and the ISIS mess is a direct consequence to the misguided western foreign policies.

There are numerous examples I can site including the outrageous and totally foolish policy of supporting dictator general Sisi of Egypt against the legitimate and elected President Morsi or supporting the gulf monarchies by supplying them with arms, political patronage and security intelligence while they perpetrate some of the most heinous human rights abuses and deprive their own citizens of freedom. These types political interferences cause the biggest set back for the Muslim world. They cannot proceed further with changes through peaceful revolution or even arm struggles to remove a tyrant such as in the case of Syria.

These unethical and absolutely foolish foreign policies must stop now. The Western countries must pursue a more principled and honest foreign policies. Its relationship with the Muslim world must be based on mutual benefit, respect and co-existence. It must promote democracy and rule of law in every country in the world and support only legitimate rulers. Let the Muslim world determine its own future for once and end the political interference in its domestic and national politics.

2. Economic interference: The Western world sees the Muslim world, especially the Middle East as its dumb cash cow – oil, gas and other natural resources are available in abundance and its rulers ready to jump to orders. The Western world benefits from these natural resources but forgets its economic blinkeredness keeps millions of local people in perpetual state of poverty. They often dream of migrating to the West for better economic future adding further fuel to the fire of immigration debate here in the West. Never forget the resentment western economic policies create in the Muslim masses and how this may manifest in the future!

Muslim world faces trade barriers and agricultural restrictions and quotas imposed by the Western world. The Muslim masses find their illegitimate rulers never negotiating trade deals with other nations in the interest of their own countries but for their own pockets. The money is then syphoned into banks in the West and properties in the most expensive cities in the West. There is something terribly wrong and immoral in this economic relationship and interference and yet the West does not see the elephant in the room.

The reality is most Muslims from the Middle East, Africa or Asian under normal circumstances would not want to live in the Western countries where the weather is adverse to their hot climate and the local customs and traditions are alien to them. It is our economic interference that drives them to the point of despair and they make the treacherous journey to arrive at our doorsteps in the West to make a better future for them and their families. This, for many becomes the last attempt to live!

3. Intellectual and cultural interference: Muslim world is constantly at odds with clash of cultures with the west. Islamic intellectual framework is based on Quranic paradigm while Western intellectual framework is increasingly dependent on secular philosophy. We know they are different but we should not forget that Western intellectual tradition is also based on Christian and Jewish scriptures, which are very similar to Islam. The two traditions do not need to clash but clash is made inevitable and visible through the cultural depictions of Islamic faith and its followers by the popular media, Hollywood films, dramas, plays, comedies and even art.

Muslim religious sensibilities are often mocked or depicted as backward. In major Hollywood films the villain is often someone with Arab accent, speaking in illegible Arabic language and the set is inclusive of a call to prayer, someone in prostration wearing Arab traditional dress while bombs going off at the background. This is not subtle cultural imperialism it is full on war between cultures shown on most cinemas across the Western world. It achieves the cultural imperialist agenda loudly and proudly. Western culture is better than Islamic culture is the clear message!
The west often reacts to Muslim practices and traditions very negatively. When Muslim women chose to wear headscarf the headlines in the West is that the Muslim women have been forced to wear the veil. When Muslims wish to not sell or allow alcohol consumptions in their countries the west makes a huge fuss about how this would deprive individuals of their personal freedom. When the Muslim world follows defined guidelines in gender interactions and prohibits sex outside marriage the western world calls the Muslim world backward. Again these are perceived as cultural interferences.

Islam has its own views on what is morally right and what is wrong. Western world’s insistence on imposing its own version of morals has caused seismic social fracture in the Muslim world. This is not the best way of making friends and certainly does not win any hearts. West must stop its cultural interference and let the Muslim world find peace and stability through its norm and values.

Western interference is exhausting the Muslim masses to the point of no return! If the West wishes to coexist it needs to revisit its policies and not treat the rest of the world as lesser humans. They need to become more humble and accept the possibilities of sharing this earth even with people who are different. Muslim world has been colonized and plundered for centuries by the West, it is time to reconcile and share, not continue in the path of greed.

The internal and external troubles and troublemakers are constantly keeping the Muslim masses away from developing a future, having any hope let alone a positive mental attitude. It is destroying their realities and causing them to see the beginning of the end of the Muslim world. This is not good news for anyone!

Solutions for the Muslims to consider:
Now the question is, is the reality that we are facing today any different to the realities faced by the blessed Prophet of God, Muhammad (peace be upon him)? Did the Prophet give up and become despondent? Did the Prophet think that was the end of the world and Muslims would be destroyed for good?
Let us now examine the attitude of the Prophet when he was faced with challenges. He was born an orphan - his father passed away six months before he was born and his mother passed away before he even turned six. His grandfather looked after him for a few years and then he passed away too. Imagine how young Muhammad must have felt, rejected, abandoned, unloved and totally alone in the world. Imagine a man who began his childhood with such harsh realities and imagine later the same man changed the world for good.

He became known as the best man to ever walk the earth – he was given the following titles by God - “mercy” (rahmah), Perfect example (wuswatun Hasanah), sublime natured (khuluqin A’zheem) and light-giving beacon (Sirajam Mumira) for the entire universe, not only for his time but until the end of time.

His mission to spread the message of Islam was faced with stern resistance, opposition and even plots to assassinate him on a repeated basis. He had only a handful of followers and his people were persecuted, imprisoned and tortured. They were called all sorts of names, they were isolated and social boycott was instigated causing a great deal of pain and suffering amongst families with children. His uncle Abu Talib was his rock and protection in the Makkan society. When he died the blessed Prophet was left exposed and vulnerable. Very soon after the death of his uncle his most beloved wife, closest confidant, first of the believers and his absolute loyal supporter Khadija passed away. This broke the blessed Prophets heart and left him totally grief struck but never took him away form his mission. With tears in his eyes he buried his wife but he still remained optimistic about the future!

When he felt the mission in Makkah amongst his own people was not going anywhere he was desperately looking for alternative places where people would be more receptive to his message. He sent a group of companions to Ethiopia, the land ruled by a just and fair Christian king. He asked his companions to seek asylum there. He travelled to Taif, a neighbouring city looking for people who may turn to his message of one God. But they pelted him with stones and rocks, drove him out of their city and shunned him.

He left with sadness, bleeding from his head to toe but never cursed the people. He took shelter in a garden and prayed for the people:
"O Allah! I complain to You of my weakness, my scarcity of resources and the humiliation I have been subjected to by the people. O Most Merciful of those who are merciful. O Lord of the weak and my Lord. To whom have you entrusted me? To a distant person who receives me with hostility or to an enemy to whom you have granted authority over my affair! So long as You are not angry with me, I do not care. Your favour is of a more expansive relief to me. I seek refuge in the light of Your Face by which all darkness is dispelled and every affair of this world and the next is set right, lest Your anger or Your displeasure descends upon me. I desire Your pleasure and satisfaction until You are pleased. There is no power and no might except by You."

At this point, the blessed Prophet said 'I saw a cloud hovering above me, and lo and behold, I saw Jibreel (Angel Gabriel) came down from that cloud, and besides him was an angel that I had never seen before.' And Jibreel said to the blessed Prophet,
'O Muhammad, your Lord has seen how your people have responded to you, your Lord has seen what they have said to you, so He has sent me with the angel of the mountains to place at your disposal.'

The angel said, 'O Muhammad, if you want, command me and I will cause the two mountains of Taif to collapse upon them.'
The blessed Prophet, still bleeding and his shoes still wet with blood said, 'No! Rather, I pray that Allah blesses their children to be Muslims and worship Allah alone. Even if they have rejected Islam, I pray that Allah blesses their progeny to be Muslim.'

The days of hardship for the Prophet was not over yet. He was refused entry back into Makkah. The Makkan leadership decided Muhammad left voluntarily to seek shelter somewhere else and therefore his status as Makkan (modern day equivalent would be citizenship) should be revoked. He should be made stateless; his home should be confiscated and not allowed to entre the place of his birth and ancestral home. Life in Makkah became unbearable so the Prophet sought refuge elsewhere and eventually people of Madina agreed to have him in the midst. They welcomed him with open arms.

The final journey that the blessed Prophet made under the cover of darkness with his trusted companion Abu Bakr clearly demonstrates how life was extremely tough for the Prophet and the Muslims. He left his house at the depth of the night when his enemies, who were making their final attempt to assassinate him, surrounded it. He hid in the caves of the mountain for three days initially and then trekked during the nights to reach Madina. Even under such extreme conditions he reassured his companion Abu Bakr that he should not be afraid and God was with them all the time.

One of the Bedouin’s from him hometown Makkah called Suraqa Ibn Malik discovered the Prophet’s hideout. He was lured by the prospect of owning one hundred camels that was offered as a prize for anyone who found Muhammad. He was excited by his fame and fortune that was about to come his way. But something extraordinary happened. His horse refused to co-operate with him. Its legs repeatedly sank in the sand and could not move towards the Prophet. Eventually he came face to face with the Prophet and the Prophet promised him that he would pray for his horse to be saved and he would give him the bracelet of the King Persia only if he did not disclose his whereabouts and discouraged people from looking for him. Suraqa agreed and left!

The blessed Prophet did not just have a positive mind but he possessed an extraordinary capacity to remain resolute under tremendous troubles and pressure. He remained focused on his mission no matter how much opposition and challenges he faced. The blessed Prophet’s faith in God did not shift even a millimeter. He knew God’s promise of success, victory, peace, stability and harmonious society would come. He would see it in his lifetime and he would lay down the foundation for similar societies in the future provided that the people also had the same resolve, reliance and faith in God.

Today the challenges faced by the Muslims all around the world may seem too big but I believe better days are near provided we act according to the advise of God almighty and the lessons left by His beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). We have to rise up and become true believers. Our hallmarks are in knowledge, freedom, justice, excellence and benevolence.

“Be not, then, faint of heart, and do not grieve, for you are bound to rise high if you are [truly] believers.” (Quran 3:139)
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