The Muslim leadership hasn’t learn any lesson from history. Is it because they are naive, incompetent or irreformable? If yes, why? If not, then what is the problem?
In Surah Al-Baqarah 269 and Al-Zamar 39, Allah defines wisdom and identifies the wise people. A wise person is said to be one who behaves well, makes right decisions, learns from historical incidents and bad deeds and bad characters of nations. Hazrat Ali advises people to learn lessons from the past to better the future, and the Qur’an says that only wise people learn lessons from their experiences. In this respect, wisdom is not relative, but universal. Allah Ta’ala addresses Bani Nuh insaan in the Holy Qur’an and not any specific group, race or generation. Whether one believes in the Islamic system or not, whoever follows its teachings and principles will be successful. If someone is a Muslim and does not follow Islamic teachings, he will fail. Allah Ta’ala has not made mankind to be good or bad by nature, but has left mankind free to make decisions between right and wrong. This very choice to choose will be the basis of judgement in the life after death.
Britain is a small nation, but much stronger due to its political and organizational skills. This is why it was able to subdue and occupy much bigger nations. History is full of examples, but let us cite a few of them.
The East India Company did not bring an army from Britain. It occupied India by creating a force consisting of Indians, ruled India through Indians, and divided India through Indians before withdrawing, creating such conflicts that India and Pakistan are now at each other’s throat. Instead of solving any problem, they are multiplying their problems and destroying the peace of this region. Mutual hatred has become their biggest investment. Their external economic agreements are also at odds with each other. Some of Modi’s business deals with the UAE were hailed by the Indian media as a diplomatic defeat for Pakistan.
There is no country in the world where Indians, especially Punjabi Muslims, did not shed blood to expand the neo-colonial system of Britain during the British rule. The Ottoman Empire was a great power that provided protection to Muslims around the world. Imperialists used to think a thousand times about the countermeasures of the Ottoman government before attacking any Muslim anywhere in the world. In the end, the imperialists conspired to destroy the Ottoman Empire and included the Arabs and the Muslims of the subcontinent as well to fight the Ottoman Empire. The British lured the Arabs that the leadership of the Muslims would be handed over from the nomadic Turks to the Arabs who, being the descendants of the prophets, have the right to lead the Muslims. Once the imperialists destroyed the great power of the Muslims, the Ottoman Empire, through the Muslims and the Arabs, instead of handing over the government to the Arabs as promised, they occupied the Arab world themselves, and on the way, they divided the Arabs into 22 countries and made bandit-type people the kings of the Arabs. After the destruction of the Muslims, the West, under the leadership of the United States again used the Muslims to wipe out the Soviet Union, the second major power at that time. Once again the Muslims were fooled. Muslim rulers with raw minds and small memories were told that both the West and the Muslims are people of the Book who should fight together against the God-denying Soviet Union. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the same Ahl al-Kitab under the leadership of the United States turned against the Muslims. They occupied Afghanistan and the Middle East, killing Saddam Hussain and Ma’amar Qaddafi. It first used Saddam Hussein against Iran and later executed him. The Arab rulers silently watched as they now watch the genocide of the Palestinians.
When India abolished the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, no Muslim country except Iran, Malaysia and Turkey could raise their voice. Arab kings honored Modi with medals and Pakistan’s Imrani government instituted a minute’s silence every Friday. The biggest hand behind this whole strategy is the British imperialism, while the Muslim rulers continue to behave in the same unproductive manner, repeating similar mistakes, instead of learning any lessons from history.
In order to get rid of this lack of insight, the Muslim intellectuals will have to put their heads together. Alvin Toffer, a leading American futurist, writes that the illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who will be unable to understand the requirements and rules of this century. In order to strengthen the nation politically, diplomatically, militarily and economically, he suggests “an integrated process of learning, unlearning and relearning, in which outdated ideas and old habits and attitudes are changed to adapt to the modern world.” In other words, Intellectuslism is the key to success in all other fields. So we have to learn modern methods, setting up Joint Muslim Research Center. Otherwise, we will remain a subordinate nation till the end of the world!
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