Milestones to revive the Islamic

civilization in light of the Qur’an

and Sunnah
Kabuye Uthman Sulaiman
Department of Fundamental and Inter-Disciplinary Studies, AHAS IRKHS,
IIUM
The uniqueness of the Muslim ummah
There are fundamental differences between the Muslim ummah and the
other umam or nations in the world.
It is a united ummah
َ‫َهَّل لَ َللَّ ُك ْم ت ُ ْر َح ُمون‬ ْ َ ‫ِإنَّ َما ْال ُمؤْ ِمنُونَ ِإ ْخ َوة ٌ فَأ‬
َ َّ ‫ص ِل ُحوا بَيْنَ أَخ ََو ْي ُك ْم ۚ َوات َّوُقُوا‬
The Believers are but a single Brotherhood: So make peace and
reconciliation between your two (contending) brothers; and fear Allah, that
ye may receive Mercy. (Qur’an, 49:10).

‫رصوص‬
ٌ ٌ ُ‫صفًّا َكأ َ َّن ُهم ب‬
‫نيان َم‬ َ ‫ب الَّذينَ يُوُقا ِتلونَ في‬
َ ‫سبي ِل ِه‬ َ َّ ‫ِإ َّن‬
ُّ ‫َهَّل يُ ِح‬
Surely Allah loves those who fight in His cause in ˹solid˺ ranks as if they were
one concrete structure (Qur’an, 61:4).
 ِ ‫َو ِإ َّن ٰه ِذ ِه أ ُ َّمت ُ ُكم أ ُ َّمة‬
ِ َّ ‫واح َدة َوأَنا َربُّ ُكم فَات‬
‫وُقون‬
And verily this Brotherhood of yours is a single Brotherhood, and I am
your Lord and Cherisher: therefore fear Me (and no other) (Qur’an,
23:52).
َ‫ف َبين‬ َ َّ‫علَي ُكم ِإذ ُكنتُم أَعداء فَأ َل‬
ِ‫َهَّل‬
َّ ‫ت‬َ ‫َهَّلِ َجميلا َوال تَفَ َّرقوا ۚ َواذ ُكروا نِل َم‬
َ َّ ‫صموا بِ َحب ِل‬ ِ َ ‫َواعت‬
َّ ‫فَأَنوُقَ َذ ُكم ِمنها ۗ َك ٰذ ِل َك يُبَ ِيّ ُن‬
‫َهَّلُ لَ ُكم‬ ِ ّ‫فرة ِمنَ الن‬
‫ار‬ َ ‫لى شَفا ُح‬
ٰ ‫ع‬َ ‫قُلو ِب ُكم فَأَص َبحتُم ِبنِل َمتِ ِه ِإخوانا َو ُكنتُم‬
َ‫آياتِ ِه لَ َللَّ ُكم تَهتَدون‬
And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become
divided. And remember the favour of Allah upon you - when you were
enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His
favour, brothers.” [3:103]
The Prophet (s.a.w) said, “Verily, the believers are like a structure, each
part strengthening the other,” and the Prophet clasped his fingers
together. [al-Bukhari].
The Prophet (s.a.w) also said, “The parable of the believers in their
affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body.
When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and
fever.” [al-Bukhari].
Belief in one God brings Muslims together, creating love, harmony and
generosity between them.
The Prophet (s.a.w) said: “None of you will have faith until he loves for
his brother what he loves for himself.” [al-Bukhari]
Imam an-Nawawi comments that here, our Prophet (saw) is directing
us about dawah and how a believer should invite a non-believer to
Islam just how he loves Islam for himself. He continues, “For this
reason, it is recommended to supplicate for the disbeliever to be
guided.
Hence Muslims have a responsibility to unite and bring together people
from all walks of life, that is, by inviting them to Islam.
Allah reveals in the following verse that there will be terrible corruption
if Muslims are not united:
ِ َ ‫ض ُهم أَو ِليا ُء بَلض ۚ إِ ّال تَف َللوهُ ت َ ُكن فِتنَةٌ فِي األ‬
ٌ ‫رض َوفَسا ٌد َك‬
‫بير‬ ُ ‫َوالَّذينَ َكفَروا بَل‬
“Those who are disbelievers are the friends and protectors of one
another. If you do not act in this way there will be turmoil in the land
and great corruption.” (Qur’an, 8: 73)
It is a ummah that bears witness to the people of the world

ِ َّ‫علَى الن‬
‫اس‬ َ ‫ش َه َداء‬ َ ‫َو َك َذ ِل َك َج َل ْلنَا ُك ْم أ ُ َّمة َو‬
ُ ْ‫سطا ِلّت َ ُكونُوا‬
“And thus we have made you the Balanced Nation so that you may be
witnesses unto mankind” (Qur’an, 2: 143).
 ‫اّلل ۗ َولَو‬ ِ ُ ‫ع ِن ال ُمن َك ِر َوت‬
ِ َّ ِ‫ؤمنونَ ب‬ َ َ‫لروف َوتَن َهون‬ ِ ‫اس تَأ ُمرونَ ِبال َم‬ ِ ُ ‫َير أ ُ َّمة أ‬
ِ ّ‫خر َجت ِللن‬ َ ‫ُكنتُم خ‬
َ‫ؤمنونَ َوأَكث َ ُر ُه ُم الفا ِسوُقون‬ ِ ‫آ َمنَ أَه ُل ال ِكتا‬
ِ ‫ب لَكانَ خَيرا لَ ُهم ۚ ِمن ُه ُم ال ُم‬
Ye are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is
right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah. If only the
People of the Book had faith, it were best for them: among them
are some who have faith, but most of them are perverted
transgressors (Qur’an, 3:110).
From the above verse it is apparent that the Muslim ummah is neither
an assimilated nation meaning, a nation that becomes culturally similar
to another over time, nor a nation that is part of other nations; it is
distinct from them.
The uniqueness of the Muslim ummah lies in realizing the purpose for
its existence.
Establishment of the religion of Islam – iqamat al-
Din – as the purpose for the existence of the
ummah
‫موسى‬
ٰ ‫براهيم َو‬
َ ‫صينا ِب ِه ِإ‬ َ ‫ص ٰى ِب ِه نوحا َوالَّذي أَو َحينا ِإ َل‬
َّ ‫يك َوما َو‬ ّ ‫ين ما َو‬ ِ ‫ع لَ ُكم ِمنَ ال ّد‬َ ‫ش ََر‬
‫َهَّلُ َيجتَبي ِإلَي ِه‬
َّ ۚ ‫شركينَ ما تَدعو ُهم ِإلَي ِه‬ِ ‫علَى ال ُم‬ َ ‫عيسى أَن أَقي ُموا ال ّدينَ َوال تَتَفَ َّرقوا في ِه ۚ َكبُ َر‬ٰ ‫َو‬
ُ ُ‫َمن َيشا ُء َو َيهدي ِإلَي ِه َمن ي‬
‫نيب‬

The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined
on Noah - the which We have sent by inspiration to thee - and that
which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Namely, that ye
should remain steadfast in religion, and make no divisions therein: to
those who worship other things than Allah, hard is the (way) to which
thou callest them. Allah chooses to Himself those whom He pleases,
and guides to Himself those who turn (to Him) (Qur’an, 42:13).
Iqamat al-Din is about implementing Islam in its entirety.
It is an individual and collective responsibility.
It encapsulates the following:
1. To know about Islam. One cannot establish something he is
ignorant of.
2. To act upon its provisions as laid down in the Holy Quran and
Sunnah.
3. To administer its laws.
4. To call people to it with wisdom and in a polite manner.
5. To ensure that Islam remains triumphant and strong.
Allah has made it clear that Islam is superior and that its followers will always
prevail and occupy a high status so long as they adhere to it.

ِ ‫َوال ت َ ِهنوا َوال تَحزَ نوا َوأَنت ُ ُم األَعلَونَ ِإن ُكنتُم ُم‬
َ‫ؤمنين‬

So lose not heart, nor fall into despair: For ye must gain mastery if ye are
true in Faith (Qur’an, 3:139).
Allah has promised those who have believed do righteous deeds that He will
surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted
it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them their
religion which He has chosen for them; and that He will change (their state),
after the fear in which they (lived), to one of security and peace (See Qur’an,
24:55)
 ‫ «اإلسالم‬:‫ قال‬-‫صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬- ‫ عن النبي‬-‫رضي هللا عنه‬- ‫عن عائذ بن عمرو المزني‬
.»‫َي ْللُو وال يُ ْللَى‬
A'idh ibn ‘Amr al-Muzani (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that
the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)
said: "Islam is to prevail and is not to be prevailed over."
The duty to act on the orders of al-Qur’an
It is “the Book that built the Companions and shaped their personalities and
molded them into individuals that caused Allah to call them the best of nations for
mankind.” Allah says:

‫اّلل ۗ َولَو آ َمنَ أَه ُل‬ ِ ُ ‫لروف َوتَن َهونَ َع ِن ال ُمن َك ِر َوت‬
ِ َّ ‫ؤمنونَ ِب‬ ِ ‫اس تَأ ُمرونَ ِبال َم‬ ِ ّ‫خر َجت ِللن‬ ِ ُ ‫َير أ ُ َّمة أ‬
َ ‫ُكنتُم خ‬
َ‫ؤمنونَ َوأَكثَ ُر ُه ُم الفا ِسوُقون‬ِ ‫ب لَكانَ خَيرا لَ ُهم ۚ ِمن ُه ُم ال ُم‬ ِ ‫ال ِكتا‬
Ye are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right,
forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah. If only the People of the
Book had faith, it were best for them: among them are some who have faith,
but most of them are perverted transgressors (Qur’an, 3:110).
•
The Prophet’s companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were a
walking Qur’an meaning, embodiments of its message. They spent their
whole lives memorizing, understanding, practicing and teaching the
Qur’an.