Ms DD Posted May 2, 2007 organized manner that would appeal to these publics and galvanize them to take action Spot on ThePoint. In the Islamic world, the corrupted puppets of colonial powers managed to regroup in the guise of democratic forces. We have issues around us (tons of them). What I see lacking among Muslims is a culture of developing deliberative bodies at the local levels, I see lack of the art to organise and sustain the organisation, I see lack of patience and lack of desire to study history and draw reasonable conclusions eg lessons from successful models,,I see lack of open-mindedness,I see lack of the art of negotiation, lack of a spirit to compromise for the good of the society. Organisations succeed when they have a good governing document. First thing we need is the knowledge or awareness that such a thing as a governing document exists. Secondly we need to realize the importance and necessity of such an agreement. Thirdly we need to obtain or provide the tangible assets towards its creation e.g. a place to meet, a paper, ink, some model organisations. Fourthly we need to develop the art of inter action, compromise, negotiate, to keep open and fair atmosphere during meetings, be polite and discipline. These are intangibles, which only come with practice, and a lot of it. Finally we need to adhere to what ever we mutually agree on. I strongly feel that we have no choice but to start some where in this process of empowering people. Otherwise the exploitive forces, where ever, and who ever they are , will never allow us to progress. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElPunto Posted May 2, 2007 Originally posted by Ms Dhucdhuc & Dheylo: I strongly feel that we have no choice but to start some where in this process of empowering people. Otherwise the exploitive forces, where ever, and who ever they are , will never allow us to progress. I agree with everything you said except this. It's not the exploitative forces that don't all you to progress. It's you sitting there apathetically on your azz that doesn't allow you to progress. You need enough people doing positive thinking to take root before this entire entreprise can get off the ground floor. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fabregas Posted May 2, 2007 The corrupt Muslim leaders have their fair share of supporters.Just click on the politics section on sol. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N.O.R.F Posted May 3, 2007 The first task is to convince Muslims that we have made mistakes, which have lead to the situation we are in today. That in itself is a mammoth task. No doubt there would be disagreements to some of the mistakes by certain parties but never the less, recognition that we are to blame for some of what is happening today is in order. Then, through the Islamic Organisation, a set of principles must be agreed upon aimed at bringing about a common goal. A goal of unity/agreement/working together etc in accordance with the sources (Quran and Sunnah). Tough decision included. Given, not all will agree to work in accordance with the sources but the majority can and will. Common programmes should be adopted across all Muslim countries with these common principles also to be used by Muslims who live abroad. Programmes that would promote and improve one’s understanding of Islam and the importance of unity within it. The notion of every man for himself must be gotten rid of permanently. Remember what happened in Niger a few years ago? Was there any help from Muslims? Then remember Lubnaan and the cries from all Arabs? One was a natural test from Allah (swt) for the Niger people and Muslims in general while the other was because of the failures of Muslims to settle their differences and work together (also a test). In essence, recognition of one’s own faults and the realisation that your life will not get better unless you are with others of your belief fighting the enemy are the most important things. Hope i didnt waffle,,,,,,, Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BOB Posted May 3, 2007 Double Post...Sorry Brothers & Sisters. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BOB Posted May 3, 2007 Salam Aleikum W.W Reasons For Decline Of The Muslims? 1- We went stray from the righteous path and forsaken our Islamic faith. 2- The majority of the Muslims have faith in the faithless instead of Allah s.w. 3- We have chosen the worldy illusion over the hereafter. 4- We abandoned Allah s.w over the Sheitan. 5- We encourage each other to achieve worldy things including our parents and forget to remind each other what awaits us when we die. 6- the majority of Muslims don't bother paying zakkah...how many of you in SOL really pay zakkah consistently? 7- we pay fortune for a pair of shoes when our muslim neighbours maybe going to bed with an empty stomach. 8- how many of you in SOL attend prayers at the mosque and consistently pray with the congregation? 9- how many Muslims do you know openly accept Riba and even encourage others to have a go at it? 10- how many Muslims do you know would be happy with the Sharia over the western democracy which we are all fan of? 11- name one GENUINE muslim state in the world including the so-called Muslim states? 12- how many muslims would trust their fellow muslims unless he/she's famous or rich...but we're ready to trust the non-muslims at any given moment...why? 13- How many "muslims" do you know have forsaken their faith and went as far as insulting the prophet (p.b.u.h) and Almighty Allah s.w? 14- how many Muslim scholars have you heard speaking OPENLY against what's currently happening in the muslim countries without being accused of extremism by their own muslim congregation? 15- how many Muslims do you know are genuinely willing to die for the cause of Allah s.w? We should become the true Muslims that we're supposed to be then Allah s.w will rescue us but as long we keep the company of the evil and disown the pious we will keep on suffering. PS. I know i forgot many other things because I'm in a hurry now and maybe will add some more some other time Insha Allah. Salam Aleikum W.W Peace, Love & Unity. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baashi Posted May 3, 2007 BoB, We're way behind in technology, medicine, and other knowledge-based endeavors. We frown upon anything good governance. Combination of the two above = backwardness! Backwardness = weakness. Weakness gives your enemy the chance to exploit you and keep you under their thump. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NGONGE Posted May 3, 2007 Decline? The Muslim world is on the rise today, people. Forty years ago every last corner of the Muslim world was occupied and it was not only the 'corrupt' leaders who were to blame, every Muslim had a hand in that shame. Today, most Muslim countries are free (save your conspiracy theories) and choose to do things they way they want. The fact that they’re backwards, primitive and self-loathing is their problem and nobody else. Time to switch off this tired old record of decline and what not. Things have really never been better for those countries. And they have never been worse for Muslims in the west. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khalaf Posted May 3, 2007 Originally posted by NGONGE: Things have really never been better for those countries. And they have never been worse for Muslims in the west. ^^^do u just want to take the opposite train of thought here yaa NG come on now. I get the feeling that ppl think Muslims are “inferior” compared to mainly the “powerful” dawgs of the world no? Hmmmm, if Muslim world is backwards then who is enlightened and forward? With all dis technology, sciences, and wealth accumulated most humanity is in poverty, tens of millions die of diseases, not to mention how the good technology of the enlightened western man since WW1 has killed, gassed, shocked n awed, and destroyed the lives of hundreds hundreds of millions of people throughout the world. But hey that’s progress I guess. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElPunto Posted May 3, 2007 Originally posted by NGONGE: Decline? The Muslim world is on the rise today, people. Forty years ago every last corner of the Muslim world was occupied and it was not only the 'corrupt' leaders who were to blame, every Muslim had a hand in that shame. Today, most Muslim countries are free (save your conspiracy theories) and choose to do things they way they want. The fact that they’re backwards, primitive and self-loathing is their problem and nobody else. Time to switch off this tired old record of decline and what not. Things have really never been better for those countries. And they have never been worse for Muslims in the west. LOL Ngonge - you're good. The Muslim world is in and has been in decline both on an absolute basis and a relative basis for a long time. In the absolute sense, the Muslim was at the pinnacle of global civilization from the 700s to the 1700s. Now they have been overtaken and mightily superseded by western civilization on all fronts economic, military etc. On a relative basis - while yes Muslim countries are not colonized as before and have made progress - when compared to many other developing countries in Southeast Asia or South America - Muslim countries have seriously lagged. And if everyone is progessing at 8 times your rate - then you have a defacto relative decline in your position. Now if you accept that thesis - the question is what prescriptions do you offer? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khalaf Posted May 3, 2007 ^^^^^ThePoint....sxb u ask a great question, what are the prescriptions? The answer is simple: The Quran. Read yaa ummahta islaamiya. THE UNIQUE QUR'ANIC GENERATION The callers to Islam in every country and in every period should give thought to one particular aspect of the history of Islam, and they should ponder over it deeply. This is related to the method of inviting people to Islam and its ways of training. At one time this Message created a generation - the generation of the Companions of the Prophet, may God be pleased with them - without comparison in the history of Islam, even in the entire history of man. After this, no other generation of this caliber was ever gain to be found. It is true that we do find some individuals of this caliber here and there in history, but never again did a great number of such people exist in one region as was the case during the first period of Islam. This is an obvious and open truth of history, and we ought to ponder over it deeply so that we may reach its secrets. The Qur'an of this Message is still in our hands, and the Hadith of the Messenger of God - peace be on him, i.e. his guidance in practical affairs, and the history of his sacred life are also in our hands, as they were in the hands of the first Muslim community whose equal history could not produce again. The only difference is the person of the Messenger of God - peace be on him; but is this the secret? Had the person of the Prophet - peace be on him - been absolutely essential for the establishment and fruition of this message, God would not have made Islam a universal message, ordained it as the religion for the whole of mankind, given it the status of the last Divine Message for humanity, and made it to be a guide for all the inhabitants of this planet in all their affairs until the end of time. God has taken the responsibility for preserving the Holy Qur'an on Himself because He knows that Islam can be established and can benefit mankind even after the time of the Prophet - peace be on him. Hence He called His Prophet - peace be on him - back to His mercy after twenty three years of messengership and declared this religion to be valid until the end of time. Therefore the absence of the Messenger of God - peace be on him - is not the real cause for, nor does it explain, this phenomenon. We look, therefore, for some other reasons, and for this purpose we look at that clear spring from which the first generation of Muslims quenched their thirst. Perhaps something has been mixed with that clear spring. We should look at the manner in which they received their training. Perhaps some changes have found their way into it. The spring from which the Companions of the Prophet - peace be on him-drank was the Qur'an; only the Qur'an as the Hadith of the Prophet and his teachings were offspring of this fountainhead. When someone asked the Mother of the Faithful, Aisha-may God be please- with her,-about the character of the Prophet-peace be on him,-she answered, "His character was the Qur'an" [ Al-Nisaa] The Holy Qur'an was the only source from which they quenched their thirst, and this was the only mold in which they formed their lives. This was the only guidance for them, not because there was no civilization or culture or science or books or schools. Indeed, there was Roman culture, its civilization, its books and its laws, which even today are considered to be the foundation of European culture. There was the heritage of Greek culture- its logic, its philosophy and its arts, which are still a source of inspiration for Western thought. There was the Persian civilization, its art, its poetry and its legends, and its religion and system of government. There were many other civilizations, near or far, such as the Indian and Chinese cultures, and so on. The Roman and Persian cultures were established to the north and to the south of the Arabian peninsula, while the Jews and Christians were settled in the heart of Arabia. Thus we believe that this generation did not place sole reliance on the Book of God for the understanding of their religion because of any ignorance of civilization and culture, but it was all according to a well thought out plan and method. An example of this purpose is found in the displeasure expressed by the Messenger of God - peace be on him -when 'Umar-may God be pleased with him-brought some pages from the Torah. The Messenger of God-peace be on him-said, "By God, if even Moses had been alive among you today, he would have no recourse except to follow me" [Reported by al-Hafidh Abu Yala from Himad, from al-Shubi, from Jabir.] It is clear from this incident that the Messenger of God - peace be on him - deliberately limited the first generation of Muslims, which was undergoing the initial stages of training, to only one source of guidance, and that was the Book of God. His intention was that this group should dedicate itself purely to the Book of God and arrange its lives solely according to its teachings. That is why the Messenger of God -peace be on him-was displeased when 'Umar-may God be pleased with him-turned to a source different from the Qur'an In fact, the Messenger of God-peace be on him-intended to prepare a generation pure in heart, pure in mind, pure in understanding. Their training was to be based on the method prescribed by God Who gave the Qur'an, purified from the influence of all other sources. This generation, then, drank solely from this spring and thus attained a unique distinction in history. In later times it happened that other sources mingled with it. Other sources used by later generations included Greek philosophy and logic, ancient Persian legends and their ideas, Jewish scriptures and traditions, Christian theology, and, in addition to these, fragments of other religions and civilizations. These mingled with the commentaries on the Qur'an and with scholastic theology, as they were mingled with jurisprudence and its principles. Later generations after this generation obtained their training from this mixed source, and hence the like of this generation never arose again. Thus we can say without any reservations that the main reason for the difference between the first unique and distinguished group of Muslims and later Muslims is that the purity of the first source of Islamic guidance was mixed with various other sources, as we have indicated. for more source Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElPunto Posted May 3, 2007 ^There are disagreements over how to interpret the Quran, how to implement it, the scope of Islam in public life etc. Your answer is too simplistic. And how do overcome that then Khalaf? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khalaf Posted May 3, 2007 ^^^^Yes havent we heard dat before? and more there are shias, there are sunnis, there are pakis, there arabs, there are africans there are too many isms, too many problems, nationalism, u name it, therefore its to difficult to implement the Quran in the Modern era? My brother Islam is very simplistic, all is needed is a madinah, learn the story of yathrib, and then follow their footsteps, Allah will aid the Muslims no?. Are u saying that cant be done? Once Islam is implanted in the hearts, does not the Muslim say I hear and I obey? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElPunto Posted May 3, 2007 ^We may all very well agree to obey Allah - but not necessarily each other. How do you get to a framework that allows for personal political expression and adheres to Islam? That has to be worked out my friend. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khalaf Posted May 3, 2007 ^^^^Thepoint, heres what u said: "You need enough people doing positive thinking to take root before this entire entreprise can get off the ground floor." I agree, as i have said a commmunity of Muslims first adheres to Islam (Quran n Suunah) like that generation in Madinah, then does not the rest including politics, governance work itself out? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites