Page 22 - The Winter of Islam and the Spring to Come

THE WINTER OF ISLAM AND THE SPRING TO COME
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fully abides by Qur'anic moral values is the protector of everyone, no
matter what their religion or beliefs, and not just of Muslims. The exis-
tence of such a union is no threat to anyone. On the contrary, it guaran-
tees the peace and security of all countries and peoples in the world.
Another aspect of the matter is that some people know nothing
about the people who live in these countries, and often have never even
heard of the countries themselves. The situation of someone who has no
idea of the difficulties, oppression and acts of violence, hunger and
poverty suffered by Muslims living in Sudan, Algeria, Indonesia,
Patani, Myanmar, Djibouti, Tunisia and Bangladesh is certainly food
for thought. It is impossible for such a person to extend a helping hand
to believers whom he does not know even exist. Other people are aware
of this cruelty and injustice. Yet it does not even occur to them that they
might be able to help or try to put an end to the oppression.
Furthermore, they so convince themselves that they are unable to do
anything about it that neither the reports they read nor the images they
see on the television screen trouble their consciences in the slightest.
A true believer, however, is responsible for all that he hears and
sees. Allah calls on Muslims in the Qur'an:
What reason could you have for not striving in the Way of Allah –
for those men, women and children who are oppressed and say,
"Our Lord, take us out of this city whose inhabitants are wrongdo-
ers! Give us a protector from You! Give us a helper from You!"
(Surat an-Nisa': 75)
There is no question, of course, of people of conscience who obey
the command contained in that verse closing their eyes and ignoring
what is going on. It is impossible for a Muslim to sleep irresponsibly in
his comfortable bed, fritter away his time, and think only about his own
pleasure and interests when such violent cruelty is going on in the
world. That is because a believer knows that the fundamental solution
to unjust wars, massacres, cruelty, hunger and moral degeneration, in
short to all of the world's problems, lies in spreading the morality of the
Qur'an. That knowledge places a great responsibility on his shoulders:
that of explaining the religion of Islam and the beautiful things it brings