[Excerpt from a conversation with Javed Ahmed Ghamidi]
In the past two centuries, the narrative of our defeats has been repeatedly recounted. Our losses on the battlefields of Mysore, Plassey, Balakot, Delhi, Afghanistan, and Iraq are now a part of history. Scholars and intellectuals among us hold varying perspectives on the causes and consequences of these defeats. Some interpret it as a test from Allah, advocating for perseverance and steadfastness. Others see it as a result of national disunity and preach unity and solidarity, while yet others attribute it to the military superiority of superpowers and suggest strategies for acquiring military strength. While all these analyses and suggestions may be valid, there is another reality beyond these which our intellectual and political leadership continuously overlooks. The reality is that our nation has chosen the wrong battlefield for war. It is a battleground where we suffer repeated defeats. This is the field of material power. If the manifestation of this power is wealth, then we are beggars; if it is knowledge and skills, then our ignorance is evident; if it is weaponry, we are defenseless; and if it is authority, we are merely subjugated. We are completely devoid of all these manifestations of material power. Despite continuously suffering from the bitter consequences of this reality, we persist in staking our lives in this very field. Had this been a calculated action, we could have diverted our thinking to a new direction to escape the cycle of defeat, but the tragedy is that it is entirely based on ignorance. We are not even aware that in the battlefield of material power where we are waging war, the factors of victory and success are knowledge and skills, agriculture and minerals, and industry and commerce. Certain nations have amassed these to establish their dominance in the field of material power. We mistakenly believe that through emotional slogans, fanciful wishes, and baseless claims, we can end this dominance.
In any case, the absolute truth is that in the current circumstances, the field of material strength is an arena of defeat for us. If we continue to engage in this field with the same weakness, then, God forbid, stories of ruin and humiliation will continue to be written, and in exact accordance with divine law, defeat will be our ultimate fate. If we wish to achieve any success in this field, it is essential that we first withdraw from it and acquire all the means and resources of material strength that are indispensable for success. A prolonged struggle is required to obtain them. If we begin this struggle today, it is possible that after a period of time, we may acquire them.
However, there is one battlefield where we still possess the means and resources for victory. The truth is that if we actively engage in this field, no nation in the world—no matter how many unite against us—can compete with us. Our victory in this domain is certain.
This is not the battlefield of material power but of intellectual strength. We possess an eternal intellectual force in the form of the final guidance from the Lord of the Worlds. Whether it is Judaism or Christianity, Buddhism or Hinduism, this guidance holds undeniable superiority over all religions. Neither mysticism, secularism, communism, capitalism, nor any other political, economic, or social ideology is capable of challenging it. Indeed, the reality is that even if the West were to gather all its intellectual power, from Socrates and Plato to Freud and Marx, it would still be unable to reach the intellectual heights of Muhammad of Arabia (PBUH).
If this premise is correct, then we should decide that from now on, we must target the ideological boundaries of the nations of the world, not their geographical borders; we must attack their ideas, not their lands; and we must conquer their hearts and minds, not their bodies.
Thus, in this new arena, we must convey to the world through education, teaching, reform, and invitation, as well as through ethics and character, that the prophethood of the Prophet of Islam is an established historical fact. The affirmation of divinely revealed religions such as Judaism and Christianity also relies on the affirmation of this prophethood. It must be clarified that the Qur’an is the final and ultimate source of divine guidance on earth. Its authority is established in every aspect over other divine scriptures and philosophies due to its arrangements for preservation, its distinctive style of speech, and its purely intellectual and natural teachings. Consequently, in all discussions of belief and faith, as well as philosophy and ethics, it is regarded as the measure and criterion until the end of time. Every idea and every action must now be weighed on its scale and assessed by its standards. In this field, we must also convince others that the only way to establish an individual’s and society’s life on the correct principles is through Islamic Shariah. In this regard, it also resolves those issues which human intellect cannot due to its limitations. In its light, a society can be formed where modesty holds the status of a fundamental value and the family unit possesses such stability that a person can lead a joyful life even through childhood and old age. An economic system can be established that is free from greed, deceit, and exploitation. A state can be formed whose system guarantees the welfare of citizens and reflects justice and fairness. Through its blessings, it is possible for an environment to exist where the ultimate aim of human existence is not this world, but the hereafter. Humans fulfill their worldly responsibilities with a full spirit of competition, yet simultaneously keep their focus on success in the afterlife. This establishes with certainty that a land illuminated by the light of Shariah will see rare instances of terror, brutality, oppression, and moral decay.
In the realm of intellectual advancement, the circumstances of the time have become very conducive. Until some time ago, individuals, nations, and rulers lived within the psychology of war. Those who possessed material power had the accepted right to overpower the weaker without any moral justification, if they so desired. Rulers like Genghis Khan, Hulagu, Hitler, and Mussolini considered the destruction of nations as their right. Fear and terror held the status of international law. This atmosphere has now changed. The collective conscience of the world has emerged from the psychology of war. There is a trend of hatred towards war and love for peace. Humans have begun to recognize the right of self-determination for other humans and nations for other nations. The manifestations of fear and terror have been deemed as symbols of disgrace rather than greatness. Furthermore, the vast expanse of media has opened the door to access every individual in the world. In such a situation, it is not incorrect to say that the field is entirely open for the invitation of Islam, and it can be as effective today as it was unimaginable in the past. Consequently, the only course of action for us at this time is to channel all our energies into the realm of intellectual strength until we have achieved the necessary material power. This is the field of our victory—a field where the concept of defeat does not exist.