The Muslim World’s Moral and Intellectual Decline

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

The Muslim World’s Moral and Intellectual Decline

Allama Muhammad Iqbal is the national poet of the Islamic state of Pakistan and is also called the Wise Man of the Ummah; Poet of the East and Thinker of Pakistan; and the reason for the same is his poetry and political background. Iqbal's poetry was just a complete philosophy that infused a revolutionary spirit in the Muslim's young generation living in India and made them aware of the inherent greatness of the Ummah.

This article has been compiled with reference to a poem "In the Name of a Philosophy-Drunk Sayyid Zade" from Allama Muhammad Iqbal's book Zarb-e-Kaleem. This poem was written about a hundred years ago. At that time, almost the entire Islamic world, including India, was under colonial slavery. This poem makes it clear that Allama Muhammad Iqbal's poetry draws light from a specific system of thought, which he had compiled after deeply observing the political, cultural, social and spiritual conditions of the East and the West and had felt that the decline of high human values had bound humanity in different ways in both places.

 Allama Muhammad Iqbal had examined the intellectual; rational and moral decline of the Muslim world; and was anxious for the revival of Muslim's self awareness. Suggesting a prescription for rising from this decline, he had said that "the nations of the East should realize that life cannot create any kind of revolution in its mansion unless there is a revolution in its inner depths and no new world can achieve an external existence unless its existence is formed in the conscience of human beings."

 The philosophy and poetry of Allama Muhammad Iqbal awakened the Muslims of India and provided guidance to overcome their difficulties. Allama Iqbal is called the dreamer of Pakistan because he visualized the independence of the Muslims of India in the north-west of Sub Continent India. And the honor was bestowed by ALLAH Almighty on Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah that under his selfless leadership, Pakistan was established and he was called the father of the nation.

 When Pakistan was established, its foundation was based on a concept; a philosophy and an ideology; which in due course of time called the two-nation theory, which is explained in simple words as ""Pakistan ka matlab kya, La ilaha illallah" (What does Pakistan mean? There is no God but Allah)". But the injustice to the idea was infested so that the country was established; independence was achieved; But we could not become a free nation. Our soul could not be freed and we could not make Pakistan an Islamic welfare state. And irony of the situation is that, we are still suffering from the intellectual and ideological slavery of Western civilization.

 This poem included in Zarb-e-Kaleem is "To a Philosophy-Drunk Sayyidzadeh" although Allama Iqbal wrote it to a philosophy-drunk Sayyidzadeh to correct his thoughts. [A philosophy-drunk person is someone who believes in the superiority of human reason over revelation]. But this matter was not limited to this Sayyidzadeh alone. Almost all the Muslims of that time who were educated by the English education system were in the same category. It was anticipated by Iqbal that the Muslims of that time who were under the influence of Western philosophy; would have learned a lesson from this poem; but this did not happen; rather, it happened otherwise; and the disease spread like a plague and as a result, even today, after seventy-eight years of independence; intellectual; ideological and moral decadence is marching on like a plague.

 A Syedzadeh had given arguments on the thoughts of some European philosophers during a discussion with Allama Muhammad Iqbal on a philosophical topic. Under the influence of this discussion, Iqbal wrote this poem for him in particular and for those who accept the influences of other Western philosophers in general; so let us examine this poem:-.

Allama Muhammad Iqbal's book Zarb-e-Kaleem: A poem "In the Name of a Philosophy-Drunk Syedzadeh".

So if one had not lost one's self

he would not have become slave of Bergson's thoughts

Hegel's oyster would have been empty of its nest

His talisman is all imaginary

How the life can be strengthening?

How the self can become immortal?

Adam seeks stability

He seeks the constitution for life

The world's night may drive into day, by;

The call of the believer to the horizon

I have the special essence of the Idol of Somnath,

My fore fathers were idol worshipers.

So the descendants of Syed Hashmi

My dust is the product of Brahman

The philosophy is in my water and flowers

Hidden in the roots of my heart

Although Iqbal is unskilled

He is aware of the all the veins of this product.

The flame of yours ambitions is spark-less,

Listen! this point from me, heart-warming

The end of the intellect is the absence from exaltation;

The philosophy is distance from life

The songs of thoughts are voiceless

They are death for the sake of action

Give the religion of life, the correction of life

Give the secret of of Muhammad and Ibrahim (PBUH)

"The heart in Muhammad's speech."

O descendant of Ali, how much will you take form other Ali (Bu Ali Sina)!

Why don't you see the way?

Make Qureshi yours leader and not one from Bukhar.

First, let us understand the simple and easy meaning of these verses of poem in the below:-

O Sayyidzadeh, the reason why you believe in Bergson's thoughts is only that you are alienated from yourself.

You are also influenced by Hegel. He talks a lot of Platonic things and teaches lions to be sheep. His oyster is also devoid of pearls. His magic has worked on you. His words have affected you.The effect of magic has taken hold, come out of it.

 O young man! If you had not destroyed your ego due to alienation from your religion (Islam), you would never have followed the false ideas of Western sages like Bergson. You remained far from your (Islamic) knowledge, due to which you considered philosophers as your guides and went far from the truth and your true status. Here, ego means Islamic life and Bergson means the group of Western sages.

 The main thing is to understand how a person's life can be strong and how his ego can be free from the limitations and restrictions of time. The answer to these things is neither with Bergson nor with Hegel. So why are you a prisoner of their magic? Discover yourself by eliminating their effects.

 The philosopher (Hegel) you follow has no pearl in his shell, all the magic of his philosophy is based on false ideas. It has no relation to facts. The truth of the ideas he has expressed is no more than a talisman. His philosophy seems to be very grand, but when we analyze his ideas, nothing comes of it. It is as if what great philosophers like Bergson and Hegel have done for humanity is simply useless and fruitless. Instead of bringing humans towards the truth and providing for their survival, they have kept the attention of humans towards materialism, so to be interested in their works is to lose one's reality and status.

Hegel, Bergson and other philosophers talk a lot, but they have no answer or solution to the question of how life can be stable.

For example, Kant says that the existence of the universe is real. In contrast, Hegel says that it is unreal. These and hundreds of similar philosophical problems can provide intellectual interest, but these problems cannot stabilize human life. That is why Islam has shown us ways to strengthen our lives instead of confusing us with these issues.

 Man wants to be stable. He needs a way of life or a system of rules by which he can live his life properly. These philosophers cannot fulfill this demand of yours. Islam and the Quran can fulfill it.

What he needs is to get confirmation from someone and he wants the best system of living; and not the issues in which the wise are confused. For example, does time exist or not? And is it real or unreal? Our cultural, economic, financial, political, and social problems cannot be solved by them.

 Consider this example: a person is hungry. He came to you and asked for bread. You told him that you are only asking for bread. I can tell you what the components of wheat are. So you first explained the components of wheat. Then you gave a lecture on botany. And after that, he told how when bread goes into the stomach, its starch is converted into sweetness and what function the liver performs. Then the four fluids are formed from it and other things.

And the question is, did your speech solve his hunger problem? Did his empty stomach get filled? Now read this verse:-

Adam seeks stability

He seeks the law of life

With this action, the darkness of the world can be dispelled and light can be created. It is not in the thoughts of these philosophers but in the voice of the believer, the religious and universal call to prayer, which mentions the monotheism of Allah and the prophethood of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

Since Allama Muhammad Iqbal's ancestors were Kashmiri Brahmins, in this poem, Allama has said that I originally belong to a family of Brahmins. My ancestors have been associated with the Hindus of Somnath and idol worshippers like Lat and Manat, yet I uphold the ways of Islam and the thoughts of the Prophet (peace be upon him). But you, being born in a Muslim Syed family, have the thoughts of non-Muslims.

 O Sayyidzadeh, you belong to the family of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and my body was born in a Brahmin family. I am not influenced by Bergson and Hegel, but you, being a Hashemite, are influenced by them. I am also familiar with their philosophy, but I know the reality of philosophy and it’s good and bad. Being born a Brahmin, I know all this, but being born a Hashemite, it is surprising that you are unaware of yours own.

I am not unaware of philosophy. It is embedded in my body. It is embedded in the veins of my heart, but I am aware of its good and bad, but you are not aware. Woe to you who have embraced the evil of philosophy.

 O young man! The thing that can remove the darkness of the world, that is, the end of human problems, is not philosophy (that is just a name of conjecture and speculation), but the call of the believer, that is, the point of monotheism, that is, such a constitution of life by which the darkness of the world is transformed into light, and that is hidden only in the call of the believer, that call which becomes the voice of the whole world, that is, which the universe recognizes.

Is the end of reason absent-mindedness? That is, the running of reason cannot reach exaltation; the court of God. Awakening of the heart is a condition for knowing the sciences of God.The philosophy takes a person away from life. Philosophy is related only to the intellect, not to the hear; Where as the heart is superior to the intellect. The intellect cannot reach the destination of the heart; it stops after four steps. People lost in the intellect are deprived of the wealth of faith and certainty, and the discussions of philosophers on various issues are far from the realities of life and are of a pointless nature.

 O Philosophy Ridden Young Man! Your madness does not keep the flame of love burning because your madness is based not on love but on reason. Let me tell you a subtle thing that will illuminate your heart with love.

The result of reason and philosophy is that it distances you from the realities of life. Its end is not the presence that is, reaching the end, but rather distance from it.

Consider the thoughts of philosophy as if they were songs that have no sound. They teach life not action but inaction. They destroy the desire in man to do something and to reach reality forever.

O philosophy-obsessed Syed, the calendar of life, the system of living life is not philosophy; it is the religion of Islam. This is the mystery of the last Prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (ﷺ) and Hazrat Abraham. Leave philosophy and understand this mystery, so that the reality of life can be reached.

Your heart is touched by the words of Hazrat Muhammad (ﷺ). You are the son of Ali, how long will you remain influenced by the philosophy of Abu Ali Sina? That is, O Sayyid, who is obsessed with philosophy, you are one of the descendants of Hazrat Ali. Why do you, a follower of Hazrat Ali, follow a philosopher like Ibn Bu Ali? How long will you continue to follow this practice? Set your heart on the words of the Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (peace be upon him). Act on what he has said in the Hadith or what has been revealed to him in the heavenly book, the Quran.

O person, when you do not have the eye to see the way, it is better for you to make Quraysh (Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (peace be upon him)) your leader and leave Bukhari (Bu Ali the philosopher). Yes, if you are fully aware of the path of life like me and know the highs and lows of philosophy, then reading Bu Ali Sina will not be harmful because you will know where the intellect has strayed.

 Finally; Allama Muhammad Iqbal advises Muslim youth through this young man that if you do not have the “eye to see the way”, that is, if you are not aware of Islamic sciences, then the safest way for you is to make Quraishi your guide instead of Bukhari. The literal meaning of Bukhari is a resident of Bukhara, the literal meaning is Bu Ali bin Sina because he was the physician of the Emir of Bukhara for a long time. The literal meaning of Quraishi is a person belonging to the tribe of Quraysh, the literal meaning is a person who knows the religion of Islam.

This is a very instructive poem and in it Allama Muhammad Iqbal has compared both religion and philosophy very well and has also made his perspective clear in this regard. Allama Muhammad Iqbal had witnessed the First World War and passed away just before the start of the Second World War. Therefore, he had certainly witnessed the birth of such a cunning and deceitful culture that was to engulf this world. Allama Muhammad Iqbal understood the intellectual backwardness and materialism of this civilization; and he knew that the decline of the Muslim nation would be hollowed out by materialism wherever intellectual error would arise. Therefore, Allama Iqbal pointed out and gave a clear message that

 The reason is something else, you consider yourself to be the decline

The decline of a believer is not due to poverty

 The above verse is part of the poem "The Decline of a Muslim" from Allama Muhammad Iqbal's book "Zarb-e-Kaleem"; in which he reminds the Muslim of his true value and status.

In this poem, Allama Iqbal says that the real cause of the decline of the Muslim nation is not the lack of wealth but the weakness of its thought, belief and self-esteem. In the jihad of life, the real capital of a Muslim is faith, high character, honor and continuous struggle.

 "The reason is something else "You think yourself to be a loser"

In this line, Iqbal is addressing Muslims who consider their downfall and degradation to be due to lack of wealth, power or material resources. He is telling them that the reason for your current situation is not what you think. Your real problem is something else.

 "The downfall of a believer is not due to lack of money"

In the second line, Iqbal clarifies the real reason. He is saying that the downfall of a true Muslim is not due to his poverty or lack of money. The secret of a Muslim's strength and success lies in his faith, character and moral strength, not in the material resources he has. The full meaning of this line is that the downfall of the Muslim nation did not occur because it became financially weak, but rather because it abandoned its faith, spirituality and moral values.

 When the British Crown left India, she left behind a strong yoke of slavery to be worn by newly independent states. And the proof of this is that even today Pakistan; Bangladesh and India are all bowing down to Western civilization and the reason for this is the British imposed educational system; the system of law and justice; the administrative set up of the Bureaucracy and the system of business and industry; all are left over system of the British crown. What does India do; perhaps it is not a problem of Muslim civilization but can a country whose foundation was laid for establishment of the supreme divine sovereignty and the establishment of the system of Mustafa (peace be upon him); continue the journey of success in this slavery situation? How beautifully Allama Muhammad Iqbal (may Allah be pleased with him) said in his book "Ramooz Bekhudi" in the poem "Arz-e-Hal Mushaan Ba-Huzoor Rahmatullahi Aalameen" that "The Muslim has become deaf to the teachings of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him); this holy sanctuary has again become an idol house".

 The Muslim has become alienated from the head of the Prophet (peace be upon him)

Again, the House of Haram has become an idol house

 Allama Muhammad Iqbal (may Allah be pleased with him) says that when a Muslim becomes alienated and heedless of the good life and teachings of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), then his spiritual foundations becomes weak. The teachings brought by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) are actually the origin of faith and the source of monotheism. If a Muslim turns away from this source, his worship becomes a mere collection of outward rituals, in which sincerity and spiritual warmth remains elusive. This is why Iqbal says that although the House of Allah is in its place, when its visitors stray from the Sunnah and teachings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), that very center of monotheism becomes like an idol house. Here, "idolatrous house" refers to the state when the heart and eyes are not directed towards Allah and worship is limited to mere physical movements and postures. Thus, the external structure remains, but the inner soul is destroyed. Allama Muhammad Iqbal is shaking through this poem that the real Islam is not in outward worship, but in adopting the life and teachings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in every aspect of life. Yes; make it mandatory in every aspect of life.

NOTE: The above write up was compiled with the help of material available from various sources on the free web in Urdu and translated in English.

 The reason for the intellectual, rational and moral decline in the Islamic world is the Muslim Ummah's prostration before Western civilization; and the trend of surpassing each other in materialism. The curse of the time is the prostration of Muslims' Intellectualism to Western culture, customs and traditions. The same led the world of Muslims to adopt western ways of life which is simply a curse of seeking material gains and worldly pleasures; which is directly opposite to the directions contained in Quran and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

 If the Muslim world wants to emerge from this decline, it must be free from the slavery of the Western thoughts and political power. Because Western civilization is bent on making this world a place of benefits of paradise, while the Quran tells us that this life is just a false game (Mata ul Gharoor) and a spectacle and the real life is the life of paradise; which will be rewarded due good deeds.

 Allah Almighty has said in (Surah An-Nisa, verse 115):

"And whoever defies the Messenger after guidance has become clear to them and follows a path other than that of the believers, We will let them pursue what they have chosen, then burn them in Hell—what an evil end!".

After this clear and simple principle and guidance of the Holy Quran, what more can be explained so that we understand; and correct ourselves to tread on right path.

"And there is no responsibility upon us except for clear conveyance".