by Editor (Editor's Desk, Crescent International Vol. 46, No. 11, Rabi' al-Thani, 1439)
We live in a strange world. This is supposed to be the age of information but the level of ignorance among the general public has reached the stratosphere. Unfortunately this is also true of most Muslims.
Despite being the recipients of the last and final message that was exemplified by the noble Messenger (pbuh), most Muslims have lost their way in peripheral issues. This is truly sad. Instead of being examples to an errant humanity, we are engulfed in petty squabbles that dissipate our energies and keep us divided.
There are two reasons for this, one historical and the other contemporary. Historically, Muslims were ambushed when the Umayyads subverted the khilafah into mulukiyah. This was the first disaster that befell the Ummah, weakening it to such an extent that when the colonialists arrived in Muslim lands, they faced little resistance.
Colonialism had a devastating impact. It not only disrupted Muslim societies but also affected Muslim thinking in profoundly negative ways. Instead of thinking in terms of Islamic values, they have adopted Western ideas. Thus Muslim societies are no longer Islamic. Muslims may reside in these societies but they do not adhere to Islamic principles or values.
Muslims need to undergo a revolution in thought in order to determine their true destiny. Without such clarity of thought and purpose, Muslims will continue to wander aimlessly as has been the case for many decades.
