Why Are Muslims Backward?
Nowadays, most of us wonder why we are backward. This question is so serious and important that we start questioning our religion. We do not stop just there; we start thinking if this is the cause of our backwardness. Some geniuses start thinking we are interpreting the Quran the wrong way, and they start explaining it in ways that make sense to them. Others hold the same old philosophy, asking, “How come these non-Muslims are successful?” They must be on the right path. They are following the real teachings of Allah, and we are not; that is why they are successful, and we are not.
Gentlemen, we should all have faith that Allah has provided us this book with explanations, passed down by Muhammad (PBUH) to the Sahaba (Peace be upon them all) and then to us. It is impossible that Allah asked us to follow Him and follow the Rasool (PBUH) without clearly providing us with guidance. My dear, if we do not believe that the Quran and Sunnah are preserved, our faith is in vain, and that will make us go astray, following history written by anyone—Tom, Dick, or Harry.
Most of us trust in common sense. If something is right, it will make sense; otherwise, it is wrong. It sounds correct, but we often forget how common sense is developed. The way we choose things depends on our upbringing. We all agree that values are shaped by our upbringing. Since we were brought up in such an atmosphere where the majority was emphasized as the authority, it gave us criteria to judge what is right and what is wrong. Perhaps we may often hear questions like: Do you mean everybody is wrong? Do you think every channel is saying the wrong things? Do you think all the Ulama on TV are wrong?
Dear, that is why we say, “common sense is not so common.” To have a correct common sense, the first book should be the Quran, so we can read other books in the light of the Quran and not the other way around.
Let’s go back to our original topic: why are Muslims backward? To find the answer to this, we should first understand what success is.
What is success?
• Technological progress
• Inventions
• More GDP
• Less unemployment
• More hospitals
• Smaller population
• Number of cars per 1,000 people
• Number of telephones per 1,000 people
• GDP per capita
• Literacy rate
• More schools and colleges
• Number of PhDs
•Roads and bridges, etc.
Who has given us these criteria for being successful? (Interesting question)
Why have we made these criteria for being successful? (Another interesting question)
We all know the answer to question #3. As for question #4, we all know that we think according to our knowledge, which we receive through different resources. What are our resources? School, college, TV (a major resource), internet, books, movies, dances, songs, games, social parties, going out with friends, etc.
What do these resources provide you? Mostly garbage!
Whatever we take in, that’s what we take out, often in an even filthier form… Garbage in, garbage out (GIGO). Sometimes we are right too.
How do we know if we are right or wrong?
Another name for the Quran is “Furqan,” which means the criterion for being right or wrong. Read the Quran with understanding to get guidance, and authentic Ahadeeth along with it. If you do not understand something, ask those who have knowledge.
When I look into the Quran, the criteria for a successful person are:
قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ
23:1. The believers must (eventually) win through.
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ فِي صَلَاتِهِمۡ خَٰشِعُونَ
23:2. Those who humble themselves in their prayers.
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَنِ ٱللَّغۡوِ مُعۡرِضُونَ
23:3. Who avoid vain talk.
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِلزَّكَوٰةِ فَٰعِلُونَ
23:4. And they who are observant of Zakah.
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَٰعُونَ
23:8. And they who are to their trusts and their promises attentive
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَوَٰتِهِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ
23:9. And they who carefully maintain their prayers –
أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡوَٰرِثُونَ
23:10. Those are the inheritors
ٱلَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ ٱلۡفِرۡدَوۡسَ هُمۡ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ
23:11. Who will inherit al-Firdaus. They will abide therein eternally.
Now, if we want to see who is backward and who is successful, we need to see it through the criteria of the Quran and Sunnah, not the ones imposed on us by Jews and Christians or any other group.
Allah is saying He would have given non-Muslims everything, but He knew we would become non-Muslims for the conveniences of this life. List of successful nations and people in the Quran according to our criteria and common sense:
• Abu-Jahal
• Qaum-e-Aad
• Qaum-e-Nooh
• Qaum-e-Samood
• Bani-Israeel
• Pharaoh
• Qaroon
• Haman
They had everything we are looking for these days. I am glad that we were not alive at that time, otherwise we would all either be part of them or impressed by their beautiful houses, money, system, education, and inventions. Believe me, most of them were stronger than today’s USA, but for Allah, they were among the worst nations and people! Allah says in the Quran:
وَقَٰرُونَ وَفِرۡعَوۡنَ وَهَٰمَٰنَۖ وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَهُم مُّوسَىٰ بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ فَٱسۡتَكۡبَرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا كَانُواْ سَٰبِقِينَ
29:39. And [We destroyed] Qarun and Pharaoh and Haman. And Moses had already come to them with clear evidences, and they were arrogant in the land, but they were not outrunners [of Our punishment].
They were without material wealth, without money or possessions, but they had Taqwa, and they were chosen as prophets for every nation mentioned above. Allah showed us the example of the best people who we are supposed to follow. Unfortunately, we all seem to follow Haman, Pharaoh, and Abu-Jahal from the first list.
There are other people who were given lots of wealth and material possessions, yet they were also beloved to Allah, like Hazrat Suleman (A.S.) and Hazrat Uthman (R.A.). They used all their wealth in the name of Allah. This shows us that the criteria for success is only your Taqwa and nothing else.
I am sure some of us will still not understand, and they will say that these “mullahs,” “fundamentalists,” and “extremists” do not want us to have prosperity and success. These are convenient labels learned from disbelievers. Whenever we like to criticize Islam, the Quran, or Muslims, we use these words. For them, Allah says:
يُؤۡتِي ٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَمَن يُؤۡتَ ٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ فَقَدۡ أُوتِيَ خَيۡرٗا كَثِيرٗاۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّآ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ
2:269. He gives wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given much good. And none will remember except those of understanding.
May Allah make us understand His message and give us the strength to follow the right path. If we keep looking for the definition of success in the Holy Quran, we’ll find similar reasons, and none will say what we usually think about success!
When will we know we are successful?
Let’s ask the Quran. In Surah Ale Imran, Ayah 185, it says:
كُلُّ نَفۡسٖ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوۡنَ أُجُورَكُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِۖ فَمَن زُحۡزِحَ عَنِ ٱلنَّارِ وَأُدۡخِلَ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ فَقَدۡ فَازَۗ
وَمَا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَآ إِلَّا مَتَٰعُ ٱلۡغُرُورِ
Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion?
This is the complete and comprehensive answer to our questions:
We will all die, and without death, you cannot know whether you are successful or not.
You will be given life again and will be rewarded or punished according to your deeds. So, don’t worry if you are not rewarded in this world or if someone is not punished for their evil deeds. Most importantly, success is not what you think it is. The real success is if you are saved from Hell and admitted to Heaven.
And in the end, Allah has warned us that we will be trapped in the delusion of this transitory life and will look for some quick rewards in this world.
May Allah give us an understanding of Deen-e-Islam. Ameen!
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