Reassess Your Plan

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan speech
Published in Muslim Murasu, May 2013

Man has been given freedom. He acts as he wishes. But Allah decides the course of history. This is His Power. He maintains and protects the conditions for testing. Allah involves all people and creations in this divine process.
Surah Baqara, 2, verse 251 – ‘walawlaa daf’ullahinnaasa ba’dahum biba’din lafasadatil ardu’. If Allah does not check one people with another, earth would be full of mischief.
This change largely occurs with the participation of those in political power. Communism came to rule in Russia. Rulers hated religion, outlawed it. Following religion was deemed a crime. This was against Allah’s design. Allah developed America and controlled Russia.
Kings used to rule in earlier times. Democracy was introduced during Prophet’s period. It flourished fully in Europe. Secular forces also helped in this transition.
Surah Saff, 61, verse 14 – ‘koonoo ansarallahi kama kaala eesabnu maryama’. This is a strange verse. Allah commands the Ummat of our Prophet (s.a.w.s) to follow another Ummat (community). Following their ideology is not the point. Their method can be emulated.
A time will come when Christianity will be the most followed religion. They followed a particular method. They had a clear idea and precisely put it to practice.
Hawariyoon, disciples of Jesus, were severely tortured. But they did not harbor any hateful thought. They carried out their missionary work without fuss. They did not give place to negative ideas. Situation was completely against them. But they did not involve in any evil plotting. They spread in areas around Palestine and did preaching.
The king accepted Christianity. It spread in entire Europe. This is the exemplary preaching model. Peaceful methods can be followed however bad the situation is. There should not be any vengeful preaching. Missionary activities should be kept above politics and carried out in a non-political way.
Crusade between Christians and Muslims went on for two hundred years. Christian rulers were unable to win back their holy lands. They couldn’t regain Syria, Palestine. They failed and despaired. They reassessed their position and focused their energy in other directions. They withdrew from direct warfare. They started spiritual and scientific crusade.
They exhaustively explored the nature and brought forward an era of scientific advancements. This verse is categorical in its message. Peaceful activities can be undertaken.
Scientific advancements gave new energy, impetus to Christians. They reentered Muslim lands and pushed Muslims to the back. They gained upper hand. Muslims started counter attack. This is now going on for two hundred years. Muslims are continuously losing opportunities. Muslims should reassess their way forward. They should leave battlefield and focus on missionary works. Muslims are backward in preaching. Islamic ideology is strong. Muslims will succeed if they realize this.
Missionary activities are well organized and coordinated in Christian world. In Muslim world, missionary works operate as isolated islands. Results can be thousand times more if technology, opportunities and methods are harmonized. Galileo gazed at the sky. He saw a vast universe open in front of him to be conquered. Leave violence. Missionary works are open for everyone. If you fail in one domain, focus your efforts in another domain and dimension.