The man in hoodie continued, "This is quite sufficient to show that Islam and communism stand diametrically opposed to each other. How can the two be said to be the same, then? Islam stands for all that is good, healthy and desirable in life. It is the religion for all times, generations and societies. But as the Islamic world during the last four centuries has been in a state of constant depression, the portion of the Islamic law dealing with economic problems remained static.
The Muslims who believe in the Beneficence of Allah as well as His immense Grace embracing all His creatures and who believe that it is Allah Who sends to them His messengers to guide them aright and who believe that Islam is not subject to the economic exigencies but ascends far above them; how can such Muslims adopt with impunity the communism which holds that all the different stages of human progress are determined by the interplay of the opposing forces alone, thus leaving no place for Allah’s will or any other factor or initiative save that of economic existence, i.e., the pressure of need.
The communists adopted an aggressive attitude towards Islam in the East and cast various doubts about it. But when they found that this had rather increased Muslims’ attachment to Islam, they changed their strategy and resorted to fraud and deception. Thus, they reasoned that, “ Communism does not at all interfere with Islam, as it is basically just another name for social justice and stands for the responsibility of the state towards its citizens to provide them with the basic needs of life. Do you mean to say that Islam is opposed to social justice by alleging that it is opposed to communism? Surely Islam cannot oppose such a system based on social justice.”
This diabolical reasoning is similar to that resorted to by the imperialists before. They too had started with attacking Islam openly but when they found that it had only put the Muslims on their guard and were watchful, they resorted to another course. They said, “ The West is interested only in the spread of civilization in the East; how can Islam be against civilization when it is itself the father of civilization?” They assured the Muslims that they could adopt this Western civilization without giving up their fasting, prayers, and other practices, although they were sure that if the Muslims once succumbed to western civilization they would no longer be able to retain their Islamic character. Consequently, within a few generations this western civilization would overpower them once and for all. They proved right. Consequently, there arose a generation among the Muslims, after some time, who was completely ignorant about Islam, who rather felt a repulsion from it without any knowledge or reason whatsoever.
It is this very game of fraud and deception that the communists are playing today. They say that the Muslims can, at the same time, remain Muslims, can pray, fast, perform esoteric rituals, and adopt communism as an economic system, for it does not at all meddle with their religion. Why should they then hesitate in embracing it? But while thus arguing they know very well that Muslims will no longer remain Muslims if they once but succumbed to communist temptation. In such a case, they are sure to remould them in a few years’ time after their own philosophy of life and put an end to Islam and all what it stands for because the age we are living is one of rapid movement and dynamism which means that great changes can very easily be brought about in a comparatively very short period of time. But in spite of all these facts there are very many Muslims who willingly allow themselves to be hoodwinked by such a spurious reasoning as it provides them with an excuse to avoid hard struggle in carrying out their unpleasant duties as Muslims, and promises to free them from the cumbrous task of finding their own way, using their own reason and exerting themselves in constrictive activities. They would rather just like to sit down and enjoy idle dreams and let themselves be guided by others.
In principle, Islam does not oppose any system such that is basically not antagonistic to its principles and serves the Muslim community in solving problems arising out of the changed conditions of life.
The fact, however, is that communism does not at all see eye to eye, i.e., resemble Islamic ideology although it might in some respects superficially resemble Islam. The Muslim community which already possesses the best system cannot pass by Islam and instead adopt communism, capitalism or materialistic socialism though they might in certain respects appear to be similar to it."
The man in cardigan asked, "Can we in reality embrace communism and yet live on as Muslims?" The man in hoodie replied, "The answer is a big No, for, when we apply communism, erroneously or dishonestly described as being a purely economic system, we find that it is opposed to Islam in theory as well as in practice. Their collision is inevitable for the simple reason that it cannot be helped or avoided."
There was a moment of silence, the man in cardigan exhale, than said, "Well, to close our little talk today, I'd like to lay down some facts. Firstly, it must be well understood that Islam is not a mere ideological vision. It is, on the other hand, a practical system of life that fully appreciates all the genuine needs of mankind and offers means to realize them.Secondly, in trying to meet the genuine requirements of man, Islam effects a perfect balance so far as the limitations of human nature would allow. It starts with the individual maintaining a balance between his requirements of body and soul, reason and spirit, and in no case allows one side to predominate the other. It does not suppress the animal instincts in order to make the soul ascend the higher planes, nor does it, in hankering after the bodily desires, make man stoop to the low level of mere animalism. It meets the physical and spiritual needs, both on a single higher plane, doing away with all the internal psychological conflicts that threaten the entity of human soul or set a part of it against the other parts. Thence it proceeds to achieve an equilibrium between the needs of the individual and those of the community. It allows not an individual to transgress other individuals, or the community. Nor does it allow the community to commit transgression against the individual. It also does not approve of one class or people to enslave another class or people. Islam exercises a beneficent constraint on all these mutually opposed forces, prevents them from coming into collision with one another, calling them all to join hands and co-operate for the general good of mankind as a whole.
Thus, Islam strikes a balance between different factors of society, between spiritual and temporal, economic and human factors. Unlike communism, it does not believe that economic factors (i.e. the material aspect alone), dominate the human existence. Nor does it contribute to what the pure spiritualists or idealists say claiming that spiritual factors of high ideals alone are sufficient to organize human life. Islam rather holds that not one or two but all these diverse elements put together form what is called human society; and that the best code of life is that which takes note of all these, making full allowance for body as well as reason and spirit and arranging them all in a framework of a harmonious whole.
Thirdly, it must always be kept in mind that Islam has an altogether independent existence of its own as a social philosophy as well as an economic system. Some of its outward manifestations may on the surface appear to resemble those of capitalism or communism, but in fact it is far from being the one or the other. It retains all the good characteristics of these systems yet is free from their shortcomings and perversions. It extols not individualism to that loathful extent that holds the individual as the basis of social order and says that freedom of the individual must in all circumstances be preserved and in no case interfered with by the community. Modern capitalism is based on the concept of the individual’s freedom to exploit the other including the community that upbrings and preserves him.
Islam, while emphasising the importance of society, does not go to the extreme. Islam strikes a balance between the two extremes — communism and capitalism. Recognizing the importance of both thus making harmony between the individual and the state so that individuals have the freedom necessary to develop their potentialities but not to transgress against others of their fellowmen, as also it gives to the community or the state that represents the organized community, vast powers to regulate and control the socio-economic relationships, so as ever to guard and maintain this harmony in human life. The basis of this whole structure as envisaged by Islam is the reciprocity of love between individuals and groups. It is not erected on the basis of malevolence and class conflict as the communist societies.
It may also be pointed out here that this unique system of life, as envisaged by Islam, did not originate as a result of any economic pressure, nor was it an outcome of some mutually conflicting interests of antagonistic groups of people. No, not only this but it was revealed to the world as the ordained system of life at a time when men attached no particular importance to the economic factors, nor did they know anything about social justice in the sense we know it in modem times. Both communism and capitalism are much later growths. As far as reformation in the social and economic spheres of human life is concerned, the basic needs of man— food, housing, and sexual satisfaction— with which the name of Karl Marx is generally associated as being the first to hold that it was the duty of the government to make provision for these basic needs of man. This is claimed as a great revolution in the history of human thought. But long before Karl Marx—fourteen hundred years ago—Islam had already proclaimed these very rights of the individual before the world.
This historical announcement of the fundamental human rights not only includes those voiced by Karl Marx, but it adds to them some more as well, without however necessitating any interclass hatred, bloody revolutions, and without, of course, rejecting all those human elements in life that do not fall under the above three heads: food, housing and sexual needs.
These are some of the salient features of the Islamic code of life. They are sufficient to prove that a religion with such laws and principles, and so comprehensive as to include the whole of the human existence, emotions, thoughts, actions, worship, economic dealings, social relationships, instinctive urges and spiritual aspirations— all arranged in the framework of a single harmonious but unique system of life, can never lose its usefulness for mankind. Nor can such a religion ever become obsolete as its objectives are the same as those of life itself and, therefore, destined to live on so long as there is life on this planet."
After a brief pause, seagull said, "O my brothers and sisters! I will not highlight anything from the conversation of the three men, I leave it to you. Hopefully, all of it, will bring benefit for all of us. In fact, there is no wrong enjoying what Allah has endowed, but it should not make us neglectful of the lurking dangers. And Allah knows best."
Reference :
- Muhammad Qutb, Islam the Misunderstood Religion, IIFSO
*) Iris, written by John Rzeznik
