Islam and Modern Life — Page 24
24 The Current State of Muslim Societies and the Path Forward Well, I shall, the rest of it I shall put in a very brief way. I’ve spoken nearly an hour, five minutes short. So, consequently, in Islam that aspect of the question doesn’t arise. But one aspect does arise. As I have already indicated, Muslim society toda y is in a state of stagnation. It’s historical reasons again, it’s not my purpose to intervene. Whose fault it was? It’s mainly their own fault. They had all this treasure, this guidance, and they were at the pinnacle of learning in science and philosophy for several centuries, but they got away from these principles, and therefore they lost their intelligence as they deserved to lose it. Again, the Quran says, it lays down a law, it’s also a warning. All this is for your benefit. This is my bounty to you. If you will employ these bounties of mine righteously, I shall go on multiplying them for you. But if you will abuse them, or misuse them, then my punishment that will overtake you will be severe. Yo u see, the law operates in itself. As I have said, both a promise and a warning, as well as a law. But, with regards to this stagnation, Islam is also puzzled, and sincerely puzzled, with regards to the stagnation of Muslim society. Here are these 400 mill ion people stretching, let us say, from Morocco, through Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, and around the Horn of Africa, Somaliland, and then the main Arab Peninsula, Turkey,