Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 12
Khilafat Centenary Khilafat's Spiritual Mission as a Sign of Peace & Unity ------------ Shamshad Ahmad Nasir, Muballigh, South West Region USA In August of 2007 it was reported in the Urdu- language newspaper the Daily Jang that tens of thousands of Muslims gathered in Jakarta, Indonesia vociferously calling for the establishment of a Khilafat among the Muslim Ummah. The article stated: "There are signs that there is an awakening going on in the Muslim Ummah. On Sunday a crowd of some 100,000 Muslims gathered in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta and called for the rejuvenation and re- establishment of Khilafat in Islam. . . the crowd shouted in favor of the need for the establishment of an Islamic State and Khilafat. . . Local and international speakers made clear that for the establishment of unity among Muslims, Khilafat was a basic necessity. In order to be counted among the successful on the Day of Judgment, we have to speak up and work in favor of and spread the message of Khilafat in every nook and corner of the world and we will have to once again establish a Muslim State and the system of Khilafat the world over. . . " But to whom are they making these demands? Who exactly is supposed to come and establish Khilafat among them? Do the world's Muslims actually think their salvation rests entirely within their own hands as a result of their own actions? This call for Khilafat has been a frequent refrain among the Muslims of the world for well over a century. From the time of the mid to late 1800s, Muslim scholars, clerics and lay people have eagerly anticipated the fulfillment of prophecies in the Holy Qur'an and in the Hadith foretelling the advent of the Imam Mahdi, the rejuvenation of Islam and the re-establishment of a divinely-guided Khilafat. Among the saintly and well-educated Muslims, this was expected with the advent of a righteous Muslim who would experience Divine support and receive guidance and revelation from Almighty God to enable him to fulfill his mission. But sadly, among most of the Muslim Ummah, the focus of this anticipation has rarely been for the treasures of the spiritual realm, but only a thirst for the return of the "glory days" of the Islamic Empires and an elevation of the Muslims from poverty and abasement to riches, political power and worldly domination. It is no secret that many millions of Muslims have either lost faith in God or left their religion due to their perception that God has not answered their prayers or, even - God forbid - that He does not hear their prayers at all anymore. And into this desert of spiritual apathy, the only water that is expected and recognized by both the Western and Muslim worlds has been the raging torrent of anger, resentment and political unrest from Muslims. This attitude is largely the product of the spiritual malaise and moral laxity of Muslims themselves, but there is ample evidence throughout the past 250 years of the involvement by non -Muslim governments to destabilize Middle Eastern and Muslim governments to gain access to and control of areas and resources deemed vital to Western political and business interests. The CIA's involvement in the political unrest in Iran in the 1950s is a textbook example of this, as is the support by the West of Saddam Hussein throughout the 1970's and 80's. This has not been limited to Muslim countries, of course, but it is only Islam that has become synonymous with "terrorist" even long before 9/11. The added dimension of the perceived spiritual threat of Islamic practices and ideology to the way of life in most Western countries only serves to heighten the fear of Islam and Muslims by people in the West. What has crystallized in the minds of both Muslims and non-Muslims alike is a view of the world as a polarity of opposites: the moderate Christian West vs. the radical Islamic East. But is this perception accurate? The facts themselves and history in general say "no. " But it is certainly obvious that the resulting