FA19-BSE-033-SECTION-A Muhammad Abu Hurairah

COMSATS University Islamabad

HUM110 Islamic Studies
Assignment # 3 (Project)
Spring 2020

Current Situation Of Muslims And Challenges Facing The

Muslim Ummah
Islam is the religion of peace. Now a days, Islam is the religion of more than 1.1
billion Muslims (or Moslems or Mohammedans), involving a broad region opening of the
Atlantic to the Pacific, across Africa, parts of Europe, and Asia. Firstly, we will briefly
describe the history of Islam.

History Of Islam:-
Basically, Islam's central teaching is that there is one all-powerful, all-knowing and
all-everything God, who is referred to by the Arabic name, Allah (SWAT). In Arabic, Islam
means "peace," or "submission," to the will of Allah (SWAT). Islam is one of the world's
major religions, along with Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism and Christianity. After its start in
Arabia more than 1,400 years ago it grew rapidly, making a great impression on philosophy,
literature, the arts, science, law and medicine through history.
Islam was founded by the prophet Mohammed (PBUH), who was born in Mecca
about A.D. 570 and migrated to Medina around A.D. 622. Muslims believe Muhammed
(PBUH) was the last and most important in a series of prophets, including Abraham, Moses,
and Jesus, etc. The holy book of Islam is the Quran, which means "the timeless information
of Allah (SWAT)." In Quran Allah (SWAT) says about Quran:
“Indeed, there has come to you light and a clear Book from Allah. With it Allah
guides him who will follow His pleasure into the ways of safety and
brings them out of utter darkness into light by His will and guides them to the right path.”
Islam stands on five pillars: Qalma, Namaz, Rozah, Zakat and Hajj. Performing the
Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. Hajj means to set out for a place and Muslims that place is
Mecca. Every Muslim must make the journey at least once in a lifetime. Over 2 million
Muslims made the hajj in 2005. The two main branches of Islam are Sunnism and Shi'ism.

Current Situation Of Muslim Ummah:-

Now a days, population of Muslims are very high in world but Muslims are not strong
and brave in every field like religion ally, politically, economically, etc. Because they leave
the Holy Book QURAN as well as Islamic laws and regulations. Muslim Ummah are travel in
very danger condition because they could not follow the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
life. In Quran Allah (SWAT) says Muhammad (PBUH) is a role model of every humans.

Challenges Facing The Muslim Ummah:-

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Today, Muslims are facing some of the most critical and serious challenges to their
well-being and their place in the world system. Few reasons are given below:

Tarnishing of Muslim Image:

The problems that bother the Muslim World have become general to the point that our
image is dirtied by wrong systems. For example, Islam is now associated with violence,
destruction, poverty, hunger, offense and indignity. In reality, these problems have nothing to
do with Islam. These are not problems that are completely within the area of Muslims.

Economic and Humanitarian Disasters:

Although, everything cannot be denied means that in various parts of the Muslim
World, we are in deep and difficult crisis. The stiff reality is that violent conflict, especially
internal fights, abounds inside the Muslim World. These conflicts have extracted human,
economic and political costs that are immensely damaging and have prevented countries from
achieving their full potential.

Linking with Terrorism:

Major damaging is the increasingly pretended link between international terrorism

and Islam. The terrible events of September 11, 2001 have provided a suitable reason for
those who want to develop the theory of a Clash of Cultures. To them, it is close to painting
things in the most critical possible terms between black and white; good and evil; the West
and Islam. To these authorities, we can offer a simple mathematical statement: There are at
most a few thousand members in the Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist organizations. In parallel,
more than a billion Muslims are living in very ordinary, very regular, very disciplined and
very peaceful lives. Tragically, this false association of Islam and Muslims with terrorism has
got international currency. Violence and terrorism made a negative image of Islam as well as
Muslims.

Lack of Unity:

We must admit that many of these problems appear due to our weaknesses. And many
of our weakness begins from the fact that our unity is so weak and all too easily fragmented.
All Muslims read the Quran. It is and will always be a source of divine guidance and
inspiration. Quran gives the complete lesson about spending our lives according to the
Islamic rules and regulations. The teachings of the Quran are powerful and relevant for all
time. As such, it should not be blamed for our faults, but rather we should reproach ourselves
for not successfully understanding its teachings, its lessons, and its messages. We recover our
Muslim history again.

Utilization of Resources:

But violence and destruction are not our only problem. Resources are abundant in
many Muslim countries. Certainly, some of us are rich and wealthy. Yet poverty and other
forms of need are also an extensive and poor part of the Muslim landscape and view. As
successive United Nations development program reports attest, poverty and needy is a serious
problem in at least half of the countries of the Muslim World. In Sub-Saharan Africa, of

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which a sizable portion is Muslim, as much as 90 percent of the population of some countries
live on less than US$2 per day.

High Illiteracy Rates:

Islam indicates a kind of knowledge. Yet a majority of Muslim countries also have
high adult illiteracy rates. Even many people who are educated suffer from unemployment
and insult. Millions of Muslim children throughout the world are malnourished. Most of the
foreigners in the world today are Muslims.

Weak Democracies or Governments:

On the political front, many facts can be made by some Muslim nations to allow
participation by their people in the process of governance. Without their support, it is
important to recognize that, the government will not know the people’s aspirations, goals, and
hopes. What the people want. The restriction of public and administrative liberties is
especially hard in the case of women in many Muslim countries.

Little Attraction in World Affairs:

The total impact of all those problems is to provide a very extremely negative image
of the Muslims in the world. Because of our lack of potential, Muslim nations are usually on
the edge of the Global Order. That is why we have little attraction to world affairs. We have
little respect, trust and honour in the community of nations.

Restoration of Muslim Image:

The challenge before the Muslim World today is to face the evil truths of our present
condition and renew the image of Muslims and Islam. We must try for a rebirth of Islamic
civilization and culture. We must recover the symbols of that culture, namely peace and unity,
victory and pride. We must create an environment where peace can control, economies can
rise and people find their character.

Lack of Peace and Security:

Our first need will have to be peace and security. We cannot succeed, increase or live
in honour without peace. The peace and confidence we try cannot be required by the gun.
And the peace that is achieved by rejecting our citizen's voice is false. Such peace will finally
produce a furious response from the citizens.

Protection of Youths:

This peace must be built on the trust and confidence of our people. This will only be
expected when we provide their rights and room for them to achieve their genuine goals and
hopes. We can only have permanent peace if we care for our religion and youths as well as
we care for us. Our peace must be built on kindness and justice for all people.

Lack of Human Resource Development:

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In this view, no asset is more expensive than our people. No expense is more pleasant,
or richer, than investment in our people. We need to give the most important preference for
education and the development of our humanity. This is the main area where many Muslim
countries are weak. We must destroy ignorance and make a pure quality education
foundation, with external help where required. The track of academic style is a goal we must
protect in our young.

Neglecting of Women in Nation Building:

In the Muslim world, we are guilty of ignoring one of our most valuable resources or
things that is the women in our cultures. We have failed to provide them enough access to
education, work, and employment. We have failed to give them the importance and the equal
respect that they fully deserve.

Dependency Upon Outside Powers:

One of the greatest pressures upon Muslim empowerment in world things is the case
that we are usually distributed between ourselves. We must finish all ranks between rich and
poor persons. We should try to reduce the distrust, dislike, and competition that sometimes
dig our attachment. We should try to display a strong and organized front on the issues that
are valuable and important to the Muslim world. We must reduce our dependency upon
outside or external powers.

Disinterest in Scientific Knowledge:

The future of Muslims and Islam eventually lies in working with others for common
improvement, and not in battle with them. We cannot advance by building walls and other
kinds of things. We must try out and join the other, for there is much that we can learn and
benefit from them. Early Islamic culture and society were open. For example, it did not stop
to learn scientific knowledge from the Greeks, the Americans, and the Romans. In this
process, Islamic civilization also committed to this knowledge centre and passed it on to the
Western World.

Lack of Mutual Cooperation:

The healthier with us that is a politically strong and economically strong must but
manage to out lacks, be they political and administrative, social or economic. We need to
improve governance in every field of the Muslim World.

Islamic Solutions To The World’s Social Problems:

With the reference of Quran, Islamic solutions to the world problems are given below
and described briefly:
The Principle of Equality and Justice:
In Quran Allah (SWAT) gives the rules and regulations for equality and justice:
“O ye who believe! the law of equality is prescribed to you in cases of murder: the free for
the free, the slave for the slave, the woman for the woman. But if any remission by the brother

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of the slain, then grant any reasonable demand, and compensate him with handsome
gratitude. This is a concession and a mercy from your Lord. After this whoever exceeds the
limits shall be in grave penalty.” (Qur’an, 2:178)
“In the Law of Equality there is (saving of) life to you, O ye men of understanding that ye
may restrain yourself.” (Qur’an, 2:179)
“But if the thief repent after his crime, and amend his conduct, Allah turneth to him in
forgiveness; for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Qur’an, 5:39)
The Divorce Issue in Islam:
In Quran Allah (SWAT) says:
Allah has enjoined on the believing men to treat their wives with kindness, as the following
verse shows: “O ye who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor
should ye treat them with harshness, that ye may take away part of the dower ye have given
them – except where they have been guilty of open lewdness; on the contrary live with them
on a footing of kindness and equity. If ye take a dislike to them it may be that ye dislike a
thing, and Allah brings about through it a great deal of good.” (Qur’an, 4:19)
“When ye divorce women, and they fulfil the term of their (‘Iddah), do not prevent them from
marrying their (former) husbands, if they mutually agree on equitable terms. This instruction
is for all amongst you, who believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is (the course making for)
most virtue and purity amongst you. And Allah knows, and ye know not.” (Qur’an, 2:226,
232)
The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says:
“If any woman asks her husband for divorce without some strong reasons the odour of
paradise will be forbidden to her. (Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Ibn Maja)
Prohibition of intoxicants and gambling:
In Quran Allah (SWAT) says:
“O ye who believe! Approach not prayers with a mind befogged, until he can understand all
that ye say.” (Qur’an, 4:43)

“O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication) of stones, and (divination by)
arrows are an abomination of Satan’s handiwork: Eschew such abomination, that you may
prosper. Satan’s plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred among you, with intoxicants and
gambling, and to turn you away from the remembrance of Allah and from Prayer: Will you
not then abstain?” (Qur’an, 5:90-91)

The prohibition of suicide:

In Quran Allah (SWAT) says:
“O ye who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves in vanities: But let there be
amongst you traffic and trade by mutual goodwill: Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily
Allah hath been to you Most Merciful! If any do that in rancour and injustice, soon shall We
cast them into the Fire: and easy it is for Allah.” (Qur’an, 29:30)

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The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says:

“He who throws himself from a mountain and kills himself will be thrown in the fire and
remain in it forever; and he who sips poison and kills himself will have his poison in his hand
and sip it forever and ever in the fire of hell.” (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood and Nasai)
“Do not harm yourself or others.” (Ahmad and Ibn Maja)

References:
Wikipedia.com, Scholarshipads,com, CNN.com, Muslim.com, Islamwareness.net,
Dailytime.com.

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