Muslim Community and the Modern World(New Challenges)

What is Western Culture?

Every person when reaches a certain stage in his life, questions himself: Who am I? Where have i come
from? How to spend my life? History tells us that man has been able to come up with two types of
answers for these questions: One group of people believe they have been created by a Supreme
Power(Allah), and life should be spent according to his commandments. Human behaviour is a mixture
of two things, one is thought(Fikr) and the other is Practice(Amal). Belief(Aqida) and Legalism(Shariat)
together are called Deen. Second group of people believe that a human is self aware, and his
observation and experiences provide guidance to spend his life.

If belief and practices of a person are influenced by Divine Guidance(Wahi), that's called Deen,
alternatively if the belief and practices are based on self experiences, knowledge and personal
perspective, that's called world view or Tehzeeb.

As the first group of people surrender themselves to the will of Allah, they are the believers of Islam and
are called Muslims. On the other hand, the people who donot follow this way of life are called non-
Muslims/non-Believers. First group is represented by Muslims, the second one is represented by the
western culture and its world view.

-Muslim Aqeedah(Creed)

Muslim Aqeedah is based on three things: TAUHEED, RASALAT, and AKHIRAT.

Tauheed: Only Allah is the creator and lord of this universe. He has control over death and life & benefit
and harm. He sees and listens everything.

Risalat: Belief in the Messenger of Allah, whom Allah has sent down as a role model for the mankind.

Akhirat: This world is a temporary place. After this world is another never ending world. The status in
that world would be based on the deeds done in this temporary life.

-Western World View

As the people of western culture are non believers of the divine guidance, they are only left to believe on
whatever theories there philosphers have come up with. These people use the word of world view
instead of deen to refer to their belief. In this view, they talk about the theories of human existence and
the creation of the world.

-Humanism: This concept was introduced in the 16th century . It involved the belief that human beings
are the most important element of the world. Later, western philosphers added to this concept their
own opinions, which stated that God has died, and humans have gained total freedom.
-Liberalism: It is the advanced version of humanism. This concept involves the belief that a human is self
sufficient and can do whatever he wills. Humans have the right to derive laws for every aspect of life.
(This has led to many sins in the society)

-Secularism: When the cocept of humanism caused distress among the members of western culture, a
new conecpt named "secularism" was intoduced, according to which, a person may belief in god, but it
has to be a personal matter, not a social or economic matter.

Apparantely, secularism doesn't deny religion, but according to the Muslim scholars, it is "La-deeniat". If
a person is to decide when to obey the God, and when not, then it isn't religion. Islam is the name of
submission to Allah.

-Capitalism: According to this view, world is everything, every effort of the human should be to make his
worldy life better. This pushes a person towards materialism. This is opposite to the concept of Akhirat.

-Scientism: This concept says that a human is self sufficient and can use his mind to solve all his
problems. He does not require guidance from God and Religion. The real knowledge is the one that is
gained through experience and analysis. Muslims consider this concept to be a denial of the devine
revelation.

According to all the above mentioned western believes and concepts, human beings are self-sufficient,
and can take whatever decisions they want in their lives. They belive if a person wants to believe in God,
he may do so in his personal life, but which of the commandments of the god are to be obeyed in the
collective lives is based on people`s collective opinion. Such people believe that only that knowlede is
real, which has logical reasoning to prove it.

Western Culture: A Way of Life:

-Consuetude(Muashrat): Unlimited Freedom. Freedom of opposite genders to live together without a

valid relation. Freedom of clothes. No respect for Old people (Old Age Homes). Disruption in Family
system.

-Politics: Decision of human over God's commandments.

-Democray: Since people are self-sufficient, they would decide the boundaries for halal and haram and
make whatever law that suits there interests (Led to alcohol, gambling, adultery etc).

-Nationalism: