SPIRIT OF ISLAM NOVEMBER 2015

Spirit of Islam Issue 35 November 2015

IDEOLOGY OR HISTORY?

Abiding Principle and Practical Strategy

Islam’s ideology is the

ideology of tawheed,

or monotheism.

It is a completely

peaceful ideology,

that of a permanent

principle.

DEOLOGY is an integral part of any mission. Another part is what can

be called ‘practical strategy’. The basic ideology enjoys the status of a

permanent principle. In contrast, practical strategy is something that

one adopts depending on the prevailing conditions. These two—ideology

and practical strategy—are found in every mission, religious or secular.

Take the case of Mahatma Gandhi’s mission. This was a completely

secular mission, with its ideology being based on

‘Ahimsa’

or non-violence.

Gandhi spearheaded his movement on the basis of this nonviolent secular

ideology. Along with this, in accordance with the practical demands of the

times he adopted a method known as ‘Civil Disobedience’.

Gandhi's ideology of peace was an integral part of his mission, but Civil

Disobedience was a policy that was adopted for a certain limited period

of time and purpose which was considered desirable according to the

prevailing conditions. When the conditions changed, this method of

Civil Disobedience became irrelevant.

The same thing is true in the case of Islam.

Islam’s ideology is the ideology of

tawheed

or monotheism. It is a completely peaceful

ideology, that of a permanent principle.

Together with the peaceful mission of

tawheed

the early history of Islam also shows that battles

were fought in Arabia between Muslims and

their opponents. But in Islamic history these

battles have the status of practical strategies

relevant to the times. They are not an integral

part of Islamic ideology.

To understand the Quran, it is essential to consider both types of

teachings—ideology and practical strategy—separately. The verses of the

Quran that talk of

tawheed

are part of the eternal ideology of Islam, while

the verses that talk of

qital

or battles should be considered as related to

the practical strategy adopted in response to prevailing conditions.

Today, global conditions have completely changed. If earlier the age of

war prevailed, now it is the age of peace. In such circumstances,

qital

battles must be considered as part of the ephemeral history of Islam,

not as a part of the eternal mission of Islam.