The roots and causes of the Islamic Ummah’s decline

Contemporary Islamic Awakening and awareness of Islamic teachings
Today Muslim nations throughout the Islamic world have a new outlook on the divine religion of Islam. After long periods of ignorance and lack of due attention to pure Islamic truth over many centuries, Muslim nations comprising the Islamic Ummah have now opened their eyes to Islamic teachings and precepts, because man-made philosophies have already displayed their failure and inadequacy in practice.
The Islamic world, by adhering to the divine religion of Islam and Islamic teachings, can be the vanguard of human movement toward prosperity and perfection. The world is ready to welcome an initiative on the part of the Muslim Ummah. The scientific achievements of mankind have mostly pushed morality, spirituality and the religious spirit into the sidelines. However, human knowledge and man’s new outlook on natural realities of the world can help to set the stage for the Muslim Ummah’s initiative.
Muslim nations should benefit from Islamic knowledge and the teachings, lifestyle and words of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his household). Above all, they should benefit from the Holy Quran. The Islamic world is able to move forward. 2
Be’that of the Seal of Prophets (S) opened the door to liberation from old and chronic pains that have afflicted human communities. Some people responded to the call of the Holy Prophet (S) and they benefited from it, and some others rejected this call and they suffered the consequences.
In our opinion, today humanity is still in need of the message of Be’that and the teachings of the great divine prophets. And all these teachings have been included in the teachings of Islam and the Holy Quran in a comprehensive way. At the top of the list of Islamic teachings, there are three things which are more important than all the other things. These three things have been mentioned in the Ayahs of the Holy Quran: knowledge and wisdom, purity and ethics, and justice and equity.
If we pay close attention, we will realize that even today humanity is in need of these three things. Today humanity has made progress in terms of knowledge, but this progress is confined to a specific area. Humanity has made progress in the natural sciences which are related to the materialistic aspect of life.
But humanity needs to learn spiritual teachings which broaden the mind of human beings regarding the beginning of creation and monotheism and guide the hearts of human beings towards the purpose for which they have been created. Islam’s call to acquiring knowledge is an all-embracing call. Today the issue of morality and moral and spiritual purity is even more important than this. The problems of humanity result from ignoring the issue of moral purity.
Primarily, these statements are addressed to outstanding personalities in different countries. If political, scientific and cultural personalities, who stand on the peak of importance in human communities, enjoy morality and purity, these blessings [morality and purity] will reach the people and they will be blessed with morality as well. Primarily, these statements are addressed to officials of Islamic countries. Love of the world, pursuit of carnal desires, indulgence in animal desires, the kinds of friendship and hostility which are rooted in animal and materialistic desires, the kinds of warmongering which result from seeking power and the desire to increase one’s materialistic power, the kinds of insecurity which result from the wickedness of politicians in different countries – these are the main sources of trouble for humanity.
Moral purity is really necessary for a country. Kindness, fairness, understanding and mercy towards one another are the things which bring peace to people’s lives. If we see that the world is being destroyed because of insecurity, this insecurity stems from developing weak policies, seeking power, behaving in an immoral way and drifting away from piety. Today insecurity is the biggest problem of humanity or, at least, it is one of the biggest problems.
People are not secure inside their homes and in their social lives. They do not have security inside their own countries. Islam invites us to purify ourselves. This is one of the main teachings of Islam.
“We have sent among you a Messenger of your own, rehearsing to you Our Signs, and sanctifying you, and instructing you in Scripture and Wisdom.” 3
The Holy Prophet (S) recited the Holy Quran and he purified and instructed people. Another issue is justice. Administration of justice is the advice of all divine prophets. Allah the Exalted said that all the prophets and the scriptures He sent and all the efforts that prophets and their followers made, were for this purpose:
“That men may stand forth in justice.” 4
The Holy Prophet (S) is the pivot of uniting all Islamic groups. The hearts of all people are filled with the love of the Holy Prophet (S). The entire Islamic Ummah loves this chosen servant of God, this noblest person in all history. Muslims should unite by making the Holy Prophet (S) the pivot of their unity and they should establish a close relationship among themselves. 5
Remembering Be’that is not limited to remembering a historical event – this is the point we should keep in mind when remembering this great event, which is a precious memory for humanity. Rather, this glorious memory is in fact like repeating and reviewing an unforgettable lesson for the Islamic Ummah – the people, as well as outstanding personalities of the Islamic Ummah, including politicians, scientists, and intellectuals. Second, it is an important lesson for all human beings. Remembering Be’that is like repeating a lesson, emphasizing a role model and reviewing an instructive event.
There are many aspects to this event, and in fact one has to speak for hours and write several books if one is to eloquently – though briefly – discuss the different aspects of Be’that. However, even when one considers this event superficially, there are many lessons to be learnt. If you look at the event, you will see that the Holy Prophet (S), with a message that included everything human beings needed for perfection, emerged in community and began to promote Islam in a society that was devoid of Islamic virtues.
The Holy Prophet (S) carried the message of knowledge, yet there was no knowledge in that society. He carried the message of justice, yet there was no trace of justice in that society and powerful people and bullying rulers dominated people’s lives and wealth. He was the messenger of morality, lenience, forgiveness, justice and kindness, yet that society was truly devoid of such characteristics. The society was full of unkind, bullying, immoral, ignorant and prejudiced people who were unjustifiably arrogant and who had their hearts attached to human passions.
The Holy Prophet (S) grew up in such a difficult and prejudiced atmosphere and in such a dry desert. He tolerated those conditions for thirteen years and this thirteen-year period finally ended in the establishment of a government. He formed a community on the basis of monotheism, knowledge, justice, morality, ethics and generosity. He transformed humiliation into pride and savagery into brotherhood. He turned fanaticism into tolerance and reasoning.
He transformed ignorance into knowledge. He built a strong and logical foundation on the basis of which Muslims could dominate the peaks of global civilization for centuries and could rise to new heights which were unprecedented in human history.
• 1.Supreme Leader’s speech delivered on August 22, 2006 in a meeting with government officials, Ambassadors of Islamic countries and participants of the Islamic
• 2.Supreme Leader’s speech delivered on April 6, 2007 in a meeting with government officials
• 3.Sura al-Baqara, Ayah 151
• 4.Sura al-Hadid, Ayah 25
• 5.Supreme Leader’s speech delivered on August 11, 2007 in a meeting with government officials of the Islamic Republic and ordinary citizens on the occasion of the Holy Prophet’s (S) Be’that