Thought for the day . . . . TFTD.ws

Warning signs

TFTD: Current and recent news from Afghanistan, Algeria, Somalia, and Iraq paints a dismaying picture of the horrific consequences of partial power falling into the hands of those advocating Shariah rule: ranging from fanaticism, intolerance, confiscation of rights and liberties and international terrorism, to legalised lynchings, mass kidnappings, ID card slaughtering, mass takfir and market truck bombs.

Q: Why should anyone believe the non-militant Islamists (who share the same ideology) will be any different if they were to become an executive authority?

Century of revival

TFTD: Zalloum's How the Khilafah was Destroyed is a factual account of how the Muslims conspired with the colonial powers to undermine and unltimately abolish not only their outdated state institutions and structures, but the caliphate itself which they blamed for their backwardness, welcoming instead the new nation states brought to them by Britain and France. The Turks were widely seen as an oppressive foreign occupation force, and Muslim states today still celebrate their "birthdays".

Q: What evidence is there that the Muslims have made any move toward POLITICAL unification in the past century?

Other than having more populous mosques, what do we have to show for a century of revival movements?
(Rummani)

Muslim polymath

TFTD: Ibn Khaldun's Book of Evidences is a historical and sociological account (and analysis) of the rise and fall of sucessive Muslim dynasties, kingdoms and statelets; an ugly tale of corruption, abuse of power, extortion, exploitation, greed, conspiracy, treachery and assassination. This is our own history, we souldn't be ashamed of it, nor try to hide it.

Q: It is said we should learn from history. What lessons can be drawn from this ugly tale?

Tilting at windmills

TFTD: Described as the first modern novel, Don Quixote de la Mancha is a fictional tale of an elderly gentleman whose literary persuits cause him to descend into fantasy, setting out on an idealistic yet deluded quest to rid the world of all injustice.

During his travels, Don Quixote's over-excited imagination blinds him to reality: he thinks windmills to be giants, flocks of sheep to be armies, and galley-slaves to be oppressed gentlemen. Don is passionately devoted to his own imaginative creation...

Well-meaning but over-zealous, Don is blind to the contradictions in his own approach to the correction of the evils of the world; he fights fire with fire and finds himself repeatedly defeated, making things worse for himself and others.

Q: Is there a bit of Don in us all?
(Rummani)

Dystopia

TFTD: Orwell's Nineteen Eighty Four is a fictional depiction of a negative utopia where a totalitarian government utilises the state machinery for thought control, propaganda and subordination of free intellect, while promoting the state's own unique interpretation of reality and engaging in perpetual wars.

Q: Are there valid lessons or parallels to be drawn today?

Animal Farm

George Orwell's "Animal Farm" is a satirical novel depicting how a fictional ideological revolution is hijacked and manipulated by a corrupt minority, who use prejudice, intimidation, fear, ideological slogans and rhetoric to solidify their power, undermining the goals of the original revolution.

Q: Are there valid lessons or parallels to be drawn today, or is it just a story about some animals?

Is something better than nothing?

TFTD: Once the khilafah is re-established, if a second Islamist group attempts to take power in a land NOT neighbouring the khilafah, should the Muslims in that land support this group's attempt to declare a second Islamic state, or should they withhold their support, lest there be two simultaneous caliphates?

Is it better to live under an Islamic state other than the first khilafah, or to continue to live under an oppressive kufr regime, in the hope that one day their land will be annexed by the khilafah?

Is something better than nothing? Or is it more important not to divide the Muslims?
(Rummani)

Stand in line

TFTD: Why is it that only the bedouin Arabs find it quite normal to stand in long queues, waiting for their turn to shake hands with the local ruler and congratulate him on occassions like the start of Ramadhan, in a televised event?

What does it say about their views about leadership and authority?
(Rummani)

A little help

TFTD: Ayah 13 of Surat Al-Kahf, "They were young men who believed in their Lord and we increased them in guidance," gives the impression that their belief was "with external assistance", and not exclusively due to their own convictions.

Q: Is this the case, and if so, would the same apply equally to any people who "believed in their Lord"?
(Rummani)

Legislating from the Seerah

TFTD: Direct and explicit commands from the Prophet (saas) are still only considered obligatory (Fard) if suitable divine indications (Qaraa'in, plural of Qarina) are found to indicate the command is indeed decisive (Jaazim) in nature, otherwise the actions are considered to be either recommended (Mandub) or permitted (Mubah). These Qaraa'in are textual evidences that are both linked to the subject of the command and contain an explicit warning of punishment, admonition, wrath, reference to the Shaytan, etc.

Q: When rulings are extracted directly from events that took place in the Seerah, or during the life of the Companions, what sort of Qaraa'in are sought to determine whether the actions of the Prophet (saas) and his Companions contained decisive commands or not?