We have explained that revival means the intellectual elevation and the enlightened thought is the thought that is characterised by comprehensiveness and depth. It encompasses all that is in existence (the universe, life and man) and this is in regards to the comprehensiveness of the thought. As for the depth, then this relates to the affirmation of the reality of this existence in terms of it being eternal or the creation of a creator). Based upon that, the revival cannot possibly be realised and achieved without a Mabda’ (ideology) that is established upon an intellectual (rational) Aqeedah from which its system emanates, that manifests the intellectual basis in the life of the people in life, whilst defining the meaning and purpose of the human’s existence within life.

Indeed, I have turned my face toward He who created the heavens and the earth, inclining toward truth (As a monotheist), and I am not of those who associate others with Allah (Al-An’aam 79).

Say: Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the 'Alameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists). He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims. (Al-An’aam 162-163)

This is the answer to the purpose and meaning of our existence in this life:

إ Verily we belong to Allah and verily to Him we shall return (Al-Baqarah 156).

So it is the Aqeedah (belief) that is the basis of the ideology, the basis of the individual’s life, the basis of the society’s life and the basis of the life of the State. This Aqeedah is Imaan (belief) in Allah, His angels, His books, His Messengers and the Day of Judgement.

From this Aqeedah all of the solutions for all human problems emanate and are found. It explains for him the three relationships; the relationship with his Rabb (Lord) through ‘Ibaadaat (acts of worship), his relationship with himself in terms of morals and manners and his relationship with others in respect to the Mu’aamalaat (societal transactions). Therefore our Sharee’ah (Divine law) has not left a single matter except that it has explained it and it has not left a single action except that it has made clear its legal ruling. This is because it is a complete code for life in which the person is held to account in relation to his adherence to this code and methodology in regards to all that he has done and accrued in this life:

Allah (swt) says:

So whoever does an atoms weight of good shall see it. And whoever does an atoms weight of evil will see it (Az-Zalzalah 7-8).

And:

To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and earth and if you reveal what is within your selves or conceal it Allah will bring you to account for it (Al-Baqarah 284).

Similarly this intellectual Aqueedah has made clear that the main work of the human is to carry this message, to fulfil this Amaanah (trust) and to spread this Deen:

He (swt) said:

And who is better in speech than the one who calls to Allah and works righteous deeds and he says verily I am of the Muslims (Fussilat 33).

And He (swt) says:

Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided (An-Nahl 125).

And He (swt) said:

Say: "If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, wealth which you have obtained, commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and jihad in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people." (At-Taubah 24).

And He (swt) says:ا You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred (Al-Mujaadalah 22).

The Aqeedah of the ideology is not restricted to providing solutions and carrying the Da’wah but rather it has also explained the following and made it clear:

a) It explains the manner and way of bringing the ideology into the reality of life, the way of reviving the Ummah upon its basis and how to build a State that will bring it into the battlefield of life and carry it to the world. This is done by tracing the path of the Messenger of Allah (saw), his Seerah and the stages that he passed through.

Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad SAW) you have an excellent model to follow for the one who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much (Al-Ahzaab 21).

b) It also explained the method of preserving and protecting the ideology, safeguarding the Aqeedah and protecting the society and the State with Ahkaam (rulings) that reach the extent of killing the one who attempts to bring down this Aqeedah, society or State. The ideology has delegated the one who has been deputised by the Muslims to assume the role of implementing these rulings.

c) The ideology explained the implementation of the treatments and solutions and it did not leave them as advice, guidance and exhortations alone. Rather it commanded the head of state to implement these rulings whether these rulings relate to the ‘Ibaadaat, Akhlaaq or Mu’aamalaat. So it commanded the implementation of the punishment upon anyone who falls short in the obligatory acts of worship like the Salaah, Sawm and Zakaah. In the same way it commanded the implementation of punishment upon anyone who acts in a way that is contrary to the characteristics of Muslims and their moral behaviour, or the one who eats Haraam and drinks Haraam and it did not leave the person free in respect to the consumption of his food and drink.

Similarly it has imposed punishments that act as a deterrent for any contravention to the Shar’iyah related to safeguarding the lives of the people, their dignity, lineage and wealth or property. This is like the killing of the killer, the whipping of the slanderer of women (Al-Qaadhif), the killing of the married Zaani (Adulterer) and the cutting of the hand of the thief. It has also safeguarded the security and safety of the collective and provided them with peace of mind in their lives by imposing preventative punishments upon those who want to cause corruption and disruption in the earth. This includes the punishments of death, crucifixion, cutting of limbs and banishment from the land.

d) As for the carrying of the Da’wah, the Aqeedah has made it obligatory upon all of the Muslims and it has made it obligatory upon the one who has been deputised on behalf of the Muslims. It has obliged him to make ready the preparations of the army in order to fight the disbelievers so that the rule of Islaam is applied upon them or so that the relations of the Muslims with them are maintained in accordance to treaties or so that the Jizyah is taken from them, amongst other relations and arrangements that can take place. This has been explained and made clear in tens of Aayaat of the Noble Qur’aan and Ahaadeeth.

And in order for the elevated thought to be reached and revival attained, Islaam has specified the culture (Thaqaafah) that the Muslim has to be cultured with, in addition to the manner and way by which he must take and receive this culture.

As for the Islamic culture then this includes:

Firstly: That which the Islamic Aqeedah has brought like the Kitaab and the Sunnah.

Secondly: That which the Islamic Aqeedah was the reason for its study like the Arabic language.

In relation to that which has come from the Islamic Aqeedah then this is represented in the collection of texts that include the Book of Allah, its explanation and Tafseer, the explanation of its thoughts and rulings and the clarification of its proofs and evidences which leave no room for doubt. This is in respect to establishing that the Kitaab and the Sunnah are Wahi (divine revelation) from Allah and that which the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (saw) came with, is also Wahi (divine revelation) from Allah (swt). This is in addition to other matters that the Aayaat and Ahaadeeth include and relate to.

As for that which the Islamic Aqeedah was the reason for its study, then it is known that the Kitaab was revealed in the Arabic language, that the Ahaadeeth of the Muhammad (saw) were spoken in the Arabic language and that it is not possible to understand them except with the Arabic language. For this reason the study of the Arabic language with all of its branches represents a matter that the Islamic Aqeedah was the reason for its study to take place.

In addition pursuing the events, understanding the reality and understanding all new matters so as to apply the Ahkam Ash-Shar’iyah upon them or to explain the ruling of Allah in respect to them or to expose their opposition and contradiction to the thoughts of Islaam and its rulings, then all of this is from the matters that the Islamic Aqeedah is the reason and cause for its study.

Also historical knowledge with its associated realities and events used to understand the reality of the Islamic Ummah throughout the times. This is to know and understand how the Khulafaa’ implemented Islaam and to have knowledge of the lands upon which the banner (Raayah) of Islaam was raised and what resulted from that in terms of Islamic rulings. This is another area in which the Islamic Aqeedah is the cause and reason for its study.

Lastly, gaining knowledge and understanding the international reality, international relations and the events or incidents that surround the Muslim lands, is also considered to be from the matters that the Islamic Aqeedah demands to be studied. This is in order for the Muslims to be able to fulfil their role in life and for the Ummah to be a witness over mankind.

As for the method of acquiring all of this different knowledge, then it is necessary that they be acquired intellectually where they are crystallised into concepts that have an effect upon the conduct and behaviour of the people and makes them proceed along the correct path.

This is done as follows:

Firstly: The reality that is intended to be solved or treated is fully comprehended and perceived in a manner that removes any obscurity, vagueness, removes all ambiguity and is distanced from generalising and dubiousness.

Secondly: The reality of the texts or the thoughts and what they contain of meanings is fully comprehended in accordance to their literal, terminological (Istilaahi) or Shar’iyah meanings, and that the subject that they have come for is comprehended in a manner that explains all that they contain in terms of ‘Ilal (legal reasonings), Shuroot (conditions), Mawaani’ (preventions) or Asbaab (causes).

Thirdly: For Tasdeeq (Affirmation) to take place in regards to them and that is done by measuring them in according to the Qaa’idah Al-Fikriyah (Intellectual basis), in other words the Islamic Aqeedah and what it has brought in terms of evidences and criteria (measures). This affirmation (Tasdeeq) takes place in a manner that transforms them within the human self from being thoughts (Afkaar) that have a reality, to being concepts (Mafaaheem). This means they are thoughts whose reality has been fully comprehended and affirmation has taken place in regards to them and as such they have an effect upon the individual’s behaviour.

Fourthly: That these different types of knowledge are taken so that they are worked with and acted upon, and for them to be carried to the entire world.

Fifthly: All of this needs to be done with a stimulating, influencing and effective method. As for it being stimulating then demonstrating the reality in a way in which it becomes touchable to the person, stimulates and instigates the feelings, sentiments and sensations, and it strengthens the focus and attention to it. As for it being effective then this is because they are applied upon the reality in a precise manner and they are tied to the evidence from which they have been deduced from. So connecting them to the Aqeedah (the intellectual basis) that the person believes in, is what makes these concepts effective and what drives him towards action.

The natural result of following this method is that the productive method of thinking is generated within the Ummah which is built upon the correct intellectual basis and which leads to the revival and the intellectual elevation. In this case the thought cannot remain imprisoned within the person and it is inevitable for its effect to manifest in life. This is because it has been acquired by a sound method as it has been taken by way of a full comprehension of its reality, the reality upon which it applies, and Tasdeeq has taken place in regards to it, in addition to it being acquired and taken for the purpose of acting upon it and not merely for the sake of intellectual postulation or for showing off. For this reason it naturally becomes a leader for the one who believes in it and the regulator of his behaviour and conduct. In other words it will be an intellectual leadership which the people are lead by and by which they lead others.

In this way their Aqeedah would be an intellectual basis (Qaa’idah Fikriyah) for them upon which their ideas about existence and life are built and it will also be an intellectual leadership (Qiyaadah Fikriyah) from which their systems and rulings emanate so that the people are taken out of the darkness and into the light by the permission of their Lord. They will proceed in the path of completion and towards perfection, the path of revival and elevation where the people understand the meaning of their existence and purpose in life.

This is revival and this is the way of reaching it and all praise belongs to Allah the Lord of the worlds.

O Allah, make us from amongst those who hear the speech and then follow the very best of it.