Tangu katikati ya karne ya kumi na mbili Hijria (karne ya kumi na nane Miladia), ulimwengu wa Kiislamu umekuwa ukiporomoka kwa kasi kutoka mahali pake sahihi na kuzama kwa kutisha katika shimo la kudorora. Zimefanywa juhudi nyingi za kuufufua, au angalau kuzuia kudorora huku, lakini hazikuzaa matunda. Ulimwengu wa Kiislamu bado uko katika hali ya huzuni, machafuko na kudorora, na bado unateseka kwa matokeo ya urudi nyuma na mtafaruku huo.

Since the middle of the twelfth century Hijri (eighteenth century C.E.) the Islamic world has been rapidly declining from its correct position and sinking horribly to the abyss of decline. Numerous attempts have been undertaken to revive it, or at least to halt the decline, but to no avail. The Islamic world remains in a state of gloom, anarchy and decline, and it still suffers the consequences of such backwardness and disorder.

Sababu ya kudorora kwake ni jambo moja tu, udhaifu mkubwa ulioharibu uwezo wa akili katika kuelewa Uislamu. Chanzo cha udhaifu huu ni kutengana kwa uwezo wa lugha ya Kiarabu na uwezo wa Uislamu, pale lugha ya Kiarabu ilipopuuzwa, kwa kuielewa na kuubeba Uislamu, tangu mwanzo wa karne ya saba ya Hijria kuendelea. Kwa hiyo, isipokuwa uwezo wa lugha ya Kiarabu ukichanganywa na uwezo wa Uislamu kwa kuifanya lugha ya Kiarabu kuwa lugha ya Uislamu kama sehemu ya msingi na isiyotengana nao, kudorora kutaendelea kuwavuta Waislamu chini. Hii ni kwa sababu ni uwezo wa kilugha ndio uliobeba uwezo wa Uislamu na hivyo ukachanganyika nao, kiasi kwamba kuubeba Uislamu kikamilifu hakuwezi kufanywa isipokuwa kwa njia hiyo; na ikipuuzwa, Ijtihad (kutoa hukumu za Kisheria kutoka kwenye matini) katika Shari'a (sheria ya Mwenyezi Mungu) haiwezi kufanywa. Ujuzi wa lugha ya Kiarabu ni sharti la msingi katika Ijtihad. Zaidi ya hayo, Ijtihad ni jambo la lazima kwa Ummah kwa kuwa maendeleo ndani ya Ummah hayawezi kutokea isipokuwa kwa kuitumia.

The reason for its decline is due to one single factor, the severe weakness that destroyed the ability of the minds in understanding Islam. The cause for this weakness was the detachment of the capacity of the Arabic language from the capacity of Islam when the Arabic language was ignored both in understanding and carrying Islam from the beginning of the seventh century Hijri onwards. Accordingly, unless the capacity of the Arabic language is mixed with the capacity of Islam by making the Arabic language the language of Islam as a fundamental and inseparable part of it, the decline will continue to drag the Muslims down. This is because it is the linguistic capacity that carried the capacity of Islam and consequently intermingled with it, such that the perfect carrying of Islam cannot be undertaken except by it; and if it is neglected, Ijtihad (deriving of AHkam from texts) in Shar’a (divine law) cannot be undertaken. Knowledge of the Arabic language is a fundamental condition in Ijtihad. Furthermore Ijtihad is necessary for the Ummah since progress within the Ummah cannot occur except by utilising it.

Kuna sababu tatu zilizosababisha juhudi zilizofanywa kuwafufua Waislamu kwa Uislamu kushindwa. La kwanza ni ukosefu wa uelewa sahihi wa fikra ya Kiislamu (fikrah) kwa wale waliobeba jukumu la kufufua. La pili ni ukosefu wa uwazi wa mbinu (Tareeqah) ya Uislamu katika kutekeleza fikra yake. La tatu ni kushindwa kwa wale waliobeba jukumu la kufufua kuiunganisha fikra ya Kiislamu na mbinu ya Kiislamu kwa uthabiti na bila kutenganishwa.

There are three reasons why the attempts undertaken to revive the Muslims with Islam failed; The first is the lack of an accurate understanding of the Islamic fikrah (idea) by those who assumed the burden of revival. The second is the lack of clarity of the Tareeqah (method) of Islam in implementing its fikrah. The third is the failure of those who assumed the burden of revival to link the Islamic fikrah with the Islamic Tareeqah tightly and inseparably.

Kuhusu fikra ya Kiislamu, mambo mengi yalisababisha kupotoshwa kwa baadhi ya misingi yake kwa Waislamu. Mambo hayo yalianza mwanzoni mwa karne ya pili Hijria na yaliendelea hadi kuja kwa ukoloni. Falsafa za kigeni, kama za Kihindi, Kiajemi na Kigiriki, ziliathiri baadhi ya Waislamu, na kuwafanya wajaribu kuipatanisha Uislamu na falsafa hizo, ingawa kulikuwa na upinzani kamili kati ya hizo mbili. Majaribio hayo ya kupatanisha yalisababisha tafsiri na maelezo potofu yaliyowachanganya na kuondoa baadhi ya ukweli wa Kiislamu kutoka akilini mwa Waislamu, au angalau kudhoofisha uelewa wao. Zaidi ya hayo, baadhi ya watu waliokuwa na chuki dhidi ya Uislamu waliukubali kwa unafiki na kuanza kuingiza dhana geni kwa Uislamu, hata zinazopingana nao. Hili lilisababisha uelewa potofu wa Uislamu kwa Waislamu wengi. Zaidi ya hayo, katika karne ya saba Hijria, kupuuzwa kwa lugha ya Kiarabu kulijitokeza katika kuufikisha Uislamu. Mambo haya yote yalitangaza kudhoofika kwa Waislamu. Kuanzia mwishoni mwa karne ya kumi na moja Hijria (karne ya kumi na saba Miladia) hadi leo, ulimwengu wa Kiislamu umekumbwa na uvamizi wa kitamaduni na wa kimisionari, ukafuatiwa na uvamizi wa kisiasa wa Magharibi, jambo lililoongeza majeraha juu ya majeraha na kuleta matatizo zaidi katika jamii ya Kiislamu. Yote haya yalikuwa na athari kubwa kwa uelewa usio sahihi wa Waislamu kuhusu fikra ya Kiislamu, hivyo uimara wa kweli wa fikra hiyo akilini mwa Waislamu ukapotea.

With regard to the Islamic fikrah, many factors affected it which diluted many of its details for the Muslims. Such factors arose at the start of the second century Hijri and continued until the arrival of imperialism. Foreign philosophies, such as Indian, Persian and Greek had an impact on some Muslims, leading them to make attempts to reconcile Islam with these philosophies, despite the complete contradiction between the two. These conciliatory attempts led to erroneous interpretations and explanations that confused and eliminated some Islamic facts from the mind of the Muslims or at least weakened their understanding. Furthermore, some individuals who harboured ill feeling towards Islam embraced it hypocritically and began introducing concepts alien to Islam and even contradicting it. This led to an erroneous understanding of Islam by many Muslims. Additionally in the seventh century Hijri, the negligence of the Arabic language arose in the conveying of Islam. All of these factors announced the decline of Muslims. From the end of the eleventh century hijri (seventeenth century C.E.) up to the present day, the Islamic world has been subjected to cultural and missionary invasions, followed by the political invasion of the West, which added insult to injury and created further complications in the Islamic society. All this had an effective influence on the Muslims incorrect understanding of the Islamic fikrah, thus true crystallisation in the minds of the Muslims was lost.

Kuhusu Tareeqah ya Kiislamu, Waislamu hatua kwa hatua walipoteza uwazi wa kuelewa kwake. Waislamu walikuwa wakielewa kwamba kuwepo kwao maishani ni kwa ajili ya Uislamu, kwamba wajibu wa Waislamu maishani ni kubeba da'wah ya Uislamu, kwamba wajibu wa Dola ya Kiislamu ni kutekeleza Uislamu na kutekeleza sheria zake ndani, na kubeba da'wah yake nje, na kwamba njia ya hilo ni Jihad, inayotekelezwa na Dola. Tunasema kwamba baada ya Waislamu kuelewa hili kwa uwazi, walianza kuiona kazi kuu ya Waislamu kuwa ni kutafuta riziki kwanza, na pili kuhubiri na kutoa mwongozo kila hali inaporuhusu. Dola ilianza kuona hakuna kosa wala dhambi katika uzembe wake wa kutekeleza sheria za Kiislamu, wala haikuona aibu katika kuacha Jihad fee sabeel lillah (katika njia ya Allah) ili kueneza Uislamu. Waislamu, baada ya kupoteza Dola yao - licha ya udhaifu wake na mapungufu yake - waliona kurejea kwa Uislamu katika ujenzi wa misikiti, uchapishaji wa vitabu na elimu ya maadili (Aqhlaaq), huku wakinyamaza kimya kuhusu utawala wa kufr juu yao na kuhusu ukoloni wake juu yao.

Regarding the Islamic Tareeqah, Muslims gradually lost the clarity of its understanding. The Muslims used to understand their existence in life was for the sake of Islam, that the Muslims duty in life was to carry the da’wah of Islam, that the duty of the Islamic State is to implement Islam and execute its rules internally and carrying the da’wah for it externally, and that the method for this is Jihad, performed by the State. We say that then after the Muslims clearly understood this, they began viewing the main duty of Muslims as the acquisition of life firstly, and secondly preaching and giving guidance whenever the conditions permitted. The State began to see no fault or sin in its complacency in executing Islamic rules, and did not see any shame in abandoning Jihad fee sabeel lillah (in the way of Allah) to spread Islam. The Muslims after they lost their State - despite its weakness and shortcomings - saw the return of Islam in the building of masaajids, the publishing of books and the educating of morals (Aqhlaaq) whilst they kept silent over the domination of kufr on them and about its colonisation upon them.

Kuhusu uhusiano kati ya fikra ya Kiislamu na Tariqah, Waislamu walianza kusoma Ahkam Shar'iyah zinazohusu kutibu matatizo, yaani zinazohusiana na fikra, wala hawakuzingatia kanuni zinazoonyesha namna ya kutibu, yaani zinazoonyesha Tariqah. Hivyo, walisoma kanuni zilizotengwa na njia ya utekelezaji wake. Pia walijikita katika kusoma kanuni za sala na funga, ndoa na talaka, na wakapuuza kusoma kanuni za jihadi, al-Ghanaim (ngawira), Khilafah, mahakama, kodi ya ardhi (al Kharaj) na kadhalika. Hivyo wakaitenga fikra na Tariqah, jambo lililosababisha utekelezaji wa fikra kuwa jambo lisilowezekana bila Tariqah yake.

With regards to the linkage between the Islamic fikrah and Tareeqah, Muslims started to study the AHkam Shara’iah related to treatment of the problems, i.e. related to the fikrah, and did not pay attention to the rules that demonstrate the manner of the treatment, i.e. demonstrate the Tareeqah. Thus, they studied the rules detached from their method of execution. They also concentrated on studying the rules of prayer and fasting, marriage and divorce, and they neglected the study of the rules of jihad, al-Ghanaim (spoils), Khilafah, the judiciary, land taxation (al Kharaj) and so on. Thus they detached the fikrah from the Tareeqah, which resulted in the implementation of the fikrah becoming inconceivable without its Tareeqah.

Mwishoni mwa karne ya 13 ya Hijria (karne ya 19 ya Kiwango cha Kawaida), kutokuelewana kwa Sharia ya Kiislamu na matumizi yake katika jamii kulidhihirika wazi. Uislamu ulifasiriwa kwa njia zisizoendana na maandiko yake ili kujipatanisha na jamii ya wakati huo, ilhali kilichohitajika kilikuwa kuibadilisha jamii ili ijipatanishe na Uislamu, si kinyume chake. Kwani tatizo lilikuwa ni upotovu wa jamii, ambao ulihitaji kurekebishwa kwa itikadi (mabda'a), hivyo itikadi hiyo ilipaswa kutumika kama ilivyo, na jamii ilipaswa kubadilishwa kabisa na kwa msingi mkubwa kwa kuzingatia itikadi hii. Hivyo, ilikuwa ni lazima kwa wale waliojaribu kuirekebisha jamii kutumia hukumu za Kiislamu kama zilivyo, bila kujali jamii, zama, wakati au mahali. Lakini hawakufanya hivyo; badala yake walizipotosha hukumu za Kiislamu ili zipatane na maisha ya kisasa. Makosa haya yalionekana kupita kiasi katika uchimbaji wa kanuni za jumla na za kina. Walichimba kanuni za jumla na hukumu za kina zilizopatana na msimamo huu. Hivyo, walianzisha kanuni nyingi za jumla zenye makosa, kama vile: "Si haramu kubadilisha hukumu kulingana na mabadiliko ya wakati", na "Mila ndiyo hakimu", n.k. Walitoa fatwa zisizo na msingi wala ushahidi kutoka katika Shari'a, na baadhi yao hata walipingana na maandiko yaliyo wazi ya Qur'ani. Kwa mfano, waliruhusu riba kidogo kwa kisingizio kwamba si riba ya kuongezeka mara nyingi, na kwa sababu ya haja ya fedha za mtoto mdogo (qassir). Hakimu aliyeitwa hakimu wa Shari'a alikuja kuamua kesi kwa kutumia riba juu ya amana za mayatima. Hakimu aliyeitwa hakimu wa kawaida naye alitoa hukumu kwa riba. Walitoa fatwa ya kusimamisha Hudūd (kanuni ya adhabu) na kuruhusu Hudūd kuchukuliwa kutoka chanzo kingine kisicho cha Kiislamu. Hivyo, walitunga kanuni zinazopingana na Shari'a kwa kisingizio kwamba hizi zinaendana zaidi na wakati, na kwamba ni lazima Uislamu uendane na kila zama, wakati na mahali. Hii ilisababisha Uislamu kutengwa na maisha. Uelewa huu potofu na kanuni zisizo sahihi zilitumiwa na maadui wa Uislamu kuingiza sheria na kanuni zao. Waislamu hawakuona ndani yake mgongano wowote na Uislamu, kutokana na yale yaliyokuwa yameingizwa akilini mwao kwa msingi wa uelewa potofu kwamba Uislamu unafaa kila wakati na kila mahali. Tafsiri potofu ya Uislamu ili ukubaliane na kila madhehebu, kila itikadi, kila tukio na kila kanuni - hata pale tafsiri hiyo ilipopingana na itikadi ya Uislamu na mtazamo wake - ikawa imeenea. Hili lilisaidia kutenganisha Uislamu na maisha, na hivyo kushindwa kwa kila harakati ya mageuzi iliyofanya kazi kwa kufuata uelewa huu potofu na duni kulikuwa jambo lisiloepukika.

At the end of the 13th century Hijri (19th century C.E.) the misunderstanding of the Islamic Shari’ah and its application on the society became obvious. Islam was interpreted in ways incompatible with its texts in order to adapt to the present society, although what was required was to change the society to adapt with Islam, and not the other way round. For the issue was the corruption of society which needed to be reformed by an ideology (mabda’a), so the ideology had to be applied as it is, and the society had to be changed completely and radically on the basis of this ideology. Thus, it was necessary for those who attempted to reform the society to apply the Islamic rules as they are, regardless of society, era, time or place. However, they didn’t do this; rather they misinterpreted the Islamic rules to adapt them to contemporary life. The excesses of this error could be seen in the derivation of general and detailed principles. They derived general principles and detailed rules that agreed with this viewpoint. Thus, they established numerous erroneous general principles, such as; “It is not prohibited to change the rules according to the changing of the time”, and like, “Tradition is the arbiter” etc. They issued fatwas without any support or evidence from Shar’a, and some of them even contradicted the definite Qur’anic text. For example, they permitted a little usury (riba) on the pretext that it is not multiple, and by the excuse of its necessity for the funds of the minor (qassir). The judge who was called a Shar’ai judge came to judge with usury (riba) on the deposits of the orphans. The judge, whom they called the regular judge also ruled with usury (riba). They gave fatwa to suspend Hudood (penal code) and allowed the Hudood to be taken from a source other than Islam. Thus they laid down rules contradicting Shar’a using the excuse that these agree more with the time, and it is necessary that Islam suit every age, time and place. This resulted in the detachment of Islam from life. This erroneous understanding and incorrect rules was used by the enemies of Islam to introduce their laws and principles. The Muslims did not see in them any contradiction with Islam, due to what had been established in their minds based on the erroneous understanding that Islam suits every time and place. The misinterpretation of Islam to suit every school of thought, ideology, incident and every principle - even if the interpretation disagreed with the ideology of Islam and its viewpoint - became prevalent. This helped in the separation of Islam from life and consequently the failure of every reformist movement working according to this erroneous and poor comprehension was inevitable.

Mwanzoni mwa karne ya 20 ya Enzi ya Kawaida (C.E), tatizo jingine liliongezwa ambalo liliongeza vikwazo vilivyosimama kati ya Uislamu na maisha. Hili liliongeza zaidi matatizo yaliyokuwepo tayari yaliyowakabili harakati za Kiislamu. Waislamu, na hasa wanazuoni (ulema) na watu walioelimika, walikuwa na sifa tatu:

In the beginning of the 20th century C.E, a further problem was added that increased the obstacles that stand between Islam and life. This amplified the already existent problems that faced the Islamic movements. The Muslims, and in particular the scholars (ulema) and the educated people were characterised by three things:

Kwanza, walisoma Uislamu kwa njia tofauti na njia inayohitajika ili kuuelewa. Mbinu ya Uislamu ya kusoma ni kusoma kanuni za Shari'ah kama masuala ya kivitendo ya kutumiwa na Dola katika mambo yanayoihusu, na na watu binafsi katika mambo yao kama watu binafsi. Wanazuoni wameifafanua fiqh (elimu ya sheria) kuwa ni:

Firstly, they studied Islam in a way different from the method of study required to understand it. Islam’s method of study is to study the Shari’ah rules as practical questions for application by the State in what concerns it, and by the individuals in their affairs as an individual. Scholars have defined jurisprudence (fiqh) as being,

ujuzi wa masuala ya kisheria ya vitendo yanayotokana na ushahidi wake wa kina (aladillah al-tafsiliyyah)

“the knowledge of the practical Shar’ai matters that are derived from their elaborated evidences (aladillah al-tafsiliyyah)”.

Utafiti kama huo ungezalisha maarifa kwa mwanafunzi na vitendo kwa jamii, vyote kupitia dola na mtu binafsi. Hata hivyo, wanazuoni na watu waliosoma, hata Waislamu wengi, walisoma Uislamu kwa lengo la maarifa ya kinadharia tu, kana kwamba ni falsafa ya kubuni. Kupitia hali hii, hukumu za kisheria (Ahkam) zikawa za kudhania na zisizotekelezeka, na Shari'a ikaja kusomwa kama seti ya mambo ya kiroho na kimaadili, wala si kama kanuni za kushughulikia matatizo ya maisha. Haya ndiyo yanayohusu kujifunza. Kuhusu Da'wah ya Uislamu, njia ya kuhubiri na kuongoza kama ilivyofanywa na wamishonari ndiyo iliyoenea badala ya mbinu ya kujifunza ambayo Uislamu unaitaka. Hivyo, watu waliosoma Uislamu wakawa either wanazuoni wasio na uhai, au wahubiri waongozaji wanaotoa mahubiri ya kuchosha (khutba) mara kwa mara bila kuleta athari yoyote katika jamii. Hawakuelewa maana ya kulea kwa Uislamu, yaani kuwafundisha Waislamu mambo ya Dini yao kwa namna inayoleta mabadiliko katika hisia zao, na kuwakumbusha adhabu na ghadhabu za Allah, ili Muislamu awe mtu mwenye nguvu wa kimaendeleo pale hisia zake zinapounganishwa na akili yake kutokana na kujifunza aya za Allah na mbinu ya kuzifundisha. Kwa kweli, hawakuelewa lolote kati ya haya, nao wakabadilisha mbinu hii ya kufundisha yenye kina na athari kwa mbinu ya "kuhubiri na kuongoza" (wa'adh wa irshad), ambayo imekomea kwenye mahubiri ya juujuu (khutba). Kwa sababu hiyo, watu wakaona kwamba kulikuwa na mkanganyiko kati ya jinsi matatizo ya jamii yalivyoshughulikiwa na Uislamu, jambo lililohitaji kupatanishwa. Matokeo yake, ikawa jambo la kawaida kwa watu kutafsiri Uislamu kwa namna ya kuufanya ulingane na maisha ya kisasa.

Such a study would produce knowledge for the student and action for the society by both the state and the individual. However, the ulema and educated people, even most Muslims, studied Islam for the purpose of mere theoretical knowledge as though it were a fanciful philosophy. Through this the juristic rules (AHkam) became hypothetical and impractical, and Shar’a came to be studied as a set of spiritual and moral matters, and not as rules to treat the problems of life. This is as far as the study is concerned. As to the Da’wah for Islam, the way of preaching and guidance as practised by the missionaries prevailed instead of the method of study required by Islam. Thus the people who studied Islam became either inanimate ulema, or guiding preachers who regularly preach the boring sermons (khutba) without producing any effect in society. They did not understand the meaning of culturing with Islam, teaching Muslims the matters of their Deen in a way that produces a change in their emotions, and reminds them of the punishment and wrath of Allah, so that a Muslim becomes a dynamic personality when his emotions are linked to his mind as a result of learning the verses of Allah and the method of its teaching. Indeed, they understood none of this, and they replaced this deep effective method of teaching by the method of “preaching and guidance” (wa’adh wa irshad), which is confined to the shallow sermons (khutba). Due to this, people perceived that there was a contradiction between the way the problems of society were addressed and Islam, and this required reconciliation. Consequently it became common among people to interpret Islam in a way to make it adapt to the contemporary life.

Mbali na hilo, walizifahamu vibaya aya za Allah (SWT), kwa mfano,

In addition to this, they misunderstood the verses of Allah (swt), for example,

Wala haiwafalii waumini wote kwenda kupigana vita. Kutoka kila kundi lao, kikosi kimoja tu ndicho kinapaswa kutoka, ili wale wanaobaki nyuma wapate elimu sahihi ya Dini, na wawaonye watu wao watakaporudi kwao, ili wapate kujihadhari. [TMQ At-Tawba:122]

“And the believers should not all go out to fight. Of every troop of them, a party only should go forth, that they (who are left behind) may gain sound knowledge in the Deen and that they warn their folk when they return to them, so that they may beware.” [TMQ At-Tawba:122]

Walifasiri aya hii kwamba baadhi ya watu kutoka kila kundi wanapaswa kuondoka kwenda kutafuta elimu na kurudi kwa watu wao kuwafundisha. Kupitia hilo, walifanya kujifunza Dini kuwa fardhi kifaya (wajibu wa kijumuiya), hivyo wakapingana na Hukmu ya Shari'a na maana ya aya.

They interpreted this Ayah to mean that some people of each group should set off to acquire knowledge and to return to their people to teach them. Through this, they made learning of the Deen fard kifayah (a collective duty), thus conflicting with the Hukm Shar’ai and the meaning of the Ayah.

Kuhusu Hukm Shar'ai, ni wajibu kwa kila Muislamu mwenye akili na aliyebaleghe kupata elimu kutoka katika Uislamu inayohusu mambo ya maisha yake ya kila siku. Hii ni kwa sababu ameamrishwa kutekeleza vitendo vyake vyote kwa kuzingatia amri na makatazo ya Allah (SWT). Hakuna njia ya kutimiza hili isipokuwa kwa kujua Ahkam Shar'iyyah zinazohusiana na vitendo vyake. Kwa hiyo, kupata elimu kamili ya Dini kuhusu kanuni ambazo Muislamu anapaswa kuzifuata katika mambo ya maisha ni wajibu juu ya kila mtu binafsi (fardh 'ayn), si fardh kifaayah. Kuhusu Ijtihad, yaani kutoa Ahkam, ni fardh kifaayah. Kuhusu upinzani wao dhidi ya maana ya aya hii, aya hii inahusu jihadi, ikimaanisha kwamba Waislamu wote hawapaswi kwenda jihadi. Kikundi kinapoenda jihadi, kikundi kingine kinapaswa kubaki kujifunza Ahkam kutoka kwa Mtume ﷺ, ili mujahidina watakaporudi, wale waliobaki wawafundishe yale waliyoyakosa katika hukumu za Allah kwa namna itakayoleta athari kwao. Hili pia linadhihirishwa na mfano wa Masahaba (RA), ambao walikuwa makini sana kujifunza Ahkam za Dini na kuwa pamoja na Mtume ﷺ. Baadhi yao walikwenda katika safari ya jihadi, na wengine walibaki nyuma kujifunza Ahkam za Dini. Mujahidina waliporudi, wale waliobaki walikuwa wakiwafundisha Ahkam ambazo walikuwa wamezikosa.

As for the Hukm Shar’ai - it is an obligation that every sane adult Muslim acquires knowledge from Islam covering the matters of their daily life. This is because they are commanded to perform all his actions based upon the commands and the prohibitions of Allah (swt). There is no way to fulfil this except through the knowledge of AHkam Sharai’ah related to their actions. Therefore, acquiring comprehensive knowledge in the Deen about the rules necessary for the Muslim to follow in life’s affairs is an obligation upon every individual (fard ayn) not a fard kifayah. As for Ijtihad, that is to derive AHkam, it is a fard kifayah. With regards with their contradiction to the meaning of this Ayah - the verse is about jihad, which means that Muslims should not all go out to jihad. When a group sets out for jihad another group should remain to learn the AHkam at the hands of the Messenger (saw), so once the mujahideen returned back, those who stayed behind would teach them what they had missed of the rules of Allah in a way that would produce an effect on them. This is also indicated by the example of the Sahabah (ra), who were so careful to learn the AHkam of the Deen, and to be in the company of the Messenger (saw). Some of them would set out on an expedition for jihad, and some would stay behind to learn the AHkam of the Deen. When the mujahideen returned, those who remained would teach them the AHkam they had missed.

Pili, Magharibi mwenye chuki na Uislamu na Waislamu, mwenye nia mbaya, alishambulia Dini ya Uislamu, akaichafua, na kuzua uongo dhidi yake kwa upande mmoja, na kwa upande mwingine akalaani baadhi ya Ahkam zake, ingawa kanuni hizi ndizo suluhisho sahihi kwa matatizo ya maisha. Kwa hiyo msimamo wa Waislamu, hasa wale waliosoma, ulikuwa na udhaifu mbele ya shambulio hili. Baadaye waliiacha Uislamu ukishtakiwa, nao wakajihami, jambo ambalo lilisababisha wayafasiri vibaya kanuni za Uislamu. Kwa mfano, walifasiri jihadi kuwa ni vita vya kujihami badala ya vita vya kushambulia. Hivyo walipingana na uhalisia wa jihadi, kwani jihadi ni vita dhidi ya yeyote anayesimama mbele ya Da'wah ya Kiislamu, awe mchokozi au asiwe mchokozi. Kwa maneno mengine, ni kuondoa kizuizi chochote kinachosimama mbele ya Da'wah, yaani mwito wa Uislamu, na kupigana kwa ajili yake; kwa ajili ya Allah. Waislamu walipofanya jihadi dhidi ya Persia, Dola ya Byzantine, Misri, Afrika Kaskazini, Uhispania na sehemu nyingine, walifanya hivyo kwa sababu Da'wah iliwataka kufanya jihadi ili kueneza Uislamu katika nchi hizi. Kwa hiyo tafsiri hii potofu ya jihadi ilitokana na udhaifu wa kutoruhusu Uislamu kushtakiwa, na kuutetea kwa namna ambayo ingemridhisha mshtaki. Vivyo hivyo ni suala la mitala, suala la kukatwa mkono wa mwizi, na maswali mengine, ambayo Waislamu walijaribu kujibu tuhuma za makafiri. Walijaribu kuufasiri Uislamu kwa maana zinazopingana na fikra za Kiislamu. Kwa hiyo hili liliwatenga Waislamu na kuelewa Uislamu, jambo ambalo baadaye liliuondoa Uislamu katika utendaji.

Secondly, the malicious West hateful of Islam and the Muslims attacked the Deen of Islam, defamed it, fabricated lies against it on the one hand and denounced some of its AHkam on the other, despite the fact that these rules are the correct solutions for the problems of life. So the position of Muslims, particularly the educated ones, was characterised by weakness in the face of this attack. Subsequently they allowed Islam to stand accused and became defensive, a matter which caused them to misinterpret the rules of Islam. For example they interpreted jihad as a defensive rather than offensive war. They contradicted the reality of jihad, for jihad is a war against anyone who stands in the face of the Islamic Da’wah whether he is an aggressor or not. In other words it is the removal of any obstacle standing in the face of the Da’wah, i.e. the call to Islam, and the fight for its sake; for the sake of Allah. When Muslims conducted Jihad against Persia, the Byzantine Empire, Egypt, North Africa, Spain and other places, they did so because the Da’wah required them to undertake Jihad to propagate Islam in these countries. So this erroneous interpretation of Jihad resulted from the weakness in not allowing Islam to be accused, and from defending it in a way that would satisfy the accuser. Similar to this is the question of polygamy, the question of cutting the thief ’s hand and other questions, which Muslims tried to respond to the disbeliever’s accusations. They tried to interpret Islam in meanings that would contradict the Islamic thoughts. Accordingly this distanced Muslims from understanding Islam which subsequently removed it from action.