“……以真主发誓，即便他们把太阳放在我的右手、月亮放在我的左手，条件是我放弃此事，我也绝不放弃，直到真主使它获胜，或者我为之殒命。”

“...by Allah, if they were to put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left, on condition that I relinquish this matter, I would not relinquish it until Allah has made it dominant or I perish therein”

生存的本能使世界上每个民族、地球上每个族群都有其自身的重大事务。为此，一个民族或一个族群会心甘情愿、满怀热忱地付出鲜血，毫不犹豫，也无须任何争论或辩驳。这些事务与生死存亡相关，或与一个民族从世上被抹除有关，或与保障其生存有关。这类举措在所有民族中都是独特且几乎相同的，针对它们所采取的措施也相似或非常相似，因为它们切实威胁着生命。因此，措施相同，事务也相同。然而，与生存本能相关的这些事务并不是全部的重大事务，重大事务也不仅限于与生存本能相关者；还有与精神本能或繁衍本能相关的其他重大事务。不过，人们在这些事务上存在分歧，这取决于他们对生命的看法各不相同；因此，他们针对这些事务所采取的措施也有所不同。这是因为，使这些事务成为重大事务的，正是特定的生命观；所以事务不同，措施也随之不同。因此，不同民族与国家之间的重大事务，正是依据这种生命观的差异而有所区别。穆斯林是一个统一的乌玛，毫无疑问，他们拥有诸多重大事务。无论乌玛的这些重大事务与生存本能、精神本能还是繁衍本能相关，都应当依据他们的生命观来确定。而他们的生命观唯独由伊斯兰决定。因此，决定重大事务的是伊斯兰，决定措施的也是伊斯兰。

The instinct of survival makes it incumbent upon every nation in the world and every people on earth to have its own vital issues, for which a nation or a people would give its blood with consent and with utmost fervour, without any hesitation or any argument or debate. These issues are those related to either perishing or staying alive, or related to the removal of a people from existence or the safeguard of its survival. Such measures are unique and almost identical to all people and the measures undertaken towards them are similar or very similar to all people, because they are tangibly life threatening. Hence, the measure is the same and the issues are also the same. However, these issues related to the survival instinct are not all the vital issues, nor are the vital issues only those related to the survival instinct; for there are other vital issues related to the spiritual instinct or to the procreation instinct. However, people differed in these issues according to the difference in their viewpoint about life; thus they differed in the measures undertaken towards them. This is because what makes these issues vital is the specific viewpoint about life; thus they differ and the measure also differs. Therefore, the vital issues differed between peoples and nations according to this difference in the viewpoint about life. The Muslims are one Ummah and they undoubtedly have a host of vital issues. The Ummah’s vital issues, whether these are related to the survival instinct, the spiritual instinct or the procreation instinct, should be according to their viewpoint about life. Their viewpoint about life is determined by Islam alone. Hence, it is Islam that determines the vital issues and also determines the measure.

伊斯兰已经向人们阐明了攸关根本的重大事务，并使人们对这些事务的生死尺度成为一种义务。因此，穆斯林在确定自身的重大事务上别无选择。伊斯兰视为重大事务的，穆斯林也必须如此看待。同样，他们在面对这些事务时所采取的生死尺度上也别无选择；因为伊斯兰在确定重大事务的同时，也确定了穆斯林应当对它们采取的态度与尺度。伊斯兰曾面临威胁其存在的事件，穆斯林以穆斯林的身份面对威胁自身存在的事物，这是必然的。任何生命运动都必然要面对威胁其存在的事物，这是不言而喻的，尤其是改革运动，更具体地说是健全的改革运动。

Islam has explained to people the vital issues and made the measure of life and death towards them an obligation. Hence, the Muslims have no choice in determining their vital issues. That which is considered by Islam to be a vital issue must be viewed by the Muslims as such. Likewise, they have no choice in the measure of life and death undertaken towards such issues; because when Islam determined the vital issues, it also determined the measure that Muslims should undertake towards them. For Islam to have faced events which threatened it and for Muslims to have come up against what threatened their existence, in their capacity as Muslims, was inevitable. It is self evident for any movement in life to face that which threatens its existence, especially the movements of reform and more specifically the sound movements.

自伊斯兰教诞生之初起,伊斯兰与库夫尔(Kufr)之间的斗争就一直最为激烈。这场斗争关乎库夫尔的命运,也关乎伊斯兰的命运。自伊斯兰国在麦地那建立以来,这场流血的斗争与思想上的斗争相伴而行,其目的是捍卫根本性的大事。因此,对穆斯林而言,根本性大事的存在是必然且不言自明的,他们为此而承担生死考验也是必然且不言自明的。正因如此,圣战(Jihad)被定为最重要的义务之一。使者ﷺ曾说:“事情的根本是伊斯兰,its支柱是拜功,其驼峰的顶点是圣战。”这一事项还将持续到末日来临,因为使者ﷺ说:“自真主派遣我以来,圣战便持续不断,直到我的乌玛最后一代与旦祖勒(Dajjal)作战。它不会因暴君的暴虐而废止,也不会因公正者的公正而废止。”使者ﷺ还说:“圣战对虔诚者和放荡者都是持续有效的。”因此,穆斯林在捍卫根本大事上从未有片刻松懈,在面对每一件根本大事时,也从未犹豫过为之承担生死考验。

Ever since the dawn of Islam, the struggle has been at its fiercest between Islam and Kufr. This struggle has been about the fate of Kufr and the fate of Islam. The bloody struggle that has been added to the intellectual struggle since the establishment of the Islamic State in Madinah was in defence of the vital issues. Hence, the existence of vital issues was to the Muslims inevitable and axiomatic, and their undertaking of the measure of life and death towards them was also inevitable and axiomatic. It is a matter for which Jihad has been made one of the most important duties, in which the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is the Salah and the peak of its hump is Jihad”. It is also a matter for which Jihad will continue until the Hour comes, for he (saw) said: “And Jihad has been constant since Allah sent me until the last generation of my Ummah fight the Dajjal, it will not be revoked by the tyranny of a tyrant nor by the justness of a just”. The Messenger of Allah (saw) also said: “Jihad is constant with the pious and the dissolute”. Hence, the Muslims did not slacken for one moment in standing for the vital issues, nor did they ever hesitate in undertaking the measure of life and death towards every vital issue.

因此,当十字军东征时,穆斯林面对威胁其作为乌玛和国家命运的局势,便采取了生死相搏的举措;于是他们与异教徒十字军展开了持续一个多世纪的激烈战争。伊斯兰乌玛终于挡住了威胁她的致命一击。同样,当蒙古人入侵伊斯兰地区时,穆斯林也以同样的方式行事。伊斯兰乌玛将这次入侵视为威胁其生存的事情,于是对其采取了生死相搏的举措,穆斯林与蒙古人展开战争,他们不求任何世俗利益而牺牲生命,直至决定性的胜利属于他们。

Therefore, when they were faced with what threatened their fate as an Ummah and as a State during the Crusades, they undertook towards this the measure of life and death; thus they engaged the Kuffar Crusaders in a fierce war for more than a century. The Islamic Ummah managed to repel the fatal blow that threatened her. Likewise, the Muslims acted in the same way when the Mongols invaded the Islamic lands. The Islamic Ummah considered this invasion as a matter that threatened her existence, thus she undertook towards it the measure of life and death, and the Muslims engaged the Mongols in a war in which they sacrificed their lives without seeking any worldly gains until the decisive victory was theirs.

因此,穆斯林过去能够认识到攸关存亡的重大问题,并履行其在这些问题上的义务,这便是生死的尺度。这是因为伊斯兰所阐明的关乎存亡的问题,被穆斯林视为确定无疑的事实,他们紧紧地把握住它们,而忽视这些问题所带来的危险是显而易见的。因此,对他们而言,面对威胁其生存的局面时,若不履行伊斯兰所规定的义务,即生死的尺度,是不可想象的。过去,无论是伊斯兰乌玛还是伊斯兰国家,从未未能认识和察觉这些攸关存亡的问题,也从未未能认识和察觉相应的措施,因此他们从未忽视这些问题。然而,当对伊斯兰的认知退化到偏离正道的程度,当灵魂中的虔诚弱化到对公然的Kufr保持缄默的地步时,这些攸关存亡的问题便失去了其重大性的地位,生死的尺度也未被用于应对它们。结果,对他们存在的威胁逐渐逼近,穆斯林未能慷慨地献出鲜血与生命来击退这一威胁。于是,哈里发制度被摧毁,伊斯兰的制度被废除,整个伊斯兰乌玛也面临灭绝的威胁。

Therefore, the Muslims used to perceive the vital issues and used to undertake towards them what was obligatory upon them, that is the measure of life and death. This was because that which Islam had explained in terms of vital issues was considered as fact by the Muslims, which they clutched with a tight grip, and the danger of neglecting them was clear. Hence, it was inconceivable for them to face a situation that threatened their existence without undertaking towards it that which Islam had obliged upon them, that is the measure of life and death. Neither the Islamic Ummah, nor the Islamic State ever failed in the past to perceive and be aware of the vital issues, nor failed to perceive and be aware of the measures. Thus they never neglected them. However, when the perception of Islam receded to the level of deviation and when the piety in the souls weakened to the level of keeping silent over the flagrant Kufr, these vital issues lost their consideration as being vital, and the measure of life and death was not undertaken towards them. Consequently, the threat to their existence loomed and the Muslims failed to give their blood and their lives generously in order to repel this threat. Hence, the Khilafah was destroyed, the system of Islam was abolished and the whole of the Islamic Ummah was threatened with extinction.

因此,必须从伊斯兰的角度来认识各项重要问题,即伊斯兰在《古兰经》和《逊奈》中所作的规定。同样必须认识针对这些问题应当采取的必要措施,即《古兰经》和先知穆罕默德ﷺ的圣训所阐明的措施。唯有如此,人们才会对重要问题及应对它们的必要措施产生觉悟,从而使忽视这些问题变得不可想象。

Hence, it is imperative to perceive the vital issues from the Islamic viewpoint as Islam decreed in the Book and the Sunnah. It is also imperative to perceive the compulsory measures which ought to be undertaken towards them as outlined by the Qur’an and by the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah (saw). Only then will awareness of the vital issues and of the compulsory measure towards them be generated and their neglect then become inconceivable.