Table of Contents
The Missing Pillars in the Contemporary Islamic Movement
There is no doubt that one or more of three foundational pillars are currently missing within the Contemporary Islamic Movement: understanding, sincerity, and striving (Jihad). The undeniable proof of this absence lies in the tragic state to which the Arab and Islamic homelands have descended. Islam is inherently suitable for every time and place; it possesses the intrinsic capacity to reform conditions regardless of surrounding circumstances, provided that those who carry its message collectively embody these three traits.
“Understanding” is critical because it determines the vision and the path. It draws the boundaries and guidelines, establishes the theological constants and variables, formulates the strategic starting points, and manages political maneuvers. “Sincerity” is the ultimate safeguard against personal desires. It resists temptation, incinerates the love for comfort and safety, and—above all else—acts as the absolute dividing line between the overarching interest of Islam and the selfish interests of an individual, group, or entity. As for “striving” (Jihad), it is the divine condition upon which ALLAH has promised HIS guidance, as stated in the Quran:
“And those who strive for US – WE will surely guide them to OUR ways. And indeed, ALLAH is with the doers of good“
(Al-Ankabut, 26:69)
The situation becomes drastically more complicated when entities, groups, and political parties transform into idols worshipped besides ALLAH. This “worship” is not in the literal sense of physical bowing and prostrating, but rather in the unquestioning acceptance of everything that emanates from them. It manifests in defending these groups without the slightest hesitation, and blindly promoting their agenda as if it were the absolute epitome of wisdom, or perhaps even the pure light of divine revelation itself!
At that point, these groups and their leaderships morph into sacred, infallible entities in the eyes of their followers. They are perceived as visionaries who see what no one else sees, know what no one else knows, and plan like no one else plans. Consequently, marginal gains are exaggerated into massive historic achievements, while abysmal failures are constantly reframed merely as “divine tests for the believers.”
In this toxic environment, whoever blindly listens and obeys is praised as a striving, righteous brother, while whoever objects and critically evaluates is immediately dismissed as a fallen casualty on the path of Dawah (calling to Islam). The group’s justification apparatus works overtime, inventing a long list of excuses to protect the entity from accountability, despite its continuous regressions and glaring failures.
It is incumbent upon those who write in the scholarly field to focus on the first aspect: the aspect of “understanding.” No human being has jurisdiction over “sincerity” or “striving”—these belong entirely to the hidden realm of souls and hearts, and none can truly observe them except the Almighty Creator. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to critically examine the flawed perceptions that frequently appear in the speeches, statements, and literature of many well-known Islamic figures. These dangerous perceptions have been elevated to the status of unquestionable constants, even though they completely collapse under the weight of rigorous academic and historical scrutiny.
Exposing a Myth within the Contemporary Islamic Movement: “As You Are, So Will Your Leaders Be”
One of the most famous and widely circulated sayings falsely attributed to the Prophet (Peace be upon Him) is: “As you are, so will your leaders be” (Kama takunu yuwallah ‘alaykum). This phrase places the entire burden for tyranny, oppression, and humiliation squarely on the shoulders of the general public. It dictates that reforming the moral character of the masses is the singular and exclusive path to reforming the state. Consequently, many have completely abandoned politics and governance, isolating themselves in mosques and prayer corners, harboring the grand illusion that they can use sermons and lectures to miraculously fix what corrupt media, broken education systems, and unjust state laws have systematically destroyed.
However, upon returning to the books of Sunnah to verify this hadith, one finds that at its absolute best, it is a weak (Da’if) narration, and it may even be an outright fabrication (Mawdu’). Sheikh Al-Albani meticulously detailed the flaws in its chains of transmission, stating:
“Al-Dailami recorded it through the route of Yahya bin Hashim, from Yunus bin Abi Ishaq, from his father, from his grandfather, from Abu Bakrah as a raised (Marfu’) tradition. Al-Bayhaqi also recorded it in Shu’ab al-Iman through the route of Yahya, from Yunus bin Abi Ishaq, from Abu Ishaq as a disconnected (Mursal) tradition. However, Yahya is counted among those who fabricate hadiths.
It does have another route of transmission recorded by Ibn Jami’ in his Mu’jam (p. 149) and Al-Quda’i in his Musnad (1/47) through Ahmad bin Uthman Al-Kirmani, from Al-Mubarak bin Fadalah, from Al-Hasan, from Abu Bakrah as a raised tradition. Ibn Tahir stated: ‘Although Al-Mubarak is noted to have some weakness, the primary accusation lies with those who narrated from him, as there is obscurity (Jahalah) among them.’ This was similarly stated in Al-Munawi’s work. Furthermore, Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar said in Takhrij Al-Kashshaf (4/25): ‘In its chain of transmission up to Al-Mubarak, there are unknown narrators (Majahil).’
I [Al-Albani] add: And through this exact route, Al-Silafi recorded it in Al-Tuyuriyyat (1/282).”1
This means that the first chain of transmission is narrated by a man explicitly accused of fabrication (i.e., inventing hadiths and falsely attributing them to the Prophet (Peace be upon Him)). Meanwhile, the second chain is narrated by unknown individuals transmitting from a weak narrator! This alone is more than enough justification to discard this narration completely.
The Verdict of History on Rulers and the Masses
However, Sheikh Al-Albani subsequently added a profound and brilliant commentary that reveals a deep insight into history—an insight unfortunately missed by some preachers who claim to specialize in historical analysis. He stated:
“Furthermore, the absolute meaning of this hadith is incorrect in my view. History has shown us instances where a righteous leader succeeded a corrupt ruler, yet the populace remained exactly the same!“
History continuously proves that the Ummah (the Muslim nation) has historically been far better and more righteous than its rulers. From the moment Muawiyah—may ALLAH be pleased with him—assumed the caliphate while there were Companions superior to him, this equation has remained stable. There is no clearer proof of this dynamic than our modern history, which bears witness that some of the vilest, most morally bankrupt individuals have ruled through sheer oppression, conquered by the sword, and driven their nations into catastrophic ruin.
Who in their right mind today would accept the claim that the Libyan people were like Gaddafi, the Egyptians like Mubarak, the Syrians like Assad, the Yemenis like Saleh, or the Iraqis like Saddam? How can anyone logically claim that the Palestinian people, who valiantly carry the banner of resistance and sacrifice, are perfectly represented by political leaders who wander endlessly through the dark corridors of futile negotiations? Where do we place the long history of betrayals committed by rulers against the history of heroic struggle authored by the people?
The Muslims of Andalusia secretly passed down Islamic practices for four centuries under brutal Spanish rule2; how can this monumental resilience of the masses be compared to the cowardice of their final ruler, Muhammad XII (Boabdil), who surrendered the entire country in exchange for personal guarantees?3 Was not the Egyptian populace ruled by the treacherous Shawar and Dirgham the exact same populace ruled shortly thereafter by the heroic Asad al-Din Shirkuh and Salahuddin (Saladin)? Where is the supposed transformation in the people? You can apply this exact same historical logic to the Levant before and after Umar bin Abd al-Aziz, or before and after Nur al-Din Mahmud.
Consider the people of Iraq: did they somehow deserve a magnificent king like Harun Al-Rashid, only to suddenly transform and deserve a ruler like Al-Amin, then miraculously change again to deserve Al-Ma’mun, then Al-Mu’tasim, and then Al-Muntasir? All of these rulers possessed vastly different levels of competence, talent, and morality, yet the underlying population remained essentially unchanged.
The True Sociological Dynamic: The Masses Follow the Ruler
The undeniable truth, heavily testified to by history, is encapsulated in the statement of Uthman bin Affan, may ALLAH be pleased with him:
“Indeed, ALLAH restrains through the sovereign power (Sultan) what HE does not restrain through the Quran.“
This profound reality was deeply understood by the ancient Arabs and echoed in countless proverbs that fill literature and poetry collections, such as: “The people follow the religion of their kings,” “The people follow whoever conquers,” and “If the ruler changes, the era changes.” The great poet Abu Al-Atahiya famously wrote that people merely follow the shifting tides of worldly power:
The masses are but followers of this world and its master... Whichever way the world turns with him, they too will turn.
They revere the man of worldly might, yet if it pounces... Upon him with a fate he despises, they too will pounce.4
For these reasons and more, one of the Prophet’s (Peace be upon Him) greatest fears for the Muslims was the rule of misguided leaders. As stated in the authentic hadith:
“…and I only fear for My Ummah the misguiding imams”5
Similarly, Umar ibn Al-Khattab asked Ziyad bin Hudair, “Do you know what destroys Islam?” Ziyad replied, “No.” Umar said,
“It is destroyed by the slip of a scholar, the hypocrite arguing using the Book, and the rule of misguiding imams.“6
The great scholar Ibn Taymiyyah illustrates this by noting that the Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid bin Abd al-Malik was obsessed with architecture. He built the magnificent Dome of the Rock to attract people to visit Jerusalem. Consequently, the masses began to venerate the Rock in a manner previously unknown to Muslims, to the point where people started importing Israelite traditions (Isra’iliyyat) to magnify its status under the ruler’s gaze.
Ibn Taymiyyah notes that some even narrated from Ka’b al-Ahbar in the presence of the Caliph Abd al-Malik bin Marwan—while the great scholar Urwah bin Az-Zubayr was present—saying: “ALLAH said to the Rock: You are MY lowest throne.” Urwah immediately rebuked him, saying:
“ALLAH says: {HIS Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth}, and you claim the Rock is HIS throne?!“7
Ibn Kathir beautifully summarizes this phenomenon, stating:
“Al-Walid’s ultimate passion was architecture, and the masses became exactly the same. A man would meet another and ask: ‘What have you built? What have you constructed?’ His brother Sulayman’s passion was women, and the people mirrored him; a man would meet another and ask: ‘How many times have you married? How many concubines do you have?’
However, the passion of Umar bin Abd al-Aziz was the recitation of the Quran, prayer, and worship, and the people naturally followed suit. A man would meet another and ask: ‘What is your daily portion of the Quran? How much do you read every day? How much did you pray last night?’
The people say: The masses follow the religion of their king. If he is a drunkard, wine becomes widespread; if he is guilty of unnatural vices, the people follow suit; if he is stingy and greedy, the people mirror him; if he is generous, courageous, and brave, the people adopt those traits; if he is oppressive, unjust, and tyrannical, so too are the people; and if he is a man of religion, piety, righteousness, and charity, the masses naturally become exactly like that.”8
The Amplified Power of the Modern State
As the eminent scholar Sheikh Rashid Rida observed: “The sociological law of people imitating their princes and elites has always been true. Whatever gains traction in their circles gains traction in the markets of the Ummah. Even if the saying ‘The people are on the religion of their kings’ lacks an authentic prophetic chain, its meaning is entirely correct and inevitably occurs in absolute, tyrannical governments.”9 If ancient rulers, with their incredibly limited reach, could so heavily influence and mold the character of their kingdoms, imagine the terrifying level of influence wielded by the central authority today!
The modern state has granted political authority a supernatural power never before possessed by any king or sultan in history. The ruling authority now absolutely controls mass media, educational curriculums, and legislative systems, allowing it to penetrate the walls of every single home and shape the minds of every single child. It is a colossal, undeniable influence that we witness with our own eyes every day. It is this exact dynamic that prompted the great revolutionary thinker Jamal al-Din al-Afghani to famously correct the old proverb, stating:
“In the East, it is not ‘As you are, so will your leaders be.’ Rather, it is: ‘As your leaders are, so you will be.’“
It is astonishing that we even debate this undeniable reality today, especially since we are the very people from whom the foundations of sociology sprang over six hundred years ago. It was our own Ibn Khaldun—may ALLAH have mercy on him—who explicitly wrote a dedicated chapter in his Muqaddimah titled: “On the fact that the vanquished is always eager to imitate the victor in his distinctive marks, his dress, his occupation, and all his other conditions and customs.“
Sources:
Mohamed Elhamy. تصورات فاسدة لدى الحركة الإسلامية. Blog Post.
- Al-Albani: Silsilat al-Ahadith ad-Da’ifa wal-Mawdu’a (Series of Weak and Fabricated Hadiths), 1/490, 491. ↩︎
- See regarding this a documentary produced by Al Jazeera in its program “Under the Microscope” (Taht al-Mijhar) titled “The Last Evening” (Al-Masa’ al-Akhir), broadcast for the first time on August 26, 2010. It shows with evidence that the Muslims of Andalusia made a tremendous effort to preserve their religion throughout those centuries until they were once again able to practice their rituals freely! ↩︎
- Anonymous: Nubdhat al-‘Asr fi Akhbar Muluk Bani Nasr, edited and annotated by Alfred Al-Bustani, Maktabat al-Thaqafa al-Diniyya – Egypt, First Edition, 1423 AH = 2002 CE, p. 121 and onwards. ↩︎
- Al-Tha’alibi: Al-Tamthil wal-Muhadarah, edited by ‘Abd al-Fattah Muhammad al-Hulw, Al-Dar al-‘Arabiyya lil-Kitab, Second Edition, 1401 AH – 1981 CE, p. 473; and Husayn bin Muhammad al-Mahdi: Sayd al-Afkar fil-Adab wal-Akhlaq wal-Hikam wal-Amthal, Yemeni Ministry of Culture, 2009 CE, pp. 81, 82. ↩︎
- Narrated by Ahmad (17156), Abu Dawud (4252), Al-Tirmidhi (2229), and Al-Hakim in Al-Mustadrak (8390), who said: “A sound (Sahih) hadith according to the conditions of the two Sheikhs [Al-Bukhari and Muslim],” and Al-Dhahabi agreed with him, among others. It was authenticated by Al-Albani (see: As-Silsilah As-Sahihah 4/110), Shu’ayb Al-Arna’ut in his commentary on Musnad Ahmad, and Husayn Salim Asad in his commentary on Sunan ad-Darimi. ↩︎
- Narrated by Ad-Darimi (214), and authenticated by Al-Albani in Mishkat al-Masabih (269), and by Husayn Salim Asad in his commentary on Ad-Darimi. ↩︎
- Ibn Taymiyyah: Iqtida’ as-Sirat al-Mustaqim, edited by Nasir ‘Abd al-Karim al-‘Aql, Dar ‘Alam al-Kutub, Beirut, Lebanon, Seventh Edition, 1419 AH – 1999 CE, 2/348. ↩︎
- Ibn Kathir: Al-Bidayah wa’n-Nihayah, edited by Ali Shiri, Dar Ihya’ at-Turath al-‘Arabi, First Edition, 1408 AH – 1988 CE, 9/186. ↩︎
- An article in Al-Manar magazine 4/896, titled “Wine is the Mother of All Evils” (Al-Khamr Umm al-Khaba’ith). ↩︎
