Introduction
This is the fourth article in the ‘Be Proud of Your Islam‘ series. It focuses on how the Guidance of Islam, and Muslims, offer the last refuge to save humanity from its moral and ethical decline, even in the face of material progress. It also addresses the doubts that have been raised on this matter. Click here to read the full series.
Humanity’s Moral Crisis: The Need for Islam Beyond Material Progress
In our previous article, we explored what the world lost with the decline of Muslims. Today, we will examine the doubts surrounding the need for Islam in the modern world and respond to common objections. Some might ask: Why do you believe Islam is the only solution to humanity’s problems? Do we not, as Muslims, share the same moral degradation as the rest of humanity? How can Islam be the refuge for humanity when we ourselves are in need of someone to save us from the oppression and subjugation we face?
First, does humanity, with all its material progress, still require a religion that originated in the Arabian Peninsula? If you still question this, know that this was the very logic of Pharaoh when Prophet Moses (Peace be upon Him) came to him with guidance. He said,
“‘O my people, does not the kingdom of Egypt belong to me, and these rivers flowing beneath me; then do you not see? Or am I [not] better than this one [i.e., Moses] who is insignificant and hardly makes himself clear?…’“1
(Suraat ‘Az-Zukhruf, 43:51-52)
Pharaoh, in his time, was more advanced industrially and architecturally than Moses (Peace be upon Him). Under his command, monumental structures were built, as he instructed Haman, “‘O Hāmān, construct for me a tower…'”2 (Suraat Ghaafir, 40:36). The engineering and labor required to construct such a tower, along with the grandeur of the pyramids, testify to the magnificence of his kingdom.
Similarly, the people of Prophet Hud (Peace be upon Him) were technologically advanced, until they arrogantly proclaimed, “‘Who is greater than us in strength?’“3 (Suraat Fussilat, 41:15). Their Prophet (Peace be upon Him) replied,
“‘…Do you construct on every elevation a sign, amusing yourselves, And take for yourselves constructions [i.e., palaces and fortresses] that you might abide eternally?…‘“4
(Suraat ‘Ash-Shuucaraa’, 26:128-129)
They excelled in constructing magnificent buildings on elevated lands along prominent roads and in erecting towering fortresses.
As for the people of Prophet Salih (Peace be upon Him), their Prophet reminded them, “‘…And you carve out of the mountains, homes, with skill…’“5 (Suraat ‘Ash-Shuucaraa’, 26:149). According to Ibn Abbas and others, this indicates their expertise in carving and engraving, demonstrating their advanced craftsmanship.
However, after ALLAH recounts the states of these civilizations and others, HE says,
“Then have you considered if WE gave them enjoyment for years and then there came to them that which they were promised? They would not be availed by the enjoyment with which they were provided“6
(Suraat ‘Ash-Shuucaraa’, 26:205-207)
These civilizations, full of technological achievement, were ultimately swept away like a flood—proof that without the guidance of revelation from their LORD, all their material progress was futile.
The Deviation of Human Standards: Rediscovering the True Measure Through Islam
The state of humanity today mirrors the condition of those living during the time of Pharaoh. In his era, Pharaoh, Haman, Qarun, and the influential elite benefited politically, economically, and militarily. A privileged class lived in luxury, while the rest were oppressed and humiliated, suffering in silence. At the same time, there were those who, dazzled by worldly wealth, said, “…’Oh, would that we had like what was given to Qārūn. Indeed, he is one of great fortune’“7 (Suraat ‘Al-QaSaS, 28:79).
Pharaoh appealed to the idea of civilizational superiority, and the foolish among his people were influenced. “So he bluffed his people, and they obeyed him. Indeed, they were [themselves] a people defiantly disobedient [of ALLAH]“8 (Suraat ‘Az-Zukhruf, 43:54).
It is a deviation from the truth to measure success solely by the height of buildings and material achievements while forgetting the true purpose of human existence. It is misguided to think that, because humanity has reached the moon, explored the ocean depths, and made great inventions, it no longer needs divine guidance to preserve its dignity, correct its course, and ensure both worldly success and success in the afterlife.
If we measure by worldly standards alone, we can clearly see the suffering humanity endures despite its technological advancements. We witness the rise of materialism and the decline of human values, as discussed in the previous article. But as a Muslim, your measure is not worldly. Your guiding principle is not the view that “‘…we die and live, and nothing destroys us except time’“9 (Suraat ‘Al-Jaathiyah, 45:24). Rather, you worship a LORD who said: “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship ME“10 (Suraat ‘Adh-Dhaariyaat, 51:56).
If you are uncertain about humanity’s need for Islam, ask yourself: Have my enemies succeeded in belittling Islam in my eyes through the methods we’ve discussed? Have they made me psychologically defeated, causing me to view them as superior and my religion as inferior? Have they even succeeded in reversing my perspective, turning my values purely materialistic?
As our beloved brother, the virtuous Hussam Abu Al-Bukhari, has said: The greatest and most dangerous shift in the Muslim mind over the past two centuries is that it has begun to view itself and its religion through the lens of its enemies. When a Muslim scholar, who devoted his life to calling others to ALLAH and correcting concepts, passes away, some may ask, “What did this person offer humanity?” Yet, when an atheist physicist, who used his knowledge to oppose ALLAH’s path, dies, some may say, “This person offered something to humanity!”
This shift in perspective occurs despite the fact that the roots of scientific and technological superiority are deeply embedded in Islam, and contemporary Muslims continue to make valuable contributions to these fields, though these contributions are often overlooked.
Islam: The Only True Path to Humanity’s Salvation Amidst Moral and Spiritual Decline
Secondly, you may ask, why do we assume that Islam specifically is capable of saving humanity? My answer is this: Who else but Islam, with its preserved revelation? When humanity strays, as we have seen, and falters in values, ethics, and legislation—failing to properly organize the individual’s relationship with themselves, their LORD, and others—wandering in the darkness of uncertainty, “…what deity other than ALLAH could bring you light? Then will you not hear?” (Suraat ‘Al-QaSaS, 28:71).
When humans are left to their own devices, this applies to them:
“If there is no help from ALLAH for the youth,
then the first to harm him is his own effort“
Who else but ALLAH, who says:
“Does HE who created not know, while HE is the Subtle, the Aware?“11
(Suraat ‘Al-Mulk, 67:14)
Who else but ALLAH, who says:
“ALLAH wants to make clear to you [the lawful from the unlawful] and guide you to the [good] practices of those before you and to accept your repentance. And ALLAH is Knowing and Wise. ALLAH wants to accept your repentance, but those who follow [their] passions want you to digress [into] a great deviation. And ALLAH wants to lighten for you [your difficulties]; and mankind was created weak“12
(Suraat ‘An-Nissaa’, 4:26-28)
When you observe how humanity has greatly deviated by following its desires, you see no lifeline other than ALLAH’s guidance to pull it out of this mire—a rope from ALLAH, who has legislated HIS laws as a light for weak humans, so they would not go astray or suffer.
Do you believe that salvation lies in the values of freedom, equality, humanism, international agreements, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Geneva Convention on Prisoners’ Rights, the United Nations, or the Security Council? We have repeatedly seen how these slogans and organizations, when disconnected from revelation and left to human desires, have become the source of humanity’s misery and a tool for the influential to manipulate.
Who else but Islam, with its preserved revelation, will save humanity? Will it be the leaders of distorted religions who appease every wave of atheism, deviance, humanism, or false science? These are the ones who tell atheists, “You don’t need to believe in God to go to heaven”, and promise them paradise, claiming that the LORD has redeemed everyone—including atheists—through Christ’s blood. They say that homosexuals are the children of the LORD and have the right to form families.
Islam’s Uncompromising Truth: The Only Refuge for Humanity’s Lost Morality and Guidance
You might ask, do we not have religious figures like them too? The answer is no, it is not the same. Our religion has no room for accommodating falsehood. Islam does not have religious figures who speak on behalf of the divine, nor a religious authority centered around individuals. There is no priesthood in Islam, no authority granted to anyone over ALLAH’s Book to alter, delete, or misinterpret its texts.
Unlike other religions, Islam does not entrust this authority to rabbis, monks, or clergy. There is no right for religious leaders to legislate, making things permissible or forbidden at their discretion, nor any texts like “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven“13 (Gospel of Matthew – 18:18).
Rather, in Islam, scholars are governed by ALLAH’s Book, not the other way around. ALLAH commands, “And if you disagree over anything, refer it to ALLAH and the Messenger14” (Suraat ‘An-Nissaa’, 4:59).
So, if any scholar makes something forbidden that is permissible, or vice versa, their opinion holds no value. ALLAH warns us that following deviant scholars is akin to worshipping them instead of ALLAH, just as those who “They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides ALLAH“15 (Suraat ‘At-Tawbah, 9:31). This ensures that Islam remains protected from alterations or the accommodation of falsehood.
Islam has no intermediary between the servant and their LORD, and there are no texts like “If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven“16 (John – 20:23). This maintains the clarity of the straight path, untouched by human distortion. The revelation of Islam is preserved:
“Falsehood cannot approach it from before it or from behind it; [it is] a revelation from a [LORD who is] Wise and Praiseworthy“
(Suraat Fussilat, 41:42)
There is no distortion or falsehood in it that would cause its followers to feel ashamed or force them into flattering those who spread falsehood under the slogan, “stay quiet about us and we’ll stay quiet about you”.
Islam does not compromise with falsehood or follow its course. It is the only religion capable of standing in opposition to the path of those who lead humanity astray. So, who other than Islam, with its preserved revelation, can save humanity? Can Communism or Capitalism provide salvation when we see the damage each has caused to humanity?
For all these reasons, yes, Islam is humanity’s last refuge. It has a practical, historical record—embodied in the prophetic model and the righteous caliphate—where moral, ethical, devotional, and legislative advancement flourished.
Islam: The Final Fortress Against the Erosion of Human Nature and Values
Therefore, political analyst Dr. Akram Hijazi explains that humanity’s enemies target Islamic belief through distortion, skepticism, and confusion, in a deliberate effort to dismantle Muslims at the individual level, not just as states or societies. However, ALLAH is preparing Muslims through these trials, enabling them to gather their strength and solidify their resolve.
Muslims are humanity’s last refuge. They are entrusted with ALLAH’s creation on earth, qualified by the revelation they hold, which states: “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship ME“17 (Suraat ‘Adh-Dhaariyaat, 51:56). They are the ones qualified to save humanity from enslavement and from those who lead it astray.
We do not deny that, in contrast to the dark picture we have painted of humanity, there are some instances of mercy, justice, and respect for human dignity scattered here and there. However, these qualities are not the result of humanity’s enemies; they are remnants of the natural disposition with which ALLAH created humans. The current battle is against this natural disposition, seeking to uproot whatever remains of it. People have no refuge from this threat except Islam, with its preserved revelation.
Restoring Humanity’s Integrity: Islam as the Solution to Our Internal and External Struggles
You might say: “But all the problems of humanity you mentioned exist among us as Muslims—moral corruption, cheating, and deception. We oppress and enslave, just as they do!” Aha! Here, you’re mixing the pure principles of Islam with the reality of some Muslims today. You’ve been influenced by those who exploit our painful reality to make us feel ashamed of our religion and blind us to the truth that Islam is humanity’s savior.
It is a grave injustice to confuse us, the Muslims, with those who dominate the nation’s people, working as tools for its enemies—fighting against its religion, humiliating it, and enabling outsiders to seize Muslim wealth in exchange for a position of power and participation in corruption. Then we come and say: “We imprison, we enslave, we plunder!”
These people are not truly from us, nor are we from them. The only ones who share in their sin are those who support them, agree with their crimes, or show hypocrisy toward them. As ALLAH says: “Have you not considered those who make allies of a people with whom ALLAH has become angry? They are neither of you nor of them, and they swear to untruth while they know [they are lying]” (Suraat ‘Al-Mujaadilah, 58:14).
Part of the mission to save humanity is to first save ourselves from the oppression we live under. The nation must strive to place its best in positions of leadership so that it can become a model of truth and justice for the world to follow. Our current state is not a reason to doubt that Muslims are humanity’s refuge; rather, it should motivate us to correct our condition.
The Path to Redemption: Islam’s Role in Overcoming Oppression and Restoring Humanity’s Mission
You might say: “I feel it’s illogical to talk about saving humanity when we ourselves need someone to save us from the oppression and subjugation we live under!” To that, I say: Do you know that one of the main reasons for the oppression and injustice we face today is our abandonment of our mission to humanity?
ALLAH says: “If you do not go forth, HE will punish you with a painful punishment” (Suraat ‘At-Tawbah, 9:39). Go forth for what? To fulfill your duty toward humanity— to spread the message of Islam and stop the evil of its enemies. The Prophet (Peace be upon Him) said:
“If you sell anything on credit to anyone, on the condition that you will buy it back for a lower price (al-‘Einah), take hold of the tails of cattle, become pleased with agriculture and give up Jihad – ALLAH will make disgrace prevail over you and will not remove it from you till you return to your religion“18
By abandoning your duty to invite humanity to Islam, you failed to create a naturally pure environment in which people— even non-Muslims— could grow up in clean surroundings, choose their faith freely, and see the truth clearly, untainted by those who enslave them and distort the path to ALLAH. Instead, the powerful among them turned against us, and we began to taste the humiliation ALLAH warned us about: “ALLAH will make disgrace prevail over you and will not remove it from you till you return to your religion“.
Look at what happened throughout history when Muslims turned their attention solely to the world and neglected their duty to call others to Islam. The nations that once respected us, like the Crusaders and the Mongols, turned against us. They ravaged our lands, destroyed our cities, and subjected us to unimaginable torment. While Muslims have suffered economic crises, plagues, and internal conflicts throughout history, these hardships were manageable when they fulfilled their duty of Jihad and calling other nations to the truth.
The Hidden War: How Global Forces Target Humanity’s Natural Disposition and Why Islam is the Last Refuge
Finally, documents published in 2017 reveal how children in European and American schools are being exposed to indecency under the guise of “sexual education”. This is happening at an early age, with the complicity of international organizations and prominent state leaders. These documents also show how countries in South America, Eastern Europe, and Africa are being coerced into adopting these curricula, with loans and aid being tied to their compliance. Meanwhile, humanity’s enemies profit from this by promoting the lucrative abortion and gender transition industries.
In some sex education lessons in Africa, it is even suggested that AIDS patients can have sex without informing their partners, using disease as a tool to reduce the population— a systematic crime targeting the natural disposition of humanity and the destruction of moral values, all to enslave people for the profit of capitalist giants.
The documentary, which exposes this, contains content not suitable for general publication, but I will share a critical segment with you, ALLAH willing. A French psychiatrist features in the film, where several students share their distress over the embarrassment, privacy violations, and attacks on their modesty they endure in schools under the banner of this so-called education. They are averse to it, and the psychiatrist questions how these lobbies were able to influence the policies of entire nations.
The answer is simple: The moral compass of these societies has been lost, and they have become disconnected from their Creator. It is easy, then, for criminals to lead them astray. One of my friends commented on the film, saying: “This alone deserves the title ‘What the World Lost with the Decline of Muslims‘”.
For all these reasons, dear ones, yes, Muslims are humanity’s last refuge.
Conclusion
You might ask: “Well, what’s required of me? How will my sense of responsibility reflect on my life?” You might say: “Even if I’m convinced by your words, the humanity you’re talking about won’t listen to me while we’re in such a civilizationally and morally backward state”. You might say: “Brother, you say we sin if we fail in our role toward humanity, but is there no encouragement? Is the sense of responsibility toward humanity just a heavy burden?”
Rather, I say: It is also a great blessing. How? We will answer these questions in the next episode, ALLAH willing, so stay with us.
Source:
- Dr. Eyad Qunaibi. المسلمون الملاذ الأخير- كن عزيزاً بإسلامك [4]. YouTube Video.
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