(Taken from a essay by Rashid Rida[1] in 1892[2])
In 1882, after the so-called Ismail the Magnificent drove the Khedivate’s economy into the ground, the British invaded and effectively established a protectorate over Egypt. They tell us we’re still technically part of the Exalted Ottoman State, but the Egyptian Army has been reorganized according to a British model and it is now staffed with British officers, so I am not very much inclined to believe them.
While this is happening, the so-called Caliph Abdul Hamid II did nothing. He was too busy wallowing in self pity after losing a war to Russia in 1878, which resulted in the loss of territories that had been a part of the Ottoman State for 500 years. Before then, the Caliph was steeped in debt with foreign powers as a result of the Crimean War.
The fact that the Caliph has been humiliated not once, but twice, by the Christian powers naturally leads the State’s subjects to question the Caliph’s legitimacy to claim leadership of the State. Translated from Arabic, the word ‘Caliph’ means ‘successor’. Abdul Hamid II, when he wears this title, is claiming to be the successor of the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him). But he is not just the successor of the Prophet. He is only one in a long line of caliphs, which began with the Prophet’s father in law, Abu Bakr. The Rashidun Caliphs expanded Islam’s reach from Arabia into North Africa and onto the European continent and into Persia.
But the righteousness of the Caliph and his right to rule, in my view, ended with the death of Hasan bin Ali. After him, the title of caliph became a meaningless title held by someone who just happened to be leader of a Islamic empire.
Muawiyah didn’t come to power through his devotion to the faith. He came to power through his family ties to the Umayyad clan and even while he was Caliph, he never made mention of the Prophet publicly and focused on pleasing the Christians in Jerusalem.
Yazid I came to power, not through devotion to faith, but through hereditary means. He murdered Husayn bin Ali at Karbala and pillaged Medina. He has been rightfully called a ‘arrogant drunken sot’.
But in my view, it is the Sultans of the Ottoman State who have disgraced the title more than any other in history.
Ibraham the 1st was a mentally ill child who pleasured himself with a haram of concubines.
Mustafa was keept in a cage from age 11 and was entertained by two slave girls.
Murad the 4th ordered mass exeecutions merely for his own entertainment.
The position of Caliph has been utterly disgraced ever since the last of the Rashidun Caliphs died and it has lost it’s once-treasured religious significance. The utter failure of the Ottoman Caliphate, under it’s present leadership, to protect it’s sacred territories and to prevent one of it’s most important areas from coming under unofficial Christian occupation only shows how weak the Caliph’s hold on his dominion is.
After his death, there should still be a Caliph, of course, but it’s religious sanctity needs to be restored. This can be done by giving one who is faithful the position of being consulted by the Caliph into the functions of government. This consultant, or perhaps, a group of consultants (Shura) will ensure that Allah has influence on the policies of the government.
But of course, a Caliph, if he wants to remain in his position, should be open to new ideas. Hanzala ibn Abi’ Amir, the son of a companion of Mohammad (peace be upon him), said “A dirham of riba which a man receives knowingly is worse than committing adultery thirty six times”, In essence, Islam forbids the taking of interest because it makes the poorest poor and the rich very much richer. The laws governing social relations (muamalat) must be changed, to a degree not contradicting Islamic law, simply due to the reality that in Western capitalism, taking interest is as common as taking money from the poor and giving it to the rich. The Muslim ummah must be willing to accept Western economic practices if it is to survive in the modern era.
Yes, Islam, as a religion, must be upheld, but this does not mean we have to follow every word of the faith in the same context as the Prophet (peace be upon him) did. The Prophet Mohammad’s time has passed like sand in the hourglass. The ulama must learn to adapt to these changing times.
These changing times include the undeniable fact that science has a role to play in Islam. In particular, the theory of evolution. The stories which are told in the Qur’an, in regards to how the world was created, are allegorical at best and are not to be taken completely seriously. The history, which is told in the Qur’an, at worst, is a Hebrew fairy tale and so is not to be believed by Muslims.
There must be more scientists and more people of reason within Islam. The Western world, with all of it’s advancements has much to teach the Islamic world, and contrary to what some believe, it is inevitable that the Islamic world accepts these advancements. Allah created all life. That includes the life that the West calls 'microbes'. The existence of microbes must be acknowledged by the Islamic world.
But, as Islam modernizes, we should always remember that Sharia must be at the centrepoint of all Muslims. Koran 5:44 says "Indeed, we sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light. THe prophets who submitted to Allah judged by it for the Jews, as did the rabbis and scholars by that which they were entrusted of the Scripture of Allah. So do not fear the people, but fear Me, and do not exchange my verses for a small price. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, then it is those who are the disbelievers",
Qur'an 5:44 applies to `...whomsoever thinks it distasteful to rule in accordance with the just rules which God sent down, and does not rule by them because he has different views, or because he has worldly interests. According to these verses, they are unbelievers; because true faith requires obedience. Obedience requires deeds, and is not consistent with omission", [3]
In conclusion, the position of Caliph must be returned to it's place of treasured religious significance. This should be followed by a emphasis on the integration of the prevalence of scientific advances with religious doctrine, all the while maintaining that we are a Islamic people and that we should follow our core beliefs, but with some major alterations to co-exist with and perhaps demystify the West.
[1] Another real person from history and another Islamic modernist.
[2] Like the last one, this essay is entirely fictitious, but it is based on Rashad Radi's beliefs.
[3] Actual quote from Rashid Rahid. Islamic modernism is not the same thing as secularism.
