by Prof. Dr. Jasser Auda
1. I believe that there are a number of challenges in the ayat where Allah says, “Allah does not change the status of a people until they change themselves” (Surah Ar-Ra’d:11). Translating this into a movement language, this is a change from the bottom up, not from the top down. It’s important to work on the top, and it is a great opportunity to make some changes. But the real change has to happen from the bottom up. It is going to be slower than the top down, cost more, and need more resources, investment of time and effort. But it is worth it because this is how the sirah of the Prophet Muhammad s.w.t.
Prophet s.w.t could have sent some people to assassinate Abu Sufyan, Abu Jahal, Abu Lahab and a few people and declare an Islamic state in Mecca, literally. But he didn’t do that. He instead told them ; We are not going to fight and we are not going to be involved in the politics of Quraish. He wanted, with Quraish, to have a co-existence (“lakum deenakum wa li adeen”- Surah Al-Kafirun:6).
2. The society might not be ready for a big change in the politics of a country because the society is, first of all, not believing in Islam the same way. Any movement in Egypt, Tunisia or Syria, you name it, the society does not believe in Islam, the same Islam that the movement believes in. The society are Muslims but they have different definitions. Why? Because Islam has been defined to them in a different way.
3. In my point the movement has to continue to be a movement, a social movement that is trying to reform the society. The priority of the Islamic movement has to continue to be tarbiyah and education and research.
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