Discourses on Khilafah - Preachers of pessimism
Reflections on conversations about Islamic Politics and the Caliphate - Part One
I was recently sent two links regarding a conversation between two Muslim academics about Islamic Politics and the Khilāfah. The first video was shared with some comments saying it was a welcome contribution to the debate. The second video was a critique of the same conversation but pointing out problems as seen by the commentator.
After some time I found the time to watch both videos and felt there was a need for me to share my reflections on these videos.
What I welcomed
That there is more discussion about Khilāfah, and Islam and politics generally, is welcome in the sense that it is a reflection of the issue gaining ground when people who do not prioritise the issue feel the need to address it.
I do not think these particular academics clearly would have chosen to discuss this subject matter unless they had felt forced to by opinion within the Muslim community. One has been on the record as saying it is very low on his list of priorities (not Islam’s priorities, but his personal list of priorities). The other said in the podcast that he would have no spiritual crisis if he did not see a Khilāfah re-established in his lifetime. So both were only discussing this matter because an active discourse on this matter exists amongst Muslims.
In recent years this issue has not become the domain of any one group or organisation, but a discussion that many Muslims from different backgrounds are discussing - as well they should. J
So all of this is welcome
I also welcome any reminder that striving for ideals cannot be separated from a hard look at political realities - both in terms of how we get to a re-establishment of the Khilāfah and what things will be like when we get there.
It is also welcome to be reminded that many episodes in Muslim history during the era of the Khilāfah reveal serious shortcomings - even crimes of political leaders; and that much of history is grey and contested.
Such reminders are generally good, regardless of whether I agree with the framing of all the examples by the interlocutors in this particular conversation.
The various efforts to re-establish the Caliphate in the Muslim world are to fulfil an obligation. Whilst the fruits hoped for from that are the establishment of order from chaos, peace and security from violence and conflict, and justice from oppression, one cannot blind oneself to the potential challenges a new Caliphate will face, otherwise you’d expect all positives and no challenges.
But aside from these generally welcome points - and a few others that I will try to highlight as I go along - there is much to be critiqued about this discussion and other comments I have heard in the past of a similar tone. I will do my best to explain the problems that I sensed in the way the discussion played out - including inaccuracies, strawman arguments, and a few points relating to jurisprudence and politics that warrant highlighting.
Pessimism or realism?
If the speakers accuse others of being over optimistic, they managed to convey the opposite - an overwhelmingly pessimistic tone. If some appear unrealistic in thinking about the abilities of this Ummah today, these speakers sounded like we are destined to remain in the current state for centuries. If some appear fixated on the issue, these speakers sounded like their message was to forget the issue and just focus on yourself - or focus on very local issues instead.
It is over simplistic to caricature everyone who campaigns for the issue of Khilāfah as immature and unrealistic. Any political campaigner knows that you ‘campaign in poetry and govern in prose’. As such, many advocates for Khilāfah that I have known spend time and energy thinking about the ‘hard prose’ of the huge internal and external challenges a future Khilāfah will face. Even if that is not reflected in the ‘poetry’ of slogans, it certainly has been reflected in conferences, lectures and seminars - in particular in question and answer sessions - many times in the past to my witness.
At the same time, to remind ourselves of all of the challenges - current and potentially in the future - is important. Our Prophet ﷺ faced enormous challenges in his mission - just as all Prophets did. From having others belittle his ﷺ mission, or spreading pessimism - to physical harm to his person, military attacks and sedition in society.
Just as the Prophetic polity in Al Madinah Al Munawwarah faced challenges, the subsequent Caliphates that followed the Prophetic guidance all faced challenges - whether external attacks or internal schisms, reminding ourselves of these examples is important. Whilst some seem to take these lessons as “things were far from perfect in Islamic civilisation”, I have always been encouraged to see these things in a more constructive and instructive way.
The sum of the lessons is to expect huge problems, but to learn from examples of the Prophet ﷺ and Rashidūn Caliphates is that perseverance to find solutions on the basis of Islamic principle without compromise, and trusting in Allah is the route through these challenges - not to dilute those principles.
The odds in Badr were 3:1 - yet it was the trust in Allah by the Prophet ﷺ and the believers that allowed them to see beyond the narrow horizon of the material situation.
From the outset of his administration Sayiduna Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, was faced with a crisis on three fronts. His perspective was that he should address them all.
Salahuddin Ayubi was faced with a divided Ummah and an occupying force that had dominated for a century - but he had the resolve and optimism to look beyond the challenges.
Muhammad al Fatih was faced with a chain across the Bosphorus which prevented his ships getting to Constantinople, but his ingenuity and resolve was such that he looked to overcome what others might have said was an unrealistic situation.
Perhaps pessimists then, as now, would have used terms like having to be realistic, careful, sensitive etc when challenging the bold vision of these leaders.
Challenges are not, of course, unique to Islamic history. If one looks at historical experiences outside of Muslim history - the early years of the United States of America, the Soviet Union (and the Russian Federation after it), modern China - all of these, faced immense challenges that serve as a lesson for students of history.
Of course, for everyone one of these amazing examples from Islamic civilisation we could think of overambitious or even reckless plans that failed.
Yet even some of these live in our memory today as noble causes that merit respect despite their lack of immediate success in a worldly sense.
Sayiduna Hussein, may Allah be pleased with him, is remembered for his stand against a usurper.
Omar Mukhtar took a stand against overwhelmingly more powerful Italian invaders, against the advice of those who suggested he should accept the occupation (and perhaps salvage some good elements of religious practice in the society). He is remembered positively for his stance against the odds, even though was captured and executed.
Who would dare to say that these and others who made an effort in a noble cause against the odds had ‘failed’?
Blinded by pessimism
One of the main problems of a pessimistic outlook on the global situation of Muslims is there is a neglect of what we do possess as an Ummah in terms of material resources - whether human, natural or strategic.
We heard during this conversation that in the opinion of one the speaker liberating Gaza was unfeasible by a country like Egypt. We were told that “we need to be honest” about such things - as if those who raise the issue of military intervention by the armed forces of a Muslim country (or countries) to rescue the people of Gaza are being dishonest by reminding Muslims of the ḥukm of Allah for this issue. More than that, they are suggesting a rational and plausible geopolitical solution, after considering the military capabilities of those countries and the fragility of the occupiers and their ‘super-power’ backers. Indeed, after clearly understanding that the current colonial regimes are sadly unlikely to act it becomes even more clear why we need to discuss Khilāfah - because it is not lack of capability that prevents a rescue but a lack of political will.
Woe betide us if we as Muslims decouple thinking about political challenges from reminding people of the ḥukm of Allah in any given situation, and from reinforcing a conviction of having a trust that Allah will help if you act righteously and persevere in your effort according to His Guidance.
In my experience you can tell pessimism from realism because the latter does not stop you from thinking about how to rise to the challenges to fulfil Divine obligations and trust in Allah’s Help, whereas the former leaves you thinking you should forget about the solution to the issue at hand and instead focus on something easier.
I hope to address other matters in the next few parts of my reflections - the issue of reformist arguments; where Khilafah sits in terms of Shariah priorities; what kind of Caliphate we might envisage; concerns about authoritarianism and centralisation; and Sunnah governance versus nation states.