(9)—The Seeds of the Dream

(9)
The Seeds of the Dream
The dream of the Renaissance of Islam, of the glory that the World of the Crescent once was, has powered the thought processes of many a thinker globally since the dawn of the last century.
The names that promptly come to my mind in this context are Allama Mohammad Iqbal, Syed Jamal uddin Afghani and Hassan al-Banna. In the context of these memoirs, I want to mention the role of Hassan al-Banna specially, as he about eleven years before my birth had founded the Muslim Brotherhood movement (Ikhwan ul Mushlimeen). In 1928, Western influence was spreading, and the Caliphate had just been abolished by Mustafa Kamal Ata Turk.
For al-Banna, this historical moment was not so much a time for renewal as a time to defend a civilization which he saw as being undermined from within. The example of Kemal Ata Turk’s secularist Turkey had proved to him that the adoption of Western values, even for patriotic ends, could only lead to subservience and atheism. Al-Banna thought that the struggle against foreign domination which he compared with a renewed struggle against the Crusaders should be paramount.
The Muslim Brothers devised a program of action based on the teachings of the Quran.
Following were the tenets that were laid down when the movement began in 1928 and still hold good.
Those who have only heard of the Muslim Brotherhood or Ikhwan ul Muslimeen, should read these tenets and ponder over their simplicity.
(1) I believe that everything is under God’s command; that Mohammad (PBUH) is the seal of all prophecy, addressed to all men, that (Eternal) Retribution is a reality; that Quran is the Book of God, that Islam is a complete law that leads us in this life and the next. And I promise to recite to myself (each day) a passage from the Quran to keep the authentic tradition, to study the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the history of his followers.
(2) I believe that correct action, virtue and knowledge are among the pillars of Islam. And I promise to act correctly in carrying out the religious practices, and in avoiding evil doings. I pledge myself to good habits, and I will abhor bad habits. I will disseminate Muslim Customs as widely as possible. I will choose love and attachment over rivalry and condemnation. I will not take recourse to tribunals, unless I have to. I will reinforce the customs and language of Islam, and I will work to disseminate science and useful knowledge in all sections of the nation.
(3) I believe that the Muslim is responsible for his family, that he has a duty to keep it in good health, in the Faith, and in good habits. And I promise to do my best to inculcate the teachings of Islam in my family. I will not place my sons in a school which will not uphold their beliefs, and their good habits. I will not allow them any magazines, books or publications which deny the teachings of Islam.
(4) I believe that the Muslim has the right to bring Islam to life by the renaissance of its various peoples, and that the banner of Islam should cover mankind, and that each Muslim should educate the world in Muslim principles. And I promise to fight to achieve this aim as long as I live, and to sacrifice everything I have to this end.
The above document till today remains the spiritual fuel that has powered the Muslim Brotherhood engine for over 90 years.