- MB Opinions
- July 31, 2023
- 8 minutes read
The Desired Change

The nature of the desired change is one of the essential components of a clear vision: We must have faith in the legitimacy of this change and its adherence to religious guidelines. We seek a profound change, one that starts with the awakening of the spirit and the life of the heart; We want the Muslim individual, the Muslim home, and the Muslim people, but before that, we want the Islamic idea to prevail, influencing all aspects of life and colouring it with Islam. We wish for our nation to stand out and to return to its historic greatness, we aspire for the dominance of Islamic values and law in society, and for this to be a reality and in essence, not just a facade or slogans. We desire to guard this, and this is the responsibility of the entire community, with all its institutions and individuals.
This profound change is a matter of faith, so it should not be imposed forcefully, but rather must be done willingly and by choice. Replacing one government with another Islamic one does not constitute change or empowerment. Instead, the conviction and choice of the people are fundamental. This requires that the approach to change must be radical, and it must be gradual.
Radical change differs from superficial change, as it occurs by fostering conviction among the societal units about the necessity of a peaceful solution to our problems under the banner of Islam. It is radical, not superficial, because it begins with the individuals of society and its institutions. As Al-Hudaybi said: “Establish the state of Islam in your hearts, and it will be established on your land."
It is radical because it originates from within the institutions of society and alongside them, not on their ruins. It begins with individuals and institutions, not by seizing power to enforce change. In this radical change, the institutions of society believe in Islamic change, and thanks to their effectiveness, the process of change begins, and due to their faith in Islam, enemies are prevented from exploiting them against the application of Islam, and individuals begin to learn state management skills. It is a radical change with two entrances: popular and institutional. “Verily, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.”
The change being discussed is gradual. As the saying goes, “true growth is neither a piece of land that’s cut off, nor a back that’s left untouched”. Therefore, anyone who hurries to pick a fruit before it is ripe, or a flower before its time, will lose everything. Hence, we restrain emotional impulses with logical insights, we obligate imagination to truth and reality, and we do not confront the laws of the universe because they are overpowering. Instead, we benefit from them, use them, and employ some of them to help others.
Since the change is gradual and not immediate, force is not the means to achieve it. The true call first addresses the spirit, communicates with hearts, and attempts to unlock the depths of souls. It is impossible to accomplish this with a stick or any other means of violence.
The high command of the Islamic movement has always held onto the principle of gradual change since the dawn of Islam. It began with the strength of belief and faith. As said in the Quran, "Did you not see those who were told to hold back their hands and perform the prayer and give zakat?"
Then the high Islamic command itself decided to deepen the power of unity and cohesion with its historic decision of migration and brotherhood between the migrants and the helpers. As stated in the Quran, "They love those who emigrated to them and find not any want in their hearts of what the emigrants were given but give [them] preference over themselves, even though they are in poverty."
Finally, the high command itself allowed the use of force for the first time, after the Muslims established a nascent state in Medina. As expressed in the Quran, "Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged, and indeed Allah is capable of granting them victory." This is wise leadership that is not enticed by false enthusiasm, for it knows that the most enthusiastic, impulsive, and reckless people may be the most panicked, collapsed, and defeated when faced with reality. Impulse, recklessness, and enthusiasm often stem from a lack of appreciation for the reality of costs, not from courage, tolerance, and determination.
This might be inspired by the inability to endure hardship, harm, and defeat, which drives individuals to seek action, advocacy, and victory in any form, without considering the costs. Once faced with these costs, they find them heavier than anticipated and more challenging than imagined, becoming the first to despair, retreat, and collapse. In contrast, those who restrain themselves, endure hardship and harm for some time, and prepare for the matter, remain firm. As stated in Quran 4:77, "When they are called to fight, some of them fear people as they should fear Allah, or even more. They say: 'Our Lord, why have you ordained fighting for us? If only You had granted us a delay for a short while.'"
An aware leadership realizes that the path is clearly laid out and its steps and boundaries are defined. It may be a long path, but there is no other. The change we seek is global, and its characteristics have been defined since the dawn of this mission. As stated in the Quran, "And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a bringer of good tidings and a warner to all mankind." Its first global seeds appeared in the meeting of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, as indicated by his saying, "I am the leader of the Arabs, Bilal is the leader of the Abyssinians, Suhaib is the leader of the Romans, and Salman is from us, the family of the house."
Every part of the Islamic nation must join the body of the Ummah, which colonial policy and its ambitions tore apart. The nation in its unity does not recognize divided and fragmented states; every inch of land for Muslims is the large homeland that must be liberated, rescued, and have its parts joined together. We want the flag of Allah to return high and waving.
We want the desired change to be stable and continuous, not shaky or temporary. We do not want the Islamic state to rise and then collapse. Circumstances or enthusiasm may call for its establishment, but its persistence is the goal, and its stability and strength are more important than mere establishment. The collapse of the state after its establishment is a great betrayal of our Islam and leads millions of Muslims to frustration and despair, just as if the state was established weak and shaky.
The duty is great and requires the entire nation, in all its diversity and variety, and cannot be achieved by some of the nation's sons, no matter their number and strength. The project is for the entire nation, and its comprehensiveness, global nature, and character require everyone's efforts. Therefore, no one can substitute the nation in this duty.
We must educate, lead, and utilize all the forces of change, coordinating their cooperation to achieve conviction and accept the burdens of change. The vanguard of change is pioneering and leading, we pray to Allah that we are among them, and its fundamental forces are our Islamic peoples, its supporting forces are society's institutions, and its endorsing forces are the true Muslims all over the world.
The desired change is deep, not superficial; radical, not superimposed; gradual, not instantaneous; global, not regional; stable, not temporary. We guide the nation to it, and we do not substitute it in that regard.