Volume 8 Surah 9 - Enjoy Islam

Al-Tawbah (The Repentance) | THE EARTH’S SUFFOCATING EXPANSEsuggests that a section from each group in the Muslim community should go out tofight, with a system that allows alternation between the fighters and those who staybehind to attend to other tasks. The group of fighters acquires a more profoundunderstanding of this faith as they take practical action seeking to consolidate itsbase. Hence these fighters are the ones who, on their return, warn their peopleagainst any complacency in attending to their duties.This interpretation is based on views expressed by such leading commentators asIbn `Abbās, al-Ĥasan al-Başrī and Ibn Kathīr. It is also the view of Ibn Jarīr al-Ţabarī.Its central point is that this faith has its own method of action, and it cannot beproperly understood except by those who actively implement it. Hence those who goout to fight for its cause are the ones most likely to understand it best. Its underlyingmeanings, its implications, its practical implementation and its main features unfoldto them as they move under its banner. Those who stay behind are the ones whoneed to be informed by those who take practical action, because the latter are theones who witness and learn all these aspects. They are the ones who probe its secrets.This is particularly so, if the campaign they join is one led by the Prophet himself.However, every jihād campaign is a means to acquire a better understanding of thisfaith.This is perhaps the reverse of what may appear at first sight, with those who arenot on a jihād campaign being the ones who devote time to studying andunderstanding this faith. But this is a delusion that does not fit with the nature of thisfaith, which makes action one of its basic requirements. Hence it is understood moreprofoundly by those who take action and strive to establish it as a code of living inspite of the opposition they encounter from the forces of jāhiliyyah. Experienceconfirms that those who are not involved in the method of action to serve this faithdo not understand it properly, no matter how much time they spend in studying itfrom books. That is a cold study, while real insight is acquired only by those who jointhe efforts aiming to establish it as a practical code of living. It is never acquired bythose who only look at books and papers.Proper understanding of this faith does not evolve except where action is taken toserve its cause. It cannot be taken from a scholar who stays idle when action isneeded. Those who occupy their time with studying books to deduce rulings and`renew’ or `develop’ Islamic law, as the Orientalists say, do not really understand thenature of this faith. They take no part in the movement which aims to liberatehumanity from different tyrannical authorities, and from submission to others, sothat they may submit to God alone. With such lack of action, they cannot put its lawsand concepts into their proper form.Islamic law came about after Islamic action had moved ahead. First, submission toGod was properly established when a community had determined to submit itself to240