Once again the blessed month of Ramadan is upon us. The Muslim Ummah across the world will like one body respond to the call of Allah to fast, to earn His SWT Pleasure – demonstrating the oneness of this Ummah and the power of the ayaat of the Quran to motivate this Ummah in fulfilling Allah’s command:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

O Believers! As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (those conscious of Allah). [Al-Baqarah: 183]

It is the blessed month that each and every one of us will seek to gain the Pleasure and Forgiveness from Allah SWT.

It is also the month to reflect on the situation of our Ummah who are all fasting across the globe. Over recent years, the Ummah has faced extraordinary tests. From facing bullets, tanks and mortars to liberate themselves from the torture of the oppressive regimes that have ruled over them for the last 90 years in the Middle East, to being forced to eat pork and drink alcohol in an attempt to violently strip them of their Islam in China. Not to mention the constant demonisation, scapegoating and oppression in the form of the Trump administration and Britain’s oppressive intrusive domestic policies. Innocent Muslims from Syria through to Burma have faced sheer subjugation from their oppressive rulers. Drone attacks, bombing campaigns, killings and kidnappings have brought death and destruction to the Muslim Ummah on an unprecedented scale. And while these events fill the news channels, the Muslims of Palestine continue to suffer under the occupation of the Zionists.

During this blessed month of Ramadan, we should think about these events and question why it is that our Ummah is suffering across the world, even though Allah SWT guided this Ummah with the Quran and the Sunnah of His Messenger (ﷺ).

Allah SWT described the month of Ramadan as the month of revelation of the Quran.

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَىٰ وَالْفُرْقَانِ

‘The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of Guidance and Criterion.’ [Al-Baqarah: 185]

This Quran has been revealed as a Huda (guidance) and Furqaan (criterion) for all mankind.

Our masajid will be filled with the recitation of the glorious Quran every night, and Muslims will recite the Quran as much as we can in this month.

Yet the question remains, why have we not taken the Quran as a Huda and Furqaan in our Ummah’s affairs?

For decades now laws and rules have governed our countries that are not from Islam; and been ruled by rulers who are the most corrupt of men. We may recite the Quran in our masajid, but our political, economic and social lives are run by manmade laws and policies based upon secular capitalism. We have been led to follow every policy and institution to seek solutions to problems, without looking to the Islamic system, which is part of our belief, culture and heritage.

The political systems in our lands swing between dictators, who make oppressive laws alone – or so-called democrats, who collectively make laws in parliament to suit the interests and benefits of a ruling elite. Both have been characterized by corruption, nepotism and slavery to western powers. Our economies have been enslaved to capitalist states that treat our countries as ‘markets’. The rich have become richer and the poor poorer. Poverty, inequality, lack of decent public services, mass unemployment and little industrialisation is the legacy of decades of economic mismanagement based upon IMF and World Bank policies. All of this occurs despite the Ummah being blessed with ample human resource, vast agricultural lands and huge reserves of natural gas, oil, coal etc.

This situation started once the Quran was removed from our public life, and was confined to guide us on our salah and fasting.

Today the Muslim Ummah is at a critical juncture. The Ummah – undergoing revolution and occupation – is looking for real change.

Allah SWT says:

  إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ

‘Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves’ [Ar-Ra’d: 11]

Our situation will not change unless we come back to taking this Quran as our sole Guidance and Furqaan.

Islam demands that the Muslim Ummah have a leadership that implements the Shari’ah and addresses all our problems from the Shari’ah perspective. Only an Islamic leadership can stand up to America’s aggression in our lands, end our dependency to the western banking systems and unify our countries, leading them onto a path of progress and prosperity. Without such an Islamic political leadership we will continue to be ruled by Western-backed corrupt rulers who will continue to keep this Ummah weak, divided and enslaved to other nations.

Here in the West, we must build our communities on a strong understanding of Islam as a complete guidance for mankind. Every Muslim should know that Ramadan is the month in which Allah revealed the Quran as a complete Guidance – not just for fasting and salah, but also for all life’s affairs. Every Muslim should know that Islam has its own unique political system that prevents politicians to legislate laws suiting their patrons in business; an economic system that can end poverty and inequality; a social system that elevates women from the status of commodities to mothers and wives; and a global system that will end nationalism, racism and the hegemony of colonial powers. Building our communities on these strong foundations means that we will not only ensure that we live by our Deen, but carry the Message of Islam to the wider society.

Our fasting in the month of Ramadan represents our determination to worship Allah SWT. But this worship should mean we rush to work to implement His Deen and reestablish the leadership of Islam.

May Allah SWT accept our fasts and prayers in this month and bring this Ummah a real change!

وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضَىٰ لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِّن بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا ۚ يَعْبُدُونَنِي لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئًا ۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

‘Allah has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them [therein] their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security, [for] they worship Me, not associating anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that – then those are the defiantly disobedient.’ [An-Nur:55]