Muslims are passing through the darkest periods of their history marked with downfalls and disgraces. Muslims might not have faced such harsh conditions, embarrassments and humiliations throughout their history which seems to have become their fate these days. The current decline of Muslims is not confined to one or two domains of life. Instead their decline is all-conclusive, which is continuing approximately for last two centuries. Now it has reached its peak point. What else would be the most appropriate example to prove the fact that today the world powers have accustomed to target us and destroy us whenever and however they want at their own will. Every one of us is well aware of whatever has happened and what is happening in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Palestine. The destruction of Iraq was severer than the destruction of Afghanistan, and the destruction of Syria was the severest of them all. World powers are now hell bent on taking precedence over one another in brutality and savagery. Be it USA, Britain, Russia, or France, they are all up against one or the other Muslim nation in recent times, with one or the other pretext. The way Syria was destroyed and its cities annihilated, particularly, the historical city of Aleppo was ruined and devastated, not even the waste and garbage deserve such sort of treatment. The sheer brutality and savagery shown by the West might have shaken up the souls of Genghis and Hulagu Khans! What is more tragic and disturbing is that such barbarism and savagery is happening in the era of information explosion. There is none, neither the Muslim countries nor the West to shed tears on this tragedy.
In these harsh times of their history, despite all these humilities and disgraces faced by them, Islam still remains a force. Muslims are retreating in the east, but Islam is knocking the doors of the West; People are largely getting acquainted with the teachings of Islam everywhere, particularly in Americas and Europe. The message of Islam is getting brighter day by day with the scientific marvels of Qur’an and hadith, and its veracity is becoming increasingly clear. That is why in spite of the setback of Muslims in the East, Islam’s popularity in the West is on the rise. Especially, the percentage of Muslim population is increasing in the European and American countries constantly. One factor for this rise is attributed to the population of migrants; nevertheless the local people too are embracing Islam on a large scale.
The popularity of Islam in the West is not confined to the masses, but its elite class too is turning towards Islam. A number of known personalities of the West have embraced Islam, including Lauren Booth, sister in-law of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, British ambassador to Saudi Arabia Simon Paul Collis, Manuela Franco Barbato the daughter of a former Italian member of parliament Franco Barbato and many more. Some observers and analysts have opined that if the pace of the spread of Islam continued in the same fashion, Islam will poised to become the largest religion in Europe and America in a matter of few decades. It is because of this fear the extremist class of the West have waged the campaign of Islamophobia against Islam in the West.
However, God has destined rise and dominance for Islam. According to a hadith of Bukhari, “Islam will always prevail and dominate; it won’t get dominated.” History stands witness that Muslims often came out victorious from most difficult times in their history. Each time Islam played its part in bringing pride and glory to the Muslims. The best example in this regard could be of Tartars, who invaded the Islamic world in the 12th and 13th centuries AD, tearing apart the Muslim empires, killing millions of people and annihilating and devastating Muslim countries. But soon the entire Tartar community entered into Islam with the efforts of Muslim preachers.
The pride and glory enjoyed by Muslims in the past owes to Islam. If Muslims want to regain their lost glory today, Muslims need to abide by the teachings of Qur’an and hadith; they must spread the message of Islam to other nations; they must aim at spreading Islam putting aside all sorts of prejudices. Allah has associated our pride with the pride of Islam. This is the lesson the history is teaching us and this is the message the Holy Qur’an is conveying to us:
“Oh believers! If you assist Allah, He will assist you, and He will set your feet firmly.” (Qur’an: 47:7)
