What are the things that has disappeared from the Muslim Ummah ?!?

Generally, things that have disappeared from the Muslim Ummah are numerous; whether we realize it or not. But what we always hear and what is often said and mentioned by leaders, theologians, missionaries, Islamic lecturers and fighters is knowledge. Almost all the Muslim Ummah know and recognize the fact that we have lost the knowledge that we once fostered and mastered in various fields.

The Muslim Ummah once mastered philosophy, science, medicine astrology, geography, history and mathematics besides knowledge that were derived from the Quran and Hadith that brought forth experts in the Unity of God (Tawhid), fiqh, mysticism (tasawuf), interpretation (tafsir), hadith, history and others.


In that era, the Muslim Ummah became teachers and were referred to in matters of knowledge and learning in various fields by all peoples of the world. In fact, peoples of Europe too came to the Muslim world to learn various disciplines of knowledge. The knowledge that now belongs to the Westerners and Americans, which they expanded and mastered, originated from the knowledge that once belonged to the Muslims. The Westerners and Europeans fathomed, widened and expanded the knowledge until they become teachers to the other peoples of the world. This includes the Muslims who are forced to relearn the knowledge from them.

The fact that knowledge has been lost by the Muslims is known and recognized by almost all Muslims because it is often said and mentioned in various speeches and writings. But what we should remember, is it the only thing we have lost? Are there no other things besides knowledge that the Muslim Ummah have also lost, that we need to regain or in some cases, that is mandatory for us to recover and redeem.

The truth is, there are many things that are lost from the Muslim Ummah, the majority of which are mandatory for us to regain and recover because they are precious and valuable and are Things that required for our safety on earth and more so in the Hereafter. I shall state roughly the things that are lost from the Muslim Ummah which can be divided into two categories as follows:

First: Things that are lost specifically
Second: Things that are lost generally

Things that are lost from Muslims or the Muslim Ummah specifically. Among them are:

1. The loss of justice, love and care amongst leaders or rulers.
2. The loss of courage, love and care, advice and disattachment to the worldly (zuhd) amongst theologians.
3. The loss of modesty and shyness amongst women.
4. The loss of patience amongst the poor and destitute.
5. The loss of generosity amongst the rich.
6. The loss of humbleness and humility amongst the elite in society.
7. The loss of knowledge amongst devotees.
8. The loss of gentleness and wisdom amongst the fighters of Islam.
9. The loss of gentleness and wisdom amongst Islamic missionaries.
10. The loss of concentration and attention (khushu’) amongst people who do solat.
11. The loss of trustworthiness amongst people who are given responsibilities.
    

Things that are lost from Muslims or the Muslim Ummah generally. Among them are:

1. The loss of knowledge.
2. The loss of leadership at global or empire status.
3. The loss of good character or exemplary behaviour.
4. The loss of brotherhood, love and care.
5. The loss of jealousy and protectionism towards religion and womenfolk.
6. The loss of unity and integration amongst Muslims.
7. The loss of the feeling of possessing God or the Unity of God.
8. The loss of love and longing for the Hereafter.
9. The loss of fear towards God and towards sins.
10. The loss of reliance upon God (tawakal).
11. The loss of the feeling of contentment (qanaah).
12. The loss of the feeling of acceptance (redha).
13. The loss of patience.
14. The loss of tolerance.
15. The loss of friendship amongst Muslims.
16. The loss of obedience and loyalty amongst followers towards their leaders.
17. The loss of the Islamic civilization.
18. The loss of Islamic jurisprudence (laws) and constitution.

Such are at random, the things that are lost from the Muslim Ummah, whether those that are specific or are general in nature. If such is the case, then it means that the Muslim Ummah generally has become poor in all aspects. They are poor materially, poor morally, poor in worldly terms and poor in terms of the Hereafter. They are poor in the physical sense and also in the esoteric or spiritual sense.

As such, in order to recover everything that the Muslim Ummah have lost so that they can regain all that which once belonged to them requires a serious and diligent struggle. It demands perseverance, all forms of sacrifice, and a struggle that is organized and disciplined. It requires leaders who can become examples especially in their fear towards Allah (taqwa), knowledge and leadership. It requires obedience and loyalty of the followers. It requires a perpetual struggle that knows no end. It requires wisdom and it requires role models who can be emulated amongst the ranks of the fighters and their leaders.

Today, because of the fact that Muslims believe that what is lost is only knowledge, there seem to be some seriousness in the search and struggle for knowledge although it has not yet reached its desired levels. But it is sad and unfortunate that people do not feel that, besides knowledge, other things are also lost. Even if they feel it, they do not regard it as important as knowledge. As such, the effort and struggle to redeem the other things that are lost are not taken seriously. As a result it is difficult to regain and to redeem the other things that are lost. Not only are these things taken lightly and the effort to regain them not taken seriously, there are in fact some Muslims who could not care less about character (akhlaq), brotherhood, and others.

As an example:

When a child or a student fails in his examination, his mother, father or teacher will become angry, troubled and worried. The teacher or parent will give all kinds of advice and will pressure the child so that he passes his examination in the future. The teacher and parents ceaselessly scold and nag the child who failed. But if the same child do not do his solat or does something bad or wicked, his teacher or parents are not in the least troubled or even worried. They do not scold or nag him nor do they give advice, reminders or pressure the child to do the solat and to behave himself. Even if the teacher or parents do not feel at ease if the child do not do the solat or behave badly, such feeling is not deep, or serious and do not cause them to be pressured too much.

Such is the case with other groups of people. When it comes to knowledge, all groups take interest, all groups talk about it, all groups want to know and all groups take notice. When students fail in their examinations, all groups feel sad. If students pass and excel, all groups feel happy and excited.

Why does this happen? Because people want to use knowledge as a means to reap worldly gains and profits. We can now imagine how difficult it is to regain and to redeem things that are lost other than knowledge. Muslims do not realize that the other things that are lost will jeopardize them. Even if those things are redeemed, they do not think they will gain anything materially. Such is the severe corruption and condemnation of the soul and way of thinking of Muslims today.

Whereas the strength, survival, independence, progress, victory, happiness and harmony of Muslims are not decided by the factor of knowledge alone but by the combination of all the factors mentioned before this. Thus, it is mandatory for Muslims to struggle and fight to regain all that is lost so that all of it can become ours again. Upon them lies our glory and honour.