I once heard a lecture by a well-known Islamic scholar and thinker, delivered in a city in India. The topic of his speech was “Islam in the Modern Era.” At the end of the lecture, someone from the audience asked the speaker what guidance the Shariah provides for us in a country like India. Upon hearing this question, the Muslim scholar remained silent for a while and then said that answering this question is very difficult. This is because the model of a position of strength exists in Islamic Shariah, but the model of a position of modesty does not.
For a long time, I wondered why this scholar leader could not find a model for a position of modesty in Islamic Shariah. Finally, I understood that this scholar (like other contemporary Muslim leaders) knew only the codified jurisprudence (fiqh) as Islamic Shariah, i.e., the fiqh that was developed when Muslims were in a position of power and authority in all respects. Consequently, the Islamic jurisprudence that was developed during that time, consciously or unconsciously, became the jurisprudence of the powerful. It represented the state of power and authority. This is why, in the present era, when Muslim leaders saw that they had been deprived of absolute authority, they felt that their Shariah did not provide them with any positive guidance for their position of modesty. As a result, in the current era, they saw no other option but to start a fight with others to regain power.
Undoubtedly, the jurisprudence developed during the era of power did not contain this guidance, but the Quran, which was revealed during the early period, undoubtedly contained eternal teachings. It provided guidance for every situation, even for the state that the said Muslim leader described as a position of modesty. This is because God knew in advance that Muslims would not always remain in the same condition. They would face different situations at different times. As the Quran states: “If you have suffered a wound, they too have suffered a similar wound. We bring these days to men by turns, so that God may know those who believe, and choose witnesses from among you; and God does not love the unjust.” (3:140)
The Prophet Muhammad experienced both states. His Makkan period was, as it were, a period of modesty for him, and his Madinan period was a period of power. Both these states are equally desirable, and there are equal models for both states in the life of the Prophet. Neither model is inferior, nor is any model superior. In the eyes of God, all decisions are based on the person’s inner intentions, not on external political or non-political conditions.
