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SUBJECT:

ISLAMIC STUDIES 2

PROJECT ON:
CHALLENGES FACED BY THE MUSLILM UMMAH IN THE 21ST CENTUARY.

PRESENTED TO:
SIR AFTAB AHMED

PRESENTED BY:
MUHAMMAD KHALIL HUSSAIN MUHAMMAD FAROOQ ZUBAIR ABDULLAH KHAN NIAZI
(MBA 19 b)

INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY ISLAMABAD

What is Islam? Islam is not a new religion, but the same truth that Allah revealed through all His Prophets to every people. For a fifth of the world's population, Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness, and the majority have nothing to do with the extremely grave events, which have come to he associated with their faith through a biased media.

CHALLENGES FACED BY THE MUSLILM UMMAH IN THE 21ST CENTUARY.

1) Muslim Unity and Solidarity


Muslims all over the world are bound together, in heart and in spirit. This unity is the means of strength for the Muslim Ummah; in fact, it's a divine gift that we Muslims must make use of. This unity is also required as regards relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims, in the sense that we are all brothers, if not in faith, in humanity. Just as a Muslim shares the agony of his fellow Muslims, he should also feel pain for what befalls his non-Muslim brothers. In reaction to the present sorry state of affairs of the Muslim Ummah, it's very important for Muslims to stand together and be united. We should live together as a group respecting and caring for each other. Allah gave us our lives so that we can help one another, and not to live just for ourselves. It's quite important for us also to realize the significance of unity and togetherness. Someone may ask, why is it so important to unite? The answer is very simple: Together we are strong! As one Ummah, we are a powerful force. This is certainly what the enemies of Islam dread most. With unity, mutual cooperation will materialize. With unity, love and affection will prevail in the society. most importantly, Muslims will cease to be an easy prey for their enemies, as is the case nowadays. Unity was the driving force behind the mechanism of forming the first Islamic State in Medina. It helped the early Muslims gain victory in all their battles against disbelievers, hence putting an end to injustice and aggression. So what more do the present Muslims need to wake up from their sleep? They need to rise up to the present challenges facing them. It's not enough for someone to claim that his cause is right, without having enough power to defend that cause; and a voice in isolation is always inaudible. So Muslims should get together and strive in the cause of Allah, Who says in the Qur'an:

[And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends one of another; they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, and they keep up the prayer and they pay the poor-due, and they obey Allah and His messenger. As for these, Allah will have mercy on them. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Wise] (At-Taw bah 9:71). One form of unity is to respond to the present situation of our Palestinian brothers and sisters, with whom all Muslims should express feelings of solidarity. All Muslims should do whatever is in their capacity to help the Palestinian brothers and sisters. Helping and supporting fellow Muslims who are persecuted and prejudiced against is a prerequisite of a sound faith. Muslims should first help and support their fellow Muslims physically if they are able to do so. Muslims should defend them by all available means. They should fight along with them to ward off any aggression against their souls, honor, and so on. If one cannot support them physically, one should help them financially. If one finds that unaffordable, one should support their cause by means of speech, publicizing their rights and making people realize their agony and feel their pain. Finally, if one cannot defend one's brothers and sisters by means of the tongue or pen, let deny the aggression committed against them. This level is the least of faith.

TECHNOLGY CHALLENGES

Another challenge faced by Muslim Ummah is, the lack of the technology. Most of the Muslim countries are backward because there is no technology to utilize the available resources and illiteracy is very common. That is why production rate in the Muslim country is very low, we can take the example of the Pakistan is the an agriculture country and 64% population depend on this field but our production is enough for the population, now a days the main crises face by Pakistan is flour that is reason for the shortage is the old method of the production in the most areas of the Pakistan,in which production rate is very low. There many mineral in the Muslims countries but there is no Tec logy to put out these precious recourses from the land and the mountain .There are many example in front of us like Saudi Arabia and the Qwait there are many oil recourses which now a days called Black Gold these both Muslim country has no their own technology to take out oil from the land and there are many American companies that are taking out oil. They are taking20% oil for this task; to overcome this problem modern technological education is very necessary.

2) ECONOMIC CHALLENGES
Introduction In many challenges an other challenge is the Economic challenge, if any nation is economically strong it can face many issue easly like European countries. With the kindness of ALLAH there are many resources in the Muslim

countries but the recourses are not fully utilized or giving the benefit to the some Muslim countries like oil. The nineteenth century was a century of political oppression whereby the powerful Western nations enslaved most of the Asian and African nations including a large number of Muslim countries. The present century, which is nearing its end, has witnessed the gradual independence of these countries from Western imperialism. However, despite our apparent success in achieving the goal of political liberty, we could not succeed in acquiring independence on intellectual, economic and strategic levels. That is why Muslim Ummah could not yet reap the fruits of its political freedom. Now the Muslim world is looking toward the coming century with hope that it will bring for it total independence in the real sense so the Muslims may find their due place among the nations of the world and may be free to live according to the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam. However, this hope cannot be realized through wishful dreams. We will have to work hard for our total freedom even more than we did for our political freedom. We need a total revision of our strategy, a well-considered plan, a collective resolution, and a revolutionary approach. In this paper, I would like to confine myself to two major issues. 1. Dependency : It is common knowledge that Ummah's basic economic problem is the dependence of the Muslim countries on other non-Muslim countries. Most of the them are borrowing huge amounts from the rich Western countries. Some countries are incurring these heavy interest-bearing loans not only for the development projects, but also for their day-to-day expenses, and what is more serious, for the payment of interest accrued on their previous loans which keeps the size of their indebtedness ever-increasing through a vicious circle. 2. Too much loan: Dependency on foreign loans is the basic disease of our economy that has not only shattered our economic life, but has also devastated our selfdetermination and has forced us to submit to the demands of our creditors, sometimes, at the price of our collective interests. It is no secret that the creditors impose their own conditions before they advance a loan. These conditions keep us under a constant foreign pressure, often stop us from pursuing our own objectives and force us to follow the policies dictated by

others. The evil consequences of dependence on foreign loans are too obvious to need any further elaboration. Islamic teachings consider "Indebtedness" as a detestable phenomenon, which should not be resorted to except in cases of extreme necessity. The Prophet, Salla-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, even refused to offer the funeral prayer for a person who died before paying back his loan. Moreover, the Muslim jurists have discussed whether it is lawful for the ruler of a Muslim State to accept the gifts offered by a non-Muslim. The answer: It is lawful only where the acceptance of gifts does not result in any kind of pressure against the interest of the Ummah. Islamic principles require that the Muslims should avoid incurring foreign debts, even if they face some hardships. But our present indebtedness was not created by lack of resources. In fact, the Muslims have never been so resource-rich. They own enormous natural resources. They occupy important strategic positions on the globe. They are joined together by a geographical chain from Morocco to Indonesia, broken only by India and Israel. They produce nearly 50% of the oil of the world. They are said to account for more than one third of the world's export of raw material. What is more, the cash they have invested in the western countries alone may be more than sufficient to set off their total liabilities. According to a recent report of Islamic Development Bank, the total external debt of the IDB member countries in 1996 amounted to 618.8 billion dollars. The deposits and assets kept by the Muslims in the Western countries are said to be much more than this amount. Obviously, there is no authentic record of such deposits, because their owners do not disclose them. However, the economic experts have estimated them to be between 800 and 1000 billion dollars, out of which 250 billions are said to be taken back by the Arabs to their own countries after the Gulf War. Practically it means that we are borrowing a part of our own money at a high rate of interest. Even if these estimated figures are taken to be greater one can hardly deny the fact that had these huge amounts been kept and properly used within the Muslim world, the Ummah would have never resorted to incur the debt of more than six hundred billion dollars. Our dependence on foreign loans is self-imposed for which we cannot blame anyone but ourselves. We did never probe in to the factors underlying the flight of our capital. We did never try to remove those factors and instill confidence in our own people. We could not deliver

ourselves from the corrupt and oppressive system of taxation. We were not able to create a peaceful atmosphere for investment. We could not provide our countries with stable political system. We did not bother to create opportunities for the sound utilization of capital and, above all, we failed to mobilize the spirit of Islamic unity and to activate the strength of the Muslim Ummah as a whole. The tragic situation cannot be corrected by expensive celebrations at the advent of the new century. We will have to take the challenge of time seriously. Our economic and political leadership will have to find ways and means to free ourselves from dependence on foreign countries. We already have the basic resources for that. All we need is to design new policies to utilize the wealth of the Ummah within the Muslim world, and to develop the concept of Islamic brotherhood and mutual understanding and cooperation. The Allah says in Holy Quran: "All the Muslims are brothers." Quranic injunctions and the Prophetic teachings require that the Muslim Ummah should act as a single body. The geographical barriers should not divide them into different nations with conflicting objectives. The political boundaries may only be tolerated for the internal administrative affairs of each country, but all the Muslim countries must have a united face at least with reference to the common objectives of the Muslim Ummah vis--vis the rest of the world. Gone are the days when technical know-how was the monopoly of a few Western countries. Now, the Muslim talent is capable of at least handling the immediate requirements of the Ummah. What we need is to seek this talent, and to put it to the service of this Ummah with a missionary zeal. But all this requires the unified efforts from the leadership of our countries. This is the biggest challenge faced by them. They must meet it, not only for the betterment of the Ummah, but for their own survival. A great responsibility, in this respect, lies on the shoulders of OIC, which should take the initiative and create a Muslim talent pool to design new policies for the Ummah as a joint body. 3. Restricting our Economic Systems The twentieth century has witnessed the rise of communism, the conflict between capitalist and communist countries and lastly the fall of communism. The capitalist Western countries are celebrating the fall of communism as if it was an empirical evidence of their own victory, not only on a political front but also on ideological plane. The fact is, however, that communism was based on an emotional reaction against some evil consequences of the capitalist economy, specially, against the element of inequitable distribution

of wealth, which has been experienced in the capitalist countries throughout the centuries. The failure of communism was not due to its justified criticism of the evils of capitalism. Rather it was caused by the inherent defects of the alternative system suggested by it. The capitalist economies still suffer from inequities in the distribution of wealth. There is still a large gap between the haves and the have-nots and 'poverty in the midst of plenty' is still the major problem of their economy. These are the real problems created by capitalism and unless they are satisfactorily solved, it may give birth to another reaction that may be more aggressive than communism. The world, therefore, is badly in need of a Third Economic System. The Muslim Ummah can work out this system based on the Islamic norms. The economic principles taught by the Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet (SallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) are quite capable of solving the major economic problems faced by the world today. While they allow private ownership and market economy, they also provide a well considered system of distributive justice, which may eliminate the inequities and bring about a system in which profit motive works with the collective interest of the society. The basic fault of communism was that, frustrated with the inequity of capitalism, it assailed the very institutions of private ownership and market forces and developed a utopian idea of planned economy which was unnatural, artificial and oppressive. The denial of individual liberty curtailed the zeal for production and the wide powers of the state left the destiny of the people in the hands of the ruling class. It was neither private ownership nor the institution of market forces that was the basic cause of injustice in the capitalist system. The basic factor for creating inequities in the capitalist countries was the absence of a criterion to differentiate between just and unjust earnings. The instruments of interest, gambling, speculative transactions and the tools of exploiting immoral desires of the consumers to secure huge profits were allowed, which tend to create monopolies and in turn paralyze the forces of demand and supply or at least obstruct their operation. It is thus ironical that the capitalist ftheory on the one hand asserts the principles of lassiez-faire but, on the other, by allowing the aforesaid instruments, interferes with their natural function and stops the market forces from playing their due role by creating monopolies that impose their arbitrary decisions on the bulk of the common people. The system of interest favors the rich industrialists who benefit from the wealth of the common people who deposit their savings in the bank, and after making huge profits do not allow the common people to share these profits except to the extent of a fixed rate of interest that is again taken back by them as it is charged to the cost of production. At macro level, it means that these rich people always use the money of depositors for their own benefit and in reality pay nothing to them because the interest payments are always added to

the cost of production. Similarly, gambling is a major instrument for concentrating the wealth of thousands of men in a few hands and for promoting the disastrous motive of greed for the unearned income. The speculative transactions are also a major source of disturbing the natural market operations and contribute to the inequities in the distribution of wealth. Islam not only allows the market forces but also provides mechanism to keep them operative with their natural force without their being hindered by monopolies. It applies two types of controls on the economic activities. First, it subjects the process of earning to certain divine injunctions, which clearly define the limits of halal and haram. These injunctions tend to prevent monopolies and curb the unjust and immoral earnings and commercial activities detrimental to the collective interest of the society. In the context of modern economic needs where the savings of the common people are activated to boost development, the use of the Islamic instruments like musharakah and mudarabah, instead of interest, may make the common people directly share the fruits of development which may bring prosperity in a balanced manner reducing the gap between the rich and the poor. Second, the institution of zakat, sadaqat, and certain other financial obligations provide that even the halal income is again distributed to the persons who could not earn enough due to insufficient market opportunities. Through the twin controls, the wealth is kept under constant circulation and the chances of its concentration are almost eliminated. 4. Negligence of the Islamic economic system But our main tragedy is that the principles of Islamic economy are still in theoretical form for which no living example is available. The Muslim countries have not tried to structure their economy on Islamic basis. Most of them are still following the capitalist system and that too in a half-baked manner, which has made the economic atmosphere much worse than that of the developed capitalist countries. Unfortunately, despite having the clear cut Islamic injunctions, the inequities existing in Muslim countries are far more severe than in the Western world. This tragic situation cannot last forever. If we are not prepared to mend our ways, some natural process of revolution is bound to find its way. If we want to avoid disastrous consequences of such revolution, we'll have to restructure our economic system on the basis of clear guidance provided by the Qur'an and Sunnah. Our success in setting an example for implementing the Islamic principles will be our best gift to the human fraternity at the advent of the new century. I hope that if the principles of Islamic economy are

implemented sincerely, we'll find the world more receptive to them today than we experienced it in the past.

3) INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CHALLAGES


Introduction The information technology (IT) revolution has taken the world by storm. Many Muslim scholars, scientists and intellectuals have joined the bandwagon in extolling its merits and virtues. Evidence of the eagerness on the part of some Muslims to embrace such technology, has been the proliferation of Islamic sites on the Internet, some devoted to Islamic education and propagation, others being of a more commercial nature. Further evidence of Muslim interest in IT is the growing number of workshops, seminars, and conferences devoted to the issue, as well as the establishment of IT centres throughout the Muslim world. For example, in the past few years, the Organization of Islamic Conference Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), has established four Centres for IT and Computer Science in Cameroon, Senegal, Pakistan and Syria (soon to be opened). Even governments are bracing themselves for the wave of the future. In contrast to the above, Muslim scholars, scientists, intellectuals, political leaders, etc., other Muslim scholars have been more hesitant in accepting the IT revolution. Members of this group warn about its possible ill effects on Muslim youth and society in general. Particularly in the Islamic fields, one finds many scholars reluctant to use such technology, even for research and academic purposes, despite having access to such facilities. What are some of the barriers that such scholars face in accepting and utilizing such technology? What are some of their concerns and to what extent are such concerns legitimate from an Islamic point of view? Still another group of Muslims recognises that in spite of some negative side-effects, there are some very positive benefits to be gained via the use of IT, in the Muslim world. In this respect, a number of conferences and seminars have begun to address the 'Islamicity' of IT, as well as how Muslims can use IT to further their own goals and purposes. This article seeks to address some of the above positions and issues in the Islamic world, in an effort to determine the extent to which such technology can be considered Islamic or un-Islamic, as defined by the Holy Qur'an and sunnah (traditions) of the Prophet Muhammad. It will also discuss some of the benefits, barriers and concerns of Muslim societies in general and Muslim scholars in particular, in accepting and utilising IT. Finally, a number of recommendations will be made on how some of these barriers and concerns can be overcome.

Perspective of the Quran and Sunnah on IT Prior to delving into the Islamic perspective on the issue, it is best to commence with a proper definition of what is meant by Information Technology (IT) (in Arabic ilm al-ma'lumat al-tiqaniyyah). IT is essentially a composite word derived from the words 'information' and 'technology'. Webster's Universal College Dictionary (1997) defines information as 'knowledge communicated or received concerning a particular fact or circumstance' or 'knowledge gained through study, communication, research, instruction etc.' (p. 419). Technology on the other hand is defined as 'the science of the application of knowledge to practical purposes'. Juxtaposed together, the two terms have come to refer to 'the use of computers and telecommunications for the processing and distribution of information in digital, audio, video, and other forms' (Morris, 1992, p. 1107). The first thought which probably crosses the minds of those unfamiliar with Islam, is what possible relationship could there be between IT, as defined above, and a book revealed 1400 years ago (i.e., the Holy Quran)? Perhaps it is best to state the obvious. The Quran is neither a scientific text-book, nor a technological 'how-to' manual. Instead it is a book of guidance, which contains general principles applicable to all times and places. Quranic principles and guidance pertain to all spheres of life, the scientific sphere being no exception and by analogy the domain of IT. As seen above, there is a direct link between IT and the acquisition of knowledge. It is here that the relationship between the Quran and IT lies in Islam. The importance of seeking and acquiring both revealed and human investigated knowledge was stressed from the very first revelation, "Read in the name of your Lord, who created, created man from a clot" (Quran: 96: 1-2). The tremendous value Islam attaches to the acquisition of knowledge is emphasised in numerous other verses as well. For example, the Quran makes a clear distinction between those who possess knowledge and those who do not (Quran: 39: 9). In addition, humans are encouraged to ask Allah to help them increase their knowledge (Quran 20: 114). In fact, many Muslim scholars consider the search for knowledge as an act of ibadah (worship), as long as the seeker is sincere in his/her pursuit and pursues such knowledge with the intention of pleasing Allah. Generally speaking, the Islamic tradition has classified knowledge into two categories. The first kind of knowledge is that given by God to man via revelation. This type of knowledge is regarded as the highest form of knowledge and consequently is made obligatory on every Muslim to learn, understand and implement. The second form of knowledge is that acquired by humans through

rational inquiry based on experiments and observation (al-Attas, 1978, p. 74). It is in this latter category that the field of IT lies. In the early Islamic period, Muslims attached great importance to collecting, storing and preserving both the Quran and Prophetic traditions for future generations. By analogy, it holds that Muslims should employ whatever means are available today to access information, store, process and distribute their heritage, ideas etc. In this respect, IT is simply a means to an end. While there is nothing in the Quran and sunnah which clearly prohibits Muslims from developing and utilising IT for their own needs, like all technology, IT can be employed for both positive and negative ends. It is up to humans to decide which end they will use it for. Allah (swt) has given humans revealed guidance endowed them with reason and subsequently held them accountable for all their actions. Ultimately, they will be judged by their intentions, since the Prophet Muhammad has stated, 'the reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he (or she) has intended' (Bukhari). The extent to which IT falls within the legal parameters or spirit of the shariah (Islamic law) and takes into consideration public interest, ecological balance, social justice etc., can be considered halal (permissible) and desirable. Conversely, the extent to which IT goes beyond the boundaries or spirit of the shariah and promotes alienation, excessive consumerism, environmental destruction, concentration of wealth in fewer and fewer hands and/or brings Muslims away from Islam, it is considered haram (not permissible). Benefits of IT: Undoubtedly, the greatest benefit to be gained by Muslim societies and Muslim scholars from the use of IT, particularly the Internet, is information in general and Islamic knowledge in particular. The Internet contains a wealth of information on all kinds that users can access quickly and easily. Much of this information can be highly beneficial to Muslim societies and scholars. For example, reference material such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesaurus, books, journals etc. are easily available on-line, thereby greatly facilitating a researcher's task. In addition, a variety of distance learning programs offered by various institutions of higher learning can also be accessed on-line. As far as Islamic knowledge and information is concerned, there are a plethora of sites catering to all kinds of needs. For example, IslamiCity (www.islam.org) 'leverages electronic, information and communications technologies to provide the most comprehensive resources and information from an Islamic and Muslim perspective to a worldwide audience'. Alim (www.alim.org) includes 'material that every Muslim needs to learn about Islam,

the Quran and Hadith' (www.kol.org, p.3). Al-Islam (www.al-islam.org) is a Shia Muslim (an Islamic sect) site devoted to disseminating both religious teachings. IT has enabled Muslims all over the world to access Quranic recitations, translations, and tafsir (exegesis), books of Hadith, fiqh (jurisprudence), juridical opinions etc. in various languages online and on CDs in both audio and video format (Mariun, Salleh, & Zaki, 1996, p. 866). For example, Harf Information Technology (www.harf.com) has developed Islamic materials on electronic media such as the Holy Quran with its most famous interpretations and more than 62,000 Prophetic hadiths with related commentaries and studies. It has also made accessible many classical books of Islamic jurisprudence on its Encyclopedia of Islamic Jurisprudence, which contains 750,000 printed pages. Due to Islamic sites such as those mentioned above and CDs containing pre-existing juridical opinions and proofs of all the legal schools of Islamic jurisprudence on a variety of topics, IT has the potential of considerably facilitating the job of shariah (Islamic law) specialists, by enabling them to generate legal decisions much quicker than in the past. The ulama (traditional religious scholars) are not the only ones to benefit from easy accessibility to classical Islamic sources of knowledge. Students of Islamic studies are also able to conduct research on a wide variety of Islamic topics, unrestricted by past limitations such as inadequate library resources or prohibitive costs. In this respect, Abdul Kadir Barkatullah, Director of London's Islamic Computing Centre argues that the availability of classical Islamic texts and commentaries both on CDs and on-line has had a tremendous impact on Muslims whose access to religious scholars is limited (i.e. those living in minority situations), since it enables such Muslims to verify the things they hear (i.e. concerning Islam) for themselves (Mandaville, 1999). The internet also serves as a notice board for the ummah (global Muslim community), providing information about Islamic organisations, places of worship, academic institutions specialising in Islam, student organisations, conferences, seminars, up-coming community events, entertainment, etc. In addition, there are programs that inform Muslims of the time of prayer and direction of the kibla for almost every major city in the world, Islamic arts, calligraphy, architecture and designs, and traditional Islamic music. A second related benefit of IT, is that it is a powerful tool for dawah (Islamic propagation) or conveying the message of Islam to others. In the Holy Quran, Allah states, 'invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching' (16:125). Accordingly, Muslims are enjoined to use wise methods and appealing means to convey the message of Islam. In the 21st century, the Internet has emerged as the most cost-effective means of presenting knowledge,

information and news to millions of people in accordance with the above Quranic injunction (Khan & Khan, 1999). Thirdly, the internet is a valuable instrument for networking and exchanging ideas with both Muslims and non-Muslims. Traditionally, the Muslim world has been comprised of a variety of groups and communities and shaped by ethno-cultural, geographic and linguistic forces. Sometimes these relatively homogenous groups have evolved unique ways of thinking about Islam, often at variance with one another (Norman, Salleh, & Zaki, 1996, p. 867). IT is playing an invaluable role in breaking down ethnic, racial and geographical borders, by enabling Muslims from across the ummah to exchange ideas, network, and discuss their various views and positions on different aspects of Islam. In this respect, IT is serving to fulfill the commandment of Allah to 'know one another' (Quran: 49:13). IT can, not only, foster a truly international Islamic brother/sisterhood, but chat rooms, discussion forms, question and answer sessions etc. may serve as powerful mechanisms for generating new understandings or formulations of old problems and/or new solutions to new problems facing the Muslim ummah. The Internet is becoming a powerful organising tool for various Muslim political interest groups. For example, CAIR (www.cair-net.org) does legal advocacy work on behalf of the Muslim Community in North America. Although some discussion and chat sessions have been hijacked by ideological fanatics, such forums can nurture greater tolerance among Muslims. Furthermore, such interactions can elicit participation from shy or withdrawn scholars who would not speak up in a face-to-face forum. The participation of non-Muslims in such forums demonstrates the role of IT as a tool for inter-faith dialogues and debate. Ulama and religious scholars can also benefit from such technology. Traditionally, when Islamic scholars wanted to come to a consensus on a particular legal issue, the slow nature of communication and transportation made it a time-consuming process. Today, however, with the advent of e-mail, voicemail, fax, video-conferencing, Internet, chat rooms, net-phone programs, virtual reality systems, etc., Islamic scholars located in different parts of the ummah can come together relatively easily and inexpensively to discuss and debate problems and challenges affecting the Muslim community. The speed and convenience with which Islamic scholars can communicate and convey information, allows scholars to have greater feedback on proposals, drafts of work in progress etc. It also facilitates the ease with which they can communicate and transmit books, articles, reviews etc. for publication, to academic journals and publishers.

A fourth benefit of IT, which has tremendous growth potential for Muslim communities and societies, is e-commerce. According to Abdul Aleem (1999), the President of IslamiCity in Cyberspace, the amount of e-commerce on the internet is predicted to reach 1.3 trillion (US dollars) by 2003. A number of Islamic companies have taken up the e-commerce challenge and entered the fray. Such companies include Iqra Islamic Publications (www.iqra.org) that focuses mainly on publishing and marketing Islamic educational material, in both Arabic and English, for children of various ages. SoundVision (www.soundvision.com) and Astrolab (www.astrolabepictures.com) are also involved in marketing Islamic books, videos, compact discs, audio tapes, etc. Barriers Faced by Muslim Societies and Islamic Scholars in Accepting IT Considering the numerous benefits IT offers to Muslims, why is it that so few Muslim countries are developing an indigenous IT capacity? More specifically, why are scholars in varieties of disciplines not making better use of such technology? One of the biggest barriers facing Muslims societies in utilising IT, is the high rate of illiteracy, which presently exists in many Muslim countries. Although illiteracy in the Muslim world, varies from country to country, on average more than 70% of Muslims today are illiterate (Zubairi, 1981). Unless such rates are drastically improved, it will be very difficult to promote the widespread use of electronic communications. Although Muslim scholars in Islamic disciplines are literate, many lack computer literacy and expertise in IT, which hinders their ability to utilise such technology. Although the development of software has eased access to information, many ulama do not possess the technical know-how to develop and maintain the technology they are using. This can be a major deterrent for such scholars, who may become frustrated with such technology. The lack of computer literacy and technical expertise among scholars in the Islamic disciplines, frequently affects their attitude towards IT, which in turn has a domino effect on the attitude of other Muslims towards technology. Language can also serve as a barrier for accessing and utilising IT. While some technologies including fax, voice-mail, net-phone, audio and video CDs can be used regardless of language, other technologies such as the Internet require some knowledge of English to be able to truly benefit from the technology or at the minimal access sites in other languages. Unfortunately, at the present 'none of the major Muslim languages plays a major role in this huge knowledge machine' (Anees, 2000, p. 2).

The problems of literacy, technical expertise, attitude and language are connected to the kind of education many Islamic scholars are receiving. Many scholars in Islamic disciplines are graduates of traditional religious schools that have focused on memorising of the Quran, Hadith, basic Islamic rituals, rather than applications of such knowledge to meet the changing and growing needs of Muslim societies. Traditionally, such schools have placed little emphasis on scientific and technological education. Throughout the 20th century however, these schools have increasingly come under attack for not producing graduates capable of responding to the changing needs of the Muslim ummah. Their excessive focus on memorisation, rather than understanding, applications and problem solving, has also come under fire, particularly now that the Quran, books of hadith, fiqh (jurisprudence), tafsir (exegesis) are easily available in CD format or on-line. At the tertiary level, students in the Islamic disciplines hardly fare better than their primary and secondary school counter-parts, in terms of their exposure to IT. Many are trained in Quran, sunnah, Islamic history, law, jurisprudence (fiqh) etc. and have had little exposure to modern sciences, philosophy and languages. Due to the scarcity of resources, many Faculties of Islamic Studies lack the physical infrastructure to support computer literacy and IT training. As a result, students of the Islamic disciplines often play second fiddle to those in the scientific and technical spheres in acquiring such facilities. The fact that many ulama graduated from institutions of higher learning without the benefit of computers, and have functioned for most of their professional careers without computers, has made many skeptical about the role and value of computers in Islamic education. Some perceive IT to be a product of secularisation, and therefore opposed to religion. In their views, the Quran contains all knowledge, as such 'it is not necessary to seek knowledge from other sources' (Ali K., 1996, p. 532). As we have seen above however, this is an erroneous view, since in addition to revealed guidance, humans are endowed with reason and commanded to use their talents to come up with solutions to the difficulties they encounter. Other ulama continue to debate the utility of IT in the organisation of religious knowledge (Mandaville, 1999). In spite of the above, there have been some efforts to improve the IT literacy of students in the Islamic disciplines. Abdul Kadir Barkatulla states that traditional centers of Islamic learning (such as al-Azhar in Cairo and Qom in Iran) are forced to respond to opportunities offered by IT, due to competition from more modern religious universities. He further states that nowadays there is almost a race to digitise Islam, among leading centers around the world (Mandaville, 1999). For example, al-Azhar University of Cairo has its own home page devoted to addressing various Islamic issues (www.alazhr.org), in both English and Arabic languages. The Centre for Islamic Jurisprudence in Qom, Iran, has converted several thousand Sunni and Shia texts to electronic form

(Mandaville, 1999), while the International Islamic University in Malaysia is also making strides to produce graduates in the Islamic disciplines, who possess IT knowledge and skills as well. Another barrier to accessing and utilising IT is a lack of financial resources. Muslim countries are among some of the poorest in the world. Even in those countries, which have high rates of GDP, there is no equitable distribution of resources. Although some argue that one of the merits of IT (particularly the Internet) is its low economic cost, for many individuals in the developing world (of which Muslim countries are part), such costs are relatively high. The acquisition of hardware, development of software, provision of training, maintenance, upgrading and R & D, requires an extensive outlay financial capital, which many debt-ridden Muslim countries simply cannot afford. As a result, access to such technology is still very much limited to those in upper socioeconomic income brackets. Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman argues that there is a growing boundary in the Islamic world 'between the haves and have-nots, between those who claim to have knowledge and those who possess money' (Ref. interview). This view is also held by Bruce Lawrence, who states that IT serves to 'reinforce global capitalist structures and asymmetries' and further the 'marginalisation of the already marginal (p. 3). In light of such predictions, Muslims living in Africa and Asia, will be among the least likely of its beneficiaries.

Concerns of Islamic Scholars About Accepting IT:


One major concern some Islamic scholars have regarding the use of IT, is that the relatively easy accessibility to information (i.e., Islamic CDs, web sites, discussion groups, etc.), is leading to the breakdown of traditional hierarchical barriers that have previously existed between them and the general masses. According to Sa'ad al-Faqih of the London based 'Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia', IT goes a long way to bridging the 'knowledge gap' between an alim (religious scholar) and a lay Muslim by placing all relevant texts at the fingertips of the latter (Mandaville, 1999). Many scholars in the Islamic disciplines defend their position, by arguing that 'not all information in this era of globalisation leads to knowledge and not all knowledge gives birth to wisdom' (Muzaffar, 1997, p. vi). To some extent their position is justified since most sites on the Internet are commercially oriented, with academic and Islamic sites, comprising a very small minority. Moreover, due to the anonymous nature of such technology, the reliability and authenticity of information must always be subject to scrutiny. With hundreds of sites dealing with Islam, Muslims, etc. it is difficult for cyber visitors to distinguish between genuine Islamic sites and those with more sinister motives.

For example, while Muslims can now receive religious pronouncements via the various e-mail fatwa services which have sprung up in recent months, they can never be sure whether the authoritative advice received via these services is coming from a classically-trained religious scholar or an electrical engineer moonlighting as an amateur alim (Mansaville, 1999). Khan and Khan (1999) add that there have been cases of fabricated verses of Quran and Hadith put on the Internet by questionable sources. Moreover, fringe or 'deviationist' Muslim organisations such as the Ahmadiyas and Rashid Khalifa's spend lots of time and money promoting their various search engines and new organisations. Ahmad (1999) states that although these sites are littered with false deceptions, they are well designed and present their views in a professional manner. Due to the above, some Islamic scholars fear that IT will lead some Muslims away from the straight path (i.e., of Islam), by exposing them to all kinds of deviationist or misinformation about Islam, as well as immoralities and obscenities, in general. Moreover, it may prevent some computer addicted Muslim personalities from fulfilling their religious obligations (i.e. praying on time etc.). Advocates of this view argue that IT falls into a gray area, which is better to be avoided. They support their argument with the following prophetic hadith: 'Both legal and illegal things are evident but in between them there are doubtful (suspicious) things and most of the people have no knowledge about them. So whoever saves himself from these suspicious things saves his religion and his honor. '[Bukhari, Vol. 1, 49] Another concern many Muslims have about using IT, is the fact that they are passive consumers of a technology created elsewhere, which is hardly valuefree. IT's close connection and integration with western/Japanese culture, can be threatening for some Muslim societies, who fear another onslaught of Westernisation, under the pretext of globalization. In this respect, Muzaffar (1997) argues that 'the religious vision of humankind has very little in common with the motives and goals of globalization' (p. i). Recommendations and Conclusions Although the list of barriers and concerns faced by Muslim societies in general and scholars in the Islamic disciplines in particular can go on and on, to do so would merely serve defeatism. Since IT has numerous benefits and opportunities for Islamic scholars and there is nothing in the Quran and sunnah which blatantly prevents Muslims from utilising and developing such technology (other than general guidelines), this latter part of the article will examine some of the ways the aforementioned barriers and concerns can be alleviated, in order to assist Islamic scholars in enhancing their IT proficiency, in the 21st century.

First and foremost, it becomes clear that many of the barriers and concerns faced by Islamic scholars, stem from the inadequacy of the educational process. One almost hesitates to recommend educational reform as the key to alleviating such barriers and concerns however, since for the last two centuries Muslim scholars and intellectuals have been talking about such reform. Clearly, the extent of repetition directly correlates with the magnitude of the problem. Throughout the 20th century, many scholars have argued that traditional religious schools should offer a more integrated education, including modern scientific subjects such as IT in their curriculum. In this respect, Zahid (1981) states that Muslims 'must create institutions where the education of the Quran, Hadith, and Shariah, goes side by side with the education of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, engineering, economics, and other sciences' (p. 92). In addition, there is a need to enhance the language abilities of students enrolled in traditional religious schools, to better equip them to access information from both Islamic and non-Islamic traditions. At the tertiary level, there is a greater need to apply and incorporate IT into the education curriculum. Essentially, the successful integration of IT into the Islamic disciplines is dependent upon two primary factors. The first factor required is the development of the physical infrastructure to enable both academic staff and students in the Islamic fields to access and utilise such technology. While governments can play a role in financing and supporting such ventures, limited resources often means that greater efforts must be made to get the private sector to play a larger role. Awkaf (Islamic endowment funds) can also be used towards this end. A second necessary factor for the successful integration of IT into the Islamic disciplines is the creation of greater interest and awareness among scholars in Islamic studies about the benefits and possibilities of IT and its applications, in the field of Islamic studies. In this respect, departments should hold workshops and seminars on IT, given by experts in the field, who are able to talk in non-technical language. In addition to generating awareness, introductory and upgrading courses in computer literacy and IT is essential for both staff and students in the Islamic fields. There is no point talking about integrating IT into the curriculum and hailing the benefits of IT, without showing religious scholars how to use and benefit from such technology. Particularly in the early stages, it is important that IT technicians are easily accessible to trouble-shoot, so that Islamic scholars will be able to develop confidence. With greater hands on-experience, Islamic scholars will feel more at ease about IT and consequently will be more inclined to integrate it into their teaching methodologies.

IT presents a fantastic opportunity for Islamic scholars to develop a variety of programs to assist students in learning about their Islamic heritage. In this regard, scholars should be encouraged to join courses with technicians in the Departments of Information Technology to develop and design software that not only meets their own research needs, but the educational needs of their students as well. Islamic scholars that are more ambitious should be given training on how to create and develop their own Web page. In so doing, they would no longer be 'passive consumers' of 'foreign technology', but pro-actively shaping and adapting technology to suit the needs of their discipline and the ummah in general. Some scholars such as Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi have already established sites which cover multi-dimensional issues on Islam. The facility and ease with which Islamic scholars can communicate using IT, will enable them to exchange ideas and information with other scholars on how to build attractive Web sites, create chat and discussion groups, question and answer sessions, etc. In fact, as more and more reputable Islamic scholars take advantage of the opportunities IT presents, greater pressure will be put on inauthentic Islamic sites devoted to disseminating misinformation or deviationist teachings on Islam, since Islamic scholars will be able to use IT to counter and refute deviationist teachings. By adopting a positive mental attitude toward the possibilities of IT and using it to serve their interests, ulama would not have to be worried about losing their traditional authority to 'pop shops' disseminating advice in the name of Islam. Instead, they can use IT to enhance their own respect and legitimacy in the ummah, by widening the base of their appeal to the more technological literate youth. As far as unreliable and inauthentic Islamic sites are concerned, Khan and Khan (1999) argue that there is a greater need to monitor information on Islam so that fabricated and misleading information can be easily identified. They also recommend developing a mechanism of certification and authentication for Islamic sites disseminating info on Islam, particularly those that use Quran and dubious Hadith to support their views. Ahmad (1999) suggests that such sites could obtain approval from well-known Islamic organisations, in a similar manner that halal certification is required for food products. This article has examined IT from an Islamic perspective. It has shown that there is nothing intrinsically in the Quran and hadith that prohibit the development, use and adaptation of IT. On the contrary, it was argued that Islam places tremendous emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge towards noble ends. In this respect, IT is simply a means of acquiring information and ultimately knowledge. Like all technology, it can be used for both positive and negative purposes. It is up to Muslims to use revelational guidance and their own rational and sensual faculties to discern the difference between the two.

The second part of the article explored some benefits of IT for Islamic scholars, including the ability to access knowledge in general and Islamic knowledge in particular, Islamic propagation, networking, and e-commerce. Some of the reasons why more Islamic scholars were not making use of such technology, were subsequently discussed. Such reasons include illiteracy, lack of technical expertise, attitude, language, inappropriateness of the educational system and scarcity or mal-distribution of financial resources. The fourth part of the article examined some of the concerns Islamic scholars have about IT. Some Islamic scholars fear that IT will serve to diminish their traditional authority over the Muslim masses. Others fear it will be used to disseminate misinformation or false information on Islam. Still others argue that IT may lead some Muslims away from the path of Islam, by exposing them to various immoralities and obscenities. In spite of the above barriers and concerns one thing is certain, the genie is already out of the bottle. As such, ulama and Islamic scholars have two choices. Either they can completely ignore IT and subsequently suffer a further loss of credibility in the eyes of the ummah or they can rise to the challenge and proactively use IT to obtain the pleasure of Allah, by furthering the cause of Islam and assisting the ummah. Although rising to the challenge is the more difficult of the two, it is also more rewarding in the long run. Naturally the arduous nature of the task is not one that Islamic scholars can completely address themselves. The onus is on educational institutions to develop the appropriate physical infrastructure to support the use of the latest IT, create awareness of the benefits of IT, as well as its applications in the field of Islamic studies, in addition to offering IT training and skills up-grading courses, designed specifically for scholars in the Islamic disciplines. With the right attitude and skills, Islamic scholars will rise and meet the IT challenge, and will resume their lost position as leaders of the ummah. References: Abdul Aleem, Mohammed, (1999). Islamic communications for the 21st century. Abstract for Islam Internet Conference '99 in USA. Islamic Society of North America. Knowledge on line (KOL). http:///www.kol.org, 1-3.

Presidents address in International Islamic University Convocation on Challenges Faced by Muslim Ummah (March 12 2005, Islamabad)
Your Highness Hassan bin Talal, Your Excellency Dr. Mahthiar Mohammad, Excellency representative of Excellency Nelson Mendela, University Rector justice Khalil ur Rehman, President of the University Dr. Mehmood Ghazi, ladies

and gentle, students of the University. For me as Chancellor of University, It is indeed a privilege to preside over this convocation. This is also a proud moment for the University that three distinguished personalities of contemporary history are being graced with doctorate of philosophy. The University feel honors to present the doctorate degree with respect for their meritorious services. I also facilitate all students getting degree on completion of their studies. Muslim world is passing through a very difficult phase of its history. Internally, if we look at ourselves, It displays poverty, illiteracy, social backwardness most of all intellectual stagnation. These basic problems lately been aggravated by the phenomena of religious intolerance, and political violence being practice by minority whom I call radicals. Their activities grossly distort, image of Islam and greatly harm the cause of the Muslims. Islam is being hijacked by these militants, illiterate and unenlightened minority. The minority that only knows and preach rituals instead of real core values of our Din Islam. They know and talk only of Haqooqullah. They dont practice and dont want to propagate Haqqoulabad, emancipation of human character of self. Responsibilities of a Muslim to family his society, his nation and indeed entire Ummah. We need to curb this obscurantism and correct our direction. We must remove the yoke of dominance of unenlightened extremist and have the moderate enlightened Islam prevail in our society and the Ummah. Fifty seven out of the 191 countries of the world are Muslims belong to Ummah. We posses 70 per cent of world energy resources. We also posses 40 per cent of the worlds raw material. In spite of all this our share of global trade is only 5 per cent or six per cent. Our collective GDP of whole Ummah is less than five per cent of world GDP. 22 of 49 least developed countries of the world are Muslims. Why this dismal picture is question that comes to any thinking Muslim mind. We are left behind knowledge. We are left behind in technological development, in science and technology specially. We have left the fruits of industrial revolution to bypass us. The Muslim Ummah entered the 21st century, ladies and gentlemen in this very abject state of illiteracy, poverty and backwardness, at the same time confronting external accusation against us. We have to chart our course in turbulent world, today with in state, within internal external state of ours, hostile perception of our religion. Quite clearly we have two choices to pick from, firstly confrontationist approach and secondly reconciliatory or reformatory approach. I am convinced that former confrontationist approach will lead us possible destruction and marginalization. Latter will give us hope of regaining lost glory. The glory that we were in, panicle that we were act in middle up to fifteen century. The fact remains that religious intolerance and militancy of extremist fringe among Muslims and unabated maligning of Islam in western media is giving rise to growing misperceptions about Islam. So the Fault lies internally as well as externally. Persistent efforts are needed to deal with this problem. Both in Muslim society and externally where true image of Islam needs to be projected world at large. I am inviting the attention of Muslim Ummah to develop new paradigm for

responding to challenges being faced by Muslims today. In order to develop such a paradigm, new revolutionary strategy is needed. The proposed strategy should be based on enlightening moderation. It focuses on adopting a middle course, free from all kinds of religious extremism, ultra westernization as well as ultra traditionism. I have proposed the strategy of enlightening moderation, as a two prong strategy. One prong to be delivered by Muslim Ummah, Very briefly of rejecting extremism and terrorism going on path of socio economic emancipation. Other prong which must be has to be delivered by the West, of resolving the political disputes which confronts Muslim world, and also helping the Ummah in socio economic emancipation and development. I must say The Ummah must use the vehicle of OIC to meet the demands of strategy of enlightened moderation and meet the demands the challenges of 21st century. We must restructure OIC. Ladies and Gentlemen turning your attention towards Pakistan, We aced a triple menaced of religious extremism. This is the category which is using religion to perpetrate acts of terrorism like the bomb blast, suicide attacks etc. Second menace of religious extremism, this is the class fixed rigid views and believe in imposing those views on others through force. Third menace we faced is sectarian extremism and terrorism. I think Pakistan is among few countries of the Ummah which faces all three menaces in one. We have to strategies separately to combat each of these menaces. Terrorism is to be combated ruthlessly with force. Religious and sectarian extremism is to be met with soothing prudent approach. We have to replace instigation of hate, anger and militancy in some of our mosques madrasas and print material with propagation of peace, tolerance and understanding

SOCIAL CHALLENGES:
Challenges in the future for the Women:
what do we mean when we talk about social responsibility? And social responsibility toward+-s whom? In a world dominated by hegemonic social, political and economic influences, compounded by the power of an increasingly echnological global age, discussions around the notion of social responsibility need to start with questions of definition. Are we talking about individual responses, a general sense of community (both global and local), rights and responsibilities as members of particular nation-states, or as members of a global Ummah? What do we expect from those institutions and structures that are intended to protect and respond to our needs? What do we expect from other members of our communities, both real and imagined, Muslim and non-Muslim? What do we expect from ourselves? Clearly, the above set of questions are not exhaustive or restricted to Muslim communities, but raise another important theoretical issue, and that is to

consider whether such questions are even necessary. The wide range of papers and the response to this years Conference theme, would indicate that such a debate is now inevitable as it is essential, and that these questions can be addressed within both secular and spiritual contexts and discourses. In Islam, one of the primary aims of the Shariah (al-Maqasid) is the maintenance of justice and the creation of a fair, enlightened and dynamic society. The early Muslims understood this well and set out to build a civilisation where justice was not to be compromised, the search for knowledge and enlightenment was the elevated pursuit of life, and community development and welfare was the ultimate consideration in ijtihad and law-making. The good and virtuous society was the objective of all and for the benefit of all, Muslim and non-Muslim. Indeed, the concepts of social responsibilities.

The End

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