al-Sibaq ila al-Uqul
- Author died
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- Editions
- The book is published on the website of the Saudi Ministry of Awqaf without publication details
al-Sibaq ila al-Uqul (The Race for Minds: Objectives, Means, and Outcomes) is a two-volume Islamic treatise by the contemporary scholar Abd Allah Qadri al-Ahdal that examines the ongoing ideological and spiritual struggle between truth and falsehood for the persuasion and guidance of human intellects.
Background and Origins
The work originated as a public lecture delivered at the Islamic University of Madinah. Following an official invitation from the university's Dean of Student Affairs dated 23 Rabi' al-Thani 1413 AH, al-Ahdal presented the original draft—comprising approximately forty handwritten pages—in the university's Grand Lecture Hall on 10 Jumada al-Ula 1413 AH. He subsequently expanded the material into a comprehensive work spanning more than four hundred pages across two volumes.
Al-Ahdal outlines three primary reasons for composing the book:
- The historical and cosmic conflict narrated in the Quran between the prophets and their opponents, wherein prophets strived to reach human intellects with truth, purge them of falsehood, and safeguard them from distortion.
- The modern proliferation of influential communication mediums developed and utilized by proponents of falsehood, contrasted with the shortcomings of Muslims in utilizing effective means to reach minds.
- The official invitation to deliver the lecture during the university's annual cultural season.
Structure and Core Themes
The author organizes the book around the concept that human intellect (aql) is an internal faculty bestowed by God to distinguish truth from falsehood. In Islamic terms, when an individual fails to employ the intellect for its ultimate purpose—recognizing and submitting to divine revelation—the Quran figuratively treats such a person as devoid of reasoning. Al-Ahdal clarifies that "truth" refers specifically to divine revelation embodied in Islam, while "falsehood" encompasses any contradictory belief system or doctrine.
Objectives of the Competing Camps
The book contrasts the underlying goals of the two opposing camps:
- The People of Truth (Ahl al-Haqq): Their supreme objective is attaining the pleasure of God (rida Allah). Specific sub-goals include conveying divine revelation, establishing proof against creation, bringing humanity out of spiritual darkness into light, realizing pure monotheism (tawhid), implementing Islamic law (tahkim shar' Allah), nurturing moral virtues, fostering religious loyalty and disavowal (al-wala' wa-al-bara'), and preserving the five foundational necessities of life (al-darurat al-khams): religion, life, intellect, lineage, and property.
- The People of Falsehood (Ahl al-Batil): Their objectives center on unrestricted worldly indulgence, turning people away from God's path, rejecting the messengers, preventing the establishment of proof, spreading polytheism (shirk), replacing divine law with tyrannical rule (taghut), and propagating moral corruption.
Means and Strategies
Al-Ahdal enumerates seventeen distinct means employed by the advocates of truth, classifying them broadly into peaceful means and military struggle. The peaceful methods include familial upbringing, Quranic recitation, admonition, constructive debate, formal education, promotion of the Arabic language, setting an upright personal example, appealing to the innate human disposition (fitrah), utilizing mosques, modern media, academic conferences, youth clubs, camps, diplomatic channels, financial resources, and positional outreach (sibaq al-mawaqi').
In contrast, the methods of falsehood include passing legislation to criminalize Islamic advocacy, utilizing eloquent writers and media figures to distort truths, and exploiting modern technology to monopolize intellectual influence.
Outcomes and Societal Responsibility
The concluding portion of the book evaluates the consequences of this intellectual competition. Al-Ahdal argues that whenever the proponents of truth prevail, societal order is protected, the five basic necessities are secured, and supporters of righteousness multiply. Conversely, if falsehood gains precedence, human life deteriorates under moral degradation and oppression.
The author places communal and individual obligation on Muslims across different spheres—including scholars, educators, journalists, professionals, wealthy sponsors, and political leaders—to proactively convey the message of Islam according to their specific roles, warning against the paralyzing impact of internal political and factional discord (tanazu').
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