Athar al-Aqida al-Islamiyya fi Tadamun wa Wahdat al-Umma al-Islamiyya
- Author died
- 1434 AH
- Editions
- Islamic University of Madinah
Athar al-Aqida al-Islamiyya fi Tadamun wa Wahdat al-Umma al-Islamiyya (The Impact of Islamic Creed on the Solidarity and Unity of the Muslim Nation) is a treatise by the Saudi scholar Ahmad bin Saad Hamdan al-Ghamdi (d. 1434 AH / 2013 CE), examining the role of sound theological doctrine in resolving internal divisions and establishing political, intellectual, and economic unity across the Muslim world.
Background and Context
The author composed the treatise while serving as an assistant professor at the College of Da‘wah and Usul al-Din. It was prepared for the Second International Conference for Guiding Da‘wah and Callers, organized by the Islamic University of Madinah in Rabi‘ al-Awwal 1404 AH (December 1983 CE) under the overarching theme "The Path of Islamic Da‘wah toward Achieving Islamic Solidarity and Muslim Unity" (Sabil al-Da‘wa al-Islamiyya ila Tahqiq al-Tadamun al-Islami wa Wahdat al-Muslimin). The paper was subsequently published in the university's academic periodical, Majallat al-Jami‘ah al-Islamiyyah.
Structure and Content
The work consists of an introduction, four main sections containing twelve thematic discussions, and a concise conclusion summarizing its findings.
The Contemporary Reality of the Muslim Ummah
The first section diagnoses the state of fragmentation in the Islamic world across three dimensions:
- Creed (al-Aqida): The author categorizes theological aberrations into overt and concealed atheistic ideologies; modern sects that breach orthodox tenets regarding the finality of prophethood (such as Qadianism and Baha'ism); older sectarian movements, such as the Shi‘a and Sufism; and theoretical distortions involving the denial or figurative reinterpretation (ta'wil) of God's divine names and attributes.
- Worship (al-Ibada): Devotional practices are characterized as suffering from extremes of religious excess (historically manifested among the Kharijites and certain Sufi orders), complete neglect influenced by doctrines of irja', or defective performance lacking conformity to proper prophetic guidelines.
- Legislation (al-Shari'a): The marginalization of divine law and its replacement with human legislation.
Causes of the Decline
The second section identifies the primary factors behind this condition:
- Widespread ignorance of religion: The neglect of the Quran and the Sunnah, reinforced by colonial modifications to educational curricula in Muslim countries that reduced or eliminated religious instruction.
- Colonial partition: The geopolitical division of the Islamic world into fragmented states and emirates, alongside the deliberate revival of pre-Islamic nationalist and ethnic allegiances (qawmiyyat).
- Organized ideological invasion: The author delineates three hostile external fronts targeting Muslim societies: Christian missionary and colonial campaigns, Jewish ideological dissemination, and communist movements.
Foundations of Islamic Unity
The third section outlines four essential pillars required for collective coherence:
- Unity of Purpose (Wahdat al-Ghaya): Directing human life toward exclusive servitude (ubudiyya) to God and fulfilling righteous earthly stewardship.
- Unity of Creed (Wahdat al-Aqida): Returning to pristine monotheism as defined by scripture, stripped of human innovations and historical sectarian schisms.
- Unity of Leadership (Wahdat al-Qiyada): Recognizing the exclusive spiritual and legislative authority of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
- Unity of Methodology (Wahdat al-Manhaj): Adopting divine revelation as the sole source of legal, political, and social order.
Practical Means of Implementation
The fourth section proposes institutional instruments to realize these foundational principles:
- Directed Education (al-Ta‘lim al-Muwajjah): Reconstructing primary, secondary, and higher educational curricula around Islamic creed and values while demonstrating the flaws of imported ideologies.
- Committed Media (al-I‘lam al-Multazim): Reforming communication outlets across broadcast and print channels by employing qualified personnel to cultivate religious identity.
- Independent Economy (al-Iqtisad al-Mustaqill): Breaking dependency on foreign financial models through an integrated Islamic economic system, featuring common markets, a unified currency, and shared supervisory institutions.
- Academic and Planning Centers (al-Marakiz al-Ilmiyya): Establishing specialized multidisciplinary think tanks and research institutions to formulate strategies for Muslim integration.
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