Is Muslim integration possible in the West?

Islamic concept of human government.

"Blessed is He to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, for in Him is the knowledge of the Hour, and to Him shall ye be returned" (43:86).

The Quranic verse quoted above shows, then, that all empires and kingdoms and all the instruments of man's command over man and the lower animals are deposits placed in their hands with a view to the mutual benefit of all. Therefore, no one should pretend to act as if he were the absolute master, for the true ownership and dominion over all and everything rests with God alone; others, in their respective spheres, are but trustees, responsible to God, for the manner in which they make use of the trust given to them.

According to Islamic doctrine, only those are rulers, in the true and laudable sense, who provide their people with peace and a sense of security; who strengthen the economic roots of society; who do not waste the manpower and other resources of the country in unnecessary wars of aggression, but instead concentrate their efforts on improving the living conditions of the people. 

According to Islam, there is no contradiction between the Word of God and the Action of God. There is no clash between loyalty to one's state and loyalty to religion in Islam.

During the notorious Salman Rushdie affair, Muslims in Britain and many parts of Europe faced this problem, being accused of having divided loyalties. Although its intensity did not reach fever pitch, the heavy damage it did to inter-communal relations should not be underestimated.

Jesus, peace be upon him, gave his historic retort to the Pharisees:

"For what belongs to Caesar return it to Caesar, and what belongs to God return it to God". (Matthew 22,21)

Religion and the mode of government are two of the many wheels in the wagon of society. It is, in fact, irrelevant whether there are two, four or eight wheels as long as they maintain the right orientation and turn within their orbits. There can be no problem of mutual conflict or confrontation. It would be to oversimplify the issue, to conceive that there is no common ground or common ground shared by religion and state. Of course they overlap, but only in a mutual spirit of cooperation. There is no intention to monopolise.

As far as Islam is concerned, there should be no such problem because the definitive and firm principle propounded by Islam in this regard is the principle of absolute justice.

This very fundamental point in understanding the Islamic concept of governance is little understood, if at all, by the political thinkers of Islam. They err in making a distinction between the application of the common law relating to crimes that are universal in nature and without any religious underpinning, and crimes that are specific to certain precepts of that religion. Therefore, only adherents of such religions are liable to prosecution.

Religions have a duty to bring moral issues to the attention of the legislature. It is not necessary for all legislation to be brought under the jurisdiction of religions.

If Islam would agree to the question of a Muslim government in countries where Muslims are in the majority, then by the same rule of absolute justice, Islam must grant the right to other governments to govern their countries according to the dictates of the religion of the majority.

In view of these arguments and the overriding concept that there is to be no coercion in matters of faith, religion need not be the predominant legislative authority in the political affairs of a state.

Similarly, according to Islam, therefore, neither religion has the right to interfere in areas exclusive to the state, nor does the state have the right to interfere in commonly shared areas. Unfortunately, there is a tendency in many secular states to sometimes extend the domain of secularisation beyond its natural boundaries, as is the case with the hijab of Muslim women living in the West.

"And those who respect their deposits and their covenants, ... these shall be in gardens duly honoured." (70: 33 y 36)

In this context, a question that may arise is that since Muslims declare that God and their religion are of the utmost importance to them, might they be willing to sacrifice their commitment to their faith with the democratic obligations of the Western countries where they live on certain occasions?

"O ye who believe! Obey Allah and His Messenger and those in authority over you. And if ye dispute concerning any matter, submit it to Allah and the Messenger, if ye are believers in Allah and the Last Day. This is in the end the best and most commendable." (4:60)

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) taught that 'love of one's homeland is part of faith.' Thus, true patriotism is a requirement of Islam. To truly love God and Islam, a person must love his own homeland.

According to Islamic teachings, God Almighty has forbidden any kind of treason or rebellion, whether it is against one's own nation or against the government; and this is because rebellion or acts against the state pose a threat to the peace and security of the country. With all this in mind, loyalty to one's country requires an individual to show patience and morality, and to obey the laws of the nation. (2:206). "And Allah has no pleasure in disorder."

Generally speaking, in today's age, most governments are democratically elected. Therefore, if a group of people want to change a government, they must do so by following the correct democratic process. It must make its voice heard by voting at the ballot box. In fact, Islam teaches that an individual's right to vote must be exercised with a sense of loyalty and love of country. A person's vote has to take into account the benefit of the country, electing representatives who are truly worthy of such election, as mentioned at the beginning of the article.

Another question that often arises is whether Muslims should enlist in the military forces of Western countries, and if they were allowed to enlist, could they take part in military attacks against Muslim countries? Military action should take place to establish peace and not to achieve any unspeakable goals or interests.

Muslims living in these non-Muslim countries can be allowed to join the military and prevent cruelty in other countries. Where such circumstances truly exist, Muslim soldiers should fight no matter which Western army they are part of, following orders and fighting if ordered to do so in order to establish peace. However, if the armed forces of one country are ordered to attack another country unjustly, thus becoming oppressors, the Muslim has the option of leaving the army, because to do otherwise would be to implicate himself in acts of cruelty. Making this choice does not imply that he is disloyal to his homeland. In fact, in such circumstances, loyalty to his homeland would require him to take this step and to advise the authorities of his country not to fall into the same pit as those unjust governments and nations that act cruelly. However, if enlistment in the army is compulsory and there is no way to leave it, and there are doubts of conscience, then the Muslim should leave the country, but without raising his voice in protest against the laws established there.

The essence of the teachings of Islam is that we should spread peace, inasmuch as the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has defined a Muslim as a person from whose physical or verbal acts all others are safe.

In order to integrate into their local societies and develop mutual respect, Muslims are taught that they should try to learn all the positive aspects of every society, every region, every city and every country. It is not enough just to learn about these values, but Muslims must also strive to adopt them in their own lives. It is this guidance that truly instils unity, and the spirit of trust and mutual love. Indeed, who can be more peace-loving than a true believer, who in addition to fulfilling the demands of his faith, also tries to embrace all the positive aspects of his or any other society? Who can spread peace and security better than he?

We are quite surprised and saddened when we hear that in some parts of Spain there are people who say that neither Muslims nor Islam can be integrated into Spanish society. It is certainly true that the Islam represented by extremists or terrorists does not have the capacity to integrate with any country or society, and not only with Spain. Certainly there will come a time when voices of opposition to such extremist ideologies will be raised, even in Muslim countries. However, true Islam, the one instilled in us by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), will always attract sincere and decent people.

Islam also teaches that the feelings of others should be respected and cared for. This includes religious feelings and the feelings of others in relation to social issues in general.

Another allegation that is commonly made against Islam is that it does not treat women fairly or equally. However, this allegation is unfounded and unjustified.

Islam has conferred dignity and honour on women. Let me give you a couple of examples: Islam gave women the right to divorce their husbands for misbehaviour at a time when women were considered a mere possession or a commodity. Paradoxically, this right in favour of women was not established in the developed world until the last century. On the other hand, Islam gave women the right to inheritance at a time when women were considered to have no status or value. This right has only been granted to women in Europe in relatively recent times.

Islam, in turn, also confers rights on neighbours. The Quran gives detailed guidance on who is your neighbour and what his or her rights are. The concept of neighbourhood includes the one who sits next to you, the neighbouring houses, encompassing those you know and also those you do not know up to the forty houses surrounding yours. Also included as neighbours are those with whom you travel, so it is recommended that you look after their welfare.

They should not consider the teachings of Islam to be threatening or dangerous to Spain or any other country, nor should they be concerned about whether or not a Muslim can integrate into Spanish society. As I have said before, a distinctive feature of Islam is that it teaches Muslims to embrace all good things, and there is no doubt that Muslims can integrate and live within any society. If someone were to act contrary to this commandment, he or she would be a Muslim in name only, and not a follower of the true teachings of Islam.

You can find out more about the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Spain at the following websites: www.alislam.es and www.ahmadia.es.

A webinar will be held on Thursday 29 July 2021 on this topic. To access, please register at https://www.alislam.es/eventos/eventos-es

Qamar Fazal/Spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Spain.