Refutation of the Capitalist Western Thought by Hizb Ut Tahrir

Many Western thinkers discuss atheism and the spiritual void afflicting Western society. They lament about man having lost his humanity, transforming into a machine in an industrialized, consumerist society. They discuss the cases of depression, misery, isolation, alienation and estrangement that afflict the individual living in Western societies, where he does not find a way to but for suicide. They also discuss absurdism, nihilism, anarchism, eclecticism, racism, opportunism, neo-slavery, wars that ravage humanity, along with the destruction of values, bloody and brutal colonialism and other miseries that are prevalent around the world. They summarize all of this misery in an expression that has become common amongst Western intellectuals, which is, the crisis of humanity. The crisis of humanity they discuss, in its simplest sense, means the state of stagnation in time and place, accompanied by the feeling of failure to reach the cure and solution. This is because of the confusion in the mentality ('aqleeyah) and disposition (nafseeyah) of man that causes turmoil in his thoughts, inclinations and behaviors. So the sense of failure dominates him, which leads to helplessness, loss, confusion and absurdism. The crisis is not resolved by studying its manifestations and results. Instead it is to be solved by looking at the actual cause that produced it. So what remains is to leave stubbornness behind and boldly acknowledge the truth. The reason for the crisis of humanity, which they discuss, is the cultural and civilizational failure of capitalism that dominates the world. Its culture representing its positivist, rationalist approach has failed in its understanding of man and his nature as it views man merely as materialistic, in both his motive and objective. It has also failed to look at society and its components, focusing only on individualism and established a conception that each man is a wolf for another man.

As for its civilizational failure, it is apparent in its doctrine that denies the connection of life with what is before and what is after. It deifies man as a master of the universe and as the legislator. The failure is apparent in its liberal societal systems that fail to provide tranquility and happiness. The failure is apparent in its values that are confined to utility and materialism alone. Its values confine human behavior to animalistic, instinctive ends alone devoid of humanity, morals and spirit.

The advancement of civilized nations is not measured in terms of material progression, as scientific and technological developments, alone. Instead, it is also measured with respect to the elevation of morals, supreme values and objectives that elevate man from the realm of the animal. It is also measured with respect to systems that agree with the fitra (human nature) by mixing the matter with the spirit in a precise balance, combining the goodness of this world and the Hereafter. Many nations that preceded the West had strength, dominance and material advancement. However, they deviated from the rulings of their Lord and were arrogant, tyrannical and oppressive upon the earth. They were twisted, spoiled and corrupted and so Allah (swt) destroyed them. Allah (swt) says,

“Have they not traveled through the land and observed how was the end of those who were before them? They were greater than them in strength and in impression on the land, but Allah seized them for their sins. And they had not from Allah any protector.” [TMQ Surah Ghafir 40:21],

The salvation of the Western man and the entire world lies in abandoning the creed of secularism. It lies in taking a creed that solves the greatest problem of humankind in a manner that convinces the mind and agrees with human nature, such that hearts are filled with tranquility and peace. The true creed is the one that finds for a man a correct and comprehensive thought about man, life and universe, with respect to their relationship to what is before and what is after. Based on this comprehensive thought, man is able to determine the meaning of his existence and goal (ghaayah) in life, thereby defining his concepts about worldly life to shape his behavior.

Enlightened thinking is the method to find this comprehensive thought for a man. This thinking is not a compromise or evasion over answering the crucial questions of man: Where did I come from? Why am I here now? Where will I go? Any reasoning person is aware that the mere existence of things which he senses have a Creator who created them. The fact with regards to the perceived things is that either they are able to exist of themselves or they are incapable of existing by themselves, dependent on the indispensable for existence (wajibul wujood). Being able to exist by its own self is a judgment upon a thing, determined by reasoning over whether it is capable to exist of itself or cannot exist of its own. This judgment, the judgment over the ability to exist,

is contrasted with the judgment related to the indispensable for existence. Accordingly, when a man’s sense falls on a table, he establishes an evident, rational udgment related to the existence of the table. It is only able to exist because its existence is connected with its maker (saan/'a). As for the maker of the table himself, he is indispensable for the existence of the table. This is because his existence is the reason for the existence of the table. The universe, man and life are not able to exist of themselves evidently. Their existence evidences the indispensable for existence (waajib ul wujood) that created them. The indispensable for existence is the Creator Who is Allah (swt).

The study then mandates finding the relationship of the Creator with the creation. Indeed, the belief of a created man in the existence of a Creator necessitates the search for the existence of the relationship of the Creator with the creation. Since man is unable to determine the nature of his relationship with the Creator, the intellect mandates that man desists from that and leaves the matter to the Creator himself. The Creator, Allah (swt), has specified how to convey His relationship with the creation. So He (swt) sent Messengers to humankind. Amongst them are Musa (as) who was sent to his people, Isa (as) who was sent to his people and Muhammad (saw) who was sent to the whole of humankind.

To confirm the validity of the Message and Prophethood of the Messengers, intellect mandates the establishment of decisive evidence (burhaan) from the Messengers, regarding their Message. This requires the Messenger to demonstrate miracles which humans are incapable of performing, within the established norm. Such were the miracles of Musa (as), Isa (as) and other Prophets (as). However, such miracles are only carried in narrated information now, that have no verifiable reality today. The only miracle which is sensed by man and remains a challenge today, is the miracle brought by Muhammad (saw) from Allah (swt), which is the Quran.

The miracle is established as true through two methods: Either by direct comprehension or by reasoning (istidlaal). Thus when Musa (as) turned a stick into a swiftly moving snake, the illusionists directly comprehended that it was a miracle and not illusion. So they comprehended the miracle by themselves directly and were certain of the truthfulness of Musa (as). As for those other than the illusionists, they comprehended the miracle from the inability of sorcerers to bring the like of it and their submission to Musa (as). So the method of reasoning was their way to belief. As for the matter related to Quran, one can either directly comprehend the nature of its miracle that no one can bring the like of it or he can reason the inability of all the Arabs, whether they are believers or kuffar, to bring the like of the Quran, despite the Quran challenging them to do so. Thus the Quran is either from Arabs or from Muhammad (saw) or from Allah (swt). It is wrong to say that the Quran comes from the Arabs, because they did not attribute it to themselves. Moreover, they failed to bring the like of the Quran, despite it challenging them. It is wrong also to say that the Quran is from Muhammad (saw) because he (saw) is an Arab and what applies to all the Arabs also applies to him (saw). Moreover, Muhammad (saw) had spoken extensively. Within his speech are the conclusively narrated (mutawwatir) Hadith which are entirely different from the Quran. If the Quran were really his (saw) words, he would have claimed the miracle for all of his speech and not for some of it. It is irrational for him (saw) to claim a miracle for just part of his speech, whilst not claiming for the whole. Since it is invalid to say that the Quran is from Arabs or Muhammad (saw), it is definitely from Allah (swt)

and thus the miracle validates the Messengership of the one who brought it.

Accordingly, the belief in Allah (swt) and in the Message of the Muhammad (saw) i.e. belief in the Islamic creed is built on intellect ('aql) and is dependent on it. So the Islamic creed is the rational creed that is convincing to the mind. It is also a creed agreeing with human nature because it acknowledges the sanctification instinct, acknowledging the need of man for the Creator, the One Who organizes (Al-Mudabbir). He determines the Deen i.e. the system commanded by Allah (swt), the One who organizes the actions of humans, takes care of their affairs and treats all their problems. Thus the Islamic creed is the intellectual basis and intellectual leadership that is convincing to the mind and agrees with human nature, which brings tranquility and peace. Indeed, Islam alone is the salvation for humanity, from its crisis.

The Islamic creed is both a spiritual and political creed because through the rulings emerging from it and the thoughts which are built upon it, it takes care of the affairs of both this world and the Hereafter. The system (niZaam) that emerged from it is the collection of Shariah rulings to regulate man’s relationship with the Creator, himself and with other humans. It is a comprehensive and complete system built upon the basis of servitude to Allah (swt) alone. So men and women, rich and poor, adult and young and black and white are equal in this regard. Imam Ahmed reported in his Musnad from Abu Nadhra: those who heard the sermon of the Messenger of Allah (saw) during the days of Tashreeq narrated to me that he (saw)

said,

“O people, your Lord is One and your father is one: an Arab has no superiority over a non­ Arab nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab. The White has no superiority over the Black nor does the Black have any superiority over a White except by piety. Have I not conveyed?”.

In this system, one can see the mixing of matter with the spirit, unlike the capitalist system that separates matter from the spirit. Man and his actions are material, as he is driven by his life energy, of organic needs and instincts, to achieve their satiation. He then performs such actions based on his belief that he is a creation of the Creator and that life is connected to what is before and what is after. So he is restricted by the Shariah of Allah (swt) and abides by His commands and prohibitions, that shape his behavior. So man realizes his connection with Allah (swt) in his life i.e. mixes the matter with the spirit, seeking to achieve the pleasure of Allah (swt), by which man achieves perpetual tranquility i.e. happiness.

The actions of a man in Islam are not of absurdism, valueless and aimless. Instead they are for an aim and so he proceeds according to the commands and prohibitions of Allah i.e. he adheres to the Shariah rulings in actions for the goal he seeks and the aim (qasd) he achieves. So his actions are based on the rulings that produces an intended result that the Muslim takes into account in his action i.e. the achievement of a certain value (qeemah) for the individual and the community. One who scrutinizes the Shariah rulings can see that the values specified by the Shariah, that decreed the treatments for the problems of man in life, are of four types, material, spiritual, moral and humanitarian. When a Muslim man acts to achieve these values according to the Shariah rulings, as defined, determined and organized by Islam, all those values will be achieved in a society to the extent necessary, as a Muslim society, which ensures the well-being and tranquility of all. Allah (swt) says,

“Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.” [TMQ Surah Ar-Ra'ad 13:38],

In conclusion, we call for the whole of humankind, including the people of the West to review what the West has become, to renounce the idea of Capitalism and the Western civilization and to take and adopt Islam instead. Indeed, Islam is the only guarantee to save humankind from the miseries in which it now lives, by driving out humanity from the depths of injustice and darkness, into the light of justice and Truth.