The Muslim World Facing Aggression: Unity Is the Only Way to Survive
Currently, Muslims make up about 31% of the world’s total population, approximately 2.2 billion people. Geographically, Muslims are spread across 57 nation-states. The combined area of these countries is about 3,166,000 square kilometers, roughly one-fifth of the world’s land area.
Approximately 63% of the world’s petroleum and gas reserves—the energy essential for modern industrial civilization—and 53% of the world’s uranium, a key source of nuclear energy, are located in Muslim countries. The military and reserve forces of these countries number over 1.5 million. Among the world’s top five arms-importing countries, three are Muslim nations: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Pakistan.
So the question arises: despite such a large population, immense natural resources, and significant military strength, why are we so weak and helpless? Why must we seek permission from America to buy oil from Russia? Did we lack oil? Petroleum beneath the soil of Arab states is being exported to Western powers. Meanwhile, Iran’s oil depots are being set on fire by missiles from these very powers.
Why has the Zionist state of Israel, with its ally America, been spilling Muslim blood in Palestine—situated at the heart of 22 Arab countries—for eighty years? How are successive countries being attacked, their leaders killed, and millions of civilians, helpless women, and innocent children being massacred? In neighboring Myanmar, Buddhist Rakhines have killed millions of Rohingya Muslims, driven them from their homes, and committed mass rapes of women. Today, 2.2 million Rohingya live in refugee camps, struggling to survive.
Disunity: The Main Weakness of the Muslim World
We Muslims pride ourselves on being the best nation (Surah Al-Imran 110), so why this misery? The simple answer is our disunity. If the Muslim world were not divided into 57 states, all our resources and strength could have been used in our own national and political interest. But in reality, that is entirely impossible. Today, some of us are Bangladeshi, some Pakistani, some Sudanese, some Egyptian. We identify with different countries and nationalities.
Even if Palestine is attacked, we have no way to stand by them because each country is fenced off, restricted by international laws and agreements. Observing the suffering of Muslim brothers, all we can do is hold protests or marches in our own countries. Moreover, Muslim countries are often at war with each other. In 1971, West Pakistan attacked East Pakistan, killing millions. In the Gulf War, multiple Muslim countries—including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia—participated in international coalitions against Iraq.
It’s not only geographical division; even within Islam, we are deeply divided. Some are Shia, some Sunni; some follow Hanafi, some Hanbali; some follow Sufi orders, others do not. The list of sectarian divisions seems endless. Those who engage in politics in Muslim countries are also fragmented. Even when forming alliances during elections, they eventually quarrel over seat allocations and break the coalition. Our scholars often speak about rewards for religious deeds, but not about uniting the nation. When aggression occurs in Iran, many say Shias are infidels; similarly, when attacks occur in Sunni-majority Iraq or Afghanistan, Iran turns away.
Unity Is a Command from Allah
But Allah has said: “Hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided” (Surah Al-Imran 103). If prayer and fasting are obligatory, then unity is also obligatory. Yet no one emphasizes this. Allah also says: “Obey Allah and His Messenger and do not dispute, lest you lose courage and your strength vanish” (Surah Al-Anfal 46).
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that all Muslims are like one body: if one part of the body suffers, the whole body suffers (from Nu’man ibn Bashir, Bukhari, Muslim). In his Farewell Sermon, he said every Muslim is a brother to another Muslim. No Muslim’s wealth is lawful for another unless it is willingly given. Blood, wealth, and honor of Muslims are as sacred as the day, the month, and the city in which this sermon was delivered.
The Current Misery of the Muslim World
From the Atlantic coast of Africa to the Pacific islands of Southeast Asia, from Kazakhstan’s vast grasslands in Central Asia to the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, 2.2 billion Muslims lie scattered across a huge territory like dead bodies. Each one is being kicked, beaten, and oppressed. International powers coordinate to attack Muslims.
Thirty-two Western countries have formed NATO, a strong military alliance whose principle is that an attack on one is an attack on all. After 9/11, this principle became clearly visible. Yet among the 57 Muslim countries, no military alliance has been formed. The two largest Muslim organizations, OIC and the Arab League, are primarily political, economic, cultural, and social bodies. They have no military role. When a Muslim country is attacked, these organizations only hold meetings, issue condemnations, and pass resolutions—no effective military or economic aid is provided.
Neighboring Muslim countries often refuse to host refugees, especially the Arab Gulf countries—Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman—officially provide no refugee shelter. On the contrary, weapons from these countries are sometimes used against Muslims themselves, such as in the Yemen war, where a coalition of 9-10 Arab countries, led by Saudi Arabia, conducted military operations. According to UN records, since 2015, direct attacks, famine, malnutrition, disease, and lack of medical care in this war have killed over 400,000 people, mostly women and children.
The Path to Freedom
Ordinary people are now seeking a way out of this humiliating and tragic condition of the Muslim world. Yes, there is a way—the only path to survival is unity. The foundation of this unity must be Tawhid, the oneness of Allah, La ilaha illallah: there is no ruler but Allah.
We must accept Allah as the sole legislator and sovereign in every aspect of life, breaking free from the slavery of superpowers. We must unite under one leadership, with a single ideal, and follow a unified program. Allah made the Kaaba a symbol of unity. Every year, we gather there to perform Hajj; it is meant to be a place for coming together and resolving collective problems. Yet for our political, economic, or humanitarian crises, we go to the UN, London, Washington, or Moscow instead.
We have adopted their worldview and way of life as supreme, worshiping democracy, capitalism, secularism, and equality, while our God is worshiped only in name. Our rulers and masters are the Western superpowers. To survive, we must decide that we will obey no one but Allah. In matters of life, we will follow no rule contrary to the Qur’an. This is Tawhid, the sovereignty of Allah, and the foundation of Islam.
We must now discard all political, religious, ideological, geographic, ethnic, sectarian, and jurisprudential divisions and stand firm as one Ummah on the basis of Tawhid.
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