ISLAM VERSUS COMMUNISM Part:3

ISLAM VERSUS COMMUNISM Part:3

We should like to point out here that in spite of all these trials in Russia they failed to make their nation belong to one class. In fact there exist in Russia to day three different classes

1 — The upper class which includes the leaders of the communist party, army generals and heads of syndicates, cooperative societies, factories and leading newspapers.

2 - The middle class which includes officials, army officers, engineers and those engaged in education, press and arts.

3 — The lower class which consists of the masses of the population including the industrial and agricultural laborers and junior merchants.

There is a big distinction between these three classes. They differ in their material and moral rights. It may be interesting to note that such distinction between classes is so great that some consider that the upper class in communist Russia is a closed class where no one who does not belong to it can inter it exactly as the Brahma’s class in India.

It should be pointed out that Islam in accepting the existence of classes has formulated many laws and regulations whereby the upper class is responsible for many duties towards the lower class both morally and materially. Again according to Islam, as mentioned before, the whole human society is like one body. In the meantime any person can pass from one class to a higher one irrespective of his color, origin, sect or the way be was brought

up. Thus Islam succeeded in abolishing any grudge or hatred.

between any two classes which may lead to revolution against each other as in communism. In fact the brotherhood between men in Islam is based on the fact that they have the same beliefs and the same moral ideals and not because they all belong to a certain economical system. This, no doubt, makes their brotherhood and consequently their co-operation in building their country and the world at large, more effective and everlasting because it is based on more sound foundations.

The outlook to family life in communism is the eighth aspect in which Islam stands very firm against communism. Karl Marx believed that sexual intercourse between man and woman must be always facilitated. According to him sexual intercourse is something which can be practiced in any way the man or the woman desires. Marx went as far as to declare that the system of marrigge where the wife is not allowed to have sexual intercourse except with her husband is a needless restriction to which man and woman should not be tied. Thus he advocates that every communist man or woman is free to satisfy his or her sexual desire in any way they like.

Needless to say that Islam is quite alien to this immoral principle. Such a principle will lead no doubt to the degeneration of human society. It will also be the biggest blow to family life which will eventually affect the bringing up of the new generation.

Foresighted men and women can see for themselves what will be the outcome of such a nasty system if the world will have a new generation of children who have never known their fathers or mothers. Many scholars of sociology and many social workers attribute the chaos found in many societies and the increase in crimes among their population to the increase in the number of illegal children or the children of broken up families. In the light of these facts we can see for our selves what will be the outcome of the whole world. It will be nothing but a new generation of illegal children. 

In fact Islam had a very elaborate system which regulates the relation between man and woman in a moral way. Legal marriage in Islam is one of its great constitutions and has been encouraged in every way. It has been really very greatly encouraged by the Prophet of Islam. According to him marriage is half the religion. He says "He Who marries fulfills thereby half the obligations of his religion, he should then try to fulfill the other half of his religious obligations". Indeed Islam had a great respect to woman and put her in much higher status than that given her by communism. Full details of this aspect is dealt with in our article "The Status of Women in Islam"

The system of government is the ninth aspect in which Islam differs completely from communism. According to communists the State is essentially dictatorship which is based on force and violence and that it should be in the hands of one class, the working class, In Islam the case is quite different since the system of government is essentially democratic and is not centered in the hands of one class. Islam has, in fact, laid the first foundation of democracy 1400 years ago. It stressed this system very strongly, so much so, that the Prophet of Islam who is a perfect personality and who was guided in all his deeds and actions by revelation and who was a Messenger of God to the whole universe, was directed by Almighty God to consult his people in their worldly matters in order to train them in democratic ways of governing themselves.

It should be also added that in Islam, the ruler is not-like in communism-left entirely to himself in ruling his subject. Every Muslim ruler has to abide by the Islamic principles which specifies very clearly the relation between the ruler and those who are ruled and which are explained and planned by the Muslim public opinion. No Muslim is asked to obey a ruler who does not abide by the Islamic principles. 

It is very interesting to note the great saying of Prophet Muhammad in that respect. He says "He who rules any people without their consent and against their will is cursed by God". This saying goes to show very clearly that the Islamic government is essentially democratic and that the choice of the ruler is left entirely to the people. Thus the ruler in Islam derives his authority from the nation. Again, in Islam, the people are not -like in communism - compelled to choose their government from one class.

In communist countries the constitution requires certain duties from the people towards the government, whereas the government is not responsible before the people. In Islam the government is fully responsible before the people. It is the nation which chooses the ruler, and thus he is responsible before his people who can question him when he goes wrong. This is evidenced from the following extracts of the famous speech which the first Caliph Abou-Bakr delivered when he was elected governor of the Muslims after the death of Prophet Muhammad. He said "I have been chosen by you to rule you, but perhaps I am not the best amongst you. I, therefore, request you to support me if I do good and to correct me if I go wrong. Obey me as long as I obey God. If I disobey God I cannot ask you to obey me

The tenth aspect in which Islam differs greatly from communism is that the Islamic law and all legislations in Islam are derived from the Islamic religion. Thus we see that the Muslim looks on the various Islamic legislations as sacred rules of Divine origin. He, therefore, willingly abides by them and believes that in so doing he is fulfilling a religious obligation.

In communism, the legislator is free to put forward any laws he believes - according to his own mentality - that will lead to the material progress of the communist society without any

regard to any moral or religious obligations. As a matter of fact, in communism all legislations are anti - religion.
In Islam obeying the law is considered a kind of worshipping God. We can thus imagine the great discipline in countries where the law has such respect. In that case the citizen is observing the law from within, and fear of God is the overwhelming control on his actions and behavior.
In summing up I should like to point out that Islam is a complete system of life of a Divine origin which has been very wisely formulated by the almighty God for the benefit of his creatures in this world and in the hereafter.
God, being All - Knowing, has chosen for mankind the best system which is capable of leading us to live a full and a happy life if we abide by the rules and regulations which God has put forward to us in the form of Islam.
I should like to conclude by hoping that the communist people will come back to the belief in God one day as did their great thinker Tolstoy. perhaps they may have gone away front religion due to the political, social and religious corruption which was prevailing in their part of the world and the great deviation of some of the religious teachings which made such teachings most un-comprehendible.
We do pray that this day will be very near. henceforth we shall hope that the world will enjoy the everlasting peace we all look forward to.