On the heels of the Islamic state's destruction, the qualitative thoughts & acute understanding of the Islamic concepts were at an unprecedented low. The Muslims had become orientalized. The once sharply focused minds of the common Muslims were ideologically exhausted. They could no longer combat the erroneous presentations of the deen that they were inundated with. This was evident when a misinformed fatwa was rendered by an ignorant scholar or agent of the West. A case in point was the fatwa given repudiating the use of the printing press for the purposes of copying al Qur'aan. Although this represents one extreme end of the continuum, it points up a serious concern that lingers to this day: the definitions of hadara (culture) & madanniyya (civilization) & the ramifications these have on the structure of the Islamic Society as embodied in the Islamic State.
Culture is a group of concepts that constitutes a particular way of life, an ideology that governs the society. These concepts are based on a doctrine. Civilization concerns the material objects utilized in life's affairs. There are two kinds of objects, unique & common. A common object is a product of science & technology. A unique object is one produced by culture. Western culture is the prevalent way of life in the world. It even propagates its virulent concepts in the Muslim World. It confines religion to the Church & home. The yardstick for all actions is maslaha (benefit). There is no other metric. The Western view of happiness is to provide man with the objective of sensual & sexual pleasure & the carefree methods to achieve it. Spirituality is restricted to individuals & groups. There are no moral, spiritual, or humanitarian values endemic to this culture, although there may be some individuals or groups scattered about that try to achieve them. But even these supposedly bona fide attempts are supported by those who uphold the chief value in this culture, the materialistic-utilitarian. Happiness is the culmination of all desires. The culturally produced objects of Western civilization, such as the Statue of Liberty, Playboy magazine, or Caesar's Palace are all in concordance with the Western cultural framework. The basis of the Islamic culture is al 'Aqeeda-the conviction in the Creator via rational evidences. This conviction in Allah necessitates the acceptance of the system of life bestowed on man by his Rabb. The Islamic culture views action as the combination of matter & spirit. The material component of the action is the actual physical movement of the body, whether signing a contract or performing jihad. The spiritual aspect is the awareness of man's relationship with Allah-as to the halalness or haramness of the action. Therefore, Islam's view of happiness is the adherence to Allah's commands. Although Islam recognizes that mankind has desires, it categorically rejects the idea that to satisfy them anywhere, anyhow, & anytime is the key to happiness. Furthermore, the objective of carrying out the action is to acquire the value of the action, while the goal remains as the pursuit of Allah's pleasure. The person who executes the action is guided by the Hukm Sharii. The sought after value in going to work is a material one, as the person receives compensation for performing a set of tasks. In telling the truth, the value is a moral one. Rescuing someone from the rubble of an earthquake entails a humanitarian value. Hajj has a spiritual value. However, these values are not the controller of man's actions & the actions are not performed because they are ''the right thing to do'' (an axiom found in the West) or because of benefit. These actions are controlled by the Hukm Sharii. The Shariah provides the prescriptions & proscriptions. The Shariah instructs the Muslim on what livelihood is permissible, when it is okay to lie, or when killing becomes a wajib act of 'ibadah. While the value is the objective of the action, it is not the basis nor the goal. It is Allah Who tells the Muslim on how to achieve the objective. If the Muslim achieves the objective in the manner in which Allah allows, s/he achieves the goal, the attaining of Allah's pleasure. Even the Islamic Khilafah State itself is not structured on benefit. It is not based on some principles either, as some Muslims assert. It is a specific system & a unique culture with concepts that dictate the political, economic, & social features of the State.
Scientifically & technologically produced objects of civilization such as medical instruments, computers, home appliances, transportation media, etc. do not in & of themselves contain any ideological content. In addition, there are methods that are administrative in nature, such as an
efficient technique to perform a clerical task like recordkeeping. Other methods are related to production, such as an assembly technique to attain a manufacturing quota for automobiles. These methods, like their product counterparts, are ideologically neutral. The Islamic culture permits these common objects & methods because they do not represent a particular viewpoint on how to conduct societal transactions. Therefore, we know that Khilafah 'Umar bin Khattab adopted the diwaan from the Persians (the diwaan was a register for soldiers' records). We find that the Rasool (saaw) was asked by a Muslim on how to increase the yield in the harvest of dates. When that Muslim followed Muhammad's (saaw) advice, he did not meet with any success. Thereafter, the Muslim came to the Prophet (saaw) & submitted his complaint. The Prophet (saaw) responded by saying that ''your affairs are with you.'' Al Hubaab bin Mundhir (ra), a militarily astute Companion, asked the Messenger (saaw) in the Battle of Badr whether the spot that the Messenger (saaw) picked for the army was a wahee or not. When the Rasool (saaw) replied in the negative, al Hubaab told the Rasool (saaw) that positioning the army in front of the wells of Badr was a more strategic location. The Rasool (saaw) accepted the advice. In another instance, the Rasool instructed some of the Sahaba to go to Yemen in order to learn from the Yemenis on how to make efficient jihad weaponry. In all these examples, what were adopted or accepted were tools or techniques that had nothing to do with an ideology. Likewise, the Muslims are permitted to use the fruits of technology, such as microwave ovens, fax machines, jetliners etc. The Islamic state will use the latest technology in data & telecommunications, computers, transportation, medicine. Clothing, if peculiar to the kufar, such as the robe of a judge or mantle of a priest is haram for the Muslims to wear as attire. If general articles such as shirts, ties, pants etc. are worn out of need or adornment (without violating the Shariah dress code), they are halal because they do not represent a particular viewpoint of life. Therefore, clothing, as well as food, are not part of one's culture. These are considered customs & traditions. As long as they are allowed by Islam, they are permissible. A Muslim's culture is Islam because there are only two cultures: Kufr & Islam.
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