Islamic Strategy: How to Participate in the Development of the Muslim Nation

Islamic Strategy

How to Participate in the Development of the Muslim Nation

May, 2017

By Abbas Al Humaid

Published by Abbas Ali Mahmood at Smashwords

ISBN: 978-1-912275-18-2

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Also by this author:

● How to Plan Your Career - Develop your Business Portfolio

● The Tranquil Soul –Practical Steps for Achieving Happiness and Success

● The Journey of a Toiler - A Novel

● Introduction to Shi’a Islam

Contact the Author

Whatsapp: +96895385151

Email: abbas.alhumaid@gmail.com

Website: www.alhumaid.org

About the Author

The author of this book is a seasoned C- Level executive, business visionary, with successful history of delivering unprecedented growth and 25+years of career in renowned organizations such as Arthur Anderson, E&Y and KPMG distinguished by sustained accomplishments. Recognized as a thought leader, innovator, trustworthy business advisor and an expert in defining, evolving and executing business strategies. Renowned for broad strengths in strategic management, risk management, change management and optimizing business processes. Aiding government-owned companies to realize their economic goals.

He is one of a few thousand people globally who is authorized by the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI), a UN-sanctioned non-governmental organization, to practice as a management consultant.

He has also been awarded the status of Fellow in the management consultancy field. This is the highest level of professional accreditation and is awarded to those who can demonstrate evidence of significant contribution to the management consultancy profession. As of 2009, this status had been awarded to less than a thousand management consultants around the world.

Accredited in Sep 2010 by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI, UK) to assess candidates for prestigious accreditation - Chartered Manager (CMgr) status, the ultimate accolade for any practicing professional manager. Me being one of two outside of the UK.

The author studied Islamic doctrines and creed in Iran for 6 years.

He is the holder of a range of fellowships, academic qualifications and international professional qualifications including Certified Public Accountant (CPA) accreditation from the USA, Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and Chartered Manager (CMgr) accreditation from the UK and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) accreditation from the USA. He holds two B.A. degrees, one in accounting and the other in economy, and a postgraduate diploma in business administration from Heriot-Watt University, UK.

Table of Contents

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ENGLISH VERSION INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS

ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS

SWOT ANALYSIS

STAKEHOLDERS’ ANALYSIS

STRATEGIES

PROPOSED ISLAMIC STRATEGY

REFERENCES LIST

ENGLISH VERSION

INTRODUCTION

We often hear in this era of conflict / dialogue of civilizations a passage taken from the Quran (the holy book of Muslims) that different civilizations and competition among them is healthy and necessary for human development.

The Almighty says: O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you (Surah 49, Ayah 13). It is also mentioned in the Holy Quran: Did not Allah check one set of people by means of another, there would surely have been pulled down monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of Allah is commemorated in abundant measure (Surah 22, Ayah 40 ).

However, there are Muslim extremists who are trying to promote a culture of destruction and terror among the peoples of the Islamic Nations as a strategy for dealing with non-Muslims, and even with other Muslims who disagree with them.

On the other hand, there are many influential political parties (Muslims and non-Muslims, Eastern and Western) who purposely try to damage the relationship between Muslims and Christians.

Unfortunately, due to the absence of a clear strategic vision emanating from the inherently fault-tolerant Islamic culture in the Islamic regions, these extremists are expanding in the Islamic nation rapidly. Hence, the value and importance of the strategy proposed by this study for the Islamic nation hopes to fill the vacuum referred to above.

I know that we won’t become one. There will remain Muslim and Christian nations, maybe forever. However, we share many common human values such as the freedom of belief for each human being, preservation of human rights and many other principles and values that would make the world a better place if we can incorporate them into our daily culture.

INTRODUCTION

Foreword

Strategic Planning, Why?

Strategic Obstacles

This Book

Said About The Book

Scope and Limitations

Methodology Used

FOREWORD

For a long time, the Muslim nation has faced great challenges and severe Western domination of all types and forms. No sooner had the Cold War between United States and Soviet Union come to an end that the Muslim nation found itself facing another conflict. A conflict that Huntington (1999, 209) describes in his book The Clash of Civilizations as: The twentieth-century conflict between liberal democracy and Marxist-Leninism is only a fleeting and superficial historical phenomenon compared to the continuing and deeply conflictual relation between Islam and Christianity.

According to Huntington (1999, 217) The underlying problem for the West is not Islamic fundamentalism. It is Islam, a different civilization whose people are convinced of the superiority of their culture and are obsessed with the inferiority of their power.

However, the conflict in fact is not between Islam and Christianity, or the West! The spread of such ideas is solely for the purpose of mobilizing and politicizing the masses and creating nationalism among them in order to use them in this fabricated conflict! This conflict is perpetrated by an influential elite who take the helm of the world and try to manage it according to their personal interests! In fact, many Westerners believe that Westerners themselves are victims of this influential class, as is the whole world.

Authors Peter Phillips, Bridget Thoronton, Lew Brown, and Andrew Sloan (2007, 233-234) mention: "The leadership in the United States is being controlled by a variety of neo-conservatives who share the goal of emphasis on American military power around the world…

"A long thread of sociological research documents the existence of a dominant ruling class in the U.S., which sets policy and determines national political priorities. The American ruling class is complex and competitive within itself, maintaining itself through interacting families of high social standing who have similar life styles, corporate affiliations, and memberships in elite social clubs and private schools.

This American ruling class is mostly self-perpetuating, maintaining its influence through policy-making institutions such as the National Manufacturing Association, National Chamber of Commerce, Business Council, Business Roundtable, Conference Board, American Enterprise Institute, Council on Foreign Relations and other business-centred policy groups. Wright Mills, in his 1956 book The Power Elite documents how World War II solidified a trinity of power in the US comprised of corporate, military and government elites in a centralized power structure motivated by class interests and working in unison through higher circles" of contacts and agreement. Mills describes how the power elites were those who decided whatever was decided of major consequence.

Canadian Cultural Review Magazine Adbusters defines neo-conservatism as The belief that Democracy, however flawed, was best defended by an ignorant public pumped up on nationalism and religion. Only a militantly nationalist state could deter human aggression… such nationalism requires an external threat and if one cannot be found it must be manufactured."

This is exactly what the US has been doing with us Muslims. Hence, we must defend our nation and our Islamic religion against this severe attack against us. Moreover, we should stick to the long-neglected fact mentioned by Sayyid Al Sadr i.e. that we as Muslims and humans are responsible before Allah to seek to spread good and righteousness in the whole world and to prepare for the succession of Allah ([ Please refer to Islamic Mission]) on Earth. His Almighty says: "He it is That has made you inheritors of the Earth..." (Surah Fatir, Aayah 39).

However, in order to be able to defend our religion and to prepare for the succession of Allah on Earth, we need to have a proper strategy! An objective, clear and practical strategy is the main element to ensure the success of any change or reformation activity or any project or the establishment thereof.

STRATEGIC PLANNING, WHY?

Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (598 to 661 AD( said: Those who walk without vision resemble one walking off-course. Walking faster only keeps them farther away from the goal.

The strategic planning is called for by Islamic culture. However, it is observed that the Muslim nation lacks strategic planning in its movement! That might have been acceptable some decades ago, but not anymore in this era of knowledge and globalization. The era in which we live today has made the world one village and we have become a main party in a conflict that aims to eliminate Islam.

Yes, it is not acceptable anymore to move without a proper strategy in an age when the knowledge and ability of strategic planning is attainable. Rather, in this era we own the strategic advantage against others. That is, the development of the human race and its ability to appreciate how great and excellent Islamic culture is, with all its characteristics of depth, openness, reality and consistency, with discernment and reason and its comprehensiveness of human life, individually and communally. ([Please refer to the Islamic Thought and Discourse element, and SWOT Analysis, Strength Points 1, 2, and 3])

We do not mean here what is done by some Islamic organizations in terms of developing their strategies because this is restricted to their activities and the scope of their movements. What we mean here is a strategic plan for the whole Muslim nation, including all its sects, towards the supreme strategic objectives of Islam, such as the universality of Islam and its dissemination all over the Earth.

Unfortunately, we generally act in reaction to others, on emotion and in a narrow vision that does not go beyond the direct objective facts surrounding us. For instance, when our prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is insulted, we boycott and when we are attacked, we resist! I bless the resistance. It is wonderful to have the ability to rapidly respond to challenges that we face. However, what we actually lack is the spirit of initiative in our movement towards realizing the supreme strategic objectives of Islam.

We are exposed to a severe and harsh attack on Islam! This is true. However, what we strive to do is to deter this attack when it is apparent to us. As for what is hidden – which is greater –we do not take any action against it simply because we know nothing about it.

For instance, what are the approaches used by others in the world arena to separate Muslims in general, or worse, the followers of the same sect or creed? What are the marginal or imaginary conflicts that they create to exhaust our powers? How do they denigrate Islam and Muslims? Do they try to create Islamic trends and groups that are religious in form, but political in objectives to serve their goals, whether such groups call for radicalism or call for non-intervention in politics? What are the methods that they follow for this purpose? Do they try to infiltrate behind the lines of the Islamist activists through covert agents in the form of Islamic leaders, religious scholars and reformers? What are the other methods that they employ against Islam and Muslims? How do they see and appraise us? What is their strategy to deal with us?

We need to know the answers to all of these and other questions so that we can plan for Islamic activities. However, first we need to know why Islam came. What is its message to humanity? What does it try to achieve? What is our role as Muslims to achieve these Islamic goals? What are the activities and practices through which we could achieve Islamic goals? Do they agree and harmonize with the international human cultural and developmental movement? How could they be formulated at an optimal pattern that suits the general sense? What are the human, institutional, knowledge, technical and other resources that we need to do so? What do we gain out of these resources? How can we acquire the resources we need that we do not actually possess? What are the existing and potential risks to which we are exposed? How can we eliminate them?

STRATEGIC OBSTACLES

Undoubtedly, it is quite difficult to develop a strategy for the Muslim nation due to the far and deep dimensions of the Islamic mission as well as the following challenges:

● The enormous, various issues and factors surrounding the humanitarian movement and Islamic activity, and the evolving change within them.

● Inadequacy and inaccuracy of information about resources available to the Muslim nation for achieving its objectives in terms of financial, institutional, humanitarian and other resources.

● Lack of a centralized, unified decision-making leadership in the Muslim nation, unlike Catholicism that is led by the Vatican, for instance. In the Islamic world, we have many decision makers from individual Muslims, to institutions working in different Islamic activities. The responsibilities and style of work of each are specified by their convictions and beliefs, and maybe those of their financiers and the resources available to them.

THIS BOOK

This book is an attempt to propose a strategy for the Muslim nation based on both internal analysis of the Muslim nation and an environmental analysis. The intention is to achieve Islamic strategic objectives, protect our Muslim nation from surrounding risks and eliminate its weaknesses and ignominy.

The recommended candidates to implement this strategy are all the elements within the Muslim nation, which include its institutions, scholars and individuals at their different levels, locations, social and functional positions and creeds. The basic idea behind it is that when the simple, small efforts and contributions of even less than 1% of the Muslim nation strive towards achieving Islamic goals and preserving the Muslim nation, they form a power that stops at nothing.

Many Muslims might not have enough time nowadays to participate in developing our societies and the world around us since they spend the majority of their time earning a living along with its consequent responsibilities. However, soon this situation will change. As we enter into the era of a knowledge-based economy, with all its effects on the economic and social patterns, it is strongly anticipated that enormous leisure time will be created for mankind. If we