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There is a difference between the haDarah (civilisation) and the madaniyyah (materialprogress). The haDarah constitutes the whole concepts about life, whereas themadaniyyah means the material forms of sensed objects used in life's affairs. ThehaDarah is specific based on the point of view towards life, while the madaniyyah canbe specific or general. So objects that are product of haDarah such as statues, arespecific. While material aspects produced by science and its progress, industry and itsevolution are general and thus are not particular to a specific nation, rather they areuniversal, like industry and science.

This distinction between Hadarah and madaniyyah must always be noted. One must alsonote the distinction between the madaniyyah forms resulting from haDarah and themadaniyyah forms resulting from science and industry. This is necessary, so that whentaking madaniyyah, a distinction between its forms and differentiation between it andhaDarah must be clear. There should be no objection in acquiring the Westernmadaniyyah resulting from science, industry, etc. However, Western madaniyyahresulting from the Western haDarah must not be adopted on any account, because weare not allowed to adopt the Western haDarah, for it contradicts the Islamic haDarahfrom the very basis upon which it is established, its point of view of life, and itsunderstanding of the meaning of human happiness.

The Western haDarah is established upon the separation of deen from life and it denies

The Islamic Civilisation (al-haDarah al Islamiyyah)

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deen from having any influence on any of life's affairs and, hence it separated deen fromthe State. This separation is natural for those who separate deen from life and deny itsrole in life. It was on this basis that life and the system of life were built. This haDarahviews the entire life as the pursuit of benefit. Thus, its criterion for actions in life isbenefit. Therefore, benefit is the basis upon which the system is established and thehaDarah is built. Benefit is the most prominent and apparent concept in its system andin the haDarah. This is because it portrays life as benefit. Happiness, in their view, isproviding man with the maximum share of sensual pleasures and furnishing him withtheir means. It follows that its Western haDarah is established on the desire to reapbenefits and gives no consideration or even recognition to anything except benefit,thus rendering it the criterion of actions. The spiritual side is restricted to theindividual and is not part of the social order. The spiritual affair of man is confinedto the church and clergy. Consequently, there are no moral, spiritual or humanitarianvalues in the Western haDarah, rather only materialistic ones. Owing to this,humanitarian actions became affiliated to organisations separated from the State, suchas the Red Cross and missionaries. Every value, apart from the materialistic value ofbenefit, was excluded from the life. The Western haDarah thus consists of such hostof concepts about life.

As for the Islamic haDarah, it is established upon a basis contradicting the basis of theWestern haDarah. Its viewpoint about life and meaning of happiness are differentfrom the Western haDarah. The Islamic haDarah is built upon the belief in Allah andthat He has established a system for man, life and the universe. He ! sent Muhammad" with Islam as the one and only deen for mankind. This means that the IslamichaDarah is established on the Islamic ’aqeedah, comprising the belief in Allah !, His

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! Angels, His ! Books, His ! Messengers, the Hereafter, and al-QaDaa'a wal Qadar.Thus, the ‘aqeedah is the basis of the haDarah and consequently the haDarah is foundedupon a spiritual basis.

Life in the Islamic haDarah is based on the philosophy of Islam which emanates fromthe Islamic doctrine or ‘aqeedah, upon which life and actions are both established. Thisphilosophy which is mixing the matter with the spirit, i.e. making man's actionsconducted by the aHkam Sharai'ah, constitute the basis of life. While man's actions arematerial, his observation of his relationship with Allah ! when he undertakes theaction as haram or halal constitutes the spirit (ruH). This means that the mixing ofmatter with spirit has taken place. Accordingly, the commands and prohibitions ofAllah ! regulate the actions of a Muslim. The Muslim's ultimate objective in carryingout his actions in accordance with the commands and prohibitions of Allah ! is theattainment of Allah's ! pleasure and not benefit. However, the immediate aim ofundertaking the action is the sought after value, which differs according to the type ofaction. The value may be materialistic for the person who engages in commerce ortrade to make a profit. So his trade is materialistic action, and he is directed in that byhis realisation of his relationship with Allah ! through His commands andprohibitions, for the sake of attaining His ! pleasure. While the value that he aims toachieve from undertaking the action is the profit, which is a materialistic value.

The value may be spiritual, such as prayer, zakah, fasting or pilgrimage. The value maybe moral, such as upholding the truth, being honest, or exhibiting loyalty. The valuecould be humanitarian, such as rescuing a drowning person or helping the poor. Thesevalues are noticed by man when he undertakes the action so that to achieve them.

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However, these values are not the driving force behind man's actions, nor the ultimateobjective he aims at. They are the values of the action which differ according to thetype of action.

Happiness is attaining Allah's ! pleasure and not the fulfilment of man's needs.Satisfying all such needs: organic needs and instinctual desires, are an essential meansto preserve one's life, but happiness is not guaranteed by their fulfilment. In summary,this is the Islamic viewpoint about life, and this is the basis upon which this viewpointis built. This viewpoint is the basis of the Islamic haDarah. It is obvious that theIslamic haDarah contradicts the Western haDarah in every sense. The madaniyyahobjects resulting from haDarah which is specific to the Islamic haDarah contradict themadaniyyah objects which results from the Western haDarah. For example, aphotograph by itself is an object of madaniyyah. The Western haDarah considers thephotograph of a naked woman that reveals all of her beauties a madaniyyah objectconsistent with its concepts in life about women. Thus, an individual from the West,views the photograph to be a piece of art which he could take pride in and a piece ofart when it accomplishes artistic conditions. However, this object of madaniyyahcontradicts with the Islamic haDarah and the Islamic concepts about women, whichare considered as an honour that must be protected. Consequently, such photographsare to be prevented, because they provoke the sexual drive which triggers moral laxityin the society. Likewise, if a Muslim was to build a house, another object ofmadaniyyah, he would have to take into consideration that women inside should not beseen to those outside. Accordingly, the Muslim builds around the house a wall, but theWesterner pays no attention to this. This applies to all objects of madaniyyah whichresult from the Western haDarah, such as statues and the like. Likewise, if clothes arespecific to the unbelievers, the Muslims are then forbidden to wear them because they

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carry a specific viewpoint about life. However, if the clothes are otherwise, such as ifthey are used to wearing certain clothes for necessity or adornment and not becauseof their kufr, then they are considered to be of the general madaniyyah, which ispermissible for Muslims to use.

Objects of madaniyyah which are products of science and industry such as laboratoryequipment, medical and industrial tools, furniture, carpet, etc. are all universal objectsof madaniyyah. The use of such objects which do not result from the haDharah and norrelated to it is permissible.

A cursory glance at the Western haDarah that dominates the world today reveals to usthat it cannot guarantee tranquillity for man. On the contrary, the Western haDarah isthe cause for man's deep-rooted misery and suffering. This haDarah which adopts asits basis the separation of deen from life's affairs is contradictory to man's fiTrah, thusgiving no weight to the spiritual aspect in society, and it views life as only benefit andmakes the attainment of benefit as the foundation for the relationship between men.Thus it inevitably produces nothing but perpetual misery and anxiety. As long asbenefit is the basis, conflict over it will naturally increase and the reliance on force toestablish relationships between people will be natural. Thus, colonisation is natural tothe followers of this haDarah since benefit alone remains the basis of life, and anymorals will be unstable. Hence, it is natural for any good morals to be shunned in lifein the same way that the spiritual values were neglected, and life established uponcompetition, struggle, aggression and colonialism. The spiritual crisis in the people,perpetual anxiety and widespread evil all over the world today serve as glaring andoppressively clear indictments of the results of this Western haDarah. It hasdominated the world and has led to such grave results and consequently have

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constituted a great danger to the normal functioning of humanity.

A survey of the Islamic haDarah which dominated the world from the seventh centuryC.E until the end of the eighteenth century C.E reveals that it never had a colonialistpolicy. Indeed, colonialism is alien to Islam's nature, since it did not differentiatebetween the Muslims and other peoples. Thus it secured justice for all peoples whosubmitted to it throughout its reign. This is because it is a haDarah established upon aspiritual basis which fulfils all the values: materialistic, spiritual, moral, andhumanitarian. The ’aqeedah is given the utmost importance in life, which is depicted asbeing governed by the commands and prohibitions of Allah !.It views happinesssolely as the attainment of Allah's ! pleasure. When this Islamic haDarah dominatesagain, as it did before, it will guarantee resolving the crises confronting the world andsecure the welfare of the whole humanity.

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