Reflection on Surah al-Hajj (22:41)
[They are] those who, if We established them in the land, would say their prayers regularly and pay the zakat and enjoin good and forbid evil. The final outcome of all affairs rests with God.(22:41)
A God-Centred Life
A true believer is one whose life revolves around God—not around community, power, or identity. Living a God-centred life means rising above group loyalties and material conflicts, and anchoring oneself in the eternal values of Tawheed, Akhirah, and the Creation Plan of God.
Such believers are the ones who deserve God’s help. They do not compromise on principles to please the masses or to gain popularity. Divine help does not come through wishful thinking—it comes when the required conditions are fulfilled.
The Misplaced Expectation of Divine Help
Many in the Muslim world today expect God’s protection and victory, yet ignore the conditions that must be met. Instead of facing aggression with patience and calling upon God sincerely, some have themselves become aggressors—fighting over borders, politics, and material gains.
This is a distortion of faith. God’s help is not granted to those who imitate the oppressors, but to those who endure injustice while maintaining steadfastness, humility, and trust in Him.
The Fear of Criticism
Another weakness that prevails is the fear of displeasing people. Communities often suppress criticism, worrying it will divide them. In reality, this mindset prevents self-assessment and blocks critical analysis—the very tools needed for true reform and spiritual growth.
Prophetic Mission vs. Reformer’s Mission
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan has explained this distinction with great clarity:
• The Reformer’s Mission focuses on material conflicts—power struggles, territorial disputes, community grievances. Reformers rally their people around “we versus they” thinking, and present these worldly struggles as if they were God’s mission.
• The Prophetic Mission, by contrast, is rooted in eternal truths: Inzar-e-Akhirah (warning of the Hereafter), Tawheed (Oneness of God), and the Creation Plan. It rises above material conflicts, calling humanity back to God, urging patience (sabr), and fostering compassion for all.
While reformers feed the fire of division, prophets dissolve it, reminding people that all belong to the same Creator.
Misguided Leadership and Its Results
Unfortunately, many Muslim leaders have guided their people through a reformer’s mindset. This is why the Muslim community in the subcontinent became fragmented into multiple nations, failing to achieve its true objectives.
The Kashmir conflict is another painful example. Mir Syed Ali Hamdani once introduced the people to Islam through a Prophetic approach—bringing peace, spirituality, and constructive good. But later leaders, guided by material conflicts and wishful thinking, plunged the region into decades of violence and bloodshed, without achieving any meaningful outcome.
The Way Forward
Today, the Muslim world stands in need of Prophetic guidance more than ever. Only by shifting away from “we versus they” thinking and returning to God’s Creation Plan can Muslims rediscover their true mission.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan’s writings are perhaps the clearest reflection of this Prophetic Mission in the modern age. Unlike most thinkers who remain trapped in reformer-style activism, his work consistently points back to God, the Hereafter, and the higher purpose of life.
✨ Divine help does not descend upon group struggles or worldly agendas. It comes when we dissolve divisions, realign with God, and live as carriers of His message for all humanity.
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Based on reflections from Maulana Wahiduddin Khan,
Tazkirul Qur’an and related writings.
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