By IMAM TAHIR KUKAJ
The term “community,†or ummah, in Islam is derived from the root word “umm,†meaning intention, resolution. The word “ummah†is a combination of three meanings: movement, goal, and conscious choice. The root word “umm†also has the meaning of “pioneer†in it. Thus, there are four elements that define this word: choice, movement, pioneer or progressive, and destination. By retaining all of these meanings, the word “ummah†essentially means “clear way,†that is, a society or a human group in the sense of “on a way.â€
Here, a particular insight of Islam appears. In Islamic culture all of the words used to express religion, in various constructions, are words that mean “way.†We can find this kind of thinking in the form of the special religious terminology in Islam: madhab (way), suluk(way), shari’ah (water way), tariq and tariqah (way), sabil Allah (way of God), sirat (way), hajj (intention of doing something or going someplace), rajat (the human being in existence), hijrat (the basis of Islam in the place of birth of the Holy Prophet, the conquest of Mecca, and even the appointment of the Prophet to prophethood). Thus, Islam places a lot of emphasis upon the principle of “movement†in the sense that it is eternally changing, yet eternally permanent.
Even though there have been many different terms in the European, Arabic, and Persian languages used to define a group of human beings—terms like nation, tribe, class, society, and race—Islam defines its group of believers as a community, ummah. Why? Because ummah is a bond that stretches beyond geographical boundaries and unites all people by a shared belief in God and the shared divine plan for life in the hereafter.
Although it is possible that human individuals have a goal and believe in their tribe, for instance, there is no guarantee that they will move toward that goal. They simply believe in the same things. They have the same goal in the mental or emotional sense just as our Muslim societies have a goal and a common ideal, but they do not take steps toward attaining it. The ummah, however, actively takes steps to reach this shared goal, as expressed in the following Qur’anic verse: “But as for those who desire the life to come, and who endeavor earnestly to obtain it, and (demonstrate) that they truly believe—they are the ones who find favor (with God)†(17:19).
Furthermore, we can understand the ummah as a society that does not stay or remain in any one place. Individuals who are part of the ummah are committing to a life not of “being†in the stagnant sense, but of “going.†It is a human society in which all the individuals hold a common goal and join together so that they may move toward their ideal. And in Islam, this common goal is a “going and becoming†toward God, for He is not a specific place and does not begin in any particular place. Thus, ummah is a society that is in the state of eternally going and becoming toward the Absolute. We can see this referenced in the Qur’an in the following verses: “Unto God shall be referred all affairs†(42:53); “For unto God is the end of your journey†(3:27); and “We belong to God and unto Him do we return†(2:156).
One of the requirements of the ummah is a leadership to guide its members toward the final goal. To Muslims, the Prophet Muhammad is a living exemplar of this leadership because his life, spirits, and ethics show humanity how it should be and how it should live. During his lifetime, the Prophet made it his social mission to create an inclusive community where all peoples could practice their faith, without persecution or coercion, and obtain the ultimate goal of the Hereafter. His leadership is exemplified by the Pact of Medina in which he negotiated a settlement with the various clans in Medina. What makes this Pact remarkable is that it explicitly refers to Christians, Jews, and the pagan citizens of Medina as members of the ummah.
The Qur’an also teaches that the ummah is not only for Muslims, or even only for humans. God has made it so all of His creation are members of the ummah,as seen in the Qur’anic verse stating, “Every beast that crawls on the earth and every bird that flies with its two wings have formed communities like you. We have left nothing out of The Book. Later, they will be gathered to their Lord†(6:38). In light of this verse, it becomes clear that no one person, or creature, may be excluded from the ummah based on their beliefs or identity.
With these examples, we can see how extremist groups like Daesh have manipulated the concept of ummah to include only those who agree with their twisted and violent ideology. There is no “one†ummah. It is also not permitted for one individual to claim to possess the authority over the ummah, as Daesh’s self-declared leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has done.
Furthermore, the Qur’an speaks against one individual possessing the authority over the entire ummah. Instead, the Qur’an and the Prophet Muhammad teach of the importance of ruling by consensus and the opinion of the group on decisions concerning the ummah. The Prophet was never one to make rulings without having consulted his closest companions first and having it sanctioned by members of the ummah. He even sought out the consensus of his first wife, Khadijah, before sharing the news that he had received his first revelations from God. This is made explicitly clear in the following verse, which states:
O you who have faith! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those vested with authority among you. And if you dispute concerning anything, refer it to Allah and the Apostle, if you have faith in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and more favorable in outcome. (4:59)
We can now begin to see more clearly how Daesh has distorted Islamic teachings and history to achieve its twisted political goals. Its claims are proven to be in direct contradiction to the Qur’anic and Prophetic teachings on human relations toward all of God’s creation.
