Syed Abul A'la Maududi (1903–1979)
English Edition: Syed Jawed Anwar

[What is the true purpose of the Muslim community (ummah)? Chapter 9 of Islamic System of Life by Syed Abul A'la Maududi delivers a powerful, urgent message: Muslims exist to bear witness to the truth before the entire world—through words and actions.]

The Duty and Purpose of the Muslim Community

All praise belongs to God, the sole Creator, Owner, and Ruler of the universe. With perfect wisdom, power, and mercy, He governs everything. He created humanity, granted us intellect and understanding, appointed us as His vicegerents on earth, and sent down Books and prophets for our guidance. Peace be upon those chosen servants of God who came to teach humanity true humanity—showing people the real purpose of life and the correct way to live in this world so they may attain peace here and salvation in the Hereafter.

Dear friends and respected audience!

We usually divide our gatherings into two parts. One part is for us to sit together, review our work, and consult on how to move forward. The other part is specially for presenting our message to the general public in the place where we gather.

Today’s meeting is for this second purpose. We have invited you here to explain what our call is and to whom we are calling. Our message has two audiences: those who are already Muslims, and the wider servants of God who are not. We have a message for both groups.

Sadly, very few from the second group are present today. This is the result of our past mistakes and current shortcomings—we have drifted so far from God’s servants that it is now rare to have the opportunity to invite them close or go to them and deliver the message that our Lord has sent through His prophets for the guidance of us all.

Since they are not here, I will present only that part of the message directed to Muslims. We call Muslims to understand and fulfill the responsibilities that come with being Muslim.

You cannot simply say, “We are Muslims—we have accepted God and His deen (religion, way of life),” and consider your duty done. When you accept God as your Lord and His deen as your way of life, certain responsibilities fall upon you. You must be aware of them. You must care about fulfilling them. If you neglect them, you will not escape their consequences—neither in this world nor in the Hereafter.

What are those responsibilities? They are not limited to believing in God, His angels, His Books, His messengers, and the Last Day. They are not limited to following Islamic rules in marriage, divorce, inheritance, and similar personal matters. Beyond all this, a great and heavy responsibility rests upon you: to stand as witnesses to the truth before the entire world.

The Quran states the sole reason God made you a distinct community (ummah): “And thus We have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you.” (Al-Baqarah 2:143) This is the very purpose of your existence as an ummah. If you fail to fulfill it, you have wasted your life. This is a duty God has placed upon you:

“O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice…” (Al-Ma’idah 5:8) It is not just a command—it is an emphatic one. God says:

“And who is more unjust than one who conceals a testimony he has from Allah?” (Al-Baqarah 2:140) The prophets (peace be upon them) were sent to bear this witness. It was their duty to deliver the truth clearly so humanity would have no excuse before God: “We were not warned,” or “You did not tell us the right way.” God says: “[We sent] messengers as bringers of good tidings and Warners so that mankind will have no argument against Allah after the messengers…” (An-Nisa 4:165) God thus shifted the burden of proof from humanity to the prophets. If they delivered the message properly, people would be accountable for their actions. If the prophets failed to bear witness fully, the responsibility for humanity’s misguidance would fall on them.

After the prophets, this responsibility passed to their communities. After the final Prophet (peace be upon him), it rests collectively on the Muslim ummah in the same way it rested personally on him during his life.

Consider the seriousness of this witness: God’s entire system of accountability, reward, and punishment is built upon it. God is Wise, Merciful, and Just. His wisdom and mercy make it impossible for Him to hold people accountable for going against His will if they were never told what it is. He will not punish people for straying from a path they never knew. He will not question them about something they were never informed of.

That is why He began creation with a prophet and continued sending prophets throughout history—to warn humanity: “This is your Creator’s will for you. This is the correct way to live. This is the conduct that earns His pleasure. These are the deeds you must avoid. These are the matters for which you will be questioned.”

The witness the prophets delivered removed humanity’s excuse. Now the same witness falls upon the Muslim ummah. If we deliver it properly and people still reject it, we earn reward and they are accountable. If we fail to bear witness—or worse, bear witness to falsehood—then we will be questioned before them for their misguidance.

Dear audience! This is the delicate responsibility placed upon me, upon you, and upon everyone who calls themselves part of the Muslim ummah and has received God’s Book and the guidance of His prophets. Now let us see how this witness is to be fulfilled.

Witness is of two kinds: verbal (qawli) and practical (amali). Verbal witness means using tongue and pen to make the truth clear to the world. We must use every possible means of explanation and persuasion, every available medium of communication, every branch of knowledge and art, to teach humanity the guidance God sent for them.

In belief and thought, in morals and character, in civilization and society, in earning and spending, in law and justice, in politics and governance—in every aspect of human relations—we must explain clearly what God has revealed. We must prove its truth with arguments and evidence. We must critique what opposes it and shows its flaws.

This verbal witness cannot be fulfilled unless the entire ummah is as concerned with guiding humanity as the prophets were individually. This work must become the central focus of all our collective efforts and national striving. We must devote our minds, hearts, resources, and means to it. Every action must keep this purpose in view. We must not tolerate any voice among us that bears false witness against the truth.

Practical witness means living out these principles in our own lives so the world sees—not just hears—the truth. People should taste the sweetness that faith brings to character and conduct. They should see what kind of individuals emerge when Islam guides a life. They should witness the kind of just society, upright community, clean civilization, balanced knowledge, arts, and economy that arise under its light. Individual and collective life in every aspect should be reformed, beautified, and filled with goodness. This practical witness is fulfilled only when we—both individually and as a community—become a living testimony to Islam’s truth. Our character should prove its reality. Our homes should radiate its fragrance. Our businesses and factories should shine with its light. Our institutions and schools should be illuminated by its guidance.

Our literature and press should present its credentials. Our national policy and collective striving should be clear evidence of its truth. Wherever people encounter us—personally or nationally—they should see proof in our conduct that the principles we call true really do elevate human life.

This witness reaches completion only when verbal witness combines with practical witness. Only then is the ummah’s responsibility fully discharged. Only then is proof established against humanity. Only then can we stand in the Hereafter and testify before the Prophet (peace be upon him) that we delivered what he gave us—and that those who still went astray are responsible for their own error.

Dear audience! From what I have said, you now understand what we should have done as Muslims—and what we are actually doing. You see the consequences we are facing because of it.

If you look at the matter honestly, it becomes clear: The issues Muslims in this country—and in other parts of the world—consider their main national problems, and the solutions they pursue (mostly borrowed from others or invented by themselves), are not their real issues at all. Spending time, energy, and wealth on them is pure waste.

Questions like how a minority can protect its existence, interests, and rights among a dominant majority; how a majority can secure the power it believes it deserves; how a subjugated people can gain freedom from a ruling power; how a weak nation can defend itself from a strong one; how a backward nation can achieve progress, prosperity, and strength—these may be vital issues for non-Muslims, but they are not the core issues for Muslims. They are merely symptoms of the neglect we have shown toward our real duty—and continue to show.

If we had fulfilled that duty, so many complicated and troubling problems would never have arisen. And if we now turn our full attention to that duty instead of trying to cut through this jungle of issues, the jungle will clear itself—not only for us but for the whole world.

We were responsible for the world’s reform and purification. When we abandoned our trust, the world filled with thorns—and the sharpest thorns fell to our lot.

Sadly, Muslim religious leaders and political guides do not try to understand this matter. Everywhere they tell Muslims that their real issues are minority-majority relations, national freedom, community protection, and material progress. They offer solutions borrowed from non-Muslims.

But as firmly as I believe in God’s existence, I am equally convinced this is completely wrong guidance. Walking these paths will never lead you to true well-being. I would be your worst enemy if I did not tell you plainly—without flattery—what your real-life issue is.

In my understanding, your present and future depend on one question: What do you do with the guidance God sent you through His Messenger (peace be upon him)—the guidance that makes you Muslim and makes you representatives of Islam in the world, whether you like it or not?

If you follow it sincerely and bear true witness to it in word and deed—if your collective character truly reflects full Islam—then you will be honored in this world and successful in the Hereafter. The dark clouds of fear, grief, humiliation, and subjugation now hanging over you will lift within a few years.

Your truthful call and righteous character will touch hearts and minds. Your reputation will spread across the world. People will pin hopes of justice on you. Trust will be placed in your honesty. Your word will be taken as proof. Expectations of goodness will be tied to you. No disbelieving leader’s reputation will stand against yours. All their philosophies—political, economic, social—will prove false and superficial compared to your truth and uprightness. The powers now in their camp will break and flow into Islam’s camp. A time will come when communism itself will tremble in Moscow for its survival. Capitalist democracy will shake in Washington and New York. Materialist atheism will struggle to find a place even in the universities of London and Paris. Racism and nationalism will lose followers even among Brahmins and Germans.

Today’s era will remain in history only as a cautionary tale: that the bearers of a universal, world-conquering force like Islam once became so foolish that—with the staff of Moses in their hands—they trembled at mere sticks and ropes.

This future is yours—if you become sincere followers and true witnesses of Islam.

But if your attitude remains as it is—if you treat God’s guidance as a burden, benefiting neither yourselves nor letting others benefit—if you call yourselves Muslims but bear witness mostly to ignorance, polytheism, materialism, and moral laxity—then God forbid, the future may be even worse.

If you openly abandon the label of Islam and embrace disbelief outright, at least your worldly condition might improve to the level of America, Russia, or Britain. But to remain Muslim in name while acting against Islam—to give false representation of God’s religion and close the door of guidance to the world—is a crime that will prevent your worldly progress.

The punishment for this crime—as written in the Quran and witnessed in the fate of the Jews—is unavoidable, no matter whether you choose the “lesser of two evils” of united nationalism or secure a separate nationality and achieve everything nationalist Muslims desire.

The only way to avoid it is to turn away from this crime.

Now let me tell you briefly why we have risen.

We call all who accept Islam as their deen/religion to make it truly their way of life—both individually and collectively. We urge every Muslim to establish Islam in their personal life and prepare the entire nation to implement it in national life.

We say: Establish it in your homes, families, society, schools, literature, press, businesses, economic dealings, organizations, and national institutions. As a community, make it the foundation of your national policy.

We say: As Muslims, your real purpose is to establish the deen fully and bear witness to the truth. Make this the center of all your striving and effort. Abandon anything that opposes it or misrepresents Islam.

Review your entire conduct—personal and collective—in light of Islam. Devote all your energy to making the religion fully operative. Bear true witness to it by every possible means. Invite the world in a way that leaves no excuse.

If Muslims fulfill this, not only will our own problems resolve, but the world’s as well. We were entrusted with the world’s reform. When we neglected it, thorns grew everywhere—and the sharpest pierced us most.

May God grant us understanding and strength to fulfill this trust. Ameen.