A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah.
Some of the causes for the decline of nations and civilizations, and the reality of the world today.
The British historian Arnold Toynbee, who passed away in 1975, studied this.
He conducted an in-depth study of twenty-one civilizations, in which he mentioned what he perceived to be the reasons for their collapse.
We shall mention some of these, with some modifications and additions.
Firstly, there is no civilization without religion, and the house of worship is the vital center of civilization.
Nations and civilizations collapse when they lose their creed, philosophy, and foundational concepts.
The contemporary West has claimed that its civilization is built upon freedom and human rights.
Yet today, violations of these principles are rampant among them, and extremism and racism are spreading in their countries.
This is one of the factors contributing to the demise of their civilization.
Secondly, the spread of injustice and the absence of justice is a decisive factor in the collapse of civilizations.
This is an established divine law, for Allah the Almighty has said:
“And (all) those townships! We destroyed them when they did wrong, and We appointed a fixed time for their destruction.” (18:59)
It is famously attributed to Ibn Taymiyyah that he said: "Allah upholds the just state, even if it is disbelieving."
"And He does not uphold the unjust state, even if it is Muslim."
So let every unjust tyrant expect the collapse of his state and the end of his rule.
Whether that be in the West or in the East.
Thirdly, moral decay and the spread of sins and indecencies are a common factor in the collapse of civilizations.
Allah the Almighty said: ﴾And when We intend to destroy a city, We command its affluent but they defiantly disobey therein...﴿
“And when We would destroy a township We send commandment to its folk who live at ease, and afterward they commit abomination therein, and so the Word (of doom) hath effect for it, and we annihilate it with complete annihilation.” (17:16)
It was known that the Romans engaged in bestiality, and their rule vanished.
Today, sexual deviancy is widespread in the West, whether through the acts of the people of Lot among men,
or through women satisfying themselves with one another, known as lesbianism.
This is an indicator that the collapse of their civilization and hegemony is being hastened.
Fourthly, it becomes clear from the two previous points that civilizations often collapse from within,
not because of an external enemy.
Fifthly, luxury and affluence do not indicate the strength or longevity of a civilization.
Rather, the truth is that luxury is the prelude to the collapse of any civilization.
The great scholar Ibn Khaldun established this previously in his famous Muqaddimah.
The collapse of the civilization of the Muslims in Al-Andalus due to luxury and the abandonment of Jihad in the way of Allah
is the best example of this.
And Allah, Glory be to Him, says:
“See they not how many a generation We destroyed before them, whom We had established in the earth more firmly than We have established you, and We shed on them abundant showers from the sky, and made the rivers flow beneath them. Yet we destroyed them for their sins, and created after them another generation.” (6:6)
“See they not how many a generation We destroyed before them, whom We had established in the earth more firmly than We have established you, and We shed on them abundant showers from the sky, and made the rivers flow beneath them. Yet we destroyed them for their sins, and created after them another generation.” (6:6)
“See they not how many a generation We destroyed before them, whom We had established in the earth more firmly than We have established you, and We shed on them abundant showers from the sky, and made the rivers flow beneath them. Yet we destroyed them for their sins, and created after them another generation.” (6:6)
The verse clarifies that affluence and luxury lead to an increase in sins, which results in the collapse of civilization.
Sixth: Scientific and technological development, which afflicts man with arrogance,
and makes him think that he has mastered the universe through his knowledge,
is merely a gradual enticement followed by decline.
The Almighty said:
“The similitude of the life of the world is only as water which We send down from the sky, then the earth's growth of that which men and cattle eat mingleth with it till, when the earth hath taken on her ornaments and is embellished, and her people deem that they are masters of her, Our commandment cometh by night or by day and We make it as reaped corn as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do we expound the revelations for people who reflect.” (10:24)
“The similitude of the life of the world is only as water which We send down from the sky, then the earth's growth of that which men and cattle eat mingleth with it till, when the earth hath taken on her ornaments and is embellished, and her people deem that they are masters of her, Our commandment cometh by night or by day and We make it as reaped corn as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do we expound the revelations for people who reflect.” (10:24)
﴾Until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified...﴿
“The similitude of the life of the world is only as water which We send down from the sky, then the earth's growth of that which men and cattle eat mingleth with it till, when the earth hath taken on her ornaments and is embellished, and her people deem that they are masters of her, Our commandment cometh by night or by day and We make it as reaped corn as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do we expound the revelations for people who reflect.” (10:24)
“The similitude of the life of the world is only as water which We send down from the sky, then the earth's growth of that which men and cattle eat mingleth with it till, when the earth hath taken on her ornaments and is embellished, and her people deem that they are masters of her, Our commandment cometh by night or by day and We make it as reaped corn as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do we expound the revelations for people who reflect.” (10:24)
“The similitude of the life of the world is only as water which We send down from the sky, then the earth's growth of that which men and cattle eat mingleth with it till, when the earth hath taken on her ornaments and is embellished, and her people deem that they are masters of her, Our commandment cometh by night or by day and We make it as reaped corn as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do we expound the revelations for people who reflect.” (10:24)
A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah.