27 Rajab 1432H marks a hundred years of the fall of the last Islamic caliphate. On the 27th of Rajab 1332H, the Turkish republic removed the Office of the Caliph and abolished the highest Islamic political power that has been going on for 1,321 years. Although, at times, the office is more ceremonial than real authority, it was an office that all Muslims look up to.
The removal of the caliphate caused a lot of confusion not only among the laymen but also the scholars. Some practices in medieval fiqh relied upon the authority of the caliph. Now that the office is abolished, what should we do with those fiqhi positions? Some thought that it was a sign of qiyamah and that the Hour is just on the horizon. This has to be the end.
But alhamdulillah, the ummah surived. Allah promised that He would preserve the Deen, and He has fulfilled His promised. The Deen continues to thrive and grow despite not having one political order. We see great scholars coming from countries that used to colonise the Muslim world.
The Chicken Little Syndrome
"Covid 19!!!! That's the end of the world..."
"The vaccine!!! This is how Dajjal takes over the world.."
Reading history always gives me a sense of comfort and hope. The ummah has gone through a lot, yet, alhamdulillah, it continues to grow. It has seen the destruction of the Kaabah by Hajjaj ibn Yusuf to the Mongols' invasion and the fall of Baghdad to the abolishment of the Caliphate, yet Islam still stands.
If we don't study our history, we tend to fall into the Chicken Little Syndrome. We become pessimistic. Every single problem we face, we will think that the sky is falling. That is the end of it.
However, time and time again, we see that life goes on, and so does the Deen. Chin up, smile and be positive. It is a sunnah of the Prophet to be optimistic.