The last two years have etched Gaza into the conscience of the Ummah as the bleeding yet unbroken heart of Islam. Two years of genocide, starvation, and devastation have demonstrated that bombs can demolish homes but not the will of a believing people. The occupiers sought to grind Gazans into dust, but they became mountains.

When you contemplate the biography of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), you will find that leadership based on Iman is not just a slogan, but rather an approach implemented by the first of the Khulafaa’ Rashideen (Rightly-Guided Caliphs) after the passing of the Prophet (saw) to the Most High, Allah (swt).

Many intellectuals have exaggerated in their comparison of the theory of social contract of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and other European Enlightenment philosophers to the bay’ah (pledge of allegiance) established by Islam. The theory of social contract of Rousseau and others does not address how the ruler assumes power, although they address this issue in some of their theories.

In recent days, there has been much discussion in Britain suggesting a link between pro-Palestine demonstrations and the rise of antisemitism and attacks against Jews in the country. Prior to the 2nd anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attack on the Zionist entity, British prime minister Keir Starmer, urged students not to join pro-Palestine protests on the day, warning of “rising antisemitism on our streets”,