Fueled by faith and patience, the train of change moves forward on its path from oppression to empowerment, undeterred by obstacles and challenges. It travels along a long, rugged road—yet despite its difficulties, it is comforting. Although fraught with dangers, its ultimate destination is secure. This train passes through pivotal stations and nearly inevitable stages, each station illuminated by its doctrinal, legal, and intellectual beacons, and each stage governed by its distinct jurisprudence, which organizes the work therein.
From the gradual call to Islam, where a solid foundation of believers receives the teachings of Islam with patience and is nurtured by them slowly, to the active call that shakes the foundations of falsehood, destroys idols in the hearts of the misguided, and engages in theological and intellectual struggles with the power of clear evidence—then to confrontation with falsehood using the necessary means, and finally to building a civilization grounded in divine principles. What are the features of this path, and where does Syria stand in this journey?
The Pursuit of Empowerment: The Path of the Pioneers
From the beginning of creation, the struggle between truth and falsehood has been relentless, never ceasing or fading. Falsehood pursues truth and is pursued by it, with both striving continuously for empowerment and dominance over the other. The divine laws governing empowerment follow set principles and norms that do not favor any individual, regardless of their status, nor any group, no matter its rank.
It is essential for the revolution leaders to possess a great deal of jurisprudential knowledge, deep understanding, awareness of reality, and comprehension of the current stage.
Thus, we find the Qur'an recounting the stories of nations of disbelief and falsehood whom Allah empowered. These stories are detailed and summarized in different texts of the Quran others, as in Allah says,
“Have they not seen how many generations We destroyed before them which We had established upon the earth as We have not established you? And We sent [rain from] the sky upon them in showers and made rivers flow beneath them; then We destroyed them for their sins and brought forth after them a generation of others.” (Al-An’am: 6)
The Qur’an also narrates stories of people of truth whom Allah empowered, such as Yusuf, Sulayman, and Dhul-Qarnayn. From the Qur’anic narratives, it is evident that they strove earnestly for empowerment.
The Qur’an also emphasizes the path to empowerment by outlining its major prerequisites. From the stories of empowered prophets, we find three essential conditions to obtain it:
- Worshiping Allah Alone: This includes recognizing His absolute authority in all matters. This principle is explicitly stated in Surat An-Nur: “Allah has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them [therein] their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security, [for] they worship Me, not associating anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that - then those are the defiantly disobedient.” (An-Nur: 55)
- Rising Above All Forms of Temptation: This is exemplified in the story of Prophet Yusuf, who faced numerous trials, including the temptation of women, imprisonment, betrayal by his brothers, and the challenges of leadership and power. Despite these, he triumphed through his faith and certainty in Allah, attaining empowerment: “And thus We established Joseph in the land to settle therein wherever he willed. We touch with Our mercy whom We will, and We do not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.” (Yusuf: 56)
One of the priorities is to eradicate corruption, remove remnants of the regime from political life, and achieve justice by holding perpetrators accountable.
- Engaging on the Frontlines of Confrontation on all Levels: This involves abandoning passivity and engaging in proactive efforts across all fronts. This is understood from Surat Al-Qasas, where, after Allah announced His will to empower the oppressed: “And We wanted to confer favor upon those who were oppressed in the land and make them leaders and make them inheritors.” (Al-Qasas: 5),
He placed Musa, as an infant, in the palace of Pharaoh to later become a source of anguish and sorrow for him: “So that he would become to them an enemy and a [cause of] grief.” (Al-Qasas: 8)
The Syrian Revolution: Paths to Empowerment
When the winds of the first wave of the “Arab Spring” blew, the Islamic world was astonished that the blessed land of Syria—despite years of oppression and tyranny—had produced a noble generation of youth aspiring for change and empowerment. The oppressive Assad regime could not prevent the birth of this blessed generation nor turn back its revolution. These youth pursued their revolution, fulfilling the three conditions: worshiping Allah alone, rising above temptation, and striving for confrontation. After a long struggle and enduring tremendous horrors, Syria achieved a clear victory.
However, this victory and triumph are merely preludes to a long and gradual series of transformative changes. It can be asserted that all that has passed—despite its immense sacrifices and challenges—is but the smaller jihad, and what lies ahead for the Syrian people is the greater jihad. Victory over Bashar and the fall of the Assad regime marks only the beginning of the path to true empowerment.
Syria is undoubtedly not left to its free will nor entrusted with its independence. Therefore, it must firmly hold onto its freedom and independence, safeguarding its right to self-determination without external interference. To achieve this, Syria’s military, political, and religious leaders must possess significant understanding, awareness of the reality, and a comprehensive grasp of the current stage with all its components. Only then can the train of empowerment reach its destination, guided by a dual approach: gradual progress and avoiding unnecessary delays.
Syria and the Islamic Project
The Islamic project aiming for succession and empowerment passes through three main stages: preparation, transformation, and construction. Preparation involves building a solid foundation of capable individuals within the Ummah, including a nucleus of trustworthy leaders. It also includes fostering the societal networks and preparing the necessary scientific, political, economic, and military capacities.
Striving to establish a system that ensures justice, grants freedom for calling to Islam, and lifts oppression.
The entire Muslim Ummah, including Syria, is in this preparatory phase, which requires complete adherence to the principles of this stage without haste or improvisation. Key priorities must be addressed, including eliminating corruption, purging state institutions of wrongdoers, removing all remnants of the Assad regime from political life, and achieving just retribution against those involved in war crimes or crimes against humanity.
Establishing an Islamic system based on implementing Shariah is the ultimate goal that must always be considered. However, is this achievable? Are the revolutionaries capable of this? Will the world, which surrounds them from all sides and infiltrates their state and society, allow them to declare it openly Islamic?
If they believe they can, they must take the initiative without delay. However, if they foresee that doing so would lead to impossible challenges and a hurricane of tribulations, then the general rule is that accountability depends on ability: “Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.” (Al-Baqarah: 286)
In such a case, efforts must focus on establishing a system that achieves as much justice as possible, provides freedom for the call to Islam, lifts oppression from the people, and lays the groundwork for future stages. This is in accordance with the principle: “What is attainable should not be abandoned due to what is unattainable.”
The leaders, being the most aware of their capabilities, must balance the interests and harms accurately, choosing the lesser of two evils. They should also seek the counsel of righteous scholars, whose past experiences have proven their honesty and dedication to knowledge.
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