Islamic institutions are spread throughout the expanse of the Ummah, expanding as it expands, diversifying as its needs diversify—confirming that the Ummah has not fallen short in establishing and inaugurating Islamic institutions, nor has it overlooked their vital role and significance. So, where then lies the problem? 

The tangible impact of these institutions is weak and meager, nearly nonexistent—save for the minimal relief provided by some aid organizations to the desperate! Where is the role of scholarly associations, academic unions, clubs, forums, syndicates, societies, and other institutions? Why do we always feel abandoned, without a guardian to protect us or an advocate to defend us? How do we navigate life’s paths without a guide or a seasoned navigator, stumbling blindly and plunging recklessly into challenges? Undoubtedly, there is a flaw stemming from accumulated shortcomings that have now become major challenges demanding confrontation. What are these challenges? 

 Independence: The First and Greatest Challenge 

Scarcely any institution on this planet is fully independent. Yet most global institutions enjoy varying degrees of independence, expanding or contracting—that grant them some margin of freedom. In our Islamic world, however, independence is rare, besieged, and stifled to the point of suffocation. Why? 

Two reasons:

First, excessive control and dominance exercised by ruling regimes. Second, Muslims’ complacency with the bare minimum—merely securing governmental approval to establish Islamic institutions and allowing them to operate without obstruction, regardless of their effectiveness. Over time, these institutions gradually become tools of the regime, offering it grand services in exchange for meager benefits. For example, a scholarly body might serve as a facade to polish the regime’s image and lend it religious legitimacy in exchange for sporadic conferences with mercury-like titles, sponge-like content, and impacts as hidden as guarded eggs—locked away in drawers tighter than the cells of tyrants. 

This pattern pervades most activities. To confront this challenge, resistance and perseverance are needed to carve out spaces of independence, which, through persistence, can solidify into reality. 

  The Absence of Institutionalization Within Islamic Institutions and Its Peril 

If Allah Almighty decreed in the Quran that it guides to the straightest path, and if the "straightest path" for establishing and managing institutions is institutionalization—and if Islam, with its comprehensive law, governs all spheres of life—then we affirm that institutionalization is a core feature of Islamic institutions. But before delving into this critical topic: What is institutionalization? 

Institutionalization in work, management, and administration means that all institutional activities follow legally established foundations, rather than being dictated by individuals. This rational human behavior is termed "institutionalization" (derived from the Arabic root "أسس," meaning "to establish"), as the foundation (*asās*) is the cornerstone of any structure. 

We begin our journey with institutionalization in Islam from the central, indispensable point: education that molds personalities inclined toward institutionalization. No matter how stringent laws and regulations are, they remain ineffective unless individuals are shaped to embrace institutional work. This requires cultivating psychological, emotional, and conceptual traits that form the inner core of a person joining an institution. 

Personalities dominated by whims, ego, worldly desires, or the twin vipers of greed for wealth and power are detrimental—especially if such traits prevail in a society. Institutional work then becomes endangered, teetering on the edge of collapse. No laws, regulations, or institutional legacies can salvage this unless rooted in moral integrity. 

Hence, the Quran provides teachings and guidance to protect society from destructive ethical, social, and administrative diseases. It condemns whims (*hawā*) more harshly than the idols it came to demolish. As discerning scholars noted: "No deity worshipped besides Allah is more detestable to Him than whims." The Sunnah elaborates on Quranic principles through words, actions, and education, inherited generationally. Countless Quranic verses, prophetic traditions, and scholarly exhortations—even their exemplary conduct—reflect inner purity and self-restraint surpassing all expectations. 

Moving to the immediate circle surrounding this core, we find education in the elements constituting the spirit of institutionalization: consultation, collectivity, specialization, impartial accountability, gentleness, obedience within legal bounds, rule of law, rejection of nepotism and tribalism, prioritizing truth over personalities, constructive dialogue, and devotion to truth. Without these, institutional work collapses into personalization of decisions, projects, and management. 

  The Necessity of Harnessing the Ummah’s Potential 

Every nation harbors diverse talents, potentials, and aptitudes. A mature, conscious Ummah succeeds in unearthing these potentials and integrating them into its multifaceted endeavors. The harder questions are: How do we identify talents? How do we deploy them appropriately? Yet the toughest question is: Are we ready to explore our landscape with liberated, impartial methodology? Are we willing to move beyond complacency to seek competence? Do we possess the courage and sincerity to transcend partisan or group loyalties and embrace the Ummah’s vast horizons, granting opportunities to the qualified and allowing the Ummah to benefit from its scattered talents? It is time to break free from closed cocoons into the Ummah’s open expanse. 

  Diversity, Inclusion, and Rightful Affiliation 

What matters is not mere affiliation or securing opportunities, but ensuring that opportunities align with recipients’ capabilities. We must abandon favoritism, nepotism, and shoehorning relatives or friends into positions for which thousands of more qualified Muslims exist—individuals specialized, talented, and aptly suited for roles in charity, academia, media, advocacy, politics, or service. Diversity of talents is Allah’s gift to humanity. Some scholars interpret the prophetic saying, "The differences in my Ummah are a mercy," as referring to diversity in professions and talents. Exceptional leaders and societies place each member in their rightful place, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) did: he did not entrust the banner of jihad to Abu Huraira, Mu‘adh, or others unsuited for it, nor tasked Khalid, Hamzah, or Zayd ibn Harithah with scholarly roles—a precedent followed by the Rightly Guided Caliphs. 

These are the foremost challenges. I do not claim exhaustiveness here, but offer a diligent effort that calls for more. May those who see room for addition not withhold their contributions from the Muslims. And Allah is the source of strength.

Literary arts are considered a mirror image of society in every time and place. They mirror that society, revealing its virtues and flaws, crystallizing its reality, and serving as a kind of graceful chronicle of that era.

Arab Women in General

The image of Arab women in general, and Muslim women in particular, in Arabic literature, has varied from one period to another, depending on the civilizational state the nation is experiencing, with periods of ups and downs. Women have been presented in Arabic literature in accordance with the cultural changes that affect each society. Sometimes they are presented as an inspiring source of love, passion, and compassion; sometimes as a symbol of beauty and civilization; and sometimes as a source of instinct and seduction in poetry and novels, and more recently in visual arts such as cinema and television drama.

Societal Perception of Women

This reflected the societal perception of women and their modern status after they abandoned their original civilizational role, which was to cease their life as a factory for producing men and spreading moral values ​​in societies. By fulfilling the mission God created for them, they emerged to compete with men in the labor market in the name of feminism and alleged equality, challenging men's roles and losing many of their natural qualities.

Women in Arabic Literature in the Times of the Nation's Prosperity

Islam and the Image of Women

Islam completely changed the image of women in Arabic literature, elevating them from a physical description to a moral one, especially during the periods of the nation's prosperity, which focused on the human being as a human being, encompassing both men and women. However, they remained an inspiration despite being the focus of literary interest and poetic creativity. Just as Islam changed the mental image of most of the values ​​that existed before it, so too did the attention given to the private aspects of women, who were objects of pleasure, instinct, and desire, to become mothers, wives, sisters, and women who may only be approached within the limits set by Islamic law. She is the free and protected woman.

The Era of the Prophet and the Rightly Guided Caliphs

This view of women crystallized during the era of the dawn of the Prophet and the Rightly Guided Caliphs. In subsequent eras, the view of women in Arabic literature was influenced to a small extent by the view of their counterparts in the conquered countries, but it was nevertheless influenced by them. Arabic literature, represented by poetry and poets, was directly and rapidly influenced, reconsidering women as successful physicians, literary poets, teachers, and jurists, significantly influencing cultural life. First: The Umayyad Era (1):

The Umayyad era (661-750 AD) was characterized by a period of great transformation from nomadic and tribal life to urbanization and civilizational construction. Women were a fundamental element in this civilizational construction and an integral part of the influential Arab identity. The image of women in Umayyad poetry was prevalent as the ideal lover. Some poets specifically dedicated themselves to women, such as Jamil Buthayna and Qays ibn al-Mulawwah, also known as Majnun Layla, who wrote about love and women in famous poems. Women reached the pinnacle of respect and appreciation in Arabic poetry when they became "mothers," especially the mothers of caliphs.

When Al-Akhtal praised Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik, he praised him by all of his grandmothers, pointing to their noble lineage, their noble families, and their origins:

If I were to mention Al-Walid, his lineage would be traced back to the best of descendants.

The women of Banu Ka'b and Banu Abs gave birth to him. Indeed, they were the best of those who brought him forth.

Some women expressed their grief in Arabic poetry during the Umayyad era, such as Al-Khansa', who composed poetry from the pre-Islamic era until the Umayyad dynasty, depicting feelings of grief and loss.

Second: The Abbasid Era (2):

During the Abbasid era (750-1258 AD), Baghdad was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. The status of women witnessed significant development, with a state of great cultural openness in poetry, music, and literature. Women played a significant role in the development of the literary movement, their presence equaling that of poets at the time. Women not only expressed themselves as women but also participated in public affairs that concerned only men. Their poetry was characterized by chastity and modesty, as they did not mention the name of the beloved nor reveal the secrets of their hearts except within the limits adhered to by Muslim society:

O he whose love I conceal, and I do not name him out of fear.

He did not know what I felt from his passion, nor did he know what I suffered for him.

Among those who wrote poetry during the Abbasid era was Rabia al-Adawiyya, whose poetry was characterized by divine love and Sufism. She was a poet, writer, and philosopher all at once. Women in the Abbasid era embodied passion and chaste love on the one hand, and a symbol of wisdom and philosophy on the other.

Third: The Image of Women in Modern and Contemporary Arabic Literature:

Women in modern and contemporary literature have been portrayed in a completely different light than they should be, and Islam has honored them. They have been portrayed in a complex, purely anthropomorphic light over the past ten years. This is evident in Arab dramas presented through cinema and television, where they are presented in a degrading light that falls far short of the reality they experience in our Arab and Islamic societies. Despite the significant deviation of these societies from the practical application of Islamic concepts regarding women, their rights, and their status, drama, and literature have transcended this deviation by far, slipping farther and farther from the truth.

Modern Culture

An example of the contradictory view of women in Arabic literature is Naguib Mahfouz’s literature, his view of women, and his presentation of them. Researcher Howayda Saleh says in her study (3): Naguib Mahfouz presented women in two images, with no third option: the image of the prostitute who earns a living with her body, and the image of the virtuous woman, despite her will, because she is subject to a male-dominated society that has oppressed her in virtue.

This is found in novels such as “New Cairo,” “The Thief and the Dogs,” “The Beginning and the End,” and “Midaq Alley.” As for the image of the virtuous woman, despite her will, who is oppressed by a male-dominated society, in novels such as “The Sugar Girl,” “Palace of Desire,” “Between the Two Palaces,” “Morning and Evening Talk,” and “Mirrors.” The researcher believes that Mahfouz deliberately exposed the patriarchal society that marginalizes, belittles, and demeans women. He either objectifies them, commodifies their bodies, and turns them into prostitutes against their will, forcing them to make a living off their bodies as a result of oppressive social conditions. He also believes that Mahfouz subjugates them under the weight of male guardianship, which renders women ineligible and in constant need of the protection and guardianship of a male-dominated society.

The researcher here does not defend Mahfouz's literature so much as she explains the circumstances that led him to present women in this image. He found women marginalized in a society that viewed them with contempt. He does not present his own vision of women but rather exposes the societal view of them through his various novels.

Fourth: The Image of Women in Islam:

Comparing the image presented by contemporary literature in novels and dramas presented to Muslims day and night with the status of women in Islamic law, we find a vast gap in the way they are viewed and employed. Islam has elevated the status of women, honored them, and made them sisters and equals to men. The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “Women are the twin halves of men” (Narrated by Abu Dawud). A young daughter is the joy of her father’s eye. By raising her well, she will be a reason for his entry into Paradise. By treating her well, he will be among the best of people. By being dutiful to her as a mother, he will attain the pleasure of God Almighty. God Almighty says: “And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, do not say, ‘O Muhammad!’” {23} And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, "My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small." (Al-Isra')

A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, who among the people is most deserving of my good companionship?" He said, "Your mother." He said, "Then who?" He said, "Your mother." He said, "Then who?" He said, "Your mother." He said, "Then who?" He said: “Your father.” And so if she is an aunt, paternal aunt, or sister, then she has the right of kinship, the right of affection, mercy, and honor. And a woman has the same rights as men, as God Almighty says: “And women have rights similar to those of their husbands, according to what is equitable. But men have a degree over them. And God is Exalted in Might and Wise.” (Al-Baqarah: 228) One of the manifestations of honoring women is the command to wear the hijab, modesty, and cover-up. This prohibits strangers and strangers from intruding on their privacy. Women are too valuable to be mere objects for anyone to observe. They should not flaunt their beauty or mingle with non-mahrams. Another manifestation of honoring women in Islam is the obligation of their husbands to provide for them. They should not be forced to work to support themselves but rather have the right to full care. In Islam, women are chaste, and protected, with full rights and full capacity. They are neither commodities to be bought and sold, nor are they objects of men, as they are often portrayed in their literature and media.

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(1) A study entitled "Women in Umayyad Poetry" by Dr. Fatima Tajoor, published on the Arab Writers Union Publications website (adapted).

(2) "Women's Literature in the Abbasid Era and Its Artistic Features" by Dr. Khaled Al-Halbouni, Professor of Arabic Language at the University of Damascus (adapted).

(3) A study entitled "The Image of the Arab Woman in the Literature of Naguib Mahfouz" (adapted).

The meanings of culture revolve around intellectual adequacy and moral richness, including customs and traditions, and practical behavior that provides normative values ​​for humanity. The degree to which these elements blend and are consistent determines the cultural distinctiveness of a civilization and its ability to produce its own distinctive civil and practical contributions. The combination of these two aspects—culture and civilization—forms the civilizational character of a nation.

Pure Monotheism

Anyone who examines Islamic culture since its emergence with the advent of the message will be convinced of the consistency between its components and their emergence from a single source: pure monotheism, which governs the vision of its people in the past, present, and future, and their view of the universe, life, the Creator, and creation. Thus, any discord between faith, legislation, worship, and behavior is eliminated. All are formed from a single source and move toward a single goal throughout history.

Culture Embodies Common Humanity

The culture of Muslims and conquered peoples have continued to intermingle, producing a culture that embodies common humanity and does not conflict with the tenets of Islam.

God Almighty was angry with people whose actions were disconnected from their knowledge and the requirements of their beliefs. He said: "O you who have believed, why do you say that which you do not do? {2} It is most hateful to Allah that you say that which you do not do." (Al-Saff). Some of our ancestors said: "Knowledge calls out to action; if it responds, then it departs." Knowledge and action are linked to intentions and objectives. There is no action without intention; "Actions are only by intentions." There is no intention without sincere belief. (So ​​whoever should hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone.) (Al-Kahf: 110)

The Message of Islamic Culture

God Almighty said, clearly stating the purpose and mission of the message: "Indeed, I will place upon the earth a successive authority." (Al-Baqarah: 60), and He said: "You are the best nation produced for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in God." (Al-Imran: 110). This is a very clear command in the lives of the early Muslims of this nation, as expressed by Rab'i ibn Amir in his address to Rustam, the Persian leader: "God has sent us to bring whomever He wills out of the worship of servants to the worship of the Lord of servants."

Guiding Humanity

Muslims traveled east and west with this message, carrying that culture. Guiding humanity represented their goal and defined the contours of their journey. The pioneering Muslim intellectual, in his early days, did not intend to exclude the culture of others or annihilate their identity. Rather, he aimed to liberate them from the filth of polytheism, guide them to the worlds of truth, and lead them into a human horizon broader than the boundaries of the earth and loftier than the desires of the soul and the lusts of the body. Thus, the faith and culture of Muslims coexisted with the faith and cultures of others, and peaceful competition continued to proceed according to its laws. Survival was for the fittest, the fittest was the strongest, and the strongest was the most just and wise. This is one of the glories of Islamic culture throughout history, during its heyday. It refused to be forced by the force of reality, the reality of power, or the authority of conquering dominant politics. Muslim culture and the cultures of conquered peoples have always coexisted, intermingled, coexisted, and interacted, producing a culture that embodies human commonalities that do not conflict with Islamic doctrines and expresses a just and guiding cultural globalization.

Broad Encyclopedic Understanding

Islamic culture has not been closed off to claims of narrow specialization but rather has sought a broad encyclopedic understanding of both the sciences of Islamic law and life.

We say this despite historical evidence that recounts the statements of some religious or ethnic zealots who complained about their people's and scholars' rush to learn Arab sciences and adopt their customs in life. This is echoed by the complaint of the Cordovan priest Alvaro about the young Christians of Andalusia, who said: "The Christians have forgotten their language, and there is hardly one in a thousand of them capable of writing a letter to a friend in straight Latin!" But if it is necessary to write Arabic, how many of them can express themselves in that language with the greatest elegance! Indeed, they compose poetry that surpasses in its versatility the poetry of the Arabs themselves (1).

Human Culture

Indeed, the conquered peoples did not remain long in contributing to the flow of Islamic culture. Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Al-Nasa'i, Al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Abu Dawud, Al-Bayhaqi, and other scholars of hadith emerged. Ibn Jurayj, Abu Hanifa, Al-Layth ibn Sa'd, Al-Tabari, Al-Ghazali, Abu Ishaq Al-Shirazi, and others excelled in jurisprudence, while their peers excelled in exegesis, creeds, history, and other fields.

Translations from other Cultures

Islamic culture expanded to include translations from the Greeks, Persians, Indians, and others. The Muslim caliphs encouraged this vibrant translation movement and the embrace of the intellectual essence of the civilizations of those peoples. Islamic culture did not fear the cultures of others; rather, it was confident in the soundness of its logic and premise, and the wisdom of its purpose and intent.

Not Confined Culture

Islamic culture, in its vastness, was not confined to claims of narrow specialization. Rather, it sought a broad encyclopedia. The Islamic mind embraced both the sciences of Sharia and life. Those who were knowledgeable in interpretation were also knowledgeable in creed, Prophetic hadith, jurisprudence, history, geography, politics, religions and sects, wisdom, Sufism, and other fields. This did not prevent them from exploring the material and life sciences.

The imams of the major schools of jurisprudence were highly educated and knowledgeable in hadith, exegesis, and history. They had their own political engagements and verbal and practical struggles. This is true of Abu Hanifa, Malik, al-Shafi'i, and Ahmad, as well as of al-Awza'i, Ibn Sa'd, and Ibn Hazm, and in later eras, of Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, Ibn Hajar, Ibn Khaldun, and others.

This does not negate scientific specialization entirely, but it meant that the most prominent aspect of the Muslim intellectual prevailed alongside other aspects that reconciled with it and benefited from it, such as the prominence of the description of the hadith scholar in Al-Bukhari despite his jurisprudential brilliance, and the historical aspect in Ibn Khaldun alongside his being a sociologist and a Maliki judge.

A Culture Intertwined with Life

In times of power, it never occurred to the Muslim intellectual to isolate himself from the thriving flow of life, or even from the making of life itself. Their monasticism was a pursuit of knowledge, a struggle for religion, a mingling with people, a representation of them, and a boldness in advocating and defending the truth.

As time turned, and weakness descended upon Muslims after strength, the most prominent features of this weakness were the atrophy of culture, the stagnation of its flow, its inability to keep pace with the progress of the age, its inability to answer the questions of the present, the decline of the role of the intellectual and his value in the nation's social peace, and the advancement of the rabble, all within a state of comprehensive civilizational weakness.

The cultural conflict has become imposed on our contemporary world and is part of a larger struggle from which there is no escape except through a return to Islamic identity.

This has left room for Western intellectual invasion and tyrannical globalization, which aims to erase the cultural specificity of dissenting nations—especially the Islamic nation, with its heritage of resistance and resilience—and to paint the world with a single image, subjecting it to the incoming colonizer armed with brute and soft power, and the institutionalized international hegemony that has yielded to it.

Fierce Attacks

Unfortunately, this fierce attack has seized control of the leading elites of our Islamic world, in both the spheres of politics and thought. We find some saying that the path to renaissance is to "follow the example of the Europeans and take their path, to be their equals and partners in civilization; its good and evil, its sweet and bitter, its praiseworthy and reprehensible aspects... Whoever claims otherwise is deceitful or deluded" (2).

Cultural Conflict

The cultural conflict has become imposed on our world. It is part of a larger struggle, from which there is no escape except by returning to the dominant Islamic identity and embarking on a new civilizational takeoff. This takes its cue from the sources of acceptance and abandonment from others, honors the sources of its civilizational self, and recognizes that conflict is a bygone tradition, one in which the weak cannot withstand!

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(1) Grunbaum: The Civilization of Islam, translated by Abdel Aziz Tawfiq, Egyptian General Book Authority, Family Library, 1997, pp. 81-82.

(2) Taha Hussein: The Future of Culture in Egypt, Dar Al-Maaref (n.d.), 2nd ed., p. 39.

• Unlike other cultures, contemporary Islamic culture is characterized by its balance between the material and spiritual aspects. It is unique in its values, principles, and moral foundations, which are not esteemed by other cultures.
• The most prominent sources of Islamic culture are the Holy Quran, the noble prophetic Sunnah, and the Arabic language and its literature.
• The characteristics of Islamic culture include: divinity, comprehensiveness, realism, balance, moderation, stability, and development.

Every culture has its own specific concept that distinguishes it from neighboring, contemporary, and previous cultures, and Islamic culture is not an exception to the uniqueness of concepts, characteristics, or the ideas and objectives derived from its foundational premises.

Islamic culture embodies values, behaviors, social relations, attributes, and characteristics derived from the teachings and principles of Islamic law (Sharia). This culture has emerged and spread from the special adornments that distinguish it from any other culture.

Characteristics of Islamic Culture

Islamic culture has distinctive characteristics that set it apart from others:

First: It emerges from the pure teachings of Islam; its source is divine and shaped according to Islamic principles. It forms the beliefs and perceptions in the minds of individuals who produced this culture, which contrasts with other cultures that have varied and often conflicting sources, leading them to suffer from significant flaws in many of their human, moral, and value aspects.

Moreover, Islamic culture stands out because it maintains a balance between material and spiritual aspects, unlike other cultures that experience significant imbalance between these two sides, often swinging between excess and negligence. In contrast, Islamic culture is based on balance and even integration between the two facets due to its divine nature; as Allah created man from both material and spirit: (When your Lord said to the angels, “I am creating a human being from clay, from molded mud. And when I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My Spirit, then fall down in prostration to him”) (Sad: 71-72).

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “The angels were created from light, the jinn from smokeless fire, and Adam was created from that which has been described to you” (Sahih Muslim). And Allah Almighty says: (Does He not know who created? And He is the Subtle, the All-Aware) (Al-Mulk: 14). This is something that other cultures lack.

Islamic culture relies on persuasion through explanation, argument, and proof, whereas other cultures often lack this unique method of dialogue and persuasion without coercion or fallacious debate without evidence or proof. Additionally, Islamic culture is distinguished by its moral values, which other cultures do not appreciate or value, and some even see these values as meaningless constraints!

Islamic culture is universal, as Islam is a religion for all humanity; it is suitable for every time, place, and environment, while other cultures are often limited by time, space, and sometimes language, ethnicity, or religion. Islamic culture is based on stable principles, unlike other cultures that lack the stability and permanence found in Islamic cultural foundations.

Sources of Islamic Culture

1. The Holy Quran:

   The Holy Quran is revealed from the Lord of the worlds, making it one of the most important characteristics of Islamic culture. It is the foundation upon which Islamic culture is built, unmatched by any other source that has emerged or influenced in any manner from it. Therefore, it is considered the basis of Islam in its methodology, sciences, culture, and truths, as it states: (Falsehood does not approach it from before it or from behind it; it is a revelation from a Wise, Praiseworthy [Lord]) (Fussilat: 42).

   The Quran has numerous purposes in the lives of Muslims, the most important of which is guiding people to Allah, as it leads to what is most upright: (Indeed, this Quran guides to that which is most suitable) (Al-Isra: 9), educates the individuals of the community on its values, and encourages them to act according to its teachings and embody its morals to create a balanced and comprehensive Quranic personality that forms and lives the essence of Islamic culture in word and deed.

The implementation of the Quran can only be achieved through applying its rulings to create a society committed to its laws, so that happiness is realized and justice and brotherhood prevail. By working with the Quran, a culture of justice and equality among people exists, regardless of religion, color, or race. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "There is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab, nor of a non-Arab over an Arab, nor of a white over a black, nor of a black over a white, except by piety."

The second source: Prophetic Sunnah:

The Prophetic Sunnah comes as the second source of Islamic culture after its primary source, the Holy Quran. The Sunnah serves as the explanation for the general rulings found in the Quran, as the clarification, detail, and elucidation were left to the noble and informative Prophetic Sunnah.

The most prominent sources of Islamic culture are the Holy Quran, the noble Prophetic Sunnah, and the Arabic language and its literature. As the second source, the Sunnah has had its impact over the ages in shaping, defining, and renewing the features of Islamic culture, as it exists in the minds and intellects of the Islamic generations that transmitted it through successive generations of the Ummah, having been raised on the guidance of the Holy Quran and having drawn from the well of the Prophetic Sunnah.

It constitutes a significant repository of values and morals that are binding for every Muslim in all aspects of their public and private life. Therefore, it received special attention as the second source of Islamic culture, and this interest continues to be passed down from one generation to another, as their Prophet commanded them, saying: "You must follow my Sunnah and that of the rightly guided caliphs. Hold firm to it with your molars."

The third source: The Arabic language:

As the vessel that preserved the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace be upon him), and due to its role in shaping the Muslim's mind, emotions, and way of thinking, as well as its role in interpreting the Holy Quran and understanding the Sharia rulings, Muslims who are not Arabs have turned to learning it because it is the language of the Quran and the tongue of Islam.

What distinguishes Islamic culture:

Islamic culture has numerous and diverse characteristics that make it a culture with origins, constants, and values that surpass and differentiate it from other cultures, including:

- Divine origin:

 It is a culture from God Almighty, complete and unblemished, ensuring happiness for those who affiliate with it and adhere to it, making them independent from any other human culture. God said: "This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as religion." (Al-Maidah: 3).

- Inclusiveness:

Being divine, Islamic culture is holistic; it encompasses all aspects of life without excluding anything, be it little or much, small or large.

- Realism:

Islam is a realistic religion that deals with reality by affirming objective truths according to their reality and objectivity, not based on superstitions and myths that God has not authorized.

- Balance and moderation:

Islamic culture is a balanced culture based on moderation, giving every right its due without excess or deficiency, with a balance in the servant's relationship with their Creator, as servitude to Him alone is absolute, and the status of humans is to be servants of God alone.

- Stability, development, and positivity:

Islamic culture is characterized by stability concerning beliefs, divine truths, and definitive evidence from the Quran or the Sunnah; it is fixed and not subject to development or change. As for development, it applies to everything produced by the human mind as long as it is viable aligns with the objectives of Islamic law, and serves the public or private interest; hence, it is positive.

This is the essence of Islamic culture; if we adhere to and act upon this essence, it will be reflected in our appearance. When appearance aligns with essence, success is achieved, and Islamic culture prevails, taking a prominent place among other cultures.

Culture contributes to enhancing the national identity of peoples and works to cement the belonging to the land and heritage. It conveys historical stories that enhance community awareness about the importance of struggle against injustice, cultivates creativity as a tool to confront challenges during difficult times, and develops innovative solutions to problems.

Culture is a set of beliefs, practices, and knowledge that are formed and shared within a specific group based on religion, heritage, customs, and dominant values in society. The culture formed by any individual has a strong and significant impact on their behavior. Moreover, culture signifies a set of characteristics that distinguish one society from another, including: arts, music, religion, customs, prevailing traditions, values, and more.

From this point, we find that culture is a powerful and effective means to strengthen resilience and resistance among community members when facing common challenges. This is achieved through enhancing identity, conveying historical stories, or providing intellectual frameworks to deal with these challenges. Thus, culture is regarded as an important tool for supporting and unifying the community in the face of challenges. It also contributes to enhancing collective awareness, national spirit, and social solidarity.

Culture plays a central role in building the capacity of societies to withstand challenges, not only at the individual level but also at the collective level. Here are the main roles of culture in this context:

- Enhancing National Identity: 

Culture contributes to the reinforcement of national identity among peoples and works to cement the belonging to the land and heritage. When the population remains attached to their culture and traditions, it strengthens their ability to resist attempts to dissolve or exert external influence. By employing various cultural tools, from arts in its varied forms to public lessons and speeches, the people can maintain their collective memory, which increases their determination to resist any attempts at erasure or cultural disintegration. The more these tools are utilized professionally and with focus, the clearer the impact is on the resilience of the people in the face of these challenges.

In steadfast and patient Gaza, we find the greatest example of this. Various cultural tools have shifted towards a single purpose: resilience. Activists on social media have harnessed their skills and abilities to enhance national identity in the face of the Zionist occupation. Mosques (prayer sites after the mosques were destroyed) have turned into social nurseries that promote belonging and resistance. All civil society institutions, regardless of their specializations, have mobilized into active cells to support people and convey their suffering to the world to fulfill its anticipated role. Thus, many attempts by the Zionists to recruit collaborators have failed in the face of the pervasive culture of resistance and resilience among the people in Gaza.

Moreover, the phenomenon is not limited to activists in Gaza; it extends to the children of the Islamic nation and to the free people of the world, regardless of their religious affiliations and cultural backgrounds. Culture thus produces a resistant discourse through poetry, art, theater, and cinema that focus on challenges and resistance. Artistic works produced during challenging times can ignite the enthusiasm of the masses, boost their morale, and strengthen their national identity.

- Conveying Historical Stories and Heritage that Enhance Resilience:  

Culture contributes to the transmission of historical stories within societies, whether through folklore or living historical narratives. These stories enhance community awareness about the importance of struggle and resilience against injustice and occupation. As Muslims, we do not need fictional myths to inspire steadfastness and resilience. Our Islamic history, starting from the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), is rich with stories and true examples that inspire individuals in the community to uphold the truth and affirm meanings of steadfastness, sacrifice, and giving. Likewise, the stories in the Quran are filled with these meanings through tales of the prophets and other stories rich with lessons and morals, always emphasizing that the ultimate outcome is for the righteous.

In the same context, popular proverbs and narrative literature emerge to play a role in reminding new generations of the strength of resistance and patience in their history. The writer Abbas Khadr mentioned in his valuable book "The Literature of Resistance" that some Islamic scholars during the time of the Crusades, who were unable to wield swords and fight, compensated for that with intellectual jihad; they took writing as a field for struggle, responding to the enemies of Islam and producing numerous books about the virtues of the Levant, Jerusalem, and Al-Aqsa Mosque. The authors used the history of the early heroes of Islam as a means to instill a spirit of enthusiasm and incitement for jihad. Many books emerged in politics, history, managing the affairs of the community, military arts, and other related writings.

- Strengthening Collective Spirit:

Enhancing collective awareness contributes to motivating people to continue resistance and not succumb to pressures. Culture helps build the collective spirit and unite society in the face of challenges. When individuals share in cultural celebrations, public festivals, and social activities, a kind of social solidarity is achieved that enhances their ability to withstand difficulties. Through these activities, the morale of participants rises, moving them from a state of empathy to active participation and influence, thus reinforcing cooperation and solidarity among individuals and groups. This embodies the spirit of the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who said: "The believer is to the believer like a building whose parts support each other..." (Reported by Al-Bukhari).

- Enhancing Creativity and Innovation:

Culture contributes to the development of creativity and innovation as tools to face challenges in tough times. Culture can be a source for developing innovative solutions to societal problems, including creativity in resisting normalization and boycotting the enemy’s products and their supporters. Given the dangers of the spread of normalization culture and the media's role in enabling it and passing on its misconceptions, it is necessary to strengthen the culture of resistance and prioritize it in the cultural and political confrontation supporting the cause of Arabs, Muslims, and the free people of the world.

Based on this, it is essential to emphasize the following:

- Consider the cultural battle, especially through new media today, as one of the most important priorities and an integral part of resistance.

- Direct the cultural battle through the media in all its forms to serve the culture of resistance and steadfastness, which implies correcting concepts and perceptions, and confronting the alarmists, the complacent, and the discouraging.

- Build and strengthen faith in the justice of the resistance cause, and in the steadfastness and patience required despite the severity of the trials, while maintaining trust in God's promise.

- Unconditional support for the resistance, and active engagement in all activities supporting it. This role was played by the Qur'an and its verses that descended with guidance for steadfastness, patience, reminding of the laws of confrontation, and exposing hypocrites and the plans of alarmists. This necessitates placing cultural resistance at the forefront of priorities and contributing to the cultural and media battle through a clear bias in favor of the justice of the Palestinian cause, exerting effort on all media platforms to achieve that.

- Promote the idea that true victory is the triumph of steadfastness and resilience, and that the results are guaranteed even if not in our time, and that the ultimate outcome is for the righteous. How many of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) were martyred in the Meccan period without witnessing the rise of Islam?

- Foster the movement of authorship and utilize various cultural tools like literature and art to spread the idea of resilience, steadfastness, and jihad to realize the truth and vanquish falsehood.