Islam's Contemporary Global Relevance
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| Muslims' Global Relevance through Minaretes of Sultan Mehmet Mosque |
Are Muslims expanding or shrinking?
If someone looks on the vast horizon of the globe, the self-evident development is Islam's global relevance given its diaspora to every corner of the world. Remarkably, Muslims' footfalls can vividly be realised in the countries from Japan to Canada and Chile and from the Siberian region to the southernmost tip of South Africa.
Therefore, no country in the world is empty of Muslims' existence. This quality of presence fully marks the true essence of the sayings by the Holy Prophet (PBUH) that I am sent towards the entire humanity (Sunan Tirmadhi). In this article, Islam's global relevance will be assessed as an introductory phase because of the prospective series of articles in the upcoming days. Thus, the contemporary context as a mark of true global relevance is assessed as follows:Given the divine verdict that having offered prayer, spread in the land to seek Fazal (capacity to earn), a vast kind of spread by the Muslims has become a true norm. The adherents of Islam have their footings almost in every important region of the world.
Why does Muslims' Global Relevance Pester?
This question can be better answered by evolving various factors: First, as articulated above, the livelihood-seeking is cajoled in the Holy Quran; Muslims' fate gets associated with spreading throughout the surface of the earth wherever humanity is breathing and resonating with civic upheavals. Second, the era we live in depicts the shape of the global hut. Through unending information gusts, one area's tidal effect vibrates in the other too. This way, Muslims smash attraction towards everywhere they feel economic booms are on a high swing. Third, the sway of Islamophobia across the world in particular followed the first decade of the 21st century, when a stormy propagation ignited against Muslims. This caused a lust for Islam-related information among the non-Muslim communities. Subsequently, people in sizeable numbers converted to Islam when they studied it. As a result of this conversion, a tangible presence of Muslims is realised from the east to the west. Let's explore this quality of Muslim presence region by region in order to further testify to this mega-expansion: In the extreme north, Siberia exists as a protectorate of Russia. Herein, a vast swathe of Muslim populace sustains their existence. Discovering deep in the past, Siberia flourished as a Muslim khanate during the 15th and 16th centuries.
Subsequently, the Muslim presence thereby is not novel in origin. Instead, it goes back to the Muslims' peak days in the mediaeval period. Contrarily, on the southern extreme, South Africa exists wherein Muslims find their footing during the 18th century. Some Muslim captives were brought here to work on hard bonds and conditions. These Muslims built a mosque there and preferred to live there at the end of their construction task. Consequently, Muslims began to grow in numbers there. Going west to North America, the Muslim footholds grew due to materialistic shines, in particular in the USA during the 20th century. After 1945, the USA surpassed its contemporaneous countries culturally, economically and knowledgeably. Opportunities encamped significantly in multi-directions. All quality states proved galaxies of conducive fates for the country, which resulted in it being a gold sparrow for the luxury seekers.
Likewise, the Muslim diaspora was observed in the decades to come. At the same time, Japan turned toward building a soft heaven through science and technology in the land of the rising sun. The world then observed the shining stars in Tokyo and inferred that thriving internally is parallel to giant military and political bravados. Carving this land on the pages of opportunities, business-gusting minds and students from the Muslim world gradually crept into it. Accordingly, Muslim presence is deep-grounded here, marking the easternmost resonance of Adhan (call for prayers). Hence, the global presence of Muslims was completed. At present, no hook and corner in the globe is seen without Islam's adherence.
Why does Muslims' global adherence muzzle?
It exhibits various factors to answer: First, Muslims abroad forefeel proximity to Allah as a blessed asset. Ultimately, they begin practising Islam, which engraves tangible differences in the liberalist societies. This development gives rise to two further developments: (a) the people belonging to the host countries sharr reservations over the Muslims' practices. Sometimes, it causes offences. In many countries, extreme elements become ardent and endeavour to ignite the situation. Consequently, inter-communal tensions take place, which have impacts for all communities in general and for the related countries in particular. (b) In addition to this tense-like situation, which prevails minimally in a few countries in the world, the people coming from other communities feel it necessary to get updated about Muslims and Islam. Through personal journeys of these kinds, they get closer to Islam, which often ends in conversion. This way, offering a muzzle state makes a difference hereby because of the indigenous authorities' and communities' fears and concerns.
Second, September 11, 2001, pushed the world towards hypothesised fear about Muslims and Islam, which is called 'Islamophobia'. A massive media campaign was ushered in to project Muslims as monsters. This caused a bloody war in Afghanistan and resulted in a severe state of bloodshed and fire. Given the media hype against Muslims, the host countries were indignant over the presence of Muslims on their lands. Consequently, intense policies and tightened rules were pursued to cope with their conceived fears. Almost two decades, from 2001 to 2021, evolved the articulated tendencies in the West, including Europe and North America. In concise terms, this caused an inflammatory muzzle against the global presence of Islam.
Herein, a conducive state of destiny turns into Muslims' chamber in the wake of the Indo-Pak war in May 2025 when the latter emerged triumphant, beating its adversary decisively in the skies in the most modern warfare inhuman history. This escalation of war is noteworthy specifically by dint of 'Operation Bunyan Marsoos', which derives its pseudonym from the verse of the Holy Quran, 'As if certainly they are an unsurpassable wall' (Quran). This sloganised rhetoric proved not only a war dogma in the mentioned operation but also rendered a path for later Muslim policy pursuit. This way, Pakistan and Türkiye, along with other Muslim countries, seem to be acting as balancing actors at the international level, which congeals their footing deep-grounded in a better position than before in the past century.
These scenarios may unearth bi-fold pictures: First, Muslims may be forging a stable bloc to serve their interests in the world. Consequently, Islam's global relevance might be overtly significant. Second, the series of destructive wars may trigger the devastation of the whole structure of the existing world.
Following this tragic happening, Muslims will gear up their valour and passion to save their identity, ideology and sanctified marks within Islam. This situation will reveal the exact portrayal of Islam's global relevance because Muslims are born as war-lovers if challenged, proving their battle-hardened ambience.
Read further, The Future of the Global Muslims Population
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