The Empowerment Generation masters life for the sake of Allah and betters death for the sake of Allah
The Empowerment Generation is a vibrant community that lives a clean and pure life and enjoys blessings under the guidance and direction of its Lord. It is not isolated from the world or tucked away in a cave, distant from life and its experiences. Instead, it serves as a locomotive for those around it and a preacher to others. It understands that it carries a message of guidance and desires to lead people toward it. It is confident that the bounties in life are primarily meant for Muslims, with everyone else depending on them. Allah the Almighty said: O Children of Adam! Dress properly whenever you are at worship. Eat and drink, but do not waste. Surely He does not like the wasteful. (31) Ask, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Who has forbidden the adornments and lawful provisions Allah has brought forth for His servants?” Say, “They are for the enjoyment of the believers in this worldly life, but they will be exclusively theirs on the Day of Judgment.1 This is how We make Our revelations clear for people of knowledge. (32)} [Al-A'raf: 31-32].
He understands that he must develop life, regardless of his capabilities and skills, and to the extent of what he possesses, "for provision is based on readiness."
He approaches life with this perspective, walking the earth with his head in the clouds, living in this world while his heart is set on the hereafter. He understands that life in the way of Allah is akin to death in His service, as they are fundamentally the same. He is called to cultivate the world through religion, shaping it according to his methods and guiding it by his teachings. Therefore, if he learns, he does so in the name of Allah, and if he reads, he reads in the name of Allah, as Allah the Almighty said:
{Read, ˹O Prophet,˺ in the Name of your Lord Who created (1) created humans from a clinging clot (2)} [Al-Alaq: 1-2].
And if he eats or drinks, it is in the name of Allah, while recalling the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him:
"If the Hour (the day of Resurrection) is about to be established and one of you was holding a palm shoot, let him take advantage of even one second before the Hour is established to plant it"
When a Muslim understands the connection between this world and the Hereafter and between worship and action, realizing that everything is linked by one thread and one goal, their thoughts become organized. A clear image forms in their mind, with its parts drawn together and coherent. They will then move forward in this world with the spirit of the Hereafter, striving to cultivate the earth in the name of Allah and being able to coexist with others regardless of their destination or life direction since the world can accommodate everyone.
The Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, exemplified the complete and honest translation of Islamic truth. Therefore, in his mind, the world and the Hereafter were one path, one approach, and for the sake of Allah He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, fought for the sake of Allah, made peace for Allah's sake, called people to the path of Allah, ate in the name of Allah, married according to the Sunnah of Allah, demolished and built, destroyed and established, immigrated and settled—all of this for the sake of Allah and the Last Day, the day he will meet Allah.
The message of Islam is for the living, not the dead.
Anyone who examines the Qur’an and its guidance for humanity will find that it is focused on life and development. If we compare the verses that discuss the earth, seas, rain, sun, moon, night, day, and cosmic phenomena with those that mention worship, it will become evident how deeply Islam is concerned with life and its advancement.
A Muslim is required to heed these indications and statements to cultivate the earth in the name of Allah. When Allah instructed His servants to traverse the planet, He commanded them to scale its heights, leverage its blessings, and not to be content with merely the easy and straightforward share of its gifts. Allah the Almighty stated: {So move about in its regions and eat from His provisions. And to Him is the resurrection ˹of all˺} [Al-Mulk: 15]
The Muslim is required to devote the world to religion, and to work in this world with his eyes on the Hereafter. The Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and the noble companions lived this meaning, so they worked in this world with the hearts of the people of the Hereafter, and worked for the Hereafter through this world, so they were "monks by night, knights by day."
The role of the nation in civilizational witnessing and its relationship to empowerment
Whoever contemplates the verses of the Qur’an will find this strong civilizational push forward, as the Qur’an has shown that the function of the nation lies in bearing witness to the people, and this is the secret of making it the "A middle nation." God Almighty said:
{And so We have made you ˹believers˺ an upright community so that you may be witnesses over humanity and that the Messenger may be a witness over you} [Al-Baqarah: 143].
This verse explains how the nation moderates itself through its testimony to the people. This testimony is conveyed either through informing or by witnessing and being present. The middle ground represents the best, most just, and closest position. The nation is defined by this moderation, which is one of its characteristics, enabling it to serve as a witness to the people in the Hereafter by affirming the just and challenging the unjust. In this world, it controls standards of conduct, promotes goodness and justice, and encourages people to worship Allah. This pursuit represents the goal of empowerment that it seeks and the message it strives to deliver.
The connection between empowerment and Muslims' interpretation of the message of Islam
The empowerment of Islam is connected to Muslims' understanding of its message as God intends, rather than how their environments, customs, habits, or traditions dictate.
"There is a distinction between Islamic teachings and human traditions."
If Muslims understood the message of the Qur'an and Islam and articulated it effectively, both their circumstances and those of the nations they interact with would improve, "for awareness is the foundation of diligence."
God has required this awareness and understanding from the believer before anything else— even before belief itself— and referred to it as "knowledge," as He, the Most High, stated:
{So, know ˹well, O Prophet,˺ that there is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Allah. And seek forgiveness for your shortcomings1 and for ˹the sins of˺ the believing men and women} [Muhammad: 19].
God required knowledge from the believer prior to belief and action, and regulating the standards and concepts among Muslims is of the highest importance. If we examine the models established on earth, we see that this trait is a defining aspect of their lives.