Recently, an audio clip was circulated in a WhatsApp group concerning the Indian government’s passing of the Waqf Bill. The clip narrated an incident from the lifetime of a notable 20th-century scholar. According to the account, a controversial bill was passed then too, affecting the Muslim community and sparking widespread protests and agitation. The scholar, however, advised his students that such protests would be fruitless, and instead urged them to turn to Allah سبحانہ و تعالی by reciting ‘لا حول ولا قوة الا بالله’ (la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah) 500 times daily. The speaker then encouraged Muslims not to be perturbed by such developments, to engage in istighfar, and to believe with conviction that Allah سبحانہ و تعالی is the Controller of all affairs.

While the intentions behind such reminders might be sincere, it is disheartening to witness a recurring pattern where even those addressing the public seem in need of a fundamental grasp of the Deen’s primary sources. In moments of crisis, rather than turning to the Qur’an and Hadith — the original, unchanging foundations of Islam — people increasingly rely on isolated incidents from the lives of more recent scholars from among the akabireen.

Undoubtedly, the akabireen occupy a respected position within our tradition, and it would be unjust to diminish their legacy. However, it appears we have either misunderstood what they actually advocated in their own time or decontextualised their words to suit our own convenience. More troubling is the growing tendency to elevate these figures in ways that overshadow the supreme authority of the Prophet ﷺ and his noble Companions رضی اللہ عنھم.

The pressing question is this: ‘Even if a scholar from the past advised a certain course of action, does that, in itself, make it part of Deen?’

Islam demands that our primary reference points remain the Qur’an, the authentic Sunnah, the Seerah of the Prophet ﷺ, and the established practices of the Sahabah رضی اللہ عنھم. How the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions responded to trials must set the precedent for how the Ummah addresses crises.

When we examine the primary sources and the life of the Prophet ﷺ, we do not find a single instance where communal challenges of such magnitude were met with passive resignation. Neither the Prophet ﷺ nor the Sahabah رضی اللہ عنھم, when faced with injustice, oppression, or existential threats, confined themselves solely to recitations and supplications while abandoning active, practical resistance. Yes — they turned to Allah سبحانہ و تعالی in prayer and du‘ā, but this was always coupled with decisive action, strategy, and public advocacy for justice.

The danger lies not in advocating for adhkaar and istighfar — for these are undeniably blessed and powerful acts of worship — but in presenting them as exclusive and sufficient responses to external, communal injustices. These spiritual practices serve either as cures for the inner ailments of the heart or as complementary acts alongside tangible efforts to confront challenges. The true Sunnah is to combine both: spiritual reliance and principled, courageous action.

A sound principle in Islam is that any recommended course of action must remain justifiable when applied universally. So let us test the principle suggested in the audio clip. If, instead of Waqf properties, it was your own property, would you still quietly recite some recitation 500 times and watch? What if the homes of your entire community were under threat of demolition, would you adopt the same passive approach? And further still, if your own family members faced violence or oppression of the worst kind imaginable, would you simply remain silent, quote the akabireen, and continue with your dhikr, abstaining from any form of defence or protest?

Such hypothetical scenarios expose how out of touch this suggested approach — and the mentality it represents — is with both reason and the Sunnah. Islam never promoted passive acceptance of oppression. The Prophet ﷺ actively challenged injustice, as did his Companions after him. Yes, they engaged in du‘ā and adhkaar, but never at the expense of practical, principled resistance.

It is therefore essential for contemporary Muslims to recognise the danger in conflating isolated historical anecdotes with binding religious injunctions. Our obligation is to revive the true spirit of Deen: one that couples deep reliance on Allah سبحانہ و تعالی with courageous action, just as the Prophet ﷺ and his noble Companions رضی اللہ عنھم demonstrated. Anything less than this risks reducing our faith to mere slogans, divorced from the transformative, justice-oriented mission it was sent to uphold.