Partners not Guardians

Islam and Its Response to Human Security Aspirations

The Islamic Nation and the Impediments of dealing with the World Security Scene

By

Prof. Dr. Hamid Bin Ahmad Al-Rifaie

 

To the Nation’s leaders -  To the Nation’s scholars and intellectuals - To leaders of the world

Islam and How It Dealt with the Security Situation at the Time	A General View of Human Security before Islam	A General View of World Security Conditions in Today’s World	Introduction by the Author
The Problem of Asking for Permission to Fight	The Problem of the Quest Struggle (Jihad)	Muslim Authority or God’s Authority?	Muslims and the Obstacle of Dealing with the Contemporary Security Situation
The Problem of Allegiance and Renunciation	A Jihad with Words or a Jihad with Swords?	Partners or Guardians?	The Problem of the Claim that the Islamic State Is Absent

The Problem of  Dialogue with the Other	The Problem of “the Other” as a Term	Local Security and International Security	The Problem of War and Peace
The Problem of the Democracy	The Problem of the Nation’s Backwardness and the Charge of Moving Away from God	The Problem of the Jurisprudence (Fiqh) of Individual Religiousness and That of the State’s Religiousness	The Problem of the Term “Secularism”

Conclusion

The Problem of Women and Society

The Problem of the Imbalance between the Cultures of Production and Consumption: From the Ant Culture to the Bee Culture

The Problem of the Term Shari'a and of Implementation

All Rights Reserved For The Author Prof. Dr. Hamid Al-Rifaie

We Want Friends, Not Masters

It is by blessed coincidence that while this book was still under print, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdul Al-Aziz of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, may God protect him, made a statement in the speech he gave to welcome His Excellency President Hu Jintao of China at the Yamama Palace on 25 Rabee' I, 1427 A.H. / 23 April 2006 A.D.

While illustrating the approach followed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in its relations with other countries and nations of the word, King Abdullah said: 

We Want Friends, Not Masters

In his turn, His Excellency president Jintao, expressing his rejection of the domination and guardianship phenomenon exercised by some international parties, said, “We want the democratization of international relations.”

Yes, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques!  Yes, son of Abdul Al-Aziz, we do want friends, not masters.  We say and stress it, along with you, with great pride and haughtiness, and the Saudi people repeat it after you, also with great pride.  Saudis pledge allegiance to you and to this approach, first established by your genius father, the founder of the Kingdom, may God rest his soul in peace.  The Arab and Islamic nation supports you and shakes your hand to signal commitment to this benevolent and wise approach, in order to make it a rational, international basis for the strengthening of just and equitable international relations.

Yes, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, we want friends, not masters.  We want partners, not guardians.  Absolute guardianship and sovereignty throughout this universe belong to God, the Lord of Creation, alone.  Meanwhile, human beings are free, dignified, and equal.  Nothing differentiates or distinguishes one from the other except piety, just conduct, and good deeds, in accordance with the statement of God, the Most Sublime:

People, We have created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes in order to know each other.  The noblest among you in God’s consideration are those who fear Him the most.