Two kind of Muslims:
1.Partial Muslims
Some Muslims profess faith in Allah (swt) and the Messenger and declare Islam as their religion; but then they confine this Islam to only a part of their lives. To the extent of this part, they express great attachment to Islam, extensively perform worship rituals like prayers, use of the rosary, remembrance of Allah’s name. they are very particular in confirming to outward piety in matters like food, dress and other external social, cultural customs. Thus they are fully religious.
But beyond these conventions their lives are not ruled by Allah(swt). If they love, they love for the sake of their own selves, their country, their nation, or for anything else, but not for Allah (swt).
If they become displeased, are angry, hate someone, make enemies, or wage war, it too is for the sake of some worldly or selfish interest. Their relations with their businesses, their wives and children, families, societies will all be to a great extent unaffected by Islam and based on secular considerations.
As landlords, traders, rulers, soldiers, and professional people – in all spheres they will behave as if they are autonomous, having no connection with their position as Muslims. When such people establish cultural, educational and political norms and institutions, these have nothing to do with Islam, even though they may seem Islamic.
2.True Muslims
The second kind of Muslims are those who completely merge their personalities and existences into Islam. All the roles they have become subordinate to the one role of being Muslims. They live as Muslims when they live as fathers, sons, husbands or wives, businessmen, landlords, laborers, employers.
Their feelings, their desires, their ideologies, their thoughts and opinions, their likes and dislikes, all are shaped by Islam. Allah’s guidance holds complete sway over their hearts and minds, their eyes and ears, their bellies, their sexual desires, their hands and feet, their bodies and souls.
Neither their love nor their hatreds are formed independently of Islamic criteria. Whether their fight or make friends, it is purely for the sake of Islam. If they give anything to anybody, it is because Islam requires it to be given. If they withhold anything from anybody, it is because Islam wants it to be withheld.
And this attitude of theirs is not limited to personal lives; their public lives, their societies are also based entirely on Islam. Their collectivity exists for Islam alone; their collective behavior is governed by precepts of Islam alone.
What kind of Muslims Allah (swt) desires?
The above two kinds of Muslims are significantly different from each other, even if legally, both are included in the ummah and the word ‘Muslim’ is applied to both equally.
Historically the first kind of Muslims have made no achievement which may be worthy of mention or which merits our being proud of it. Nothing these ‘Muslims’ have done has left an Islamic imprint of the pages of world history.
The world has received no benefit from their existence; indeed, Islam has suffered decay because of them. Because of the preponderance of such ‘Muslims’ in Muslim society, power and world leadership largely passed into the hands of rebels against Allah (swt). For these ‘Muslims’ have been content merely with ensuring that they enjoy the freedom to live religiously within the narrow confines of their private lives.
God never desired to have such ‘Muslims’. Nor did He send His Prophets or reveal His Books to create them. Indeed, it is the second kind of Muslims who are desired by Allah (swt). Only they can accomplish anything worthwhile from the Islamic point of view.
Supreme loyalty to Allah
This is not a phenomenon peculiar to Islam. In fact, no way of life can even prevail in the world if its followers accord their faith and commitment a subordinate position in their lives. Or, if they live and die for causes other than their faith. We see even today that only those are considered real and true followers of a creed or ideology who are loyal to it with their hearts and souls. Every creed in the world desired such adherents and no creed can prevail in the world except through such followers.
However, there is an important difference between Islam and other creeds and ideologies. Although others demand from men total loyalty and dedication, they in fact have no such right upon him, their claims are entirely unjustified. The objects they place before men are not the kind of objects for which a human being should sacrifice anything. But Allah (swt) for whom Islam demands the sacrifice of life has a right upon us. Everything must be given in His way, for whatever exists in heaven and on earth belongs to Allah (swt). Man himself, whatever he possesses, and whatever lies within him, all belong to Allah (swt). It is therefore, in perfect harmony with justice as well as reason that whatever belongs to Allah (swt) must be reserved only for Him. Whatever sacrifice man makes for others or for his own benefit or to gratify his desire is indeed a breach of trust unless it be with the permission of Allah (swt). And whatever sacrifice is made for Allah (swt) is in reality a payment of what is due.
by Abul A’la Maududi
