The 2022 World Cup has captured widespread attention and imagination as never before, with a number of firsts: the first time a Muslim country hosted, the first time Morocco broke into the semi-finals, and arguably the first time the competition centered more around ideologies than football. More than a simple game the World Cup is a competition between distinct nations manifesting their emotions, aspirations, and ideologies. Accordingly, this international event has brought to light the true nature of various nations, their ways of life, and most importantly the aspirations of the Muslim Ummah.
For most World Cups this competition is fought with cleats and footwork in the field but this year’s fiercest fights focused on everything outside—about issues like Qatar’s (limited) alcohol ban in the stadium, enforcement of basic modesty, ban of LGBTQ displays, to even apparent disgust of Messi donning a traditional Bisht (cloak) during the trophy ceremony. The Western nations spared no moment to antagonize the culture of the Qatari people, the enforcement of their rules, and the call for the respect of public morality. In response to Qatar’s ban on LGBTQ displays and lifestyle, the Western European nations—the Netherlands, England, Belgium, Denmark, France, Switzerland and Wales—pushed their One Love campaign “to promote inclusion and equality.” Unsurprisingly, these calls for love and inclusion did not extend to the people of Qatar when the French media depicted them as terrorists, or when the Germans compared the Moroccan team to ISIS, or even when a Danish broadcaster likened the scenes of the Moroccan players hugging their mothers in victory to monkeys!
The criticisms levied by the West are hypocritical, selective, and biased. However, the reality is that this hatred and jealousy is not about the nation of Qatar but hatred of Islam and jealousy of the Ummah’s refusal to bow down to the West’s secular liberal values. For them, the main issue isn’t just that Qatar does not accept LGBTQ, or differences in modesty and dress, or diet but the fact that Muslims uphold these values because they believe they are from Allah سبحانه وتعالى and are unwilling to compromise them. They will never be satisfied until we completely abandon our Deen and hence use every opportunity to coerce us into accepting their values. Allah سبحانه وتعالى aptly says:
وَلَن تَرْضَىٰ عَنكَ ٱلْيَهُودُ وَلَا ٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ هُوَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ ۗ وَلَئِنِ ٱتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَآءَهُم بَعْدَ ٱلَّذِى جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ ۙ مَا لَكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّۢ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ
The Jews and the Christians will never be satisfied with you, O Muhammad, until you follow their way. Tell them plainly, ‘Allah’s guidance is the only ˹true˺ guidance.’ And if, after all the knowledge you have received, you were to yield to their desires, you shall find neither any friend nor helper to protect you from Allah’s wrath [Al-Baqarah 120]
At the same time, the Ummah’s love for Islam, solidarity, and deep desire for victory was unmissable at the World Cup. The bustle and fervor in the stadium would break for prayer. The sujood—as opposed to any nationalistic flag—stood as the symbol of victory for the Muslim teams on the ground. In the nationalistic competition of nations one’s allegiance, victory, and loss is tied to one’s country, yet, the Ummah’s support for Morocco broke through any national barrier or line in the sand. When for the first time in history, Morocco, as a Muslim team, placed into the semi-finals, the Ummah around the world came out in masses in support, dua, and love for Morocco. Accordingly, in their historic victory over Spain, the Moroccan players dedicated their win “to all Moroccans all over the world for their support, to all Arab people, and to all Muslim people.” Ironically, the most prominent flag in this World Cup was actually that of Palestine, which Muslims and players from all stripes wore, draped, and waved in solidarity with the occupied Muslims of Palestine. This was further cemented by the total boycott and rejection of the Israeli press by the noble Muslims at the World cup, despite the official Qatari and Arab regimes’ efforts of normalizing ties with the Zionist entity.
Clearly, this World cup has demonstrated that the Muslims and the tyrant regimes in the region are on two separate pages concerning the issue of Palestine and the Zionist entity of Israel. This year, as noted by UN experts, has been one of the deadliest years for Palestinians under the decades long merciless occupation of the Zionist entity while the Qatari regime granted the Zionist entity open entry during the World Cup. The reality is that this disconnect fundamentally stems from the artificial division of the Ummah into fractured, weak, and dependent states after the destruction of the Uthmani Khilafah in 1924. Since then there has been no legitimate state to carry the responsibility and aspirations of our Ummah. The rulers enforced upon us have sold their allegiance to the West and their aspirations remain constricted within the nationalistic borders drafted by Sykes-Picot agreement. Accordingly, regimes like Qatar have no problems sleeping at night spending over 220 billion of the Ummah’s wealth on games while many in the Ummah live in fear, humiliation, persecution, and poverty. However, as Muhammmad (ﷺ) has taught us, this Ummah is like one body, whose pain, victory, defeat, aspirations, and Deen are one. This reality manifests before us in this very World Cup, in which the Muslim Ummah refuses to fit into the nationalistic paradigm.
During this World Cup the Ummah rallied together and tasted what victory feels like via the achievements of Muslim athletes. The truth is this longing for victory burns deep in the hearts of this Ummah. However, since the destruction of the Khilafah in 1924, the Deen of Islam has been constricted to individual practice and abstract theory detached from society. So, like spectators in a stadium, the Muslim Ummah sits on the bench, watching the events of the world unfold but unable to take action and strive for victory. If, as an Ummah we wish to truly strive in the competition of nations then we must resume our role as the best nation raised forth for mankind, as Allah سبحانه وتعالى states:
كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ ۗ وَلَوْ ءَامَنَ أَهْلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًۭا لَّهُم ۚ مِّنْهُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ
You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allāh. If only the People of the Scripture had believed, it would have been better for them. Among them are believers, but most of them are defiantly disobedient. [Al-Imran 110]
Enjoining the good and forbidding what is wrong requires us to practically implement Islam in its totality as a nation, as was done by Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Khulafa who succeeded in this duty for over 1300 years. This means practically implementing the deen of Islam and refusing to compromise under pressure from any nation or way of life, refusing to normalize relations with tyrants or enemies of Islam, and refusing to dilute Islam in efforts of appeasing opinion under any guise of Interfaith. Equally, as an Ummah we need to allow ourselves to imagine beyond the constrictions before us, to think big, and to place our allegiance firmly with Allah سبحانه وتعالى, His Messenger (ﷺ), and the system of Islam. In reflection of the glimpse of victory in the World Cup, with the cleats competing in Qatar, allow yourself to imagine the joy, support, and solidarity the boots of the Ummah liberating bait-ul Maqdis would bring.
Hizb ut-Tahrir America
Jumada Al-Akhirah 7, 1444 AH
December 31, 2022 CE
