June 12, 2026
A struggle unfolded between light and darkness—between those who poison the mind and those who treat that poisoning—centered on several issues, notably the concept of “sanctity.” Under specific historical and intellectual conditions, this concept morphed into a loose-fitting “fundamentalist *galabiya*” (robe) that stifled development and progress, It withstood resistance from critical thought—thought that failed to triumph over a mythical, desert-born, and delusional consciousness, This consciousness fostered myths like that of “pioneering leadership” and “divine guidance”—myths that served as the very shroud wrapping the corpse of the “Best of Nations.” Defeat also came at the hands of a feudal mentality rooted in the Bedouin spirit, tribal zealotry, and religious dogmatism—forces that stifled thinkers like Ibn Khaldun and Ibn Rushd.
This strangulation was carried out using the noose of faith, the unseen, sanctification, accusations of apostasy, and the abandonment of rational thought—in short, ignorance. Yet, the human mind is innate; indeed, Ibn Rushd marveled at this, stating, “God could not possibly give us minds and then command us to shut them off.” Some have attributed this sentiment to religion itself, prompting the question: Was the Islam of Ibn Abdullah truly in harmony with Ibn Rushd’s view? The Islam of Ibn Abdullah was devoid of reason; it forbade questioning—”Do not ask”—and prioritized scriptural transmission over rational inquiry. It deemed anything new an *innovation* (*bid’ah*), and every innovation heresy (*zandaqa*). One need only ask about the punishment for heresy to receive an answer that would terrify the inquirer. Acknowledging the escalating deterioration—which has reached the point where even food security is lost among non-oil-producing believers—compels us to admit our own responsibility for this decline and for the triumph of the mindsets of Al-Ghazali and Ibn Taymiyyah. Here, we must confess to our shortcomings, negligence, and lethargy—failings that allowed a “human monster” to roam people’s minds, thereby crippling their intellects and precipitating social, political, and economic crises, This was compounded by a failure in scientific inquiry and critical thought, an addiction to obedience and submission, a tendency to seek livelihood through sycophancy, and an unwavering loyalty to the ruler—the one appointed by God as the holder of absolute, final authority. Despite the distortion and falsification of history, it was theoretically possible—with the help of figures like Ibn Khaldun—to grasp the scale of the vast graveyard created by the conquests; a graveyard spanning entire homelands, signifying the ruin that followed wherever the Arabs arrived.
The conquering Bedouin forces relied on an economy of raids, eschewing the productive cycle of labor and livelihood in favor of *jizya* (tribute), plunder, and pillage to sustain themselves. This became particularly evident after the fifth century AH—once the conquests had ceased and the Bedouin grip on the colonized peoples had tightened. Even the simple question regarding the source of funds in the *Bayt al-Mal* (public treasury) was never raised—nor was it likely to be. Those who believed war spoils to be entirely lawful (*halal*) would not ask such questions; nor would those who subscribed to the maxim, “My livelihood is placed beneath the shadow of my spear.” Similarly, those who took pride in Harun al-Rashid’s boast to the clouds—claiming that wherever they rained, the yield would ultimately return to him—would hardly question the origins of the wealth amassed in the public treasury.
Even in that era, there was no practical enforcement of penalties against corruption, the corrupt, or thieves; the “Where did you get this from?” law remained nothing more than ink on paper.
The only offset to the dwindling assets of the public treasury was the ruthless extraction of revenue from the inhabitants of the conquered lands.
These populations suffered increasing poverty, driven largely by the collapse of agricultural production, In contrast, the people of the Levant and the Nile Valley had labored, innovated, and produced under Roman rule—a regime that prioritized agriculture and constructed irrigation canals, Notable among these was the world’s longest irrigation canal—the Gadara Aqueduct (or the Decapolis Water Tunnel) stretching 170 km between southern Syria and northern Jordan—as well as irrigation projects in the Daraa Examples include the Muzayrib irrigation project, as well as the Al-Ash’ari and Oyoun al-Abd networks, among many others. Then there was the construction of roads and bridges over rivers—most notably the bridge over the Khabur River, which remains in use to this day.
None of the infrastructure built during the 700 years of Roman rule was linked to the conquests or the conquerors themselves; the situation remained unchanged during the 400 years of Ottoman rule, a period characterized by ruthless tax collection and agricultural output that was meager—or even non-existent, The neglect of agricultural production, followed by increasingly ruthless taxation, led to the impoverishment of the populace and heightened levels of repression and authoritarianism, To maintain the colonies, it became necessary to harness Bedouin traits—or the moral values inherent in the Bedouin mindset—such as a propensity for killing, violence, theft, and blood feuds. This explains the absence of uprisings during those ten centuries—a period rife with conflicts between individuals who used their henchmen as fuel for wars that have persisted to this day, Such backwardness did not fall from the sky; rather, it was born on the conquered lands at the hands of the conquerors.
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