The one  who ordered the stomach of a flea is also the one who ordered the solar system

Islam: Submission

There are ways to do things.  Only one of such ways is the best to achieve and to succeed.  And it is human nature to desire to do things the best way with the utmost achievement and least failure.  The function of the mind is not to find out or explore what that best way would be, but rather to follow it up as it was shown by God to us in the form of revelation. 

Islam, literally meaning submission to the will of God, does not necessarily mean to accept unwillingly or blindly whatever offered to us, but it means whatever chosen is for our own good even though we fail at times to fully appreciate the wisdom behind it.

God being the symbol and source of good means no one knows better than He does what the best is and it is only good that comes from God.  Then, we better submit ourselves to His will as obviously it is the best way, Islam.

The worship is not but the practical part of this theoretical idea of submission.  Worship is the name of the relationship between God and us.

Islam is not a religion that we refer to at the moment of worship, rather a way of life to which we have recourse at every step and breathe of ours.  For every moment of our life, there is a state in which we can be or do our best.  Worship is to achieve reaching that state by complying with rules that regulate our daily life.  So, Islam is not to remember God at special moments of so-called worship, but not to forget God to make every moment of life special with worshiping.

Islam names being in a continuous state of worshiping God, the One and only worthy of worship, as being a slave to God.  Muhammad, the Messenger of God, is but His slave like us, the worshipers.

Not only does Islam, the way of life, establish a spiritual connection between a worshiping individual and God, the worshiped One, but also regulates social relations among the worshiping individuals of the Islamic community.  So, worship is performed communally in Islam and/or public relations held accordingly to the regulations by the Worshiped One are another type of worship.  All this requires a model worshipper to show how worship is performed and to lead both individual and communal worship and to monitor how effectively they are put into practice so that he makes sure the society reaches its best state ever…he, the model worshiper, the leader, the imam, the prophet.

Aftermath of the Colonial Period

At the height of European colonial expansion in the 19th century, most of the Islamic world was under colonial rule with the exception of a few regions such as the heart of the Ottoman empire, Persia, Afghanistan, Yemen and certain parts of Arabia. But even these areas were under foreign influence or, in the case of the Ottomans, under constant threat. After the First World War with the breakup of the Ottoman empire, a number of Arab states such as Iraq became independent, others like Jordan were created as a new entity and yet others like Palestine, Syria and Lebanon were either mandated or turned into French colonies. As for Arabia, it was at this time that Saudi Arabia became finally consolidated. As for other parts of the Islamic world, Egypt which had been ruled by the descendants of Muhammad Ali since the l9th century became more independent as a result of the fall of the Ottomans, Turkey was turned into a secular republic by Ataturk, and the Pahlavi dynasty began a new chapter in Persia where its name reverted to its eastern traditional form of Iran. But most of the rest of the Islamic world remained under colonial rule.

Arab

It was only after the Second World War and the dismemberment of the British, French, Dutch and Spanish empires that the rest of the Islamic world gained its independence. In the Arab world, Syria and Lebanon became independent at the end of the war as did Libya and the shaykdoms around the Gulf and the Arabian Sea by the 1960's. The North African countries of Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria had to fight a difficult and, in the case of Algeria, long and protracted war to gain their freedom which did not come until a decade later for Tunisia and Morocco and two decades later for Algeria. Only Palestine did not become independent but was partitioned in 1948 with the establishment of the state of Israel.

India

In India Muslims participated in the freedom movement against British rule along with Hindus and when independence finally came in 1947, they were able to create their own homeland, Pakistan, which came into being for the sake of Islam and became the most populated Muslim state although many Muslims remained in India. In 1971, however, the two parts of the state broke up, East Pakistan becoming Bengladesh.

Far East

Farther east still, the Indonesians finally gained their independence from the Dutch and the Malays theirs from Britain. At first Singapore was part of Malaysia but it separated in 1963 to become an independent state. Small colonies still persisted in the area and continued to seek their independence, the kingdom of Brunei becoming independent as recently as 1984.

Africa

In Africa also major countries with large or majority Muslim populations such as Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania began to gain their independence in the 1950's and 1960's with the result that by the end of the decade of the 60's most parts of the Islamic world were formed into independent national states. There were, however, exceptions. The Muslim states in the Soviet Union failed to gain their autonomy or independence. The same holds true for Sinkiang (called Eastern Turkestan by Muslim geographers) while in Eritrea and the southern Philippines Muslim independence movements still continue.