The Approach of Converting to Islam (1)

Introduction

(The transition process to the Islamic trend .. Its glad tidings and challenges)

Was the subject of debate in the Thirteenth Annual Conference of the Muslim Student Union that was held at the University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, in late August 1975.

This manual is a modified version for the ideas of Professor Idris in the Conference. As for its publication, it is considered a great scientific value as it comes in response to demands of the members of the Muslim Student Union by publishing these ideas in one book.

The process of conversion to the Islamic trend has been chosen the topic for discussion in the thirteenth annual meeting of the Conference. It was a result of an intelligent perception from the Administrative Committee of the Muslim student Union as well as the committee of preparing the Conference programs because of the urgent need to submit an organized study for the Islamic theory of social change, and deducting from that theory, developing it, and proving its validity for the contemporary societies.

Earlier in the same year (in June 1975), the Union of the Muslim Social Scientists has chosen (From a Muslim to the Islamic) as a topic for discussion in its fourth annual meeting in which Dr. Idris participated.*

Verily, the presentation of Dr. Idris to the process of (conversion to the Islamic trend) is very powerful and the reader will find the clarity as well as objectivity in the writer’s treatment to this important topic. He does not leave the reader struggling for speculation in order to find out the writer’s position in regard of the discussed or debated issue, but he mentions his status clearly without claiming that he has a better knowledge and without mentioning too scientific terms.

The unique feature of Dr. Idris’s writings is that he refers directly to the Qur’an in order to derive from the Islamic theory of social change. He also raises questions and does not hesitate to answer them and he has expressed his view that the law of social change lies in the following Ayah which says: “Verily, Allâh will not change the (good) condition of a people as long as they do not change their state (of goodness) themselves (by committing sins and by being ungrateful and disobedient to Allâh).” [Surat Ar-Ra`d: 11].

The question arises: Is the social change that is referred to in the Qur’an is from good to evil, from evil to good, or likely both involved?

In the view of Dr. Idris, the change that is referred to in the Qur'anic Ayah is from good to evil because they are the only changes that are in harmony with the basic Islamic principle and because they have been supported by other Ayahs.

Although that change has been proved by the Qur’an but it must be confirmed by a critical study from other researchers.

Dr. Idris has put two other important issues into discussion concerning the process of the Islamic social change, namely: the role of planning, the role of the state.

He stressed the importance of planning and the role of the state as necessary but they are not sufficient in themselves to achieve the transition to the Islamic trend in contemporary Muslim societies.
The points, which we have mentioned, are parts of the important discussions that are mentioned in this book that we believe to be appropriate to tempt any serious scientist to indulge in reading the following pages.

We hope that this study — in addition to its contribution to the enrichment of Islamic culture — urges some Muslim scientists to conduct more in—depth research on this topic.

We conclude this introduction with the first Ayah that was revealed in the Glorious Quran that reads: “Read in the name of your Lord Who created” [Surat Al `Alaq: 1].

Mahmoud Rashdan

The General Secretary Of the Union of Muslim students in the United States and Canada.