The situation in Gaza has deteriorated and the ongoing genocide carried out by the Zionist state has been ongoing for a year and half; this genocide has resulted in thousands of innocents losing their lives. The powers that be within the Muslim countries have not come to the aid of the Palestinians and have watched the genocide unfold in front of their eyes.
The current genocide being carried out by the Zionist state has proven that the governments of the Muslim countries do not act in the interest of Islam and the Muslims. However this was not always the case, during the time of Sultan Abdul Hamid II, the Ottoman Caliphate had protected Palestine for centuries given the Ottoman Caliphate was the entity that governed by Islam and protected the Islamic holy cities.
Sultan Abdul Hamid II was the 34th Sultan of the Ottoman state and his reign lasted 33 years i.e. from 1876 to 1909. Sultan Abdul Hamid II was the last great Sultan of the Ottoman state as he had authority over the Ottoman lands and was able to navigate the Ottoman state through political challenges; the Sultan tried his best to revive the Ottoman state and to unify the Muslim world under the banner of Islam. The life of Sultan Abdul Hamid II clearly demonstrates that the Sultan made decisions in the interest of Islam and Muslims.
During the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II, the renowned Hijaz railway was developed and one of the objectives of the Hijaz railway was to make the journey to Makkah and Madinah easier and faster. Muslims globally contributed towards the Hijaz railway project as Muslims saw the Ottoman Caliphate as the state that represented Islam and Muslims.
When it came to Palestine, it is well known that Sultan Abdul Hamid II was passionate about defending Palestine from outside interference. When the Zionists approached Sultan Abdul Hamid II with the proposal to buy a part of Palestine, Sultan Abdul Hamid II rejected the Zionist proposal and stated that Palestine was not his to sell and that it belonged to the Muslim Ummah.
Since the abolishment of the Caliphate in 1924, the Muslim world has experienced many problems such as disunity, wars, poverty, nationalism and colonisation, thus these problems have resulted in some within the Muslim world having colonised minds and looking to the West to move forward and to solve problems. The past 100 years has shown that secularism and democracy has failed the Muslim world. Since 1924, the Muslim world has not had a leader, the likes of Sultan Abdul Hamid II and the current leaders of the Muslim world have proven that they do not act in the interest of Islam and the Muslims.
Mustafa Kamil Pasha (an Egyptian lawyer, journalist, and nationalist activist) said:
“The highest wish of Sultan Abdul Hamid was to see the Muslims elevated and content, united around the Caliphate” (Muhammad Harb, 2022, Sultan Abdul Hamid II The last great Ottoman Sultan)
The Muslim world needs change, a change based on Islam, a change that will unify the Muslim Ummah and bring peace and prosperity to the Muslim world. History is a testament to the fact that by and large, Islamic governance maintained peace and prosperity within the Muslim world. We the parents, need to educate ourselves about Islamic history, as this is a part of our Islamic identity, and knowing history will allow parents to empower their children and this empowerment will allow our children to become the ambassadors of Islam.
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