Read Ibn Khaldoun before hope dies and nations fall

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LOOKING at the state of the Arab world today, you would see a nation that does not learn from its experiences, and does not read its history even though it was instructed to read by the Lord of the Worlds, Glory be to Him.

These nations are living in waste and corruption. It is as if Abdul Rahman ibn Khaldoun was talking about the downfall of these nations in his book, “Muqaddimah” (Ibn Khaldoun’s Prolegomena) published in 1377.

Ibn Khaldoun was neither a soothsayer nor augur … he was just a man who knew the condition of societies and their people, and was blessed with the knowledge and sciences of his time. If it had continued to develop in the Arab world, the situation of the Arabs would have been completely different, but ignorant societies dig their own graves with their hands.

Ibn Khaldoun wrote seven centuries ago, “When nations fall, many astrologers, beggars, hypocrites, pretenders, scribes, cacophony singers and average poets appear, and also agitators, mouthpieces, palm readers, horoscopes, revelers, politicians, meddlers, satirists and opportunities too.

“Terror reigns under such conditions … people seek refuge in sects … rumors prevail … friends turn into enemies, and enemies into friends … false become true… true voice fades … suspicious faces appear on the surface, and sociable faces disappear … dreams become scarce … hope dies … the sane grows more alienated … and facial features are lost.

“People become more attached to their tribes and to homelands such that it will be a form of delirium. The voice of the sages is lost in the noise of preachers, and the outbidding of the concepts of nationalism, patriotism, belief and the fundamentals of religion.

“People of the same household accuse each other of betrayal, and rumors of a great escape, intrigue and conspiracies become common, with advice coming from all ends. Outsiders are planning everything for the locals… and worst of all, the homeland becomes a transit station that everyone is ready to leave.”

One century ago, the Arabs failed the test of establishing a proper nation. This is due to the fact that, instead of building institutions, they were busy weaving conspiracies against each other. They were thus re-creating the experience of Andalusia that was lost in the conflict between the princes of the sects, and the Abbasids pursuit to wipe out the Umayyad Empire.

From that day, the Arab countries entered the maze of coups, revolutions and civil wars. Some of them even allied with the enemy against the brother. The voice of sectarianism rose over the voice of nationalism. Institutions turned into backyard for officials, so none of them could grow after allowing the influentials to dominate the scene. Among them are some of those who had the opportunity to occupy high positions in their countries. They worked to implement their sick dreams and began to spend their country’s wealth in sabotaging brotherly and friendly countries, as seen during the so-called “Arab Spring”. Hamad bin Jassim did that when he spent $140 billion on sabotage projects, deducting from it a personal fortune amounting to about $35 billion, and tried to invest it in seizing power in his country and neighboring countries.

These political hawkers see only their own interests … some of them have taken extremism as a path to achieve their goals, such as the Muslim Brotherhood Group, which feeds on crises of countries.

If the regimes that indulged in the game of control since the time when Abdul-Nasser began to promote coups in the 1950s had instead spent billions on productive projects in needy countries or throughout the Arab world, the Arabs would have today been at the highest levels of progress.

They fought their failed adventures, preferring the opportunist and the corrupt over the sincere friend. Some of them fell into the arms of the enemies, and even worked for them as a cheap servant, as is the case with Hezbollah and the terrorist hired militia group of Iran.

It is true that the condition of the Arabs is not pleasing at all, but hope is always there. Just as religion finds a person to revive it after every hundred years, so also it is possible for countries to find after every century a person to rescue it, which we hope will happen soon.

However, before anything, it is a must to read the history of the Gulf rulers to realize roles. For this reason, the utmost wishes are that they read Ibn Khaldoun’s Prolegomena, and contemplate on it … i.e., if they already know who Ibn Khaldun was, or heard about him.

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah

Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times

This news has been read 22435 times!

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