CSS Islamiat | Muslim Ummah remains a Giant in Population but a Dwarf in Power
The following question is solved by Miss Ayesha Irfan, the highest scorer in CSS Islamiat. Moreover, the question is attempted using the same pattern taught by Sir Syed Kazim Ali to his students, who have scored the highest marks in compulsory subjects for years. This solved past paper question is uploaded to help aspirants understand how to crack a topic or question, write relevantly, what coherence is, and how to include and connect ideas, opinions, and suggestions to score the maximum.
Outline
1. Introduction
2. Historical Background of Ummah Unity
3. Demographic Strength vs. Political Weakness
4. The Role of Sectarian Divisions
- Shia-Sunni polarization
- Religious intolerance and internal mistrust
- Sectarianism as a tool of distraction
5. Geopolitical Rivalries and Leadership Crisis
- Competing regional powers; pursuing self-interest over Ummah welfare
- Lack of visionary leadership
- The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC): symbolic presence, minimal impact
6. The Human Cost: Gaza and Sudan as Reflections of Disunity
- Gaza: relentless suffering under occupation and the world’s indifference
- Sudan: civil conflict and humanitarian collapse
- The silence of Muslim leaders as a moral and political failure
7. External Manipulations and Internal Decay
- Western intervention, proxy wars, and exploitation of Muslim disunity
- Intellectual stagnation and loss of confidence in the Ummah’s moral authority
- The crisis of identity: Muslims as divided citizens of states rather than a united community of faith
8. Rekindling the Spirit of Ummah
- Returning to Qur’anic principles of justice, unity, and mutual defense
- Encouraging intellectual revival and inter-Muslim dialogue
- Building institutions that reflect collective will, not national ego
9. Conclusion
Introduction
The modern Muslim Ummah presents one of the greatest paradoxes in global civilization, vast in numbers, rich in natural resources, and bound by a common faith, yet fractured in spirit and powerless in collective action. Despite its immense population of nearly two billion spread across more than fifty countries, the Ummah remains politically divided, economically dependent, and diplomatically voiceless. The ideals of brotherhood and solidarity enshrined in the Qur’an and exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) have been overshadowed by political rivalries, sectarian divisions, and national egoism. The tragedies unfolding in Gaza and Sudan stand as painful testaments to this moral and strategic paralysis. While innocent lives are lost and cries for justice echo across Muslim lands, the global Muslim community appears trapped in internal disunity, unable to translate faith into a unified force for protection and reform.
Historical Background of Ummah Unity
The earliest centuries of Islam showcased a remarkable model of unity grounded in shared faith and collective responsibility. Under the leadership of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the Ummah functioned as a single moral, political, and social entity. It was not merely a collection of tribes or states, but a cohesive community bonded by the principles of justice, equality, and mutual assistance. The Qur’anic command, “And hold fast, all together, to the rope of Allah, and be not divided” (3:103), defined the very essence of Muslim brotherhood.
As history unfolded, that unity began to fracture. The Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates institutionalized political power, but the spirit of communal responsibility gradually eroded. When colonialism arrived centuries later, it found the Muslim world divided and exploited those fractures. The Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916 and the dismantling of the Ottoman Caliphate symbolized more than territorial loss; they marked the collapse of the last unifying framework of Muslim identity. What emerged in its place were states tethered to external powers and nationalist ideologies that diluted the concept of a shared destiny.
This historical amnesia now haunts the contemporary Muslim psyche. The once-coherent moral community has become a patchwork of competing sovereignties, each more preoccupied with regime survival than the collective good. The erosion of that early unity is not just a political story; it is the spiritual disintegration of a once-living ideal.
Demographic Strength vs. Political Weakness
In numerical terms, the Muslim world should be a formidable force. Spanning continents, commanding vital trade routes, and possessing immense natural resources, the Ummah has every ingredient of power. Yet, it remains a fractured landscape, politically weak, economically dependent, and diplomatically marginal. The contradiction is staggering: how can such collective potential translate into such collective impotence?
Part of the answer lies in the absence of strategic coherence. Muslim states speak of solidarity but act in isolation. Institutions like the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), established to embody Muslim unity, have become bureaucratic shells issuing statements that echo moral frustration but lack tangible outcomes. When genocide unfolds in Gaza or civil war devastates Sudan, the Muslim world’s response is fragmented, more emotional than effective.
This weakness is not merely institutional; it is psychological. The Ummah has internalized its subordination, often outsourcing its political will to external patrons. Dependency on Western military and economic structures has eroded autonomy, leaving Muslim leaders reactive rather than assertive. Without intellectual renewal or visionary leadership, demographic strength becomes a hollow statistic. Power, after all, is not measured in numbers but in the unity of purpose that animates them.
The Role of Sectarian Divisions
- Shia–Sunni Polarization
No wound within the Muslim body is deeper, or more cynically exploited, than the Shia–Sunni divide. What began as a political disagreement over succession after the Prophet (PBUH) evolved over centuries into a theological and geopolitical chasm that continues to shape the dysfunction of the Muslim world. In Iraq, the sectarian flames that erupted after the 2003 U.S. invasion turned once-coexisting communities into adversaries, leaving hundreds of thousands dead and a fractured society in perpetual instability. In Syria, the civil war has taken on unmistakable sectarian undertones, transforming a people’s call for justice into a proxy battleground between regional powers. Yemen, too, has been engulfed in a devastating conflict framed along sectarian lines, where political agendas have been cloaked in the garb of faith. Even Lebanon, historically a symbol of coexistence, has struggled to survive the political paralysis born of sectarian fragmentation.
These conflicts illustrate how sectarianism has been weaponized, turning faith into fault lines and belief into battlefields. Muslim blood continues to be spilled not by enemies of Islam but by those invoking its name. This polarization serves no divine cause; it serves only those who profit from division, whether through political survival or geopolitical manipulation. Instead of uniting for the cause of justice and dignity, as in Gaza or Sudan, Muslims often fall back into sectarian posturing, questioning one another’s legitimacy rather than standing together for the oppressed. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that external powers exploit this divide, but the internal willingness to sustain it gives their strategy lasting power.
- Religious Intolerance and Internal Mistrust
Beyond the Shia–Sunni schism lies a broader crisis of religious intolerance and intellectual insecurity. Across much of the Muslim world, diversity of interpretation, once celebrated as a strength, has been reduced to a perceived threat. The rich pluralism that once allowed Ibn Sina to explore philosophy, Imam Shafi’i to systematize jurisprudence, and Al-Farabi to bridge faith with reason has withered under the weight of doctrinal rigidity and political manipulation of religion.
In countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan, sectarian violence has become a recurring feature of daily life, targeting places of worship and educational institutions in the name of ideological purity. The persecution of smaller sects and minority groups, such as the Ahmadis in Pakistan or the Hazara community in Afghanistan, reflects an alarming erosion of the Prophet’s vision of a just and inclusive community. Even in relatively stable societies, space for dissenting thought or reformist interpretation is shrinking, replaced by a fear-driven orthodoxy that suppresses intellectual vitality.
This internal mistrust corrodes social cohesion and moral credibility. When Muslims cannot respect differences within their own community, they forfeit the moral authority to demand justice from others. The Qur’an’s reminder,“O mankind, We created you from a male and a female and made you nations and tribes so that you may know one another” (49:13). It has been eclipsed by sectarian arrogance. The Ummah today is divided not only by political borders but by invisible walls of suspicion that separate heart from heart and nation from nation.
- Sectarianism as a Tool of Distraction
Moreover, sectarianism has evolved from a theological divide into a calculated political strategy, a distraction that serves both internal and external interests. For many regimes, inflaming sectarian tensions diverts attention from governance failures, corruption, and the absence of reform. When public frustration grows, the specter of sectarian conflict is often invoked to rally loyalty and silence dissent. In Bahrain, for example, political protests were swiftly framed as sectarian uprisings to justify repression. Similarly, in Iraq and Syria, competing regional powers have instrumentalized sectarian identities to expand influence, often at the expense of local stability.
Externally, global powers have long understood the efficacy of exploiting Muslim disunity. The colonial “divide and rule” strategy that dismantled the Ottoman Empire has found modern expression in proxy wars, intelligence alliances, and narrative control. Western powers arm one side while condemning the other, ensuring perpetual instability that prevents a unified Muslim response to global injustices. The silence and fragmentation over Gaza’s siege or Sudan’s humanitarian catastrophe are not accidental; they are symptoms of a deeper malaise that keeps the Ummah distracted from collective purpose.
By allowing these divisions to fester, Muslims have turned distraction into destiny. The Ummah’s greatest threat no longer lies in external aggression but in the internal decay of solidarity. Until the Muslim world can transcend sectarian loyalties and recover the essence of the Qur’anic ideal of unity, it will continue to watch, from the sidelines of history, as others decide its fate.
- Geopolitical Rivalries and Leadership Crisis
The fracture within the Muslim world today is not only ideological but geopolitical. Once bound by a shared faith and a collective moral mission, Muslim states have become trapped in a cycle of rivalry and mistrust. From the Arab Gulf to North Africa, and from the Levant to South Asia, regional competition has replaced cooperation. The Qur’an warns, “And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute and [thus] lose courage and your strength would depart” (8:46). Yet, despite this divine admonition, the Ummah’s energies have been consumed by internal disputes. The promise of Muslim unity, envisioned by early reformers like Jamal al-Din al-Afghani and Muhammad Iqbal, has been eclipsed by the pursuit of national interest at the expense of collective welfare.
- Competing Regional Powers: Pursuing Self-Interest over Ummah Welfare
Nowhere is this fragmentation clearer than in the rivalry among regional powers. The Gulf crisis of 2017, which divided the Arab states over Qatar’s foreign policy, exposed how easily Muslim solidarity can collapse under political pressure. In the Middle East, Iran and Saudi Arabia’s sectarian competition continues to destabilize Yemen, Iraq, and Lebanon, conflicts that have turned Muslim lands into proxy battlegrounds. Even Turkey’s assertive foreign policy, while couched in the language of Muslim leadership, has often been driven by strategic self-interest rather than a unified vision for the Ummah. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “The example of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is like that of a body: when any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever” (Sahih Bukhari). Yet the Muslim body today suffers without collective pain; each state acts as if immune to the suffering of the other.
- Lack of Visionary Leadership
The Muslim world’s leadership crisis is one of its most profound moral failures. Unlike the Khulafa-e-Rashideen, whose governance embodied humility, justice, and accountability, today’s rulers operate through coercion, not compassion. Hazrat Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) used to patrol the streets at night to ensure no citizen went hungry. In stark contrast, contemporary leaders insulate themselves from the anguish of their people. When Gaza burns under bombardment or Sudan bleeds from civil strife, the Ummah looks to its rulers for moral courage and finds only silence. The Qur’an proclaims, “And We made them leaders guiding by Our command, and We inspired them to do good deeds” (21:73). Leadership in Islam is not about power but responsibility; not about privilege but service. Yet today, many Muslim leaders treat governance as entitlement rather than trust (amanah).
- The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC): Symbolic Presence, Minimal Impact
Formed in 1969 after the arson attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque, the OIC was envisioned as a unifying voice for the Muslim world. More than half a century later, it stands largely as a ceremonial institution. Its summits produce eloquent communiqués but little coordinated action. When Israel launched devastating assaults on Gaza in 2023 and 2024, Muslim governments issued statements but failed to mobilize diplomatic or economic pressure. During the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar and the persecution of Uyghur Muslims in China, the OIC’s hesitation reflected the constraints of political dependency. Its limited influence contrasts sharply with the Qur’anic directive, “And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided” (3:103). Unity, in essence, is not symbolic; it is strategic. The OIC’s dormancy reflects the gap between Islamic ideals and the political realities of the modern Muslim world.
The Human Cost: Gaza and Sudan as Reflections of Disunity
- Gaza: Relentless Suffering under Occupation and the World’s Indifference
Gaza has become the bleeding heart of the Muslim world, a place where faith meets fire, and the silence of the Ummah meets history’s judgment. Under relentless siege, Palestinians have endured massacres, starvation, and displacement. As children die in hospitals without electricity, the Qur’anic verse echoes painfully: “And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and for the oppressed among men, women, and children who say, ‘Our Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people’” (4:75). Yet the global Muslim response remains largely rhetorical. A handful of states raise their voices at the United Nations, while others trade quietly with those enabling the occupation. The tragedy is not only in Gaza’s ruins but in the apathy that sustains them.
- Sudan: Civil Conflict, Humanitarian Collapse, and Genocide
Sudan’s civil conflict is another testament to the decay of Muslim solidarity. Once envisioned as a nation rooted in Islamic and African identity, it has collapsed into internecine violence between two generals fighting for power while millions starve. The humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Khartoum, and beyond is staggering—families displaced, mosques destroyed, and children orphaned. Despite being a Muslim-majority country, Sudan’s plight draws little coordinated intervention from fellow Muslim nations. This silence betrays the Qur’anic injunction: “Indeed, the believers are brothers, so make peace between your brothers” (49:10). The Prophet’s legacy of reconciliation, exemplified in the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, shows that peace within the Ummah must always take precedence over pride. Yet pride and politics continue to eclipse principle.
- The Silence of Muslim Leaders as a Moral and Political Failure
The passivity of Muslim rulers in the face of Gaza’s suffering and Sudan’s implosion marks the erosion of moral authority. The Prophet (PBUH) warned, “Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; if he cannot, then with his tongue; if he cannot, then with his heart, and that is the weakest of faith” (Sahih Muslim). The prevailing silence today suggests not weakness of position, but weakness of faith. Muslim leaders have become prisoners of diplomatic caution, fearing economic isolation more than divine accountability. Their reluctance to act collectively not only weakens global respect for Muslim states but also diminishes the moral weight of Islam’s message itself.
External Manipulations and Internal Decay
- Western Intervention, Proxy Wars, and Exploitation of Muslim Disunity
The Ummah’s divisions have long served as instruments of control for global powers. Modern geopolitics, economic dependencies, proxy wars, and ideological conditioning have replaced colonialism’s “divide and rule” strategy. Iraq’s invasion in 2003 fragmented an entire region; Libya’s NATO intervention turned a stable state into chaos; and Syria became a testing ground for international manipulation of sectarian fault lines. Even as Muslim states buy weapons from Western suppliers, they are disarmed morally by internal fragmentation. The Qur’an cautions, “And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion” (2:120). This is a reminder that blind alignment with foreign agendas erodes spiritual independence. The modern Muslim predicament is not merely the result of Western interference, it is the product of internal weakness that invites it.
- Intellectual Stagnation and Loss of Confidence in the Ummah’s Moral Authority
The decline of the Muslim world’s intellectual vigor has left it vulnerable to both manipulation and despair. The closure of ijtihad centuries ago halted the creative reinterpretation of faith in light of changing times. Where once Baghdad, Cordoba, and Cairo illuminated the world with scholarship and science, many Muslim societies now fear dissent more than ignorance. The Qur’an repeatedly invites reflection, “Do they not contemplate the Qur’an, or are there locks upon their hearts?” (47:24). This intellectual paralysis has bred dependency, politically, economically, and spiritually. Without the revival of thought, no revival of power is possible. A community that once led the world in reason and revelation now risks being defined solely by reaction and rhetoric.
- The Crisis of Identity: Muslims as Divided Citizens Rather than a United Community
Globalization and nationalism have transformed Muslim consciousness. The modern Muslim identifies primarily as Pakistani, Egyptian, Turk, or Iranian, rarely as a member of the global Ummah. This fragmentation of identity is perhaps the most insidious consequence of modern statehood. The Qur’an describes believers as “a single community” (23:52). Yet the boundaries of geography have replaced the boundaries of faith. National interests often override Islamic ethics, turning the principle of Ummah into a nostalgic ideal rather than a living force. The Prophet (PBUH) established Medina as a pluralistic yet unified society where Muslims, Jews, and others coexisted under a single covenant. Today’s Muslim states, however, fail even to coexist with each other under the banner of shared belief.
Rekindling the Spirit of Ummah
- Returning to Qur’anic Principles of Justice, Unity, and Mutual Defense
Reawakening the Muslim world begins with a moral realignment. The Qur’an declares, “Indeed, Allah commands justice, good conduct, and giving to relatives and forbids immorality, bad conduct, and oppression” (16:90). Unity, in this sense, is not merely political cooperation but a moral imperative. Muslims must rediscover the ethical foundations that once guided governance under the Prophet (PBUH) and his successors—justice, accountability, and compassion. The Ummah’s strength lies not in its numbers but in its adherence to principles. Without justice, unity becomes fragile; without faith, it becomes hollow.
- Encouraging Intellectual Revival and Inter-Muslim Dialogue
The intellectual revival of the Ummah demands open dialogue between diverse sects, scholars, and societies. The spirit of debate that characterized early Islam must be rekindled. In the Abbasid era, scholars like Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Shafi‘i disagreed profoundly but maintained respect and unity of purpose. Today, such tolerance is scarce. Modern Muslim thinkers and institutions must reclaim that legacy, by promoting inquiry, reforming education, and nurturing critical thought. Inter-Muslim conferences and scholarly exchanges can help dismantle the barriers of mistrust that divide Shia and Sunni, Arab and non-Arab, conservative and reformist.
- Building Institutions that Reflect Collective Will, Not National Ego
True unity must be institutionalized. The OIC must transform from a diplomatic forum into a decision-making body that can coordinate political, economic, and humanitarian efforts. Joint defense mechanisms, shared research initiatives, and collective economic strategies could transform Muslim demographics into tangible influence. The European Union’s cohesion, despite its diversity, offers a lesson in how shared interests can override historical divisions. For the Muslim world, the foundation of such cooperation must not be power, but principle, a return to the prophetic model of Shura (consultation) and collective accountability.
Conclusion
The story of the Muslim Ummah today is one of potential betrayed by paralysis. With over a billion believers, vast natural resources, and an unmatched moral heritage, it remains a giant divided against itself. From Gaza’s agony to Sudan’s collapse, from Iraq’s ruins to Yemen’s despair, the Ummah’s crises are not born of external enmity alone but of internal disunity. The Qur’an promises, “Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves” (13:11). Renewal, therefore, must begin from within, through courage, reform, and faith. The revival of the Muslim Ummah will not be achieved through slogans or summits, but through the rediscovery of its moral soul. When justice replaces apathy, intellect replaces imitation, and faith becomes action rather than sentiment, the Ummah will again rise, not to dominate, but to lead humanity toward balance and dignity. The path forward lies in returning to what once made it great: unity in belief, strength in diversity, and justice as its creed.
Searching for CSS or PMS Solved Islamiat Past Papers?
Are you preparing for CSS or PMS and searching for solved Islamiat past papers, notes, books, PDFs, and MCQs? Explore them for free on Howtests and Cssprepforum. All content is fully solved and written by Miss Ayesha Irfan. For your convenience, the links are provided below. Simply click on any to start reading and preparing.
