In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent the Merciful'Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good deeds that He will most surely make them vicegerent on the earth as He made their ancestors before them, and that He will establish for them their religion, the one which He has chosen for them, and that He will change their present state of fear into peace and security'' (Qur'an 24: 54)THE journey started in 1928 when he founded the Muslim Brotherhood on the desert land of Cairo. Ironically, the journey ended in 1948 when he was assassinated by the security apparatus of the Egyptian government. In 1948, Hassan al-Banna, the school teacher, preacher and visionary, sowed the seed of the 'tree' he was sure may or may not fructify while he was alive.He knew well beforehand that revolutions are usually not consummated by its founders: Human beings sometimes sweat in order that somebody else other than themselves may reap the fruit of their labour.Brethren, the Prophet (May Allah's mercy and benedictions be on his soul) dreamt of and worked for a time in future when Makkah would flow with milk and honey for all Muslims. He knew he was not going to be around today!Brethren, in 1928 when Hassan al-Banna founded the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt was under the jackboot of neo-liberal, neo-colonial and neo-Islamist order. Face to face with such spiritual-social, econo-political malaise in which Egyptians were steeped, Hassan al-Bana began to campaign for an alternative.The Muslim brotherhood wanted to assist humanity achieve its destiny and goals on earth. It desired to rescue humans from service to their fellow humans in order that they may serve their Creator. What other system of government would insulate humanity against systemic corruption as was witnessed under Hosni Mubarak and is currently being witnessed in Nigeria other than the Islamic state' What other system of administration would ensure that public wealth does not become private wealth other the one established by Islam'Thus al-Banna began his vocation, which was destined to be the reason for his liquidation. He began to give sermons and write treatises. The giving of sermons in the mosques on the necessity for good governance in Egypt was combined with the establishment of charitable outfits. Street campaigns were merged with talks in the coffee shops. The Muslim Brotherhood took the path the Prophet bequeathed to the Muslims; of peaceful and non-violent da'wah; of da'wah laced with wisdom and good admonition.But the authorities in Cairo, enmeshed as it was in profanity, engrossed as it was in materialism, could not imagine the possibility of the emergence of an alternative to the established profaned order. Thus it began a campaign of systematic elimination of members of the Muslim Brotherhood. Face to face with the possibility of complete extermination, the Brotherhood invariably and equally resorted to armed resistance. The group was consequently accused of assassinating the Egyptian Prime Minister Muhammad Al-Nuqrashi. In retaliation, Al-Banna was equally assassinated reportedly by a member of the Egyptian security forces.Brethren, by killing al-Banna, the Egyptian authorities had hoped that the Muslim Brotherhood would experience dissolution. Yes. When an idea is hinged on the illusion of an individual, when people pretend as if they are working for the public weal not their personal ego, when we mask our iniquitous intention with a faade of spirituality, it is natural that such ideas and projects should die immediately we kiss the world goodbye. But that was not the case with reference to al-Banna. His vision was ingrained on the pure intention to seek Divine favour; he was martyred not on the altar of perfidious search for the ephemeral glories of this world but in defense of eternal lofty ideals such as welfarism, piety, accountability and honesty.Thus the day al-Banna was martyred turned out to be the greatest day of his life. His became one of the earliest bloods to be shed in order for Muhammad Morsi to emerge as the President of Egypt today.Even though dead and interred in a forgotten graveyard in Cairo, al-Banna remains a source of inspiration for Muslim-movements across the world: Muslims who have become the enemy-within for no other reason than their desire to be Muslims. The day al-Banna died, he had already produced millions of al-Bannas such as Muhammad Morsi, who the authorities in Cairo could not and can never exterminate.Dear brethren, how exactly did Muhammad Morsi emerge as the President of Egypt' How could the Brotherhood have produced a president when Israel remained the most-powerful country in the Middle East' How could America have called on the military in Cairo to hand full powers over to an authority it knows has a pedigree, which is completely different from that of Hosni Mubarak'I thought a response could be that despite the numerous crackdowns by the Egyptian government against the movement, the Brotherhood remained focused on its agenda. It moved away from violent engagement with the authority to peaceful engagement of the ordinary Egyptian masses. The Brotherhood began to give insights into what it would offer people once it gets into power.The Brotherhood established its own infrastructure of social services among the poor and the disenfranchised members of the Egyptian society that are not served by the government. Through peaceful method, it succeeded in gaining quality followership from the critical segments of the Egyptian society such as the corporate outfits and student associations. In 1984, the Brotherhood engaged in open political activity and its own independent candidates in Egyptian parliamentary elections. In 2005 it won 20 percent of the votes, resulting in 88 seats.During the revolution that eventually led to the closure and the erasure of the Mubarak regime, the Muslim Brotherhood began by playing a very insignificant role in the anti-Mubarak demonstrations.Later the Muslim Brotherhood moved in to occupy a void in the emerging political space in Egypt. It began to call attention to its agenda: that its path remained the only credible one left for Egyptians to follow. On the ground in Tahrir Square, members of the Brotherhood were visible everywhere, they manned checkpoints, provided hot tea to the protesters, and participated in the demonstrations by chanting, 'Welcome to Free Egypt!'Brethren, 44 years after the death of its founder, the Muslim Brotherhood has achieved what they initially set out to achieve. So what lessons are in these events for Muslims who are presently engaging the Nigerian state in violence' There can be no alternative to peaceful interface with those we consider, rightly or wrongly, as our enemies; that if indeed Islam never conquered people's heart by force in the past, no existential argument would validate the deployment of violence as a means of confronting the other today.In other words, if Muslims' successes in the past were achieved through the instrumentality of patience, prayer, perseverance and peaceful methods, the reification of violence as the only method of registering our group or communal aspirations today would be antithetical to that lofty heritage we are all proud of.I join the rest of the world in congratulating Mr. Muhammad Morsi on his election even as I pray that may the Almighty assist him as he strives to transit from Islamic theory to praxis.(guardianfridayworship@gmail.com)
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