"You Think They Are United, but Their Hearts Are Divided" [59:14]

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, we saw the West rush to rescue Ukraine. The US, under Biden, alone sent 114bn to Ukraine until the end of 2024: the EU 49bn, the UK 15bn, and Japan 11bn. In the typical fashion of the West, they patted their own backs for the show of unity at display. To many, it seemed Ukraine had tapped into an endless, unwavering stream of Western support.

Then came Donald Trump — and the illusion of unity, built over years ,shattered in a short lived two hour conference in the White House. Zelensky left empty handed and humiliated in front of the world.

For decades, we have been told that the West is the pinnacle of unity and strength — the birthplace of democracy, innovation, and modernity. Yet, the moment weight of a prolonged war and economic strain began to strain their shoulders, the heat could not be withstood. One leader, a change in political interests, and suddenly Ukraine — once a measure of patriotism — became a thorn. It is hard to believe that the US just months ago under a different President described the security of Ukraine as the same as the security of the US. “Principled” support began as unshakeable, soon after became negotiable, then conditional, and finally a liability.

Allah (ﷻ) — the All-Wise — tells us in the Qur'an:

"You think they are united, but their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people who do not reason." (Surah Al-Hashr 59:14)

This ayah rings both true and reflective of this shift. The West’s unity is a mere illusion — a performance. We, as an Ummah, must take note. Allah tells us specifically why their unity is weak — they lack reason.

Reason is the foundation of a Muslims 'aql (intellect). But what does it mean to reason? It means to prioritise evidence over mere feelings, to reflect deeply in the pursuit of both spiritual truths and truths found via observations. Most paramount is to act on those truths we discover. Praise is to Allah (ﷻ) that we are void of doubt over the truth of Islam, but what actions do we take thereafter?

Last year, I wrote an extremely scathing article on university encampments for Palestine and criticised it on several fronts. The blatant immoralities that went on led me to believe that these encampments simply were not befitting for a Muslim to endorse let alone be part of. There is a stark difference between shortcomings we have in private or public that we feel contrition over and shortcomings we display in public while claiming we do so on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Palestine. While these encampments serve as a convenient example, the principle extends far beyond them. It applies whenever we find ourselves allying with non-Muslims who hold fundamentally different political convictions. To be clear, this is not a blanket warning against working with all non-Muslims. Rather, I am cautioning against aligning ourselves with those in the political arena who demand our support and compliance while offering nothing more than performative kindness in return.

On a macro level, we are bombarded by the same propaganda that everyone else is by the mainstream media. We in the UK were also told that by guaranteeing Ukraine's security we guarantee our own security. That Russia is a complete rogue state that is acting with no rhyme or reason. And most disturbingly, we must have an immediate instinct to protect Ukraine, whereas other humanitarian crises in the world instead require nuanced and 'well thought out' strategies to address. We Muslims who follow the Qur'an and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) already denounce the violence that has already devastated so many civilian lives, we hold firm to that, but we are within our rights to question why other people of other countries aren't afforded the same urgency. And until we receive a good answer — which we never will — we do not owe anyone or any government even our moral support. This may already be very obvious to many of you reading, but to some who aren't as politically engaged, it is a message worth reiterating.

The micro level is where many Muslims fail to practice this caution. Mohammed Tahir has already written at length on this topic on his article on Rightstance, but there is more to say. Palestine is not the first issue that has tightened relations between the Left and Muslims: opposition to the Iraq invasion is another notable example. Many say that since they are offering support to our causes that there is no issue with accepting their support and collaborating with them. I take you back to the Qur'an verse I mentioned earlier (59:14). That verse is in reference to an incident where the Muslims were betrayed by a Jewish tribe that had initially agreed to offer the Muslims mutual protections and benefits, only to go on and try to assassinate the Prophet (ﷺ). Once alliances are no longer useful and objectives are met, there is no reason to stay loyal to the alliance. Ask yourself, what reason does the Left have to ally with us the day after Palestine is free? Would they? No. They would merely wish to corrupt the Palestinians with their Leftist beliefs and systems.

After publishing the article on the encampment, the main feedback I received was that I did a good job of highlighting the issues, but did not provide any solutions. This was a fair criticism, even though my intention with the article was solely to highlight the sorry state of those encampments. When looking for solutions, many had the incorrect way of thinking in that they wanted to keep the encampments while managing the evils that occurred there. I disagree with this thinking altogether. If a cup of water is half-filled with pure water and the other half with sewage water, do we try to make the two work anyway? Do we hope the pure water overwhelms the dirty water? Does the clean water not inevitably become dirty in the process? The answers to these questions are obvious.

The solution is simple and it is almost so simple we fail to see it. We need to see strength in ourselves and begin taking ourselves seriously. We are vast in number, and more importantly, we have the truth, with Allah (ﷻ) on our side. This alone makes us stronger than any worldly coalition. As Allah reminds us:

And to Allah belongs the honor, and to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know." (Surah Al-Munafiqun 63:8)

However, unity without knowledge is powerless. We must become politically literate, understanding the systems we live under — how they operate, manipulate, and control — so we can navigate them without compromising our principles. An Ummah that is united and informed is an unstoppable force, and this is precisely what those who oppose us fear most. The start of this article set out how brittle the West's coalition is from what they have shown outwardly, imagine how much more chaotic it is behind the scenes? Let us be among the People of Reason, always choosing carefully who we align ourselves with and making sure it is on our terms and not on the terms of those chasing their own ideals. Let us see our own strength and unite sooner rather than later.