Deterrent power: weapons or ideology?

Question

In this age, what should be called the awe-inspiring power (quwwat-e-marhab): weapons or ideology? Please explain.

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan · Accepted Answer

maulana, yeh sawal Chennai se aaya hai Maulana Iqbal Umri ka. unhon ne aap se poocha hai ke is daur mein quwwat-e-marhab kis ko kahenge? hathiyar ko ya ideology ko? is ke bare mein bataein. ideology ko? hathiyar ko koi value nahi rahi ab. hathiyar ki koi value nahi rahi. aap dekhein, first world war hui, koi koi jeeta is mein? koi jeeta nahi. sirf tabahi hui. second world war hui, tab bhi koi jeeta? sirf tabahi hui. ab dunya mein jagah jagah masail hain. koi larr kar is ko, yaani apne masail hal kar pa raha hai? logon ke paas atom bomb hai, lekin woh istemal nahi kar sakte. bohat se mulkon ke paas atom bomb hain, jangi hawai jahaz hain, kya kya hain, lekin har mulk ke paas masail hain. koi masail hal nahi kar pata is se. to yeh to, yaani first world war ke baad hi yeh cheez sabit ho gayi thi ke hathiyar se kuch hone wala nahi hai. hathiyaron ka inbar hai logon ke qaumon ke paas. is ke baad masail ke bhi inbar hain. to ideology hi taqat hai, kyunke ideology insan ko fateh karti hai. ideology insan ko fateh karti hai. aur is ka main samajhta hoon ke main aik ka aik reference dena chahoon ga ke jab abbas period ke aakhri doran mein tatariyon ne hamla kiya tha, abbas empire ko tabah kar diya tha, to us waqt bohat ziyada bura haal tha musalmanon ka. aur yeh kehte thay log ke إذا قيل لك أنت تترى إن ذبحوا فلا تُصدق ke tatariyon ko shikast dena mumkin nahi hai. lekin wohi tatari jo hai, maftooh ho gaye aur islam ke khadim ban gaye. kaise? ideology ke zariye se. chunancha hitler ne is waqeye ko zikr karte hue likha hai ke The legend of Muslim have conquered where their arms had failed isi tarah turkiyat ne misr ke bare mein likha hai ke The Egyptians were conquered not by sword but by the Quran ke misri jo thay, woh talwar se fateh nahi hue, quran se fateh hui. to pehle bhi yeh waqea tha, ab to hathiyaron ke ke dher ke dher lage hue hain aur koi apne masle ko hathiyar se hal nahi kar pa raha hai. ab to aakhri had tak sabit ho gaya ke jang aur hathiyar bilkul be asar hain aur sari taqat jo hai, ideology ki hai. maulana, agla sawal bhi chennai se hai. maulana israr hasan sahib ka, unhon ne likha hai: "divine civilization se murad kya hai?