The Rise and Decline of the Muslim Ummah: With a Comparison to Jewish History

Dr Israr Ahmad
Reviewed by Abdul Hai

Several prominent figures in modern Islamic history have demonstrated unwavering dedication, commitment, and a persistent desire for the revival of Islam. Despite numerous challenges and opposition, such individuals remained steadfast in their efforts to seize transformative moments in history. One notable figure in this regard is Dr Israr Ahmad.

Dr Israr Ahmad is undoubtedly one of the most significant personalities in the modern Islamic revivalist movement. His contributions to the cause of Islamic revivalism are profound, particularly among speakers of his native language. He was not only a religious scholar but also a philosopher and visionary thinker, whose work continues to influence contemporary Islamic thought and movements.

Born in 1932 in Hisar, British India, Dr Israr Ahmad migrated to Pakistan following the Partition in 1947. He pursued medical studies and obtained his MBBS degree from King Edward Medical College. Later, he earned a Master’s degree in Islamic Studies from the University of Karachi.

As a young man, he became actively involved with the Jamaat-e-Islami, founded by Syed Abul A‘la Maududi; however, he parted ways with the organisation in 1957 due to ideological differences. In 1975, he founded Tanzeem-e-Islami, an organisation dedicated to advocating Islamic revivalism. Dr Ahmad devoted himself tirelessly to this mission, serving as its leader until 2002, when he stepped down due to declining health.

Renowned for his ascetic lifestyle (zuhd), Dr Ahmad appeared to embody the wisdom of the saying attributed to ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib:
“النفس تبكي على الدنيا وقد علمت أن السلامة فيها ترك ما فيها”
“The soul weeps for the world, though it knows well that safety lies in leaving behind all that it holds.”

Dr Israr Ahmad passed away on 14 April 2010. May Allah have mercy upon him and grant him a high station in Paradise (Jannat).

Dr Israr Ahmad was a profound and powerful orator, capable of captivating the minds of his audience in an almost hypnotic manner. He is recognised more for his speeches than for his written works. Through his insightful discourse, he was able to engage and influence millions, offering deep and thought-provoking perspectives on the subjects he addressed. One of his lectures, later transcribed and published as a book, is titled The Rise and Decline of the Muslim Ummah: With a Comparison to Jewish History. It is this concise yet significant work that forms the subject of the present review. The main theme of the book is the study of the rise and decline of the Muslim Ummah, with a comparison to Jewish history. The book is broadly divided into four sections, each seamlessly flowing into the next. A general comparison is drawn between the rise and fall of the Muslims and the historical trajectory of the Jewish people.

Dr Ahmad then proceeds to divide the Ummah into two components. The first consists of the descendants of the Prophet Ismāʿīl (may Allah be pleased with him)—namely, the Arabs—whom he describes as the “nucleus of the Ummah.” The second group comprises the non-Arabs, whom he refers to as the Akhareen, a term that includes all other ethnicities within the Muslim world. This division enables Dr Ahmad to construct and develop his central argument.

Beginning with the birth of Islam, he traces the growth of the Muslim dynasties, their territorial expansion, and the conquest of various lands. As the narrative unfolds, the focus shifts to the decline of the Muslim Ummah, which becomes the central concern of the work. The grandeur of Islamic civilisation, according to Dr Ahmad, was a divine blessing, and the Muslims, like the Children of Israel, were once considered the chosen people. However, their failure to uphold their commitment to Islam led to a similar fate as that of the Jews.

Just as the Jewish community underwent phases of decline, so too did the Muslim Ummah. Dr Ahmad makes a powerful comparison here: the major decline of the Muslim world occurred at the beginning of the twentieth century, a period during which nearly all Muslim countries came under the control of European colonial powers. Dr Ahmad refers to this as the “second phase of decline,” drawing a direct comparison with the second phase of Jewish decline mentioned by Allah (may He be exalted) in Sūrah al-Isrāʾ (17:7):

“So when the second of the warnings came to pass, We permitted your enemies to disfigure your faces and to enter the Temple as they had entered it before, and to destroy all that they conquered.”

The Muslim world has never fully recovered from this second period of decline, even after the establishment of so-called Muslim nation-states. From this historical comparison, Dr Ahmad transitions into the third section of the book, which explores the concept of reform and the rejuvenation of the Muslim Ummah. He identifies a reformer within the geopolitical context of his own environment: the great Indian scholar, Imām Shāh Walīullāh, whom Dr Ahmad regards as the primary reformer of the Indian subcontinent. In this section, Dr Ahmad outlines the essential characteristics of a reformer, both nationally and internationally. He approaches the topic from various angles and, as expected, supports his arguments extensively with references to the Qur’an and the Prophetic traditions. According to Dr Ahmad, the role of a reformer is not merely spiritual, but also political—and crucially, one of resistance.

The establishment of Pakistan as an Islamic state also becomes a focal point in this section. India, as a land shared by both Muslims and Hindus, receives considerable attention. Prominent Muslim figures such as Allāma Iqbāl, Maulana Abul Kalām Āzād, Maulana Ahmad Saeed, and Mufti Kifāyatullāh are mentioned, along with their contributions to social, political, and economic discourse. This gives the reader a broader view of the intellectual conversations shaping the Muslim world. As a young man, Dr Ahmad joined the newly formed Islamic movement Jamaat-e-Islami, founded by the eminent Islamic thinker Maulana Maududi. In this section, Dr Ahmad discusses the original aims and objectives of the movement, as well as its eventual deviation from those goals. As a result, he left the organisation and later established his own movement.

The fourth and final section builds upon the third, while also narrating the story of his newly founded movement. It identifies the aims and objectives of the organisation, as well as the role Dr Ahmad played in shaping its vision and direction. Dr Ahmad’s analysis of the decline of the Muslim world, in comparison with Jewish history, reads almost like a blueprint. One is struck by the accuracy of his in-depth and insightful understanding of both traditions. The causes of the Muslims’ downfall—then and now—remain the same: a weakening of internal faith, disunity, and, consequently, the rise of insignificant forces that gain dominance. Dr Ahmad’s work is more relevant now than ever before. Understanding history in relation to other communities is a constructive and healthy approach to regaining a meaningful presence on the global stage. However, as Dr Ahmad emphasises in several of his other works, the greatest obstacles to our revival are not external forces, but those who currently rule over us. It is now time to work towards removing the oppressive structures imposed upon us by former colonial powers.