The Global Ummah - Being a Muslim in Today's World

The Muslim ummah is the backbone of our Islamic Civilisation. The Muslim ummah has been from the beginning of Islam the main creator, torchbearer and sustainer of this civilisation. With the Divinely-decreed collective identity of being the ummatan waṣatan - the justly balanced ummah - it has made the Islamic civilisation to also be stamped as a justly-balanced civilisation. One which had contributed immensely towards the development and growth of humanity throughout history.

Given the very close relation, theoretically and practically, between the ummah and the civilisation it creates, a deep understanding of its identities is required so that we are able to know the nature and characteristics of the Islamic civilisation. Despite various forms of diversities that exist within the ummah found across the globe, collectively we are united with core Qur’anic identities like our belief in the articles of faith (arkān al-imān) and the pillars of Islam (arkān al-islām). This has been true since the beginning and will remain true till the end of times. There are a couple other important core identities that transcends time and space.

Very rarely do discussions that are focused on the struggles and unique characteristics of minority Muslim Communities, like the harmony, cohesion and collaboration established with other faiths in nation-building are considered when we discussed the global ummah. We can say the minority Muslim communities are branches of the global ummatic tree. Each branch contributes to the development, growth and sustenance of the tree which in turn give live to the Islamic civilisation.

In this talk we will discuss core identities of the global Muslim ummah and how these core elements should be seen as the unifying force among all of us. We will also look at exemplary minority communities of the past in their contributions towards the society they were living in, which simultaneously nourished the development of the Islamic civilisation. At the end of it, we will discuss on our role as a branch of global ummah alongside our unique experiences.