“What’s the matter, Granddad?”

“Oh, just been reading the news, son. Everything is in a sorry state.”

“Yeah, I’ve been keeping up with events lately, too.”

“We’re a weak lot.”

“Who?”

“Us—I mean the Muslims.”

“All the Muslims, Granddad?”

“I guess so, son. There was a day when the Muslims lived in peace and security.”

“But, Granddad, I want to know what you actually mean by ‘weak.’ I think that’s an important point.”

“Well, I mean able to fight off the enemy.”

“But surely, Granddad, strength is not just in fighting.”

“It’s a big part of it. Look! If there are two neighbors and one has evil intent but he knows the other neighbor is strong, he won’t dare do what’s on his mind.”

“Sorry, Granddad, but I see things a bit different than that.”

“What?”

“If people think like that, it means they’re depending on themselves instead of depending on Allah.”

“But the Muslims aren’t supposed to just sit down and do nothing and say their apathy is piety because they’re trusting in Allah.”

“No, I don’t mean that, Granddad. I mean that the Prophet (peace be upon him) didn’t walk around being the tough guy and intimidating people into fearing him.”

“Yeah, but he (peace be upon him) prepared armies and fought.”

“That was a stage and under certain circumstances, but to use your analogy of the neighbors, the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) behavior was marked with love and good treatment—even to wicked neighbors. He returned good for evil and people’s hearts were changed by this good treatment and morality, not by intimidation. No, sorry, I don’t agree with you.”

“The young people are getting so forward these days. How dare you say you disagree with me!”

“Is it wrong of me to disagree with you, Granddad? Would you rather I keep my ideas to myself and not tell you what I think? If I disagree with you, it doesn’t mean I don’t love you.”

“The old are supposed to guide the young.”

“But, Granddad, we have standards to follow, and truth is truth no matter who says it.”

“Well, getting back to the state of things today, I still say we have to fight.”

“But, Granddad, why do you think the only answer is fighting? You said there was a time when the Muslims were strong, so we have to look back and figure out what made us weak.”

“It’s all economics: no money, no guns.”

“Surely there’s more to it than that, Granddad.”

“The world has been fighting since day one. Nothing in humanity has changed.”

“But Islam came to stop wars and bloodshed, not revel in it! Fighting is simply a necessary evil when people are attacked and must defend themselves and things like that.”

“Like I say, a lack of strong weaponry.”

“But don’t you think the weakness of the Muslims that led to them losing their power and empire in the first place, was because of their lack of morality? They slowed down or stopped following Islam until all that was left were their Muslim names and a few scattered traditions.”

“But then the non-Muslims came and forced them into a corner until they were living under servitude and that’s how we are now.”

“But, Granddad, the aggressors will only be able to overcome the Muslims when we stop striving to be pious. Piety and morality are our best weapons against evil because Allah promises His help to those who truly obey Him.”

“And He said to fight!”

“You’re living in a fairy world, boy. The real world is strength versus strength!”

“That’s so when people aren’t being helped by Allah. The Muslims might be small in number, oppressed and all that, but the way to raise ourselves up is to be good, kind, and merciful people. Allah sent the Qur’an—words of beauty—not swords! The swords were only permitted later under certain circumstances.’’

“You are mixed up, boy! Do you think people will change these days because of words and good behavior? Bah!”

“Do you think Allah is pleased with all the things done in His name? How many things are done in the name of Islam that only benefit a few misguided people and have nothing to do with the real message?”

“There are brave men fighting unjust wars. They have reason to fight.”

“Even fighting has rules, Granddad, and if we ignore those rules, we’ll end up, I guess, how we are now. Many people have justified letting go of these rules because they think they’re serving a higher purpose, but that’s not true.”

“Where did you get all these ideas, boy?”

“From a book, Granddad.”

“Yeah, I bet it’s a book written by some coward who is too afraid to get up and fight like a man.”

“Well, actually, Granddad, I read all this in the Qur’an.”