What Should We Do Now?

By Hadhrat Mawlana Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani حفظہ اللہ, written after 1965 war. English rendering by Zahra Baintner, Edited by Albalagh editorial team.

After the declaration of the ceasefire, I had begun writing an article titled “What Lessons Has the Current War Taught Us?” It was not yet completed when my esteemed son, respected Maulvi Muhammad Taqi (may he be protected), a teacher at Darul Uloom Karachi, wrote and presented an excellent essay on the same topic. This piece fully captured the essence of my draft, rendering it unnecessary now. May Allah Almighty make his work beneficial and grant him progress in knowledge and practice.
Muhammad Shafi, (رحمہ اللہ)
9th Jamadi us Sania 1385

All praise and glory belongs to Him who bestowed existence upon this grand universe,
And blessings and peace upon His final Messenger (ﷺ), who raised the banner of Truth in this world.

Hold fast your shield, the battle still rages
The seventeen days from 6th September to 22nd September were of an entirely unique nature in Pakistan’s history. In the past eighteen years, we had never faced such a trial—so severe yet blessed, so delicate yet filled with divine joy. India’s sudden attack on Pakistan was undoubtedly a great test for us, but a test that brought joy and glad tidings to the Muslims instead of anxiety and distress.
After many years, the heavens and the earth once again witnessed the beautiful sight of the sons of Tawheed rising with the chants of their Creator’s greatness, clashing against disbelief. With that same spirit of faith, that same fervor for sacrifice, and that same longing for martyrdom—once more, the cliffs of fire and steel, drunk on their own power, dared to challenge the Muslims’ unshakable faith. And once more, the Muslims’ faith proved that victory on the battlefield does not depend on the size of armies, the abundance of weapons, or the stockpile of resources. Rather, what it needs is absolute trust in Allah, hearts burning with restless passion, and that zeal for martyrdom which emboldens a man to step into flames and bathe in blood.
On the fronts of Lahore and Sialkot, our valiant warriors have etched a radiant chapter of sacrifice and devotion—one that will forever testify to the truth:
فضائے بدر پیدا کر فرشتے تیری نصرت کو
اتر سکتے ہیں گردوں سے قطار اندر قطار اب بھی
If you forge the environment of Badr
Even today can the angels descend in rows from the skies to aid you
The feats of determination and resilience in the face of an army five times our size, which have left the entire world in awe today, are clear proof that this victory of ours was a divine blessing from the Almighty—the One who has the power to grant triumph to 313 over a thousand. The world knows that our enemy possessed an army many times larger than ours, superior weaponry, and vast resources, while our apparent strength was far inferior. It is purely by the grace of Allah Almighty that, on one hand, He instilled in our brave soldiers the courage to play with seas of fire and stand like unshakable mountains before blazing cannons. On the other hand, He erased all our mutual differences, uniting us as one body and soul. And when President Ayub called upon his 100 million people with the pledge of La ilaha illallah, the entire nation—from the Khyber Pass to the foothills of the Khasi Jaintia – became an iron wall against which the enemy could gain nothing except crushing his head.
This is the grace of Allah Almighty, which we could not have expected given our misdeeds. Even if every fibre of our body were to turn into a tongue and express gratitude for this blessing, it would still fall short of the thanks we owe.
After this decisive victory—which is no less than a miracle of Islam—the war has now ended. By accepting the Security Council’s resolution, Pakistan has given another opportunity for a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir issue. However, this does not mean that we can now sit idle with folded hands. The demand of the time is that we treat this pause in hostilities as an opportunity and intensify our efforts further. While expressing gratitude to Allah Ta’ala for the victory He has granted us through His grace and favour, we must bring about such a beautiful revolution in our life that makes us deserving of His further blessings. Since the ceasefire, we have stepped into a new phase of our struggle, and at this moment, Iqbal’s soul is crying out to us, saying:
سپر از دست مینداز کہ جنگ است ہنوز
Hold fast your shield, the battle still rages
The war we fought over these seventeen days was not fought out of greed for territory, lust for power, or desire for wealth. Our war was the war between Islam and disbelief, between truth and falsehood, between justice and oppression, between freedom and tyranny. We stood for the truth, and we took up arms for a just cause. Today, this war may seem to have ended, but in reality, the battle between Islam and disbelief, between truth and falsehood, never ceases. We are facing an enemy that is bound by no moral principles. It is a dragon whose mouth has been stained with the blood of territorial conquest. Every time it swallows a new piece of land, its hunger only grows stronger. Ceasefire agreements, UN resolutions, and the condemnation of the world have never been enough to shame it. Even after agreeing to a ceasefire, we are not safe from its wicked schemes. So far, it has shackled five million of our brothers in the chains of slavery. Until these chains of slavery are broken, we can find no peace. And the unfolding situation makes it clear that to break these chains, we will have to rely not on the edge of wit but on the edge of the sword.
Therefore, our responsibility does not end with this ceasefire agreement. Our brave Mujahideen—those who sacrificed their lives in the path of Allah, and those who stood as shields before fire-spewing cannons so that we may sleep in peace—have a right over us. And that right is that we turn every drop of their blood into a lamp for our hearts, and in its light, march steadfastly toward the destination for which these holy martyrs staked their lives. The war of these past seventeen days has taught us lessons we had not learned in the past seventeen years. These martyrs have a right over us—that we, as a conscious nation, make the lessons of this war the foundation of our future and begin a new life…
The first lesson
The first and most important lesson of this war is that the foundation of our individual and collective life is the vitalizing message of La ilaha illallah (There is no god but Allah). By invoking this message, our esteemed leader ignited a fire in the blood of every individual from Peshawar to Sylhet. This very message is the secret to our victory and success, our progress and elevation, our prosperity and honour, and our discipline and unity. The closer we remain to this sacred message, the more our strength and glory will increase. Conversely, the farther we stray from it, the closer we will be to decline and downfall. The secret to all our greatness lies in walking the path of Islam, which was shown to us by our illustrious master, the Leader of both Worlds, Muhammad Mustafa ﷺ. By treading this path, we have triumphed over every force of falsehood. By walking this path, we have attained glory and grandeur in this universe. And it is this very path of greatness and progress that took us to the deserts of Africa and the meadows of Andalusia.
Throughout this war, we have repeatedly invoked the achievements of our forefathers. We have proclaimed that we are the descendants of those great souls whose clashing swords and resounding calls of Takbeer (Allahu Akbar) made the mighty powers of the world tremble. We have reiterated time and again that we are the heirs of Khalid bin Waleed, Muhammad bin Qasim, Mahmood Ghaznavi, and Ahmad Shah Abdali. But we must not forget that the secret behind their astonishing victories was also this sacred message of La ilaha illallah, which they ingrained in every aspect of their lives before confronting the great powers of their time. We must not forget that while their valour and chivalry earned them recognition, it was their embodiment of the Qur’an and Sunnah that made them lofty figures in history—figures the like of which the world today yearns to see. If we wish to partake in the same divine blessings that were bestowed upon them, we too must walk the path of Islam that they followed. Without choosing this path, we have no right to invoke their names or expect the same divine favours that Almighty Allah granted them.
In this current war, despite our past misdeeds, Allah has showered us with His grace and mercy. But let this not lead us to any misunderstanding—this was nothing but a manifestation of Allah’s mercy. However, remember that the Almighty does not repeatedly bless an ungrateful nation. If we desire that His mercy continues to descend upon us, we must express gratitude for this blessing and completely transform our lives. We must bring about a positive revolution in every sphere of our existence—one that makes us worthy of even greater divine blessings.
There is no doubt that during those seventeen days, a religious fervour was awakened within the entire nation—perhaps unparalleled in our eighteen years long history. During those days, we had turned more to Allah than before. Our moral and spiritual strength had undergone an amazing increase. The centres of dance and music were abandoned. Indecency and vulgarity in society decreased. Traders not only repented from illegal market practices, profiteering and fraud, but displayed commendable selflessness. Government offices saw an end to bribery and negligence, and every individual became deeply devoted to fulfilling their duties with sincerity. The radio, which once played film songs from morning till evening, now echoed the name of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ and recounted the tales of the Mujahideen. In short, a considerable religious transformation swept through every sphere of our lives. This was entirely the blessing of the Jihad, which the Leader of Both Worlds ﷺ declared superior to seventy years of worship.
Our most urgent duty now is to channel all our energies into nurturing and elevating this religious fervour. We must continue advancing on the sacred path of struggle and action that we have embarked upon. We must not allow this divine spirit—awakened by the blasts of bombs and the thunder of cannons—to be lost in the distractions of frivolous entertainment.
We must understand that we have entered a new era of our lives, and that all our past shortcomings have been burned away in the cauldron of Jihad. Now, we must reexamine every single one of our deeds and ensure that none of them go against the will of that Divine Being from whom we seek victory and success.
This is the most crucial lesson this war has taught us. And if, as a discerning nation, we grasp its significance and mend our former ways, then with full faith and confidence, we can say that—insha’allah—we will achieve triumph in every sphere of life. The path we have chosen will guide us, and we will swiftly ascend the heights of progress. This will also bring solace to the souls of the martyrs who watered this land with their blood. Allah has promised us:
کی محمد سے وفا تو نے تو ہم تیرے ہیں
یہ جہاں چیز ہے کیا لوح و قلم تیرے ہیں
If you remain faithful to Muhammad (ﷺ), then We shall be yours.
The world is nothing—the pen and tablet (of destiny) shall be yours.”
The second lesson
This war has taught us another lesson: that our success and victory lie in our national unity. Without fear of refutation, it can be said that a major factor in our triumph was the unity that Allah Almighty had blessed us with. Before this, major hurdles to our progress were internal conflicts, divisions, and civil strife. At this critical moment, our unity has once again proven that by standing together, we can face even the greatest of challenges. This spirit of unity, which has made us an unbreakable iron wall in these seventeen days, remains one of our greatest national necessities. If we wish to progress, we must nurture this spirit and crush all forms of provincial prejudices that have, in the past, weakened our national strength. We must erase all distinctions of being Sindhi, Punjabi, Baloch, Pathan, or Bengali and unite under one flag. Until these idols of prejudice are shattered, our collective prosperity will remain impossible. We are the followers of one God, one Prophet ﷺ, one Book, and one Kaaba. We belong to a faith that has broken the idols of color, race, and nationalism, telling us:
Islam is your homeland – you belong to Mustafa ﷺ
We are the slaves of the Arab Prophet ﷺ, who, for the sake of truth, raised his sword against his countrymen, Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab, and who embraced Bilal, the Abyssinian, Suhaib, the Roman, and Salman, the Persian. We are all one. No geographical or racial boundary can divide us.
Therefore, after this war, our second duty is to pledge that we will maintain this beautiful atmosphere of unity, which has been established by the grace of Allah Almighty, and never allow any provincial discrimination to rise again.
The third lesson
The third lesson we learnt from this war is that for the past eighteen years, we had become acquainted with only one aspect of life—we had assumed that we were destined to live in perpetual peace. Numerous social customs had sprung up that served no purpose other than wasting time, encouraging extravagance, and promoting a culture of comfort-seeking. Instead of focusing entirely on the progress and development of our nation, we became entangled in activities that are nothing but fatal to a developing country. Is it appropriate for a young nation in its earliest stage, to seek pomp instead of simplicity and to replace hard work with luxury and ease? This war has also taught us that the money we spend on wasteful customs during weddings and on occasions of grief could instead be contributed to the national defence fund. The wealth that is squandered on superficial adornments and displays of vanity could instead be used to strengthen our industries and bolster our defence. If we embrace sacrifice, hard work, and austerity, there is no reason why our factories should not produce advanced, state-of-the-art weaponry today.
We are facing a mean and cunning enemy like India, and to counter them, we must foster within ourselves the same collective consciousness that emerged during this war. Under this consciousness, we must make the development, progress, and strengthening of this nation – which is a divine trust in our hands – the central focus of all our interests and efforts. We must cultivate the resolve to abandon all wasteful expenditures and luxurious lifestyles, adopting instead a disciplined and simple way of living. We must completely reject this Western lifestyle, which is not only exorbitantly costly for us but also contrary to our national dignity. Before us lie the examples of several nations that gained independence around the same time as we did yet have surged far ahead in the race of progress. China and Japan, within a short span, have achieved remarkable advancements in industry and commerce. The secret to their success is nothing but their adoption of a disciplined way of life, embracing hard work, perseverance, and austerity.
We must never forget, even for a moment, that we are the people of a nation that is still in the initial phase of its existence. This is not the time for luxury and comfort – it is the time for hard work and austerity. We are fortunate that Allah has chosen us to build an Islamic state, and we must always keep this divine rule of what shapes the destiny of nations, before our eyes at all times:
شمشیر و سناں اول طاؤس و رباب آخر
First the sword and spear, last dance and music
The fourth lesson
Since this war has revealed an entirely new aspect of life to us, we must now remember that a time may come when a person must abandon their gatherings of leisure and comfort, take up arms, and bid farewell to the comforts of home and plunge himself into an ocean of blood. We need to be prepared before this moment comes. Each and every one of us needs to realize the need to acquire military training and to become a soldier, so that he can serve the country and the nation when need arises. The Holy Quran has also given us clear guidance for such times, stating:
وَأَعِدُّوا۟ لَهُم مَّا ٱسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن قُوَّةٍۢ
Prepare against them whatever force you can. (Surah Anfal:60)
We have, due to our peace-loving nature, neglected this duty. However, the recent war has proved that fulfilling this obligation is now even more necessary than ever before.
The fifth lesson
The fifth lesson which this war taught us is that it has made us clearly recognize who our true friends and enemies are. The nations we had trusted excessively in the past eighteen years have now shown extreme selfishness and deceit at this critical moment. This war taught us that instead of placing blind trust in others in the future, we must focus on strengthening our own capabilities and standing on our own feet. There is nothing wrong with maintaining good relations with other nations, but relying on them to a degree where we become oblivious of our own selves is an unforgivable mistake in this selfish world.
The building of Pakistan is the responsibility of each and every individual, and to fulfill this duty, every one of us must become a soldier in his own right. We can benefit from the respite we have gained after the war as was the case after the Treaty of Hudaybiyah. We should consider it a strategic pause to rectify our past mistakes and emerge as fighters for a unified nation, ready to rise to the occasion when needed. Our war has not ended with this victory; the valleys of Kashmir still await the arrival of their liberators. Now is the time to intensify our struggle. If we grow complacent with this triumph, squander this crucial moment, and sit idle, such an opportunity may never come again. In that case, we would stand guilty before Allah and be deeply embarrassed in front of the martyrs who, with their blood, wrote this glorious chapter in Pakistan’s history.
The only way to give thanks for the favours the Almighty has showered on us during this war is to pledge that – from this day onward – we shall begin a new life; not a life lived for ourselves alone, but a life dedicated to Allah and to our nation. A life that seeks not comfort and luxury, but the pleasure of the Almighty. A life that makes us worthy of even greater blessings from Him. Remember! Allah promises us:
لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌۭ
If you express gratitude, I shall certainly give you more, and if you are ungrateful, then My punishment is severe. (Surah Ibraheem:7)
If we express gratitude for Allah’s blessings in this manner, we may once again attain the glories of our forebears. But if – God forbid – we squander this opportunity through ingratitude, the consequences would be too terrible to contemplate.
We pray to Allah that He grants us the ability to properly thank Him for this victory and to live in accordance with His will. May He bestow upon us the courage, determination, and noble character of our ancestors. Aameen
And our last call be praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.