The Muslim Ummah is facing many problems, and amidst these problems are many voices that call Muslims to perform all types of Islamic work. One thing that must remain clear, regardless of whatever decisions we choose to make, is the distinction between ''Islamic work'' and ''working for Islam.'' While the two sound similar, in fact they are very different, and maintaining this difference will eliminate much confusion as far as how to proceed in this life and how to approach our issues. Islamic work consists of any action that is commendable or obligatory in Islam, such as building mosques and Islamic schools, drug rehabilitation centres assisting Muslims in need, establishing Muslim communities, giving Sadaqah (charity), and performing various other good deeds such as reciting Qur'an and performing extra prayers.

On the other hand, working for Islam is different because the objective of working for Islam becomes ISLAM, and not just to acquire extra reward or to achieve a short-term gain in this life or to resolve an immediate issue for the community. Working for Islam implies the specific type of work that is needed to establish Islam as the objective, and the establishment of Islam means the total system of Islam. And establishing Islam in its totality requires from us to follow the same methodology as the Prophet (saaws). In summary, this method entails for us to establish a group of people who are cultured with Islam and educated in a concentrated manner. This group of people then engages in an intellectual struggle in the society where they expose the fallacies of the existing ideas, culture, thoughts, and systems of the society and present the correct Islamic ideas in a relevant manner, with the objective of creating a public momentum for Islam. And when this public momentum has reached a certain level, then this group would engage in political struggle in order to acquire the authority and the support needed to implement Islam in the form of a state, after which the Islamic State will be used as the engine to apply Islam in its entirety and carry the Islamic message to humanity.

What is important for us is to realize the distinction between Islamic work and working for Islam, so as to avoid the danger of confusing between the two. Unfortunately, many Muslims and Muslim organizations call the Muslims to work for Islam and to change the situation of the Ummah through Islamic work. This idea is incorrect because the method to establish Islam is not building schools and mosques, feeding the orphans, or liberating a piece of Muslim land, or performing extra prayers and good deeds. Such acts constitute Islamic work, and they are needed to fulfill an immediate need or address an immediate concern. However, they should not be used as the method to establish Islam; otherwise, this will divert the resources and thinking of the Muslim Ummah towards a multitude of objectives, which will ultimately kill the momentum to establish the Islamic way of life in its totality.

At the same time, the Muslims should not harbour the view that Islamic work and working for Islam are antagonistic. All this means is that they are different. Both are needed because the Muslim Ummah has an objective, which Allah (swt) ordained upon the entire Ummah, and this objective is to establish Islam in its totality and to carry the Islamic message to humanity. At the same time, we must recognize that Muslims in their respective localities have immediate needs that must be addressed and cannot be ignored. In fact, Islamic work can be used to complement the objective of working for Islam in many ways. For example, Islamic schools, mosques and drug rehabilitation centres can be used not only to provide for the needs of their respective communities, but as platforms to facilitate the discussion of ideas and the propagation of the correct Islamic thoughts and concepts, which will assist in the overall process of working for Islam. Fundraising dinners and functions can be used to raise money to address a pressing concern, and they can also be used as forums for bringing Muslims together to interact with one another and discuss ideas, which will serve as a stepping stone for building the correct Islamic thinking in the Ummah. There does not need to be an antagonistic relationship whereby Muslims harbor this mentality that ''either you work for the short term objective or the long term objective'' or ''either you act or you talk.'' Such ideas should be eradicated completely, and Muslims must recognize that they have immediate needs that must be fulfilled. Mosques need to be built and tended to, Islamic schools need to be established, Muslims in need require our assistance. At the same time, the Deen of Allah is absent, Islam is not established as a system of life, and we must work to reestablish Islam, using the specific methodology that Islam outlined for achieving this objective.

Lastly, while acknowledging the necessity of working for Islam and Islamic work, it is also necessary to recognize that Allah (swt) established a system of priorities that we as Muslims are obligated to follow. Thus, while Islamic work is needed and important, the focus of our efforts and resources should be dedicated towards working for Islam, because working for Islam will lead to the establishment of the vehicle that will enable the Muslim Ummah to resolve all of its other outstanding issues in a coordinated and effective manner.

May Allah (swt) help us to understand His Message so that we can worship Him correctly and fulfill our responsibilities.