A widespread concept that is passed to the Islamic Ummah is the concept of the Tadarruj or ‘Gradualism’. This ‘methodology’ follows the logic that Islam is a Deen that is massive and it is impossible to radically implement Islam. Therefore one must seek to gradually implement the Shari’ah rules and this will take place over a long period of time gradually bringing Islam back to the life of the Muslims. This process would normally occur through sharing power with the existing government and through working within the system.

After which certain arguments are brought as a justification for this view such as ‘the revelation of the Qur’an was in stages and as problems arose the Qur’an addressed them in that manner’. The fact that Allah (swt) prohibited alcohol in three stages is quoted as an example of this gradualism.

A further argument is brought in by principles such as, ‘That which cannot be completely attained should not be completely left’. Hence, it would be argued, some Islam is not as bad as no Islam, thus a gradual approach is acceptable.

It is important that the Islamic Ummah realises that none of these are legal (Shari’i) arguments in Islam and that this concept is not only invalid but contradicts definitive evidences in Islam. The first point to bear in mind is that the concept that Islam is impossible to implement would mean that Allah (swt) had sent an impractical Deen! This is in contradiction to the belief that Islam is the only practical Deen for mankind which Allah (swt), the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, had perfected. Allah (swt) states in the Qur’an,

“Allah does not place a burden upon a person except that which he is capable of.” (TMQ al-Baqarah, verse 282)