and the religious innovations that have spread in their worship, the moral corruption that has prevailed among them, and the godlessness of the constitution they imported from their enemies’ lands and adopted in place of their Lord’s Book and their Prophet’s Sunnah; and dispelling the estrangement that has settled over their hearts until they have lost the blessing of finding solace in Allah, relying upon Him, trusting Him, seeking refuge in Him, and finding Him sufficient. These are the areas in which renewal and correction are needed.

Calling this phase the phase of correction does not mean belittling the tremendous efforts of those calling people to Islam there. The correction we mean cannot be accomplished with a stroke of the pen, or by replacing one letter with another or one sentence with another. Rather, it means uprooting long-entrenched ignorance so that Islam may take its place, and purifying hearts of the traces of paganism, religious innovations, and ancient superstitions, so that those hearts may come alive with the light of faith and pure monotheism, and the just laws of Islam may replace those oppressive laws that colonialism left behind and bequeathed to others.

Such work is no easy matter. Rather, it is arduous work and an immense struggle. May Allah grant us and them sincerity in it, seeking His countenance by benefiting His servants and teaching them what they do not know. Indeed, He knows what lies within every heart.