If Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is accepted as correct, then according to Darwin’s principles, humanity will have to change its strategy for survival. Today’s human being has reached the world of science and artificial intelligence after facing thousands of difficulties, diseases, wars, hunger, and even gigantic and terrifying wild animals. The reason for this is that in every era, successful individuals and successful nations understood the question, “What is the need of the time?” and made relentless efforts to act upon it.

In today’s world, there is a race for material progress, and willingly or unwillingly, we are part of this race. Morality, love, peace, and social traditions are qualities that develop after long periods of stability and order in societies; otherwise, many experiments have shown that human nature still contains savagery, hatred, and a desire for superiority over others. In this struggle, qualities like morality, love, or compassion do not act as obstacles. Repeated wars and human hatred are the dangerous and dark aspects of this human nature, which cannot be ignored if we are to understand the needs of the time. Since the beginning of the world, power—and that too blind power—has ruled. At one time, physical strength was everything, but with blind power, mental strength, meaning intelligence, began to gain prominence.

Alexander the Great did not conquer the world merely because his soldiers were strong and brave; rather, he fought every battle with intelligence and cunning, adopting new techniques in each battle, which made it easy to defeat the enemy. Not only Alexander, but this is the story almost everywhere in the world. When the war between Afghan Mujahideen and Russia began in Afghanistan, Russia used to bomb from aircraft without risking its soldiers, causing severe damage to the Afghans. The United States provided the Mujahideen with shoulder-fired Stinger missiles, which turned the tide of the war. Even an untrained fighter could carry a Stinger on his shoulder and destroy Russian aircraft. As Russian planes began to fall one by one, Russia eventually stopped sending them, eliminating the aerial threat to the Mujahideen. Whatever the rest of the story may be, the Stinger missile changed the course of the war.

In the second Afghan jihad, after 9/11, when the United States ended the Taliban regime, the Mujahideen adopted a defensive strategy instead of an offensive one and hid in remote mountainous safe havens. Neither American nor Pakistani forces could reach them there. In such a situation, the United States began using drone technology, and leaders of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban started being eliminated one by one despite hiding in the mountains. Osama bin Laden was targeted in a special operation, but most prominent jihadist leaders were tracked and killed by drones. Israel developed artificial intelligence programs to target major fighters in Gaza and Lebanon. Within Iran, the United States has targeted whomever it wanted, because technology, power, and intelligence have become new weapons that can easily subdue an enemy.

The Muslim Ummah is unable to understand the needs of the time. Internal conflicts and lack of understanding have weakened it and deprived it of the vision needed to foresee the future. At present, it is neither the time nor the necessity to fight or compete with the Western world. Human progress does not belong to any one country; it is the collective progress of humanity. Fighting against the West’s advancement in power and technology is futile and leads only to defeat. This has already been seen in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon, and it is happening with Iran as well. The Muslim Ummah needs to focus on acquiring knowledge and technology instead of pursuing policies of conflict, war, and hostility. This is the need of the time. Without neglecting war, defense, and jihad, the acquisition of knowledge and technology can grant the Muslim world a prominent position in the realms of power and intelligence.

Education played a miraculous and crucial role in the independence of India and the creation of Pakistan. Four personalities were most prominent in this process: Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Allama Muhammad Iqbal. A common factor among all four was their education abroad. Had they not gone abroad and fought their struggle armed with arguments, it is uncertain when India would have gained independence and when Pakistan would have been established. In fact, the creation of Pakistan is entirely linked with education. The movement began with Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s educational efforts and Aligarh Muslim University, which produced the entire leadership of the Pakistan Movement and defined the direction for Indian Muslims. The educated youth from Aligarh also played a key role in running Pakistan. Thus, education not only created Pakistan but also played a fundamental role in its governance.

To understand the needs of the time, it is essential to revisit the events of the 20th and 21st centuries in both the Western and Muslim worlds. During World War I, the Ottoman Empire sided with Germany, while India was under British rule; therefore, Indian and Punjabi soldiers supported the British war effort. As a result of the war, Arab regions gained independence from Turkey, and they were grateful to Britain and Western countries for this. In World War II as well, India, especially Punjab, supported Britain. Fifty thousand Punjabis sacrificed their lives, leading to Britain’s victory. After World War II, either willingly or by compulsion, 57 independent Muslim countries emerged. However, not a single one of these countries has, to date, presented a significant scientific discovery, new technology, or a new international theory. It is worth noting that by choosing the path of war and conflict, eight Muslim countries have lost their independence and defense. Any country that follows this path will face a similar fate. This is neither the time for war nor is there any reason for hope in it. At present, there is not even the capability to compete; in such a situation, fighting amounts to self-destruction. It must also be understood that the future is not of wars but of economic, technological, and practical competition. Just as the era of ground warfare has ended and aerial warfare has begun, similarly, the present era demands knowledge of technology and artificial intelligence. Instead of killing and destroying one another, the focus must shift toward strengthening and developing each other.