A common refrain among Muslims when arguing in favor of obeying and accepting tyrannical rulers is to point at the destruction in countries where uprisings took place. They often point to living standards before the war, and argue that lower living standards after the war validate the idea that one should tolerate oppression.

While material well being is an important concern in Islam, it is not the primary concern, and these narratives often miss spiritual
improvements that take place as a result of war. For example, some Syrians personally told me it was common before the war to hear people curse Allah, subhanahu wa t’ala, in the street. Consider the enormity of this sin, and worse, consider that it was treated as normal and acceptable.

To curse Allah, subhanahu wa t’ala, is certainly a more severe sin than rape or murder. Consider if there was a land where rape and murder became commonplace. If someone were able to rape or murder another person with no fear or consequences, no one would consider this land as being safe, or secure, or a good place to live.

In the case of rape and murder becoming widespread, even a break of 1 or 2 years from this condition would be viewed as a great relief, both by the victims of the crimes and by any observers. Even if the condition returned to its previous state after some time, there is no denying that this pause would have a positive impact on the lives of everyone who was able to enjoy a brief rest from the state of anarchy.

This also applies to hadd punishments. The Prophet said that implementing one hadd punishment is better for all the earth’s people
than 40 days of rain.

عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: حدٌ يقام في الَأرض خير للناس من .َأن يمطروا ثلاثين َأو َأربعين صباحًا

The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم said: “The establishment of one hadd punishment on the earth is more beneficial for the people than if it were to rain for 30 or 40 days.”

Sahih an-Nasai’, 4919

Syria has suffered from a number of droughts in recent years which have hurt agricultural production. No one would question that a period of sustained rain would be highly beneficial to the people, and yet the Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم described one hadd punishment as more beneficial than this. The war in Syria enabled not one hadd punishment, but hundreds.

Implementing hadd punishments has lasting social effects that persist among the people even after sharia is removed. This is in addition to whatever spiritual effects may be present in the ghayb.

In large areas of Syria, for extended periods of time, those who cursed Allah had to fear for their lives and hide their corruption. This is in addition to the spiritual benefits of any war, even without reviving hudud. For example, war brings about an increased awareness of death which drives even the most irreligious person to remember Allah and ask for His help.

There were also major gains in terms of da’wah. Before the war, ignorance of the religion was extremely high, and any authentic
teaching of Islam was met with violent repression. The war enabled years of uncensored da’wah, and millions of Muslims were exposed to an authentic understanding of the religion.

War can bring hardship and suffering which can be a kaffarah, or expiation, for the sins of a Muslim, and this also applies on the
collective as well as individual levels. This purification is not only spiritual, either. A large number of those who ran away from the war to Europe were low spiritually and psychologically low-quality individuals, meaning that their leaving represents a purification of the population.

This means the overall proportion of hypocrites among the Muslims decreases. At the same time, those who ran away are putting a strain on Europe by energizing the extreme right and destabilizing the political order. This means some harm has been lifted from the Muslims and placed upon the European kuffar.

Syria has long been known for its love of unnecessary luxuries and a very Western lifestyle. The deterioration of the economic situation is forcing an end to this unhealthy and wasteful lifestyle. This in turn is causing the people to grow closer to the sunnah, and to become less dependent on the Zionist economic world order. As people seek ways
to survive, they are forced to revive dormant Islamic traditions and institutions.

Though there is little territory remaining in the hands of the forces that were fighting Assad and allied forces, there is still a small strip of territory in Idlib, and there is no question this area is better for Muslims than those areas under Assad’s control. It has become a refuge for millions of Syrians, as well as thousands of Muslims who left their homes in other countries. Now, although they face more difficult material circumstances, many now enjoy better circumstances in terms of religion, and almost none of them wish to return to the areas under Assad’s control.

Yes, about a million Syrians died, but those who were sincere Muslims, are, in sha Allah, now shuhada, meaning that the war is actually one way that Allah opens wide the doors to jannah. These shuhada can also make intercession for their relatives, which is an enormous blessing.

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ لِلشَّهِيدِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ سِتُّ خِصَالٍ يُغْفَرُ لَهُ فِي أَوَّلِ دَفْعَةٍ مِنْ دَمِهِ وَيُرَى مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَيُجَارُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَيَأْمَنُ مِنَ الْفَزَعِ الأَكْبَرِ وَيُحَلَّى حُلَّةَ الإِيمَانِ وَيُزَوَّجُ مِنَ الْحُورِ الْعِينِ وَيُشَفَّعُ فِي سَبْعِينَ إِنْسَانًا مِنْ أَقَارِبِهِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said “The martyr has six things (in store) with Allah: He is forgiven from the first drop of his blood that is shed; he is shown his place in Paradise; he is spared the torment of the grave; he is kept safe from the Great Fright; he is adorned with a garment of faith; he is married to (wives) from among the wide-eyed houris; and he is permitted to intercede for seventy of his relatives.”

Sunan ibn Majah, 2799

Regardless of the worldly economic situation, one could hardly ask for a greater wealth than having shuhada in the family. So the attitude of calling for extreme obedience to tyrannical regimes that are openly fighting against Islam and the Muslims is really absurd. To adopt this attitude is to take a very materialistic view of things.

Even materially speaking, there are more benefits if you go deeper into geopolitics, but then we are talking about benefits for the ummah, rather than benefits for the “Syrian people.” Constricting the perspective to individual nation-states also makes it more difficult for people to perceive the benefits of the war. Yes, irreparable damage has been done to the Syrian nation, and the Syrian people. But wasn’t the Syrian nation and the Syrian people created with the express purpose of dividing and weakening the Muslims? Isn’t it a good thing if “Syria” dies, and is replaced with a nation of Muslims living in the land of Sham?

It is not possible for Islam to be reestablished until nation-states like Syria are broken. This is a zero sum game. Dual citizenship is something that exists in nationalism; it doesn’t exist in Islam. Either your loyalty is to a nation, or your loyalty is to Allah and His
Messenger ﷺ.