Independence Clauses- A Legacy of the French Colonialists and Post-Colonialists

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allah, The Exalted, said:

وَيۡلٌ۬ لِّلۡمُطَفِّفِينَ
ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ٱكۡتَالُواْ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ يَسۡتَوۡفُونَ
وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمۡ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمۡ يُخۡسِرُونَ
أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ أَنَّہُم مَّبۡعُوثُونَ
لِيَوۡمٍ عَظِيمٍ۬
يَوۡمَ يَقُومُ ٱلنَّاسُ لِرَبِّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ

Woe to Al-Mutaffifin [those who give less in measure and weight (decrease the rights of others)], those who, when they have to receive by measure from men, demand full measure, and when they have to give by measure or weight to men, give less than due. Think they not that they will be resurrected (for reckoning), on a Great Day, the Day when (all) mankind will stand before the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)? [Surah Al-Mutaffifeen]

Allah explained who the Mutaffifeen are in his statement: [ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ٱكۡتَالُواْ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ يَسۡتَوۡفُونَ – Those who, when they have to receive by measure from people, demand full measure] -Meaning, they take from them in full what is established to be their due and demand in full without any loss.

[وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمۡ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمۡ يُخۡسِرُونَ – And when they have to give by measure or weight to people, give less than what is due] -Meaning, when they give the people what they are entitled to by way of measure or weight, they give them less- either by giving short measure or weight, or by not giving the full measure or weight, or by not filling the measuring or weighing equipment and what is similar that. This is tantamount to stealing the people’s wealth and not being fair to them. If this is the threat of divine vengeance against those who give short measure and short weight, then those who take people’s wealth by force or by stealing are more deserving of this threat than those who give short measure and short weight.

This noble Aayah shows that just as a person takes from the people what he is entitled to, it is also obligated on him to give them everything they are entitled to – whether related to wealth or mutual dealings; rather included in the generality of this Aayah are proofs and statements, because indeed what usually takes place between those engaged in argumentation and discussion is that each of them is eager to establish his proofs, therefore, it is obligated on a person also to make known the proofs possessed by the other person and examine the proofs of the other person just as he examines his own proofs. In relation to this affair, the justice of a person is known as opposed to whether he is afflicted with bigotry, his humility as opposed to being haughty, his common sense as opposed to foolish behaviour. We ask Allah bestow on us every good.

Then Allah issued a threat to those who give short measure, stated with amazement regarding their state of affairs and their persistence upon what they are doing. Allah said: [أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ أَنَّہُم مَّبۡعُوثُونَ – Think they not that they will be resurrected (for reckoning), on a Great Day, the Day when (all) mankind will stand before the Lord of all that exists – Meaning, what makes them dare to give short measure is because they do not believe in the Last Day, otherwise had they believed in it and known that they will stand before Allah to give account – whether related to something small or big, they would stopped and repent. [Tafsir As-Sadi]

The vast majority of what are referred to as Francophone African nations were informed that a condition of their quest for independence was the necessity to continue utilizing a currency established by their former colonizer, which in turn undermines their sovereignty. For instance, the French colonial authorities created two distinct currencies for their former colonies: the XAF for Central Africa and the CFA for West Africa. The deception surrounding these currencies lay in their pegging to the French Franc, which was the previous currency and has now transitioned to the Euro. Furthermore, these fabricated currencies for the African nations were also promised guaranteed convertibility to the French Franc at a predetermined rate. Consequently, for this currency to yield profits for the French government, all these so-called Francophone countries were mandated to deposit 65% of their foreign reserves with the French central bank. Thus, while France was ostensibly granting independence, these nations were compelled to utilize a currency crafted by their former colonial ruler for trade, alongside the fact that the colonial power required 65% of all foreign earnings from the colonized to be retained in the reserves of the colonial master, enabling him to provide the colonized with a fixed foreign exchange rate. Therefore, whenever the colonial master engaged in trade with the ex-colonies, 65% of the earnings that were meant for these African nations would instead be retained within the French treasury. As a result, the colonial master was appropriating the majority of the foreign exchange earnings of others, holding onto 65% until 2005, when this percentage was reduced to 50%.

Furthermore, in the realm of international trade, these nations found themselves unable to engage in buying or selling on the global market without the intervention of the French government, which maintained control over their reserves. Their priority was to favour France for every raw material produced within their borders before considering trade with any other nation. Consequently, the colonial powers amassed billions and trillions by seizing the profits of their former colonies. This is how the colonial rulers profited immensely from the riches of the oppressed, only to label them as impoverished and ungrateful. Additionally, from this wealth that was taken and plundered under the guise of independence agreements, the colonial powers extend loans to their own citizens while imposing interest charges. From this appropriated wealth, they provide loans with Riba to the very nations who rightfully own the wealth. Moreover, whenever these nations require foreign exchange, they are compelled to navigate through the French treasury, which incurs additional fees.

Can anyone point to a single nation that Muslims conquered and treated its inhabitants in such a manner? It is crucial that we do not interpret discussions surrounding these issues as mere nationalism; rather, they represent a pursuit of justice and fairness. On the other hand, we should not frame this issue as one of pan-Africanism, for we are Muslims striving to adhere to the path of the righteous predecessors. Muslims did not establish oppressive systems to exploit and plunder the resources of the indigenous people; instead, they engaged in fair trade. Colonialism was nothing but what our own hands earned, thus we must return to repentance. Read:

The State of the Ummah: Causes that led to its Weakness and the Means of Rectification (eBook): https://abukhadeejah.com/state-of-ummah-causes-of-weakness-means-of-rectification-ebook/