Marking History is the work of heroes, entering the legend that of giants, telling or reading it that of dreamers. And I am a dreamer! We often think that, to become a legend, you must have 6 defeated all your opponents and demonstrated indomitable strength. Only here, as our Prophet teaches us, the strong man is not necessarily the one who dominates others through violence, he is also the one who fights against injustice with wisdom, patience and clairvoyance; who fights oppression through education; who remains firm in his positions and his beliefs; who, instead of brandishing the sword, takes up the pen to awaken consciences, educate, train and elevate an entire nation... Because yes, the pen can prove more thunderous than cannon shots, it can mark hearts and spirits more than a burning iron, it can subdue the enemy as much as an elite troop and it can elevate a man to the status of legendary hero as much as the cloak and the sword!
And if there is one man who was able to prove this to us in contemporary history, it is the reforming imam Abdelhamid Ibn Badis, may Allah have mercy on him. His work bore fruit in several areas, both socially and religiously, among others. Ibn Badis reformed the conception of religion in Algeria and oriented it towards true spirituality. He further defined the meaning of coexistence between nations and cultures. It is for this reason that many orientalists and researchers consider Ibn Badis as a symbol of humanism before seeing in him a religious symbol. He called for the building of a better humanity and understanding with other 7 peoples, without forgetting of course the national cause, which counts as one of the most important things in his life and his work.
Ibn Badis is a multidisciplinary scholar, an exegete, a traditionist, a jurisconsult... but he is not a theologian like the others. Enlightened, visionary and influential, he is one of the fathers of Algerian nationalism and above all the one who sowed the seed of the revolution against the French colonial system. Indeed, his role in the Algerian people's awareness of their identity was decisive in the path that led Algeria towards independence in 1962. It was he who initiated the reformist movement in Algeria by calling for the need to rely on the real pillars, namely the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of course, but also freedom, knowledge and science. Furthermore, this enlightened reformer advocated moderation, fraternity, solidarity and the refusal of violence. This is why we can easily say today, with certainty, that if the power in place in Algeria, following independence, had taken an example from Ibn Badis, his behavior and the precepts to which he called, Algeria would not have experienced the troubles she has experienced since.
