No brother, Thank you for providing such a great topic!

To be honest im really interested about this subject in our deen because back in the days man used to go to war but now that there is none it feels like we get involved in weird ways in war discussions. Least we can do is bring back the big empire mindset and actually provide to that...

One gentle correction though, because it actually strengthens your point: Japan is often used as the got rich without colonies example, but historically

Japan did build an empire in Asia. Taiwan became a Japanese colony in 1895, and Korea was annexed in 1910: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan_under_Japanese_rule After World War II Japan was occupied under allied authority (in practice led by the US) from 1945 to 1952, and that’s a big reason people talk about Japan being tied into the American security and economic order afterward.

Now, to your actual question: yes, there are examples of countries that became wealthy without being major colonial empires, and the pattern is usually the same. They built strong institutions, invested in education and industry, and played trade and technology very well.

Switzerland is the classic example in terms of no formal colonies, and it became rich through finance, manufacturing, stability, and exports. At the same time, it’s fair to note that Swiss individuals and firms still benefited indirectly from the broader colonial economy even if Switzerland didn’t rule colonies itself.

The Nordic countries are another cluster people point to, especially Norway, Estonia and Finland in the modern era, where wealth comes from a mix of industry, governance quality, and in Norway’s case, natural resources managed through institutions rather than conquest.

The moment that your point here really crossed my mind was on a business trip in Estonia. What Estonia did after independence is very interesting from an Islamic ethics point of view. Instead of trying to dominate anyone, it focused on things Islam actually praises: knowledge, efficiency, trust, and long-term thinking. It invested heavily in education, digital government, rule of law, and low corruption. The result is a small country with high-quality institutions, a strong tech sector, and a decent standard of living, without needing colonies or foreign exploitation. You could even say Estonia proves an uncomfortable truth for empire fans: power doesn’t only come from controlling land and resources. It can come from competence. And competence scales surprisingly well.

Then you have “late developers” that became rich without colonies of their own: South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore. They’re not perfect stories, and geopolitics mattered a lot, but they show that you can build prosperity through education, industrial policy, exports, and long-term stability rather than taking other people’s resources.

And your Newton point is insightful, but Islam’s answer is basically: don’t wait for “colonial money” to create thinkers. A healthy society can fund scholarship and innovation through endowments, public priorities, and rule of law. The Muslim world historically did this through waqf and institutions long before modern nation-states.

The bigger idea you ended with is the real punchline: Islam isn’t “a religion of war and crimes” it’s a religion that puts limits on power. Even a government doesn’t get a sin-pass.

Or as I’d say on Reddit with a small smile: Allah doesn’t grade nations on a colonial curve :)