|
Politics & Religion
CONSCIOUSNESS OF RELIGIOUS and POLITICAL MALADIES
Focusing Muslim intellectual Efforts
In the perspective of the present malady the Muslim world faces,
the classic Ulemas had the idea that the rulers and the Ulemas are
responsible for the collective problems of the entire Muslim Umma,
because the Umma follows them in many ways and more often make
sacrifice for them. The majority of Muslims was negatively
sensitized and mobilized politically and socially rather than
sensitize them positively, constructively, morally or
ideologically. Petty and non issues are played on the pulpit of the
mosques and ethnic sentiments aroused which caused further
division, rift and diversify in society and overshadow the real
issues and source of inspiration.
Still there are some intellectuals and organizations doing
meritorious services for the cause of Islam in national and
international level. May Allah give impetus to their efforts for
the promotion of knowledge of faith and unity of Muslims? Dr. Zakir
Naik, Dr, Haroon Yahya, Maulana Hameedud Din, Yousuf Islam, Prof
Zaid Shakir ,Prof Hamza Yusuf, (both Americans who later accepted
Islam), Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Mrs. Zainab Alwani , Asifa Quraishi
and Prof Dr. Haji Abdul Malik (Indonesia) should be recognized for
their Islamic services.
Question of Tolerance
Circumstances pose some penetrating questions concerning
Muslims. One question, for example is as to why many of the
movements aimed at glorification of the religion-that teaches
patience, tolerance and non-violence, give birth Islamic
civilization to violent movements, Diversify rather than develop
unity among the Muslims? Why Prophetic philosophy and methodology
and practice has been totally ignored by the clergies and
hierarchies. Such movements aimed to gain political, personal self
social empowerment, generated negative results intellectually,
morally, spiritually and psychologically.
Such questions were raised by Alija Izzat Begovich Former president
of Bosnia Herzegovina, whom we take as a reformer and fore runner
of ISLAMIC CULTURE and civilization in Eastern Europe in his book
“Islam and the West”. He has stressed upon the unity of thought and
action as well as social, intellectual, cultural and civilization
revival and unity. All of us should consider the question and try
to answer, taking it intrinsically and not extrinsically. I would
specially request the eminent people who lead and guide the
community to furnish answers of these questions:
First Enjoin of Quran- Learn (Knowledge)
The first verse of the first Sura of the book revealed by Allah
for our guidance enjoins us, on the whole, ‘Iqra’ i.e. to ‘read’ or
learn (Al Quran 1-5:96). The command in the first divine revelation
is ‘Read or learn in the name of God who is the Creator’. Now the
question is, as to why in spite of this command Muslims are the
most illiterate nation of the world? More than half of our
population is illiterate and moreover the ignorance and
narrow-mindedness amongst those literate or educated ones is not
less than the common man.. Our learning, instead of broadening our
knowledge and outlook makes us prisoner of our surroundings,
superstitions, traditions. Even then our sense of superiority
complex has made us blind and our own slave. Majority of Muslims
are either surprised or worried about other’s success or are full
of praise about their past. Nostalgia is one of our mental taboos;
to drag us backward as the Jews had experienced in the past time
and after learned much more from their history long sufferings.
We are neither able to understand our position in a true
perspective nor able to understand others correctly. Moreover, what
we call religiosity does not enable us to consider and think about
divine verses or messages and their proper interpretation and
implication but on the contrary call it sin. Obviously, it is not
the theory or ideology that is at fault but the followers of the
ideology themselves is not sincere and practical.
Purification (physical/Mental)
Islam has laid great emphasis not only on the purity and
nobility of thought but also on the chastity and cleanliness of
body and surroundings (Al Quran 4-5: 74), the importance of which
can be understood by the instructions and methods of baths and
ablutions. Who can deny the importance and utility of washing and
cleaning the exposed parts of body five times a day, keeping the
mouth and teeth neat and clean by washing and brushing, laving and
washing, wearing neat clothes, washing hands before eating, keeping
eatables neat and clean etc. In spite such emphasis on cleanliness,
houses, localities and settlements of Muslims throughout the world
can be identified by the surrounding dirt and unhealthy conditions.
Not only Sunnah has been disappeared from our daily life, even the
basic of Quran and Islam has been deprived from being displayed and
practiced and even communicated to the public. No consciousness
about environmental issues and prevailing tumult created
endangering the humanity is felt.
Keeping the locality and areas untidy, dumping of garbage in front
of their houses even Mosques has become our national mark of
identification. Why on earth we have followed what is quite opposed
to Islamic teachings and how it can be reformed? Together with
these, indifference to our health problems is also quite common.
Our unfair preferences for food and drink, unhealthy routines of
sleeping and working, no attention being paid to getting up early,
exercise and labour and such other things are quite common amongst
us. The malady being so deep rooted, any small dose of medicine
could have very little or no effect for example marches etc.
Obviously, it is not the theory or ideology that is at fault but
the followers of the ideology themselves, not keen, conscious and
practical but misguided and miseducated.
Punctuality in Time, Promise
Islam’s entire system of prayers is based on punctuality of
time (Al Quran 38:15, 187:7, 189:2, 103:4) Times of five daily
prayers are fixed. For Ramadan fasts, Zakat (Financial
Contribution)), Hajj etc, we have a certain routine and fixed
timings. If the poor ‘Imam’ is late in leading the prayers even by
a minute, it becomes intolerable for us.
Inspite of all this emphasis on punctuality of time, why are we
extremely careless about punctuality of time in all other fields of
life? No meetings organized by us start in time and no function
takes place as is scheduled. We do not consider it necessary even
to fulfill our promises in time. If we are a teacher, we will not
reach our classes on time, if we work in an office we do not care
about punctuality of time.
We do offer prayers but we will not do so on time as enjoined but
reward for which we expect as our right. It is a pity that we do
not even realize these thefts of time and dishonesty. It is even a
greater pity that the condition or routine of the elite or our
leaders is no better than that of ordinary folks. Everyone is same
in this respect no matter a religious personality or a lay man.
What are the reasons for this state of affairs and how can these be
corrected? It is surprising that this evil is non-existent in
Western society. We have adopted or copied dozens of practices of
the Britons during the hundred odd years of their rule and follow
many of their Machiavellian tactics but completely ignored their
sense of punctuality, importance of time which is, indeed, a great
quality and pure Sunnah.
Unity vs. Diversity
We are strong believers in the unity of God. We claim obedience
to one God one Prophet, one Book and one Shari'at or Divine Law.
But in spite of this, unity is lacking amongst us. We are fond of
sectarian differences. We appear to be busy in the process of
division and further sub-division like bacteria. Humility and
broad-mindedness, which has been taught to us, appear to be alien
to our habits. Self-adulation and boasting, intolerance of
differences of opinion even in minor matters, showing schismatic
tendencies etc have become our national character. It is surprising
even those movements in the name of Islam or initiated for the
welfare and improvement of the nation also become victims of the
process of multiplication and further multiplication. Sacrifice of
ego, or humility, for the sake of unity appears to be of least
importance to us. We have almost forgotten mutual cooperation for
any work of Islam, Humanity and Society.
Being Muslims we have the code of conduct, but on the contrary
aliens come to teach us about the rights and duties, even to them
we turn deaf ears. The Holy Prophet enjoined upon us that the
wisdom is the assets of Muslim and to get it where ever it is
available and from whom it is acquired even it be in China. The
attitude of even the standard bearers of our religion in this
respect is no better than commoners. What is wrong with us that we
have abandoned and forgotten the values of Islam and are treading
some other path?
Prophetic Behavior and Objectives
Why we have turned the circumstances topsy-turvy and upside
down. The ideological values in the responsible circles have
vanished. All our preaching is for others not for ourselves. The
preaching and contents of preaching itself is irrelevant, self or
party centered or politically oriented and has no Quranic motives
and objectives behind.
Actually there is no shortage of Madaris and preachers, but every
one of us or party wants to become powerful, dominant and
influential. It is achieved any way but by scarification of high
values and disrupting the fabric of society and its entity,
resulted the strongest the person, party the weakest the Deen and
Religion is our common keen observation. No person or party is
ready to discard and sacrifice his personal, party or ethnic
interest for the sake of Quran, Islam, Humanity and Country.
Quranic priority, Prophetic strategy (Seerat) and unity of faith
and unity of Muslims have been totally ignored. To become powerful
by negative trends and movements exploiting Religion is a sign of
irreligiousness. In this way Islam, Islamic values which are base
of universal values become weaker and we albeit grow stronger.
In political circle too the same method and Modus Vivendi is
prevailing and become tradition in our political culture. The
stronger the political parties, personalities and leaders may be
they generals, the weaker the Institutions, the nation and the
stability of society. The irreligious trends, culture and
maneuvering of religious people and parties has turned the entire
situation very ugly and damaging. The elements who are by default,
culture, civilization and history non democratic are by the
opportunity they seized by corrupt social system they represent are
not different than the military rulers, and often worse than them.
The generals, judges, jagirdars and journalists and the fifth
element religious hierarchies by mutual interaction and relations
in various forms complete the evil circle of power. Just civil
government is not called democratic. Democratic government means
keeping in view the benefit, interest of the people and the
country, not their own or else.
I have mentioned these in some detail. To my mind, answers to these
questions are no less important than many of the problems in which
we have become entangled. In addition to the above questions, there
can be some more questions of similar type. Contrary to our other
compatriots and European people, why the existence of welfare
institutions and the trend towards performance of welfare
activities are missing in Islamic nation, society? If some existed
there is lack of transparency, nepotism, and discrimination.
Islam has made marriage easy and divorce difficult. Why have we
reversed it? Marriageable boys and girls feel difficulty in getting
spouses because we have changed the basis of selection. “Better
among people is, who is beneficial for others and the worse among
people is who is injurious to the people (all human being)” has
been criminally forgotten.
Would we all specially who manipulating religion, think over it
constructively, positively leaving all prejudices and evils behind,
retreat to our original source of inspiration, the Quran, Seerat
and unity. I again dare to say unequivocally, that president Bush
Junior destroyed human interlinks naming democracy, freedom and
humanity, we are also doing so and following his foot steps naming
different slogans and jargons but the result and judgment is
against us and which we are facing now. We are responsible for what
blame is befalling on Islamic civilization and culture.
We should excuse Islam for, we will be excused and leave it to the
world whether it is accepted or rejected. We should not do any
wrong in the name of Islam except the good, love, co-operation,
purity, simplicity, unity, sympathy, savoir (salvation),
scarification for others (not for self), tolerance, purification
(of thought, idea, self, environment etc), forgiveness, Jihad
against corruption (corrupt one cannot be a Muslim according to the
Holy Prophet’s SAW tradition) and represent a model of Islam and
civilization which we have been inherited from our ancestors.
We believe’ we are responsible
We have no right to represent a thing to which we are not
faithful, without submission, and cannot present it in a
presentable and impeccable manner. It was the tradition of the Jews
to earn the mundane benefit exploiting the religion and the
ignorant mass, from which even they have now reverted. “And of
mankind there are some who say; we believe in Allah and the Last
Day while in fact they believe not.” Al Quran 2: 08 (translation
Taqi ud Din Hilali)
By Syed Shamsu Nazar
Fatimi A/P GC, Chitral.
Contact for feed back-
ssfatimi@gmail.com
|
::
Front Page
