By Safdar Ali,
Islam is a scientific, liberal, practical and complete religion which has a codified law and order in the form of Quran and Hadith. The law which makes justice with everyone and doesn’t make any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed and gender. People want change in some of these laws in its present form. The laws prescribed in the Quran & Hadith can have a new way when it clashes to the present new problems through the Ijtihaad (Islamic law that describes the process of making a legal decision by independent interpretation of the legal sources, the Quran and the Sunnah).
Prophet Muhammad practiced all those laws and became the ideal for humanity. Caliph (Khalifa) administration is the lesson for world public administration. In spite of all good in Islam, why there is a huge gap between the Religious intellectuals and Academic intellectuals? Why is the difference between Islam and Musalman? Why Muslims are lacking in practice of the great guidance of Quran? Why the condition of Muslim is worse than Dalits in India? These are some questions on which I will draw your attention. Lots of intellectuals have written many about this but I am an ordinary person who will try to integrate scattered truths of Muslim intellectuals and leaders.
In every society people get divided into three sections: one is Religious intellectuals; second Modern academic intellectuals and third one is uneducated but larger part of the society.
The first two sections feel they are smart enough, so they don’t even sit on a round table to discuss on the social trauma. Third and larger section is uneducated which wants to retain their ancestors’ legacy and they are blindly followers of religious intellectuals. Main problem of Muslims is lack of education, not only academic but religious also.
The Mughals ruled India more than two hundreds years, what they did for community at large especially for Muslims. They established Islamic institutions at different levels which were run by religious scholars like Qazi, Maulvi etc. Elite Muslims like Nawab and Zamindars enjoyed the power most. They had nothing to do with Muslims future although they had strong orientation towards architecture and made buildings and monuments for visitors but not any university and didn’t make any attention to modern education. When the Mughal Empire was over, these institutions came across each other and then conflict started within. Then it became a matter of proud for religious intellectuals. When Sir Syed Ahmad Khan paid attention to modern education then so called Religious intellectuals put a Fatwa of Kufr (Disbelieve) on him and tried to disgrace him.
Quran is not only for Muslims but for the entire world. Quran has answered all those questions – about the beginning of the world to its end. But the so-called intellectuals who have lack of knowledge about the Quran and Hadith try to answer the question arising at present. They interpret the matter in a way that becomes controversial. They think that new questions and problems are threat to Islam, which are created by the people unnecessarily, so they should be summarily rejected or undermined.
World is changing. New problems are arising day by day then who will sort out these problems? Religious intellectuals are totally opposed to modern education of science, technology and computer. They think that if the student studies these subjects they can deviate from the path of salvation. But they don’t think that Islam has said “Education is mandatory for every human beings whether religious or non religious,” and for that go to China and Japan if needed. Those who don’t get education they will be answerable to God on the Day of Judgment.
Muslims are totally dependent on Religious intellectuals for every religious rites and religious information. They follow the religion but don’t study them. Ordinary Muslim has put these acts on the shoulder of Maulanas. So they have made their own Satta (power). According to the Sachar Committee report, only 4% of Muslims go to Madrasa. These are Muslims who are economically weak. Even they don’t have basic facilities, their mental growth is not as empowered to compete with the present situation. They are completely unaware of what is going around the world. So how can one expect from them better guidance? Muslim society should think as to how madrsa students can be at par with others in every aspect. They should welcome the government move to make madrasa board centralized.
Religious intellectuals and modern educated intellectuals are on two opposite sides. They don’t sit together to talk on the development of the community. Both are busy in their own Satta. Ulema teach the people that Duniya is like a wing of mosquitoes for Muslims. Those who work for Duniya is in dark and those who are in dark can’t do anything for community. Modern educated intellectuals think that they possess modern thought and know much about the world and Ulema are narrow minded and fundamentalists. These notions have divided the community.
When you ask any modern question so called religious intellectuals will say don’t ask such questions, it can be Kufr…Ordinary Muslims don’t know much about religion so they feel better to keep silent. In this manner women are deprived of their rights. Islam has given equal rights to men and women, sometimes more rights to women but it has been wrongly interpreted. There are thousands of Muslim organizations in India. All are Milli kind of organization which works on religious proliferation. Now things are changing but not enough. What are these organizations contributing to Muslim society? I think, zero. They don’t have their stand. That’s why they are being used by the political parties in every election. We don’t have any representative who can lead the community.
Ulema think that politics is bad for Muslims but to run behind the politician is not bad. No one can prevent themselves from politics today, because our life style, thought, society and governance, all are being decided by politics. All through the history of Islam, Ulema have led but today they are being led by others because of their own mistakes and differences.
The religion of Islam is for the whole world but Muslims have made it exclusive for a particular community. The religion which means peace has been labeled as the religion of terrorists. The religion, which is easy to follow and which is a complete way of life, has been made tough and controversial. Muslims are divided in different groups and sects and castes which are prohibited in Islam. There is no discrimination on the basis of caste, creed and color but religious intellectuals have justified caste system in Islam through Kufu (which talks about caste system) which is shameful. For the little benefits they make small differences and fight over them.
Today media is very powerful and all time ready to attack Islam and Muslims. In this horrible situation Ulema don’t hesitate to make any controversial statement. They don’t feel necessary to talk fellows before floating fatwa which is very controversial part of the religious institutions today. Although fatwa is not mandatory for the people to obey as it’s just an opinion of intellectuals in the light of Quran and Hadith. We fight on petty religious issues but can’t fight for the betterment of community. I have seen in the month of Ramadan that Azan time for breaking fast has difference of few seconds and all have their own arguments over them. It is possible to make it at one at least for Ramadan but no, because they want to make their own identity in the society. Mosque is the place of Allah but they have divided the place of worship also and written over them that this belong to this school of thought. How shameful is this!
I appeal to all community members and request the religious and modern intellectuals to do something for the community. Come together and sit on a round table to fight for the cause of the community. Education is the only tool through which one can develop the community. Religious and modern, both educations are needed for the people. Without it we can’t even think of any good change. Try to bridge the gap amongst religious intellectuals and academic intellectuals. Make the access of the religious teachings and information to every individual of the community. If you fight on little issues, you can’t make your future better whether Duniya or Aakhirat (life after death). We all Muslims need to be Momin (who practice the teaching of Islam). Islam teaches the lesson of peace, humanity and harmony. We all Momin have to show these teachings through our acts in the society, then things will naturally change. Amen!!!
(The author is Media & Communication Officer, National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR), New Delhi)