By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: That grave economic backwardness is gradually forcing all Muslim groups and sections in India to sit and think about economic empowerment of the community is evident from the fact that now even Islamic Fiqh Academy (India), going out of its nature and tradition, has taken up the issue and began a serious 2-day national seminar on Economic Advancement of Indian Muslims: Situation and Scope at Hamdard University in New Delhi today.
“The purpose of this seminar is to discuss opportunities for economic empowerment of Muslims while living within the Islamic parameters and to formulate principle guidelines for Muslims to come out of the economic backwardness and to play their role in the development and progress of the country,” said Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rehmani, General Secretary, Islamic Fiqh Academy (India) (IFA), in his keynote address at the seminar being attended mostly madrasa educated Islamic scholars besides experts on Islamic economics, banking and finance from India and abroad.
Dr. Badar Faleh Al-Azmi, Director of Islamic Encyclopedia & Research Dept., Kuwait, Saeedur Rahman Azmi, Rector, Nadwatul Ulema, Dr. Khalid Shoaib, Faculty of Education, University of Kuwait, Maulana Badarul Hasan Al-Qasmi, Chairman of Mausoa Revising Committee, Kuwait, Dr Nejatullah Siddiqi, Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, General Secretary, Islamic Fiqh Academy (speaking)
In its 20 years, IFA has held 18 international fiqhi seminars wherein 150 new age issues and problems were discussed in the light of Fiqh. The topic of today’s seminar, however, is not related to Fiqh in popular terms, admitted Maulana Rahmani but added that in “wider perspective the issue is related to Fiqh-al-Hayat because without economic activity human life is unimaginable; and that’s why Islam has instructed its followers to earn livelihood and not considered it contrary to spirituality and godliness unlike other religions.” He further said: Today IFA is holding this seminar going against its traditional seminars because money does not only solve worldly requirements of a Muslim. But poverty-stricken community/nation is in inferiority complex regarding their thoughts, civilization and culture and even religion. And sometimes the situation leads them to infidelity.
On economic backwardness of Muslims in India Maulana Rahmani said: Muslims are second majority community or the largest minority in this country but today they are in grave poverty. According to a 1999-2000 survey, 24% Muslims in urban areas and 31% in rural areas are below poverty line.
For economic advancement of Muslims in India he suggested five points: Muslims have limited opportunity for investment in India as the country’s finance and banking system is based on interest. So to set up Islamic finance institutions in India is necessary. Next, for Muslim businessmen, industrialists and agriculturalists, there is a need of guiding institutes where experts can suggest ways to enhance business. Again, there is a need for Muslims to be encouraged for business. An important need, Maulana Rahmani said, is to increase literacy rate among Muslims. Also important is to set up micro finance institutes compliant to Islamic Shariat to provide respectable source of livelihood to illiterate Muslim men and women.
Earlier introducing the topic of the seminar to the audience, Abdur Rasheed Agwan, organizer of the seminar and president, Universal Knowledge Trust, said the Muslim community in India though generally are poor, their poverty can be alleviated and resources of economic empowerment of the community can be created through their own sources. Explaining it he said: If only rent of wakf properties is collected it will be around Rs 5000 crore which can be used for their economic advancement. He further said that individuals from the Muslim community in India together spend nearly Rs 2100 crore on Umrah every year. A big chunk of this amount is spent by affluent Muslims who offer Umrah more than once in a year. This amount too, if it could be put together, can brought drastic changes in the life of Muslims in India.
Some themes under which various issues and topics are being discussed at sessions in the seminar are: Concept of Economic Advancement in Islam (to be chaired by Maulana Kaka Saeed Umari), Islamic Banking and Finance: Issues and Solutions (Dr Nejatullah Siddiqi), Economic Conditions of Indian Muslims (Muhammad Shafi Qureshi), and Islamic Provisions for Economic Well Being and Poverty Alleviation (Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani).
So far the issue of Islamic economics, banking and finance has been raised in India mostly by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and Institute of Objective Studies (these are not known as groups of madrasa educated Islamic scholars). This is the first time that Islamic Fiqh Academy has taken up the issue. The overwhelming majority of the audience in today’s seminar was madrasa educated scholars (Ulema). When asked if the seminar is an effort to claim that Ulema are also ready to take up this issue, Ameen Usmani, Secretary, Islamic Fiqh Academy, said “IFA has been taking up the issue of awkaf, zakat and currency. Before 1996 IFA had hold 20 meetings on Islamic banking in India.”
On if IFA would consider a joint campaign on the issue with JIH and IOS, Usmani nodded in positive. While several JIH leaders were present in today’s seminar, IOS chairman Dr Manzoor Alam was conspicuous with his absence. Usmani said Dr Alam was invited to the seminar.