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  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.

Regularity and 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 cause 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,whome Allah cursed and they are in a better position than us . “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)

 

Syed Shamsu Nazar Fatimi,

Asst Prof, Govt College, Chitral.

27 Feb 10.
 

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