Maulana Wahiduddin Khan - Critical Of The Violence Initiated And Operated By The Non State Actors
By
Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander, New Age Islam
16
January 2021
Maulana
Wahiduddin Khan is one of the prolific scholars of Islam. He has published more
than one hundred volumes on different aspects of Islam in vernacular Urdu. His
works encompass all the aspects of Islam. His philosophy of non violence and
inter faith dialogue has ruffled many feathers. Inspite of opposition he still
continues to write about different aspects of Islam and its message of non
violence. Some of his works have been translated in other languages too. The
current book under review comprises some of his Urdu writings on Jihad, Peace,
Non violence and Interfaith dialogue selected, edited and translated by
Yoginder Sikand, a scholar of repute. In his Preface to this book, Sikand
writes about his motive of undertaking the task, “I was of the firm belief that
in today’s context, characterized both by heightened Islamophobia as well as
extremist self styled jihadist groups that are playing no small role in
contributing to Islamophobia by engaging in terrorist activities and spreading
hatred for non muslims, it was crucial to bring to the notice of the wider, non
Urdu knowing public some of the Maulana’s invaluable writings on the subject
that have not as yet been rendered into English.” (P-viii)
Jihad,
Peace, And Inter-Community Relations In Islam
Author:
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Translator:
Yoginder Sikand
Publisher:
Rupa & Co, New Delhi, India
Pages:
120 Price: Rs. 295
ISBN:
The
Introduction provides the reader a glimpse of Maulana’s life and works. Maulana
has been critical of the violence initiated and operated by the non state
actors and same can be attested from this statement, “Today, the various
violent movements in the name of jihad being engaged in by some Muslims are of
two types: either guerrilla wars or proxy wars. Both sorts of war are
completely illegal according to Islam. Guerrilla wars are unacceptable in Islam
because they are led and conducted by non state actors, not by any established
government. Likewise, proxy wars are unacceptable in Islam because the
governments behind them do not issue a formal and open declaration of war.”
(P-8). It is again reinforced by Maulana, “According to the Islamic Shariah,
only an established government has the prerogative to declare war or physical
jihad.” (P-12) But one thing Maulana seems to overlook is the fact that most
Muslim governments are corrupt and history is a witness to the fact that for
their own vested interests they have exploited the concept of Jihad.
Furthermore the roots of modern Jihad go back to the Cold war when Jihad was
granted an impetus by the imperialist ambitions of U.S.A. Maulana is aghast at
the silence of muslim majority who do not condemn the terrorist acts committed
by a minority of violent non state actors in the name of Islam.
Maulana
during his initial days was associated with Islamic Revivalist Movement, Jammat
e Islami, but then he turned into a critique of its ideology writing few
tomes about what he terms as the political interpretation of Islam. Maulana has
very well described the predicament of Islamic Revivalist Movements as “The
ideological perspective that the founders of the Ikhwan ul Muslimin and
the Jamaat e Islami created themselves was against the Shariah as well
as against nature. Unnatural ideologies such as this inevitably begin with
violence and end in hypocrisy. As long as people are hypnotized by their own
romantic ideas, they remain so zealous in the cause of their supposed
‘Revolution’ that they can even consider suicide-bombing as legitimate, wrongly
giving it the name of martyrdom. But, when the hard rock of reality forces
their zeal to cool off, they resort to sheer hypocrisy: that is, at the
intellectual level they continue to cling to their ideology, but in practical
terms, they fully adjust to reality in order to protect their own worldly
interest.” P-27
The
question of communalism for Maulana is deeply related to the lack of intellectual
and social awareness and the only way to resolve the religious differences is
to follow one belief system while respecting all faiths. Tolerance and
acceptance of differences alone can ensure peace in a plural society. There is
a dire need for Hindu-Muslim dialogue in India and Maulana is aware about its
essence and the need to engage with them. For Maulana using the term like Kaafir
for Hindus is far fetched creating ruckus between the two communities as it is
a term reserved only for the disbelievers of Mecca who existed during the time
of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and even the Holy Prophet detested from using it.
Add to
it the juristic terms that divide the world into the abode of Islam, War, and
Disbelief and for Maulana these are not Quranic terms, “In other words, the use
of the terms Dar Ul Islam, Dar Ul Harb and Dar ul Kufr, is
not permissible. These terms represent a wrong innovation (Biddat),
rather than being a Prophetic practice (Sunnat).” (P-57) To replace
these terms Maulana coins the terms Darul Dawah or Darul Insan.
Also the tussle as enshrined in Ghazwat ul Hind (War against India) too
needs to be countered through an ideology.
Maulana
has been a life long advocate of Ijtihad (use of critical thinking) and
condemns blind imitation (Taqlid), and Ijtihad requires criticism
and in its absence it certainly cannot emerge. So muslims have to make a choice
between Ijtihadi and Taqlidi mindset. Maulana is critical of the
medieval jurisprudence on various accounts as it developed and flourished when
Muslims had political power so it has no understanding about how muslims can
exist when out of power or being a minority. Plus the books of this period of
jurisprudence have no conception of peaceful struggle (P-78). Also these works
have no chapter about Dawah (calling others towards Islam). Even a
scholar like Shah Waliullah Dehlavi is not spared from criticism as Maulana
says that he was not aware about the advent of western democracy and was bound
by contours of medieval Taqlid.
Overall
these essays offer a fresh perspective about different issues, but the roots of
modern Jihad, communalism and Interfaith dialogue need further exploration.
Jihad and culture of violence among muslims has variegated roots. Political
context, poverty, illiteracy and resistance to imperial ambitions alongwith
exploitation by the clergy could have offered a nuanced view about the violence
perpetuated by non state actors in which muslims mostly become the cannon
fodder as well as victims.
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M.H.A.Sikander is Writer-Activist based in
Srinagar, Kashmir
URL: https://newageislam.com/books-documents/maulana-wahiduddin-khan-critical-violence/d/124085
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