By Mushtaq Ul Haq
Ahmad Sikander, New Age Islam
2 February
2021
Peace and
its relationship with Islam is the most debatable topic in Islam. For most
scholars violence has been an inevitable part of Islam. Even now when the futility
of violence has been evident still most Muslims uphold violence as a part of
Muslim discourse. The rise of Nation states has rendered violence as the
prerogative of state only, but many Islamic revivalist movements justify the
violence perpetuated by the non state actors. They legitimize this violence in
the name of Islam, although few voices do condemn this trend. Among such
valiant voices is that of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, who in his new book
discredits the violence perpetuated in the name of Islam. In his Foreword
Maulana depicts violence being akin to intervening in the creation plan of God,
“Killing a human being is tantamount to intervening in the creation plan of
God. It is to deprive a person of the chance to live his full life and play the
role destined for him by his Creator.” (P-5)
The Age of Peace” Peace is the only
culture for both man and the universe
Author: Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Publisher: Goodword Books, New Delhi,
India
Year of Publication: 2018
Pages: 192 Price: Not mentioned
Maulana
describes his work as, “The purpose of this book is to re-engineer the minds of
those who think in terms of violence. The book aims at making such people
realize that it is entirely possible for them to successfully achieve by
peaceful means what they are unable to achieve by violent means.” (P-7) So
Maulana is critical that India achieved justice through protest and states
that, “Injustice can be removed through education and hard labour, not by
demand. The strategy of complaint and protest will not give you justice.”
(P-16-17). Hence despite independence of India a culture of protest and
violence still exists and prevails.
Maulana
observes that De monopolization over religious studies, economy and political
power has rendered many things possible, which include avoiding the wars, “The
age of de-monopolization has practically eliminated the option of war.” (P-26)
For him violent activism in our times is an outdated concept (P-33) but then he
does not engage with the issue of state terrorism that breeds the violence and
reinforces it. State terrorism is an overwhelming issue that Maulana avoids to
engage with, thus he misses one of the important reason that fuels the violence
and terrorism by non state actors. People will have to learn the means and options
to settle down their differences peacefully but our education is not preparing
us for such a negotiation. Also the progress achieved through peace will form
the concrete basis for strengthening Peace. Again that culture is missing from
our social milieu.
Positive
planning, policy of de linking and the ideals being pragmatic are the basis
that will lead towards what Maulana calls as the culture of peace. If the ideal
is not pragmatic then every pursuit towards achieving it will be futile and
people have pursued these ideal non pragmatic goals that lead to violence. So
to achieve these goals violence is romanticized. Thus there is no need for
starting movements that aim at achieving abstract goals. Maulana uses this
pragmatic thinking in case of Palestine and Kashmir dispute but one can be
critical on this account that no colonized nation would have achieved freedom
if his pragmaticism is to be believed. The art of crisis management is
important for ushering peace both for nations and individuals. So Maulana
believes that accepting status quo for Peace is the way out, again an option
that can be criticized.
Radicalization
and internet have a symbiotic relationship. The violence that is countered by
violence leads to a vicious cycle but states are failing to understand this
important fact because they have interests to pursue. Further the arms industry
is the biggest capitalist venture and these capitalists want that wars should
start in every place so that they keep on earning profits by selling their goods
both to countries and non state actors. This important aspect seems to be
oblivious to Maulana, but he is correct in observing that violence needs to be
countered ideologically and through education instead of counter violence that
has proved its inefficiency in curtailing it. The glorification of violence in
form of muslim warriors like Salahuddin should be desisted and understood in a
specific context, and peace as the only way forward should be presented before
the community. So as the law of nature that believes in avoiding conflicts and
tussles should be adapted to achieve success and progress.
Maulana
laments that Muslims have least contribution in every facet of life today, so
they have just been rendered as takers and consumers. To add insult to injury
they are not able to understand the current challenges and times in which they
are living where guns and violence have lost their power and are being replaced
by ideologies and education. Muslims yet have to acknowledge this fact that
human life is based on interdependence and by fighting with others they are
killing the chances of interdependence. Hence absolute universal peace remains
a distant dream for most Muslim countries.
Maulana
describes terrorists in his peculiar manner as, “Terrorists are not basically
corrupt individuals. They are rather wrongly conditioned human beings. We
should try to alter their thinking by applying reason, and without doubt
terrorism will disappear.” (P-158). This is the most important aspect that
should be emphasized and reinforced. Instead of eliminating the individual
terrorists by labelling them as a threat to the community and nation they need
to be countered and counselled ideologically.
Overall the
book is an important addition in building the peace theology of Islam. Maulana
as a prolific writer of Islam does not disappoint the readers and his writings
about the peace theology of Islam are essential reading for anyone interested
in understanding how Islam engages with the challenges and issues that threaten
the peace in our current times.
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M.H.A.Sikander is Writer-Activist based in
Srinagar, Kashmir .
URL: https://newageislam.com/books-documents/maulana-wahiduddin-khan-re-engineer/d/124205
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