Ghazwa-e-Hind and the Mischief of Evil Elements
By
Dr. Khwaja Iftikhar Ahmed, Tr. New Age Islam
Translated
into English by Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam
16 March
2024
Ghazwa-e-Hind
Fatwa Controversy and Resolved Plans
Main
Points:
1. The
controversy revolves around a fatwa published on Darul Uloom Deoband's website,
which focuses on the Ghazwa-e-Hind.
2. Ghazwa is a
term used to describe a war led by the Prophet (peace be upon him) during his
lifetime.
3. The term
"Ghazwa" was not used to describe conflicts or battles during the
reign of the four caliphs or the Rightly-Guided Caliphate.
4. From 711 to
1857, Muslims ruled throughout India, but all conflicts were referred to as
wars rather than Ghazwa.
5. The first
Caliph, Abu Bakr Siddiq, burned 100,000 hadiths that might have incited
conflict or insurrection within the Ummah.
6. Hadiths
related to the Ghazwa-e-Hind are included in the category of weak hadiths.
7. Scholars of
Deoband believe that the attack on Sindh in 71 by Muhammad bin Qasim was the
Ghazwa-e-Hind.
8. The author
requests that the Deoband authorities formally adhere to their code of conduct
and add explanatory notes to the 2008 fatwa to completely cut the root of the
Fitna.
9. The author
demands that the religious establishment take a cooperative stance and present
a commentary, description, and interpretation that addresses all weak hadiths
and war verses found in the Holy Quran.
-----
Before
going into great detail about the controversy surrounding a fatwa posted on the
website of Darul Uloom Deoband, it is important to understand the ground
realities and problems, such as peace, reconciliation, love and hate, war and
strife, cruelty and justice, exploitation, and the rise and fall of society, to
comprehend human psychology, social character, intellectual dimensions, and its
positive and negative effects on the civilized world. The truth is that every
circumstance has an impact on human nature, development, and trends that result
from it. This impact extends far beyond the realms of politics, diplomacy, and
conflict resolution, influencing everything from individual life to collective
and institutional life. Given the intricacies involved and the broader
framework of culture, sociology, and human psychology, it appears that these
elements will always have an impact on every aspect of life!
Various
apostate and accursed circles continue their four-way disgusting sequence of
filthy allegations against Islam, Muslims, and the honourable Prophet (peace be
upon him) today. Despite everything that has happened, praise be to Allah, the
spread of Islam and its acceptance and popularity are also proceeding apace.
Not just in the developed world, but across all continents, Islam is the most
populous and the fastest-spreading religion. These findings and endorsements
are not mine; rather, they are others'! In such a scenario, inside the
framework of our country, the subject of Ghazwa-e-Hind is turning into a shared
source of cruelty, animosity, and mistrust between Muslims and Hindus, and the
rumours propagated about it are serving to deepen the divide.
The present
dispute, as previously mentioned, concerns the specifics of a fatwa about the
Ghazwa-e-Hind published on the Darul Uloom Deoband website. In answering the
query, it merely lists a small number of hadiths that are relevant to this
subject. By the way, this requires further clarification! This relates to a
fatwa from 2008, but the dispute has been brought up in 2024. A genius has no
trouble understanding the backdrop! In actuality, answering the question with a
mere quotation from a hadith would not be sufficient to eradicate temptation.
This helped to stoke the Fitna. It is insufficient to stop the temptation of
evildoers to simply state that certain hadiths are weak and that their chain of
transmission is unstable, even though this is true to the extent indicated by
the index.
First: Ghazwa is the name given to a war
led by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) during his lifetime, and he
personally participated in it. This is a very important thing for readers to
remember.
Second: The use of this term [i.e. Ghazwa]
was abandoned after the demise of the Prophet (peace be upon him). History is
full of wars, battles, and armed confrontations. The brutality, persecution,
and injustice that took place in the Karbala field, primarily targeting the
Ahl-e-Bayt, the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him), who became martyrs
and included defenceless children among them, is referred to as the Battle of
Karbala, not Ghazwa!
Third: There is not a single instance of
the term "Ghazwa" being used to describe the conflicts or battles
that took place during the reign of the four caliphs or the Rightly-Guided
Caliphate.
Fourth: The era of the rightly-guided
caliphate practically ended with the demise of Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased
with him). Monarchy and dictatorship took its place. The Ottoman Empire, which
ruled over two-thirds of the world for several hundred years, was referred to
as the Caliphate. However, Muhammad bin Qasim did not establish the Caliphate
when he invaded India in 711 and ruled there until 713.
Fifth: From 711 until 1857, Muslims ruled
throughout India. Rulers included Arabs, Afghans, Turks, Mughals, and Muslims from
Iran. However, no one had the intention of establishing a caliphate or
spreading the religion or creating an Islamic State, and all of the conflicts
that occurred during this time were referred to as wars rather than Ghazwa.
It is
necessary to understand the meaning and application of Daif Hadith in the
context of Ghazwa-e-Hind. The first Caliph, Abu Bakr Siddiq (may God be pleased
with him), is reported to have burned 100,000 hadiths that might have incited
conflict or insurrection within the Ummah or led the Ummah to become
increasingly divided if any of them had been interpreted incorrectly. Despite this precautionary measure, there are
still a lot of differences and conflicting interpretations today.
According
to the strict inclusion and acceptance criteria outlined in Asmaa ur-Rijaal,
also known as the Science of the Narrators, hadiths that lack certainty,
reliability, and authenticity in their narration or narrators were either
rejected by jurists or retained as weak hadiths. All hadiths related to the
Ghazwa-e-Hind are included in this category. It is imperative, therefore, to
adhere to the hadiths that the jurists agree upon rather than weak traditions.
In this
regard, Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) who is a great
companion and a credible narrator, is reported to have said to the Messenger of
Allah (peace be upon him), “Would that I had lived to witness the
Ghazwa-e-Hind; then I too would have been numbered among the martyrs”. In this context, it becomes evident that the
Ghazwa-e-Hind period is over and will not happen again if you consider two
factors: the Messenger of Allah's glorious life and his demise.
Consequently,
the idea of the Ghazwa-e-Hind is no longer relevant! Keep in mind that our
Master Prophet said, “The scent of Heaven comes from Hind”. Given that 170
million Muslims are living in this region, this is, in my opinion, not less
than a Ghazwa terminologically speaking!
The second
point to consider in this regard is the interpretation (assumption) held by the
scholars of Deoband, which holds that the attack on Sindh in 71 by Muhammad bin
Qasim was the Ghazwa-e-Hind, and it has already happened. Nonetheless, several
authoritative groups belonging to various schools of thought have some
reservations over the stance of Darul Uloom.
As a
hypothesis, even if it is accepted, this Ghazwa has already occurred. When it
comes to fatwas, Darul Uloom Deoband and its Darul Ifta pay particular
attention to interpretation and specificity. The delicate nature of the issue
necessitated further explanation.
Given that
Islam, Muslims, and Muslim society are being targeted by evil elements, that
Hindu-Muslim hatred is being fuelled in the nation, and that hatred towards us
is deeply ingrained in the minds of the majority, we respectfully request that
the Deoband authorities formally adhere to their code of conduct and add
explanatory notes to the 2008 fatwa in order to completely cut the root of this
Fitna.
I would
like to make some demands of those elders and authorities that have a direct
bearing on the teachings of Islam, the Quran, Hadith, and Islamic
jurisprudence. The religious establishment must now take a cooperative stance.
In front of the modern criticisms, it is essential to present a commentary,
description, and interpretation that addresses all the weak hadiths and the war
verses found in the Holy Quran.
Simultaneously,
most of the brothers and compatriots of the country harbour silent reservations
about these issues. However, deep down, this silent mistrust is forming a
raging tempest that might someday erupt into lava. May Allah forbid this from
occurring! However, the likelihood cannot be ruled out! I am merely cautioning;
I am not threatening. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is the one to
whom all Muslims must answer! In order to clear up the problem on the big
picture, everyone must come up in regards to performing Fard-e-Kifaya
[an obligation that must be discharged by the Muslim community as a whole].
------
Urdu Article:
Ghazwa-e-Hind
and the Mischief of Evil Elements غزوہ ہند اور شرپسند عناصر کی فتنہ گری
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-politics/ghazwa-hind-mischief-evil/d/131930
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