Theocratic Nation of Maulana Maududi and his Jamaat-e-Islami’s Vision - Part 2: Influencing Jinnah and his Muslim League
By
Grace Mubashir, New Age Islam
31 August
2022
Like
Maulana Maududi, Muhammad Ali Jinnah also believed that the Congress regime was
neglecting the Muslims. It was evident to Jinnah in the provincial
administration of the Congress. The Muslim League, which celebrated the
resignation of the Congress governments as Liberation Day, struck up a
friendship with Maulana Maududi. Maududi wanted to cooperate with the Muslim
League. But he did not like the policy of the League which advocated democracy.
However,
Maududi's efforts to cooperate with the league had paid off for the time being.
Maududi's book Kashmakash was distributed in the League conferences of
1937 and 1938. Many Muslims left the Congress and joined the Muslim League. The
Muslim League was waiting for someone like Maududi. Because the scholarly
leadership consisting of Azad and Jamiat Ulama Hindu was on the side of the
Congress. League sources described Maududi as their Abul Kalam Azad (Syed Raza
Wali Nasr, 1994, the Vanguard of Islamic Revolution, Jamaat-e-Islami of
Pakistan, Berkeley, 105). Maududi's two-state theory was later accepted by the
Muslim League.
Maulana Maududi
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Allama
Iqbal and other Muslim leaders had raised the same demand in many ways. Iqbal
wanted to divide India into Hindu majority states and Muslim majority states
and maintain the country through a federal constitution. Many non-Muslim leaders including Ambedkar
raised the same demand. Maududi called for a party to establish the Kingdom of
Allah in Tarjuman of April 1940. Seventy-five readers responded positively.
There was no further response. Jamaat-e-Islami of Pakistan, Berkeley, 105).
Jamaat Islami
Maududi had
already formulated plans to form a new party. On August 11, 1941, Maududi
announced the new organization in Lahore. The name was Jamaat-e-Islami. He
himself was the chief (Amir). He also stated that the aim of the party was to
establish divine rule (Hukumat e Ilahiya) (Tarjuman, 1941, May: 179).
With this, there were complications in the relations between the Muslim League
and Maududi. Both groups were in favour of getting rid of Hindu supremacy. But
the controversy was about how the model of the new state should be. The League
wanted a secular democratic state. Maududi wanted an Islamic country. These
arguments have been disputed. The Congress softened the Jamaat's approach to
Islam and turned its anger against the Muslim League. Maududi argued that the
League's secular state was not based on the Qur'an. Maududi accused the
League's leaders of being dependent on Western methods and unable to form an
Islamic state. He mocked that the Muslim League was acting as if it was
demanding that Muslims go to Muslim prostitutes instead of relying on
Anglo-Indian prostitutes (Irfan Ahmad, 82). 'Quaid-e-Azam (Jinnah) to ordinary
Muslim Leaguers have no Islamic view. They don't see politics that way. The
League knows nothing about becoming a Muslim or its special status' (Siyasee
Kashmakash, 3, 1942,109).
Muslim
League and Congress oppose Islamic culture. Kill this culture in the Hindu way,
The difference between the two parties is whether it is halal. Congress wants
execution in Hindu style and League in Halal style. The presence of Hindu women
on Congress platforms is like a candle. In the same way, the presence of women
in Muslim League venues is also the same. The Muslim League opposes the
Congress in the name of material interests. To get their share in the assembly
and to get their share in the army. This is not about Islam. It makes no
difference if a state is run by a Ramdas or an Abdullah if it is not based on
Sharia. Pakistan (holy land) will become a holy land in its proper sense only
when it is based on Sharia. The Pakistan of the future will be a NaPak-istan
(the land of pollution). (Ibid., 78-109).
Maududi's
intention was to wait and see the Pakistan Movement while strengthening the
Jamaat and ousting Pakistan from the League. Maududi thought that if a Western
Jinnah could be a Muslim leader, a bearded and turbaned Urdu-speaking man of
Islamic wisdom could be an even greater leader. When the Assembly elections of
1945-46 came around, he appealed to Muslims not to vote for the League. If one votes
for a secular party one loses faith in One God (Rasa'il wo Masa'il, Vol. 1,
Markazi Maktaba, Delhi, 304-6). Muslims ignored Maududi's statement. In the
election, the League won big in Muslim constituencies. Maududi's attempt to
reach the leadership position of the Muslims failed with that. At this time
(1946) the number of members of Jamaat-e-Islami was only 486. The July 1947
referendum for Pakistan also saw the irony of Maududi's request to vote with
the League. When asked about it, Maududi argued that voting for the League did
not mean accepting its views. Within two weeks of the birth of Pakistan,
Maulana Maududi left India and moved to Lahore, Pakistan.
In
Pakistan
Maududi
states that the ideas about the state formulated by nineteenth-century scholars
are outdated. Economic, educational, industrial and social concepts have all
changed. Today the state should be based on religion. Religion should be the
basis for even small matters in the state. (Tarjuman, March 1938, 5)
The views
of religion must be accepted in matters of food, clothing, marriage,
child-rearing, and even speech. He based his interpretation of the Qur'an on
the basis of his concept of state. He also asks why the Ulama did not count him
as one of them (Tarjuman 1941, May 216). He based his state argument on four
verses of the Qur'an. Ilah (God), Rabb (Saviour), Ibadat (worship) and Deen
(religion). Maududi asserted that as soon as the Qur'anic verses regarding
these were revealed, their interpretations were changed. Allah is not only concerned
with the private life of man; it touches all political and spiritual spheres.
Worshiping Allah means obeying Him materially, politically and spiritually.
So Allah is
the Ruler and the Law Maker. To follow any system other than this is ignorance
(jahiliyyah), polytheism (shirk) and disbelief (Kufr). When one says
that he is a ruler, it means declaring that he is God. Then it becomes
polytheism. That is why it is said that no system that is not Islamic can be
accepted. Polytheism is co-operating with any system that is not divine and
ruling with those who do not acknowledge God. There is no difference between
them and those who worship idols - Mawdudi's explanation (Mawdudi, Qur'an Ki
Char Bunyadi Istilahem, Markazi Maktaba, 1979, 29). Rabb (saviour) is
synonymous with Allah Himself. Rab means Sultan. Allah is the protector
politically. Taghut does not mean devil or idol as it is commonly said.
Following any system other than God's is Taghut. The meaning of Taghut has been
shortened by the ulama. For Maududi, worshiping Allah and rejecting Taghut
means bringing about a Shariah regime of his own design. Worshiping Allah as
defined means bringing about Islamic political supremacy.
In a speech in Punjab, Maududi described
Islamic rituals, including prayer, as military training: 'Prayer and fasting
are training and preparation for gaining power. Just like governments train
army and police before hiring them, Islam is doing the same. First, Islam
trains volunteers for divine service. Thus allowing them to establish the
Kingdom of God on earth through Jihad (Tajdeed wo Ihya a Deen, Qur'an in
Tarjuman, 1941, 291).
Nowadays
State means Deen (religion). The goal of the Qur'an is to establish the state
(Tarjuman, 1941, February- March, 13). In a speech in Punjab, Maududi described
Islamic rituals, including prayer, as military training: 'Prayer and fasting
are training and preparation for gaining power. Just like governments train
army and police before hiring them, Islam is doing the same. First, Islam
trains volunteers for divine service. Thus allowing them to establish the
Kingdom of God on earth through Jihad (Tajdeed wo Ihya a Deen, Qur'an in
Tarjuman, 1941, 291). Maududi stated
that God sent all prophets to establish the Kingdom of God. All prophets are
leaders. He compared the mission of Prophet Yusuf to Mussolini's dictatorship
(Salamat Ka Rasta, Lahore, 122). Maududi also stated that humans are God's
representatives to establish the nation since there are no prophets after
Prophet Muhammad.
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A regular columnist for NewAgeIslam.com, Mubashir
V.P is a PhD scholar in Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia and freelance
journalist.
Part One
of the Article: Theocratic Nation of Maulana Maududi and His
Jamaat-e-Islami's Vision - Part 1
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