Theocratic Nation of Maulana Maududi and his Jamaat-e-Islami’s vision – Concluding Part: Islam and Jahiliyyah
By
Grace Mubashir, New Age Islam
1 September
2022
In
Maududi's Own Words: “On Our Side All the Three Principles Mentioned
(Nationalism, Secularism and Democracy) Are Bogus Bodies
Main
Points:
1. Maududi was
borrowing the words of Marx to reject Sufism.
2. Maududi
criticizes Marx and Hegel for denying the role of Islam in the evolution of
history.
3. Maududi
calls them Kaneshumari Muslims and born Muslims.
4. Maududi
Sahib also disapproved of the madrasa system, which was staunchly opposed to
the existing modern education.
5. Moderate
version of Islam has to be promoted and propagated widely.
-----
Maududi
classifies history into two sections. One is the time of Islam. Two,
pre-Islamic periods of ignorance (Jahiliyyah). He interprets everything that is
not in Islam as ignorance. So Westernism, idolatry and all other beliefs are
part of ignorance. It did not end there. He labels those including Muslims who
do not accept his ideas as people of ignorance and polytheism. Even Sufism,
associated with traditional Islam, is for him polytheism (shirk). Sufism is the
opium that leads man to fatalism. Maududi was borrowing the words of Marx to
reject Sufism. Therefore, Maududi says that all Muslims other than the
religious fundamentalists are ignorant (Jahil) and polytheists (Mushrik). Qutb,
Abdal and Ghaus (Sufi titles) are all idolatrous names for him. Visiting the
tombs of saints and paying homage there is tantamount to idolatry in his view.
He thinks that those who do this cannot be considered as Muslims.
Maududi
criticizes Marx and Hegel for denying the role of Islam in the evolution of
history. Their ideas are irrelevant. Maududi also says that Marxism is
completely rejected. He does not reject the influence of Marx. But Marx saw
only part of the truth. Had he read the Qur'an he would have discovered the
other part. One truth that Marx discovered is that there is a constant struggle
between truth and falsehood. Contradictions are always in struggle (Tafheemat,
Delhi, 1999, 271). When the world originated, it was on a straight path
(Siratul Mustaqeem). The world has gone the wrong way in recent times.
Hegel and Marx got it wrong. They did not see a straight path. He interpreted
that there is a constant clash between Truth in the world (Haq) and Myth
(Ba'til) or Islam and Jahiliyyah.
Maududi
describes Prophet Muhammad as a great revolutionary who sought to establish an
Islamic state. It is still possible to establish the nation. But it is not
correct to say that Muslims are a separate nation (Qaum). Muslims are a group.
The Qur'an calls the Muslims Hizbullah (Party of Allah). There are only two
parties in the world. One: The Party of Allah (Hizbullah) and Two: The Party of
Satan (Hizbul Shaitan) (Tafheemat, 1, 2001, 128).
All those
with Muslim names cannot be called Muslims. Ninety-nine percent of Muslims do
not know anything about Islam. They are fake Muslims. Maududi calls them
Kaneshumari Muslims and born Muslims. He himself is a born-again Muslim (Saiyasi
Kashmakash, 3, 1942, 15). If the British left India, all the Muslim parties
that would come to power would promote atheism (Kufr). Maududi evaluated
parties like Muslim League, Jamiat ul Ulama, Ahrar and Azad Muslim Conference (Saiyasi
Kashmakash, 3, 102). Maududi sees the biggest shortcoming of these parties
in that none of their agendas mention the Islamic State. Maududi strongly
opposed the use of Qur'anic verses by a Jamiat-ul-Ulama scholars to justify the
communist revolution. There was a requirement that when any Muslim believer
became a member of the Jamaat, they should recite the Kalima. This is because
any Muslim who is not a Jamaat-e-Islami member is not a true Muslim. The Kalima
is the vow a non-Muslim takes when he embraces Islam.
All Muslim
scholars unanimously opposed Maududi's arguments. Although scholars urged
Maududi to refrain from making abject statements, he did not heed. While many
said goodbye to the organization; he judged them to be apostates (Murtad)
(Tarjuman, 1941, June August, 465). When the scholar Mansoor Nu'mani left the
organization, he was labelled an apostate (Murtad). Members of the
Jamaat were forbidden from associating with Muslim namesakes who did not
perform the rites (Saiyasi Kashmakash, 3, 180). Jihad against ignorance
(Jahiliyyah) was urged to begin at home.
Against
Secularism
Maududi
declared that secularism should not be approached and that participation in
secular democracy was forbidden (haram): 'All democratic systems that have
appeared in this age, including the assemblies in India, have vested in the material
inhabitants of the country and empowered them to make laws for themselves. This
idea is against Islam. An integral part of Islam and monotheism is that Allah
is the ruler of the people and the whole world. It is God's work to carry out
the commandments and instructions. According to Islamic doctrine, the source of
law and the foundation of all matters of life is the divine book and the
tradition of the Prophet. But to accept the above theory of democracy is
tantamount to deviating from monotheism. Therefore, it is Haram
(forbidden) to become a member of parliaments and assemblies in the democratic
system of this age. Voting for them is also haram. Because voting means
choosing people to make laws according to the constitution. It is completely
against monotheism (Maududi, Rasa'il wo Masa'il, 1, Delhi, 1999 (1945), 304).
It is not
permissible for a Muslim to even breathe in a secular state unless he is
fighting to establish Darul Islam (Islamic rule) against it (Muhammad Yaqub
Tahir, Jamaat Islami Par Ilzamat Ka Jaiza, Idaraye Adabul Islami, Pakistan,
18). According to the constitution of the Jamaat, serving in the government of
unbelievers is also haram. The Ulama (religious scholars) who do not accept
this are giving certificates to commit a major sin. If communists can make a
revolution by believing in Lenin, why can't Muslims do it by believing in Islam
(Saiyasi Kashmakash, 3, 169). Maududi criticized Jamiat Ulama Hind. They are a
wasted party. Its leader Asad Madani has sold himself to the Hindus. By
supporting Congress, Jamiat-ul-Ulama is killing Islam. Constantly committing
sins (Irfan Ahmad, 73). The Jamaat members quit government jobs on Maududi's
instructions. Those who were not ready for that left the Jamaat. Maududi ruled
that the government should not work except in the Islamic State. Jamaat
considered Abul Kalam Azad as an enemy of Islam. Farhan Qasimi, a Jamaat leader
and teacher at the Rampur Jamaat Madrasah, studied in Deoband. He was close to
Azad. But after joining the Jamaat, he strongly opposed Azad. He criticized
Azad for conflating Islam and Hinduism in favour of Gandhiji. Jamaat members
quit government jobs on Maududi's instructions. Those who were not ready for
that left the Jamaat. Maududi ruled that the government should not work except
in the Islamic State. Jamaat considered Abul Kalam Azad as an enemy of Islam.
Maududi's
disciple Ikram Beg, who rose to the leadership of the Jamaat, was the son of a
lawyer. After becoming Maududi's disciple, he felt that his father's work and
salary were against Islam: his father was walking the devil's path by going to
court. Because Bappa is following a satanic system (Taghuti Nizam). Money
earned by father is also haram. Therefore food prepared in the kitchen is also
haram. A number of people holding government jobs took Maududi's advice and
resigned from them. Later, many people were convinced that what they had done
was wrong. Maududi justified his resignation as part of jihad.
Maududi
Sahib also disapproved of the madrasa system, which was staunchly opposed to
the existing modern education. Institutions like Aligarh University have
adopted the Western system and are producing black Englishmen there. At the
meeting in Amritsar, Maududi openly said that such institutions are
slaughterhouses. Degrees in these institutions are death certificates
(Taleemat, 1991, 45). Jamaat leaders banned those studying in Aligarh. They
also turned away their children who were studying there. Many children
continued their studies in Aligarh, disobeying the instructions of their
fathers who were members of the Jamaat. Those studying in other institutions
also dropped out in this way. These terms continued till 1957. Maududi termed
mixed education as destructive. Maududi also disapproved of western style and
music. Horse riding, swimming, all games and sports other than arms betting etc
were banned as they became westernized. Maududi insisted that the members
should fully adhere to the constitution of the Jamaat. Jamaat schools were
therefore also prohibited from affiliating with government boards. Members of
the Jamaat were not allowed to work in anything other than the work or under
conditions prescribed by the Jamaat. Because everything that is not in the
direction of the Jamaat is satanic (Taghuti).
India
Darul Kufr
Maududi
settled in Pakistan when Pakistan became a reality and declared India as the
land of atheism (Dar al-Kufr) (Rasa'il wo Masa'il, 1951/2001, Delhi).
People in Pakistan have been told not to marry people in India. In 1947, he
prepared an outline for the Jamaat in India under the name Madras Address. He
predicted that Islamic revolution would soon be possible in Pakistan and India.
He suggested to take advantage of the insecurity in the country and prevent the
communists from coming to the fore in any way possible. It is said that Islam
itself is victorious and the Islamic revolution will become a reality
(Khutba-e-Madras, 1996). He also hoped that the Islamic revolution would be
welcomed by the Hindus without intrigues. At a meeting in Pathankot, Hindus
were requested not to favour secularist democracy. He asked to read the
scriptures to find out how to run the modern state. If it doesn't get one then
it might have been missing such instructions for ages. But fear not. Islamic
State also belongs to Hindus. Islam will help you. (Jamaat Islami Ki Dawat,
Delhi, 31-32). Maududi also opined that the communists would take advantage of
the chaos of the partition period. So he hoped that sixty percent of the people
would accept Islam as a righteous spiritual movement and thereby bring about
the Kingdom of Islam in India as well. He asked to read the scriptures to find
out how to run the modern state. If it doesn't get one then it might have been
missing such instructions for ages. But fear not. Islamic State also belongs to
Hindus. Islam will help you. (Jamaat-e-Islami Ki Dawat, Delhi, 31-32).
The Main
Enemy Is Secularism
Even if the
Hindu Rajya comes to India, it is not necessarily bad; Maududi demanded that
secularism and democracy should be opposed in every way. In his book Al-Jihad
fil Islam, he called for Jihad itself to bring about the state of God. In
Maududi's own words: “On our side all the three principles mentioned
(nationalism, secularism and democracy) are bogus bodies. Not just fake bodies;
We also firmly believe that these principles are the root of all misery and
destruction that has been enslaved by man. Our opposition is in fact to the
same principles. We must struggle against them with all our might” (Maududi,
Secularism, Nationalism, Democracy, A Philosophical Analysis, IPH, Kozhikode,
1960, 1991, 15).
"Secularism first made the people
fearless of God and freed from traditional moral principles. As a result, they
have become selfless worshipers who have no sense of responsibility. Then
nationalism intoxicated them with the liquor of populist selfishness, blind
nationalism and full-blown arrogance. Now democracy has given full power to
legislate to the social desires of the unhinged, intoxicated and
self-worshiping people (ibid. 22).
Maududi
also appeals to Muslims: 'Modern secular national democracy is inimical to your
Islam and Iman. If you bow your head before it, it will be throwing your Holy
Qur'an back. If you participate in its establishment and management, it will be
a grave betrayal of your Holy Prophet. If you take up your flag, you will raise
a flag of treason against your God. Do you claim to be Muslims in the name of
any holy Islam; it is in open conflict between its spirit and the spirit of
this unholy system. There is an apparent conflict between its fundamental
principles and its fundamental principles. Every element of it is in relentless
war with every element of it. There is no single point on which Islam agrees
with the said system. Where the power of that system reigns, Islam will be a
mere waterline…. Wherever you are, if you truly believe in Islam as revealed by
the Holy Qur'an and the Messenger, It is your indispensable religious duty to
defend this nationalism based on secular materialism and instead to fight for
the establishment of that human representation based on the belief in God (Ibid
Book:31-32). Maududi is calling here to start a struggle to establish the rule
of Islam that he wants. Maududi also reiterates that democracy and secularism
are systems that deny religion (Kufr).
Islam is a
holistic religion with ample fluidity to evolve as per social growth. The Islam
is being weaponised by people with vested interests. Jamat e Islami is one of
them. The teachings of Maulana Maududi are incompatible with the progress of
society and have lurking dangers beneath them. The talk of its validity is
infructuous, as the ideology has met its expiry date. Moderate version of Islam
has to be promoted and propagated widely.
------
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
Part Two
of the Article: Theocratic Nation of Maulana Maududi
and his Jamaat-e-Islami’s Vision - Part 2: Influencing Jinnah and his Muslim
League
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-politics/theocratic-nation-maududi-jamaat-islami-jahiliyyah/d/127851
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