Ulama Must Take Charge and Use Contemporary Resources and Languages to Convey the Message of Peace and Nonviolence
By Dr.
Qutbuddin
Translated
from Urdu by Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam
Social
Harmony and the role of Ulama
Main
Points:
1.
The
Ulama have a prominent place in Islam, and a hadith states that they are the
heirs of the prophets.
2.
The
Ulama play a significant role in Muslim society and are closely connected to
the wider population.
3.
The
Ulama must use all available language and expression to communicate the message
of humanity, brotherhood, equality, and compassion brought by the Prophets to
all mankind.
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The
India Islamic Culture Centre in New Delhi hosted a one-day program on November
29, 2022, on the role of Ulama in fostering interfaith tolerance and
societal harmony in India and Indonesia. Ajit Doval, the national security
adviser for India, and his counterpart Prof. Dr. M Mahfooz, the deputy prime
minister of Indonesia, participated in this dialogue program as the chief
guests. The opening statements from the two senior authorities of the two
countries were thorough and significant, and the speakers who took part in the
discussion emphasized the crucial function the Ulama played in fostering
peace and stability in both countries. Sirajuddin Qureshi, the head of the
India Islamic Culture Centre and the driving force behind the conversation,
deserves praise for taking the initiative to lead the conversation on the
pressing issue of the moment.
Any
religious leader actually interacts directly with the people and serves as an
example for their followers. They are actively involved in uprooting the
injustices and inhumane behaviours that are pervasive in society and working
toward its reformation.
The Ulama
have a prominent place in Islam, and a hadith states that they are the
heirs of the prophets. In other words, the responsibility of Ulama as
the prophets’ heirs is to continue the mission of the prophets and messengers
to spread the word of God among the offspring of Hazrat Adam (peace be
upon him).
As far
as the Indian Islamic Ulama are concerned, they have performed their
duties throughout history and have imparted love, brotherhood, and humanity to
servants of God Almighty in a variety of settings, including mosque pulpits, Khanqahs
(the gathering places of Sufis and dervishes), sermons delivered by saints of
Allah, and academies run by the author class of Ulama.
As a
result, by eradicating hatred and violence from society to the best of their
abilities, those who understood Islamic sciences contributed significantly to
creating peace, security, and social harmony in the nation and society. They
also had the responsibility of spreading among the populace information about
the Prophets' calling, reforming, and creating missions.
On the
other hand, it is also a bitter fact that, as long as the Ulama were
conscious of the times and comprehended the demands of the contemporary
generation, society, and their language, they continued to successfully reform
society and instruct and mentor the young generation. Because Allah, the
Exalted, stated in Surah Ibrahim 4:4 that all the Messengers and
Prophets preached in the language of their people:
“We
have not sent a messenger except in the language of his people to clarify ˹the message˺ for
them. Then Allah leaves whoever He wills to stray and guides whoever He wills.
And He is the Almighty, All-Wise.” (14:4)
Because
of this, the ancient Ulama, who were experts in Islamic sciences, never
overlooked this crucial topic and gave careful thought to the psychology and
requirements of the time. Their message was therefore easily understood by the
current generation.
Accordingly,
Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi, an Islamic thinker, states: "The wisdom and
passion of the Islamic Ulama never made them poor on any destination and
never on any line. They travelled alongside the caravan of learning. Their hand
was always in sync with the pace of the times. They never looked away from the
shifting patterns of life. They immediately embraced any style or pattern they
saw necessary in any given time period for the service of Islam. Because of
their enlightened perspective and historical background, the Ulama could
not be accused of being disengaged from the founding and growth of this country
or of being uninformed about the attitudes and tendencies of the people. They
never attempted to isolate themselves in this country. They did not manage to
flee the caravan of the times. They employed the same language, which was
widely spoken in that country and had a large literary effect, for their
religious and da'wah objectives. We must sustain these traditions and
protect the holy objects. (Paja Suragh e Zindagi, p. 98-103)
On the
other hand, their efforts at reform and education waned when this significant
segment of society ceased advancing with the changes and neglected its needs.
Islamic scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan states:
The Ulama
successfully carried out this job for almost a thousand years after the
introduction of Islam, according to history. One of the primary reasons for
this was that the language of the Ulama was formerly also the language
of the leading classes of the time. As a result, there was no longer a language
barrier between the two classes. Until the British arrived, this situation lasted
in India. Persian, the language of the Ulama at that time, was spoken or
understood by the majority of Muslim leaders and authorities. The Ulama were
able to communicate directly to the leading class of the time, thus fulfilling
their role as leaders. But things changed as the British established their
reign in India. The official language of the country now is English, which is
also the language of the educated. English has now become crucial for
communicating with authorities as well as managing large-scale public
movements. The history of the country changed after the linguistic transition.
The Ulama of Islam, who had been actively involved in political events
for almost a thousand years, were abruptly relegated to the background. (Deen
Wa Shariat, p.99-100)
However,
given the current circumstances, learning and mastering a language is
insufficient for people who engage in the sphere of training and reformation.
In addition to mastering the language and all contemporary understanding,
training, and reformation techniques, they also need to be familiar with
resources and coordination.
There
is no denying the fact that some Ulama in India today have a keen sense
of the times. They are actively involved in social reform and education, fully
conversant in modern slang, and are highly successful. However, they are
few—one could hardly count them.
The Ulama
play a significant role in Muslim society and are closely connected to the
wider population. Muslims turn to them for all of their societal issues from
birth to death. Their opinions carry weight in society. Society attaches a lot
of hope to them because of this.
The
message of humanity, brotherhood, equality, and compassion brought by the
Prophets must therefore be communicated to mankind using all available
language, expression, training, and correction resources, and each member of
society, along with the Ulama, must contribute to this effort in order
for society to be able to breathe freely in an atmosphere of peace and
security, love and tolerance, and social justice after eliminating terrorism,
violence, hatred, contempt and extreme inequality.
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Urdu Article: Social Harmony and the
Role of Ulama معاشرتی ہم آہنگی اور علماء کا کردار
URL: https://newageislam.com/the-war-within-islam/ulama-contemporary-message-peace-nonviolence/d/128635
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