Discuss Role of Ulema in Organizing the Muslim Society
B-com part 1 Pakistan Studies Notes
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Q.1. Discuss the role of Ulema in organizing the Muslim Society.
Role of Ulema in Organizing the Muslim Society
The Muslim scholars played a vital role in organizing the Muslim society in India. The period of rulers of Delhi comprises on the ruling period of Ghaznavids, Ghoris, Ghayasuddin Balban, Alauddin Khilji and Sadaat period. When the Muslim Society was established, the scholars from the Muslim states of Central Asia entered India in a large number. These scholars of Islam played a decisive role in making Lahore and Multan in Punjab, Deebal and Mansoora in Sindh and Ajmer and Delhi in Northern India the centers of Islamic culture and civilization in India. Qazi Abu Mohammad Mansoori, Abu Mashir Sindhi and Rija Sindhi, rendering the Islamic services, became very famous in this regard.
Sheikh Ismail, initiating preaching of Islam firs time in Punjab, played a crucial part in stabilizing Muslim society in India. Abu Hassan Lahori stressed upon the teaching of Hadiths but the history-maker was Ali Hajveri Data Ganj Buksh who was born in 1009 and died in 1070. Raziuddin Hassan Sifani was the expert of knowledge of Hadiths and his famous work Mashariqul-Anwar remained as an authority on knowledge of Hadiths for a long time. He appointed Qazi Minhajuddin Siraj as the court justice who showed absolute realism and established ever lasting examples of Islamic mode of justice. His book Tabqat-e-Nasri is also a source of fame for Minhajuddin.
The greatest literary personality of Ghayasuddin Balban period was Maulana Burhanuddin alki who wrote Mashariqul Anwar and Fiqah-e-Hidaya which became an important base for Islamic instructions in India.
Maulana Mugheesuddin Bayanvi was not only the court man of King Alauddin Khilji but was also the court justice. He defended Hindus by saying that receiving Jazia (tribute) from Hindus is not just.
The academic works were performed by Sheikh Ali Mahaimi; a follower of the Philosophy of Wahdat-ul-Wajood (i.e. God is one) include Tabseer-ur-Rehman (i.e. the interpretation of Holy Quran in Arabic) and the interpretations of famous books by Shahabuddin and Sheikh Ibn-e-Arabi. These books were included in the syllabus of religious institution.
Services of Ulema During Mughal Period
The scholars of Islam, during Mughal period, were divided into two groups, First the Scholars of Haq (rectitude) who kept themselves busy in worshiping God and the second Scholars of Soo (opportunities who interpreted religious teaching according to likings of the Kings. Emperor Akbar, for Hindus-Muslim merger, did not hesitate to marry a Hindu princess Jodha Bai who did not accept Islam to her last breath. He introduced a new religion Deen-e-Elahi in 1581. Under this new religion he declared himself the messenger of Allah on earth (i.e. Kufr)
Hazrat Mujaddid Alf Sani (1564-1624) opposed Kufr severly. Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi, who was popularly known as Mujaddid (Renovator of Islam) had traced his descent from Caliph Umar, rejected the heterodoxies of the great Mughal Emperor Akbar. He tried to influence the courtiers of Akbar and continued his tirade against the Hindus. Sheikh Ahmed Sarhindi wrote a Risala (Magazine) Asbat-e-Nauwwat to oppose Deen-e-Elahi. During the period of Emperor Jahangir (1605-1627) the respect of Scholars of Islam was restored and Deen-e-Elahi was abondoned. The period of Aurangzeb Alamgir (1659-1760) was a glorious period for the establishment of and stability of Muslim society in South India. Islam nourished successfully because Aurangzeb himself was the strict follower of Shariyah. He teamed up with Sheikh Nizamuddin Burhanpuri and other scholars and produced an authentic book Fatwa-e-Alamgir compiled on Islamic Laws.
After the death of Auragzeb in 1707 Muslim society began to decline. To reinforce Islamic Society, Shah Wali Ullah (1703-1762) rendered his services and wrote many books on Fiqah and Tasawuf and translated Holy Quran in Persian. Shah Wali Ullah another Islamic mystic of the Sufi tradition of Sunnism who claimed his lineage from Quraish tribe of Prophet Mohammad and of Umar. The famous work of Shah Wali Ullah ‘Tafhimaat’ (i.e. the understandings) created deep influences on education and syllabus of education. Further, he invited Afghan ruler Ahmed Shah ruler Ahmed Shah Wali Ullah with the help of Ahmed Shah Abdali restored the position of Muslim society. According to Shah Wali Ullah the mark of the perfect implementation of the Sharia was the performance of Jihad. Wali Ullah’s son Abdul Aziz (1746-1823) carried forward the legacy of his father and as a result India faced violent communal disorder for decades. Aziz’s disciple Saiyid Ahmed of Rai Bareli under the deep influence of the jihadi spirit of the faith propounded by Wali Ullah and Sunni extremism of Maulana Wahab of Saudi Arabia launched jihad against the Non-Islamic power of the Sikh Kingdom of Ranjit Singh with a view to restore Dar-ul-Islam (A land, where Islam is having political power)
Haji Shariat Ullah (1768-1840) started his Faraizi Movement in Bengal because the Muslims started loosing the grip of Islam. Hindus started indulging Muslim towards Shirk (i.e. to claim someone equivalent to Allah). This movement spread the message that all Muslims should keep their acts confine to Shariyah and the Faraiz-e-Islam (i.e. the duties of Islam). Titu Mir (1782-1831) also started his movement in Bengal against the cruel acts of Hindus landlords against Muslim tenants.
Services of Ulema During Colonialism
The movement for Islamic fundamentalism got a severe jolt with the failure of the Sepoy mutiny in 1857, when the Muslim radicals lost all hopes to restore Islamic power in India. The Islamic clerics however, kept the movement alive through institutional Islamic movement and founded Islamic institutions like Darul-Uloom, Deoband (1866), Anjuman Himayat-e-Islam, Lahore (1884), Sind Madressah-tul-Islam, Karachi (1885), Nadwatul-Ulema, Lucknow (1898), Madressah Manzar-ul-Islam, Barely (1904), Islamia College, Peshawar (1913) and Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi (1920.
Muslim Ulemas like Maulana Mohammad Qasim, Maulana Rasheed Ahmed Gungohi, Sheikh-ul-Hind Maulana Mehmood Hassan, Maulana Ubaid-ullah Sindhi, Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi, Maulana Shabbir Ahmed Usmani, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Maulvi Charagh Ali, Mohsin-ul-Mulk, Maulvi Mehdi Ali Khan, Waqar-ul-Mulk, Maulvi Mushtaq Hussain, Altaf Hussain Hali, Maulana Shibli Naumani, Syed Suleman Nadwi, Maulana Abd-ul-Islam Nadwi, Maulana Abu-al-Hassan Ali Nadwi, Maulana Ahmed Raza Barelvi and Maulana Hamid Raza Barelvi struggled for the renaissance of Muslim Society during the period of Britain Colonalism. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan while taking inspiration Shah Wali Ullah’s concept of tactical moderation of Islam formulated the two-nation theory which formed the basis for the demand for a separate Muslim land of Pakistan.
Remembering role of Ulema in Pakistan Movement
In 1940 the Muslim League formally endorsed the partitioning of British India and the creation of Pakistan as a separate Muslim state. During pre-independence talks held in 1946, therefore, the British government found that the stand of the Muslim League on separation and that of the Congress on the territorial unity of India were strongly irreconcilable.
The British then decided on partition and on August 15, 1947, transferred power dividedly to India and Pakistan. The latter, however, came into existence in two parts: West Pakistan, as Pakistan stands today, and East Pakistan, now known as Bangladesh. The two were divided by 1,600 km (1,000 miles) of Indian territory.
The separate homeland that is now named 'Pakistan' was obviously a direct outcome of insurmountable struggle and a raft of sacrifices by audacious Muslims of sub-continent from all walks of life.
Apart from the role of politicians of the sub-continent in the struggle of freedom for Muslims of India, the contribution of writers, theologians, journalists, students, women and mainly Ulema and mashaikh is worth remembering. They all channeled their energies and sources in the making of the Muslim nation and the idea of what is called two-nation theory. In pith, the credit for the success of the struggle cannot be attributed to a mere single section of the society. Irrespective of professions and strata of society, each and every Muslim was motivated and moblised to take active part.
Broadly speaking, almost all the Ulema and mashaikh as well as other prominent leaders belonging to all schools of thought from the entire sub-continent readily propped up the cause of what was named 'Pakistan Movement'.
Of the Ulema and mashaikh, Allama Shabbir Ahmed Usmani was the outstanding personality who rendered really valuable services for mobilizing and gearing up the movement of Pakistan. He and other noted Ulema and Mashaikh had a great number of followers spread over the sub-continent, who put their hearts in speeding up movement of separate homeland for the Muslims of the united India.
Hence, the services of the Ulema and Mashaikh in the movement of Pakistan proved strong backing and boosted efforts carried out by the Muslims of the sub-continent for a separate Muslim state, where they would spend their lives in accordance with Islamic laws and principles without any fear. Their services included educating their disciples and awakening the general masses to the need of Pakistan for the Muslims of the sub-continent, making physical and personal contacts with the people even in distant areas, convening of public meetings and ingraining the idea of inevitable necessity of an independent country in their minds.
Moreover, while complying with the instructions and directions of the Quaid-i-Azam in strict manner under the able guidance and instructions, the Ulema and Mashaikh spread the message in all corners of the sub-continent, infused the Muslims and worked ceaselessly to achieve the goal.
Maulana Shabbir Ahmed lent his full support in the election campaigns of the Muslim League and even pleaded in favour of Quaid-i-Azam against all opposition, directed from other ill-advised and ill-informed rather blind Ulema and Mashaikh. He always publicly announced his complete faith in the honesty and integrity of Quaid-i-Azam and even exhorted the Muslims to vote to the Muslim League. For, it was struggling hard for carving out a new Muslim State on the global map where the Islamic laws and traditions shall possibly be formulated and practiced. He advised the Muslims not to lend an ear to Hind-influenced Muslims or the nationalist Muslims. On one occasion, he said that any one who casts his vote for the opponents of the Muslim League must think of the eventual aftermaths of his action in terms of the interests of his nation and the answers that would be called upon to yield on the Day of Judgment.
Therefore, the role of our Ulema and Mashaikh in the Pakistan Movement is really highly laudable and worth of writing in letters of gold. They prevailed upon their followers for awakening the common people, they toured the country in spite of the difficulties in the means of communication, they addressed meetings and enabled the nation to reach that goal which they have resolved for.
In this connection, the names of Pir Jama'at Ali Shah, Mian Ghulam Ullah Sharaqpuri, Pir Ghulam Mohyuddin Golravi, Allama Allauddin Siddiqui, Allama Shabbir Ahmed Usmani and many other noted religious leaders will ever be remembered with regard to the superb services they rendered for the cause of Pakistan's making. It is worth mentioning here that when the matter of Aligarh University's progress and later that of the financial needs of the Muslim League for its development rose, Hazrat Pir Jama'at Ali Shah subscribed lakhs of rupees on his behalf and on that of his followers. In the same way, when the 1945 elections were in full swing, Khawaja Hasan Nizami of Taunsa and other deities asked their followers to work for the success of the Muslim League.
Apart, the grand historic congregation of Benares, which was attended by more or less six thousand Ulema and Mashaikhs as well as hundreds of thousands of students from every sphere of life delivered real support to the Pakistan Resolution in 1940, and so made the task of the achievement of Pakistan considerably easier.
Similarly, the landmark convention of the All-India Muslim League in 1946 was attended by a great number of Ulema and the Mashaikh including Pir Jama'at Ali Shah, Maulana Jamal Mian of Farangi Mahal (Lucknow) as well as the inspiring personality of Maulana Abdul Hamid of Badaun in Uttar Pardesh. As recorded in Pak-India history, afore-mentioned religious leaders and scholars enjoyed deep and intensive influence of the common people and had a large number of followers and adherents. Given the reasons, these Ulema and Mashaikh proved a strong source of greater strength and sacrifice for the Muslim League, who devoted themselves to the cause of Pakistan Movement for freedom.
After reviewing Pakistan's history, one comes to a conclusion that religious scholars have been a great source for building the nation in one way or the other. Convinced by the fact that they continue to enjoy the status of strong opinion leaders in our society with ever-rising number of their followers, their role can be utilized for the country's socio-economic development other than just spreading and teaching Islam.
It has been observed that isolating them from putting their efforts and minds for the country's socio-economic and political development is a major cause behind the outlook they present.
However, one hardly disagrees to the idea that Ulema can be made play their proactive role in helping the government in its fight against sectarianism and in promoting national harmony and tolerance in the society, help project a real and peaceful image of Islam in the world, help other Muslim countries to counter anti-Islamic propaganda, help eradicate drug abuse from society and help the government to control birth rate by augmenting population awareness in their speeches.
Being a due role of the religious scholars and orators towards society's uplift in all spheres of life, they should preach their followers and disciples through their lectures and sermons to work at all possible levels for society's socio-cultural and politico-economic development by contributing their efforts to combat society's different burgeoning problems. For example, corruption, rape, dowry, hoarding, illiteracy, AIDS, rising population, pollution, child labour, bigotry, chauvinism, terrorism, religious extremism and fanaticism, etc.
There are some so-called religious scholars in the country who have played havoc to the country's image. They preached nothing but extremism, fanaticism, sectarianism and hatred against other religious outfits to the extent. Several religious organisations, many of them albeit banned to continue to operate freely under different names, circulated inflammatory material and brainwashed the minds of youths towards fanning religious hatred, extremism, fanaticism and sectarianism; thereby, peaceful youths were turned militants. The time proved such obnoxious roles as destructive roles rather than constructive. As a result, Pakistani society continues to suffer awfully.
It is high time religious scholars realised their due role and rearranged themselves and contributed to salvage the ailing society. Its equally obligatory on them to preach Islam in its true spirit that stands for tolerance, brotherhood, tranquility and peace without harming or preaching hatred against another religion or religious outfit.