Confused State Of Jamaa‘at-e-Islami Hind

Obviously, the Jamaa‘at-e-Islami Hind does not have the VISION which the Aligarh Movement had and should have. The question of the Two Hands in their case is not quite tenable. Still if we were to analyze what they have in their Two Hands, I would say that they have hardly anything in the Right Hand. They have a few verses only. While they do translate and distribute Qur’an they forget that the same Book had changed the entire scenario in 23 years. While they have weekly duroos-e-Qur’an in numberless places we are in the same situation in all those places – despite decades. As regards the Left Hand, there is not even proper utilization of technology leave alone having “the most advanced scientific and technological advancements” in it. I always wonder how we could claim leading the world while actually we aren’t even worthy followers of it.

In the final analysis, there is utter confusion in both the Hands. One hand does not know what is and should be in the other. This confusion is written large on the faces of the men in the Markaz of Jamaa‘at-e-Islami Hind. (I haven’t seen a single female working in any capacity there. Not even as a cleaner. This is beside the point. If anyone, however, argues that it does not go with the culture of the Jamaa‘at and that it is not in harmony with its work ethics at the moment then it leads to more questions than it seeks to answer.) Because of not having the whole Qur’an in the Right Hand, there is rigid discipline which restricts the individuals. The individuals are actually crushed out of existence. The individuals who allow this to happen to them should also share the responsibility of their own dissolution. There is no comfort and luxury greater than the comfort and luxury of non-thinking. This is naturally so because thinking is the most difficult job on earth.

For quite sometime I have been thinking that being in Jamaa‘at-e-Islami I cannot think beyond a limit even though I may still be within the boundaries of Islam. Then I thought that I would rather prefer to be directly under the shade of mind-liberating Islam than being under the shade of a specific Jamaa‘at. A friend of mine asked me to come in the “field of action” implying that the field of action is inside the Jamaa‘at. I thought that it might actually be outside. Considering the field of action to be inside makes me think that the Right Hand is empty. Where was the field of action of the Benefactor of Humanity (pbuh)? Inside or outside? The latter seems to be the case.

If Jamaa‘at-e-Islami is now in favour of ‘modern’ education it should double-check the standpoint of Maulana Syed Abul A‘la Maududi in this regard. He was not in favour of modern education as is evident from his address to the graduating students of Islamia College Lahore delivered in 1940: “The education system under which this Institution has been established and you are earning your degrees from I am the staunch opponent of that. This is not a secret for anyone who knows me…………………… I consider this alma mater of yours – and all others – slaughter houses, instead of educational institutions. In my view you are, in fact, being murdered here and the certificates that you earn from here are in reality ‘death certificates’……” (Tafheemaat, Volume II, Islamic Publications - Lahore, 2004. pp 270-271).

If the above quotation is out of context and the Jamaa‘at still seeks to promote it then it should explain how this widespread modern education will facilitate for Iqaamat-e-Deen. How the ‘modern’ educated will now take the Jamaa‘at to the establishment of that Islamic State which it has advocated in its literature, all along? There was a time when people left Government services and joined Jamaa‘at-e-Islami Hind. Not necessarily because of the need for workforce but mainly because they did not want to work under a “baatil nizaam”. It is surprising to see how the same Jamaa‘at is going to educate the people to join the same nizaam (system) and considers it empowerment. This nizaam did not help in establishing Hukoomat-e-Ilaahiyyah earlier. How will it help now – knowing the fact that the same nizaam may be more entrenched now?

The call for establishing an ‘Islamic State’ is indicative of escapism. It is always challenging to be in the mainstream and rub shoulders with all those who also want to make a mark – like driving on a highway. Leaving the highway and walking on the pedestrian path is always less challenging and requires less attentiveness. Coming in the mainstream with the right kind of qualifications is a difficult task. So we take the short-cut. In doing so, however, we are cut short. The efforts at establishing an ‘Islamic State’ – as it is perceived by us – clearly indicates that the Right Hand is empty. Whenever we try to throw the laws of nature to the winds it reminds me that the Right Hand is empty. If it wasn’t empty we would have tried to reach out to the laws of nature and use them for our purposes. Avoiding this painful and organic process we start ‘overturning’ the laws of nature by inorganically and unnaturally establishing whatever we want.

At the moment the Jamaa‘at is actually the anti-thesis of education. Education which aims at allowing the intellectual fruition to the maximum possible extent and giving full expression to the individuality of each is being defeated in its ranks. And the insiders confess this. The unity of Muslim Ummah is in tolerating variety of opinions and not in restricting it. It again makes me think that we learn wrong lessons from right stories. And derive wrong conclusions from correct premises. When there is more tolerance there is stronger brotherhood, I guess.

No matter how much the Jamaa‘at-e-Islami disowns the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) it cannot deny the fact that the SIMI was inspired by the ideology and literature of Jamaa‘at-e-Islami. It considered itself as the true upholders of the essential message of Maulana Syed Abul A‘la Maududi. The SIMI got at least a couple of its firebrand speakers and national presidents from Jami‘atul Falah. While many among us defend the SIMI by all means, very few of us condemn the fact that during the Iqdaam-e-Ummat conference in Bombay and in one of the Conferences in Aligarh its speakers delivered highly provocative speeches – abusing the freedom granted in the country.

The Students Islamic Organization of India (SIO) of which I was an (in)active member and which works under the direct supervision of Jamaa‘at-e-Islami Hind had a strong unit in the Aligarh Muslim University. One of the things that always intrigued me was that the SIO established a library in Shamshad Market. They did so as had done the other outfit, SIMI, earlier. I always wondered why they did so while there was an ocean of knowledge in the form of Maulana Azad Library in the AMU. Any book or journal that we could and could not imagine of was already there in the MAA Library. Remaining away from the mainstream is, however, symptomatic of our mind-set which is characterized by centrifugality (markaz gureziyat). This markaz gureziyat is our problem. Neither the BJP nor the RSS.

A significant part of the literature produced by Maulana Syed Abul A‘la Maududi – with the grand exception of his masterpiece, Tafheem al-Qur’aan, and many other good works – is not of much relevance today as it is exclusivist and isolationist in nature – which is the greatest dilemma that the Jamaa‘at is living with. While this literature will always serve the purpose of knowing the ideas of a given scholar it serves no real purpose today. It was in fact never quite relevant.

For a long period of time I have been ruminating on the fact that in many cases the means become ends in themselves – for us. Once we start considering the means as ends we are hesitant to critically analyze them. With the passage of time the means become ends and more and more sacrosanct. The structure becomes more important than the purpose. Why should we analyze the “ends” (actually means)? This is what I have felt about the Jamaa‘at-e-Islami Hind.

Over ten years ago I happened to listen to a tazkeer (a regular feature) after Salaat al-‘Asr in the markaz of Jamaa‘at-e-Islami Hind. A very senior member of the Jamaa‘at stood up and spoke about the following Hadeeth: “The one who departed from the Jamaa‘ah a fist length, it is as if he threw away the yoke of Islam from his neck.” (Sunan Abi Daawood, 4758) The way this Hadeeth was explained surprised me the most. It was implied that the Jamaa‘ah which is referred to in this Hadeeth is Jamaa‘at-e-Islami. I did not worry about the ordinary mortals who could not be counted among the people of this Jamaa‘at – if they hadn’t joined it and if they identified themselves only with the nameless huge majority of Muslims all over the world. I wondered that even the Paighambar-e-Islam (pbuh) could not be a member of this Jamaa‘ah as it came into existence much later i.e. in 1941.

This is the risk that we run if we run a ‘religious’ organization. It is my submission that an educational institution remains an educational institution but a ‘religious’ organization becomes more of a sect with the passage of time. This makes me think that we should shun forming religious organizations – no matter how pious the (initial) objectives may be. Another example of means becoming ends is education itself. Education should serve some worthwhile purposes – beyond earning a degree and a job (which is certainly very important). But we do not analyze much the outcome from it. The fact that we are not quite sure about what actually we want from education is beside the point.

The change of stance of Jamaa‘at-e-Islami Hind, however, may help the situation in Kashmir become better. The isolationist and exclusivist literature of Jamaa‘at-e-Islami has played a role in Kashmir. A clear and drastic change in the stance of Jamaa‘at itself and a break from the past will stop the flow of blood in the separatist ideologies. Rethinking all its priorities the Jamaa‘at-e-Islami Hind should NOW devote all its energies for the achievement of the VISION: The students coming out of our Colleges and Universities should have Qur’an in the right hand, most modern scientific and technological advancements in the left hand and the crown of Laa Ilaah on the forehead. So that the Muslims regain the same glorious status of founders and promoters of science and technology as they did during the ascendance of their civilization.

The above VISION has the potentiality of becoming the vision of the entire Muslim Ummah. The Indian Muslims stand a very good chance to work towards this objective. The amount of soul searching that is currently going on among Indian Muslims lands them in this unique and leading position. They can serve as a model for the rest of the Muslims in the world. It is not only in the interest of Muslims. It is in the best interest of the whole humanity.

It will mark a watershed in the history of Indian Muslims and may be for the Muslims as a whole. This is significant keeping in view the fact that we are moving towards knowledge economy. The individual is getting empowered beyond imagination and this trend will only grow. Hence, it is the high time to invest in human resources utilizing all that we have at our disposal.

No matter how educated our people are they still have a limited notion of individuality. This is why the graduates of Jami‘atul Falah – even though they may not be formal members of Jamaa‘at-e-Islami, remain confined to its ideology in most of the cases – in one way or the other. This is certainly the success of Jamaa‘at-e-Islami. But precisely for the same reason it is the failure of Muslims as a whole.

What I am submitting is not factionalism. It is just the opposite of that. We are witness to factionalism among us because of not understanding the core issues. Our factionalism is because of not seeing the “whole picture” and not “thinking differently” i.e. not having the entire Qur’an in the Right Hand. The treatment of our factionalism is not focusing upon groups and Jamaa‘aat BUT on individuals. This is precisely why I am arguing that the Jamaa‘at should work for educational programs on the pattern of the Aligarh Movement. Other Organizations may follow suit.

Let us shift our focus from community and groups to individuals – utilizing all our resources and all our networks. The focus after the destruction of Baghdad shifted from individual to community. Let us reverse the order now. This is why we (should) learn (and teach) history. Otherwise, there is no point. When the focus gets back to the individual, our job is done. The confusion is replaced with clarity.

Please allow me to make a strange suggestion here. Let Jamaa‘at-e-Islami Hind turn its headquarters in New Delhi into a college or a University. I am not sure about the infrastructural facilities in other parts of the country. It is the time to relook at all the aspects and resources of our collective life keeping the needs of tomorrow in view and the VISION in sight.

Why do I suggest to rethink the entire system of madaaris and am questioning the ideology of Jamaa‘at-e-Islami Hind? Because I am trying in my humble way to see the alignment of all that we are doing keeping the VISION in view – while being aware of the fact that we haven’t arrived at a conclusion regarding this VISION. If we have a VISION – and of course we should – then we will also be required to see if everything is aligned with that or not. If it is aligned, it is fine. If it is not, it means that there is dissipation of our energies and resources. It means that there is confusion and disorientation. It means that we might be countering our own efforts in many ways - unconsciously.