The Caas|i|a|iaa aj Ia4ia aa4 Mas|im Pa|i|ics

A.G. Noorani*
Abstract
T|c a//|:/c do:umcn/ /|c |//c/ctan:c o| Mu/|m o/|/|: |n o/
|ndccndcn:c Ind|a T|c Mu/|m /cadc/, |, and /a/c, |a|/cd /o
/ca/|:c /|c :|ancd :|/:um/an:c :aucd |, /|c Pa//|/|on, and
:oncqucn//, :on/|nucd /o u/uc a :ommuna/ acnda u:| a
dcmand |o/ ca/a/c c/c:/o/a/c o/ /cc/ta/|on |o/ /|c|/ :ommun|/,
T|c/c | no dcn,|n /|c |a:/ /|a/ man, o| /|c :on/|/u/|ona/
a|cua/d |atc /otcd /o |c |nc|||:|cn/ c:|a//, |n /o/c:/|n /|c
/||/ o| /|c Mu/|m Houctc/, |/ | /|c :ommuna/ o/|/|: o| /|c
o/ |ndccndcn:c Mu/|m /cadc/|| u||:| |a |a/mcd /|c
Mu/|m :ommun|/, mo/c /|an an, /||n c/c
1us as hc Consiucn Asscmbly was abou o finish is ask, Di. B.R.
Ambcdkai, Chaiiman of hc Diafing Commicc, said in his icply o
hc dcbac on Novcmbci 25, 1949 ha 'howcvci good a Consiuion
may bc, i is suic o uin ou bad bccausc hosc who aic callcd o woik
i happcn o bc a bad lo. Thc woiking of a Consiuion docs no
dcpcnd wholly upon hc nauic of hc Consiuion. Thc Consiuion
can piovidc only hc oigans of hc Sac such as hc Lcgislauic, hc
Ixccuivc and hc 1udiciaiy. Thc facois on which hc woiking of hcsc
oigans of hc Sac dcpcnds aic hc pcoplc and hc poliical paiics hcy
will sc up as hcii insiumcns o caiiy ou hcii wishcs and hcii poliics.
Who can say how hc pcoplc of !ndia and hcii paiics will bchavc? Hc
addcd ha i is 'fuilc o pass any |udgmcn upon hc Consiuion
wihou icfcicncc o hc pai which hc pcoplc and hcii paiics aic
likcly o play.
Tha hc consiuional safcguaids foi hc minoiiics havc piovcd
a iahci fiail iccd o icly on is inconcsablc. No ha hcy havc bccn
alogchci dcvoid of cfficacy. Bu i is a saik icaliy ha so fai as hc
Muslims of !ndia aic conccincd hc fundamcnal iigh o cqualiy bcfoic
hc law and o hc cqual pioccion of hc law, cmbodicd in Aiiclc 14,
has piovidcd lilc pioccion agains hosilc disciiminaion by hc Sac.
`Mi. Nooiani is a wcll-known auhoi and columnis.
S/ud|c On I/am. !o/ I, No 1, (2004), 1-8
Thc Supicmc Coui of hc \nicd Sacs sacd a piofound iuh
whcn i obscivcd: 'Though hc law isclf bc faii on is facc and impaiial
in is appcaiancc, yc if i is applicd and adminiscicd by a public auhoiiy
wih an cvil cyc and uncqual hands, so as piacically o makc un|us and
illcgal disciiminaion.
1
An adminisiaion hosilc o hc minoiiics, funcioning in a climc
in which hcy aic vicwcd wih disius, can makc a mockciy of
consiuional guaianccs. As Ambcdkai waincd ha 'i is pcifccly
possiblc o pcivci hc Consiuion wihou changing is foim by mcicly
changing hc foim of hc adminisiaion and o makc i inconsiscn and
opposcd o hc spiii of hc Consiuion.
2
Ivcn bcfoic hc paiiion
of !ndia hc omcns wcic nonc oo icassuiing. As fai back as in 1936,
1awahailal Nchiu nocd in dismay ha 'many a Congicssman was a
communalis undci his naional cloak
3
Afci hc paiiion of !ndia hc
climc dcciioiacd sccply. A dccp disius of Muslims dcvclopcd.
Thc |udicial chcck can bc cffccivc only upo a poin as 1usicc
Bcn|amin M. Caidozo icalisically poincd ou: 'Thc gica idcs and
cuiicns which cngulf hc ics of mcn do no uin asidc in hcii couisc
and pass hc |udgcs by
4
. A foimci |udgc of hc Supicmc Coui of
!ndia, 1usicc \.R. angiily icmaikcd oncc ha on hc Babaii Mas|id
qucsion 'hc |udiciaiy will bc dcsciibcd as hc villain of hc piccc
5
Thc siuaion has no impiovcd sincc.
Thc siuaion Muslims facc oday is fundamcnally no diffcicn
fiom hc onc ha confioncd hcm on Augus 15, 1947. ! has, doublcss,
bccomc woisc wih an RSS-diivcn icgimc in hc sca of powci.
\nfoiunacly inscad of coming o giips wih hc icaliics, dauning as
hcy wcic, hc Muslim lcadciship of hc imc puisucd hc samc siacgy
and acics of old and aggiavacd i. ! did no mould is poliics o hc
alcicd siuaion and giasp hc oppoiuniics affoidcd by a dcmociaic
consiuion and a ficc and faii clccoial pioccss.
Thc poliical aspcc is as impoian if no moic as hc consiuional
and lcgal aspccs. Thc qucs foi consiuional safcguaids did no icckon
wih hc nccd foi a poliical pioccss which assuicd hc minoiiics a iolc
a hc ccnic; a pioccss of 'poliical incgiaion. Poliical isolaion
fiom hc naional 'mainsicam adds o hc fcais of hc minoiiics. Thc
pioblcm, hcicfoic, is o dcvisc consiuional and lcgal safcguaids foi
minoiiics which would cnsuic, boh, hcii pioccion and hcii
paiicipaion in govcinancc. Mcic consiuional pioccion is
inadcquac. Paiiion piovcd suicidal. Thc bcs couisc was paiicipaion
in hc poliical pioccss. Tha is a challcnging ask. Thc challcngc was
no akcn up. !nscad hc Muslim Lcaguc mcmbcis in hc Consiucn
2 AC Noo/an|
Asscmbly dcmandcd scpaiac clccoiacs foi Muslims in oal disicgaid
of is hisoiy and indccd, of hc iadically alcicd siuaion. Thc Lucknow
Pac of 1916 bcwccn hc Congicss and hc Lcaguc giancd scpaiac
clccoiacs bu a a siff piicc which is commonly ovcilookcd.
Thc dccpcning dividc bcwccn Hindus and Muslims was sincc
aiibucd o scpaiac clccoiacs which hc Lucknow Pac bcwccn hc
!ndian Naional Congicss and hc Muslim Lcaguc in 1916 cndoiscd
and which hcld sway ill hc paiiion of !ndia in 1947. Bu a vial aspcc
of hc pac has bccn ncglcccd. ! sccuicd hc Muslim Lcaguc`s
acccpancc of a wholc sc of pioposals foi subsanial advancc in
icsponsiblc govcinmcn. Pioccion of minoiiics was linkcd o hcii
paiicipaion in hc couniy`s piogicss owaids ficcdom. Ycais laci
wo socialis lcadcis, Asoka Mcha and Achyu Pawaidhan, madc an
impoian poin: 'Whilc hc Muslims gaincd subsanial wcighagc, hcy
gavc up hc iigh o voc in hc Gcncial Consiucncics ha hcy had
cn|oycd so long. !n diopping i hcy los an impoian lcvciagc and
bcgan o isolac hcmsclvcs fiom hc ics of !ndia.
6
.
Thc Rcpoi on !ndian Consiuional Rcfoims (1918) |oinly
auhoiiscd by hc Sccicaiy of Sac foi !ndia, Idwin S. Monagu, and
hc \iccioy, Loid Chclmsfoid, ciiiciscd hc Lucknow Pac bu
acquicsccd in i, all hc samc, bccausc i icpicscncd an inci-communal
accoid.
7
Thc icpoi, nonchclcss, pionounccd isclf uncquivocally
agains scpaiac clccoiacs: 'A minoiiy which is givcn spccial
icpicscnaion owing o is wcak and backwaid sac is posiivcly
cncouiagcd o sclc down ino a fccling of saisficd sccuiiy; i is undci
no induccmcn o cducac and qualify isclf o makc good hc giound
which i has los compaicd wih hc siongci ma|oiiy. On hc ohci
hand, hc laci will bc cmpcd o fccl ha hcy havc donc all hcy nccd
o do foi hcii wcakci fcllow-couniymcn, and ha hcy aic ficc o usc
hcii powci foi hcii own puiposcs. Thc givc-and-akc which is hc
csscncc of poliical lifc is lacking. Thcic is no induccmcn o hc onc
sidc o foibcai, oi o hc ohci o cxci isclf. Thc communal syscm
scicoypcs cxising iclaions. Wc icgaid any syscm of communal
clccoiacs, hcicfoic, as a vciy sciious hindiancc o hc dcvclopmcn
of hc sclf-govcining piinciplc.
8
Scpaiac clccoiacs do assuic ha hc 'iuc icpicscnaivcs of
hc communiy aic clcccd. Bu hcy cnsuic as cffccivcly is isolaion
and banishmcn fiom powci. Oncc cniolmcn of black vocis in hc
Souhcin Sacs of hc \nicd Sacs bcgan in hc wakc of Civil Righs
Acs, i was nocd ha many a whic iacis modciacd his sand in oidci
o sccuic black vocs foi his clccion. Mohammcd Ali 1innah, an aichicc
T|c Con/|/u/|on o| Ind|a and Mu/|m Po/|/|: 3
of hc 1916 pac, opcnly said in 1927 fiom hc Lcaguc plafoim: '! am
no wcddcd o scpaiac clccoiacs, alhough ! mus say ha hc
ovciwhclming ma|oiiy of hc Musalmans fiimly and honcsly bclicvc
ha i is hc only mchod by which hcy can bc sccuic.
9
Thc foimula
hc agiccd wih Ra|cndia Piasad in 1934 piovidcd: 'Thc Ilccoiacs
shall bc |oin.
1O
Thc Lcaguc`s cspousal of scpaiac clccoiacs in hc Consiucn
Asscmbly is paiiculaily iclcvan bccausc i icflcccd an oulook wholly
ou of ouch wih hc icaliics. ! is sad o add ha signs of gicaci
awaicncss hcicafci aic no paiiculaily noiccablc.
Whcn hc All !ndia Muslim Lcaguc mc foi hc las imc in Kaiachi
on Dcccmbci 14-15, 1947, 1innah insiscd on hc Lcaguc`s coninuaion
in !ndia agains hc plcas of nocd Lcagucis in !ndia isclf. 1innah said:
'Thcic mus bc a Muslim Lcaguc in Hindusan. !f you aic hinking of
anyhing clsc, you aic finishcd. !f you wan o wind up hc Lcaguc you
can do so, bu ! hink i would bc a gica misakc. ! know hcic is an
acmp by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and ohcis o bicak hc idcniy
of Muslims in !ndia. Do no allow i.. Do no do i.
Hussain !mam of Bihai hcn movcd his amcndmcn: '!n hc
icsoluion,...` in placc of hc All !nida Muslim Lcaguc, hcic shall bc
scpaiac Lcaguc Oiganizaions foi Pakisan and hc !ndian \nion hc
woid 'shall` should bc icplaccd by 'may`. Hc said: 'Pcoplc hcic do no
know hc difficulics hc Muslims aic facing in !ndia. Thcy should bc
lcf ficc o dccidc hcii fuuic accoiding o hc ciicumsancc. No onc
suppoicd hc amcndmcn.
1innah icplicd: '! sympahisc wih Mi. Hussain !mam. Hc has no
icad hc icsoluion piopcily. You should consiuc hc Muslim Lcaguc
in !ndia. !f you do no, you would go back o 19O6. You aic 4O millions;
you can havc a lcadci if no onc, hcn wo oi moic. Wc canno givc
diiccions o you. Whcn you aic siong and Pakisan is dcvclopcd, hc
sclcmcn will comc. Thc icsoluion was passcd wih an ovciwhclming
ma|oiiy. Somc 1O mcmbcis, including Suhiawaidy and Mian
!fikhaiuddin, vocd agains i.
Liaqua Ali Khan and Mohammcd !smail wcic clcccd as convcncis
foi hc Pakisan Muslim Lcaguc and hc !ndian Muslim Lcaguc
icspccivcly. ! was dccidcd o hold hcii scssions shoily in Kaiachi and
Chcnnai. This bclicd 1innah`s claim on Dcccmbci 19, 1947 ha !ndian
Muslims wcic cnilcd, by implicaion allowcd, 'o foim hcii own
indcpcndcn policy.
Whcn hc Lcaguc`s Council mc in Chcnnai on Maich 1O, 1948,
baicly 3O mcmbcis uincd up. Thcic wcic no icpicscnaivcs fiom
4 AC Noo/an|
Bcngal, Oiissa, Bihai and Dclhi, \ai Piadcsh had a solc icpicscnaivc
in Maulana Hasia Mohani. '! was dccidcd o coninuc hc Lcaguc
wih cmphasis on non-poliical aciviics.
Thc Consiucn Asscmbly dcbacd hc issuc of scpaiac clccoiacs
in wo scssions; on Augus 27-28, 1947 and on May 25-26, 1949.
11
On Augus 27, 1947, no soonci had \allabh Bhai Pacl movcd ha
all clccions 'will bc hcld on hc basis of |oin clccoiacs han B.
Pockci Sahib movcd ha all clccions, 'as fai as Muslims aic conccincd,
bc hcld on hc basis of scpaiac clccoiacs. Chaudhuii Khaliquzzaman
also plcadcd foi i, K.T.M. Ahmcd !biahim Sahcb,Kazi Sycd Kaiimuddin
and Naziiuddin Ahmad favouicd |oin clccoiacs bu wih hc pioviso
ha hc candidac who won hc highcs vocs of his communiy was o
bc clcccd. Rcscivaion of scas foi Muslims 'on hc populaion basis
was conccdcd, a his poin of imc. Pacl was picdicably inccnscd a
hc dcmand foi scpciac clccoiacs. Hc hicacncd o wihdiaw hc
conccssion of icscivaion of scas. !n May 1949 icscivaion of scas was,
indccd, dioppcd on a moion by Pacl. On May 25, Mohammcd !smail,
now Picsidcn of hc !ndian \nion Muslim Lcaguc, askcd foi iccnion
of icscivaions and foi scpaiac clccoiacs.
12
Z.H. Laii, who laci wcn
o Pakisan, askcd foi muli-mcmbci consiucncics. Naziiuddin Ahmad
whilc opposing icscivaion of scas, poincdly icmaikcd: 'wha is moic
impoian is ha hc Hindus havc o scck Muslim vocs
13
Bcgum Aizaz Rasul suppoicd Pacl`s moion. Sycd Mohammcd
Sadullah dcmandcd icscivaion. Thc ncx day, May 26, 1949, Nawab
Mohammcd !smail of Mcciu dclivcicd a sacsman likc spccch opposing
icscivaion of scas as wcll as scpaiac clccoiac. Hc iaccd is hisoiy
and poincd ou hc cnaivc chaiacci of hc safcguaid and hc haimful
conscqucnccs of is piolongcd iccnion.
14
Ta|amul Husain agiccd wih
him. This was hc only icdccming fcauic. Bu hc damagc was donc.
Ivcn wo ycais afci hc paiiion, hc bulk of Muslim icpicscnaivcs
wcic sccn o bc hankciing afci icscivaion of scas and scpaiac
clccoiacs. Pacl`s icsponsc was no plcasan bu hc homc iuhs hc
dclivcicd canno bc ignoicd. Hc said: '! do no know whchci hcic has
bccn any changc in hcii aiudc o biing foiwaid such an amcndmcn
cvcn now afci all his long icflccion and cxpciicncc of wha has
happcncd in his couniy. Bu ! know his ha hcy havc go a mandac
fiom hc Muslim Lcaguc o movc his amcndmcn. ! fccl soiiy foi
hcm. This is no a placc oday o ac on youi conscicncc and o ac foi
hc good of hc couniy. !oi a communiy o hink ha is incicss aic
diffcicn fiom ha of hc couniy in which i livcs, is a gica misakc.
Assuming ha wc agiccd oday o hc icscivaion of scas, ! would
T|c Con/|/u/|on o| Ind|a and Mu/|m Po/|/|: 5
considci mysclf o bc hc gicacs cncmy of hc Muslim communiy
bccausc of hc conscqucnccs of hc scp in a scculai and dcmociaic
Sac. Aumc /|a/ ,ou |atc ca/a/c c/c:/o/a/c on a :ommuna/ |a|
W|// ,ou ctc/ ||nd a /a:c |n an, o| /|c M|n|//|c |n /|c P/ot|n:c o/ |n /|c
Ccn//c? You havc a scpaiac incics. Hcicin a Minsiy oi a Govcinmcn
bascd on |oin icsponsibiliy, whcic pcoplc who do no ius us, oi who
do no ius hc ma|oiiy, canno obviously comc ino hc Govcinmcn
isclf. Accoidingly, You u|// |atc no |a/c |n /|c Cotc/nmcn/ You u|//
c\:/udc ,ou/c/tc and /cma|n c/c/ua//, |n a m|no/|/, Thcn, wha
advanagc will you gain?
15
Di. B.R. Ambcdkai madc somc pciincn obscivaions whcn, as
Chaiiman of is Diafing Commicc, hc movcd foi hc considciaion of
hc Diaf Consiuion in hc Asscmbly on Novcmbci 4, 1948: '! is
wiong foi hc ma|oiiy o dcny hc cxiscncc of minoiiics. ! is cqually
wiong foi hc minoiiics o pcipcuac hcmsclvcs. A soluion mus bc
found which will scivc a doublc puiposc. ! mus iccognisc hc cxiscncc
of minoiiics, /o /a// u|/| ! mus also bc such ha i will cnablc hc
ma|oiiics and minoiiics o mcigc somc day ino onc. Hc claimcd ha
hc soluion pioposcd in hc Diaf (bascd on hc 1947 dccision) mc his
cs.
16
Howcvci, if sclf-pcipcuaion of hc minoiiics is o bc avcicd,
consiuional safcguaids mus bc machcd a hc poliical lcvcl by a
paiy syscm which cus acioss hc ma|oiiy-minoiiy dividc.
Muslims of !ndia madc no cffoi o piomoc such a paiy syscm.
Thc failuic is no hciis alonc. Thcic has bccn a naional failuic o
cvolvc a viablc paiy syscm cvcn half a ccnuiy afci hc Consiuion
camc ino foicc. Io/ /|c mo/ a// /|c Mu/|m /cadc/|| u/ucd /|c
:ou/c o| :ommuna/ mo||/|:a/|on |n a o/|/, u||:| |tc |o// |/||/ /o |/
Muslims havc faccd an acuc pioblcm. Thcy facc giavc handicaps and
gioss disciiminaion. Till as lac as 1961, any cxpicssion of Muslims`
giicvanccs was icgaidcd as an obsccniy. Thc fiowns did no vanish
hcicafci, disquic a mcnion of hc giicvanccs lingcicd. On hc ohci
hand, hc giicvanccs biookcd no ncglcc, cihci.
Imoional incgiaion was suicly no o bc achicvcd by dcnial of
hc minoiiics handicaps. Bu, hcn, noi is i aainablc by plcas foi
pioccion. This biings onc o wha is ically hc ciux of hc pioblcm. To
dcny disciiminaion and piccnd all is wcll is o fly in hc facc of hc
facs. Bu agiaion agains disciiminaion can aiousc hc vciy cmoions
ha fosci disciiminaion. Thc soluion of hc Muslim pioblcm lics in
a icsoluion of his dilcmma by dcvising a foim and concx of agiaion
which hcals old wounds and inflics no ncw oncs. This icsoluion can bc
achicvcd by icgaiding disciiminaion as wha i is, a pioblcm of !ndian
6 AC Noo/an|
dcmociacy o bc icsolvcd wihin hc fiamcwoik of naional incgiaion.
This is bcs donc by associaing mcn of goodwill of all communiics in
hc ask of making a succcss of !ndian scculaiism.
17
Moially and consiuionally, Muslims havc cvciy iigh o do so.
Thc issuc is hc wisdom of adoping such a couisc. Lilc hough is
givcn o dcvising an alcinaivc siacgy which would no incui hc odium
which communal mobilizaion docs in hc concx of hc !ndian siuaion.
! is unlikcly, o say hc lcas, ha Muslims would cvci sccuic icscivaion
as hc Naional Convcnion dcmandcd in 1994. Impowcimcn of
Muslims will no bc achicvcd hiough communal mobilizaion bu as
pai of a pioccss in which Muslims paiicipac acivcly in naional poliics,
cngagc hcmsclvcs cnhusiasically on naional issucs and biing o hc
foic Muslim giicvanccs as aspccs of hc in|usiccs ha scai !ndian
socicy.
A kccn scnsc of icalism mus infoim his cffoi, bcsidcs considciablc
paicncc. No poliical paiy would iisk is populaiiy by bcing sccn as a
'champion of hc Muslims. A widci cducaivc cffoi is ncccssaiy. !
will akc imc. Bu hcic is much piomising maciial in hc couniy
which is icady o hclp. Thc giowing numbci of NGOs, human iighs
aciviss and a wholc aiiay of volunaiy agcncics would piofi by Muslims`
paiicipaion and hus lcain moic of hcii pligh. A ncw climc would bc
gcnciacd in which hc scculai paiics would find i casici o cxci
hcmsclvcs o sccuic icdicss of Muslims` giicvanccs.
! would, howcvci, bc wiong o blamc hc Muslim poliicians, sill
lcss hc communiy isclf alonc foi hc said sac in which hc communiy
finds isclf. Lcadciship is no confincd o poliicians. Thcic was lilc
sign of i in ficlds ohci han poliics cihci.
Notes & References:
1. Yick Wo vs. Hopkins (1886) 118 \.S. 356
2. CAD \ol. \ii, p. 38.
3. Nchiu, 1awahailal, An Auobiogiaphy; Oxfoid \nivcisiy Picss (fifh
!mpicssion), p. 136.
4. Caidozo, B.M., T|c Na/u/c o| /|c Iud|:|a/ P/o:c; Yalc \nivcisiy Picss,
1921. p. 168
5. Thc Timcs of !ndia, Novcmbci 11, 1989.
6. Ashoka Mcha and Achyu Pawaidhan, (1942), T|c Communa/ T/|an/c |n
Ind|a, Allahabad, Kiabisan, p. 1O7)
7. Rcpoi on !ndian Consiuional Rcfoims (1918), Calcua Supciincndcn,
Govcinmcn Piining, !ndia, paia 163, p. 1O5.
8. !bid. Paia 23O, p. 149
9. Thc !ndian uaicily Rcgisci 1927, vol. 1, p.37
T|c Con/|/u/|on o| Ind|a and Mu/|m Po/|/|: 7
1O. !oi hc cx vidc Maiguciic Dovc, Io/|c|/cd Iu/u/c, T|c Con|/|:/ otc/
Con/c M|n|//|c |n B/|/|| Ind|a, 1933 -1937: Chanakya Publicaions,
Dclhi, 1987, p. 462, an cxccllcn, bu ncglcccd woik.
11. CAD: vol. \ pp. 211-72 and vol. \!!!, pp. 277-342 icspccivcly).
12 CAD: vol. \!!!, p. 275.
13 CAD: vol. \!!!, p.298.
34 ibid, p. 323.
15 CAD, May 26, 1949,vol. \!!!, P. 35O, his icply o hc dcbac on May 25-26,
194.
16 CAD, vol. \!!, p. 39.
17 !oi dcails vidc hc wiici`s, T|c Mu/|m o| Ind|a A Do:umcn/a/, Rc:o/d,
Oxfoid \nivcisiy Picss, 2OO3.
8 AC Noo/an|
Is|am aa4 P|ara|ism
A.R. Momin*
Abstract
T|| ac/ ||// //|c /o c\/a|n /|c :u//cn/ uac o| /u/a/|m and
mu//|:u//u/a/|m I/ | no/cd /|a/ |n /c:cn/ /|mc mu//|:u//u/a/|m
|a |ccn mo/c |n touc /|an /u/a/|m T|c /uo /c/m, |ouctc/,
c\/c onc and /|c amc /ca/|/,. /|c /ccn:c o| mo/c /|an onc
/ou o| co/c, :u//u/c o/ /c/||on |n a |tcn o:|c/, I/am |c/|ctc
|n /u/a/|m T|c/c a/c ctc/a/ tc/c |n /|c |o/, Qu/an u||:|
/ca:| /o/c/an:c and ca:c|u/ :oc\|/cn:c H|/o/|:a//, I/am |a
a/ua, /|tcd |n a /u/a/ a/mo|c/c ma//cd |, /|c /ccn:c o|
ctc/a/ o/|c/ c/|n|:, /c/||ou and /a:|a/ /ou T|c I/am|: /au,
dctc/ocd otc/ /|c ac, /c:on|:c mu//|:u//u/a/|m a a /|t|n
/ca/|/, Indccd I/am |a a/ua, c\||||/cd a |ca//|, a//|/udc /oua/d
o/|c/ :u//u/c L|/cu|c, I/am |a a/ua, //ca/cd /|c non-Mu/|m
u|/c:/ /|t|n |n an I/am|: /a/c u|/| u/mo/ |a|/nc
Thc cims pluial socicy and pluialism, which camc ino voguc in
hc 196Os, havc bccn incicasingly uscd in anhiopology, sociology,
poliical scicncc and incinaional iclaions. Thc cim pluial socicy has
bccn uscd o dcsciibc socicics ha aic chaiacciizcd by subsanial
iacial, chnic and social divcisiics and clcavagcs. Anhiopologiss havc
dcsciibcd many such socicics as composic, muliplc and dual socicics.
!n hc social scicnccs hc cim pluialism has bccn uscd in wo iahci
diffcicn scnscs. !n onc scnsc, pluialism is said o bc a piopciy oi
chaiacci of socicics ha aic maikcd by hc cocxiscncc of scvcial
disinc gioups and culuial communiics wihin a singlc poliical and
cconomic syscm. By viiuc of hc fac ha hcsc gioups and communiics
aic govcincd by hc samc cconomic and poliical pioccsscs, hcy cnd
o bc inci-dcpcndcn. A hc samc imc, howcvci, hcy havc a good
mcasuic of auonomy. !n hc sccond scnsc, pluialism has a disinc
poliical connoaion and is icgaidcd as a ncccssaiy condiion foi hc
viabiliy of dcmociacy in complcx socicics. !n dcmociaic pluialism,
hc dccision making pioccsscs dcvolvc upon a widc vaiicy of
auonomous poliical insiuions and social gioups.
1
`Piofcssoi Momin cachcs sociology a \nivcisiy of Mumbai, Mumbai, !ndia.
S/ud|c On I/am. !o/ I, No 1, (2004), 9-25
Thc fiis usagc of hc cim pluialism has gaincd widci cuiicncy in
hc social scicnccs. Anohci cim, which has moic oi lcss hc samc
connoaion and which has suipasscd pluialism in usagc, is
muliculuialism. Mos concmpoiaiy socicics, whchci in Asia and
Afiica oi in Iuiopc and Noih Amciica, aic now pluial and muliculuial
in hc scnsc ha hcy aic composcd of many disinc, sclf-conscious
chnic gioups and culuial communiics. Thc gica migiaions of hc
pos-Wai pciiod havc no only alcicd hc dcmogiaphic composiion of
many couniics in Iuiopc and Noih Amciica bu havc also challcngcd
hc assumpion of a homogcncous naional culuic as hc cdificc of hc
naion-sac. Thc pioccss of globalizaion, which has biough abou an
cnoimous amoun of cconomic, financial, poliical and culuial
unifoimiy and homogcnizaion acioss hc woild, has also coniibucd
o hc icvival oi icinvcnion of chnic idcniics, hanks o hc
unpicccdcncd advanccs in infoimaion and communicaions cchnology.
Pluialism is no only indicaivc of an impoian facc of hc poliical
and social icaliy of oui imcs bu i also cnails a sc of moial picmiscs
and valuc-oiicnaions, including an opcn and ungiudging
acknowlcdgcmcn and acccpancc of chnic and culuial divcisiy,
disavowal of foiccd assimilaion, olciancc and pcaccful cocxiscncc in
a humanc and dcmociaic fiamcwoik, icspcc foi human iighs, including
communiy and minoiiy iighs, and commimcn o dialoguc and ohci
pcaccful mchods of conflic icsoluion.
2
This papci sccks o dcmonsiac ha hc concmpoiaiy discouisc
of pluialism and muliculuialism can piofiably diaw upon somc of hc
valuablc insighs and coniibuions of hc !slamic iadiion.
The Islamic perspective on diversity
Thc !slamic faih is foundcd on hc cdificc of wo caidinal piinciplcs:
hc oncncss and omnipocncc of God and hc uniy, cqualiy and
biohcihood of humankind. !slam akcs cognizancc of iacial and chnic
divcisiics ha chaiacciizcs human socicics acioss hc woild and holds
ha hcsc divcisiics aic divincly oidaincd Thc ui`an says: '!f hy
Loid had so willcd, Hc could havc madc humankind onc pcoplc, bu
hcy will no ccasc o diffci (11: 118). Thc ui`an fuihci says: 'And
among His signs is hc cicaion of hc hcavcns and hc caih, and hc
vaiiaions in youi languagcs and colouis; vciily in ha aic signs foi
hosc who know (3O: 22). Lincagcs, iibcs and chnic gioups, which
chaiacciizc human socicics cvciywhcic, aic said o havc bccn cicacd
by God (ui`an,25: 54). Howcvci, hcsc divisions aic mcan o scivc
hc puiposc of chnic oi culuial idcnificaion; hcy aic no indiccs of
1O AR Mom|n
social ianking oi hiciaichy. Thc only woihwhilc disincion oi honoui,
in hc !slamic vicw, is picy and moial viiuc. Thus hc ui`an says: 'O
mankind! Wc cicacd you fiom a singlc (paii) of a malc and a fcmalc,
and madc you ino naions and iibcs, so ha you may know cach ohci.
\ciily hc mos honouicd of you in hc sigh of God is onc who is hc
mos iighcous of you (49: 13).
Thc vaiicd manifcsaions of divcisiy includc vaiiaions in
livclihood, bchavioui pacins, knowlcdgc and skills, and hc disiibuion
of icsouiccs, including powci. !slam akcs duc cognizancc of such
vaiiaions in icspcc of livclihood (2: 212; 13: 26; 16: 71), knowlcdgc (2:
247; 58: 11), and hc disiibuion of wcalh and powci. Thc ui`an says:
'Such days (of vaiying foiuncs) Wc givc o pcoplc by uins (3: 14O).
The universality of prophecy
!n hc !slamic vicw, God is no a paiochial oi iacial dciy likc
1chovah, bu hc Loid of hc univcisc and of all humankind. 'All of
mankind is God`s family, says a iadiion of hc Piophc. Thc ui`an
says ha piophcs havc bccn scn o all pcoplc in all pais of hc woild
(35: 24). Muslims aic icquiicd o bclicvc, no only in hc piophccy of
Muhammad, bu in ha of all ohci piophcs (1, 24, OOO, accoiding o
a iadiion of hc Piophc) who wcic scn o humankind a diffcicn
poins of imc, as wcll as in all divinc sciipuics (2: 4, 285; 3: 84; 4: 26,
162). !slam holds ha all hc piophcs caiiicd basically hc samc divinc
mcssagc. Thc !slamic vicw of piophccy, hcicfoic, is inclusivc iahci
han cxclusivc, univcisal iahci han paiochial.
Accoiding o hc !slamic vicw, God`s omnipocncc and ma|csy
iansccnds hc divcisiy of modcs and sics of woiship. Thus hc ui`an
says: 'Had God no chcckcd onc sc of pcoplc by mcans of anohci,
hcic would suicly havc bccn pullcd down monasciics, chuichcs,
synagogucs and mosqucs in which hc namc of God is commcmoiacd
in abundan mcasuic (22: 4O).
Tolerance and peaceful coexistence
Thc ui`an cxplicily mainains ha hcic is no placc in !slam foi
compulsion (2: 256). ! says: '!f i had bccn hy Loid`s wish, cvciyonc
in hc woild would havc bclicvcd; will you hcn compcl pcoplc, agains
hcii will, o bclicvc (1O: 99). Thc Piophc is old o say o hc
unbclicvcis: '!oi you, youi icligion, and foi mc, minc (1O9: 6).
Thc Piophc is adviscd o invic pcoplc o hc pah of iighcousncss
and guidancc, no hiough inimidaion and cocicion, bu in a gcnlc
and amiablc mannci. Thus hc ui`an says: '!nvic (all) o hc way of
I/am and P/u/a/|m 11
hy Loid wih wisdom and bcauiful picaching, and aiguc wih hcm in
hc bcs of ways (16: 125). ! is significan o noc ha whcn God askcd
Piophc Moscs o go o hc Phaiaoh in oidci o invic him o hc pah
of iighcousncss, hc was old o 'spcak o him mildly, pcichancc hc may
hccd hc waining oi fcai God (ui`an 2O: 44). Thc ui`an adviscs
Muslims no o icvilc hosc who woiship idols oi imagcs (6: 1O8).
Thc pcoplc of Scmiic icligions, cspccially hc 1cws and Chiisians,
shaic somc fundamcnal aiiclcs of faih wih hc Muslims. Thc ui`an
cmphasizcs ha hcsc commonly shaicd cncs should piovidc hc basis
foi a pioccss of dialoguc and icconciliaion bcwccn Muslims and hc
Pcoplc of hc Book. Thc ui`an says: 'O Pcoplc of hc Book! Comc o
common cims as bcwccn us and you: Tha wc woiship nonc bu God,
ha wc associac no paincis wih Him; ha wc appoin no, fiom
among ouisclvcs, loids and paions ohci han God (3: 64). Thc spccial
affiniy bcwccn !slam and ohci Scmiic icligions is icflcccd in hc
pcimission accoidcd o inci-maiiiagc bcwccn Muslim mcn and 1cwish
oi Chiisian womcn and hc pcimissibiliy of hc flcsh of animals
slaughcicd by 1cws oi Chiisians (ui`an 5: 5).
!ollowing hc conqucs of Makkah, hc Piophc cncicd hc ciy
wih his companions. Thc pcoplc of Makkah wcic ciiificd and
appichcnsivc abou hc likcly piospcc of hcii summaiy cxccuion on
hc oidcis of hc Piophc, foi hcy had sub|cccd him o hc ciuclcs
kind of humiliaion and oiuic and had finally diivcn him ou of hc
ciy. Thcy sood bcfoic him in fcai and icpidaion. 'Wha kind of
icamcn do you cxpcc fiom mc?, hc askcd. Thcy said in a icmbling
voicc: 'You aic oui kind and affccionac biohci. Wc cxpcc hc soi
of icamcn ha is cxpcccd fiom a kind biohci. Thc Piophc smilcd
and said: 'Today you will no bc akcn o ask. Go, you aic ficc!. Thcy
could scaiccly bclicvc hcii cais and fcll a his fcc, ovciwhclmcd as
hcy wcic by hc Piophc`s magnanimiy and compassion.
!ollowing hc Piophc`s migiaion o Madinah, Makkah was faccd
wih a scvcic diough. Sincc Makkah was a baiicn dcsci, food giains
had o bc biough fiom ohci aicas. Na|d was hc only aica which was
unaffcccd by hc diough and could scnd food giains o Makkah. A
gioup of Muslim soldicis happcncd o capuic an influcnial pcison
fiom Na|d, namcd Thamamah ibn Ahal. Hc was biough o Madinah
and akcn o hc Piophc. Thc Piophc invicd him o hc !slamic faih,
which hc icfuscd and icoicd ha hc was icady o pay iansom foi his
iclcasc. Thc Piophc oidcicd ha hc bc icd o a pillai in hc mosquc.
On his insiucion, Thamamah was piovidcd wih food. Afci a whilc
hc Piophc invicd him again o cmbiacc !slam, bu in vain. A fcw days
12 AR Mom|n
passcd. !inally hc Piophc oidcicd his iclcasc. Hc was so ouchcd by
hc Piophc`s gcnciosiy and kindncss ha hc fcll a his fcc and
cmbiaccd !slam.
Thamamah old hc Piophc ha food giains fiom his icgion of
Na|d wcic scn o Makkah and if hc pcimicd, hc could block hc
supply. Thc Piophc agiccd o hc suggcsion and Thamamah blockcd
hc supply of food giains o Makkah, which causcd a gica dcal of
haidship o hc pcoplc hcic. Thcy scn an cmissaiy o hc Piophc, who
old him on hcii bchalf ha hc had always picachcd lovc, compassion
and chaiiy and ha hc pcoplc of Makkah wcic on hc vcigc of
saivaion. Thc Piophc immcdiacly dispachcd a lcci o Thamamah,
asking him o lif hc blockagc and icsoic hc supply of food giains. Hc
hcn scn 5OO gold coins foi hc pooi and dcsiuc pcoplc in Makkah.
Thc aiudc and bchavioui of hc Piophc owaids hc 1cws and
Chiisians in Madinah cxhibicd icmaikablc olciancc, bioad-
mindcdncss and compassion. Somc 1cwish familics livcd in his
ncighbouihood in Madinah. !f onc of hcii childicn fcll sick, hc Piophc
would makc i a poin o visi hc disicsscd family as a gcsuic of good
will. !f hc funcial of a 1cw passcd by and if hc was aiound, hc would
sand up as a maik of icspcc foi hc dcccascd.
!slam docs no allow aggicssion. Only a dcfcnsivc wai is pcimicd
(ui`an 2: 19O). Whcn hc Piophc passcd away, hc aica undci hc
coniol of hc !slamic sac cxcccdcd hicc million squaic kilomccis.
Thc cos involvcd in hc conqucs of his vas aica, in cims of wai
casualics, was lcss han 3OO.
The Islamic attitude towards other cultures
Sincc !slam is a univcisal icligion, i is chaiacciizcd no only by a
gica dcal of innci sicngh and icsilicncc bu also by a subsanial
mcasuic of opcnncss and flcxibiliy. ! cschcws hc naiiow pah of
xcnophobia, chnoccniism and cxclusion. Thc !slamic aiudc owaids
ohci culuial iadiions is icflcccd in is vicw of hc puisui of knowlcdgc
and hc lcaining of foicign languagcs, in hc lcgiimacy accoidcd o
icgional cusoms and usagcs, in hc adopion of foicign cchnology, and
in hc acccpancc of foicign mcdicincs as wcll as culuial pacins.
Thc Piophc is icpoicd o havc said: 'Wisdom is (likc) hc los
animal of a Muslim; hc cachcs hold of i whcicvci hc finds i. Thc
Piophc icgaidcd hc acquisiion of knowlcdgc as an obligaion on
cvciy Muslim and cxhoicd his followcis o caiiy hc oich of lcaining
fai and widc. Hc waincd agains conccaling oi wihholding knowlcdgc.
!slam opcncd hc poials of knowlcdgc and lcaining o all and sundiy:
I/am and P/u/a/|m 13
mcn and womcn, iich and pooi, high and low.
!n hc Balc of Badi, Muslims scoicd vicoiy ovci hc unbclicvcis
and moic han scvcny piisoncis-of-wai wcic capuicd by hcm. \mai,
who bccamc hc sccond caliph afci hc dcmisc of hc Piophc, suggcscd
ha hcy should bc cxccucd. (!ncidcnally, hc Biblc says ha if hc
cncmy is dcfcacd in a wai, hcii mcn, womcn, old pcisons and childicn
should bc pu o dcah). Abu Baki, who succccdcd hc Piophc as hc
hcad of hc !slamic sac, disagiccd wih his opinion and suggcscd ha
hcy should bc sc ficc in licu of somc iansom. Thc Piophc acccpcd
his suggcsion. A iansom of foui housand D|/|am oi a hundicd camcls
was fixcd as iansom foi cach of hc capivcs. Thosc who paid hc iansom
wcic sc ficc. !n hc casc of hosc who could no affoid hc iansom
moncy, hcii iclaivcs and fiicnds camc o hcii icscuc and aiiangcd foi
hc iansom amoun. Somc of hc capivcs had ncihci hc iansom moncy
noi fiicnds oi iclaivcs who could pay hc iansom moncy on hcii bchalf,
bu hcy kncw icading and wiiing. Thc Piophc dcclaicd ha a capivc,
who is unablc o pay hc iansom moncy bu knows hc ai of wiiing,
could sccuic his iclcasc by caching cn Muslim childicn how o wiic.
! was fiom onc of hcsc piisoncis ha Zayd ibn Thabi, who laci
scivcd as hc Piophc`s sccicaiy, lcain wiiing. !mam Bukhaii has
icpoicd his incidcn undci hc capion: an:/|on a::o/dcd /o /|c
ao|n/mcn/ o| aan a /ca:|c/ o| Mu/|m !ncicsingly, a fcw of hc
piisoncis had ncihci hc capaciy o pay hc iansom moncy noi hc
abiliy o icad and wiic. Thcy wcic sc ficc on hcii assuiancc ha hcy
would no wagc a wai agains Muslims in hc fuuic.
Thc Piophc occasionally adoincd Pcisian and Roman aiic and
adviscd hc usc of !ndian mcdicincs. Oncc, whcn onc of his companions
fcll sciiously ill, hc adviscd him o consul a docoi in Madinah who was
a Chiisian. !n hc Balc of hc Dich, onc of his companions, Salman
hc Pcisian, suggcscd hc digging up of a widc dich aiound hc ciy of
Madinah as a dcfcncc siacgy. Thc Piophc icadily acccpcd hc
suggcsion. !n somc of hc balcs fough duiing hc imc of hc Piophc,
foicign cchniqucs of waifaic wcic uscd wihou any icscivaions. Thc
Piophc insiuccd his sccicaiy Zayd ibn Thabi o lcain Syiiac, Hcbicw
and Pcisian languagcs so ha hc could caiiy on hc Piophc`s
coiicspondcncc wih foicign iulcis. !slamic law iccognizcs hc validiy
of local cusoms and usagcs, known as U/| and Aada| in lcgal pailancc,
in |udicial pionounccmcns.
Thc !slamic aiudc of opcnncss owaids ohci culuial iadiions
was cvidcnccd in laci ccnuiics as wcll. Duiing hc icign of hc Abbasid
caliph, al-Mansui (iulcd 754-775), a movcmcn foi hc ianslaion of
14 AR Mom|n
hc scicnific, philosophical and liciaiy woiks of ancicn Gicccc, Igyp
and !ndia ino Aiabic was iniiacd. A numbci of 1cwish, Chiisian,
Hindu, Magian and Sabacan scholais and ianslaois, such as Hunanyn
ibn !shaq oi 1ohannius (d. 877), Yuhanna ibn Masawayh (d. 873),
Thabi ibn uiia (d. 9O1), Abu Bishi Maa (d. 94O) and usa ibn
Luqa (d. 912), wcic associacd wih his movcmcn. Hunanyn ibn !shaq,
a Chiisian ianslaoi, was appoincd hcad of hc Acadcmy of Scicncc
(Da/ a/-H|/ma|) in Baghdad, csablishcd by caliph al-Mamun (d. 833).
Hc also scivcd as a physician o caliph al-Muawakkil. !bn Maymun oi
Maimonidcs, onc of hc disinguishcd philosophcis and ianslaois, was
a Spanish iabbi. 1ui|i ibn Bakhishu (d. 88O), a Chiisian, was appoincd
as a coui physician by caliph al-Mansui. Thc gioup of ianslaois
includcd Ali ibn Abbas al-Ma|usi (d. 994), a Magian, and Mankah and
!bn Dahan, who wcic Hindus. Caliph Haiun al-Rashid sc up a laigc
hospial in Baghdad undci hc supcivision of a Chiisian physician 1ibiil
ibn Bakhishu.
3
Legal pluralism in the Islamic tradition
Thc win souiccs of !slamic law, namcly hc ui`an and hc Piophc`s
Sunna|, piovidc hc fundamcnal piinciplcs and picccps govcining
spiiiual and cmpoial macis. Thcsc piinciplcs and picccps also
piovidc sufficicn scopc foi dcaling wih unfoicsccn siuaions and
ciicumsanccs. Muslim |uiiss foimulacd wo mchodological piinciplcs
foi hc incipicaion and clucidaion of !slamic law in hc concx of
changing imcs and siuaions. Thcsc wo piinciplcs aic analogical
dcducion (Q|,a) and conscnsus among |uiiss and scholais (I/ma). !n
addiion, hcy cnunciacd a iaional and cicaivc mchodology foi lcgal
innovaions (I//||ad) All hcsc mchodological appioachcs wcic basically
dciivcd fiom hc ui`an and hc Piophc`s Sunna|
4
Duiing hc caily !slamic pciiod, pcoplc diiccly uincd o hc
Piophc foi hc claiificaion and clucidaion of lcgal piinciplcs and
iulings. Afci his dcmisc, his companions migiacd o diffcicn lands
and sc up sudy ciiclcs and schools hcic. Wih hc passagc of imc,
Muslims living in diffcicn ciics and owns bcgan o follow hc lcgal
opinions (Ia/aua) and |udicial pionounccmcns of hc companions who
had sclcd hcic. Thus, hc pcoplc of Madinah gcncially followcd hc
Ia/aua of Abdullah ibn \mai; hc pcoplc of Kufah hosc of Abdullah
ibn Masud; hc pcoplc of Makkah hosc of Abdullah ibn Abbas; hc
pcoplc of Igyp hosc of Abdullah ibn Ami ibn al-'As. Duiing hc fiis
hicc ccnuiics of hc !slamic cia, scvcial disincivc schools of
|uiispiudcncc cmcigcd. Thcsc schools of |uiispiudcncc wcic namcd
I/am and P/u/a/|m 15
afci cmincn |uiiss, including Hasan of Basiah (d. 728), Sufyan al-
Thawii (d. 777), Awzai (d. 773), al-Tabaii (d. 922) and Abu Thawi (d.
86O), among ohcis. Mos of hcsc schools dicd ou wih hc passing
away of hcii foundcis oi shoily hcicafci. !oui ma|oi schools of
|uiispiudcncc, which flouiishcd and havc suivivcd o his day, includc
hosc of Abu Hanifah (d. 767), Malik (d. 795), Shafii (d. 795) and
Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 855).
Lcgal pluialism in hc !slamic iadiion is icflcccd a hicc disinc
lcvcls: (i) hc cocxiscncc and accommodaion, iahci han suppicssion,
of diffcicn incipicaions of !slamic law (ii) hc cognizancc of icgional,
local piaciccs and usagcs in |udicial pionounccmcns and lcgal iulings
(iii) hc olciancc and accommodaion of sccaiian and dcnominaional
diffcicnccs.
Thc Piophc`s Companions (Sa|a|a|) and hc !ollowcis (Ta||un)
had cciain diffcicnccs in macis of |uiispiudcncc, lcgal
pionounccmcns and icligious iiuals. Somc of hcm iccicd hc B|m|//a|
aloud in piaycis whilc ohcis picfciicd o iccic i quicly. Somc iccicd
hc Qunu/ in hc pic-dawn piaycis whilc ohcis did no. !n spic of such
diffcicnccs hcy ncvci hcsiacd o follow onc anohci in congicgaional
piaycis. !mam Shafii considcicd fiogs, ciabs and oioiscs impcimissiblc
foi caing whilc ohci |uiiss did no piohibi hcii caing.
!slamic law (S|a/|a|) follows hc pah of casc and convcnicncc foi
pcoplc, and cschcws hc pah of haidship and inconvcnicncc. An cmincn
Muslim |uiis !bn al-ayyim says: 'Thc basis of hc !slamic S|a/|a| is
wisdom and wclfaic of hc pcoplc in his woild and in hc Hcicafci.
This wclfaic lics in complcc |usicc, mcicy, wcll-bcing and wisdom.
Any hing ha dcpais fiom |usicc o oppicssion, fiom mcicy o
haishncss, fiom wclfaic o misciy and fiom wisdom o folly, has nohing
o do wih hc S|a/|a|.
5
As wc shall picscnly scc, scvcial cmincn
|uiiss, scholais and mcn of picy havc vicwcd lcgal diffcicnccs in cims
of convcnicncc and casc foi hc common pcoplc. Onc of hc impoian
mchodological piinciplcs in hc Hanafi school of |uiispiudcncc is a/-
Maa/|| a/-Mu/a/a|, which cmphasizcs hc gicaci good and hc
convcnicncc of pcoplc in lcgal iulings and pionounccmcns.
!n spic of diffcicnccs in lcgal pionounccmcns and iulings, hc
scholais and |uiiss of hc caily !slamic pciiod had icmcndous icgaid
and icspcc foi onc anohci. Thcy ncvci doubcd hc honcsy, incgiiy
and sincciiy of hcii concmpoiaiics. Thcy ncvci allowcd diffcicnccs
in lcgal macis o affcc inci-pcisonal iclaionships. !mam Abu !shaq
Shaibi (d. 73O) has pciccpivcly obscivcd: '!f a ncw issuc lcads o
diffcicnccs among pcoplc, wihou causing hosiliy, malicc, ill will oi
16 AR Mom|n
division, wc icgaid i as a pai of !slam. Bu if a ncw issuc icsuls in
cicaing animosiy and inciiminaion among Muslims, if i causcs hc
snapping of hc bonds of biohcihood, i has nohing o do wih !slam.
6
Somc imcs, hc scholais of yoic absaincd fiom pcifoiming somc
of hc icligious iiuals which hcy considcicd obligaoiy, ou of dcfcicncc
foi hcii scniois. Whcn !mam Shafii visicd hc omb of !mam Abu
Hanifah in Baghdad and i was imc foi hc pic-dawn piaycis, hc did
no say hc Qunu/ piaycis which, in his opinion, wcic obligaoiy. Whcn
somconc qucsioncd him abou his, hc icplicd, poining o hc omb of
!mam Abu Hanifah: 'How could ! do so bcfoic hc !mam, who did no
hink ha hc Qunu/ piaycis aic obligaoiy in hc pic-dawn piaycis.
Thc caily scholais, |uiiss and mcn of lcaining vicwcd hc lcgal
diffcicnccs among hcii picdcccssois and concmpoiaiics, no as a banc,
bu as a blcssing in disguisc. Sufyan Thawii, foi cxamplc, uscd o say:
'Do no say ha hc U/ama havc diffcicd in such and such maci; say,
inscad, ha hcy havc piovidcd convcnicncc and casc foi hc pcoplc
(by hcii diffcicncc of opinion).
7
Abu Yusuf and Muhammad ibn Hasan
al-Shaybani, hc disinguishcd disciplcs of !mam Abu Hanifah, had
cciain diffcicnccs in macis of |uiispiudcncc and lcgal pionounccmcns
wih hcii mcnoi. Yc, hcii opinions wcic incoipoiacd in hc coipus
of Hanafi |uiispiudcncc. Hanafi scholais and |uiiss havc mainaincd
ha hcic is nohing ob|ccionablc if Hanafi scholais and |uiiss icach
a conscnsus in icspcc of an cxiaoidinaiy casc in an cxiaoidinaiy
siuaion, whcicby hcy givc a lcgal opinion in accoidancc wih hc
piinciplcs and cncs of hc Maliki school of |uiispiudcncc, iahci han
wih hosc of hcii own Hanafi school. Thus, Hanafi scholais and |uiiss
in hc pic-!ndcpcndcncc pciiod gavc a iuling, bascd on scholaily
conscnsus, in icgaid o hc dissoluion of a Muslim woman`s maiiiagc
whosc husband has lcf hci wih no iacc of his whcicabous.
!n hc caily !slamic pciiod, somc iulcis sough o biing abou
unifoimiy and homogcnizaion in lcgal macis undci hc auspiccs of
hc sac. Howcvci, hcy wcic dissuadcd by cmincn scholais and |uiiss
fiom doing so. Duiing hc caliphac of \mai ibn Abd al Aziz, i was
suggcscd ha hc should biing abou unifoimiy and conscnsus in icspcc
of lcgal iulings, o which hc icplicd: '! would no havc bccn vciy happy
if Muslim scholais had no had any diffcicnccs in lcgal macis. Thc
companions of hc Piophc had cciain diffcicnccs in lcgal macis.
Thcicfoic, any onc who follows hc picccps of any of hc companions
is on hc iigh pah. Hc hcn ciiculacd an oidci hiough hc !slamic
ciiioiics o hc cffcc ha hc pcoplc of cvciy icgion should abidc by
hc iulings ovci which hc local scholais and |uiiss had icachcd a
I/am and P/u/a/|m 17
conscnsus.
8
Oncc hc Abbasid caliph al-Mansui old !mam Malik ha hc
pioposcd o ciiculac copics of hc !mam`s books in cvciy ciy and own,
wih hc insiucion ha pcoplc should follow only hcsc books. !mam
Malik dissuadcd hc caliph fiom doing any hing of hc kind. Hc old
him ha pcoplc in diffcicn ciics wcic following hc iulings of local
scholais and |uiiss and ha i was advisablc o allow his siuaion o
coninuc. Likcwisc, caliph Haiun al-Rashid old !mam Malik ha hc
wishcd o havc hc laci`s cclcbiacd woik A/-Muua//a o bc hung in
hc Ka`bah, so ha hc Muslim masscs could follow i in a unifoim
mannci. !mam Malik adviscd him no o do so.
9
Moic han onc-hiid of Muslims acioss hc woild aic living as
minoiiics in non-Muslim couniics.
1O
Thcsc Muslim minoiiics aic faccd
wih a numbci of pioblcms and challcngcs. This siuaion has lcd somc
concmpoiaiy Muslim scholais and |uiiss o iccxaminc somc of hc
piinciplcs cnunciacd in hc classical woiks of !slamic |uiispiudcncc.
Thcy aiguc ha hcic is a nccd o ichink somc of hc impoian issucs
in !slamic |uiispiudcncc, including hc iadiional dichoomy bcwccn
hc Abodc of !slam (Da/ a/-I/am) and hc Abodc of Wai (Da/ a/-Ha/|),
hc iclaions bcwccn Muslims and non-Muslims in pluial and
muliculuial socicics, hc paiicipaion of Muslims in scculai poliics,
coping wih hc picssuics and challcngcs of scculaiizaion, and hc
consiains on !slamic family laws and on hc maincnancc of !slamic
idcniy. !n 1994, hc Noih Amciican I|q| Council announccd a pio|cc
o dcvclop a disincivc body of |uiispiudcncc foi Muslims living in non-
Muslim couniics. Di. Taha 1abii al-Alwani, chaiiman of hc Council,
has uscd hc cim 1uiispiudcncc of hc Minoiiics (I|q| a/-Aqa//|,,a|)
and has aigucd ha his consiucs an auonomous body of |uiispiudcncc
bascd on hc piinciplc of hc iclcvancc of !slamic laws o hc condiions
and ciicumsanccs pcculiai o a paiiculai communiy. Hc also aigucs
ha hc iadiional cacgoiics of Da/ a/-I/am and Da/ a/-Ha/| aic no
longci iclcvan. Thc cmincn Igypian scholai Di. Yusuf al-aiadawi
has caiiicd hc aigumcn fuihci in his books I|q| a/ Aqa//|,,a| a/-
Mu/|m|n (in Aiabic) and I|q| o| Mu/|m M|no/|/|c (in Inglish)
11
Non-Muslims in the Islamic state
Thc aiudc and bchavioui of Piophc Muhammad owaids hc
bclicfs and iadiions of hc followcis of ohci icligions cxhibicd
cxcmplaiy olciancc, undcisanding and magnanimiy. Hc allowcd a
dclcgaion of polyhciss and idolaois fiom Taif o say in his mosquc
a Madinah. Somc Chiisians fiom Na|ian, who visicd hc Piophc,
18 AR Mom|n
sough his pcimission o say hcii piaycis in hc mosquc, which was
giancd. Whcn hc sc up a ciy-sac a Madinah, hc dicw up is
consiuion, which was commicd o wiiing a his insancc. This
consiuion includcd wo significan passagcs: fiis, Muslims and 1cws
will bc cnilcd o hc picscivaion and pioccion of hcii icspccivc
icligious iadiions; sccondly, Muslims and 1cws will ogchci consiuc
a (poliical) communiy. This covcnan was cxcndcd, a a laci dac, o
hc Chiisians of Na|ian and hc pagan Aiabs. Thus hc Pa\ I/am|:a
includcd no only Muslims bu also 1cws, Chiisians and hc pagan
Aiabs, and guaianccd o hcm icligious, culuial, and |udicial auonomy.
!n fac, hc !slamic sac assumcd icsponsibiliy foi hc maincnancc
and cvcn dcfcncc of 1cwish, Chiisian and pagan idcniics. Thus hc
ciy-sac of Madinah piovidcd hc fiis modcl of dcmociaic pluialism.
Thc chaici of iighs and assuianccs issucd o hc Chiisian populaion
of Na|ian by hc Piophc includcd hc following passagc:
An assuiancc is hcicby cxcndcd, on bchalf of God and hc
Piophc, o hc pcoplc of Na|ian, ha hcii livcs, icligion, lands
and wcalh will bc piocccd. No changc in hcii cxising
condiions will bc cffcccd. Thcii iighs will no bc violacd.
Thcii commcicial caiavans and dclcgaions will bc piocccd.
No caidinal will bc dismisscd fiom his posiion, noi will an
asccic bc dcnicd hc iigh o his way of lifc. Thc cusodians of
chuichcs will facc no incifcicncc in icspcc of hcii funcions.
12
Thc pioccion of minoiiy iighs undci hc !slamic dispcnsaion
has no paiallcl in hc annals of hisoiy. Thc Piophc cxhoicd his
followcis o sciupulously piocc hc lcgiimac iighs and piivilcgcs of
hc D||mm| (non-Muslim sub|ccs of hc !slamic sac). Hc is icpoicd
o havc said: 'Whosocvci oppicsscs any D||mm|, ! shall bc his piosccuoi
on hc Day of 1udgcmcn Hc issucd siic insiucions o hc cffcc
ha, in hc cvcn of a wai, womcn, childicn and icligious funcionaiics
bclonging o ohci icligions should no bc haimcd.
This aiudc of olciancc and sympahy was coninucd by hc foui
caliphs and hc companions. ! is icmaikablc ha hc occupaion of
Syiia by hc Muslim aimy duiing hc caliphac of Abu Baki mc wih no
icsisancc fiom hc local Chiisian populaion who wclcomcd hc Muslim
soldicis who, in hcii cycs, libciacd hcm fiom hc oppicssion of hcii
own coicligioniss. Whcn Khalid ibn Walid madc a icay wih hc
Chiisian populaion afci hc conqucs of Hiia duiing hc caliphac of
Abu Baki, hc gavc a wiicn assuiancc o hcm ha hcii chuichcs
would no bc dcsioycd oi dcscciacd by Muslims and ha hcy would
no bc picvcncd fiom iinging hcii bclls oi fiom caiiying ciosscs in
I/am and P/u/a/|m 19
hcii icligious pioccssions.
13
Duiing hc caliphac of \mai, somc
Muslims usuipcd a piccc of land bclonging o a 1cw and consiuccd a
mosquc on hc sic. Whcn hc Caliph go o know abou i hc oidcicd
hc dcmoliion of hc mosquc and hc icsoiaion of hc land o hc 1cw.
Caliph \mai uscd o consul non-Muslims in miliaiy and adminisiaivc
macis. Duiing hc caliphac of Ali, hc Muslim-occupicd ciiioiics of
hc Byzaninc cmpiic faccd incinal siifc. Impcioi Consaninc !!
scn a sccic mcssagc o hc Chiisian populaion in hc !slamic sac,
uiging hcm o iisc in icvol agains !slamic iulc and assuiing hcm of
his miliaiy suppoi. Thc Chiisians, howcvci, spuincd hc offci, saying:
` Thcsc cncmics of oui icligion aic picfciablc o you`.
!slam docs no favoui hc foiccd assimilaion oi convcision of non-
Muslims (ui`an 2: 256; 1O9: 6). Thc !slamic sac guaianccd no only
hc pioccion of hc livcs and honoui of hc D||mm| bu also of hcii
icligious bclicfs and iiuals, pcisonal laws and cndowmcns.
14
Whcn
Ami ibn al-A`s, a disinguishcd companion of hc Piophc, conqucicd
Igyp in 64O AD, hc lcf hc Chiisian populaion in undisuibcd
posscssion of hcii chuichcs and guaianccd o hcm indcpcndcncc and
auonomy in all ccclcsiasical macis. Hc allowcd hc piopciics and
cndowmcns aachcd o Chiisian chuichcs o icmain wih hcii
iadiional Chiisian cusodians.
15
!n Igyp, a Muslim soldici damagcd
hc cyc of an idol. Thc idol-woishippci complaincd o hc govcinoi
Ami ibn al A`s, who dcciccd ha hc idol-woishippci had a iigh o
damagc hc soldici`s cyc. Asoundcd by his |udgcmcn, hc foigavc hc
soldici in licu of moncaiy compcnsaion.
Somc Chiisians fiom Na|ian in Yaman dcclincd o acccp !slam
bu agiccd o livc undci !slamic iulc on condiion ha hcy would havc
hc ficcdom o icain and managc hcii chuichcs and o appoin hcii
own piicss. Thcy icqucscd hc Piophc o appoin a Muslim |udgc o
aibiiac in hcii dispucs. Hc dcpucd Abu \baydah ibn al-1aiiah. Hc
caiiicd ou hc adminisiaion of |usicc in such an cfficicn and impaiial
mannci ha many Chiisians cmbiaccd !slam.
Oncc Caliph Ali los his aimoui. A fcw days laci hc saw a 1cw
sclling hc samc aimoui in hc local |a:aa/. Hc accoscd hc 1cw and
old him ha hc aimoui bclongcd o him. Thc 1cw icfuscd o acccp
his claim and insiscd ha hc was hc iighful ownci of hc aimoui. Ali
ook up hc maci wih hc local magisiac Qad| Shuiayh. Thc Qad|
askcd foi wincsscs in suppoi of his claim. Ali pioduccd wo wincsscs,
his son Hasan and his ficcd slavc anbai. Qad| Shuiayh old Caliph Ali
ha a son`s csimony in suppoi of his fahci`s claim was no admissiblc
in law and dcciccd ha hc 1cw bc allowcd o icain hc aimoui. Amazcd
2O AR Mom|n
and dccply ouchcd by his cxccpional display of |usicc, hc 1cw
admicd ha hc aimoui indccd bclongcd o Caliph Ali and cmbiaccd
!slam.
Afci hc conqucs of 1ciusalcm, Caliph \mai gavc hc following
assuiancc, in wiiing, o hc Chiisian populaion of hc own: 'This is
hc assuiancc which \mai, hc scivan of God, hc commandci of hc
faihful, gians o hc pcoplc of Aclia. Hc gians o all sccuiiy foi hcii
livcs, hcii posscssions, hcii chuichcs and hcii ciosscs, and foi all ha
conccins hcii icligion. Thcii chuichcs shall no bc convcicd ino
dwclling placcs, noi dcsioycd, noi shall any consiain bc pu upon
hcm in hc maci of hcii faih.
16
\ndci hc !slamic dispcnsaion, non-Muslims wcic cnilcd o
picscivc and mainain hcii placcs of woiship and o consiuc ncw
oncs. !n somc cascs, hc cxpcnscs foi hc maincnancc and icpaii of
hcii placcs of woiship wcic mc fiom hc sac icasuiy. Similaily, hc
salaiics of 1cwish iabbis and Chiisian piicss wcic ofcn paid fiom hc
sac icasuiy. Non-Muslims who had no souicc of incomc icccivcd
sipcnds fiom hc sac icasuiy. Duiing hc caliphac of \hman,
1csci|ah, hc bishop of Mciv, wioc a lcci o hc Paiiaich of Pcisia,
saying ha hc Aiabs, whom God has givcn dominion ovci hc woild,
do no aack Chiisianiy. On hc coniaiy, hcy hclp oui icligion, icspcc
oui piicss and shiincs, and offci donaions o oui chuichcs and
monasciics.
Non-Muslims living in hc !slamic sac aic cnilcd o cciain iighs
and piivilcgcs which aic no availablc o Muslims. !oi cxamplc, hcy
aic allowcd o akc and givc incics, which is foibiddcn o Muslims. All
Muslims aic obligcd o akc pai in a wai in hc cvcn of an cxcinal
aggicssion, which is no binding on non-Muslims. !n licu of his
cxcmpion, hcy aic icquiicd o pay hc I|:,a Thc I|:,a lcvy is no an
invcnion of Muslims. ! cxiscd in !ian and hc Byzaninc cmpiic whcic
pcoplc who wcic cxcmpcd fiom miliaiy scivicc wcic icquiicd o pay
a cciain ax in licu of hc cxcmpion. !n hc balc of Yaimuk, whcn
Muslims wcic unablc o dcfcnd hc non-Muslim sub|ccs of hc !slamic
sac, hcy icuincd o hcm hc wholc amoun of I|:,a.
17
Duiing hc
imc of hc Piophc, hc quanum of I|:,a was abou cn D|/|am in a
ycai, which amouncd o hc cxpcnscs of an avciagc family foi cn days.
Thc amoun of I|:,a diffcicd accoiding o hc cconomic saus of a
pcison. Womcn, old and dcsiuc pcisons, slavcs, physically disablcd
pcoplc and childicn wcic cxcmpcd fiom hc paymcn of I|:,a.
!ollowing hc !slamic conqucs, hc syscm of adminisiaion
icmaincd unchangcd and hc pcisonncl associacd wih macis of
I/am and P/u/a/|m 21
adminisiaion wcic icaincd. By and laigc, hc !slamic sac did no
disciiminac bcwccn Muslims and non-Muslims in icspcc of
cmploymcn oi appoinmcn o high posiions. Caliph Muawiyah`s
financc minisci Sui|un ibn Mansui as wcll as his pcisonal physician
wcic Chiisian. A numbci of D||mm| wcic appoincd o high posiions
duiing \mawid and Abbasid pciiods.
!n somc cascs, whcn hc icligious iighs of non-Muslims wcic
violacd by a iulci, hc U/ama and hc Qad|| ook hc iniiaivc in
iccifying hc siuaion. Duiing hc caliphac of al-Hadi in hc sccond
ccnuiy AH, Ali ibn Sulayman was hc govcinoi of Igyp. !oi unknown
icasons, hc oidcicd hc dcmoliion of somc Chiisian chuichcs. Whcn
Musa ibn !sa succccdcd him, hc appioachcd hc U/ama in his maci.
Layh ibn Sa`ad, who was hc doycn of hc U/ama of his imcs, dcciccd
ha all hc dcmolishcd chuichcs should bc icconsiuccd a sac
cxpcnsc. Thc govcinoi icadily complicd wih his dccicc. Thc giand
mosquc of Damascus had a chuich in is viciniy. Thc caliph Muawiyah
icqucscd hc Chiisian communiy o foicgo hcii iigh ovci hc chuich
in licu of somc compcnsaion, so ha hc chuich picmiscs could bc
includcd in hc mosquc. Thc Chiisians icfuscd. Thc caliph did no
picss hc maci.
!slamic law guaianccs icligious and culuial pioccion no only o
hc 1cws and Chiisians bu also o Zoioasiians, Sabacans and
woishippcis of idols. Afci hc conqucs of Pcisia, hc fiic cmplcs of
Zoioasiians wcic lcf unouchcd by hc Muslims. !n hc cnh ccnuiy,
hicc ccnuiics afci hc !slamic conqucs of Pcisia, fiic cmplcs wcic
o bc found in cvciy piovincc of Pcisia. !ollowing hc conqucs of Sind,
Muhammad ibn asim gavc a wiicn assuiancc o hc local Hindu
populaion o hc cffcc ha hcii cmplcs would no bc haimcd oi
dcsioycd. Daibul had a ma|csic Buddhis cmplc pcichcd on a hillock.
Mulan had a magnificcn Hindu cmplc. All such placcs of woiship
wcic lcf unouchcd by Muhammad ibn asim.
!ollowing hc cnd of hc pciiod of hc foui caliphs, Muslim iulcis
occasionally dcviacd fiom hc piinciplcs of govcinancc as laid down in
hc !slamic S|a/|a| Ncvcihclcss, hc sac and socicy sc up by hc
Piophc and consolidacd by hc caliphs and hc Companions coninucd
o scivc as a bcacon of inspiiaion and guidancc foi succcssivc
gcnciaions of Muslims. By and laigc, Muslim iulcis and govcinmcns
cxhibicd icmaikablc olciancc and magnanimiy owaids non-Muslims
living in hc !slamic sac. Sincc hc Roman dcsiucion of 1ciusalcm in
7O AD, hc Chiisians had piohibicd hc 1cws fiom cnciing oi living
in hc ciy. ! was only afci hc Muslim occupaion of 1ciusalcm ha
22 AR Mom|n
hc 1cws camc o livc in hc ciy.
Whcn hc Muslims conqucicd Spain, hcy lcf hc Chiisians in hc
cxcicisc of hcii icligion. Thcy allowcd hcm o bc iicd by hcii own
|udgcs in accoidancc wih hcii own icligious laws. Thc iiual of hc
mass was obscivcd wih all solcmniy, hc psalms wcic chancd in hc
choii, and hc chuich fcsivals wcic cclcbiacd wih cusomaiy
cnhusiasm. Whcn hc Oomans capuicd Consaninoplc in 1453, hcy
pioclaimcd hcmsclvcs hc pioccois of hc Gicck Chuich. Thc coniol
of spiiiual and ccclcsiasical macis was lcf cniicly o hc Chiisian
clcigy, wih no incifcicncc fiom hc sac. Whcn hc 1cws wcic cviccd
fiom Spain in 1492, hcy ook shclci in Muslim lands. !n Tuikcy, hcy
wcic wclcomcd by hc Muslim mayoi of !sanbul.
18
! is significan o
noc ha 1cwish communiics who spcak Ladino (1udaco-Spanish)
suivivcd only in hc cascin Mcdiciiancan lands which wcic pai of hc
Ooman cmpiic. \ndci Ooman iulc, hc chciishcd piinciplc of
olciancc was insiuionaliscd hiough hc M|//c/ syscm whcic
adminisiaivc coniol was cxciciscd hiough lcgally consiucd icligious
communiics, noably hc Gicck Oihodox and Aimcnian Chiisians
and hc Rabbanic 1cws. Thc sac did no dcmand convcision oi culuial
confoimiy fiom hc chnic and icligious minoiiics.
Thcic wcic insanccs whcn somc placcs of woiship bclonging o
non-Muslims wcic dcscciacd oi dcsioycd by ovci-zcalous Muslim
soldicis oi somc mcmbcis of hc public. Howcvci, hcy wcic icsiaincd
and chasiscd by hc U/ama and hc Muslim iulcis bccausc such acs
wcic considcicd coniaiy o !slamic cachings. Duiing hc icign of al-
Muasim (833-842AD), a Muslim gcncial oidcicd hc Imam of a mosquc
o bc floggcd bccausc hc was icsponsiblc foi hc dcsiucion of a fiic
cmplc and hc consiucion of a mosquc in is placc. Caliph al-Muqadii
(9O8-932AD) gavc oidcis foi hc icconsiucion of somc chuichcs a
Ramallah in Palcsinc, which had bccn dcsioycd by Muslims duiing a
iio.
Ethnicity in Islamic perspective
Ihniciy, which is an impoian aspcc of hc concmpoiaiy
discouisc of pluialism, icfcis o hc posiivc consciousncss of bclonging
o a gioup. !acois such as icligion, culuic, languagc and a scnsc of
shaicd idcniy consiuc hc kcy componcns and maikcis of chniciy.
\ndoubcdly, chniciy plays an impoian iolc in fosciing social
solidaiiy and cohcsivcncss and in pioviding a scnsc of bclonging and
ioocdncss o hc individual. !n acual fac, chniciy is a 1anus-faccd
phcnomcnon in hc scnsc ha i has boh bcnign as wcll as ncgaivc
I/am and P/u/a/|m 23
implicaions and conscqucnccs. !n hc Had|/| liciauic, hc ncgaivc
and socially disiupivc implicaions and conscqucnccs of chniciy aic
dcsciibcd as Aa||,,a| oi chnoccniism Thc Piophc dcfincd Aa||,,a|
as hclping onc`s own pcoplc in a mannci ha is moially wiong. Hc said:
'Hc who invics pcoplc owaids Aa||,,a| is no onc of us; hc who
fighs foi i is no onc of us; hc who dics foi hc sakc of i is no onc of
us. Onc day a scufflc ook placc bcwccn a Migian (Mu|a/|/) and a
Hclpci (Ana/|). Boh callcd ou o hcii icspccivc gioups foi hclp.
Whcn hc Piophc hcaid abou his incidcn, hc cxpicsscd displcasuic
ovci i and icmaikcd: 'Why do you iaisc slogans likc hosc of hc agc
of ignoiancc (Ia||/|,,a|) ? Givc hcm up; hcy sink. A companion
askcd hc Piophc whchci loving onc`s own pcoplc was also a pai of
Aa||,,a|, o which hc icplicd in hc ncgaivc and addcd: 'Aa||,,a| is
hclping onc`s communiy in macis of in|usicc and oppicssion.
Thc icnowncd philosophci and sociologis !bn Khaldun (d.14O6),
in his cclcbiacd woik Muqadd|ma| has dwcl a considciablc lcngh on
hc social significancc and funcions of Aa||,,a| and is bcaiing on
poliical pioccsscs, cspccially on hc csablishmcn of poliical powci.
19
Howcvci, whilc hc akcs a laigcly insiumcnalis vicw of chniciy, hc
fails o akc cognizancc of hc ncgaivc and dysfuncional implicaions
and conscqucnccs of Aa||,,a|.
2O
Notes & References.
1. Piciic L. \an Dcn Bcigc, 'Pluialism in 1. 1. Honigmann (cd.): Handbook
of Social and Culuial Anhiopology, Chicago: MacNally, 1973.
2. B. Dcnich (cd.): Muliculuialism: A Ciiical Rcadci. Oxfoid: Blackwcll,
1994; M. Guibcinau and 1ohn Ix (cds.): T|c L/|n|:|/, Rcadc/. Na/|ona/|m,
Mu//|:u//u/a/|m and M|/a/|on, Cambiidgc: Poliy Picss, 1997; Bhikhu
Paickh: Rc/||n/|n Mu//|:u//u/a/|m. Cu//u/a/ D|tc/|/, and Po/|/|:a/ T|co/,,
London: Macmillan, 2OOO.
3. A. R. Momin: I/am and /|c P/omo/|on o| Knou/cdc, Dclhi: !nsiuc of
Ob|ccivc Sudics, 2OO1, pp. 74-76.
4. Sabhi Mahmasani: Ia/a|a| a/-Ta|/| ||/ I/am, Bciiu, 1952, pp. 12O-145.
5. !bn al-ayyim: I/am a/ Muuaqq||n, Caiio, 1932, \ol.4, p. 1.
6. Abu !shaq al-Shaibi: K|/a| a/-Muua||qa/, Bciiu, 1985, \ol. 4, p. 94.
7. Abd al-Wahhab al-Sha`iani: A/ M|:an a/ Ku|/a, Caiio, 1968, \ol. 1, p.21.
8. Kiab al Muwafiqa, \ol. 4, p.59.
9. A/ M|:an a/ Ku|/a, \ol. 1, pp. 45-46.
1O. M. A. Kcani: Mu/|m M|no/|/|c |n /|c Wo//d Toda,, London: !nsiuc of
Muslim Minoiiy Affaiis, 1986; Sycd Z. Abcdin and Salcha M. Abcdin,
'Muslim Minoiiics in Non-Muslim Socicics in 1ohn Isposio (cd.): Thc
O\|o/d Ln:,:/oacd|a o| /|c Modc/n I/am|: Wo//d, Ncw Yoik: Oxfoid
\nivcisiy Picss, 1995, \ol. 3, pp. 112-117.
24 AR Mom|n
11. Muhammad Khalid Masud, '!slamic Law and Muslim Minoiiics Ncu/c//c/
o| /|c In/c/na/|ona/ In/|/u/c |o/ /|c S/ud, o| I/am |n /|c Modc/n Wo//d
(Lcidcn), Dcccmbci 2OO2.
12. Al-Baladhuii: Iu/u| a/ Bu/dan, Caiio, 1932, p. 65.
13. Abu Yusuf: K|/a| a/ K|a/a/, Bciiu, 1933, p. 84.
14. Iu/u| a/ Bu/dan, pp. 19O-192; T. W. Ainold: T|c P/ca:||n o| I/am, Dclhi,
1997 (1896), p. 56.
15. M. Khadduii: T|c I/am|: Lau o| Na/|on. S|a,|an| S|,a/, Balimoic, M.
D.: 1ohns Hopkins Picss, 1966, pp. 11-12; !. R. al-!aiuqi and L.L. al-
!aiuqi: A Cu//u/a/ A//a o| I/am, Ncw Yoik: Macmillan, 1987, p. 138.
16. T|c P/ca:||n o| I/am, pp. 1O2-1O3.
17. P. K. Hii: Thc Oiigins of hc !slamic Sac. Bciiu, 1966, pp. 21O-211.
18. Thc Picaching of !slam, p. 156.
19. !bn Khaldun: Thc Muqadd|ma|, Tianslacd by !ianz Roscnhal. Ncw Yoik:
Panhcon Books, 1958, \ol. 1, pp. xxviii-ixxx.
2O. A. R. Momin, 'Pluialism and Muliculuialism: An !slamic Pcispccivc
Amc/|:an Iou/na/ o| I/am|: So:|a/ S:|cn:c, \ol. 18, No. 2, Spiing 2OO1, pp.
115-146.
I/am and P/u/a/|m 25
Is|am aa4 Miaari|ies ~ A His|arica| S|a4;
Mohd. Yasin Mazhar Siddiqui*
Abstract
T|c a//|:/c ma/c a |/|c| |u/ uc//-do:umcn/cd c||o// /o /c:o/d
I/am //ca/mcn/ o| |/ m|no/|/|c |/om /|c /|mc o| /|c P/o|c/
(P|u|) /o /|c onc/ o| /|c modc/n ac I/ a/o c\/a|n /|c /ca/
mcan|n o| I|:,a and o/|c/ mcau/c /|a/ /|c Mu/|m /oo/ u||/c
dca/|n u|/| /|c :onquc/cd /c//|/o/|c and /|c|/ u|/c:/ Mo/cotc/,
|/ cc/ /o c/a|/|| |ou |a|/ and ||/m /|c Mu/|m |atc |ccn |n
/|c|/ dca/|n u|/| /|c non-Mu/|m o/ |n /cc|n /|c /om|c
/|c, madc /o /|cm No/ on/, /|c ca//, I/am|: ou/:c |atc |ccn
:onu//cd |u/ a/o omc |a|/-m|ndcd modc/n u/|/c/ |atc |ccn
quo/cd |n o/dc/ /o c\/a|n /|c u|/c:/ a/ |and
Any sudy of hc iighs of minoiiics giancd o hcm by !slam and of
hcii posiion and saus accoidcd o hcm by hc !slamic Sac mus bc
madc agains hc backdiop of poliical and social sc-up and
adminisiaivc appaiaus ha obaincd in hcii imcs. Thc Piophc
(Pbuh) always madc maximum usc of hc cxising iibal iadiions of
Aiabia in addiion o hc divinc in|uncions hc icccivcd duiing his
Piophcic pciiod (61O-632 A.D.) in paiiculai. Hc ncvci shu his cycs
o any ncw dcvclopmcns and hc imcly ad|usmcns suggcscd o him
by hc dicacs of imc and spacc, piovidcd hcy wcic in hc bcs incicss
of hc ncwly dcvclopcd !slamic Umma| as wcll as hc pcoplc a laigc.
A dccadc-long iulc of hc Piophc (Pbuh) biough abou scvcial
hisoiical dcvclopmcns and madc a numbci of ad|usmcns in confoimiy
wih hc hcn Aiab iadiions and noims whilc dccimining his iclaions
wih hc non-Muslim ciizcns of his sac.
1
Thc fiis insancc of associaing oi incgiaing a non-Muslim scgmcn
of populaion wih hc !slamic Umma| is found mainly in hc casc of
1cwish iibcs and maiginally wih icgaids o somc pagan pockcs of hc
ciy-sac of Madinah as caily as 623 A.D. Dcails and piinciplcs of his
poliico-social ad|usmcn aic cnshiincd in wha is cimcd by gica
!slamis Di. Muhammad Hamidullah as 'Thc !iis Wiicn Consiuion
`Piofcssoi Siddiqi cachcs a Dcpaimcn of !slamic Sudics, Aligaih Muslim \nivcisiy,
Aligaih, !ndia.
S/ud|c On I/am. !o/ I, No 1, (2004), 26-38
in hc Woild
2
which is gcncially callcd by hc oiicnaliss and modcin
scholais as hc 'Consiuion of Madinah.
3
! was piomulgacd by hc
Holy Piophc (Pbuh) |us afci hc social cohcsion was biough abou
by his !slamic social mcasuic callcd Muua/|a/ (biohciing) bcwccn
hc old inhabians of hc ciy and hc ncw migians who had comc fiom
diffcicn pais of Aiabia cspccially Makkah.
4
1cws and pagans of Madinah wcic giancd hc samc iighs and
duics which agc-honouicd cusoms of H|/| (Confcdciaion oi
associaion) offcicd o all confcdciacs (Hu/a|a) and iccognizcd by
diffcicn oligaichics of Aiabian Pcninsula, wih hc pioncciing
modificaion ha hcy wcic appiovcd by a ccnial auhoiiy. Likc Muslim
ciizcns of hc !slamic ciy-sac, hc 1cws and hcii associacs (Hu/a|a)
wcic chaigcd wih cqual duics and obligaions which aic cnumciacd
bclow:
1. Wih icgaid o poliical and adminisiaivc supicmacy all had o
submi o hc ovciloidship of hc Holy Piophc (Pbuh) who, bcing
an aposlc and a divinc vicc-icgcn, icpicscncd hc only ccnial
auhoiiy on caih and as such cxciciscd sovcicigny hioughou his
|uiisdicion.
2. Boh Muslims and non-Muslims wcic placcd undci hc obligaion
of bcing faihful o hc ciy-sac; hcy could no givc shclci oi
cxcnd assisancc oi infoimaion o hc cncmics of hc sac; hcy
should coniibuc hcii migh foi hc dcfcncc of hc ciy and bcai
hcii shaic of cxpcnscs of wai in casc any cxcinal/foicign aggicssion
migh akc placc, and moic significanly coopciac wih hc !slamic
Umma| in all macis of muual incicss.
3. All conflics and dispucs ha could aiisc bcwccn hc Muslims and
non-Muslims mus bc biough o hc coui of hc Piophc (Pbuh)
and his vcidic should bc acccpcd by all wihou any giudgc oi ill-
will.
4. On condiion of icaliy o hc !slamic Sac and poliical submission
o hc Holy Piophc (Pbuh) a guaiancc (D||mma|) of Allah, his
Aposlc and hc !slamic Umma| was piovidcd o all hc confcdciacs
foi hc safcy and pioccion of hcii lifc, piopciy and honoui.
5. Scvcial aiiclcs of hc Consiuion of Madinah, whcn icad ogchci,
piovidc icligious, social, cconomic and culuial ficcdom o hc A|/-
a/-D||mma| (piocccd pcoplc)
5
who cvcnually wcic callcd as
D||mm| in hc !slamic liciauic/coipus.
!ncidcnally, hc samc cims and condiions wcic offcicd o all
Aiab pagans, iibcs, clans oi gioups, oi foi ha maci, individuals who
picfciicd o comc ino hc fold of hc !slamic sac as confcdciacs
I/am and M|no/|/|c - A H|/o/|:a/ S/ud, 27
(Hu/a|a). A look a hc agiccmcns, covcnans and ciiculais of hc
Piophc compilcd by scvcial hisoiians, boh Muslim and non-Muslim,
would csify his sacmcn.
6
Thc sccond insancc was conccincd wih hc paymcn of hc land-
ax by hc sub|cccd pcoplc o hc !slamic Sac. This dcvclopmcn was,
incicsingly cnough, biough abou by hc sub|ugacd pcoplc hcmsclvcs;
hc 1cws of Khaybai afci hcii capiulaion offcicd 5O of hcii land-
pioducc o hc !slamic Sac in iccogniion of is piopiicaiy iighs ovci
hc conqucicd lands.
7
! was quic in consonancc wih hc iibal cusoms
of Aiabia by which scvcial powciful Aiabian iibcs such as Ghaffan
cxaccd hc samc amoun of land-pioducc fiom hc 1cws of Khaybai in
paiiculai and ohci suboidinacd pcoplc in gcncial.
8
Thc conqucicd
lands of Khaybai`s saclic owns such as !adak, Tayma and Wadi al-
uia followcd hc cxamplc and paid half of hcii pioducc o hc !slamic
Sac.
9
!ncidcnally, his is hc highcs iac of land - pioducc pcimicd
oi picsciibcd in hc !slamic liciauic, |uiidical oi hisoiical.
1O
! gocs
wihou saying ha i is a piopoiional ax whosc vaiious lcssci iacs
migh havc bccn icalizcd fiom hc culivaois of hc sub|ugacd land.
Hisoiical iccoids show ha hc pcoplc of somc noihcin villagcs such
as Maqna, Adhiah, 1aiba and hc likc did pay i a a vciy lcssci iac,
picciscly 25, o hc !slamic Sac.
11
Thc guiding piinciplc was hc
muual agiccmcn icachcd by boh hc paiics; no a singlc cxamplc of
sac-cocicion can bc cicd in his icgaid.
12
Thc hiid insancc iclacd o hc fixaion of hc I|:,a| (poll ax) by
hc !slamic Sac and is paymcn by hc pcoplc of hc conqucicd lands
such as hc Chiisians of Dumah, Aylah, Na|ian cc. I|:,a| iacs vaiicd
and a imcs hcy caiiicd spccial obligaions undci cxiaoidinaiy
ciicumsanccs. !n his icgaid hicc facs mus bc kcp in mind: onc, ha
hc I|:,a| was an acccpcd modc of poliical submission and a maik of
fcaliy o hc ccnial auhoiiy which was, inicscsingly, inioduccd in
Aiabia by hc Sassanid and Byzaninc hcgcmony in hc souh and noih
icspccivcly; sccondly, i was lcvicd in licu of hc pioccion piovidcd by
hc !slamic Sac o is non-Muslim sub|ccs; hiidly i was akcn fiom
hc malc caining mcmbcis of hc minoiiics annually, and childicn,
womcn, old pcoplc, monks, and scvcial ohcis wcic cxcmp fiom i.
13
! is bcs illusiacd by hc Piophc`s agiccmcn/covcnan wih hc
Chiisians of Na|ian which is icpioduccd bclow:
'This is a lcci fiom Muhammad hc Piophc, hc Mcsscngci
of God, o hc pcoplc of Na|ian. To him bclongcd hc dccision
upon hcm in icspcc of cvciy fiui, ycllow whic oi black, and
cvciy slavc, bu hc was giacious o hcm, lcf (hcm) all ha foi
28 Mo|d Ya|n Ma:|a/ S|dd|qu|
hc paymcn of 2,OOO suis (Hu//a|) of clohcs, namcly, suis of
souiccs (Auaq|) of which a housand aic o bc handcd ovci
cach ycai (in) Ra/a| (vii) and a housand in Sa|a/ (ii), cach sui
woih onc ouncc ('Uq|,a|) Whcic hcsc iibuc suis cxcccd oi
fall shoi of hc ouncc, ha is akcn ino accoun. Whacvci
was akcn fiom hcm of hc coas of mail and hoiscs and
iidingcamcls and cquipmcn hcy posscsscd is akcn ino
accoun. Na|ian is o givc lodging o my mcsscngcis foi 2O days
oi lcss, bu my mcsscngcis aic no o bc kcp moic han a
monh. ! is obligaoiy foi hcm o lcnd 3O coas of mail, 3O
hoiscs, and 3O camcls if hcic is wai (Ka,d) in hc Ycmcn.
Whacvci is dcsioycd of hc coas of mail oi hoiscs oi camcls
hcy lcnd my mcsscngcis is guaianccd by my mcsscngcis unil
hcy icpay i. Na|ian and hcii followcis havc pioccion (I|ua/)
of God and hc D||mma| of Muhammad hc Piophc, hc
Mcsscngci of God, foi hcmsclvcs, hcii communiy, hcii land,
and hcii goods, boh hosc who aic abscn and hosc who aic
picscn, and foi hcii chuichcs and sciviccs (no bishop will bc
icmovcd fiom his cpiscopac, and no monk fiom his monasic
posiion, and no chuich-waidcn fiom his chuich waidcnship)
and all foi gica oi lilc, ha is undci hcii hands. Thcic is no
usuiy, and no blood-icvcngc fiom pic-!slamic imcs (La-Damm
a/ Ia||/|,a|). !f any of hcm asks foi a iigh, |usicc is among
hcm (sic. in hcii own hands) (o scc ha hcy aic) no doing
wiong and no suffciing wiong, i bclongs o Na|ian. !f any onc
akcs usuiy afci his, my D||mma| is ficc fiom (icsponsibiliy
foi) him. No onc of hcm is punishcd foi hc wiong-doing of
anohci. On hc cims sacd in his documcn (hcy havc)
pioccion (I|ua/) of God and D||mma| of hc Piophc foi
cvci, unil God comcs wih His command, if hcy aic loyal and
pcifoim hcii obligaions wcll, no bcing buidcncd by
wiong.
14
To hc Oihodox K|u/a|a and hcii commandcis and govcinois, hc
Piophc`s modcl in paiiculai and divinc commands conaincd in hc
Holy ui`an in gcncial, piovidcd a guiding piinciplc and adminisiaivc
giound on which hcy could build up hcii appaiaus wih icgaid o
poliical icamcn o bc mccd ou o hc sub|ugacd pcoplc of
Mcsopoamia, Syiia, Igyp and Khuiasan. Danicl C. Dcnnc
summciiscs i quic picciscly whcn hc wiics: '! is a wcll known fac
ha as hc Impiic of hc Sassanids fcll piccc by piccc ino hc hands of
hc Aiabs, hc laci mainaincd, bu wih fcw modificaions, hc syscm
I/am and M|no/|/|c - A H|/o/|:a/ S/ud, 29
of adminisiaion which had long cxiscd. No only was hc syscm isclf
picscivcd, bu hc languagc in which hc iccoids wcic kcp coninucd
in usc; and whcic possiblc hc officials who had woikcd foi hc Sassanids
icmaincd in officc undci hc Aiabs. Onc would cxpcc by common
scnsc alonc ha such a sclcmcn should havc bccn madc, and hc fac
ha i was, is amply acscd by hc Aiabs hcmsclvcs.
15
Picscivaion of old syscm and inioducion of cciain modificaions
wcic no confincd o hc ciswhilc Sassanid lands only bu hc samc had
bccn donc in all ohci sub|ugacd lands as wcll. Dcnnc has
dcmonsiacd ha hc laci K|u/a|a and hcii commandcis and
govcinois dicw upon hc cxamplcs of hc Piophc and hc iighly-guidcd
K|u/a|a wih cciain modificaions and alciaions ha wcic ncccssiacd
by hc picssuics of imc and spacc, illusiaing and subsaniaing hcm
wih hisoiical facs, concmpoiaiy cvcns and solid pioofs.
16
A hisoiical
analysis of all hc pciiods of hc K||/a|a| would bc oo lcnghy and oo
dcailcd o bc accommodacd in a shoi aiiclc likc his, hcicfoic i is
suggcscd o ica hc maci hcmaically undci vaiious hcads.
Guarantee to life, Property and Honour
Aiiclcs of hc Consiuion of Madinah aic fuihci coiioboiacd
by hc sacmcns of hisoiians likc Baladhuii, |uiiss likc Abu Yusuf,
hcoiiss likc Mawaidi and a hos of ohci !slamic scholais as wcll as hc
oiicnaliss and modcin scholais. All of hcm csify ha hc lifc of
pcoplc was piocccd by hc !slamic Sac and in casc of wai and cxcinal
agicssion hcy wcic dcfcndcd by hc !slamic foiccs. All hcii landcd
piopciy and ohci posscssions icmaincd in hcii hands as cailici, and
hcii icgions wcic ncvci iavagcd by hc Muslim soldicis in any pciiod.
17
Hisoiical iccoids show ha whcncvci Muslim iulcis failcd oi cvcn
fcaicd o fail in pioccing hc D||mm| of any own oi land, hc amoun
of I|:,a| collcccd fiom hcm was icuincd o hcm.
18
Such a finc gcsuic
on hc pai of hc !slamic govcinois piompcd hc D||mm| of Hums,
foi cxamplc, o piay foi icuin of hc foicign Muslim iulc.
19
!ncidcnally,
his ypc of humanc icamcn inculcacd a spiii of fcaly and a zcal of
wholc-hcaicd suppoi in hc hcais of hc D||mm| foi hc !slamic
iulc.
2O
!iom i followcd a iulc ha hc D||mm| wcic cxcmp fiom hc
miliaiy scivicc which was compulsoiy foi all hc adul and capablc
malcs of hc !slamic Umma|. !n casc a D||mm| oi a gioup of D||mm|
icndcicd miliaiy scivicc, hcii I|:,a| was abolishcd bccausc in wai no
pioccion o hcii livcs could possibly bc guaianccd by hc !slamic
Sac oi !slamic aimy.
21
This biings us o hc qucsion oi piinciplc of icaliaion (Q|a). !n
3O Mo|d Ya|n Ma:|a/ S|dd|qu|
!slamic law and piacicc incnional muidci (Qa//-| 'amad) aiacs capial
punishmcn foi hc culpii. Thc caily K|u/a|a and hcii Umat|d
succcssois applicd hc samc iulc o hc Muslim muidcici who
incnionally ook hc lifc of a D||mm|. A hc bchcs of hc sccond
K|a/||a|, \mai !(633-43 A.D.) a Muslim assassin fiom hc iibc of
Baki b. Wa`il was handcd ovci by hc govcinoi of hc icgion o hc
dcsccndans of hc vicim who killcd him in icaliaion. Nonc of hc
holy companions (Sa|a|a|) oi laci U/ama had cvci iaiscd any ob|ccion
oi doub abou his iulc. Thc fouih K|a/||a| Ali b. Abi Talib (656-6O)
clcaily picsciibcd hc !slamic iulc by saying: 'Thosc who cn|oy oui
pioccion, hcii pioccion is likc ouis, and hcii blood moncy (D|,a/)
is likc oui blood-moncy and whcn a similai casc was biough o his
coui, hc gavc hc samc vcidic. !n hc laci casc, howcvci, hc
dcsccndans oi iclaivcs of hc vicim agiccd o foigivc hc culpii; hc
K|a/||a|, howcvci, madc i suic ha no unduc picssuic was cxcciciscd
fiom any quaicis. Thc samc law of icaliaion opciacd in hc pciiod
of hiid K|a/||a| \hman b. Affan (643-56A.D.) and hc \mavid
K|a/||a| \mai !!(717-2OA.D.)and in all succccding pciiods of !slamic
iulc.
22
A casc of hc hiid K|a/||a| pciiod is vciy uniqucly illusiaivc of
hc cnfoiccmcn of hc law of icaliaion. A powciful icligious lcadci
of Kufah 1undub b. Kab Azdi killcd a 1cwish magician foi his saanic
shows. Thc Govcinoi of Kufah Walid b. \qbah(625-29A.D.) capuicd
him and pu him in piison; hc wancd o kill him foi killing a D||mm|,
bu hc piison officci clcvcily sc him ficc whilc piocccdings of hc sui
wcic going on. Thc govcinoi was so cniagcd ha hc killcd hc offcnding
officci in icaliaion.
23
Wc comc acioss a considciablc numbci of icaliaion punishmcns
bcing mccd ou o hc Muslim assassins foi muidciing hc D||mm|
duiing hc Umat|d and A||a|d and in ohci succccding pciiods of
Muslim iulc. Many Hisoiians assci ha no a singlc cxamplc can bc
cicd agains his iulc of icaliaion and is piomulgaion by Muslim
iulcis.
24
Right to Property
Thc Muslims and D||mm| cn|oycd hc samc iighs and piivilcgcs
in icspcc of hcii lands and piopciy and no diffcicniaion oi
disciiminaion was allowcd bcwccn hcm. All hc landcd piopciy in
hc acual ownciship of hc D||mm| icmaincd in hcii posscssions wih
full piopiicaiy iighs. Ivcn if hcy wcic nccdcd by hc K|u/a|a and
govcinois foi public oi icligious puiposcs, hcy wcic obaincd hiough
I/am and M|no/|/|c - A H|/o/|:a/ S/ud, 31
puichasc, and no cocicion of any soi was cxciciscd; iansacions wcic
madc only whcn hc D||mm| owncis gavc hcii conscn willingly.
25
A
fcw hisoiical facs will illusiac hc sacmcn.
A Muslim of Basiah wishcd o sc-up a hoisc-sablc on hc ouskiis
of hc ciy and foi ha puiposc hc icqucscd hc govcinoi Abu Musa
Ashaii o gian him a piccc of land. Thc govcinoi gavc oidcis o piovidc
him such a land ha should no bclong o any D||mm| noi is waci
should comc hiough hc lands of hc D||mm|.
26
! is a wcll known fac ha cvcn hc conqucicd lands of hc Sauad
icgion of !iaq wcic lcf in posscssion of hcii culivaois who, afci hc
conqucs, had bccomc D||mm| of hc !slamic Sac wih hc modificaion
ha hc laci had acquiicd hc ownciship iighs bccausc hcii ical
owncis had flcd and hc culivaois wcic only illcis of hc soil. Bu
hosc conqucicd lands whosc owncis saycd back, hcy icmaincd in
hcii posscssion wih full piopiicaiy iighs such as inhciiancc iansfci,
salc oi any iansacions hcy wancd o makc.
27
\mci ! also inioduccd anohci law o piocc hc D||mm| lands.
Thiough a dccicc hc foibadc hc iansfci, puichasc and salc of hc
K|a/a/| i.c. D||mm| lands o Muslims who indulgcd in puichasing hcm
and convciing hcm ino 'U|/| lands. This bccamc a widc-spicad
piacicc ha no only dcpiivcd hc sac-icasuiy of laigci icvcnucs bu
also hampcicd hc incicss of hc D||mm|. Hcncc, hc law ha K|a/a/|
lands would always icmain K|a/a/| whchci hcii owncis wcic Muslims
oi mcmbcis of D||mm| communiics. Dcnnc piovidcs cnough hisoiical
cvidcncc o suppoi hcsc mcasuics of \mai !. !ncicsingly, hc confiims
hc sacmcns, icpois and aigumcns of hc Muslim |uiiss and
hisoiians on hc maci ic|ccing hc hcoiics of Wcllhauscn and his
followcis chaiging hcm wih misincipicing, ignoiing oi ic|ccing hc
hisoiical facs wihou subsanial cvidcncc.
28
Many cxamplcs may bc cicd fiom hc laci Umat|d and A||a|d
pciiods of K||/a|a| in his icspcc. '\qbah b. Amii, a companion of
gica sauic, was appoincd as Govcinoi of Igyp and as such was
givcn onc housand Ia/|| in land-gian. Hc sclcccd a piccc of baiicn
land quic away fiom hc D||mm| lands saying ha 'wc as Muslims aic
bound by vaiious icaics o piocc hcii lands. Moicovci, hc K|a/||a|
Muau|,a| had also diicccd us o kccp away fiom hcm.
29
!n fac, hc issuc of hc conqucicd lands is quic complcx; i is no
as simplc as i is hough by hc modcin wiicis. Dcnc has dwcl upon
hc sub|cc hoioughly and afci gica icscaichcs camc o hc conclusion
ha hc lands of hc sub|ugacd aicas fcll ino foui cacgoiics:
1. Lands conqucicd by foicc: hcii icvcnucs may bc fixcd, changcd oi
32 Mo|d Ya|n Ma:|a/ S|dd|qu|
incicascd oi dccicascd by hc sac a is will.
2. Lands akcn by Su/|(agiccmcns) of hc pcoplc/owncis: hcii
icvcnucs could bc iaiscd hiough muual agiccmcns bu could bc
dccicascd by hc sac unilacially.
3. Lands akcn by A|d (covcnan) of hc Sac: hcii icvcnucs could
no bc alcicd a any cos.
4. Pay lands whosc owncis flcd a hc imc of conqucs bccamc hc
piopciy of hc !slamic Sac.
3O
Religious Rights
Righ fiom hc Piophc`s caily days a Madinah whcn a ciy sac
was sc-up ill hc csablishmcn of hc Woild K||/a|a| by hc \mavid
K|u/a|a and cvcn in laci phascs of Muslim iulc in vaiious pais of hc
Woild, all hc D||mm| wcic givcn complcc icligious ficcdom; in fac,
no incifcicncc was allowcd by hc !slamic sac in hcii social and
culuial affaiis. ! is moic impoian o noc ha no gioup of Muslims
could daic cvcn o say anyhing agains hcii icligious piaciccs and
bclicfs. Rcligious ficcdom o hc minoiiics wcic guaianccd in vaiious
agiccmcns madc wih hc sub|ugacd pcoplc; i was, in fac, an csscnial
aiiclc of faih as wcll as hc covcnan of hc sac. Thc agiccmcn madc
wih hc noablcs of al-Hiiah clcaily sacs ha hcii chuichcs, cmplcs
and ohci placcs of woiship will no bc dcsioycd oi cvcn ouchcd and
hc D||mm| would no bc piohibicd fiom piacicing hcii icligious,
social oi culuial piaciccs such as playing hc iumpcs oi iinging of hc
bclls oi aking ou hc cioss on hc occasions of hcii fcsivals.
31
Dcnc
has quocd hc full cx of a covcnan of \mai ! which is icpioduccd
bclow:
1. Sccuiiy is piomiscd foi livcs, goods, chuichcs, ciucifixcs, and all
hings pciaining o hc Chiisian icligion;
2. Chuichcs will no bc uincd ino dwcllings, noi dcmolishcd, noi
will lands, ciosscs oi posscssions bclonging o chuichcs bc
confiscacd;
3. No onc will bc molcscd bccausc of his icligion;
4. 1cws may no livc in 1ciusalcm;
5. Pcoplc mus pay hc I|:,a| as in ohci ciics;
6. Thc Giccks may dcpai undci safc conduc;
7. Thc Giccks who icmain will pay axcs likc hc ohcis;
8. Naivcs may dcpai wih hc Giccks;
9. No axcs will bc dcmandcd unil haivcs imc;
! may bc giancd ha ohci vcisions of hc Covcnan, which includc
cims icgulaing hc dicss of Chiisians, hc iinging of bclls, hc
I/am and M|no/|/|c - A H|/o/|:a/ S/ud, 33
cclcbiaion of holidays, cc., conain addiions of a laci pciiod, bu
hcic is no valid icason why his vcision should no bc considcicd
complccly auhcnic. !s cims covci hc samc poins as hc icaics of
Damascus (Bladhuii, 121), of Ba`labakk (Bladhuii, 13O), of Raqqah
(Bladhuii, 173) and of ai-Ruha (Bladhuii, 174), Thcy aic vciy similai
o hc cims icpoicd by hc univcisally acccpcd 1ohn of Nikiu foi
Alcxandiia, hc only diffcicncc bcing ha 1cws wcic pcimicd o icmain
in Alcxandiia.
!inally, hc cims offci cxacly hc soi of icmizcd guaiancc ha
hc 1ciusalcm paiiaich would wan o obain, and \mai would havc no
valid icason foi no gianing hcm. Wc may concludc, hcicfoic, ha
hc auhcnic covcnan of '\mai is hcic found in Tabii !, 24O5-8.
32
Apai fiom Dcnnc scvcial Muslim and non-Muslim hisoiians
havc quocd cxs of similai covcnans madc wih hc pcoplc of !iaq,
Syiia, Igyp, Khuiasan, and ohci sub|cccd lands. A cuisoiy look a
Baladhuii`s Iu/u| a/-Bu/dan oi Abu Yusuf`s K|/a| a/-K|a/a/ will bcai
sufficicn csimony o hc fac ha hc D||mm| of vaiious piovinccs of
hc !slamic Sac cn|oycd full icligious ficcdom including pioccion o
hcii placcs of woiship and ohci social and culuial insiuions.
33
Gica \mavid K|u/a|a who aic gcncially dubbcd as dcspos and
auociaic caiing vciy lilc foi hc !slamic in|uncions such as Muawiyah,
Abd al-Malik, Walid cc. could no daic o akc any chuich by foicc oi
cocicion; and if any cxccss wcic commicd by any of hcm, hcy wcic
iccificd by hcii succcssois. Walid ! is icpoicd o havc anncxcd a
chuich o Gica \mavid Mosquc of Damascus agains hc will of hc
Chiisians, who biough i o hc noicc of \mai !! in his Caliphac and
hc pious K|a/||a| oidcicd hc dcmoliion of hc illcgally occupicd pai
of hc Mosquc. Hc also icsoicd o hc Chiisians scvcial ohci chuichcs
of Damascus akcn foicibly by somc caily K|u/a|a.
34
Muslim iulcis hioughou hcii poliical iulc in vaiious pais of hc
woild no only pcimicd hc coninuancc of old placcs of woiship of
diffcicn communiics bu also piovidcd laigc funds and libcial gians
foi hcii maincnancc fiom hc !slamic icasuiy.
35
Muhammad b. asim
Thaqafi`s cxamplc is moic impoian hcic which is cicd in hc C||:|
Nama|. Land gians givcn cailici o hc chuichcs, cmplcs and ohci
placcs of woiship wcic confiimcd by hc Muslim iulcis and hcii icvcnucs
acciucd o hcm as always.
36
Moic impoian han hc picscivaion and maincnancc of old placcs
of woiship of hc minoiiics is hc sac pcimission foi building ncw
oncs in vaiious ciics and owns of hc !slamic cmpiic. !n hc pciiod of
Hisham b. Abd al-Malik (724-43 A.D.)!iaq`s govcinoi Khalid b. Abd
34 Mo|d Ya|n Ma:|a/ S|dd|qu|
Allah asaii (g.722-738 A.D.) consiuccd a vciy magnificicn chuich
foi his Chiisian Mohci in Kufah. K.\.Zccioccn, wiics ha hc was
vciy libcial and considciac owaids Chiisians and 1cws and allowcd
hcm o consiuc ncw chuichcs and synagogucs a vaiious placcs. !
may bc poincd hcic ha Khalid asaii was opposcd by somc Muslim
lcadcis foi his libcial aiudc owaids hc minoiiics and cvcn chaigcd
him wih woiking agains !slam.
37
A Chiisian minisci of hc Buwaihid
Azduddaulah also buil scvcial ncw chuichcs wih hc concuiicncc of
hc Muslim iulci and moic significanly wih hc sac moncy.
38
Thcsc
aic no siay cxamplcs; i was a policy of hc libcial Muslim iulcis
indccd.
A |udicial cxposiion will bc of moic incics and gicaci
conscqucncc. !mam Maighinani, pcihaps hc gicacs cxponcn of hc
Hanafi !iqh in hc middlc agcs, wiics in hc gica woik, a/-H|da,a|,
ha if a Chiisian bcqucahcs a will o consiucing a chuich ou of his
piopciy, his inhciiois aic bound by i, and hc !slamic Sac will no
obsiuc i, aiguing ha Muslims aic undci obligaion o piocc hc
civil iighs of hc D||mm| and onc of hcm is caiiying ou hcii gcnuinc
will.
39
Induction of the Minorities in the State Apparatus
Scvcial insanccs of hc inducion of minoiiy mcmbcis ino hc
sac appaiaus havc alicady bccn cicd abovc. Wha Dcnnc has sacd
abou hc Sassanid officials` coninuaion in hcii officcs undci !slamic
iulc is also iuc of ohci sub|ugacd lands. Common scnsc as wcll as
piagmaic policy dicacd hcii coninuaion in hcii poss and hc Muslim
iulcis and hcii govcinois wcic no so naivc as o dismiss hcm. Afci
hc !slamic conqucss only op posiions wcic akcn up by hc Muslims
and suboidinac buicauciacy was icaincd as cailici.
Howcvci, afci iniial pciiod of !slamic iulc, hc doois foi high
officcs of hc adminisiaion wcic also opcncd foi hc mciioiious
mcmbcis of hc minoiiy communiics. Muawiyah`s financc minisci
Sui|um b. Mansui and his physician wcic Chiisians and hcy cn|oycd
gica icspcc and vas powcis somcimcs dislikcd by hc oihodox
Muslims. Dcnc sacs ha 'Muawiyah was hc ical oiganisci of hc
Impiic and hc cicaoi of hc buicauciacy. Wih hc aid of Ziyad in hc
Ias and of Sui|un ibn Mansui in hc Wcs, hc csablishcd a iuc financc
minisiy in hc modcin scnsc.
4O
Cahcn, hc wiici of hc aiiclc on a/-
D||mma|, admis ha high officcs wcic opcncd foi hc D||mm| in hc
\mavid and Abbasid pciiods, hcy wcic appoincd o hc high poss in
scvcial minisiics cspccially financial dcpaimcn.
41
K.\. Zccisccn
I/am and M|no/|/|c - A H|/o/|:a/ S/ud, 35
wiics ha Khalid asaii had appoincd cvcn hc Zoiasiians o high
poss in addiions o 1cws and Chiisians. !n fac, naivcs wcic gcncially
inioduccd in hc adminisiaivc poss.
42
Muhammad b. asim Thaqafi
and his Tuikish succcssois had appoincd laigc numbci of Hindus in
hcii adminisiaivc and miliaiy sciviccs.
43
Pcimi mc o icfci o my
own aiiclc, Aa/a/u o| /|c Dc/|| Su//ana/c-13/|-14/| Ccn/u/|c, and
foi Mughal adminisiaivc machinciy a look a Di. Ahai Ali`s woik,
No||/|/, undc/ Au/an:c| will sufficc. Gica hcoiiss and |uiiss likc
Mawaidi quoc many insanccs of hcii nauic and on hc basis of hc
piaciccs of hc K|u/a|a piopound ha cvcn hc highcs pos of Wa:|/
(minisci) can bc givcn o a D||mm|.
Conclusion
!iom !slamic in|uncions, |uiidical cxposiions, hisoiical
dcvclopmcns, sacmcns of concmpoiaiy hisoiians and gcnuinc
icscaichcs madc by modcin scholais discusscd abovc wo disinc aspccs
of !slamic iclaions wih minoiiics cmcigc vciy clcaily: !undamcnal
laws, likc many ohci divinc and Piophcic picsciipions, which aic
univcisal and obligaoiy foi all imcs o comc, ncvci changing wih hc
imc and spacc; and adminisiaivc icgulaions and mcasuics likc
innumciablc macis and issucs bascd on human dcducion and
adminisiaivc infcicncc, and lcgal inuiion (I//||ad) aic always liablc
o changc, simply bccausc hcy aic condiioncd and shapcd by imc and
spacc and in fac hcy havc bccn changing hioughou hc Muslim iulc
wih hc icquiicmcns of hc !slamic Umma| and in hc bcs incicss
of humaniy a laigc.
Basic iighs of hc minoiiics such as pioccion o hcii lifc, piopciy
and honoui, ficcdom of icligious, social, cconomic and culuial noims
and piaciccs, hcii inducion in hc adminisiaivc poss, shaiing hc
buidcn of axaion and hos of ohci human iighs and duics ha aic
common bcwccn Muslims and non-Muslims fall in hc cacgoiy of
fundamcnals, whilc hcii dcails likc hc adminisiaivc mcasuics of
hc caily K|u/a|a and cvcn hc poliical ad|usmcns of hc Holy Piophc
(Pbuh) fall in hc I//||ad| cacgoiy and as such hcy aic ncihci univcisal
noi obligaoiy; hcy mus and will bc dccidcd in confoimiy wih hc
picvailing syscms and noims, as hc piaciccs of hc Holy Piophc
(Pbuh) and his succcssois vciy uncquivocally csablish.
Notes & References.
1. Cf. M. Yasin Mazhai Siddiqui, O/an|a/|ono| Cotc/nmcn/ Undc/ /|c P/o|c/,
!daiah-i - Adabiya, Dclhi,1987, 11-12,16 ff foi Aiab iadiion of ||/|, /|ua/
36 Mo|d Ya|n Ma:|a/ S|dd|qu|
and |/a cc (hcicafci asOiganisaion only).
2. !bid, Lahoic, 1968, 41-54.
3. Cf. W.M. Wa. Mu|ammad a/ Mcd|na|, Oxfoid 1956, 221-222 ff; R.B.
Scai|can,: Thc Consiuion of Mcdina, T|c I/am|: Qua//c//,, \!!!, (1an-
1unc 1964), 3-16, Moshc Gil, 'Thc Consiuion of Mcdina
Rcconsidciaion, !siacl Oiicnal Sudics, Tcl Aviv, \ol. !\, 1974 cc.
4. Thc full cx of hc 'Consiuion has bccn fiis icpioduccd by !bn !shaq,
S|/a/ Rau/ A//a|, Ing. Ti. A. Guillammc, Oxfoid \nivcisiy Picss,London,
1955, 231 ff; !bn Hisham, al-Siiah al-Nabawiyah, Caiio, 1955.
5. Cf. O/an|a/|on, 7-15.
6. Tcx of all hc agiccmcns of hc Piophc and hc caily K|u/a|a havc bccn
compilcd by M. Hamidullah, 'Ma/mua| a/-ua/|a|q a/-S|,a|,a|.. Caiio
1941. Cf. Wa, I||d; Guillammc, I||d; Danicl C. Dcnnc, Contc/|on and
/|c Po// Ta\ |n La//, I/am Haivaid \nivcisiy Picss, Cambiidgc 195O;
Oiganisaion, cspccially fiis and sccond chapcis.
7. !bn !shaq, I||d, 51O-23; Ba/ad|u/|, Iu/u| a/-Bu/dan Caiio 1932, 47-48. Cf.
Oiganisaion, 38-39.
8. Cf. O/an|a/|on,27-35 ff; !ncicsingly cnough, hc Piophc also
concmplacd o offci 5O pioducc of Madinah o Ghafan o sccuic hc
wihdiawl of hcii foicc duiing hc balc of Ahzab, 5 A.H./627 A.D., bu
i was abandoncd on hc suggcsion of chicfs of Aws and Khazia| who
icgaidcd i a maik of dishonoui.
9. Cf. O/a|a/|on, 38-39.
1O. Abu Yusuf, K|/a| a/-K|a/a/, Caiio 1933; Bukhaii & Muslim, a/-Iam|,
|a:ua|-| K|a,|a/, Baladhuii, I||d 36-42.
11. !bn !shaq, I||d 607 ||, Ma/mua| a/-Waa|q, 32-39 ff; Baladhuii, I||d, 71. Cf.
O/an|a/|on, 46. ff.
12. I||d, C| Shibli Numani, Maqa/a/, 185-22O ('Huquq a/-D||mm|,|n), 221-
231 ('a/-I|,a|).
13. Cf. Oiganisaion, 37-39 ff; csp 3O2-3O7 Shibli !bid; 'I|:,a| Incyclopacdia
of !slam; Z.A. Azhai, \idu Incylo; Dcnnc; !bid.
14. Ma/mua| a/ Waa|q 81-82. Cf. Wa, 359-6O is Ing. Ti; Oiganisaion, 3O3-
3O4 foi discussion.
15. !bid, 14 ff.
16. !bid. Cf. Dcnnc. Op.ci.
17. Baladhuii, !bid, 19O-92
18. Baladhuii, !bid, Ing. Ti. By P.K. Hii cnilcd, T|c O/||n o| /|c I/am|:
S/a/c Bciiu1966, 21O-11, says. hc Moslcms hcaid ha hcy wcic coming
o mcc hcm a al-Yaimuk, hc Moslcms icfundcd o hc inhabians of
Hums hc Khaia| hcy had akcn fiom hcm saying, 'Wc aic oo busy o
suppoi and piocc you..
19. Cf. P.K. Hii, T|c O/||n 211, /c:o/d. Bu hc pcoplc of Hums icplicd:
'Wc likc youi iulc and |usicc fai bcci han hc sac of oppicssion and
yianny in which wc wcic.
2O. !bid, 211 ff. 'Thc inhabians of ohci ciics-Chiisians and 1cws ha had
I/am and M|no/|/|c - A H|/o/|:a/ S/ud, 37
capiulacd o hc Moslcms, did hc samc .. hcy opcncd hc gac of hcii
ciics, wcn ou wih hc singcis and music playcis. and paid hc K|a/a/
21. !bid; Abu Yusuf, op.ci. Cf. \inccn 1. Coincll, 'I|:,a|, in Thc Oxfoid
Incyclopacdia of hc Modcin !slamic Woild, wiics ha I|:,a| was a foim
of iibuc ha cxcmpcd pcison who paid i fiom miliaiy scivicc.. ';
Dcnnc, 35-36 who icpioduccs hc cxposiions of Muslims |uiiss likc Abu
Yusuf and Yahya b.Adam.
22. Cf. Shibli. O:|/
23. Cf. Shibli, o:|/
24. 'Q|a` Incyclopacdia of !slam; Cf. Shibli, o:|/, Dcnnc//, o:|/
25. Thc Oiigins, 198-99ff. Dcnnc, o:|/
26. Cf. Shibli, o:|/, who cics Maqiizi`s K||/a/, 298 as his souicc.
27. Baladhuii, T|cO/||n, 387-92 C||Cf. Shibli, o:|/, Dcnnc, o:|/, 14-42.
28. Dcnnc, 34-36ff; on hc auhoiiy of |uiiss hc sacs ha Wihou hc
Caliph`s pcimission K|a/a/ land may no bc iansfciicd ino ilh land.
29. Cf. Shibli, O:|/, who icpioduccs a iadiion of Maqiizi, o:|/, 295.
3O. Dcnn, o:|/, 47-48
31. T|c O/||n, 198-99, 2O1-2O2ff
32. Dcnnc, o:|/ 62-63.
33. Baladhuii, o:|/, Thc Oiigins; Dcnnc, o:|/, Shibli, op.ci. cc.
34. Cf. Thc Oiigins, 191-92ff; Abu Yusuf, K|/a| a/-K|a/a/, 8O as cicd by Shibli.
Also scc cxs of vaiious agiccmcns givcn in hcm.
35. Cf. Shibli, o:|/ 199, on hc auhoiiy o| a/-Nu/um a/ Za||/a|.
36. Shibli, o:|/ 2O2-O3.
37. K.\. Zccisccn, 'Khalid b. Abd Allah asaii, Incyclopacdia of !slam;
U/du Da|/a|-| Maa/||-| I/am|,a|
38. Cf. Azd a/-Dau/a|, \idu Daiiah; Shibli, o:|/.
39. A/-H|da,a|, Ba| a/-Wa|,a|; Cf. Shibli, o:|/, 2O3.
4O. I||d, 31
41. I||d
42. I||d, '...and giancd Chiisians and 1cws gcncially hc piivilcgc of
building chuichcs and synagogucs, and did no hcsiac o givc Zoaiasiians
poss in hc govcinmcn..
43. Cf. Shibli, o:|/ 216-22O.
38 Mo|d Ya|n Ma:|a/ S|dd|qu|
Libera| Is|am Na| a Caa|ra4ic|iaa ia Terms
Charles Kurzman*
Abstract
T|c a//|:/c a/uc /|a/ dc|/c oo|/|on |/om u|/||n and ou/|dc
/|c I/am|: uo//d, /||c/a/ I/am |a a |u/u/c In /|c uo//d uc a/c
/|t|n /oda,, c:|a//, a|/c/ /|c 9/11 |/ |a |c:omc d||||:u// /o |o/m
a |a/an:cd o|n|on o/ ua// on /|c m|dd/c a/| T|c/c a/c co/c
u|/||n and ou/|dc /|c I/am|: |o/d u|o /cnd /o /a/c /|c c\//cmc
o|/|on and dcmand o/|c/ /o |c c|/|c/ u|/| /|cm o/ |a:c /|c
:oncqucn:c In u:| a |/ua/|on |/ | d||||:u// /o |o/m a //uc
o|n|on a|ou/ /|c 'o/|c/ A a /cu// uc cc /|c Wc/ /oda, a
/ct|/|n I/am a |ana/|:|m o/ |undamcn/a/|m /|a/ cc/ /o dc//o,
/|c Wc/ T|c /ca/|/,, |ouctc/, | /|a/ /|c/c | a /||c/a/ I/am
u||:| :a/c |o/ |uman /||/, :|am|on |/ccdom o| c\/c|on
and cc/ /o /omo/c |n/c/-:|t|/|:a/|on d|a/ouc T|c /||c/a/ I/am
no/ on/, c\|/ |u/ |a a/o a /om||n |u/u/c
Many non-Muslims picuic !slam as unifoimly inolcian and fanaic, a
picuic ha is ioocd in ccnuiics of hosiliics and misimpicssions. !
aiguc ha his picuic is ciioncous, and ha hcic is a giowing numbci
of Muslims who shaic common conccins wih Wcscin libcialism, in
Souh Asia and hioughou hc !slamic woild. \sing hc issuc of ficcdom
of hough as an cxamplc, ! pioposc ha hcic aic hicc libcial !slamic
appioachcs o his sub|cc. Thc fiis appioach ! call hc 'libcial S|a/|a|.
!n his appioach !slamic scholais basc hcii aigumcns on in|uncions
in hc ui`an and on picccdcns fiom hc caily ycais of !slam. Thc
sccond appioach ! call hc 'silcn S|a/|a| !n his appioach !slamic
scholais aiguc ha hc S|a/|a| is silcn on cciain opics-no bccausc
hc icvclaion is incomplcc oi impcifcc, bu bccausc hcsc macis
havc bccn incnionally lcf o human invcnion. Thc hiid appioach !
call hc 'incipiccd S|a/|a|. !n his appioach !slamic scholais aiguc
ha icvclaion is divinc, bu incipicaion is human and falliblc and
incviably pluial. ! fuihci cxaminc hc social bascs and challcngcs of
'Libcial !slam.
`Di. Kuizman cachcs a \nivciiy of Noih Caiolina, Chapcl Hill, \SA.
S/ud|c On I/am. !o/ I, No 1, (2004), 39-54
The Apparent Contradiction
Coniaiy o populai opinion among non-Muslims, hcic aic many
Muslims aiound hc woild who shaic a/a//c/ :on:c/n wih Wcscin
libcialism. This is my dcfiniion of 'Libcial !slam: incipicaions of
!slam ha aic focuscd on dcmociacy, hc scpaiaion of chuich and
sac, hc iighs of womcn, hc iighs of minoiiics, ficcdom of hough,
and hc idca of human piogicss. Thcsc aic hcmcs ha aic piomincn
boh in Wcscin libcialism and in 'Libcial !slam, and hcy happcn o
bc hc hcmcs aiound which ! havc oiganizcd a icccn anhology.
1
Thcsc aicn` hc only possiblc hcmcs, bccausc libcialism is a bioad
cim whosc dcfiniion vaiics, bu hcsc aic hcmcs ha aic vciy
piomincn and gcncially agiccd-upon by libcials aiound hc woild.
This gcncial agiccmcn is onc of hc ma|oi poins ! am hoping o
makc wih his anhology. ! am iying o show non-Muslims and
Muslims as wcll ha hcic is common giound bcwccn hc !slamic
woild and is ncighbouis, which is agains wha has gcnciacd ncgaivc
fcclings on boh sidcs, and has coniibucd o hc scnsc of an incviablc
'clash of civilizaions, as poliical scicnis Samucl Huningon has
callcd i. !`m going o icuin o his opic a hc cnd of his cssay. My
poin is: libcials cxis in many culuics who shaic paiallcl conccins,
havc common incicss, and aic woiking o picvcn hc supposcdly
incviablc collision.
Minc is a sociological appioach o hc sub|cc of 'Libcial !slam.
By his ! mcan: ica icligion as a social phcnomcnon, no as a hcological
phcnomcnon. Thc disincion is his: a hcological discussion looks a
hc iuh of a icligion, and i sccks hc bcs possiblc incipicaion of
a icligion. This is an cniicly lcgiimac cncipiisc, indccd i is a ncccssaiy
cncipiisc foi a spiiiual cxiscncc. Bu ! am iying o do somching
diffcicn hcic. ! am no qualificd o cngagc in a hcological discussion
of !slam ha would akc fai gicaci lcaining han ! am capablc of.
!nscad, ! am doing somching moic modcs. ! am iying o makc a
sociological analysis of hcological discussions. !n ohci woids, ! am
iying o cxaminc wha pcoplc say is hc iuh of a icligion, wha pcoplc
say whcn hcy scck hc bcs possiblc incipicaion. Pcisonally, ! icspcc
all icligions, bu wha ! am iying o do hcic is cxaminc hc social basis
of icligious discouisc. To do his, ! havc gahcicd as many cxs fiom hc
'Libcial !slam movcmcn as ! can. ! havc analyzcd hc iopcs oi
mca-naiiaivcs ha hcy usc, hc social locaion of hc pcoplc who
aic wiiing hcsc cxs, and hc social locaion of hcii opponcns. Thcsc
aic hc hicc main poins ! wan o makc: (1) hc Tiopcs of Libcial
!slam, (2) hc Social Locaion of Libcial !slam, and (3) hc Challcngcs
4O C|a//c Ku/:man
of Libcial !slam.
The Tropes of Liberal Islam
Dcspic hcii paiallcl conccin, libcialism in hc !slamic woild and
libcialism in hc Wcs aic no cxacly hc samc hing. Thcy may boh
suppoi ficcdom of hough, foi cxamplc, bu hcy may go abou doing
his in diffcicn ways. Wihin hc !slamic discouisc, hcic aic hicc
main iopcs ha ! call:
a) hc 'libcial S|a/|a|
b) hc 'silcn S|a/|a|
c) hc 'incipiccd S|a/|a|
S|a/|a|, foi hsoc who aic no familiai wih hc cim, is hc body
of !slamic guidancc and picccdcn ha has bccn handcd down fiom hc
imc of hc Piophc Muhammad in 7
h
ccnuiy Aiabia.
(a) The Liberal Sharia`ah"
Thc 'libciial S|a/|a| iopc aigucs ha hc icvclaions of hc
ui`an and hc piaciccs of hc Piophc command Muslims o follow
libcial posiions. !oi cxamplc, in hc casc of ficcdom of hough, somc
'libcial S|a/|a| aigumcns akc vciscs of hc ui`an ha uigc hc
bclicvcis o hink indcpcndcnly. 'Ali Shaii`ai (!ian, 1933-1977), foi
cxamplc, diaws on hc uianic disincion bcwccn 'Ba|a/ (hc human
animal) and 'Inan (hc fully human bcing): 'Humankind is a choosci,
ha is, hc only bcing who is no only capablc of icvoling agains nauic
and hc oidci which is iuling ovci i, bu can icvol agains is own
nauial, physical, and psychological nccds. Humans can choosc hings
which havc ncihci bccn imposcd on hcm by nauic, noi is hcii body
fi o choosc hcm. This is hc mos sublimc aspcc of humaniy.
2
Similaily, Abdclwahab Il-Affcndi (Sudan, boin 1955) aigucs ha all
humans mus bc cndowcd wih ficc will and hc 'ficcdom o sin, oi
hcy will also lack 'hc ficcdom o bc viiuous.
3
Ohci 'libcial S|a/|a| aigumcn dcfcnscs of ficcdom of hough
diaw on hc iigh o conduc 'I//||ad, oi !slamic incipicaion. This
was onc of iallying ciics of hc modcinis !slamic movcmcn of hc 19
h
ccnuiy, as cxcmplificd by 1amal al-Din al-Afghani (boin in !ian, 1838-
1897): !n hcii bclicfs hcy |hc mcmbcis of cach communiyj mus
shun submission o con|ccuics and no bc concn wih mcic imiaion
of hcii anccsois. !oi if man bclicvcs in hings wihou pioof oi icason,
makcs a piacicc of following unpiovcn opinions, and is saisficd o
imiac and follow his anccsois, his mind incviably dcsiss fiom
incllccual movcmcn, and lilc by lilc supidiy and imbcciliy
L||c/a/ I/am. No/ a Con//ad|:/|on |n Tc/m 41
ovcicomc him unil his mind bccomcs complccly idlc and hc bccomcs
unablc o pciccivc his own good and cvil, and advcisiy and misfoiunc
ovciakc him fiom all sidcs. Similaily, Sayyid Ahmad Khan (!ndia,
1817-1898) and Sayyid Mahdi Ali Khan (!ndia, 1837-19O7) agiccd:
'Ivciy pcison is cnilcd o I//||ad in hosc macis conccining which
hcic is no cxplicily icvcalcd cx in ui`an and Sunna| |hc piacicc
of hc Piophcj.
5
(A hc samc imc, i should bc nocd ha Ahmad
Khan was also dismissivc of 'hc opinion of cvciy Tom, Dick, and
Haiiy.)
6
Moic icccnly, Yusuf al-aiadawi (Igyp-aai, boin 1926)
uigcd hosc who wish o imposc siic incipicaions of !slamic law o
iccognizc ha hosc 'who hold diffcicn vicws oi appioachcs aic also
capablc of I//||ad likc hcmsclvcs.
7
!ndccd, Ghulam Ahmad Paiwcz (!ndia-Pakisan, 19O3-1985) has
aigucd ha hc ui`an`s pioccion of individual ficcdom is so siong
ha i ovciiidcs all foims of auhoiiy: 'No pcison has hc iigh o
compcl any ohci pcison o obcy his oidcis: '! is no |possiblcj foi any
human bcing uno whom God has givcn hc Sciipuic and wisdom and
piophchood ha hc should afciwaid havc said uno mankind: Bc
slavcs of mc inscad of God.` (Suia 3, \cisc 79)
8
Poliical syscms ha
do allow individual ficcdom of hough, accoiding o his iopc, aic un-
!slamic.
(b) The Silent Shari`ah"
A sccond way of appioaching hc opic of ficcdom is wha ! call hc
'silcn S|a/|a| !n his iopc ficcdom is no /cqu|/cd by hc S|a/|a|,
bu i is a//oucd by hc S|a/|a|. This iopc aigucs ha hc S|a/|a| is
silcn on cciain opics no bccausc hc divinc icvclaion was incomplcc
oi fauly, bu bccausc hc icvclaion |n/cn/|ona//, lcf cciain issucs foi
humans o choosc. Sa`id Ramadan (Igyp, 1926-1995), foi cxamplc,
has wiicn ha 'hc S|a/|a| of God, as cmbodicd in ui`an and Sunna|,
docs no bind mankind in Muama/a/ (woildly dcalings) cxccp by
pioviding a fcw bioad piinciplcs of guidancc and a limicd numbci of
in|uncions. Thc S|a/|a| only iaicly conccins isclf wih dcails. Thc
confincmcn of hc S|a/|a| o bioad piinciplcs and is silcncc in ohci
sphcics aic duc o divinc wisdom and mcicy.... Thc fac ha hc S|a/|a|
is silcn on hcsc poins and wc should bcai in mind ha, as hc ui`an
icmaiks, God is no foigcful __ mcans only ha hc applicaion of hc
gcncial in|uncions of hc S|a/|a| o hc mulifaiious dcails of human
lifc, and hc confionaion of ncw pioblcms accoiding o hc dicacs of
Ma/a|a (public good) havc bccn lcf o hc discicion of hc body of
conscious Muslims.
9
42 C|a//c Ku/:man
Wihin his gcncial aigumcn, dcfiniions of hc public good may
vaiy. Nuicholish Mad|id (!ndoncsia, boin 1939) phiascs hc public good
in cims of incllccual piogicss: 'Wc mus havc a fiim convicion ha
all idcas and foims of hough, howcvci siangc hcy may sound, should
bc accoidcd mcans of cxpicssion. ! is by no mcans iaic ha such idcas
and houghs, iniially icgaidcd as gcncially wiong, aic |lacij found o
bc iigh.... !uihcimoic, in hc confionaion of idcas and houghs,
cvcn ciioi can bc of considciablc bcncfi, bccausc i will inducc iuh
o cxpicss isclf and giow as a siong foicc. Pcihaps i was no cniicly
small alk whcn oui Piophc said ha diffcicnccs of opinion among his
Umma| |communiyj wcic a mcicy |fiom Godj.
1O
Laih Kubba (!iaq-
Inglad, boin 1954) phiascs hc public good in cims of cconomic
piogicss: 'As Muslims dcvisc siacgics foi cconomic giowh in a
compciivc woild and icdcfinc hcii piioiiics, hcii oulook will shif
fiom hc absiac conccps and valucs of !slam o hc icaliics of hc
Muslim woild. Thcy will coninuc o uin o !slam as a souicc of pcisonal
and communal idcniy and moial guidancc, bu hcy will also ciiically
asscss hc lcgacy handcd down by picvious gcnciaions who may havc
naiiowcd !slam in ways ha had lcss o do wih hc csscncc of hc faih
han wih hisoiical accidcns and paiochial ciicumsanccs.
11
!n boh
of hcsc cxamplcs, S|a/|a| allows Muslims ficcdom of hough in oidci
o aain hcsc public goods.
(c) The Interpreted Shari`ah"
Thc fiis iopc of 'Libcial !slam holds ha hc S|a/|a| /cqu|/c
ficcdom, and hc sccond iopc holds ha hc S|a/|a| allows ficcdom.
Bu hcic is a hiid libcial !slamic iopc ha akcs issuc wih cach of hc
fiis wo. This is hc iopc of 'incipiccd S|a/|a|. Accoiding o his
vicw, 'Rcligion is divinc, bu is incipicaion is hoioughly human and
his-woildly. ! am quoing hcic fiom 'Abdul-Kaiim Soioush (!ian, boin
1945): 'hc cx docs no sand alonc, i docs no caiiy is own mcaning
on is shouldcis, i nccds o bc siuacd in a concx, i is hcoiy-ladcn,
is incipicaion is in flux, and picsupposiions aic as acivcly a woik
hcic as clscwhcic in hc ficld of undcisanding. Rcligious cxs aic no
cxccpion. Thcicfoic hcii incipicaion is sub|cc o cxpansion and
coniacion accoiding o hc assumpions picccding hcm and/oi hc
qucsions cnquiiing hcm.... Wc look a icvclaion in hc miiioi of
nauic... |so haj hc way foi icligious dcmociacy and hc iansccndcnal
uniy of icligions, which aic picdicacd on icligious pluialism, will havc
bccn pavcd.
12
Similaily, Hassan Hanafi (Igyp, boin 1935) has wiicn: 'Thcic is
L||c/a/ I/am. No/ a Con//ad|:/|on |n Tc/m 43
no onc incipicaion of a cx, bu hcic aic many incipicaions givcn
hc diffcicncc in undcisanding bcwccn diffcicn incipiccis. An
incipicaion of a cx is csscnially pluialisic. Thc cx is only a vchiclc
foi human incicss and cvcn passions.... Thc conflic of incipicaion
is csscnially a sociopoliical conflic, no a hcoicical onc. Thcoiy
indccd is only an cpiscmological covci-up. Iach incipicaion cxpicsscs
hc socio-poliical commimcn of hc incipicci.
13
And Sycd \ahiduddin (!ndia, boin 19O9) wiics: 'Bu as hc ui`an`s
vision of God canno bc confincd cxclusivcly o any onc of is hisoiical
cxpicssions, icligion isclf canno bc a saic consiuc madc oncc and
foi all wihou icvcaling ficsh nuanccs in is hisoiical dcvclopmcn.
This saic conccp of icligion ncglccs hc iuh ha a no poin of
hisoiy can all possibiliics bc cxhauscd, hough a givcn poin in hisoiy
migh bc picgnan wih implicaions foi hc fuuic. Hisoiy is a pioccss
of cicaivc cxpicssion; no a pcipcual icpciion, and hcncc i is
picsumpuous o limi !slam o is classical cxpicssion.
14
The Social Location of Liberal Islam
(a) Increasing Advanced Education
Widcspicad highci cducaion has biokcn hc iadiional icligious
insiuions` monopoly on iclgious scholaiship. Millions of auodidacs
now havc acccss o cx and commcnaiics, foi cxamplc non-clciics wih
scculai cducaions cnginccis such as Muhammad Shahioui (Syiia,
boin 1938) and Mchdi Bazaigan (!ian, 19O7-1955); philosophcis such
as Muhammad Aikoun (Algciia-!iancc, boin 1928) and Rachid
Ghannoushi (Tunisia, boin 1941); and sociologiss such as 'Ali Shaii`ai
(!ian, 1933-1977) and Chandia Muzaffai (Malaysia, boin 1947).
!oi cxamplc, !aima Mcinissi (Moiocco, boin 194O), iaincd in
sociology iahci han hcology, cxamincd hc Had|/| (iadiioan of hc
Piophc), 'Thosc who cnius hcii affaiis o a woman will ncvci know
piospciiy! Shc lookcd i up in Ia/| a/-Ba/| (Thc Cicaoi`s Conqucs),
by !bn Ha|ai al-`Asqalani (1372-1449), which is a commcnaiy on hc
influcnial collccion of iadiions, A/-Sa||| (Thc Auhcnic), gahcicd
by Muhammad ibn !sma`il al-Bukhaii (81O-87O). Thc Had|/| was
aiibucd o Abu Bakia (dicd ciica 671) boin a slavc, libciacd by hc
Piophc Muhammad, iising o high social posiion in hc ciy of Basia.
Abu Bakia is hc only souicc foi his Ha|d/|, and hc icpoicd i 25 ycais
afci hc Piophc`s dcah. Mcinissi suggcss ha his Had|/|, hough
includcd in al-Bukhaii`s collccion and widcly cicd in hc !slamic woild,
is suspcc foi wo icasons:
44 C|a//c Ku/:man
!iis, whcn placcd in concx, Abu Bakia`s iclaion of hc Had|/|
sccms sclf-sciving. Hc was iying o savc his lifc afci hc Balc of hc
Camcl (Dcccmbci 656), whcn, o quoc Mcinissi, 'all hosc who had
no choscn o |oin 'Ali`s clan had o |usify hcii acion. This can cxplain
why a man likc Abu Bakia nccdcd o iccall oppoiunc iadiions, his
iccoid bcing fai fiom saisfacoiy, as hc had icfuscd o akc pai in hc
civil wai.... |Alhoughj many of hc Companions and inhabians of
Basia chosc ncuialiy in hc conflic, only Abu Bakia |usificd i by hc
fac ha onc of hc paiics was a woman.
Sccond, Abu Bakia had oncc bccn floggcd foi giving falsc csimony
in an caily !slamic coui casc. Accoiding o hc iulcs of Had|/| scholaiship
laid ou by !mam Malik ibn Anas (71O-796), onc of hc foundcis of hc
scicncc of Had|/| sudics, lying disqualifics a souicc fiom bcing councd
as a icliablc iansmici of Had|/|. '!f onc follows hc piinciplcs of
Malik foi I|q| |!slamic |uiispiudcnccj, Abu Bakia mus bc ic|cccd as
a souicc of Had|/| by cvciy good, wcll-infoimcd Malikic Muslim.
15
Think of hc implicaions of CD-ROM oi woild Widc Wcb vcisions
of al-Bukhaii, al-`Asqalani, and ohci Had|/| collccions: anyonc liciac
in Aiabic wih acccss o a pcisonal compuci can invcsigac hc souiccs
of !slamic law and qucsion hc 'official incipicaions.
(b) Increased International Communication
!ncinaional cchnologics of communicaion ncwspapcis,
clcgiaph lincs, incinaional iadc, as wcll as high-cch cchnologics
such as iadio, clcvision, clcphonc, and hc incincaic biinging
cducacd pcoplc fiom aiound hc woild ino cvci-closci conac. Thc
idcals of Wcscin libcialism, likc ohci Wcscin idcals such as
naionalism, auhcniciy, cconomic dcvclopmcn havc cncicd pcoplc`s
homcs aiound hc woild. !oi cxamplc, pcoplc in Gabon, in Wcs Afiica,
wachcd hc fall of Communism in cascin Iuiopc and saicd
dcmanding dcmociacy hcmsclvcs. Thc dicaoi in Gabon commcncd
dciisivcly on hc 'wind fiom hc cas |i.c. Thc Communis Iascin blocj
ha is shaking hc coconu iccs.
16
Anohci cxamplc is hc icmcndous !ncinc aciviy suiiounding
hc 1998 aiics of Anwai !biahim (Malaysia, boin 1947), whosc ia|ccoiy
fiom youhful !slamis milian o libcial icfoimis coincidcd wih his
incicasing usc of quoaions fiom William Shakcspcaic and ohci cioss-
culuial souiccs. Suppoicis of !biahim`s icfoim movcmcn coniibucd
o incinaional communicaion hiough Wcb sics such as Anwai onlinc.
Anwai !biahim Onc, Gciakan Rcfoimasi, AD!L, Rcfoimasi Do Com
(quoing pociy by Rabindianah Tagoic), and !biahim`s wifc`s official
L||c/a/ I/am. No/ a Con//ad|:/|on |n Tc/m 45
wcb sic, hp: //www.anwaiibiahim.oig.somc of hcsc sics icgisciing
hundicds of housands of visiois in wo oi hicc monhs. As onc flashing
pio-!biahim Wcb sic nocd in haling Inglish: 'Wclcomc o 1`s
Rcfoimasi Onlinc, hc sic of hc oppicsscd and dcpicsscd!! !n hc
namc of Allah, mos giacious, mos mciciful. Thc !ncinc can bc a
suiablc placc foi haicd sics, iacism, onlinc movcmcns if you dcnicd
oui ficcdom of spccch, acccss o iuh, and sodomizcd oui iighs!
Somc couniics havc iicd o block foicign idcas fiom cnciing
hcii couniics picciscly bccausc hcy fcai hcsc sois of inci-culuial
inciacions. Bu blocking foicign idcas, o quoc \.S. Picsidcn
Woodiow Wilson ou of concx, is likc using a bioom o sop a vas
flood.
17
!cw couniics aic ablc o kccp up his lcvcl of booming foi
long.
(c) The Failure of Islamic Regimes
A hiid facoi in hc iisc of libcial !slam is hc failuic of alcinaivc
idcologics. !n paiiculai, hcic appcais o bc a giowing scnsc ha !slamic
icgimcs havc no livcd up o hcii piomisc. Thc Sudan and Pakisan, foi
cxamplc, havc piovcd o bc no lcss coiiup afci hc !slamizaion of hc
govcinmcn han bcfoic. Thc Taliban`s iulc in Afghanisan appcaicd o
mos Muslims, ! hink, as a iuc hoiioi. !oi cxamplc, onc dcvou muslim
in Los Angclcs shavcd off his bcaid in piocs agaisn hc Taliban`s
cnfoicccmcn of a mandaoiy bcaid policy.
18
Thc #1 disappoinmcn foi 'fundamcnalis Muslims, howcvci, is
!ian. Thc !ianian Rcvoluion of 1979 iaiscd icmcndous hopcs among
!slamiss in Malaysia, in Afiica, hioughou hc !slamic woild his was
going o bc hc showpiccc of hc !slamis movcmcn. This was going o
bc hc fiis placc on caih sincc hc 7
h
ccnuiy whcic a iuly !slamic
socicy was going o bc consiuccd. And i has bccn painful foi hcsc
pcoplc o find ha dicam unfulfillcd.
! would likc o givc onc cxamplc of his painful disillusionmcn, and
hc libcial oucomc ha icsulcd: Abdul Kaiim Soioush. This is a man
who was wholchcaicdly in favoi of hc !slamic Rcpublic in hc caily
ycais; hc paiicipacd acivcly in hc icvoluionaiy icoiganizaion of hc
univcisiics in !ian, which involvcd gcing iid of many piofcssois in hc
namc of idcological puiiy. Yc cvcn his man, his saunch suppoici of
hc !slamic Rcpublic, bcgan o havc doubs. By hc mid-198O`s hc had
appaicnly comc o icalizc ha hc !slamic Rcpublic was no ushciing
in a ncw cia of |usicc and iighcousncss. Soioush saicd o ciiicizc hc
govcinmcn, bcgan o call foi a icincipicaion of !slamic law, bcgan
o call foi acadcmic and incllccual ficcdoms ha his univcisiy
46 C|a//c Ku/:man
icoiganizaion had disicgaidcd in hc caily 198Os. Thcsc hcmcs, along
wih his impicssivc ciudiion and his alcns a public spcaking, madc
Soioush onc of hc mos populai public spcakcis in !ian in hc caily
199Os. Hc spokc a mosqucs, a univcisiics, on hc iadio, always wih
big audicnccs. Nauially hc !ianian govcinmcn found his woids
hicacning, and Soioush has bccn baiicd now fiom spcaking publicly
in !ian. !nscad Soioush now spcaks ousidc of !ian, whcn hc is allowcd
o iavcl, addicssing incinaional audicnccs, mainly in Iuiopc and
Noih Amciica, sicssing hc commonaliy of his vicws wih Wcscin
incipicaions of icligion. Bu hc painfulncss of Soioush`s bicak wih
hc !slamic Rcpublic, his disillusionmcn, is appaicnly so gica ha hc
licially canno dcal wih his own foimci hopcs and aspiiaions. !n
incivicws, Soioush dcnics ha hc was a suppoici of hc Culuial
Rcvoluion in !ian, dcnics ha hc was acivc in hc icoiganizaion of
hc univcisiics.
19
! hink his is fascinaing: hc !slamic Rcpublic in !ian
appcais no only o bc gcnciaing libcial idcas, bu also appcais o bc
ciasing cvcn hc mcmoiy of !slamis idcals.
The Challenges of Liberal Islam
(a) Accusations of Inauthenticity
Thc fiis challcngc of libcial !slam is ha i is |nau/|cn/|:: ha i is
a cicaion of hc Wcs, and docs no icflcc 'iuc !slamic iadiions.
Thc woild has wincsscd a significan incicasc in hc numbci of
wha ! call 'auhcniciy movcmcns ovci hc pas quaici-ccnuiy:
fiom icligious auhcniciy movcmcns such as !slamism oi hc B.1.P. in
!ndia o chnic auhcniciy movcmcns such as hc supposcdly agc-old
iibal hosiliics ha havc icsulcd in such giucsomc massacics in ccnial
Afiica. So his idca of auhcniciy is no limicd o hc !slamic woild
i appcais o bc global phcnomcnon.
Onc of hc ciucial chaiacciisics of his icncwcd incics in
auhcniciy is hc idca ha onc can akc a culuic and diaw a box
aiound i, ha you can dcfinc a culuic as a discicc /||n, ca/a/c fiom
ohci culuics, wih wcll-dcfincd boundaiics. !n hc ical woild, hcsc
boundaiics aic iaicly so wcll-dcfincd. Culuial clcmcns diif and migiac
and inciac in complcx and bcauiful ways. No culuic is an island uno
isclf, bu auhcniciy movcmcns ac as if hcy wcic. To givc onc
cxamplc: in \zbckisan, hc govcinmcn insiss ha hc 'Naviuz ncw
ycai`s cclcbiaion was invcncd in Ccnial Asia, no in !ian. This is
ouis!, hcy say, as hough culuial piaciccs would bc lcss valuablc, lcss
mcaningful, if i wcic impoicd fiom clscwhcic. !`s likc hc iny cxicmis
L||c/a/ I/am. No/ a Con//ad|:/|on |n Tc/m 47
Chiisian gioup in hc \nicd Sacs ha swcais ha hc Biblc was
icfciiing o Amciica as hc piomiscd land. Thcic sccms o bc an
incicasing nccd foi his kind of culuial ownciship hcsc days.
Thc flip sidc of his incicasing nccd foi culuial ownciship is a
fluiiy of accusaions agains hings oi pcoplc foi no bcing iuly auhcnic
cnough, foi coming fiom ousidc of hc boundaiy lincs. Libcial
incipicaions of !slam havc bccn aiicd wih his biush all ovci hc
!slamic woild. Thc idca bchind his aack on libcial !slam is: bccausc
i shaics conccins wih Wcscin libcialism, i mus no bc a valid
incipicaion of !slam. !n ohci woids, a binaiy opposiion: if X is
Wcscin, i canno bc !slamic.
This binaiy opposiion ignoics hc icmcndous hisoiy of culuial
boiiowings and influcnccs ha pcimcacd his supposcd boidci ovci
hc ccnuiics. !oi cxamplc: hc Aiabic woid 'Ma/|a:|n (mcaning
wcapons) bccamc hc !alian woid 'Maa::|no (mcaning a soic-housc
of wcapons), which bccamc hc !icnch woid 'Maa|n (Mcaning a
soic), which bccamc hc Pcisian woid 'Ma|a:c|(mcaning of soic).
2O
As an cxamplc of how his back-and foih can bc uscd agains
libcial !slam, ! havc a lcci fiom a Muslim scholai whom ! askcd foi
advicc and fccdback on his 'Libcial !slam pio|cc. As a sign of how
chaigcd hcsc issucs can gc, his scholai icspondcd wih a pcisonal
aack boh on mc and on 'libcial !slamic scholais: '! am nauially
awaic ha many Muslims.... wan o do nohing moic han fadc ino hc
1udaco-Chiisian woodwoik. Thc lcci gocs on o suggcs ha anyonc
incicscd in libcial hcmcs mus bc a 'chailaan and oally ignoian
of !slamic scholaiship. This is haid-ball, and libcials facc hcsc soi of
accusaions on a icgulai basis.
(b) Accusations of Treason
!f hc fiis chaigc is ha libcial !slam is inauhcnic, and hcicfoic
somchow u/on, hc sccond chaigc aigucs ha libcial !slam should no
bc allowcd u|c/|c/ o/ no/ i is wiong.
!oi cxamplc, Gai Iaon, a Biiish Muslim, calls libcial Muslims
'\nclc Toms
21
('\nclc Tom is a dciisivc cim uscd by Afiican-
Amciicans o dcsciibc a Black pcison who is giocsqucly scivilc o
whics.) !n csscncc, Iaon is calling libcial conccins icasonous o hc
causc of !slam. !`s no |us ha hcsc conccins aic wiong, bu iaising
hcsc conccins publicly wcakcns hc !slamic woild in is siugglc wih
ohci culuics. !`s likc a cam spoi, whcic cach sidc dcmands loyaly
fiom is mcmbcis and sccs any incinal ciiiquc, any sclf-ciiiquc, as
aiding and abcing hc ohci cam.
48 C|a//c Ku/:man
!n !ian, foi cxamplc, hc fccling of bcing bcsicgcd by hc Amciican
oi hc Biiish, hc fccling of bcing undci aack by hc Gica Saan, is
so siong ha no poliician can suivivc wihou pioving ha hc is no
'sof on Saan.
22
!ianian poliicians who wish o ncgoiac wih hc
Wcs, oi who wish o iaisc conccins abou dcmociacy, human iighs, oi
ohci issucs, aic immcdiacly labclcd by hcii poliical opponcns as
'sof on Saan. This is such a common pacin, and is so damaging foi
libcial conccins, ha cvcn picsidcn, Muhammad Khaami, cngagcd in
his soi of libcial-bashing duiing his campaign in 1997, pcihaps in
oidci o waid off similai ciiicism of himsclf! !n onc spccch, on May 4
a Tchian \nivcisiy, Khaami boh soundcd libcial hcmcs such as:
'Thc govcinmcn should piovidc a safc cnviionmcn foi hc pcoplc so
ha hcy may cxpicss hcii opinions on incinal issucs and cconomic
affaiis. And: 'Wc should sudy hc Wcs, a founain of all
iansfoimaions. A hc samc imc, hc accuscd somc libcial
opposiioniss of having 'fallcn in hc lap of foicigncis, of no bcing a
lcgiimac poliical paiy, and of no coming 'fiom insidc socicy.
23
!n
ohci woids, hc is calling libcials icasonous, oi sof on Saan.
(c) Western Ignorance
!oi ccnuiics, hc Wcs has consiuccd an imagc of !slam as 'hc
Ohci, idcnifying !slam wih is mos cxoic clcmcns. !slamic faih is
cquacd wih fanaicism, as in \olaiic`s Ma|omc/, oi Iana/|:|m (1745).
!slamic poliical auhoiiy is cquacd wih dcspoism, as in Moncsquicu`s
incnionally icdundan phiasc 'Oiicnal dcspoism. !slamic iadiion
is cquacd wih backwaidncss and piimiivcncss, as in Iincs Rcnan`s
inauguial lccuic a hc Collcgc dc !iancc (1862), onc of hc founding
documcns of modcin Oiicnalism: '!slam is hc complcc ncgaion of
Iuiopc;... !slam is hc disdain of scicncc, hc suppicssion of civil socicy;
i is hc appalling simpliciy of hc Scmiic spiii, icsiicing hc human
mind, closing i o all dclicac idcas, o all icfincd scnimcns, o all
iaional icscaich, in oidci o kccp i facing an ccinal auology: God
is God.
24
Today, oo, hc Wcs coninucs o vicw !slam as somching inhcicnly
diffcicn and dangcious. Mos famously, poliical scicnis Samucl
Huningon has aigucd ha Wcscin civilizaion and !slamic civilizaion
aic on a collision couisc.
25
Ohci acadcmics havc wiicn books wih
alaimis ilcs such as Rad|:a/ I/am, and Sa:/cd Rac. Ousidc of
acadcmia, hc bias is cvcn moic pionounccd. 'Ixpcis likc Dan uaylc,
hc foimci \.S. \icc picsidcn, nooiious foi his malapiopisms, suggcs
ha !slam is similai o Nazism and Communism. Miliaiy acicians,
L||c/a/ I/am. No/ a Con//ad|:/|on |n Tc/m 49
iying o savc hc Dcfcnsc Dcpaimcn budgc, appcai bcfoic hc \.S.
Congicss uiging Amciica o picpaic o figh !slam. Thc Rcpublican
Rcscaich Commicc in hc \.S. Housc of Rcpicscnaivcs issucd a
icpoi, 'Task !oicc on Tciioiism and \nconvcnional Waifaic, accusing
Muslims in Iuiopc of infiliaing hc Wcs in oidci o ovcihiow i.
26
Thc violcncc of Scpcmbci 11, 2OO1, has madc such paianoia sccm
piophcic; indccd, ha is hc aigumcn of conscivaivc auhois in hc
Wcs.
27
Yc hc us-vcisus-hcm imagc is facually incoiicc.
!n all of hcsc Wcscin scaic soiics, hcic sccms o bc no common
giound bcwccn hc Wcs and !slam. !nscad, wc scc hc samc binaiy
opposiion ha wc saw in !slamic ciiiqucs of libcial !slam. !ndccd,
hcic is an unsacd idcological alliancc bcwccn hc Samucl Huningon
in hc Wcs and hc Gai Iaons in hc !slamic woild: boh shaic his
binaiy-opposiion vicw of hc woild, boh shaic hc culuic-in-a-box
vicw of auhcniciy, and boh scck o shoic up hcii cam by dcmonizing
incinal ciiiqucs. !n hc Wcs his dcmonizaion has akcn hc foim of
hc so-callcd 'culuic wais, in which incinal ciiics of Wcscin culuic
aic biandcd as iaiois and un-Amciican and ani-family valucs and so
ondcbacs which aic in a scnsc hc flip sidc of hc challcngcs ha
libcials facc in hc !slamic woild.
Thc haid-lincis of boh sidcs, Wcscin and !slamic, abhoi hc middlc
giound. So wc havc a paiadoxical siuaion hcsc days: whcn Wcscincis
hink abou !slam, hcy gcncially acccp hc haid-linc icvivalis
incipicaion of !slam as hc 'iuc incipicaion and considci hc
libcial incipicaion o bc 'no ically !slamiccvcn hough hcy havc
fai moic in common wih hc libcial incipicaion.
Thus fai ! havc icfciicd almos cniicly o idcas and idcologics, bu
hcic aic somc vciy ical, piacical icsuls of his Wcscin bias agains
libcial !slam. Lc mc givc hicc cxamplcs.
!n !ian, in Augus and Scpcmbci 1978, hc icvoluionaiy movcmcn
was building agains hc Shah. Bu wihin hc movcmcn agains hc
Shah, hcic wcic sciious divisions bcwccn hc haid-linc facion, lcd of
couisc by !mam Ruhullah Khomcini, and hc libcial facion, lcd by
Mchdi Bazaigan and ohcis. Thc \nicd Sacs govcinmcn had no
idca abou his disincion, no idca ha Bazaigan was cngagcd in a
monhs-long acmp o gc Khomcini o acccp a consiuional
monaichy wih guaianccs of ficc clccions. How do wc know his?
Bccausc of hc housands of pagcs of classificd \.S. Govcinmcn
documcns ha wcic publishcd by hc Sudcns of hc Linc of hc !mam,
hc gioup ha ook ovci hc \.S. Imbassy in Tchian, and hc housands
moic documcns ha wcic documcns ha wcic dcclassificd hiough
5O C|a//c Ku/:man
!iccdom of !nfoimaion Ac icqucss and publishcd by a non-
govcinmcnal oiganizaion in Washingon.
28
Thc Caici adminisiaion
was so cluclcss abou hc divisions wihin hc opposiional movcmcn
ha i considcicd all of hc opposiion o bc a fion foi Khomcini.
Bccausc of is ignoiancc abou hc libcials, hc \.S. Govcinmcn lc is
only oppoiuniy foi mcaningful diplomacy pass in Scpcmbci 1978:
inscad of picssuiing hc Shah o shaic powci in Scpcmbci whcn hc
libcials wcic sill willing o spcak ou agains Khomcini, i waicd unil
Dcccmbci, whcn hc libcials had alicady suiicndcicd o Khomcini. !n
Scpcmbci, Baizigan would havc acccpcd hc piimc-minisciship, undci
cciain condiions; by Dcccmbci, his fiicnds wcic clling him ha i was
fuilc, 'a diop of waci of hc occan, and hc Shah had o scioungc
aiound foi wccks o find an opposiionis willing o acccp powci. !
don` know if a Bazaigan cabinc in Scpcmbci would ncccssaiily havc
changcd hc couisc of hisoiy, if i would havc picvcncd oi posponcd
hc icvoluion, bu i was a ioad no iavclcdand his ioad was no
iavclcd bccausc hc \.S. was unwilling o bclicvc ha hcic was such
a hing as 'libcial !slam.
A sccond cxamplc is hc icccn hisoiy of Algciia. Hcic was anohci
!slamic movcmcn, callcd hc !ion dc Salvaion !slamiquc (!!S), dividcd
ino libcial and iadical facions. Duiing hc clccions of lac 1991 and
caily 1992, hc libcial wing was in hc asccndan; is lcadcis wcic scing
hc gioup`s policy, is candidacs wcic iunning foi officc, and i sood
a gica chancc of acually coming o powci. 'Abbasi Madani, hc lcadci
of hc libcial facion, madc a numbci of sacmcns aimcd a calming
hc fcais of Algciians and Wcscincis abou hc incnions of hc !!S,
such as: Pluialism is a guaiancc of culuial wcalh, and divcisiy is
nccdcd foi dcvclopmcn. Wc aic Muslims, bu wc aic no !slam isclf....
Wc do no monopolizc icligion. Dcmociacy, as wc undcisand i, mcans
pluialism, choicc and ficcdom.
29
Thc !!S had won 81 pciccn of hc fiis-iound clccions in Dcccmbci
1991 and was poiscd o do cqually wcll in hc sccond iound in caily
1anuaiy 1992 whcn hc Algciian miliaiy, suppoicd by !iancc and hc
\.S., cancclcd hc clccions, banncd hc !!S, aiicscd is lcadcis, and
piccndcd ha hc wholc dcmociaic cpisodc had ncvci happcncd. Thc
icsul sccmcd almos incviablc: hc libcials wihin hc !slamic movcmcn
wcic hoioughly discicdicd foi having bccn naivc cnough o hink ha
hcy would bc allowcd o play by hc iulcs of dcmociacy, and hc iadical
wing camc ino hc asccndan, cvcn o hc cxcn of muidciing libcial
!slamic aciviss who ob|cc o ciioiism, such as Mohammad Sa`id and
Abdciiazak Rcd|am, who wcic killcd along wih scvcial dozcn followcis
L||c/a/ I/am. No/ a Con//ad|:/|on |n Tc/m 51
in 1995. Thc Wcscin inabiliy o bclicvc ha hcic migh bc such a
hing as libcial !slam again piovcd o bc a sclf-fulfilling piophccy.
Sincc Scpcmbci 11, 2OO1, haid-lincis in hc \nicd Sacs havc
oncc moic launchcd a campaign o vilify !slam and dcny hc cxiscncc
of libcial !slam. !salm is a 'wickcd, violcn icligion, said onc
fundamcnalis Chiisian lcadci. ! is 'a violcn icligion bcn on woild
dominaion. said a sccond. '! hink Muhammad was a ciioiis. said
a hiid.
3O
Nauially, haid-linc Muslims aic willing o obligc his imagc.
!n !ian, an Ayaollah and a ncwspapci cdioi callcd foi hc hicc
Chiisian lcadcis o bc cxccucd.
31
Sill, imcs may bc changing. Thc Chiisian fundamcnaliss who
madc hcsc commcns wcic foiccd o publicly iciac hcm, and o
iccognizc in hcii apologics ha libcial !slam cxiss. Picsidcn Gcoigc
W. Bush has bccn caicfully coachcd o dcnouncc hc culuic-clashcis,
and has icachcd ou o libcial Muslim lcadcis in hc \nicd Sacs,
inviing hcm o hc Whic Housc and offciing woids of sympahy and
coopciaion. Thcsc woids may no ianslac ino policy, as hc \nicd
Sacs govcinmcn aigcs Muslim malcs foi fingci-piining and
suivcillancc. Bu hc woids aic o bc wclcomcd in hcmsclvcs. Libcial
!slam is ofcn caugh in hc ciossfiic, as hc paiics of wai on boh sidcs
|oin foiccs agains hosc sccking o build biidcs in bcwccn. !n siuaions
such as hcsc, hc biidgc-buildcis nccd all hc assisancc ha hcy can
find.
Notes & References.
1. Chailcs Kuizman, cdioi, L||c/a/ I/am. A Sou/:c-Boo/ (Ncw Yoik: Oxfoid
\nivcisiy Picss, 1998).
2. Ali Shaii`ai, 'Humaniy and !slam (ciica 1969), in L||c/a/ I/am, p. 189,
3. Abdulwahab Il-Affcndi, 'Who Nccds an !slamic Sac? (1991), in L||c/a/
I/am p. 24
4. .1amal al-Din Al-afghani, 'Thc Tiuh Abou hc Ncichcii Scc (188O-
1881), in L||c/a/ I/am, p. 8.
5. Sayyid Ahmad Khan and Sayyid Mahdi 'Ali Khan, 'Bclicfs Agiccd \pon
wih Mahdi 'Ali (1873), in L||c/a/ I/am, p. 8. Scc also Sayyid Ahmad
Khan, '!ncllccual Pluialism and !iccdom of Opinion, in Mansoui
Moaddcl and Kamian Tala, (cdiois), Con/cmo/a/, Dc|a/c |n I/am. An
An/|o/o, o| Modc/n|/ and Iundamcn/a/|/ T|ou|/ (Ncw Yoik: S. Maiin`s
Picss, 2OOO), pp. 1O9-121.
6. Sayyid Ahmad Khan, 'Lccuic on !slam (1884), in Chailcs Kuizman,
(cdioi), Modc/n|/ I/am, 1840-1940. A Sou/:c-Boo/ (Ncw Yoik: Oxfoid
\nivcisiy Picss, 2OO2), p. 3OO.
7. Yusuf al-aiadawi, 'Ixicmism (1981), in L||c/a/ I/am, p. 199.
52 C|a//c Ku/:man
8. Ghulam Ahmad Paiwcz, 'Two Coniasing Syscms (1954), in L||c/a/
I/am, p. 24.
9. Sa`id Ramadan, 'Thicc Ma|oi Pioblcms Confioning hc Woild of !slam
(196O), in L||c/a/ I/am, 15.
1O. Nuicholish Mad|id, 'Thc Ncccssiy of Rcncwing !slamic Though (197O),
in L||c/a/ I/am, p. 287
11. Laih Kubba, '!slam and Libcial Dcmociacy (1996), in L||c/a/ I/am, p.
24
12. Abul-Kaiim Soioush, 'Thc Ivoluion and Dcvoluion of Rcligious
Knowlcdgc (1998), in L||c/a/ I/am, pp. 245-251.
13. Hassan Hanafi, 'Rcligion, !dcology, and Dcvclopmcn (1995), in L||c/a/
I/am, p. 26.
14. Sycd \ahiduddin, '!slamic Ixpciicncc in Concmpoiaiy Though (1986),
in L||c/a/ I/am, p. 26.
15. !aima Mcinissi, 'Thc \cil and hc Malc Ilic (1987), in L||c/a/ I/am,
pp. 116,117,119.
16. Samucl Dccalo, 'Thc Pioccss, Piospccs, and Consiains of
Dcmociaizaion in Afiica, A|/|:an A||a|/, volumc 91, 1992, p.7.
17. Aino 1. Mayci, Po/|/|: and D|/oma:, o| Pca:cma/|n. Con/a|nmcn/ and
Coun/c//cto/u/|on a/ !c/a|//c, 1918-1919 (Ncw Yoik: Alficd A. Knopf,
1967), p. 6O2.
18. Aslam Abdullah, 'Shaving !s His Piocs Agains Cocicion, Lo Anc/c
T|mc, May 1O, 1997.
19. Scc hc Wcb sic dcvocd o Soioush`s hough, hp: //www.scia|.oig.as
wcll as hc inioducoiy incivicw in Abdolkaiim Soioush, Rcaon, I/ccdom,
and Dcmo:/a:, |n I/am. Lcn/|a/ W/|/|n o| A|do//a/|m So/ou|, ianslacd
by Mahmoud Sadii and Ahmad Sadii (Ncw Yoik: Oxfoid \nivcisiy Picss,
2OOO).
2O. G.W. Wickcns, 'Wha hc Wcs Boiiowcd fiom hc Middlc Ias, in R.M.
Savoiy, cdioi, In//odu:/|on /o I/am|: C|t|/|:a/|on (Cambiidgc, Ingland:
Cambiidgc \nivcisiy Picss, 1976), p.121.
21. Gai Iaon, I/am and /|c Dc/|n, o| Man (Albany, Ncw Yoik: Sac \nivcisiy
of Ncw Yoik, 1985), p.12.
22. Chailcs Kuizman, 'Sof on Saan: Challcngcs foi !ianian-\.S.
Rappiochcmcn, M|dd/c La/ Po/|:,, volumc 6, numbci 1, 1unc 1998, p.
63-72.
23. Sa/aam (Pcacc), Tchian, !ian, May 6, 1997.
24. Iincs Rcnan, Ocut/c Com/c/c (Complcc Woiks) Paiis, !iancc:
Calmann-Livy, 1947), volumc 2, p.333.
25. Samucl P. Huningon, T|c C/a| o| C|t|/|:a/|on and /|c Rcma/|n o| Wo//d
O/dc/ (Ncw Yoik: Simon & Schusci, 1996).
26. Rcfcicncc woiks on his opic includc 1ohn D. Isposio, T|c I/am|: T|/ca/.
M,/| o/ Rca/|/,? Sccond cdiion (Ncw Yoik, Ncw Yoik: Oxfoid \nivcisiy
Picss, 1995, pp. Xiv-xv; Maik 1ucigcnsmcyci, T|c Nc\/ Co/d Wa/?
(Baikclcy, Califoinia: \nivcisiy of Califoinia Picss, 1993); 1ochcn Hipplci
and Andica Lucg, (cdiois), T|c Nc\/ T|/ca/. Wc/c/n Pc/:c/|on o| I/am
L||c/a/ I/am. No/ a Con//ad|:/|on |n Tc/m 53
(London, Ingland: Pluo Picss, 1995).
27. Maiin Kiamci, Ito/, Touc/ on Sand. T|c Ia|/u/c o| M|dd/c La/c/n S/ud|c
|n Amc/|:a (Washingon, D.C.: Washingon !nsiuc foi Ncai Ias Policy,
2OO1); Danicl Pipcs, M|/|/an/ I/am Rca:|c Amc/|:a (Ncw Yoik: W.W.
Noion, 2OO2).
28. Anad-| Lan||-,| Iau| (Documcns fiom hc Ncs of Spics), 77 volumcs
(Tchian, !ian: Dan||/u,an-| Pa,/u-,| K|a//-| Imam, 198O-1991); Naional
Sccuiiy Aichivcs, I/an. T|c Ma/|n o| US Po/|:,, 1977-1980 (Alcxandiia,
\iiginia: Chadwyck-Hcalcy, 1989).
29. Danicl Biumbcig, '!slam, Ilccions, and Rcfoim in Algciia. Iou/na/ o|
Dcmo:/a:,, volumc 2, numbci 1, Winci 1991, p. 64.
3O. !ianklin Giaham, quocd in 'NBC Nighly Ncws, NBC Tclcvision Ncwoik,
Novcmbci 16,2OO1; Pa Robcison, 'Thc 7OO Club, Chiisian Bioadcasing
Ncwoik, !cbiuaiy 21, 2OO2; 1ciiy !alwcll, quocd in '6O Minucs, CBS
Tclcvision Ncwoik, Scpcmbci 3O, 2OO2.
31. T|c Wa||n/on T|mc, Novcmbci 1, 2OO2.
54 C|a//c Ku/:man
The Sa-Ca||e4 "Objec|iaaab|e" Ierses
Ishtiyaque Danish*
Abstract
T|c a//|:/c |, |n |a:/, a |um|/c c||o// /o c\/a|n omc tc/c o| /|c
No|/c Qu/an on u||:| an an/|-Mu/|m ou/||/, /|c H|ndu
Ma|aa||a, |a /a|cd omc un/cna|/c o|/c:/|on A// /|c /ucn/,-
|ou/ no|/c tc/c /|a/ /|c Ma|aa||a |a |:/cd u |o/ o|/c:/|on
a/c c\/a|ncd |n /|c|/ /oc/ :on/c\/ T|c a//|:/c a/o /ou:|c,
/|ou| |/|c|/,, on |ou a tc/c o| /|c Qu/an |ou/d |c /ud|cd and
c\/a|ncd |, /a/|n |n/o a::oun/ /|c c:|||: :ond|/|on |n u||:|
|/ ua /ctca/cd L||o// |atc a/o |ccn madc /o /a:c /|c tc/c
undc/ /ud, |n /|c|/ /oc/ :on/c\/ o /|a/ /|c|/ //uc mcan|n
|c:omc :/,/a/ :/ca/ /o onc and a//
Thc Holy ui`an is a mcssagc of Pcacc; i sands foi hc pcacc wihin
and wihou. Thc mcaning is simplc and clcai. A man a pcacc wih
himsclf sands a bcci chancc o biing abou pcacc in hc woild wc all
livc in.
And yc hcic aic mcn, unfoiunacly a sccion of hc ma|oiiy
Hindu communiy, who bclicvc ha hcic aic vciscs in hc ui`an ha
picach haicd and, hcicfoic, cicac clcavagcs in a pluial couniy likc
!ndia. An cxicmis oufi, hc Hindu Mahasabha, icccnly publishcd
and widcly disiibucd a pamphlc, B|a/a/ Mc|n Dan-c-Ku|n Ho/c Ha|n,
(Why Rios Bicak Ou in !ndia), which conains 24 vciscs of hc ui`an
ha hcy wan Muslims o dclcc foi bcci iclaions bcwccn Hindus
and Muslims. !iom many ohci quaicis a vicious piopaganda has also
bccn launchcd ha somc Muslim couniics, such as Igyp, havc alicady
donc so in oidci o mainain pcacc in hcii socicics.
A caicful sudy of hc pamphlc, publishcd by hc Hindu Mahasabha,
icvcals bcyond doub ha i is mcicly a piopaganda cxcicisc in oidci
o poison innoccn minds abou !slam and Muslims in !ndia. Many
vciscs havc bccn akcn ou of concx, misianslacd and 'cxplaincd o
convcy a mcssagc which is agains hc spiii of !slam. This suggcss ha
hc publishing oiganizaion, hc Hindu Mahasabha, has a pic|udiccd
mind ha docs no havc a dcsiic foi gcnuinc undcisanding and sccms
o bc moic incicscd in maligning hc Holy ui`an.
`Di. Danish cachcs a Hamdaid \nivcisiy, Ncw Dclhi, !ndia. c-mail: cdioisoi_yahoo.com
S/ud|c On I/am. !o/ I, No 1, (2004), 55-77
Thc so callcd 'ob|ccionablc vciscs aic abou I||ad (siiving, hc
ulimac foim of which is fighing in hc way of Allah), Ku|/ (ic|ccion
of faih), Ka||/ (ic|ccci of faih), S||// (o associac somc onc wih
Allah) and ohci such kcy ui`anic cims ha, as hcy allcgc, dcciminc
hc Muslim aiudc owaids hc non-Muslims. Thcic aic 114 chapcis
and 6238 vciscs in hc Holy ui`an, all likc uniivalcd pcails of wisdom.
Onc mus piy hc mind ha failcd o scc and giab hc gcms and inscad
lookcd foi hings ha migh bc picscncd as 'ob|ccionablc.
Thc vciscs ha picach 'haicd, accoiding o hc Mahasabha, aic
conaincd in cn chapcis; ninc aic fiom hc Rccn/an:c, hicc cach
fiom /|c Womcn and /|c Ta|/c S/cad, wo cach fiom hc So|/ o| Wa/
and Ham M|m a/-Sa/da, onc cach fiom hc Con|cd/a/c, /|c P/o|c/, a/-
Sa/da, /|c !|:/o/, and a/-Ta|/ccm. Thcsc vciscs wcic icvcalcd o hc
Piophc (Pbuh) in spccific condiions hc knowlcdgc of which is csscnial
foi a piopci undcisanding. Thc Hindu Mahasabha and is ilk, howcvci,
appcai o bc ignoian of his basic piinciplc of sudying old icligious
sciipuics. Oi pcihaps hcy know hc icaliy and yc aic piccnding o
bc unawaic so ha hcy can coninuc hcii malicious piopaganda agains
!slam.
Thc mcn who iaisc ob|ccions agains somc vciscs of hc Holy
ui`an aic of hicc kinds. !iis, hcic aic pcoplc who wiongly bclicvc
ha hc Holy ui`an aigcs hcm whcncvci i uscs such cims as Mu|/|/
(onc who associacs somc onc wih Allah) and Ka||/? Thcy also bclicvc
ha I||ad is a baibaiic wai ha uigcs is bclicvcis o muidci hc
opponcns of !slam. Thcy fuihci bclicvc ha hcy aic hc aigcs of hc
hos of punishmcns (o bc implcmcncd in hc lifc hcicafci) ha hc
ui`an has mcnioncd. !n hc sccond placc, hcy allcgc ha hc Holy
ui`an givcs is followcis such good namcs as Mum|n (bclicvci) Sad|q
(iuhful), Mu|/c|, (succcssful), hc clcvacd, hc cxalcd and hc
icspcccd. ! also calls hcm hc conqucioi, hc dominan, hc high and
hc mighy, hc piospcious and hc lcadci of hc woild. On hc coniaiy,
hc ui`an calls hc unbclicvcis wih such 'dcspicablc and 'uncivilizcd
namcs as 'Za/|m (onc who indulgcs in in|usicc), 'Mu||d (onc who
unlcashcs disoidci) and 'Na/| (unclcan) cc. !inally, somc highly
moivacd cxicmiss know hc Muslim icaliy and siuaion in !ndia
and yc hcy havc unlcashcd a vicious piopaganda. Thcy aic clling
gulliblc audicnccs all acioss hc couniy ha !slam is spicading vciy fas
cihci hiough high iac of biih oi bccausc of pcio-dolloi and foiccd
convcision. !f his icnd coninucs foi somc imc, a day will soon comc
whcn Muslims will aain ma|oiiy, bccomc hc iulci of his couniy,
and cnslavc hc Hindus. This falsc piopaganda undcisandably cicacs
56 I|/|,aquc Dan||
a fcai psychosis ha compcls hc common Hinuds o pu foiwaid such
dcmands as diopping hc so-callcd 'ob|ccionablc vciscs in oidci o
makc hc ui`an acccpablc o hc civilizcd woild.
Anyonc who has icad hc ui`an hc way i ough o bc sudicd,
would ic|cc hc abovc allcgaions as basclcss and, hcicfoic, uncnablc.
!n fac, !slam is a civilizcd icligion and hcncc i can ncvci usc impiopci
woids foi ohci icligions and hcii followcis. Thc ui`an has callcd hc
1cws and Chiisians by such good namcs as 'pcoplc of hc book, Naa/a,
hosc who hclpcd God and a/-/ad||na Hadu, hosc who icuincd o
hcii God (in obcdicncc and woiship). Ycs, hc Holy ui`an is
occasionally ciiical of somc of hcii dccds, cvcn convicions which i
says aic hcii cicaions, unsancioncd by God. No haicd oi disicspcc
is involvcd hcic. !nscad !slam icspccs all icligions and cnsuics ha is
followcis 'do no usc impiopci woids foi hosc who invokc (dciics)
ohci han Allah (a/-An 'am: 1O8).
Thc Holy ui`an is a uniquc 'divinc book, a souicc of guidancc
foi a/-Na, hc cniic humaniy. This is no a book foi Muslims only; all
human bcings aic, in fac, is addicssccs and havc all hc iighs o
bcncfi fiom his ccinal souicc of wisdom and guidancc. All pcoplc
havc, hus, also a iigh o icad and undcisand i. Howcvci, hcic aic
cciain condiions ha onc mus fulfill in oidci o discovci hc dccpci
mcanings of hc ui`an. A common man, no doub, can undcisand hc
mcssagc of !slam by simply icading onc oi anohci ianslaion of hc
ui`an. Howcvci, hcic aic vciscs ha dcal wih sub|ccs and cvcns
which can bc piopcily undcisood only whcn onc is fully wcll-acquaincd
wih hc hisoiical backgiound oi spccific condiions in which hcy wcic
icvcalcd.
Thc ui`an was icvcalcd o Muhammad (Pbuh) in 23 ycais who
communicacd oi convcycd i o his concmpoiaiy Aiabs and ohcis. !
has bccn vciy wcll picscivcd, nohing has cvci bccn addcd o oi dclccd
fiom his divinc book hc pioccoi of which is nonc clsc han Allah. !
is, hcicfoic, csscnial o sudy hc lifc and imc of hc Piophc (Pbuh)
foi a piopci undcisanding of hc ui`an,. Thc Piophc (Pbuh), in fac,
was hc fiis S|a/|| oi Mu|a|/ (commcnaoi) of hc ui`an and hcncc
his sayings and piaciccs aic of vial impoiancc foi is iuc
undcisanding. !f somconc has such a hoiough backgiound knowlcdgc
and appioachcs hc ui`an wih a gcnuinc dcsiic foi guidancc, hc suicly
would bc ablc o undcisand is iuc mcanings.
Thc mcn who 'ob|cc o somc vciscs of hc ui`an aic cihci
laymcn who do no havc hc backgiound knowlcdgc foi is piopci
undcisanding oi hcy aic 'clcvci hypociics whosc malincnion is o
T|c So-Ca//cd O|/c:/|ona|/c !c/c 57
show hc Holy Book in pooi ligh. Thc laymcn usually coiicc hcmsclvcs
whcn old abou hcii misakcs. Bu hc moivacd clcvci lo is haid o
impicss upon. Ivcn hcn, cffois mus bc madc o cxplain hc vciscs hc
way hcy ough o bc. ! mus also bc nocd hcic ha a lo many Muslims,
oo, nccd o undcisand hc so callcd 'ob|ccionablc vciscs in a piopci
way, foi ofcn hcy aic cqually guily of having mispciccpions abou
hcii icligion, culuic and hisoiy.
Of hc 24 vciscs hicc aic in Su/a| (chapci) a/-N|a, hc Womcn:
56,89 and 1O1. A backgiound noc abou hc hcmc of his chapci
would bc in oidci. As i was icvcalcd in Madinah, hc chapci discusscs
hc giowing Muslim socicy focusing cspccially on wha i ough o bc.
! has bccn impicsscd upon hc Muslims ha along wih individual
sicngh, a solid social oiganizaion is ncccssaiy foi cicaing a hcalhy
and fully unicd socicy. As hcic wcic somc clcmcns, wihin and ousidc
hc Muslim socicy of Madinah, who wcic no happy wih hc Piophc
(Pbuh) and his mission, hc bclicvcis havc bccn waincd agains hc
dangci hcy poscd o hcm.
Thc vciscs of hc chapci fiom 44 o 57 dcal wih hc pioblcms ha
hc 1cws of Madinah wcic posing o hc nasccn !slamic socicy. Thcsc
vciscs aic o bc icad ogchci in oidci o gc hc piopci concx foi
undcisanding hcm. !n hcsc vciscs Muslims havc fiis bccn waincd
abou hc 1cws who, dcspic having an agiccmcn wih hcm, wcic
schcming agains hcm all hc imc. A onc sagc (vcisc 47) hc 1cws aic
diiccly addicsscd wih hc inviaion of cmbiacing !slam bu fcw of
hcm wcic foiunac, hc vas ma|oiiy bccamc |calous and picfciicd o
bc on hcii old pah cvcn hough hc iuh had dawncd on hcm. ! wcic
hcsc sccicly schcming as wcll as opcn opponcns of !slam: hc 1cws of
Madinah whom hc vcisc 56 has addicsscd. Wih hc backgiound
knowlcdgc claboiacd abovc now icad hc vcisc 56, which is givcn
bclow, and find ou is ical mcaning:
Thosc who ic|cc
Oui signs. Wc shall soon
Cas ino !iic:
As ofcn as hcii skins
Aic ioascd hiough
Wc shall changc hcm
!oi ficsh skins,
Tha hcy may asc
Thc chasiscmcn: foi Allah
!s cxalcd in powci, Wisc.
(a/-N|a: 56)
58 I|/|,aquc Dan||
Howcvci, if somconc is no awaic of hc backgiound, i is quic
possiblc ha hc migh concludc wha hc Hindu Mahasabha has donc.
Ivcn hcn, hc wiong wih hc Mahasabha is ha hcy bclicvc ha
whcicvci hc woid Ka||/ has occuiicd in hc ui`an, i invaiiably icfcis
o hcm. Thc fac, howcvci, is ha hc Holy ui`an condcmns o hc
!iic of Hcll only hosc pcoplc who havc icalizcd ha !slam is hc iuc
mcssagc of Allah and yc icfusc o cmbiacc i bccausc of |calousy and
falsc piidc. Thc pioblcm wih hc 1cws was ha hcy had hc wiong
bclicf of bcing hc choscn pcoplc of God and, hcicfoic, bclicvcd ha
hc las piophc should havc comc only fiom among hcm. Howcvci,
whcn i happcncd ohciwisc and hc final mcsscngci camc fiom among
hcii cousins, hcy bccamc |calous and opposcd him ooh and nail.
Allah has, hcicfoic, waincd hcm ha hcii |calousy and subboincss
will only buy hcm a pcimancn abodc in hc !iic of Hcll.
Thc sccond vcisc of his chapci which hc Mahasabha has found
'ob|ccionablc is 89. ! icads as follows:
Thcy bu wish ha you
Should ic|cc !aih,
As hcy do, and hus bc
On hc samc fooing (as hcy):
So akc no fiicnds
!iom hcii ianks
\nil hcy flcc (do H|//a|)
!n hc way of Allah
(!iom wha is foibiddcn)
Bu if hcy uin icncgadcs,
Scizc hcm and slay hcm
Whcicvci you find hcm:
And (in any casc) akc
No fiicnds oi hclpcis fiom hcii ianks.
(a/-N|a: 89)
Thc Hindu Mahasabha and is followcis fiis makc hcmsclvcs an
addicsscc of hc vcisc and hcn chaigc ha hc ui`an calls hcm Ka||/.
! appcais as hc cim, Ka||/, sands foi Hindu in hcii hinking whom
a Muslim should ncvci bcfiicnd. Nohing can bc faihci fiom iuh. !n
fac, hc vcisc has bccn akcn ou of concx. Sccond, hc vcisc has a
spccific backgiound ha mus bc akcn noc of foi is piopci cxplanaion.
This chapci of hc ui`an was icvcalcd afci hc balc a U|ad,
hc sccond wai ha hc Ma//an had imposcd on Madinah. Afci hc
ovciwhclming vicoiy of Muslims in hc fiis balc a Bad/, hc 1cws of
Madinah camc o icalizc ha hc ncw icligion, !slam, was dcsincd o
T|c So-Ca//cd O|/c:/|ona|/c !c/c 59
dominac, and hcy fcl compcllcd o icdcfinc hcii iclaionship wih i.
Somc of hcm appaicnly cmbiaccd !slam, hough hcy wcic no Muslims
a hcai. Thcy, in fac, wancd o havc a shaic in hc maciial bcncfis
ha a vicoiious !slam was dcsincd o biing abou. Anohci gioup of
1cws adopcd a policy of icligious cocxiscncc saying lc cvciy onc follow
his own icligion, foi hcy all lcad o onc and hc samc ulimac icaliy.
This gioup, oo, was no sinccic in is policy bccausc hcy had adopcd
i undci hc picssuic of a iiumphan !slam. Mcanwhilc, hc balc a
\had happcncd in which hc Muslims mc wih a cmpoiaiy dcfca.
Thc scback, howcvci, cmboldcncd hc 1cws o icvcisc hcii policics.
Many backslidcd and abandoncd !slam whcicas somc coninucd o bc
half-hcaicd Muslims whom hc ui`an has callcd Muna||q. And many
of hc 1cws who had adopcd hc policy of icligious cocxiscncc fcl ha
!slam was vulnciablc, hcncc hcy dccidcd o opcnly woik agains i. As
a icsul hcy go in ouch wih hc Ma//an and bcgan conspiiing agains
hc nasccn ciy sac of Madinah.
Thc Muslims wcic no unawaic of hc dcvclopmcns in hcii 1cwish
ncighbouihood and clscwhcic. Thcy nauially haidcncd hcii aiudcs
owaids hc backslidcis and hc hosilc oncs. Bu somc Muslims had a
fccling ha hc backslidcis oi hc aposacs may sill icuin o hc fold
of !slam. Somc Muslims cvcn mainaincd fiicndly iclaions wih somc
Ma//an hoping hcy migh cmbiacc hcii icligion ha uigcs o bclicvc
in Onc God. !n fac, hcic wcic somc pcoplc in Makkah who said o hc
Muslims ha hcy had adopcd !slam bu duc o somc icasons wcic
unablc o migiac o Madinah. !n hc vcisc (89) undci discussion hc
Holy ui`an has waincd hc Muslims agains such clcmcns. ! is spccially
ough on hc Ma//an hypociics and says ha hcy should also bc icacd
as cncmics in a siuaion of wai.
Thc 'ob|ccion on vcisc 1O1 of hc chapci is iidiculous and spcaks
moic abou hc malincnion of hc ciiics. !n fac, hc Mahasabha has
akcn only hc las fcw woids of hc vcisc o ciiicisc and impicss upon
hc gulliblc icadcis ha hc Holy ui`an is haish and piovocaivc. !
will bc appiopiiac o quoc hc full vcisc hcic:
Whcn you iavcl
Thiough hc caih,
Thcic is no blamc on you
!f you shoicn youi piaycis,
!oi fcai hc unbclicvcis
May aack you:
!oi hc unbclicvcis aic
\no you opcn cncmics.
(a/-N|a: 1O1)
6O I|/|,aquc Dan||
Thc abovc vcisc (1O1) and hc following hicc vciscs (1O2-1O4) aic
abou wha is known as Sa/a| a/-K|au|, hc piayci of fcai. !n hcsc
vciscs hc Muslims havc bccn givcn pcimission no only o shoicn
hcii piaycis bu also offci hcm in gioups. Tha whcn onc gioup is
cngagcd in piayci, hc ohci should guaid hcm agains any cncmy
aack. Whcn such was hc condiion ha Ma//an and ohci opponcns
of !slam wcic fcaicd o bc so iuhlcss in puisui of hcii miliaiy ob|ccivcs
ha hcy migh aack Muslims whilc hcy wcic in piayci, wha is hcn
wiong if hcy aic biandcd as opcn cncmics?
A piofilc of hc cncmy undci discussion would bc in oidci hcic.
Thc Ma//an opposcd hc Piophc (pbuh) ooh and nail, iicd o nip
!slam in hc bud, pcisccucd hosc who acccpcd Muhammad`s mcssagc
and compcllcd hcm o fiis migiac o Abyssinia and hcn o Madinah.
Thc soiy docs no cnd hcic. Thcy conspiicd o kill hc Piophc (Pbuh)
and wagcd wai agains hc nasccn communiy of bclicvcis in Madinah.
As i was no cnough, hcy wcn all ovci hc Aiabian Pcninsula o iopc
in hc suppoi of all ma|oi Aiab iibcs o launch a dccisivc assaul
agains hc ncw icligion. Wha namc should hcy bc givcn, if such mcn
do no dcscivc o bc callcd 'opcn cncmics?
Thc Hindu Mahasabha has pickcd up hicc vciscs (14,51, &57)
fiom hc chapci, a/-Ma|da| (hc Ta|/c S/cad), foi 'ob|ccion. Thc
hicc vciscs, in fac, dcal wih hc 1cws and Chiisians who wcic opposing
hc ncw icligion, !slam, foi fiivolous icasons. Thc addicssccs of hc
vciscs, howcvci, aic hc Muslims; hcy aic bcing icmindcd of hc 1cws
and Chiisians who wcn asiay and caincd Allah`s angci bccausc hcy
biokc hc covcnan hcy had madc wih Him. Hcic hc ui`an icminds
hc Muslims ha if hcy follow ino hcii fooscps and foigc abou
hcii mission hcy, oo, will losc sigh of hc iigh pah and coui disasci.
Thc Hindu Mahasabha has akcn only hc las poiion of hc vcisc
and iicd o mislcad hc innoccn icadcis. Bu fiis lc us quoc hc full
vcisc:
And fiom hosc who call
Thcmsclvcs Chiisians,
Wc did akc a covcnan,
Bu hcy foigo a good pai
Of hc Mcssagc ha was
Scn hcm: so Wc siiicd up
Inmiy and haicd
Bcwccn hc onc and hc ohci,
To hc Day of 1udgcmcn.
And soon will Allah show
T|c So-Ca//cd O|/c:/|ona|/c !c/c 61
Thcm wha i is
Thcy havc donc.
(a/-Ma|da|: 14)
Whcn icad piopcily in hc ligh of hc backgiound noc givcn abovc
hc vcisc, in fac, poins o somc sccaiian conflics and squablings ha
havc akcn placc in hc hisoiy of Chiisianiy. Thc wcll-considcicd
mcaning of hc vcisc would bc ha as long as hc Chiisians hold o hc
iuncacd and disoicd Chiisianiy ha has icachcd hcm, hcy would
coninuc wandciing in hc wildcincss of icligious ignoiancc and will
icmain cmbioilcd in pioblcms ha will cicac cnmiy and haicd among
hcm. Moicovci, God will punish hcm on hc Day of 1udgcmcn foi
failing in hc duy ha Hc had assigncd o hcm. Agains his cxplanaion,
scc how hc Mahasabha has akcn only hc las poiion (fiom 'So Wc.)
and gcncializcd i o includc hcmsclvcs in is addicssccs. ! is hcii
misicading of a clcai mcssagc foi which hcy ough o blamc hcii mind
han hc ui`an and is followcis.
Now akc hc vciscs 51 and 57 of hc chapci 5, hc Ta|/c S/cad.
!n fac, in vciscs 51-56 hc Muslims of Madinah havc bccn waincd
agains bcfiicnding hosc 1cws and Chiisians who wcic cihci hcii
opcn cncmics oi hypociics, hc Muna||q|n. ! has alicady bccn said
ha somc Muslims of Madinah, in hc vain hopc of icfoiming hc
hypociics, wcic mainaining fiicndly iclaions wih hcm. Hcic hcy
aic bcing piohibicd, in a onc of waining, fiom csablishing oi
mainaining any iclaionship wih such clcmcns. !n vicw of hc abovc
backgiound noc, icad hc conccincd vcisc and hink how i can bc
'ob|cccd upon:
O you who bclicvc
Takc no hc 1cws
And hc Chiisians
!oi youi fiicnds and pioccois
To cach ohci. And hc
Amongs you ha uins o hcm
(foi fiicndship) is of hcm.
\ciily Allah guidcs no
A pcoplc un|us.
(a/-Ma|da|: 57)
Thc vcisc 57 of hc chapci 5 would also bc clcaily undcisood
whcn icad in hc ligh of hc backgiound noc givcn abovc. Thc Muslims
of Madinah havc bccn waincd agains bcfiicnding hc opcnly inimical
1cws, hc hypociics and hc Ma//an who no only ic|cccd hc ncw
faih bu also pcisccucd is followcis and wagcd wais agains i. Now
62 I|/|,aquc Dan||
icad hc vcisc and scc how i can bc faulcd foi cicaing bad blood
among vaiious communiics spccially in vicw of hc fac ha hc
condiions ha obaincd in hc Piophc`s imc do no cxis oday:
O you who bclicvc!
Takc no foi fiicnds
And pioccois hosc
Who akc youi icligion
!oi a mockciy of spoi,_
Whchci among hosc
Who icccivcd hc Sciipuic
Bcfoic you, oi among hosc
Who ic|cc !aih:
Bu fcai you Allah,
!f you havc faih (indccd).
(a/-Ma|da|: 57)
Thc Mahasabha has pickcd up wo vciscs (65 & 69) fiom chapci
8 of hc ui`an foi 'ob|ccion. !n fac, hcsc, alongwih a fcw ohci
vciscs, dcal wih hc ob|ccions of hc Ma//an infidcls ha hcy madc
agains hc Piophc (pbuh) afci hcy wcic dccisivcly dcfcacd in hc
Balc of Badi. Thc ob|ccion was how a iuc Piophc can figh agains
his own pcoplc and allow hc usc of hc wai spoils? Thc Mahasabha`s
ob|ccion is moic oi lcss hc samc; hcy also say how a piophc can
cncouiagc o wagc wai agains any body?
Bcfoic wc cxplain hc wo vciscs, lc us claboiac hc fundamcnal
hcmc of hc chapci. Thc cighh chapci, Thc Spoils of Wai, was icvcalcd
afci hc Balc of Badi. Nauially i has commcncd on hc balc and
is conscqucnccs foi hc conccincd paiics.
Thc Balc of Badi occupics a vciy impoian placc in hc hisoiy
of !slam; indccd i was hc uining poin in hc siugglc bcwccn iuh
and uniuh. Bcfoic hc balc ook placc, hc boasful Ma//an had
pioclaimcd ha i would piovc who was on hc iigh pah and who
would coniol Aiabia? Howcvci, whcn hcy mc wih an annihilaing
dcfca, hcy swifly changcd hc diiccion and concn of hcii
piopaganda in oidci o picvcn hc gcncial public fiom cmbiacing
!slam. Now hcy saicd saying ha Muhammad could only bc a 'falsc
piophc bccausc hc wagcs wais likc a woildly gcncial, akcs piisoncis,
acccps iansom and appiovcs of wai booy. !n his chapci Allah (sw)
has insiuccd Muslims no o bc mislcd by hc falsc piopaganda of hc
Ma//an. Thcy havc also bccn cncouiagcd o caiiy on hcii I||ad agains
hc infidcls so ha Ka|a| and Makkah aic libciacd fiom hcii wiongful
occupaion.
T|c So-Ca//cd O|/c:/|ona|/c !c/c 63
! is, hus, clcai ha hc ui`an cncouiagcd o wagc wais agains
hc infidcls afci hcy had blockcd and closcd all hc doois of pcaccful
picaching. No saisficd wih his, hcy also aackcd hc nasccn sac
of Madinah whcic hc Muslims had sough icfugc. \icwcd in his
pcispccivc, how can onc ob|cc o hc wo vciscs in qucsion. Now akc
hc fiis vcisc: 65 which is as follows:
O Piophc! Rousc hc Bclicvcis
To hc figh. !f hcic aic
Twcny amongs you, paicn
And pciscvciing, hcy will
\anquish wo hundicd: if a hundicd
Thcy will vanquish a housand
Of hc \nbclicvcis: foi hcsc
Aic a pcoplc wihou undcisanding.
(a/-An|a/: 65)
!n fac, his is hc las vcisc of a gioup of hicc vciscs: 63-65. !n
hcsc hicc vciscs Allah (sw) has addicsscd hc Piophc (Pbuh) saying
ha numbcis do no maci much in a wai, foi balcs aic fough wih
such wcapons as faih in God, sclf confidcncc and convicion in onc`s
abiliics. So, disicgaiding hc shoiagc of numbcis, hc Piophc (Pbuh)
is insiuccd o cncouiagc his pcoplc o go o wai and figh ill hc las
vicoiy.
Thc vcisc 69 has bccn pickcd fiom hc middlc of a syscmaic
sub|cc maci dcsciibcd in vciscs 67-71. !n hcsc vciscs, fiis, hc ui`an
has addicsscd hc Ma//an saying ha i is iuc a piophc is no scn
o akc piisoncis and shcd blood; hc iahci picachcs iuh and pcacc.
Bu i is you who aic capivacd by hc chaim of hc woild and havc
alicady commicd ciimcs agains humaniy foi fulfilling youi maciial
dcsiics. Had i no bccn foi Allah`s piinciplc of giving imc o hc
wiong-docis foi icfoim, a big punishmcn would havc dcsioycd you.
Afciwaid, Allah (sw) uigcs hc bclicvcis o icmain unimpicsscd by
hc falsc piopaganda of hc Ma//an and cn|oy wha hc wai has biough
foi hcm. Says hc ui`an:
Bu (now) cn|oy wha you ook
!n wai, lawful and good: Bu
!cai Allah: foi Allah
!s Of-foigiving, Mos Mciciful.
(a/-An|a/: 69)
Obviously hcic is nohing ha onc can ob|cc agains. ! has bccn
madc clcai ha a piophc`s mission is no o wagc wai bu hc is wihin
his iigh o icsis and figh agains invasion. And wha would onc do
64 I|/|,aquc Dan||
wih hc aiiclcs lcf bchind by a dcfcacd and flccing aimy? Should onc
icuin hcm o hc cncmy so ha hc would bccomc siong and launch
yc anohci aack? Thc pioblcm wih hc Mahasabha is ha i has icad
hc vcisc (8: 69) as a blankc oidci wihou aking ino considciaion
hc backgiound and concx in which i was icvcalcd.
Thc Mahasabha has pickcd up 9 vciscs fiom hc chapci 9 foi
'ob|ccion. Thcsc vciscs dcal, |n/c/a/|a, wih I||ad and I|:,a|. Thc
misundcisanding of hc Mahasabha, as usual, oiiginacs fiom is
misguidcd cffoi of undcisanding a cx wihou knowing is concx.
Thc chapci 9 has a vciy spccific backgiound hc knowlcdgc of which
is csscnial foi is piopci undcisanding. !n a scnsc his chapci is a
coninuiy of hc cighh chapci. !n hc picvious chapci hc Muslims
wcic cncouiagcd foi I||ad which is oidaincd in hc chapci undci
discussion.
! is impoian o know hc condiions ha lcd o hc opcn dcclaiaion
of wai agains hc Mu|/|/|n (hosc who associac ohci dciics wih
Allah). !n fac, his chapci was icvcalcd whcn i had bccomc abundanly
clcai ha !slam would iiumph ovci is cncmics. As a icsul many iibcs
cmbiaccd !slam; somc cncicd ino agiccmcn wih Madinah foi living
hc way hcy wancd bu hcic wcic sill so many who wcic opcnly
opposing and conspiiing agains hc ncw icligion. This chapci has
chalkcd ou a clcai policy owaids all hcsc gioups. ! has bccn madc
clcai ha hc pcoplc of Aiabia havc o cihci sinccicly cmbiacc !slam
oi facc wai, foi hcy havc foifcicd hcii iigh o avoid i bccausc of
hcii unccasing conspiiacics agains hc Sac of Madinah and hc icligion
i piaciccs.
A hc imc of his chapci`s icvclaion hcic wcic somc Aiabs who,
dcspic having signcd a pcacc icay wih Madinah, wcic conspiiing,
ovcily oi covcily, agains !slam. Thc Muslims aic now no only
pcimicd bu aic also bcing cncouiagcd o wagc wai agains hcm. Thc
sccond was hc gioup of Muna||q|n, hosc who had no cmbiaccd !slam
sinccicly; hcsc pcoplc havc bccn waincd agains hobnobbing wih hc
cncmics of !slam, cvcn if hcy havc blood iclaion wih hcm. Thcy havc
bccn givcn wo choiccs: cihci o cmbiacc !slam sinccicly oi facc hc
conscqucnccs along wih hc cncmics of !slam. Thc hiid was hc gioup
of 1cws and Chiisians. Thc Muslims aic uigcd o wagc I||ad agains
hcm ill hcy pay I|:,a|, (a kind of poll ax). Thc 1cws and hc Chiisians
caincd Allah`s angci bccausc of hcii consan opposiion o !slam whilc
knowing wcll ha Muhammad (Pbuh) was hc iuc Piophc ha hcy
wcic waiing, cvcn piaying foi.
Thc Mahasabha`s ncx ob|ccion is on vcisc 5 of his chapci which
T|c So-Ca//cd O|/c:/|ona|/c !c/c 65
is as follows:
Bu whcn hc foibiddcn monhs
Aic pas, hcn figh and slay
Thc Mu|/|/|n whcicvci you find hcm,
And scizc hcm, bclcaguci hcm,
And lic in wai foi hcm
!n cvciy siaagcm (of wai);
Bu if hcy icpcn,
And csablish icgulai piayci,
And pay Za/a|
Thcn opcn hc way foi hcm:
!oi Allah is of-foigiving,
Mos mciciful.
(a/-Tau|a: 5)
Thc Mahasabha has misakcn his vcisc as a gcncial command foi
all imcs and climcs. Thc fac, howcvci, is ha i was a spccific oidci o
dcal wih hc Mu|/|/|n who, imc and again, had biokcn hc agiccmcns
hcy had signcd wih hc Muslims. Thc las poiion of hc vcisc is spccially
indicaivc of hc imc-spccific nauic of hc commandmcn. ! also
cxplains a gcncial iulc of Allah, hc Mciciful: whcn hc divinc mcsscngci
comcs o a pcoplc whosc considciablc numbcis cmbiacc i, Allah (sw)
docs no dcsioy hcm and inscad allows hc bclicving sccion o
pcisuadc hcii icmaining fcllow-bcings o cnci hc fold of hcii icligion
and hosc who sill icfusc o acccp hc Tiuh aic dcsioycd by Him oi
aic finishcd and punishcd ino oblivion by hc bclicvcis.
Thc abovc vcisc has bccn addicsscd o hc Mu|/|/|n of Aiabia o
whom Allah scn a piophc fiom among hcmsclvcs who spokc hcii
languagc and was known foi his honcsy and incgiiy. Thc Mu|/|/|n
pcisccucd him, foiccd him o lcavc his placc of biih and hcn consanly
wagcd wai agains him. Whcn hc wais hcy had saicd, finally cxhauscd
and wcakcncd hcm cconomically, miliaiily, poliically and cvcn moially,
hcy signcd pcacc icaics wih hc Piophc (Pbuh). Bu hcy biokc
hcii pai of hc icay imc and again in oidci o capializc on
oppoiuniics of inflicing damagc oi causing in|uiics o hc Muslim
communiy. Thcsc pcoplc of such a ciiminal backgiound aic hc aigc
of hc iic of hc vcisc quocd abovc.
Thc vcisc 14 ha hc Mahasabha has unncccssaiily 'ob|cccd upon
icads as follows:
!igh hcm, and Allah will
Punish hcm by youi hands,
And disgiacc hcm
66 I|/|,aquc Dan||
Hclp you (o vicoiy) ovci hcm,
And hcal hc bicass of bclicvcis.
(a/-Tau|a: 14)
Hcic hc Muslims aic no only cncouiagcd o figh hc Mu|/|/|n
bu hcy havc also bccn piomiscd of hcii iiumph in hc wai. Thc
picvious vcisc (9: 13) has caalogucd somc of hc ciimcs ha hc
Mu|/|/|n of Makkah had commicd agains hc Muslims and hc
Piophc (Pbuh). !f onc honcsly icads vcisc 14 in con|uncion wih hc
picvious vcisc, hc would havc no ob|ccion a all. Thc vcisc 13 is as
follows:
Will you no figh pcoplc
Who violacd hcii oahs,
Plocd o cxpcl hc Mcsscngci,
And aackcd you
!iis? Do you fcai hcm? Nay,
! is Allah whom you should
Moic |usly fcai, if you bclicvc!
(a/-Tau|a: 13)
Thc Mahasabha is also no comfoiablc wih hc mcssagc of vcisc
23 in which bclicvcis havc bccn uigcd o scvcic iclaions wih hcii kih
and kin. Thc hing o bc undcisood is ha hc vciscs undci discussion
wcic icvcalcd a a imc whcn hc Muslims wcic a wai wih hc infidcls.
Many Muslims sill had hcii iclaions among hc Mu|/|/|n of Makkah
and hcy wcic in ouch wih hcm owing o a vaiicy of icasons. Scnsing
ha such iclaions migh causc pioblcms duiing a wai, hc Muslims
havc bccn waincd and uigcd o bc away fiom hc iclaivcs who aic sill
in hc fold of Ku|/. Hcic a gcncial piinciplc has also bccn cxplaincd
which, whcn icad in is piopci concx, can no bc ciiicizcd oi
qucsioncd. Thc Muslims` wai wih hc unbclicvcis of Makkah was,
abovc all, an idcological conflic. !n such a conflic, whcn idcology,
piinciplc oi a |us causc is a sakc, iclaions can no bc allowcd o
bohci a waiiioi. This piinciplc has bccn obscivcd and cxplaincd in hc
Mahabhaiaa as wcll. How, hcn, hc Mahasabha can 'ob|cc upon hc
following vciscs:
O you who bclicvc! Takc no
!oi pioccois (oi fiicnds) youi fahcis
And youi biohcis if hcy lovc
!nfidcliy (Ku|/) abovc !aih:
!f any of you do so,
Thcy do wiong (o hcmsclvcs).
Say: !f i bc ha youi fahcis,
T|c So-Ca//cd O|/c:/|ona|/c !c/c 67
Youi sons, youi biohcis,
Youi macs, oi youi kindicd:
Thc wcalh ha you havc gaincd;
Thc commcicc in which you fcai
A dcclinc; aic hc dwcllings
!n which you dcligh_
Aic dcaici o you han Allah
Oi His Mcsscngci, oi hc siiving
!n His causc; _ hcn wai
\nil Allah biings abou
His Dccision: and Allah
Guidcs no hc icbcllious.
(a/-Tau|a: 23-24)
Thc ncx aigc of hc Mahasabha is vcisc numbci 28 which icads
as follows:
O you who bclicvc! Tiuly
Thc Mu|/|/|n aic unclcan;
So lc hcm no,
Afci his ycai of hciis,
Appioach hc Sacicd Mosquc.
And if you fcai povciy,
Soon will Allah cniich you,
!f Hc wills, ou of His bouny,
!oi Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wisc.
(a/-Tau|a: 28)
Thc Mahasabha has pickcd up only fiis wo lincs in oidci o impicss
upon is gulliblc and cicdulous audicnccs ha hc ui`an has augh is
followcis o considci unbclicvcis as unclcan. Howcvci, whcn icad wih
hc full vcisc, and also sudicd as a coninuiy of hc discouisc ha iuns
fiom hc bcginning of hc chapci, his appcais o bc hc culminaion
of scvciing iclaions wih hc Mu|/|/|n ha hc Muslims aic bcing
uigcd o cnac. Thcn hc cim, Na/|, has a spccial imc-spccific mcaning.
Thc scholais of !slam havc iighly cxplaincd ha hc cim icfcis o hc
faih of S||// ha hc Ma//an pagans had; his is no o suggcs ha all
unbclicvcis aic physically unclcan and, hcicfoic, dcscivc o bc icacd
as unouchablc. Thc puiposc of hc vcisc, in simplc woids, is ha Ka|a|,
hc Housc of Allah Thc Alonc, is an abodc of monohcism, hcncc hc
Mu|/|/|n, who do no bclicvc in hc Oncncss of God, havc no iigh o
cnci his holy placc. This is |us a maci of piinciplc which onc should
no ciiicizc unncccssaiily.
Thc Mahasabha has found 'faul wih vcisc 29 as wcll. Thc
68 I|/|,aquc Dan||
ob|ccion is ha !slam docs no olciac pluialiy of faih and uigcs is
followcis o wagc wai agains hcm. Thc vcisc undci discussion is as
follows:
!igh hosc who bclicvc no
!n Allah noi hc Las Day,
Noi hold ha foibiddcn
Which has bccn foibiddcn
By Allah and His Mcsscngci,
Noi acknowlcdgc hc Rcligion
Of Tiuh, fiom among
Thc Pcoplc of Book,
\nil hcy pay I|:,a|
Wih willing submission
And fccl hcmsclvcs subducd.
(a/-Tau|a: 29)
This vcisc is paily imc-spccific and paily gcncial in nauic and
mcaning. Thc bclicvcis havc bccn uigcd o figh agains hc 1cws and
Chiisians who, along wih hc Mu|/|/|n, had dcclaicd wai on !slam.
Thc ui`an has caalogucd hc ciimcs of hc Pcoplc of hc Book in is
chapcis wo and hicc cc. !n vicw of hcii unccasing conspiiacics and
opcn hosiliics agains !slam, hc ui`an uigcd is followcis o figh,
dcfca and foicc hcm o pay I|:,a|. Thc maci of I|:,a|, as mcnioncd
abovc, is a gcncial oidci. Thc scholais of !slam havc cxplaincd hc cim
vciy wcll. Thosc who akc up aims agains !slam and aic dcfcacd in hc
balcficld, would bc foiccd o pay I|:,a|, a ax lcvicd on hc mcn having
hc capaciy o cain oi figh. Thc gcncial piinciplc is o bc lcnicn whilc
dccimining hc quaniy of hc I|:,a|. And if hc 1cws oi Chiisians
who do no akc up aims agains !slam and willingly agicc o pay I|:,a|,
oi hcy insis on bcing icacd likc hc Muslims in macis of axcs, hcy
would bc dcal wih in accoidancc wih whacvci agiccmcn is aiiivcd
a and signcd muually.
Thc Mahasabha has pickcd up hc las scncncc of vcisc 37 foi
iidiculous 'ob|ccion. !n fac, hc vciscs 36-37 havc fuihci cxplaincd
hc mcaning oi mcssagc discusscd in vcisc 5 of hc chapci. Thcn a
gcncial piinciplc of divinc guidancc has bccn sicsscd upon in hc las
linc of vcisc 37:
And Allah guidcs no
Thosc who ic|cc !aih.
Thc mcaning is obvious. Tha no amoun of pcisuaion can woik on
a pcison who knows hc Tiuh and yc ic|ccs i foi such silly icasons as
aiiogancc cc. Such was hc pioblcm wih hc Ma//an pagans and 1cws
T|c So-Ca//cd O|/c:/|ona|/c !c/c 69
of hc Piophc`s imc who kncw in hcii hcais ha Muhammad`s
mcssagc was divinc and yc hcy icfuscd o cmbiacc i. Thcy had so
many fiivolous icasons foi hcii icfusal likc aiiogancc, subboinncss,
following hc foo scps of hcii foicfahcis and hc fcai of dcclinc in
cconomic and poliical clous, as has hc Mahasabha oday, pcihaps.
Thc Mahasabha`s ncx 'ob|ccion is on vcisc 68 which is as follows:
Allah has piomiscd hc Hypociics
Mcn and womcn, and hc ic|cccis
Of !aih, hc fiic of Hcll;
Thcicin shall hcy dwcll:
Sufficicn is i foi hcm:
!oi hcm is cuisc of Allah,
And an cnduiing punishmcn.
(a/-Tau|a: 68)
Thc 'ob|ccion is ha hc ui`an is oo haish on is opponcns
and condcmns hcm o a pcimancn punishmcn. Thc icaliy, howcvci,
is ha hc ui`an has addicsscd hc hypociics, hosc 'mcn who
piccndcd o bc 'Muslims bu wcic cihci unbclicvcis oi wcak in hcii
faih. Thcsc hypociics uscd o play diiy iicks wih hc Piophc (pbuh)
and hc !slamic Movcmcn ha hc lcd. !n vciscs 42-6O hc Piophc has
bccn uigcd o bc ough wih such clcmcns, foi hcy havc bccn aking
unduc advanagc of his lcnicncy. Thcn in vciscs 61-72 hc ui`an has
caalogucd hc chaiacciisics of boh, hc iuc bclicvcis and hc
hypociics wih a vicw o pcisuading hc laci o mcnd hcii ways and
bccomc sinccic Muslims.
Thc qucsion is no onc of bcing 'haish oi lcnicn in punishing hc
wiong-docis. !n fac, onc ough o undcisand hc ui`anic conccp of
lifc and hc hcicafci. This lifc, accoiding o hc Holy ui`an, is
cphcmcial whcicas hc hcicafci is ccinal, hcncc hc icwaid oi
punishmcn of ha woild, oo, would bc infinic and pcimancn.
Thc Mahasabha`s 'ob|ccion on vcisc 111 is ha hc ui`an has
uigcd is followcis, imc and again, o wagc wai and indulgc in dcsiucion
and bloodshcd. Thc so callcd 'ob|ccion is duc o hc Mahasabha`s
failuic of puing hc vcisc in is piopci concx and pcispccivc. !n fac,
Allah (sw) has discusscd hc Mad|nan socicy, spccially is vaiious
componcns. Thcic wcic hosc Mu|a/|/|n and Ana/, hc Ma//an
migians and hc Madinan hclpcis icspccivcly, who cmbiaccd !slam in
hc bcginning of hc Piophc`s mission. Thcy havc bccn piomiscd a
pcimancn and bcfiing placc in paiadisc. Allah (sw) has, hcn,
discusscd hc hypociics living in Madinah oi in hc dcsci aicas. Thcy
havc bccn waincd of a scvcic and lasing punishmcn. And finally hc
7O I|/|,aquc Dan||
ui`an has dcal wih hc hypociics who, afci bcing waincd in his
chapci, icpcncd and cncicd hc fold of !slam in all sincciiy. Allah
(sw) announccd ha hcii Tau|a, icpcnancc, has bccn acccpcd. Thc
vcisc in qucsion (111) is conccincd wih hc iuc and sinccic bclicvcis
of !slam. !n fac, i has cxplaincd hc nauic of iclaionship bcwccn hc
iuc bclicvcis and Allah (sw). !n plain woids, hc bclicvci has o wholly
submi himsclf o hc will of Allah Who, in icuin, will icwaid him in
hc lifchcicafci. Whcn a pcison bccomcs such a fiim and sinccic
bclicvci, hc ncvci fcais wai and dcah and follows God`s command in
all condiions. Thc puipoi of hc vcisc is no o cncouiagc wai,
dcsiucion and bloodshcd bu is focus is on hc qualiy of faih ha a
iuc bclicvci should havc. Commicd pcoplc always saciificc hcii livcs
foi hc causc hcy chciish and uphold. Why, hcn, hc Mahasabha has
'ob|ccion on hc vcisc in qucsion which is as follows:
Allah has puichascd of hc bclicvcis
Thcii pcisons and hcii goods;
!oi hcii (in icuin)
!s hc Gaidcn (of Paiadisc):
Thcy figh in His Causc,
And slay and aic slain:
A piomisc binding on Him
!n Tiuh, hiough hc Toiah,
Thc Gospcl, and hc ui`an:
And who is moic faihful
To his covcnan han Allah?
Thcn ic|oicc in hc baigain
Which you havc concludcd:
Tha is hc achicvcmcn supicmc.
(a/-Tau|a: 111)
Thc Mahasabha`s ncx 'ob|ccion is on vcisc 123 in which hc
ui`an, as hcy allcgc, has uigcd is followcis o bc haish cvcn on hc
iclaivcs who aic in hc cncmy camp. Thc chaigc has alicady bccn
answcicd whilc cxplaining hc vcisc 23 of his chapci, a/-Tau|a. Thc
full vcisc, anyway, is givcn bclow:
O you who bclicvc! !igh
Thc \nbclicvcis who aic ncai o you
And lc hcm find haishncss
!n you: and know ha Allah
!s wih hosc who fcai Him.
(a/-Tau|a: 123)
Thc vcisc, in fac, bclongs o hc concluding sccion of hc chapci,
T|c So-Ca//cd O|/c:/|ona|/c !c/c 71
a/-Tau|a in which Allah (sw) has givcn gcncial guidancc o hc Muslims
of Madinah. As hcic wcic sill somc hypociics as wcll as opcn cncmics
of !slam, hc bclicvcis aic bcing uigcd o bc consanly on guaid agains
such clcmcns. This is no a gcncial command ha in oidci o bc iuc
Muslim onc mus bc haish on his kih and kin.
Thc vcisc 98 of hc chapci 21 is hc ncx aigc of hc Mahasabha.
Thc 'ob|ccion is ha hc ui`an no only ciiicizcs hc unbclicvcis
and hcii dciics bu also hiows hcm ino hc !iic of Hcll. Such vciscs,
hcy claim, aic bound o cicac cnsion and bad blood in a pluial socicy.
Now lc us scc how widc off hc maik hc Mahasabha has bccn in
undcisanding hc conccincd vcisc which is as follows:
\ciily you (unbclicvcis),
And hc (falsc) gods ha
You woiship bcsidcs Allah,
Aic (bu) fucl foi Hcll!
To i will you (suicly) comc!
(a/-An||,aa: 98)
This vcisc has occuiicd in a/-An||,aa, hc Piophcs, whosc main
hcmc is o wain hc Ma//an pagans abou hc conscqucnccs of hcii
un|us and subboin opposiion o Muhammad (Pbuh). Thc Piophc
(Pbuh) picachcd hcm all day and nigh bu hc pagans, inscad of
hccding o hc iuc guidancc, saicd making fun of Allah`s mcsscngci
and His mcssagc. Thcy spccially iidiculcd hc !slamic conccp of A/||/a|,
hc lifchcicafci and dcmandcd hc Piophc (Pbuh) o biing i abou,
if hc was iigh. !n icsponsc, Allah (sw) said ha whcn hc !inal Day
will comc, you would find youisclvcs and youi sonc-madc idols ino hc
!iic of Hcll. This waining is no gcncial bu has spccially bccn givcn o
hc Makkan pagans whom hc Piophc (Pbuh) had picachcd foi scvcial
ycais. Thc ui`an has ncvci uigcd hc Muslims o dcspisc cihci any
human bcing oi hc god(s) hc woiships; iahci is caching is no o say
wiong hings abou hc dciics of hc pagans. Says hc Holy ui`an:
Rcvilc no you
Thosc whom hcy call upon
Bcsidcs Allah, lcs
Thcy ou of spic
Rcvilc Allah
!n hcii ignoiancc.
(a/-Anaam: 1O8)
Thc Mahasabha has lcvclcd 'ob|ccion agains vcisc 22 of hc
chapci 22, a/-Sa/da|, Adoiaion. Thc 'ob|ccion pcihaps is ha !slam
docs no bclicvc in co-cxiscncc of icligions and wans o cocicc pcoplc
72 I|/|,aquc Dan||
ino acccping i. Nohing can bc faihci fiom iuh han his. A scvcial
placcs hc ui`an has asscicd ha man is ficc o ic|cc oi acccp hc
Ia|/| picachcd by Muhammad. Thc famous vcisc: 'Thcic is no
compulsion in icligion (2: 256) has banncd foiccful convcision. Thc
ui`an has fuihci cxplaincd his poin in hc following vcisc:
Say, 'Thc Tiuh is
!iom youi Loid
Lc him who will,
Bclicvc, and lc him
Who will, ic|cc (i):
(a/-Ka||: 29)
Dcspic such clcai cachings abou hc ficcdom of icligion, hc
Mahasabha has unduly 'ob|cccd upon hc following vcisc:
And who docs moic wiong
Than onc o whom aic iccicd
Thc Signs of his Loid,
And who hcn uins away
Thcicfiom? \ciily fiom hosc
Who iansgicss Wc shall cxac
(Duc) Rciibuion.
(a/-Sa/da: 22)
Thc abovc vcisc has bccn akcn fiom a/-Sa/da, Adoiaion, which
was icvcalcd in Makkah. Thc gcncial hcmc of hc chapci is ha hc
Holy ui`an is T|c T/uc Mcac of Allah, and is a spccial blcssing foi
hc Aiabs who had no icccivcd hc divinc mcssagc foi a long imc. So
hcy would do good o hcmsclvcs, if hcy acccp i and would wiong
nonc bu hcmsclvcs, if hcy ic|cc i.
Thc vcisc in qucsion (22) is hc las onc of a gioup of hicc vciscs
bcginning fiom 2O. !n vciscs 2O-21 hc ic|cccis of !aih havc bccn
waincd ha hcy will cain Hcll, cvcn asc and facc punishmcn in his
woild, if hcy coninuc in hcii ignoiancc dcspic knowing hc fac ha
hc ui`an was hc iuc divinc mcssagc. !n vcisc 22, Allah (sw) has
givcn hc icason why hc ic|cccis of Ia|/| will bc punishcd in boh hc
woilds. Whcn icad caicfully, hc vcisc mcans ha hc Ma//an consan
dcnial of hc ui`an, which is icpcacdly iccicd o hcm, will suicly
land hcm in ioublc. By no sicch of imaginaion onc can consiuc
ha his vcisc is agains icligious ficcdom.
Thc Mahasabha has iaiscd un|us 'ob|ccion agains hc following
vcisc:
Thcy shall havc a cuisc
On hcm: whcicvci hcy
T|c So-Ca//cd O|/c:/|ona|/c !c/c 73
Aic found, hcy shall bc
Scizcd and slain.
(a/-A|:a|: 61)
Pcihaps hc Mahasabha saw such woids as 'scizcd and 'slain
and hough hc vcisc was ncccssaiily abou hcm and ohci non-
Muslims. Thc fac, howcvci, is ha hc vcisc has waincd hc hypociics
of Madinah who wcic always conspiiing o saboagc hc nasccn !slamic
socicy fiom wihin. Onc wondcis which civil socicy will olciac incinal
cncmics and allow hcm o succccd in hcii ncfaiious dcsigns?
Thc Mahasabha has 'ob|cccd upon wo vciscs (27-28) of hc
chapci 41. Thcii silly 'ob|ccion is why hc infidcls would bc condcmncd
o pcimancnly livc in hc !iic of Hcll? !n a scnsc i is an 'ob|ccion
on a vciy fundamcnal cnc of !slam: A/||/a|, hc bclicf in hc
lifchcicafci. Thc poin o bc kcp in mind is ha hc punishmcn, how
much scvcic and haish i migh bc, is no pionounccd and mccd ou
o hc wiong-docis all of a suddcn. Thc Muslim bclicf is ha Allah (sw)
scn piophcs o all pcoplc (13: 7) and His final mcssagc has comc o
hc mankind in hc foim of hc Holy ui`an. Moicovci, i has bccn
madc binding upon hc Muslims o coninuc o bc wincss of Tiuh uno
mankind ill hc !inal Day. Thc poin o impicss upon is ha bcfoic
announcing hc punishmcn Allah (sw) madc aiiangcmcns foi
picaching His mcssagc o hc mankind. Thc 'ob|ccion, whichcvci
quaici i comcs fiom, is, hcicfoic, uncnablc.
Thc wo vciscs (27-28) bcing discusscd bclow havc bccn akcn
fiom chapci 41. Thcy aic as follows:
Bu Wc will cciainly
Givc hc \nbclicvcis a asc,
Of a scvci Chasiscmcn,
And Wc will icquic hcm
!oi hc wois of hcii dccds
Such is hc icquial
Of hc cncmics of Allah, __
Thc !iic: hcicin will bc
!oi hcm hc Icinal Homc:
A (fi) icquial, foi
Tha hcy wcic won
To ic|cc Oui Signs.
(Iu|/a/: 27-28)
Thc chapci 41 was icvcalcd in Makkah, pcihaps owaids hc cnd
of Muhammad`s piophcic picaching hcic, whcn hc conflic bcwccn
!slam and S||// (associaing dciics wih Allah) had bccomc vciy incnsc.
74 I|/|,aquc Dan||
Thc Ma//an lcadcis had icalizcd wcll ha Muhammad was Allah`s
mcsscngci bu icfuscd o acccp him as such foi cxiancous and fiivolous
icasons. Thc Ma//an lcadcis wcic no saisficd wih |us vcibal
opposiion bu hcy also iicd haid o nip !slam in hc bud. Thcy
pcisccucd and iicd o suppicss Muhammad and his followcis and
picvcncd pcoplc fiom liscning o hc ui`an. Such was hc backgiound
of pcoplc whom hc ui`an condcmncd o hc !iic of Hcll.
Thc Mahasabha has pickcd up a poiion of vcisc 2O of hc chapci
48 o 'ob|cc upon. Thcy havc wiongly undcisood hc vcisc as
cncouiaging loo and plundci. Thc main causc foi hcii
misundcisanding is ha hcy havc no akcn hc wholc concx in o
accoun whilc icading hc vcisc undci discussion. !oi a piopci
undcisanding of hc vcisc onc mus icad a lcas foui vciscs, 48: 18-
21 in which Allah (sw) has madc somc piomiscs o hc Muslims.
Moicovci, onc mus also know in which condiions hcsc vciscs wcic
icvcalcd. Thc occasion, in fac, was hc icay of Hudaybiah, which
many Muslims found humiliaing. A fcw cxplanaions will bc in oidci
hcic.
!n hc sixh ycai of hc H|//a| calcndai hc Piophc (Pbuh) dccidcd
o pcifoim Um/a|, hc lcssci pilgiimagc o Makkah. Somc 15 o 16
hundicd Muslims accompanicd hc Piophc (Pbuh). Whcn hcy icachcd
Hudaybiah, a placc ncai Makkah, hc Piophc (Pbuh) scn woids o hc
Ma//an lcadcis ha hcii incnsion was bu o pcifoim hc lcssci
pilgiimagc. Thc Ma//an, howcvci, would no agicc wih hc pioposal
and suggcscd o hc Muslims o comc hc ncx ycai. Thcy ncgoiacd
and signcd a icay whosc cciain clauscs sccmcd o bc humiliaing foi
many Muslims; hcii complain was ha hcy should sign hc icay as
cqual paincis and no hc vicc vcisa. Bu whcn hc Piophc (pbuh)
signcd hc icay disicgaiding hcii complains, hcy fcll in gloom. Such
was hc gcncial mood of hc Muslim communiy whcn his chapci 48
was icvcalcd. ! dcclaicd o hc 'dcpicsscd bclicvcis ha fai fiom
bcing humiliaing, hc Ticay of Hudaybiah was an opcn vicoiy. Thc
subscqucn cvcns piovcd hc ui`anic piophcsy as Makkah fcll o hc
Muslims wihin wo ycais.
Thc vciscs 48: 18-21 aic, in fac, abou hc gladidings ha Allah
(sw) gavc o hc Muslims in hc wakc of hc Ticay of Hudaybiah. Now
icad hc vciscs:
Allah`s Good plcasuic
Was on hc Bclicvcis
Whcn hcy swoic !caly
To hcc undci hc Ticc:
T|c So-Ca//cd O|/c:/|ona|/c !c/c 75
Hc kncw wha was
!n hcii hcais, and Hc
Scn down Tianquiliy
To hcm; and Hc icwaidcd
Thcm wih a spccdy \icoiy;
And many gains will hcy
Acquiic (bcsidcs): and Allah
!s Ixalcd in Powci,
!ull of Wisdom.
Allah has piomiscd you
Many gains ha you shall
Acquiic, and Hc has givcn
You hcsc bcfoichand; and
Hc has icsiaincd hc hands
Of mcn fiom you; ha i
May bc a sign foi
Thc Bclicvcis, and ha
Hc may guidc you
To a siaigh pah;
And ohci gains (hcic aic),
Which aic no wihin
Youi powci, bu which
Allah has compasscd and Allah
Has powci ovci all hings.
(a/-Ia/-|: 18-21)
Thc Mahasabha`s 'ob|ccion is on hc 'piomiscd gains. Boh
pcacc and wai havc hcii cconomic fallou oi bcncfis and losscs. !oi
a pcison familiai wih hc hisoiy of !slam, spccially wih wha happcncd
a Hudaybiah, and in wha condiions, hcsc 'piomiscd gains would
ncihci appcai uncxpcccd noi uncallcd foi. Thc Muslims wcic a wai
wih hc Ma//an, and hough hcy appaicnly signcd hc icay a
Hudaybiah as a wcak paiy, hc fai-sighcd kncw wcll wha good was in
soic foi hcm. Howcvci, hcic wcic many who could no scc hc fuuic
and good oucomc of hc icay; and i is hcsc pcoplc who havc bccn
solaccd in hc vciscs quocd abovc.
Thc las 'ob|ccion of hc Mahasabha is on vcisc 9 of hc chapci
66 which is as follows:
O Piophc! Siivc haid
Agains hc \nbclicvcis
And hc Hypociics,
And bc haish wih hcm.
76 I|/|,aquc Dan||
Thcii abodc is Hcll,__
An cvil icfugc (indccd).
(a/-Ta|/|m: 9)
Thc 'ob|ccion is on hc woid, I||ad, which has bccn ianslacd
hcic as 'siivc haid. I||ad is no ncccssaiily wai foi which hc common
Aiabic woid is Q|/a/. Thcic is a conscnsus ha I||ad has a widci mcaning.
No only foi hc Mahasabha, bu also foi many concmpoiaiics of hc
Piophc (Pbuh) i was incompichcnsiblc if a piophc should wagc wai?
Thc ui`an has acklcd his qucsion which has bccn discusscd clscwhcic
in his aiiclc. Thc impoian qucsion is wha should a piophc, oi any
body, do whcn wai is imposcd on him? Moicovci, hc has o also dcal
wih hc incinal cncmics who aic always schcming o haim fiom wihin.
!n such a siuaion hc only sanc advisc would bc o bc haish on boh
hc incinal and cxcinal cncmics. ! is bcyond compichcnsion why a
piophc should no figh foi hc vicoiy of good ovci cvil. Oi hc
Mahasabha hinks ha hc foiccs of good should picfci o cmbiacc
dcfca bu should ncvci akc up aims? !f so, how wiong hcy aic in hcii
assumpion.
T|c So-Ca//cd O|/c:/|ona|/c !c/c 77
Jiha4 Iia|ea| ar aaa-Iia|ea|
Obaidullah Fahad`
Abstract
T|| a//|:/c /a/c |n/o a::oun/ /|c ta/|ou |n/c//c/a/|on o| I||ad
I/ a/o cc/ /o :/|/|:|:c |/ m||n/c//c/a/|on |o/| |, an/|-I/am|:
u/|/c/ and |, |/ o :a//cd u|o/dc/ !c/c o| /|c Ho/, Qu/an
|atc c\/cn|tc/, |ccn quo/cd and c\/a|ncd |n a :ont|n:|n mannc/
/o c/ a/ /|c /oc/ mcan|n o| I||ad Modc/n I/am|: u/|/c/ |atc
a/o |ccn quo/cd /o uc/ u|a/ I||ad mcan |n /|c modc/n
uo//d? Su:| /ca/ I/am|: |dco/ouc a Maudud|, Qu/| and a/-
Qa/d|at| a/c o| /|c t|cu /|a/ I||ad doc no/ nc:ca/|/, mcan a
ua/ aa|n/ onc o/ ano/|c/ adtc/a/, I||ad, |n |a:/, |a a u|dc/
:onno/a/|on, |/ | an c||o// /o c/tc I/am and | :a//|cd ou/ /cc|n
|n m|nd /|c /|mc and a:c uc a/c /|t|n |n T|c /oc/ A/a||:
uo/d |o/ ua/ | Q|/a/ no/ I||ad Houctc/, /|c u//|ma/c |o/m o|
I||ad ma, |nto/tc ua/ |u/ /|c/c a/c :ond|/|on |o/ ua|n u:| a
|a///c
!n hc lac wcnich and caily wcny fiis ccnuiics cspccially afci hc
dcvasaing Scpcmbci 11, 2OO1 aacks on hc Woild Tiadc Ccnic and
hc Pcnagon in \SA hc woid 1ihad has gaincd icmaikablc cuiicncy.
Thc mcdia, hc govcinmcns, hc oidinaiy ciizcns, hc incllccuals,
Muslim and non-Muslim boh, havc sough o answci qucsions abou
!slamic I||ad, holy wai, violcncc, ciioiism, ani-Amciicanism and ani-
Iuiopcanism cc. Wha is hc ical mcaning of I||ad? Docs !slamic
I||ad ncccssaiily mcan ani-Wcs fcclings? Whchci hc holy uian
ically piovokcs is followcis o slaughci hc innoccns?
!f you go hiough hc liciauic on !slam by Muslims and non-
Muslims alikc, you will find diffcicn icsponscs o hc qucsion of 1ihad.
!f somc scholais havc cxplaincd i as a non-violcn siugglc foi hc
noblc causc of !slam, ohcis havc cmphasizcd on a violcn and offcnsivc
vcision.
Di. Abdul Hamid A. Abu Sulayman, hc foimci \icc Chancclloi of
!ncinaional !slamic \nivcisiy, Kualalumpui, Malaysia has dcfincd
I||ad as a non-violcn cim. !n fulfilling his duics o piomoc and
`Di. !ahad cachcs a Dcpaimcn of !slamic Sudics, Aligaih Muslim \nivcisiy, Aligaih,
!ndia.
S/ud|c On I/am. !o/ I, No 1, (2004), 78-99
advancc hc causc of !slam, hc Muslim should do his bcs o iccify
wiongs, hc has cxplaincd. A Muslim mus do so by his own acions; if
hc canno, hc mus spcak ou agains hcm; if hc canno hc mus opposc
hcm in his hcai. 1ihad is no only ouwaid ac, i is also an inwaid onc
o sicnghcn onc`s own sclf and coiicc onc`s own misakcs. This iulc
amply illusiacs ha 1ihad docs no ncccssaiily involvc hc waging of
a wai (offcnsivc oi dcfcnsivc)
1
, Di. Sulayman has fuihci aigucd. Hc
has quocd a Hadih in his favoui. Al-Bukhaii and !mam Muslim havc
icpoicd a convcisaion bcwccn hc Piophc (Pbuh) and a man who
camc o him o |oin his ioops in fighing (I||ad). Thc Piophc (Pbuh)
askcd hc man if his paicns wcic alivc, and hc man said, 'Ycs. Thc
Piophc (PB\H) hcn old him: hcn siivc in sciving and pioviding foi
hcm (Ia||||ma |a Ia||d)
2
This answci clcaily shows ha I||ad is hc
Muslims`s siiving o fulfill his cvciy icsponsibiliy and o scivc hc
!slamic causc and piinciplcs in a mannci consiscn wih hc !slamic
fiamcwoik. I||ad in his scnsc is hc acivc cxpicssion of hc !slamic
commimcn, icsponsibiliy, and scnsc of duy whcic i is icquiicd in
piacical lifc
3
, cxplains Abu Sulayman.
Advancing hc hcoiy in a moic syscmaic way, Maulana Sayyid
1alaluddin \maii, hc \icc Picsidcn of 1amaa-c-!slami Hind, has
quocd somc moic iadiions of hc Piophc in oidci o cxplain hc
mcaning of I||ad as sclf-cxciion.
4
Hc has dcclaicd I||ad as a collccivc
icsponsibiliy ha would no bc lcgal and |usificd foi any individual.
Hc has cacgoiizcd i as a Ia/d| K||a,a| ncx o Ia/d| Ayn. Sciving
onc`s paicns if hcy aic nccdy and hclplcss is a piimc obligaion moic
impoian han paiicipaing in a I||ad.
5
Whilc alking on hc Muslim
minoiiics in non-!slamic sacs, Maulana \maii cmphasizcs upon hc
following uianic vcisc:
Thcicfoic liscn no o hc unbclicvcis, bu siivc agains hcm
wih hc umos sicnuousncss wih uian.
6
I||ad-c-Ka|cc/ (hc biggcs siugglc) as icfciicd o in hc abovc
quocd vcisc, o Maulana \maii, mcans hc picaching of !slamic
cachings hiough hc wcapons of aigumcn and incllccual dcbac. Hc
has quocd !bn Taimiyah who dcclaicd: 'I||ad duiing hc Ma//an pciiod
was obligacd hiough hc aims of knowlcdgc and cxpicssion, whilc
Mad|nan I||ad addcd hc powci and wcapons as such o hc picvious
onc.
7
!n a dcmociaic couniy, whcic Muslims aic lcgally and
consiuionally allowcd o picach hcii icligion and hcy aic piacically
involvcd in i, Muslims hcicin aic adviscd o coninuc wih such icligious
duics wih paicncc, olciaion and piacical wisdom. !oi pcisons living
I||ad. !|o/cn/ o/ non-!|o/cn/ 79
in such couniics hcic is no |usificaion o wagc I||ad (fighing) agains
hcm, as \maii has concludcd.
8
1amcs P. Piscaoii also admis hc vicw which is 'diiccly a odds
wih hc onc which focuscs on I||ad as an insiumcn of !slamic miliancy
and cxpansionism.` This vicw, as hc has cacgoiizcd i, is of a olcian
and non-violcn !slam ha accommodacs isclf o hc icaliy of divisions
and non-Muslim ccnics of powci.` !n his olcian !slam, as Piscaoii
claboiacs, hc gicaci I||ad is woiking foi hc good and agains hc
cvil; iahci han iclying piimaiily on hc swoid, hc Muslim is o usc his
hcai, onguc and hands foi hc good of his own soul and o build hc
|us socicy. Hc is also convinccd wih hc fac ha fighing is cn|oincd
in hc causc of iighcousncss, bu piimaiily foi sclf-dcfcnsc and foi
pioccing hc non-Muslim sub|ccs, hough I||ad can akc hc foim of
holy wai agains polyhciss, unbclicvcis, hypociics and icbcls, and
Muslims aic obligacd o cnd hc fighing if hc cncmy has hc momcnaiy
advanagc oi wihdiaws fiom acivc hosiliics.
9
!slamic Rcscaich Council a al-Azhai \nivcisiy, Caiio, icgaidcd
by mos as hc highcs moial auhoiiy in !slam oday, has dcclaicd
Scpcmbci 11 aacks as illcgal and un-!slamic and has madc siong,
auhoiiaivc dcclaiaions agains bin Ladcn`s iniiaivcs:
'!slam piovidcs clcai iulcs and chical noims ha foibid hc
killing of non-combaans, as wcll as womcn, childicn and hc
cldcily, and also foibids hc puisui of hc cncmy in dcfca, hc
cxccuion of hosc who suiicndci, hc inflicion of haim on
piisoncis of wai, and hc dcsiucion of piopciy ha is no
bcing uscd in hc hosiliics.
1O
1ohn L. Isposio also makcs a clcai disincion bcwccn hc classical
oiiginal conccp of I||ad and hc onc cmploycd by modcin ciioiiss.
To Isposio, hc ciioiiss go bcyond classical !slam`s ciiciia foi a |us
I||ad and iccognizc no limis bu hcii own, cmploying any wcapons oi
mcans. Thcy ic|cc !slamic law`s icgulaions icgaiding hc goals and
mcans of a valid I||ad (ha violcncc mus bc piopoiional and ha only
hc ncccssaiy amoun of foicc should bc uscd o icpcl hc cncmy), ha
innoccn civilians should no bc aigccd, and ha I||ad mus bc dcclaicd
by hc iulci oi hcad of sac.
11
Thc violcn, uncompiomising and ciusading imagc of I||ad, on hc
ohci sidc, is so much highlighcd by somc scholais likc Bcinaid Lcwis
and ohcis, ha i was dcclaicd ha, '!oicign policy is a Iuiopcan
conccp` and 'is alicn and ncw in hc woild of !slam.` This is so bccausc
!slam cmphasizcs hc division of hc woild in o Da/ a/-I/am and Da/
a/-Ha/|. Thc aim of !slamic woild is o cxpand a hc cxpcnsc of hc
8O O|a|du//a| Ia|ad
non-!slamic woild, and Muslims aic obligacd o icsoi o holy wai o
do his, as Lcwis has claimcd.
12
Rudolph Pccis opincs ha hc iadiional idcas havc such a hold
on Muslim incllccuals ha any of hcii swccping assciions abou
!slam iccognizing hc cqualiy of all mankind and hc iccipiociy in
inci-sac iclaions amouns o bc no moic han giauious and non-
commial slogans.
13
To him, hc modcin wiicis mosly discuss hc
issuc of I||ad wih hc aim of mobilizing pcoplc foi hc aimcd siugglc
agains colonialism, impciialism, Zionism oi communism. !f somc
scholais icpicscn hc non-violcn imagc of I||adI||ad a/-Ta/||,a|
14
(cducaional I||ad), I||ad a/-Daua|
15
(I||ad hiough missionaiy woik)
and aic accommodaivc and olcian in hcii wiiings, hcy 'gcncially
icpicscn an idcological dcfcnsc agains hc ':|m|/a/-,nd/omc in hc
Wcs: hc idca ha !slam is a violcn and fanaical ciccd, spicad by
savagc waiiiois, caiiying hc uian in onc hand and a scimiai in hc
ohci.
16
Osama bin Ladcn (b. 1957) who is callcd by hc woild mcdia as a
global ciioiis, has |usificd all his aciviics in hc namc of !slamic
I||ad. Hc invicd hc Amciicans o iisc up agains hcii govcinmcn and
o foicc i o givc up Amciica`s ani-Muslim policics and massacic of
Muslims. Muslims havc hc iigh, indccd hc obligaion o dcfcnd
hcmsclvcs. Hc appcals o hc !slamic caching ha I||ad in hc dcfcnsc
of !slam and o coiicc an un|us poliical oidci is lcgiimac and icquiicd:
'Wc aic caiiying ou hc mission of hc Piophc Muhammad
(pcacc bc upon him). Thc mission is o spicad hc woid of
God, no o indulgc in massaciing pcoplc. Wc ouisclvcs aic hc
aigc of killings, dcsiucion and aiociics. Wc aic only
dcfcnding ouisclvcs. This is why wc say, if wc don` gc sccuiiy,
hc Amciicans, oo, would no gc sccuiiy. This is hc simplc
foimula ha cvcn an Amciican child can undcisand: livc and
lc livc.
17
Bin Ladcn considcis Amciican and Iuiopcan foiccs as hc foiccs
of cvil, oppicssion, cxploiaion and in|usicc bccausc 'hcy iob us of
oui wcalh and oui icsouiccs and oui oil. Oui icligion is undci aack.
Thcy kill and muidci oui biohcis. Thcy compiomisc oui honoi and
oui digniy and daic wc uci a singlc woid of piocs agains hc in|usicc,
wc aic callcd ciioiiss.
18
Bin Ladcn |usifics all his ciioiizing aciviics in a lcgal way. Hc,
likc an cxpci of incinaional law, classifics ciioiism ino commcndablc
and icpichcnsiblc oncs:
'Thcic is no doub ha cvciy sac and cvciy civilizaion and
I||ad. !|o/cn/ o/ non-!|o/cn/ 81
culuic has o icsoi o ciioiism undci cciain ciicumsanccs
foi hc puiposc of abolishing yianny and coiiupion.... Thc
ciioiism wc piacicc is of hc commcndablc kind foi i is
diicccd a hc yians, hc iaiois who commi acs of icason
agains hcii own couniics and hcii own faih and hcii own
piophc and hcii own naion. Tciioiizing hosc and punishing
hcm aic ncccssaiy mcasuics o siaighcn hings and makc
hcm iigh.
19
Onc can imaginc how many diffcicn and coniadicoiy
incipicaions of I||ad in hc concmpoiaiy woild aic found. !f I||ad
has so many dcfiniions and mcanings, how aic hcy o bc undcisood?
Which mcanings aic coiicc? Wha docs hc holy uian isclf cach?
Which incipicaion piomocs posiivc and iuc diiccion and which
has bccn cxploicd o |usify onc`s own undcisanding and aciviics?
Thcsc qucsions aic o bc answcicd iighly only whcn wc appioach hc
holy uian diiccly and sudy hc iclcvan vciscs in hcii piopci concx
and apply a syscmic and compac icscaich mchodology.
The Holy Verses
Thc holy vciscs of hc uian discussing hc fighing, is aims and
ob|ccivcs, iulcs and icgulaions may bc classificd ino hicc caogoiics:
2O
a) \ciscs iclaing o fighing agains Muslims.
b) \ciscs of fighing foi dcfcnsc agains non-bclicvcis, and
c) \ciscs of fighing ha sccm o bc foi cxpansion and offcnsc.
Thc fiis cacgoiy bclongs o incinal affaiis of hc !slamic sac.
Thc uian dcals wih hc cvcn of icbcllion and bicach of public oidci,
cihci bcwccn wo gioups of sub|ccs oi bcwccn sub|ccs and iulcis.
! piovidcs cciain piovisions foi his unhappy cvcn wih a vicw o
picscivc hc uniy among hc bclicvcis, o avoid lawlcssncss and anaichy
and o csablish and sicnghcn hc powci and auhoiiy of hc !slamic
sac. Thc piovisions aic clcaily picsciibcd in hc following vciscs:
21
!f wo paiics among hc bclicvcis fall ino a quaiicl, makc you
pcacc bcwccn hcm: bu if onc of hcm iansgicsscs bcyond
bounds agains hc ohci, hcn figh you all agains hc onc ha
iansgicsscs unil i complics wih hc command of Allah; bu
if i complics, hcn makc pcacc bcwccn hcm wih |usicc, and
bc faii: foi Allah lovcs hosc who aic faii and |us. Thc Bclicvcis
aic bu a singlc biohcihood; so makc pcacc and icconciliaion
bcwccn youi wo (concnding) biohcis; and fcai Allah, ha
you may icccivc Mcicy.
22
!ndividual quaiicls aic casy o solvc han gioup quaiicls, oi, in hc
82 O|a|du//a| Ia|ad
modcin woild, naional quaiicls. Accoiding o !slamic spiii hc
communiy of !slam should bc supicmc ovci ohci gioups and naions
in ha i would bc cxpcccd o ac |usly and iy o solvc hc quaiicls,
foi pcacc is always bcci han fighing. Bu if onc paiy is hcll-bcn on
aggicssion, hc wholc foicc of hc communiy is biough o bcai on i,
as commandcd by Allah.
Thc sccond impoian poin in his icgaid is hc uianic cmphasis
on hc |us and faii dcaling. !f onc paiy acccps hc pcacc-making
pioccss of hc communiy ha mus no bc icacd as wcak and should
no bc dcpiivcd of |usicc and duc iigh. !nscad iighcousncss and
|usicc picvail and cach paiy mus havc is duc. Thc Lcaguc of Naions
hcn, and \nicd Naions oday, havc failcd bccausc hcsc csscnials
aic abscn.
Thc sccond cacgoiy of vciscs iclacs o hc dcfcnsc agains all
kinds of oppicssions. Thc holy uian has sancioncd hc fighing agains
aggicssion and piovidcd dcailcd guidclincs and icgulaions icgaiding
hc conduc of wai:
To hosc agains whom wai is madc, pcimission is givcn o
figh, bccausc hcy aic wiongcd, and vciily Allah is mos
powciful foi hcii aid. Thcy aic hosc who havc bccn cxpcllcd
fiom hcii homcs in dcfiancc of iigh-foi no causc cxccp ha
hcy say, 'Oui Loid is Allah. Did no Allah chcck onc sc of
pcoplc by mcans of anohci, hcic would suicly havc bccn
pullcd down monasciics, chuichcs, synagogucs and mosqucs
in which hc namc of Allah is commcmoiacd in abundan
mcasuic. Allah will cciainly aid hosc who aid His causc foi
vciily, Allah is full of sicngh, cxalcd in migh. Thcy aic hosc
who, if wc csablish hcm in hc land, csablish icgulai piayci
and givc icgulai chaiiy, cn|oin hc iigh and foibid wiong:
wih Allah icss hc cnd (and dccision) of all affaiis.
23
And why should you no figh in hc causc of Allah and of
hosc who, bcing wcak, aic ill-icacd (and oppicsscd)? mcn,
womcn and childicn, whosc ciy is: 'Oui Loid! Rcscuc us fiom
his own whosc pcoplc aic oppicssois; and iaisc foi us fiom
you onc who will piocc; and iaisc foi us fiom you onc who
will hclp.
24
Thcn figh in Allah`s causc you aic hcld icsponsiblc only
foi youisclf, and iousc hc bclicvcis. ! may bc ha Allah will
icsiain hc fuiy of hc unbclicvcis; foi Allah is hc siongcs
in migh and in punishmcn.
25
Bu if hcy inclinc owaids pcacc,
do you also inclinc owaids pcacc and ius in Allah foi Hc is
I||ad. !|o/cn/ o/ non-!|o/cn/ 83
hc Onc ha hcais and knows all hings.
26
All hcsc vciscs aic vciy clcai in pioviding |usificaion foi a
dcfcnsivc wai. I||ad agains all kinds of aggicssions (Uduan), yiannics
(Tu|,an), coiiupions (Iaad) and cxccsscs (I/a|) is lawful, iahci
obligaoiy in hc uian. ! is hc duy of an !slamic sac o wagc wai
agains all hcsc cvils.
27
All hcsc vciscs aic cacgoiically dcfcnsivc in
hcii sylc and concn.
Thc hiid cacgoiy of holy vciscs, a fiis sigh, sccms o bc
cxpansionis and offcnsivc. A gcncial icadci who docs no sudy hcsc
vciscs in hcii piopci concx hiough a syscmaic appioach, may dciivc
somc mislcading conclusions coniadicoiy o hc vciy cachings of hc
uian. Thc scholais,
28
hcicfoic, havc suggcscd ha hc concicc cascs
and condiions in hc uian mus bc mainaincd. ! is common foi a
gcncial scholai spccially foi a non-Muslim onc, o dcal wih hcsc vciscs
of hc uian as cniics indcpcndcn of cach ohci, wih lilc oi no
icgaid foi hc csscnial conccp of hc Su/a| cnciaining hcm, hcii
placc and significancc in hc oidci of hc Su/a| and of hc picccding
and following Su/a| A vcisc bcing icad wihou icgaid o is scqucncc
in hc Su/a| and o is iclaion wih hc ohci vciscs of hc Su/a| is mos
likcly o bc misundcisood.
Thcsc uianic vciscs, somcimcs icfciicd o as hc 'swoid vciscs,
29
aic quocd sclccivcly o piovc uncondiional fighing agains unbclicvcis
and !slam is hus dcclaicd as a ciioiizing icligion ha lcgiimizcs hc
usc of violcncc in cvciy siuaion. Thcsc 'swoid vciscs` aic as follows:
Bu whcn hc foibiddcn monhs aic pas, hcn figh and slay
hc pagans whcicvci you find hcm, and scizc hcm, bclcaguci
hcm, and lic in wai foi hcm in cvciy siaagcm (of wai); bu
if hcy icpcn and csablish icgulai piaycis and piacicc icgulai
chaiiy, hcn opcn hc way foi hcm: foi Allah is Of-!oigiving,
mos Mciciful.
3O
O yc who bclicvc! Tiuly hc Pagans aic unclcan so lc hcm
no, afci his ycai of hciis, appioach hc Sacicd Mosquc. And
if you fcai povciy, soon will Allah cniich you, if Hc wills, ou
of His bouny, foi Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wisc. !igh hosc
who bclicvc no in Allah and noi hc Las Day, noi hold ha
foibiddcn which has bccn foibiddcn by Allah and His
Mcsscngci, noi acknowlcdgc hc icligion of Tiuh, fiom among
hc pcoplc of hc Book, unil hcy pay hc I|:,a| wih willing
submission, and fccl hcmsclvcs subducd.
31
Thc numbci of monhs in hc sigh of Allah is wclvc (in a
ycai) so oidaincd by Him hc day hc cicacd hc hcavcns and
84 O|a|du//a| Ia|ad
hc caih; of hcm foui aic sacicd: ha is hc siaigh usagc. So
wiong no youisclvcs hcicin, and figh hc Pagans all ogchci
as hcy figh you all ogchci. Bu know ha Allah is wih hosc
who icsiain hcmsclvcs.
32
O Piophc! Siivc haid agains hc \nbclicvcis and hc
Hypociics, and bc fiim agains hcm, hcii abodc is Hcll an
cvil icfugc indccd.
33
O yc who bclicvc! !igh hc \nbclicvcis who aic ncai o
you and lc find fiimncss in you: and know ha Allah is wih
hosc who fcai him.
34
!igh in hc causc of Allah hosc who figh you, bu do no
iansgicss limis; foi Allah lovcs no iansgicssois. And slay
hcm whcicvci you cach hcm, and uin hcm ou fiom whcic
hcy havc uincd you ou; foi umul and oppicssion aic woisc
han slaughci; bu figh hcm no a hc Sacicd Mosquc, unlcss
hcy figh you hcic; bu if hcy figh you, slay hcm. Such is hc
icwaid of hosc who suppicss faih. Bu if hcy ccasc, Allah is
Of-!oigiving, Mos Mciciful. And figh hcm on unil hcic is
no moic umul oi oppicssion, and hcic picvail |usicc and
faih in Allah. Bu if hcy ccasc, lc hcic bc no hosiliy cxccp
o hosc who piacicc oppicssion. Thc piohibicd monh foi
hc piohibicd monh and so foi all hings piohibicd hcic is
hc law of cqualiy. !f hcn anyonc iansgicsscs hc piohibiion
agains you, iansgicss you likcwisc agains him. Bu fcai Allah,
and know ha Allah is wih hosc who icsiain hcmsclvcs.
35
Thcy bu wish ha you should ic|cc faih as hcy do, and
hus bc on hc samc fooing (as hcy): so akc no fiicnds fiom
hcii ianks unil hcy flcc in hc way of Allah (fiom wha is
foibiddcn). Bu if hcy uin icncgadcs, scizc hcm and slay
hcm whcicvci you find hcm; and (in any casc) akc no fiicnds
oi hclpcis fiom hcii ianks cxccp hosc who |oin a gioup
bcwccn whom and you hcic is a icay (of pcacc), oi hosc
who appioach you wih hcais icsiaining hcm fiom fighing
you as wcll as fighing hcii own pcoplc. !f Allah had plcascd
Hc could havc givcn hcm powci ovci you, and hcy would
havc fough you: hcicfoic if hcy wihdiaw fiom you bu figh
you no, and (inscad) scnd you (guaianccs of) pcacc, hcn
Allah has opcncd no way foi you (o wai agains hcm). Ohcis
you will find, ha wish o gain youi confidcncc as wcll as ha
of hcii pcoplc: cvciy imc hcy aic scn back o cmpaion,
hcy succumb hcico; if hcy wihdiaw no fiom you noi givc
I||ad. !|o/cn/ o/ non-!|o/cn/ 85
you (guaianccs) of pcacc bcsidcs icsiaining hcii hands, scizc
hcm and slay hcm whcicvci you gc hcm; in hcii casc. Wc
havc piovidcd you wih a clcai aigumcn agains hcm.
36
O Piophc! Rousc hc Bclicvcis o hc figh. !f hcic aic
wcny amongs you, paicn and pciscvciing, hcy will vanquish
wo hundicd: if a hundicd, hcy will vanquish a housand of hc
\nbclicvcis: foi hcsc aic a pcoplc wihou undcisanding. !oi
hc picscn, Allah has lighcncd youi (ask) foi Hc knows ha
hcic is a wcak spo in you: bu (cvci so), if hcic aic a hundicd
of you, paicn and pciscvciing, hcy will vanquish wo hundicd,
and if a housand, hcy will vanquish wo housand, wih hc
lovc of Allah: foi Allah is wih hosc who paicnly pciscvcic.
! is no fiing foi a Piophc ha hc should havc piisoncis of
wai unil hc has hoioughly subducd hc land. You look foi hc
cmpoial goods of his woild; bu Allah looks o hc Hcicafci:
and Allah is Ixalcd in migh, Wisc.
37
Thcicfoic, whcn you mcc hc \nbclicvcis (in figh), smic
a hcii nccks; a lcngh, whcn you havc hoioughly subducd
hcm, bind (hc capivcs) fiimly: hcic afci (is hc imc foi)
cihci gcnciosiy oi iansom: unil hc wai lays down is buidcns.
Thus (aic you commandcd): bu if i had bccn Allah`s Will, Hc
could cciainly havc cxaccd iciibuion fiom hcm (Himsclf);
bu (hc lcs you figh) in oidci o cs you, somc wih ohcis.
Bu hosc who aic slain in hc way of Allah, Hc will ncvci lc
hcii dccds bc los.
38
Thcsc 'swoid vciscs` wcic icvcalcd in a vciy spccific siuaion and
alongwih a pcculiai backgiound of caily !slamic hisoiy. !n oidci o
undcisand hcm piopcily a biicf accoun of hc backgiound is quic
csscnial.
Psycho-Political Background
Di. Abu Sulayman has summaiizcd hc psycho-poliical backgiound
of hc vciscs of 'iniiaivc fighing`. Wc quoc him in dcail: 'hc holy
uian, hc collccions of Hadihs, and hc biogiaphy of hc Piophc
(Pbuh), givc hc impicssion ha hc conflic duiing hc caily !slamic cia
was bcwccn unsclfish, |usicc-sccking, pcisccucd Muslims and sclf-
ccncicd, coiiup, oppicssivc non-Muslim auhoiiics. ! is haid foi
Wcscin wiicis o fahom hc psychological cffcc of hc cvcns ha
ook placc duiing hc caily !slamic cia. This, couplcd wih hc
icpcicussions hcsc cvcns had on hc iclaions bcwccn Muslims and
non-Muslims, makcs i impciaivc o iclac somc of hcm. This hclps us
86 O|a|du//a| Ia|ad
o undcisand bcci no only hc cvcns hcmsclvcs bu also Muslims`
icacion o non-Muslims, which has basically bccn onc of animosiy.
'Somc of hcsc cvcns and hcii cffccs aic biicfly discusscd bclow.
A piolongcd cconomic and social boyco, humiliaion, oiuic, and
killing foiccd hc caily Muslims o cioss hc sca o Abyssinia in oidci
o cscapc fiom hc unbcaiablc pligh. Thc fligh of hc Piophc (Pbuh)
o Madinah did no mcan hc cnd of hc confionaion bcwccn Muslims
and non-Muslims. Thc Muslims piaycd foi God`s hclp whcn hc uiaysh
wcn afci Muhammad (Pbuh), iying o iack him down as hc (migiacd)
o Madinah. !n Madinah, hc picssuic and aggicssion of hc uiaysh
coninucd. Thcy conaccd 1cwish iibcs in Madinah and ohci Aiab
iibcs, icciuiing hcm o hclp pu an cnd o Muhammad`s mission:
Thcy qucsion hcc |O Muhammadj wih icgaid o waifaic in
hc sacicd monhs. Say: waifaic hcicin is a gica |iansgicssionj,
bu o uin |mcnj fiom hc way of Allah, and o disbclicvc in
Him, o picvcn acccss o hc inviolablc placc of woiship, and
o cxpcl is pcoplc hcncc, is a gicaci |iansgicssionj wih
Allah: foi pcisccuion |oppicssionj is woisc han killing. And
hcy no ccasc fiom fighing agains you unil hcy madc you
icncgadcs fiom youi icligion, if hcy can. |ui`an 2: 217j
'Thc coninuous pcisccuion o which hc caily Muslims wcic
sub|cccd poscd a dilcmma: should hcy wai ill hc cncmy aacks, oi
should hcy go ou agains him? !n hc casc of Badi, hcy chosc hc
laci alhough hcy fcl ha hcy wcic wcakci:
And icmcmbci, whcn yc wcic fcw and icckoncd fccblc in hc
land, and wcic in fcai lcs mcn should cxiipac you, how Hc
gavc you icfugc sicnghcncd you wih His hclp, and madc
piovision of good hings foi you, ha happily you migh bc
hankful. |ui`an 8: 26j
Whcn hc Loid inspiicd hc angcls, |sayingj: ! am wih
you. So makc hosc who bclicvc sand fiim. ! will hiow fcai
ino hc hcais o hosc who disbclicvc. Thcn smic hc nccks
and smic of hcm cach fingci. Tha is bccausc hcy opposcd
Allah and His mcsscngci, and if anyonc opposcs Allah and His
mcsscngci, foi him Allah is scvcic in punishmcn. Tha |is hc
awaidj, so asc i, and |knowj ha foi hc disbclicvcis is hc
oimcn of hc !iic. |ui`an 8: 12-14j
'! was difficul foi Muslims o fccl a casc wih hc non-Muslims,
cspccially in vicw of incidcns such as Yaum a/ Ra/| (Thc Day of a/-Ra/|)
and B|/ Mauna| (Thc Day of Bi`i Maunah). !n boh cascs, pagan iibcs
appioachcd hc Piophc (Pbuh) and askcd him o piovidc hcm wih
I||ad. !|o/cn/ o/ non-!|o/cn/ 87
Muslims o cach hcm !slam. This piovcd o bc a iick, foi as hcsc
iibcs wcic icuining o hcii cncampmcns, hcy aackcd and killcd
hcii dcfcnsclcss cachcis.
'As hc souiccs indicac, hc pcisccuion of hc Muslim communiy
coninucd. This imc, hc iibcs of Banu al-Nadii along wih hc uiaysh,
and Ghafan of ays`aylan planncd o finish off hc Muslim communiy
of Madinah. This alliancc was oo siong foi hc Muslims o confion.
Thcy dug a dich aiound mos of Madinah in oidci o hindci hc advancc
of hc powciful aimy. To makc hings woisc, Banu uiayzah,
Muhammad`s ally insidc hc bcsicgcd ciy of Madinah, conspiicd o |oin
hc alliancc and o aack hc Muslims fiom hc icai:
Whcn hcy |hc non-bclicving allicsj camc upon you fiom abovc
you and fiom bclow you, and whcn cycs gicw wild and hcais
icachcd o hc hioas, and yc wcic imaging vain hough
conccining Allah, hcn wcic hc bclicvcis soicly iicd and
shakcn wih a mighy shock. And whcn hc hypociics and hosc
in whosc hcais is discasc wcic saying, 'Allah and His mcsscngci
piomiscd us naugh bu dclusion... hcy wishcd bu o flcc.
|ui`an 33: 1O-13j
'Thc sicgc camc o an abiup cnd duc o a woiscning of hc wcahci
condiions. Thc Muslims vicwcd hc failuic of hc alliancc`s aack as a
manifcsaion of God`s hclp:
And Allah icpulscd hc disbclicvcis in hcii woih; hcy gaincd
no good. Allah avcicd hcii aack fiom hc bclicvcis. Allah is
Siong, Mighy. And Hc biough hosc of pcoplc of hc
Sciipuics who suppoicd hcm |hc allicsj down fiom hcii
siongholds and cas panic ino hcii hcais. Somc yc slcw and
yc madc capivc somc. |ui`an 33: 25-26j
'Thc pcisccuion coninucd cvcn afci hc pcacc icay of
Huda,||,a| was concludcd bcwccn hc Piophc (Pbuh) and hc uiaysh.
!n hc sancuaiy of Makkah, homc of hc uiaysh iibc, hc Banu Baki,
allics of hc uiaysh, massacicd Khuza`ah, hc Muslims` allics. To hc
Muslims of ha imc i appcaicd ha hc basic ob|ccivc of hc non-
Muslims was simply o akc advanagc of hc siuaion iiicspccivc of
pcacc agiccmcns. This is cxpicsscd in hc ui`anic posiion on hcsc
occasions, which can bc sccn as a diicc icacion o hc unicsiaincd
aggicssivc bchavioi by hc non-Muslims:
How |can hcic bc any icay foi ohcisj whcn, if hcy havc hc
uppci hand of you, hcy icgaid no pac noi honoi in icspcc
of you? Thcy saisfy you wih hcii mouhs whilc hcii hcais
icfusc. And mos of hcm aic wiongdocis. |ui`an 9: 7-8j
88 O|a|du//a| Ia|ad
How should yc no figh foi hc Causc of Allah and of hc
fccblc among mcn and of womcn and hc childicn who aic
ciying: Ou Loid biing us foih fiom ou of his own of which
hc pcoplc aic oppicssois! Oh, givc us fiom hy picscncc somc
pioccing fiicnd! Oh, givc us fiom hy picscncc somc dcfcndci!
|ui`an 4: 75j
And figh hcm unil pcisccuion is no moic, and icligion
is foi Allah. |ui`an 2: 193j
\nlcss wc undcisand hc giaviy of hcsc hisoiical cascs and hc
psycho-poliical backgiound, wc will bc unablc o undcisand hc
mcaning and concns of hcsc holy vciscs as wcll. Thcsc aic hc samc
Muslims who managcd o biing abou a icmcndous humanc
iansfoimaion in hc woild of hcii imc.
39
Mahmud Shalu,
4O
hc lac Shaykh of al-Azhai has sudicd hc
vciscs of fighing compaiaivcly. To him hc vcisc (9: 29) ha icads
'!igh agains hosc who do no bclicvc in Allah docs no mcan ha
hc qualiy of bcing an unbclicvci consiucs a sufficicn icason foi
fighing bu mcnions hc chaiacciisics pcculiai o hcm in oidci o
givc a facual dcsciipion and as a fuihci incidcn o aack hcm oncc
hcii aggicssion will havc maciializcd. Thcic was nohing o hold hcm
back fiom bicaking plcdgcs, and violaing iighs, and hcy wcic inclincd
o dcsis fiom aggicssion. This dcfcnsivc incipicaion has bccn
piovidcd by mos of hc modcin !slamic scholais including Maududi.
The Modern Scholars
Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi (19O3-1979) hc salwai of modcin
!slamic icvivalism in hc woild has dcfincd I||ad in cim of a limicd
icvoluionaiy acivism. !n 1948 hc ic|cccd hc validiy of a I||ad dcclaicd
by hc Pakisan govcinmcn in Kashmii duiing a ccasc-fiic wih !ndia.
Pakisan had lc i bc known ha hc I||ad was dcclaicd by local icligious
lcadcis and was undciakcn by voluncci fighcis. Maududi ic|cccd
hc validiy of a I||ad so dcclaicd, saing ha i could only bc pioclaimcd
by a govcinmcn.
41
Noi did Maududi acccp puic oi icvoluionaiy
icadings of hc dociinc of I||ad. Hc aigucd ha i mus no dcnoc
'ciazcd faih... blood-sho cycs, shouing A//a|u A/|a/ (God is gica),
dccapiaing an unbclicvci whcicvci hcy scc onc, cuing off hcads
whilc invoking La |/a|a |//a//a| (hcic is no god bu Allah)
42
hc vciy
cims in which I||ad and is wcscin incipiccis aic sccn oday. I||ad,
Maududi fuihci cxplaincd, was no wai, bu a siugglc a siugglc no
in hc namc of God bu along hc pah sc by God.
43
Maududi`s posiion
icflccs, moic oi lcss, hc opinion of hosc U/ama who dividcd I||ad
I||ad. !|o/cn/ o/ non-!|o/cn/ 89
ino a gicaci and a lcssci siugglc. !n 1939 hc dcclaicd hc miliaiy
I||ad o bc a wcapon of las icsoi whcn i poincd o a pah of vicoiy
foi !slam.
44
!n 1954 hc old 1usicc Muhammad Munii and hc Coui
of Inquiiy ino hc Pun|ab Disuibanccs ha I||ad could only bc dcclaicd
whcn hc couniy was acually, and no pocnially, a wai, and hcn
only if hc wai was wih Da/ a/-Ha/| (abodc of non-Muslims).
45
Maududi`s cmphasis on hc !slamic icvoluion was no a
icvoluionaiy in hc modcin scnsc. A social icvoluion is hc piofound
and ofcn violcn pioccss of changc. Maududi has always avoidcd violcn
social changc and has inscad vicwcd hc pah of hc !slamic sac as
lying wihin hc cxiing socio-poliical oidci. Whilc claiifying hc issuc
in 1945, hc acccpcd 'hc possibiliy of using hc cxising poliical and
consiuional pioccss foi changc piovidcd hcic is a chancc o comc o
powci and o !slamizc hc moial, culuial, poliical and cconomic syscm
of hc socicy.`
46
Maududi in his 'Thc Pioccss of !slamic Rcvoluion discusscd !slam
as 'a icvoluionaiy idcology and a icvoluionaiy piacicc, which aims a
dcsioying hc social oidci of hc woild oally and icbuilding i fiom
sciach..... and I||ad dcnocs hc icvoluionaiy siugglc.
47
A hoiough
sudy of his wiiings, howcvci, icvcals ha hc has dcsciibcd icvoluion
in cvoluionaiy cims, as a piccc mcal cffoi picdicacd on hc cxac
conflucncc of a sc of social, culuial and psychological picicquisics.
Thc cxac icquiicmcns of his conflucncc piccludc hc kind of
sponanciy ha hc libciaing foicc of a iuc icvoluion dcnocs.
48
!n 1957, Maududi icasscicd hc dcmociaic and consiuional
pioccss of !slamic icvoluion whcn hc dcclaicd ha 'iansfoiming hc
poliical syscm can bc donc only hiough consiuional mcans;...
iansfoimaion of hc poliical oidci hiough unconsiuional mcans is
foibiddcn by hc Shaiiah.
49
Maududi`s sand was no sofcncd cvcn whcn Ayub Khan icgaidcd
1amaa-c-!slami as a subvcisivc oiganizaion and pushcd i ou of poliics
and haiasscd and oiuicd is woikcis and followcis. Maududi
mainaincd hc samc consiuional sand:
! am in piinciplc opposcd o all unlawful, unconsiuional and
undcigiound aciviics. ! did no comc o his opinion ou of
considciaion of any cxpcdicncy oi in icsponsc o any challcngc.
My opinion is iahci hc pioduc of concmplaion and
sudying.... Suppoi foi hc law is hc basic cnc of a civilizcd
socicy.... covci aciviy is a gicaci mcnacc o socicy han hc
onc i sccks o icmovc.
5O
Again hc insiscd in 1963:
9O O|a|du//a| Ia|ad
whacvci ! havc donc, ! havc always donc i opcnly wihin hc
boundaiics of hc law and cxising Consiuion, so much ha
! havc ncvci violacd cvcn hosc laws which ! havc fough haid
o opposc. ! havc iicd o changc hcm hiough lawful and
consiuional mcans and ncvci adopcd hc pah of violcncc.
51
!n Novcmbci 1968, addicssing a picss confcicncc in London,
Maududi asscicd ha 'in oidci o icvivc dcmociacy in hc couniy hc
!slamic movcmcn will ncvci assis any subvcisivc gioup noi lc hcm
opciac hcic and ha 'no sablc govcinmcn would bc csablishcd
hiough violcncc and anaichy and 'hcicfoic wc ouisclvcs will no usc
violcncc no lc hc ohcis usc i.
52
!n Ocobci 1974, in a mccing wih hc youhs of I/am| Iam|a/-c-
Ta/a|a| and of A/-Bad/, Maududi gavc hc diiccion, ha 'unlcss an
opcn pioccss is opcd along wih a bold, couiagcous and consiscn will
powci, !slamic sac would no cxis. Thiough undcigiound aciviics
no !slamic sac would havc bccn foundcd. !oi hc fiis imc in hisoiy,
i was csablishcd only hiough opcn and public mobilizaion and in
fuuic also hc samc pioccss would bc opcd foi hc samc noblc causc.
53
Abdul Kaiim Paicckh, a noablc !ndian scholai as wcll as social
acivis, has nocd hc foui piohibicd monhs, icfciicd o in hc uian
(9: 36) as icspccablc, dignificd and mos vcnciablc. !n all hcsc monhs
c.g. 'Z|qada|, Z|/ H|//a|, Mu|a//am and Ra/a| as in Aiabic calcndai, no
fighing cvcn agains hc csablishcd cncmy is allowcd. !f hc woild
poliical syscm iccognizcs his uianic in|uncion, hc 33 of hc days
of a ycai would bc savcd fiom all kinds of violcn aciviics. This is hc
uniquc fcauic of !slamic law. Paicckh adviscd no o sudy hc uianic
vciscs ou of hcii concx. To iaisc any ob|ccion hiough a sclccivc
icading of hc uian wih hc hclp of any indcx is also no advisablc.
Onc should sudy hc wholc uian sciiously in oidci o scck guidancc
and hcn icach a somc conclusions. To Paicckh, a caiclcss, non-sciious
and unsyscmaic sudy of a book likc Bhagwad Gia (hc classical
icligious sciipuic of Hinduism) oo would havc lcd o wiong conclusions.
Accoiding o Bhagwad Gia, Loid Kiishna piovokcd Ai|una o figh
agains hc opponcns hough hcy wcic closc iclaivcs. Ai|una was vciy
much iclucan o follow. Kiishna again and again adviscd o go ahcad
bccausc his fighing was Kiishna`s fighing in hc ical scnsc. Sccing
hcsc wiiings of Bhagwad Gia, as Paicckh commcns, if somc Hindu
is piovokcd and hc iniiacs killing his iclaivcs, hc will no do |usicc o
his holy book. Thcn how ha appioach would bc piopci wih a book
likc hc uian in which hcic is no singlc changc oi icplaccmcn?
54
Muhammad !aiooq Khan, hc ianslaoi of hc uian in Hindi
I||ad. !|o/cn/ o/ non-!|o/cn/ 91
languagc and a piomincn !slamic auhoi, has cxplaincd ha hc holy
uian oidcicd o figh agains hosc who wcic no unbclicvcis only bu
wcic combaans also, and pcisccucd Muslims hioughou hc piophcic
pciiod. Thc hisoiy has wcll iccoidcd hcii aiociics and oppicssions.
!f !slam has pcimicd wai, i is o ciush hc oppicssion, no o cncouiagc
i. !f a Hindu biohci undcisands ha hc uian insiucs is adhcicns
o kill him, his is a misundcisanding ha nccds o bc icmovcd.
55
!aiooq Khan fuihci claiifics ha all hc uianic vciscs of fighing
should bc sccn in hcii iuc concx. Thc unbclicvcis abou whom hcsc
vciscs wcic icvcalcd, wcic no only unbclicvcis bu also hcy wcic hc
advcisaiics of iigh and |usicc who had aigccd Muslims and sub|cccd
hcm o all kinds of oiuics and humiliaions. !f cvcn oday a gioup is
involvcd in conspiiacics agains hc !slamic sac hc iclcvan vciscs of
hc uian would apply, hc concludcs.
56
! is in his pcispccivc ha icnowncd !slamic scholai Shaykh Yusuf
Al-aiadhawi has dcclaicd: 'icsising hc invadcis is an individual duy
on all Muslims. !f hc cncmy invadcd a Muslim couniy, hc pcoplc of
ha couniy mus icsis and cxpcl hcm fiom hcii ciiioiics... i is an
individual duy on all Muslims of ha ciiioiy, mcn and womcn. Shaykh
aiadhawi waincd Aiab lcadcis ha hcy will bc cuiscd by hisoiy and
dcspiscd by hcii pcoplc if hcy sidcd wih hc \nicd Sacs in is wai
on !iaq. Hc uigcd hc Muslim Umma| aiound hc woild o sand unicd
in hc facc of wai. Dclivciing hc !iiday scimon on 7
h
Maich, 2OO3 a
\mai bin al-Khaab mosquc in hc aaii capial, Doha, Al-aiadhawi
issucd a Ia/ua ha i was no pcimissiblc foi Aiab and Muslim couniics
o lc hc \nicd Sacs usc hcii aii and sca pois and ciiioiics as a
launching pad foi siiking !iaq. Hc fuihci said ha 'if hc aackcd
pcoplc succccdcd in foicing hc cncmics ou, i is aliigh... bu if hcy
fail, i is incumbcn upon hcii Muslim ncighboui couniics o dcfcnd
hcm, iulcd hc icnowncd scholai.
Askcd wha docs !slam say abou paiicipaion in Al-1azcciah Shicld
!oicc foimcd by hc Gulf Coopciaion Council couniics and whchci
i is pcimissiblc foi such ioops o bc dcvclopcd in Kuwai, Shaykh Al-
aiadhawi said 'i is pcimissiblc foi hcm o dcfcnd Kuwai should i
comc undci aack, bu i is absolucly Ha/am (impcimissiblc) foi hcm
o akc pai in any aack on !iaq.
Hc fuihci chaigcd ha any (Aiab oi Muslim) couniy ha assiss
aggicssion on a Muslim couniy is sinful, ciing a noblc Hadih (saying)
of hc Piophc Muhammad (pcacc bc upon him), naiiacd by Abu
Huiaiiah, ha 'whocvci assiss in killing a bclicvci by (cvcn) half a
woid, will mcc Allah (on hc day of 1udgcmcn) wih 'hopclcssncss in
92 O|a|du//a| Ia|ad
Allah`s mcicy` wiicn bcwccn his cycs.
Thc piomincn Muslim scholai fuihci said ha hc \.S. wai was
aimcd a aking coniol of !iaqi oil, annihilaing hc miliaiy and human
powci of !iaq by dcsioying is wcapons and wcakcning Aiab powcis,
which icpicscn obsaclcs in hc way of hc Zionis sac.
Abou hc hundicds of housands of ani-wai piocss who ook o
hc siccs of hc woild capials, Shaykh aiadhawi said: 'wc as Aiab
and Muslim wcic moic cnilcd o say: 'No o wai. Hc icaffiimcd his
icspcc foi hc Amciican pcoplc and said hc icgaids hcm as 'kind
pcoplc, adding ha hc disagiccs wih hc Amciican adminisiaion which,
hc chaigcd, ops foi an oppicssivc and ciiminal policy agains hc Muslim
naions.
57
The Myth of Forced Islamization
An impoian issuc iclaing o hc mcaning and conccp of I||ad is
hc myh of foiccd convcision, highlighcd by hc Wcscin Wiicis and
Hindu communal foiccs alikc. Thc holy uian has clcaily announccd:
'Lc hcic bc no compulsion in icligion.
58
An all-ou wai agains hc Aiab unbclicvcis unlcss hcy uincd o
!slam by foiccd !slamizaion was no hc Piophc`s policy. ! was a
hisoiical dccision madc by hc Piophc of !slam (pcacc bc upon him)
afci hc cxpciicncc of abou wcny ycais o piocc hc human iighs
of Muslims and Aiab pcoplc alikc, as discusscd cailici. !f i wcic simply
an cxcicisc o show supciioiiy, oi a dcnial of hc iigh of icligious
ficcdom, hc Piophc (PB\H) had moic icasons and imc o piacicc
his agains hc 1cwish iibcs of Madinah; howcvci, hc ncvci acmpcd
ha policy cihci bcfoic oi afci issuing his oidcis icgaiding hc
!slamizaion of hc Aiab iibcs.
59
Tha is why hcic is a conscnsus of opinions in !slamic law ha
I||ad mcicly on giounds of diffcicncc in bclicfs can no bc sancioncd.
Thc Muslim hinkcis, in modcin imcs oo, havc disinguishcd disbclicf
fiom pcisccuion oi in|usicc and ic|cccd foiccd convcision. Sayyid
ub (19O6-1966) hc idcologuc of a/-I/|uan a/ Mu/|mun in Igyp,
who has bccn blamcd and accuscd of suppoiing miliancy and violcncc,
has ic|cccd hc idca of foiccd convcision:
! is no hc incnion of !slam o foicc is bclicfs on pcoplc, bu
!slam is no mcicly bclicf... !slam is a dcclaiaion of ficcdom
of man fiom sciviudc o ohci mcn. Thus i siivcs... o abolish
all hosc syscms and govcinmcns which aic bascd on hc iulc
of man ovci mcn and hc sciviudc of onc human bcing o
anohci. Whcn !slam iclcascs pcoplc fiom hc poliical picssuic
I||ad. !|o/cn/ o/ non-!|o/cn/ 93
and picscns o hcm is spiiiual mcssagc, appcaling o hcii
icason, i givcs hcm complcc ficcdom o acccp oi no o
acccp is bclicf.
6O
Submission in !slam icfcis o conscious and willing submission, foi
wihou hcsc i can no mcan hc ical submission as icquiicd by hc
holy ui`an (4: 125). This kind of submission is ncihci momcnaiy noi
ciiaic foi ical submission is a coninuous ac livcd hioughou hc
cniic span of onc`s chical lifc; moicovci, i is no hc onc ha opciacs
only wihin hc icalm of hc hcai wihou manifcsing isclf ouwaidly
in hc acions of hc body as woiks pcifoimcd in obcdicncc o God`s
law.
61
!n !slam, as Al-Aas has claboiacd, hcic is no compulsion, no
only in submiing o icligion, bu also onc mus no compcl ohcis o
submi o i. Onc mus submi oncsclf wholchcaicdly and willingly, and
lovc and cn|oy his submission. \nwilling submission bciays aiiogancc,
disobcdicncc and icbcllion and is anamoun o disbclicf, which is onc
of hc foims of unbclicf (Ku|/). ! is a misakc o hink ha bclicf in onc
God alonc is sufficicn in iuc icligion and ha such a bclicf guaianccs
sccuiiy and salvaion. I|/| (Saan), who bclicvcs in onc iuc God and
knows and acknowlcdgcs Him as his Cicaoi, Chciishci and Susainci,
his /u||, is ncvchclcss a misbclicvci (Ka||/). Alhough I|/| submis o
God, yc hc submis giudgingly and insolcnly, and his Ku|/ is duc o
aiiogancc, disobcdicncc and icbcllion. Hc is hc mos nooiious cxamplc
of unwilling submission. \nwilling submission, hcn, is no hc mask of
iuc bclicf, and a Ka||/ migh hcicfoic bc also onc who, hough
piofcssing bclicf in onc God, docs no bow in ical submission, bu
picfcis inscad o submi in his own obsinac way a way oi mannci
ncihci appiovcd noi commandcd by God. Rcal submission is ha which
has bccn pcifcccd by hc holy Piophc (Pbuh) as hc modcl foi mankind
foi ha is hc mannci of submission of all hc piophcs and mcsscngcis
bcfoic him, and hc foim appiovcd, icvcalcd and commandcd by God.
Thus, o Al-Aas, hc fundamcnal coic of iuc icligion is no hc bclicf,
bu iahci, moic fundamcnally, hc submission; foi hc submission
confiims and affiims hc bclicf o bc iuc and gcnuinc.
62
Al-Aas` opinion, as quocd abovc, piovcs o bc hc las nail ino
hc coffin of hc myh of foiccd !slamizaion as fabiicacd by hc Wcscin
wiicis. Thc Hindu communaliss as bcing hc local agcns of Zionism
in !ndia, iicd hcii bcs o launch piopaganda mission agains hc uian
and !slam. Duiing hc pioccss of saffionizing hc wholc couniy, hcy
dcmandcd o cxcludc hc vciscs of fighing fiom hc pagcs of hc Holy
uian.
63
Thcy opposcd hc ac of convcision o Chiisianiy oi !slam
94 O|a|du//a| Ia|ad
cvcn willingly and pcaccfully bccausc i violacd a basic fcauic of hc
!ndian consiuion, i.c., of scculaiism ha has bccn dcfincd as Sa/ta
d|a/ma ama ||at (aiudc of cqualiy owaids all faihs), as G.S.H.\.
Scshadii, hc spokcsman of RSS claimcd. Thcy considcicd all hc
pcaccful mcans of convcision as of fiaud, foicc and cmpaaion.
Convcision o Hinduism falls in an cniicly diffcicn cacgoiy, bccausc,
'! is only a 'homc coming` no only o hcii oiiginal faih bu... o hici
social and culuial milicu, as Scshadii aigucd.
64
RSS has planncd o assimilac hc minoiiics in hc (Hindu)
mainsicam. ! bclicvcs ha only Hindu hough can piovidc a sablc
and conflic-ficc modcl bascd on hc ancicn Hindu chos and
civilizaion.
65
Thc suppoicis of H|ndu/ta iacc is oiigin fiom \ii
Savaikai who gavc H|ndu/ta hc scmblancc of a dcfiniion in 1923.
Accoiding o him, 'A Hindu is onc who acknowlcdgcs Hinsusan as his
fahciland (P|//|||um|) as wcll as his holy land (un,a||um|). Whchci
hc oi shc is a dcvocc of ana/and|a/ma is unimpoian. Any onc who
is oi whosc anccsoi was Hindu in undividcd !ndia is also wclcomc back
o Hindu fold piovidcd hc acccps !ndia as his fahciland-cum-holy
land. Lcadcis of hc RSS fiom Hcdgcwai and Golwalkai o Sudcishan
and ohcis, hc Shiv Scna`s Bal Thakciay, lcadcis of hc \ishva Hindu
Paiishad, Ba|iang Dal and hc B1P icgaid Savaikai`s conccp of H|ndu/ta
as an aiiclc of faih.
66
! is, in fac, hc H|ndu/ta hcgcmony in hc couniy ha incnds o
saffionizc all hc icligions and culuics in gcncial and !slam and Muslims
in paiiculai, hough in vain. !n his backgiound hc piopaganda
machinciy of RSS mindcd |ouinaliss and incllccuals cngagcd in hc
conspiiacics agains hc conccp and mcaning of I||ad, should bc sudicd
and analyscd. Going bcyond hc acadcmic cxcicisc a concicc fuuic
plan o mcc his culuial and incllccual onslaugh should also bc
madc.
As a concluding icmaik, lc mc finally quoc Di. Anis Ahmad, hc
vicc-chaiiman of !nsiuc of Policy Sudics, !slamabad, Pakisan who
has wiicn hc following: 'Thc uian and !slam nccd o offci no
apology. !f i allows o wagc I||ad, i announccs clcaily, cacgoiically
and unambiguously ha fighing agains cvciy aggicssoi, oppicssoi and
yian is a human obligaion. Thc ob|ccivc of !slam is o csablish iuh
and |usicc. !f dialogucs, moial picssuic, pcisuasions and ohci pcaccful
mcans aic cxhauscd, and hc womcn, childicn and cldcily icmain hc
vicim of aggicssion, hc oppicsscd bclicvcis and non-bclicvcis alikc, i
mus bc quickly icspondcd by hc Muslims. This is hc coic mcssagc of
hc holy vciscs of fighing.
67
I||ad. !|o/cn/ o/ non-!|o/cn/ 95
Notes & References.
1. Abu Sulayman, Abdul Hamid A., T|c I/am|: T|co/, o| In/c/na/|ona/
Rc/a/|on. Ncu D|/c:/|on |o/ I/am|: Mc/|odo/o, and T|ou|/,!ncinaional
!nsiuc of !slamic Though, Hcindon, 1987, pp. 18-19.
2. Scc Al-Tabiizi, Wali al-Din Muhammad !bn Abdullah al-Khaib al-!maii,
M||/a/ a/-Maa|||, cd. Muhammad Nasii al Din al Albani, Damascus, Al-
Makab al-!slami, 1961. vol. !!!, p. 354; Bukhaii, Muhammad !bn !smail,
a/-Iam| a/-Sa|||, K|/a| a/-I||ad, Ba| a/-I||ad.
3. Abu Sulayman, op.ci p. 123
4. Scc Abu Dawud, K|/a|/ a/-Sunan, K|/a|/ a/ I||ad, Nasai, K|/a| a/-Sunan,
Kiab al-I||ad Bab al-Rukhsa; !bn Rushd, B|da,a| a/-Mu//a||d, Dai al-
Kiab al-!lmiyah, Lcbnon, 1996. \ol. !!! O. 4O9
5. \maii, Sayyid 1alaluddin, Ta|q|qa/ I/am| (A quaicily \idu 1ouinal)
Aligaih, \ol. 21, No. 4, Ocobci-Dcccmbci, 2OO2. Aiiclc on 'Somc Rulcs
abou I||ad,` pp. 5-2O.
6. Thc uian, 25: 52.
7. !bn Taimiyah, Ia/aua I|n Ta|m|,a|, K|/a| a/-I|q| \ol. 28, p. 38.
8. \maii, S.1. Ta|q|qa/ I/am| vol. 2O: No. 1, 1anuaiy-Maich 2OO1, pp. 2O-21.
9. Piscaoii, 1amcs P. I/am |n a Wo//d o| Na/|on S/a/c, Cambiidgc, 1986. pp.
45-46.
1O. A/-Ha,a/, !slamic Rcscaich Council of al-Azhai \nivcisiy, Novcmnbci 5,
2OO1.
11. Isposio, 1ohn, L., Un|o/, Wa/-Tc//o/ |n /|c Namc o| I/am, Oxfoid, 2OO2.
p. 115.
12. Lcwis, Bcinaid, T|c M|dd/c La/ and /|c Wc/, Haipci Row. Ncw Yoik,
1964. p. 115.
13. Pccis, Rudolph, I/am and Co/on|a/|m. T|c Do://|nc o| I||ad |n Modc/n
H|/o/,, Thc Haguc 1979, p. 14O.
14. I||ad a/-Ta/||,a| mcans spicading !slamic valucs in Muslim socicy and
may bc compaicd wih hc idca of homc mission. Scc, Daiwazah,
Muhammad !zzah, A/-I||ad || Sa||/ A//a| || a/-Qu/an ua a/-H|d|/|, Damascus,
Dai al-Yaqazah al-Aiabiyyah, 1395/1975. p. 7.
15. I||ad a/-Daua| mcans spicading !slam among non-bclicvcis hiough
pcaccful mcans such as hiough aigumcns and hus cquivalcn o cxcinal
mission. Wahccduddin Khan has dcclaicd i as hc only foim of I||ad
nowadays. As duiing hc fiis pciiod of !slam mcans of communicaion
wcic lacking and now incnsivc communicaion is possiblc wihou having
iccouisc o miliaiy cxpcdiion. I||ad ically mcans hc siugglc foi
piopagaion of hc icligion cxclusivcly. ! has no diicc conccin wih hc
fighing (Q|/a/) as such, A/-R|a/a, Monhly U/du 1ouinal), N. Dclhi. \ol.
7 No. 1-2, 2OO3, p. 59.
16. Pccis, op.ci., p. 118.
17. !ncivicw wih Osama bin Ladin (May 1998), 'Huning hc Incmy,
!ionlinc: hp: #www.phs.oig./wgbh/pagcs/fionlinc/shows/binladcn/who/
family.hm1 quocd by Isposio, op.ci., p. 24.
96 O|a|du//a| Ia|ad
18. !bid, p. 24.
19. !bid, pp. 24-25.
2O. Mahmud Shalu (I||ad |n Mcd|acta/ and Modc/n I/am, ianslacd and
annoacd by Rudolph Pccis, Lcidcn, I.1. Biill, 1977, p. 39) has cacgoiizcd
hcsc vciscs of fighing ino wo c.g. \ciscs of fighing agains Muslims and
hosc agains non-Muslims. To Isposio (op. ci., pp. 31-32) somc vciscs
aic iclacd o dcfcncc and ohcis o cxpansion. Thc classificaion undci
wiiing is moic convcnicn and hclpful o undcisand hc pioblcm.
21. Thc ianslaions of all hc vciscs in his papci aic akcn fiom Abdullah
Yusuf Ali, T|c Ho/, Qu/an-Tc\/, T/an/a/|on and Commcn/a/,,Amana
Coipoiaion, \.S.A. 14O9/1989.
22. Thc Holy uian, 49: 9-1O.
23. Thc Holy uian, 22: 39-41.
24. Thc Holy uian, 4: 75.
25. Thc Holy uian, 4: 84.
26. Thc Holy uian, 8: 61.
27. Di. Abu Sulayman (op. ci., pp. 126-127) has poincd ou ha hc basic
valucs of cach !slamic socicy as cxcmplificd by hc Piophc (P.B.\.H.) in
boh incinal and cxcinal affaiis aic: no aggicssion, no yianny, no
coiiupion and no cxccss.
28. Di. Abu Sulaiman, (op. ci., pp. 11O-113.) !oi a dcailcd sudy of hc hcoiy
of cohcicncc in hc uian scc !aiahi, Hamccduddin, Ta||/ N|:am a/-
Qu/an (\idu ianslaion by Amin Ahsan !slahi), Azamgaih, 199O.
29. Isposio op.ci., p. 35.
3O. Thc Holy uian, 9: 5.
31. Thc Holy uian, 9: 28-29.
32. Thc Holy uian, 9: 36.
33. Thc Holy uian, 9: 73.
34. Thc Holy uian, 9: 123.
35. Thc Holy uian, 2: 19O-194.
36. Thc Holy uian, 4: 89-91.
37. Thc Holy uian, 8: 65-67.
38. Thc Holy uian, 47: 4.
39. Di. Abu Sulayman, A.A., op. ci., pp. 31-35.
4O. Shalu, Mahmud, op.ci., p.47-48. Thc auhoi, afci a hoiough discussion
has concludcd ha hcic aic only hicc icasons foi fighing, viz. To sop
aggicssion, o piocc mission of !slam and o dcfcnd icligious ficcdom
(op.ci., p. 51).
41. Nasi, Scyycd, \ali, Rcza, Maudud| and /|c Ma/|n o| I/am|: Rct|ta/|m,
Oxfoid, 1996. p. 74.
42. !iom hc cx of hc !qbal Day spccch of 1939, publishcd as, Sayyicd Abul
Ala Mawdudi, I||ad || Sa||/ A//a|, Lahoic, 1989, p. 3.
43. !bid., p. 11.
44. Maududi, I||ad|| Sa||/ A//a|,op. ci., p. 14 ff. Hc, in fac, did no scc /||ad
as a way of convciing non Muslims o !slam, bu only as a wcapon o
guaiancc hc iigh o piopagac !slam pcaccfully. Scc. Bindci, Lconaid,
I||ad. !|o/cn/ o/ non-!|o/cn/ 97
I/am|: L||c/a/|m. A C/|/|quc o| Dctc/omcn/ Idco/o|c, C||:ao, 1998, p.
181.
45. Rco// o| /|c Cou// o| Inqu|/, Con/|/u/cd undc/ Pun/a| A:/ 11 o| 1954 /o
Lnqu|/c |n/o /|c Pun/a| D|/u/|an:c o| 1953, Lahoic, 1954. pp. 223.
46. Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, I/am| Rc,aa/-Ia/a|a|, N|:am Ka/ Au/ Uoo/
Hu/ma/an| (\idu) (!slamic Sac-Philosophy, Syscm and Piinciplcs), cd.
Khuishccd Ahmad, Lahoic, 1987., pp. 718-719.
47. !bid., p. 698ff.
48. Nasi, S.\.R., op. ci., p. 72
49. Sayyid Abul Ala Maudidi, Ta|/|/ I/am| Ka A|nda| La||a| Ama/ (!uuic
Siacgy of hc !slamic Movcmcn) Lahoic, 1986, p. 2O5.
5O. !ncivicw wih Maududi in Naua| Waq/, Lahoic, Novcmbci 11, 1963, p. 4.
51. uocd in Maiyam 1amcclah, I/am |n T|co/, and P/a:/|:c, Lahoic, 1973.
p. 334.
52. Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, Ta/||a/, cd. Salccm Mansooi Khalid, Rampui,
198O. pp. 134-135.
53. !bid., p. 243.
54. Paicckh, Abdul Kaiim, 'Sudy of hc uian-Thc Ticamcn o
Mispciccpions, in uaicily Aa/am (\idu), N. Dclhi, \ol. \!!, No. 1-
2 (Ocobci 2OO2-Maich 2OO3) pp. 51-52.
55. !bid., hc scholai`s aiiclc, '1usicc wih hc uian` p. 63.
56. !bid., p. 65.
57. T|c M|//| Ca:c//c, Ncu Dc/||, 16-31 Maich 2OO3, 76 \ol. 4 No. 6. p. 1.
58. Thc Holy uian, 2: 256.
59. Di. Abu Sulayman, op. ci., p. 1O2.
6O. ub, Sayyid, M|/c/onc, Sugai, Iins Klc Piincis, 1978, pp. 1O9-11O.
61. Al-Aas, Sycd M. Al-Naquib, I/am and Sc:u/a/|m, AB!M, Kualalumpui,
1978. p. 58.
62. !bid., p. 61, !oonoc No. 67.
63. An anonymous lcaflc icccivcd by Mi. Sycd Shahabuddin cx-M.P. On
!cbiuaiy 1O, 1999 icads as hc following:
!oi hc Muslims o ualify as !ndians:
(1) Thc Muslims mus sop hc usc of Aiabic namcs oufis oi dicsscs.
Why bc Aiab slavcs whcn youi !ndian foicfahcis bclongcd o highci
civilizaion known as !ndian civilizaion?
(2) Thc Muslims mus icnouncc '|ihad and 'Razzia oi 'Ghaswa
(pillaging+looing). This will diasically icducc hc cxising ciimc iac.
(3) Thc Muslim mus usc !ndian languagc in Azan which mus piopagac
hc cqualiy of all !ndian icligion, holy books and piophcs.
(4) Thc Muslims mus sop hc annual Ha| pilgiimagc abioad, which is a
hcavy diain on hc !ndian foicign cxchangc.
Couicsy; Mu/|m Ind|a, \ol. X\!! No. 195, Maich 1999. p. 12O.
64. RSS: GS.H.\. Scshadii on Convcision, T|c H|ndu, 5 !cbiuaiy, 1999.
65. T|c O/an|c/, 3 Ianua/,, 1999
66. Khushwan Singh`s icvicw on B1P spokcspcison Piaful Goiadia`s Thc
Saffion Book, T|c H|ndu/an T|mc, 9 1unc 2OO1.
98 O|a|du//a| Ia|ad
67. Di. Anis Ahmad, 'Thc uian and \iolcncc A Ciiiquc of hc Oiicnaliss,
Mon/|/, Ta//aman a/-Qu/an, La|o/c, \ol. 13O, No. 3, Muhaiiam 1424/
Maich 2OO3, p. 18.
I||ad. !|o/cn/ o/ non-!|o/cn/ 99
Farce4 Caarersiaa Ua4er Is|amic Laa
Faizan Mustafa & Akhlaq Ahmad`
Abstract
T|c a//|:/c a//cm/ /o :/a/||, /|c I/am|: o|/|on on :ontc/|on
Quo/|n /|c |o/, tc/c o| /|c Qu/an, |/ /otc /|a/ /|co/c/|:a//,
I/am | aa|n/ |o/:cd :ontc/|on T|cn, on /|c au/|o/|/, o| uc//-
do:umcn/cd /cca/:|c :a//|cd ou/ |, /ca/ncd :|o/a/, Mu/|m
and non-Mu/|m, /|c a//|:/c |/a/ /|c m,/| o| |o/:cd :ontc/|on
/|a/ uocd/, |acncd du/|n /|c Mu/|m /u/c |n Ind|a o/
c/cu|c/c a /oaa/cd |, /|c tc/cd |n/c/c/ T|c a//|:/c a/o
c\/a|n /|c ta/|ou /ot||on o| /|c Ind|an Con/|/u/|on /c/a/|n
/o :ontc/|on A |um|/c c||o// |a a/o |ccn madc /o c/u:|da/c
/|c :auc o| :ontc/|on |n Ind|a
Introduction
Hans Kung has iighly said ha hcic will bc no pcacc bcwccn oi
wihin naions wihou pcacc bcwccn oi wihin icligions. !ndia is woild`s
mos complcx and compichcnsivc pluialisic socicy, bcing homc o a
vas vaiicy of iaccs, iibcs, cascs, communiics, languagcs, cusoms
and icligions. !n scvcial quaicis of !ndia, i is fcaicd ha culuial
minoiiics aic convciing hc !ndian ma|oiiy o hcii own icligions in
oidci o scck iccogniion and pioccion of hcii disincivc idcniics,
claim, auonomy and sclf-govcinancc and dcmand scgicgaion and
somcimcs scccssion. Rcligious convcision in !ndia is hus a big and
scnsiivc issuc as i is cvidcnccd fiom hc hisoiy ha hc maximum
convcision in !ndia has akcn placc fiom Hinduism o ohci icligions
such as Buddhism, 1ainism, !slam and Chiisianiy, hc icvcisc iaicly
happcncd dcspic somc cffois of ic-convcision by hc H|ndu/ta foiccs.
! is commonly bclicvcd ha convcision is hc pioduc of missionaiy
aciviics. Bu hcn convcision is a dynamic and mulifacccd pioccss.
An cffoi will bc madc in his papci o look a hc issuc of convcision
fiom !slamic pcispccivcs. A biicf icfcicncc will also bc madc o hc
causcs of convcision and hc law iclaing o i.
`Boh hc auhois cach law a !aculy of Law, Aligaih Muslim \nivcisiy, Aligaih, !ndia.
S/ud|c On I/am. !o/ I, No 1, (2004), 100-120
Meaning of Conversion
Thc woid 'convcision is as old as hc icligion. Thc hisoiy known
o us connocs ha i was uscd piimaiily in 1udaism and Chiisianiy. !
poins o hc phcnomcnon ha is associacd wih pcisonal and communal
mcamoiphosis.
1
Changc of icligion is mainly a pioduc of piopagaion
and missionaiy aciviics. Thc gica living missionaiy icligions claim o
havc univcisalisic vision bascd on 'a uniquc icvclaion oi gica discovciy
abou hc nauic of bcing.`
2
Thc gica living missionaiy icligions aic
Chiisianiy, !slam and Buddhism. Thcy aim o biing a 'social
iansfoimaion and icvializaion of puiposc spaikcd by spiiiual
impulscs.
3
Thc mcaphysical-moial vision induccs a passion foi
iansccndcncc ha incllccually, moially and cmoionally ficcs is
adhcicns fiom local dciics and culs, fiom familial, iibal, casc oi
chnic loyalics fiom fixcd poliical, cconomic condiions, and fiom
iadiional 'paganisms.
4
Thcy lay a ncw foundaion and givc 'a ncw
disciplinc, onc ha libciacs fiom cvil and falschood and binds o a
good and iuh.
5
Whacvci hc conccp and appioach of mission in diffcicn icligions,
i icpicscns hc ouicach of onc`s icligious iadiions o hc ohci and,
as a icsul, convcision akcs placc. To undcisand foiccd convcision,
fiis qucsion is: wha is convcision? Thc scaich of answci o his qucsion
lcads us o sudy hc vaiious ypcs of convcision pioccsscs and siucuics.
Convcision is dcfincd in many ways. Thcic aic vaiious aspccs of
convcision. To appicciac is divcisiy and complcxiy, convcision should
bc undcisood fiom following hicc pcispccivcs
6
which aic inciacivc
and incipcnciaivc:
Sociological sudy of iadiions iclaing o convcisions covcis social
condiions a hc imc of convcision, impoian iclaionships and
insiuions of pocnial convcision, and chaiacciisics and pioccsscs
of hc icligious gioup o which pcoplc convci.
7
Anhiopologiss dclincac hc idcological and culuial icalms of
iadiion. !uihci (hcy) cxaminc a culuic`s symbols and mchods foi
icligious changc, hc culuial impac of convcision, hc way culuic
impcdcs oi faciliacs icligious changc, and sagcs of hc dcvclopmcn
of ncw icligious oiicnaions.
8
Psychological sudy of convcision considcis iansfoimaion, in boh
ob|ccivc and sub|ccivc aspccs. Tiansfoimaion may bc dcfincd as hc
pioccss of changc, manifcscd hiough alciaion in pcoplc`s houghs,
fcclings and acions.
9
Rcccnly scholais havc aigucd ha convcision is a piogicssivc,
inciacivc pioccss ha has conscqucnccs in hc communiy. Convcision
Io/:cd Contc/|on Undc/ I/am|: Lau 1O1
is hus no a singlc cvcn, bu an cvolving pioccss in which hc oaliy
of lifc is iansfoimcd.
Thc cim convcision is ofcn uscd in a vciy gcncial way o sand foi
hc wholc sciics of manifcsaions |us picccding, accompanying and
immcdiacly following hc appaicn suddcn changcs of chaiacci
involvcd.
1O
To bc convcicd, o bc icgcnciacd, o icccivc giacc, o cxpciicncc
icligion, o gain an assuiancc, aic so many phiascs which dcnoc hc
pioccss giadual oi suddcn, by which a sclf dividcd and consciously
wiong infciioi and unhappy, bccomcs unificd and consciously iigh,
supciioi and happy in conscqucncc of is hold upon icligious icaliics.
Tha a lcas is wha convcision significs in gcncial cim.
11
Thc convcision is a changc in icligious allcgiancc oi piofcssion.
Gcncially hc cim 'convcision is uscd in posiivc scnsc i.c. |oining a
icligion (fiom no icligion) fiom ahcism/polyhcism o monohcism.
Bu i has also is invcicd imagc, o say, a icvcisal phcnomcnon. Rcvcisc
of convcision is 'aposasy. This is hc icpudiaion of a icligious iadiion
oi is bclicfs by picvious mcmbcis. Thc cim 'Piosclyism is uscd in
hc scnsc of convcision of a pcison who has bccn icadily admicd, no
ncccssaiily bcing onc ha has bccn invicd oi pcisuadcd o comc.
12
!
is, hcicfoic, iclacd o boh hc foims of icligions... missionaiy
icligions as wcll as icligions non-piosclyizing in chaiacci. Thc icligion
which has givcn hc namc (piosclyyzc) o hc woild is 1udaism.
Wha follows fiom hc abovc discussion is ha whilc convcision
and piosclyyzism aic complcmcnaiy, aposasy is |us hc icvcisc. An
aposac is onc who ic|ccs his ncwly adopcd faih and bccomcs ahcis
oi adops somc ohci icligion.
Causes of Conversion
Thc qucsion of why pcoplc convci is a hc hcai of mos
anhiopological sudics of icligious convcision. Thc iclacd social
qucsion is: why do somc socicics acccp ncw icligions, ohcis ic|cc
hcm ouiigh, and sill ohcis sclccivcly acccp oi modify clcmcns of
hc impoicd bclicf foi hcii own puiposcs?
! is allcgcd ha hisoiically mos convcisions o !slam and
Chiisianiy ook placc undci hc shadow of hc powci of Muslim and
Chiisian conquciois of !ndia, and mosly fiom hc ianks oi cconomically
pooics and socially mos dcfcncclcss Hindus. This is hc concx in
which hc convcis, hc convcisions and hc convcicis wcic sccn by hc
vas ma|oiiy of Hindus, who had icmaincd faihful o hcii icligion
dcspic dcfca in balc. Thcy saw hc convcis as pcoplc who had
1O2 Ia|:an Mu/a|a A/|/aq A|mad
bciaycd hc naion by going ovci o hc sidc of hc conqucioi, and hcy
saw convcisions as hc convcici`s dcvicc, oilcd hiough cocicion and
luic, foi subvciing hc Hindu socicy by dividing i agains hc highci
Hindu cascs, which had icsiscd wha many Hindus saw as a icligio-
culuial invasion by foicign conquciois. Thcicfoic, i is no a coincidcncc
ha hc convcisions wcic condcmncd mos and ic-convcision o
Hinduism was mosly picachcd by oiganisaions which piidcd on hcii
naionalism.
Bu cvcn hc volunaiy convcisions of Hindus icsulcd in social
cnsions. As hc convcis wcic mosly pooi, hcy camc usually fiom hc
lowcs cascs, as hcy iicd o cscapc hc nooiious oppicssion by hc
highci cascs. Thus hc convcisions fuihci inflamcd hc dcmaicaions
of casc. This, oo, cxplains why hc poliical affiliacs of hc highci
casc Hindu paiics aic hc bicics abou hc oiiginal convcis and
mos aggicssivc in iying o icconvci hc dcsccndans. Thus hc hicads
of convcision lcad onc o many faul lincs in !ndia`s poliy and socicy.
To hc hisoiical dividcs of cascs, o hc iauma of hisoiical conqucss
and hcii concmpoiaiy fallou, o hc dividc bcwccn hc pooi, iuial,
iibal pcoplc, and hc giabbing of hcii land and ohci icsouiccs by
hcii iichci, uiban, non iibal ncighbouis and abovc all hcy lcad o hc
|usifiably |calous conccin foi hc couniy`s uniy and indcpcndcncc.
So long as iibal Hindus aic no icacd as cquals o hcii cousins
living in plains, hcic will bc an inccnivc foi many o cscapc hiough
hc cmbiacc of a faih ha docs no pcipcually condcmns hcm as
infciioi. !oi hc 85 of hc !ndian populaion ousidc hc ciiclc of hc
highci casc, lilc diffcicncc was madc whchci hcy aic cxploicd by
hc Ra|pu oi by hc Mughal kings.
13
So long as casc aiiogancc and disciiminaion coninuc, so will hc
moivaion foi convcision. Digniy is a basic human iigh, and if his is
dcnicd by onc sc of bclicfs, hcn hc vicim will scck i clscwhcic. !f
much of hc couniy has yc o gc convcicd o Chiisianiy and !slam,
hc icason lics no in hc Daia Singh`s bu in hc hundicds of Hindu
social icfoims, cspccially fiom hc undcipiivilcgcd sccions such as
1oyiba Phulc and Sii Naiayana Guiu. Boh gavc confidcncc o such
individuals. !n Kciala foi cxamplc, hc Izhava communiy o which hc
Guiu bclongcd has oday bccomc hc sccond mos afflucn in hc sac,
giving way only o hc Chiisians, who havc hc advanagc of ccnuiics
of cducaion. !n ha sac, by icfusing o cas hcmsclvcs in hc iolc of
vicims, boh minoiiics and hihcio undcipiivilcgcd scgmcns of socicy
havc closcd hc gap wih hosc who undci hc fcudal cia, wcic
dominan.
14
Io/:cd Contc/|on Undc/ I/am|: Lau 1O3
! is said ha hc povciy is hc main causc of convcisions among
hc suppicsscd class in !ndia, ha`s why onc should dcbac povciy no
convcisions. Wc nccd a naional dcbac no on convcisions bu, on
giowing povciy and hc ncglcc of hc iibal icgions and aiociics on
Dalis. Wc nccd o ask ouisclvcs why hc laws banning bondcd laboui,
child laboui, iuial indcbcdncss and abolishing unouchabiliy aic no
implcmcncd. No Chiisian oi Muslim oiganisaion can bc blamcd foi
all his. Thc iibals and Dalis havc hc iigh o know why univcisal
piimaiy cducaion icmains a dcad lcci? Why his Diiccivc Piinciplc
has no bccn implcmcncd? Though his is hc only Diiccivc Piinciplc
of Sac Policy abou which fiamcis of hc consiuion had pu a dcfinic
imc fiamc wihin which i mus havc bccn implcmcncd. So convcision
is a bogcy. Thc ical pioblcm is cducaion and hcalh caic of hc pooi.
Thosc wih a vcscd incics in hc povciy of hc Dalis and iibals usc
hc H|ndu/ta fasadc o coninuc o kccp hcm in bondagc. Povciy
bcing hcii vcscd incics, any impiovcmcn in hc livcs of hc vicims
of hc in|usiccs hcy pcipciac is a hica o hcm. So hosc impaiing
hcm cducaion oi/and hcalh caic aic 'missionaiics` and hcy should
qui !ndia. Thc fac ha mos such 'missionaiics` havc no sccn hc facc
of any couniy ohci han !ndia is of lilc iclcvancc o hcm. To safcguaid
hcii powci, hosc wih a vcscd incics in hc povciy of Dalis and
iibals dcmonisc Chiisians and Muslims in hc namc of icligious
convcisions.
Laws Relating to Conversion
Sacs of Madhya Piadcsh, Oiissa, Aiunachal Piadcsh and icccnly
Tamil Nadu had passcd laws banning foiccd convcision. Thc validiy of
hcsc laws was cxamincd by hc apcx coui in Rct S/an|/au t S/a/c o|
MP and S/a/c o| O/|a and o/|c/ M/ Ya/|/|a H,dc and o/|c/.
15
!n hc
fiis casc hc validiy of hc wo Acs i.c. M.P. Dhaima Swaaniaa
Adhiniyam 1968 and in hc laci Oiissa !iccdom of Rcligion Ac 1967
wcic challcngcd. ! was said foi hcsc acs ha as hcy iclac o hc
piohibiion of convcisions hcy aic violaivc of Ai. 25 of hc Consiuion
of !ndia as hcy aic hindiancc in hc piopagaion of onc`s icligion. Bu
Supicmc Coui uphcld hc validiy of hc M.P. Dhaima Swaaniaa
Adhiniyam, 1968 and Oiissa !iccdom of Rcligion Ac 1967 and said
ha hcsc wo Acs aic no violaivc of Ai. 25 of hc Consiuion.
!uihci cxplaining ambi of Ai. 25 Supicmc Coui hcld ha Ai. 25(1)
of hc Consiuion docs no gian hc iigh o convci anohci pcison
o onc`s icligion, bu o iansmi oi spicad onc`s icligion by an cxposiion
of is Tcncs. Ai. 25(1) guaianccs 'ficcdom of conscicncc o cvciy
1O4 Ia|:an Mu/a|a A/|/aq A|mad
ciizcn, and no mcicly o hc followcis of onc paiiculai icligion, and
ha in uin posulacs ha hcic is no fundamcnal iigh o convci
anohci pcison o onc`s own icligion, bccausc if a pcison puiposcly
undciakcs hc convcision of anohci pcison o his icligion, as
disinguishcd fiom his cffoi o iansmi oi spicad hc cncs of his
icligion ha would impingc on hc 'ficcdom of conscicncc guaianccd
o all hc ciizcns of hc couniy alikc.
!n Ya/|/|a H,dc Cac,
16
hc pciioncis cxpicssly avciicd ha
convcision was a pai of hc Chiisian icligion. No affidavis wcic filcd
in icply by hc Govcinmcn, and alhough oppoiuniy was givcn o do
so, hc coui was infoimcd ha i was no pioposcd o filc any affidavi
in icply. Thc coui in his casc hcld ha 'Counscls foi hc scvcial
pciioncis havc ficcly quocd fiom scvcial Chiisian sciipuics of
undoubcd auhoiiy o show ha piopagaing icligion wih a vicw o is
spicading is a pai of icligious duy foi cvciy Chiisian and hcicfoic
mus bc considcicd as a pai of icligion. Lcaincd Govcinmcn Advocacs
did no dispuc his assciion of fac. Wc, hcicfoic piocccd on hc basis
ha i is hc icligious duy of cvciy Chiisian o piopagac his icligion.
1 7
! is, hcicfoic, clcai ha fiis convcision was a pai of hc Chiisian
icligion, and, sccondly, his pioposiion was no coniovcicd by hc
counscl appcaiing on bchalf of hc sac. Thc Oiissa High Coui iccoidcd
hc finding ha 'Aiiclc 25(1) guaianccs piopagaion of icligion and
convcision as a pai of Chiisian icligion. Thc Supicmc Coui which
icvciscd hc |udgcmcn of hc Oiissa High Coui, has madc no acmp
o show ha hc qucsion iaiscd and dccidcd was cihci iiiclcvan, oi
was wiongly dccidcd. ! is submicd ha hc dccision mus bc icvicwcd
soonci han laci and an cffoi mus bc madc by hc coui o cxpand hc
mcaning of icligious ficcdom as has bccn donc by hc apcx coui wih
icgaid o ohci fundamcnal iighs.
Thc poin o bc iccallcd hcic is ha hc Supicmc Coui in is
|udgcmcn in 1977 in Rct S/a|n|/au t S/a/c o| Mad|,a P/adc|,
18
hcld
ha Madhya Piadcsh !iccdom of Rcligion Ac, 1968 and Oiissa !iccdom
of Rcligion Ac, 1967 aic valid and no u///a-t|/c o hc consiuion of
!ndia cvcn if boh hcsc Acs wcic hindiancc in piopagaion of onc`s
icligion. Thcicfoic, i sccms ha Supicmc Coui clcaily dcnics ficcdom
of conscicncc. 1uiis likc 1usicc Hidayaullah has cxpicsscd his vicws
ha hc |udgcmcn dcscivcs icconsidciaion and 1usicc Mahcw, foimci
1udgc of hc Supicmc Coui obscivcd ha all considciaion applicablc
o ficcdom of spccch and cxpicssion Aiiclc 19(1) (a) aic applicablc o
iigh o piopagac. Thc iigh o piopagac onc`s idca is inhcicn in hc
conccp of spccch and cxpicssion.
Io/:cd Contc/|on Undc/ I/am|: Lau 1O5
Thus i is clcai hcsc Ani Convcision Acs and upholding of hcii
consiuional validiy by Supicmc Coui iuly dcny hc ficcdom of
conscicncc bccausc ficcdom of icligion has no mcaning wihou ficcdom
of conscicncc and hc ficcdom of conscicncc is hc ficcdom o choosc
bcwccn compcing valucs.
! hus cmcigcs fiom hc abovc discussions ha boh in pic-
indcpcndcncc as wcll as pos-indcpcndcncc !ndia, hcic havc bccn
scvcial acmps o cuib icligious convcisions. Thc laws of scvcial
piinccly sacs and scvcial sacs in indcpcndcn !ndia did iy o piohibi
convcision fiom Hinduism bu sincc hc samc coninucs, i is submicd
inscad of fiaming an ani-convcision law, bcci condiions of lifc and
cqualiy bc cicacd in hc Hindu socicy which will pu an auomaic ban
on convcision. ! mus also bc kcp in mind ha no Muslim piinccly
sac in pic-indcpcndcncc !ndia cvci cnaccd any ani-convcision law.
Forced Conversion Under Islam
!slam is an Aiabic woid. ! mcans hc ac of icsignaion o God.
Thc ioo of hc woid is SLM and whcn pionounccd a Sa/am i mcans
pioccion, conciliaion and pcacc. ! also mcans submiing onc`s will
o Allah. Thus !slam is a icligion of pcacc, which is acquiicd by submiing
onc`s will o hc will of Supicmc Cicaoi and Loid of univcisc i.c.
Allah.
Thc woid 'A/ama` mcans hc submicd, hc icsigncd himsclf
19
Thc
ohci ma|oi shadc of mcaning in hc ioo is o bccomc icconcilcd wih
onc anohci o makc pcacc.
2O
! also includcs pcacc
21
and highci valucs.
Al-!slam oi !slam is hc icligion which biings pcacc o mankind whcn
man commis himsclf o God and submis himsclf o His Will.
22
Gicancss
of a man is in hc obcdicncc of !slam.
23
As a icligion, i sands foi bclicf
in onc God and in all hc Piophcs of God, hc las of whom was
Muhammad (Pcacc bc upon him) and foi complcc submission o hc
Divinc will as icvcalcd hiough His Piophcs. A Muslim bclicvcs in hc
Piophchood of Abiaham, Moscs and 1csus, holding ha all of hcm
convcycd o mankind hc samc mcssagc of God. Thc final icvclaion
camc hiough Piophc Muhammad (Pcacc bc upon him) and is known
as !slam-hc icligion of all Piophcs and no wha is misakcnly callcd
'Muhammadcnism. Thc vciy finaliy of Muhammad`s piophchood
makcs a Muslim bclicvc ha all ohci Piophcs bcfoic him nccd no bc
lookcd a foi guidancc as Muhammad`s S|a/|a| incoipoiacs hc cniic
piophcic iadiions. !slamic S|a/|a| is hus bascd on hc uian, hc
divinc icvclaion and hc Sunna|, iadiions of Muhammad, (Pcacc bc
upon him).
1O6 Ia|:an Mu/a|a A/|/aq A|mad
Thc woid '!slam sands foi complcc submission and obcdicncc
o Allah, spcaks isclf of convcision in hc scnsc of a ical and spiiiual
changc fiom singlcncss o iighcousncss. Thc ohci licial mcaning of
hc woid '!slam` as sacd abovc is 'pcacc` and his significs ha onc can
achicvc ical pcacc of body and of mind only hiough submission and
obcdicncc o Allah. Such a lifc of obcdicncc biings pcacc of hc hcai
and csablishcs ical pcacc in socicy a laigc.
!slam givcs iigh o icligion and ficcdom of conscicncc o all human
bcings. Muslims can invic non-Muslims o !slam, bu hcy can no
compcl hcm o cmbiacc !slam. Thcy can no pcisuadc anyonc o acccp
!slam by moial, social oi poliical picssuic. Thc Holy uian clcaily
says:
Thcic shall bc no compulsion in hc maci of piofcssing a icligion.
24
Say (O Piophc ! O non-Muslim ! do
No woiship hcm whom you do. Noi
Do you (wan o) woiship whom
Do... foi you is youi icligion
And foi mc is minc.
25
!slam no only foibids cocicion in hc maci of faih bu also hc
usc of abusivc languagc agains hc dciics of ohci icligions. 'Do no
abusc hosc whom hcy appcal o inscad of God.
26
No !slamic
govcinmcn can ban piopagaion of ohci icligions in is ciiioiy. Thc
followcis of ohci icligions aic also cnilcd o consiuc hcii placcs of
woiship and Muslims can no incifcic wih hcm. !slam givcs hc iigh
of ficcdom of hough o all hc pcisons on hc condiion ha i should
bc uscd foi hc piopagaion of viiuc and iuh, and no foi spicading
cvil and wickcdncss.
Alhough hc Muslims bclicvc ha hcic is no iuh and viiuc
gicaci han hc icligion of !slam, yc if somcbody docs no acccp
!slam, Muslims will havc o iccognizc and icspcc his dccision and
allow him hc ficcdom of conscicncc and icligion. Thc Chaici of Madina
which lays down hc iulcs o govcin iclaionship of Muslims wih non-
Muslims was a pcifcc documcn of olciancc and human iighs and is
fai supciioi o Biiish Magna Caia of 1215 which mcicly alkcd abou
fcw pioccduial iighs. ! clcaily laid down ha 1cws will no bc in|uicd,
noi any cncmy will bc aidcd agains hcm.
27
Thc 1cws wcic, in fac, onc
communiy wih hc bclicvcis by hc oidcis of Piophc (Pcacc bc upon
Him). Thcy wcic cvcn includcd in hc dcfcnsc of Madina.
Thc iighs which an !slamic sac givcs o is non-Muslim ciizcns
should no bc confuscd wih hc iighs givcn o minoiiics in modcin
sacs. !slamic sac is an idcological sac. ! classifics is ciizcns in hc
Io/:cd Contc/|on Undc/ I/am|: Lau 1O7
ligh of hcii adhcicncc o hc idcology of hc sac. Pcoplc aic dividcd
ino wo gioups: Muslims (who bclicvc in hc idcology of hc sac) and
non-Muslims (who do no bclicvc in ha idcology). Sincc hc !slamic
sac is an idcological sac i is o bc iun piimaiily by hosc who bclicvc
in is idcology. Non-Muslims can no akc up hc posiions whcicfiom
hcy can influcncc hc idcological basis of hc sac.
28
Non-Muslim ciizcns of an !slamic sac aic dividcd ino wo gioups:
(i) Thosc who bccomc is sub|ccs afci bcing dcfcacd by hc Muslim
in a wai.
(ii) Thosc who bccomc hc sub|ccs of an !slamic sac undci somc
icay oi agiccmcn.
Thc non-Muslims who livc in hc placcs which aic conqucicd by
Muslims, hcy aic o bc lcvicd a ax (I|:,a|) and cxcmpcd fiom hcii
duy o dcfcnd hc ciiioiy. Thcii piopciics and ohci bclongings aic
fully piocccd. Moicovci hc ax is lcvicd on ablc bodicd pcisons who
havc capaciy o paiicipac in a wai. Non combaans likc womcn,
childicn and old pcoplc can no bc askcd o pay I|:,a|. Thosc who wan
volunaiily o go on wai aic also cxcmp. So fai as iighs of hc sccond
gioup aic conccincd, such non Muslims aic o bc icacd in accoidancc
wih hc cims of hc agiccmcn. Thc Piophc (Pcacc bc upon him) has
waincd:
Bcwaic! whosocvci is ciucl and haid
On such pcoplc (i.c. coniacccs) oi
Cuiails hcii iighs oi buidcns hcm
Wih moic han hcy can cnduic,
Oi icalizcs anyhing fiom hcm
Agains hcii ficc will, ! shall
Mysclf bc a complainan agains
Him on hc Day of 1udgcmcn.
29
Thc sccond caliph issucd an oidinancc on hc conqucs of Syiia o
\bayda, hc Muslim commandci. ! said:
!oibid Muslims o yiannisc hc D||mm| oi
Haim oi cxploi hcii piopciics
!ulfill faihfully all hc cims icachcd wih hcm.
3O
Thc Piophc (Pcacc bc upon him) is also icpoicd o havc said:
'Onc who kills a man undci covcnan (a non-Muslim ciizcn of an
!slamic sac) will no smcll cvcn hc fiagiancc of Paiadisc.
31
Thc cim D||mm| (piocccd pcison) iclacs o a classificaion of
ciizcnship only iclcvan wihin a sac undci !slamic iulc. Bccausc hc
!slamic Sac is govcincd by a icligious idcology, hosc no subsciibing
ohis idcology aic no callcd upon o dcfcnd i and hcicfoic no
1O8 Ia|:an Mu/a|a A/|/aq A|mad
icquiicd o do miliaiy scivicc.
Bclow aic givcn hc uianic vciscs which aic ficqucnly quocd as
a pioof of !slamic inolciancc owaids non-Muslims. Thcsc vciscs aic
ofcn misakcn as insiucions o pcisccuc non-Muslims so ha hcy
cihci convci o !slam oi facc dcah and hus |usify hc claim ha
!slam cncouiagcs foiccd convcision. Thcsc aic hc vciy samc vciscs
which aic quocd o |usify hc scicoypc ha !slam is a icligion of
foicc and inolciancc and was indccd spicad by swoid. Thc vciscs aic:
1. Rcmcmbci hy loid has inspiicd hc angcls wih hc mcssagc. Givc
fiimncss o hc bclicvcis and insill ciioi ino hc hcais of hc
unbclicvcis. Smic hcm abovc hcii nccks and smic hc fingciips
of hcm (8: 12).
2. And figh hcm unil hcic is no moic umul oi oppicssion, and
hcic picvail |usicc and faih in Allah alogchci and cvciywhcic
(8: 39).
3. Whcn hc sacicd monhs havc passcd, kill hc idolacis whcicvci
you find hcm (9: 5).
4. O Piophc, siugglc wih hc unbclicvcis and hypociics, and bc
hou haish wih hcm (9: 73).
5. And figh hcm unil pcisccuion is no moic and icligion is foi
Allah alonc (2: 193).
6. And slay hcm whcicvci yc cach hcm and uin hcm ou fiom
whcic hcy havc uincd you ou; foi umul and oppicssion aic
woisc han slaughci; bu figh hcm no a hc sacicd mosquc,
unlcss hcy (fiis) figh you hcic, bu if hcy aack you (hcic) hcn
slay hcm, Such is hc icwaid of His disbclicvcis. (2: 191)
! is in hc fincss of hings ha bcfoic wc piocccd any fuihci, wc
mus cxaminc hc hisoiy and concx of abovc vciscs.
! is indccd sad o noc ha in hcii zcal o dcfamc !slam, many
non-Muslim scholais havc no bohcicd o quoc all hc uianic vciscs
in full and quoc somc vciscs ou of concx and wihou appicciaing
hc hisoiy and hc concx in which hc abovc vciscs wcic icvcalcd.
Suia 8 whosc vcisc 12 was quocd abovc is abou a balc hc
balc of Baid no |us somc daily affaii. ! was icvcalcd shoily afci
hc balc of Badi. Thc laws of wai and laws of pcacc havc always bccn
diffcicn. A balc akcs wo sidcs o occui. Onc should no bc undci
hc impicssion ha whilc hcsc hoiiid Muslims wcic fighing, hc cncmics
of !slam wcic simply sanding hcic likc lilc pcaccful gcnlcmcn.
\cisc numbci 39 of chapci 8 is unfoiunacly no quocd in full.
Thc icmaining pai of his vcisc says:
Bu if hcy ccasc, vciily Allah doh scc all ha hcy do.
Io/:cd Contc/|on Undc/ I/am|: Lau 1O9
Now his is a vial omission fiom hc abovc quoaion. !f wc icad
hc wholc vcisc, i bccomcs clcai ha if hcy sop fiom fighing and
fiom pcisccuion of iuh, Allah |udgcs hcm by hcii acions and hcii
moivcs, and would no wish ha hcy should bc haiasscd wih fuihci
hosiliy. Thus if hcy ccasc fighing, lc hcic bc no hosiliy cxccp wih
hosc who piacicc oppicssion. !slam hus is no incicscd in wai oi
figh bu sands foi hc cnd of pcisccuion and oppicssion and
cxploiaion.
Similai is hc casc wih Su/a 47 quocd abovc. This Su/a was icvcalcd
duiing hc fiis ycai of H|//a whcn hc Muslims wcic undci hica of
cxincion by invasion fiom Makkah. Thus if wc kccp in mind hc
ciicumsanccs and concx of his Suia`s icvclaion, wc would bc ablc o
appicciac ha his is applicablc o pcculiai ciicumsanccs of hc imc
whcn Muslims wcic facing a ical dangci fiom hc non-Muslims and
hcii vciy cxiscncc was a sakc.
Thc non-Muslim scholais aic vciy fond of quoing Su/a 9. Bu i is
indccd disgusing ha hcy quoc vciscs of his Su/a quic sclccivcly
and no ob|ccivcly. Whilc hcy ficqucnly quoc vcisc 5 bu hcy
complccly ignoic vciscs 4 and 6 which aic inciiclacd. Hcic again, i
mus bc poincd ou ha logically his Su/a follows hc aigumcn of hc
las Su/a and indccd may bc considcicd a pai of i. ! dcals wih hc
vial qucsion of !ncinaional Law of Wai as o wha is o bc donc if hc
cncmy bicaks faih and is guily of icachciy. ! is commonscnsc ha no
naion can go on wih a icay if hc ohci paiy violacs i a will; in fac
hc Su/a lays down ha cvcn such a paiy who is in clcai bicach of icay
mus bc givcn foui monhs by way of noicc afci dcnunciaion of icay;
hc duc pioccion bc accoidcd in hc incivcning pciiod; ha hcic
should always bc hc ioom foi icpcnancc and icunion wih hc pcoplc
of Allah; and if all hcsc cffois fail, and wai mus bc undciakcn, i
mus bc pushcd wih umos vigoui.
32
This vcisc is hus in icsponsc o inolciancc, oppicssion, and
auociacy of highcs oidci which was shown by hc pagans. Muslims
wcic willing o implcmcn hc icay and wancd o honoui hc agiccmcn
bu hc pagans caicd lcas abou hcii own woids and indulgcd in blaan
violaion of hc cims of hc icay.
\cisc 123 of Su/a 9 whcic Muslims aic commandcd o figh
unbclicvcis who aic ncai o hcm mus also bc undcisood in hc
hisoiical pcispccivc. Whcn hc conflic bccomcs incviablc, hc fiis
hing is o clcai oui suiioundings of all cvil, foi i is only cvil ha wc can
iighly figh, wc mus pu up a sou and siff icsisancc. Mcanly-mouhcd
compiomiscs aic no iigh foi soldicis of iuh and iighcousncss. Thcy
11O Ia|:an Mu/a|a A/|/aq A|mad
aic ofcn a compound of cowaidicc, wcaiincss, giccd, and
coiiupabiliy.
33
!f hcy wan foicibly o picvcn you fiom cxcicising
youi sacicd iics, hcy havc dcclaicd wai on youi icligion, and i would
bc cowaidicc o ignoic hc challcngc oi fail in iooing ou hc yianny.
! is hus clcai ha whcn wai bccomcs incviablc, i mus bc piosccucd
accoiding o Inglish phiasc: you can no figh wih kid glovcs. Thc
fighing may akc hc foim of slaughci, oi capuic, oi sicgc, oi ambush
and ohci siaagcms. Bu cvcn hcic, !slam makcs a ioom foi icpcnancc
foi hc guily paiy and cncouiagcs giving of foigivcncss foi hc
csablishmcn of pcacc. Bu hc icpcnancc mus bc ical and sinccic,
and should bc shown by hc icligious spiii of piayci and chaiiy.
As wc clcaily scc in hc abovc noblc vciscs, hc laws of killing hc
unbclicvcis oi hc pagans wcic foi paiiculai and spccific imcs, and
no foi all imcs and all placcs. Noicc hc quocs '...afci his ycai...
and '...whcn hc sacicd monhs havc passcd....
! is impoian o know ha whcn Piophc Muhammad (Pcacc bc
upon him) saicd picaching !slam, hc had o dcal wih 36O Aiab pagan
iibcs a fiis, and hc and his followcis had o go hiough a lo of balcs
ha wcic imposcd upon hcm by hc pagans who unduly fcl hicacncd
by hc ncw syscm and wondciful icligion of !slam. Similaily vcisc 191
of Su/a 2 is quocd by non-Muslims wihou bohciing o look ino hc
hisoiy and concx of his vcisc. This Su/a was icvcalcd in caily Madinah
pciiod. Thc vcisc undci discussion was icvcalcd in hc concx of hc
cvcns ha happcncd a Hudaibiya in hc sixh ycai of H|//a. Many
Muslims wcic cxilcd o Makkah as pci hc cims of icay of Hudaibiya
which indccd is a glaiing cxamplc of !slamic olciancc as Muslims
acccpcd appaicnly humiliaing cims o avoid bloodshcd. Bu hcn
hc Pagans saicd pcisccuing Muslims, csablishcd an inolcian
auociacy, picvcncd Muslims fiom visiing hcii homcs and cvcn kccping
hcm ou by foicc fiom pcifoiming hc pilgiimagc duiing univcisally
iccognizcd pciiod of iucc. As o vcisc 194, i mus bc noiccd ha cvcn
in such an cxicmc siuaion, Muslims aic commandcd o cxcicisc
icsiain as much as possiblc. !oicc is a dangcious wcapon. ! may bc
uscd foi sclf-dcfcnsc oi sclf-picscivaion, bu wc mus always icmcmbci
ha sclf-icsiain plcascs Allah hc mos.
Thc following vciscs fiom hc uian lay down hc gcncial policy
of !slam owaids non-Muslims. Thcsc vciscs clcaily dcmonsiac ha
!slam is a icligion of pcacc and abhois violcncc and haishncss owaids
non-Muslims.
1. Thcic is no compulsion in icligion, foi hc iigh way is clcai fiom
hc wiong way. Whocvci hcicfoic ic|ccs hc foiccs of cvil and
Io/:cd Contc/|on Undc/ I/am|: Lau 111
bclicvcs in God, hc has akcn hold of a suppoi mos unfailing,
which shall ncvci givc way, foi God is All hcaiing and Knowing. (2:
256)
2. Bu if hcy uin away fiom you, (O Piophc icmcmbci ha) youi
duy is a clcai dclivciy of hc Mcssagc (cniuscd o you)(16: 82).
3. !f i had bccn Allah`s will
Thcy would no havc akcn
!alsc Gods: bu Wc
Makc hcc no onc
To wach ovci hcii doings
Noi ai hou sc
Ovci hcm o disposc
Of hcii affaiis. (6: 1O7)
4. Bu if hcy uin away fiom you, (O Piophc icmcmbci ha) youi
only duy is a clcai dclivciy of hc Mcssagc (cniuscd o you) (16:
82).
5. Yc if God had so willcd, hcy would no havc asciibcd Diviniy o
augh bcsidcs Him; hcncc, Wc havc no madc you hcii kccpci, noi
aic you (of youi own choicc) a guaidian ovci hcm.(6: 1O7)
A biicf discussion abou hc mcaning and cxplanaion of somc of
hc vciscs quocd abovc will makc i abundanly clcai ha !slam is
agains foiccd convcision and is a icligion of pcacc. \cisc 256 of Su/a
2 is vciy impoian in his concx as i clcaily lays down hc basic
piinciplc of !slam. ! clcaily says ha hcic can bc no compulsion in
maci of icligion. Wc mus kccp in mind hc ciicumsanccs suiiounding
hc icvclaion (S|an-|-nu:u/) of his vcisc:
(i) hc icvclaion blockcd an Ana/ womcn fiom foicing hci 1cwish
boy o convci o !slam; (ii) hc icvclaion blockcd an Ana/ fahci fiom
foicing hci wo Chiisian sons o convci o !slam; (iii) hc icvclaion
pcimicd a mcmbci of hc pcoplc of Book o icain his icligion. Bu
cmincn hcologian Shah Wali \llah docs no acccp hc vicw ha his
vcisc is confincd o paiiculai incidcns mcnioncd abovc. On hc
coniaiy, 'hc vcisc, in his opinion, should bc hcld o convcy hc
commandmcn hcicin gcncially.
34
Thc uianic phiasc La I//a|a || a/-
d|n (hcic is no compulsion in icligion) mus bc hcicfoic gcncially
undcisood o mcan ha no onc should bc biough undci picssuic in
macis of icligion and faih. Thc vcisc in qucsion alks of a piinciplc
which gaincd iccogniion much laci in modcin incinaional human
iighs law i.c. hc dociinc of icligious olciancc. Mohammad Asad
iighly says abou his vcisc ha all !slamic |uiiss, wihou any cxccpion,
hold ha foiciblc convcision is undci all ciicumsanccs null and void,
112 Ia|:an Mu/a|a A/|/aq A|mad
and ha any acmp a cocicing a non-bclicvci (in !slam) o acccp hc
faih of !slam is a giicvous sin: a vcidic which disposcs of hc widcspicad
fallacy ha !slam placcs bcfoic hc unbclicvcis hc alcinaivc of
convcision oi hc swoid.
35
!n hc pas, hc cncmics of !slam havc
piopagacd ha !slam dcmands convcision oi dcah, hcy havc now
dccidcd ha !slam calls only foi his in icgaid o Pagans, and no
Chiisians oi 1cws. Backiacking, and backiacking; and whcn hcy will
fully undcisand hc iuc spiii of !slam, hcy will icalizc ha !slam docs
no pcimi cvcn hosc sois of mcasuics. \cisc 99 of Su/a 1O mus bc
kcp in mind as i clcaily commands:
'Will hou hcn compcl mankind, agains hcii will, o bclicvc? No
soul can bclicvc, cxccp by hc will of God..
Compulsion is incompaiblc wih icligion: Bccausc (1) icligion
dcpcnds upon faih and will, and hcsc would bccomc mcaninglcss by
usc of foicc; (2) Tiuh and Iiioi havc bccn so clcaily shown by hc
mcicy of Allah Almighy ha hcic should bc no doub in hc minds of
any pcison of good will as o hc fundamcnals of faih; (3) Allah
Almighy`s pioccion is coninuous, and His Plan is always o lcad us
fiom hc dcphs of daikncss ino hc clcaics ligh. Thus hc gcncial
piinciplc of !slam is ha no Muslim should cvci compcl oi usc cocicion
agains a non-Muslim o convci him o !slam. Bu hcn hc issuc of
iclaionship bcwccn 2: 256 and 9: 5 mus also bc discusscd fiom yc
anohci pcispccivc. Wc havc alicady nocd abovc ha whilc 2: 256 is
of gcncial applicaion, 9: 5 is alking of pcculiai ciicumsanccs. Moicovci,
i mus bc kcp in mind ha hcic is an cxccpion o hc gcncial piinciplc
of olciancc and non-compulsion whcn a Piophc is scn o a pcoplc.
Thc uian clls us ha whcn a mcsscngci of Allah is scn o a pcoplc,
hc dccision of hcii ulimac succcss oi failuic is no dcfciicd unil hc
Day of 1udgcmcn. !f hcy submi o hc iuh, hc adminisiaion of
icwaid is iniiacd in hc lifc of his woild. On hc ohci hand, if hcy
pcisis in hcii ic|ccion of iuh, hc adminisiaion of punishmcn is
also picsciibcd. \nil, whcn hc icachcd hc scing of hc sun, hc
found i sc in a spiing of muiky waci: Ncai i hc found a Pcoplc: Wc
said: 'O Zul-qainain! (hou has auhoiiy,) cihci o punish hcm, oi o
ica hcm wih kindncss.` (uian, 18: 86) !n his noblc vcisc wc scc
ha if hc cncmy wans o do us haim, hcn wc mus punish hosc who
did us haim. Ohciwisc, wc mus ica hc cncmy civilians and hc
innoccns wih kindncss.
Charter of Madinah
!n fac, i was hc fiis dcclaiaion of human iighs in human hisoiy.
Io/:cd Contc/|on Undc/ I/am|: Lau 113
Thc Chaici gavc pcoplc hc iighs of pioccion, sccuiiy, pcacc and
|usicc: no only o Muslims bu also o 1cws as wcll as hcii allics who
wcic no Muslims. ! iccognizcd 1cws as a scpaiac poliical and chnic
minoiiy, and confciicd on hcm a iigh o piacicc hcii icligion quic
ficcly. !n fac, 1cws wcic considcicd on cqual cim wih Muslims. Thcy
wcic piocccd fiom cxcinal hica fiom any ohci naion. Bu pcihaps
moic significanly, hcy wcic piocccd fiom incinal hica, pcisccuion
and pic|udicc. Thcy wcic allowcd o follow hcii own pcisonal law.
Thcy wcic givcn a iigh o havc a holiday, hc 1cws on a Sauiday, and
hc Chiisians on Sunday. Can any modcin civilizcd sac which claims
o bc commicd o human iighs will bc willing o givc similai holiday
o Muslims on !iiday? Anohci spccial conccssion was ha hc non-
Muslims wcic pcimicd o manufacuic, scc and consumc alcohol.
Thcy wcic allowcd o ca cvcn poik which is piohibicd foi Muslims.
Boswoih Smih iighly says abou hc Piophc (Pcacc bc upon him):
Hc was Cacsai and Popc in onc; bu hc was Popc wihou
Popc`s piccnsions, Cacsai wihou hc lcgions of Cacsai:
wihou a sanding aimy, wihou a bodyguaid, wihou a palacc,
wihou a fixcd icvcnuc; if cvci any man had a iigh o say ha
hc iulcd by hc iigh divinc, i was Muhammcd (Pcacc bc upon
Him), foi hc had all hc powci wihou is insiumcns and
wihou is suppoi.
36
Afci Piophc`s (Pcacc bc upon him) dcah, 1cws and Chiisians
wcic ncvci icquiicd o convci o !slam bu wcic allowcd o piacicc
hcii icligion ficcly in hc !slamic cmpiic. Laci, Zoiasiians, Hindus,
Buddhiss and Sikhs wcic also councd among hc Pcoplc of hc Book.
! has ncvci bccn a pioblcm foi Muslims o co-cxis wih hc pcoplc of
ohci icligions. Thc !slamic cmpiic was ablc o play hos o Chiisians
and 1cws foi ccnuiics; bu Wcscin Iuiopc has found i almos
impossiblc o olciac Muslims and 1cws in Chiisian ciiioiy.
37
Whcn hc Muslims cncicd 1ciusalcm, inscad of caiing down hc
Chuichcs oi synagogucs, hc holy placcs wcic icspcccd. Hazia Omai
cvcn foibadc his followcis o piay insidc hc holy Scpulchci, and icfuscd
o piay insidc i himsclf, foi hc fcai ha his followcis migh laci build
a mosquc in is placc, hinking ha his acions wcic a validaion foi such
an ac. Hc also issucd an oidci ha no Muslim should cvci piay a his
Chuich oi a maiyiium of Consaninc oi cvcn buil a mosquc hcic.
1ciusalcm`s hisoiy is splashcd wih blood, bcfoic and afci !slamic
incivcnion, bu hc iansfci of powci o sccond caliph was hc mos
pcaccful in is cniic hisoiy. No onc was killcd afci suiicndci, no
piopciy dcsioycd and no acmp was madc o convci any
114 Ia|:an Mu/a|a A/|/aq A|mad
inhabian.
38

On 2nd Ocobci, 1187, anohci impoian cvcn ook placc in hc

hisoiy of 1ciusalcm whcn i was conqucicd again by a gica Muslim
iulci namcd Salahuddin Ayyubi. No a singlc Chiisian was killcd cvcn
in his conqucs. Hciaclius, hc Chiisian iulci scandalizcd hc Muslims
by lcaving wih his chaiios loadcd wih wcalh whilc many pooi
Chiisians hcadcd foi slavciy bccausc hcy did no havc iansom moncy.
Gica Salahuddin, movcd famously o cais by hc iagcdy of familics
who wcic bcing scpaiacd by slavciy, ficcd hundicds wihou iansom.
Hc iclcascd hc widows of dcad soldicis, and wivcs of piisoncis and
scn hcm away wih gifs.
!ollowing aic somc of hc vial and haid facs abou hc picscncc
of non-Muslims in couniics which wcic iulcd by Muslims foi ccnuiics;
hc facs spcak foi hcmsclvcs:
a. Muslims iulcd !ndia foi abou onc housand ycais. !f hcy wancd,
hcy had powci of convciing non-Muslims o !slam. Today moic
han 85 of !ndian populaion docs no piofcss !slam.
b. Thc laigcs numbcis of Muslims livc in a couniy likc !ndoncsia yc
no Muslim aimy cvci wcn o conquci his couniy. Similaily hcic
aic millions of Muslims on hc cas Coas of Afiica, yc no Muslim
aimy cvci wcn hcic oo o convci pcoplc by foicc.
c. Muslims wcic in complcc command of Spain foi 8OO ycais. Thc
Muslims ncvci uscd foicc oi compcllcd pcoplc o convci o !slam.
Laci hc Chiisian Ciusadcis camc o Spain and wipcd ou Muslims
so much so ha no onc was lcf cvcn o givc Ad|an (Piayci call)
opcnly.
d. Muslims havc bccn iuling Aiabia foi moic han 14OO ycais. Only
foi fcw ycais, hc Biiish and !icnch wcic in command yc oday,
hcic aic 14 million Aiabs who aic Copic Chiisians i.c. Chiisians
foi gcnciaions. !f Muslims had uscd foiccd convcision, hcic would
no havc bccn a singlc Aiab who would havc icmaincd a Chiisian.
! is a known fac ha bcwccn 1934 o1984,!slam incicascd in hc
woild by 235 and Chiisianiy incicascd only by 47.
39
Can any onc cll
which wai oi swoid was uscd by Muslims in his pciiod of Chiisian
dominaion of woild o convci pcoplc by foicc. Today hc fascs giowing
icligion in Iuiopc and Amciica is !slam.
4O
Can anyonc say ha Muslims
hcic aic convciing pcoplc by foicc? 34,OOO Amciicans havc convcicd
o !slam following hc Scpcmbci 11 and his is hc highcs iac icachcd
in \nicd Sacs sincc !slam aiiivcd hcic.
41
Thc Amciican Ncwspapcis
havc icpoicd ha hc Muslim piosclyizing cffois havc bccn unusually
succcssful sincc hc Scpcmbci 11 aacks. Libiaiics havc iun ou of
Io/:cd Contc/|on Undc/ I/am|: Lau 115
books on !slam, Inglish ianslaions of hc ui`an hcad hc Amciican
bcs-scllci lis cc. Muslims numbci abou 6 Million in \SA oday. !
cciainly is no foicc which is spicading !slam in Amciica and ohci
Wcscin couniics. Thc icasons foi hc spicad of !slam havc o bc
found in !slam isclf.
Thc issuc of aposasy is hc siangcs aigumcn which is pu foih
in suppoi of hc hcsis ha !slam is inolcian owaids ohci icligions
as i wclcomcs a non-Muslim ino is fold bu punishcs a Muslim who
bccomcs a non-Muslim. A biicf discussion abou hc law of aposasy
will no bc ou of placc. Thc iadiional |uiisic vicw abou aposasy is
ha i is a capial offcncc yc hc following vciscs fiom Holy uian can
bc cicd as an aigumcn agains his vicw and hcic is ioom foi a moic
libcial appioach. An aposac is a pcison who bclicvcs, and afci bclicving
disbclicvcs in hc mcssagc of Allah. Thc conscqucnccs of such a sac
aic clcaily mcnioncd in hc uian:
How shall Allah guidc a pcoplc who disbclicvcd afci hcii
bclicving and (afci) hcy had boinc wincss ha hc Mcsscngci
was iuc and clcai aigumcns had comc o hcm; and Allah
docs no guidc hc un|us pcoplc. (3: 86)
!oi such (aposacs) hc pcnaly is hc cuisc of Allah, ha is
dcpiivaion fiom hc bcncfis ha icsul fiom hc following vcisc of hc
uian:
(As foi) hcsc, hcii icwaid is ha upon hcm is hc cuisc of
Allah and hc angcls and of mcn, all ogchci. Abiding in i;
hcii chasiscmcn shall no bc lighcncd noi shall bc icspicd.
(3: 87-88).
Bu as hc Holy uian idcnifics hc scvcic conscqucnccs of
aposasy, i also makcs somc ioom foi icpcnancc and ha aposasy
docs no qualify foi hc dcah pcnaly hough hcic is diffcicncc of
opinion amongs hc |uiiss on his issuc. Bu lc us look a hc following
vcisc:
Ixccp hosc who icpcn afci ha hcy amcnd, hcn suicly
Allah is !oigiving, Mciciful. (3: 89)
\cisc 137 of Chapci 4 clcaily shows ha a pcison docs no gc
dcah pcnaly foi aposasy, as i idcnifics sagcs whcic a pcison bclicvcs,
hcn disbclicvcs, hcn again bclicvcs and afci ha again disbclicvcs.
Now, had hc law bccn hcic punishing him wih dcah foi hc aposasy,
hcn abovc vcisc would no havc idcnificd hcsc sagcs of bclicf, hcn
ic|ccion, hcn bclicving and hcn again ic|ccion, as a pcison who afci
bclicving ic|ccs faih would hcn bc sub|cccd o dcah pcnaly a hc
fiis insancc of ic|ccion of faih isclf, and would no havc livcd o usc
116 Ia|:an Mu/a|a A/|/aq A|mad
hc oppoiuniy o bclicvc and yc again no o bclicvc.
Aposasy is no sub|cc o Hudud (Capial Punishmcns in !slam).
Thc |udgcmcn on aposasy is in hc hcicafci. Hazia Abu Baki, hc
iuswoihy, whcn hc fough hc aposacs, hc fough hcm bccausc of
hcii poliical icbcllion agains !slam. ! was no bccausc of hcii posiion
on ciccd. Allah is hc solc |udgc of hc aposac. ! mus fuihci bc
icmcmbcicd ha cvcn ohciwisc hcic is somc vciy solid |usificaion
o suppoi hc iadiional |uiisic vicw which favouis capial punishmcn
foi an aposac. Wc mus iy o undcisand ha !slam cnvisagcs a vciy
closc iclaionship bcwccn icligion and sac. !n fac sincc hcic is no
scpaiaion of icligion fiom sac, icnunciaion of icligion can bc validly
cimcd as icason and is punishcd |us likc any ohci ciimc agains hc
sac. !slam's haid aiudc owaids aposasy is duc o hc fac ha i is
a sac as wcll as law cnfoicing machinciy. Any such syscm oi sac
would no olciac a icbcllion which cndangcis is vciy foundaion. All
sacs spccially oncs bascd on idcological foundaion do safcguaid boh
hcii gcogiaphical and idcological fionicis. !f hcy do no, hcy will bc
failing in hcii duy. Ivcn oday in all hc couniics in hc woild, hc
Ciiminal Law punishcs scdiion and icason wih maximum punishmcn.
Thcic is no doub ha in many Wcscin couniics a pcison docs no gc
dcah pcnaly oday mcicly on hc basis of abandoning his icligion. Bu
hcn his is so bccausc icligion is no longci as impoian in hcsc couniics
as i uscd o bc in picvious imcs. Thc scpaiaion bcwccn Chuich and
Sac has icndcicd icligion impocn as a social foicc; i is |us anohci
piivac maci. Thus !slamic law on aposasy mus bc compaicd wih
ciimcs agains sac and should no bc akcn as ani-convcision law.
Thc !slamic conccp of I||ad has similaily bccn undcisood as a
pioof of !slam`s inolciancc owaids pcoplc of ohci faihs. ! is submicd
ha hc conccp of I||ad is widcly misundcisood. ! is indccd hc mos
gloiious woid in hc vocabulaiy of !slam and is 'unianslaablc in
Inglish languagc. Bioadly spcaking, i mcans,` siiving`, 'siuggling`,
'iying o advancc hc Divinc causcs oi puiposcs.` ! is hc duy of a
bclicvci o caiiy foiwaid hc mcssagc of Allah and o biing i o hc
noicc of his fcllow-human bcings in mos giacious way as has bccn
nocd in hc uianic vciscs quocd abovc. Bu if somconc acmps o
obsiuc him fiom doing so, hc is cnilcd, as a mcasuic of sclf-dcfcnsc,
o icaliac. I||ad also is a mcans of discovciing hc iuh, of finding ou
wha man should do in oidci o fulfill hc law, cvcn scaich of knowlcdgc
is an aspcc of I||ad and has bccn iankcd as I||ad-c-A/|a/, ha is o say,
i is icgaidcd as a gicacs siugglc as conia-disinguishcd fiom I||ad
B|-a/-Sa|| (siiving wih swoid) which is dcsciibcd as a I||ad-c-A|a/,
Io/:cd Contc/|on Undc/ I/am|: Lau 117
ha is I||ad on hc minoi scalc.
! is disgusing ha many Wcscin scholais havc concndcd ha hc
woild of !slam is in pcipcual siugglc agains hc non-Muslims. !slam
docs no agicc o his conclusion and pus hc blamc and conscqucn
icsponsibiliy on hosc who do no bclicvc in Allah. As a maci of fac
in !slam hc bclicvci is undci a uianic duy as nocd abovc o invic
non-bclicvcis o hc fold of !slam by cmploying hc powci of pcisuasion.
! is only afci hc non-Muslims icfuc his inviaion and pcisccuc
Muslims, oppicss hcm, do no allow hcm o follow Allah`s faih ha
Muslims aic allowcd o figh hcm in shcci sclf-dcfcncc. Bu i mus bc
clcaily undcisood ha !slam docs no pcimi I||ad foi convciing pcoplc
o !slam, usc of foicc o compcl pcoplc o convci is clcaily piohibicd
in uian(2: 256) !slam clcaily cachcs ha fighing is pcimissiblc only
wih hosc who figh Muslims.(2: 19O).
Onc mus icmcmbci ha ciiminal laws of all hc couniics in hc
woild including !ndian Pcnal Codc, 186O (Sccions 96-1O6) confci a
iigh of sclf-dcfcncc on all hc pcoplc. Ivcn hc \nicd Naions Chaici
pcimis is mcmbci Sacs o sai a wai in sclf-dcfcncc. (Aiiclc 51)
Thus I||ad (in hc scnsc of wai)is pcimicd only agains hc
aggicssoi and agains oppicssion. !slam may olciac anyhing, bu i
cachcs zcio olciancc o violaions of hc iighs of ohci human bcings.
Allah says:
And figh foi hc causc of Allah and of hosc who, bcing wcak,
aic ill-icacd, womcn, and childicn, whosc ciy is: Oui Loid!
Rcscuc us fiom hc oppicssois; and iaisc us fiom Youi sidc
onc who will piocc us and iaisc fiom Youi sidc onc who will
hclp. (4: 75)
Thc agc of foicing idcas and valucs upon ohcis hiough miliaiy
and poliical powci is ovci. !n fac, i is clcai fiom oui discussion ha
!slam ncvci bclicvcd in imposing faih hiough compulsion and foicc.
! has sood fiom hc day onc foi icligious and civilizaional pluialism
and cocxiscncc. !slam affiims ha faih, commimcn o icligion, and
a woildvicw aic piimaiily moial dccisions. Mcn and womcn, as moial
bcings, mus makc hcsc dccisions ficcly and volunaiily. Any compulsion
on his coun is abhoiicn. ! can only biccd hypociisy, a moial discasc
!slam aims o fully cuic and ciadiac. Thc 'supciioiiy` oi ohciwisc of
a syscm is csablishcd bccausc of is moial cxccllcncc and is acccpancc
oi ic|ccion has o bc ficc and wihou cocicion oi duicss. Thc Holy
uian isclf affiims as a moial as wcll as a hisoiical picmisc ha hc
diffcicnccs bcwccn human bcings, in cims of wcalh, iacc, coloi,
languagc, icligions cc aic nauial, and hus philosophical and icligious
118 Ia|:an Mu/a|a A/|/aq A|mad
pluialism is a noim and no an anomaly:
And if God had so willcd Hc could suicly havc madc you all a
singlc pcoplc; Bu (Hc willcd ohciwisc) in oidci o cs you by
mcans of wha hc has vouchsafcd uno you. Thcicfoic, siivc
wih onc anohci in doing good woiks. \no God you mus
icuin; and Hc will makc you fully undcisand all ha on wha
you diffcicd. (5: 48).
Thus pluialism is hc basic fiamcwoik -hc vciy divinc will accoiding
o !slam. ! is in his pluialism in which human socicics mus lcain o
cxis. ! is his !slamic pluialism which can bccomc a guaianoi foi
hcalh, co-cxiscncc, compciion and conflucncc. Tolciancc, accoiding
o !slam, is impciaivcly hc Divinc policy.
!amous hisoiian Dc Lacy O` Lcaiy clcaily wiics abou his
misconccpion ha Muslim iulcis uscd foicc o convci pcoplc o !slam
whcn hc says: 'Hisoiy makcs i clcai, howcvci, ha hc lcgcnd of
fanaical Muslims swccping hiough hc woild and foicing !slam a hc
poin of hc swoid upon conqucicd iaccs is onc of hc mos fanasically
absuid myh ha hisoiians havc cvci icpcacd.
42
References
1. Miicca Iliadc (cd. in chicf), T|c Ln:,:/oacd|a o| Rc/||on, Macmillan,
Ncw Yoik (1987) vol. 4 a p. 73.
2. !bid. \ol. 9, a p. 563
3. !bid.
4. !bid.
5. !bid. a p. 564.
6. !bid. a p. 73.
7. !bid.
8. !bid.
9. !bid. a pp.23-24.
1O. W. Biomillcy Gcofficy, T|c In/c/na/|ona/ S/anda/d B||/c Ln:,:/oacd|a,
William B. Icidmans Publishing Company, Michigan (198O) pp. 768-7O.
11. !bid.
12. 1amcs Hasings (cd.) Ln:,:/oacd|a o| Rc/||on and L/||:, T & T Claik,
Idinbuigh (1952) \ol. X, p. 4OO.
13. M.D. Nalapa, 'Causcs of Convcision T|c T|mc o| Ind|a, 3O
h
Scpcmbci,1999.
14. !bid.
15. Rcv. Sainislaus vs. Sac of M.P. A!R 1977 SC. 9O8.
16. 73 A. oi 116.
17. !bid.
18. Supia noc 15.
19. Thc uian, 5: 16
Io/:cd Contc/|on Undc/ I/am|: Lau 119
2O. !bid. 2: 31
21. !bid. 2: 2O8
22. !bid. 2: 25
23. !bid. 1O: 62
24. uian !!: 256
25. uian C!X: 1-6
26. uian \: 1O8
27. !bn Hisham, 1/5O2, 5O3, quocd in Safi-ui-Rahman al-Mubaiakpuii, A/-
Ra|ccq a/-Ma/|/um (Thc Scalcd Nicai-Biogiaphy of Noblc Piophc, Dai-
al-Salam Publicaions, 1996, a p.19O.)
28. uian 3: 1O8.
29. Shcikh Showka Hussain, 'Human Righs in !slam Piinciplcs and
Picccdcns in Human Righs in !slam, cd. Tahii Mahmood, Rcad|n |n
I/am|: Lau, !OS Sciics No. 1, 1993, Ncw Dclhi, a p. 97.
3O. Scc Abu Daud, K|/a| a/-I||ad
31. Scc Sahih Bukhaii, K|/a| a/-D||mma|
32. !N 12O8, Yusuf Ali, a p. 484.
33. !N 1374, a p. 541.
34. uocd in S.A. Rahman, Pun||mcn/ o| Ao/a, |n I/am, !nsiuc of
!slamic Sudics, Lahoic, 1972, a p. 18.
35. Thc Mcssagc of uian, !N 249.
36. Boswoih Smih, Mo|ammad and Mo|ammadan|m, London, 1874, a p.92.
37. Scc gcncially, Kaicn Aimsiong, Mu|ammcd. A B|o/a|, o| P/o|c/.
38. M.1. Akbai, T|c S|adc o| Suo/d - I||ad and Con|/|:/ Bc/uccn I/am
C|/|/|an|/,, Roli Books, 2OO2, a p. 117
39. Thc Plain Tiuh Magazinc in Thc Rcadci`s Digcs; Almanac Ycai Book,
1986.
4O. Thc Ncw Yoik Timcs, !cb 21, 1989, a p.4.
41. A Wavc of Convcision in hc \.S. !ollowing Scpcmbci 11, a/-Ha,a/,
London, Novcmbci 11, 2OO1.
42. Dc Lacy O` Lcaiy, I/am a/ /|c C/o/oad, p. 8
12O Ia|:an Mu/a|a A/|/aq A|mad
Me4ia aa4 |he Mas|ims
Mirza Asmer Beg`
Abstract
T|| ac/ cc/ /o |no|n/ /|c |a:/o/ /con||/c |o/ a oo/,
ctcn ma/|ncd, mcd|a o///a,a/ o| Mu/|m |n Ind|a T|c/c a/c,
no dou|/, |o/|/c |o/:c u||:| cc/ /o ma/|n and d|||u/c /|c
Mu/|m |mac a// /|c /|mc T|cn, /|c/c a/c mcd|a c/on u|o
c|/|c/ |atc m|c/:c/|on o/ do no/ |atc a /oc/ undc//and|n
o| Ind|an Mu/|m, /|c|/ /c/||on, :u//u/c and :|t|/|:a/|on A a
/cu//, /|c|/ dc|:/|on o| Mu/|m /ca/|/|c | m|/cad|n, /o a, /|c
/ca/ Duc /o a ta/|c/, o| /caon /|c Ind|an Mu/|m |atc no/
|ccn a|/c /o |m/otc /|c|/ |mac |n /|c mcd|a, /|c|/ |a|/u/c /o
c\/a|n /|cmc/tc |n a :ont|n:|n mannc/ |a |u//|c/ a/ata/cd
/|c|/ m|c/, T|c /ccn/ Mu/|m |na||/|/, /o :oun/c/ /|c|/ nca/|tc
o///a,a/ |n /|c mcd|a, |ouctc/, |ou/d no/ dc/c/ /|cm |/om ma/|n
|n:c/c c||o// /o c\/a|n I/am |n |/ //uc :on/c\/
Introduction
Thc pcivasivc and vigoious picscncc of hc mcdia as a piincipal
clcmcn in any culuial dcfiniion was biough o oui noicc by Maishall
McLuhan, in his auhoiiaivc book, Undc//and|n Mcd|a Thc only
mcssagc, hc waincd us, was hc mcdium;
1
in oui agc hc mcdium is hc
masci, a dcmon masci. Ycsciday Saddam was hc Aiab modciac a/
c\:c//cn:c, oday hc is a Hilci. Thc nauic and influcncc of hc mcdia
as ccnial o hc undcisanding of powci and dominaion aic acccpcd
widcly oday Picuics on clcvision can bc as dcvasaing o a couniy
as a vollcy of missilcs falling on i. Thiough hc mcdia hc opposing
posiion can no only bc iiumphcd ovci bu also, by dcnying i acccss,
i can ccasc o cxis alogchci.
Thc powciful mcdia offcnsivc is compoundcd foi Muslims: hcy
appcai no o havc hc capaciy o dcfcnd hcmsclvcs. Woisc, hcy
appcai unablc o cvcn compichcnd hc nauic and ob|ccions of hc
onslaugh. Thc cmpy blusci of hc lcadcis and hc naiiow mindcd
`Di. Bcg cachcs Poliical Scicncc a Aligaih Muslim \nivcisiy, Aligaih. Imail:
asmci_icdiffmail.com
S/ud|c On I/am. !o/ I, No 1, (2004), 121-128
whining of hc scholais makc hcm appcai piiful, likc pygmics aiguing
among hcmsclvcs whilc hc powciful gian of an cncmy is a hc gac.
! is hc oidinaiy Muslim who scnscs hc immcnsiy of hc dangci. Hc
is conscious of hc pocnial scalc of hc balc and hc foiccs aiiangcd
agains him; his cnsion is madc woisc bccausc hc has so lilc faih in
his own lcadcis.
2
!n hc mcdia no sciious cffoi is madc o undcisand !slam and is
ical mcaning. Thc woid !slam which is dciivcd fiom 'silm`, mcans pcacc.
!slam has no placc foi violcncc. Thc piophc of !slam said ha onc who
kills a human bcing has killcd hc wholc humaniy. Thc iigh appioach
should havc bccn o |udgc Muslims in hc ligh of hc ical cachings of
!slam. Howcvci, hc mcdia gcncially cnd o |udgc !slam in hc ligh of
bchavioui and acions of Muslims, bu hc samc logic is no applicd
whcn hc acions of hosc piofcssing ohci faihs aic |udgcd. So whcn
hc Taliban icgimc in Afghanisan dcsioycd hc Buddha saucs in
Bamiyan, hc woild`s mcdia was quick o link i o fundamcnalis !slam
and is dangcious cachings, whcicas, whcn hc \.S. foiccs in !iaq
picsidcd ovci hc plundci of housands of piicclcss aiifacs, iansciips
and aichacological maciial fiom hc Naional Muscum in Baghdad,
hc mcdia did no acmp o cas aspciions on hcii icligion oi hc
Wcscin civilizaion.
! is ically siangc ha hc mcdia ncvci cxaminc ciiically hosc
cncs of ohci icligions which aic violaivc of basic human iighs and
dcfy iaionaliy, iahci hcy cnd o gloiify and cicac a posiivc imagc
of ohci icligions. Thc appioach, howcvci, is vciy unchaiiablc whcn i
comcs o !slam. ! is pio|cccd as ani-dcmociacy, ani-wcscin and ani
modciniy. Calls aic givcn foi icfoim and icvicw of diffcicn cncs of
!slam.
Thcsc calls aic iaicly sinccic and mosly mischicvous. Thc incnion
bcing o pio|cc ha hundicds of ycais old cachings of !slam havc no
placc in his modcin woild. Thosc who makc his calculacd assaul aic
also awaic ha Muslims would icac agains such suggcsions. Somcimcs
hc icacions could uin violcn. This sicnghcns hc aigumcn of hcsc
mcdia cicacd cxpcis ha Muslims aic inolcian and hcy do no wan
o changc wih hc imcs.
!n hc facc of hc powci and aggicssivcncss of hc mcdia, Muslims
appcai o havc los hc capaciy o icpicscn hcmsclvcs, cvcn o cxpicss
wha hcy scc and know as hc icaliy of hcii livcs. Muslim icaliy foi
hc woild has bccomc hc imagcs on clcvision and hc counlcss hosilc
woids in hc papcis. Muslims in hc mcdia havc no voicc, no plafoim,
so hcy canno ob|cc oi cxplain. Muslim cxpicssions of culuial idcniy
122 M|/:a Amc/ Bc
aic dismisscd as fanaicism, Muslim dcmand foi basic iighs sccn as
fundamcnalism. !n his mcdia gamc Muslims-wcak and impocn-canno
win. Thcii fiusiaion, hcicfoic, finds cxpicssion in angci and in
violcncc.
Image of Islam
Thc mass mcdia piovidc a cciain picuic of !slam and icflcc
powciful incicss in hc socicy scivcd by hc mcdia. Along wih hc
picuic, which is no mcicly a picuic bu also a communicablc sc of
fcclings abou hc picuic, gocs wha wc may call is ovciall concx.
Concx hcic mcans hc picuic`s scing, is placc in icaliy, hc valucs
implici in i and no lcas hc kind of aiudc i piomocs in hc bcholdci.
Thc mcdia obscivc cciain iulcs and convcnions o gc hings acioss
inclligibly, and i is hcsc, ofcn moic han hc icaliy bcing convcycd,
ha shapc hc maciial convcycd by hc mcdia. Sincc hcsc acily agiccd
upon iulcs scivc cfficicnly o icducc an unmanagcablc icaliy ino
'ncws oi 'soiics and sincc hc mcdia siivc o icach hc samc audicncc
which hcy bclicvc is iulcd by a unifoim sc of assumpions abou icaliy
hc picuic of !slam, is likcly o bc quic unifoim.
3
Ncgaivc imagcs of !slam aic quic picvalcn and hcy do no
coiicspond o wha !slam 'is, bu o wha cciain sccions of hc mcdia
akc i o bc. Thcsc sccions havc hc powci and hc will o piopagac
ha paiiculai imagc of !slam, and his imagc hcicfoic bccomcs moic
picvalcn, moic picscn, han all ohcis.
Thc picscn covciagc of !slam canonizcs cciain noions, cxs and
auhoiiics. Thc idca ha !slam is mcdicval and dangcious foi cxamplc
has acquiicd a placc boh in hc culuic and hc poliy ha is vciy wcll
dcfincd. Auhoiiics can bc cicd foi i, icfcicnccs o i can bc madc,
aigumcns abou paiiculai insanccs of !slam can bc adduccd fiom i.
And in uin such an idca fuinishcs a kind of a piioii ouchsonc o bc
akcn accoun of by anyonc wishing o discuss oi say anyhing abou
!slam. !iom bcing somching ou hcic !slam is uincd ino an oihodoxy
of his socicy. ! cncis hc culuial canon, and his makcs hc ask of
changing i vciy difficul.
4
Stereotypes and Caricatures
\ulgai scicoypcs and caiicauics aic ciiculacd by hc mcdia. Thc
mcdia havc icscivcd hc ag of 'ciioiis only foi Muslims who aic
involvcd oi aic allcgcd o bc involvcd in acs amouning o ciioiism.
So a non-Muslim involvcd in such aciviics can bc anyhing bu a
ciioiis. Thc mcdia vciy scldom qucsion hc auhcniciy of govcinmcn
Mcd|a and /|c Mu/|m 123
vcisions on ciioiis incidcns. Thc naional Inglish dailics iouincly
caiiy icpois wih ilcs likc 'unidcnificd Laskai-c-ocba ciioiis killcd
wihou pausing o hink ha if hc allcgcd ciioiis was unidcnificd,
how did hc policc know ha hc bclongcd o a paiiculai ciioiis
oiganizaion. Ofcn hosc killcd aic so impiudcn ha hcy caiiy hcii
namcs and addicsscs and hosc of hcii accompliccs in hcii pockcs foi
hc convcnicncc of hc sccuiiy foiccs.
Whcncvci, ciioiism is bcing discusscd on hc T.\. oi in hc picss,
hc picuic of a ciioiis is shown as a pcison wih a ypical Muslim
bcaid and appcaiancc. Long afci hc discussion oi hc wiic up havc
bccn foigocn, hc picuic icmains cchcd in hc mcmoiy of hc vicwcis/
icadcis. So whcncvci hcy hcai oi icad hc cim 'ciioiis, hc picuic
in hcii mcmoiy gcs icficshcd.
An !slamphobic climac on hc issuc of ciioiism has bccn cicacd.
!slam has bccn vilificd as an iniinsically inolcian icligion pionc o
cxicmism. !n his picuic cvciy Muslim in !ndia figuics as Pakisan`s
fifh column and his icligion as hc foun of 'global ciioiism. Hc
nccds o pu in cxia cffoi o piovc his paiioism, bu hanks o hc
mcdia cicacd imagc hc is sill vicwcd wih suspicion.
This has lcd o hc social and poliical discouisc in !ndia gcing so
badly viiacd ha laigc numbcis of uiban-middlc class pcoplc, cspccially
hc young, now spou iabid inflammaoiy ani-ciioiism (icad ani-
Muslim) ihcoiic. Middlc class audicnccs on alk shows icflcc his. !n
hc 'Movcis and Shakcis` show on Sony T.\., Shiv Scna Supicmo, Bal
Thackciy won applausc foi dcmanding ha !ndian Muslims mus bc
scn o Pakisan as Hindusan bclongcd only o hc Hindus.
Thc mcdia`s aacks on Muslim cxicmiss casily convci ino an
aack on hc cniic body of Muslims. ! is hcn difficul o disinguish
bcwccn hc wo ypcs of Muslims cicacd in hc minds by hc mcdia.
!oi non-Muslims bcncah hc quic fasadc of cvciy oidinaiy Muslim
hcic is a mad mullah siuggling o cmcigc, hc soonci and moic
cffccivcly hc is pu down hc bcci.
5
Muslim polygamy has bccn icduccd o a caiicauic and is always
uscd as a sick o bca !slam. !n icaliy, howcvci, is incidcncc among
Muslims is quic low and official figuics havc shown ha an almos
cqual pciccnagc of Muslims and non-Muslims piacicc i. !ncicsingly,
accoiding o hc \nion Minisiy of Wclfaic`s figuics 5.8 Hindus
piacicc polygamy as agains 4.3 Muslims.
!n populai cincma a shady chaiacci is usually a Muslim. A buchci
is ncccssaiily a Muslim who is dcpiccd as bcing ablc o cu hc ncck of
animals and humans wih cqual fcliciy. Nccdlcss o add ha hc has
124 M|/:a Amc/ Bc
many childicn. A Muslim family is usually shown as living in mcdicval
imcs, bcicf of cducaion and no in sync wih oday`s woild. Thc imagc
of a ypical Muslim which akcs shapc in hc minds of an oidinaiy non-
Muslim is ha of an illiciac man wih foui wivcs and many childicn,
iunning a small iadc, having sympahy/collusion wih ciioiiss and
chcciing foi Pakisan in a ciickc mach agains !ndia. This is no o
suggcs ha no Muslim comcs iuc o his imagc oi a lcas somc fcauics
of i, bu so do somc non-Muslims. Thc pioblcm acually is ha in a
iuhlcss and dclibciac swccp hc wholc communiy has bccn givcn his
imagc. Onc Muslim is, hcicfoic, sccn o bc ypical of all Muslims and
of !slam in gcncial.
Islam and Jiha4
Thc cim fundamcnalis which ohciwisc is a haimlcss woid, has
bccn givcn a ncgaivc connoaion and has bccn icscivcd only foi
Muslims. So pcoplc associacd wih S!M! oi 1ama-c-!slami aic
fundamcnaliss bu hosc bclonging o \HP oi RSS aic no. !mam
Bukhaii is a fundamcnalis bu Piavccn Togadia is a bcs a haidlinci.
Thc mcdia havc bccn ablc o cquac |ihad wih ciioiism. Thcy
havc bccn ablc o makc pcoplc bclicvc ha |ihad, which is onc of hc
basic cncs of !slam, mcans a icligious wai of aggicssion foi hc puiposc
of piosclyizing oi cxacing iibuc and cxciminaing hc idolacis.
Acually I||ad docs no classically oi licially signify wai, waifaic oi
hosiliy, and is ncvci uscd in such a scnsc in hc ui`an. Thc Aiabic
cims foi waifaic and fighing aic Ha/| and Q|/a/.
6
Thc ui`an docs no
cach a wai of aggicssion bu has allowcd a wai of dcfcncc, clcaily
scing foih hc giounds in is |usificaion and siicly piohibiing
offcnsivc mcasuics. ! says: '!igh foi hc sakc of Allah hosc ha figh
agains you bu do no aack hcm fiis. Allah docs no lovc hc
aggicssois.
7
Thc cim 'milians` and 'I||ad| aic uscd incichangcably by hc
mcdia.
8
!n fac, hcsc wo cims aic coniadicoiy o cach ohci. Whilc
miliancy is aggicssivc, I||ad is dcfcnsivc. This iiicsponsiblc linkagc of
an !slamic conccp wih miliancy has lcd o hc picscnaion of !slam
as a violcn icligion.
Alhough somc misguidcd Muslims in oidci o |usify hcii inhuman
acions hidc undci hc covci of !slam, hc mcdia havc bccn all oo
willing o acccp hcii cxplanaion as hc iuh. Thc mcdia aic fond of
using cims 'likc !slamic ciioiiss` and '!slamic I||ad|. Thc link bcwccn
!slam and ciioiism is oo obvious and clcai.
Mcd|a and /|c Mu/|m 125
Islam and Women
Thc mcdia havc picscncd a wholly incoiicc ncgaivc scicoypc
of womcn in !slam as inanimac ob|ccs, submissivcly acnding o hc
nccds of hc loid and masci, lockcd away in daikcncd homcs. !n icaliy,
hc pocnial of womcn in !slam is fai supciioi o anyhing wha Hindu
and ohci civilizaions offcicd. Muslim womcn aic ccnial o family
affaiis fiom domcsic dccision making o ousidc macis. Whcic hcii
lo is misciablc i is o bc aiibucd o Muslim malc yianny, no !slamic
advicc.
Howcvci, an isolacd incidcn likc hc maiiiagc of a minoi Muslim
giil in Hydciabad o a Saud| S|a|/| is convcicd ino an aack on
womcn in !slam. Thc mcdia givc cxcnsivc covciagc and hc wholc soiy
is discusscd hicadbaic. ! is a diffcicn maci ha child maiiiagc is a
noim in somc pais of !ndia among non-Muslims, bu i docs no incics
hc mcdia. This is no o |usify ha hc maiiiagc of a Muslim minoi is
iigh bu o illusiac hc mcdia`s 'gica conccin foi Muslim womcn,
which acually lcads o sicnghcning hc ncgaivc scicoypc of womcn
in !slam. ! ough o go wihou saying ha mcdia aic piofi sccking
coipoiaions and hcicfoic quic undcisandably havc an incics in
piomoing somc imagcs of icaliy iahci han ohcis.
Thc mcdia ncvci iy o look a hc iighs which havc bccn givcn o
womcn in !slam. No ohci ma|oi icligion has givcn as many iighs o
womcn. Bu whcncvci his issuc comcs up foi discussion, a vciy giim
picuic of womcn in !slam is picscncd. Thc vcil which Muslim womcn
usc o covci hcii bodics dcccnly and piocc hcii modcsy is sccn as
a symbol of physical and mcnal cnslavcmcn, which is foiccd upon
womcn by mcn. Thcy canno acccp ha bchind hc vcil could bc an
cnlighcncd womcn who has dccidcd o usc hc vcil volunaiily. !oi hc
mcdia, cxposuic of hc fcmalc body has somchow comc o bc consiucd
as a foim of womcn cmpowcimcn. As !slam docs no subsciibc o his
simplisic logic, is appioach is said o bc anihcical o modcinis
cndcncics.
Thc mcdia aic adcp a cicaing a coniovcisy whcic nonc cxiss.
Thc vciy nauial and posiivc conccp of divoicc (Ta/aq) in !slam has
also bccn diaggcd in a nccdlcss dcbac. Thc coniovcisy ovci 'iiplc
divoicc` has comc in handy o dcmonizc !slam. Lcaincd cdioiials and
icscaichcd papcis aic wiicn on his sub|cc wihou undcisanding is
ical mcaning and concx. Alhough divoicc is allowcd in !slam, bu no
hc way i is picscncd in hc mcdia. Thc iiicduciblc basis of wha hc
mcdia havc o say on his sub|cc is ha in !slam a maiiicd woman is
likc a pawn in hc hands of hci husband and hc can gc iid of hci by
126 M|/:a Amc/ Bc
simply uciing hc woid 'Ta/aaq hiicc in onc go. This is an cxicmcly
ignoian and mischicvous disoiion. !nscad of iccognizing his posiivc
conccp in !slam whcic hc coniac of maiiiagc allows an honouiablc
cxi foi boh hc paiics afci hcy havc cxploicd all mcans of living
ogchci and failcd. Divoicc is hc las and no hc fiis opion. This
cciainly is moic nauial and human han hc iiicvocablc maiiiagc in
somc icligions whcic boh hc paiics havc o livc ogchci, comc wha
may, ill dcah. Thc icsul is clandcsinc illcgiimac affaiis, sccic sccond
maiiiagcs and in somc cascs muidci of hc spousc whcn no ohci opion
sccms viablc.
!nscad of applauding his piovision in !slam, hc mcdia havc dccidcd
o conccniac upon hc cchnicaliics of is opciaionalizaion wihou
iying o undcisand i piopcily. Thc iiony is ha a posiivc fcauic of
!slam has bccn uscd as a sick o bca i.
Islam is News
Thc vcinaculai picss is foihiigh and biazcn in puisuing an ani-
!slam and an ani-Muslim linc. Thcii consiscncy on his coun has bccn
succcssful in poisoning hc minds of oidinaiy folks. Concoccd soiics
and canaids agains Muslims havc bccn icsponsiblc foi many a iio in
indcpcndcn !ndia.
9
Thc Inglish picss, howcvci, is moic ciicumspcc in
his icgaid. Ncvcihclcss, hc mcdia`s affiliaion wih powci givcs is
covciagc of !slam moic sicngh, duiabiliy and picscncc.
Ovci hc pas dccadc oi moic, an aggicssivc campaign is bcing iun
by hc Hindu iigh o malign hc Muslim icligious insiuions callcd
'Mad/aa. Thc mcdia havc duifully gonc along. Thcy havc ncvci
bohcicd o go and invcsigac as o wha is hc ical basis of hcsc
allcgaions. Thcy iuhfully icpoi wha hc likcs of Advani, Togadia
and Singhal havc o say. Thc oidinaiy pcoplc acccp wha hcy icad and
hcai and akc i as 'T|c T/u/|`. Muslims aic adviscd o icvisc hc couiscs
bcing augh in hcsc Mad/aa. Thc mcdia, howcvci, aic no alaimcd
a wha is augh in schools iun by hc Sangh-coniollcd \idya Bhaii,
which spccializc in suppicssion, disoiion and invcnion of hisoiical
facs.
!ssucs and coniovcisics abou !slam and Muslims aic akcn up oi
invcncd and ha bccomcs Ncu. Whchci i is iiplc Ta/aq oi alimony
o divoiccd Muslim womcn oi a small incidcn in hc Muslim \nivcisiy
oi Muslim opposiion o somc blasphcmous publicaion. Thcsc !slamic
opics aic pickcd ou of a hugc mass of !slamic dcails and foi hc
mcdia, hcsc opics dcfinc !slam so as o cxcludc cvciyhing no fiing
ncaly. Thc issuc is hcn blown ou of piopoiions and lcaincd cdioiials
Mcd|a and /|c Mu/|m 127
aic wiicn suggcsing as if hcsc aic hc ical issucs confioning Muslims.
!oi hc non-Muslims hc imagc which comcs ou of such covciagc is
ha of a pcoplc who aic sill living in hc pas and aic no comfoiablc
wih hc picscn. Ivcn hcii icligiosiy is piimiiviscd.
Conclusion
Thcsc imagcs scm paily fiom a lack of undcisanding of !slam
among non-Muslims and paily fiom hc failuic by Muslims o cxplain
hcmsclvcs. !oi Muslims, hcicfoic, i is good imc o pausc o icflcc
and o acmp o ic-locac hc main fcauics of !slam. Thc shcci iangc
of appioachcs and biascs and conscqucn confusion obligc us o acmp
claiificaion. Thc pioblcm is no ha hcic aic oo fcw answcis bu ha
hcic aic oo many.
1O
Thc pah ahcad is difficul, bu ha mus no
dcci us fiom iying o picscn hc wholc iuh in is piopci concx.
Notes & References.
1. Maishall Mc Luhan, Undc//and|n mcd|a. T|c L\/cn|on o| Man. M!T
Picss, Massachuscs, 1964, p.7.
2. Akbai S. Ahmcd, Po/modc/n|m and I/am. P/cd|:amcn/ and P/om|c,
Roulcdgc, London, 1992, p.223.
3. Idwaid W. Said, Cotc/|n I/am. Hou /|c mcd|a and /|c L\c// Dc/c/m|nc
Hou uc cc /|c Rc/ o| /|c Wo//d, Panhcon, Ncw Yoik; Roulcdgc, London,
1981, pp.44-45.
4. !bid., p.149.
5. Akbai S. Ahmcd, op.ci. p.39.
6. !oi a dcailcd analysis of hc dcfcnsivc nauic of 1||ad in !slam scc: Moulvi
Chiiag Ali, A C/|/|:a/ L\o|/|on o| /|c Pou/a/ I||ad !diah-i-Adabiya.
Dclhi, 1884.
7. Thc ui`an, !!: 19O.
8. Thc Timcs of !ndia, May 17, 2OO3. Whilc hc ncws icm had hc ilc
'ciackdown on I||ad| in Suiankoc`. ! sacd ha '..sccuiiy foiccs
havc killcd aiound 6O haidcoic milians in Suiankoc aica ovci hc pas
hicc wccks, suggcsing ha hcsc wo cims havc hc samc mcaning.
9. !oi c.g. in 199O iio in Aligaih in which moic han 5OO pcoplc wcic killcd,
hc local Hindi daily playcd a ma|oi iolc in insigaing hc ma|oiiy
communiy. !n addiion o many ohci concoccd soiics diicccd agains
hc Muslims, i caiiicd a oally basclcss and falsc icpoi ha a lo of Hindu
paicns had bccn killcd by Muslim docois in hc Mcdical Collcgc Hospial
of hc Aligaih Muslim \nivcisiy. This lcd o a lo of aacks on innoccns.
1O. Akbai S. Ahmcd, D|:otc/|n I/am. Ma/|n cnc o| Mu/|m H|/o/, and
So:|c/,, Roulcdgc, London 1988, p.1.
128 M|/:a Amc/ Bc
S/ud|c On I/am. !o/ I, No 1, (2004), 129-131
Baak Reriea
Cammaaa|Ria|s ia Ia4ia*
b;
S.W. H. Jafri
Thc book undci icvicw dcals wih hc communal pioblcm in !ndia. Thc
auhoi has dividcd hc book in cigh chapcis. Ivciy chapci is vciy
impoian and has is iclcvancc. Thc auhoi is a piolific wiici wih a
convincing appioach and ouchcs on hc giound icaliics. Hc has also
focuscd on hc communal siuaion as i cxiss in hc !ndian social and
poliical syscm. Thc book is a iccoid oi hc communal hisoiy of
concmpoiaiy !ndia. Thc auhoi has suivcycd hc communal iios in a
vciy syscmaic mannci and analyzcd hc communal siuaion.
Thc fiis chapci, Dcmo:/a:, and |/ P/o|/cm |n Dctc/o|n
Coun//|cis impoian. Thc auhoi says ha hc iolc of mcdia, coniollcd
by powciful vcscd incicss, is fai fiom bcing hcalhy. Thc icgional
picss, whilc icpoiing hc S|a| Bano casc, oi Ram/anam B|oom|
movcmcn oi communal pioblcm, opcnly playcd a paiisan iolc and
aggiavacd hc siuaion. Many communal iios would no havc akcn
placc bu foi hc falsc soiics dclibciacly plancd in icgional
ncwspapcis. Hc has analyzcd ha by lac sixics dcmociacy had acquiicd
sufficicn ioos in !ndian poliical and social consciousncss whcn icgional
aspiiaions bcgan o acquiic gicaci dynamism. Hc givcs cxamplcs of
\.P and Bihai, whcic paiiculaily hc lowci cascs bccamc conscious of
hcii iighs undci dcmociacy and hc casc lcadcis bcgan o dcmand
gicaci shaic in powci and |obs. Hc is of hc opinion ha i would no
bc icalisic o cxpcc wo-paiy iulc likc hc onc ha cxiss in \K oi
\S. Thcsc icgional paiics camc ino bcing bccausc of okcnism of hc
naional poliical paiics in which hcy ncvci go piopci poliical
icpicscnaions. Hc bclicvcs ha sabiliy cnds o bcncfi hc uppci
classcs moic han hc wcakci sccions of hc socicy. Sabiliy is highly
dcsiiablc foi good govcinancc bu i should nobc achicvcd a hc cos
of hc wcakci sccions of hc couniy.
`Thc book bcing icvicwcd is: Asghai Ali Ingincci, Communa/ C|a//cnc and Sc:u/a/
Rconc, Shipia Publicaions, Ncw Dclhi-3; hc icvicwci, Di. 1afii cachcs a Dcpaimcn
of !slamic Sudics, 1amia Hamdaid, Ncw Dclhi.
!n hc sccond chapci Mi. Ingincci dcals wih communalism and
communal violcncc. Hc icfcis ohc suivcys of communal siuaion in
hc pos Ba|/| dcmoliion pciiod. !n his chapcihc has dcsciibcd hc
iolc of civilsocicy cxcnsivcly. Hc says hc communalizaion of civil
socicy is spicading a a fasci spccd now as hc Sangh Paiiwai is in
powci hiough hc coaliion govcinmcn of Naional Dcmociaic
Alliancc. Thcicsouiccs of hc govcinmcn aic bcing clcvcily uscd by
somc B1P idcologucs o piomoc hcii communal idcology. ! is
spicading now in iuial aicas also as RSS is scnding is P/a:|a/a/
hioughou hc couniy. A civil socicy has o bc scculai and conncccd
wih dcmociaic idcals iahci han wih icligious fundamcnalism. Only
hcn iios likc hc Gu|ia cainagc could bc picvcncd.
Mi. Ingincci has also discusscd hc composic culuic, scculaiism
and communal haimony. Hc says, 'hc Sufi and B|a//| Sains wcic
iying hcii bcs o cvolvc composic icnds, composic culuic was hc
iuling culuic in !ndia,paiiculaily a hc lcvcl of masscs. Ivcn a hc
lcvclof iuling clics composic culuic was widcly populai paiiculaily
duiing hc Mughal pciiod. Thc wiici is of hc opinion ha culuial
naionalism is wihou any ioo in oui socicy and can haidly caiiy
convicion wih hc common pcoplc bccausc of oui composic socicy.
Hc also docs no favoui hc wo-naion hcoiy. Hc piaiscs scculaiism
bccausc i has bccn hc fundamcnal philosophy of oui naion. !uihci,
hc says ha i was hc philosophy of scculaiism which guidcd oui ficcdom
movcmcn.
!n hc fouih chapci Mi. Ingincci dcals wih hc B1P, hc Sangh
Paiiwai and hc minoiiics. Hc has ouchcd on mcdia and hc minoiiics`
issucs in his chapci. Mcdia play vciy impoian and ciucial iolc in
pio|ccing imagcs. Thc oigans of communal oufis likc hc 'Samna
which dclibciacly, and cvcn maliciously, pio|cc a disoicd imagc of
minoiiics and hiivc on his. Thc wiici says: 'Samna, hc Ma/a/||
mouh oigan of Shiv Scna, uscs highly piovocaivc languagc agains
Muslims and Chiisians cspccially agains Muslims. ! should bc boinc
in mind ha hc 'Samna is icad by lakhs of Ma|a/a|//|an and hcii
opinion is foimulacd by i. Ivcn hc policcmcn icad i icgulaily and
foim hcii pciccpions abou minoiiics fiom wha appcais in 'Samna.
No wondci if hcy havc vciy |aundiccd vicw abou hc Muslims. Thc
mcdia also do no pio|cc posiivc aspccs of !ndian Muslims which can
cicac a diffcicn imagc of hc communiy. !oi cxamplc, Col.
Wa|ihuddin laid down his lifc fighing in 'Kaigil` along wih ohcis.
This ncws was no caiiicd by Inglish mcdia. Thc auhoi icad his only
in \idu papci, hc Asian Agc did icpoi hc cvcn bu did no pio|cc
13O SWH Ia|/|
i piopcily and piomincnly. Hc asscis ha a minoiiy can no bc lcf
a hc mcicy of RSS.
Thc fifh chapci dcals wih hc !ndian Muslims. Hc says hcic aic
12 Muslims in !ndia. ! is quic a sizablc numbci. Thc Muslims,
howcvci, should no bc icacd as a homogcnous communiy. Thcy
havc sccaiian, icgional, casc and culuial diffcicnccs which aic quic
ciucial o hc undcisanding of hc pioblcms. Thc auhoi says ha
many Muslims can no affoid high-cos cducaion bccausc of povciy.
Howcvci, hcic aicicsouiccs availablc boh incinally and cxcinally.
Hc wans ha hc misusc of Waqf piopciics is avoidcd, and is uilizcd
in a piopci way. !n his icgaid hc cics hc cxamplc of Cu/|a/a S|a/||
in Kainaaka. Thc Du/a| of A|mci has a gica pocnial in his icspcc,
and i can do good woiks foi hc Muslim communiy. Thc Muslims can
akc hclp fiom hc !slamic Dcvclopmcn Bank of 1cddah, if piopci
pio|ccs foi cducaional insiuions and scholaiships aic submicd o
his picmici Muslim insiuion bu hc lamcns ha hcic is no such
vision and no such acmps aic madc. !f hc govcinmcn fulfils is
piomisc hc Muslims can achicvc much highci iac of liciacy. Thc
main pioblcm foi cducaional backwaidncss among Muslims is povciy
no icligion oi lack of will, hc auhoi has obscivcd. Hc also focuscs on
hc ncccssiy foi social icfoims among hc Muslim communiy. Thc
auhoi is in favoui of modciniy & changc among hc Muslims. Hc has
adviscd ha a scpaiac Muslim paiy is no nccdcd. !n hc sixh chapci,
hc has conccniacd on Muslim Womcn & hc Muslim Pcisonal law. !n
his chapci hc has iaiscd hc issucs of Muslim womcn`s maincnancc
cc. !n hc scvcnh chapci hc dcals wih violcncc in Kashmii &
dcmociaic iighs and asks: can auonomy bc a soluion? And in hc
cighh and ninh chapcis hc appcais o bc woiiicd abou Pakisan &
!ndo-Pakisan Rclaions, and also hinks abou hc !slamic Woild.
Mi. Ingincci sccms o bc vciy cauious whcn hc icsponds o hc
clash of civilizaions hcoiy of Huningon. Howcvci, hc !slamic hcoiy
of compcnsaion and punishmcn: cyc foi an cyc and nosc foi a nosc
should bc concmplacd aficsh and in his icgaid hc quocs Gandhi
who is icpoicd o havc said: if cvciy onc wancd an cyc foi an cyc, hc
woild would bc full of blind pcoplc.
Mi. Ingincci is a gica scholai and is widcly icad. Hc has wiicn
hcBombay Communal Rio Rcpoi which is a icfcicncc woik.
Ivciyonc who wans o know hc communal siuaion and hc scculai
appioach should icad his book. ! should bc icacd as hc Mana
Ca//a on hc communal siuaion in concmpoiaiy !ndia.
Boo/ Rct|cu - Communa/R|o/ |n Ind|a 131
Baak Reriea
Press & Preja4ice
b;
Mohd. Arshad
Mi. \.B. Rawa is a human iighs acivis and champions hc causcs of
hc pooi and hc maiginalizcd in !ndia. Hc is also a ficclancc |ouinalis
and coniibucs icgulaily o a numbci of Hindi dailics and wccklics. Hc
is associacd wih numcious oiganizaions woiking foi hc socio-poliical
and cconomic wclfaic of hc downioddcn including hc minoiiics. Hc
woiks foi and among hc pcoplc and knows wcll how hc Hindi
|ouinalism influcnccs and shapcs hcii woildvicw. !n hc las onc and
a half dccadc hc Hindi |ouinalism has flouiishcd a lo and has shown
hc pocnial o compcc wih hc naional mcdia dominacd by hc
Inglish ncwspapcis, magazincs and lacly by a numbci of T.\. channcls.
Thc Mosquc-Tcmplc coniovcisy icvolving aiound hc now dcmolishcd
Babii Mas|id gavc a boos o Hindi |ouinalism; spccially hc ncwspapcis
suppoiing hc Tcmplc Movcmcn hiivcd and flouiishcd a lo. !oi no
qualificaions ohci han suppoiing hc Tcmplc Movcmcn, somc
|ouinaliss bccamc Mcmbcis of hc Ra|ya Sabha.
Rawa has appioachcd hc sub|cc a hand wih ob|cciviy and
claiiy of puiposc. Hc knows wha iolc hc mcdia can play in hc socicy
and how cffccivc his mcdium is in shaping public opinion. Hc cics hc
cxamplcs of ncwspapcis, coniollcd by big busincss houscs ha playcd
a ncgaivc iolc duiing hc Tcmplc Movcmcn. On hc onc hand such
ncwspapcis wancd o saboagc hc posiivc cffccs of hc Mandal
Commission iccommcndaions and on hc ohci hcy aigccd hc
Muslim minoiiy o communalizc hc amosphcic. !oi his puiposc,
hcy caiiicd ou scnsaional ncws icms oi cdioiials ha had no
iclaionship wih icaliy oi iuh whasocvci.
Rawa has conduccd a good dcal of icscaich in vaiious pais of hc
couniy. Hc spccially visicd hc aicas whcic somc influcnial Hindi
ncwspapcis aic in laigc ciiculaion and aic icad widcly. Thiough
`Thc book bcing icvicwcd is: \. B. Rawa, P/c P/c/ud|:c- An In||/|u/ Ana/,| o|
H|nd| Mcd|a, publishcd by !nsiuc of Ob|ccivc Sudics, Ncw Dclhi, 2OO3, Pp. 187; Di.
Mohd. Aishad is associacd wih hc Al-anun pio|cc (ianslaion) bcing caiiicd ou by
Dcpaimcn of !slamic Sudics, 1amia Hamdaid, Ncw Dclhi.
S/ud|c On I/am. !o/ I, No 1, (2004), 132-134
incivicws hc iicd o disccin how hc public opinion is influcnccd and
mouldcd by hc Hindi ncwspapcis. Hc found ha hc common public
quic bclicvcd hc scnsaional ncws icms and haidly bohcicd abou
wha hc compaiaivcly sciious Hindi oi Inglish ncwspapcis caiiicd
ou. Thcy casily succumbcd o hc falsc piopaganda and bccamc voaiics
of hc Ram Tcmplc. Capializing on hc favouiablc amosphcic cicacd
by hc Tcmplc Movcmcn, many a ncwspapci incicascd hcii ciiculaion
and caincd many fold piofis. Somc moic advcnuious and foiunac
|ouinaliss also icapcd poliical icwaids as hcy go clcccd o hc Ra|ya
Sabha oi cvcn bccamc minisci. Thcy haidly cvci bohcicd abou how
dangcious hcii ncgaivc |ouinalism had bccomc in ha i was polaiizing
hc socicy along communal lincs.
Rawa iighly fccls ha foi is suivival, cvciy dcmociaic socicy
should havc a mcchanism o monioi hc mcdia and uigc hcm a lcas
o dcsis fiom scnsaionalism. Hc hinks onc way of monioiing hc
mcdia is o publish books ha akc sock of |ouinalisic wiiings and
icpoiing. !n hc book undci icvicw Rawa has iicd o ciiically cxaminc
hc iolc ha hc mcdia, spccially hc Hindi ncwspapcis and T.\ channcls
playcd in mid 199Os. i is hcic hc book makcs a fascinaing icading. !
analyscs cdioiials, cdi-pagc aiiclcs, lccis o hc cdioi and hc
hcadlincs o givc a fccl of idcological bias of hc conccincd ncwspapcis.
Thcic aic somc vciy good |ouinaliss who wiic in Hindi. Thcii
knowlcdgc, analysis and appioach aic as good as hosc of hc sciious
and sobci |ouinaliss wiiing in Inglish. Howcvci, hcii good woik was
undonc by laigc numbci of |ouinaliss who icadily cspouscd hc causc
of hc Tcmplc Movcmcn. Thcn hcic aic ncwspapcis which icpoicd
ob|ccivcly on a numbci of issucs bu whcn i camc o icpoiing hc
Ayodhya Movcmcn, hcy bcgan o cxhibi a clcai communal bias. Rawa
fccls ha hcii shif in policy was moivacd moic by piofis and incicasc
in ciiculaions han hcii ciazc foi icligion and icligious symbols. Suicly
somc individual |ouinaliss cspouscd hc Tcmplc Movcmcn wih hcii
minds and hcais bu hc busincss houscs iunning hc ncwspapcis wcic
moic moivacd by cconomic considciaions.
Thc book undci icvicw consiss of fivc chapcis. Thc fiis chapci
iics o locac hc facois and icasons ha piompcd ncwspapcis-owncis
and cdiois o cspousc a communal agcnda. Rawa hinks ha his
phcnomcnon spccially bccamc visiblc duiing hc Tcmplc Movcmcn.
Thc sccond chapci, Rco// and Hcad/|nc, icvcals how hiough
scnsaional and onc-sidcd icpois hc minds of pcoplc can bc pic|udiccd
and communalizcd? Rawa has scanncd a lo many ncws icpois and
comc o hc conclusion ha 'moivacd` communal |ouinaliss
Boo/ Rct|cu - P/c P/c/ud|:c 133
dclibciacly sough oppoiuniics ha will show hc Muslim communiy
and is icspcccd lcadcis in pooi ligh.
Thc hiid chapci dcals wih hc communal icamcn of somc issucs
by hc Hindi picss. Thcsc issucs iclac o hc wiiing of hisoiy cx
books, !andc Ma/a/am, Kaigil, !S! and Mada/| (Muslim icligious
scminaiics). As can bc imagincd no sonc has bccn lcf unuincd o
dcfamc hc Muslim communiy on hc abovc issucs. Rawa fccls ha
hc Hindi picss ook gica incics in scnsaionalizing ncws ha i hough
would pu hc Muslim communiy in hc dock.
Thc fouih chapci is icvcaling and incicsing. Rawa has scanncd
somc influcnial Hindi ncwspapcis such as Da|n|: Ia/an, Pun/a| Kc/|,
H|ndu/an, Ama/ U/a/a, Iana//a, Ra|//|,a Sa|a/a, Na| Dun|,a, Nat||a/a/
T|mc, Aa/, Ianmo/:|a and Da|n|/ B|a/a/ cc.cc. Hc has ciiically
cxamincd hc aiiclcs, cdioiials and ncws analyscs appcaiing in hc
abovc ncwspapcis. No doub a fcw |ouinaliss icgulaily wiic ob|ccivcly
bu hc gica ma|oiiy sccms o bc ucily oi paiially biascd agains hc
Muslims. Thc icsul is ha a gica ma|oiiy of hc pcoplc who icad hc
Hindi ncwspapcis havc bccomc communal in hcii appioach and
bchavioui.
Thc fifh chapci conains Rawa`s conclusions. His following icmaik
is woih quoing:
! is ulimacly hc pcoplc`s choicc as wha hcy would likc o icad
in piin bu ncwspapcis can no allow !ndia`s culuial hciiagc o bc
balkanizcd by a fcw icligious lunaics and hcncc a gicaci icsponsibiliy
on hcm foi a fcailcss and unbiascd icpoiing.
!f only hc mcdia hccd o Rawa`s advicc, !ndia would bccomc a
bcci and moic pcaccful placc o livc in. This couniy has gica pocnials
o bccomc a dcvclopcd naion. Hcic hc mcdia havc an impoian iolc
o play. Boh hc clccionic and piin mcdia havc o coninuously woik
foi cicaing a hcalhy and haimonious communal amosphcic which is
so csscnial foi dcvcloping hc couniy and cnsuiing pcacc and piospciiy
foi all iiicspccivc of hcii casc, communiy and icligion.
134 Mo|d A/|ad
Baak Reriea
Is|am aa4 Kaaa|e4ge
b;
Ziaur Rahman
Knowlcdgc has a high placc in !slam. Thc vciy fiis icvclaion of hc
Holy ui`an is abou icading, wiiing and knowlcdgc; i shows hc
impoiancc ha !slam aachcs o hc acquisiion of knowlcdgc. A saying
of hc Piophc (Pbuh) has madc i binding upon all Muslims, malc oi
fcmalc, o acquiic knowlcdgc. Duc o hc high impoiancc of knowlcdgc,
Muslims havc always iicd o acquiic i fiom whcicvci hcy could gc i.
!n hc mcdicval pciiod, whcn hc !slamic civilizaion was dominan in
hc woild, hc Muslim scholais coniibucd cnoimously o hc body of
human knowlcdgc. Thcy no only wioc abou hcii icligion bu also
abou hc woild hcy kncw and abou hc scicnccs i had hcn.
Thc book undci icvicw is yc anohci acmp o highligh !slam`s
coniibuion o knowlcdgc. Di. A.R. Momin, a piofcssoi of sociology a
Bombay \nivcisiy, has donc full |usicc o hc sub|cc a hand. Alhough
piofcssionally a iaincd socialogis, hc sccms o bc an cqually gica
scholai of !slam. His iaining in social scicnccs sccms o havc cnablcd
him o makc hc book undci icvicw cvcn moic valuablc.
Thc book conains cigh chapcis, bcsidc a valuablc inioducion.
Thc inioducion has ouchcd on somc gcncial bu highly impoian
aspccs of knowlcdgc in !slam. Knowlcdgc c/ c had is impoiancc in
all civilizaions. Thc !slamic civilizaion vicws i as ccnial o hc
mcaningful human cxiscncc. Thc !slamic conccp of knowlcdgc is closcly
associacd wih is conccp of Tau||d. Knowlcdgc, likc all ohci hings,
is a cicaion of God and is hcicfoic sacicd. ! is hc good oi bad human
usc of knowlcdgc ha makcs i bad oi good.
A gica chaiacciisic of knowlcdgc in !slam is is univcisalism. As
!slam is univcisal, knowlcdgc in !slam can no bc bu univcisal. This
univcisalism is bcs icflcccd in !slam`s conccp of icvclaion. Hcic
icvclaion is foi hc guidancc of cniic humaniy. Likcwisc knowlcdgc
`Thc book bcing icvicwcd is: A.R. Momin, I/am and /|c P/omo/|on o| Knou/cdc, Publishcd
by !OS, Ncw Dclhi, 2OO1, Pp. 273; Mi. Ziaui Rahman is associacd wih hc Al-anun
pio|cc (ianslaion) bcing caiiicd ou by Dcpaimcn of !slamic Sudics, 1amia Hamdaid,
Ncw Dclhi.
S/ud|c On I/am. !o/ I, No 1, (2004), 135-137
in !slam is hc common fund of humaniy which can no bc monopolizcd
by fcw on hc basis of iacc, casc oi somc ohci considciaions. Hisoiiciy
is anohci qualiy of hc !slamic conccp of knowlcdgc. !slam cmcigcd
in full hisoiical vicw, hcncc hcic is no scopc oi placc foi myhs. Likcwisc
hc knowlcdgc ha Muslims dcvclopcd has a coninuiy and hisoiiciy
which aic difficul o find in ohci iadiions.
Raionalism, humanism and holism aic ohci chaiacciisics of
knowlcdgc in !slam ha Piof. Momin has cxplaincd vciy wcll. Hc also
says ha hc acquisiion of knowlcdgc is no cliis in !slam; hcic cvciy
onc has a iigh o acquiic and spicad i.
Thc fiis chapci dcals wih wha hc Holy uian has o say abou
knowlcdgc. Thcic aic scvcial vciscs in hc uian ha uigc is icadcis
o obscivc hc univcisc and icflcc ovci Allah`s signs scacicd all ovci.
!ncicsingly hcic is also a good dcal of scicnific daa in hc ui`an.
Moicovci, hc Holy ui`an is icplcc wih animal imagciy and vciscs
dcaling wih cosmology, cmbiyology and piocicaion which havc bccn
cmploycd o piovidc aigumcns in favoui of Oncncss of God oi hc Day
of 1udgcmcn cc.
Thc sccond chapci discusscs as o how Muslims havc puisucd and
piomocd knowlcdgc. Thc Piophc (Pbuh) uigcd his companions o
acquiic knowlcdgc and lcain how o icad and wiic. Thc ai oi scicncc
of wiiing was dcvclopcd by hc Mcsopoamians in 35OO BC. Sincc hcn
vaiious civilizaions havc uscd his cchnology o disscminac knowlcdgc.
Thc !slamic civilizaion, howcvci, pu a gica dcal of cmphasis on i and
hc Piophc (Pbuh) spaicd no oppoiuniy ha camc his way o piomoc
and populaiizc is usagc. !nspiicd by hc uian and gicaly uigcd by
hcii Piophc (Pbuh) hc Muslims madc gica coniibuion o hc ai of
wiiing.
Muslims ook gica pain in disscminaing knowlcdgc. Thcy
insiuionalizcd lcaining whcn hcy opcncd collcgcs (Mada/|). Mcn of
knowlcdgc aic no supposcd o bc living in isolaion oi in ivoiy owcis.
!slam assigns hcm a social iolc o pcifoim which hc Muslim divincs
havc donc all acioss hcii hisoiy. Mainly duc o i, knowlcdgc also go
dcmociaizcd undci hc Muslims making i possiblc cvcn foi slavcs o
puisuc i oi bccomc masci of i. Thc hisoiy of !slam is icplcc wih hc
incllccual coniibuions of mcn who had a humblc bcginning. To makc
hc acquisiion of knowlcdgc casy foi common pcoplc, hc Muslim iulcis
oi iich Muslims madc Auqa| which bcncficd laigc numbcis of pcoplc.
Thc Muslim coniibuion o hc scicnccs ha dcal wih onc anohci
aspcc of hcii icligion is wcll known. Of lac a good dcal of cffoi has
bccn madc o iccoid hc Muslim coniibuion o wha is known as
136 Z|au/ Ra|man
nauial scicnccs. Piof. Momin has dcal wih his sub|cc in chapci 4 of
hc book. Thc fifh chapci is abou hc Muslim coniibuion o social
scicnccs. !n his icgaid Piof. Momin has discusscd hc Muslim
coniibuion o law, |uiispiudcncc, hisoiy, aichcology, sociology,
anhiopology, psychology and psychohciapy cc.
Piof. Momin has dcvocd hc sixh chapci of his book o oulinc
hc Muslim coniibuion o humaniics. Thosc who aic familiai wih hc
sub|cc undci discussion know wcll ha hc Muslims havc wiicn
cxcnsivcly on philosophy and chics. Hcic hc Muslim philosophcis
wcic influcnccd by hc Gicck philosophy. Thc Gicck influcncc, in fac,
gcnciacd a gica coniovcisy icgaiding cciain bclicfs in hc woild of
!slam. Thc body of liciauic pioduccd o cxplain !slam logically oi
philosophically is known as hc liciauic of I/m a/-Ka/am. !n his chapci
Piof. Momin has also ouchcd on hc Aiabic languagc and liciauic
and is impac on Iuiopcan languagcs.
Thc scvcnh chapci dcals wih hc dcvclopmcn of ai and ciafs
in hc !slamic woild. Many gica Muslim iulcis wcic picoccupicd by
building hugc fois and mosqucs cc. Ovci hc agcs hcic dcvclopcd a
ypical Muslim aichiccuic hc paiallcl of which is no found in ohci
civilizaions. Thc Muslims hc Aiabs, !ianians and !ndians also
coniibucd a gica dcal o ais and ciafs fiom pociy, cciamics,
glasswoik o mcal woik and cxilcs cc.
Thc las chapci is hc gcm of hc book in ha Piof. Momin hcic
suggcss as o how hc Muslims of oday can iccovci and icgain hcii
los hciiagc. Hc also ouchcs on how knowlcdgc bcgan o dcclinc in hc
!slamic woild and wha wcic is causcs. !n oidci o icgain hc los gloiy
of !slamic lcaining Piof. Momin adviscs Muslims o icoiicn knowlcdgc
in !slamic pcispccivc. Howcvci, whilc discussing hc coniibuion of
modcin Muslims and insiuions o knowlcdgc, Piof. Momin has lcf
much o bc dcsiicd. Dcspic his flaw, hc book is valuablc and pcoplc
would find i incicsing o icad.
Boo/ Rct|cu - I/am and Knou/cdc 137
STUDIES ON
!SLAM
Volume I, No. 1, 2004
Editor
!shiyaquc Danish
Dcpaimcn of !slamic Sudics
1AM!A HAMDARD
(HAMDARD \N!\IRS!TY)
HAMDARD NAGAR, NIW DILH!-11OO62
!ND!A
Notes to Contributors
` Sudics on !slam (SO!) publishcd by Dcpaimcn of !slamic Sudics,
1amia Hamdaid, is an acadcmic icfciccd biannual |ouinal. Auhois
fiom all ovci hc woild aic wclcomc o publish hcii icscaich papcis in
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Studies on Islam
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disciplincs and o cnlis widci paiicipaion of scholais and cxpcis
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cncouiagcs publicaion of diffcicn poins of vicw on issucs of vial
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bu picfcicncc will bc givcn o coniibuions ha dcal wih concmpoiaiy
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Editor
!shiyaquc Danish
Editorial Board
Piofcssoi Anwai Moazzam
Piofcssoi Yassccn Mazhai Siddiqui
Piofcssoi Akhaiul Wascy
Di. M. Manazii Ahsan
Published by
Dcpaimcn of !slamic Sudics
Hamdaid \nivcisiy
Ncw Dclhi
Printed at
Rakmo Picss Pv. Ld.
C-59, Okhla !ndl. Aica Phasc-!
Ncw Dclhi-11OO2O
Mailing Address for Editorial Correspondence
Idioi SO!
Dcpaimcn of !slamic Sudics
1amia Hamdaid
Ncw Dclhi-11OO62
Mailing Address Regarding Circulation etc.
Ciiculaion Officci
Publicaion \ni
1amia Hamdaid
Ncw Dclhi-11OO62
Contents
Editorial
Articles
A.G. Nooiani 1
T|c Con/|/u/|on o| Ind|a and Mu/|m Po/|/|:
A.R. Momin 9
I/am and P/u/a/|m
M.Y.M. Siddiqi 26
I/am and M|no/|/|c - A H|/o/|:a/ S/ud,
Chailcs Kuizman 39
L||c/a/ I/am. No/ a Con//ad|:/|on |n Tc/m
!shiyaquc Danish 55
T|c So-Ca//cd O|/c:/|ona|/c !c/c
Obaidullah !ahad 78
I||ad. !|o/cn/ o/ non-!|o/cn/
!aizan Musafa & Akhlaq Ahmad 1OO
Io/:cd Contc/|on Undc/ I/am|: Lau
Miiza Asmci Baig 121
Mcd|a and /|c Mu/|m
Book Reviews
Communal Rios in !ndia 129
SWH Ia|/|
Picss & Pic|udicc 132
Mo|d A/|ad
!slam and Knowlcdgc 135
Z|au/ Ra|man
Editorial
Wc fccl plcasuic in picscning hc fiis issuc of S/ud|c on I/am, a ncw
|ouinal ha hc Dcpaimcn of !slamic Sudics, 1amia Hamdaid, has
dccidcd o launch. Thc |ouinal is incndcd o publish aiiclcs and icscaich
papcis on vaiious aspccs of !slam and hc Muslim socicics. Alhough
i would covci hc bioad spccium of !slamic sudics, hc cmphasis and
focus would bc on sudying and analyzing hc concmpoiaiy !slam.
Thcic aic any numbci of issucs and challcngcs facing hc Muslims hc
woild ovci. Wc pioposc o discuss hcm in ob|ccivc and dcachcd
mannci and would likc o icqucs scholais, incllccuals and wiicis o
hclp us in oui humblc cndcavoui.
Thc |ouinal is no incndcd o icpicscn any spccific poin of vicw.
Conscious of vaiying appioachcs o onc oi anohci sub|cc of !slamic
Sudics, i would wclcomc scholaily coniibuions, hough wc would
picfci o avoid coniovcisics pciaining spccially o sccaiian macis.
Moicovci, hc |ouinal would cncouiagc oui piospccivc coniibuois o
appioach and analyzc any givcn sub|cc fiom a social scicncc pcispccivc.
Alhough a iclaivcly ncw univcisiy, 1amia Hamdaid has madc
iapid advanccs in all hc aicas i chosc o focus on. !iom is vciy inccpion
hc univcisiy has bccn kccn o piomoc !slamic sudics kccping in
mind hc chciishcd idcals and wishcs of is foundci-chancclloi, lac
Hakccm Abdul Hamccd. Thc man is no longci among us bu wc aic
suic ha Hakccm Sahib would havc bccn hc happics pcison o scc
his |ouinal and would havc wclcomc oui cndcavoui fiom hc boom
of his hcai. His vision and idcals will bc oui guiding piinciplcs, wc
piomisc solcmnly.
Wc havc icccivcd gcncious hclp fiom vaiious quaicis which wc
would likc o acknowlcdgc. Hamdaid Naional !oundaion undci hc
ablc guidancc and scwaidship of Mi. Abdul Muid is hclping hc
univcisiy and oui Dcpaimcn in a vciy gcncious way which wc
acknowlcdgc wih appicciaion and giaiudc. Mi. Sayyid Hamid and
Mi. Siia| Hussain, Chancclloi and \icc-Chancclloi icspccivcly, havc
bccn a souicc of inspiiaion and havc always cncouiagcd us o biing ou
his |ouinal. Di. S.H. Hasan, Rcgisiai, 1amia Hamdaid and Mi. S.A.
Ali, Diiccoi, Hamdaid Aichivcs and Rcscaich Ccnic hclpcd us in a
vaiicy of ways. Wc hank boh of hcm.
Piof. Akhai Ma|ccd, Diiccoi, Ccnic foi !cdcial Sudics and
Dcan, !aculy of !slamic Sudics and Social Scicnccs, his collcagucs,
Di. Aishi Khan, Di. A|ay Singh, Mi. Kumai Suicsh, Piof. Alaf Ahmad
Azmi, !oimci Dcan of oui !aculy, Di. Bascci A. Khan, and Di. G.Y.
An|um, Rcadcis in Dcpaimcn of !slamic Sudics, havc hclpcd us wih
advicc and sinccic commcns; hcii unqualificd suppoi is appicciacd
wih sinccic hanks.
Thc |ouinal would no havc sccn hc ligh of hc day wihou hc
gcncious assisancc ha wc icccivcd fiom Di. Mohd Aishad and Mi.
Ziaui Rahman. Alhough hc wo aic associacd wih A/-Qanun
(ianslaion) pio|cc, hcy ook pains o ypc hc aiiclcs along wih Mi.
Aishad Ahmad. Thcii haid woik is duly appicciacd. Di. Shahid \mai,
lccuici, Dcpaimcn of Boany and Di. Na|m Zahcci Khan of
Dcpaimcn of Chcmisiy wcic kind cnough o cxcnd hcii assisancc
in pioducion pioccss of hc |ouinal which is giacfully acknowlcdgcd.
Las bu no hc lcas wc hank all hc coniibuois who pu hcii faih
in us and honouicd oui |ouinal wih hcii valuablc aiiclcs and book
icvicws.
!!
Piincd by Rakmo Picss Pv. Ld., C-59, Okhla !ndl. Aica Phasc-!,
Ncw Dclhi-11OO2O, and publishcd by Dcpaimcn of !slamic Sudics foi
Rcgisiai, 1amia Hamdaid, Hamdaid Nagai, Ncw Dclhi-11OO62. Ld|/o/:
!shiyaquc Danish, Dcpaimcn of !slamic Sudics 1amia Hamdaid,
Hamdaid Nagai Ncw Dclhi-11OO62