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Thursday 31 March 2011

REBUTTAL OF JAVAID GHAMDI

The current intellectual scenario in Pakistan has been particularly set in the backdrop of controversies as to what kind of state system should be adopted and how it should be adopted. Among other shades of this debate, the most important is the discourse as to what Islamic principles and approaches should be adopted to rebuild and reform state system in Pakistan. In this connection, Mr. Javeid Ghamdi presents some views which are not tenable when judged on established and internationally approaved principles of interpretation of Islamic texts.For instance, he opines that one can adopt 'Din' in his individual life without establishing islamic systems; he portraits that adoption of "Din" in individual sphere is to take precedence over establishment of Islamic systems which would naturally come into existence when people would have adopted "Din" in individual sphere. So people should not take special pains to establish Islamic systems at first stage; they should focus only to reform their personal lives/ characters at the first stage.Let us analyze Mr. Ghamdi's views in the succeeding lines.

Islam assigns two types of duties to people; firstly on individual level and secondly on collective level.In fact Every duty assigned in Islam has two phases (individual and collective). For instance, duty of payment of Zakat(taking wealth from the rich and giving away to the poor) as an individual's duty is fulfilled, when individual pays Zakat; but when it comes to collective level, only payment of Zakat by individual is not suffice; at collective level, there has to be a system of Zakat to take wealth from the rich and give away to the poor. An individual's duty to pay Zakat is one phase of the duty; the other phase of this duty is to strive for and establishment of system of Zakat at the collective or state level.He can't defray his duty of Zakat completely, without establishment of zakat system; he has to defray both individual and collective phases of his duty simultaneously.

Similarly, all duties assigned in Islam have two phases (i'.e. individual and collective) e.g. duties aiming at personal purification and collective purgation, relating to all moral, social, political and economic spheres. Fulfillment of these two phases of every assigned duty, is called Aqamat-e-Deen. Islam has left neither adoption(at individual level) nor establishment (at collective level) of "Din" to human instincts.
There is no denying fact that Islam deals with both individual and collective matters of mankind. Social collective matters are managed through a system. We can't imagine any social system without institutions. In other words, a social system always operate through the institutions. The establishment of institutions is neither a work of accident nor a natural outcome of individuals' pious actions, as Javaid Ghamdi is preaching; institution-building always requires some planning,skill and expertise of capable selected/ chosen people of the society. The Muslims can't defray their collective duties without establishing Islamic institutions through sheer planning, capability, devotion and skill. Only after establishing such institutions, we can ask people to mould their lives accordingly and lead their collective lives accordingly.
Aqamat-e-Din, at the individual level, is the matter of "adoption of "Din", but at the collective level, it is the matter of "establishment of "Din". Aqamat-e-Din is just like adoption and establishment of any other system. For instance,if we want people to adopt a democratic system, we first establish democratic institutions, and then ask people to act accordingly; similarly if you want people to adopt capitalistic system, you first establish capitalist institutions and then ask people to act accordingly. Mr. Ghamdi's logic is strange; he is preaching adoption of "Din" without establishing the Islamic systems.
The viewpoint that we should first abide by Islamic injunctions individually, is also not tenable due to very simple fact that we would require crores of years to mould 18 crore Pakistanis to establish Din; it may be appreciated that such approach would lead us to forget about establishment of our Din. On the other hand, establishment of "Din"/system at the first stage would make the task much easier, because due to force of system/Din, the people , not willing to mould themselves, would also be compelled to go along the system. So, at the first stage, our focus should not be character reformation of whole masses; rather our focus should be selected, skilled, capable, devoted people (NOT narrow-minded like some Talibans) which could install Islamic political, social,moral and economic systems. After establishment of such Islamic systems/institutions, we can ask common people to abide by such system/Din to submit to God's will in their collective life. Look at the life of holy Messenger (SAW); in 13 years of Makki period, only a few hundred people got converted. Why? because there was no institution-building. But in 11 years of Madni life, lacs of people were converted, because institutions were established there in Madina. Make your task easier and practicable by establishing Islamic institutions first and then asking people to go along these institutions.
Mr. Ghamdi has remarked that Islam does not require a common person to establish Islamic system; it is not a correct view. In Quran, whenever a duty is assigned, it is not only assigned to an individual but also to whole Ummah ( except where duty is assigned to the Messenger (SAW). That is why, in such cases, for the addressees, gramatically plural form (not singular form) is used. It means, all the Muslims are to contribute in establishment of "Din" through whatever capacities and capabilities they have; if any person is unable to contribute in terms of knowledge, skill or authority, he can contribute by offering physical, active or even silent support.


In fact, many sectarian controversies emanate from the fact that many Islamic scholars do not subordinate their wisdom / logic to revealed knowledge; rather they subordinate revealed knowledge to their logic/wisdom. Quran commands human beings to utilise their intellectual faculties, but function of of intellectual faculties is to prove revealed knowledge, not to contradict it. According to Quran " whoever becomes alive, he becomes alive due to logic; whoever dies, he dies due to logic". Human intellect is a double edged sword; it can set anyone on the right path as well as on the Satanic path.In my humble understanding,if function of human intellect is confined to prove revealed knowledge, it will not detract us. It would be more wise, if an Islamic scholar who reaches a conclusion/ idea which is not mentioned in the revealed knowledge ( Quran,Sunnah), or endorsed, by inference, by revealed knowledge, he should keep on thinking over the issue until his conclusion is endorsed by the revealed knowledge; however any idea/conclusion which contradicts the revealed knowledge must be rejected straightaway.

Tuesday 1 March 2011

"Qattal" and its Imperatives

In Surah Al-Fath (28) Islam has been described as destined to be enforced over all other systems. This verse states: "He it is Who hath sent His messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that He may cause it to prevail over all religions. And Allah sufficeth as a Witness". In addition to peaceful means,the approach to get Islam enforced over other systems/din is, if required, 'Jihad bil saif', as has been mentioned in Surah al-taubah-29 which states that " Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture - [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled".

There are two types of 'Quranic' verses relating to "qattal" in terms of type of direction; first are those in which direction is in the form of "order"(e.g. al-taubah-29); second are those in which direction is in the form of "permission"(e.g.Surah Al-Hajj-39-41). The first type of verses are relating to domination/enforcement of Islam over the other systems/religions. The second type of verses are relating to self-defense;   relating to Muslims who are subjected to injustice and suppression; relating to Muslims who are not ruling nation but want to establish Islamic system over themselves (all three situations may be inferred from Surah Al-Hajj-39-41). In this second type of verses, Muslims are permitted to undertake "Qattal"; the word "uzen" used in verse al-hajj-39 means "permission".

Therefore, we should not confuse "order of qattal" with "permission of qattal".The "order of qattal" is meant for domination/enforcement of Islam over other religions/systems. Whereas "permission of qattal" is meant for three situations, as mentioned above, adduced from sura al-hajj-39-41 in which Muslims may have or may not have capacity to launch "qattal". That is why in those three situations Muslims are not ordered rather are permitted to launch "qattal", keeping in view their conditions/capability. In other words, in these three situations, Muslims are permitted to launch 'qattal' if they have capability to launch 'qattal'. It may please be noted that all three situations in which 'qattal' is permitted (not ordered) pertain to non-ruling Muslim nations. It means order of "Qattal" to get Islam  dominating/ enforcing over other systems does not apply to non-ruling Muslim nations (i.e. people/nation not having authority to enforce laws); rather it applies only to ruling Muslim nations (i.e. people/nation having authority to enforce laws). However non-ruling Muslim nations are permitted to wage 'qattal' in three situations i.e. for self-defense; for liberation from non-Muslim  subjugation; and for establishment of Islam over themselves, if they have enough capability for success. All these three objectives/situations of 'qattal' by non-ruling Muslim nations are adduced from the situations mentioned in al-hajj-39-41. 

Non-ruling Muslim nations (i.e. people/nation not having authority to enforce laws) are not ordered to wage 'qattal', if they are obstructed to establish Islam over themselves. But if Muslims are ruling nation (i.e. people/nation having authority to enforce laws) and they are obstructed by force from establishing Islam over themselves, in that case Muslims are ordered to wage 'qattal'.  The Muslims (ruling nations) are, all the times, under obligation to establish Islam over themselves (surah  Ale Imran-85; al-fath-28).

We may conclude that establishment of domination/enforcement of Islam over other systems, is the duty assigned to Muslims (ruling nation), and for that purpose they are ordered to launch "Jihad bil Saif". Non-ruling Muslim nations are not ordered to wage 'qattal' for domination/enforcement of Islam over other systems/'din'. However non-ruling Muslim nations are permitted to wage 'qattal' keeping in view their capability for three objectives i.e. self-defense; for liberation from non-Muslim subjugation; and for establishment of Islam over themselves.