Ghazwa e Hind

The ‘ahadith’ relating to Ghazwa e Hind are shrouded with many misunderstandings. Let us look into these ‘ahadith’ so that we may gather correct comprehension of these ‘ahadith’.

From the outset, one clarification needs to be made. Word ‘ghazwa’  is usually used to describe a ‘qattal’ in which our Nabi (saww) took part physically;  and word ‘sriya’ is used to describe a ‘qattal’ in which our Nabi (saww) did not take part physically. It may be appreciated that such a differentiation between ‘ghazwa and non-ghazwa’ has been made by historians (or narrators) for their convenience; such a differentiation is not based on Arabic grammar. In Arabic, word ‘ghazwa’ is used for ‘qattal’ whether our Nabi (saww) took part or no part in such ‘qattal’. What I am suggesting is that  all ‘ahadith’ in which word ‘ghazwa’ has been used to describe ‘qattal’ in India do not mean that our Nabi (s.a.w.w) would take part in such ‘qattal’ physically.    

The first ‘hadith’- regarding Ghazwa e Hind- which is narrated by   Hazrat Suban (r.a.) states as follows:

“Two groups amongst my Ummah would be whom Allah has freed from fire; one group would fight against India & the Second would be that who would accompany Isa Ibn-e-Maryam(a.s.)”.

This above stated ‘hadith’ has been quoted, among others, by Imam Ahmad (r.a) in his ‘Musnad’ and by Imam Nisai (r.a) in his ‘Musnad’. Both these ‘Musnad’ are included in the ‘Sihah Sitta’. 

This ‘hadith’ states that two groups of Muslim Ummah have been declared free from Hellfire; one group consists of those persons who would fight against India, and the second group is that which would accompany hazrat Isa (a.s). It may be appreciated that Hazrat Isa's (a.s) all companions would not have joined him (a.s) simultaneously; rather the companions  would have joined Hazrat Isa (a.s) at various periods of time. It means hazrat Isa's (a.s) companions joining him (a.s.) at various periods of time are one group for the purpose of the good news given in this ‘hadith’.  Similarly all Muslims fighting against India (non-Muslim India) at various periods of time are addressee of this hadith.  In other words, all persons who have taken part in battles fought against India until now- and who would take part in such battles till Qiyamah- are addressee of the ‘basharat’ contained in this hadith. It is a great ‘basharat’ for those who, being Muslim Ummah, have got opportunity- and will get such opportunity in future- to fight against India; all such persons are free from Hellfire though they have not embraced ‘shahadat’. This above quoted hadith is a sahih hadith.

The other quoters of this hadith include Imam Bukhari (r.a) in ‘Al Tareekh Al Kabeer’; Tibrani; Behqi; Ibn-e-Kaseer; Imam Welmi; Imam Syuti; Imam Mazi; Ibn-e-Asaakar in ‘History of Damascus.

The second hadith, relating to Ghazwa e Hind, and narrated by Abu Huraira (r.a) states as follows:

“ In this Ummah, the troops would be headed towards Sindh & Hind”

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (R.A.) says  "if I could find a chance to participate in any such expedition, and I  get martyred, then well & good; if I come back as a survivor, then I would be a free Abu Hurairah, to whom Allah Almighty would have given freedom from the Hell.”

This hadith has been stated by Imam Hambal in his ‘Musnad’, as such it is also a sahih hadith. Imam Nisai also narrated this hadith in both his books: ‘Al- Sunan Al Mujtaba’ & ‘Al Sunan Al Kubra’ with the following wordings:

 “Hazrat Abu Hurairah (r.a) says, Hazrat Muhammad (s.a.w.w)  promised us of Ghazwa-e-Hind. If I get chance to participate in it, I would spend all my energy & wealth for it. If I get killed,  I would be considered among the most great martyrs. And if I come back alive, then I would be a freed Abu-Hurairah.

This second hadith actually endorses the first hadith wherein there is a ‘bushrah’  that  a Muslim taking part in  fighting against India would be free from Hellfire.

The words ‘Muhammad (s.a.w.w) promised us of Ghazwa e Hind’ shows the highest degree of assurance given by our Nabi (s.a.w.w) to the happening of this event i.e. Ghazwa e Hind.  

It may be appreciated that both ‘ahadith’ quoted above state about Muslims’ battles against India; these ‘ahadith’ do not state about conquest of India.

  The third hadith, relating to ghazwa e Hind and narrated by Hazrat Abu Huraira (r.a)  states about  conquest of India as follows:

“Definitely, one of your troop would do a war with Hindustan, Allah would grant success to those warriors, as far as they would bring their kings by dragging them in chains / fetters. And Allah would forgive those warriors (by the Blessing of this great war). And when those Muslims would return, they would find Hazrat Isa Ibn-e-Maryam(a.s.) in Syria”.

It may be appreciated that this above quoted hadith is not included in ‘sehah Sitta’, though Naeem bin Hammad (r.a) quoted this hadith in his book ‘Kitab ul Fitan’ and Ishaq bin Rahuya(R) also quoted this hadith in his ‘Musnad’, with few additions.

Even if this ‘hadith’ is to be relied, it should not convey the theme that India would be conquered only near Qiyamah when Hazrat Isa (a.s) would descend on this earth.  We know that Muslims have conquered India many times in the past, and Muslims may conquer India many times in the future before Qiyamah. We do not have to wait for Qiyamah to conquer India. But, of course, it may be so that for the last time we would conquer India near Qiyamah. It may also be appreciated this hadith also states about forgiveness of those who would have participated in the expedition.

The fourth hadith, relating to Ghazwa e Hind, narrated by Hazrat Kaab (r.a) states as follow:

“A King of Jerusalem (Bait-ul-Muqaddas) would make  troops move forward towards India. The warriors would destroy the land of Hind; would possess its treasures, then King would use those treasures for the décor of Jerusalem. That troops would bring the Indian kings in front of King (of Jerusalem). His warriors by King’s order would conquer all the area between East & West. And would stay in India till the issue of Dajjal”.

This above quoted hadith is also not included in ‘Sehah Sitta’ though Naeem bin Hammad(r.a), the teacher of  Imam Bukhari(r.a) did narrate this hadith in his book ‘Kitab- ul-Fitan’.

The fifth hadith, relating to Ghazwa e Hind, and narrated by Hazrat Safwan (r.a) states as below:

“Some people of my Ummah will fight India, Allah would grant them  success, even they would find the Indian kings being trapped in fetters. Allah would forgive those warriors. When they would move towards Syria, then would find Isa Ibn-e-Maryam(A.S.) over there”.

This hadith also is not included in ‘Sehah Sitta’ but has been quoted by Naeem bin Hammad in his book ‘Al-fitan’.

Both fourth and fifth ‘hadith’ endorse each other to the extent that India would be conquered by Muslims at some point of time in the future. This hadith also states that the warriors taking part in the expedition would be forgiven by Allah.

We may conclude that out of five ‘ahadith’ and their various versions quoted above, four ‘ahadith’ state about forgiveness of those warriors who would take part in battles against India. Moreover, all these ‘ahadith’ state about Muslims’ battles against India and some ‘ahadith’ state about conquest of India by the Muslims near Qiyamah  but it does not mean that we cannot conquer India until near Qiyamah; we have conquered India many times in the past, and we can conquer India many times in the future before Qiyamah.

Pak-China Economic Corridor- a way to opportunities

Pak-China Economic Corridor would provide China with opportunity to make Pakistan’s economy China’s complementary economy which may  not only help China come out of present state of slower growth rate but also provide China a platform to replace its competitor i.e. India from the markets so far  substantially captured by India.  In this way Pak-China Economic Corridor would not only benefit both the countries economically but also give them a decisive strategic edge over India.

China and India are competing in international markets for exporting almost the same categories of goods. A comparison of top ten exports of both countries is given below:

China’s Top 10 Exports

The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Chinese global shipments during 2014. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of China’s overall exports. Exports from the People’s Republic of China amounted to US$2.343 trillion, up 48.5% since 2010.

1.       Electronic equipment: US$571,045,520,000 (24.4% of total exports)

2.       Machines, engines, pumps: $400,910,983,000 (17.1%)

3.       Furniture, lighting, signs: $93,390,874,000 (4.0%)

4.       Knit or crochet clothing: $92,002,609,000 (3.9%)

5.       Clothing (not knit or crochet): $81,453,227,000 (3.5%)

6.       Medical, technical equipment: $74,020,496,000 (3.2%)

7.       Plastics: $66,816,299,000 (2.9%)

8.       Vehicles: $64,243,754,000 (2.7%)

9.       Gems, precious metals, coins: $63,212,400,000 (2.7%)

10. Iron or steel products: $60,685,405,000 (2.6%)

These top ten exports, mentioned above, account for 67.0% of the total $2.343 trillion Chinese exports.

India’s Top 10 Exports

The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Indian global shipments during 2014. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from India.

1.      Oil: US$61,210,002,000 (19.2%)

2.      Gems, precious metals, coins: $41,224,183,000 (13.0%)

3.      Vehicles: $14,510,174,000 (4.6%)

4.      Machines, engines, pumps: $13,633,175,000 (4.3%)

5.      Organic chemicals: $12,066,802,000 (3.8%)

6.      Pharmaceuticals: $11,704,998,000 (3.7%)

7.      Cereals: $10,109,613,000 (3.2%)

8.      Iron and steel: $9,090,019,000 (2.9%)

9.      Clothing (not knit or crochet): $9,075,053,000 (2.9%)

10.  Electronic equipment: $9,053,992,000 (2.8%)

In 2014, exports from India amounted to US$318.2 billion, up 44.4% since 2010.

These top ten exports, mentioned above, account for 61% of total $318.2 b Indian exports.

 We can see that China is competing India for seven out of India’s top ten export categories. The three categories of which China is not competing India are oil products, pharmaceuticals, and cereals.

It is also pertinent to have a look at the major countries importing from India. Below is a list of India’s top 15 trade partners that imported the most Indian shipments by dollar value during 2014. Also shown is each import country’s percentage share of total exports from India.

India’s Top Import Partners

1.      United States: US$42,583,114,000 (13.4% of total Indian exports)

2.      United Arab Emirates: $33,050,574,000 (10.4%)

3.      Hong Kong: $13,446,458,000 (4.2%)

4.      China: $13,394,433,000 (4.2%)

5.      Saudi Arabia: $12,833,696,000 (4.0%)

6.      United Kingdom: $9,676,935,000 (3.0%)

7.      Singapore: $9,620,308,000 (3.0%)

8.      Germany: $7,773,438,000 (2.4%)

9.      Netherlands: $6,786,550,000 (2.1%)

10.  Brazil: $6,685,921,000 (2.1%)

11.  Viet Nam: $6,522,754,000 (2.1%)

12.  Sri Lanka: $6,423,495,000 (2.0%)

13.  Bangladesh: $6,322,369,000 (2.0%)

14.  Belgium: $5,908,414,000 (1.9%)

15.  Japan: $5,776,009,000 (1.8%)

We can see that out of top ten Indian import partners, only three i.e. Hong Kong, Brazil and Singapore are closer to Indian ports than Gawadar port; whereas six i.e. USA, UAE, KSA, UK, Germany and Netharlands are closer to Gawadar port than the Indian ports. Similarly we can see that out of top ten Indian import partners, only two i.e. Hong Kong and Singapore are closer to China’s ports than Gawadar port; whereas seven i.e. Brazil, USA, UAE, KSA, UK, Germany, and Netherlands are closer to Gawadar port than the Chinese ports. It means Gawadar is shorter route to top Indian Import partners than from India and China.

From the comparison given above, we can also see China is competing for seven export categories out of top ten Indian export categories. These seven export categories China is competing with India include electronic equipments, vehicles, gems and precious metals, clothing, iron and steel products, machinery and chemical products. It means China has aquired competitive technology, skills and experience in the field of these export categories. If China is given extra edge over Indian competitors regarding these seven export categories, China may replace India regarding these seven categories. Gawadar Port, as mentioned above, may give China required edge over Indian competitors in terms of distance from the import partners. If China establishes manufacturing units of these seven categories in Pakistan, China may also avail cheaper skilled labor.  In Pakistan minimum daily wages range from $3.21- 3.86; in China  minimum wages range from $ 4.51- 9.90. Electricity in china and india had same rate i.e 8 $ cent per unit in 2011; in Pakistan too it was almost 8 cent for industrial consumers. But, at present. even if it is greater than 8 cent, the difference may be compensated because all major electricity projects are being financed and established by Chinese companies in Pakistan. Raw materials would also be available locally at cheap rates in case of sectors like clothing, gems and precious metals, cereals,  and iron and steel. In other words, China may avail many competitive edges over India, if China establishes manufacturing units of those seven categories in Pakistan.
 In short, Pak-China Economic Corridor may help China in replacing India from international markets importing  Indian top export categories. Among other top ten Indian export categories are petroleum products and cereals. Pakistan may attract investments from the west and the Gulf in the field of these products; if exported through Gawadar, these exports would also have  competitive edge over Indian products due to the factors mentioned above. What is required of Pakistan is to train its manpower keeping in view future demand likely to be accrued from foreign investments.

Apart from Indian factor, Chinese investments in Pakistan and products exported through Gawadar would give China an important competitive edge in exporting its products to North America and Europe which are included in top ten Chinese import partners, and to South America and Africa to whom Chinese exports are increasing at tremendous rates. Similarly, African countries including  Congo, Mali, Gambia, Mauritius, Sierra Leon, Zambia, Angola, and some other African countries, which export to China almost 20-50% of their total exports, would benefit a lot from Pak-China Economic Corridor which would reduce their transportation costs a lot and resultantly enhance their dependence on China which would, in turn,  gain commercial and strategic benefits out of it. 

Apart from commercial benefits, China is also likely to gain a lot in terms of strategic interests out of Pak-China Economic Corridor. This project is going to put China at the central place of regional as well as international politics. Such a changed scenario would also raise international stature of Pakistan. Pakistan may reap the benefits of  being China's comlementary economy but Pakistan should not rest with it. Pakistan should do planning to import and absorb knowledge and technology from China so that Pakistan may become in itself a principal economy instead of complementary economy. For the purpose, Pakistan needs a Pak-China Knowledge & Technology Corridor as well- joint centers of excellence of science and technology may be established in various disciplines; joint skills development centers may be established; and  joint universities may be established.

We may conclude that Pak-China Economic Corridor has opened a widow of opportunities for China and Pakistan. By exploiting opportunities presented by this project both China and Pakistan can not only further better their economic conditions at the cost of Indian economic interests but also gain a strategic edge over their common enemy and competitor i.e. India.

  

Internationalization of Kashmir Dispute- essentiality of APHC role

Since signing of Simla Pact, Pakistan’s approach to resolve Kashmir dispute is based more on Indo-Pak mutual talks than on internationalization of this dispute.  Pakistan’s this approach towards Kashmir dispute has led international community to believe that Kashmir is a Pak-India’s mutual dispute which should be resolved through Pak-India’s mutual talks.  This scenario underlines only a nominal role of APHC and reflects prime importance of Pak-India’s role to settle this dispute. Such a bilateral approach to resolve Kashmir dispute goes in India’s favor because it enables India to defer settlement of this dispute indefinitely, and also to settle this dispute (if India would will it so at any distant point in the future history) in India’s favor instead of settling it fairly. On the other hand, if Pakistan adopts approach of ‘Internationalization of the dispute’, such approach would deprive India of veto power which India enjoys in case of bilateral approach, and would enhance chances of fair settlement of Kashmir dispute.

India’s recent demand from Pakistan for not involving APHC in settlement of Kashmir dispute is not only a pretension to call off the Pak-India talks but also a well thought over India’s policy tactic to forestall internationalization of Kashmir dispute. India knows very well if Pakistan switches over from bilateral approach to internationalization approach regarding Kashmir dispute, Pakistan can do so only through presenting Kashmir dispute to international community as an issue of right of self-determination of millions of Kashmiri people; in other words, role of APHC needs to be enhanced in order to internationalize the dispute. India’s recent bet to play down APHC’s importance in order to forestall internationalization of Kashmir dispute can also be better understood by taking into account changing regional scenario which has tilted towards Pakistan. 

Historically Russia (erstwhile USSR) has been supporting India against Pakistan in the Security Council because Pakistan was considered to be in the USA’s camp. With the emergence of China as economic super power of the region, China needs to establish itself as the greatest economic stake-holder in the region in order to not only maintain but also further enhance its international economic stature. Resultantly we are seeing huge Chinese investments in CAS, Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan, which would lead to economic integration of these countries in near future. Russia is fully aware of Pakistan’s economic and strategic importance in the emerging regional scenario which reflects Pak-China Economic Corridor as vanguard of regional economic integration. As a result, we are seeing emergence of friendly economic and defense relations between Pakistan and Russia. This changed regional scenario has deprived India of unconditional USSR’s support in the Security Council against Pakistan; if Pakistan agitates the Security Council to proceed further to settle Kashmir dispute on the basis of UN resolutions, Russia’s worst reaction would NOT be to veto Pakistan’s initiative. If Pakistan effectively presents Kashmir dispute as a dispute for ‘right of self-determination’ of millions of Kashmiris’ (NOT as Pak-India’s   mutual dispute) Pakistan may bring   extra and effective pressure  on India to initiate meaningful dialogues, even if Pakistan fails to get the dispute resolved as per UN  resolutions.   India, being mindful of all these possibilities, has adopted a well thought over policy tactic to keep APHC out of the process of Pak-India negotiations over Kashmir dispute.

It also needs to be appreciated that, in the present global world, all countries are economically dependent on one another in varying degrees. Such dependence limits every country’s capability to bring economic and diplomatic pressures on another country. Pakistan, being aware of this fact, has to employ some other tools as well to bring India to terms. One such tool may be to shut doors of likely emerging regional economic integration block to India.  Pakistan should be determined to go to every extent to block India’s way to this regional economic block, until and unless India resolves Kashmir dispute fairly. Another tool to bring pressure on India may be to convert India’s security perceptions into real and clear security dangers for India; for the purpose all freedom movements, including Kashmir movement, going on in India may be strengthened.  Pakistan is much more integrated entity than India; Pakistan may safely take risk of Indian counter subversive activities in Pakistan. It may be only unbearable cost in terms of economy and security that may force India to come into terms with Pakistan.

We may conclude that the changing regional scenario demands Pakistan to change its Kashmir policy. Pakistan has to switch over from bilateral approach to internationalization approach to settle Kashmir dispute. At the same time, Pakistan may employ economic and security pressures to bring India to terms.