By Asghar Ali Engineer
Opinion
The world is on the threshold of the 21st century and people expect
great changes in the beginning of the next millennium. The changes
will not only be technological but also social, political,
religious and economic. Some fundamentalists maintain that the
concept of millennium itself is Western and hence should be
dismissed. But it is found in all religious traditions, including
Islamic, in one form or the other. It is called alf i.e.
millennium. It was in this sense that the great reformer of Indian
Islam was called Mujaddid Alf-e-Thani i.e., renewer of the second
millennium. The second millennium of Islam began in 1591- 92 during
Akbar's reign.
In its beginning, great changes took place as far as Indian Muslims
were concerned. The Mughal rule was at the height of its glory and
Akbar's liberal policies won him great acclaim. Again, it was
during this period Mujaddid Alf-e Thani launched his reform
movement and set out to purify Islam of its Indian influences.
These were contradictory processes but great social events are
never uni-dimensional. These events took place according to the
Hijri i.e., Islamic calendar.
As per the Roman calendar, it was at the beginning of the second
millennium (1000 A.D.) that Muslims began to penetrate India from
the North (in the south, Muslim traders had already settled down
for more than 200 years. It was near about this time that Mahmoud
of Ghazni launched his invasions and the Muslim ruling classes were
in the ascendant. But towards the end of second millennium, i.e.,
in the 19th century, their decline began and ultimately the British
seized power.
When their political power declined, the Muslim ruling classes
evolved new strategies of survival. Social and religious movements
were launched by different sections to overcome the effects of
declining political power. Since the community was not homogeneous,
the survival strategies also sharply differed. The Ulema and the
religious-minded people believed that the decline in the Muslim
political power was due to the neglect of religious teachings and
deviant behaviour. Shah Waliyullah, Islamic thinker and religious
reformer, inspired many along these lines. The Deoband School
followed this line.
But the intellectuals led by Sir Syed thought otherwise. According
to them, the decline would be steeper if they did not take to
modern education and modern ways of living. As Shah Waliyullah
became a great leader of the Deoband School of Ulema, Sir Syed
became a hero of the modernists. Unfortunately, both sections were
polarised and followed the exclusivist line. What was needed was a
creative synthesis of the two. While the Ulema ultimately stood by
the secular Indian National Congress, the modernists threw their
lot with the Muslim League. While the Ulema stood for the composite
nationalism, the modernists opted for separation in order to
monopolise power.
Thus, breathtaking changes had taken place by the time the British
left India. Then began a new phase of decline for the Muslims. The
educated elite and the modernists left for Pakistan, whereas those
who were known as Ajlaf or low caste Muslims were left behind in
India. Thus, the formation of Pakistan was a traumatic experience
what with killings and the tearing asunder of Muslim families; more
so, because it brought about a new phase of decline in the status
of Indian Muslims. They have not been able to achieve much in the
last 50 years. The reasons are complex. It would not help the
Muslims themselves to put the entire blame on the majority
community or the Indian Government.
An honest analysis on the eve of 21st century will be of great help
in bringing about a positive change. The Indian Muslims have been
mostly converts from the low castes of Hindu society and they faced
acute poverty and illiteracy even at the height of the Mughal rule.
Thus their historical legacy is quite comparable to that of the
Dalits. Sir Syed worked mainly for the advancement of Ashraf i.e.
the ruling classes among the Muslims. What the Indian Muslims need
today is a leader who is devoted to the uplift of the low caste
Muslims.
As there is acute poverty among them, the literacy levels are
abysmally low. More than 70 per cent Muslims are illiterate. The
condition of their women is even worse, their literacy rate is not
being more than 15 per cent, which means more than 80 per cent of
the Muslim women are illiterate. The Muslim leadership is
complacent about this problem. Though some intellectuals are aware
of it, nothing much is being done to promote even elementary
education. Right now, the emphasis should not be so much on higher
education (which, of course, is also necessary) as on achieving
widespread literacy.
The Muslim leadership is overemphasising the identity problems
rather than the educational and economic difficulties. In a
democratic polity and pluralist society, such problems do have
their importance. But they should not be overemphasised at the cost
of the educational and economic woes. In fact, what is needed is a
fine balance between the two. It has been observed that the north
Indian Muslim leadership, which plays a more decisive role in
Muslim politics (on account of the population and the historical
legacy), is obsessed with the politics of identity. in South India,
which was away from the centre of power, there has traditionally
been a greater emphasis on education. The Muslim Education Society
did better work in spreading education among the Muslims. Literacy
among the Muslims of Kerala, for example, is higher than that among
the Muslims, say in Bihar or Uttar Pradesh. Again, it is because of
the higher level of literacy among the Muslim women in Kerala,
there is a greater degree of adoptions of family planning among
them. In fact, it is higher than among the Hindus in Uttar Pradesh.
The Muslims should realise that the spread of literacy will benefit
them in several ways. In this age of information technology, there
is no greater curse than illiteracy. The Prophet was born in a
society which almost took pride in illiteracy and thence he laid a
great emphasis on acquiring knowledge. He said that acquiring
knowledge was worth the while even if available in China (China was
considered the remotest area those days). He said acquisition of
knowledge was obligatory to both men and women. He also said hell-
fire would never touch those who brought up their daughters well
and gave them the best of education. Despite these clear teachings,
the Muslims shy away from pursuing literacy in a big way. The sole
mission of their leadership today should be the spread of literacy.
No doubt, poverty is a stumbling block but it can certainly be
overcome.
Another important area needing urgent attention is socio- religious
reform. Sir Syed initiated reforms but was forced to give up in a
compromise, since his top priority was education. His contribution
in this field was no less significant but he could not carry them
further. His colleagues and followers continued the work but the
subsequent political developments pushed such attempts to the
background. This project for socio- religious reforms, particularly
in personal laws, needs to be revived.
The Shariat unfortunately is being treated as a closed system. It
is far from being so. Many progressive theologians such as Muhammad
Abduh of Al-Azhar in late 19th century realised the urgent need for
reform to overcome social stagnation. Contemporary theologians in
the Islamic world such as Yusuf Qardawi are continuing the work.
Islam's fundamental emphasis is on justice and equality and the
Quran applies these notions to the treatment of women too.
Unfortunately, its potential could not be realised in the preceding
centuries. The time has come to actualise these ideals and give
women their due.
The Shariat laws should be made more dynamic and justice, rather
than custom, should govern them. The next century will be the
century of women's rights and human rights. Human equality and
human dignity will win ever more recognition in the coming decades.
The Indian Muslims too cannot avoid a meaningful encounter with the
emerging social and cultural ethos for long. The Shariat laws
certainly accommodate the new spirit within the Islamic framework.
Opinion
The world is on the threshold of the 21st century and people expect
great changes in the beginning of the next millennium. The changes
will not only be technological but also social, political,
religious and economic. Some fundamentalists maintain that the
concept of millennium itself is Western and hence should be
dismissed. But it is found in all religious traditions, including
Islamic, in one form or the other. It is called alf i.e.
millennium. It was in this sense that the great reformer of Indian
Islam was called Mujaddid Alf-e-Thani i.e., renewer of the second
millennium. The second millennium of Islam began in 1591- 92 during
Akbar's reign.
In its beginning, great changes took place as far as Indian Muslims
were concerned. The Mughal rule was at the height of its glory and
Akbar's liberal policies won him great acclaim. Again, it was
during this period Mujaddid Alf-e Thani launched his reform
movement and set out to purify Islam of its Indian influences.
These were contradictory processes but great social events are
never uni-dimensional. These events took place according to the
Hijri i.e., Islamic calendar.
As per the Roman calendar, it was at the beginning of the second
millennium (1000 A.D.) that Muslims began to penetrate India from
the North (in the south, Muslim traders had already settled down
for more than 200 years. It was near about this time that Mahmoud
of Ghazni launched his invasions and the Muslim ruling classes were
in the ascendant. But towards the end of second millennium, i.e.,
in the 19th century, their decline began and ultimately the British
seized power.
When their political power declined, the Muslim ruling classes
evolved new strategies of survival. Social and religious movements
were launched by different sections to overcome the effects of
declining political power. Since the community was not homogeneous,
the survival strategies also sharply differed. The Ulema and the
religious-minded people believed that the decline in the Muslim
political power was due to the neglect of religious teachings and
deviant behaviour. Shah Waliyullah, Islamic thinker and religious
reformer, inspired many along these lines. The Deoband School
followed this line.
But the intellectuals led by Sir Syed thought otherwise. According
to them, the decline would be steeper if they did not take to
modern education and modern ways of living. As Shah Waliyullah
became a great leader of the Deoband School of Ulema, Sir Syed
became a hero of the modernists. Unfortunately, both sections were
polarised and followed the exclusivist line. What was needed was a
creative synthesis of the two. While the Ulema ultimately stood by
the secular Indian National Congress, the modernists threw their
lot with the Muslim League. While the Ulema stood for the composite
nationalism, the modernists opted for separation in order to
monopolise power.
Thus, breathtaking changes had taken place by the time the British
left India. Then began a new phase of decline for the Muslims. The
educated elite and the modernists left for Pakistan, whereas those
who were known as Ajlaf or low caste Muslims were left behind in
India. Thus, the formation of Pakistan was a traumatic experience
what with killings and the tearing asunder of Muslim families; more
so, because it brought about a new phase of decline in the status
of Indian Muslims. They have not been able to achieve much in the
last 50 years. The reasons are complex. It would not help the
Muslims themselves to put the entire blame on the majority
community or the Indian Government.
An honest analysis on the eve of 21st century will be of great help
in bringing about a positive change. The Indian Muslims have been
mostly converts from the low castes of Hindu society and they faced
acute poverty and illiteracy even at the height of the Mughal rule.
Thus their historical legacy is quite comparable to that of the
Dalits. Sir Syed worked mainly for the advancement of Ashraf i.e.
the ruling classes among the Muslims. What the Indian Muslims need
today is a leader who is devoted to the uplift of the low caste
Muslims.
As there is acute poverty among them, the literacy levels are
abysmally low. More than 70 per cent Muslims are illiterate. The
condition of their women is even worse, their literacy rate is not
being more than 15 per cent, which means more than 80 per cent of
the Muslim women are illiterate. The Muslim leadership is
complacent about this problem. Though some intellectuals are aware
of it, nothing much is being done to promote even elementary
education. Right now, the emphasis should not be so much on higher
education (which, of course, is also necessary) as on achieving
widespread literacy.
The Muslim leadership is overemphasising the identity problems
rather than the educational and economic difficulties. In a
democratic polity and pluralist society, such problems do have
their importance. But they should not be overemphasised at the cost
of the educational and economic woes. In fact, what is needed is a
fine balance between the two. It has been observed that the north
Indian Muslim leadership, which plays a more decisive role in
Muslim politics (on account of the population and the historical
legacy), is obsessed with the politics of identity. in South India,
which was away from the centre of power, there has traditionally
been a greater emphasis on education. The Muslim Education Society
did better work in spreading education among the Muslims. Literacy
among the Muslims of Kerala, for example, is higher than that among
the Muslims, say in Bihar or Uttar Pradesh. Again, it is because of
the higher level of literacy among the Muslim women in Kerala,
there is a greater degree of adoptions of family planning among
them. In fact, it is higher than among the Hindus in Uttar Pradesh.
The Muslims should realise that the spread of literacy will benefit
them in several ways. In this age of information technology, there
is no greater curse than illiteracy. The Prophet was born in a
society which almost took pride in illiteracy and thence he laid a
great emphasis on acquiring knowledge. He said that acquiring
knowledge was worth the while even if available in China (China was
considered the remotest area those days). He said acquisition of
knowledge was obligatory to both men and women. He also said hell-
fire would never touch those who brought up their daughters well
and gave them the best of education. Despite these clear teachings,
the Muslims shy away from pursuing literacy in a big way. The sole
mission of their leadership today should be the spread of literacy.
No doubt, poverty is a stumbling block but it can certainly be
overcome.
Another important area needing urgent attention is socio- religious
reform. Sir Syed initiated reforms but was forced to give up in a
compromise, since his top priority was education. His contribution
in this field was no less significant but he could not carry them
further. His colleagues and followers continued the work but the
subsequent political developments pushed such attempts to the
background. This project for socio- religious reforms, particularly
in personal laws, needs to be revived.
The Shariat unfortunately is being treated as a closed system. It
is far from being so. Many progressive theologians such as Muhammad
Abduh of Al-Azhar in late 19th century realised the urgent need for
reform to overcome social stagnation. Contemporary theologians in
the Islamic world such as Yusuf Qardawi are continuing the work.
Islam's fundamental emphasis is on justice and equality and the
Quran applies these notions to the treatment of women too.
Unfortunately, its potential could not be realised in the preceding
centuries. The time has come to actualise these ideals and give
women their due.
The Shariat laws should be made more dynamic and justice, rather
than custom, should govern them. The next century will be the
century of women's rights and human rights. Human equality and
human dignity will win ever more recognition in the coming decades.
The Indian Muslims too cannot avoid a meaningful encounter with the
emerging social and cultural ethos for long. The Shariat laws
certainly accommodate the new spirit within the Islamic framework.
Comment