Muslims must realize that they are bearers of a universal message. They are not a racial or regional grouping in whose territory others cannot enter. Strictly speaking, Muslims in India are not one community; they are divided among many well-entrenched sects. You can unite them by arousing their anti-Hindu sentiment but you cannot unite them in the name of Islam. To them Islam means undiluted loyalty to their own sect. Apart from Wahhabi, Sunni and Shia there are innumerable groups who owe allegiance to different saints and divines. Small issues like raising hands during the prayer and saying Amen loudly have created disputes that defy solution. The Ulema have used the instrument of takfeer [fatwas declaring someone as infidel] liberally. Earlier, they used to take Islam to the disbelievers; now they take away Islam from the believers. Islamic history is full of instances of how good and pious Muslims were branded kafirs. Prophets alone had the capability to cope with these mindboggling situations. Even they had to pass through times of afflictions and trials. The fact is that when reason and intelligence are abandoned and attitudes become fossilized then the job of the reformer becomes very difficult.
But today the situation is worse than ever. Muslims have become firm in their communalism; they prefer politics to religion and follow their worldly ambitions as commands of religion. History bears testimony to the fact that in every age we ridiculed those who pursued the good with consistency, snuffed out the brilliant examples of sacrifice and tore the flags of selfless service. Who are we, the ordinary mortals; even high ranking Prophets were not spared by these custodians of traditions and customs.
– Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in an interview to journalist Shorish Kashmiri for a Lahore based Urdu magazine, Chattan, in 1946.
Categories: Muslim World, Secularism
And still he didn’t believe the Imam Mahdi of the time?
True Shamim Sahib and it is these opinions that he expresses in Chatan – by Shorish Kashmiri – one of the worst known anti ahmadiyya hatred spewing writer, that he was called “showboy of Congress” by Jinnah. His unconditional support to Gandhi’s communcal politics and inability to recognize the truth of the Founder of Ahmadiyya movement go hand in hand. It was Gandhi who convinced muslims of the subcontinent to start the quit India and later supported Khilafat movement. Both led to unbearable loss for Indian Muslims. That is why Khalifatul Masih Sani (ra), a brilliant thinker and strategist alllied with Jinnah as he could see through the Gandhi-Abul Kalam charade. Instead of seeing through Gandhi’s communal leanings Azad blames Indian Muslims for this. They may have thier own problems, but it was the Brahmans like Gandhi and Nehru who ultimately pushed Muslims out of the united India. What is Pakistan today should not be taken back to deny the reason of its existence. Ahmadiyya Muslims were key to making Pakistan and will reclaim to inshallah.
If all this is known since 1946 , what is the problem ?
The illness is known ; so is its cure.
Are Muslims unable to administer the medicine which can rid themselves of this disease ?
How can a UNIVERSAL RELIGION have so many sects, all claiming to be exclusively the true form of Islam .
Why are there so many who are Muslims only in name ?
Why does not Islamic law allow Muslims to leave the fold without the death-threat of apostacy ?
Its like the IRON CURTAIN of the Soviet Era. Give people the freedom to leave , to question to doubt.
With such flexibility in place, you might breed hard thinking , sincere , spiritual Muslims.
Is it ritual one wants from religion or deep inner spirituality; something that can go foreward as a journey to experience the divine inside us and then relate to the Maker.
Thank you for posting this piece, Mr Zia
Can we have an authentic source/ reference where this was published – a this canot be academically quoted in its present form. thanks