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Friday March 29, 2024

Maudoodi — an ardent advocate of Muslim unity

By Sajdeen
February 29, 2016

The book ‘Maudoodi Dai Wahdat-e-Umat’ by Syed Nisar Ali Tirmizi highlights a very important part of the struggle waged by late Maulana Maudoodi for the supremacy of Islam. It is this part of the struggle that contributed to the recognition of Maudoodi as one among those renowned leaders in the world who spurned divisive tendencies and advocated united Muslim front.

Maulana Maudoodi vehemently opposed those elements among Muslims who used to dub each other infidel and create anarchy in a Muslim society. He always preached for adopting a middle path to avoid any kind of chaos among the Muslim society.

According to the author, Maudoodi from the very beginning of his movement was clear that Muslims cannot become strong unless they adhere to tolerance and shun extremism. He was dead against declaring others infidel unless there are strong proofs in this regard. Though it remained a practice among a set of ulema belonging to different sects of Muslims to declare others infidel, Maulana Maudoodi never issued any such edict against any Muslim. He, however, supported Qadianis expulsion from the fold of Islam as there was a consensus among all the non-Qadiani Muslims on this issue.

The book tells the reader that according to Maulana Maudoodi there are only three sects of Muslims in the sub-continent and these are: Hanfi (including Deobandi and Bralvi), Ahl-e-Hadith and Shia Imamia. Maudoodi believed that they should continue to peacefully co-exist for the glory of Islam in the region. He also referred to the inter-marriages among the followers of these sects.

Maulana Maudoodi, according to the book by Syed Nisar Ali Tirmizi, made constant efforts to bring different sects of Muslims closer to one another. It was Maulana Maudoodi who prepared draft of 22 points for enforcement of Sharia in Pakistan. As many as 31 ulema of different Muslim sects agreed on these 22 points and signed the document in 1951. Two eminent Shia religious scholars, Mufti Jafar Hussain Mujtahid and Hafiz Kafayat Hussain, were among the signatories.

According to the author this draft can even become basis of renewed efforts by Muslims to discourage the extremist elements among their ranks.

Maulana Maudoodi in his speeches and writings made it clear that fundamental beliefs of all the Muslim sects are the same. There are differences on minor issues, which must not be propagated and presented as major contentious issues. In order to realise this objective Maulana Maudoodi used to participate in religious gatherings of different sects. On one such occasion while addressing a Shia Majlis, he emphasised the need for following the mission of Imam Hussain (AS) instead of confining to mourning rituals only.

Maulana Maudoodi was the first leader in Pakistan who supported Imam Khomeini’s struggle for Islamic Revolution in Iran. Both leaders met during Haj in 1956 for the first time and this meeting led to an understanding between them over the implementation of Islamic system. Maulana Maudoodi vehemently condemned the killing of about 15,000 Khomeini supporters by the Raza Shah regime in 1963. This annoyed the then Pakistani government, which took punitive action against Jamaat-e-Islami and its monthly magazine Tarjamanul Quran that carried an article supporting Khomeini and condemning Shah. An exchange of letters also took place between Khomeini and Maudoodi in 1979, the year when Islamic Revolution triumphed in Iran.

Author Syed Nisar Ali Tirmizi also mentions similarity of views between Maulana Maudoodi and Allama Arif Hussain Hussaini, both of whom struggled for Muslim unity and implementation of Islamic system in Pakistan. The author has earlier to his credit a book ‘Naqib-e-Wahadat - Allama Arif Hussain Hussaini’ that explains the steps taken by the popular Shia leader, Allama Hussaini, for uniting different sects of Muslims.

In this age when Muslims are victim of terrorism by handful elements claiming themselves as champions of Islam, attempts by Syed Nisar Ali Tirmizi to highlight the true picture of Islam painted by the genuine Muslim leaders like Maudoodi and Hussaini are indeed commendable.

Book title: Maudoodi Dai Wahdat-e-Umat

Author: Syed Nisar Ali Tirmizi

Pages: 316

Price: 350

Publisher: Al-Basira