Islam ‘Supremacism’: A By-Product of the Flawed Doctrine of Political Islam
It
must be recognized that this political interpretation of Islam is a recent
development, invented by modern-day Islamist ideologues. This is a product of
their seeking to interpret Islam on their own (tafsir bi‘l ray), in reaction, in
particular, to certain modern political developments, particularly Western
colonialism. This political interpretation of Islam is deeply tainted by
feelings of revenge and a strong streak of emotionalism. The most pathetic and
extreme case in this regard is that of the founder of the Jamaat-e Islami,
Maulana Maududi, as evidenced in his book Quran ki Char Buniyadi Istilahen
(‘Four Basic Terms of the Quran’), wherein he provided a political twist to the
notion of God’s sovereignty and where he argued that later generations of
Muslims had completely forgotten the basic intention of the Quran, which, he
claimed, was to establish Islamic political rule over the entire world. He went
to the extent of claiming that this book of his was an attempt to revive
consciousness of this supposedly long-forgotten basic intention of the Quran. --
Maulana Waris Mazhari
By Maulana Waris Mazhari
(Translated from Urdu by Yoginder Sikand/Noor Mohammad Sikand)
In the
Quran, God declares:
‘It is
He who hath sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, to cause
it to prevail over all religions’ (9:33).
What exactly does this verse mean when it
talks about establishing the supremacy of Islam over other religions? Numerous
ulema, including leading Quranic commentators, have interpreted this verse in
different ways. The vast majority of the ulema regard the Arabic word izhar that
is used in the sense of ‘prevail’ in this verse (which is translated as ghalba
in Urdu) to mean the establishment of the intellectual superiority of Islam over
other religions because, being in accordance with reason and providing
sufficient arguments for its claims, Islam is indeed superior to them. In his
al-Jami‘ al-Ahkam al-Quran, the noted classical Islamic scholar Imam Abu
Abdullaj Qurtubi comments on the word izhar used in this verse as follows:
‘To
prevail means to establish [Islam’s] superiority through proofs and evidence.’
In
contrast, some scholars have taken the above-quoted Quranic verse as indicating
the establishment of the superiority of, or domination by, Islam on the
political plane at the global level, but they argue that this will happen only
at the hands of Jesus when he returns to the world again, just before the Day of
Judgment. This was the opinion of Abu Hurairah, a noted companion of the Prophet
and narrator of numerous Hadith reports, and is mentioned in most of the
important Quranic commentaries.
One of
the leading classical scholars, Abdullah Ibn Abbas, who was a close companion of
the Prophet, was of the opinion that the word izhar used in the above-quoted
Quranic verse does not mean any form of domination. Rather, he translated the
term to mean ‘to inform’. In other words, he opined that what is meant by this
Quranic verse is that God had informed the prophet Muhammad of the truths and
the details of all the religions of the world. Such an important Quranic
commentator such as Imam Qurtubi mentions this explanation first while
discussing this verse, which indicates that he possibly agreed with this
argument or considered it to be more correct.
Another
group of ulema argue that this Quranic verse is restricted in its geographical
application and that it actually refers to the establishment of the supremacy of
Islam over all other religions only in the Arabian peninsula, a domination that
was secured by the Prophet Muhammad himself.
In
contrast to these various explanations and theories, some influential modern-day
Islamic political movements sought to give a political interpretation to this
verse, arguing that it indicates the political supremacy or domination of Islam
over other faiths and their adherents. Hence, in accordance with this political
interpretation, they made the capture of political power as their main target.
The key figure in this regard was the founder of the Jamaat-e Islami, Maulana
Syed Abul ‘Ala Maududi (d.1979).
Maududi was of the opinion that Islam demands
that Muslims should engage in constant struggle in order to establish an Islamic
government that would encompass the entire globe. This capture of political
power, he argued, was the principle objective of the Islamic movement. Indeed,
he regarded this as a fundamental duty and as the basic mission of all Muslims.
In his controversial book Islami Nizam-e Zindagi Aur Uske Buniyadi Tasavvurat
(‘The Islamic System of Life and its Basic Conceptions’), he wrote:
‘Islam
is a revolutionary ideology and creed that seeks to transform the entire global
social order and to build it on the basis of its ideology and creed. Muslims are
members of this international revolutionary party that Islam organizes in order
to bring into effect its revolutionary programme.’
Further, Maududi added:
‘The
objective [of Islam] is to establish government based on its ideology and creed,
irrespective of who takes its flag and unfurls it and whose governance it causes
damage to. It demands land—not just a small bit of land, but, in fact, the
entire world [to govern].’
In
accordance with his particular political understanding of Islam, which he
elaborated upon in many of his works, in his widely-read Quranic commentary
Tafhim al-Quran, Maududi interpreted the above-mentioned Quranic verse as
follows:
‘The aim
of sending the Prophet, this verse explains, is to establish the supremacy of
the religion of truth, which he brought from God, over all religions, ways of
life and systems. In other words, the Prophet was not sent so that the system of
life that he brought with him be made subservient to or dominated by any other
system of life or that it be permitted to remain confined to the extent that
other systems of life permitted it to be.
Rather [the Prophet] comes as the representative of the Lord of the lands
and the heavens and desires that the true system of the Lord be made dominant.
And, if any other system of life be [allowed to] remain in existence, it must
remain confined to the extent that the divine system permits, as in the case of
the system of the zimmis [protected, non-Muslim subjects] on payment of the
jizyah.’
This passage clearly indicates that Maududi
understood the term izhar, as used in the above-mentioned Quranic verse, to mean
Islamic political hegemony so that the entire world comes under, and subservient
to, what he regarded as Islamic rule. In other words, he understood this Quranic
verse to mean that the whole world be brought under the rule of Islam and
Muslims. This political interpretation of this verse, indeed of the entire
Quran, of Maududi today enjoys particular favour with Islamist ideologues and
activists. Numerous anti-imperialist revolutionary Muslim movements have made
this political vision of Islam their motto.
Yet,
this interpretation of the verse is open to serious questioning. Is it at all
possible, feasible or realistic for the whole world to come under the political
rule of Islam? Is this not in clear contradiction of the Quran, which clearly
states: ‘On no soul doth Allah place a burden greater than it can bear’ (2:286).
It must also be asked that when the Quran, in the above-mentioned verse, speaks
of the reason why God sent the Prophet, does it mean what Maududi argues it
does: to establish the political rule or political supremacy of Islam over the
entire globe?
Those who, based on an erroneous
interpretation of the above-mentioned Quranic verse, claim that the basic aim of
the advent of the Prophet was to establish Islamic political supremacy are
oblivious to the fact that by arguing in this fashion they make Islam appear as
an imperialist power, making the mission of the Prophet seem as no different
from that of any other imperialist power. It is obvious, and needs no
explanation, that, contrary to what Maududi insisted, establishing Islamic
political rule over the entire world today is simply impossible. That is why the
ulema generally believe that this can only happen in the distant future, towards
the advent of the Day of Judgment. Further in contrast to Maududi, who regarded
the struggle for establishing global Islamic political rule a fundamental duty
of every Muslim, many ulema regard it as the task and responsibility of Jesus in
his Second Coming, who, they believe, will come strengthened with the special
protection, assistance and miraculous powers bestowed by God. Other ulema
believe that the domination or superiority that the above-mentioned Quranic
verse refers to is not at all political, and does not refer to the establishment
of Islamic government. Rather, it simply means the establishment of the
intellectual superiority of Islam over other religions, and in this task, they
argue, ordinary Muslims must play a key role by conveying the truth of Islam to
others.
Those
who, like Maududi, believe the basic aim of Islam is to establish Islamic or
Muslim political supremacy also refer to a statement attributed to the Prophet,
according to which he is said to have declared: ‘Islam is dominant, not
dominated’ (al-islam yalu wa la yula aleih).They argue that this statement also
indicates that Islam has come to rule as a political force and that it must be
politically dominant, indeed hegemonic, throughout the world.
In my
view, this interpretation is completely off the mark, for several reasons.
Firstly, this statement is not to be found in any of the six authoritative
collections of Hadith, nor in other such important Hadith collections such as
the Musnad of Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and the Muwatta of Imam Malik. Rather, it is
contained in Baihaqi, and its status, in terms of its chain of narrators, is
recognized as weak. Secondly, there are no other Hadith reports that speak of or
indicate Islamic political supremacy. Rather, like the above-mentioned Quranic
verse, this report simply indicates the establishment of the intellectual, in
contrast to the political, supremacy of Islam over other religions.
This
firm conviction in the intellectual supremacy of Islam should not be regarded as
tantamount to imperialism. It is natural, and but to be expected, that a
believer in any religion or ideology regards it as superior to other religions
or ideologies. That is why Muslims, like people of other religions, think that
their religion is the best. This does not, however, mean that establishing the
superiority of any religion or ideology, including Islam, through force or by
capturing power and political dominance is permissible.
It must
be recognized that this political interpretation of Islam is a recent
development, invented by modern-day Islamist ideologues. This is a product of
their seeking to interpret Islam on their own (tafsir bi‘l ray), in reaction, in
particular, to certain modern political developments, particularly Western
colonialism. This political interpretation of Islam is deeply tainted by
feelings of revenge and a strong streak of emotionalism. The most pathetic and
extreme case in this regard is that of the founder of the Jamaat-e Islami,
Maulana Maududi, as evidenced in his book Quran ki Char Buniyadi Istilahen
(‘Four Basic Terms of the Quran’), wherein he provided a political twist to the
notion of God’s sovereignty and where he argued that later generations of
Muslims had completely forgotten the basic intention of the Quran, which, he
claimed, was to establish Islamic political rule over the entire world. He went
to the extent of claiming that this book of his was an attempt to revive
consciousness of this supposedly long-forgotten basic intention of the Quran.
In
contrast to Maududi, the ulema almost unanimously agree that the basic aim of
the Islamic invitation or da‘wah is not the capture of political power, but,
rather, to call all human beings, across the world, to the path of God. This is
indicated in the following Quranic verse:
‘Thus
have We made of you an ummah justly balanced. That you may be witnesses over the
nations, and the Messenger a witness over yourselves’ (2:143)
This
duty of inviting others to the path of Islam was the basic duty of the Prophet,
and is also the basic responsibility of his followers.
As is
evident from numerous Hadith reports, God Himself has arranged for the
establishment of ideological supremacy
of Islam. According to one such report, in every century God sends to the world
a reviver of the faith (mujaddid). Over the centuries numerous mujaddids have
appeared, about whom there is a consensus among the ulema. It is vital to note
that most of these mujdaddids stayed away from politics and, instead,
concentrated on the revival of Islam and the reform of the community. They
believed that their mission was the revival of Islam, and not the establishment
of Islamic or Muslim political supremacy.
According to another Hadith report, the Prophet is said to have
remarked that God has arranged for His religion to be protected from the
corruptions of the extremists, from the wrong interpretations of the ignorant,
and from deceit of the lovers of falsehood.
This statement also indicates the divine plan of preserving the
intellectual supremacy of Islam. In contrast, it is important to note, there is
no Hadith report that clearly talks of divine promise to arrange for the
political supremacy of Islam.
Loud
slogans of ‘Islamic awakening’ and ‘Islamic Renaissance’ emanate and echo from
Islamic circles today. Many leaders and activists in these circles take these
slogans to represent existing reality, which, of course, is not really the case.
If at all there is any truth in these slogans it is simply that, as compared to
the recent past, there is a greater degree of religious awareness among Muslims
today. Organisations of ulema, Islamic preachers and scholars are today engaged
all over the world in da‘wah or missionary work. Today, there is certainly much
more scholarly and intellectual work being done in Islamic circles than in the
recent past. This is an indication of God’s help in strengthening the
intellectual supremacy of Islam.
On the
other hand are those elements who regard Islamic awakening as synonymous with,
or, at least inseparable from, establishing Islamic political supremacy at the
global level. However, they have no basis from within the Islamic scriptural
tradition to back their stance. The whole world is witness to the fact that,
despite their efforts, rather than acquiring political power, Muslims are on the
path of political decline or, at the very least, have proven unable to make any
significant dent in their subjugation that is now over three centuries old.
This
should make it obvious to present-day Islamic movements that they need to shift
their focus from their obsession with the capture of political power so that
they can work in a more effective manner for the cause of Islam and its
adherents. If this does not happen, it is very likely that the work of Islamic
da‘wah or inviting others to the path of God, which is the basic aim of Islam,
would be faced with even greater hurdles than today.
Maulana Waris Mazhari is the editor of the New Delhi-based monthly
Tarjuman Dar ul-Uloom, the official organ of the Graduates’ Association of the
Deoband madrasa. He can be contacted on w.mazhari@gmail.com
Yoginder Sikand/Noor Mohammad Sikand works with the Centre for the
Study of Social Exclusion at the National Law School,
Bangalore.
11:17 PM
Sultan Shahin
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