The yesterday's experience has only made me more convinced that JI, JUI and all other religious political parties should leave politics and should join Tanzeem-e-Islami or Tabligi Jamat. Participation in such a dirty game of politics will earn them nothing but stains on their own names and humiliation to the name of Islam...
The entire 1300 years of history is evident and has hardly any single example of ulema-e-kiram taking part in politics. This didn't mean they had no influence on the public. Rather the ulema-e-kiram were the ones whom the public followed. Their influence use to be so great that even the monarchs have to take permission on various policy matters not because of any official binding, but because of the moral authority ulema-e-kiram enjoyed. Just recall the example of Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal r.a. and Shah Waliullah r.a, that despite getting arrested and tortured by the monarchs of their time, they never bent themselves, and the public at large acknowledge their sacrifices, subsequently following them with even more devotion.
They never participated in political affairs themselves, however they had their devotes takecare the political matters or participate in political adventures if needed.
For tons of examples, download and browse this book 'Tareekh-e-Dawat-o-Azeemat' by Molana Syed ul Hasan Ali Nadvi
The reasons for this must be clear by now, in a game in which all the players are united for corruption, any new player cannot win. Even when the empires are on the sides of the corrupt ones, then how difficult it would be to win? Eventually when the only option would be to make an alliance with any of the corrupt players in the game.
This might help them win a couple of matches, but where this would take their credibility? how would it affect their moral authority among the general public? Furthermore the opponents will not let go any chance to throw dirt on your face; humiliating, ridiculing, using derogatory & abusive terms for your opponents etc. all of this is already a part of the dirty game, doing that doesn't suites them, while not doing that and avoid using all other dirty tricks to rigg, cheat and deceive will not get them in the lead... the results are already in front of our eyes.
It is argued that it is necessary to become part of the government so as to stop the same from passing any unIslamic bill in the assembly. The counter argument is would it really matter if the awam rejects a particular act approved by the parliament. It is a known fact that 95% of the public doesn't take financing from interest based banks because it is considered as haraam or prohibited in Islam, despite it is being allowed and supported by the state. (the loans on interest from informal sources is taken by the poor out of desperation and compulsion, therefore we can't count them here)
Let us suppose if drinking, adultery, prostitution, gay marriages etc is made legal by the parliament then would the public be more encouraged to do all these things? Well those who want to do it are doing it already under the cover of law enforcement agencies, and would it really matter if the public at large refrain from it because they consider these things as haraam despite they would be allowed by the law.
The real work which ulema are already doing, is to educate the public, and to get some politicians under their influence so that they may fight the case of Islam (protection of Madaris, etc) in the assembly instead.
They seriously need to rethink their strategy, otherwise the loser in the end would be nothing but Islam, and they would be directly responsible for it.
The entire 1300 years of history is evident and has hardly any single example of ulema-e-kiram taking part in politics. This didn't mean they had no influence on the public. Rather the ulema-e-kiram were the ones whom the public followed. Their influence use to be so great that even the monarchs have to take permission on various policy matters not because of any official binding, but because of the moral authority ulema-e-kiram enjoyed. Just recall the example of Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal r.a. and Shah Waliullah r.a, that despite getting arrested and tortured by the monarchs of their time, they never bent themselves, and the public at large acknowledge their sacrifices, subsequently following them with even more devotion.
They never participated in political affairs themselves, however they had their devotes takecare the political matters or participate in political adventures if needed.
For tons of examples, download and browse this book 'Tareekh-e-Dawat-o-Azeemat' by Molana Syed ul Hasan Ali Nadvi
The reasons for this must be clear by now, in a game in which all the players are united for corruption, any new player cannot win. Even when the empires are on the sides of the corrupt ones, then how difficult it would be to win? Eventually when the only option would be to make an alliance with any of the corrupt players in the game.
This might help them win a couple of matches, but where this would take their credibility? how would it affect their moral authority among the general public? Furthermore the opponents will not let go any chance to throw dirt on your face; humiliating, ridiculing, using derogatory & abusive terms for your opponents etc. all of this is already a part of the dirty game, doing that doesn't suites them, while not doing that and avoid using all other dirty tricks to rigg, cheat and deceive will not get them in the lead... the results are already in front of our eyes.
It is argued that it is necessary to become part of the government so as to stop the same from passing any unIslamic bill in the assembly. The counter argument is would it really matter if the awam rejects a particular act approved by the parliament. It is a known fact that 95% of the public doesn't take financing from interest based banks because it is considered as haraam or prohibited in Islam, despite it is being allowed and supported by the state. (the loans on interest from informal sources is taken by the poor out of desperation and compulsion, therefore we can't count them here)
Let us suppose if drinking, adultery, prostitution, gay marriages etc is made legal by the parliament then would the public be more encouraged to do all these things? Well those who want to do it are doing it already under the cover of law enforcement agencies, and would it really matter if the public at large refrain from it because they consider these things as haraam despite they would be allowed by the law.
The real work which ulema are already doing, is to educate the public, and to get some politicians under their influence so that they may fight the case of Islam (protection of Madaris, etc) in the assembly instead.
They seriously need to rethink their strategy, otherwise the loser in the end would be nothing but Islam, and they would be directly responsible for it.
I think by the above article first thing I noticed that what the author thinks is that JI is not doing what TJ and TI doing, the dars the dawat o tabligh JI is not absent from that field but politics is an additional job JI is doing, if you will minus elections fro JI it equals to TI. Talking of Ulema e Karaam, you gave the example of Imam Hanbal, he did not bent for what he though is correct, the same thing we are doing for "what we think is correct" this is not the following of western system, and it must be clarified that just like all other fields of life politics have e big impact on the lives of people and this field can not be remained empty or else, we will see a secular environment very soon. So Islamist should be involved in every field, if you think we are only into politics you are wrong.
ReplyDeleteIn the 7th para, you showed a picture of "what if" wine allowed by parliament, I ask you what if Islamist not in the parliament then wine will be allowed without any hurdle, then who will be responsible? At least in that case we can stand up in the parliament and protest, and access to other parliamentarians and convince them on the issue.
Every one has their own strategies to work, for those people who think politics is the only way JI is there to guide, for those who think politics not the right way TI is there to guide and for those who think neither the two (JI TI) can help there is always TJ to guide. And for those who think every one is wrong there is always HT. All of them the objective is same is how to make our lives follow the same way Holy Prophet had followed.
Words like "religious political parties should leave politics" are harsh and they will result in the comment from religious political parties that "why dont you leave your areas of work and join religious political parties" OR "why dont Jihadis all over the world leave jihad and start mass movement, etc".
The need of the time is to accept each other and to collaborate with each other, bring people closer to Islam and its principles. May Allah Guide Us.
Wallah o Alam