by Shahnawaz Farooqi, translated by Omar Javaid
Iqbal said about a century ago:
"Bujhi Ishq Ke Ag Andhair he (Its Pitch black darkness as fire of passion is no more)
Muslman naheen rakh ka dher he" (Muslims are rather a pile of ashes, as they are no more)
When he exclaimed these lines, Muslims were really 'a pile of ashes' amongst other nations. This was despite their population of 150-200 million, in other words every tenth person was a Muslim in the world back then; however today a lot has changed. Firstly Muslims cannot be called 'ashes', even if we would had to, then it would rather be a mountain of ashes instead of a mere pile. This is so because according to a report prepared by 'Pew Forum', an institute of American origin, the total population of Muslims has increased to 1.57 billion, a ten fold increase since Iqbals time, or in other words every fourth person in the world is a Muslim today. This report comprises of statistics of 232 countries, which further describes existence and influence of Islam and Muslims in the world as too critical to be ignored. It further states that among non-Muslim countries the population of Muslims is around 320 million. In Europe 3.8 million Muslims resides … in Germany their number is around 1.5 million which is greater then the population of Lebanon. In china 22 million Muslims resides which is greater then the population of Syria. In Russia this number is 60 million which is greater then the population of Jordan and Libya combined. This report also states that 60% of Muslims lives in Asia, 20% in Middle East and northern Africa, and 15% live around Saharan Africa. That's too much for a pile of ash … probably making the lines of Iqbal obsolete?
Can we still term Muslims as a pile of ashes? Despite their colossal population in the world? Why any one would like to call 1.57 billion people a pile of ash? … Let's pause and go back to Iqbal, who is rather concerned with the fire of passion primarily, which when extinguished produces a pile of ash … is it really the case today, has the fire extinguished completely?
Let us be very clear that we shouldn't be judging Muslims by their quantity rather should do so by their quality. The fire hasn't extinguished completely rather there are clear evidences that it has started to spread. In other words, we must accept today that Muslims have some essence of excellence remaining, which is evident from defeat of Russia in Afghanistan in the last decade and today we can see America loosing the ball game in Afghanistan … it's only a matter of confession from America's side, that it will be recorded as a fact in the course of history of mankind. This is such a great success that if Iqbal would have been alive today then his revolutionary spirit would have taken new leaps, he wouldn't have then complaint that fire of passion is no more and rather Muslims are like a pile of ashes. After looking at what Muslims have done to two Superpowers, he would have rather said
Jali Ishq Ki Agg woh noor hai (The Fire of Passion and the emerging radiance)
Muslman naheen Jalwa-e-toor hai (It's not Muslims rather a beacon of light)
This is not Iqbal, but these lines resembles to his thoughts …
Let us now focus a bit more on Muslim demographics.
The present 1.57 billion of population will be close to 2 billion in 2025 and 3 billion in 2050. And if it kept on increasing then by the year 3000 it would be around 5 billion i.e. if today every fourth person is a Muslim then, very soon every third person would be a Muslim, and in a little while very second person would be a Muslim. However it is just not a matter of quantity which we should be noticing, the quality is what would make the difference, particularly when the spirit of religion is alive; and In order to confirm this, let's see compare it with other religions.
If we talk about Hinduism, million and millions of people are associated with it; however its existence is no more then in a form of a culture. On the other hand Christianity claims it self to be the largest religion of the world, however in reality it's nothing more then a part of history as true followers of Christianity are only a negligible fraction of the whole. Buddhism also has nothing to offer other then its 'frozen spirituality', and as far as Judaism is concerned then it's also being gradually evaporated from the face of this planet in term of its true identity. Contrary to this every aspect of Islam is alive in some form … let us see how?
Assuming if among 1.57 billion people only 10% offer Salah then its about 150 million people, if half of the population still observes fasting then we are talking about 750 million people, Sir! As far as the matter of Pilgrimage is concerned, today it has exceeded to more then 3 million people per annum. And if we talk about things which are prohibited or allowed (Halal or Haram) then majority of the Muslim population abide to the said rules. Now if we ask, other then Islam which of the religion is alive today to this extent, then the answer is quite clear. Among the apostates (read hidden-apostates) or Non-Muslims, those who hate Islam, do so because they see it alive unlike other religions. Today Islam is not like mere a part of tradition, culture or part of history, for that matter, unlike other religions, it's a lot more then that …
Sometime back the spirit of Jihad was also seemed very much lost, and there wasn't any hope of its revival either. However the spirit of Islam among Muslims was alive (read asleep) and the situation in Afghanistan catalytically awakened its spirit sleeping since many ages. The power of Jihad has even brought a superpower to its knees, and another one is very close to it. On the other hand, the spirit of Hijab was also close of being lost among Muslim societies; however until recently it has emerged as an international phenomenon. Mosques are also getting increasingly populated by youngster for the same reasons. These are all big and radical changes, if so then it's a little surprise that we call Islam being radicalized ;) … guess what, half of the Muslim population is indeed comprises of youngsters. This is indeed another clear proof of Islam being revitalized. According to a poet:
Jale Ishq Ki Agg woh noor hai (The Fire of Passion and the emerging radiance)
Muslman naheen Jalwa-e-toor hai (Don't call them Muslims rather a beacon of light)
Hope should always remain alive...but never forget the Hadith that the prophet, pbuh, once said,"There will come a time upon the muslims when other nations will pounce upon them as if they have come on a feast." The companions, who could not think of such a time, so confident and unbeatable they had become with their strong character, asked,"Will v b that small in number?" "No," replied the prophet, "but u would b like the foam on a wave because u will start loving the world more than the Hereafter." Or words to that effect.
ReplyDeleteNumbers never matter. UK was sparsely populated but ruled the world...so did the Arabs. It is the quantity, not the quality. V, the old or born Muslims r an effete nation. The neo Muslims, when they convert in greater numbers, and for which all the indications r there, shall b our vanguard. V r mere followers. Christianity was never a credible religion with its God being hanged and He being three in one and one in three. Judaism had been hijacked by the rabbis so that their commentries in the form of Talmud replaced the divine Torah, which had been corrupted. Hinduism and Buddhism, as pointed out, lack the dynamism and simplicity and truth of Islam. The African continent is ours because their natural beliefs coincide with Islam. But as yet they r backward.
Rituals r important to build character. If they r not doing that, they r quite useless. The Quaid was a much better Muslim without rituals than our five star namazi Mullahs of today.
Only when v concentrate on the spirit of Islam and the faith unity and disciplne can v hope to thrive again. The surest hope is that the prophet, pbuh, promised that Islam shall conquer ultimately. If it doesn't happen in our time, the misfortune is ours because v were underlings. I have no doubt about its ultimate prevalence.
Tab
Contemporary Islamic World
ReplyDelete“Their likeness is as the likeness of one who kindled fire, and when it shaded its light round him Allah takes away their light and leaves them in darkness, where they cannot see”(Qur'an 2:17)
The light of Intellectual Tradition of Islam (Noor-e-Ma’aani) no more enlightens the cultural and religious horizons of Muslim communities who are now enveloped in the darkness of ignorance. Modern western thoughts and ideals, in the absence of intellectual discrimination, which would be only possible in this Light, have taken hold of the mind of the masses and the elites alike. Founded on contemporary philosophies, scientific worldview that is out-rightly counter-traditional and secular, overtime has slowly and quietly acquired popular acceptance and credibility. Consequently, merely rationalist thought process is all that is available to comprehend the situation, which further adds to the opaqueness. Even the understanding of religion is now being polluted by the scientific and progressive concepts.
What survives the withdrawal of light of Intellectual Tradition of Islam from the mainstream of life of a majority of Muslims who faces the devastating tidal wave of materialist concepts and modern education is a lukewarm religiosity in the educated circles and unintelligible devotional sentiments in the masses. This half-hearted and distorted interests in the practice of religion fails to provide the intellectual principle to discriminate: right from wrong, good from bad, sacred from profane, higher from lower, vertical from horizontal, spiritual from psychic, intellectual from merely rational and traditional from modern.
Popular western concepts like ‘progress’ and ‘development’ and counter-traditional ideologies like ‘evolutionism’ and ‘democracy’ are now credible and supported by a large number of contemporary political, social and literary thinkers. Even some Muslim scholars and apparently orthodox religious leaders are, sincerely but ignorantly, promoting such irreligious concepts.
Vague humanistic moral and ethical values essentially founded on philosophies of the modern west that have only distant and superficial resemblance with the norms of orthodox Islamic tradition are willingly accepted by the educated Muslim elites Such uncritical assimilation of hybridized moral frameworks have not only caused enormous confusion of identity but has also become a motivating force for further westernization of Islamic societies especially in the literate classes.
Those orthodox religious leaders, who are not initiated into Intellectual Tradition of Islam, cannot do better then presenting the sentimental and ethical teachings at the mundane level, which may precipitate blind devotion that evoke the unnecessary sectarian patriotism, promoting religious violence and extremism now so prevalent at the social and collective levels.
At the individual level enormous overburden comprising layers of misconceptions and psychologism holds back the consciousness to reach the level of Being and adequate insight necessary for the task of living an authentic and meaningful spiritual life of a Muslim remains out of reach.
Rigorous Intellectual Spadework and Efforts (RISE) would be needed if Islamic Inheritance has to be uncovered and the light of Intellectual Tradition of Islam to be rekindled.