mThis is with reference to Chand Peer’s article, “Failure of Muslim leadership: Masses want Dalit- Muslim Unity, DV June 16, p.18).
Like any conscientious person, Peer also moans to see the plight of Muslims: They don’t say prayer, practice un-Islamic rituals. They don’t know the purpose of being a Muslim. They don’t know the object of Islam. They are sticking to Islam in the same manner as other communities to their respective religions. Religion (Islam) has become an article of faith and quite personal to them. They don’t know their duty of establishing the sovereignty of Allah and imposing Islamic laws in the society.
Maudoodi advice: Long back the founder of Jamate-Islami, Moulana Maudoodi, also observed the defects among the Muslims and with all pains he cautioned the Muslims against the dangers facing the Muslim society. He said:
‘The time has come when we shall have to decide between the two – whether we want to remain Muslim or lose Islam for ever. If we decide in affirmation, we should struggle for establishing an Islamic State even at the cost of our lives; otherwise, we · shall miss Islam. The foundations of future India would be on western nationalism, democracy and irreligiosity in the name of secularism. These three demons would eat the vitals of Islamic society if we still remain static”.
Invocation to Deoras: Unfortunately, the Muslims did not pay much heed to his words. However, he founded the Jamat and it is still working with its limited resources.
It is true that after the Emergency the Jamat invited Deoras but with purpose. It wanted to give the message of Islam to him and through him to his party. Did not the Prophet give the message of Islam to AbuJahal and Abu-Lahab? The duty of a Muslim is to give the message of Islam and the change of heart is up to Allah.
Teer’s thesis of elite Muslims controlling the Muslim leadership is not correct. Islam does not recognise upper or lower caste. It recognises the identity of Kabilas (clans) for identification purpose and not for pride. Among the Muslims one may find leaders from every Kabilas i.e. Syed Ahmed, Moulana Ahmed Raza Khan, Maulana Ashraf Ali, Hali, Sheikh Mohd. Iqbal, Jinnah, Moulana Mohd. Ali, Hasrat Mohani, Dr. Ansari, Mohd. Ismail, Ebrahim Suleman Sait etc.
