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[quote]Dear All,
Assalamoalaikum wa Rahmatu(A)llahe wabarakatohoo

First of all I would like to declare that I have no personal interests or conflict of interest that needs to be declared, as far as the personality of Syed Abul Ala Maudoodi Sahib is concerned.

Syed Maudoodi Sahib was a Journalist by profession and then became a prolific writer on Islam and Islamic issues.  Very early on when he founded the Jama'at e Islami, he did not pretend to hide the fact that the reason for founding the Jama'at was in order to acquire political power and then to implement the Islamic Sharia as understood and interpreted by him.  I have a great deal of respect for the honesty, which he showed.

I do however believe that his proposed modus operandi was doomed to fail.   The Holy prophet (salAllaho alaihe wasallam) has quite clearly stated in one of the Sahih Ahadeeth:

[i]Ahsanul hadeethe kitabAllahe, wa ahsanul hadiye, hadiye Muahmmadun (salAllaho alaihe wasallam). Wa sharrul umoore muhdithatun. Wa kulle bid'atun dalala wa kulle dalaltun finnaar.[/i]

The best of sayings is that of the Book of Allah (the Holy Quran), the best way is that shown by Muhammad (salAllaho alaihe wasallam). All innovation is a source of Error (which leads one astray) and all Error is bound for hell-fire!

The example of the Holy Prophet (salAllaho alaihe wasallam) is a beacon of light for Muslims of all times.  Throughout his blessed life, he never considered the establishing of an Islamic State, the objective of his mission.  He came to purify hearts and to teach them the Book and Wisdom.  We read in Sura Al-Jum'a:

[62:2] He it is Who has raised among the unlettered people a Messenger from among themselves who recites unto them His Signs, and [red] purifies them, and teaches them the Book and Wisdom [/red] though before that they were in manifest error;

If any sort of revolution is to be brought about in society, it is important to first change the Perceptions of the people one intends to inform.  It is what is in the hearts of people that needs to be challenged and reformed.  This sort of change can never be brought about by regimentation or enforcement by political or administrative pressure.  Such a change can only be brought about by [red]Education, education and education![/red]

Is it not a miracle of God that a so-called [i]Ummee[/i] Prophet (salAllaho alaihe wasallam) became the greatest teacher of Knowledge, Wisdom and Morals.

(Ummee is generally  translated as "unlettered", but which in my opinion points to the Innocent Nature and Character of the Prophet from the phrase "of His Mother" or due to the fact that he was from an inhabitant of Makkah which was called Ummul Qura'a, the mother od Cities)

In my opinion the fact that the Holy Prophet (salAllaho alaihe wasallam) never sought political power for himself, is quite clear from even an elementary study of the Seerat. It was a matter of reformation and Purification of the people as mentioned in the phrase ( [i]wa yuzakkeehim[/i] )
"He (the Messenger salAllaho alaihe wasallam,) Purifies them" Sura Jum'a verse 2.

Once the majority of the population of Madina were converted to Islam, Madina automatically became a Muslim Habitat.

I do not have any doubt about the intentions of Syed Abul Aala Maudoodi Sahib and I think he contributed greatly to the corpus of Islamic literature.  I do however disagree with his methodology.

The Ulema of our Ummat have a great responsibility.  There will always be diversity of opinion and there is nothing wrong with having difference of opinion on matters of detail, as long as the principles of Deen such as Tuawheed, Risalat and the elements of Eemaniyaat are adhered to.

We in Muslim Society must learn to tolerate difference of opinion.  Immediately labelling people as "Kafirs, Muanfiqs and Innovators" at the slightest disent from accepted "wisdom" is not at all helpful in developing intellectual discussion and research.

May Allah enable us to become tolerant of each other and in the words of the Holy Quran:

[i]Ruhama-o bainahum[/i] Sura Al Fatah last Ruku.

Wassalam

Navidul Haq Khan[/quote]

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