Let’s not create any politics on the meeting of
MaulanaArshadMadani and Mohan Bhagwat
Today, our country is facing various problems, where unemployment, inflation and
depreciation are making the country's economic situation worse and worse, there
due to the differences among the Muslims, the union of the Ummah-e-Muslimah is
being scattered, because of which the anti -Muslim forces seem to be getting
successful in their motives.There is scope for disagreement in Islam but it is
forbidden to quarrel and fight, as Allah says in His Holy Quran: Do not fight
among yourselves, or else you will become cowards and your dignity will fade. (Surat
Al-Anfal 46)Today, some forces are using every tactic to humiliate Islam and
Muslims and every conscious person is aware of it. Therefore, we all have a
responsibility to confine our differences to the expression of truth or the
research for truth. We should try to mend the union of Muslim ummah instead of
scattering it.
Recently, when MaulanaArshadMadani, President of JamiatUlema-e-Hind, met Mohan
Bhagwat, the head of RashtriyaSwayamsevakSangh (RSS), some of the so-called
Muslim leaders, on account of their personal differences with
MaulanaArshadMadani, started criticizing him, whereas MaulanaArshadMadani
neither secretly met him nor did he resolve any matter during his meeting with
Mohan Bhagwat, but he only tried to talk to Mohan Bhagwat to maintain the
Hindu-Muslim unity and to stop the aggressions on the Muslims.Of course, we have
a strong disagreement with the past of the RSS, but in the current situation of
the country, the victory lies only in the Hindu-Muslim unity. In a country like
India, through proper conversation, major issues can be resolved, so it is
imperative that our scholars and intellectuals go forward to offer their
services to end the years of hatred between Hindus and Muslims.
For nearly 100 years, the JamiatUlema-e-Hind has been offering numerous services
to the Indian people, especially the minorities. On this occasion, let's get
some information on this great organization of Indian Muslims
It was about 100 years before that the Indian Ulama proposed to set up a strong
and effective platform on the instruction of Shaikhul Hind
MaulanaMahmoodHasanDeobandi, the father of the Silk Letter Movement, first
student of DarulUloomDeoband and the founder of JamiaMilliaIslamia, New Delhi to
free the country from the BritishImperialism.The primary motive of the
organization was to launch a shared struggle for independence of the country,
apart from solving the religious, social and political problems of the India
Muslims. The organization established on November 19, 1919 was named JamiatUlama-e-Hind
and Mufti Kifayatullah was elected its first president.
The members of this oldest and largest organization of the Indian Muslims exceed
millions in number. There are countless state and local branches of this
organization all over the country. JamiatUlama rendered matchless sacrifices for
theindependence of the country till 1947 – that counts a period of 28 years.
JamiatUlama, along with Congress, set the country free from the British in 1947
with joint efforts and sacrifices of Hindu and Muslims. The roll of Jamiat in
the freedom struggle is indeed unforgettable.The anti-Muslim and anti-national
elements are trying the put the sacrifices of the Muslims and especially Ulama
during the freedom struggle under the carpet. It is, therefore,
theresponsibilityof the educated people to acquaint the new generation with the
sacrifices of the Muslims in thestrugglefor freedom. They should be taught that
we have equal right over this country, that it was the Muslims who ruled this
country before the British occupation, and that the dream of the freedom of
India could not come true without Muslims.
After theindependence of India in 1947, JamiatUlama-e-Hind refrained from the
politics of parliament and assembly and devoted itself to the educational,
welfare, reformative and preaching activities. It does not really mean that the
Jamiat wanted to keep the Muslims away from the politics. The fact is that the
Muslims, after independence and partition of India, remained in minority. So,
Jamiat thought that the majority community would unite itself and defeat the
Muslims on every frontif the Muslims formed a separate political party like
“Muslim League” and participated in the elections. It was, therefore, necessary
to ponder over the matter with cool mind and provide the Muslims with religious
training as well as educational strength and welfare. Far-sightedness was more
prudent than working emotionally, as it would not only make them practicing
Muslims but also equip them with modern education. Furthermore, it would give
anecessary representation of Muslims in the parliament as well as not let the
anti-Muslim elements achieve success in their agenda.
Since theindependence of India, for almost 72years Jamiat has truly represented
the Indian Muslims and always emphasized on apositive approach. The biggest
problem of Muslims after partition was to protect their faith, as a considerable
number of Muslims had migrated from some states of northern India to Pakistan.
On such occasion, MaulanaAbulKalam Azad said: If you successfully protected the
faith of Muslims, you really did a great service in India. Thus, Jamiat made
every effort to remove the educational decline of Muslims. It did not only pay
heed to the religious education of Muslims but also it has been providing the
poor students with theopportunity to acquire modern educationin the universities
by giving them scholarships.
It constructed hundreds of houses and arranged the living facilities for the
victims of communal riots in the rural areas of Muzaffar Nagar and Shamli
districts of Uttar Pradesh. Jamiat is always seen in the forefront to help the
victims of flood, storm, earthquake or other natural calamities in any region of
India. Other welfare organizations of Muslims also make efforts to solve the
problems of Muslims in the country. There are hundreds of innocent Muslims
behind the barsand without economical facilitates to hire experienced and expert
lawyers. But providing counsel to such victims is indeed a matchless service of
the Jamiat. There are hundreds of innocent people who got released from the
prisons after a long period, thanks to the continuous efforts of Jamiat.
The Indian Muslims faced different circumstances, whenthe BJP took over the
country. Everyday a new issue is raised so that the Muslims remain caught with
those issues and may not tread on the path of success.One day there is the issue
of VandeMataram and the issue of SuriyaNamashkar on another day. One day, there
is a call to declare the Muslims as terrorists, anotherday; there is the effort
to usurp the biggest seat of learning for Muslims by ending the minority status
of the Aligarh Muslim University. Sometimes, the clouds of doubt float on the
madrasas which undoubtedly played apivotal role in the freedom struggle; some
other times, the Muslim youths are arrested on the suspicion of their alleged
association with numerous terrorist organizations. JamiatUlama-e-Hind has no
match in its legal fight for the innocent Muslims youths. The Ulama should, as
it is a dire need of time, lead the Muslim community to the right path instead
of spending their precious talents on disputed issues. Along with the religious
education, the Muslims should also be trained as muchas possible in the modern
educations and their social problems should be solved. If a Muslims youth, Alim,
Islamic centre or educational institute is targeted, we should put our
ideological differences aside and the strongly confront the anti-Muslim and
anti-national elements. The welfare of the Muslims lies in thesecurity of the
country. We must always remember that “united we stand, divided we fall”.
In short, the yeoman’s services of the Jamiat for 28 years before
theindependence of the country, and its72 years educational, reformative and
welfare services after the independence are remarkable.Fighting for the innocent
youths behind the bars with the help of expert and renowned lawyers and bearing
all the expenses over it is such a unique service of the Jamiat which, according
to my knowledge, does not have any example throughout the country. Numerous
books have been written on the seventy nine year services of the Jamiat. This
short article is too short to cover all those services. The millions of the
members of this Muslim organization scattered around the country may defeat the
anti-Muslim elements if they organize themselves under the leadership of the
able Ulama for the cause of the Muslim Ummah.
At last, I would like to pray that the leaders of JamiatUlama-e-Hind reunite and
sacrifice their life, property and time the same way as our elders like Mufti
Kifayatullah, Maulana Ahmad SaeedDehlavi, Shaikhul Islam Maulana Husain Ahmad
Madani, MaulanaHifzurRahmanSeoharvi and others did. Maulana Muhammad Ismail
Sambhali, great freedom fighter, and grandfather of this humble writer and one
of the early spiritual heirs to MaulanaMadani also rendered remarkable services
under the umbrella of the JamiatUlama-e-Hind.