ROLE OF ULEMA IN THE CONTEMPORARY TIMES
Targeting the Priorities
WHAT is the leadership role of the ulema or religious scholars in contemporary times? To understand this, one first needs to be clear about what role Islam sets for religious scholars. This will provide us the proper criterion for examining the course of action adopted by the religious scholars in our times. In my understanding, the following Quranic verse gives us appropriate guidance about the role of religious scholars of Islam:
“It is not right that all the believers should go out [in time of war] all together. Why, then, does not a party from every group come to [the Prophet] in order to acquire a deeper knowledge of religion and to warn their people, so that they can guard themselves against evil?” (9: 122)
This verse gives a guiding principle that one section of the Muslims has to engage itself full time in the sphere of knowledge, while the other looks after the sphere of politics. Thus, Islam differentiates between the arena of activity of religious scholars and that of political leaders. To this end, religious scholars have to keep themselves away from the political field and provide intellectual and spiritual guidance to the people, while politicians are charged with the task of administration and organization. This principle does not indicate any opposition between religion and politics, but, rather, a division of the arenas of activity among the believers. This division is fully in accordance with Islamic jurisprudence.
In the words of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 855), for political leadership, the strong and capable person will be preferable to the weak person even if he is more virtuous. (Majmu al-Fatawa by Ibn Taymiyyah, Vol. 28, p. 255) From this, we can understand that as far as practical politics is concerned, those who engage in this field must possess the necessary skills. Not everyone can shoulder the responsibility of practical politics. It was based on the recognition of this difference among people in terms of their capabilities that the Prophet of Islam repeatedly indicated to the Muslim community that after him they should appoint Abu Bakr as their leader, while, on the other hand, he advised Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, Abu Hurairah and Hassan bin Thabit never to accept any governmental post.
This is because due to their inborn qualities, some people are more suitable for occupying official posts, while others are more suitable for fulfilling the role of scholarship and spiritual guidance. According to Islam, the political field should be given over to those who possess the requisite political skills and capabilities, while the religious scholars should engage in various other fields that are also necessary for the community. Accordingly, while politicians are charged with the task of administering and organizing the people, scholars have the responsibility of providing the people with the knowledge that they need.
This indicates that the believers must respect the division between the ‘people of politics’ and the ‘people of academics’. This also suggests that it is not only in ordinary circumstances that the religious scholars of the Muslim community must fulfill their responsibility as teachers of the people. Rather, they must continue to play this constructive role even when they see that the rulers have fallen prey to corruption. No matter how degenerate the system of governance may appear to have become, the religious scholars must not deviate from the work that they have been entrusted with.
Some people are more suitable for occupying official posts, while others are more suitable for fulfilling the role of scholarship and spiritual guidance.
As a matter of principle, it is not the task of religious scholars to become involved in practical politics. In case they assume this role, much more basic responsibilities are bound to be neglected. Therefore, they have to leave political disputes to politicians to handle, and instead devote themselves entirely to scholarly works like understanding the position of Islam in the modern age, social reform, constructive activities, and introducing Islam to people in the contemporary idiom.
This division of the sphere of activity was followed by the Companions of the Prophet, as well as by later generations, right from the age of the rightly guided caliphs, through the Umayyad caliphate and down to the end of the Abbasid caliphate. Similarly, the Spanish Muslim religious scholars and other scholars made an impressive intellectual and scientific contribution by keeping themselves aloof from politics. This pattern continued for around 1000 years and enabled these scholars to focus their energies on the enormously valuable task of crystallizing the various branches of Islamic knowledge while remaining unaffected by the political tumult raging around them.
Principle of Gradualness
During this entire period, the religious scholars focused on the
scholarship work and spiritual training of the Muslims following the
principle of gradualness of the Prophet of Islam. According to a Hadith
narrated by Aisha: “… When the people inclined to Islam, the verses
regarding lawful and unlawful things were revealed. If the first thing
to be revealed was: ‘Do not drink alcoholic drinks,’ people would have
said, ‘We will never leave alcoholic drinks,’ and if a verse had been
revealed to the effect, ‘Do not commit fornication, ‘they would have
said, ‘We will never give it up.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari)
From this, we understand that the Prophet of Islam’s method was of gradualness, that is, one needs to bring about intellectual purification of the individuals before going ahead with the practical enforcement of laws. Only then will the people of a society or a nation be willing to accept Islamic laws.
The Prophet of Islam’s method was of gradualness, that is, one needs to bring about intellectual purification of the individuals before going ahead with the practical enforcement of laws.
Without preparing the populace through this principle of gradualness of the Prophet, the religious scholars, over the last few hundred years, set themselves the target of establishing Islamic rule in various parts of the world. In present times also, many movements to impose Shariah were launched in many Muslim countries. However, these efforts of the religious scholars did not result in the establishment of purely Shariah-based rule in any Muslim country. But what did result from all of this was that Muslims everywhere became divided into, broadly, two mutually opposed camps that were at war with each other. If in the colonial period, non-Muslim forces killed Muslims, now Muslims began killing their co-religionists. Consequently, everywhere Muslim societies fell prey to destructive activities.
Why did these movements to impose Islamic law prove to be counterproductive? The reason is that everywhere the watchword was the enforcement of Shariah law, where the example of introducing change by a gradual process as set by the Prophet of Islam was not followed. I would like to cite an example.
In January 1827, Sayyed Ahmad Barelvi and his companions had established what they called an Islamic government in the Peshawar region, near the Afghan border. Sayyed Ahmad was selected as the head of the state, the Amir-ul-Momineen (Commander of the Faithful). But, very soon, serious differences developed, to the point where local Muslims set about killing the representatives that Sayyed Ahmad had appointed in their areas. And so, this ‘Islamic government’ collapsed almost as soon as it had been established! Today, Muslim leaders have launched various movements for the enforcement of Shariah in various countries. But even after a long struggle, these movements have failed to achieve their goal. All they have succeeded in doing is create traditions of violence and coercion. The reason was that religious scholars have sought to impose these laws without the willingness of the populace to accept Islamic laws.
The ulema must cultivate a spirit of tolerance, and, despite their differences, must work towards promoting unity. Without this, the Muslim community can achieve no major progress
Had the Muslims in question followed the method of the Prophet, they would have opted for the way of status-quoism regarding the political system of the country. They could have subordinated matters of politics and government to the democratic process. They could have given the people the opportunity to elect their representatives by the peaceful, democratic procedure of voting, thus giving them their share in governance. Further, they would have understood that the right way of working was to begin their work from the non-political field. By imparting peaceful training, these leaders could have reformed the mind and character of the people. Opting for the prophetic wisdom of gradualness, the religious scholars could have changed the thinking and character of individuals, so they would become ready to accept Islamic laws.
Advice to Religious Scholars
If ulema or religious scholars have to perform their role in contemporary
times, I would like to offer them the following advice:
1. The ulema of Islam must, first of all, decide to completely dissociate from practical politics. Their real work is in the fields of knowledge, scholarship, Dawah, and intellectual reform. They can, when it is necessary, express their views on political issues, but it is not proper for them to play a practical role in politics under any circumstances.
2. Along with contemporary religious education, the ulema must be made aware of trends in modern thought. Without this, they will not be able to properly fulfill their responsibilities in the modern age.
3. The ulema must permit open criticism of each other. Without this, it is not possible to overcome people’s mental stagnation and promote wisdom and insight.
4. The ulema must cultivate a spirit of tolerance, and, despite their differences, must work towards promoting unity. Without this, the Muslim community can achieve no major progress.
5. Besides engaging in the education and development of the Muslims at large, the ulema have another very important task—that of Dawah, inviting others to the path of God, conveying the message of the true religion to all humankind.
It is my advice to the ulema to stay away from politics, and focus, instead, on the reform of Muslims, awakening the true spirit of Islam among them, producing Islamic literature according to modern standards necessary for performing their role in contemporary times. Then, they will be able to play a positive role in bringing about peace and progress in society in line with the teachings of Islam.