UPRIGHT SYSTEM OR UPRIGHT INDIVIDUAL?
True Islamic Ideal
AT the end of the nineteenth century, the communist outlook spread. The first Communist system was established in the Soviet Union in 1917. Then, the Communist propaganda began to rapidly spread, in a much more organized way. At that time, the ideology of Communism spread so much that Professor J K Galbraith said,"Never in the world has a theory been so much promoted as the idea of Communism".
Just as people at large were swayed by this intellectual environment, many Muslim scholars were also influenced, for example, Maulana Hasrat Mohani, Maulana Muhammad Hifzur Rahman Seoharwi, Dr. Mohammad Iqbal, Gamal Abdel Nasser, etc. Influenced by this environment, Maulana Abul ‘Ala Maududi began to describe Islam in terms of a socio-political system. He claimed that Islam is a complete socio-political system, and that it is the solemn duty of the Muslim ummah to establish this ideal human system in the world. For them, according to Maulana Maududi, the purpose of jihad was to defeat man-made socio-political systems and replace them with the superior system of Islam.
The commandments given in the Quran are mostly individual in nature, not only in the matter of faith and the practising of good deeds but also in other mundane matters.
But the fact is that this concept was born in response to Communism. It was like an Islamic edition of Communism. The Quran provides no basis for such an interpretation. Even in the time of the Prophet of Islam and the Pious Caliphs, there was no such ‘standard system’. If the purpose of religion is to create a standard social system in the world, then this target has never been fulfilled in the time of any prophet in history. On both the theoretical and the practical fronts, this concept is still unproven as well as impractical.
The commandments given in the Quran are mostly individual in nature, not only in the matter of faith and the practising of good deeds but also in other mundane matters, e.g. remain steadfast in religion (42: 13), act in all fairness (57: 25), enjoin what is good, and forbid what is evil (3: 110). These directives are in essence addressed to the individual. These are not meant to be enforced by a government.
It is true that the Quran contains some laws and provisions which deal with government affairs, for example, theft, adultery, drunkenness, false accusation of adultery, murder, etc. But such orders are few. The purpose of laying down these rules is not to create a standard society, but, rather, to maintain a necessary level of order in society.
One proof of this view is that there is no specific instruction in Islam regarding many of the most important components required to establish an ideal society, such as how to appoint a ruler of a state. After the Prophet’s death, there were five such heads of the Muslim state, including Umar bin Abdul Aziz (died AD 720), who are unanimously known as the Pious Caliphs. But the appointment process for all of them was different. Similarly, there was no specific system or structure of the parliament in the early days of Islam to serve as a model. After the emigration of the Prophet of Islam to Madinah, even the Prophet followed the old political system of Madinah until the conquest of Makkah.
The main goal of Islam is that every individual attain God-realization, everyone become a rabbani person—a devoted servant of God in worship and in ethics.
The present world has been created in order to put man to the test. To meet the requirements of the test, there will always be unfavourable conditions. According to the creation plan of God, the ideal world will be created in Heaven. In the present world, man’s task is to prove himself worthy of gaining entry into the next ideal world (Paradise). Trying to create a standard and ideal social system in the present world is like trying to build Paradise in the present world, which according to God’s plan is not possible at all.
The concept of Islam regarding social system is that if a system exists that does not pose a problem for the believers to practice their religion, then it should not be challenged. By recognizing this in practice, Islam will be followed at the levels of individuals and institutions. Following the same principle, the Prophet Joseph did not oppose the polytheist king of Egypt, because under him, Prophet Joseph could live up to the requirements of monotheism. In similar fashion, the Prophet Muhammad’s Companions emigrated from Makkah and went to Ethiopia. It was then ruled by a Christian king named Negus. The Prophet’s Companions did not clash with him, as he granted people religious freedom.
The notion that Islam is an ideal socio-political system and that it is the duty of the Muslim community to establish this system in the world is against the real goal of Islam. This approach goes against the very target of Islam. The main goal of Islam is that every individual attain God-realization, everyone become a rabbani person—a devoted servant of God (3: 79) in worship and in ethics. Islam desires that individuals should make success in the Hereafter their main goal. A person who interprets Islam in terms of an ideal system makes this present world his target, rather than the Hereafter. For such a person, preparing for the Hereafter makes way for the pursuit of worldly glory. Islam asks a person to lead a God-oriented life and become a devoted servant of God, but the political interpretation reduces Islam to a material and political religion.
The main purpose of Islam is that man should discover God. He should build a spiritual personality within himself. He should begin to see the higher truth in his daily affairs. He should consider the life of this world to be a mere temptation and the life of the Hereafter to be truly desirable. For a person with this bent of mind, establishing an ideal socio-political system in this world is akin to a passenger of a train who starts to make his desired home on a railway platform!
While mentioning Paradise, the Quran says: It is for the like of this that all should strive (37: 61). The Prophet said: “There is no life worth living except the life of the Hereafter.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)
The Quran and the corpus of Hadith abound with similar teachings. The mind that develops from these teachings is incompatible with the concept of Islam as a socio-political system. It would then be fair to say that the ‘political system’ approach makes a Muslim a kind of ‘Islamic Communist’. It does not really build an Islamic personality.
As far as the task Islam entrusts the believers is concerned, the real target of Islam is the moral and spiritual development of individuals, and not the establishment of social and governmental structures.
The terms Rabbani (spiritual) Islam and Political Islam can be used to explain this difference. Rabbani Islam fosters the spirit of God-realization in man. It cultivates a sense of accountability and introspection within man. Such a person begins to live in anticipation of Paradise. His days and nights pass in the blissful cogitations of the Hereafter. Worldly success is unimportant to him, while the success of the Hereafter becomes all-important. He makes use of the world out of necessity while possessing a boundless passion for the Hereafter.
Starkly opposite to this is the thinking that develops under the ideology of Political Islam. The mindset of a person who harbours such an ideology becomes totally political. Issues of politics and government become the focus of his attention. Things of a political nature consciously or unconsciously become the top priority for him, and things of the spiritual nature are practically relegated to the backseat. In matters of worship, he is content with the observance of outward form. His moral behaviour is subject to political considerations. Things like piety, fear of God, modesty and humble prayers become alien to his temperament. If you sit in the assembly of such people, you will most likely hear political talk, not the talk of God and His Glory.
The purpose of Islam is not to establish a social and governmental system, but, rather, to develop individuals. In a society where a considerable number of people are thus spiritually prepared, this will certainly show its impact on the social level as well. But as far as the task Islam entrusts the believers is concerned, the real target of Islam is the moral and spiritual development of individuals, and not the establishment of social and governmental structures.
While embarking on an academic study of Islam it is necessary to accept the above principle. If this principle is not accepted, then the mission of all the prophets would seem inferior and unsatisfactory, both theoretically and practically.
The study of the Quran shows that the real purpose of the Prophets’ mission was to prepare people of such lofty and noble character who would be considered worthy to settle in the eternal Paradise of the Hereafter. The purpose of the teaching of the prophets was not to create a world for people in this world, where they could have a ‘paradise’ to live in before the Hereafter and the Day of Accounting.