His Mode of Thought
اندازِ فکر و نقطۂ نظر
Because Ḥaḍrat kept deeply grounded in the Qurʾān and ḥadīth (Prophetic traditions), the Sharīʿa (Sacred Law), its spirit, and the temper of the age were always with him — he was thoroughly familiar with all of them. He was therefore highly respected and honoured among scholars, religious leaders, fuqarāʾ (the Sufi poor, i.e. spiritual aspirants), intellectuals, landowners, the wealthy, and men of affairs. Every segment of the umma (Muslim community) found benefit and profit from the substance of his thought. Reading the sections of this chapter devoted to Ḥaḍrat's mode of thought and point of view on the topics of Islamic civilisation, governance, and politics will bring before our eyes a vivid picture of his inner vision and public outlook. The finest reflection of the community's soul will become manifest; the forces of thought and action that unite a nation and give it enduring solidarity will become clear. The community's spirit will also be awakened, and both its individual and social condition will find a path of improvement.
The Plague of Partisanship and Leadership — and Wheat-Vendors
Ḥaḍrat took every opportunity to meet people who came to see him — associates, followers, disciples, and visitors — and would caution them about political matters. He never took part in any political movement nor joined or formed any party, nor did he keep any affiliation with any party — because, by nature, the formation of parties is always a cause of the plague of partisanship. Partisanship constantly destroys the unity of the Muslims; it divides the milla (religious community) into factions which are a cause of disunion. — Unity is essential for Muslims. — Partisanship means self-governance is absent. — Leadership means there is no leader. — Every leader is self-made and lacks any following. — All the imāms (leaders) are without any following. — The distance between the people and government is great. Counsellors, managers, artisans, and lawyers are all acquiring qualifications in name only.
Ḥaḍrat was utterly disgusted with those leaders and their chieftains whose sole purpose was to deceive the simple-minded and emotionally susceptible masses, to organise them, to insist that their entire life had no real aim and no genuine vocation — merely to beguile them into spending themselves. He took great exception to the wheat-vendors among the leaders: to collect subscriptions from the public under various pretexts and different names; to present the public with diverse agendas; to collect money; to spend everything on preparing the first-class carriages of their own whims; to provide leadership only for those nearest to them; to mock and slander the poor mawlawīs (religious scholars); to curse and revile them day and night; to use religion as a tool to advance their own ends under cover of it, then to proclaim religion to Muslims — but in reality their ḥubb (love) is neither for religion nor for the madhhab (school of law). Their sole purpose is money and position. God has preserved His religion from their evil and from their schemes.
Advice and Guidance to National Leaders
Those close associates who would come to Ḥaḍrat and take counsel with him in political matters would always receive from him emphatic instruction to decide any matter with a thousand parts of sincerity before taking a single step. When a decision was taken, one should not abandon it — one must be steadfast. — Do not go into discussions of money. — He would caution them about accepting promises of mutual trust on the part of those of the Ahl al-Kitāb (People of the Book) and the polytheists. — Do not rely on their pledges. — Never demand in your heart some act of flattery. — Be firm and reliable in character. — He would advise giving the proper attention to decorum, order, discipline, secrecy, proportionateness, and punctuality on every occasion. — He used to strongly urge consideration of every possibility and option, giving reinforcement to every action wherever the need arose. — It is necessary to present a united front. — He would assert that without self-sacrifice no objective can be achieved. — Nevertheless, he believed it is not easy to lead. — One must know where to stand, where to advance, where to remain steady, and where to act. — God's life is beyond price for Muslims. — The enemy must be kept vigilant at every moment. — The leader must keep watch over minor affairs and every routine matter. — He used to count trivial details as important, deeming it of the utmost consequence, because without considering the future, short-sighted policy is impossible. — He disliked blind imitation. He urged that unity generates power. — Without power, governance is impossible. — And be careful. — If the temperature rises too high, cowardice and death draw near; if it falls too low, weakness and decline set in. — He would caution: remember, making the entire people sinful destroys a nation. — Taking illegitimate money from an individual, holding all members of the community responsible — that is an unlawful act. — God has the right to forgive all individuals, not the individuals to forgive one another.
Ḥaḍrat desired: what does he want? He wanted the Muslims to remain in some state at all. But their spirit was ever awake, restless, and in motion. They were being affected by an unhealthy temper of national weakness, not recovering such that they could rise and stand on their feet. — What is happening in the name of enrolling Muslims on the electoral rolls?
Ḥaḍrat would always think that a new power would arise among the Muslims, and their strength and self-respect would be restored. Their collective standing would rise, and their religious, educational, economic, and political condition would improve. And in this connection, whenever Ḥaḍrat's guidance flowed forth abundantly, it became a spokesman for the progress, happiness, and prosperity of the Muslims. At every moment he would stretch out his hands in prayer to the Lord of Honour, beseeching Him to protect the Muslims from the evil of the hypocrites and the faithless.
The Hypocrite
Ḥaḍrat considered the conduct of hypocrites as akin to that of beasts without a book. — Old hypocrites were large, and modern ones have forgotten everything. — They have no relation with goodness and shirk (polytheism). — They have no connection with religious feeling. — They are the masters of political cunning. — We are philosophers of statecraft. — We are diplomats. — We want to live alongside them. — The shrewd one is he who attains his objective through practical wisdom. — We take from Muslims too, and from the deniers of Islam as well. — We also want the large and successful men who delight in an immense desire for luxury. — Muslim and munkar al-Islām (denier of Islam) alike — it is a great matter for us to give legal standing to tolerance of Muslims and the confirmation of non-Muslims. — Good behaviour towards others! A Muslim remains helpless in taking his case forward before non-Muslims — our tact and eloquence, our nimbleness of tongue, our rhetoric: all the educated Muslims among whom it flows — and it becomes apparent that the Muslims' sympathy has turned into nothing but wretchedness. — And the Brothers of Yūsuf give alms with both hands in a paltry measure. — They themselves regard themselves as highly learned. They — they are unfortunate, utterly nescient, completely ignorant. — The pillars of such a community are in ruins. — When God has not preserved the people themselves, who shall then preserve them? — Firm of heart, resolute, God-fearing. — Qalb-e-Salīm (a sound heart) — let us use it.
(Taken from: Tafsīr-e-Ṣiddīqī)
Ḥaḍrat defined the nation thus: — "Those people who help one another and provide mutual support and assistance — they are all considered one nation." — Those people in whom this quality of mutual union is not found will be considered as belonging to another nation. — Islam has made mutual cooperation obligatory for all Muslims, as a consequence of which all Muslims form a single community.
(Taken from: Dīn-e-Fiṭrat, authored by Mawlānā ʿAbd al-Qādir)
The Bond of Nationhood — Unity
Ḥaḍrat writes: — "At this time many nations are flourishing in the world." — But the bond of their national unity is one of these: common lineage, shared homeland, same colour, common language. — Each person considers his own nation superior and better over all others, and views the other nation as inferior and contemptible.
In India there are hundreds of thousands of such groupings — can any of the Europeans join them? — Never — they are not Nazi. — Can any conquered subjects be made partners in their own nationhood? — Never — Red Indians are being exterminated. — Is there any America where the nationhood —
They never accept them as partners. — Many nations are coming to India every few hundred years. — They take a better and worse approach than the indigenous people with their animals and wildlife. — They pass by. — They take no seat at a Muslim meal. — They can never become part of an indigenous people. — They can never become Hindu, Muslim, or Parsi. — General people become such. — When there is no quality of unity and accord in any community, then all the people of the earth, regardless of colour, lineage, homeland, and language, can never become a single community, cannot become one nation, cannot become neighbours among themselves. — They can all be together; all of them — at the very least — have one God. — He, as exalted President or dictator, is a Being who shows no distinction between various nations. — Each person worships their own Lord, making their own nation. — Differing views arise among themselves. — War and difference between ruler and the ruled also arise. — Therefore God is one. — This alone is authority: to give the command to no one except Himself and to say: all crises are to be resolved within the Divine bond of relationship. — The True Lord commands — in this matter the People of Insight (ūlū al-abṣār) should ponder — from all these ills only Islam is the cure. — It is Islam alone that makes all of humanity its own community. — In it there is freedom and equality. — It is Islam — Islam — that creates only one form — Islam — Islam —
Ḥaḍrat would say: — From the time when this matter of nationality started, the Muslims began to be agitated. — The Divine bond of mutual guardianship between people has been cut off. — Difference and division have appeared. — The discord of hypocrisy has arisen.
The System of Islamic Civilisation
Ḥaḍrat writes: — "Islam gathers both capitalism and socialism in one suitable manner. — It does so in such a way that all can become free, but the destitute and lowly cannot become so. — Islam has come to aid the poor and provide rules for wealth — these are partly of a religious character. — Islam examines the wealth of the rich annually — zakāt (obligatory alms-tax) — as a pious act, a portion of the annual wealth is disbursed. — This is kept in view as an aid to the poor. — Islam always provides aid to the poor from the wealth of the generous. — It is obligatory. — The poor have the right to make claims on the generous, Islam makes it incumbent. — Islam, after all mortality, allocates in full all wealth through bequest. — And by another kind of measure through income tax according to need. — Those people who do not participate in military service — it is obligatory that they pay tax. — This tax is called jizyah (a poll-tax levied on non-Muslim subjects in a Muslim state) — "
Regarding protection from interest (ribā) and custodial dues (wārfand): — Islam strictly forbids interest, as it is the life of capitalism and the source of the ruin of all the affairs of the poor. — Islam in no way permits free offerings to the idlers. — Those who take interest are not permitted to raise a plea on the grounds of need. — And interest and profit together are a cause of moral ruin for the labourer and the destitute. — Islam has merely prohibited usury. — This is a second category of Islamic commercial dealings — Islam has permitted the purchase and sale of goods and participation in profit-sharing. — That is, one rupee's worth of labour and one rupee's worth of work — this is permissible. — It is quite wrong to think that without commercial profit, monetary dealings can go on at all. — God has made lawful those who confront the perpetrators of prohibited interest and proclaim jihād — this Divine decree is very stern. — Do not be deceived by names. — Your conscience does not change — the reality never changes — all you do is devise interpretations. — They want to alter the facts.
Some among those ruined by interest have a saying that "interest means free trade — capitalists purchasing goods themselves at the cheapest possible rate, and on account of their self-interest and avarice." — And distribution is necessary on the basis of need. — Thus it becomes apparent that one must redefine and limit the commercial system of Islamic civilisation. — This is one branch of it. ●
Ḥaḍrat writes: — "Dear friends! Point out what thing is called slavery. — There is nothing that exists as involuntary slavery. — Formerly a few nations were considered slaves of the people. — Those who acted upon his opinion and went against his own view — what did it achieve? — Apparent unjust rule has been extinguished. — People's religion — the fear of God — has kept thinking about it. — They do not allow the religious matter to approach their minds. — The world's affairs are a linked chain — but where has that solidarity gone? ● 2"
The World on the Road to War
In one piece of writing, Ḥaḍrat states: — "I am restless on every side — I say to myself it is time to cease and all this world and this remaining life will come to an end and I shall pass from non-existence to tranquillity." — "The world is nothing but desolation and ruin, and the hearts of all people are catching fire. — And we are thinking about the time when we shall be near God and people will scatter and rise." — "People will gather against one another to form an attacking horde, simply to have fighting. — It would be good if the fire of enmity and malice were extinguished from people's hearts and people of brotherhood, love, and unity spread the fire and blaze." ●3
In another piece of writing he states: — "We claim — and we not only claim but send rockets to millions — that we are crushing humans from both sides. — Two sides of science and knowledge are known. — Those weak people who know science crush and annihilate the strong. — We create no such atom — we cause the atom bomb, hydrogen bomb and other destructive things to happen to people, and peace and security come to no one." ●
Flames of enmity are catching fire in all hearts. — And the thought is coming: when will we be near God and people scatter and flee? — People will gather together to attack one another in an onslaught, simply to indulge in fighting. — Would that the enmity and malice were extinguished — would that the fire of those spreading love and unity in the world blazed instead.
A Sense of Superiority
Dear friends! Write down the history of the world and turn its pages. — Let me tell you something: they do not know to what extent a sense of superiority blossoms from within a person — Khāsiru'l-dunyā wa'l-ākhira (losers of this world and the next). — Their harm is greater. — Pharaoh, Nimrod, Napoleon, and Hitler held themselves in superiority and glory — what was their end? — What was their fate? — Disgrace, indigence, and the ruin of their kingdom.
Moderation
Dear friends! Absolute superiority is only God's. — All of us are more error-prone and forgetful. — He who maintains moderation (iʿtidāl) is saved — and patience also helps. — He who obtains profit from someone: his name becomes recorded in success, and immoderation and dishonour cause a person to tumble from the peak of the mountain and he finds no further fortune.
Let the centrepiece of your thoughts be moderation. — Moderation also in your own life and that of others. — Look, speak no ill of the world, say nothing bad. — The worst stain of the conscience is — the darkest page of history. — Purity of conscience is honour. — Cleanliness of conscience is rest.
Voting
Dear friends! I am talking about elections — voting in elections for a certain person costs merely a thousand rupees, and it becomes known from that that buying the vote of a certain gentleman was a genuine purchase. — He who bought it — in what manner has a true purchase been obtained? — And what kind of person is beneficial to the community?
Europe and America among the large governments have about one hundred (100) literate people in them. — Fifty years is the voting qualification in the country. — In such a country where there is no one perfectly correct in placing the voting qualification for fifty years — my young man who was with me twenty-one years ago, and our housemaid who passed away twenty-one years ago — she was completely unable to cast a vote. — In that matter, we ourselves and those of right knowledge and action should cast our own votes. — Not a single thing will be left undone. — Whatever of right will be said will be said, whatever of wrong will be said will be said. — Today in the eyes of all it has become apparent as partisanship. — Now the correct matter is: how does one obtain qualification of old age? ●
Islamic Governance
The author is at liberty. — The human being is such that when individual form separates from another, both natures are diverse. — For this reason they have also been separated. — To establish peace and harmony in life for the fulfilment of rights and duties — in all the various segments of life, common connections must be made for every kind of human being — this is the foundation of governance. And those political matters over which thought and reflection arise — their basis lies in human nature, its temperaments, and instinctual and rational demands. — What is the purpose of governance? — What kinds of authority does governance need to possess? — In what state does governance need to exist? — What relationships with other nations is it necessary to maintain? — In what manner should freedom and constraint be exercised? — Until what point can humans be kept free? — What is the need of restraint upon them? — These are the fundamental discussions over which political systems revolve.
In Islam the path in which this is determined is based purely on original and immutable principles. — The Sharīʿa sets the rules — the Islamic Sharīʿa changes no individual or special communal law — but the Islamic Sharīʿa presents original guidelines for the life of individual and community, according to which, those laws that are in their interest and that can remove the difficulties and corruptions that are happening — these are presented. — And it has the highest scope of action. — The teaching of Islam is the original teaching — the Qurʾān and secondly the final Prophet, the Seal of the Prophets, Muḥammad Rasūl Allāh ﷺ — a collection of his sayings which are called ḥadīth.
In the world there are many organised systems of civilisation. — Islam is also one system — the ruler of all rulers, the owner of all lands — keeping this in view.
In this connection, the concept of the Islamic state has been established by the Qurʾān. — The Islamic concept of the state is that the highest authority belongs to God alone. — The Islamic state is in reality the state of God. — The Khalīfa or amīr of the Muslims is the administrator of this state according to its laws. — Governance does so in admissible circumstances — legal interpretation (tafsīr and ijtihād-e-kullī) of the law is done by the scholars — and those who are compelled by the Qurʾān and ḥadīth — whose nature is close to the spirit of the Sharīʿa. — (The Author)
Ḥaḍrat writes about Islamic governance:
— 1. The system of Islam is quite distinct from all other systems. — In Islam, the ruling authority is Lā ilāha illā'llāh (there is no god but God), and God alone is the One, the Unique (Wāḥid, Aḥad). — He has this nature — it is as his nature that Islamic governance seeks. — (And he works and consults with those around him — and amrihi mushāwara fī'l-amr — if you can, consult with him then, and if it can be made into a republic, then it can be done.) — Non-designated (ghayr-manṣūṣ) matters are non-designated. — The designated matters are front-and-centre. ● 1
The Consultative Assembly (Dār al-Shūrā)
Ḥaḍrat writes: — In the governing Consultative Assembly (Dār al-Shūrā), let people who are shareholders be invited to take counsel. Let those who are people of right opinion be present — those who are knowledgeable by experience, well-versed in the times, skilled in affairs and commerce, prudent of thought and conduct, of sound comprehension, articulate — not the foolish or impulsive. — Giving counsel is the most important matter. — From counsel comes a strong quality and trustworthiness. — The self-seeking, the seekers of fame, those who display their spurious splendour — these people leave nothing intact. ● 2
The Principles of Enforcing Islamic Law
Ḥaḍrat writes: — The system of Islam was constituted in this way. — It consists of: rulers, scholars, fuqahāʾ (jurists), mujtahidīn (independent legal reasoners). — They look at the Qurʾān and ḥadīth and derive the laws from them. — Then these mujtahidīn apply these derived laws to the Islamic authorities. — The qāḍī (judge) applied the law on the basis of circumstances and events. — This is what qāḍī-ship means. — The ḥisbah (moral enforcement office), judge, and military governor carried out such work. ● 1
Consultation for the future: — this too is kept in mind by the leaders of Muslims. — Various necessities arise. — The time changes, those times pass. — It is necessary for the Muslims to bring together the Qurʾān, ḥadīth, and religious sayings for their times and to continue applying the derived laws.
There are foolish people in some places who say that the times are advancing and the laws change according to need. — On the whole, all the laws are those of Islam — and one should understand: Islamic laws on original and overall matters never change. — And no religion besides Islam has the audacity to make any such claim of authority.
The laws of Islam are those that come forth — and in their light they derive all the partial laws. — Someone will compare the principles of Rome and Islam — he will see how Islam presents itself. — This one matter is such that for any given person it cannot be distinguished by taste and smell. — Such a person should grieve and weep over his own weakness, and repent for his shortcomings. — And these weak and short-sighted persons — cast away the full jewels from their eyes, casting a curtain over their eyes. ● 2
Ijmāʿ of the Umma
Ḥaḍrat writes: — If all the Muslims agree together, they reach ijmāʿ (consensus). — It is a rule of ijmāʿ that after its occurrence, other Muslims should not differ from it. — Ḥadīth has come: Lā tajtamiʿu ummatī ʿalā ḍalāla (My community will never agree upon error). — That is, my community will never in its totality be led astray. — Every ijmāʿ should be an original one. — That is, the matter should be something established by the Qurʾān and ḥadīth or by reasoning (qiyās); it becomes necessary. — Some people consider that ijmāʿ is very difficult to establish — because in the first age the scholars of various cities and far-distant places were scattered, and for the scholars of the time in order to have the mujtahidīn converge there could be no ijmāʿ. — (Certain people looking at the problem from both sides say that the statements are not about ijmāʿ — there is no ijmāʿ.) ● 3
Hostility towards Islam
The author submits: — When Muslims had firm religious identity and Islam was the centre of their identity, and its central importance remained — the effort was made to weaken it by presenting such things to them — religious bigotry was instilled by means of inflaming their patriotic feeling. — Hostility (waṭaniyyat) was strengthened — the damage to religion (dīn) was brought about — they weakened religion by means of such things as false tolerance (ikhlās-e-kāzib ), poverty, self-interest, and bigotry. — Their reliance on God was damaged, and their tolerance was shown as loss. — The attempts were made to introduce new theories — and what was the earlier broad outlook and wide tolerance? — They were placed in such a state that they could not find Islam or bear witness to it. — And they became unable to maintain their own national wisdom. — This family system, the religious and spiritual training-ground and centre, was treated as a place for those living fruitlessly and without direction — the old men, young and old, of their community were made irrelevant — being engrossed in religion stopped them from seeing the light of evidence of truth and things understood. — The spiritual power and force of purity — the restraint, the knowledge and understanding of those who hold firm to the bond and relationship with God and the Prophet ﷺ — these were kept hidden — so that the light of faith in Muslims could be extinguished by the opportunity of darkness and the thread of zinār (the sacred thread of non-Muslims) could be put on. — As a consequence their religious unity was rendered unstable — and they were irreligious and without direction, the unity of the wicked being drenched in blood around them.
دشمن اگر قوی است نگہبان قوی تراست
If the enemy is strong, the guardian is stronger still.
Islam — its religion is its protector. — All the Muslims of the earth were one and their religion is one. — Their Book is one, their Prophet the final one — and He who created them is one. — Here there is only unity — and nothing but unity. — (The Author)
Fanaticism (Taʿaṣṣub) and Tribalism (ʿAṣabiyyat)
Ḥaḍrat writes: — Fanaticism is a distinct thing and tribalism is a distinct thing. — Unjustified support and promotion cannot be called fanaticism — fanaticism means justifiable support and justifiable support means the name of guardianship. — The world runs on guardianship. ● 1 — Tribalism is the shirāza (binding cord) of the discordant.
If there is no tribalism the leaves of the book will be scattered.
Preservation of Civilisation
He says: — "Bear this in mind: the system of civilisation is also one system in fundamentals. — It is in Germany also. — Every communist also has one system of civilisation. — Islam when religion is one system is the finest of them. — Every community considers its own system to be good and considers its preservation to be its duty."
The Petty Kings (Ṭawāʾif al-Mulūk)
The whole world — its God is one, its Khalīfa is one, and its authority one. — And the sovereign one. — When from among the Muslims there arise disputes among them, and the central Islamic authority and the central importance of its remaining laws cease, and the petty kings (ṭawāʾif al-mulūk) begin — the shirāza of Islam will be torn apart entirely and those documents will be scattered. — This is not a special characteristic of Islam, and this ruling is not particular to Muslims. — When the petty kings arise, the state of peace, security, and power becomes non-existent. ● 1
The Good of Two Worlds
The good of this world (khayr-e-dārayn): — We will point out what this is. — More than the present day there are a limited number of things, and its legal knowledge is deficient. — One country is unjust to the individuals of another country. — Power — it tends to go to the community by right. — Power ceases at death. — One other world from this world has the name of a truly living world. — Perform good and you shall find good. — You will reap what you sow. — The next world is the farm of this world (al-Dunyā mazraʿatu'l-ākhira). — This world and the Hereafter — both find pleasure in good and harm in evil. — Who is God? — And what is His source of comfort? — He is the Prophet ﷺ, His teacher. — He is the master of Sharīʿa. — Obey His guidance. — Go bound by the rules of the Sharīʿa — the King whose laws you violate will punish you. — Your life passes in hardship. — The Divine law of God leads you to the ruin of this world and the Hereafter: wa'l-ākhira ḏālika huwa'l-khusrānu'l-mubīn (and such is the manifest loss in the Hereafter). ●2
Principles of Islam
Ḥaḍrat has written several characteristics and principles of Islam. — Those that are of fundamental importance to the Islamic system of civilisation are presented here:
1. — Islam is not particular to any country, race, or lineage.
2. — Islam is the possessor of magnificent civilisation and the condition of unity and morality.
3. — Islam in a lawful manner permits the seeking of livelihood — however it also keeps an eye on aid to the poor.
4. — In Islam there is equality as well, great and small alike being considered as one.
5. — In Islam it is necessary to make a distinction between knowledge and worship.
6. — In Islam the highest authority is God's and great emphasis has been placed on obedience to Him.
7. — In Islam there is no infallible Prophet.
8. — The pleasure of God Almighty can only be learned through the medium of the Prophet ﷺ.
9. — The laws of Islam are general. — However, those who know and understand religion have been given permission to undertake ijtihād (independent legal reasoning) and istinbāṭ (deduction of rulings) in accordance with the objectives of Islam.
10. — Islam is the original foundation and its soul is tawḥīd (the divine unity).
11. — Islam guides all human individuals towards obedience to God and towards His servitude.
12. — Islam does not dishonour any religion nor does it deny them — it only rejects false myths.
13. — Islam makes it obligatory to believe in all Prophets and makes respect for them obligatory.
In sum, Islam creates unity among all human individuals and bestows a spirit of fraternity. — Let this come about and then faith will be produced. — Without peace and faith there is no room for it. ●
The Demands of the Time (Iqtiḍāʾ-e-Waqt)
Ḥaḍrat had these as one of his fundamental principles: — the demands of the time. — To keep the time in mind, to think about the time, to speak well about the time in the assembly of every person. — The time is not the ruler's servant. — A wise ruler can truly guide his community on this principle. — It is of course naturally necessary that time not be sought as something that never exists. — The time continuously changes colour together with life. — Each era passes and the next age follows. — Or is that what passing the time away in entertainment means? — But the meaning of this is: it is necessary to sometimes see those times in order that the time of revolution should not catch us by surprise. — But the significance of time for a person's individual life is — the meaning of the demands of time encompasses the religious interest of the whole community. — The demands of time are a cause of life and an instrument of governance — and otherwise, aimlessness and loss of dignity become its consequence, and a person tumbles down from the mountain without disgrace and then has no further fortune.
Ḥaḍrat used to say — the time is the jewel of courage and bravery. — Heedlessness of the time is shamelessness. — This kind of time produces a leader who has special preference for his own nation and keeps it respectable. — In every field of life, whether knowledge, arts, or politics — whatever it may be — he must have something to go along with the life of the time, so that in this way the advancement of other nations will arrive — so that we shall choose the proper time for Islam, and the effort of Islam reaches its promotion — and the time has come to advance Islam, so that the original requirements of Islam can be served — and the success of religion and the world cannot be achieved without meeting the demands of time.
One sign of the demands of time is the manifestation of courage and bravery. — Heedlessness of the time is shamefulness. — This kind of time produces a leader who comes forward with a special preference and zeal for his own nation. — In this field of life, knowledge and skill, a lawyer, comes forward — keeping the dignity of his nation and raising it with such special distinction. — And such a time keeps those vile and contemptible in this time. — Muslims who remain behind the other peoples of the world due to carelessness about the time — all of them are in need of the mercy of their time. — And now our lives require the leadership of the government. — And sometimes keep the days of unbelief also at bay. — Ḥaḍrat kept looking at the demands of time and would say — Lord of the worlds, give us strength to act upon it — please give us light to act on these two matters. — Go deep into the battles of the times. — The master of the world ﷺ — and the life and religion of the world ﷺ — consider — go deep into the battles of the times. — The master of the world, go and make an effort towards the promotion of religion, find the opportunity of battles of the times, make use of sound ḥadīth — the times say as the following example:
Remember, he kept it, those two days on which he found himself in one state —
وَالْعَصْرِ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ
By the declining day! Verily man is in loss — except those who believe and do righteous deeds, and counsel one another to truth, and counsel one another to patience. (Qurʾān 103:1–3)
To make peace with the enemy sometimes requires making use of the demands of time with steadfastness (ṣabr). — Destroying everything, rendering futile all righteous action, is precisely in keeping with the demands of time.
Now it is necessary to note this: that we need an Islamic mode of civilisation that gradually forms a common civilisation for them — and those progressive nations of the world whose conduct does not accord with Islamic civilisation of the present time. — And the Islamic states and Islamic societies — struggling to come close together on the fundamental principles of Islamic civilisation, to establish a unity in them — so that civilisation of Islamic fundamentals, governance, and rule — there shall be no one but God and no governance of God but one — and the name shall remain in imagination — until the word of God prevails in the world: ḥattā lā takūna fitnatun wa yakūna'l-dīnu kulluhū li'llāh (until there is no more persecution, and all religion is for God). — Until that time let there be no justice and religion of God in the remaining world. — This time would come — and for it to happen, we must benefit from the prayers, morals, further worship, and the good habits and manners of the life of Ḥaḍrat ﷺ, and take benefit for tending to civilisation, livelihood, economics in respect of the times — and from the guidance and sīra (biography) of Ḥaḍrat ﷺ, think deeply on his teachings and your own methods of work, and act in accordance with the demands of the times. — (The Author)
Ḥaḍrat's instruction is: — "Islam is the secret of thought and action — knowledge without thought and action without knowledge are both a veil and error." — He says: — "Whatever is in the Qurʾān — have faith in that. — Strive. — Investigate. — Then for something — let that something leave the position of conjecture and be made certain."
Ḥaḍrat would draw attention: — "Look — the world is a traveller's inn for a few days. — It is never a permanent abode. — Some people fall ill for a few days in a caravanserai — they do not see a doctor or physician — they appear to be in pain and distress but remain like that. — In the same way, those who do not follow the commands of the Prophet ﷺ — Pīr (spiritual guide) — the eternally living — the world will also meet them with its hand. — Religion's commands shall be fulfilled for every act of the Muslim —"
Righteous Action (ʿAmal Ṣāliḥ)
In connection with righteous action (ʿamal ṣāliḥ), Ḥaḍrat writes: — Faith is stronger when righteous actions are upon it. — Those in whose hearts there is strong faith — they are obliged to perform righteous deeds. — Those who are certain — they will perform righteous deeds. — What is righteous action? — It is: prayer (ṣalāt), fasting (ṣawm), zakāt, pilgrimage (ḥajj), living — all are under this same category. — Every person's deeds are along with him. — He is not his actions, nor his deeds, nor his fruits. — As deeds are, so fruits are. — The spirit of deeds is sincerity, God-consciousness, and obedience to the Messenger. ●1
Heartfelt Action (ʿAmal Qalbī)
In connection with heartfelt action (ʿamal qalbī), Ḥaḍrat says: — A single righteous act is being performed today by whichever Hindu, Muslim, or Christian performs one righteous deed. — What does it mean to be a Muslim? — In their possession is the best heartfelt act. — He who does not stop from keeping God in view knows clearly. — Faith means not keeping apart from God — otherwise a hundred thousand of what appears to be good deeds will come and that hardest one and the sternest punishment will be meted out.
One time he said: — A criminal is a criminal and has a bad creed — a criminal can be released after punishment or pardoned — but the criminal's punishment is eternal. — (That is, he will always be burning in Hell.)
Propagation (Tablīgh)
Ḥaḍrat writes: — "From the Muslims — when the command of amr bil-maʿrūf wa nahy ʿan al-munkar (commanding good and forbidding evil) was to be enacted, it stopped. — The Muslims began to slide into decline. — Now there are a few scattered people in them and among them is one person who has a duty to all: — he is the one who is obliged to stop everyone and save them. — No — they will sink and be submerged. — The command of amr bil-maʿrūf wa nahy ʿan al-munkar is the Prophet's responsibility. — How sad it is for the Prophet ﷺ that those who carry batil (false) religion and their own irreligious thoughts and opinions of religion are in its place. — And the Muslim, despite having the right, remains heedless of propagation. — As a result of this, a new day sees the emergence of a new religion, and those following it spread it further. — God shall give Muslims the ability to act on goodness and amr bil-maʿrūf, and make manifest nahy ʿan al-munkar in following the Prophet ﷺ and the Sunna of the Messenger of God ﷺ." ●2 — Āmīn.
Birth Control (Ḍabṭ-e-Tawlīd)
Islam has used the institution of marriage for the correct purpose — the direct purpose of marriage is to have children. — Birth control is of a kind — that is, artificial suppression of children — this is an Islamic original principle. — If everyone in the world wishes to take control — in France it has come about as a consequence of birth control that the population has reached five crore to seven crore. — And from the offspring of Germans, it has come to be that the population has reached seven crores. — And evidently it appears that the French will die, the Germans will bring them to life. — Having children is an original instinctive matter. — That which goes against the original nature of things cannot stay without punishment. ●3
Polygamy (Taʿaddud-e-Azwāj)
— The cure for women and its benefits cannot be established in a time of affliction. — Therefore unlimited polygamy for men cannot be. — (In the Qurʾān) Islam has limited men's polygamy to four. — It has been clearly indicated that if there is no equality and justice among them, then it is not permissible to go beyond one. — This great war clearly shows that the number of men is greatly exceeded by the number of women. — If the limit on polygamy is not permitted, then which women will take care of themselves? — Who shall look after them? — This is an Islamic original principle and people are obliged to act on it. ●1
As for those people who do not have polygamy as permissible — let us inform them not of the current day but of the millions of widows from this time — what is the cure? — Is it prostitution? — And what is it that one avoids by way of fornication? — Without raising objections unnecessarily, think about it and acknowledge the merit of Islam. ●2
Generosity and Courage
Indeed there are two kinds of people in the world. — Some feel difficulty only in spending their wealth — it passes with great difficulty but nothing complete remains. — Some feel difficulty in giving their lives — and some feel no difficulty at all — the sword has no price. — God gives the command to both — to Muslims — generosity and courage — for establishing both as pillars. — A Muslim is both courageous and humble. — Muslims have felt great grief. — They have both lowered their jewels and awakened both in disgrace. ●3
Jihād
Islam gives permission for war in the cause of freedom, security, and religion. — The word jihād has come from jahd — to strive, to endeavour. — To strive in the cause of God — to strive diligently, to fight earnestly — to hold fast with hands. — Making effort in the cause of raising a community in education is also jihād. — The reform of morals and habits is also jihād. — But the greater jihād is also this. — The Islamic religion and peace and security are its cause — because it is permissible on its account. —
وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَّفَسَدَتِ الْأَرْضُ
And were it not that God repels some people by means of others, the earth would indeed be full of corruption. (Qurʾān 2:251)
— One place is: wa lawlā dafʿu'llāhi'n-nāsa baʿḍahum bi-baʿḍin la-haddamat ṣawāmiʿu wa ṣalawātun wa masājidu yudhkaru fīhā'smu'llāhi kathīrā (And were it not that God repels some people by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of God is much mentioned) (Qurʾān 22:40). — From these two verses two matters are established:
1. — War or jihād is to maintain peace and security.
2. — In the covenant and in the remembrance of God, no harm and deviation of any kind should be seen — the goal is clear: that Islam does not seek to keep other religions' places of worship in ruins. ●3
The Jizyah (Poll-tax) or Defence Levy (Wārfand)
Ḥaḍrat writes: — "Fine — why is jizyah (poll-tax) taken from non-Muslims? — And why is it not taken from Muslims? — The clear answer to this is that jizyah is taken from non-Muslims and not from Muslims — jizyah is the tax for protection and defence. — Those people who perform no military service — peace and security cannot be maintained without striving for them. — Ḥaḍrat Abū ʿUbayda ibn al-Jarrāḥ (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) returned their jizyah to those non-Muslims whom he could no longer protect. — Furthermore, those non-Muslims who are unable by reason of their position to fight alongside Muslims in Islamic wars — from those an army-style tax (jizyah) is levied. — And jizyah is taken from the word jazāʾ (recompense) — and the word wārfand is extremely pleasing — and in the word wārfand what is the fine? — However, both jizyah and wārfand are extremely pleasant — the purpose of both is one. ●2
Slavery (Ghulāmī)
Fine — why does Islam take non-Muslims into servitude (ghulāmī)? — Why? — Because Islam is freedom and equality — when one looks towards the nations of slaves and Africa — the thought comes. — Islam is pure in this matter. — Islam is education — in Islam the uneducated and undisciplined people are kept under supervision (zīr-e-nigrānī). — In this, those slaves whether of educated or uneducated type — take these ghulāmān (slaves) and earn from them what they themselves earn — take care of them on your own behalf — take counsel with the Messenger of God ﷺ himself — Fa-kātibūhum in ʿalimtum fīhim khayran wa ātūhum min māli'llāhi'lladhī ātākum (Quran 24:33: "...so write the contract with them if you know any good in them, and give them from the wealth of God which He has given you"). — If you give them education and training and make their character good — God is present and watching — and He gives them everything. — Those people who are propagators of Islam and blow the great trumpet of Islam — God, present and watching, is the guardian of their souls.
In truth, what kind of slaves were the Muslims and non-Muslims of both types of slavery? — If in Islam this kind of living as a slave was never to happen — the reality and joint things are clear — and the collective things are different.
The Rights of God's Servants (Ḥuqūq al-ʿIbād)
Ḥaḍrat draws attention to the rights of God's servants (ḥuqūq al-ʿibād) in this way. — Look — God Almighty can forgive rights in meaning. — But the rights of the servant are a great injustice. — It is a great injustice perpetrated on one's own self. — He is ignorant. — He is a wrongdoer. — He is unfortunate. — He is unjust. — The crying of the oppressed and the humble will be heard. — They will be abandoned to punishment without reason. — O rulers! Do justice to your subjects — do not oppress them. — Pick up even the smallest of matters from the others. — Give God's servants their rights honestly. — On the Day of Judgement (the Last Day), before God, you will be held to account — act with integrity towards it. — God is al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm (the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful), the Lord of all the worlds. — You too should be of the character of the righteous. — Look: those who are tyrannical and oppressive, your punishment is great and your Lord is the guardian and nurturer of the poor. ●2
— A Muslim in this has become so paralysed that he cannot begin any movement by command — can he speak? — No. — Can he be stealthy? — No. — Can he tell lies? — No. — Can he keep quiet? — No. — He cannot speak falsehood. — Those who are animals that have been made religiously forbidden (ḥarām) — No. — Can he eat anything? — No. — He cannot even eat ordinary food when it is from the west of Morocco to the east, it is not drinkable. — Indeed a Muslim's every act is subject to the Sharīʿa (the Sacred Law) — these his prayers, worship, peace, and security: wa maḥyāya wa mamātī li'llāhi rabb al-ʿālamīn (and my living and my dying are for God, Lord of all the worlds). ●3
موت و حیات میری دونوں ترے لے ہیں جینا تری گلی میں مرنا تری گلی میں
My death and my life are both for You — / Living in Your lane, dying in Your lane.
(Ḥaḍrat Ṣiddīqī, raḥimahu'llāh)