DR. PARVEZ MANDVIWALA presents a report of the various sessions of the 4-day convention of Arkan Jamaat-e-Islami Hind held at Wadi-e-Huda, Hyderabad, Telangana.
The 4-day All-India Members’ Convention of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind on ‘Islamic Movement in the Changing Scenario’ began on 11 December with Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Omeri delivering the inaugural address wherein he said: “We have gathered here to acquire new zeal, to acquaint ourselves with the activities of Jamaat from all over India, to get inspired to offer ourselves for the cause of Allah.
“We have to strive to establish Islam in all aspects of life. It belongs to everyone and is meant for all situations and is the solution to all problems of life – all individual and collective issues of society, irrespective of race, community or religion. We are proud and happy that Jamaat-e-Islami Hind is following the Prophetic way and mission in letter and spirit, which demands to inculcate in ourselves the zeal and strength of the prophets.”
He underlined the need to be steadfast in times of distress. He observed that when Islam is presented as a complete way of life, it has met with numerous oppositions like accusations of adopting politics, extremism and violence. On the contrary, in Egypt and Syria, the peaceful and popular Islamic movements were suppressed with all military might. He averred that Islam does not permit violence and compulsion; instead JIH is of the firm opinion that the only way to propagate Islam is by grooming public opinion in its favour through peaceful and educational means.
He lamented that 80% people do not know that Islam is their religion as well. Maulana expressed confidence that a huge majority of Indians do not harbour a negative opinion about Islam and we need to capitalise upon their goodwill. JIH would have to work with all like-minded institutions as it does not consider any organisation its rival. The basic ideology of JIH appeals to the entire Ummah. We empathise with the concerns of our fellow countrymen and strive to solve them because we consider social service an intrinsic element of our religion. All the work JIH does is done with a view to introduce Islamic values. He also made it clear that JIH does not directly participate in elections but supports those parties which it believes would uphold the democratic values of our country. “Surya Namaskar, Yoga, beef consumption et al are means to promote fascism. We need to counter the growing fascism in our country and promote secularism which is a fundamental part of our Constitution,” he emphasised.
The conference, attended by close to 10000 members – both men and women – pouring in from all parts of India, was preceded by the Juma sermon delivered by Maulana Ejaz Ahmed Aslam wherein he expounded upon the concluding ayaat of Surah Al-Hajj and expressed the desire that every Muslim should be an embodiment of the life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
The inaugural session began with a heart rendering recitation of a passage from the Qur’ān. The organiser of the Conference, Mr. Mujtaba Farooq sought to make it clear that this conference is not being conducted for the mere sake of conducting one, but to meet the requirements of recognising the current situations of Muslims on the national and international front and to receive guidelines as to how we can work in its midst.
JIH General Secretary, Engineer Muhammad Salim expressed satisfaction at the rise in our members from a mere 240 in 1948 to almost 10000 today. He introduced the various activities of the Jamaat carried out all over India in various departments like propagation of Islam, social service and community issues, interfaith dialogues to promote religious amity and developmental work in backward communities like Dalits and Adivasis. He recognised and encouraged the use of Social Media and electronic media in the field of Dawah by young professionals.
He also touched upon the work done by the Jamaat in reforming the Muslim community through various successful campaigns and by roping in religious scholars. JIH has established 136 educational institutions in the country in the last four years; while 26 innocents were successfully liberated from jails. We would also try to establish Interest-free banking.
The second day of the convention began with a Dars-e-Qur’ān by Shaikh-ut-Tafseer Maulana Naimuddin Islahi. While elaborating the initial ayaat of the last ruku of Surah al-Hashr, Maulana averred that Muslims will attain victory despite lack of manpower or resources because they have Allah’s help and because of the undeniable fact that the entire creation of Allah supports the believers in Allah’s cause. He encouraged us to make sure that our deeds should match our words when we invite others to Islam with beautiful preaching and compassion. Allah has always repeated the command of “Ittaqullah” in reference to refrain from the disobedience of the Prophet ﷺ. He also urged us to pay special attention to self-introspection and also to our family members in order to attain eternal bliss.
Next, Maulana Waliullah Sayeedi Falahi, Secretary for Tarbiyah, delivered an inspirational sermon on Ta’lluq billah (Rapport with Allah). Interspersed with emotional stories of the Sahaba, he explained that the love of the Prophet ﷺ is subservient to the love of Allah. He also reminded us that it does not matter if anyone is aware of our deeds as long as Allah is. He also laid stress on the fact that the desire for sacrifice is impossible without Ta’lluq billah. Maulana Falahi also exhorted us to inculcate in ourselves the spirit of gratitude and to attain Allah’s pleasure by means of nawafil like nafl prayers, namaz and fasts, taubah and astaghfar, dua and azkar.
Thereafter, T. Arif Ali, Naib Ameer, spoke at length on Huqooqul Ibad (Rights of fellow human beings) and Ma’amlat (public dealings).
Dr. Javed Mukarram Siddiqui, Managing Director Touba Laboratories Aurangabad, underlined the importance of adhering to the standard the organisation sets for the cadre. He detailed the common problems that take a person away from the goal of the organisation. Procrastination is the habit of postponing the regular activities out of laziness and lack of punctuality. To curb this one has to define the goals with time and achieve them with relentless commitment. Taking continuous feedback from colleagues, family and the leader is the best tool to keep on checking the mistakes that are often not captured. Dedicating the specified time of our life for the sake of the organisation is a must to achieve any objective. Spending time for the organisation is worth nothing without being attached to Almighty Allah. One should always be ready to take challenging projects in the path of Allah without any fear and with a lot of determination as it is evident that every creature of Allah would support those who strive in His cause.
The fifth lecture of this session was delivered by S. Ameenul Hasan, Member CAC, on ‘Knowledge, Farsightedness and Skills’. He said that true knowledge is that which enables us to differentiate between light and darknesses and to guide mankind towards the Light. All knowledge belongs to Allah alone which He has revealed to His prophets in stages from Adam to Nooh to Ibraheem to Musa to Isa (May peace be to them) and which reached its climax with Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. On the other hand, farsightedness helps us to have a broader vision of things to come so that we may plan and execute accordingly. It may be quite possible that the Islamic revolution would be shouldered by people from enemy ranks planted there by Allah as was the case of Musa. Speaking of skill development, he brought to our notice that Allah bestowed special skills on all prophets and moreover, the discoveries and inventions of our scientists have also been a result of Allah’s inspiration. We need to tap into the skills of our highly talented cadre and channelise them to bring out the most for the benefit of the Islamic Movement. Mr. Hasan summed up his speech by urging the participants to increase attachment with the Qur’ān, inculcate a habit of regular study and learn new concepts and to develop inter-personal skills.
This session concluded with former Naib Ameer Muhammad Jafar’s address. He spoke on the importance of doing work selflessly, all along obeying our leadership without any desire for posts whatsoever. He highlighted the importance of prioritising our sacrifices of time over our money. He urged us to engage in a disciplined collective work instead of doing things individually.
A grand Public Meet on ‘Reconstruction of the Society and Our Responsibilities’ was also a part of this convention. Presiding over this Public Meeting, Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Omeri quoted an ayat from the Qur’ān which says that ‘Evil has become rife on land and sea because of the deeds of man….’ The solution to all forms of social and economic evils is that man should turn back to his Lord and refrain from disobeying Him. All Prophets invited their communities to follow them even when they were devoid of political authority. JIH believes that men should accept Allah’s sovereignty. Truth is always supported by sound arguments and Islamic ideology is also backed by strong arguments in its favour. There has never been any compulsion in religion even when in power. Problems cannot be solved by fighting each other, but by fighting against divisive conspiracies.
He hoped that a social renaissance is brought about in our country by Muslims and that the Jamaat would lead it.
Ameer Halqa, JIH Telangana, Hamid Muhammad Khan was the first to address the gathering. He said that we are always concerned about our nation which cannot progress without our participation. He lamented on the current state of affairs in India post- 2014 bordering on fascism and assured the audience that we shall not keep quiet but will respond to these negative policies at an intellectual level – a comment that was met with a rousing applause.
Peer Shabbir Ahmad, President Jamiatul Ulema Hyderabad, said that we ought to follow the example set by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and adhere to his teachings. We should deal with our fellow countrymen on common grounds of humanity irrespective of their religion.
Muhammad Mehmood Ali, Deputy CM, Telangana expressed his gratitude to JIH for creating awareness in the population and its active role in the Telangana Movement. He appreciated the Jamaat’s role in the education of Muslims, its propagation in every Indian language and creating a sense of respect for the Muslim populace by its immense sense of discipline.
Dr. Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, President Welfare Party of India, said, “We seriously lag behind in Human Development Index figures as compared to other smaller developing nations and need to pull out our country from the abyss of underdevelopment and ensure social justice and welfare for all.”
Sardar Nanak Singh Nishter claimed that we stayed back in India by choice, not by compulsion on the basis of certain assurances given to us by our national leaders which are unfortunately not being abided by today. We should study and implement the Qur’ānic teachings in our lives for the reconstruction of society.
Mehmood Paracha, Advocate Supreme Court of India, expressed the need to monitor our political representatives. “Targeting Muslims and Adivasis on false terrorism and Naxalite charges is a conspiracy against Muslims and Adivasis. “ISIS is our enemy and does not represent us,” said Mr. Pracha. He was confident that 15% Muslims are enough to reconstruct our country and make it the ‘Sone ki chidiya’ (bird of gold) once again.
Muhammad Ali Shabbir, MLC Telangana, lamented that the current central regime is saffronising education and changing history to suit its fascist ideology.
Ahmad bin Abdullah Balala, AIMIM MLA from Malakpet, said that JIH has set an example by uniting leaders across the political and religious spectrum on a single platform which is worth emulating by the masses.
National President of Students Islamic Organisation of India, Mr. Iqbal Hussain, presented an analysis of the international scenario and said that history is repeating itself vis-a-vis the alleged war on terror which would lead to the same destruction again. The country has witnessed, in the last 60 years, communalism at different levels, but it is now visible at Government levels. We need to work on political, legal and social platforms to counter religious bias against Muslims, without which true reconstruction of society is not possible.
Maulana Muhammad Sirajul Hasan, former Ameer JIH, reminded the audience that the responsibility of social reconstruction lies on every individual, especially on members of JIH for whom it is an obligation.
Acharya Onkaranand Shankaracharya ji said that he has responded to JIH’s invitation overriding popular expectations because of the love he has received from JIH delegations. He said that Islam is a religion of love, peace and equality and even sought to include himself as a JIH member. He emphasised the fact that Islam does not promote terrorism. ‘I say this not because I am speaking among Muslims, but because it is an undeniable fact.’ Muslims are an indivisible part of India, without which India is not complete. Islam and Sanatan do not promote violence; it is politicians who promote violence, he pointed out. He also countered the false propaganda against Emperor Aurangzeb.
Mujtaba Farooq, Member Central Advisory Council-Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, said Muslims are the largest minority and this country belongs to us as it belongs to anyone else. He warned PM Modi to stop his hypocritical approach and come out clean on his party’s agenda. “The country would answer you as they have risen against you in Bihar if you pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on one hand and celebrate the birth anniversary of Nathuram Godse on the other.”
Sajjade Nasheen Dargah Hazrat Khwaja Bande Nawaz, Syed Shah Khushro Hussaini said that Islam teaches humanity, without which we cannot think of reconstruction. He enumerated the Islamic teachings of non-violence, fraternity, equality and human rights and appreciated the Jamaat for having organised such an interreligious meet with a common purpose.
Shia Maulana, Dr. Kalbe Sadiq wondered whose ‘achhe din’ have arrived – the countrymen’s or their own. Instead of reacting angrily to provocative comments, we should follow the Prophet’s example by solving problems with wisdom and patience. Hindu religion has been hijacked to meet certain ulterior motives.
Muhammad Adeeb, ex-MP, averred that Islam is a message for humanity. Islam has been victorious not because of its numerical strength but by the strength of their character. He also stressed that education without proper grooming creates ruthless animals, not civilized people.
Maulana Asgar Imam Mehdi Salafi, President Jamiat Ahle Hadees, said, “We were meant for the entire mankind, but we have restricted ourselves to ourselves.”
Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan, President All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat said, After Independence, Muslims have adopted a defensive approach and only respond to community issues. We only focus on Urdu media assuming that we have discharged our media responsibilities instead of spreading our ideology among the masses. Allah is in no need of us if we ignore our responsibilities of introducing Islam to our non-Muslim brethren.”
The Public Meet was attended by some 25000 men and women from all parts of India.
On the third day of the convention, Mrs. Atiya Siddiqua, Secretary, JIH, stressed the fact that women have been deluded and deceived by the false call of equality. Despite obvious physical differences between the genders and their corresponding roles in society, women have been pushed into the ‘male domain’ which ultimately perverts their female nature and leads to disastrous consequences. She presented examples of virtuous ladies from the Prophetic era and urged the audience to learn from their sense of sacrifice and high level of faith. She pointed out that women should come together in an organised manner to work for the Islamic movement and try to be a personification of all the virtues mentioned in the Qur’ān in their regard. Our ladies need to be made aware of the status and rights of ladies in Islam so as to make them self-confident in Dawah work. Ladies can and should effectively work in the traditional and social media sector to present the Islamic views related to women.
Maulana Inayatullah Subhani presented a Darse-e-Hadees on family values. The upbringing of children should be prioritised from the very beginning so that a communication gap does not develop later. It is very important to create an Islamic environment at home so that children grow up with complete concept of Islam in their minds. This can be done by having a good and playful rapport with our young kids, with the role of mothers taking precedence in this regard. ‘Give us good mothers and we shall give you good soldiers’, so said Sultan Salauddin Ayyubi. He left us with an inspirational message to make the Islamic Movement enter our homes.
Abdul Jabbar Siddiqui, Member, CAC, enlisted the hurdles that can be possibly faced in achieving our targets and tangible ways to achieve those. Our work can be divided in Individual, Collective and Institutional. Individual work is very important and forms the basis of our Movement but it is nevertheless difficult. It is imperative to gauge our skills and knowledge and become influential personalities. Collective work develops leaders. He also enumerated the role of an ideal leader. Institutional work is also important for the success of our movement.
As many as 20 members from the audience were invited to present their views on the progress of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. Vice President of JIH Nusrat Ali analysed the presentations.
After Fajr prayers on the first and second days of the convention, Ibraheem Jeelani highlighted the benefits of a balanced diet and regular exercise.