Man should Understand His Value and Worth

Man should Understand His Value and Worth

Written by

Published on

August 8, 2022

MAULANA MUHAMMAD FAROOQUE KHAN is an Islamic scholar of great eminence having deep insight into Qur’ān and Hadīth literature, translator of the Holy Qur’ān into the Hindi language, and author of many books in Hindi and Urdu on the various aspects of Islam. His published works include Tarjuma-e-Qur’ān (Hindi), Aasan Tarjuma-e-Qur’ān (Urdu), Kalam-e-NabuwwatHadīth ka Ta’arruf, etc. In an interview with DR. WAQUAR ANWAR, he throws light on some very important phases of his life and works. Excerpts:

Your inclination towards the Hindi language started after you joined the Jamaat or before that?

I was inclined towards the Hindi language before coming closure to the Jamaat-e-Islami. Further, after joining the Jamaat I felt the need of expressing myself in the Hindi language so that it can be conveyed to a majority of Indians. My taste for both prose and poetry writing in both the Urdu and Hindi languages is ingrained in myself and it cannot be related to my association with the Jamaat.

 

How do you write in two different literary atmospheres of two languages?

It is true that I am able to discern in the literary taste in both the languages and am able to express myself, even in poetic composition, in the respective atmosphere. In accordance with my inclination towards the Hindi language I read many good books on literature and religion. For example, I read a book named Sadhna which is Hindi translation of lectures of Rabindra Nath Tagore. I enjoyed the book and was impressed a lot. A taste has to be nurtured through reading good books.

 

How did you join Jamaat-e-Islami?

Jamiatul Ulema was very popular in my native place while Jamaat-e-Islami was unpopular and much maligned. A young man from Azamgarh was married in my area and he was attached to the Jamaat-e-Islami. He was my initial contact for the Jamaat. I went to Azamgarh and brought many books of the Jamaat from a library there and read them. I was also reading the Urdu magazine Tajalli published from Deoband by Maulana Aamir Usmani. I found out that objections raised about the Jamaat by different groups do not hold. These were merely hate campaigns without any merit. Later I became a teacher in a religious seminary in Azamgarh where some members of the Jamaat were my colleagues. Gradually I was attracted towards the Jamaat and finally I joined the organisation.

 

Tell us about the leaders of the Jamaat who are no more with us.

The Jamaat has had a galaxy of well meaning and respectful leaders. For example, Maulana Abul Lais was a respected person. He had some personal traits which are not generally found. He was very sharp and had a knack of judging the abilities of other persons. He was firm in his opinions formed by judging minutely persons coming to his contact. He was a true leader.

I have been benefited much by associating with Maulana Sadruddin Islahi. He was a religious scholar of high calibre and carried an aura of his stature. He was a very considerate and loving person and would encourage me to discuss with him. I used to consult him on problems I faced on the study of the Qur’ān. He would always give me full attention and resolve the issues pleasantly. Once he told me that my question was difficult so I should consult Hafiz Inayatullah, a young man then, because being newly qualified from a religious seminary, he was better positioned to give a reply with a fresh mind. This was simply a case of encouraging and recognising junior persons.

Maulana Urooj Ahmad Quadri was always busy in his work. He was a soft hearted person. Afzal Hussain was basically an educationist who was later engaged in organisational matters as Secretary General of the Jamaat. Hamid Hussain was an orator par excellence with a powerful spoken language and an apt use of quotations. He always did hard work before any lecture. Maulana Muhammad Muslim was a good journalist. He was a simple person unmindful of worldly affairs. I remember other leaders like Maulana Syed Hamid Ali, Maulana Inamur Raman Khan and others.

I have been close to all these leaders and have learnt a lot from them. I thank Allah for the gratitude of providing me leaders and teachers of such high statures and abilities.

 

What is your assessment about Maulana Maudoodi?

Maulana  Maudoodi tried to understand Islam directly from its sources. He had no doubt been benefited by the intermediary sources like Ulema, Mujaddedin and other experts but he went directly to the basic sources of Islam that is the Qur’ān and Sunnah (the traditions of the Prophet) in order  to understand it and grasp its spirit and objects. He has not let any intermediary personality or their opinion to come in the way of this understanding. We can take his approach to be fresh (fikre taza). He studied almost all the religions of the world from their respective original sources and found that Islam provides the most authentic and complete way of life (deen). For him Islam was the end result of his search for truth.

Another distinguishing thing about Maulana Maudoodi is that he did not sit idle after his academic pursuit of finding the truth. He started propagation of the truth. This is in accordance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) to testify before the world about one’s faith and commitment. Maulana Maudoodi was a man of action who faced many difficulties in his work. He was never disheartened by any opposition. He even had to face the tragedy of many of his initial associates leaving him or some of them even becoming his critic. He coped with all such situations with an uncommon determination. For example, to one of his associates who had become his critic he once said to work for the deen (Islam ) the way he felt it should be done without wasting time in any opposition. “However, if you decide to remain my critic, you will add the list of my other ‘well wishers’, as there are so many already!”

 

Did you meet him in person?

I could not meet him. However, I wrote him several letters when I was translating into Hindi his Urdu translation of the Holy Qur’ān. I asked him questions on meaning of the Qur’ānic passages whenever I felt any difficulty and he always obliged me. It is an honour for a student like me that he always gave me prompt and detailed replies, encouraging me. He also made his Dua (supplication) when I started my work on the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him).

 

Are those letters preserved?

Yes, I have preserved those (sixteen or seventeen) letters.

 

Kindly compare between the work done by Maulana Maudoodi and Allama Farahi on commentary to the Qur’ān.

Maulana Maudoodi was a leader of a movement that grew and impacted upon events in the recent history, both in this sub-continent and the world. His writings including the commentary of the Holy Qur’ān played a role in this endeavours. Tafheemul Qur’ān particularly has been written at the backdrop of an Islamic movement (tahreeki tafseer). Maulana Hamiduddin Farahi, on the other hand, devoted his time and efforts towards the understanding the Qur’ān. He did an exemplary job in this field. For this he prepared a simple course of Arabic grammar. He wrote books to resolve issues relating to the understanding of the Qur’ān. He wrote books on the principles of the commentary on the Qur’ān (Usool-e-tafseer).

Maulana Farahi stressed that the Qur’ān is an organised book. Earlier scholars had also talked about the organisation of thoughts in the Qur’ān but the quality of work done by Maulana Farahi is unparallel. The Qur’ān is not a collection of ayats (sentences) revealed at different times without any order. Not only that the revelations as compiled in the Qur’ān are correlated to each other but they are part of a well-organised scheme.

He showed that every surah (chapter) of the Qur’ān, besides being a complete whole in itself, is a part of the total flow of thoughts that the Qur’ān presents in a systematic manner. These are like different parts of the same organic whole like the human body. Besides, every surah has a central idea and every topic discussed therein evolves round that central theme. Every surah is a complete book in itself and it is part of the whole book, the Qur’ān as well. Although he could not complete his work he has done a work which is unique.

 

How about the work on the commentary of the Qur’ān done by Maulana Ameen Ahsan Islahi?

Maulana Ameen Ahsan Islahi tried to complete the work left undone by his teacher. The quality of work done by the teacher is obviously of higher quality than that done by the taught! Maulana Ameen Ahsan Islahi started work at a late stage of his life and this aging had its effect. However, he has tried to work on the same pattern and has done a commendable job to further the Farahian approach towards the commentary on the Qur’ān. Tadabbur-e-Qur’ān is a continuation of the academic work done by Maulana Farahi. We should read both Tafheem and Tadabbur.

 

Contrary to expectations, you produced more works in the Urdu language as compared to those done in the Hindi language, particularly in the field of Hadīth.

My ultimate aim was to write books on Hadīth in the Hindi language. But I started the work in Urdu so that it may also been verified by the scholars who are mostly Urdu-knowing. I translated first volume of the Hadīth compilation into Hindi and translation works of other volumes are in progress by different persons and I am involved in their reviews and improvements.

 

What other books you are contemplating and planning in the Hindi language?

I want a book on the life of the Prophet highlighting the charm and attraction in the personality of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him). Books normally available on this subject deal with facts and figures. The books on Hadīth (traditions of the Prophet) have a treasure of materials that show the personality of the Prophet which appeal and catch the attraction of the readers. The personality of the Prophet is very much appealing and if it is presented from the authentic sources of the traditions that will encourage people to know more about him.  Hero worship is innate in human nature and it is very much present in the Indian psyche. There is need to present the message of love and affection through the life story of the Messenger. I pray to Allah to give me strength and opportunity to do this work.

 

How to present the message of the Prophet before the large segments of masses?

This has to be presented that his days as well as his nights were equally bright. The object of life that he propagated was the one he had himself adopted for himself. He practised what he taught. His rule had spread over an area of ten lakh square miles by the time he left the world but we do not find even an iota of materialism in him. He stressed much on truthfulness, not in any limited sense but the truth that lets us discern between human and animal worlds. There is no truth if we lead life like animals, without any human trait. He taught that the end of the journey of human life is neither his grave nor his funeral pyre. This life is an introduction of an unending life continuing hereafter.

Hereafter has been called by different names: For example it is called Day of Judgement (Yomuddin) where every human deed will be judged and his fate thereafter will be decided; that has been referred to as place relaxation (Darul Qarar) as there is no rest and respite in this world and everything will settle therein; that is named Day of Authenticity (Yomul Quood) because the true worth of all faiths and deeds will be known that day; that will be the Day of Result (Yomuttaghabun) because there only we will be able to know who won and who lost and who was living on false hopes and who remained safe; also called the Day of Meeting (Yomultalaq) because there itself man will meet the Almighty Creator. So what the Prophet informed his believers is that the basic fact of life besides faith in God, the Almighty, is the faith in the hereafter (akhirat).  This is the secret of Unending life (amar jivan). Prophet Muhammad showed how to achieve that amar jivan.

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) taught human beings to work for all human beings and desist from striving merely for a particular class of society or for any clan or any nation. The beauty is that he worked for the wellbeing of men in all places and for all generations to come. And he left an Ummah (team of followers) to work on the same line.

 

Some people say he was a Prophet for Arabia.

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) from day one addressed the whole world and his message is equally for all men. The same is true about the book he brought, the Qur’ān. This book is a guide for human beings. As we get brochures for operating any new machine so God provided us a guide book for life. This is our test. When a new formula or invention comes forth, no body says that we will not use because it is originally in a foreign language or it has been invented by any particular person. That guide book, invention or formula would be immediately translated, understood and practised. The same is the case with the message of the Prophet in the form of the book he brought and his traditions.

 

We hear about awagavan in place of hereafter in religions of Indian origin.

When we use a medicine, we see the expiry date. If the expiry date has passed, we do not use the medicine because it may harm instead of the intended benefit. The first thing to be verified is whether that thing is authentic or not. Take the case of a judge who demands documentary proofs for claims made. So will the decision of the purpose of life be taken on verbal and unauthentic traditions? The guiding book or the person for life should be authentic and his traditions should be fool-proof. Islam presents those authentic teachings. No other system presents those authentic teachings coming from an authentic personality. Personalities presented are from prehistoric periods. The teachings are contradictory.

The faith of Unity of God mixed up with multiplicity of gods (shirk), the description of heaven and hell (swarg and nark) along with the idea of awagavan (multiplicity of births) – one contradicting the other. Islam gives teachings for all walks of life. Further there is harmony between all these teachings. Take the contradictions in the case of awagavan. We do not test the one who has already been tested. After watching the behaviour of a person for several years say 50-60 years God does not need to further test a person. When a person as a human being could not correct himself in this life, how will he improve on getting birth as an animal, say an ox? The rebirth in this world makes no sense. There are many questions which cannot be answered based on this idea. Suppose you are going to marry your son to a girl. Who knows she might have been a sister in an earlier birth, or may be the mother!

There is a story of two men going to Mumbai, the rich one by air and the poor person by a passenger train. People told the poor man that it seems your deeds in the earlier birth were not worthy enough to justify your flying by plain. But the airplane crashed and the poor man commented that it was good that he had not done good deeds in the earlier birth! In fact, there are many contradictions. If a man is in distress, it means that he is being punished for the deeds of his earlier birth. Now if you help him, it means you are going against the Divine will. He is being punished and you are interfering in this dissemination of justice. Further, it is against the teaching of the Vedic religion.

There was one Dr. Banerjee in Rajasthan University who did extensive research work to prove scientifically the theory of awagavan. He collected hundreds of stories of claimed cases of rebirth and selected eight of those cases which were strong cases in his eyes and invited eight experts of psychology to verify the cases. No claimant could stand the scientific tests and cross examinations and all proved to be false. Dr. Banerjee was disheartened and closed his endeavours. This is an unscientific theory.

 

What is your advice for persons doing Dawah work?

My advice to the persons doing Dawah work is that they should work with love and affection. Our message is that man should understand his value and worth. Islam has come to teach human beings that he is great. He should understand his greatness. Islam teaches how to achieve this climax of human existence and how to maintain that position. Another thing is that the aspect of akhirat (hereafter) should not be secondary; it should be the prime concern. People should be reminded that this life span in this world is available for one time only and they will not come back here to correct any wrong done. The journey of life will take us to an altogether new world and our destiny there will be linked to our deeds here. This warning against the impending danger should always be given as a necessary ingredient of Dawah. It is not a question of philosophy but an approaching event.

We should work in an organised manner with proper system of seeking and taking advices and improving the work based on experiences. Further, one should always keep in view the level of understanding of the person he is interacting. Understanding level of all ages are different, that of the elite, commoners and the illiterate are unequal and that of every person is distinct. There cannot be one formula for interacting with all.

Another aspect of the Islamic Dawah is that whatever God has given is not the end. He is willing to give more and more. But a person who has proved unworthy of using properly rupees one thousand cannot be given rupees one lakh. We have to prove our worth and our Lord will bestow us His heavens.