At a time when Jamaat-e-Islami Hind is holding a national meet of its committed cadre, after a gap of eight years, DR. S. AUSAF SAIED VASFI discusses the organisation’s raison d’être, its activities and achievements as well as services to and impact in society.
What is the source or sources of income of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind? Does it receive foreign, particularly Muslim countries’ aid? What is the exact number of its cadre? What is the secret of its dedication to its work and commitment to its ideology?
These are some of the questions posed to us with periodic intervals by the curious, the ignoramus and the Intelligence Bureau and their emissaries in the garb of press reporters.
Before dealing with them, let us reiterate that the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind is not just a religious organisation of the over a billion-strong plural Bharat. It is the organisation that presents a comprehensive view of Islam which embraces social, political, economic, diplomatic and other life-related aspects as well.
VISION & VIEW
The Jamaat is a class by itself. It has a vision, an idea and a view that provides satisfactory and constructive responses not only to the problems of this world but to those of the hereafter also. Its fingers remain 24 x 7 on the pulse of the multi-religious, multi-cultural and multi-lingual nation and its various entities. It is concerned not only about the second largest majority of the country but the entire nation. It is concerned not only about the development and dignified place of India in the comity of civilized nations, but also about the degradation and degeneration sapping our national life from within and from without. The Jamaat stands for the pristine purity of Islam.
The Jamaat-e-Islami does not believe in pruning branches. It believes in uprooting evil, root and branch. It does not go for temporary or transitional solutions. Going deep into the individuals’ faith rather conviction, it believes in complete ideological transformation.
The sheet-anchor of the Jamaat’s ideology is nothing but Islam – faith in One God, faith in various Divine Prophets (right from Hadrat Adam, blessings of Allah upon him) and faith in the Last Prophet, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) and the Day of Judgement. This is the lifeblood, the creed of Islam, the creed of the Jamaat.
ROCK-LIKE
To remain rock-like firm in its conviction, the Jamaat advises its cadre to read, re-read and keep studying the Qur’ān as the Last Book of Divine Guidance. The Jamaat expects its functionaries to study all the various isms and philosophies like Capitalism and Socialism, etc. The Jamaat has produced enormous literature on various relevant subjects. Till date, its publishing house has produced 2,000 titles in 13 languages. A remarkable thing about the Jamaat literature is that it is scientific in approach and is well-reasoned.
Marked emphasis is laid upon character, for which the Jamaat is known everywhere. Its worst critics admit Jamaat has character, is trustworthy and dependable. Its members and associates are never expected to lie or cheat or embezzle or break a simple promise. Even punctuality and regularity is religiously followed. Character constitutes the criteria of the Jamaat’s membership. Discipline is its hallmark.
DEMOCRATIC
From top to bottom, the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind is democratic in spirit and approach. Both Shoora and Numaindagan are elected bodies. So is the President. The course of dialogue, talk, conference and debate for the resolution of its problems is adopted.
The Jamaat does not believe in hijacking planes, derailing trains, ambushing paramilitary forces, burning Indian flag and Constitution or breaking heads and windows for the resolution of national issues. It does not support terrorism or suicide bombings. Rather it is opposed to both, tooth and nail.
The Jamaat, through its modestly strong media as well as the national means of communication, tries its level best to remove the thick cobwebs of bias and prejudice against Islam and its adherents in the country. Its manifestly sober press plays the role of a bridge between the principal minority and the majority, and the Government and the Muslim segment of the nation.
The Jamaat functionaries remain in contact with the various Opposition parties, the main Opposition party particularly and the intellectuals.
Several TV channels in Southern States, particularly Kerala and Tamil Nadu beam Jamaat’s programmes on weekly or biweekly basis. It is in addition to its literature which is available in national and regional languages.
Forty news and views papers in various languages are ideologically closer to the Jamaat’s standpoint. The papers in Malayalam, Gujarati, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Marathi, Punjabi, Bangla and Assamese deserve mention. Soon the Jamaat is going to start its own TV channel in Malayalam.
QUESTION
One may honestly ask here how it is that the Jamaat performs such gigantic tasks with its not-so-gigantic cadre. At the time of its revival and reorganisation in April 1948, the body had about 300 persons. Today it has 33,079. This figure includes Arkaan and Karkunan. The Muttafiqueen (males) number 2,71,616; females 1,25,546. The exact number of its male cadre is 33079, while the females are 11059. The male Muttafiqueen are 2,71616 while the female are 1,25,546.
The answer to the above question is unalloyed dedication and unquestionable commitment. And all this just to seek the pleasure of Allah.
Here it seems appropriate to make it clear that the sole source of income of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind is: Zakat, Sadaquat, Eyanat, Imdaad, Attiyaat and Awqaaf. The Jamaat refuses to receive foreign aid consciously and deliberately from any source.
The importance that the Jamaat attaches to the presentation of Islam (Dawah) can be imagined from the fact that today it has made valuable translations of the Qur’ān with notes in 13 languages of the country. Literature on Islam is also available in an equal number of languages. There are running 683 Deeni Madaaris under the Jamaat. Ulema and Aimma-e-Masjid receive special attention of the Jamaat for Tarbiyah.
Special attention is also focused upon the Dalits, the Adivasis and those less-fortunate persons who live in shanties. It also awakens religious awareness among the semi-literate sections of Muslim society. With a view to removing misgivings about Islam and Muslims the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind also remains in touch with the Gayatri Parivar, Brahma Kumaris, Radha Swamis, Swami Narayans, etc.
The importance that the organisation attaches to health can be understood from the fact that today it has 10 big hospitals and 75 dispensaries and several ambulances. It has a team of qualified and well-trained doctors who can rush anywhere in emergency conditions.
YEOMAN SERVICES
It is fair to recall that the Jamaat shot into prominence after its rehabilitation work in the riot-hit areas. It rendered, and renders, yeoman services to the riot-widows and riot-orphans. It fights fictitious police cases against the riot-hit. For this work also the organisation has received laurels.
Religious seminaries at Deoband, Lucknow and Saharanpur have come to the Jamaat. More often than not, they interact with each other and arrive at consensus on crucial issues.
The Jamaat has been found dead set against communal and fascist approach, poverty, regionalism and inequality. It has shared meals with what they call untouchables and it is included in the Jamaat’s programmes. The Jamaat has also shown keen interest in interest-free banking and concerted efforts are on to throw up interest-free banking at higher levels.
The Jamaat takes interest in international affairs as well. Foreign and domestic policies of the West, particularly the United States and its allies, come under attack frequently in the Jamaat media. So happens to be the case with Israel and its well-known and less-than-known ties with Bharat.
The Jamaat takes due interest in youth affairs. The S.I.O consists of sober, serious and quite enlightened young men. The Girls Islamic Organisations (GIO) is very much there at zonal levels. The Solidarity in the South has earned encomiums from various quarters for its mature approach on various subjects.
The Jamaat has been found ever eager to cement cracks in the Ummah and the Millat. It believes in consensus. The AI Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat and the AI Muslim Personal Law Board conceived by the Jamaat decades ago are playing highly constructive roles in national politics. The Milli Council also cooperates with these apex bodies. The common Muslim issues are dealt with by them at higher level. It shows the confidence the Millat has reposed in the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. Add to it several non-Government organisations’ cooperation with the Jamaat in the Jamaat-sponsored schemes.
VISION 2016
What goes without saying is the current focus of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind on its “Vision 2016” which is a comprehensive scheme of service to humanity. Under Vision 2016, it has a vision to establish 100 quality schools in Muslim concentration areas by 2016.