Issues relating to Civilization have been extensively discussed in the literature of the Islamic movement in India. Maulana Syed Abul Ala Maudoodi, while discussing different topics that had bearing upon his line of arguments, deemed it necessary to express his position vis-à-vis civilization.
The task before Maulana Maudoodi was to revive the Islamic movement. He assessed the situation prevailing in the Muslim society with a view to preserving the living elements of the true Islamic values, and wrote extensively for their preservation so that a solid base for developing a true Islamic movement may be evolved. He studied carefully all the weaknesses that had crept in the Muslim society and devoted his efforts to exposing the inherent weaknesses of anti-Islamic movements, thoughts, trends and cultural forces that were bent upon wrecking havoc on the already beleaguered Muslim community.
His book, Tanqueehat (Criticisms) in the Urdu language is a collection of his articles on the subject, written in the first four years of his serious engagement with the world at large. At that stage he noticed the dangers inherent in Indian nationalism in line with the nationalist movements worldwide that had the potential of sweeping away all remaining characteristic features of the Islamic society. He felt the urgent need of containing this danger, otherwise, to quote his own words, “Islam may become so alien to the Indian population after two generations as it is in Japan and America.” His forceful and hard hitting pen started pouring thoughts and he raised the banner of Islamic nationalism. His series of articles written from 1937 to 1939 were published under the title of Musalman aur Maujooda Siyasi Kashmakash (Muslims and the present political struggles).
The dangers posed by the rise of Muslim nationalism, as against Islamic nationalism, stirred Maulana Maudoodi. He found Muslim nationalism as dangerous as any other nationalism. It affected the universality of Islam and the two, Islam and nationalism, even if Muslim, cannot co-exist. One has to disown one to accept the other. The concept like “my country, right or wrong” or “my community, right or wrong” has no place in an Islamic framework. Absolute obedience to God the Almighty demands that all other allegiances have to be made subservient to this, and this principle leaves no scope for any national, communal, familial or personal bias. The series of article on this line of arguments was published in the third volume of Musalman aur Maujooda Siyasi Kashmakash. Thus the first two volumes under the title comprise commentary on the nationalism of the Congress party and the third volume deals with the nationalism of the Muslim League.
FORMATION OF SOCIETY
Maulana Maudoodi says that the complex issue of formation of human society is based on the twin issues of correct relationship between men and women and that between an individual and the society. Human welfare and growth are dependent upon the correct answers to these two questions. Maulana’s book Purdah (published in English as Purdah and the Status of Women in Islam) deals with the first question. He has analysed in detail the history of Greek Civilization, Roman Civilization, Christian Europe and the 20th century Europe. The conclusions drawn from this historical survey of three thousand years are not relevant to these Civilizations only, rather they are true to all other cultures, countries and regions including Babylon, Iran and India.
The human approach towards women has been oscillating between two extremes. At one extreme she has been made a servant of man; man is her owner and lord. She is made to live as a property of her father in the childhood, that of her husband after she get married, of her children if widowed. She may even have to burn as “sati” on the funeral pyre of her deceased husband. She had no right to property. She cannot marry on her own will. She was considered the original sinner leading man to a sinful life.
The other extreme position is that she is made an object of lust and desire. The middle path and the just position about women is enshrined in Islam. The book running into more than 250 pages is a masterpiece of literary excellence and answers all possible related issues in a forceful and argumentative manner.
PRINCIPLES
On the other tangled issue of human society Maulana Maudoodi wrote a book named Islami tahzeeb ke usool-o-mubadi (Principles of Islamic Civilization). The broad chapters of the book include discussion on worldview of Islam, purpose of life and role of faith in formation of a society. A detailed description of articles of Islamic faith has been done and the role played by these on society has been elaborated.
Maulana Maudoodi differentiates between culture and civilization. Cultural symptoms like languages spoken, manner of dress, culinary habits, arts and literature, architecture and other produce, social habits, political approaches and the like are not civilization as such. Rather, these are manifestations of a civilization. We can take these to be the outcome and expression of any civilization but the spirit and civilization are somewhat different. The worth of a civilization should not be judged on the bases of its contours and outward looks. One should probe its fundamentals and go deeper into its primary and major concerns. The Maulana gives the example of a building. Its basics are the its civil and structural designs, its purpose and the suitability of its design and construction with this purpose. The colours used and the ornamental aspects of the building are secondary matters.
A good number of Western writers and their Eastern followers allege that Islamic Civilization has borrowed from, rather is a product of, earlier Civilizations, particularly Greek and Roman. The Arab mind and manners has made it a distinct thing. These writers search the origins of Islamic Civilization in the debris of Greek, Roman, and Babylon and then merge it with the Arab traditions prior to Islam. Maulana Maudoodi vehemently rejects this approach. He accepts that any development is affected by past events and a new construction is done from the raw material of older ones. But the Islamic Civilization is not a by-product, amalgamation or offshoot of past civilizations. It has not been affected by any non-Islamic legacy. The purpose and object of Islamic Civilization, its world-view, and the manner of achieving these ends are quite unique and distinct. Of course Muslims have adopted aspects of other civilizations in secondary ornamental matters but the intrinsic value and basic design is purely Islamic.
WHAT COMPRISES CIVILIZATION?
Maulana Maudoodi points out that a Civilization comprises five basic elements of World-view, the purpose of human life, Fundamentals of faith, Manner of human resource development, and organisation of the society.
On the question of Islamic world-view Maulana Maudoodi writes that man is vicegerent of God on earth. His position is higher than that of all other creatures including angels and he himself is subject to the will of God and he should fulfil the obligations enshrined by the Almighty through his prophets and books. Man cannot afford to live as if the world is Godless. That approach will be fatal for him and for his society.
On the question of purpose of life Maulana Maudoodi has criticised the two existing approaches and presented the Islamic approach. The civilizations which are not based on religious or spiritual teachings are guided by the urge of superiority in terms of political power, amassing wealth and/or cultural manifestations like art, fine arts and architecture. Such civilizations try to engulf other civilizations by grabbing everything and leaving nothing worthwhile for others.
The civilizations that have spirituality or religion as their base are concerned about salvation. This approach negates material world and human development. Maulana Maudoodi argues that a society cannot be developed on this approach. It is an individualistic aim of life and no community can grow on out and out negation of the world around. The Islamic approach commensurate with the Islamic world-view is that as a vicegerent of God man should try to please Him and lead the life and utilise all resources including the material world for its overall development. The soul cannot negate the material world and the latter cannot ignore the former.