‘Reforms are for Muslims, not for Islam’

Zakaria’s respect to the Muslim Sufi shrine of Haji Ali is admirable. But it’s doubtful whether the voices of saints buried at dargahs like Haji Ali reiterate Islam’s truth or have been lost in the music of the Qawals that crowd these holy places.

Every student of history knows that culture is an amalgam of different forces. Religion is one factor which cannot be equated to culture.

Islam keeps culture and religion separate. Since its beginning, Islam has defeated the conspiracy of homogenisation. Islam is a universal religion. Muslims practise one religion but follow different cultures and languages. Muslims across the world don’t follow one culture, one language, one code. Yet they believe in monotheism.

In contrast, the Christians have few disparities among them. Almost all priests in churches across the world dress identically. But it is not so with Muslim religious leaders. The Imam of Kaaba dresses differently from the late Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi, Secretary of Islamic seminary Nadva at Lucknow. It’s wrong to say that Muslims look for their identity before anything else.

Many Muslims in Western UP wear a dhoti, which is primarily a Hindu dress. In fact, they even say their namaaz in a dhoti. So identity is not an issue here. The biggest Islamic identity is their faith. Tauheed (belief in one God) is uniquely placed in the Muslim scheme of things because it represents the very kernel of Islamic identity.

It must be understood that Islam does not espouse alienation. If we see this alienation in some Muslim societies, it is due to political and social reasons. But Muslims will never compromise their faith. Call it narrow-mindedness, dogmatism, fundamentalism or rigidity.

The interview refers to ‘‘Wahabi Islam’’. The word Wahabi has been derived from a place in Saudi Arabia. Many ulema who participated in the freedom struggle were called Wahabis by the British. We owe our freedom to the sacrifices of such selfless heroes. Yet, instead of honouring them, we ridicule and despise them. Maulana Hussein Ahmad Madni, founder of the Jamiat-ul-Ulema — the group of Wahabi ulema which fought for freedom and opposed the two-nation theory, is a much respected name.

Reforms are for Muslims, not for Islam. Islam is a complete religion and cannot be put in the dock. It was created to bring order in society.

Zakaria was born and brought up in a privileged family. And he judiciously used the opportunities provided to him. So, his thoughts differ from that of the average Muslim. This is evident as he expresses his desire to create a Muslim middle-class. You can’t classify Muslims. The English classified society into lower, middle and upper classes. The Western society is guided by this unjust, unequal idea of classes.

The Red Fort, Taj Mahal, Jama Masjid or Spain’s Masjid-e-Qartaba don’t symbolise the greatness of Muslims. Their greatness lies in their piety, their character, their unshakeable belief in Prophet Mohammad and his message. Islam welcomes progress and change but with a rider: it shouldn’t dislodge you from Islam.

The interview talks of the age-old mandir-masjid controversy. Does demolition of a mosque signify progress? Is fighting for the restoration of that demolished mosque fundamentalism?

Zakaria has shown a rare sincerity and boldness. He needs to reorient his views about Islam and Muslims. He doesn’t have to go far. He just needs to read his father’s (scholar Rafiq Zakaria’s) book Mohammad and Quran and he will get a balanced view.

— Translated by Mohammed Wajihuddin