By: Dr. Maqsood Jafri
Eminent reverted Muslim rationalist Ms. Linda Barto on her Facebook has written:” If someone discovers Islam through the guidance of Allah and the Qur’an, he or she will find a simple and beautiful religion that makes sense. If he or she is guided by Muslims, he or she may find a religion that is confusing and unattractive or accept a form of Islam that is extreme and harsh. Some Muslims are too misguided themselves to be able to guide others. May Allah grant help and proper guidance to the Ummah”.
While commenting on her post, a person who lived in Saudi Arabia writes:” Many Muslim Americans , I worked with for two years in Saudi Arabia got so turned off by the Saudis that they reverted back to Christianity. I befriended other Muslims who were not Saudi and my faith grew. We made Umrah together and became a close ex- Pat Muslims.”
Is there any need to comment on this horrendous religious plight of conservatism and extremism Neither Islam is Arab culture nor Arab culture is Islam. Islam is a universal religion based on monotheism, humanity, rationality, equality, peace and justice.
The present image of Islam emerged from the retrogressive and autocratic rule of the Arabs? Which is anti- Islam in its nature , practice and spirit. I have visited some of the Arab countries and found their residents very illiterate and poor living as in a jail. Wherever, there is monarchy, it is a suffocating and throttling cage.
In this strangling atmosphere they live like dead bodies. Exceptions are always there. Some monarchic states are welfare states because of the noble or just ruler but systems are not run on individual bases. In the Muslim history, we find noble, righteous and just rulers like Omar bin Abdul Aziz but we also find callous debauches like Yazid and other kings of Umayyads and Abbasids , Ottomans and Moghals.
Hence, monarchy as a political system can not be adopted. I support the idea of Ms. Linda Barto, who writes that we must get Islam by the Quran. What the Quran says about political freedom and independent opinion which in our modern era is called democracy? The Quran in Surah Aale- Imran says:” And take council with them in affairs.”
Then in Surah Shoora ( The Cousel), it says:” And their rule is to take counsel among themselves.” These verses clearly show that the political power lies with the masses; not with the kings. Roussue opined that sovereignty lies with the masses but in Islam government lies with the masses and sovereignty lies with God. Monarchy is anti- Islam.
No enlightened person can live in any Arab state. These monarchic states have promoted religious extremism, conservatism , fascism and sectarianism. In the name of Islam, they are ruling over suppressed and oppressed people. The public exchequer is being misused by princes and princesses. In America and Europe, the Arab ruling class can be seen in casinos and pubs. The moneyed and ruling class is keeping numberless concubines. There is no social justice in these monarchic states. No political freedom and no social justice are the pinnacles of their autocratic rule. According to the Charter of UN, there can be no slavery and freedom is to be granted and established. The Arab States are the members of UN.
They have to abide by the articles and provisions of UN Charter. When UN will implement the articles of human rights and freedom for all, written in its Charter and emancipate the slaves from the tight and tenacious yoke of the Arab Kings? I endorse the stance and statement of Ms. Linda Barto that we should seek guidance from the Quran to understand the Real Islam and should not get Islam through other sources leaving the Quran aside.
The greatest historical tragedy occurred when after the four caliphs, caliphate was turned into manarchy. The book of Moulana Moududi titled “ Caliphate and Monarchy “, is one of the best books written on this subject. Dr. Allama Iqbal also in one of his Persian couplets says that when the Caliphate severed its ties from the Quran and turned into monarchy, Islam was altered into Monarchic Islam. He further says that unless we obliterate priesthood and monarchy , we can not find Real Islam.
About a Muslim ruler great Muslim political thinkers al- Mavardy and Ibn- e- Qateeba opine that a Muslim ruler must have theses four qualities. He should be a scholar, an administrator, a just and a pious person. Do we find our rulers who meet these tributes? Most of our politicians and rulers belong to elite class and are financially and morally corrupt. Great English thinker and playwright Bernard Shaw had aptly said that Islam is the best religion while the Muslim are the worst people. What does it mean? It means that the Muslims under the spell of priesthood and monarchy have coined up a farce and fake religion whom they call Islam. Islam of Mohammad is different from the Islam of the monarchs. Islam is a democratic religion. Islam is not a monarchic religion.
