An Increasing Political Zest

It was the second time of my pleasure to meet this nice man. We were there to attend different sessions of a program. I found him a good and polite man with a dignified smiling face. Both the times our friends who became the source of our acquaintance, boastfully mentioned that he had contested for the assembly seats in such and such election. Though he failed to bag necessary votes to be victorious but the way the men were making me known about his fighting for the seats in the election showed that to them his contesting for an assembly seat was a memorable deed. While in the talks in the sidelines of the function I found him a knowledgeable and shrewd man.

I wonder why his admirers were not considerate about many of his moral qualities other than poking his nose in politics. His knowledge, his missionary spirit to serve the noble cause of Islam, his social activities and his wisdom impressed them a little as compared to his political zest. Only because politics has overcastted all other spheres of life up to such an extent that being a politician means to be the great. We have renowned religious scholars, intellectuals, poets, writers and social workers in our society but they are not worth mentioning. Philanthropists and educationists attract a little attention. Our theologians and scientists gain not a lot of importance. But the politicians! In spite of their corruption, opportunism, nepotism, selfishness and treacheries, all unpalatable truths and sour facts, they get wider coverage in the media. Their unwise and ludicrous statements are published conspicuously in the newspapers and are brought in air by the TV channels. Their hollow slogans with their abominable picture are played in for hours.

Even in religious parties the zest of politics is so high. Morality and knowledge are underestimated. A morally low level man, elected as a councilor of a local municipal body, gains more importance and given a higher place than the people stuck to the moral values and bearing the quality of righteousness in their ranks. Knowledge is seen overshadowed by the politics. The workers seem having more penchant for political activities than showing any contemplate for Ilm (knowledge), Taqwa (piety) and Tazkiah-e-Nafs (purity of hearts). We find in the politics most of those who are greedy and unprincipled people. They opt for this line for serving their interests and not their people. They amass maximum wealth through corruption and their riches become the reason for their respect. Exactly as our Holy Prophet, be peace and blessings of Allah upon him, had long ago predicted one of many signs of the Day of Resurrection that the wealth of people will become the ground of one’s honour. Respecting the people for their worldly position is all contradiction of the Quranic criterion which is frequently repeated in their lectures and speeches of the preachers of the religious parties:

“…Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is the most righteous and pious of you. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” (Al-Hujurat: 13)

We are living now in the age of almost political dwarfish. Fortunes made through political career give grandeur. Most of us find solace in materialism. We feel envious of not those who are distinguished in ethical values but of those who are symbols of worldly greatness. We have a little trust in the righteous people but we believe a politician’s promise of building a bridge even where there is no river. Politics is said to be a fascinating game to fool the people, ignore the facts and break the promises again and again. Even most of the workers of the religious parties feel closer affinity with the political figures than those who are rich in knowledge and intellect.

How the politics may be a significant branch of the collective structure of the state and society, still it is only a part of entire system. They should not left behind in their worldly life but let not the sincere workers of the religious and even of the purely political parties be dazzled and bewitched by material status of the politicians. If it happens they will lose not only their self respect, faith in high moral and power of spiritual values but a slavish nature will develop. A huge vacuum of ideological and moral rise will occur and these parties will suffer a big loss of vitality and dynamism in their workers. So it is wise to control the excessively increasing political zest.