Imperatives of Constructing an Ideological State

In the last of the first half of the 20th century simultaneously there appeared two states, Pakistan and Israel, on the world map. Some of the intellectual keep the opinion, actually an illusion, that both the states are parallel in regard of their ideological status. By only a cursory and skipping survey it can be assumed that racial discrimination and not the teachings of the Taurah, is the foundation stone of Israel. It is the state for the Jews, a particular race claiming to be from the lineage of Jacob (Yaqub AS).

In his presidential address in the meeting of All-India Muslim League at Allahabad, in December, 1930, when Iqbal gave his historic proposal for a free and sovereign Muslim state combining the Muslim majority areas in the West and East of the subcontinent India, he was fully aware of the fact that nationalism had become a phenomenal matter with some movements at their high rise in different parts of the territories under the British, French and Italian colonial clutches.

Eleven years before his address a devastating incident of the First World War had happened. And nine years after his address the same was going to be repeated as the tragic and ravaging scenario of the Second World War. Both the wars, actually the nasty fruit of the nationalism and jingoism, had caused the death, handicapping and displacing of more than 200 million people in Europe and other parts of the world. Only six years before this address the feelings of Turk and Arab nationalism had flared so high that ‘Qaba-e-Khilafat’ (Tunic of Usmani Caliphate) had been torn out by Turk Nationalists themselves. These all grievous developments were proving heartbreaking for Iqbal. He, very sadly expressed his feelings in his poem ‘Watniyyat’:

Muslim Ne Bhi Ta’mir Kiya Apna Haram Aur                    Tehzeeb Ke Azer Ne Tarshwae Sanam Aur


In Tazah Khudaon Mein Bara Sab Se Watan Hei              Jo Perahan Is Ka Hei Woh Mazhab Ka Kafan Hei

(The Muslims also have built a new Haram for them. Azer (name of the father of the Prophet Ibrahim and here a metaphor for the carver of the idols) of the modern civilization has got new idols carved. The biggest of the most recent carved idols is ‘Watan’ (the native country). The covering dress for this new idol is actually the shroud of the religion.)

In the last stanza of the same poem Iqbal says that this new idol is really a main cause of the rivalries between different communities. This idol is alluring the people to subjugate and captivate other countries. Main objective is to enhance their trade. Worship of this idol has made the politics quietly in short of the truthfulness. Only due to it the weak and poor nations are being pillaged and ravaged.

Iqbal was a bitter critical of secular concept of politics and jingoism, both the gifts of the West.

Meri Nigah Mein Hei Yeh Siasate Ladeen         Kanize Aharman o Doon Nehad o Murdah Zamir

(In my opinion the secular polity is a slave girl of Devil and ignoble and with a dead conscience)

Apni Millat Par Qias Aqwame Maghrib Se Nah Kar    Khas hei Tarkib Mein Qaume Rasoole Hashmi


Un Ki Jamiyyat Ka Hei Mulk o Nasab Par Inhesar       Quwwate Mazhab Se Mustahkam Hei Jamiyyat Teri


(Theorize not your Millat (Muslim nation) akin to the Western nations. The nation (ummat) of Muhammad (Rasool-e-Hashmi), be peace and blessings upon him, keeps a distinctive feature. Delineation of their (the Western’s) society is based upon their soil or linage but solidarity of your (Muslim) society depends on how strong bond you keep with your religion)

It was optimistically thought, and Iqbal, in the beginning, did share this thought that the lost honor and dignity of Muslim Ummah would be regained through Mustafa Kamal and Raza Shah, both who rose to the power in Turkey and Iran, but their pro-west policies and fondness of the western culture made Iqbal immensely disappointed.

Nah Mustafa Nah Raza Shah Mein Namood Is Ki            Keh Rohe Sharq Badan Ki Talash Mein Hei Abhi

(The spirit of the East neither found the body of Mustafa Kamal of Turkey nor of Raza Shah of Iran a proper place for it. It is still in search of some new body to descend there)

At last Iqbal discovered a western styled, slender and graceful personality of Muhammad Ali Jinnah a suitable figure for this soul. Quid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was convinced to come forward for leading the Pakistan Movement under the banner of Muslim League and making Iqbal’s dream true. He undertook the mission of creating a free and sovereign country. Pakistan became the homeland of Punjabi, Bengali, Pashtun, Baloch, Kashmiri races along with dozens of other smaller ethnicities, amalgamated not through any military force or legal coercion but by their religious belief. This only ideological oriented country is not of the 20th century but a unique ideological phenomenon of last more than a millennium. It had only a precedent of almost 1370 years back, when the state of Madinah was founded under the doctrines and principles of Islam.

The ideology does not take root in the air standing aloof from the substantive dimensions of life. Continuance of any system depends on to what extent the political, social and economical branches are institutionalized in the light of its religious beliefs and moral code (ideology). As Muslims we have all the provisions of basic principles of what the west has termed democracy. These principles, though not found in the modern terms, had been in practice until the golden era of four Guides Caliphs. Unfortunately, just after the Caliphate shifted to the arbitrary rule of monarchism, the process of materializing these lofty principles into institutions got disconnected and their development came to a stop. Freedom, justice, respect, protection of human rights and equal opportunities for all the citizens of the state without any discrimination, the major things, the western societies feel proud of, were assured in Islam. A mechanism of accountability also did exist and remained in operation.

It was sad that Quid-e-Azam did not live long after foundation of Pakistan, but shortly after that his successors propitiously got passed the Objective Resolution adopted by the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, giving the government solid guidelines in its policies. Some institution has to stipulate a dynamic legal organism, needed for keeping law and order, safeguarding the public interests and overcoming the hurdles in smooth running of the system. The same institution has to determine the basic problems of the perplexed life and the ways how to solve them. It is the elected representatives of the people who point out the problems and the government has to make laws to resolve them. Thus for enacting, revising or repealing the laws or statutes some authorized body is essential. In modern terms the legislative assemblies or the parliaments do this job.

In Islamic system there exists the guidance in this case. The rulers are bound to have recourse to counsel of the ‘wise and noble people’ having an insight in the matters. In the Quran there are two places where even for the Messenger of Allah, be peace and blessings upon him, the counseling was made compulsory.

“And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over (their faults), and ask (Allah’s) forgiveness for them; and consult them in affairs. Then when you have taken decision (after consultation), put your trust in Allah, certainly, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him). (Al-Imran: 159)

“…that is with Allah is better and more lasting for those who believe and put their trust in their Lord. And those who avoid the great sins and illegal sexual intercourse, and when they are angry, they forgive. And those who answer the Call of their Lord, and perform prayers, and who conduct their affairs by consultation, and who spend of what We have bestowed on them.” (Ash-Shura: 36, 37, 38)

Imam Shaukani writes in ‘Fathul Qadeer’, his famous commentary of the Quran, that it is compulsory for the authorities to consult the knowledgeable and experts of the particular fields about the worldly matters which are difficult to contrive or they are doubtful about them. For example in the issues of the defense of the country it is evitable to ask from the experts of warfare how to settle the problems. The matters of the public interest and progress of the country consultation of the skillful people in such fields is imperative. Qurtabi, another prominent commentator of the Quran, has quoted Ibn Atiyah’s stand in this case. He says there is no difference in this case that the ruler who refuses to consult those who are abreast of and conversant with special fields must be dismissed from his position. It means that the rulers who turn down the recommendations or laws made by the parliament, making it in the common term ‘a rubber stamp’ lose the right of remaining in the power.

The state affairs are not the children game. An expertise is required for every field. For important matters the opinion and guidance of only those is required who have some understanding of them.
“So ask the people of the knowledge (understanding of former scriptures) if you do not know” (An-Nahl: 43, Al-Anbiya: 7)

Though at both the places with the same wording, the verses referred above were revealed in a special case. All the Prophets, sent for the guidance of mankind were men and not otherworldly creatures. Because most of the Prophets were from Bani Israel, so their learned people were better to be asked for testifying to the fact. Allamah Shibbir Ahmed Usmani wrote in his brief commentary that when the same verses of the Quran are taken in a general sense, they make a significant point that for the important matters of human life, instead of groping in the darkness of ignorance it is much better to consult those who are really discerning.

So, following the guideline of the Quran bringing an institution like parliament or Majlis-e-Shura in existence becomes a thing really pre-eminent. But what the care is must to taken is that such body must be a house of pious, mannerly, principled and also proficient, dexterous and well-informed people in particular fields and not of the corrupt, ignorant and hereditary politics, as it is found in most of the Muslim countries and in Pakistan particularly.

In an organized society and a state having a firm system, there are three important layers of relations, necessary to be strengthened. The foremost is relation of the rulers with the ideology or the basic beliefs of the state, secondly of the government with the habitants of the country and then relation of the people with each other. In his inaugural speech after getting elected as the first Caliph, Abu Bakr As-Siddique (RA) drew a wise line describing the relation of the ruler with the ideology of the state (obedience to Allah and His Messenger, SAW). He said:

“Obey me as long as I obey Allah and His Prophet, be peace and blessings upon him. But if I disobey Allah’s commands or His Prophet’s, then no obedience is incumbent upon you.”

A commonly repeated phrase ‘strengthen the hands of the government’ is used for supporting and furthering the actions and policies of the government. According to the conditions laid by the Quran this boosting is restricted with the goodness of the steps taken and the policies followed by the government. The same are the provisos of the relations of different segments of the society between each other. The Quran has its clear teachings:
“And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and transgression. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.” (Al-Maidah: 2)

In the West the wording and terminology may be a bit different in accordance with their cultural traits and limits of whatever the social and moral values they have, but in fact they have taken the essence of the guidelines laid by the Quran and Suunah. They have stipulated a strict political discipline and carved an accountability statute making all the part of their constitutions and have taken the measures leaving no room for repudiation of these measures. Here still we fail and instead of only loudly beating the drums of democracy we need to institutionalize the principles and doctrines already we have.

We still fail in fulfilling Iqbal’s dream of a Muslim state having a dynamic ideology working behind it. Suffering from a dearth of wise, principled and sincere leadership, committed to the ideology of the country we are swayed by the slogans of nationalism and jingoism and are constantly lead astray. It is indispensable to trace our ideological roots, materialize them in strong institutions and shape a durable system taking light from the Quran and Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, be peace and blessings upon him.