Where the Problem Lies...

Our Holy Prophet (SAW) is reported to have said: ‘When Allah wants a good for a community or a nation He appoints over them the wise rulers and their finance and treasures are entrusted to those who are gracious, generous and indulgent. If He wants bad and evil for a community or a nation He gives mastery over them to those who are impudent, intolerant and impolite.’ (Related by Abu Dawud)

As a nation, perhaps due to our heedless way of life and turning our backs to the guidance given us in the Quran and teachings of the Holy Prophet (SAW) we have lost our merit to be blessed with a good from our Lord. Worst of the punishments we are subject to are our incognizant politicians made responsible of our affairs. The leaders, running only after their vested interests and lost in lustfulness, have no concern about the troubles of the people. Scarcity of basic necessities of life, price hike, law and order situation, natural calamities, excess in accidental casualties, murders, unending wars around us is one kind of affliction. Tremendously weakened Faith and a moral and spiritual decline at every level have also lowered us beyond our estimation.

Undue favours, nepotism and corruption at the top levels have immensely plagued collective life of our society. Psychologically our defeatism and getting our enemies’ better over us, deficiencies, fluctuating determination and submissive attitude of leadership towards the foreign powers is another thing badly hurting us. The more we earn the wrath of our Creator the more our living on the face of earth becomes hurtful and nuisance for us. We are being tormented through rule of stupid, impolite, avaricious, miser, liar and cowardly leaders. When they are our choice to rule us then nothing more is needed to add in our inordinate misfortunes and trials.

A ruler must have a vision and an insight, which they lack. Due to their arrogance and self-worshiping all that they think and decide is right so they do not make a mechanism of consultation. They think themselves to be a thing of a different planet, so neither they have the sense of the problems of common people nor the wisdom to address the problems. Considering themselves accountable to none, they remain fearless of any check and answerability about what they say or do. This is the very reason they turn deaf ears to the cries of unprivileged, wronged and oppressed classes of people. We find them inconsiderate towards only thing which may give justification to their rule and that is protecting the lives, properties and honors of the people, facilitating the living condition, guaranteeing the provision of necessities of life and ideologically and geographically making Pakistan a safe country.

Not only Pakistan faces this problem, entire Muslim world is in dearth of a sagacious and integrated leadership able to bring any honour for their countries and Muslim Ummah in general. Since the end of Khilafat-e-Rashidah merit lost its value and heirloom became the criteria to choose the leader. Both in authoritative rules in North African and Gulf states and in our so-called democracies in some Muslim countries, heirship works in politics for accession to the political positions of fathers, brothers, husbands and even the wives without any standard to assess the academic, moral and mental aptitude and capability. We failed in building and strengthening the institutions, making them the centers of power and an intense source of check and balance as we see in the western countries. No set precedent to resolve how to choose a leader to rule is there to replace the authority in arbitrary and despotic way.

Khulafa-e-Rashedin had laid a standard for legitimacy of their authority and that was as long as they were following the commandments of the Quran and Sunnah of the Holy Prophet they must have been obeyed and if they went off the course the people were bound at first to correct them and if amiss was not removed then the people had the choice not to accept their authority. The quality of God fearing and remaining stuck to the Quran and Sunnah was main criterion to establish whether they were rightful in their rule or illegitimate rulers. But after the institution of Khilafat got changed into ‘kingdom’ this standard remained no more in practice and no more standard of check and answerability got method. No effort was made for institutionalization of different sectors of government by our most revered Fuqaha and Ulema in different phases of the history. The rulers wanted and still want the institutions of Madrassah and Khanqah tamed and serve their wishes. And it is unfortunate that they find the Ulema, Fuqaha and Sufia ready to bless them and give religious legitimacy to their tyrant rule regardless of their moral character and being practicing Muslims or otherwise.

I am convinced that revolt against a ruler, no matter to what extent he is bad, unlawful and inefficient, brings chaos and unruliness and causes integrity of the state. Once the doors of rebellion are opened then it is very difficult to close them. Politics has become a dirty and filthy piece of cloth, which neither we can be out of want nor it can be left in its unpleasant condition. A serious and sincere effort to rectify it is indispensable. Now a lot has changed and there are many ways to bring the change but an immense and immediate need of a moral revolution may not be denied. This is the paramount duty of the Ulema and Shayukh. Since long the role of our Ulema and Sufia itself is awaited proving able to bring reforms in the society of which politics is a part. But while many of the Ulema and Pirs themselves are in cloaks with sickening reeks and unpleasant stains of materialism and worldliness, then how they could be expected to show a high taste to feel the stench. A great enterprise of Da’wat-u-Islah, both in public and in the galleries of power, remains suspended for a quite long time. Until it is done we will remain tormented by the rule of impudent, intolerant and impolite rulers.

Muneer Ahmad Khalili