4.
PUBLICATION OF TAZKIRAH: ITS ESSENCE
4.1.
THREE PARTS OF TAZKIRA
Ever since
1916, Inayatullah’s mind was occupied with thoughts of the welfare and uplift
of the Muslim world. Neither the Indian National Congress, nor the Muslim
League, neither the Khilafat, nor yet the Hijrat made any appeal
to him. What predominantly shaped his thoughts was Islam in its pristine purity
as it was in the days of the revelation of the Quran and the ministry of
Muhammad. This led him to write in 1924 a book partly in Arabic and partly in
Urdu entitled Tazkira expounding the cardinal doctrines of the Quran.
The word
Tazkira means the ‘Story’, that is to say, the narration of the story of Islam
for the illumination of mankind. This treatise consisted of three chapters, The
first chapter, Iflitahia or Opening, was written in Arabic. The second
chapter, Dibacha or Preface and the third chapter, Muqaddama or
Presentation, were written in Urdu.
4.2.
THE WORLD — A CULTIVABLE LAND
In the
first chapter Inayatullah analysed in detail some of the Surahs of the Quran.
Reminding the Muslims he observed: You are making friends with all
excepting God. Like a spider you live in your own house, but never ponder that
in reality its frame is “weaker than even the cobwebs of a spider.” He asked
them:
“Do you believe that your actions will benefit you
during your lifetime in this world?”
He replying
to this question Inayatullah said:
It is regrettable that being misguided you are
blissfully oblivious of God, and fully sunk in pleasure. Remember, the judgement
of God is fixed for you. Besides the punishment in this world you shall have to
face punishment in the world after death
Because din
and duniya cannot be separated from each other. Din is duniya, and duniya is
din. The world is like a cultivable land. As you sow in this world, so you reap
in the next: You will get the reward according to your work. Of course, reward
is only for those who do good work and make good things. But there are many who
are ignorant of all this.
Do you
think you can deny the orders of God and the dictates of religion? You cannot
deceive God. He has created you to spread the truth in the world and to rectify
things. So don’t be a disbeliever. Work in faith. Remember that for the
betterment of this world God has created some superior to others. Be pious and
bend before God. Don’t make anyone Master except Him. Don’t quarrel among each
other. Obey the order of your Amir. If there is any difference solve it
according to the prescriptions of the Quran. Make Jihad with your
life and property. Don’t run away at the time of war. Migrate from one country
to another to make the kingdom
of God
4.3.
CULTIVATION OF SCIENCE AND
LEARNING BY WESTERNERS
Explaining
some verses of the Quran which emphasize the acquisition of knowledge
‘Inayatullah deplored that the Muslims have not abided by this injunction,
though western scientists and learned man have acquired that knowledge. They know
the rule on which the world is dependent. The laws of existence and the safety of
present nations are known to them. They have thoroughly studied the various
aspects of the earth and the universe. They have really known the aims of the Quran.
God has led
them to the right path. Actually they have followed the principles of God. So
they should be called the faithful servants of God.
Inayatullah
commented:
Oh Muslims, do you think you are on the right path?
Unfortunately, you know nothing about iron and other minerals. You do not know
how to distinguish between black and white stones. You have acquired no
knowledge of Nature. You have no knowledge of the stratification of the world’s
surface which the Europeans have acquired. These are the people who made good
things by their knowledge and work. So you cannot call them Kafirs. Those who
are faithful to God see the signs of God in the Sun and the Moon from every
angle. They know the movements of the sun and the moon. But your Alims (learned
men) treat the Book of God and religious scripures as objects of fun and
laughter. They treat the things of Nature as insignificant. They are unaware of
God’s creations between the sky and the earth. So you are a set of ignoramus
blockheads. Do you consider yourselves to the gainers and the western peoples
to be losers? Practically those who have adhered to the principles of Islam are
real Muslims.
4.4.
ARABIC AND NON-ARABIC
LANGUAGES
As regards
the question of language, Inayatullah pointed out that God did not make any
distinction between Arabic and non Arabic languages. But He wants that He
should be obeyed and his orders carried out by His followers. No one can be a
true Mu’min until he follows in thought and action the true spirit of
the Quran. God has said to an Arab or ajami that the Quran is
a beneficial directive for the Mu’mins. Actually those who have no Iman
are called Ajam. Inayatullah said that you can invoke God from any
place and in any language. He will listen to you and accept you. He will reward
you as He is kind to all human beings. The Christians, Jews, Muslims and Hindus
are all alike. He who obeys and follows God is a believer and a Muslim. He who
denies His Order is a Kafir. Further, the Quran says that among
the Muslims, Christians, Jews and Sabaeans, only those who have faith in Allah
and in the Day of Judgment, and performs good work (Saleh), will be
rewarded. And they will have no fear and will not suffer so long as they
continue to do good work and adhere to the Books which are given to Moses, to
Christ and last of all to Prophet Muhammad. The Quran says that God has
set apart a proper path for every nation. Don’ quarrel in the name of God. He
will lead you on to the right path. Inayatullah reminded the Muslims that if
they wanted to be great then it would be their bounden duty “to extend the
boundaries of Islam”.
4.5.
ESSENCE OF ALL RELIGIONS SAME
In the
second chapter of the Tazkira Inayatullah analysed the essence of Islam.
He wrote that of all the transcendental philosophies in the world religion is
the highest. If all the religions are true there should be no question of any
difference between them. If there is any difference it would not be possible to
claim a particular religion to be true.
In fact all
wars and conflicts are on account of the religious differences. Such a conflict
between man and man is against the wishes of God and hence unnatural. The
messages which the Prophets of all religions have left for mankind are one and
the same. Those who go against religion are also against such messages. Concord , not discord,
among men should be the aim of knowledge. The world is based on justice, not
cruelty. The central theme of the messages of all Prophets is how men should
live together. In different ages different Prophets have preached the ‘same
natural religion’ which was, in fact, renewed from time to time with the
arrival of new Prophets. Men have read differences in religion on the wrong
assumption that the messages of Prophets were mutually different. But in
reality the essence of all religions or of Prophets is the same. Inayatullah
conceived orthodoxy in religion to be the principal cause of all clashes
between men. Men are usually blind to a particular custom. But this is
not desirable. One should discern the strength and weakness of a particular
custom.
4.6.
VIEWS OF THOMAS PRAISED
Inayatullah observed that
educated people in western countries have ignored religion and they have given
an impression that religion is the source of all evils. They have attached more
importance to the material life than to the spiritual life. It was, of course,
their ignorance about spiritual life which has led them to ridicule religion.
They should sincerely Endeavour to understand the true importance of religion.
The westerners have twisted the main principles of their religion to suit their
own needs. They have made changes in the Bible too. In different times they
have given different interpretations of the Bible. The Quran is the only
book in the world which is above any change.
The
Christian priests have misinterpreted the Quran in ignorance. They have
also criticised Prophet Muhammad as ‘a hysteric person’. They are against the Quran.
But the famous English author Thomas Carlyle has supported the Quran. He
has discovered truth from the Quran and held that the calumines cast by
the Christian priests against Muhammad and the Quran are false. He
criticised them and said that they should be ashamed of their conduct. Carlyle
has praised Muhammad as a true and great prophet. Inayatullah wrote that as a
result of bad effects of the absence of spirituality in Western Civilization
the western people have failed to grasp the latent potentialities of man.
Unaware of the real beauty of religion they are surprised when they see men
living together and dying together. Similarly Oriental people also lack
spirituality and cannot fathom the capacity of man. Both the Westerners and the
Easterners have underrated the capacity of man. Sometimes they have exaggerated
one thing by ignoring another and vice-versa. The Westerners are
ignoring the teachings of God now, but a time will come when they shall have to
listen to the message of God.
4.7.
DARWIN
Inayatullah
next criticised the theory of Darwin .
He pointed out that with the advent of the Renaissance in Europe
and the opening of the avenues of education Europeans became engaged in
research work. Then they enquired: What is the secret of collective prosperity
and collective destruction? How to build or destroy a nation? ‘What is the law
by which any nation can acquire peace, prosperity and strength? After a
thorough research on these points arid probe into the mysteries of Nature
Europe came to unravel some secrets. The most important of these was Darwin ’s Theory. Darwin threw new light on
the origin of the species. He defined the laws of life and death, and disclosed
some fundamental principles of life. But when the theory was applied to men it
was found to be vague and wrong so far as the human society was concerned, as
the nature of man differs entirely from that of animals. But the Europeans are
giving undue prominence to the theory Things which are necessary for animals
are also believed to be necessary for man. Human beings become slaves to
material things as their life depends largely on them.
That is why
they are involved in conflicts and are “socially going downwards”. They do not
realise that without power to do work, divine knowledge, belief and faith,
spirituality and unshaken determination, no nation can survive and enjoy peace
and prosperity in the world. It is a matter of regret that Europeans attach no
importance to the messages of Prophets and they cannot understand what the
Prophets have taught them by their divine power and knowledge.
4.8.
PROPHETS — CARRIERS OF A COMMON
MESSAGE
Inayatullah
felt that human knowledge has soared high. In order to comprehend the messages
of God correctly and to study the world one shall have to acquire knowledge.
This will stimulate the study of the rise and fall of nations. Inayatullah
believed that with the widening of the limits of knowledge and wisdom in the
present age the true import of the message of God and its significance can be
clearly grasped and applied to human society.
Man can
determine the real aim of religion and decide how best to fulfill it. The
essence of religion can easily be separated from orthodox views. The message of
God as revealed in different religions is always the same though religious
customs and rituals differ. These customs and externals are mere excrescences.
In this way man can acquire the Universal Brotherhood and obey the command of
one God. Inayatullah observed:
The Prophets who have come to this world with the massage of God never
ignored the teachings of their predecessors. In fact they have certified them.
As for example, Buddha supported Krishna ,
Moses certified Abraham, Jesus certified Moses and last of all, Prophet
Muhammad accepted the teachings of all previous Prophets. Not only that,
Prophet Muhammad has confirmed all the Prophets — known and unknown — of all times and of all Even very recently the
founder of Sikh religion Guru Nanak endorsed the teachings of Prophet Muhammad
and the Prophets before him. This is a conclusive proof that they are the
carriers of a common message. Knowing the secrets of the message of God, they
have brought the same divine laws and come for the same cause.
4.9.
THE QURAN — A COMPLETE BOOK
According
to Inayatullah the Quran is a complete book enabling one to get
knowledge of laws of nature and of the message of God. There are some common
messages which have been recorded in the Quran and other divine books.
These common facts have been proved to be true. The Quran are not
changeable. The Quran guides the behaviour of man. There is no
contradiction in the meaning of the Quran. The Quran says
everything clearly. This is a book of Quran or Divine Law. At the same
time there is continuity in the Quran, because it is according to the
laws of nature. There are no unnatural things in the Quran. Only the
illiterate people will say that there is no continuity in the Quran. Inayatullah
asserted that the Quran is a perfect book. It is eternal. It imparts
true teaching which is universal. It is, however, not for a particular
time or for a particular race. Unfortunately, the Muslims belonging to
different sects are interpreting the Quran to suit their own needs. The
essence of the Quran cannot be acquired without proper knowledge. So
education is essential to grasp it. It is a great sin to conceal the order of
the Quran for one’s own benefit. The verses of the Quran are
neither abstruse nor vague. Everything is clearly indicated here.
4.10.
CONCEPTION OF ISLAMIC BROTHERHOOD
Inayatullah
affirmed that his object in interpreting the Quran was not to create any
communal group or to found a new religion. His sole aim was to show the right
path to all and to forge unity among nations. To him, Islam teaches not only
adherence to the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, but also to those of other
Prophets who came before him. The core of all religious books is the same,
i.e., the unity of man. And this should be achieved by action, not by words
only. True Islam lies in this unity. Discarding all differences, nations should
work in unison and jointly Endeavour to achieve it. Inayatullah observed:
We should follow the teachings of Moses, Jesus, Krishna , Buddha and other religious leaders of the world,
and welcome their followers as brothers. And thus make a strong Islamic Jamaat.
That is real Islam in my eyes and that is the Islam of the Quran.
This is Inayatullah’s
conception of the new Islamic Brotherhood.
4.11.
MEANING OF KAFIR
What is
really meant by the word Kafir? Literally one who hides or covers up the
truth is called a Kafir. The word is, however, generally used by the
Muslims “to define one who is an unbeliever in the ministry of Muhammad and his
Quran, and in this sense it seems to have been used by Muhammad
himself.” According to Inayatullah Kafirs are those who make differences
between man and man and engage in fighting different groups on the assumption
that the messages of Prophets, known or unknown have made differences between
man and man. Even the Muslims who cause such differences are to be regarded as Kafirs
and they have had to suffer severe divine punishment. They should remember
that the Quran has a high educative value, as its aim is Universal
Brotherhood. The Muslims should sincerely abide by the Order of the Quran and
prove their adherence by deeds, not by words. Every prophet seeks to give peace
to their followers.
4.12.
WHAT IS SIRATUL-MUSTAQIM?
In
explaining Siratul-Mustaqim or ‘The Straight Path’ Inayatullah looked back to
the early halcyon days of Islam. Islam was then a democracy and brotherhood.
The sole aim of early fighters of Islam was to spread it and obey the Orders of
God, not merely to form a group of followers of Muhammad. Nations, still
observing the principles of the bygone days of Islam, i.e., democracy and
brotherhood, are even now enjoying peace.
Undoubtedly the Islam of olden days was real Islam, for it united men by removing differences between them. Islam proclaimed that all human beings are subjects of the same God, sons of the same Father and belong to the same community. Islam taught people to be kind and generous, and prohibited its followers to hate anyone, whether a Jew, Christian, Hindu, Parsi, etc.
Undoubtedly the Islam of olden days was real Islam, for it united men by removing differences between them. Islam proclaimed that all human beings are subjects of the same God, sons of the same Father and belong to the same community. Islam taught people to be kind and generous, and prohibited its followers to hate anyone, whether a Jew, Christian, Hindu, Parsi, etc.
4.13.
ISLAM — A REAL DEMOCRACY
After the
death of Prophet Muhammad his followers endeavored to preach the message of
God, and to attract different peoples to this particular religion (Islam),
which was really preached by all the Prophets of the world. They were
determined to spread the message that God wants equality and unity among all
His subjects and the survival of mankind on this earth. Inayatullah considered
Islam to be a real democracy; as there is no distinction of caste, creed or
colour in Islam. Casting aspersions on the teachings of other Prophets was
strictly forbidden. This gave Islam a magnetic power and it spread very rapidly
in the wide areas of the world. Nations adhering to the inherent principles of
Islam are enjoying peace and prosperity; They will gain strength and honour,
and will receive rewards from the Treasury of Nature. This is God’s will.
Inayatullah
wrote that Islam imparted a peculiar type of knowledge and enlightenment to the
world. After the hard struggle of twenty- three years Prophet Muhammad had
spread Islam among the ignorant and warring tribes, and civilised them. These
people, in turn, spread real Islam in extensive areas of the world, and
followed its prescriptions in practice. But now that Islam has come to lose its
essence due to the short-sightedness of the Muftis and Maulavis and
on account of their misinterpretation of Islam. They have begun to give more
stress on ordinary things which have no value, as for example, how to brush
teeth, what type of garments a Muslim should wear, the necessity of keeping
beard, whether to say ‘Amen’ silently or loudly, and whether to raise hands or
not during prayer, etc. Yet they quarrel among themselves over these paltry
matters. Inayatullah lamented Thus do they forget the real principles of Islam.
Hence if the reward of God vouchsafed to a true Muslim goes to others, neither
the Quran nor Islam can be blamed. So long as the Muslims strictly
followed the teachings of Islam they were not deprived of divine blessings. The
Muslims of the time of Prophet Muhammad and immediately after him enjoyed these
blessings. Islam of that time was the real Islam along the True Path (Siratul-Mustaqim).
Subsequently minor things were also grafted on to it as principles of
Islam. According to Inayatullah that was not true Islam, but bidat or
innovations. Such accretions were against the pure teachings of Islam. This was
due to the laziness, misunderstanding, dishonesty and ostentation of the
Muslims.
4.14.
ISLAM MEANS WORK
Inayatullah
was of opinion that if the aim of the Muslims is to be the Naib of God
and the master of the world then it can be done only by work. Lazy nations or
peoples merely talk in expectation of God’s favour and make utterances without
any actual work. It is useless. If any one does not act up to his belief and
utterances then mere faith in God has no value. It is nothing. Such a man will
be dubbed a double-faced man, and also as anti-Iman (against real
faith). The Quran condemns it as Gunah-i-kabirah (a crime of the
highest order) 78. Anyone who works in accordance with his belief and the
orders of God notwithstanding tribulations, moves in the right direction. He
can rightly claim, ‘I am a true believer in God’. Mere verbal faith and
obedience to God without work is nothing. Inayatullah observed that “in this
world of action no one can hope to establish his dominion and supremacy without
hard work”. According to him it is wrong to say that “we should first correct
our faith and then work according to that”. To him “Islam means work, and work
means Islam” 80. Work first, mere faith is futile.
4.15.
EXPECTATION OF GOD FROM MAN
Posing the question:
What does God expect from man? Inayatullah himself gives the answer: “God has
said everything in this great book Quran. Now, it is your bounden duty
to follow it. From the very beginning all His creatures have been following the
laws of nature and abiding by His directions.” God’s prescriptios have been
brought by different prophets of different religions. Remember what God has
said. He has said: “You are my shadow. You are my Kha1fah or Naib.
You are a
minute symbol of my power. You have the power of thinking. I have kept a
particle of my power in you. I have put my spiritual power in you at the time
of creation. So I want you to be my replica. I am powerful and honourable. So I
want you to be powerful and honourable. I have power to work. So I want you to
work. I possess the power of creation. So I want you also to create new things.
You are my Naib on earth. This universe and this firmament are for you —
for your use and benefit. But there is, one condition: You should prove
yourself worthy of being the Naib of God. Acquire knowledge and work
accordingly. As this world is a place of examination those peoples which do not
cultivate knowledge and the power to act will be ruined. This is
the law of nature and this is the wish of God.”
the law of nature and this is the wish of God.”
4.16.
MEANING OF IBADAT
As regards
Prayer (Ibadat) Inayatullah held that it is really the expression of
obedience to God’s order. The real Ibadat is work and to follow the ten
principles as mentioned by him. To remain immersed in prayer, ignoring
everything in this world is to go against Islam. To perform prayer without
obeying God’s order is meaningless. It is only for show. It is needless to sit
inside the mosque the whole day for prayer, as it will not earn any reward from
God. The true prayer is that which nurtures unity among the faithful under the Amir
or Sardar. It wins the mind and fosters unity and mutual
understanding among men. The sole aim of the worship of God is to do good for
mankind. A true Muslim must not place anything of this world above God.
Commenting on the common belief that bending one’s head before stones and idols
is a means of knowing God, Inayatullah branded it as useless, and held that to
be a worshipper of God such bending is not at all necessary. Nevertheless,
those who not only bend their heads before stones or idols as a religious
custom or habit, but actually followed the orders of God, may be regarded as
real worshippers of God or Muwahhid (belief in one God). Inayatullah
stated that the idols or images nurtured within one’s own heart and placed
above God may be destroyed. This is real Ibadat.
4.17.
FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
Inayatullah
explained the five foundations or pillars of Islam, viz Kalimah, Namaz,
Rozah, Zakat and Hajj, and suggested that it was imperative for a
Muslim to observe these. Kalimah means belief in one God. The liturgical
prayer is called Namaz. The real meaning of Rozah or fast is to
crush the evil spirit in man. Zakat is an organized and. powerful method
of collecting taxes for the benefit of the society. The aim of Hajj is
to express a sense of Muslim Brotherhood.
4.18.
MEANING OF TAUHID
Inayatullah
wrote that Tauhid is natural. It reflects the will of God. Tauhid gives
strength to man. Belief in Tauhid implies faith in Muhammad. God is
angry on those who believe in different Gods. If the Muslims cannot retain
faith in God, they will be annihilated like other races. Believers in God will,
however, survive. Those men and those nations who, without endeavoring to
understand divine wishes engage in useless work are really Kafirs in the
eyes of God. The life of a Kafir resembles that of a beast.
Victory
will ultimately fall to the lot of the believers in one God. This idea is now
gaining ground in the world. Inayatullah believed that Islam will not be
confined to one nation only. It is sure to spread from one nation to another.
Nations who cherish belief in Tauhid will enjoy in this world and in the
next. It is only through Tauhid that the real unity of human heart can
be achieved. Mere expression of the word Tauhid is nothing.
There is
practically no difference between worship of God without proper work and idol
worship. God keeps a watch over what peoples do, but not over what they utter.
God is not cruel. He cannot do cruelty to man. To do evil works is really
tantamount to idol worship. It is easier to destroy a stone image or idol than
to destroy the evil thoughts of mind 88. To remain sunken in pleasures of
material life really implies disbelief in one God. Some wrong idea as regards
the love of God and Tauhid has been disseminated by Sufism. Those countries
that believe in one God and live under one Amir will enjoy sound
administration. Sometimes the believers shall have to go on Hijrat, leaving
behind their kith and kin. Their aim should be to achieve lasting peace, and
the kingdom and blessings of God. They should know their own strength and
acquire knowledge of this World.
4.19.
TEN PRINCIPLES
Combining
the five pillars of Islam and six Foundations of Faith, Inayatullah enunciated
his Ten Principles which, he thinks, should be followed by a country or community
if they want to prosper. These are:
(1) Belief in one God, (2) Unity
of the nation, (3) Obedience to Amir or leader, (4) Jihad bil-mal or
the spending of money and belongings for God, (5) Jihad with sword
(sacrifice of the life), (6) Hijrat, (7) Istiqamat-fi’s-Sai (Perseverance
and tolerance), (8) Elm (knowledge), (9) Makarim-Ikhlaq (good
behaviour), and (10) Iman-bil-Akhirat (Belief in life after death).9’
Inayatullah considered these ten principles to be fundamentals of the real
religion of Islam. In fact, real Muslims are those who have full faith
in these principles and work accordingly 92. He who sticks to these has Iman,
and he who deviates from these have lost his Iman 93. Non-conformity
to these fundamentals has been the root cause of the destruction of nations of
the world and the real Shirk (belief in polytheism). Inayatullah stated
that the Westerners are following four or five principles out of these Ten
Principles of Islam, whereas the Muslims are neglecting even these.
4.20.
MUSLIMS SHOULD BE UNITED
Inayatullah
continued this discussion in the Third Chapter of his Tazkira entitled Muqaddama
(Presentation). He asserted that if Islam is the truth, no one can harm it.
He called upon the Muslims to realize that real piety consists not in mere
observance of prayer but in comprehension of the views of other persons. It
becomes incumbent to avoid quarrel among themselves and to remain united under
the guidance of one God. The Muslims should be united in every sphere of life.
That is real faithfulness and real belief in God.
If the
Muslims wanted to be the beloved of God they should first unite. This is the
ultimate aim of the order of God. Inayatullah wrote:
If you are united you will win, otherwise you will be
defeated. God wants the unity of His faithful followers. God said: ‘Oh Muslims,
I have made you the choicest people and it is your bounden duty to accept good
things and to reject bad things and at the same time you should disseminate
truth not only among the Muslims but all human beings and thus checks the
evils’. But after the good olden days of Islam they have not followed these
principles.
4.21.
NECESSITY OF APPOINTING AN
AMIR
What is the
necessity of appointing an Amir for the Muslims? Inayatullah attached
much importance to this issue. In his observations on the subject he
interpreted the Quran so as to imply that obedience to the Prophet is
obedience to God. During his life-time the Prophet directed his followers to
abide by the order of God, and to follow a code of conduct so that there was no
problem then. But, who would be obeyed after the Prophet? Who would give the
directions? In the absence of Prophet Muhammad it would be necessary to have an
Amir for the Muslims to guide them. His duty would be to lead the
Muslims along the path of God and the Prophet.
Otherwise
wrong people would mislead the Muslims. Only an Amir can properly guide
them in accordance with the rules and regulations of Islam. It is the duty of
the Amir to unite the Muslims and to acquire political power for them.
It may be argued that when the Quran and the Hadith (Apostolic
Traditions) are there easily to guide the Muslims, an Amir would be unnecessary.
But, counter argued Inayatullah, sometimes, in the absence of an Amir, the
Quran and the Hadith by themselves cannot give adequate directions
in such cases as Jihad and Hijrat. Only a real Amir can guide
Jihad and Hijrat, especially when immediate decisions have to be
taken. Hence an Amir, to whom obedience is due, would be as essential as
the mandate of the Quran. To disobey him is to disobey the Quran and
God. The Quran lays down that disobedience to the Amir is a great
sin, punishable by God with the collective defeat of the Muslims. Thus the
entire Jamaat will suffer: for it. The position of a Prophet was like
that of Commander-in-Chief or a great ‘Hakim’ (Amir) of their Jamaat. They came
to unite their people and bring them under one banner. In the olden days of
Islam its followers, with their pure hearts, faithfu1y obeyed the orders of Amir.
They were
united on account of the fear of God, which, in its turn, was based on faith in
one God and obedience to His Commands. All these things, viz., unity; faith and
obedience, helped to secure the compliance to the orders of God, led men to the
Kingdom of God
4.22.
REAL IMAN ﴾ایمان﴿ OR FAITH
Again, the
real Iman or faith consists in work and action. There are some verses in the Quran
which explain the real meaning of Iman and act as a spur to the
Muslims to march forward towards unity The Quran says that Muslims, make
no distinction between different Prophets of the world and every Muslim should
follow them. But the true basis of this unity is a belief in Cod as the Supreme
Authority: This can be ensured only by following His Orders not by words only
but also by acts or deeds. According to Inayatullah this is the real meaning of
Iman or Faith. The second name of work is Iman. This applies not
only to a particular community but to all communities. Inayatullah said that we
would keep in mind the Quranic verses which clearly vouchsafe that God has sent
a Prophet to every nation of the world from time to time, to exhort his
adherents to follow God and to avoid Satan.
Inayatullah
referred to one Quranic verse in particular which states that “all human beings
spring from common parents and formed one community.” Keeping in mind their
common heritage God have sent Prophets to convey to different nations the good
news of their collective survival and to warn them of their collective
destruction. God has made laws in the form of books in different languages to
guide the human beings. Unfortunately, the people interpret these books to
serve their own interests and begin to quarrel among themselves. Thus they are
divided into different communities, castes and nations. God has shown the right
way to the true believers. Inayatullah concluded that as men originated from a
common parentage, there is no fundamental difference between man and man and
that they should not quarrel among themselves. Man can take lessons from other
creatures of the world. Rules and regulations preached by different Prophets in
different times and different places are for all human beings, though it might
appear that the message brought by one Prophet at a particular time is for a
particular nation only.
True Islam,
therefore, inculcates obedience to all Prophets without making any distinctions
between them. Hence Inayatullah observed:
“If we can go deep into the teachings of Islam, we can realise that all human beings are equal in the eyes of God”. God feeds and nurses all His creatures with equal love and affection. He distributes everything from His treasures. So how can He bear that one of His creatures should be killed by another? The message of God is this that all human beings should live together, and should follow one authority (i.e., God), and to observe the principle of universal brotherhood without paying any heed to the allurements of the Satan. This is Islam. This is Iman. There is no caste or community in Islam, because Islam is for all mankind.
“If we can go deep into the teachings of Islam, we can realise that all human beings are equal in the eyes of God”. God feeds and nurses all His creatures with equal love and affection. He distributes everything from His treasures. So how can He bear that one of His creatures should be killed by another? The message of God is this that all human beings should live together, and should follow one authority (i.e., God), and to observe the principle of universal brotherhood without paying any heed to the allurements of the Satan. This is Islam. This is Iman. There is no caste or community in Islam, because Islam is for all mankind.
4.23.
REAL MEANING OF SALAT OR NAMAZ
Referring
to the Salat or congregational prayers of Islam, Inayatullah wrote that the
Muslims observe it jointly and in a disciplined manner under the leadership of
a proper Imam or Amir. This is collective acceptance of belief in
God. The real meaning of the Salat is to show obedience to Amir. This is
the main teaching of Islam. There is one Jamaat, one line and the
leadership of one Imam in prayers. Jamaat is compulsory for the Namaz.
When the Imam utters the Prayer all should listen to him and move as
their leader moves. All these exactly resemble military training on the
battlefield. According to Inayatullah true prayer presupposes unity of mankind
and obedience to God. The Quran stresses equality of man. However an
individual will attain preeminence through his action, not by caste or creed.
Thus does Inayatullah
define his conception of Siratul-Mustaqim or the Straight Path, which is
founded on belief in God and work in accordance with that. And this is real
Islam. ‘With the help of this verse Inayatullah tried to prove that the real
thing is to work properly. There are verses in the Quran in which God
has instructed Prophet Muhammad to tell his followers to obey the following
commands: to keep belief in one God; to show good behaviour towards parents ;
not to kill children for fear of poverty; to keep away from sins, secret or
open; not to kill any human being without any cause (except in Jihad); not
to take the property of orphans ; to be fair in business and private dealing
with men; to keep justice even if any of your relatives is involved and to keep
promise every time and everywhere. Inayatullah considered these principles as Siratul-Mustaqim.
These will bring peace and prosperity to the nations. Non-observance of
these principles would be the cause of their defeat and destruction.
Inayatullah further explained that “a nation following this Siratul-Mustaqim,
will achieve religiosity; collective benefit, strength, benefit in social
life and also political gain. In the past the Muslims succeeded in spreading
Islam by following this path”. Moreover, one has to sacrifice his life and
property; take part in Hijrat, bear all kinds of trouble and to obey the
order of their Amir (or Rasul or Prophet) if he wants to adhere to the Siratul-Mustaqim.
For he does these things to obey Gods order, not for his personal
interests, and he will certainly be rewarded by God.
4.24.
POLICY OF EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS
Inayatullah
held that the policy of the European Governments was to westernize the Muslims
and thereby to destroy their traditions and their culture. They are harming
Islam in a silent way. Moreover, the proud West is also opposing every good
thing of Asia and trying to remove their subject
Asian people from the path of religion and Jamaat. Referring to it Inayatullah stated that no
Muslim ought to keep friendship or any relation with those who decry the
principles of religion, mock at Muslim prayers and seek to minimize the
importance of the latter or insult it, and try to generate hatred among the
Muslims. It is the basic duty of a Muslim. The principle of self-respect or
self- defence is writ large on every page of the Quran. It is the
teaching of Islam. By adhering to these principles the Muslims can utilise the
world to their best advantage. This is Siratul-Mustaqim. All the living
creatures — big or small — are following these principles, and
this is the essence of nature. The Quran strictly prohibits all efforts
at creating friction and disunity among the Muslims. Those who do this would go
to hell. The Supreme aim of congregational prayers is to achieve unity and
brotherhood among Muslims. It would enable them to become pious, neat and clean
and strong in every walk of life, and ultimately become the ruler of earth. Moreover,
the sole aim of the Iman is to live in this world with strength
and power, and the ultimate result of having the Iman is political supremacy
Inayatullah exhorted the Muslims thus: “If you are true Muslims you should be
the ruler of the world”. Referring to the Quran he stated that to deny
the necessity of having a kingdom on earth is to leave the Siratul-Mustaqim.”
4.25.
TAKIRA REVEALED ISLAM FOR MAN
Extracting
certain principles from the Quran Inayatullah embodied these in his
treatise called Tazkira : Belief in God, unity of nation, obedience to
the leader, sacrifice of personal interests, acquisition of knowledge,
formation of character, cherishing of unfaltering faith in the final judgement,
and so on. The essence of Tazkira is that “religion is basically a
system governing the rise and decline of nations”. Naturally, it must be as
infallible as science in its methods and results. Inayatullah held that Islam
is the true religion and “the Quran is the only authentic ‘revelation”. So
Islam “must provide the correct law of national prosperity”. As an instance he
referred to the spectacular success of the Muslim Arabs in their earlier days
as imperial conquerors. This is also “a proof of Islam’s purpose and of its success”
Inayatullah
observed:
Islam becomes....the most successful and universal
principle of nation- building, and all religious and moral injunctions become
means to serve that end. It becomes, so to speak, the infallible and divine
sociology.113
In this treatise Inayatullah
has emphasised the importance of military power and military ways of thinking.
In his opinion this is the path to follow in as much as it alone leads to
steady progress in the modern age. Moreover, the religious scriptures should
not be treated merely as historical narratives, but as constituting a
treasure-house of material and spiritual wisdom. Large-heartedness,
self-restraint and endurance are the only remedies of mutual strife and envy
among men. He focused the attention of the world on the following message of the
Quran: “everything is meant for God’ and ‘Faith in God alone is the
bedrock of fortitude”. Says the Quran:
Truly, my prayer
And my service of sacrifice,
My life and my death,
Are (all) for God,
The Cherisher of the Worlds
From the preceding
discussion it will become clear that the whole burthen of Inayatullah’s Tazkira
is to develop that above idea of the Quran in his characteristically
appealing and mellifluent language. He stated that the aim of this book Tazkira
is not to confuse people, but to express everything about the Truth of
Islam. He also observed “I do not propose to enter into a controversy over this
book with anybody and I would prefer silence”.
In the Tazkira
he has severally taken the Muslims to task and exposed their pitfalls. But
his attitude was not merely negative. It was also positive or constructive for
he has pointed out the remedy of the weaknesses as well. He has described his
book as “an attempt to apply the teachings of the Quran and the Hadith to the
conditions of modern life”, though orthodox Indian Muslims regard it “as the
work of an agnostic”. W.C. Smith characterised this work as “a modern
interpretation of Islam”. After a discussion with Inayatullah in 1939 Amiya
Chakravarty wrote thus on the Tazkira: “Tashkara, ‘The Story’, was to
reveal Islam for man. History culminating in that supreme religion would show
civilization as a series of variants on recorded finality. The Koran, he
explained to me is also science; it shows truth as facts... All
religions must be respected, but Islam, being Religion, must guide all domains,
spiritual, domestic, juridical. Recognized by authorities as an important
interpretation of Quranic principles, this book is meant by the author to be a
blue-print for the application of immutable laws. The complete structure of
man’s story is there: Seeing it clearly, civilization cannot go wrong. In fact
the publication of the Tazkira produced a tremendous sensation in the Muslim
world. The book is counted among one of the priceless gems of world literature
by a section of learned Muslims.
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HISTORY OF KHAKSAR MOVEMENT IN INDIA
BY AMALENDU DE
