Tag: Fundamentalism

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Commentaries Religion

Pakistani Ulama and Their Rhetoric (4): Maulana Mumtaz Kalyar

(From Mashal books)

Speaker: Maulana Mumtaz Kalyar
Location: Jamia Masjid Hanafiya, Jaranwala, Faisalabad.
Sect: Deobandi
Language: Urdu
Time: June 2010

Audio:

[audio:http://www.thepakistanforum.net-content/uploads/2011/01/Maulana-Mumtaz-Kalyaar1.mp3|titles=Maulana Mumtaz Kalyaar]

Trascript:

You who say things against Deobandi sect cannot show me scholars on your side equal to one-fourth of the Deobandi ulema. You call the soldiers of religion kafir and write pamphlets against them and accuse of them of being insulters of the Prophet PBUH. O Muslims of Jaranwala, come to your senses! I will not quote from books but these Barelvis have scholars who have written books that show them as kafirs.

Founder of Barelvism Ahmad Raza Khan stated that Islam will not be found in the Quran and Hadith but in the books that he had written. You tell me if anyone says that his religion is not found in the Quran and Hadith can he be called Muslim? The Quran has called such Muslims as munafiq (pretender) and kafir. You call me Kafir and I don’t care what you say but you have also called the Companions as kafir which is unforgivable.

Hazrat Abu Bakr believed that Allah was present but not the Prophet PBUH. Umar, Usman, Ali, Talha and Zubair believed that Allah was present in life but not Muhammad PBUH. This is the belief of Husain Ahmad Madni. The saint Abdul Qadir Jilani whom the Barelvis take as their saint and celebrate the date of his anniversary also believed the same. But the Prophet PBUH did not believe in returning abuse for abuse. If Abu Jahl abused him, he returned not abuse but hope that the enemy would convert. If Abu Lahb was interested in throwing stones at the Prophet PBUH he was returned the gesture.

We believe that from Adam to Christ and from Christ to the end of the world no one is bigger in greatness than our Prophet PBUH. If Shah Waliullah was not a Deobandi then what was he?

Shah Abdul Qadir and Shah Rafiuddin who wrote the hadith and exegesis of the Quran were all in fact Deobandi. The prisoner of Malta Shaikhul Hind Mahmudul Hasan was a Deobandi too. Similarly, Imam Bukhari the collector of hadith and Maulana Ghulamullah Khan and Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi were all Deobandis.

Commentary:

To Follow.

Compare:

Maulana Asmatullah

Maulana Raza Saqib

Maulana Syed Shafaullah

Categories
Commentaries Religion

Pakistani Ulama and Their Rhetoric (3): Maulana Syed Shafaullah

(From Mashal Books)

Speaker: Maulana Syed Shafaullah
Location: Jamia Masjid Muhammadiya, Phalia, Mandi Bahauddin
Sect: Deobandi
Language: Urdu
Time: June 2010

Audio:

Partial Clip: [audio:http://www.thepakistanforum.net-content/uploads/2011/01/Maulana-Shafaullah1.mp3|titles=Maulana Shafaullah]

(Go Here for Full Audio Clip)

Transcript:

Allah told His Prophet PBUH in the 14th section of the Quran: O Prophet PBUH to you the message of Allah is that you will follow the religion of Abraham. Therefore we Muslims are bound to walk the path of Abraham. When Allah explained the high status of Abraham He explained the tests Abraham was put through. When Abraham succeeded in all of them Allah told him that he was the leader of the coming nations of Muslims. And those who come after you will have to follow the way you will show. So Prophet Muhammad PBUH too was told by Allah to tread the path of Abraham.

We call ourselves Hanafi. Some people allege falsely that the Hanafis instead of Quran and Hadith follow only Imam Abu Hanifa. There is no Hanafi in the world who will ever say that he does not follow Quran and Hadith. The truth is that we accept Imam Abu Hanifa as our Imam and follow his teachings in imitation (taqleed) because compared to other imams he has understood better the tradition of Abraham.

I will refer to just one case. Imam Hanifa used to say if you go to the mausoleum of the Prophet PBUH then you must say darood (blessing on Prophet) and namaz and ask for blessings but while doing so never face the mazar which you should keep either to your left or right. This you must do to indicate that you are not asking directly from the Prophet PBUH instead of Allah. Pray facing the Kaaba instead. This is the message of Imam Hanifa. The exegesis titled Ruh Al Maani says that other imams say darood and face the mazar of the Prophet PBUH but not Imam Hanifa. The Hanafis believe so intensely in the Oneness of Allah that no one will ever think that he is asking for something from the Prophet PBUH.

The Hanafis form the nation of Hanafis which could be called also Haneefis. And this nation or millat is the millat of Ibrahimis. And the belief of the Hanafi is that once someone is dead and buried he can’t hear and can’t give you anything you ask. When someone goes to the tomb of a saint he asks in very low voice; and that is traced back to a hadith which tells us that Prophet PBUH called on Hazrat Saad and said Salam Aleikam to which Saad replied with Wa Aleikam Salam meaning that he will open the door to let the Prophet PBUH in. But the Prophet PBUH would not enter because did not open the door – till this was done three times.

After three times the Prophet PBUH turned around and began to walk away. On this Saad opened the door and said O Prophet PBUH why are you walking away. He replied because you did not reply and did not open the door.

Hazrat Saad the great Companion did this to prove that even a living Prophet cannot hear a low voice across a wall, how can he listen to the supplication of a visitor to his tomb?

Commentary:

To Follow

Compare:
Maulana Asmatullah
Maulana Raza Saqib

Categories
Commentaries Religion

Pakistani Ulama and Their Rhetoric (2): Maulana Raza Saqib

(From Mashal Books)

Maulana Raza Saqib

Speaker: Maulana Raza Saqib
Location: Jamia Masjid, Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat, Rawalpindi
Sect: Barelvi
Language: Urdu
Time: June 2010

Audio:

[audio:http://www.thepakistanforum.net-content/uploads/2011/01/Maulana-Raza-Saqib1.mp3|titles=Maulana Raza Saqib]

Transcript:

When Muslim refugees arrived in the court of Negus in Abyssinia, King Negus asked them: what was the Prophet PBUH like before he announced his prophethood? They said we used to call him sadiq (truthful) and amin (trustworthy). Negus replied that if he was true yesterday, he is true today.

People were puzzled as to why the Prophet PBUH was ignorant about his prophethood for 40 years. Then angel Gabriel clarified the matter that the Prophet PBUH knew that he was the Prophet PBUH, but he did not tell anyone. What if he had announced in the lap of his mother that he was the Last Prophet PBUH? The non-believers would have denied his prophethood. What was needed was a witness. We should admire the Prophet PBUH for waiting for 40 years before announcing that he was the Prophet PBUH.

Allah wanted his Oneness proved. For that a proof was needed. The West wants this proof to be weakened after which people will forget the fact by reason of the proof becoming weak. That is why we the Barelvis go around the world raising the flag of the proof of the prophethood of Muhammad PBUH.

Hazrat Hassaan bin Thabit says that the Prophet PBUH had no human flaw. But the cartoons that are printed against him PBUH cannot even come close to imagining what he was in reality. Allama Iqbal says that the Prophet PBUH is like a mirror whose copy will not be found in any shop of the world. Someone asked Abu Hurrayra: was his face like the full moon? Hassaan bin Thabit added that he was a man without parallel because Allah had broken the mould in which he had made him.

This is the miracle of Allah. If you want Allah’s Oneness proved then come go to the threshold of Muhammad PBUH, but some mistakenly think they can prove the Oneness of Allah without recourse to the Prophet PBUH. But no one can believe Oneness unless he goes through the Prophet PBUH. Allama Iqbal was grieved by the passing away of Nietzsche and Goethe because they had tried to reach Allah on their own. He wished that they had taken the guidance of Mujaddid Al Thani. They would have achieved their objective had they gone through the door of the Prophet PBUH. The Prophet PBUH would have held their hand and taken them to Allah.

Imam Hasan al Shuabi (a pupil of Imam Abu Hanifa) came to Basra and he was a handsome man while the Christians and Jews waited to engage him in polemics and defeat him. But when they took a look at his face they were so overcome by the shining of his face that they started reciting the kalima of acceptance of Islam. The Muslims asked them as to what happened. They replied: when we saw the face of this small Muhammad we thought what would the face of the big Muhammad PBUH be like; and therefore embraced Islam.

We Barelvis are usually accused of dwelling too much on the Prophet PBUH but we are looking for beauty and if beauty becomes overpowering all purposes are achieved. And proof of the Oneness of Allah is automatically produced.

Commentary:

To follow.

Compare: Maulana Asmatullah.

Categories
Commentaries Religion

Pakistani Ulama and Their Rhetoric (1): Maulana Asmatullah

(From Mashal Books)

This is the first recorded sermon that we are posting on our website. As you read the transcript and listen to the audio, it is important to keep the speaker’s sectarian affiliations in mind. This sermon is by a scholar from the Deobandi group of Indian Islam. Trained according to the curriculum and vision of the Darul Uloom, Deoband, the Deobandis are opposed to celebrating the “Milad,” the day of Prophet Muhammed’s birth as a public celebration. A brief commentary is provided at the , but you can follow these link to read up on Deobandi School and the Barelvi School.

Maulana Asmatullah

Speaker: Maulana Asmatullah
Location: Jamia Masjid Faisal Gate, Gujrat
Sect: Deobandi
Language: Urdu
Time: June 2010

Audio:

[audio:http://www.thepakistanforum.net-content/uploads/2011/01/70.Molana-Asmat-Ullah1.mp3|titles=Molana Asmat Ullah]

Transcript:

Hurling abuse is no great art. We Deobandis never indulge in cursing others. If you have proof, then teach us about Milad (birth anniversary of the Prophet PBUH). But taking out procession of the Birthday of the Prophet PBUH and hurling abuses at others is not a good thing. Playing loud music and using musical instruments may be your (rival’s) way but it is not our way. On the Day of Judgement the Deobandis will enter reciting the Quran.

Today I will confront you (Barelvis) with the truth. If you want to hide your sins by accusing us (Deobandis) of not celebrating the Birthday and by insulting the Prophet PBUH, then listen to what I say now: You are misguided. Ask me how to acknowledge the Prophet PBUH and I will tell you that we acknowledge him as the best of everything in the Universe. He is only less than Allah. The truth is that Barelvis don’t believe this despite the music they play for the Prophet PBUH, something that the Prophet PBUH never taught. We don’t believe in the beliefs and misdeeds of the Barelvis. Why should we believe something about which the Prophet PBUH did not teach?

Once I asked Allah please tell me how to say namaz. And Allah replied it will be tough for Me because in it one has to bow and prostrate oneself. And Allah cannot bow and prostrate Himself in front of anyone. I challenge the Barelvis to prove from Quran and Hadith that 12 Rabiul Awwal Birthday of the Prophet PBUH (Milad) has to be celebrated. Prove it to me from the great collections of hadith and from even the Founder of Barelvism Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi. If you succeed in doing so I will take out a Milad procession from Faisal Fate myself. Instead you have burned our mosques out of enmity which is against the Prophet’s custom of forgiveness. You have no argument and will not bring one to convince me. This is what Syed Inayatullah Shah Bukhari used to say.

Commentary:

This sermon relies on a binary structure, hyperbole, and alliteration to enhance its affective value. The cumulative effect of the sermon, as the tone and passionate delivery suggest, is to present the opponents (Barelvis) as not only absolutely wrong in their practice but also as people who rely on unjust and uncivilized language in their criticism of the Deobandis. The sermon stats with one single assertion “To curse is no skill” and immediately follows it with a competing assertion: “We are not those who rely on such language.” To the Deobandi audience of the scholar, this reinforces the binaries by positing Barelvies as deviant and uncouth, and, in contrast, the Deobandis as civilized as well as those whose practices are somehow more Islamic.

The basic difference between the two schools is about the celebration of Milad, the day of Prophet Muhammed’s birth. While the Barelvis insist on public celebration of the day and also seek solace by visiting the shrines of various Muslim saints, the Deobandis see this as an un-Islamic practice and a corruption of true religion. of course, the audience is aware of this doctrinal difference, for that is why they are at a Deobandi mosque. So, if the scholar is already preaching to the “choir” then what is the purpose of this speech?

We must also note that the scholar does not address an individual Barelvi maulvi but rather collapses them all in a single pronoun: Tum, You. The tone of the sermon, a fluid diatribe against this supposed Tum, then shapes and aligns the sympathies of the audience, their feelings, against this generalized foe. The binaristic argument of the speech leaves no middle ground and declares the followers of Deobandi school as the only one on the true path and thus deserving of just deserts.

Important also is to note that the scholar imagines a life in the hereafter where God will ultimately sanctify their practice by choosing them as the holders of truth. As a result of this passionate sermon (you can feel the passion even if you do not know Urdu) the audience is likely to leave the mosque deeply affected by the speech: aware of their own righteousness and also highly sensitive to the wrongness of their opponents practices.

Now the question that we must ask is simply this: how does this help create a more accepting and civilized public sphere in Pakistan?

Categories
Commentaries

The War Within Islam, Pervez Hoodbhoy

(Fron NewAgeIslam.com)

A New Age Islam reader sent the following letter to the editor:

Here is a letter sent by Pakistan’s foremost progressive intellectual and physicist Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy to a friend:

I am sharing with you some lines that I have just written for family and friends who are warning me:

Whatever one might think of Governor Salman Taseer‘s politics, he was killed this Wednesday for what was certainly the best act of his life: trying to save the life of an illiterate, poor, peasant Christian woman.

But rose petals are being showered upon his murderer. He is being called a ghazi, lawyers are demonstrating spontaneously for his release, clerics refused to perform his funeral rites. Most shockingly, the interior minister – his political colleague and the ultimate coward – has said that he too would kill a blasphemer with his own hands.

Pakistan once had a violent, rabidly religious lunatic fringe. This fringe has morphed into a majority. The liberals are now the fringe. We are now a nation of butchers and primitive savages. Europe’s Dark Ages have descended upon us.

Sane people are being terrified into silence. After the assassination, FM-99 (Urdu) called me for an interview. The producer tearfully told me (offline) that she couldn’t find a single religious scholar ready to condemn Taseer’s murder. She said even ordinary people like me are in short supply.

I am deeply depressed today. So depressed that I can barely type these lines.

Yesterday a TV program on blasphemy (Samaa, hosted by Asma Shirazi) was broadcast (it’ll be rebroadcast today). Asma had pleaded that I participate. So I did – knowing fully well what was up ahead.  But I could not bear to watch the broadcast and turned it off after a few minutes.

My opponents were Farid Paracha (spokesman, Jamaat-e-Islami) and Maulana Sialvi (Sunni Tehreek, a Barelvi and supposed moderate). There were around 100 students in the audience, drawn from colleges across Pindi and Islamabad.

Even as the mullahs frothed and screamed around me (and at me), I managed to say the obvious: that the culture of religious extremism was resulting in a bloodbath in which the majority of victims are Muslims; that non-Muslims were fleeing Pakistan; that the self-appointed “thaikaydars” of Islam in Pakistan were deliberately ignoring the case of other Muslim countries like Indonesia which do not have the death penalty for blasphemy; that debating the details of Blasphemy Law 295-C did not constitute blasphemy; that American Muslims were very far from being the objects of persecution; that harping on drone attacks was an irrelevancy to the present discussion on blasphemy.

The response? Not a single clap for me. Thunderous applause whenever my opponents called for death for blasphemers. And loud cheers for Qadri, the murderer. When I directly addressed Sialvi and said he had Salman Taseer’s blood on his hand, he exclaimed “How I wish I did!” (kaash ke main hota!).

Islamofascism is a reality. This country is destined to drown in blood from civil war. I wish people would stop writing rubbish about Pakistan having an image problem. It’s the truth that’s really the problem.

Am I afraid? Yes, I’d be crazy not to be. And never more than at the present time. The battle for sanity has been lost. Many friends have written to me to leave Pakistan. How can I? One must keep fighting as long as possible. It is what we owe to future generations.

Warm regards,

Pervez

URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamWarWithinIslam_1.aspx?ArticleID=3953

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