Chapter 6: The Scope of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s Writings and Speeches

[Excerpt from a dialogue between Javed Ahmed Ghamidi and Muhammad Hassan Ilyas]

Esteemed teacher, Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, has been engaged in the service of preaching and propagation for fifty to fifty-five years. During this time, he has elucidated and clarified the religion and addressed the issues, questions, and objections that have emerged as a result. Most of his work is based on this constructive invitation.

However, he did not stop at this; rather, he went further and targeted those interpretations of religion, which in his view, are the cause of spreading incorrect concepts about religion. In return for this, he has faced severe opposition and strong resistance. and ultimately had to adopt a life of exile.

This critique and analysis is further complemented by his thoughts on national affairs. He never ignores the political and social issues of the people of Pakistan and the Islamic community. Whether the nature of these issues is related to the imprints of the past, the present circumstances, or the concerns and possibilities of the future, if they are becoming a matter of concern for people’s knowledge and actions, then he addresses them just as he would discuss any important topic related to the explanation and clarification of religion.

Many of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s companions and friends have reservations about this approach of his. In their view, Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s critique and analysis of contemporary views and ideas have provoked opposition and resistance to his positive work and have limited his outreach. His discussions on national and communal situations have, on one hand, resulted in a waste of his valuable time,

and on the other hand, caused a decrease in people’s interest in primary religious topics. Therefore, they believe that Javed Ahmed Ghamidi himself should avoid speaking on such controversial and supplementary subjects, and those engaging in dialogue with him should also refrain from bringing them into discussion.

This is the context in which my brother, Muhammad Hassan Ilyas, brought up the aforementioned objection in a weekly question and answer session with Javed Ahmed Ghamidi. The summary of their conversation in this regard is as follows.

Inquiry of Hassan Ilyas

Respected Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, over the past five to six years, discussions have been exchanged on more than two thousand topics with you. These include the issues that have arisen in my mind as a student of religion and society, the objections raised by your critics, and the questions continuously received from your readers and listeners around the world. A review of these topics reveals that a wide array of subjects have been discussed, ranging from religious, ethical, legal, jurisprudential, social, political, to historical themes. Among these, particularly the critiques on traditional religiosity and the discussions on political and historical subjects, some scholars and friends opine that Javed Ahmed Ghamidi should not engage in discussions on these topics.

When examining their stance and reasoning, it can be expressed in these five points:

1. You hold the position of a religious scholar. Therefore, you should speak only on those subjects that are considered part of the religious content. This means you should discuss the Qur’an, Sunnah, Hadith, Ijma, Qiyas, Ijtihad, and Fiqh. Similarly, you should focus on matters of faith, impart lessons on ethics, and explain acts of worship. In short, discuss every aspect of the derivation and explanation of religion. All these subjects align precisely with your scholarly and missionary responsibilities. However, subjects other than these do not fall under your official responsibilities and are outside your realm of thought

and action. You should not speak on these topics.

When you progress from a positive exposition of religion and begin to critique those thoughts and ideologies that people accept as given truths, or analyze topics to which people’s emotions are attached, or affirm or refute events that lead to division and factionalism, or comment on personalities whom some people like and some dislike, the only outcome is that both your personality and your message become controversial, and the atmosphere is no longer conducive to the conveyance of your positive message. Examples of such contentious topics include ‘Islam and Sufism,’ ‘Islam and the State: A Counter Narrative,’ ‘Ali and Muawiyah,’ ‘The Incident of Karbala and Yazid,’ and the ‘Taliban Movement.’ Instead of becoming entangled in such topics, you should confine yourself to presenting the pure message of religion. If you do not confine yourself to this, people who have ideological, factional, and personal affiliations will not be inclined to pay attention to your message.

3. Political science, sociology, international relations, law, history, literature, philosophy, and similar non-religious disciplines have their own technical foundations. To discuss these, specialization in them is essential. Your expertise lies in Islamic studies. If you speak on any other discipline or base any opinion on another field, it means you are providing guidance on matters beyond your grasp. This is akin to a political scientist or historian, who does not specialize in Islamic studies, beginning a discourse on the Qur’an and Sunnah. Titles such as “Military Narrative,” “Religious Narrative of Change,” “Palestinian Issue,” “Change in Saudi Arabia,” “Situation in Afghanistan: Causes and Solutions“ are examples of additional and unrelated topics of this nature.

Then you have also discussed some historical figures who have had effects on religion, society, and politics. Accordingly, you have expressed your views on the thoughts and actions of figures such as Ibn Khaldun, Shah Waliullah, Shah Ismail, Allama Iqbal, Syed Sulaiman Nadvi, Ataullah Shah Bukhari, Inayatullah Mashriqi, Shorish Kashmiri, Habib ur Rehman Kandhalvi, Dr. Israr Ahmed,

Ghulam Ahmed Pervez, Maulana Ishaq, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, Bacha Khan, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and several other personalities of the same caliber. It is obvious that these discussions of yours are not related to your primary work.

4. Our scholarly tradition is such that the eminent scholars of the ummah have never stepped outside their sphere of influence. They have always spoken on subjects that fall within the domain of Islamic sciences. The expectation of your status and position is that you should adhere to this tradition.

5. These are the contentious and additional topics that have put you, your family, your students, and your friends in danger. These have been the reason for you and some of your companions to choose a life of exile, and due to these, some of your close companions have been martyred. Are they really so necessary that such a price should be paid for them?

These are five points of critique on your approach to preaching. I would like you to discuss them in a broader manner and explain to what extent, as a religious scholar, it is appropriate for you to address these matters. Furthermore, what is the scope of these issues in light of the commandments of the Qur’an, the example of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and the historical context of the preaching by the scholars of the Ummah?

Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s Response

Essential Elements of the Invitation to Faith

Religion is the guidance from Allah, which He provided to humanity through His prophets. This religion has been articulated in the Qur’an and was established by the Prophet (PBUH) as his Sunnah. In these two forms, it is preserved with the Muslim community and will remain available for the guidance of humankind until the end of time. Whenever this message has been presented to the people, three aspects have been consistently adhered to in it.

One is that the original matter should be stated without any addition

or subtraction.

Secondly, the implications of that matter should be highlighted.

Third, to clarify the error in the opposing viewpoint.

These three things are essential for understanding, explaining, and propagating the religion.

The Style of Invitation in the Holy Qur’an

When Allah Almighty presented the invitation to His religion, it included all three elements. Consequently, when we study the divine words, it becomes apparent that they do not merely contain discussions of faith, ethics, actions, and commandments. Had it been so, the size of the Qur’an would not have been more than a few chapters. Instead, there are parables, analogies, historical evidence, and thorough commentary on the behavior of the audience for explanation and clarification. Along with this, there is the correction of the incomplete knowledge of the audience, the refutation of baseless ideas, and the rejection of false beliefs. For this reason, its nature is that it is the proclamation narrative of the Prophet Muhammad’s warnings. However, in all these discussions, the foundational topics of religion have not been neglected. Their status is like the focal point of a compass, as if all political, social, legal, and historical subjects arise from them, revolve around them, and return to them.

The Method of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Preaching

The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (PBUH), was the foremost and greatest scholar of religion. In this capacity, he fulfilled the duty of understanding, explaining, and elucidating the religion. A major part of this is collected in the books of Hadith and Seerah. A study of these sources also makes it clear that his sayings and actions consist of explanations of the original religion, clarifications, and critiques of opposing ideologies.

The Style of Invitation of the Scholars of the Ummah

In following the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the scholar-companions and all the scholars of the ummah after them have adopted this approach over the past fourteen hundred years.¹ Among them, those who rose in their respective times as bearers of the call to religion made it clear through their work that they engaged with every discussion related to the invitation and its effects. The examples of Imam Al-Ghazali, Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, Imam Shah Waliullah, and Syed Abul A’la Maududi are very prominent in this matter. Imam Al-Ghazali’s Tahafut al-Falasifa and Al-Munqidh min al-Dalal, Imam Ibn Taymiyyah’s Minhaj al-Sunnah, Shah Waliullah’s Izalat al-Khafa and Tafhimat-e-Ilahiyyah are notable. Maulana Syed Abul A’la Maududi began his missionary work with a book entitled: Muslim aur Maujooda Siyasi Kashmakash (Muslims and the Current Political Struggle). A study of these books reveals that these distinguished scholars comment on their political and social conditions, warn rulers, address scholars, critique jurists, draw the attention of decision-makers, and identify the mistakes of intellectuals. All their missionary struggles are comprised of these tasks.

This detail makes it clear that in our history, whenever the task of inviting towards faith has been undertaken, it has been done

considering the prevailing circumstances. It has encompassed all those religious, political, social, and historical topics that, in one way or another, are issues for the audience, or can become obstacles for them, or cause confusion, or create hindrances in understanding positive truths.

Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s Approach to Invitation

As a student of religion, I stand in the continuity of this tradition of inviting to faith. I have focused on those subjects that are essential in the mission of invitation to religion. In my writings, Al-Bayan is the interpretation and commentary of the Holy Qur’an. Meezan is a clear explanation of religion in a positive style. Al-Islam is a summary of the same. Burhan is a collection of articles that critique contemporary opinions and thoughts. Maqamat is a collection of miscellaneous articles, including my independent thoughts, critiques, reviews, and suggestions on national, communal, political, and social topics. Some historical issues have also been covered. In this collection, “Islam and State — A Counter Narrative” and other topics such as “The Problem of Nationalism,” “Islamic Government,” “Implementation of Sharia,” and “Religious Extremism” are based on political themes. The discussions follow this pattern as well. They explain positive aspects concerning the invitation to faith, along with all those subjects that are part of the thought and action of the audience of the invitation. This is the scope of my work. This is my professional responsibility. Throughout my life, I have neither taken a step forward from this nor stepped back.

The question is, out of the topics I have written or spoken about so far, which of these things lie outside this scope?

Although there can be no restriction on anything outside this scope. I can write my autobiography, compose travelogues, teach poetry and literature, provide instruction in different languages, discuss the works of writers, poets, researchers, scholars, and leaders, speak on the rise and fall of nations and countries, and offer suggestions for the economic and political betterment of my compatriots. In short, I can

express my views on any topic of my choice.

The Importance of Mentioning Historical Events and Historical Figures in Dawah

As far as discussing historical events or personalities is concerned, the question is why does the Qur’an mention Dhul-Qarnayn? Why does it narrate the story of the Companions of the Cave? Why does it detail the life story of Prophet Joseph (PBUH)?

Human Emotions and Feelings

Keep in mind that it is human nature that if communication is presented without regard to the problems and issues of the audience, it will not be effective. The audience is not made of bricks, stones, or trees. They have emotions and feelings, political, social, and religious biases, and historical associations. These things influence their thinking and actions and sometimes take the form of religious interpretations. If one is to communicate with humans, it is necessary to comment negatively or positively on their important issues. Negative comments will correct their mistakes, and positive comments will encourage them.

Historical Events

In our context, you can see that these historical events are what divided the Muslim community into the two major groups of Sunni and Shia. We know that these events were not merely viewed as historical incidents; they were made the foundation of religious ideologies. One group put forward the concept of Imamate, which gradually assumed the form of a creed. Consequently, scholars from the other group had to discuss the early political events that served as the basis for that ideology. Therefore, if there is an intention to reform such ideologies, it will be necessary to bring the foundational events of these ideologies under discussion. Discussions conducted in a purely abstract manner will neither persuade the audience nor will they be comprehensible to them.

Different Interpretations of Religion

You are aware that there are various interpretations of religion prevalent among us. We refer to these interpretations for clarity of purpose with names such as the juristic interpretation of religion, the Salafi interpretation of religion, the jihadi interpretation of religion, the mystical interpretation of religion, and the political interpretation of religion. If within these interpretations, there is any amendment or addition from a religious standpoint, any excess or deficiency, or any disbelief, falsehood, misguidance, or innovation is included, it is crucial to identify it and, with complete knowledge and reasoning, refute and correct it. This is the work of purifying religious teachings from the admixtures of human thought and action. Without this, the correct understanding of religion cannot be instilled in people’s hearts and minds.

This entire discussion has been presented from a negative perspective. Now, let us understand it from a positive perspective as well.

The Religious Nature of the Era of the Companions

Observe, it is clear from the Holy Qur’an that there are three essential demands of faith in the Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):

1. It should be acknowledged that he was not only a Prophet of Allah, but also His Messenger.

2. It is to be accepted that his prophethood is ilā al-khalqi kāffatan,² that is for all of humanity.

3. It is to be accepted that prophethood has ended with him. No prophet will come until the Day of Judgment.

After the finality of Prophethood, the arrangement that Allah Almighty has established for the propagation of His religion is based

on two components:

One point is that He has completely preserved His entire guidance in the form of the Qur’an.

Secondly, the Bani Ismail (Ishmaelites), meaning the group of Companions (Sahaba), has been appointed to the position of “witness.”³ Thus, it is stated:

َوَكَذٰلِكَ جَعَلْنٰكُمْ اُمَّةً وَّسَطًا ل ِتَكُوْنُوْا شُهَدَآء ُعَلَي النَّاسِ وَيَكُوْنَ الرَّسُوْل

عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيْدًا . And in a similar manner, We have also made you an intermediate community so that you may bear witness [to the truth] before all the people of the world and the Messenger of God may bear this witness before you. (2:143)

This group of Companions is characterized as ummatan wasatan (a middle community), with the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on one side and the rest of the world on the other. The religious responsibility of this group was to receive the religion from the Prophet (PBUH) and then convey it in its complete form to the rest of the world. They were appointed to the position of bearing witness to the religion. This means that Allah had selected them to testify to the truth of the religion in the same way that He chooses some eminent individuals among the descendants of Adam for prophethood and messengership. In this capacity, their duty was to establish the testimony of the religion upon the nations of the world, as the testimony of the religion was established upon them by the Messenger of Allah.

This group of esteemed companions continued to carry this responsibility until the time of Muawiya (RA). This means that from the reign of Abu Bakr Siddiq (RA) in 11 AH to the reign of Muawiya bin Abu Sufyan (RA) in 60 AH, there was a period of 50 years where this responsibility of bearing witness laid upon the companions by Allah was observed. The study of events, incidents, and personalities

of this period is essentially the study of the era of testimony. It is important to analyze this period thoroughly, and if there are any misunderstandings about it among people, their correction is necessary. This necessity arises from both the aspects of religious knowledge and the propagation of religion. This cannot be overlooked in any way.

[May 2024]