Members at a general session of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind in New Delhi | Photo Credit: ANI
In late 2022, a hugely important moment in the post-independence history of Indian Muslims has slipped under the radar. Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, India’s oldest Muslim organization with its roots in the national freedom struggle filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India Demand for reservation for Dalit Muslims For admission in schools, colleges and government jobs. In a country where demands for reservation on the basis of caste or region are raised from time to time, many people did not understand the importance of this demand. This was the first time a Muslim body in India was explicitly acknowledging the presence Caste system among Indian Muslims – Islam, in essence, is a casteless faith with an emphasis on egalitarianism.
The same is not necessarily true for Indian Islam; Nevertheless, it was the first time that a Muslim body dared to embrace the social reality and demand reservation on the basis of caste; Islam and caste no longer seemed an anomaly. This was another step towards the Indianisation of the religion, and was in stark contrast to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, who in his last sermon, while emphasizing the equality of mankind, reminded believers, “An Arab has no power over a non-Arab.” There is no superiority, white over black and vice versa”. Yet, here the Jamiat was tacitly accepting the ‘superior’ status of the Ashrafs (Sheikhs, Syeds and Pathans, etc.) Ansari, Saifi, Abbasi, etc.) so that they could climb the social ladder.
The action may have stemmed from increased activity in socio-political circles around Pasmanda Muslims, but whichever way one looks at it, the Jamiat’s petition was the unquestioned acceptance of caste among Indian Muslims. Yes, caste is not as exploitative among Muslims as it is in Hindu society – in early January there was a case of a Dalit man being tortured with burning wood for going to a temple in Uttarakhand – but it is almost always used as a mark of identity. Exists, and is even worn as a badge of honor in many circles. Over the years, in several towns in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, it was not uncommon to see a poor cyclist, who might have belonged to a so-called lower caste, alight from his vehicle on seeing a Syed or a Pathan coming from his bike, or vice versa. Car from the direction.
Whatever be the verdict of the apex court, in the years to come, the Jamiat petition is likely to play as important a role in the history of post-independence India as the acceptance of secular democracy. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind,
a gradual change
The Jamaat was founded in 1941 by Abul Ala Mawdudi with the aim of ushering in the Hukumat-e-Ilaahiya or Islamic State. Mawdudi believed that the very preaching of the Kalima, the first tenet of Islam, made it imperative upon the believer to attempt to establish an Islamic state or the Kingdom of God. He believed in attempting to transform India into a Darul Islam (Land of Faith), and was opposed to a fundamentally secular democracy where all religions were considered equal, and legislation was made on non-religious lines. In fact, the early rules of the Jama’at required its members to oppose any legislative assembly that did not enact laws derived from Sharia. The pre-independence Jamaat opposed a secular judiciary and an economic system based on usury, which is haram (forbidden) in Islam. A person who gives and takes interest is said to be at war with God and his messenger. However, after India’s independence Mawdudi moved to Pakistan, the Jamaat too turned a new leaf and slowly not only accepted but embraced secular politics. The change was gradual, deliberate and a quiet acceptance of the country’s new reality after Partition.
In 1961, the Jamaat sought the opinion of the ulema on whether the faithful could participate in democratic elections, and then allowed its members not only to vote in general or state elections, but also to contest elections if they wished. In some areas the Jamaat aligned with mainstream secular political parties and often advised Muslims to vote for a particular candidate or party. After initial reservations within the organization on the subject of voting or contesting elections, which derived their rules from the Constitution of India, it was no longer considered against Islam to participate in a pluralistic democracy.
Similarly, Muslims were first allowed, then encouraged, to enter government services. In other words, the Jamaat accepted the laws of independent India and was happy to operate within the boundaries of the secular political principles enunciated by BR Ambedkar, and conducted financial transactions according to the law of the land. This meant that the Indianization of Islam was accepted by the body and the goal of establishing the Hukumat-i-Illahiya was set aside. The organisation, which once confined its internal discourses to commentaries on Quran and Hadith, now organizes public discussions on the Union Budget and contemporary events in secular society.
combination of responsibilities
Similarly, ahead of the 2019 general elections, which coincided with the month of Ramzan, the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind advised fasting Muslims to have their prayer first thing in the morning before going to their homes for rest and prayers. Cast your vote. Responsibilities as an Indian and as a Muslim were intertwined. It echoed the words of Hussain Ahmad Madani, a prominent leader of the Jamiat, who once told the faithful, “Our religion tells us that Adam descended in India. From here his lineage spread. It is necessary for the Muslims to understand that this country was their old native place. He could well say this country and its social practices. Interestingly, in the recently concluded three-day convention of the Jamiat, Mahmood Madani grabbed headlines for merely repeating Hussain Ahmed’s words. He said, ‘The birthplace of Islam is India and not Arabia. The first prophets descended here. India belongs to all of us equally. This is as much for Narendra Modi and Mohan Bhagwat as it is for Mehmood. A day later, his uncle Arshad Madani spoke about the unity of God, saying, “What Hindus worship as Om, Muslims worship as Allah.”
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Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, in their own way, have succeeded in projecting a picture of Islam that is completely different from Arab Islam, but a thriving community with a distinctly Indian identity. is unit. , It has room for caste identity, dialogue with the RSS, and claims of the unity of God despite differences in religion.
ziya.salam@thehindu.co.in