Maulana Habibur Rahman of Indonesia and Maulana Jarjis Ansari of India Represent Two Approaches to Social Reform

Reformist Approach Not Hostility towards Social Evils Should Be Adopted Main Points: 1. Religious preachers in India only deliver speeches in jalsas. 2. They do not reach out to the target audience. 3. Most of their speeches revolve round sectarian beliefs. 4. No serious efforts are made to fight social evils. ----- By New Age Islam Staff Writer 27 September 2022 Maulana Jarjis Ansari ---- In November 2018, an Indonesian preacher Maulana Hobibur Rahman entered a night club in the evening where lady dancers were performing dance to the customers as usual. It was the time when the Muslim extremists of Indonesia had unleashed a violent campaign against the entertainment industry and the LGBT. Night clubs, dancers and other entertainment professionals were being attacked. The dancers in the night club were afraid of Maulana Habibur Rahman. But Hobibur Rahman known as Gus Miftah did not adopt a violent attitude. He sat with the dancers and had a discussion with them over Islamic values and informed them of Maruf and Nahl (Islamic and un-Islamic behaviour). He simply told them that what they were doing was not either in their own interest or of the society. The lady dancers were moved by his speech and some even cried. The Muslim organisations and hardline Muslim Ulema criticised this way of preaching to the 'evil doers'. They were of the opinion that such people should be dealt with ruthlessly and not with love and affection. 35 year-old Maulana Hobibur Rahman was not affected by the criticism and continued with his discussions with the members of the entertainment industry. Mos of them thought that they could not leave their job because it was their profession but they could also follow their religious duties along with their professional work. Religious preachers like Maulana Habibur Rahman are rare in the Muslim society. Most of the religious preachers act as enforcers not reformers. Maulana Habibur Rahman follows the Quranic principle of 'Advise good and forbid evil' and not of the mistranslated version 'Order good and forcefully prevent evil'. In India, our religious preachers and Islamic scholars mainly deliver speeches in Jalsas (assemblies) where their speeches revolve round sectarian issues or topics because the preachers belong to one or the other sect. The religious education system in the sub-continent is designed in a way that one must subscribe to a particular Maslak. So after graduating from a madrasa, the Aalim spends his lifetime defending his sectarian beliefs and proving the opponents wrong. Maulana Hobibur Rahman had a target group --- bar dancers, and he achieved success in convincing them that they were on the wrong path. In our country, people spend their time in gambling or other unIslamic activities. Most of the Muslim youth are unaware of the Islamic values. They spend their time in vane activities. Unemployed youth get involved in unproductive and even destructive activities. But there is no organised effort on the part of the Islamic preachers to start campaign against social evils. They do not have a target group for reform. What they are good at is delivering speeches in Jalsas. Loudspeakers have become the most effective tool for them. They deliver their sectarian speeches on top of their voice as if a war is going on. In their speech they mention the word Kafir again and again and the non- Muslims of the locality worriedly wonder if he is saying something against them. Little do they know that the word Kafir is used for the other sects of the Muslims and not for them. Recently, an Islamic preacher, Maulana Jarjis Ansari was convicted by a court in Varanasi for the sexual exploitation of a Muslim woman for two years. He was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment. The Maulana defended himself saying that he was framed by his sectarian opponents who were troubled by his tirade against their sects. If his claim is true, then it sheds light on the gloomy state of affairs between sects. The sectarian hatred and conflict can go to this extent. This is only because of the tradition of Islamic Jalsas where professional Maulanas expert in religious oratory deliver speeches. They charge a hefty fee for their sectarian speeches. The prophets did not claim any reward or remuneration in return for their preaching but these successors of prophets (Waris-e-Ambiya) claim thousands of rupees for one speech. The audience in these Jalsas do not attend these Jalsas to learn Islamic teachings but to hear how their Maulana proves the opposing sect Kafir worthy to be killed. Here religious reform is not the issue or the purpose. The main purpose of the speeches is to criticise other sects. A few years ago, a preacher of Gaya expert in Monazra was waylaid and taken to a forest where he was beaten up badly by the members of the other sect whom he criticised. This is because our religious leaders have forgotten their real duty of reform of the society. Drug addiction among the Muslim youth is rising, social evils like dowry custom could not be rooted out. Brides are killed for dowry. Crimes in Muslim localities are rising. Violence, shooting and bombings are a routine in Muslim societies. Non-Muslims are afraid of entering Muslim localities because of the unfriendly environment and look like ghettos. Loudspeakers are played at high volume at every event causing inconvenience to both the Muslims and non-Muslims.. In short, the true prophetic attitude of reform is missing among Muslim preachers and religious leaders. Great reformers have always tried to reform the society with love and affection. The holy prophet pbuh reformed the woman who threw garbage on him every day with love and affection. He showed to her that he cared for her. Maulana Habibur Rahman showed to the night club dancers that he cared for them and the attitude moved them. Gautam Buddha got an invitation for a dinner by the courtesan Ambapali whom people despised for her corrupt way of lice. His disciples advised him not to accept her invitation because she was a seductress. But the Buddha accepted her invitation and had meal at her house. She was deeply moved by his affection and joined Buddhism. She became one of the Theris (Bhikshunis) whose religious poems are included in the religious canon of Buddhism, the Tripitaka. Social reformers know that love not hate can reform the society and sincere efforts not fiery speeches bring revolution. If Maulana Jarjis Ansari had realised this truth, he would not have landed in jail. URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-society/maulana-indonesia-hobihur-jarjis-india-social-reform/d/128046 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism