Ulama Must Take Charge and Use Contemporary Resources and Languages to Convey the Message of Peace and Nonviolence

By Dr. Qutbuddin Translated from Urdu by Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam Social Harmony and the role of Ulama Main Points: 1. The Ulama have a prominent place in Islam, and a hadith states that they are the heirs of the prophets. 2. The Ulama play a significant role in Muslim society and are closely connected to the wider population. 3. The Ulama must use all available language and expression to communicate the message of humanity, brotherhood, equality, and compassion brought by the Prophets to all mankind. ------ The India Islamic Culture Centre in New Delhi hosted a one-day program on November 29, 2022, on the role of Ulama in fostering interfaith tolerance and societal harmony in India and Indonesia. Ajit Doval, the national security adviser for India, and his counterpart Prof. Dr. M Mahfooz, the deputy prime minister of Indonesia, participated in this dialogue program as the chief guests. The opening statements from the two senior authorities of the two countries were thorough and significant, and the speakers who took part in the discussion emphasized the crucial function the Ulama played in fostering peace and stability in both countries. Sirajuddin Qureshi, the head of the India Islamic Culture Centre and the driving force behind the conversation, deserves praise for taking the initiative to lead the conversation on the pressing issue of the moment. Any religious leader actually interacts directly with the people and serves as an example for their followers. They are actively involved in uprooting the injustices and inhumane behaviours that are pervasive in society and working toward its reformation. The Ulama have a prominent place in Islam, and a hadith states that they are the heirs of the prophets. In other words, the responsibility of Ulama as the prophets’ heirs is to continue the mission of the prophets and messengers to spread the word of God among the offspring of Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him). As far as the Indian Islamic Ulama are concerned, they have performed their duties throughout history and have imparted love, brotherhood, and humanity to servants of God Almighty in a variety of settings, including mosque pulpits, Khanqahs (the gathering places of Sufis and dervishes), sermons delivered by saints of Allah, and academies run by the author class of Ulama. As a result, by eradicating hatred and violence from society to the best of their abilities, those who understood Islamic sciences contributed significantly to creating peace, security, and social harmony in the nation and society. They also had the responsibility of spreading among the populace information about the Prophets' calling, reforming, and creating missions. On the other hand, it is also a bitter fact that, as long as the Ulama were conscious of the times and comprehended the demands of the contemporary generation, society, and their language, they continued to successfully reform society and instruct and mentor the young generation. Because Allah, the Exalted, stated in Surah Ibrahim 4:4 that all the Messengers and Prophets preached in the language of their people: “We have not sent a messenger except in the language of his people to clarify ˹the message˺ for them. Then Allah leaves whoever He wills to stray and guides whoever He wills. And He is the Almighty, All-Wise.” (14:4) Because of this, the ancient Ulama, who were experts in Islamic sciences, never overlooked this crucial topic and gave careful thought to the psychology and requirements of the time. Their message was therefore easily understood by the current generation. Accordingly, Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi, an Islamic thinker, states: "The wisdom and passion of the Islamic Ulama never made them poor on any destination and never on any line. They travelled alongside the caravan of learning. Their hand was always in sync with the pace of the times. They never looked away from the shifting patterns of life. They immediately embraced any style or pattern they saw necessary in any given time period for the service of Islam. Because of their enlightened perspective and historical background, the Ulama could not be accused of being disengaged from the founding and growth of this country or of being uninformed about the attitudes and tendencies of the people. They never attempted to isolate themselves in this country. They did not manage to flee the caravan of the times. They employed the same language, which was widely spoken in that country and had a large literary effect, for their religious and da'wah objectives. We must sustain these traditions and protect the holy objects. (Paja Suragh e Zindagi, p. 98-103) On the other hand, their efforts at reform and education waned when this significant segment of society ceased advancing with the changes and neglected its needs. Islamic scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan states: The Ulama successfully carried out this job for almost a thousand years after the introduction of Islam, according to history. One of the primary reasons for this was that the language of the Ulama was formerly also the language of the leading classes of the time. As a result, there was no longer a language barrier between the two classes. Until the British arrived, this situation lasted in India. Persian, the language of the Ulama at that time, was spoken or understood by the majority of Muslim leaders and authorities. The Ulama were able to communicate directly to the leading class of the time, thus fulfilling their role as leaders. But things changed as the British established their reign in India. The official language of the country now is English, which is also the language of the educated. English has now become crucial for communicating with authorities as well as managing large-scale public movements. The history of the country changed after the linguistic transition. The Ulama of Islam, who had been actively involved in political events for almost a thousand years, were abruptly relegated to the background. (Deen Wa Shariat, p.99-100) However, given the current circumstances, learning and mastering a language is insufficient for people who engage in the sphere of training and reformation. In addition to mastering the language and all contemporary understanding, training, and reformation techniques, they also need to be familiar with resources and coordination. There is no denying the fact that some Ulama in India today have a keen sense of the times. They are actively involved in social reform and education, fully conversant in modern slang, and are highly successful. However, they are few—one could hardly count them. The Ulama play a significant role in Muslim society and are closely connected to the wider population. Muslims turn to them for all of their societal issues from birth to death. Their opinions carry weight in society. Society attaches a lot of hope to them because of this. The message of humanity, brotherhood, equality, and compassion brought by the Prophets must therefore be communicated to mankind using all available language, expression, training, and correction resources, and each member of society, along with the Ulama, must contribute to this effort in order for society to be able to breathe freely in an atmosphere of peace and security, love and tolerance, and social justice after eliminating terrorism, violence, hatred, contempt and extreme inequality. ------ Urdu Article: Social Harmony and the Role of Ulama معاشرتی ہم آہنگی اور علماء کا کردار URL: https://newageislam.com/the-war-within-islam/ulama-contemporary-message-peace-nonviolence/d/128635 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