Tweet
It’s a common perception that Islam is a complete way of life and has solution to all the problems of human life where in this world or the Hereafter. I don’t believe in this perception and consider Islam only a religion like any other religion but with its own sets of beliefs, modes of worship and moral values and ethical injunctions. If we analyze all the important definitions of the term Religion then we may find that all these definitions have three things in common. These are faith, worship and morality. Islam like any other religion guides its followers in these there spheres but is not a complete system for life but it does not provide complete guidance for other spheres of life like culture, politics, economy, science, technology, philosophy, psychology etc.
We may note that I am not talking of an idea which will harm Islam but if we consider Islam only as a religion it will be in the benefit of Islam itself. This will also solve all the problems Muslims are facing like terrorism, Extremism.
After doing lot of research and discussions I did not find any one who can prove that Islam guide us completely in political, cultural, social, economic, technological, financial, scientific, historical, anthropological, philosophical, psychological, logical, mathematical, artistic, astronomical, commercial, agricultural, ecological, statistical, electronic and other aspects of life. If Islam does not guide us in all these spheres of life then it can only be called as a religion but not as a system or complete way of life. This is why Islam was never implemented as a complete code of life in history. It was not so attractive to people to be adopted or promulgated completely because it lacks guidance for all the different activities of life.
In Islam one has Aqeeda (belief, faith) , ibadat(worship) and Akhlaq(morality) and this is what religion is. A religious person like Muslim should have beliefs in God, prophets, holy books, hereafter etc, then may worship as in the form of prayers, fasting, charity, pilgrimage and then may have some moral codes as not telling lie, not killing etc. This is all what religion is but beyond that Islam has nothing to offer. For guidance in other aspects of life we have to resort to other systems and ideologies like democracy, capitalism, liberalism, cultural and social theories and other scientific and technological theories and practices which has nothing to do with Islam and Islam has nothing to do with them.
Considering Islam as a complete way of life encourages extremism and religious extremism and Wahabism is really a menace. To avoid such evils, the only way is to accept Islam as religion (faith+worship+morals) and not culture, political system, legal system, economic system and source of education.
Some people like Taliban and other religious political parties struggle for the promulgation of Islamic Political system but Islam as a political system has always been a failure from the time of Abubakar Abassids, Mughals, to Pakistan , Sudan, Somalia , Saudi , Afghanistan , Egypt, Turkey, and Iran of today. Whatever presence it had was because of dictators, monarchs and sultans not because of its inherent political qualities. The very opposition of the so called Political Islam to democracy is a big stigma on its face.
Islam was a failure in Turkey and today in Iran. Islam can be useful only as a religion (faith+worship+morality) and not at all as a political, cultural or economic system. Today Iran shows it that theocracy and rule of religion can’t be a success in this modern world at least. To reach to this conclusion that islam is only a religion ,
I have read many Tafseers or commentaries of Quran and important books of Ahadith and Fiqa. Even I remained a student of the traditional Madrassah of Darse Nizami and have read all the important books on Fiq, sarf wa nahwa, manteq , usool, etc.
I have never found that where Islam guide us in all aspects of life as science and technology, Natural and social sciences, mathematics, linguistics, arts and crafts, philosophy, psychology etc etc. Even the legal system of Islam often talked about is just few moral principles and all the punishments like cutting of hands and stoning to death were never implemented as such and will never be implemented.
Some people consider that mere mentioning of Zakat in Quran gives Islam an economic system. Zakat is just a concept of charity like other religions and is a moral notion not an economic system.
The concept of Zakat exists in Islam and in Muslim world since more than 14 centuries but Muslim world presents the worst scenario of the poor parts of the world. The few Arab countries who are rich are not because of Zakat but owing to the natural resources specially petroleum. Look at Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asian countries, African Muslim countries all present worst cases of poverty stricken societies. Thus practically looking at things Zakat could not make Muslim countries prosperous. It might have served few individuals but has never worked as an economic system as Communism or capitalism.
Islam if not taken as only religion will destroy Islam itself as religion. People will start hating if Islam is imposed as a political, economic, cultural or social system. Taliban and Wahabis present the perfect picture of ideal Islam. Who will be ready to accept this kind of Islam? Theoretically speaking Taliban and Wahabis don’t talk against Islam. Their mistake is that they consider Islam as a complete way of life and want to impose Islam on society as a complete way of life.
Islam if not presented as only religion will destroy all other cultures as it’s destroying Pashtunwali. It’s a serious danger to accept Islam as a complete system. This is what all the extremists like Taliban and Wahabis claim and struggle for.
Some Muslims take Sharia as a system but I would like to clarify that Sharia is the explanation of Islamic rules and regulations but for the religion not for Islam as a system or code of life. As I stress again and again Islam is acceptable as a religion not as a system. Religion is faith, worship and morality not economy, politics, society, law and culture. For Pashtuns if they believe in Allah, worship him by offering prayers, Ramadan etc and observe some moral codes, its ok but their culture and society is Pashtunwali and their politics should be democracy and their economy should be free market economy with state control in few matters and their law should not be against the human rights.
If sharia explains how to say prayers, how to observe fasts, how to perform Hajj etc, and if it explains monotheism, beliefs in here after, prophets etc, then its ok, if it says don’t tell lie then its ok but beyond that it will be crossing its limits being only a religion and this transgression will create problems as we already observe these problems in the shape of Taliban and dictatorships in Muslim countries. .No Sharia is acceptable if it tries to impose politics, economy and culture. As these were never imposed successfully because its imposition is against the spirit of Islam
Some friends say that the perfect Islam can be found in Pashtun areas then why we complain that Pashtuns have some bad customs and traditions? Two things are possible one that there is no perfect Islam in Pashtuns or if there is perfect Islam in Pashtuns then all these evils are because of Islam!!! For me the second one may be truer as these are the Muslim Taliban and Wahabi Mullas who are harsh and cruel. Pashtuns generally are very soft, hospitable, secular, music and dance lovers, cultured people, brave and tolerant, hard working and energetic.
No doubt there are few bad customs like SWARA, etc but majority of evils are because of the adoption of extremist Wahabi Islam by Pashtuns. Pashtuns before 1979, before the invasion of the former USSR on Afghanistan and the entailing Jihad were very different from what they are today. This is because of the Wahabi Arabs who changed Pashtuns into religious bigots that now even Arab go there to learn Islam in Pashtun lands as they cant implement Islam in their own Arab countries as all are ruled by dictators, kings and anti women bandits.
Extremist Islam has done away with Pashtunwali that’s why today we hear that I am Muslim, Pakistani but not Pashtun. The name Pashtun has become a taboo for many so called extremist fundamentalist Muslims. Many traditions of the Prophet Muhamamd are falsely quoted. Muslim may rely more on Quran than on hadith or traditions. Quran also must be reinterpreted in the light of modern day realities.
If these barbaric punishments like stoning to death, or cutting of hands can’t be practically implemented then why they are there to be obeyed or acted upon. Basically all these verses of the Holy Quran must me understood contextually and figuratively or metaphorically and not literally as done by the Wahabi, Ahle hadith, Salafi, Deobandi Taliban.
Islam was always a failure as a system and complete code of life because we have never seen it promulgated no where except may be for few years at the life time of prophet Muhammad and upto the era of Hazrat Umar. After that we see blood shed among Muslims, even people like Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Ayesha were fighting each other and the grand son of the Prophet was killed by the son of Muyawya, And after that we have monarchies, dictatorship and no where any true Islamic state or welfare state or democratic state. Islam as a religion was always a success and has a very good belief, worship and moral system. There are few guide lines about social, cultural, political, legal and economic aspects of life but all these fall in the category of moral or ethical sphere not a complete system.
If it is announced that for all Muslim countries that there is free entry and no visa is requires for France, , UK, USA , Europe, Australia, Canada, Japan, even countries like Brazil, Argentina, Mexico etc , all Muslims will rush towards these countries. Why? Because the so called Islam has given nothing to them for the last 1400 years. As a religion yes but as a system nothing. People are spending thousands of dollars just to get out of their Muslim country and to enter the infidel developed world.
Few Arab countries are prosperous but this is because of natural resources not because of their hard work. They are all lazy snails. Not a single world known scientist is found in all Muslim countries. One tiny Israel can destroy the whole Muslim world in one minute if they really wish so.
We impose Islam as a social system and then we have problems like Hijab issue in the modern developed world. France as a state has the right to impose any rule or regulation. As a school can ask for certain uniform, a state can regulate its social system according to its requirements. And wearing Hijab or Niqab or Burqa in this modern era is already redundant and I felicitate Fance, Syria and other countries to discourage this primitive tradition. Covering face is a handicap in driving and other day to day activities. It must be banned and the violators may be punished. The same may be done in all Muslim and non Muslim countries through out the world.
I don’t want to say here that I am against Islam. I want to further clarify that I am Muslim religiously. I am Pashtun racially, culturally, socially and I am a liberal, democrat etc politically or economically. I am Pakistani or Afghan or American by nationality. We must be clear in our identities. We may not confuse things. This way we can do justice with all and o none will invade the other.
The whole mess that we have is because of this confusion. The illiterate Taliban want to become rulers and judges and police and administrators which is not their job. They may be experts on the issues of how to say prayers or how to observe fasts, or what is monotheism, but they know nothing of the state craft, foreign relations, justice, finance, public administration, management, development, etc.
Similarly if an expert of Political science or Zoology or Medical sciences want to advise on the religious matters will be a mistake. Spiritual and mundane must be separated.
Some people think that the mere mentioning of Consultation/shura in Quran gives it a political system. I will once again repeat that Islam as an economic or political model never existed. This consultation is only a moral principle mentioned in Quran but cant be equivalent to a complete political system. It was never practiced. Do you think Umayyads or Abbasids or others used consultations in their political affairs? They were all dictators.
Some think that it’s the student MUSLIM not the book Islam which is at fault. Islam is not at a fault but Muslims. This example that its fault of the student and not of teacher or book is wrong for Islam. Islam if taken as a book, or teacher equal to a complete system, then this is wrong and this is the main issue I am talking about here. Islam is not a system, its not a teacher, its not a book, Its only a book or teacher for beliefs, worship and morality nothing else. Islam is only a religion nothing more than that. Its not fault of Muslims as students , but its the fault of Muslims to consider Islam as a system. Muslims should read the book of Islam or should learn from the teacher of Islam only in religious affairs not in politics, economics, science, logic, philosophy, etc.
Islam is good as belief system, as worship system and as moral way of life. Because of Islam we may do good things. There is no harm in it not doing bad things because of Islam. If Islam keeps you away from harmful things its morality and I recognize it but beyond this no. Islam or Taliban as implementers of Islam as a system can’t be judges, police, legislators etc at the same time.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are considered to be the best Muslim countries from Islamic point of view. Here Islam as a way of life is mostly practiced but these countries are the most corrupt and poor ones then what benefit islam as a system has given to the people of these countries. No one can tell me any ideal Islamic country in today’s world or in the whole history of Islam may be except upto the era of Hazrat Umar but at that time the development of the Islamic empire was not because of islam as a complete way of life but because of the wise secular policies of the rulers of that time. Islam was always there as a religion but not as a political or economic system.
West has separated religion from politics, economy, culture, society etc and that’s the secret of the development of the West. If Muslims want to be materially prosperous and developed like the West then they must follow the way they got the development other wise there is no way out. Religion can develop you spiritually but not economically or materially.
Laws must be re invented, created and changed according to the circumstances. This is another flaw in extremist Muslim approach that they consider the 1400 years old injunctions ( I don’t call them laws as these are not systematic) permanent. They must know that the every thing permanent is this world is the CHANGE. This is the spirit of the reconstruction of the religious thought in Islam as proposed by Dr Iqbal.
My description of Islam only as a religion and not as a complete way of life does not mean that I am converted to another religion. I love Islam as a religion but not beyond that. Readers may not be short tempered as by reading these lines may jump to the conclusions that I am a heretic or like the traditional way of Mullas may issue the fatwas of Kufr immediately. I say that Islam was never a political or economic or cultural or social or scientific system and if readers think otherwise may prove me wrong with evidence and may not just issue decrees of infidelity.
I am not preaching any new religion here rather I am trying to separate religion from non religious and secular stuff. For me my religion is Islam which is confined to faith, worship and morality but for other spheres of my life I ll seek guidance from other systems and ideologies like Democracy and capitalism.
Few years of the Prophet or upto the era of Hazrat Umar and then few years more when Arab Muslims were ruling Spain first does not count much in the more than 1400 years of Islam. Second in all these governments only the religion of Islam was not applied but also the local Arab practices were too involved. The religion was kept limited to religious affairs and for day to day affairs other models and practices were adopted. Also at that time there was no the present day concept of democracy and such was not applicable.
Billions of people were attracted either by sword or by the religion as the people had no other option but to embrace Islam or they liked the religious beliefs, mode of worship or moral standards of the Arab Muslims of that time. At that time Arabs had the power and that’s why their religion or social system and culture also had the dominance. But that was Arab culture and society not the religion of Islam which was adopted by the conquered nations. And yes people like today were deceived by the slogan that Arab culture is equivalent to the religion and the people had to even adopt the language, dress and other social patterns of Arabs in the name of Islam. The religion of Islam may be learnt from Quran and Sunna but the religion. We may not mix it with other spheres of life.
Islam as a system in books is one thing and Islam in practice is another thing. You may find some aspects of politics, economics, culture etc in books with moral underpinning but practically you don’t see it as the main purpose of Islam is being a religion to cater for the beliefs, worship and some personal morality of its believers not to make them politicians, scientists, economists, poets, writers, technicians, doctors, engineers etc . All these belong to secular or non religious aspects of life.
Once these Taliban and other terrorists and extremists understand this point, they wont kill innocent people for the implementation of the so called Sharia which has political, economic and cultural underpinnings, rather they will concentrate on the spiritual aspects as faith, worshipping and morality like other religions as Christianity, Buddhism, etc which only and only attend to religious affairs of its believers and don’t indulge in politics etc. Islamic beliefs, modes of worship and morality may be presented better than other religions but the political and other aspects presented by Taliban are not better as these are not Islamic because of the simple reason that Islam is only a religion and not beyond that.
I never compare Islam to Democracy or other ideologies. My basic point is that Islam is religion and Democracy is a political system and both are two different things. For religions we have Islam, for politics we have democracy and for culture we have Pashtunwali. As already emphasized Islam never give us a complete system in politics, economics etc. Islam give us only few guidelines for politics, economics etc which have mainly moral underpinnings. Quran like Old testament and New Testament have some moral principles but not political or economic systems.
Some Muslims think that why we don’t go for the divine Sharia and why we follow human made systems like Democracy. But Democracy is a better political system not a religion and which is neither divine nor perfect. Religion is divine but Shariah only guides you in beliefs, matters of worship and morality and few basic guidelines for other spheres of life from ethical point of view. Democracy can be evolved according to the needs of the people but Sharia may not be changed because its divine. We don’t need changes in Sharia because it covers only beliefs, worship and morality which are permanent concepts as compared to political, economic or other issues.
Christians have made Christianity only a religion and you see how developed they are. We Muslims must follow others in their good things. Islam was never implemented as a complete political or economic system specially after Hazrat Umar because its not meant beyond a religion. The whole progress of Islam is in the sector of religion not other fields. In Spain it was a Muslim rule but it was not the rule of Islam. If you consider the dictators of Umayyads and Abbasids etc as your caliphs and heroes then it will be a big stigma on the face of Islam. They were just Arab rulers and used Islam for the expansion of their empire. Yes the religious Sufis and scholars attracted the people towards the religion not to the system of the hereditary dictators.
If we accept other cultures and sciences separately and don’t mix it with religion of Islam then I have no need to discuss this issue further. This is the point which I want to explain. Accept other cultures and sciences and systems where they suit Muslims. Yes a Muslim as a Muslim by religion may not accept any thing against Islamic beliefs, Modes of worship and morality.
The Prophet of Islam gave a spiritual or religious system but he never trained people in politics, economics, sciences or technology. Muslims have problems in this world because they don’t accept or implement the modern ideas of education and politics. For religious non compliance they will have spiritual problems or the punishment in the life after death but the worldly matters may not be amalgamated with the religious or otherworldly matters. If Muslims and Pashtuns maintain this balance in mundane and spiritual or religious aspects of life then they will attain the success what the developed world has achieved. Muslims can present the best model to the world by being successful being good Muslims spiritually and religiously and better human beings politically, economically culturally, technologically like other developed nations. They will be thus better than the West by being successful in both spiritual and mundane spheres of life.
We may note that I am not talking of an idea which will harm Islam but if we consider Islam only as a religion it will be in the benefit of Islam itself. This will also solve all the problems Muslims are facing like terrorism, Extremism.
After doing lot of research and discussions I did not find any one who can prove that Islam guide us completely in political, cultural, social, economic, technological, financial, scientific, historical, anthropological, philosophical, psychological, logical, mathematical, artistic, astronomical, commercial, agricultural, ecological, statistical, electronic and other aspects of life. If Islam does not guide us in all these spheres of life then it can only be called as a religion but not as a system or complete way of life. This is why Islam was never implemented as a complete code of life in history. It was not so attractive to people to be adopted or promulgated completely because it lacks guidance for all the different activities of life.
In Islam one has Aqeeda (belief, faith) , ibadat(worship) and Akhlaq(morality) and this is what religion is. A religious person like Muslim should have beliefs in God, prophets, holy books, hereafter etc, then may worship as in the form of prayers, fasting, charity, pilgrimage and then may have some moral codes as not telling lie, not killing etc. This is all what religion is but beyond that Islam has nothing to offer. For guidance in other aspects of life we have to resort to other systems and ideologies like democracy, capitalism, liberalism, cultural and social theories and other scientific and technological theories and practices which has nothing to do with Islam and Islam has nothing to do with them.
Considering Islam as a complete way of life encourages extremism and religious extremism and Wahabism is really a menace. To avoid such evils, the only way is to accept Islam as religion (faith+worship+morals) and not culture, political system, legal system, economic system and source of education.
Some people like Taliban and other religious political parties struggle for the promulgation of Islamic Political system but Islam as a political system has always been a failure from the time of Abubakar Abassids, Mughals, to Pakistan , Sudan, Somalia , Saudi , Afghanistan , Egypt, Turkey, and Iran of today. Whatever presence it had was because of dictators, monarchs and sultans not because of its inherent political qualities. The very opposition of the so called Political Islam to democracy is a big stigma on its face.
Islam was a failure in Turkey and today in Iran. Islam can be useful only as a religion (faith+worship+morality) and not at all as a political, cultural or economic system. Today Iran shows it that theocracy and rule of religion can’t be a success in this modern world at least. To reach to this conclusion that islam is only a religion ,
I have read many Tafseers or commentaries of Quran and important books of Ahadith and Fiqa. Even I remained a student of the traditional Madrassah of Darse Nizami and have read all the important books on Fiq, sarf wa nahwa, manteq , usool, etc.
I have never found that where Islam guide us in all aspects of life as science and technology, Natural and social sciences, mathematics, linguistics, arts and crafts, philosophy, psychology etc etc. Even the legal system of Islam often talked about is just few moral principles and all the punishments like cutting of hands and stoning to death were never implemented as such and will never be implemented.
Some people consider that mere mentioning of Zakat in Quran gives Islam an economic system. Zakat is just a concept of charity like other religions and is a moral notion not an economic system.
The concept of Zakat exists in Islam and in Muslim world since more than 14 centuries but Muslim world presents the worst scenario of the poor parts of the world. The few Arab countries who are rich are not because of Zakat but owing to the natural resources specially petroleum. Look at Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asian countries, African Muslim countries all present worst cases of poverty stricken societies. Thus practically looking at things Zakat could not make Muslim countries prosperous. It might have served few individuals but has never worked as an economic system as Communism or capitalism.
Islam if not taken as only religion will destroy Islam itself as religion. People will start hating if Islam is imposed as a political, economic, cultural or social system. Taliban and Wahabis present the perfect picture of ideal Islam. Who will be ready to accept this kind of Islam? Theoretically speaking Taliban and Wahabis don’t talk against Islam. Their mistake is that they consider Islam as a complete way of life and want to impose Islam on society as a complete way of life.
Islam if not presented as only religion will destroy all other cultures as it’s destroying Pashtunwali. It’s a serious danger to accept Islam as a complete system. This is what all the extremists like Taliban and Wahabis claim and struggle for.
Some Muslims take Sharia as a system but I would like to clarify that Sharia is the explanation of Islamic rules and regulations but for the religion not for Islam as a system or code of life. As I stress again and again Islam is acceptable as a religion not as a system. Religion is faith, worship and morality not economy, politics, society, law and culture. For Pashtuns if they believe in Allah, worship him by offering prayers, Ramadan etc and observe some moral codes, its ok but their culture and society is Pashtunwali and their politics should be democracy and their economy should be free market economy with state control in few matters and their law should not be against the human rights.
If sharia explains how to say prayers, how to observe fasts, how to perform Hajj etc, and if it explains monotheism, beliefs in here after, prophets etc, then its ok, if it says don’t tell lie then its ok but beyond that it will be crossing its limits being only a religion and this transgression will create problems as we already observe these problems in the shape of Taliban and dictatorships in Muslim countries. .No Sharia is acceptable if it tries to impose politics, economy and culture. As these were never imposed successfully because its imposition is against the spirit of Islam
Some friends say that the perfect Islam can be found in Pashtun areas then why we complain that Pashtuns have some bad customs and traditions? Two things are possible one that there is no perfect Islam in Pashtuns or if there is perfect Islam in Pashtuns then all these evils are because of Islam!!! For me the second one may be truer as these are the Muslim Taliban and Wahabi Mullas who are harsh and cruel. Pashtuns generally are very soft, hospitable, secular, music and dance lovers, cultured people, brave and tolerant, hard working and energetic.
No doubt there are few bad customs like SWARA, etc but majority of evils are because of the adoption of extremist Wahabi Islam by Pashtuns. Pashtuns before 1979, before the invasion of the former USSR on Afghanistan and the entailing Jihad were very different from what they are today. This is because of the Wahabi Arabs who changed Pashtuns into religious bigots that now even Arab go there to learn Islam in Pashtun lands as they cant implement Islam in their own Arab countries as all are ruled by dictators, kings and anti women bandits.
Extremist Islam has done away with Pashtunwali that’s why today we hear that I am Muslim, Pakistani but not Pashtun. The name Pashtun has become a taboo for many so called extremist fundamentalist Muslims. Many traditions of the Prophet Muhamamd are falsely quoted. Muslim may rely more on Quran than on hadith or traditions. Quran also must be reinterpreted in the light of modern day realities.
If these barbaric punishments like stoning to death, or cutting of hands can’t be practically implemented then why they are there to be obeyed or acted upon. Basically all these verses of the Holy Quran must me understood contextually and figuratively or metaphorically and not literally as done by the Wahabi, Ahle hadith, Salafi, Deobandi Taliban.
Islam was always a failure as a system and complete code of life because we have never seen it promulgated no where except may be for few years at the life time of prophet Muhammad and upto the era of Hazrat Umar. After that we see blood shed among Muslims, even people like Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Ayesha were fighting each other and the grand son of the Prophet was killed by the son of Muyawya, And after that we have monarchies, dictatorship and no where any true Islamic state or welfare state or democratic state. Islam as a religion was always a success and has a very good belief, worship and moral system. There are few guide lines about social, cultural, political, legal and economic aspects of life but all these fall in the category of moral or ethical sphere not a complete system.
If it is announced that for all Muslim countries that there is free entry and no visa is requires for France, , UK, USA , Europe, Australia, Canada, Japan, even countries like Brazil, Argentina, Mexico etc , all Muslims will rush towards these countries. Why? Because the so called Islam has given nothing to them for the last 1400 years. As a religion yes but as a system nothing. People are spending thousands of dollars just to get out of their Muslim country and to enter the infidel developed world.
Few Arab countries are prosperous but this is because of natural resources not because of their hard work. They are all lazy snails. Not a single world known scientist is found in all Muslim countries. One tiny Israel can destroy the whole Muslim world in one minute if they really wish so.
We impose Islam as a social system and then we have problems like Hijab issue in the modern developed world. France as a state has the right to impose any rule or regulation. As a school can ask for certain uniform, a state can regulate its social system according to its requirements. And wearing Hijab or Niqab or Burqa in this modern era is already redundant and I felicitate Fance, Syria and other countries to discourage this primitive tradition. Covering face is a handicap in driving and other day to day activities. It must be banned and the violators may be punished. The same may be done in all Muslim and non Muslim countries through out the world.
I don’t want to say here that I am against Islam. I want to further clarify that I am Muslim religiously. I am Pashtun racially, culturally, socially and I am a liberal, democrat etc politically or economically. I am Pakistani or Afghan or American by nationality. We must be clear in our identities. We may not confuse things. This way we can do justice with all and o none will invade the other.
The whole mess that we have is because of this confusion. The illiterate Taliban want to become rulers and judges and police and administrators which is not their job. They may be experts on the issues of how to say prayers or how to observe fasts, or what is monotheism, but they know nothing of the state craft, foreign relations, justice, finance, public administration, management, development, etc.
Similarly if an expert of Political science or Zoology or Medical sciences want to advise on the religious matters will be a mistake. Spiritual and mundane must be separated.
Some people think that the mere mentioning of Consultation/shura in Quran gives it a political system. I will once again repeat that Islam as an economic or political model never existed. This consultation is only a moral principle mentioned in Quran but cant be equivalent to a complete political system. It was never practiced. Do you think Umayyads or Abbasids or others used consultations in their political affairs? They were all dictators.
Some think that it’s the student MUSLIM not the book Islam which is at fault. Islam is not at a fault but Muslims. This example that its fault of the student and not of teacher or book is wrong for Islam. Islam if taken as a book, or teacher equal to a complete system, then this is wrong and this is the main issue I am talking about here. Islam is not a system, its not a teacher, its not a book, Its only a book or teacher for beliefs, worship and morality nothing else. Islam is only a religion nothing more than that. Its not fault of Muslims as students , but its the fault of Muslims to consider Islam as a system. Muslims should read the book of Islam or should learn from the teacher of Islam only in religious affairs not in politics, economics, science, logic, philosophy, etc.
Islam is good as belief system, as worship system and as moral way of life. Because of Islam we may do good things. There is no harm in it not doing bad things because of Islam. If Islam keeps you away from harmful things its morality and I recognize it but beyond this no. Islam or Taliban as implementers of Islam as a system can’t be judges, police, legislators etc at the same time.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are considered to be the best Muslim countries from Islamic point of view. Here Islam as a way of life is mostly practiced but these countries are the most corrupt and poor ones then what benefit islam as a system has given to the people of these countries. No one can tell me any ideal Islamic country in today’s world or in the whole history of Islam may be except upto the era of Hazrat Umar but at that time the development of the Islamic empire was not because of islam as a complete way of life but because of the wise secular policies of the rulers of that time. Islam was always there as a religion but not as a political or economic system.
West has separated religion from politics, economy, culture, society etc and that’s the secret of the development of the West. If Muslims want to be materially prosperous and developed like the West then they must follow the way they got the development other wise there is no way out. Religion can develop you spiritually but not economically or materially.
Laws must be re invented, created and changed according to the circumstances. This is another flaw in extremist Muslim approach that they consider the 1400 years old injunctions ( I don’t call them laws as these are not systematic) permanent. They must know that the every thing permanent is this world is the CHANGE. This is the spirit of the reconstruction of the religious thought in Islam as proposed by Dr Iqbal.
My description of Islam only as a religion and not as a complete way of life does not mean that I am converted to another religion. I love Islam as a religion but not beyond that. Readers may not be short tempered as by reading these lines may jump to the conclusions that I am a heretic or like the traditional way of Mullas may issue the fatwas of Kufr immediately. I say that Islam was never a political or economic or cultural or social or scientific system and if readers think otherwise may prove me wrong with evidence and may not just issue decrees of infidelity.
I am not preaching any new religion here rather I am trying to separate religion from non religious and secular stuff. For me my religion is Islam which is confined to faith, worship and morality but for other spheres of my life I ll seek guidance from other systems and ideologies like Democracy and capitalism.
Few years of the Prophet or upto the era of Hazrat Umar and then few years more when Arab Muslims were ruling Spain first does not count much in the more than 1400 years of Islam. Second in all these governments only the religion of Islam was not applied but also the local Arab practices were too involved. The religion was kept limited to religious affairs and for day to day affairs other models and practices were adopted. Also at that time there was no the present day concept of democracy and such was not applicable.
Billions of people were attracted either by sword or by the religion as the people had no other option but to embrace Islam or they liked the religious beliefs, mode of worship or moral standards of the Arab Muslims of that time. At that time Arabs had the power and that’s why their religion or social system and culture also had the dominance. But that was Arab culture and society not the religion of Islam which was adopted by the conquered nations. And yes people like today were deceived by the slogan that Arab culture is equivalent to the religion and the people had to even adopt the language, dress and other social patterns of Arabs in the name of Islam. The religion of Islam may be learnt from Quran and Sunna but the religion. We may not mix it with other spheres of life.
Islam as a system in books is one thing and Islam in practice is another thing. You may find some aspects of politics, economics, culture etc in books with moral underpinning but practically you don’t see it as the main purpose of Islam is being a religion to cater for the beliefs, worship and some personal morality of its believers not to make them politicians, scientists, economists, poets, writers, technicians, doctors, engineers etc . All these belong to secular or non religious aspects of life.
Once these Taliban and other terrorists and extremists understand this point, they wont kill innocent people for the implementation of the so called Sharia which has political, economic and cultural underpinnings, rather they will concentrate on the spiritual aspects as faith, worshipping and morality like other religions as Christianity, Buddhism, etc which only and only attend to religious affairs of its believers and don’t indulge in politics etc. Islamic beliefs, modes of worship and morality may be presented better than other religions but the political and other aspects presented by Taliban are not better as these are not Islamic because of the simple reason that Islam is only a religion and not beyond that.
I never compare Islam to Democracy or other ideologies. My basic point is that Islam is religion and Democracy is a political system and both are two different things. For religions we have Islam, for politics we have democracy and for culture we have Pashtunwali. As already emphasized Islam never give us a complete system in politics, economics etc. Islam give us only few guidelines for politics, economics etc which have mainly moral underpinnings. Quran like Old testament and New Testament have some moral principles but not political or economic systems.
Some Muslims think that why we don’t go for the divine Sharia and why we follow human made systems like Democracy. But Democracy is a better political system not a religion and which is neither divine nor perfect. Religion is divine but Shariah only guides you in beliefs, matters of worship and morality and few basic guidelines for other spheres of life from ethical point of view. Democracy can be evolved according to the needs of the people but Sharia may not be changed because its divine. We don’t need changes in Sharia because it covers only beliefs, worship and morality which are permanent concepts as compared to political, economic or other issues.
Christians have made Christianity only a religion and you see how developed they are. We Muslims must follow others in their good things. Islam was never implemented as a complete political or economic system specially after Hazrat Umar because its not meant beyond a religion. The whole progress of Islam is in the sector of religion not other fields. In Spain it was a Muslim rule but it was not the rule of Islam. If you consider the dictators of Umayyads and Abbasids etc as your caliphs and heroes then it will be a big stigma on the face of Islam. They were just Arab rulers and used Islam for the expansion of their empire. Yes the religious Sufis and scholars attracted the people towards the religion not to the system of the hereditary dictators.
If we accept other cultures and sciences separately and don’t mix it with religion of Islam then I have no need to discuss this issue further. This is the point which I want to explain. Accept other cultures and sciences and systems where they suit Muslims. Yes a Muslim as a Muslim by religion may not accept any thing against Islamic beliefs, Modes of worship and morality.
The Prophet of Islam gave a spiritual or religious system but he never trained people in politics, economics, sciences or technology. Muslims have problems in this world because they don’t accept or implement the modern ideas of education and politics. For religious non compliance they will have spiritual problems or the punishment in the life after death but the worldly matters may not be amalgamated with the religious or otherworldly matters. If Muslims and Pashtuns maintain this balance in mundane and spiritual or religious aspects of life then they will attain the success what the developed world has achieved. Muslims can present the best model to the world by being successful being good Muslims spiritually and religiously and better human beings politically, economically culturally, technologically like other developed nations. They will be thus better than the West by being successful in both spiritual and mundane spheres of life.
Comment