Home » Hanafi Fiqh » Askimam.org » I here a lot about Mowlana Ala’ Mawdudi these days, and about all the confusions he has spread threw out the muslim ummah. Respected Mufti Saab, What are your feelings about this man?

I here a lot about Mowlana Ala’ Mawdudi these days, and about all the confusions he has spread threw out the muslim ummah. Respected Mufti Saab, What are your feelings about this man?

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I here a lot about Mowlana Ala’ Mawdudi these days, and about all the confusions he has spread threw out the muslim ummah. Respected Mufti Saab, What are your feelings about this man? Who was he, and why do people say he has led us on the wrong path?

Answer

Respected Brother-in-Islam

Assalaamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakaatuhu

Kindly refer below our standard reply to similar queries.

and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
FATWA DEPT.

I refer to your email concerning the criticism that Moulana Ludhianwi
leveled against Mr. Abu Ala Mawdudi. The gist of your email was that the
criticism of Mr. Mawdudi by Moulana Ludhianwi was against the ethics of
Islam.

Ibrahim ibn Abdur-Rahmaan al-Azri (Radhiallaahu Anhu) narrates that
Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, ‘Straight and upright people
will seek their knowledge (of Deen) from their pious predecessors. They
(straight and upright people) will remove from knowledge, the distortion of
the extremists, incorrect attribution of the false people, and incorrect
interpretation of the ignorant ones.’ (Mishkaat pg.36; Qadeemi)

In view of the above mentioned Hadith, it is the responsibility of the Ulama
to preserve the pristine purity of Islam. The Arabic word used to describe
that responsibility is ‘yanfoon’, which is derived from the Arabic root word
of ‘nafyun’ which means to remove. The practice of pointing out and removing
faults is called criticism. (Oxford School Dictionary; JM Hawkins)

The writer of the article, well-recognised by the non-Arab as well as Arab
Ulama and a well recognised expert in Firqa-e-Baatila (deviated sects),
Moulana Muhammad Yusuf Ludhianwi (RA), has maintained his intellectual
honesty by fulfilling his scholarly responsibility of pointing out
(criticizing) Mr. Mawdudi. The writer is concerned that Mr. Mawdudi has
attacked the very fiber and backbone of Islam by criticizing the illustrious
Prophets and building a wall between the Ummah and the Sahaaba (Radhiallaahu
Anhum). In his constitution, Mr. Mawdudi says, ‘No human should be made a
measure of truth besides Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam).’. but
Allah Ta’ala clearly declares the Sahaaba (Radhiallaahu Anhum) as a measure
of truth in the innumerable verses of the Qur’aan NS in particular, Chapter
2 verse 13 and chapter 48 (Fath), Verse 29.

Mr. Mawdudi should have first consulted with the Ulama before publishing
such articles, thus, indoctrinating an anti-Sahaaba ideology in the Muslim
masses. Should Mr. Mawdudi have discussed the matter only with the Ulama,
then it could be a purely scholarly matter between him and the Ulama and not
for general publication and consumption. However, Mr. Mawdudi himself
sidestepped scholarly ethics and published his articles before
consulting/confirming with the Ulama and made his views known to the public
for mass consumption. It is very appropriate and incumbent for the Ulama
(like Moulana Ludhianwi (RA) has done) to respond then and now publicly
(given that Mawdudi’s views are still disseminated), to correct the
inaccuracies in Mawdudi’s ideas.

The writer, well-recognised by the non-Arab as well as Arab Ulama and a well
recognised expert in Firqa-e-Baatila (deviated sects), Moulana Ludhianwi is
acting within (and not against) the commands of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu
Alayhi Wasallam). For example, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)
said, ‘When you see anybody speaking ill about any Sahaaba (Radhiallaahu
Anhu), say to them, ‘May Allah’s curse be upon your evil.’ (Mishkaat pg.552;
Qadeemi). The learned scholar, Moulana Yusuf Ludhianwi has spent his entire
life in defending the position of the Sahaaba (Radhiallaahu Anhum) in the
Ummah and was physically (not only his character) assassinated recently by
the enemies of the Sahaaba (Radhiallaahu Anhum). The learned scholar’s
criticism against Mawdudi is similar to the criticism against others (such
as Khomeini) whose ideas and writing go against the fixed, settled,
permanent and sacrosanct principles of Islam. For example Khomeini once made
a statement which was published in the Tehran times (Kitaab be Noujawanaan –
P8) that if he conquers Madina Munawwarah, he will remove the two idols
(Hadhrat Abu Bakr and Hadhrat Umar (Radhiallaahu Anhuma) besides Rasulullah
(Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam).

I am certain that no believer will accept such a statement against the great
luminaries of Islam. Brother Amin, are we then to condemn only Khomeini and
condone Mawdudi knowing well that Mawdudi was a close friend of Khomeini and
was sympathetic to his course. In a book titled, ‘Two brothers – Maududi and
Khomeini’ page 129, the following statement of Dr Ahmad Farouk Maududi (son
of Abul-A’ala Maududi) was published in Roz Naame, Lahore – 29 September
1979, “Allama Khomeini had a very old and close relationship with Abba Jaan
(father). Aayaatullah Khomeini translated his (fathers) books in Farsi and
included it as a subject in Qum. Allama Khomeini met my father in 1963
during Hajj and my father’s wish was to create a revolutionary in Pakistan
similar to Iran. He was concerned about the success of the Iranian
revolution till his last breath.’ You mention in your statement, ‘those who
attack him after he passed away are not following Islamic ethics.’ The
writer subjects Mawdudi’s views to criticism because condoning Mawdudi will
be showing complacency to the crime of distancing the Ummah from the Sahaaba
(Radhiallaahu Anhum). The writer is concerned that such distancing will
eventually lead to distancing ourselves from Islam. After all, the Sahaaba
(Radhiallaahu Anhum) are the main link between us and Rasulullah
(Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam).

You intimate in your email that the writer was not acting in terms of
Islamic ethics by attacking Mawdudi after he passed away. Brother Amin, the
criticism of Moulana Ludhianwi is consistent with the rules and principles
of criticism called for in Islam. For example, Hafiz ibn Hajar (RA) in his
famous work, ‘Nukhbatul Fikr Fee Mustalahi ahlil Asr’ under the chapter of
Jarah (criticism), outlines the rules and principles of criticism, which
are extensively applied in determining the authority of a Hadith. The
Muhadditheen have criticized many narrators with the sole purpose of
determining the authenticity of the Ahaadith. Criticizing them is certainly
ethical in Islam and only conducive to preserving the pristine purity of
Islam. What if the Muhadditheen did not make Jarah of every narrator and
criticize many who did not fulfill the criteria of being Aadil? What if
every person goes against the directives of the Qur’aan and Hadith and
criticize the Sahaaba (Radhiallaahu Anhum)? What will be left of Islam?

Should Mawdudi have the right to criticize the Prophets and Sahaaba and we
don’t have the right to criticize him simply because he says, ”It is
Allah’s faith that I did not commit any deed or say any word under the
influence of my passions, nor did I commit it. Every word that I uttered in
my lectures, I measured each one of them before saying them, remembering
that I would have to account for it before Allah and the creation.
Therefore, I am assured in my position that I did not utter a word against
Haq’. Maududi Mazhab, page 29. Should someone become emotional when Mawdudi
is criticized because he is my friends icon? Moulana Ludhianwi is reminding
us ot be rational and to follow the guidance of Abdullah ibn Mas’ood who
said: ”If you wish to follow anyone, then follow the path of those who have
passed away, because one is not safe from the fitnah of a living person. I
mean those who are among the Sahaabah of Muhammed Sallallahu alaihi
waSallam. They were the best among this Ummah; they possessed the clearest
of hearts; they attained the deepest of knowledge; and had the least
formalities. Allah Ta’aala had chosen them as companions of His Nabi and to
up- keep His Deen. Therefore, recognize their virtues, and follow their
footsteps. As far as possible hold fast unto their characters and qualities,
because they are on the straight path’. (Mishkaat, Chapter of I’etisaam bil
kaab Wassunnah; Qadeemi)

It would be ironic for someone to say today do not criticize Mawdudi, given
that Mawdudi criticized so many of the illustrious sahabah. Such a stance
will also be against the entrenched precept of Article 1 of the By-Laws of
ICM (copy obtained by me in 1999 during your blessed rein of leadership):
‘You are the best of people evolved for mankind – Enjoining what is right,
Forbidding what is Wrong and Believing in God.’ (Surah Aali Imraan).’

Brother, I have limited my response primarily to your concern about whether
the criticism of Moulana Ludhianwi is within the ethical prescriptions of
Islam. If you feel that Moulana Ludhianwi misrepresented or fabricated the
record of Mawdudi please let me know which aspect or aspects concern you. I
will be glad to comment on that as well.

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