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‘The Day of Reckoning is due to come’
is a statement that is imprinted in our souls1
and has been substantiated by the Messengers of Allah. According to Islam,
a profound sense of accountability in the Hereafter should define the life
of each and every person subsisting on this earth. It is this sense which
is liable to turn the reckless souls into the responsible, the evil into
the good and the turbulent into the satisfied. It is awesomely amazing
that Allah has especially raised a series of Messengers to remind people
of this Day and through them, many a time, have borne a visual testimony
to it in this very world2.
Undermining the importance of this Day amounts to denying the meaningful
scheme of God regarding this universe. It therefore should be the
personal concern of every believer, and also the focal point of the collective
efforts undertaken for the reawakening the Muslim Ummah.
The Almighty has assigned to the ‘Ulama’
(scholars) the grand task of reawakening in the context of the collectivity
of the Muslims. In the gloomy night of ignorance and disbelief, they are
to bear the torch of knowledge and faith; and in the hot and dry desert,
they are to be the oasis, which promises hope and restores life. They have
been entrusted with the guardianship of their people. Like a responsible
father, they should be concerned about how their children walk and talk
lest these exuberant youth bring a drastic change in their lifestyle and
attitude that is bound to endanger their Akhirah (their fate in
the Hereafter). It is this concern without which a scholar is no scholar;
underlying this notion is the assertion that he cannot be indifferent to
any member of his family consisting of the entire society and his sincerity
with each one of them should be sublimely transparent and beyond a shadow
of doubt.
When a Muslim scholar enters the folds
of politics, he has to compromise on many things as is evident from the
political movements initiated by the scholars in Pakistan. Because of the
advancement in human civilization and increased populace, one has to offer
oneself for the public office—an unsettling practice which right in the
beginning of their political careers mars their sincerity. Aggressive campaigning
essentially involves disparaging and criticizing the policy of the rival
group(s), which in turn enrages the supporters of the latter. These scholars
thus end up causing an irreparable damage by alienating a considerable
number of people. They doubtless undertake projects of public welfare,
providing basic necessities of life to the poverty stricken people. Yet,
in the pursuit of political authority, their services based on utmost sincerity
leave no more than an impression of ostentatious display in order to secure
votes. With this background, when they come to the pulpit and address the
nation, their words scarcely have any impact on the audience. Ironically,
they often use the religion of Islam to make it to the parliament, which
only adds to the people’s aversion towards religion. Is it thus improper
to conclude that preaching and politics, though begin with the same letter,
are entirely incompatible if they emanate from the same person?
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