Conundrum of a Muslim's life in India

SABEEH AKHTER

“Their forefathers had stories, which their grandfather presented as history and prophecies but unfortunately history deals with facts and evidence which altogether suggests alternatives and prophecies ceases realities.”

Since the dawn of the era, we as Indians have witnessed that the second majority of the world is languishing in the corners of India. This is proven as of today by the reports of various government and private journalists like Sachar committee, Ranganathan Mishra committee, or Nilesh Mishra's Minority report.

Being a Muslim here on this part of the Earth, means you will not only live your life suffering subtle substantial crisis, but you will also be socially deprived of all what society needs for its maintenance, including sanitation and hygiene. In addition to this, the hardcore Hindutva ideology will not spare a single moment to humiliate you, torment you and to an extent exterminate you, whether it is Bhagalpur of Bihar or Gujrat.

If the past, which is as great as presented and if all the prophecies, which are projected to us are cent percent true, it is hard to believe that their life is such turmoil. The misery, being manifold has made it even difficult to reach the bottom of it, from where one may find the solution. Albeit to an extent, this problem has been reduced by pre-independent era literature, and theoretical books of Mr Jawaharlal Nehru, like ‘The Discovery of India’  or of Sir Muhammad Iqbal's 'The Reconstruction of Religious Thoughts in Islam' which together have indicated towards some historical wrongs which has led the Muslims of India here in the lurch.

The findings of various reports suggest lack of education, I will take liberty to add-on, particularly English education and western sciences, over which a key highlight was presented in the Discovery of India that when English education was introduced in British Bengal, the Hindus caught it up which gave rise to the Bhadralok, but on contrary to them these Muslims considered it something which will corrupt their religion, which will take them away from Allah and thus they were hostile to it. What Nehru had put forth through his book can be well observed through the life struggle of the Prophet of Education; Sir Sayed Ahmed Khan and with it two other things were also at work- the rigidity of the purdah system and a fatwa which asked the Guardians not educate.

Here arises the second problem, the ‘misogynist nature of the Muslims’, in terms of the hard and rigid purdah system, though in authentic religion it nowhere prohibits, but empowers women in a way much visible in 'the Battle of Camels'. Another misogynist tendency, as the great Turkish poet Ziya describes-

"Equality is necessary in three things - in divorce, separation and in inheritance."

"As long as the woman is counted half the man as regards inheritance and one-fourth of man in matrimony, neither the family nor the country will be elevated and for other rights we have opened national courts of justice".

Though even a person numb in theology can claim it to be false and misleading, even Prophet Muhammad, as mentioned by Emir-Stein Institute was the greatest feminist of his time. But then what could be the possible reason for this? As Iqbal has pointed out that it might be because the main philosophy was no more practiced in the society.

The Islamic philosophy which more or less revolves around its theology has an interesting concept of Ijma which means something accepted as truth by society. Here, Iqbal has posed a genuine question: could Ijma surpass Quran? Perhaps the only answer in regards to the triple talaq issue as well. But why was it so? Why and how come Ijma? Is it anywhere significant against the Ijtihad; the free thinking. One possible answer to it is that Islam or may not be Islam, but Muslims who we look at today are not purely adhering to Islam, but an amalgamation of Turkish, Irani, Afghani and Indian culture. Dowry in this case is the best example, which needed some sanctity to be upheld. And another reason is the rise of school of thoughts, which restricted them to the books of their akabir and prevented them from researching their religion on their own and perhaps contained the free spirit of Islam by corrupting the mental faculties of these folks as well as their rationality.

And the last one probably like a cherry on the pudding's top is lack of leadership, which is partially because they are fragmented by these schools of thoughts and their beliefs and partly because of lack of education. In addition to it, a tendency to search out leader outside territory of India, though few exceptions were there at the time of independence but were short lived.

And yet another problem is criticism, they are totally unwilling to address the criticism, but fortunately the solution to these miseries lies in acknowledging these mistakes made through criticism. Learning a lesson from it and then rectifying it. Rectification of self and reformation of society is the only way to salvation.

"Why, all the Saints and Sages who discuss'd
Of the Two Worlds so wisely - they are thrust
Like foolish Prophets forth; their Words to Scorn
Are scatter'd, and their Mouths are stopt with Dust.” ~ Edward Fitzgerald

Editor’s Note: The article portrays that it’s not so easy in India actually, with the entire community thing, you see. It’s difficult. We hope to overcome that.

“We shall overcome some day.”

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