The Challenge

In contemporary complex social system, cast, color, tribe, country or class considerations are essential ingredients of a political organization. Because of this, the parties either lose sight of their founding aims or continue working dogmatically. The other more horrifying aspect of such a trend is that parties structured on sectional, sectarian, regional and radical ideologies promote conflict which ends up in bloodshed.

Adoption of such a course is a menace which is the outcome of man’s perplexed insight regarding an all pervasive reality - Allah. It flows from man’s lack of complete allegiance to God Almighty as a supreme Creator. God has gifted man with boundless wherewithal for his march to perfection. In the Hereafter, indeed man will be held accountable for his deeds in this world. Life is thus an opportunity as well as a challenge. The opportunity can be availed and the challenge met in one and only one way i.e., to recognize Allah in thought and deed, with whole-hearted candor, sincerity of purpose and with singleness of devotion. This is the reality writ large on the universe. Life can unfold its blessings only if it is tackled with complete faith in one Almighty God. Unity is real and an open secret which stretches to eternity and embraces the totality of life. Unity of God, the unity of life and the unity of man are the conceptual design laid to acknowledge the factual scheme of things.

This belief in unity has to be dovetailed into real life since it is the sheet-anchor of peace and security, the only guarantee against mushrooming social ills, and the charter of freedom and balanced progress. The concept needs to be incorporated in the objectives of a struggling party. Though novel in nature, this particular character is awe-inspiring in function. The party that emerges on the basis of cosmic belief in the unity of man under God’s guidance is in harmony with reality. It works as a catalyst for a colossal blending of all values, social, political, economic and spiritual. It therefore, seizes to be merely devoted to moral uplift with roots in thin air. Unlike today’s religious and political parties, it does not work in a narrow spiritual sphere neither does it seek control of government machinery. Unlike Communist parties, it does not stand for class-war nor does it harp on the dialectical hymn of hate.

National parties are unavoidably formed once territorial, national or regional considerations and promotion of such interests become part of faith. The characteristics given above are precisely the reasons why a party with faith in Unity can never be nationalistic in character. In juxtaposition, this party is supra-national in aim and outlook; its endeavors embrace humanity, and; its interests transcend time and territory.

The Response:

Coming to reality, does there exist such a party whose aim is to form a just and egalitarian social order? Where freedom and equality rule? And which is devoid of Capitalist, Socialist or any kind of exploitation? Is man lucky enough to have within his reach a party formed on human lines pure and simple? A party to promote cosmic social justice, and which is impartial and unbiased? Fortunately, history offers a reassuring answer in the shape of Jamaat-e-Islami.

Jamaat was born out of conviction that man could rise to the incredible heights by dint of his belief in and obedience to, the will of God. History stands witness that its efforts bore fruit and resulted in flawless social harmony, total synthesis of life-values and formation of a universal brotherhood. This party was an answer to the clarion-call from Allah:

"There must be a community among you to invite (people) to the good and to command what is proper and to forbid what is improper. They it is who are the prosperous ones". (Quran, 111:104)

It took the brain behind the party, Syed Abul Ala Maududi, about a decade and a half to disseminate the truth in the above lines and to rouse the conscience of a few hundred persons to respond. The party thus founded was the Jamaat-e-Islami. Ever since its inception the Jamaat-e-Islami has striven to live up to the ideology it stands for in all spheres of life.

The Ideology and Faith:

The Jamaat-e-Islami is an ideological party, devoid of any trace of expediency, power-politics, prejudices of caste, colour, country, language and nationality. Its appeal is world-wide. It harbours none of the vested interests. Neither does it protects monopoly of any kind nor it promotes a prerogative cult for any individual, group or class. This outlook is Jamaat’s life-blood, its faith and the very soul permeating its formation. If embraced consciously, the ideology of the Jamaat-e-Islami works as the fountainhead to feed all departments of life. Jamaat firmly believes in the solemn Declaration:

"There is no god but God; Mohammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah".

This Declaration is not merely an entrance-pledge but is the sole motivation for the social, economic, political and spiritual aspects of life. Some significant notable relics of this Declaration are:

(i) Mankind is indebted to only One Creator and Sustainer for its existence who is supreme in His being in every conceivable way. This unique nexus between Him and man on the one hand and between man and man on the other, creates a colossal crucible of multiple social values. This concept is the true nursery of liberty, equality and fraternity of man. It possesses in itself grandeur and dignity.

(ii) Man should not seek favour or fear anyone except God, Who alone is the ultimate dispenser of good and evil.

(iii) None except God should be worshipped and man should turn to Him for help and guidance in distress. Polytheism and pantheism are unreal and cause distress and injustice that plague human life.

(iv) Sovereignty belongs to God alone.

(v) Man should completely surrender his will, wish and whim to his Creator and treat all his capabilities as His solemn trust. This trust has to be dealt with in accordance with God’s Will, revealed through His Prophets, the last one of them being Mohammed (peace be upon him).

(vi) Man shall be held accountable to God in the Hereafter for all that he said and did on earth. This belief is a vital link in the chain of the ideology under consideration. It serves not only to forge human compatibility with the cosmic reality but also to invest human thought and deed with efflorescent purposefulness.

(vii) Substantive leadership rights, both de jure and de facto, vest in Mohammed (peace be upon him), the Quran and the Sunnah being respective authorities in the matter.

(viii) For all problem, where the Quran and the Sunnah did not furnish specific guidance, the institution of Ijtihad should be availed subject to the mandatory provisions.

(ix) All prejudices of caste, colour, class, country, language, race, or nation, are but idols which hinder the cosmic ideology of Islam. According to Islam, these differences are merely marks of identification.

(x) Individual as well as the social fabric must be cast in the mould of this ideology.

This ideology by which the Jamaat-e-Islami swears to stand embraces life in its totality. It has no fragmentary approach in respect of time and space. Its locus standi stretches from the dim dawn of history to distant future. It does not denounce the past as "reactionary" as it does not hate any class of human beings as necessarily "reactionary".

The Jamaat does not invest history with a mechanical incompatibility propelling man to self-chosen materialistic ends under the aegis of a single favourite class. Man is not at the mercy of a brute spell of materialism. He has the freedom to make his own choice and defy even the cosmic reality of Islam. The history of man is not the history of class struggle but the history of struggle between Islam and Jahiliyah (non-Islam). The Jamaat takes the past of man fully into account but it is essentially future-oriented because of its faith in human accountability to God ultimately in the Hereafter. It is, therefore, a truly progressive party.

The Jamaat-e-Islami is revolutionary in the sense that the objectives it cherishes, the ideology it upholds and the program it sponsors, is fundamentally different from, and comparably more dynamic, than those of other parties in the world. It may be reiterated that the key-factor that makes all the difference between the Jamaat-e-Islami and other parties is the proper belief and the lack of proper belief in the Unity of God. The net effect is the production of a comprehensive balance, integration from here to the Hereafter. The conviction in the Unity of God rids man of the dilemma of superstitions, irrational approaches and deification of the phenomena of nature and universe. It rids him of reactionary customs and ideas, howsoever innocuous, colourful and luring. Belief in one God rids man of racial discrimination, pigment prejudices, class malice and geographical chauvinism. It rids him of the shackles that block his energy, chain his development and stunt his growth. It rids him of all exploitation masquerading in all garbs. Out of this ideology, a new man is born who is full of confidence, endowed with a broad-mind and human sympathy and who is steeped in humility and love. He knows the significance of self-realisation because the realisation of God is seeped into the marrow of his being. He is all greatness due to his solitary insignificance before his Creator.

Due to these reasons, the social order for which the Jamaat-e-Islami stands is free form all sorts of dehumanising factors. It is free from all exploitation, religious bigotry, capitalist oppression and the vandalistic man-hunt of class-hatred.

The Approach:

The Jamaat-e-Islami’s all-out aim is to establish a social order imbued with Islam’s ideology of peace and balance par excellence makes its sphere of functions at once cosmic and restricted. Its appeal is indeed global but its qualitative stress inexorably makes it restrictive in its organisational scope. Everybody is most welcome to join it. There are no restriction on becoming an associate. However to become its member one is naturally expected to fulfil a set of conditions, ideological and moral, in thought and practice. Those conditions include:

(1) After fully grasping the Jamaat-e-Islami’s aforementioned creed, he should declare that he whole-heartedly subscribes to it.

(2) After grasping the significance of the Jamaat-e-Islami’s goal, he should declare it to be his goal too.

(3) After studying the constitution of the Jamaat-e-Islami, he should pledge himself to abide by its discipline.

(4) He should observe the mandatory obligations of the Shariah and refrain from committing major sins at least.

(5) His living should not be sinful. For instance, it should not be dependent on usury, liquor, fornication, song, dance, perjury, graft, corruption and misappropriation.

(6) If he has in his possession such wealth as has accrued to him through forbidden means or it contains any portion wrongfully appropriated, he should abandon it in favour of the concerned person or persons.

(7) He should not be a member of any party or institution whose principles and objectives clash with the creed, the goal and the procedure of the Jamaat-e-Islami.

(8) The Jamaat-e-Islami is devoted to peaceful and upright means of struggle and a strict adherence to this principle marks its whole history. Its tireless equanimity and composure are disconcerting to its opponents. It devoutly disdains violence and bloodshed. Unlike any party formed on Capitalist or Communist aims and views, it totally rejects the Machiavellian doctrine of "Ends justify means".

Here ends and means are coherent, even identical. It is these constraints, self-imposed in the interest of immaculate purity and excellence, that operate as fastidious factors to render the Jamaat-e-Islami qualitatively selective in its membership. It is these procedural checks, however, that produce the Jamaat-e-Islami’s hard core, capable of facing all sorts of challenges.

Hardly impressive in the sheer numerical strength of its members, the Jamaat-e-Islami is a force to reckon with not only in Pakistan, but the world over. This widespread influence is the outcome of the following factors:

(1) The global appeal of the ideology of the Jamaat-e-Islami, i.e. Islam in its pristine purity;

(2) Production of first-rate literature on different departments of life, all converging on the same bare and basic reality of life - Tauheed or Unity of God.

(3) Presence of a network of practical services of the Jamaat-e-Islami in the socio-political field.

The Jamaat-e-Islami firmly holds that a lasting change in the lives of individuals and in social pattern must necessarily stem from a change in the opinion, attitudes and outlook of people at large. It rejects a forced change because a forced change never touches the innermost being of man and it seldom reaches the grass-roots of society. Change of ideas is, therefore, the first and foremost task of the Jamaat-e-Islami, through literature, mass gatherings, corner-meetings and individual contacts. The modus operandi being subject to choice according to various factors including the availability of freedom of assembly and speech. There is never anything secretive, underhand and conspiratorial in the changeless message of Jamaat. The message and the methods of Jamaat dovetail into a supreme blend and are clear like the sunshine and pure like love. Jamaat-e-Islami has lived up to its character in all its activities ever since the inception in 1941.