Expert rues dearth of independent thinking among Muslims

Chennai:

The use of independent thinking ((Ijtihad) among several sections of Muslims is lacking as the Quran is misinterpreted by radicals over the years, according to a historian and scholar Irfan Habib.

Delivering a lecture here, Habib who authored a book Jihad or Ijtihad which traces religious orthodoxy and modern science in contemporary Islam, states that Islam is a peaceful religion and Jihad is nothing but a fight with the evil forces within.

He says that there are two kinds of jihad. The greater jihad is Jihad-e-Akbar, the fight against evil forces within, and lesser jihad is Jihad-e-Ashgar, usually a fight in self-defence.

However, the radicals have now twisted this as a result jihad-e-Ashgar holds sway over jihad-e-Akbar. He says now there is dearth of independent thinking among the muslims. “Islam has been transformed from a religion into a political ideology,” he says.

He said Quran is an inspiration and it doesn’t stop anyone from seeking knowledge. He also hit out at fatwas by radicals and said why they want to bring in Islam for everything including watching television.

He said Quran is an emancipating force from the darkness. It has a message for the believer to pursue knowledge, he says.

The Prince of Arcot, Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali said that terrorism which involves shedding blood of innocent people can never be elevated to the category of Jihad in any sense as per the definition of Quran or Hadith. He said Jihad should be waged against poverty, hunger and unemployment and prevent wealth being circulated only among the rich.

“Anyone striving for social justice and working for improving the plight of poor is like a warrior in the way of Allah. Real Jihad is to use democracy and democratic institutions to achieve the noble goal of social justice for which The Prophet struggled all through his life,” he said.

M Faizur Rahman, secretary general of Islamic Forum for the Promotion of Moderate Thought, said that Quran uses jihad only in its primary meaning of a sustained non-violent movement against disruptive forces to establish peace and harmony in the world. “Not once has jihad been employed to refer as ‘holy war’. Indeed there is nothing holy about war,” he said.