HWO WAS MOUDOODI?
Abul Alaa Maududi (1903-79) was the founder of an Islamic sect in Pakistan called Jama'at-i Islami.
Maududi was what is now being termed a "contemporary Islamic revivalist thinker." After originally opposing the formation of the nation state of Pakistan, he eventually accepted it during the 1940s, when he began a decades-long effort to dominate it.
Maududi wrote much about society, economy, and politics. He was a free thinker who helped introduce the dividing ideology of hizbiyyah (strict loyalty to a particular group or party) to the common masses. Concentrating on issues of social justice, Maududi promoted un-Islamic revolutionary modes of thought which led him to have a distorted view of Islam as being primarily a political system. Overlooking Islam's fundamentals such as teaching tawhid (true monotheism) and the pillars of the religion such as understanding the realities of the testimony of faith, praying, giving charity, fasting and making Hajj, Maududi spoke in an exaggerated manner concerning the aspect of rulership in Islam.
Speaking about desiring authority in the land, Maududi said, "So without the desire for authority, there is no meaning for calling to a particular philosophy, and there is no meaning for what is lawful and what is forbidden, nor for the prescribed laws."1
Maududi said this, even though the Prophet of Islam (may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace) clearly forbade desiring positions of authority, because craving after authority corrupts absolutely. He said, "Do not ask for leadership, since if you are given it having requested it, then you will be left alone to discharge it, but if you are given it without requesting it, you will be helped (by Allah) in it."2
Maududi even went a step further by claiming that the principal goal of all of the Prophets was to establish a state: "Therefore the goal aspired for in the messengership of the Prophets in this world did not cease to be the establishment of the Islamic government upon the earth."3
Although orthodox Islam considers this to be an important matter, it does not consider this to be from the pillars of Islam that were mentioned in the source texts of the religion. Hence, it is a great error to overlook the true call of the Prophets while making the false claim that the principle goal which they aspired for was to establish an Islamic state.
Maududi used to base his conclusions upon intellectual and political analogies and deductions as opposed to returning to the textual sources of the religion understood by the early Muslims as a source of guidance. Consequently, he was oblivious to the polytheism, religious innovations and superstitions that were rampant in his political party and native homeland. Furthermore, he fell into the grave error of reviling some of the Prophets and the righteous companions of the last Prophet (may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace).
His extremism in those things related to politics led him to compare the Prophet Joseph to Mussolini! Disregarding the honour of the Prophets of Allah, Maududi said the following about Joseph:
"This (his request to become the custodian of Egypt) was not a demand to be the Minister of Finance only, as some people understand, this was not a demand of the ministerial office of finance only, but a demand for dictatorship. As a result, this position which Sayyidinaa Yusuf (Joseph) got is almost the same which Mussolini enjoyed in Italy in these days."4
1 Abu Alaa Maududi, Tajdeedud-Deen, p. 32-33.
2 Muslim (no. 4692)
3 Abu Alaa Maududi, Tajdeedud-Deen, p.34.
4 Tafheemaat, Part II, p.122, 5th edition.
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