The Error of Political Islam

dishonest. The Jamaat’s platform exists to propagate its own ideology, not those of others. The only way I could work within the Jamaat was if it declared that Maulana Maududi’s literature was not the sole authoritative interpretation of its ideology. However, as the correspondence with the Jamaat’s leadership will show, I was unsuccessful in this effort. Afterwards, the only honest path for me was to step outside the Jamaat to express what I believed to be the truth, as remaining within the Jamaat while promoting a divergent view would have been unethical. Secondly, my years of work through the magazine Zindagi in this intellectual circle led me to conclude that mere positive work alone was insufficient, given the particular influence introduced by Maulana Maududi’s literature. The flaw of this literature differs from other common errors. It does not mean that he has added to or subtracted from the body of beliefs and practices that constitute the religion. It accepts the entirety of Islam, but the very definitions of these elements have been altered in its explanation. Consequently, followers of this ideology may appear to accept everything, but they do not do so in the manner they truly should. The Quran and Hadith indicate that the core issue is establishing a relationship with God and fearing the punishment of the Hereafter. This is what we must Preface to the FIRST Edition