ULEMA AND THE MODERN AGE — Misguided Politics

Before this, in the period of European colonial rule, the aim of the politics of these ulema had been ‘the struggle for independence’. Now their politics was conducted in the name of ‘the enforcement of Islamic law’. In numerous countries, including Egypt, Sudan, Syria, Algeria, Indonesia and so on, the ulema set up parties whose aim was to establish political rule according to Islamic law. This politics once again turned Muslim countries into battlefields, the only difference now being that while earlier, in the colonial period, the ulema had been pitted against non-Muslim peoples, now they were up in arms against a section of fellow Muslims themselves. And so, these ‘Islamic’ parties found themselves playing the role of the Opposition in almost every Muslim country. These efforts of the ulema did not result in the establishment of purely Shariah-based rule in any Muslim country. But what did result from all of this was that Muslims everywhere became divided into, broadly, two mutually-opposed camps that were at war with each other. If, in the colonial period, non-Muslim forces killed Muslims, now Muslims began slaughtering their co-religionists. And, consequently, everywhere Muslim societies fell prey to destructive activities. The primary focus of the western colonial powers was not the establishment of political power in the world; it was their discoveries in science and technology, of new lands and opportunities. Had the ulema of the Muslim countries stayed aloof from practical politics, and focused instead, on the reform of Muslims, awakening the spirit of Islam among them, producing Islamic literature according to modern standards that would promote a thirst for Islam among Muslims and similar sort of work, they would have been better able to work towards establishing an Islamic government. If they had played their role in transforming Muslim societies into truly Islamic societies, the system of governance that would have naturally emerged from this process woul+d undoubtedly have been an Islamic one, as is suggested by a Hadith: Your leadership will be a reflection of you [the people]. The real cause for the failure of efforts to enforce Islamic law in Muslim countries is not the oppression of secularist rulers or the conspiracies of the enemies of Islam, unlike what many of those who regard