ISLAMIC LITERATURE: AN ANALYSIS

ISLAMIC LITERATURE: AN ANALYSIS Finding the Cause of Muslims' Deviation I SLAM is a religion whose original text is completely preserved. This text (Quran and Sunnah) is the only source to know the teachings of Islam. Islam possesses historical authenticity. In the subsequent generations after the advent of Islam, thousands of books were produced in the Arabic language as interpretation of the Islamic texts. Gradually, the corpus of these books, consciously or unconsciously, assumed the status of original source of Islam. Now these are the books being taught in madrasas (religious seminaries), academic institutions and are found on library shelves. These are the most talked about books everywhere to the extent that the Quran and Sunnah (model set by the Prophet) have been practically relegated to a secondary place. The literature produced after them has assumed, unannounced, the status of primary reference. Present-day Muslims do not take ideological guidance from the revealed religion. They have effectively adopted the explanations of Muslim scholars as their source of guidance. The current situation of Muslims is a confirmation of the saying of the Prophet of Islam: “One of the signs of the coming of Doomsday is that evil people will be exalted, virtuous people will be degraded, and there will be prevalence of muthannath among people, and there would be no one to counter it.” The Prophet was asked, “What is muthannath?” He answered, “All the books with the exception of God’s Book.” (Hadith al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihain) In this Hadith, the state of decline of the Muslim community has been described. When a nation suffers decline, its condition follows the pattern of other nations that have already suffered degeneration. The community, as a whole, only follows external forms. These people fail to see deeper meaning and realities, but they are sure to observe superficialities. Due to this distorted temperament, worldly-oriented people take centre-stage among them, and people whose orientation and thinking are towards the Hereafter fail to command attention. Those who feed this distorted public taste stand out and gain popularity, and those who, due to their seriousness, do not make allowance for the popular temperament, lose their popularity. At this time, such people emerge who, although spiritually void, are elevated to positions of glory through their magnificent religious garb. Their eloquent words, artificial style and fiery rhetoric appeal to the