‘The Day of Reckoning is due to come’ is a statement that is
imprinted in our souls and has been
substantiated by the Messengers of Allah. According to Islam, a profound sense
of accountability in the Hereafter should define the life of each and every
person subsisting on this earth. It is this sense which is liable to turn the
reckless souls into the responsible, the evil into the good and the turbulent
into the satisfied. It is awesomely amazing that Allah has especially raised a
series of Messengers to remind people of this Day and through them, many a time,
have borne a visual testimony to it in this very world.
Undermining the importance of this Day amounts to denying the meaningful scheme
of God regarding this universe. It should therefore should be the personal
concern of every believer, and also the focal point of the collective efforts
undertaken for the reawakening the Muslim Ummah.
The Almighty has assigned to the ‘Ulamā’ (scholars) the grand
task of reawakening in the context of the collectivity of the Muslims. In the
gloomy night of ignorance and disbelief, they are to bear the torch of knowledge
and faith; and in the hot and dry desert, they are to be the oasis, which
promises hope and restores life. They have been entrusted with the guardianship
of their people. Like a responsible father, they should be concerned about how
their children walk and talk lest these exuberant youth bring a drastic change
in their lifestyle and attitude that is bound to endanger their Akhirah (their
fate in the Hereafter). It is this concern without which a scholar is no
scholar; underlying this notion is the assertion that he cannot be indifferent
to any member of his family consisting of the entire society and his sincerity
with each one of them should be sublimely transparent and beyond a shadow of
doubt.
When a Muslim scholar enters the folds of politics, he has to
compromise on many things as is evident from the political movements initiated
by the scholars in Pakistan. Because of the advancement in human civilization
and increased populace, one has to offer oneself for the public office—an
unsettling practice which right in the beginning of their political careers mars
their sincerity. Aggressive campaigning essentially involves disparaging and
criticizing the policy of the rival group(s), which in turn enrages the
supporters of the latter. These scholars thus end up causing an irreparable
damage by alienating a considerable number of people. They doubtless undertake
projects of public welfare, providing basic necessities of life to the poverty
stricken people. Yet, in the pursuit of political authority, their services
based on utmost sincerity leave no more than an impression of ostentatious
display in order to secure votes. With this background, when they come to the
pulpit and address the nation, their words scarcely have any impact on the
audience. Ironically, they often use the religion of Islam to make it to the
parliament, which only adds to the people’s aversion towards religion. Is it
thus improper to conclude that preaching and politics, though begin with the
same letter, are entirely incompatible if they emanate from the same person?
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