VIEW : Maulana: casual usage of the word — Mohammed Ahmad
With due respect to the ones who are an exception, we have in our age men who practise religious rites as a profession and are paid for the religious services rendered by them
Maulana is an Arabic word derived from 'Maula', meaning master or lord. With the suffix 'na' it acquires the meaning of 'my master'. In the good old times, there were scholars in the Muslim world who acquired knowledge of religion to broaden their understanding of the faith, lived piously and for a means of living adopted professions like trade, etc. Their overall personalities were overwhelming and out of respect for their piety, they were addressed by the people in the subcontinent as maulana. They were certainly not a group who led prayers, gave sermons or recited religious poems as a profession or means of living. All these actions, noble in their own character, were performed by these men for their spiritual significance; money was never a part of the equation.
Any student of Islamic history will find the names of Nauman ibn Thabit, Malik ibn Anas, Muhammad ibn Idris and Ahmad ibn Hanbal mentioned as Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi and Imam Hanbal. These men were called Imams because they were worthy of the title. These great men with noble causes contributed positively to a better understanding of their faith. While each had his own understanding of it, they benefitted from the knowledge of other theologians. They always acknowledged their status and had positive interaction with them. The example of Imam Abu Hanifa throws light on this school of thought, which was always convergent and never divisive. The Imam went to Medina and took full advantage of the society of Imam Musa Kazim and his illustrious father Imam Jafar Sadiq, the Shiite Imams, who were the descendants of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and were the greatest authorities in Islamic learning of their times. Imam Abu Hanifah was highly impressed with the profound knowledge of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, whom he acknowledged as the most learned man in the world of Islam. The Imam also attended the classes of Imam Malik who was 13 years younger than he was. These men were true seekers of knowledge and, therefore, people chose to follow them. These great men were rightfully called Imams.
With due respect to the ones who are an exception, we have in our age men who practise religious rites as a profession and are paid for the religious services rendered by them. They divert money donated in a good cause by philanthropists and the common man to their fleet of vehicles, security personnel or accommodation for their aides and families. These men are at best a divisive force in society. Rather than acknowledging the good in others, they call them all black as it hurts their profession to admit some good elsewhere. Since the common man yearns for unity among all ranks of his faith, they utter nicely worded public statements. However, when they are among their own kind, they give inflammatory sermons and order actions that if their wishes were to come true, they would annihilate the ones disagreeing with them. While for the public they form umbrella organisations of differing schools of thought, they do not acknowledge the differing to be a believer in the company of their own. Their books are full of such edicts. When it comes to minorities, their real venom is truly exposed. All in all, they want their followers to become nothing short of killing machines spewing hatred and strife everywhere. Yet these men are very casually called maulanas. Their condition is akin to the one stated in a saying of the Prophet (PBUH) reproduced below:
"There will come a time upon the people when nothing will remain of Islam except its name and nothing will remain of the Quran except its words. Their mosques will be splendidly furnished but destitute of guidance. Their divines will be the worst people under the heaven; strife will issue from them and avert to them" (Mishkat al-Masabih 1/91 Hadith 276).
When confronted with this narration these men try to wriggle out by calling it Da'if. They have the guts to say so despite the fact that their actions prove its authenticity. It is ironic that while the common man being ignorant of the position calls them maulana, the media and the educated also refer to them that way. The aides and accomplices of these men may call them maulana for it suits their common interest. However, the intelligentsia cannot put forward ignorance as an excuse and should be mindful of the character and actions of these men while casually referring to them or addressing them as maulanas in their writings, addresses or TV talk shows. While the enlightened differ with them on almost everything, they still address them as 'our master'. This needs to be taken care of and caution exercised so that the sanctity of the word is not disturbed and it is used to address only those who deserve the honour. People who are cleverly using religion as a vehicle to advance politically, be they from any religion or faith, should at best be addressed with a neutral word.
The writer can be reached at thelogicalguy@yahoo.com
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