Pan Islamism over the years

‘Pan-Islamism’ (اتّحاد الاسلام) is used to describe a will or the movement to unite the Muslim countries. The movement is based on the concept of Muslim-brotherhood envisaged in Quran and different Ahadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad).

“And hold fast, all of you together, to the rope of Allah (i.e. this Qur'an), and be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allah's Favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His Grace, you became brethren (in Islamic Faith), and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes His Ayat (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.,) clear to you, that you may be guided". (Aal-e-Imran, Chapter 3, Verse 103)

"The believing men and women are ‘awliya’ (loyal) to one another" (Surah al-Taubah, Verse 71)

"The Believers are but a single Brotherhood." (Al-Hujurat, Verse 10)

Narrated Abu Musa: The Prophet said, "A believer to another believer is like a building whose different parts enforce each other." The Prophet then clasped his hands with the fingers interlaced (while saying that). (Sahih Bukhari Book 43, Hadith 626)

Abu Hurairah, radiyallahu ‘anhu, reported that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, said: "Do not be envious of one another; do not artificially inflate prices against one another; do not hate one another; do not shun one another; and do not undercut one another in business transactions; and be as fellow-brothers and servants of Allah. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He neither oppresses him nor humiliates him nor looks down upon him. Piety is here – and he pointed to his chest three times. It is evil enough for a Muslim to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. All things of a Muslim are inviolable for another Muslim: his blood, his property and his honour.” [Sahih Muslim]

Versions of Pan-Islamism

The concept of pan-Islamism is not the same with different proponents of the idea. Different views that people hold about bringing about the idea of pan-Islamism into reality are as under.

Unification of all the Muslim countries as one state, preferably under a Caliphate.

Formation of a confederate of Islamic states.

Formation of a common wealth of Islamic countries.

Formation of a defense block

Formation of an economic block.

Prominent Pan-Islamists

Famous exponents of Pan Islamism at different ages include:

Dr. Muhammad Iqbal (November 9, 1877 – April 21, 1938) "May the Muslims be United for the Defence of the Holy Land, The Muslims from the Banks of Nile to the Lands of Kashgar" -Iqbal

Jamal-al-Din Afghani (1838–1897)

Muhammad Abduh (1849- 1905)

Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966)

Important personalities who worked for the unity of Islamic Ummah but were not enthusiastic about Caliphate include:

King Faisal ibn Abd al-Aziz ibn Saud (1906-1975)

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (1928-1979)

Both Faisal and Bhutto were instrumental in formation of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and holding its meetings in Rabat (1969) and Lahore (1974)

History

Template:Muslims and controversies The model of pan-Islamism idealizes the early years of Islam — the reign of Muhammad and the early caliphate — when the Muslim world was thought to be strong and uncorrupted as one united state.

In the modern era, Jamal al-Din al-Afghani promoted unity among Muslims to resist colonial occupation of Muslim lands. Al-Afghani's policies were highly progressive according to graduate student Danielle Costa:

Afghani believed that to live in the modern world demanded changes in Muslim ways of organizing society, and that it must try to make those changes while remaining true to itself. Islam, Afghani believed, was not only compatible with reason, progress and social solidarity, the bases of modern civilization, but if properly interpreted it positively enjoined them.^[1]

While Afghani's interest in Islamic law and theology was scant,^[2] later Pan-Islamism in the post-colonial world was strongly associated with Islamism. Leading Islamists such as Sayyid Qutb, and Abul Ala Maududi stressed their belief that a return to traditional Sharia law would make Islam united and strong again.

In the period of decolonialism following World War II, nationalism overshadowed Islamism. In the Arab world secular pan-Arab parties — Baath and Nasserist parties - had offshoots in almost every Arab country, and took power in Egypt, Libya, Iraq and Syria. Islamists suffered severe repression; its major thinker Syed Qutb, was imprisoned, underwent torture and was later executed.

Following the stunning defeat of Arab armies in the Six-Day War, Islamism and Pan-Islam began to reverse their relative position of popularity with nationalism and pan-Arabism. In 1979 the Iranian Revolution ousted Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi from power, and ten years later the Afghan Muslim mujahideen successfully forced the Soviet Union from Afghanistan.

These events galvanised Islamists the world over and heightened their popularity with the Muslim public. Throughout the Middle-East, and in particular Egypt, the various branches of the Muslim Brotherhood have significantly challenged the secular nationalist or monarchical Muslim governments.

In Pakistan the Jamaat-e-Islami enjoyed popular support especially since the formation of the MMA, and in Algeria the FIS was expected to win the cancelled elections in 1992. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Hizb-ut-Tahrir has emerged as a Pan-Islamist force in Central Asia and in the last five years has developed some support the Arab world.^[3]

References

^ Afghani's Vision of a Pan-Islamic Civilization, by Danielle Costa , TUFTS University[1]
^ Faith and Power by Edward Mortimer Vintage; Vintage Books, 1982)
^ Hizb-ut-Tahrir's Growing Appeal in the Arab World Jamestown Foundation

External links

[1] Afghani's Vision of a Pan-Islamic Civilization, by Danielle Costa , TUFTS University[1]

[2] Faith and Power by Edward Mortimer Vintage; Vintage Books, 1982)

[ARABLEGAL-3] Hizb-ut-Tahrir's Growing Appeal in the Arab World Jamestown Foundation

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