Dear Floydian
Let's quote an even more serious excerpt from the essay
Quote:
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[What] the common man desires is not merely a state in which Muslims would have greater economic facilities than they have now, but a state in which God's Word would reign supreme. Not that the 'common man' does not care for economic facilities. He cares, rightly, very much for them. But he feels, no less rightly, that an Islamic theocracy would not only give him all the economic justice and opportunity for material development which he now so sadly lacks, but would enhance his human dignity and spiritual security as well. (Most Muslim scholars have tried to differentiate between the Islamic concept of a state based on the principle of Khilafah or vicegerency and European medieval religious states based on rule by holy and 'infallible' clergy).
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Muhammad Asad has clearly advocated a theocratic state. Now let's move on to the more interesting things. In August 1941, Quaid-e-Azam gave an interview to the students of the Osmania University. The replies he gave to the questions asked by the students explain his depth and comprehension of the basic foundations of Islam. Here are excerpts from the interview:
Q. What are the essential features of religion and a religious state?
When I hear the word “religion,” my mind thinks at once, according to the English language and British usage, of private relations between man and God. But I know full well that according to Islam, the word is not restricted to the English connotation. I am neither a Maulwi nor a Mullah, nor do I claim knowledge of theology. But I have studied in my own way the Holy Quran and Islamic tenets. This magnificent book is full of guidance respecting all human life, whether spiritual, or economic, political or social, leaving no aspect untouched.
Q. What is the distinctive feature of the Islamic state?
There is a special feature of the Islamic state which must not be overlooked. There, obedience is due to God and God alone, which takes practical shape in the observance of the Quranic principles and commands. In Islam, obedience is due neither to a king, nor to a parliament, nor to any other organization. It is the Quranic provisions which determine the limits of our freedom and restrictions in political and social spheres. In other words, the Islamic state is an agency for enforcement of the Quranic principles and injunctions.
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In his speech at the Frontier Muslim League Conference on November 21, 1945, he said:
“We have to fight a double edged battle, one against the Hindu Congress and the British Imperialists, both of them being capitalists. The Muslims demand Pakistan where they could rule according to their own code of life and according to their own cultural growth, traditions and Islamic laws.”
The purpose of quoting these words of the great Quaid is to suggest that while on one hand he did not envision a theocratic state at the same time on the other hand he did not want a secular state either. The reality lies probably some where in the middle of the two extremes. The dilemma of our generation is that our scholars, politicians, legislators could never agree on a single clear vision, as a result today we have a nation arguing on the eve of 62nd Independence Day if there was actually a need to create Pakistan or not !
On one hand we have great people like Prof. Sharif ul Mujahid, Liaquat Merchant, Cowasjee and others who have repeatedly emphasized the need to go back to the vision of the Quaid still on the other hand this nation has had some 'unseen forces' who have quite successfully dragged the country into what is almost the opposite.
Recently there was an article in Dawn (Independence Day Special Report) "Religious Extremism, Militancy and the Spirit of Pakistan", towards the end of the article the writer says
"Islamic principles and symbols began to surface the speeches and addresses of Jinnah from the mid-1930s onwards when the efforts were made to reorganize the Muslim League and bring ordinary Muslims on board for strengthening the notion of Muslim identity and rights in the wake of the Congress refusal to accommodate them. Islamic notions and symbols emerged as a mark of political identity and instruments for political mobilization for the Muslims after the Muslim League invoked the separate state option. These slogans were more pronounced in the Muslim majority provinces in 1946 elections [.........] The slogan like "Pakistan ka Matlab Kia?" was coined and extensively used in the Punjab and at a limited scale, in NWFP at the time of referendum in 1947"
So did Muslim League intend to exploit the Muslim force in the name of Islam through these slogans? Of course not, There was a clear intention of creating an Islamic State and that is for what hundreds and thousands of Muslims happily sacrificed their lives. After all, Quaid's vision of the constitution "
embodying the essential principles of Islam" was not meaningless, or was it ?
There can be a lot of debate on this issue, thanks to confusions gifted to us but I think one thing is for sure that Pakistan is a miracle state created in the name of Islam and destined to be the strongest hope for the Muslim community in specific and all the peace loving countries and nationalities in general. This, in my humble opinion, is the ideal we should be working to achieve, neither a theocracy nor secularism is our way to move ahead.
Regards