- Zia-ul-Haq’s legacy is alive and kicking
Being a husband was hardly a piece of cake at the best of times. But it may have just got a whole lot more perilous, thanks to a sudden return of religious zeal on the part of the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba students at the Punjab University. Well, this zeal probably hadn’t gone anywhere (was there all along) even though it wasn’t seen ‘in action’ lately.
Fittingly, this piece of history was made (remade – to be more precise) in front of the history department of the PU when IJT activists rounded up and thrashed a hapless man who had come to pick his wife up. In the cell-phone videos of the incident the wife (reportedly an enrolled student) can be heard pleading in vain with the gang to stop the brutality, yelling that it’s her husband that they are beating the stuffing out of. Neither the bystanders, who can be seen watching the show with their hands casually folded behind their backs, nor the varsity security personnel are doing anything to stop the violence. Zia-ul-Haq (wherever he is) would be smiling. At any rate, there’s nothing wrong with the health of his legacy thirty years after his demise.
Whether Islam can save Muslims in their present condition is anybody’s guess. However, there can be little doubt that Islam urgently needs to be protected from Muslims. It’s instructive to see how matters have come to be the way they are.
We Muslims are notorious for our fondness for jumping to the question of whether something is right or wrong. The question itself is a legitimate one, but it almost always leads to the question of authority, which is where the trouble starts. That’s because for all our undeniable achievements in the past (some of which are quite impressive), we have traditionally struggled wrapping our heads around the elusive concept of authority. A thing can be evil without one automatically getting the authority to do anything of one’s choice about it. In the PU incident, the attackers had obviously arrogated unto themselves the right to ‘correct’ a ‘wrong’, by whatever means they deemed fit. The author, after his many discussions with pious folks, thinks that the belief of ends justifying the means is often based, consciously or unconsciously, on two famous Prophetic narrations [1,2] that almost all Muslims know by heart. Which unfortunately ignores the fact that no legitimate interpretation of a Prophetic narration can be such as results in breaking of the law and/or violating basic Islamic principles, regardless of one’s intentions.
Suffice it to say that the treatment (if at all possible) is going to be tricky; and it’s safe to conclude that it will take a while before our zealots have enough purpose in their lives not to have to resort to beating husbands
Of course, it’s the easiest thing in the world to become the self-appointed champion of Islam, especially in the company of similarly insecure men and women. But the moral policing becomes even easier in matters pertaining to interaction between the genders. The more devout amongst us have always maintained that it’s harmful for young men and women to come into close proximity of one another; but few are really convinced – in our hearts of hearts – of this harm. Consequently, while we are cautiously optimistic about getting rewarded for our ‘sacrifices’ (or ‘services’ to Islam), frequently (in our weaker moments) we find that we can’t help wondering what if nothing of the sort is going to happen. That’s why there’s a natural tendency of not letting anyone else enjoy the ‘goodies’ of life either – at least where we can do something about it. Some matters are obviously too delicate to be left for the Hereafter.
So much for the diagnosis. The treatment (how can Islam be saved from the religious fervour of Muslims) is certainly beyond the analytical capabilities of the author. However, what can safely be ruled out in the present context is Jamaat-e-Islami (IJT’s mother organisation) doing anything constructive about it. After all, it’s not for nothing that the JI has continuously retained the distinction of being the most confused political party in the country amid cut-throat competition. Also, since the problem has manifested itself in one of the oldest institutions of higher learning, it’s unlikely it will be helped by more education – our standard solution for all problems.
Suffice it to say that the treatment (if at all possible) is going to be tricky; and it’s safe to conclude that it will take a while before our zealots have enough purpose in their lives not to have to resort to beating husbands in front of their lawfully wedded wives in order to serve Islam. Till that time comes, husbands would do well, when going anywhere near their own wives in public places, to be clad in their walima sherwanis, with laminated copies of their wedding contracts in full view of all, lest there’s any unfortunate misunderstanding. One can never be too careful when it comes to potential dishonour or – more-importantly – bodily injury.
Notes:
- ‘The rewards of deeds depend on the intentions; every person will get the reward according to what he has intended.’ (Bukhari)
- ‘Whosoever of you sees evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart, which is the weakest level of faith.’ (Muslim)
