- 1. This essay criticizes the ‘Ulema’s approach to deal with the sectarian and political problems of Indian Muslims.
- 2. It highlights that the sectarian differences of Muslims are theological, not political.
- 3. And that ‘ulema should creatively engage with their tradition to deal with the theological problems, and interpret their tradition to make it adjustable to the current realities.
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Last month, on August 8, 2021, a section of elite leadership of Indian Muslims organized a closed-door meeting of ‘ulema and Muslim intellectuals in Hotel River View, Okhla, Delhi, to discuss a roadmap for uniting the different factions of Indian Muslims against the political uncertainties that they are facing in India. Since the meeting was exclusive, uninvited persons were not welcomed there. As anticipated, it raised concerns among certain people on the social media platforms. This meeting was followed by another meeting the very next day. Unlike the first meeting, it did not seem planned. It was convened and presided by Sajjad Nomani, a well-known ‘Alim and preacher, who was also among the organizers of the previous meeting.
By a happy coincidence, I was visiting a friend where the meeting was convened, so I got an opportunity to sneak into the meeting hall to have a look at whatever was going on. I asked around and learned that the meeting was planned that very morning and that people were invited by phone call. The friends I was visiting were also invited to the meeting. However, they told me that they did not have any idea what this meeting was about. Ubaidullah Khan Azmi, a renowned Barelvi scholar, and politician, who was sitting beside Nomani, commenced the meeting with a passionate speech highlighting the significance of being united against the current political challenges. At the end of his speech, he told the audience that the purpose of this gathering was to seek advice and recommendations from the people in attendance for resolving the sectarian and political problems of Indian Muslims. Soon, people started giving their best suggestions one by one, occasionally interrupted by comments from Nomani and Azmi.
