By Wasim Ahmad,
It is not over. We are mistaken. We all are standing at the Tahrir Square helplessly without being able to remove the rule of Hosni Mubaraks. These are those Hosni Mubaraks who have been in power for over generations. These are none other than us.
We are clinging to our prejudices, preconceived notions, respective schools of thought and outdated ideas more strongly than Hosni Mubarak clung to power. Some of us are clinging to them from a much earlier age. Some of us are still not relenting while Hosni Mubarak actually did. Hosni Mubarak proved to be more flexible and accommodating.
Having studied in Jami‘atul Falah I know many of my Falahi friends. A big number of them find it extremely abhorrent to hear anything different – different from what they have grown older with. This defeats the very purpose of the existence of Jami‘atul Falah (if some of the words have some meaning). When I see that they have become followers, it hurts. When I see that they make fun of the same methodology which they have learnt, then it pains. When I see that they are not willing to see beyond, then I wonder. When I see their giant Hosni Mubaraks then I aspire for many more Tahir Squares.
I am fortunate to know many AMU alumni. For them their preconceived notions and gravely mistaken ideas about ‘the nearest life (al-hayaat al-dunyaa)’ and ‘the way of life (al-deen)’ – which they have relentlessly clung to for many generations under severe conditioning effects – are far louder than all the clamouring on the Square. They give a deaf year to the protests. They are not listening to the teeming millions who have swarmed the streets of Cairo. Their rule of “thirty years” is not coming to an end. Not in the near future.
Our arrogance is the greatest Hosni Mubarak. When I find arrogance it only means that truth is eluding us; the seeking of which is our career on earth – to the best of our capacities and with utmost humbleness. How can we afford not to relent when faced with truth? How can we be arrogant and the seeker of truth – both at the same time? If we still cannot see the difference then we need to go back to Makkah and analyze the characters – who was arrogant and why and who wasn’t and why not?
We have been against one Hosni Mubarak mistaking him all this while to be somewhere farther away from ourselves. But we do not worry about the one which is the real one and is constantly in the mirror. And we allow him to perpetuate his tyrannical rule as long as he wishes. The struggle for deposing these Hosni Mubaraks has to continue – all the life. Unless we depose them, we will not see the real and lasting change which we are aspiring to and are deservedly excited about.
We expect change from masses and then the Governments. We think that the change in regime is a precondition for the change within. But then what and why do we teach? How will we justify the existence of so many educational institutions? The day we sincerely work on ourselves and send our own selves to Sharm El Sheikhs (or anywhere else) we will see a new dawn. We will see a changed world around us. Congratulations for removing one Hosni Mubarak. There are many more.
Some of them I recently met during a study circle of Qur’an. The friends had reached to the concluding rukoo (paragraph) of Soorah al-Baqarah. On being asked to comment, I protested on the Tahrir Square that my pace of studying Qur’an is very slow and I haven’t reached the end of Soorah al-Baqarah as I am still stuck with ‘Show us the Straight Path’ in Soorah al-Faatihah because when I contrast it with our situation then I hardly find any Path or anything Straight.
But my protest was brutally crushed. I am sure the same regime will continue for some more time and any protests will be dealt with in the same manner. Everyone is the victim here.
I have seen them in the emails on our Forums. I come across them in my daily conversations. I see them in our directionlessness and complete disorientation. I see them in our mistaken priorities. I see them in blaming all others for our ills and evils. We have to depose all these Hosni Mubaraks – one by one.
Can some body plot the way in which the islamic countris have been ruled in the last 70 to 80 years which are visible to all of us and are not greatly colored by historians.
Can somebody look at the gap between practices vs actual intention of the teaching that are in practices at the individual and society level rather than at country level. How many muslim who are in the western world would like to move to any gcc country and live by the standards as they are supposed to be truly islamic ?
Every muslim wants his version of islam accepted and be practiced in the region where they live is the reason for major conflict as they are more interested in the world to change rather than they to change.
Rather than the author being specific to hosni or any other rules, if these fundamentals are addressed, that will go a long way ?
@satwagunam
You are mistaken in supposing that GCC countries are truly islamic. None of them is. In percentages, my guess is that some may following 5% some may 10%, but none can be considered to be following more that 35 or 40% (which is just pass class in academic standards).
Also, there are no “versions” in Islam OFFICIALLY (as per Sunnah of the Prophet pbuh). What some or many muslims are following is their own whims and fancies which has no basis in the light of the Qur’aan and Sahih Hadith.
True Islamic education along with regular schooling of the Muslim masses is the key to removing the blind beliefs that have widely seeped into Muslim societies. This is the fundamental change that is required, not the one you have suggested.
@syfiah
See the paradox that you are telling that the gcc the birth place of islam is not a true follower of islam and they donot take the asian on their side.
However every muslim worldwide is expected to go as per the gcc version of islam.
Islam says that the idol must not exist but the photos of rulers are worshipped or kept as matter of respect in every corner of the gcc country still they are in power
There is nothing like GCC version, Saudi version or standard version of Islam. Everyone tries to justify his personal brand of faith as being the closest to the Straight Path shown by the authentic sources. In a true democratic setup, one must allow such plural interpretations to coexist.