bhai pyaray bhai..whatever they thought but the fact remains they were against it and they even went as far as calling Quad-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal as kafirs. Even then Maulana Maudoodi later shifted to Pakistan and you know what the father Fazlur-Rehman said about Pakistan? but Dr Israr was really good, Now most of deobandi scholars in Pakistan are sincere and loyal but some are still supporting the terrorists.
Bhai when we talk with each other, only then we learn...the matter of the truth is that I don't know into depth what the difference between Barelvis and Deobandis, I thought the scholars who got support from Congress and were against the creation of Pakistan were Deobandis while Barelvis are the ones who supported the creation of Pakistan. While Shia's have issues with Ahle-hadeeth or wahabis so.. but the word Zakir is used for scholars of shia...but all are respectable.. except who talk against the creation of Pakistan..
The problem with all religious “scholars” is that many of them arent. Most infact; keeping an uncouth beard and wearing a cap does not make you a scholar. Fazlur rehman is not one, in the days where Islam was led by the most informed and educated- the hierarchy of knowledge was Aalims and then Muftis at the bottom.. Diesel in not even a Mufti yet most of his party would suddenly command respect because of how they look and not what they know.
If today we have a doctor graduate from the Mingolpura medical university which has ten rooms we are afraid of the doctor but we cannot apply the same principles to religious leadership?
Pre partition India has two main Muslim university’s( combined learning centers), deoband was a madressa for ONLY deobandi thought. Places like Aligarh and Osmania University were true places for Islamic studies and learning... how can a place where just one repeated line of thought is taughy be superior to a place where all ideas and thoughts are combined and analyzed for a result?
Today, Jamia Binoria is just with one school of thought.. University of Karachi with faculty from five different schools of thought is inherently going to be superior.
The same goes for Al-Azhar in Cairo versus Makkah University, Al-Azhar is not regulated like Makkah University and is going to have superior learning.
So coming to leadership, is zakir naik going to be superior or a reputable university department?
Unfortunately religion is one place where we mix faraiz with nasiyat. Nothing in the Quran, the final authority on Sharia and knowledge compels us to listen to any scholar for guidance - that is entirely up to our own judgement and character to choose.
And therin lies the problem with all religions, judgement and character may be built upto a certain age carefully- but once solidifed upon whatever foundation one has by birth, it becomes the drive for understanding life.
An inheritantly violent person will see war against infidels everywhere despite both Quran and seerat giving a different context, just as a inherently kind person will see mercy and forgiveness everywhere as reflected in the character of both Allah and Rasool.
There was nothing to indicate that Pakistan was to be founded by some prophet or pure man, the work had to be done and the right person at the right time was chosen to do it. Maulana Azad or Maududi could oppose all they want, kun fayakun.