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Jinnah's Secular Outlook

HuzaifaHussain

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I have one underlying principle in mind: the principle of Muslim democracy. It is my belief that our salvation lies in following the golden rules of conduct set for us by our great lawgiver, the Prophet of Islam

In 1948, Address to Sibi Darbar​

"Thirteen hundred years ago he laid the foundation of democracy… The Prophet was a great teacher. He was a great lawgiver. He was a great statesman and a great sovereign who ruled. The life of Prophet(S.A.W.W)was simple according to those times.He was successful in everything he put his hand to from as a businessman to as a ruler.The Prophet(S.A.W.W) was the greatest man that the world had ever seen.Thirteen hundred years ago,he laid the foundation of democracy…..No doubt, there are many people who do not quite appreciate when we talk of Islam. Islam is not only a set of rituals, traditions and spiritual doctrines. Islam is also a code for every Muslim, which regulates his life and his conduct in even politics and economics and the like. It is based upon highest principles of honour, integrity, fair play and justice for all. One God and the equality of man is one of the fundamental principles of Islam. In Islam there is no difference between man and man. The qualities of equality, liberty and fraternity are the fundamental principles in Islam…… .I cannot understand the logic of those who have been deliberately and mischievously propagating that the Constitution of Pakistan will not be based on Islamic Sharia. Islamic principles today are as much applicable to life as they were 1300 years ago."

Also in the same speech,

"What reason is there for anyone to fear democracy, equality, freedom on the highest standard of integrity and on the basis of fair play and justice for everybody….Let us make it (the constitution of Pakistan). We shall make it and we will show it to the world."

Karachi Bar Association given on March 25th, 1948​

“Every Mussulaman knows the injunctions of the Holy Quran are not confined to religious and moral duties.From the Atlantic to the Ganges,says Gibbon,the Holy Quran is acknowledged as the fundamental source, not only of theology,but of civil and criminal jurisprudence,and the laws which regulate the action and properties of mankind are governed by immutable sanctions of the will of God.Everyone,except those who are ignorant,knows the Quran is the general code for the Muslims, a religious, social, civil, commercial, military, judicial, criminal and penal code. It regulates everything, from the ceremonies of religion to those of daily life, from the salvation of the soul to the health of the body, from the rights of all to those of each individual from morality to crime; from punishment here to that in the life to come, and our Holy Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon Him) has enjoined on us that every Musalman should possess a copy of the Quran and be his own priest. Therefore, Islam is not merely confined to the spiritual tenets and doctrines or ritual and ceremonies. It is a complete code regulating the whole Muslim society, every department of life, collectively and individually.”

Eid message to the Muslims in September,1945​

But before [Jinnah] left a correspondent asked him: ‘I presume from what you have said, Mr. Jinnah, that Pakistan will be a modern democratic state.’ Mr. Jinnah quickly replied: ‘When did I ever say that? I never said anything to that effect.’

[Source: Hindustan Times, 14 July 1947 (NV Vol. VI, p. 276 fn)]​

I shall watch with keenness the work of your Research Organization in evolving banking practices compatible with Islamic ideas of social and economic life. The economic system of the West has created almost insoluble problems for humanity and to many of us it appears that only a miracle can save it from disaster that is not facing the world. It has failed to do justice between man and man and to eradicate friction from the international field. On the contrary, it was largely responsible for the two world wars in the last half century. The Western world, in spite of its advantages, of mechanization and industrial efficiency is today in a worse mess than ever before in history. The adoption of Western economic theory and practice will not help us in achieving our goal of creating a happy and contented people. We must work our destiny in our own way and present to the world an economic system based on true Islamic concept of equality of manhood and social justice. We will thereby be fulfilling our mission as Muslims and giving to humanity the message of peace which alone can save it and secure the welfare, happiness and prosperity of mankind.

Address on occasion of opening of State Bank of Pakistan (1 July 1948)​

When we say this flag (Muslim League's flag) is the flag of Islam they think we are introducing religion into politics - a fact of which we are proud. Islam gives us a complete code. It is not only religion but it contains laws, philosophy and politics. In fact, it contains everything that matters to a man from morning to night. When we talk of Islam we take it as an all embracing word. We do not mean any ill. The foundation of our Islamic code is that we stand for liberty, equality and fraternity.

Address to the Gaya Muslim League Conference in January 1938​

In August 1941, Quaid-e-Azam gave an interview to the students of the Osmania University. While giving the answer of "What are the essential features of religion and a religious state?" Quaid said, "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"

Quaid-e-Azam further said while describing the distinctive feature of the Islamic state that; "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".

[Muhammad Ali Jinnah's interview to the Student Union of Osmania University in Hyderabad, Deccan, 19 August 1941, as reported by Orient Press. Reproduced in Urdu in Roznama (Daily) Inqalab, January 1942.
Also reported in "Husn-e-Kirdaar ka Naqsh-e-Tabinda" by Allama G.A.P.]


You have to stand guard over the development and maintenance of Islamic democracy, Islamic social justice and the equality of manhood in your own native soil. With faith, discipline and selfless devotion to duty, there is nothing worthwhile that you cannot achieve.”

Address to the officers and men of the 5th Heavy Ack Ack and 6th Light Ack Ack Regiments in Malir, Karachi, February 21, 1948​

“I am often asked what will be the form of government of Pakistan?Who am I to decide the form of government of Pakistan.The form of government of the Muslims was described in detail by the the Quran thirteen hundred years ago.By the grace of God,the Quran exists for our guidance it will exist till the day of Judgement.”

Address to the All India Muslim Students Federation,15 November,1942​

Mountbatten made an interesting point in his formal speech to the Constituent Assembly on 14th August, 1947. He quoted the example of Akbar, the Great Mughal, as the model of a tolerant Muslim ruler. The Quaid, while replying, presented the more inspiring model to follow; it was that of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon Him). The Quaid said that the tolerance and goodwill that great emperor Akbar showed to all the non-Muslims was not of recent origin. It dated back to thirteen centuries ago when our Holy Prophet not only by words but also by deeds treated the Jews and Christians after he had conquered them, with the utmost tolerance and regard and respect for their faith and beliefs. The whole history of Muslims is replete with those human and great principles which should be followed and practiced.

On the 14th of August, 27th of Ramazan right after the creation of Pakistan, the Pakistani government invited the famous thinker, scholar and writer Allama Muhammad Asad to Pakistan. He was granted Pakistani citizenship and first Pakistani passport was issued to him. After this Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah initiated a request for a department which would set up the constitution, law and education syllabus as per the soul of this country that is the Islamic way. This institution was named as the Department of Islamic Reconstruction; its leadership was entrusted to Allama Muhammad Asad. This was the first institution of Pakistan which had with its name the word Islamic; To clarify the objectives and boundaries of the department on 18th October 1948 Allama Muhammad Asad, delivered a speech from Radio Pakistan. He said that the aim of this department is to mold the rules and constitution of Pakistan according to the Islamic teachings, for which this country was created.


Jinnah had abhorred the ‘modern democratic form of Government’ in his address to the Hostel Parliament of Ismail Yusuf College (dated 1st Feb 1943) while demanding ‘a true democracy in accordance with Islam and not a Parliamentary Government of the Western or Congress type.’




Jinnah had formed a Planning Committee in 1943 to chart out a five year plan for the socio-economic uplift of Pakistan. The Committee – consisting of economics, engineering and other professionals – held its first meeting in September 1944 and was advised by Jinnah in the following words: ‘Our ideals should not be capitalistic but Islamic.’ However, the Committee could not complete the second phase of its objective of focusing primarily on Pakistan specific areas due to the turn of events in the short span of time

The words are Jinnah’s; the thought and belief are an inheritance from the Prophet who said thirteen centuries before, "All men are equal in the eyes of God. And your lives and your properties are all sacred: in no case should you attack each other’s life and property. Today I trample under my feet all distinctions of caste, colour and nationality”

—, Hector Bolitho, remarks about Jinnah's address to the Constituent Assembly (1947)​


The Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946 envisaged the grouping of India into three main parts: Group "A" - Hindustan(comprising central and south and northern parts such as the then United Provinces with clear Hindu majority), Group "B" - Kashmir, Punjab, Sarhad, Sindh, Baluchistan, and Group "C" - Bengal, Orissa, Assam. Each of these groups were to have 11 members in the Centre in a kind of a senate. Muslims were in overall majority in areas included in Groups B and C. So, effectively, the senate would have had 22 out of 33 members from here even though non-Muslim majority Group "A" had a much bigger area and population.


Comment made after the passage of Lahore Resolution, March 23, 1940

Sometime after this meeting, Jinnah turned to Matlub Saiyid, who had been present at the Lahore session, and said:"Iqbal is no more amongst us, but had he been alive he would have been happy to know that we did exactly what he wanted us to do."

Jinnah, Creator of Pakistan by Hector Bolitho (London, 1954), p.129
 
Now there will one more thread named.. 'jinnah's Muslim outlook'... in which the OP shall paste his quotes regarding implementation of Islam ... the actual thing is that Jinnah was a normal Muslims who abhorred Mullah and at same time wanted to run the system on Islamic values..
 
Allamah Zafar Ahmad Uthamni mentions that he and few other Ulama went to meet Muhammad Ali Jinnah in December of 1938 at the order of Hakim al-Ummat Mawlana Thanvi and also attened a meeting of Muslim League. Main purpose of their visit was to do give dawah to Muhammad Ali Jinnah and other leaders of Muslim League. In this meeting we urged Muhammad Ali Jinnah to be punctual about his salat. After this meeting, he joined us in Zhuar salat. Before this meeting, Muhammad Ali Jinnah was of the view that state and religion should be kept seperate. But after this meeting, he changed his views and next day he declared that Islam is collection of aqaid, ibadaat, muamalaat, ikhlaq and siasat [politics].

(may Allah have mercy on them)

[Maqalat-i-Uthmani, p.22-23]

Sardar Shaukat Hayat Khan was an old leader of Muslim League and close to Muhammed Ali Jinnah, he wrote in in Jang Newspaper on August 21, 1958 that:

"Muhammed Ali Jinnah would regularly read Quran. He read the book of Allamah Shibli Naumani called "Al-Farooq" (on the life of Hazrat Umer Farooq r.a.) and he ordered Shareef ud Deen Peerzada (still alive) to translate that book in English and told him that I want to run Pakistan like Hazrat Umer r.a. did".

Munshi Abdul Rahman has written a book called Kardar Qaid e Azam, in there he writes that ones some asked him that there are so many scholars on his side, so on that Muhammed Ali Jinnah answered


"There is a very great scholar with Muslim League. If his knowldge, taqwa, honor is put on one side of the scale and on the ohter side all the scholars, his scale would out-weight theirs. He is (Hakeem ul Ummah) Ashraf Ali Thanvi. His support of the Muslim League is enough. I dont care if anyone else supports us or appose us."
page 471, also page 92 of Taimeer e Pakistan.

Muhammed Ali Jinnah also personally wrote a letter to Hakeem ul Ummah Ashraf Ali Thanvi and thanked him for the support of Muslim League. Mufti Muhammed Shafi has mentioned of this letter in his work Majalis Hakeem ul Ummah, page 287.

When Pakistan was formed and on 14th of August, when it came time to raise the Pakistani flag for the first time in Karachi and Dhaka, Muhammed Ali Jinnah chose 2 great scholars. He chose Allamah Shabbir Ahmed Usmani for Karachi and Allamah Zaffar Ahmed Usmani for Dhaka.

When Muhammed Ali Jinnah took oath as the first Governer General of Pakistan, Allamah Shabbir Ahmed Usmani took oath from him.

In his last will Muhammed Ali Jinnah wrote that my funeral be read by Allamah Shabbir Ahmed Deobandi (and he read his funeral prayers). Mufti Zar Wali Khan have also mentioned this, that this is written in his last will. If he was Ismaili of Shia, Allamah would have never read his funeral.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah (RA) died as a Sunni Muslim and there is not an iota of doubt about this.

His speeches, writings and lectures particularly from 1939 (onwards) bear testimony to the fact that his Aqeedah was in-line with Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jammah where he constantly refers to Qur’aan, Hadeeth & Islamic Shariah (all three!)

It is also an established fact that he was an Ismaili and brought up in the colonial British era with British values and most people continuously cite his past life (drinker, gambler etc.) and choose to ignore the incidents of him being caught doing Wudhu in Balochistan (Ziyarat) during his last days in the middle of the Night for Tahajjud!

And his many letters and discussions with Allamah Iqbal (RA) who in turn discussed them with Maulana Anwar Shah Kashmiri (RA).

As a Muslim he deserves respect and dignity as per the Sunnah of Rasul-ullah (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam).

Everyone has a right to comment on the division of India and formation of Pakistan but lets not discuss the Eeman & Aqeedah of a Muslim whose Janaza was lead by and performed by the most capable and trust-worthy scholars of the subcontinent!
 
Sorry the other thread shutdown, couldn't find any other place.

The Pakistani founder, Jinnah, had been grateful that such deep seated politico-religious segregations didn't exist in the newly founded country. He provided an example of how Britain had gone though a complete socio- political change in order to remove the political religious aspect from society. In this way, people could move forward and focus on things more important than how another person worships.

source
Unfortunately, it seems like Jinnah couldn't predict Pakistan to go backwards in this fundamental social aspect.
Almost nothing he says contradicts Islamic Governance. He's just repeating all the rights that have already been guaranteed in Islam.

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) decreed this to Christians and other minorities.

"This is a letter which was issued by Mohammed, Ibn Abdullah, the Messenger, the Prophet, the Faithful, who is sent to all the people as a trust on the part of God to all His creatures, that they may have no plea against God hereafter. Verily God is the Mighty, the Wise. This letter is directed to the embracers of Islam, as a covenant given to the followers of Jesus the Nazarene in the East and West, the far and near, the Arabs and foreigners, the known and the unknown.

This letter contains the oath given unto them, and he who disobeys that which is therein will be considered a disobeyer and a transgressor to that whereunto he is commanded. He will be regarded as one who has corrupted the oath of God, disbelieved His Testament, rejected His Authority, despised His Religion, and made himself deserving of His Curse, whether he is a Sultan or any other believer of Islam. Whenever Christian monks, devotees and pilgrims gather together, whether in a mountain or valley, or den, or frequented place, or plain, or church, or in houses of worship, verily we are [at the] back of them and shall protect them, and their properties and their morals, by Myself, by My Friends and by My Assistants, for they are of My Subjects and under My Protection.

I shall exempt them from that which may disturb them; of the burdens which are paid by others as an oath of allegiance. They must not give anything of their income but that which pleases them—they must not be offended, or disturbed, or coerced or compelled. Their judges should not be changed or prevented from accomplishing their offices, nor the monks disturbed in exercising their religious order, or the people of seclusion be stopped from dwelling in their cells.

No one is allowed to plunder these Christians, or destroy or spoil any of their churches, or houses of worship, or take any of the things contained within these houses and bring it to the houses of Islam. And he who takes away anything therefrom, will be one who has corrupted the oath of God, and, in truth, disobeyed His Messenger.

Jizya should not be put upon their judges, monks, and those whose occupation is the worship of God; nor is any other thing to be taken from them, whether it be a fine, a tax or any unjust right. Verily I shall keep their compact, wherever they may be, in the sea or on the land, in the East or West, in the North or South, for they are under My Protection and the testament of My Safety, against all things which they abhor.

No taxes or tithes should be received from those who devote themselves to the worship of God in the mountains, or from those who cultivate the Holy Lands. No one has the right to interfere with their affairs, or bring any action against them. Verily this is for aught else and not for them; rather, in the seasons of crops, they should be given a Kadah for each Ardab of wheat (about five bushels and a half) as provision for them, and no one has the right to say to them this is too much, or ask them to pay any tax.

As to those who possess properties, the wealthy and merchants, the poll-tax to be taken from them must not exceed twelve drachmas a head per year (i.e. about 200 modern day US dollars).

They shall not be imposed upon by anyone to undertake a journey, or to be forced to go to wars or to carry arms; for the Islams have to fight for them. Do no dispute or argue with them, but deal according to the verse recorded in the Koran, to wit: ‘Do not dispute or argue with the People of the Book but in that which is best’ [29:46]. Thus they will live favored and protected from everything which may offend them by the Callers to religion (Islam), wherever they may be and in any place they may dwell.

Should any Christian woman be married to a Musulman, such marriage must not take place except after her consent, and she must not be prevented from going to her church for prayer. Their churches must be honored and they must not be withheld from building churches or repairing convents.

They must not be forced to carry arms or stones; but the Islams must protect them and defend them against others. It is positively incumbent upon every one of the Islam nation not to contradict or disobey this oath until the Day of Resurrection and the end of the world"
 
I don't think that Jinnah was secular - he led a movement for a separate state on the basic of religion...he married to a Hindu women but converted her to Islam...he disowned his own and only daughter as she marred to a non-muslim....Jinnah was an hard core Islamist and lived with that from the time he realized his opinion counts...! Nothing bad from his perspective but Gandhi had a bad deal for India....if the separation was done on the basis of a separate muslim state for muslim so that hindus and mulsims dont fight with each other...then why India did left with almost equal number of muslims after partition? Jinnah achieved his political milestone and became hero, India lost its land!
 

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