On the 19^th of November, 2012, His Eminence Allama Qamar – uz – Zaman Azmi blessed my native locality with his presence. The event was televised live on local cable channels. The venue for his talk was small and couldn’t accommodate the number of people that might have come if the event was publicized more vehemently. Owing to this reason, the preparations were relatively muted and the television was chosen as the medium for broadcasting the great scholar’s talk.

Nestled in one corner of the metropolitan city of Kolkata, Metiabruze is the locality I live in. Notorious for gang-wars and crime activities, this region served the habitat for Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the last ruler of Awadh in India. After Awadh was annexed by the British in 1856 using the grounds that the Nawab was a weak and incompetent ruler, he was exiled to Calcutta and settled in this place which is situated just beside the river Hooghly and overlooks the famous Botanical Gardens which reside just on the other side of the river. The Botanical Gardens of Howrah, Kolkata, for the uninitiated is famous for the more than 200 year old banyan tree that’s spread over an area that covers 3 – 4 square kilometres in spite of the fact that its main shoot was destroyed due to some disease. The area also has Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. shipyard which manufactures warships and other Navy equipment. With time, it has developed into one of the biggest garment markets and industries of India with world-wide exports. It is largely muslim, primarily because of its precedents. Most of the people are Bengali – speaking, but there are a significant number of urdu speakers too. This population is almost entirely Sunni in its outlook and a Sunni organisation had organised the event I am talking about. The organisation, named Bazm – e – Raza – e – Mustafa, claims spiritual allegiance to Imam Ahmad Raza Khan (alaihir rahmah), one of the great revivers of the 13^th Islamic Century. Allama Qamar uz Zaman Azmi, being one of the major scholars amongst the Sunni Muslims, is highly revered here.

Allama Qamar uz Zaman Azmi is one of the leading scholars and teachers of Islam in the Urdu world. An erudite person with a modern outlook, his focus on education as a means of alleviating the Muslim society is highly commendable. A student of Mufti e Azam Hind Mustafa Raza Khan (alaihir rahmah), he has been associated with many muslim organisations that are spreading the true teachings of Islam far and wide. He was here to give a speech on “The Message of Islam”. The focus of this speech was the assimilation of Islamic teachings in each and every aspect of human life. The blessed saint and scholar gave a very balanced speech on this topic that appealed to the otherwise largely uneducated population of this area.

His speech was full of practical examples and historical references that were used to support the points that he made and validate his claims. There was no shouting and accusations involved as has become the custom of the scholars in the sub – continent. True to his style, he peppered his speech with a generous dosage of Urdu verses and couplets that enlivened the speech and kept the audience connected throughout. I personally don’t attend speeches when some great scholar comes because of certain reasons that I intend to keep personal. The same reasons prevented me from attending Muhaddith e Kabeer Zia al Mustafa Qadri Sahab’s speech about a year ago. Due to his reservations against television and pictures, I couldn’t listen to his speech as well. However, I made it a point to listen to Allama Qamar uz Zaman Sahab’s speech on the tube. Presented below here is a summary of what the great man had to say to us nobodies. I have kept the translation short and precise because I am writing strictly out of memory. Also, the shayarii has been omitted except at one place. Also, there is a short introduction and conclusion written by me to maintain the standards of translation. The given extract is annotated by my humble self as additive notes.

Paighaam e Islaam – the Message of Islaam

Translator’s Introduction

Islam is a gift given by Allaah to his Beloved Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahualaihiwasallam) to spread amongst the people. According to believers, Islam is the final religion that is to be followed by everyone and all other religions stand abrogated with its advent. Islam is the religion which stands for complete submission to the will of Allaah. Followers of Islam are required to abide by the laws of religion and its guiding principles in all walks of life. It is not a set of rituals or practices that have to be carried out timely, nor is it a book of verses that is to be recited at special events and festivals. It is something much more holistic and complete. Islam is not just a religion; it’s a way of life. The concept of a way of life would be tough for western audiences to grasp because they see religion and public life as two separate, distinct entities. Islam is a Diin, not just a religion or mazhab. The concept of religion is concerned with the practices and customs associated with itself; religion does not have methods and laws that deal with business and international treaties. It does not tell its followers how to divide inheritance or what constitutes the rights of his or her neighbour except for the general notions of fairness and goodwill. A diin, on the other hand, encompasses all aspects of life, personal or public. The English vocabulary doesn’t have a word for it; the closest we can come to it is calling it a way of life. Muslims are therefore expected to assimilate the teachings of Islam in all that they do. They should remember the Islamic laws when dealing with relatives and when dealing with business associates. They should adhere to its teaching in their homes and in their shops and offices. They should seek to follow it in sorrow or in happiness without caring if adhering to the tenets brings temporary loss. Unfortunately, as Muslims, we have given up seeing Islam as a way of life and see it just as a ritual based practice that we sometimes indulge in. We try to keep all aspects of life free of religion and religious teachings. This outlook that we have developed comes from following other cultures that don’t have the same understanding of religion as us. This is the primary reason why we are experiencing such great downfall in the worldly sphere. From being pioneers in the field of science, education and jurisprudence, we are now reduced to a state that has made us the least educated and most underdeveloped of all communities. Muslims, especially in India, are associated with anti-social activities and vandalism. The western media too hasn’t left any stone unturned in labelling us as terrorists. To an extent, our own activities, too, have a role to play in this. The antidote to all our problems is to bring back the true teachings of Islam in our lives and accept it as the model to follow in everything we do or try to do.

A Short Summary of The Speech of His Eminence Hazrat Allama Qamar uz Zaman Azmi Sahab

Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Rahiim.

Beginning in the name of Allaah, the most benevolent and Merciful.

Salutations and Benedictions on the Prophet, His Companions and His Household.

The message of Islam was spread by the prophet of Islam from the Arabian Peninsula. The message was first delivered in Mecca and then in Medina for years, from the proclamation of prophet-hood to the passing away of the prophet. The message was delivered by the companions to the far-off lands and to the succeeding generations. There was no dearth of enemies who wanted to prevent the spread of Islam and the message of Islam that was gradually being accepted by the rich and poor alike. Vested interests wanted to stop the spread of Islam because its spread would have ensured fair distribution of wealth and power.

[The prophet was born in AD 570 or 571 according to sources. He began receiving prophetic revelations at the age of 40. Soon after, he was ordered to proclaim his prophet-hood and spread the message openly. After 10 years, he was ordered to migrate to Medina where he established the centre for spread of the message. He lived there for 13 years before passing away. The major enemies of Islam included Abu Jehl and Abu Lahab, both of them being close relatives of the prophet. Abu Lahab is mentioned by the name in the Qur’aan as being destroyed. Abu Jehl’s resistance to Islam was also very tough and he was at the forefront of the leaders of the enemies. Abu Sufyan, who later on joined Islam, too opposed Islam vehemently and led wars against the prophet in Medina. Even in Medina, there was no dearth of people who didn’t wish Islam good. There were Jews who had lost power and some hypocrites who had joined Islam but only superficially, chief of whom was Abdullah bin Ubayy. These people left no stone unturned to prevent the prophet from doing what he wanted. They entered into alliances with neighbouring tribes to stop them from accepting Islam. However, they were eventually vanquished as Islam was accepted throughout.]

The message of Allaah was spread by all the previous prophets who came before the Prophet of Islam. Their message too was opposed by the rulers and tyrants of that time. Prophet Ibrahiim (alaihissalaam) was opposed by Namrood. Prophet Muusaa (alaihissalaam) was opposed by Firaun. They opposed the message of Islam tooth and nail. There were many other many enemies of Islam who dared to declare that they were above all law and rule. Shaddad proclaimed himself God. These people were sworn enemies of the true message as it would have ended their terror from the hearts of people. But the will of Allaah prevailed over everything and finished their dreams and ground them to dust.

[Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahualaihiwasallam) is called the founder of Islam. However, the belief of the Muslims that each of the prophets came with the same religion with only slight alterations in rules. The religion of Allaah has always been the same; all the Abrahamic faiths were the same till they were doctored by the people who claimed to follow them. Prophet Ibrahim (alaihissalaam) or Abraham was opposed by Nimrod, the king of what is speculated to be Babylonia. He had the blessed prophet thrown into fire, but the fire cooled by the grace of Allaah. Prophet Muusaa (alaihissalaam) or Moses was opposed by the Pharaoh of Egypt. He was brought up in the pharaoh’s court but he eventually ended his reign (in the famous event of the parting of the Red Sea and subsequent drowning of the pharaoh) and took his people across to the blessed land of Palestine and Israel. Both of them were very tyrant in their outlook and had proclaimed themselves as god. Shaddad was another tyrant king to whom Prophet Hud (alaihissalaam) was sent. He asked him to leave his bad deeds and accept the truth so that Allaah would reward him with paradise. He asked the prophet about paradise and then built what he called his own paradise in modern day Yemen. However, as he tried to enter his construction, he died. His “paradise” was destroyed and pulverised to dust. These are three prominent examples given in the Qur’aan of the enemies of Islam. ]

The message of all other holy books that came before Qur’aan was changed by their latter followers who found them tough to follow. Prophet Ibrahiim (alaihissalaam) was given the “sahaaif” or pages. His teachings were changed by people who came later. Prophet Muusaa (alaihissalaam) was given the “Tawraah” but the Jews doctored its contents as well. The same thing holds true for the “Zabuur” of Prophet Daawuud (alaihissalaam). The followers of Prophet Isaa (alaihissalaam) changed many portions of “Injiil”. This has been true for all religions except for Islam. The verses of the holy Qur’aan were never changed or doctored with. This was so because Islam that was to be spread by Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahualaihiwasallam) is the final message from Allaah. No other religion is to come after it, and hence the responsibility of its preservation is taken up Allaah himself. Hence He has decreed that no change can occur in the text of the Qur’aan. The other books got obliterated or altered by the so-called followers because they were written on pages and contained in books. The Qur’aan, on the other hand, lived in the hearts of the companions of the prophet of Islam. They were living embodiments of the message. The companions and the pious followers in the succeeding generations lived the message of the Qur’aan. People had to look at their conduct and character to learn the Qur’aan. It was through them that the Qur’aan spread and its message reached all corners of the world. Since the character of such great and pious people was used to spread Islam, its teachings never changed.

[Believing in books revealed upon the messengers of Allaah by the Almighty is a necessary part of Islamic belief, denial of which is apostasy and takes one out of the fold of Islam. Qur’aan is the book revealed upon the prophet of Islam and affirming it in its entirety is necessary. Believing in Tawrah (Jewish Torah), Zabuur and Injiil (Christian Bible) is needed but since their text has been doctored, we do not trust their contents in Islam. Apart from these, it is possible that some text was revealed to others as well, but since nothing remains and no records exist, we do not say that such and such book is the word of Allaah. We believe in whatever Allaah revealed, including these, to the prophets without knowing any details or speculating. The previous books were transmitted through written works but the prophet and his companions laid emphasis on memorization of Qur’aan orally as well as writing it down. Hence the text of Qur’aan has been preserved trough various channels. There are early copies of the Qur’aan written in the time of the third Caliph, HaDHrat Uthman (raDHiAllaahuAnhu,) about 15 years after the prophet, still in preservation and each word of the copies of the Qur’aan found today matches with them. Moreover, there is complete uniformity in the recitation of Qur’aan done by Muslims across the world today that proves its authenticity.]

The followers of other prophets too exist today. None of them, however, have a completely detailed biography of their leader that lists almost everything about their prophet. The Jews don’t know about the life of Prophet Muusaa (alaihissalaam), what he did in dealing with people, what his political ideas were, what he professed in economic matters. The Christians are similarly clueless about Prophet Isaa (alaihissalaam). They know of his birth and then his religious teaching, or whatever they have in the Bible. Whatever happened with him in between these times is lost. His political ideology and other public teachings aren’t recorded. Compare this with the prophet of Islam. Each of his teachings was preserved scrupulously by his followers. The way he dealt with his companions, his dealings with the rich and the poor, with the king and the pauper, with men and women and with Muslims and Non-Muslims is very well documented. The way in which he smiled, the food that he ate and similar minute details of his life are preserved and written in books. This is so that the people who follow in later generations can learn everything about him and emulate his ways.

[The sayings and actions of the prophet are recorded in various books. All of it is recorded in many books of “HadiiTH” that were compiled by many scholars. Each saying of the prophet or companions was recorded by these scholars by scrupulously verifying chains that extend right up to the prophet. Each of the narrators in the chain is commented upon to establish his or her authenticity and each hadiith, or tradition, is thus classified into grades that declare the level of its authenticity. Biographies of the prophet have been compiled using these books and they are sources to learn the religion of Islam. The famous books of Hadiith include the six most authentic books, called the Sihah Sittah – Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, Nasai – and other books like those by Tabarani, Suyuti and other such great Imams (RahmatullaahAlaihiWaAjmaiin). Similarly, there are many famous biographies, the earliest by ibn Hisham. Modern day scholars too compile biographies using these sources to shed light on some special aspects of the prophet’s life.]

The problem with people of today is that we are taking Islam out of our lives. We don’t realise the importance of following Islam in all that we do. We read the Qur’aan but don’t understand it. We claim to love the prophet but don’t learn his teachings or try to incorporate them in our lives. We follow our own will and desires in matters of life. The greatness of Muslims of the past era was in the fact that they were true representatives of the message of the Qur’aan. There was a time when Muslim ruled Spain and Portugal. The areas of lower Europe and the Balkans were ruled by Muslims. The Muslim empire was spread from India to the Arabian Peninsula and the entire Northern African region. Muslims ended the rule of Rome and Persia. Muslims united the provinces of India. The warring tribes of Africa were accumulated under the Muslim rule. Muslim scholars and scientists laid the foundations of many branches of Science and Politics. We established many fields of study. Today, Muslims lack in all these fields. The reason behind this is that we have given up the Qur’aan and its teachings. We are no longer the same people we were in our glory days.

Woh zamaane mein muazzaz the musalmaaN hokar,

Hum khwaar hue taarik e Qur’aaN hokar

They achieved greatness in their times by being Muslims,

We are reduced to dust because we have left the Qur’aan.

[The glory days of Islam are marked by these major events. Islam spread to the lower parts of Europe where it is still practised. In Spain, its hallmarks are still visible in numerous mosques that have now been converted to churches. The religion spread throughout to become the largest empire of the then known world. Not only was it known for its power and might, it was also the period that saw the greatest developments in many sciences and arts. Astronomy, Medicine, Physics, Architecture and Metallurgy saw great advancements. Economics, Jurisprudence and Chemistry were developed in these times. Great and famous texts of literature and poetry were written in this era. The Indian Civilization flourished under the Muslim kings. China greatly benefitted in relation with the Muslim World. The European world languished in what are called the Dark Ages. America wasn’t even known to the world. Sadly, we left the teachings of Islam with time and have descended to our present state. The couplet in Urdu clearly tells the truth and reason along with hinting at the solution.]

The cure to our problems lies in education. We have to bring back Islamic Education in our lives. We have to learn and teach the Qur’aan to ourselves and others, and incorporate its teachings in our lives. We have to make Islam the fulcrum around which our lives revolve. It is a blessing of Allaah that we have scholars who learn and teach the religion of Allaah. India is a secular country. For the last 200 years, there has been no patron or state machinery that has helped in the propagation of Islam in this country. It is but the handiwork of the Ulamaa of India that the religion lives and fruits in this country. These Ulamaa are poorest of people and grossly underpaid. However, they carry on the work of Allaah day and night with true vigour and passion. No one should blame and slander these people, because it is their hard work that has kept Islam alive in this country.

[Ulamaa is the plural of Aalim, which means a scholar. I have used it to mean religious scholars. These scholars are scattered across the length and breadth of India. Their level of learning maybe different, but everyone has basic understanding of the religious sciences. Many of them serve as imams in mosques, i.e. they lead the prayers in particular mosques. Many also teach at the madrasas that are found throughout India. A madrasa means a school in Arabic and Urdu. India has been under non – Muslim rule since the end of the eighteenth century. With Battle of Plassey in 1757, Battle of Buxar in 1764 and the death of Tipu Sultan of Mysore in 1798-99, British firmly established themselves in India. Since independence in 1947, India has been under secular government.]

The youth is the future of the nation. It is on their shoulders that the fate of a people depends. What we teach them today will shape the ideas that they will use tomorrow. The teachings we hand down to them shall be handed down to their succeeding generations. Hence, it becomes a much more grave responsibility of ours to ensure that the correct teachings of Islam are handed down to them. A few months ago, His Eminence was in Pakistan at a conference on Education. The rich and worldly educated people of the society were criticising the Islamic scholars for the lack of scientific or worldly knowledge. His Eminence asked them if it was solely the responsibility of the Islamic scholars to learn worldly knowledge. Wasn’t it the responsibility of the worldly scholars to learn the Islamic sciences? Why couldn’t they develop a system where Islamic education and worldly sciences were taught together? A country like Pakistan that has an Islamic government should try and ensure that such a system of education exists. The rich and the educated should take it upon themselves to learn the religion. The Islamic scholars too should endeavour to learn western sciences and arts. His Eminence himself was fond of such learning and practised it. His children were doctors and barristers, but they were educated in the religious sciences as well. The rich have to go out and accept Islamic Education alongside the secular sciences to establish a true Islamic society. They should teach their children the Qur’aan and Hadith along with engineering and medicine. They have to establish ‘madaaris’ where such education is easily available.

[The religious sciences include knowledge of Fiqh – the jurisprudential matters, Aqaaid – the matters of Belief, Tafseer – knowledge of the Qur’aan, Hadith – understanding the traditions, Sarf & Nahw – Arabic Grammar, and others. Each of the above disciplines is further wvolved and requires a lot of hard work and expertise. Madaaris is the plural of madrasa – a religious school.]

His Eminence concluded with a message to the youth of the society. It was their responsibility to learn the religious sciences and spread its message far and wide. They had to model their lives on the character of the prophet and his companion. They had to imbue and imbibe the teachings of Qur’aan in their daily lives. They should also avoid bad company and take the company of the pious. They had to become living examples of the values of the Qur’aan so that people would see them and learn what the Qur’aan stood for. This was the message of Islam.

Translator’s Conclusion

The great scholar of Islam has been spreading the teachings of the prophet and the message of Islam all his life, and this day too had been one such lecture. All that has been written is strictly out of memory and hence is in no way a complete representation of the speech of His Eminence or his words. These are not the actual words of the scholar but a summarisation of his thoughts and hence, in no way should they be attributed to him. I don’t claim any official representation or contact with His Eminence. These words are mine and therefore I, and only I, take full responsibility of them. All good comes from Allaah and all mistakes are a result of my carelessness for which I seek forgiveness. May Allaah forgive all our sins and accept all our good deeds. Aamiin.