The political life of an Indian Muslim — especially after the creation of Pakistan — has revolved around the twin challenges of preserving one’s religious identity and, at the same time, bringing reforms in the community, in order to move forward in this age of nationalism.
To understand these challenges, there is no better way than to see the journey of Ziaur Rahman Ansari (1925-92), a former Indian politician from Uttar Pradesh.
A recently published book, titled Wings of Destiny: Ziaur Rahman Ansari — A Life, written by his son Fasihur Rahman, chronicles the life events of Mr Ansari. With a rich family history and full of interesting anecdotes, there is plenty to learn about the 20th century India, as seen from the eyes of its protagonist. For this post, though, let’s restrict our discussion to the challenges mentioned at the start.
Preserving Islamic values in a secular nation
The author discusses the relevance of The Shah Bano Case in great detail. Quoting Hindustan Times, he says, “Not a single day goes by when newspapers or magazines do not carry something on or about Shah Bano…”
If you are not aware of this case, here is a brief summary of it:
In April 1978, Shah Bano filed a petition in a court in Indore, demanding maintenance from her divorced husband Mohammed Ahmad Khan, a well-known lawyer. Her claim was premised under Section 123 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which stipulates that a man will have to provide for his wife during the marriage and after divorce if she cannot sustain herself financially on her own. However, Khan contested the claim on the grounds that the Muslim Personal Law limited the payment of maintenance till only the period of iddat. Iddat is a period, usually of three months, which a woman must observe after the death of her husband or a divorce before she can remarry. The court, then, delivered a judgement in her favour, which was later overturned by the parliament of India by introducing a new act.
The reason this case gathered such attention because it questions the fundamentals of secularism and how it should be practised: should there be a uniform civil code or should a community have the right to preserve its values? Through Rahman’s book, we get to hear the both sides of the argument. While the debate is still not settled, you’d get a much deeper understanding of the issue.
Understanding and guiding the Muslim community
An important Muslim figure at the time of India’s independence was Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who also happened to be an inspiration for Ziaur Rahman Ansari. While we do learn about Maulana Azad’s contributions, the book also highlights the role of madrasah (seminaries) and how they can shape the future of Muslim children. The author also quotes the words of Maulana Madani to suggest how religious values can even inspire nationalism.
India was the second holiest place on earth for Muslims since Adam, according to tradition, had fallen on Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka upon expulsion from Paradise. Since Adam was the first Prophet of Islam, India became logically the site of the first mosque, and Muslims the original inhabitants of the subcontinent.
Maulana Madani
This is exactly the kind of approach India needs today: taking pride in its national identity without having to sacrifice one’s religious values. Maybe we can carry it forward by reading the book!
Kalampedia 