This article is a part of The Calamity of Extremist Thought: The Responsibilities of the Ulema and Muslim Intellectuals By Maulvi Yahya Nom...
This article is a part of The Calamity of Extremist Thought: The Responsibilities of the Ulema and Muslim Intellectuals By Maulvi Yahya Nomani , translated by Yoginder Sikand
Starting from the recent past, Muslims have fallen prey to certain absurd psychological weaknesses and aberrations in response to various forms of oppression and exploitation that they have suffered and from which they have not been able to free themselves. One of these weaknesses is the marked tendency to resort to empty sloganeering, heated rhetoric and an extremist approach in seeking to solve our problems. Such emotionally-driven sloganeering sways Muslims off their feet, and can easily lead them astray and into terrible destruction. There is no need for me to cite any examples in this regard. Every knowledgeable person is aware of this obvious fact.
This particular communal disease that I refer to is found at every level of Muslim society and almost every place where Muslims live. Indeed, heated rhetoric, empty, boastful sloganeering and extremist thinking is so rife among Muslims that even level-headed and serious intellectuals, who realize the worthlessness of this approach, can scarcely keep themselves free from their impact.
Another factor, and one that needs to be closely and critically examined, is a marked extremist approach among a significant section of Muslims to various issues.
Some recent Muslim scholars have interpreted Islam in quite the contrary way, thereby promoting extremism and excess.
Our opponents well know of our susceptibility to emotionalism, and they make full use of it. Consequently, our emotion-driven acts of desperation boomerang on us ourselves. At the bottom of this all is the undeniable fact that a certain streak of extremism does exist in the Muslim community, one that is fuelled by high-sounding sloganeering and claims. This deadly disease can only be cured through concerted efforts by our intellectuals, foremost among them being the ulema. It is particularly the ulema that one looks to in this regard to chart a middle-path, for they know better than most others the limits and possibilities of rigidity and flexibility in religious matters. They are also aware of the sensitivities and finer aspects of religion. At the same time, and lamentably, it must be admitted that few of our ulema have been bold enough to correct the misguided emotionally-driven extremism of some Muslims.
And God alone is He from whom we ask for help.
Maulvi Yahya Nomani is an Islamic scholar associated with al-Furqan, an Urdu journal based in Lucknow. He can be contacted on yahyanomani@yahoo.com
Yoginder Sikand works with the Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Social Policy at the National Law School, Bangalore ysikand@yahoo.com
