Review of Mawdudi's Book "The Revivalist Movement in Islam"

 

بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

سُبُّوحٌ قُدُّوسٌ رَبُّ المَلاَئِكَةِ وَالرُّوحِ

Abul-Ala Mawdudi (1903-1979) is considered a mujaddid or reformer by many of his duped followers. In reality he was an extremely misguided individual who formulated an entirely novel conception of Islam that is diametrically opposed to the orthodox, Sunni conception. In this entry I shall bring forward several quotes of his from the text A Short History of the Revivalist Movement in Islam which is an English rendering of his book Tajdid-o-Ihya-i-Din which was first published in 1940.

Mawdudi says:

The Prophets were sent, one after the other, to establish such a social system in the world (p.28)

This is an outrageous distortion of the purpose for the sending of the Prophets of Allah. They were not sent to establish a social system but rather sent to warn their people against idolatry and to establish the Oneness of Allah, first and foremost.

Mawdudi says:

Without the power to enforce, it is meaningless merely to believe in or present a doctrine or way of life (p.28)

The vast majority of the Prophets of Allah did not have the power to enforce the doctrine or way of life they presented to their people, so according to Mawdudi their efforts were, God forbid, “meaningless”.

Mawdudi says:

The ultimate aim of all the Prophets’ missions in the world has been to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth and to enforce the system of life received from Him. The Prophets, one and all, could very well concede the polytheists’ demand of sticking to their old beliefs and practices, in so far as their activities and influence were restricted to their own communal sphere, but they could never agree, and rightly so, to their remaining in authority and yielding power for their own ends. With this object before them all the Prophets did endeavour to bring about political revolutions in their respective ages. Some of them were only able to prepare ground, as Prophet Abraham; others succeeded in practically starting the revolutionary movement but their mission was terminated before they could establish the rule of God, as Prophet Jesus (p.29)

Mawdudi commits libel against the Prophets of Allah by accusing them of conceding to the polytheists’ demand of sticking to their old beliefs and practices. He also falsely claims that the Prophets were simply interested in seizing the reins of political authority from the polytheists but otherwise had no interest in putting an end to polytheistic doctrines and practices so long as the polytheists kept such doctrines and practices confined to their own spheres.

Next Mawdudi claims that although it is the mission of a Prophet to bring about a political revolution, some, like Abraham, were only able to prepare the ground for such a revolution. This is tantamount to saying that the patriarch Abraham was unsuccessful in his supposed mission. Likewise, Mawdudi claims that the ministry of Jesus was terminated by God Himself before he could fulfil the purpose of his mission, which is illogical and a contradiction. Why would God send Jesus for a specific mission of bringing about a political revolution and then terminate that very mission before it could be completed? The stupidity of Mawdudi knows no boundaries.

Mawdudi says:

Hazrat Uthman, who had been elected to shoulder the heavy burden of Caliphate, did not possess the qualities of leadership to the extent his great forerunners had been endowed with (pp.30-31)

This is a slanderous disrespect to the Prophet’s third successor, sayyidina Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him).

Mawdudi says:

Though a mujaddid is not a Prophet, yet in spirit he comes very close to prophethood (p.37)

This statement is correct, a Mujaddid is indeed very close to a Prophet in spirit, and in terms of activity a Mujaddid replicates the path of a Prophet. Yet we see that the vast majority of the Mujaddids that the Ummah of Islam has generally accepted as such and hold in high regard were not politically active, let alone involved in bringing about a political revolution.

Mawdudi says:

On the contrary, a mujaddid does not hold any of these positions. He is not appointed but becomes a mujaddid only by the way (p.38)

Mawdudi is wrong in claiming that a Mujaddid is not divinely appointed like a Prophet. The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْعَثُ لِهَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ عَلَى رَأْسِ كُلِّ مِائَةِ سَنَةٍ مَنْ يُجَدِّدُ لَهَا دِينَهَا

“Verily, Allah shall raise up for this Ummah at the head of every century one who shall renew for it its Religion” (Sunan Abi Dawud)

The Hadith upon which we have derived the institution of the Mujaddid clearly explains that this Mujaddid is one whom Allah Himself raises up. Therefore it is a divine office like that of Prophesy.

Mawdudi says:

He does not start his work with any claim, nor is he entitled to do so (p.38)

This is also incorrect. There is no evidence that it is not appropriate for someone to claim the office of Mujaddid. On the contrary, there were several individuals whom Mawdudi himself acknowledges to have been Mujaddids who laid claim to the office, as he himself says:

Some people raise objections that the mujaddids like Hazrat Shaikh Ahmad of Sirhind and Shah Waliullah of Delhi have actually laid claims to their being mujaddids. The objectors forget that these revered men only gave expression to the fact of their being mujaddids, but they never demanded to be acknowledged as such (p.38)

Mawdudi says:

History reveals that the Ideal Mujaddid is yet to be born (p.40)

This is an admission on the part of Mawdudi that no Mujaddid has appeared in the history of the Ummah that fulfils his expections and definition of what a Mujaddid is suppose to be. Therefore Mawdudi is forced to claim that thus far no ideal Mujaddid has appeared. Such a belief is illogical for fourteen centuries passed and Allah could not raise up an ideal Mujaddid according to Mawdudi?!

Mawdudi says:

Most probably he will not be aware of his being the promised Mehdi. People, however, will recognize him after his death from his works to be the one who was to establish “Caliphate after the pattern of Prophethood” as mentioned in the prophecies (pp.42-43)

This statement is contrary to the Hadith about the Mahdi that people shall give him the pledge of allegiance and recognize him being the Mahdi during his lifetime:

فَيَخْرُجُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ هَارِبًا إِلَى مَكَّةَ فَيَأْتِيهِ نَاسٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ فَيُخْرِجُونَهُ وَهُوَ كَارِهٌ فَيُبَايِعُونَهُ بَيْنَ الرُّكْنِ وَالْمَقَامِ

A man shall come out from the people of Medina and flee to Mecca. A people from the people of Mecca shall come to him, compel him to emerge, and pledge their allegiance to him between the Rukn and the Maqam (Sunan Abi Dawud: Kitab al-Mahdi)

فَيَجِيءُ إِلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ فَيَقُولُ يَا مَهْدِيُّ أَعْطِنِي أَعْطِنِي‏ قَالَ‏ فَيَحْثِي لَهُ فِي ثَوْبِهِ مَا اسْتَطَاعَ أَنْ يَحْمِلَهُ

A man shall come to him saying ‘O Mahdi! Give me, give me!’ So he will fill his garment with whatever he is able to carry (Jami at-Tirmidhi: Kitab al-Fitan)

Mawdudi says:

Now, therefore, if somebody wishes and plans to revive Islam, he must shun the language and terminology of the Sufis, their mystic allusions and metaphoric references, their dress and etiquette, the saint-disciple institution and all other things associated with it (p.94)

This statement unveils the materialist mindset of Mawdudi and how it colors his conception of a revivalist and reformer whose function is to purify and revive the Religion.

Mawdudi says:

When the Mujahidin rose to organise and undertake Jihad, it was no secret that the real formidable power in India and the one to be seriously reckoned with by them was of the English, not of the Sikhs. One is at a loss to understand how they could possibly lose sight of this important aspect of the matter (p.98)

Mawdudi is referring to the fact that Sayyid Ahmad and Shah Isma’il of Delhi (may Allah have mercy upon them both) whom he recognizes as reformers of their time, did not fight the British who were present in India at the time but rather recruited a volunteer force of Muslims to liberate the Punjab from the Akali Sikhs. Mawdudi confesses he cannot explain why these beloved reformers and martyrs took this course of action and that he is bewildered by their approach. That is because first Mawdudi conceived of his own conception of what a reformer is and then reviewed the historical facts to try and mould them to fit into his false narrative. The truth is that neither Prophets nor Reformers are sent by Allah to simply seize the reins of political power, rather they are sent to fight for the Oneness of Allah.

Mawdudi says:

Tajdid is not a religious office to which a person may be appointed by Allah according to His will (p.103)

I have already answered this baseless objection above by quoting the Hadith of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم as recorded by Imam Abi Dawud Sulaiman bin Ash’ath al-Sijistani that the Mujaddid is raised up by Allah Himself. Therefore it is indeed a divine appointment like the appointment of a Prophet.

Mawdudi says:

As far as I have studied the prophecies made by the Holy Prophet, their manner and approach is never such that they would describe the details and specific signs of a coming event in the way these have been described in the Traditions concerning the Mehdi. The Holy Prophet generally gave the principal signs only of an event but as far as details were concerned he would never describe them (p.118)

Mawdudi’s ignorance is exposed when he claims there are generally no examples of prophecies from the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم which are detailed. A cursory reading of only a handful of the Prophet’s prophecies reveals the falsehood of Mawdudi’s self-serving claim.