According to estimates, Pakistan has over 40,000 religious seminaries spread across all major towns and cities. Traveling through vast expanses of Punjab and Sindh, or through hills of Northern Pakistan, and among the arid, desolate landscape of Baluchistan, scattered among villages are mosques attached to a Madrassah. This brings the income for the local mullah, and economic relief to over populated families of poor farmers who can easily get rid of a couple of extra mouths which they can't feed.
While studying in Faisalabad, a crowded city in the heart of Punjab, I was surprised to see the number of children attending dozens of Madrassahs scattered around the University. We often used to remark on the number of graduates coming out of these seminaries each year and their job prospects. Faisalabad alone must have been producing 5000 qualified Maulvis every year. A figure outnumbering the total number of Doctors graduating in the whole of Pakistan each year.
By this estimate, these Madrassahs are producing at least 100,000 graduates fully conversant with the knowledge of Quran, Hadith and Fiqh in Pakistan. This must make the total number of model Muslims in the country in its Millions. My Maulvi friends.. don't despair as the number will increase even further when the flood ravaged nation will dump the rest of their male progeny at your mercy in the coming months and years.
My question to my Mullah friends is this.. In the presence of such piety just pouring forth from these fountains of religious knowledge and moral excellence, why is Pakistan steeped in all kinds of moral and social ills? Crime of all kind is on the increase for the past many decades. Streets are living exhibits of a society worthy of Divine Wrath of biblical proportions. And yes, I believe that is happening as I write these words.
Are your prayers and supplications going unheard sir? Why, when you rant and rave in your loudspeakers about the futility of worldly life, about the infidelities of other sects, about the interference of foriegn hands and anti-Islam agents in the country; the country still seems to be dying a slow and agonizing death? You wail and shriek in the loudspeaker after each Jumma prayer, cursing the enemies of Islam and imploring God to destroy the enemy; you call your followers to rise up in Jihad.. You make them promise to hate and despise everyone not practicing proper Islam.. Its you and millions of your colleagues.. constantly and eagerly preaching the Islam you were taught in these seminaries.. but to what end?
There must be something seriously wrong with the kind of Islam being taught in these seminaries. My dear Maulvis, you will be quick to blame western ways of life and Jewish-Christian conspiracies for the state of our country. But, has the sheer number of people practicing the correct kind of Islam not been able to make even a tiny bit of difference to the nation?
A country's health care status can be easily assessed by the number of Physicians per capita. A nations spiritual health, by the same standards should be directly related to the number of Maulvis per capita.
Ladies and gentlemen, I can proudly announce that no other nation in history has had so many spiritual/moral surgeons per capita as Pakistan. We must be a nation destined for paradise. And our surgeons are eager to get us there post-haste.
Great article. I have been thinking about this for quite some time. Just want to add that all those surgeons need Hospitals to practice and earn their livelihood. Since they are all in one no two surgeons can share same hospital. So that's why qabza Mosques can be seen after every hundred yards. At Azan Time, Sehri or Friday Khutba time it becomes impossible to understand a single word. Soon we will be forced to have an in-house Mosque and full time employed Maulvi in every house.
ReplyDeleteI like your writing skills!!
ReplyDeleteSimple question(s) to the guy who posted this...
ReplyDelete1) are you implying that the Mullahs are the reason for the crisis Pakistan is in?
OR
2) the Mullahs are unable to solve Pakistan’s problems?
OR
3) the Mullahs are worsening Pakistan as a state?
All of the above..
ReplyDeleteyour whole argument is wrong:
ReplyDeleteIts not the quantity that matters, but its the quality.
Comparing the followers of a religion with the religion itself?
If a Hindu eats meat and gives his own reason of eating it, does it mean Hinduism allows eating meat?
Pakistan, an Islamic state? NO
Sharing such an unjust article with very little understanding of Islam, certainly requires correction and seems to be written by by non Muslim or someone with very little knowledge.
Dear Lutf!
ReplyDeleteSorry i shall try not to take much of your precious time to speak on the issue but i am realy impressed by your thinking. Brother you have done a nice work and calculations but frankly tell me did you ever tried to find out " Bey-Amal per capita " "Dhokey baz per capita" Be-Namazi per capita" "Raashi per Capita" "Bakheel per Capita" "chugal khor per capita" "Jhootey per capita" "bhookey per capita" "berozgaar per capita" "munkir e zakat/sadaqaat per capita" " Corrupt per Capita"(and so on)....i think that would really add to your reasearch of "PER CAPITA" cas merely blaming others is not the solution to the problems of this nation ...we need to look into ourself first because as we point one finger to others remember the other three are pointing at you. We can do little change in which ever capacity we are and you will see the change coming may it be our home or office or shop. so start acting today as rightly pointed out by IQBAL...
Amal se zindagi banti hay Jannat bhii Jahannum bhiii...
Ye khaki apni fitrat mein na noori hay na naari hay.....
(P.S. by the way all the data you quoted about maulvies is superfluous....it is not from any authentic source and the article seems to have been created just to make fun of maulvies...i tried to visit some of the web sites of madrassas and what i could find was just very few graduating every year. like :-
Religious semineries you quoted is 40,000 = whereas on ground 7,000 to 9000
graduating students / yr you quoted is 1,00,000 = whereas on ground 15000 or even less although i could not find an authentic source but keeping in view their syllabus comprising of 16 years and a small number among them running these alim courses, this number seems logical)
source : www.icrd.org
www.wifaqulmadaris.org
http://www.binoria.org/academics/local.htm#e
http://www.darululoomkarachi.edu.pk/ucms/index.php
One more interesting observation is almost 80-90%(you can verify this figure by visiting some of the madrassas) intake of these madrassas is from poor families...poor pakistani people who can not afford to send their children to school and eventually they land upto madrassas..so who is to be blammed???
i am not here to support the madrassas and they are req to be brought to the main stream and should be taken to the task if they do some hanky panky..but be realistic man
)))
sorry if anyone do not agree to my point of view,
Regards
jawad
jawad_naeem@yahoo.com
Dear Jawad, thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteMy figures take into account those village madrassahs which are not affiliated with any of the central boards you mentioned. I have personally seen seminaries in far flung villages in Azad Kashmir and Hazara division which cater for populations as small as 5000 people scattered in a few villages in the area.
The purpose of this blog was to lament the decline of morality in Pakistan. I put the blame squarely on the religious circles. I include all politically motivated religious people in the term "Mullah". JI, Shia groups, Wahabi-Salafi organizations, Deoband, Barelvi sunnis, Peers and Sajjada Nasheens, modern types re-interpreting Islam..Even the pseudo-intellectuals who pretend to be worldly, but have a hidden mullah inside them.. All are failing miserably to teach Pakistani nation to ahdere to the basic moral teachings of Quran.
Same is the situation with Bangladesh where millions follow the government approved Dars Nizami..
If a crowd on 500-1000 people in a major town can not stop stick wielding yobs who beat two young boys to death, there must be something seriously wrong with all of them. No one believed in, or practiced Islam in that crowd..
And that crowd is only a glimpse of how the rest of the nation will behave in similar circumstances.
Assalaamu 'Alaikum Lutf Bhai
ReplyDeleteRamzan Mubarik ho
Agar aap anti-Mullah sentiment ka izhaar naheen karain gay to hum Mullah friends ko pata kaisay chalay ga kay hamaraay bhai hum say naaraaz hain.
By the way, in Arabic literature, Mullah is honorific rather than pejorative. Mulla Ali Qaari rahmatu(A)llaah 'alaih is a famous scholar in Islamic history.
Is there a definition by which we can distinguish a Mullah from a non-Mullah?Such a definition is essential for a constructive nuanced dialogue.Is sawaal ka jawaab zaroor deejiyay ga.
You have discussed a lot of topics. And I want to talk to all my brothers on any topic related to Islam and Muslims.
"If a crowd on 500-1000 people in a major town can not stop stick wielding yobs who beat two young boys to death, there must be something seriously wrong with all of them. "
Sach kaha.Meray khayaal main yeh waqia Saudi Arabia main na hota, kiyoon kay wahaan Qur'aan Masjid say baahir bhi naafiz hay.Elections waalay countries main Qur'aan sirf Masjid kay andar hay.
"modern types re-interpreting Islam..Even the pseudo-intellectuals who pretend to be worldly, but have a hidden mullah inside them.."
Aik pseudo-intellectual aur asal intellectual main farq kaisay karain gay? Hum ab Islam badalnain say to rahay,jisay aap mullah samjhtay hain hum usay ideal Islam samajhtay hain,perspective ka farq hay.Daarhi to Musulmaan scientists like Ibn Nafis ki bhi thee.
Umeed hay kay guftagu jaaree rahay gee
neorient@gmail.com
Assalaamu 'Alaikum
ReplyDelete"My Maulvi friends.. don't despair as the number will increase even further when the flood ravaged nation will dump the rest of their male progeny at your mercy in the coming months and years."
Kiya yeh nafrat ki intihaa naheen hay?Shayid yehi nafrat Lal Masjid kay qatlay aam ki wajah hay.
"In the presence of such piety just pouring forth from these fountains of religious knowledge and moral excellence, why is Pakistan steeped in all kinds of moral and social ills? "
Because, the attitude of of derision and underestimation of 'Ulamaa-whom you yourself acknowledge as the fountains of religious knowledge and moral excellence, becomes prevents Muslims from becoming fountains of moral excellence. As soon as Muslims rectify this unjust attitude they would begin to come out of this immoral abyss.
"But, has the sheer number of people practicing the correct kind of Islam not been able to make even a tiny bit of difference to the nation?"
But they constitute only a small percentage like 5% of population. If at least 51% Muslims become practising Muslims,the situation would be different InshaAllaah.
"We must be a nation destined for paradise. "
InshaAllaah
"All are failing miserably to teach Pakistani nation to ahdere to the basic moral teachings of Quran."
Hidaayat to Allaah kay haath main hay.
"JI, Shia groups, Wahabi-Salafi organizations, Deoband, Barelvi sunnis, Peers and Sajjada Nasheens"
All of them are unanimous about Namaz and Purdah which majority of Muslims are neglectful about.These two points can unite all Muslims.
"The purpose of this blog was to lament the decline of morality in Pakistan. "
ReplyDeleteAgar aap jaisay educated log 'Ulama awr Imam ban-na shuroo ho jaain to yeh decline khtam ho sakta hay.But the question is:How many educated Muslims choose to become Aalim and Imam inspite of the attraction of a career.I salute the 'Ulamaa and Imams for their steadfastness in this age of global moral corruption.
Elijah sahib, I am an admirer of Mullah Ali al-Qari (ar). He was indeed a great scholar of Islam.
ReplyDeleteI even like Mulla Nasrud Deen and his quick wit.
But I agree with the use of term Mullah by great sufi poets who have called the corrupt clergy as Mullah.
Lal Masjid is another example of how Mullahs have twisted a complicated situation to create a victim mentality among the clergy across the country and sympathies among the illiterate masses.
Yes, Musharraf was wrong to delay the solution to the problem. He could have given the Mullahs an early option to quit and leave. But he waited until there was no way out for them.
I have heard and seen many well spoken young maulvis from the better known seminaries in Karachi and Lahore. Islamic University Islamabad produces English speaking Mullahs. Certain Sir Syedian circles also produce "burger" Mullahs that appear on Liberal media. So, there are plenty of intelligent and educated "ulema" in circulation and their number has increased in recent years. Still, they seem to have made no difference whatsoever.
Theology is very popular among young doctors and engineers in Pakistan. Pakistan Navy probably has more bearded servicemen than the huge Pakistan army. Even airforce has been producing militants..
Pakistan is under siege by the clergy. A clergy which creates divisions in society, stirs hatred and murder of minorities and hijacks the government whenever it please.
No my brother Elijah, Ulemaa and Imams of Pakistan are not serving God or Islam.. They are serving the devil if anything.
Great article,
ReplyDeleteMullahs will make our country a failed extremist state if not stopped.
Stop MULLAH
OK, agreed, Clergy is not good for us, what is the solution?? Oh, I am guessing you don't have an answer! You my friend are just another attention seeking wannabe!
ReplyDeleteThe answer is in the most recent post. "A Warning"....
ReplyDelete"Mullahs will make our country a failed extremist state if not stopped."
ReplyDeleteStopped from what?
Who is an extremist by the way?Extermism per se is not a notion of opprobrium.Principle-oriented steadfastness is a great virtue.It is translated into Urdu as Shiddat-pasandi.Shiddah is an Arabic word used in Friday Khutbah about 'Umar radi Allaahu 'anhu:Ashaddudum fee Amrillaahi 'Umar
which states that 'Umar radi Allaahu 'anhu took stand(adopted Shiddah) in matters pertaining to Amr(Commadment) of Allaah.
Someone may be condemn someone today for his principle-oriented steadfastness, but such men are the men of future who ultimately bring a change.
There is nothing more irrational than the anti-Imaam polemic of self-hating Westernized Muslims in Muslim countries.
The following link is instructive for understanding the advantages of Islamic extremism, not only for Muslims but non-Muslims as well.
http://www.mediamonitors.net/markglenn1.html
Assalaamu 'Alaikum waRahmatu(A)llaahi waBarakaatuh
ReplyDelete"OK, agreed, Clergy is not good for us, "
There is a difference between Muslim and non-Muslim clergy.Muslim clergy(Imaams in the Masjid) never say something haraam is halaal to appease the masses.So, they are good for all Muslims who care about halaal and haraam.While most of Muslims are deep asleep at Fajr, from Indonesia to America, humanity is indebted to those unsung heroes who say Azaan calling men towards their Khaaliq. It is also said that the Muazzins would be honorably seated along with Anbiyaa 'alaihimus salaam on Yaum-ul-Qiyaamah. It is better to be hated as a Mullah in this world than to give up the honour in Aakhirah.
"But I agree with the use of term Mullah by great sufi poets who have called the corrupt clergy as Mullah. "
No genuine Soofi would use the honorific Mullah in a pejorative,disparaging sense.Some may have said so in their ignorance, but I hope you can't quote someone like Ali Hijwairi rahmatullaahi 'alaih who was a genuine Soofi as well as an 'Aalim. All 'Ulama and Soofiyaa have respected each other throughout Islamic history.
Dear Lutf,
ReplyDeleteI congratulate you, its really a nice article. I read your writings time to time and I am really impressed by your struggle you are making to spread the truth and wisdom. I am one of your fans. God bless you.
Kalid