PukhtunWomen

A surmise proliferated by many Muslim vocal clergy is the misconception and belief that they alone as a community have the exclusive right to rule. What is the logic of this fallacy? Is it simply because they assume they are better Muslims than the others? Tragically when it occurred in Afghanistan their unwise rulings ruined the whole region.

To understand this mystery and myth, it is necessary to scan and dissect this species, the mullah, through history. Usually the most vocal species of our society; generally a crude, rude, alienated, customary & quasi literate person, lacking knowledge - wrapping his head with some sort of head cover, wearing loose trousers, disorderly over the ankles and is supposed to perform some routine types of religious rituals, mostly by default, is known as a Mullah.

This observation is not to scoff at Mullahs - but is simply a reflection of the fact. A Mullah as observed in society has little to do with religious knowledge, for he usually grows in quarantine. A person of religious knowledge is acknowledged and is thus called an Aalim/ scholar and never a Mullah.

The simple argument is that no one has the right as a community to claim ruling as a prerogative, and that overall competence is a must for a person to rule - limited expertise in some religious rituals is no qualification to rule a nation. To this they vehemently reply that there is no concept of separation of State and Mosque - as had been according to them was the case of Church & State in Christianity. This is a misperception they have been selling wittingly. The answer is simple, there should be no separation of Mosque & State but that definitely does not mean that there should not be a separation of Mullah & State!!!

From Adam (PBUH) to Mohammad (PBUH) - all were the Highest Righteous, the Greatest Statesmen, but none were Mullah’s. All the Prophets (PBUT) lived in inclusion with others, they observed, experienced, comprehended and were thus well grounded in the realities of practical life. Likewise none of the Caliphs were Mullah’s. Compare this to the unprepared Mullah who grows and lives in seclusion, thus suffering from worthlessness, senselessness, tastelessness and mindlessness. It is through leading a practical life alone which leads to practical knowledge in a practical world.

As far as the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) as well as the four ‘Caliphs the Righteous’ were concerned, they were exceptions in all round brilliance to the extent that their wisdom cannot be matched by the puny Mullah. Moreover those whose skills were believed to be restricted to performing rituals never interfered in the state affairs.

To the extent that ‘Ashab-e-Suffah’ albeit the highest and luminous religious scholars who had devoted, confined and spent their entire lives learning and spreading religious knowledge - never tried themselves or through others to indulge in politics even in Mohammad (PBUH) lifetime. Allah Almighty has commended their devotion towards the knowledge and endorsed their selflessness, moral fiber and sincerity in Holy Qur’an in the Surah Al- Baqarah: 2-273. (translation Yusuf Ali):
(Charity is) for those in need, who, in God's cause are restricted (from travel), and cannot move about in the land, seeking (For trade or work): the ignorant man thinks, because of their modesty, that they are free from want. Thou shalt know them by their (Unfailing) mark: They beg not importunately from all the sundry. And whatever of good ye give, be assured God knoweth it well.

Even during the period of ‘Caliphate the Righteous’, none among the scholars of the highest caliber ever claimed to be the exclusive community who alone should rule the Muslims - how then can a Mullah who with little exception believe in exclusive right hold power?

An overwhelming number of our current day Mullah are simply uncouth incarnate - no different or better than a quack, most of them are Mullahs simply because they happen to be from a Mullah background. Quacks are not competent to meddle with public affairs nor should a habitual Mullah be allowed to play havoc with a nation’s national, physical, political as well as spiritual being.

Governance and leadership is an inclusively peerless art and an entirely a different assignment, and for that reason alone statecraft always requires extraordinary all-round skill and competence as a prerequisite. All the Prophets were chosen for their adroit and practical personas in terms of all round talent.
Allah the Almighty orders (Surah Nisa: 4 -58).
“VERILY ALLAH COMMANDS THAT YOU TO MAKEOVER TRUSTS TO THOSE WORTHY OF THEM”. The milieu this verse was revealed in makes the meaning more relevant today. If a person learns to operate a motorbike, this does not mean t he can captain ship, which in this case scenario would mean commandeering over 140 million Muslims. By learning to perform a few religious rituals does not grant a Mullah the privilege to rule.

If a politician is deficient in religious ritual knowledge, he can always consult a religious scholar of integrity easily - but the Mullah’s over all deficiency is a cure for no one. The overwhelming majority of Mullahs are neither scholar nor politician - they neither understand the substance of Shariat nor the spirit, vis-à-vis is their caliber when it comes to worldly affairs given the limitations and restrictions of their origin.

For a genuine cleric it would be hard, near to impossible to partake in the smeared game of politics, given the constrains of a well ordered orthodox life. To be a good politician flexibility is a must- this is in contrast to a true clerics beliefs. Performing rituals require different capabilities compared to leadership.

The maneuvering of Omar bin al Aas (RA) and Abu-Musa Ashary (RA) during the Jang-e-Saffain was a crucial juncture of Muslim history in the battle between Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA) & Muavia bin Abi Safyan (RA). A politician can afford altering the gear of the political vehicle according ly - whereas a true cleric cannot think or afford to do so.

No genius is required to appreciate and differentiate the demands required of a fighter and the demands of a true administrator. Similarly a politician and a cleric require different skills. A ping pong player would find it hard to use his skills in a wrestling match, just as a cleric would find it hard to lead no matter how much he claims that his clerical background gives him the right to rule. This does not mean that all those persons who have won glory for Muslims were not good Muslims - nor should politics be tabooed for clerics. Instead it should be understood that those with realistic visions for the future of their people be given the responsibilities.

Fortunately the four Caliphs the Righteous were not only good Muslims but were excellent strategists. Their successors were also good strategists and thus successful leaders.

There has been an assortment of Muslim Empires e.g. Umayyad Empire, Abbasid Empire, Mamluk Empire, Seljuk Empire, Mughal Empire, Afghan Empire and Ottoman Empire etc - but none of them has been a cleric empire or Mullah Empire. Similar has been the case of non-Muslim Empires viz Nubian Empire, Persian Empire, Ancient Greek Empire, Ancient Roman Empire, Mauryan Empire, Mongolian Empire, Russian Empire, German Empire and British Empire etc - but none of them had been a clerical empire. So it is a historical fact that lot of clerics like self sown wild plants never have the grace or spine to dare become a tree.

The greatest loss caused by the Mullahs addiction of politics is the overall sectarianism and divergence among the Muslims throughout the world. Sectarianism and divergence among the Muslims is a direct outcome of Mullah’s in power. Since the Mullah carries out everything in the name of religion, hence any slip of a Mullah is equated to breach of Shariat bringing about defiance by other clerics. Conversely, in case of a non-Mullah ruler, no Mullah is blamed for the error and thus does not warrant religious defiance but at the most some political defiance only.

Everyone has the right to yearn for serving the nation - but none have the right to claim politics his/her hereditary right. The getup as well as setup of mind of a true cleric is such that it can not be conducive to be indulged in affairs comfortably like any other person who has the competence to lead. Their track record being what it is ‘they’ must not thirst their soul for running a state!!!

The bottom line is that Muslims must now make the choice between Islam and Mullah - Allah or Mullah!!!