Maulana Jalaluddin Ansar Umri was a galaxy in himself. His contributions in the field of research and academics, his vision of Islam in a plural society, his endeavors to present Islam as an ambassador of peace and harmony, his appeal to fellow Muslims to be the upholders of justice, and his leadership in the testing times of our era, and countless other facets, make him a once-in-a-generation figure. Tributes have been pouring in from every nook and corner of the globe. Much has been said about the man, his personality, his books, and his aura, and it needs to be said. I will try to highlight a few of the novel aspects of his personality that I encountered during my experiences of meeting him and listening to him.
1) Research and academic endeavors to solve problems of humanity
One of my first interactions with Maulana other than listening to his speech and Juma sermons was his lecture and discussion during the inaugural orientation session of Islamic Academy. He expressed his delight and happiness at the start of the Islami Academy, research and academic institute, and motivated the students.
One of the highlights of the session was his depth of knowledge and his insights from his journey of research and academics. He said that much of the research in academia is mental gymnastics and the emphasis is not on understanding human society and endeavors to engage and solve the problems of humanity, he emphasized that the objective of the institute and research should be to engage with society and provide solace. This statement was a resounding reflection of Maulana’s intellectual aptitude and vision. He shared his experience that as soon as he graduated from seminary, his first writing assignment was to write a full-length paper in Arabic on a topic. Thus emphasizing the significance of language and outlook.
2) Social Science and Islamization
Maulana was very accessible and ready to engage, discuss, and guide people from all walks of life and all stages of life. Thus, when I was studying at the academy, my friend and I visited the President’s chamber and had a lively discussion with him on various topics. One of the key points of discussion was that me and my friend, Jaweed, were from a science background, and there was buzz and vibe in SIO circles, and even what I had perceived was that you could only contribute or produce knowledge in social sciences to genuinely make a difference, which would count as a contribution, and thus these streams were earmarked.
So our question to Maulana was, why were the science or other stream graduates hamstrung in this matter? This was our passionate plea to the head of the Islamic movement. He responded with the graveness and poise of the scholar and veteran he was. He stated that there is an urgent and ongoing need to contribute to all knowledge domains, regardless of discipline or domain. As Human knowledge encompasses all the gamuts and therefore is paramount that we contribute and have our say. He further added that due to the ground-breaking works of scholars such as Dr. Nejatulla Siddiqui and Dr. Abdul Haq Ansari, especially in the Islamic movement, social science is seen as a domain that can be further explored and advanced. This exposition helped in settling my apprehensions and queries. He indeed was an insightful soul.
3) Islam as a challenge
In the corridors of the Islamic movement, there has always been a discourse around presenting Islam as a way of life. But to translate this rhetoric into context-specific proposals or propositions requires a genius scholar and an insightful sage, and on different occasions, he displayed his acumen and majesty. On the eve of the 2014 elections and mandate to BJP, there was a sense of somber and uncertainty on what to expect in the coming days, (in the hindsight, that concern was valid) than there was a meeting in which Maulana addressed as President of Jamaat-e-Islami-Hind, in which he spoke how the right-wing forces had captured power and their strategies, etc. But the highlight was the motivation and resolve he had given to continue the struggle.
His Quranic response to the situation that needs of the hour was to present Islam as a challenge to the contemporary system. He said Islam is not a topic of discussion, and that should be our primary concern. And as far as our morale is concerned, he resoundingly said, those who work in the way of Allah, carry on the fight with a smile on their faces, irrespective of the circumstances. These thoughts can also be deciphered in his books, such as Maroof and Munkar, and Dawat. He also spoke on the religious basis of the constitution and the role of religion. A visionary leader, thinker, and guide.
4. Determination and Dedication
Alas!, I couldn’t give more.
This was the statement of Maulana Jalaluddin Umri sb, in the Tarbiyat camp of JIH leaders held at Hasan, Karnataka in 2020, in which Sio’s State leadership was also invited. This was a leader and a cadre of the Islamic movement who had given his entire life, right from the 1950s to 2022 in various capacities. A man who had joined the academic division and later on to be the Ameer of the Tehreek, who gave nearly seven decades of his blood, ink, sweat, and toil for the movement, laments that he could have put more effort, more energy, and more drive into it.
On the one hand, it is the true nature of a servant of Allah; on the other hand, it epitomizes his indomitable spirit to give everything in the way of Allah; his commitment to Tehreek, his cognizance of the heavy burden of shahadat e Haq, and a lasting desire to feel and taste the sweetness of Islam in the soul and soil of fellow humans.
One more point that has etched in my soul is that he said, “Allah doesn’t see with what kind talent and skill sets (not to belittle this aspect) you are contributing to Tehreeke Islami, but Allah sees how much commitment, drive, energy, and sacrifice you are putting in his way, and he cited that if a humble servant can contribute in his humble capacity, then all of you should contribute, though you are heavy or light. He underlined that Allah’s demand from his believers is their honest sacrifice and commitment.
On the day of judgment, if Allah asks, “Have you given your best for Islam and tehreek e Islam?”, you should be in a position to answer. And if that answer is anything other than sharh e sadr (total surrender), then we must evaluate our lives. This statement hit like a live wire and everyone was hit with a 440-volt shock and tears started to roll out from every corner in the audience, including Maulana, which I re-lived when I heard the news of Maulana’s passing away.
Maulana’s life should be analyzed from his contributions in multi-faceted ways, and Insha Allah, we will see that in the coming days. May Allah grant Maulana the highest station in the Jannatul firdous, and may we seek inspiration from such revered elders.
