Home Religion & Spirituality What Should Constitute The Collective Identity of Indian Muslims?

What Should Constitute The Collective Identity of Indian Muslims?

Apart from some visible identity markers Muslims in India should act upon the social ethics of Islam which have been the major reason in the spread of Islam in India and this should form their new collective identity.

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The author argues that apart from some visible identity markers Muslims in India should act upon the social ethics of Islam which have been the major reason in the spread of Islam in India and this will form their new collective identity.

On 30th January 2020, Dalit Activist and the founder of Dalit Camera Ravichandaran Bhatran, gave up his ancestral religion and announced his acceptance of Islam. Ravichandaran, now Mohammed Raees found in Islam a remedy to the Brahminical abomination of caste system. In this small piece, I will first discuss the reason which prompted him to take this courageous step in today’s Islamophobic age and after this, the collective, invisible but a powerful identity of Indian Muslims will also be highlighted.

Raees, at the time of embracing Islam, stated as “(I m) embracing Islam for self-respect and dignity”. He did not do it out of his spiritual quest as it seems from the above statement, but it was the social oppression of caste Hindus on one hand and hope for equal treatment among Muslim community on the other that caused for his acceptance of Islam. What I am trying to elucidate is that it is the social ethics of Islam rather than its rites and rituals (religious practices in a narrow sense) that enchanted him. We came to know that cruelties, humiliation, and inhuman treatment with Dalits have been disturbing him for quite a long time. In order to wipe out the social stigma of being at the lower ladder in Hindu caste hierarchy which results into the worst form of humiliation i.e. untouchability, he chose Islam as a religion to live a respectable life.  After his long engagement with caste based oppression and disabilities, he reached to the conclusion that it was only Islam and Muslim community which could help him lead a dignified life.

Societal Paradigm of Islamic Egalitarianism

Raees chose Islam for its equalitarian principle. Based on the notion of egalitarianism, Islam propounds equality and justice among all human beings. According to Islamic theology, all humans are born from the same mother and father so they are all equal. And there exists no hierarchical division of people in Islam. Thus, it never supports any forms of discrimination either based on race, colour, lineage and occupation or caste. The Prophet Muhammad (PUBH), in his last sermon, very beautifully and categorically declares as:

“Beware! The Arabs have no superiority over a non-Arab, nor is the non-Arabs superior to an Arab. A dark skinned man has no superiority over white skinned man, nor is a white skinned man superior to a dark skinned man, except the God fearing ones from you (Musnad Ahmad, 22978). Islam sees every individual as a respectable and dignified creature of Allah as Quran says;We have honored the sons of Adam” (AL-Quran, 17:70).

It is explicit from this verse that respect and honor is the birth right of every person. A person is neither judged by his/her birth in any community or group nor by wealth, power and occupation but it is the piousness and fear of Allah which determines his/her stature as the holy Quran says “Verily, the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you” (Al-Quran, 49:30). Such egalitarianism has not been merely theoretical and textual but prophet Muhammad (PUBH) and his companions practically established such a society where everyone was treated equally and through five times prayers, fast, pilgrimage to Makkah, Islam instills the sense of unity, equality and brotherhood in its followers. Thus, it is crystal clear that Islam does not divide its followers into different hierarchical groupings.

Equality in Praxis

Following the Quranic concept of equality and its teaching on human dignity, Muslims in India, though there exist many caste-like practices among them, as a whole do not practice untouchability and they also do not justify caste based discrimination with any individual. Equal treatment with all has been the dominant and collective identity of Indian Muslims. Many religious figures and social reformers accept this fact that it is only Islam which propagates equality and brotherhood in real sense. Swami Vivekananda expressed his view concerning the practice of equality among Muslim community which B.N.Ganguli cited in “Concept of Equality”. Vivekananda states as, “If ever the followers of any religion approached equality in any appreciable degree on the plane of practical work-a-day life, it is those of Islam and Islam alone”. Vivekananda accepts the revolutionary potential of Islam which brings equality and fraternity among people.

Telling the way out of caste based oppression, the great socio-cultural reformer E.V. Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar, in his speech of March, 1947 at Trichirapalli, said to his followers,

 “Colleagues, our malady of being Shudras and bastards is a serious, indeed a very serious one. It is like cancer and leprosy, a long-standing malady. It has one remedy and that remedy is Islam. Apart from this, there is no remedy. If not this, one has only to endure the misery”.

Periyar knew very well the Islamic philosophy of brotherhood and its reflection was quite apparent in lives of Muslims of his time.

It was this attitude of Muslims which played a vital role for the spread of Islam in India. Havell, an ardent supporter of Hindu culture says, “This method of proselytism was very effective among lower castes of Hindus, specifically among those who suffered from the severity of Brahmanical Law with regard to the ‘impure’ classes” (Aryan Rule in India). In another place, he devalues the spiritual aspects of Islam, but at the same time makes a very significant remark pertaining to the spread of Islam. He says, “It was not the philosophy of Islam but its sociological program, which won so many converts for it in India”. It is a fact that masses are largely attracted by ‘sociological program ‘rather than philosophy which ensures them better condition of their life. In rebuttal of Havell, it should be remembered that program is always backed by philosophy. There can never be a good program without good philosophy behind it.

The social program of Islam enormously appealed to the oppressed communities and ensured their social emancipation that prompted them to accept Islam in large number. In the case of Raees too, it is the social aspects of Islam that attracted him more.

Social Engagement by Muslim Community

Contemporary Indian Muslims who contrary to the Islamic instructions of egalitarianism share many attributes of Hindu caste system mainly endogamy and social hierarchy though these practices are not strictly followed but their very existence is a flagrant violation of Islamic spirit. There is a high need to make the community aware of this great ‘sin’. Muslims should broaden the scope of sacredness from certain traditional rites and rituals to the ways of interaction in everyday life. They should understand that human dignity is very sacred in Islam and this sacredness must be reflected in their life. Contrary to it, Muslims in India have historically been more concerned about certain visible religious rites and rituals rather than imbibing the core social ethics of Islam which play formative role in collective identity of Muslims. In today’s communally charged environment, they should look beyond the certain visible identity markers though they are important too and cannot be avoided but their primary focus should be on imbibing the social values of Islam and the countrymen should be made aware with the ‘social program’ of Islam. With this, I do not mean organizing conferences and public programs. What I want to convey is the ‘social engagement’ of entire Muslim community with each and everyone strictly adhering to the social aspects of Islam. For instance, they should be not only believer in equality and human dignity but their beliefs also must be reflected in their social actions and they should speak out and stand against oppression and injustice without taking into account the religious identity of the victims. Their behavior and everyday interactions must be guided by life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Their very existence in society should be felt as panacea for social ills. Efforts in this direction may yield good results not only for Muslim community but also for the entire country as well and it will contribute immensely in reshaping the collective identity of Indian Muslims.

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