شفیق الرحمن قدوائی
شفیق الرحمن صاحب قدوائی اگرچہ آصف علی صاحب کی طرح آل انڈیا شہرت کے مالک نہیں تھے لیکن اس میں شبہ نہیں کہ نہایت مخلص قومی کارکن تھے۔ ملک کی تحریک آزادی کے سلسلہ میں وہ جیل بھی گئے، لیکن وہ طبعاً ہنگامہ پسند اور اسٹیج کے لیڈر نہیں تھے، خاموشی مگرنہایت مستعدی اورگرم جوشی کے ساتھ ٹھوس اور تعمیری کام کرنے کے عادی تھے۔انھیں سب سے زیادہ دلچسپی تعلیم بالغان کے کام سے تھی، اس سلسلہ میں انھوں نے جس بیدار مغزی،تن دہی اورقوت تنظیم و عملی سرگرمی کاثبوت دیا ہے وہ ان کی تاریخ حیات کاروشن باب ہے۔ اسی بنا پر یونیسکو کی طرف سے وہ انڈونیشیا میں تعلیم بالغان کے ناظم اعلیٰ بناکربھیجے گئے، وہاں سے واپسی پردہلی اسٹیٹ کے وزیر تعلیم منتخب ہوگئے۔ اس حیثیت سے ان کا ایک یادگار کارنامہ یہ ہے کہ اردو زبان دلّی کی علاقائی زبان تسلیم کرلی گئی لیکن غالباً ان کی آزاد طبیعت وزارت کی گراں بار ذمہ داریوں کی متحمل نہیں ہوسکی۔ اور وہ چند ماہ بیمار کر۵۲،۵۳ سال کی عمر میں ہی عالم جادوانی کوسدھار گئے۔نجی زندگی میں مرحوم بڑی خوبیوں کے انسان تھے۔نماز روزہ اور اسلامی شعائر کے پابند، نہایت سادہ اوربے تکلف، ہر ایک کے ساتھ ہمدردی اورخلوص کاتعلق رکھنے والے، بڑے ملنسار اورہنس مکھ، متواضع اور بامروت،ذہین اورمعتدل المزاج۔ حق تعالیٰ ان پر اپنے انواروبرکات کانزول فرمائے اور جنت الفردوس میں ان کو مقام عطافرمائے۔ [مئی۱۹۵۳ء]
Islamic Studies is one of the core and pertinent courses offered and taught at both private and public universities in Nigeria. The subject prepared its graduates to have potentialities, capabilities man power in teaching, administration, politics, economic, legislation and judiciary in Nigeria. Despite these significant contributions, the subject has confronted with a lot of deprivations in the enrollment of students, recruitment of staff and availability of physical and instructional materials. Based on these, the paper therefore, intends to explore the teaching and learning of Islamic studies in the south west Nigeria private universities, identify problems facing its teaching and learning and proffer solutions to these predicaments. The methodology adopted is analytical with information from both oral interview and written sources from libraries in Nigeria. Among the findings of the study are that the Subject-Islamic studies needs more experts to teach its core courses in private universities in Nigeria and students who wish to enroll for the subject should have rudiments of the discipline before admission.
This study focuses on the puritanical impact of Ahl-i-Hadith revivalist movement on the transition of the Sufi ethos of the Punjab during the late nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century. One can define Shrine-centered Islamic tradition as a defining feature of the Sufi ethos in the Punjab during the medieval period (11th-18th centuries). The Sufi ethos constitutes equality, social justice, Suleh Kul, Wahdat-ul-Wajud ideology, and accommodationist vision. All these factors of the Sufi tradition of the Punjab created pluralistic outlook among the masses. This tradition left indelible imprints on the local culture, particularly imparting values like tolerance, humanism, and social equality. The growth of Shrine-centered Islam in the Punjab was a reaction against the social stratification solidified by the caste system which became more rigid with the passage of time. The origin of this tradition dates back to Vedantic tradition, however, its contours were further sharpened when Ibn Arabi’s (1165-1240) Wajudi ideas permeated in the philosophical discourse of sufis in the subcontinent. In Punjab, Baba Farid Ganj Shakar (1175-1265) emerged as the main exponent of this philosophy. The reform movement of Ahl-i-Hadith ultimately questioned this strong Sufi tradition since later half of the nineteenth century. The study deals with the subsequent religious transition of a reasonable segment of the Punjabi Muslims. It concentrates on the particular aspects of Ahl-i-Hadith Movement i.e.; emphasis on scriptural Islam, direct recourse to Quran and Hadith, opposition to the prevailing four schools of Islamic Jurisprudence, rejection of all sufi forms of Islam (muharram, urs, qawwāli, gyārahwin of Abdul Qadir Jillani, pilgrimage to the graves of the Prophets and saints, majlis-i-milād (birth anniversary of Holy Prophet), simah-i-maota (listening of the dead) and observance of various ceremonies associated with death rites, i.e. Qul sharif, Satavan (seventh day ceremony after death) and Chaliswan (ceremony on the fortieth day after death). Rejection of contemplation and attempts to expunge Sufism remained the hallmark of this movement as they emphasized on this - worldly responsibilities of the Muslims rather than out-worldly asceticism (denial of this world and bodily contemplation) of the Sufis. xi They through the establishment of their own religious seminaries in the cities and towns of the Punjab and engaging in munāzara tradition with non-Muslims (Arya Samajis, Christian missionaries,) and Muslim sects (Shias, Barelvis, Deobandis, and Ahmadis) were able to draw a certain segment of the Muslim population towards them. Moreover, this study seeks to establish a connection between the contestation of puritanical Ahl-i-Hadith Movement with the colonial modernity; such as the western type of education and Missionary Agency, translation of scriptures into local languages and technology of printing. This agency of modernity helped in solidifying the literal interpretation of the Quran and Hadith that was the main feature of the Ahli- Hadith Movement. By emphasizing this aspect, I do not suggest that this contestation led Ahl-i-Hadith Movement to re-conciliate with modernity rather it highlights how this Movement made use of various tools of modernity for the dissemination of its puritanical teachings. The Ahl-i-Hadith Movement tried it best to adopt those features of the Colonial modernity that helped them in the dissemination of their ideas far and wide of the country. This movement was primarily sprouted from Delhi and spread throughout India and hence in the Punjab. The scholars of this movement stood for the cause of Islam declared the Sufi practices as innovations and created a reasonable following. This thesis attempts to formulate a new and comprehensive analysis of the Ahl-i-Hadith movement.