Influences of ‘Allāma Muḥammad Iqbāl on Thoughts of Dr. Isrār Aḥmad
Dr. Isrār Aḥmad(d:1431A. H/2010A. D) admits this fact that his personality is deeply influenced by Dr. ‘Allāma Muḥammad Iqbāl(d:1357A. H/1938A. D). In his book titled Da‘vat Rujū‘ ilā al-Qur’ān kā Manẓar-o-Pasmanẓar, he writes:
“The foremost and the deepest imprint on my mind is that of late ‘Allāma Iqbāl’s Urdu Poetry as I spent my high school life (1941-1947A. D) in reading and humming of bāng-e-darā, bāl-e-Jibra’īl, zarb-e-Kalīm and verses of armughān-e-Ḥijāz. This aroused in me a national passion so I, in that era, found the only like-minded group of the Muslim League, associated myself as per my little ability with the Muslim Students Federation- a body of the Muslim League movement. [1]
At another point in the same book, he further writes:
“No denying the fact that like howal awwalo wal ākhiro, my thoughts and vision have the initial and final impact of late ‘Allāma Iqbāl; the former mostly being ‘passionate’ with the outcome of ‘Passion for the Community’ whereas the latter is purely ‘Conceptual’; thus, my concept has the objectivity of “Studying the Qur’ān in the background of Modern Concepts” or “Analysis and Review of the Modern Thoughts in the Light of the Qur’ān”. [2]
The above lines explain that the vision of Dr. Isrār Aḥmad(d:1431A. H/2010A. D) had the initial impact on ‘Allāma Iqbāl’s personality. The thoughts propounded by Dr. Isrār Aḥmad all his life have the footprints leading to the poetry of Iqbāl.
Political System in Islām
Politically, ‘Allāma Iqbāl was strictly against a democratic government as he says:
tou nay kiā dekhā nahi maghrib kā Jamhōri...
The Holy Quran is seen as the ultimate source of guidance and knowledge in Islam. It defines inheritance as automatic transfer of possession by which estate person transfers to the heirs as succession. In the Quran Surat Al Nisa explains about inheritane in just a manner that is due to each individual, male female. This Surah of the Quran has clearly specifies that women should no longer be treated as cattle and commodities, but as individuals, they have the legal right to inherit. The Quran mentions plainly the women right of inheritance in Surat Al Nisa : “ Allah Charge you concerning (i provision for) your children : to the male equivalent of the portion of two females, and if there be women more than two, then theirs is two-third of inheritance, and there be one(only) then the half. Islam gives the women right of inheritance, but the practical situation is different in society and country laws of inheritance. Women are often deprived of this fundamental right especially when it comes inheritance of immoveable assets i.e land. There are numerous reasons to deprive women from inheritance, for example cultural practices such as considering dowry as an alternate to inheritance etc. But the major cause is lack of knowledge and awareness regarding Shariah Law and state legislature due to rampant literacy and dominant role of customs and culture. This research article is an attempt to describe Islamic Law of inheritance along with the extensive study to analyze the practical social and legal status in Pakistani society, and awareness among the women of Pakistan.
Community participation has become an essential part of school reform, particularly in the educational policies and school management. Community participation in the school management has become a taken for granted reform, which is based on the assumptions that it will improve the educational delivery at the school level by harmonizing activities, utilizing resources more effectively and mobilizing the additional human and financial resources. This reform is widely adopted in the developing countries, including Pakistan. The notion seems to be acceptable but in practice it might prove problematic. The structure, functions and mechanism of community management, and its impact on school performance is not well known. I carried out a systematic research on community-based Education Committees' (EC) role, function and the relationship between the role and school performance, in the context of Pakistan. I employed qualitative and quantitative research approaches in order to obtain some generalizable information about the EC's management structure and role in the community schools in Karachi, Pakistan. Findings from the studies revealed that ECs had been involved at the administrative and operational level. The management structure, mechanism, background of the committee members and location of the school, had a great influence on the school performance. The ECs had performed a significant role in improving physical resources, retaining teachers' moral and students performance, through maximum participation of the key stakeholders, particularly the school staff in the school management. On the contrary those community management structures with little understanding of the school processes, exclusion of headteachers from the decision-making, and unnecessary monitoring of the school staff had a negative impact on the school performance. Thus the study findings have an implication for the ECs with regard to the structure of the committee, its composition and the mechanism required and effective involvement in the school management. The study also suggested some recommendation for the ECs, schools and policy makers, based on the findings.