Islam in the Indian subcontinent with particular reference to Pakistan

Abstract

Sayyid Abul A‘la Mawdudi is a name to conjure with regards to contemporary Muslim thought and movement. He was a source of knowledge and inspiration, and even those who differed with his method and the movement do not question the value of his contribution. Mawdudi’s appeal and relevance are due primarily to his impact on the historical situation of which he was a part. He reflected and represented the value and importance of Islam, and stimulated and summoned his fellow Muslims to its revivification and implication. The themes he dwelt upon like the importance of state, the legitimacy of political authority, the unbreakable link between faith and deeds, the need for commitment, integrity, and striving for Islamic revival are vital and relevant for all those who have joined the contemporary Islamic movement, as well as for those who wish to understand the increasing momentum of the worldwide Muslim re-awakening. In South Asia, where Mawdudi’s ideas took shape, his influence has been more pronounced. His ideas unquestionably dominate Islamic political thinking in the Indo-Pakistani subcontinent. This has become all the more evident as Pakistani secular nationalism has scored one failure after another, and thereby removed itself from the growing surge of Islamic political thought and action. This socio-political study enquires about the value and validity of the ideas of Mawlana Mawdudi and assesses their relevance to contemporary Pakistan and the Muslim world.