By Syed Ilyas Basha
A recent report in the media suggests that Darul Uloom, Deoband in Saharanpur dist (founded in 1866 A.C.) has issued a religious decree (fatwa) urging Muslims to fight non-Muslims and declare ‘Ghazwa’. Nothing can be more malicious hateful, mischievous and wicked talk about a highly respected, renowned international institution of India than this. Enormous record in the history of the country about the contribution of thousands of its Ulema (Scholars) in the war of country’s independence exists as proof to contradict such ridiculous talk. Let us examine the factual position in the matter. The seminary has reportedly written on its website that ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’ (holy charge of India) is “valid from the Islamic point of view”. It further stated that those martyred in Ghazwa-e-Hind will be great supreme martyrs.
According to reports in the media a netizen had sought information online from Darul Uloom regarding Ghazwa-e-Hind. This person had asked the seminary whether there is any mention of it in the Hadith. In response, Darul Uloom Deoband cited ‘Sunan an-Nasai’, one of the ‘Kutub al-Sittah’ (six major collections of authentic Ahadith). It said that there is an entire chapter in it regarding Ghazwa-e-Hind. This prompted the authorities to take up the matter. Taking cognizance of the complaint by NCPCR chairman Priyank Kanungo, Saharanpur district officer Dinesh Chandra directed SDM and CO Deoband to take action after investigation. This organisation operates madrassas throughout South Asia.
Literally speaking, the word ‘Ghazwa’ in Arabic is to mean to wage a battle on enemy. Historically speaking, the phrase is used to refer to Muslim warriors to a certain area. In a Hadith on the topic, narrated by some of the companions of Prophet suggest huge reward for those who participate in that ‘Ghazwa’. That reward will be freedom from Hell-fire for two groups of followers. Among them is one who invade al-hind (meaning ‘India’) and the Second group who will accompany Prophet Eisa (Jesus Christ) (may peace be upon him) and confront Dajjal (or the anti-Christ).
That particular Hadith has been narrated by FOUR different Companions 1)Thauban, 2)Abu Huraira 3)Safwan bin Amroo and 4)Ka’ab Ahbar. This Hadith is available in Musnad Ahmed (Ref:5/278) & Hadith No.3175 in Nisaayi). It is clear that, this all happened around 1500 years ago. Again, there is no mention of the era, period in which these incidents are going to happen. It should be noted that India during that era was referred to the entire area spread from Mecca beyond Afghanistan, Sind and area stretching beyond. In that case, an expedition from Arab-Muslim forces has happened in 712 A.C, during the days of Caliphate in Baghdad under young Commander Mohammed bin Qasim with Raja Daher in Sindh. In short, there was no nation with the specific name of al-Hind during the days of the Prophet. This area then was known as Kushal Desh, Jambu Deep, Arya vrut, Bharat etc. The north-eastern area was however was known as ‘Sindh’ and not ‘hind’ or al-Hind. Besides, according to the principles of Jurisprudence, the chain of Narration for that particular Hadith is weak according to the measured standards. Hence it is deemed to be not authentic.
The Hadith under reference has been there in the books for centuries since the days of Prophet. In the present day political scenario as often reported in the media, Pakistan-based terror groups have been using this term to justify their own activities against India. From historical point of view and strictly speaking, ‘Ghazwa’ is used for those battles in which the Prophet took part personally. In case where he deputed someone else to lead the charge on enemy, that is called ‘sariya’. It is also likely that during the later days, some people with vested interests fabricated Hadith to suit their own need. This type of behavior was often resorted to during the rule of Umayyid Caliphs. That prompted the Scholars of those days to grade the Hadith in different categories based on the basis of chain of narrations.
According to Maulana Waris Mazhari of the Darul Uloom Deoband seminary in Uttar Pradesh, had the Ghazwa-e-Hind narrative been true, it would have been narrated by many companions of the Prophet and cited in multiple collections of the Hadith “considering the merits or rewards of the Ghazwa-e-Hind that it talks about.”8 Given that only one companion of the Prophet reported it, Maulana Waris Mazhari claims that “it is possible that this Hadith report is not genuine and that it might have been manufactured in the period of the Umayyad Caliphs to suit and justify their own political purposes and expansionist designs.” The present report in the media now surprises readers by giving the impression as if the invasion is about to take place and there will be huge un-called for situation of unrest between various groups in India in near future. First of all there is no truth in this false talk. Let this be very clear that such malicious talk is aimed to create divisions, and distrust between Muslims and Hindus in the country. The fact is there have numerous attempts to quote this Hadith by various groups in favor of their own activities. We cite a few for information as under:
Maulana Waris Mazhari of the Darul Uloom Deoband seminary claims that “it is possible that this Hadith report is not genuine and that it might have been manufactured in the period of the Umayyad Caliphs to suit and justify their own political purposes and expansionist designs.”(1)
Even Maulana Mufti Mushtaq Tijarvi of Jamaat-e-Islami India has affirmed that the Ghazwa-i-Hind Hadith is not genuine at all and perhaps a fabrication intended to justify Muhammad bin Qasim’s invasion of India in the 7th century. (2)
One interpretation of the above Hadith links Ghazwatul Hind with Jesus’ campaign after his Second Coming at endtimes. According to the interpretation, Jesus would lead an army to capture the western hemisphere on his ‘Second Coming’, while another contingent fights in the east in the so-called ‘Ghazwatul-Hind’ campaign.(3)
Meanwhile, some Indian Islamic scholars like Mufti Sajid Qasmi from Dar ul-Uloom Deoband suggest that the Ghazwatul Hind prophecy came true following the raids of Muhammad bin Qasim (712) and Mahmud Ghazni and that is why Ghazwatul Hind will not happen in the future.(4)
In May 2014, the then Al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) released a video of Burmese Mufti Abuzar Azzam discussing Ghazwa-e-Hind. He argued that the region of ‘Hind’ not only covers India but also includes Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Kashmir, Burma, and Bangladesh; and explained that the so-called jihad in Pakistan was part of his group’s Ghazwa-e-Hind.(5)
Similarly, the Uyghur jihadi group Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) released a video in April 2014 proclaiming jihad against China as necessary for the fulfilment of the Prophet’s purported Ghazwa-e-Hind prophecy.(6)
To these groups, Hind does not just relate to India, but more specifically to Pakistan and China as well. Thus, Ghazwatul Hind appears simply to be a speculative eschatological red herring, meant to mislead young minds by violent extremist groups. It is a meaningless slogan linked to a patently immoral and irreligious war against humanity.
(Excerpts from the article on the subject by Shri Dr. Adil Rasheed is Research Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, Govt. of India, New Delhi)
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The author can be reachedat Email: sdilyashyd@yahoo.com