.png)
keeping the Waqf Alive is Our Religious Duty
The Prime Minister looks for Waqf in the Constitution, but the powers given to us by the Constitution are not visible to him: Maulana Arshad Madani
It is not just Muslims, but the Constitution of India is under threat
If the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar support the Waqf Amendment Bill, they will be stabbing Muslims in the back
A stirring speech by Maulana Arshad Madani at the historic “Save Constitution and National Solidarity Conference” held today in Patna, the capital of Bihar
New Delhi: 24 November 2024
While addressing a large gathering of Muslims who had gathered to attend the historic “Save Constitution and National Solidarity Conference” held today at the Bapu Sabhagar Auditorium in Patna, the capital of Bihar, Maulana Arshad Madani, President of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, openly tried to make the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar understand that if they support the Central Government's Waqf Amendment Bill in order to remain in power, it would be like stabbing Muslims in the back. He said that this dual politics cannot continue — where you take our votes and then use the power gained from those votes against us.
Maulana Madani said that keeping Waqf alive is our religious duty because it is a part of Islam, and Islam is what Allah has stated in His book or what the Prophet Muhammad has said in His sayings (Hadiths). He proved through references from Hadiths that Waqf is not a new practice; rather, it has been ongoing since the early days of Islam. For the past fourteen hundred years, people have been endowing their properties and assets in the name of Allah for helping the needy and for other noble causes. He further said that our personal law is based on the Quran and Sunnah, and no amendment can be made to it until the Day of Judgment. By saying this, we are not making any unconstitutional statement; in fact, the secular Constitution has given us full freedom to follow this.
In this context, Maulana Madani expressed his astonishment at the recent statement of the Prime Minister regarding Waqf, in which he claimed that there is no mention of Waqf in the Constitution. Responding strongly to this statement, he said that if the Prime Minister has said this about Waqf today, tomorrow he may also claim that prayer, fasting, Hajj, and Zakat are not mentioned in the Constitution, and therefore, they should be banned. He further stated that they did not expect such a weak statement from the Prime Minister. If he is unaware of this matter, he could have sought information from those who are well-versed in the Constitution.
Maulana Madani said that Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution guarantee religious freedom to all minorities in the country, and Waqf is an important component of this religious freedom. Therefore, it is our religious duty to protect and preserve it. He further stated that if the bill, which aims to destroy Waqf properties and facilitate the occupation of Waqf land, is presented in Parliament, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, along with Muslims, other minorities and all justice-loving people, will launch a nationwide movement against it within the framework of the law. This is because Muslims can bear any loss, but they cannot tolerate any interference with Shariah.
He said the mission of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has always been to maintain love, affection, and respect for every individual in the country, and treat everyone with religious tolerance based on humanity irrespective of caste and religion. He further stated that no conspiracy by communal forces to turn the country into a Hindu Rashtra will be allowed to succeed. Followers of different religions can only live with their religious symbols and identity under the Constitution.
He expressed deep concern over the politics of hatred spread in the country, saying that when the Prime Minister and the Home Minister of the country make irresponsible statements against Muslims, who can stop others from making poisonous remarks? Referring to the Chief Minister of Assam, he said that since this person became the Chief Minister, he has been constantly spewing venom against Muslims. He has so much hatred for Muslims that he does not even mention their name; instead, he calls them "intruders". It is worth noting that in the recent elections in Jharkhand, Biswa Sarma made poisonous speeches everywhere and called Muslims "intruders." Maulana Madani said that Hindus, Muslims, and Christians of Jharkhand united and set the fire of this person’s politics of hatred ablaze.
While describing Himanta Biswa Sarma as a wounded person, Maulana Madani said that he had been dreaming of stripping millions of Muslims in Assam of their citizenship, and the communal forces were demanding that the 1951 census be used as the basis for citizenship. However, as a result of the legal struggle led by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, the Supreme Court's verdict thwarted his sinister plans. Consequently, these people are now licking their wounds.
While mentioning the Supreme Court's verdict regarding the Assam citizenship issue, as well as the actions against madrasas and the bulldozer operations, Maulana Madani highlighted Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind's continuous legal struggle in this regard. He said that Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has always stood with the helpless, marginalized, and oppressed people in every difficult moment, without considering their religion. He also referred to the massive destruction caused by floods in Kerala a few years ago and said that Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind helped the victims by providing them with new homes, which included Muslims, Hindus, and Christians. In this context, he said that there are millions of Hindus in the country who are against the politics of hatred, and they consider the destructive actions happening in the name of politics in the country to be wrong.
Maulana Madani further said that we have many issues, but the Waqf Amendment Bill is a crucial one. We completely reject this bill because there is not a single amendment in it that can be discussed. He once again informed the governments of Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, stating that Waqf is our religious matter, and if they claim to be secular, they should make their position clear and transparent on this issue. If they support it to remain in power, it will clearly mean that they have stabbed Muslims in the back.
At the end, he said that social and political organizations, as well as other institutions that believe in secularism and the rule of law, should unite against the communal forces and thwart their sinister plans. He further stated that if the Constitution and the rule of law do not prevail in the country and justice is not upheld, the fabric of this nation will disintegrate, which would be destructive for both the majority and the minority.
…..
Comments