Abul A'la Maududi

Abul A'la Maududi
Name	Abul A'la Maududi
Caption	Abul A'la Maududi, c. 1970s
Birth date	25 September 1903
Birth place	Aurangabad, Hyderabad State, British Raj
Death date	22 September 1979 (aged 75)
Death place	Buffalo, New York, United States
Resting place	Ichhra, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Occupation	Islamic scholar, philosopher, jurist, journalist, imam
Known for	Founder of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Islamic revival, Islamic economics
Notable works	Tafhim-ul-Quran, Towards Understanding Islam, Islamic Law and Constitution
Movement	Islamism
Party	Jamaat-e-Islami
Spouse	Mahmudah Begum

Abul A'la Maududi was a seminal South Asian Islamic scholar, political philosopher, and the founder of the Jamaat-e-Islami, one of the most influential Islamist movements of the 20th century. His extensive writings, which synthesized traditional Islamic theology with a modern political framework, advocated for the establishment of an Islamic state governed by Sharia. Maududi's ideology profoundly shaped political Islam across the Muslim world, influencing figures like Sayyid Qutb in Egypt and leaving a lasting institutional legacy in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Early life and education

Maududi was born in 1903 in Aurangabad, then part of the princely state of Hyderabad State under the British Raj. His father, Ahmad Hasan, was a lawyer descended from Chishti Sufi lineage, but Maududi received a predominantly modern education. After his father's illness, his formal schooling at Darul Uloom in Hyderabad and M.A.O. College in Aligarh was interrupted, leading him to pursue intense self-study. He mastered Arabic, English, and Urdu, immersing himself in the works of classical scholars like Ibn Taymiyyah and modern thinkers such as Muhammad Iqbal, while also working as a journalist for newspapers like Al-Jamiat.

Political and ideological development

His early career in Delhi and Hyderabad exposed him to the fervent political debates surrounding the Khilafat Movement and the decline of the Ottoman Empire. Deeply critical of both Western colonialism and what he perceived as the stagnation of traditional Muslim clergy, Maududi began formulating his distinct ideology. He argued that Islam was a complete revolutionary ideology, or "deen," encompassing all aspects of life, and that Muslims had deviated from its true political essence. This period saw his growing opposition to the Indian National Congress's secularism and the All-India Muslim League's nationalist agenda for Pakistan, which he initially viewed as insufficiently Islamic.

Founding of Jamaat-e-Islami

On 26 August 1941, in Lahore, Maududi formally established the Jamaat-e-Islami, envisioning it as a vanguard party to cultivate pious individuals and ultimately establish an Islamic state. Unlike traditional religious organizations, the Jamaat was structured as a disciplined, hierarchical political party with a defined membership. Following the Partition of India in 1947, Maududi migrated to the newly created Pakistan, where he headquartered the party in Lahore. The Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan became his primary vehicle for advocating the Islamization of the country's constitution and legal system, positioning itself in opposition to secular leaders like Muhammad Ali Jinnah and later Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Key writings and thought

Maududi was a prolific author, producing over 120 works. His magnum opus is the six-volume Quranic commentary Tafhim-ul-Quran (Towards Understanding the Quran), written in Urdu. Foundational texts like Towards Understanding Islam and Islamic Law and Constitution systematically outlined his vision. Central to his thought were concepts like Hakimiyyah (God's sovereignty), which posited that ultimate legislative authority belongs only to God, and Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance), which he applied to modern secular societies. He also pioneered ideas on Islamic economics, rejecting interest and advocating for a Zakat-based welfare system.

Political activism and controversies

Maududi's activism led to frequent confrontations with the state. He opposed the Objectives Resolution of 1949 as inadequate and was imprisoned in 1953 for his alleged role in the Anti-Ahmadiyya riots during the Punjab Disturbances. He was sentenced to death by a martial law court, a penalty later commuted. He consistently challenged governments, from the Ayub Khan regime to that of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, facing repeated imprisonment. His writings, particularly his critique of Islamic modernism and his rigid stance on apostasy and Hudud punishments, generated significant controversy among both liberal intellectuals and traditional scholars from the Deoband and Barelvi schools.

Legacy and influence

Maududi's legacy is immense and global. Within Pakistan, his ideas directly influenced the Islamization policies of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq in the 1980s, embedding his concepts into the country's legal framework. Internationally, his works, translated into numerous languages, inspired Islamist movements worldwide, most notably shaping the ideology of Sayyid Qutb and the Muslim Brotherhood in the Middle East. The Jamaat-e-Islami persists as a significant political force in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Kashmir, and its offshoots operate in India, Sri Lanka, and beyond. Think tanks like the Islamic Foundation in Leicester continue to propagate his works, cementing his status as a foundational architect of modern political Islam.

Category:1903 births Category:1979 deaths Category:Pakistani Islamic scholars Category:Islamist ideologues Category:Founders of Islamic organizations