I seem to be reading a lot of M.J Akbar lately. The other day I was going through his book The Shade of Swords: Jihad and the Conflict between Islam and Christianity, when I read about this figure known as Abu Rayhan Mohammed Ibn Ahmed Al-Biruni, possibly the greatest of Islams juggernauts and undoubtedly one of the foremost intellectuals of the era. Scholar, historian, physician, mathematician, anthropologist, astronomer, the list is enough to boggle the mind. I found myself thinking, How the hell can he cram all that into one lifetime?! Al
Biruni was also possibly the worlds first anthropologist, writing detailed comparative notes on the differences between the cultures he encountered in his vast travels. He was the one who wrote about the Aryan - Indic civilisation and the mysteries of Brahmanism. His achievements are quite frankly way too many to list on this page.
These were the men who comprised the Golden Age of Islam.
Who represent the face of Islam today?
Lets see..
Osama Bin Laden. Ayman Al-Zawhiri. Pervez Musharraf. Malcolm X. The Ayatollah Khomeini.
An interesting mix, but all of them have severe negative shades, and almost all of them are famous, or shall I say infamous for their authoritarian dispositions and violent streaks. Another thing that unites them is that almost all the nations they belong to are now lying in shambles. When was the last time anyone heard of a successful Muslim scientist, or shall we say athelete, or astronomer, or even businessman for that matter? The Arabs are reknowned worldwide for their lack of functioning neurons, and there are many jokes about how their money is siphoned from them faster than the petrol from their oil reserves, either by 'western powers' such as the Americans and the Europeans, or the Jews, who are present in most levels of hierarchy that matters. The golden Age of Islam is definitely going through a twilight zone, only here the twilight may either be the representative of dawn or dusk, it is hard to say. My personal belief would be that after almost a 1500 years of success and prosperity, the Islamic empire is now headed toward the long night.
Moving on to the Indian political scenario, the Indian Muslim has long been facing what can truly be called an identity crisis. It has been brought to our country by races and cultures that are not our own, and while those other nations have now become synonymous with Islam, India has still managed to retain its 'unity in diversity slogan', a fact which has no doubt anguished many orthodox Muslims, who for some very absurd reason believe that culture and religion cannot coexist, and that if your religion is Islam then your culture should be Arabic. Notice the next 'orthodox' looking Muslim you see, and note his image:
A thick beard, a white kurta-pyjama, a white knitted cotton cap and chappals.
Firstly, the beard. It has been a big source of debate in Indian circles whether the beard is necessary or not for the Muslim, and the truth is this: The beard is absolutely unrequired, and wearing it is only out of respect for the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). The Kurta Pyjama are Afghan imports brought through to us by the Mughals, and we now associate them with Islamic wear when actually the arab dress is quite different. The cap again is another bone of contention, and I really dont see the point of wearing that ridiculous cap. It doesnt have the elegance of a fez or the masculinity of the turban, and just looks downright silly, and yet is insisted upon during prayer when it is perfectly allowed to pray without any headgear.
Which brings me to my main point: Why does religion have to be synonymous with culture?
Observing the fundamentals of the Islamic faith is something that can be done in any culture and cause minimal disturbance to daily lifestyle. The fundamentals of the Islamic faith being: Belief in God and his Final Prophet Muhammad (SAW); the five daily prayers; donation of 2.5% of annual income to charity; fasting during Ramzan and the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina.
Observance of these is not an issue, because there are no cultural constraints or restrictions such as language, dressing, food habits, etc, which might otherwise shape the culture. And yet, I have noticed the obsession to emulate Arab culture.
I have been a member of the Tableeghi Jamaat (TJ) and one of the advantages is that you get to interact with Muslims from all over the world. I have met Muslims from Africa, Sudan, Palestine, Arabia, even Thailand and France. And yet, no matter where they come from, they are dressed in long arabian robes, try and speak Arabic in ridiculous accents, and have long heavy beards.
Long ago, my father planted a thought in my head. He said, "If this community could understand what they say five times a day, they would be truly enlightened."
He was referring to the five daily prayers, which 90% of Indian muslims do not comprehend simply because they are in a foreign language. All this prologue finally brings me to my main point; Why can't we Muslims say our five daily prayers and read the Noble Qur'an, which has indeed been given to all mankind, in a language which is comprehensible? Take a look at the Christians. Chrisitians in South India say their prayers in Malayalam, in the North they say it in Hindi, etc. Even English, the language most widely associated with the Bible is not the original tongue of the Bible, it is Hebrew. So if the Bible has now been translated in a language of people's benefit, why can't the same be done to the Qur'an. The implications could be staggering.
