Correspondence

Islam and Mullaism

To – Maulana Muhammad Yaqub Khan,

Editor, The Light, Lahore, India.

DEAR BROTHER,

The compliments and due respects from an erstwhile student to you! Many thanks for publishing my letter in your paper which has earned for itself a name under your guiding editorship, one can only feel proud for having done such an important thing for the Muslim Community as you have done. The Light serves the Cause of Islam not only in India but beyond her borders also. The Light is the publication of the Ahmadiyya Community, and the Editor an Ahmadi is what I am told. But what I think about the paper is this:

The Maulana Yaqub Khan is one of the pillars supporting the House of Islam; the Light in the House exposing everything in the House: thereby making us not to grope in the dark. Your tolerance in answering questions in the paper and the tolerance you show in your Editorial is one of the captivating points that sticks a man to the Light, besides your erudition in those subjects that you handle. Out of experience I speak not out of sentimentality. Your tolerance is all the more striking when put beside the intolerance and anger too, of the long-robed and long-bearded Mulla. Many a Mulla had lost the substance and went after the shadow, and they had been followed suit by the masses. The shadow soon vanished as it is bound to vanish, and the masses had to go home with the Mulla empty-handed. Nothing a Mulla dreads so much as free inquiry in matters religious. None should try to translate passages from the Quran – an attempt not to be made by one who knows English, or rather one who knows the language the Mulla does not understand. Why all these restrictions when every Muslim has been commanded by our Prophet ﷺ to inquire into everything we do not understand! The Mulla orders us to do this and that and millions obey it not knowing why. The farce that the Mullas create in the Fasting month, in the days that follow the demise of a rich man, is one of the reasons why Islam in India is ignorant Islam or rather Mullaism and not Muhammadanism. When the season for Maulud (the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) is come we breathe not the healthy and soothing atmosphere of what is contained in the verses we chant but we smell highly flavoured ghee, meat, rice and other rich eatables.

What is the difference between Christians making the Christmas luxurious, free, loose, drinking orgy and the Mullas converting the Maulud time into unhealthy and luxurious dieting?

One now-a-days awaits the Maulud time thinking about the meat and food rather than thinking about fraternal group gathering to breathe the air of the meanings of chanting. What you have done to try to remove hard encrustations on Islam is commendable. And we fondly look to your boys in the Muslim High School to take up the work boldly and sincerely. From now onwards I hope to write you letters and I count upon your consideration for their publication.

                                                                                                    E. R. ARHAFUS.

                                                                                                    Medan, Sumatra,

                                                                                                    Indonesia. 

                                                                                            (The Light – June 16, 1939)