Selected speeches by Islamic Expert ABUL A’LA MAUDUDI.

 Maududi; 25 September 1903 – 22 September 1979) was an Islamist philosopher, jurist, journalist and imam.

Syed Abul A'la Maududi.

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful and the Most Beneficent 

The first in a series of speeches and literature by Maududi.

The word ‘Jihād’ is commonly translated into English as ‘the Holy War’ and for a long while now the word has been interpreted so that it has become synonymous with a ‘mania of religion’.

The word ‘Jihād’ conjures up the vision of a marching band of religious fanatics with savage beards and fiery eyes brandishing drawn swords and attacking the infidels wherever they meet them and pressing them under the edge of the sword for the recital of Kalima. The Artists have drawn this picture with masterly strokes and have inscribed these words under it in bold letters:

 ‘The History of this Nation is a tale of Bloodshed’. The irony is that the painters are no other than those benefactors of ours who themselves have been engaged in an extremely unholy war for centuries on end.

They themselves present the picture of robbers who armed to the teeth with

all kinds of deadly weapons, have set upon the world pillaging it for the capture of new markets of trade, resources of raw material, open lands for colonisation and mines yielding valuable metals, so that they may procure fuel for their ever burning fire of avarice. They fight not for the cause of God but for the satisfaction of their lust and hunger.

For them, it is a sufficient excuse for invading a nation because the territory of that nation contains mines, or their lands yield bumper crops or oil has been struck there or they can be exploited as profitable markets for their manufactured goods or that their surplus population can be settled on the lands belonging to the intended victims. In the absence of all the other excuses, they consider it a grave crime on the part of a nation if she happens to live en route to a country already captured by them or the one they plan to capture. Whatever we did is now part of history, past and gone, but their deeds are a present matter witnessed by the world day and night. Asia, Africa, Europe and America—which portion of this planet has been spared from bloodbath resulting from their unholy war? Their skill is, however, commendable that they have painted our picture so gory and dark that their own picture was overshadowed and was completely hidden from the view.

Our own simplicity is amazing too.

When we saw this picture of ours painted by the foreigners, we were so taken aback that we never thought of looking behind the canvas and seeing the visage of the painter. Instead, we started offering apologies in this manner—Sir, what do we know of war and slaughter. We are pacifist preachers like the mendicants and religious divines. To refute certain religious beliefs and convert the people to some other faith instead, that is the be-all and end-all of our enthusiasm. What concern have we with Sabres! Yes, indeed, we plead guilty to one crime, though, that whenever someone else attacked us, we attacked him in self-defense. Now, of course, we have renounced that also. The crusade which is waged by swords has been abrogated for the satisfaction of your honour. Now ‘Jihad’ only refers to waging war with the tongue and pen. To fire cannons and shoot with guns is the privilege of your honour’s government and wagging tongues and scratching with pens is our pleasure.

Click the link to learn more about Maududi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abul_A%27la_Maududi