Was Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, a secular person or he visualized Pakistan to be a secular state? Who is Secular? The dictionary meanings of the term suggests that the one person concerned with the affairs of this world and not bound by a religious rule is called a secular person. The general perception of a secular person is the one who believes in the separation of religion and the temporal world i.e. who considers religion as one’s personal and private matter which has nothing to do with the affairs of the state. In Pakistan a debate has been going on for the past many decades as to the Quaid’s vision of Pakistan. A small number of writers, especially those contributing to the English press, insist that Quaid-i-Azam envisaged Pakistan’s political structure independent of the Islamic principles and desired to establish a secular democratic state. On the contrary, a large majority of the Pakistanis firmly believe that Pakistan was envisioned as a democratic but modern and Islamic state because the country was achieved in the name of Islam. The best way to understand Jinnah’s religious moorings and his vision of Pakistan is to examine his approach towards life and to study the consistent themes of his relevant speeches and statements extending over four decades. For example we come across Jinnah’s decision to seek admission in Lincoln’s Inn for his Bar-at-Law because it included the name of the Holy Prophet of Islam in the list of great lawgivers of the world. It was mentioned ∗ Senior Civil Servant, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad. 40 Pakistan Journal of History & Culture, Vol. XXIII/1, 2002 by the Quaid himself while addressing the Karachi Bar Association on Eid Miladun-Nabi. 1 The true significance of his decision cannot be easily appreciated because Jinnah appears to be a fine model of the western life style in all respects. Such a decision could be taken only by a person whose heart was kindled with the deep love for the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him); otherwise a young man of seventeen years is not expected to attach any importance to such matters in the free for all environment of London. I have referred to early years of Jinnah’s life because upbringing and education received during the formative period makes lasting impressions and plays a crucial role in shaping attitudes. Jinnah’s father Jinnah Bhai Poonja had religious inclination2 and used to teach Holy Qur‘an to the children of his locality in the evening. 3 In his childhood, Jinnah had developed an interest in listening to Islamic historical tales from his mother before going to sleep. Jinnah’s father, a teacher at Mission School of Karachi, in addition to his involvement in business, preferred to get his son admitted in Sind Madaressatul Islam because in the Mission School students were given lessons on Christianity whereas Sind Madrassah had Islamic milieu. According to the Madrassah’s record the word “Muhammadan”4 was registered in front of Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s name instead of “Khoja”. On migration to Bombay, the Anjuman-i Islamia School was selected for Jinnah for the same reasons. Thus, brought up in a religious cradle Jinnah received his early education in an Islamic environment, which motivated him to select the Lincoln’s Inn. 1. Syed Sharif-ud-din Pirzada, Some Aspects of Quaid-e-Azam’s Life (Islamabad: National Commission on Historical & Cultural Research, 1978), p.10 [Eid-i Miladun-Nabi means birthday celebrations of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)]. See also Hector Bolitho, Jinnah, Creator of Pakistan (Lahore: Oxford University Press, 1969), p.9. 2. Poonja’s religious propensity and family background can be visualised from the fact that when Jinnah sought his father’s permission to join a theatrical company in London so that he could become financially independent, Poonja wrote him a long letter disapproving the proposal. One sentence that touched Jinnah the most was. “Do not be a traitor to the family.” Pirzada, p.11. 3. Rizwan Ahmad, Quaid-e-Azam - Ibtedai Tees Saal, (1876-1906) (Urdu) (Lahore: Aatish Fashan Publications, 1987), p.65. 4. Ibid., p.68. Jinnah’s Vision of Pakistan 41 After completing his bar at Lincoln’s Inn at the age of twenty, Jinnah reached Bombay in 1896. His religious propensity and interest in the welfare of the Muslims was evident from the fact that soon after reaching Bombay he started taking active part in the activities of Anjuman-i lslamia, an organisation of the Muslims. He attended its first meeting on 8th July 1897 and a month later on 12th August he attended Eid Miladun-Nabi function of the Anjuman.5 His love for the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) can be judged from the fact that despite his legal and political engagements, he found time to attend the aforementioned commemorations. Jinnah’s career as a legislator began on 17 March 1911 when he introduced his first legislative bill on Waqf (tax exemption for Muslim endowments). As a result of the decision of the Privy Council of London in 1894, Islamic law of Waqf-ul Aulad was rendered ineffective because the Privy Council had invalidated testamentary gifts of Muslim property left in tax free Waqf (trust) for ultimate reversion to religious charity. The Muslims felt perturbed over the Privy Council’s decision but were helpless against the British government. Jinnah took upon himself, as a representative of the Muslim community in the Council to move the Waqf Validating Bill seeking legislative reversal of the Privy Council decision charging that it was opposed to the fundamental principles of Islamic jurisprudence. After lengthy debates extending over a period of two years, Jinnah succeeded in getting the bill passed on March 5, 1913. It was the first issue on which he ‘opened his mouth in the Council’ and was the first religious bill moved by a Muslim member of the Imperial Legislative Council, which became law of the land to the advantage of the Indian Muslims. When Jinnah decided to marry Miss Ruttie Dinshaw, daughter of Bombay’s famous Parsee leader, Sir Dinshaw Petit, he asked her to embrace Islam, which she did and accepted Islam as her new religion. Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani, the well-known Pakistani religious leader, has verified this fact. He claims that Jinnah used 5. Dr. Riaz Ahmad, The Works of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Vol.I, (Islamabad: Quaid-i-Azam Chair, N.l.P.S. Quaid-i-Azam University, 1996), p.4. 42 Pakistan Journal of History & Culture, Vol. XXIII/1, 2002 to consult and seek guidance in religious matters from his real uncle Maulana Nazir Siddiqui, Imam of Jamia Masjid Bombay, and a Sunni religious scholar who died at Madinatul Munawwarah and was buried in Jannat-ul Baquee‘ graveyard. Thus Muhammad Ali Jinnah took Ruttie to Maulana Nazir Siddiqui, for conversion to Islam.6 Jinnah’s prudence and circumspection is well known. He would never take any decision without weighing it properly. It is generally believed that he belonged to the Shi‘a sect of lsna Ash‘ari. No doubt his family had the same religious background but the question is why did he not select any Shi‘a scholar for performing the ceremony of Ruttie’s embracing Islam. However, their nikah was performed by the Isna Ash‘ari Qazi.7 This small and insignificant issue suggests us that Jinnah was far above sectarianism.8 It became further clear when somebody asked him as to which sect he belonged Sunni or Shi‘a? The Quaid retorted: “What was the religion of the Holy Prophet” (peace be upon him)? During his visit to Quetta, a Shi‘a delegation called on Jinnah. During the meeting, a member of the delegation remarked that we have prior right on you because you belong to our sect. Quaid’s reply was curt, “No. I am a Muslim”.9 Such instances amply speak about his attitude of mind and perception of religion. The renowned religious scholar Maulana Shabbir Ahmad Osmani, a stalwart of the Sunnis, led funeral prayers of the Quaid. It is an interesting co-incidence that Jinnah’s only daughter, Dina Jinnah, was born on the midnight of 14th and 15th August 1919 and exactly 28 years later on the midnight of 14th and 15th August, 1947 his political offspring, Pakistan emerged on the world map. It is a fact that Muhammad Ali Jinnah immensely loved his daughter, who was the only symbol of his first and the last love, 6. Pirzada, p.46. 7. Ibid. 8. S.M. Burke, Jinnah: Speeches & Statements (Karachi: Oxford University Press, 2000), p.148. 9. Hanif Shahid, Quaid-i-Azam awr Islam (Urdu) (Lahore: Bookman, 2001), p.34. Jinnah’s Vision of Pakistan 43 yet when Dina decided to marry a Parsee youth, Neville Wadia, Muhammad Ali Jinnah severed his relations with her forever. It can be argued that Jinnah could maintain social relations with her; after all she was his only daughter. There are many such examples where liberal Muslims have been maintaining social relations with their converted sons and daughters. But Jinnah decided to part his ways with Dina, never to see her again, because for him Dina’s parting with Islam meant permanent parting with Jinnah. After her conversion, Jinnah did not even mention her to his friends as if he never had a daughter. After her marriage, Dina wrote letters to her father, which he replied like a civilised and cultured person, but made it a point to address her as Mrs. Wadia10 instead of “My dear Dina”. It is a well known fact that Mrs. Wadia wanted to visit Pakistan to see her ailing father, the Governor General of Pakistan, but her request was turned down by the Quaid in spite of attempts at persuasion by some family friends. She came to Pakistan for the first and the last time, only to mourn the death of her late father. Muhammad Sharif Toosy of Wazirabad, was an educationist and a learned man. Despite his government service constraints, he contributed convincingly impressive articles to the press supporting Muslim demand for Pakistan, which caused a stir in the political circles. Jinnah admired his articles and asked for his assistance for the wider dissemination of his message through the press. During his stay in Bombay with the Quaid for six months Toosy happened to see Jinnah from very close quarters. Toosy says that Jinnah’s library had a valuable treasure of books on various Islamic subjects like Seerat-un-Nabi, (life of the Prophet PBUH) Islamic history, Islamic law, English translation of Holy Qur‘an, and the biographies of the pious Caliphs, which Jinnah used to study at intervals during his legal and political preoccupations. It is worth recalling that after the battle of Badar, one of the sons of Hazrat Abu Bakar, Abdur Rehman, who had not yet embraced Islam disclosed to his father that during the battle he had a chance to kill him but he refrained as “you are my father”. Hazrat Abu Bakar replied: “By God if I had found you in my range, I 10. Stanley Wolpert, Jinnah of Pakistan (Karachi: Oxford University Press, 2000), p.370. 44 Pakistan Journal of History & Culture, Vol. XXIII/1, 2002 would have killed you”. It means that in Islam loyalty to religion and not to blood determines relationship. Thus Jinnah followed the same principle by severing his relations with his only daughter after she renounced Islam. Some people may comment that Jinnah’s reaction to his daughter’s marriage was his attitudinal or egoistic response. Objective study of this episode would lead us to the conclusion that it was not the question of Jinnah’s ego but a matter of his religious sensibility. Detailed account of this episode, based on original source, has been given by Stanley Wolpert who writes that when Dina had expressed her wish to marry Wadia, “Jinnah tried his best to dissuade her... Jinnah in his usual imperious manner told her that there were millions of Muslim boys in India and she could have anyone she chose”.11 Dina’s insistence disappointed Jinnah who never spoke to her after she married.12 It is obvious that Jinnah wanted Dina to marry a Muslim, not any particular person or a family. By laying down the condition of “any Muslim” he made it clear that it was the question of religion and not of temporal world, nor a problem of his ego. Maulana Hasrat Mohani13 has revealed that once he wanted to discuss a problem of immediate nature with Jinnah and he went to see him early in the morning, knowing that he was an early riser. The guard at his house led him to the waiting room and told him to wait as Jinnah was expected any moment. According to Maulana, he waited for sometime and then decided to enter the next room himself in order to find Jinnah. As he entered the adjacent room, he heard a sobbing voice. The Maulana got worried and quietly peeped through the curtain on the door. He was surprised to find
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