FORMATION OF JAMAAT
It was the first organised Islamic reformist movement in the Indian subcontinent formed on 26th August 1941 under the leadership of Syed Abul Ala Maududi, the Jamaat Addressed all Indians regardless of caste and creed. It appeals to all sections of humanity to eschew the path of violence and mutual hatred, terrorism and oppression, and to settle down to the task of building a R
ighteous Society on stable and abiding foundations. From its very inception it advocated the cause of the Righteous Way, the way of peace and abiding well-being. The Jama'at points out that the time has come for the nation and the world to learn from the traumatic past. We must learn from the experience of the west; and from the bitter turmoil that raged in our own country. The Jamaat believes that Islam and Muslims have a special commitment to building a peaceful and prosperous world, a world where there is no material exploitation, no division of human life into separate material and spiritual domains, and where divine values hold good in all walks of life. A world where religion is no tool for hegemonisation, but is a way of life that is holistic and profoundly positive. The Jamaat-e-Islami was not one more school among several religious schools, nor even a religious organisation in the narrow sense. Nor did it claim to be the Al-Jama'at founded by the Prophet (peace be upon him). The doors of the organisation are thrown open to any citizen who accepts the sacred motto La ilaha illallah, Muhammadur Rasulullah in its entirety and all its implications, and is ready to work for the establishment of the divine order in the land. It rejects the un-Islamic principle 'the end justifies the means'; instead, the Islamic movement professes the way adopted by the prophets, the way of peaceful and non-violent transmission of ideas. Till the attainment of freedom and the partition of the country, the Jamaat's activities were confined to propagation of ideas mainly literature and publications in Urdu. Not surprisingly, the circumstances did not allow the organisation to win the Muslim society over to its way of thinking, since it had been divided between the national movement and the Muslim communal politics. Even so, the unique approach of this new organisation made a deep impression on a substantial section of the educated intellectuals, particularly of the middle class. They were enthused to recognise in Islam a complete, divinely ordained way of living that can replace the many man-made materialistic systems. At the same time, the Jamaat faced stiff opposition from both the superstitious sections given to irrational and exploitative practices, and the nationalistic and communalistic sections. PARTITION
When the country was partitioned into India and Pakistan, the Islamic movement responded to the new realities by splitting into two independent organisations. In April 1948, at a meeting in Allahabad The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind was formed with Maulana Abullais Nadwi as its Ameer (President). The workers of the Jamaat-e-Islami in Jammu & Kashmir chose to remain as an independent organisation called Jammu & Kashmir Jamaat-e-Islami. The organisation was faced with the unenviable task of restoring the morale of a despondent Muslim society that had lost its leadership in the wake of the partition. It also took up the challenge of liberating the community from its past mistakes and turning it into a model society that has confidence and sense of direction. This reawakening was made all the more difficult by the leftover of the communal divide that had led to the partition. The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind had to face opposition from many quarters from the irreligious and anti-religious parties and their governments and from communalists of various hues. Obviously, it had to devote a major portion of its activities to defending itself against these onslaughts. Moreover, it experienced severe shortage of resources. These factors were major hurdles in the growth and expansion of the movement. Nevertheless, it now has units in 20 states, carrying out activities systematically, openly and transparently. It has undertaken the twin tasks of presenting Islam to the people, and of refining the Muslims as a community. It holds clear and firm opinions on national and international issues. It has never surrendered to pressures or threats. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind is an organisation that functions quite legitimately and peacefully. It has also been formulating its election policies from time to time, which have consistently been against fascism and supportive of the democratic norms and value-based politics.
