The most significant achievement of Quaid-e-Azam’s leadership is the creation of Pakistan. But what is the true essence of Pakistan’s formation? Is it a coincidence of the political circumstances in the subcontinent, a historical accident, a conspiracy to break the unity of British India, or is it the result of divine laws of action and reaction in human society? The truth is that Pakistan is a declaration of the revival of the global Muslim Ummah in the modern era. And it is also a reality that we…!
“Conflict has persisted from eternity till today
Between the light of the Prophet and the fire of disbelief.”
With the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1924, even the nominal centrality that Muslims possessed was lost, and those powers that harboured eternal hostility towards Muslims breathed a sigh of relief. However, just 16 years later, in 1940, the Muslims of the subcontinent, proclaiming their global identity, demanded the creation of Pakistan. Upon reflection, it becomes evident that by demanding the creation of Pakistan, the Muslims of the subcontinent, at a collective level, fulfilled the principle of following the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Our rightful guide, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), formed a global Muslim Ummah based on the bond of faith. The Muslims of the subcontinent, in the modern era, renewed this identity. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) chose the land of Yathrib for the first Islamic state, and the Muslims of the subcontinent announced that by establishing an independent and sovereign state in their majority areas, they would make it a “laboratory for the practice of Islam” in the modern era. Yathrib became Madinah, and this region became Pakistan.
Another astonishing fact is that, compared to other regions of the world, the Muslims of the subcontinent were the most numerous, with around 100 million Muslims at the time of the demand for Pakistan. However, in comparison to the Hindu majority, their numbers were much smaller, about one-fourth. Considering this numerical disparity, reflect upon the 26th verse of Surah Al-Anfal in the Holy Quran, where it is stated…
وَاذْكُرُواإِذْأَنتُمْ قَلِيلٌ مُّسْتَضْعَفُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ تَخَافُونَ أَن يَتَخَطَّفَكُمُ النَّاسُ فَآوَاكُمْ وَأَيَّدَكُم بِنَصْرِهِ وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ (انفال:26)
And remember when you were few and oppressed in the land, fearing that people might abduct you, but He sheltered you, supported you with His victory, and provided you with good things – that you might be grateful.
آں کتاب زندہ،قرآن حکیم
حکمت ولایزال است وقدیم
It is the living book, the Holy Quran
Wisdom is still old
Pakistan, in the modern era, came into existence as an interpretation of this Quranic command and as a symbol of the renaissance of Islam. In this historic process, the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah played a fundamental and pivotal role. This is a very high honor, and from this perspective, there is also a need to reflect upon the personal character of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah—how the light of Islamic teachings and his deep attachment to the person of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) intertwined and organized both his personal and political lives. Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah enrolled at Lincoln’s Inn in Britain to study law because the name of our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was at the top of the list of the world’s great lawgivers there. And then, half a century later, when transferring power at the time of Pakistan’s creation, Lord Mountbatten, in a mocking tone, said, “I hope that minorities in Pakistan will be treated with the same tolerance as during the reign of Akbar the Great,” Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah immediately responded, “Muslim tolerance is not limited to Akbar the Great, but over thirteen hundred years ago, our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) conquered the Jews and Christians and treated them not only justly but generously.”
The bright spark of attachment to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the heart of the young Muhammad Ali Jinnah continued to guide him on the extremely challenging path of politics. Quaid-e-Azam may have had personal flaws, but those flaws were confined to his person or those close to him, while his virtues shone through his leadership, leaving a lasting and historic impact on the collective life of the Muslims of the subcontinent.
The achievement of Pakistan’s creation by Quaid-e-Azam would not have been possible without the trust that the Muslims of the entire subcontinent placed in his leadership. He never misled the Muslims of the minority provinces but repeatedly made it clear that Pakistan would be created in the majority provinces and that the Muslims of the minority provinces would have to make sacrifices for this great cause. The uniqueness of the freedom of the land of Pakistan lies in the fact that those Muslims who had no direct connection with this land willingly made sacrifices for its freedom, fully aware of the demands of the bond of faith with the Muslims living here. There is no other example of this in history. This was the enchantment of Quaid-e-Azam’s leadership, an enchantment rooted in truth, honesty, and integrity. He never resorted to emotional slogans. He faced two mighty forces: the Hindu Congress leadership and the British government. Materially, the situation was one of helplessness; the Muslims were scattered and divided, but they still possessed the energy of faith. The truthfulness of Quaid-e-Azam’s leadership awakened this energy of faith among the Muslims. Real power belongs to the unseen forces. Faith is an unseen force but prevails over all visible powers. And this is the truth:
آج بھی ہو جو براہیم کا ایماں پیدا
آگ کر سکتی ہے اندازِ گلستاں پیدا
“Even today, if the faith of Abraham emerges,
The fire can adopt the appearance of a garden.”
Reflect upon the obstacles on the path to Pakistan’s creation, the extensive conspiracies of the opponents, the unimaginable massacres carried out to prevent Pakistan from being established on solid foundations, and then that determination, that resolve, and the decisive manner in which what seemed impossible was made possible. The creation of Pakistan holds special significance in the modern era concerning the revival of Islam. As stated in Surah Al-Anfal…
وَیَمۡکُرُوۡنَ وَیَمۡکُرُاللّٰہُ ؕوَاللّٰہُ خَیۡرُالۡمٰکِرِیۡنَ (انفال:30)
But they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners.
Allah’s command is in sura Ibrahim:
وَقَدۡمَکَرُوۡامَکۡرَہُمۡ وَعِنۡدَاللّٰہِ مَکۡرُہُمۡ ؕوَاِنۡ کَانَ مَکۡرُہُمۡ لِتَزُوۡلَ مِنۡہُ الۡجِبَالُ(ابراہیم:46)
And they had planned their plan, but with Allah is [recorded] their plan, even if their plan had been [sufficient] to do away with the mountains……. The truth is:
جہاں ہوں سعی بشر کی تمام راہیں بند
دیار دوست کا رستہ وہیں سے کھلتا ہے
Where human efforts reach their limits,
The path to the Divine opens up.
Reflect on the verses of the Quran and consider the events from the creation of Pakistan to it becoming a nuclear power. The workings of divine planning for human society become increasingly clear. One of the reasons for Pakistan’s creation was the intense prejudice and political machinations of our adversaries. They made every effort to destabilize Pakistan, but all attempts failed. The most compelling argument for our emergence as a nuclear power was India’s nuclear test. It is essential to continually contemplate Pakistan’s internal situation and the regional and global impacts of its existence. While we are undergoing social purification internally, the post-9/11 regional scenario has drastically changed. Hostile forces have descended upon us like ravenous wolves, and a corrupt general who plunged us into these dangers first fled the country and is now likely facing his deeds in the hereafter. Despite the worst treatment of this miraculous gift from God, the establishment of Pakistan had a significant regional impact: India could not establish dominance over the entire region, and globally, Islam became increasingly prominent. Today, from a defensive standpoint, neither Indira Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Vajpayee, nor Modi can dare to look at us with a crooked eye. Despite global conspiracies and collaboration with the triad of oppressors, their attempts to counter us have left them trembling because, according to global military analysts, such a response would plunge the world into darkness for thousands of years and could potentially signal the end of times.
There are two scales of time, day and night and month and year. One measure is set by Allah Ta’ala for our actions, the other measure is of Allah SWT’s own calculation in which a “day” is equal to or even more than our thousand years. During the Prophet’s era, there was complete harmony and ideal harmony in the laws and human actions set by Allah for human society. In the full light of history, an ideal society and an ideal state came into being. Muslims spread the light of this ideal society as far as it could be reached. The journey of time, of human society, is still in the same direction, but we Muslims should have spread the light on this path with our faith and actions to speed up the journey, we have forgotten our duty for centuries. The establishment of Pakistan has given us another opportunity to fulfill our role of faith in the modern age. In Pakistan, the time we have wasted in the last 77 years by neglecting to fulfill our duties or by losing consciousness of it and the loss that has been caused to the human race, we all have to pay this to Allah in terms of our own responsibilities. Must be held accountable. Do we really believe that there will be accountability? Are we even aware of the fact that accountability must happen and must happen? With the establishment of Pakistan, we have accepted a huge responsibility:
Muslims spread the light of this ideal society as far as they could. The journey of time and human society continues in this direction, but we Muslims have long neglected our duty to spread the light of faith and action, which would have accelerated this journey. The creation of Pakistan has given us another opportunity in this era to fulfill our role of faith. In Pakistan, over the last 77 years, we have been negligent in fulfilling our duties or have been oblivious to this consciousness, resulting in a loss for humanity for which we will have to answer to Allah. Do we truly believe that we will be held accountable? Are we aware that this accountability is inevitable? With the establishment of Pakistan, we accepted a great responsibility:
بے خبر تو جوہرِ آئینہ پیام ہے
تو زمانے میں خدا کا آخری پیغام ہے
Unaware, you are the essence of the mirror’s message,
You are the final message of God in this world.
But listen! The concluding words of the last verses of Surah Muhammad are also saying something significant: …
وَ اللّٰہُ الۡغَنِیُّ وَ اَنۡتُمُ الۡفُقَرَآءُ ۚ وَ اِنۡ تَتَوَلَّوۡا یَسۡتَبۡدِلۡ قَوۡمًا غَیۡرَکُمۡ ۙ ثُمَّ لَا یَکُوۡنُوۡۤا اَمۡثَالَکُمۡ(محمد:)
and Allah is the Free of need, while you are the needy. And if you turn away, He will replace you with another people; then they will not be the likes of you.
This is our greatest test at this time. If only we could realize this truth that the absence of the fear of Allah is the most significant and destructive deprivation, which cannot be remedied by any means!
Remember! Change in the world is always brought about by a single person, whom we call a “leader.” This leader is someone who knows how to lead people out of every kind of suffering, towards the fulfillment of their dreams of self-respect, freeing them from the life of slavery, and understanding how to harness the latent power of a nation. Such a person is so capable, courageous, and selfless that his nation believes in every word he utters as if it were divine truth. When history witnessed the arrival of our leader, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, adorned with all these qualities, it saw that he led the Muslims of India in such a struggle for their rights that despite hiding his dangerous illness, fearing that his enemies might hinder the establishment of Pakistan, he fought the case for Pakistan with strong arguments, channelled the energy of the Muslims in the right direction, and established a new country on the world map. This country transformed the subcontinent’s Muslims from a state of subjugation to self-respect, creating a history that could not be replicated. Despite Jinnah’s early departure and a long list of corrupt rulers, today, Pakistan stands as a nuclear power, able to look the world in the eye.
Last week, when a global media anchor asked me several questions about the corruption, political anarchy, and chaos in Pakistan and the accountability of those responsible, the harsh truth of those questions was like a bitter pill to swallow. But the possible answer would be even more bitter: How can I accept that we plant the seeds of lemons and expect sweet mangoes or other fruits in return? When you plant a tree in your garden, you water it, and you advise others around you to take care of it. My beloved Prophet ﷺ said: “A believer is the mirror of another believer.” Just look into this mirror and ask yourself, and you will surely find the answer because the first quality of a mirror is that it does not lie. It truthfully shows the spots on your face and invites you to clean them, and the second quality is that it does not reveal to others what it has seen in your face, i.e., it is free from slander. Today, as Pakistanis, look into this mirror honestly and tell me how you have treated the plant that Jinnah planted. This question is for every citizen of Pakistan: If the gardener, Jinnah, were still here, wouldn’t he be saddened and demand accountability for this criminal negligence?
The Quaid had assured us that Pakistan would be an Islamic democratic state, where every citizen would receive justice in accordance with Islamic principles. Yet, why is it that in the World Justice Project’s report, Pakistan’s judicial system ranks 130th out of 139 countries in adherence to the rule of law? Should we remain silent instead of feeling ashamed of our role in the division of the country, class hatred, political hypocrisy, so-called political reconciliation, rising ethnic tensions, economic ruin, the destruction of social values, the denial of Islamic revival, democratic decline, the unavailability of swift and fair justice, the discrepancy between words and deeds, prioritizing personal interests over national ones, and the embezzlement of billions from the national treasury under the guise of IPPs? And should we quietly watch as those responsible for these misdeeds are once again elevated to positions of power? O Spirit of the Quaid! We are ashamed because we are complicit in all these acts.
Believe me, if the Quaid had lived a little longer, our beloved country would have had its first constitution much sooner. The feudal system would have been abolished, landlords, capitalists, and military dictators would not have been able to seize control of the country. The land would have been inhospitable for mafias, the doors of corruption would never have opened, looting would not have been rampant, hereditary politics would not have flourished, the curse of nepotism, bribery, and patronage would not have taken root, government institutions would not have become politicized, and the existence of an elite class with undue privileges would not have been possible. The practice of looting the national treasury under the guise of protocol would have ended, and those who plundered the country so mercilessly would have been made an example of. The billions in loans taken from banks would not have been written off.
The country would have been recognized on the global stage not as a beggar state but as a strong and stable nation. It is deeply regrettable that today we are passing through the worst of times. We have destroyed this country, greed and dishonesty have disfigured it beyond recognition. As a nation, we are all guilty of betraying this country and its people. We did not value the country of Quaid and Iqbal. Are we not aware of the causes of the decline of the Mughal rulers in the Indian subcontinent? Today, we exhibit all those traits and behaviours that led to the downfall of the Muslim rulers of that era.
The renowned American scholar Professor Wolpert, who held a distinguished position among experts on the history of India, wrote in 1984 in his biography of Jinnah:
“Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state. Muhammad Ali Jinnah did all three.”
The Quaid lit his lamp and fulfilled his role. It is now our duty to embody the principles of faith, unity, and disciplined organization that he espoused and to realize his dream of establishing a moderate Islamic welfare state. If we seek success in this fleeting life, let us embrace the servitude of Allah to free ourselves from the servitude of men.
