If influence is taken as a criterion, Sayyid Abul A'la Maududi, the founder of Jamaat-e-Islami, will be regarded as one of the greatest contemporary scholars of the Muslim World. Sayyid Maududi was born in the city of Aurang Abad in the state of Hyderabad, Duccan, on December 25, 1903 (according to the Islamic calendar on the 3rd of Rajab, 1321 Hijri). In the near past, he was linked in lineage with Khwajah Qutubuddin Maududi Chishti, the founder of the famous mystic ‘silsila’ of Chishtia.

Clearing misconceptions

At the time when Sayyid Maududi started his movement, many great misconceptions about Islam were rampant among the Muslims due to centuries-long slavery and decadence. It was thought that Islam was either concerned only with the individual life or its relation to the collective life was limited to only a few of aspects. Islam was also widely conceived as having no relationship with the state and political affairs. Rather it was believed that Islam had no concept of politics and state. In matters of economy Islam was believed to have only the guiding principles without a full-fledged economic system. Some people even said that Islam had no philosophy of education. Sayyid Maududi challenged all such misconceptions on a rational basis. As a result of his life-long intellectual and scholastic struggle, it was at last accepted that Islam is a comprehensive model of life, which guides us not only in the affairs of our individual and collective lives but also our international lives.

His writing also helped millions of Muslims in regaining their confidence over Islam and in eliminating their sense of inferiority. He wrote an unparalleled critique of socialism, and the modern western thought. Unveiling their waywardness, he interpreted the western thought as ‘modern ignorance’. (Even in 1950, Sayyid Maududi had prophesied that one day both Communism and Liberalism would not be able to get a haven even in Moscow, Paris, New York and London.) His prophesy about Communism has proved itself in its literal sense and now the world awaits the fulfillment of his second prophesy, the downfall of Liberalism.

The intellectual, scholastic and literary life of Sayyid Maududi is astonishing. Sayyid Maududi authored more than a hundred books, translated the Holy Quran into Urdu and wrote a comprehensive commentary on it in six volumes. This is a huge achievement to have been made by a man who was not a full time writer, who met with hundreds of people on a daily basis and who continually had to go to jail during his difficult and active struggle for the dominance of the truth.

The work of Sayyid Maududi has been translated into 75 important languages of the world, which is a record, as few contemporary writers have been translated in such big number. The translation of the Quran by Sayyid Maududi is regarded as one of the best in Urdu and according to the famous scholar Dr. Hameedulah, in terms of clarity, no translation in Urdu is better than that of Sayyid Maududi’s.

The great movement of Sayyid Maududi

It is because of his great intellectual contributions that the Jamaat-e-Islami, which was created in the sub-continent, has now extended far and wide, Now countries like Bangladesh, Mauritius, Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, all by the grace of Allah have come within the circle of its struggle for the dominance of Islam. Moreover, in the European countries, the USA and the countries of South America and Far and Middle East, the influence of the thought of Sayyid Maududi and the struggle of Jamaat-e-Islami are evident.

In Pakistan the influence of Sayyid Maududi has been very significant from its inception. When the Muslim League demanded Pakistan on the basis of the two nation theory, it had very little intellectual content in support of its demand. It, therefore, referred to Sayyid Maududi’s writing, which being a great treatise in support of the theory, was published and distributed in millions by the Muslim League for the propagation of the ideology. This fact has been mentioned by the famous diplomat and historian Sharif Uddin Perzada. When Islamic revolution took place in Iran, the leader of revolution, Imam Khumaini acknowledged that the thought of Sayyid Maududi had been greatly instrumental in bringing about the revolution. The global movement for the revival of ‘Jihad’ was also founded by Sayyid Maududi, who wrote ‘Al Jihad fil Islam’, a great argument in support of Jihad, at the age of 21. The influence of Sayyid Maududi on the Arab world is also quite evident, particularly on the movement of Akhwan-ul-Muslimun.

Thus the thought of Sayyid Maududi is a symbol of revolution not only in the 20th century but also for the 21st century. This thought has deeply penetrated into the minds of millions of Muslims throughout the world. The gist of this thought is the belief that all the systems of the world are the creation of men and thus are faulty and false as they are the creation of man. It is only Islam which is the truth, and the future is that of Islam. It is the greatness of Sayyid Maududi that he invites people not to any sect, division or fraction but only to Islam. The famous scholar, poet and critic Salim Ahmed has rightly said that it is Islam, rather than the personality and greatness of Sayyid Maududi that one becomes convinced of after reading his work.