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Current Status of Indian Muslims in Various Institutions (Dr. Rajat Dutta) - Are We Doing Enough to Change the Status? Click here to check the Statistics

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Vision for the Indian Muslim community ‐ Part 1

A Paradigm Shift ‐ Quantity first rather than Quality

Some Prominent Visible Causes :

While there is need to work on many fronts, simultaneously, and NGOs are waking up to the multiple needs of the hour, and diversifying their efforts, we must first have a vision. And, vision is always long term. Vision needs to include empowerment of the masses, because of the huge gap that has resulted due to loss of empathy, lack of vision, disconnect with islamic culture and values of caring for human beings, nature (educating, enabling, doing and supporting good deeds), degradation of faith (eiman) leading to lust of the world and lack of trust in Allah (e.g. "I cannot implement my idea because I don't have money").

Reasons are many, some of which could also be attributed to factors external to ourselves, but most obvious seems to be self centred, selfish endeavors to make our own lives better, racing to make a better living for ourselves than others around us, snatching away from others whatever we could before somone else does so, thus leaving the environment around us neglected, if not outright defeated. The dominance of capitalistic philosophy (perceived victory over socialism) and the modern educational system has strengthened this race for success of the self, teaching us to be parties (pawns) in a zero-sum game which makes one to win only if all others lose. Can't all of us win at the same time? Who derives pleasure from everyone around losing?

Can We Blame Anyone But Ourselves?

Can a posh house of yours be called a livable place in a filthy neighbourhood? No. So, what you have to do is to make the surrounding also improve; Islam teaches us to take care of at least 40 houses of the neighbourhood. If your kids grow up in a neighbourhood whose kids don't go to school and just pass their time in gossip and non-productive play, what would your kids do? Not play with them and lead a lonely life, confined to your house? Is it not better for your children that you take care of the neighbourhood children as well, help them acquire the same education, same learning as your own kids, so that they grow up together, strengthening your culture and the values of Islam? Such noble thinking and action brings benefits not just in this world, as explained above, but most certianly enriches the accounts of the hereafter. Click here to read an article on good-deeds and associated miconceptions that have weakened our faith. And, click here for a list of verses of Quran relating to good deeds and understand how our actions to improve the neighbourhood, the society,the country, and the world can make us eligible for Allah's favours in this world as well as in the hereafter.

The teachings to help others have been overpowered by the desire to progress alone, while we know that humanity is designed to do best working in teams that collaborate with each other. In fact every element of the nature is designed like that. Anyone who gets a bit prosperous leaves his old neighbourhood, to move to a colony of the rich, in search for a conducing environment for one's children. This has led us into thinking short term and selfish. This selfishness and the urgency to show results has influenced most NGOs to spend on just a minuscule 4 to 5% cream (meritorious / inspired/ motivated lot) of the community. Does this cream really need the attention of so many NGOs, while 95% of the community languishes? How could a community consider itself empowered which has its 95% population left behind to live a filthy life (filling 50% of the jail capacity)?

Islam came to transform the world from the darknesses of ignorance and fake beliefs into the light of knowledge and wisdom. Muslims have been assigned the special responsibility to carry this mission of the Lord forward and to enlighten and transform the world. They need to lead the mission from front. The Almighty is not dependent on us as He was not dependent upon the previous nations - He can assign the responsibility to the most deserving nations even if they are non-believers. Let's try our best to become eligible for this favour so that we get back the special favour from our Lord which is promised to those who keep on striving without losing hope. click here to read a proposed model to win back the lost leadership position. And, click here to read an article why we were deposed from that position.

Any vision for the community, right now, must focus on the masses.

Quantity First rather than Quality - We need a Paradigm Shift; Sooner the Better.

This doesn't mean that NGOs which are engaged in polishing the 4% cream should abandon what they are doing; some of them should, not all. It mainly means that there must now be a large number of NGOs engaged in pushing the masses forward, bringing the 95% left-overs up to the mainstream of education and economy, with a vision to empower the next generation. Push more than enough raw material (transform them into cream) from the 95% deprived lot upwards, for the NGOs spending on the cream, so that they could increase the number of muslims in the category 1 (educated, well placed) from a pathetic 2 to 4% to more than our share in population (15%), thus justifying our existence in the country of our first love.

If we can achieve this for the current generation, focus on quality would be the automatic next step by the next generation to carry forward the vision of educational empowerment. Educational empowerment is the first step towards technological empowerment, which could take us towards economic empowerment, as the current world economic scenario confirms beyond any doubt. And, it’s the economic empowerment which brings the political empowerment to surrender at your feet, not the slogan-shouting activism or day-dreaming.

For the current generation, we need to nurture the roots, otherwise just focusing on the branches and leaves would not help the tree from wilting away further. The downfall of the Ummah took more than seven hundred years; how can the revival happen in just one generation? Our plans should align with this reality. Dreams would remain dreams if the strategies are not aligned with the needs and wants. Nurture the roots now (focus on efforts to build a strong foundation), so that the trees are grounded strongly and do not get uprooted by weakest of winds. A strong tree (structure) is impossible with more than 90% of the roots (foundation) weak and unable to nurture the trunk, branches and leaves (the building).

Progress in steps is sustainable, and patience here is the key. Jumping the steps is liable to cause damage. Jumping more steps at once makes the fall a certainty. If you believe that there are others working hard to damage you, then this fall will surely give them a chance to trample upon you. Even otherwise, your competitors wait for your fall, which came as a golden chance for them, so that they rush upwards while you try to recover from your injuries.

Allah designed humans to grow in stages, every limb gets its strength by slow but consistent nurturing. We must not try to (and cannot) make a new-born human baby walk or run. Same consideration must be given to the groups of humans, the society, the Ummah. Patience and perseverance backed by confident, consistent and persistent efforts backed by strategies that suit the current state of the Ummah must be the way forward, not jumping of the steps.

Allah confirmed in Quran (13:11), and we have learnt about the empires and societies throughout the history of human evolution that the Creator does not change the condition of a nation unless they make enough efforts to change their status themselves. This is the fundamental principle of justice applicable to every element of the universe.

Shikwa-e-zulmat-e-shab se to kahin behtar tha;
Apne hissey ki koi shamm'a jalaate jaatey. [Ahmad Faraz]

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