Zaid Hamid – Here and After

Very good analysis. Reproduced without comment.

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Abdud-Daiyan said on

March 11, 2010 at 1:02 pm

Assalamu-alaikum,
Jazakallah Khair brothers and sisters for finally setting up this website. May Allah (SWT) bless all those at the Khatam-e-Nabuwat organisation for the strong stand they have taken on this issue and on those in the past. May Allah (SWT) bless and reward all who work for the Islamic cause in Pakistan and around the Ummah Inshallah.
I was dubious about Zaid Hamid (ZH) from the beginning because (just to cite a very few examples):
1. From the first episode of his TV program I saw there was a contradiction because how can someone be talking about Islamic issues when the young lady sitting opposite to him is be-Hijaab i.e not wearing Islamic dress. A person talks about changing Pakistan, if not the world but he cannot see to it that a young lady sitting in front of him wears the Islamic dress according to Sunnah. (By the way this was deliberate to entrap and entice viewers -particularly the youth).
2. This person (ZH) was from day one mixing up Sufi ideas and doctrines as well as “mysticism” and “spiritual” matters with his talks on Islamic issues and Pakistan’s destiny. Anyone who knows anything about basic Islamic aqeedah (beliefs) could tell you that there were a lot of problems with the type of Islam ZH was extolling. Furthermore, they were being presented to an unsuspecting and ignorant public (particularly the youth – who are desperate for change in their lives and country) as if they were in accordance with the authentic teachings of Islam.
3. Mr. ZH’s organisational style has all the hallmarks of a cult because:
a) It is secretive by nature – an Islamic effort is genuinely open and welcoming to all Muslims who want to participate and is never secretive.
b) Mr. ZH refuses to work with or include any person in his group if they have enough Islamic knowledge to start ask questions. Any person like this would threaten the cult leader’s position and so is excluded entry. Only the naive and gullible ones who are easily lead are invited because they are loyal and unquestioning. Compare this with Islamic groups where everyone is welcome and no-one is interested in becoming a “leader”.
c) The people in ZH’s group have very little understanding of Islamic knowledge and are blindly following someone they “think” is right. They certainly have totally failed to understand the implications of the “Kazzab” issue. They are happy to continue getting their salaries and working for what they think is an “Islamic cause”.
As far as the evidence for the points I mentioned regarding the nature of ZH’s team and it having all the hallmarks of a cult I would state the following:
i. Firstly, (and this point is relevant to all of us as Muslims) our greatest tool is Islamic knowledge. Once we are well grounded on what Islam is ourselves it is relatively easy to distinguish what is Islamic and what is not. The problem with a lot of the people around ZH and also his general supporters on other websites who like his mix of Pakistani nationalism with a bit of Islam mixed in (to make them feel better that they are doing something “Islamic”) is that their Islamic concepts are very weak and hence when they are dealing with ZH – they are faced with an individual they cannot properly critique. This also applies to Ahmed Qureshi – who is a very nice guy and really good on Pakistan affairs, but is way out his depth on this one.

ii. However, this is how you learn. In a way the youth will learn from this ZH controversy and this will increase their understanding Inshallah of Islamic issues and what is the criterion for those in leadership and dawah roles. Which brings me to my second point – I, personally, have spent time learning about Islamic and Pakistani political issues practically in the field. We have been through this sort of stuff countless times – with different groups and individuals. “Been there, seen it, done it”. Al-hamdulillah now Islamic activism has started in Pakistan people will learn quickly.

iii. Thirdly, having said this, (as per the above point) I visited ZH and his offices quite a few times to see how I could get involved – it is from these personal experiences of meeting ZH and talking to his staff and checking out his premises (he has about 25 staff in his offices) that I came away with the impression that this was just another group that claimed to be Islamic – but disappointed on closer inspection.
4. I was in no way at any stage against Mr ZH. All Muslims should be safe from the intentions and actions of other Muslims – this is part of our Islamic faith. A lot of what he says needs to be said and is merit worthy. However, many of us are experienced enough (politically and Islamically) to know that there were issues lurking in the background (other than the Islamic contradictions in his lectures and talks) which Mr ZH did not really want to address – a major one and one which is less important.
5. The major issue is this: Now that we have 58 mins of ZH defending Yusuf even until a few days ago (who he called Ali and not Kazzab) and basically saying that an injustice had occurred what does this mean? It means that either ZH is right or all the Ulema, Khatam-e-Nabawat movement and all the government agencies who convicted that man were wrong. Now this means that if the original conviction was right (and having studied all the available evidence at length for myself and also listening in great detail to ZH it appears to me that the conviction was completely correct) and ZH is still defending him and degrading the Ulema and courts who convicted him. Now all that has to be done is that the 58 mins of documentary evidence should be submitted in front of the appropriate authorities and Ulema to show that ZH is still a believer and follower of Yusuf “Kazzab”. This is not a small issue since this person ZH, is attempting to mobilise and gather people to his cause. So this issue needs to be cleared up quickly and people need to decide for themselves whether then they want to follow and learn from this person.
6. The minor issue is ZH claim to Jihad in Afghanistan. Where is the evidence for this from others who can verify his participation in battles etc. Mr ZH has photos of him in Afghanistan at that time. Nobody is suggesting that ZH was not in Afghanistan in the eighties – but we are all told that Mr ZH is a “very keen photographer” and a lot of people went to Afghanistan for all sorts of reasons during the Afghan Jihad. The reason all of this becomes relevant now is that Mr ZH is using his “Afghan Jihad” background as part of his public image projection (and one in which he revels by the way) – so before a lot of innocent people get mislead about ZH’s credibility and character – it’s time to sort this issue out as well.
7. This whole affair has been a mess from start to finish, full of confusion and doubt, with all sorts of unanswered questions about motives and intentions. This is what happens when you make things up as you go along. According to Islam – an Islamic personality and his or her speech/actions should be free from doubt. Everyone in Pakistan knows that ZH is aided and abetted either directly or indirectly by the agencies/armed forces etc. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out. Or to figure out that all ZH’s programs are paid for air-time features with staged girly presenters asking prepared questions. Furthermore, if ZH is supposed to be giving an Islamic message to the gullible youngsters then why is there music and mixed gatherings at all his “shows” [and yes they are shows - more for entertainment rather than any serious effort for our deen or country] and what have individuals like Ali Azmat and Maria B got to do with Islamic dawah.
8. We do not want an “Iqbaliyat” or “Iqbal Ka Pakistan”. Sure, I appreciate the contribution of Allama Iqbal like most Pakistanis but I don’t want any knew Dine-illahi type creation about Jinnah’s Pakistan or Iqbal’s Pakistan. We only want an Islamic Khilafah state based on the Allah’s law according to Quran and Sunnah and based on the example of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW)’s Sunnah. Which was followed by the Khulafa-e-Rashideen (the four rightly guided Khalifs (RA).
9. Neither do we want an armed forces sanctioned type Islam (“deeni ghairat ko paida karne ke liye”). Pakistan was only created to serve the interests of Islam and we will establish the Islamic way of life or die trying Inshallah.
10. Mr. ZH has from day one cynically presented an easy to follow type of Islam to the impressionable (but Islamically non-practising) youth mixed with rousing political slogans – which means they do not have to change their unIslamic convictions and lifestyles. He has mixed nationalism with Islam (which Islam totally forbids) and tried to justify that it is in accordance with Islam. No, sorry, we don’t agree with any notion of “Pakistan First” (Pakistan sab se pehle) we identify ourselves first and foremost as Muslims and so we say “ISLAM FIRST, LAST AND ABOVE ALL”. I love Pakistan because it was created in the name of Islam and it is my part of the Ummah, where I was born and it is where I choose to live come what may. I will defend it (as my duty of Jihad fi-Sabilillah) from harm because it is Muslim land where Muslims live. That’s all. It is Islam and the Muslims that are our priority. Islam was there before Pakistan came into being. Islam will exist even if Pakistan is wiped from the map. Islam has no (and does not need) geographical boundaries.
11. Most noteworthy, perhaps, is that frenzied “cyber world” supporters of ZH and his “mission” are bending over backwards to suggest that all this ‘Kazzab business’ is a distraction from the work of reforming Pakistan from its woes. Well to re-iterate these naive (and Islamically ignorant) patsies do not realise that we cannot entrust in any way shape or form our Islamic or political leadership in anyone whose character or credibility is invalidated by association with any Kazzab. More importantly these cyber/internet warrior supporters of ZH like characters do not realise that we in the real world are trying to actually bring about change on the ground and it is this ZH controversy that has proved the distraction. Talk about barking up the wrong tree.
12. It is heartening to see that people like Ali Azmat and Maria B are experiencing an Islamic awakening in themselves and we pray for them and all other Muslims that they come to see that Islam is the ultimate truth (deen-ul Haqq). It’s ironic that Ali Azmat in many ways has a better understanding of domestic and international issues than Zaid Hamid (he obviously forms his opinions based on a more eclectic approach rather than ZH’s more parochial view) though he is the would be student vis-a-vis Zaid Hamid. Meaning that people like him represent greater potential for change because they are not beholden to certain quarters like ZH and therefore can (and do) speak out more freely against both internal and external enemies of Pakistan.
13. However, when it comes to taking things into the public realm we don’t care what Ali Azmat and Maria B think “Islam means to them” or what their “take on Islamic issues” is – we only care what Allah and his Last and Final Messenger Muhammad (SAW) say about Islam. There is only one Islam and that is the Islam we love and die for – and Inshallah it is this Islam – the Islam that our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) conveyed to his Sahaaba (RA) and the whole world until Qiyaamah that we will implement in Pakistan and the Ummah Inshallah. Enough of the side shows.

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