By Afshain Afzal

The 25th day of December bears great significance. It is a day of blessings as birthday of our holy prophet Hazrat Essa Rohallah Alhe-e-Salam (Jesus Christ) falls on the very day.  The birthday of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali, the founder of Pakistan also falls on the same day. Thus for the Pakistanis and Muslims around the world the day bears special significance. It is unfortunate that despite the fact that Pakistan is an ideological state where the supreme authority is that of Allah and the supreme law is that of Al Quran, some factions still talk about secularism. No doubt, these elements are not loyal to Pakistan. They are in fact playing in the hands of the enemies of Pakistan who never accepted the great partition of 1947. Quaid-e-Azam made it abundantly clear, which is also evident from his speeches and addresses that he wanted Pakistan to be an Islamic state where rule of Quran is to be enforced and where there is no room for Seculars, Imperialists and Capitalists. Thus In his speech at the Frontier Muslim League Conference on 21 November 1945 Quaid-e-Azam said, “We have to fight a double-edged battle, one against the Hindu Congress and the other against British Imperialists, both of them being Capitalists. The Muslims demand Pakistan where they could rule according to their own code of life and according to their own cultural growth, traditions, and Islamic Laws.” Similarly in a message to N.W.F.P Muslim Students Federation, in April 1943, he said, “You have asked me to give you a message. What message can I give you? We have got the great message in the Al Quran for our guidance and enlightenment.”

Quaid-e-Azam wanted Pakistan to follow Al Quran as a general code of the Muslims in every department of life, collectively and individually. He was of the view that Al Quran regulates religious, social, civil, commercial, military, judicial, criminal penal code and every other aspect. Thus in his Eid message to the nation in 1945, Quaid-e-Azam said, “every Muslim knows that the injections of the Al Quran are not confined to religious and moral duties. He said, “From the Atlantic to the Ganges”, says Gibbon, “the Al Quran is acknowledged as the fundamental code, not of theology but of civil and criminal jurisprudence, and the laws which regulate the actions and the properties of mankind are regulated by the immutable sanctions of the Will of Allah”. He said that everyone, except those who are ignorant, knows that the Al Quran is the general code of the Muslims. A religious, social, civil, commercial, military, judicial, criminal penal code; it regulates everything from the ceremonies of religion to those of daily life; from the salvation of the soul to the health of the body; from morality to crime, from punishment here to that in the life to come and our Prophet (Sal Allah Ho Alhe Wasallam) has enjoined on us that every Muslim should possess a copy of the Al Quran and be his own priest. Therefore, Islam is not confined to the spiritual tenets and doctrines and rituals and ceremonies. It is a complete code regulating the whole Muslim Society in every department of life, collective and individually.”

During his Presidential Address delivered at the Annual Session of the All-India Muslim League, Delhi on 24 April 1943, Quaid-e-Azam said, “Here, I should like to give a warning to the landlords and Capitalists who have flourished at our expense by a system which is so vicious, which is so wicked and which makes them so selfish that it is difficult to reason with them. The exploitation of the masses has gone into their blood. They have forgotten the lessons of Islam. Greed and selfishness have made these people subordinate to the interests of others in order to fatten themselves. It is true we are not in power today. You go anywhere to the countryside. I have visited villages. There are millions and millions of our people who hardly get one meal a day. Are these civilizations aim Pakistan. Do you visualize that millions have been exploited and cannot get one meal a day. If that is the idea of Pakistan, I would not have it. If they are wise they will have to adjust themselves to the new modern conditions of life. If they won’t, God helps them: we shall not help them.” In a Broadcast talk to the people of the United States of America, recorded in February 1948, Quaid-e-Azam said “The Constitution of Pakistan has yet to be framed by the Pakistan Constituent Assembly. I do not know what the ultimate shape of this constitution is going to be, but I am sure that it will be of a democratic type, embodying the essential principles of Islam. Today, they are as applicable in actual life as they were 1,300 years ago. Islam and its idealism have taught us democracy. It has taught equality of man, justice and fair-play to everybody. We are the inheritors of these glorious traditions and are fully alive to our responsibilities and obligations as framer of future constitution of Pakistan. In any case, Pakistan is not going to be a theocratic state to be ruled by priests with a divine mission”. There had been extensive debate over Quaid-e-Azam’s statement “Pakistan is not going to be a theocratic state to be ruled by priests”

There should be no confusion in anybody’s mind about what Quaid-e-Azam meant as he had already explained it during the Allahabad session of the All-India Muslim League in 1942, when he was asked as to what type of state Pakistan would be. Quaid-e-Azam replied: “It will be an Islamic state on the pattern of the Medina state with human rights, liberalism, democracy and complete tolerance and freedom of conscience to all citizens without any distinction of colour, creed, language, and race as granted by the Prophet of Islam Muhammad (peace be upon him) to Christians, Jews, idol worshippers and all others. Justice, brotherhood, liberty, equality and fraternity will reign supreme.” Ironically, despite the passage of 64 years to our independence, still there are many Pakistanis who are confused that what Pakistan stands for. One wonders if the destiny of Pakistan was to be a secular state on the lines of today’s India, why the people of Pakistan and Muslims of India had to give so many sacrifices as All India National Congress and Hindu majority were ready to grant complete autonomy to Pakistan under the Indian union. But this was not acceptable to   the Muslims.

We have before us Quaid-e-Azam’s Presidential address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on 11 August 1947, as guiding principles, which he placed before us as major problems that the new state of Pakistan had to encounter. These problems are still there which need immediate attention by our Parliament. In the words of Quaid-e-Azam these include; 1) Maintenance of law and order so that the life and property and religious beliefs of its subjects are fully protected by the state, 2) Put down bribery and corruption with an iron hand, 3) black-marketing should be very severely punished, because they undermine the entire system of control and regulation of food-stuffs and essential commodities and cause wholesale starvation and want, and even death, 4) evil of nepotism and jobbery must be crushed relentlessly, 5) There are people who do not agree with the division of India and the partition of Punjab and Bengal but now that it has been accepted, it is the duty of everyone of us to be loyally abide by it and honourably act according to the agreement which is now final and binding on all. Pakistani nation has still time to follow the footsteps of Quaid-e-Azam in true letter and spirit so that we emerge as a true Islamic state on the map of the world.