by Mobarak Haider
Recent elections in Pakistan re-confirmed the trend and commitment of its ruling elite and military establishment. It is a trend that we have seen in Iran’s political face for the last four decades under its theocracy. This same trend dominated Arabs in the better parts of 20th century but has recently started reversing with the great political change in America.
We can define this trend as a desire to build “a state in the image of the State of Medina”. In the contemporary world it boils down to “Conquer the world with Islamic Identity.”
Prime Miniter Imran Khan said he will follow the State of Medina’s pattern to make Pakistan prosperous. He said the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) united the poor and powerless Arab tribes and with his great principles made them prosperous and strong in a short period. But is he right?
The facts of history are as follows;
First: The Holy Prophet, under Allah’s decision of Sura Tauba, eliminated all idol-worshippers and religions from the Arabian Peninsula. No heretics and non-believers can live in the holy land of Hijaz to this day.
So State of Medina model means that Hindus, Christians (all non-Muslims) will be eliminated in Pakistan or will exist only as Zimmis (non-citizen tax-payers). Was it for this reason that the Prime Minister avoided to discuss the future of minorities?
Second: immediately after the Holy Prophet’s death, Arab tribes turned away from Islam and the first caliph had to kill and conquer these tribes to bring them back under the hold of Medina State. (Read “Irtidaad ki saza..” by Maudoodi)
No economic change had come to the Arabian Peninsula till the end of First Caliph’s period except what was taken as bounty from the Jews of Medina and Kheiber after the Jews were eliminated. There was no agriculture, no manufacture. The State of Medina brought unity, peace, equality and all the spiritual blessings to the Arabs but neither education nor prosperity nor power.
Then the Second Caliph of Islam decided to invade the Persian Empire. Prosperity came to Arabs as a result of this conquest and other conquests. (Read Futuh-ul-Baldaan by Baladhuri)
Third: Medina State had caliphs after the Holy Prophet. All four rightly guided caliphs rose to power through different procedures, none of them through the vote of ‘donkeys’ and ‘cattle’. There was no GHQ to decide their selection or election and there was no parliament to beat desks. None of these caliphs struggled for 30 years to get power.
So while his good feelings deserve our praise, one can ask: is Prime Minister Khan planning to conquer some prosperous neighbor like China or Russia? Because Afghanistan has nothing precious except narcotics and India will offer more problems than benefits.
How will this modern state resemble the state of Medina? And how is it different from the Taliban Model or Abubakr Al Baghdadi Model?
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