Maulana Maududi Rationally Proved Islam to Be Superior to Capitalism and Socialism

Lahore: Maulana Maududi proved Islam to be superior to capitalism and socialism through reasoning; the West is apprehensive of Maulana Maududi’s ideas due to their potential to revive the Islamic system; the West has used monarchs and military generals to thwart Islamic movements; colonial powers feel threatened by Islamic ideologies in the domains of judiciary, politics, economy, and society.

These thoughts were expressed by the Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Ameer Ul Azim, eminent intellectual and columnist Sajjad Mir, and Professor Dr. Akhtar Azmi in response to the question “Why is the West afraid of Maulana Maududi’s political ideas?”

Ameer Ul Azim said that the West is generally afraid of Islam. However it accepts an Islam that is limited to mosques, madrassas, prayers, fasting, and Hajj, but the moment Islam enters the domains of judiciary, politics, economy, and society, the West starts feeling threatened by it. Maulana Maududi cleared the dust that had settled on this dimension of Islam for centuries, elevating it from the level of a mere religion to a complete way of life. Over the past half-century, the West used monarchs and military generals to thwart the path of those explaining this true conception of Islam. It succeeded in some places but this is only temporary success because Islam keeps reemerging with its ideological identity and it is certain that the West cannot suppress it for long, as the grip of its local agents is loosening in their own countries.

Sajjad Mir said that the religious class had long been under the influence of Mullaiyat (religious narrowmindedness, which was prone to deviations and differences. Maulana Syed Abul A’la Maududi challenged this situation and inclined Muslims towards modern sciences, giving his ideas the form of a global movement. That is why the West considers Maududi’s ideology dangerous, as he established the superiority of Islam over the West’s capitalist system and socialism through reason and logic rather than mere emotionalism. His thought also has intellectual depth. All the research and doctoral dissertations done on Maududi and his ideas in the West reflect the fear that Maududi’s thought is gaining global acceptance, which is why the West is afraid of his political ideas.

Professor Dr. Akhtar Azmi said Maulana Maududi presented the collective vision of the Ummah and intellectually rejected Western civilization. He challenged the West not through emotions but on rational and intellectual grounds and also initiated an organized movement. The West fears that acceptance of Maududi’s ideas will shake the foundations of Western civilization. If people unite on the basis of Islam and commoner Muslims organize under this vision and get attached to it, the traditional way of think will not be able to stand against it, and the Muslim world will soon shake off the grip of the West and its agents. This is why the West is afraid of Maududi’s political ideas.