{"id":265097,"date":"2023-08-22T11:23:50","date_gmt":"2023-08-22T11:23:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hamslivenews.com\/?p=265097"},"modified":"2023-08-22T11:50:18","modified_gmt":"2023-08-22T11:50:18","slug":"ghazwa-e-hind-propaganda-debunked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hamslive.com\/news\/2023\/08\/ghazwa-e-hind-propaganda-debunked\/","title":{"rendered":"Ghazwa-e-Hind Propaganda Debunked"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Ghazwa-e-Hind<\/em> philosophy has propelled a new kind of reaction in Indian society, thus, it’s vital to unveil its deeper roots.<\/h2>\n

What is Ghazwa-e-Hind?<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Ghazwa-e-Hind <\/em>connotes the fall of the Indian nation to the Islamic forces. The Arabic word \u201cGhazwa<\/em>\u201d is unfortunately misconceived as eventual Muslim dominance of the Indian state.<\/p>\n

Wholeheartedly, a plethora of Islamic scholars unequivocally rejects this purported prediction as notoriously misleading and false. They question its authenticity and assert that neither the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) himself nor his Guided Companions ever made such spurious claims. \u00a0In fact, this politically motivated propaganda finds its way in a few unauthentic Hadiths <\/em>(Sayings of Prophet Mohammad) and their misinterpretations.<\/p>\n

The extremist factions of Pakistan and Kashmir percolate the venomous Ghazwa-e-Hind<\/em> doctrine into Indian soil through various militant organizations such as Hizbul Mujahideen Lashkar-e-Taiba Jaish-e-Mohammed Harkat-ul-Mujahideen Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami Al-Badr Afghan Taliban with the basic motive to create mayhem and political instability. The Afghan Taliban steers itself clear of the Al-Badr Afghan Taliban.<\/p>\n

Ghazwa-e-Hind<\/em> is widely denounced as false and unsubstantiated propaganda.<\/p>\n

Kashmir-based Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind \u2013 an Al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamist militant group \u2013 meticulously strives to free Kashmir from the Indian clutches and turn it into an Islamic state. To accomplish this goal, it actively recruits mercenaries in Kashmir from Pakistan and Afghanistan to wage Jihad <\/em>(Holy War) against the Indian state.<\/p>\n

The extremist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba and the likes hypothesize the \u201cprophecy\u201d of Ghazwa-e-Hind<\/em>, to a hypothetical scenario where the Pakistan military takes over India and unites it under one central Islamic rule<\/p>\n

None of the Authentic Islamic Sources Back Ghazwa-e-Hind<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The literal meaning of Ghazwa <\/em>is a war in which Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) himself led the Islamic forces to victory whereas Sirayah <\/em>means those wars which, although fought during the lifetime of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), however, he refrained from participating and instead his companions led the Islamic forces.<\/p>\n

A gamut of Islamic scholars outrightly discredits the authenticity of written Hadith<\/em> and emphasis that the notion of Ghazwa-e-Hind<\/em> runs antithesis to the fundamental Islamic tenets. It is imperative to analyze thread-bare the Ghazwa-e-Hind <\/em>narratives solely based on authentic sources.<\/p>\n

Except for two Hadiths, <\/em>the entire corpus of almost 4500 Hadith <\/em>is bereft of anything as remotely insane as Ghazwa-e-Hind<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Let us critically scrutinize these two Hadith<\/em>. Abu Huraira reports the first one which the majority of Islamic scholars unanimously write off as unreliable. Sauban narrates the second one. Mainstream Islamic scholars such as Albani take it as the prediction that connotes to the peaceful arrival of Muslim merchants and Sufi <\/em>saints during the Caliphate of Umar (RA) and Uthman (RA) via the Gujarat, Sindh, and Kerala ports. Interestingly, none of the above two Hadith <\/em>are found in five of the six major collections of Sound Hadith<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In fact, if we were to consider the above stated literal meaning of Ghazwa <\/em>then we find that none of the two Hadiths<\/em> stand the scrutiny as according to the firm Islamic belief Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) has already left for his heavenly abode and is not supposed to return to this temporal world. So, both of these Hadiths <\/em>related to Ghazwa-e-Hind <\/em>stand rejected.<\/p>\n

The Ghazwa-i-Hind <\/em>ideology hinges upon misinterpretations of unverified Hadith<\/em> found in two collections of Nesai and Ahmad Ibne Hambal. However, the said Hadith <\/em>fails to find any meaningful place in contemporary Islamic thought.<\/p>\n

To be true, it never was the constituent element of the teachings of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), his Guided Successors (who ruled for 30 years after his death), or Ahl-e-Bait<\/em> (The sacred Family of Prophet Mohammad). It is essential to concede that throughout the first 30 years of the post-Mohammad Islamic Caliphate period, the battles were fought purely for worldly gains and the idea of Jihad <\/em>(Islamic Holy war) never cropped up.<\/p>\n

Similarly, Malaysian Islamic scholar Sheikh Imran Hussain too rules out the Hadith <\/em>of Ghazwa-i-Hind <\/em>as unauthentic. Across the various shades of Islamic thought, this particular Hadith <\/em>remains unacceptable and questionable. Sunni and Shia Islamic scholars from Egypt to Saudi Arabia Iran, Najaf, and the Indian subcontinent declare the said Hadith<\/em> as spurious in no uncertain terms.<\/p>\n

The early and medieval Muslim rulers such as Umayyids and Abbasids, Ottomans, and the Mughals were mainly engaged in power struggles and abstained from Jihad<\/em> while the Ghazwa-e-Hind<\/em> philosophy never formed the basis of their military expeditions.<\/p>\n

None of the authentic Islamic sources \u2013 right from the Prophetic times through the Guided Caliphate period up to the teachings of Sufi <\/em>saints \u2013 seem to corroborate the misconceived notion of Ghazwa-e-Hind<\/em>. The works of Stalwarts like Abdul Haq Dehlavi and his followers are completely devoid of any reference to the expression of Ghazwa-e-Hind<\/em>. The above comprehensive examination of this Hadith <\/em>compels us to safely conclude that the Hadith <\/em>related to Ghazwa-e-Hind <\/em>is unreliable and unauthentic.<\/p>\n

Arabic is a highly vocab-rich language and there could be tens and hundreds of words for a single object. For example for \u201cLion\u201d there are almost 300 synonyms, more than 150 for camel, and so on. Similarly, the word Ghazwa <\/em>in Arabic carries a wide variety of meanings that may include self struggles to imbibe virtues and avoid vices, and sincere efforts to create an ethical society.<\/p>\n

The early traces of the Ghazwa-i-Hind <\/em>doctrine can go back to only half a century in the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. Soon afterwards the Pakistani rulers aggressively pursued the Ghazwa-e-Hind <\/em>agenda. Initially, it was restricted to a limited region. However, during the 1980s, the Pakistani military regime exported this doctrine to India via Kashmir in the guise of Jihad<\/em>. Very rapidly, the flames engulfed other parts of India. It successfully radicalized the vulnerable youth who readily jumped to the wagon.<\/p>\n

Let me clarify that a large number Islamic scholars of Pakistan and Bangladesh dissociate themselves from the spiteful Ghazwa-e-Hind <\/em><\/a>philosophy terming it as anti-Islamic thought that fosters extremism.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Let me clarify that a large number of Islamic scholars of Pakistan and Bangladesh dissociate themselves from the spiteful Ghazwa-e-Hind <\/em><\/a>philosophy terming it as anti-Islamic thought that fosters extremism.<\/p>\n

The crux of Islamic teachings is peace and tranquillity and aggression, warfare, suicide bombing and other destructive activities are discouraged.\u00a0 The Ghazwa-e-Hind <\/em>doctrine is a product of political vendetta and mala fide <\/em>intentions of the Pakistani political establishment particularly aimed at exploiting Indian youths for ulterior motives.<\/p>\n

Ghazwa-e-Hind<\/em> advocates inflict irreparable harm to the Indian Muslims<\/a> to unimaginable proportions because due to its nefarious agenda, it tarnishes the reputation of the Muslim community. Presently, the Indian Muslims tread a cautious path of fear because of the unfounded and hazardous propaganda from across the border. It is our aspiration that there would be a complete elimination of all forms of extremism, paving the way for a thriving and harmonious society.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Dr. Hafeezur Rahman<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

(Dr. Hafeezur Rahman is an Islamic scholar, Author, and Convenor of the Khusro Foundation New Delhi)<\/p>\n

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