Maududism
Mawdudism Allegation Verification 01: Allah Ta‘ala is a Wrongdoer. (Tafhimat: 2/281)
ALEGGATION 01: Maulana Maududi’s belief about Allah Ta‘ala is that Allah Ta‘ala is unjust. The decrees given by Allah Ta‘ala
Shaykh Sayyid Abul A‘la Maududi (رح.) (25 September 1903 – 22 September 1979) was a distinguished Muslim thinker, researcher, jurist, journalist, and political leader. He is also widely known as Maulana Maududi. He gained recognition as one of the most influential Islamic philosophers of the twentieth century. Wilfred Cantwell Smith described him as “the most systematic thinker of modern Islam.”
By lineage, he was the 36th descendant of Sayyiduna Husayn Shaheed. Among his notable ancestors was Khwaja Qutb al-Din Maudud Chishti (d. 527 AH), one of the founding figures of the Chishtiyya Sufi order.
Maududi conducted extensive research in Qur’anic exegesis, Hadith, Islamic law, philosophy, and history. Although his works were primarily written in Urdu, they were later translated into English, Arabic, Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Burmese, Malayalam, and many other languages.
Abul A‘la Maududi (رح.) devoted 30 years to writing his Qur’anic commentary (tafsir). He began this work in 1942 in Urdu and completed it in 1972.
He was deeply conscious and careful regarding religious knowledge. Maududi stated:
“I have tried to derive the true teachings of Islam solely from the Qur’an and Sunnah. I did not rely on any saint or on anyone’s personal interpretation. I always tried to understand what the Qur’an commands and what the practical example of the Messenger (ﷺ) was.”
He believed that Islamic politics is essential for Muslims, and that the preservation of Shariah and Islamic culture is vital for righteous governance, similar to that of the Rightly Guided Caliphate (Khilafah Rashidah). He viewed Western imperialism, secularism, nationalism, and socialism as harmful to Muslim society.
He was also an influential political figure and the founder of Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamic political movement. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to Islam, he was awarded the King Faisal Award in 1979.
Sadly, it is true that due to some of Maulana Maududi’s (رح.) jurisprudential (fiqhi) and disputed interpretations, many people labeled him as a disbeliever and an enemy of Islam. Some critics, objecting to his methodology or philosophical approach, coined the term “Mawdudism” to describe his views.
In this series of articles, we will systematically and gradually examine every allegation made against him. This series will continue on an ongoing basis.
In the articles below, the criticisms directed at him have been carefully examined. Please click the links to read them.
Note: We will continue to investigate and analyze the allegations against him in a continuous series.
ALEGGATION 01: Maulana Maududi’s belief about Allah Ta‘ala is that Allah Ta‘ala is unjust. The decrees given by Allah Ta‘ala