Question
Hudood Ordinance has been hotly discussed recently. People still are guilty of moral violations, the urban population being aware of it, the rural largely ignorant. Our local mosques and clerics too are culpable for this ignorance. If social education is the premise for establishment of shari‘ah, then will this ever happen in our current circumstances in Pakistan? Or will shari‘ah never be implemented?
Answer
We are faced with two tasks, social education and formulating a legal framework based on the Divine guidance. Currently around 55 states profess Islam as their official religion, and therefore the legal representatives are bound to base any legal ruling on the Islamic principles. However, it is equally important that they educate the masses prior to the implementation. We should also ponder over the hesitation in the implementation of the Islamic laws, in spite of the governing officials being Muslims. This hesitancy on the part of the leadership arises from misgivings. It is our duty to address those misgivings. Demanding shari‘ah laws without elaborating them would result in hypocrisy.
This question was answered by Mr Ghamidi in Deen-o-Danish, an online TV session hosted by Dr Muneer Ahmad aired on Dunay TV. The text has been rendered into English by Mr Dhu al-Nurain.
Answered by: Javed Ahmad Ghamidi
Date: 2015-02-05