L. R. Chawdhri

Abul A'la al-Maududi (1903-1979) was a prominent Islamic scholar and thinker active in British India and later Pakistan. He is recognized for his systematic approach to modern Islamic thought and his extensive writings, which spanned various disciplines including Quranic exegesis, law, philosophy, and history. Maududi sought to revive what he understood as "true Islam," believing it was integral to politics and necessary for societal structure, advocating for the implementation of Sharia and the preservation of Islamic culture. He critically viewed secularism, nationalism, and socialism as detrimental influences stemming from Western imperialism.

Maududi founded the Islamist political party Jamaat-e-Islami. Initially, he and his party opposed the partition of India. Following the partition, their focus shifted to politicizing Islam and promoting Pakistan as an Islamic state. He is believed to have influenced General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq's Islamization policies in Pakistan. Maududi was the first recipient of the King Faisal International Award for his service to Islam in 1979 and played a role in establishing the Islamic University of Madinah. His work has been influential among various Islamist organizations.

Born in Aurangabad, colonial India, Abul A'la al-Maududi received early religious education from his father and various teachers, focusing on Arabic, Persian, Islamic law, and Hadith, alongside logic. His father intended for him to become a maulvi. Maududi displayed precocious talent, translating a modernist work on women at age 11. His education continued at Madrasa Fawqaniyya Mashriqiyya, where he developed an interest in philosophy and sciences. Later, he moved to a more traditionalist institution. His father's death left him to pursue education independently. By age 16, Maududi engaged with Western philosophy, sociology, and history, concluding that European intellectual traditions had been crucial to its rise, a contrast he drew with Muslim scholarship.

Maududi began his writing career early, publishing on electricity at 15 and later editing a weekly Urdu newspaper. He resumed self-study, delving into philosophical theology and traditional Islamic learning, earning diplomas but choosing not to identify as a formal 'alim, viewing some scholars as regressive. He edited the newspaper al-Jamiah from 1924 to 1927, a period of significant influence. During the 1920s, as the Indian National Congress adopted a more Hindu identity, Maududi began questioning its legitimacy and shifted his focus towards Islam as a political ideology. He believed democracy was viable only if the population was predominantly Muslim. This period saw him develop ideas for Islamic revivalism, moving away from what he termed "traditional and hereditary religion."

Maududi's most significant work, Tafhim-ul-Quran, a comprehensive Quranic commentary, was initiated in 1942. He founded the journal Tarjuman al-Quran in 1932, using it to articulate his evolving political ideas and commitment to Islamic revivalism. Concerned by increasing secularism and changes in Muslim society, he came into conflict with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind over its support for a pluralistic India. In 1938, he moved to Punjab and established Daru'l-Islam, intending it as a center for Islamic revival. This community structure mirrored later organizations with members, a council, and a head. Following a dispute, he relocated Daru'l-Islam to Lahore, where he was dismissed from Islamiyah College for his political lectures. In August 1941, Maududi formally founded Jamaat-e-Islami.