Some months ago not too long; I came across various people in Ukraine who spoke about Muhammad Asad (Leopold Weiss), subsequent to certain information; it was a shock when I heard he was a Pakistani, I started searching on, the most good point apart from his lot contribution for Islam was his approach towards learning and interpreting Islam, in addition he was fascinated by Muhammad Iqbal philosopher and thinker who put the best commentary on Islam in poetic form; furnished the idea of Pakistan wanting a state providing opportunity to grow Islam.
However Asad (regretfully) wanted to see a different country always progressive with the ideology of Islam Iqbal did as well; unfortunately couldn’t be implemented anyway; perhaps can be one of the causes for his attitude of indifference with regard to this country in his late phases of life; owing to this is truth as country got independence true ideology was put aside. Accordingly what was the cause to get independence; perhaps to draw a line of hostility amongst the inhabitants of this country pretty extreme to achieve the overwhelming situation country is confronted at the moment anyway?
Why he has been focus point and picked up as hero of Islam from Europe particularly now when Lvive is the part of Ukraine, so for Ukrainian Muslim national and living here Asad is lot more important though in Islam every Muslim should give him good words owing to his translation of Glorious Qur’an, daring for truth and guiding Muslims on a way based on teachings of Qur’an and Sunnah; several people can think of numerous irrelevant points nothing to do with Asad’s personality. For instance I put a light on a particular contribution in 20the century no one did for Islam from Europe apart from him. This contribution included adventurous phases, diplomacy, history, translation of the Glorious Qur’an, authoring awfully enlightening autobiography, striving and above all putting Islam from the unsurpassed authentic sources providing precise information rather than any sort of conjecture or lust desires. In true sense; everything revolved around Islam and this is what Islam requires from every Muslim Anam 6:162-163, Baqarah 2:208.
What in true sense any learned person would appreciate him for, of a surety approach towards interpretation of Islamic codes, have a look on his words “we must begin to think anew about Islam, about what it really signifies, what its real laws are; for we have stopped thinking about these matters for good many centuries and have merely relied on what previous generations of Muslims had thought about Islam. In consequence most of our current fiqh resembles now nothing so much as a vast old clothes, shops were ancient thought garments almost unrecognizable as to their original purport are bought and sold, patched up and resold again and where the buyers only delight consists in praising the old tailors’ skill.”
When analyzed in deep sense; transparent how good sense of interpretation of Islam was! In today’s era of science and technology sources of information are the most crucial factors people always concern particularly those linked with knowledge, collecting data, in all methodologies source of information is of utmost significance in order to inspire the people; more good the source is more attention it would attain; thus Islam today needs to be put before the world from the actual source of Qur’an and Sunnah.
In 1932 Asad (Leopold Weiss) left Arabia to move to British India (subcontinent) where he met South Asia's foremost Muslim poet, philosopher and intellectual, Muhammad Iqbal, who anticipated the indication of self-governing Muslim state in Indian subcontinent, afterwards got the independent existence as Pakistan navigated by the ideology delivered. Iqbal convinced Asad to persist in British India and help the Muslims of Indian subcontinent to establish their separate Muslim state. Iqbal also familiarized Asad to Chaudhry Niaz Ali Khan, a humanitarian and agriculturalist, who, on the advice of Iqbal, established the Dar-ul-Islam Trust Institutes in Pathankot, India and Jauharabad, Pakistan. Asad stayed on in Indian-subcontinent and worked with both of them. However the point is as a child I heard a lot about Iqbal, about all other people who strove for independence of Pakistan there was only one foreigner from Europe who did a lot for the independence of this country so why he is not exposed as a freedom fighter or humanitarian at least to strive for this country.
According to some trustworthy sources, two things in his life span are significant with regard to Second World War 1939, Asad's parents were arrested and subsequently murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust in addition to his arrest in Lahore in 1939 though this information is not very common among people who know about Asad, according to these sources it happened a day after the war broke out, by the British as an enemy extra-terrestrial. This is also whispered; this was despite the fact that Asad had refused German nationality after the annexation of Austria in 1938 and had contended on retaining his Austrian citizenship. Asad spent three years imprisoned in a jail, whereas his family containing of his wife Munira and son Talal after being released from detention previously lived under the protection of Chaudhry Niaz Ali Khan at the latter's vast estate in Jamalpur, 5 km west of Pathankot. Asad was also released in 1945. Aforesaid were the troubles of Asad’s family; this point is very transparent in Islam Ankubut 29:2 “do you think you’d come in Islam and We shall not test you, verily We will as did in the case of people before you.”
Asad had significant role with regard to his support in the idea of a separate Muslim state in India and as a matter of fact after the independence of Pakistan on 14 August 1947, in recognition for his backing for independent Muslims national country (state), afterwards (1947) was conferred full citizenship by Pakistan for him and employed the Director of the Department of Islamic Reconstruction, his recommendations on the drafting of Pakistan's first Constitution was one of the best suggestions regarding Islamic laws. 1949 was the joining epoch of Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as head of the Middle East Dissection where pretty good pains were endeavored to strengthen Pakistan's ties with the Muslim states of this particular region owing to Muslim brotherhood. 1952 was the time of appointing him as Pakistan's Minister Officiating to the United Nations in New York a situation that he resigned in 1952, subsequently began writing his autobiography (up to the age of 32), The Road to Mecca.Aforementioned diverse apexes with regard to Asad’s life spans since birth to end focus the support he ensured to the country; one point really baffles how a person who endeavored the chief period of his life would have stepped down owing to the significance of autobiography; in actuality this is question mark why? Certain honorable sources wrote this was to get on; writing his autobiography though engraving a book doesn’t mean a person is required to quit and put in risk his preeminent life plans. So what was the cause; perhaps can be put in words in coming phases of research with regard to his contribution.
Conclusion and Future Research
Coming up with the conclusion based on aforesaid significant apexes is bit hard; nevertheless some things are transparent in order to reach a small enormousness though phenomenal in true form; Asad was a true Muslim; adherent of the teachings of Qur’an and Sunnah so wherever found something in favor of Islam rushed to accomplish irrespective how hard or sacrifice demanding job it was; nonetheless wherever he found things are not working for Islam didn’t care for any status or position how long struggle behind this position was. This is one of the monumental rationales I’ve selected him to be one of the heroes of Islam ignored in the history of Islam besides Pakistan; people should shadow the example of; specifically in today’s consumer society when more hard to do anyway.
In a nutshell; today Islam essentials such Muslims who are not accidental rather Muslims by conviction pretty organized to lead Islam, based on true sources of Islam rather than any sort of lust desires, conjectures and devotion to ego.
In future research, Asad’s approach towards diverse Islamic doctrines can be emphasized on in addition to the diverse segments of life span.
By Zahid Nawab
References
Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Meaning of the Holy Quran, Amana Publications Beltsville, Maryland USA.
Muhammad Asad in Pakistan, retrieved on May 31, 2012, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Asad.
Chaghtai, M. Ikram (2006), Europe’s Gift to Islam Muhammad Asad (Leopold Weiss), Vol. 2, Adam Publishers & Distributors, New Dehli.
