JUI-F leader says Islamic seminaries preserve sciences of Quran and Hadith
RAWALPINDI:
JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman said religious seminaries are the guardians of Islam, protectors of the teachings of the Quran and Hadith, and guardians of the blessing of faith, adding that they will not be handed over to the government under any circumstances.
Addressing a turban tying ceremony at Jamia Taleem-ul-Quran in Rawalpindi on Wednesday, Fazl said that although global power today rests largely in the hands of the United States, it does not possess the power of faith.
He added that religious seminaries bear the responsibility of safeguarding the faith across the world, adding that Islamic seminaries preserve the sciences of the Quran and Hadith.
He criticized what he calls a dual approach, saying that on the one hand the PIA is entrusted to private companies, and on the other there is a desire to take control of the madrassas – which he says will not be accepted under any circumstances.
Referring to Allama Shabbir Usmani, he said that even the British had once dismissed him as uneducated, and the same mindset still prevails today, where religious knowledge is not recognized as legitimate knowledge.
“There is no trust in state institutions, which is why seminaries will not be handed over to them. Scholars of all schools of thought are united on protecting madrassas,” he said.
While affirming his faith in dialogue and respect for the laws resulting from the consultation, he warned that no form of deception would be tolerated.
Responding to the students’ chants at the ceremony, he remarked that if they had focused on work rather than slogans, they would have won the highest number of seats in Punjab.
He concluded by saying that people need to be told that the politics of religious seminaries are the heritage of the prophets and that they are the legitimate claimants to this tradition.
