CRITICISM & ACCOUNTABILITY

CRITICISM & ACCOUNTABILITY CRITICISM & ACCOUNTABILITY تنقيد و احتساب Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad hasanuddinahmad@yahoo.com www.learn-islam.org

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم و مآاريد ان اُخالِفَكُم الى مآ انهاكم عنه ۚ اِن اريد الا الاصلاح ما استطعتُ ۚ وما توفيقى الا بالله (هود 88) I wish not, in opposition to you, to do that whichI forbid you to do. I only desire betterment to the best of my power. Andmy success can only come from Allah Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ”الدين نصيحة“ ثلاثاً . قلنا لمن يا رسول الله ؟ قال ”لله ورسوله والكتابه ولائمة المسلمين و عامتهم“ (تميم دارى . مسلم) The Prophet (S) said, “ The Deen is advice.” We asked him for whom. He said, “For the sake of Allah, his Prophet, his Book, the leaders of Muslims, and their people.” Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

Introduction Tanqueed is from an Arabic word Naqada. It means to sort out good coins from bad ones. However, in general, it is used also to examine, to criticize, to show the shortcoming, to peck, to reprove, etc. Ehtesabis from an Arabic word Hasaba. It means audit. But in general it also means to account for, to ask, to reckon, to hold responsible, to reflect, etc. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

Ehtesab is an action that differentiates between good and evil, truth and false, right and wrong, and thus it draws attention to disliked deeds or words, etc. In an Islamic Movement, none is above the process of ehtesab. One can criticize its Ameer, shura, follower, companion, and similarly the decisions, activity, policy or even the structure of the Movement itself. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

Scheme of Presentation • Importance of Tanqueed (Criticism) and Ehtesab (Accountability) • Effects of lack of Tanqueed and Ehtesab • Process of Tanqueed & Ehtesab Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

Importance 1. Appearances of weaknesses and shortcomings in human beings or movements and their affairs are but natural. Their removal is, thus, a duty on every human being or member. كل بنى آدم خطّاءٌ وخيرالخطّائين التوابون (ترمذي) Every son of Adam commits mistake, and the best among them are those who repent. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

2. If we stop criticizing mistakes, or ignore it, or show carelessness, the mistakes not only get strengthened, but become accepted norms, too. 3. Ehtesab is Allah’s Way: يآ ايهاالنبى لما تُحَرِمُ مااحلٌَ الله لك (التحريم 1) O Prophet! Why have you forbidden that Allah has made lawful to you? يآايهاالذين آمنوا لا ترفعوا اصوتكم فوق صوت النبى (الجحرات) Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

4. Ehtesab is Prophets’ Sunnah When ‘Aisha (r) said, “It is sufficient (defect) for Safiah (r) that she is short,” the Prophet (s) replied, “ O ‘Aisha (r)! You have uttered a word that when dissolved in a sea will make its water bitter.” (Bukhari) اتاتون الزكران من العالمين (الشعرآء 165 ) Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

5. Development and Reform If you claim to love someone, constant ehtesab of your beloved is essential to develop and improve him. Parents train their children. 6. One fails to see his own weakness المؤمن مراة المؤمن (ابوداؤد) Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

7. Ehtesab saves Community وماكان ربُكَ لِيُهلِكَ القرى بظلمٍ وٌَ اهلُها مصلحون (هود 117) And nor would thy Lord be the one to destroy communities for a single wrongdoing, if its members were likely to reform. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

8. Ehtesab helps the Wrongdoer: ولينصُرِالرجُلُ اخاهُ ظالماً او مظلوماً – اِن كان ظالماً فليَنهَهُ فإنه له نصر و إن كان مظلوماًً فليَنصُره (مسلم) A person should help his brother –wrongdoer or wronged. If he is a wrongdoer, then he should be stopped and that is his help. If he is a wronged one, he should be helped. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

Effects of Lack of Ehtesab 1. Lack of Ehtesab means mirror needs polishing to reflect. Wrong doing and carelessness increases 2. It reflects selfishness or shielding. لا يومن احدكم حتى يحب لأخيه ما يحب لنفسه (حديث) Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

3. Giving up or curbing ehtesab makes people chips of the same block (wrongdoers). Israelites started disobeying Allah. In the beginning their scholars criticized them; however, they continued socialization, in spite of no heeding. Allah made their hearts same as their nation’s, then David (a) and Jesus (a) cursed them. (Ibn Masud (r), Mishkat) Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

4. Ehtesab in the presence of new or non-members is quite proper. It not only shows them the culture of the Movement, but teaches them what not to do as well! 5. Do not lose heart, even though the people do not like criticizers. لقد ابلغتُكُم رسالةَ ربى و نَصَحتُ لكم و لاكن لا تحبون الناصحين (الاعراف 79) Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

“I firmly believe that the day, God forbid, the door of Ehtesab is closed in our organization, the door of its disintegration will open.” (Maududi (r), Hidayat) Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

Warning: 1. Do not try (rather postpone it) to correct or do ehtesab of a lesser mistake, if it can give rise to a bigger one. 2. Do not try to criticize every petty mistake, every time. It will retard the working and create heart-burning. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

Process of Ehtesab 1.Worker to Worker 2. Worker to Authority/Nazm 3. Authority/Nazm to Worker Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

Worker to Worker Stage 1: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” (15) Stage 2: “But if he does not listen, take one or two brothers, along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.” (16) Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

Stage 3: “If he refuses to listen to them, too, tell it to the church (Authority/Nazm); Stage 4: and if he refuses even to listen to the church (Authority/Nazm), let him be to you as a gentile and a tax collector (penalize or expel).” (17) (Jesus (A) as narrated by Mathew in 18) The same process can be applied in general Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

Here in this process some precautions are necessary: 1. Before you talk to the concerned person, make sure the point of criticism is true and valid. 2. Your words should be polite, factual, and to the point. 3. Your intention should be correction, and not insult or show of pride. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

4. The matter should never be discussed among unconcerned people, except to consult with one or two people in confidence (specially peers). 5. One of the best ways of ehtesab is by writing confidential note to the person concerned only- Do not copy to others. 6. If a person fails or refuses to rectify his wrongdoing, he can be punished by the Authority; and his misdeed and punishment should be announced to others. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

7. Do not criticize someone because of his a) Physical defect b) Family background c) His known harmless habit d) Previously corrected wrongdoing, etc. 8. The person who faces criticism should show patience, in every case or manner of criticism or ehtesab Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

9. The one who is criticized should ponder over the point seriously. If the point is correct, reform himself thankfully; if not, then, remove the misunderstanding politely. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

Worker to Authority/Nazm The proper way of ehtesab: (a) Of Ameer is to criticize him in central Shura or General Body meeting, (b) Of President of Region or Unit is to criticize him in his shura or MGA’s meeting respectively. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

A question to ponder is: why the ehtesab or criticism of an authority/nazm is done in open? Because a decision, action, or in-action of an authority/Nazm directly affects the well-being or health of the Movement and its entire workers. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

The response or attitude of the Authority/ Nazm should be the same as discussed in previous case of Workers to Workers rectify the mistake, if it is correct: Umar (r), on the ehtesab of an old woman, corrected himself on the issue of mehr. Orclarify the point in calm and peaceful way: An old man wanted to know how Umar (r) had made his shirt. Umar (r) asked his son to explain the matter to the satisfaction of the man. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

Is proper process (of ehtesab of an authority) always a must? NO! A man criticized Umar (r) in a gathering of people. Some people started rebuking the criticizer. Umar (r) said, “ Leave him; if he does not criticize, he is of no good. If I do not listen, I am of no good.” (Abu Yousuf. Kitab-al Khiraj) Thus, ehtesab of authority/ Nazm can be done anywhere, anytime, either in- person, by writing, or by proxy. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

Quite often the Authority/Nazm is not able to present itself for ehtesab to everyone, therefore, its ehtesab can be done by the people, whenever and wherever it is available. Moreover, the criticizershould never be rebuked or punished, no matter how wrong is his point of ehtesab or process! Ehtesab of Authority/Nazm can also be done by writing. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

Authority/Nazm to Worker The Authority/Nazm can criticize a person, even in his absence: “I guess such and such person knows nothing of Deen” (Aisha (r), Bukhari) Aisha (r) is reported to have said, “The Prophet (s) never avenged himself, but never pardoned anyone on the breach of laws of Allah as well.” Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

If an authority comes to know of some problem between two of its workers, it should try to conciliate between them. It should inculcate the spirit of forgiveness among the disputants, and resolve their dispute in brotherly way. Once, it fails to re-conciliate between the two, or it is faced with a prima facie case of wrongdoing in some other case that affects the smooth working of the Movement, it should publicize the mistake and warn the wrongdoer. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

What if the process lingers on? If the process of ehtesab lingers on, because of claim and counter claim, or answers to answers, there should be a forum, other than the Authority, to finally resolve the issue (Maududi (r), Hidayat). Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

Summary Ehtesab is very important for keeping a person or authority on the right track. Proper process of ehtesab minimizes misunderstanding and heartburning. There should be a forum to finally resolve issues, in case the matter is disputed. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

Where to Get More Information • The Qur’an • Ahadith Books • Hidayat- Maududi (r) • Dawat & Tanzeem, Asad Gillani (r) • Prophet’s Method of Reforming Mistakes- Saleh Munjid • The Bible Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

وآخر دعوانا ان الحمد لله رب العالمين . . . Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad Criticism & Accountability

CRITICISM & ACCOUNTABILITY