MADRASAS IN SOUTH ASIA

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MADRASAS IN SOUTH ASIA

MADRASAS IN SOUTH ASIA

Author:
Publisher: Routledge
English

This book is corrected and edited by Al-Hassanain (p) Institue for Islamic Heritage and Thought

5: PAKISTANI MADRASAS AND RURAL UNDERDEVELOPMENT

An empirical study of Ahmedpur East

Saleem H. Ali*

Introduction

Islamic educational institutions have come under intense public scrutiny in recent years because of their perceived link to militancy. However, much of the research thus far has relied upon anecdotal accounts and investigative journalism, rather than rigorous social science. This study acknowledges and respects that madrasas are a vital institution in Islam and indeed in many cases even non- Muslims have sent their children to madrasas because of the high quality of education (such as those in West Bengal, India). However, Pakistani madrasas have endured much interference from various sources that have led to certain differences in operational style and function as compared to their historical predecessors. The aim of this chapter is to bring integrative and objective clarity to the issue – moving away from the propagandist negative accounts about madrasas as well as the revisionist positive accounts or diminution of their impact on Pakistani society. Madrasas do indeed have a significant impact on Pakistani society – both positive and negative. This study aims to provide an empirically grounded analysis of madrasas in Pakistan, thereby informing the larger discussion of the role of Islamic education in conflict causality.

While this topic has received widespread media coverage and has been discussed within the broader context of radical Islamization, the research thus far has generally been predicated on observational accounts and anecdotes that range from strongly positive to vehemently negative. Akbar S. Ahmed (2002) considers madrasas to be a “cheaper, more accessible and more Islamic alternative to education.” Singer (2001) calls them a “displacement of the public education system.” Jeffrey Goldberg (2000), even before 9/11, terms them as a means of “education of the holy warrior.” Jessica Stern (2004), while describing them as emblematic of “Pakistan’s jihad culture,” uses epithets and subheadings like “schools of hate” and “Jihad International Inc.” Andre Coulson (2004) refers to madrasas as “weapons of mass instruction.” Most consequenS tially, the 9/11 Commission refers to madrasas as “incubators of violent extremism.”1

Recently, there have also been revisionist accounts of madrasa prevalence that question the sensationalism of some media reports. Even some journalists and travel writers have taken exception to this sensationalism and begun to publish more humane accounts of madrasas (Dalrymple 2005). Of particular note has been a controversial study prepared with World Bank funding that questions the need for such anxiety over madrasas by providing data that suggests their limited prevalence within the larger context of Pakistani schooling (Andrabi et al. 2006). This study contends that much of the information in reports and government documents, including the 9/11 Commission report of the USgovernment, have largely predicated their estimate of madrasa enrollment on anecdotal accounts. In particular, the World Bank study targets the work of the International Crisis Group – ICG (2004) for perpetuating an error in calculation of madrasa percentage.2 While there was indeed a decimal calculation error in the ICG report, the World Bank study misses the major point that the exact number of madrasas might not necessarily be consequential in terms of conflict linkages.

Unlike the World Bank study that relied on Pakistan household census data and conducted some of its own household surveys to ascertain from families where they were sending their children for schooling, our study relies on exhaustive establishment surveys of each madrasa in Ahmedpur sub-district in Punjab. We thus get first-hand information from the schools themselves about enrollment, funding sources and connections with sectarian activity. The usual critique of establishment surveys in this context can be that schools might not provide accurate information about enrollment for strategic purposes of either gaining more government funding or diminishing scale to avoid political suspicion. However, we relied on local staff from villages in the area to conduct the surveys to provide quality assurance. We also supplemented our quantitative analysis with detailed interviews at the local and regional level with clerics, government officials,madrasa students, researchers from academia, journalists, and representatives from non-governmental organizations. Our aim is to thus provide an integrative, nuanced and prescriptive analysis that can have greater policy relevance and applicability.

Definition

The word “madrasa” is derived from the Arabic word dars, meaning lesson. In contemporary Arabic, the word “madrasa” means “center of learning.” The Arabic word madrasa generally has two meanings: in its more everyday usage, it means school and in its secondary meaning, it is an educational institution offering instruction in Islamic subjects including the Qur’an, the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, jurisprudence and law. Madrasas are in some ways analogous to a seminary in Christian tradition (Armanios 2003).

Madrasas generally provide free religious education, boarding and lodging and are in many contemporary cases patronized by low-income families. However, some rich and middle-class families also send their children to madrasas for Qur’anic lessons and memorization where they are usually day students. A madrasa student learns how to read, memorize and recite the Qur’an properly. Madrasas issue certificates of various levels. A primary or part-time religious school and one focused primarily on Qur’anic recitation and memorization is often referred to as a maktab (derived from the Arabic word kataba, to write), and an integrated school with various levels is simply called a madrasa. While the distinction between a maktab and a madrasa may be important in some contexts – often both are affiliated with mosques and religious institutions and may share teachers. What is also significant is that many madrasas are residential and often these play a more significant role in shaping the personality of students. Our study thus tries to differentiate between residential and nonresidential madrasas where possible.

At the time of independence in 1947, there were only 137 madrasas in Pakistan. According to a 1956 survey, there were 244 madrasas in all of Pakistan (excluding East Pakistan which became Bangladesh in 1971).3 While there is no comprehensive census of madrasas across Pakistan at present, a reasonable estimate based on our review of multiple empirical and journalistic sources would suggest that there are between 12,000 and 15,000 madrasas in Pakistan.4 However, as noted earlier the absolute number of madrasas across Pakistan is not consequential for understanding any conflict linkages. Instead, we focused on a case study of particular relevance to conflict dynamics and the demographics within the case – in particular the relationship between the various Islamic sects in this case.

Case analysis

The data on madrasas was gathered through primary field visits by individual survey data collectors. Statistics on government and private schools were obtained from secondary sources such as the UNESCO Education Atlas or the Ministry of Education. An effort was made to verify these numbers through cross-checking with local officials and civil society groups. A form was devised for the purpose of data collection from each madrasa and contained the following information:

1 Name of Police Station [key unit of administration and research analysis].

2 Name of Madrasa.

3 Name of In-charge/Manager.

4 Location (village/street).

5 Year of establishment.

6 Number of students-residential and non-residential.

7 Sect to which Madrasa belongs.

8 Whether receiving monetary aid from Government (from Zakat fund).5

Representatives of the Special Branch (provincial intelligence agency), local police and administration were also consulted for determining sectarian involvement of madrasas.

Ahmedpur case analysis

Ahmedpur East Sub-division, in Bahawalpur district, of Punjab (Pakistan) (Figure 5.1) has an area of approximately 6,000 sq. kilometers, and, of a population of 1,000,000, approximately 800,000 is rural and200,000 urban.6 Ahmedpur East comprises 187 villages, and six police stations. The police station is an administrative unit for law enforcement based on demographic patterns. The sub-division is situated on the left bank of river Sutlej in the southern-most part of Punjab (Figure 5.1).

During the last decade, this region has been the locus of considerable sectarian violence. The region has a history of many fatal and violent incidents involving the Sipah-i Sahaba Pakistan (SSP-Deobandis) and Tahrik-i Jaffariyya Pakistan (TJP-Shias). Ahmedpur East Sub-division is considered to be a stronghold of the SSP – the strength of this organization here can be gauged from the fact that during the national elections of 1993, the SSP candidate gained approximately 24,000 votes, despite the fact that the candidate was from another province and had no direct connection with the area.7

Figure 5.1 Study area location map.

The total number of madrasas in the Sub-division is 363; of these 166 belong to the Deobandi sect, 166 to the Barelwi, 21 to the Salafi (Ahl-i Hadith) and ten to the Shia (Ahl-i Tashi) sects. Percentage-wise, distribution between the different sects is 45.8 percent, 45.8 percent, 5.7 percent, and 2.75 percent respectively. Only 9.3 percent of the madrasas (34 out of 363) are receiving monetary aid from the Government/Zakat fund. Table 5.1 summarizes the results of the survey conducted for this study in Ahmedpur by sects.

An analysis of the growth of the madrasas shows that prior to 1975 and 1980 there were 82 and 124 madrasas respectively in Ahmedpur East. Much of the growth was experienced between 1980 and 1995, the growth of madrasas has greatly slowed down after 2001 – only eight new madrasas were set up between 2001 and 2004. This slowdown in growth can be attributed to a general administrative policy wherein new madrasas are being registered after an inquiry, and a ban imposed on the registration of new madrasas was in effect until September 2004, when it was lifted by authorities. However, the madrasas established earlier are still largely unregistered and very little effort is being expended in trying to register them.

It is worthwhile to compare this data with the survey done by the field research coordinator of this study in 1994, in the same area – this provides a rare comparison of data pertaining to the same area after ten years. Figure 5.2 provides the ten-year growth comparison for madrasas in this Sub-division.

During the last ten years, the number of madrasas has increased from 266 to 363. There has been a marked increase in the number of Deobandi and Barelwi madrasas. However, the rate of increase in Barelwi madrasas has been higher in the last ten years. This finding also matches the information gathered during the interviews which suggests that the Barelwi movement has also gained momentum as a foil to the rise of Deobandi madrasas. The coverage of Zakat to madrasas during this period remained similar, i.e. around 9 percent of Madrasas get monetary support from the Zakat system.

The study shows that a major concentration of these madrasas is in the area of the Police Station Uch Sharif and Naushera Jadid. These two police stations account for 55 percent of the madrasas and 58 percent of the students in the Subdivision. It is worth mentioning that 68 percent of the madrasas in Police Station Naushera Jadid are Deobandi, and incidentally this area is a main support base of the SSP. The same can be said about the madrasas situated in villages in the northern half of Police Station Uch Sharif. Table 5.2 shows the distinction between residential and non-residential madrasas in Ahmedpur.

Almost 40 percent of the students were living in the madrasas, and Deobandi madrasas, although equal in number, had greater student enrollment, particularly of residential students.

Table 5.3 shows the registration status of madrasas with the government. Only 39 madrasas out of 363 were registered. The registration is undertaken under the Societies Act of 1860, which was previously performed by the Registrar Joint Stock companies on the report and clearance by the district administra tion. After the administrative reforms called “The Devolution Plan 2001,” the authority to register any organization under the Societies Act 1860 has been delegated to the Executive District Officer (Finance and Planning) in the province of Punjab. In the other provinces this authority still remains with the Directorate of Industries at provincial level.

Table 5.1 Number of students by sect in madrasas, 2004

A greater proportion of the Barelwi and Salafi/Ahl-i Hadith madrasas are registered. As a general trend, larger madrasas, having an elaborate infrastructure and assets are registered while smaller madrasas (with fewer than 100 students) are mostly not registered.

State of public education and madrasas

Schooling options are an important variable to consider in understanding madrasa prevalence. Table 5.4 shows a comparison of the number of madrasas and student enrollment in different police station areas. It also shows how many schools are closed. These figures pertain to government schools only and include boys’ and girls’ schools of primary, middle and higher standard, whereas madrasas data shows only male students studying in madrasas since there were very few girl students in madrasas of Ahmedpur East.

Figure 5.2 Increase in number of madrasas in APE 1994–2004.

Table 5.2 Residential versus non-residential madrasas in Ahmedpur

Table 5.3 Registration status of madrasas

The data shows that, as compared to 363 madrasas, there are 465 schools, of which 69 (almost 13 percent) are closed due to non-availability of teachers or teacher absenteeism. A total of 55,892 boys and girls were studying in public schools as compared to 26,169 in madrasas.

It is worth noting that two police station areas having fewer madrasas have comparatively more schools and hence more student enrollment. However, in the Police Stations Nushera Jadid and Uch Sharif the number of madrasas is higher than that of government schools. The student enrollment in Naushera Jadid between madrasas and public schools is quite comparable. If one accounts for the girl students, the number of students studying in madrasas and public schools becomes almost equal.

Data on private schools was also obtained from a local association of such schools (the government does not keep any detailed records of private schools).

Only aggregate data for the entire Sub-division was available and indicated that as of December 2004, there were a total of 17,137 students in 95 private schools.

Urdu-medium students account for 15,842 of this amount while there are only 1,295 English-medium students.

Is there madrasa involvement in sectarianism?

The ultimate aim of this study is to question the perceived linkage of madrasas to sectarian violence. This aspect of the research was assessed using proxy indicators – certain features or modes of behavior were picked to classify a madrasa as being involved in sectarianism. The following are some of the indicators used for the purpose:

1 Any madrasa, which is visited by leading sectarian leaders, whose documented speeches have clearly incited violence towards other sects (records of particular events were gathered to assure quality of the data).

Table 5.4 Comparison of government schools and madrasa enrolment in Ahmedpur

2 If the students/in-charge of a madrasa participate in sectarian processions or gatherings as documented by the police authorities (detailed records are kept by the police authorities regarding apprehensions from each institution).

3 If the management of a madrasa lobbies for, or provides leadership to sectarian issues (documented through distribution of material at the madrasa and sermons at adjoining mosques).

4 If managers or students were involved in reported violent sectarian crimes (there will be a more specific analysis of this in Table 5.6).

Madrasas exhibiting any of the above features were categorized as positive for sectarian activity. The categorization was done after extensive interviews with local police officials, district administration officers, mosque imams and local community leaders.

Madrasas situated in the Police Station Naushera Jadid, Uch Sharif and Ahmedpur Cityhave an involvement rate of 100 percent, 57 percent and 45 percent respectively. Deobandi and Shia sects have very high rates of involvement in violence and sectarianism. Traditionally Deobandi and Shia sects are in most acute conflict; hence, we observed that madrasas from these two sects are overwhelmingly sectarian. However, Barelwi madrasas, which were traditionally very tolerant and non-confrontational institutions, have also started showing violent and sectarian tendencies. In many instances this is a response to violent and aggressive attitudes of some Deobandi institutions and their managers.

Based on police data categorization, Table 5.5 shows the involvement of madrasas in sectarian incidents in the region.

In addition, we also analyzed particular incidents of violence or “hotspots,” as they are labeled by local law enforcement authorities. The hotspots are administratively also called trouble spots. The local administration and intelligence agencies in consultation with local police authorities classify the trouble spots or hotspots in A, B and C category. This categorization of trouble spots is an administrative tool used by local police authorities for vigilance, monitoring of sectarian violence and local law and order. It is used for deploying personnel for the prevention of serious conflict on different religious occasions. The trouble spots categorization can be both general and day- or event-specific. This helps local police to monitor the situation and make adequate preventative measures.

Table 5.5 Madrasas involved in sectarianism

This categorization or classification is based on the following criteria.

Category “A”: Any location where a serious sectarian conflict has happened in the past, and resulted in the death of a person, is labeled “A” category. Such locations are specially monitored on national occasions and are closely watched by supervisory officers on religious events. At manyA category trouble spots military or para-military forces are deployed beforehand.

Category “B”: These are locations where in the past there has been physical conflict between different religious sects. The reason could be the holding of a religious event on contested territory, or the route taken by the procession. These spots indicate areas of serious conflict but without loss of life.

Category “C”: These are locations where there is potential for clash or conflict, based on the fact that verbal brawls have occurred in the past, or rival sects have been agitating against each other through demonstrations.

In Ahmedpur East, there are 90 trouble spots of A, B and C category. More that 90 percent of these are situated in the police station areas of Naushera Jadid, Uch Sharif and Ahmedpur City. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Analysis has shown that there are eight “A” category trouble spots in Ahmedpur Subdivision; these are located in the Naushera Jadid, Ahmedpur East City and Uch Sharif police station areas. The trouble spots or hotspots are invariably situated in areas which have more concentration of Deobandi and Shia madrasas. A closer analysis and study of the background of trouble spots showed that management and students of particular madrasas were instrumental in the history of conflict pertaining to that trouble spot. Another finding is that the location ofA category trouble spots is invariably linked to highly sectarian Deobandi and Shia madrasas.

The next question that we need to consider is what might be the underlying reasons for the high concentration of madrasas as well as sectarian activity in Naushera Jadid and Uch Sharif, which are relatively rural areas and not subject to the same urban violence pressures as Ahmedpur.

Table 5.6 Location of trouble spots

Environmental and developmental differentiation of sectors

In rural Pakistan and particularly South Punjab, political, economic and social power is closely linked to landownership. Access to land or landownership determines the social and political standing of an individual or a group of people in a society. Based on an analysis of landholding patterns from government records we concluded that 96 percent of the population of Ahmedpur holds less than five acres of land.

Extremist and sectarian groups and religious parties have larger followings in areas where local feudal landowners have been controlling political and economic (land) power. The districts of Jhang, Khanewal, Multan,Vehari (Mailsi) Bhawalpur are all cases in point. This reaction has been more radical and severe in areas where the local political power was with Shia land gentry or those more inclined to worship near shrines (often of Barelwi persuasion).

Madrasas were frequently the focal point of this movement against the traditional feudal leadership, particularly where it was Shia. For the downtrodden and politically, socially and economically marginalized peasants, the religious political parties were a means of turning the tables on the traditional elite. The state functionaries were particularly receptive and obliging to religious/sectarian leaders, thus adding to their mass appeal. The disposition of the administrative machinery towards religious leaders, particularly those belonging to militant radical Deobandi groups, has been a post-Afghan jihad phenomenon. Many of the jihadis returned to their village bases and established madrasas as a means of livelihood. The administrative functionaries extended patronage to these groups accordingly. This phenomenon brought a fundamental change in the social standing of madrasas and their graduates since they began to symbolize a revolution against an oppressive feudal system.

In Ahmedpur East landownership patterns are also extremely asymmetric. Out of a total of 156,977 landowners, only 4 percent own more than five acres of land, whereas 96 percent of the land owners have less than five acres of land. In Pakistan the official economic subsistence holding size is 12.5 acres. This shows that an individual holding less than five acres is living at the margins and needs external assistance or extra employment to meet basic survival needs. In our survey area this phenomenon is seen across the whole Sub-division. However, we observed that in the Chanigoth and Ahmedpur East Sadar police station areas, although landholding patterns are similar, the phenomenon of sectarian madrasas is less prevalent. One reason could be the fact that the above two areas are near the national highway, thus giving many other economic opportunities and exposure. Further study, perhaps using anthropological methods, may be needed to obtain a more conclusive explanation to this observation.

Different environmental and developmental indicators were also studied to explore linkages between madrasa–conflict linkages and deprivation. Table 5.7 shows the electrification of the various areas studied.

Access to electricity is an important indicator of poverty and standard of living. Almost 13 percent of villages are without electricity, in 25 percent of the villages less than 25 percent of households have electricity,in another 30 percent the access to electricity is available to 25–50 percent of households. The area of Naushera Jadid which is worst hit by sectarianism and proliferation of madrasas, in 75 percent of thevillages electricity is available to less than 50 percent of households.

Table 5.7 Electrification in key study area locations

The availability of potable water through government-provided safe drinking water supply schemes was also studied. Out of the 185 villages in the Subdistrict only nine villages have drinking water schemes. Considering that the incidence of water-borne diseases is extremely high in the area, the unavailability of safe drinking water is a major developmental challenge. Here also we observed that not a single water supply scheme is provided in Naushera Jadid and the northern half of Uch Sharif, areas of higher sectarian activity.

The provision of road connectivity has also been documented. In terms of mobility and providing access to the market for agricultural produce, farm-tomarket roads are an important provision. Although generally better than other socio-economic indicators, approximately 20 percent of the villages are still not connected to the farm-to-market roads. The perennial shortage of irrigation water is one of the key factors contributing to the low productivity and poverty of the area. Scarcity indicators for the villages were developed based on municipal classifications. Given the semi-arid climate in this area, agriculture is highly dependent on irrigation water. Out of 185 villages in the region, 150 experience extreme water shortage. Only eight villages have no scarcity of canal water and another 25 villages have a mild shortage. In Naushera Jadid the water shortage is mostacute, all 31 villages have extreme shortage of canal water.

In terms of agricultural productivity, although no major variation is seen between different regions of Ahmedpur Sub-division, the average yield of wheat and cotton is almost half of the average yields expected of subsistence farms.

The average yield of 15 maunds (one maund=40 kg) of wheat and 12 maunds of cotton is half of what some farmers get in the same Sub-division. This data shows that agricultural productivity in the region is at a sub-optimal or low productivity level.

As noted earlier, madrasas have been perceived as a counterweight to feudalism in Southern Punjab. Coupled with environmental resource scarcity and underdevelopment, the madrasas have provided a physical and emotional refuge for many families. Ahmedpur East is an example of this phenomenon. The political leadership here has for decades been with the Nawabs of Bhawalpur (based in Ahmedpur City and Dera Nawab) and the Makhdums of Uch Sharif (Gilani and Bukhari Shias). The religious leadership that rose from madrasas challenged these ruling families. One of the factors contributing to the growth and influence of madrasas in Ahmedpur East City, Uch Sharif and Naushera Jadid is the typical social response to feudal social structures described above. These are also manifest in some of the environmental and development indicators that we observed for the regions in question.

Conclusions and recommendations

This study finds that rural underdevelopment may contribute to the vulnerability of social institutions such as madrasas. However, poverty per se is not a sufficient condition for the co-option of educational institutions by extremists. Existing sectarian divides are sharpened by institutions such as madrasas which are often exclusionary of other religious interpretations. Young students under authoritative control of their teachers are easier targets of co-option by radical elements than the general public, and deserve to be considered for policy intervention.

However, such intervention will have to follow a theological path since madrasas are inherently religious schools and thus reforms would need to be introduced through scriptural exegesis rather than simply introducing parallel secular subjects.

Madrasas are an important social institution across the Muslim world and are often described by proponents as the nation’s largest network of NGOs (nongovernmental organizations). However, the noble purpose of education and enlightenment, for which madrasas were originally intended, has been challenged by various sectarian elements within Pakistan. This study finds evidence of linkage between a large number of madrasas and sectarian violence in rural Punjab. We also found that the number of madrasas has increased over a tenyear period and that in some areas they are competing with government and secular private schools for enrollment. Many madrasas are residential and cater to relatively poor students in these areas. However, in urban madrasas, this pattern is not always followed as affluent families may also send their children to madrasas for disciplinary and theological reasons.

Sectarian activity in areas of greater madrasa density per population size was found to be higher, including incidents of violent unrest. Unfortunately, most urban observers in Pakistan tend to cast aspersions on “foreign elements” for any sectarian activity, without conducting in-depth analysis of causality. While Iran has funded Shia madrasas and Saudi Arabia has funded Salafi and Deobandi madrasas, there is no other external linkage to be found with regard to the violence observed on religious festivals and other occasions. Sectarianism is a serious and palpable internal challenge for Pakistan, and madrasas in this case study were found to be contributing to this challenge. However, this is more of an internal challenge for Pakistan rather than a direct contributor to international terrorism. Indeed, most of the al-Qaeda operatives that have been apprehended did not attend madrasas and were often educated in Western schools. It is thus important to differentiate domestic sectarian activity and international violence.

There may be a connection between the two in some cases such as in Kashmir and domestic Afghan conflicts, but more generally, the two require complementary strategies rather than identical paths for resolution.

This chapter also looked at possible environmental and developmental factors that may be contributing to economic deprivation and consequential radicalization of the population. The continuing prevalence of the feudal elite and economic inequalityhave given madrasas a greater sense of legitimacy as a social movement in this region. Areas of higher madrasa prevalence had lower development indicators, such as electricity or roads and access to natural resources such as water for irrigation. Inequality in land distribution patterns between ethnic groups can provide fertile ground for radicalization to take root. Comprehensive land reforms across Pakistan are also essential to reduce radicalization that stems from disenfranchisement of peasant communities by the feudal elite that seeks refuge in religious radicalism for a sense of worth. Such reforms can be undertaken through market mechanisms and instituted gradually to avoid capital flight.

Development of these areas may also reduce radicalization and open other career opportunities for madrasa graduates. Vocational training programs for madrasa graduates following their seminary education and clear ways for them to be channeled into such programs should be funded independently of the madrasas themselves. In addition, the economic disparities that are perpetuated by the feudal elite need to be addressed through establishment of trust funds for each village serviced from property tax revenues that the landlords must be obliged to pay in order to retain title to their land. While major land redistribution is unlikely to occur in Punjab, there can be better management of existing land-use patterns to ensure more equitable distribution of resources and local involvement in economic decision-making.

The governments efforts at “mainstreaming” madrasas, as exemplified through programs such as the “model madrasas,” is not likely to succeed because it is perceived as an external imposition. While the allocation of resources for madrasas, such as the Rs 1 billion allocated for madrasa reform announced on 7 June 2005 (20 percent of the entire budget for the education ministry’s public sector development program) is laudatory, these resources might be channeled more appropriately. Instead of trying to convert madrasas into conventional schools, there should be an attempt made to expose madrasa leaders to alternative voices of Islamic learning and facilitating dialog between various sects. Curricular reform would naturally follow from such interactions and could complement the vocational training programs for madrasa graduates mentioned above.

Just as there have been attempts at ecumenical dialog between faiths, a concerted and deliberate national dialog between Shias and Sunnis (and within the Sunni sub-sects) is essential. Apart from their educational activity, some of the larger madrasas also serve the purpose of providing theological opinions on various community concerns. Deliberative dialog on some of the issues that are raised by community members in these solicitations could be a formal means of initiating dialog between sects as well.

At the same time, violence and incitement to violence must be treated as any other law enforcement action. There should not be any exception made for particular establishments where communal violence is concerned as this sends a mixed message to agitators. While censorship of madrasa literature or any publications and sermons is to be avoided to preserve freedom of expression, the publication of erroneous data and inflammatory rhetoric that can be suggestive of violence is not protected under any freedom of expression legislation. Indeed, the role of the mass-media in instigating violence is widely documented in cases such as the Rwandan genocide and other cases (Schabas 2000). Hence, promoting a culture of responsible dissemination of information is essential in this context as well. Indeed, even in Islamic tradition, there are very strict injunctions and responsibility for giving inaccurate sermons and admonition for inciting violence. Such injunctions should be invoked in this regard. There should be closer scrutiny of any misinformation or incitement to violence in publications, particularly in areas of high sectarian activity.

The challenge of preventing co-option of Islamic institutions by external interests for political conflict, while preserving their independence and social service is reaching a critical juncture in Pakistan. A multifaceted strategy is essential to tackle this challenge – one that accepts the empirical insights that are provided by research and avoids sensationalistic or sanguine accounts of the problem.

Notes

* Acknowledgment: This chapter is extracted from a larger manuscript prepared by the author under a grant from the United States Institute of Peace, in collaboration with Dr Syed Tauqir Hussain Shah of the International Labor Organization’s field office in Islamabad, Pakistan. This research was also presented at a seminar organized by the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University,April 2005. The views expressed in this chapter are nevertheless those of the author and do not represent the position of any international organization or government.

1 The 9/11 Commission Report, p. 385.

2 The disagreement between the ICG and the World Bank study authors became particularly acrimonious in April 2005 when the ICG issued a press release from its Islamabad office that questioned the motivation of the World Bank study since its policy impact had been that the Pakistani government was perceived to become more complacent about the matter. Andrabi et al. (2005), asserted that the ICG should at least acknowledge the numerical error and strongly resented any aspersions cast by the ICG.

The US government was also rather defensive about the matter and the 9/11

Commission commented that they had relied on more than just anecdotal accounts in their findings and the head of the ICG – Pakistan, Dr Samina Ahmed, was asked to testify before the congressional Foreign Relations Committee on 19 April 2005.

3 Nadhr Ahmad’s 1956 survey quoted by Malik 1996.

4 According to Dr Mahmood Ahmed Ghazi, former Minister of Religious Affairs, there are about 10,000 registered religious schools, catering for as many as one million to more than 1.7 million children attending classes at least for a short period of time, as most do not complete their education or appear for the final examination. According to the ICG, by 1995, 20,000 of them were likely to graduate as maulanas (holders of the highest madrasa certificate) of one sect or the other, in addition to the 40,000 who had graduated since 1947. The majority of madrasa students are in the age range 5–18 years.

Only those undertaking higher religious studies are above that age. Singer’s (2001) estimate of 45,000 madrasas is unsubstantiated and despite attempts to ask for his sources, no response has been received by the author.

5 Zakat is an Islamic religious tithe collected through mandatory deduction from the savings accounts of people from banks and then spent on certain ordained purposes, aid to madrasas being one of them. The records of district Zakat offices were also consulted for this information.

6 Estimates are based on local district records and personal communication with the deputy commissioner of Bahawalpur.

7 Personalcommunication , Assistant Commissioner, Ahmedpur, January 2005.

An account of the People of Saba And People of Tharthaar

Allah says:

Certainly there was a sign for Saba in their abode; two gardens on the right and the left; eat of the sustenance of your Lord and give thanks to Him: a good land and a Forgiving Lord! But they turned aside, so We sent upon them a torrent of which the rush could not be withstood, and in place of their two gardens We gave to them two gardens yielding bitter fruit and (growing) tamarisk and a few lote-trees.

This We requited them with because they disbelieved; and We do not punish any but the ungrateful.

And We made between them and the towns which We had blessed (other) towns to be easily seen, and We apportioned the journey therein: Travel through them nights and days, secure.

And they said: O our Lord! make spaces to be longer between our journeys; and they were unjust to themselves so We made them stories and scattered them with an utter scattering; most surely there are signs in this for every patient, grateful one. (34:15-19)

Imam as-Sadiq says regarding the exegesis of the above ayats, that the nation of Sabah inhabited towns close to each other so that they could interact among themselves. They were very prosperous and had flourishing agriculture. Streams irrigated their townships and there was an economic upsurge. But these people denied Allah’s bounty and invited a change to occur in their fortunes. The Almighty sent a flood on them and it destroyed their towns, submerged their houses and ravaged their properties. In place of their orchards Allah caused to grow the plantations that He has mentioned.

‘Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated that Sulayman commanded his army to construct a gulf from the fresh water sea to India and they built a dam of stone and lime through which canals supplied water to the Kingdom of Sabah. This dam had ducts at regular intervals and by opening and closing the ducts water supply was regulated to any given town of the Sabah Kingdom. On both sides of the city were flourishing orchards comprising of an area of ten days’ travel. The orchards were thick with trees laden with fruits and decked with flowers. If one traveled from one side to the other he would not be able to see the sun for ten days at a stretch. When the inhabitants of this flourishing kingdom began to transgress, disobey the commands of their Lord, not heed the advice of righteous people and did not desist from their evil deeds the Almighty sent giant rats that began to dig at the dam and remove huge stones from it, tossing them aside, though each stone was so heavy that even a strong and healthy man could not lift it. Witnessing such a scenario many people fled the city leaving behind their belongings and properties. The rats continued to dig at the dam until it leveled and a flooded the country. The flood destroyed the city, uprooted the trees carrying them away as mentioned by Allah in the description of Sabah.

In an authentic tradition Imam Ja‘far as-Sadiq said, “After every meal I lick my fingers so much that my servant thinks it is because of greed, though it is for respecting Allah’s bounty.

Know that! There was a nation bestowed with divine bounties. They owned a stream called Tharthaar. They had such excessive wealth that they used pure wheat bread for cleansing the genitals of their children after they dirtied passed stool. Instead of washing them with water they wiped them with bread and discarded it. This went on for such a long time and a mountain of this dirty bread built up. One day a righteous person passed by and saw a woman cleaning her child with bread. He told her, “Fear Allah! Do not be haughty and deny His divine bounties due to their excessiveness.” The lady replied, “Do not terrify me with hunger. We need never worry for food as long as the stream flows.” Allah was infuriated at this and cut off the stream from them. He stopped the rain and cultivation of crops. The people of Sabah became impoverished and deprived. Now they weighed and distributed among themselves the same bread for consumption.”Know that! There was a nation bestowed with divine bounties. They owned a stream called Tharthaar. They had such excessive wealth that they used pure wheat bread for cleansing the genitals of their children after they dirtied passed stool. Instead of washing them with water they wiped them with bread and discarded it. This went on for such a long time and a mountain of this dirty bread built up. One day a righteous person passed by and saw a woman cleaning her child with bread. He told her, “Fear Allah! Do not be haughty and deny His divine bounties due to their excessiveness.” The lady replied, “Do not terrify me with hunger. We need never worry for food as long as the stream flows.” Allah was infuriated at this and cut off the stream from them. He stopped the rain and cultivation of crops. The people of Sabah became impoverished and deprived. Now they weighed and distributed among themselves the same bread for consumption.”

An account of the people of Ras

Imam al-Ridha mentioned that one of the nobles of the Tamim tribe approached Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali (‘a) three days prior to his martyrdom and requested him to relate the facts regarding the People of Ras; where they lived, in what period, who were their rulers, whom did Allah send as a Prophet for guiding these people, how they were destroyed? etc. The inquirer told ‘Ali that though they are mentioned in the Holy Qur’an no details available.

‘Ali said, “You have inquired about something that none have inquired before. After me there is no one who will be able to relate their account except one who quotes me. There is no verse in the Holy Qur’an whose exegesis in unknown to me. I know the place of revelation of each ayah. Whether it was revealed at night or day. On a mountain or in plains.” Then pointing towards his breast said, “It contains unlimited knowledge and its seekers are few. People would regret why they did not obtain knowledge from me.

O Brother! The People of Ras were a particular group. They worshipped the pine tree and called it the ‘King of Trees’. It had been planted by Yafith the son of Nuh besides a spring. The spring was known as Rooshtaab and had formed after the deluge. They were known as ‘People of Ras’ because they had buried alive a Prophet who came after Sulayman The People of Ras inhabited twelve cities on the bank of the river Ras in the eastern hemisphere. The area was known as Aras and the people were named after the river Ras. During that time it was the best fresh water river in the world and the Kingdom of Ras was the most prosperous nation of its time. The nation consisted of cities named as Abaan, Aazar, Dee, Bahman, Isfandaar, Farwarrdeen, Urdi-Behisht, Khordaad, Mardaad, Teer and Shaharpoor. Isfandar was the largest city and the seat of the ruler Tarkooz son of Ghaboor son of Yarish son of Saazan son of Narmood son of Canaan. Nimrod was the contemporary of Ibrahim. The spring and the tree called Sanobar were situated in this city. The people of Ras had taken some seeds from that tree to other towns and sowed them near streams. Then they took some water from the original spring and mixed it in the spring of each town. It irrigated the saplings that gradually grew into thick trees laden with sour fruits. The people prohibited themselves and their animals from partaking in any of the products of these trees. They also refrained from drinking the water of those springs and claimed that it was the cause of existence of their gods.

Thus it did not befit them to drink this water that would result in the decrease of their god’s lives. They used the water from the river Ras that flowed by their cities for themselves and their animals. Every month one of the towns celebrated ‘Id. On this day, people of that particular town gathered near the Sanobar tree situated there. They covered the tree with a silk curtain embroidered with pictures. Cows and sheep were sacrificed at the tree and later burnt with firewood. When the smoke and ashes darkened the atmosphere they fell down prostrate in front of that tree. They wept and wailed and implored the tree to be pleased with them. The Satan used to sit upon the tree and shake its branches. He would hide in the trunk of the tree and say in the voice of a young boy, “My servants! I am pleased with you. May you be happy and your eyes brighten with joy.” Hearing this, the people would arise. They would celebrate the next few days in drinking, playing drums, singing and making merry. Then they would return home. “

The Persians have named the months after the cities of Ras, Abaan, Aazar, etc. Every month was associated with the feast of a particular city, hence that month was named after that city. When it was the turn of their largest town to celebrate the festival, people from all the other cities came there. They would gather at the great tree near the spring and cover the tree with a large curtain embroidered with icons. The curtain was partitioned to have twelve entrances, one for each city. They would prostrate before the tree from outside the curtain. They sacrificed animals equal to those slaughtered from all the other cities collectively. The accursed Iblis sat on the tree and shook its branches. He would call out to them and speak to them. He would make promises to them greater than the promises made by the Shaitans of the other trees. Then they would rise and drink a lot of wine. For twelve long days they indulged in merry making and enjoyment equal to all the festivals of the other towns together. After the celebration they returned home. When the transgression crossed all limits Allah sent towards them a Prophet from the Israelites to make them recognize Allah and worship Him. But they refused to obey the Prophet.

After the Prophet had exhausted all efforts to guide them and was convinced that they would not come on the right path he complained to Allah “My Lord, these people do nothing but falsify me and refuse to believe in You. Therefore at the time of their great festival manifest your power to them by causing the trees that they worship to wither.” The curse was effective and the next day the people saw that their trees had dried and withered. They were astonished and terrified. They were divided among themselves on what they thought had happened to the trees. One group said that the man from Allah had performed sorcery in order to transfer the credit of sustenance bestowed by their gods to his Lord. The second group said that their gods were displeased with them because the Prophet mentioned their defects and criticized them and the people did not object to this. It was for this reason that their god had concealed its freshness and budding to show his anger against that Prophet so that the people would rise up against him.

Having formed such an opinion the people discussed ways of eliminating the Prophet. After consultations they agreed that he should be killed. They constructed huge pipes of lead and fixed them to the spring reaching its bottom. Then they climbed down and after removing all the water and dug a well underground. After this the people caught hold of the Prophet and imprisoned him in that well. Then they closed the mouth of the well with a huge boulder. They climbed up, removed the pipes and allowed the water to flow over the well into the spring. They said, “Now our gods shall be pleased with us for we have killed the Prophet who maligned us. We have buried him at the base of the greatest Sanobar tree. Maybe now it will regain its freshness and bloom.” The whole day they heard the pleas of the Prophet buried inside. He was praying to his Lord thus: “O my Lord! You are aware of my confinement and see my sorrow and grief. Have mercy on my helplessness and take away my soul at the earliest. Do not delay it.” Ultimately the oppressed Prophet met his end. Peace of Allah be upon him.

Allah revealed to Archangel Gabriel, “My creatures have become very sinful and unheeding of My wrath. They feel secure from disaster. They worship something other than Me and have killed My messenger. Do they think they shall be able to face My Chastisement? Can they escape from My Kingdom and Dominion? I shall send retribution to all those who disobey Me and are not fearful of My punishment. By My Might and Honor I shall punish them in such a way that they would be an example to all mankind.”

Thus when the People of Ras were engrossed in celebrating their festival, a red storm caught them by surprise. They clung to each other. The ground beneath their feet became melting sulphur and a black cloud overshadowed them. Fire began to rain from this cloud melting the bodies of men, just like lead melts in fire.

‘Ali says, “I seek Allah’s refuge from this wrath.” Wa laa h’awla walaa quwwate illa billahil a’liyyil a’z’eem (and there is no power and strength except that of Allah the High and the Great).”

A number of reliable traditions mention that the women of Ras practiced lesbianism and that was the reason the Almighty destroyed them.

Ibn Babawayh, al-Qutb al-Rawandi and Thalabi in his book ‘Arais’ have recorded from Imam al-Ka¨im that the People of Ras consisted of two groups. One of these groups have not been mentioned by Allah in the Holy Qur’an. They inhabited a village and possessed a large number of sheep. Prophet Salih sent a Prophet towards them. The people murdered him. Another Prophet was sent in his place and he too was killed. The third Prophet also met with the same fate. Now a Prophet was sent with an assistant (wali) When they put to death this Prophet too, the wali exhausted all proofs on them and called out to the fish that was worshipped by those people. The fish emerged from the sea and came to the land and sat besides the wali. The people still denied him. Allah sent a wind towards them that lifted all the people and their sheep and tossed them into the sea. The representative of Salih distributed the booty of gold, silver and utensils, etc. among his followers. Thus the generations of this nation became extinct.

The above incident has been mentioned by us in the Account of Salih.

Imam Musa al-Ka¨im says that the group mentioned in the Qur’an is the one that inhabited the banks of river Ras. They are known as the People of Ras. Allah sent many Prophets among them. There was never a time when they had been devoid of a Prophet who warned and exhorted them and they invariably killed all of the Prophets. The river flowed between Azerbaijan and Armenia and reached to the northern tip of Azerbaijan where people worshipped the lizard. According to one report they worshipped virgin girls. When that virgin girl completed thirty years of age they would kill her and install another in her place as a deity. The stream was three parasang wide. The stream swelled every day to such an extent that its level reached to half the size of their mountains, but its water did not flow into the sea or plains. It reached only up to the inhabited areas and not beyond. It flowed through their towns and cities. Allah sent thirty Prophets to them in a single month but they killed them all.

Allah sent to them a Prophet and made his wali accompany him. The Prophet waged an intense struggle against them. The people confronted him and when they became busy in repelling his attack, the Almighty sent Mika’il to them during their sowing season. A lot of water was in demand for irrigating the fields. Mika’il diverted all their canals towards the sea. All the springs originating from the streams were blocked by walls. Mika’il was assisted by 500 angels in this venture. The angels took out each drop of water from the canals and threw it into the sea. The canals were completely dry now. Allah sent Archangel Gabriel who caused all the streams and springs of their country to dry up. The angel of death was dispatched and he decimated all their cattle. The south wind, north wind, zephyr and west wind were commanded to destroy their clothes and belongings etc. by snatching everything and dropping it over the mountains and in the seas. The earth was commanded to devour all their utensils, gold and silver. All their treasure shall remain underground and will be thrown out during the time of the great grandson of ‘Ali, Muhammad (Imam al-Mahdi.

They woke up in the morning and saw that they had neither any belongings nor cattle, vessels or clothes. All their food grain has been destroyed. Even then only a few converted to the faith in Allah, and Allah guided them. They took shelter in a nearby cave. Altogether they were 21 men, four women and ten boys. Ultimately they achieved salvation. Those who remained adamant in their disbelief were 600,000. They died of the agony of starvation and thirst. Not a single infidel escaped. Later the thirty five people who had accepted faith returned to their hometown. They saw everything devastated and the inhabitants exterminated. They fell down in obeisance to the Almighty and with all sincerity pleaded to Him to bestow them with water, food and cattle sufficient enough for their needs. They did not wish for excess bounties lest it cause transgression in their hearts. They took an oath and vowed that if the Almighty sent a Prophet for them they would help and assist him and believe in him. Allah knew their sincerity and hence showered His Mercy by causing streams to flow and bestowed more than they had prayed for. After that they remained obedient to Allah for their life. But their progeny though outwardly pious practiced hypocrisy. They were also given respite by Allah but their transgression crossed all limits. They remained busy in opposing the righteous servants of Allah. Allah gave their enemies power over them. Many of them were killed and the survivors were subjected to a dreadful plague that wiped them completely. The canals and edifices remained dilapidated for two hundred years.

Allah brought another people to inhabit those abandoned dwellings. For a long time they treaded the path of Allah’s obedience, then lacunae set in and they became sinful. They fell to degraded habits and practices. The notable thing about them was that they considered it a gesture of goodwill and hospitality when they offered their women and daughters to fulfill the sexual desires of their friends and acquaintances. They receded further into sin and homosexuality and lesbianism became rampant. Lesbianism was taught to them by Walhaas the daughter of Satan. She came to them with her sister Shaisaar in a human form and demonstrated the method of sexual contact between two women.

At last Allah sent upon them a thunderbolt. All of them began to sink into the earth during the night. A dreadful scream came from the depths of the earth. Not a single person survived to witness the sunrise next morning. Imam Musa al-Ka¨im said “I do not think that that part of the earth was ever inhabited again.”

According to Shaykh Tabarsi, the People of Ras were the ones who buried alive their Prophet in a well. Some historians mention that the people reared cattle and dug a well around which they sat and worshipped idols. Allah sent Shu‘ayb for their guidance but they refused to believe him. Therefore their well was destroyed and all of them sunk into the earth. Some people say Allah had sent to them a Prophet named han¨alah. They slew the Prophet and hence were doomed to perdition. Ras is believed to be a well in Antioch. People of Ras killed habib al-Najjar (the carpenter) and threw him into the well.

Imam Ja‘far as-Sadiq says, “Their women practiced sexual contact between themselves. They have been mentioned in the following ayah,

So how many a town did We destroy while it was unjust, so it was fallen down upon its roofs, and (how many a) deserted well and palace raised high.” (22:45)

The well was located in Hadramaut and according to some scholars in the city of Khaazoora. It was inhabited by 4000 people who had put their faith in Prophet Salih. Salih also lived with them. Because he breathed his last here, it was called Hadramaut (death).

Later the population increased and progenies proliferated. They began to fall into transgression and idol-worship. Allah sent towards them a Prophet named han¨alah. He was put to death mercilessly in public view. They were destroyed as a result of this cruel act. All of them died. Their well became useless and the palace of their ruler was razed to the ground.

An Account of Shaiya and Haiqooq

Ibn Babawayh and al-Qutb al-Rawandi have related from Wahab ibn Munabbah that during the tenure of Shaiya there was a king in The Israelites. The king as well as his subjects were obedient to the divine commands initially. But later they introduced innovations in their religion. Shaiya tried his best to restrain them and also warned them of divine retribution but to no avail. Allah made King Babel to reign over them. When they realized their inability to match his power they sought forgiveness of Allah. Allah revealed to Shaiya that due to the piety and righteousness of their ancestors He had accepted their repentance.

The ruler of these people was afflicted with a boil on his thigh. It was cancerous. The king was obedient to Allah and he was a righteous person.

Allah revealed to Shaiya to advise the king to make a bequest and select a person from his family who should be designated as his legatee among The Israelites and that Allah shall cause his death on a particular date.

Shaiya conveyed the divine message to the king. When he heard it he beseeched Allah with all humility, “O my Lord! You had been benevolent to me since the day I was born and bestowed upon me every bounty. In spite of this I do not repose hope in anyone except You. I have faith in You alone. I praise You and expect goodness from You without having performed any good deed and to become deserving of the same. You are more informed of my affairs than I myself am. O Allah! Postpone my death and increase my age and keep me firm on the path that You like best.”

Allah revealed to Shaiya, “I had pity on his lamentation and accepted his invocation and gave him another fifteen years. Tell him to cure his cancerous wound by fig juice. Because I have appointed the cure of his discomfort and wound in that water. I have also guaranteed safety for him and The Israelites from their enemies.”

So the next morning Shaiya saw that the army of Babel was routed completely. Only the king remained alive and with him were five persons. All of them ran towards Babel. After this the people of The Israelites remained pious and on the path of guidance until the time the king departed from this temporal world. Again the people reverted to evil deeds and disobedience and each of them laid claim to the throne. Shaiya tried his best to reform them but to no avail and in the end all of them were destroyed.

It is reported in another tradition that ‘Abdullah bin Salaam asked the Holy Prophet about Shaiya and he said, “He conveyed to The Israelites the good news of my Prophethood and Messengership and the Prophethood of ‘Isa.”

According to authentic chain of narrators, Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali said, “Allah revealed to Shaiya that He is about to destroy 40000 of the evil doers and 60000 righteous people of his community. Shaiya said, “O my Lord! Why do you destroy the righteous ones?” Allah said, “Because they flattered them and begged favors from them and did not become angry at them due to My anger (neither did they try to restrain the evil people from bad deeds).”

Authentic chains of narrators mention that Imam al-Ridha asked the Christian priest in Al-Ma’mun’s assembly what information he had about the book of Shaiya. The priest replied that he was conversant with every letter of the book. Imam addressed the Rabbi Raasul Jalut, “It is mentioned in the book of Shaiya that he said, O my people! I saw a rider on a mule. He was clothed in garments of light and I saw a rider on a camel. His light and luminescence was like a bright moon.” Both the priests admitted that it was true. Imam said that Shaiya has mentioned in Torah that he saw two riders and their splendor shall illuminate the whole world. One of them shall ride a tall mule and one shall ride a camel. “Who are the two personalities mentioned by Shaiya?” asked Imam. Raasul Jalut admitted ignorance and appealed to Imam to enlighten him. Imam said, “The person on the mule refers to ‘Isa and rider on the horse indicated Muhammad al-Mustafa. Do you reject this saying of Torah?” “No! we cannot reject this”, they said, Then Imam al-Ridha asked “Do you know about Prophet Haiqooq?” “Yes” they replied, “We know about him.” “Have you not read the verse where he says-The truth became manifest from Mount Paran and the skies filled with the praise of Allah. His people and his riders shall battle in the seas and in the deserts too. He shall bring a new book from Allah after the destruction of Jerusalem. The ‘Book’ means Qur’an. Are you aware of these words? Do you have faith in these words?” Raasul Jalut said, “These are the words of Haiqooq, we certainly believe in his words.”

Some books mention that The Israelites plotted to kill Shaiya. He went away from them and reached under a tree. The tree trunk split and became spacious for him. He entered the split tree trunk and it joined once more. Satan caused a corner of his garment to stick outside and told The Israelites that Shaiya is hiding in the tree. The people sawed the tree in half with Shaiya in it.

An account of the People of Saba And People of Tharthaar

Allah says:

Certainly there was a sign for Saba in their abode; two gardens on the right and the left; eat of the sustenance of your Lord and give thanks to Him: a good land and a Forgiving Lord! But they turned aside, so We sent upon them a torrent of which the rush could not be withstood, and in place of their two gardens We gave to them two gardens yielding bitter fruit and (growing) tamarisk and a few lote-trees.

This We requited them with because they disbelieved; and We do not punish any but the ungrateful.

And We made between them and the towns which We had blessed (other) towns to be easily seen, and We apportioned the journey therein: Travel through them nights and days, secure.

And they said: O our Lord! make spaces to be longer between our journeys; and they were unjust to themselves so We made them stories and scattered them with an utter scattering; most surely there are signs in this for every patient, grateful one. (34:15-19)

Imam as-Sadiq says regarding the exegesis of the above ayats, that the nation of Sabah inhabited towns close to each other so that they could interact among themselves. They were very prosperous and had flourishing agriculture. Streams irrigated their townships and there was an economic upsurge. But these people denied Allah’s bounty and invited a change to occur in their fortunes. The Almighty sent a flood on them and it destroyed their towns, submerged their houses and ravaged their properties. In place of their orchards Allah caused to grow the plantations that He has mentioned.

‘Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated that Sulayman commanded his army to construct a gulf from the fresh water sea to India and they built a dam of stone and lime through which canals supplied water to the Kingdom of Sabah. This dam had ducts at regular intervals and by opening and closing the ducts water supply was regulated to any given town of the Sabah Kingdom. On both sides of the city were flourishing orchards comprising of an area of ten days’ travel. The orchards were thick with trees laden with fruits and decked with flowers. If one traveled from one side to the other he would not be able to see the sun for ten days at a stretch. When the inhabitants of this flourishing kingdom began to transgress, disobey the commands of their Lord, not heed the advice of righteous people and did not desist from their evil deeds the Almighty sent giant rats that began to dig at the dam and remove huge stones from it, tossing them aside, though each stone was so heavy that even a strong and healthy man could not lift it. Witnessing such a scenario many people fled the city leaving behind their belongings and properties. The rats continued to dig at the dam until it leveled and a flooded the country. The flood destroyed the city, uprooted the trees carrying them away as mentioned by Allah in the description of Sabah.

In an authentic tradition Imam Ja‘far as-Sadiq said, “After every meal I lick my fingers so much that my servant thinks it is because of greed, though it is for respecting Allah’s bounty.

Know that! There was a nation bestowed with divine bounties. They owned a stream called Tharthaar. They had such excessive wealth that they used pure wheat bread for cleansing the genitals of their children after they dirtied passed stool. Instead of washing them with water they wiped them with bread and discarded it. This went on for such a long time and a mountain of this dirty bread built up. One day a righteous person passed by and saw a woman cleaning her child with bread. He told her, “Fear Allah! Do not be haughty and deny His divine bounties due to their excessiveness.” The lady replied, “Do not terrify me with hunger. We need never worry for food as long as the stream flows.” Allah was infuriated at this and cut off the stream from them. He stopped the rain and cultivation of crops. The people of Sabah became impoverished and deprived. Now they weighed and distributed among themselves the same bread for consumption.”Know that! There was a nation bestowed with divine bounties. They owned a stream called Tharthaar. They had such excessive wealth that they used pure wheat bread for cleansing the genitals of their children after they dirtied passed stool. Instead of washing them with water they wiped them with bread and discarded it. This went on for such a long time and a mountain of this dirty bread built up. One day a righteous person passed by and saw a woman cleaning her child with bread. He told her, “Fear Allah! Do not be haughty and deny His divine bounties due to their excessiveness.” The lady replied, “Do not terrify me with hunger. We need never worry for food as long as the stream flows.” Allah was infuriated at this and cut off the stream from them. He stopped the rain and cultivation of crops. The people of Sabah became impoverished and deprived. Now they weighed and distributed among themselves the same bread for consumption.”

An account of the people of Ras

Imam al-Ridha mentioned that one of the nobles of the Tamim tribe approached Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali (‘a) three days prior to his martyrdom and requested him to relate the facts regarding the People of Ras; where they lived, in what period, who were their rulers, whom did Allah send as a Prophet for guiding these people, how they were destroyed? etc. The inquirer told ‘Ali that though they are mentioned in the Holy Qur’an no details available.

‘Ali said, “You have inquired about something that none have inquired before. After me there is no one who will be able to relate their account except one who quotes me. There is no verse in the Holy Qur’an whose exegesis in unknown to me. I know the place of revelation of each ayah. Whether it was revealed at night or day. On a mountain or in plains.” Then pointing towards his breast said, “It contains unlimited knowledge and its seekers are few. People would regret why they did not obtain knowledge from me.

O Brother! The People of Ras were a particular group. They worshipped the pine tree and called it the ‘King of Trees’. It had been planted by Yafith the son of Nuh besides a spring. The spring was known as Rooshtaab and had formed after the deluge. They were known as ‘People of Ras’ because they had buried alive a Prophet who came after Sulayman The People of Ras inhabited twelve cities on the bank of the river Ras in the eastern hemisphere. The area was known as Aras and the people were named after the river Ras. During that time it was the best fresh water river in the world and the Kingdom of Ras was the most prosperous nation of its time. The nation consisted of cities named as Abaan, Aazar, Dee, Bahman, Isfandaar, Farwarrdeen, Urdi-Behisht, Khordaad, Mardaad, Teer and Shaharpoor. Isfandar was the largest city and the seat of the ruler Tarkooz son of Ghaboor son of Yarish son of Saazan son of Narmood son of Canaan. Nimrod was the contemporary of Ibrahim. The spring and the tree called Sanobar were situated in this city. The people of Ras had taken some seeds from that tree to other towns and sowed them near streams. Then they took some water from the original spring and mixed it in the spring of each town. It irrigated the saplings that gradually grew into thick trees laden with sour fruits. The people prohibited themselves and their animals from partaking in any of the products of these trees. They also refrained from drinking the water of those springs and claimed that it was the cause of existence of their gods.

Thus it did not befit them to drink this water that would result in the decrease of their god’s lives. They used the water from the river Ras that flowed by their cities for themselves and their animals. Every month one of the towns celebrated ‘Id. On this day, people of that particular town gathered near the Sanobar tree situated there. They covered the tree with a silk curtain embroidered with pictures. Cows and sheep were sacrificed at the tree and later burnt with firewood. When the smoke and ashes darkened the atmosphere they fell down prostrate in front of that tree. They wept and wailed and implored the tree to be pleased with them. The Satan used to sit upon the tree and shake its branches. He would hide in the trunk of the tree and say in the voice of a young boy, “My servants! I am pleased with you. May you be happy and your eyes brighten with joy.” Hearing this, the people would arise. They would celebrate the next few days in drinking, playing drums, singing and making merry. Then they would return home. “

The Persians have named the months after the cities of Ras, Abaan, Aazar, etc. Every month was associated with the feast of a particular city, hence that month was named after that city. When it was the turn of their largest town to celebrate the festival, people from all the other cities came there. They would gather at the great tree near the spring and cover the tree with a large curtain embroidered with icons. The curtain was partitioned to have twelve entrances, one for each city. They would prostrate before the tree from outside the curtain. They sacrificed animals equal to those slaughtered from all the other cities collectively. The accursed Iblis sat on the tree and shook its branches. He would call out to them and speak to them. He would make promises to them greater than the promises made by the Shaitans of the other trees. Then they would rise and drink a lot of wine. For twelve long days they indulged in merry making and enjoyment equal to all the festivals of the other towns together. After the celebration they returned home. When the transgression crossed all limits Allah sent towards them a Prophet from the Israelites to make them recognize Allah and worship Him. But they refused to obey the Prophet.

After the Prophet had exhausted all efforts to guide them and was convinced that they would not come on the right path he complained to Allah “My Lord, these people do nothing but falsify me and refuse to believe in You. Therefore at the time of their great festival manifest your power to them by causing the trees that they worship to wither.” The curse was effective and the next day the people saw that their trees had dried and withered. They were astonished and terrified. They were divided among themselves on what they thought had happened to the trees. One group said that the man from Allah had performed sorcery in order to transfer the credit of sustenance bestowed by their gods to his Lord. The second group said that their gods were displeased with them because the Prophet mentioned their defects and criticized them and the people did not object to this. It was for this reason that their god had concealed its freshness and budding to show his anger against that Prophet so that the people would rise up against him.

Having formed such an opinion the people discussed ways of eliminating the Prophet. After consultations they agreed that he should be killed. They constructed huge pipes of lead and fixed them to the spring reaching its bottom. Then they climbed down and after removing all the water and dug a well underground. After this the people caught hold of the Prophet and imprisoned him in that well. Then they closed the mouth of the well with a huge boulder. They climbed up, removed the pipes and allowed the water to flow over the well into the spring. They said, “Now our gods shall be pleased with us for we have killed the Prophet who maligned us. We have buried him at the base of the greatest Sanobar tree. Maybe now it will regain its freshness and bloom.” The whole day they heard the pleas of the Prophet buried inside. He was praying to his Lord thus: “O my Lord! You are aware of my confinement and see my sorrow and grief. Have mercy on my helplessness and take away my soul at the earliest. Do not delay it.” Ultimately the oppressed Prophet met his end. Peace of Allah be upon him.

Allah revealed to Archangel Gabriel, “My creatures have become very sinful and unheeding of My wrath. They feel secure from disaster. They worship something other than Me and have killed My messenger. Do they think they shall be able to face My Chastisement? Can they escape from My Kingdom and Dominion? I shall send retribution to all those who disobey Me and are not fearful of My punishment. By My Might and Honor I shall punish them in such a way that they would be an example to all mankind.”

Thus when the People of Ras were engrossed in celebrating their festival, a red storm caught them by surprise. They clung to each other. The ground beneath their feet became melting sulphur and a black cloud overshadowed them. Fire began to rain from this cloud melting the bodies of men, just like lead melts in fire.

‘Ali says, “I seek Allah’s refuge from this wrath.” Wa laa h’awla walaa quwwate illa billahil a’liyyil a’z’eem (and there is no power and strength except that of Allah the High and the Great).”

A number of reliable traditions mention that the women of Ras practiced lesbianism and that was the reason the Almighty destroyed them.

Ibn Babawayh, al-Qutb al-Rawandi and Thalabi in his book ‘Arais’ have recorded from Imam al-Ka¨im that the People of Ras consisted of two groups. One of these groups have not been mentioned by Allah in the Holy Qur’an. They inhabited a village and possessed a large number of sheep. Prophet Salih sent a Prophet towards them. The people murdered him. Another Prophet was sent in his place and he too was killed. The third Prophet also met with the same fate. Now a Prophet was sent with an assistant (wali) When they put to death this Prophet too, the wali exhausted all proofs on them and called out to the fish that was worshipped by those people. The fish emerged from the sea and came to the land and sat besides the wali. The people still denied him. Allah sent a wind towards them that lifted all the people and their sheep and tossed them into the sea. The representative of Salih distributed the booty of gold, silver and utensils, etc. among his followers. Thus the generations of this nation became extinct.

The above incident has been mentioned by us in the Account of Salih.

Imam Musa al-Ka¨im says that the group mentioned in the Qur’an is the one that inhabited the banks of river Ras. They are known as the People of Ras. Allah sent many Prophets among them. There was never a time when they had been devoid of a Prophet who warned and exhorted them and they invariably killed all of the Prophets. The river flowed between Azerbaijan and Armenia and reached to the northern tip of Azerbaijan where people worshipped the lizard. According to one report they worshipped virgin girls. When that virgin girl completed thirty years of age they would kill her and install another in her place as a deity. The stream was three parasang wide. The stream swelled every day to such an extent that its level reached to half the size of their mountains, but its water did not flow into the sea or plains. It reached only up to the inhabited areas and not beyond. It flowed through their towns and cities. Allah sent thirty Prophets to them in a single month but they killed them all.

Allah sent to them a Prophet and made his wali accompany him. The Prophet waged an intense struggle against them. The people confronted him and when they became busy in repelling his attack, the Almighty sent Mika’il to them during their sowing season. A lot of water was in demand for irrigating the fields. Mika’il diverted all their canals towards the sea. All the springs originating from the streams were blocked by walls. Mika’il was assisted by 500 angels in this venture. The angels took out each drop of water from the canals and threw it into the sea. The canals were completely dry now. Allah sent Archangel Gabriel who caused all the streams and springs of their country to dry up. The angel of death was dispatched and he decimated all their cattle. The south wind, north wind, zephyr and west wind were commanded to destroy their clothes and belongings etc. by snatching everything and dropping it over the mountains and in the seas. The earth was commanded to devour all their utensils, gold and silver. All their treasure shall remain underground and will be thrown out during the time of the great grandson of ‘Ali, Muhammad (Imam al-Mahdi.

They woke up in the morning and saw that they had neither any belongings nor cattle, vessels or clothes. All their food grain has been destroyed. Even then only a few converted to the faith in Allah, and Allah guided them. They took shelter in a nearby cave. Altogether they were 21 men, four women and ten boys. Ultimately they achieved salvation. Those who remained adamant in their disbelief were 600,000. They died of the agony of starvation and thirst. Not a single infidel escaped. Later the thirty five people who had accepted faith returned to their hometown. They saw everything devastated and the inhabitants exterminated. They fell down in obeisance to the Almighty and with all sincerity pleaded to Him to bestow them with water, food and cattle sufficient enough for their needs. They did not wish for excess bounties lest it cause transgression in their hearts. They took an oath and vowed that if the Almighty sent a Prophet for them they would help and assist him and believe in him. Allah knew their sincerity and hence showered His Mercy by causing streams to flow and bestowed more than they had prayed for. After that they remained obedient to Allah for their life. But their progeny though outwardly pious practiced hypocrisy. They were also given respite by Allah but their transgression crossed all limits. They remained busy in opposing the righteous servants of Allah. Allah gave their enemies power over them. Many of them were killed and the survivors were subjected to a dreadful plague that wiped them completely. The canals and edifices remained dilapidated for two hundred years.

Allah brought another people to inhabit those abandoned dwellings. For a long time they treaded the path of Allah’s obedience, then lacunae set in and they became sinful. They fell to degraded habits and practices. The notable thing about them was that they considered it a gesture of goodwill and hospitality when they offered their women and daughters to fulfill the sexual desires of their friends and acquaintances. They receded further into sin and homosexuality and lesbianism became rampant. Lesbianism was taught to them by Walhaas the daughter of Satan. She came to them with her sister Shaisaar in a human form and demonstrated the method of sexual contact between two women.

At last Allah sent upon them a thunderbolt. All of them began to sink into the earth during the night. A dreadful scream came from the depths of the earth. Not a single person survived to witness the sunrise next morning. Imam Musa al-Ka¨im said “I do not think that that part of the earth was ever inhabited again.”

According to Shaykh Tabarsi, the People of Ras were the ones who buried alive their Prophet in a well. Some historians mention that the people reared cattle and dug a well around which they sat and worshipped idols. Allah sent Shu‘ayb for their guidance but they refused to believe him. Therefore their well was destroyed and all of them sunk into the earth. Some people say Allah had sent to them a Prophet named han¨alah. They slew the Prophet and hence were doomed to perdition. Ras is believed to be a well in Antioch. People of Ras killed habib al-Najjar (the carpenter) and threw him into the well.

Imam Ja‘far as-Sadiq says, “Their women practiced sexual contact between themselves. They have been mentioned in the following ayah,

So how many a town did We destroy while it was unjust, so it was fallen down upon its roofs, and (how many a) deserted well and palace raised high.” (22:45)

The well was located in Hadramaut and according to some scholars in the city of Khaazoora. It was inhabited by 4000 people who had put their faith in Prophet Salih. Salih also lived with them. Because he breathed his last here, it was called Hadramaut (death).

Later the population increased and progenies proliferated. They began to fall into transgression and idol-worship. Allah sent towards them a Prophet named han¨alah. He was put to death mercilessly in public view. They were destroyed as a result of this cruel act. All of them died. Their well became useless and the palace of their ruler was razed to the ground.

An Account of Shaiya and Haiqooq

Ibn Babawayh and al-Qutb al-Rawandi have related from Wahab ibn Munabbah that during the tenure of Shaiya there was a king in The Israelites. The king as well as his subjects were obedient to the divine commands initially. But later they introduced innovations in their religion. Shaiya tried his best to restrain them and also warned them of divine retribution but to no avail. Allah made King Babel to reign over them. When they realized their inability to match his power they sought forgiveness of Allah. Allah revealed to Shaiya that due to the piety and righteousness of their ancestors He had accepted their repentance.

The ruler of these people was afflicted with a boil on his thigh. It was cancerous. The king was obedient to Allah and he was a righteous person.

Allah revealed to Shaiya to advise the king to make a bequest and select a person from his family who should be designated as his legatee among The Israelites and that Allah shall cause his death on a particular date.

Shaiya conveyed the divine message to the king. When he heard it he beseeched Allah with all humility, “O my Lord! You had been benevolent to me since the day I was born and bestowed upon me every bounty. In spite of this I do not repose hope in anyone except You. I have faith in You alone. I praise You and expect goodness from You without having performed any good deed and to become deserving of the same. You are more informed of my affairs than I myself am. O Allah! Postpone my death and increase my age and keep me firm on the path that You like best.”

Allah revealed to Shaiya, “I had pity on his lamentation and accepted his invocation and gave him another fifteen years. Tell him to cure his cancerous wound by fig juice. Because I have appointed the cure of his discomfort and wound in that water. I have also guaranteed safety for him and The Israelites from their enemies.”

So the next morning Shaiya saw that the army of Babel was routed completely. Only the king remained alive and with him were five persons. All of them ran towards Babel. After this the people of The Israelites remained pious and on the path of guidance until the time the king departed from this temporal world. Again the people reverted to evil deeds and disobedience and each of them laid claim to the throne. Shaiya tried his best to reform them but to no avail and in the end all of them were destroyed.

It is reported in another tradition that ‘Abdullah bin Salaam asked the Holy Prophet about Shaiya and he said, “He conveyed to The Israelites the good news of my Prophethood and Messengership and the Prophethood of ‘Isa.”

According to authentic chain of narrators, Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali said, “Allah revealed to Shaiya that He is about to destroy 40000 of the evil doers and 60000 righteous people of his community. Shaiya said, “O my Lord! Why do you destroy the righteous ones?” Allah said, “Because they flattered them and begged favors from them and did not become angry at them due to My anger (neither did they try to restrain the evil people from bad deeds).”

Authentic chains of narrators mention that Imam al-Ridha asked the Christian priest in Al-Ma’mun’s assembly what information he had about the book of Shaiya. The priest replied that he was conversant with every letter of the book. Imam addressed the Rabbi Raasul Jalut, “It is mentioned in the book of Shaiya that he said, O my people! I saw a rider on a mule. He was clothed in garments of light and I saw a rider on a camel. His light and luminescence was like a bright moon.” Both the priests admitted that it was true. Imam said that Shaiya has mentioned in Torah that he saw two riders and their splendor shall illuminate the whole world. One of them shall ride a tall mule and one shall ride a camel. “Who are the two personalities mentioned by Shaiya?” asked Imam. Raasul Jalut admitted ignorance and appealed to Imam to enlighten him. Imam said, “The person on the mule refers to ‘Isa and rider on the horse indicated Muhammad al-Mustafa. Do you reject this saying of Torah?” “No! we cannot reject this”, they said, Then Imam al-Ridha asked “Do you know about Prophet Haiqooq?” “Yes” they replied, “We know about him.” “Have you not read the verse where he says-The truth became manifest from Mount Paran and the skies filled with the praise of Allah. His people and his riders shall battle in the seas and in the deserts too. He shall bring a new book from Allah after the destruction of Jerusalem. The ‘Book’ means Qur’an. Are you aware of these words? Do you have faith in these words?” Raasul Jalut said, “These are the words of Haiqooq, we certainly believe in his words.”

Some books mention that The Israelites plotted to kill Shaiya. He went away from them and reached under a tree. The tree trunk split and became spacious for him. He entered the split tree trunk and it joined once more. Satan caused a corner of his garment to stick outside and told The Israelites that Shaiya is hiding in the tree. The people sawed the tree in half with Shaiya in it.


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