ALLAMAH GHULAM AHMAD PARWEZ (d. 1985), was a savant, religious philosopher, and a polymath nonpareil. He was eulogized by the intelligentsia of Pakistan as “the Shah Waliallah of this age”. His grasp of Islam, his perspicacity in its simplicities as well as his profound insight into the intricacies introduced in it by the priestly polemicists, reached Himalayan heights! 

When an eagle soars to giddy heights, it is obvious that the tiny wagtail (“mamola”, in the words of Allamah Iqbal), would feel frustrated and conspicuously insignificant, not being able to compete with it in height and flight. If that puny creature could express itself, it would twitter its invectives in its own passerine fashion! This is what happened with that intellectual colossus, Allamah Parwez, when the cerebral pygmies, otherwise known as “ulama” of Pakistan - ONE THOUSAND OF THEM! – denounced him, branding him with the appellation of “Kaafir”! 

This scholar and exegete of the Quran, did not bat an eyelid at the sacerdotal opprobrium heaped upon him, but continued with sang-froid and fixity of purpose, awakening Muslims, particularly the youth, to the verities of our Deen. His entire life was devoted to opening the windows of musty minds, allowing the fresh air of reason and logic to permeate them. He was an iconoclast par excellence whose endeavours were aimed at extirpating the fossilized thinking of the Muslim masses. His expositions on the multifarious aspects of Islam pack a powerful punch, are challenging and ineluctable 

*   *    *   *   *    *   *   *    *   *   * 

This tract, “ULAMA KAUN HAI(N)?” (“Who Are The Ulama?”) is one from among scores of treatise covering an extensive area of thought and topics. 

Allamah Parwez’s dogged determination and sole objective was the dissemination of the Quranic ideology per se. Towards this end he dedicated himself exclusively, wholly and totally, writing voluminous tomes, innumerous articles, tracts, pamphlets, discourses and booklets. 

All of the Allamah’s works, excepting one – “ISLAM: A CHALLENGE TO RELIGION” – were written in Urdu. The young Muslims of today living in countries where only English is spoken, are thus deprived of the coruscating gems that are the Allamah’s huge output. The necessity of translating his literature into English is greater now than ever before – in fact it is imperative! 

The youth HAS to be apprised of true Islam in its pristine purity. The minds of the Ummah of Rasoolullah (s) HAS to be detoxified from all poisonous impurities, from the falderals (foolish nonsense), and from the fairy tales implanted in them by the so-called “maulanas”. And, to my mind, no one has done more creditable, masterly and stupendous job than Allamah Parwez. 

The dire need, the pressing and paramount importance of translating ALL his work into English – and possibly into other languages – can thus be hardly over-emphasized. 

In this disquisition, the Allamah has expatiated on the concept of the word “ulama”, placing it in its correct Quranic perspective. The Quran refers to the SCIENTISTS as the “ulama” – and NOT (repeat NOT) to the pugreed, jubbah-ed gentlemen we have become accustomed to respecting as “maulanas”! The Allamah has thus demolished the fondly cherished notion of centuries that only those who profess to know the Shariah, the Deen, are the “ulama”. 

I trust that my humble assay towards rendering the Allamah’s mellifluous, highly academic Urdu into English would be acceptable to the discerning readers and other cognoscenti. 

A.S.K. JOOMMAL

(Editor: AL-BALAAGH)

P.O.BOX 1925

LENASIA 1820

(South Africa)

Rabee-ul-Aakhir 1421

July 2000