Critique of Aligarh College
When Sir Sayyed set up the foundations of Aligarh College, he sent a reliable friend of his to Gangoh in order to meet Mawlānā Gangohī rahimahullah and give him the following message,
“I have set up a college for the success and progress of the Muslims. This is
because other nations have progressed and have gone far ahead but the Muslims
are retrogressing. If you people help me in this cause, then I will be able to
very quickly acquire my objective, which is, in reality, the success of the
Muslims. The person came to Gangoh. After making salām, he conveyed the message of Sir Sayyed. Mawlānā heard the message of Sir Sayyed and
said, “Brother, until today we feel that the step towards success of the
Muslims is following the commands of Allāh and His Rasūl sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. However, it seems today that their
success and progress lie in something else too.
With regards to this matter, I can tell you that I have spent my entire life in the words of Allāh and His Rasūl sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Therefore, I am not so much linked or attached to those other things.”
He took the name of Mawlānā Qāsim rahimahullah and said that he has foresight in
these matters, and he should be met. Mawlānā Gangohī rahimahullah also said that he will follow
whatever Mawlānā Qāsim rahimahullah says because he is simply a
follower.
The person went to Mawlānā Qāsim rahimahullah and conveyed the message of Sir
Sayyed. He also spoke about the conversation with Mawlānā Gangohī rahimahullah. He mentioned the response of Mawlānā Gangohī rahimahullah also. After hearing all of this,
Mawlānā Qāsim rahimahullah said, “There are three types of
workers. One is the person who has good intentions, but he does not have
intelligence. The second is the one who has intelligence but does not have good
intentions. The third is the one who does not have good intentions, and no
intelligence either. With regards to Sir Sayyed, we cannot say that he does not
have good intentions, but we shall definitely say that he has no intelligence. This
is because the staircase of progress that he wants to take the Muslims on, which
he feels is the means of their success and the cause of their progress, it is the
very same thing that causes their retrogression and downfall.”
Upon this, the messenger said, “The shortcoming
that Ḥaḍrat complained about, which is present in Sir Sayyed, you people are
being called in order to fill it and correct it so that we can reach the
required objective. This is something that none other than an ‘ārif can say.”
Mawlānā said, “The
Sunnah of Allāh is that when the foundation of something is laid, then the
thought and idea of the founder is seen in the building; it becomes clear and
apparent.
An example of
this is like planting a bitter tree and then filling a watering jug with rose flavored
water. Then, a pious man is told to sit there and
water the bitter tree with the rose flavored water. When the tree bears fruit, the
fruit will be bitter.”
This is something very unique. At one point during
the movement, I said that after fifty years, you will understand that because
of Aligarh College, atheism, irreligiousness, and adoration for the English
spread, and the īmān and dīn of the masses has been destroyed. A great ‘ālim of foresight said this a long time ago. [Ahl e Dil ke Anmol Aqwal]
