Afkare Muslim: Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi

Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi, Courtesy:Facebook

Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi, is a Muslim^[1] journalist^[2]^[3]^[4], reporter^[5], translator, author^[6] and speaker^[7]. He writes books and articles in English, Arabic, Persian and Urdu languages.^[8] He has addressed numerous religious and political issues^[9] around the themes of Sufi Islam, terrorism and international politics in the national and international conferences and seminars in different languages.^[10] His basic philosophy is "Word for peace", he also runs an article publishing website with the same title.^[11] His columns and articles are occasionally published in Indian-English Newspapers (First Post,^[12] The Asian Age,^[13] Deccan Chronicle ^[14]) on various topics. He also write articles in Inqilab, Jagran, Nubhart Times and in Rashtriya Sahara. He got the media fame when he appeared on Indian Media and took a part in debates (and wrote) about Zakir Naik and terrorism.^[15]^[16]^[17]^[18] Dehlvi is also national secretary of the World Sufi Forum Besides, he is editor-in-chief of a web-magazine promoting peace journalism, ^[19]

Education

Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi has obtained a certificate of Islamic Studies (Islamic Scholar) from the Jamia Amjadia Rizvia (Mau, UP, India), Research in Quranic Studies from Al-Jame-atul-Islamia, Faizabad, UP, India and got his certificate of Ilm-al-Hadith from Al-Azhar Institute of Islamic Studies, Badaun. Then, he pursued BA (Hons) in Arabic Language and Masters in Comparative Religions and Islamic Studies from Jamia Millia Islamia ^[20]^[21]

Views

Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi has his on views on different topics, which are very important and some of them are controversial in his (contemporary) era.

On Sufism

Dehlvi has written that the “Foundations of Sufism” are: Tawheed (oneness of God), Wahdatul wujud (unity of existence), ilmul yaqeen (knowledge with firm faith), zikr (incantation), muraqaba (meditation), observance of taqwa (God-consciousness) and tawba (repentance on sins), ikhlas (sincerity), tawakkul (contentment), sidq (truthfulness), amanah (trustworthiness), istiqamah (uprightness) and shukr (thankfulness).^[22] However, Dehlvi opines that the soul and spirit of Sufism is dying out even at the Dargahs and Khanqahs (Sufi shrines), which imbibed an egalitarian tradition of inclusiveness.^[23]

On Sunni-Sufi creed

Dehlvi endorsed the stand that “Ahluls Sunna wal Jama’ah [Sufi-Sunni Muslims] are the Ash’arites or Muturidis (adherents of Abu Mansur al-Maturidi's systematic theology which is also identical to Imam Abu Hasanal-Ash'ari’s school of logical thought). In matters of belief, they are followers of any of the four schools of thought (Hanafi, Shaf’ai, Maliki or Hanbali) and are also the followers of pure Sufism in doctrines, manners and [spiritual] purification.”^[24]

About terrorism, radicalization and violent extremism

Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi has extensively written on terrorism, ^{radicalization} and violent extremism. He writes: “the ‘gun culture’ underpinned by a nefarious ideology has been playing havoc in the spate of terrorist atrocities from Brussels, Paris, Pathankot to San Bernardino and lately in Orlando’s LGBT nightclub. The obnoxious act of violent extremism in Florida, as anywhere else in the world, is not just a law and order problem. Neither it is practically expedient to paint it as a political incident. The ‘gun culture’ coupled with an exclusivist, retrogressive and chauvinistic ideology is the actual stimulus for the extremist zealots to go haywire”.

On Counter-extremism

Dehlvi views that just blocking the jihadist, pro-Islamic State accounts on certain social platforms is not the solution. A well-thought-out, well-reasoned, coherent and effective counter-narrative against the extremist rhetoric is imperative, avers. ^[25]

On Zakir Naik

Dehlvi wrote that the country’s Muslims are distressed at the misleading stand of Zakir Naik on suicide bombing.^[26] He thinks that Indian Muslims, both Sunnis and Shias, have deeper ideological problem with Zakir Naik. He also went on writing that Naik has been trying to lure the Indian Muslims, anchored in an age-old traditional Sufi Islam, into professing and practicing the pernicious theology of Salafism.^[27]

On girls' education

Dehlvi strongly encourages the education of women, in both the social and religious domains. He believes that girls’ education and cultural training are an integral part of inclusive development of a community. “There is no priority for men in relation to the right to education. Both are equally encouraged to acquire education. Indeed, all the Qur’anic verses which relate to education and knowledge are directed to both men and women alike. “When the Qur’an enshrined such a lofty status for women and accorded them rights that they could not otherwise even imagine in 7th century Arabia, why this discrepancy between the actual Qur’anic provisions for women and their sorry state of affairs in the Muslim world today?”, he writes: ^[28]

Work

Along with his dozens of essays and articles his following books also have been published.

Sufism, Counter- extremism and Indian media ^[29]
Sufism, the heart of humanity ^[30]
Islamic Televangelism in India ^[31]
Caliphate Hejaz and Saudi State an Urdu Translation of the book of Imran Nazar Hosein