Desperately Seeking Paradise
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Posted in:
Books
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| Jamal Byron | Nov. 20, 2008 | 2:09 AM |
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Ziauddin Sardar is a writer, broadcaster and cultural critic. He is considered a pioneering writer on Islamic science and the future of Islam.
A first glance at part of the book title Journeys of a Skeptical Muslim might give the impression that Sardar is someone who doubts the soundness or possibly the validity of the Islamic tradition—this is not the case. Desperately Seeking Paradise is the latest in a long line of over 40 books on various aspects of Islam and this is in some ways a semi-autobiographical account of Sardar’s journey within Islam—geographically, spiritually, philosophically.
It is a candid account of an intelligent, inquisitive man’s experiences with the multitude of different groups within the fold of Islam as he seeks to find a balanced, practical Islam that appeals to his mind as well as his heart.
His journey begins with an encounter with a group known as the Tablighi Jamaat. This is the main catalyst that aroused his interest and started his quest:
“…Tablighis are but one among the many and diverse groups of Muslims, each of which has its own formula for paradise here and hereafter. Each represents a different lineage of thought and authority and thereby is a challenge to every other group. All contend with each other to attract adherents—and I, as a young seeker, was a legitimate target for all. While relishing this attention, I was determined not to be an aimless seeker. I wanted to experience for myself the different interpretations of Islam on offer, to question the propositions of each, and discover just what kind of paradise I was being ushered towards…”
Sardar is invited ‘on jamaat’ with some adherents of the Tablighi teaching and quickly discovers that it isn’t for him.
We are then given a little of Sardar’s background—his origins in the Punjab, his family’s subsequent move to London where he is again forced to adjust to new circumstances, having already had to adjust to his native country being split by the Partition. Sardar identifies his questioning of things as being “...an appropriate by-product, you might say, of my birth and times.”
He tells us of his involvement with FOSIS (the Federation of Students Islamic Societies) and gives what was for me some useful insight into the formation of the group. Of the two most influential Islamic movements at the time namely the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt and the Jamaat-e-Islami of Pakistan he relates how he was initially impressed with the founder of the latter, Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi, in an interview conducted by the FOSIS magazine, The Muslim. He found himself inspired and busied himself in reading as much Mawdudi as possible.
Having found some of Mawdudi’s views on women troubling and members of the Jamaat-e-Islami to have a limited perception of the world as he saw it, he moved on to the Muslim Brotherhood. Again, he found shortcomings.
The books chapters generally speaking cover encounters with particular groups (Sufis, for example, in the chapter entitled The Mysteries of Mysticism), periods of recent historical significance for the Muslim world (the Iranian Revolution), and personal accounts of his own evolution.
One of the chapters that touched me deeply and seems particularly apt for Muslims in this country is the chapter covering The Satanic Verses. He gives us a short synopsis of Rushdie’s book followed by his reaction to it and what it contained that he felt was so offensive to Muslims.
Sardar’s frustration with the ideas and groups he encountered eventually culminated in him coming together with like-minded Muslims to form his own group called the Ijmalis.
Some may be offended by Sardar’s criticism and find the bluntness of his remarks difficult to accept. As I read the book I found myself wondering (perhaps a little unfairly) if his attitude toward other groups bordered on contempt and if Sardar’s Ijmali group could be considered somewhat elitist and guilty of the “Our group is the only group that has a sound blueprint for Islamic Revival” type attitude.
Perhaps my own reaction is due more to my own cynicism than anything else. However, I found the book extremely entertaining, enlightening, challenging, even vexing in places. I found myself nodding in agreement at some of his critiques and laughing out loud at many of his anecdotes.
Sardar’s book is also useful as a first generation account of Islamic activism. Most of us who have lived through second generation activism will find his story fascinating reading for the context it provides to our own experiences.
Sardar’s book is in my opinion essential reading for those who have sought to travel the road to truth, knowledge and enlightenment. I am positive that many who read ‘Desperately Seeking Paradise’ will strongly identify with his reactions to the ideals, philosophies and idiosyncrasies of the various groups he encountered within the fold of Islam.
Sardar’s ideas and critiques are challenging and refreshing and I cannot stress enough that even if the reader doesn’t agree with all that he says, there will be some benefit. Reading the book caused me to re-examine and reassess some of my own personal views, which is always a good thing.
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