As a religion Islam is under¬stood by few and misunder¬stood by many. It is indeed tragic that the intellectual con¬tent of Islamic ideology is being ignored, although Islam expects its followers to be well-informed and knowledgeable. The followers of Islam appear to be ensnared by the ritualis¬tic part of their faith rather than the ideals so beautifully expressed in the Quranic text. The average Indian Muslim is more a follower of a parti¬cular group or moulvi than a true believer in his faith. Various ills that crept into Muslim society are the result of the domination of the Ulema, which has benumbed the questioning mind and en¬couraged the cult of personali¬ty. Besides the Indianization of the Islamic tradition, the various institutions of religious learning have created groups and sub-groups within the larger system. Therefore, a chaotic situation confronts a beginner who seeks an intro¬duction to Islam. And today there is a growing number of people who want to acquaint themselves with Islam.
March-April 1982, volume 6, No 5