By Syed Khalid Husain
Kuala Lumpur
The rising tide of anti-Muslim hostility across India, particularly in its northern states, fuelled by Hindutva forces has become a source of deep anxiety for the country’s Muslim community. Yet, for India’s 200-million-strong Muslim minority, living within a 1.4-billion Hindu-majority population, this moment also represents a critical challenge and a defining test of resilience and principle.
As history reminds us, every challenge carries within it the seed of opportunity. Now is the time for Indian Muslims to rise to the occasion, not through confrontation, but by conveying to their Hindu compatriots the authentic and everlasting message of Islam: a message rooted in peace, coexistence and shared humanity.
This perspective was articulated by Syed Sadatullah Husaini, Amir (president) of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, during an interactive session organised by the i-Discourse Mehfil in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sunday, 6th September.
Addressing a packed gathering of South Asian Muslims residing in Malaysia, Syed Sadatullah opened with a sobering assessment of the Hindutva ideology, noting that its anti-Muslim and anti-Islam agenda demands a measured, principled response – one firmly grounded in the ethical framework of Islamic teachings.
“Every major challenge carries a great reward,” he observed, describing the current phase as one of transformation, change and inquilab (revolution) in India. “With every difficulty,” he added, “Allah opens doors for meaningful action on a larger scale.” The signs of this transformation, he noted, are visible across the country.
In a concise yet intellectually stirring address, Syed Sadatullah identified two fundamental weaknesses afflicting the Ummah today: a lack of vision and a deepening moral crisis – together constituting a strategic failure. Drawing an analogy to a serious illness, he called for long-term solutions rather than short-term relief measures.
He lamented that India’s Muslims often remain inwardly focused, whereas the very purpose of the Ummah is to be outward-looking: to strive for a world freed from injustice and enriched with goodness. Reminding his audience of their collective duty as ‘the best community evolved for humanity’ – charged with enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong – he left attendees with a powerful call to introspection and action.
“It is time Muslims reverted to the very purpose of their existence on this earth and expanded the horizon of their dawah activities to include non-Muslims,” he said. “As a Dayee Ummat [community of callers to Faith], we need to find and implement long-term solutions rather than adopt short-term measures.”
Syed Sadatullah was in Kuala Lumpur after attending the 72nd Muktamar (annual conference) of PAS (Parti Islam se-Malaysia), held in Kota Bahru, the capital of Kelantan state in northeastern Malaysia. This Muslim-majority Southeast Asian nation has seen Kelantan under PAS rule since 1990, where the party has built a deep political stronghold rooted in Islamic governance in a state where roughly 96% of the population is Muslim. Neighbouring Terengganu has also been under PAS control since May 2018.
During the September 3-5 Muktamar, delegates unanimously approved a motion to strengthen the Ummah unification agenda, aimed at bolstering Malay-Islamic political influence and ensuring national stability. The motion was among seven proposals adopted on the final day of the annual conference, held under the theme “Islamic Solutions Bring Victory.”
The success of the i-Discourse Mehfil’s enriching evening of learning, fellowship and reflection owed much to the invaluable guidance and support of Prof Dr Muhammad Mumtaz Ali, a professor of Islamic Studies at the International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, since 1987. An Aligarian originally from Hyderabad, he was instrumental in the programme, which was presented by Mufti Umar Ahmad Al Qasmi.
