عہدِ حاضر کے مسلم مفکرین میں ڈاکٹر اسرار احمد کا مقام

Dr. Israr Ahmed’s Status Among Contemporary Muslim Thinkers

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the intellectual and reformist standing of Dr. Israr Ahmad, one of the prominent Muslim thinkers of the contemporary era. The core of his thought revolves around the centrality of the Qur’an, the obligation of establishing the religion (Iqāmat-e-Dīn), the foundational principles of the Islamic state, and the applicability of the Prophet’s revolutionary methodology (Manhaj-e-Inqilāb-e-Nabawi). The study first outlines Dr. Israr Ahmad’s da‘wah-based and movement-oriented struggle, his critique of electoral politics, and his ijtihādī conception regarding the possibility of a renewed caliphal order emerging from Pakistan. This is followed by a critical evaluation of his ideas, including an analysis of his views on peaceful political resistance, the distinction between state and government, approaches to resolving juristic differences, and his intellectual engagement with contemporary jihadi and electoral trends.In the final section, the paper offers a comparative examination of Dr. Israr Ahmad’s thought alongside other eminent Muslim thinkers of the subcontinent—Mawlana Mawdudi, Allama Iqbal, Mawlana Abul Kalam Azad, and Shah Waliullah Dehlawi. This comparison reveals that Dr. Israr Ahmad stands both as an heir to the broader tradition of Islamic reform as well as a contributor who introduces significant new ijtihādī perspectives into that tradition. Consequently, he occupies a distinctive position among contemporary Muslim thinkers, uniting Qur’anic interpretation, the revival of the Islamic political order, and a practical program for the establishment of the religion.