Their Ulema — Page 52
[ 52 ] of the present day government beside the A h r a rs. Maula vi Sahib says: It is sad that all but a few of the ulema had lost the true spirit of Islam. [First he issued a fat wa about the Muslim laity and now about the mull a hs. ] They lacked the power of Ijtih a d 12. They had forgotten the ability to acquire knowledge. They had no wis- dom. They had lost the strength to do anything. They totally lacked the capability to extract lasting and adaptable principles of Islam from the Book of God or the verbal and practical guidance provided by the Messenger of God. They could not apply these principles to the changed times. They were overwhelmed by the disease of blindly following the traditions of their forefathers. Because of this, they looked for all their answers in the writings of their forefathers rather than the Books of God—which transcend the limitations of time. In every instance they turned to the people who were not prophets of God—whose vision is free from the constraint of time and situation. Therefore, how was it possible for the ulema to guide the Muslims successfully when the times had changed and a great transfor- mation had occurred in the world of science and technology that only God could have known, but a 12. Under Islamic law, an independent judgment in a legal or theological question based on the interpretation and applica- tion of Qur’an, Sunnah, previous experience and general con- sensus.