Quest for an Islamic Welfare State and Endeavors of Small Religious Parties: A Case Study of Jam’iyyat Ulama-i-Pakistan

Abstract

After 9/11, there is a heated debate on the political and economic aspects of Islam. It is believed that Islamic socio economic order, being an effective part of Islamic code of life, finds solution to everyday problems which a person faces at individual and collective levels. Barelvi School of Islamic Scholars who actively and unconditionally supported All-India Muslim League (1906-1947) for its demand of Pakistan decided to come on the forefront in order to transform the nascent country into a moderate Islamic republic in the light of aspirations and instructions of M.A. Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. Hence, they formed a religio-political party entitled Jam’iyyat Ulama-i-Pakistan (JUP) in 1948. In the current article, an effort has been made to highlight the endeavors of JUP, one of the smaller religio-political parties of the country who worked as pressure groups in order to force power brokers to transform Pakistan into an Islamic welfare state.