Jamaat-e-Islami is an Islamist fundamentalist movement founded in 1941 in

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by the Islamist author and theorist Syed Abul Ala Maududi, who was inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood. It is considered one of the most influential Islamist organisations, and was the first to develop an ideology based on the modern revolutionary conception of Islam. Its founding branch in Pakistan is the nation's largest fundamentalist party. Jamaat-e-Islami was founded to spread Islamic values across the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

and advocate for an Islamic political system. It was formed on 26 August 1941 in Lahore under the leadership of Maududi, who believed that contemporary political ideologies resulted from Western imperialism, and that it was necessary to implement

Sharia law Sharia, Sharī'ah, Shari'a, or Shariah () is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition based on scriptures of Islam, particularly the Qur'an and hadith. In Islamic terminology ''sharīʿah'' refers to immutable, inta ...

to preserve Muslim culture. Maududi believed politics was "an integral, inseparable part of the Islamic faith," and that Islamic ideology and non-Islamic ideologies (such as

capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their use for the purpose of obtaining profit. This socioeconomic system has developed historically through several stages and is defined by ...

and

socialism Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

liberalism Liberalism is a Political philosophy, political and moral philosophy based on the Individual rights, rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, the right to private property, and equality before the law. ...

secularism Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on naturalistic considerations, uninvolved with religion. It is most commonly thought of as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state and may be broadened ...

) were mutually exclusive. He saw the creation of an Islamic state as both act of piety, and a cure for social and economic problems faced by Muslims, which he attributed to Western influence. Jamaat-e-Islami opposed the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan and actively worked to prevent it. After the partition of

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, the organisation spearheaded the movement to transform Pakistan from a Muslim homeland into an

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. Madudi's efforts focused on transforming to a "theo-democracy" based on the Sharia which would enforce things like abolition of interest-bearing banks, sexual separation, veiling of women, hadud penalties for theft, adultery, and other crimes. Jamaat seeks to spur an Islamic revival, implementing Islam as a universal religion. Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir movement is banned in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India, while the movement in

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has faced bans historically, most recently in 2024, although the decision was later reversed by the interim government. Since 2003, the organization is designated as terrorist by

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History

Founding and opposition to partition

Maududi opposed British rule but also opposed both the anti-colonialist Muslim nationalist Muslim League's proposal for a separate Muslim state led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and the composite nationalism (''muttahida qaumiyyat'') idea of Jam'iyyat al-Ulama-ye Hind and Deobandi scholar Maulana Sayyid Hussain Ahmad Madani for a united independent India with separate institutional structures for Hindus and Muslims. In 1940, the Muslim League met in Lahore and passed the Lahore Resolution, calling for autonomous states in the Muslim-majority areas of India. Maududi believed that Islam is a universal religion that calls for a single, globally unified government and therefore nationalism in any form was un-Islamic. In response he launched his own party, Jamaat-e-Islami, founded on 26 August 1941, at Islamia Park, Lahore. Historical Dictionary of Islamic Fundamentalism, 2012:pli Seventy-five people attended the first meeting and became the first 75 members of the movement. Maududi saw his group as a vanguard of Islamic revolution following the footsteps of early Muslims who gathered in

Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

to found the first "Islamic state". Members uttered the '' Shahada'', the traditional statement of conversion to Islam, when they joined, implying to some that Jama'ati felt they had been less-than-true Muslims before joining. Nasr, ''Mawdudi and the Making of Islamic Revivalism'', 1996: p.110 Jamaat-e-Islami was and is strictly and hierarchically organised in a pyramid-like structure. All supporters work toward the common goal of establishing an ideological Islamic society, particularly through educational and social work, under the leadership of the emir.Kepel G
''Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam''.
I.B.Tauris, 2006 p.34 , 9781845112578.''Encyclopedia of Islam & the Muslim World''
Richard C. Martín, Granite Hill Publishers, 2004, p.371 Being a vanguard party, not all supporters could be members, only the ''elite''. Below members were/are "affiliates", and "sympathizers" beneath them. The party leader is called an '' ameer'' (commander).Adel G. H. et al. (eds.
''Muslim Organisations in the Twentieth Century: Selected Entries from Encyclopaedia of the World of Islam''.
EWI Press, 2012 p.70 , 9781908433091. Maududi sought to educate the elite of the Muslim community in the principles of Islam and correct "their erroneous ways of thinking" both because he believed societies were influenced from the top down. In his view, Muslims were not one religious or communal group among many working to advance their social and economic interests, but a righteous ideological group capable of transforming India into Dar al-Islam. Adams, ''Maududi and the Islamic State'', 1983: p.104 He believed that a government based on the tenets of Islam would be benevolent to its constituents and would avoid falling into tyranny and oppression, unlike the fascist and communist government structures that were gaining popularity at the time. At the time of the

Indian independence movement The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events in South Asia with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British colonial rule. It lasted until 1947, when the Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed. The first nationalistic ...

, Maududi and the Jamaat-e-Isami actively worked to oppose the partition of India. Maududi argued that the division of India violated the Islamic doctrine of the

ummah ' (; ) is an Arabic word meaning Muslim identity, nation, religious community, or the concept of a Commonwealth of the Muslim Believers ( '). It is a synonym for ' (, lit. 'the Islamic nation'); it is commonly used to mean the collective com ...

and believed that the partition would separate Muslims by a temporal boundary. As such, before the partition of colonial India happened, the Jamaat-e-Islami actively worked to prevent it, as he feared the liberalism of its founders and the British-trained administrators. However, when the partition went ahead, Maududi viewed it as a gradual step to the Islamization of its laws and constitution even though he had earlier condemned the Muslim League for the same approach. Jamaat's Pakistan branch would actively oppose the split between East and West Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh. During the years before the partition of India, Jamaat-e-Islami stood aloof from the intense political fights of the time in India, concentrating on "training and organising" and refining and strengthening the structure of Jamaat-e-Islami. Adams, "Maududi and the Islamic State", 1983: p.105-6

After partition

After partition, Maududi settled in Pakistan and the group split into two separate organizations on either side of the border: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. Other groups related to or inspired by Jamaat-e-Islami developed in

, Britain, and

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. The Pakistani branch of the movement has remained the most prominent, due to both their prominence in electoral politics and repression of the group in other countries. In the 1950s, a student wing ideologically linked to JI, Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba, was launched. It successfully gained control of many urban colleges and universities. The group has had a presence in Europe since the 1960s. The Jamaat-e-Islami parties maintain ties internationally with other Muslim groups. Haqqani, ''Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military'', 2010: p.171 Since 2003, the organization is designated as terrorist by Russia.

Groups

* Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, based in Pakistan. In 1947, Jamaat-e-Islami moved its operations to West-Pakistan after

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. ''Historical Dictionary of Islamic Fundamentalism'', 2012:p.223 * Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, based in India. Founded by Jamaat-e-Islami Members who remained in India after 1947 independence. * Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir, in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It was formed in 1953 after the pro-plebiscite prime minister of Jammu and Kashmir was arrested by the Indian government. * Jamaat-e-Islami AJK, in the Pakistan-administered Kashmir ( Azad Jammu and Kashmir), established in 1974. * Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, based in Bangladesh, legalized in 1975 under the military regime. Later declared ''de facto'' illegal by the High Court Division of the

Supreme Court of Bangladesh Supreme Court of Bangladesh () is the highest court of law in the country. It is composed of the High Court Division, Supreme Court of Bangladesh, High Court Division and the Appellate Division, Supreme Court of Bangladesh, Appellate Division, ...

in 2018 for abetting the Pakistan Armed Forces perpetrating the genocide in Bangladesh at 1971. The ban was later withdrawn in August 2024.

Associated organizations

* Jamiat-e Islami, based in Afghanistan. Founded in 1972 by Burhanuddin Rabbani, it was also said to be inspired by Abul A'la Maududi and the Jamaat-e-Islami party. Predominantly ethnically Tajik, the group was a major player in the "Peshawar Seven" during the jihad against Soviet military in the 1980s. * Hezbi Islami, also based in Afghanistan, broke away from Jamiat-e Islami in 1975–1976. Haqqani, ''Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military'', 2010: p.173 Led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, its ethnic make-up was overwhelmingly Ghilzai Pashtun. Its less moderate stance won it the backing of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (and Saudi Arabia and Pakistan president Zia ul-Haq) during the resistance against the Soviet military. * UK Islamic Mission was founded by members of the East London Mosque in 1962. Also "inspired by the Jamaat-e-Islami party in

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

" and the "Islamic revivalist teachings of Abul A'la Maududi and others." * Supporters of Jamaat-e Islami also have groups in other states. According to ''The Columbia World Dictionary of Islamism'', Jamaat-e-Islami branches have followed Pakistani immigration to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

and

Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...

as well as the UK.

Notes

References

; Sources * * * {{Authority control Islamist groups Islamist political parties in India Islamic organisations based in India Islamic political parties in Pakistan Islamic organisations based in Pakistan Organizations designated as terrorist by Russia Anti-communism in Pakistan