After Jinnah’s death, controversy regarding his religion continued.
Mohammad Ali Jinnah is generally considered responsible for the partition of India. With Jinnah’s demand for a separate country for Muslims, it was accepted that even though the British had to lose the rule of India, they were successful in their strategy of division. But have you ever wondered whether Mohammed Ali was a Shia or a Sunni? This fact should be known on the pretext of his birth anniversary.
However, the question regarding the controversy of Jinnah being a Shia-Sunni comes to the mind of very few people. But, it is true. This controversy arose even after his death. And reached the court. To get the answer to this, we will have to understand a little of their history. The founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, was born on 25 December 1876 in Karachi, undivided India. Jinnah had also participated enthusiastically in the fight for the country’s independence but in the end he demanded a separate Pakistan from India and was successful in it.
Jinnah’s lifestyle was not like that of Muslims
The question regarding his religion did not arise without reason. There is an interesting incident related to this. Well, everyone knows about Mohammad Ali Jinnah that he was not very serious about religion. There was no fanaticism towards religious beliefs. It is a different matter that there was a religious basis behind the demand for a separate country. Historians believe that Jinnah used to drink alcohol and cigars. Used to eat meat. His lifestyle was also not like that of ordinary Muslims.
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Jinnah was an Ismaili, he became a Shia
Jinnah was basically Ismaili. Those who believe in Aga Khan or his followers are called Ismaili. At the same time, despite being an Ismaili, Jinnah was not ready to accept Aga Khan as Imam. That’s why he considered himself a Shia. His ego was also behind this somewhere. The difference between Ismaili and Shia is that Ismaili recognize six Imams, whereas Shia recognize 12 Imams. Therefore it can be said that Jinnah was actually a Shia.
This is how the dispute arising after death was resolved
Then the story of the question arising regarding Shia-Sunni is that Jinnah died on 11 September 1948, just one year after the formation of India-Pakistan. While preparations were underway to bury him, a Maulvi associated with the Muslim League came forward. Maulvi Shabbir Ahmed Usmani said that Jinnah’s funeral should be according to Sunni tradition. A controversy arose over whether Jinnah was a Shia or a Sunni.
In order not to give further impetus to this controversy, it was decided that both Sunni and Shia traditions would be followed in Jinnah’s funeral. Then Jinnah was buried according to the customs of both Shia and Sunni. Amidst the state mourning in Pakistan, about 1 million people gathered at Jinnah’s funeral under the leadership of Shabbir Ahmed Usmani. Jinnah’s tomb made of marble in Karachi is called Mazar-e-Quaid.
The fight reached the court and the religion kept changing from decision to decision.
Jinnah was buried in the grave but the question of whether he was Shia or Sunni became heated once again when his sister Fatima reached the court. Fatima had demanded from the court that Jinnah’s will be settled according to Shia Islamic law. This issue again reached the court in 1970. Then Hussain Ali Ganji Walji had challenged that Jinnah had adopted Sunni Islam. That is why his sisters were married to Sunni youths. In the same year, the court rejected Jinnah’s sister’s claim that Jinnah was a Shia.
In 1976, the court also rejected Hussain Ali Ganji Walji’s claim that Jinnah was a Sunni. In 1984, a higher court overturned the 1976 decision and said that Jinnah was a Sunni and not a Shia.
When Jinnah Sahib is like me, I also become like him.
Even after Jinnah’s death, controversy regarding his religion continued. Maybe even today people have different beliefs but Jinnah himself did not give much importance to religion. There is an interesting story related to this that once Jinnah’s wife, who was originally a Parsi, brought lunch for him. Then the people present there asked him that now you must know that Jinnah Saheb has started believing in 12 Imams. His indication was that Jinnah has now become a Shia. However, in response to this, Jinnah’s wife had said, when Jinnah Saheb becomes what he is, I also become like him.
Jinnah was ready for lunch in Ramzan
There is another interesting incident related to this. Pakistan got independence on 14 August 1947 or rather Pakistan was born. Ramzan was going on then. Despite this, Jinnah said that when a new country is formed, there should be a big banquet in the afternoon. On this people reminded him that how can there be a lunch in Ramzan? Then they agreed with great difficulty. However, this can also be said to be a sign of his liking for progress.
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