Khutbat-e-Bahawalpur

Khutbat-e-Bahawalpur

Khutbat-e-Bahawalpur is a collection of lectures delivered Dr. Hameed Ullah in the March of 1980 at the Islamia University Bahawalpur. Dr. Hameed Ullah it seems is a strong proponent of logical debate and this aspect is explicitly present in his lectures. He aptly uses logic and examples in the lectures. In the question answer sessions he uses comparative reasoning which is quite helpful in understanding the concept.

In his lectures, the comparison between religions is more explicit as compared to the comparison of sects in Islam or the sects in Christianity and Judaism. This is not to say that there is no comparison between sects but they are presented where the are felt important. The extract of these lectures are history, evolution, economy, politics, geography, research, theology, sociology and anthropology. These topics are presented in a truly beautiful and educational way.

Chapters of the Book: For the ease of the reader the book is divided into various chapters. There is no doubt that all these lectures would not have been delivered on the same day but it is possible that two of these would have been delivered on the same day. One thing truly exceptional in this book is the way these lectures are connected. One lecture at the end leads to another and their remains a thirst for what happened next. The break only comes when the title of the next chapter is in front of us. Other then that the book continues without a break at any point. This also shows us how strong a grip the orator over the subject matter. At no point does he let go of the main topic neither does he explains an example so much that the orator or the reader lose point of the topic.

1. History of the Quran

                       The first lecture is on the history of the Quran. At the start the lecturer gives brief account of the religious books of other religions like Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism. In these he takes highlights the points which point towards the subject matter. Then he compares these with Quran. Then he comes to the compilation of the Quran and how it was compiled over the years. Here he also highlights facts that are not in the knowledge of common man. Here he also discusses the role the Prophet (P.B.U.H)'s companions in the collection and compilation of the Holy book..

2.  History of the Hadith

                         The second lecture is on the history of Hadith, which are the saying and doings of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H). Here the readers can see how beautifully the book is compiled that the second most sacred text in Islam are the Hadith after the Quran and the second lecture is also on the Hadith. In the lecture the importance of Hadith to the Muslims is defined and how it was compiled. How is the Hadith effective today is also explained. Here we also see a thing truly exceptional that the context of Hadith is explained and how it cannot be used out of context.

3. History of Jurisprudence

                           If not in the second then in the third chapter the chronological setting of the lectures becomes explicit here. Normally jurisprudence is left to the Muslim scholar and we free ourselves from it. Here the oratory skills and the knowledge of Dr. Hameed Ullah are at their apex that he explains this topic in such an expert manner that the reader becomes interested. The development of Muslim Jurisprudence and Law and the comparison of Muslim Jurisprudence with Non Muslim law is explained. At the end the development of different schools of thought in Muslim Jurisprudence is explained.

Khutbat-e-Bahawalpur is a beginners guide to Islam. IT goes out of the mainstream choice of words that are thought over and over again  and gives a research based introduction. Due to this, the book is an easy recommendation for Muslims and Non Muslims all the same. The events that are thought to us being a Muslim or a Pakistani are explained with background and what happened afterward, it also uses logical reasoning to get to the essence of the event. 

I would finish with the words of mu teacher that Islam is such a broad thing both horizontally and vertically that it can't be boiled down to democracy or socialism or left or right handed. It is in these lectures that we see this in example.