Jamaat-ul-muslimeen
Jamaat-ul-Muslimeen [(Arabic: جماعة المسلمين) Literally translated as "Group of Muslims", or "The Muslim Group", "The Muslim Assembly", "The Muslim Society", "The Muslim Community"] is a Muslim group found in the Indo-Pak subcontinent. Headquartered in Karachi, Pakistan, it was founded by Masood Ahmad in the 1960s. The present leader of this group is Muhammad Ishtiaq. This group is different from the "Jamaat al Muslimeen" of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Origin
The founder of this group was a part of the Ahle Hadith and almost all of his followers were previously a part of the same.
Beliefs
On the word "Muslim" or "Muslimeen"
They believe that every Muslim must call himself a "muslim" only, and any other titles like hanafi, Ahle Hadith etc., are not acceptable. They quote a verse from the Quran, "...He (Allah) has named you Muslims (Muslimeen in Arabic)..." Surah - Hajj
On the names of Muslim groups
They also say that the various names of Islamic and Muslim groups, such as the Jamaat-e-Islami etc., are not acceptable. According to their doctrines, the phrase "Jamaat-ul-Muslimeen" is a name and must only be used. These beliefs are explicitly manifested on their website. They quote a hadith stating, "...stick to the main body of Muslims ('Jama'at al Muslimeen' in Arabic) and their Imam (leader)...". They quote this hadith and conclude that the phrase 'Jama'at al Muslimeen' is proven from the sunnah of the Prophet, and therefore, other names and phrases are not acceptable. Since they have used this phrase, they conclude that they are the ones mentioned in the hadith, and it is mandatory for every human to be a part of their group, as the hadith commands Muslims to stick to this group.
Salvation according to this group
They claim that to achieve salvation, one must be a part of this group. They claim to be the saved sect, i.e. the only Muslim group that will be granted Paradise by Allah. According to them, all other Muslim groups are destined for hell. They believe that every person must submit to their current leader Muhammad Ishtiaq for their salvation. This is done by giving a baiy'ah (pledge of allegiance) to him.
On Adherence to Islamic Laws
According to them, every Muslim must strictly adhere to the Qur'an and to the Sunnah of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and reject Qiyas, Fatwa and Ijtihad of early & present Scholars etc. They consider these as Bid'ah (innovation) in religion and Shirk (idolatry) (i.e. making association in Allah's Decreed Divine Laws). This can be supported with a statement from their website: Jamaat-ul-Muslimeen does not consider the verdict, Fiqh, jurisprudence or conjecture of anyone as a part of Islam.
View of Mainstream muslims
Mainstream Muslims accuse them of misinterpreting Quranic texts and Ahadith (Prophetic Sayings). They say that Masood Ahmad expressed his personal opinions on Quranic texts and Ahadith, and did not follow the interpretations of Prophet Muhammed and the Sahabah.
The issue of Takfeer
They also accuse them of Takfeer i.e. considering every other muslim as a Kaafir, and themselves to be the only Muslims in the world. An accusation which can be supported by many statements from Jamaat-ul-Muslimeen's website like, "To leave Jamaat-ul-Muslimeen is to leave Islam".
On the term 'Jamaat ul Muslimeen'
Mainstream Muslims reject the assumption that the term is a name, and say that just calling yourself 'Jamaat ul Muslimeen' does not necessarily imply guidance. It is a term that was used to refer to the Khilafah. From the grammatical point of view, it is not a proper noun at all. They argue that just naming yourself with a term found in the Ahadith does not make one right. An example would be the term "Hizbullah". This term is found in the Quran, and it is used in reference to the successful group. The Quran says:
"Allah will be well pleased with them, and they with Him. They are the Party of Allah (in Arabic - Hizbullah). Truly it is the Party of Allah (in Arabic - Hizbullah) that will achieve Success."
They argue that the terms "Hizbullah" and "Jamaat ul Muslimeen" have the same grammatical structure. This does not mean that if you name yourselves "Hizbullah", you will be the ones to achieve success. It is the spirit and not the words that actually matter.
On the pledge of allegiance
The Jamaat ul Muslimeen require every member to pledge his/her allegiance (bai'ah in Arabic) to their current leader, Muhammad Ishtiaq. This according to the mainstream Muslims is an innovation in religion. They argue that such a pledge was taken only by a Khalifah in all of Islam's history. They further argue and say that the Prophet Muhammad said:
"If two caliphs were given the pledge of allegiance, then kill the second of them." [Sahih Muslim]
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, an Imam of the mainstream Muslims, was asked about the above hadeeth. He said:
"Do you know who is the Imam? It is the one upon whom all the Muslims agree; of whom every one of the Muslims says, 'This is the Imam.'"
They also quote Umar ibn Al-khattab, the second Khalifah of Islam. He said:
"Whoever gives the pledge of allegiance to anybody among you without consulting the other Muslims, neither that person, nor the person to whom the pledge of allegiance was given, are to be supported, lest they both should be killed." [Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.817 Narrated by Ibn Abbas]
See also
Takfeer