Home, the word itself resonates a sense of belonging. The comfort of having a home runs deep in our lives and it is essentially a place where we sleep and dream. For a person with bare necessities, it means a whole separate world. A man after a long, exhausting day at work, the simple act of stepping into his home is enough to bring a profound sense of relief to him. The familiar surroundings, the comforting silence, and the warmth of the space provide him with the peace he so desperately seeks. The Hadith narrated by Ahmad (15409) from Naafi’ ibn ‘Abd al-Haarith (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Part of a man’s happiness includes a good neighbour, a comfortable mount, and a spacious abode.”[1]
The immense significance that a home carries for a man who has poured all his hard work and lifetime savings into building a sanctuary for his children and wife cannot be just captured through words.
In India, however, this deep sense of relief and belonging is being systematically dismantled. The authorities, under the current regime, have launched what appears to be a calculated mission to render Muslims landless and impoverished. Entire communities are witnessing the destruction of their homes under the guise of ‘legal action’ or ‘urban development,’ stripping them of not just their physical shelter but their dignity and sense of security. Recently, in Northern Indian cities such as Haldwani and Lucknow mass demolition of houses, schools and mosques took place rendering at least more than ten thousand families shelterless.
A country which has been promised to be built upon the trust of welfare and socialism has fallen prey to the influence of far-right groups deploying destruction and violence against Muslims. The havoc of injustice in India today does not stem from the absence of law but from its deliberate manipulation. Part III of the Indian Constitution, the cornerstone of fundamental rights, provides robust protection for the people, ensuring the right to life, equality, and dignity. These principles are meant to safeguard every citizen, irrespective of caste, creed, or religion. However, in practice, the rights enshrined in the Constitution are being systematically undermined, particularly for the Muslim community.
The mass evictions and demolitions targeting Muslims are not mere administrative actions; they are calculated moves to weaken an entire community. The intent behind leaving thousands of Muslim families homeless is far more sinister than urban development or legal enforcement. It is an attempt to bring the community to its knees, to break their spirit and leave them lost, displaced, and voiceless. Despite the constitutional guarantees under Article 21, which protects the right to life and dignity, and Article 14, which ensures equality before the law, the demolitions demonstrate a glaring selective application of justice. When the law is used as a weapon against vulnerable communities, it no longer serves its purpose as a shield for the oppressed. Instead, it becomes a tool of subjugation, stripping away not just homes but also hope and dignity.
The evictions are designed to fragment the Muslim community socially and economically, erasing their presence from spaces they have historically inhabited. By rendering them landless and forcing them into poverty, the state leaves them more vulnerable, perpetuating cycles of marginalization. This tactic is not just about displacing people physically but also about destroying their sense of identity, community, and belonging. In a country that prides itself on democratic values, the systematic eviction of a community based on their religion is not just a violation of constitutional rights but an attack on the very soul of the nation. What we are witnessing is not the failure of law but the deliberate weaponization of law against those it was meant to protect.
Conclusion
It is imperative to understand the helplessness of the Muslim community and not just in India but across the globe, be it ongoing occupation in Palestine, the suppression of Uyghur Muslims in China, or the humanitarian crises in Syria and Yemen, etc. It is incumbent upon every person who labels him or herself as a believer to essentially reason the state of the Ummah and to reflect upon the conditions of our poor brothers and sisters. Whether we acknowledge it or not, but if a destitute regardless of his race, caste or religion losses his house, family or dignity to the atrocities of the Batils, each and every one of us will be made to answer about what we did in the face of these injustices. The fact that Allah has stated in Qur’an that “Indeed, Allah would never change a people’s state ˹of favour˺ until they change their own state ˹of faith˺.”[2] should run deep in our lives and we should constantly remind ourselves why we are here. Allah (Swt) also instructs the believers in surah An-Nisa to uphold the justice be bearers of it:—
۞ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ قَوَّٰمِينَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ شُهَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ ٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَ ۚ إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقِيرًۭا فَٱللَّهُ أَوْلَىٰ بِهِمَا ۖ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ ٱلْهَوَىٰٓ أَن تَعْدِلُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن تَلْوُۥٓا۟ أَوْ تُعْرِضُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًۭا [3]١٣٥
“Believers! Be upholders of justice,1 and bearers of witness to truth for the sake of Allah,2 even though it may either be against yourselves or against your parents and kinsmen, or the rich or the poor: for Allah is more concerned with their well-being than you are. Do not, then, follow your own desires lest you keep away from justice. If you twist or turn away from (the truth), know that Allah is well aware of all that you do.”[4]
As loud as this verse resonates, equally tarnished the ummah has eventually become. The feeling of oneness within the Ummah, the collective consciousness that once united Muslims across the world, has now become an occasional, fleeting sentiment. It flickers up briefly when a tragedy strikes, but quickly fades as we retreat into the distractions of our daily lives. This dormancy within the Ummah is not just a moral failure but a collective spiritual one. Today, Muslim youth eagerly line up for a Coldplay concert but will hesitate to for instance even click on a Dr. Israr Ahmed lecture freely available to them, unknown and indifferent to the struggles of man with no shelter above, no food to feed, and no clothes to wear. Allama Iqbal put the state of Ummah rightly in a couplets from his famous poetry Jawab-e-Shikhwa:—
“the to aaba vo tumhare hi magar tum kya ho
haath par haath dhare muntazir-e-farda ho”
[1] Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, no. 302
[2] Qur’an 13:11
[3] Id. at 4:135
[4] A. Maududi (Tafhim commentary)