According to Ustad Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, his perspective on this issue is quite different from that of Maulana Maududi.1. Religion does not depend on political powerAccording to Ghamidi sahab, political authority is not a necessary condition for the spread or survival of Islam. Religion is established in people’s hearts through faith, morals, and intellectual awareness, not through state power. History shows that Islam became deeply rooted where people accepted it through understanding, invitation (da‘wah), and ethical conduct.2. Iqamat-e-Deen does not mean capturing the stateGhamidi sahab clarifies that Iqamat-e-Deen does not mean that Muslims must necessarily seek political control. Rather, its true meaning is that:Faith, piety, justice, and morality are established in individuals and societyReligious guidance becomes evident in people’s character, dealings, and mindset3. The state cannot create religiosityAccording to him, the state cannot make people religious. The role of the state is limited to maintaining order and justice. If a society itself is morally weak, then merely raising slogans of an Islamic state does not establish religion.4. Turning political struggle into a religious obligation is incorrectGhamidi sahab maintains that Islam has not imposed upon Muslims the obligation to necessarily launch political movements or acquire power. If Muslims form a majority in a society and improve the state through democratic and ethical means, this is a worldly choice, not a religious duty.SummaryAccording to Ghamidi sahab, the true sphere of Islam is:Reformation of the individualKnowledge and da‘wahMoral training—not the politics of power.Religion spreads not through force or authority, but through character.
(You may also study Maulana Wahiduddin Khan’s book *“Deen ki Siyasi Tabeer” (The Political Interpretation of Religion). This book is a critical analysis specifically directed at Maulana Abul A‘la Maududi’s political interpretation of Islam. In it, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan critically examines the idea of turning Islam into a political ideology and presents an alternative understanding of religion centered on individual reform, peaceful da‘wah, and moral transformation, rather than the pursuit of political power.)