Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto and Shah Waliullah’s Theory of Irtifaqat:
An Analysis
1.0 Introduction
Social development has been discussed by many prominent figures from various perspectives. All discussions try to answer how human society is formed and then gradually evolving into a state being. Therefore, in this analysis, I would like to discuss theory of social development from Karl Marx’s ideology and Shah Waliullah’s philosophy.
This analysis will be started with a summary of Karl Marx’s magnum opus-The Comunist Manifesto. I will focus on Marx’s history of society in the following chapter. The next discussion, I attempt to disclosure the theory of Irtifaqat of Shah Waliullah. Finally, at the end of this analysis, I will make some comparison between Marx and Shah Waliullah’s philosophy of social development.
This analysis seem to be interesting as it will be discussing on two distinguished figures from different historical background, culture, religion and worldview.
This analysis is designed to achieve the following specific objectives:
1. To clarify Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto and Shah Wali Allah’s Theory of Irtifaqat.
2. To identify similarities and differences between Marx and Shah Wali Allah’s
philosophy of social development.
2.0 Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto: A Review.
The manifesto of Communist Party basically the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. It consists of four parts; 1) bourgeois and proletarians, 2) proletarians and communists, 3) socialist and communist literature and 4) position of the communist in relation to the various existing opposition parties.
Marx started his manifesto in the first part with a statement that could catch the reader’s attention. “ The history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of class struggles.” According to Marx, the development of society was mainly due to continuos struggle between people who were ranked into social class. The class struggles here in his manifesto mainly referred to bourgeois and proletarians- the oppressor capitalist and the oppresed working class. This new existing society was indeed the next stage of class struggle in a particular society after the abolishment of feudal society.
Furthermore, in the first part, he also mentioned about the history of development and features of bourgeois and proletarians. Bourgeois synonyms with revolutionary events. The rapid changes brought by revolutianary did affect the whole system of production and society as well. The communist manifesto noted,
'The bourgeoisei cannot exist without constantly revolutionising the instruments of production , and thereby the relations of production, and with them the whole relations of society. '
The bourgeoise will do anything to preserve their self interest. Therefore, the bourgeoise use all brutal methods to exploit the workers-proletarians. The central clash between both conflicting parties here was the wage labour. The bourgeoise manipulated the workers regardless children or women with a very worst treatment. The workers in the eyes of bourgeoise was just like machines not as humans. Their productive energy was exploited to produce profits to the few bourgeosies who control the production and market. It was indeed because of man was considered as a primary source of production. The wages of the workers were even insufficient to buy any products in the market like food and how they wanted to survive. Because of this terrible condition, the proletarians started to form trade union and then political party in order to demanding the increasement of wages. The conflict between two classes of bourgeoise and proletarians came into existence.
The bourgeoise will do anything to preserve their self interest. Therefore, the bourgeoise use all brutal methods to exploit the workers-proletarians. The central clash between both conflicting parties here was the wage labour. The bourgeoise manipulated the workers regardless children or women with a very worst treatment. The workers in the eyes of bourgeoise was just like machines not as humans. Their productive energy was exploited to produce profits to the few bourgeosies who control the production and market. It was indeed because of man was considered as a primary source of production. The wages of the workers were even insufficient to buy any products in the market like food and how they wanted to survive. Because of this terrible condition, the proletarians started to form trade union and then political party in order to demanding the increasement of wages. The conflict between two classes of bourgeoise and proletarians came into existence.
In the second part of the manifesto, Marx mentioned that communists and proletarians mutually in line in terms of interests and movement’s aim which were formation of the proletariat into a class, overthrowing of the bourgeois supremacy, conquest of political power by the proletariat. However, to differentiate, Communism wanted to eliminate property owned by the bourgeois in which Karl Marx summed as abolition of private property. Basically, the main idea of this part was the relevance and universality of communism. Marx’s communism wanted to emancipate people from any class division, social bonds, countries and nationality as well as religion and all morality. In other words, communism advocates that people in a society should be equal in economy and political aspects. No one can supreme over the other and no one can own private property. This is because all properties belonged to society as whole.
Karl Marx discussed the socialist and communist literarture in the third part of his manifesto. He divided his discussion into three sections which were Reactionary Socialism, Conservative Socialism and Critical Utopian Socialism and Communism. All these literatures were the ideological movements as to response to the bourgeoise exploitation. Under the reactionary socialism, there was feudal socialism consisted of French aristocrats who were also manipulated by the bourgeois. Besides, Petty-Bourgeois Socialism also fall under this first socialism. They consisted of the bourgeoise who fail in industrial competition among themselves. This movement led by Sismond and his idea spread out both in France and England. Lastly, German or True Socialism also a part of Reactionary Socialism. This literature basically similar to French idea but they advocated human nature as their fundamental struggle.
The next socialism literature was Bourgeois Socialism. This thought participated by the bourgeois themselves. They attempted to promote their ideas on the working class in order to preserve their interest. They advocated that the bourgeois is a bourgeois for the benefit of the working class. Finally, Critical Utopian socialism and Communism aimed to improve the working class’ condition during the progress of industrial revolution. Among the prominent figures in this literature were Saint Simon, Fourier and Owen. What makes Marx different with this utopian socialism is Marx had made strong criticsm and more detail to capitalists or bourgeois. He also emphasized on the unity of working class as a single entity.
At the end of the communist manifesto, Marx talked about communist and other opposition parties. In this part, he gave several examples which were showing cooperation between communists and other opposition parties such as in France, where the communists associated themselves with the Social Democrats againts radical bourgeois. Marx ended up his manifesto with WORKING MEN OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE!. He strongly believed that the proletarians can only achieve their aim if they organize themselves into a single strongest entity that could put to an end the bourgeois superiority. In brief, he emphasized on the power of one as a solution to eliminate the existing class struggle or to create classless community.
3.0 ‘The History of Society is History of Class Struggle: an Analysis
3.0 ‘The History of Society is History of Class Struggle: an Analysis
Karl Marx lived in the age where borgeoiseis were very powerful. They controlled over the forces of productions like raw materials. Because of huge number of natural resources, the borgeoiseis turned them into manufactured products. This was where workers or proletariats were needed. In addition to it, there was high demands to markets of manufactured goods. Moreover, the productions always step forward due to technology advancement. However, the proletariats were always left behind. They still used traditional method which sometimes their work can be done through machines for example.
Thus, the situation during the epoch of England industrial revolution created crisis between the borgeoiseis and proletariats. The few borgeoseis tend to profits maximization and they exploited the workers as much as possible. The workers’ were paid as less as possible. Therefore, the proletariats struggle to seek for justice. Due to monopolization of the Borgeoisei, the rich becomes richer, while the poor becomes poorer. The proletariats began their revolutionary movements to take off Borgeoiseis supremacy. At the end, proletariats class who represented the majority of population will create classless society namely Communist state.
Karl Marx believed that the social development closely associated with revolution. He described how society was developed from agrarian type of society to feudalism and now, the capitalism. He was very optimist that at the end of the history of social development, the communism will exist. Marx’s communist society advocated the abolishment of private property. The property is the right of state not in individual’s hand. Marx and Engel noted in The Communist Manifesto, “we communists have been reproached with the desire of abolishing the right of personally acquiring property as the fruit of a man’s own labour, which property is alleged to be the groundwork of all personal freedom, activity and independence.”
Karl Marx believed that the social development closely associated with revolution. He described how society was developed from agrarian type of society to feudalism and now, the capitalism. He was very optimist that at the end of the history of social development, the communism will exist. Marx’s communist society advocated the abolishment of private property. The property is the right of state not in individual’s hand. Marx and Engel noted in The Communist Manifesto, “we communists have been reproached with the desire of abolishing the right of personally acquiring property as the fruit of a man’s own labour, which property is alleged to be the groundwork of all personal freedom, activity and independence.”
In conclusion, the ideological war between capitalism (America) and communism (Soviet Union) which give triumph to capitalist during the cold war shows that Marx idea is not relevant to this day. He had been criticized by many to be utopian in nature. Capitalism led by America still exist, yet they are more powerful. The economy of other countries depended on America. If America suffer economic crisis, the rest of the world will be more suffer and it does exist currently in Malaysia for instance.
4.0 Shah Waliullah and Theory of Irtifaqat.
4.0 Shah Waliullah and Theory of Irtifaqat.
Shah Waliullah is a well-known figure in the Muslim world. He was expert in many fields’ particularly Islamic disciplines and human sciences such as sociology and politics. However, he used to be known particularly in the field of Sufism. His thought actually was to clean Muslims’ faith from any mixture of Hinduism. It was indeed because of during his lifetime, Muslims exclusively in India inclined to be influenced by Hindu belief. It then corrupts Islam as pure religion. Nevertheless, in this part, I will discuss his thought on social development, namely theory of Irtifaqat.
The word Irtifaqat means collective action done with cooperation . According to Professor Jamil Farooqi, the term irtifaq is more appropriate to explain the development of society than evolution, which connotes the sense of automatic growth, or development . The theory will be explained in stages. According to Shah Waliullah, social being undergo four stages which are natural law (al-madhab al-tabi’i), family organization, political institutions and finally, in the forth stage, Shah Waliullah described it as the stage where man learns how to regulate devices and rules to overcome the conflicts and rivalry between the cities .
First stage is the very fundamental phase where man begins to form society. At this stage, man naturally tends to fulfill their essential needs that are food, clothes and shelter. In order to satisfy the needs, man creates language as a medium of interaction that can be understood by other people. Language is very important to express their mind and needs verbally or non-verbally. The messages created in a language that every members of a particular society managed to understand. To satisfy their body or stomach needs, they found agriculture activities like plantation, farms animals, digging well for water and lots more. All these activities used to produce food and drinking sources for their own needs. Every man in nature has sense of shyness. Therefore, they were looking for something that can cover up their body. Thus, their clothes needs were satisfy. Besides, man used language to cooperate with other fellow members. They formed society and built living area where they managed to do certain tasks together like hunting, horticulture and others.
In addition, male and female are complementary to each other and it was the sexual needs that cannot be ignored. Therefore, they think to have family via marriage. The most vital characteristic in the first stage according to Muhamad Al-Ghazali in agreement to Shah Waliullah, is that a man of sound judgment and an exceptional ability to set things in order comes forward, subdues the people around him, and becomes their leader in one way or the other . In brief, the first stage is a phase that man fulfill their basic needs, form a simple society with simple activities under one ruler who was the best man among them.
Allah endowed man with an intellect (‘aql) to differentiate them with animals. Prime function of ‘aql or reason is to think. The Qur’an encourages all people to use his ‘aql to find the truth. In this context, therefore, human who think will develop themselves into a better life and conditions. In the second stage, man improves themselves in line with their needs. If in the first stage, they fulfill the simple basic needs, now in this stage, they attempted to get more satisfaction and refined the lack that could be detected in the first phase. According to Professor Jamil Farooqi, they were not only to satisfy the basic needs, but also concerned with the appropriateness and effectiveness of the techniques .
Moreover, the second stage portrayed the society undergoes complex life and it demands immediate new mechanism to regulate their life properly. Shah Waliullah then advocated the five sciences as noted by Muhammad Al-Ghazali as follows:
1) al-hikmah al-ma’ashiyyah or the wisdom living,
2) al-hikmah al-iktisabiyyah or earning wisdom,
3) al-hikmah al-manziliyyah or household wisdom,
4) al-hikmah al-ta’amuliyyah or business wisdom and
5) al-hikmah al-ta’awuniyyah or co-oparative wisdom.
1) al-hikmah al-ma’ashiyyah or the wisdom living,
2) al-hikmah al-iktisabiyyah or earning wisdom,
3) al-hikmah al-manziliyyah or household wisdom,
4) al-hikmah al-ta’amuliyyah or business wisdom and
5) al-hikmah al-ta’awuniyyah or co-oparative wisdom.
Unfortunately, in this writing, I will not discuss further the mentioned five sciences above.
The third stage is the starting point of a political organization. In the first and second phase of social development, people’s lives went through from simple to complex life. The family organizations were increasingly developed and become larger and larger. They found out that their lives are not yet complete and not properly organized. They naturally felt that a leader is required to manage their complex life. The leader must possess the best qualities of leadership among members of the society such as bravery, intelligence, wise, good moral conduct and good management ability etc. Thus, the institution of political organization (city) came into existence.
According to Shah Waliullah, a society attains the stage of political organization when a “bond is created between various groups of people such as farmers, merchants, and craftsmen, etc., when men carry on various transactions with one another, and different men specialize in different occupations, and seek help from each other, and as a result various forms of exchange of goods and co-operation come into being. It is these groups, which, by dint of that unifying link, form the body of city-state. (Al-Ghazali, 2004)
According to Shah Waliullah, a society attains the stage of political organization when a “bond is created between various groups of people such as farmers, merchants, and craftsmen, etc., when men carry on various transactions with one another, and different men specialize in different occupations, and seek help from each other, and as a result various forms of exchange of goods and co-operation come into being. It is these groups, which, by dint of that unifying link, form the body of city-state. (Al-Ghazali, 2004)
Finally, in the fourth stage and the peak of social development of Shah Waliullah, is the establishment of confederacy of city-states that according to Shah Waliullah, is a natural outcome of the developments hitherto achieved by the human society. It is the concept of internationalism that not only leads to high degree of cooperation and closeness among groups and communities but also promotes peace and tranquility among them. During this stage, societies were well organized and the states provided security over people. Public welfare was often the main duty of the state to take care of. It included how the economy of each member was well managed.
5.0 Social Development: Karl Marx VS Shah Waliullah.
5.0 Social Development: Karl Marx VS Shah Waliullah.
The atheist Karl Marx viewed social development in the eyes of materialist. He argued that it was indeed because of materialism, society developed. The development then is the struggle of two classes. Society of Marx developed through four stages. Fundamental element of the society according to him was forces of production. The enormous sources like raw material, labor and certain techniques were actually the forces of manufacturing itself. After that, the second stage was the organization of relations of production, which divided into a dichotomy- owner and worker. This then led to a class structure of bourgeoisie and proletariat. At the end, the society was transformed into superstructure. It simply refers to something that can influence people like policies, laws, ideology, religion, moral etc. Marx argued that superstructure was used by the Bourgeoisies to control their property and wealth. By using all those things, people have no choice but to accept.
In contrast to, as Sufis, Shah Waliullah concentrated on spiritual aspect. Society to Shah Waliullah developed because of it is a nature of man (fitrah). Human being cannot live without the others. Allah created Hawa, the partner of Prophet Adam due to Adam’s need. This overtly shows that one needs a society. Similar to Karl Marx, society was developed via four stages; natural stages, family organizations, political institutions and finally is the stage whereby man learns how to regulate devices and rules to overcome the conflicts and rivalry between the cities. Both remarked that social development occurs in a linear process. In the other word, the development of society was undergoing step-by-step progress.
To differentiate, Marx rejected any sense of spiritualism. He advocated equality and classless society. He downgraded family and political institutions. Shah Waliullah used to say that marriage and the establishment of family was very important to socio-political development. It connotes that as society develops, contractual dealing (muamalat) becomes more complex. Thus, the economy matters no longer family-based but social-based. To avoid manipulations among specific families, the need of a state comes into being. The state will regularize socio-economic of the society. So, everyone will benefit. Therefore, no such monopolization of a few people exists. Economy interest of ones’ family will be preserved.
Nevertheless, according to Marx, marriage was a legalized prostitution. He wanted to emancipate women from the marriage ties. He argued in the Communist Manifesto that the bourgeoisie sees in his wife a mere instrument of production who subjected to exploitation. Moreover, to Marx, no private property is allowed. In Islam, Allah never prohibit human to accumulate private property, but they have responsibility to be fulfilled. There is the right of other man especially the poor. Therefore, the term sadaqah and zakah exist. The richest people, if they realize these responsibilities, there will be no exploitation over the poor people.
Finally, unlike Shah Waliullah, Karl Marx in his Communist Manifesto noted that revolution is necessary to stop the supremacy of the Bourgeoisie. The Proletariats played the important role of this revolutionary action. At the end, after the destroy of Bourgeoisie as a class, the proletariat will form the communist state. The communist state is the final social development after long struggle between two classes. It simply means the classless society where no private property is allowed. To Shah Waliullah, he saw society always in cooperation manner. From my reading, he never talked about revolution, but members of one society cooperated to each other to fulfill everyone’s needs. The development of the society was associated with peace and improvement from one phase to another phase. They tried to avoid conflicts and crisis among themselves. In this aspect, the role of state was very significant. The state will regulate the economy and other public welfare. To the extent, no one exploited the others.
In a conclusion, as we discuss social development both Karl Marx and Shah Waliullah based on economics, in my opinion, the economy is very significant to a society. If the economy is not stable due to monopolization by few people, the society will be in a chaotic condition. As a result, people will be tied to constant wars and vice versa.
6.0 References
Baylis, John and Steve Smith, eds. 2006. The globalization of world politics. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. P 228.
Jamil Farooqi, Sociological Thought of Shah Wali Allah, paper presented at One-Day Seminar on Shah Wali Allah Al-Dihlawi (1703-1762), 25th February 2003, p. 15.
Ibid.
Abdur Rashid Bhat, (2002). Political Thought of Shah Waliullah. (New Delhi, Rightaway Publication) p. 53.
Muhammad Al-Ghazali, 2004. The Socio-Political Thought of Shah Wali Allah.(New Delhi, Adam Publishers Distributors)
Jamil Farooqi, p.17.
Op.cit
Al-Ghazali, ibid.
Ibid.
Jamil Farooqui, op.cit., p.19
Abdur Rashid Bhat, p.53
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