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By Sahil Razvi,
“Whenever there is oppression, there will be jihad”, these are the words of Mahmood Madani. He said this on 29 November 2025 during a meeting of the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind held in Bhopal. Apart from this, Maulana Madani spoke about many other issues as well, such as the Supreme Court, Babri Masjid, Triple Talaq, Vande Mataram, and even SIR. But among all his statements, it was his remarks on jihad that triggered political controversy. The ruling party and several Hindu groups have targeted Maulana Mahmood Madani over his “jihad” comment. In fact, members of the Vishwa Hindi Parishad in Bhopal even burned effigies of Maulana Mahmood Asad Madani.
What exactly was Mahmood Madani’s statement?
In his speech, Madani made several critical remarks about those in power. He said, “By using phrases like ‘love jihad’, ‘land jihad’, ‘education jihad’, ‘spit jihad’, etc., the freedom of Muslims and their religion is being insulted… This is an old pattern: whenever any terrorist act occurs anywhere, it is labelled jihad, and Islam and Muslims are subjected to taunts, accusations and baseless allegations. It must be clarified that in Islam, jihad is a sacred religious obligation.”
He said that the “word jihad is used in the Quran in many meanings, but in whichever meaning it is used, it is for the welfare of the individual, society and humanity, for their elevation and for upholding their honour and dignity.”
“Wherever it is used in the sense of war and fighting, that too is for ending oppression and corruption and for the survival of humanity. Therefore, wherever there is oppression, there will be jihad. I repeat: wherever there is oppression, there will be jihad.”
Apart from the jihad remark, Madani is also being targeted for his comments on Babri Masjid and Vande Mataram.
In the same address, Madani also spoke about the ongoing debate regarding the recitation of Vande Mataram. His statement “A dead community surrenders” sparked a fresh wave of criticism, as he suggested that any community that unquestioningly accepts the demand to recite the song behaves like “a dead community.”
Madani said that if Muslims are pressured to recite Vande Mataram, they should not accept it passively. “If they say ‘say Vande Mataram,’ they will start reading it. This will be the identity of a dead community. If we are a living community, we will have to face the situation,” he said. Madani further stated that Muslims feel unsafe while simply walking on the streets. He said that if a Hindu embraces Islam, they face many difficulties, but Muslim youth who are brought into Hinduism under the name of “ghar wapsi” face no such problems.
He also said Muslims should learn from the character and mission of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz, Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti Ajmeri. Even in extremely challenging circumstances, Khwaja Sahib won hearts through love, service, and compassion and illuminated millions with the light of monotheism. Because of this merciful character, he was called “Sultan-ul-Hind.” Maulana Madani emphasized that the da’wati mission, bringing to people the message of goodness, truth, and humanity, is the real path of Islam, which progresses not through conflict but through warmth and good conduct.
After Madani’s statement, BJP leaders and several Hindu groups began criticising him heavily and even demanded action against him. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad issued a press release saying, “Whether it is the elder Madani or the younger Madani, both are competing to incite the Muslim community. Both are trying to see who becomes like Laden or Baghdadi first.”
They said that the kind of blast that occurred in Chandni Chowk and the preparations for terrorist activities across the country were being carried out. “An entire university was turned into a hub for terrorists; not just madrasa students but even doctors from government colleges became leaders of this terrorist gang. Can anyone defend this? Instead of condemning them, these two Maulanas are competing in provoking the Muslim community against the Indian Constitution, judiciary, administration, Hindu society and all national institutions!”
If the VHP statement is examined, it appears completely filled with falsehoods and blatant anti-Muslim rhetoric. Here, the VHP is referring to Al Falah University, but they should understand that no concrete evidence has been found so far to prove that the university is a hub for terrorists. Apart from this, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra, and many other BJP leaders have criticised Madani’s statements.
Who is Mahmood Madani?
Mahmood Asad Madani is the president of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind (M). The Jamiat currently functions in two separate factions, one led by Maulana Arshad Madani and the other by Mahmood Madani. After Asad Madani’s death, Mahmood Madani was supposed to become the president, but his uncle Arshad Madani took control of the organisation. Later, both factions spent lakhs of rupees attacking and discrediting each other, heavily funding Urdu newspapers. Mahmood Madani also seems to follow his father’s footsteps. His father Asad Madani enjoyed great influence during Congress rule. Congress had even sent Asad Madani to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh. Why Asad Madani? Because during that period, several anti-Muslim riots took place, such as the Moradabad Eidgah riot. Congress then sent Asad Madani abroad to assure the world that there was no need to worry about Indian Muslims.
However, Mahmood Madani remains a complicated figure. Sometimes he appears close to the government, and at other times he becomes its critic. For instance, during the nationwide protests against CAA-NRC, in which many Muslims were killed, the Delhi riots occurred, heavy lathi-charge took place, and even today many Muslim youth remain imprisoned, Mahmood Madani publicly supported NRC and defended it on public platforms. According to journalist Adeel Akhter, Mahmood Madani has not received a formal education and, like his father, is stubborn.
Sometimes it seems as if Mahmood Madani openly bats in favour of the government. At a time when the situation in the country is extremely tense, like the recent blast in Chandni Chowk where many innocent people lost their lives, you hand over an issue to the ruling party that they can exploit and once again put the entire Muslim community in the dock. At such a sensitive time, using words like “jihad” should be avoided. When the ruling party had no major issue left, you handed them one again. Across the country, BLO’s officers are dying by suicide because of SIR. The government was under pressure. But this statement has made things easier for them.
Even the Chairman of the Muslim Students Organisation, Shujaat Ali Qadri, condemned Mahmood Madani’s statement saying:
“Those who are waving the flag of jihad today just to remain politically relevant and act as self-appointed guardians of the community are, in reality, the biggest obstacles to the progress of Indian Muslims. By making such statements on jihad, they are merely handing over a free issue to those in power, giving them another excuse to look at the entire community with suspicion and point fingers at Muslims. At a time when Muslims are already facing misunderstandings, hate, and stereotyping, such remarks only add fuel to the fire. The truth is that whenever the community needs education, scholarships, employment, safety, and political rights, some people divert attention from the real struggle by giving provocative and sensational statements. This is the politics in which the difficulties of the community increase, while leaders secure their own positions. If someone truly wants to show courage, they should stand in Delhi, Lucknow, or Patna and fight for the ground realities of Muslims, not shout slogans of jihad in rallies or put on a performance in front of TV cameras. No maulana or seminary has the right to scare, provoke, or portray the community as extremist. Muslims are living in the India of 2025, where the ‘J’ of Jobs, the ‘J’ of Justice, and the ‘J’ of Journalism matter far more. If someone wants to do politics, they are free to do so, but they should not use the sacrifices and image of the community as posters for their political shop. Any cleric who uses such incendiary language is actually playing into the hands of those in power, not serving the community. The reality is that this statement has been made at a time when millions of Muslims are working hard every day to prove their identity, their future, and their loyalty to the country. In such a situation, making these kinds of remarks is not wisdom, it is pure foolishness, and it harms the progress of the community.”
(Sahil Razvi is a research scholar specialising in Sufism and Islamic History. He is an alumnus of Jamia Millia Islamia, Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Times Headline’s views.)