Bribery 101: Translation of Maulana Faheem Usmani’s book launched
One does not need to dig too deep to see how corruption has seeped into the government machinery. Hence, for the audience gathered at Arts Council on Sunday, it was a relief to see the launch of the translation by Muhammad Saleem Butt, Commissioner Inland Revenue, titled ‘Why We Should Not Take Bribe’. The original book, Hum Rishwat Kyun Na Lain, was written 30 years ago in Urdu by Maulana Muhammad Faheem Usmani.
“I have spent years trying to figure out what corruption really is,” said Butt. “I read extensively and found that Maulana Usmani’s book provided the most credible answers.” He said that writing an entirely new book on the matter would be a redundant exercise as Maulana Usmani had already covered almost all aspects in the light of Islamic injunctions. The 97-page book explains the concepts of corruption and bribery with references from the Quran and Hadith. Butt claimed that he had to make many sacrifices in order to remain steadfast in his stand against the culture of bribery.
The book launch was attended by many and most of the speakers talked about how Butt’s struggle against corruption over the years had transformed him. Nadeem Yasin, a taxation officer, said he had witnessed the personal turmoil that Butt faced. “He is part of a department which is notorious for bribe-taking. But he remained steadfast in his resolve to do no wrong.”
Justice (retd) Mujeeb Ullah Siddiqui said the translation will help people understand the repercussions of taking bribes. “I believe that the translation was a difficult task as Butt had to fully comprehend Maulana Usmani’s ideas and recapitulate the complex concepts in a different language.”
For others, the launch of the book was a reminder of the state of affairs in the country. Indus Hospital’s chief executive, Dr Abdul Bari Khan, said that these are difficult times for Pakistan and the public is disoriented. “People are really disappointed about Pakistan’s future. It seems we have reached a stage from where a full recovery is difficult.”
Butt has dedicated the book to caretakers of Masjid-e-Siddique, who he said played a major role in enhancing his understanding of religion.
Published in The Express Tribune, 25th, 2012.
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^My comment was entirely on the title of this post, and the injustice that it did to the no-doubt, very valuable book itself. A literary gesture, don't take it the wrong alley.
The translator's efforts need to be lauded, as one needs to be well versed in order to tackle such a difficult topic! @ Muneeb I feel that 101 is a forum, where all sorts of content writing is permissible & it is not specific to a particular genre. The book is insightful & relevant to the existing conditions of the country, therefore to term it as an "extraction" would be a grave injustice to not only the author, but the translator as well! It is most definitely an initiation & step forward in the right direction! All the best for your future ventures! Well done!
I always thought 101 was meant to be the starting point of something. Yet here I see the title being used for an extraction from the Quran about how to STOP it. Seriously, it's not that trendy to use without a thought to the content!