From the Islamic point of view, Partition had no justification at all. Islam is a universal religion that addresses the whole of humanity. It is not a mere philosophy. Rather, it is a missionary and revolutionary religion. It does not aim to create insurmountable walls between Muslims and non-Muslims by manufacturing a fictitious ‘two-nation theory’, the theory that Muslims and non-Muslims are two separate and opposing nations—which is Pakistan’s official ideology.

Despite this, the movement for the Partition of India gathered pace, and the country’s Muslims lent it their support. In their unthinking emotionalism, the supporters of this movement declared, ‘What Does Pakistan Mean? [It Means] ‘There is No God But Allah!’ But the fact is that the Pakistan movement was an entirely communal, and not a religious movement. It had nothing whatsoever, directly or indirectly, to do with bearing witness that there is no god but God, the testimony of faith in Islam.

Meant to solve the Hindu-Muslim problem, the natural consequence of the Partition was only to further worsen the conflict. Prior to Partition, this conflict was between two communities. Following the Partition, it transformed into a conflict between two established states. And, as a result, the conflict grew much worse than it was ever thought possible in pre-Partition times.