Islamic Renaissance ...

The Hidden Hand of Jewish Conspiracy ...

2010-05-13T01:11:00.004+05:00

In every religious tradition, one finds people of all strains of thought – the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good are those who are faithful to the original religion, the bad are those who have been sidetracked, and the ugly are those who have gone so far into the realm of evil that they have become devils themselves. Divine Revelation makes it unequivocally clear that not all devils are jinns; some devils are made of flesh and blood:

And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies - devils among humankind and jinns (Qur’an: The Cattle, verse 112)

At another place, the Qur’an makes it clear that Iblis (i.e. Satan, the Devil) is not alone in his mission. He has a whole army with him:

God said, “Go, and whosoever of them follows you, surely Hell will be the recompense of you [all], an ample recompense. And befool them gradually those whom you can among them with your voice, make assaults on them with your cavalry and your infantry, mutually share with them wealth and children, and make promises to them.” But Satan promises them nothing but deceit. (17:63-64)

One finds the strongest concentration of these human devils among the Jews, as evidenced by the following Qur’anic verse:

Verily, you will find the strongest among men in enmity to the believers, the Jews and those who are polytheists (5:82)

The reason for this is their delusion that they are the ‘chosen people’. (They used to be the chosen people; they no longer are.) Therefore, they disrespect the Final Prophet (Muhammad - peace be upon him). Arrogant disrespect of Prophethood is the defining feature of the Devil:

[Remember] when your Lord said to the angels: “Truly I am going to make man from clay”. So when I have fashioned him and breathed into him [his] soul created by Me, then you fall down prostrate to him.” So the angels prostrated themselves, all of them. Except Iblis [Satan, the jinn, who was in the company of the angels], he was proud and was one of the disbelievers. [God] said, “O Iblis, what prevents you from prostrating yourself to one whom I have created with Both My Hands. Are you too proud or are you one of the high exalted? [Iblis] said, “I am better than he. You created me from fire, and You created him from clay.” God said, “Then get out from here, for verily, you are outcast. And verily, My Curse is on you till the Day of Recompense.” [Iblis] said, “My lord, give me then respite till the Day the [dead] are resurrected.” [God] said, “Verily, you are one of those allowed respite. Till the day of the time appointed”. [Iblis] said, “By your might, then I will surely mislead them all. Except your chosen slaves among them”. [God] said, “The Truth is, and the Truth I say. That I will fill Hell with you and those of them that follow you, together.” (Qur'an, 38:71-85)

It is no surprise then that since a very long time, a group of ostensible Jews who are actually devils and agents of devils have always conspired to mislead and enslave humanity. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion made its public appearance in the early twentieth century, but it is actually a much older document. It was removed from wide circulation through yet another conspiracy because it was intended that world events that were designed to happen should appear to have happened naturally. One finds the signature of the Hidden Hand of Jewish conspiracy in the rise of atheism, communism, Marxism, capitalism, socialism, fascism, and terrorism. It was the Zionist search for world sovereignty that caused the Bolshevik revolution, the two World Wars, the Great Depression, the Cold War between America and Russia, America’s War on Terror, America’s search for global dominance, and a whole lot more.

Nevertheless, it is we Muslims (and not a group of conspiring Jews) who are squarely responsible for the physical and moral destruction that occurred during the 20th century:

And those who disbelieve are allies to one another, [and] if you [Muslims] do not do so [i.e. become allies, as one united block], there will be Fitnah [wars, battles, oppression, heretic sects, etc] on earth, and a great mischief and corruption. (Qur’an, 8:73)

After having encircled the whole world, the serpent of Zion has finally reached the borders of Pakistan and, in doing so, it has signed its own death warrant. This is the 21st century, not the 20th century. Watch out for the Islamic World Order!

Note to a 'Freethinker' ...

2009-07-16T21:10:00.003+06:00

"Who made God?": God is by definition the Creator and the Ultimate Cause, while everything or everyone else is the is the Creation. Therefore, the question, "Who made God" is illogical. God Always Was and Always Will Be.

"How can a Loving God cause evil / pain / suffering / torment in Hell?": In matters of Love, the God of the Heavens and the Earth is a Choosy God, more choosy than an exquisitely beautiful maiden. He does not love every Tom, Dick, and Harry. He created Evil in order to separate those whom He loves from those whom He does not love. However, God is a Merciful, Compassionate, Beneficent, and Forgiving God. Hence, the Final Prophet of God (-Muhammad, peace be upon him), and the Final Revelation (-Qur'an) from God.

Pain and suffering in this life is reciprocated with expiation of sins and increase in station in Heaven. Moreover, a believer is given pain/suffering in order to test him for patience.

Is a 'freethinker' really 'free'?: A 'freethinker' is like a truant from school, who considers discipline to be atrocity, bunks classes, has a lot of fun, and considers himself to be 'free'. He sneers at the other pupils who go to class. He thinks they are stupid to allow themselves to be 'shackled' by the discipline and education of school. Eventually, he flunks the exam and feels bad about himself, but then it is too late to reform himself since exam is over and results are out.

Are most wars fought in the name of religion?: Even a cursory review of the list of the most deadly wars reveals that most, if not all, of the deadliest wars were NOT based on religion. My sincere advice to you is: get real.

Proof of the Unseen: Your blanket rejection of all things supernatural is illogical. You say that science has failed to prove the existence of the supernatural. But a branch of knowledge dealing with the material world cannot claim to be cognizant of what occurs outside the realm of the material world. A car traveling on the road cannot scan the road and say, "There is no evidence of the existence of airplanes", since airplanes just don't travel on the road.

Since you love to indulge in philosophical ruminations, here is a proof of the existence of the Unseen based on logic:

(a) Assume a material universe where God and soul do not exist, humans have evolved through undirected random natural processes, and our beliefs (and thoughts) are no more than the result of complex interactions between neurons in our brains;
(b) It follows that our beliefs are the result of entirely random natural events and have not been ingrained by a supernatural entity;
(c) Since belief in the Unseen is false (as per our assumption above), we resent that some people believe in the Unseen;
(d) But belief in the Unseen is the outcome of purely random events, and it is illogical to resent the outcome of purely random events;
(e) We have arrived at a contradiction here, since on the one hand we resent 'belief in the Unseen' (on grounds of it being a false belief), but on the other hand we do not resent 'belief in the Unseen' (on grounds of it being the outcome of purely random events);
(f) Since we have arrived at a contradiction, our original assumption is false;
(g) Thus, there exist(s) entity/entities outside of the material world.

In other words, the very people who believe in the Unseen are proof positive of the existence of the Unseen. It should come as no surprise, then, that the greatest proof of the existence of the Unseen is Prophet Muhammad - peace be upon him.

You are on death row: You did not choose the time of your birth. You did not choose the place of your birth. You did not choose your parents. Most of the sights, sounds, smells, and personal experiences of your life were not of your own choice. In all likelihood, the time and place of your death will also not be of your choice. Your death will be just as sudden as your birth, a rude awakening into a new world. Have you prepared yourself for it?

Has the U.S. Played a Role in Fomenting Unrest During Iran’s Election? ...

2009-06-25T21:15:00.002+06:00

Foreign Policy Journal has this thought-provoking article on something many people in the West are not aware of:

Has the U.S. Played a Role in Fomenting Unrest During Iran’s Election?

To whet your appetite, here is the concluding paragraph of the article:

Whatever the case may be, given the record of U.S. interference in the state affairs of Iran and clear policy of regime change, it certainly seems possible, even likely, that the U.S. had a significant role to play in helping to bring about the recent turmoil in an effort to undermine the government of the Islamic Republic.

CNN, My Foot! ...

2009-06-23T02:52:00.005+06:00

Mr Ahmed Qureshi exposes CNN for its criminal coverage of the protest in Iran.

Here is the link: Iran's PressTV Versus America's CNN

(Also check out these links:

British Embassy Helping Demonstrators in Tehran

American Child-Killers Are Crying Over Neda)

Just when the Iranian protesters decided not to defy their government's ban on street trouble, CNN and the rest of the American media went into an overdrive today to provoke the Iranian protesters, and especially mislead the younger ones into creating a situation that could result in bloodshed.

In twenty years of watching CNN, I have never seen it stoop so low as it did today.

The question is: If an American or British newspaper or TV network's agenda begins to eerily resemble that of CIA or MI-6 [the Am-Brit enterprise], does this mean that these custodians of media independence are actually government mouthpieces?

Obviously, the US government and the CIA will not let this opportunity in Iran slip out of hand. Remeber that the CIA, the NSA and other American spy agencies were given millions of dollars for covert operations targeting Iran under Bush. These programs are still operational and have not been cancelled by Obama. Once there is violence, all you need to do is to unleash local agents connected to foreign elements, coupled with massive media propaganda to encourage chaos in order to create maximum trouble and instability for the government in Iran.

The US government and CIA are already using Afghanistan to insert terrorists into eastern parts of Iran.

CNN today was no different than any state-run TV channel in a dictatorship in central Africa or the Middle East. And it was funny. I mean really. CNN never devotes more than 10 or 15 minutes in extreme cases for even the most important world leaders, and here it was devoting nonstop hours to endless drivel by 'Iran experts' some of them quite literally full of s**** and a majority of them wasn’t even able to give intelligent answers. Most of whom had nothing new to say but CNN wanted to create a worldwide hype to keep Iran's government under the spotlight. CNN editors allowed many unimpressive speakers to sit and speak for hours. But since there was nothing to "cover" today in Iran, CNN resorted to "creating" a crisis, manufacturing a hype about something that wasn't even happening: the 'expected' turnout of protestors defying the government.

Protestors largely stayed indoors. But CNN kept insisting that something was happening. For special effect, CNN used old footage to mislead the international audience about the size of today’s protestors.

Obviously I can't imagine that it is any of CNN's business to keep the protests alive and prevent them from dying out. But it is certainly the interest of the US government and the CIA.

So there is only one explanation to what CNN was doing:

To encourage the younger protestors to come out and defy the security and risk deaths so that CIA could stoke more trouble.

CNN also directly attacked PRESSTV, Iran's dynamic international English-language TV news channel. CNN anchors were apparently told to disparage PRESSTV calling it a 'government mouthpiece'.

Mouthpiece, eh? Compared to what? FoxNews, which spent the last eight years working as a mouthpiece to Bush? Or CNN and BBC that often become one with their governments when it comes to foreign policy and military aggression?

If CNN's agenda appears to mirror that of US government and the CIA, with no questions asked and no room for the opposite viewpoint, doesn’t that make CNN a government mouthpiece too?

How about CNN and New York Times and others airing and printing absolute lies about Iraq's nuclear program in order to convince the world that an invasion was necessary? And then when everything turned out to be a ruse created by CIA and MI6 and promoted by CNN, NYT and others as truth, do we see the Am-Brit free media apologizing for becoming government puppets?

When nothing happened on the streets in Tehran most of the day today, CNN anchorwoman Rosemary Church kept announcing with emphasis and with Broadway-dramatism, "There is a tense calm" in Iran.

Ooooh.

But my personal favorite was this line, "A very balanced reporting" or "a very balanced analysis" that Ms. Church repeated whenever a biased one-sided reporter or 'expert' finished his or her rant on Iran.

There were two exceptions in the CNN coverage coming from two journalists: Christian Amanpour and Jonathan Mann. Both refused to turn off their professional instincts and blindly follow the instructions from the newsroom.

Ms. Amanpour surprised everyone at one point when she inadvertently exposed CNN's hypocrisy by telling her interviewer Rosemary Church that it was important to underline that a majority of Iranian protestors stayed away today after the government warning.

And then Amanpour said that most of the videos that CNN kept showing throughout the day today were old footage. Amanpour appeared to be emphasizing that viewers need to be told that CNN was playing footage from yesterday and the day before and that there were no crowds on Tehran's streets of the size being shown in the footage.

Amanpour’s comment seemed to have struck Ms. Church smack in the face. She appeared dumbstruck for a minute. It was almost as if she knew [from the instructions she must be receiving thru an earphone from the newsroom] that she was not supposed to say these things and expose CNN's game plan.

Then Jonathan Mann also violated the script and at one point stopped to ask CNN to replay a rare video that came out of Tehran today. The fresh video showed a handful of protestors, certainly fewer than ever before.

Mann inquired from his biased commentator that he wasn't able to see the streets in previous videos because of the huge number of protestors. But the new video showed empty streets barring a few kids. Again, the commentator, who was pro-American Iranian, was dumbfounded.

Here's another fine evidence of who is motivating CNN and other 'Am-Brit independent international media outlets':

CNN did not go into overdrive until quite late in the day when it became clear that the protests were dying down. My guess is that some people within the US government freaked out at this. Someone might have said [probably at Langley], 'If the protests die down, that's it. Find a way to keep the momentum and encourage the kids there to come out on the streets. Let's push the Iranian security into a murderous mishap.'

And suddenly CNN goes into a nonstop one-sided ethically-questionable coverage. I am sure that simultaneously CIA's Iran desk must be busy in 'quiet outreach' through Facebook and Twitter and through their assets on the ground in Iran.

It is time that the Am-Brit 'international media' realize that many people outside Europe and America can see through their machinations, the way they gang up on certain countries or on certain issues that hide other interests of the Am-Brit combine. We've seen this happen so many times, in Georgia and elsewhere, that it stands exposed.

To me this has nothing to do with democracy and human rights. Sure, the Iranian government has problems and it has opponents within the Iranian populace. So it’s not a big deal if a few of them gather in Los Angeles and Washington in small demos. What IS a big deal is how the Am-Brit media has rushed to play a strategic game disguised as journalism. This is the same Am-Brit media that continues to produce CIA and MI6 agents hiding as accredited journalists. The latest example is of an Iranian woman who was sent back to Iran as an American journalist so that she could get in touch with her former colleagues in a sensitive government department and obtain secret documents. She was caught with those documents. And now we have two American journalists from Korean descent sent to North Korea for the same purpose, espionage. All three spies found major American news organizations ready to give them the cover of an accredited journalist so that CIA could use them for espionage. This is the state of the Am-Brit media that sets the world news agenda.

This episode should also serve as a lesson for Iran. The Iranian government actually helped Washington and London invade Iraq and Afghanistan and supported the two invasions on military and intelligence levels. The hope was that somehow this will convince Washington and London to accept the Iranian government and start working with it.

Today, the Iranian government learns the lesson the hard way.

And the Am-Brit media can be and is manipulated by the governments in London and Washington just like anywhere else. The best part of it, of course, is that the US State Department gets to issue grade reports about how other countries fare on media freedoms.

The Am-Brit media had been exposed during the false campaign against Iraq in 2003. But people have short memories. Iran's elections in 2009 should serve as a welcome reminder on the performance of the Am-Brit media.

And these elections should also become a permanent signpost for CNN's amazing fall.

P.S.: Google and Facebook are speeding up Persian translations of their sites and BBC rushes to find other satellites to beam into Iran. Wow. Even companies feel for democracy and are willing to go the extra mile for the sake of democracy in Iran! Last question to all the buffoons who still think this is about democracy: How come we don't see Russian, German, French, Singaporean, Indian or Israeli companies feeling the pain for democracy? Why is it that only Am-Brit companies are at the forefront of the fight for Iranian democracy?!!

War on Terror - some critical questions ...

2009-04-26T19:13:00.003+06:00

(The following important editorial by Sheikh-ul-Islam, Prof. Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, appeared in The Nation on Wednesday, April 15, 2009.)

Islam, being an inclusive and cosmopolitan religion, stands for global peace and interfaith harmony. Hundreds of the Quranic injunctions, the Prophetic traditions and 1400-year-old history of Muslims are clear evidence that authenticate this reality. The Holy Quran has equated the killing of one person with the killing of entire humanity and protection of life of one person with the protection of entire humanity. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) has himself described that a Muslim is someone by whose hands and tongue other Muslims are not hurt and remain safe. Leave alone unjustly killing anyone, a person using foul and immoral language against others could not be called a Muslim.

There is a constant talk of peace in the entire world today and war on terror is being fought to establish still an elusive peace. There is no denying this truth that terrorists are not only enemies of peace but also of entire humanity. The peaceful forces should struggle against them but the questions arise here as to who fanned terrorism and who opened this front. The situation was not as volatile as today ten years ago. Where have the army of terrorists appeared from all of a sudden? Is it not likely that the global forces, now fighting terrorism, have also been responsible for creation of this monster, which has become a Frankenstein in all its forms? Or it may also be the case that the whole world is being made victim to clash of civilization in the name of establishment of peace.

Mere condemnation of terrorism is not sufficient for the establishment of peace. Rather real enemies of peace should be identified first. The second important thing is that Northern Areas of Pakistan, FATA, Wazirastan, and Swat have historically been known as peaceful areas where religious-minded but simple people reside. These areas are even without basic necessities of life. Majority of people are poor and earn their livelihoods through day-long labour.

What revolution has struck these regions in a period of last three years that these people have turned against their country and started confronting army and other security forces? From where have arms and ammunition come in large quantities and who is providing people with expertise to take on a state and its army? Who is providing training, weapons and money to terrorists? As it is now being openly and clearly said that foreign powers are supporting terrorism, what role has our former and present governments including the provincial ones performed to address the problem? Why did they allow it to grow amidst our polity? Drone attacks have become a routine affair in the tribal areas of Pakistan. The first thing that needs to be mentioned here is that Drone attack constitutes an attack on security and sovereignty of an independent country. Why did the government allow the US to violate our territorial integrity and at what forum? Suppose these attacks are meant to target terrorists, why has no detail of these terrorists been published in the press?

In the similar manner, our army stakes claim to killing scores of terrorists each day but never has their identity been established? Local people are getting caught up in the crossfire between security forces and terrorists and are losing their lives for no fault of their own. The remainder of them, who are lucky enough to be spared, get maimed and injured for life. What type of peace is being established here? There is another noteworthy point that why are people who are involved in spreading mischief and who have even threatened the US many a time being spared and not taken out by US' drone hits? Why it is so that many citizens of Pakistan have been picked up on mere suspicion but hundreds of people living in Afghanistan and adjoining areas who are involved in open warfare have been given carte blanche to operate?

The semi-literate leaders and commanders of terrorist organizations brief media and unveil their plans to target their adversaries and still their location is not identified, which might result in their capture in this day and age of satellite. These questions are brain-teaser for a man with normal IQ and intelligence level. To top it all, what is matter of more concern is the fact that the longer the war on terror is getting, the more terrorism is spreading instead of getting eliminated.

This war was exported to the tribal regions of Pakistan from Afghanistan and now it is directed at Quetta, Islamabad, Lahore, Dera Ismail Khan, Peshwar-the mainland Pakistan. The situation has reached such alarming levels that our Mosques, sacred places, religious institutions and hospitals are not being spared.

We are, no doubt, living in critical and perilous times but our national habit of blame game or being content with expressions of condemnation could not protect us from this raging fire of extremism and terrorism. Whatever be the source of attack on our sovereignty be it external or internal, we need to formulate a serious and dynamic national policy. Major responsibility of taking much-needed initiatives rests on the government. Our parliament has already passed a consensus resolution against terror and there is a need to fully implement this national consensus into policy framework. Our national leadership including religious, political and military needs to act and act fast. Some points are instructive in this regard:

We need to reassess, re-evaluate and reformulate our foreign policy having the potential and dynamism to draw clear lines between our friends and foes. The aim of foreign policy review should be to diversify the sources of economic, political, and security support rather than putting all our eggs in one basket.
We should rethink our relationships with India, Afghanistan and especially the US in the light of our national interests by broadening the decision-making processes on key issues through incorporation of input from the elected parliament and other stakeholders.
The tendency to look towards others for protection of our sovereignty and national security will have to be shunned as no one including any Islamic country would come to our rescue. National solidarity and unity among our own ranks should be promoted instead as necessary part of self-reliance initiative.
We need to clarify our position vis-à-vis war on terror and apprehensions of international community in the larger interest of durable peace by employing robust diplomacy and media.
Emergence of sectarian terrorism, as is evident from recent terrorist incidents in various parts of the country, presents a renewed challenge to our body politic. It is more lethal with lasting implications for national solidarity requiring a fresh and creative response by the state.
Taliban have become an identity and representative of a particular religious mindset. Some religious scholars of Pakistan regard them as their brainchild. Therefore, heavy responsibility lies on their shoulders to take initiative and make Taliban understand the real concept of religion so that they (Taliban) do not end up defaming Islam and undermining the only atomic Islamic state by becoming stooge in the hands of anti-Pakistan elements.

"As The Arabs See the Jews" ...

2009-01-15T00:52:00.007+05:00

An essay by King Abdullah published in 1947 sheds light on the history of Israel. Here are some excerpts from the essay:

Our case is quite simple: For nearly 2,000 years Palestine has been almost 100 per cent Arab. It is still preponderantly Arab today, in spite of enormous Jewish immigration. But if this immigration continues we shall soon be outnumbered—a minority in our home.

Palestine is a small and very poor country, about the size of your state of Vermont. Its Arab population is only about 1,200,000. Already we have had forced on us, against our will, some 600,000 Zionist Jews. We are threatened with many hundreds of thousands more.

Our position is so simple and natural that we are amazed it should even be questioned. It is exactly the same position you in America take in regard to the unhappy European Jews. You are sorry for them, but you do not want them in your country.

We do not want them in ours, either. Not because they are Jews, but because they are foreigners. We would not want hundreds of thousands of foreigners in our country, be they Englishmen or Norwegians or Brazilians or whatever.

Think for a moment: In the last 25 years we have had one third of our entire population forced upon us. In America that would be the equivalent of 45,000,000 complete strangers admitted to your country, over your violent protest, since 1921. How would you have reacted to that?

Because of our perfectly natural dislike of being overwhelmed in our own homeland, we are called blind nationalists and heartless anti-Semites. This charge would be ludicrous were it not so dangerous.

I was puzzled for a long time about the odd belief which apparently persists in America that Palestine has somehow "always been a Jewish land." Recently an American I talked to cleared up this mystery. He pointed out that the only things most Americans know about Palestine are what they read in the Bible. It was a Jewish land in those days, they reason, and they assume it has always remained so.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. It is absurd to reach so far back into the mists of history to argue about who should have Palestine today, and I apologise for it. Yet the Jews do this, and I must reply to their "historic claim." I wonder if the world has ever seen a stranger sight than a group of people seriously pretending to claim a land because their ancestors lived there some 2,000 years ago!

I have the impression that many Americans believe the trouble in Palestine is very remote from them, that America had little to do with it, and that your only interest now is that of a humane bystander.

I believe that you do not realise how directly you are, as a nation, responsible in general for the whole Zionist move and specifically for the present terrorism. I call this to your attention because I am certain that if you realise your responsibility you will act fairly to admit it and assume it.

Quite aside from official American support for the "National Home" of the Balfour Declaration, the Zionist settlements in Palestine would have been almost impossible, on anything like the current scale, without American money. This was contributed by American Jewry in an idealistic effort to help their fellows.

The motive was worthy: the result were disastrous. The contributions were by private individuals, but they were almost entirely Americans, and, as a nation, only America can answer for it.

The present catastrophe may be laid almost entirely at your door. Your government, almost alone in the world, is insisting on the immediate admission of 100,000 more Jews into Palestine—to be followed by countless additional ones. This will have the most frightful consequences in bloody chaos beyond anything ever hinted at in Palestine before.

It is your press and political leadership, almost alone in the world, who press this demand. It is almost entirely American money which hires or buys the "refugee ships" that steam illegally toward Palestine: American money which pays their crews. The illegal immigration from Europe is arranged by the Jewish Agency, supported almost entirely by American funds. It is American dollars which support the terrorists, which buy the bullets and pistols that kill British soldiers—your allies—and Arab citizens—your friends.

We in the Arab world were stunned to hear that you permit open advertisements in newspapers asking for money to finance these terrorists, to arm them openly and deliberately for murder. We could not believe this could really happen in the modern world. Now we must believe it: we have seen the advertisements with our own eyes.

Mammon ...

2008-03-03T00:27:00.004+05:00

Sometimes the most poignant maxims come as jokes. I came across this ad on the internet and while I laughed at the joke, I couldn't help but reflect on the deeper meaning. Curiosity killed the cat, but Mammon killed the human race.

On Success ...

2008-02-18T15:32:00.002+05:00

Success gurus are usually a disappointment, since most of them do not draw their inspiration from the Qur'an. They focus on worldly success - fame and fortune - and forget that success is with God only. The Qur'an has several verses that outline the characteristics of successful people. The following two verses are important from an aqeedah point of view:

Those who follow the Messenger [Muhammad], the Ummi Prophet whom they find written in the Torah and the Gospel with them, he enjoins upon them that which is virtuous and forbids them that which is evil; he allows them all that is good and forbids for them all that is foul. And he releases them from their burdens and from the shackles that were upon them. So it is those who believe in him, honor him, assist him and follow the light which has been sent down with him, it is they who will be successful. Say: "O humankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of God - to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. None has the right to be worshipped but He; It is He Who gives life and causes death. So believe in God and His Messenger, the Ummi Prophet who believes in God and His Words, and follow him so that you may be guided." (Qur'an, 7:157-158)

Study of these two ayats reveal the following noteworthy points:

The Ummi Prophet. The word ummi has been mistranlsated to mean unlettered. It is ridiculous and blasphemous to assume that God chose to lead the whole world a man who does not even know how to read and write. The word ummi is a derivative of the Arabic um, which means mother, and is used here to mean leader. The phrase ummi Prophet means leading Prophet.
The Prophet has been mentioned in the Torah and Gospel. E.g., Bible of Barnabas.
The Prophet enjoins the virtuous and good and forbids the evil and foul. This is an obvious distinction between the humanist/agnostic and the Islamic conception of what is good and what is not. For, in Islam, what is good is DEFINED by what the Prophet has enjoined or allowed and what is not good is DEFINED by what the Prophet has forbidden.
The Prophet releases people from their burdens and shackles. The shirk police may note that God has attributed the release of burdens and shackles to the Prophet and not directly to Himself. Anyways, I once came across a blog of a Christian woman who felt she was in shackles and wanted to get released from her shackles. She had adopted agnosticism but was not quite happy with that. Hopefully, she will come to the true path ...
Those who believe in him. Belief is in the Prophet. Merely saying, "I believe in God" is no belief.
Those who honor him. Note that there is a special mention of honoring the Prophet. This mention is apart from the mention of believing in him and also apart from the mention of following him. Those people who think that saying nasheeds, etc is shirk may please take note of this. Also, those who apparently follow all other aspects of Islam but do not take time out to honor the Prophet are NOT among the successful people.
Those who assist him. If you spent all your life pursuing a successful career, or being a successful parent, or being a successful spouse, but did not spend time to ASSIST the Prophet, then you are not a successful person.
Follow the light which has been sent down with him. Follow the Qur'an and the Prophetic method.
All worship is due to God. So those people who ignorantly think that Muslims worship the Prophet may please take note.
Life and death are from God. And not from the assassin's bullet (which does not mean that you are not responsible if you kill somebody).

Benazir Bhutto Was Lifetime Member of Minhaj-ul-Quran International ...

2007-12-30T22:09:00.003+05:00

"Benazir Bhutto was a gallant daughter of a dauntless father."

"It is a heinous conspiracy and a dangerous maneuver of hidden hands to dismember Pakistan."

"It is a serious failure of the government and law-enforcing agencies."

Dr Qadri’s telephonic press conference at Lahore Press Club from Canada

Chairman PAT Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri says his heart is filled with grief and sorrow over the brutal murder of PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto. May Allah bless her with forgiveness and peace. Expressing solidarity with the family members of the late Benazir Bhutto, PPP workers, leaders and the nation at large, Dr Qadri strongly condemned her assassination saying: It is the murder of democracy and political freedom and a heinous conspiracy and a dangerous maneuver of hidden hands to dismember Pakistan. Paying tributes to the dynamic leadership of Banazir Bhutto he called her a gallant daughter of a dauntless father whom the unforeseen forces have removed from the scene. She was a political leader of high stature. Dr Qadri was addressing a press conference at Lahore Press Club telephonically from Canada. Nazim-e-Aala MQI Dr Raheeq Ahmad Abbasi, Naib Nazim-e-Aala Shaikh Zahid Fayyaz, Anwar Akhtar Advocate, GM Malik and Director Media MQI Dr Shahid Mahmud were present on the occasion.

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was also removed from the scene by the hidden hands for his Nuclear Programme and holding Islamic Summit Conference at Lahore and now Benazir Bhutto has also been targeted and eliminated in continuation of the same antagonism of the hidden forces. But it is also a serious failure of the government and the law-enforcing and peace-keeping agencies, Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said. He told the conference that he and Benazir Bhutto worked together on the platform of Pakistan Awami Ittihad and in GDA political struggle. ‘She visited Minhaj-ul-Quran Secretariat and my place on many occasions and I also visited Bilawal House, Karachi. She was a leader with a political vision,’ Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said while talking about his political contacts with Benazir Bhutto. He told the press that a funeral prayer in absentia for the late Benazir Bhutto was offered in MQI’s Islamic Centre Jami Masjid Al-Mustafa, Toronto, Canada which was attended by the local PPP leaders.

He said that Benazir, greatly impressed by the social, welfare, and educational projects of Minhaj-ul-Quran, came to the MQI Centre, London, filled the membership form in my presence, and became the life member of Minhaj-ul-Quran International.

Answering a question, Dr Qadri said it is premature to say who has murdered Benazir. The wave of terrorism has hit the country in the recent years so strongly that it is unprecedented in our history. I have not seen this extreme of terrorism in my life. Pakistan is a victim of the worst terrorism of its history. Answering another question, Dr Qadri said: I have traveled two-thirds of the world; the name ‘Al-Qaida’ was never heard over the globe before 9/11. But now the situation is so worsened that whether it is Pakistan or some other location on the earth, wherever an act of terrorism is committed it is attributed to Al-Qaida. How far it is true is a question to ponder over. Replying a question he said: There are many Mulla and Amir-ul-Mominin in Pakistan nowadays. Nobody’s life, property and prestige is safe and secure. The government’s strategy to eliminate terrorism has badly failed. The culture and values of Northern and tribal Areas have not been understood with the result that their reaction has reached an intolerable extreme. Talking about elections he said: Democracy does not exist in the country. So I tabled my 80-page resignation from National Assembly 3 years before which is a history. About federation he said: Allah bless and protect our country and federation. Our enemies want to weaken us while although small we are a country with great potential and we are in a position to make progress. Our enemies are concentrating on Sindh, Frontier and Baluchistan. They are creating hatred against Punjab to undo our solidarity.

Later Nazim-e-Aala MQI Dr Raheeq Ahmad Abbasi said while talking to the newsmen that PAT flag will fly at half mast; PAT has already announced to mourn the assassination of Benazir Bhutto for seven days and has given her the title of Martyr of Democracy. All our centres round the world have suspended their activities; they will stage a peaceful protest on Sunday in-country and abroad. The contradictory statements being given by the government agencies are creating doubts about the murder. It is therefore inevitable that impartial inquiry be held of the tragic incident. He said that PPP was a patriotic party and was a symbol of federation. He said: We pay tribute to PPP leadership and workers that they have not gone impatient in this moment of extreme hardship. The world-wide mourning on the assassination of Benazir Bhutto is a manifest proof of her popularity. No leader has been paid such a homage at global level in the recent past. The PAT leaders held that the government has badly failed in maintaining law and order and eliminating terrorism from the country. Benazir’s assassination is the failure of the present regime. The security measures must have been stringent and foolproof. They urged the people that they should keep a watch over the miscreants and mischief-mongers to avert losses of life and property of the people. They appealed to the workers of the PPP and other political parties to remain peaceful. At this juncture the miscreants will attempt to damage the solidarity of the country. The nation therefore must remain united to face this great tragedy with patience, perseverance and firm resolve.

The Murder of Democracy ...

2007-12-29T18:19:00.000+05:00

Minhaj-ul-Quran International is in a seven-day mourning after the heinous assassination of Benazir Bhutto. All activities and programs will remain shut down for seven days.

I remember the time when Sheikh-ul-Islam, Professor Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, was active in field politics. He had joined hands with Benazir Bhutto against the horrendous exploitation by the regime of that time. He would refer to her as "my sister". Now that she has been assassinated, he has dubbed her murder as "the murder of democracy".

This is a terrible tragedy at all levels. Let us pray to Almighty Allah to grant her a place in Heaven and to give her orphaned children the patience to bear the loss of their mother.

The Second Largest Collective It'kaaf in the World ...

2007-10-17T01:45:00.000+05:00

For several years now, Minhaj-ul-Quran's It'kaaf has been the second largest collective It'kaaf in the World, second only to the It'kaaf held at Haram Sharif in Saudi Arabia. We were expecting about fifteen to twenty thousand participants this year, but all were pleasantly surprised by the actual turnover: thirty-seven thousand men and women, about one-third women (12,000) and two-thirds men (25,000), all gathered for the remembrance of Almighty God. Participants came from every corner of Pakistan. We also had several hundred participants from all over the world - from Europe, America, Central Asia, Afghanistan, and India.

I could not sit in the It'kaaf due to an evil combination of professional and family issues, but I did sit as a volunteer doctor in one of the dispensaries for the Mu'takifeen from Asr to Isha. There is something special about serving the guests of God: one becomes a guest himself. For me, the most memorable time of the It'kaaf came when Qibla Shaikh-ul-Islam said that he was pleased with the performance of the Medical Committee and announced a special gift for the doctors who gave voluntary services at the dispensaries. Can you guess what that gift was? It was Irfan-ul-Quran, which is Qibla Shaikh-ul-Islam's translation of the Quran in Urdu along with the Arabic text. I have never received a more beautiful gift in my entire life.

Crisis of Faith …

2007-09-13T00:24:00.000+05:00

I never liked Mother Teresa’s guts. To excel in positive deeds and be hailed as one of the foremost humanitarians of the age and yet not have even a mustard seed of imaan, that is the kind of person she was. She has given empirical evidence for what is already known in Islam, that a person could be saturated in the glamour of good works and yet be among those who have lost favor with God. I will not claim to know the ultimate fate of Mother Teresa but the darkness she describes is certainly the darkness of disbelief:

As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert. The thirsty one thinks it to be water, until he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing, but he finds God with him, Who will pay him his due [Hell]. And God is swift in taking account. Or [the state of a disbeliever] is like the darkness in a vast deep sea, overwhelmed with a great wave topped by a great wave, topped by dark clouds, darkness, one above another, if a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! And he for whom God has not appointed light, for him there is no light. (Qur'an: The Light, verses 39-40)

When one turns away from the darkness of disbelief towards the brightness of Islamic Enlightenment, one comes across three layers of enlightenment, as described in the Hadith of Jibreel, namely Imaan (Faith), Islaam (Practice), and Ihsaan (Islamic Renaissance).

Many people falter at the step of Imaan. Some move on to Islaam. And a lucky few achieve the stage of Ihsaan. But why would a person who was practicing Islaam bang his head against the wall?:

The tergiversations of her faith reminded me of my own, I guess. Although I’m outwardly religious, I’ve never had the intimate relationship with Allah that I see others possess- I envy those brothers. So many times I’ve wished I was more like them, and so many times I’ve wished for death. Sometimes I hope that my execution might redeem me- maybe Allah would forgive me if I suffered a painful and ignominious death. I remember praying fajr many, many times and hitting my head against the wall, and praying to Allah desperately for faith. I’ve never prayed more sincerely in my life.

So I understand where she’s coming from. A mind wracked by doubt- to the point that it’s painful. I’m pleased with Allah as my Lord, Islam as my religion etc- but I’m weak.

(An anonymous comment at this page.)

Apparently this person had Imaan and was practicing Islaam, but he (or she) consistently failed to achieve that spiritual state called Ihsaan, so he banged his head against the wall.

Question: Why could he not achieve Ihsaan?
Answer: Because he was suffering from a Crisis of Faith.

We live in an age where Islam is under vicious attack from all sides and angles. We live in an age where Wahhabism and Qadyanism are making inroads. We live in an age where the Muslim community is thoroughly fragmented. We live in an age where we are surrounded by enemies from all sides, enemies who have incredible economic, military, and media power at their disposal. We live in an age where extremes of poverty and prosperity are making people lose their Imaan. We live in an age where women are being encouraged to lose their veils and the billboards are displaying pornography instead of displaying advertisements. We live in an age of excellence in science, technology, and secular knowledge, yet the Muslim countries are those who are most lagging behind in these fields. We live in an age where the mullah has done everything possible to destroy the image of Islam.

Faith enters a stage of crisis when one is living in such an Islamophobic milieu. For someone aspiring to achieve Ihsaan, it is extremely important that he should know what Faith is. Faith (Imaan) begins with the statement:

There is no deity but God

Muhammad is the Messenger of God

In fact, Faith (Imaan) is more than just a statement - it is a belief. It entails belief in not one but two personalities:

1. God (glorified He is)
2. Muhammad (peace be upon him)

In the age in which we live, people have concentrated on the first part of the Statement of Faith, but have forgotten the significance of the second part of the statement. In other words, people do realize that God is the only deity, but they have underestimated the supreme and beloved status of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). That this happened is not surprising when one observes the fall of scholarship in the Muslim lands coupled with the rise of orientalism in the non-Muslim lands.

Talking about the Prophet, saying nasheeds in his remembrance, remembering his voice, his manner of speaking, his way of walking, his way of talking, his way of smiling, his exalted character, his intelligence, his intellect, his beauty, his hair, his eyes, his fingernails - this is Islam. I remember during my college days, no one talked about Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. All they talked about was girls, girls, and girls. They had their excuses candy-coated by the enemies of God - that sexual attraction was normal, that it was okay to talk about girls (and not okay to not talk about girls), that it was also okay to have sex with them (as long as you used a condom) and blah blah blah. I yearned for someone who would talk freely and enthusiastically about Prophet Muhammad – peace and blessings be upon him.

Islam is not only about the Worship of God, it is also about the Love of Muhammad. In fact, the Islamic creed does not differentiate between the Worship of God and the Love of Muhammad. That is indeed what the Statement of Faith is: the belief that the Worship of God and the Love of Muhammad are one and the same thing.

For those wanting to know more about the Beloved, here is an interesting article about him.

I will end this rant with one of the most beautiful verses of nasheed in the whole of Urdu poetry:

شوق ترا اگر نہ ہو میری نماز کا امام
میرا قیام بھی حجاب میرا سجود بھی حجاب

Translation:

If your Love is not the Imam of my Prayer
Then my standing is a veil, my prostration is a veil
(Allama Iqbal)

The Lal Masjid Tragedy …

2007-07-13T11:08:00.000+05:00

Minhaj-ul-Quran's press release on the Lal Masjid tragedy is in Urdu, so here is my English translation of the press release for my English-speaking readers:

Shaikh-ul-Islam, Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri, has said that the Lal Masjid tragedy has caused severe damage to the image of Islam and Pakistan on an international level. Those who work to clarify the real concept of Islam will have to move forward with wisdom and foresight, and in this connection, the scholars especially will have to recognize their responsibilities. He said that the damage incurred to the international image of Islam due to the Lal Masjid issue should be a cause of concern to every Muslim. There is no place in Islam for extremist and terrorist methodologies or myopic viewpoints. He was delivering a telephonic address to the monthly congregation of the Majlis Khatam Salat-un-Nabi (peace be upon him) at the ground opposite the Central Secretariat of Minhaj-ul-Quran yesterday, which was attended by thousands of men and women. Shaikh-ul-Islam, Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that the difficulties of expatriate Pakistanis and the Ummah would increase due to the Lal Masjid tragedy. The baseless conception of Muslims as extremists and terrorists will get stronger. In these conditions, the responsibility falls on the Ummah and the scholars to play their role in spreading the true teachings of Islam based on peace, forbearance, love, and religious tolerance. To meet the challenges faced by Islam on an international level, it is imperative that an organized effort be made on a collective level against the evil conspiracies bent upon associating negative extremist methodologies with Islam so that the negative propaganda against Islam is countered. He said that the picture of Islam the world saw with respect to the Lal Masjid issue has no link whatsoever with the real teachings of Islam. Minhaj-ul-Quran Movement is playing an important role in spreading the real teachings of Islam in the whole world, and in five continents of the world, people are playing their peaceful and constructive roles in their respective societies after coming into contact with the Islamic message of love and peace. Shaikh-ul-Islam said that struggle should be done on individual and collective levels against the false anti-Islamic propaganda so that the real peace-loving face of Islam is shown to humanity. In this connection, the scholars of Minhaj-ul-Quran are playing their roles effectively as ambassadors of peace and harmony. He said that Pakistan is an extremely important country of the Muslim world that has the full potential to provide leadership to the Muslim world. That is why anti-Islamic forces are bent upon weakening it in every respect. Events like the Lal Masjid have severely damaged its image as potential leader of the Muslim world. In the future, the public will also have to play their role in preventing such irresponsible, negative events. Shaikh-ul-Islam, Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri, said that Minhaj-ul-Quran is a worldwide movement for the Renaissance of Islam. The rejuvenation of the culture of Knowledge is a responsibility that falls on Minhaj-ul-Quran. Knowledge does not bring positive results without Practice. Prostration changes Knowledge into Light. So it is important that apart from the Practice of always sending blessings to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the seeking of Knowledge and the Practicing of that Knowledge should be kept uppermost in one’s priorities. He said that the Muslim Ummah should put its efforts in the quest of Knowledge. Minhaj-ul-Quran Movement is working in the whole world on raising awareness about the acquisition of Knowledge. Knowledge becomes Gainful Knowledge after Practice and the Practice of getting up in the night to prostrate before God changes Knowledge into Light and confers an inner light to a person that gives him or her success in this Life and the Hereafter.

Do You Recognize This Man? ...

2007-04-02T04:46:00.000+05:00

Do you really know who Muhammad is? (Alayhes salat o wassalam.) Muhammad is the man whose sweat was used as the best perfume you would come across. Muhammad is the man whose stool was more fragrant than the food he ingested - such was the effect of contact with his heavenly body. Muhammad is the man whose face radiated beauty like the full moon so that Mother Ayesha could locate her lost needle in the night. Subhanallah!

Oftentimes I hear people - Muslims and non-Muslims alike - speaking of the Holy Prophet, sallallah-o-alaihe-wassallam, never really knowing who they are talking about. But anywayz, who can dare know who Muhammad is? "The reality of your Prophet is known by God alone", so said the Prophet, upon whom be infinite blessings and peace. The glorious Qur'an reciprocated: "Wa Ma Muhammad Illa Rasool" ("And what is Muhammad but the Messenger?" - Qur'an, 3:144). I have always been struck by the fact that the Qur'an used the word Ma ("What") and not Man ("Who"). Subhanallah!

As we celebrate God's Gift to Mankind, let us take all the time to know more about who the Prophet is - sallallah-o-alaihe-wassallam. Death is just round the corner, and I can't wait for the time when they will ask me, "Do you recognize this man?", and - hopefully, hopefully, hopefully - I'll respond with the words, "Wa Ma Muhammad Illa Rasool".

Peace and blessings be upon you, O icon of beauty and wonder, and upon your family, your companions, and all those who love you.

Empty Vessels Make the Most Noise …

2007-01-26T19:44:00.000+05:00

The Day of Ashura is drawing near. Some people will come decked out in black clothes and hurt themselves in an act of sadomasochism that has no link whatsoever with the patience and sacrifice of Hussain (alaihes salam) at the Battle of Karbala. Empty vessels, it is said, make the most noise. If we want to love Hussain, let us do what he did and stand up against the Yazids of our times. Let us be those who fought under Hussain and not those who betrayed him at the last moment. For a change, how about starting off with fighting the rebellious nafs that we have developed within our own selves?

The Tragedy of the Human Condition …

2007-01-07T01:09:00.000+05:00

Surah Fatiha (“The Opening”), the first surah of the Holy Qur’an, can be thought of as an introduction or preface to the Qur’an. It is also the best summary of the Holy Qur’an. Because of its ubiquitous use in various prayers, a practicing Muslim will typically recite this surah about one million times in his or her lifetime. It is a must-read for all people, regardless of their faith:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِِ
In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful

الْحَمْدُ للّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds

الرَّحْمـنِ الرَّحِيمِ
The Beneficent, the Merciful

مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ
Master of the Day of Judgment

إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
You [alone] we worship; and You [alone] we ask for help

اهدِنَــــا الصِّرَاطَ المُستَقِيمَ
Show us the straight path

صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِمْ غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ
The path of those whom You have favored; not the [path] of those who earn Your anger nor of those who go astray

Surah Fatiha contains a vast store of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. But my thoughts get concentrated on its most poignant verse, the last one:

صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِمْ غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ
The path of those whom You have favored; not the [path] of those who earn Your anger nor of those who go astray

It means that there are three categories of people:

1. Those who have earned God’s favor
2. Those who have earned God’s disfavor
3. The lost souls

I look around myself in this world of six billion souls and I see people belonging to the latter two categories. Then I take a telescope and manage to see a few men and women - just a few - who belong to the first category. Then I take a mirror and I see myself. I stand rooted to the spot, thunderstruck by the reflection that stares back at me. I am horrified. Stupefied. And finally disgusted. I turn away from the mirror. The world inside me is a reflection of the world outside me.

Man has lived in vain.

More Polemics on the Sun and the Earth: Is the Qur’an Geocentric or Heliocentric? …

2006-12-17T21:53:00.000+05:00

It is He Who has made the Sun a shining thing and the Moon as a light and measured out its [their] stages, that you might know the number of years and the reckoning. God did not create this but in truth. He explains the Signs in detail for people who have knowledge.

(Al-Qur’an: 10:5)

When one surfs the Internet, one comes across a plethora of websites and discussion forums that accuse the Qur’an of Biblical geocentrism. Their charge is that the Qur’an is presenting a cosmology wherein the heavenly bodies, in particular the Sun and the Moon, are revolving around a fixed and immobile Earth. Their main argument in favor of this allegation is that the Qur’an never mentions that the Earth is moving while it often mentions that the Sun and the Moon are moving. Truly, the Qur’an does say at various places that the Sun and the Moon “run on their fixed courses for an appointed term” (Qur’an: 13:2, 14:33, 31:29, 35:13, 36:38, 39:5, and 55:5) or “float, each in an orbit” (Qur’an: 21:33 and 36:40). However, as we shall see shortly, there is a cosmic ignorance and prejudice that lurks behind the Islamophobic manner of thinking. It is extremely unfortunate that the apology put forward by some well meaning but uninformed Muslims reveals similar cosmic ignorance. The Muslim apology that I have come across consists of two main arguments:

1. The Qur’an is not a Book of Science; rather, it is a Book of Signs. Therefore, one should not expect to find a statement about the movement of the Earth in the Qur’an.
2. If the Qur’an does not mention the movement of the Earth around the Sun, neither does it say that the Sun moves around the Earth. All it says is that the Sun “moves”. That’s all. It does not define the orbit of the Sun. Modern science has found out that the Sun is indeed moving – around the center of our galaxy. Hence, modern science has vindicated what the Qur’an had revealed 1400 years ago.

In all humbleness, I think what we have here is a classic case of a strong case but a weak lawyer. Neither of these arguments directly addresses the allegation of the Islamophobes. We will insha’Allah offer a refutation of the accusation here. Before we go into deeper matters, we will first debunk the hoax of the fixed abode.

The Hoax of the “Fixed Abode”:

The Holy Qur’an says:

Is not He [better than your gods] Who has made the earth as a fixed abode, and has placed rivers in its midst, and has placed firm mountains therein, and has set a barrier between the two seas? Is there any god with God? Nay, but most of them know not. (27:61)

The Islamophobic inference is that the Qur’an is saying that the Earth is fixed and immobile. Here are three other standard translations:

Is not He [best] Who made the earth a fixed abode … (Pickthall)
Or, Who has made the earth firm to live in … (Yusufali)
Or, Who made the earth a resting place … (Shakir)

The word fixed vanishes in two translations because the Qur’anic word qararan has been used to describe the Earth in a geologic context and not in an astronomic context. This becomes most obvious when the verse in question is studied in context with the preceding verse:

Is not He [better than your gods] Who created the heavens and the earth, and sends down for you water [rain] from the sky, whereby We cause to grow wonderful gardens full of beauty and delight? It is not in your ability to cause the growth of their trees. Is there any god with God? Nay, but they are a people who ascribe equals [to Him]! Is not He [better than your gods] Who has made the earth as a fixed abode, and has placed rivers in its midst, and has placed firm mountains therein, and has set a barrier between the two seas. Is there any god with God? Nay, but most of them know not. (27:60-61)

One will observe in these verses that after mentioning “the heavens and the earth”, which is the Qur’anic terminology for the Universe, the Qur’an immediately moves on to focus on the Earth’s geologic phenomena. The phenomena are mentioned in this order:

1. Rain
2. Gardens
3. Trees
4. Earth (fixed abode / resting place)
5. Rivers
6. Mountains
7. Seas

It is obvious that the word ardh is not used here to refer to a planet of the solar system; instead, it is used here to refer to the Earth’s crust. The Qur’an is simply saying that the Earth’s crust has been made stable enough for man to live on it. The discerning eye of some sick devil saw the words earth and fixed placed tantalizingly close to each other in a standard translation, and so he or she decided it was time to wreak havoc on the Internet.

Sunrise and Sunset:

We commonly say, “The Sun rises in the East”, and “The Sun sets in the West”. The words rise and set are verbs attributed to the Sun, thus implying that the Sun is moving, yet we use these words despite the fact that we have deduced from certain observations and experiments that sunrise and sunset occur because of the spinning of the Earth on its axis and not revolution of the Sun around the Earth. We use these verbs without causing any ambiguity because we know that we are talking only about the phenomena of appearance of the Sun from below the horizon and disappearance of the Sun beneath the horizon rather than actual movement of any heavenly body.

The Qur’an uses the same methodology (e.g., Qur’an: 2:258, 6:76-78, 18:17) and it would be dishonest to fish out a diagnosis of biblical geocentrism on the basis of this usage in the Qur’an. In particular, Dhul Qurnayn’s story has been used by the Islamophobes to allege that the Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be infinite blessings and peace, thought that the Sun went around a fixed Earth. The same holds true for the Hadith of the Throne. (See my previous post for details.)

Frames of Reference and The Problem With Newtonian Mechanics:

Due to our early indoctrination with Newtonian mechanics, the statement, “The Earth revolves around the Sun”, has been so deeply ingrained in our mentality that we fail to see that this statement is prejudicial and holds true only if the Sun is taken as the frame of reference. Newtonian mechanics erroneously held that space is Euclidean and thus space itself is an absolute frame of reference, and this is why the Qur’an is being seen in the wrong light.

Einstein’s theories of relativity, which are a cosmic shift from Newtonian mechanics, hold that space is curved by heavenly bodies. The consequence is that there is no absolute or privileged frame of reference. Thus the statement, “The Earth revolves around the Sun”, made by an observer on the Sun, and the statement, “The Sun revolves around the Earth”, made by an observer on the Earth, are both true from their own perspectives. One of the most important discoveries of Relativity is that description of the motion of heavenly bodies necessarily calls for an arbitrary frame of reference. The Qur’an has thus chosen to take the Earth as the frame of reference for the simple reason that this is where we live and do our observations. This indeed is why the Qur’an does not care to describe the movement of the Earth. It is, however, extremely important to note that the Qur’an takes the Earth only as a convenient frame of reference, not as a privileged or absolute frame of reference. This has had two consequences. Firstly, the Earth is nowhere described as a still, motionless object. Secondly, although the Sun and the Moon are described as moving objects, this movement is never defined to be around the Earth. In this context, the mistake of the Bible was not that it adopted a geocentric frame of reference. Rather, the Bible’s mistake was to assume that the geocentric frame is a privileged frame.

The Holy Qur’an has adopted four positions with regard to the movement of the heavenly bodies:
1. The Sun and the Moon are said to be moving.
2. The movement of the Sun and Moon is described as being in a “fixed course”, but the course is not described as being around the Earth.
3. The Earth is not said to be moving.
4. The Earth is not said to be stationary either (i.e. the Qur’an has preferred to remain silent about the movement or lack of movement of the Earth in an astronomic context.)

As we have seen, all this is perfectly consistent with the general principles of Relativistic mechanics. Now, there is a fifth and final point about the movement of the heavenly bodies that is most interesting. The Qur’an describes the motion of the Sun and the Moon by the phrase
كُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ (Qur’an, 21:33, 36:40) which means “they float, each in an orbit”. When an object floats in water, it drifts along gently on the surface of the water. In other words, the object goes wherever the medium in which it has been placed (water) carries it. Likewise, heavenly bodies move in curved orbits because it is the curvature of the space in which the body is moving that carries the body into a curved orbit. Thus the Qur’anic description is most appropriate.

It has now becomes a matter of Faith to decide whether it is Relativity that is vindicating the Qur’an or the Qur’an that is vindicating Relativity.

Some Polemics on the Sun and the Earth …

2006-11-26T21:38:00.000+05:00

In a postmodern world where the Sun of Christianity is found to be setting in murky waters, one finds the Sun of Islam rising on a people for whom no protection has been provided against the bright sunshine of Islamic Enlightenment. Hence, Islamophobia runs amok. They say that people who live in glass houses should not throw stones at others, but it seems like the Christian missionaries are hell-bent on “proving” that Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be infinite blessings and peace, was laboring under the illusion that the Earth is flat and the Sun rotates around a stationary earth. I believe that a hundred lies cannot equal a single truth, yet this is precisely what the missionary agenda is. Here we will insha’Allah offer a refutation of the accusations leveled against the Qur’an and Sunnah.

The Story of Dhul-Qarnayn:

The Holy Qur’an says:

And they ask you about Dhul-Qarnayn. Say: "I shall recite to you something of his story." Verily, We established him in the earth, and We gave him the means of everything. So he followed a way. Until, when he reached the setting place of the Sun, he found it setting in a spring of black muddy [or hot] water. And he found near it a people. We [God] said [by inspiration]: "O Dhul-Qarnayn! Either you punish them, or treat them with kindness." He said: "As for him who does wrong, we shall punish him; and then he will be brought back unto his Lord; Who will punish him with a terrible torment [Hell]. But as for him who believes and works righteousness, he shall have the best reward, [Paradise], and we [Dhul-Qarnayn] shall speak unto him mild words [as instructions]." Then he followed another way, Until, when he came to the rising place of the Sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We [God] had provided no shelter against the Sun. So [it was]! And We knew all about him [Dhul-Qarnayn]. (Al-Qur’an, 18:83-91)

The accusation is that Dhul-Qarnayn (and by extrapolation, Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon them) thought that the Earth was flat and he had reached the literal ends of the Earth where he observed the Sun entering inside a spring of murky water at the Western end (!) and the Sun rising so close to the Earth at the Eastern end that there was no protection for the people who lived there. An accusation couldn’t get more ludicrous. In this connection, the Wikipedia articles on Sunrise and Sunset are most enlightening. The Sunrise article notes:

The apparent westward revolution of Sun around the Earth after rising out of the horizon is due to the Earth's eastward rotation. This illusion is so convincing that most cultures had mythologies and religions built around the geocentric model.

While the Sunset article notes in the last sentence of its third paragraph:

On a west-facing coastline, sunset occurs over water while sunrise occurs over land.

If a modern writer who believes that sunset and sunrise are illusions, can say a statement like “sunset occurs over water” or “sunrise occurs over land”, then why can’t the Author of the Qur’an say so?

It may be noted that we popularly call Japan as the Land of the Rising Sun even though we know that the Earth is spherical and rotates around the Sun. Indeed, the Japanese call their country Nippon, a word that means “origin of the Sun”.

Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California (in the United States) is probably the most famous street in the World. The western part of this street - its most famous part - is duly named Sunset Strip. It runs near Los Angeles’ western coastline adjoining the Pacific Ocean. The Qur’anic reference to "the setting place of the Sun" is indeed such a place in Dhul-Qarnayn’s kingdom. The “spring” of murky water may or may not have been an ocean, but it certainly was large enough to extend all the way to the horizon.

Flattened Earth vs Flat Earth:

The Qur’an says:

And it is He who spread out the Earth (13:3)
And the Earth, We spread out (15:19)
And the Earth, We have spread it out (50:7)
And We have spread out the Earth, how Excellent Spreader [thereof] are We! (51:48)
And God has made for you the Earth, wide spread [an expanse] (71:19)
And after that, He spread the Earth (79:30)
And at the Earth, how it is spread out (88:20)
And by the Earth and Him Who spread it (91:6)

None of the verses quoted above preclude the Earth from being a big sphere. A surface that has been “spread out” could very well be a big spherical surface. Moreover, the spreading out could also mean the flattening (i.e. leveling) of the Earth after it was bombarded by flying fragments during the Late Heavy Bombardment. This bombardment probably created 22,000 or more craters with impact diameters greater than 20 km, about 40 impact basins with diameters about 1,000 km, and several impact basins with diameter about 5,000 km.

The Earth as a Bed:

The Qur'an says:

Who has made the Earth for you like a bed [or carpet] (20:53)
Who has made for you the Earth like a bed [or carpet] (43:10)
Have We not made the Earth as a bed [or carpet] (78:6)

The accusation is that since beds are flat and not spherical, the Author of the Qur'an "thinks" that the Earth is flat, as opposed to spherical. However, geologists, who sleep in flat beds and believe in a spherical Earth, also believe that sedimentary rock, which covers 75% of the Earth’s surface and most of the continental land mass, has been laid down in layers called beds (1,2) through a process called bedding. More detailed reading of the verses in question will reveal that the the Qur’an has always referred to the Earth as a bed in a geologic (and not astronomic) context only:

Who has made the Earth for you like a bed [spread out]; and has opened roads [ways and paths, etc] for you therein; and has sent down water [rain] from the sky. And We have brought forth with it various kinds of vegetation (20:53)

Who has made for you the Earth like a bed, and has made for you roads therein, in order that you may find your way. And Who sends down water [rain] from the sky in due measure. Then We revive a dead land therewith, and even so you will be brought forth [from the dead]. (43:10-11)

Have We not made the Earth as a bed. And the mountains as pegs? (78:6-7)

The only valid inference we can draw is that the Qur’anic reference to the Earth as a bed is not only most appropriate, it is also far ahead of its time of revelation.

The Hadith of the Throne:

According to an authentic hadith of Sahih Bukhari:

Narrated Abu Dhar: The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked me at sunset, "Do you know where the sun goes (at the time of sunset)?" I replied, "Allah and His Apostle know better." He said, "It goes (i.e. travels) till it prostrates Itself underneath the Throne and takes the permission to rise again, and it is permitted and then (a time will come when) it will be about to prostrate itself but its prostration will not be accepted, and it will ask permission to go on its course but it will not be permitted, but it will be ordered to return whence it has come and so it will rise in the west. And that is the interpretation of the Statement of Allah: "And the sun Runs its fixed course For a term (decreed). that is The Decree of (Allah) The Exalted in Might, The All-Knowing." (36.38)

(Hadith referenced here.)

The significance of Syedna Abu Dhar’s statement (may God be pleased with him), “Allah and His Apostle know better”, should not be underestimated. It does not mean that Syedna Abu Dhar (may God be pleased with him) or the Arabs of the 7th century had no idea where the Sun went after setting. Rather, it was routine with the Companions to answer any question of the Prophet, peace be upon him, with these words even if they knew the answer, the only exception being when they realized that the Prophet, peace be upon him, was specifically demanding for an answer. This was because they knew what was meant by the term adab (i.e. love and reverence) of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). In this context, I am reminded of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, a fond memory from my childhood years, where Petruchio tames his spoiled wife to such an extent that when he points at the Sun and says that it is the Moon, she agrees with him, and when he says that it is not the Moon but the Sun indeed, she again agrees with him. I wish we too could learn such adab.

The phrase, “It goes (i.e. travels)” cannot be forced to mean that it travels around a fixed earth. Such an inference can be made if the words had been, “It goes on around the earth”. In the hadith, however, the phrase “It goes” simply means that it goes on in whatever orbit has been assigned to it.

The Sun prostrates when it reaches the Throne, yet in our scientific observation, the Sun is never seen to prostrate to any Throne. Instead, it is observed to be orbiting the center of our galaxy at a speed of about 800,000 kilometers per hour. The reason for our inability to observe the prostration of the Sun is that the Throne lies in the Unseen (the Gha'ib). The laws of physics hold true only in the physical universe (the Seen). The laws of the metaphysical universe (the Unseen) are known only to Almighty God or to whom He gives special sanction. It is not for us to speculate on the Unseen. Note also the following Qur’anic verses:

And to God prostate all things that are in the Heavens and all things that are in the Earth, of the live moving creatures and the angels, and they are not proud [i.e. they worship their Lord with humility] (16:49)

See you not that to God prostrates whoever is in the Heavens and whoever is on the Earth, and the Sun, and the Moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and the live moving creatures, and many of humankind? But there are many [people] on whom the Punishment is justified. And whomsoever God disgraces, none can honor him. Verily! God does what He wills. (22:18)

And the herbs [or stars] and the trees both prostrate (55:6)

The manner in which all of the non-human creation prostrate to God is not observable to us through scientific methods because it is a matter of the Unseen that was shown only to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Likewise, the prostration of the Sun is just as unobservable as the prostration of the trees and mountains.

This hadith is very important in that it underscores the fact that a Muslim is by definition one who believes in the Unseen:

Those who believe in the Unseen (Qur’an:2,3)

A Prophet is by definition one who brings news from the Unseen (nabi, the Arabic word for prophet, means ‘one who brings news’); a believer is one who listens to this news and believes in the truthfulness of the news-bringer, salla Allah o alaihe wa aaalehi wa sallam.

Reference: Hadiths on the Cosmos – On Cosmic Revolution, the Dying Sun, and Energy

The Strangeness of the Veil ...

2006-10-24T21:32:00.000+05:00

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

"Islam came a stranger to this world and will leave a stranger from this world."

(Hadith referenced here.)

There are very few statements that have the effect of reducing me to tears. This is one of them. I cry with tears every time I read or hear this hadith. If only some people could know what is the meaning of pain ...

But I don't cry when some secular person says that he feels uncomfortable with the feminine veil and then a whole nation joins him in chorus. When millions of people who are completely unfamiliar with the veil start casting aspersions on it and bicker about how the veil is so "strange", then know that the stranger has come and he is here to stay.

Ahlan wa sahlan, marhaba, marhaba.

Eid Mubarak :)

If You Are a Porn Addict …

2006-09-27T00:18:00.001+05:00

Then this Ramadhan-ul-Mubarak is just right for you. Here are a few tips to get you off the hook …

Develop insight: That is, develop the understanding that you are indeed hooked on to the wrong thing. If you think that pornography is “OK”, then you’ll never develop your spiritual side, alas.

Develop motivation: Why do you want to get rid of your addiction? The best motivation is to do so for the sake of Almighty God and His Beloved Prophet (peace be upon him).

Avoid the wrong situations: As much as humanly possible, avoid those situations where porn is easily accessible, e.g. company with the wrong people, watching television, lone hours at the internet, etc.

Follow every bad act with a good one: Such as two nafl of prayers, or a sadaqa (charity).

Stay busy: An idle mind certainly is the devil’s workshop, so involve yourself in something constructive.

Say the five prayers: Be staunch on the five obligatory prayers. If you don’t pray them, then start NOW. Do it, no matter how hard it is for you. Even if you have to shower before every prayer. Try to do the fardh, sunnah, and nafl rak’ats, all of them.

Say the tahajjud prayer: No kidding here. Not only say the tahajjud prayer, but also spend some time crying before the Lord. If you can’t cry, then make a crying face (no kidding again). Such remembrance deep in the middle of the night will break the spell of the nafs and will work wonders for your overall personality.

Keep nafl fasts: Remember that fasting is one of the strongest ways to keep the sexual urges at bay. Fast on a daily basis in Ramadhan. In the other months, you may consider fasting every alternate day or every Monday or any other schedule that suits you. (However, fasting on a daily basis has been recommended against in months other than Ramadhan.)
Keep company with the Awliya (Friends of God) and the Sulaha (Pious People): At the very least, avoid company with people who will detract you.

Update (Jan 21, 2007): Please read this link on how to give up masturbation.

The Superior Logic of the Qur’an …

2006-09-20T22:55:00.000+05:00

وَمَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَـكِنَّ اللّهَ رَمَى

“And you threw not when you threw, but it was God who threw”

[Qur’an, 8:17]

The verse of the Qur’an quoted above refers to the incident(s) when the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) threw gravels or pebbles at the pagans in war and miraculously hit them individually in the eyes. The traditional exegesis of the verse is that since it is humanly impossible to achieve such a feat, Almighty God attributed this feat to Himself.

However, the sacred verse puts the logicians in a quandary since it could be broken into three statements that are apparently not mutually consistent:

(1) The Prophet (pbuh) threw the pebbles
(2) The Prophet (pbuh) did not throw the pebbles
(3) God threw the pebbles

The problem seems to lie with the fact that statement (1) and (2) are contradictory, and yet the Qur’an is acknowledging both statements within the same breath – “and you threw not when you threw”! While on the one hand, this apparent contradiction serves to detract the hard-hearted disbelievers, it also gives us a glimpse into the superior logic of the Qur’an.

The conflict can be easily resolved if one realizes that, broadly speaking, every object and every event has two realities: an apparent reality and a hidden reality. The apparent and the hidden realities are different and could seem to be contradictory, but this apparent contradiction is only because of change of perspective. The case in study – the event of throwing of the pebbles - also had two realities: an apparent one, namely throwing of the pebbles by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), and a hidden one, namely throwing of the pebbles by Almighty God (glorified be He). Both realities are true in their own perspective, and denial of any one is tantamount to kufr (disbelief). Thus, statements (1) and (3) quoted above are both true, while the conjunctive statement (2) prevents the literal equating of (1) with (3), an act that would be tantamount to shirk (associating partners with God).

But logic aside, this sacred verse is one of the most endearing expressions of love you would come across. They say that Love leaves Logic in its wake, so it is not surprising that the blessed Sufis, who immerse themselves in the hidden reality, have a way of understanding this verse that leaves the blind logicians in the proverbial dust. At the supreme height of Love, the Lover equates the action of the Beloved with his own, and says by way of explanation, “That action that you did, you know, I am the one who did it, not you”.

God bless the Sufis.

The Schizophrenic Love of Some Conspiracy Theorists …

2006-09-09T00:34:00.000+05:00

Some schizophrenic people create artificial quarrels between the Friends of God (Awliya Allah) and divide people on groundless grounds. Thus there are ostensible Sunnis who acknowledge the Khulafa Rashidun but deny the spiritual dominion of Syedna Ali (may God ennoble his face). On the other hand, there are ostensible Shias who allege fealty to Syedna Ali (may God ennoble his face) but accuse Syedna Abu Bakr, Umar, and Usman (may God be pleased with them) of usurping power. These extremely dangerous trends are borne out of an atmosphere of ignorance and prejudice.

In my observation, many people are simply confused. The confusion in their minds is in dire need of resolution. It is in this context that Sheikh-ul-Islam wrote his book, The Ghadir Declaration. The book is available online free of cost and is a must-read for the knowledge-seekers. The preface of the book resolves the conflict created by the conspiracy theorists.

Description of the Beloved …

2006-09-01T12:52:00.000+05:00

I once posted on Umm-e-Ma’bad’s description of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). The portrayal is beautiful because of its use of metaphors. Yet it falls short of the mark precisely because of its use of metaphor. Syedna Pir Mehr Ali Shah (may God be pleased with him) was once blessed with a vision of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). He described the vision in a short, succinct Punjabi verse that said it all:

Koiy misl nahin dholan dee
Chup kar Mehr-e-Ali
Ethay jaa nahin bolan dee

Translation:

There is no metaphor for the Beloved
Be silent, O Mehr-e-Ali
This is no place for making similes!

Shock & Awe …

2006-08-28T03:27:00.000+05:00

The quintessential Shock & Awe is the Conquest of Makkah. It took the Makkans by such complete and utter surprise that there was no room available for resistance. It ushered in the Prophetic Revolution.

When Prophet Musa (alaihes salam) and his people were caught between River Nile and the Pharaoh’s army, Syedna Musa (alaihes salam) struck the Nile with his staff and the river split into two walls, thus creating a passage for Syedna Musa (alaihes salam) and his people to pass. When they had crossed the river in this dramatic fashion, they were followed by the Pharaoh and his army in blind pursuit, who never realized that this river would become their grave. What ensued was Shock & Awe in its most shocking and most awesome form. Think about two walls crashing upon each other and you will know what I am talking about.

At Pakistan Awami Tehreek (Pakistan Peoples’ Movement), Shock & Awe is the technique that will usher Pakistan into Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of the modern, Islamic welfare country. In my previous posts, I have affirmed that Islamic Renaissance cannot be achieved without regaining political supremacy for Islam. This is the thought process that underlies the creation of Pakistan and this is the thought process that calls for a political renaissance in Pakistan and eventual union of the Muslim countries into an Islamic Bloc. Given the stronghold of corrupt, feudal, sectarian, terrorist, and exploitative elements in the country, we are obviously heading towards a final countdown with these forces of evil. We are already rapidly approaching critical mass and it will not be long till when we will simply explode into a spectacular display of Shock & Awe.

Some people are skeptical. Some are downright cynical. My response to them is: Do you remember the raging infernos in the oil wells of Kuwait way back in the Gulf War? The Iraqis set the oil wells on fire because they probably thought there would be no way the Americans could extinguish such violent flames. Yet it took only one big dynamite explosion per oil well to nip the evil. The technique is simple, yet elegant: You surround the fire with lots of dynamite and you explode the dynamite. There is a big explosion, a lot of dust, and lo and behold! Liquid oil gushes forth with no evidence of fire whatsoever. How does the technique work? They say that when the dynamite explodes, it creates a momentary vacuum for a split second, thus robbing the fire of its much-needed oxygen for a split second, and that is enough to extinguish the fire.

If you can believe in the spectacular extinguishing power of dynamite, why can’t you believe in the revolution promised by Sheikh-ul-Islam? After all, it takes only a split second to kill a monster fire. You just need the right amount of dynamite.

"Jinnah", the Movie ...

2006-08-23T18:29:00.000+05:00

Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation. Mohammad Ali Jinnah did all three.

(Professor Stanley Wolpert)

Jinnah, the movie, begins with these words of eulogy in honor of Quaid-e-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. Jamil Dehlvi’s effort is a commendable one, partly because he brings forth a historically accurate picture of Jinnah and his times. Unlike Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi, which was a sadistic take on Jinnah, Dehlvi’s production presents its characters in a fairly balanced and neutral manner, seemingly guided by the principles of the man he seeks to portray, i.e. justice, fair play, and impartiality. Dehlvi presents the facts and events as they were and allows the audience to arrive at their own conclusions. However, this does not mean that Jinnah is a dry lesson in history. On the contrary, it is a very engaging account, with an element of fantasy sprinkled in the movie that not only serves to lighten the mood but also helps in eliciting Jinnah’s perspective.

The young Jinnah is convincingly played by Richard Lintern, who portrays Jinnah as the brilliant, self-respecting, and suave gentleman that he was. Dehlvi has skillfully balanced the cold, calculating, and astute Jinnah who dramatically dumb-witted his opponents in court and in politics, with the gentle and loving Jinnah who affectionately loved his sister and who dared a romantic escapade with the beautiful Ruttie. The elder Jinnah, played by Christopher Lee (again very convincingly), is shown to have matured into a statesman and a spokesperson for the Muslim community of India. As always, Jinnah is thoroughly self-respecting and will not settle for anything less than a separate country precisely because he believes it is the “only way” to self-respect. This perspective of Jinnah is effectively brought out in the following conversation that takes place between the viceroy, Lord Mountbatten, and the Quaid-e-Azam:

Mountbatten: Divide the country in two? Muslims on one side, Hindus on the other? Mr Jinnah and his madness!
Jinnah: No, Mountbatten. It would be equally insane to leave a Muslim minority at the mercy of a Hindu majority, many of who hate us. Now, if the English Parliament …
Mountbatten (cutting Jinnah short): The Prime Minister has given me full powers. I decide. That’s why I am here, as representative of the King Emperor.
Jinnah: Whom we respect. I am here as a representative of a Muslim nation whom you must learn to respect.

Some people have questioned the reasons for the creation of a separate Muslim state. They cite as arguments against the creation of Pakistan the genocides of 1947 and 1971, the secession of Bangladesh, the three wars fought over Kashmir, and the overall failure of successive Pakistani governments. Such spurious reasoning is the product of ignorance or sheer prejudice. Granted those are pathetic facts, but they do not serve as evidence against the creation of Pakistan. It would be dumb indeed to surmise that it would have been all flowers and sunshine if only we had remained part of a larger India. We should not forget Quaid-e-Azam’s incisive words in the conversation quoted above: “many of who hate us”. Yes, many of them hated us in the early twentieth century and many of them still hate us in the early twenty-first century. To be sure, it was this hatred that spurred the genocide of 1947; it was this hatred that conspired with the Soviet Union to incite the genocide of 1971; and it was this hatred that provided the ideological ammunition to fight three wars over Kashmir.

Though Quaid-e-Azam’s vision still lies in the future (albeit not-too-distant future – and that’s something which is the subject of my next post, insha’Allah), I would, for the moment, like to emphasize that Pakistan has the potential to spearhead the formation of an Islamic Bloc, a position it couldn’t hold if it were part of secular India. This alone is good enough reason for the creation of Pakistan, and woe to the disbelievers.

Who says that Pakistan is a failure, yet India is a success? For the record, allow me to mention that we are economically slightly better off than India (rates of abject poverty being significantly lower in Pakistan), we have very low prevalence of HIV/AIDS compared with India’s sky-high rates, and we have a cricket team that wins more often than it loses when it is in mortal combat with the Indians.

Long live Jinnah.

Terrorism Has No Religion ...

2006-08-17T01:53:00.000+05:00

"Terrorism has no religion. It is a social and criminal phenomenon caused by various reasons. Islam is based on plurality rather than individuality. It demands harmonization and integration."

(Sheikh-ul-Islam, Professor Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri)

I just had to write this post, you know, just had to. You see, when proud lesbians become unflinching champions for Islam, then you know that something is amiss. Irshad Manji's latest trash is yet another pathetic attempt at making Muslims feel bad about themselves. I will not attempt to debunk Manji here coz she is nowhere near worth it, but one thing is clear: Such Islamophobic nonsense as hers does make an impact on the common Westerner (whatever a Westerner is). The acerbic responses to my previous posts on the topic of terrorism (1, 2) are evidence of this impact. The main thrust of my arguments in those posts was that it is hypocritical for the Western media to put the spotlight on Muslim terrorists when their own countries are committing terrorism of a far greater magnitude. But it seemed that my arguments were lost on the commentators at those posts. Evidently, they had bought into the story depicted by their media.

In connection with this mind-boggling phenomenon called terrorism, Sheikh-ul-Islam, Professor Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri delivered an excellent lecture (what else could you expect from him?) at London in the post-7/7 scenario in the presence of the London police authorities. In the lecture, Sheikh-ul-Islam explained the Islamic viewpoint on terrorism, the Islamic punishment of the terrorist, the reason why a terrorist turns to terrorism in the first place (a.k.a. "Why do they hate us?"), and the terrorizing role played by the Western media in this whole story. The lecture is a must-watch for all people. Watch it!

Pakistan: Mission Impossible? ...

2006-08-15T02:45:00.000+05:00

And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels:
"Verily, I am going to place on earth generations after generations [of humans]."

They said:
"Will You place therein those who will make mischief and shed blood, - while we glorify You with praises and thanks and sanctify You?"

He said:
"I know that which you do not know".

(Qur'an, 2:30)

Pakistan turns 59 and Avari asks whether Pakistan was a mistake. Avari’s question is essentially the same question that the angels posed to the Lord. The angels were shown only one side of the coin, namely the ugly, base side of the coin. The flip side of the coin was a reality that the Lord kept for Himself to be unfolded when the opportune time came, so He mitigated the angels’ concerns with the timeless words, “I know that which you do not know”.

Pakistan’s history is indeed one of mischief and bloodshed. I will not go into the sordid details here, since you all know about the mischief and bloodshed that has taken place (and is still taking place) in the Pure Land. All I want to point out here is that Pakistan as a project is a continuation - and a reflection - of the Divine project that is called Man. The divine project, which sought for Almighty God’s vicegerent on Earth, started off on an apparently dissonant note, when one of the sons of Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) murdered his own brother in cold blood (Qur’an, 5:27-30). At that time, this did not mean that Project Man was a failure in any way. All it meant was that the project had yet to achieve completion.

The same is the case with Pakistan. Our bleak past in no way precludes our bright future. Impossible as it may seem to some people, the day is not far away when Pakistan will be a modern, welfare Islamic state that will serve as a modern-day role model for the other Muslim countries. We are a project held in abeyance, not a failed one. We are a homework placed on the desk that has yet to be completed.

Pakistan Zindabad!
(Long live Pakistan!)

That Elusive Tear ...

2006-08-14T02:52:00.000+05:00

The tear that is shed in the middle of the night in the Remembrance of Almighty God is the most sacred liquid drop in the World. It is more sacred, indeed, than the drop of blood shed by a martyr. This elusive drop that is shed from the eye works a million miracles, if only we could know better:

· It creates a special secret bond between the Creator and the created that cannot be created in any other way.
· It breaks down the hidden conceit in an individual and makes one more humble.
· It tames the sexual beast.
· It is a source of Divine forgiveness.
· It foments a spiritual revolution that is followed by lifelong spiritual evolution.
· It causes endless goodwill in one’s family and society.
· It leads to a physically healthier human being.
· It is the most effective da’wah.

It is high time we searched for that elusive tear …

Islamic Renaissance and Political Supremacy …

2006-08-01T21:28:00.000+05:00

It is He who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Religion of Truth in order that He shows its superiority over all other religion, even if the idolaters detest it.

[Qur’an, 9:33 and 61:9]

Courtesy of Sunni Sister, I came across this article by Imam Zaid Shakir, which asserts that Islam is a religion, not an ideology. To the extent that Islam should not be reduced to only a political ideology, I agree with Imam Zaid, but I respectfully disagree with his contention that the Qur’anic verse quoted above is meant to be taken in a purely religious (meaning spiritual) sense and not in a political sense. To be sure, the word used in the sacred verse is diyn, which means system for conducting life and not merely system of belief and ritual worship. The very definition of the word diyn implies that Islam is a spiritual code as well as a political system. We can therefore conclude that the verse is saying that the purpose of Messengership is twofold:

1. Establishing supremacy of Islam’s spiritual code over all other spiritual systems
2. Establishing political supremacy of Islam over all other political systems

Indeed, this verse forms the most forceful and incontrovertible evidence in favor of the notion that a political renaissance in Islam is inevitable. One cannot undermine one meaning of the verse in favor of the other since both meanings are included in the verse. The worldly and the otherworldly are concepts that find their endorsement from the Qur’an and Sunnah, and both are important in their own right:

Give us a beautiful life in this world and a beautiful life in the Hereafter, and save us from the torment of the Fire. (Qur’an, 2:201; also a favorite prayer with the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him)

The Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, did get the best of both worlds. And if you are one of the skeptics and cynics, then allow me to repeat the words of a non-Muslim that I posted a few days ago:

[Muhammad] was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels.

It is no coincidence that the Prophets and Messengers were immensely successful political personalities who challenged the exploitative leaders of their times and invariably succeeded against them in this world. For example, Prophet Musa, peace be upon him, challenged the exploitative leadership of the Pharoah. Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, challenged the Quraysh and then the Byzantine and Persian Empires. Thus the prophetic mission is twofold: first, it is to deliver the Pristine Message; second, it is to deliver the people from oppression and exploitation.

Some people suggest in ignorant piety, “Oh well, they were the Prophets”, meaning that we cannot aspire to achieve similar results. Well, such defeatist piety is uncalled for in the Qur’an:

Indeed in the Messenger of God [Muhammad] you have a beautiful example to follow (Qur’an, 33:21)

The ideal political figure is thus the Prophet, peace be upon him, and the ideal Islamic State is the state established by the Prophet, peace be upon him. We will include the three-decade period of the Khulafa Rashideen under the banner of “ideal Islamic state” as is evident from the following hadiths:

The Khilafah in my Ummah will be for 30 years. (Tirmizi)
The Prophetic Khilafah will last for 30 years, then God will give it to whom He wills. (Abu Dawood)
It is incumbent upon you to follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of my Righteously Guided Caliphs. (Abu Dawood)

Thus the first 40 years of the Islamic State (comprising of 10 years of State of Medina and 30 years of the Khilafa Rashidun) form the ideal period, while the subsequent 1,387 years form the less-than-ideal period. This less-than-ideal period has not been an even one. There have been relatively stable periods and sometimes the road has been rather bumpy, but it is a fact that 1200 of the past 1400 years have been marked by the political supremacy of Islam (notwithstanding the erratic behavior of some Muslim rulers). There are only two periods of time when Islam temporarily ceased to be a world power in political terms. The first of these two periods was a 52-year period from 1252 AD to 1304 AD when the Mongols swept through the Muslim empire and committed the bloodiest genocide of all time. The second period is the current period that could be said to start from 1914 AD when the Ottoman Empire disintegrated in World War I. This second period has also been marred by genocides (and we’ve talked about this in detail before). The common denominator in these two epochs is that Muslims took to dwelling on sectarian differences rather than dwelling on their non-sectarian similarities. Sectarianism and discrimination are the Muslim’s Achilles’ heel and have always been, and will always be, exploited by the enemy. We can conclude that while Almighty God’s promise to give political supremacy to His Diyn holds true, it is subject to the condition that we do not hold contempt for each other. This is the primary reason for the failure of many ostensibly Islamic parties, organizations, and movements (exceptions notwithstanding). God says,

Indeed, the party of God will dominate (Qur’an, 5:56)

This provides the answer to the question so many people ask, namely, “Has Islam failed to deliver?” The answer is that it is not Islam that has failed to deliver (it has delivered for more than a millennium!); rather, it is the lack of self-confidence (i.e. faith) that has failed to deliver. After all, contempt and faith are mutually exclusive terms.

They ask us whether Islam is more practical than communism, capitalism, fascism, individualism, and terrorism. My response is that Islam as a vibrant political power reigned supreme for a whole millennium. Which “ism” has this track record? As regards whether Islam is practicable in today’s world, I find no fundamental difference in today’s world and Ottoman Empire’s world (or for that matter, any other Empire’s world) that makes Islam less practicable, except our own complexes and insecurities. To sum up, Islam is the divine recipe for all times, whether you like it or not – wa lau karehal mushrikoon (and even if it is to the chagrin of the mushriks!).

On Slavery ...

2006-07-28T16:33:00.000+05:00

"It is true that Islam has commended humanity in the treatment of slaves, and encouraged most forcefully their emancipation. We can see from the history of many different peoples in the Islamic world that slaves quickly integrated into the main society and achieved positions of great prestige and power, some even before they gained their freedom. And yet, if Islam regards slavery as a social evil, why did the Qur’an or the Prophet not ban it outright? There are, after all, other social evils which pre-existed Islam, and which Islam sought to abolish altogether-for example, the consumption of alcohol, or gambling, or usury, or prostitution. Why does Islam, by not abolishing slavery, appear to condone it?"

If you are bugged by that question, then here is the answer ...

Israel Does NOT Have the Right to Defend Itself …

2006-07-26T19:35:00.001+05:00

The world map above shows the Muslim-majority countries in green, while the countries marked yellow are those where about half the population are Muslim. The Muslim-minority countries are marked in gray. Most of the world’s 1.4 billion Muslims live in the green and yellow countries while the rest live in the gray countries.

The Muslim-majority countries form an almost contiguous land mass of an approximate area of 12 million square miles. If you observe closely, you will notice a Muslim-minority country squarely placed in the midst of the Muslim countries. If you cannot observe this anomaly of a country in the map above, then the close-up below will show it clearly right in the center of the picture.

This excuse for a country is called Israel, a land with an approximate area of 8 thousand square miles and population of about 7 million. This Muslim-minority country sitting right in the heartland of the Muslim world does stick out like a sore thumb, doesn’t it? Indeed, it’s been there since only 1948. Its creation was an opportunistic side-effect of the post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by the post-colonial, post-world-war Muslim lands. Israel’s expulsion of Palestinians from their land and subsequent state terrorism upon its neighbors has effectively stripped Israel of the right to defend itself. I, for one, was wont to believe that we could live peacefully with an Israel that was cut down to its proper size. But given that history has amply proved that this country’s existence as a sovereign state is a threat to the very concept of peace, I will deduce that the world would be better off without it.

Woe to the rulers of the Muslim countries for being tacit partners in the ongoing high crime being committed against humanity. Whatever happened to 1.4 billion people?

Update (7th Jan 2009): I found this article in The Guardian to be a balanced and informative account of the Israeli predicament.

Wake Up, Muslims ...

2006-07-18T06:38:00.000+05:00

We all take pride (don’t we?) in how Dr Michael Hart chooses to rank Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him – as Number One in his book, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History. Dr Hart starts his book with the following words.

My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world’s most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels.

Of humble origins, Muhammad founded and promulgated one of the world’s great religions, and became an immensely effective political leader. Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive.

I agree. But the question that revolved in my mind when I first read these words some fifteen years ago was,

“If Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him – was the most influential person in history, then why is there only one Muslim name figuring in the other 99 names?”

(This name being Syedna Umr ibn Khattab – may God be pleased with him - the Second Caliph amongst the Khulafa Rashideen. I will write more about him, insha’Allah, in the future. Strictly speaking, the Prophets Moses and Jesus – alaihum us salam – who are also on the list, were also Muslims, but we are talking here about the Ummah of the Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him.)

This is a very important and crucial question, since it is very strange that a man – a Prophet – tops a list of influential persons, and none (except one) of the billions of people strongly influenced by him manage to make it to the top hundred. After all, we’ve always been a sizable portion of the World’s population and today we number a quarter-and-a-billion – that’s a quarter of humanity. Of course, we could cry foul and say that Dr Hart has been prejudicial in his assessment, but I don’t think so, since he has been honest enough to place Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him – at Number One even though he knew it would go against the wishes of some of his readers.

The answer to this question lies in the fact that our long history could be divided into a first millennium of relative success followed by a half-millennium of downfall. For the past 500 years, we have been moving downhill and today we have probably reached the nadir of our 1,500-year career. The first millennium of success brought forth such an overwhelming list of influential names that to name only a few would be to do injustice to the others. I would refer my reader to the website, Muslim Heritage, to learn more about this oft-forgotten period of World History.

But it is our incredible downfall in the past half-millennium that has made us lose the influence that our worthy predecessors had on people. If we have forgotten even the names of our worthy predecessors, then why would Dr Hart care to include them in his list of the most influential persons in history? It is no small matter that Dr Hart says,

Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive.

Notice his use of the word, still. This is a glowing tribute to the Holy Prophet – peace be upon him – since even though many of the people of his Ummah have fallen into moral and intellectual bankruptcy for the past five hundred years, his influence nevertheless is still powerful and pervasive.

I wish there were more of us in that list. Any volunteers?

The US – Israel Axis of Evil ...

2006-07-14T23:27:00.000+05:00

Lessons to be Learned From 66 U.N. Resolutions Israel Ignores appeared in the Washington Report in March 1993, so the statistics may be out of date, but the article makes for a fairly balanced and concise view of the whole issue. I would suggest you read the whole article but here are a few excerpts to whet your appetite.

Like former Secretary of State James Baker's repeated assertion that both sides must want peace for it to occur, the Clinton-Rabin agreement ignores the sorry record of the 26 years since Israel's conquest of the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. During that period Israel has unequivocally demonstrated that it does not want peace in exchange for territory.

However, the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty was unique. It came at the expense of the Palestinians, which was by Israeli design, and in exchange for Sinai, to which Israel never laid claim. Moreover, Israel received in return for signing the peace treaty with Egypt commitments from the U. S. that have now reached a level of economic and military aid unsurpassed in our history.

The result is that Israel has managed to retain what it has wanted most: East Jerusalem and the West Bank. After so many diplomatic initiatives, it seems fair to conclude Israel does not want peace on any terms but its own.

An end to expulsions is only the latest demand of the international community on Israel, whose defiance goes back to its very beginnings. There remain on the books of the United Nations a collection of resolutions criticizing Israel unmatched by the record of any other nation.

The core issues, as contained in resolutions passed before 1967, remain the Palestinian refugee problem, the status of Jerusalem, and the location of Israel's boundaries. These are the basic issues. They spring from 1948, not 1967.

The early U.N. resolutions call for Israel to repatriate or compensate the original 750,000 refugees of 1948-9 and to renounce Jerusalem as its capital and regard it as a corpus separatum, an international city dominated by neither Arab nor Israeli. (The U. S. position on Jerusalem is slightly different and, not surprisingly, closer to Israel's. It says Jerusalem should not be a divided city and its final status should be decided by the parties.) Finally, the original U.N. partition of Palestine awarded Israel an area only about three-quarters of its current official size. Israel's increase was gained at the expense of the Palestinians in the earlier conquests of 1948.

Other unreconciled issues from this earlier period include such sticky situations as a demilitarized zone that Israel had shared with Syria near the Sea of Galilee. Israel forcefully and unlawfully occupied this zone in the 1950s and 1960s, in defiance of its 1949 armistice with Syria.

Aside from the core issues—refugees, Jerusalem, borders—the major themes reflected in the U.N. resolutions against Israel over the years are its unlawful attacks on its neighbors; its violations of the human rights of the Palestinians, including deportations, demolitions of homes and other collective punishments; its confiscation of Palestinian land; its establishment of illegal settlements; and its refusal to abide by the U.N. Charter and the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.

In 29 separate cases between 1972 and 1991, the United States has vetoed resolutions critical of Israel. Except for the U.S. veto, these resolutions would have passed and the total number of resolutions against Israel would now equal 95 instead of 66.

Such a list of resolutions passed and resolutions vetoed is unparalleled in United Nations history. The list in itself forms a stunning indictment of Israel's unlawful and uncivilized actions over a period of 45 years and of America's complicity in them.

Yet references to this damning record are totally absent from the vocabularies of American leaders as they go about saying they are seeking peace.

HIV, AIDS, Stigma, and Discrimination ...

2006-06-06T02:30:00.000+05:00

Would that we Pakistanis could learn the maxim:

“Hate the sin, not the sinner”

The stigma and discrimination against HIV/AIDS isn’t going to end until we follow this maxim, but it will take a revolution of sorts if we want people to think the way this maxim wants us to think. This revolution will have to begin with you. But you got to realize that HIV/AIDS isn’t the only stigma in Pakistan. All sorts of things become a stigma in my beloved country, for example:
· You are stigmatized if you are black in color (I am talking about color here, not race).
· You are stigmatized if you are poor
· You are stigmatized if you belong to a lesser caste
· You are stigmatized if you suffer from a mental disorder (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, etc)
· You are stigmatized if you are “low” in “status”
· You are stigmatized if you are infertile (this holds true for both men and women, but especially for women)
· You are stigmatized if you are ugly

I speak from personal experience in a public health setting. Many people would try to hide a family member’s mental illness or the fact that their child is an adopted one and not their biological child. Most poor people will take loan and spend at least a hundred thousand rupees on their daughter’s wedding only to save them from being stigmatized. If you are an infertile woman, then the people around you will give you less respect. If you belong to a lesser caste, you would wish you could lie about it. If your dad were a sweeper at the hospital, you would work your way out of this by telling people that your father is “employed” at the hospital.

Historically speaking, this stigmatism that has pervaded all strata of Pakistani society was (and still is) the mark of Hindu society. Our one-and-a-half-millennium long affair with the Hindu culture gave us this gift of stigmatization. Now it is time for us to throw it into the dustbin.

Pakistani society is a sexually corrupt society (yes, it is) sitting at the brink of a general HIV epidemic. While we are expecting the numbers of HIV-infected persons to rise in the coming years, I am not foreseeing any amount of reduction in stigma and discrimination against HIV/AIDS until you and I start caring for the HIV-infected person. Till then, the people living with HIV/AIDS will have to live in Hell.

Happy Birthday, our Beloved ...

2006-04-11T00:23:00.000+05:00

Allama Iqbal, may God have mercy on him, said it all when, while passing around the Arabian peninsula on a sea journey, he said,

“I wish I were a grain of sand in the desert of Arabia. The winds would blow me from one place till I would come and rest in another place in the desert. Then the winds would blow me from that place too and I would come to rest in yet another place ... ”

I guess I can’t write a better article at the occasion of the birthday of the Beloved, peace be upon him, than these few lines.

Salla Allah o Alaihe Wa Sallam

God bless you all and have fun.

Who Said I Wasn't There ... ?

2006-04-02T15:54:00.000+05:00

Who said I wasn’t there?

I was the dust that you threw in their eyes
I was the pillar that you leaned against
I was the mule that you rode upon
I was the tree that prostrated to you

Who said I wasn’t there?

I was the sandal underneath your feet
When they were hitting you with stones
I am the one who took you away from them
Then God sent the blessed shower of blood
So that it would be difficult to separate us

Who said I wasn’t there?

A Call to Prevent a Clash of Civilisations ...

2006-02-16T03:23:00.000+05:00

Shaykh-ul-Islam Prof. Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri is taking up the issue of the publication of the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) with the UN, EU, OIC, governments of all member states of the UN and with all embassy missions in Islamabad. As part of this diplomatic drive, he will send a detailed memorandum to all of these concerned parties all over the world, including world human rights organisations. The text of the memorandum is given below:

A Call to Prevent a Clash of Civilisations:

The world is facing yet another challenge following the world-wide controversy caused by the publication of blasphemous and defamatory caricatures of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) in some European newspapers. The failure of governments to address this situation has allowed it to spread all over the world, with no end in sight. This situation has been unnecessarily allowed to spiral out of control and has threatened the concept of peaceful co-existence. If not addressed, it can lead to a potential clash of not only civilisations but religions and societies as well.

This memorandum aims to put the issue in perspective and to propose realistic and practicable measures to address it. Much of this debate has focused on the 'right of freedom of expression' with its defenders advocating the sacredness of freedom of speech which needs to be upheld no matter what the consequences. However in reality the issue is not one of curtailing the right to freedom of expression since this is a right that is not absolute and no one can claim so. Rights are reciprocal and their enforcement is interdependent on other fundamental rights. To insist that a right is absolute is erroneous since such a right can infringe other basic human rights. Every country that claims to be part of the 'civilized and democratic' world has put its own limits on freedom of expression in the interests of society in order to maintain a certain level of human behaviour, be it based on local norms and customs, culture or religion but in essence to protect the dignity of their moral and religious, social, and societal values.

So to suddenly create an outcry that the right to freedom of speech is being undermined by Muslim protests is clearly a fallacy. The free propagation of child pornography for instance or the incitements of religious or racial hatred in the media is banned in many countries and quite rightly so. In many European countries it is a crime to deny the holocaust, being a criminal offence in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Switzerland, and is punishable by fines and a jail sentence. When the British newspaper, The Independent (27 January 2003) depicted the Prime Minister of Israel, Ariel Sharon eating the head of a Palestinian child while saying, ' What's wrong, You've never seen a politician kissing babies before', this caused an uproar in Israel and other parts of the world raising tempers especially in the Jewish and Israeli community around the world. Whatever the matter of that caricature, the uproar was a natural reaction of a people for their leader. More recently when the Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi compared himself to Jesus Christ the Vatican including Italian politicians immediately expressed shock and anger at these comments. A senior Catholic Church official added, "I know he will say he was speaking in jest but such things should not be spoken of in jest." The issue here is not one of curtailing freedom of expression but objecting to the ridicule and insult towards the sacred elements of an entire civilisation.

There is also a law of defamation normally under the Law of Tort that can lead to an individual being compensated for offence caused. The absolute right to free expression is curtailed in order to balance the rights of an individual. In the same way an act that causes offence to a whole community can never be justified under the banner of freedom of speech. Moreover in many countries it is illegal or at least discouraged to degrade or abuse the constitution or certain national institutions such as the army, courts of law, or parliament. Contempt of court also exists all over the world which severely limits freedom of speech, violation of which can lead to imprisonment. If the right to freedom of expression is absolute, why are there no objections to laws such as these?

To give respect to an individual's honour and dignity is a fundamental human right protected by law as is the prohibition on blasphemy and defamation as well as the right to religious freedom. The UN Charter, Constitutions and Laws from many countries provide protection to these rights.

The UN Charter recognises this right in Article 1(ii):

"To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion."

It is also recognised in the European Convention on Human Rights Article 9:

"Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others." The constitution of the USA, Amendment I of Bill of Rights states:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Some US states have blasphemy laws on their statute books. The U.S state of Massachusetts General Laws states (chapter 272 section 360) "Whoever wilfully blasphemes the holy name of God by denying, cursing or contumeliously reproaching God, his creation, government or final judging of the world, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching or exposing to contempt and ridicule, the holy word of God contained in the holy scriptures shall be punished by imprisonment in jail...

Other countries having blasphemy laws are:

1. Austria (Articles 188, 189 of the criminal code)
2. Finland (Section 10 of chapter 17 of the penal code)
3. Germany (Article 166 of the criminal code)
4. The Netherlands (Article 147 of the criminal code)
5. Spain (Article 525 of the criminal code)
6. Ireland: Article 40.6.1.i of the constitution of Ireland provides that the publication of blasphemous matter is an offence. Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred act 1989, this includes hatred against a group on account of their religion.
7. Canada Section 296 of the Canadian Criminal code. Offence against the Christian religion is blasphemy.
8. New Zealand Section 123 of the New Zealand Crimes Act 1961

Churches for instance hold sanctity in the Christian world and are protected under the constitution in some European countries. An example is the constitution of Denmark, section 4 [State Church] which states: "The Evangelical Lutheran Church shall be the Established Church of Denmark, and, as such, it shall be supported by the State." It is evident from the above mentioned laws that freedom of speech is a fundamental right but this right is not absolute. There are hundreds of books and newspaper articles that have been published attempting to criticize Islam and the basic tenets of its faith yet Muslims never object to scholarly debate since they are well aware that this is part of an ongoing debate on Islam and within the tenets of 'freedom of expression'. There have been countless newspaper articles completely misrepresenting Islam, often publishing clear lies and exaggerated stories about Islam and its law yet Muslims are tolerant and appreciate that this is part and parcel of living within societies who claim this to be part of their 'liberal democracies'. However when this right of 'freedom of expression' is abused and the most sacred elements of Islam are deliberately insulted then this will definitely create great unrest among Muslims around the world. By depicting the Holy Prophet of Islam (PBUH) as wielding a knife and wearing a bomb disguised as a turban on his head is a deliberate attempt to insult and stir up controversy, presenting him and his followers as violent terrorists. Another caricature portrays him as supporting suicide bombers and saying "Stop, Stop we have run out of virgins". How can such caricatures be justified under the banner of free speech? Moreover these caricatures were not printed within a vacuum but in an environment of an anti-Muslim bias where tensions were already running extremely high within the Danish community and indeed throughout Europe. Only recently the Queen of Denmark had made controversial remarks stating that: "We have to show our opposition to Islam and we have to, at times, run the risk of having unflattering labels placed on us because there are some things for which we should display no tolerance."

Moreover many countries have passed anti-terrorist legislation, severely restricting the civil liberties of individuals, with the legislation drafted in a manner that is clearly aimed at focusing upon Muslims in the countries concerned. There is a strong feeling that a substantial minority is being continually abused and misrepresented in the mass media through the portrayal of negative images not based upon reality, and then subjected to humiliating checks and procedures when going about their lives on a daily basis, all in the name of freedom of speech and national interest. It is thus highly surprising that the sacred elements of its faith are ridiculed just in the name of freedom of expression and speech knowing that the reactions will be extremely tense. There is no doubt that the publishing of these caricatures by the newspapers involved was an exercise to demonstrate control and power directed against Muslims, either subscribe to our culture and way of living or suffer the consequences and be ridiculed and debased.

Realising the significance of this right some world dignitaries have condemned the publication of these caricatures and have emphasised the restriction of the right of the freedom of speech too.

Kofi Annan: "I also respect the right of freedom of speech. But of course freedom of speech is never absolute. It entails responsibility and judgment." Jack Straw, British Foreign Secretary: "There is freedom of speech, we all respect that. But there is not any obligation to insult or to be gratuitously inflammatory. I believe that the re-publication of these cartoons has been insulting; it has been insensitive; it has been disrespectful and it has been wrong. "There are taboos in every religion. It is not the case that there is open season in respect of all aspects of Christian rites and rituals in the name of free speech. Nor is it the case that there is open season in respect of rights and rituals of the Jewish religion, the Hindu religion, the Sikh religion. It should not be the case in respect of the Islamic religion either. We have to be very careful about showing the proper respect in this situation."

The US State Department: "These cartoons are indeed offensive to the belief of Muslims." Spokesman, Kurtis Cooper, said: "We all fully respect freedom of the press and expression but it must be coupled with press responsibility. Inciting religious or ethnic hatred in this manner is not acceptable." Philippe Douste-Blazy, French Foreign Minister: "The principle of freedom should be exercised in a spirit of tolerance, respect of beliefs, respect of religions, which is the very basis of secularism of our country."

Vatican cardinal Achille Silvestrini condemned the cartoons, saying Western culture had to know its limits. It is thus clearly apparent that using freedom of speech to imply that there are no limits to what one can say or do is a myth. An act that offends the religious and moral values of a community such as solidarity, integrity and sanctity, resulting in endangering the peace, cannot be regarded as a right to express ones freedom of speech. Islam too teaches the principle of tolerance and co-existence, to live and let live. It discourages the defamation of other Gods and religious symbols teaching respect to mankind. (Al-Quran: Al-An'am: 6:108). Islamic Law lays great emphasis on the security, dignity and respect of all other religions together with their beliefs without any discrimination.

If internationally recognised principles of tolerance and co-existence are put aside and moral and religious values are dishonoured then the present situation will worsen and the prevailing tensions will intensify. Europe considers itself to be an educated and civilized society but its response to the gross infringement of the basic right to religion of one of its minority communities has become un-understandable. There needs to be some mechanism to put an end to these horrific occurrences which may prove a potential threat to world peace. Those who advocate that the right to freedom of speech is being eroded and any restraints upon it cannot be tolerated must look within their own 'democratic societies' and the extent to which their civil liberties have been eroded through the recent anti-terrorist legislation. These are the measures that have curtailed the rights and liberties of individuals and have much more serious implications which need to be addressed. Muslims are feeling alienated and targeted thus when newspapers begin to ridicule the most sacred elements of their faith, reactions will inevitably be high. If the publication of the caricatures is not taken seriously and steps are not taken to resolve the situation, then it can generate socio-political and economic crises which may lead to a conflict between civilizations and between nations.

These are the reasons behind the anger against the publication of these condemnable caricatures and the anger at the disregard shown by the governments towards the rightful protests of the Muslim world against the offence. 1.25 billion Muslims all over the world have been deeply insulted and instead of creating moves to resolve the matter, the act is being continuously justified prolonging world-wide unrest.

In order to solve this international issue and dissolve the serious tension it has caused, I propose the following solutions be implemented:

1. All newspapers that have published the caricatures must unreservedly apologise and withdraw their publications.
2. Clear legislation needs to be passed by all Governments which balance the right to freedom of speech with the rights of individuals and communities that their sacred beliefs should not be insulted and ridiculed.
3. All Governments should then ensure that any such legislation is enforced through the due process of the law and this type of incitement and ridicule never happens again.

I expect that common sense will prevail and responsible leaders will rise to the occasion and repair the damage that has been done to inter-civilization relations. I also expect that the concerned leaders of the countries will display leadership and bravely extend cordiality to the Muslims of the world.

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
Founding Leader Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI)
Chairman Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT)

Anti-Blasphemy Rally ...

2006-02-13T21:44:00.000+05:00

An anti Blasphemy Rally was organised by Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) in Islamabad to protest against the publication of the blasphemous caricatures by newspapers around the world. The rally demanded the newspapers to apologise unreservedly and also called upon the concerned governments to take action to prevent such blasphemy taking place again in the future.

The rally was addressed by Agha Murtaza Poya Senior Vice Chairman of PAT, Allama Ali Ghazanfar Qararvi, Abdul Hayy Alavi, Umar Riaz Abbasi and others. Addressing large crowds they said that freedom of speech was not absolute and it was not an open licence for blasphemy, disrespect, slander and defamation. They called upon the concerned countries to pay attention to the fact that condemnation of the publication of the caricatures by world leaders together with the UN, EU and the OIC proves they have no choice but to take prompt action against the newspapers and accept the fact they were wrong to allow the publications of the caricatures. They regretted that the governments of these countries could have prevented the world wide controversy if they had recognised the criticality of the matter and put an end to it right from the out set.

Caricatures are Violation of Basic Human Rights ...

2006-02-11T03:37:00.000+05:00

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, founding leader of Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI), has declared the publication of the caricatures of the Prophet (SAW) as the violation of basic human rights of believers of all religions world wide. He has condemned their publication and subsequent republication. He has said that such an act cannot be defended under the banner of freedom of speech. Respecting all religions and religious symbols is a universal right which has been breached by the publication of these caricatures. While freedom of speech is a fundamental human right, offending, insulting and defaming someone is also a breach of human rights.

Shaykh-ul-Islam announced that he will be taking up this matter with the UN, EU, OIC, governments of all member states of the UN and with all embassy missions in Islamabad. As part of this diplomatic drive, he will send a detailed memorandum of protest to all of these concerned parties all over the world. The aim will be to ensure that adequate action is taken against the newspapers and that such incidents never reoccur in the future. The memorandum will be posted on this website soon.

Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI) will be holding the coming Friday as a day of protest. Peaceful walks will be arranged all over Pakistan in protest of the publication of the caricatures.

Further updates on the issue will be posted.

Bombs, Cartoons, and Reality ...

2006-02-06T18:37:00.000+05:00

A Beautiful Illustration of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him:

Though several Companions of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, have described the personality of the Prophet, peace be upon him, in beautiful words, the description provided by Umm-e-Ma'bad has no comparison. When the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, was on his travel of Hijrah, his first destination was the Cave of Saur. Upon his setting off from Saur, he came upon the dwelling of Umm-e-Ma'bad, who was a kind-hearted elderly lady. The Prophet, peace be upon him, and his Companions were thirsty. It was a special blessing that the lady's weak, emaciated goat gave a very large volume of milk that day. The Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, and his companions drank from that milk, but some milk still remained. When Umm-e-Ma'bad's husband came home later in the day after the guests had left, he surprisingly inquired about where so much milk came from. Umm-e-Ma'bad narrated the whole story of that day. He said, "Tell me more about this young man from Quraysh. Is he not the one whom I have heard so much about?" Upon this, Umm-e-Ma'bad offered a description of the Prophet - salla Allah o alaihe wa sallam - in the most choicest words. Umm-e-Ma'bad had neither knowledge about nor prejudice against the Prophet, peace be upon him, so she described everything just as she saw it ...

"Pious in habit; smart in appearance; appealing in etiquette; proportionate in physique; luxurious in hair; handsome in countenance; eyes black and wide; hair long and full; voice deep and rich; neck long and strong; forehead wide and brilliant; eyes filled with modesty; eyebrows thin and long; hair black and slightly curled; with a silent dignity that makes a place in the heart; appears very attractive from afar; but is ever more so handsome from close; sweet, enchanting, manner of speaking; speaks clearly, without excess or deficiency of words - as if pearls have been joined into a necklace; medium in height, so that appears neither short nor too tall - like the fresh stem of a fresh tree; impressive and magnetic presence; cynosure of his companions; he speaks, and they listen with intent silence; he orders, and they hurry to obey; stately, regal, neither reticent nor talkative!"

(Translated from Mohsin-e-Insaniyat - Benefactor of Mankind - Naeem Siddiqui's best-selling biography of the Prophet in the Urdu language)

Adab of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) ...

2006-01-02T04:19:00.000+05:00

O you who believe, do not put [yourselves] forward before God and His Messenger, and fear God. Verily, God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. O you who believe, raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor speak aloud to him in talk as you speak aloud to one another, lest your deeds may be rendered fruitless while you perceive not. Verily, those who lower their voices in the presence of God’s Messenger, they are the ones whose hearts God has tested for piety. For them is forgiveness and a great reward. (Qur’an, 49:1-3)

I have always wondered at these verses of the Qur’an as a child wonders at a shining jewel. There is a certain depth of meaning emanating from these verses that may be missed by the casual onlooker. I will summarize here some of the main lessons to be learnt from these sacred verses.

The mere act of raising one’s voice above that of the Holy Prophet’s (peace be upon him) or speaking in a casual tone to him is equivalent to giving oneself more importance than God and His Messenger.
Note how intensely God is protective of His Messenger when He says, “Do not put [yourselves] forward before God and His Messenger”. To realize the full intensity of what this means, consider as an example the case of a man warning his children not to talk aloud to their mother. He could make one of the following four statements:

1. “Don’t talk aloud to your mother, for if you do so, you will be disrespectful to your mother”.
2. “Don’t talk aloud to your mother, for if you do so, you will be disrespectful to your mother and me”.
3. “Don’t talk aloud to your mother, for if you do so, you will be disrespectful to me and your mother”.
4. “Don’t be disrespectful to me and your mother, so don’t talk aloud to your mother”.

The first statement indicates the sentiments of a man who evidently loves his wife and does not want her to be wronged. The second statement is similar, but it indicates that the father is taking the issue personally and feels personally affronted if the children talk aloud to their mother. Obviously, the second statement indicates a greater degree of love. The third statement is indicative of an even greater degree of love, for the father is placing his name before his wife’s name, so he is taking the disrespect as a personal affront to an even greater degree. The fourth statement, however, shows the height of love. Here, the father starts with the warning, “Don’t be disrespectful to me and your mother”, and then goes on to explain exactly what he means by the warning. This is exactly the method of God when He seeks protection of His Messenger (peace be upon him).
These three verses make it abundantly clear that the hypothesis that the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, is a “man like us” can very rightly be tossed into the dustbin.
The extreme importance of adab (i.e. respect, reverence, etc) of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is illuminated by these verses.
These verses have set the minimum standard of adab of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). Anyone whose adab is below this minimum standard will find himself or herself bereft of forgiveness and reward.
Incidentally, these verses have also set the standard for forgiveness and reward. That is to say, only those persons will be considered for forgiveness and reward who meet the criterion of adab set in these verses.
Lack of adab of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) results in one’s deeds being “rendered fruitless while [one] perceives not”. This is a horrible punishment indeed! And may God protect us against such a calamity! We know that some sins (like jealousy) eat away one’s good deeds, but for good deeds to be eaten up in such a way that one is not even aware of one’s loss is sure enough indication of personal avengement from God.
The prerequisite for being tested for piety is not to say “La ilaha illa Allah Muhammad arrasool ullah”; rather, the prerequisite is to lower one’s voice in the presence of the Messenger (peace be upon him). Those people who fail to qualify for this minimum standard of adab are by definition entirely devoid of all piety since they are not tested for piety.
One very interesting aspect of these verses is that these verses apparently do not seem to have a direct relevance for believers in the present era, since how many of us get the chance of speaking to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)? There are very few verses of this sort in the Qur’an which have commands that seem to apply only to the Prophetic era. For example:

O you who believe, enter not the Prophet's houses, except when leave is given to you for a meal, [and then] not [so early as] to wait for its preparation. But when you are invited, enter, and when you have taken your meal, disperse, without sitting for a talk. Verily, such [behavior] annoys the Prophet, and he is shy of [asking] you [to go], but God is not shy of [telling you] the truth. And when you ask [his wives] for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen, that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts. And it is not [right] for you that you should annoy God’s Messenger, nor that you should ever marry his wives after him [his death]. Verily, with God that shall be an enormity. (Qur’an, 33:53)

O you who believe, when you [want to] consult the Messenger [Muhammad] in private, spend something in charity before your private consultation. That will be better and purer for you. But if you find not [the means for it], then verily, God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Are you afraid of spending in charity before your private consultation [with him]? If then you do it not, and God has forgiven you, then [at least] perform the prayer and give Zakat and obey God [i.e. do all what God and His Prophet order you to do]. And God is All-Aware of what you do. (Qur’an, 58, 12-13)

The fact that these verses were not abrogated despite their apparent inapplicability to the post-Prophetic era shows very well the extreme love that God has for the Prophet (peace be upon him), since these verses are all about the (minimum required level of) adab of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).

Christian Missionary Tactics ...

2005-12-24T21:39:00.000+05:00

Stealth Crusade is an eye-opening article on the "contextualization" technique and similar incredibly deceptive tactics used by Christion missionaries to create doubts in the minds of Muslims about their religion. It is a must-read for all Muslims.

Wife-beating, Misogyny, and All That Jazz …

2005-12-10T19:45:00.000+05:00

Antagonists of Islam have been raising quite some hell over verse 4:34 of the Holy Qur’an. Their main contention is that since the verse permits a husband to "beat" his wife in certain conditions, it has sanctioned physical abuse or violence. We will insha’Allah consider here not only the allegations made, but also why they were made, why some of our Muslim brothers have actually been apologetic about it, what the correct refutation to these allegations is, and what lessons we should learn from this whole issue of attacking the Qur’an.

First and foremost, we need to emphasize the obvious fact lost on so many that the Qur’an is in Arabic. The Holy Qur’an itself has proclaimed in several places that it has been revealed in the Arabic language (12:2, 13:37, 16:103, 20:113, 26:195, 39:28, 41:3, 41:44, 42:7, 43:3, and 46:12). The reason for the Qur’an being in Arabic is that it should be perfect in every respect:

And indeed We have put forth for men, in this Qur'an every kind of similitude in order that they may remember. An Arabic Qur'an, without any crookedness (therein) in order that they may avoid all evil which God has ordered them to avoid, fear Him and keep their duty to Him. (Qur’an, 39:27-28)

It is obvious that any translation of the Qur’an is NOT the Qur’an. The translation will necessarily be imperfect and will contain some degree of “crookedness”. Thus, the argument that the Qur’an says that a man is allowed to scourge, beat, or be violent towards his wife just because an English translation has used those words, is a reflection of the contender’s ignorance or prejudice. To deal with the issue at hand, we will have to turn to verse 4:34 of the Qur’an as it is in the original Arabic:

الرِّجَالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَى النِّسَاء بِمَا فَضَّلَ اللّهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَبِمَا أَنفَقُواْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ فَالصَّالِحَاتُ قَانِتَاتٌ حَافِظَاتٌ لِّلْغَيْبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ اللّهُ وَاللاَّتِي تَخَافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَاهْجُرُوهُنَّ فِي الْمَضَاجِعِ وَاضْرِبُوهُنَّ فَإِنْ أَطَعْنَكُمْ فَلاَ تَبْغُواْ عَلَيْهِنَّ سَبِيلاً إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَلِيًّا كَبِيرًا

The verse has sometimes been translated as follows:

Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because God has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend [to support them] from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient [to God and to their husbands], and guard in the husband's absence what God orders them to guard [e.g. their chastity, their husband's property, etc.]. As to those women on whose part you see ill conduct, admonish them [first], [next], refuse to share their beds, [and last] beat them [lightly, if it is useful], but if they return to obedience, seek not against them means [of annoyance]. Surely, God is Ever Most High, Most Great. (Qur’an, 4:34)

The Arabic phrase adh-re-boo-hun-na has been translated to mean “beat” them. The root verb employed here is dharaba, which is used in the sense of “to strike”, but it can be used to mean anything from a gentle tap to a fatal blow, as is evident from its use in the Qur’an at other places:

Mild tap:

So We said: "Strike him (the dead man) with a piece of it (the cow)." Thus God brings the dead to life and shows you His Signs so that you may understand. (Qur’an, 2:73)

Then he turned upon them, striking (them) with (his) right hand. (Qur’an, 37:93)

Moderate strike:

And indeed We inspired Moses (saying): "Travel by night with My slaves and strike a dry path for them in the sea, fearing neither to be overtaken [by Pharaoh] nor being afraid (of drowning in the sea)." (Qur’an, 20:77)

Then We inspired Moses (saying): "Strike the sea with your stick." And it parted, and each separate part (of that sea water) became like the huge, firm mass of a mountain. (Qur’an, 26:63)

And (remember) when Moses asked for water for his people, We said: "Strike the stone with your stick." Then gushed forth therefrom twelve springs. Each (group of) people knew its own place for water. "Eat and drink of that which God has provided and do not act corruptly, making mischief on the earth." (Qur’an, 2:60)

And We divided them into twelve tribes (as distinct) nations. We directed Moses by inspiration, when his people asked him for water, (saying): "Strike the stone with your stick", and there gushed forth out of it twelve springs: each group knew its own place for water. We shaded them with the clouds and sent down upon them Manna and the quails (saying): "Eat of the good things with which We have provided you." They harmed Us not but they used to harm themselves. (Qur’an, 7:160)

Severe blow:

(Remember) when your Lord inspired the angels, "Verily, I am with you, so keep firm those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who have disbelieved, so strike them over the necks, and smite over all their fingers and toes." (Qur’an, 8:12)

And if you could see when the angels take away the souls of those who disbelieve (at death), they smite their faces and their backs, (saying): "Taste the punishment of the blazing Fire." (Qur’an, 8:50)

Then how (will it be) when the angels will take their souls at death, smiting their faces and their backs? (Qur’an, 47:27)

So, when you meet [in military engagement] those who disbelieve, smite (their) necks till when you have killed and wounded many of them, then bind a bond firmly. Thereafter (is the time) either for generosity, or ransom [according to what benefits Islam], until the war lays down its burden. Thus (you are ordered by God), but if it had been God's Will, He Himself could certainly have punished them (without you). But (He lets you fight) in order to test some of you with others. But those who are killed in the Way of God, He will never let their deeds be lost. (Qur’an, 47:4)

The million-dollar question here is, “In what sense has the verb dharaba been used in verse 4:34?” It is over this question that all the dust is raised. To answer this question, we will turn to the fundamental rule of Qur’anic exegesis, which is that the exegesis of the Qur’an is carried by the Qur’an itself, or al-Qur'an yufassiru bacduhu bacdan (different parts of the Qur'an explain one another) and yuhmal al-mutlaq cala-muqayyad (unqualified statements should be interpreted in the light of qualified ones). Since the implied intensity of the strike mentioned in 4:34 has not been qualified there explicitly, we will interpret it in the light of the qualified statement made at the only other verse in the Qur’an that categorically refers to “wife-beating”:

"And take in your hand a bundle of thin grass and strike therewith (your wife), and break not your oath. Truly! We found him patient. How excellent (a) slave! Verily, he was ever oft-returning in repentance (to Us) (Qur’an, 38:44)

Obviously, the kind of “beating” implied is one which does not cause emotional or physical injury but at the same time vents the husband’s anger and frustration, and also passes a strong signal to the wife that the marriage is in serious jeopardy. In this context, the verb “beat” is misleading and treacherous because wife-beating usually has the connotation of involving physical and/or psychological abuse. The word should perhaps be replaced by the relatively more accurate word "hit" or maybe "strike".

The second fundamental rule of Qur’anic exegesis is that the exegesis is carried out in consonance with the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him. In this connection, the following authentic hadith from Sahih Muslim is indeed a direct exegesis of verse 4:34 from none other than the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, himself:

The Prophet, peace be upon him, in his Farewell Pilgrimage said: "Lo! My last recommendation to you is that you should treat women well. Truly they are your helpmates, and you have no right over them beyond that – except if they commit a manifest indecency (fahisha mubina = adultery). If they do, then refuse to share their beds and beat them without indecent violence (fadribuhunna darban ghayra mubarrih). Then, if they obey you, do not show them hostility any longer. Lo! You have a right over your women and they have a right over you. Your right over your women is that they not allow whom you hate to enter your bed nor your house. While their right over them is that you treat them excellently in their garb and provision."

This is the correct, final, and binding explanation / interpretation / exegesis of the verse in question. Note that the following conditions apply for the beating to be done:

The wife should have been treated with kindness before.
The wife has been indulging in manifest indecency (fahisha mubina means openly lewd behavior).
She has not heeded to verbal admonishment.
She has not heeded to the refusal of sharing bed with her.
The beating has to be done without indecent violence (fadribuhunna darban ghayra mubarrih). This certainly does involve the command that the face should not be hit, as is evident from several hadiths.

Continuing with our theme that the second fundamental rule of Qur’anic exegesis is that the exegesis should be in consonance with the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, the obvious and natural question to ask is, “What is the practice of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, in this regard?” The simple and straightforward answer to this question is that the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, never beat any of his wives. Thus, we infer that “beating”, under the conditions stipulated above, is permitted but discouraged.

Now I will turn to an interesting comparison of Islam’s standpoint on wife-beating with the contemporary criminal law on that issue. The following crimes are related to wife-beating:

An abusive relationship is defined as one that is characterized by the use or threat of physical or psychological abuse.

Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause pain, injury, or other physical suffering or harm.

Psychological abuse refers to the humiliation or intimidation of another person, but is also used to refer to the long-term effects of emotional shock.

Domestic violence is any violence between current or former partners in an intimate relationship, wherever and whenever the violence occurs. The violence may include physical, sexual, emotional or financial abuse.

Battery involves an injury or other contact upon the person of another in a manner likely to cause bodily harm.

Assault is a crime of violence against another person.

Violence refers to acts —typically connotative with aggressive and criminal behavior —which intend to cause or is causing of injury to persons, animals, or (in limited cases) property.

Injury is damage or harm caused to the structure or function of the body caused by an outside agent or force, which may be physical or chemical.

The common denominator in all these crimes is physical or psychological pain, injury, harm, and damage. The Prophetic commandment of darban ghayra mubarrih (without indecent violence) certainly absolves Islam (and protects Muslims) from the crimes quoted above. Indeed, it is noteworthy that the Islamic and modern concepts of violence are remarkably similar (though there are subtle differences).

Having cleared up the issue of wife-beating as far as Islam is concerned, we may well question, “Why do our antagonists make such a fuss about the verse in question when it is clear that no crime is being committed and the moral high ground, as set out by the beautiful method of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, is to never beat one’s wife?” This is an important question, for it underscores a number of points regarding the psychodynamics of the Islamophobe. You will notice from any Islamophobic article on the Islamic viewpoint of wife-beating that the writer is hell-bent on proving that Islam enjoins or allows violent wife-beating. To that effect, he is ready to use any device through which he can achieve his required aim. He certainly does not believe in the first two fundamental rules of Qur’anic exegesis outlined above. Therefore, he will use meanings and interpretations of words and phrases that are in keeping with his diabolical agenda, rather than use those meanings and interpretations that are in keeping with the rule, “The Qur’an is its own exegesis.” He will also tend to ignore the prophetic Sunnah as a practical exegesis of the Qur’an. Instead of viewing the Qur’an and Sunnah as complementary, he will view them as independent entities and will even seek to prove a contradiction where all that is meant is supplementation. He might even use a hadith with weak authenticity and pit it against a Qur’anic injunction, totally ignoring of course several authentic hadiths which prove the contrary. Such a methodology is entirely understandable since he doesn’t quite love the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him. His final aim is to demonize Islam as a misogynist religion and ultimately prevent women from entering the fold of Islam because, ironically, more women than men are entering Islam (1, 2, 3).

It is unfortunate that some of our Muslim brothers have had to resort to apologetics that are usually the domain of Christian missionaries. This is probably because the level of knowledge has fallen very low these days, just as moral relativism has reciprocally increased exponentially, so we have forgotten the basic fact that Qur’anic exegesis is done through (1) the Qur’an itself, (2) the Sunnah, and (3) the exegesis of the early exegetes. These sources clearly show that the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, understood the phrase adh-re-boo-hun-na to mean "strike them" as explained in the foregoing discussion. The other meaning of dharaba as “to leave” (i.e. to get separated from one’s wife) is a valid meaning and even makes sense here, but it is not consistent with the sources of exegesis outlined above. We should be careful and vigilant that in trying to protect our religion from the slander of the Islamophobes, we shouldn’t get caught in their trap of moral relativism.

Reference: “Wife beating”, by G F Haddad (I strongly recommend that you read this article.)

God Alone Has the Power of Veto ...

2005-12-01T03:23:00.000+05:00

And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels:"Verily, I am going to place on earth generations after generations (of humans)." They said: "Will You place therein those who will make mischief and shed blood, - while we glorify You with praises and thanks and sanctify You?" He said: "I know that which you do not know". (Qur'an, 2:30)

God has been exercising his Power of Veto since time immemorial. It was God who majestically turned down the angels with the immortal words, "I know that which you do not know". It was God who saved Abraham from the fire, Joseph from the well, Jesus from the cross, and Muhammad from the Quraysh - peace and blessings be upon them all. It seems that God has the habit of throwing in the Ace at the last moment when you least expect it.

Do you seriously think that He will let the Muslim community wander endlessly in the wilderness and die of genocide?

The Psychiatrist’s Guide to Islamophobia ...

2005-11-23T20:56:00.000+05:00

DISCLAIMER: While the following passage is meant to be a source of information, no claim can be made as to its being up-to-date and entirely correct. Reader discretion is advised. The author of this blog is not responsible for any exacerbation of symptoms that may arise as a result of reading this posting.

Overview and Epidemiology: Islamophobia is a syndrome caused by infection with a virus called the Human Islamophobia Virus (HIV, not to be confused with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the causative agent of AIDS). Though the syndrome has been officially recognized for the past fourteen centuries, it is thought to have existed since pre-historic times. The first documented case of Islamophobia was a patient named Abu Lahab who lived in the Arabian city of Makkah circa 1400 years ago. The syndrome soon spread into an endemic in the aforementioned city, but it became pandemic and has now assumed the proportions of a worldwide epidemic.

Symptoms and Signs: The patient may present to the clinic on his own with a neurotic phobia of Islam, but more often than not he is brought to the clinic in a state of psychosis with manifest paranoid persecutory delusions often associated with delusions of grandeur. The patient may give a history of hypnopompic hallucinations involving visions of horses and swords. The symptoms start in early adolescence and last for a lifetime (see Treatment below). Physical examination reveals a high level of distress, irritable mood, and pathetic affect. Cognition is severely impaired; and speech is circumlocutory and filled with hate. Personality tests are noncontributory.

Treatment: The neurotic form of the syndrome can be cured with exposure therapy. Gradual increasing doses of Islam can lead to tolerance with excellent results. In such cases, therapy with antiviral treatment is not indicated and may even be counterproductive due to the occurrence of side-effects. In contrast with the neurotic form of the syndrome, the psychotic form has evaded cure so far. In the patient who suffers from the psychotic form of the syndrome, the virus is known to treacherously mutate itself when challenged with standard antiviral medication. The microbe has developed several specific types and strains, and it is thought that prevention is the best cure for this evasive virus. In this connection, trials are underway for a promising new vaccine at the Wahabbi Research Laboratories (WRL, also known as What-the-hell Research Laboratories). The new vaccine, called HBV (Hate Bush Vaccine, not to be confused with hepatitis B virus), has successfully passed the rodent stage and is now all set for trial on human subjects.

What Makes a Muslim Tick? ...

2005-11-16T07:59:00.000+05:00

Have you ever seen a Muslim crying in the middle of the night, beseeching his Lord for forgiveness? Have you ever noticed how some Muslim scholars have written such works of incredible depth and analysis that defy the imagination of the intellect? Have you ever heard of the sufi who remains immersed in dhikr (remembrance) for hours on end? Have you ever heard of the mujahid (warrior) who is ready to sacrifice his most valued possession - his life - without even the slightest hint of hesitation?

Now, I know that one will find similar qualities across different religions and peoples, but to find all these qualities in the same religion, and sometimes in the same individual, is a unique phenomenon. So, what makes a Muslim tick? They say that money makes the mare go. But what makes the Muslim go? Surely not money! For if it were money that made the Muslim "go", then your Saudi Sheikhs would have been some of the greatest people on Earth. Anywayz, I will pose this question to my readers, and let's see what the verdict is ...

USA: THE Terrorist of the World ...

2005-11-14T14:39:00.000+05:00

This is in response to a comment I received at my previous post titled, "Terrorists, Terrorism, and Terror". The commenter objected to my calling America as "the" terrorist of the World. Now I am not a Bush-hating, Usama-loving fanatic, but I believe what I said was true. A mere list of U.S. military interventions in various countries should be more than enough to prove my point. The following list of U.S. military interventions has been extracted from the book, "Rogue State: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower", by William Blum, which I would highly recommend to those who are interested in knowing the other, uglier side of the coin.

A List of US Military Interventions in Various Countries

China, 1945-51
France 1947
Marshall Islands, 1946-58
Italy, 1947-70s
Greece, 1947-49
Phillipines, 1945-53
Korea, 1945-53
Albania, 1949-53
Eastern Europe, 1948-56
Germany, 1950s
Guatemala, 1953-90
Costa Rica, mid-1950's, 1970-71
Haiti, 1959
Western Europe, 1950s-60s
British Guiana/Guyana, 1953-64
Soviet Union, 1940s-60s
Vietnam, 1945-73
Cambodia, 1955-73
Laos, 1957-73
Thailand, 1965-73
Ecuador, 1960-63
The Congo/Zaire, 1960-65, 1977-78
France/Algeria, 1960s
Brazil, 1961-64
Peru, 1965
Dominican Republic, 1963-65
Cuba, 1959 to present
Ghana, 1966
Uruguay, 1969-72
Chile, 1964-73
Greece, 1967-74
South Africa, 1960s-80s
Bolivia, 1964-75
Australia, 1972-75
Portugal, 1974-76
East Timor, 1975-99
South Korea, 1980
Fiji, 1987
Bulgaria, 1990-91
Albania, 1991-92
Philippines, 1950s
Italy, 1948-70s
Lebanon, 1950s
Vietnam, 1955
British Guiana/Guyana, 1953-64
Japan, 1958-1970s
Nepal, 1959
Laos, 1960
Brazil, 1962
Dominican Republic, 1962
Guatemala, 1963
Bolivia, 1966
Chile, 1964-1970
Portugal, 1974-5
Australia, 1974-75
Jamaica, 1976
Panama, 1984, 1989
Nicaragua, 1984, 1990
Haiti, 1987-88
Bulgaria, 1990-91 & Albania, 1991-92
Russian, 1996
Mongolia, 1996
Bosnia, 1998

U.S. Interventions in the Muslim World

Iran, 1953
Middle East, 1956-58
Indonesia, 1957-58
Iraq, 1958-63
Indonesia, 1965
Iraq, 1972-75
South Yemen, 1979-84
Libya, 1981-89
Afghanistan, 1979-92
Somalia, 1993
Iraq, 1990s
Indonesia, 1955

51 Ways to Know That Your Spirituality is Decadent ...

2005-11-10T20:42:00.001+05:00

You know that your spirituality is decadent when:

you think that Islam is some Arabic religion
you want your wife to wear the hijab and/or niqab, but you can't help watching that sexy girl on television
you don't want to know that a time will come when you will be very ugly indeed
you think that tasteful nudity is not vulgar
you don't want God to reveal Himself to a man who thrives in a desert and lives in a mud house
you think that God has lost His case because someone in Guantanamo Bay blasphemed the Qur'an
you think that Islam is a great religion, but you don't want Muhammad (peace be upon him) to be your master
you think that Islam needs modification to suit modernity
you feel that God is wonderful when something happy happens to you, but you feel that God is not-so-wonderful when something unhappy happens to you
you want to own a better car than your colleague's
you have a very good excuse for not praying when the time for prayer comes
you think that religion is the antithesis of science
you don't want to know that your beautiful body converts your good-smelling food into bad-smelling shit
you think that science is the antithesis of religion
you are ok with your wife not wearing hijab, but you complain about the nudity on television
you consistently fail to shed tears in remembrance of God
you think that God is currently on the losing side because apparently there is more evil than good in the world today
you do not shave your armpits and pubic hair regularly
you think that you can deliver a scholarly discourse now that you have access to a searchable online index of the Qur'an and/or Hadith
you think that since your parents christened you when you were born, you would like to die as a Christian
you think that it is ok for you to cheat on your spouse because you know that he (or she) has also cheated on you
you think that Islam is some third-world religion
you are not comfortable with the idea of some people being doomed to Hellfire, because God "isn't cruel"
you think that a woman should have the right to expose her body completely, but should not have the right to cover her body completely
you are not often lost in thoughts about the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
you turn to spirituality when you feel physically ugly
you think that shirk is an Islamic invention
you say the word f*** at least ten times in a day
you think that you will go to Heaven because you have never even as much as violated a traffic signal
you think that your good deeds will take you to Heaven
you think you can bring a revolution in your country, but you consistently fail to bring a revolution in your own self
you think that tasawwuf (sufism) is a heresy
you think that Islam has encouraged polygamy
you want to look at beautiful women because the Hadith says that "God is beautiful and He loves beauty"
you want to be the most famous person in the world
you think that shirk only means believing in more than one God
you think that homosexual marriages should be allowed since it is somebody's own private business
you think that it is ok for a woman to lead men in congregational prayer
you think that Islam is an ancient religion
you are not a practising Muslim because the Qur'an says, "There is no compulsion in religion"
you think that Muslims worship an idol named Ka'bah
you don't want to know that you are the product of a filthy liquid
you fail to see what is so damn sinful about drinking alcohol
you know five reasons why the chicken crossed the road, but you are still trying to figure out why God created Man
you want to look sexy because it makes you feel good about your body
you want to own a better car than your neighbour's
you think that all men are equal
you tell your kid to say to the man on the line that you are not at home
you have been disrespectful to a Muslim scholar at some point in your life
you think that since sex is a natural desire, it is ok for you (though you aren't married)
you don't want to apologize to that man because it makes you feel that you are inferior to him

Eid Mubarak ...

2005-11-02T18:10:00.000+05:00

Eid Mubarak to all of you out there who happen to stumble upon my weblog. Just remember the following things while you celebrate Eid:

1. Eid should NOT be the harbinger of an eleven-month period of forgetfulness.

2. There are people who deserve the same happiness in Eid as you, but are not as gifted as you. So DO make sure that they are as happy as you on Eid day.

Have fun.

On Doubts ...

2005-10-31T16:05:00.000+05:00

One cannot help but realize that in the war between Good and Evil, the methods of warfare used by the adversaries are very different. While Good presents its agenda through the immaculate portrayal of a pristine message, Evil has nothing worthwhile to present. So it resorts to dirty war, playing its game by covering the facts through the use of dirty tricks like white lies, distortion of truths, and mixing truths with lies. In practical terms, Evil will use tactics such as murder, conspiracy, magic, bribery, terrorism, and deceit. But perhaps the most effective weapon that Evil has at its disposal is the creation of doubts in the minds of people about what should be very simple and clear. This is because while the reality behind lies can eventually be found out, there is no easy cure for suspicion. Doubts have the uncanny ability to linger on even after facts have been uncovered and lies have been exposed.

It is no wonder then, that the Qur'an announces at its very inception that it is the book in whose credibility there can be absolutely no doubt:

"This is the Book in which there is no doubt [about its authenticity or authorship]..." (Qur'an: 2,2)

In these days of uncertainties, it is heart-warming to know that there is a helping hand out there which is a sure hand and is never mistaken. Perhaps we should revert back to this 1400-year old ancient document that will never betray us, ever.

Which is More Practical: Islam, Communism, or Individualism? ...

2005-10-26T16:21:00.000+05:00

During our discussion on the hijab at my entry titled, "On the hijab ...", Mr Carty has asked me the following question:

"Is an ideal Islamic state any more possible than the ideal communist society (in real life, communism is a totalitarian nightmare), or the ideal individualist anarchy (in real life, anarchy means rule by gangs of thugs)?

After all, three out of the four Khalifah Rashidun were assassinated... "

Due to the importance of the question, I have decided to answer it in a separate entry. Here is my answer:

You have asked a very pertinent and important question. You may not have noticed it, but the answer to your question lies in the question itself: Communism and individualism are two opposite extremes, and in the middle of these two extremes lies Islam. The ideal Islamic state is the perfect balance between totalitarianism and anarchy. As such, the ideal Islamic state is very much possible, as has been borne out by experiment. The "role-model" Islamic State is, of course, the State of Medina that was ruled by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). The State of Medina was an incredible reality, for, apart from containing all the ingredients of an ideal Islamic state, it also was an incredible success, having survived against all odds. This state was expanded and worked upon by the Khulafa Rashideen, who ensured the guaranteed delivery of human rights to the general population. Afterwards, we have had "near-ideal" Islamic states at various points in history. Cordoba, Cyprus, Baghdad, Samarkand, and Bukhara were all Islamic welfare states at different times in history.

The problem in creating an ideal Islamic state is that forces of totalitarianism and forces of individualism automatically align themselves against the Islamic state, making survival an issue. Thus, any ideal Islamic state will find itself at odds with imperialistic powers from without and anarchic rebellions from within. This creates extreme strain on the nascent Islamic state, which is an otherwise beautifully balanced society. It is no wonder then that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had to fight several battles during his ten-year stay at Medina. Likewise, the Khulafa Rashideen were constantly engaged in military conflict with the imperialistic Roman and Byzantine empires. They also faced individualistic rebellion from within the Islamic state, which they had to crush with force. It was their engagement with these internal rebellions that led to the assassinations of the Khulafa Rashideen.

It would, however, be cruel to deduce that since three of the four Khulafa Rashideen were assassinated, the ideal Islamic state is "not possible". To understand how monstrous this error is and how great this blunder is, consider the assassination of American president, John Kennedy. I do not intend to compare Kennedy's worth with the Khulafa Rashideen, but one can draw lessons from analogy. Should one deduce that the reforms instituted by Kennedy are "not possible" in today's world because Kennedy was assassinated? Does Kennedy's assassination mean that he was an unpopular ruler? Should Kennedy's assassination be a lesson for us that Kennedy's ideas or ideals were unworthy? The clear answer to all these questions is "No". It turns out that some people have drawn perverse deductions from the assassinations of the Khulafa Rashideen. Foremost among these are the Western "orientalists", who have been spewing propaganda against Islam for the past several centuries. These "orientalists" claim to be specialists in Islam. As such, they are specialists in the art of maligning Islam, specialists in the art of mixing truths with lies, and specialists in the art of throwing dust in people's eyes. God protect us from the evil of the prejudiced historian of Islam.

More on the Hijab: Why Does the Hijab Provoke a Strong Emotional Reaction in non-Muslims? ...

2005-10-24T13:01:00.000+05:00

In response to a previous post titled "On the Hijab ...", Mr. George Carty has asked me in his comment why the hijab provokes such a strong reaction in non-Muslims. I have attempted to give an explanation at the comments section of the "On the Hijab ..." entry, but Mr Carty is right in noting that my reply is comprehensive enough to warrant a separate entry, so here is my reply.

To understand why the hijab provokes such a strong reaction in non-Muslims, especially Western non-Muslims, one must consider the history of Europe. It may be noted, as I have noted in my original posting, that Mary, mother of Jesus (peace be upon him), preferred to wear the hijab, as can be attested by the fact that virtually all portraits of the blessed lady have depicted her with the hijab. At some point in history, Christian women got rid of the hijab, even though portraits of Mary (may God be pleased with her) continued to depict her with the hijab. The hijab, which was originally meant for all women, became confined only to a select group of women called the nuns. It was the historic battle between the Church and Science during the European Renaissance that finally helped to make the hijab so unpopular in Europe.

Everyone knows about how the Church was a great impediment to the progress of Science. The reason for this unfortunate conflict was the injection of Greek philosophy into the Bible centuries before the Renaissance even started. A significant portion of this Greek philosophy was unscientific and simply nonsense, but the upholders of the Church, unaware of this historic reality, sought to uphold the Bible as sacrosanct and thus vehemently opposed anything that was opposed to their set beliefs and patterns of thinking. In the battle between the Church and Science, the latter emerged victorious. While this victory paved the way for scientific progress and technological advancement in Europe, it also ensured the separation of the Church from the State. The Church, having thus lost its influential power, became an object of attack by the upholders of Science. Atheism became increasingly popular and morality levels plunged. Religion became "unscientific", faith became "blind", and secularism became the new religion of the European. Practices associated with religion became unpopular and frowned upon. One of these practices is the hijab, which, because of its association with nuns, became a symbol of oppression reminiscent of the oppression of the Church to advancement and progress. Thus, the woman who wears the hijab came to be considered as backward, conservative, or fundamentalist.

A very different story is found when one considers the history of Islam. It is important to note that while Christianity did away with the hijab, Islam did not. At the same time, while Christianity found itself at odds with Science, Islam found itself to be the impetus for Science. While Christianity lost its alliance with the State, Islam presented a framework for the establishment of the State. Thus emerges the modern Muslim woman, smart, confident, educated, and professional, with her all-too-conspicuous hijab. The European non-Muslim fails to come to terms with this combination of qualities because history seems to tell him, "There is something terribly wrong with that combination". Hence the strong emotional reaction.

The Conspiracy of the Dark Ages ...

2005-10-21T13:50:00.000+05:00

Western writers have designated the term "dark ages" for a thousand-year era that was actually the brightest epoch in human history. The prejudiced (or ignorant) writer would want others to think that there was no great civilization between the Roman and the modern civilization. At best, he would admit that there was a "short" period of Islamic brilliance, or that the Muslim scientists merely "collected" previous knowledge and passed it over to the Renaissance.

Our response to the Western use of the term "dark ages" has been regrettably lukewarm. When answering the prejudiced Western writer, we tend to make statements such as "Islam was enjoying its Golden Age at a time when Europe was drowned in its Dark Ages". Such a well-meaning statement may seem quite ok at first sight, but implicit in that statement is the fact that we have come to accept the term 'dark ages' that Western historians want to use. This is a monstrous error and should never be made. If Northern Europe was in a dark period of its history, one shouldn't say that they were in "their" dark ages, for by analogy, we Muslims are in "our" dark ages today, yet we hardly use the term "dark ages" for the present times. I will add in parentheses that if Rome and Greece are a part of Europe, then so is Spain, and it would be outright hypocritical to say that Europe was in glory during the Roman and Greek civilizations, yet it was "in its dark ages" during Islamic Spain's 800-year wonderful civilization.

The civilization spurred by Islam in the medieval ages was undoubtedly the greatest civilization witnessed by humanity. The Islamic civilization of the medieval ages produced a social system that guaranteed the rights of the individual, including women’s rights and minority rights – something which has not yet been achieved fully by the West. The literacy rate reached an unparalleled 100% in Islamic Spain, which is unmatched by present-day America, which stands at 99%. One should study in detail about the banking system, the military system, the sewerage system, the education system, and what not, developed by the Islamic civilization of the middle ages. One will come to the straightforward conclusion that the Islamic social system of the medieval ages was the most advanced system ever developed.

(Adapted from a posting I made on the Muslim Heritage website. Please see the Muslim Heritage website for information about the rich intellectual Muslim heritage that has been stifled in history books.)

The Movie, "The Message" ...

2005-10-17T15:20:00.000+05:00

The other day, Geo TV aired the 1976 movie, The Message, as part of its Ramadan package. I have seen this movie quite a few times before, yet I felt the same sense of wonderment while watching it now that I had felt when I had watched the movie for the first time. The movie seeks to depict in a highly summarized manner the 23-year prophetic struggle of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). While the movie does a good job of what it portends to do, namely portray the reality of the times of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), I am nevertheless struck by the question of why the movie never seems to lose its attraction for people. It is just as popular today as it was some thirty years ago and it would be no exaggeration to say that The Message has been one of the most watched movies. One wanders what is so deeply attractive about a movie that is neither a love story nor an epic adventure, but is only the story of the personal ambition of a single man for an achievement that is next to impossible. Perhaps it is the fact that that the movie allows one to imagine one were there at the time all those events happened. The swords, the battles, the dialogues, the treaties, the conspiracies, the blessings, the people, the desert, the horses, and the camels, all combine to create a very real atmosphere that is devoid of any surrealism or false hypnotism. As such, the movie is a must-see for all Muslims (and non-Muslims too). Watch it!

Pakistan, Earthquakes, and the Spirit of Brotherhood ...

2005-10-14T15:22:00.000+05:00

The 7.6-magnitude, devastating earthquake that jolted Pakistan on 8th October, 2005 was one of the greatest tests Nature has put to the Pakistani nation. With tens of thousands of people dead and literally millions rendered homeless in Kashmir, this was an unprecedented situation for the country. Never before, except maybe at the partition of Pakistan from India in 1947, have we experienced such death and destruction. But in a response that was almost as swift as the earthquake itself, the Pakistani nation sprang forward as one to aid their Kashmiri brothers in plight. Within a few hours of the quake, thousands of relief camps had been established all over the country, where people donated generously with whatever they could: money, clothes, blankets, and food items. I offer my salutation to the spirit of brotherhood of the Pakistani nation, who have always related to the pain and suffering of their afflicted brothers and sisters in the World, be it our brethren in Yugoslavia, in Palestine, or in Kashmir.

Yet, amidst this greatness, this brotherhood, and this generosity, there were people, quite well-to-do people, wealthy, rich, affluent people, who have not had a single rupees' worth on their credit to the quake victims. They may have listened to the news on the television and cast a pitying glance at the faces of the tormented victims, but they could not be motivated enough to actually do something for the victims. Their love of wealth prevented them from spending their wealth, their love of comfort prevented them from going out of their way to help those in need, and their love of power prevented them from heeding to the cries of the powerless and the helpless.

Earthquakes are an unusual time in history, for they tend to bring out the good and the bad in people. In this respect, it is instructive to study what the Qur'an says about the Final Earthquake, the harbinger of the Day of Reckoning:

1. When the Earth is shaken with its [final] earthquake.
2. And when the Earth throws out its burdens.
3. And Man will say: "What is the matter with it?"
4. That Day it will declare its information [about all what happened over it of good or evil].
5. Because your Lord has inspired it.
6. That Day humankind will proceed in scattered groups that they may be shown their deeds.
7. So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it.
8. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it.

(Qur'an: The Earthquake)

May God grant us with more than a mountain's weight of good and less than an atom's weight of evil.

Was Islam Spread by the Sword? ...

2005-10-10T15:30:00.000+05:00

This is a tricky question. For if one replies with the correct answer, which is "Yes!", then the Islamophobe says, "Hey, you see, you guys had nothing genuine to offer, so you used the Sword to get your job done." On the other hand, if one answers the question with the defeatist answer, "No", then the historic military campaigns launched against the enemies of Islam lose their legitimacy and significance. In an attempt to simultaneously protect both the pacifism and the authenticity of his religion, the "progressive, enlightened Muslim" is forced to respond with the latter answer. This is an extremely unfortunate situation, for it strips Islam of its vital military aspect. While on the one hand, this is a reflection on the art of deception of the Islamophobes, on the other hand, it is also a reflection on the spiritual crisis that has pervaded the Ummah. The fact of the matter is that Islam did spread by the Sword. One cannot ignore the fact that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is the most successful army general of all time, having fought several battles and won virtually all of them. Nor can one ignore the fact that the military campaigns carried out by the First Four Caliphs were directly in consonance with the military injunctions of the Qur'an. However, the automatic derivation that once having occupied foreign lands, the conquering Muslims took to a campaign of forceful conversion of the natives to Islam, is a slander borne out of spite and is not supported by historical evidence. In fact, the subjugated populations were allowed religious liberty and basic human rights were not suspended. Conversion to Islam took place only when the conquered populations came into close contact with Islam and Muslims. These were personal decisions that were made for spiritual reasons and not under threat or for worldly reasons.

The lesson to be learnt for all of us is that the rebirth of Islam from the current state of ignominy will necessarily entail some amount of military conflict. Those people who discount the role of the Sword in the name of pacifism do a great disservice to Islam. I would also like to mention as a disclaimer the fact that Islam is the most pacifist religion; the killing of innocent civilians is expressly prohibited in Islam and the present-day acts of terrorism cannot find their motivation from Islam.

The Network of Deception ...

2005-10-10T14:40:00.000+05:00

I was reading the excellent blog Thoughts & Readings, where I put in a comment to a posting titled "Fear", dated Monday, September 26, 2005. I received the following response to my question at the bloggers' other blog, Spiritual Tendencies.

A Question from Thoughts & Readings

A dear brother of mine posted this at ‘Thoughts & Readings’:

Hatim Al-Asamm asserted, ‘Do not be deceived by righteous places, for there is no place more righteous than Paradise, and consider what Adam [peace be upon him] met with in a righteous place! And do not be deceived by abundant acts of worship, for consider what Iblis came to after so much worship. And do not be deceived by large quantities of knowledge, for Balaam knew the Greatest Name of God, and consider what he met with! And do not be deceived by meeting the pious, for there is no person with a greater destiny than Mustafa [may God's blessing and peace be upon him], and meeting him did not benefit [some of] his relatives and enemies.’

And brother Fayyaz Khan posed a very good question as such:

‘If one isn't to be deceived by righteous places, abundant acts of worship, large quantities of knowledge, and meeting with the pious, then how is one supposed to follow the right path? What is the foolproof method to get rid of this network of deception?’

In my humble opinion, the great Hatim al-Asamm (may God be pleased with him) said such to prevent negligence on the part of seekers, when it comes to realising that total dependance on God is the ultimate cause of salvation and the attainment of the Divine Truth.

Performing abundant acts of worship, attaining large quantities of knowledge and regular meetings with the pious are all extremely beneficial means to a greater end. But all that, not complemented with the dire need of God's grace will deceive the seeker into assuming that he is progressing on the right path, causing him to be fully satisfied with his current state and actions.

That particular state of self-satisfaction is the deception, not the acts of worship, abundant knowledge and meetings with the pious.

We have heard and read of extreme acts of worship and self-mortification by the Sufis while failing to see that these Sufis do not actually take into account what they have done and how much, all they consider is Who all that was for. They are never satisfied with themselves, always satisfied with God and seek only His satisfaction.

Therefore, the proper method of approach to God must always be based on fear and utter need of His grace. If one is in a state which is deemed good, one must always be aware that God has the ability to remove him/her from that state, if He so chooses.May God bless and protect us!

Posted by Shaik Abdul Khafid at 10/10/2005

The Last Sermon ...

2005-10-04T13:49:00.000+05:00

The Last Sermon of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is a landmark sermon in the history of Islam. It was delivered by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) at the occasion of the Final Hajj (pilgrimage) performed by him. That the sermon is a landmark is obvious from the very words of the sermon that have reached us through the centuries, unadulterated and unedited. The following are main extracts from the Last Sermon.

`O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I don't know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and take these words to those who could not be here. O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. Allah has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligations shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity.'

'Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things. O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah's trust and with his permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never be unchaste. O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers (salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in zakat. Perform hajj if you can afford to. All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action.'

'Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim, and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Remember, one day you will appear before Allah and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not go astray from the path of righteousness after I am gone. O People, no Prophet or Apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand my words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Quran and my example, the Sunnah, and if you follow these you will never go astray. All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to all others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness O Allah, that I have conveyed your message to your people.'

The sermon summarises the Message of Islam in a nutshell. As such, the words, 'All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to all others and those to others again', mean that the sermon was meant for an unlimited audience. Besides, the prophetic statement, 'All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action', is a clear indication that the intended audience is not only the Arab nation but in fact it is the whole of humanity.

The Last Sermon gives us the specialist's prescription by which an Islamic Renaissance can be achieved in an individual, in a family, in a community, in a nation, and finally, in the Ummah. The formula has the advantage that it has the full endorsement of God and His Beloved Prophet (peace be upon him). Therefore, it is the only viable working algorithm that can lead to success. The formula constitutes the following main points.

Belief in the Finality of Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): There will be no prophet after Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Any claimant to this position will be considered nothing more than a crook and the religion of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) will be considered final and binding.
Belief in the sanctity and utility of the Qur'an: The Qur'an will be considered the final, unaltered Word of God and will be followed in letter and spirit.
Belief in the sanctity and utility of the Sunnah: The prophetic example will be followed as the "gold-standard".
Belief in the Reckoning: God will undoubtedly reckon our deeds, so we should be prepared for it.
Fundamental rituals of Islam: The five daily prayers (salah), the daily fasts of Ramadan, the wealth tax (zakat), and the Hajj (pilgrimage), will be obligatory and binding on all Muslims.
Position of women in Islam: Women have the right to be fed and clothed in fairness and be treated with kindness. Those people who think that Islam is "unfair" to women think so only out of ignorance or sheer prejudice.
Equality of the human race: The fact that the Qur'an is in Arabic and that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) preferred to speak in Arabic does not make Islam racist or myopic in any sense.
Equity within the human race: There will be zero tolerance for injustice; neither will we allow ourselves to be unjust nor will we allow injustice to be done upon us.
Brotherhood within Islam: The more than one billion Muslims in today's world are all one brotherhood. Like brothers, we should be concerned for each other's welfare; like brothers, we should help each other; and like brothers, we should be united as one family.
Be honest: Do not hurt people's trusts.
Do no harm: 'Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you' is a universal statement that extends to non-Muslims too; that is, a Muslim is not allowed to hurt a non-Muslim under normal circumstances. Those people who think that Islam is out there to hurt non-Muslims should shut up their mouths after listening to this prophetic statement.
Interest (usury) is outright illegal: No matter what the gurus of today's economics say, the fact remains that interest is illegal. Interest is one of the most heinous means to enslave humanity, as can be witnessed by the plight of nations that are under debt to the big financial institutions. The brilliant success of Islamic banks has proven through experiment that Islamic banking is a better alternative to interest-based banking.
Islam is for all times: The prophetic statement, 'And may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly' clearly indicates that the Last Sermon is meant to be passed on to future generations till eternity. It is meant to be understood and followed by all who listen to it.

Where Art Thou, Andalusia? ...

2005-10-01T18:07:00.000+05:00

Once upon a time, there lived in a far off place a very beautiful garden. It was a garden of such exquisite beauty as had never been seen or heard before. People would come from far away to experience the look and feel of this beautiful garden. Some would never leave. Those who left would leave with an everlasting impression of beauty and wonder. This was a garden where the captivating mosaic of flowers never seemed to fade before the eyes, where streams of sparkling, crystal water flowed with abundance and without abandon. This was a garden where the sweet perfumes of jasmine filled the air with an aura of eternity and engulfed the senses like a mother embraces her beloved child. This was a garden where the thorn could not hurt the delicate petals of the rose and the sparrow would sing his melodious songs all day, uninterrupted, unbothered, and unassuming. The fragrant flowers and the green carpet of soft grass would be all ears to the unique and haunting melodies that evoked a strange mixture of sorrow and happiness. This garden was a garden from Heaven that we created on Earth; this garden was the Jewel of the World.

Where art thou, Andalusia?

The Unscientific Myth of Darwinian Evolution and the Qur’ān ...

2005-09-30T20:59:00.001+05:00

In his ground-breaking book, Creation of Man, A Review of the Qur'an and Modern Embryology, Professor Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, one of the most eminent scholars of Islam, has clearly shown how the Qur'an unambiguously discusses the chemical and biological stages of the creation of Man. Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri's book is a must-read for students who are seriously interested in researching the relationship between Islam and Science. For the benefit of knowledge-seekers, the book is available online free of cost.

In Chapter 2 of his book, the learned professor has completely demolished the unscientific myth of Darwinian evolution in the light of unassailable and overwhelming modern scientific evidence. The book is an eye-opener for those who do not believe in the concept of "intelligent design". Check it out!

My Favourite Verse ...

2005-09-27T16:52:00.000+05:00

I don't think there is a single verse in the whole of Allama Iqbal's poetry that fails to impress the senses with beauty and profundity. But there is one verse there which simply knocks me down. No amount of translation can convey the semantic beauty of the verse, but I will offer my own translation here for the benefit of those readers who cannot understand Urdu.

تو سمجھتا نہيں اے زاہد ناداں اس کو

رشک صد سجدہ ہے اک لغزش مستانہء دل

You do not understand it

O ignorant ascetic!

A hundred prayers cannot match

A single stagger of the drunken heart

Moderation and Enlightened Moderation ...

2005-09-26T17:02:00.000+05:00

Col (Rtd) Riaz Jafri Sahb has kindly included me in his list of recipients of his almost-daily "newsletter". At 75 years of age, the retired colonel is one of those rare people who are a first-hand witness of the upheavals of the partition of Pakistan from India in 1947 and have experienced the entire history of Pakistan. His emails are often an almost nostalgic take on current events and personalities. His thoughts are intelligent, amusing, insightful, and thought-provoking. The following is an email that I received from him, followed by my response, followed by his response to my response.

Col Sahb's email:

Dear Dr. Fayyaz

LETTER TO EDITOR

September 23rd, 2005

Yaum e Tahreem

Maulana Hamid Ali Mousavi has called to observe Yaum e Tahreem in the memory of recent deaths of some Shias of eminence. Though I am a Shia myself yet, I feel that the Maulana is given such mourning calls rather too often. We are called upon to observe the Shahadat of most Imams and their Ashaab & Ahbaab on certain days by allocating each one of them a special name. I was seventeen at the time of partition and had never heard of such days. It all started with the influx of more knowledgeable and “superior” Syeds and Shias migrating from central India who brought with them such ritualistic practices to Pakistan. This has made Shias altogether a distinct community of Muslims and has distanced them from the main stream. Needless to say that it is not at all in the interest of Pakistan and its one nation.

Our Sunni Ulema too do not fare much better in the matter of merry making in Islam. Any thing entertaining is Makrooh if not Haram in their eyes. So much so, that even laughing joyously and whole heartedly is not approved by them. Of course, music is satanic to them. Shias go one step further. Not only that they deny themselves any merry making but they must mourn. Weep and cry remembering the sufferings of the Imams and their families before any thing which can bring them some happiness - such as Eid, marriage of the children or any other celebration entail! ing happiness.

When are we going to really enjoy the bounties that Allah (swt) has bestowed upon us? When are we going to spend happily in the name of Allah (swt) and enjoy it ? I would request the Maulana and all other Ulema to give some call for the joyous merry making also some day, such as Jashan Fatah e Makka, when the Muslims all over could come out of their homes, in their best dresses, and sing and dance in the streets and cities. Let’s also enjoy something and be happy about it.

Truly
Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)

My response:

Salam Col Sb...

That was a very thought-provoking email. You have hit upon one crucial point in your analysis, and that is:

Why do the self-styled "ulemas" emphasize upon one virtue of religion at the expense of another point of the religion?

This is an extremely important question and I think that in the answer to this question lies the answer to ALL our contemporary questions about religion. The fact of the matter is that Islam is the religion of moderation par excellence. Despite present-day claims of "enlightened moderation" that some stooges of Westernism make, the moderation prescribed by Islam is just as applicable today as it was 1400 years ago. But unfortunately, Islam has been taken hostage by a heterogenous group of self-styled pseudo-scholars who have made every attempt to interpret Islam with their own myopic lens. I call these ulemas as "self-styled" because, instead of following the moderate path set out in the Holy Quran, practised by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), and followed on by a legacy of 1400 years of Islamic scholarship, these ulemas have twisted, tortured, and corrupted Islam to suit their own whims. There are, for example, those ulemas who think that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was "bashar" (human) but not "noor" (light), when in fact he was the perfection of both bashar and noor. Then there are those who emphasize on the "fear of Hell" (khauf) at the cost of the "hope of Heaven" (umeed). There are also those idiots who think that the role of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was only to transmit the Divine message and that love and personal attachment with the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has no place in Islam. The truth is that love and personal attachment with the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is what Islam is all about! Finally, as you mentioned, there are those who stress upon the sad days of the year at the cost of the happy days of the year. These ill-advised pseudo-scholars do not realize that they are preaching this pessimism at the cost of Islam itself. The bottomline is that one should modify one's whims to suit the preachings of Islam and not modify the preachings of Islam to suit one's one whims.

Having said that, I would like to say that there ARE, even in these days of ignorance, true scholars of Islam to whom the the Holy Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying, "The scholars of my Ummat are like the Prophets of Bani Israeel" could be applied very aptly. It is our responsibility to search for and follow these gems of the Ummah so that we can make the World a better place to live in.

Sincerely,
Dr Fayyaz Khan

Col Sahb's response to my response:

Dear Dr. Sahib:

Assalam-o-alaikum

You have summed up beautifully and all encompassingly when you say,"The bottom-line is that one should modify one's whims to suit the preachings of Islam and not modify the preachings of Islam to suit one's whims." Regarding your second point that "there are even in these days of ignorance, true scholars of Islam", I agree that there are such scholars but unfortunately there are dubbed as the 'renegades' or heretics by the 'established' Ulemas of stereotyped schools of thought.

Dr. Taha of Egypt was one such scholar. He was one of nine children of a poor farmer, became blind in infancy. Studied in mosques and madrissas. Wrote his first paper at the age of nine. Kept studying and found himself in a French university. Married the lady who helped him with is studies. Got his doctorate from France in some Islamic discipline - that I don't remember now. Came back to Egypt. Rose to be the Rector of Al-Azhar and later Minister of Religious Affairs in the Federal cabinet. Wrote a number of books, papers on Islam - focussing of early Islamic history and causes of its degeneration. He was declared heretic and once when in Iraq was sentenced to death for his such views. More than 100,000 telegrams were sent in a day from all over the world to the Iraqi govt., who spared his life but banished him from Iraq. Egypt had already exiled him. Died some time back in Beirut. A series of his four books on the four Khulfa-e-Rashideen makes a very illuminating and thought provoking study.

Best Regards
Col. Jafri (Retd)

Well, I'll reserve my views on the personalities mentioned by Col Sahb in his emails, but Col Sahb is one very interesting person, isn't he?

Importance of Hadith ...

2005-09-23T17:37:00.000+05:00

Those people who think that the Quran is the only source of Islamic Law should read the following verses from the Holy Quran and do a bit of introspection (a mighty bit, that is):

لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيراً
Indeed in the Messenger of God (Muhammad) you have a beautiful example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) God and the Last Day and remembers God much. (33:21)

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ
And verily, you (O Muhammad) are on an exalted standard of character. (68:4)

How can one attempt to follow the "gold-standard" character of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) without the Hadith literature?

Also:

قُلْ أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْكَافِرِينَ
Say (O Muhammad): "Obey Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad)." But if they turn away, then Allah does not like the disbelievers. (3:32)

وَأَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
And obey Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad) that you may obtain mercy. (3:132)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلاً
O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination. (4:59)

وَمَن يُطِعِ اللّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاء وَالصَّالِحِينَ وَحَسُنَ أُولَـئِكَ رَفِيقًا

And whoso obeys Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad), then they will be in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace, of the Prophets, the Siddiqun (those followers of the Prophets who were first and foremost to believe in them, like Abu Bakr as-Siddiq), the martyrs, and the righteous. And how excellent these companions are! (4:69)

How can one obey the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) without access to the Hadith literature?

On the Hijab ...

2005-09-22T17:59:00.000+05:00

The French authorities may have banned schoolgirls from wearing the Hijab on the pretext that this was tantamount to advertisement of religion - which is not permitted in French schools. But if Mary, mother of Jesus (peace be upon him) could wear a hijab, then why not our sisters and mothers?

Note: I have censored the depiction of the face of Mary, may God be pleased with her, according to the beautiful method of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), who immediately covered a portrait of the blessed lady with his hand when he noticed it inside the Ka'aba at the occasion of the Conquest of Makkah.

Terrorists, Terrorism, and Terror ...

2005-09-20T22:03:00.000+05:00

The United States has launched an alleged war against terror. This is the newest link in a chain of events that have been unfolding for quite a while. Nine/eleven was a single terrible event that is now serving as a scapegoat for a whole new series of terrible events in the world that are almost always targeted against Muslims. Irrespective of who is responsible for 9/11, there can be no doubt about the fact that there have always been a small number of extremist elements amongst us who have created mischief while the Muslim community as a whole remained pacific. These extremist elements have restricted themselves in the past to terrorist activities within the Muslim community, but of late they have expanded their horizons and thought it more advisable to play the enemies' own dirty game against him. Ill-advised as such a manner of thinking is, it has only served to sandwich the Muslim community between the terrorist extremist element within itself and the terrorist of the World, which is America. It is admittedly difficult to manouevre in such a tight situation, but there sure is a way out of it. As the final Ummah, it is imperative that we unite against both enemies - the enemy on the right, as well as the enemy on the left - and affirm our position with an assertive stance (and I am NOT talking about General Pervez Musharraf's sycophantic attitude here!).

Anywayz, one wonders how terrifying this war would be that is supposedly pitched against terror. God protect us from the terrors of this terrible war.