The Hidden Hand of Jewish Conspiracy ...

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' ...

• "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? ...

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! ...

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 ...

(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" ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

"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 ...

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 ...

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 …

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 …

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? ...

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 …

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 …

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? …

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 …

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 ...

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.