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Category Archives: Religion
What Makes the Muslims Angry: Analysing the Causes that Foster Fundamentalism
“Throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality.” Barack Obama, 44th President of USA THE year 1979 holds special importance. It was the year that saw two significant happenings … Continue reading
Posted in Islam, Religion
Tagged Islam, islamic-fundamentalism, muslim, muslim-fundamentalism, osama, what-makes-muslims-angry
1 Comment
Paying Back To The Madrasah
“Paying back to the madrasah” to me means keeping the divide between deen and dunyaa alive. Perpetuating the division between deeni and dunyaawee till eternity. Anyone who has followed my submissions will know that I stand against it. How could I then pay back to the madrasah without first contradicting myself? If I contradict myself it means I am not concerned about truth (which is free from self-contradiction) and that I don’t stand for anything. How can I not stand for anything knowing that our bane is that we do not know what we stand for? Continue reading
Gandhiji And The Prophet (PBUH)
This imaginary dialogue between Gandhiji and the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) is to clarify many misunderstandings which are being spread about Islam and Muslims. My mission in life is to promote peace and inter-religious understanding and to struggle against religious fanaticism and extremism. As I have deep conviction about teachings of Islam, I am also great admirer of Gandhiji and his philosophy of non-violence. (A.E.) Continue reading
Fuel & Engine
Spirituality is a force. It is energy. It takes one through the thick and thin. It gives one a much desired direction and purpose behind ALL his efforts. Bereft of it, one is directionless. Islam and Qur’an provide this energy and this force. They propel our cart in the right direction. They are like the much desired fuel for the much needed engine of life. But some of us have only fuel with them. Others have only the engine and not the fuel. The fuel alone isn’t moving. The engine is devoid of energy and it is not taking us on the highway of success, honor and positive contribution. Continue reading
A Different Jihad
Those who are serving humanity in different ways by promoting a morally clean and non-corrupt society, are real mujahids. It is for this reason that the word jihad was interpreted differently by different sections of society. For rulers and political class it meant war and conquests to expand Islamic rule, for Sufis it meant to conquer ones own desires and greed and for theological class it meant efforts to enforce shari’ah law and to mould ones behaviour within shar’i limits (hudud). Coming back to root meaning of jihad i.e. to strive for good of the society and for enhancing welfare of humanity as a whole, today one of the best ways of waging jihad would be to struggle and strive for saving our earth and its environment. Continue reading
The Spirit of Islam
The recent fatwa issued by the Deoband Dar ul Uloom seminary discouraging women from working is unfortunate and unwarranted. Such edicts reinforce stereotype perceptions of Islam and Shariah law. Continue reading
Posted in Islam
4 Comments
Postmodernism And The Quran
A general perception in the West is that Quranic teachings discourage progress and are incompatible with a modern way of life. What have been the characteristics of modernity? Freedom of conscience, individual and human dignity, democracy, gender equality and a scientific outlook. The Quran lays stress on freedom of conscience (2:256); democratic and collective decision-making (42:38); dignity of human beings (17:70); gender equality (2:228; 33:35). Numerous other verses urge one to reflect on the creation of the universe, the creation of human beings, animals and so on to encourage a scientific outlook through inductive reasoning. Continue reading
Non-Muslims And Jizyah
With regard to jizyah it must be kept in mind that it was not an institution invented by Islam. Levies similar to jizyah were a phenomenon in several societies and cultures even before the advent of the Prophet Muhammad. Jizyah is levied on non-Muslims in return for the protection they enjoy from the Islamic state and in lieu of the exemption they enjoy from compulsory military service. When non-Muslims performed military service and were hence exempted from jizyah. Noted Egyptian Islamic scholar Allama Yusuf al-Qaradawi has issued a fatwa in which he declares that non-Muslim citizens of modern Muslim-majority countries must have the same status as that of their Muslim fellow citizens. Continue reading
Muslims’ Participation In Non-Muslim Festivals And Functions
Islam, properly understood, is the religion of human nature. It provides guidelines for establishing a proper and firm link between individual human beings and their Creator. It also provides guidance for relations between individuals themselves. It insists that one can have a proper relationship with the Creator only if one has proper relations with all of God’s creation, including all other human beings. Prophet invited non-Muslims to his home and accepted their invitations to visit their homes. He would visit non-Muslims when they were ill to inquire about their health, join their funerals, and exchange gifts with them. Continue reading
Enforcing The Shariah: Some Critical Considerations
Most present-day ‘revolutionary’ Islamic movements believe that the cause for the decline of the Muslims, and, indeed, for all the manifold problems is the fact that Muslim societies and countries are presently not ruled by the shariah. Hence, they regard the imposition of the shariah as state law is the master-key, as it were, to solve all their problems. It is imperative that Islamic movements place the matter of the formal enforcement of the shariah at the end of their list of priorities, and, instead, focus on solving the various social ills that are so widespread and deeply-rooted in Muslim communities and countries. Continue reading