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Category Archives: Religion
Closer Look: The Role Of Ulema
Ulema are considered as inheritors of the prophets. Ulema themselves explain their exalted position by saying that this is so because prophets didn’t leave behind any wealth except wealth of knowledge and ulema as a group have over fourteen hundred years preserving and propagating this prophetic knowledge. But what has been the role of Ulema in recent years?Flash forward to present times and you will see ulema who are related to each other through blood and marriages are fighting among themselves for their piece of Jamiat, to control Darul Uloom Deoband, or to gain some political benefits. All this is going on when just a few years ago Sachar Committee report put numbers on Muslims’ socio-economic backwardness.What we need is actually an equal partnership between ulema and the “modern-educated “both balancing out each other’s skewed world and Islamic view and learning from each other. Continue reading
No Head-I-win-tail-you-lose Situation For Muslims
The campaign to wipe out the last Muslim Empire, (which had Germany as an ally), ended in disaster and the Allied forces had to retreat yet the West still recalls the day. It caused, according to one estimate, 1.25 lakh casualties. Western tourists make it a point to visit the place. So they do not only celebrate their victories but also make a serious introspection of what led to their defeat,and that too even 95 years later. Take the case of Muslims, especially of the Indian sub-continent. They tend to learn nothing or very little from reverses. They just believe in glorifying their past and are seldom prepared to re-assess historic mistakes, committed advertently or inadvertently. These Muslims seem to have no time to examine that by their action, some of them inadvertently, drive many non-Muslims or even ‘non-practising Muslims’ further away from Islam. Continue reading
Are All Ahaadith Authentic?
A hadith may be defined as a report concerning the sayings and the doings of the Prophet Muhammad which has reached us through a chain of narrators. Ahaadith are broadly divided, based on their Isnaad (chain of narrators), into two categories namely Aahad and Mutawaatir.Ahaadith have not been classified on the basis of their content or text (matn) but only on the quality of the narrators.This means that even if an Aahad hadith has been categorised as SAHIH on the basis of its Isnaad, there is no guarantee that it would really be SAHIH because it is still possible that the lone narrator may have made a genuine mistake in quoting the Prophet. The only way out therefore is to compare it to the Quran and if it violates the Book of Allah in letter or spirit it must be rejected no matter in which hadith collection it appears. Continue reading
To Those Who Reject Hadeeth
There are some discrepancies in the standpoint of those who reject Ahaadeeth. Their selective hesitation in accepting Ahaadeeth and willing acceptance of many less authentic works raises some questions. And these questions need to be satisfactorily answered.There is a need to see the motive and the inspiration which the compilers of Ahaadeeth had for their painstaking efforts – the parallels of which we do not find today. They certainly considered the entire legacy of the Prophet (pbuh) as a treasure and did their utmost to preserve it for the posterity (unmindful of the possibility that the posterity will ungratefully reject it!). They, too, knew that the Qur’an was complete (or have we recently discovered it?) but carried out the hard work. The desire for knowledge, for truth and for guidance must be their main concerns. Continue reading
Are Blasphemy Laws Islamic?
Salmaan Taseer was killed, as confessed by his murderous bodyguard, for being a staunch opponent of the blasphemy law of Pakistan and seeking Presidential pardon for Aasia Bibi.It is a fact that the use of derogatory language against Prophet Muhammad, or for that matter any Prophet, is considered a great sin in Islam. But it is also no ordinary crime to sentence somebody to death without evidence. So far the charges against Aasia Bibi have not been incontrovertibly proved. The Quran records some of the nasty insinuations that were hurled at the Prophet (see 25:41 and 38:4-5) and defends and consoles him without suggesting any mundane punishment for the abusers. Such invectives would certainly have hurt the Prophet and therefore, he is assuaged with, “Have patience with what they say, and leave them with noble dignity” (73:10) and, “You possess the most exalted standard of character” (68:4). After having comforted the Prophet thus, the Quran advises him, and through him his followers, to “forgive and overlook; for God loves those who are kind” (5:13). There are several instances in the Prophet’s life which show that he tolerated the foul language of even his sworn enemies. Continue reading
Islam, Family and Modernity
According to Islamic teachings, sex is permissible only within the institution of marriage as sex only for pleasure, is not permissible; sex is basically meant for raising family. Today in western countries, people do not want to take responsibility for raising family but want to have sex for pleasure and hence ‘live-in’ arrangement has come into vogue and this concept of live-in has dealt great blow to the institution of family. In this arrangement both man and woman can walk away any time they like. Every attempt is made to avoid begetting children and, if at all, children are born, the whole responsibility will come on a single parent, especially on mother. The result is man tries to have multiple partners to enjoy sex and woman is burdened with children and faces psychological stresses and strain. Continue reading
Why Ummah Wahidah Remains Only An Emotional Slogan
For last fourteen hundred years we have heard a slogan one Allah, one Prophet and one Qur’an and so all Muslims should unite and constitute one ummah. Also, interestingly enough our ulama narrate a hadith from Prophet (PBUH) that “my ummah will be divided into 72 sects and only one of them will be naji i.e. will achieve liberation and others will be doomedâ€. The present political climate in the Muslim world is further sharpening these differences. That is why one ummah has become an empty slogan. What is worse every effort to unite results in further division.We may not be able to overcome our differences resulting in complete unity of ummah but certainly we can work out strategies to reacts un-emotionally and more intellectually so as to project a peaceful and dignified image of Islam. It will greatly enhance respect for Islam and Muslims in the world. Continue reading
Time To Implement The Ramazan Training
The word Ramazan is derived from ramaz which means “intense heatâ€, and soum means to stop, cease or abstain from an activity.Circumstances today demand that Muslims undertake a similar form of soum in which they commit themselves to abstain from extravagance, ostentation and self-indulgence so as to save their community from the “intense heat†of all round backwardness. Continue reading
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 in the … Continue reading
Posted in Islam, Religion
Tagged Islam, islamic-fundamentalism, muslim, muslim-fundamentalism, osama, what-makes-muslims-angry
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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