River of Fire and Hundred Years

Here is a comparison:

Did you know that woman writer Qurrat-ul-Ain Haider’s book ‘Aag ka Dariya’ (River of Fire) has been compared to One hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

This is a strange comparison.
Aag Ka Dariya was published in 1959.
One Hundred Tears of Solitude was published in 1967.

Which came first?

Remembering Two Aligs

Dr Syed Muhammed Ahmed (Miyan) will be gone for two years on coming December 25.
Dr Farhan Mujib will be gone for one whole year coming December 15.

Time passes so fast. And life goes on.

Of course it is not Islamic to get attached with the past so yours truly will not dwell upon that. Thank you Dr Ahmed and DR Mujib for what you did to Aligarh Movement in your own ways.

Call Me a Senator

Do not call me Ma'am - call me Senator, I worked so hard to get that title.

This is Senator Barbara Boxer  talking to a General at LACPUR ...

It is such cute line that everybody would like to copy that.

Here is the spoof.

Zameer Froshaan Di Sair

Zameer Froshaan Di Sair

(Outing of Conscience Sellers)

Some of our wretched brothers have decided to side with falsehood by deciding to campaign for Narendra Modi's party in Gujrat.

AHMEDABAD: A group of Bihar-based former students of Aligadh Muslim University will campaign for the BJP in the run-up to the December elections. According to Rameshwar Churasia, a BJP MLA in Bihar who was in the city on Monday, the group would be visiting the poll bound state under Raees Azam, convener of AMU Old Boys Association, Bihar, in the next three weeks. Azam, Chaurasia said, has spoken to Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Chaurasia further said a group of 20 BJP workers from Bihar had already landed in Gujarat.

Shame on us.
Verily we are for our Lord and unto Him is our return.

Robert Bales : America's Shame

BBC report:

A preliminary hearing has begun for US soldier Sgt Robert Bales who is charged with killing 16 villagers, mostly women and children, in Afghanistan.

What was he thinking? Was he on a human hunting trip?

And what about those who facilitated his carnage?

Sandy Exposes Hideous Inequality

Some are more equal than others.
Hurricane Sandy has exposed this reality in case of New York.

A hotel bellman said he was worried about his mother uptown. A maid said she had been calling her family in Queens. A garage attendant said he hadn't been able to contact his only relative - a sister in New Jersey - since the storm hit. Asked where he weathered the hurricane, his answer was simple.
"I slept in my car," he said.
Sandy humbled every one of the 19 million people in the New York City metropolitan area. But it humbled some more than others in an increasingly economically divided city.

Source : The Atlantic

Suu Kyi Go Back

Aung San Suu Kyi wants to celebrate Diwali in India.
She is the Burmese leader courted by the west.
An epitome of some ideal - democracy to be more precise.
But yours truly has some other things on his mind.
Like the government abated genocide of Rohingyas in Burma.
She will be celebrating.
India will be celebration.
BBC is already celebrating.
But not those who feel for Rohingyas in Burma.
Yours truly is one of them.
So dear Aung San Suu Kyi please go and celebrate your Diwali elsewhere because you have not taken a clear stand on a genocide under way.

What the Bleep We Know - 1

Part 1

This is a 2004 documentary exploring the interface of religion science.
The word bleep is a substitute for slang word.
It has been reviewed at various other places but we shall take it up on our own and will take up the other reviews later on.
The first part begins by asking whether soul and science are coming together or they are still far away.
Then there are comments about Sumarian and Greek mythologies.
As with the title the attitude is irreverent. Serious enough lacuna from a Muslim perspective.
Many people in the west, some societies more than others, do not think that there is anything wrong with this.
Cynicism, skepticism, irreverence all are alright. For them there is nothing wrong with this.

Then there is the comment about rise western Church power to supreme levels.
Science moved forward.
Copernicus: Earth is not at the center of the universe.
Galileo: Earth moves.
Both under heavy hand of the Church.
Tragedy does not stop science progress.
De Carte proposed dualism. Church (Unseen) - Science (Seen). Materialism born.
Uneasy truce.
Scientists: We are merely machines.
Church : You are consigned to hell hole.
Darwin : We are just meaningless.
Science and Church hitting the wall : Is God the Holy Creator?
Scientists find huge energies deep in matter and hidden mysteries.
We are all connected. Physical is non physical. Time and space are just consequence of this non-materialness.
Conferences for meeting of scientists and religious people.
20th Century blew the mechanical world-view.
Will 21st blow the wall between the Church and the laboratory?
How deep you want to probe the world - how deep you want to go into the rabbit hole?
Physics is a new way to understand the world - experimental investigation is different from revelation or meditation.
It is unlikely that religious people will change their views because of the out comes of scientific results.
Mostly people do not take the Book of Genesis as a CNN report of creation of universe but some do like James Ussher or Ireland.
There should be a scientific explanation for spirituality.
Good one did not exist till recently.
Proto-morality exists Platonically, geometrically and influences us.
Science says that we are genetic mistakes.
We have genes that are using us to propagate themselves.
We are lonely mistake on a lonely planet in a lonely universe.
This paradigm or separateness is wrong - we are all one and together.
At the very basic level we are connected.
Now what are its implications?
We got to make sense of ourself - old monarchy way is dead, scientific way is dead.
Bury it.
Quantum physics can help us in a new direction.
Consciousness is real and has impact.
We have to create a new paradigm.
Observer matter interaction is changing the reality around you - creating it.
Intricacy of cells, billions of them working for us, tell us that there is more to reality than we perceive.
Every moment we are immersed in experience.
We know nothing about reality - it is filtered by our senses.
***
Phew!
***
Comments to follow.

Nature Arabic Edition

This incredible and this is true.
Nature magazine has started its Arabic language edition!
This is a science magazine par excellence. Nay, it defines science magazine. It is a research journal but it carries its own science news. Production quality is the best available. American onslaught of science progress could not do anything to this British publication. Now the new edition clearly heralds coming of age of Arabic language in scientific matters. Scientific American has been publishing its Arabic edition for ages. Nature is a significant step forward.

Sorry for spoiling the party but where are our Urdu lovers and those who care and worry about Urdu?

Thank You, Kulsum

This is an Islamic Republic- You Got That Right.

So what happened that irked the Islamophobes liberals in Pakistan, offsetting a spark of condemnation of poor Ronald- the "Islamist"? (Blacklisted shortly after Haqqanis).

I think I should maybe start off by reminding moderates that well, there's no such thing as 'Moderate Islam' (There, I dropped the bomb). The country is called an 'Islamic' Republic (there, there..easy), not the 'Moderate' Islamic Republic (FYI: Pak FO is working on visa relaxations with India). Oh and McDonald's reserves the right to decide how it seats its' customers.

Now that we've gotten the obvious tidbits out of the way let's go back in time and remember the Espresso incident. This lady got barred from praying.. At a high-end cafe.. Inside the Islamic republic of Pakistan.. And all the liberals swarmed like flies to support the Manager's decision because "Espresso has the right to decide where it draws the line between religion and coffee". And because of course, they have the "Freedom of expression/speech etc." So why are liberals backtracking? Why are they accusing McDonalds Pakistan of being "extremists"/"Islamists" (No, I am actually being very serious here)?

So let's look at how the fuss started..This married couple from abroad walks into a Pakistani McDonald's for the first time ever, decides to sit together, an arm around the other. Out of nowhere the nasty extremist mullah-cum-waiter politely asks the guy to move across the table, as it is "against McDonald's policies for couples to sit too closely as it disturbs the family environment". BAM! The guy decides he's been violated by the crazy McDonald Jihadis and takes it up with the Manager. Once the manager graciously entertains the couple's tragic incident, the guy figures it's not enough. He MUST blog about it. And ALL liberal fascists MUST come out and condemn the heinous act against all tolerant moderates. Condemnation isnt enough, the blogger realizes, all liberals MUST start a nationwide movement against McDonalds extremism!

And he's got proof against McDonald's too! The fast food joint, he writes, "let's parents slap their children" for being spoilt brats, without interfering! *Gasp* yes! How dare they allow children to be terrorized and clamp down on couples doting on each other? So what if it's a family restaurant? Ever heard of freedom of expression!

To anyone who's been to McDonald's one of the most annoying and cringe-worthy experience may be being seated near a couple, who oblivious to the surroundings are eye-locked.. hand-locked..foot-locked(?) Away from their families, they'll spend long hours just being downright chichoray simultaneously repulsing all families and couples with impressionable children. I mean, if we wanted Miami, we'd fly out there, right? or maybe tune into HBO (kiddin, try Bollywood)..know im sayin?

You know you've seen them. The cheesiness is revolting, and the shamelessness outright despicable. And yes, I've heard worse tales about these hormonal idiots in the past. Comes as no surprise Management's decided to set guidelines and save us all from public eye infections. So yes, I for one, among thousands of others, welcome McDonald's family policy. In fact, all restaurants should run the same policy, even the beaches! Anyhow, not like McDonald's can tell who's married and who isnt, and even if a couple's married, no reason to flaunt it in public places (PDA=NOT COOL). One policy for all makes sense to me. And heck, it's the Islamic republic of Pakistan, I repeat, it is NOT the Dominican Republic. Okay?

Source : Troll News

AMU Brand of Intellectual

Why don't we have AMU brand of intellectual?
The Indian intellectual scene is dominated by JNU brand intellectual.
Then the strident Sangh Parivar activity saw the mushrooming of the BJP brand of ideologues.
Latter are still around but they sort of have had their innings.
Indian Muslim population is large enough to have their own view about how the national issues should be worked out. Population of nearly all European countries is smaller than Indian Muslim population.
Living in a democracy it is incumbent upon them to have a view and a voice, united one, of their own.
In democracy your rights are not delivered to you. You have to work for them.
This observation does not come from the classic manuals of democracy - if there are any. It comes from our experience of last one century.
It is high time that Muslims of India wake up to this reality.

Of course the responsibility to be careful enough, so that the existing ideological establishments do not get a roller coaster ride over you, lies on you.

And when yours truly says AMU brand intellectual then one thing is excluded - the residual Marxist intellectual stream. That is JNU brand itself. Mass migration of Muslim intelligentsia to Marxism in the beginning and mainly in the middle of last century was a tragedy of gigantic proportions for Muslim Ummah. No smaller than the tragedy of partition - and for this we Muslims of present India are not responsible in any way at all.

So dear Aligs, stop pulling each other's leg and get down to some serious work. Yours was the first movement for modern education for Muslims and you should have been at the forefront of Muslim intellectual thought. The question is are you at the forefront? And if not then why? Collect your wits quickly, make your amends quickly and get down to work.

Aligarh Military University

When General Zamiriddun Shah too over the reins of the Aligarh Muslim University he got down to work - we mean brass tacks. In the first phase the top brass of the university is all military. And yours truly is enjoying it. Yours truly, by the grace of Allah (SWT) lives amongst academicians and does not fancy an academician Vice Chancellor any more. Yours truly is vociferously for the university as an academic institution but the fact can not be changed that it is a charged institution. Ours is not to complain but to submit to the Will of Allah (SWT). So once we accept that this is a charged institution in a way let us cope with it as such. Civil servant Vice Chancellor? Alright. Armed Forces Vice Chancellor? Alright. As long as it remains Academic Muslim University it has my full support to become Aligarh Military University. Administration - Army. Object - Academics.

Muslim Perspective on Psychology

Are there Muslims in our communities that are dealing with psychological, social, and family problems? Obviously that is a rhetorical question because of course there is. So is there a need for Muslim counselors who can try to help them with these issues? I say there is a need and as a Muslim psychologist you have an advantage which non-Muslim teachers and students don’t have which is a penetrating insight into the true nature of the human being as revealed by the texts of the Kitaab and Sunnah. Islaam identifies the diseases of the heart and provides the true cure for them. The psychologists from the behaviorist school see us as nothing more than animals responding to stimuli. So if that is the case they have a pill for every ill that cut off receptors in the brain. They are trying to turn off the valve as it were. But who knows what the long term effects of these pills are and what other problems they can make. Then there are psychoanalytic and Freudian theorists but as al-Suyuufi pointed out that is certainly not the end all be all to psychology. I was just looking at a book on juvenile delinquency theory and the author listed many problems with psychoanalytic theories in that field. So Freud and the neo-Freudians are not without harsh criticisms from other psychologists. But that doesn’t mean all that they say is necessarily wrong, I would say there is some truth to a lot of what is found in the books and have been used as effective tools against the masses such as with advertising and propaganda. But there are multiple brands of psychology for example the cognitive school which I find most fascinating despite my little knowledge of it.

So there is truth found within these schools and benefits that can be used but certainly much falsehood as well but what we want is Islamic psychology. In the book recently published Psychology from the Islamic Perspective by Dr. Aisha Utz, she writes, “An alternative definition of psychology from the Islamic perspective would include: the study of the soul: the ensuing behavioural, emotional, and mental processes; and both the seen and unseen aspects that influence these elements.

This description stems from the notion that the soul is the basic element of life. It drives the behaviour, emotions, and mental processes of the human. The human psyche is not purely psychological; its essence is spiritual and metaphysical. The fitrah (the natural inclinations instilled by Allah, which will be discussed in detail below) and the covenant of monotheism are inscribed on each soul, whether the person is Muslim or not.

Since its true nature is spiritual, the soul requires a spiritual connection to its source, the Creator, just as the body requires food and water to survive. Without this vital nourishment, the soul will suffer anxiety, depression, and despair. Many humans who currently experience mental health problems are suffering from ailments of the soul, not of the mind. The soul is calling out for its food, but instead of getting the real food that it requires – submission and closeness to Allah, it is fed junk food in the form of various psychotherapies and medications. For this reason, the soul continues to call out.

In the Islamic conceptualization of psychology, aspects of both the seen and unseen world may influence humans. In general, the focus of contemporary psychological theories is the seen world, which includes parents and other family members, peers, teachers, communities, media, and so forth. Islamic psychology incorporates additional aspects of the unseen world to explain human nature: Allah, with His power and omnipotence, as well as the angels and the jinn. This does not negate the concept of choice and free will but places it within a context.” (34-35)

Then as Umm DJ-N pointed out that knowledge of human psychology can possibly make a person a better Da’ee. You can learn to communicate with others effectively and how to deal with difficult people. In that regard it will probably make you a better businessmen as well ask any salesman about their tricks of the trade and you can see psychology. It is like the real estate agent who bakes cookies in the oven before an open house so when people walk in and smell the aroma it reminds them of grandma’s house LOL. Or the car salesman, “You are really going to look good in this car.” A good appeal to narcissism and you can get the fish to sign ya dig LOL. So there are many advantages to it but let the Qur’an and Sunnah be your foundation and let that be the scale in which you judge.

Some recommended readings in the English language:

Psychology from the Islamic Perspective by Dr. Aisha Utz
Contemplation; An Islamic Psychospiritual Study by Malik Badri
Disciplining the Soul by Ibn al-Jawzi
Purification of the Soul Concept, Process and Means by Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo
How to Achieve Happiness by Abdur-Rahman as-Sa’di
Don’t Be Sad by Aaidh al-Qarni
Preventative Measures Against Shaytan by Mustafa ibn al-‘Adawi
Jinn & Human Sickness by Dr. Abu’l-Mundhir Khaleel ibn Ibrahim Ameen
(Two other books I have seen but not read that you might want to check out are Healing Body & Soul by Amira Ayad and Therapy from the Qur’an and Ahadith by Dr. Feryad A. Hussain).

Muhammad bin Salih al-Munajjid gave some recommendations in the Arabic Language Islam Question and Answer - Psychology: Recommended Reading

May Allaah guide you to making the best decisions for yourself and direct you towards the good in this life to lead to good in the Hereafter.

Source : IA

Colour of Love

Poet by Adeeb Raipuri (RA):

BBC on Jihad

The literal meaning of Jihad is struggle or effort, and it means much more than holy war.
Muslims use the word Jihad to describe three different kinds of struggle:

• A believer's internal struggle to live out the Muslim faith as well as possible
• The struggle to build a good Muslim society
• Holy war: the struggle to defend Islam, with force if necessary

Many modern writers claim that the main meaning of Jihad is the internal spiritual struggle, and this is accepted by many Muslims.
However there are so many references to Jihad as a military struggle in Islamic writings that it is incorrect to claim that the interpretation of Jihad as holy war is wrong.

Jihad and the Prophet

The internal Jihad is the one that Prophet Muhammad is said to have called the greater Jihad.
But the quotation in which the Prophet says this is regarded as coming from an unreliable source by some scholars. They regard the use of Jihad to mean holy war as the more important.

Top

 The internal Jihad

Learning the Qur'an by heart is considered engaging in Greater Jihad © The phrase internal Jihad or greater Jihad refers to the efforts of a believer to live their Muslim faith as well as possible.
All religious people want to live their lives in the way that will please their God.
So Muslims make a great effort to live as Allah has instructed them; following the rules of the faith, being devoted to Allah, doing everything they can to help other people.
For most people, living God's way is quite a struggle. God sets high standards, and believers have to fight with their own selfish desires to live up to them, no matter how much they love God.

The five Pillars of Islam as Jihad

The five Pillars of Islam form an exercise of Jihad in this sense, since a Muslim gets closer to Allah by performing them.
Other ways in which a Muslim engages in the 'greater Jihad' could include:

• Learning the Qur'an by heart, or engage in other religious study.
• Overcoming things such as anger, greed, hatred, pride, or malice.
• Giving up smoking.
• Cleaning the floor of the mosque.
• Taking part in Muslim community activities.
• Working for social justice.
• Forgiving someone who has hurt them.

The Greater Jihad controversy

The Prophet is said to have called the internal Jihad the "greater Jihad".
On his return from a battle, the Prophet said: "We are finished with the lesser jihad; now we are starting the greater jihad." He explained to his followers that fighting against an outer enemy is the lesser jihad and fighting against one's self is the greater jihad (holy war).
This quotation is regarded as unreliable by some scholars. They regard the use of jihad as meaning 'holy war' as the more important.
However the quotation has been very influential among some Muslims, particularly Sufis.

Top

Holy war

When Muslims, or their faith or territory are under attack, Islam permits (some say directs) the believer to wage military war to protect them.
However Islamic (shariah) law sets very strict rules for the conduct of such a war.
In recent years the most common meaning of Jihad has been Holy War.
And there is a long tradition of Jihad being used to mean a military struggle to benefit Islam.

What can justify Jihad?

There are a number of reasons, but the Qur'an is clear that self-defence is always the underlying cause.
Permissable reasons for military Jihad:

• Self-defence
• Strengthening Islam
• Protecting the freedom of Muslims to practise their faith
• Protecting Muslims against oppression, which could include overthrowing a tyrannical ruler
• Punishing an enemy who breaks an oath
• Putting right a wrong

What a Jihad is not

A war is not a Jihad if the intention is to:

• Force people to convert to Islam
• Conquer other nations to colonise them
• Take territory for economic gain
• Settle disputes
• Demonstrate a leader's power

Although the Prophet engaged in military action on a number of occasions, these were battles to survive, rather than conquest, and took place at a time when fighting between tribes was common.

Top

The rules of Jihad

   In recent years the most common meaning of Jihad has been Holy War .
A military Jihad has to obey very strict rules in order to be legitimate.

• The opponent must always have started the fighting.
• It must not be fought to gain territory.
• It must be launched by a religious leader.
• It must be fought to bring about good - something that Allah will approve of.
• Every other way of solving the problem must be tried before resorting to war.
• Innocent people should not be killed.
• Women, children, or old people should not be killed or hurt.
• Women must not be raped.
• Enemies must be treated with justice.
• Wounded enemy soldiers must be treated in exactly the same way as one's own soldiers.
• The war must stop as soon as the enemy asks for peace.
• Property must not be damaged.
• Poisoning wells is forbidden. The modern analogy would be chemical or biological warfare.

The Qur'an on Jihad

The Qur'an has many passages about fighting. Some of them advocate peace, while some are very warlike. The Bible, the Jewish and Christian scripture, shows a similar variety of attitudes to war.

Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not aggressors.
Qur'an 2:190

To those against whom war is made, permission is given (to fight), because they are wronged;- and verily, Allah is most powerful for their aid.
Qur'an 22:39

Therefore if they withdraw from you but fight you not, and (instead) send you (Guarantees of) peace, then Allah Hath opened no way for you (to war against them).
Qur'an 4:90

But if the enemy incline towards peace, do thou (also) incline towards peace, and trust in Allah: for He is One that heareth and knoweth (all things).
Qur'an 8:61

Source : BBC

Our Frontiers

A senior alumni of yours truly's Alma Mater avers, in the context of current demonstrations against silly US film portraying beloved Prophet (PBUH), that we are not aware of our real frontiers. "Fontiers of our battles should be against illiteracy, backwardness & social evils", he asserts. And then others from the same community have gone into a good drive about the appropriateness of these words of wisdom.

These too are frontiers of our battles.
And then there are other frontiers too.
The frontier that learned senior wants to divert attention from is also a frontier.
We really do not realize that defending the honour of beloved Prophet (PBUH) is also a frontier.
There is a reason behind that.
The dominant ideas at any time are the ideas of dominant economic powers of the day.
That is west till the moment of writing.
And the prevalent ideas in the west at present have no counterpart of honour of a Messenger of God (AS).
For a few centuries they have been taking liberty with religion.
Atheism is rife in that society and its bad effects are there for all to see but they are incapable of analyzing it - they have lost guidance. Breakdown in family as well as social structure is no mean price to pay.

This is the society that is usually at the back of mind of our western educated class when they deliver admonitions to Muslims.

That society, let us admit for the time being, has overcome illiteracy.
They have made economic progress too - hope that is the opposite of backwardness.
But they are in economic down turn - let us accept that.
But whether we have more social evils than them is a very debatable question.
In fact the situation is more in favour of our own society.

And this really evens out the things between us and the model society that honourable senior has in mind.
This makes any preaching a risky proposition.

And indeed we should, with whole heart, fight against illiteracy, backwardness and social evils.
And we should keep asserting before the west that insulting our beloved Prophet (PBUH) is neither liked nor tolerated in these quarters. Yours truly has a vague feeling that they might start listening - or may be they are already listening.

Mufti Desai Sahab (DB) on Mufti Desai Sahab (DB)

Some asked Mufti Ebrahim Sahab Desai (DB) about the sometime harsh tone of reply employed by Mufti Abdul Sadiq Sahab Desai (DB). Former replied:

Concentrate on the actual issue pointed out rather than focus on the style and tone.

Source : SF

US Decline and Fall

This time it is BBC talking.

Rahul Gandhi Puzzle

What are his thoughts?
What are his motivations?
What are his ambitions?
What are his capabilities?
The Economists thinks that:

The suspicion is growing that Mr Gandhi himself does not know.

But, then, the Economist is a nasty publication, as far as east is concerned.

Western Operations in Afghanistan

US/NATO forces had their big toy games in Afghanistan - at the cost of Afghans.
Of course Afghans had little bit help from rest of their brothers.
Now that west is going out one question remains - did they win or did they not?
They do not know the answer.
In fact no one is even asking the question.
If killing Osama Bin laden was the purpose then that that indeed was accomplished but that can not be tagged as a victory.
If killing an unspecified number of able bodied male Afghans is concerned then that too has been accomplished but no one will give a certificate of victory on that. In fact soon this specter will return to haunt the US and UK society.
We do have reports from US about the presence of this spook. Former US soldiers are killing themselves in increasing numbers. This is not a good sign of victory - if there has been one.
As far as the world opinion is concerned then that can be considered as a diplomatic victory if the world opinion was turning in favour of America. This we already knew that the world overwhelming wanted end to Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts and that is why election of Obama has a sort of global blessing.
But we know about Obama turning into a veritable Al Capone, as one commentator put it, personally supervising the kill list of the day. The Kosher reason for that action was to eliminate any spurious killing but the President forgot one very crucial ingredient - dilution of responsibility by distribution of action between executive, legislature and the armed forces.

In any case this only further complicates the answer to the original question.

Since we do not know who won in Afghanistan one can safely conclude that no one should be announcing the celebrations.

It is in this context that we again come to the conclusion that UK should not be making a push to rehabilitate Rushdie.