Urdu - 3

A short video with Dr Ahmed Mujtaba Siddiqui

Q: Sir Syed ki kya ma'anviyat hai aur Sir Syed ki zaat ki aaj ke daur mein kya ahamiyat hai?

A: Mein samajhta hoon ke kuchh shakhsiyatein, jin mein se Sir Syed ek hai, sau, do sau aur teen so saal mein hee wadiyat hoti hain jin ke naseeb mein koi tajdeedi karnama likha hota hai. Uhke hawale se ye tajdeedi karnama likha tha ki barr-e-sagheer Hindustan ke musalmanon ke ta'aleemi ma'iyar ko nikharne mein, usko saiqal karne mein, mustaqbil ko roshan karne mein ek kaleedi kirdar ada karein.

Urdu - 2

Hamare mehmanan tashreef la rahe hain bharpoor taliyon ke sath istaqbal kijiye.

Urdu zaban-oadab, Urdu shayari ki abru Janab Gulzar Sahab aur Dr Sukrita Paul Sahiba ko bharpoor taliyon ke sath  khushamadeed kehte huway.

Is stage ke waqar ko, iske iftikhar ko dobala kar diya.

Khawateen-e-hazrat Urdu zaban aur Gulzar Sahab ko ek doosre se alag karke dekhna namumkin hai.

Urdu zaban-o-adab ne Hindi cinema aur Urdu Shayari se wabasta Gulzar Sahab ko auj-e-kamal tak pahunchaya. Aur khud Gulzar Sahab ki badaulat Urdu zaban wahan tak pahunchi jahan tak pahunchna kisi khwab se kam na tha.

Ji han hamari murad Gulzar Sahab ke naghme Jai Ho se hai jis ke liye Oscar Award apke nam se mautbar huwa.

Gulzar Sahab afsana nigar hain, film director hain, script writer hain, muqalma navees hain aur apne adab-e-atfal ya'ani bachchon ke adab par kafi kam kiya hai. Aala paye ke mutarjim hain.

Sahiya academy award, Filmfare award, national film award, Padam Bhusan se lekar Oscar tak sab apke nam se mautbar ho chuke hain.

Apke bare mein jo kuchh kaha jaye woh kam hai. Bahut kuchh kehne ki to is zaban ko taqat nahin hai, yara nahin hai magar sirf itna keh sakte hai ki:

Hum ne ik umr mein kya kya na jahan dekhe hain...

Kisi shayar ne aisee hee kisi hasti ke bare mein apne jazbat in alfaz mein qalamband kiye hain ki:


Hum ne ik umr mein kya kya na jahan dekhe hain...
AsmaN dekhe hai aur kar-e-nihaN dekhe hain




Dil ne har zarre ke hamrah dhadakna seekha
Tab nawaoon mein ye mana ke jahan dekhe hain


Ek bar phir Gulzar Sahab ko bharpoor taliyon ke sath khush amadeed kehte hain.




Aur Gulzar sahab ke sath is guftgu mein shamil hain, bahut badi sa'adat hai jo ki Dr Sukrita Paul ke hisse mein aa rahi hai. Humko achchhi tarah yad hai ki guzishta Jashn-e-Rekhta mein ye Javed Sahab se hum kalam thein aur is bar Dr Sukrita Paul sahiba Gulzar sahab ke sath shareek-e-gyftgu hongi.



Ma'aroof adeeba hain, scholar hain, critique hain, hassas shayra hain, ilmi aur adabi zauq apko apne walid se wirse mein mila hai, jise apne apni takhliqi salahiyaton se mazeed jila bakhshi hai.


Women's study ke alawa tarjumanigari mein bhi maharat hasil hai aur hindustan ki sakhafati rangarangi aur adabi pairaye ko apne badi khoobsoorati ke sath qalam band kiya hai.

Humare in donon mehmanon ko khishamadeed kehte huway hum guftgu ke agaz ke liye guzarish kerte hain.

Apni khoobsoorat guftagi ka agaz karein.

Corona Days

Shouq-e-Watan (Desire for the Aakhirah)

Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (RA)

Author: Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (RA)

Showqe Watan - the hereafter is our original watan (abode, home country), and is worthy of being desired. Our negligence and carelessness have made us totally forget. This booklet will remove such negligence and make us desire our original abode.

The Glad Tidings, Respect and Honour for a Muslim at the time of Death

The virtues of plague

The respect and love for a Mu-min on earth

Honour and respect at the time of tajhiiz and takfiin (preparation for burial)

Preference for Death over Life

Preface

The benefit of a difficult death for some Mu-mins

The reward for illness and hardships

The respect and love for a Mu-min in the skies

The meeting and conversing of the ruh’s after death

The Malaa’ikah accompanying the Janaaza

Dua’aa for the desire of the Aa-khirah

Comfort and Ease in the Mah-shar

The Bodily and Ruhani ( soulful) pleasures of Jannah

Appendix

Blessings and favours of the Barzakh

Urdu - 1

Mehfil-e-fikr nayi, naghma naya, saaz naye
Jazba-e-shauq ne bakshe hain sab andaz naye

Soz-o-saaz ki ek nayi mehfil apke samne arasta hai. Is mehfil ki raunaq ko dobala kar rahe hain Aligarh se tashreef laye huway maroof fankar Johny Forster. Mausiqi aur gayaki ki duniya mein aap apni misaal khud aap hain.

New Tork Times on Ertugrul

I have already given the link earlier.

The writer is William Armstrong, an editor at Hurriyet Daily News.

The article was published on May 14, 2017.

On the occasion of  Reccep Tayyip Erdogan's US visit the author diverted from dry political analysis to present the political status from the point of view inspired by the 'bombastic' three seasons of popular Turkish television show Dirilish-Erutrul (Resurrection Ertugrul). The 'loaded' tagline was National Awakening.

This chimes with the spirit of the age after Mr. Erdogan framed the constitutional referendum in April as a struggle against enemies of the Turkish nation and domestic traitors.

Apparently the Turkish mood, and even US political mood, can be adjudged by the popularity of their TV shows. Ever since emergence of Erdogan's party coming to power the TV shows are their prime exports.

 The first season featured a Turkish campaign against Crusaders in Anatolia, the second season battles against the Mongols, the third season war with the Christian Byzantines.

Not only the political temperature but national mood is captured by the shows.
At the end it is a bitter culture war between religious conservatives and more secular-minded cultural elites. It is not Islamization but nationalism and corresponding aspirations. It is also an exercise in political legitimization and it is an escape to virtual reality from harsh reality. Erdogan expertly exploits the public mood for political gain using poetry and songs.

Another Dilemma : Current Events vs Past

I have been bogged down for quite some time by the twin issues of the Muslims in India today and the Muslim in the world in general.

Both of these issues are extremely nerve wrecking as of now. So far my personal capabilities and capacity has proved to be inadequate to have an over overall compass of both of these set of problems.

In fact I have not been able to complete the overall historical assessment of either of these problems.

In overall assessment of the situation of the Muslims today in India my corner stone is HM Seervai's book on Partition of India: Legend vs Reality.

On the corresponding issue of the state of the Muslim community the world over my preferred book is Orientalism by Edward Said.

Sadly I have  not been able to get a grip over the over all view presented in these books. Let alone the microscopic details.

And then let us not forget the extremely fast changing current affairs both in India as well as the world.

In this regard friends would say that first of all I must finish my overview of Seervai and Said and they are absolutely right. The pesky problem is the sheer deluge of both domestic, that is India, and world news inflow.

So kindly pray that I can come to grip these problems. The programme at the moment can be summarized as - Seervai-Said-Current Affairs.

Indian Scientis on NRC

Source : The Wire

A group of Indian scientists and scholars from within and without the country have released a note of protest against the draft Citizenship Amendment Bill, expected to be tabled in parliament on December 9. The Bill proposes to grant citizenship to Indians on the basis of religion as well as passively excludes Muslims, and has triggered protests around the country and from various civil society groups as a result.
The scholars’ note, shared in full below, also calls attention to this aspect of the Bill and states that it violates the spirit of Article 14 of the Indian Constitution. Over 750 scholars from around the world have signed the note, including the directors of three major research institutions: Sandip Trivedi (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai), Rajesh Gopakumar (International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Bengaluru) and Atish Dabholkar (International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Italy).

TV Rajeswar on Emergency

This is old link but still very relevant even today where former IB Chief TV Rajeswar had told that RSS backed Indira Gandhi on emergency.

How to Solve the Micro-vs-Macro Conundrum?

Sometimes while dealing with a complex issue with some extensive length and breadth we face the dilemma of whether to present a microscopic view of the issue giving the details of the parts or whether to present a macroscopic view and outline the overall contours of the problem.

This is what I am calling the Macro-vs-Micro Conundrum.

At the logical level there is no solution to this puzzle. Microscopic details are essential and important and hence these must be given. Macroscopic view is important because that that is the only way to encompass the problem and hence that is what should be presented. The end result is that we can not decide which view to present.

Even pragmatism does not offer a way out.

A pragmatic person would say that either you give the macroscopic view with some microscopic details or you give the microscopic view and quickly move towards the macro view. In both of these approaches we are still left with an additional problem - how much details to include. Practically we have failed to solve the problem.

Someone might add that the amount of details that must be included will be decided by the individual problems. This is certainly a good suggestion but it is already demanding additional details to solve the problem.


Edward Said in his book offered a solution to this enigma. There might be many other solutions but Said's solution has struck me as an elegant as well as pragmatic one. In his book Orientalism he used the personal circumstances as the tie breaker between the two alternatives. So when you are besotted with the undecidable issue of choosing the requisite amount of details between the two approaches then use your personal circumstances to decide the amount of details to be included.

Of course in this case also we shall end up deciding on the case to case basis and in that sense it is on par with the earlier suggestion but we do have now a very robust paradigm to use for tie breaking.

Links Accumulating

History Against Sectarianism

Suupreme Court Shamelessly Surrendered to BJP

Blood and Soil in Narendra Modi's India

India : Intimations of an Ending

Nikki Keddie on Afghani

Afghani : Modernism

AG Noorani on Army and Rule of Law

  AG Noorani has got a very powerful article here in the Frontline on duties of an army in face of possibility of wrong being committed in the area under its protection.

BBC Tone of Reportage

When the US has started talking to the Taliban in Afghanistan shouldn't the BBC tone of presentation reflect that?

One argument against this is that the second phase might just start and till there is a final settlement between the US and the Taliban is reached upon the world and hence BBC can not change the tone, attitude and the push of their reportage.

The trouble with this argument is that the reportage from the outset must have been unbiased - that is supposed to be BBC reputation.

But let us look at what is the current BBC attitude. A group of news items are collected under following headline:

What happened to previous Taliban hostages?

• The Scottish aid worker killed during a rescue attempt
• The documentary maker freed 'for a ransom'
• The governor's son who secretly listened to football
• The captured soldier who sparked a political row

It is difficult to change this presentation but one thing is sure that here the negotiating party is not being given the same legitimacy that is expected for open attitude talks.

 The headline in the More on This Story are :

• Afghanistan announces Taliban prisoner swap to free hostages

  12 November 2019

• Jalaluddin Haqqani, founder of Afghan militant network, dies

  4 September 2018

• Why is there a war in Afghanistan? The short, medium and long story

  8 September 2019

• Trump cancels secret US meeting with Afghan Taliban

  8 September 2019

• Afghanistan war: Taliban tell Trump their 'doors are open'

  18 September 2019

• Afghanistan Taliban commanders freed 'in swap for Indian hostages'

  7 October 2019

• Afghanistan war: What could peace look like?14 July 2019

   
  Here we do see some semblance of objectivity but the one negotiating party still comes out more of a suspect rather that a partner in talks.
  

Story of Timothy Weeks

BBC has covered the story of Timothy Weeks in this report.

He is an Australian academic released by the Taliban in prisoner swap. Here is one of his quotes:

"I don't hate them at all," he said. "And some of them I have great respect for, and great love for, almost. Some of them were so compassionate and such lovely, lovely people. And it really led me to think about... how did they end up like this?"

Yet the BBC presentation on this news and the related items is completely different. The headline of the above report itself is:

Timothy Weeks recalls Taliban hostage ordeal - 'I never gave up hope'...

It is not as positive as the sentiments expressed in the earlier quote. Indeed any captivity can not be anything but an ordeal yet the mood of the headline does not match the sentiments of the captive about the Taliban.

One explanation for the softer sentiments of Mr Week will be the Stockholm Syndrome. This too leaves two points unanswered.

Firstly BBC is blowing a different trumpet from US. We remember Tony Blair as UK Prime Minister making a world tour, including India, in support of US President George Bush's agenda in Iraq. The same attitude is not reflected in BBC headlines and reports now that US has been talking to the Taliban. When you are talking to an entity, here Taliban, then you have to have a public posture of not being biased when you go to the talking table.

It is true that it is the US and not the UK who is talking to the Taliban. But this leads to a worse problem - that there is serious division in the west about the status of Taliban. Either it a legitimate agency to talk to or not.

Clearly we are seeing a shift in the US policy towards whom they, the US, were calling the terrorists till yesterday. Such policy shifts are huge operations and it takes time to turn all the relevant wheels.

The second unattended question regarding negative portrayal of Taliban is the larger question - there is the western (US, UK, BBC) narrative about the situation in the Muslim lands. This narrative is that they, the west, are dealing with the terrorists. I am sure there will be the narrative of the so called terrorists.

I am calling so called terrorists because either the Taliban are the terrorists and hence completely condemned or they are respectable enough to hold talks with.

All this still leads an uncovered frontier and that is most important - what is the Muslim narrative of these issues. After all these are the Muslims who have their interests at stake in all this. Does the Muslim World accept the west as the unanimous global policing agency or not? Do they a have their own take on the matter?

As a result should we expect BBC to change the tone, attitude and presentation of their news about Afghanistan?

Lectures of Late Dr Israr Ahmed

13-018 Allama Iqbal Aur Hum By Dr. Israr Ahmed (part 1/3)

Qayamat Se Pehle Azeem Jangain(WARS)| Dr Israr Ahmed 

Islam par Dajjaliyat ki Yalgar by Dr Israr Ahmed

Dr. Israr Ahmed | Greater Israel |

08-009- Islam Aur Bar-e-Azeem Pak-o-Hind (America 1994) By Dr. Israr Ahmed

Barr e Sagheer Mein Dawat e Islam Ke Liye Mawaqeh by Dr Israr Ahmed

13-016 Bar-e-Azeem Main Islam ki Amad By Dr. Israr Ahmed (Part 3/3)

13-028- Manhaj-e-Musa wa Essa Ba-Muqabala Manhaj-e-Muhammad ﷺ By Dr. Israr Ahmed

Qiyamat: Kainat Ki Sab Sey Bari Haqeeqat  Dr. Israr Ahmed

Laws of Argument

1. Thou shall not attack the person’s character, but the argument itself. (“Ad hominem”)

Example:  Dave listens to Marilyn Manson, therefore his arguments against certain parts of religion are worthless. After all, would you trust someone who listens to that devil worshiper?

2. Thou shall not misrepresent or exaggerate a person’s argument in order to make them easier to attack. (“Straw Man Fallacy”)

Example:  After Jimmy said that we should put more money into health and education, Steve responded by saying that he was surprised that Jimmy hates our country so much that he wants to leave it defenceless by cutting military spending.

3. Thou shall not use small numbers to represent the whole. (“Hasty Generalization”)

Example:  Climate Change Deniers take a small sample set of data to demonstrate that the Earth is cooling, not warming. They do this by zooming in on 10 years of data, ignoring the trend that is present in the entire data set which spans a century.

4. Thou shall not argue thy position by assuming one of its premises is true. (“Begging the Question”)

Example:
Sheldon: “God must exist.”
Wilbert: “How do you know?”
Sheldon: “Because the Bible says so.”
Wilbert: “Why should I believe the Bible?”
Sheldon: “Because the Bible was written by God.”
Wilbert: “WTF?”
Here, Sheldon is making the assumption that the Bible is true, therefore his premise – that God exists – is also true.

5. Thou shall not claim that because something occurred before, but must be the cause. (“Post Hoc/False Cause”).

This can also be read as “correlation does not imply causation”.
Example:  There were 3 murders in Dallas this week and on each day, it was raining. Therefore, murders occur on rainy days.

6. Thou shall not reduce the argument down to only two possibilities when there is a clear middle ground. (“False Dichotomy”)

Example:  You’re either with me, or against me. Being neutral is not an option.

7. Thou shall not argue that because of our ignorance, the claim must be true or false. (“Ad Ignorantiam”).

Example:  95% of unidentified flying objects have been explained. 5% have not. Therefore, the 5% that are unexplained prove that aliens exist.

8. Thou shall not lay the burn of proof onto him that is questioning the claim. (“Burden of Proof Reversal”).

Example:  Marcy claims she sees the ghosts of dead people, then challenges you to prove her wrong. The burden of proof is on Marcy, not you, since Marcy made the extraordinary claim.

9. Thou shall not assume that “this” follows “that”, when “it” has no logical connection. (“Non Sequitur”).

Similar, but the difference between the post hoc and non sequitur fallacies is that, whereas the post hoc fallacy is due to lack of a causal connection, in the non sequitur fallacy, the error is due to lack of a logical connection.
Example: If you do not buy this Vitamin X supplements for your infant, you are neglecting your her.

10. Thou shall not claim that because a premise is popular, therefore, it must be true. (“Bandwagon Fallacy”).

Example: Just because a celebrity like Dr. Oz endorses a product, it doesn’t make it any more legitimate.

Karen Uhlenbeck

Article in NYT

RJLipton

Role of Ulama in Realizing Unity : Mufti Rafi Usmani Sahab DB

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4   Part 5

Part 1

(1) Speaking in Ebrahim College, refers to presence of some  Maulana trained in Darul Uloom (Karachi)

(2) Some people of Maulana Tahir-ul-Qadri too are present

(3) Muft Sahab praises this and starts a discourse on unity of Ummah.

(4) Cites the example of past differences over whether eating crow is allowed.

(5) Complains that more than Islam we have our sects and Masalik on our tongue.

(6) Though the Qur'an says that do not be divided.

(7) There were difference in past among Sahaba RA, Taba'aeen, Fuqaha, Muhaddiseen, Mutakallimeen and Sufees.

(8) This did not lead to depletion of mutual respect, honour, love.

(9) Today our mutual difference has turned into a dispute and enmity.

(10) Our enemies have added fuel to it though we may not realize it.

Part 2

(11) We are the followers of Rasoolallah SAW and Sahaba RA.

(12) And if we talk of Ulama of Deoband then it is not because we love Deoband.

(13) Deoband was an idol to worship.

(14) We love the Ulama of Deoband because they were proud their slavery to Rasoolallah SAW.

(15) I, my father, my grand father and many earlier generations are from Deoband and I used to write my name as Muhammed Rafi Deobandi and in enthusiasm even had it printed on letterhead.

(16) When my father handed over the Darul Uloom administration to me on the first day he instructed me not to use the Deobandi title.

(17) It smells of sectarianism.

(18) Khalifa of my father maulana Abdus Shakoor Tirmizi wrote a book Aqa-id-e-Ulama-e-Deoband and asked my father to critique it and write the foreword.

(19) My father asked to change the title for Deoband is not a new sect.

(20) Deoband means following the Sunnah of Rasoolallah SAW. The distinction of Ulama-e-Deoband was that they tried to revive even the smallest of Sunnah of Rasoolallah SAW.

(21) Their love and respect for Rasoolallah SAW was such that a scholar like Maulana Muhammed Qasim Sahab Nanotwi RA, whose knoledge was so deep that even today big scholars find it difficult to penetrate his books, was presented by some a pair of shoes of green colour. He refused to wear these for the colour of Green Dome was the same.

(22) Today Deoband has been made an idol.

(23) I have a speech that is published whose title is that the Maslak-e-Doband is not a sect but it means to follow Rasoolallah SAW.

(24) So there is no need to write a new book on the Aqa-id of Deoband. To know the Aqa-id of Deoband pick of Aqeedat-ut-Tahawi and Aqa-id-e-Nasabi and the like.

(25) Whatever is written there that is the Maslak of Deoband.

(26) They were proud of their slavery to Rasoolallah SAW and Sahaba RA and that is real thing to be proud of.

(27) Barbar of Maulana Rashid Ahmed Gangohi RA's barber visited Saharanpur. Maulana Khalil Ahmed Saharpuri RA was a Muhaddis of gigantic proportions who exegesis of Abu Daud is published even today in the Arab world and elsewhere.

(28) Maulana Khalil Ahmed Saharnpuri asked this barbar about the way Maulana Gangohi used to do a certain act of Sunnah.

(29) Today we have made Maslak an idol and do not attend each other's functions.

(30) Our family came to Pakistan eight months after partition and my father used to go in the car or taxy to the functions that fetched Barelwi and Shia scholars and everyone used to speak from the same stage.

(31) Same was true in India. After Partition Satan has divided us so much that we do not go to each other's functions and we have separate Masajid for Deobandi, Barelwi, Ahl-e-Hadith, Shia and Sunni. Not a single Masjid for Muslims.


Part 3


(32) Our Elders did not teach this. They taught that there is only one Deen. Deen dear to Allah SWT is Islam.

(33) Another confusion is that Islam is considered a Mazhab, religion. No where Qur'an calls Islam Mazhab, it calls it Deen.

(34) A few details about the distinction between Religion and Deen.

(35) Business, employment, judiciary, society, administration lie outside religion but not Deen.

(36) On duty in PIA flight and air hostess offers liquor.

(37) Hazrat Usman Ghani RA not doing reduced prayer while visiting Makkah though he was permanent resident of Madina and Hazrat Abullah Ibn Masa'ood praying behind Amir-ul-Mumineen in spite of difference of opinion so as not to create dissension.

(38) Anecdote of Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Masa'ood advising people to pray individual prayers when the Khateen of Ummayad administration missed Sunnah timings for making long speeches. To avoid controversy in open.

Part 4

(39) In Madina the current practice is to pray two units of Witr and then separately pray one unit. People asked me about this. I researched. I tell them that I pray behind the Imam of Harmain Sharifain.

(40) I also tell you silently that I do my personal revision later on. (But do not create open dissension.)

(41) That we follow Hanafi Fiqh does not mean that this a a distinction of Truth and Falsehood from other Fiqh.

(42) My father used to call this difference in the spirit of being right but with a chance of being wrong. Other Fiqh were not right but did have chance of being so.

(43) My father used to say that in those matters where Ijtihad is unavoidable no option is undesirable or excluded.

(44) These issues are rather important for the Ulama to remember.

(45) Ghair munkar par nakeer karna khud munkar hai. To criticize the noncritical is criticical.

(46) This visit to Britain has pained me due to divisions of Ummah.

(47) The same thing is there in Pakistan. Even then Ulama of different Masalik can come together to work together for common problems. This includes Wifaqs of different ideologies - Deobandi, Barelwi, Jama-at-e-Islami, Ahl-e-Hadith, Shia.

(48) Islamic Ideology Council was formed in the times of Ayyoob Khan. There differences there too but these people come together in critical issues.

(49) This is not a good omen that there are differences here. I have been told that there are even regional differences too.

(50) In 14 days I have spoken in various places Birmingham, Dewsbury, Nottingham, Sheffield and where you have.Youth has been meeting me. they want to act on Deen, to live a pious life. But our Maulwis do not want them to be pious.

(51) Even the Ulama have created a chaos of different opinion. Youth complains about it. They are asking questions, not out of criticism and mockery but out of genuine concerns and fear.

(52) Is this a service to Deen? Your youth is growing up in such confused atmosphere.

(53) The new generation wants to live and die like Muslims and want to know the Islamic way. What they find is is that while visiting a Mosque they come to hear allegations of Shirk on others and Kufr on others.

(54) My request to honourable scholars is to sit together and erase these disintegrating forces.

Part 5

(55) Need of the hour is to talk with wisdom.

(56) My respected father used to say that in the Ummat the number of points on which everybody agrees are so large and in the Ummah the deviations are so vast in numbers that you can spend a life time and these will not be exhaust. Yet we focus on differences and talk not of common interests.

(57) Ulama have the youth entangled in these issues of difference.

(58) One reason behind this is that at least in Pakistan the Imams are not real scholars.

(59) For example there is a Maulwi who has memorized the points about criticism and refutation of Barelwi Maslak. But he can not talk of any other issue.

(59) Among the Barelwis too there are people who specialize in criticizing Deoband and they do not take pains to prepare any other issues and topics.

(60) These Maulwis have memorized a few couplets and a few jokes and can not talk about anything else.

(61) These people are like Urdu poet Mir ChirkeeN (who used scatological references only).

(62) One popular couplet of ChirkeeN.

(63) I request you to have mercy upon the coming generations (and avoid differential issues). Give them positive and beautiful teachings of Islam, the teachings of moderation.

(64) Tell them about unity. Dua.

Top 10 Ways to Reduce Your Work Week

1. Reduce your work hours. Give yourself a set amount of time to work each day and each week, and stick to it. ...
2. Work from home. ...
3. Have set email or RSS times. ...
4. Become focused. ...
5. Set time boxes. ...
6. Do only the big tasks with big returns. ...
7. Outsource the rest. ...
8. Reduce your commitments.

Unsmart Actions

(1) Fine by Me

Don’t Seem Grammatically Challenged

Here we have an issue with casualness that leads to improper grammar.

What you mean when you say “fine by me” is that you're okay with whatever is being asked of you. While your meaning will more than likely translate, it can make you seem grammatically challenged as well as lazy. At the very least, say “fine with me,” which does less to offend the rules of the English language.
Even that, however, can come across as disengaged or uninterested. At best, it's a weak agreement. Finding a stronger way to indicate your agreement is well worth the effort.

(2) It is not my fault

Don’t Be Defensive

Nobody likes taking the blame for anything, whether it's their fault or not.

Criticism just doesn't fall comfortably on the ear. More likely than not, unfortunately, you will be criticized or blamed at some point in your career. When that happens, knowing how to respond can bring you away from that confrontation in better standing than when you entered it.
The key, whether or not you are actually at fault, is to not shift or avoid the blame. Even if the fault does not lie entirely with you, know that your superiors are likely aware of that. Don't focus on bringing awareness to the shortcomings of others, and don't try to excuse your role in whatever went wrong.
Instead, ensure your superiors know that you understand how you are at fault and where you went wrong, and how you will correct that issue in the future. That's all it takes to earn respect out of a misstep.

(3)  X said it

Don’t Shift Blame

This problem phrase usually follows the previous one. Blame shifting is never a good idea.

In explaining that you did something a certain way because another person told you to do it that way, you demonstrate a lack of independence and critical thinking. Your instructions should always come from your direct superior, or else theirs.
If someone else is telling you to do your work a certain way, it never hurts to check with your boss to be sure that's the way they want it done. If you're ever uncertain about particular instructions, ask for clarification. Do whatever it takes to ensure you don't find yourself in a blame-shifting situation later on.

(4) Does this look OK

Don’t Sound Weak

The problem with this phrase is that it's weak.

It's fine to have questions about an assignment, and it's fine to make sure the final product is up to snuff or that you're heading in the right direction. However, it's best to avoid sounding unsure of yourself while asking the questions you need to ask.
Instead, ask something like, “Is this what you're looking for?”
It will get you the same information, but the slight tweak in wording accomplishes two things: it sounds stronger, and it makes the question about them instead of you. You're no longer questioning what you've done, and are now asking about what they want.
It's subtle, to be sure, but fine lines are often what we walk in professional situations.

(5) Any absolute like 'Always'

Don’t Lock Your Position

Absolutes, like “never” and “always,” are rarely necessary and rarely helpful.

As modifiers to describe your habits, they add nothing and instead put your reputation on the line. Perfection is a myth, and nobody “always” does something a certain way. Tell your boss you “always” perform a task in a particular manner, and you become unreliable the first time you fail to do so.
By using absolutes, you set yourself up for failure. We all need some wiggle room in all aspects of our lives, and perhaps nowhere more so than in our professional lives. Make things a bit easier on yourself by avoiding absolutes when possible.

(6) 'Really" or "Very"

Don’t Be Vague

The problem with these most common of modifiers is that they don't add anything to a description and are unspecific.

For example, if you were to describe a computer as “very fast,” you haven't offered the other party to the conversation any real information. Why is it more than just “fast”? What makes it faster than a similar computer, and how much faster is it? What’s its speed analogous to, and how does that speed translate to performance?
“Very” and “really” can't answer any of these questions, and don't provide any information on their own. A more specific description will let the person you're talking to know that you understand the subject matter.
A demonstrably deeper understanding will leave an impression on your colleagues.

(7)  "Things" or "Stuff"

Don’t Be Vague, Part Two

These next two common words carry the same basic flaw as the previous two: they're unspecific.

They're also informal and unnecessary. If you're speaking to a potential customer and that person wants to know what services your company can provide, you might be tempted to answer by stating that your company can provide “things like...” Take out the “things like” and just tell the customer what your company can do. You work there. You should know.
Be an authority in your field. Take the time to learn your industry, your company and your products. Those who can show what they know will always go farther than those who can't.

(8) I am not sure when that will be done

Don’t Be Vague, Part Three

Timelines are important in a professional setting. Everything has a deadline, and not meeting those deadlines can be deadly for your career and the welfare of your company as a whole. When you're given a task, sometimes you'll be told when it needs to be done. However, sometimes your supervisor will ask you when you can have it done by.

Don't just respond by saying you don't know. Even if you aren't sure exactly how long the task will take to complete, give your best estimation. If your self-imposed deadline is approaching and you don't believe you'll be done in time, update your supervisor and tell them why it's taking longer than expected. They'll appreciate the job being done properly, even if it takes a bit longer, and the update will make you seem responsible and reliable.

(9) That is how we have always done it

Don’t Be Inflexible

This phrase is problematic in that same way as saying someone told you to do something a certain way. It demonstrates a lack of independence and critical thinking.

The fact that a process has been in place for a period of time doesn't mean it's the best way to do something. Innovation is good, and streamlining will always welcomed by any employer.
If you think you can find a better way to get your work done, do it. If you already have, tell your boss about it. Thinking outside the box to find new solutions will impress those you work with and will move you up promotion lists.

(10) Literally

 Don’t Use Unnecessary Words

Like “very” and “really,” using “literally” as a modifier adds nothing to a description. It's an unnecessary filler word. You should be literal when speaking in a business setting, unless you're obviously using hyperbole or an analogy to make a point.

The word “literally” has become a plague on the English language; it's overused, particularly in the wrong situations. Too often, it's either used when the user is not actually being literal, or is clearly being literal anyway.
Avoiding unnecessary words in your conversations will make it more enjoyable for people to listen to you speak. You want to be heard, so avoid words that could cause listeners to disengage.

(11)Uhh

Don’t Use Filler

This is the most common filler used in conversation, but it's best to avoid using it at all costs.

We all sometimes have to think about what we're going to say before we say it, or have to take a moment to conjure up information. It's better, however, to go into professional conversations prepared. Study the information you'll need so that your recall will be as instantaneous as possible and you eliminate the need to think about your answers.
Saying “uhh” will make it seem as though you don't know what you're talking about, and it also just sounds dumb. You might know everything there is to know about whatever you're talking about; however, if you hesitate or fill in dead space with a sound like “uhh,” your listeners will start to tune out.

(12) Can you do it my that time? No worries if you can't

Don’t Be a Pushover

We strive in our daily lives to avoid rubbing others the wrong way, and rigidity often does just that. Yet, while flexibility is nice, it's often unhelpful in a professional setting.

First of all, businesses run on deadlines. If something needs to be done by a certain time, it's a pretty big deal if the person responsible can't get it done by then. If you have to work with a partner or delegate work to coworker, let them know when their portion of the project must be completed by. It's up to them to find a way to get it done by that time.
This kind of phrase also makes you sound weak, and a bit like a pushover. Your coworkers or employees might think all they have to do to get out of doing something is say they don't have time. That will eat into your authority and the efficiency of your business.

(13) TGIF

Don’t Say What Everyone Already Knows

This fun, jokey saying, used at work, is wholly inappropriate. Everyone loves Friday, and everyone loves the weekend. There's no need to say so, particularly in the office.

You want your superiors and coworkers to think you aren't just there to earn a paycheck and then run out the door. You want them to think you want to be there, that you care about your job and that you like what you're doing.
Your work doesn't have to be your life, but it does have to be part of your life, and you should want your supervisors to think you want it to be part of your life.
Workers who don't have a demonstrable passion for what they do, or who display outward disdain for what they do, will find it remarkably hard to advance in their professional lives.

(14)  Actually

Don’t Be a Know-it-All

There will be times at work when you will be listening to a co-worker, and you'll hear them say something that you know to be incorrect. You'll want to correct them, and in most instances that's the correct course of action. Particularly at work, having the right information is critical.

At the same time, nobody likes a know-it-all. “Actually,” for some reason, is a particularly easy word to say in a patronizing or condescending tone. It's a word that leaves a bad taste in people's mouths. It makes others reluctant to interact with you, and that can only harm you at work.
There are other ways to introduce whatever information you want to convey. Phrases like, “I'd just like to add...” or “I don't mean to correct you, but...” are gentler ways to show what you know.

(15) I didn't think of that

Don’t Highlight Your Blind Spots

You aren't expected to think of everything when working on an assignment. You may try your best, but nobody is perfect. Everybody misses something or ignores a possible angle. At times, however, a supervisor may ask why you chose to complete an assignment in one way instead of another.

The truth may be that you simply didn't think of the other way to approach the assignment, and that's fine. You don't have to say that you didn't think of it, and you absolutely shouldn't. Saying that would make it seem as though you didn't think about the project at all.
Luckily, there's another truth, a much better one. Instead of admitting you didn't think of something, explain why you went about the project the way that you did, and why you believed that method would be sufficient. If your supervisor wants you to take a different route in the future, be sure to acknowledge that.

(16) Ask somebody else to do that

Don’t Defer

Unless you are absolutely unqualified, or don't have the requisite knowledge, or don't have time to complete the task you have been assigned without letting other tasks fall to the wayside, don't reject an assignment. You want to be the person you co-workers and supervisors rely on. You want to be dependable. You want to seem as though you care about your work.

If you have a very good reason for being unable complete the assignment adequately, absolutely say so. Your supervisor will appreciate that much more than a shoddy job done. However, if you can do something, then just do it.

(17)  That's not my job

Don’t Put Limits on Your Career

Every now and then, you might be asked to do something that doesn't exactly fall within your job description. However, that's no reason to turn your nose up at the task. If it's something your supervisor is asking you to do, it's likely important and it's likely something they feel comfortable trusting you with. You want to validate that trust and show that the things your supervisor finds important also matter to you.

Turning down an assignment puts a limit on your career. You'll seem less willing and less capable, and you won't earn that go-to reputation that makes one employee stand out from another. If the assignment is something you're capable of doing, then do it. You want to be reliable and flexible, and to be the person other people think of when something important needs to be done.

(18) This may not be feasible, but...

Don’t Be Negative

Never speak in negatives. If you're presenting a new idea at work, you want to make it sound as positive as possible. That will give others a positive impression of the idea right off the bat. Let your ideas speak for themselves.

Even if you aren't sure if your idea can work, simply present the idea without expressing that doubt. Let your supervisor decide if the idea can be put into action. Whether it can or can't, presenting new ideas will show that you are thinking about and engaged with your work. Presenting it without negatives attached will show confidence.

(19) No Problem

Don’t Hint at Issues

This isn't a bad one, but saying “No problem” in response to a request from a superior could give the impression that there was a chance it might have been a problem. If your boss asks you to do something, rarely should it ever be a problem. It should be something you're happy to do.

While eliminating this phrase won't make or break your career, a more positive response, like “I'd be happy to.” is simply more pleasant and will make you seem like a more positive person. Positivity is always a plus, and negativity never helps. Jump at any opportunity to be more positive.

(20)  There is nothing I can do

Don’t Tell People What You Can’t Do

Some tasks actually are impossible and some problems actually are unfixable, but that's not the point. You never want to tell people what you can't do. That will put limits on what can be expected of you. Promotions are given to those who can, not to those who can't.

If you're asked to do something you've tried and failed to do once before, work in a positive response. Offer to try again. Talk about what you can do. Discuss what is possible. Even if there are certain things you are incapable of, make sure people remember what you are capable of.

(21) Does that make sense

Don’t Project a Lack of Confidence

Confidence is the key to just about everything. The goal is to appear confident in your work, but your words can seriously hamper your pursuit of that goal. This phrase can make it seem as though you feel you aren't making sense when explaining things. That, in turn, can make it seem as though you aren't confident in your understanding of your work.

You certainly will encounter times when you need to offer further explanation, but there are positive ways to create the opportunity for that. Phrases like “What are your thoughts?” and “Do you have any questions?” allow the person you are speaking with to get any clarification they might need and to get more involved in the topic or task at hand. You avoid doubting yourself and engage your audience. That's a win-win.

(22) Cliche

Don’t Elicit Eye-Rolls By the Dozen

These phrases permeate our language and or daily conversations, but they're rarely useful. Particularly in a business setting, where clarity can impact productivity and, therefore, profits, Beating around the bush is a waste of time and energy.

Avoid clichés and just say what you're trying to say. People appreciate directness. Plus, clichés are lame. They elicit eye-rolls by the dozen. Be the person people like listening to, not the one they dread hearing from. Clichés are disengaging, and you want people engaged when you speak.
You want to be memorable, not forgotten. Upgrade your lexicon by dumping tired clichés.

(23) It is all good

Do not be casual

Once again, with this phrase we encounter an issue of casualness.
In the right context and said with the right tone, it can be a friendly, amiable way to show off a relaxed personality. Around your superiors in the workplace, however, it's not the best choice.
Office situations can get tense or stressful. A better way to diffuse those feelings, rather than with an overly casual phrase, is simply through body language. Poise and a confident “aura” can do more to bring a sense of calm and confidence to the office than any word. Those around you will notice if you exude cool when others might panic.

Langlands and All That

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Perimeter Institute Article on Langlands