Jum'ah Journal- Not necessarily political

EACH BREATH THAT ONE TAKES IS A STEP TOWARD ONE"S DESTINY (Ali IBn-Abi Taalib RA)
From Abi Shuraih-al-Khuza'ei, that the prophet PBUH said'
"Whoever believes in God and the last day so he should treat his neighbor with kindness and favor
and whoever believes in God and the last day should be generous and respectful to his guest
and whoever believes in God and the last day, should say something good or (else) keep quiet."

Well the 'Bollinger broughaha' is about over on Ahmedinijad but the advice of the prophet is very fitting for the president of Columbia university.
I am a North Carolinian and have always been proud of the Hospitality traditions of the 'south'. I hope the students of the university have not learnt unworthy things from their President.
O! I dont think President Ahmedinijad did a vey good thing to say about the Holocast or about Israel. His both statements do not suit the president of a Soverign Nation (in my humble opinion) but the criticism on that has also become somewhat childish. Maybe the last part of the prophet's advice is good for him too.

First Anniversary of my blog

MY blog says August of 06 was the day but reading it one will find that my first attempt successfully writing and publishing my blog was actually on 25th of september.
When writing this morning I forgot to mention that and since in the blogoshphere it seems to be a rawaj so I thought it may not be out of date or time
Apnay blog ki pehli salgrah.
'Kis qadar jaldi guzer jaatay hain apnay maah-o- saal'

Prohibition II

An incident is related in the books of hadeeth/ Seerah (Will get you reference later or if you have it please tell). There was one sahabi who used to drink and came into the company of sahaba with the prophet PBUH while 'drunk'. Sahaba started to scold him and made derogatory remarks for obvious reasons. The prophet stopped them and said something like, "Dont do that to him, he loves Allah and his prophet". Imagine the situation and now think how we treat the alcoholics or think about them. ADVICE FOR PHYSICIANS. Physicians see drunks in the ER often with one problem or the other. Physician should have a 'sympathetic attitude' for the drunk because he is a patient even if he is garrulous (Not unusual) and rude. The attitude of the physician can be 'dangerous' because the drunk is unable to tell you he has headache or chest pain etc. My advice is based on my own experience as I did not realize the importance of my 'attitude' until I bacame a neurologist. EACH BREATH THAT ONE TAKES IS A STEP TOWARD ONE"S DESTINY (Ali IBn-Abi Taalib RA)

Step-by-step prohibition

Chapter 16, Verse 67 (Al-Qur'an) "And from the fruits of datepalm and the vine, ye get out STRONG DRINK and WHOLESOME FOOD; behold in this there is a sign for those who are wise." Ch. II, Verse 219, "They ask thee concerning wine and gambling, say, "in them there is sin and some profit but the sin is greater than profit" Ch.IV, Verse 43 "O ye who believe, approach not prayers in a state of intoxication, until ye understand what ye say......" Ch. V, Verse 90: "O ye who believe, intoxicants and gambling, sacrificing to stones and divination by arrows are an abomination of satan's handiwork, eschew such abomination that ye may prosper." Leaving the gambling and sacrifice etc. and talking only of "intoxicants" (any drug including alcohol that alters mind in such a way that there is delirium and confusion) here is prohibition of alcohol step by step by the Almighty, the Wise First placing two types of preparations from dates and grapes: one "intoxicant" and other called wholesome food (healthy and nonhealthy). Allama Asad has given the translation better "...........intixcants as well as wholesome sustenance"......" Next two ayat (given in the above order) may have been sent down later but the last one was final, the command, stay away from it and the Muslims of Madina immediately followed the Hukm.. There was time interval of 10 years between the first(in the order given above) and the last (given above) The Almighty knew that it is not easy to give up drinking suddenly and also one can get deathly sick (may even die) on sudden withdrawal from alcohol (Physicians know that)

 EACH BREATH THAT ONE TAKES IS A STEP TOWARD ONE"S DESTINY (Ali IBn-Abi Taalib RA)

Mankind- IV---"one"

Qur'an, Ch. II, verse 213, opens:
"Mankind was one single nation and God sent messengers with glad tidings and warnings and with them He sent the Book in truth......."
The book and the messengers were sent for teaching and guidance. All were teaching the same message, "To believe in God", so the life was supposed to be followed according to those teachings.
Some hold that religion developed in the (Darwinian) evolutionary way. Human beings, after making a big jump from monkeys, started thinking they should have respect and adulation (worship) of all the big and beautiful and useful things around them and gradually came to a conclusion there should be a god who would be the creator of everything (So man 'created' a god for explanation of the evolutionary theory?). Well we are scientifically backward and think God started the whole thing and not the other way round. We think even Evolution is His creation.
Differences in the "teachings" were developed by men themselves that God will clear-up on the day of resurrection.



EACH BREATH THAT ONE TAKES IS A STEP TOWARD ONE"S DESTINY (Ali Ibn-Abi Taalib RA)

Mankind III-man and woman

"And of His signs is this that He created for you, your wives from your own species that you may find peace with them and created love and mercy between you. Surely in this there are many signs for those who reflect". (Chapter 30, Verse 21)
"Find peace with them" or (better wording) "dwell in tranquility with them"
My italics are the main point I wish to emphasize. the creator has put that love and mercy (this word is a poor and less expressive for the Arabic word "Rahmah". This is His deliberate design---the intense attraction a man feels towards woman and a woman towards a man (go beyond and further than sex) is purposeful. There are two words used not one, both are equal essential ingredients (love by itself is insufficient and 'mercy' by itself is insufficient to complete the purpose, both spouses therefore need to 'reflect'.
I promise I'll write more on this subject after Ramadan.

Mankind II

"And of His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth and the difference of your tongues and colors. Surely in this there are many signs for the learned." (Chapter 31, Verse 22)
Italics and bold letters are my option.
Only a creator can say things like this. After all what is color, just a mixture and distribution of pigment in the skin and we all have the same mouth, tongue, teeth, gutters and nasal cavities which we use for producing meaningful sounds and the 'meaningfulness' varies from place to place. Anthroplogists and linguists would go to extreme lengths for explanations.
Incidentally, I have often wondered at the similarity of
EARTH (English) and Eardh (Arabic). Did this English word come from Hebrew? (I am no 'epistemologist')

EACH BREATH THAT ONE TAKES IS A STEP TOWARD ONE"S DESTINY (Ali IBn-Abi Taalib RA)

Mankind

"O! mankind, We created you from one man and one woman and then divided you into nations and tribes so that you recognise one-another. Indeed the most honorable in the eyes of God is he who is most pious of you. Surely God is all-knowing, all-wise." (Verse 13, Chapter 49th)

In addition , the prophet's last Khutbah has words meaning,something like this "No Arab has superiority over non-Arab and no non-Arab has superiority over an Arab" (This is not exact quote).
The meanings are self-evident of the truth that shines.

EACH BREATH THAT ONE TAKES IS A STEP TOWARD ONE"S DESTINY (Ali IBn-Abi Taalib RA)

The Scriptures III

Not a very clear pic., but this is an image of the original writing in "Koofi"mode of writing taken from the "Tashkent copy" (On the right is given the same writing in modern mode of writing). The Qur'an written down for the second (Copied from the first ever written Qur'an preserved with Hafsah RA-the wife of the prophet PBUH) and "official" time during Khilafah of Uthman RA within 15-20 years of the death of the prophet PBUH. Many of you are familiar with the above document but this is just to indicate ALL the Qur'ans written or printed anywhere in the world subsequently MUST conform to this writing (In addition to the verbal preservation in the form of Huffazd -Plural of Hafizd- those who put the whole Qur'an to memory, better than mechanical recording). Hafizd means guardian, the reason why every copy of Qur'an is certified by a Hafizd to be correct. Actual preservation therefore is sonic (the sounds which the Hafizd must learn to produce with his mouth tongue and gutters, even if he does not understand the meaning or significance of the sound)
There is no other Scripture preserved like this IN ITS ORIGINAL FORM.
Real Guardian is God Himself who makes His promise, "We have, without doubt sent down this message; and We will assuredly guard it" ChapterXV, Verse 9.

The Scripture II

"And We caused Jesus, the son of Mary, to follow in the footsteps of those (earlier prophets), confirming the truth of whatever there still remained of the Torah; and We vouchsafed unto him the Gospel, wherein there was guidance and light (Noor), confirming the truth of whatever still remained of the Torah and as a guidance and admonition unto the God-conscious." ChapterV, verse 46 of the Qur'an.
There is clear evidence of the previous two Books revealed to people for the same purpose.
As Injeel was "confirming" whatever was in the Torah, likewise, the Qur'an is confirming whatever was in Injeel/Gospel and in Taurat/Torah.
The Author of all these Scriptures is the same God and what He wants is the same from the people to whom he reveales these instructions (Guidance and Light). Instead of following the truth the people whatever they call themselves, Christians or Jews or Muslims, they fight with eachother and between themselves, each one of them believing they are "on the right".
Should't we try to understand the spirit of the Scripture?

EACH BREATH THAT ONE TAKES IS A STEP TOWARD ONE"S DESTINY (Ali IBn-Abi Taalib RA)

The Scripture

"This is the BOOK. In it is guidance sure without doubt , to those who are God-fearing." (Qur'an Chapter II, verse 2nd, and another Verse (29) from Chapter XXXVIII
"(Here is ) a BOOK which We have sent down unto thee full of blessings, that they may meditate on its signs and that men of understanding may recieve admonition"

God has 'sent down' Books for man to guide him to a life pleasing to God (so that he refrains from doing things that may incur His displeasure and anger)
That is the main purpose for revealing the scriptures throughout man's history, so the Qur'an is revealed for:
1. Guidance for mankind (those who believe in Him and fear His displeasure)
2. Full of blessings (for those who read it, understand it, follow it and apply its instruction in their lives, like a 'road-map' get the true blessings of God)
3. Ponder over its verses (so that you undersatnd this 'road-map' correctly)
4.Those who do understand, recieve admonition.
If the 'road-map' is read and understood but not applied (for guidance), purpose is not served.

EACH BREATH THAT ONE TAKES IS A STEP TOWARD ONE"S DESTINY (Ali IBn-Abi Taalib RA)

Muslim Concept of God

There are many verses of the Qur'an making us understand something of God's person, but undoubtedly the most revealing one is the one known as "Ayat-ul-Kursi".
Muslims (should) recite it after every Salat and it said (Saying of the prophet PBUH) to be the greatest of all the ayaat (Azim, Buzurg), recitation of which helps in healing and helps to keep Satan away.
Not exactly translating it but it has ten statements as given under:
1. God, there is no other deity beside him
2. He is Everlasting Himself as well as helps (supports, maintains) the whole universe
3.He does not feel slumber or sleep (These are purely human 'weaknesses')
4. He is the 'owner' of everything in the heavens and earth (including them)
5.No one has the capability of interceding with Him except whom He will give such leave.
6. He has all the knowledge of what has gone on before and what is to come in future
7. Nobody can comprehend anything of His knowledge except what He pleases to reveal
8.His authority (Soverignty, Dominion, mastery, Jurisdiction) spreads all over the Earth and the Heavens.
9. Guarding these does not weary Him
10. He alone is Supreme and the Exhalted

This verse is the most commonly written/decorated verse out of the whole Noble Qur'an.