Jumáh Journal--Diseases of the Heart

When the second campaign of Bush (43) started, I remember some words of Al Gore (although he was not running at that time) His words "Power and Greed".
Most Muslims are familiar with the 10th aya of second sura (Al-Baqara)
"In their hearts is a disease and God has increased their disease......"
God Almighty is referring to (Munafiqoon) the type of people who did not believe in Islam although they called themselves Muslims .(Probable English equivalent would be hypocracy)
Hamza Yusuf has translated a book by Imam Mawlud, "Matharat-alQulub" in English (Purification of the Heart) given in that book more than just hypocracy; some are:
hatred
iniquity
wantonness
love of this world
ostentation displeasure with the divine decree
vanity
boasting and arrogance
obliviousness to the blessings
(I have only chosen some not all the ones given in the book)
The root of all diseases is mentioned
Love of the temporal world and covetousness (Tamá) or greed.
Then of course some "treatment" has been offered for us bythe learned writer, evidently a soofi writing and I am not a soofi
Nevertheless the instruction is very useful and helpful for those who wish to "purify" their hearts.
Today's world we see this root of all diseases being the motivation for all the arrogance and War and the resultant misery of the human beings.
"Power and Greed"
No wonder soofis are more effective in "spreading"the word of God" and why "Roomi" is so popular in America.

Sunday Surkhi-iDoc- A walking miracle

I was reminded of a patient of mine today and I shall be very brief. He was admitted with peripheral neuropathy under my care (1973-4) while I was new out of my Residency and still talked with my chief (who was an old expert on neuropathy). He responded to correcting his BUN level and supportive therapy for neuropathy and quickly responded, discharged for F/up. His BUN was around 30 and he managed OK with that Past-- He had nephrectomy 1931(dont remember which side) and his Urologist(was still alive) I talked with on phone guided me to help maintain him. His only remaining Kidney was full of pockets of infected material and there was a stag-horn calculus in the pelvis. From time to time (he would not stop playing Golf, but being a nurse in his younger days he had learnt to control his electrolyte and fluid balance with that kind of BUN) he would come to ER with hematuria. His wife also had calculi in her both kidneys (may be that was there reason for love?). Whenever he would come to ER with hematuria and mild fever he would insist he wanted to be seen by me and the ER physician would tell him, "No no he is neurologist, you need a Urologist" but the patient would win. I looked after that patient despite my specialty because he had confidence in me. He saw two urologists and both declared him "terminal" and would start drastic measures against his wishes, so he had no choice but to stick with me. The regimen his original Urologist had given me was keeping him functioning and enjoying life. Then his wife had a stoke and died (I am cutting the story short). He met his old school sweetheart and got married and told me he is moving to Florida. Next thing I remember he came back after a year in my office with a dialysis schedule, and told me in no uncertain terms he wants to get rid of these procedures. I was always amazed at the fact that he really lived on a tiny hypertrophied piece of kidny left over, and told him he was a walking miracle. Anyway, I helped him and slowly took him off dialysis and to my further amazement he was back to his previous self, without dialysis. As time passed however he started getting worse and died with a stroke. All in all I looked after him of roughly for about ten years. This is nothing against the urologists but they failed to see his compensated renal function, not good but enough to enable him a bit enjoyment of life. There was nothing special about my treatment which was guided by his original urologist anyway but that is what I was saying about "doctoring", the important thing whether you are a physician or surgeon.

Jumáh Journal-Trial of the Muslim Ummah

After all the gunning and bombing of Ghazza it seems some quiet has finally started.
"Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or fruits (of your toil)......" (Aya 155 of sura Baqara)
This test and trial is still continuing.
Let us see now who has benefited?
Undoubtedly Israel.
Hamas remains the looser, Palestinians remain the looser, Muslims remain the looser.
Who has lost more lives? Palestinians
Who has been exposed as "terrorist"? Palestinians
Has any country that called Hamas terrorists changed their thinking?
Many countries have condemned Israel that they" overdid in their defense" ( actually it is tacit approval) in fact justifying Israel's right to defend.
as any country talked about rights of the Palestinians? No, none of those which really matter.
Has the world come to know who was the real perpetrator? No, they all blame Hamas
has the world been educated now what has been the problem of Ghazza people how they were being starved, being given the less than worth living life by the Israel's check posts, that the food and other supplies for the 1.5 million people was reduced to 20%. (President J. Carter's)
I have all the sympathies and keep listening to news about Ghazza but I still do not know how much they were suffering during "cease-fire"
Israel, it seems wanted to have fun giving a good bashing to the palestinians before Bush and company disappear and they have done that admirably, their last bombs were just before Obama's inauguration. I can clearly see now why they started on 4th of November to excite the Hamas and Hamas as usual fell prey to the trap and started their stone throwing.
How long now before any attempts are made to rebuild the ifrastructures for Ghazza.
Right now lot of Muslim physicians are heading towards Ghazza to help save those lives that are left over in bad shapes. May Allah help those surgeons and physicians and reward them richly in this world and the hereafter.

Let Freedom Ring

This has been Obama Day without any exaggeration or doubt.
My take from the inauguration proceedings:
To tell you the truth I feel I am tasting the freedom from "slavery" (ghulami) for the first time. No doubt that emancipation from racialism has been the theme all day and in all probability will continue for some time, but for me it feels as if the "White Superiority" has just been eclipsed by Baarak Hussain Obama. I feel that even though the English left us in 1947 (Partition of India) but I (and perhaps a lot of Pakistani leaders if not all) have been afflicted with "mental slavery"(zehni ghulami aur ghulamana zehniyat) uptil now and Obama has been instrumental to bring me out of it today. I feel really free at last, my brain has finally, it seeme, yanked off its colonialism cloak. I clearly remember when I first arrived inEngland from Pakistan and talked with the English "consultants" (whether in my interviews for a junior hospital job or during my work) how much I was overawed by the white skin and the language. It did take me a long time before I acquired some self confidence. ( I am somewhat ashamed of admitting my weakness; it is human after all and I grew up under the British Raaj)
That was one awesome speech of the 44th president of the USA and even though media keep emphasizing on "We will defeat you" but his eloquence was more detectable when he said, " we will extend our hand to all as long as they would open their fist".
Likwewise in the benediction you noticed saying, " the tanks would be replaced by tractors" or something like that.
There is a feeling of change of the attitude which may trickle down from the "brass" to the "bottom" and I do hope and pray for that, because that is what will bring the whole world the sorely needed peace, tractors, not the tanks. America is a great country not because of its affluent habbits, not for its fire power, not for its proud possessions but because of the fortitude and fearless struggling bent of its people. Just look at the milestones of these people only in the twentieth century.

Sunday Surkhi-Educating Muslim women

There is some news about what Taliban of Swat Valley say that
They will destroy the girl's schools and the Muslim girls. (Quoting someone named Maulana Fadlullah)

I am amazed at the Maulana's concepts of educating women in Islam and then also at the harsh and cruel punishment he imposes in his brand of Islam, May Allah forgive me for saying "Brand of Islam" (for there are no brands in Islam).
But such maulanas, now a days easily get away with these things as they have become so bold since Americans taught them bombing and shooting during Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. They won but they have given the training to wrong hands and we are suffering Pakistani as well as Afghani, in fact the whole world of Muslims is seeing the consequences while non-Muslims are laughing and enjoying.
Is this a punishment from Allah SWT? It is not just Taaliban (who are more Talib--seeker-- of bombing than of knowledge) or Al-Qaida who are totally "bay Qaidah" but those who we always knew as "simple Muslims" because they were so extreme in their understanding of Islamic principles. What I know of these people, long before they were approached by Soviet, they will shoot a person in their territory if he was found smoking during Ramadan and then may ask whether he was a Muslim.
Current timings in fact indicate much more necessity of educating Muslim women than the men because Muslim men have been a failure as I see it, to advance knowledge of the humanity and bring peace (May be , you might think, I am exaggerating in desparation or exasperation, but there is some grain of truth in it)
If our mothers have the right knowledge of Islam they will start 'producing' the real Islamic scholars who are so sorely needed. Rasoolullah SAWS has taught us, in his beautiful and inspired prayers such words that
O Allah I ask thee (to give me) knowledge that is useful......
That is so meaningful.

Jumáh Journal-Temptation

These days there is a lot of exposition of and reflections on Armageddon, the biblical story of the final battle between the good and evil (and the scene is located in Yeroshalem area)
No, I am not commenting on the Ghazza battle though it can very well be a precursor of such well-predicted event.
They reveal the battle between good (equivalent to God) and evil (equivalent to Satan).
Firstly Satan (at least according to Islamic understanding) was himself created by God, so it appears rather peculiar that Satan who has been given the powers he possesses, by God, will "fight" God. That may be Christian version because they believe Jesus PBUH to be God also, in addition to being His Son.
Most peculiar however in that belief is that Satan makes his attempt at TEMPTING him (I am sure you have all heard about this when the movie came out about this temptation).
Can God be tempted? If so then how can he NOT be human?
That leads to the dual nature, Jesus was human as well as divine, the arguments goes on and then the third dimension "holy Ghost" comes in. Well, it is true that we as Muslims cannot understand it
Well there are so many other things about Jesus PBUH which are clearly human and cannot be continued to be explained on the basis of " His way of teaching human beings how to be good human."
The Qurán is clear about why and who should be the messenger, apostle, prophet of God, to the human beings:

"Say, if there were settled, on earth angels walking about in peace and quiet, We should certainly have sent them down from the heavens an angel for an apostle" S. 17th Bani Israel, Aya 95, Yusuf Ali's Translation of the Qurán

Sunday Surkhi--Rally for Palestinians

(I thank my daughter Ayesha for the picture) I did not know anything about Israel in 1948-49. All I knew that the students in Islamia college planned a big rally in Lahore, the "city of Colleges" and of course many other college students joined in this rally (the picture is not from 1949).

    I was a teen-ager full of enthusiasm and zeal about Islam and Muslims as the partition effect of India and the "Pakistan Ka matlab kia, La ilaha illallah" and "Pakistan zindabad" type of slogans were still echoing in my ears, so I joined the crowd. I remember going to the Governer House having walked all the way on The Mall. Somebody was sitting on the shoulders of another friend and making a speech at the top of his voice in favor of Falasteeni Muslims. I dont remember much else but it was a big crowd and I was still in awe of the "Governer House" the seat of the British Governers, feeling somewhat guilty for it was a "no no place" for us, the commoners. I was happy to be a part of the demonstration (which was against the establishment of Israel, I know now) And now I see my children and grandchildren are in the rally in favor of Falateeni Muslims. I wonder how many generations will have to do that before something will be done to settle them in their home.

Going to Kakrali school and Ankylostoma

On our way to Kakrali there was one main water creek (Kassi in Panjabi) with plenty of water running during rainy (monsoon) season. That was may be about two furlongs from our village so during rains we would go out and enjoy the natural shower without our shoes.
1947 Xmas holidays my brother (Bhaijan Meraj merhoom who was in his final year MBBS in Lahore) came and one look and told me, "You have Hook worms" and advised me to send my stools specimen with him for confirmation of diagnosis. I was impressed, Wow!! he must have inherited something from Father (Hakeem M Chiaghuddin merhoom whom I thought had some God-given gift for diagnosing and treating patients-- he was Hakim Ajmal khan's student having qualified in 1900 from Tibbia College Dehli).
To cut the story short, he was right and next month I went to Lahore (my first trip to this most remarkable city about which in our village it was said (and I believed it), " jinnay Lhore nayin wekhiya oh jammiya-ee nain" (whoever has not seen Lahore he is not even born). I stayed in the Hostel (Broom Hostel) with him, more about that my first visit to that city on some other occasion.
I was admitted overnight to The Mayo Hospital, medical ward (In which I myself became the "house Physician"10 years later) and given the classical anthelmintics (CCl4 and tetrachloethylene), passed the Ankylostoma Duodenale parasites with purgatives and discharged the next day (my first experience with a Hospital,, will have to write separately about that; Boy! what a smell it was and was I glad to get out of that ward).
Anyway! I realised then and also much later what was so easy to diagnose. That is another interesting story and that is not all I have to say about this Ankylostoma.
Panjabi village life is open air everything (or at least it used to be then). Except for winter which is short-lived, people usually live an outdoor life as most of the villages if not all are surrounded by small and large pieces of land for tilling and a variety of crops. Our area is no different (or it was not until the new businesses and banks and markets invaded us). We sleep outside or on top of roofs, out in the open; have tandoors fixed out side of homes as well as inside for cooking "roti" (also referred to as "top" in Panjabi). Large (front) yards make space for the animals like cows buffaloes and donkeys used for various daily jobs and of course dogs. Cots are therefore near these animals laid out etc. etc. The important thing is, no lavatories inside the houses. Yes "that " was also outside business. The importance and its relation to Ankylostoma becomes obvious now.
When I was new in my village I learned that many children were pale (Panjabi equal is "Phussay" and the palor was called Bhuss or Phuss--the panjabi pronunciation cannot be demonstrated in letters Iám afraid). All these children were fond of eating "Mitti" or "Chikni mitti" or "Pocha" (Medical student will recall one of the symptoms of hookworms infestation was "geophagy"). They were addicted to eating mitti or pocha.
You can now construct the whole etiopathological sequence of how I got that hookworm infestation. I recalled my "ground-itch" with which I suffered during those days of "natural showers" naturel lavatory out in the open)(and of course everybody using the  and I vividly recall the intense urge to eat pocha or mitti when I was in the village. You have to believe it, yes sir /madam,I did.
For nonmedical readers, briefly this is how it happens
Ova or cysts are passed in the stools and they find a human foot somehow (rainy season) and attach themselves to burrow in the skin of dorsum of foot (I had in between my big toe and second toe) which causes intense itching swelling and redness, heals up in a couple of days (and forgotten). The Ovum from the cyst finds it way into the blood circulation, (larva develops in   wet grounds where a carrier has passed stools containing cysts) and gets out into lungs and coughed and swallowed into the stomach, passes into the duodenum and attaches itself to the mucosa, becoming adult parasite (both male and female worms. They live happily ever after, sucking blood (Little Draculas) which is their food, thus depriving the poor patient of the redness).I was pale and had puffy face which is so typical of this infestation. My Hb. was 44% and yes I suffered palpitation I remember still vividly
Now you see it is easy to diagnose.
One more thing. Ankylotomaisis was one full question in the paper of Medicine when I sat my final MBBS (Thanks Ankylostoma, I owe you one)

Jumáh Journal--Qurán Khwani and Dua maghfirat

You will recall that on 27th December (When Ghazza bombing started) Pakistanis were "doing their thing" on the first anniversary of Benazir's assasination, May Allah forgive her.
There was Qurán Khwani and Fateha, the usual cultural cum religious observation for such occasions.
There is no doubt that the "thawab" of some good deeds can be, by prayer, "assigned" to a departed soul and that forms the basis of this act. The grieved family/person is the one doing this (he/she is the one who is hurt) and so it is understandable, but asking a hafiz or person who may not even know the "marhoom" to recite Qurán, is that reasonable?
The professionals (like Hafiz saheb or Mullaji etc. who is only interested in the food afterwards), in my opinion have no place unless they are genuinely affected by the loss, the passing soul was a friend or well-known etc.
Friends, yes and family yes.
The next problem is "Khatam"
There is no doubt that after finishing Qurán a dua has more chances of being "answered" by Allah SWT, so The Qurán should be recited. But 15 or 20 people read it by parts, each person recites may be one or two Juz, right? The whole Qurán is not recited by one person.
So the Khatam is considered to be "collective". Some would "give" after reciting to one designated person who after "recieving" the total Qurán, then makes dua for the thawab to be sent to the departed soul.
May be Allah accepts it that way or He, Jalla Jalalahu may accept dua anyway.
To me it has always posed the problem of"is it reasonable"?
Now, in India Hindus have their clergy (Mahant or pandit) who recites "shabd" because others do not know (and they are just as much fond of sweets)
It is quite possible that Muslims did the same thing (learning from Hinhus?) especially when they (at least in some cases) did not know how to recite Qurán (Forgive me to say so but many Muslims in fact do have that problem). This is purely my "conjecture" so please do not quote me. These are things happening here in the West also and so I look at these things with a more critical attitude.
I am sure many Ulama have written a lot about these things and quoted ahadeeth, I have not quoted anything. I am just mentioning what I have seen and made (good or bad) observation.
Many Arabs specially Shafei or Hanbali are amazed at this "Qurán Khwani" and in some masajid object to this process thereby hurting the feelings of Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshis. I am not sure if that is called for but I am sure you are all aware of these happenings in every major town in America. I personally see no harm in that, and many people now just recite Qurán get together and thus "join" collectively for "Tázia" and people (usually friends of the family) bring food so the "host" does not have to cook etc.. I feel this is very appropriate, so I do not "öbject" to Qurán Khwani.
Personally I see this as a means of "sharing" the grief and of course making dua-e-maghfirat, which is the uncontested right thing to do.

Frozen Images of Mind- Kakrali School friends.

Selected Friends and classmates
Khudadad
Intelligent somewhat sickly man with "wahabi" teachings, was from my village Last I met him in London after he had surgery for his brain tumor, was full of praise for the surgeons. Died soon after that.
Rahmatullah
Intelligent but somewhat conniving, spent a lot of time during my last year in school stalking me, opposing me and generally creating unpleasant situations for me but never did any bodily harm. I would have liked him to apologize to me before parting from the school.
Shafi (Tailly)
from my nearby village and not so intelligent depended on my help for understanding many things as his father's shop was in our neighborhood, so he would sometimes spend some time with me in the evening when he could for studies.
Manzoor
Son of our local Veterinary Doctor, also needed my help and respected me for that. Once I got sick with fever so our teacher told him to take me home (about a mile from school) and he literally brought me home on his back all the way (I was little, his interest was that he got away from school and class)
Mian Sadiq
Barely passed his Matriculation and joined air force  (PAF) and I met him in Lahore afterwards when he was posted there and I was in College. He helped me to travel in air force freighter plane from Pindi to Lahore when I needed to go there for admission to medical college. There were no trains or buses going because of floods.
I did not have a longer lasting relationship with any of these classmates or friends as they were all older than me. So I had friends who were in lower classes (2-3 yrs lower)
Bashir Marhoom
My best friend whom I loved very much and remained in contact with him even after he too graduated from KE medical college after me until I learnt one day of his death in Pindi from Coronary heart disease.
Ramzan (also called Jaan)
Still in our Village and my neighbor. he spent many years outside Pakistan, Ceylone, S. Arabia mostly trucking or such jobs.
Let me limit my friends to the last two and go back to the school before coming back to say more about them

Kakrali School was "Dt. Board Middle School" when I joined in 1944. I am reposting from my past ones)

Thursday, March 15, 2007

The School I graduated TWICE from

There was a definite change in climate, people, language etc. when I came to Kotla in 1944. I was enrolled in Kakrali school in 7th class. (Kotla is more important than you think. I found its name in Google Earth, believe it or not north west of Gujrat.)
DB Middle School Kakrali (District Board) was an inverted U shaped building where I joined in the 7th class. So I knew I'll graduate after two years and I did.
Anecdotal stories of these two years.
Hot Punjabi summers can be dangerous for a youngster like me. School timings were 8 am to 2 pm. Returning home at 2 pm from Kakrali was too dangerous so my mother, concerned about "loo" (heat stroke or sun stroke) found a far relation of hers in Kakrali to keep me till the scorching heat cooled down a bit. I spent afternoons in Massi's home during that summer no matter how much I wanted to go home (It took me about three or four months before I could speak or understand Panjabi) being home sick. On the other hand "Massi" was so sweet and kind to me, giving me "lassi piyala" to drink and may be some roti(always real tandoori one) with butter (white fresh Makkhan) and 'shakkar' (Not cheeni) which was actually real organic brown sugar (Different from the crystalized brown sugar sold in the grocery stores) and made me lie down on 'manji' (cot) in the inner room (away from the sun) with a hand-fan. (You could'nt ask for more comfort and luxury, but I was'nt fond of afternoon siesta).
I was familiar with the punitive exercises prevalent in India which I breifly mentioned (My first school) previously, like holding by the ears, or squeezing and twisting earlobules with or without a pebble, and making one stand for x number of hours or minutes etc. There was one to become "Murgha" which was, in my estimation, the limit of punishment and humiliation. So when "Malak saab" (our seventh class teacher) asked the standing boys , "chalo, kann pharr laow" (Go ahead hold your ears) I did not understand because I saw all of them "becoming Murgha" (in my terminology). I was totally un-prepared for the next step. Before telling you the step, keep in mind the boy who answered the history question correctly was next to me (lucky for me for history was my weakest subject) and before him were the 'standing boys'. What was happening to my heart and skin and lips is just physiological.
Anyway the next order "Malak horein" gave was to the boy with the correct answer, "Litter chuck lay" (Pick up a shoe) and then to the boys in 'murgha' state, "oochi karo" (lift up your tashreefs). The boys like trained individuals carried out faithfully and completely every order and after each boy was treated with the 'litter' would sit back down as if nothing extra-ordinary had happened. As for me, I cant describe my condition it was just close to being dead.
Punjab has been majority Muslim, so one day Head master summoned me in his office and asked me, "namaz aati hay?" (Have you memorized Namaz?)I proudly declared, "yes sir." he said, "phir bhool jaao" (then forget it). I was dumb-founded and speechless. Reckoning my predicament he quietly admonished, "Naheen bholani to parrha karo" (If you dont want to forget then you should do it regularly). A lesson taught in the most effetive way.
'Maulvi saab' (Master Ahmed Din) lived in Sahontra, another closeby village and was our regular teacher. For night classes(see below) we would be either in Sahontra or in Kakrali. Head master changed in 1945, to a Qureshi saheb who wore coat and pant which was, in a village, extremely modern dress almost outlandish. Maulvi saheb wanted all students (Muslim) to have complete haircut ("tind") because he felt that regular haircut of 'modern' type was "Angraizi boday" (English haircut) and therefore 'haram'. Master Qureshi wanted the boys to have properly groomed hair with style and head uncovered, whereas Maulvi saheb wanted Saafa on their heads. However it was our Maulvi Saheb who taught us regular namaz and various duas, tasbeehs etc. and was responsible for the 'masjid chabootra' (still there I think) by the well in one corner of the School compound. The boys did not mind wearing safa and taking it off in appropriate classes.
Maulvi saheb enjoyed using rhymed phrases, like "Oay Bishamber Das, tera sattya nas" (My classmate Bishamber Das was not very bright, I guess)
At the end of WWII, I remember, in 1945, getting off early from school one day with sweets in my hand, I figure it must have been at the order of the British Government.
We prepared for excellence in performance during '46 to go for Vernacular Final exams, (8th class), so Qureshi saab and Maulvi saab worked hard with the boys day classes extra and night classes, all for the good of the boys. All they wanted was that school performance would excell other DB schools and their dedication was exemplary and an unforgettable experience.
Qureshi saab started a wide campaign to raise the school level to "high" and the district board wanted the enormous sum of Rs. 1000.(in 1946!) It was duely collected from all the villages around and the board eventually agreed. Since I had 'graduated' from the school so when my school-leaving certificate was demanded, Qureshi saab refused. How could he let a good student go off. Incidentally,I had had the hospitality of his home laso, because during preparations I spent nights in his household instead of 'boarding school' (my family had protested). I have to tell you, his wife made the best tasting 'french toasts' (I was not familiar even with their name) for breakfast and after taking two, I would look temptuously at the rest of them getting ready. I dont remember a better breakfast than that one in my life. My children today ask me how come I make such nice and delicious french toasts and pancakes (pancakes have another story).
So I ended up re-entering the school, now D.B. High School Kakrali, for my nineth class. That was a blow to all my excitement of going to Lahore or even Gujrat, cities I was longing to see.
There were so many factors for me to stay in the village but a compelling one was that Pakistan was being created and was just 'round the corner'. There were so many developments underway that I'll have to pick up in 'part two' now insha-Allah.

Well, Bashir and Ramzan and myself would always go together from our village to Kakrali. We would go playing running teasing eachother taking a good half hour (one mile or so) to get to school. Just before we enter the village there were houses of "khateeks". These were people who deal in animal skins. They buy or get free (aweful smell) and dry it outside in the sun and treat it with whatever chemicals before selling at some price (making their money that way).
A highly smelly affair indeed, cannot forget it We would make a quick dash from that smelly air to the school and would start breathing normal after that with a sigh of relief (that was a daily experience of torture)

unki rozy thee is ko hum kaisay bund ker saktay thay.

  Master Mohammad Shafi was a very intelligent and well-liked teacher of Junior classes when I got to ninth and tenth. Since we did not have any math teachers (New high school and Partition riots etc.) he used to teach us high school math. He was very friendly with me and with Bashir. It was usual for him after the school to go to our village before going home to his village along with other boys of our and other villages. He was fond of talking to me (because of Urdu, instead of Panjabi). Then his older brother whos name I cannot recall came to us as out OT (Oriental Teacher) He was also very intelligent and had some scholarly air around him that I recall which would make you respect him. I remember clearly he told us the story of Musa and Khizer AS for us to learn a lesson. He often would give such stories for learning.
Bashir and myself would get to masjid in the Ásr time and sit and talk until after maghrib and then the corner of the street where we had to part would find us standing and talking (I dont remember now what but we were so much attracted to eachother) until Bashir's mom would come with a light (laltain)
"Putter ji ghar nayin chalna" (My dear son aint you coming home ?)

FROZEN IMAGES OF MIND

"Old pictures can be an assault on the senses, poignant, painful mind-blowing frozen images of mind and frozen images on photo-paper. A huge old door to the past swung open, a powerful gust of the past blowing in and a powerful vacuum from past sucking us in. Old smiles, faces, shyness, old style clothes etc. Suddenly hurled into the PAST from present."

The above is a quote I stole from my niece Shabana (Koonj) without her knowledge or permission. She writes so beautifully and powerfully, I had to write it down for myself to quote it when needed.
I am not talking about pictures today but only the "frozen images of mind"
After spending my early childhood in Saugor (Sagar), my family (my mother's decision) came back to a village in Panjab. This turned out to be convenient for us as we did not have to go through that much of trauma of Partition.
Sagar was a small city in northern part of Central Province(CP), strategically located for the British to build a small Airport (for emergency purposes) during the second WW. The city for a child like me was limited to my schools, Jamia Masjid and a couple of Mohallahs (sections). The only thing well-known of this city was "Sitara chhaap Bidi". We had two main (High) schools, one primary school for girls, main bazar (Katra) one cinema house, one small dispensary with a doctor, one Railway station and a bus stand. May be one or two cars in the whole town,
and a large body of water (a lake) which was the reason for the city's name, we called it "talaao" (a child's abbreviation for "Taalaab"). The village we came to live in (Panjab) was a small one with two "mohallahs", two masajid, one mandir, no gurduara, one bazar, lot of small narrow streets and lot of open fields for us to play.
Marked differences in culture (in addition to language) that I felt. Panajbi language I felt was a cruder modification of Urdu and I learnt within 3 to six months (Villagers Panjabi is even cruder than city dwellers) We (children) looked down upon city dweller's accent (Just as they looked down upon our cruder language and less sophisticated manners)
For example
"Kay aakkhiya ee" in the city would be "Key aakhiya ee (or jay)" (what did you say?)
I was admitted in the seventh class (had finished sixth in Sagar) and found myself at the top of the class specailly in English. I was barely 10-11 yrs and most of my classmates were from 12-15 yrs old, big burly youths who could easily intimidate me. I started out speaking Urdu so only those would speak to me who could speak some "Panjabified Urdu". For the next four years in the school I continued to speak Urdu although I could speak and understand Panjabi of those villages within a couple of months. I found that helpful and somewhat protective for me.
I was to adapt myself to two things, one was the change from city with metalled roads etc. to village with no roads and second no electricity in the village (I am talking about 1944-45).
Food was all organic and original. I learnt that I was a "Kashmiri" by origin and "zat" was anything like "Butt" or "Mir" (it was not specified because my father was opposed to "zat-pat") Later, however, my older brother took up "Butt" as his last name.
Most utensils in Sagar were "tam-chini" or "Muradabadi" but in the villages most were clay pots. China dishes were used (especailly with guests) in our house because we had been "city dwellers" after all.
There was a distinct scent in the air in Panjab different from CP, that I cant describe. My school was a mile from our village in another village. It was a U-shaped structure with a small ground in front where we would collect in the morning for "Prayer". It was different from Sagar school's where there were two prayers, one Hinhu's (banday maatram) and one Muslim's (Saray jahan say achha...) IN Kakrali school it was "kon-o makan main dekhi jalwa numai tairee"
School rememberances are many and I shall relate the "friends" and acquaintances now.

Jumáh Journal--Let us Pray

Ghazza is threatened like never before. Time is being allowed by US and the world community for Israel to punish Hamas real good as before but this time Tanks are there too. Israel is fully equipped to "defend" itself and more.
Would Muslims ever learn?
The history shows they dont. Start with their first "defeat" or almost in Uhad.
The reason was NOT OBEYING THE PROPHET (S) OR ALLAH (SWT). That reason still exists. Muslims do not follow Allah and His messenger's teachings.
And nor does Israel learn that force cannot win hearts. Israel is surrounded by Muslim states (at least by name) and cannot continue force as the dealing strategy with those states. Neighbors have to be friends and friendship cannot be forced, it must be through peaceful means respecting all the sovereignties equally.
Unfortunately this equality does not exist in the present world and United Nations itself has many inequalities, so it cannot function "justly". Just is God, who will dispose matters according to His will
We must pray and correct our mistakes, give up sinful lives and stick to the real teachings of Qurán and Sunnah Each and every one of of us, no matter where we are and who we are.
Let us pray for those who are now suffering in Ghazza.

New Year

Ordinarily yes one would make a happy wish but the world is so full of misery that I feel like repeating what Iqbal said for Eid ka chand
"Hilal-e-Eid hamari hansi orrata hay" so if you permit me
"the new year laughs at us" (Muslims)
Somebody had made a (perhaps humorously?) comment that while others go for merry-making Muslims begin their year crying and mourning. This does happen to be Muharram-ul-haraam and that reminds me the nafli fast of Aashoora. The prophet (S) said he would prefer to fast 9th and 10th or tenth and eleventh of Muharram, to be different from "Ahl-el-Kitab".
A lot has been said about whether Muslims should exchange wishes or gifts with their Christain friends on Christmas, halloween etc
I have fatawa (general, and from S. Arabia) saying
That is haram (To remind that haram in Sharia means prohibited carrying punishment from Allah SWT). To give or recieve gifts, to participate in Christmas celebrations (and also Kwanza and all other celebrations of Christians and Jews even though Kwanza is not religious).
Reasons (daleel) given are the Ayat of Qurán (S. 5th, aya 28, S.25th, Aya72-- In all of them the word "Awliyaa" is translated as friends which is not considered appropriate by many mufassirin and translators)
Hadeeth of the prophet (S) where he prohibits Muslims to immitate the Jews and Christians.
Also quoted as daleel is Imam Ibn-el-Qayyim (Fi-elAkhakam-el-Zdimmah)
My impression: there is no doubt about"imitating "them is wrong, I agree but we do so many things in their imitation. We dress like tham, we speak their language and most of all we marry into their families without hurting our religion. So I feel that "immitation" may have a different meaning than are given here so superficially.
The quote from the great Imam has a problem that is associated with "Zdimmi" subjects whereas the Christians and Jews we are dealing with here are our "Haakim" and we are the subjects, so it is not applicable.
Third: The first aya of 60 th (Mumtahina) sura begins with
"O ye who believe! take not My enemies and yours as 'friends' (or protectors),__offering them your love even though they have rejected the truth that has come to you and have driven out the prophet.........."
and the Fatwa making Muftis feel this also can be applied to yehood o nasara as they are being considered in the Ënemy"category. (Majmooáh Fatawa Sh. Ibn-el-thaimin, and Sh. Muhammad Saleh Munjad)
However in the same Sura (Mumtahina) 8th aya says,
"Allah forbids you not with regard to those who fight you not for your faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them, for Allah loveth those who are just"
(the series of fatawa are given numbers from the majmuáh as 947, 1130, 7856, 69811, 12777)

I am very fearful of fatawa coming out of S. Arabia or from Al-Azher (there are many that are unapplicable or even wrong) May Allah forgive me if I am also wrong and pray that He guides me and all the Muslims in the corect direction.

On the other hand we have lot of info about the fact that
25th december is NOT the birthday of Christ (PBUH)
celebration actually is of a pagan day (god of sun) which has been going on long before the birth of Christ
Hollies, Mistletoe, Chrismas tree, Gift giving, santa Claus etc. are all things that have nothing to do with Christmas or birth of Christ. ("Plain truth about X-Mas" bu Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986 who wrote in 1974)
Many Christians know it too.

The fatawa go on to say
It is not permissible even to say "same to you", you are sinner if you do it because of shyness or out of politeness.

I would like to see a fatwa by a mufti who is American or European.
I would like to see some practical suggestion by these muftis who do not live in the West, "DEALING WITH THEM KINDLY AND JUSTLY".
In order to fight for our rights as American subjects we must do at least these things for the good of Muslims if not for the good of Islam (This is allowed when you consider propagation of Islam is farzd wherever we live)
We should vote and support appropriate leaders irrespective of their race and religion
we should deal kindly and justly with our neighbors, co-workers, etc.
we should make friends within our community irrespective of their race or religion as Allah has allowed it to be polite with them.

and my list is incomplete.