Jum’ah Journal--

Qur’an Sura Fussilat (forty first)

“Say, is that ye deny Him Who created the earth in two days? And do ye join equals with Him? He is the Lord of all the worlds.

He set on it (earth) mountains standing firm high above, and bestowed blessings on the earth and measured therein all things to give them nourishment in due proportions. in four days in accordance with (the needs) of those who seek (sustenance)

Moreover He comprehended in His design the sky and it had been (as) as smoke: He said TO IT AND TO THE EARTH; come ye together willingly or unwillingly. They said, We do come (together) in willing obedience

So He completed them as seven firmaments in two days……Such is the decree (of Him) the exalted in Might, full of knowledge”

   I have given the translation of these verses for some times ago I heard from a Non-Muslim that Qur’an has made a mistake. It says six days but then it counts 2+4+2= 8 days. It is kind of naive to say so but anybody can see four days are included within the two days and the total is six no matter how you see. I thought it may be amusing to see (For 1400 years nobody saw obvious mistake of God Who calls Himself Full of knowledge and…)

Well, there it is folks

Chauffeur vs shoher

Those of you who know Urdu would be familiar But let me first place my recent Qat'ah or ruba'i, which was inspired by my dear friend whose story appears below

 "main retire ho kay samjha reh giya shoher mehiz ab huwa m'aloom main begum ka hun shofer mehiz, kaam sirkaree tha jab, aram deh thi zindagi gher kay kaam-o-kaaj ka ab reh giya noker mehiz" (Unless somebody insists I am not translating it)

 A dear friend of mine with a huge sense of humor was stopped at Canadian border returning to America in his car. They separated him from his wife and took their car and started questioning him (Routine thing for them I guess, for the same has happened to us too when I was returning with my wife some two years ago). The man asked him: "What brought you in Canada you have any friends, relatives?" "No." "What were you doing here" ? My friend sat back comfortably and started off something like that: "See, I live in NC and have been there for the last 38 years and me and my wife are retired. I dont do anything. Now, you see in my language the husband is known as "shoher", he emphasized like "Show Her". So now I have become from shoher to shofer (chauffeur) so wherever she tells me I drive her to that place" Maybe he was questioned more but the border police got the answer. Now he asked his wife some questions after that and said "ma'am your husband is a very interesting man" "That's why I married him" was the prompt answer.

Sunday Surkhi—Obama’s Healthcare agenda

There were many discussions on this subject criticizing the poor man that he is reckless and spending too much and we wont be able to afford it etc.

For one thing we need to realize that we Americans are very difficult to satisfy when it comes to getting medical attention, we always want the best and dont care how much it costs. In that case how can you spend so much on everybody?

Either some cost-cutting has to be done or one must see the cost-effectiveness. But the American temperament is not inclined to seeing the second best. Therefore no matter what kind of improvements one may see there will always be some aspects that will be unsatisfactory.

BUT there is no doubt that some change for the better must be started. I am at the “receiving” end being in medicare and sure something the older people will have to give it seems as will be the higher earning persons who will be taxed more.

I saw an example of a “simple” brain tumor that the Canadian lady could not wait for (although the doctor said they will move her up for excision) operation while her visual difficulties were getting worse and she came to USA and got the surgery done and now her vision has improved. It sounded like a Pituitary adenoma which is a slow growing tumor and of course requires hormone replacements after surgery, the surgery being “curative”

BUT ask those people who can not afford surgery and wait for their turn like one or two years for correction of Inguinal hernia or something similar. Yes in England I remember some would wait very long times for benign surgeries (which is in the long run, free) but there are other advantages of extending medical help to those who will never be able to afford otherwise and such examples are not shown on TV.

Imagine the expense of cancer treatments, Diabetes, Hormone replacements for those who have lost glands etc. these are lifelong treatments and life depends on these medications. When such treatments cannot be provided because of financial stress in the family or the only earning hand is the one who is sick, how would they get the treatment. Many lives are lost without treatments that is what will NOT happen when everybody is covered.

Jum'ah Journal - Muslim Events

This time ISNA held programs in Washington DC
Some time there will be more coverage of such peaceful events about Muslim Groups . We will see or our children or grandchildren will see that I am sure. These days the American Media is more interested in rioting-bombing type of news only.
But it is good to see that Muslims are making their presence known by all methods other than explosions. The truth of the matter is that no matter how much "Islam" is smeared with extremists doings, the true picture will always shine through in the end.. I cant give the same air to the Urdu saying I read somewhere by translation but here it is
"Haq jhukta nahiN jhukata hay" (Truth does not bend but makes others bend to it)
When Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. started that march did he think there will be an African-American President just 40 years later?
NO, but that has happened. So I am very very confident that things for Muslims are going to change some day (though events like Prof. Gate's arresting still may continue, once in a while). Let us keep working positively for that day when Muslims will be recognized as co-Americans without the hate or suspicion or just being "the other".

Jum’ah Journal--Knowledge

There is a lot of emphasis on obtaining knowledge in Islam like the first word revealed, “Iqra” (read) in the Qur’an.

There are so many other verses in it, for the same, and of course many sayings of the prophet, all inciting us to increase our knowledge

I wish to place here a short statement of Hazdrat Ali RA from Hujjat-ul-Baligha:

“ ALL CONTAINERS ARE REDUCED IN CAPACITY BY WHAT IS PLACED IN THEM, EXCEPT A CONTAINER OF KNOWLEDGE, WHICH EXPANDS.”

I remember somebody saying that after all what distinguished 007 from others was his knowledge (‘secular’ statement, for those who dont like religious dictates). That is , also, in my humble opinion the key for the Muslims in America to combat everything negative for Islam and Muslims.

Sunday Surkhi—Obama’s Ghana Visit

Well, there it is folks the history unfolding. Although Obama is not connected with the slaves except for his skin he pays a visit to the place of slaves-trade.

His comment:

  “The victims and victimizers and that is not the end of the story. We need to continue talking about events like slavery and HOLOCAUST.”

Very politically correct statement, you must admire that. However the fact is that the reason given for “continuing to talk about that” is so we dont forget.

OK, so we have not forgotten, or have we?

The same  human passion of expansionism and colonialism continues to exist (slavery alive and kicking!!)and what is more these things are  proposed as legitimate and worthy of taking seriously.

Man is not going to learn. It so happens I was contemplating today on the most interesting historical and religious figures of history e.g. David and Solomon or Dawood AS and Sulaiman AS.

Sulaiman AS prayed to God that he be granted a kingdom which has never been or will ever be granted to any other King. Allah granted that power for him. He had power over Jinns and had things done considered impossible for humans. He could travel by air (and fast) in those days. He had forces with all powerful human beings and Jinns etc. etc.

I was thinking he only built what Muslims call “haikal-e-Sulaimani” and did not build more than one palace for himself (as far as we know) and his 70 or so wives. He did not travel to the “end of the earth” or to the Moon or Sun or other space worlds (May be flying saucers had not been invented in those days). He asked for nothing else. He could have easily asked for kingdom of the whole earth and gotten it too, as I understand.

Marked contrast from the fir’owns we know of the past and the present. These were indeed God-fearing Kings and prophets.

Jum'ah Journal---Muslim and their Groupings

I was at ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) and IMANA (Islamic Medical Asociation of North America) meetings and so my absence for these days.
Interesting thing to see ISNA "the mother" being "born" out (of the Child) MSA (Muslim Students Association). IMA came into being at MSA so it was first called IMA of USA and Canada, eventually acquiring the name of IMANA and Canadian becoming "divorced" out into separate organization.
Bazaar at ISNA (Also in APPNA and IMANA meetings) has become very popular indeed and this time I saw strange things in the bazaar-- Saw a woman standing with dollars in her hand and "asking" for help and there may be more individual/persons "asking" for dollars. This I never saw before but there are many organizations masajid and others who collect money for their Islamic centers or whatever.
At this point in time we must ask ourselves what are we doing here?
Are we doing it the right thing? Is being a good Muslim enough?
Are we doing it just for ourselves and our children or for the Muslim Ummah in general?
We need to define our role as Muslims in this land as we are now recognized as part of USA.
This places on us a very heavy responsibility because never before in the history of Islam Muslims have had such opportunity to do something positive for the Ummah and also because never before such a large section of educated (Educated in the religious as well as nonreligious sections) Muslims have been placed in such position.
I feel that the leadership of Muslims be it ISNA or ICNA or other even smaller organizations must get together not just for one vote but also for one Islam and present it to the world as one. It seems there is no other better place than this 'land of opportunities' where such visions can be materialized into viable accomplishments. Let it not be said that we did not measure up to the task for the next generation is expecting from us such guidance and they can make it if given the proper beginnings and if they are clear about the goals set orth by us- the generation that will disappear soon.
I felt very comfortable in IMANA meeting where I saw the first American born and raised physician becoming the president of IMANA.