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Friday, August 21, 2009

Jum'ah Journal-- Deen/Religion

There is an Aya in Qur'an ( #193, Surah II)
"And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression and there prevail justice and faith in Allah......"
And another one (#85, Sura III)
"If any one desires a religion other than Islam (Submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him........."
The Arabic in the upper one is "yakoon-ad-deeno lillah" which is translated by Yusuf Ali as "there prevail Justice and faith in Allah" and in the second one "Deen" is translated as "religion"
First point I wish to make is that Allah ordered Muslims to fight in the WAY OF ALLAH for the defence of Islam, so that when fighting against Islam is given up, stopped by the enemy, stop fighting with them. Allah did not say keep fighting until you win because jehad when taken to mean fighting in the way of Allah means just that what is given above and the endpoint is not personal winning, but the end of fight/war against Islam/Muslims. This is the aya from the group of ayaat (from #190 to #194) which allowed the Muslims for the first time to wage war aginst the enemies (Mushrikeen). That is why in this jehad, no woman, no child, no old man, no priest or such religious man is to be killed and no cattle or such animals and no trees or crop fields to be destroyed (repeated instruction of the prophet PBUH and his Khalifas)
There is no doubt that clearcut aggression is NOT jehad and only defensive fighting is for the sake of Allah (establishment of Justice and faith-- or supremacy of God, like Yusuf Ali's translation indicates.) Allama Asad gives lot of references to support the 'defense' connotation.
Maulana Maudoodi in his Khutba (published as "deen aur Shariat") explains: deen has multiple meanings 1. Authority, Government, kingdom or sovereignty, ruling
2. subordination, subdued situation or being a subject being slave
3. accounting, day of accounting, reckoning day of reckoning,
In Qur'an the word deen has been used in all three meanings. one example of deen being used for "the law" is clearly seen in sura Yusuf (12th) verse #76 (deen-al-malik)
" .... thus did We plan for Yusuf. he could n ot take his brother by the LAW OF THE KING...."
So those who quote such ayaat to promote their own desires or understanding (mis-understanding) that killing relentlessly all those who do not call themselves Muslims is justified by such Qur'anic verses are clearly wrong in taking such position. Yes, I am aware that nonMuslims also quote these ayaat to "blame" Qur'an and Islam and the prophet PBUH of 'war-mongering" and so this is for them to understand that they are wrong because taking the ayaat out of context is clear misinterpretation.
It is like the first out of context meaning of an aya I learnt in my school, "la taqrab-as-salata" (Dont approach the prayer) , so does that mean we should not be praying? But we are forgetting the next part, "wa antum sukara" ( with a befogged mind, i.e. when you are drunk)--Sura IV, verse 43.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Jee or G

The Muslim Comedian Usman Azher talks about Pak-Indian way of saying yes on the phone, like jee, jeehaN, Jee Accha , Accha etc. that they all mean the same.
Very funny
But I remember at one time in our masjid a Nikah (Aqd) was being solemnized by our Imam and for some reason he asked me to make questions and answers from the Groom. Although both Groom and the Bride were perfectly capable of doing business in English but I decided to do it in Urdu without paying any attention to the details, just asked questions in the usual way.
When I finished, the Imam (who is a Syrian Arab and gifted with a huge sense of humor) took the mike and said,
"Well, it seems so simple all he (Bridegroom) had to say "Jee" for every question and it did everything".

Monday, August 17, 2009

Sunday Surkhi--Late Entry

I was busy with Grandchildren (extremely important consideration).
Anyway
I just am posting my experience with my friend who died of brain tumor.
He and I were the second and third "high School graduates" of our village. I shall relate the story of the first one later some time.
We spread wide and far after graduation and leaving the School. I had heard his name that he bacame BA and BT and was Head Master of some schools including our own school in Kakrali (Dist. Gujrat in Panjab). Years passed and I was in London visiting my sister when I was told he is in London staying with his younger brother (some time in the late nineties) and that he was sick. So some friend took me to see him. That was the first time after graduation I was meeting him and of course I knew it would be the last. He sat with me and told me how he was treated by the (neurosurgeons) in Pakistan as they were very very respectful to him and took great care of him. He knew I was Neurologist but could not give me more specific detail, but I was happy to see him and so was he.
Respect for teachers is something not necessarily common these days (in Pakistan) any more, so the feelings he had when he was treated respectfully I can understand. What happened to these basic values? Teachers may have to share some blame as they have become too professional and do not impart real education to leave the child "thirsty" so they can earn with "tuition", but I feel whatever the way teachers behave they still deserve respect, that is the Islamic teaching. Each teacher of my younger dyas is still alive in my memories and I still hold all of them in great respect.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Independence Day for Pakistan

Today we celebrate the “4th of July” of Pakistan. the very first day I remember was actually celebrated on the 15th of August in the whole India-Pakistan.

All my Pakistani brothers and sisters, I wish you all the happiness. Traditionally we do it on 14th and Indians do it on 15th.

This is the British way of separation. It has worked. We have been at each other’s throat ever since and as a result I see India has advanced better than Pakistan. While we celebrate let us pledge that we will catch up with and exceed that ( Indian) progress in all spheres (the good ones I mean)

Pakistan Paenda baad

Monday, August 10, 2009

Sunday Surkhi--Dr. Death and his chailay.

Chailay means students, followers. (Guroo is the teacher)
Recently a well-known couple decided to end their lives. Man 85 years "young" had lost his eyesight and hearing (no other compelling reason for ending his life except that his children agreed he could do so but he thought his life would not be worth living after his wife dies with cancer so they staged a drama of Romoeo- Juliet). Woman 54 years "young" with a terminal cancer (no other reasons given may be she had pain. They were not poor, in fact hey were called Lord and Lady. ( my friend who I admire, agrees with that suicide and wrote in his famous column of "Toledo Blade")
Of course there are sometimes circumstances and situations when life may become unbearably distasteful for many of us, so should we take it upon ourselves to end it for the benefit of us and all our relatives, let them enjoy what we leave for them?
Yes there are all kinds of arguments forwarded in favor and against the proposition of suicide (assisted or not assited by doctors) and they all meant to gratify intellectual craze.
I love you and make a Taj mahal for you. You consider it is sore to your eyes and destroy it. Would I be pleased?
Allah loves you gives you the gift of life you enjoy the good life for a number of years taking all the benefits advantages happiness and all and then the happiness get less, you see the end coming in a couple of years and decide it is time to destroy what God had given you. You consider you are entitled to taking that life just like that?
In panjabi there is a saying
"Mittha mittha kha tay kauRa kauRa thoo" (sweet you eat and bitter you spit)
There are rules and guidances available for us to make decisions in situations where there are dilemas of life and death whether it is mother-baby situation (who to choose and who to let die) or extra embrayos found no more useful for research etc. seek guidance from the Law-Giver and do not take decisions in your own hand for Man is purportedly called "hasty" by the Law-giver. (Khuliqal Insaano min 'Ajal--man is a creature of haste)-Sura 21, aya 37
The question is who has the right to take the life of anybody, including his/her own?
Of course He has given you the rigth to make decisions about it (after the life has been given in your hands to do what you want to do with it) and He will judge in the end, how best you dealt with His gift/amanah. May be my arguments are too old fashioned, backward, taboo unworthy of a scientist of modern understanding.

Friday, August 07, 2009

Jum'ah Journal--WISDOM

Ali (RA) says in (Living and dying with Grace)
"Lay hold of wisdom wherever it is, for wisdom stammers in the heart of a hypocrite until it leaves and comes to rest by its like in the heart of a believer."
Wisdom is in addition to knowledge which by itself may not be enough and Allah SWT on more than one occasion in Qur'an-el-Hakim has emphasized for that reason what the prophet PBUH was sent for the humanity to teach them, like in Sura Jum'ah:
"It is He who has sent amongst the unlettered an apostle from among themselves to
rehearse to them His signs
to sanctify them
and to instruct them in scripture and WISDOM,
Although they had been before in manifest error." (Ayah 2)
The prophet PBUH therefore instructed them and us the Scripture and wisdom, how to apply in our daily life setting examples by his own person. If we fail to do that in that tradition we would be like the donkey on whose back is the load of books but he has no idea what knowledge or scripture is and how to apply (not use wisdom) and that also in Sura Jum'ah (aya 5)
" The similitude of those who were charged with the (obligations of the) Mosaic Law (Tauraat) but who failed in those (obligations), is that of a donkey which carries huge tomes (but understands them not). Evil is the similitude of people who falsify the signs of Allah: and Allah does not guide people who do wrong."
Have we understood and applied Qur'an as required by The Almighty?
That is what Iqbal said:
Tujhay kitab say mumkin nahin farahg keh too
kitab khwan hay magar saheb-kitab nahin
(Roughly; that you will not have done justice to the book, i.e. Qur'an because you only read it but do not understand it)

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Sar-e-Rahay—By the Way

It is almost exact translation but the meanings in Urdu carry a different connotation, It is really sort of “on the way” “road-side” or something like that.
Forgive me I am kind of rambling, as I am remembering my brother who left this world 14 years ago today. To me he was not just a brother, but a friend, a guide, a role model, a father all rolled into one, lovable personality. When I started college level education in Lahore, he had finished MBBS and was in his “House-Job” (a straight surgical internship, in American terminology). So as I spent my first year in Lahore as a student with him, “inheriting” all his favorite people, like: barber (on Beadon road). tailor master (in Anarkali, “readymade” shirts and suits were not known in Lahore as yet) and the two masjids for Jum’a prayers, Masjid Shah Chiragh (where the Khateeb was Allama Allao-uddin Siddiqui) and Neelay gumbad wali masjid near Anarkali and of course all his friends.
One of them was Sher Muhammad Akhter (We used to translate this as Lion Mohammad Star) A very jolly fellow with a short stutter in his speech but a decent refined man with a decent  sense of humor. he was a Journalist and editor of a weekly Urdu magazine “Qandeel” and a regular column in it reads like  “Sar (pronounced  “sir”) ay Rahay”. I do not remember what happened to the magazine but I liked it.
Saray Rahy carried items of observation, like when you are walking on the road and see something reportably interesting. Those were the days in Lahore when the Double-decker buses (Omni Bus) were new. I was traveling from city to Lahore cantt in the doubledecker and a young boy was enjoying the bus ride sitting on the upper deck on the front seat and making all the verbal sounds of the bus holding the steering wheel (imaginary) and suddenly the road started turning acutely so he started moving the wheel also until he fell in that process, hurt his head and started crying, poor thing.
I would have written this öbservation"as Saray Rahay in that magazine

Sunday, August 02, 2009

Sunday Surkhi- Pak news

Alleged Qur'an desecration in Gojra resulted in burning of a neighborhood, 7 persons burnt to death
Angry mobs
Qanoon apnay hath main lay liya giya aur police kuchh na ker saki
Sounds familiar? This is Pakistan.
I know I am not familiar with the whole story but it is hard to believe any Non-muslim would desecrate Qur'an in Pakistan with Taliban roaming all around, though Muslims themselves do it daily by
Not reading
Not understanding
Not paying attention to its teachings, ignoring or clearly defying
Making a mockery of it by "marrying" young girls with that holy book
Not learning to recite it
and so on and so forth.
And there are no angry mobs, not even angry ulama who are happy trying to teach the holy book. The teachers have most the grip on teaching effectively, could it be they do not practice what they teach?
The Lord who bestowed on you the blessings of a good brain deserves your attention toward His Book which He has written for you.