Islam Is Flexible; Muslims Have Made It Hard

By Moin Qazi, New Age Islam 29 September 2023 An authentic saying , attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, says: "Religion is very easy, and whoever overburdens himself in his Religion will not be able to continue that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near perfection and receive the good tidings you will be rewarded." (Bukhari Fath-ul-Bari, Page 102, Vol 1) In the above hadith or prophetic saying, Religion refers to the broader notion of Islam, that is, Deen, a complete code encompassing every facet of human life. Deen comprises Imaan (faith), Islam (practice) and Ihsan (a sense of social responsibility borne out of religious convictions). Islam emphasises moderation and balance in all matters related to faith, religious practices and social responsibilities. This universal principle is enshrined in the holy Qur'an: "And God has not laid upon you any hardship in matters of religion" (Q 22:78) God Intends For You Ease The Qur'an reads: "God intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship." (Q 2:185) The Qur'an reinforces this message again: "God does not burden a soul beyond its capacity." (Q 2:286) A unique feature of the Qur'an is that while it spells out an ethical code, a moral path, a political system, a social norm, an economic order and a legal philosophy, it also presents in the life of Prophet Mohammad the practical exposition of the theoretical models contained in it. There is hardly any aspect of life that the Qur'an has not touched upon. In a similar vein, the Prophet's life penetrates with remarkable versatility every domain of human life, both public and private. This striking parallelism between the message of the Qur'an and the life of Prophet Muhammad indicates that it was to illustrate beyond doubt to every follower of the Qur'an that the pattern of life enunciated in the holy book can be practiced by every individual. The Prophet was, in fact, a human incarnation of the Qur'an. For what we find a wonderful philosophy in the static words of the Qur'an, we have a dynamic living counterpart in the life of Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet once told his close companion Abdullah ibn Amr: "Have I heard right that you fast every day and stand in prayer all night?" Abdullah replied: "Yes, O Messenger of God." The Prophet said: "Do not do that. Fast, as well as eat and drink. Stand in prayer, as well as sleep. This is because your body has a right upon you, your eyes have a right upon you, your wife has a right upon you, and your guest has a right upon you." (Al-Bukhari, 127) While urging his followers to prepare themselves for life hereafter, the Prophet also admonished them to perform the necessary functions an individual is called upon to live a proper life. The Prophet believed that an ideal life had the right combination of the essential elements of life: one that could enable him to lead a proper and contented life on earth, the other which could provide salvation to him. The essence of his message is contained in his well-known saying: "Do for this world as if thou were to live a thousand years and for the next as if thou were to die tomorrow." The Prophet stated: "For a prudent person, he must have some moments; Moments when he should commune with God, Moments when he should be reflecting on the mysteries of creation, And also moments spared for the acquisition of the wherewithal." In other words, a faithful servant of God must apportion his time so that a part of it is spent in communing with God through prayers. A portion is spent making a self-audit of oneself, reflecting on the mysteries of creation by seeking knowledge of the various secrets in nature and acquiring the necessary wherewithal for fulfilling one's needs. The Qur'an spells out a life which is a harmonious blend of the otherworldly and mundane aspects. The synthesis is attempted so that both these aspects are so organically related that one gives meaning and content to the other. The Qur'an recognises two essential obligations of an individual: one to God and the other to society. Islam disapproves of asceticism and a life of self-denial. The Qur'an also disapproves of the other extreme of lifestyle - luxurious and pleasure-seeking. It calls for moderation in all activities to achieve a complete and fuller life. The Prophet was convenient in his approach and guidance to his companions. Once, the Prophet saw a wretched, ugly man with torn clothes. He asked the man the reason for his pathetic state. The man replied: "O Messenger of God, I prefer giving all in charity, contenting myself with this shabby dress." The Prophet disapproved: "Not like that; God likes to see the traces of his benefit on his slave!" The Qur'an forbids: "O children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer, eat and drink, but waste not by excess, for Allah loves not wasters. Say: 'Who has forbidden the beautiful gifts of Allah which He has produced for His servants and the things clean and pure which He has provided for sustenance." (Q7:31-32) It is the human preference for riches that the Qur'an cautions against and urges us to maintain a balance between extravagance and parsimony. This is in recognition of human nature, which has the dual impulses of compassion and an inherent love of wealth. In this way, Islam's religious teachings counsel temperance and prudence, whereas Islam's spiritual teachings urge selflessness and generosity. The balance between the body and spirit, personal and civic responsibilities, and spirituality and the mundane affairs of life is a beautiful guidance bequeathed by Islam to humanity. The Qur'an explains that a perfect model of religious life is not based on mere performance of the rituals. It also has to consider the duties incumbent on an individual in his relationship with the community from which he draws sustenance. In today's strife-torn world with its bewildering challenges, there is no better-guiding wisdom than what the Prophet told his companions: "You live in such a time that if any of you abandon even a tenth of what you are urged, you will be ruined. But a time will come when they will be saved if a person fulfils only a tenth of what is enjoined." (Tirmidhi, Book 34: Fitan (Sedition), Section 79, No. 2267) ----- Moin Qazi is the author of the bestselling book, Village Diary of a Heretic Banker. He has worked in the development finance sector for almost four decades. URL: https://newageislam.com/debating-islam/islam-flexible-muslims-hard/d/130785 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Divorce as A Phenomenon and How Men Contribute to Its Practice

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 29 September 2023 “The biggest cheat in India today is ISKCON. They establish gaushalas for which they get unlimited benefits from the government to run them. They get huge land...everything. I just visited their Anantput Gaushala. Not a single dry cow (one that has not been milked) is present. All are dairies. There is not a single calf. It means all of them were sold. ISCKON is selling all its cows to the butcher.` Maneka Gandhi I'm neither a Krishna Bhakt, nor am I a supporter of the dubious 'spiritual' organization known as ISKCON. But I feel that Maneka's allegation is unfounded. She's a rabid animal rights activist and calls herself a vegan, a fashionably obscure term of recent origin, used for a person who avoids consuming all types of meat as well as using all animal products. These quixotic people don't even drink milk and its products like cheese, butter, ice cream etc. Instead, they use almond milk as a replacement of animal milk. Such hypocrites are an outright nuisance to society. They suffer from acute dietary snobbery and often treat non-vegetarians quite disparagingly. Agreed, it's good to fight for animal rights and spread the awareness among the people that eating meat is not good for health and it's also unethical as you're indirectly involved in killing a helpless animal for your palate. But condemning those who relish non-veg is also unfair and unjust. Humans have this undesirable habit of stretching everything a trifle too much and a tad too long. They tend to cast aspersions on those whose ways are different. This is called cultural relativism and in this context, this is dietary relativism. When nearly 78 percent (some reports suggest 82 percent) people in India are non-vegetarians (including those who eat 'only' eggs; this is a sub-species of non-veg!) and are in no mood to give it up anytime soon, it's advisable for the vegans and vegetarians to keep mum and mind their own business. Don't be preachy and pontificating while eulogising the exaggerated benefits of vegetarianism. Let people eat what they want to. Yours truly doesn't even touch eggs but writes about various egg preparations. He has never tried meat in his whole life but he writes on continental meat preparations of mutton, beef, pork and Crustaceans in world's leading culinary magazines like Bon Appetit, Saveur, Wine Spectator, Gastronomica, to name but a few. This holier-than-thou Maneka should concentrate on her work rather than condemn those who love to eat meat. What ISKCON folks do with cows is their outlook. Don't be so bovine-brained and officious. ------ A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/holier-thou-vegans-vegetarians/d/130783 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Holier-Than-Thou 'Vegans' And Vegetarians

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 29 September 2023 “The biggest cheat in India today is ISKCON. They establish gaushalas for which they get unlimited benefits from the government to run them. They get huge land...everything. I just visited their Anantput Gaushala. Not a single dry cow (one that has not been milked) is present. All are dairies. There is not a single calf. It means all of them were sold. ISCKON is selling all its cows to the butcher.` Maneka Gandhi I'm neither a Krishna Bhakt, nor am I a supporter of the dubious 'spiritual' organization known as ISKCON. But I feel that Maneka's allegation is unfounded. She's a rabid animal rights activist and calls herself a vegan, a fashionably obscure term of recent origin, used for a person who avoids consuming all types of meat as well as using all animal products. These quixotic people don't even drink milk and its products like cheese, butter, ice cream etc. Instead, they use almond milk as a replacement of animal milk. Such hypocrites are an outright nuisance to society. They suffer from acute dietary snobbery and often treat non-vegetarians quite disparagingly. Agreed, it's good to fight for animal rights and spread the awareness among the people that eating meat is not good for health and it's also unethical as you're indirectly involved in killing a helpless animal for your palate. But condemning those who relish non-veg is also unfair and unjust. Humans have this undesirable habit of stretching everything a trifle too much and a tad too long. They tend to cast aspersions on those whose ways are different. This is called cultural relativism and in this context, this is dietary relativism. When nearly 78 percent (some reports suggest 82 percent) people in India are non-vegetarians (including those who eat 'only' eggs; this is a sub-species of non-veg!) and are in no mood to give it up anytime soon, it's advisable for the vegans and vegetarians to keep mum and mind their own business. Don't be preachy and pontificating while eulogising the exaggerated benefits of vegetarianism. Let people eat what they want to. Yours truly doesn't even touch eggs but writes about various egg preparations. He has never tried meat in his whole life but he writes on continental meat preparations of mutton, beef, pork and Crustaceans in world's leading culinary magazines like Bon Appetit, Saveur, Wine Spectator, Gastronomica, to name but a few. This holier-than-thou Maneka should concentrate on her work rather than condemn those who love to eat meat. What ISKCON folks do with cows is their outlook. Don't be so bovine-brained and officious. ------ A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/holier-thou-vegans-vegetarians/d/130783 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Prophet Mohammad Belongs To All: Miladun Nabi An Occasion To Remember The Prophet Dispatched As Grace To All Humanity

By Grace Mubashir, New Age Islam 28 September 2023 There is no other person in the history of mankind who has had such an influence as Prophet Muhammad. That is why when the world-famous Michael H. Hurt made a list of the 100 most influential people in world history, he gave the first place to Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet is not a legendary man. Not a myth. One hundred percent was a holy man who lived in the light of history. There is a prophet's example in every aspect of life. When the Prophet's wife Aisha (RA) was asked about the Prophet's life, Aisha (RA) replied that the Prophet's life is the Qur'an. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was the epitome of the life envisioned by the Holy Qur'an. He wasn't just a preacher. What was preached was a pious personality that was emulated in his life. He has proved through his own life that they are practical and eternally relevant. Prophet was a family hero who was a treasure of love at home. He was a good husband. He was a loving father and grandfather to his children and grandchildren. The Prophet who led the prayer in the mosque was a righteous judge and a good ruler. The Prophet became an example for people in all fields. The Prophet did not live in a Muslim-only society. When the Prophet was freed from the persecution of Makkah and went to Madina, he became the leader of all the sects in Madina. The covenant made by the Prophet with the community consisting of Jews and Christians is a model for people like India where different religions and communities live together. The Prophet did not see others as enemies. The Prophet (PBUH) served in friendship and love with all religions and sects who did not engage in war with the Muslims. Milad procession welcomed at a Hindu house ------ History records that when the Prophet (PBUH) died, the Prophet's sword was mortgaged to a Jew. The Prophet (PBUH) even gave the Christians of Najran an opportunity to pray as his guests in the mosque of Madina. When the body of a Jew was being taken away, the Prophet (PBUH) stood up and someone woke him up saying that it was the corpse of a Jew. The Prophet (PBUH) asked back, 'Why is a Jew not a human being?' When Makka was conquered, the triumphant Prophet forgave even his bitter enemies who had persecuted him severely and driven him out of the country. Among them were Vahsi, who killed his cousin, who protected him from his enemies, and Hind, who chewed his dead cousin's liver. There was a woman who used to sprinkle dirt on the Prophet's head when he was walking. when she didn't appear, prophet visited her house. The Prophet was an epitome of mercy unmatched in history. That mercy was not limited to humans. The Prophet showed mercy even to animals. Seeing a starving camel, the Prophet reprimanded him for starving it. The Prophet did not allow trees to be destroyed even during war. The Prophet advised not to attack women and children and not to harm those engaged in prayer, even in cases of war. The Prophet commanded that no one should attack those places of worship or harm those who were engrossed in prayer, even in war. Ayyapa devotees given Milad sweets ------ It was that culture of tolerance cultivated by the Prophet and his Companions that created people like Amru ibn al-Aas, who volunteered to give his nose to the governor when the nose of the statue in the Christian temple was broken by the hands of an Egyptian soldier after his death. When some people tried to harm a native Arab who had urinated in the Prophet's mosque, the Prophet stopped him. Where else can you see such generosity and philanthropy? Where else in history can we find a lover of letters who was released on the condition that he teach letters to his enemies captured as prisoners of war? Not only the public life but also the personal life was transparent like a glass jar. Every point of that life burns in the light of history. Every movement in that life has a recorded history. The position of the Prophet in history is that there is no such recorded history of a religious prophet, great soul or holy soul in the world. Not once did he consider himself to be superior or superior to his fellows in any way or place himself in such a position. If he had done so, it would not have been inappropriate at all. Because who is better than the Prophet? The Prophet's body is the recipient of divine revelation. But the Prophet was always humble. He lived with his followers as one of them. He sat, walked, ate and dressed like them. Did not set itself apart in any way. Strangers coming out had to ask who the Prophet was. Standing up to honour him was forcefully forbidden. When someone said that he was better than Prophet Musa, he forbade them to say so. When someone said that 'if Allah and Muhammad willed', he was forbidden to say so. Prophet feared that his personality would be targeted. He taught that true relationship and love should be with Allah. The Qur'an says: 'Muhammad is nothing but a messenger of God. Many prophets have passed before him. If he dies or is killed, will you turn back?' (Quran 3:144). We should see everything in the light of the Prophet's character, personality, and moral greatness. It is from that life that all who move in the way of preaching and movement must light their lamps. None of us can even dream of attaining the position of the Prophet. Because Allah appointed the Prophet to be the perfect example of the best teaching and movement the world has ever seen. Therefore, the more our character, mind and practical life are illuminated by this light, the closer we will be to the Prophet, the more God will love us, forgive our weaknesses and mistakes, and be blessed in both worlds. Allah says: 'Tell the Prophets to the people, follow me if you truly love Allah. May Allah love you. And He will forgive your sins. He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (Qur'an 3:31). Today on the occasion of Milad Nabi (Prophet Muhammad’s birth anniversary) let us try to delve into the injunctions and directives the Holy Qur’an has laid as regards to the various aspects of religious tolerance. And the practical examples we can find in the life of Prophet Muhammad. Hindu devotees offering to children at Milad procession ----- Islam preaches total social harmony which includes religious harmony. Islam provides an excellent and practical model of plural society and this model was practically implemented by Prophet Muhammad and the whole world has seen its fruits. The message and life of Prophet Muhammad possesses extensive resources that favour modern concepts of democracy, human rights and religious pluralism. For instance, The Holy Qur’an epitomises religious tolerance in a nutshell “There is no compulsion in religion” Holy Qur’an (2:256). This verse in the Qur’an constitutes a charter of freedom of conscience unparalleled in the religious annals of mankind. The Qur’an further says: “If it had been thy Lord’s wish, everyone in the world would have believed; will you then compel people, against their will, to believe” Holy Qur’an (10:99). It is unfortunate that the recent tragedies throughout the world have been linked to Muslim extremists and also to religious intolerance. These extremists claim they are inspired and infused with Islamic tenets. In fact, radical groups say they want to establish a new caliphate, and an Islamic state. But the matter of fact is that these group’s ideology and their extreme behaviour and doctrines are not in alignment with any of Islam’s tenets, scriptures, or even remotely connected to Prophet Muhammad’s life. What the pertinent question is how this community sees birthday of the Prophet? is it not wrong to say that the current state of Ummah is to forget it's on mission and confirm the Prophet’s memory to rituals and celebrations? The Holy Qur'an describes the Holy Prophet as a blessing to the entire human society, he was placed at the height of history with the simplicity, purity and innocence of his life. In the moments of joyful feeling that the birthday of that worldly blessing gives thanks for this immense blessing of Allah, Sallallahu ala Muhammad… Interfaith Milad Nabi Programmes In Kerala As part of preaching the messages of prophet to non-Muslims, Muslims try to engage with them as much as possible. It includes special small gatherings, informal dining sessions and community-oriented festivals. It helps all to come out of the shroud regarding Prophet and see the light clearly. Below are some images from last year’s Milad festival in Kerala where Hindu community actively engaged. ----- A regular columnist for NewAgeIslam.com, Mubashir V.P is a PhD scholar in Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia and freelance journalist. URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-pluralism/prophet-milad-nabi-grace-humanity/d/130773 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Prophet Mohammad's Biography reveals the main features of his character were honesty, truthfulness, sincerity and a solitary search for the meaning of Life which led to his appointment as God's Messenger for the world

By Bilal Ahmad Paray, New Age Islam 28 September 2023 To Love The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) Means To Follow The Teachings Of The Quran And Hadith With Letter And Spirit Without Deviating Towards The Other Role Models Of This Contemporary World. ------ Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the last Prophet of Islam was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on Monday (on 2nd ,8th, 9th, 10th or 12th) Rabi-al-Awal, the third month of Islamic calendar as quoted by different Islamic scholars in their Seerah works Rahmat al Lil Alameen (17/35), Seeratun Nabi (1/109), Ar-Raheequl Makhtum (92), Seeratun Mustafa (1/51), Nazrat-ul-Naieem (1/195) Hayat-e-Toiba (p/23) and Hayat Rasool U'miﷺ. In the Islamic annals of Arabia, the year in which Prophet Muhammad PBUH took birth is known as the "Aam ul Fa'il" ( عام الفیل) i.e, “The Year of Elephant”. However there is no such authentication of actual Prophet’s birth date. His father, Abdullah and grandfather Abdul Muttalib, was from the noble tribe of Quraish, traced their genealogy with the Prophet Ismail bin Abraham A.S. His mother, Amina, was the daughter of Wahb ibn Abdu Manaf of the Zahra family. Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) father died before His birth and mother after He attains the age of five years. After that, Sayeda Halima was His wet nurse and caretaker for six years. Abdul Mutalib took the most tender care of Him. But soon after his death, Abu Talib, the uncle of the little orphan Prophet became his guardian. Once Abu Talib on a mercantile journey to Syria was accompanied with his nephew little Muhammad ﷺ (Ar-Raheequl Makhtum p/100) who was twelve years old and a Christian monk, Bahira met him at the Busra and predicted about the Prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) while taking his hand, he said; "This is the master of all humans. Allah will send him with a Message which will be mercy to all beings." And suggested to Abu Talib “Return with this boy and guard him against the hatred of Romans and Jews, for a great career awaits him.” (At-Tirmidhi; 3620) Finally, Abu Talib accepted the advise of Bahira and returned little Muhammadﷺ with other male servants to Makkah without taking any forward step from Basra. Here in the Makkah, the little Muhammad's ﷺ fair character won the approbation of the citizens of Makkah and received the title of *‘Al-Ameen’* - the Truthful. From youth to manhood, He led an almost solitary life. His truthfulness spread to every corner and became famous & achieved respect as He proved himself faithful in the commercial interests of a noble and rich Quraishi widow, Khadijah while delivering as an agent if mercantile. After this fame of fair character, Hazrat Khadija sends an offer of her marriage proposal to the Prophet (PBUH) which was accepted either their Guardians as well as from both of them. He was 25 years old only unmarried and young while as Khadija R.A was 40 years old with twice married, widowed, powerful, independent woman, entrepreneur lady. She too earned titles like *'Ameerat Quraish'* - the Princess of Quraish, and *'at-Tahira'*- the Pure One, due to her impeccable personality and virtuous character, Abu Talib read the Nikah sermon and the Prophet (PBUH) paid 500 dirhams as Mehr (Hayat-e-Toiba; P/29). Khadija bore Muhammad (PBUH) three sons, all died in childhood and four daughters. He is described to have been ever helpful to the needy, poor, orphans, widows and set a good example of kindness. The Prophet (PBUH) had been accustomed to secluding himself in a cave Mount Hira, three miles away from Mecca, used to go for prayer & meditation. He was now approaching his fortieth year, and as usual was worshiping of the one Allah (SWT). It was the month of Ramadhan, when a divine revelation blessed by an Angel, Jibrail. The Angel took a hold & squeezed him and said: *اِقْرَاْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّـذِىْ خَلَقَ ۔ خَلَقَ الْاِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ۔ اِقْرَاْ وَرَبُّكَ الْاَكْـرَمُ ۔ اَلَّذِىْ عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ ۔ عَلَّمَ الْاِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ۔ (العلق: ۱ تا ۵)* “Read! In the Name of Your Lord, Who has created (all that exists), has created a man from clot. Read! And Your Lord is the most Generous, Who has taught (the writing) by the pen, has taught man that which he knew not.”(Al-Quran, Al-Alq:1-5) The Prophet (PBUH) repeated the words with a trembling heart. This was the divine revelation which made Muhammad, the blessed Prophet of Allah (PBUH) in the cave Hira. The Prophet (PBUH) returned from Hira to Khadija and said: “Wrap me up! Wrap me up!”. She wrapped Him in a garment until His fear was dispelled and told what He had seen, that was terrible. Khadija tried to soothe him, reassured him, praised and counted few good deeds of the holy Prophet (PBUH) as: “Allah forbid! He will surely not let such a thing happen, for You speak the truth, You are faithful in trust, You bear the afflictions of the people, You spend in good work what You gain in trade, You are hospitable and you assist your fellow men.” (Ar-Raheequl Makhtum p/114) After this she went to her cousin Waraqa Ibn Naufal, and told him this all. Waraqa cried out: “Holy! Holy! Verily, this is the Holy spirit "Namus" who came to the Prophet Moses (PBUH). He will be the Prophet of his people. Tell him this and bid him to be brave at heart.” He also said that "If I should be alive till that day, then I would support you strongly" (ibid p/115). A few days later, Waraqah died and the Revelation also subsided. Every Prophet was sent unto his own nation / region for their guidance, but the message of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was in general for all mankind and jinn in this universe as 'Rahmat Al Lil Aalimeen'. *" قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا۔۔۔۔ "* (الاعراف؛ 158) The declaration to mankind presenting the essence of Belief and Message was revealed by Allah swt. HE (SWT) addresses His Messenger with universal proclamation as: *قُل يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيۡكُمۡ جَمِيعًا ۔۔۔۔ ( الاعراف؛ ۱۵۸)* “Say (O Muhammad (PBUH); O mankind! verily I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah.” The blessed Prophet (PBUH) has received an open order after a long gap from the first revelation to reform the whole humanity publicly from darkness unto light. The second revelation of the holy Quran revealed to the Prophet (PBUH) is: *" يَآ اَيُّـهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ ۔ قُمْ فَاَنْذِرْ ۔ وَرَبَّكَ فَكَـبِّـرْ ۔ ...."* ( المدثر؛ ۱ تا ۳) “O you (Muhammad) who covers himself with a garment, Arise and warn. And your Lord glorify... ” (Al-Quran 74:1-3) Here it can help one to understand easily why the Prophet (peace be upon him) on this occasion has been addressed with Ya ayyuhal-Muddaththiru (يَآ اَيُّـهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ) instead of Ya ayyuhar-Rasulu يَآ اَيُّـهَا الْرُسول (O Messenger), or Ya ayyuhan-Nabiyyu يَآ اَيُّـهَا الْنبیُ (O Prophet). As the Prophet (peace be upon him) had been terrified when he had suddenly seen the Angel Gabriel, sitting on a throne between heaven and earth, and had returned hastily home and asked the people of the house to cover him up, so Allah addressed him with Ya ayyuhal-Muddaththiru ( يَآ اَيُّـهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ۔)۔ Here the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ have been put under the burden of a great mission. And was directed, to arise from your solitude to perform this mission with resolution and courage, ordered to stand up and arouse the people who live in heedlessness around you. Warn them of the fate which would certainly overtake them if they remained involved in the same heedlessness. It was an open command to Warn the humans that they are not living in a lawless kingdom where they are free to conduct themselves as they like and where they can do wherever they please without any fear or being called to account for it. This was the primary duty of a Prophet (peace be upon him), which he has to perform in this world. His foremost duty is to refute the greatness of all those whom the ignorant people might be holding as great, and publicly proclaim that the greatness in this universe belongs to none but Allah alone. The Prophet (PBUH) came to humankind with a message of faith, ethics, wisdom, hope in which one reminds all people of His presence, his requirements and the final day of return. Though He came with this message, worship one Allah (SWT), spread peace, food the hungry, honour kinship ties, do justice, be truthful, be obedient, have patience, follow the teachings of the holy Quran and Hadith (sayings of Prophet). To love Allah swt, one must obey His Messenger Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ in every aspect of life with letter and spirit. Hence, Allah (SWT) says in the holy Quran: *" قُلۡ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ تُحِبُّوۡنَ اللّٰهَ فَاتَّبِعُوۡنِىۡ يُحۡبِبۡكُمُ اللّٰهُ وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَـكُمۡ ذُنُوۡبَكُمۡؕ​ وَاللّٰهُ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِيۡمٌ‏ ."* (آل عمران؛ ۳۱) “Say (O Muhammad PBUH, to mankind); If you (really) love Allah, then follow me i.e Quran and Sunnah (and) Allah will love you.”(Al-Quran 3:31) It is clearly mentioned here that the Allah’s Love is Attained by Following the Messenger Muhammad PBUH only. This honourable verse judges itself against those who claim to love Allah, yet do not follow the way of Muhammadﷺ . Such people are not true in their claim until they follow the Shari`ah (Law) of Muhammadﷺ and his religion in all his statements, actions, deeds and conditions. This all must be matched, authenticated and in accordance with the Prophet Muhammadﷺ in its true sense. It is also recorded in the books of Hadith, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, *" مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَد ۔"* (ریاض الصالحین؛ کتاب المقدمات، 169) i.e., Whoever commits an act that does not conform with our matter (religion), then it will be rejected of him. Allama Iqbal’s (R.A) couplet in supporting this verse is going as: *Ki Muhammadﷺ Se Wafa Tune Tu Hum Tere Hai* *Ya Jahan Chiez Hai Kay Luh Wa Qalam Tere Hai.* None has the right to be followed after Allah (SWT), but Prophet of Allah (PBUH). *لا یمکن الثناء کما کان حقہ* *بعد از خدا بزرگ توئی قصہ مختصر* Allah says in the Holy Quran: *" .... وَمَاۤ اٰتٰٮكُمُ الرَّسُوۡلُ فَخُذُوْهُ وَ مَا َنَهٰٮكُمۡ عَنۡهُ فَانْتَهُوۡا​ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ ​ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ شَدِيۡدُ الۡعِقَابِ​ۘ‏ ۔"* ( الحاشر؛ 7) “And whatsoever the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) gives you, take it and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain from it.” (Al-Quran 59:7) Another verse in the holy Quran of chapter Al-Ahzab (the confiders) shows that there is no need to deviate towards the other role models of this contemporary world as the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) is the best role model for you in this world & the world Hereafter. Allah(SWT) says: *" لقد کان لکم فی رسول اللہ اسوۃ حسنہ ۔۔۔"* ( الأحزاب؛ 21) “Indeed you have a good example in the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) for whosoever hopes for Allah and the Last day, and remembers Allah much.” (Al-Quran 33:21) Akhter Kazmi’s couplet in support to this verse reads as: *Nabi Ke Uswah Hasnah Ko Jab Pesh-I-Nazr Rakhein* *Mukaml Tab Kahen Quran Ki Tafseer Hoti Hai* Allah says in the holy Quran; *" يَآ اَيُّـهَا الَّـذِيْنَ اٰمَنُـوٓا اَطِيْعُوا اللّـٰهَ وَرَسُوْلَـهٝ وَلَا تَوَلَّوْا عَنْهُ وَاَنْتُـمْ تَسْـمَعُوْنَ ۔"* (الانفال؛ 20) “O you who believe! Obey Allah and His Messenger And don't turn away from hearing it.” (Al-Anfal; 8:20) To love the final Prophet (PBUH) “He is the Messenger of God and the seal (Last) of the Prophets” (Al-Ahzab, 33:40) means to follow the teachings of the Quran and Hadith with letter and spirit and should not move away from the Islamic Shari'ah that is the last Shari’ah (Al Quran; 5:3) which has been completed by the completion of Din (Islam). The crux of this all is that the Prophet's Biography is not any story. And this is not a myth either. This is not the story of an ordinary person or the story of a Dervish who is sitting in solitude somewhere away from people. It is not even the story of a great and famous person who came for a certain period. Rather, it is above all this and beyond the limit of our thinking. This holy biography of Khair al-Bashr, Sayyid al-Anbiya, Noor-e-Chashm, Noor-e-Nazar, Noor-e-Badr, Mudassar, Muzamil, Taha, Yasin, Muhammad, Ahmad, Mahmood, Bashir, Nazir, Ghiyas, Tab, from whom the Allah swt made him beloved Imam of all the Prophets, the Seal of the Prophets, the Seal of the Messengers, and the only beloved and blessed Prophet of Allah swt. His biography covers the revolutionary movements of good deeds, very high achievements, pure thoughts, grand ideas with collective and constructive efforts. The blessed and holy life of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) from a small orphan child to the cave of Hira, from the cave of Th'ur to the Kaaba, from Mecca to Medina and Taif, from the Islamic state to the battlefield, from Badr to conquest of Mecca, from friends to enemies, from the rich to the poor, from men to women, from the city to the villages, from the mosque to the toilet, from eating and drinking to walking, sleeping and Until waking up and wearing clothes, everything is all embracing. And one's heart and soul live to die and sacrifice on the same. There is a model for every aspect of human life. One needs no other guidance from anywhere. It is the N'ur for all ages to come and for all castes, creeds, tribes, communities and colours. Therefore, we need not only to highlight the teachings of the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet, but also to adopt and implement them in its true sense, beyond the celebration of the Eid Milad-ul-Nabi (peace be upon him) on a special day only. So that our lives are moulded in accordance with the Holy Quran as and taught by the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. This is actually the name of obedience, loyalty, obedience and sacrifice to Allah and His last Messenger ﷺ. So let us pledge an oath today to follow strictly the teachings of the holy Quran and the Prophetic Traditions, not only in the month of Rabi ul Awal but in every field at every footstep of our life in this temporary world for the betterment of our life in the eternal world Hereafter. --- Bilal Ahmad Paray hails from Tral and can be reached at paraybilal2@gmail.com URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/seerah-prophet-biography/d/130772 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Waheeda Rahman's Dadasaheb Phalke Award: Better Late than Never

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 28 September 2023 The news of Waheeda Rahman getting this year's Dadasaheb Phalke Award has gladdened her countless fans. She ought to have received it years ago. Conferring this award upon her at the ripe age of 85 seems to be a political move under the current government's carrot and stick policy towards the minorities. Nevertheless, she finally got it. An effortless actress, Waheeda could essay any role with a consummate ease. Mind you, she stood out among a galaxy of great actresses like Nargis, Meena Kumari, Madhubala and Nutan. It was never a cake-walk for her. Waheeda Rahman ----- The great thespian Soumitra Chatterjee recalled that once his mentor and the legendary auteur Satyajit Ray told him, "Acting is all about not acting. You shouldn't appear to be acting on the celluloid. Rather, you must appear to live the character as you live your own self in real life." Waheeda lived all the characters on the marquee as if she was living them in her real life. Her films, "Guide," "Kaaghaz Ke Phool," "Kaala Bazar", "Chaudhvin Ka Chaand", "Mujhe Jeene Do", "Majboor," "Kohra", "Bees Saal Baad", "Neelkamal," "Aadmi", "Ram Aur Shyam" to name but a few assert her acting prowess and screen presence. Her ageless beauty lent grace and elegance to her acting. Her expressive face reminds you of Mazhar Imam's famous Msra, "Shakl Aisi Ke Na Bhi Baat Kare Toh Yun Laga Ke Baat Kare" (So emotive that even if she says nothing, it appears as if she's speaking). Waheeda was a director's delight. She was always very quick on the uptake and grasped her role in no time. Her natural ability to emote without resorting to over-acting distinguished her from others. She never rested on her laurels and believed that she could have done better. When she was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award during the Mumbai Film Festival in 2012, she told a premier English daily that though she tries “to live in the present”, she does believe she “could have done better”. She called 'Guide' her “favourite” but added: “I could have worked on the dance movements, done them better.” Despite achieving name, fame and recognition, she always remained down to earth and never behaved in haughtily supercilious manner. You approach her for an autograph and she'll gladly oblige. No airs and arrogance ever touched her. Congratulations once again to Waheeda Rahman on getting the prestigious award, albeit quite late in life. But it's better late than never as they say in Persian, "Der Aayad, Durust Aayad." ------ A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-society/waheeda-rahman-dadasaheb-phalke-award/d/130771 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Imran Reyaz Khan Has Become A Symbol Of Pakistan's Battered Journalism

By New Age Islam Staff Writer 28 September 2023 He Was Released After Five Months Of Captivity To Serve A Threatening Message To Other Journalists Of Pakistan Main Points: 1. Journalists in Pakistan are threatened, harassed, abducted and killed regularly. 2. Pakistan ranks 150 in the World Press Freedom Index out of 180. 3. 53 Pakistani journalists have been killed from 2012 to 2022. 4. Journalists Sajid Hussain and Arshad Sharif were killed in exile. 5. Sami Ibrahim was abducted and released after six days. ----- Prominent journalist Anchor-person Imran Riaz Khan has returned home safely after being missing for nearly five months ----- Imran Reyaz Khan, the young Pakistani journalist known for his pro-Imran Khan views has returned from his captivity under the Pakistani police and agencies after five months. He had been abducted from Sialkot while on his way to the airport as he was trying to flee the country to avoid arrest in the aftermath of the May 9 countrywide violent protests. He was arrested on May 11 and was kept in an unknown place and released on September 26. His release and safe return was a matter of great relief for the media community as well his family because in Pakistan, abducted journalists seldom return alive. But unfortunately, his safe return was not a cause for rejoicing or celebration. His health is in a terrible condition: he has lost 22 kg of weight, his hair has turned white and he can't speak fluently. His speech has been affected the most. He has become very thin and people who have hugged him say they felt his bones. Prior to his arrest, he had received threats and had expressed his fears that he might be arrested any time. He had also said that he had received the threat that he would not be able to speak. But he had not anticipated what they had meant. Now that he has lost speech, it has become clear what the establishment meant. They have made him speechless. In the last five months, the courts intervened and ordered the IG, Punjab to find Imran's whereabouts and ensure his release but the Punjab police feigned ignorance and denied any knowledge of his whereabouts. They also said that his location was found in Afghanistan. The political analysts have said that Imran Reyaz Khan might have been meted out mental torture more than physical torture. Imran himself said that he was not allowed to see the sunlight for five months. He was also not allowed internet or newspapers. He did not know that the Shahbaz Sharif government had gone. Imran Reyaz Khan's case shows a new trend in the persecution of journalists in Pakistan. He has been allowed to return in a miserable and pitiable condition for him to serve as a message to the journalists: Beware or you will face the same fate. For a print journalist, his pen is his most effective tool and for a TV or YouTube journalist, his voice or speech is his most precious tool. When he is deprived of it, he is a living dead. The establishment did not kill him. It only took away his power of speech and left him at his home. His fate has instilled fear among other journalists of Pakistan. The threats to the life of journalists are not new in Pakistan. It has ranked 150 out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index. Pakistan has become a real killing field of journalists. Only in the last ten years, 53 journalists have been killed in Pakistan and the perpetrators were convicted in only two cases. Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab are the provinces where most of the killings have taken place. Journalists receive threats from the government as well as non- state actors for their reporting on corruption, misgovernance, terrorism and sectarianism. They are harassed, threatened, abducted and even killed. Many of them are removed from their job under pressure of the government. No government is a saint. They were harassed and threatened in both PML -N and PTI governments. However, the intensity and magnitude of persecution of journalists increased during the last tenure of Shahbaz Sharif from 2022 to 2023. For example, Ilyas Samoo of Sindh was arrested for reporting on flood affected areas of Thatta exposing the failure of the administration in providing relief. Jameel Farooqui of Bol News was arrested for his anti-state statements. Waqar Satti was charged with blasphemy and defamation. The Shabaz Sharif government cancelled the license of Bol News for telecasting news of the opposition PTI. This kind of harassment has compelled many journalists to refrain from reporting on politics, crime, terrorism, governance and religious extremism. After the May 9 violent protests, the crackdown on journalists intensified. They were booked under sedition and terror charges. Shahin Sehbai, Wajahat Sayeed Khan, Moeed Peerzada, Sabir Shakir, Adil Raza and Syed Haider Raza were charged with sedition. They had to leave Pakistan to avoid arrest or are already living in exile. Arshad Sharif, a journalist living in exile in Nairobi was killed. His family claim that the Pakistan government was involved in his killing. Another journalist in exile Sajid Hussain was killed in Sweden some time back. It shows that the Pakistani journalists are not safe even in exile from the long hand of Pakistan's government. Though journalists from exile do not belong only to Pakistan, their number is increasing. Journalists from South Asian, African and central Asian countries have taken asylum in North American and European countries to avoid threat to their life and therefore a new genre of journalism and media called exile journalism and exile media hs emerged. Sami Ibrahim was abducted and released after six days in July. About the condition of Journalism in Pakistan, Furqan Khan writes in the South Asian Voice: "In the past past decade, limiting the press has been done using different means including new legal mechanisms, physical coercion, violence against journalists, and media blackouts. While politicians may promise to improve press freedoms out of office, the press environment has continued to weaken over successive administrations. For instance, the PML-N promised to enact a journalists’ protection law in its 2013 election manifesto but this remained on hold throughout its tenure until 2018. Instead, in 2016, Pakistan’s National Assembly approved the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill (2015), which allowed for “sweeping censorship of the internet” and was criticized especially for giving substantial power and discretion to enforcement agencies. That same year, Pakistan was ranked among the 10 worst countries for internet freedom and fourth among the 10 worst countries for journalists. 157 attacks on journalists were reported between May 2017 and April 2018 during the last years of the PML-N tenure. Earlier, there were also armed attacks on senior journalists Hamid Mir in 2014 and Cyril Almeida in 2016. Almeida was “barred from leaving the country” following his report on a civil-military row in what famously became known as the “Dawn Leaks.” Pakistan has not only failed on the economic and educational front but has also failed to uphold the values of freedom of expression and democracy. Journalists are the most affected and persecuted group because they engage directly with the government and expose corruption, protest against injustice and the highhandedness of politicians. The case of Imran Reyaz Khan has marked a new low in the persecution of journalists in Pakistan. URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-media/imran-reyaz-pakistan-battered-journalism/d/130770 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Islam And Music: Music Therapy Has Been Rediscovered In The West As A Form Of Treatment To Cure Various Neurological Illnesses Following Its Eclipse After Ottoman Period

By New Age Islam Staff Writer 27 September 2023 Use Of Music As A Therapy Finds Mention Since The 18th Century, But Chinese And Other Cultures Claim Its Use In Antiquity, From The Time Of Confucius Main Points: 1. Muslim physicians and scientists contributed greatly to the development of music therapy in the middle ages. 2. Music is approved by some Sufi orders. 3. The Quran is silent over the use of music. 4. Maulana Rumi and Shams Tabrez used music to enhance spiritual ecstasy. ------ File Photo ---- Music has always enchanted and spellbound human beings. Even animals respond to good music. The camel riders in Arab deserts sang Hudi that is said to energise camels. The Prophet David is believed to have sung the Psalms in accompaniment to the lyre. In Vedas, the musical instrument Veena is mentioned as an accompaniment to devotional songs. Therefore, serene music has always been used as a means to enhance spiritual experience among the devotees. Islam does not discourage the use of music, though the Quran does not mention music. However, it discourages law al hadith (vain entertainment) which includes the kind of music that creates vulgar emotions and passion. Some Sufi orders have approved of music as a means of spiritual enhancement. Maulana Rumi and Shams Tabrez used music during Samaa (devotional music sessions). In the modern era, music is being used as a therapy or a means of curing physical and mental illnesses. Music therapy has become a branch of medical science. It aims to provide physical and mental benefit. Benefits of music therapy include improved heart rate, reduced anxiety, stimulation of the brain and improved learning. Music therapists use their techniques to help their patients in many areas, ranging from stress relief before and after surgeries to neuropathologies such as Alzheimer's disease. Studies on patients diagnosed with mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression and schizophrenia have shown some improvements in mental health after going through music therapy. The American Music Therapy Association's website says about the earliest mention of music therapy in the west says: "The earliest known reference to music therapy appeared in 1789 in an unsigned article in Columbian Magazine titled "Music Physically Considered." In the early 1800s, writings on the therapeutic value of music appeared in two medical dissertations, the first published by Edwin Atlee (1804) and the second by Samuel Mathews (1806). Atlee and Mathews were both students of Dr. Benjamin Rush, a physician and psychiatrist who was a strong proponent of using music to treat medical diseases. The 1800s also saw the first recorded music therapy intervention in an institutional setting (Blackwell’s Island in New York) as well as the first recorded systematic experiment in music therapy (Corning’s use of music to alter dream states during psychotherapy)." Music Therapy is of two kinds. One is receptive and the other is active. In the former, the patient only listens to a particular kind of music to cure certain mental illness while in active music therpy, the patient is involved in creating music. Music therapy is also found to be useful in curing insomnia or less sleep. But the use of music as a therapy was developed by the Muslim scientists of the 9th and 10th century and by the 18th century, the West adopted music therapy as a branch of medical science. The Muslim scientist Al Kindi (9th century) first produced the idea that music could be used to cure physical and mental illnesses. He can be considered the father of music therapy. Another Muslim scientists Al Razi (854-932), Al Farabi (870-950) and Ibn Sina (980-1037) also developed music therapy. During Abbasid period, hospitals used music therapy. Pinar Somakci in her article "Music Therapy in Islamic culture" writes : "Although the first serious music therapy was practiced during the Ottoman period, various healing attempts were undertaken in pre-Anatolian central Asia by shaman musicians known as Baksi. Even today, there are Baksis among the central Asian Turks who continue there activities. Ibn Sina, in a hospital established in Damascus by a Seljuk Turk engaged in the healing of mental disorders with music. The influence of Ibn Sina continued into the Ottoman period. The Ottoman palace doctor, Musa bin Hamun used musical therapeutic means in the healing of the tooth diseases and children's psychological disorders. Hekimbasi Gevrekzade Hsan Effendi was the student of Tokati Mustafa Effendi (18th century) who translated Ibn Sina 's famous work Al Kanun fit Tibbi. In his own work, he said that he drew heavily upon Ibn Sina's work". Therefore, Muslim scientists presented the idea of music therapy to the world and developed it as a medical science. They wrote books on music therapy and prescribed various kinds of music and pitches for different illnesses. They also prescribed times of day and night for playing music for particular illnesses. The modern music therapy borrows from the knowledge of the Muslim scientists of the middle ages. In some hospitals in Islamic countries, the recitation of particular Surahs of the Quran have also been included in the treatment protocol in the hospital. But some researchers say that music therapy is not the idea of the Muslim scientists. The ancient Egyptians, Chinese, Romans and the Greek scientists used music therapy. Prophet David treated Saul with music for a mental illness. Confucius believed that music could heal eyesight, hearing and blood circulation disorders. Greek poet Homer also believed that music could stop bleeding. Nevertheless, it is a fact that Muslims developed the Music therapy in the modern era and formulated methods for treatment with music. They even wrote books on the subject. However, the larger section of Islamic scholars or ulema are still undecided on the justification of music as a therapy and there is no consensus on the issue. Prof. Dr Ibrahim B. Syed in his article "Music Therapy" writes on the issue: "Currently there is an aversion to music by some of the ulema (religious scholars) in the Islamic world. The paper analyses the Islamic perspective on music and singing. It concludes that utilisation of music as a therapeutic agent in medicine is not haram or forbidden. There is documentary evidence that shows the power of music can be tapped to heal the body, strengthen the mind and unlock the creative spirit. Published papers nd journal articles after dramatic accounts of how doctors, musicians nd health care professionals use music to deal with everything from anxiety to cancer, high blood pressure, chronic pain, dyslexia, even mental illness. During childbirth, music can relieve expectant mothers' anxiety and help release endorphins the body 's natural pain killers, dramatically reducing the need for anaesthesia. Exposure to sound, music and other acoustical vibrations can have a life long effect on health, learning and behaviour. They stimulate learning and memory, strengthen listening abilities. Music has been used as a treatment or cure from migraine to substance abuse." Therefore, it can be rightly said that the Muslim physicians and scientists have contributed greatly to the development of music therapy in the middle ages. The world today acknowledges the benefits of music therapy. URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-culture/music-therapy-west-treatment-cure-neurological-eclipse-ottoman /d/130767 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Unveiling The Myths Of Muslim Women

By Moin Qazi, New Age Islam 27 September 2023 "A mother is a school. Empower her, and you empower a great nation." —Hafez Ibrahim, Egyptian philosopher File Photo ----- When Imam Zuhri, a famous scholar of the Sunnah, indicated to Qasim ibn Muhammad, a scholar of the Qur'an, a desire to seek knowledge, Qasim advised him to join the assembly of a well-known woman jurist of the day, Amara bin Al-Rahman. Imam Zuhri attended her assembly and later described her as "a boundless ocean of knowledge". Amra tutored several famous scholars, such as Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Hazama and Yahya Ibn Said. Amra was not an anomaly in Islamic history, it actually abounds with famous female narrators of jurisprudence, starting with Aisha, Muhammad's wife. A conservative count would reveal at least 2,500 extraordinary women jurists, narrators of Muhammad's sayings (hadith), and poets. Yet, their stories are not always well-known or widely acknowledged. Ground-breaking accomplishments by women have always occurred. We need to dig deep enough in history to find these gems. And Muslim women are just starting to get their similar due. Thanks to the painstaking research of Islamic scholar Mohammad Akram Nadwi, the dean of Cambridge Islamic College, the stories of accomplished Muslim female scholars, jurists and judges have been unearthed. Over the past 20 years, Mr Nadwi's research of biographical dictionaries, classical texts, madrasa chronicles and letters has led to a listing of about 10,000 Muslim women who have contributed toward various fields of Islamic knowledge over 10 centuries. Muslims have just begun to discover their own "hidden figures, " and many more are yet to find. If we fail to deal with the present-day sexism that has eroded the egalitarian nature of our historical communities, this excavation becomes all the more difficult. Not only is the sheer number impressive, but so is how these women operated: Many were encouraged by their fathers at an early age to acquire knowledge, and many travelled to seek a more profound understanding of Islamic sciences. They sat in study circles – with men – at the renowned learning centres, debating and questioning alongside their male counterparts. And they taught their study circles to men and women alike. Some were so revered that students came from near and far to absorb their wisdom. They approved certifications of learning and provided fatwas (non-binding religious opinions); as judges, they delivered essential rulings. A few notable examples include Aisha, the youngest wife of Prophet Mohammed, who was known for her expertise in the Koran, Arabic literature, history, general medicine and juridical matters in Islam. She was a primary source of authentic hadith, or traditions of the Prophet, which form part of the foundation of Sunni Islam. Umm al-Darda was a 7th-century scholar who taught students in the mosques of Damascus and Jerusalem, including the caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. She was considered among the best traditionalists of her time. And one of the greatest was the 8th-century scholar Fatima al-Batayahiyyah, who taught in Damascus. During the Hajj, leading male scholars flocked to her lectures. She later moved to Medina, where she taught students in the revered mosque of the Prophet. When she tired, she rested her head on the grave of Mohammed. Fatimah bint Mohammed al Samarqandi, a 12th-century jurist, advised her more famous husband, 'Ala' al-Din al-Kasani, on how to issue his fatwas; she also mentored Salahuddin. There are but a few of the thousand luminaries found by Nadwi, a classically trained Islamic scholar. Initially, he thought he would see 20 or 30 women; his compilation now fills 40 volumes. While a 400-page preface (Al-Muhaddithat: The Women Scholars in Islam) has been published, Nadwi's work, indeed a Muslim country or UNESCO, can help disseminate it. The Fading Trend However, that trend is now history. Nowadays, we hardly ever encounter female Islamic jurists. Women are all but absent from Islamic public and intellectual life. If we scan the records of the centuries of Islamic history, we find many women active in all areas of life, only to see them marginalised dramatically later. So, what happened? How and why have things changed in the last three hundred years to the extent that it is unusual to find women involved in Islamic sciences? Unlike in the past, significantly few Muslim men would even consider being taught by a Muslim woman. The Qur'an enshrined a new status for women and gave them rights that they could have only dreamed of before in Arabia; so why the seeming disparity between what once was and what now appears to be? This is a phenomenon that requires in-depth research. It is time to re-examine the sources and reassess how Muslim women in the past achieved such glory so that we can rid our society of the constraining perspectives that have become the norm. Customs have characterised cultures that arose since then and localised leanings more than genuine Islamic values. The lives of the first Muslim women represent valuable models, transcending time and physical boundaries; therefore, these models can serve as powerful, culturally authentic tools in advancing the human rights agenda toward increased female empowerment in the political, social, and economic spheres in Muslim communities. The contributions of these women to the Muslim community are undeniable; to some, they even appear almost mythical. They mistakenly subscribe to the erroneous notion that contemporary Muslim women cannot attain such stature. However, these women represent others who lived, fought, learned, worked, and led during Islam's foundational period and beyond. Their male companions, the caliphs who assumed Muslim rule following the demise of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), treated them with respect, admiration, appreciation, and as equals. Society needs to guard the female community's progress actively; otherwise, they can regress. The most common justification for ridiculing Islam is that the religion is "backward", particularly regarding women as a fundamental part of its beliefs. The portrayal of Muslim women in the media arena is grim and sad. The public perception concerning them is one of the stubborn stereotypes. Supposedly powerless and oppressed, behind walls and veils, demure, voiceless, and silent figures, discriminated against. At the same time, the position of women in Islamic countries has dramatically changed in a few decades, with access to education, birth control, and jobs. But each advance is resisted, and attitudes are harder to change than laws. From Morocco to Iran, women—secular, liberal, and religious, sometimes alone, together—are challenging traditions, demanding greater rights, and reinterpreting the Holy Qur'an and Muslim history. As in other areas of life, Muslim women have proven resourceful, creative, and dedicated to claiming ownership and responsibility for their faith individually and communally. This is despite the challenges they have often faced in gaining access to the appropriate religious training facilities and establishing credibility with the male religious establishments, particularly the clerical class. Today, Muslim women are active in Qur'anic study circles, mosque-based activities, community services sponsored by religious organisations, and Islamic education as students and teachers. There are a rising number of female Qur'an reciters, Islamic lawyers and professors of Islamic studies throughout the world. This process is also helping to shake up some traditionally held cultural misconceptions. All Muslims can further activate the reform process by re-examining the lives of the first Muslim women who lived during Islam's formative period, not just as historical figures but as modern Islamic models that can be emulated today. While many Muslims around the world learn about such exceptional Muslim women in school, their relevance to the contemporary context is frequently overlooked. Most critical aspects of their personalities are glossed over. Through learning and celebrating their examples, men and women can better understand and build upon notions of the role of Muslim women in a culturally authentic paradigm. Muslim women's activism around education and equal opportunities is often underpinned by their emancipatory readings of foundational Islamic texts. They are also challenging the patriarchy that most women experience around unequal power hierarchies in society and the objectification of women's bodies in sections of the media. They believe that rights have been accorded to them in foundational Islamic texts but that cultural interpretation of these texts disallows what is rightfully theirs. They do not call this a feminist struggle but describe it as a reclamation of their faith. They stand with their sisters of all backgrounds in this quest. Although traditionally excluded from the male public domain, Muslim women have been privately involved in the study and oral transmission of Islamic texts (the Qur'an and hadith). In modern times, they have entered both secular and religious forms of education with enthusiasm, supporting their long-standing role as family educators and moral exemplars, as well as training for professional careers at the workplace outside the home. Central to Islamic belief is the importance and high value attached to education. From the actual Islamic point of view, education should be freely and equally available to women as much as men. Elsewhere, the fully empowered Muslim woman sounds like a self-assured, post-feminist individual who draws her inspiration from the example of Sukayna, the brilliant, beautiful great-granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). She was married several times and, at least in one of her marriages, stipulated in writing that her husband was forbidden to disagree with her about anything. All these conditions are based on the canons of Islam and early Muslim practice. A Muslim woman cannot be forced into marriage without her consent; indeed, she has the right to revoke a marriage to which she did not agree in the first place. We now have a curious and empowered female Muslim generation that will not easily accept rules and codes without reasoning and arguing on every strand before embracing them. Feminism and Muslim Women Few Muslim women outside the urban domain may want to behave like Western women. A comparison may mean little outside the cultural context, but it is essential to point out that Western women virtually had no rights in law or practice until a hundred years ago. Over 1,000 years before the first European suffragette, Islam gave women far-reaching rights and a defined status. Muslim women emerged as the centrepiece of the Western narrative of Islam in the nineteenth century and, notably, in the later nineteenth century as Europeans established themselves as colonial powers in Muslim countries. Their descriptions simultaneously and hypocritically perpetuated the Victorian English narrative that European men were superior to women while denigrating Muslim culture for being oppressive to women. But, of late, Muslim women have transformed a great deal. They certainly do not share the Western notion of feminism. These women do not accept that being feminist means being Western and believe Western women should be respectful of other paths to social change. They argue that Western thinkers and practitioners must reconsider their assumptions about the role of Islam in women's rights and approach this topic with a more nuanced lens. They want them to understand the necessity of recognising and consciously accepting the broad cultural differences between Western and non-Western concepts of autonomy and respecting social standards that reflect non-Western values. Muslim women must work in full partnership with Muslim men, reject Western models of liberation, and, more importantly, assert their Islamic feminism, insisting that Islam, at its core, is progressive for women and supports equal opportunities for both men and women. First, there are multiple causes of discrimination against women, and religion is but one. Secondly, gender relations that structure women's options in all societies must empower women. Thirdly, it is futile to focus on misery elsewhere as an escape from the realities of our own lives. And fourth, the issue of power remains crucial for understanding gender inequality in any society. Western thinkers and practitioners must reconsider their assumptions about the role of Islam in women's rights and approach this topic with a more nuanced lens. They must understand the necessity of recognising and consciously accepting the broad cultural differences between Western and non-Western concepts of autonomy and respecting social standards that reflect non-Western values. Historically, Islam was incredibly advanced in providing revolutionary rights for women and uplifting women's status in the seventh century. Many of the revelations in the Qur'an were by nature reform-oriented, transforming critical aspects of pre-Islamic customary laws and practices in progressive ways to eliminate injustice and suffering. Still, it is not enough to merely flaunt these values. We must act on them. The reforms that took place in the early years of Islam were progressive, changing with the needs of society. However, the more detailed rules the classical jurists laid out only allowed many pre-Islamic customs to continue. These rules reflected their society's needs, traditions, and expectations, not the progressive reforms initiated during Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) time. Hence, the trajectory of reform that began during Muhammad's time was blocked in the medieval period by further elaborating fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), which was then selectively codified in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Islam also promotes and teaches humans to practice balance in all aspects of life with moderation. Being humans, we are subjected to influences by our culture and traditions. At the same time, we must acknowledge that our world views and religious views differ from place to place, era to era, and across cultures, thereby continuing to religion, in this case, Islam, to the oppression of women. However, efforts are needed to ensure that such changes do not work to subjugate women. The alleged retrograde practices of the community take the world's focus away from understanding the overwhelming problems of the Muslim world and the cause of its troubles. It provides an easy scapegoat for those looking to legitimise their illegitimate actions, which are detrimental to humanity. It is one of the reasons for this unnecessary bitterness over plainly innocuous symbols which have culturally bonded these cultures over the years. At its very core, Islam prescribes the principles of justice and equity for peace and human development and compassion for all humanity. We must mention that the same root word of Islam originates from the word salaam (peace). Islam is a universal religion that speaks to humanity. The Prophet summed up his philosophy in his last great address at Arafat by decrying barriers between people. For him, Islam transcended caste, colour, and race divisions. "All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor does a black have any superiority over a white except by good action." They are enlightened and responsive and have the same innovative trait that makes them attuned to their Qur'anic obligations. They have evolved approaches that meet both their secular and religious commitments. Modesty has to do with clothes and should be a voluntary choice for women. Voluntarily. Freedom is about having the option to do and wear what you want; banning clothing would only counter that freedom. Islam: The Most Discussed Religion Women are exposed to organised education for the first time and are now enlightened enough to channel their cultural, parental and religious practices and beliefs. Their scepticism on various issues is an understandable reaction from a minority community that has remained pawned in a bewildering swelter of ideologies. Muslim communities, and much of that focuses on women, see Islam as inherently part of the problem—if not the whole situation—that Muslim women face. Muslim women must not be disengaged from the religion. We we can achieve anything close to equality or equality; be provided equality in all spheres, which is their right. Women are arguing for women's rights within an Islamic discourse. Some leading proponents are men—distinguished scholars who contend that Islam was radically egalitarian for its time and remains so in many of its texts. Islamic feminists claim Islamic law evolved in ways damaging to women, not due to any inevitability but because of selective interpretation by patriarchal leaders. Across the Muslim world, Islamic feminists are combing through centuries of Islamic philosophy to highlight the more progressive aspects of their religion. They seek accommodation between a modern role for women and the Islamic values that more than a billion people follow. Muslims need to look at themselves realistically instead of their imagined selves. Like their counterparts in other creeds, their scriptures guarantee that we must respect Muslim women's equality. Women also believe foundational Islamic texts have accorded these rights them. Still, interpreting these documents with the prevalent cultural lens disallows what is rightfully theirs. Quest for Gender Equality The stereotype of a Muslim woman as a passive victim is a dangerous myth. It is promoted by the opponents of gender equality within and outside Muslim societies and must be abolished. Muslim women's activism around education and equal opportunities is often underpinned by their empowered readings of foundational Islamic texts. They are also challenging the patriarchy that all women experience around unequal social power hierarchies and objectifying women's bodies; in some sections of the media, women are now elbowing their way into politics, civil society, and universities. Despite present cultural and political obstacles, they are finding opportunities to raise their societies. They feel the key to doing so lies within Islamic paradigms. There is a need to engage in Islam from a position of knowing to ensure that Muslim women have access to this knowledge. Through this knowledge, women can assert their rights and challenge patriarchal interpretations of Islam. While prioritising a literal, puritanical reading of the Qur'an, they want to discard the historical reality of the Muslim world in favour of the ideal society of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions. Their unifying vision has made collective action possible. There is no denying that the Muslim world has a significant amount of ground to cover to protect women's rights and freedoms, and the quest for gender equality remains paramount. However, the idea that all Muslim women are oppressed because Muslim men are misogynists is wide off the mark because women's oppression manifests itself in several ways. Not all Muslim men are the oppressors. It is clear that Muslim women's empowerment, like many things, cannot be imposed on a country or a culture from the outside. Men and women within these conservative communities must find their reasons and justifications to allow women a fuller societal role. Increasingly, they are finding those reasons within Islam. Like men, women deserve to be free. In today's increasingly global world, everyone has higher stakes than ever. Societies that invest in and empower women are on a virtuous cycle. They become more prosperous, stable, better governed, and less prone to fanaticism. Countries that limit women's educational and employment opportunities and political voices get stuck in a downward spiral. They are poorer, more fragile, have higher levels of corruption, and are more prone to extremism. ----- Moin Qazi is the author of the bestselling book, Village Diary of a Heretic Banker. He has worked in the development finance sector for almost four decades. URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/unveiling-myths-muslim-women/d/130766 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

BJP MP Abusing a Muslim MP: "If Winter Comes, Can Spring Be Far Behind?"

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 27 September 2023 This pertains to the news item ‘Elite Hindus’ Shower Praise For BJP MP Who Calls Muslim Lawmaker 'Aatankwaadi' (Terrorist), 'Ugrawaadi' (Militant) 'Mullah', 'Katwa' (Circumcised) and 'Bharwah' (Pimp). Juxtapose this news item with this one: Nupur Sharma, who was suspended as the BJP's national spokesperson after her remarks about Prophet Mohammed caused a diplomatic row with Muslim countries, has been lying low ever since. On Sunday she surfaced, to attend the New Delhi premiere of filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri's The Vaccine Wars. Agnihotri thanked her on X for her presence, saying, 'Thank you #NupurSharma for being such an inspiration for young girls. Nobody can stop you when you have millions of brothers fighting for you.' He also replied to fact-checker Mohammed Zubair's earlier post, saying, 'Zubair Sahab, Dekhiye Yeh Hai Asli Propaganda. Ise Fact Check Karo Jaldi Se. Ab Rok Nahin Paaoge. Salaam. Bharat Mata Ki Jai. Jai Shree Ram.' So, one's not surprised that 'elite' Hindus are praising the communal and most uncultured BJP Ramesh Bidhuri for abusing a Muslim MP. When 'elite' people like Vivek Agnihotri and Nupur Sharma hobnob with the Hindu leaders and openly instigate (and also, castigate) Muslims, you can gauge the communal and most polarised atmosphere prevalent in today's Hindu India. In fact, if you observe, it's the 'elite' and 'educated' Hindus who're rabidly against Muslims. Recently, a friend of mine told me that during the inauguration of his poetry book, his 'educated' Hindu friend refused to attend saying that he was not interested because there were Muslim speakers. Imagine, so intense hatred! All anti-Muslim WhatsApp messages and posts are forwarded by 'educated,' 'elite' and ' English-speaking ' Hindus. They openly say that Muslims must leave this country and go back to Pakistan. When hatred spreads among the 'educated' ones, it gets hardened. Most alarming aspect of this type of hatred spread by the 'educated' ones is that it gets negative endorsement and much greater traction. Less educated people think that when 'educated' ones are condemning the minority, they (general masses) should also condemn Muslims to be like them ('elites' and 'educated'). This is a worrisome development. Now the yardstick of Vatanparasti (love for one's own country) is the intensity of your hatred for the Muslims. The more you hate them, the more you become a Deshbhakt ! Moreover, what the BJP MP has stated is nothing new. Hindus, esp. the 'educated' ones, have been using the same 'adjectives' for Muslims for a long time. Ramesh Bidhuri has just expressed in public what 'elite' Hindus think of Muslims in the confines of four walls. P B Shelly wrote, "I fall upon the thorns of life! I bleed !" in his Ode to the West Wind. Let me paraphrase that for the Muslims in India: They've fallen upon the thorns of hatred. They bleed....." But there's a silver lining to every cloud. Shelly concludes his famous poem with these immortal words of hope and optimism. The concluding line has now become more of an aphorism: "If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind? "So, don't lose hope. To quote Shevan Rizvi, Din Bhi Niklega Kabhi Raat Ke Aane Pe Na Jaa.......( From The Song, Dil Ki Aawaaz Bhi Sun Mere Fasane Pe Na Jaa, Humsaya, sung by Rafi, 1968). ------ A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/bjp-mp-abusing-muslim-mp/d/130765 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Political Authority in Islamic Communities in Ibn Taymiyyan Discourse: A Hot Recipe for Islamic Terrorism

By Grace Mubashir, New Age Islam 26 September 2023 The major motive of Islamic terrorism and radicalism is the underwhelming concept of the Muslim community as a political authority. The political ideologies of Al Qaeda, Boko Haram and Taliban support this concept. The terrorist groups operating in India are also intoxicated with the concept of political authority for Muslims which inadvertently lead to clashes with secular societies. In modern times, this concept is contributed by the works of Ibn Taymiyyah and later adopted by Islamist/ Salafi leaders like Ibn Abdul Wahab, and Ikhwanul Muslimun. The ideology is based on the flawed notion of a legitimate Muslim political power is compulsory for Muslims in order to implement Islamic Sharia. The proponents of the idea vehemently attack secular plural society because it fails to protect and uphold the political and legal premises of Islam. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: How Did The Extremist, Supremacist, Xenophobic And Violent Theology Of Ibn Taymiyya And Mohammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab Spread In India ------------------------------------------------------------------- Islam As a Faith Community The fundamental sore point while discussing music society revolves around whether Muslims are a political community or a faith community. The distinction between the two concepts is about the relation of Islam with polity. The advocates of Muslims as a political community argue that Islam has no identity without political power. Political power is indispensable with Islam as a religious ideology. Maududi in India advocated this argument following the lines of the Muslim Brotherhood. The scholars who support Muslims as a faith community strongly refute the political ambitions of religion and assert that if Islam is free to practice, even in individual terms, Muslims are duty-bound to follow any such political setup. For example, in India, the constitution protects Muslims' social and religious rights and hence to seek Islamic polity in India is prohibited. Terrorist organizations often target Muslims abiding Indian constitution as radical Muslims cannot agree Indian constitution instead of Sharia. The reference to the Muslim community as a faith group could be found in the Medinan Charter promulgated by the Prophet. The fundamental intention of the prophet was just to establish a religious community tolerant of diversity and responsivity political problems but not a sovereign political authority. From the terms of the Charter, the political form of Islam is crystal clear. Islam is a religion that brings together Muslims as a faith community. Islam as a religion could be accommodated in any political form as long as secular and objective freedom for worship is given. Ibn Taymiyyah and Islam as Political Power Ibn Taymiyyah was a great scholar of his time. His scholarship of Islam is matchless in its zeal to reform and reinvigorate religion during his time. The problems arise when his ideas are adopted into modernity without the least care for changed environments and geo-political situations. Like any medieval scholar, he was the perfect solution to his times, not to modernity. His ideas have faded into irrelevance due to the changed nature of global conditions. But radical groups still, use his scholarship to bolster their positions. Taqi al-Din Ibn Taymiyyah (1263-1328) is one of the most controversial thinkers in Islamic history. Today he is revered by what is called the Wahhabi movement and championed by Salafi groups who demand a return to the pristine golden age of the Prophet. His writings have been a source of inspiration for radical groups to justify acts of violence and armed struggle. He lived at a critical historical juncture when Muslims were crushed under the might of Mongols. His political ideas developed as a response to the degeneration set in the Muslim community and the resultant collapse. In 1258 Bagdad fell to the Mongol army who laid waste in the city striping the city of its fabled status as capital of the Islamic caliphate. His earliest writing on Muslim politics came in 1293. In a treatise published that year he advocated ‘any exercise of authority, political or religious, must be based on the law of Allah’. He took upon the mantle of Islamic reform in the aftermath of the Mongol invasion. In 1315 he produced a comprehensive book on Islamic politics while he was arrested in Cairo. His major arguments were: 1. Islam cannot survive without Islamic politics 2. Implementation of Islamic law is compulsory 3. The legitimate political authority of Muslims should be based on the Quran and Hadeeth. 4. He elaborated the concepts of Darul Islam and Darul Harb as signified all lands without Muslim politics as Darul Harb 5. The belief in the sovereignty of Allah should be the basis for political exercises in the Muslim community In short, he was pioneering the arguments of modern-day Islamicists. He vehemently objected to the new ideas which crept into Islam and rejected them because they were un-Islamic. He also opposed Sufi Islam and supported political Islam in order to gain political hegemony for Muslims in the world. his arguments were relevant in that historical context when Muslims were politically defeated by the hands of Mongols. Besides he wanted the Muslim community to reconstruct on the basis of teachings of Quran and Sunna. According to him all creatures must leave for Allah the ultimate mystery of things and must submit voluntarily. He was also against innovations (Bida’h) and he weighed against the cultural addition to the Islamic society. he tried to make Islam a puritanical society which was later taken by the Salafi movements. He supported defensive jihad and called for all Muslims to defend the Mongol invasion. According to him the application of the law of Allah and his Prophet was the foundation for political and religious authority and reformation of Muslim societies. Modern-Day Implications of His Political Views He is considered to be the intellectual fountainhead of many Islamic terrorist groups. Usama bin Laden used his fatwas to declare war on America. The ideologies of Boko Haram are still rooted in Ibn Taymiyyan political ideas. The modern-day Muslim terror groups reject the validity of secular polity and plural society and demand the implementation of Islamic Sharia, as demanded by Ibn Taymiyyah in the thirteenth century. His ideas reject the legitimacy of democracy where human beings legislate as per their demands. He also supported religious dictatorship to implement Islamic Sharia, an idea courted by many Muslim terrorist groups. The ‘Theocracy’ advocated by Maududi is the modern-day explanation of Ibn Taymiyyah. The terrorist groups support the abolition of state and religion separation theory as it is against the things of Ibn Taymiyyah. According to many scholars, the ideology of Al Qaeda is a complete servile to Ibn Taymiyyan ideology. This is manifested in the way most Islamists see it as a religious duty to enforce not just the implementation of Islamic law but also to force others to accept it by whatever means, including the use of violence. The problem is the reading of a scholar of the medieval period without critical study in the modern era. The situations have totally undergone changes as the medieval polity is no longer relevant in the modern day. According to Islamic jurisprudence, the fatwas of a scholar have no relevance when the conditions of the fatwa change. In this respect, the political views of Ibn Taymiyyah are no longer valid and legitimate. The problem with Muslim terrorist organizations is that they dream of the medieval golden age of Muslim political power. They are not comfortable with the modern ideas of political and social changes. By invoking the middle-aged scholar in the modern era without analysing its contemporary importance. The reinterpretation of middle-Muslim scholarship is overdue to blunt its abusive usages by militant groups. ----- A regular columnist for NewAgeIslam.com, Mubashir V.P is a PhD scholar in Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia and freelance journalist. URL: https://newageislam.com/radical-islamism-jihad/political-authority-ibn-taymiyyah-islamic-terrorism/d/130756 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Sir Syed and Indian Nationalism

By Dr. Javed Akhatar, New Age Islam 26 September 2023 (This is the English translation of Professor Mushirul Haq’s Urdu article titled “Sir Syed aur Hindustani Qaumiyat.”) In this research article, Professor Mushirul Haq refrains from immersing himself in the fervent discourse surrounding Sir Syed and his followers, which ultimately led to the partition of the country. However, he does make references to them in appropriate contexts when it aids in comprehending the underlying issues being discussed. Professor Haq's focus lies solely on those individuals who, contrary to Sir Syed’s belief that Hindus and Muslims could not collaborate, clung to the hope in the possibility of an Indian nation (Hindustani Qaum). They unwaveringly nurtured this conviction, firmly believing that India served as a homeland for Indian Muslims just as much as it did for followers of other faiths. In essence, they embraced the notion that religion does not constitute a fundamental factor in determining the question of homeland (Watan) and nationhood (Qaumiyat). --------- At the time, when Syed Ahmad (later became famous as Sir Syed) was advocating the idea of ‘Hindustani Qaum’ (one Indian nation) comprising two distinct religious communities, it appeared that some Hindu leaders, while actively shaping the aspirations and objectives of their own community, were not contemplating the establishment of a nation where Muslims would hold an equal status. The majority of Hindus, under the influence of leaders such as Dayananda Saraswati (founder Arya Samaj, primarily in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh), Bal Gangadhar Tilak (in Maharashtra), and Keshab Chandra Sen (associated with Brahmo Samaj in Bengal), were charting a course distinct from that of the Muslim community. All the Hindu movements during this era emerged as reformist movements with the primary objective of rectifying numerous entrenched social customs within Hindu society, which had erroneously amalgamated with the core tenets of Hinduism. Their target audience inherently comprised Hindus. Hence, it is evident that the leaders of these movements sought to provide Hindus with both pragmatic and spiritual guidance were looking back at the history predating the Muslim rule. The endeavour to rejuvenate the Hindu faith did not escape Sir Syed’s notice. Nevertheless, he held the aspiration that, in due course, he would be able to inspire Hindus to embrace a more elevated concept of nationhood through sincere and intellectual persuasion. In about 1867, some Hindus, mostly residents of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, initiated a movement, which gained a fair amount of popularity and many people later joined them. The movement urged that in government courts ‘attempts should be made to replace Urdu language – which was an amalgam of Khari Boli (elevated or standing dialect), Hindi and Persian – and Persian script Bhasha and Devanagari script.’ For Sir Syed this was a painful revelation and it gave him a great shock. He realized for the first time that ‘amongst the Hindus, who had been so caste-ridden that they had no sense of being a community, communal consciousness was now awakening, and their higher and middle classes were combining to assert their separate cultural entity in the face of the Muslims and trying to safeguard their special interests.’ In his world of despair, he said: “I am convinced that both communities (Qawm) cannot sincerely collaborate in any task, at least for now. In the future, even more opposition and stubbornness will arise due to those who are considered educated.” In 1876, Sir Syed conveyed his viewpoint to his confidant, Mr. Shakespear, the Commissioner of Benares. However, it is important to exercise caution in interpreting this statement. Drawing the conclusion that ‘it would never be feasible for both communities to collaborate in a shared endeavour’ in the future would be both misguided and wrong. In his aforementioned statement, Sir Syed employed the Urdu term “Qaum” instead of the English word “Nation,” which, as we have observed, does not inherently denote the concept of a nation. In light of our aforesaid discussions to define the meaning of the term “Qaum,” the only fair conclusion that can be reached is that Sir Syed was compelled to say and think that the issues that could impact the future of the Indian nation, both Hindu and Muslim, have very dark prospects for cooperation between the two groups or communities. Nevertheless, it is imperative to note that this stance of Sir Syed does not represent his ultimate conclusion. This is underscored by the fact that in 1884, a span of eight years subsequent to his aforementioned assertion, he reiterated this viewpoint, emphatically asserting that Muslims and Hindus constitute integral components of the same overarching Hindustani Qawm (Indian nation). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Also Read: Moving Beyond Sir Syed ------------------------------------------------------------------ It is an established historical fact that both Muslims and Hindus were active participants in the ‘Gadar’ (the Mutiny of 1857). However, once the Mutiny was quelled, the British authorities tended to assign blame primarily to the Muslim community, deeming them as treacherous and singling them out for retribution. ‘The Shurafaa (elite), particularly those of Muslim faith, were almost entirely obliterated.’ Not only were Muslims subjected to individual persecution and retaliatory death penalties, but a systematic policy of discriminatory practices was also employed against them in various governmental positions. This bias became so pronounced that in 1869, a Persian newspaper, Durbin, in Calcutta lodged a complaint, highlighting the unjust treatment suffered by the Muslim populace: “Gradually, Muslims are being dismissed from jobs, and Hindus are being hired in large numbers. An official announcement was made in the government gazette that no Muslim should be appointed. Recently, there were several vacancies in the office of the Commissioner of Sundarban (Bengal). Alongside their advertisements, there was also an official note stating that only Hindus can apply for these positions.” The same policy was adopted in another predominantly Muslim province of Punjab. The first report about education, published in 1856-57, unveiled that the number of Muslim teachers and students in (local language) schools was significantly higher compared to other groups... It recommended governmental intervention to curb this trend. The subsequent report in 1860-61 echoed this concern, with statistics indicating a clear predominance of Muslim teachers. Authorities were advised to actively encourage Hindus to enter this profession. Through a judicious, phased approach, efforts were made to equalize the representation of teachers from both communities, followed by measures aimed at reducing the proportion of Muslims in this sector. During the enforcement of this policy, Hindus did not voice criticism; in fact, they expressed significant approval. However, as circumstances evolved and the government reevaluated its stance on oppression and injustice, pivoting towards a strategy aimed at garnering Muslim support in matters pertaining to their community, Hindus, by and large, did not endorse this shift. Their newspapers featured extensive articles on the matter, asserting that attempts to reconcile with untrustworthy people are unpolitic. In 1870, fervent Hindu nationalists of Calcutta appealed to the government to reconsider this policy, contending that all Muslims were perceived as disloyal and enemies of the British. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Sir Syed Ahmad Khan: Man with a Mission --------------------------------------------------------------------------- In any case, it is important to clarify that our intention is not to subject the activities of Hindus to scrutiny. Rather, it only aims to provide a backdrop that sheds light on the circumstances that drove individuals like Sir Syed to deeply involve themselves in the communal affairs of Muslims to the greatest extent possible. This also serves to demonstrate that during that era, Hindus, too, did not delve profoundly into the notion of the nation as it is currently understood. In India, each group and community regarded it as entirely legitimate to safeguard their respective interests. Sir Syed, while advocating for his community, harboured no desire to be unjust to others. As articulated by his biographer, Hali: “He never complained to the government about the fact that the number of Muslim candidates in the government service was very low compared to Hindus. He never protested or expressed displeasure at the promotion of any Hindu civil servant. Instead, he always advised Muslims to qualify themselves for government employment.” This is because Sir Syed viewed India as resembling a beautiful bride, with Hindus and Muslims representing her two eyes. According to his perspective, so long as her eyes remained in a state of vitality, the bride’s charm and beauty would persist. However, if one eye were to face adversity, the bride would, in turn, lose her visual symmetry and turn into a one-eyed entity. Under the auspices of this very sentiment, Sir Syed established the concept of the ‘Hindustani Qaum,’ signifying the Indian nation. This initiative predates the establishment of the Indian National Congress. Its primary objective, as elucidated in the speeches delivered during its inaugural session in Bombay, ‘was to unite the various and conflicting elements of the Indian people into a nation.’ In order to attain success in his pursuits, Sir Syed had an opinion that it was necessary to convince the Indians the fact that the British government is a ‘boon’ during this critical juncture of Indian history. Primarily driven by this conviction, he maintained a steadfast loyalty to the British rule and harboured a disdain for any movement that could potentially plunge the nation into another Mutiny. As a result, he counselled Indians, particularly Indian Muslims, to exercise caution in aligning themselves with the Congress. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Remembering Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as a Proponent of Hindus and Muslims Being One Nation: His Religious Reform Is As Relevant As His Educational Reform --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sir Syed is often falsely accused of being anti-nationalist, mainly because he was opposed to the Congress. However, we do not feel that during our period of study, being against the Congress and being against nationalism were the same thing. We must remember that the Indian National Congress of the 19th century was very different from the Indian National Congress of the 20th century. Through an unbiased study of Sir Syed’s political thought and those of the leading contemporaries Congressmen will reveal the fact that Sir Syed was as much a nationalist as the Congress could be. In fact, both were loyal to the British government because both convinced that it was in the best interest of their country. About the loyalist attitude of the early members of the Congress, even Congress’s official historian, Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramayya, writes: “Congressmen loved to parade their loyalty in the earlier days. When in 1914 Lord Pentland, Governor of Madras, visited the Congress pandal (camp), not only did the whole House rise and applaud the Governor, but Mr. A.P. Patro who was speaking on the despatch of the Indian Expeditionary Force was stopped abruptly and Surendra Nath Banerjee was asked to move the Resolution on the loyalty of the Congress to the Throne which he did with his usual exuberance of language. A similar incident took place when, on the visit of Sir James Meston to the Lucknow Congress in 1916, the House rose to receive him.” The foremost reason behind Sir Syed’s anti-Congress attitude was his understanding and awareness of the political situation of the country. Particularly that of the Muslims, who were not, in his opinion, in a position to take part in any activity, which might lead the country towards another Mutiny like 1957. In one of his articles “Hindustan aur English Government” (India and the British Government), he stated: “… Those who oppose agitation are often viewed by the agitators as endorsing the government's stance, but they should feel free to express their opinions openly. Those against agitation hold a deep-seated belief that even if the government were to accede to the agitators’ demands (though this is a possibility), it could potentially disrupt the smooth functioning of the administration and jeopardize the peace and security of India.” Sir Syed, like many of his contemporaries, was so convinced of the necessity of British rule in India. This conviction led him to vehemently oppose involvement in any activity that included rebellious or seditious element. His advice was not limited to Muslims alone, but extended to every Indian. This attitude forms the basis of his Congress-opposing approach. Many Hindus agreed with him on this matter. As articulated by W.C. Smith: “Now it so happens that those areas (from which the Congress sprang) are predominantly Hindu (at least in their middle and upper classes; Bengal has masses of Muslims, but they are peasants, and hence unaffected). This made the situation of pro and anti-Congress look vaguely Hindu and Muslim; but of course, it was not actually so.” ------------------------------------------------------------------ Also Read: Sir Syed Promoted Scientific Temperament and Interfaith Dialogue ------------------------------------------------------------------ The Hindus who sympathized with Sir Syed were predominantly drawn from the upper echelons of society in Uttar Pradesh. This elite Hindus harboured such vehement opposition towards the Congress that they went to the extent of beseeching the government to enact legislation enabling punitive measures against any Indian who incited public against the British government through the use of vernacular languages. This contentious proposal was broached during a gathering of landlords convened in Lucknow on October 22, 1888, with Raja Shiv Prasad Bahadur, C.S.I., taking the lead in its presentation. In attendance at this pivotal meeting was Sir Syed himself, who had earlier voiced support for a preceding proposition articulated by the esteemed Hindu scholar, Munshi Naval Kishore, C. I. E. This proposal had advocated concerted efforts by both Hindus and Muslims to curb the fervour of the Congress. However, when the matter of legislating against proponents of the Congress-minded speakers was put forth, Sir Syed issued a stern ultimatum to leave the Association if it was not willing to drop that resolution. He stated: “… We do not have any personal enmity against those who have joined the Congress. Therefore, we should not try to involve them into criminal procedure. Our differences are on a matter of principle. We are of the opinion that their demands are harmful for the whole country and for the Muslims and the Rajputs (a high Hindu caste) in particular. If our assessment is correct, and I will assert that it is so, then it is upto the government to do what it deems to be advisable. Why should we beg the government to enact a law?” It is possible that Sir Syed may have made a mistake in assessing the political situation of the country, but it is a fact that his loyalty to the British government was based on many factors such as: the fear of reprisal from the British government, the Hindus’ animosity towards Muslims, and the hope for a brighter future for the country, a country which, according to his belief, was suffering from widowhood and it had willingly accepted the English nation as her husband. Sir Syed expressed his desire for the continuation of the British rule in India in a public gathering. This desire was not based on love for the Britishers, but rather on his belief that it was in the best interest of the country and the welfare of his own people. Hali too, whose thoughts we have studied earlier, was influenced by the same trend that is under discussion here. The result was that day by day, he began to emphasize the unity of various factions among the Muslims. He believed it was the sole method to curb the increasing influence of the Hindu authority, in his view. Criticising the ongoing debates of ‘Maujudah Mazhabi Munazare’ (contemporary polemical discourses) among these factions, he said: “As a matter of fact, the Muslims are more in need of unity than are other communities. It is because all the communities of Aryan origin in India mistakenly consider the Muslims and alien community (Qawm), though they themselves, compared to the original inhabitations of India, are as alien to this country as the Muslims. Therefore, so long as this mistake is not corrected and the Aryans do not sincerely consider the Muslims their compatriots, the Muslims will not be able to keep and important position in this country without–strengthening the bond of–Islamic brotherhood (Islami Ikhvat).” Hali, deeply imbued with the thought of ‘Ikhvate Islami’ (Islamic brotherhood) to such an extent, underwent a radical shift in his perception of the nation. When he asserted that all Indians constituted a unified Indian nation (Hindustani Qawm), he was acutely aware that they did not share a common ancestry, language, or religion. Their national identity was forged primarily through their shared geographical territory. Yet, at present, they derided those who, despite these disparities, advocated for the potential existence of a singular Indian nation (ek Hindustani Qaum). He expressed this sentiment as follows: یہ ہے مانی ہوئی جمہور کی رائے اسی پر ہے جہاں کا اتفاق اب کہ نیشن وہ جماعت ہے کم از کم زباں جس کی ہو ایک اور نسل و مذہب مگر وسعت اسے بعضوں نے دی ہے نہیں جو رائے میں اپنی مذبذب وہ نیشن کہتے ہیں اس بھیڑ کو بھی کہ جس میں وحدتیں مفقود ہوں سب زبان اس کی نہ ہو مفہوم اس کو ہوں آدم تک جدا سب کے جد و اب جو واحد لاشریک اس کا خدا ہو تو لاکھوں اس کے ہوں معبود اور رب (This is an accepted opinion by the people, That whole world is now agreed about it. A ‘nation’ is an association which at least Has a common language, lineage and religion. But some have granted it an expansiveness, And are not to be wavering in their opinion. They call even that crowd a ‘nation’, That in which all common ties (the unity) are missing all. One man’s language is unintelligible to another; I am separate from all the past and present up to Adam; If its God is the unique, without a partner, While other worships thousands of lords.) In this piece, it is incorrect to assert that Hali advocates for the division of the Indian nation into two distinct entities: the Muslim nation and the Hindu nation. It is true that he differed from those who believed that Indians could be referred to as one nation in a modern social context, but this does not mean that he considered Indian Muslims as one nation. If we start assuming that this implies the existence of a Muslim nation in India, then we must express it in such a way that according to Hali’s opinion, all Muslims in India speak the same language and are also connected by the same race. This was not the case then, and it is still not the case now. Perhaps it was the influence of frustration and confusion, which led to the spread of these thoughts in his mind and he began to express contradictory statements. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Also Read: Investigating The Interplay Between Education, Modernity, And Social Reform In Sir Syed’s Intellectual Framework: A Critical Analysis With Reference To Tehzib ul Akhlaq ------------------------------------------------------------------ We have already seen that Hali has accused these Muslim kings of being invaders who attacked India not for establishing a kingdom here but merely for looting. However, later the same Hali expresses regret that how Muslims have become permanently settled in India. In his ‘Shikwa-e-Hind’ (Complaining to India), he considers India as ‘akkalul-umam’ (devourer of nations). He says in his ‘Shikwa’ that when Muslims came to India, they possessed all those attributes that people could be proud of: جب تک اے ہندوستاں ہندی نہ کہلاتے تھے ہم کچھ ادائیں آپ میں سب سے جدا پاتے تھے ہم حال اپنا سخت عبرتناک تونے کر دیا آگ تھے اے ہند ہم کو خاک تونے کر دیا (Until we were not called Hindi, oh Hindustan! We had some unique which was not available in others. We were like fire, Oh India, you have turned us into dust and ashes.) In contrast to Sir Syed, Hali did not say even in his final phase that unity between Hindus and Muslims was impossible. However, he started warning the Muslims: دیکھنا پیچھے نہ ہم چشموں سے رہ جانا کہیں حق میں ہمسائے کے ہمسائے کا بڑھتا ہے ستم (To not let our neighbours, fall behind from our eyes, Injustice against our neighbour increases in truth.) At this stage, people like Hali and Sir Syed appear unsuccessful in their mission. Initially, they appear engaged in the formation of a nation consisting of two different religious communities. However, they did not realise the challenges of this path. They interacted with other communities generously when mere tolerance was not enough. Big-heartedness is only seen through the lens of respect when a greater power deals with a lesser one. However, if different groups are attempting to come together, everyone must adopt a self-sacrificial attitude. The assumption of Sir Syed may be correct to assume that Hindus do not exhibit a disposition for self-sacrifice, but it is also a fact that he also did not demonstrate readiness to sacrifice the interests of his own community for the greater cause of the nation. For example, in the matter of the conflict over language, Sir Syed did not grasp the fundamental importance of the issue. He saw many Hindus around him speaking Urdu and quickly concluded that it was their mother tongue. But that was not the case. It is true that many Hindus, especially those in Uttar Pradesh, know Urdu, but the fact remains that Urdu was not their mother tongue. (When we refer to Urdu, we mean this Indian language which is a composite of Arabic and Persian words and is written in the Persian script; otherwise, both communities were speaking the same basic language.) Sir Syed should have examined this issue more extensively and in a more nuanced manner. Regardless of how Urdu originated and how much involvement Hindus had in its development and promotion, the reality remains that the majority of Hindus, especially Hindu women, could not read or write in this language if it was not in the Devanagari script. This issue was similar to the position of the English language in present-day India. The educated elite of India, for the most part, are well acquainted with the English language, and it is also evident in the writings of many Indian literati. However, it remains a fact that English is not the mother tongue of Indians. This was a fundamental flaw in the thought of Sir Syed. According to him, Hindus and Muslims had common interests, yet he was not willing to adopt a realistic perspective. Perhaps, in the words of Dr. Syed Abid Husain, the reason for this was: “He had inherited the best traditions of the higher- and middle-class Muslims of Norther India. This was the basis of as well as limit upon his greatness. He had a genuine religious zeal, but his approach to religion was more intellectual than spiritual. He showed a genuine tolerance towards Hindus, Christians and followers of other religions, but it was neither the tolerance inherent in the mystical outlook nor the intellectual tolerance of liberal democracy, but merely the traditional tolerance of Hindustani culture.” This was a pivotal moment in Sir Syed’s life where he faced a significant dilemma. Feeling trapped and unable to find a solution within the existing circumstances, he chose to adopt a different approach. Rather than attempting to negotiate or compromise with the current situation, he decided to shift his focus and engage in a new endeavour, effectively redirecting his efforts towards a different goal or objective. This decision marked a crucial turning point in Sir Syed's life, signalling a strategic shift in his approach to the challenges he encountered. ------ 1. The dialect of Hindi which is commonly used in the delta of the Ganges and the Jumna. In Uttar Pradesh, the following districts of the Yamuna-Ganges doab are Khari-speaking like: Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Gautam Buddha Nagar and some district of Haryana, language of Delhi and Meerut, the Urdu dialect and idiom spoken in western UP, India. (See: https://www.rekhtadictionary.com/meaning-of-khadii-bolii?lang=hi) 2. Syed Abid Husain, The Destiny of Indian Muslims, London, 1965, pp. 29-30. 3. Altaf Husain Hali, Hayat-e Javed, Lahore, New Edition, 1957, p. 194. 4. Hafeez Malik, Muslim Nationalism in India and Pakistan, Washington, 1963, p. 210. (Malik suggests that this declaration belongs to the year 1882, which nevertheless does not align with the biographical accounts of Sir Syed of Hali; see, Hali, Hayate Javed, p. 194). 5. See Chapter 2 (From No Nation to One Nation) of Mushirul Haq, Muslim Politics in Modern India (1857-1947), Meenakshi Prakashan, Meerut, 1970. 6. B Pattabhi Sitaramayya, The History of Indian National Congress (1885-1935), Madras, 1935, p. 8. 7. W.W. Hunter, The Indian Musulmans, Calcutta, 1945, p. 167. (This book was first published in 1871, with the second printing of the third edition in 1876.) Hunter writes about this news (page 176, footnote 2); I do not have any official source to verify the accuracy of this Persian journalist's statement. However, when this news was published in the newspaper, it grabbed people's attention, and as far as I know, there was no doubt about it. 8. Bashir Ahmad Dar, Religious Thought of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Lahore, 1957, p. 71. 9. Syed Mahmood, Hindu Muslim Cultural Accord, Bombay, 1949, p. 66. 10. As quoted in Bashir Ahmad Dar, op., cit., p. 76. 11. Hali, Hayate Javed, p. 874. 12. Syed Ahmad Khan, Akhiri Mazamin (last articles), first published in 1898, 2nd ed., Lahore, 1924, p. 70. 13. Syed Abid Husain, op., cit., p. 35. 14. Sitaramayya, op., cit., p. 101. 15. Bashir Ahmad Dar, Religious Thought of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Lahore, 1957, p. 71. 16. Syed Ahmad Khan, Akhiri Mazamin (last articles), first published in 1898, 2nd ed., Lahore, 1924, p. 68; also, Maqalat-e-Sir Syed, ed. Muhammad Ismail Panipati (10 vols), Lahore, 1962, vol. IX, pp. 17-18. 17. W.C. Smith, Modern Islam in India: A Social Analysis, (reprint from London, ed., 1946), Lahore, 1963, p.21. 18. Sayed Ahmad’s letter to the Editor of the Pioneer, Lucknow; afterwards published in the Aligarh Institute Gazette, November 27, 1888, p. 1362; reproduced in Makatib-e-Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, ed., Mushtaq Husain, Aligarh, 1960, pp. 73-74. 19. Hali, Hayate Javed, p. 403. 20. Ibid., p. 404. 21. Hali, Maqalat, vol. I, pp. 283-84. 22. Hali, Divan, first published, n.d., reprint, Delhi, 1945, p. 27. It is a rough translation of couplet (qitah) of Hali. 23. See Chapter 2 (From No Nation to One Nation) of Mushirul Haq, Muslim Politics in Modern India (1857-1947), Meenakshi Prakashan, Meerut, 1970. 24. Hali, Shikwa-e-Hind, Aligarh, 1895, p. 3. 25. Ibid., p. 6. 26. Hali, Hayat-e Javed, p. 194. 27. Hali, Kulliyat-o-Nazm-i-Hali, vol. II, p. 111, quoted by Muin Ahsan Jazbi, Hali ka Siyasi Shaur, Aligarh, 1959, p. 161. It is a rough translation of the couplet. 28. Syed Abid Husain, op., cit., pp. 31-32. ------ Javed Akhatar is Assistant Professor (Contractual), Department of Islamic Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/sir-syed-indian-nationalism/d/130757 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism