New Age Islam

Monday, June 11, 2018

Economic Principles for an Islamic Society Laid Down In Quran Can Lead to a Society Based On Justice, Equality and Economic Prosperity

By S. Arshad, New Age Islam

11June 2018

The holy Quran has laid down principles for every sphere of social life. It has enjoined on the human beings to live a just and fair life giving the human beings their fare share of wealth and other provisions. Since economic aspect of the society is the most aspect of human life, the Quran has laid down a number of economic principles for an Islamic society which if followed will lead to a society based on justice, equality and economic prosperity.

First of all, it should be noted that all the evils of society emanate from corruption, selfishness and a hankering after money and wealth. Therefore, to root out corruption and inequality in the society, the Quran enjoins on man not to be selfish and not to violate the rights of others; to give the poor and the destitute, the orphan their due. We find the following guiding principles in the Quran that can be the basis of a just Islamic society.

Charity

During the pre-Islam period, people would consider giving alms and charity to the poor a vain practice. It was heavy on their conscience to party with their earnings and wealth to the poor and the destitute though the previous revealed books also enjoined their followers to give alms and to help the poor and the need in times of need. Instead, they would seek an opportunity to devour the wealth and property of others by various means. The Quran told people that the poor and the destitute needed care and sympathy because they were the creation of Allah and the rich and the prosperous had the duty to help them. Therefore, the Quran encouraged Muslims to give charity and alms to the poor:

“O ye who believe! cancel not your charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury” (Al Baqarah; 264)

“And whatever ye spend in charity or devotion, be sure Allah knows it all”. (Al Baqarah: 270)

“If ye disclose (acts of) charity, even so it is well, but if ye conceal them, and make them reach those (really) in need, that is best for you: It will remove from you some of your (stains of) evil”. (Al Baqarah: 271)

(Charity is) for those in need, who, in Allah's cause are restricted (from travel), and cannot move about in the land, seeking (For trade or work): the ignorant man thinks, because of their modesty, that they are free from want. Thou shalt know them by their (Unfailing) mark: They beg not importunately from all the sundry. (Al Baqarah: 273)

Thus, charity has been declared as the means of purifying the soul and gaining salvation in the Hereafter. Charity and alms develops among men a feeling of camaraderie and fellow-feeling and strengthens the bond between human beings creating a well-nit society.

Miserliness

Miserliness is another evil of the society that is a hindrance to the development of society because it prevents men from spending their money and wealth on just causes of the society. Miserly men covet their wealth and money and save it till they die without benefitting the society. God says that He has given wealth and money to people to spend on right and jut causes after what is left from after they have met their own needs. Quran warns such people with a heavy torment in the Hereafter and declares such men condemned to go to Hell.

“And let not those who covetously withhold of the gifts which Allah Hath given them of His Grace, think that it is good for them: Nay, it will be the worse for them: soon shall the things which they covetously withheld be tied to their necks Like a twisted collar, on the Day of Judgment.”( Al e Imran:180)

“(Nor) those who are niggardly or enjoin niggardliness on others, or hide the bounties which Allah hath bestowed on them; for We have prepared, for those who resist Faith, a punishment that steeps them in contempt;”- (Al Nisa; 37)

“The Hypocrites, men and women, (have an understanding) with each other: They enjoin evil, and forbid what is just, and are close with their hands.” (Tauba; 67)

The verse of Surah Al Tauba also hints that miserliness is the attribute of the hypocrites. And a hypocrite is a person who is not a Muslim at heart but only feigns to be one.

Lavish Expenditure or Wastage

The Quran also lashes out at those who waste food, money and other natural resources. Food, water and money should not be wasted as they invite economic troubles for the nation and the community.

“But waste not by excess: for Allah loveth not the wasters”. (Al Anam: 141)

“Eat and drink: But waste not by excess, for Allah loveth not the wasters.” (Al Araf; 31)

Zakat

Zakat is the means of distribution of wealth in the society to bring economic equality in the society. In Islam a portion of the income of the rich people is ordained to be distributed among the unprivileged section so that they become prosperous and the gulf between the rich and the poor is minimized. Zakat was also ordained in Torah and other religious communities but they gradually left the practice because they did not like to part with their hard earned money to the poor. Instead the promoted the practice of riba (interest) to take away the money and property of the people to become rich. The Quran revives the practice of Zakat to bring economic equality in the society.

“But My mercy extendeth to all things. That (mercy) I shall ordain for those who do right, and practice regular charity, and those who believe in Our signs;”- (Al Araf: 156)

“And be steadfast in prayer; practice regular charity;” (Al Baqarah: 43)

“And be steadfast in prayer and regular in charity:” (Al Baqarah: 110)

“Allah has bestowed His gifts of sustenance more freely on some of you than on others: those more favoured are not going to throw back their gifts to those whom their right hands possess, so as to be equal in that respect. Will they then deny the favours of Allah?” (Al Nahl: 71)

The Quran condemns the practice of taking and giving Riba declaring it a heinous sin as it violates the economic rights of people.

Interest (Riba)

“That they took usury, though they were forbidden; and that they devoured men's substance wrongfully;- we have prepared for those among them who reject faith a grievous punishment”. ( Al Nisa: 161)

“O ye who believe! Devour not usury, doubled and multiplied; but fear Allah; that ye may (really) prosper”. (Al Imran: 130)

Corruption

Corruption is one of the evils of every society. It existed in the ancient society and exists in the modern society too. Corruption is misappropriation of funds and resources meant for the masses by individuals, rulers or a group of powerful people. Quran also condemns corruption and those who practice it and enjoins on Muslims not to indulge in corruption. Quran asks Muslims not to take away the property of the orphans or weak people and not to substitute mean quality ingredients for good ones and not to devour things meant for the orphans and the poor. Quran also discourages hording of wealth and good depriving the people of their share in it.

“To orphans restore their property (When they reach their age), nor substitute (your) worthless things for (their) good ones; and devour not their substance (by mixing it up) with your own. For this is indeed a great sin”. (Al Nisa: 2)

“Those who unjustly eat up the property of orphans, eat up a Fire into their own bodies” Al Nisa: 10)?

Hording

“O ye who believe! there are indeed many among the priests and anchorites, who in Falsehood devour the substance of men and hinder (them) from the way of Allah. And there are those who bury gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah: announce unto them a most grievous penalty”- (Tauba: 34)

The Quran is against all the corrupt and unjust practices that are a hindrance to the development of the society on just and fair basis. These corrupt practices also cause moral and ethical degradation of people making them selfish and oblivious to the misery and economic problems of their neighbourhood. That’s why the Quran has specifically laid down economic principles for an ideal Islamic society.

URL: http://www.newageislam.com/islamic-society/s-arshad,-new-age-islam/economic-principles-for-an-islamic-society-laid-down-in-quran-can-lead-to-a-society-based-on-justice,-equality-and-economic-prosperity/d/115509

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Why Shah Waliullah’s Thesis should be Repudiated by Indian Muslims

By Arshad Alam, New Age Islam

01 May 2018

Shah Waliullah (1703-1762) is considered one of the foremost intellectual figures within the Islamic world and more so in the South Asian context. His intellectual imprint can be seen in all divisions within the sub-continental Islamic wetenschhaung: from the Barelwis to the Deobandis to the Ahle Hadees, all claim him to be their own. Within much of the literature produced on Shah Waliullah, he is considered a reformist par excellence. It is this legacy that the present article is considered about. I want to ask how his reformist ideas have panned out and whether his ideas have any value in relation to the question of diversity and pluralism. Specifically within the Indian context, I want to ask what relevance do his ideas have in the present context.

One of the first charges against Shah Waliullah is that he did not have the interest of India at heart. In trying to save the Mughals from the Marathas, he wrote to Ahmed Shah Abdali to invade India and save the Muslims here. Now, there is every possibility that one can read this act as an instance of pan-Islamism and national betrayal. But then, he is not the first or the only one to do so. We have many more such examples, where ‘foreign’ powers have been besieged by Indians, both Hindus and Muslims, to intervene for one reason or the other.

We also need to understand that the idea of nation was very feeble during the 18th century: the period in which Shah Waliullah was living. As such his call to the Afghans should not be seen as an anti-national act but rather to re-energise the supremacy of the Mughals, something which Shah Waliullah was committed to. However, it cannot be overlooked that Shah Waliullah was primarily looking at events around him through an Islamic lens. Moreover, he was convinced of the superiority of Islam over all other religious traditions. For him, the re-establishment of the supremacy of Islamic rule was a religious act and not a result of the tottering fate of an empire in India. His constant use of the word infidel to describe the Marathas and other Hindus only betrays the mind-set within which he was operating.

He was very categorical that Islam had to become the ruling dispensation of the world. And for this reason, he quite early understood the power of a centralised authority to enforce and establish Islamic regime. His notion of the caliphate therefore is central to his understanding of Islam: without the caliphate, Islam can never be enforced. Thus, rather than the caliphate being a moral compass, in Shah Waliullah, it becomes an agency in express service of Islam. Years later, Maududi would take the same concept forward and argue that the modern state was fundamentally important for the existence of Islam. For it was only through the agencies of the state that the Sharia could be implemented. Shah Waliullah would brook no opposition to the enforcement of Islam. Completely assured of the superiority of Islam, he would go on to argue that Islam had to be forced down the throat of the non-Muslims like a bitter pill. But for that to happen, leaders of non-Muslim communities who refused to accept Islam should be annihilated, the strength of that community reduced and their property confiscated.

Furthermore, when in position of strength, Muslim Imams should preach against the falsity of other religious traditions (read Hinduism). Other religious communities should be stopped from worshipping their Gods. And discriminatory social and political laws should be imposed on non-Muslims so that they are forced to convert to Islam. Clearly then, this Shah was writing from a position of power: assuming that Islam would be the dominant political force.

However, he was also a realist and in the Indian context, he also had a solution for Islam in case the religion did not ascend to a dominant role which he really hoped for. In a context in which Muslims were to find themselves without the patronage of the state, they should strive to strengthen what Shah Waliullah called the Batini Khilafa (inner caliphate). This was necessarily a re-negotiation of Islam through a non-dominant position. Whereas in the Zahiri Khilafa (outer caliphate), he gave the ruler the absolute authority to enforce Islam as he deemed fit, within the Batini Khilafa, this role was to be played by the Ulema. Without the backing of political power, the Mullahs were to tread carefully but essentially the role ascribed to this class was the same: to become the custodian of Islam. More than anyone else, it was Shah Waliullah who gave a new lease of life to the Mullahs and thought of them as a political class. Much later, his ideas would be put into action by Gandhi who pandered to the Mullahs during the Khilafat agitation thus giving a legitimate political role to the Mullahs for the first time in Indian history.

But what were these custodians of inner caliphate supposed to do? The blueprint had already been given Shah Waliullah. He argued that Muslims had lost their prime political position because they had strayed from the true path of Islam. The rediscovery of this supposed true path lay through the study of Hadees.

Not surprising therefore that Shah Waliullah would popularise the study of Hadees within his intellectual circle. It is also not surprising that the prime mover of Waliuallahi though in the sub-continent was Deoband madrasa which is till today known for its Hadees studies. The politics behind this hermeneutical move towards Hadees was simple: it would provide the standard and the rationale through which the Islamic habitus will be created. In the absence of any law enforcing agency, Muslims were supposed to become embodied living Hadees themselves. The popularisation of Hadees studies would also serve another purpose for Shah Waliullah: it would rid the Muslims of the sub-continent of any trace of shared cultural and religious memory with other communities.

Thus more the knowledge of Hadees became embedded within the Muslim community, more the distance with other communities, particularly the Hindus. The Muslim must become puritan in order to relive the supposed lost glory of Islam. For this, purging itself of all accretions and all traces of syncretism was to become the sine qua non of Indian Muslims. As a political project, this tradition continues to this day through the activities of Deobandis, the Ahle Hadees and even the Barelwis. More than anything else, Shah Waliullah’s writings seem to be a fatal recipe for the political future of Muslims in India.

Arshad Alam is a columnist with NewAgeIslam.com

URL: http://www.newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/arshad-alam,-new-age-islam/why-shah-waliullah’s-thesis-should-be-repudiated-by-indian-muslims/d/115107

Can the Proposed World Council of Muslim Minorities correct the stereotypical image of Islam?

By Arshad Alam, New Age Islam

28 April 2018

Over half a billion Muslims, nearly one third of their total population, live in contexts in which they are minorities. The context of their being minority differs from place to place. In places like Europe, this is the result of result migration owing to the wars in Arab world. These communities are new, and need to adjust to the new political environment which they find themselves in, which is very different from their home Muslim majoritarian context.

Then there are Muslim minority contexts which are in the form of historically established communities who have been living together with other communities for centuries. India is an obvious example. Yet, over the years, owing to a number of factors, there has been a growing alienation of the Muslim minority communities. Some reasons for this are internal: there is increasing reliance on particular readings of religious texts which is weaning Muslims away from their shared cultural contexts. But the problem is also from the outside: increasing Islamophobia has meant that Muslims have come to be considered as untrustworthy and their religion as the epitome of backwardness.

In some places, such stereotypical construction of Islam and Muslims have resulted is pure unadulterated hate towards them. Muslim minorities have been the unfair targets of discriminatory policies including from the highest echelons of the state.

Rohingyas for example, have been systematically made stateless through a series of state level policies designed to obliterate their language, identity and citizenship rights. While these minorities have negotiated their trajectory within the political limits of their respective nation-states, there was always a need for a platform to bring them together, perhaps to listen to their specific problems and formulate a strategy so that internationally they can act as a pressure group in order to influence policy decisions.

It is for this reason alone that the proposed establishment of World Council of Muslim Minorities should be welcomed. The stated objectives of the proposed Council is to “coordinate the efforts of Muslim minority institutions and enhance their role by encouraging members of Muslim minorities to contribute to the renaissance of their states, correcting the stereotypical image of Islam and Muslim minorities and bridging the intellectual and cultural gap between the components of the human society”. The council also aims to “promote cultural pluralism and respect for the cultural and intellectual specificities of the Muslim minorities in the world and to promote the values of moderation, dialogue, tolerance and national belonging, and to reject religious fanaticism and hatred of others and to promote the civil and political rights of Muslim minorities as an inherent human right in accordance with international and national convention”.

The stated objectives of the Council are laudable. However, there are certain important things which the proposed Council should deliberate when they meet in May at Abu Dhabi. The first is the very political locus of this initiative. A platform like this should have been initiated through the efforts of Muslims who live in minority situations. What we see here is quite the reverse: the call to establish such a Council has come from a Muslim majority context. What is perhaps more disturbing is the very tone of paternalism adopted by the founders of the Council. They state that they were ‘obliged’ to establish this platform after learning about the difficulties that Muslims living in minority contexts are facing.

Now, there is no denying the fact that Muslims in minority contexts do have their share of the problem, but then this is a problem which should have been resolved by them. They should have been the initiators of such a political action. In taking away the agency from Muslim minority contexts that actually experience discrimination, the Arab world is trying to re-establish its hegemony over the rest of the Muslim world. There is therefore a very real danger that the voices of those Muslims who are experiencing alienation would not be represented in such a forum.

Therefore, one of the first measures that the proposed Council should adopt is to have adequate representation of Muslims from minority contexts in its executive body. Any failure to do so will certainly send a signal that the Council is not serious at all in the welfare of Muslim minorities.

Secondly, it is certainly admirable to talk of promoting pluralism as one of the aims of the Council. However, fostering pluralism should not just be done at an inter-community level but also at the intra-community level. What is being argued here is that without looking at the internal dynamics within Muslim societies, it will not be possible to promote pluralism and dialogue between Muslims and other communities. The Council aims to correct the perception of Islam amongst non-Muslims and for this it wants to present the true face of Islam to other communities.

However, there is a huge problem here: there is no correct way of defining Islam and hence search for the true face of Islam will always remain illusory. What is more worrisome is that from the moderate to the most radical factions within Islam, all claim to be the true face of Islam. Recognizing the plurality of Islamic tradition itself therefore is a more refreshing idea; something which the proposed Council is silent about.

Coming back to the question of internal pluralism within Muslim societies, it should be fostered on priority. The proposed Council must see to it that the internal diversity within Muslims-culturally and religiously-must be reflected within all decision making bodies of the Council. We know that Sunnis have deep mistrust of the Shias and vice versa. We also know both together look at the Ahmadiyyas as a heretic community within Muslims and therefore beyond the pale of Islam. The question that needs to asked of this Council is whether these communities and by extension these historically valid interpretations of Islam will be part of the leadership of the Council or not. It is all very good to talk of dialogue, moderation and pluralism, but such noble intentions will make more sense when we ask ourselves the more difficult question as to why we lack these things within our own societies in the first place.

Arshad Alam is a NewAgeIslam.com columnist

URL: http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-politics/can-the-proposed-world-council-of-muslim-minorities-correct-the-stereotypical-image-of-islam?/d/115081

Kashmir Is Too Diverse, Too Multicultural A Land To Turn Into A Radical Islamist State

By Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi, New Age Islam

09 June 2018

On a two-day visit to the state to review the security situation amid an ongoing Ramzan ceasefire, Home Minister Rajnath Singh asserted that the Centre will change the "face and fate" of Jammu and Kashmir.

In this context, it is important to argue why Rajnath Singh's visit to the valley will turn out a crucial step towards breaking the political logjam in Jammu and Kashmir. Considerably, this visit has assumed significance in the wake of the extension of ceasefire announced earlier by home minister during the ongoing month of Ramazan. The two-day visit to the J&K state was reportedly focused on conditional ceasefire announced by the Home Minister on May 16 for the holy month of Ramazan.

It is interesting to note that Rajnath Singh recently asserted that the government hasn’t tied the hands of the security forces. “It wasn’t a ceasefire, but suspension of operation in view of Ramzan”, Singh said according to a report published by Times Now. He refused to call it a ceasefire and chose to describe it as ‘suspension of operations’. The technical term for this is NICO – Non-Initiation of Combat Operations. Thus, it was clearly stated that operations will be resumed if any militant attacks are launched in the valley.

Now, the holy month’s end is around the corner. For Kashmir, this Ramazan was relatively more of a month for reconciliation, non-violence and ceasefire—a move taken by the Centre in the beginning of Ramazan. Though the extension or no extension in the ceasefire would depend on inputs Rajnath Singh will gather from security and Intelligence agencies on the situation post-ceasefire, such positive chances are welcome in the valley to mitigate the mayhem and decrease the chaos insurgency causes. While the Ramazan ceasefire has brought great relief to the beleaguered people of Jammu and Kashmir, militants and insurgents continue to unleash mindless violence, desperately trying to sabotage the peace process.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has optimistically tweeted that the militants will, soon, realise the “futility of their actions”, welcoming the reiteration of the commitment to the ceasefire on the border by both DGMO’s. “This brings great relief to the people residing in the vicinity. Peace on our borders is the first essential step to a larger understanding and I truly hope it sustains…” she remarked.

Of course, Centre’s announcement of a unilateral ceasefire during the ongoing Ramzan has given the Kashmiris in general and youths in particular an atmosphere to move ahead. Therefore, most peace-loving youths in the valley are strongly pleading for an extension of the truce. Mehbooba Mufti has rightly pointed out that “these children want to live, they want to play, and they want to smile...like elsewhere in the country”.

This has put Rajnath Singh’s visit to the valley in a renewed focus amid speculations that the centre may extend the Ramazan Ceasefire. But this truce has also left many Kashmiri intellectuals entangled with questions like these: Is Aazad (freedom) of Kashmir a call for violence? Why has Kashmir never been allowed to settle down and take a breather from violence? Those who objectively analyze and review the ongoings in the valley are now highly critical of the insurgent ideology of violence.

M.H.A Sikander, a young Kashmiri writer-activist based in Srinagar, has penned a moving scholarly article in which he asks: Is Violence the Only Way Out? He writes in New Age Islam: “Since last one decade gun culture has gained new currency as a tool of resistance in Kashmir....The vicious cycle of death and violence needs to be broken and fractured."

Is Violence the Only Way Out?

http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-politics/mushtaq-ul-haq-ahmad-sikander,-new-age-islam/is-violence-the-only-way-out?/d/115178

The Srinagar-based writer-activist offers a historical account of how violence in the valley has been romanticised with the flawed notion of Islamic state. He further writes: "The romanticism and tryst for the Islamic state is not new. In 1990s, most pro-Pakistan militant organizations declared their aim as establishment of Islamic state, once the accession with Pakistan is complete…..The discourse in Kashmir for establishing an Islamic state became vibrant once again with the rise of Pan Islamist insurgent movements like ISIS and Al Qaeda. This discourse is being represented by Ansar Ghazawatul Hind organization headed by Zakir Moosa."

The rise of the Ansar Ghazwat ul Hind confused even many of the militants to ponder whether Kashmir is fighting a territorial war or a religious war? The whole of the Kashmiri insurgency is now divided on this. Common Kashmiris are left with two options: support this maniac call for the self-styled 'Islamic state' or blame the forces for lying about the ceasefire call. We as a population are so confused about this struggle now that nobody knows who is running all this.

On the other hand, Pakistan is promoting leaders like SAS Geelani who loudly claims to achieve the goal of 'Azadi Baraa-e-Islam' (freedom for Islam). These religio-political leaders in Kashmir don't understand that Muslims since ages have lived and prospered with all communities and religions. But in the name of Islamic system of governance (Nizam-e-Mustafa), what Pakistan wants to achieve is extend its borders and influence on either side, be it creating Taliban or interfering in Kashmir. Inevitably, Pakistan's state-sponsored militants and propagandists of radical Islamic state on its borders are fuelling the fire of Islamophobia around the world.

Is this the Azadi that a section of Kashmiri Muslims seek to achieve through violence, guns and stones? Succumbing to the expansionist designs of a self-styled Islamic state that even today calls the migrants of 1947 as Muhajireen?

It is an utterly sorry state of affairs in the state where whosoever loudly claims to speak for Islam and has a gun or a stone in his hand is the ‘commander of the faithful’ (Ameer-ul-Mominin). The civil society needs to gear-up as the Kashmiri Muslims currently are completely unaware of what he is losing in all this ridiculously incomprehensive culture of gun and violence.

In the valley of today, reason has eroded a large section of the society and even emotions are biased towards something so abstract that even an emotional person would call this act as inhuman and anti-Kashmiriyat. The situation is that the loudmouthed, pseudo-religious and long-nurtured element of hate has grown deep into the gullible young minds.

Worst of all, the Pak-engineered hate and violence in the valley gives the Kashmiri society a tribal outlook showing that they are not fit to live democratically and deserve to be militarized to get civilized. This is not an allegation but a prediction that is getting proven to be true day after day. In the past thirty years, aspirations were never heard, roads were never paved.

But now that the long-cherished opportunity of peace and reconciliation in form of ceasefire has been opened up, something otherwise has to happen. It's about time the mainstream Kashmiri people focused on their lost heritage—Kashmiriyat—the greatest gift of Rishi-Sufi tradition in the mystics’ land. In fact, ultimately, Kashmir is too diverse, too multicultural a land to turn into a radical Islamist state. Thus, this visit of the Home Minister seems to go down well after a long and fierce political turmoil in the valley.

Regular columnist with New Age Islam, Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi is a scholar of classical Arabic and Islamic studies, cultural analyst and researcher in Media and Communication Studies.

URL: http://www.newageislam.com/radical-islamism-and-jihad/ghulam-rasool-dehlvi,-new-age-islam/kashmir-is-too-diverse,-too-multicultural-a-land-to-turn-into-a-radical-islamist-state/d/115497

Understanding Pranab Mukherjee’s Speech as an Answer to Mohan Bhagwat is Wrong

By Arshad Alam, New Age Islam

09 June 2018

The Congress party must be much relieved now. A seasoned congressman like Pranab Mukherjee giving a valedictory address at an RSS function must have made the party extremely nervous and understandably so. However, the content of the speech laid to rest any anxiety over Pranab Mukherjee’s new found love for the RSS. He spoke, although not as eloquently as the Sarsanghachalak, Mohan Bhagwat, and stressed the need for tolerance and pluralism. He argued that these two traits have defined Indian nationalism. In no uncertain terms, he told us that various ideas and identities have made what constitutes the Indian nation today. The kind of ideologues that he quoted like Gandhi, Nehru and Tagore, all belong to a very different spectrum of ideological thought as compared to the RSS’ views on Indian nationalism. Throughout his speech, Pranab Mukherjee underlined the importance of diversity and pluralism and identified them as the unique feature of Indian nationalism.

Should the RSS be worried that the person whom they invited trounced them ideologically and that the very purpose for which they called him got defeated? While many commentators have certainly thought so, the hard truth is that in terms of actual points of divergence, there was very little to choose between what the RSS chief said and what Pranab Mukherjee said. Of course, they belong to different political ideologies but when it comes to nationalism, there seems to be a broad consensus on what they were stating. Let us go through it point by point.

There was a sense in which both the speakers highlighted only the achievements of ancient India. It is a no brainer that ancient India is synonymous with Hindu India and therefore it is understood as the epitome of Indian culture. Pranab Mukherjee talked about the achievements of ancient Indian culture through the trope of different empires and existence of different universities like Takshila at that time. When it came to medieval period which is synonymous with Muslim rule, all that he had to say was that this was a period of ‘Muslim invaders’. For the RSS’ this must be music to their ears. After all, a senior congressman was echoing just their viewpoint of Indian history. In both their speeches, the Muslim was made invisible by not talking about them at all.

To be fair, Bhagwat laid stress on the essential cultural continuity of Indian civilization but was quick to point out that this continuity was only possible through the uninterrupted flow of Hinduism. Mukherjee very much said all this but then also argued that because of centuries of intermingling, Indian culture had become composite. However, much like Bhagwat, he also stressed that underlying the diversity in the country there was a certain unity and this unity came through Hinduism. Thus even though Pranab Mukherjee used the word composite, he completely erased the history behind it. There was no mention of Maulana Madni, Maulana Azad, who were the force behind the concept of composite nationalism. In the speeches of both these gentlemen, Hinduism remained the core around which Indian civilization flourished and still continues. This a-historical understanding of Hinduism and singing paeans to the achievements of ancient India glosses over much which was wrong in that period. From the eyes of the Dalits, there is no glory in ancient Indian culture for the simple reason that they were treated lesser than animals. For the Buddhists who faced persecution at hands of the Brahmins, what is glorious about that period of Indian history? Buddhism got reduced in the land of origins to the extent that it almost got extinguished, thanks to a virulent form of Brahmanism.

The point of all this is that there is a needless debate in this country that there is a fundamental difference between the nationalism of the Congress and the RSS. The speeches of Bhagwat and Mukherjee go a long way to show that there is a consensus on the question of nationalism between these two political formations. The difference is just about shades rather than of type. Thus the TV debates and the newspaper columns which seek to point out their essential difference is definitely out of proportion and a lazy reading of their viewpoints. More fundamentally, this laziness is also because of the assumptions of the liberal Hindu historiography itself. Is it simply a matter of coincidence that the RSS can switch between an Indira Gandhi and Modi with such ease? After all, Indira was hailed as the Durga by none other than the RSS and the congress had no objection at that time. The point that one is making is that some of us always make a faulty assumption about different worldviews of the Congress and the RSS. By not launching a fundamental critique of the RSS, Pranab Mukherjee has proved that he is a true Congressman. Those who are disappointed in him simply do not understand the history of the Congress party.

If at all Pranab Mukherjee wanted to make a difference, he should have talked specifically about Muslim and Dalit lynching. In not making clear what is clearly wrong in today’s times and how it is related to right wing Hindu ideology, he has only bestowed a certain legitimacy on it. In such troubling times as ours, not naming the evil is tantamount to condoning it. In the end, the speech will not be known for its content for there was nothing original or refreshing in it. It will be best known for the optics which it provided for all to see. The unfurling of the saffron flag, the salute in presence of a senior congressman who many claim to be a statesman. The whole spectacle has helped in normalizing these visuals and making them into a banal imagery. Those who think otherwise are only fooling themselves.

Arshad Alam is a columnist with NewAgeIslam.com

URL: http://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/arshad-alam,-new-age-islam/understanding-pranab-mukherjee’s-speech-as-an-answer-to-mohan-bhagwat-is-wrong/d/115496

Refutation Of Kashmiri Militant Zakir Musa’s Recent Statement कश्मीरी उग्रवादी ज़ाकिर मूसा का कश्मीर के नरम मुसलामानों के सर कलम करने वाले हालिया ब्यान का रद्द भाग-1

गुलाम गौस सिद्दीकी, न्यू एज इस्लाम

(अंग्रेज़ी से अनुवाद: न्यू एज इस्लाम)

25 मई 2018

एक बार फिर मॉडरेशन और भारतीय सेकुलरिज्म के मसले को इस तरह पेश किया है जैसे इस्लाम अपने मानने वालों को एतेदाल पसंदी और भारत जैसे सेकुलर देशों के साथ अमन व शान्ति के साथ रहने का कोई जवाज़ पेश नहीं करताl सोशल मीडिया के अनुसार इस बार इस सोच का हामिल ज़ाकिर मुसा है जो भारतीयों के खिलाफ उभरने वाली तंजीम अल कायदा की नई शाख अंसार गाज्वतुल हिन्द का सरबराह हैl

सोशल मीडिया के अनुसार इस समाचार का विवरण निम्नलिखित है-

हिजबुल मुजाहिदीन के पूर्व प्रमुख ज़ाकिर मुसा ने अपने एक पांच मिनट की वीडियो में हुर्रियत के नेताओं को धमकी देते हुए कहा है की वह लोग उसकी राह में “काँटा” ना बनें और यह की अगर उन्होंने कश्मीर के संघर्ष को इस्लामी हुकूमत कायम करने के लिए एक मज़हबी संघर्ष करार देंनें के बजाए राजनीतिक संघर्ष करार देना जारी रखा तो वह उन नेताओं का सर कलम कर देगाl ज़ाकिर मुसा के इस धमकी भरे सन्देश ने कश्मीर के सदन में हलचल मचा दी, इसके जवाब में हिजबुल मुजाहिदीन के प्रवकता सलीम हाशमी ने कहा की “ ज़ाकिर मुसा का यह बयान अस्वीकार्य योग्य हैl यह ज़ाकिर मुसा की व्यक्तिगत राय है”l उसने मजीद कहा की “ इस प्रकार का कोई भी भड़काऊ बयान कश्मीर की आज़ादी की तहरीक के लिए हानिकारक होगा”l

हिजबुल मुजाहिदीन के प्रवकता के बयान के कुछ घंटों बाद ज़ाकिर मुसा ने एक और वीडियों के माध्यम से हिजबुल मुजाहेदीन से दस्तबरदारी का इज़हार करते हुए यह स्पष्ट किया की उसकी धमकी केवल उन लोगों के लिए थी जो एक सेकुलर रियासत की बात कर रहे थेl उसका कहना था: “मैंने किसी ख़ास व्यक्ति या जीलानी साहब के खिलाफ कुछ नहीं कहा हैl सर कलम करने वाली बात का संबंध हुर्रियत के साथ नहीं है, बल्कि मेरा सन्देश उन सेकुलरों के बारे में है जो एक सेकुलर राज्य की हिमायत करते हैंl ज़ाकिर मुसा का कहना है की “ अगर हमने सेकुलरिज्म के लिए आज़ादी हासिल कर ली तो फिर हमें उनके खिलाफ एक और जंग शुरू करना होगी इसलिए, यह बताना बहुत जरुरी थाl और आज के बाद से हिजबुल मुजाहिदीन के साथ मेरा कोई संबंध नहीं हैl एक और बात यह है की वह आइएसआइएस और अलकायदा की बात करते हैंl ना ही आइएसआइएस या अलकायदा के बारे में कुछ जानता हूँ ना ही मैं यह कह सकता हूँ की वह गलत हैं क्योंकि मैंने उन पर कोई रिसर्च नहीं किया हैl इन सब बातों में रिसर्च के लिए मेरे पास अधिक समय नहीं होताl लेकिन मैं उनको गलत नहीं कह सकताl और मैं उन लोगों पर भी भरोसा नहीं कर सकता जो उनके साथ बैठ कर मिठाइयां खाते हैं और उन (आइएसआइएस और अलकायदा) के खिलाफ फ़तवा जारी करते हैंl मैं यह भी नहीं कह सकता की वह सहीह है या गलत, क्योंकि मैंने उनके बारे में ना तो कोई रिसर्च की है और ना ही मैंने उनके बारे में कुछ पढ़ा हैl” (1)

ज़ाकिर मुसा की ओर से क़त्ल की धमकी उस समय आई जब 9 मई को सय्यद अली शाह गीलानी, मीर वाइज़ उमर फारुक और मुहम्मद यासीन मालिक ने कहा की कश्मीर का मसला राजनीतिक है और यहाँ की मौजूदा तहरीक मुकामी है और इसका आइएसआइएस और अलकायदा जैसी तंजीमों के साथ कोई संबंध नहीं है उन्होंने यह इलज़ाम लगाया कि “भारीतय एजेंसियां इस तहरीक को योजनाबद्ध तरीके से बदनाम कर रही हैंl” इन तीनों ने अपने एक ब्यान में कहा की “आइएसआइएस और अलकायदा जैसे गिरोह राज्य में उपस्थित नहीं हैं और हमारी तहरीक के अन्दर उन गिरोहों का कोई किरदार नहीं हैl एजेंसियां इख्वान जैसे कुछ बीमार मानसिकता के गुंडों का इस्तेमाल कर रही हैं जिनका काम राज्य में अफरा तफरी का माहौल पैदा करना हैl उन्होंने आज़ादी की उस संघर्ष को बदनाम करने और अंतर्राष्ट्रीय दृष्टिकोण को प्रभावित करने के लिए उन गिरोहों के जरिये रहस्यमय हत्या, चोरी, लुट मार और नकब ज़नी का रास्ता अख्तियार करने का फैसला किया हैl (२)

उपरोक्त नाटकीय हालात व घटनाओं में हम ज़ाकिर मुसा के दो अहम लक्ष्य व उद्देश्य को समझ सकते हैं: 1) आज़ादी ए कश्मीर की संघर्ष को इस्लामी संघर्ष के बजाए राजनीतिक संघर्ष करार देने वालों का सर कलम कर देना, 2) उन सेकुलरों को मौत के घाट उतारना जो सेकुलर राज्य की हिमायत करते हैंl

ज़ाकिर मुसा के उपरोक्त दृष्टिकोण की रौशनी में उलेमा ए इस्लाम ज़ाकिर मुसा के ज़हनी मर्ज़, असंतुलन, पथ भ्रष्ट चरमपंथ का प्रदर्शन कर सकते हैंl ज़ाकिर मुसा के बयानों से दो बुनियादी प्रश्न पैदा होते हैं जिसका जवाब सोशल मीडिया पर मुझसे तलब किया गया, वह दो सवाल यह हैं 1) क्या इस्लामी दृष्टिकोण से उन लोगों के हत्या का जवाज़ तलाश किया जा सकता है जो आज़ादी ए कश्मीर की संघर्ष को राजनीतिक संघर्ष मानते हैं? २) दुसरा सवाल यह है की इस्लाम ने कभी कहीं इस बात का आदेश दिया है की जो सेकुलर मुसलमान किसी सेकुलर राज्य की हिमायत करेगा उसे कत्ल कर दिया जाएगा?

ज़ाकिर मुसा का बयान असल में इस्लाम और शरीअत पर झूट बाँधना हैl इस्लाम का निजाम दर असल न्याय पर कायम है जिसका उद्देश्य दुनिया व आखिरत में इंसान को भलाई की तरफ ले जाना हैl इस्लाम कदापि इस बात की अनुमति नहीं दे सकता की कश्मीर की आज़ादी के संघर्ष को राजनीतिक संघर्ष कहने वाले का कत्ल कर दिया जाए और इसी तरह प्रश्न किए गए स्थिति में इस्लाम कदापि इसकी अनुमति नहीं देता की भारत जैसे सेकुलर देश की हिमायत करने वाले मुसलमान का कत्ल कर दिया जाएl यह तो ज़ाकिर मुसा का इस्लामी शरीअत पर झूट बाँधना हैl अगर अलकायदा से जुड़े होने वाली रिपोर्ट सहीह है तो संभव है की ज़ाकिर मुसा ने इस फ़िक्र को अलकायदा जैसी गैर इस्लामी दहशतगर्द संगठन से सीखा होl तथापि इस तरह की फिकरी मर्ज़ और इन्तेहा पसंदी के संभव खतरों से अनजान कश्मीरी नौजवानों को बचाने के लिए कुरआन करीम की रौशनी में ज़ाकिर मुसा के बयानात की तरदीद जरुरी हैl

ज़ाकिर मुसा के बयान नम्बर 1 की तरदीद

ज़ाकिर मुसा का कहना है कि “वह उन लोगों का सर कलम कर देगा जो आज़ादी ए कश्मीर की संघर्ष को इस्लामी हुकूमत कायम करने के लिए एक मजहबी संघर्ष के बजाए राजनीतिक संघर्ष करार देना जारी रखेंगे”l

इस बयान में सर कलम करने की जो बात की गई है इस्लामी शरियत में कहीं इसका जवाज़ नहींl यह बयान केवल कश्मीर के शहरियों और उनकी आज़ादी ए इज़हार राय के लिए खतरा और खौफ व हरास का माहौल पैदा करेगा कुरआन व सुन्नत से कहीं भी इस तरह के कतल करने का जवाज़ नहीं मिलताl बल्कि इस्लामी दृष्टिकोण से ऐसी राय कायम करने वाले नागरिकों को कत्ल करना नाजायज व हराम साबित होगाl यह बात तो सूरज से भी ज्यादा रौशन है की इस्लाम में बेगुनाह लोगों और शहरियों का कत्ल करना बिलकुल हराम है, बल्कि किसी एक नागरिक का अनायास क़त्ल पुरी इंसानियत के कत्ल के बराबर है जैसा की कुरआन स्पष्ट तौर पर सुरह मायदा की आयत 32 में इस कल्पना को पुरी दुनिया के सामने पेश करके गौर व फ़िक्र की दावत देता है की ऐ लोगों इस्लाम किसी भी बेगुनाह इंसान के कत्ल की दावत नहीं देता और इस्लाम यहाँ इस बात पर भी गौर व फ़िक्र करने की दावत दे रहा है कि ऐ लोगों अगर कोई संगठन या कोई व्यक्ति इस्लाम के नाम पर किसी का खून बहाए तो समझ लेना वह अमल इस्लामी नहीं है बल्कि इस्लामी शरीअत पर झूट बाँधना हैl

अल्लाह पाक इरशाद फरमाता है: “इसी सबब से तो हमने बनी इसराईल पर वाजिब कर दिया था कि जो शख्स किसी को न जान के बदले में और न मुल्क में फ़साद फैलाने की सज़ा में (बल्कि नाहक़) क़त्ल कर डालेगा तो गोया उसने सब लोगों को क़त्ल कर डाला और जिसने एक आदमी को जिला दिया तो गोया उसने सब लोगों को जिला लिया और उन (बनी इसराईल) के पास तो हमारे पैग़म्बर (कैसे कैसे) रौशन मौजिज़े लेकर आ चुके हैं (मगर) फिर उसके बाद भी यक़ीनन उसमें से बहुतेरे ज़मीन पर ज्यादतियॉ करते रहे (5:32)

उपर्युक्त आयत से यह साबित होता है की किसी एक शख्स का नाहक कत्ल पुरी इंसानियत के क़त्ल के बराबर है एक शख्स की ज़िन्दगी बचाना पुरी इंसानियत की ज़िन्दगी बचाने की मानिंद हैl इस आयत का पैगाम मुसलामानों और गैर मुस्लिमों दोनों पर मुन्तबक होता हैl

चूँकि ज़ाकिर मुसा का बयान कश्मीरी मुसलामानों के संदर्भ में हैं जो आज़ादी ए कश्मीर की संघर्ष को राजनीतिक संघर्ष मानते हैं, इसलिए आइए उस दृष्टिकोण से देखें कि मुसलामानों का नाहक कत्ल करने के संबंध में इस्लाम का क्या स्टैंड हैl

कुरआन करीम का फरमान है:

“और जो कोई मुसलामानों को जान बुझ कर कत्ल करे तो उसका बदला जहन्नम है कि बरसों उसमें रहे और अल्लाह ने उस पर गज़ब किया और उस पर लानत की और उसके लिए तैयार रखा बड़ा अज़ाबl” (4:93)

इस आयत से हम यह समझ सकते हैं की एक मुसलमान का जान बुझ कर कत्ल करना एक बड़ा गुनाह है जिसके करने वाले को मुद्दतों जहन्नम में रखा जाएगाl ज़ाकिर मूसा को इस आयत पर गौर करना चाहिए और अपना इरादा बदल कर तौबा व इस्तिग्फार करना चाहिएl

अल्लाह पाक फरमाता है:

“(ऐ रसूल) तुम उनसे कहो कि (बेबस) आओ जो चीज़ें ख़ुदा ने तुम पर हराम की हैं वह मैं तुम्हें पढ़ कर सुनाऊँ (वह) यह कि किसी चीज़ को ख़ुदा का शरीक़ न बनाओ और माँ बाप के साथ नेक सुलूक़ करो और मुफ़लिसी के ख़ौफ से अपनी औलाद को मार न डालना (क्योंकि) उनको और तुमको रिज़क देने वाले तो हम हैं और बदकारियों के क़रीब भी न जाओ ख्वाह (चाहे) वह ज़ाहिर हो या पोशीदा और किसी जान वाले को जिस के क़त्ल को ख़ुदा ने हराम किया है न मार डालना मगर (किसी) हक़ के ऐवज़ में वह बातें हैं जिनका ख़ुदा ने तुम्हें हुक्म दिया है ताकि तुम लोग समझो और यतीम के माल के करीब भी न जाओl” (6:151)

उपर्युक्त आयत से यह स्पष्ट है की इंसान किसी भी धर्म या मजहब का हो उसके नाहक कत्ल को इस्लाम ने हराम करार दिया हैl अपने उल्लेखित ब्यान के माध्यम से ज़ाकिर मूसा ने ऐसे काम अंजाम देने का वादा किया है जिसे अल्लाह ने हराम करार दिया हैl क्या वह कयामत के दिन पर यकीन नहीं रखता की जब उसे बेगुनाह इंसानों के कत्ल का हिसाब देना होगा? क्या वह यह नहीं देखता की कुरआन के उल्लेखित आदेश (4:93) के अनुसार अगर वह किसी बेगुनाह इंसान का नाहक खून करेगा तो उसे दर्दनाक अज़ाब का सामना करना होगा?

कुरआन करीम का फरमान है:

“और जो लोग ईमानदार मर्द और ईमानदार औरतों को बगैर कुछ किए द्दरे (तोहमत देकर) अज़ीयत देते हैं तो वह एक बोहतान और सरीह गुनाह का बोझ (अपनी गर्दन पर) उठाते हैंl” (33:58)

कुरआन मजीद के अनुसार उन मोमिनों को हानि पहुंचाना एक खुला गुनाह है जिन्होंने कुछ गलत नहीं किया हैl ज़ाकिर मूसा को कुरआन की उपर्युक्त आयतों की रौशनी में अपना मुहासबा और अपने तर्ज़ फ़िक्र की इस्लाह करनी चाहिएl अब हम उसके सामने कुछ ऐसी हदीसें पेश करते हैं जिनसे मालुम होता है की उसका रास्ता इस्लाम के सिद्धांतों के खिलाफ हैl

रिवायत है की नबी सल्लल्लाहु अलैहि वसल्लम ने फरमाया कि: “एक सच्चा मुसलमान वह है जिसकी जुबान और हाथों से दुसरे सभी मुसलमान सुरक्षित हैंl और एक सच्चा मोमिन वही है जिस से लोगों की ज़िन्दगी और दौलत सुरक्षित हैl और एक सच्चा मुजाहिद वह है जो अपने नफ्स को ज़ेर करता है और उसे खुदा की इताअत पर मजबूर करता है; और एक सच्चा मुहाजिर वह है जो हर उस चीज को छोड़ देता है जिससे खुदा ने माना किया हैl कसम है उस ज़ात की जिसके कब्ज़े कुदरत में मेरी जान है वह शख्स जन्नत में दाखिल नहीं होगा जिसका पड़ोसी उसके ज़ुल्म से महफूज़ ना हो” (यह हदीस कुछ शब्दों के रद्द व बदल के साथ बुखारी, मुस्लिम, तिरमिज़ी, निसाई, अबू दाउद, अहमद इब्ने हम्बल, दारमी, इब्ने हिबान, बेहकी, निसाई सुननुल कुबरा, इब्ने अबी शुएब, अब्दुर्रज्जाक, अबू याला हमीदी ने नक़ल किया है)

रिवायत है की “एक मुसलमान को गाली देना फुसुक है और उसका कत्ल कुफ्र हैl” (सहीह बुखारी जिल्द 9, किताब 88, हदीस नंबर 197)

सुनन इब्ने माजा, इमाम तबरानी ने अपनी किताब “मुसनद अल शामीन” में इमाम अल मंजरी ने ‘अल तरगीब वल तरहीब’ में हज़रत अब्दुल्लाह बिन अम्र बिन आस से निम्नलिखित हदीस से रिवायत की है:

“मैंने अल्लाह के रसूल सल्लल्लाहु अलैहि वसल्लम को काबे के गिर्द तवाफ़ के दौरान काबे से यह कहते हुए देखा: तू कितना पाक और मुक़द्दस है! तेरी खुशबु कितनी खालिस (शुद्ध) और अच्छी है! तू कितना अज़ीम औ आला है! तेरी हुरमत अज़ीम और बुलंद हैl लेकिन कसम है उस ज़ात की जिसके कब्ज़े कुदरत में मुहम्मद की जान है’ मोमिन के खून और उसके माल की हुरमत अल्लाह की नज़र में तेरी हुरमत से कहीं अधिक बुलंद हैl

इस्लाम में एक मोमिन की ज़िंदगी को कितनी अहमियत हासिल है इसका अंदाज़ा इस अम्र से आसानी के साथ लगाया जा सकता है की एक मोमिन के खून की हुरमत काबे से अधिक हैl इसलिए, ज़ाकिर मुसा और इस जैसी सोच रखने वाले हर व्यक्ति को अपनी इस्लाह कर लेनी चाहिएl

रिवायत है की रसूलुल्लाह (सल्लल्लाहु अलैहि वसल्लम) ने फरमाया:

“तुम में से कोई अपने भाई की तरफ हथियार ना उठाए, इसलिए की वह नहीं जानता की शैतान की वजह से उसके हाथ से हथियार चुक कर गिर जाए और उससे किसी को ज़ख्म लग जाए और इस तरह वह जहन्नम का हकदार बन जाए” (सहीह मुस्लिम; किताब अल बिर्र वल सिलह वल आदाब, इमाम हाकिम ने इस हदीस को अल मुस्तदरक में और बेहकी ने अल सुनन अल कुबरा में रिवायत किया है)l

रिवायत है की हज़रत मुहम्मद (सल्लल्लाहु अलैहि वसल्लम) ने फरमाया:

“जो व्यक्ति अपने भाई की तरफ हथियार उठाता है फरिश्ते उस पर लानत भेजना शुरू कर देते हैं चाहे वह उसका सगा भाई ही क्यों ना हो, यहाँ तक कि वह हथियार रख देl (सहीह मुस्लिम, इमाम तिरमिज़ी उसी हदीस को अल सुनन में, इमाम हाकिम अल मुस्तदरक में और इमाम बेहकी अल सुनन अल कुबरा में रिवायत करते हैं)

खेल खेल में भी मुसलमान की तरफ छुरी, खंजर, तलवार, या बन्दुक जैसा कोई हथियार उठाना इस्लाम में हराम हैl मुसलामानों के लिए किसी दुसरे मुसलमान को गैर जरुरी तौर पर डराना भी सख्त मना हैl और हमें इस हदीस से यही शिक्षा मिलती है कि” जो व्यक्ति अपने भाई की तरफ हथियार उठाता है फरिश्ते उस पर लानत भेजना शुरू कर देते हैं”l

इमाम बेहकी अल सुनन अल कुबरा में, सुनन इब्ने माजा में, इमाम रबीअ अपनी मुसनद में निम्नलिखित हदीस नक़ल करते हैंl जिससे एक मुसलमान के कत्ल में आधे शब्द से भी मदद की मनाही साबित है:

जो व्यक्ति आधे शब्द के जरिये भी किसी मुसलमान के क़त्ल में मदद करता है वह कयामत के दिन अल्लाह की रहमत से महरूम इस हाल में पेश किया जाएगा की वह शब्द उसकी आँखों के बीच लिखा हुआ होगाl”

ऊपर संदर्भित सारे कुरआनी आयतों और हदीसों से मुसलामानों के कत्ल की सख्त मनाही साबित होती हैl इस आयतों से ज़ाकिर मुसा हकीकी इस्लाम को समझ सकता है और यह जान सकता है की अलकायदा और तालिबानी सिद्धांत निर्माताओं ने किस तरह उसकी नकारात्मक ज़ेहन साज़ी की हैl चाहे वह जितने भी दावे करें, जितना चाहे इस्लाम व शरीअत का नाम इस्तेमाल कर लें, इस्लाम कभी भी उनके इस तरह के कामों को जायज नहीं कर सकता, बल्कि ऐसे काम अंजाम देने वालों पर सख्त वईद नाज़िल हो चुकी है की अल्लाह पाक उन पर अज़ाब नाज़िल फरमाएगा और उन पर अपनी लानत बरसाएगा और इस तरह उन्हें एक दर्दनाक अज़ाब में डाल देगा, क्योंकि यह ऐसे लोग हैं जो जान बूझ कर बेगुनाह मुसलामानों को कत्ल कर रहे हैंl

एक और अहम बात यह है की अलकायदा और इस जैसी तंजीमों से प्रभावित ज़ाकिर मुसा अपनी उस गलती से अनजान है की वह जिस आजादी के लिए संघर्ष कर रहा है दरअसल उससे कश्मीर के लोग गुलाम बनने वाले हैंl इस आज़ादी की संघर्ष का उद्देश्य लोगों को इजहारे राय की आजादी से महरूम करना हैl उसे यह मालूम होना चाहिए कि इस्लाम अभिव्यक्ति की आज़ादी और परामर्श की आज़ादी अता करता है, शर्त यह है की वह इस्लाम के खिलाफ ना हो, और उसका आज़ादी के लिए अपने संघर्ष को राजनीतिक करार देना “ अभिव्यक्ति की स्वतन्त्रता” के श्रेणी में आता है जी कि इस्लाम के खिलाफ नहीं हैl और जहां तक आज़ादी की बात है तो अलगाववादी सहित सभी कश्मीरियों को उनके मज़हब पर अमल करने और सांस्कृतिक और सामाजिक तरक्की में हिस्सा लेने की पूर्ण स्वतन्त्रता प्राप्त हैl इसलिए, यह लोगों को “आज़ादी के संघर्ष” के नाम पर बेवकूफ बनाने जैसा होगाl

और जहां तक कश्मीर में “इस्लामी हुकूमत” के कयाम की बात है तो ज़ाकिर मूसा को यह समझना चाहिए की भारत और उसके राज्य कश्मीर में रहने वाले मुसलामानों को मज़हबी फ़राइज़ की अदायगी के लिए वह सभी बुनियादी मज़हबी आज़ादी हासिल है, जिसका मतलब यह है की रूहानी अर्थ में वह पहले से ही “इस्लामी हुकूमत” में हैंl फर्क केवल इतना है की यहाँ कोई खलीफा या मुस्लिम हाकिम नहीं बल्कि यहाँ भारत में मुसलमान कयामत के दिन अपने आमाल के लिए केवल अल्लाह पाक की बारगाह में जवाबदेह हैंl भारतीय मुसलामानों को जो मज़हबी आज़ादी हासिल है वह रूहानी तरक्की के हुसूल और तकवा की राह अख्तियार करके अल्लाह और उसके महबूब नबी सल्लल्लाहु अलैहि वसल्लम की कुर्बत हासिल करने के लिए काफी हैl प्रश्न यह है कि कश्मीरियों सहित भारतीय मुसलमानों को एलानिया इस्लामी अहकाम व फ़राइज़ अदा करने, तजकिया नफ्स, इस्लाह ज़ाहिर व बातिन, रूहानी मर्तबा हासिल करने और अल्लाह का ज़िक्र करने से कौन रोकता है? इसी तरह इस्लामी रुसुमात व मामुलात पर अमल करने से उन्हें कौन रोकता है? जब कोई उन्हें धार्मिक आज़ादी से नहीं रोकता तो फिर इस तरह की तहरीक से उनका, या किसी कश्मीरी मुसलमान या फिर भारत या फिर इस्लाम का क्या फायदा हैl ज़ाकिर मुसा को यह जान लेना चाहिए की ख्वाजा गरीब नवाज़ का शुमार भारत की बड़ी इस्लामी हस्तियों में होता हैl उन्होंने अपने अमल व किरदार से अल्लाह व रसूल सल्लल्लाहु अलैहि वसल्लम से मुहब्बत की जो मिसाल पेश की है वह किसी इस्लामी हुकूमत के तहत ज़िन्दगी गुज़ार कर नहीं की, बल्कि ऐसे माहौल में जहां दूर दूर तक कोई मुसलमान नज़र नहीं आता थाl

सन्दर्भ:

risingkashmir.com/news/zakir-quits-hizb-says-not-said-anything-against-geelani

thewire.in/politics/kashmir-hizbul-mujahideen-hurriyat-zakir-musa)

(जारी...............)

URL for English article: http://www.newageislam.com/radical-islamism-and-jihad/ghulam-ghaus-siddiqi,-new-age-islam/refutation-of-kashmiri-militant-zakir-musa’s-recent-statement-threatening-to-chop-off-the-heads-of-hurriyat-leaders-from-an-islamic-standpoint---part-1/d/115343

URL for Urdu article: http://www.newageislam.com/urdu-section/ghulam-ghaus-siddiqi,-new-age-islam/refutation-of-kashmiri-militant-zakir-musa’s-recent-statement---کشمیری-عسکریت-پسند-ذاکر-موسی-کا-کشمیر-کے-معتدل-مسلمانوں-کے-سر-قلم-کرنے-والے-حالیہ-بیان-کی-تردید----حصہ-1/d/115410

URL: http://www.newageislam.com/hindi-section/ghulam-ghaus-siddiqi,-new-age-islam/refutation-of-kashmiri-militant-zakir-musa’s-recent-statement--कश्मीरी-उग्रवादी-ज़ाकिर-मूसा-का-कश्मीर-के-नरम-मुसलामानों-के-सर-कलम-करने-वाले-हालिया-ब्यान-का-रद्द-भाग-1/d/115489

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What Ramadan Teaches Me Every Year!

By Moin Qazi, New Age Islam

08 June 2018

O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain Taqwa [God-consciousness]

– (The Qur’an, Al-Baqarah: 183)

Religious fasting traditions- from Ramadan to Ekadasi to Yom Kippur and Lent -are meant to relieve believers from many avoidable mundane compulsions, helping them replenish their spirituality, remember the poor, give up bad habits, make amends for moral deficiencies and get closer to their faith. The most prominent among these spiritual fasting customs is Ramadan. Islam does not have a tradition of monasticism. Instead observant Muslims become ascetics during Ramadan every year. For them it is a month of sacred abstemiousness.

Fasting (“Sumoo”, derived from the Arabic root of “Saama” and Syriac, “Sawma.”) means “to refrain” - and not only is it abstaining from eating, drinking , smoking and sex , but all forms of immoral actions including talking about others behind their backs, or indulging in impure or unkind thoughts. Like prayers, fasting is an essentially solitary act; it represents a personal relationship each one of us has with God. When fasting, Muslims have one meal before sunrise, called Sahur-the pre-dawn meal -together, and share another meal with friends and family after sunset, called Iftar-the fast breaking meal. The fast is actually much longer than what everyone perceives .It actually commences at the first ray of dawn, or, as it is said in the Qur’an, “when the white thread of day becomes distinct from the blackness of night. The simultaneity of all these Muslim rituals is Islam’s way of fostering fellowship and a powerful sense of solidarity.

Fasting during Ramadan is obligatory for all able-bodied Muslims from when they reach the age of religious observance. Those exempt from fasting are those who are sick, the elderly, those suffering from a mental illness, those who are travelling long distance and women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or menstruating. However, the exemption has a caveat that those who skip the fast have to make up for the lost equivalent days after Ramadan. But if a person is not able to fast at all – particularly if that is for health reasons – can compensate and partake of the holy month’s blessings by feeding a needy person for each day they do not fast (Fidiya, or “expiation”).

Ramadan is a commemoration of the descent of the word of God, the Qur’an, from heaven to the earth. Just as the word of God has come down, in Ramadan the word of supplicants goes up to God, more vigorously and efficaciously than at any other time.

The most significant hallmark of the month of Ramadan is the Night of Destiny, Night of Measure or Night of Value: Lailat al Qadr, in Arabic. According to the Qur’an, angels descend from heaven on this special night, -most important, the archangel Gabriel — bringing peace and divine presence into the world. Prophet Muhammad did not mention exactly when the Night of Power would be, although most scholars believe it falls on one of the odd-numbered nights of the final ten days of Ramadan

The Qur’an says:

“The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.

Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Allah’s permission, on every errand:

Peace... This until the rise of morn! “(Q97)

Better than thousand months. A thousand months are equivalent to 83 years and 4 months. The importance of this night is also mentioned in Hadith, which are the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad as remembered by his companions:

“Whoever establishes the prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah’s rewards (not to show off) then all his past sins will be forgiven.” (Sahih Bukhari Vol 1, Book 2:34).

Ramadan is always a very amazing month .We undertake a month long spiritual odyssey that is meant to rejuvenate us both physically and morally. It enables us to detach from worldly pleasures to invest our time in intense prayer, charity and spiritual discipline and focus on our deeds, thoughts and actions. Every Ramadan, we undergo illuminating and enriching experiences that provide valuable lessons in understanding life and ourselves better. The extremity of the test reminds us of the fragility of human life and is meant to foster a relationship with God.

I remember the early years of fasting when my mother would tell stories about Ramadan when she was little and growing up--how the table at sunset would be full of delicacies; how she and her siblings would hold handfuls of food in front of their mouths, waiting for the cue from my grandfather to eat. At the end of the month of fasting, he would sacrifice a lamb, in the name of God, and feed it to the poor.

The first time I fasted was when I was attending school away from home. Marching up to the man in charge of the cafeteria, I fully expected to be rebuffed when I asked for food to take back to my dorm for a predawn breakfast. But he just looked me in the eyes and asked what I would like to eat. Had I not been so stunned by his acceptance, I might have asked for a table full of treats. I fortified myself by hearty food and sealed the fast with a full glass of fruit juice .the fast seemed interminable and intolerable because, as every Muslim would confess, no matter how much food or water or juice you pour into yourself at dawn, it is enough to drown the body’s yearnings until sunset.

Later that night, nibbling on the meat sandwich, I realized, ''I'm fasting for Ramadan!'' For the first time, I was doing something that wasn't primarily for myself or for parents or for good grades. By fasting, I was doing something for God- that which would bring me closer to the creator and sustainer of all existence .it is said that it’s the only Islamic practice that’s invisible to an observer.

Later in college, on Saturday nights, other Muslim students and I would take the college van to a pancake house at 4 a.m. I told my non-Muslim friends, who always accompanied me to dinner in the dining hall at sunset, how the entire holy month of Ramadan was about feeling spiritually charged and elevated despite the hunger and deprivation.

The fasting ritual is an eagerly awaited interlude for utilizing the abstinence from food, drink and other indulgences to concentrate on prayer, meditation and worship. This, in turn, encourages greater reflection on one’s life and appreciation for resources we sometimes take for granted. It teaches us about patience, self-restraint, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to God.

The act of fasting for spiritual prowess makes us more conscious, not just of food habits but of how we think, behaves and interacts throughout the day. Fasting does not mean Muslims retreat from their daily chores; rather they are encouraged to continue their normal routine. This is the real challenge, and fasting helps us hone our patience and endurance because, by refraining from consumption throughout the day, we learn the benefit of refraining from gratifying each of our desires in the moment.

Each fasting day during Ramadan is trial on the body and our spiritual resolve. Removing the regular comforts from daily routine is intended to focus the mind on spirituality, prayer and charity. By fasting, we cut ourselves off from the temptations and distractions of our busy, hectic, materialistic lives and try attaining “Taqwa", or “piety” or “God-consciousness". With a decaffeinated, empty stomach, and a thirst that is difficult to tolerate, this act of fasting connects us to someone else.

Tending to the welfare of the less fortunate members of the community is a central tenet of Islam and a very important tradition during Ramadan., On several occasions, I have read that when we are handing someone charity, it first passes through the Hand of God before it reaches the recipient's hand. I always imagine that when I give, it helps me do it with greater humility. Holding wealth is truly an immense blessing that comes with great responsibility and untold reward when we pass it along. All good deeds done in Ramadan fetch manifold rewards in the afterlife. Thus, apart from being a personal religious voyage, the season of sharing and giving reconfigures one’s social bonds.

Our fasting draws us to the story of a woman in Somalia who has been walking for miles to reach and fetch firewood and water; successive droughts have ravaged her land, her body, and her children. The baby she is carrying no longer gets milk from her breast; she feels him shrinking in her arms as she walks. The little hands of her other small children clutch at her as they patiently trail her. The mother keeps repeatedly telling them that they must put their trust in God and keep moving. One can understand her thirst as she utters words of prayer with every precious drop of water she goes without to give to her children for their survival.

Our act of fasting brings empathy for her that is greater than any ordinary day. I remember her when my head would go dizzy with thirst after running out on a simple errand in triple-digit heat. I can step back into my air-conditioned refuge; she can't. I won't complain of my exhaustion from too little sleep because I know she won't find a sheltering place to rest in the harsh landscape. I'm hungry, but I can break my fast in a celebratory mood when the day is finished; I'll take a cooling sip of clean, filtered water and literally feel it splash down in my empty gut at sundown. As I feel my body reviving, I remember the Somali woman's fast has been going on since well-before Ramadan, and it will continue past the 30 days which Muslims will observe. It is her way of life for years on end .For her "fasting" is not a choice, for her hunger is part of daily life.

As we slice up exotic fruits to refresh our families after fasting, we keep seeing this poor woman. How can we set a table with melons, dates, rice, other lavish goodies and dollops of dainty creams when she has none? How can we keep stocking up on provisions featuring a variety of exquisite tasty food, such as sweetmeats, spices, savouries and sugary drinks, with which to break our daily fasts, without thinking of the woman's broken heart when she has to tell her children she has nothing for them; the crops failed, the livestock died, and food prices have risen so high .She has no way to feed them. The suffering of these unlucky ones reminds us to be grateful for our fortunes.

At times we don't realize how hard and coarse our hearts have become. The absence of regular and consistent times for self-reflection and contemplation has made us insensitive to the suffering around us. The pursuit of complacency has become our goal rather than the pursuit of contentment and we sacrifice things that would bring us everlasting comfort in pursuit of those things that simply give us the facade of comfort. The empathy for the suffering of those less fortunate people around us, created by the act of fasting, is only worth something to them -- and to us -- if we do something about it.

The emphasis on enduring the fast stimulates us to move beyond simply the physical aspects of it and reach out in the direction of a spiritual fast. It’s not about mortification of the flesh. It’s about refraining from complaining, a fast from thinking ill of others, a fast from coarse language and harsh speech, a fast that's focus is not on food or drink, but how the absence of those things leads towards the development of a strong heart and soul. That's the fast that we should strive for - one that moves beyond not feeding our bodies but feeding our souls. The essence of Ramadan is to become humble, simple and free from ill-will, anger, meanness and hate. It is a one-month refresher course from which we can emerge as the greatest version of ourselves. It is a month of penance, peace, forgiveness atonement and reconciliation.

I pray that Ramadan gets into our hearts and minds and makes us embrace all shades of mankind with dignity, respect and care acknowledging the diverse swath of traditions and cultures.

The greatest lesson every Ramadan teaches me is indeed the wisdom expressed in Qur’an, Al-Hujurat:

“O mankind! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. The noblest of you, in sight of God, is the best in conduct. God Knows and is Aware of everything you do.”(Q49:13)

Ramadan Kareem! Ramadan Mubarak!

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: http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-spiritualism/moin-qazi,-new-age-islam/what-ramadan-teaches-me-every-year!/d/115486

Charity beyond Mere Economics

By Sheesha He, New Age Islam

04 June 2018

Something quite fascinating that you might yourself have experienced is how our understanding of some of our basic concepts can drastically change as we go through more of life. For instance, it is possible that the way we now understand things like Love, Happiness, Education, Progress, Development, the Purpose of Life or Religion—issues that we might regard as really fundamental to our existence—are quite different from how we used to understand them when we were younger.

One concept on which my thinking has changed considerably over the years is Charity.

Many years ago, I used to think of myself as very charitable because I used to generously give away to people who I thought were poor things that I had but did not want or like: a pair of trousers that no longer fitted me, perhaps a shirt someone had gifted me that I would never wear, kitchen things that I would never use—stuff like that.

It didn’t strike me then, but much of my ‘charity’ at that time was self-serving: besides making me feel good about myself for being ‘kind’, giving away things that I didn’t like or need was like clearing away unwanted trash and making my cupboard easier to manage.

In this phase of my life, when charity for me was mainly giving away unwanted things to people I thought were economically needy, I don’t remember once thinking of spending money to buy something new and nice for a poor person as a gift. Had that thought occurred to me, I might have quickly dismissed it as a waste of money.

As the years passed, my understanding of charity gradually expanded to giving money to people in need and financially supporting various good causes. But still, even at this stage, charity for me was something that was basically economic—it was mainly about giving away things to people or giving out money. A major reason for this was that I saw the world and its manifold problems and even human life and its purpose in largely economic terms. To put it in another way, maybe it was because I was materialistically-minded that I thought that the best way one could be charitable towards others was materially—by helping them in cash or kind.

The years rolled on and I saw and experienced more of life. I met some inspiring people and read many inspiring books. Along with this, my understanding of charity underwent a further transformation. I grew in my understanding that charity wasn’t just about helping people with money and material things. Nor was this necessarily the best form of help. There were many, many other ways of being charitable. I also came to realise also that charity isn’t something that one can do for only people who are economically poor. One can be charitable to every person—rich or poor (in economic terms). In fact, one can be charitable to non-human creatures, and even to supposedly inanimate things.

Over time, one non-economic form of charity that I learnt about was what was reflected in the lives of people who offered themselves (and not just their money or material possessions) in charity you could say, for the sake of suffering sentient beings (humans and others). These included the great spiritual Masters—men and women of God—whose ‘charity’ was to convey spiritual truths to people so that they could lead a truly meaningful life, in this world and the hereafter. Their example illustrated how sharing spiritual wisdom with others (while also living it out in one’s own life) is a great form of charity.

Gradually, I also began to learn that giving one’s time to others who need it can also be a form of charity. Donating things one doesn’t want or signing a cheque for a cause may not always be easy, but sharing even just a bit of one’s time with someone in need is often a much more difficult and demanding type of charity. Over the years, I’ve had the good fortune of meeting several people who are extremely charitable in this sense: among them, an elderly man who helps children in a slum with their studies, a volunteer at a home for the mentally-challenged and a visually-challenged man who worked for free at a counselling centre. And then there is this friend of mine who generously gives her time to me when I need her help.

As I’ve grown out of my very restricted understanding of charity, which was defined solely by economics and focussed only on people who I thought were economically needy, I’m beginning to understand that charity is a much wider thing than I had once imagined. Human beings have various types or levels of needs other than just economic or physical—such as spiritual, intellectual, emotional and psychological needs. And any service freely rendered to people with the right intention on one or more of these levels can be a form of charity. Any good deed that helps another person—even smiling at someone or greeting a stranger—can be charity.

And charity doesn’t have to stop at human beings. We can be charitable to other forms or species of life too. Giving a biscuit to a hungry dog, watering a thirsty plant or picking up an insect on a path so that no one stamps it are some ways for us to be charitable. Deciding to eat a little less for one day a week or consciously reducing our electricity consumption can be an act of charity towards the Earth by consuming less of its bounties.

Seen in this way, our every day can be filled with many charitable deeds, because each day we are faced with numerous situations where we can be charitable in different ways!

URL: http://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-spiritualism/sheesha-he,-new-age-islam/charity-beyond-mere-economics/d/115484