Bakhabar, October 2013

Better light a candle than curse the darkness

ISSN 2319-4049

http://bakhabar.biharanjuman.org/

Be Aware, Always, Everywhere

Volume 6, Issue 10, October 2013

E i d A l A d h a M u b a r a k

D e m o c r a c y o f R i o t s The souls of Spartan would not be in peace by seeing the dance of destruction and death of democracy in India-the largest democracy of world. This death and destruction are due to communal riots which became a part of Indian democracy since its inception in the year 1950-the year of the proclamation of republic based on the principle of adult suffrage. From the very beginning the Indian democracy was high jacked by the people of vested interest who did not want to put Indian society on the path of equality. They accepted the equality in principle but not in practical. The dream of leaders of Indian national movement, the fabric of Indian society based mutual respect and the promise of Indian constitution to the citizen of India; all are trumpeted under the feet of communal riots.

With every election in the country from the inception of democracy, a particular community has been targeted in the name of politics of votes. All blames are put on the political system of country. But the question is unanswered; why for a political interest, religion is used to destroy a religious community? While all the parties who are benefitted from the votes of this religious minority remain silent? Doesnot it seem that all political parties have the same goal of destroying a particular community in the name of the politics of vote?

Indian democracy without any doubt brought some of the positive result in the country in term of social transformation, political empowerment and economic development. But if we analyze then one thing is sure that Indian Muslims are marginalized for fruits of democracy. The report of Sachar Committee is a story of one such marginalization of Indian Muslims. The result of analysis of development of Indian democracy shows that many communities like Scheduled Caste, Schedules Tribe and OBC of particular community were benefitted from the political empowerment, economic development and transformation of Indian society. Many seats of central and states legislative assemblies are reserved for a particular community in the name of “Positive Discrimination”; government plans are benefiting to certain communities while social transformation has been brought to change the social hierarchy of the country. But what is about of the Indian Muslims? It seems that they are driven by hidden hands towards a desired direction plan wise. And no doubt this desired direction was not for their upliftment of them but to destroy them bit by bit in long term. They are in minority and cannot win the effective power in political system of the country by norms of democracy. But there is

no reservation for them in the state and central legislative bodies. They are economically weak but cannot get “Positive Discrimination” .They need security but cannot get due to political set up based on politics of votes. The thing they can have under democratic set up is the democratization of riots. With every election of central and states legislative bodies, they have been given gift of riots. For which they have to pay the price. How much and how many times they have to remember the price of votes, particularly after Ayodhya Movement of a particular thought of the country?

The Ayodhaya movement approved the democratization of riots in the country. In post-Ayodhya era with every general election of the nation, Muslims became the scapegoat for the political polarization of votes. The Gujrat program of 2002 to present day communal violence of Muzaffernagar and coming of a particular group into power in Gujarat and Congress at centre showed the power of democratization of riots. One thing is common in this process of democratization of the riots is the equal opportunity to all political parties to fright the Muslim voters. One party frights the majority from the name of appeasement policy of one party while other party frights the Muslims from communal approach of others. In between the lines of these two, the people and media complete the process of democratization of riots, which has become now an essential part of General election of the country.

In the light of numerous communal riots of small and large levels one can say that democracy in the country became a ban for Indian Muslims for few decades. For every General Election they have to pay the price of right to votes without any positive results in the forms of death and destruction of lives and properties. The Indian democracy which could be a boon for political and economic empowerment of them has been turned into ban for them. This is the classic case of democracy in the world. Everywhere around the world democracy has empowered the minority and even some cases made them master like Jews in America but in India it has failed due to undue interference from the side of communalists. The need of time is to understand the functioning of the democratization of riots in Indian democracy and have to adopt a strategy to neutralize the functioning of democratization of riots.

What should be done?

In the light of the present condition, Indian Muslims should adopt the following strategy to neutralize the democratization of riots.

These are five points to be considered by

Indian Muslims.

1 Sir Syed Ahmad Khan made the Government of British India to play vital role in empowerment of Indian Muslims in spite of the destructive role played by the British Government in 1857 by neutralizing Indian Muslims from any political faction of his time. So the present Indian Muslims should neutralize themselves from any political faction of the country. They should analysis every political party on the basis of pros and cons. They should not make any party to their darling. Indian Muslims need a professional thought in political term. Till now they have adopted emotional approach towards politics based on numerous issues like shahbano, Ayodhya, RSS, Civil Code etc.

2 The political policy should be different for the national and state politics. In every state, the Indian Muslims should see their local demands and conditions. While for national level they should consider both their local and national political conditions. If local condition demands the mingling of aspiration with others for national politics then they should adopt that approach, otherwise in case of state, they should prefer local condition and for national the demands of the country and community.

3 Indian Muslims should come out from the syndrome of Muslim Leadership. In democracy, the important is the fulfillment of the interest of the community. What is beneficial to have Muslim leadership if they failed to protect the interest of the community? As in many cases these have been found that Muslim leaders are more adhere to agenda of their political parties than to the interest of their community, to which they represent by getting votes in the name of the leader of community.

4 Indian Muslims should come out from the traditional centers of politics which are present in the form of old loyalist families, religious groups and so many pseudo interest groups. These are working for their vested interest and act as democratic broker at the time of election. These groups are neither farsighted nor profession, as a result unable to advance the cause of the community as whole. In present time there is trend of caste based politics in the name of backwardness. Indian Muslims should now that only their united stand could make them to fulfill their interest and serve the nation. Otherwise they have to fall after every general election without meeting their interest.

5 Indian Muslims have to change their criteria of leadership. They have to develop their political consciousness. No leader is powerful until and unless he has staunch followers. The histories of many nations and movements have been changed by staunch

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Khabron ki Khabar

Seraj Akram BJP ne musalamon ke andar phoot dalne ke liye puri tayyari kar li zameer farosh muslim chand sikkon ke ewaz apna eiman aur qaum ki izzat bechne ke liye betaaab.

Iraq, Afganistan, Libya ke baad Syria par hamla karne ki tayyari baqi desh apni baari ke aane tak ki mohlat ko enjoy karne me masroof.

Daish me rape ka silsila jaari bina rape ke muharrekat( sharab, fahashi, jehalat aur kari saza ka na hona) par qadghan lagaye koi murakh hi isme behtari ki umid kar sakta he.

Hindustan auraton ke liye mahfuz nahi...ek American larki. mohtarma shayed aap ne sirf apni aap biti par hi gaur kiya warna bharat me mard bhi mahfuz nahi.

Misr me Mursi ke hukumat girane ke mukhalifat karne walon ka qatl aam aur ulta Mursi par hi muqadma, kya zamana aa gaya.

Wakf bill pass abhi koi awaz nahi uthata, lekin jab iske galat asrat aane lagenge to phir shor karne se kya fayeda.

Wakf bill pas karwane ke liye sarkar ko bari jaldi thi, lekin fasad mukhalif bill ko pas karwane ki koi tezi nahi, kyon? pichhle 30-40 dino me sabse zyadah muslim qatl kiye gaye aur sare jahan ke muslim leader, aalim-e-deen aur danishwar aaram ki neend le rahe hain. itni maut bhi in be-hiss qaum ke rahnumaon ko jagaane ke liye kaafi nahi.

Hindustan me paida hona lottery lagne ke barabar...ek British to phir aap log is lottery ke liye yahan aa jayie aur utne hi bharti jinka sapna he wahan jana wah udhar chale jayenge.

Rupiya ke qadar me lagaatar girawat Rupie par sabki nazar hoti he warna Hindustan me kis cheez me girawat nahi aa rahi he siwaye mahengayi aur khun kharabe ke.

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S T A T E S P O N S O R E D A P A R T H E I D Abdul Khaliq for BeyondHeadlines A scheduled caste (SC) Christian associate- a convert from the Parayan Dalit community of Tamilnadu- is distraught that his country views him as a native alien, a second-class citizen. Being a Dalit in a society that still treats caste as indelible, he suffers all forms of socio-economic discrimination, and as a Christian he is denied the benefit of reservation and other concessions granted to SCs of the Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist religions. His anguish encapsulates the unconscionable injustice meted out to SC Christians and SC Muslims by the State.

Centuries ago Aristotle, recognising the unevenness of social structures, moderated the universal egalitarian ideal of equal treatment of human beings with his observation that justice implied the equal treatment of similar persons. Article 15 of the Constitution embodies this concern by qualifying the dictum of non-discrimination among citizens on grounds of religion, race, caste and sex with the proviso that the State is empowered to make special arrangements for the advancement of socially and economically backward citizens, and specifically for SCs and STs. However, the State’s stance on the issue of Dalit converts from Hinduism blatantly violates this sacred canon of equal treatment of equals. The endorsement of SC status for SC Sikhs and SC Buddhists but denial of this status to the SC Christians and SC Muslims is tantamount to licensing and sanctioning discrimination on the basis of religion.

The pledge to be a Secular Republic is founded on the principle that the State will neither establish a religion of its own nor confer any special patronage upon any particular religion. Unfortunately, the Constitutional (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 circumscribed the scope of the wideranging colonial term “depressed classes” now defined as “scheduled castes” by excluding from the list any person who professed a religion different from Hinduism, thereby reflecting a clear bias in favour of the majority religion. However, this Order and allied notifications were at sharp variance with what our first President, Dr Rajendra Prasad and PM Jawaharlal Nehru perceived to be the Constitutional provisions. The President, in a letter to H.C.Mukherjee in December 1950, clarified that “so far as educational and economic facilities to the backward classes are concerned, it is not the intention of the Government that there should be any differentiation on grounds of religion or castes. The only differentiation between the backward classes and other backward groups who are called Scheduled Castes can be in regard to certain political rights such as separate representation.”

The grant of SC status to SC Sikhs in 1956 and SC Buddhists in 1990 is actually the culmination of a pattern of thought that has even been enshrined in the Constitution, which clearly distinguishes between Indic religions and those originating elsewhere.

The explanatory note under Article 25 unambiguously states that “the reference to Hindus shall be construed as including a reference to persons professing the Sikh, Jain and Buddhist religions.” The purport of Article 25 is that a Sikh, a Buddhist or a Jain can lawfully enter a temple but not a Christian or a Muslim. The counter argument that the Constitution has separate provisions for minorities including Christians and Muslims is specious justification for this discrimination, as the minority provisions apply equally to Sikhs and Buddhists as religious minorities.

Although the Constitution has sanctified the freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate religion, the Constitutional order 1950, as amended from time to time, has penalised Dalit converts to Islam and Christianity for their religious beliefs. The true intent of the directive becomes self-evident when read in conjunction with the Circular issued by the Home Ministry in May, 1975 which states that “where a scheduled Caste person gets converted to a religion other than Hinduism or Sikhism and then reconverts himself back to Hinduism or Sikhism, he will be declared to have reconverted to his original scheduled caste.” The hegemony of the dominant religion is sought to be protected by penalising SCs who convert to Christianity or Islam but restoring their privileges if they return to the fold. In effect, the State has legitimised discrimination against Dalits who convert to Christianity or Islam.

The philosophy underlying the Constitutional Order of 1950 and its amendments bears an uncanny resemblance to the thinking of our rightwing fundamentalists. The leading ideologue of Hindutva, Veer Savarkar has explicitly distinguished between the indigenous, Indic religions and those that originated elsewhere. A key concept is that Bharatvarsha has, in addition to Hinduism also given birth to the religion of the Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists who are all in this sense Hindus. Conversely, Muslims and Christians are foreigners in this country which rightly belongs to Hindus. Tragically, a similar quasi-racial bias is evident in the denial of SC status to SC Muslims and Christians while granting this concession to SC Sikhs and Buddhists.

The ostensible reasons for denial of SC status to Dalit Christians and Muslims are built around the myth that SCs who convert

to these religions no longer face any social stigma or prejudice. Nothing is more untrue.

Caste consciousness is a part of our everyday lives; its universality renders it normal.

However hard we may delude ourselves, we are all scarred by it. A plainly irrational, wicked belief in Dalit inferiority is embedded in our culture. Dalits, irrespective of their religious beliefs, have similar narratives of oppression- victims of historical prejudice, of illogical hate, of violence. We need to face up to the brute fact that caste still influences the way social and economic privileges are enjoyed and determines the nature of human interaction. Being at the bottom of the hierarchy, the Dalits reap the whirlwind of an iniquitous system.

Mahatma Gandhi, who knew this country and its people better than anyone else, had this to say on the subject; “whether the harijan is nominally a Christian, Muslim, Hindu or Sikh, he is still a harijan...He may change his garb and call himself a Catholic harijan or a Muslim harijan or a neo-Sikh, his untouchability will haunt him during his lifetime.” Dr B. R Ambedkar asked the rhetorical question: “what good is Christianity for a Hindu if it does not do away with his caste?” India’s most distinguished sociologist and social anthropologist, M. N. Srinivas, who had underlined the persistence of caste in modern India, noted that “conversion to Christianity only changed the faith but not the customs, the general culture, or the standing of the converts in society.” Significantly, the Supreme Court in various judgements has emphatically underlined the obdurate hold of caste in our society. In its judgement in the S. Ambalagan vs Devarajan AIR 1984 case, the Supreme Court has inter alia observed: “he never lost his caste when he embraced another religion... this appears particularly so in the case of Scheduled Castes who embraced other religions in their quest for liberation but return to their old religion on finding that their disabilities have clung to them with great tenacity.” You can change your religion but caste is part of your DNA, immutable and eternal.

The intellectual elite and the media have steered clear of this issue because acknowledging injustice would morally bind them to do something about it. Their reluctance to engage with this subject possibly stems from the belief that this unprepossessing group- Dalit and minoritydoes not count for much in the larger canvas of minority politics or in the mart of economic strife and gain. They also clearly wish to avoid confronting the communalists for a marginal group of Dalits. The issue captured the headlines only once, when Mother Theresa sat on dharna at Rajghat in

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Continued from page 4 1996 in support of this desolate group, but the media interest was clearly not in the cause she espoused but in her celebrity persona. Otherwise, the numerous dharnas and protest marches by these disaffected, powerless citizens barely get a mention in a media culture that expends reams of newsprint and hundreds of hours of prime time salivating over the sexual escapades of a deviant Baba.

Significantly, in 1996 the Narasimha Rao government had approved an amen dmen t t o t h e Constitutional(Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 to include SC converts to Christianity and Islam as Scheduled Castes, but due to alleged procedural lapses the proposed Bill was not introduced in Parliament on the appointed date. Following the adjournment of Parliament, an Ordinance was proposed to the President but was not promulgated as, in the mean time Parliament Elections were announced.

The shoddy handling of the proposal raised legitimate suspicions that it was aborted on purpose by the Rao government.

The aggrieved Dalits approached the Supreme Court in 2004 for redress of this palpable injustice. Almost 10 years on, the case hangs fire with little hope of an early resolution. Since the filing of the writ petition, the case has been listed innumerable times but almost invariably, the Government counsel has sought adjournment. The last listing was on 9th September, 2013, and predictably the case was again adjourned without a hearing.

The unspoken understanding seems to be to postpone indefinitely a verdict in the matter.

The most disingenuous of all- a classic example of political artifice and subterfuge- is the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs in Feb. 2011 on the pending writ petition. Couched in graceless bureaucratese, the minutes recorded state that the Committee “

decided that based on data that will be collected in the 2011 Census, Government will institute further studies and thereafter consult with State governments and other stake holders.” It is clear to the meanest intelligence that the government’s intent is to keep this issue in limbo forever.

The Supreme Court has all along maintained that reservation and other benefits in the form of affirmative action for a group should be based on their social and educational backwardness, their social degradation and inadequacy of representation but not on religious considerations. The Court in the case of Soosai vs Union of India,1985 observed that in order to establish that the Constitutional (SC) Order 1950 discriminates against members of a particular caste “ it must be shown that they suffer from a comparable depth of social and economic disabilities and cultural and educational backwardness and similar levels of degradation within the community necessitating intervention by the State under the provisions of the Constitution.”

Data compiled by the NSSO shows that educationally, Muslim Dalits are behind Dalits of all other communities with the largest percentage of illiterates at 48.08% in the rural areas and 31.7% in urban areas. The Buddhists have the lowest percentage of illiterates among the different Dalit communities. Similarly, Muslim Dalits constitute the highest percentage below the poverty line with 39.6% in rural areas and 46.8% in urban areas compared with 7.6% Dalit Sikhs in rural areas and 24.8% Sikhs in urban areas below the poverty line.

An in-depth study conducted by the National Commission for Minorities in 2008 concluded that SC Christians and SC Muslims “ were invariably regarded as i n f er i o r by t h ei r co religionists....discrimination includes social and cultural segregation expressed in various forms of refusal to have any social interaction; endogamy expressed through the universal prohibition on Dalit- non-Dalit

Continued from page 2 followers under leaders. The politics of division of leadership in the name of region, sects, caste and schools should be demolished and a united stand on any issue should be taken. The criteria of good leader should not be rumor of immorality but the works that he has done or doing. The personal vices should not be given advantage over community interest if he is serving the community well.

The democratization of riots is no doubt emerge a powerful tool to demoralize and limit the power of Indian Muslims to play an important role in the development of the nation .A thriving community always put herself on the scale of accountability and looks for new strategy to put on the path of development. Look i whether Indian Muslims come out from the democratization of riots or succumb to this? All depends upon their approach.

Mohammad Allam Minto circle A.M.U.Aligarh

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marriages and through severe social sanctions on both Dalits and non-Dalits who break this taboo...social segregation extends to the sphere of worship, with separate churches being almost the norm among Dalit Christians and not uncommon among Dalit Muslims.”

On the basis of cold facts, it would be impossible to deny SC status to SC Muslims and SC Christians on grounds of social, cultural, educational backwardness and social segregation. To set aside their petition on the argument that the caste system is not recognized in these religions is to blind oneself to the realities of this country. Moreover, it is then contradictory to justify granting SC status to SC followers of Sikhism and Buddhism which also doctrinally abjure caste.

In the ultimate analysis, this issue is the acid test of our nation’s commitment to a secular polity.

(The author, a former civil servant, is Secretary General of Lok Janshakti Party.The views are personal.akhaliq2007@gmail.com Source: http://beyondheadlines.in/?p=18787

Think before Talking (A small Story) Once upon a time an old man spread rumors that his neighbor was a thief. As a result, the young man was arrested.

Days later the young man was proven innocent. After been released he sued the old man for wrongly accusing him.

In court the old man told the Judge: 'They were just comments, didn't harm anyone.'

The judge, before passing sentence on the case, told the old man to 'Write all the things you said about him on a piece of paper. Cut them up and on the way home; throw the pieces of paper out and come tomorrow to hear the sentence.'

The next day, the judge told the old man: 'Before receiving the sentence, you will have to go out and gather all the pieces of paper that you threw out yesterday.' The old man said: 'I can't do that. The wind spread them and I won't know where to find them.'

The judge then replied: 'The same way, simple comments may destroy the honor of a man to such an extent that one is not able to fix it. If you can't speak well of someone, rather don't say anything wrong...

'Let's all be masters of our mouths, so that we won't be slaves of our words.' … Contributed by Syed Mohammad Bahauddin Gilani

Har

Mirch Seraj Akram

duniya me shrou se hi insano aur qaumo ke beech ekhtalafat aur larai rahi he, aur jo taqatwar hota he wah dusre par control karke hukumat karta he, apni manmani karta he aur dusre ko mahkum banakar rakhta he. aur wah silsila aaj tak jari he aur ta qayamat jari rahega, aur taqatwar kamzor par hukumat karta rahega, apni tahzeeb, soch aur tamaddun ko kamzor par thopta rahega. aaj ke daure me asal taqatwar wah qaum he jiske pas TAALEEM, T E C H N O LO G Y, D A U L AT, MAZBOOT TANZEEM, BEHTAR LEADER, ITTEHAD, KHUDDARI aur GHAIRAT he, lekin afsos he ke aaj muslim in sabi maidano me kahi bhi nahi he.

Leader aisa jo chand sikko ke badle qaum ko bech de, Technology se to koi wasta nahi, daulat he to ise istemal karne ka shaur nahi, Tanzeem to sirf nam aur numaish ke lie banti he, Ittehad to tab ho jab awam me kuch to sahaur ho, Khuddari ka to ahsas bhi jata raha, gairat ka yah aalam ke mulk ka mulk khatm ho raha he lekin qaum ko jagne ki taufiq nahi. phir kahte hain har jagah muslim hi pareshan kyon he? kya sawal yah nahi hona chahie ki ham islma ko sirf masjid tak hi mahdud kyon kar diya, hamare samaj me islam ka aks kyon nai dikhta, ham sirf nam ke hi muslim kyon, akhlaq, ilm, soch wa fikr, amal ke muslim kyon nahi. hame ane rawayye par pahle gaur karna chahie, warna jaisa rawayya hoga natija waise hi hone wali he. lekin afsos is halat me bhi hamay apne farayez aur zimmedari ka ahsas nahi hota lekin dusre ki kotahiyon par puri nazar rahti he.

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O b s e r v i n g t h e f i r s t T e n d a y s a n d n i g h t s o f D h u l H i j j a h ( H a j j S e a s o n ) Most Muslims very well know the blessings of the nights of Ramadan, especially the last ten nights. However, not everyone knows that the first ten days of the last month of the Islamic month, Dhul Hijjah, are equally packed with blessings.

Allah has provided Muslims numerous opportunities throughout the year to renew their faith and to encourage them towards acts of goodness by specifying such special days. So, we have another such opportunity that we shouldn’t let pass by just like any other period in time.

Allah says in the Quran in Surah Al-Fajr (interpretation of the meaning): “By the dawn; By the 10 nights” [al-Fajr 89:1-2].

Most scholars agree that these ten nights refer to the first ten nights of Dhul-Hijjah. Ibn Katheer also had validated that opinion by stating: “This is the correct opinion.” [Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 8/413] Ibn ‘Abbas reports that the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said, “No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these days [meaning the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah].”

Among the deeds recommended during those ten days are observingvoluntary fasting, offering animal sacrifices (lamb, goat, etc.), sincere repentance, recitation of the Quran, staying up the night and finally praying the Eid prayers on the tenth day of Dhul Hijjah.

Hafsah reported, “There are five things that the Messenger (saws) never abandoned: fasting the day of ‘Ashurah, fasting the [first] 10 [days of Dhul-Hijjah], fasting 3 days of every month and praying two rak’aah before the dawn prayer.” [Related by Ahmad and anNasa'i] Abu Hurairah relates that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said, “There are no days more loved to Allah for you to worship Him therein than the ten days of Dhul Hijja. Fasting any day during it is equivalent to fasting one year and to offer salatul tahajjud (late-night prayer) during one of its nights is like performing the late night prayer on the night of power. [i.e., Lailatul Qadr].” [Related by at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and al-Baihaqi] The Prophet (SAWS) commanded us to recite a lot of Tasbeeh (“Subhan-Allah”), Tahmeed (“Al-hamdu Lillaah”) and Takbeer (“Allaahu akbar”) during this time. ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (SAWS) said: “There are no days greater in the sight of Allah and in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Him than these ten days, so during this time recite a great deal of Tahleel (“La ilaaha ill-Allah”), Takbeer and Tahmeed.” (Reported by Ahmad, 7/224; Ahmad Shaakir stated that it is saheeh). (Islam-QA.com) For Muslims who do not attend Hajj, fasting on the day of Arafah is highly recommended.

Fasting on the day of ‘Arafah is a confirmed Sunnah for those who are not performing Hajj.

It was narrated from Abu Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked about fasting on the day of ‘Arafah and he said: “It expiates for the past and coming years.” Narrated by Muslim (1162).

According to another report: “I ask Allah that it may expiate for (the sins of) the year that comes before it and the year that comes after it.”

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (4/443), which is a Hanbali book: It is a great and noble day, and a blessed festival which is of great virtue. It is narrated in saheeh reports from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that fasting it is expiation for two years. End quote.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: What is the ruling on fasting the day of ‘Arafah for non-pilgrims and pilgrims?

He replied: Fasting on the day of ‘Arafah for non-pilgrims is a confirmed Sunnah. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked about fasting on the day of ‘Arafah and he said: “I ask Allah that it may expiate for (the sins of) the year that comes before it and the year that comes after it.” According to another report he said: “It expiates for the past and coming years.”

As for the pilgrim, it is not Sunnah for him to fast on the day of ‘Arafah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not fast on the day of ‘Arafah during the Farewell Pilgrimage. In Saheeh al-Bukhaari it is narrated from Maymoonah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the people were not sure whether the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was fasting on the day of ‘Arafah, so she sent him some milk when he was standing in ‘Arafah, and he drank it whilst the people were looking on. End quote.

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (part 20, question no. 404) [Source: islam-qa.com] So, as Muslims we should welcome the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah with the same fervor and enthusiasm as we welcome the last ten days of Ramadan or any other blessed days in Islam. Let’s make the most of it.

Source: http://www.iqrasense.com/hajj/celebrating-the-first-ten-days-and-nights-ofdhul-hijjah-hajj-season.html

P u r i f i c a t i o n o f t h e H e a r t a n d S o u l i n I s l a m … By Abu Amina Elias for FaithinAllah.org In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful The command to purify our hearts from sin was an essential Islamic teaching ever since the early stages of the revelation in Mecca.

This is known as “purification of the soul” (tazkiyyat an-nafs). Allah said: He has succeeded who purifies the soul, and he has failed who corrupts the soul. [Surah Ash-Shams 91:9-10] And Allah said: A day when there will be no benefit in wealth or children, but only in he who comes to Allah with a pure heart. [Surah Ash-Shu’ara 26:88-89] We learn from these verses that our success in the Hereafter depends upon the purification of our hearts in this life. We must purify our hearts from spiritual sins such as greed, malice, envy, arrogance, and worldliness. In their place, we must adorn the heart with spiritual virtues such as generosity, compassion, benevolence, humility, and asceticism.

Purification of the heart was one of the first commands with which Moses, upon him be peace, was sent to Pharaoh. Allah said: Go to Pharaoh, for verily, he is a transgressor. Say to him: Will you purify yourself? [Surah An-Naz’iat 79:17-18] Purity of heart is also one of the defining characteristics of Abraham, upon him be peace. Allah said: Verily, among his people was Abraham, when he came to his Lord with a pure heart.

[Surah As-Saffat 37:83-84] One of the primary methods we can use to purify our hearts is to perform sincere supplications and prayers according to the prophetic way (sunnah). Allah said: He has succeeded who purifies himself, who remembers the name of his Lord and prays.

[Surah Al-A’la 87:14-15] When we exalt Allah and ask for our sins to be forgiven, this removes arrogance from our hearts and makes us humble. When we pray for Allah to guide others, this removes malice and hatred from our hearts and makes us love others for the sake of Allah.

When we remember the Hereafter and the Day of Resurrection, this makes us less attached to the world and more inclined to help others.

In this way, the Messenger of Allah would purify his heart every morning and evening by performing supplications and prayers.

Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said

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to me: O boy, if you are able every morning and evening to remove any rancor from your heart towards anyone, then do so.

Then the Prophet said to me: O boy, that is my tradition and whoever revives my tradition has loved me, and whoever loves me will be with me in Paradise. [Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2678, Grade: Hasan] The ritual prayer is meant to prevent us from committing sins and immoral deeds. Allah said: Verily, the prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. [Surah Al-Ankabut 29:45] Abu Huraira reported: A man came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and he said, “Indeed, so-and-so prays in the night but he steals in the morning.” The Prophet said: Verily, it should prevent him from doing that. [Source: Musnad Ahmad 9486, Grade: Sahih] The next method we can use to purify our hearts is to give in charity and perform good deeds for others. Allah said: But the righteous one will avoid Hellfire, who gives from his wealth to purify himself.

[Surah Al-Layl 92:17-18] And Allah said: Take from their wealth a charity by which you cleanse them and purify them, and invoke blessings upon them. [Surah AtTawbah 92:103] When we give away our wealth in charity, this removes worldliness from our hearts and envy of what others have and it makes us hope for our good deeds stored in the Hereafter. Charity means not only giving wealth, but also giving people your time, your effort, your work, and even a smile or a kind word. Jabir ibn Abdullah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Every good deed is charity. Verily, it is a good deed to meet your brother with a smiling face, and to pour what is left from your bucket into the vessel of your brother.

[Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 1970, Grade: Sahih] Charity is a duty upon every Muslim, for every person can give something from his wealth, time, and energy. At the very least, Muslims can refrain from harming others and that is also charity.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Charity is due upon every joint of the people for every day upon which the sun rises. Being just between two people is charity, and helping a man with his animal and lifting his luggage upon it is charity, and a kind word is charity, and every step that you take towards the mosque is charity, and removing harmful things from the road is charity. [Source: Sahih Muslim 1009, Grade: Sahih] When a Muslim commits a sin, his or her heart is covered by a stain, but it is removed by repentance and good deeds. Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Verily, when the believer commits a sin, a black spot appears upon his heart. If he repents and abandons the sin and seeks forgiveness, his heart will be polished, but if he increases in sin, the blackness increases.

That is the covering which Allah has mentioned in his Book: Nay, but on their hearts is a covering because of what they have earned. (83:14) [Source: Sunan ibn Majah 4244, Grade: Sahih] Therefore, a Muslim must continue to perform supplications, prayers, charity, and good deeds until the heart is purified from sin.

In conclusion, the salvation of a Muslim depends upon purification of the heart soul from vices and adorning the heart with virtues. Purification is achieved through performing sincere supplications, prayers, and acts of charity toward others. We must remember that we will be judged on the Day of Resurrection according to the purity of our hearts and the righteousness of our deeds.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Verily, Allah does not look at your appearance or wealth, but rather He looks at your hearts and actions. [Source: Sahih Muslim 2564, Grade: Sahih] Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best.

S o u r c e : http://www.faithinallah.org/purification-ofthe-heart-and-soul-in-islam/

A R e m i n d e r M.A. Haque When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in an Australian country town, it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.

Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.

One nurse took her copy to Melbourne. The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas editions of magazines around the country and appearing in magazines for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.

And this old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across many nations.

Cranky Old Man What do you see nurses? . . .. . .What do you see?

What are you thinking .. . when you're looking at me?

A cranky old man, . . . . . .not very wise, Uncertain of habit .. . . . . . . .. with faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food .. . ... . . and makes no reply.

When you say in a loud voice . .'I do wish you'd try!'

Who seems not to notice . . .the things that you do.

And forever is losing . . . . . .. . . A sock or shoe?

Who, resisting or not . . . ... lets you do as you will, With bathing and feeding . . . .The long day to fill?

Is that what you're thinking?. .Is that what you see?

Then open your eyes, nurse .you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am . . . . .. As I sit here so still, As I do at your bidding, .. . . . as I eat at your will.

I'm a small child of Ten . .with a father and mother, Brothers and sisters .. . . .. . who love one another A young boy of Sixteen . . . .. with wings on his feet Dreaming that soon now . . .. . . a lover he'll meet.

A groom soon at Twenty . . . .. my heart gives a leap.

Remembering, the vows .. .. .that I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now . . . . . I have young of my own.

Who need me to guide . . . And a secure happy home.

A man of Thirty . .. . . . . My young now grown fast,

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Bound to each other . . .. With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons .. .have grown and are gone, But my woman is beside me . . to see I don't mourn.

At Fifty, once more, .. ...Babies play 'round my knee, Again, we know children . . . . My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me . . . . My wife is now dead.

I look at the future ... . . . . I shudder with dread.

For my young are all rearing .. . . young of their own.

And I think of the years . . . And the love that I've known.

I'm now an old man . . . . . . .. and nature is cruel.

It's jest to make old age . . . . . . . look like a fool.

The body, it crumbles .. .. . grace and vigour, depart.

There is now a stone . . . where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass . A young man still dwells, And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells I remember the joys . . . . .. . I remember the pain.

And I'm loving and living . . . . . . . life over again.

I think of the years, all too few . . .. gone too fast.

And accept the stark fact . . . that nothing can last.

So open your eyes, people .. . . . .. . . open and see.

Not a cranky old man .

Look closer . . . . see .. .. . .. .... . ME!!

I was reminded of this poem while reading the Surah “Al-Hajj” (Ayat5) in Qur’an.

In the following verse Allah explained the mental status of people of old age. ‫ﻋَﻠ َﻘ ٍﺔ ُﺛ ﱠﻢ‬ َ ‫ﻦ‬ ْ ‫ﻄ َﻔ ٍﺔ ُﺛ ﱠﻢ ِﻣ‬ ْ ‫ب ُﺛ ﱠﻢ ﻣِﻦ ﱡﻧ‬ ٍ ‫ﺧَﻠﻘْﻨَﺎﻛُﻢ ﻣِّﻦ ُﺗﺮَا‬ َ ‫ﺚ َﻓﺈِﻧﱠﺎ‬ ِ ْ‫ﻦ اﻟْﺒَﻌ‬ َ ِ‫ﺐ ّﻣ‬ ٍ ْ‫س إِن ﻛُﻨ ُﺘ ْﻢ ﻓِﻲ ﺭَﻳ‬ ُ ‫ﻳَﺎ ﺃَ ﱡﻳﻬَﺎ اﻟﻨﱠﺎ‬ ‫ﻰ ُﺛ ﱠﻢ‬‫ﺴﻤ‬ َ ‫ﻞ ﱡﻣ‬ ٍ َ‫ﻦ ﻟَ ُﻜ ْﻢ ۚ ﻭَ ُﻧ ِﻘ ﱡﺮ ﻓِﻲ ا ْﻟَﺄ ْﺭﺣَﺎ ِم ﻣَﺎ َﻧﺸَﺎ ُء ِإﻟَﻰٰ َﺃﺟ‬ َ ِ‫ﺨﱠﻠ َﻘ ٍﺔ ﻟِّﻨُﺒَ ّﻴ‬ َ ‫ﺨﱠﻠ َﻘ ٍﺔ َﻭﻏَ ْﻴ ِﺮ ُﻣ‬ َ ‫ﻀ َﻐ ٍﺔ ﱡﻣ‬ ْ ‫ﻣِﻦ ﻣﱡ‬ ‫ﻝ ا ْﻟﻌُ ُﻤ ِﺮ ِﻟﻜَ ْﻴﻠَﺎ ﻳَ ْﻌَﻠ َﻢ‬ ِ َ‫ﻃ ْﻔﻠًﺎ ُﺛ ﱠﻢ ﻟِﺘَ ْﺒُﻠﻐُﻮا َﺃﺷُﺪﱠ ُﻛ ْﻢ ۖ ﻭَﻣِﻨﻜُﻢ ﻣﱠﻦ ﻳُﺘَ َﻮﻓﱠﻰٰ ﻭَﻣِﻨﻜُﻢ ﻣﱠﻦ ُﻳﺮَ ﱡد ِإﻟَﻰٰ َﺃﺭْﺫ‬ ِ ‫ﺟ ُﻜ ْﻢ‬ ُ ‫ﺨ ِﺮ‬ ْ ‫ُﻧ‬ ‫ﺖ ﻣِﻦ‬ ْ َ‫ﺖ َﻭﺃَﻧﺒَﺘ‬ ْ َ‫ﺕ َﻭﺭَﺑ‬ ْ ‫ﻋﻠَ ْﻴﻬَﺎ اﻟْﻤَﺎ َء اﻫْ َﺘﺰﱠ‬ َ ‫ﻋ ْﻠ ٍﻢ ﺷَﻴْﺌًﺎ ۚ ﻭَ َﺗﺮَﻯ ا ْﻟَﺄﺭْﺽَ ﻫَﺎﻣِﺪَ ًﺓ َﻓﺈِﺫَا ﺃَﻧ َﺰﻟْﻨَﺎ‬ ِ ‫ﻣِﻦ َﺑﻌْ ِﺪ‬ ٍ‫ﺝ َﺑﻬِﻴﺞ‬ ٍ ‫ﻞِ زَ ْﻭ‬ ّ ُ‫ﻛ‬ O mankind if ye have a doubt about the Resurrection……. And some are sent back to the feeblest old age, so that they know nothing after having known much. ………….. And it puts forth every kind of beautiful growth in (pairs).

Please remember this poem and the above Ayat of Qur’an when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the soul within. We may all, one day, be there, too!

U n d e r T h e S h a d o w o f S w o r d s

By Arbaz Fahad <arbazfahad@rediffmail.com>

One year is too small a period to judge the leadership of a nation that had suffered almost six decades of dictatorship. By this yardstick, ouster of the Mohammad Mursi’s government cannot be justified, given the fact that he could not have succeeded in stemming, let alone reversing, the rot. Yet Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood are not free from the blame of squandering the opportunity to restore the people’s faith in democracy.

The Opposition—divided as it is in disparate groups ranging from worst kind of salafis to liberal democrats—too cannot be spared of the charge of being impatient with the pace of things. Between themselves, the Brotherhood and the Opposition have provided the Army and perhaps the old Mubarak loyalists the ideal opportunity to sneak back into the power.

Mursi should have been aware that the mandate they had won was not decisive enough to ride roughshod in matters of decision making in a nation emerging from three decades of puppet regime of Hosni Mubarak. They should have avoided ‘Ikhwanizing’ the administration as was evident from appointing 12 city mayors, assigning five major ministries, deputing seven provincial Governors and 13 counselors to Governors, from among their cadres. Media too suffered at the hands of Brotherhood with nearly 200 scribes being interrogated during the oneyear reign. Several editors were removed at the Government’s behest. There appeared little scope for cheer on economic front from the beginning itself.

The national wealth had already concentrated in the hands of extremely small coterie of military-backed tycoons and industrialists. Much of the tax reforms introduced during the year only annoyed the ones who began to feel the heat of the new powers-that-be. The nation witnessed over 500 public demonstrations and a similar number of strikes. The IMF refused to loosen its purse strings while highly influential petrol lobby kept defying the Government fiats and there was no letup in energy crisis. The Opposition, weak and heterogeneous as it was, should have cooperated with Mursi in steering the nation out of the political mess and precarious economic crisis during the year.

It didn’t. Perceiving the restiveness in the ranks of the Army and expecting its support in removing Mursi and the Brotherhood, it has only helped the former

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by default, thereby proving its immaturity.

Overall, Mursi’s ouster is a great setback in restoring the popular rule in Egypt, the largest and the most enlightened Arab nation. Army’s itch for power and its incapacity to fulfill the popular aspirations are too well known to predict the future.

The crisis currently hitting Egypt is an open wound evident even to those who do not follow the political fight between an interim government struggling for control and the supporters of a deposed president refusing to admit defeat. It’s seen in the regular violent episodes that leave scores dead, usually on the side of those supporting the reinstatement of President Mohamed Morsi. It’s visible in the burnt and gutted buildings in Giza, Nasr Square and Rabaa. It takes form in regular, random clashes between people on the street, paranoid, shouting, arming themselves with clubs and forming civilian roadblocks all over the city.

It’s no wonder then the possibility of Egypt falling into failed state status - a government failing in legitimacy and providing basic services and functions - or spiralling into a civil war - has dominated much of the international discourse on the country’s future. International analysts, pundits and diplomats warn that if left unchecked, the violence in Egypt could escalate into civil war. However, Egyptian commentators disagree. They say that the Muslim Brotherhood, the main opponent to the military-backed government, could never become an effective armed group, and is losing support. Besides, the Brotherhood has never threatened war to achieve its aim of the return of its president. However, the country faces the very real danger of becoming a failed state, according to political analyst Amr Adly, if the political crisis continues to drag on. The country was teetering on the brink of failure even before the latest bout of violence. The 2013 Fund for Peace Failed State Index ranked Egypt’s status as critical, naming it the 34th least-stable country out of 178. Given the political instability, a month-long declared state of emergency called by the interim regime (extended for two more months), and the disruption of banking and financial markets, the situation does not look set to improve for some time to come.

Economically, the country has been struggling for some time, and the recent political upheavals have not helped the

recovery if any attempts were made towards that.

“We will have a long transitional period, and with that comes all the instability and violence that will continue to endanger state institutions,” said Adly. Government bonds and the EGX30, Egypt’s security stock index, have slumped. Shops and restaurants in most quarters of the capital remained closed for a third day as cash machines ran dry in downtown Cairo. Even the $12 billion or so in aid from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait is unlikely to get Egypt through the current turmoil.

“This can’t support Egypt’s transitional period for more than five or six months – maybe a year. It can’t be counted on as the Brotherhood counted on money from Qatar during Morsi’s time,” said Adly. He added that the current interim government “does not have a political mandate to tackle the economic issues – this isn’t a caretaker government that can cut expenses, cut subsidies and raise taxes.

And what’s really needed for economic stability – political stability – is nowhere in sight. Still, Adly noted that the Brotherhood was a non-ruling minority and had no chance of getting the sort of support needed to be a real threat to the state.

For Egypt to find stability, what is needed is a "process of national reconciliation".

The need of the hour is that some interlocutor who is trusted by all sides who can sit the parties down and get them to come to terms with one another rather than this zero-sum 'it's us or you' mentality that is being adopted right now". Given the recent misgivings in Syria, we don’t expect foreign intervention in Egyptian affairs any sooner. It is imperative for the Brotherhood to regain the popular support and adulation that escalated them into power following the abdication of Hosni Mubarak. Simultaneously, the tide of time demands that the brotherhood makes common cause with the army- until the deluge of time does not turn in their favour.

A c o m p l i m e n t a r y n o t e o n D r .

A s r a r u l H a q u e S b ’ s a r t i c l e i n B a k h a b a r ’ s A u g u s t 2 0 1 3 i s s u e : E x t r e m i s m h a s t w o e n d s Mohtaram Asrarul Haque Saheb Assalamoalaikum Wa Rahmatullahe Wa Barkatahu I hope and pray that things are going well with you by grace of Allah. It was beginning of this month when I got the opportunity to read “conversation by mail on important issue” in BAKHABAR. Since then I have been thinking to write a complementary note to you. Now the month is going to end but I could not find strength in me to do so.

Fearing that the urge would get buried under new readings in next issue of BAKHABAR, I have gathered a little bit of courage to present my scattered thought. And the source of my courage lies in one of your emails to me with a wonderful disclosure – “I never take anything in negative way”.

MashaAllah you have served appropriate answers to undue questions which were answered unwisely rather wrongly by someone else or falsely attributed to him.

The question and its alleged answer, probably, reflects the psychosis of a resentful and deprived community of ours.

Your response supported by Quranic verses and prophetic sayings is a laudable work on one facet of multifaceted model of Islam.

This work deserves its due place with regard to the original audience. However its value diminishes when presented to a different set of audience. Here I am not referring to the shameful view of ‘killing infidels’, I am talking about ‘the love for peace’. As a general principle excessive focus on any one feature may cause ignorance on other aspects.

Sometime the ignored aspects may be so vital that the real comprehensive approach would miss.

For basic qualities of mankind such as truthfulness, honesty, respect of human life etc, Allah has kept a sense in every individual irrespective of his religious belief. “….. and by the human self and Him Who balanced it, then inspired it with its wickedness and its piety….. Quran 91:7-8”. One need not to study a religious scripture to identify these qualities. Even an atheist is aware of them.

Lack of such awareness is nothing but a shameful perversion of humanity. Islam doesn’t deserve to be put on sale with a tag of peace. Islam is cognition and recognition of the sovereignty of Allah in human life. “I have not created the jinn and the men except for this that they should worship Me. [Quran 51:56]

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Relationship of Muslims with others in the society is an important subject and like many other issues this too is victim of adverse conditions. The adverse condition is the product of insincerity of Muslims towards core values of Islam and the major share of insincerity must go to ‘ululalbab’, the so called intellectual class.

When someone answers a question on any social issue the response depends not only on the question but on the situation of the responder – whether he enjoys the freedom to speak his true conscience or not. And for a believer the freedom is acquired by true faith in Allah the almighty who is the source of all power. A true believer feels free even when he is alone in the sea of hostility. Serving the quotations from Divine scripture to support one’s opinion is different from studying the scripture for guidance and adopting it in practice for the ultimate success.

The ideology of peaceful coexistence is liked and promoted by a vast number of people from all communities including ours. “Man is either your brother in religion or your brother in humanity” is quoted by many as saying of Ali RaziAllaho Anho. Citing false interpretation of “for you is your religion and for me is mine” is quite common.

Extremism has two ends whereas moderation is endless. I don’t know why our intellectual brethren are unable to realize the other end of extremism - unconditional peace. This is so because we don’t want to sacrifice our beloved peace for an unseen eternal peace waiting ahead.

“A friend in need is a friend indeed” fits well when I think of Rajesh who always stands by me for all kind of help I need. But I am aware that the friendship rests on the silent misuse of the Quranic verse “for you is your religion and for me is mine”. I don’t dare to convey his CREATOR’S message, “you will burn in hellfire if you don’t embrace Islam” to him. I had introduced Rajesh to you when I visited you in Gurgaon last time.

Let us recall, when prophet (SAW) climbed on Safa Mountain speaking out “ya sabaha” calling people of Mekka, first he (SAW) asked, “do you believe in my truthfulness”, they unanimously said, yes, you are ‘alsadiq, alameen’. When he (SAW) called on them to Allah, they cursed him (SAW) and turned away. Calling to Allah was the only reason which destroyed the peace between

messenger of Allah and the audience. Prior to the assignment of prophet-hood he (SAW) had a very peaceful life with the people in his (SAW) society.

Before proceeding further I would disclose my confession that I am not the right soul to state all this which is nothing more than a lip service from me. Having said that here is summary of my understanding on desired relationship of Muslims with others in the society.

1.

Duty of a Muslim as an individual towards a non-Muslim is to invite him to Islam. Before speaking anything his (Muslim’s) clean and clear character should make him a real model of silent preacher.

2.

A Muslim society should be under a most deserving (in righteousness and wisdom) leadership.

3.

A society where Muslims are in good number and strength should be governed by Islam. In principle, believers are right and disbelievers are wrong. It is duty of Muslims to strive so that right prevails over wrong. Right and wrong shall always coexist but if the coexistence is peaceful which is desired by peace loving majority today then there is something wrong from a true Islamic perspective. There has to be a perpetual struggle between right and wrong. There can’t be peaceful coexistence. Loss of peace is rewardable if it is for the cause of Allah. "…It may happen that you dislike a thing which is good for you, and it may be that you love a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows, while you know not." Qur'an [Surah Baqara 2:216]. There is no compulsion on any individual to adopt Islam as his religion but un-Islamic system can’t be allowed to grow in society governed by Islam.

4.

The desired Islamic system of governance is through khilafat. Muslims of the entire world are one nation and should be under one leadership.

5.

Quran says, “O ye who believe!

Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you”.

According to this verse59 of surah Nisa, a Muslim’s unconditional allegiance is to Allah and His messenger. In addition to that he has to obey the rightful instructions of his ‘ululamr’ from among his community of Islam.

To d a y M u s l i m w o r l d i s d i v i d e d i n nationalities be they in majority or minority.

Indeed, Muslims who live as a minority constitute about a quarter of the total number of Muslims. And there is no DarulIslam on the earth today where Muslims can lead a peaceful life. During my

Continue on page 11

M e , M y s e l f , M y P h o n e , a n d t o h e l l w i t h y o u !

There was a time when we used to call those who talk while being all alone as ‘mad’ or ‘insane’.

Thanks to the advancement in mobile gadgets and technology, we now witness a phenomenal progress in this ‘madness’. Two people sitting at the same table and yet not talking to each other but each busy with his own handset!

I witnessed a family of four in a restaurant. Poor guys might have come out to dine ‘thinking to spend time together’ but the worst thing happened to them was ‘each one was spending time with their respective mobile phones, ultimately none speaking to each other!

Sometimes it is so irritating that you go to meet someone in person, and while you are with him he says ‘excuse me’ and starts talking to someone else over his ‘smartphone’!

Now a days, the invisible person is given importance rather than the person who comes all along to meet you and is sitting in front of you!

I had bitter experience once when lodging a complaint at a corporate office, the counter person picked the phone, preferred him and took his complaint first. Those standing in queue were ignored by paying attention to the person over phone!

Also, it has become a fashion now a days to ignore a person by pretending to be busy over phone!

The question is who is in control? You or your gadget?

Who is important? What is ethics?

Where is your value system?

In the Qur’an, Allah subhanahu wa Ta’aala, says about private conversations: “O you who have believed, when you converse privately, do not converse about sin and aggression and disobedience to the Messenger but converse about righteousness and piety. And fear Allah, to whom you will be gathered.” (58: 9) “Private conversation is only from Satan that he may grieve those who have believed, but he will not harm them at all except by permission of Allah. And upon Allah let the believers rely.” (Surah al Mujaadilah 58: 10) Satan has devised many devices in present times to keep people aggrieved!

Prophet Muhammad (sal-lal-laahualaihi-wa-sallam) was the one who used to care about people’s feelings.

No one should be hurt due to your private conversation. * Ibn ‘Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (sal-lal-laahu-alaihi-wa-sallam) said: “In the presence of three people, two should not hold secret counsel, to the exclusion of the third.”

Continued from page10 study I remember once I read the juristic view that Muslims are not supposed to have permanent settlement in Darulkufr. They can visit there on rightful mission like dawah, diplomacy, trade etc.

The situation is so complex that to a common man, there appears to be no feasible way to comply with Islam in totality except that he can limit himself to namaz, roza, haj, zakat, sadqat etc. I do possess urge to elaborate more here but at the moment I would defer the rest till next.

I am well aware that all what I have written above is nothing but a perfect example of the proverb, “Chhota Munh Badi Baat”. That’s the reason that I can’t dare to circulate this message in a group.

With profound regards Shakeel Ashraf

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* Ibn Mas’ud (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (sal-lal-laahu-alaihi-wa-sallam) said: “When three of you are together, two of you must not converse privately ignoring the third till the number increases, lest the third should be grieved.”

In today’s technologically mad world, do we not witness two people being together and suddenly one of them takes out his mobile, and starts talking to the third ignoring and ultimately hurting the person present?

The challenge of the modern world is to build better social relationships.

May Allah give us the Tawfeeq to develop and maintain good manners in our life.

May Peace, Mercy and Blessings of Allah be upon Prophet Muhammad sallal-laahu-alaihi-wa-sallam, his family and companions.

Jazakallaahu Khayra for reading this post.

Find hadeeths references here and Riyadhus Saliheen http://yassarnalquran.wordpress.com/ 2013/09/09/me-myself-my-phone-andto-hell-with-you/ Vassalam.

MuQeet | Sharjah | www.yassarnalquran.wordpress.com

F e s t i v a l o f S a c r i f i c e Azra Awan Muslims from all over the world anticipate the annual three-day celebration of a historical event that took place thousands of years ago during the time of Prophet Abraham [pbuh]1. This occasion, known as Eid-ulAdha or the Festival of Sacrifice, is a representation of two significant Islamic events: the culmination of the Hajj (or pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia), and the sacrifice that God (Allah) commanded to Prophet Abraham of his beloved son, Ismail.

Eid-ul-Adha is observed on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic lunar calendar. While Muslims all around the world celebrate this day, it has particular significance for the pilgrims performing the hajj.

In order to understand the context of Eid-ul-Adha, one must describe the Hajj with which it is associated. Allah had made the Hajj mandatory upon mankind initially during the time of Prophet Abraham: “And make a proclamation of Hajj to mankind; they will come to you on foot and on lean camels from every distant quarter.”

(Quran: Ch 22, v27). Over time, however, the spread of idolatry across Arabia caused the rituals of hajj to become extremely distorted. With the advent of Islam and Prophet Muhammad [pbuh], Allah had reinstated Hajj as the fifth pillar of Islam, and described the correct manner in which it was to be performed.

Allah has ordained that every ablebodied Muslim who can afford it must perform the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime. Several main rituals constitute the framework of this experience: 1. Tawaf (circumambulating the Kabah2 seven times); 2. Sa’i (walking between the mounds of Safa and Marwah seven times); 3. supplicating to Allah at Arafat (the place where Prophet Muhammad [pbuh] gave his farewell speech, proclaiming the final seal of Islam, and where Muslims believe they will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment); and 4. stoning the pillars that symbolize Satan at Mina (the place where Satan repeatedly challenged Abraham to disobey Allah’s command to sacrifice his son).

Each of these prescribed acts is a step in the pilgrim’s arduous journey towards Bakhabar

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spiritual cleansing. When the pilgrim successfully executes these acts in the prescribed manner with the utmost sincerity and humility, all his/her prior sins are forgiven. The final ritual that pilgrims must perform, signifying the completion of these acts, is the sacrifice of a domestic animal.

In addition to denoting the completion of the hajj, Eid-ul-Adha honors the monumental sacrifice that was to be made by Prophet Abraham. Abraham was ordered by Allah to sacrifice his dearly-beloved son, Ismail, as a test of obedience. Abraham willingly submitted to Allah’s command, wherein Allah, by His Mercy, replaced Ismail at the moment of sacrifice with a lamb.

Abraham’s selfless act of obedience is commemorated by the sacrifice of a domestic animal such as a lamb, sheep, cow, or goat, the meat of which is then distributed to relatives, neighbors, and the poor. In parts of the world that preclude Muslims from personally sacrificing an animal, Muslims donate money to charitable organizations, which then sacrifice the animal on their behalf and distribute the meat to the poor. In keeping with the following injunction of the Quran (22:27), “…and pronounce the name of Allah over the cattle which We have provided for them on the appointed days, then eat the meat themselves and feed the indigent and needy,” Eid-ul-Adha exemplifies the charitable instincts of Muslims in their communal effort to see that no one is left deprived of the sacrificial meat. It further embodies the values of discipline and self-denial, and submitting to the will of Allah.

Eid-ul-Adha is a joyous occasion marked with family traditions and celebrations.

The festivities begin in the morning after Fajr prayer, where Muslims, dressed in their finest clothes, attend the congregational prayer followed by a sermon. Upon completion of the services, people greet each other with the blessings of Eid: “Eid Mubarak.”

Afterwards, Muslims often visit the homes of relatives and friends, partaking in delicious feasts customary to their native cultures and often exchanging gifts, and many eagerly anticipate the return of those friends

and relatives who have made the journey for hajj.

Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all trace their roots back to Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim in Arabic), who is thus known as the father of the three monotheistic religions. Islam relates that Abraham had two wives, Sarah and Hajar, each of whom bore a son, Isaac and Ismail, respectively. Although Hajar was initially Sarah’s maid, according to Islam, Hajar later married Prophet Abraham and bore him a son, Ismail. The lineage of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is traced to Ismail, whereas Christianity and Judaism trace their roots back to prophet Isaac, the son of Sarah. The sacrifice made by Abraham is of importance in all three monotheistic religions, although it is not commemorated by Jews and Christians in the same manner as in Islam.

Christianity and Judaism, however, maintain that Isaac, rather than Ismail, was the promised son whom Allah had ordered to be sacrificed.

Whether it is Islam, Christianity, or Judaism, the sacrifice of the son of Prophet Abraham has historical significance. Muslims celebrate the event through the festivities of Eid-ulAdha as customary to their native cultures. Eid-ul-Adha is a time of remembrance of the trials of Prophet Abraham, a time to celebrate the end of the hajj, and a time that men, women, and children of all ages greatly anticipate. Eid Mubarak!

1 pbuh stands for peace be upon him, an invocation of respect.

2 Kabah – Muslims believe that this is the first house built for the worship of God. It is in Mecca, Saudi Arabia and is the direction in which Muslims face to pray five times a day.

S o u r c e : http://www.whyislam.org/submission/fi v e - p i l l a r s - o f - i s l a m 2/pilgrimage/festival-of-the-sacrifice/

D o n ’ t b e s o q u i c k t o b l a m e o t h e r s p e r h a p s t h e f a u l t l i e s w i t h y o u ….

I remember the first time I went for Umrah was when I was about 16 or 17 years old.

That was the time when my family was not really a ‘practicing’ Muslim family. Yeah sure, we prayed and fasted, but that was about the only thing I knew about Islaam…nothing much more than that.

Included in that was my ignorance of the rules of Hijaab. I didn’t cover myself except when I prayed and that also, not too well.

I didn’t know that Allaah required of me to cover myself, not just when I prayed; rather, all the time, in front of all nonmahram men, and I didn’t know exactly how I should cover myself, either.

You see, I had grown up with the erroneous understanding that it is ‘backward’ and ‘uneducated’ to cover yourself, and indeed, those who observed hijaab were looked down upon.

So there I was, in front of the Haram, the House of my Lord, with my tight shalwar kameez and a small scarf (or dupatta, as you call it in Urdu) just barely covering my head and shoulders, the rest of me exposed.

As I stood by the main entrance of the Masjid, I looked at the throngs of Saudi women who passed by me, fully covered from top to toe, in their ‘abaayas and niqaabs with nothing but their eyes showing. And as I looked at them, several emotions were going through my young and ignorant mind……emotions of amazement, pity and scorn, all mixed together.

These poor Saudi women…I thought to myself. Aren’t they hot? Poor things, they are so illiterate and suppressed. They are living in a world of their own. They have no idea where the rest of us are going.

But as I took pity on them and shook my head with hopelessness and disdain, I also noticed something else.

I noticed that they were glaring at me as they passed me by….each and every one of them!

Wow! I thought to myself. What’s the matter with them?!!

And just when I thought I had had enough of their awful looks and glares, one of them stopped abruptly and sharply tugged at my hair that was showing from underneath my short scarf.

“OUCH! Stop that!” I snapped at her. “Why in the world did you do that to me?!!”

The lady angrily muttered something to me in Arabic and left and I just stood there, hurt, angry, bewildered and disgusted.

These Arabs are SO RUDE!! I hatefully and bitterly thought to myself. I didn’t

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understand the hostility, the angry looks, the resentment.

When I told someone about what happened, they said, “Oh, you don’t know.

These Arabs are so racists! They don’t like Pakistanis!”

And that’s what I believed. That these Arabs are not only illiterate, suppressed, and uncivilized, but they are also racist, rude and mean….

And then, after some years, Allaah gave me another chance to go for Umrah. Only this time, it was different.

To my amazement, everyone was so kind to me!

The sisters smiled at me and treated me with respect. When they spoke to me, their voice was soft and their manners were the best. They said salaam to me, and hugged me and kissed me. They shared their food with me. They made space for me in the saff for prayer, when there was no space to be seen. In other words, they treated me like their sister.

Wow! Amazing!

“Surely, these Arabs have changed!” I thought, so pleasantly surprized and thankful. “They are no longer rude and mean. They have actually become civilized, polite and courteous!”

“What made them change….??” I wondered. “Why was it so different last time?”

And then, an awful and bitter reality dawned upon me. The painful and distressing realization crept upon me and made me shudder. The disturbing awareness that it was not them who had changed. Rather, it was me.

It was not they who were different after all these years. I was different.

Alhamdulillaah, Allaah had guided me.

Now, I was now covered, from head to toe…..just like these Arab women, just like the way Allaah has told us Muslim women to cover.

And that was the difference.

It became clear to me, as bright as day, that, it was never me that these Arab sisters were angry at, when I had first come for Umrah many years ago. It was the laws of Allaah that I was defying that they were upset about.

All those years back, the fault was with me, not them.

When Allaah made me realize that it is an order from Him to cover myself and wear proper hijaab….. that was the difference.

I had realized that it is NOT backward or uncivilized to dress modestly and it is NOT a sign that I am oppressed. I recognized the

fact that it was not them who were suppressed or illiterate. Rather, it was me that was so, when I disobeyed Allaah and didn’t do what I was supposed to do. They didn’t need to be pitied. I did.

When I believed that it is a sign of me obeying my Lord and an honor and a dignity that He bestows on whomever He wishes, that was the difference.

I also realized that these Arabs are NOT racist and it is not about us being ‘Pakistani’ or non-Arab.

Rather, it is our own actions that make people like us or honor us…or dislike us.

It also made me aware of the fact that so many times, we are so quick to blame others. We rush to see the faults that lie with others that we forget, that perhaps the fault, in fact, lies with us and not with them.

Just like I was so quick in condemning and blaming my Arab brothers and sisters for being mean and rude and racist. And I didn’t realize that it was my actions, my deeds, my way of dressing, that was the reason for their dislike and nothing more.

Remember, when you pick up your hand to point a finger at somebody, do realize that there are four (fingers of your own hand) pointing at you too.

May Allaah forgive our previous mistakes and guide us always to the straight path and enable us to see the Truth as the Truth and falsehood as falsehood. May He allow us to see our own mistakes and enable us to make taubah and rectify our shortcomings. Ameen.

Source http://www.farhathashmi.com/articlessection/belief-and-introspection/dont-beso-quick/

T h e b i g g e s t e n e m y o f f u t u r e s u c c e s s i s p a s t s u c c e s s â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Azim Premji First, be alert for the first signs of change. Change descends on everyone equally; it is just that some realize it faster. Some changes are sudden but many others are gradual. While sudden changes get attention because they are dramatic, it is the gradual changes that are ignored till it is too late.

You must have all heard of story of the frog in boiling water. If the temperature of the water is suddenly increased, the frog realises it and jumps out of the water.

But if the temperature is very slowly increased, one degree at a time, the frog does not realise it till it boils to death.

You must develop your own early warning system, which warns you of changes and calls your attention to it. In the case of change, being forewarned is being forearmed.

Second, anticipate change even when things are going right. Most people wait for something to go wrong before they think of change.

It is like going to the doctor for a check up only when you are seriously sick or thinking of maintaining your vehicle only when it breaks down.

The biggest enemy of future success is past success. When you succeed, you feel that you must be doing something right for it to happen!

But when the parameters for success change, doing the same things may or may not continue to lead to success.Guard against complacency all the time. Complacency makes you blind to the early signals from the environment that something is going wrong.

'Fear of the unknown is natural' Third, always look at the opportunities that change represents. Managing change has a lot to go with our own attitude towards it. It is proverbial halffull or half empty glass approach.

For every problem that change represents, there is an opportunity lurking in disguise somewhere. It is up to you to spot it before someone else does.

Fourth, do no allow routines to become chains. For many of us the routine we Bakhabar

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them.

In the world of tomorrow, only those individuals and organisations will succeed who have mastered the art of rapid and on-going learning.

Playing to win is not the same as cutting corners' Last updated on: May 25, 2010 14:17 IST

have got accustomed to obstructs change.

Routines represent our own zones of comfort. There is a sense of predictability about them. They have structured our time and even our thought in a certain way. While routines are useful, do not let them enslave you.

Deliberately break out of them from time to time.

Fifth, realise that fear of the unknown is natural. With change comes a feeling of insecurity. Many people believe that brave people are not afflicted by this malady. The truth is different.

Everyone feels the fear of unknown.

Courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to manage fear without getting paralysed. Feel the fear, but move on regardless.

'Formal education is the beginning of the journey' Sixth, keep renewing yourself. This prepares you to anticipate change and be ready for it when it comes.

Constantly ask yourself what new skills and competencies will be needed.

Begin working on them before it becomes necessary and you will have a natural advantage.

The greatest benefit of your education lies not only in what you have learnt, but in working how to learn.

Formal education is the beginning of the journey of learning. Yet I do meet youngsters who feel that they have already learnt all there is to learn. You have to constantly learn about people and how to interact effectively with

Seventh, surround yourself with people who are open to change. If you are always in the company of cynics, you will soon find our self becoming like them.

A cynic knows all the reasons why something cannot be done. Instead, spend time with people who have a "can- do" approach.

Choose your advisors and mentors correctly. Pessimism is contagious, but then so is enthusiasm. In fact, reasonable optimism can be an amazing force multiplier.

Eighth, play to win. I have said this many times in the past. Playing to win is not the same as cutting corners. When you play to win, you stretch yourself to your maximum and use all your potential.

It also helps you to concentrate your energy on what you can influence instead of getting bogged down with the worry of what you cannot change.

Do your best and leave the rest.

Ninth, respect your self. The world will reward you on your successes. Success requires no explanation and failure permits none.

But you need to respect yourself enough so that your self-confidence remains intact whether you succeed or fail.

If you succeed 90 per cent of the time, you are doing fine. If you are succeeding all the time, you should ask yourself if you are taking enough risks.

If you do not take enough risks, you may also be losing out on many opportunities. Think through but take the plunge. If some things do go wrong, learn from them.

Zahackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Corner Imagine you have an I-phone without battery. It'll be more like a plastic piece. Social work without the essence of Tawheed and Prophetic methodology is nothing but a way of self glorification and self appeasement.

--I was shocked recently when one of my Malayali friends narrated an incident, someone he knows was black-mailed by a group of his friends when he refused to fulfill their demands. He was newly married and his cell phone was stolen in an unnoticed way by his friends, who later black-mailed him.

The issue is of self videorecording of one's own bed-room secrets. Most of the dirty videos of someone's bed-room shared on cheap blogs and websites are taken from stolen memory cards and cell phones.

Cell phones, smart-phones and HD cameras are for productive and creative purposes, rather for making videos of one's love making with wife and later falling into the quagmire of destruction. __ You would surely find people around you who would read volumes and volumes of books on technology, philosophy, fiction, and all other topics which they brag about mentioning the famous authors to show they are up to date.

But when you ask them, 'Bro, I gave you a book on Seerah. A book on how to pray like Prophet. A book on Aqeedah.' The replies would be, 'Bro, there is a lot of work pressure I am going through. And I don't find time to read that. Will love to read.'

But how could they find time to read all that stuff?

Narender Modi is 3rd of 6 children of his parents.

I was wondering about those people who make fun of large families especially those who have more children.

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They abusively use the terms like 'these people marry more and multiply children like (animals)'. I don't know, that comes out due to someone's inefficiency to multiply or because of jealousy against someone.

However, they should at least look at the life of Narender Modi who has got 5 siblings.

I remember there's a chain of hospitals in Jeddah - Dr. Ghassan Firawn. They belong to family of Egyptian Pharaohs.

AND THEY ARE MUSLIMS. Some people taunt others saying, Firawn ki Aulad, Angrez ki Aulad, Haman ki Aulad, meaning children of Firawn, or children of British, etc.

However, in Islam we believe every single individual bears his own responsibility; no son shall bear the sins of father and no father shall bear sins of his son. This fallacy is believed in Christianity, not in Islam.

Even if son of Iblees embraces Islam, his sins are forgiven and he is a Muslim. __ I met a great grand son of 4th caliph Ali (RA) today.

There was a tall and fair complexioned Saudi person with a long flowing beard sitting at the last cubicle of our office. I happened to see him get an English translation of Holy Quran. I was curious to know why would a Saudi read English translation, while his mother tongue is Arabic. I walked toward his cubicle to know the matter. He got the Quran to gift to one of the non-Muslim managers who has been working with him for long, and he wants to give him Da'wah.

In the course of conversation he told that he comes from Madina and his great grand-father is Ali (RA).

I wondered, if his grand-father was Hassan or Hussain (RA).

He said, after the death of Fatima Zahra (RA), Ali (RA) married another lady, and the boy after Hasnain was Mohammed bin Ali (RA), so is his great grand father.

I instantly asked him about his views about Abubakar and Omar (RA), he responded without any iota of time, I am Ahlus-Sunnah and follow Salaf methodology.

In a nut-shell, Ahlul-Bayt is synonym to piety, AhlusSunnah, and correct creed; r a t h e r mourning, S h i r k & Biddah, grave and human worshiping. __

M u s l i m s A p p e a s e m e n t –A M y t h E x p o s e d Afroz Alam Sahil for BeyondHeadlines What’s the most important need of Muslims right now? The mosque built on a disputed land for barely 200 Muslims? The promises made in Parliament or the rightful share in the resources and policies of the country? In order to help you move to the right pole we will expose you to some uncanny statistical facts. Undoubtedly the data will blow the cap off the head of Nitish, the soft Mulayam will look stiff, Azam Khan will appear artful, and the governments and politicians advocating for Muslims’ rights will sound dissolute.

BeyondHeadlines sought facts through RTI on the scheme of welfare for minority communities from central government will expose the Myth of Muslim Appeasement.

Policies and schemes for the welfare of minority communities, especially Muslims, are dying on the papers (or politicians and Bureaucrats are strangling them).

Budget Sanctioned 100 Crore, Released One Lakh, and Spent Naught Maulana Azad Education Foundation is one of many government schemes and institutions for the promotion of educational, social and economic status of the Minorities. Newspapers do not get tired of speaking at length of this institution. But the reality speaks for sure. In 2012-13, the government passed 100 crore for this institution, but released just one lakh which was spent nowhere. Had the amount been spent, the need of some Muslims would have been met, which neither government nor politicians would hope so.

Scheme for Leadership Development of Minority Women: An Illusion The government launched a scheme to inculcate leadership quality among minority women. Under this scheme, in the year of 2012-13, government secured 15 crore, but 12.80 crore was made available, out of that only 10.45 crore was used up. In 2011-12, budget was set at 15 crore, but only 4 lakh was issued. Likewise, in 2010-11, 15 crore was announced, but only 5 crore was released. Astonishingly, in 2009-10, full budget of 8 crore was released. But in the name of expenditure, it has never been out.

Had it been spent, some of the women among Muslims could have been prepared to take over the responsibilities of the community. But the governments and politicians did not, perhaps, hope so. They are busy in arranging iftar party or solving issues on mosque.

Not a Single Penny Spent The same happened to the grant-in-aid to State Channelising Agencies (SCA) engaged for implementation in NMDFC Programme.

A grant of 2 crore was sanctioned in 2012-13, but only 66 lakh was released. Hopefully it would have benefited to some needy if spent on them, instead it has been lying idle in respective department and not a single coin

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moved from there. Here, it is silly to raise questions of doubt on the credibility of the function of the officers. If no money is spent, no work is done. Perhaps they were busy in collecting ransom for the politicians.

Funds Laid Unclaimed in State Treasury To ensure the strengthening of the State Wakf Board, Government passed a budget of 5 crore in 2012-13, but only 10 lakh was released. Should I need to tell you that not even a single rupee was spent out of this fund? What would you do if I told you the real fact? Perhaps nothing; the wall of the mosque (that is not there, which has never been there) is more debatable for you. What is more, in 2010-11, a sum of 7 crore was sanctioned, but only 10 lakh was made available that was laid unclaimed in state treasure as in 2012-13 the funds were not spent (intentionally or not).

Religious Notions Only Flame Sectarian Sentiment Government also set budget to support the students clearing Prelims conducted by UPSC, SSC, State Public Services Commission etc. for the year 2012-13 and sanctioned 4 crore; unfortunately merely 2 lakh was released. Even this lean amount couldn’t be spent. Had 4 crore been spent, probably few of minority students would have cleared civil service examination. But the politicians speaking up for Muslim cause did not favor this. That is why, their uncut speeches and flashing slogans in the cause of Muslim welfare go unheeded, and the Muslims are left with hollow assurance and sunken hope. Do not question Azam Khan, Shafikurrahman Burq or Asaduddin Owaisi about this, else their eyes would become red or you would see them high-flown as you see them in Parliament speaking pompously.

They could raise the issues like of Vande Matram to be sung or not, but of the funds to be released or not they deem no value. Their religious notions only flame sectarian sentiment.

Budget Gone Aught For Skill Development Initiatives, the budget was set at 20 crore for the year of 2012-13, but mere 5 lakh was released, out of which no amount was spent. The scheme for containing population decline of small minorities met with same fate. In 2012-13, central government sanctioned 2 crore for this scheme, but the released amount was just 1 lakh, and the expenditure was null.

Similarly, in 2010-11 this scheme reached same doom. Interestingly, rest of the budget year bore aught.

The Scheme Vanished In the name of Promotional Activities for Linguistic Minorities a budget of one crore was approved in 2010-11, but merely 5 lakh was released and like other schemes this scheme, too, saw not a single rupee to be spent. Afterward, no budget is sanctioned

for this scheme, or better to say, the scheme is made disappeared. In 2012-13, a budget of 2 crore was favoured for the Interest Subsidy on Educational Loans for Overseas Studies, but the amount released was just 2 lakh.

Similarly, the 2010-11 spoke of same fate. In both of the years outlay was zero; for the rest of years budget vanished.

Computerization of Records of State Wakf Boards: A Drama In 2012-13, for computerization of records of State Wakf Boards the funds were set at 5 crore, but the amount released was 1.65 crore. All the states together could not afford to spend even this sum of money.

Only 89 lakh out of 1.65 crore was spent. The 2011-12 has no different story to tell. This budget year, too, approved 5 crore but released only 2 crore, out of which merely 62 lakh could be spent by the states. The 201011 will take your breath away. This budget year had fixed 15 crore for this scheme, but only 6 crore was made available. Merely 3.63 crore out of 6 crore was used up by all states.

Do Not Raise Questions In 2012-13, the grant accepted for Meritcum-Means Scholarship for professional and technical courses of under graduate and post graduate was 220 crore, out of which 184.07 crore was released, and a good of 181.21 crore has been spent. This can be appreciated. But for 2008-09, the budget for the scholarship approved 124.90 crore, and the released amount has been 64.94 crore.

Perhaps there has not been a single student who has not applied for this scholarship.

Many application forms have been rejected just because of unavailability of the funds.

But the question arises here if complete fund is not released, and whatever released is not spent up, how can the application form be rejected? Now if we ask this question to the politicians, they would be dumbfounded.

And if they would defend their crookedness, no truth their lips reveal; because this truth is louder than their hollow leadership.

Silence is Golden!

The scheme, Multi Sectoral Development Programme for Minorities in selected Minority Concentrated Districts, set a budget of 539.80 crore in 2008-09, but released only 279.89 crore. And in 2012-13, it was 999 crore, but only 649 crore was released. Asking Muslim leaders about this would land you into trouble. Perhaps a brick of a demolished mosque would hit your nut!

Who Will Clap for Politicians?

In 2008-09, 99.90 crore was assigned for Post Matric Scholarship, but only 69.93 crore was made out. Whereas in 2012-13, 500 crore was proposed for this scheme, and 340.75 crore was made available out of which 326.55 crore was spent. Had the allotted budget released, students from economically deprived family could have entered the college. But if children of

Continue on page 17

D R E A M I N G W I T H E V E R Y B O D Y

By Shaan Khan Freshman at Howard University The sun began to set, slightly changing the color of the horizon and the shadows of the trees. Looking out the window, I saw countless cars pass by with passengers going to or coming from some place different. Some would move north towards New York and lose daylight. Others would chase the sun and extract a few extra minutes of its warmth. Yet others simply moved in one direction or the other but with no purpose.

As I sat on my long bus ride back to Washington D.C., I reflected upon my trip to Reverend Al Sharpton’s “Advancing the Dream: Live from the Apollo,” which was held on the evening of Friday, September 6th. The texts from my friends and family had stopped at this point, but I scrolled through and reminded myself of the excitement of being on live, national television. Before my trip, I was certainly fixated on that fact; representing Howard University with a small group of students so early as a freshman turned some heads and definitely made me popular at George Washington Carver Hall, my residence hall.

But somewhere on the way back to my new home at Howard University, I came upon a more lasting reason for my visit to NewYork.

I realized that my trip was much more important than a few seconds of airtime.

This is because ‘civil rights’ does not mean, 'African American Rights'. We do not enjoy civil rights as Muslims, Jews, Christians, or Hindus. We do not enjoy civil rights as Italians, Indians, Africans, or Asians. We

enjoy civil rights not separately, but together, as Americans.

I liken the evolution of the Civil Rights movement to the development of penicillin, which was discovered by accident to be a panacea for several maladies most notably Influenza. The movement’s benefits are as varied as the rainbow and as far reaching as the sunshine.

The Civil Rights movement was no accident, but like penicillin, the impact of its discovery is universal. Although the Civil Rights movement was aimed towards improving the lives of African Americans, Dr. Martin Luther King’s revolution gentrified all of American society. Not only did it bolster the African American community and propel one of its members to the position of Secretary of State and ultimately to the White House, but it leveled the playing field directly or indirectly for numerous movements and groups to come; Women’s suffrage, the LGBT group, the Latino block, the minimum wage earners, the farm workers. The colored revolution shattered the glass ceiling and made thousands of holes for every common American and created screaming testimonies of aspirations and ambitions. Now, every immigrant family exhorts its offspring to aspire to be the next Barrack Obama. To paraphrase Cornel West, we are destined to feel the fire of the African American community’s soul so our “intellectual blues” can set others on fire. The bellowing smoke coming out of the chimney of the African American community warms up every

American’s house. Even on the world stage, the American Civil Rights movement affected numerous revolutions. The downfall of Apartheid can trace its trajectory in the US Civil Rights movement as can the Arab Spring.

I wondered all day why I was representing Howard University given that I am an Asian American student at an HBCU (historically black colleges and universities), but it turned out to be nothing about my ethnicity and all about the common bonds I share with all my brothers and sisters in this country.

1963 has passed, but the struggle has not.

With the culmination of recent events, one could argue that the struggle has only just begun. But hardship is no reason to accept defeat. As the inheritors of this country, we must perceive the acute need, endure the growing pains, and evaluate the solutions.

Only then can we become beacons of knowledge and peace and expect our country to be the same on the global spectrum.

The sun will never set for those who set out to make its light their own.

Shaan Khan,Freshman Biology major, Chemistry minor Howard University Shaan.mobin.khan@gmail.com 630-901-8729 Carver Hall 211 Elm St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Continued from page 16 deprived minority communities were enlightened by education, who would clap for pompous speech of politicians.

No Amount Spent on These Schemes The status of Scheme for promotion of education in 100 minority concentrate towns/cities out of 251 such town/cities identified as backward was too bad. For this scheme central government sanctioned a budget of 50 crore, but a merely 4 lakh was granted. Out of 4 lakh was spent naught.

The same fate incurred on Village Development Programme for Villages not covered by MCB/MCDs. Central government passed 50 crore for this scheme, but only 4 lakh was made out which has no single penny to be spent.

In 2012-13, for support to district level institutions in MCDs central government approved 25 crore, but released amount was 4 lakh, out of which outlay was null, that is, no individual is benefited under this scheme.

Central government launched scheme of Free Cycles to girl students of class IX, and in 2012-13, proposed a grant of 5 crore for this scheme. Out of released amount of only 4

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lakh, zero has been the figure of expenditure!

Every promotional and welfare scheme adopted to uplift the educational, social, and economic status of minority communities has died out on paper. And our so called proMuslim leaders bore no face of remorse.

First, the budget was cumin seed to camel’s mouth. Further it fell short of target. Huge share of national budget was duped by our life-size leaders.

If this reality has not soaked your throat, your heart is going to be numb. Because the most embarrassing fact is that the fund released for advertising the schemes, and boards and banners of politicians has outgrown its sanctioned amount. No newspapers or TV channels will inform you about this because the whole media moves on the wheels of this amount. When newspapers and TV channels have already been paid their share, why should they bother whether the sanctioned amount has reached to rightful needy or not?

No reporter, perhaps, has the courage to fire these issues at the nose of government because it would blast his career.

Full Focus on Publicity Let me tell you government proposed a budget of 5 crore for Research/Studies, Monitoring & Evaluation of Development Schemes for Minorities including Publicity in 2008-09, and released 8.95 crore.

Interestingly, a big part of it, 7.97 crore, was spent. In 2009-10, this budget went up to 13 crore. Surprisingly, entire budget was released, out of which 11.97 crore was spent.

In 2010-11, the budget has been increased to 22 crore, and ‘intact’ 22 crore has also been released. Out of 22 crore, 19.63 crore has been spent out. The same budget is raised up to 36 crore in 2011-12, and 36 crore has also been released, 24.48 crore has been laid out.

In 2012-13, the budget rose to 40 crore, the amount released has been 33.30 crore, out of which 33.29 crore has been spent. Now the queries slip into our mind, while the genuine amount has not been released how the amount bigger than the released be spent on its study and advertisement? We will try out to present you with reality.

If you have been following media in any form print or visual since last 15 days, you will be

H o w t h e P r o p h e t B r o u g h t A b o u t P o s i t i v e C h a n g e The greatest, most profound change in history happened peacefully. Nevertheless, it was truly decisive. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) changed the people’s beliefs, their behaviour, their customs, and their social norms, and he did so by convincing them with kindness and gentle persuasion. He did not force people to agree with him. He did not resort to a show of strength except when absolutely necessary to protect his people.

For the first thirteen years of his mission, he lived in Mecca in a state of abject weakness, persecuted by his countrymen. After he emigrated to Madinah, his focus was on building and safeguarding his community. If we consider the landmark events of the Madinite era, we find that the battle of Badr was not pre-planned, the battle of Uhud was purely defensive as was the Battle of the Confederate tribes. The peace treaty of Hudaybiyah that the Prophet entered into with the Meccans was seen by many of the Muslims to be a humiliation for Islam, but the Prophet knew better.

Then, when the Muslims finally entered Mecca in victory, they did so peacefully. They took the city without fighting or bloodshed.

Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) stood among the Meccans, who feared reprisals for the years of persecution they had meted out to the Muslims, and he said: “You may go as you please, for you are free.”

He restored to the weak and oppressed their rights, manumitted slaves, elevated the status of the people, and did away with oppressive practices against women. He likewise did away with the exploitative practices, pomp and influence of the city’s despots with the minimum of hardship for all parties concerned.

It is impressive how the Prophet rid Arabian society of the many deep-rooted and pernicious customs that they had during the times of ignorance. He was able to bring about a new mindset, freed from the rote, blind following of ancestral traditions. he made the people aware of the falsehood of their former customs, so this awareness could protect them from lapsing back into such modes of thought.

In this way, the Prophet brought them out of the darkness of superstition, fortune-telling and divination. He dispelled their wantonness and sexual exploitation. He did away with their tribal boasting and rivalries.

He rid their hearts of racism. When his own Companion Abū Dharr betrayed racist tendencies, he did not hesitate to tell him: “You are indeed a man possessed of some habits from the times of ignorance.”

He never compromised on polytheism. He opposed it absolutely, regardless of the

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sacrifices and hardships this meant for him.

He stove to dismantle polytheism in the minds and hearts of the people and bring them to monotheism. Nevertheless, when he went to Mecca after the Treaty of Hudaybiyah to perform the `umrah pilgrimage, there were three hundred and sixty idols around the Ka`bah. He did not destroy the idols or interfere with them in any way. What would have been the point? It is easy for people to recreate their idols as long as they believe in them. The only permanent way to dismantle them is to dismantle them in the people’s hearts and minds. Only after he entered Mecca as their leader, after the people entered into Islam in droves, did he remove the idols from the Ka`bah, restoring it as a place of worship for Allah alone. At this time, a great majority of the people had been convinced of the falsehood of idol worship. Indeed, one of the Meccan leaders commented: “Had they been of any worth, they would not have forsaken us.”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was an example of patience in how he coexisted with the pagans in Mecca, and in the fortitude he showed by responding gently and with an open heart to them, in spite of to their abuses and hostility towards him and towards the men and women who chose to follow him.

Then, after the emigration to Madinah, he lived alongside the Jews and the pagans from the local tribes, not to mention the hypocrites who concealed their animosity towards Islam and the Muslims who were weak in faith. These people were still in Madinah at the time of the Prophet’s death.

The chapter of the Qur’an entitled Sūrah alHujurāt, which addresses those who were being ill-mannered towards the Prophet and using spiteful names, was revealed in the ninth year after the emigration. One of its final verses reads: The Bedouins say: “We have believed.” Say [to them]: “You have not [yet] believed; but say [instead], ‘We have submitted’, for faith has not yet entered your hearts. And if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not deprive you from your deeds of anything.

Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”

[Sūrah al-Hujurāt: 14] At the time of the Prophet’s death, his shield was being held by a Jewish man as collateral for a debt he owed him. The Prophet had borrowed the money to provide food for his family. The Prophet needed the money at the time, and the purchase of the shield was in the Jewish man’s interest at the time. This is the basis of coexistence, to realise that your own welfare and that of other people can be realized together.

In this way, the Prophet gave a practical lesson for future generations. Madinah, the first capital of Islam, had this diversity within it. In this way, the people could learn how to call others to Islam and how to conduct themselves in a society where they live with people of other faiths as fellow citizens.

During the many eras of Islamic rule throughout history, the rights of the various religious communities and denominations were upheld and protected within the context of a strong social fabric. They were not forced to change their religion or their denominational affiliation. The Muslims continued to engage them in polite debate and discussion.

This social fabric can be torn apart by conflicts spurred on by political interests who instigate the ignorant people and play on their prejudices. When this happens, when neighbour turns against neighbour, people abandon our Prophet’s teachings which stress neighbourly rights even with those you disagree with.

At times of conflict, people behave irrationally and suspiciously. Sensible people know that this state of affairs is temporary and can – must – be surmounted. People can settle back into living together in peace and cooperation for their mutual wellbeing.

This is why `Amr b. al-`Ās praised the Roman people for being: “the quickest people to recover from a crisis.” He was referring to an aspect of their cultural mindset that allowed them to get past the times of strife and war and return to a productive state of dialogue and cooperation. This is what we see in Europe after the two world wars. The European people pulled themselves together and ultimately created the European common market, and ultimately the European Union with all of its impressive institutions.

By contrast, we find some Arab tribes holding on to their ancient feuds, passing the animosity down from one generation to the next, keeping them alive through their legends and poems as if the conflict began only yesterday.

These tensions can sometimes take on a sectarian or partisan character, spurred on by political rhetoric and ideology. We see this among both Islamist and secular factions, which shows that the particular ideology in the political theatre did not succeed in disciplining this trend, but instead channelled it one way or another.

Source: http://en.islamtoday.net/artshow433-4656.htm

T h e M i r a c l e o f P o s i t i v e T h i n k i n g

By Sister Shahnaaz Bemath Thinking positive can work miracles. You may have been told to “guard your thoughts”, but felt the advice to be pointless. After all, your thoughts are private. How can they possibly affect someone else? The fact is, thoughts do seem to boomerang in some mysterious ways.

Science has not found a way to measure them as they have invisible sound waves. In order to understand how positive thinking works, and how to use it efficiently, it is important to understand the power of negative thinking.

“Negative thoughts and tensions are like birds. We cannot stop them from flying near us but, we can certainly stop them from making a nest in our mind.”

The mind can be directed towards positive thinking or negative thinking. The power of thought is a neutral power. The way one thinks determines whether the results are positive and beneficial or negative and harmful. It is the same of energy acting in different ways. Persistent inner work can change habits of thoughts. You must be willing to put energy and time to avoid negative thinking and pursue positive thinking, in order to change your mental attitude. Think of those things which are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, in other words, to fill your mind with noble, good thoughts, leaving no room for negative ones to take root.

The Noble Messenger of ALLAH (peace be upon him) has reported that ALLAH, The Most Wise, said: “I treat my servant as how he thinks of Me” (Hadith- Bukhari/ Muslim).

In other words, ALLAH TA’ALA treats His servant in the way how he thinks of ALLAH, what he hopes from and how he sets his hopes on ALLAH. So, those who come positive and with a great hope to the door of Mercy of the Almighty Creator will Insha Allah not return empty-handed.

The most powerful weapon you have at your disposal is Du'a (prayer). Use it and use it often. The basis of prayer is to lift us and situations to Almighty ALLAH -- an inner act of visualisation. A further step is to contemplate on our beautiful teachings of Islam -- this involves controlling and directing out thoughts. A simple way to think of this is to imagine your mind to be like a garden. That garden can be spoilt and overrun by negative, destructive thoughts (weeds), or it can become a place of peace and harmony by the cultivation of flowers (uplifting thoughts).

“Your mind is a garden. Your thoughts are

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the seeds. You can grow flowers. Or you can grow weeds.”

Are you prone to depression? Do you see your life as a hopeless mess... consider yourself a failure? If you do, then you will close your mind, see no opportunities, and behave and react in such ways, as to repel people and opportunities. You let the power of negative thinking rule your life. Try replacing such negative thoughts with positive ones. Talk to your beloved ALLAH, ALLAH does not create a lock without a key, and ALLAH doesn't give you problems without its solutions. Trust HIM! While recognising these problems, picture yourself as mastering each one. Visualise yourself handling each situation creatively; being a success; gradually allowing your given potential to blossom.

The beloved Messenger of ALLAH (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) advised us if you look forward to good things, it will happen In'Shaa'ALLAH. Thinking positive is a very important element of Islam. Always think that ALLAH has a plan for you, if something goes wrong, it will probably lead you to something good. HE is working things out for you, even if you don't feel it.

Have faith and be thankful. Where faith and hope grows, miracles blossoms, ALLAHU AKBAR! At first, this kind of thought control may seem like an inner game -- but you'll be surprised at how, slowly but surely, your outer circumstances begin to change. For thought precedes action, and the right thoughts precede a chain of good actions.

Destructive thoughts, on the other hand, act as poisoning agents. They embitter and limit the thinker, preventing him or her from developing good relationships, because others sense the wrong thoughts telepathically, and shy away instinctively.

Conversely, if you greet people with the thought that they'll probably be nice to know, such a positive thought will affect their response. If you're afraid of someone, replace that fear with a thought which recognises that the person's given potential "core" is probably hidden under layers of unhappiness and wrong thinking. Silently bless that person, and ask that his or her true self be given a chance to manifest.

A friend was once terribly upset because someone was spreading false rumours about her. She could not deny the rumour publicly. All she could do was pray for the woman, try to think about her charitably and

visualise her acting differently. She did this consistently for some weeks. One day, unexpectedly, the woman phoned her to apologise and say she'd been mistaken, Subhaan-ALLAH! It seemed like a miracle!

But right thinking can work miracles... Life has many different chapters for us. One bad chapter doesn't mean the end of the book.

Be positive and keep your faith in ALLAH. Once we function in harmony with ALLAH'S beautiful laws of love and forgiveness -- and this includes spreading good, true and beautiful thoughts -- our lives will flower as they were meant to.

“Think positive, Think different. Don't waste your precious energy on negative thoughts.”

Decide that from today, from this very moment, you are leaving negative thinking behind, and starting on the way towards positive thinking and behaviour. It is never too late. Soon your life will turn into a fascinating, wonderful journey. Wake up every morning with the thought that something beautiful is about to happen.

Let’s welcome each day with a smile and bid farewell with a smile. We thank ALLAH for HIS blessings. Take advantage of our positive energy and employ them in doing well in this life. Let's learn, read and after that, we will find the entire universe will extend to us it's heart and the whole world will hug us with its beauty... SubhaanALLAH! There is something beautiful in life. You just have to find it.... be positive and it will find you!

F r o m B e a u t y F u l l t o B e a u t y F o o l e d . . .

T h e M y t h o f G o o d l o o k i n g

By Asma bint Shameem

From “Beyond Education” collection – Nissar Nadiadwala’s Editorial for Young Muslims When grandfathers in half trousers with their shirts tucked in and sleeves rolled up, move on the beaches displaying the youth, which they have already lost, and grandmothers in sleeveless T-shirts and tight slacks roam around in the malls staring at the windows of fashion stores to look for the latest in the fashion world, then we come to the conclusion that the definition of beauty has changed and so has the perception of beauty.

Editorial Board Publisher: Bihar Anjuman BaKhabar Editorial Board: Asrarul Haque, Seraj Akram, Mohd. Allam and Ms Farhat Shakeel, Jahanzeb Mashhadi Chief Editor: Ms. Asma Anjum Khan

email

bakhabar@biharanjuman.org

“The editors and publishers are not responsible for the views of writers, and their views do not reflect our policy or ideology in any way. We however reserve the right to edit any material submitted for publication, on account of public policy, or for reasons of clarity and space. – From Publishers.”

Pictures have been taken from available public sources.

These days, everyone is trying to look good. So the gyms, the diet and health centers, articles and books on health, all are in good business. The other day, a grooming class for males in Mumbai announced that they were entering into their twenty-fifth year.

Among the many lessons in the etiquette they teach, one thing that strikes me is "how to be decent with opposite sex." The love pundits know it very well that the best way to impress the opposite sex is to appear and behave decently.

Do you think that Iblis could have forced Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit (or what so ever it was)?

Surah Ar'af informs us of Ibis’s approach in the verse, 21: And he swore that he was their wellwisher...

Together we can change our society.

Join Bihar Anjuman www.biharanjuman.org write to bakhabar@biharanjuman.org, to form a chapter in your city or country

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California

Chicago

There are modern Iblises around us swearing through hundreds of advertisements in almost every TV channel and every page of Newspapers and magazines that they are the well-wishers of women folk.

They are everywhere. They lurk towards the young girls even in pages of Facebook. Unfortunately some of them even appear as sheikhs and muftis in Da'wah and in fiqh, pretending to teach you one thing but wanting you to learn another.

It is very amusing to note that even educated people are beauty fooled by the new standards of beauty. It seems

that aging people don't want to grow older and young girls, as young as nine, are in a hurry to grow into young women. Comparing themselves with movie actresses and models they have a terrible complex of their looks and their weight. Considering the time spent in gazing at the mirror, if only mirrors were perishable items like shoes and dresses, getting ragged after using, all of them would crack in few weeks.

A little girl shared her experience of dieting on the net: “I am afraid of putting on weight, so I stuck a picture of a fat lady on the door of my refrigerator to frighten myself every time I am tempted to open it for having ice cream or butter!”

People refuse to age, they don’t want to look old, and so they seek refuge under the sharp knives of cosmetic surgeons and anti-aging creams to hide their wrinkles and grey hair.

Women entering into their thirties are afraid of losing their jobs and their boyfriends to younger girls.

A man's class is no more measured by the amount of his wealth.

Instead it is measured by the number of female followers he has.

Adultery and fornication is served like a tasty dish. Famous men appear in public with beautifooled girls proudly displayed like trophies.

School children are also dragged into this pomp and show. Sexy education is jammed inside their minds in the pretext of sex education with the inclusion of 'how to use contraceptives' and 'ways of avoiding unwanted pregnancies'. The age of consent has replaced the age of marriage in many constitutions.

People have been given liberty to enjoy with whomever they want, without taking any social or financial burden of females and families.

"Fruits of Radical Liberation."