ribat.contact@gmail.com
Issue 1
Jumada al Awwal 4, 1438 AH February 1, 2017 AD
Free Edition Subs. `10/month (March onwards) To subscribe drop us an e-mail under subject “Subscription”
facebook.com/RibatTruth telegram.me/RibatTruth blogribat.wordpress.com +91-9953136569 If you'd like to donate to the cause, feel free to Whatsapp us.
inside
FORTRESS OF TRUTH Reading The Seerah In A Postmodern World........ pg4 The Days Of Fitan.......... pg4 Salah Al Din................... pg2 Campus Watch.............. pg3 The Dilemma Of Nationalism & Islam...... pg3
Asma-o-Sifat Md. Adil Hussain, Certificate in Persian, JMI
The
Sovereign
मेरी कहानी...
Ribat, a word lost through time, waiting for a revival! For something that has had immense significance in the Muslim history and whose reward is exceptional in the eyes of Allah, it is surprising how little we know about it! From a fortress to a school to a defense tactic, here’s what you need to know…
Also many a times translated as The King, the Ruler, and the Owner of Dominion. Malik, Maalik and Maleek all come from the root maa-laa-kaa, which points to three main आशीष कमार, B.Sc, AMU ु JargonExplained meanings. The first main meaning is to have possession and ownership. The second is मेरा नाम आशीष है - मतलब दआ ु । यह कहानी है मेरे है ? यह to have power and ability and the third main meaning is to control and have authority. सफ़र के बारे में जहाँ मेरा सामना जिंदगी के सबसे बड़े प्रश्न अक्सर This name of Allah, as all others, prefixes with the article ‘the’ (‘Al’ in Arabic) - which सच से होता है । मुझे इस सफर में बहुत है रान करने मेरे दिल में आता लेकिन पहलुओं से भी दो चार होना पड़ा। मैं अपनी बात कभी इसका जवाब मुझे नहीं adds the most superlative meaning to the word following it. So the name Al-Malik helps वाले शुरू करता हूं। मिला। दसवी कक्षा में मेरी माँ को ब्लड us understand that He has the absolute ownership and possession of whatever is in the मैं एक छोटे से परिवार में पला बढ़ा हूँ। हमेशा से ही मेरे कैं सर हुआ और दीपावली के खास दिन मेरी माँ heavens and the earth, and He is all powerful and able, and He has complete authority परिवार ने आर्थिक संकट का सामना किया है । जिसके को परालयसिस अटै क हो गया जिसमें उनके पैरों ने over the entire universe and He controls every event occurring inside it - infinitesimally फलस्वरूप मन में ईश्वर को लेकर सवाल भी उठते काम करना बंद कर दिया। यह बहुत बड़ा सदमा था रहे हैं। शुरू से स्वभाव अध्यात्मिक रहा है । इसी लिए मेरे परिवार के लिए। इस घटना के कारण ईश्वर के small to astronomically big. कभी किसी धर्म को गलत नहीं समझा। मेरी स्कू ल की अस्तित्व पर मेरी तरफ से बहुत बड़ा प्रश्न चिन्ह लग Allah is the absolute possessor of things and has the ultimate authority and control, शिक्षा अलीगढ़ में चार साल की उम्र से शरू ु हुई। यहाँ गया। इस घटना से उभरने के बाद मैंने अपनी स्कू ल but he has also endowed man with these powers to a certain extent. But if man tries मैं मुस्लिम बच्चों के साथ कक्षा छह तक रहा। मुस्लिम की शिक्षा दोबारा अलीगढ़ में शुरू की। मैंने कक्षा 11 में to abuse these gifted powers by rebelling against Him it is going to be his own loss. In बच्चों का स्वभाव मेरे प्रति कभी बुरा नहीं रहा। लेकिन इक़रा पब्लिक स्कू ल में एडमिशन लिया। यहाँ मेरे बहुत बहुत बार कुछ बच्चों से लड़ाई झगड़ा रहा वो भी इस से मुस्लिम दोस्त बने लेकिन वह इस्लामी आचरण के ancient times there used to be Kings who abused this power and thus only they would be लिए क्यूकि मैं हिंद ू था। मेरे साथ पढ़ने वाले बच्चों का नहीं थे। इसलिए कभी इस्लाम के प्रति कोई रुझान नहीं liable for punishment in the hereafter. But today kings don’t rule anymore. Societies run आचरण इस्लामी शिक्षाओं से दरू ही रहा है । वहीं दस ू री रहा। इस स्कू ल में मेरे एक बहुत प्रिय मित्र रहे जिन्होंने by the axiom “by the people...”. Thus if we, as a society and state go against His rulings, ओर जो आचरण मुझे मेरे घर में मिल रहे थे वह पूर्ण इस्लामी आचरण और इस्लाम का परिचय मुझे कराया। यह वो इस्लाम था जिसने ज़िन्दगी के असली मक़सद we’ll all be summoned on the day of resurrection, and each individual shall have to pay रूप से तो नहीं लेकिन बहुत हद तक इस्लामी थे। आगे की शिक्षा मैंने अनूप शहर में एक बहुत अच्छे से परिचय कराया जिसमें भेद भाव, जात पात का the price. The sovereignty of a body crossing that of God’s is tantamount to challenging स्कू ल से ली जहाँ मझे सिर्फ हिंदओं के साथ पढ़ने को नामोनिशान तक नहीं था। 5 अप्रैल 2013 को मैंने ु ु His sovereignty (His being Al Malik). मिला। यहाँ मैंने छुआ छात दे खी जिसकी वजह से हमेशा इस्लाम क़ु बूल किया। The following Hadith from Sahih Bukhari should be enough to send chills down our spine: मन में प्रश्न रहा कि क्या यह जात पात ईश्वर ने बनाई यहाँ से शुरू होती है मेरी कहानी...आगे अगले भाग में| Narrated Abu Huraira: I heard Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) saying, “Allah will hold the whole Md. Arshad Warsi, MBA, JMI earth, and roll all the heavens up in His Right Hand, and then He will say, ‘I am Al-Malik Guidelines for Talib Al Ilm (students): (The Sovereign); where are the kings of the earth?”’ • Know that Courage is an enormous obligation upon those who learn knowledge - so be courageous and speak out Truth and do not compromise with anyone. • Allah says "Only those who have knowledge truly fear Allah". (TMQ 35:28) Pearls of • The nobility of knowledge is in accordance with the nobility of what is learned from it, how strong and firm its proofs are, how necessary and beneficial it is. And there is no doubt that loftiest and greatest subject of knowledge is Allah- besides whom none And I did not create the jinn and mankind deserves to be worshiped, the lord of worlds.
pg3
Revelation
except to worship Me (51:56)
Editorial Board
This profound ayah of Surah Adh-Dhariat is to be understood in parts: And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me Creator|the ONLY purpose of creation|beings of free will|purpose: ibadah|object of ibadah: the Creator
This oft-quoted ayah of the Quran, establishes the answer to the most fundamental question of philosophy. Everyone, at some point, asks themselves "What's the point of all of this?" Because all quests of life are set by a ‘final objective’. A man consciously or subconsciously has a purpose which entails a code of conduct or a way of life. So does a society. But who has the authority to define the purpose? Man has always been questioning this authority and the opening of this ayah answers it once and for all. Just as the purpose of a machine is defined by the designer so is the purpose of man defined by his designer: The Creator, Allah. He says that the only reason that man & jinn were created was ibadah. Any other purpose coined or claimed by anyone is defeating the purpose of creation. It is essential, then, to understand the concept of ibadah. The English translation (worship) doesn't capture its real meaning. Al-'Ibaadah is being subdued; as a rough road is made smooth after paving. So ibadah is total submission to an entity: a bondage. It comes from the word abd which means slave. The voluntary submission of will of Slave to his Rabb makes him Muslim (the one who submits). An abd does not have the right to pick and choose, manipulate or reject any detail of the ‘Will’. He has to single out every act of his life only for the sake of Allah. The commitment and adherence to this bondage is taqwa. Any ideology (read: -ism) that does not come from an inspiration to submit to Allah are nothing short of jahilliyah (ignorance). In fact, the very popular notions of "achhi baatein" and even "insaniyat" are futile without the authority or ilaah that defines "good" and "bad". Even what constitutes "humanity" should come from the Creator of humans. Ibadah is indeed what we are created for. The question is, whose ibadah are we doing everyday? Have we taken other masters beside Allah? Or worse, made ourselves the masters of our affairs?!
The Divine Echo
Jubair b. Mut’im reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying: “He is not one of us who calls for ‘Asabiyyah; and he is not one of us who fights for ‘Asabiyyah; and he is not one of us who dies for ‘Asabiyyah. Sunan Abi Dawud 5121
Md. Adil Hussain , Certificate in Persian, JMI Ta’assub is a word with the same root letters as ‘Asabiyyah (‘a, sa, ba) and also very close to its meaning. Due to being used in Urdu, people of the Indian subcontinent are not alien to this word ‘ta’assub’. So it is extensively used – mostly with meaning of keeping prejudice against a person or a group primarily because he doesn’t belong to them. Plunging into the etymology, we get to know: ‘Usbah refers to paternal relatives, ‘Asaba means to wrap around or to bind. All cumulate to give ‘Asabiyyah meaning favoring and defending those surrounding oneself (immediate relatives, clan/tribe, or nation at large) from whom he derives strength. So much for lexical meaning! The Arab society at the time of the prophet was erected on tribal lines. People would boast about their tribal affiliations and even fight for them so much so that wars would continue from generations to generations. For those times, ‘Asabiyyah would mean tribalism. Prophet (pbuh) eradicated this evil from its roots which brought even the Aus and Khazraj together – who were at loggerheads for decades. But plotters never fail to plan: a Jew youth was sent on a mission to re-instill the old grudge against one another. He started singing incendiary poetry recalling the battle of Bu’ath – which was once fought between the Aus and Khazraj. The feeling were aroused, and a sequel of Bu’ath was about to take place. But then the prophet (pbuh) was around – the execution of the Jewish plot wasn’t going to be that easy. He (pbuh) lambasted the Sahaba and reminded them of their ties to Islam and instructed them not to raise the “slogans of Jahiliyyah (ignorance)” ever again. In this way the Bu’ath sequel actually turned into a close call; and the hearts united again. This is the potential of ‘Asabiyyah – to even set Sahaba by the ears. So how could a person calling, fighting and dying for ‘Asabiyyah belong to the Ummah of the Prophet (saw)! Surely, he cannot be one of us. Now in this age and time, society isn’t a tribal one. How is the concept of ‘Asabiyyah’ supposed to translate into this globalised modern world? Let us brainstorm. What are the notions people all around the world relate to - to divide themselves up? What do people boast about the most? And most importantly: What in this era has shed most blood? Yes, you’re right – It is, indeed, Nationalism. O Prophet (pbuh)! You, who brought those fighting factions to terms, under one roof of Islam, to work for one purpose, shunning all the evil calls of ‘Asabiyyah! You, who prevented people from falling into it again and again! Know that your Ummah has fallen into it! Know that the factions fought again and divided one gigantic empire into tiny parts of land! Know that the second Bu’ath happened, and is happening every day since then! Know that your Ummah has betrayed you and imbibed the neo-‘Asabiyyah (Nationalism) into her veins! May Allah make this nation understand the gravity of the sin which is exemplified by the hadith: “He who calls for ‘Asabiyyah is as if he bit his father’s genitals”.
pg1
Editor’s Desk
Salah al Din Ayyubi
Mohammad Haani Farooqi, B.Tech, AMU
In this age of deceptions and different “versions” of Islam, it has become imperative to find the right path and purpose of life. The Quran, Ahadith of the Prophet and life of the Sahaba are the only sources which can end these confusions. The Ummah can only be unified under the leadership of the Quran and the Prophet. This newsletter, by students and for students, is a humble effort in that direction. We aim to reach the students of major centres of learning across the country. Ribat is a word that has been lost through the ages and connects precisely to our task of defending Islam. It has been detailed in the “Jargon Explained” section. Throughout this process, we have tried to avoid differences over trivialities and focus on the larger task at hand: the unification of humanity under the banner of Allah and Muhammad and nothing else! I am grateful to my team for their commitment and dedication to the vision and the process of bringing out the first edition: Md. Adil Hussain, Ahmad Mehmood, Md. Arshad Warsi, Ashish Kumar, Faraz Ahmed, Hisham Siddiqi, Malik Farooq, Mohammad Abdullah, Mohd. Fareed, Mohd. Owais Khan and Mubashshir Ahmad. We plan fortnightly editions covering important issues in modern times. Since we're running it through donations, we'll be grateful if you contribute. We ask Allah to make this letter a tool for connecting people to true guidance and help our team run it with Ikhlas and protect us from deviations. May Allah forgive our mistakes and prevent us from creating fitnah. Please feel free to drop your feedbacks/queries at ribat.contact@gmail.com We’d love to hear from you! What are some forms of “shirk” present in modern world which are plaguing even the Muslim society? Send your answers to ribat.contact@gmail.com under subject “Quiz”. Best answers get a gift and a chance for a featured article in Ribat. Last date of submission: 8 Feb 2017
Faraz Ahmed, B.Tech, AMU
Life Span: 55 years (1137-1193 AD) Teacher: Asad al-Din Shirkuh (Uncle) Education: Well versed in subjects of his time, his deep interest was in study of Islam, specifically “Sciences of Quran”. He also had knowledge of the genealogies, biographies, and history of the Arabs, as well as the bloodlines of Arab horses. He spoke Kurdish and Arabic. The Legacy: In the annals of History, rarely do we find a personality who is both revered and feared by his enemies. Salah al-Din or Saladin (as known to the western world) is perhaps the most celebrated Muslim soldier since the last of the four rightly guided Caliphs for his iron willed efforts of liberation of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) in 1187. But his legacy includes unification of most of the fractured Muslim territories and defending Jerusalem during Third and most bitterly fought Crusade (1188-1191) for all his remaining life which ensured The Holy Land remains to Muslims for the next 730 Years. Noble Character: By age 36, Salah al-Din was one of the most powerful men in the world and yet, all the chroniclers of the time talk about his humility. He never cared about the pleasures of this life and remained focused on his role in the liberation of Muslim lands. It was said that he never laughed. When confronted about this, he replied “how can I laugh when Masjid al-Aqsa is under the control of the Crusaders?” The people around him used to say that he was very harsh on himself, and very lenient on others, which echoes the character of the first four Rightly Guided Caliphs of Islam. His noble character was at display to the Europeans at the conquest of Jerusalem, when in his magnanimity, he made most generous of terms of surrender. He allowed safe passage to its resident to nearest Christian land under his protection. An unusually low ransom for the times (around $50 today) was to be paid for each Frank in the city. But Salah al-Din, against the wishes of his treasurers, allowed many families who could not afford the ransom to leave. History has seldom seen such a contrast between the chivalry of a conquering hero like Salah al-Din who treated his vanquished foes with generosity and compassion and the savage butchery of the Crusaders when they took Jerusalem in 1099. Even during the Third Crusade Salah al-Din’s behavior towards King Richard in the battlefield earned him great respect among his foes. In a battle, when Richard’s horse was killed, he sent him a horse from his army because he believed no general should ever have to be without a horse to lead his troops from. When Richard fell ill, Salah al-Din asked about his health and sent him fruits and ice. The generosity and kindness of Salah al-Din became a legend in Christian Europe among his enemies. When this great Sultan died in 1193, he possessed one piece of gold and forty pieces of silver. Credits: Muslim Show
Through The Sands Of Time
Muhammadpbuh Announces Prophethood Ahmad Mehmood, MTM, BGSU AD610. Somewhere in the desert of Arabia, man sat in a cave. Thoughtful. Pondering over the problems of man and the purpose of life. These contemplations had occupied him so much that everything else seemed insignificant, be it the daily chores or the bustling streets of Mecca. Life wasn’t bad. In fact, it was great. He was a respected person, known throughout the city for his honesty and trustworthiness. He had turned forty this year and been married for 15 years now to the woman who loved him so much. And then there was his uncle who loved him more than life and had always taken care of him since childhood, since his parents’ deaths and had given him the name ‘Muhammad’. But still, something was missing! The purpose of life was missing. The most fundamental question to life was still unanswered. But that was just about to change. Interestingly, while Muhammad(pbuh) was a man of honesty, love and inclusiveness, who had gained respect in the society due to these very qualities. Yet, a closer look at his surroundings would make him seem like an alien. The desert Arabs that surrounded him were a divided, warring, superstitious, misogynist, barbaric nation. They married their step mothers, buried their daughters alive and fought for ages over clan enmity. They would bow down before anything and everything, for example a heap of stones, bestowing upon it divinity and power. But even that was about to change. In fact, the whole of mankind was about to change forever through this simple man, an ummi (unlettered), from the most barbaric of societies. Because that day, something most unusual happened. While he was deep in thought, he was visited by the same angel Jibra’eel (as) that had visited Jesus (as) and Moses (as) and all the prophets before. Before he could say something or do something he was commanded by the Angel: ‘Read!’. His immediate response was ‘I don’t know how to’. The Angel again commanded ‘Read!’. He again replied ‘I don’t know how to ‘. The third time the Angel embraced him tightly and commanded ‘Read!’. Now he gathered that the angel wants him to repeat or recite. He replied ‘Read’. Then the archangel Jibra’eel said ‘Read in the name of your Lord that Created. Created man from Alaq. Read and thy Lord is Most Bountiful. He Who taught man through the pen. Taught man that which he knew not.’ He repeated after him.
The angel left, but Muhammad(pbuh) felt frail, nervous and cold. He rushed to his house asked his wife ‘Cover me! Cover me!’ in a panicky voice. He then narrated the entire incident to his wife. His wife consoled him and said “Rest assured! Your Lord will never put you in trouble since you have never done wrong in your life.” The Angel kept coming and the message was the same as was given to all the Prophets before. A resounding call to turn towards the One True God and to obey none
pg2
besides him and an oath to follow His Prophet. The message that was revealed had to be passed and the clarion call that had been given numerous times before to all people and at all times in this world was being given the last and final time. A man who did not even know how to read or write was now talking about the greatest and most formidable problems of philosophy, human psychology, nature and its functioning, embryology, biology, astronomy millenniums ahead of his time. He seemed like a heretic, a skeptic, an infidel to the Arab Commoners who were being lectured about the water cycle, the Big Bang, the Cosmos, the zygote and above all man and his purpose in this Universe. “Verily, Ar-Raid (one whom his people trust with life to search for water and alert about an enemy) does not lie to his people. By Allah Even if I lied to all people, I would never lie to you, and if I deceived all people, I would never deceive you. By Allah, other than Whom there is no deity worthy of worship, I am Allah’s Messenger to you in particular and to all people in general. By Allah! You will die just as easy as you sleep, and you will be resurrected just as easy you wake up from sleep. You will be recompensed on account of what you do, earning good for good and evil for evil. Verily, it is either Paradise for eternity or Fire for eternity.” This was the first open declaration of the message and the beginning of a revolution. A revolution like none other. He was promised by his Creator to be tested in the time yet to come and his companions along with him as was Allah’s way through ages and generations. But after the trials and tribulations Victory was promised just like it was to all other Prophets who were bearers of the flag of Truth in their times. With a handful of people on his side and the world against, the board was being laid out and confrontation was only beginning to start, but first on an ideological footing. The war of Ideas had already started with Muhammad(pbuh) delivering the first blow through a dogma that raked up people’s hearts and talked about them as if they knew too less about themselves.
This time in our
past
Jan 2 1492 Granada, the last Muslim state of Al Andalus fell to the Spanish Dec 26 1925 Under Ataturk, Turkey officially shifts from the Hijri to Gregorian calendar Dec 29 1930 Allama Iqbal gives a speech outlining the vision of a Muslim state in South Asia – Pakistan Jan 16 1979 The modernist Shah of Iran, who unsuccesfully tried to westernize Iran was forced to depart amidst the revolution led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Unsurprisingly, the US supported the Shah.
Pioneers of
Flight The idea of humans having the ability to fly is an enchanting one. For thousands of years, people from all corners of the world have attempted to defy gravity and soar like birds. Abbas ibn Firnas, a Spanish inventor of the 9th century managed to achieve un-powered glider flight in Cordoba by building a set of wings covered in bird’s feathers. While his attempt was successful, his inability to slow down led to a disastrous crash landing that probably discouraged further attempts by enterprising inventors like him. In the 1600s, another brave man attempted to succeed where Abbas ibn Firnas failed. Hezarafen Ahmed Çelebi was a polymath who lived in Istanbul during the height of the Ottoman Empire. In 1630, he built a set of glider wings that he could attach to his body. According to the Ottoman historian and traveler, Evliya Çelebi, Hezarafen jumped from the top of the Galata Tower in Istanbul with his wings and managed to glide across the Bosphorus strait to Doğancılar Square – about 2 miles away. Since the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul separates the continents of Europe and Asia, this can be considered as the first intercontinental human flight in history. He was rewarded for his achievement by Sultan Murad IV with gold coins, but was later exiled after numerous advisors of the sultan convinced him that Hezarafen was a threat to the sultanate. Inspired by these achievements, his brother, Laragi Hassan Çelebi, in 1633 built a rocket made for a human passenger. The rocket was powered by over 300 pounds of gunpowder and according to Evliya was a part of the celebration of the birth of the Sultan’s daughter. After numerous assistants lit the fuses for his one of a kind rocket, Lagari soared up about 300 meters into the air. When his rocket ran out of fuel, he opened a pair of wings he fashioned for himself, and gently managed to glide down to the Bosporus, and then swim to the shore. Source: Lost Islamic History
Across The Globe
Kashmir Unrest At least 117 civilians lost their eye sight and more than 7000 were injured by the use of pellet guns and other measures taken by Indian armed forces against the unrest in Kashmir after the encounter of Burhan Wani. Gulbarg Case Ahmedabad Court convicted 24 and acquitted 36 for lack of evidence; Zakia Jafri unhappy with the verdict. Zakir Naik Dr. Naik slams govt. in his ‘Letter to India’; says ban on Islamic Research Foundation was a set up. Cow Controversy 4 Dalits stripped, beaten up for skinning dead cow. Najeeb Issue A student of JNU, Najeeb Ahmad, went missing on 15th October after ABVP members beat him during their campaign in the hostel. Muharram Violence Low intensity bomb thrown at procession in Bengal triggered communal violence. Jamod Riots Police provided free hand to saffron forces during riots in Jamod, Maharashtra: Jamiat Ulema-hind.
Checked
Syria Russia and Iran wreak havoc at Aleppo Israeli Wildfires Netanyahu calls it “fire intifada” despite no proofs of fires being as they defend Assad regime. man-made. Mecca Attempted Missile Attack Saudi security forces intercept missile fired by Donald Trump Saudi Arabia slams Trump’s promise to move US embassy to Jerusalem. Houthi rebels towards Mecca.
Campus Watch
Demonetization A supposedly bold move turned into a national crisis. Done with the intention to fight corruption, terrorism and black money it brought the economy to a standstill and led to more than a 100 deaths. Another reminder of the fragility of the existing economic system.
Palestine Netanyahu backs calls for pardon of soldier convicted of manslaughter Turkey Coup A military coup surfaced in for shooting dead a severely wounded Turkey in July last year. Fateullah Gulen Palestinian in the West Bank city of Hebron. blamed. US Elections US intelligence agency admits interference of Russia in US presidential Egypt Mohamed Morsi has death sentence elections. overturned.
Jamia Millia Islamia “Students of Jamia” started campus-wide campaigns aimed at sensitive issues. They distributed leaflets to spread awareness and condemn the recent vilification of Dr. Zakir Naik & ban on IRF and the brutal killings of innocents in Aleppo by the Assad Regime and it’s Allies. A program on “Read & Understand Quran” was conducted in Jamia Millia Islamia on 15th January at Ansari Auditorium, JMI by the Imam council, Haram. The students were trained by an official trainer from Al Masjid Al Haram. Students held protest against illegal raid of boys hostel carried out by intelligence bureau (IB) officers on 13th August, 2016. Jamia Hamdard
Ramadan vs. Ramzan: How to Do Things with Words By Daniel Haqiqatjou Xenophobic Patriots: Will The True Patriots Please Stand Up? By Mikaeel Smith
A united and strong students platform was made by various organizations coming together to form AMU Students’ Front (ASF). ASF also organized ‘Save the Nation ‘ campaign. AMU Students Union’s peaceful protest over disappearance of Najeeb were brutally attacked by the police and several students were injured and arrested. A bold and necessary step by the Union while the issue was being sidelined by national media. AMUSU celebrated Allama Iqbal’s birth anniversary, with an enlightening program ‘Uqaab’ in Kennedy Auditorium giving insight into his phenomenal contribution to the revival of Islam. Prof. (Retd.) Abdul Haq of Delhi University was the chief guest and requested AMUSU president Faizul Hasan to make a copy of Kulliyat-e-Iqbal available in every hall.
JargonExplained
Haidth.do
A collection of 39000+ ahadith of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) from most accepted and authenticated Hadith books.
Strategies of Prophet Muhammad By Omar Khayyam
This book outlines the strategies adopted by the Prophet which led to his unmatched success in his mission.
Fehm Ul Islam Documentary
A classic documentary defining the fundamentals of Islam and contrasting the “deen” from its flawed interpretation as a religion.
IslamHouse.com
The largest and the most authentic free online reference to introduce Islam in world languages.
Ribat
Editorial Board
Derived from râbata, meaning “to station and stay in place”, ribat in its abstract refers to voluntary defense of Islam. Classically, ribat referred to the guard duty at a frontier outpost in order to defend dar al-Islam. The one who performs ribat is called murabit. Throughout time, ribats have been established as fortresses for the defense of Islam and as centres of learning where those strong in belief and ready to sacrifice the comforts of the worldly life would station themselves for a particular time, undergo rigorous education (scholarly and military) and defend Islam. It is then no surprise that Allah has enjoined Ribat unto His slaves and promised to bestow rewards for those who
A bedouin joined the Imam for Fajr Salah. He had an appointment after the prayer but the Imam decided to recite Surah Baqarah (The Cow). As a result of the length of this Surah, the bedouin was delayed and missed the appointment. The next day he arrived early and joined the Imam again who this time began to recite Surah Feel (The Elephant). As soon as the bedouin heard the word Feel, completely angry, the bedouin broke his Salah and left the mosque immediately, shouting “Yesterday you read The Cow and took almost an hour to finish; today you are reciting The Elephant, you will probably finish at midnight.
Man-made Laws vs Shari’ah
Author: Dr. Abdur Rahman Ibn Salih Al Mahmood Publisher: Darussalam This book appears at a time when many other books and ideas are being propagated to justify the status quo of the ummah, and the position of those who are not ruling by what Allah has revealed and to detract from the seriousness of the situation. It also discusses in detail the extreme views which are clouding the ummah’s vision: The Murji’ah who state that faith is simply the matter of belief in the heart, with no link to action and the Khawaarij who maintain that any sin equals a major kufr act which puts a person beyond the pale of Islam. The author highlights these distorted views, then explains the middle way of Ahl as-Sunnah wa’lJamaa’ah, based on the Qur’an and Sunnah, where faith is composed of both belief and action, and it may increase and decrease; while sin does not necessarily equal a major kufr act, but there are some major sins which do constitute major kufr acts and put a person beyond the pale of Islam, such as ruling by something other than what Allah has revealed. Once these concepts are clarified the Ummah may judge for themselves what course to take and whom to pledge allegiance to.
Book Review
The Secularisation of Ehsan (Islamic Excellence) By Abdullah Al Andalusi
No. of girls’ hostels AMU team wins North Zone Inter-University Youth Festival Quiz increased in Jamia Championship. Hamdard following expression of insecurity by girls living AMU students held a outside the campus. protest march against the use of pellet guns Aligarh Muslim University on innocent Kashmiris BJP made it’s stand clear with regards to AMU’s minority status and the illegal raids by stating in Supreme court to take back the affidavit on carried out in Jamia Minority Status which was filed by Indian government during Millia Islamia by the UPA term. Intelligence Bureau.
these out yet?
On a Lighter Note
Assorted Write-Ups
The dilemma of
Nationalism & Islam Hisham Jameel Siddiqui, BA, AMU
Of the challenges that the human race faces today, nationalism is one of the gravest. A nation according to Luigo “is a collection of individuals who are joined together by the factor of territory, blood, language, culture or history” Nationalism is a political ideology which holds that the nation or state is of utmost importance. The ideology elevates the nation to the level of a god and enforces the faithful obedience of the nation on its citizens. It not only makes gods out of nations but demons of other nations. Thus the one human race is divided into various groups i.e. nation states without exercise of its free will while claiming superiority on each other merely on the basis of birth. In present times we are first American, Saudi, Turkish, Egyptian, Indian, Iranian or Pakistani than anything. Thus our “humanity” is evoked only when it serves our national identity. The common bond of humanity and of one universal human race exercising the sense of judgment, free will, having moral stands, nurturing sympathy and empathy, love, justice, concern for others is being sacrificed at the altar of nationalism thus rendering humanity to pieces. Just look at the World Wars to get an idea! As far as Islam is concerned in this regard, it ends apart from nationalism – the two being incompatible. Islam by nature is a universal religion, for entire mankind. It treats
strive for it. O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful. (TMQ 3:200) Evidences from ahadith also reflect this: Salman(ra) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah as saying, “Observing Ribat in the way of Allah for a day and a night is far better than observing Saum (fasting) for a whole month and standing in Salat (prayer) in all its nights. If a person dies (while performing this duty), he will go on receiving his reward for his meritorious deeds perpetually, and he will be saved from Al- Fattan.” (Sahih Muslim) Indeed Ribat is one of the foremost sunnah of the Sahaba and for Islam to thrive in the modern world, there is a need for an ideological fortress that stands strong against the concepts of jahilliyah and upholds the flag of “No ilaah but Allah”; where murabitun are trained to protect and propagate Truth.
mankind equal and as one single unit with reason endowed to recognize truth and falsehood. Islam is not based on and is neither for any racial, cultural, lingual, geographical group; who enjoy certain nationality nor recognizes it as criteria for judgment. The following verse of the Quran points out what is the real basis of judgment: “O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” (TMQ, 49:13) The universal spirit of Islam is exceptionally laid out in the Prophet’s (pbuh) Farewell Sermon where he states: “All mankind is from Adam. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab; white has no superiority over black, nor does a black have any superiority over white; [none have superiority over another] except by piety and good action.” Islam emphasizes on the concept of Ummah or Islamic Brotherhood/Community the basis of which is not race, ethnicity, nation, common history or descent, geographical setting but rather a submission to God. The Prophetic hadith in this regard is as follows: “The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one of the limbs suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever”. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
...(contd. on pg4)
pg3
Sealed Nectar Reading the Seerah in a postmodern world Malik Farooq, PhD, AMU
The postmodern world- with the ruthless capitalistic imperialism as its core- has rendered humanity to shreds. When open market liberalism is the hallmark of every human transaction, the building blocks of humanitymorality, ethics, love, honesty, integrity and compassion are mere words with no takers at all. The rejection of the concept of God and the embrace of atheism has resulted in a political system which believes in choice, where end justifies means. The concept leads to such a politico-socio-economic and cultural environment where the self, not values, guide the course of action. The world we live in is marred with uneven distribution of wealth, warfare, hatred, racism, apartheid and injustice. Socialism, communism, individualism, secularism, liberalism and a collage of varied isms have been used to cure the ailing humanity but the end result has been more or less the same in every case. No ideology is powerful enough to enchain the desires and instincts of man than a control and discipline from within. We have tried and failed miserably but never learnt. We have seen empires rising to power, we have recorded ideologies sweeping the face of this globe, we have witnessed the march of armies with the barrel and bayonets of democracy but every time we have seen this world going from bad to worse. We have Iraq before and after the dawn of enforced democracy. We have Middle East with a vicious cycle of imported violence despite literally bathing in the wealth of oil. We have 90% wealth with 10% people. We have Red Indians and aboriginals. We have brutal papacy which imprisoned and sent science to gallows. We have science which declared God dead and restricted the concept to an individual’s whims and fancies. We have world government which sings and dances to the tones of the powerful and poor nations which live on the mood and mercy international hegemony. We have feminism aimed at the destruction of womanhood. We have women’s emancipation that does not allow women to cover the basics of modesty. We have millions of annual reported rapes and still more unreported ones. We have fractured societies and a living dead humanity! But is there a solution? Is there an answer to the questions of where we are headed? A prescription for our ailments, bodily and spiritual? An ideology which can give us back ourselves? Is there an answer to the cry of the conscience?
The answer is a big YES. The problems discussed above may seem oceanic but their solution is simple. We do not have to look forward, rather we have to go backwards, 1400 years back. It is the life and message of a man named Muhammad, Peace and Blessings of ALLAH SwT be upon him. He taught us back then humanity. He taught us how to be what we have been made. He taught us what we knew not. He gave the simplest answers to the toughest riddles of life. He was unlettered yet whom he taught became teachers par excellence. He taught us faith with logic. While he guided us on family issues, he was at the same time laying the foundations of the most just economic system the world has ever seen. At the moment he was teaching us metaphysics, he was laying the practical guidelines of compassion and mercy to be followed in war and battle field. The moment he was giving his sermon on pulpit regarding ethics and morality, he was teaching us the finest statecraft ever. He was the perfect human, the best person, the best guide, the best life partner, the best father, the best statesman, the best legislature, the best ruler who not only ruled the state but reined the heart, mind and soul as well. He had an unparalleled personality with no example from history and an open challenge for future as well. It is his message which can truly rudder the ship of humanity to its logical culmination. He has been acknowledged even by his adversaries and vehement critics as the best and most perfect human to have ever walked on the face of this earth. He has done what nobody ever has and none can ever do. He brought a revolution in only in two decades which changed the course of human history for all times to come. His was a revolution which not only altered the social political economic cultural or military aspects of the society but resulted in the change of faith, outlook, belief. And above all a God fearing, disciplined and integral society, a just socio-economic order, a pious statecraft and morally laden politics came into being. His message fructified into a society where an Ethiopian slave was addressed as ‘our master’. The message of Muhammad(saaw) gave us a political system of which the conquered sing and the vanquished praised. He gave us a world which was even envied by the heavens. The world we are living in can have a sigh of relief from all its problems if it reverts back to the message of Muhammad (saaw) who according to Michael H Hart ‘was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels.’ And for whom G. B Shaw has this to say, ‘He must be called the Savior of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much needed peace and happiness’.
Keeping this modern finding in mind, read this: “then He turned to the heaven when it was smoke....” (TMQ 41:11)
Mohammad Abdullah, MBBS, AMU
The science of modern cosmology, observational and theoretical, clearly indicates that, at one point in time, the whole universe was nothing but a cloud of ‘smoke’ (i.e. an opaque highly dense and hot gaseous composition). Scientists are now observing new stars forming out of the remnants of that ‘smoke’.
The Days of
Fitan
Alamat e Sughra
The Minor Signs before Qiyamah
• Years of deceit in which the truthful person will not be believed and the liar will be believed. • People will observe Salam only to the known ones. • Smog will appear over cities because of the evil that they are doing. • Time will pass rapidly. • People will claim to follow the Qur'an but will reject hadith & sunnah. • Singers will become common. • The leader of a people will be the worst of them. • The disappearance of knowledge and the appearance of ignorance. • Trade will become so widespread that a woman will be forced to help her husband in business.
pg4
Interesting indeed! When asked, Dr Alfred Kroner (Professor of the Department of Geology at the Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany) said: “Thinking where Muhammad came from . . . I think it is almost impossible that he could have known about things like the common origin of the universe (chapter 21, verse 30) because scientists have only found out within the last few years, with very complicated and advanced technological methods, that this is the case”. Adding to this he, further, said: “Somebody who did not know something about nuclear physics fourteen hundred years ago could not, I think, be in a position to find out from his own mind, for instance, that the earth and the heavens (sun, moon, stars, galaxies) had the same origin.”
Editorial Board
Al-Kabair The Major Sins
We start this section with some very common-place actions (among many others) that, according to most scholars, render one outside the fold of Islam. • Not regarding a kafir(someone who has rejected Islam after it has been made clear) as kafir or doubting that their religion is/can also be correct. • Believing that the guidance of someone other than the Prophet(pbuh) is better or a decision other than the Prophet’s(pbuh)decision is better. • Hating something that was brought by the Messenger(pbuh) (Shariah). • Ridiculing any aspect of the Deen given through the Messenger(pbuh). • Believing that it is permissible to go beyond the bounds of shari‘ah i.e. not obliged to follow the messenger (and follow a path other than Islam). • Turning away from the path of Allah, and not learning or acting in accordance with it.
(contd) The dilemma of
Nationalism & Islam But in contrast, nationalism divides people into citizens of nations which are but imaginary lines on the map and thus divide the Ummah, who cease to be Muslim and become Turkish, Afghans, Indians, Arabs, Pakistani, Iranian and others. The relation of Islam and Nationalism is discussed by Dr. Ali Mohmmad Naqvi where he observes nationalism as an ideology, first surfaced into Europe and brought to the East to divide it into nation states where the yoke of colonization wasn’t able to serve the western interest. It was in the same course that by instigating Arab and Turkish nationalism, the Ottoman Empire was destroyed, of what was the last symbolic head of the Ummah. From the above discussion it becomes quite evident that nationalism is in direct contrast to Islam. The nationalism whose basis is one or the other factors on virtue of birth limits the human race and divides it while Islam, where the basis and the uniting factor is belief, gives free exercise of will to people to be the part of the community enjoying equal rights, duties, status, governed by common law. The people residing under such Islamic system, who are not followers of Islam are also given free exercise of religion and are treated with dignity and respect, enjoying the status of Ahl al-Dhimma or The Protected People. Allah says: “There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.” (TMQ 2:256)
Inspirational Musings: Wataniyat, By Allama Iqbal
اس دور ي اجم اور ےہ مج اور، م ےم اور ےہ اسیق ےن انب یک تروش فطل و متس اور ملسم ےن یھب ي کا اانپ رحم اور �ر ت ي ي ب ذہت� ےک آزر ےن �روشاےئ منص اور
In this age the wine, the cup, even Jam is different The cup‐bearer started different ways of grace and tyranny The Muslim also constructed a different haram of his own The Azar of civilization made different idols of his own
ت خ � ي م ب�ڑا ب س ےس ونط ےہ ان �ازہ �داؤں ذم� اک نفک ےہ وہ ہ ب، وج پ ي�رنہ اس اک ےہ Country, is the biggest among these new gods! What is its shirt is the shroud of Deen
ت ش ت را� ٔدہ ي ب �ي ب� ہک � ش ي ذہت� ونی ےہ اغرت رگ اک�اہنٔ ي ن د� وبنی ےہ ت �بازو �رات ي وتحد یک وقت ےس وقی ےہ االسم �را ي وت وفطصمی ےہ، د� ےہ
This idol which is the product of the new civilization Is the plunderer of the structure of the Holy Prophet’s Deen Your arm is enforced with the strength of the Divine Unity You are the followers of Mustafa, your country is Islam
ن اظنرہ ي د� ير� زامےن وک داھک دے ب ت ي اے وفطصمی اخک م اس � وک الم دے
You should show the old panorama to the world O Mustafaa’s follower! You should destroy this idol!
نت ق وہ ي�د اقمیم وت ي ج � ےہ ابتیہ رہ رحب ي ونط وصرت امیہ م آزاد ت ن ت وبحمب الہی س ونط رک � ےہ ق ت دے وت یھب وبنت یک دصا� ہپ وگایہ
The limitation to country results in destruction Live like the fish in the ocean free from country Renouncing the country is the way of the God’s Beloved (PBUH) You should also testify to the Prophethood’s Truth by similar action
ت اس ي اتفگر ي م ونط اور ہ� ي ھچک ےہ س ش ي ار�اد وبنت م ونط اور یہ ھچک ےہ
In political parlance country is something different In Prophet’s command country is something different
ب ت اوقام اہجں ي راق� وت ایس ےس م ےہ �تس خ ��ي�ر ےہ قوصقمد اجترت وت ایس ےس ت ت اخیل ےہ دصا� ےس ي ساس وت ایس ےس ت زمکور اک رھگ وہ�ا ےہ اغرت وت ایس ےس
The antagonism among world’s nations is created by this alone Subjugation as the goal of commerce is created by this alone Politics have become bereft of sincerity by this alone The destruction of the home of the weak is by this alone
خ اوقام ي م ولخمق �دا ٹیتٹبت ےہ اس ےس ي ت وقم االسم ےک ڑج ک��ی ےہ اس ےس
God’s creation is unjustly divided among nations by it The Islamic concept of nationality is uprooted by it