single pages march 2009

ISLAMIC VOICE, March 2009 5

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By the grace of Almighty Allah and your duwa we have successfully completed our Hajj – 2008 programme. We had arranged direct flight, Hajis returned by AI 5508safely on 11th January 2009. We are grateful, thankful to Hajis who have accompanied us. Alhamdulillah Hajis performed Hajj with calm and peace without any problem.Hajis had a wonderful and memorable experience with us.

1st Group stayed in DAR-AL-TOWHID Intercontinental at Makkah (5 Star Hotel) Pkt. 2 in a room, and in Madina MAWADDA AL-NOOR for 21 Days Rs.1,95,000/- only.2nd Group RAWABI BOSTAN (4 Star Hotel) in Makkah and DAR-AL-HIJRA Intercontinental (5 Star Hotel) at Madina for 38 Days Rs.1,85,000/- only.Alhamdullilah as usual every Hajis received gifts by Al-Syed Tours Intl. like 10 liters of Zam Zam, Dates, Saudi Sim Card, Dry cleaning facility, 2 sets of Ehram, Ehram

belt (for ladies 2 sets Ehram, 2 Dupatta), Janimaz, Air Pillow, Umbrella, Towels, Nail Cutter, Scissors, Dairy, Pen and with a set of 4 different sizes of bags etc. Our groupswere accompanied with Ulmas and helped our Hajis to perform all rituals of haj perfectly.Booking starts from February 1st for Monthly Umrah, and Hajj 2009

Our office shifted, and opening on Sunday 15th of February 2009We invite you all on the auspicious opening cermony at 4.00pm

The Muslim World


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For Details Contact: 9880225027 / 9844031915 / 9845413027 / 9886508292

Booking started for Ramzan Umrah 2009 & Hajj 2009

Alhamdulliah, We thank all our Hajis who performed Hajj with us and we are glad to wish them Hajj Mabrook. We had successful Hajj 2008by the Grace of Almighty Allah.

Insha Allah our 1st SUMMER UMRAH Group will depart in March 2009, 18 Days Package, BLR-JED-BLR Rs.65,000/-2nd Group will depart in April 2009 with Ziarath (Makkah, Madina, Baitul Muqqadus, Damascus, Jordan, Amman, Iraq)

Organisers of HAJ, UMRAH & ZIYARATH Tours

Regd. Tour Operator by Ministry of External Affair (Haj Cell) New Delhi,The Ministry of Haj Saudi Arabia, Member of KSHOA Bangalore

Booking started, conductedin the month of March, April & May 2009

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2009 2009

HAJ

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The Muslim World


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We are thankful to the for giving us the opportunity to serve the Hajis.

May the Almighty accept the pilgrimage of all those who offered us opportunity to serve them and

reward them all that they sought from Him. We thank all the Hajis on our Haj Tour.

Allah Subhanahu-Wa-taala

HAJ MABROOR

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If one makes it a practice to offe(at least) twelve extra rakahs iaddition to the five obligatorprayers, the Messenger of Alla(saws) gave them the glad tidingof a house which would be buifor them in Paradise.

The Muslim World


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No. 1/12, Naaz Complex, 3rd Cross, N.R. Road, Bangalore - 560 002. Ph.(O): 22227497, 22229097, 22229197, 41224497 Fax: 22234182.Mob : 98440 98497, 94483 78616, 99455 98497. Email: [email protected] / [email protected] Website: www.syedina.com

By the Grace of Almighty Allah we have successfully completed our Haj 2008 programme.Alhamdulillah, we are grateful and thankful for all our Hajis who accompanied and performed Haj with us.

We are also thankful for their kind support and co-oporation which enabled us to serve Hajis better.Booking started for Summer Umrah 2009, Insha Allah Packages will be in the month of April, May 2009.Also Booking started for Ramzan Umrah & Hajj 2009. Only limited seats available. Insha Allah Ramzan Umrah Departure will be on

22nd August 2009 and Hajj 2009 Departure will be on 21st October 2009For others details & further information please contact:

Opinion

of Brahmin establishment to allow or disallow whoever theydeem fit to enter a temple? Why should a secular state beconcerned with the social welfare of only one religion? Themotive of the constitution writers was obvious: to preventthe conversion of Dalits to Christianity or Islam, to “reform”Hinduism to make it palatable to the former untouchables.The Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 applies to (a) any personwho is a Hindu by religion in any of its forms anddevelopments, including a Virashaiva, a Lingayat or followerof the Brahmo, Prarthana or Arya Samaj; (b) to any personwho is a Buddhist, Jain or Sikh by religion, and (c) to anyperson domiciled in the territories who is not a Muslim,Christian, Parsi or Jew by religion.

In other words, legally there is no such thing as aBuddhist, Jain, or Sikh marriage, which is another attempt Cont. on page 14

to deny other religions a distinctive identity and absorbthem in the Hindu fold. The Office of the Registrar Generalthat conducts the decennial census enumerates anyonewho is not a Christian, Muslim or Parsi as Hindu, mostparticularly in tribal areas, in pursuance of a policy of Hinduby default to inflate the religious majority. Article 290A ofthe Constitution, which was added in 1956, provides forKerala state funds to be paid for the upkeep of Hindu templesand shrines in the territories of former princely state ofTranvancore. What state but a denominational one wouldspend government funds to promote a particular religion.

2: Legislative Discrimination: Although freedom ofreligion is granted under the constitution’s Article 25 (1), aCongress government of Madhya Pradesh pioneered anti-conversion legislation during the heyday of Nehru in 1954.Since then as many as 7 state legislatures (Arunachal,Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal, Orissa, Rajasthan andTripura) have passed laws severely restricting conversionfrom Hinduism to other religions while facilitatingconversion to Hinduism. In 1982, when a few hundred Dalitsembraced Islam in Meenakshipuram, the central governmenttook measures to curb conversions. No less than Indira

Gandhi characterized conversions as athreat to national security. Christianmissions and churches have been underattack since decades, often with statecomplicity as demonstrated in August-September 2008 in Orissa and Karnataka.Hundreds of mosques are in illegalpossession nationwide including in NewDelhi, where scores are occupied by thecentral government. It was a Congressgovernment that first locked up the BabriMosque in 1949 by court order effectivelyconverting it into a Hindu temple. Whatbegan under Nehru was successfullycompleted by Narasimha Rao in 1992through the Mosque’s destruction underthe very nose of army, paramilitary and

police. It is ironic that the Indian state is ready to deployarmy to flush out Sikh insurgents from Golden Temple andMuslim rebels from Charar-i Sharif, but not protect BabriMosque from the Hindu mobs’ jack hammers. The states ofGujarat and UP spent government funds to rebuild theSomanatha Temple around the same time when BabriMosque was locked up. It was President Rajendra Prasadwho inaugurated the rebuilt temple in 1951 amidst officialfanfare.

3: Employment Discrimination:Article 16 (2) of theconstitution prohibits discrimination in publicemployment on religious grounds. Yet there arenumerous examples of outright discrimination. PerPresidential orders of 1950 and 1956 the beneficiaries of

BY OMAR KHALIDI

The world community has rightly regardedPakistan and Bangladesh as examples oftheocratic states practicing policies of harsh

discrimination against Hindus and other minorities. SriLanka’s Singhala-centric policies have generated grossdiscrimination against its Tamil citizens. Beyond India’sSouth Asian neighbourhood, numerous Muslim statessuch as Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia follow unjustpolicies towards minorities of all kinds that are an affrontto civilized values everywhere and at all times. India incontrast is seen as a shining example of a secular state.With the Republic Day just gone by, it is time to ask: Butis India really a secular state? I do not think so. Politicalsecularism may be defined as the separation of religiousactivities from those of the state, customarily referred toas “the separation of church and state” in the west.Secularism in theory then would mean thatreligion and state cannot occupy the samespace. The state in its governmentalcapacity does not promote any religionor religious group, nor does it intervenein religious affairs. It cannot even beinvolved in interpretation or “reform”of any religion much less favour oneover any other. This model ofsecularism may be characterized asmaximum separation between state andreligion except on manifest grounds ofmorality, health, and public order.Theoretical formulation, interpretation,and implementation of secularism havevaried in several countries. In Indiancontext, the votaries of Hindutva equateit with appeasement of minorities, thus“pseudo-secularism.” Apologists ofIndian secularism call it “religious equi-distance, not non-involvement,”meaning that the Indian state is neutralbetween religions and religious communities.

I demonstrate that in practice, Indian state actuallyprivileges Hinduism over other religions and religiouscommunities. The Indian state is in fact the defender of thedharma for the following five reasons.

1: Constitutional Discrimination: Article 25 (2) of theconstitution calls for providing “social welfare and reformand throwing open of Hindu religious institutions of publiccharacter to all classes and sections of Hindus.” India’sconstitution does not define who or what is a Hindu, but itdefines followers of Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism asHindus for purposes of Hindu temple entry. Article 25 (2)(b) (Explanation II) states: “the reference to Hindus shall beconstrued as including a reference to persons professingthe Sikh, Jain or Buddhist religion…” Isn’t this the concern

Why India isnot a

Secular StateIndia is seen as a shining example ofa secular state, but in reality theIndian state actually privilegesHinduism over other religions andreligious communities. The Indianstate is in fact the defender of thedharma for at least five reasons.

ISLAMIC VOICE, March 2009 10Bouquets and Br ickbatsBouquets and Br ickbatsBouquets and Br ickbatsBouquets and Br ickbatsBouquets and Br ickbats

LETTERSEditorial

No Respite toNo Respite toNo Respite toNo Respite toNo Respite toRawRawRawRawRawan Senasan Senasan Senasan Senasan Senas

In the speech that PramodMuthalik delivered at Udupi on17 January, 2009, he referred tothe Malegaon blasts as just acurtain raiser. He notoriouslycalled out to Hindus to becomemilitants, he brazenly urgedHindu women to give up thecooking ladle in favour of abomb. The speech reminded meof the article of Bal Thackeraythat urged Hindus to becomesuicide bombers. If stringentactions are not taken even thistime, such demagogues willcontinue to lead ingenuousmasses astray. If terrorism hasto be exterminated root andbranch, such Rawan Senas needto be identified that are carryingout their agendas in the nameof Rama. Rawans like Muthalikand Bal Thackeray and othersmust be put behind the barsbecause no cost is dearer thanthe peace and security of thenation itself.

Khan YasirNew Delhi.

[email protected]

WWWWWest Bengalest Bengalest Bengalest Bengalest BengalMadrasasMadrasasMadrasasMadrasasMadrasas

It is heartening to note, fromyour Feb 2009 issue, thatMadrasas in west Bengal arecatering to the educationalrequirements of even nonMuslims. It is well known thatmadrasas are the mostimpoverished of all educationalinstitutions in India. They offerlow cost education, thebeneficiaries of which willtherefore be the underprivilegedof the society. In the currentscenario wherein IndianMuslims try to thrive onpleading, be it for subsidies,reservations or dole outs, thebroadmindedness and thegenerosity of the BengalMadrasas is indeed exemplary.They have shown thatgenerosity need not be aprerogative of rich alone. Thisbigheartedness is akin to“Sakhawat-e-nafs” in Sufiparlance. A little deeper analysiswill show that such harmonybetween majority and theminority communities has beenpossible because of the commonmedium of instructions, since inwest Bengal the Lingua Francaof all religious groups is Bengali.Perhaps Kerala is another statefrom where we can hear of suchenlightened Madrasas. In therest of country where theMadrasas are Urdu-centric wewill perpetually remain isolated.An easy way forward will be ifthe Urdu based madrasas startEnglish medium sections atleastto cater to 10-20% of theirstudents. It is not difficult to setup English version of “dars-enizami” and its related modulesas long as we have scholarlylinguists like Yogender Sikandamongst us.

Dr A AhmedBangalore

Azan is notAzan is notAzan is notAzan is notAzan is not‘Disturbance’‘Disturbance’‘Disturbance’‘Disturbance’‘Disturbance’

This is with reference to thearticle, ‘ Manual for socialharmony for Muslims, ‘ in theDecember 2008 issue of IslamicVoice. There are few goodpoints in this. But the advisegiven on Azan and Qurbani ispathetic, How can Mr Siraj eventhink of these things? Has thewriter turned a deaf ear to thereligious hymns of Hindus andthe church bells which goes onin the morning? Azan is a callfor prayer and by no means, it isa disturbance or nuisance. IfMuslims begin to do this, theday will come when themosques will shut downbecause of our careless attitudeand ideas to please otherpeople.

About cows, the price ofbeef has gone up because ofconsumption from all othercommunities and the leatherexport by which thegovernment gets good revenueis generated from this skin.Without killing the animal youcannot make leather .

I request the writer to gainknowledge about all thingsbefore writing about them.

Syed Nooruddin AhmedMysore

[email protected]

The Importance of Intra-Muslim Dialogue

Historically, there have been few efforts among Muslimsto address and reform the ways in which the differentMuslim sects, particularly Shias and Sunnis, consider

and relate to each other. In part, this is because the tradition ofijtihad has been largely lost and Islamic thought has fallen prey tostagnation and rigid taqlid or blind conformity to past precedent.Had Muslim scholars cared to revisit much of their inheritedintellectual tradition, we would have been spared some of the horrorsof intra-Muslim, particularly Shia-Sunni, rivalries and conflicts thathave, over the centuries, taken a terrible toll.

In its origins, the Shia-Sunni split was a product of a particularpolitical context and a particular political conflict, which should havebeen addressed and solved. However, this did not happen, and thesedifferences were magnified by taking on a religious colour. No seriousefforts were made to reduce or to put an end to these differences.

Today, a fairly large number of socially conscious Shias andSunnis are seriously interested in promoting Shia-Sunni dialogueand understanding. It must be admitted that Shia leaders are takingmuch more interest in this regard than their Sunni counterparts. TheIranian Government has even set up a special organization, calledAl-Majma al-Alami Li’t Taqrib Bayn al-Mazahib al-Islamiya, forprecisely this purpose, something that no government of any Sunnicountry has done.

The only sensible and proper way to approach the question ofShia-Sunni relations and to seek to improve them is through dialogue.Such dialogue must be predicated on both groups working witheach other on issues on which both of them are agreed, and onsearching for points for discussion and exchange with regard toissues on which they differ. Shia-Sunni dialogue, it must berecognized, is indispensable for the project of wider Muslim unity,solidarity and ecumenism. Through this sort of dialogue both groupscan benefit and learn from each other. And yet, throughout thecenturies, this work of dialogue has been almost wholly neglected.It is necessary, therefore, to take up Shia-Sunni dialogue not just asa political necessity but also as a religious imperative. Both Shiasand Sunnis believe in the same Quran, which exhorts believers tohold fast to the rope of God and not to split into sects. It is preciselybecause the issue of Shia-Sunni dialogue has not been seriouslytaken up by the Shia and Sunni religious leadership that imperialistforces inimical to Muslims and Islam have taken, and continue totake, advantage of these sectarian differences to weaken both ofthem. It is intriguing in this regard to note that while today variousIslamic groups are talking so much about inter-religious dialogue—something that, of course, is very welcome—they continue tocompletely ignore the pressing need for intra-Muslim sectariandialogue, such as between Sunnis and Shias and between thedifferent sect-like groups among the Sunnis.

It is urgent that socially conscious Shia and Sunni ulema seriouslytake up the issue of Shia-Sunni dialogue. In this they must be inspiredby a genuine concern for the other. They must seek to understandeach other. They must desist from heated polemics. They must alsostop thinking that dialogue can only happen when the supposedlyrival party gives up the views that the other party does not agreewith. Obviously, no dialogue can at all happen if this is the case. Itis also imperative that Shias and Sunnis refrain from promoting hate-driven propaganda against each other. Instead of seeking to discusstheir differences in a serious and academic manner, often these arebrought out into the streets by rabble-rousers who have a vestedinterest in stirring Shia-Sunni strife. This is precisely what hastransformed Pakistan into a living hell of sectarian hatred and war.Such elements must be sought to be socially ostracized andmarginalized.

While talking about Shia-Sunni ecumenism, one must also raisethe question about the possibility of Sunnis accepting the Shia Jafarischool of Islamic jurisprudence or fiqh as a legitimate one, a fifthschool in addition to the existing four schools followed by mostSunnis. The Jamia Al-Azhar, one of the largest and most influentialmadrasas in the Sunni world, recognizes the Jafari school, in additionto the Ibadi and Zaidi schools, as legitimately Islamic. Half a centuryor so ago, Shaikh Mahmud Shaltut, rector of Al-Azhar, had evenadvocated the inclusion of the Jafari school in the madrasa’s


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Community Round Up

BJP leader Katiyar to visitDarul Uloom

Faizabad: BJP national general secretary Vinay Katiyar, who haddemanded a ban on Darul Uloom Deoband, will soon visit theseminary and address ulemas. The MP said he has received aninvitation from Darul Uloom, which he had, earlier last month, allegedof having contacts with Pakistan-based terrorists organisations.Singing a different tune, Katiyar said there is no question of banningthis “world-famed Islamic centre”.

“We should be proud that we have Deoband like Islamic centrein India which gives religious direction to rest of the world,” Katiyarsaid. He claimed his earlier remarks on the seminary were guided bythe report of the Second Administrative Reforms Committee, headedby Congress leader Veerappa Moily which “blamed this Islamicseminary of having contacts with terrorists organisations”. “It isnot me but the Congress which is saying that Darul Uloom had linkswith terrorists organisations,” Katiyar told the media. “Now the Centreis left with only two options. First if this report is correct it must takeaction and ban the institution. If the report is wrong, Congress shouldimmediately seek apology from the Muslim community and sack Moilyand others involved in preparing the report,” he said. ■

Islam not against yogaDeoband: Clerics at the highly revered seminary in Deoband town

in Uttar Pradesh said that yogawas fine as long as no non-Islamic religious rituals wereinvolved. “Islam does notprohibit anyone from practisingyoga or any other kind ofphysical exercise. Only thing isthat with what belief you aredoing it? If you are doing it forhealth reasons, there isabsolutely no problem inpractising yoga or any other exercise,” said Qari Usman, an experton Hadith at Darul Uloom. “In fact the Prophet had laid stress onpeople leading a healthy life. Historically there have been traditionsof different kinds of exercises in Muslim civilizations,” added Usman,also a former pro-vice chancellor of the seminary that attractsthousands of students. Yoga guru Swami Ramdev has suggestedthat non-Hindus can chant Allah in place of Om while doing yoga.Qari Usman reacted to this: “Exercises are done for physical fitness,why include religious mantras?” Indonesia’s Ulema Council alsoknown as MUI issued a ‘fatwa’ asking Muslims to stop practisingyoga saying it included chanting of Hindu mantras. The Indonesianfatwa follows a similar ban imposed by Malaysia’s top Islamic bodyin November, 2008. ■

Sadhus of Ayodhya and Legislators of SindhAssembly join for Peace

Hundreds of Sadhus in Ayodhya lead byMahant Bhavnaath Das, chief of the Hanumangarhitemple and ministers and legislators from thegovernment and opposition parties in the SindhLegislative Assembly in Karachi, Pakistan becameone in signing the Joint Petition against terrorismand war. This Joint Signature Campaign byCitizens of India and Pakistan against terrorism,war posturing and to promote cooperation andpeace between India and Pakistan was launchedon 9th January 2009 simultaneously from 22cities in India and 17 cities in Pakistan. Civilsociety organisations in both the countries arefacilitating the Signature Campaign in hundredsof cities, towns and villages of India andPakistan. Many prominent personalities,members of Parliament, editors of newspapers,

academicians, artists, scientists, social activistsand others have endorsed the Petition thatdemands that both the governments of Pakistanand India should practise zero tolerance forreligious extremism and terrorism, takeappropriate actions to root out terror groups, setup joint action and investigation mechanism,desist from war posturing, address all issuesthrough dialogue and cooperation, and follow allconventions of UN and SAARC against terrorismand for cooperation. The Petition also appealsto the media of both countries to propagate andstrengthen positive attitudes for the resolution ofall outstanding problems in the region. If you wantto endorse as an individual, then sign and endorsethe Petition online by clicking: www.petitiononline.com/indopak/petition.html ■

Child Welfare Award for Mukkam Orphanage

BY A STAFF WRITER

New Delhi / Calicut: The Mukkam MuslimOrphanage (MMO) Committee has been given theNational Award of Excellence in the field of ChildWelfare for the year 2007-2008. The Award waspresented to V. E. Moyi Haji, General Secretary ofthe MMO on February in New Delhi by Ms. SoniaGandhi, chairperson of the United Progressivealliance government at a function held under theaegis of the Ministry of Women and ChildDevelopment. The award carries Rs. 3 lakh and a

certificate. This is the second time the Orphanagehas been adjudged the winner of the Child WelfareAward. It came their way in 1982 earlier.

The Mukkam Muslim Orphanage is located atMukkam, 30 kms from Calicut, and has 1,100 inmates,427 boys and 685 girls. It was set up in 1956 with 22orphans. The MMO today runs nearly half a dozenschools, a degree college, a couple of mosques, anIslamic cultural centre, an Industrial Training schooland a working women’s hostel. More informationcould be had from: www.mmomukkam.org ■


NOOR ALLAH PRODUCTIONSTwo Days of Awareness and Awake ness

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“INSIDE-OUT”We also request you to invite brothers and sisters of other faiths. Allthe Talks & Seminars are absolutely FREE for people of all faith.

Saturday, 14th Feb 2009Harmony, Happiness & Success 10.30 AM – 9.00 PM

Sunday, 15th Feb 2009Faith, Religion, Character, Manner v/s Diseases of Heart

And its impact on society from Islamic perspective10.30 AM – 9.00 PM

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Register your names and help us make appropriate arrangements &reserve your seats.

We highly recommend you to REGISTER with us for theconvenience of all and those who register with have priority of sitting.For Discipline & Co ordination. Email: [email protected] Note:

a) Please do not bring children under the age of 7, for the benefit of all and for thejustice and mercy for the young.

b) People who come in late will not be allowed to attend the ongoing session; youwill have to wait for the next session to commence.[Session I: 10 30 AM-1:00; Session II: 2:45 PM – 5:00 PM; Session III: 7:00 – 9:00 PM]

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Community Round Up

Furniture Designers - Interior Decorators

Crescent Engineering College, Chennai is nowB. S. Abdur Rahman University

BY A STAFF WRITER

Chennai: The B. S. Abdur Rahman CrescentEngineering College here has been conferred thestatus of deemed university by theHRD Ministry on therecommendation of the UniversityGrants Commission. It is the firstMuslim minority institution to beconferred the status of a universityin the state of Tamil Nadu. It will behenceforth known as B. S. AbdurRahman University. The CrescentEngineering College will berechristened as B. S. Abdur RahmanInstitute of Science and Technology.

Mr. P. Kanniappan, former vice chancellor ofthe Alagappa University, Karaikudi has beenappointed the first vice chancellor of the University.He will hold the post for three years. He is aprofessor of mathematics.

The B.S. Abdur Rahman Institute of Scienceand Technology has initiated the process of itsdisaffiliation from the Anna University of

Technology following theconferment of the deemed Universitystatus.

According to a spokesman fromthe BSA institutions in Chennai, thepermission was received onDecember 16, 2008. The Universityhas signed an MoU for tie-up withthe Columbia University in theUnited States.

The Crescent EngineeringCollege was set up in 1984 at

Vandaloor in Chennai by business tycoon B.S.Abdur Rahman. It was later named as B.S. AbdurRahman Crescent Engineering College. The groupalso runs Crescent Residential Schools and severalother institutions. ■

Best ExportAward forHind AgroIndustries

BY A STAFF WRITER

New Delhi: The Hind AgroIndustries has bagged the BestExport Oriented Unit award forthe fifth consecutive year.Hind exports processed meatto 45 different countries of theworld especially in Africa,Europe and Russia. The BestExport Award was presentedby the Union Minister forCommerce Mr. Kamalnath onFebruary 4 in Delhi tomanaging director of theIndustr ies Mr. SirajuddinQureshi. Hind exported meatand its products worth Rs. 500crore during 2006-2007. Theexports help nearly 1.75 lakhlivestock farmers in UttarPradesh. It has set up an ultramodern meat processing plantin Aligarh. The meat iscertified ‘Halal’ by authenticclerics at the plant after dueinspection. ■

ISLAMIC VOICE, March 2009 13Community Round Up

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Proposed “YATHEEM KHANA” atDarul Uloom Sayeediya,Kaval Byrasandra, Bangalore - 32

Darul Uloom Sayeediya Trust has proposed toestablish a Yatheem Khana in its new extensionbuilding being constructed at the site oppositeits Madrasa, in its unique effort to help orphanchildren of our community with free boarding,lodging and education. Rooms are beingconstructed and donors are requested to assist.Construction of one room costs 1.5 lakhs. Pleasecontribute in your name or in the names of yourdeceased relatives for one or more rooms asSAWAB-E-JARIA. Names of the donors will bedisplayed on the particular rooms built with theirassistance. Date of inauguration will beannounced shortly. . For further details pleasecontact.Moulana Syed Abdur Rahim Sayeed Rashadi,

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Community Round Up

Scheduled Castes’ reservation can only be Hindus, Sikhs andBuddhists but not Christians and Muslims. If an SC changes religionafter obtaining employment or admission to school, he or she mustforfeit job and withdraw from school as has happened in numerousinstances. But if the SC reverts to Hinduism, he or she can resume his/her status as an SC as courts have ruled.

Discrimination in Army: Right after 1947, Kashmir’s predominantlyHindu army was absorbed in the national army; whereas Hyderabad’slargely Muslim army was disbanded, rendering nearly 20,000 jobless.The Indian army’s infantry regiments are still based on religion (Sikhregiments), or ethnicity (Gorkha) or caste (Rajput) or region (Garhwal) inwhich members of other faiths, ethnicities, and regions are barred. Whilea bearded Sikh may become chief of the army staff as did Gen. J.J. Singh,a Muslim may not sport beard in any of the armed forces. Only Jhatka isserved in army messes and langers forcing Muslims to becomevegetarians. A Hanuman temple greets visitors upon entering virtuallyevery cantonment in the nation, hinting non-Hindus that they don’tbelong there. In their public addresses to the soldiers and officers, atleast two army chiefs—Generals B.C. Joshi and Shankar RoyChowdhury—have used references to Hindu scriptures to the exclusionof the Quran and the Bible.

4: Cultural Discrimination: There are numerous examples where Hinduculture is conflated with Indian culture. The ban on cow slaughterdeprived thousands of butchers their livelihood even as it stole millionsof poor their only source of inexpensive protein. Cow may be sacred tothe upper castes, but not so to the Christians, Dalits, and Muslims.Food taboos of some higher castes do not end at beef. Beyond beef,eggs may not be sold publicly by court order as it offends some castesensibilities. Nor can school children bring food of their choice if itoffends Hindus. Official functions of the government whether at thecentral or state levels often commence with Hindu ceremonies of lightinglamps, breaking coconuts, and recitation of slokas. There is nodisapproval to the fact that functions of central and state ministries ofeducation begin with Sarasvati vandana . In September 1993, Air Indiatook delivery of a Boeing 747 in Seattle, Washington where theRamakrishna Mission performed a puja invoking Lord Ganesha.Ministers lay foundation stones of government buildings preceded bybhoomi puja ceremony as if the state belongs only to Hindus. InVishakhapatnam, I witnessed a ship launch amid saffron-robed, ashenfaced sadhus singing bhajans, a function nearly mistaken as a Hindufestival. In a trip to the United States in 1984, AP Chief Minister N.T.Ramarao found nothing objectionable in spending government fundsfor distributing medallions with Sri Venkateshwara’s image amongpotential investors in his state. A large stone image of a reclining Vishnulocated at the entrance to the IGP’s headquarters in Bangalore is morefitting for a temple than a secular state’s police building. Almost everypolice thana in West Bengal has a Kali temple, none has a mosque in astate with nearly 30 percent Muslim population. Muslim police traineesin Andhra Pradesh, school children in Gujarat, Maharashtra andnumerous other states have been forced to perform Surya namaskaragainst their will. Government school texts in Hindi and regionallanguages assume all pupils to be Hindu as the contents are soakedwith idioms, phrases, signs, symbols, and icons of Hinduism to theexclusion of material from other religions and cultures. Textbooks ofhistory and social studies are replete with gross distortions of Indianhistory of all eras, ancient, medieval and modern, in which Muslims andChristians are invariably the villains, traitors and foreigners. Until theadvent of television in the 1980s, All India Radio was the main source ofinformation and entertainment to middle classes. The government-controlled AIR began its programs with Vande Mataram, Mangala dhwani,Vandana, and Hindu lyrics. Rarely did AIR broadcast anything pertainingto Christian or Muslim cultures. Like the AIR, during its heyday, seldomdoes Door Darshan show any serials of Muslim or Christian character.When it broadcasted serials of historical or literary figures—Tipu Sultan,Ghalib—they were caricatured into modern stock characters stripped oftheir distinctive cultural identity.

5: Religious Pogroms: Finally no modern, secular democracy otherthan India experienced multiple, state-sponsored pogroms—that of Sikhsin 1984 and of Muslims in 2002. In both instances, the highest in theExecutive branch of the government justified the pogroms: Rajiv Gandhiwhen his mother was murdered; and Narendra Modi when the trainburnt in Godhra. For all these five reasons, India is not a secular state. Itis in fact the defender of Hindu dharma. ■

Why India is not a Secular StateCont. from page 9


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AMU to have 5 CampusesBY M. A. SIRAJ

The Aligarh MuslimUniversity (AMU)will be setting up five

campuses in various regions ofthe country. These would comeup at Bhopal, Calicut, Katihar(Bihar), Pune, and Murshidabad(West Bengal). The HumanResource Ministry of the Uniongovernment has sanctionedpermission for the five regionalextension centres in order tocater to the education of theMuslim minority. It hasearmarked a sum of Rs. 4,000crore for the new campusesduring the 11th five-year plan. TheAMU is a Central University asper its constitution and elects aVice Chancellor every five yearsthrough its Court, arepresentative body ofprominent Muslims and itsalumni.

The University now seesitself as a catalyst in promotingeducation among the Muslimminority. The University was sofar mainly admitting studentsfrom educationally backwardstates like Uttar Pradesh andBihar. This was owingparticularly to its geographicallocation in Aligarh. But under itsnew role, it has set up admissioncentres in Kolkata, Calicut,Bhopal and Pune and will be

adding Lucknow and Hyderabadfrom the 2009 academic session.The current Vice Chancellor Dr.Abdul Azis has initiated severalmeasures to enforce strictdiscipline in the campus whichsaw some unruly incidents inrecent years. He is casting thenet wide to recruit better talentsand the University has begunadvertising vacancies forteachers in non-Urdu and non-English media too.

The MAO College wasupgraded into the AligarhMuslim University in 1921 andbecame a Central University afterIndependence. Its campus on thenorthern side of the city ofAligarh has now 22 faculties,several institutes of higherlearning and several edificesreflecting the Islamic architectureof India. Around one-third of thetotal 30,000 students are non-Muslims. The University hasproduced luminaries such assinger Talat Mahmood, filmdialogue writer Dr. Rahi MasoomRaza, song writer Shaharyar,writer Qurratulain Hyder,Historian Irfan Habib,Geographer Mohammed Shafiand zoologist Shamim Jairajpuri,

Dr. Manzoor Alam, to name a few.AMU’s history department haswon universal laurels while itsengineering college is all likelyto be given an IIT status shortly.

Advent of Vice ChancellorDr. Abdul Azis, a Keralite raiseda few heckles in the academiccommunity. A disciplinarian Dr.Azis has enforced a strict codeof discipline for teachers toremain on their seats between 8

am and 4 pm. University estatesare being streamlined and landmafia is being weeded out. Filesare cleared speedily. Nocondonation of lack ofattendance for students too hasbruised a few egos. Last year,some goons set aflame the ViceChancellor’s lodge.

Dr. Azis, who was previouslyVice Chancellor of CochinUniversity is a marine biologistholding a Ph.D and D.Sc inAquatic Biology. At the helms inAligarh for the last 21 months,he is the first non-Urdu speakingVC of the University. He spoketo Maqbool Ahmed Siraj.Excerpts:

Q: How do you look at AMU’sstanding among academicinstitutions today?

A: The Aligarh MuslimUniversity enjoys a fairly goodstanding among the universitiesin the nation. It is on 9th positionamong 300 Indian universities inmatters of research publications.The AMU’s engineering collegefigures on 7th position forfunding during 10th Plan by Prof.

Joshi and has beenrecommended for upgradationon par with the IITs. PURSE, arating of centres for excellencein science and technology, hasrecognized our engineeringcollege too as a centre ofexcellence. Our HistoryDepartment is recognized as themost prestigious centre ofexcellence in the country since1968. Even Arabic Department is

considered a centre of excellence.Q: AMU seems to have

developed an ambitious plan toexpand beyond its campus?Would it be in conformity withits Constitution which makes ita residential and CentralUniversity?

A: The AMU stands outamong central universities. TheAMU Act recognises that it wasestablished by Muslims of Indiaand it carries a minority characteralong with secular character. TheAMU Act as amended in 1981reshaped its jurisdiction underclause 5(2)C which makes itmandatory for the University topromote educational and culturaladvancement of Muslims inIndia. It could not be taken upduring all these years. Now thishistoric initiative is being takenup. We will set up five extensioncentres in Calicut, Pune, Katihar(Bihar), Murshidabad (WestBengal) and Bhopal.

Q: Education beinggenerally looked after by theState Governments and Muslimeducational backwardness

owing itself to deficiency at theprimary level, do you think theAMU would be able to make adifference to the lot of schooleducation?

A: The AMU, Banares HinduUniversity and the Jamia MilliaIslamiah at Delhi are the onlyCentral Universities in thecountry that are allowed to runschools. At least one-third of thestudents in the AMU currentlystudy under eight high schoolsbeing run in Aligarh. The modelwill be replicated in all fiveextension centres. This willaddress the issue to some extent.But we may be able to runteachers’ training programme forUrdu medium schools at theextension centres.

Q: Any initiative to upgradethe general academic standardsand environment of theUniversity?

A: Several measures havebeen taken recently. I have placedan academic rejuvenation agendato guide 500 doctorates. Underthis, 500 theses have to besubmitted every year. This yearwe could produce 320.Classroom attendance has beenenhanced to 75 per cent ascondition for appearance inexams. Every teacher is beingasked to produce at least oneresearch paper. Nearly 1,000papers have been submitted thisyear by teachers. 500 teachers willbe required to bring researchprojects each worth Rs. 20 lakhevery year from overseas. Wehave signed MoUs withuniversities like Georgia, GeorgiaTech, Wisconsin, YoungstownTown University and severalothers. A diploma course is beingintroduced on Islamic Bankingand Finance from next year.■


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Issues

Saving Islam from its Self-Styled SavioursBY MAULANA WARIS MAZHARI

For almost two decadesnow, self-styledjihadist outfits based

in Pakistan have been engagedin a war against India in Kashmir.This war of theirs has nosanction in Islam, which does notallow for proxy war, and that tooone declared by non-stateactors. It is an explicit violationof all Islamic principles. Theseoutfits, which have considerablesupport inside Pakistan, see theconflict between India andPakistan over Kashmir as areligious struggle, and theywrongly describe it as a jihad.They regard their role in Kashmiras but the first step in a grand,though completely fanciful, planto annex India into Pakistan andconvert it into what they styleas darul-islam, the Abode ofIslam. But what they finallydream of establishing, or so theyboast, is Muslim hegemonythroughout the entire world.

I have used the term‘hegemony’ here deliberately, forradical Muslim groups inPakistan and in the Arab worldhave been indelibly influencedand shaped by the hegemonicdesigns of European colonialismin the past and Westernimperialism today, and, in somesenses, are a reaction to thishegemonic project. They seek tocounter Western politicalsupremacy and replace it by whatthey conceive of as Islamicpolitical supremacy. In my view,this approach is in sharp contra-distinction to Islamic teachings.

Today, as the case of thePakistani self-styled jihadists sotragically illustrates, many ofthose who claim to be strugglingin the cause of Islam themselveswork against Islamic teachingsby deliberately or otherwisemisinterpreting them. This is thecase with their misuse of the termjihad in the context of Kashmirin order to win mass support forthemselves. The dispute

between India and Pakistan overKashmir has been lingering formore than half a century. A majorhurdle in the resolution of thisconflict is the self-styledjihadists based in Pakistan, whoinsist that the conflict overKashmir is an Islamic jihad andthat, therefore, war is the onlysolution. They claim thatparticipation in this so-calledjihad has become a duty bindingon all Muslims, and some ofthem, most prominently thedreaded Lashkar-e Tayyeba,even go so far as to claim thatthe war in Kashmir is nothing butthe ghazwat ul-hind, the ‘waragainst India’ which ismentioned in a saying attributedto the Prophet Muhammad. Bythis they want to suggest thatwaging war against India is anIslamic duty, somethingprophesied by the ProphetMuhammad himself.

What is the actual meaningand implication of the statementattributed to the Prophetregarding the ghazwat ul-hind,which the Pakistan-based self-styled jihadists regularly refer to,and grossly misinterpret, in orderto whip up anti-Indiansentiments and seek what theywrongly claim is Islamic sanctionfor their deadly terror attacksagainst India, in Kashmir andbeyond? Before I discuss that, Imust point out that the statementattributed to the Prophetregarding the ghazwat ul-hind isfound in only one of the sihahsitta, the six collections of Hadithreports of the Sunni Muslims—in the collection by al-Nasai.

This statement was narrated

by Abu Hurairah, a companionof the Prophet. According to him,the Prophet prophesied a battleagainst India. If he (AbuHurairah) got the chance toparticipate in this battle, AbuHurairah said, he would do so,sacrificing his wealth and life. Ifhe died in this battle, he said, hewould be counted among theexalted martyrs. According toanother narration, related by theProphet’s freed slave Thoban,the Prophet once declared thatthere were two groups among theMuslims whom God had savedfrom the fires of Hell. The firstwould be a group that invadedIndia. The other group would bethose Muslims whoaccompanied Jesus (after hereturned to the world). A similarnarration is contained in thecollections of Hadith by Ahmadibn Hanbal, Baihaqi and Tabrani.

Because this hadith aboutthe ghazwat ul-hind mentionsIndia, and is marshalled by self-styled Pakistan-based jihadistsactive in Kashmir, it marks theKashmir conflict out as clearlydistinct from other conflictselsewhere in the world betweenMuslims and others. These self-styled jihadists regularly invokethis hadith, trapping people intheir net by claiming that if theywere to die fighting the Indiansin Kashmir they would be savedfrom hell and would earn a placein heaven. This claim, falsethough it is, is regularly andconstantly repeated, as isevident from a host of Pakistaniwebsites and periodicals. And itis on the basis of this reportedhadith of the Prophet that ultra-

radical Islamists in Pakistan talkabout unleashing a so-calledjihad, extending out of Kashmirand to consume the whole ofIndia. This is no longer limitedto just fiery rhetoric alone, but,in fact, is also now accompaniedby deadly terror attacks indifferent parts of India, whichPakistan-based radicals wronglystyle as a jihad or even as theghawzat ul-hind reportedlyprophesied by the Prophet.

Some aspects of the reportabout the ghazwat ul-hinddeserve particular scrutiny.Firstly, as mentioned earlier, thisreport is mentioned only in thecollection of al-Nasai from amongthe six collections of Hadithwhich most Sunnis regard, tovarying degrees, as canonical.However, considering the meritsor rewards of the ghazwat ul-hindthat it talks about, it ought, onemight think, to have beennarrated by many morecompanions of the Prophet. Butthat, as it curiously happens, isnot the case.

Secondly, and this followsfrom above, it is possible that thishadith report is not genuine andthat it might have beenmanufactured in the period of the

Ummayad Caliphs to suit andjustify their own politicalpurposes and expansionistdeigns. On the other hand, if thishadith report is indeedgenuine—which it might wellbe—in my view, the battleagainst India that it predictedwas fulfilled in the early Islamicperiod itself, and is notsomething that will happen inthe future.

This, in fact, is the opinionof the majority of the ulema,qualified Islamic scholars. Andthis view accords with reason aswell. It is quite likely that theghazwat ul-hind that this reportpredicted took the form of theattack by an Arab Muslim forceon Thana and Bharuch, incoastal western India, in the 15thyear of the Islamic calendar in thereign of the Caliph Umar. Equallypossibly, it could have beenfulfilled in the form of themissionary efforts of some of theProphet’s companions soonafter, in the reign of the CaliphsUthman and Ali, in Sindh andGujarat. Some other ulemaconsider this hadith to have beenfulfilled in the form of the attackand occupation of Sindh byArab Muslims led byMuhammad bin Qasim in the 93rdyear of the Islamic calendar,which then facilitated the spreadof Islam in the country. Thismight well be the case, for thehadith report about the ghazwatul-hind contained in the Masnadof Ahmad ibn Hanbal, a well-known collection of Hadith

It is imperative, and extremely urgent for Muslimscholars, to take strict notice of, and stridently opposethe radical self-styled jihadists, who are distorting andmisunderstanding Islamic teachings, following in thefootsteps of the Khawarij of the past and spreading deathand destruction in the name of Islam.

Cont. on page 19

ISLAMIC VOICE, March 2009 18Muslims & Media

“Muslim organisations have no plannedmedia policy…” Kashif ul Huda

Q: What made you set upTwocircles.net? What was your sourceof inspiration?

A: I come from a working class familyfrom Bihar. My father worked for one ofthe TATA companies in Jamshedpur. Hewas also involved in trade union activities,starting soon after the communalmassacre in Jamshedpur in 1964. He wasa major source of inspiration for me. Fromhim I learned the need to work with thecommunity but also that the ‘Muslim-only’ approach will not work, and that,instead, one needs to work with fellowIndian irrespective of faith.

I graduated with a degree inBiochemistry and Cell Biology from theUniversity of California, San Diego. I havebeen involved in pharmaceutical researchsince then. It was after moving to theUnited States in 1995 that I got introducedto the Internet, and I was fascinated bythis new media. In 1997 I started a websitefor Urdu poetry, which later blossomedinto Urdustan.com. This site continues tobe the oldest Urdu website on theInternet.

After the genocidal attacks onMuslims in Gujarat in 2002, I felt that therewas a desperate need to put all theinformation about Indian Muslims in oneplace. That led me to launch anotherwebsite, IndianMuslims.info. I soonrealized the need to bring Indian Muslimstories on a daily basis, and I didn’t seeanyone else doing it. So, in 2006, with abudget of $1200 that we estimated to beenough for 6 months, we started the newsservice. In 2007 the news division wasspun off under the name ofTwoCircles.net, which now brings out,free of cost and freely accessible on theInternet, daily news and features updateson issues related to the Indian Muslims.

Q: Why the name Twocircles? Whydid you choose that name?

A: It is inspired by a quote fromMaulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar, the greatIndian Muslim freedom fighter. He oncefamously declared, ‘I belong to two circlesof equal size, but which are not concentric.One is India, and the other is the Muslimworld’.

Q: What do you feel have been theachievements of Twocircles.net so far?And what are the major challengesbefore you?

A: Our little effort is much appreciatedby Indian Muslims because there was apressing need for this sort of work. Ourapproach has been to take Indian Muslim-focused stories but to treat the subject ina very objective manner. Our approach incovering Indian Muslims news and issueshas been positive as compared to thepopular traditional approach of many

Muslims of mere BJP/RSS/ Israel bashing.While the so-called ‘mainstream’ mediareports about Muslims only whensomething bad happens—some Imranasort of issue, fatwas on controversialtopics or a terror attack—TwoCircles.nethas been able to cover stories of commonMuslims and their achievements andproblems. We are also trying to beinclusive in our approach by coveringnews from other marginalized sectionssuch as women and Dalits.

I have experience of creating websitesand writing for the Internet media for thelast 10 years, so that helped us in creatinga website that gives a unique, media-richexperience over the Internet. Our storiesare enhanced by slideshows, audios andvideos to give a truly multi-mediaexperience to visitors of our site. This is,in some sense, unique and very few otherIndian news website come close in thatregard. So I am happy not only about thequality of our journalism but also aboutthe delivery of our content.

Our major difficulty is of generatingenough funds. Indian Muslims are acommunity of at least 150 million and theyare spread all over India and so it is achallenge to get stories from each state.We don’t have enough people on theground to cover as widely as we wouldlike to. We are also not able to reach tovast majority of Indian Muslims—only atiny fraction of them are connected to theInternet. Further, we are aware that mostof our reports and stories relate to northIndia, and that we need to give moreattention to other parts of the country.We are trying to address this issue.Recently, we appointed a reporter inMumbai for western India. In a few

months, we hope to hire someone in southIndia to cover news from that region.

Q: What impact do you thinkTwocircles.net has made in influencingdiscourses on and debates about IndianMuslims?

A: A regular reader ofTwocircles.net—whether Muslim or non-Muslim—will certainly be more informedabout real Indian Muslim issues. He orshe can easily sense that Aligarh MuslimUniversity, Urdu, and Personal Laws arenot the main topics of concern for themajority of Indian Muslims. He or she willalso learn that there is immense diversityof language, culture, practices, andopinions among Indian Muslims.

We receive several thousand visitorson our site every day. There are a largenumber of journalists and opinion makersthat watch us on a regular basis, so wehope that by reaching out to them theyare able to see various sides and nuancesof stories related to Indian Muslims.

Q: What do you have to say about theIndian Muslim media? Also, how do youlook at the ways in which the Indian so-called ‘mainstream’ media depictsMuslims?

A: I think the Urdu media in India hasimproved a lot in the last few years.However, the Indian Muslim media inEnglish still remains lamentably verylimited. It consists of just a very fewmagazines which, while they were a goodidea ten or twenty years ago, have notkept pace with the time. Almost none ofthem do any field-based reporting, andmost of them are simply a collection ofopinion pieces. Furthermore, they simplyreact to the agenda set by the so-called‘mainstream’ media. More than lack of

money and training, it is the lack of visionthat is hampering the growth of the IndianMuslim media.

As far as the so-called ‘mainstream’media is concerned, there are indeedbiases against Muslims and othermarginalized communities, but I believe ithas also to do with the nature of thecorporate media. They are set up tomaximize profits, so if they think a story isinteresting or sensational and will sell well,they will broadcast or publish it withoutthinking too much about consequencesor even checking facts. I don’t think theyare driven by hate against Muslims, but,yes, these journalists need to be educatedabout Islam and Muslims. Some of themmay personally be prejudiced againstMuslims under the influence of theHindutva-Sangh ideology, but I believethat the majority of Indians are free of thisprejudice.

Q: What you feel about how IndianMuslim organisations have sought torelate to or use the media to get theirconcerns and views across?

A: Most Indian Muslim organizationsstill use fax and write their press releasesin Urdu. So, not surprisingly, their viewsnever even reach most media houses.Some have set up what they call mediacells, but, basically, their only or majorfunction seems to be to disseminateinformation about their organization’sactivities. They also keep an eye on whatmedia is reporting about Muslims andIslam, but, sadly, do little at all to seek toengage the media, whether by dialoguingwith media persons, writing letters ororganizing protests, if the need arises. So,I would say, these Muslim organizationshave no well-planned media policy oreven a basic understanding of how themodern media works.

I can’t see any planned efforts beingundertaken by Indian Muslim groups todevelop and promote media relations. Forthat, they would first need to understandhow the media functions and what theconstraints and limitations it works underare. Only after that can they can startcultivating relationship with journalists.They need to understand that journalistsare not going to be their enemy or friendsor whatever—they are just doing their joband looking for stories. If you havecompelling and interesting stories theywould like to get an exclusive access tothem. Even a simple letter writingcampaign, if done in an organized andconsistent way, can yield surprisingresults. Along with the national media, thelocal and vernacular press should also bepart of any media policy of Muslimorganisations.

(Kashif can be reached [email protected]) ■

34 year-old Kashif ul-Huda runs Twocircles.net, theleading Indian Muslim news and features web site. Inthis interview with Yoginder Sikand he talks about hiswork and reflects on Indian Muslims and the media.


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Commingling of Two Oceans: Majma ul-Bahrain Author’s name: Prince Muhammad Dara ShikohPublisher: Hope India Publications, Gurgaon, India([email protected]) Price: Rs. 250

Book Review

Mysticism is equalityREVIEWED BY YOGINDER SIKAND

Sufism, or Islamicmysticism, providesrich resources for

developing theologies of inter-faith dialogue and solidarity, anurgent necessity in today’sworld where talk of a global‘clash of civilisations’ threatensto become a frightening reality.In this regard, the works ofnumerous Indian Sufis isparticularly significant becausethey lived and wrote in a multi-religious context, addressingand attracting people of differentfaiths—Muslims, Hindus andothers. Some of them developedunderstandings of Islam andother faiths that went beyondnarrowly constructed communalboundaries, defying the emptyand soulless ritualism thatserved to divide communitiesfrom each other.

Of the various Indian Sufitreatises of this sort, perhaps thebest-known work is the ‘Majmaal-Bahrain’, or ‘The Comminglingof the Two Oceans’, byMuhammad Dara Shikoh, eldestson of the great Mughal Emperorof India, Shah Jahan, and heirapparent to his throne. The ‘twooceans’ referred to in the title of

the book denote Islamic Sufism,on the one hand, and theVedantic thought as containedin the Upanishadic tests of theHindu tradition. As the titlesuggests, Dara sought to arguethat, essentially, the two were thesame thing, although bearingdifferent names. In this way, hesought to craft an innovativeapproach to inter-faith relations,and one that can provideinteresting ideas for similarefforts in our own time. TheEnglish translation of this workhas long been out of print, andHope India Publications, anupcoming publisher based inGurgaon, deserve our specialthanks for bringing it out, andthat, too, at a fairly affordableprice.

The Majma al-Bahrain isbest understood in the contextof Dara’s own life. Like any otherMughal prince, Dara’s earlyeducation was entrusted toulema of high calibre, who taughthim the holy Qur’an, Persianpoetry and Sufi treatises. In hisyouth, Dara came into contactwith numerous Muslim andHindu mystics, some of whomexercised a profound influenceon him. The most noted among

these was Miyan Mir, a QadriSufi of Lahore whose disciple helater became, and who is bestremembered for having laid thefoundation-stone of the GoldenTemple of the Sikhs at Amritsar. .

Dara’s close and friendlyrelations with Muslim and Hindumystics led him to seek to explorewhat both systems of mysticismhad in common. Accordingly, heset about learning Sanskrit and,with the help of the Pandits ofBenaras, made a Persiantranslation of the Upanishads,which was later followed by hisPersian renderings of the Gitaand the Yoga Vasishta.Throughout this endeavour, his

fundamental concern was thequest for the discovery of theUnity of God, or tauhid as it isknown in Islam.

Dara expresses this concernin his Persian translation of theUpanishads, the Sirr-i-Akbar(‘The Great Secret’) thus:

And whereas I wasimpressed with a longing tobehold the Gnostic doctrines ofevery sect and to hear their loftyexpressions of monotheism andhad cast my eyes upon manytheological books and had beena follower thereof for many years,my passion for beholding theUnity [of God], which is aboundless ocean, increasedevery moment Thereafter, I beganto ponder as to why thediscussion of monotheism is soconspicuous in India and whythe Indian mystics andtheologians of ancient India donot disavow the Unity of God,nor do they find any fault withthe Unitarians.

Dara’s works are numerous,all in the Persian language, onlysome of which are readilyavailable today. His writings fallinto two broad categories. Thefirst consists of books on IslamicSufism and Muslim saints, andthe other on the religious beliefsof the Hindus. Dara’s writings onSufism show him to have been adevout, practising Muslim, albeitopposed to the soulless ritualismof many of his contemporary‘ulema.

Dara wrote extensively on thereligious systems of the Hindus,following in the tradition ofseveral Muslim mystics andscholars before him. Inaccordance with the teachings ofthe holy Qur’an, Dara saw thepossibility of some religiousfigures of the Hindus havingactually been prophets of God,and of certain Hindu scripturesas having been originally beendivine revelations. Thus, forinstance, in the Sirr-i-Akbar heclaimed that a strong strain ofmonotheism may be discerned inthe Vedas and opines that themonotheistic philosophy of theUpanishads may be ‘inconformity with the holy Qur’anand a commentary thereon’.

The Majma-ul Bahrain is themost well-known of Dara’sseveral works on the religioussciences of the Hindus.Completed when he was forty-two years old, this book is apioneering attempt to build onthe similarities between Islamand certain strands of Hindumonotheistic thought, and it isthese two that the ‘two oceans’in the book’s name refers to. Hedescribes this treatise as ‘acollection of the truth andwisdom of two Truth-knowinggroups’. It is, in terms of content,rather technical, focusing onHindu terminology and theirequivalents in Islamic Sufism,showing the close similaritiesbetween the two. The basicmessage that this book conveysis summed up in Dara’s ownwords thus: ‘Mysticism isequality’. And that claim remainsas meaningful today as whenDara enunciated it. ■

Saving Islam from its Self-Styled SavioursCont. from page 17narratives attributed to theProphet, mentions that theMuslim army that would attackIndia would be sent in thedirection of Sindh and Hind.

Thirdly, this hadith mentionsonly a single or particular battle(ghazwa), and not a series ofcontinuing battles, unlike whatthe author of the article in the‘Muhaddith’, referred to above,echoing the arguments ofPakistani self-styled jihadists,claims.

Fourthly, one must raise thevery pertinent question of howit is at possible that, in the faceof the numerous attacks on Indiaby Arab and other Muslims overthe last one thousand years, themore than six hundred rule ofMuslim dynasties thatcontrolled most of India and therapid spread of Islam in thecountry in the period when theyruled, any scope could be left toconsider India a target of jihadin the future. Furthermore, today

India and Pakistan havediplomatic relations and arebound by treaty relations.Hence, the proxy war engaged inby Kashmir by powerful forcesin Pakistan in the guise of a so-called jihad is nothing but deceit,which is a completecontravention of, indeed a revoltagainst, accepted Islamicteachings.

Fifthly, it must beremembered that it would havebeen very easy for Muslimconquerors of India in the past,men like Mahmud of Ghazni,Shihabuddin Ghori, Timur, NadirShah and so on, to present thehadith about the ghazwat ul-hindand wield it as a weapon tojustify their attacks on thecountry. The corrupt ulemaassociated with their courtscould well have suggested thisto them had they wished.However, no such mention ismade about this in history books.In the eighteenth century, the

well-known Islamic scholar ShahWaliullah of Delhi invited theAfghan warlord Ahmad ShahAbdali to invade India anddispel the Marathas, which heaccepted, but yet ShahWaliullah, too, did not use thishadith as a pretext for this.

It is also pertinent to examinehow some well-knowncontemporary Indian ulema lookat this hadith report. MaulanaAbdul Hamid Numani, a leadingfigure of the Jamiat ul-Ulema-iHind, opines that this hadith was

Cont. on page 25

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ISLAMIC VOICE, March 2009 20Life & Relationships

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Third day you witness a whole new world around you by demolitioning (fana)your ego. You see life as simple with Truth prevailing and Falsehood perishing. Youexperience, love, joy, peace, happiness, contentment and bliss, a gift Allah has givenyou to experience and share with others.

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Qur’an Speaks to You

All are equal before Allah’s LawCOMMENTARY BY SAYYID QUTB.TRANSLATED BY ADIL SALAHI

Every religion revealed byAllah comprises three essentialaspects: a faith which settlesdeep into the mind, a set ofworship rituals and a law toregulate human life. Theimplementation of Allah’s law willalways be met by opposition frompeople in authority, those whopursue their own interest or theirvain desires and the deludedmasses who may find theimplementation of Allah’s law aheavy burden. Allah addressesHis servants to whose care Heentrusts the implementation of Hislaw not to fear any human beingsor their resistance, they should fearAllah alone. Allah also knows thatsome of those who are chargedwith the safekeeping andimplementation of Allah’s law mayfind worldly temptations toostrong to resist. As they realize thatpeople with power or money andthose who seek all types ofpleasure oppose Allah’slegislation, they may flatter themin order to gain something of theriches and pleasures of this world.Professional clerics in allgenerations have yielded to suchtemptation as did some Jewishrabbis. Allah addresses all thosesaying to them: “Do not barteraway My revelations for a paltryprice.” This is the price they get inreturn for their silence or for theirdistortion of Allah’s revelations orfor issuing doubtful rulings.Indeed, every price offered ispaltry, even if it includes all that isin this world. How could it bedescribed otherwise, when it is nomore than a position, a salary, atitle and a petty interest for whichfaith is bartered away and hellpurchased? Nothing is morewicked than treachery by a personwho is in a position of trust andnothing is more vile than thedistortion of facts by a witness.Those who are given the title,“religious men” do commit suchtreachery and distortion. Theyremain idle when they are calledupon to work for theimplementation of Allah’srevelation and they lift words outof context in order to please thosein power at the expense of Allah’srevelation. In a most decisive,definitive and general statement,Allah tells us: “Those who do notjudge in accordance with whatAllah has revealed are indeeddisbelievers.” The generality of

this statement makes it absolutelyunrestricted to time or place. Theruling is definitive and applicableto everyone who does not judgeaccording to Allah’s revelation,regardless of where and in whatperiod he lives. The reason is theone we have already explained. Aperson whose judgment is atvariance with Allah’s revelationdenies the Godhood of Allah. Abasic quality of Godhood is theauthority to legislate. Whoeverobserves something other thanAllah’s revelation in his judgmentdoes not only reject a particularaspect of Allah’s Godhood butalso claims for himself certain

qualities of Godhood. If that is notdisbelief, I wonder what is. Forwhat use is a verbal claim of beinga believer or submitting to Allah,when action denies such a claim?Any argument about thisdefinitive, decisive and generalruling is not more than an attemptto avoid facing the reality. To tryto give this ruling a differentinterpretation is simply an attemptto lift words out of their context.Such arguments change nothingof Allah’s clear and definitivejudgment. Having explained thisbasic rule in all divine faiths, thesurah gives some examples of thelaw contained in the Torah which

Allah had revealed so that on itsbasis, prophets, divines and rabbisjudge among the Jews: “In it Wedecreed for them a life for a life, aneye for an eye, a nose for a nose,an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth,and a (similar) retribution forwounds.” These provisionsoutlined in the Torah have beenretained in Islamic law as anintegral part of it, since it is meant

to be the law of all mankind, till theend of time. It is true that theseprovisions may not beimplemented except in the land ofIslam, but this is only for practicalreasons. Islamic authority cannotimplement these provisionsbeyond the borders of the land ofIslam. Whenever and whereverMuslim rulers can implement theselaws, they are required to do so.Since Islamic law is a code for allmankind in all generations, oneprovision has been added to themunder Islam. This is the one towhich reference is made in thefollowing Qur’anic statement:“But for him who forgoes it out ofcharity it will atone for some of hissins.” This was not included in thelaw of the Torah. Retaliation wasinevitable. No one could waive itor forgo it. Hence no atonementof sins could be achieved throughsuch a charitable gesture.

A word on the concept ofretaliation in punishment forinjuries that may not go amiss. Thebasic principle which isestablished through this conceptis that of equality of human beingsand equality before the law. No lawother than that of Allahacknowledges such an equalityso as to make the punishmentequal to the crime and to removeall considerations of class,position, lineage and race. It is aprinciple, which is amplified byits comprehensive application:“A life for a life, an eye for aneye, a nose for a nose, and earfor an ear, a tooth for a tooth,and a (similar) retribution forwounds.” No distinctionbetween rulers and ruled, orbetween one class and another.All are equal before Allah’s law,since they all descend from one

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful“Indeed, We did reveal the Torah, containing guidance and light. By it did the

prophets, who had surrendered themselves to Allah, judge among the Jews, and sodid the divines and the rabbis; they gave judgment in accordance with what hadbeen entrusted to their care of Allah’s scriptures and to which they themselveswere witnesses. No, have no fear of men but fear Me; and do not barter away Myrevelations for a paltry price. Those who do not judge in accordance with whatAllah has revealed are indeed disbelievers. In it (i.e. the Torah), We decreed forthem a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a toothfor a tooth, and a (similar) retribution for wounds. But for [those who do not act] inaccordance with what Allah has revealed are indeed wrongdoers.”

(The Repast, “Al-Maidah”: 5: 44-45)

Cont. on page 26


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Hadith

No End to Charitable Deeds

COMMENTARY BY ADIL SALAHI

Abu Hurairah quoted the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying: Acharity is due for every joint in each person on everyday the suncomes up: to act justly between two people is a charity; to help a

man with his mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up his belongings onto it, isa charity; a good word is a charity; and removing a harmful thing from theroad is a charity. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

The Arabic termsadaqah (optionalcharity) is one of a

few to which Islam gives a verybroad meaning. It is often usedinterchangeably with zakah(obligatory alms). Indeed, it isthe term used to refer to zakahin the Qur’anic verse thatenumerates the classes ofbeneficiaries of zakah. But it ismore general than zakah,because the latter denotesonly that part of charitabledonations that Muslims mustpay as a duty. If they refrainfrom paying it, they incur agrave sin. Indeed, Abu Bakr,the first ruler of the Islamicstate after the Prophet and theclosest to the Prophet of all hisCompanions, went to waragainst Arab Bedouin tribeswho declared that they wouldno longer pay zakah. Heconsidered that a rebellionagainst Islam and the Muslimstate. He statedunequivocally, “By Allah, I amgoing to fight those whodifferentiate between prayerand zakah.”

Sadaqah, on the otherhand, refers to all charitabledonations, whether obligatoryor voluntary. It is, however,more frequently used to referto charitable donations thatare given voluntarily. Themeaning that immediatelysprings to mind when the termsadaqah is used is financialhelp given to a poor person,without any obligation on thepart of the giver or anyconditions imposed on thereceiver. Anyone who isfamiliar with Islamicphilosophy can easilyappreciate the great valueattached to sadaqah. This isfurther emphasized by the factthat Islam does not confine itto financial help. Kindlyactions and good turns doneby one person to another areconsidered in the same light.The term has acquired greatsignificance and it has cometo be used in ordinary speech

by all people, whether educatedor not, to refer to any good andkindly work. In hadiths, it isoften mentioned in this light,especially with repeatedencouragement by the Prophetto his followers to do what isgood and helpful to others. Butthe Prophet did not confine histeachings to the encouragementto be good to others, but further

stated that a good deed benefitsthose who do it. By doing it, theydo themselves a good turn. It istheir duty to give and the benefitis theirs for having done it.

In this light, we may considerthe following hadith that isreported by Ibn ‘Abbas, the

Prophet’s cousin: “Every kindlyword is sadaqah; help renderedby a man to his brother issadaqah; a drink of water givento someone is sadaqah; and theremoval of harmful objects fromthe road is sadaqah” (Al-Bukhariin Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, IbnHibban, and authenticated by Al-Albani).

The examples the Prophet

gave in this hadith of charitablework refer to physical actionsrather than financial help. He firstspoke of a kindly word. This issomething strongly encouragedby Islam. What people sayaffects their relations and affectstheir standing in society. Whenpeople learn to use good wordsall the time and to refrain fromusing bad ones, they are lovedby their companions and by allthose who come in contact withthem. The Prophet did notspecify any sort of help thatqualifies as charity, or sadaqah.Therefore, every type of help,whatever it may be, if givenvoluntarily and freely, is an actof charity. The recipients may notbe in need of that sort of charity

or help. They may be able to getand pay for any help they need,but when you come forward tohelp them, you earn the rewardof having been charitable.

A drink of water is consideredby the Prophet a charity. This ishighly significant because,according to Islam, water is oneof the things to which all peoplehave a share. Indeed, they can

claim their share at any time. Ifyou are asked for some water,you have to give it because itcannot be your exclusiveproperty. Nevertheless, whenyou see thirsty people and givethem a drink, that is charity. Thelast example tells us somethingabout the sort of socialcooperation Islam promotes.When you see a harmful objecton the road and you remove it,you are charitable. That harmfulobject may be no more than abanana peel thrown on the roadby a careless person. It can beharmful because it may cause apedestrian to slip. If you take itaway so that it can cause noharm, you are charitable. Itcounts as a charity although the

act is not aimed at a particularperson.

There are further examples ofsuch charitable actions. Thesame hadith is rendered in adifferent and more authenticversion, reported by AbuHurairah who quotes theProphet as saying: A charity isdue for every joint in eachperson on every day the suncomes up: to act justly betweentwo people is a charity; to help aman with his mount, lifting himonto it or hoisting up hisbelongings onto, it is a charity;a good word is a charity; andremoving a harmful thing fromthe road is a charity. (Al-Bukhariand Muslim)

I have often said that theorder in which examples aregiven in a hadith or in the Qur’anis significant. Keeping that inmind, the importance ofmaintaining justice betweenpeople becomes readilyapparent. Muslims are supposedto be just all the time; that is theirduty. By its fulfillment, they earnthe reward of doing somethingfor charity. If they have tostruggle in order to maintainjustice, then that charitybecomes great. Their reward forit is proportionately greater. Inthe second example, the Prophetspecifies one form of help. It isof the type that people may turnaway from because they mayappear to be serving anotherperson. But the Prophet makes itclear that carrying someoneelse’s belongings and puttingthem on his mount is an act ofcharity. By citing this example,the Prophet implies that one mustnever hesitate to render help tohis fellow Muslims regardless ofthe situation or how he mayappear to others when herenders such help. Again, akindly word is mentioned in thisversion of the hadith as an act ofcharity. What is then added isattending congregationalprayers in the mosque. Everystep counts as an act of charity.

In another version of thishadith, the Prophet is quoted tohave mentioned a differentexample of actions that count ascharity: “To smile at your brotheris a charity.” It is needless to saythat a friendly smile workswonders in maintaining andstrengthening good relationswithin the community. When youmeet your brother with a cheerfulface, you promote love,compassion, and kindness withinyour community. These arevalues which Islam alwaysencourages. ■


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Our Dialogue - By Adil Salahi

Insurance and its various forms Q: Could you please explain whether insurance is permissible or not. Various areas of modern life

require insurance, particularly in areas where the law of the land makes it obligatory to have someforms of insurance, as in the case of driving a motorcar.

A: Some scholars take a negative view ofinsurance, stating that it is contrary to Islamic law.They base their verdict on the fact that when youbuy an insurance policy, you do not know whatexactly you are getting in return for your money.There is no doubt that a transaction in which thebuyer is not clear about the merchandise he is buyingis not acceptable in Islam, except in cases where suchambiguity is too small or unavoidable. Thus, ifsomeone says to you: will you buy this brief casewith all its contents for 100 riyals, and you give himthe money and take the brief case, the deal isforbidden in Islamic law. The reason for its prohibitionis that you do not know the contents. They may begood books worth much more than what you arepaying, or they may be blank notepads, or even acouple of old pencils that are worth next to nothing.However, in cases where the ambiguity isunavoidable, it is overlooked and the deal isacceptable. A good example is a deal where a personbuys the produce of a tree. Normally, such a buyerhas a good eye for what he is buying. He isexperienced in estimating such produce and he looksat the tree carefully before making an offer or acceptingan asking price. Scholars who give a verdict ofprohibition on insurance say that only wheninsurance is a form of cooperation to mitigateadversity, it is permissible. Yet essentially insurance

is basically a form of such cooperation, but it involvescompanies that make profit out of it. Other scholarslook differently at insurance and give a verdict ofpermissibility on almost all aspects of insurance,except where it involves usury. One of the leadingauthorities on Islamic law in the twentieth century,Mustafa Al-Zarqa, wrote a book on insurance, lookingat all its aspects. When he tackled the question ofambiguity, he said that it is both too small andunavoidable. As such, it is overlooked. Many scholarsnow support his views, saying that insurance ispermissible, or halal. The point these scholars makeis that when you take out an insurance policy, youare buying a very real product, which is peace ofmind. It is very important for going about life withoutworries about your commercial deals, illness, or beinginvolved in a car accident. Should you meet such anadversity, you know that the insurance company willbe paying out to reduce your burden, or compensateyour loss in part or in full, according to the terms ofyour policy. This view is gaining ground, with moreand more scholars supporting it. According to thisview, all insurance is permissible, except where thepolicy in question involves usury. In evaluatingthis view, the late Sheikh Ali Al-Tantawi said: “Thisview is more accurate and better supported withsound evidence.” You cannot have a betterjudgment than this. ■

The Qur’an in translation Q: I read in your column that the reward for reading the Qur’an only applies to reading it in

Arabic. Could you please explain your answer, and whether it means that we should not read the Qur’anin translation.

A: Reading the Qur’an earns a generous rewardfrom God, because the Qur’an is His own wordwhich admits no distortion, editing, change ormodification. Therefore, reading it is an act ofworship. Although each one of His words carries ameaning, putting the meaning in a differentlanguage is not the same. Anyone who fluentlyspeaks more than one language is aware thatwords from two languages expressing the sameaction are not identical in sense and connotations.Therefore, when we read something in translation,we cannot say that it is identical to the original.The maximum that can be said for it is that it is anapproximation of the original.

Because of the special style of the Qur’an,which is unlike any human form of literaryexpression, an accurate translation cannot begiven. It is for this reason that competenttranslators have attempted to produce differentversions of translating God’s book. None of thesetranslations can be considered a mirror image ofthe Arabic text revealed by God to ProphetMuhammad (Pbuh). At times translators make

mistakes. Besides, no writer can maintain the samedegree of excellence throughout his writing career.Every sentence and verse of the Qur’an is ofsuperior literary merit. How can a human beingachieve a similar excellence? When we speak ofthe act of worship which is reading the Qur’an, weare referring to reading God’s word, as He revealedit to His messenger, Prophet Muhammad . Thismeans the Arabic text, not its translation. TheProphet says that for each letter of the Qur’an weread, we are credited with the reward of a good deed.This cannot apply to a translation. What this meansis that if you want to read the Qur’an as an act ofworship, you have to read it in Arabic. Even if youdo not understand it, or you pronounce the wordswith a heavy accent, you will still be rewarded foryour reading. Reading a translation of the Qur’anin order to understand its meaning and know whatGod requires of us is a worthy act and will, Godwilling, be rewarded. The reward is commensuratewith the effort, time and money a person puts intosuch a learning exercise. Yet it is not the same asreading the Qur’an in its original form. ■

Talking about TaqleedQ: Is taqleed a valid practice? Does it mean that we can accept

any ruling without question?A: Linguistically speaking, taqleed means “imitation, or following

a particular practice”. In another sense, the word means “tradition”.We can see how the word came to acquire both senses, because atradition means the following of a practice that has been approvedas standard by a certain community. In Islamic law, or Fiqh, the wordmeans adopting or following a particular view that is acceptablein a school of thought different from one’s own. Let us take asimple and clear example. According to the Shafie school ofthought, any skin-to-skin contact between a man and a womanwho can be married, or are married, invalidates ablution. The Hanafischool does not consider such contact to affect the validity ofablution. If a follower of the Shafie school shakes hands with awoman or hands something to his wife, touching her hand, he isrequired by his scholars to have a fresh ablution before he canpray. If on a certain occasion he finds this difficult, he may thinkof adopting the Hanafi view on that particular occasion. Can hedo that? If he does, is his prayer without a fresh ablution valid?According to the Shafie school of thought, it is not, but accordingto the Hanafis, it is. Where does this leave him? Before answeringthis question, I would like to remind my readers that Imam AbuHaneefah, the first of the founders of the four schools of thought,did not sit to teach or issue any ruling until year 120 H, when hereached 40 years of age. This means that for 110 years after theProphet’s death, none of the four Imams had uttered a singleruling. Indeed two of them had not been born yet. So, what wasthe status of Muslims who lived during this period lasting morethan a century? I am simply asking this question to make it clearthat following a particular school of thought is not essential. Ihave often stated that in practice very few people adhere to asingle school of thought. A scholar who is well-versed in IslamicFiqh will choose from each school the view he is most comfortablewith, according to the evidence cited in support of that view. Alayman follows a particular school only in the basics which weall learn in childhood. These apply only to daily acts of worship.On major matters, we refer the question to a scholar who doesnot need to know the school of thought the questioner belongsto. He should give him the answer that is easiest and supportedby stronger and better evidence. Only a scholar who studied aschool of thought in depth and decided to follow it diligentlydoes so. Otherwise, we all follow what we learn from scholarswho are required to give us the most suitable ruling in anyquestion we put to them. Where does this leave us. It simplytells us that none of us practically follows a single school ofthought. We all take some views from here and there, as suits us andas scholars tell us to do.■


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Women in IslamBY ASGHAR ALI ENGINEER

Many of our ulema and theologians usuallyclaim that Islam has given the highestposition to women, but having said so they

still treat women just as man’s property.By doing so they go against all Quranic positions on

women and apply all their medieval values and juristicformulations to degrade women and make Islam alaughing stock. A recent case in point is the treatmentbeing meted out to women by the Taliban in Swat. Thereis concrete evidence for what I am saying.

I have long been fighting for women’s rights as givento them by the Quran, and have succeeded in convincingmany Muslim women who thought that Islam was a sourceof oppression for them and hence their salvation lay onlyin secular laws. By quoting extensively from the Quran,I convinced them that Islam gives them an equal statuswith men. But some ulema keep negating all this byissuing fatwas to the contrary.

Recently I came across two fatwas from the DarulUloom Deoband, which is among the most respectableIslamic institutions and can even rival Al Azhar. One oftheir fatwas says that if a man takes a second wife andhis first wife resents her husband’s decision and is nothappy with the new wife, the second marriage stays valid.Thus, a man can take a second wife. Period.

Another fatwa is about divorce. It says if a man typesan SMS to his wife with the intention of divorcing her,but does not send the SMS for some reason even thendivorce will take place simply because he typed the SMSwith the intention of divorcing her. I really find thisshocking beyond belief. Does it not amount to treating awoman as man’s property? I read one article by arespected scholar that when man unjustly divorces hiswife Allah’s wrath descends on him and heavens abovehim begin to shake, Even then these ulema do not hesitatefrom issuing such fatwas. Which position is right? Whysuch glaring contradictions in the approach of our ulema?Can the two positions ever be reconciled? Our juristsand religious leaders need to answer these questions.

The Quran never treats polygamy as a license formen to marry up to four wives, as many of the ulema willhave you believe. There are strictest possible conditionsand two verses on polygamy, 4:3 and 4:129, when readtogether, clearly imply that one should not take a second

wife as and when one likes. It should be only in therarest of rare cases and that too under strict conditions.Justice is a must. And, then, how can a marriage withoutthe consent of the first spouse be valid if justice is to bedone? Pakistan’s law requiring the wife’s permission fora second marriage is fully justified.

The traditional ulema only inquire about the number

of wives one has before performing another nikah, andnever ask as to why a man wants to take another wife.The Quran on the other hand requires a thorough inquiryas to why one may be taking another wife to avoidinjustice being done to the existing wife. It should neverbe permitted if no need to take a second wife isestablished. According to a proper reading of both theverses of the Quran on polygamy, it is as good as banned.

For divorce, too, the Quran first of all requires anattempt at reconciliation between husband and wife.Along with the husband, the wife has also been giventhe right to appoint her own arbitrator and the twoarbitrators together can decide after hearing both theparties whether divorce should take place or not. In mostcases reconciliation can be effected. I think it is the mostmodern concept which all secular courts also resort to.Quranic formulations are quite compatible with themodern-day approach to marital disputes.

But many of our ulema give more importance to amedieval interpretation by jurists over such formulations.It is important to note that the Quran, except in twoverses, does not even use the words ‘husband’ and‘wife’. Instead, it uses words like zawjain (couple),indicating a complete equality between the two. Thewords ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ imply that the husband hasan authority over the wife and hence the Quran desistsfrom using such terms.

What is the way out? I think it is very important thatthose who are leading women’s movements shouldthoroughly acquaint themselves with the Quranicformulations and also obtain knowledge of factors likeculture, feudal values, patriarchal social structure, etc.,which contributed to the early formulations of the Shariapositions. The Quran is the word of Allah and bindingon all. In the Sharia, on the other hand, there are manydifferences among scholars, and that is why so manyschools of law exist among Muslims.

I hope Muslim women will take the initiative and learnthe Quran thoroughly well along with hadith literature,adopting an analytical approach towards thegenuineness of the traditions and bringing about achange in Muslim women’s position. There seems to beno other way out. ¦

(The writer heads the Centre for Study of Societyand Secularism, Mumbai). ■

Women,Ulema and

FatwasThe traditional ulema, while

performing another nikah, neverask why one wants to take

another wife.

Cont. from page 19

Saving Islam from its Self-Styled Saviours

fulfilled at the time of the ‘FourRighteous Caliphs’ of theSunnis, soon after the demise ofthe Prophet Muhammad, whenseveral companions of theProphet came to India, mainly inorder to spread Islam. Mufti SajidQasmi, who teaches at the Dar ul-Uloom in Deoband, is also of thesame opinion, although hebelieves that it might also refer tothe invasion of Sindh by the Arabs

under Muhammad bin Qasim in theeighth century. On the other hand,Maulana Mufti Mushtaq Tijarvi ofthe Jamaat-i Islami Hind believesthat it is possible that this hadithreport is not genuine at all and thatit might have been fabricated atthe time of Muhammad binQasim’s invasion of Sindh in orderto justify it.

Whatever the case might be,the misuse by radical groups ofthis hadith report to spearhead warin Kashmir in the name of so-called

jihad and to foment conflictbetween India and Pakistan istragic, to say the least. It is nothingsort of a crime against God andthe Prophet. It is imperative, andextremely urgent, for Muslimscholars, particularly the ulema, totake strict notice of, and stridentlyoppose the radical self-styledjihadists, who are distorting andmisunderstanding Islamicteachings, following in thefootsteps of the Khawarij of thepast, and spreading death anddestruction in the name of Islam.

(Translated from Urdu byYoginder Sikand)

(The writer, a graduate of theDar ul-Uloom at Deoband is theeditor of the Delhi-based‘Tarjuman Dar ul-Uloom’, theofficial organ of the DeobandGraduates’ Association. He canbe reached at [email protected]) ■

ISLAMIC VOICE, March 2009 26Soul Talk

All are equal before Allah’s LawCont. from page 22single soul created by Allah. This great principle established by Allah’slaw is the true and complete declaration of the birth of man when allhuman beings are considered equal, subject to the same law which ruleson the basis of absolute equality. It is the first declaration of its kind.Human laws have lagged behind for tens of centuries before they beganto aspire to rise to its level, but even then, their aspirations remainedboth partial and theoretical. As for practical application, they continuedto lag behind. The Jews, in whose scriptures, the Torah, this greatprinciple was established, deviated from it in their relations with otherpeople. They used to say: “We are subject to no restrictions in relationswith the Gentiles.” They also deviated from it in their own internalrelations, as we have already explained when two Jewish tribes inMadinah, Quraithah and An-Nadheer established a system of bloodmoney which gave the victorious twice as much as it gave the defeated.Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) brought them back to theimplementation of Allah’s law based on equality. He put them all on thesame level. Apart from its being a declaration of the birth of man, retaliationon the basis of equality is a most effective deterrent which makes anyonewho contemplates killing another or causing him bodily harm think twicebefore putting his thoughts into action. He knows that regardless of hisposition, family connections, class or race, he will be executed for killingand he will suffer the same bodily harm as he causes. If he cuts off thehand or the leg of another person, he will have his own hand or leg cutoff; and if he destroys an eye, an ear, a nose or a tooth, a similar organ ofhis will be destroyed. But he may not hesitate that long when he realizesthat all that could happen to him is a period of imprisonment, long as itmay be. His own physical agony or handicap is so different from puttingup with a period of punishment. Moreover, retaliation on the basis ofequality is the sort of punishment which appeals to human nature. Itquenches the desire for revenge which may be fueled by blind fury andit pacifies hearts and heals wounds. Some people may accept bloodmoney while others insist on retaliation. Under Islam, divine legislationtakes full account of human nature, as it has been done in the Torah.Having ensured the satisfactory punishment of retaliation, Islam appealsto the benevolent element in human nature to encourage charitableforbearance: “But for him who forgoes it out of charity, it will atone forsome of his sins.” It is up to the next of kin of a person who has beenkilled or to the injured person himself in all cases of wounds and injuriesto be charitable and to forgo retaliation. It is up to either person, out ofhis own free choice, to forgo his right to retaliation and to accept bloodmoney in place of it, or to forgo both. If he does, Allah will forgive himsome or all of his sins. It should be added, however, that even if such aperson forgoes retaliation for blood money, the Muslim ruler mayenforce a lesser punishment, as he deems fit, on the killer. ■

BY DR. S. L. PEERAN

The lower self or carnal soul akin to baserfeelings in man, teaches man to commitfolly and to repent in leisure. The holy

Quran refers to this lower self or ego as “Nafs eammara” in the following way:

Verse 53 Sura Yusuf: “I do not exculpate myself.Lo! The Nafs e ammara (carnal, human) soul enjoins(teaches) unto evil. Save that whereon my Lord hathmercy. Lo! My Lord is Forgiving, Merciful”

Verse 26 Sura 38: “Do not follow your low desiresbecause they will lead you astray from the path ofAllah.”

As we are born, our senses and gratification ofpleasures are linked to our food requirements andthe pleasures derived there from. When these desiresand requirements of a child’s daily needs are notfulfilled then the child cries and weeps and calls forits gratification. Thus the first basic instinct is inappeasing the hunger. The second most importantrequirement of a growing child is the protection andsafety from all fears and dangers. The parents providethis security by securing warmth, comfort andprotection from all harms, ill effects and injuries. Thesetwo needs of human beings, in as much as,requirements of food, shelter and seeking protectionfrom every harm and fear are basic for the growth ofa child till the child grows into a full human being.During this period of growth are associated severalfeelings which are inherent in the human being; likeanger, jealousy, greed, likes, dislikes, hatred andlaziness. While protecting one self, the harmfulelements or those which portents to be of danger arerequired to be subdued constantly. That is how the

dangerous elements are recognized as deleterious tothe healthy growth of human child be it illness or anyother such harmful feelings or elements in him. Theneed for constant protection for a child from parentsis through the feelings of love and attachment. Thereis reciprocation and this grows constantly over theperiods of growth and development. Any disruptionor deprivation of love and attachment would be acause for depression or ill feelings with many sideeffects. The negative feelings arising due to lack oflove and affection are all associated with ‘Nafs eammara’ or the lower self of man. A weaning fromfrustration, greed, sloth and slumber, anger andjealousy caused due to non-gratification of sensesor otherwise are fundamental to the healthy growthof an individual. This is where the culture, educationand light acquired through several ages of learningprocess helps in the normal healthy growth of anindividual.

The ‘Nafs e ammara’ or lower self remains raw inthe early stages of growth and development of innerpersonality of man. Childish pranks, tantrums,adamancy, stubbornness, laziness, petty jealousies,quarrels, lack of understanding are all part of the ‘Nafse Ammara’. There will hardly be any understandingor good feelings, higher knowledge or realization ofhigher consciousness or presence of Almighty Allah.‘Nafs e ammara’ is the rudimentary stage of inner selfor ego or carnal soul. It keeps demanding forsatisfaction of its low desires, passions and for itsconstant gratification. Thus it is selfish and selfcentered. In ‘Nafs e ammara’ the intelligence is at itslowest ebb and has no part to play. Therefore there isthe need of canon law, the Shariat, to regulate the

‘Nafs e ammara’ to higher levels ofconsciousness, so that it isbrought within the bounds ofAllah (Hoodadullah). The ‘Nafs eammara’ or carnal soul is requiredto be bridled to enable man to livein peace and happiness and to bea good citizen. For achievinggoodness, for acquiring moralfear, for good behavior and for selfrealization; ‘Nafs e ammara’ isrequired to be kept under constantwatch and control. Such a ‘Nafs eammara’ which is subjected to thelaws and commands of Allah isreferred to as ‘Nafs e lawamma’ or‘moral self’. All good feelings,compassion and mercy areassociated with ‘Nafs e lawamma’.When the ‘Nafs e ammara’ is totally

annihilated the soul becomes agod imposed soul or ‘Nafs emutmaenna’. It is at this stage thathigher intelligence assumesimportance for Allah’s realization.“As for such men as entertainedthe fear of standing before theirLord and controlled their soul fromlow desires, their abode will beparadise.” “Have you seen onewho takes his passions as hisdeity? They are like beasts.” “Hewho purifies the soul issuccessful, and he who ruins it, isruined.”

[The writer is editor of ‘SufiWorld’. He can be reached [email protected] visit http://www.internationsuficentre.org). ■

Nafs-e-Ammara or Carnal Soul of ManThe carnal soul is required to be bridled to enable man to live in peace and happiness.

Salath Timings for Bangalore

Late Dr. Syed Abdul Zahir M.S., Astronomer! The Latitude of Bangalore is 13o North and the Longitude is 77o 36' East.

MonthDate

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01030507091113151719212325272931

5:245:235:225:215:205:195:185:165:155:145:125:115:105:085:075:07

6:366:356:346:326:316:306:296:276:266:246:246:226:216:196:186:17

12:3212:3212:3212:3112:3112:3012:3012:2912:2812:2812:2712:2712:2612:2512:2512:24

3:533:533:523:513:513:503:493:483:473:463:453:443:433:423:413:40

4:504:504:504:504:494:494:494:494:484:484:484:474:474:464:464:45

6:286:296:296:296:296:306:306:306:306:306:306:306:316:316:316:31

7:397:407:407:407:407:407:417:417:417:417:417:417:427:427:427:42

Mar.

HIJRI CALENDARMARCH 2009

31421

MON TUE WEDSUN THU FRI SAT

85 6 741522

91623

1017

241

111825

2

121926

3

132027 28 29 30

11

18

25 26 27 28

1

12

19

63 4 52

13

20

7

14

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8

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29

9

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Rabi ul Awwal / Rabi us Sani 1430

Rabi Ul Awwal

Rabi us Sani

March

March

Rabi us Sani


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