Thursday, October 29, 2015

Sharia Exposed Published

Sharia Exposed to be published by All Things That Matter Press is coming alive Soon as a musical Harp of Peace, teasing the rusted strings of truth and evoking the divine symphony of God’s own love, justice and harmony.—First is the unfoldment of Islamic paradox which emerges as the splitting of Islam into multiple sects and bringing about demise of Oneness with the knives of sectarian pride, prejudice and intolerance.—Islam, in likeness of a giant tree, its manifold limbs hacked off by violence of inclement winds and storms shows only one stump of a tree, bruised, gouged, mutilated by uncontrollable fury of nature wild and untamed.— This misshapen stump is thirsting for the nourishment of love, harmony, reprieve before it could sprout afresh, but even before that it must be cauterized of all toxic elements, so that its bleeding roots could be healed and bandaged.— For such a process of purification Sharia de Fabricated is adopted by All Things That Matter Press with the pure intention of saving Islam from the inferno of hate and distortion.— If Islam could be revitalized with doses of love, wisdom and understanding, it needs to slough off its garment of multicolored patched lies which have cut through the fabric of Islam like naked blades of hatred and intolerance.—Sharia has become a tool of violence in the hands of extremists.— Man-made bullets of zeal, bigotry which could only be blunted with the diamond of knowledge.—Sharia was concocted by the authors of zeal several centuries after the death of Prophet Muhammad.—It was invented by brutes and bigots comprised of man-made laws which were further invented sporadically during centuries of rule by Muslim Caliphs in succession.—Most of them were men of great ambition, not moved by piety, but by their strong wills to devise laws, to control their subjects, to subjugate and to expand their empires beyond the imagination of any king or emperor on the face of this earth.— Sharia assumed many faces according to the whims of each Caliph and it sank and surfaced amidst the ebb and tide of wars and innovations.—Paradoxically it could never claim any place in the pages of history and in this century twenty-one it is utterly shattered to the very face of IS, ISIS, ISIL, so very cowardly hiding behind the tattered skirts of sharia while raping their way to glorious damnation through murder, stoning, beheading and destruction.—All these faces of sectarian violence, naked and bleeding, slashed with knives of lies reveal themselves in this book, emerging afresh impenitent and shameless. This book deals with Sharia as the rule of law and its fabrication by Fiqh as human understanding of Sharia.— And we have not sent thee but as a mercy to the nations. (Quran 21:107)— The Prophet’s Sharia, before it was hijacked by the scholars turned bigots and zealots was in all its purity the law of love, peace and harmony.—He lived this law by the example of his life as a loving, compassionate and forgiving man of words and deeds.—By interpreting revelations in such a profound manner so as to polish the precepts of Islam with the gold of love, tolerance and harmony.—As it is stated in this revelation below.— He it is who hath revealed unto thee Muhammad the Scripture wherein are clear revelations.— They are the substance of the Book—and others which are allegorical.—But those in whose hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical, seeking to cause dissention by seeking to explain it.—None knoweth its explanation save Allah.—And those who are of sound instruction say: we believe therein, the whole is from our Lord, but only men of understanding really heed. (Quran 3:7)— Hazrat Inayat Khan’s quote of the Day more than a century ago, for contemplation Everyday:— ‘Beyond the narrow barriers of race and creed we can all unite, because we all belong to one God.— The soul is the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God lives within the shrine of the heart; this shrine can be closed or it can be open.—There are some things in life that open it and some that close it.—The things that close the heart are those which are contrary to love, tolerance and forgiveness, such as coldness, bitterness and ill-will, and a strong element of duality.—The world is more upset today than ever before; in many ways man seems to go from bad to worse, and yet he thinks that he is progressing.—It is not lack of organization or of civilization; both these things he has.—What he lacks is the expression of the soul.—He closes his door to his fellow man, he closes the shrine of the heart and by doing so he is keeping God away from himself and others.—Nation is set against nation, race against race, religion against religion.— Therefore today more than ever before there is a need for the realization of this philosophy.—What we need is not that all religions should become one, nor all races; that can never be.—But what is needed is undivided progress, and making ourselves examples of love and tolerance.— By talking about it, by discussing and arguing it will not come, but by self-realization, by making ourselves the examples of what should be, by giving love, taking love, and showing in our action gentleness, consideration and the desire for service for the sake of God in whom we can all unite beyond the narrow barriers of race and creed.’ Hazrat Inayat Khan

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Headscarf war in Cyberspace

Muslims have embraced hijab/veiling as a cultural practice rather than simply an Islamic practice.—Scarves and veils of different colors and shapes were customary in countless cultures long before Islam came into being in the seventh century in the Arabian Peninsula.—To this day, head coverings play a significant role in many religions, including Orthodox Judaism and Catholicism.—The first reference to veiling dates to an Assyrian text in 13 B.C. In the text, the practice of veiling was described as reserved for elite.—It was not until the reign of the Safavids in the Ottoman Empire, an area that extends through the Middle East and North Africa, in the 16th century that the veil emerged as a symbol of social status among Muslims.—What constitutes modest clothing has changed over time.—Like most customs, what women wear has reflected the practices of a region and the social position of the wearer.—The veil itself predates Islam by many centuries. In the Near East, Assyrian kings first introduced both the seclusion of women in the royal harem and the veil.—Beyond the Near East, the practice of hiding one's face and largely living in seclusion appeared in classical Greece, in the Byzantine Christian world, in Persia, and in India among upper caste Rajput women.—Muslims in their first century at first were relaxed about female dress. When the niece of Aishah Bint Abu Bakr (the Prophet’s wife), Aisha bint Talha was asked by her husband Musab to veil her face, she answered, "Since the Almighty hath put on me the stamp of beauty, it is my wish that the public should view the beauty and thereby recognize His grace unto them. On no account, therefore, will I veil myself."—As Islam reached other lands, regional practices, including the covering of women, were adopted by the early Muslims.—Yet it was only in the second Islamic century that the veil became common, first used among the powerful and rich as a status symbol.—The Qu'ranic revelation to "draw their veils over their bosoms"—in response to pagan women wearing veils, yet leaving their bosoms naked, became interpreted by some as an injunction to veil one's hair, neck and ears.—The Quran speaks of dressing and modesty in general.—The holy book of Islam does not explicitly state that women must cover their hair or their faces, or that they must remain secluded from public life.—Early Islamic history in fact provides examples of how women participated in public life, including fighting wars.—During the battle of Uhud, Um Darda, a female companion of the Prophet Mohammad, sustained wounds while defending him single-handedly.—One must ask: Could she have achieved this while draped in cumbersome garb as burqa/niqab/abaya—invention of Clerics, pressed by inexpiable zeal/misogyny?—If wearing the veil was a faith-oriented right, every Muslim woman should be striving for it. But most Muslim women in Islamic countries and in the West don't practice this tradition, which was traditionally imposed by Muslim men.—The Quran doesn't require Muslim women to cover their faces.—Women in Prophet Muhammad's times were allowed to work with open faces.—Muslims' most sacred pilgrimage known as Hajj in Saudi Arabia doesn't require women to cover their faces. Rather, women are not allowed to cover their faces during the Hajj Pilgrimage.—Most people think of the veil solely in terms of Islam, but it is much older.—It originated from ancient Indo-European cultures, such as the Hittites, Greeks, Romans and Persians.—It was also practiced by the Assyrians.—Veiling had class as well as gender implications; thus, the ancient Assyrian law required it of upper class women while punishing commoners for it.—The strong association of veiling with class rank, as well as an urban/peasant split, persisted historically up until the last century.—Then more privileged women began rejecting the veil, as did Egyptian feminist Huda Sharawi, while poor women increasingly adopted it as a ticket to upward mobility.— Hijab/niqab/burqa/abaya are cultural symbols of man-made fabric (fabrication) oppression of women.—Hijab now is mostly/vaingloriously adopted by teens (even if they escape lure of extremists) as deep-rooted conflict between faith and identity crisis?—

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Quran Redeemed

More peals of wisdom from M.R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen: We must look at the Qur’an in two different ways. There are the opposites of khair and sharr or good and evil, dhat and sifat God’s grace or essence and the manifested creation, and halal and haram or permissible and impermissible. One section exists as the laws and justice of God, and the other exists as the section of darkness. In this state, we who are the children of Adam (A.S.) must realize that we must discard all that is evil and accept and act upon only what is good. That is the law of righteousness. We must simply discard what is evil; we need not denounce or attack anything. What is called Islam was brought as perfect purity by the Qur’an. It is brotherly unity. Islam is to bring together as one family all the children of the one mother who have divided into four separate sections. The Qur’an teaches us to see what is good as good, while discarding what is evil. It is the law of justice. It shows us patience, inner patience, contentment, surrendering all to the will of God, and giving all praise to God. We, the children of Adam (A.S.), must understand this. The Qur’an and its explanations are very deep in meaning. Therefore, we who are the children of Adam (A.S.) should not hold up the Qur’an as a banner for the slightest reason. We should not quote from the Qur’an and use it for waging wars, for our fights and quarrels, for our anger toward others, or to gain things of this world. The world is sharr, evil, and has to be discarded. The opposite, khair, which is goodness, must be accepted and put into action. The Qur’an should only be used for what is good. It shows brotherhood and unity, not divisiveness and discrimination. It soothes those who are weeping in sorrow. It gives solace to those who are suffering and makes them smile. It comforts those who are ill and protects them. It explains the wealth of God to those who are poor. It gives peace to those who are mentally ill. It gives wisdom to those without wisdom. It creates faith in those without faith and makes them bow in reverence to God. What is called the Qur’an is, in reality, something that has great value and very deep meaning. The true meaning of Islam and the Qur’an is quite different from what people accept today, in the midst of so much fighting and strife. People quote Islam and wave the Qur’an as a banner for their wars. This is not correct. The Qur’an discards what is evil and shows only goodness, unity, and tolerance. Tawakkul-‘alalläh, giving all responsibility to God, and giving all praise to God, saying, “Al-hamdu lilläh,” with every breath is the Qur’an and Islam. No matter how large the ocean is, it cannot quench our thirst, can it? The ocean cannot quench the thirst of any life. But if there is a pond, however small it may be, it can comfort many lives, appeasing thirst and dispelling fatigue. Like that, the Qur’an comforts so many lives, dispelling fatigue and hunger and clearing away the dirt. This is the meaning of the Qur’an and Islam. When you quote from the Qur’an, those words must only demonstrate peace and equality. When you say “Islam,” you must show patience, equality, and peace. When you show what is good, that goodness points to Islam, but when you show what is evil, that evil is something that has been discarded from the Qur’an . The treasures, kingdoms, and titles of this world are all sharr and have been discarded from the Qur’an. Fighting and waging war for these worldly things, seeking vengeance, committing treacherous acts, telling lies for worldly gain, eating haräm or impermissible foods, lying out of jealousy for the sake of titles and positions—all these cannot be called Islam. And you cannot quote the Qur’an, saying that these actions appear there, because these actions are totally contrary to the Qur’an. The Qur’an shows the brotherhood where we live as one family and eat off the same plate in unity. The Qur’an shows the brotherhood where we live in harmony, the way it is in the church or the mosque, where the beggar and the king are equal. It shows the brotherhood where we embrace each other, whether in the place of prayer or in the home. If two people have a fight, the next time they meet, they will look each other in the face and embrace and beg forgiveness from each other. The Qur’an and Islam tell us to ask forgiveness from God for our own faults, to dispel our anger, and to embrace each other in the next moment. These are the explanations of the laws of the Qur’an from the beginning of creation to the hereafter. Lying, vengeance, treachery, jealousy, and murder should never be done in the name of Islam. Islam is brotherly unity, tolerance, and peacefulness. It is to purify each heart with the water of the Kalimah which the Rasul (Sal.) brought, washing away the darkness and creating peace. But there are some people who hold up the Qur’an with anger, jealousy, and selfishness, using the Qur’an and Islam for their own self-gain and pride. The Qur’an should never be mentioned with these qualities, but should be mentioned only where there is righteousness. Anger, treachery, deceit, discrimination, divisiveness, and all that is impermissible have been thrown out of the Qur’an. All these sections belonging to the world have been eliminated from the Qur’an, and they must be eliminated from man, too. Man must take what is khair and eliminate what is sharr. In this way, the Qur’an must be used to show what is good and to eliminate what is evil, and this is Islam. Just bringing to the lips the words Qur’an and Islam for the slightest reason is not correct. The word Islam means unity, brotherhood, and harmony. It does not see differences among people; it only sees peace and harmony among all lives. This is Islam. This is the Qur’an. Every one of the children of Adam (A.S.) must realize this. One who calls himself Islam will never harm anyone, take revenge, or be treacherous toward anyone. We must realize this. Islam must realize this. The name “Islam” has very deep meaning and is of inestimable value, and it should never be held up for falsehood, robbery, or murder. Islam is brotherly unity that can appease the thirst of the entire world. This is the Islam which was brought by Prophet Muhammad (Sal.). All of everything, all the universes, and all of creation is contained within the Qur’an. But failing to understand this, we hold up and quote the Qur’an and Islam for the slightest reasons. We who are in the world must realize that the Qur’an is the divine law of righteousness, which was given to show brotherly unity, to make lives peaceful, to forgive in the presence of faults, to teach patience and compassion and to comfort all lives. We must have sabur, shakur, tawakkul, and al-hamdu lillah. This is the Qur’an and Islam. All my brothers and sisters who have iman, perfect faith in God, must realize this. Amin. Amin. M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen

Monday, July 6, 2015

Islam Made Simple

Sharing a few words of M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, a few in series of many to follow... My son! This is a hadïth of the Rasülulläh (Sal.) about Islam: Brothers in Islam! You who are Ïmän-Isläm! You must not see differences between yourselves and your neighbors. You must not discriminate against any religion. You must not oppress or harm any man, no matter what religion or race he may be. Islam is one and Allah is one; just as we in Islam see Allah as one, we must see all mankind as one. All the prophets brought the words of Allah, and all the words they brought are true. Allah sent His messages through each of the prophets, and they brought His commandments step by step. In the revelations contained in the Qur’an, Allah has given the entirety of His teaching. The Qur’an is the ultimate and final teaching, showing everything in its fullness All the children of Adam (A.S.) are brothers and sisters. They are not different. Although they may stand on different steps of the teachings brought by the prophets in their respective times, you must not discriminate against any of them. You must not harass their places of worship, their bodies, or their hearts. You must protect them as you would protect your own life. To comfort the hunger of your neighbor, no matter who he is or what religion he belongs to, is Islam. When someone dies, to join together and give him a decent burial is Islam. To realize the pain and suffering of others and offer your hands in assistance, helping to alleviate their suffering, is Islam. To see division is not Islam. To see other men as different is not Islam. In this world and the next, there must be no prejudice in our hearts, for all will come together on the Day of Reckoning and the Day of Judgment. All of us will come together in heaven. Therefore, we must not see any differences or create any divisions here. Where Allah does not see a difference, we must not see a difference. We must not despise anyone whom Allah loves—and Allah loves everyone. He belongs equally to everyone, just as Islam belongs equally to everyone. Islam is unity, not division. Hurting another is not Islam. Failing to comfort the hunger of your neighbor is not Islam. The purity of Islam is to avoid hurting others; you must regard others as you regard yourself. You must accept Allah’s word totally. There must be no discrimination in your heart against the children of Islam. You who are Islam must understand what is haläl and what is haräm, what is permissible and what is forbidden. You must understand that there is only One worthy of worship. You must understand Qiyämah, the Day of Reckoning, and the Day of Judgment. To understand this world and the next world is Islam. Because Islam is the wealth of grace, you must use that grace to wash and comfort the hearts of others. To truly understand this and see all lives as your own life, without any differences, is the way of Islam. To see your neighbor as yourself, to heal the suffering of others, to share food from the same plate in harmony and peace, to live unified in food and in prayer, in happiness and in sorrow, is the way of Islam. To live separated and divided is not Islam. You must reflect on this. O you who have faith! Do not compare anything to Allah. Do not hold anything equal to Allah. Do not make distinctions between men; king and beggar must be equal in your sight. There must be no difference between rich and poor. No one is rejected by Islam. Islam is one. You must realize this. This is what the Rasülulläh (Sal.) has said. He has given countless ahädïth with his divine lips of grace, from the flower of his divine mouth, his mouth of faith, his mouth of Allah’s grace, and his mouth of Allah’s divine knowledge. O you who have received the wealth of faith! May you understand and act with the clarity of these teachings. M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Sharia for Ramadan

‘All that is left to us by tradition is more words. It is up to us to find out what they mean.’ Ibn al Arabi— Ramadan— In pre-Islamic times, the tribe of Quraysh observed Ramadan and Jews would fast on the day of Ashura, marking two historical events: the day when Noah left the Ark and the day when Moses was saved from the Egyptians by God. –During the downpour of his revelations, God proclaimed to Prophet Muhammad that fasting for His sake was not a new innovation, but rather an obligation practiced by those truly devoted to the oneness of God.— During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims are called upon to re-evaluate their lives in conformity with Islamic traditions, making peace with those who have wronged them, strengthening ties with their family and friends, avoiding harmful thoughts and acting nobly and courteously toward mankind.—Visiting the poor and the sick, comforting them with kind words, fulfilling their needs.—Striving toward uniting families together as a mark of faith and charity.-- During this month every part of the body must be purged of every evil impulse or inclination. –The tongue must be restrained from gossip and backbiting. –The eyes must not covet that which is unlawful.— The ears must refrain from listening to idle talk or angry expressions. –The feet must refrain from approaching dens of vice and violence.-- That way, every part of the body can participate in fasting, rejecting the corruption of sin, hatred and malice, and purifying one’s body and soul to seek God’s grace and guidance.— War is not permitted during the month of Ramadan. – War is a great transgression in the sacred month of Ramadan. (2:217 Quran) -- Fasting is not only abstaining from food, but purging oneself by shunning the forces of evil, draining out hatred, malice, enmity and the lust to kill and abstaining from defiling the sanctity of any woman’s body or soul. – Allah is not in need of leaving his food and drink, and He will not accept the fast of the one who tells lies, acts on lies and refrains not from evil actions. - Prophet Muhammad/Al Bukhari [3:127-O.B] – Shall I inform you of a better act than alms, prayer and fasting? Making peace between one another. Enmity and malice tear up heavenly rewards by the roots. - Prophet Muhammad— Times of Fasting— A fast begins before sunrise and ends immediately after sunset. Muslims fast from fajr— dawn, until dusk. Fajr means the light of the morning, and Prophet Muhammad said: “God has ordained for you to eat and drink until you can discern the white streak of dawn against the blackness of the night, then resume fasting until sunset.”— These are the bounds set by God. Do not then offend against them. It is thus that God makes clear His messages unto mankind, so that they might remain conscious of Him. (2:187 Quran)— Eat and drink and do not be misled by the ascending white light. Eat and drink until the redness of dawn appears. - Prophet Muhammad— Laila-tul-Qadr— Also known as the Night of Power or Night of Decree, Laila-tul-Qadr is the night during the month of Ramadan when the Quran first began to be revealed.— Lo! We revealed it on the Night of Power. Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Night of Power is! The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. The angels and the spirit descend therein by the permission of their Lord with all decrees. That night is peace until the rising of the dawn. (97:1-5 Quran)— Look for the Night of Decree among the odd nights of the last ten days of the month of Ramadan. - Prophet Muhammad— The whole month of Ramadan is a period of spiritual training during which Muslims devote much of their time to prayer, recitation of the Quran and remembrance of Allah. They practice charity and goodwill, doing good deeds and striving toward feeling the presence of God in their own hearts and in the hearts of God’s creations.— Muslims believe that during the Night of Power, God accepts all the prayers of believers.— Once Aisha asked the Prophet Muhammad what her prayer should be if she had the privilege of being awake on the Night of Power. –The Prophet Muhammad said, you should say: Allah, Thou art most forgiving and does love forgiveness, then do Thou forgive me.— Itikaf— Itikaf means staying in one place and a vow of silence.— During the last ten days of Ramadan, some Muslims choose to stay in the mosque for itikaf while fasting. –The mosque becomes a silent retreat for them, where they occupy themselves with mindfulness of Allah, performing voluntary prayers in addition to the obligatory ones and reciting the Quran. –Food and all the necessities of life are provided for them during their vow of silence so that they do not have to leave their retreat.— Announce O Muhammad unto my slaves that verily I am Forgiving, Merciful. (15:49 Quran)— And He is the Forgiving, the Loving (85:14 Quran)— And O Muhammad say: My Lord forgive and have mercy for thou art best of all who show mercy. (23:118 Quran)— Kindness is a mark of faith. And whoever does not kindness hath no faith. –Prophet Hoping and praying for release of Raif Badawi/royal pardon from King Salman in the month of Ramadan?— Publication of new book for pre-order The Moghul Saint of Insanity/Amazon—The Moghul Saint of Insanity depicts the life of Aurangzeb, the sixth emperor of India. – His reign of tyranny tore the fabric of the Moghul Empire into shreds. – Learning too late of his follies of hatred and bigotry he prayed fervently for forgiveness on his deathbed. – The gist of this book can be summed up in his last letter to one of his sons:-- Soul of my soul!-- Now I am going alone. – I grieve for your helplessness. –But what is the use? -- Every torment I have inflicted, every sin I have committed, every wrong I have done, I carry the consequence with me. –Strange that I came with nothing into this world, and now am going away with this stupendous caravan of sins. – Wherever I look I see only God. I have greatly sinned and I know not what torment awaits me? -- With fundamentalism on the rise, this book would serve as a gong of warning for the would-be-suicide-bombers that zeal and violence would be the annihilation of their own factions if they continued the practice of hate, brutality and intolerance. –It would also be a learning tool for the young victims—educated by hateful mullahs, and hypocrites, to glean truth out of lies and to dispel ignorance. –Hoping that this book would set the tone of contemplation, touching the hearts of the clerics, religious leaders and leaders of the Islamic nations to raise their voices in unison against the ones involved in crimes of torturing and murdering innocent men, women and children! – May this book promote and nurture the gifts of compassion, learning and understanding.— Peace to the World!

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Raif Badawi

Sharia for Jurists— Harm shall neither be inflicted nor reciprocated in Islam. Hadith— Raif Badawi’s punishment by Saudi Arabia is UnIslamic, giving rein to bigoted clerics to rule the country.—First of all not a single person was given lashes during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad, not even for apostasy, least of all for Insulting Islam.—Below is an excerpt from my next book for Saudi King Salman’s kind perusal, begging him to free Raif Badawi and earn the blessings of his family with three little innocent children, one little boy and two little daughters.— Sharia snatched from the Traditions of the Prophet speaks to the judges in simple terms, stressing that they must remain true to the cause of justice.— A small example is when before going to the war the Prophet forbade maiming, injury to women, children and elderly as well as damage to the animals and took to task those who caused abuse and hardship.— Aisha was the first female jurist of Islam. Through her, almost one third of Islamic laws were transmitted by the virtue of her sharp memory and intelligence.— Laws pertaining to family, marriage, divorce, marital life, succession were related by her with great clarity and precision.— Any ruling that abandons justice in favor of tyranny, mercy for its opposite, public interest for corruption and wisdom for futility, would have nothing to do with Sharia even if it is shown, by some remote interpretation to be a part of it. Ibn Qayyim— O ye who believe, fulfill faithfully all your contracts. (Quran 5:1)— God commands you to render the trusts to whom they are due and when you judge among people, you judge with justice. (Quran 4:58)— And speak not, concerning that which your own tongues qualify as clean or unclean, the falsehood: this is lawful and this is forbidden? So that ye invent a lie against Allah. Lo, those who invent a lie against Allah will not succeed. (Quran 16: 116)— The Islamic Law orders men to do good and reject what is reprehensible, and it is also obligatory for Muslims to enjoin right behavior on their fellows and deter them from wrong action. Al-amr bi al-Maruf— Prophet’s Quranic justice and jurisprudence:— I am but a human being. When you bring a dispute to me, some of you may be more eloquent in stating their case than others. I may consequently adjudicate on the basis of what I hear.— If I adjudicate in favor of someone a thing that belongs to his brother, let him not take it.— For it would be like taking a piece of fire.— If men were to be granted what they claim, some will claim the lives and properties of others.— The burden of proof is on the claimant and an oath is incumbent on him who denies.— Every one of you is like a shepherd, and every one of you is responsible for his flock.— The ruler is a shepherd and so is the husband, who is responsible for his family.— A woman is a shepherd who looks after her husband’s household and his children.— Thus, every one of you is a shepherd, and every one of you is responsible for his flock.— Be kind to your children and give them a proper education.— Be kind to your daughters, as I also am the father of daughters.— He is not one of us who is not kind to children.— A juristic conclusion drawn from these guidelines is that bringing ease to the people and removal of hardship from them is one of the cardinal objectives of Sharia. Hence it is not permissible for a judge or a jurist to opt for a harsh verdict in cases where an easier alternative can be found. Mohammad Hashim Kamali— And the firmament has He raised high and set up therein the fine balance in order that you do not transgress the balance. So establish weight with justice and detract not from the divinely ordained balance. (55:7-9 Quran)— It was by the mercy of Allah that thou wert lenient with them, O Muhammad, for if thou hast been stern or fierce of heart they would have dispersed from round about thee.— So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult with them upon the conduct of affairs.— And when thou art resolved, then put thy trust in Allah. Lo, Allah loveth those who put their trust in Him. (3: 159 Quran)— Please King Salman, for the love of God and in memory of Beloved Prophet in anticipation of Holy Ramadan, free Raif Badawi so that he can join with his wife and little children. May Allah grant you and your family great blessings.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

God-Ideal/WW1

A little over a century ago Hazrat Inayat Khan came to US to unite the east with the west with his wisdom.—Below is the article which he wrote after Word War 1 and still it resonates afresh in this pandemonium of warring sects, sowing seeds of hate, brutality, intolerance:— God and the God-Ideal may be explained as the sun and the light.— And as there come times when the sun becomes covered by clouds so there come times when the God-Ideal becomes covered by materialism.— But if the cloud for a moment covers the sun, that does not mean that the sun is lost to you; and so if in the reign of materialism the God-Ideal seems to have disappeared yet God is there all the same.— The condition of the world is just like the ever-rising and falling waves.— Sometimes it seems to rise and sometimes to fall, but with every rising and falling wave the sea is the same; and so with all its changes life is the same.— We find that, during the past few years all over the world, there has come a phase when the God-Ideal seems entirely forgotten.— It does not mean that churches have disappeared, it does not mean that God does not exist, but that a light that once was there has been covered, has ceased to light us.— But at the same time, as there is night after the day so these changes of condition come in life, light and darkness.— In the age of science on the one side and materialism on the other, and commercialism on the top man seems to have blinded himself in acquiring wealth and power, and sees nothing else.— It is not that there is not the search for light, (it is the nature of every soul to search for light) – but the great question is, how can the light come when nation is against nation, race against race, the followers of one religion against the followers of another: how can there be Peace and how can there come Light?— The sign of the day is that all things are clear, and the sign of the night is that nothing can be found or seen, there are clouds.— The most dreadful nightmare the world has ever seen has just passed away (WWW1); and although that wave, that nightmare, seems to be gone its effect is still here, and the effect that is left is worse than the cause, for prejudice is worse than bloodshed.— And when man thirsts for the blood of his fellow man how can we say that there is light?— If a man can eat joyfully at his table when his neighbor is dying of hunger, where is the light?—That is the condition of humanity today.— And what is the cause?— It is because the Light, the God-Ideal, is not there, I was once amused by a very simple answer from a maid, when somebody came to the door and knocked, and the maid was not free to go at once but took her time; and when at last she came the man was very cross and said:— 'Why did you not open the door quickly?'— And then I asked the maid:— What do you think was the reason for the person's being cross?'— and she said with her innocent expression, 'Because there is no God with him.'— Friends, the word of Christ is that God is Love and if God is Love then we, every one of us, can prove God in us by expressing God in our life.— Yes, according to the external customs of the different religions, one goes to church, one to the mosque, one to the synagogue, one to the temple of Buddha; but the inner church is neither in the mosque, nor in the synagogue, but in the heart of man, where God abides and which is the habitation of Christ.— With this divine element lighted in man's heart he will go to the house of prayer and then his prayer will be heard.— There is a well-known story in India that girl was crossing a place where a Muslim was performing his prayers; and the law is that one should not cross where a person is praying.— When the girl returned, the man said to her:— 'How insolent!— Do you know what sin you have done?'— 'What did I do?' said the girl.— And the man said that no one was allowed to cross.'— 'I did not mean any harm,' said the girl,' but tell me, what do you mean by praying?'— 'For me, prayer is thinking of God', said the man.— 'Oh! she said, but I was going to see my young man, and I was thinking of him and I did not see you; and if you were thinking of God, how did you see me?'— The idea, therefore, friends, is that prayer becomes living if it is offered from a living heart; from a dead heart, prayer has no meaning, and is dead.— There is a story of an Arab, that he was running to the mosque where the prayer of God was being offered, but before he could arrive the prayers were finished.— On his way he met a man coming from the mosque and asked him:— 'Are the prayers finished?'— The man replied that they were finished, and the other sighed deeply and said 'Alas!'— Then the man asked: 'Will you give me the virtue of your sigh in exchange for the virtue of my prayers?'— And the other agreed.— Next day the simple man saw the Prophet in a dream, who told him that he had made a bad bargain, for that one sigh, was worth all the prayers of a lifetime, for it was from the heart.— There are different human beings in different stages of evolution, and it is natural that every human being according to his particular stage of evolution, imagines God before him when he prays.— And is it a question for anyone else to judge the one who prays, and to say, 'God is not this or that?'— Persons who force their beliefs on others often put them against that belief even if that were the true belief.— It requires a great deal of tact, thought, and consideration to explain the belief, or to correct the belief, of another.— In the first place, it is insolent on the part of man to want to explain God, although man today, would like not only to explain, but even to examine whether the spirit of God exists!— The other day I was so much amused to hear that there are people who not only want to take photographs of the spirits, but even to weigh the soul!— It was a good thing in ancient times when the State had respect for the God-Ideal and religion, and taught that respect to humanity.— Today man wishes to use what he calls 'freedom' in religion, even in the foundation of all religions, the God-Ideal!— But then it must be remembered that it is not the path of freedom that leads to the goal of freedom, but the path of the God-Ideal that leads to the goal of Truth.—Hazrat Inayat Khan

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Insanity Versus Piety

The book, The Moghul Saint of Insanity, is about the sixth Moghul emperor of India to be published this year by the Cambridge Scholars Publishing UK.—But before the fever of insanity afflicting Aurangzeb, a little note about The Moghul Exile published by Editions Dedicaces US/Canada.—Guy Boulianne the editor of Editions Dedicaces first published Poet Emperor of the Last of the Moghul, Bahadur Shah Zafar.— The Moghul Exile—Humayun is the second Moghul emperor of India.— He is a mystic and a lover of poetry, literature, astronomy and astrology.—The intrigues of his brothers and Afghani lords compel him to seek exile in Persia, while his brother Karmran rules Kabul, keeping Humayun’s young son Akbar hostage.—Humayun is welcomed by the Persian king and in gratitude Humayun presents his precious diamond Koh-i-Noor to the Persian Monarch.—With the help of the Persian troops, Humayun conquers Kabul, loses it twice, but finally succeeds in freeing it from the yolk of his brother, returning to India to reclaim his lost empire.—Within a couple of years the Venus of his fortunes fades as he falls from the steps of his balcony while watching Venus in the sky.— The Moghul Saint of Insanity— This historical, biographical account of Aurangzeb’s life is the last in the sequels of the Moghuls, depicting the Fall of the Moghul Empire.— Aurangzeb stands out as the Master of Distortion, defacing the Face of Islam in conformity with his own sense of Perception and Interpretation.— Blind to his own sins and acts of violence, he plunges deep into the ocean of ruin and devastation.— His ancestors—the architects of beauty and tolerance, are forgotten by him in his mad zeal to conquer and subjugate all who don’t fit the Vision of his Islam.— The victim of his own spiritual leprosy, he fails to see his acts of cruelty and injustice as stark contradictions to the precepts of Islam.— More faces emerge in this war of ambition and hypocrisy, those of the foreign traders, lurking in ambush to posses the jewels of the emperors and the empire at the first golden opportunity.— And Aurangzeb becomes the first one from the progeny of the Moghuls to throw open the gates of this Golden Cage for plunder and invasion.— Leaving behind one legacy of a golden rule that tolerance leads to peace and prosperity, and intolerance, to doom and destruction.— The Fall of the Moghul Empire attests to the validity of this legacy.— Story Line:— Soul of my soul! Now I am going alone.— I grieve for your helplessness.— But what is the use?— Every torment I have inflicted, every sin I have committed, every wrong I have done, I carry the consequence with me.— Strange that I came with nothing into this world, and now am going away with this stupendous caravan of sins.— Wherever I look I see only God.— I have greatly sinned and I know not what torment awaits me? – Aurangzeb’s letter to his son before dying. – With fundamentalism on the rise, this book would serve as a gong of warning for the would-be-suicide-bombers that zeal and violence would be the annihilation of their own factions if they continued the practice of hate, brutality and intolerance.— It would also be a learning tool for the young victims—educated by hateful mullahs, and hypocrites, to glean truth out of lies and to dispel ignorance. – Hoping that this book would set the tone of contemplation, touching the hearts of the clerics, religious leaders and leaders of the Islamic nations to raise their voices in unison against the ones involved in crimes of torturing and murdering innocent men, women and children!— May this book promote and nurture the gifts of compassion, learning and understanding. –Peace to the World.

Monday, April 6, 2015

Sharia De Fabricated

‘Sympathy is the root of religion, and so long as the spirit of sympathy is living in your heart, you have the light of religion.’—Hazrat Inayat Khan:— Recent reprint in the series of the Moghuls is The Moghul Exile published by Editions Dedicaces.—Next book to be published is Sharia De Fabricated.—Below is a snippet of this upcoming book,but before that a little note about the tragedy of the victors and the vanquished.—Victory over Takrit, all victors, Sunnis or Shias have established themselves as ignorant, hatemongering barbarians, stabbing, slitting throats, hanging decapitated men, looting, burning.—Destroying properties, carving rivers of blood, in the name of what, vengeance? If sectarian violence is to continue with no peace/compassion/forgiveness in sight, then it matters not who wins.—Murderers, hypocrites All!—No one is worthy to claim victory until one learns how to forgive and start working toward love, peace and harmony.— A Few Quotes of Marcus Aurelius.— ‘The best way of avenging yourself is not to become like the wrongdoer.—The soul of man does violence to itself, first of all it becomes an abscess and, as it were, a tumor in the universe, as far as it can.—If you will return to your principles and the worship of Reason, within ten days you will seem a god to those to whom you are now an ape and a beast.’— Thus we put you on the right way of religion. So follow it and follow not the whimsical desire of those who have no knowledge. (Quran 45:18)— Though Sharia as a legal code didn’t exist during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad, many scholars believe that this verse above is the only sharia verse in the Quran.— Sharia literally means the straight path, or right way of religion.— Against countless definitions of Sharia, the simplest one in the literal sense of the word is, a way to the watering place and path to seek felicity and salvation.— This book deals with basic Sharia, the Quranic verses which have become the tools of tyranny in the hands of the zealots.— These tools are rough-hewn, ingrained with the rust of distortions. In order to take that rust off, one needs to polish them with reason, interpreting what is misinterpreted.— Then lending them the sheen of purity from the Quranic verses which need no interpretation since they are the embodiment of love, peace and harmony by the very essence of their candid rhythm in poetry and simplicity.— In this book, first and foremost, Sharia would gather the most neglected of gems from the Quran and the Hadiths which radiate love, peace and compassion before ripping open the fabrication of the verses which have become the weapons of war, hate and intolerance.— Sharia is much like the present day GPS of path-finding through byways and highways to reach a certain destination, depending upon the goals of each individual.— Sharia as Islamic Law defined by the traditions of the Prophet recorded in Hadiths as Sunnah and through the Quranic revelations is in sore need of being scrubbed clean of distortions to avoid the road blocks, where the ancient streets of redundant knowledge are overgrown with weeds and the construction of new streets have nothing new to offer, exposed to the need to demolish and reconstruct.— The revelations were sacred tools of problem solving during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad dealing with specific situations which needed immediate attention.— Islamic GPS of Sharia/Sunnah in twenty-first century is groping its way out of the labyrinth of time to shed its weight of human understanding of man-made judgments and recollections, resulting in volumes upon volumes of traditions.— More than three fourths of which have nothing to do with the life of the Prophet or his sayings, but with the need to control, subjugate and manipulate each and every aspect of life under the pretense of religion as viewed by the so-called Islamic caliphs, jurists, scholars, historians and theologians.— First of all Sharia as in the Quran and Hadith is to be taken into account and its layers of distortion, interpretation and fabrication to be peeled off slowly and gradually to reveal the purity of Islam which lies ensconced under the man-made laws of tyranny, those laws still vague and indecipherable.— To explain, discuss and disseminate in simple terms the Law of Islam without the weight of Arabic, unfamiliar terms is the aim of this book to reach young Muslims in this modern world, so that they can explore and understand Islam in all its aspects of morality and universality.— One of the most commonly used term by the Muslim scholars, Fiqh, is also avoided in this book for the benefit of easy-read and clear understanding.— Fabrication of Sharia by Fiqh—human understanding of Sharia and its interpretation is the theme of this book, aiming toward exploring the past and the present for a better future.— ‘The first sign of realization of truth is tolerance.—Verily, he is victorious who has conquered himself.’—Hazrat Inayat Khan

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Islam's Reflection

Islam’s Reflection through the Heart of Hazrat Inayat Khan.— Below is few kernels of his profound contemplations.—He uttered these words almost one century and a decade ago and they still appeal to this age and time.— The real abode of God is in the heart of man; when it is frozen with bitterness or hatred, the doors of the shrine are closed, the light is hidden.— Everybody is working for selfish ends, not caring about others, and this alone has brought about the misery in the world today.— When the world is evolving from imperfection towards perfection, it needs all love and sympathy.— Great tenderness and watchfulness is required of each one of us.— The heart of every man, both good and bad, is the abode of God, and care should be taken never to wound anybody by word or act.— According to the belief of a Sufi in remembrance of the Prophet, the heart is the shrine of God, and when the doors of the shrine are closed it is just like a light being hidden under a bushel.— The pupil sees that God is Love.— If He is love He does not stay in the heavens.— His earthly body is the heart of man. When that heart is frozen and when there is no love but bitterness, coldness, prejudice and contempt, unforgiving feelings and hatred (which all come from one source: want of tolerance) the feeling I am different and you are different comes.— Then that spirit and that light of God, that divine essence that is in the heart of man, is buried as in a tomb.— The work that one has to do is to dig it up, as one would dig the ground, discarding all mud, until one touched the water underneath.— What the Sufi calls riyazat, a process of achievement, is nothing else than digging constantly in that holy land which is the heart of man.—The first and last lesson in love is, 'I am not -- Thou art' and unless man is moved to that selflessness he does not know justice, right or truth.— The soul is the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God lives within the shrine of the heart; this shrine can be closed or it can be open.— There are some things in life that open it and some that close it.— The things that close the heart are those which are contrary to love, tolerance and forgiveness, such as coldness, bitterness and ill-will, and a strong element of duality.— The world is more upset today than ever before; in many ways man seems to go from bad to worse, and yet he thinks that he is progressing.— It is not lack of organization or of civilization; both these things he has.— What he lacks is the expression of the soul.— He closes his door to his fellow man, he closes the shrine of the heart and by doing so he is keeping God away from himself and others.— Nation is set against nation, race against race, religion against religion.— Therefore today more than ever before there is a need for the realization of this philosophy.— What we need is not that all religions should become one nor all races; that can never be.— But what is needed is undivided progress, and making ourselves examples of love and tolerance.— By talking about it, by discussing and arguing it will not come, but by self-realization, by making ourselves the examples of what should be, by giving love, taking love, and showing in our action gentleness, consideration and the desire for service for the sake of God in whom we can all unite beyond the narrow barriers of race and creed.— It is more important to know the truth about one's self than to try to find out the truth of heaven and hell.— It is more important to find out the truth about oneself than to find out the truth about heaven and hell, or about many other things which are of less importance and are apart from oneself.— However, every man's pursuit is according to his state of evolution, and so each soul is in pursuit of something but he does not know where it leads him.— The first sign of realization is tolerance towards others.— There are the words of Christ: 'In the house of my father are many mansions' and those of the Prophet: 'Each soul has its own religion'— This means that according to his evolution so man knows the truth and the more a man knows, the more he finds there is to learn.— In order to attain truth one must make one's own life truthful.— This is life in its moral aspect.— The more truthful one is in one's everyday life the more one practices this moral despite its great difficulty, the more one approaches the only religion which there is—Truth is the very self of man.— Truth is the divine element in man.— Truth is every soul's seeking.— Therefore as soon as the clouds of illusion are scattered, that which man now begins to see is nothing but the truth which has been there all the time.— He finds that the truth was never absent; it was only covered by clouds of illusion.— By changing his own nature, by making himself more truthful, he disperses the clouds of falsehood within and without, and begins to see life as it really is both inwardly and outwardly.— From this time onwards, the meaning of religion becomes clear— When a person really wants to find the way, it is not very far from him—. It depends on the sincerity of the desire to find it whether it is far or not.— What is necessary for finding it is not much reading, or discussion or argument, but a practical study of self.— One questions one's own self:-- what am I? –Am I a material body, or a mind, or something behind a mind?— Am I myself or my coat?— Is this object "me," or something different?— Is this body my cover, or myself?— There is One Truth, the true knowledge of our being, within and without, which is the essence of all wisdom., 'Know thyself, and thou shalt know God.' –The Sufi recognizes the knowledge of self as the essence of all religions; he traces it in every religion, he sees the same truth in each, and therefore he regards all as one.— Hence he can realize the saying of Jesus; 'I and my Father are one.' –The difference between creature and Creator remains on his lips, not in his soul.— This is what is meant by union with God. It is in reality the dissolving of the false self in the knowledge of the true self, which is divine, eternal, and all pervading.— 'He who attaineth union with God, his very self must lose,' said Amir. Hazrat Inyat Khan— A selection of few Quranic verses chosen for my next book— Lo! We did reveal the Torah, wherein is guidance and a light, by which the Prophets who surrendered unto Allah judged the Jews, and the rabbis and the priests judged for such as Allah’s Scripture as they were bidden to observe, and thereunto they were witnesses.— So fear not mankind, but fear Me. –And barter not my revelations for a little gain.— Whoso judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed, such are disbelievers. (5:45 Quran)— And We caused Jesus, son of Mary, to follow in their footsteps, confirming that which was revealed before him, and We bestowed on him the Gospel wherein is guidance and a light, confirming that which was revealed before it in the Torah—a guidance and an admonition unto those who ward off evil. (5:46 Quran)— And unto thee, Muhammad, have We revealed the Scripture with the truth, confirming whatever Scripture was before it, and a watcher over it.— So judge between them by which Allah hath revealed, and follow not their desires away from the truth which hath come unto thee.— For each, We have appointed a divine law and a traced-out way.— Had Allah willed He would have made you one community.— But that He may try you by that which He hath given you, He hath made you as ye are.— So vie one with another in good works.— Unto Allah ye will all return, and He will then inform you of that wherein ye differ. (5:48 Quran)— Is it a judgment of the time of pagan ignorance that they are seeking?— Who is better than Allah for judgment to a people who have certainty in their belief. (5:50 Quran)— Peace to the World!

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Arabs Welcoming

The Moghuls have migrated from USA and have gone to the United Arab Emirates.— Abdullah Yahya the executive Producer of One Nine Seven One Media Production Company in Dubai is making the documentaries about the lives of the Moghul emperors of India.— Babur/The First Moghul In India.— My heart like the bud of a red, red rose Lies folds within folds aflame Would a breath of even myriad springs Blow my heart bud to rose Babur— Babur during the time of his youth till his death kept an active journal, including personal memoirs in which he recorded the lives of the people he came in contact with, of his travels, defeats, conquests and impressions about flora and fauna and animals.— He was an avid gardener and built several gardens in Kabul and India.— His book Babur-Nama was written in Turki. In Akbar’s time it was translated into Persian 1589-90 by a court historian by the name of Abdul Rahim.— Later it was translated into English by John Leyden and William Erksine.— Another scholar Annette Beveridge also translated the same book 1842-1929 into English.— Babur’s personal accounts of where he lived and where he visited describe vividly his hometown Ferghana. His descriptions of shrines and palaces in the domain of Andijan, Kandahar and Samarkand bring alive even Ulugh Beg’s famous observatory with its tables of fixed stars—the Hyde’s Syntagma and the Geographical Tables.— Also his account of towns of Syr River and his observations on flowers, rare varieties of trees and vegetation mark him as a scholar in the field of horticulture.— In his memoirs he provides most accurately Islamic conquests into Hindu India.— His youngest daughter Gulbadan Begum was commissioned by Akbar to write the history of his—Akbar’s father Humayun which she wrote in Persian as Humayun-Nama, later translated into English by Annette Beveridge.— Several authors, including S. M. Burke; Abraham Early; Augustus Fredrick, just to name a few, depict Babur as a man of great talents, kind and compassionate, a poet, mystic and The First Great Moghul Emperor of India.— He is buried in Bagh-e-Babur in Kabul. Humayun/The Moghul Exile— O thou that boasteth of a loving heart Greetings to thee if thy heart and tongue accord This will suffice as advice if only you listen to it By sowing thorn, no jasmine can be reaped Humayun— Humayun, much like his father kept a journal during his exile and short reign splintered with tragedies, intrigues and scholarly pursuits.— His journals were amended and rewritten by Gulbadan Begum during the reign of Akbar and later translated into English.— In the tradition of his father, his accounts of travels in Persia, visiting shrines and monuments come alive on the pages of history as vibrant as rich colors on a tapestry.— The modern day ship can be traced back to Humayun’s genius in designing a flotilla of boats—safinas equipped with tiers of bedrooms, dining halls, gardens, bazaars and libraries.— A great lover of literature and astronomy, he also promoted the concept of tolerance by constructing a building by the name of Din-Panah, meaning Asylum of Faith where he held religious discussions amongst scholars of different religions.— Abraham Early and Annette Beveridge portray him as a poet mystic and a great patron of arts and literature.— Later scholars have different conclusions writing about him as an emperor who is weak and vacillating, prone to moods and superstition and the victim of his own whims and caprice.— His tomb in Delhi is considered to be built by Persian architects from Herat, north west of Afghanistan and from Bukhara, present day Uzbekistan.— Akbar/Divine Akbar and Holy India— The sentiments of Frederick Augustus—a German author who wrote about Akbar, and whose book was translated in Year 1883, fit most appropriately in eulogy to emperor Akbar as he quotes, Sulaiman the Great.— Considering all the circumstances of time and place, Akbar had always appeared to me, among sovereigns, what Shakespeare was among poets.— Akbar, being illiterate has no claim in keeping a journal, but his court historians kept impeccable records of his personal life and court proceedings.— Especially, his dearest of friends, viziers and historian by the name of Abul Fazl.— Endowed with wisdom, compassion and love for learning, Akbar stands out as the most brilliant of the Moghul emperors for promoting peace, foreign trade and tolerance.— His experiment with newborn babes in Gang Mahal—Dumb House to prove his point that babies have no proclivity to a particular language silenced his opponents, but incited much controversy.— Much like the Knights of Round Table in King Arthur’s Court, Akbar had his own version of Nav-Rattan—Nine Jewels, comprising of poets, painters, historians, musicians, architects, scholars and theologians.— His historians record that his friends accused him of deviating from the precepts of Islam, for in the company of Hindus he acted as a Hindu and in the company of Christians, as a Christian.— By some scholars, he is also accused of starting a new religion called Din-I-Ilahi, meaning a universal religion, but Akbar himself denies all such charges of accusations.— He was a great patron of arts and sciences, his patronage extending to the Moghul school of painting.— He designed guns, candelabras and worked diligently in his Imperial workshops.— His friend and court historian Abul Fazl wrote about him in glowing terms in a book called Akbar-Nama.— Later historians criticized him for his ambivalence in religion, alliance and expansion.— His Mausoleum is in Sikandra, Agra.— Jahangir/The Moghul Hedonist— To thee I have sent the scent of myself That I may bring thee more quickly to myself Jahangir— Jahangir resumed the Moghul tradition of keeping a journal in his famous memoirs, Tazuk-i-Jahangiri.— In the seventeenth year of his reign he couldn’t make any journal entries due to ill health, but all events were recorded by his court historian Mutamed Khan.— Jahangir’s memoirs were then written out in the narrative of Iqbal-Nama and later translated into English by Alexander Rogers.— Jahangir in the footsteps of his father brought the Moghul art of painting to its zenith since he was passionate about art and architecture.— His interest in studying the lives of the birds and animals led him to maintain a personal aviary and a zoo so that he could keep record of every specimen and conduct experiments.— He recorded precisely the time period and duration of the birth of a baby elephant.— His contribution toward Shalimar gardens in Kashmir made him the architect of great beauty and design.— He is considered a great scholar in his research and experimentation of flora and fauna.— Besides his love for his wife Nur Jahan, his earlier liaison with the courtesan Anarkali has been the subject of many legends and movies in India.— The Anarkali bazaar in Lahore hosts the tomb of Anarkali.— Jahangir’s mausoleum built by Nur Jahan is in the Shahdara locale of Lahore, Pakistan.— Shah Jahan/Glorious Taj and Beloved Immortal— Death itself not deadly be As to soulless life compare Sightless my eyes shudder to see If marble tombs to blind seem fair Shah Jahan— Shah Jahan didn’t indulge much in journal writing.— His court biographer was Muhammad Saleh Kamboh Lahori who wrote Shah Jahan Nama.— Much has been written about Shah Jahan by several authors and about his architectural wonders, including by the foreign travelers Francois Bernier and Jean Baptiste Tavenier.— Shah Jahan excelled in his talents in creating forts, gardens and monuments of nonpareil beauty and durability still visited and admired by tourists in India and Pakistan.— Amongst the most frequented are Red Fort in Delhi, Agra Fort (though he only built a section of it), Jama Masjid, Shalimar Gardens, Lahore Fort, of which he built only a section.— Besides being the architect of Taj Mahal, he designed the famous Peacock Throne.— Some scholars argue that Shah Jahan had designed a model of black marble memorial for him, similar to Taj Mahal, but couldn’t start building it due to the lack of funds.— His remains are interned in the basement of Taj Mahal along with his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.— Aurangzeb/The Moghul Saint of Insanity— Soul of my soul! Now I am going alone. I grieve for your helplessness. But what is the use? Every torment I have inflicted, every sin I have committed, every wrong I have done, I carry the consequence with me. Strange that I came with nothing into this world, and now am going away with this stupendous caravan of sins. Wherever I look I see only God. I have greatly sinned and I know not what torment awaits me? Aurangzeb’s letter to his son Aurangzeb was not diligent in keeping a regular journal, but his court historians did record major events during his long reign of harsh edicts and continual warfare.— Not much is written about Aurangzeb’s life, but volumes upon volumes have been written about his prolonged campaigns against the Sikhs and the Hindus, the demolition of temples and never-ending sprees of warfare.— Stanley Lane-Poole wrote a book 1890-1930 ‘Aurangzib And the Decay of the Mughal Empire.’— Dr. Gemelli Careri’s account throws some light on Aurangzeb’s campaigns since he visited his Deccan camp in 1695.— Elphinstone’s History of India gives accurate account of Deccan campaigns.— Sidelining the policies of his predecessors, Aurangzeb withdrew his patronage from arts and sciences, banned music and devoted much of his time expanding his empire on the foundations of warfare and destructions.— He ordered the demolition of many temples, including the most famous ones, Somnath Temple; Kesava Deo Temple and Kashi Wishvanath Temple.— His anger was also directed toward Christian missionaries as he stopped all aid promised to them earlier by the benevolence of Akbar and Jahangir.— Some historians argue, one of them Ram Puniyani that Aurangzeb was not always anti Hindu.— He kept changing his policies according to the moods of the situation.— He banned the construction of new temples, but permitted the repair and maintenance of existing temples.— He has a claim to few of the monuments built by his orders during his reign, which are now tourist attractions.— One is the tomb of his first wife Dilras Banu Begum called Bibi Ka Maqraba in Aurangabad.— Another one is Badshahi mosque in Lahore.— Pearl mosque in Red Fort, another mosque in Banares and one in Srinagar which is the largest in Kashmir.— Aurangzeb is buried in an open grave in Khudabad in the courtyard of the shrine of the Sufi saint, Shaikh Burhanuddin.— Bahadur Shah Zafar/Poet Emperor of the Last of the Moghuls— Oh, I wished to live and die in Medina’s sacred earth Rangoon becomes my last resort, my hopes are crushed Instead of Zam Zam water I drink my life blood I have a few days to live, come ere my life has fled Bahadur Shah Zafar— The major collapse of the Moghul Empire after the death of Aurangzeb left a gap of almost eleven emperors in succession until the nominal reign of Bahadur Shah Zafar.— Between Aurangzeb and Bahadur Shah Zafar is stretched the grueling era of three decades and a century of unrest and warfare.— The nominal reign of Bahadur Shah Zafar lasted only twenty-one years while he stayed a virtual prisoner in his own palace in Delhi under the scrutiny of the East India Company. Zafar may be called the Moghul Lear of the east, tragically magnificent.— Paradoxically he rose above the skeletal parts of the glorious Moghuls from the dazzling heaps of riches to the meanest rags of ignominy and abandonment.— When Bahadur Shah Zafar was accused of ‘mutiny’, he exclaimed: How can an emperor mutiny against his own subjects? His poems are still sung by great musicians in India and Pakistan. Bahadur Shah Zafar’s tragic tale from palace to prison, to exile and death in Rangoon heralded the era of British Raj.— These sequels not only depict the rise and fall of the Moghul Empire, but the flourishing of Islamic culture in arts and sciences. Research and literary achievements, and gardens and monuments and mosques and exquisite paintings are a part of the Moghul treasures to be enhanced by sharing globally. The Moghul rule lasted for three hundred and eleven years with eighteen emperors in between Babur and Bahadur Shah Zafar.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Islamic Pillars

Deep condolences to the parents of Kayla Mueller, the recent victim of brutality of extremists. Five pillars of Islam are crumbling into the dust of ignorance.—why?—Because in Islam so many lies have been told by so many, so often, for so long, with such persistence and conviction that they have been passed as truth since centuries.—Even now amidst the hurricanes of hate, bigotry, hypocrisy, violence, extremism, Muslim Imams inside the closed walls of mosques are pounding into the heads of the young Muslims manmade doctrines of enmity, intolerance.—justifying rape, killing, burning, stoning, beheading as sanctioned by the Quran, glossing their distorted version of Islam with interpretations designed for the zealous and the ignorant.—In order to save our children from the hatemongering pincers of jihadists we need to decide which school they go to, what they are learning, who are their teachers, are their peers exposed to some other knowledge which should not be a part of their learning?—Some sort of malefic disease has been penetrating the fabric of Islam since centuries, devouring its purity, slicing it into chunks of harsh sects as dead meat to be exposed to the vultures with insatiable appetite for human suffering.—Prophet’s Islam was one, he lived it by the example of his life, loving, caring, forgiving.—Something went fundamentally wrong in Islam after his death.—Especially now, rape is common, stoning has become a norm, beheading is applauded, molesting of children and training them to be suicide bombers is the duty of every extremist. Sanctioned are massacres, Muslims killing Muslims and non-Muslims, abducting women and selling them into slavery, oppressing women in all facets of life, from work, to education, to dress code, to freedom of expression.—All in stark defiance to the edicts of the Prophet who raised them on the pedestal of reverence, saying heaven lies under the feet of mother, granting them the right to work, to own property, to pursue education, to practice free expression in rapport with the Quranic injunctions where men and women have equal rights.—Major reforms are needed (if pillars of Islam are to stay intact) by Islamic kings, leaders, Prime Ministers to slough off the burden of distortions heaped upon them by authors of zeal who are reluctant to loosen their grip over false interpretations practiced throughout the centuries for power, control, oppression of women.—How many Muslim scholars have voiced their pious disgust against the murder of Kayla Mueller, against the massacre of the school children in Peshawar by Taliban, the abduction of Nigerian girls by Boko Haram sold into slavery, the murder of Paris cartoonists by Al Qaeda, the beheading of journalists by ISIS, the stoning of countless women by fanatics, the flogging of blogger in Saudi Arabia, the burning alive of Jordanian pilot by IS, just to name a few of the recent atrocities amidst too many to digest or recount.—The world stands aghast, not interested in knowing why Muslims fast, pray, go to pilgrimage, which pool their alms-giving corrupts.—The world wants to know why there is so much hate in Islam, cruelty, violence, only the authors of zeal can answer by peeling one layer at a time from the giant onion of lies grand and mountainous.— Hope is on the way with this giant coalition, yet this is half the task, the other precious half lies in the intent and resolve of the Muslim world to sweep clean the debris of lies and distortion.—Prophet Muhammad said: Faith is a restraint against all violence, let no Muslim commit violence.—Islam literally means, peace, not really, does it?—Prove it, Muslims, by following Prophet Muhammad’s injunction, hurt not even the heart of a living being for each heart is a shrine of God—If one corrupts this shrine with malice, hatred, intolerance one defiles the very holiness of this sacred shrine in one’s heart.

Friday, January 9, 2015

Taliban The Terrible

Trained Tormentors torturing_3T: ‘The smallest coffins are the heaviest to bear.’ Dr. Raza said in the editorial of Lahore Tribune after the brutal murder of one hundred and forty-eight children December 16, 2014 in the Army Public School of Peshawar by Taliban in Pakistan.—Only a bestial, cowardly, Godless man would even think of murdering children, not worthy of the name man.—Not even close to maturity between beast and man and surely eons behind to claim the title, Human.— Thirsting for blood, the extremists have forgotten that Prophet Muhammad forbade killing of children and women even during the war in self-defense.—Prophet Muhammad lived Islam by the example of his life by loving, forgiving and serving the poor, the orphans and the widows. Not ever avenging for any personal injury to himself.—Forgiving in the face of persecutions and when the Arab poets lampooned and wrote derogatory verses against him, pinning those verses to the walls of Kaaba, he turned his back on them, saying, Peace.—No vengeance was wreaked even for the wrongs done to his family.—The man who had toppled the carriage of his daughter and she suffered miscarriage, was readily forgiven.—After the conquest of Mecca, his persecutors were forgiven unconditionally as well as the woman who had chewed on the liver of his slain uncle at the battle of Badr.—As to learning, Prophet Muhammad made knowledge incumbent to all Muslims, male and female.—Taliban, again and forever. January 7, 2015, killing twelve employees of the French Satirical Newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, and wounding eleven while shouting Allahu Akbar.— Allahu Akbar meaning God is Great, Great God has given them permission to rape and molest defenseless children/women, to behead innocent men, to despoil and mutilate God’s own creatures and His creation, is that it?— Humble appeal to Taliban for learning and knowledge if they would deign to explore their heritage, for God’s peace on earth, for the love of Prophet, in whose name they are carrying caravans of sins on their own shoulders?— Quoting James and Marti Hefley:— The Jews, Muslims and the Christians in the Middle East lived in harmony to their common Judaistic heritage.— They agreed that the world was one, that the material universe was the visible Cloak of God.— That the universe was not static, but dynamic and expanding.— Creation was continuing and there could be no conflict between theology and astronomy or between theology and mathematics.— Science was an affirmation of faith, not the enemy of true belief.— And Islam said that above all else the physical world must be brought into submission to God and the service of His people.— Islam was not a religion of Chosen People, but a mixture of converts from several clans and tribes.— They had developed strong loyalties together.— They knew the rudiments of trading, farming and shepherding, but had not developed a great culture as had the Greeks, Persians, Hebrews and the Babylonians.— So the Muslim Arabs began mining the knowledge of past civilizations, especially the Greek.— The Greeks had left their wisdom in manuscripts, which lay hidden in the dust of the monasteries.— Some Nestorian monks realized their value, gathered the Greek writings and fled to Persia.— The Arab scholars helped them translate the ancient wisdom of the Greece into Arabic.— Much of the translation was done at the great Baghdad House of Wisdom, founded by the Caliph Mamoun in Year 803.— For approximately three centuries this was the world’s greatest center of learning.— The whole schools of linguist-translators and other scholars flocked to this center.— Mamoun appointed Nestorian Christian scholar Hynanyn ibn Ishaq at the head of this academy.— Hynanyn in return employed the Jewish, Muslim and the Christian scholars to translate wisdom of the worlds.— The Arab researchers used their Arabic language and worked within Arab culture at Baghdad, their first priority was to study the Greek philosophers in order to develop rationale for religious truths.— The Sunnite Muslims in power at Baghdad made much of the Islamic doctrine of consensus.— Agreement constituted truth, even if the Quran had to be questioned.— The Baghdad brain trust wanted to know: Had God created universe out of nothing, or had the universe existed from eternity in potentiality?— Had God created it directly, or through intermediaries such as hierarchies of the angels?— Was each human soul part of a universal soul or was each soul created individually from nothing?— The Arab scholars translated and commented on the logic and opinions of Plato, Aristotle, Euclid, Pythagoras and Hippocrates, as well as the sacred books of the Jews, the Christians and of other peoples.— The Arab scholars while growing proficient in physics, medicine, chemistry, astronomy and other areas of knowledge, excelled in mathematics.— Khwarizmi, an Arab professor in mathematics at the Baghdad school, collected and augmented concepts of algebra developed by previous Arab, Hindu and Greek scholars.— Please, Taliban, heed the words of your beloved Prophet:— ‘If you can keep your heart from morning till night and from night till morning free from malice toward anyone, you are following my path and he who loveth my path verily loveth me.’— Jihad:— The word Jihad does not mean holy war, it means struggle against evil.— The Quran permits only defensive warfare.— The Prophet Muhammad condemned war as one of the many evils and forbade the Muslims to initiate warfare.— Telling them that when war is inevitable in case of self-defense, civilian deaths must be avoided, women and children must not be killed, no trees are to be cut down and no buildings to be burnt down.—PEACE