I assure you, you will love this episode on PBS
Showing posts with label Islam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Islam. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Sunday, June 11, 2023
Friday, April 22, 2022
Islam and lunar calender
Yesterday someone said this beautiful thing. It may not be all true, but it makes sense.
"Founders of early Islam purposely chose the lunar calendar for its rites and rituals, giving the message that this is a religion that should be practiced in all seasons. By following the lunar calendar, all events such as Ramadhan, Eid, Haj, and other events fall every year at different times."
Thursday, December 16, 2021
On Bertrand Russell's quote
Although I disagree with Bertrand Russell's following observation, but it also tells me that Islam's extreme amalgamation with real/practical life is validated. On a personal note, I think Bertrand Russel is referring to political Islam after Mohammad's death, and not to the real Quranic Islam which values are nearer to other Abrahamic religions and Buddhism.
―Bertrand Russell, The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism (1920), Part I, The Present Condition of Russia, IX. International Policy, page, 106
Friday, January 22, 2021
Practical and non-miraculous aspect of Muhammad's life
Following is the write-up from a Pakistani physician Dr. Rao Kamran Ali. It created some waves on Facebook and lot of flakes were send his way. I am not trying to take a side but I do think his thoughts make sense. Read and make your own judgement.
عمل اور عشقرسول کریم صل الله عليه وسلم نے چالیس سال کی عمر میں اسلام کی تبلیغ شروع کی اور تریسٹھ سال کی عمر میں مکمل فرما دیا۔ یہ تیئس سال کا عرصہ ہے جس میں کوئی معجزہ نہیں، کوئی عقل سے بالاتر کام نہیں (معراج کے واقعہ کے حوالے سے میں غامدی صاحب کی رائے سے متفق ہوں) کوئی لمحہ عشق کے نام پر ضائع نہیں۔عمل ہے، محنت ہے، مشقت ہے، جنگیں ہیں، بھوک پیاس ہے، چوٹیں ہیں تکلیفیں ہیں۔جدائیاں ہیں۔ایک بچہ جو نبی کریم کی سنت کی مطابق لوگوں کے درد دور کرنا چاہتا ہے، مدد کرنا چاہتا ہے، شفا دینا چاہتا ہے؛ بارہ سال مسلسل محنت کرکے اسکول اور کالج میں بہترین کارکردگی دکھا کر پانچ سال میں ایم بی بی ایس اور چھ سال میں اسپیشلائزیشن مثلاً کارڈیالوجسٹ یا سرجن بنتا ہے۔ اس راستے میں بہت سے مسائل آتے ہیں، فیس کی کمی ہے، تکلیفیں ہیں، نروس بریک ڈاؤن ہے، مقصد کے حصول کے لئے چھوڑی گئیں ادھوری محبتیں ہیں; لیکن تیئس سال میں بننے والا شاہکار عملیت کی سنت کی راہ پر چلتا اپنی زندگی میں ہزاروں جانیں بچاتا ہے۔دوسری جانب، عمل کی مشکل سنت سے بے پرواہ ؛ خود ساختہ عشق کے نام پر داڑھی بڑھا کر، شلوار ٹخنوں سے اونچی کرکے کوئی کلونجی کی بوری لیکر بیٹھ جاتا ہے اور دوکان کے اوپر (ضعیف ) حدیث لکھ دیتا ہے، “کلونجی میں موت کے سوا ہر مرض کا علاج ہے”!!!!
Thursday, December 20, 2018
A Diary from Haj
(Posted as shared)
"It is strange to see women totally covered sleeping in the mosque.
On the side note, the electricity bill of this place should be in millions at least.
Only animals you will see are cats & pigeons.
It is weird to be stared at by men.
No one looks at you in the west.
In 2009, you were not allowed to take camera phone inside. Now as everyone has a smartphone, the authority cannot do much. The amount of selfies taken with Kaaba in the background is mind-boggling. People making videos while doing tawaaf is distasteful. I have even seen people Skype while doing tawaaf. I may sound ancient but C'mon people. It is just not right.
As many men have their shoulders uncovered, it is rather cringe-worthy to see human flaws. Hair like a bear, moles & skin tags. Some men have their belly bare which is very unsightly. Quite unattractive. Such big wobbly bellies.
The cloth of Kaaba is very fragrant. Very soft.
People bring food and give it to other people. Anything from tea to candy to dates etc etc. My sister in law actually thought that people are selling it. It is 3.16 am. People are giving away tea and snacks. Isn't it great? Free food.
There are ababeel like birds at Fajr time.
There is no overweight Malaysian or Indonesian woman and no underweight Arab woman that I have seen:-) I can see women with water bottles on the top of their heads just like a gaon ki aurat with matka on her head. It is very amusing to see that. Some Arab woman from a gaon of Egypt may be.
Egyptians make the largest proportion of visitors to Makkah followed by Pakistan & Indonesia. "
"It is strange to see women totally covered sleeping in the mosque.
On the side note, the electricity bill of this place should be in millions at least.
Only animals you will see are cats & pigeons.
It is weird to be stared at by men.
No one looks at you in the west.
In 2009, you were not allowed to take camera phone inside. Now as everyone has a smartphone, the authority cannot do much. The amount of selfies taken with Kaaba in the background is mind-boggling. People making videos while doing tawaaf is distasteful. I have even seen people Skype while doing tawaaf. I may sound ancient but C'mon people. It is just not right.
As many men have their shoulders uncovered, it is rather cringe-worthy to see human flaws. Hair like a bear, moles & skin tags. Some men have their belly bare which is very unsightly. Quite unattractive. Such big wobbly bellies.
The cloth of Kaaba is very fragrant. Very soft.
People bring food and give it to other people. Anything from tea to candy to dates etc etc. My sister in law actually thought that people are selling it. It is 3.16 am. People are giving away tea and snacks. Isn't it great? Free food.
There are ababeel like birds at Fajr time.
There is no overweight Malaysian or Indonesian woman and no underweight Arab woman that I have seen:-) I can see women with water bottles on the top of their heads just like a gaon ki aurat with matka on her head. It is very amusing to see that. Some Arab woman from a gaon of Egypt may be.
Egyptians make the largest proportion of visitors to Makkah followed by Pakistan & Indonesia. "
Monday, June 04, 2018
Siyām (Fasting)
If you remember few time back, I did one post on "root-of-word-ramadhan" (here). So as our guide Professor Ramadhan explain to us the root meaning of word "ramadhan", he also went on talking on word: "Sawm" (صَوْم) or plural Siyām (صِيَام). The 3 letters root of word "sawm" in Arabic is "Swad-Waw-Meem" (ص و م).
He said, everybody knows that 'Sawm' means to 'stay away' but according to him this is the partial meaning of sawm. Actually, sawm is an extreme word and full implied meaning is "absolutely stay away and flee from". It argues that not only to stay away from bad deeds but trying to move away from them, so you don't do it later when fasting month is over.
Later as internet took off, I found people doing 100s of explanations from extreme orthodox to extreme liberal. But I though it would be nice to share his argument as I didn't see this meaning anywhere else.
He said, everybody knows that 'Sawm' means to 'stay away' but according to him this is the partial meaning of sawm. Actually, sawm is an extreme word and full implied meaning is "absolutely stay away and flee from". It argues that not only to stay away from bad deeds but trying to move away from them, so you don't do it later when fasting month is over.
Later as internet took off, I found people doing 100s of explanations from extreme orthodox to extreme liberal. But I though it would be nice to share his argument as I didn't see this meaning anywhere else.
Saturday, May 12, 2018
"Ethics of War" - and Muhammad
While writing a post on 'Red Door' from our Scotland trip last year, I had another interesting encounter on that trip - which I never blogged about as I was unsure how factual it was. Also, I didn't want my Muslim and non-Muslim readers to feel offended. But it was interesting, and please read it merely as a conversation.
I didn't know the significance of April 16 in the history of Scottish people. It was April 16, and I was getting on a train from Glasgow to Edinburgh. There were few school kids at the station performing war plays. I was watching them with interest. As our train departed, the person beside me introduced himself as 'Chuck.' He was a history professor who started telling me about the English-Scottish wars. And how France backstabbed the Scottish people during the Jacobite rise and how brutally the English army butchered not only Scottish soldiers but also women who were nursing, confiscated cattle and burned houses, etc.
Then he turned and asked me: "Are you a Muslim?" I replied in the affirmative.
He said: "Let me tell you one thing. I am the professor of history. And, there is only one person in documented modern human history who established and practiced "ethics of war" - and that was Muhammad of Arabia—neither any of his nearest followers nor any distant of his enemies ever practiced ethics of war. To treat prisoners with respect, not to harm women, children, and elderly, not to destroy wells and food or harm cattle and horses, and not to initiate war if not intended, and not to expand war if not needed were his rules of war and virtues of his diplomacy. Not to offend you, he died, and with him, the values of Islam died".
I am curious to know how biased he was against English folks or how accurate his reading on the ethics of war was. I guess I need to study by myself.
*
Wednesday, October 04, 2017
Aashura: The Jewish Connection!
(link to full article at the end)
"...........
The story goes as follows: When the Prophet arrived in Yasreb ( present day Madina), he saw Jewish people observing fast on the tenth of the month. He inquired and was told that Jews observed that day for the deliverance of their people from Pharaoh by fasting for one day. Prophet declared that as Muslims were closer to Moses then the then-day Jews, Muslims would observe fasting for two days. So the tradition of fasting for those two days started. In the second year of Hijri, the Ramzan fasting became obligatory and thus the Aashura fasting became optional. ....
Here is what I could gather. The Jewish tradition of celebrating the freedom from Pharaoh is Passover, and that is in the month of Nisan, the first month the ecclesiastical year and the seventh month or eighth of the civil year. The Passover is celebrated on the 15th and not on the 10th of that month. They eat unleavened bread and there is celebration with wine, four cups to be precise. There is no fasting except for the first born, as they may have been dead in Pharaoh's Egypt.
The tradition which coincides with fasting is Yum Kippur. It is on the tenth day of Tishrei, the first month of the civil year. Jews observe fast on that day, 25 hours to be precise. But it does not coincide with the deliverance from Pharaoh's terror. It is a day to repent sins and relates to the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. However the day is the same day when Moses received the second of his tablets of Ten Commandments.
I tried to get old calendar dates. Muslim sources claim that Prophet entered Madina on July 16th, 622. This was the beginning of a new month, perhaps a month or two after Muharram. That is how the Hijri calendar was started ; backdated to that day during the time of the second caliph Umar. This date coincides with the first of Av, the fifth month of the Hebrew year 4382. The day of Yum Kippur came two months later in September or so.
...............the most likely Jewish holiday Prophet Muhammad noticed was Yum Kippur and not Passover. The story fits nicely with Yum Kippur: fasting, solemn affair, the tenth day of the first month of the year. Perhaps it was not Passover, where there is celebration and is on the fifteenth of the month. Moreover Passover is always in the Spring, and not in the month of July or soon after. ............. A day to reflect and reconcile."
Link :::: http://ghareebkhana.blogspot.com/2017/10/aashura-jewish-connection.html?m=1
"...........
The story goes as follows: When the Prophet arrived in Yasreb ( present day Madina), he saw Jewish people observing fast on the tenth of the month. He inquired and was told that Jews observed that day for the deliverance of their people from Pharaoh by fasting for one day. Prophet declared that as Muslims were closer to Moses then the then-day Jews, Muslims would observe fasting for two days. So the tradition of fasting for those two days started. In the second year of Hijri, the Ramzan fasting became obligatory and thus the Aashura fasting became optional. ....
Here is what I could gather. The Jewish tradition of celebrating the freedom from Pharaoh is Passover, and that is in the month of Nisan, the first month the ecclesiastical year and the seventh month or eighth of the civil year. The Passover is celebrated on the 15th and not on the 10th of that month. They eat unleavened bread and there is celebration with wine, four cups to be precise. There is no fasting except for the first born, as they may have been dead in Pharaoh's Egypt.
The tradition which coincides with fasting is Yum Kippur. It is on the tenth day of Tishrei, the first month of the civil year. Jews observe fast on that day, 25 hours to be precise. But it does not coincide with the deliverance from Pharaoh's terror. It is a day to repent sins and relates to the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. However the day is the same day when Moses received the second of his tablets of Ten Commandments.
I tried to get old calendar dates. Muslim sources claim that Prophet entered Madina on July 16th, 622. This was the beginning of a new month, perhaps a month or two after Muharram. That is how the Hijri calendar was started ; backdated to that day during the time of the second caliph Umar. This date coincides with the first of Av, the fifth month of the Hebrew year 4382. The day of Yum Kippur came two months later in September or so.
...............the most likely Jewish holiday Prophet Muhammad noticed was Yum Kippur and not Passover. The story fits nicely with Yum Kippur: fasting, solemn affair, the tenth day of the first month of the year. Perhaps it was not Passover, where there is celebration and is on the fifteenth of the month. Moreover Passover is always in the Spring, and not in the month of July or soon after. ............. A day to reflect and reconcile."
Link :::: http://ghareebkhana.blogspot.com/2017/10/aashura-jewish-connection.html?m=1
Saturday, January 21, 2017
On "Root of word Ramadhan"
(I think it was 1997 when I took Egypt Air to go to Pakistan for renewal of my exchange visa. Egypt Air used to give stay at Cairo without any additional fare. I stopped at Egypt for 5 days and took a tour package of Cairo, Nile, Aswan, Luxor, Edfu etc. Our tour guide was a PhD university teacher of Egyptology. He was working as a tour guide, as his second job, to support his family. His name was Ramadhan. He was very happy to see a Muslim in his otherwise all gora group. He told me something, which I wrote in my diary. Today, I was looking for something and it brought back tons and thousands of memories with its full vividness. After giving all details of my name, he gave me Arabic root derivative of his name Ramadhan. While I am writing this post, his visiting card is lying in front of me and I have a smile on my face.)
The 3 letters root of word Ramadan in Arabic is "Ray-Meem-Zuad" (ر م ض), and "ramd" means "very very hot sand under the full glory of the sun". When Arabs decided to get away from the ancient calendar, and the new calendar was formed the month which fell at the hottest time was called "Shahre Ramadan" or "month of hot sand". Previously it was called Natiqun (means (make you) scream loud)*. Fasting in this month is probably the hardest thing and maybe that's why this month is chosen in Islam to test, prepare, self-disciplined or whatever you want to make out of it.
(in reality, it rotates through every season as lunar calendar is about 10 days shorter than solar calendar)
* On ancient arab/islamic calendar conversion:: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Islamic_calendar
The 3 letters root of word Ramadan in Arabic is "Ray-Meem-Zuad" (ر م ض), and "ramd" means "very very hot sand under the full glory of the sun". When Arabs decided to get away from the ancient calendar, and the new calendar was formed the month which fell at the hottest time was called "Shahre Ramadan" or "month of hot sand". Previously it was called Natiqun (means (make you) scream loud)*. Fasting in this month is probably the hardest thing and maybe that's why this month is chosen in Islam to test, prepare, self-disciplined or whatever you want to make out of it.
(in reality, it rotates through every season as lunar calendar is about 10 days shorter than solar calendar)
* On ancient arab/islamic calendar conversion:: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Islamic_calendar
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Hajira - Few comments
After the last post on Hajira (HERE), a few pondering comments came. (You may not agree with all, but they are worth sharing). Putting 4 of them here
(1)
"I find it very inspiring. Till the day of judgment, for any Muslim, hajj and umra will not be completed unless he or she follows Hajra's footsteps. Imagine that she was a black woman. Most probably a slave. But Allah was so impressed by her struggle that this sacrifice will be repeated till the end of humanity. No other woman has such value as she does. A mother. Who was trying to find water for her baby in the desert."
(2)
Kaaba has very less to do with the Prophet Mohammad. As it was built by Ibrahim and Ismaeel, the whole place is an ode to his family. Tawaaf has been going on for thousands of years. The Arabs used to say namaz, hajj since Ibrahim's time. The Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) changed how it was done, but the basics remained. Saii is done as a ode to Hajira. Tawaaf starts and ends from Muqame Ibrahimi. The whole idea of Ahram for men, where they cannot hunt, wear perfume, and cannot wear sewn cloth, is almost like a cave-era man, where he walks and walks, spend a night out in the open, sleeping on the ground etc. It is a very non-Mohammedan concept.
(4)
Kaaba was integral to Hijazi Arabs as Abrahamic ritual. Muhammad never wanted them to feel offended. Do you know alif laam meem allegedly, in the beginning, was a tribute to 3 goddesses in Kaaba: Azaa, Laat, and Manat !!!
(1)
"I find it very inspiring. Till the day of judgment, for any Muslim, hajj and umra will not be completed unless he or she follows Hajra's footsteps. Imagine that she was a black woman. Most probably a slave. But Allah was so impressed by her struggle that this sacrifice will be repeated till the end of humanity. No other woman has such value as she does. A mother. Who was trying to find water for her baby in the desert."
(2)
Kaaba has very less to do with the Prophet Mohammad. As it was built by Ibrahim and Ismaeel, the whole place is an ode to his family. Tawaaf has been going on for thousands of years. The Arabs used to say namaz, hajj since Ibrahim's time. The Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) changed how it was done, but the basics remained. Saii is done as a ode to Hajira. Tawaaf starts and ends from Muqame Ibrahimi. The whole idea of Ahram for men, where they cannot hunt, wear perfume, and cannot wear sewn cloth, is almost like a cave-era man, where he walks and walks, spend a night out in the open, sleeping on the ground etc. It is a very non-Mohammedan concept.
(4)
Kaaba was integral to Hijazi Arabs as Abrahamic ritual. Muhammad never wanted them to feel offended. Do you know alif laam meem allegedly, in the beginning, was a tribute to 3 goddesses in Kaaba: Azaa, Laat, and Manat !!!
*
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Inna lillahi wa inna ilahi rajeun
(I heard this many centuries ago, but recently get reminded on the death of a loved one. Its not necesaary to agree on this but I always found fascination and element of thought in this statement).
"Tum jaante ho Islam is qadar 'addictive' mazhab kiun hai? Kiunke - Maut ka bara khauf hota hai. Har mazhab isi khauf ka ilaj chahta hai - magar saare mazahib main sirf Islam hi tha - jo kisi bhi maut pe 'closure' ki aik aesi kefiiat paida ker deta hai - ke uske manne wale khud ko apne parwadegar ke asal main wasil samjhne lagte hain - Aik 'Monorealism' ki si kaifiat".
(Personally, I believe these 2 ayats should be read in conjunction with each other (2:155 and 2:156 - but I guess that's another topic)
"Tum jaante ho Islam is qadar 'addictive' mazhab kiun hai? Kiunke - Maut ka bara khauf hota hai. Har mazhab isi khauf ka ilaj chahta hai - magar saare mazahib main sirf Islam hi tha - jo kisi bhi maut pe 'closure' ki aik aesi kefiiat paida ker deta hai - ke uske manne wale khud ko apne parwadegar ke asal main wasil samjhne lagte hain - Aik 'Monorealism' ki si kaifiat".
(Personally, I believe these 2 ayats should be read in conjunction with each other (2:155 and 2:156 - but I guess that's another topic)
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Halala! (Re-marrying in Islam)
(Halala refers to an act - where woman has to sleep/marry with another man if she wants to go back to her ex husband)
For long time I looked for right answer on concept of "halala" in Islam. I read various translations of all related verses in Quran, listened various talks from various levels of scholars. Let me assure you, in Islam, a man and woman can divorce and re-marry (just do new Nikah) without any consequences 3 times. Also a single divorce requires a statue of 3 months!
For long time I looked for right answer on concept of "halala" in Islam. I read various translations of all related verses in Quran, listened various talks from various levels of scholars. Let me assure you, in Islam, a man and woman can divorce and re-marry (just do new Nikah) without any consequences 3 times. Also a single divorce requires a statue of 3 months!
"Halala" comes in play only, when same couple go through divorce in their lifetime 3 times - which I doubt ever happen. (Best described in Surah 2:228-232). How 'Halala' should be performed is another subject and a glorious way to box-hit TV dramas!
- It was just a passing note on my understanding and reading of Quran - though for me it was just an academic exercise.
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