Don't Make Your Allah a Party to All This Mess

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 31 August 2022 Naseer Ahmad's ' The Satanic Verses' is a veritable ' apologist's rants.' I've never come across anyone whose overzealous approach to explaining the scriptural conundrums of any damn scripture is greater than that of this man. Karl Popper once said, “If you broach a very sensitive subject. Brace yourself to face the criticism. “In his overenthusiasm to gloss over Muhammad marrying his daughter-in-law, Zaynab (wife of his adopted son Zayd) and why adoption is not religiously and scripturally sanctioned in Islam, he has made himself a butt of ridicule. By the way, have you read or heard the following lines as Bon Jovi sang? “The new improved tomorrow isn't what it used to be Yesterday keeps coming 'round, it's just reality It's the same damn...

Muslims Have No Answers to the Diatribe against the Prophet

By Arshad Alam, New Age Islam 31 August 2022 The Only Answer Is To Silence People with Sar Tan Se Juda Slogan Main Points: 1. Anyone dishonouring the prophet has to be killed, this is the dominant position within Islamic theology. 2. The Hadith literature and biographies of the prophet are replete with examples that such was the practice during the prophetic times. 3. It does not serve the Muslim cause to obfuscate the matter; they should be dealing with it in a more reasonable way. 4. The first act should be to question parts of Islamic scripture which sanctions such killings. 5. But for that to happen, Muslims have to first get rid of the erroneous notion that their scriptures are divine and infallible. ------ Every time there is a perceived or real insult on the...

Theocratic Nation of Maulana Maududi and his Jamaat-e-Islami’s Vision - Part 2: Influencing Jinnah and his Muslim League

By Grace Mubashir, New Age Islam 31 August 2022 Like Maulana Maududi, Muhammad Ali Jinnah also believed that the Congress regime was neglecting the Muslims. It was evident to Jinnah in the provincial administration of the Congress. The Muslim League, which celebrated the resignation of the Congress governments as Liberation Day, struck up a friendship with Maulana Maududi. Maududi wanted to cooperate with the Muslim League. But he did not like the policy of the League which advocated democracy. However, Maududi's efforts to cooperate with the league had paid off for the time being. Maududi's book Kashmakash was distributed in the League conferences of 1937 and 1938. Many Muslims left the Congress and joined the Muslim League. The Muslim League was waiting for someone like Maududi. Because...

The Satanic Verses

By Naseer Ahmed, New Age Islam 30 August 2022 The Account Was Known Among Islamic Scholars as the “Story of the Cranes” And By Orientalists Later As the “Satanic Verses”; None Of The Early Muslim Scholars Appears To Have Found The Story Controversial ----- What is the truth about the incident of the “Satanic Verses”? The Incident According To Al-Tabari the Historian The prophet was anxious about the fate of all the Meccans and desired that all should accept Islam and avoid Allah’s punishment for the rejecters repeatedly warned with the examples of the destruction of the people of Noah, Lut, Moses, Salih and Shuaib in 32 Surahs of the Meccan period. He longed for a way to reconcile the faith with the beliefs of the people so that all could accept Islam and become one. Satan took advantage...

Knowledge Vs Wisdom: From Sheikh Sadi's Gulistan

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 30 August 2022 “Aql Ko Gumaan Hai Ke Har Shai Maaloom Hai Ilm Ki Inkisaarii Ke Kuchh Seekha Nahin Ab Tak” -Yaas Yagana Changezi (Knowledge presumptuously thinks that it knows everything/ Wisdom is modest enough to admit that nothing has been learnt thus far) The great didactic writer, teacher and polymath, Sheikh Saadi of Shiraz narrated a fascinating parable in his tome ' Gulistan. ‘Its relevance is eternal. An enlightened mystic had three disciples. One was extremely wise and silent and the other two, though very learned, were quarrelsome, noisy and a trifle arrogant. One day they began to fight over each one being superior to the other. The third disciple just didn't pay any attention and was as silent and cool as an ocean. When the Mystic heard...

Saudi Arabia's Blind Following of the Western Ways Is Courting Trouble for Its Tradition and Religion

By Rashid Samnakay, New Age Islam 29 August 2022 There Are Many Things That The Muslims Should Adopt For Themselves From The West But To Say That The West Is Squeaky Clean Is Being Blind To It Many Faults Main Points: 1. Societal universal moral code for life does not necessarily need the props of Religions. 2. Balance has to be struck with educating its society and enlightenment and striking the mean path. 3. Aping the West in every which way is not necessarily the right path. 4. Religious tourism to Vatican Makkah is assured for many generations of princes of Saudi Arabia. ----- Recently a clip was making its way round the cyber world in which the Priest (Imam) of the Haram's sermon (Khutba) was recorded. For what he said and for his troubles the Imam was apparently...

Increasing Drug Addiction among Muslims a Matter of Concern

Kerala Muslims Have Woken Up To the Menace Main Points: 1. The Muslim youth are badly affected by drug addiction. 2. Narcotics are freely available in ice-cream parlours and juice corners in Kerala. 3. Muslim community of Pudukkad have decided to ostracise drug addicts. 4. Drug addiction is fast spreading among Muslims. ---- By New Age Islam Staff Writer 29 August 2022 The spread of narcotics and drug addiction is on the rise in the country and the Muslim community has also been affected by the availability of drugs. In recent years, the narcotics trade has seen a steep rise in the country. Seizures of big haul of narcotics from different parts of the country in recent months indicate that the narcotics trade has reached alarming proportions affecting the youth. Recently,...

Rushdie’s Satanic Verses Had Few Takers, Khomeini’s Fatwa Gave It Sudden Rise

By Nur Ul Islam Sadequey, New Age Islam 29 August 2022 The Novel Also Gave Muslims Chance to Clear Ambiguity around Contested Traditions but the Fatwa Made Debate on Religion A Taboo And Rushdie Emerged Victorious Main Points: 1. Notably, the title ‘Satanic Verses’ implies not only that Quran is not a divine revelation but its devil’s work. 2. The bogey of infamous fatwa has haunted Muslims more than Rushdie for decades. 3. For many Muslims, Iranian motive behind the fatwa was dubious. 4. The fatwa which had unforeseen repercussions far and wide for decades, pitted western values against Islamic values and made debate on religion a taboo. ----- Although Iran has ‘categorically’ denied any link with attacker but as the stabbing of the controversial author Salman...

Mental Extremism Leads To Terrorism

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 29 August 2022 Bangladeshi Muslims Are Comparatively Recent Converts Who Still Retain Their Typical Bengali Hindu Surnames Such As Dastidar, Talukdar, Majumdar Even Ghosh And Ghoshal! ---- Navbharattimes.com has carried a disconcerting news item along with a video, showing a kid (not more than 4 or 5-yr-old) brazenly telling the interviewer that he's not interested in meeting the Hindu players in the Bangladesh cricket team. His parents are also there, not admonishing him, but smiling instead. Currently, there are two Hindu cricketers, Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das, playing for the Bangladesh team and both are fairly good players. Religious indoctrination and discrimination begin right from the cradle. Nowadays, Muslims (though not all) indoctrinate their children...

Netaji Subhas and Ubaidullah Sindhi: A Nationalist Alliance

By Saquib Salim, New Age Islam 26-08-2022 During The First World War (WWI) When Ubaidullah Sindhi With The Help Of Raja Mahendra Pratap And Maulana Barkatullah Formed A Provisional Government Of Free India In Afghanistan ---- Ubaidullah with Allah Bux Somroo ----- The name of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is etched on every Indian nationalist heart. He formed ‘Azad Hind Sarkar’, a working provisional government of India in exile that commanded Azad Hind Fauj, an army that fought against the British Army during the Second World War (WWII) to liberate India. Very few know that a similar attempt was made during the First World War (WWI) when Ubaidullah Sindhi with the help of Raja Mahendra Pratap and Maulana Barkatullah formed a provisional government of free India in Afghanistan. The...

Firaq Gorakhpuri: A Hindu Who Proudly Called Himself An Ahle-Zabaan (Native Speaker) - On Firaq Gorakhpur's Birthday, August 28

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 28 August 2022 Nature Hardly Makes Such A Great Individual Like 'Firaq' Gorakhpuri. In These Times And Climes, ' Firaq' Is All The More Significant When Urdu Is Being Called The Language Of Muslims And Fanatic Hindus Are Purging Hindi Of All Persian, Arabic And Turkish Words To Make It The Tongue Of Sanatanis ---- Mad Mein Doobi Hui Ye Raat Nargis-E-Neembaaz Ka Aalam Mere Naghme Ki Narm Lay Mein Dekh Jumbish-E-Paainaaz Ka Aalam -Firaq Gorakhpuri (The night is steeped in wine/ Like a half-open Nargis/ Look at the soft cadence of my song/ It's as if a beloved comes tip-toeing). The astounding juxtaposition of Hindi and Persianized Urdu immortalized Raghupati Sahay ' Firaq ' Gorakhpuri's exquisite Urdu poetry. " Raghupati Sahay ' Firaq ' Ne Na Sirf...

Associating Islam with Terrorism Is Unfair Because They Are Poles Apart

By Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam 27 August 2022 In Islamic Sources, If Combat Is Mentioned, It Is Always in the Context of Putting an End to Oppression; So No way to link Islam with terrorism Main Points: 1. Islam, a religion that upheld human rights, fostered peace and security, defined the rights of Muslims and non-Muslims worldwide, and even acknowledged the rights of animals, is now associated with terrorism. 2. The media primarily emphasises the acts of terrorism committed by the so-called Muslims, rather than stressing the peaceful teachings of Islam presented by Muslims worldwide. 3. We cannot exclude the potential that some Muslims may be persuaded to engage in terrorism as a result of departing from the correct Islamic teachings. 4. Our Ulama should carefully...

Does Islam Endorse ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ Slogan?

By Saquib Salim, New Age Islam 27-08-2022 Hazrat Ali, Ordered Them before a Battle, “Do Not Attack Those Who Have Surrendered, Do Not Injure the Disabled and Weak, Do Not Assault the Wounded, Do Not Excite Women and Do Not Make Them Angry With Rude Behaviour Even If They Use Harsh and Insulting Words against Your Commander and Officers” ----- A scene from Hyderabad during the procession ---- In mid-July two Muslim men killed a tailor, Kanhaiya Lal, in Udaipur accusing him of disrespecting Prophet Muhammad; another man recently stabbed Salman Rushdie in the USA on similar grounds, and several others have issued calls to kill Nupur Sharma and more recently T Raja Singh for disrespecting the Prophet. A considerable number of Muslim youth can be seen on social media advocating the slogan...

Predestination versus Volition

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 27 August 2022 I fully concur with the erudite reader Mr Ghulam Mohiyuddin that no rational person believes in predestination. If predestination is to be believed, volition will have no place and role in an individual's life. It's interesting to note that even those who don't believe in god, do believe in fate and they too, along with the believers, believe that human life is predestined. In other words, most of us believe in an unknown and hither-to undeciphered agency and submissively ascribe the course and events of life to that. This is a defeatist belief that makes us fatalists. All humans are endowed with volition and we must exercise that. Whether it's Quranic belief of an individual's destiny written and ordained 40 years before his/her birth, Puranik...