None of Us Is Irredeemably Bad: The Day Will Come When Mankind Will Realize the Futility of All Differences, Discriminations and Divisions

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 31 October 2022 Following is a true Sufi episode, not a story or parable that happened centuries ago. I read it in my mother tongue Pahlavi and was moved to tears and continued to cry for two days: Malik, son of Dinar, was upset about the profligate behaviour of a youth who lived next door. For a long time he did nothing, hoping someone else would intervene. But when the youth's behaviour became intolerable, Malik went to him and insisted that he change his ways. The youth calmly replied he was a protege of the Sultan, so no one could prevent him from living as he wished. Said Malik, “I shall personally complain to the Sultan.” Said the youth, “That’ll be a waste of time because the Sultan will not change his mind." "I shall then denounce...

Did Muhammad Marry Ayesha When She Was A Child? New Research Casts Doubt About This Islamic Narration

By Arshad Alam, New Age Islam 29 October 2022 Many Reformist Muslims Develop Cold Feet When They Are Asked To Evaluate Islamic Scriptures From A Source Critical Perspective Main Points 1. Hadis narrations say that Prophet Muhammad married Ayesha when she was six and consummated the marriage when she was nine 2. According to the findings of Joshua Little, an Oxford University researcher, this Hadis was fabricated in Iraq during the 8th century 3. The earliest Muslim sources do not mention the age of Ayesha at all 4. The reason for this fabricated Hadis was purely political and should be located within the sectarian fight between Shias and Sunnis at that time ------- According to many narrations within the corpus of Hadis, the Prophet Muhmmad is said to have married his...

How Can Muslims Revert To The Quran, Rejecting Sectarian Literature And Learning True Islamic Teachings About Subjects Like Blasphemy, Apostasy, Veils For Women, Punishment For Adultery, Sectarianism, Etc?

Every Sect Has Its Own Exegesis Of The Quran Main Points: 1. The Quran does not prescribe death sentence for blasphemy. 2. The Quran does not prescribe death or any punishment for apostasy. 3. The Quran does not prescribe full covering burqa for women. 4. The Quran does not prescribe death sentence for adultery. 5. The Quran condemns sectarian groupings. ------ By New Age Islam Staff Writer 29 October 2022 The holy Quran is the primary book of social, legal and religious guidance for Muslims. The hadiths are the practical demonstrations or the explanations of the injunctions or principles of the Quran. After the prophet's demise, religious scholars, exegetes and translators wrote commentaries, exegeses and explanations of the Quran according to their individual...

‘Those Who Go Berserk In The Name Of Protecting The Prophet’s Honour Are False Claimants Of Being Ashiqaan-E-Rasool (Lovers Of The Prophet); Actually They Are Themselves Blasphemers Of The Prophet’: New Age Islam Columnist Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi At The IICC Meelad Celebration

New Age Islam Regular Columnist, Mr. Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi Said That Peace-Building Was The Cornerstone Of The Entire Prophetic Mission. Therefore, Those Who Get Swayed By Extremist Frenzies And Go Berserk In The Name Of Protecting Of Honour Of The Holy Prophet Are False Claimants Of Being The Holy Prophet’s Lovers (Ashiqaan-E-Rasool) Actually, They Are Themselves Blasphemers Of The Prophet And Islam. Main Points: 1. The Delhi-based India Islamic Cultural Centre celebrates all Indian festivals of various faith traditions including Eid, Merry Christmas, Holi and Diwali in order to promote the country’s composite culture. 2. On the last day of Rabiul Awwal it organized its annual Milad-un-Nabi Celebration inviting India’s noted Islamic scholars who spoke on various aspects of the holy...

Islam-Supremacism: Muslims Must Shed Their Toffee-Nosed Attitude Towards Other Religions

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 29 October 2022 " Show me a Muslim who considers all other religions as genuinely equal and treats followers of other faiths the way he treats his Muslim brethren, I'm ready to re-examine and even re-embrace Islam that I left many moons ago." -My Professor of Mysticism and Persian, Dr Zaifa Ashraf, who turned her back on Islam at the age of 17 and never accepted any other man-made religion/s " Muslims often believe that their ISLAM is the truest faith. Other faiths could only be true in comparison but will remain inferior to Islam." Jacques Waardenburg, Muslim Perceptions of Other Religions: A Historical Survey (OUP, 1999) I fully agree with a reader, Aditya, that the term non-Muslim is worse than the word Kafir (infidel). It smacks of outright condescension....

What Does the Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Survey Want to Achieve?

By Arshad Alam, New Age Islam 28 October 2022 There Seems To No Clear-Cut Strategy With Regard To These Institutions Main Points: 1. So far, there are reports of 7000 unrecognized madrasas in UP 2. There are ideological and bureaucratic reasons for such a high number 3. The more important question is whether there is any larger objective behind such a survey 4. The government says it wants to mainstream madrasas but does not spell out what it means by mainstreaming 5. This looks like another exercise in ad hocism which will only benefit the politics of religious polarization ------ Few weeks back, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister ordered that all madrasas in the state be surveyed. The district magistrate was made in charge of the survey, assisted by officials of...

Expression of Reverence for Saints is not Shirk (Associating Others with God)

By S. Arshad, New Age Islam 28 October 2022 Symbols of God Must Be Revered Main Points: 1. Venerating symbols of God is an expression of piety. 2. Sacrificial animals are one of the symbols of God. 3. Respecting symbols of God is not shirk. 4. There may be another symbols of God. ----- There is much debate among the Islamic scholars over what is Shirk and what does not constitute Shirk. Shirk (associating partners with God) is the greatest sin according to the Quran. The holy Quran has clearly stated what constitutes Shirk. It states that worshipping any other deity along with God is shirk. Therefore, idol worship is shirk. Then worshipping natural objects like the sun, the moon, trees, snakes, rivers as gods along with the Supreme God is also shirk. Again worshipping...

Nothing Is More Powerful Than an Idea Whose Time Has Come

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 28 October 2022 Inscribed on the wall of my tiny pad are two well-nigh similar thoughts in Urdu and French, “Hazaar Barq Gire Laakh Aandhiyaan Utthein / Woh Phool Khil Ke Rahenge Jo Khilne Wale Hain “(Sahir Ludhianvi) And “There’s nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come “(Victor Hugo). Both the thoughts have always inspired me and whenever I feel down in the dumps, I look at them and the very next moment, my life bounces back. Human spirit is indomitable. It can be destroyed but cannot be defeated. Remember, life is an idea in a fluid and amorphous state. The moment we construct and concretise it, we realize its true potential. My Professor friend at Emory University in the US, mailed me that despite losing one eye and hand, the irrepressible...

Sir Syed Promoted Scientific Temperament and Interfaith Dialogue

By S. Arshad, New Age Islam 27 October 2022 He Promoted Study of Comparative Religion Main Points: 1. Sir Syed was s rationalist. 2. He promoted scientific temperament among Muslims. 3. He founded Aligarh Muslim University. 4. He established scientific society. 5. He wrote the exegesis of Quran and Bible. ------ Sir Syed Ahmad Khan ------ One of the greatest personalities India produced in the 19th century was Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. He had acquired both Islamic and western education and influenced the thought of the contemporary Muslims in a big way. His greatest contribution is the establishment of Aligarh Muslim University in 1877. Sir Syed had seen the failure of the 1857 revolution led by the Muslims and participated largely by Ulema. He also watched the subsequent...

Humans Suffer From 'She's Pretty, but Could Have Been Prettier Syndrome'

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 27 October 2022 Kisi Ko Paa Kar Bhi Aksar Ye Gumaan Hota Hai Ke Jaise Rah Gayee Ho Baaqi Koi Kami Phir Bhi (Despite having someone in life, something keeps gnawing at heart that there's still some void left) Insaan Ki Khwahishon Ki Koi Intihan Nahin Do Gaz Zameen Bhi Chahiye, Do Gaz Kafan Ke Baad -Kaifi Azmi (There’s no limit to our desires/ We ask for two yards of land besides the shroud even after death) Almost all humans suffer from ' She's pretty, but could have been prettier Syndrome.' -Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud A haughty passenger on a train was giving the dining car waiter his order. “For dessert, “he said, " I'll have tart and ice-cream." The waiter said they had no tarts. The man exploded. “What? No tarts? That's absurd. I'm one of the biggest...

New Light on Soul or Spirit: An Ideological Challenge to Islam?

By S. Arshad, New Age Islam 26 October 2022 How Will Muslims Confront New Developments Regarding The Soul Or Spirit. Main Points: 1. The Quran says little about the soul or spirit. 2. New developments regarding the soul present an ideological challenge to Islam. 3. Past life experiences have become a reality. 4. Some people claim they remember their past life family. 5. In India a number of past life and rebirth cases have come to light. ------ A five year old girl belonging to a Hindi speaking Hindu family of Bikaner, Rajasthan in India speaks English in Californian accent. Her parents say they have never been to California and they do not see English programmes on the television. The girl claims her original home is in California where they own cows and camels....

Umar Al Farooq - The Great Caliph - Part One: Timeline Of The Life Of Caliph Umar

By Moin Qazi, New Age Islam 26 October 2022 Amongst the nations before your time, there have been inspired people (who were not Prophets), and if there is one amongst my Ummah, he is Umar - Prophet Muhammad Timeline of the Life of Caliph Umar 577: Umar born in Makkah to Khattab ibn Nufayl and Hantama bint Hisham. 616: Umar’s conversion to Islam. 634-644: Umar (b 577 CE – d 3 November 644 CE)) reigns as the second Caliph. The Muslims subjugate Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia and Persia. Garrisons were established in the conquered lands, and the Muslim rulers began to take control of the financial organisation. 635: Muslims begin the conquest of Persia and Syria. 635: Arab Muslims capture the city of Damascus from the Byzantines. 636: Battle of Yarmuk (also: Yarmuq, Hieromyax):...

Tolerance Is Required for Coexistence

By Mufti Mohammad Sanaul Hoda Qasmi Translated from Urdu, New Age Islam Staff Writer 26 October 2022 The need for tolerance in a society with a diverse and religious population Main Points: 1. In a country where people of all religions, civilizations, and cultures coexist, it is essential for followers of all faiths to cultivate tolerance toward one another. 2. Tolerance refers to respect for one another rather than acts of polytheism [shirk] and disbelief [Kufr] that violate the laws of worshipping the One God. ------ In a country where people of all religions, civilizations, and cultures coexist, it is essential for followers of all faiths to respect one another and cultivate tolerance toward one another in line with the coexistence principle. How far a Muslim can go with...

Fossilized Beliefs, Ossified Practices: Religious Irrationalities Are Somewhere Tied To the Hoary-Old Practices in The Past

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 26 October 2022 We Foolishly Follow A Dictum And Never Bother How And In Which Circumstances It Originated In The Hoary Past. It Becomes All The More Ludicrous, When We Try To Justify Our Idiocy By Advancing Recondite Theories And ' Profound Commentaries ' Just Like One Straightforwardly Pejorative Word Kafir For Infidels And Polytheists In The Quran Is Glossed Over By Some Congenital Fools By Resorting To All Types Of Mental Gymnastics. ------ “Insaan Ki Tamaam Mazhabi Bewqoofiyon Ke Taar Kahin Na Khain Daur-E-Qadeem Ki Bhooli-Bisri Aadaton Se Waabasta Hote Hain." -Syed Ameer Ali (1848-1928), A Muslim Modernist (All our religious irrationalities are somewhere tied to the hoary-old practices in the past) Each time the guru sat for worship with his students,...

Reflections on Verses of the Quran on Religious Diversity

Quran Lays Stress on Respect of Common Religious Values Main Points: 1. Every community was sent a messenger. 2. Every religious community has been prescribed a different way of worship. 3. Every religious community has been given a different Shariah. 4. Evil communities were destroyed. 5. Fasting, animal sacrifice and pilgrimage are common in different religions. ------- By New Age Islam Staff Writer 25 October 2022 The holy Quran is not an isolated book but an extension and reminder of what was revealed earlier. The prophets were also the part of a chain of messengers to carry forward the message of God. God wanted diversity in every walk of life and so He also wanted diversity in religious observances. That's why He revealed different ways of life and shariah for...