Physical Benefits of Salah/Prayer – Part 1

You Will Naturally Be Blessed With the Physical Benefits If You Perform Salah with the Goal of Worshiping Allah Main Points: 1. The Salah gives spiritual and physical benefits to the believers who perform them regularly. 2. Islam places a premium on heart health, both spiritually and physically. 3. Cholesterol can be dissolved before freezing by the five daily prayers. ----- By Kaniz Fatma, New Age Islam 4 June 2022 Islam places a premium on heart health, both spiritually and physically. The Qur'an uses the terms 'Qalb Saleem' (sound heart) and 'Qalb Mutmainna' (contended heart) to describe the characteristics of a healthy heart. A similar query was answered by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him): “Beware, in the body, there is a piece of flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound and if it is corrupt the whole body is corrupt, and hearken it is the heart.” (Sahih Muslim, Book 22, Hadith 133). That is why, in its teachings and instructions, Islam places a strong focus on the prevention of heart disease. Salah or Prayer is the most significant and fundamental aspect of Islam and it is a very efficient spiritual and physical way of protection against ailments, particularly heart diseases. Salah combines spiritual meditation with physical motions, causing the muscular system of the human body to become active without being fatigued and generating serenity in both the body and the mind. Salah is supposed to aid in the preservation of lower-limb performance by enhancing balance, equilibrium, and joint flexibility. Many health professionals, on the other hand, are unaware that performing Salah offers a variety of physical benefits that might be utilised to prescribe dynamic exercise. Salah promotes emotional and physical well-being. Salah is a collection of postures and actions that include standing, kneeling, prostration, and sitting in that order. Each posture requires the movement of different parts of the human body in order to improve health and fitness. Each stance has its own set of benefits, such as: (1)When you stand up straight, your spine should be in a neutral position. (2) Bowing at a straight angle allows energy to pass from the pituitary gland at the back of the head. (3) The act of prostration (lying your head on the ground) allows a large amount of blood to enter the brain. (4) Sitting with the back straight and focusing all of one's attention on the right finger while moving it can help with concentration. There is no other gentle and continuous exercise that compares to the Salah. According to physiotherapists, exercising without consistency or doing so much that the body feels exhausted is pointless. God, the Lord of Glory, has bestowed upon us the practice of exercise and physiotherapy in practically all postures of the Salah. While a believer's prayers provide him with a comprehensive package of spiritual and physical advantages, hypocrites are known for praying with apathy and sloth. Allah, the All-Powerful, says: “Surely the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but He outwits them. When they stand up for prayer, they do it lazily only showing [themselves to] the people and not remembering Allah except a little.” (4:142) Without Taadeel-e-Arkaan (performing the principles (Rukns) of Salah properly), there is no spiritual or physical advantage to prayer in a calm manner, whereas praying properly is a permanent and balanced strategy to keep cholesterol under control. This wonderful hadith of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) clarifies this fact: “Of certainly, the Salah has the power to heal” (2/390, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-Musnad) According to a recent scientific study, fat that builds up in our arteries narrows them over time, resulting in catastrophic conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Cholesterol levels in the human body typically range from 150 to 250 milligrammes. The amount of cholesterol in our blood rises rapidly after a meal. Allah Almighty has provided a simple and natural approach to dissolving cholesterol before freezing in the form of five daily prayers. Muslims are required to perform five daily prayers. Fajr, Asr, and Maghrib are three prayers that are conducted while the human stomach is normally empty. These three prayers have brief Rak'ats. After a meal, the Zuhr and Isha prayers are frequently offered. Their rak'ahs are twelve and seventeen, respectively, and this reduces cholesterol levels. During Ramadan, cholesterol levels in the body rise abnormally due to the massive amounts of food and beverages ingested after Iftar. Muslims are required to conduct twenty rakats of Taraweeh prayers in addition to the seventeen rak'ahs of Isha prayers during Ramadan, which helps to lower cholesterol. The wisdom of Salah to keep cholesterol levels under control has not only been discovered via modern research but is also supported by a hadith from the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said on the authority of Hazrat Ayesha Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her): "Solve your food (cholesterol) by remembering Allah and performing Salah." (Tabarani, Al-Mujam al-Awsat 4949) There is no part of the body that does not benefit from light exercise provided we say the five daily prayers at the appointed times, in accordance with the instructions and actions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) But the most important thing to keep in mind is that we perform the Salah in order to worship Allah and attain His pleasure. We do not perform the Salah with the intention of physical health. Yes, it is the grace of Allah that by doing so, we are automatically blessed with physical benefits. ... Kaniz Fatma is a classic Islamic scholar and a regular columnist for New Age Islam. URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-spiritualism/physical-salah-prayer-part-1/d/127170 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Why Can’t Mosques Be Relocated Or Deconsecrated And Sold In Certain Situations As Churches Are?

By Sultan Shahin, Founding Editor, New Age Islam 4 June 2022 While Christians have found it possible to deconsecrate, decommission or repurpose their vacant, unused churches, despite a continuing debate on the issue, Muslims have been traditionally very rigid on keeping a mosque a mosque no matter what. Hundreds of mosques in our part of Punjab, for instance, are lying unused or taken over by local people for decades since most Muslims of the area left for Pakistan after Partition in 1947. Some mosques have been maintained by local Sikh populations; one was recently rebuilt by local Sikhs, even though there are few Muslims there. They did so as a goodwill gesture to local Muslims and also to remind themselves of the times when Guru Nanak had prayed there. However, hundreds of mosques are lying vacant or plundered and occupied by locals for different purposes. But Muslims do not find it possible to sell those plots and use the money for other community purposes. Another issue is: can a mosque be relocated for widening of road or for other reasons. The issue came up in news headlines when the Vishwa Hindu Parishad offered to relocate the Babri masjid, brick by brick, in a different place in Ayodhya. Of course, Muslims refused and the mosque was eventually demolished in 1992. Why do Muslims take such an irrational attitude towards mosques to the detriment of the community? One argument is that once we start praying in a mosque the proprietorship of that land is transferred to God and only He can sell it or decide to relocate it. This amounts to saying that the land did not belong to God earlier. But who can argue with classical theologians who passed away hundreds of years ago, destroying all vestiges of rational thinking from Muslim scholars. Yes, there were rationalist thinkers among Muslim scholars. Briefly, during early 9th century CE they even got support of the Caliphs, but all their writings were destroyed and we now learn about their ideas only from the literature created to criticise them. By the way, this is exactly what happened in India to rationalist and materialist Charvaka or Brhaspatya philosophy. We learn about Charvaka’s ideas only from hostile refutations of his ideas, just as we learn about rationalist Muslim Mu‘tazilites from their criticism by established traditional theologians. Why are Muslims so adamant not to rethink their positions on the issue of decommissioning mosques as Christians deconsecrate churches and sell them when required by circumstances? To understand this, we have to study the theology of consensus behind this issue. Let me quote from the highest juristic authorities in Islam: In their writings, Islamic juristic authorities like Ibn Hajar Asqalani, Ibn Qudamah, Imam Nawawi, and Zafar Ahmad Uthmani have all stated the following: “It is ruled that if a person dedicates his land to a mosque, it will pass from his property to Allah Almighty's. Once established, a mosque cannot be bought, sold, or given as a gift. It is likewise forbidden to inherit a mosque……. The Quran, Hadith, consensus (ijma’), and analogy (Qiyas) are all used to establish Waqf. From the time of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) till now, the Ummah has followed this norm. The creatures have no legal right to use a mosque for anything other than worship. As a result, if the property is set aside for a mosque and a mosque is constructed on it, it will remain a mosque until the Day of Resurrection.” Sources: (1. Zafar Ahmad Uthmani (d. 1394/1974), I’la al-Sunan Tahanawi, 13/98, printed in Idaratul Quran (2. Ibn Hajar Asqalani, Fathul Baari, 5/404, printed in Dar al-Nashr Lil Kutub al-Islamiyya/ (3. Imam Nawawi, Commentary on Sahih Muslim, 11/86, printed in Idaratul Quran (4. Ibn Qudamah, al-Mughni, 8/186, printed in al-Riyad Daaru Aalam al-Kutub) --- The Encyclopaedia of Islamic Jurisprudence, (popularly known as Kuwaiti Fiqh Encyclopaedia, as it was assembled in Kuwait by a group of scholars from several schools of thought in an endeavour spanning half a century and running into 45 volumes, completed in 2018), says: “According to the majority of jurists, it is not permissible to relocate any mosque…..The jurists of the Shafi’i school of thought state that If a mosque collapses and it is impossible to rebuild it, it will not be sold under any circumstances, as it is currently possible to offer prayers in it……..The vast majority of jurists believe that selling a mosque is forbidden. According to the Hanafis, if a person converts his land into a mosque and meets all of the requirements for his Waqf to be valid, he cannot take it back, sell it, or inherit it...According to Maliki jurists, it is not permissible to sell a mosque under any circumstances, whether it is vacant or not. It is against the law to sell or demolish a mosque. It is also illegal to sell the ruins of a mosque…..Tafsir Qurtubi says that it is not permissible to demolish a mosque, sell it or suspend it even if the neighbourhood is deserted…..” (Encyclopaedia of Islamic Jurisprudence, vol.37, p.262-266) Fatawa Razviyya says: “It is absolutely forbidden (haram) to relocate a mosque and construct a road or a house on its property, even if a golden mosque is constructed in its place.” (Imam Ahmad Raza Barelvi, Fatawa Razviyya, vol.6, p.385) Fatawa Qazi Khan says the following: “The mosque is only the name of the land which is devoted to prayers. Even if a person turns his vacant land into a mosque, it will become a mosque. Respect for the mosque will be obligatory for him”. (Cited in Fatawa Razviyya, vol.6, p.390) After quoting various traditional statements about the impermissibility of mosque relocation, Mufti-e-Azam-e-Hind Allama Mustafa Raza Khan Barelvi writes in his fatwa: “The mosque will always be a mosque, and its Masjidiyat will never vanish. The martyrdom of a masjid does not invalidate its Masjidiyat.” (Fatawa Mufti-e-Azam-e-Hind, vol.3, p.177) Mufti Nizamuddin from Darul Ulum Jamda Shahi, UP Basti, says, “The land that became a mosque will now remain a mosque forever. It would be a tremendous injustice to it if it were to be martyred and abandoned. Allah Almighty says in the Quran: “Who does more wrong than those who prevent Allah’s Name from being mentioned in His places of worship (Masajid), and [than those who] strive to destroy them? Such people have no right to enter these places except for fear. For them is disgrace in this world, and they will suffer a tremendous punishment in the Hereafter.” (2:114)” Source: https://masailworld.com/masjid-ko-doosari-jagah-muntaqil-karna/ --- A recent fatwa quoted below, however, gives hope that some Muftis have probably started rethinking these issues. --- Is it permissible to move a mosque to a different location? (English Translation from original Urdu by New Age Islam Edit Desk) Questioner: Irtiza Ahmed, Srinagar, Kashmir Answered by: Mufti Abdul Qayyum Hazarawi, Sufi Sunni Muslim, posted on Fatwaonline, Minhajul Quran run by Dr Tahirul Qadri: Questioner: Assalam Alaikum, Mufti Sahib! We purchased a residential area in order to construct a mosque. We temporarily began offering Adhan and prayers five times a day in the same building. However, we have not yet begun Friday prayers. Our administration has decided to sell this mosque and construct a new mosque somewhere. Is this permissible to do so? Answer: You can sell this building if you desire to relocate the mosque to a larger and better location. The Imam of Hanafi jurisprudence, Hazrat Ibn Abidin Shami (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “The door of a mosque can be changed by the [Muslim] residents of the area. The Fatawa volumes 'Fatawa Khaaniyya' and 'Jamiul Fatawa' both suggest that the inhabitants of the area can move the mosque from one location to another, even if they leave it in a position where no prayers are offered. They can also sell the old mosque, whose founder is unknown, and use the earnings to build a new mosque.” (Ibn Abidin Shami, Raddul Muhtar, 4/357, Beirut, printed by Darul Fikr) This shows the principle that, in the event of a need, the administration may relocate the mosque. Imam Zainuddin Ibn Nujaim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “If the pool or mosque becomes desolate and people scatter, the judge (court) has the authority to spend the Awqaaf (endowments such as land, estates, gardens, shops, apartments, and money) on another mosque. If one of the two mosques becomes desolate in any location, the Qazi (court) has the authority to use its wood (and other resources) in the construction of another mosque.” (Imam Zainuddin Ibn Nujaim, al-Bhar al-Raaiq, 5/273, Bairut, Darul Maarifa, / Abdur Rahman b. Muhammad, Majmaul Anhur Fi Sharhi Multaqal Abhur, 2/595, Bairut, Lebanon, Darul Kutub al-Ilmiyyah) In this regard, Imam Ibn 'Abidin and other jurists have elaborated: “According to Imam Abu Yusuf (may Allah have compassion on him), if the mosque and its surrounds became deserted and people migrated here and there, it would not return to the property of the one who originally dedicated it. As a result, the remains will be sold with the judge's permission, with the revenues going toward the construction of a new mosque.” (Ibn Abidin Shami, Raddul Muhtar, 4/359 (Marghinani, al-Hidaya Sharhul Bidaya, 3/20, al-Maktaba al-Islamiyyah (Ibn al-Humam, Sharh Fathul Qadeer, 6/236, Bairut, Darul Fikr/ (Zailai’, Tabyeenul Haqaiaq, 3/330, Cairo, Darul Kutub al-Islami) The majority of jurists have not only agreed with Allama Halwani's opinion but also quoted it: When Shams-ul-Aimma Al-Halwani was asked: Is it permissible for the qaazi or judge to spend the mosque's endowments on a new mosque if the existing mosque or pool becomes unused and the region's population disperses and no longer need it? He replied affirmatively. (Ibn Abidin Shami, Raddul Muhtar, 4/359/ Al-Sheikh Nizam and a group of Indian Jurists, Fatawa Hindiyyah, 4/478, Bairut, Darul Fikr) Allama Shami further says, When [unused] mosques and pools are not relocated, their debris is seized by thieves and occupying gangs, as we have witnessed in our times. The organisers, for example, illegally occupy such endowments (land, estates, gardens, stores, and money). As a result of the failure to relocate the endowments, the other mosque, which requires such endowments, is also left desolate. Ibn Abidin Shami, Raddul Muhtar, 4/360, widely considered as the central reference for fatwa in the Hanafi Madhhab: According to the above-mentioned arguments, any alteration in the structure of the mosque that does not conflict with the purposes of the mosque is acceptable. Such challenges are being addressed in light of current demands and circumstances, with the ultimate goal of providing the finest opportunity for the propagation of Islam. (English Translation from original Urdu) Source: https://www.thefatwa.com/urdu/questionID/4895 I can only hope that this trend towards rationalism continues and Muslim ulema of today help evolve a theology in all its aspects that is more suited to the times we live in and takes into account the new circumstances that keep emerging all the time. URL: https://newageislam.com/the-war-within-islam/mosques-relocated-deconsecrated-churches/d/127166 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Dr Abdus Salam, Science, the Big Bang Theory of Creation, and the Quran

By Naseer Ahmed, New Age Islam 3 June 2022 This is a supplement to my article, “Should Science And Religion Be Kept Apart?” In that article, I had quoted Dr Salam as follows: Dr Salam was sitting with his scientist friends among whom were those who had shared the Nobel prize with him and one of them was curious to know more about the verses in the Quran that say that the Universe came about the way the Big Bang theory says it did. The following is his verbatim response: “There is a verse that says, We have created everything living out of water. There are words about heaven and earth were united together and We spilt them apart. A man who believes in the big bang will perhaps read the Big Bang. I do not. I do not believe that the Big Bang may last forever by our scientific thinking. It would be absolutely stupid to connect the science of today to what is essentially allegorical, religious, spiritual experience which I think is a totally different dimension” ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Also Read: Islam Does Not Inhibit Science: Islamic Culture Has Produced Many First-Rate Scientists Who Were Also Devout In Their Religious Observances ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mohammad Abdus Salam was a Pakistani theoretical physicist and a Nobel Prize laureate ----- What Salam Said Raises Two Disturbing Questions 1. Did Salam really have misgivings about the correctness and therefore the durability of the Big Bang theory? I doubt it. It is only a rhetorical argument, I think. 2. The other question that bothered me was why did a great man like Salam who was a devout Muslim, lack the confidence to respond to his friends with equanimity, “Yes, the description in the Quran on the creation of the Universe coincides with the scientific thinking on the subject today. Isn’t that amazing?” He was however apologetic and dismissive when there was nothing to be ashamed of and everything to be proud of. Dr Abdus Salam is an iconic person for Muslim students. His life and extraordinary achievements are a source of inspiration to many. It is therefore important to understand Dr Salam’s reasons for what he said as those words have the potential to have far-reaching effects on young minds. The exploration will also help us to better understand his relationship with Science and Religion. Salam’s Love for the Quran Salam listened to a recitation of the Quran by Qari Basit every day and said that doing so “opened up his heart”. His Nobel Prize acceptance speech began with an apt quotation from the Quran. He had often said that the Quran was his inspiration. The following are the exact words he spoke “If you’re a particle physicist you would like to have just one fundamental force and not four. That’s the real unity between the forces. If you’re a Muslim particle physicist of course you will believe in this very, very strongly because unity is an idea which is very attractive to you culturally. I would never have started to work on the subject if I was not a Muslim.” Quranic Verses on Creation of the Universe The Quranic verses about the creation of the Universe are as follows: (21:30) Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe? (51:47) AND IT IS We who have built the universe with [Our creative] power; and, verily, it is We who are steadily expanding it Another Version of Creation in the Quran The creation of the Universe which includes the earth takes only two days (41:9 and 12). Making the earth fit for sustaining life takes another four days (41:10) or a total of six days. Verse 41:11 again speaks about bringing together everything before cleaving them asunder. The big bang theory confirms what the Quran said 1400 years ago. (41:9) Say: Is it that ye deny Him Who created the earth in two Days? And do ye join equals with Him? He is the Lord of (all) the Worlds. (10) He set on the (earth), mountains standing firm, high above it, and bestowed blessings on the earth, and measure therein all things to give them nourishment in due proportion, in four Days, in accordance with (the needs of) those who seek (Sustenance). (11) Moreover He comprehended in His design the sky, and it had been (as) smoke: He said to it and to the earth: "Come ye together, willingly or unwillingly." They said: "We do come (together), in willing obedience." (12) So He completed them as seven firmaments in two Days, and He assigned to each heaven its duty and command. And We adorned the lower heaven with lights, and (provided it) with guard. Such is the Decree of (Him) the Exalted in Might, Full of Knowledge. The day here is not our 24 hour day but a cosmic day which the Quran describes in one context as our thousand years and in another context as our 50 thousand years. In different contexts, a cosmic day is defined differently. The concept of relativity of time is there bang in your face. In the context of the creation of the Universe, the cosmic day is not defined. This could be because the number is very large for which there was no name in the vocabulary of the 7th century Arabs. For men of understanding, it is sufficient to know that a day here is a cosmic day and not our 24-hour day. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Also Read: Science Should Be Separated From Religion: No Point in Proving Changing Scientific Theories from Quran ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Biblical Account of Creation Genesis 1:1 states: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:2 states: "And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters". Why Salam’s Argument expressing doubts about the BB Theory Was Rhetorical Salam shouldn’t have had doubts about the durability of the big bang theory because the theory is supported by theoretical physics as well as observational astronomy, astrophysics and experimental physics. For a very long time, astrophysicists and cosmologists had assumed a static universe with no beginning and no end, both in time and space. Einstein published his General Theory of Relativity in 1915. Alexander Friedmann, a Russian scientist, published a paper in 1922, on a range of idealized solutions including for a contracting and expanding universe, based on the mathematics of General Relativity. Friedmann did not pursue the possibility that one of them might actually describe the physical universe. In 1927 in Belgium, unaware of Friedmann’s work, Georges Lemaître, a Belgian cosmologist and Catholic priest, published a solution to the equations of General Relativity, for the case of an expanding universe, in which he had derived and explained the relation between the distance and the recession velocity of galaxies. Lemaître realized that his solution predicted the expansion of the real universe of galaxies that observations were only then beginning to suggest. ---------------------------------------- Also Read: Science and Religion ---------------------------------------- Hubble's brilliant observation that the redshift of galaxies was directly proportional to the distance of the galaxy from earth meant that things farther away from Earth were moving away faster. In other words, the universe must be expanding. Hubble’s finding in 1929 supported the theory of Georges Lemaître based on the mathematics of General Relativity. Many astronomers at the time were uncomfortable with the idea that the universe is expanding. Together with Hubble’s observations, Lemaître’s paper convinced the majority of astronomers that the universe was indeed expanding, and this revolutionized the study of cosmology. By 1930, other cosmologists, including Eddington, Willem de Sitter, and Einstein, had concluded that the static models of the universe they had worked on for many years were unsatisfactory. A year later, Lemaître explored the logical consequences of an expanding universe and boldly proposed that it must have originated at a finite point in time. If the universe is expanding, he reasoned, it was smaller in the past, and extrapolation back in time should lead to an epoch when all the matter in the universe was packed together in an extremely dense state. Appealing to the new quantum theory of matter, Lemaître argued that the physical universe was initially a single particle—the “primaeval atom” as he called it—which disintegrated in an explosion, giving rise to space and time and the expansion of the universe that continues to this day. This idea marked the birth of what we now know as Big Bang cosmology. That the entire observable universe of galaxies began with a bang from a very small size, however, still seemed preposterous to many. Lemaître was the first theoretical cosmologist ever nominated in 1954 for the Nobel Prize in Physics for his prediction of the expanding universe. He was also nominated for the 1956 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his primeval atom theory. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Also Read: Unlike Most Muslim Scientists, God Speaks Same Truth in and out of Mosques ------------------------------------------------------------------ Lemaître’s idea was developed further by other cosmologists, including George Gamow, to become the modern Big Bang theory. There have been refinements to Lemaître’s earliest description of the universe as a “primordial atom” before the Big bang, and indeed refinements will continue, but fundamentally the theory will hold. According to Einstein's theory of general relativity published in 1915, the gravitational force is a consequence of bodies curving space around them. What caused or causes that curving? Stephen Hawking in the 1960s theorized that as the universe was compressed, the matter and the energy got more and more densely concentrated, causing space to be curved until a limit or a singularity was reached where the matter became so densely compacted, that the space became infinitely curved. At this point of singularity, the physicist Paul Davy said, an extremity was reached and before it, there was nothing - neither matter nor space, nor time or energy. They came into existence at that point. That is the Big Bang creation event. Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson accidentally discovered cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) in 1965, which is the first and most important observational evidence in support of the Big Bang. The CMBR, is faint cosmic background electromagnetic radiation filling all space which is a remnant from an early stage of the universe, immediately after the Big Bang. It provides strong evidence of the Big Bang origin of the universe. This earned the discoverers the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physics. You can see the interplay between theory and observation and the number of physicists, astrophysicists and cosmologists involved in developing the subject. The General Theory of relativity was published in 1915, the Big Bang theory was published in 1931, and the curvature of the space predicted by the General Theory of Relativity finds support from the Big Bang theory and further developments in theoretical physics that go on into the sixties. The observational evidence of the correctness of the Big Bang theory comes accidentally in 1965. The scientists were looking for something else. If I am not mistaken, they were looking for communication by aliens. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Also Read: Science Is A By-Product Of Islam But … ? ------------------------------------------------------------------ When theory is fully backed by observations there is no room for doubt. The theories may get refined. For example, Newton’s laws are backed by observation and we didn’t know any better until Einstein came along. Newton’s physics has survived because it explains every observation except for the extreme ends of the space-time spectrum. Likewise, the BB theory will survive although it may get refined. The theory, accepted by nearly all today, was a radical departure from scientific thinking in the 1930s. So, I can imagine Dr Salam as a doubter before the seventies, but not after. From the standpoint of science, Salam’s argument that the Big Bang theory may not survive is only a rhetorical argument and a poor one as you can now very well understand and appreciate. That he resorted to such a poor argument to avoid endorsing the Quranic verses on creation although, the verses described in his own words, are quite accurate as to what did happen, is most surprising. Why did he do that? My best guess of the reasons is as follows: Why Was Salam Reluctant To Endorse The Accurate Description Of The Creation Event In The Quran? Muslims in general have very poor knowledge of the Quran and do not know which of the stories they have heard are from the Quran and which of them are from the Ahadith. The stories commonly told are all from the Ahadith and almost none from the Quran. Every story in the Ahadith is a concocted fable which is beyond belief for a thinking person. For example, if you ask any Muslim at random, about the story of Alam-e-Arwah, he is likely to say that it is from the Quran. This story and indeed every story numbering in hundreds from the Ahadith could be described using Salam’s words as “essentially allegorical, religious, spiritual experience which I think is a totally different dimension”. To be precise, the different dimension is the dimension of senselessness or of “suspended disbelief”. Salam was undoubtedly a firm believer in the Ahadith because the foundation of the Ahmadiyya sect rests on a few Ahadith. Firm believers in the Ahadith make no distinction between the Quran and the Ahadith and to them, Islam is the Quran plus the Ahadith with greater emphasis on the Ahadith. You will find many proud Sheikh-ul-Hadith but rarely a Sheikh-ul-Quran. Salam’s description fits the Ahadith but not the Quran and in all probability, Salam may have lacked deep knowledge of the Quran to know which of the stories are not from the Quran. It is therefore understandable why he may have had a general sense of discomfort with religious truths being compared with scientific truths. Another Possible Reason for Salam’s Reluctance to Endorse the Quranic Verses Lemaître who proposed the Big Bang theory was a Catholic priest with deeply-held religious beliefs. The Judeo-Christian idea of the creation of the Universe in six days was in contrast to the earlier belief of the scientists of a static universe without a beginning. The Judeo-Christian theologians felt vindicated when science discovered that there was indeed a creation moment before which nothing existed. Pope Pius XII referred to the new theory of the origin of the universe as a scientific validation of the Catholic faith. For Lemaître however, his catholic beliefs were not what led him to his scientific investigations and discoveries. His first discovery was that of an expanding universe on which the Bible is silent. The idea of an exploding universe from the “primaeval atom” is also not there in the Bible. He, therefore, made no connection between his religious beliefs and his science. Moreover, the Bible is very much like our Ahadith with verses that have been shown to be unscientific which makes keeping science and the Bible apart a very sensible thing to do. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Also Read: Darwinism is Consistent with Qur’anic Insights on Man’s Origin ------------------------------------------------------------------ Dr Abdus Salam may have been blindly following Lemaître’s example, which has become a ‘best practice’ for Judeo-Christian scientists because their scriptures contain many unscientific verses. However, in my opinion, there is no reason for Muslim scientists to follow that example. The Quran contains a far more detailed and precise description of the creation of the Universe and does not contain any verses that speak of creation, procreation, history and natural phenomena that have been proven to be unscientific. On the contrary, all of them have been proved to be right and precise by scientific discoveries in the last two centuries. In my opinion, therefore, Salam’s diffidence betrays a lack of deep and intimate knowledge of the Quran or an unthinking following in the footsteps of the Judeo-Christian scientists. Dr Salam’s Ahmadiyya Faith It is important to discuss this aspect and not ignore it because of the animosity and blind prejudice against Muslims of the Ahmadiyya sect, especially in Pakistan. The reaction to the Ahmadiyya calling their leader Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, a Nabi, is beyond reason, and their claims are not very different from: 1. The Mahdavis who believe in a Mahdi who has already come 2. The Sunni who believe in a Mahdi to come 3. The Shia who believe in hereditary Imamat and a Mahdi in hiding who will come one day. 4. The Sufi who believe their Pirs receive direct knowledge from Allah and/or the Prophet and in the power of the Pir to intercede with Allah. The overreaction to the Ahmadiyya is based on envy and jealousy because they are among the best-educated and most prosperous communities and have little to do with their beliefs. It is also a reaction because it was the Ahmadiyya who took the aggressive initiative and declared everyone who didn’t subscribe to their views “Kafir”. They did this in their mistaken belief in a hadith that predicts that Islam will triumph in the world and people will flock to the Mahdi who in their opinion was Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian. Ironically, the Ahadith on which the Ahmadiyya base their faith, are the Saheeh Ahadith which all Sunnis believe in. The hadith also predicts the coming of a Mahdi towards the end of the 14th century Hijra and Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian declared that he was the promised Mahdi at the end of the 14th century. This is another proof that all the Ahadith are concocted nonsense and anyone who believes in them will come to grief. In my opinion, the Ahmadiyya websites provide some of the best Tafseer on the Quran, and the Ahmadiyya are good Muslims, who honour the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Allah. Their beliefs do not dishonour Islam, and they are a people we can be proud of and be friends with. In any case, Allah has not taken a covenant from us to force others to believe as we do. (6:159) As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, thou hast no part in them in the least: their affair is with Allah: He will in the end tell them the truth of all that they did. While Allah asks us not to meddle in sectarian politics and leave the matter for Allah to decide, Pakistan has placed itself under a self-inflicted curse by doing the opposite by its: 1. Discriminatory Blasphemy Laws 2. Discriminatory Law Declaring the Ahmadiyya Non-Muslim and has given the sectarian bigots, the encouragement they needed to wreak havoc. The results are plain to everyone. Pakistan is weakened and is being torn apart by narrow sectarianism and will ultimately implode proving the following Ayat of Allah true: (6:65) Say: "He has power to send calamities on you, from above and below, or to cover you with confusion in sectarian strife, giving you a taste of mutual vengeance - each from the other." See how We explain the signs by various (symbols); that they may understand. Pakistan can get rid itself of the curse of sectarian strife that is ripping it apart, by repealing those laws for: (13:11) Allah does not change a people´s lot unless they change themselves. But when (once) Allah decides on a people´s punishment, there can be no turning it back, nor will they find, besides Him, any to protect. Hopefully, the people will come to their senses and change themselves by becoming tolerant of other people and their beliefs, before Allah completes His exemplary punishment. Conclusion A person who has intimate and in-depth knowledge of the Quran would have believed in the verses even before the Big Bang theory was proposed while the science current until then held the view of a static universe with no beginning and no end. He would have believed without a doubt that the science still had some way to go before the truth of the verses became clear to all. Such verses are a sign for the people of our times about the truth of the Quran as the word of God. To people of our times, the stories of the prophets and their miracles sound like fairy tales. Allah has provided incontrovertible signs for people of all times so that no one is left with an excuse for their disbelief in His scriptures which include all previous scriptures. Allah has provided His scriptures as a guidance to mankind, gave them the instinct for belief in God, and verses that provide evidence that the Book is indeed the word of God. This discussion also underlines the danger that the Ahadith pose to the correct understanding of the Quran and why they are best kept far away if you want to understand the Quran correctly. As I have shown in several of my articles, knowledge of science greatly assists in the correct understanding of the Quran while the Ahadith are the greatest stumbling block. So, if you want to become a good Muslim with an unshakable faith in the Quran, you need to have a very good knowledge of the sciences and the literally accurate (“uninterpreted”) meaning of the Quran which you will then be able to understand clearly with your sound and deep knowledge of subjects that have a bearing on the meaning of the verse. Keep away assiduously, the entire body of secondary Islamic literature such as the Ahadith, including the explanations and commentaries of past scholars. The earliest Muslims were the best Muslims but certainly, they couldn’t have had the best knowledge of the Quran. Far from it, they misunderstood many of the verses because they did not possess the required knowledge from science to correctly understand many of the verses. We can be the ones to have the best knowledge of the Quran if we make the right effort and in the right way. ----- A frequent contributor to NewAgeIslam.com, Naseer Ahmed is an Engineering graduate from IIT Kanpur and is an independent IT consultant after having served in both the Public and Private sector in responsible positions for over three decades. He has spent years studying Quran in-depth and made seminal contributions to its interpretation. URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-science/abdus-salam-science-big-bang-creation-quran/d/127162 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Prejudice towards Islam and Muslims in the West: They Fear What Is Different, but What Is Different May Be Quite Similar

By Talia Clarke, New Age Islam 3 June 2022 Prejudice Towards Islam And Muslims In The West Can Take Shape Through Social Exclusion, Whether Political Or Employment Based, Through Violence Such As Verbal Abuse, Online Hate Speech And Physical Assault, And Through Discriminatory Practices In Education, Health, Employment And Representation In The Media Main Points: 1. Islamophobia is not a concept that can be so simply defined. 2. Why exactly has Islamophobia become so normalised in the West? 3. Christian writings have continued to put emphasis on the differences between Islam and Christianity. 4. Official acknowledgement of the fact that Islamophobia exists and continues to devastate the lives of ordinary Muslims is required. ------ Picture this. You’re sitting on the train, reading a book. You’re waiting for the conductor to call your station out over the intercom. Suddenly, you’re attacked – verbally and physically assaulted. You look around the train wondering why everyone is staring at you – why no one is doing anything to help. This scenario is too often than not a reality for Muslims in the West. This is Islamophobia. What is Islamophobia? Islamophobia is not a concept that can be so simply defined. It reveals itself in countless forms and its origins are long debated – is it a manifestation of long-standing attitudes and beliefs or is it an entirely new concept? Though rich in delineations, one particular word may suffice; prejudice. Prejudice, unlike Islamophobia, can be defined as an unjustified and unreasonable opinion or feeling towards an individual based solely on that person’s membership of a particular group. Prejudice towards Islam and Muslims in the West can take shape through social exclusion, whether political or employment based, through violence such as verbal abuse, online hate speech and physical assault, and through discriminatory practices in education, health, employment and representation in the media. The 2019 Islamophobia report revealed a number of horrifying cases of prejudice against Muslims – the most notable being, the increase of harassment in guarded areas (30% to 60%) and police only attending half of the reported cases. These statistics unfortunately do not stop here with 29.6% of physical assaults being reported and bystanders not stopping to intervene in 75% of Islamophobic attacks despite the majority of the incidents occurring in a public setting– only solidifying the idea of prejudicial Islamophobia not only acted by everyday civilians, but by a systematic practice. So, why exactly has Islamophobia become so normalised in the West? The emergence of Islamophobia can be linked to a number of reasons. Firstly, there has been a significant spike in the number of Muslim immigrations to the West in recent years. Westerners are no longer able to draw a line between themselves and the ‘other’, as the ‘other’ has become a part of their society. The ‘other’ is more prevalent and visible than ever. Liken to a mother and her baby birds, Westerners may feel confronted or feel as though their home is under invasion – thus having no other choice to attack and continue to separate themselves from what they fear in the form of Islamophobia and prejudice (similarly seen in the history of Islamo-Christian civilisation). Secondly, the rise of Islamism in the West can also be seen as a reason for increasing Islamophobia. As Islam becomes more normalised in Western settings and Western converts become apparent, Westerners may again, see a threat and act unjustly in order to stop Islam from becoming the dominant narrative in their eyes. Lastly, Islamist terrorist attacks have plagued the Westerns views of Muslims as a whole – not being able to draw a distinction between the various Muslim identities and practices. The Western media is an active contributor to perpetuating the extremist narrative of Muslims and does not act to dismantle the stereotype. Christian writings have continued to put emphasis on the differences between Islam and Christianity, further creating the divide and fuelling anti-Islam ideologies. Instead, I want to focus on the common ground of Islamo-Christian civilisation and social cohesion – dismantling the notion of the ‘self’ and the ‘other’; and attempt to break down prejudicial views based on extremist Muslim identity stereotypes. Islamo-Christian Civilisation History, much like the media in the present day chooses to push the same dominant narrative of a raging war between Islam and Christianity. Christianity was viewed as the only ‘true’ religion, therefore making Islam a threat. The coinage of the ‘self’ and the ‘other’ emerged from these periods of religious conflict and have carried into present day Western civilisation (in the manifestation of Islamophobia). Yet, I can’t help but question whether this same notion of the ‘self’ and the ‘other’ would be so widely conceived if the incredible impact of Muslim civilisations and instances of peaceful relations during the Crusades and Al-Andalus were more extensively recognised? A very specific but incredibly important piece of history that is often left out of the Islamo-Christian narrative is Al-Andalus. This was a period of time in which Western countries (Sicily and Southern Italy) were under Muslim rule instead of Christian. Al-Andalus is recorded to have been a place of gradual cultural unity amongst Muslims and non-Muslims, where the Arabic language and the Arabo-Islamic culture were at the forefront. It was a significant civilisation in history – important in understanding the roots of cross-cultural fertilisation and idea transfer between Islam and Christianity. It is also exceptionally vital in negating the idea of the ‘self’ and the ‘other’ as it would more appropriately represent the ‘us’ in history. An additional factor in the dismantling of the ‘self’ and the ‘other’, is the historical ways in which Muslim rule in Spain transformed and shaped Western society, past and present. Transformations to; philosophy, theology, mathematics, chemistry, medicine, music, literature, manufacturing, and cuisine are only a portion of the known advancements to European life as a result of cross-culturalisation with Muslims in Spain. Without Muslim influence in the West, many of what Westerners enjoy and know today would not have come to term. Though much of the history between Islam and Christianity is buried in bloody wars and religious conflicts, not all of it is. The ‘self’ and the ‘other’ being one of the driving factors of Islamophobia in the West does not hold any weight when reviewing the following peaceful and fruitful cross-cultural civilisations, where in which the divide did not always exist. Vast Muslim Identities The Muslim identity is not one in the same for every Muslim in the West. Muslim identities are rich in diversity and can be categorised into typologies; legal traditionalists, political Islamists, secular Muslims, cultural nominalists, theological puritans, militant extremists, progressive Ijtihadis and, Sufis. However, the media and the Western society tends to portray and misidentify all Muslim’s as extremists due to growing Islamic terrorist attacks in the West – leading to the emergence of generalised Islamophobia. This, nonetheless, is factually incorrect. According to the Muslims in Australia survey only 3.3% of Muslims identified themselves as being militant (extremist), with a larger scale of 64.6% of liberal and 39.4% of progressive Muslims. These statistics are an incredibly vital aspect in dismantling the stereotype of all Muslims holding extremist views and classifying all Muslims into one category when that is quite literally impossible to justify. Westerners are categorising Muslims that have chosen to be progressive, creative, innovative, and open to Islam and the West with a small but loud group of puritanical Islamists. Imagine if someone you had no ties with was constantly doing the wrong thing, but you were facing the consequences for their actions – you were being harassed for the way you dress, you were being treated unfavourably by the law, when seeking employment, that you were afraid for yourself and your family simply because of your religion. Will History Ever Change? World, it’s time to wake up. In order for us to grow as a society, we have to address the issue. Official acknowledgement of the fact that Islamophobia exists and continues to devastate the lives of ordinary Muslims is required. I often hear the idea that history should stay in the past that we should learn from our wrong doings – and while this is the case for most of the violent history between Islam and Christianity, it is only half of the story. Instead, I too strongly urge us to remember our history. To acknowledge peaceful union between religions, cross-cultural pollination and to recognise that these histories can once again occur in modern day Western society. Different Muslim typologies and identities need to be taught and recognised. Generalising and punishing all Muslims for the actions of an extremely small group of extremist individuals does not create change – it only fuels the idea of the ‘self’ and the ‘other’. To reiterate, this history should be left in the past. We have the power to shape our lives. We have the power to shape the lives of those around us. We can do better. References Mourad, S. (2018). Understanding the Crusades from an Islamic perspective. The Conversation. Ozalp, M. (2017). Islamophobia is still raising its ugly head in Australia. The Conversation. Wahlquist, C. (2021). ‘Do I say anything or do I survive?’: Muslim Australians share experiences of Islamophobia. The Guardian. ----- Talia Clarke is an Education student at Griffith University aspiring to work in the High School English and History department. She is fervent about humanities as a subject and is interested in understanding how history continues to shape current day societies. URL: https://newageislam.com/muslims-islamophobia/prejudice-muslims-west-islamophobia/d/127161 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Who Will Go to Hell?

By Dr. Mohammad Ghitreef, New Age Islam 2 June 2022 With An Exception To Sufis And People Who Believe In Sufism’s Liberal, Humane, Kind, And Broadminded Approach, Almost Every Religious Zealot Muslim Hate Non-Muslims On Many Grounds Main Points: 1. Muslims are the sole proprietors of Divine Paradise and others all Christians, Jews, Hindus, et al go to Hell. 2. Mahatma had not made any such claim as who would go to Hell or Paradise. 3. Muslims are fed this stuff of religious superiority and rudeness imbibed with this monopolizing mind-set from childhood. ------- Why do they hate us? Why did American president George W Bush raise the question immediately after the tragedy of 9/11 took place? The self-styled crusader and new born Christian American leader might have had his own agenda answering the question that 'they (the terrorists) hate us because of our free culture, democracy, liberal values, and free lifestyle.' Apart from what Bush's and his cabal's agenda was, the question is still pertinent to exploring extremist Muslim minds. With an exception to Sufis and people who believe in Sufism’s liberal, humane, kind, and broadminded approach, almost every religious zealot Muslim hate non-Muslims on many grounds. One excuse is that they are a people gone astray, people "Maghzoobo Alaihim," resulting in every Muslim being taught that Muslims are the sole proprietors of Divine Paradise and others all Christians, Jews, Hindus, et al go to Hell. On the eve of the Khilafat Movement in India, the passionate Muslim leader and demagogic speaker Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar once addressed a Muslim gathering in which Gandhi Ji was also present as a token of his support of this supposedly Muslim cause (the revival of the Muslim caliphate in Turkey). Jauhar praised Mahatma Gandhi for his support of that Muslim cause; but in the same breath, he suddenly said something very strange. His statement could be summarized as follows: I believe Mr. Gandhi is a great leader of India and a luminary Hindu, yet I have no qualms about saying that he is inferior to a sinner Muslim man. Because being a Hindu (Kafir), eventually, he will go to Hell, while a Muslim, no matter how much he has sinned, will eventually enter paradise. Gandhi's high morality did not allow him to give Maulana Jauhar a befitting answer. In any case the Mahatma had not made any such claim as who would go to Hell or Paradise. John L Esposito, an American expert on contemporary Islam, has to his credit many good and well-researched books on the subject. Among them is; The Future of Islam. By the way, I have recently read it. Esposito is generally cited as a scholar of good academic standing with sympathetic views on Islam and Muslims. He shared his own experience related to this Muslim mind-set as mentioned above. He was once invited to give a keynote address at an Islamic conference in South Africa on one occasion. After the well-attended lecture was ended, one gentleman among the audience stood. And very bluntly told the learned professor on his face," Sir, your efforts on Islam are commendable, but I am sorry, you being a non-Muslim, will go to Hell! (See the book: page 173 Oxford University Press 2010) From where this Muslim rudeness is stemming? I think it is very deep-rooted in our theology. Muslims are fed this stuff of religious superiority and rudeness imbibed with this monopolizing mind-set from childhood. It is God's prerogative to decide who would go to Hell and who would be welcomed to his Paradise. Nevertheless, our theologians always try to usurp this Godly domain and often issue fatwas sending people to Hell! In this regard, not only non-Muslims but many fellow Muslims also become a soft target of clergy's fatwas of Takfeer and ex-communication. For instance, I recall that in 2016 Abdus Sattar Edhi, founder of Edhi Foundation in Pakistan, a prominent pioneer charity worker, passed away. He was liberal, humane, and a good-doer to all irrespective of any creed, sect, religion, race, colour, or caste. Moreover, he was very often not in tune with the sectarian voices of mullahs. Otherwise, a profoundly spiritual man, fell prey to a flurry of harsh comments on social media meant to send him to Hell. The point is that Muslims have to rethink this matter profoundly and why they very often make these lofty and tall clams. Do Muslims occupy the position of chosen people? Do others (non-Muslims) are the children of a lesser God? Does God make Muslims have a monopoly on Heaven and Paradise? Do they have ensured that they should go to Paradise at all costs, whether they do good acts or do bad things? Contrary to all these tall claims, we find that Quran says: "We have appointed a law and a practice for every one of you. Had God willed, He would have made you a single community, but He wanted to test you regarding what has come to you. So compete with each other in doing good. Every one of you will return to God and He will inform you regarding the things about which you differed". Qur'an5:48 A prominent contemporary scholar of Islam, Javed Ahmad Ghamdi, is harshly criticized by traditionalists because he has taken a bold, clear stand on this Takfir spree our clergy is so fond of. In one of his very well-articulated articles on this subject, namely: "Islam and State: A Counter narrative," which created a heated debate in Pakistan, he said in his Urdu book Maqamat: "Some Muslims who admit and clam to be Muslims and not only that, but insist on that, yet, they adopt a belief or practice that no Muslim scholar or scholars or even all Muslims consider correct, or likewise their belief or practice is considered wrong. This can be called a deviation and misguided behaviour, but since its proponents derive a reason for it from the Qur'an and the Hadith themselves, they cannot be called non-Muslims or infidels. God's order in these beliefs and practices is that we should wait for the decision on them for the Day of Resurrection. Those who hold these beliefs (mentioned above) in the world are Muslims according to their creed and denominations. And they will be considered Muslims, and all dealing with them will be as with any member of the Muslim community. Yes, scholars and Ulama may have the right to reveal their faults and mistakes and may invite them to accept the truth. Ulama may call it aberrance and perversity if something amounts to polytheism and disbelief in their opinion and action and warn people of that. Still, the decision that they have not to be considered Muslims now or should be excluded from the community is not a prerogative for anyone because God alone can grant this prerogative. Everyone familiar with the Qur'an and Hadith knows that He did not grant this right to anyone". (See Maqamat: P: 230 Almourid Lahore 2019) Among Muslims, Maulana Azad is the only one who was the first to realize the growing poisonous communal prejudice and the danger of sectarianism among Muslims. Therefore, in his commentary on the holy book; The Tarjuman ul Quran, he has emphasized in many places that there is no monopoly of any group on truth. Furthermore, faith in God and righteous deeds is the only criterion on which any nation and community's nobility, greatness, and pride depend. He called on all human beings to come out of the confines of sectarianism and come toward the unity of religion (Wahdat e Deen). However, the Muslims of India did not respond to his call but got caught in the clutches of communal politics of the Muslim League. The whole of the subcontinent is still suffering from its bitter and astringent fruits. Maulana Azad's invitation is in fact, a repetition of this Qur'anic intimation in which it says: "Surely those who believe and those who are Judaized and Nazarene, and Sabaean, who so believe in Allah and the last day and works righteously - their wage is with their Lord, and no fear shall come on them nor shall they grieve. (2:62 Quran) In the aftermath of Khilafat of Hazrat Uthman (the third Rashid caliph), there was much bloodshed and fighting among Muslims. Then a Kalami sect, namely Murjite, to which the great Imam Abu Hanifa is said to have belonged, came up with a reconciliation theory. We should not make people Kafir and disbeliever but accept all as Muslims and leave the decision of who is right and who is wrong to God alone. In fact, this was a reasonable approach but was unfortunately overcome by the traditionalists who captured the Muslim mind, and the situation has not changed much till today. To be honest and frank, having read some relevant verses of the Quran out of context, our classical jurisprudence does not allow a Muslim to take the initiative to greet a non-Muslim, to have a close friendship and cordial relationship with him, and not hate him or look at him with contempt. If the case is this, without addressing these fundamental theological problems, how is it possible to have a society based on cordial relationships, mutual understanding, and peaceful coexistence? Muslim live as small and vulnerable minorities in over 100 countries today. At least their Ulema should apply their minds and accept Qur'an's guidance on this issue as cited above. --- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Dr. Mohammad Ghitreef is a Research Associate with the Centre for Promotion of Educational and Cultural Advancement of Muslims of India, AMU Aligarh. URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-ideology/hell-hindus-christians-divine-paradise/d/127155 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Should Teenagers And Young Adults Be Infantilized?

By Junaid Jahangir, New Age Islam 2 June 2022 Muslim Values Rest On Meezan (Balance) Where Aisha’s Honour Is Protected By The Qur’an Just As Joseph’s Honour Is Protected By Allah Against The Advances Of Potiphar’s Wife (Zulekha). Main Points: 1. The history of genocide shows that many horrific crimes have been perpetrated by teenagers, be they in Rwanda or in Nazi Germany. 2. Whether power always lies with the older male in a sugar daddy-sugar baby “relationship”. 3. While teenagers remain accountable for their egregious actions, this accountability is greater for those who should know better. ----- Jade Fox: Ten years I devoted to you, but you deceived me! You hid the manual's true meaning. I never improved but your progress was limitless. You know what poison is? An eight-year-old girl full of deceit. That's poison! ~ Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Syeda Dania Shah, who was reportedly 18 at the time of her marriage to an almost 50-year-old televangelist, Aamir Liaquat Hussain, has recently claimed that she was 15 at the time of her marriage. This has allowed some to refer to her as a “child” in a bid to remove any agency from her actions. Despite the fact that she has asked for Rs. 115 million in marriage settlement and Rs. 100,000 in monthly expenditures, some are projecting her as a brave “child” in a conservative society that is rigged against her. This allows one to question when does agency or accountability start and whether the male or the older person always has power in an age-asymmetrical relationship? The reason that agency is pertinent is because Malala Yousafzai was also infantilized. Some conservative Pakistanis questioned whether her father wrote her speeches for her, as she bravely defied the Taliban at the age of 13. On the other hand, some liberal (left leaning) Pakistanis also critiqued her as a pawn or puppet in the hands of those who wanted to “use” her for their western narrative. Either way, agency was stripped from a teenager. It was as if she didn’t have a mind of her own to project a narrative that offended the sensibilities of those on both the left and the right of the political spectrum. Then there is the case of Shamima Begum, who was 15 when she left the U.K. to join ISIS, a group that has been categorically condemned by Muslims across the globe. She was not alone in joining ISIS, as hundreds of western Muslims and Muslim converts, born and brought up in the West voluntarily joined that group despite its atrocities. Many young men and women below the age of 25, the age by which the rational brain is supposed to fully develop, made their decisions out of free will and against the wishes of their parents and community elders. Generally, the history of genocide shows that many horrific crimes have been perpetrated by teenagers, be they in Rwanda or in Nazi Germany. Are all of them to be exculpated based on their age? This takes us back to Jinnah’s defence of Ilam Din when he was held accountable for murder and executed. Jinnah argued to commute the death sentence to life imprisonment based on his being 19 or 20 years of age. Jinnah was operating in a system that was rigged by a colonial power against the citizens of the Indian subcontinent. Though, he did not seek inculpability but commutation of the sentence. In other words, he upheld accountability but sought to temper the disproportionate punishment. This is consistent with Islamic ethics where accountability of the learned person is much greater than of the one who does not know. Traditionally, in Islamic discourse, children as young as 7 are nudged to pray and by 10 they are admonished for not praying. Accountability for good and bad deeds begins at 15. Should this be raised to 25? Similarly, Aisha is projected as a teenager or young adult when she married the Prophet, at least based on the narrative espoused by Javed Ahmad Ghamidi and other dissidents of the mainstream Muslim viewpoint that places her age at 9. Should she be considered a “child” to strip away her agency? Teenagers have sometimes exaggerated their age to join the army for heroism. Islamic lore has Muaz and Muawiz battle Abu Jahl in Badr, and both are projected as young boys. In contemporary times, youth make life decisions to convert to other faiths, as in the case of several white western converts to Islam. Often, such teenagers are projected favourably by Muslims, and they are not viewed as “children” without agency of their own. This brings us to the next question of whether power always lies with the older male in a sugar daddy-sugar baby “relationship”. Such arrangements, while consensual, can easily turn exploitative, where exploitation can come from either partner. If the older person exploits the younger person’s impressionability for sexual gratification, the younger person also exploits the older person’s loneliness for wealth. And this is as true for straight couples, as it is true in the case of gay sexual encounters. Indeed, Muslim history has examples of rent boys who were graphically described as those who “take from the basin to spend on the pitcher”, that is, those who sold their bodies to men for money to spend on the women they desired. To recapitulate, Islamic discourse is distinct from contemporary notions on accountability. Muslim values rest on Meezan (balance) where Aisha’s honour is protected by the Qur’an just as Joseph’s honour is protected by Allah against the advances of Potiphar’s wife (Zulekha). In essence, Islamic discourse views both men and women as equally vulnerable to libel. This warrants a balanced approach instead of the echo chambers that are created on social media. Thus, neither is the older person always in a position of power in age-asymmetrical transactions, nor is a youth inculpable like a child. Although, while teenagers remain accountable for their egregious actions, this accountability is greater for those who should know better. ------ Junaid Jahangir is an Assistant Professor of Economics at MacEwan University. He is the co-author of Islamic Law and Muslim Same-Sex Unions. With Dr. Hussein Abdullatif, a paediatric endocrinologist in Alabama, he has co-authored several academic papers on the issue of same-sex unions in Islam. He contributed this article to NewAgeIslam.com. URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-west/teenagers-young-adults-infantilized/d/127154 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

What Does The Quran Say About Infidels?

By Luqman Sadiq, New Age Islam 2 June 2022 Islam Is Not a Pacifist Religion; It Recognizes That Weaponry Must Be Used In A Fair Battle From Time To Time And As A Last Resort Main Points: 1. Islam is a religion of peace. 2. Fighting is only permitted in self-defence and only against those who actively fight against you, according to Quranic principles. 3. Quran does not have an inherent or built-in goal for hostility or dominance. ------ The Quran was "given" to Muhammad in a dialogue with the Divine, according to Islamic theology, and certain passages of the Quran allude to specific situations while others offer universal spiritual concepts. This is addressed to Muslims and non-Muslims who hold the incorrect assumption that the persecution of non-Muslims is allowed in Islam, allowing for the murder of non-Muslims or the wide brush painting of Muslims. True, the Qur'an requires Muslims to defend themselves in a defensive battle — in other words, if an enemy army attacks, Muslims must fight that army until the aggression is stopped. This is the context of all Quranic verses that mention combat or war. Some verses are frequently "snipped" out of context, either by detractors of Islam discussing "Jihadism" or by confused Muslims seeking to defend their aggressive actions. If They Attack you First, Attack them Back The context clearly indicates that the Quranic verses are discussing a defensive struggle in which a Muslim community is attacked without cause, repressed, and barred from practicing their faith. Quran says; وَإِن طَآئِفَتَانِ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٱقْتَتَلُوا۟ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَهُمَا ۖ فَإِنۢ بَغَتْ إِحْدَىٰهُمَا عَلَى ٱلْأُخْرَىٰ فَقَـٰتِلُوا۟ ٱلَّتِى تَبْغِى حَتَّىٰ تَفِىٓءَ إِلَىٰٓ أَمْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن فَآءَتْ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَهُمَا بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَأَقْسِطُوٓا۟ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُقْسِطِينَ “If two parties of the believers happen to fight, make peace between them. But then, if one of them transgresses against the other, fight the one that transgresses until it reverts to Allah's command. And if it does revert, make peace between them with justice, and be equitable for Allah loves the equitable.” Qur'an (49:9) Permission to fight back is granted in these circumstances, but Muslims are warned not to overstep their bounds and to stop fighting as soon as the attacker surrenders. Even in these situations, Muslims are only to fight those who are striking them directly, not innocent bystanders or non-combatants. If Pagans Break Treaties, Fight with Them During a historical period when the little Muslim community had entered into treaties with adjacent Jewish, Christian, and pagan tribes, the relevant verse was revealed. Several pagan tribes had broken their treaty obligations by secretly assisting an enemy attack on the Muslim settlement. The passage immediately before this one tells Muslims to keep honouring treaties with everyone who hasn't betrayed them yet because keeping promises is a good thing to do. The passage goes on to say that those who have broken the treaty's provisions have declared war, so battle them. Those Meccan "pagans" who waged war on Muhammad and his congregation were known as "idolaters." From the beginning, the Meccan oligarchs were opposed to the Prophet's message. They resorted to harsh oppression and torture of the Prophet and his followers when they saw the number of converts to Islam was increasing. Muhammad sent several of his companions who lacked tribe security to seek refuge in the Christian kingdom of Abyssinia after surviving several murder attempts. He was forced to seek safety in Medina after 13 years of strife, and the Meccan did not stop fighting. Eventually, numerous hostile Arab tribes joined the struggle against the Muslims, culminating in the Battle of the Trench, when 10,000 men from various Arab tribes gathered to exterminate the Muslim community for good. The Muslims, as we all know, overcame these obstacles and went on to build a massive civilization. Quran says: فَإِن تَابُوا۟ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَإِخْوَٰنُكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ ۗ وَنُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍۢ يَعْلَمُونَ ١١ "But if they repent, and establish regular prayers, and perform regular charity, then open the door for them. This is how We make the revelations clear for people of knowledge." (Quran 9:11). The same verse continues after this permission to fight. Following that, the Muslims are instructed to offer asylum to any member of the pagan tribe/army who requests it, and they are reminded that "as long as these are faithful to you, stand true to them: for God loves the virtuous." Important to Remember It's important to remember that the Muslims were fighting imperial forces, not civilians and that they were not allowed to kill non-combatants or destroy property. Islam offered religious freedom to Christians, Jews, and other minority sects while also requiring them to pay a nominal tax in exchange for being exempt from military service. After 14 centuries, it is time to acknowledge that the Quran does not have an inherent or built-in goal for hostility or dominance. The vast majority of Muslims like to live in peace. That is, in fact, a part of their religion. Acceptance and encouragement to follow the finest of your own religion are the foundations of relationships with other religious communities Conclusion Fighting is only permitted in self-defence and only against those who actively fight against you, according to Quranic principles. Indeed, Islam is a religion dedicated to promoting peace and harmony. However, Islam is not a pacifist religion; it recognizes that weaponry must be used in a fair battle from time to time and as a last resort. ----- Luqman Sadiq has been writing on different Islamic topics including history and teachings of Quran for the past four years. He contributed this article exclusively to New Age Islam. URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-ideology/quran-infidels-pacifist-religion/d/127153 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Modernity Has Given Birth to Huge Social Issues and Reduced Humans To Just Being Consumers

By Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander, New Age Islam 2 June 2022 Sandcastles and Snowmen: A Personal Search for Spirituality Sahar El Nadi Publisher: FB Publishing, San Clemente, CA ISBN: 9780985751227 ------ The life trajectory of every person is a unique journey. Some life journeys are remarkable enough to be documented and shared for wider public consumption. These unique life stories constitute the memoir, biographical and auto biographical genres. There are certain events that become a watershed or turning point of one’s life and can prove an inspiration for others to follow. The book under review is the story of personal journey of the author with the transcendental reality of Islam. It tries to amalgamate the autobiographical genre with analytical study of Islam. The author Sahar El Nadi has successfully related the story of her personal quest for spirituality with the rediscovery of her faith. The book is divided into twelve chapters with separate Introduction and Epilogue. The chapters deal with various aspects of Islam, its intersection, relevance in the modern world and Sahar’s rediscovery of her tradition in the modern world. She describes the purpose and contents of the book in the Preface. “As you will discover, this book is not a comprehensive study of Islam, but a simple and personalized illustration of just some of the concepts that attracted me to become a practicing Muslim after I gained my fair share of experience of people and life as a global citizen. It also includes some of the ways I apply Islam to my everyday life as a citizen of the world to relate to world events that affect my life” (P. 19). The problems of modern humans include materialism, consumer culture and vices that push him into a hedonist, heretic, diminishing his tendency for spirituality. Sahar is aware of these challenges as she relates her experience of battling with these problems and overcoming the same with the help of her faith. To her being spiritual means not to be an ascetic but being “aware that the self is three dimensional: spirit, intellect and body, not just body” (P. 35). Instead of finding happiness in the gadgets and luxuries that money can buy humans should be more concerned about finding a cause that will make their lives meaningful. The quest for meaning of life can be found in the holistic spiritual dimensions of Islam, that Sahar terms as Spiritual Intelligence. “Spiritual Intelligence is the global skill that could help us all on both sides of the world to find our balance again, in personal life as well as in public life. It could help us to strike a point of equilibrium between the needs of our bodies and the needs of our souls as individuals and ultimately as societies. That balance makes us strong and confident enough to solve problems and to make positive contributions to the world, knowing that confidence does not come when you find all the answers, but when you are ready to face all the questions.” (P-42). Sahar in various chapters has described the basics of Islam, its worldview and how Islam expects it’s faithful to behave, interact and contribute to the societies where they are living. While describing these aspects of Islam, Sahar also tries to remove misconceptions about Islam that have become the cause of Islamophobia in the world. She vividly describes about Shariah law and what is meant by Fatwas and the concepts of Islam that carry a negative connotation with them. Muslims in the world carry a wrong brand image of their religion, in which the violence is supposed to have the decisive power in settling the issues. Sahar very well deconstructs this smokescreen about Islam and violence, while analysing and describing the concept and status of Jihad and Qital in Islam. She further lucidly describes how Forgiveness as a faith value has been undermined in our personal and collective lives that if implemented properly would certainly have helped in overcoming the negative emotions of envy, hate, communalism and violence. She also describes the journey of her project: “Do not Hate: Educate” that was conceptualized in the aftermath of blasphemous Danish cartoon controversy about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in 2006. It is a successful project that is a testimony of the fact that peaceful means can be used to educate people about the real picture of Islam. Various chapters have been used to describe the Human Rights, International Relations, Trade and Business ethics, Politics and democracy and its status in Islam. The contribution of Islam in the field of Science and Research, Art and Culture too has been properly documented by the author. In the chapter Gender Roles and Equality, Sahar describes women’s rights in Islam, and her own journey from being related to fashion industry and her transformation when she started observing the Hijab in the Egyptian society. She describes the gender relations among men and women in Islam, the concept of veil and how media is distorting the image of Muslim women by reinforcing the stereotypes about them. Sahar is for equity, not equality, among genders a view about which one can differ with her. The growing body of knowledge in the field of Islamic Feminism and gender just interpretation of Islam has not been consulted and referred by the author. Sahar has actively participated in the events of Arab Spring that resulted in the ouster of a dictator like Hosni Mubarak from Egypt. She describes how the faith was an integral part of Arab Spring that fuelled the resistance against the tyrants and dictators. It was the Islamic faith that made people to offer sacrifices for freedom of their souls. Also Arab Spring is a testimony to the fact that Arab Muslims certainly crave for democracy and Islam certainly is not antithetical to democracy. But she has not documented the fading of Arab Spring and reasons for it. Her generalizations about Islam being the sole driving force of Arab spring can certainly be contested. Overall the book is a welcome read that can be a beginner’s guide towards the study of Islam. The author has very lucidly described the Islam, Muslims and their interaction with the modern world. The book pledges for a pluralistic, inclusivist and tolerant interpretation of Islam that can further help in the development of contemporary theology of Islam. Sahar has successfully documented her struggle for the quest of Islam and its spirit while vividly describing the various concepts of Islam. --- An occasional columnist for New Age Islam, M.H.A. Sikander is Writer-Activist based in Srinagar, Kashmir and can be contacted at sikandarmushtaq@gmail.com URL: https://newageislam.com/books-documents/modernity-social-issues-humans-consumers/d/127152 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Conversion in Islam: From the Time of the Prophet Muhammad to the Era of Classical Islam, To the Modern Era

By William A. Walsh, New Age Islam 1 June 2022 Socially Islam Provides an Escape from Much of the Western World, and Yet Offers Stability despite the Changes Main Points: 1. In the post-colonial states in Asia and Africa, establishment of social institutions by Muslims have led to an increasing turn to Islam. 2. Islamic conversion has a long and successful history, becoming one of the largest religions in the world. 3. Conversion through the cultural influence has found a place in the post-colonial world, particularly in Asia and Africa. ---- Introduction Conversion is a foundational aspect of religion, voluntary or by coercion it exists throughout history. Despite the prevalence and importance of conversion especially historically, understanding of why people convert can be flawed as described by Lewis R Rambo when he states “Theories of conversion often tell us more about the one making the attribution than the person or group that has converted”. In this piece I am going to examine Conversion in Islam, and how it has evolved from the time of The Prophet Muhammad to the era of Classical Islam, to the modern era. Conversion in this piece will be taken to mean adopting of the religion of Islam and joining of Muslim communities in a social, cultural or political sense. Conversion will be split into three main areas and subsequent periods in this piece: the initial conquests during the first 150 years of Islamic civilisation (610-750), the classical period of Islam (750-1800+), and in modern post-colonial times (1950+). The areas of focus for each period will be different, the first period will be focused on the spread of Islam and the subsequent conversion in the following centuries in those initial regions. The focus in the second period will be focused on how the conversion spread in the newly conquered territories of the Ottoman in contrast to the earlier conversions. The focus in the modern sense will be focused on conversions in western societies and the understanding of what is drawing people to convert to Islam. Understanding why these people converted is an area of contention among researchers and scholars, Lewis R. Rambo mentions in his article Theories of Conversion: Understanding and Interpreting Religious Change. Rambo in his article brings up several major theories of conversion from different schools of thought. Although his article is focused on discussing theories in relation to Islamic conversion, his analysis of theories is useful in outlining the multitude of different reasons of conversion, both in history and contemporary times. Early Islam The early Islamic Empires may have spread across the Middle East and North Africa very quickly, however it took centuries for Islam to become the dominant religion. Bulliet in his book Conversion to Islam in the Medieval Period develops an S-curve of five segments for measuring conversion in Persia. The S-curve is used further by Bulliet to compare the popularity of Muslim names in Persia, which he then uses in several other regions to estimate the progress in the S-curve of different regions. Bulliets analysis estimates that it took roughly 100 years from conquest in Iran to progress to Muslims being 50% of the population, and it takes another 100 years more to reach 80% of the population. The other regions that Bulliet analyalised, which had previously had Christianity as the majority religion “Converted at approximately the same rate, taking into account the later date of conquest of Tunisia and Spain”. These indications of conversion of early Islam wasn’t of any mass conversions, rather being growing naturally as it becomes more normalised and popular in each region. The understanding of conversion in this time is limited by the data that scholars have been able to gather, as Islamic chroniclers saw conversion as a personal non-political issue of faith. Alwyn Harrison in his article Behind the Curve: Bulliet and Conversion to Islam in al-Andalus Revisited readresses the theories put forth by Bulliet. Harrison covers critiques of Bulliets study, arguing that many of the critiques of Bulliets work have misunderstood it, “For 30 years, scholars have been mistaken in citing Bulliet’s conversion curve as proof”. The arguing of Harrison is that Bulliets work only was an estimate of the percentage of total converts over time, rather than being of the percentage of population. During this period the rapid, but not instant conversion is an indication that the spread of Islam during this time was broadly political and socially. Political by the change in leadership and the upsetting of local institutions, which were an extensive system in the Byzantine land of the initial conquests. Socially the conquests led to an Arab/Muslim domination which led to converts in the elites of the new territory, in order to maintain their status. This is an inherently elitist viewing of events, however the cultural paradigm would shift over time to accompany the rise of Islamic culture which would lead to more widespread conversion. Classical Islam Anton Minkov in his book Conversion to Islam in the Balkans builds upon and refers to the ideas of Bulliet in his attempts to analysis the conversion in Asia Minor after the battle of Manzikert in 1071. Minkov points out how the conversion in Asia Minor also only took the roughly four centuries that earlier regions did according to Bulliet’s study. Taking into account the work of Speros Vyronis in The Decline of Medieval Hellenism in Asia Minor and the Process of Islamisation from the Eleventh through the Fifteenth Century (of which I cannot find any English translations to verify) Minkov claims that the Islamisation of Asia Minor was only in a small part to do with conversion. Noting that the population of the region fell from roughly eight million to five million in the four centuries of conversion, during which time significant numbers of people from the Turkic tribes settled in the region. Following in the regards to the issues that have been mentioned prior, measuring conversion in Islam has some contention from limited information on the topic. The expansionism of the Islamic empires in this period reached it zenith under the Ottoman Empire, but has subsequently been on a decline ever since. The Ottoman Empire with the taking of the Balkan peninsula of Europe can be considered the last time of significant expansion through force. Despite forced conversion being forbidden in Islam “There is no compulsion in religion” as laid out in verse 256 of chapter two, the Islamic empires incentivised conversion, both intentionally and not. Intentionally promoting conversion happened primarily through discriminating against non-Muslims with taxes such as the poll tax as well as the weakening of non-Muslim social structures and support networks. Unintentional promotion of conversion happened through the social stigmatisation, Muslim hostility, unfair treatment from the Muslim elites and legal systems. Understanding the impact of any of these factors will remain speculative, but it’s clear that for whatever reason most of the local communities did convert over the course of four centuries. Forced conversions also were implemented on a large scale during this time, the primary example being the Devshirme system. In which the Ottoman sultans would forcibly recruit the children of Christian families to the army, in which they were castrated and forced to convert to Islam. Other forced conversions are less clear, such as in the case of slavery; where practices of a pious Muslim would be to free slaves upon their conversion to Islam. Which isn’t exactly forced conversion, but is clearly not an example of voluntary conversion. During this time political conversion became increasingly sparing, as the conquests of new land became smaller and less secure, meaning that non-Muslim political leaders were less likely to acquiesce for personal gain. The rise of the Islamic civilisation during this time led to increasing cultural influence, particularly for the borders of the empires. The Turkic people converted during this time, and their increasing domination of Asia Minor and creation of a new Islamic culture and empire led to the longest lasting Islamic empire. Socially and culturally Islamic culture and society spread into Europe during this time, leading to increased trade and cooperation in this period. Contemporary Islam In the post-colonial era of Islam, spread of the religion has been minor compared to the expansionist times of the Islamic empires. Instead conversion has been localised, and been primarily in the western countries or ex colonial states. Monkia Wohlrab-Sahr in her article Conversion to Islam: Between Syncretism and Symbolic Battle argues that “So the topic ‘‘Conversion to Islam’’ is not only about Islam, but also—and perhaps primarily—about the circumstances under which conversion takes place.” To argue her point, Wohlrab-Sahr makes a case about how conversion to a foreign religion (different to the normative) is a result of the convert’s social context deteriorating. Wohlrab-Sahr in her study finds that women who have had “former personal and social connections have become unstable” have found a new point of stability with their Muslim partners. Talking about a convert’s daughter who converted subsequently who was present during one of the interviews, the conversion led to a religious redefinition of her previous life. The daughter describes how “break with everything that used to be normal in the past” the article shows how she has become isolated from her previous social groups as a result of the conversion, and how the framing of returning to those groups is antagonistic to her newfound faith. David E. Skinner in his article Conversion to Islam and the Promotion of 'Modern' Schools in Ghana covers the other aspect of modern conversions, that of the educational kind. Originating in colonial times, the English/Arabic schools mentioned were created to stop the conversion of Muslim children to the Christianity of the missionary schools, as well as to prepare them for future competition in professions. These schools were influenced by the idea of the teachers that had “intended the schools to become centres for missionary outreach among the local populations.” As such the schools were seen as a way to convert the population by the Muslim teachers, of which seems to have been effective in regards to the successive sustained growth that English/Arabic schools in Ghana have experienced over the past century. By acting to counteract the spread of Christianity, these schools allowed the Muslim population to sustain and grow. The scale of conversion either implicitly by preventing potential conversions out of Islam, or by converting youth has led to a successful practice for Islamic conversion. This educational history has provided a foundation for the modern system of English/Arabic schools and their method of conversion and learning, which have been integrated into the school system of Ghana. Modern converts are not the result of political force or opportunities as in times bygone, instead in western societies the social institutions of Islamic society has found a place which attracts converts. In other places conversion through the cultural influence has found a place in the post-colonial world, particularly in Asia and Africa. Politically motivated conversion has largely been related to history, political Islam has instead become focused on radicalisation. Conclusion Islamic conversion has a long and successful history, becoming one of the largest religions in the world. Politically, Islamic empires had a long history of strength which allowed it to dominate vast lands and power, peaking during the first few centuries when the lands were unified by singular entities which led to the conversion of the elites. Culturally Islam grew to be a massive influence which through the empires and trade, converts to Islam in this time grew increasingly due to the influence and prestige that was associated with the empires. The social reasons for conversion in historical times are less explicitly straightforward as the other two reasons are, however in the modern world Islamic conversion has spread outside of the borders of the Islamic countries. Socially Islam provides an escape from much of the western world, and yet offers stability despite the changes. In the post-colonial states in Asia and Africa, establishment of social institutions by Muslims have led to an increasing turn to Islam. Islamic conversion has evolved throughout the ages to find its place in societies and for people to turn to, as a way to integrate into new groups or to better fit into a society in which they have found themselves in. ---- William Walsh is an International Relations student aspiring to work in the IR field. He is passionate about understanding and fostering communication between different cultural/religious understandings and historical backgrounds. URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-ideology/conversion-prophet-muhammad-classical-modern/d/127147 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Al Azhar Grand Mufti Stirs Debate on Polygyny

Quran Has Permitted Multiple Marriages for Exceptional Circumstances Main Points: 1. Islam has permitted men to have four wives. 2. However, four marriages are conditional. 3. A man cannot do justice to all his four wives. 4. Grand Mufti said polygyny creates problems for children. ---- By New Age Islam Staff Writer 1 June 2022 Representative Photo/ File ---- The Grand Mufti of Al Azhar University of Egypt has stirred a debate on polygyny (having more than one wife) among Muslims. Recently replying to the query of a viewer on a TV programme Dr Al Taiyab said that keeping one wife was in accordance with the principle of the Quran and it was better for the family and children. The viewer had asked him whether a man can marry a second woman without informing his first wife while staying in a foreign country. Dr Al Taiyab replied that the husband is not obliged to inform his first wife of his second marriage but keeping one wife was better. He referred to the verses of the Quran where the Quran has permitted men to have four wives but has also linked it with justice and equality with all the wives. He said thay polygyny causes injustice to the children in many cases. Dr Al Taiyab's statement has come as a surprise to many Muslims who have been made to believe that Islam promotes and encourages polygyny. This is because the pre-Islam. Arab society was a polygamous society. Men had more than four wives and women also had sexual relationship with more than one man. Islam brought an end to this waywardness. Since the Arab society was largely polygynist, Islam limited the number of wives to four as taking a radical step of limited the number of wives to one would cause problems in society. Islam follows he principle of gradual change. Slavery was discouraged and slaves were gradually rehabilitated in the mainstream of the society. < When the critics of Islam criticise Islam for allowing four wives, they do not take this historical or cultural truth into consideration. The fact that the Quran has discouraged polygyny in the same way it discouraged slavery. It has made justice and equality with all the four wives a pre-condition for polygyny. Even the general Muslims have his wrong notion that Islam encourages to have four wives. They are unaware of the Quran's position that doing justice to all the wives is next to impossible and so the men should keep only one wife. There are to verses in the Quran that deal with polygyny. "If you fear that you wont be able to do justice to orphan girls, then marry other women you like except them in twos, threes or fours but if you fear that you wont be able to do justice to them then one woman or slave-girl whom your right hand possesses( is better). In this way you will be saved of injustice."(Al Nisa: 3) In this verse the holy Quran permits four wives but the stress is on justice. And so the Quran says that keeping on wife will save the man from doing justice. In the next verse in the same surah Al Nisa, the Quran again stresses on equality and justice among his wives. "And whatever effort you make you wont be able to maintain equality among them, so do not incline towards one and leave the other in uncertainty as if hanging in the air. And if you make amends and observe piety hen God is all forgiving and Kind and if they part ways then God will bless them."(Al Nisa: 129-130) The two verses clearly say that men can marry four women provided they can maintain equality among them and do justice to them. In the second verse the Quran says that man cannot do justice to all and so he should restrict himself ro one marriage. The Quran keeps human psychology in mind. Every man and woman has distinct virtues and flaws. If a man marries four women, all the four women won’t be equally beautiful. One of them will be more educated and more sophisticated while the other may be less mannered. One even may have some physical flaws. So in this case, treating all wives equally in all matters will not be possible for the husband. Now the question is why the Quran permits four wives when it knows that the man cannot do justice to all of them. The Quran has permitted multiple marriages for exceptional circumstances. If the first wife is not able to conceive for different reasons or gives birth only to girls. The man has the option to marry a second time or third time. We see in monogynous societies where second marriage is not permitted, the wife is tortured or killed for giving birth to only girls. In England a king had to kill his queen because she did not give birth to a son as his heir. He badly needed a second wife to get an heir. In Christianity, only one wife is permitted and the husband cannot have second wife during the life of the first wife. Islam has kept the door open for such exceptional circumstances. For those who want to have four wives without any compulsion, the Quran has put the precondition of justice and equality. So when Dr Mohammad al Taiyab said that only wife is sufficient, he actually stressed in the same Quranic principle of justice and equality. He also noted the social implications of multiple marriages. The children bear the brunt of the bitterness in relations between the husband and wife. More often rhe man marries a second time to divorce the first wife. There cannot be a strong emotional bonding between the couple when the husband thinks that he can marry again and bring another woman and the woman has the constant fear that her husband can marry another woman without informing him. The trust is lacking in such relationship. The Arab society has been a polygynist society for many centuries and their mentality has not changed with time. That's why when Dr Al Taiyab reminded them of the Quranic position on polygyny, they protested. The modern world has a different approach to marriage. Marriages are seen even by the Muslims as a permanent union between a man and a woman with social obligations and duties towards the children. To them, the family is a social unit of which the husband, the wife and the children are inseparable parts. Marriage for them is not merely a biological and sexual union for physical gratification. Dr Al Taiyab's views only reflected the advance of the global Muslim society from polygyny to monogamy. URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-ideology/al-azhar-grand-mufti-polygyny/d/127146 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism