The Pluralistic Message of the Quran

By Naseer Ahmed, New Age Islam 4 October 2022 The Qur’an Celebrates Gender, Ethnic and Religious Diversity. Diversity It Says Presents Not Only An Opportunity To Learn From Each Other But To Benchmark And Compete In Virtue. ------ There is only one God, who may be called by any name (20:8) Allah! there is no god but He! To Him belong the most Beautiful Names. (17:110) Say: "Call upon Allah, or call upon Rahman: by whatever name ye call upon Him, (it is well): for to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. The Meaning of “The Only Religion Acceptable To Allah Is Islam” (3:19) The Religion before Allah is Islam (submission to His Will): Nor did the People of the Book dissent therefrom except through envy of each other, after knowledge had come to them…. The people have broken up their religion into many sects based on envy. (3:83) Do they seek for other than the Religion of Allah?-while all creatures in the heavens and on earth have, willing or unwilling, bowed to His Will (Accepted Islam), and to Him shall they all be brought back. Every other creation whether it is the heavenly bodies, inanimate matter or living creatures, submits to Allah’s laws and is therefore Muslim. Man is the only creature who has choice and autonomy to exercise his choice and can therefore choose to be a Muslim (one who willingly submits to Allah) or a Kafir (one who rejects or rebels against his Creator) (5:69) Those who believe (in the Qur´an), those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians and the Christians,- any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness,- on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (3:85) If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter He will be in the ranks of the losers Religion is from Allah and Allah's religion has always been Islam even if the people gave their religion different names. The meaning of Islam is submission to Allah by whatever name as long as the name is a beautiful name. Allah's religion has always been about submission to Him and not associating any partners with Him. When a Sabian's religion is also acceptable to Allah, it means that not only the so-called Abrahamic religions, but the religion of all those who submit to "The God" by whatever name is Islam in the Quran. “Sanatan Dharma” in Sanskrit means “The Eternal Religion”. Allah’s religion has always been the same, unchanging or eternal and indeed it is “The Sanatan Dharma” The Meaning of Muslim in the Quran The trilateral root word slm (sīn lām mīm س ل م) is common for Islam, Muslim and Salam. Allah says in the Quran that He has named all his devotees Muslim from ancient times. Muslim is a generic term which means a person who submits to Allah (by whatever name). Shalom, the greeting of the Jews means Salam and is from the same trilateral root. So, why does the word Muslim and Islam not appear in their scriptures? It may have been lost in translation and only the greeting form appears to have survived. It however appears in the Aramaic Gospel of Mathew as ‘Mašlmana’ from the root word slm, the same as Muslimun in Arabic and means « submitted to God, » « he who trusts in God, » « who commits himself to Him » to commit or hand oneself over (or again to submit) to God. While translating, it has been rendered in Greek by the use of the verb paradidomi. The Greeting of People of All Religions The greeting of Salam and its alternatives, Tasleem, and Aslama mean “acceptance”. The Persian Adaab additionally conveys respect. The common root word for a greeting such as Salam and submission to God such as Islam/Muslim is also found in other religions and cultures. For example, Namaste is a greeting while Namaha from the same root word means submission to God. Namaste is the combination of two words Namah (नम :) + Te (ते). The meaning is "Salutations to you", "I bow down to you" or "Obeisance to you". The root of the word ‘Namaha’ is ‘Nam’ =Namati meaning to prostrate, ‘to salute’ etc. The word ‘Tae’ is the dative case form of the pronoun ‘Tvam’ meaning ‘you’. नमस् - bow, obeisance, reverential salutation, adoration by gesture or word; often with a dative case, for example, Rāmāya Namaḥ, salutation or glory to Rāma In every Mantra the prefix of Namah is generally added. Just for example Namah Sivaya. Now, this Mantra is practically indicating the holy name of Lord Siva. Na means negation and Ma means false ego or Ahamkara. Therefore Namah means surrendering to the name Siva. In other words, to accept the supremacy of Lord Siva means Namah Sivaya. The Arabic Equivalent of Namaste Is Therefore Salam And the Arabic equivalent of Namaha is Islam or the religion of surrender/submission to God negating self and ego. The greeting Salam, Shalom, Namaste or Adaab convey acceptance and respect for the other and therefore peace. All religions are from the same God, preach the same message and stand for peace, acceptance of and respect for others. Read: The Meaning of Islam and Muslim The Quran says that Only the Fools Are Supremacists The Quran makes irrelevant the question "which is the best religion?" It asks us to focus on who is the most righteous. There is no verse in the Quran that promises Heaven to the Momin or to the Muslim but only to the Muttaqi or the sincere ones who could be following any religion. Following "the best religion" is a double-edged sword. You have a greater chance of falling short of its requirements and ending up in Hell. Consider the following verses which refer to such foolish arguments: (2:111) And they say: "None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian." Those are their (vain) desires. Say: "Produce your proof if ye are truthful." (112) Nay,-whoever submits His whole self to Allah and is a doer of good,- He will get his reward with his Lord; on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (113) The Jews say: "The Christians have naught (to stand) upon; and the Christians say: "The Jews have naught (To stand) upon." Yet they (Profess to) study the (same) Book. Like unto their word is what those say who know not; but Allah will judge between them in their quarrel on the Day of Judgment. (114) And who is more unjust than he who forbids that in places for the worship of Allah, Allah´s name should be celebrated?-whose zeal is (in fact) to ruin them? It was not fitting that such should themselves enter them except in fear. For them there is nothing but disgrace in this world, and in the world to come, an exceeding torment. (115) To Allah belong the east and the West: Whithersoever ye turn, there is the presence of Allah. For Allah is all-Pervading, all-Knowing. Verse 112 makes no distinction among the followers of various religions. The Ecumenism of People of All Faiths in Heaven and Hell Now consider the following verses about people who will be thrown into Hell. The verses make no distinction based on religion and these people could be followers of any religion: (55:41) (For) the sinners will be known by their marks: and they will be seized by their forelocks and their feet. (14:49) And thou wilt see the sinners that day bound together in fetters;- People in Heaven Who are the people in the verse below? Notice that the verse includes people of all faiths. (22:17) Those who believe (in the Qur´an), those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians, Christians, Magians, and Polytheists,- Allah will judge between them on the Day of Judgment: for Allah is witness of all things. They are the righteous ones destined for Heaven to whom Allah will speak and inform them of the things they differed about in the world. Allah will not even deign to speak to those who are destined for Hell as we learn from verses 55:41 and 14:49 cited earlier and therefore these persons are the righteous ones destined for Heaven whom Allah will honour by speaking to them. Most Muslims have difficulty accepting that there will be polytheists in Heaven as they believe that Allah can forgive every sin except polytheism going by verses 4:48 and 4:116. What they miss is that the addressees of 4:48 are the Jews and Christians and the addressees of 4:116 are Muslims. Polytheists among the Jews, Christians and Muslims will not be forgiven. There is no verse addressed to all mankind which makes polytheism an unforgivable sin for all of mankind. The verse addressed to all mankind (7:33) makes polytheism a sin on par with the prohibitions and these are forgivable sins if the person is otherwise a righteous person. Read: 1. Does Allah Provide A Level Playing Field To All The People? 2. Who Is A Kafir In The Quran? (Part 3): Why Kufr Is A Relative Concept While Shirk, Idol Worship Etc. Have Fixed Meanings 3. Revisiting the Meaning of Kafir More Verses on Religious Pluralism Finally, focus on the following verses that reinforce the message of pluralism and the sole criteria of righteousness: (2:62) Those who believe (in the Qur´an), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians,- any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (2:177) It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards east or West (differences in the rituals of people of different faiths is unimportant); but it is righteousness- to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the Allah-fearing. The difference in rituals of the Jews who face Jerusalem while praying, the Christians who face the East and the Muslims who face the Kaba is immaterial is what the above verse says and then goes on to describe righteousness in a secular way. 5:48 “We have prescribed to each of you a law and a tradition. If God had desired, he could have made you a single community. Instead, he is testing you with regard to the revelations you received. So, compete in doing good. You will all return to God, and he will inform you then concerning those things about which you argued.” The Qur’an does not negate any previous scriptures but says that Allah will judge people by the revelations sent to them. The superiority of a religious community over other communities will be judged by how far a religious community achieves its own moral ideals and how much it helps those in need. The scripture reminds the people that their ultimate charge is to do good and be charitable. The Quran also emphasises the Need for All People to Live in Peace and Harmony on Earth. 49:13 says, “People, we have created you male and female and made you nations and tribes so that you may come to know one another. The noblest of you in the sight of God is the most pious of you. God is knowing and aware.” The Qur’an here celebrates gender, ethnic and religious diversity. Diversity it says presents not only an opportunity to learn from each other but to benchmark and compete in virtue. Diversity should not, therefore, be made an excuse for bigotry or conflict. By mentioning the diversity in gender, the Quran is also saying that men and women have something to learn from each other and that they are also equal. ----- 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-pluralism/pluralistic-message-quran-sanatan/d/128103 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

Hindus Are Not the Kafirs Mentioned In the Quran

Kafir Is a Relative Word Main Points: 1. 2. Kafir means ungrateful. 2. Quran calls the illiterate animists of Makkah and Madina of Jahiliyyah Kafir. 3. Pharaoh calls Moses Kafir and Prophet Moses calls Pharaoh Kafir. 4. Hindus of India do not fall into the category of Kafir. ----- By New Age Islam Staff Writer 4 October 2022 RSS Sarsanghachalak Mohan Bhagwat | PTI photo ----- Ibn Khaldun Bharati argues that Hindus of India do not fall into the category of Kafir because the polytheists of Makkah were illiterate (Ummi) and uncivilised without any religious scripture. The head of the RSS had recently told a group of Muslim intellectuals that the word Kafir used by Indian Muslims for Hindus was humiliating. This sparked a debate on the word Kafir. The Quran on a number of occasions says that they (the polytheists of Arab) do not have a Sanad (testimony) or book. The Hindus of India, on the other hand, had their scriptures and had philosophical treatises on religious topics. The Quran does not typecast a whole community and so does not declare any community entirely Kafir or Mushrik (polytheist). It marks out Kafirs from among the People of the Book (98:1 and 98:6). It does not say that all the People of the Book are Kafirs. An interesting point here is that the Pharaoh uses the word Kafir for Prophet Moses who was a prophet of God in the sense of ungrateful as Prophet Moses was brought up under the patronage of the Pharaoh and his queen. Therefore, Kafir is a relative word. The Quran does not use the word Kafir for a whole community and so the use of the word Kafir for the entire Hindu community is not correct. Even a Muslim is said to have committed Kufr when he violates an important injunction of the Quran. In support of his arguments, the author quotes some verses from the Quran and suggests that the use of the word Kafir for the Indian Hindus should be stopped in order to build bridges between the two communities. Mohan Bhagwat’s Right — No Word Wounds Hindus Like Kafir Does By Ibn Khaldun Bharati 2 October, 2022 The much-belated revelation about a meeting, held a month ago, between Mohan Bhagwat, the Sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and five Muslims, “a motley group of friends”, has generated a great deal of excitement in the media — print, electronic, digital and, most importantly, social. Much has been said about the representative character of the Muslim members and the details of the conversation they saw fit to share with the public. While the “concerns about the insecurity of the Muslim community” and how best they be allayed have been thoroughly discussed, the concerns of the Hindus, as usual, have received little attention. In the said meeting, Bhagwat expressed his deep concern about two issues and how hurtful they are to the Hindu psyche: One, cow slaughter, and two, the ‘Kafir’ appellation. The first one has already been dealt with by others, so I will focus on the second. The apologia proffered by the Muslim members was that Kafir was the word for non-believers, that is, non-Muslims, and so, the Hindus were amiss in taking offence at that. They explained that in Abrahamic religions, there are such words for those beyond the pale. Wrong. Kafir is not the word for a mere non-Muslim, and it is not an Abrahamic problem. The oldest Abrahamic religion, Judaism, does have a word for a non-Jew — gentile. But it is not a slur. At least, no longer, and certainly not in popular usage. There is no corresponding word for a non-Christian either. Pagan, heathen or infidel, etc., are not the exact opposite of a Christian, like Kafir is considered to be of a Muslim. Similarly, non-Abrahamic religions don’t have opposites either. Neither in the Indic religions is there a word for a non-Hindu, non-Buddhist, non-Jain, or non-Sikh. People are best identified by the names they give themselves. Names given by others are seldom palatable to the individual. Religions can co-exist with one another, in peace and on equal terms, without identifying others as opposites and enemies. This is the crux of pluralism — a modus vivendi in which Indian Muslims have a greater stake than others. A Product of Islamic High Noon The Kafir of Islamic theology and the one mentioned in the Quran bear no resemblance to each other. Islamic theology is a product of the imperial high noon of the religion and reflects its imperialist and supremacist ethos to the tee. Islam acquired an empire before its formative phase was over. Inevitably, it became politicised at the outset and set out to conquer all that it could and developed concepts and categories that would further its supremacist and imperial agenda. Kafir is one such concept. No word has wounded the Indian psyche like it. If nearly 300 years after the Muslim rule, Hindus still feel so hurt at being called Kafir, it shouldn’t be hard to imagine how deep their sense of injury must be. Historical memories, passed on from generation to generation, in oral traditions and through folklores, resonate more with collective consciousness than the curated facts and ideological interpretations in history books. To dismiss this concern of Hindus by telling them that if they knew the lexical meaning of the word, they wouldn’t mind this appellation, is both facetious and cavalier. Irrespective of its dictionary meaning, what is important is how the word was employed and understood. Exclude, Insult, Humiliate In Indian history, Kafir has been a word of insult, exclusion, hostile othering, xenophobia and, above all, dehumanisation and disenfranchisement. During the Muslim rule, the State was governed by Islamic principles. A non-Muslim — a Hindu, a Kafir — couldn’t legitimately have a share in power. A Kafir had no original rights and lived on sufferance. The Muslim-Kafir binary is a recast of the Arab tribal system on a large scale in which someone excommunicated from the tribe had no rights, not even to life. The ethos of Arab tribalism has deeply informed the Islamic norms. Even today, this practice of excommunication by declaring someone a Kafir is rampant in the Muslim community in India and globally. It could be done over a most arcane quibble on a minor dogmatic dispute. There is no bigger humiliation and danger than being declared a Kafir. The person not only loses all his rights but forfeits his life too. If this could happen to someone from within the fold, one could only imagine the plight of a vanquished community. It is this generational memory of subjugation and humiliation that continues to haunt Hindus. The least that Muslims can do is to show some empathy towards their biradran-e-watan, their compatriots, and shun the usage of this offensive word. If they did so, they would be standing on a solid theoretical foundation as they would be nearer to the Quran even as they break away from the imperial Islamic theology. Unearthing ‘Kafir’ Roots The root verb of Kafir, and of the infinitive noun kufr, is the trilateral K-F-R (kafara), which means, “he covered (a thing)”. Originally, it described farmers burying seeds in the ground. In surah 57, verse 20, the Quran uses the word Kafir for a farmer as he covers the sown seed with earth. Arabic poets personify the darkness of night as Kafir. Ideologically, it implies a person who hides or covers the truth. This is the connotation that the Quran employs to describe those who evinced active hostility towards its message. Another connotative usage of this word in the Quran is of a thankless person who shows ingratitude towards God’s grace. The Quran depicts how Fir ’awn fulminated against Moosa for challenging his authority, called him a Kafir, an ingrate, for the latter was brought up in his own royal household (surah 26, verse 18-19). Besides these two meanings, the Quran identifies as Kufr some behavioural traits such as the N-word (4:37, et al), exorbitant usury or high rate of interest (3:130), vulgar display of charity (2:264), using religion for material gains (5:44), and haughtiness (2:34). However, howsoever sinful being parsimonious or usurious might be, it doesn’t, ipso facto, make a person Kafir. These characteristics of kufr are universal, regardless of faith and community. No verse of the Quran describes a mere non-Muslim as Kafir. One doesn’t become a Kafir by default for not belonging to the Muslim community. What does make one is the persecution and oppression of Muslims; attempt to stop them from practising their religion; driving them out of their homes; and waging war against them (2:190, 217; 47:1). Hindus never stopped Muslims from practising their religion or drove them from their homes and made them refugees, or waged religious war against them. So, how do they become a Kafir? Hindus were designated as Kafirs because, on a bad analogy, they were likened to the Mushrikeen (associationists, that is, those who associate other ‘imaginary beings’ with God’s unicity and thereby practise shirk) of Arabia. The Mushrikeen were a primitive people living in the Jahiliyyah (ignorance) era before Prophet Muhammad. They were Ummi — illiterate and uncivilised. A people without a book. The Hindus, on the other hand, had an advanced civilisation, profound spirituality and sophisticated philosophical systems. To liken them to the Mushrikeen on the wrong equation between their respective modes of idol worship was a thoughtless analogy. By the way, even the Mushrikin were not Kafir per se as is clear from the Quran 98:1 and 6, which mention Kafirs from among the Mushrikeen and the ‘people of the book’, implying that all of them were not Kafirs. Abu Talib, Prophet Muhammad’s uncle, has never been called a Kafir though he didn’t become a Muslim. Yet the Hindus wrongly continue to be called Kafir. It’s time to correct the wrong. In South Africa, the word kaffir, as the blacks were pejoratively called, has been outlawed. Kaffir was a legacy of the slave trade in which Muslim slave traders captured the blacks. It was considered legitimate since they were not Muslim. In America, the N-word has as good as been eliminated from usage, and in India, using caste name for the Scheduled Castes is a punishable offence. It’s time that the word Kafir for Hindus and other non-Muslims in India should also be outlawed. ----- Ibn Khaldun Bharati is student of Islam, and looks at Islamic history from an Indian perspective. Views are personal. The Print Editor’s Note: We know the writer well and only allow pseudonyms when we do so. (Edited by Humra Laeeq) Source: Mohan Bhagwat’s Right — No Word Wounds Hindus Like Kafir Does URL: https://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/hindus-kafirs-quran-rss-bhagwat/d/128100 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

The Unevolved Minds Will Perpetually Be In Need Of Religions And Its Totems

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 4 October 2022 “So, too, the creeds of man: the one prevails Until the other comes; and this one fails When that one triumphs; ay, the lonesome world Will always want the latest fairy tales” Abu al - Alaa al- Ma'arri, the 11th-century Arab poet who discarded Quran, Muhammad and all man-made faiths Imagine, what Abu al-Ma'ari stated a millennium ago is unfortunately still relevant. Humans cannot survive sans religions and its associated totems. Imagine, what Abu al-Ma'ari stated a millennium ago is unfortunately still relevant. Humans cannot survive sans religions and its associated totems. In fact, our dependency on religion and god is increasing all the more in recent times. Islam and Muslims could be favourite punching bags for many. But fanaticism among the followers of all religions is fast getting intensified. A few days ago, I met a young Sikh woman after a couple of years. She was wearing a turban and carrying a dagger like her male counterparts. She became an Amritdhari Sikh and stopped trimming and vaxing her eyebrows and body hair. " I'm on the path of self-enlightenment and Truth and I'm a born-again Sikh, " she solemnly declared. I got scared. I'm always frightened of religious people and she was carrying a weapon to boot! That scared me all the more. A gorgeous looking, well-endowed Sikh young woman is now a crusader of her religion. This pained me no end. A scholar of Sikhism told me that this latest trend is pretty common among Sikh young girls and women of Punjab. The fashionable religious trend of Sikh women wearing a turban and carrying a weapon has increased, following missionaries in rural Punjab converting poor Sikhs to Christianity. Wahe Guru....Wahe Guru.... Hindus have always been terribly superstitious. Now using religion as a fashion accessory is integral to most of the Hindus. Even 'educated' ones flaunting religious symbols and deities as their DPs during the ongoing festive season is very common. You'll call it nitpicking but my point is, why on earth should your deity or religious occasion be your DP? Why do you require to wear your religion on your sleeves and emblazon it across on your 36 or 56 " chest? This is disgusting, to say the least. In Poona, even Hindu men are roaming around barefoot during Navratri! Men and women are eating everything, yet calling it fast! There's a term in anthropology, Religious Recrudescence. According to social scientists and scholar of religious studies, after the period of roughly 400 years, the world witnesses a kind of religious recrudescence and explosion. Dr Edward W Said, said the same thing in one of his last articles that appeared in The Spectator, London and The Dawn, Pakistan also carried the same. Humans cannot survive without these silly religious practices because most of us are conditioned to believe in them. There have been more than1000 religions, cults, sub-cults and groups from the advent of human civilization. So many 'advanced' religions came and went and their gods and scriptures vanished into thin air. New faiths appeared in their place and they too will disappear, whether it's Sanatan Dharm, Hindu Dharm, Islam, Christianity or Sikhism. Remember, every religion has an expiry date. Humans haven't yet been able to live without these crutches which have become mankind's inescapable necessities. When one religion goes, a new one comes along and the same putrid bilge goes on. Humanity will have to ask itself as to why can't it survive on its own steam and why on earth does it need the psychologically comforting and self-deceiving support of god and religion? Until you get the answers (and you'll never get), continue to wallow in religious muck and stay deluded. Happy Dussehra! ----- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/unevolved-minds-religions-totems/d/128098 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

History and Mission of Madrasas in India

By Grace Mubashir, New Age Islam 3 October 2022 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Most Importantly, Madrasa Students Should Be Taught That, According To Quran, Followers Of All Religions Will Be Judged On The Day Of Judgment, In Accordance With Tenets Of Their Own Faiths And Their Good Or Bad Deeds, And Rewarded Or Punished Accordingly. That Muslims Alone Will Go To Heaven Is A Lie That Madrasa Students Need To Be Told Repeatedly In Order To Dispel That False Notion That Leads To Islam Supremacism. Supremacism Of Any Sort Leads To Strife And Violence In The World, And We All Should Avoid It. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As madrasas are being surveyed for their teaching content, among other administrative issues, some are being summarily demolished in Assam, either by the government or people, as centres of terrorism, what the reader would want is to know if there is any truth in that. Do madrasas teach Islam supremacism, do they accept other religions, do they teach al wala wal bara or teach coexistence, do they present Islam as a totalitarian political system or as a spiritual path to salvation, do they teach exclusivism, with Islam as the only religion whose followers will go to heaven, why have they stopped teaching Persian books by Sufi masters, why do they spend so much time teaching students how to vehemently criticise other sects, do they create graduates who can fit in the multicultural and multi-religious milieu in which we live or create misfits, have they adjusted their content to times when Muslims are no longer rulers but a subservient people across the world for several hundred years now, are they still teaching books that were written at a time when Muslims ruled half the world and expected to conquer the whole world. And so on. Many questions about madrasas that are bothering Muslims and non-Muslims alike. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Also Read: Madrasa Education is a Clear Violation of the Human Rights of Children: Sultan Shahin asks UNHRC to make Muslim Countries Stick to their Pious Declarations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Do we know which madrasa chain like Deobandi, Barelvi, Sufi, Ahl e Hadees, Jamaat e Islami, teaches what books? This is a good time to think through all these questions and many more about our madrasas. All Indians, indeed the world wants to know what is going on in madrasas. Madrasas are supposed to be centres of knowledge that ensure access to knowledge at all levels of the social hierarchy. They are the culminations of culture and training that mould generations of sanity, discernment and purposefulness to participate in the spheres of community formation and nation building. The madrasa curriculum, which teaches to know God as the Lord of the Universe and to recognize man as a co-creator, helps to overcome the limitations of work-oriented secular education. It is claimed, madrasa education is creating generations that have overcome the prestige emptiness of mere materialism with a definite sense of purpose in life. Despite its limitations, madrasa authorities’ claim, those fortunate enough to have a madrasa education are rich in spiritual inculcation. These cognitive motivations have played a significant role in enabling this large minority in India to survive the fires of crises. The greatest feature of madrasas is that the habits of justice, tolerance and love, in stark contrast to the sects which fill the land with the poison of hatred and training in the use of sharp weapons. Historical Routes Madrasa systems in the Muslim community were not formed in the context of any historical event or emergency situation. This practice was not initiated by governments, nor was it sustained under their patronage alone. It is an essential mechanism for acquiring knowledge which is one of the fundamental pillars of Islamic life. Madrasas can be described as a great mission that has existed naturally within the Muslim community since the beginning of Islam and has continued uninterrupted throughout the decades and lands of history. Dar al-Arqam, the place of study and consultation in Makka where the Prophet Muhammad started his Islamic teaching, the knowledge audience in the Prophet's mosque built in Madinah where he fled, the Ashabussuffa on its slope, and the knowledge platforms of the Prophet's disciples who settled in different countries can be considered as the first forms of madrasa systems. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Also Read: Evolution of Hadith Sciences and Need for Major Paradigm Shift in Role of Hadith Corpus and Scope of Madrasa Education ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Maktabs, established for elementary Islamic learning, and the large education systems that emerged in mosques in Muslim centres including Mecca, Medina, and Cairo, were various expressions of the madrasa system. In Faz, Morocco, historical records show that the first systematic madrasa was established in 859. Madrasa of various schools in India have evolved over time by taking basic models from all these. Madrasa is a word that means 'school'. The concept of the word ‘Dars’ is teaching. In the Muslim world, madrasa was generally used to refer to institutions of higher learning at the college level. 'Madrasa Aliya' in Calcutta reflect this concept! The madrasa system in India is thirteen centuries old. With the growth of Islam in the 7th century, the first 'Maktabs' were established in Malabar, South India. Maktabs were the primary institutions of religious learning. It was started by Islamic preachers, Muslim traders and others. In later centuries, madrasas were started at the initiative of learned preachers, Sufis and administrators from other parts of India. During the Arab Muslim rulers who ruled Sindh in the 8th-10th centuries, Madrasas began to take formal forms. As markers of Islamic culture and civilization, madrasas were springing up in key areas. The madrasa system of education began to develop in a big way in the 13th century with the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate. With the formation of various provinces, madrasa chains were started. One of the earliest important madrasas in India was established in 1192 at Ajmer. During the Mughal rule (1526-1857) madrasas became widespread and institutionalized. It was a common practice of Muslim rulers to build mosques and religious educational institutions in the areas under their jurisdiction. Many of these later grew into large Madrasas. Some historians have recorded that there were 1000 madrasas in Delhi alone during the Tughlaq period. During Akbar's time, madrasas included more science subjects. In the late fifteenth century, the Iranian scholar Mir Fathullah Shirazi, a member of Akbar's court, introduced works on astronomy, mathematics, medicine, natural science, and polemics to scholars and incorporated them into the madrasa curriculum. Such formal Maktabs and Madrasas were the primary system of Islamic education in India. The second is the Deen classes (religious sermons) and lectures held by many Muslim scholars in their homes or local mosques. These can be described as informal madrasas. Rooms can be found on two sides of the magnificent and spacious mosques that were erected in major cities during the Muslim rule in India. Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi has observed that this is a sign of their utilization as centres of education, including Madrasas (Hindustan Ki Khadeem Islami Dargayem, Maktabe Maarif, Azamgarh, 1971, p. 15). Manalir Ahsan Geelani has observed that such madrasas were the prevailing system of education during Muslim rule (Hindustan me Musalman ka Nizame Taalim wa Tarbiyyah, Nadwatul Muswannifeen, Delhi- 1944, 1/13-15). The third was Gurukula Vidyalayas, run by private individuals known as Muallim and Mu'addib. There were many religious scholars who enthusiastically took it upon themselves to impart Islamic education to generations in their homes or mosques. Many of them did this voluntarily and without getting paid. Those who had other occupations as a way of life devoted their free time to religious teaching. Many of them did this without getting paid. Those who had other occupations as a way of life devoted their free time to religious teaching. Many of them did this without getting paid. Those who had other occupations as a way of life devoted their free time to religious teaching. Eminent thinker and educationalist Shibli Nomani's observation is noteworthy: “Once upon a time colleges were formed by focusing on individuals and marking them with their names. Where a scholar was, many students and seekers of knowledge would come and surround him. They took advantage of his day and night classes. Even his normal speech, movement and mannerisms were perceived as 'silent lecturing'. Gradually, there is an increase in the number of teachers and students. It forms a college and a Jamia (University). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Also Read: RESTRUCTURING MADRASA EDUCATION: Muslim Opponents of India’s 'Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act' are Enemies of Indian Muslims ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Today individuals can address colleges and universities. However, at that time students were known for being disciples of learned personalities. Colleges and universities today are mainly located in small or large towns. But at that time lively colleges functioned not only in the cities, but also in the villages and even in the huts. The Muslim rulers had prepared a system of education for the lower castes and captives who lived as servants and servants in houses and other places. During the reign of Firoz Shah Tughlaq (1309-1388), thousands of such people were educated at the expense of the government. Not only traditional knowledge, They practiced handicrafts and mechanical work (Tariqe Firuz Shahi 339-340). Ghiyasuddin Muhammad Khilji, a prominent slave dynasty leader, instituted an extensive system of education for women belonging to the lower classes (Tariqe Farishta 2/ 255). It was a gradual development of all this later. During the dark centuries of caste discrimination, Muslim scholars indiscriminately popularized knowledge through schools operating in cities, villages and even slums, in a social environment where knowledge was forbidden to a large number of people. On the one hand, religious judgments arose to 'melt lead into the ears of a Shudra who listens to the Vedas', while on the other hand, Islam extended the study of the Vedas to all mankind. The rich, the common man and the so-called different castes studied together in the same madrasa and witnessed the practical beauty of equality. The political relevance of madrasas that have crossed such boundaries should be measured in a time when casteism is forbidden to gather together in public mosques and even to walk in public streets. At that level, the impact of the madrasa system on the Indian social fabric remains to be studied. Prominent Madrasas There are madrasas in India that function according to the syllabus prepared by different Muslim sects based on their ideals. Schools such as Barelvi, Ahle Hadith, Deobandi, Tabligh Jamaat, and Sufi all run many Madrasas, large and small. Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama of Lucknow, supported by the Ash'ari-Hanafi Sarani, is a high-level mahad college of the madrasa system, with many features. The lion's share of madrasas in India are located in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bengal and Assam. Madrasas are also functioning in South Indian states, though not as extensive. There are many important madrasahs in India starting with madrasa Rahimiya Delhi, Jamia Naimiyyah Muradabad, Jamia Amjadiyya Rizviyyah, Al Jamiatul Islamiyya Mau- UP, Aljamiaatussalafiyyah Surat, Aljamiaatussalafiyyah Varanasi, Aljamiatul Ashrafiyyah Mubarakpur. Many of these, which started as primary madrasas and so on, are now universities with thousands of students. Uttar Pradesh has more madrasas. India's largest Madrasa system, Deoband Darul Uloom, founded by Mohammad Qasim Nanautavi, is also located in UP. An unofficial estimate is that there are more than 20,000 Deobandi Madrasas operating under the Jamiat Ulemaye Hind. The Deoband movement was the epitome of a movement that had a decisive impact not only on madrasa education but also on the history of India itself. Moreover, the madrasa movement was the foremost fighters of the Indian freedom struggle. The history of madrasas, which played a leading role in the anti-British struggles, including in 1857, and the hostile attitude adopted by the British against madrasas for that very reason, should be remembered in present-day India. Educational System While acknowledging that madrasas, not just religious schools , have various limitations, especially in northern states, three important points need to be understood. First, madrasas generally have extensive academic systems that range from elementary religious studies to higher-level research studies. Its nature may be different in different currents. Second, madrasas are not schools limited to liturgical legal subjects, which can be described as mere religious studies. Subjects like Language, Mathematics, Medicine, Science, Vocational and Computer Science are also taught in madrasas in different ways along with religious and ritual rules. India's oldest and largest Darul Uloom Deoband has degree courses in medicine. Barring some southern states, madrasas are generally a parallel education system to public schools and colleges in India. Although madrasas do not cover all the subjects and examinations taught in schools and colleges as per the government curriculum, many of the language and science subjects mentioned earlier are part of the madrasa syllabus. There are many madrasas that teach religious subjects as well as all the subjects of the school syllabus. These madrasas are the true educational institutions in thousands of villages of North India, imparting education from literacy to graduation to lakhs of children. In many places madrasas are comparable to government schools. It should also be noted that various state governments are giving recognition to such courses and equivalency certificates to those who pass them. Graduates from such colleges get admission to PG in other universities. Thousands of madrasas in India are also government-recognised. This is changing now. The financial cost of private education and the poor quality of government schools have drawn many to Madrasas. The disappearance of these madrasas, which provide free education to hundreds of thousands of poor children, does not mean that mere religious education will disappear, but that a section of the population will be denied education. The third is very important: students in madrasas, the public educational institutions of North India, particularly West Bengal, are not exclusively Muslim. People of other faiths have also studied in madrasas and continue to do so. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, who is described as the teacher of Hindu revival, former Indian President Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Hindi writer Munshi Premchand and others were also products of madrasas. Raja Ram Mohan Roy studied at a madrasa in Patna then in Madrasa Aaliya in Calcutta. He had a background in Sanskrit and Hinduism and was also knowledgeable in Persian and Arabic languages. If their names were recorded in this way because they were prominent personalities, then it is natural that many non-prominent brother community members were students in madrasas. Present Scenario Even today, members of the fraternal community are being educated in some madrasas in North India. There were earlier reports that non-Muslim students were studying in three madrasas in Chandigarh. The parents of those students explained that they get admission here because they get school-like education in the madrasas operating near their homes in their area. There were reports of children from Hindu families studying in madrasas in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Al Jazeera previously reported that 60 percent of the 1,400 students in a Madrasa in West Bengal were non-Muslims. Also read that out of the thirty-two teachers there, eleven were non-Muslims. At one stage, the non-Muslim representation in madrasas in the state was up to fifteen percent! Also relevant is the observation that non-Muslim participation in madrasas provides an opportunity to know and experience each other among religious groups and imparts lessons of social coexistence at the practical level. But timely changes are needed in madrasa education system. New secular subjects and concept of indigenous Islam should be added to the educational system. Along with it, the patterns should be streamlined with current pace of the country. Most importantly, madrasa students should be taught that, according to Quran, followers of all religions will be judged on the Day of Judgment, in accordance with tenets of their own faiths and their good or bad deeds, and rewarded or punished accordingly. That Muslims alone will go to heaven is a lie that madrasa students need to be told repeatedly in order to dispel that false notion that leads to Islam supremacism. Supremacism of any sort leads to strife and violence in the world, and we all should avoid it. ----- A regular columnist for NewAgeIslam.com, Mubashir V.P is a PhD scholar in Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia and freelance journalist. URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-society/history-mission-madrasas-india/d/128091 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

Ban on PFI: Saudi Wahhabism and Egyptian Salafism Produced a Deadly Mixture of Jihadism

Wahhabism Was Founded By Muhammad Bin Abdal Wahhab In Najd, Now Saudi Arabia Main Points: 1. Salafism originated in Egypt in the late 19th century. 2. Salafism was exported to Saudi Arabia in the 1970s. 3. Muslim Brotherhood was founded on Salafist ideology. 4. ISIS, PFI, SIMI, Al Qaida and Taliban follow Salafist ideology. 5. Hasan al Banna, Aduh, Sayyid Qutb, Rashid Rida and Jamaluddin Aghani preached Salafism. ---- New Age Islam Staff Writer 3 October 2022 There have long been calls to ban the Popular Front of India for their alleged involvement in terror activities. AFP ---- The article by Arun Anand presents a brief study of the origin and development of the Salafist ideology in the Islamic world. He points out that Wahhabism and Salafism are wrongly considered synonymous. They are different in approach. Wahhabism believes in a return to the golden age, the age of the first three generations. It strongly advocates jihad against non-believers and rejects modernism. Salafism, on the other hand, seeks to reconcile Islam with modernity but accepts the ideology of Ibn Taimiyyah who presented the concept of Dar al Harb and Dar al Islam. The ruler who does not adhere to the Islamic law will be declared unbeliever and will be overthrown according to Ibn Taimiyyah. Anyone not adhering to his interpretation of Islam is an unbeliever. This ideology professes blanket warfare against non-believers. The Salafists adopted this ideology. Hasan al Banna followed this ideology and founded his organisation Muslim Brotherhood on this ideology. Sayyid Qutb also promoted this ideology. MB spread its base across the world. However, Hasan al Banna was assassinated in 1949 and Sayyid Qutb carried the movement forward. But he too was executed by Jamal Abdal Nasser in 1966. However, by that time, Salafism spread in the Islamic world with a stress on Jihadism against non-Muslims and against Muslims who believed in democratic principles of governance and social behaviour. Osama bin Laden was a student of this school and Taliban, ISIS, Boko Haram etc were found on the ideology of Salafism. In India SIMI and now PFI followed Salafism. PFI strengthened its base in Kerala because of its economic and ideological affinity to Saudi Arabia and Egypt. After SIMI was banned, this ideology found expression in PFI. And so after the ban on PFI, some other organisation based on Salafist Jihadism may spring up. Therefore, to root out Salafist Jihadism, an ideological solution must be found out to this ideological malaise. The solution can be found only through an ideological counter-narrative and this ideological counter- narrative can be formed only by liberal Islamic thinkers. Therefore, this task can be achieved by taking the Islamic intelligentsia into confidence, not by alienating them. ---- Ban on PFI: Time To Recognise Threat Posed By ‘Salafism-Jihadism’ By Arun Anand October 01, 2022 The ban on Popular Front of India (PFI) and several of its affiliates imposed by the Government of India is likely to effectively address some symptoms of a malaise. But it might not be the permanent solution as new outfits might come up to replace the PFI. This has happened in the past also as PFI had replaced Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) after the latter was banned. No government can address this issue unless we, as a society, understand and subsequently address the threat posed by the ideology of ‘Salafism-Jihadism’ which is the origin of such organisations. Salafism and Wahhabism There is often a confusion about Salafism and Wahhabism and commentators tend to use these terms interchangeably. Both these movements believed in revival of pure Islam but they weren’t the same till there was a cross between the two in Saudi Arabia in the 1970s. Wahhabism was founded in the region of Najd (in today’s Saudi Arabia) in the 18th century by Abd-al-Wahhab. Many scholars and experts refer to it as a reformist movement. But Wahhabism isn’t a reform movement. It believes that Islam should return to its golden age-the age of the Prophet and the first four Caliphs. It strongly advocates use of ‘jihad’ in its teachings. Salafism on other hand, emerged in Egypt and was exported to Saudi Arabia in the 1970s as a large number of radical Egyptians landed there to escape the crackdown on them in Egypt. Saudi Arabia also welcomed them as with the oil boom, its economy skyrocketed and it didn’t have enough educated people to set up and run universities, hospitals, infrastructure projects and the rapidly expanding administrative apparatus. Trevor Stanley wrote way back in 2005 (Understanding the Origins of Wahhabism and Salafism; Terrorism Monitor Volume: 3 Issue: 14), “Salafism… originated in the mid- to late 19th century, as an intellectual movement at al-Azhar University, led by Muhammad Abduh (1849-1905), Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (1839-1897) and Rashid Rida (1865-1935). The movement was built on a broad foundation. Al-Afghani was a political activist, whereas Abduh, an educator, sought gradual social reform (as a part of da’wa), particularly through education. Debate over the place of these respective methods of political change continues to this day in Salafi groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood.” Stanley underlined the finer nuances that differentiated these two movements: “In terms of their respective formation, Wahhabism and Salafism were quite distinct. Wahhabism was a pared-down Islam that rejected modern influences, while Salafism sought to reconcile Islam with modernism. What they had in common is that both rejected traditional teachings on Islam in favour of direct, ‘fundamentalist’ reinterpretation.” However, as mentioned above, once the two — Wahhabism and Salafism — met in Saudi Arabia, the outcome was a deadly mix of Salafism-Jihadism that was exported to the rest of the world including India. Salafism-Jihadism Salafism is a branch of Sunni Islam. Those who follow it believe in emulating “the pious predecessors” (Al-Salaf Al-Ṣāliḥ; often equated with the first three generations of Muslims). The use of violence against those who do not follow this principle shaped the ideology of Islamism-Jihadism. Hasan al Banna and Sayyid Qutb, both played a significant role in establishing this ideology in 20th century. Banna was an Egyptian political and religious leader. He founded the Society of Brothers, commonly known as ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ in the 1920s. This organisation has a global reach now. “The Muslim Brothers formed their society in Egypt in order to reclaim Islam’s political dimension, which had formerly resided in the person of the now-fallen Caliph. Confronted by the Egyptian nationalists of the time who demanded independence, the departure of the British and a democratic Constitution, the Brothers responded with a slogan that is still current in the Islamist movement: “The Koran is Our Constitution… The doctrine was shared by the entire Islamist movement, whatever their other views,” observed Gilles Kepel in Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam (Bloomsbury Academic; 2021, pp25). Banna was assassinated in 1949 but Syyid Qutb, the top theorist of Muslim Brotherhood, carried the movement forward. Qutb was an Egyptian religious leader. Robert Spencer writes in The History of Jihad; (Bombarider Books; Pp299), “Qutb’s influential book Milestones positioned Islam as the true source of societal and personal order, as opposed to both capitalism and communism… Qutb concluded: ‘It is essential for mankind to have a new leadership!’. The new leadership would come from Islam. To Qutb, what the Muslim Umma needed was a restoration of Islam in its fullness and purity, including all the rules of the Sharia for regulating society… Qutb taught that jihad was necessary in order to establish Sharia.” Qutb was executed by the Egyptian government led by socialist ruler Gamel Abdel Naseer in 1966. But Muslim Brotherhood continued its journey and so did Salafism. In a monograph titled, “Salafi-Jihadism: A 1,400-Year-old Idea Rises” (published by School of Advanced Military Studies, United States Army Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in 2016), Major Jacob M Teplesky observed, “Salafi-Jihadist ideology provides just cause and proper authority for waging war against apostate governments and Western targets. If we fail to understand the history and theory underlying Salafi-Jihadist groups’ use of violence to topple regimes and impose sharia, we will not grasp the current operating environment or enemy doctrine.” He further adds, “The Salafi-Jihadi version of global jihad is linked to the teaching of Ibn Taymiyyah (1263–1328), who offered a legal and religious justification for overthrowing unjust and non-Muslim rulers. Believing anyone who rejected Islam should be opposed, Taymiyyah thus rendered jihad an offensive as well as a defensive action. Taymiyyah’s principles of jihad, “particularly the permissibility to overthrow a ruler who is classified as an unbeliever due to a failure to adhere to Islamic law, the absolute division of the world into Dar-al-kufar [land of unbelief] and Dar-al-Islam [land of Islam], the labelling of anyone not adhering to one’s particular interpretations of Islam as an unbeliever, and the call for the blanket warfare against non-Muslims… became the doctrine of Salafi-Jihadis.” The Salafism-Jihadism is now the biggest global threat for security as a 2018 study by Centre for Strategic and International studies (‘The Evolution of the Salafi-Jihadist Threat’) pointed out, “There were 67 Salafi-jihadist groups across the globe in 2018, tied with 2016 for the highest level since 1980. This reflected a 180 percent increase in the number of groups from 2001 to 2018. There were approximately 44 groups other than the Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and their direct affiliates in 2018. This total, which included organizations like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Taiba, accounted for roughly 67 percent of all groups.” There are many Salafi-jihadist groups which are active in different parts of the world such as Jama’at Nasr al-Islam, Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa, Taliban and Al-Shabaab. Salafi-Jihadism in India In an investigative report (January 2022) by India based think tank Usanas Foundation that exposed the funding of a number of Salafi-Jihadist organisations in India, authors Abhinav Pandya and Akshay Kumar revealed, “ (a) major cause of concern is the financial support for Salafi organizations in Kerala. Over the past years, this southern state of India has become the hub of radicalization and recruitment ground for several transnational terrorist groups. Salafi organizations in Kerala have constantly been accused of supporting violent extremism, and several ISIS recruits from the state have been associated and radicalized through them. Banned Kerala-based Islamist terror groups such as the Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and extremist groups like Popular Front of India (PFI) (also banned now) have used hard-core Salafi teachings for radicalizing youth and recruitment. The fact that raises alarms is that these transactions also match the period when radicalisation and extremist trends in Kerala acquired a steeper trajectory.” The recent raids on PFI across several states, before it was banned, have revealed the pan-India expanse of Salafist-Jihadist ideology. It is time to recognise this grave threat to our society and the nation. --- Arun Anand an author and columnist, has written several books. Views expressed are personal Source: Ban On PFI: Time To Recognise Threat Posed By ‘Salafism-Jihadism’ URL: https://newageislam.com/radical-islamism-jihad/saudi-wahhabism-egyptian-salafism-jihadism/d/128090 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

God’s Word and Work Abounds in Diversity: Use It to Establish Brotherhood & Sisterhood of Mankind

By Abdool Kader Sayed, New Age Islam 3 October 2022 God gave exactly the “same” knowledge of the Divine System (Qur’an 42:13) to all the Apostles of all nations and tribes (Qur’an 10:47, 16:36) in their own language (Qur’an 14:4) in different ways. For example, He spoke directly to Moses, gave Jesus the knowledge of the Divine System in the womb of his mother and Prophet Muhammad (s) through Gabriel. In addition to this, God states in the Qur’an (23:52-53) that “all the Apostles of God belonged to one community”. Therefore, in this community, they did not only receive the knowledge of the Divine System in different languages and in different ways, but God also gave them different sights/sounds (Qur’an 49:13) holy rites/ceremonies (Qur’an 22:34/22:67), church/mosque (Qur’an 72:18, 22:40) and Books. Likewise, all the Apostles of God highlighted the different teachings of the Divine System. For example, Noah advocated the BELIEF in One God (monotheism). Abraham gathered that Faith without Works was dead. Hence, he SACRIFICED his wealth, health, pleasure, etc, to strengthen the BELIEF of Noah. Moses followed suit by highlighting the teachings of the COMMANDMENTS, Jesus by teaching LOVE and Prophet Muhammad (s) by teaching UNITY and UNIVERSALITY. Therefore, the Divine System developed as follows: NOAH: B ABRAHAM: B + S MOSES: B + S + C JESUS: B + S + C + L MUHAMMAD: B + S + C + L + U All Prophets established the Divine System by following the Creeds of Abraham (Qur’an 2:130) and the worldview teachings of Tawhid (unity and universality), (Qur’an 2:27, 13:21 and 13:25) in their own language. The Creeds of Abraham teaches us to believe in God as the Creator, Sustainer, Protector, etc, of our Universe, free of all dogmas and doctrines of Religion, and follow the secular and scientific path of the creation, according to a “restrictive definition” of Secular and Religion. Tawhid (unity and universality) teaches us to have absolute Unity: of God; of all the Books and Prophets of God; between the Word of God and the Work of God in Nature and the wider Universe; between the Word of God and the sayings and doings of the Prophets; between the world of God and the world of Caesar; and so on. These teachings of the Qur’an declare that Abraham did not become a Muslim (one who submits to the Guidance of God) by reciting the Shahada. He became Muslim by embracing the Divine System. All the people of all the religions are required to embrace the Divine System in its pure form according to all their God-given Diversities in order to form one Standard way of life (AdDeeni Haneefan) for all humans, both secular and religion and one spiritual Brotherhood and Sisterhood of Mankind so that they can integrate, assimilate and marry people of all Faiths in their pure form and co-exist with their spouses and their families peacefully. This is the kind of Diversity God wants to see in the Divine System, both in this world and the Hereafter. URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-pluralism/god-diversity-brotherhood-sisterhood-mankind/d/128089 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

Get Out Of ‘My Camel Is the Best ' Syndrome

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 3 October 2022 Recently, one 'learned' contributor commented that, “Islam is the favourite and blessed religion of Allah.” The same crap ad nauseam! This is a quintessential tribal view from a religio-anthropological perspective. Eleventh-century Arab poet and apostate Al-Ma'ari said, " The human race is divided into two: One, man intelligent without religion, the second, religious without intellect.” I put this man in the second slot. Believing in the superiority, invincibility and infallibility of one's faith and god is a sign of delusion and condescension. This deluded mentality births all sorts of bad-blood and religious differences. Having travelled across the world and interacted with a huge spectrum of believers of all faiths and hues, I've observed that Christians and Muslims have a pronounced tendency to glorify their faiths and characters. Believers of other faiths also have this proclivity, albeit restrained. Almost all Muslims have a terribly wrong belief, ingrained in their system, that their religion is the best and most favoured by a prejudiced and partisan Allah who packs believers of other religions off to hell without a trial. The Quran says that Allah doesn't discriminate and it's Rabbul-Alameen (the god or Supreme Being of the universe) not just Rabbul-Muslameen (the god of only Muslims). So, how can an 'egalitarian' Allah favour a specific faith and its followers? Is he also as partial as his followers are because partiality is a typical human attribute which Muslims are endowing their Allah with? Aren't you contradicting yourself and your scriptural claims? Anthropologically speaking, Islam is a tribal faith. It's obvious that its followers still have certain tribal ethics and ethos. Noted anthropologist Franz Boas opined that the religious stubbornness of Muslims stemmed from their early tribal tendencies and practices. In olden times, when there were tribes galore in the Arab peninsula, every tribe had its own deity and tribal supremacy was determined by the strength of the respective deity and the cattle. A camel symbolised the superiority of a tribe. So, the Pre-Islamic perception that my camel is the best to assert tribal superiority, travelled through subsequent generations to emerge as my faith being the supreme. It's worthwhile to mention that a 'modern' faith or precisely, Islam, is nothing but an improvement upon an erstwhile tribe or group with additions of esoteric beliefs as time marched on. En passant, the national animal of Saudi, camels are native to the Arabian Peninsula and have accompanied Saudis as far back as recorded time. Muslims must pluck this 'My camel being the best' syndrome out of their belief system to earn respectability in these times when they're justifiably anathemas to the rest of the world. ----- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/syndrome-muslims-religion-race/d/128088 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

Mere Ban on PFI Is Not Enough, Political Solution of Islamism Needs To Be Found

Ban on SIMI Did Not Provide Solution To Extremism Main Points: 1. Extremist religious views have become a mainstream trend. 2. Political and social circumstances promote extremist views. 3. Global presence of Islamism needs to be taken into consideration. ----- By New Age Islam Staff Writer 1 October 2022 An office of the Popular Front of India (PFI) at Chandrayangutta in Hyderabad on 22 September 2022 | ANI Photo ----- Praveen Swami's article seeks to go to the roots of Islamism and extremist religious narrative in India. In India, Islamism took roots before Al Qaida emerged on the global scene. And it was banned with 9/11. But its ban did not eliminate Islamism. Though Al Qaida was decimated it was not completely wiped out. Its ideology flourished in the form of Taliban, ISIS, Boko Haram, Al Shabab, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Sahaba etc. Many mainstream Ulema and exegetes overtly or covertly supported extremist views. So sometimes the line between mainstream Islamic thought and extremist thought became blurred. This confusion helped the extremists and terrorists. They quoted mainstream Ulema and exegetes while defending their violence. The social and political conditions of India has also played its role. The deep rooted sense of injustice and oppression as a result of communal riots, unemployment and economic backwardness of Muslims due to bias of the government and the bureaucracy was exploited by the extremist organisations to gain sympathy of Muslims and spread their ideology. PFI flourished on the same sense of injustice and oppression of Muslims. So, Mr Praveen Swami rightly says that if the government sincerely wants to root out extremism and Islamism among the Indian Muslims, merely banning the PFI or SIMI or the ISIS etc. will not serve the purpose. Extremism cannot be fought only with police action but with judicious political policies that instils a sense of confidence and trust on the state institutions among the Muslims. Policies that alienate the minorities will only aggravate the problem. If the root causes of disillusionment of Muslims with the state institutions are not found and addressed, another extremist organisation will appear. Therefore, to end this vicious cycle, the government needs to chalk out long term political action. ---- PFI Ban Is No Quick Fix For Jihadi Threat. See How SIMI Ban Birthed Indian Mujahideen By Praveen Swami 29 September, 2022 Late one February evening in 2001, Sadiq Israr Sheikh received an invitation to tea at the Medina Hotel, cradled inside the lanes of Mumbai’s Cheeta Camp. Like many young Muslims of his generation, enraged by the demolition of the Babri Masjid, Sheikh had joined the Students’ Islamic Movement of India. Within months, though, the air-conditioning mechanic had become bored with listening to impassioned speeches on Islam. Then, a year after he drifted away from SIMI, came the meeting at the Medina—one which would leave deep scars across India. Two weeks after the carnage of 9/11, moved to ban SIMI, charging the organisation with sedition. Even though hundreds of key SIMI operatives were arrested and interrogated, police forces and the intelligence services missed the real story. Following his meeting at the Medina Hotel, Sheikh crossed the border into Bangladesh, boarded an Emirates flight headed from Dhaka to Karachi through Dubai. From Karachi, Sheikh told police—in testimony which under Indian law cannot be used against him during trial—he drove on to a Lashkar-e-Taiba camp near Bahawalpur. There, he began training with the core of former SIMI members who were forming the Indian Mujahideen. Lessons learned from the SIMI story help understand the prospects—and perils—of this week’s decision to proscribe the Popular Front of India (PFI). The SIMI ban choked visible Islamist political mobilisation, but it didn’t cut off air to jihadist groups. Worse, jihadist networks became more walled off, operating with a discipline and secrecy that blinded India’s security services. For almost six years—from 2005 to 2011—India’s police and intelligence services were to flail, clueless, in the face of the lethal urban terrorism campaign the country had ever faced. PFI’s Terror Connection Ever since 2016, the PFI has regularly faced allegations of its members joining transnational jihadist groups like the Islamic State. Kerala resident Shajeer Mangalassery Abdulla, accused by the NIA of recruiting for the Islamic State in Afghanistan, was a supporter of the PFI’s political wing, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). Safwan Pookatail, a graphic designer with the PFI house-journal Thejas, is alleged to be among Shajeer’s recruits, along with Manseed Bin Mohamed, who researched Hindutva for the now-banned group. Kannur-origin Muhammad Sameer—who took his wife, Fauziya, and three children to the Islamic State caliphate in Syria, where they are suspected to be incarcerated in a prison camp following his death—once served as sub-divisional convenor of the PFI as Valapattanam. Earlier this year, police in Assam charged Maqibul Hussain, the former PFI district head of Barpeta, of recruiting for Ansarullah Bangla Team—a Bangladeshi al-Qaeda affiliate that has carried out multiple attacks targeting Left-wing secularists and the Hindu religious minority. Telangana police arrested PFI activist Abdul Khader on charges of providing Kung-Fu combat training to hundreds of young men—although local media later reported that in this case, nothing more dangerous was recovered than “three sets of loose paper bunches, three hand books, a notebook, [and] some bus and train tickets.” Long before recent killings in Karnataka and Kerala, PFI cadre have been alleged to be involved in religion-driven violence. Two members of the National Development Front—one of three organisations that formed the PFI, together with the Karnataka Forum for Dignity and the Manitha Neethi Pasarai in Tamil Nadu—were charged with involvement in the hacking to death of eight Hindus at Marad in 2003. Far larger numbers of cadre of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) were, however, reported to have been arrested.. Then, in 2011, PFI members chopped off the hand of Idukki college professor T.J. Joseph, over a question he had set for second-year B.Com students during an internal examination. In 2013, the Kerala Police discovered a camp in Narath, near Kannur, where PFI members were receiving trainingin bomb-making and use of swords. Like in the case of SIMI, the exact connection between the organisation and jihadist groups like the Islamic State isn’t clear. In most cases, Islamic State recruits were former PFI members, rather than active cadres. The case of Sadiq Sheikh is instructive. Failing to find jihadist opportunities in SIMI, Sheikh turned to distant relative Salim Azmi—later killed in a controversial shootout with police—to make the right connections. Azmi is alleged to have put him in touch with the gang lord Amir Reza Khan, who financed the training of the core Indian Mujahideen members. The recruitment of former PFI members like Sameer into the Islamic State took place in the diaspora, clouding the details of their stories. Islamic State recruiters, moreover, have drawn several Indians with no known PFI link—underlining the influence of personal ties and online propaganda. Politics of Piety From the demolition of the Babri Masjid, SIMI’s language had become explicitly pro-jihadist. At its Kanpur convention in 1999, seven-year-old Gulrez Siddiqui was held up before an estimated 20,000 cheering members: ‘Islam Ka Ghazi, Butshikan, Mera Sher, Osama Bin Laden,” the child intoned [‘warrior of Islam, destroyer of idols/My lion, Osama bin Laden’]. SIMI called for a caliphate, claiming democracy had failed India’s Muslims, and even appealed to God to send an avatar of the temple-pillaging eleventh-century conqueror, Mahmud of Ghazni. Learning from SIMI’s mistakes, the PFI has studiously avoided inflammatory language. The organisation’s constitution, researcher Mohammed Sinan Siyech notes,, commits it to “upholding the country’s democratic and secular order, working for peace, [and] advancing the cause of minorities.” Through an extensive network of social-work organisations, the PFI also engaged in large-scale welfare activities. The organisation’s cadre, for example, built schools for poorly served Bengali-speaking Muslim communities in Assam. The organisation engaged in anti-drugs programmes in Kerala, and medical outreach across north Indian states. Funding for these programmes came, the PFI claims, through Rs 10-a-month donations from its 500,000 members, as well as affluent donors across India and West Asia. Early in its trajectory, SIMI had used the same tactics. In 1982, for example, it organised what was called an “anti-immorality” week, burning purportedly obscene books. It won approval among communities with programmes seeking to draw young people away from drugs and alcohol. The historians Irfan Habib, Iqtidar Alam Khan and KP Singh observed in a 1976 essay, that SIMI’s social service wasn’t altruistic: Its motive was “preservation of Muslim separateness, not the end of Muslim backwardness.” The Dangers Ahead Like the PFI, SIMI thrived, scholar Yoginder Sikand has perceptively observed, because it gave its young Muslim supporters “a sense of power and agency which they were denied in their actual lives.” The organisation flourished in a political landscape where Muslim political representation within the large mainstream parties had atrophied. This created a vacuum which Islamist organisations like SIMI could fill, their rhetoric offering the illusion of a solution to the challenges faced by Muslims. The ban on SIMI ensured an end to the toxic Islamism the organisation peddled, which could have led to a dangerous escalation of communal violence. This came at a cost, though. Large-scale arrests of young Muslims accused of SIMI membership, most of whom were acquitted, engendered deep bitterness. Former SIMI president Shahid Badr Falahi—ironically, among a group of political Islamists who sought to resist the jihadist current—spent fourteen years under trial accused of having pasted a sticker on a wall. Local police, moreover, found SIMI members a convenient scapegoat for the Indian Mujahideen bombings which began in 2005—allowing the real perpetrators to continue their attacks for years, unchecked. The toxic influence of Islamism represented by the PFI shows a complex matrix of deeply embedded political and social problems. The fight against it needs political action, not just police. ---- Source: PFI Ban Is No Quick Fix For Jihadi Threat. See How SIMI Ban Birthed Indian Mujahideen URL: https://newageislam.com/radical-islamism-jihad/ban-pfi-political-solution-islamism-/d/128076 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

Spiritual Benefits of Salah/Prayer/Namaz – Part 2

Namaz: A Means of Eradicating All Anxiety, Protecting Oneself from Immorality, and Strengthening One's Connection to God Almighty Main Points: · Namaaz has the spiritual power to dispel all kinds of troubles, problems, sorrows, hassles, confusions, illnesses, and clouds of melancholy and boredom. · Allah said in the Qur'an that Namaaz guards against immorality and bad things. · Namaaz must be completed in full respect of all internal and external rights. · By reciting the Namaz, one is purified and their relationship with Allah is enhanced. Namaaz makes amends for minor sins. ------- By Kaniz Fatma, New Age Islam 1 October 2022 When a man is plagued by problems, aches, concerns, confusions, and illnesses, the shadows of death start to hang over his head; he feels as though the world is hard and constricting around him, and clouds of fear and panic seem to be floating over his head from all sides. There is just one solution for each of these problems and that is Namaaz. Turn your attention to your Creator and away from everyone else. Prostrate before your Lord and admit your flaws and sins, confessing to him that, "O my Lord, I have harmed my soul," and “that I did not convert to your worship in the world while I was in good health and youth. Now, I shall undoubtedly be counted among the losers if You do not show me pity and pardon my misdeeds”. You should immediately turn to your Lord in these situations when you are overwhelmed by dread, grief, or worries. Come to the Namaz (Salah) which will soothe and comfort your heart as well as provide peace and comfort to your soul. Namaz has the spiritual power to dispel all kinds of troubles, problems, sorrows, hassles, confusions, illnesses, and clouds of melancholy and boredom. This is because the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) would always turn to his Lord in a state of prayer whenever he had a serious problem, as well as use prayer to relax his eyes and make all of his worries better. Today, despite the fact that we face a variety of difficulties—psychological, physical, mental, social, and other—we chose material resources rather than relying on Allah for patience and tranquilly by following the Prophet's advice. While there is only one way to find peace and a cure for all of these worries, and that is to kneel and bow down in prayer before one's Creator and Lord. After accepting the belief that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, Namaz is the most exalted obligatory act. Allah Almighty and His Messenger (peace be upon him) refer to it as the boundary between belief and disbelief. Everyone in Islam is obligated to pray, regardless of their status or gender, power or weakness. No one is exempt from this. A higher form of worship than others is the Namaz. Anyone can perform it, regardless of their financial situation, level of physical fitness, or other factors. However, only those who are wealthy and have access to the necessary resources are required to carry out other mandatory acts like the Zakat and the Hajj. The Namaz, which forms the cornerstone of all other forms of worship, is the greatest approach for believers to get closer to God Almighty. The holy Quran mentions the Namaz more than 90 times. Below, I've mentioned a few verses of the Quran and Ahadith that discuss the worth and significance of Namaz, so that Muslims may take heed to the commands of their Creator Almighty and His Messenger in this regard. “And establish prayer (Namaz) and give Zakah and bow with those who bow [in worship and obedience].” (2:43) “Maintain with care the [obligatory] prayers and [in particular] the middle prayer and stand before Allah, devoutly obedient.” (2:238) “And seek help through patience and prayer (Namaz), and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allah]” (2:45) “So, affliction unto those worshippers who are neglectful of their Namaz” (107:4-5) It is reported in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim from Ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah said, ‘The foundation of Islam is established on five Pillars. (1) To bear testimony that there is none truly worthy of worship besides Allah and Muhammad is the chosen servant and Prophet of Allah, 2) To establish Namaz , 3) To give Zakat 4) To perform Hajj and 5) To Fast in the month of Ramadan.’ [Mishkaat al-Masaabih, pg.12] Imam Ahmed, Tirmizi and Ibn Majah report that Hazrat Mu’az says, ‘I asked the Holy Prophet to inform me regarding that practice which will take me into the Paradise and save me from Hell. He said, ‘Worship Allah and do not associate any partner with Him, and establish Namaz and give Zakaat, and Fast in the month of Ramadan, and make Hajj of the House of Allah (Kaaba).’ In the Hadith, it has been stated that Namaz is a Pillar of Islam. [Mishkaat al-Masaabih, pg.14] God has commanded Namaz, and piety is attained through following His command. Namaaz becomes a tool for getting closer to God in this way. Allah said in the Qur'an that Namaaz guards against immorality and bad things. When a person is delivered from evil and starts acting in a positive way, they are tranquil mentally and emotionally. By reciting the Namaz, one is purified and their relationship with Allah is enhanced. Namaaz makes amends for minor sins. By performing the Zuhr prayer, sins committed from Fajr to Zuhr are forgiven. By praying at Asr, you can atone for the sins you committed from Zuhr to Asr. By performing the Maghrib Namaz, sins from Asr to that time are forgiven. It is believed that the Isha Namaz atones for sins done between Isha and Fajr. Being a human, there is a strong likelihood that you may make mistakes throughout the day; therefore, Allah (SWT) created the prayer to atone for these errors. Namaaz must be completed in full respect of all internal and external rights. The exterior rights of the Namaaz include doing them consistently at the proper times, adhering to their obligations, Sunna, and Mustahabb, and refraining from all faults and abominations. However, in order to exercise one's internal rights under the Namaaz, one must empty their mind of all ideas other than those of Allah and lose themselves in prayer before Allah Almighty. Namaaz is very taxing on hearts that are overflowing with sins and desires, but it is not taxing on hearts that are overflowing with love and fear of God; rather, it is a source of joy and spiritual and emotional growth for them. The stillness, tranquilly, and humility gained through profound meditation are essential elements of Namaaz. Allah says in the Quran: “Successful indeed are the believers, those who humble themselves in their prayers.” (Quran 23:1-2) The Namaaz serves more than just a ceremonial function. The prayer must be offered passionately in order to be accepted. Focus on any Quranic passages you intend to repeat as well as the Arabic terms used in the prayer after learning their meanings. Accept that Allah is aware of your prayers and responds to them. Fix your sight on the region where you are prostrating, or close your eyes if something nearby is distracting you and you are unable to concentrate otherwise. One can improve their presence of mind during the prayer by focusing on the words of the prayer recited in various postures, by increasing their awareness of being in front of Allah, by selecting a pleasant, clean area with no distractions, and by doing these things. Clear your mind of distractions, focus on Allah's blessings in life, and admit your sinfulness before the Creator. As a result, you'll experience less stress, concern, and anxiety. The prayer is calming and can help you rediscover your life's direction. Prayer is a soul-healing activity. But for your Namaz to become thus focused, perseverance, practise, and begging for Allah's help are all required. It matters how you stand when you pray. For example, while in prostration, the believer is closest to Allah, thus he should take advantage of this proximity and supplicate even more. It takes a lot of effort and difficulty to do Namaaz with extreme focus and humility. Even though there will be challenging times, Namaaz should never be abandoned. Remember! You are linked to your Creator through Namaaz. You don't just pray because you think it will help you and be simple to do, though. Zeal often increases when one first starts practising Namaaz. When the true test arrives, one finds it difficult to pray. Continue performing Namaaz, and you will experience spiritual blessings. ------ Kaniz Fatma is a classic Islamic scholar and a regular columnist for New Age Islam. Part One of the Article: Physical Benefits of Salah/Prayer – Part 1 URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-spiritualism/spiritual-salah-prayer-namaz-part-2/d/128075 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 All Zealots and Blindly Religious People Must Read the Turkish Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 1 October 2022 Nowadays, I'm re-reading the Turkish Nobel Laureate Ferit Orhan Pamuk's works which urge readers to think in a neo-alternative manner without bringing in religion and god. He himself is a cultural Muslim who associates the historical and cultural identification with the religion while not belonging in personal connexion (this is acceptable orthography of the word 'connection' in British English) to god. Orhan Pamuk at the Rustaveli Theater, Georgia. [Wikimedia] ----- Religion as a socio-cultural tool is okay as it fulfils its primary purpose of binding people together and gives an identity to an individual. But the moment it assumes supernatural tones, undertones, overtures and a truckload of superstitions and connects you to an imaginary power, it loses its cardinal objective. This is the leitmotif of most of the works of Pamuk who's disturbed by increasing religiosity of all organized faiths and particularly concerned about Islam's relentless juggernaut towards self-destruction. Friday's suicide attack on Kabul exam centre killing minimum 20 innocent people is yet another feather to its (Islam’s) remarkable violent streak and spree in recent times. Yet, the apologists of Islam will continue to assert that Islam is a religion of peace! Perhaps, the word 'peace' means differently to these brainless zombies. ‘Humanity flourishes in a state of mutual bonding.' Pamuk opined this during his speech at the Nobel Ceremony while accepting world's most prestigious Literary Award in 2006. In one of his books, a character says, “You’re a human. So, think of humans and let monks think of gods and angels. " This should be the motto of all humans. Think of your fellow human beings for, there're enough useless and workless people to think and fight over religious characters, scriptures, gods and shrines. ----- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/zealots-religious-turkish-nobel-laureate-orhan-/d/128081 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

PFI: The Muslim Brotherhood of India

PFI Adopts the Same Strategy as the Muslim Brotherhood Main Points: 1. Muslim Brotherhood spread its network with zakat money. 2. The MB set up shadow organisations in Europe. 3. The MB set up Islamic centres in Europe. ---- By Kashish Warsi Translated By New Age Islam 30 September 2022 Ikhwan ul Muslimeen (Muslim Brotherhood) is an organisation with an extremist and radical ideology which has its own strong economic structure and has an international presence. Muslim Brotherhood works in a co-ordinated way and it helps the organisation to mould itself according to the circumstances. Its economic system and structure is shrouded in secrecy. This organisation will have to face difficulties in maintaining its existence and realising its plans if it does not have an economic system. Muslim Brotherhood is not working in an unplanned way in economic operations but its system is very strong, organised and legally correct. This is the reason, the Muslim Brotherhood has succeeded in spreading its ideology with the help of economy. The founders of the organisation in Egypt worked hard to establish a strong global economic system. Initially, the organisation took membership donations from its members and strengthened its economic system with the Zakat money based on Islamic principles. As the system spread, it shaped its administrative structure of 'Dawah'(proselytisation) and this system also gave the MB its economic base. Apart from it, every new mosque that was constructed became a source of zakat money for it and strengthened it financially. Every Islamic centre became a centre for depositing money and businessmen started depositing zakat money to it. Despite a crackdown by the police and security forces in 1950, the Muslim Brotherhood spread its roots in Arab states. Especially, It strengthened its hold in Gulf states. Along with it, the MB set up its own institutions in the European countries. These institutions kept a close watch on happenings and developments. Initially, it established rapport with trading groups and committees. This system was first experimented in the mosque of Munich in the entire continent. This organisation was noticed by the common people much later. This development was noticed particularly in Europe. Its membership increased in the decade of 1990 and with it its objectives were promoted through cultural and social activities. The members of the Muslim Brotherhood promoted only trade interests which can be put ubder halal trade. As a result of this strategy, many active groups spread locally. It is said that the Muslim Brotherhood played an important role in providing funds to the acts terrorism and violence in Europe. Initially, the organisation rendered welfare works among the Muslims, won the sympathy of the Muslims and collected funds. And then with the funds, it promoted terrorism in Europe. Austria expelled the Muslim Brotherhood. Germany is on the same path. France is, also taking action against the MB. They are accused of promoting extremist ideology. French politician Nepthabi Oli targeted Islamic relief organisations. He said that these organisations provided funds to terrorist organisations and organisations like Hamas in Palestine get support from them. They are posting messages against the Jews on social media. Due to these circumstances, Muslim Brotherhood finds it difficult to mix with Muslims. The Muslim Brotherhood is using its resources to promote its extremist ideology and the European countries are now being used for terrorist activities across the world. The Popular Front of India has adopted the same strategy. The PFI has camouflaged itself in social causes but its real objective is, something else. Its real face is manifest in constant violent activities. The financial resources of the MB can be found in Saudi Arab and its allies European countries. These resources are based on online transactions. These countries have imposed some restrictions on zakat money particularly on online transfer of zakat money because it is alleged that the funds that the MB received was mostly through this mode of transaction. Therefore, we can rightly say that the PFI is the Indian version of the Muslim Brotherhood. It is therefore imperative to adopt a similar approach to it as is done in Egypt and France. URL: https://newageislam.com/radical-islamism-jihad/pfi-muslim-brotherhood-india/d/128070 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

Hijab Has Come Full Circle in India

Hijab Was Not Strictly Worn By Girls until Recently Main Points: 1. During the 19th century Muslim women of India remained in purdah. 2. Thanks to spread of education, Muslim girls came out of purdah in India in the 20th century. 3. Girls going to schools and colleges did not use hijab. 4. Hijab and Niqab among girls caught up with Muslim girls only after the 90s. 5. Muslim girls came back to purdah in the 21st century. ----- By New Age Islam Staff Writer 29 September 2022 The satirical poet of Urdu wrote in the 1020s: Be Purdah Nazar Aayin Jo Kal Chand Bibiyan Akbar Zameen Me Ghairat-e-Qaumi Se Gadd Gaya Maine Jo Puchha Aapka Purdah Wo Kya Hua Kahne Lageen Ke Aql Pe Mardon Ki Padd Gaya (The other day I saw some girls/ women unveiled. I was embarrassed and asked them, "Where did you leave your veil?" They replied, "It has been cast over the intellect of men.") This famous couplet gives a hint over the anxiety of the Muslim intelligentsia over the veil during the 1920s. During this period, Muslim women had come out of purdah to join schools, colleges and universities. It was an era of educational renaissance among Muslims. The Aligarh Muslim University was attracting both Muslim boys and girls who wanted to acquire "Angrezi Taalim" despised by stalwarts like Md. Iqbal and Akbar Allahabadi because they feared the western education would corrupt the minds of girls and will have a bearing on their morality. This was the reason Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was at the receiving end of both Ulema and the so-called Muslim intellectuals. Members of the All India Muslim Students Federation protest at Delhi University against the hijab ban in educational institutions, on Feb. 8 in New Delhi, India. Sanchit Khanna/Hindustan Times via Getty Images ----- Back in 1911, Begum Rokeya had started a campaign for the education of Muslim girls. She established a school Rokea Sakhawat Memorial Girls' School in Kolkata. But the parents would not allow their girls to go to the school because that would make them bepurdah (veilless). Ms Rokeya offered to make proper arrangement for purdah in the bus so that men would not be able to see them. After that some parents relented. Gradually parents shed their inhibitions and more and more girls joined schools and college. The advancement of education was more rapid among the Bengali Muslims of Bengal including the areas of the then Bangladesh. Dhaka University attracted more Muslims girls where girls would go without veil. Fazilatun Nisa was the first Muslim graduate from Dhaka University. During that time girls would not wear hijab or Niqab to schools or colleges. Indeed, only mothers would go out in full covering Niqab. This truth is mentioned in the couplet quoted above. Another couplet expressing the dilemma of the Muslim intelligentsia is as follows: Rashida Chamki Na Thi English Se Jab Begana Thi Ab Hai Shamm-e-Anjuman Pehle Chiragh-e-Khana Thi. (Rashida had not shined until she had learnt English. Now she is a socialite. Earlier she was merely the lamp of the house.) These and other couplets of that period speak of the liberation of the women. They were participating in societal activities and making a mark in the educational arena. They had left the veil behind. Still, a section of the society adhered to purdah but students were not forced to wear hijab and Niqab. The religious leaders even those considered liberal were strictly in favour of purdah. But another section did no object to women going in public without a veil. During a public meeting during the Freedom Movement in Bengal, the organisers, the Communists, wanted a Muslim lady deliver a speech from the stage. They sought permission of the Ulema sitting in the front row of the audience. They disapproved of it saying a lady could not appear before men on stage. Then the organisers proposed that she might deliver her speech from a room of the school adjacent to the venue. But the Ulema said that even a women should follow the purdah of the voice (Awaz Ka Purdah). She was not allowed to make her speech either from the stage or from the room adjacent to the venue of the meeting. This incident shows that despite the opposition of the Ulema, Muslim women largely participated in public affairs without hijab or Naqib. Muslim students speak to media after they were not allowed to enter pre-university colleges while wearing the hijab, in Udupi town, Karnataka, India, on Feb. 16. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images ----- After the Independence and Partition, the country became a secular country and secular education became universal. Muslim girls joined schools and colleges along with non- Muslm girls. Purdah was not mandated for girl students. With time, Muslim girls made big strides in the field of education. More and more schools for girls were established. Girls even studied in co-ed schools with boys and parents did not oppose and complain. But after the 1990s, and markedly since the 2000, an ideological campaign in favour of purdah (veil) was started. Different Ulema and exegetes advocated the use of veil or hijab among young girls. On this issue all the sects of Muslims were united. They advocated for full veil for all the women irrespective of their age or marital status. The all-pervasive means of communication helped in the spread of hijab ideology. From India, to Afghanistan to Pakistan, women and girls were told to remain in the house and even if they needed to go out of the house, they had to go in full veil. Some Islamic scholars suggested women can see through one hole in the Burqa even if they fall on the road and meet with an accident. The advent of Taliban and other extremist organisations contributed to the spread of the ideology of purdah among the Muslims of the sub-continent. In Afghanistan, they are even killed for not wearing hijab. In Iran, girls from the age of seven are mandated to wear hijab. The reason why Islamic society went backwards during the second half of the 20th century was the volume of Islamic literature produced during the 20th century. Though Islam had reached the southwestern coast of India during the life of the prophet of Islam pbuh through Arab traders, Islamic literature was compiled only in the last quarter of the 19th century. Shah Waliullah was the first to translate the Quran in Persian during the 18h century and his son Shah Abdul Qadir translated the Quran in Urdu in the late 18th century. Shah Waliullah compiled hadith in India and was called Muhaddith Dehlvi. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb was instrumental in the compilation of Islamic jurisprudence in the 18th century. However, the work of exegesis and spread of sectarian ideology caught speed only in the late 19th century. During this period more and more exegetes, Islamic scholars and researchers emerged on the.L scene and promoted their own ideology. However, barring a few like Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, almost all of them propagated a hardline stand on purdah. This popularised veil in India. Now, different organisations also campaign for purdah even for small girls. Social and political circumstances also contributed to the popularity of veil. Girls now wear hijab to schools and universities and working women insist on wearing veil in office. This becomes a cause of confrontation and legal battles. Thus, the veil which was imposed on the Muslim girls during the 19th century has again come into vogue in the enlightened age of the 21st century. Only the second half of the 20th century saw the emergence of the liberated women who contributed immensely to the development of the society and the country. Today, hundreds of girls leave their educational career for the sake of purdah. URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/hijab-niqab-veil-india/d/128062 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