The quest for Islam

ISBN: 978-969-496-328-0

THE QUEST FOR ISLAM

WAQAS AHMED

DOST PUBLICATIONS ISLAMABAD • LAHORE • KARACHI

© 2009 by Waqas Ahmed All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.

Published by Dost Publications Plot 110, Street 15 I-9/2, Islamabad Pakistan Ph: 92-51-4102784-85 [email protected]

Printed and bound by WordMate, Islamabad, Pakistan Sequel to: Embracing Islam: The Journey Begins (2nd Edition) (Dost Publications 2008) ISBN: 978-969-496-328-0 Price: Rs. 200.00

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As for those who strive in Our cause, We will surely guide them to Our Paths; rest assured that Allah is with the righteous. al-ÃAnkabCt: 69

TRANSLITERATION SCHEME

DEDICATION Dedicated to the memory of a teacher, a guide, a mentor, and my patient Dr. Khalid Alavi (may he rest in the ever abiding Mercy of Allah )

CONTENTS Acknowledgments

ix

Introduction

xi

The Converts

01

Reality of Piety

04

The čmĀms

10

The Revolution attaining TaqwĀ

within:

Practical

steps

towards

18

Parables in the QurāĀn

35

Democracy and Islam

40

Hajj 2007

49

The Undivided India

58

There and Here

77

The Best Stories

89

I Wish

94

INTRODUCTION

A

s I sat down to write Embracing Islam: The Journey Begins, in the autumn of 2006, my goal was not just to reflect upon the state of the Muslim Ummah but also upon my self, as I was constantly being stimulated by the QurāĀnic statement, Except those who repent and do righteous deeds, and openly declare (the truth which they concealed). These I will accept their repentance. al-Baqarah: 160

I looked at it as an obligation to tell the truth now that Allah the Exalted had allowed me to see it. Also, for me thinking in nationalistic boundaries negated the very concept of Muslim Ummah and so I was unable to detract from all that was happening across the Muslim world. I looked at it as a ‘Muslim problem,’ and not just as a Palestinian or a Pakistani problem. The book was published by an informal publisher because from the beginning it was never meant to be a financial endeavor. All I wanted was to share my experience with others, with the hope that it might stimulate a spark in them for further contemplation into their own state and that of the Muslim Ummah. The first 2000 copies were primarily distributed free of cost amongst medical students of different medical schools, while a dozen or so were also placed at two book stores in the city. Looking back now, at the task accomplished, I feel as if a heavy burden has been taken off my chest.

xi

xii • The Quest for Islam The positive response that subsequently transpired was extraordinary. What was surprising was that the more educated the readers, the more it struck a cord with them. I thought about it a lot; why such a positive response? Certainly I had not presented a new or unique perspective on Islam. And then it occurred to me; it was the simplicity of my reflections and narrative. All I had done was to speak in their language. As in this complex and confused age, what is missing is the simplicity of faith. It may appear to be a strong statement but what has happened over the last century is the beginning of an ever expanding divide between ordinary Muslims and the scholars and this divide is even greater between the well educated intelligentsia and the traditional scholars of Islam. The reason being: firstly, the majority of Muslims are being educated in a way that clouds their ability to understand revelation and secondly, those scholars, who have the ability to understand revelation but, are lacking in the tools of sophisticated communications needed to effectively pass along the message in the twentieth century. This is the biggest impediment in acceptance of the teachings of Islam by the intelligentsia. The aspects of our scholars not thinking deeply about the contemporary issues related to Islam, and the enormous influence of a Western secular ideology of life on the educated elite, work at an equally important level. Here lies the problem of the intelligentsia of Pakistan in particular and most of the Muslim countries in general; they want to hear about Islam from someone who has all the successes in this world. Someone who is as suited for a secular and materialistic society as he is for religious propagation. Unfortunately that person has already made his choice: He is committed only to this world. The same words coming from a well educated doctor or telecom engineer have a completely different impact than those coming from a traditional ‘maulvi.’

Introduction • xiii And so it was with this background that I decided to extend my observations about the contemporary Muslim society in another book, as so much had been left out in the first one. My hope is that this will also touch the hearts as the previous book did, as only the sincerest intention is behind it. May Allah  accept it. Wa-mĀ– Tawfąqą– Illa– Billa-hil-ĂAząm

Waqas Ahmed, MD, FACC, FSCAI Dhul-Hijjah, 1429

THE CONVERTS

T

here are those fortunate ones (I say this with a grain of salt as my previous book has discussed this in detail) who are born in Muslim families and then there are those who are guided to the Truth by the Mercy of Allah  at some point later in their lives. We call them ‘the converts.’ Most Muslims use the term with a certain undertone to it as if the converts are entering this arena with a certain handicap. But the Arabs say, “Al–Ăilm–utĀbiq–al–waqĂ” (true knowledge conforms to reality), and the facts tell a different story and hence for the most part, the converts are the real fortunate ones. Most of us are familiar with the names of some of the famous coverts to Islam: Shaykh Hamza YĈsuf, Dr. Umar Farooq Abdullah, Martin Lings (Abu Bakr Sirajuddin), Muhammad Asad, shaykh Gibril Haddad etc. All of them went on to become celebrated scholars of Islam. What is so different between these men and millions of those who are born in Muslim homes across the globe? Firstly, these men recognized the inestimably precious treasure called Islam and ąmĀn. Not only that, from that point onwards, they devoted their entire lives to learn the true intricacies of this faith and chose not to enter a mad race for grandiloquent homes, fancy cars and extravagant summer vacations –No– their lives changed directions instantaneously. They exemplified the practical reality that Islam is as much an evolution as it is a revolution, perhaps more of the former. Most of us, the ‘educated born Muslims’ failed to give this due attention to our precious faith. It became a cheap commodity, 1

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a certificate meant to hang on the wall with an indefinite expiration date. As Shaykh Hamza once so rightly said that he had never seen an atheist who did not take God seriously and as a result was bothered by it. While on the other hand, there are countless Muslims who do not take God (Allah ) seriously at all. They go through their entire lives without ever contemplating even for a few minutes who their Creator is and what He  requires of them. Secondly, these men recognized the indispensable nature of learning Arabic to comprehend their faith and perfected it to the point of being regarded as Arabic teachers of global repute. Those of us who are ‘fortunate’ to have been born in Muslim homes have completely missed this fundamental ingredient for perfecting our faith. However it was not always like this. Until the last century, the languages for knowledge were Arabic and Persian, and so Muslims were well equipped to learn their faith. With the arrival of colonialism all that changed, and hence started a downward spiral which has only perpetuated with each passing decade. How can people feign ignorance to the fact that is it the language of our Dąn; the QurāĀn and the last Prophet ? We have revealed this QurāĀn in Arabic so that you may understand. YĈsuf: 2

I ask you, “Are all of us born English speakers?” No – But all efforts are directed at learning English since it is the language of the sciences and ultimately the language of a ‘Job’ that will bring in money. People learn how to drive a car, and it is not that easy for many, because it is such a fundamental tool for freedom of transport that they acquire the skill, overcoming all obstacles. Why did we then forget the indispensable nature of learning Arabic?

The Converts

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3

Third, the unique ability of these convert-scholars to have seen both sides of the coin allowed them to enunciate their message with extraordinary effectiveness. Those who were passing through tumultuous times in their lives in those societies could relate to every thing they said and get a glimpse of the future with each of the multiple choices in front of them. The fact that these converts came out with a unique blend of daĂwa is a true blessing of Allah  for their respective nations. For American Muslims, it would have been, and is, rather difficult to relate to a Pakistani Muslim scholar who is not aware of the social, cultural fabric of those societies. That has tremendous impact on how effective the daĂwa will be. The convert-scholars filled-in this gap with extraordinary perfection. Every nation has some unique positive qualities and when they embrace Islam, they bring these attributes with them. That is what these convert-scholars did for Islam and as a result enriched the Global Islamic forum. The life stories of these famous scholars are available every where, and people read them almost for enjoyment but consider themselves somehow disconnected from all that, and eventually it becomes a story like so many other stories. If all else seems to be failing for us, the ‘born Muslims,’ perhaps we should consider ‘converting’ to Islam and hope to meet the same fortunate outcome.

REALITY OF PIETY

T

he modern world has introduced new meanings to the concept of Piety. Now, those who are involved in public service are considered pious. Those who have dedicated their lives to serving humanity are considered saints. Several corrections are in order here as well. First of all, no one will deny the high esteem for helping humanity, Narrated Abu-MĈssa, ‘Some people asked the messenger of Allah , “Whose Islam is the best (i.e. who is a very good Muslim)?” He replied, “One who avoids harming other Muslims with his tongue and hands.” (BukhĀrą) He  also said, “Have mercy on whoever is on earth and the One in the Heavens will have Mercy on you.” But deeds do not just become good based alone on our rationalistic understanding, rather these must have divine approval. For us Muslims, every thing that is khair (good) depends on three mandatory prerequisites: 1. The deed must be done with a proper understanding of the Monotheism of God i.e., ąmĀn. One can scroll through the QurāĀn all over and where ever one finds mention of good deeds, they are preceded by ąmĀn, Indeed mankind is at loss, except those who believe and do good deeds. al-ĂAsr

čmam Ash-ShafiĂi said that if only sĈrat al-ĂAsr had been sent down, it would have sufficed for the salvation of humanity. The question is what ąmĀn is the QurāĀn referring to? čmĀn of the Jews, Christians, Muslims or others? The 4

Reality of Piety

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5

answer is rather simple. The primordial religion was always Islam, the religion of Ibrahąm . Hence, we even refer to the Jews as Ummat-e-Muslima, as long as they were adherent to the teachings of Moses . Same goes for the Christians, as long as they adhered to the teachings of Jesus , they are considered Muslims. But it was they who divided themselves into distinct groups with their own peculiar faiths. As the QurāĀn testifies to this, Surely those who divide the religion into sects and identify themselves as a sect, (O Muhammad) you have nothing to do with them. Their case will be called to account by Allah Himself, He will inform them as to what they did. al-AnĂĀm: 159.

We consider all those who have believed in the TawĄąd of God and his commandments, what ever they may have been at that particular time as Muslims. Allah  never designated a group as Jews or Christians but they did it themselves because of turning away from the faith of Ibrahąm. Their refusal to accept the continuity of the Abrahamic faith primarily because of their egos and enmity lead them to deviate from the primordial faith of Islam which had found its last organizer in the shape of Muhammad . As the QurāĀn testifies, Ibrahąm was neither a Jew nor a Christian but he was a Muslim, true in faith. Ċle-ĂImrĀn: 67

Jews and Christians say: Be Jews or Christians, you shall then be rightly guided. “O Muhammad, say: “By no means! We follow the faith of Ibrahim, the upright one; and he was not one of the disbelievers. al-Baqarah: 135

I used to ask my Christian colleagues back in the United States; who is doing injustice to whom? We the Muslims, who believe in all divine books and faiths before us, including the

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Testaments (albeit in their un-adulterated versions), in Moses, David, Jonah, Jesus etc? As belief in all of the above is an integral part of Islam. So we have done our part while it is you who have refused to believe in the last and the final Prophet  for the same reason that those before you did, Many among the people of the book (Jews and Christians) wish they could somehow turn you back to unbelief; due to their selfish envy, after the truth has become quite clear to them. al-Baqarah: 109

Consider a simple example of a magnificent corporate run by a board of directors and a CEO. CEO’s are appointed for a fixed period and then replaced by new ones. The new CEO continues some of the policies of the previous one and brings in some new ones, as the changing times require that. Now, if a new CEO is appointed, can the employees simply refuse to recognize him and disobey his orders particularly when he is considered the best candidate with an impeccable record? Consider the Prophets as CEO’s of this magnificent corporate called earth and the last CEO was Muhammad  but those employees who refused to recognize him and follow his policies have done a grave injustice to themselves and the corporate. Without this ąmĀn in the last Prophet i.e. ShariĂat-eMuhammad , apparent good deeds will carry no weight on the Day of Judgment. It is extremely important to recognize that the acceptance of good deeds is tied to ąmĀn. That is why the QurāĀn repeatedly issues statements like, Those who disbelieve and obstruct Allah’s Way, He will render their deeds fruitless. Muhamad: 1

Just in sĈrat Muhmmad, this statement is repeated 5 times. One must ask which deeds is the QurāĀn referring to? The evil ones? Well, the issue of reward does not even come up with evil deeds, so it must be the perceived good deeds

Reality of Piety

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7

that will be rendered fruitless on the Day of Judgment because of lack of right ąmĀn. The same theme is reflected upon in slightly different way at another location in the QurāĀn, O Muhammad! Tell them: “Should we tell you the worst kind of losers relating to their deeds? Those whose all efforts in this worldly life had gone astray from the Right Way, but all along they were under the delusion that they were doing good deeds. al-Kahf: 103-104

Do not be fooled by this farce of ‘service for humanity’ as it will only be of benefit to those who are true to the ‘Abrahamic Faith’ otherwise it would bring in accolades and awards in this world and that is about it. 2. The deed must be done with only the sincerest desire to please Allah . There must not be any intention of personal gain, fame or desires. The QurāĀn says, O believers! Do not make your charity worthless by reminders of your generosity or by injury to the recipient’s feelings, like those who spend their wealth to be seen by people and believe neither in Allah nor in the Last Day. Their parable is like a hard barren rock covered with this layer of soil; a heavy rain falls, leaving it just a bare stone. Such people will not gain any reward that they thought they had earned. Allah does not guide the unbelievers. al-Baqarah: 264

What a beautiful example! The parable of spending wealth in this ĀyĀ suffices for all sort of human endeavors. 3. The third prerequisite for acceptance of good deeds is that they must conform with the Sunnah of the Prophet . The example of the external forms of our religious rituals and their negations by deviating from the Sunnah has been discussed in detail in my previous book.

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Nowadays, all the efforts that non-Muslims make fall into one of these three categories. They either do not have the right faith in God, or if they do, they do it for worldly gains and if not even that, they do not abide by the Sunnah of the Prophet . But Allah  has a Sunnah and that is hard work does not go unrewarded and so the luxuries and comforts of life seen in the West are the return of their ‘good deeds’ towards humanity. What happens on the Day of Judgment remains to be seen. The QurāĀn says, He, who desires the harvest of the hereafter, shall be given a many fold increase in his harvest; and he who desires the harvest of this world, a share of it shall be given to him: but in the hereafter he shall have no share at all. ash-ShĈra: 20

One must not be mislead by this seemingly extraordinary progress of the West, for the QurāĀn says, Let not the strutting about of the unbelievers through the land deceive you. Their enjoyment is brief. Their ultimate abode shall be Hell, an evil refuge. Ċle-ĂImrĀn: 196-197

Ibrahim bin Abd-ur-RahmĀn bin ĂAwf narrated that food was brought to Abdur-RahmĀn bin-ĂAwf at the time of breaking the fast and he said that MusĂab bin Umair was killed (in UĄud) and he was a better man than me and we could not find a suitable cloth to shroud him. When we covered is head, his feet showed and vice versa. And then Allah opened the bounties of the world to us and we are afraid that we may be rewarded in this world (and will have no part in the hereafter) and started crying and stopped eating.” (BukhĀrą) The QurāĀn repeatedly talks about ‘birr’ or piety in different shades. At one point it states,

Reality of Piety

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9

You shall not attain Al-birr (piety) unless you spend in the cause of Allah that which is most dear to you. Ċle-ĂImrĀn: 92

However the most extraordinary definition of piety is in sĈrat al-Baqarah, Piety is not only whether you turn your faces towards East or West; but piety is to believe in Allah, the Last day, the angels, the Books and the Prophets, and to spend wealth out of love for Him on relatives, orphans, helpless, needy travelers, those who ask for it and on the redemption of captives; and to establish ĆalĀt, to pay ZakĀt, to fulfill promises when made, to be steadfast in distress, in adversity, and at times of war. These people are the truthful and these are the pious. al-Baqarah: 177

So mush wisdom encompassed in such few words is a true miracle of the QurāĀn. Now if you want to have a scale on which to measure personal piety anywhere in the world, use this scale, it is as simple as that. One must pay attentions to the actual Arabic text of this ĀyĀ. It begins with ‘laesa–al-birr’ and the Arabic grammarian will tell you that in this form the meaning comes out to be, ‘not only’ and NOT ‘not.’ In other words the QurāĀn is recognizing that outward forms of rituals also have a place in piety (or ĂibĀda) but the real value lies elsewhere. This is in contrast to another location where the meaning is ‘not,’ It is not piety to enter your houses from the back doors during Hajj times. But piety is to fear Allah. al-Baqarah: 189

So if you want to judge people, judge them according to the standards of piety set by the QurāĀn, not by the charter of charity.

The čMĀMS

O

ne of the most disturbing realities witnessed in Pakistan in particular and in the subcontinent in general, is the serious, sharp, and often unpleasant divide on the bases of different MadhĀhib (schools of thought or jurisprudence). I am not referring to the truly dramatic divide between Sunni and ShiaĂ Islam, which has assumed a global perspective now, but the marginal (in reality) differences between the Sunni sub-schools, which have emerged as equally disturbing in terms of the enormity of their negative impact on Muslim unity. Unfortunately no one seems to be caring and doing anything concrete to halt this ever spreading gap between the followers of one Dąn. How this is effecting the youth is even more alarming and ominous. Young minds are being molded to harbor hate and intolerance. Minds that are naturally primed to accept the Ultimate Truth and nourish the Sacred Realm are not even willing to engage in any meaningful discussion. Religious seminaries adhere to their one sided view of Islam as if only theirs was the divine order of the day. For the sake of simplicity, lets us confine ourselves to the four dominant schools of thought, or fiqh in Islam: 1. MĀliką. Based on the teachings of MĀlik bin Anas-binMĀlik (93-179 AH). born and died in Medinah. 2. Hanafą. Based on the teachings of an-NauĂmĀn binThĀbit (80-150 AH). born in Kufa, Baghdad. 3. ShafiĂą. Based on the teachings of Muhammad-bin-Idrąs (150-204 AH). Born in Ghazza, Palestine.

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The čmĀms

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11

4. Hanbalą. Based on the teachings of Ahmad-bin-Hanbal (164-241 AH). Born in Baghdad, Iraq. Outwardly these four schools of Jurisprudence appear and often are, proclaimed as different ‘sects’ of Islam. This division has had a devastating effect on the unity of the Ummah and several corrections are in order: First of all, this belief must be accepted and deeply entrenched into the minds that the two inviolable sources for all true knowledge and wisdom are the QurāĀn and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad . The following must be reiterated over and over again, if we are ever to extricate ourselves from this sectarian divide, You have indeed, in the life of rasĈl-Allah (Muhammad  ) the ‘Best Model’ for him whose hope is in Allah and the day of the Hereafter, and who engages himself much in the remembrance of Allah. al-AĄzĀb: 21

The most critical aspect of this dilemma is finding some fundamental commonality and this is how the Prophet  approached the Christians and the Jews during the initial period of daĂwa, Say (O Muhammad ) “O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah (alone), and that we associate no partners with Him and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah. Ċle-ĂImrĀn: 64

For the followers of one faith, and yet divided on such narrow margins, it should not be that hard to come to a similar common ground. Those who are misled by these seemingly deep but superficial differences between the čmĀms need to study the methodology of deduction of all four čmĀms to find out that

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they almost literally followed the same sequence of deduction in the development of their individual schools of thought. What is really revealing is that most of those who call themselves hanafą or shafiĂą, and are up in arms in an instant, have no idea who Abu Hanąfa or ash-ShafiĂą was in reality. Try it yourself to find out if those who call themselves hanafi, or for that matter ShafiĂą, know the real name of Abu Hanąfa or ash-ShafiĂą. Odds are the answer will be in the negative. This is because these people have never understood who these great scholars were and what they stood for. If they were to read the life stories of these čmĀms, they would know that all of them relied on the same primary sources i.e. QurāĀn and Sunnah of the Prophet  for their individual perspectives and that all these scholars had incredible respect for each other. There are numerous authentic narrations that when some one approached čmĀms MĀlik with a question, and after hearing his response, informed him what Abu Hanąfa had said about the same issue, MĀlik accepted that and vice versa. This was how they respected each others opinion but, now here are their so called followers, who reserve the fiercest opposition to each other. Let us look at the basic foundation of the MĀliki School: firstly the basic source was undoubtedly the QurāĀn. However čmĀm MĀlik differentiated between the explicit texts (naĆ) and the apparent (dhĀhir) texts. Next came the Sunnah of the Prophet  and MĀlik was also a great muhadith. Following Sunnah was the consensus of the people of Medinah (something which for obvious reasons was not prominent in Abu-Hanąfa’s school of thought). Then came the statements of the Companions, analogy (qiyĀs), Discretion (istiĄsĀn), consideration of public interest (masĀliĄ mursala), the principle of blocking the means (saă aăarĂi) and finally the principle of common usage (adĀt) and custom (Ăurf). The school of Abu-Hanąfa was based, not surprisingly on the QurāĀn, the hadith, the fatawas of the Companions, the

The čmĀms

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consensus (ijmaĂ), analogy (qiyĀs), discretion (istiĄĀn), custom (Ăurf). The school of ash-ShafiĂą was based on QurāĀn [with some distinction of general (ĂĀm) and particular (khĀs) texts], Sunnah, consensus and analogy (qiyĀs), which he formulated more than the other čmĀms did. čmĀm ash-ShafiĂą followed the same chronology except that he did not consider discretion (istiĄsĀn) mandatory particularly if it was not based on the above sources. The school of Ahmad-bin-Hanbal deduced from the QurāĀn, the Sunnah, the fatawas of the Companions, consensus (ijmaĂ), analogy (qiyĀs), presumption of continuity (istisĄĀb), public interest (masĀliĄ mursala) and judgment of the means (aă ăarai) meaning that when the Lawgiver has obliged people to do something, anything which helps it to be achieved is desirable, and when He has forbidden people something, whatever leads to the occurrence of that prohibition is also unlawful. čmĀm Ahmad was a great muhadith like MĀlik and compiled Musnad-a-Ahmad, hence he gave less importance to analogy as compared to Abu-Hanąfa. One can see that there was no difference in the primary two sources for all the four čmĀms; they remained the inviolable QurāĀn and the Sunnah of the Prophet . Second, the rest of the deductive sciences they developed were used in variable preferences based on the geographic location and times and that was a true mercy. Abu Hanąfa did not have the luxury of having so many of the tĀbiĂąn (followers of the Companions) all around him, as did MĀlik, and so he had to rely more on analogy to resolve new issues which did not exist earlier. When people get confused about the different opinions of these čmĀms, they forget that Abu-Hanąfa and MĀlik lived hundreds of miles apart from each other at a time when communication was anything but timely. Narrations which were heard in Medinah took months or years to get to Kufa or in rare instances never got there. Under these

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circumstances if an čmĀm gave an opinion on the basis of his knowledge of a hadith and that opinion was contradictory to that of the other čmĀm. Let us not forget that hadith may never had reached the other čmĀm. Each individual decision was perfectly valid in light of the specific available knowledge. The Prophet  made this concept clear when he said that if the judge reaches a decision through sincere ijtihĀd (effort) and reaches the right decision, he gets double reward and if he reaches the wrong decision, he gets one reward. The Prophet  also said that, “The difference of opinion amongst the scholars of my Ummah is a Mercy from Allah.” A practical example of this can be seen in numerous routine affairs; if the logistics of travel do not allow one to stop for maghrib ĆalĀt, one can perform combined ĆalĀt which is approved by one of the čmĀms. If one misses or adds something to the obligatory ĆalĀt and then has to perform sajda-e-sahv (the corrective prostration), it can be done before the salĀm (according to one čmĀm) or after the salĀm (according to another čmĀm). Since sometimes people forget to do it before salĀm, this second option saves one’s worship from being spoiled – what a blessing! As Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah said so rightly that Allah  loved every act of his beloved Prophet  so much that He arranged for each one of them to be remembered and protected till the Day of Judgment. And this happened through the variable schools of thoughts of the čmĀms. The mĀlikis, based on an authentic narration, perform ĆalĀt with hands hanging by their sides and the others, based on equally authentic narrations, holding their hands on the chest or abdomen. As long as the practice is traced back to the Sunnah of the Prophet , it should be perfectly acceptable to all, even though out of personal preference, one might choose a different but an authentic version. The conflict occurs when people start proclaiming their version ‘right’ and other’s ‘wrong.’

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People ask, “Why do you have to follow any ąmĀm? This following of ąmĀms has lead to significant strife amongst the Muslims.” This statement is partially true primarily because of the widespread ignorance about the reality of these schools of thought. Schools of thoughts are not unique to Islam and equally common in other major religions i.e. Christianity, Judaism etc. As to the question why most Muslims follow an ąmĀm, consider this example. Why do you go to a cardiologist when you have a cardiac ailment? Why not just a general practitioner? Well, because a general practitioner’s knowledge is general and superficial, not specific and sophisticated enough. He does not know the intricacies of complex cardiovascular pathologies, something the cardiologist is precisely trained to do. One might think of an ąmĀm as a top notch cardiologist. One who knows the ins and outs of the ailments of the heart, and is well aware of all the existing research literature on the topic, and is able to independently formulate a diagnosis. That is what the čmĀms do. They are super specialists of the QurāĀn, hadith, Jurisprudence etc. Their knowledge extends beyond subject boundaries. They are perfectly suited for giving an informed decision to a host of complex issues that did not arise for the previous generations. This is something that most Muslims are not capable of doing and had it not been for the čmĀms, there would have been tremendous confusion amongst ordinary Muslims, hence the čmĀms really are a mercy to mankind. Who would be willing to dedicate their lives for understanding and propagating the Message of Allah  and His Messenger ? Most of us are too busy with our professions and life styles. But just as čmĀm MĀlik himself said, “The multitude who come after the Prophet , their statements can be accepted or rejected, only the statements of the Prophet  himself are inviolable.” Keeping this principle in perspective, the Ahle-

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Hadith are a group amongst Muslims who chose not to strictly follow any of the čmĀms and developed expertise for direct deduction from the QurāĀn and the Sunnah of the noble Prophet , and that too is in perfect harmony with the fundamental principles of Islamic faith. This does not mean that they do not follow teaching from previous generations. Infect, most Ahle-Hadith consider čmĀms Ahmad-bin Hanbal to be one of their preeminent čmĀms. The only time when people are frustrated or confused by this seeming disagreement amongst the schools of thoughts is when their initial perceptions are based on flawed ground; they forget that humans are not robots and that they have been created with a natural predisposition for choices, even blood brothers do not see eye to eye on one issue. People do not get worked-up when two specialists give exact opposing views about the treatment of the same disease in this age of super communication and technology. Often both opinions may be correct. It is personal experience that guides one to a different understanding. In reality, the more knowledge one gets, the more one is at peace with this seeming disagreement, and this is a sign of truly ‘grounded’ knowledge where it serves to broaden one’s horizons rather than to narrow mindedness. Abu Hamid alGhazĀli said that all true knowledge is, but a sign that one is guided. If the Prophet  described it as a Blessing from Allah , then let us at least make a sincere effort to see it as a Blessing. We may not completely comprehend it, and we are not expected to, but life would become much more comfortable than what it is at the present time. After all, the Prophet  said, “None of you shall be saved by his deeds.” A man said, “Not even you yourself, O Messenger of Allah?” He said, “Not even me myself, unless Allah envelopes me in mercy from Him. But aim to do right.” (Muslim) For most of us, the best way to understand contemporary religious matters is to look at it in the following format:

The čmĀms

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There are five major categories under which actions falls and one just needs to remember these: The fară (obligatory) The mustaĄib (the recommended) The mubĀĄ (neutral) The makrĈh (disliked) The ĄarĀm (forbidden) As one would expect from the complexities of time, the scholars have come up with fine subdivisions of these. And I would submit that if we, as Muslims were to focus on the first and the last i.e., the obligatory and the forbidden for the time being, the majority of the differences would disappear as almost all the scholars are unanimous on these two.

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PRACTICAL STEPS TOWARDS ATTAINING TAQWĀ

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efore one embarks on a journey, one must be certain about one’s destination. The preparations are linked to the distance, the weather, necessities for the journey etc. Leaving on a journey without this essential homework is akin to a well built and equipped ship without a rudder and so it is at the mercy of the winds, which might take it closer to its ultimate destination or drive it to a lost land. The same principles apply to the journey towards attaining true faith (ąmĀn) and taqwĀ. Just having the right intention is not enough. This is an arduous task and requires careful and meticulous planning, if one is to achieve it in this short span on earth. Before talking about the actual steps, let us clarify some fundamental terminologies which will be used frequently in this discussion: Islam, meaning ‘to be in sound condition,’ ‘to surrender/submit,’ ‘saved’, ‘peace.’ čmĀn, meaning ‘belief,’ ‘faith.’ These are both mutually inclusive terms. One may think of Islam as ‘general’ and ąmĀn as ‘specific.’ Just as all the rasĈls are by default, anbiyĀ, but not all anbiyĀ are rasĈls. Similarly, all moāmins are Muslims, but all Muslims are not necessarily moāmins. But why should one struggle to become a moāmin? Why is just being a Muslim not enough? The answer is simple; Will one be satisfied with a simple MBBS in this age of high tech medicine? 18

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No, almost everyone desires to excel in sub-specialties. It is the duty of all Muslims to strive to become moāmins and not be satisfied with just being plain Muslims. TaqwĀ, meaning ‘to protect oneself from the displeasure of Allah .’ Strive for taqwĀ to the best of your ability. at-TaghĀbun: 16

Believers! Have taqwĀ of Allah as is His Right and do not die except in the state of submission. Ċle-ĂImrĀn: 102

The QurāĀn spells out numerous prerequisites as well as the reality and benefits of taqwĀ.

Some Prerequisites of TaqwĀ: Devotional practice

The QurāĀn testifies that devotional practices like ĆalĀt, fasting, zakĀt (obligatory charity) are designed to attain taqwĀ, Humanity, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, in order for you to realize taqwĀ. al-Baqarah: 21

Believers! Fasting has been prescribed unto you as it was proscribed unto those before you so that you may attain taqwĀ. al-Baqarah: 183

Forgiveness

In order to attain taqwĀ, this is an extremely important quality: to forgive others, even if one has suffered because of their actions. And to forego (and give her the full maĄr) is nearer to taqwĀ al-Baqarah: 237

Let them pardon and forgive. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? an-NĈr: 22

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Justice

Even when it comes to one’s enemies, QurāĀn stresses on justice, as that fosters taqwĀ and not unmeasured recompense. Be just; that is nearer to taqwĀ. al-MĀida: 8

Honoring the Signs of Allah 

Reflecting on and showing the due respect for Signs (ĀyĀt) of Allah  both in ourselves as well as in the cosmos (both living and inanimate objects) is an indication of taqwĀ. Whosoever honors the Symbols of Allah, then it is surely an indication of the taqwĀ of hearts. al-Hajj: 32

Personal attributes

It is not possible to attain taqwĀ without the positive alterations needed in the personal attributes in ones life. The dress of taqwĀ is the better one. al-AĂrĀf: 26

Reality and Benefits of TaqwĀ: Following is a glimpse of the reality and benefits of taqwĀ: Foundation for life Is it then he who laid the foundation of his building on taqwĀ to Allah and His Good Pleasure better, or he who laid the foundation of his building on the brink of an undetermined precipice ready to crumble down, so that it crumbled to pieces with him into the Fire of Hell. at-Tawba: 109

Best of provision And take a provision for the (Hajj) journey, but the best provision is taqwĀ. al-Baqarah: 197

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The love of Allah  Yes whoever fulfills his pledge and have taqwĀ of Allah; verily, then Allah loves the muttaqĈn. Ċle-ĂImrĀn: 76

The divine assistance Have taqwĀ of Allah and know that Allah is with the Al-muttaqĈn. al-Baqarah: 194

Acceptance of offerings Verily, Allah accepts only from those who are AlmuttaqĈn. al-MĀāida: 27

Distinction between right and wrong Or shall we treat the muttaqĈn as the fujjĀr? (wicked, criminals). ĎĀd: 28

O you who believe! If you have the taqwĀ of Allah, He will grant you the FurqĀn (the ability to distinguish right from wrong). al-AnfĀl: 29

Success on the Day of Judgment Those who have the taqwĀ of Allah will be above them (the disbelievers) on the day of resurrection. al-Baqarah: 212

Promise of Paradise The description of the Paradise which the muttaqĈn (the ones with taqwĀ) have been promised. Muhammad: 15

The first step in this journey is to be clear about the definition of success and failure. If we can agree on these critical definitions, then it becomes relatively simple to formulate a plan to achieve these goals. For Muslims, success and failure is not the entity which is the currently held belief i.e. success and failure measured in

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purely worldly terms, but rather, the outcome on the Day of Judgment. The QurāĀn is quite clear about this distinction. It defines success as following, Who is averted from (such a torment) on that Day (of Resurrection), Allah has surely been Merciful to him. And that would be the obvious success. al-AnĂĀm: 16

It defines failure as following, Say that the losers are those who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Verily, that will be a manifest loss! az-Zumar: 15

This is perhaps the most arduous task for human psychology; to agree on one understanding, and it is a great Mercy of Allah  that He has given us Divine Guidance to come to a common understanding of these truly complex concepts. Once we are certain that the real goal is success on the Day of Judgment and safety from the Hellfire, let us now go about finding the best way to do this. As one reads through the QurāĀn, it becomes obvious that this path is the path of ąmĀn and the surest way to ąmĀn and resultant success on the Day of Resurrection is through taqwĀ. Both these entities serve as synergistic to one another in a positive cycle. So what remains now for us is to formulate a strategy to cultivate and strengthen taqwĀ and we shall get closer to our goal. For those with the sincerest intention, the QurāĀn makes a promise, As for those who strive in Our cause, We will surely guide them to Our Paths; rest assured that Allah is with the righteous. al-ĂAnkabĈt: 69

The practical steps to attain taqwĀ can be summarized as following:

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1. ĂIbĀdĀt (worship) First and foremost in worship is ĆalĀt (the daily five obligatory prayers). No amount of explanation can overestimate the importance of ĆalĀt in strengthening the ąmĀn and fostering taqwĀ. The QurāĀn uses an extremely important term to express the importance of ĆalĀt, Be vigilant about your prayers and particularly of the middle prayer. al-Baqarah: 238

The scholars have expressed different opinions about the middle prayer. Some like čmĀm MĀlik believe it to be the dawn (fajr) prayer, while others believe it to be the midday (Ăasr) prayer. But the real issue here is that if wealth was the most valuable commodity, as most believe, then the QurāĀn would have advised to guard it as well, but it chose ĆalĀt which reflects its true importance. The Prophet  said, “On the day of Judgment, ĆalĀt will be the first one, amongst the deeds of one, to be questioned.” (Tirmidhi) For men, it is imperative that they pray their obligatory ĆalĀt in congregation in the masjid. The scholars are in consensus that congregational ĆalĀt is highly recommended (sunnah mustaĄiba) if not obligatory (wĀjib) and one who is lenient about this matter will be reprimanded by Allah . One might not recognize it, but the reality is that stopping whatever one is doing and going for the congregational ĆalĀt is what establishment of ĆalĀt is all about, and indeed is a potent booster for taqwĀ and helps to tame the nafs. After all, QurāĀn talks about establishment and not merely praying the ĆalĀt. One must be cognizant of the two, not so uncommon, mistakes that can occur in the beginning of this exercise, which becomes even more relevant nowadays because of the general derision towards faith and religion: first mistake is

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the overzealous involvement in the supererogatory prayers and the resultant intermittent neglect of even the obligatory ones. It is imperative that one is careful about this and to remember that obligatory ĆalĀt is like the minimum passing marks in an exam. If one does not even achieve that, then one fails in that exam – the question of bonus points does not even arise. So the first step is to be absolutely certain that the obligatory is not missed at any cost and then begin to add-on the additional ones. The second mistake, ironically, is to belittle the nawĀfil (supererogatory prayer). The solution is also twofold; one should set a lower and more reasonable limit and never miss that margin. So it is important to go slow in this process and allow time for one practice to be deeply embedded in life before increasing, as that carries the danger of neglecting even the routine worship. Islam does recognize the physiological limits of certain people, for instance their inability to wake up for tahajjud ĆalĀt. Second, it has always been a defining quality of Prophets and scholars to engage in late-night nawĀfil ĆalĀt (tahajjud). And one must strive to follow this path. The Prophet  said, “There is a time in night during which if a Muslim man asks Allah for any good of this world or the Hereafter, it is answered by Allah and this time occurs in every night.” (Muslim) In addition to the routine supererogatory ĆalĀt, it was also the practice of the Prophet  to pray two rakaĂ ĆalĀt when ever he was perturbed. (Abu-DĀwĈd) Time management

A common mistake is to rush through the ĆalĀt and get back to worldly affairs as soon as possible. One of the inevitable results of the rapid and maddening pace of our technology driven life style is the crunch on personal time and sadly, this crunch always falls on the ĆalĀt time. Sunnah/nawĀfil ĆalĀt are the initial victim of this, followed in

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some cases by even the fară (obligatory) ĆalĀt. Things progress from, “We will pray later” to “We will pray qaăĀ” to “We have only missed one.” This is a serious matter and does injustice to the whole concept of ĆalĀt, which in reality is the gravest injustice to one’s self. One must make a concerted effort to set aside the time for each ĆalĀt and be prepared for it. It does not take too much time but what it does take, is consciousness of the approaching ĆalĀt. Every possible efforts must be made to finish ones work a few minutes before the ĆalĀt time and head to it with dignity and patience. In social and family gatherings, it is not unusual for people to keep lounging even when the adhĀn is called. It is almost as if everyone is ashamed to be the first one to stand. One must make a point of pausing the conversation and reminding everyone that it is time for ĆalĀt and to encourage every one to pray in congregation. ĂAyesha, may Allah be pleased with her, reported that the Prophet  would be sitting with the family in routine conversation and as soon as he would hear the adhĀn, his facial expressions would change, as if he did not recognize them and he would begin to prepare for the ĆalĀt. Understanding

The first step in internalizing the entire concept of ĆalĀt is to understand one’s offerings – what one is saying in one’s prayer. This is where the overwhelming majority of Muslims falter. They go through their entire ĆalĀt as automatons without recognition of the gravity of the words spoken. The scholars say that one must attempt to have a moment of conscious submission and humility in the ĆalĀt in order for it to be accepted by Allah . This perspective is highlighted by the following verse of the QurāĀn, O Believers! Approach not ĆalĀt when you are in a drunken state until you know (the meaning) of what you utter. an-NisĀ: 43

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For clarification, this ĀyĀ was revealed in the early years of Islam when complete prohibition of wine, which occurred latter in Medinah, had not occurred. Nevertheless, it establishes the concept of understanding ones offering as a pivotal factor in its acceptance. However this understanding can only occur when one makes a sincere effort to learn Arabic. One does not have to become an expert in the QurāĀnic grammar, but the fact is that because of the repetitive nature of terms used in the QurāĀn, it is not that difficult to develop a minimum vocabulary which would begin to serve one’s purpose. Posture

A frequent error is poorly performed physical gestures of the ĆalĀt. One just has to observe the people performing their ĆalĀt in masĀjid and one notice’s that they go through the ĆalĀt as if they are in a run for just ‘filling in the gaps,’ or just trying to somehow ‘get through it.’ Sadly, some čmĀms also make this critical error as they lead the ĆalĀt. Shaykh HamzĀ quoted Ibn-ĂAtĀ-illĀ, the famous scholar, that people take so much time to buy items at the green grocer with touching, feeling and smelling individual fruits, but when they pray, they do it like the pecking of the chicken. While the fruit they spend so much time buying, is headed towards the toilet, and the prayer is for ever. Remember the famous hadith of the Prophet  when a Companion came to the masjid and after saying his ĆalĀt came to the Prophet  and greeted him and the Prophet  told him to go and say his ĆalĀt again – this happened 3 times and finally on his questioning, the Prophet  explained to him in detail how he should have performed each and every step of the ĆalĀt with patience and dignity. In addition, the Prophet  explained clearly that the one who does not straighten his back completely between the rukĈĂ and sujĈd, Allah  does not even look at his offering. (Ahmad)

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He  also warned people about looking around during the ĆalĀt; “People should refrain from looking around and above when they are in ĆalĀt otherwise Allah would snatch their eyesights from them”. (Muslim) A candid observation into the state of the ĆalĀt of most Muslims is enough to explain why lives are not being transformed and why society is not witnessing the extraordinary benefits of this critical ĂibĀda.

2. Dhikr and DuĂĀ It is quite common for most people to consider what is recited in the ĆalĀt as adequate dhikr and to rush back to work after the prayer ends. One must remember the saying of the QurāĀn, Then when the prayer has ended, you may disperse through the land and seek the Bounty of Allah and remember Allah much; that you may be successful. al-JumĈĂa: 10

The importance of dhikr is exemplified by this Hadith-eQudsi: The Prophet  said, Allah said, “I am what My servant thinks of Me and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me in his heart, I remember him in My heart, if he remembers Me in a group, I remember him in a better group (i.e. angels). If he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by a cubit. If he draws near Me by a cubit, I draw near him by the space covered by two hands. If he walks towards Me, I go to him running.” (BukhĀrą & Muslim) One only has to look at the example of the Prophet  regarding his actions at the end of the ĆalĀt. One can easily find small hand books in the market that list the routine dhikr of the Prophet  after each obligatory ĆalĀt as well the authentic invocations that he made after each ĆalĀt. But a few deserve special mention. For example,

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reciting SubĄĀn-AllĀh and AlĄamdulillĀh 33 times and AllĀhuAkbar 33 or 34 times, reciting Āyat-ul-kursą after every obligatory ĆalĀt. Reciting the last two verses of sĈrĀt al-BaqarĀh before going to bed every night. The Prophet said that these two ĀyĀt are from the treasures below the ĂArsh of Allah . Recitation of specific sĈrĀs of the QurāĀn based on the Prophet’s practice i.e. sĈrĀt Kahf on every Friday, sĈrĀt Mulk, WĀqiya every night etc. In addition, the ahadith make a distinction for the fajr and maghrib ĆalĀt which have additional specific adhkĀr (like durĈd 10 times, SubĄanAllahe-wabiĄamdihe 100 times etc.) and invocations. An extremely important point is to make a habit of specific dhikr and duĂĀ every day and never let that go. Reserve time for it and if one cannot get to it at the specified time, make all possible efforts to do it later, but never let a day go without some form of dhikr. The QurāĀn praises this special character of the believers, There sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope. as-Sajda: 16

The Prophet  said, “DuĂĀ is worship.” (Tirmidhi) One must never underestimate the importance of dhikr and duĂĀ after each obligatory ĆalĀt. Unfortunately, even when people do perform these adhkĀr and duĂas, they do it after Sunnah and nawĀfil ĆalĀt and not after the fară (obligatory) ĆalĀt which was the practice of the Prophet . He  said, “Perform your ĆalĀt as you see me perform mine.” He  did not forbid dhikr and duĂa after supererogatory ĆalĀt but the above mentioned specific ones were performed after fară ĆalĀt and that is what we need to follow. Dhikr and duĂa after ĆalĀt serve to cement the bond one has just reaffirmed with Allah . An excellent strategy is to start by memorizing the duĂĀs that have been mentioned in the QurāĀn itself. These duĂĀs have been attributed to famous

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Prophets at different points in time and hence are an excellent compilation of millennial wisdom. If we look around, we see that most of us engage fervently in dhikr and duĂa only when afflictions surround us. Once the hard times have passed, we fall into spiritual lassitude. Let us not forget that the Prophet  said, “If one desires for Allah to answer supplication during times of distress and difficulty, then one should supplicate Allah frequently during prosperity.” (Tirmidhi) What is the best time for dhikr and duĂĀ (particularly for those who cannot get up at tahajjud time)? It is the time after fajr ĆalĀt, not only because of its blessed nature but also because one’s mind is fresh without the fatigue of the day’s work. However, if one finds it difficult to utilize this time, then the next best time would be between Ăasr and maghrib. One should also make the best use of the best days of the year for strengthening ąmĀn and taqwĀ. These are the month of RamaăĀn and the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah. Think of RamaăĀn as a crash course in taqwĀ, and the Prophet  told us that the best days of the year in the sight of Allah  are the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah. The fast on the day of ĂArĀfĀt is reported by the Prophet  to be the expiation of the sins of the previous and the coming year. Similarly fasting 6 days in ShawĀl and the fast of 9th and 10th of MuĄarram are also immensely rewarding. Perhaps the most important and often overlooked aspect of RamaăĀn is not to forget the lessons learned in those blessed days and as a result, return to the previous life style thereby losing all the ĄassanĀt. The practical application of supplications and supererogatory acts can be measured by this hadith of the Prophet  where he said, “Allah says, “… My slave draws closer to me by nawĀfil (supererogatory acts) until I love him and when I love him, I become the hearing with which he hears and the sight with which he sees, the hand with which he holds and his feet with which he walks and if he asks

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something of Me, I grant it and if he asks My Protection, I grant it to him.” (BukhĀrą) Some people have misunderstood this hadith to confer divine attributes to humans. What this hadith actually means is that by engaging in additional dhikr and duĂĀ, Allah  grants one, the state, where every organ performs acts that only serve to bring one closer to Allah  and avoid His displeasure.

3. Knowledge building It is extremely important for one to have sound knowledge of faith and one way of doing that is to ‘ground’ one’s knowledge. This can be done by studying authentic explanatory texts, both of the QurāĀn and the hadith. One should select a good short tafsąr (an excellent one is Taisąr-alQurāĀn by Abdul Rahman Kilani) and make a plan to finish it at least once a year (the additional one will be in RamaăĀn). And an easy way to start is to make sure that one has a copy of the tafsąr on one’s bedside table, so that if one could not get to it during the day, before going to bed, one must at least read a few lines. Similarly, without reading a good book of the Sunnah and the ahadith of the Prophet , one cannot strengthen ąmĀn. The best way is to select authentic small books, for e.g. ‘The Forty Hadith’ and ‘The Garden of the Righteous’ (by čmĀm an-Nawawą). For SąrĀ/Sunnah, ‘Muhammad’ by Martin lings or ‘Al-Raheeq al-Makhtoom’ by Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri. It is these two fonts i.e. the QurāĀn and the Sunnah of the Prophet  which are the sources of all beneficial knowledge and it is imperative to maintain a close and constant bond with them. Since fiqh or jurisprudence is intertwined with so many of our daily affairs, it is important to have a good understanding of basic fiqh. A good book is ‘Fiqh-as-Sunnah’ by Muhammad Asim Haddad.

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However, a catastrophic outcome can occur for some as they gain knowledge, and that is the beginning of pride and ostentation. One starts to believe that the knowledge is only an expected result of one’s efforts and not entirely a Mercy of Allah , while the true sign of a well grounded knowledge is the inevitable humility and tolerance that it brings. Notice the words of Dhul-Qarnain in sĈrĀt Kahf after he had accomplished an incredible feat of constructing a wall of iron and copper, based on his advanced knowledge, to shield from Gog and Magog, This is a Mercy from my Lord, but when the Promise of my Lord comes, He shall level it down to the ground. al-Kahf: 98

He attributed the feat and its subsequent stability, only to the Mercy of Allah  and not to his personal talent. Envision the Prophet  entering Makkah, victoriously as the head of a 10,000 strong Muslim army and yet his head touched the hump of his camel in utter humility. That is the true sign of illuminating knowledge.

4. Collective affairs One must be conscious of one’s role as a moāmin in the society. A moāmin is a mubaligh (caller towards truth) 24 hrs a day, not just during RamaăĀn. How he dresses, walks, talks, drives his car (and parks it), conducts his business, relates to others – one must always remember that we are all the ambassadors of the noble Prophet . The QurāĀn says, You are the best of communities brought forth for mankind. Ċle-ĂImrĀn: 110

Let’s be cognizant of this honor at all times. One must strive hard to guard all the senses because it is through the senses that one takes in a lot of unwanted stimuli and if the world around us has suffered the worst kind of

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moral and religious decline, then one has to rely on one’s internal personal guard of the senses. One must guard one’s eyes and not look at that which is prohibited even if it is being presented, as is the case now-a-days with rampant sensuous electronic and print media advertisements. One of the most important aspects of ĄijĀb is to lower the gaze. The QurāĀn says, Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their modesty… and tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their modesty. an-NĈr: 30-31

One cannot continue to engage in wrongful imagery and then expect taqwĀ to increase. Both acts negate each other. One should guard one’s ears. The QurāĀn says, Surely the hearing, the sight, and the heart, all of those, man is responsible for. al-IsrĀā: 36

One of the distinctions of the believers is that they do not listen to vain talk. When they hear empty talk, they turn away from it. al-Qasas: 55

It is a common practice for people to just sit around idly in those gatherings in which either no positive, productive discussion takes place, or slander, backbiting and mockery are the defining moments and it is considered ‘impolite’ to even leave. Islam demands that the believers actually should try to stop these undesirable practices by wise admonition, if unsuccessful then in the least, leave. People tend to forget that the stomach also falls in the category of things that need to be guarded. One look at how people eat at wedding ceremonies is enough display of this sad reality. It was a defining quality of the Prophet  and his Companions as well as that of the later scholars not to indulge in overeating, even when food was plenty. A full

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stomach all the time tends to inspire negative thoughts and an empty one stimulates the supplication of Allah . One must try to remain in wudĈ (ablution) as much as possible even between the obligatory ĆalĀt. The Prophet  said that when one performs wudĈ, one’s sins wash off as dry leaves fall off a tree. Staying in wudĈ brings tremendous baraka (blessings) in one’s daily affairs and is a practice of the righteous. čmĀm BukhĀrą wrote every single hadith in SaĄąĄal-BukhĀrą in a state of purity. If one expects his supplications to be answered by Allah , the prerequisite for that is ĄalĀl income. We live in a time now when all distinction between ĄalĀl and ĄarĀm is vanishing rapidly. The Prophet  said, “Allah the Almighty is good and accepts only that which is good. Then he  mentioned (the case) of a man who, having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty, and who spreads out his hands to the sky saying “O Lord! O Lord!” While his food is ĄarĀm, his drink is ĄarĀm, his clothing is ĄarĀm, and he has been nourished with ĄarĀm, so how can (his supplications) be answered?” (Muslim) If one looks at the root cause of so many of our ills, one would reach a conclusion that most often the underlying emotion is love and priority of family. While Islam holds family in high esteem, one must not forget that the defining quality of the believers in the QurāĀn is that their love for Allah  is always paramount, overshadowing all other human devotions, There are some who worship other deities besides Allah, they love them as they should Allah, whereas the believers are overflowing in their love for Allah. al-Baqarah: 165

One must spend in the Way of Allah , what ever one can offer. It is not the quantity but the quality that matters. A single date given in charity with the purest intention can bring unimaginable rewards on the Day of Judgment and

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mountains of gold spend with the wrong intention will reapin only sorrow and wretchedness, O Believers! Do not render in vain your sadaqĀt (charity) by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men and he does not believe in Allah, or in the Last Day. His likeness is the likeness of a smooth rock on which is a little dust; on it falls heavy rain which leaves it bare. They are not able to do anything with what they have earned. al-Baqarah: 264

Finally, one must always remember that despite our best efforts, it is the Mercy and Blessing of Allah  which brings fruit to our toils and so we humbly beg Allah  to show us the right path and the patience and perseverance to be steadfast on it. Just as the QurāĀn says, O Rabb! Surely I am in desperate need of whatever good that You may send down to me. al-Qassas: 24

Ċmąn.

PARABLES IN THE QURāĀN

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arables or similes help to explain/clarify important concepts. The QurāĀn is full of very illuminating parables, Those who do not believe in the Hereafter set an evil example, while Allah applies the highest example, for He is the Mighty, the Wise. YĈnus: 60

And We have explained to man in this QurāĀn every kind of similitude. al-IsrĀā: 89

Truth and Falsehood

1. Their example is that of a man who kindled a fire; when it illuminated all around him, Allah took away the light and left them in utter darkness. al-Baqarah: 17 2. The parable of those who reject faith is like the cattle which, call unto them as one may, hear nothing but a shout and a cry since they are unable to understand; they are deaf, dumb and blind, and understand nothing. alBaqarah: 171 3. The example of these two kinds of people is like two men, one of whom is blind and deaf, and the other who can see and hear. Are they equal when compared? Will you not then learn a lesson from this example? HĈd: 24 4. The parables of the deeds of those who deny their Rabb is that their deeds are like ashes which the wind scatters on a stormy day; they will gain nothing from their deeds. IbrĀhąm: 18

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5. Do you not see how Allah gave the example of comparing a good word with a good tree, whose roots are firm and its branches are in the sky. Giving its fruit in every season by Allah’s permission. Allah cites these examples for men so that they may learn a lesson from them. But the example of an evil word is that of an evil tree, which is torn out from the earth and has no stability. With firm words, Allah makes the believers steadfast in the life of this world and in the Hereafter. IbrĀhąm: 27 6. O Mankind! Here is an example for your understanding, so listen to it carefully. Those deities, whom you call besides Allah, cannot create a single fly, even if they all combined their forces, rather, if a fly snatches anything from them they cannot even get it back; how feeble are those who petition and those whom they petition. al-Hajj: 73 7. The parable of those who take protectors other than Allah is that of a spider who builds for itself a dwelling, and surely the weakest of all dwellings is the dwelling of a spider, if they but knew it. al-ĂAnkabĈt: 41 8. We give you an example from your own lives. Do you let your slaves be equal partners in your wealth which We have given you? Do you fear them as you fear each other? Thus do We spell out Our revelations for those who use their common sense. ar-RĈm: 28 9. Allah has set an example to the unbelievers in the wife of NĈĄ and the wife of LĈć. They were married to two of Our righteous servants, but they betrayed them. In no way could their husbands protect them from Allah. Both of them were told: “Enter the Fire, along with those who enter. at-TaĄrąm: 10 10. And for the believers Allah set an example in the wife of FirĂon, who said: “My Rabb! Build for me a house as a special favor from You in Paradise, deliver me from FirĂon and his misdeeds, and save me from the wicked nation. at-TaĄrąm: 11

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Requisites for Paradise

Do you think you will enter Paradise without any trials while you have known the examples of those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with suffering and adversity and were so violently shaken up that even the rasĈl and the believers with him cried out: When will Allah’s help come?” Then they were comforted with the words, Beware! Allah’s help is ever close. al-Baqarah: 214 Spending in the Way of Allah 

1. The parable of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is that of a grain which sprouts into seven ears, each ear bearing one hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He wishes. Allah has boundless knowledge. al-Baqarah: 261 2. The example of those who spend their wealth to seek the pleasure of Allah and to strengthen their souls is like a garden on a high and fertile ground: when heavy rain falls on it, it yields up twice its normal produce; and if no rain falls, light moisture is sufficient. al-Baqarah: 265 3. O Believers! Do not make your charity worthless by reminders of your generosity or by injury to the recipient’s feeling, like those who spend their wealth to be seen by people and believe neither in Allah nor in the Last Day. Their parable is like a hard barren rock covered a thin layer of soil; a heavy rain falls, leaving it just a bare stone. Such people will not gain any reward that they thought they had earned. Allah does not guide the unbelievers. al-Baqarah: 264 4. What they spend in this life may be compared to a freezing wind which strikes and destroys the tillage of people who have wronged themselves (it is the lack of faith which makes their reward null and void). Allah is not unjust to them; it is they who have done injustice to their own souls. Ċle-ĂImrĀn: 117

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Example of ĂIsa and Ċdam

Verily, in the sight of Allah, the nature of Jesus is as the nature of Adam, whom He created out of dust and then said unto him, “Be” and he is. Ċle-ĂImrĀn: 59 Denying the Truth

1. Tell them the story of that person to whom We sent our revelations but he turned away from them, as a result shaitan persuaded him until he became one of the misguided. Had it been our Will, We would have exalted him through those revelations; but he clung to his earthly life and followed his own desires. His similitude is that of a dog: if you chase him he lolls out his tongue and if you leave him alone he stills lolls out his tongue. al-ĂArĀf: 176 2. Their parable is like the shaitan who says to man, “disbelieve,” but when man becomes a disbeliever, he says: “I have nothing to do with you; I fear Allah, the Rabb of the worlds. al-Čashr: 16 3. The example of those who were charged with the Torah, but failed to carry out their obligations, is that of a donkey who is carrying books (and cannot benefit from what is in those books). Bad is the example of those who deny the revelations of Allah. al JumuĂa: 5 Reality of Earthly Life

1. The example of this worldly life is like the water which We have sent down from the sky; it mingles with the soil and produces vegetation which becomes food for men and animals. Then, at the very time when the crops are ripened and the land looks attractive, the people to whom it belongs think that they are able to cultivate it, and there comes our scourge upon it, by night or in broad day, and We mow it down thoroughly as if nothing existed there yesterday! Thus do We spell out Our signs for those who are thoughtful. YĈnus: 24 2. O Prophet! Give them the similitude of the life of this world. It is like the vegetation of this earth that flourished

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with the rain from the sky, but afterwards the same vegetation turns into dry stubble which is blown away by the wind. al-Kahf: 45 3. You should know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, a show and boasting among yourselves, a quest for greater riches and more children. Its similitude is that of vegetation that flourishes after rain: the growth of which delights the tillers, then it withers and you see it turn yellow, soon it become dry and crumbles away. In the Hereafter, there will be either severe punishment or forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure. The life of this world is nothing but an illusion. al-Čadąd: 20 Parable of Paradise

As for the paradise which the righteous have been promised, it is like this: rivers flow beneath it; eternal are its fruits, and eternal are its shades; such is the reward of the righteous. But the reward of the unbelievers is the Fire. arRĂad: 35 Being Ungrateful

Allah gives you an example of a town which was enjoying security and peace, receiving its provisions in abundance from every quarter, but it became ungrateful to the favors of Allah. As a result, Allah made its residents taste the consequences of their doings, through inflicting upon them misfortunes of hunger and fear. an-NaĄl: 112 Path of Ease and Hardship

So for him who gives in charity, have taqwĀ of Allah and testifies to goodness, We shall facilitate for him the easy way. As for him who is stingy and considers himself independent of Allah and rejects the goodness, We shall facilitate for him the hard way. al-Lail: 5-11

ISLAM AND DEMOCRACY “The Capitalist system is built on the least commendable features of the human psyche: Greed and Envy, rather than the best.” Utah Phillips (1935-2008)

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he twentieth century has become a flash point for the clash between ‘secular’ and ‘religious’ forces. The thrust for ‘global democracy’ is at its peak. Is it not ironic that the same West which colonized essentially the entire Muslim land between the 18th and 19th centuries, now wants to re-colonize us by enforcing its blend of democracy over the Muslim Ummah. Several corrections are in order. First, let us define secularity. It has become a cliché, something that has provided a common ground to all those who wish to expel God from human affairs to establish a kingdom of man on this earth, instead of the kingdom of God. Most people equate secularity with separation of church and state which in turn is identified with ‘progress,’ as opposed to religion which is simply outdated and unconformable with effective governance. The sad reality is that most of the Muslim intelligentsia now holds the same view, even though in Islam, the concept of separation of state and religion was never an issue. This was brought to the foreground in the 16-17th century by the Christians. Although, even this prevalent thought in the West is flawed. Why did secularism rise in the West? It appears that over the course of time the West lost all confidence in faith as a guiding principle for life. The only option left for humans was to take matters into their own hands. By expelling God

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from life, they were free to choose as they please. For them the only guiding principle now being ‘national interest.’ What ever fulfilled the national interest was acceptable. This secular ideology has prospered under the garb of modern democracy. Muhammad Asad wrote so poignantly, “No nation or community can know happiness unless and until it is truly united from within; and no nation or community can be truly united from within unless it achieves a large degree of unanimity as to what is right and what is wrong in the affairs of men; and no such unanimity is possible unless the nation or community agrees on a moral obligation arising from permanent, absolute moral law. Obviously, it is religion alone that can provide such a law and, with it, the basis for an agreement, within any one group or a moral obligation binding on all members of that group.” Why is there so much contention about democracy? What is the difference between Islamic ShĈra and the current version of Western democracy thrust on us? Make no mistake, democracy as it relates to us now in its present form, carries a deep and profound meaning and is not a generalized terminology that can be molded into any desirable form. This form of democracy insists, as everyone knows, ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people.’ It relies on a simple paradigm; majority. What ever the majority considers right becomes the norm and eventually, the law. So if the people of Nevada decide that gambling is beneficial for their state, they simply put it into a law based on majority vote. They are not concerned with the divine ordainment regarding its non-permissibility in divine books. The states of Massachusetts and California decide to allow same sex marriages even though the Torah, the Bible and the QurāĀn are explicit about the stories of Sodom and Gomorrah, but again it comes under the patronage of simple majority. We can go on and on about the things declared prohibited by The Law Giver that were converted to

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permissible by this simple majority. Had this version of democracy been the deciding factor in Makkah, Abu-Jahl and the Quraysh would have certainly won. If one looks at the QurāĀnic position on this concept of simple majority, one comes across completely opposite conclusion. The QurāĀn categorically rejects the current concept of ‘the majority being necessarily right.’ It says, Indeed, most of the people are (transgressors) fĀsiqĈn. al- MĀida: 49

At another location, it says, If you obey (other than the Prophet, then you should know that) most of the people on earth, they will lead you away from the way of Allah, for they follow nothing but guesswork and preach nothing but falsehood. al-AnĂĀm: 116

Consider this example: The QurāĀn says that the punishment for murder is life for life (qisĀs) or blood money (diyat) (al-Baqarah: 178) and that of stealing is to cut-off the hand (al-MĀida: 38). Yet people, on the premise of democracy, decided to give ‘life imprisonment’ to the murderer and variable jail terms to the thief. This is what democracy convinces them to do? So blatantly violate the commands of Allah ? This is the biggest shirk of the new world order. There are no idols any more, except in our neighborhood. The most glaring parable of idolatry now is the transfer of all authority to man. Now let’s turn to ‘Islamic democracy or ShĈra.’ First of all, Islam was always a ‘democratic’ religion. Even when the Prophet  was alive, he always sought advice from his companions on important matters i.e., the battle of Badr, UĄud, Khandaq, and so on. On the advice of his companions, he changed the location of his camp at Badr. On their

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majority counsel, he decided to come out to meet the Quraysh on UĄud. He did not need to do any of that. His words, simply because of divine approval behind them, were enough for obedience. But he  wanted to set an example for ‘shĈra’ (counsel) as stated by the QurāĀn, And their affairs are decided by joint counsel. ash-ShĈra: 38

But no where in the history of Islam was democracy anything similar to the current blend of democracy. Never was every single Muslim involved in the decisions of the affairs of the state. Who were involved in those affairs and how were they selected? Suffice to say that it was natural selection. They were those who had proven their unwavering character through their personal and material sacrifices. Their knowledge about the source of Law i.e. the QurāĀn and the Sunnah of the Messenger  was beyond reproach. It was natural that they arose to the occasion. It was their opinion which mattered, not that of all ordinary Muslims in Medinah. Consider this: if you need advice in a personal matter of great importance, do you just go out and start a random survey from every one you come across? No. You seek advice only from those whose advice matters, those who have a certain standing in society, and those who you are sure will give you sound and sincere counsel based on their broad understanding of the matter at hand. If one is setting up the standards for certification of cardiac surgeons, will one ask the advice of butchers, simply because they also cut meat? It makes no sense. Only those who have the right expertise are invited to set up the standards to which others will be held to. So how is it that when it comes to matters of enduring national importance, the opinion of all citizens is not only sought but that becomes the deciding factor?

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In Islam, power was never meant to be for the people. Power always belonged to Allah  and humans were meant to administer their affairs while remaining within the boundaries of God and His Messenger . So, (O Muhammad) pronounce judgment among them according to the law which Allah has revealed and do not follow their vain desires. al-MĀida: 49

No one has the authority of passing judgment except Allah. al-AnĂĀm: 57

This statement and concept was not meant for a particular time or a particular nation. Just as most statements of the QurāĀn are applicable to all nations and at all times. Now, O People! We have sent down to you a book (QurāĀn) which deals with matters concerning yourselves; why don’t you understand? al-AnbiyĀ: 10

One only needs to look around Muslim societies to see the enormous moral and religious decay of not only the masses, but the so called intelligentsia, to decide if these people can be expected to give sound judgment for running the affairs of the country? Vote is shahĀdah, a witness – A sacred matter. One, who is not even aware of the enormity of shahĀdah, is expected to use it judicially? The QurāĀn also makes it amply clear that individual stations are different, Is the one who is a believer similar to a wrong doer? as-Sajda: 18

Are those who have knowledge, and those who don’t, alike? az-ZĈmar: 9

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Are those who are blind, similar to the sighted ones? ar-RaĂd: 16

Say that impure and wholesome are not alike, though you may be impressed by the multitude of impure. al-MĀida: 100

In all these ĀyĀt, the distinction between blind and sighted, knowledgeable and ignorant does not have anything to do with degrees, diplomas, ranks etc., but rather the understanding of divine revelation and consciousness of Allah  Surely the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is he who is the most righteous. al-HujurĀt: 13

The most critical issue in matters of state is when difference of opinion occurs. Governments around the globe have devised different strategies, strictly on the basis of human intellect, for solving this problem. The most disgusting example of this strategy is the United Nations and it’s so called Security Counsel which settles matters of colossal global importance by an apparent majority vote of a few select economic and military power houses of the world. But if one studies the QurāĀn, an entirely unique perspective emerges, Whatever the subject of your dispute is, its judgment belongs to Allah. ash-ShĈra: 10

O Believers! Obey Allah, obey the RasĈl and those charged with authority among you. Should you have a dispute in anything, refer it to Allah and His RasĈl, if you truly believe in Allah and the Last Day. This course of action will be better and more suitable. an-NisĀ: 59

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In one ĀyĀ, Allah  has provided the solution to all conflicts, albeit for only those who believe in the Prophethood of Muhammad  and the sanctity of the Message he brought. ‘Those charged with authority’ are parents, rulers, scholars etc. In other words, there can be difference of opinion with any one of these, but there is no room for difference of opinion with Allah  and His messenger . Now the solution, presented by Allah  Himself to any human conflict, is that it be judged according to the principles laid down in the QurāĀn and the Sunnah . But if the rulers and decision makers themselves are ignorant of the message of the QurāĀn and the life of the noble Prophet , then what solution can one expect from them? Whatever they come up with, will surely not be ‘the better and more suitable course.’ However, in Western democracy all goes; everyone joins in on decision making, irrespective of their inadequate understanding and flawed beliefs – this is western democracy. Even more important, quest for power is not only disliked in Islam, but emphatically prohibited by the Prophet . There are numerous authentic ahadith that confirm this. The following two should suffice to make this prohibition amply clear: Abdur-RahmĀn bin Samra narrated that the Prophet  said, “O Abdur-RahmĀn bin Samra: do not desire for leadership or governance. If you get it on desire, than all its responsibility will be on you, and if you get it without desire, than Allah will help you in (discharging its duties) it. (Muslim) Narrated Abu MĈsa that I and two of my cousins came to the Prophet . One of them said to him, “O Allah’s apostle, make us rulers of some of the land over which Allah has made you in charge.” The other one said a similar thing. The Prophet  said, “By Allah! We do not give this office (of governance) to those who ask for it or desire it.” (BukhĀrą) I submit that those who covet public offices are in reality, the most unfortunate ones, except the extremely rare ones

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who do it with Ăadl (justice) and there seem to be none of them around anymore. If these people had even the slightest idea about the enormity of the responsibility they will be held accountable to, on the Day of Judgment, they would not ‘run for office’ but rather ‘flee’ from it. The very fact that they are seeking it shows that they have no comprehension about the severity of its accountability. The QurāĀn says, He is the One who has made you the inheritors of the earth and raised some of you in ranks over others so that He may test you in what He has given you. Surely your Lord is swift in retribution. al-AnĂĀm: 165

Now we come to the other part of the equation of Western democracy; the opposition. Can someone explain to me what does that mean? Sitting together on the opposite sides of a table and having tea and cake in a friendly atmosphere? Generally the moment you say you are the opposition, your paths have differed. It does not matter what the state is doing, you are going to oppose it, after all that’s why it is called the opposition. Certainly there is no such thing in Islam. If the state is doing something right than it must be supported by all with full energy. If not, they are to be counseled. But a party that takes pride in calling itself the opposition has already narrowed down its options to only one; opposition, and so that’s what we see all along. Even if the state does manage to do some thing right, it is opposed. How can states run with this negative attitude? If the goal of the people in power is only one i.e., to establish the Writ of God on earth, how can there possibly be any opposition to it? The methodology may differ, but that difference exists even amongst members of the same ruling party, doesn’t it? Look at what the Democrats and Republicans did during the 2008 US elections. There was nothing more disgusting

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and appalling than seeing candidates of the same party i.e. Barrak Hussein Obama and Hillary Clinton literally clawing at each other just to have a shot at nomination of the Democratic party and they are from the same party! The same people they revile today, tomorrow they will rely on their support. And just as expected, after Barrak Obama won the US presidential elections, he nominated Hillary Clinton for the post of secretary of state! So much for civilized western democracy. This brings us to a critical question. What form of government can be called Islamic? Well, the best response is by Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah, that there is no prototype of an Islamic form of government. Any form of government that conforms to the principles of governance laid down in the QurāĀn and Sunnah  is acceptable as an Islamic Government. Consider this; no one denies that terminologies carry clear definitions and a big error is extrapolating meanings to different terms. But this is not all black and white. Of the centuries of so called khilĀfa of Banu-Umaiya and BanuAbbĀs, there was not even a slightest remnant of the true khilĀfa on the footsteps of khilĀfat-e-RĀshida (except the rare period of Umar bin Abdul-Aziz). These so called khĀląfas were no different than any kingship latter on. History is clear as to what these so called khĀląfas did to the revered čmĀms. And then the other side of reality is that a sultan (king) by the name of SalĀĄ-ud-AyĈbą’s rein was so conformant to the true khilĀfa as imaginable and nothing like any kingship, as the title would reflect. That’s the beauty of Islamic way of governance; it will accept or conform to any shape as long as its basic prerequisites are met. One just has to look around at the rich literature on Islamic political thought and what role IjtihĀd plays in finding practical solutions for the contemporary world.

HAJJ 2007

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nd so it was in 2007 that it finally came to — Since our return from the United States, we had intended to go for Hajj, but first it was Haris, who was too young and then Adil was born and we had to wait for him to be able to stay with his grandparents. I was growing impatient by the year because of the words of the QurāĀn and the noble Prophet , Complete the Hajj and the Umrah for the sake of Allah. al-Baqrah: 196

Abu-Hurayra narrated that Allah’s Apostle was asked, “What is the best deed?” he replied, “To believe in Allah and His Apostle.” The questioner then asked, “What is next (in goodness)?” He replied, “To participate in Jihad in Allah’s Cause.” The questioner again asked, “What is next?” He replied, “To perform Hajj-e- mabrĈr.” (BukhĀrą) There certainly seems to be truth in the popular myth that you cannot go to Hajj unless you are ‘called’ to. Every piece fell in place in 2007 and so we headed to Hajj leaving our 4 and 6 year old boys with their grandparents. If you want to see the simplest expression of the Exaltedness of Allah , this is the time. Some unseen force seems to pacify them even when they see there parents leave them. What must be going through their heads? But whatever is it, it is pacified by tranquility from Allah . Well, of course they cry a little, but then it settles down. Well before we were supposed to leave, I had started to study all the rituals of Hajj in detail, reading different schools 49

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of thoughts on the matter and the variations and situations which could arise and the proper responses to them. Alhamdulillah I felt very comfortable. I found out later that this is where most pilgrims falter; they do not do the proper homework before leaving for the most important journey of their lives. It is a sad situation and belies the lack of due importance that should be given to this august journey. How we prepare for trivial worldly affairs but alas then leave the Hajj to chance! The flight time was at 6 pm. We were part of a group of 60 people. The plane was to fly from Islamabad to Jeddah and then on to Medinah. We were to stay in Medinah for 3 days and then drive to Makkah and then on to Hajj. There were several familiar faces at the airport, professional colleagues and others. Pleasantries exchanged and we found our way into the departure lounge. Those who were planning to go straight to Makkah were donning their iĄrĀms. An elderly man was struggling with his in front of me. Not wanting to interfere uninvited, I waited till he exhausted all his attempts, and then showed him how to wear it. You might think it’s a ‘piece of cake,’ but it is more complicated than that and if you do not get it right, you are liable to trip and fall. “Assalamu alaykum, can I ask you a question?” I heard someone say as soon as I turned around after helping the elderly pilgrim. He was a young man and likely thought, perhaps because of my thawb, that I knew more about the rituals of Hajj than he did. “My wife, mother, and my sister are accompanying with me and someone told me that I have to sacrifice one animal for each, is that true?” “Yes it is, after all, each one of you is performing Hajj,” I confirmed to him.

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He thanked me and went back to his family. The trip cocoordinator was greeting the members of the group and taking their cell phone numbers. The flight left at around 6 pm and landed at Jeddah at 11:30 pm. The bus took us to the Hajj terminal. In a large waiting hall, pilgrims were sitting and the Saudi health personnel were immunizing the visitors against meningitis and Polio. We already had our vaccinations in Islamabad, as did many of the other people, however the language barrier became a hurdle as they could not explain to the Saudis that they had already been vaccinated. As the young man approached me, I told him in Arabic that we had been vaccinated and showed him the card. He quietly went away. We went through the immigrations and customs control. The new digital Hajj passport with magnetic strips has been an amazing innovation in the recent years. All they had to do was swipe it and pronto, all the information was on the screen. No need to ask any questions, which was good, since that would not have worked for most of the visitors anyway. We were told that our next flight to Medinah would be within a few hours, but after waiting at the Pakistani Hajj terminal, it was becoming clear that would not be the case. Those who were going directly to Makkah were arriving and then leaving in buses waiting to ferry them to the city of Ibrahim, khalil-ullah and Muhammad, habib-ullah . We were told to stay put. Hajj had begun. The coming days would make it as clear as daylight that the most critical commodity for this travel was patience. That and taqwĀ. If you do not have these two, then it might have well been any trip to a foreign land of foreign language. We were told to walk towards one direction. As we walked through the massive Hajj terminal, we saw several pilgrims from Africa lying on the bare floor. Dressed in similar bright

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green checkered clothes, they all looked like vegetables strewn around. It was comical and my wife and I could not but laugh – little did we know that we were about to become part of that comical script ourselves. The group coordinator announced that though we were supposed to be on an early flight to Medinah-al-Munawarah, but due to unknown reasons, they were informed by the Saudi authorities that we would leave on a 5 am flight and there was nothing they could do about it. The hunger and the fatigue had begun to take its toll on the entire group, especially the elder members. There were several food stalls at the terminal and the coordinator made arrangements for food for every one. The plastic seats had begun to loose their utility for all of us who just wanted to somehow lie down somewhere. “I told you don’t laugh at those pilgrims,” my wife said, “Now it’s our turn.” And surely enough, shortly afterwards one by one all of us were forced by the sheer fatigue to lie down on the ground, though we were lucky to have found an open, carpeted prayer area which was already littered with people of all nationalities. The women were huddled in one corner and men in the other. The QurāĀn says, Humans have been created weak by nature. an-NisĀ: 28

čmĀm al-GhazĀli had also pointed this out long ago in his famous book “The Alchemy of Happiness” that the human body is constantly at the mercy of the elements like hunger, thirst, fatigue, cold etc. Yet it is the same human who, in a constant state of pride and delusions of grandiosity, forgets his creation, subjecting other fellow beings to humiliation as if he himself was God. It was impossible for me to sleep because of the frequent noise of airplanes and the constant passage of people. Sleep is such a blessing of Allah . You only recognize it when you lose it. So many of the fortunate ones were in deep sleep around me and I was tossing and turning. I do not remember when I finally did fall asleep and was awakened by the

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announcement for our group to proceed to the check-in counter. We hurriedly walked towards the gate and finally on to the plane. The sun was rising when we landed in Medinah. The air was chilly, perceptibly different from the hot and humid weather of Jeddah. The airport was small and neat. The group coordinator was arranging for every one to get seated in taxis for the ride to our hotel. We and another couple from our group got in one taxi. From the distance we could see the mountain of UĄud. Finally we reached our hotel and one by one we were shown to our rooms. We dropped our bags and headed straight to Masjid-an-Nabawi. Just the thought of walking into the beloved masjid of our beloved Prophet  was enough to alleviate all fatigue. The masjid was relatively empty. Most of the people were heading our after their morning worship. For anyone who wants to catch a glimpse of tranquility in the otherwise busy masjid, this is the time. I had entered the masjid from the other end of the Prophet’s  blessed quarters and walked briskly to the front of the masjid. It was as if nothing else mattered. The people and the surroundings appeared in a haze. All I wanted to see was the rawăa of rasĈl-Allah . As I approached it, a crowd began to gather. Everyone wanted to get a chance to sit and pray in the small blessed portion between the ĄujrĀ of the Prophet  and his mimbar; a place he  had described as riyĀă-ul-jannah (garden of Paradise). I am not a pushing person and just the thought of bulldozing through people in front of the rawăa of the Prophet  was enough to stall me. The crowd had transformed into a tight column, shoulder to shoulder, at the entrance of riyĀă-ul-jannah. I managed to find a narrow spot at the corner of the entrance and just stood there. Eyes fixed on the golden grill with the larger hole, the dwelling place of the Prophet  in life and in death, “Assalamu-alaika wabarakatuhu.”

yĀ

rasĈl-Allah

warahmat-ullahe-

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Yes we affirm that yours was the best of times and your Companions the most fortunate, for they had the invaluable treasure of your presence. But we are ashamed yĀ rasĈl-Allah. Ashamed to call ourselves your Ummah. We have nothing to show to deserve this immense honor. We have not been able to establish your system of governance in any Muslim country even after decades of freedom. We have not been able to show this modern world that there is indeed a better way of life; yours and your Companion’s. We have silently watched the slaughter of ten thousand Muslim men and boys in Bosnia right under the watchful eye of the United Nations. We continue to quietly see and ignore the systematic murder of our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan, Iraq, Chechnya, Kashmir, Palestine and so on. Yet we claim to be your Ummah. A Saudi police officer was standing at the closed door to the stairs of the mimbar of the Prophet . For a moment our eyes met and then without saying anything he extended his arm out to me. I grabbed his hand and he pulled me through the asphyxiating crowd into riyĀă-ul-jannah. “Pray two rakaĂ here,” he pointed to the space right next to the mimbar. I did just that and then quickly moved forward. This honor must be shared by others. My wife met me at the outer gate. She was disappointed not to have been able to get to the riyĀă-ul-jannah. We walked back to the hotel room. Refreshed after a few hours of comfortable sleep, we walked to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. The buffet table seemed to have no end. The sheer number of salads and dishes was staggering. People were hovering over the dishes, plates full, a little of every thing.

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As I put food in my plate, a thought flashed through my head and made my body go numb; just a few hundred yards from the hotel was the house of the Prophet  who himself, and his blessed family, never had a day of full meals until he left this world for the company of the Most High . Never a day of full meals – and here I was, unable to decide which one of the numerous chicken, mutton and lobster dishes I wanted to eat. The next two days went by like wind and it was time to head towards Makkah. There is one thing so unique about these two blessed cities that can never be seen any where else: Five times a day, even at fajr time, men, women, and children throng towards the two masĀjid in hundreds of thousands – over and over again – pulled by an unseen force. A force, the only force now that still continues to astonish the West. We were told it may take up to eight to ten hours to get to Makkah because of the crowded traffic, but we made it only in six hours and on to our hotel which was right across from Masjid-al-HarĀm. We left our bags in the room and all headed to perform the Umrah. The next several days were spent in Makkah until the eighth of Zul-Hijjah when we were all driven in buses to our encampment in Mina. The world had suddenly changed – from the luxurious environment of the hotel we were now on simple thin mattresses in simple tents made with fire proof synthetic material. Bathrooms were on share basis and it was not infrequent to wait fifteen minutes for one’s turn. On the ninth of Zul-Hijjah we left for ĂArafĀt after sunrise. The stay of ĂArafĀt – the most important pillar of Hajj – without which there is no Hajj. But what makes it so unique? The Prophet  said that Allah does not forgive more people on any other day than the day of ĂArafĀt. (Muslim) Standing in our camp in ĂArafĀt, looking at the ocean of humans covered in two pieces of white unstitched cloth, I was struck by a piercing thought – what does this massive gathering of humanity on ĂArafĀt (2.5 million in 2007)

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represent? Why spend a few hours of the day here? What is in ĂArafĀt? All I could think was that it is an earthly image of the Day of Judgment. All humanity standing in front of the Creator, dressed in bare minimum, the climax of austerity (though on the actual day of Judgment, humanity will be clothless) and asking and hoping only for the Mercy of Allah . Nothing else matters on the day of ĂArafĀt and will not matter on the Day of Judgment. In ĂArafĀt, there is no currency to exchange for salvation except ĄasanĀt and that’s how it will be on the Day of Judgment. Just before sunset, millions of hands were raised in invocation in unison, for after sunset, the blessed time ends and ĂArafĀt becomes an ordinary place once again untill the next Hajj when it will suddenly become the most sought after day for the believers. After sunset we drove to Muzdalifah to spend the night there under the open sky. The next morning after sunrise, we were supposed to drive back to Mina to complete the ritual of the stoning of the devil. However the sheer number of pilgrims brought the traffic to a complete standstill. We decided to walk to Mina and reached there after one and a half hour. After the stoning ritual it was the sacrifice followed by hair cutting and undoing of the iĄrĀm. That completed 90 % of the Hajj. Only thing left now was tawĀf-e-ifadah and tawĀf-e-wida. I remember, sitting in our building in Azizia, I asked all of our group people how could they tell that their Hajj was accepted by Allah ? Would they get some kind of intuition? A special dream? Then I submitted to all of them that the only way to know that our Hajj was accepted by Allah  was that our lives must change the very next day. Directions must be reoriented. From that day onwards, every day must bring in more imĀn, purging more of the ills out and fulfilling the heart with more taqwĀ.

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Abu Hurayra narrated that the Prophet  said, "Whoever performs Hajj for Allah's pleasure and does not have sexual relations with his wife, and does not do evil or sins then he will return (after Hajj free from all sins) as if he were born anew." (BukhĀrą) I have often wondered that if after every Hajj, millions of believers are being ‘refurbished’ in a state of complete spiritual purity and sent back to their respective countries across the Muslim world, how is it that the Muslim world is not being transformed? Isn’t that what one would expect? Imagine hundreds of thousands of these pure souls being reinjected back to the cities and villages where they came from. That would have caused a miracle of global proportions. But that miracle is not happening. What has gone wrong? What has gone wrong is that Hajj has also suffered the same fate as other acts of worship; transformation into mere rituals with complete oblivion to the spiritual essence behind them. No one thinks of the simplicity, austerity, modesty, patience, tolerance, and sacrifice practiced in Mina and Muzdalifah to be embedded into routine life on return to their respective homelands. No one thinks of shedding the personal ‘devil’ when stoning the devil in Mina. No one thinks of an ever lasting brotherhood even after witnessing the most audacious display of this brotherhood in faith bonding. It appears that what most people do get from Hajj is an alias ‘Haji’ which, from that point onwards, becomes an inseparable part of their names. They hold on to it as if it’s a medal; my wish is that they would continue to act like one, as long as they insist on being called one. I can only hope and pray to Allah  that He accepts our humble offerings, made in the winter of 2007. Call onto your Lord with fear and hope. Indeed the Mercy of Allah is ever close to the righteous. al-AĂrĀf: 56

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couldn’t believe it but it was already ten years since I had been certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and it was time for the re-certification exam. Since our return from America in 2002, I had traveled frequently for professional meetings. My wife had never accompanied me on any of those trips, for two reasons: I felt it unethical to travel on the expense of the biomedical industry, and the additional personal expense felt like isrĀf (squandering). I told my wife, “The first trip we take together must be for the Hajj. Only after that, I shall consider a family trip”. Once we offered our Hajj and when she found out that I had chosen New Delhi as my exam center, primarily because of its proximity, she made it clear that she was going with me. The trip was four days in total. Two days for traveling, one for the exam, and then – one for Agra, the Taj Mahal. I did not have any particular desire to see the Taj but it is probably a woman’s thing, as she made it clear that there was to be no discussion on that. We had to leave Haris and Adil (our boys) with their grandparents. It was different when we left them for our Hajj trip; that was a trip for Allah . He takes responsibility for those on it and those left behind. This was different. I could see the tears in Adil’s eyes as the cab pulled up in the driveway to take us to the airport. Haris was much more composed. Perhaps it was the sense of a new found freedom with the grandparents, which he was thinking about.

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But as we pulled away from the house, I began to realize how precarious the situation of young children is without their parents. It sends shudders down one’s spine to think of one’s young children left without the protective umbrella of parents. I could now relate to a QurāĀnic injunction in a way I had not been able to relate before. The QurāĀn says about orphans, And let those (executors and guardians of wills) have the same fear in their minds as they would have for their own, if they had left weak off springs behind. So, let them have taqwĀ of Allah and speak truthfully. Verily, those who unjustly eat up the property of orphans, they eat up only a fire into their bellies, and they will be burnt in the blazing fire. an-NisĀ: 9-10

The ĀyĀ speaks volumes regarding how critical it is for society in general and relatives in particular to show kindness and mercy for orphans. The Prophet  said, “I and the one who looks after the orphan will be like this in Paradise,” showing his middle and index finger and separating them. (BukhĀrą) I remember hearing an interview with Mitha Singh, a convert to Islam, who said that the most extraordinary thing for him about Islam was the reality that Allah chose an orphan to carry the enormous weight of the final Prophethood. We arrived at the airport. It used to be called Islamabad International Airport but now a huge sign says ‘Benazir International Airport,’ named after the famous political figure following her assassination in December of 2007. It’s extraordinary how immaterial things like naming buildings etc., after someone, take so much precedence and are done with such sense of urgency that you would think the life of Millions depended on it. Whereas, acts on which the life of Millions actually does depend upon i.e., supply of clean

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drinking water, life saving medical care and medications, safe roads etc., continue to be buried in deep crevices only to be brought up superficially during election time. The name of a large city hospital in Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi General Hospital, was also ‘urgently’ changed to Benazir Hospital. I did my house job in the same hospital and still remember how practically impossible it was to make any positive changes because of the miles of red-tape; things like the provision of a life saving defibrillator in the medical ward, which cost one tenth the amount spend on the political visit of the Prime Minister to the hospital for renaming it; supply of a clean water cooler for the patients etc., and so many more to even recount here. As we stood in line, waiting to put our luggage through the X-ray security machine, a middle aged man dressed in an expensive suit suddenly appeared from no where and put his bag on the moving belt, before mine. This he did with complete impunity, as if we and the others standing in line did not exist. My wife looked at me, “He must be the pilot and has to hurry up so that he can fly the plane,” she said in an irritated tone. I looked at the face of the man as he casually walked away without realizing, or realizing but not caring, what he had done. He looks familiar – where have I seen him? Ah! Now I remember, he is every where, on every street of Pakistan, in every office, in every public place. I and you know him very well. He has no name and no face, but we recognize him from his actions. They are so predictable and reproducible that there is no mistaking him. He represents the disease which afflicts our society both individually and collectively. The disease of ‘I’ ‘Me’ ‘Mine.’ Complete disregard for the rights of others, bordering onto contempt. In my view, there is no difference between what this man does and for instance, robbing someone. You do not have to hold someone hostage to rob them. Robbing them of their due rights on the roads and in queues is a crime of similar

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dimensions. I often wonder, what do people like this man do in their offices and professional work places? If they are in a private business, the damage to general public may be small, but if they occupy important government offices, what prevents them from stepping on the rights of others in all their actions? Have they not already declared their methodology of dealing with public affairs? It reminds me of the story about a group of Muslims who were injured in a battle and as water was brought to several of them, they kept on passing it on to their dying companions in an amazing act of collaborative sacrifice. But then, for most people in our society, these are just stories; stories that have no relevance to today’s world. It was zuhur time when the flight landed at Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore. The first sign I looked for in the lounge was that of the masjid and surely, there it was. I walked into the men’s masjid and my wife into the women’s. A sense of serenity surrounded me in the small, neatly carpeted masjid. ĎalĀt; this is truly the defining moment for every believer. A reunion with the Sublime, constant reaffirmation of our bond of slavery to The Creator, Those who believe in the Hereafter believe in it (the QurāĀn) and they are constant in guarding their ĆalĀt. al-AnĂĀm: 92

One only has to pay attention to the timings of the five daily ĆalĀt to understand the Divine Wisdom behind those. A few years ago a study on corporate executives came out from the United Kingdom. Basically what the investigators did was to divide corporate executives in two groups. One group was allowed to continue on with their usual daily routine. The other group was taken to a famous arts museum at noon time for 30 minutes. Both groups had their blood stress hormones levels withdrawn before noon, during the museum visit for the second group, and after the visit as well. They found that

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the stress hormone levels, which were very high at peak work stress at noon, reduced dramatically for the second group. No difference was noted for the usual routine group. This was big news and made it on prime time BBC. Conclusion: take a few minutes to unwind from work, at the peak of the work – just when the business/corporate instinct would be to press on and ‘close the deal.’ Let us look again at the times of the five daily ĆalĀt. The zuhur ĆalĀt coincides precisely with the timing of the museum visit for the study executives. Now it makes sense, doesn’t it? Sadly, yes. Sadly, because we need a ‘scientific’ stamp for approval of everything; even faith based matters. The complete single mindedness and solitude needed for each ĆalĀt is precisely the stress reliever that one needs, even though this is one of the trivial aspects of the boundless benefits of this worship. But we were not ready to accept these benefits on their face value and now since the ‘scientific community’ has laid its stamp of approval, we are at least ready to accept this aspect. Well, better late than never. I envision an Islamic society in which market trips are also timed to the ĆalĀt. Here is an example; we had to buy shoes for our boys and left home for the local market forty five minutes before Ăasr time, thinking that we will make it back by ĆalĀt time. But when we got to the shop, the door was locked and the staff was sitting inside eating their lunch. Lunch at 4:30 pm! We waited till they finished their lunch and opened the door with apologies. I asked one of the staff, “Why are you eating lunch so late?” “The clients kept coming and we didn’t have time to stop,” he replied. Let’s look at the alternative: if all businesses close down for ĆalĀt times and every one is aware of the ĆalĀt times, this would not happen. People will time their market trips around ĆalĀt, not the other way round, as it is now-a-days; the

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independent market trip-timing takes priority and the ĆalĀt is ‘fit-in.’ The flight to New Delhi was hardly sixty minutes. Walking through the Indira Gandhi International Airport, I had this strange feeling; not at home and neither in a strange land. The faces looked familiar and yet so unfamiliar. The hotel pick-up person was standing outside the arrivals lounge with my name on a sign. “Hotel Ashok?” I said. “Yes sir,” he replied, “The taxi is this way.” A short walk to the makeshift taxi stand (the airport was undergoing major expansion) and we were on our way to the hotel. The drive was all too familiar; haphazard traffic, honking, roads in a state of disrepair, filth and refuse on road sides. A little later, rickshaws and then bicycle rickshaws began appearing on the road. With cycles, cycle rickshaws, motor bikes, motor rickshaws, taxis, buses and cars, it was a mayhem of diverse modes of transportation. But soon the mayhem, the filth and the noise was left behind; we had entered the diplomatic enclave area of New Delhi, where the hotel was. The roads were better, cleaner and there was less traffic. But still, this was no comparison to the traffic and roads in Islamabad which were many times better. However, there is a diplomatic enclave in Islamabad as well; a place where even the thought of going makes you uncomfortable. Guarded like a military garrison, it is a city within a city. One literally feels like entering unknown territory – in one’s own home town. This, added to the road blocks on almost every other street in Islamabad, gives one the feeling of living under siege. But here in New Delhi, the diplomatic enclave presented a very different and relaxed outlook. Pedestrians, cyclists, rickshaws and taxis were freely plying. No unnecessary road blocks. We checked into our room. I looked around to see if there was a mark to show the direction of Makkah, but there was none. The bedside table had a copy of the Bible and the

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Geeta, but no QurāĀn. Fortunately, I had brought my digital compass and knew the direction of Makkah. We prayed maghrib and then decided to go to Jama Masjid in the old city. “You can eat at Kareem’s restaurant there,” a friend had told me. Kareem was a famous Muslim eatery. We walked out of the hotel and the doorman called a taxi for us; a black and yellow Maruti. The driver was a middle aged Sikh. “Jama Masjid,” I said to him. As we drove out of the hotel, he turned his face and said to me, “Why do you want to go there?” “We are from Pakistan and we wish to see it,” I told him. “Ok,” he said, “But you will not like it there,” he quickly added. What a strange thing to say, I thought. “That’s fine, just take us there,” I told him. As soon as we left the diplomatic enclave, the traffic mayhem started again and kept getting worse and worse as we neared the old city. It reminded me of the old city of Lahore, where my grand parents lived and where we used to stay when we would come to Pakistan on our vacations. We soon entered a neighborhood of dimly lit, smog filled, and filthy alleys choking with cycle rickshaws pulled by emaciated men giving every once of energy in their bodies to pull the two and occasional three occupants of the back seat. He pulled the taxi on the side of the narrow street. “Jama masjid is to your right,” he said. “I will wait for you here.” We stepped out and dodging the oncoming cycle rickshaws, walked to the main gate of the masjid. Litter was every where. Men, some were sleeping and others getting ready to sleep on the footpaths, just their tattered clothes separating them from the bare filthy ground. Why is the place so dimly lit? I remember asking my self. We walked up the

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thirty or so steps to the entrance of the masjid. The large open courtyard was dimly lit as well. A non-functional water fountain (originally meant for ablution) was in the middle of the red sandstone floor. The main structure of the masjid was lit with a few tube lights and had a white marble floor with walls and roof adorned with exquisite designs I could barely make out in the poor light. A few people were praying, others were reciting the QurāĀn. The white marble floor was littered with tiny mosquito like insects, crickets and so forth. There was no carpet anywhere. I found a relatively clean spot and prayed two rakaĂ. It was impossible to have any concentration with the thoughts of the surrounding neighborhood and the flying insects. As I walked to the door of the masjid, I saw a large board towards the right side of the exit. The writing was in Urdu and gave the details of the history of the Masjid. It said something like “the masjid was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan at the cost of 1 million Rupees at a time when the daily wages of a man were one paisa” and “that this amount does not include the donations made by the nobles of that time.” I could not read any more. Is this a statement of pride or guilt? Are we to feel happy or sad about this? A masjid built on such an exorbitant amount, at the expense of the masses, by an emperor with a Muslim name. If only emperor Khurram or Shah Jahan, as he liked to be called, could be here today to see the state of the Muslim neighborhood around his grand project. We walked out of the masjid with a heavy heart. This was not what I had expected at all; a place of serenity, a unique worship experience. We crossed the road and entered a relatively larger street which was full of people, literally shoulder to shoulder. Every few seconds, I would feel some one clinging on to my thawb; beggars, of every age group. We could not even walk in peace. The open shops on both sides were primarily selling clothes and spices. A sign on the right

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side said ‘kareem’ with an arrow pointing to a narrow alley on the left. I hesitated for a moment. If this is what it is like outside, what would it be like inside? “Let’s go and at least see it,” my wife suggested. We entered the narrow lane and it opened into a wide courtyard. In all directions, there were eating halls with occupied seats and frantically running waiters. This was Kareem. “I would avoid eating out,” was the advice given by an other friend who had visited Delhi a week earlier and had gotten sick from eating at a similar place, I suspect. “Let’s go back to the hotel and we’ll eat something there,” I said and the look on my wife’s face echoed the same thoughts too. We walked out and looked around, but the taxi was not where he had dropped us. I spotted his pink turban from a little distance. He was standing by the taxi which he had parked on the road side, a little ahead. “Are you done?” “Yes, let’s go back to the hotel,” I said, hoping that he would not spot the disappointment on my face. “You have to pay ten rupees to this man for parking,” he informed me. “What parking? You are on the road side,” I replied “He says it’s ten rupees for parking,” the driver insisted. I pulled out a ten rupee note and gave it to a shabbily dressed man who looked as if he was on drugs. As soon as we pulled out, the driver said, “Didn’t I tell you that you would not like this place?” He was right, but I was not ready to accept the shame and pain. “This area belongs to ‘them’, he said, “They can charge whatever they want and to be honest, nobody likes to come here because of that and the horrible traffic,” he added.

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“Them” – that meant us, the Muslims. The whole statement made me uncomfortable. He turned around once again to talk to me. He had done that so many times that I was surprised how we had escaped an accident so far. But we had run out of luck. The cycle rickshaw came from the right side and our taxi hit the rear wheel of the rickshaw. The clanking noise brought us to a halt. The emaciated rickshaw driver came to him and angrily asked him where he thought he was going. In a few seconds, several people, all Muslims, gathered around the taxi and they demanded that he pay for the damage to the rickshaw. As the taxi driver noticed that he was being outnumbered, he said something extraordinary: “These are your people I have brought here,” he said, pointing to me and my wife. “Ask them whose fault it was?” They all looked at us. They could see we were Muslims, me in my cap and beard and my wife in her hijĀb. I had to step in. I pulled out a hundred rupee note and handed it to the rickshaw driver. “Will this cover your damage?” I asked him. Perhaps it was the unexpectedness of the gesture, or the rarity of seeing a hundred rupee note, he grasped the note without saying anything; the only ‘thank you’ floating in his hollow eyes. He quietly walked back to his rickshaw and with every ounce of energy in his body, began driving it again. We turned to the right and on our way. The words kept coming back to me: “These are your people.” Until now we had only heard of this trumpeted multireligious harmony of the secular democracy of India, meant to give a false impression that all is well between the different religious and ethnic groups. All is not well – the sharp divide between Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims is as prominent today as it was centuries ago. Not only that, the economic divide is simply astonishing in India. While the Bollywood stars, who

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are the pinnacle of Indian pride, make tens of millions of rupees per movie, nameless souls in thousands sleep on filthy sidewalks all over the city. “You see Sir, why we don’t like coming here,” the driver’s voice shattered my thoughts. “The Muslims here are more powerful than anywhere else. Here they can do what they please.” I didn’t want to waste time on reminding him that it was his fault. Only if he had stopped turning around every time he spoke. “Do you get along better with the Hindus or the Muslims,” I asked him. “The Muslims get along better with us than they do with the Hindus,” he said with a laugh. Slowly we inched out of the congested narrow streets of the old city and onto the main avenues. The smog and the dirt gradually fading away and giving way to a pleasant cool breeze as we neared the diplomatic enclave again. The doorman at the hotel quickly stepped up to open the taxi door for me. “Asalamu alaykum Sir,” he said. “Walaykum assalam, what is your name?” I asked, hoping he would announce a Muslim name, but he was a Mohan Das. It had only been a few hours and I was already searching for a Muslim face, a Muslim name. We walked into the hotel lobby and looked at the list of in-house restaurants; Chinese, Korean, Oriental, Frontier. Frontier – that sounds familiar. We walked into the restaurant. The pleasant manager led us to our table. “Is the meat ĄalĀl here, I mean…” I paused, thinking he would pick up from there. “Absolutely Sir, all meat here is ĄalĀl,” he replied with authority. One never thinks of asking this question in Pakistan. I opened the menu. It had a lot of classic pathan

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(NWFP) dishes, no doubt the reason why it was named Frontier. But as I glanced over it and noticed this statement on the top: “from the north-west frontier region of undivided India.” Undivided India! Whatever happened to “from the north-west frontier region of Pakistan?” Symbols are symbols, no matter how trivial. A trivial symbol, but one with an enormous meaning; Pakistan has not been accepted as a sovereign state, yet. The same Pakistan, where in countless homes, Indian dramas and movies play all day on numerous TV channels. I left early the next day for the exam center. It was a fifteen minute drive by taxi. The driver was a young clean shaven man. He said his name was Sukhbeer Singh. “You are a Sikh?” I asked him, rather surprised that he had none of the classic Sikh features. “Yes I am, but I don’t have a beard or turban. It’s not absolutely mandatory,” he said, with an unsure tone. “Visiting from Pakistan?” “Yes, tell me, how much do taxis charge for a visit to Agra?” “Depends on the car,” he replied. “If you want a Tata Indica, it will be five thousand rupees.” “That’s a bit steep, how about four thousand five hundred?” “Ok Sir, I’ll talk to my partner who drives that car and let you know. Give me your mobile number and I’ll call you tonight.” I wrote down the number for him. A few minutes later we arrived at the exam center. It was in a shabby neighborhood in disrepair. I took the elevator to the fourth floor and into the Pearson VUE exam center. There were several young men and women there for G-MAT, GRE exams. The young

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assistant explained to us the protocols, the dos and the donts of the exam center. The first step was identity check and photographs. As I handed him my passport and sat down for the picture, he said to me, “You will have to remove your cap” I looked up at his partner behind the counter; a young Sikh with a blue turban. “Will he remove his turban if he was appearing for this exam?” The taxi driver from the previous night had told me that it takes five to ten minutes for them to tie up the rather complexly wound turban. For a moment he was unsure, then he turned to the Sikh and whispered something to him, a nod from him and then he looked up at me and said, “That’s ok, you can keep it on.” That is all it took. If you have firm belief in your values and culture and treasure them, others end up respecting them as well. But Muslims nowadays are ready to surrender their basic attributes at the drop of a hat. The first sign of discomfort and displeasure on foreign faces and we lose our footing. It was 4 pm when I returned to the hotel. We drank coffee in the room and then headed out to Karol Bagh, a famous shopping area of the city. The narrow streets were bustling with shoppers, mostly locals intermingled with few Caucasians. My wife wanted to buy some local artificial jewelry and we browsed around several jewelry shops. She had the card of a famous Kashmiri shawl place and we searched for it. It was not far. The shop was owned by Muslims. As we looked over the exquisite ‘pashmina’ shawls, I asked the owner why the Muslim neighborhood of Jama Masjid was in such a destitute state. “Well, they don’t do anything worthwhile themselves except playing with pigeons,” he replied with a sad and frustrated tone.

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That is probably one reason, but the marginalization from public affairs, of the vast majority of the over one hundred and forty million Muslim minority of India, is no less an important reason. As I was paying the bill, my phone rang – it was Sukhbir Singh. “How about a Maruti Esteem car for four thousand rupees?” That was French to me. “Is Esteem a good car?” I asked the store owner. He nodded in affirmative. “Meet us at the Hotel gate at 9 am,” I told him. The next morning we had our breakfast and walked to the hotel exit with a small rucksack with a camera and cookies and water for the journey. He was waiting for us at the main entrance. The car was neat and in good condition. It was quite hot and so he turned on the air-conditioning. Soon we left the congested traffic of New Delhi and headed to Agra on a highway. You would think that one of the most traveled roads from Delhi to Agra would be at par with international standard roads, but that was not the case. Not only was the road mediocre but not infrequently, tractors and trucks would come the wrong way. It was a stressful drive for us, perhaps routine for Sukhbeer Singh. After about four hours of driving the signs for Agra began appearing on the road. The entrance to Agra city was extremely congested, lined with trucks and trailers leaving a narrow passage. The city itself was as filthy and congested as Delhi was. Fifteen more minutes of driving through the city streets and we approached the suburban area in proximity to the Taj. Tourism, especially to Western lands, is a favorite pastime of the rich Muslims. I am not saying traveling to the land of the non-Muslims is reprehensible. But one must keep the QurāĀnic concept of travels in mind,

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Have they not traveled through the land and seen what was the end of those who passed away before them? From their destiny you should know that the home of the Hereafter is better for those who are righteous. YĈsuf: 109

The QurāĀn invites its readers to keep the aspect of Ăibra (admonitive interpretation) while they travel through the earth. For the simple reason that mankind is supposed to learn from the Signs of Allah  and we tend to forget that the most obvious Sign of Allah  is the cosmos. Shaykh Hamza once narrated from an Arab poet that the cosmos is meanings set up in forms and anyone who is aware of this, is amongst the people of discernment. But most people would travel around the globe and are never able to see anything deeper than the superficial layer. For the QurāĀn says, Certainly it is not their eyes which are blind, but it is the hearts in their breasts which are blind. al-Čajj: 46

A sign said “no cars allowed beyond this point”. Close-by was the parking lot which was littered with makeshift stands selling Taj souvenirs. Cycle rickshaws, horse-carts and camelcarts were all around; the means of transportation for the final half kilometer distance to the main entrance of the Taj. No sooner had we stepped out of the car we were surrounded by at least 15-20 people, all trying to convince as that their transport was the best. Seeing me in a thawb, some even spoke good English. There were no security or police around and it seemed totally chaotic. Why couldn’t they organize it better like it is in most of the western countries? After all, this is the number one tourist destination in India; one of the seven wonders of the world! We finally decided to take a cycle rickshaw. The middle aged thin man started pulling it and began telling as the story of the Taj in short bursts between the exhaustive efforts of driving the rickshaw. After about two hundred yards the road became steep. He stepped off the rickshaw and started

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pushing it manually. We might as well have walked had we known. The ticket house was on the left of the gate which was staffed by security and an X-Ray screening machine. The sign said that no food and no personal bags apart from a camera were allowed in the compound. I walked into the ticket house. “How much?” The attendant looked up at me, trying to figure out my nationality. “Where are you from?” “Pakistan.” “It’s five hundred rupees for Pakistanis and one thousand for other nationalities and twenty five for locals,” he offered all the details. “I will need to see you Passports,” he added. My wife suddenly remembered that she had left her passport at the hotel room-safe. “What about your national identity card?” She showed him her card and he handed us the tickets with two sealed water bottles and a pair of disposable shoe covers. As we passed through the security entrance, we came to a large open courtyard. It was lined on the sides by red granite hallways. On the left was a huge marble and red granite building. It looked just like the Badshahi masjid in Lahore. This was the main gateway to the courtyard which housed the Taj. I have expressed my displeasure earlier at the wasteful opulence of the Mughals and the disenfranchisement of millions at the expense of their personal projects. But one cannot but marvel at the architectural perfection of the builders. The distance between the Taj and the main pavilion at its outer boundary is calculated so precisely that if one stands close to the door of the gateway, the entire Taj Mahal comes in full view of one’s sight.

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As I stood near the door, a family of locals who appeared Muslim, walked by. “He is an Arab, must be from Saudi Arabia,” the father said proudly to his wife and children. My wife smiled and looked at me. I did not want to spoil his moment and remained quiet. But it reminded me of something back home which reflected a loss of pride in a unique Muslim appearance. Quite often when I would go to work or to the market in a thawb, a traditional white Arab dress, people would always make a joking comment to the tune of “You must be from Arabia?” “What a dress!” I have always wanted to reply with, “You must be from the West,” or “You would not say that if I was wearing shirt and pants, would you?” but this seemingly harmless comment reflects something deeper– it reflects our blind and unflinching acceptance of everything Western and our shock and surprise at things which remind us of our unique Muslim identity. I have not heard any one offer a similar comment to people walking around in T-shirts and shorts. Worse, people have arrived at a state where a woman showing her full arms, partial legs and full hair is also accepted as a norm. But a bearded, capped man in a white thawb is an antiquity worthy of a comment. The Taj was teeming with people, a vast number of them Caucasians. The building is, from a purely aesthetic perspective, spectacular. I could sense the excitement amongst the romance tilted Caucasians. The main white marble doom building rests on a raised platform. From that point onwards, the locals were all bare footed and the foreigners wore the shoe covers. It was a surreal feeling as we entered the heart of the Taj. Almost as if one was transported back to 1650’s and Shah Jahan, as he liked to be called, would suddenly appear around the next turn. The entire building was engraved with verses from different sĈras of the QurāĀn.

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One of the two similar red granite buildings on either side of the Taj represented a masjid. As we walked towards the gateway, suddenly the atmosphere was filled with the call to zuhur prayer. For a moment, every one became irrelevant. For the first time since we had entered Agra, I felt a personal connection to the environment and a sense of pride. We hardly spent forty five minutes there and then headed back to the car park. Sukhbeer Singh was waiting outside the car. “You have already seen all of it?” he seemed surprised. “We have seen enough,” I said. He shrugged his shoulders and started the car. I wanted to tell him that I had once heard shaykh Umar Farooq Abdullah say, “The non-believers are bewildered by the creation and the believer is bewildered by the Creator.” The Prophet  did not leave behind any grandiose buildings and monuments but he left behind the highest and most perfect example of human character. He  left behind a group of dedicated men, each one of whom was a beacon of light and wisdom, men who were no-body and gained the respect of everybody. Equal or more magnificent buildings have been left behind by the Romans, the Egyptians, and the Inca. Islam never took any pride in marble and stone. Its pride was in ąmĀn and taqwĀ. We were tired when we got back to the hotel and took a short rest before we headed out to our last venture to chandni-chowk. The next day our return flight was at 3 pm. We checked out of the hotel and headed to the airport at 1 pm. Sukhbeer Singh had already offered to drop us off for four hundred and fifty rupees. As we went through immigration I recognized an Indian official who was present when we had arrived in Delhi. He also recognized me instantly. He walked over to me and greeted me “Did you enjoy your stay?”

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“It was fine, thank you.” A few minutes later as we were sitting in the lounge I saw him again. He walked to me and said rather quietly, “How about a reward Sir!” He obviously was asking for a tip. I wanted to ask him if he had washed my car, but that did not seem like a smart thing to say while we were still in official Indian territory. Pakistanis may be poor but this degree of impaired integrity is rare in Pakistan. “I only have Pakistani Rupees.” “No, not Pakistani currency,” he seemed disappointed and turned around. We boarded the plane and soon after landed at Lahore International Airport. As we walked out of the Jet-way, I heard the security staff say what I had been longing to hear, “Assalamu alaykum.” I felt like having regained my most prized possession after losing it for a few days – The land of Islam. With all its ugliness, its wickedness, and its injustice, it is still the most unrecognized Blessing of Allah . People who blame and criticize Pakistan at every forum have no idea what it is to live like a Muslim minority under Hindu rule in India or what it would have been like in an “Undivided India.” Just spend two days in New Delhi and the only words one can utter on return are, “AlĄamdulillĀh.”

THERE AND HERE

T

he there and here describe a deep divide between the social interactions of North America and Pakistan. It is not meant to be a praise document for the typical Western society, but that is the way it is and if we can learn something positive, let not the boundaries of language, race and religion become a hurdle. There: I had always had a liking for hand guns and was good at it. So when I arrived in Mobile, Alabama, I thought let’s find out what I need to do to get a permit to carry a hand gun to the shooting range. Several of the residents at the University of South Alabama Medical Center were hunters and so they told me that I just had to go to the sheriff’s office in downtown and apply for it. The sheriffs office; sounded like a western movie, but this movie may not end on a positive note. Well let’s give it a try anyway, I thought. So during work one day, in my scrubs, I drove to the down town sheriff’s office and went to the counter. “Can I help you sir?” the female clerk said. It was too late “I want to apply for an arms permit,” I said. “Fill this form please and give it back to me,” she said and handed me a clip board with a form and a pen. I looked at the segments; full name, date of birth, place of birth – place of birth? As I begin to write down Faisalabad, Punjab, I could visualize the subsequent conversation, “Where exactly is this Faisalabad?” 77

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“It’s in Pakistan.” “I am sorry sir; you are not eligible for an arms permit, as you are not a US citizen.” It seemed like a perfectly reasonable response. I filled the form anyway. “Please take a seat sir and I’ll be with you in a few minutes,” she said, adding, “I just need to run a back ground check with the FBI.” That sounded like a Bond Movie dialogue. But no choice now, except to wait and see. Barely ten minutes had passed when I heard my name called, “Dr. Ahmed.” “Yes,” I approached the counter – the anticipated dialogues running in my head: “Please come back tomorrow,” “Please get this endorsed by so and so from your embassy,” “We need a photocopy of your ID,” “We need a letter of reference from your Ministry of Interior,” and so forth and so on. I just had one answer to all of these; “Thank you very much,” and let’s get back to work. But what I heard was, “Please take a seat here for your picture, Dr. Ahmed.” Why is she talking a picture if I am not eligible for it? A snap-shot and a “Thank you, I will be right with you,” followed. I walked back to the counter and stood for a few minutes. She came out and handed me a computerized plastic card which said “permitted to carry a concealed weapon in the state of Alabama.” That was my permit. Its all about facilitating things for people. After all, that’s one of the primary responsibilities of a state, if the state is responsible enough to remember that. Here: When we returned to Pakistan in 2002, I decided to apply for an arms permit here as well. My brother had a

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lawyer friend in the Islamabad courthouse complex and he offered to submit the application form for me. “How long will it take,” I asked him said.

“A few weeks, I will ask someone to try to expedite it,” he

That was that. I forgot all about it until one year later when one day it occurred to me; whatever happened to my arms permit application? The lawyer friend had no information so I decided to check on it myself. I went to the arms license office. It was on the second floor of the motor registration building in Islamabad. The stairs were filthy and dark and lead to a dimly lit, depressing hallway with several offices. One of them had a sign which said “ICT- arms branch.” The door was bolted and locked. But it was 9:15 am? It was supposed to be a federal government office and should follow the standard working hours. Oh well. I walked outside to kill time. Ten more minutes or so and I went back. The door was open. I walked in. The large room was littered with decaying files covered in a thick layer of dust. There were three tables. Two were occupied by men who were looking down in a mesmerized state. None of them bothered to look up. “Assalamu Alaykum,” I dared to break their trance. One of them looked up and mumbled the greeting back. I told him who I was and that I wanted to know what had become of my application. “When did you submit it?” “Last March,” I informed him. “Well then, it’s probably lying somewhere there,” he pointed to a heap of worn-out dusty files. “But why did it not get processed?” I asked him and at that very moment realized the futility of the question. “Doctor Sahib, what did you do to move it?”

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So there it was. In one sentence he had pointed to both the problem and the solution. “Can you please show me the application,” I said rather firmly. It had to be divine intervention that he shrugged his shoulders, stood up and started shuffling though the dusty files. I looked on attentively until I spotted my name on an application form. “There it is.” “See, nothing has happened to it,” he said as a matter of fact. “Can you tell me who approves these applications?” “The deputy-commissioner approves 15 cases every month,” he said, “By that rate, your application may be approved after a few years.” He sounded fairly un-convinced himself. “Let me see what I can do with it and thank you for all your help.” I walked out with the application form considering it fortunate that he had actually found it. The deputy-commissioner’s office was near by. I walked to it and into the personal assistant’s smaller office. It was a chaotic place. People standing all around, trying to get his attention. Somehow I managed to get close to him and handed him my business card. He looked at it and then at me. him.

“I just need five minutes of DC-Sahib’s time,” I requested “Have a seat and I will see what I can do.”

I sat there for one hour in sweltering heat and had almost lost hope for an audience when suddenly he called out my name. Moments later I was shown into the large beautifully furnished air conditioned office. The deputycommissioner greeted me kindly and offered a seat and tea.

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“Thank You, I don’t want to waste your time,” I said, “It’s just that I had applied for a legal arms license over one year ago and nothing has happened. I don’t know what to do. Had I wanted an illegal weapon, I could have probably gotten it within a few hours,” I tried to make it short and crisp. He listened attentively and took a sigh and then said, “You are right, it’s a pity you had to go through this.” He turned to one of the assistants sitting behind me, “Make sure immediately.”

Dr.

Sahib’s

case

is

taken

care

of

The assistant took the relevant information and bid me farewell. One week latter I went back to the same old ICTarms branch office. This time their attitude was different. They handed me my permit with smiles on their faces. It was the simple probability of my being someone important which had led to the change of attitude. I had to be – after all I had managed to move the immovable file within a week. But facilitation is not the norm here. And why would it be? If they facilitated everything, how else would they belittle you or force you to agree to their terms. That is the mentality which is at work in Pakistan. But if your put your trust in Allah , as you should, and do not wish to do wrong even in matters pertaining to your rights, He  will make a way out for you, He who has the taqwĀ of Allah, He will provide a way out for him and give him sustenance from sources he could never imagine; for Allah is allsufficient for the one who puts his trust in Him. at-ďalĀq: 2-3

And if it’s not working out soon enough, do not forget that He  has promised to test all of us and the delay may just be that,

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The one who created death and life, so that He may put you to test, to find out which of you is best in deeds. al-Mulk: 2

There: Sometime in summer of 2000, my wife and I were driving to the shopping mall. As we stopped at a red light on Airport Boulevard, an old American car pulled up next to us. In it were two young black men. They looked at the woman in ĄijĀb and one of them began making some obscene gestures. I had noted that instantly but ignored it and told my wife not to look to the right. The light turned green and we drove-on, but I noticed that they kept pace with us and kept gesturing and shouting something as well. I lowered the side window and told them to back off. It didn’t work. My wife was getting nervous and I was losing patience fast. Underneath my jacked, strapped to my belt was my 9 mm Glock semiautomatic pistol, thanks to the permit. May be if I can just scare them off by showing them the weapon. I reached down and pulled out the gun. But just before I brought it up, I noticed that one of them reached down as well, as if he was trying to find something. They have a gun – was my only thought. The panic level had suddenly gone up. I stepped on the accelerator, but they kept up with us. Driving on a busy road, trying to watch lanes on both sides, gun in my hand, neurons working at full capacity, it was becoming a dangerous situation. I could only think of one thing; 911 I put the gun down and flipped out my cell-phone and dialed 911. They saw me making the call and instantly sped forward. The operator came on, “911, may I help you?” “Yes, my name is Dr. Ahmed and I am driving on airport boulevard heading downtown with my wife and these guys in

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a car are chasing us and they may have a weapon,” I said in one long breath. “What type of car is it?” she asked. I looked up and spotted them make a left on the next light. They had gone too far to make out the license plate. “It’s a grey chevy with a black roof and they just turned left on McGregor Avenue,” is all I could tell her. “Please keep your phone on Sir,” she told me. We kept driving straight and about 5 minutes latter, we pulled in the parking lot of the shopping mall. I could see the shaken look on my wife’s face, but I had to look composed. We walked quietly towards the mall entrance. Just then, the phone rang. “Dr. Ahmed?” “Yes, this is he.” “This is Officer Michael from Mobile police department. We have the suspects in custody Sir and we need you to come over and identify them,” he said. “Where do I need to come?” He gave me the directions. The place was barely two or three miles from the intersection where they had made the left turn. I told my wife to wait for me and drove there. As I approached the rendezvous point, I saw at least four police cars blocking the road. In their middle was the old chevy. The two young black men were lying on the ground with faces down and several Officers were standing around them. One of them walked rapidly towards me and asked me if I was Dr. Ahmed. On hearing yes, he asked me if they had stopped the right vehicle. I confirmed that they had. He told me that they had searched the car and found no weapons and they had quizzed the young men and were sure they were just playing an ugly prank. He asked me if I wanted to press any charges against them. I told him no and he said that they would let

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them go with a warning. I thanked him and drove back to the mall. I can never forget that incident. Not for the negative but for the extraordinary positive impact of it. The sense of security and trust that state provided its citizens was evident from the fact that my first instinct, when in trouble, was to call them and what a perfect delivery of duty it was. Here: Sometime in 2004, I was driving towards my office in Islamabad. As I made a right turn at an intersection, a driver of an official car made an illegal turn and hit the rear of my car. I stepped out of the car and walked towards him but before I would get close, he suddenly sped away. I jumped back in my car and drove after him (something which I would strongly advise against to all including my self). I knew, that on the same road, a little distance ahead, was the office of the superintendent of police and the main office of rescue 15 (the Pakistani equivalent of 911, or so we think). I pulled out my cell phone and dialed 15. After a few bells, a male voice answered. “My name is Dr. Waqas and someone has just hit my car and is heading towards your office,” I gave him the car make, model and even the license plate. “Oh, he hit you, OK we will see what we can do,” the voice said and hung up. The road led to one of the main intersection which was always manned by several police officers. I was sure that he had passed along the information to the officers there and they would stop him at the intersection. The culprit was driving fast with me close on his wheels. We both passed right by the rescue 15 office and on to the intersection. But I was wrong to expect anything remotely close to what I had experienced in Mobile. Several police officers were there but they clearly had no information, as despite a red signal, no one approached his car which was a little ahead of me. As he

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turned left, I turned to the right and headed back to the hospital. So much for trust in those who are supposed to be the guardians of our life, honor, and property. But how could the American police officers be so sincere to their profession and then, so good at it? It’s not all money. Police officers don’t make that much money in the US, surely more than here, but why should that be the criteria for sincerity and efficiency. The Prophet  said, “Allah has enjoined perfection in all your acts” (Ahmad). For Muslims, their work is an act of ibĀda (worship) and ibĀda can only be good or excellent, as one does it for the Owner of the heavens and the earth. But this quest for perfection is an attribute nearing extinction in Pakistan. There: In May of 1999 we moved to our new house in Mobile, Alabama. The gas company had to dig the road to connect us with the gas main which ran on the opposite side of the road. As I left for work in the morning, I noticed that they had temporarily covered the long gap from the previous day. I probably need to call them and make sure they repair it permanently, I thought. But who do I call? The city department? The gas company? The mayor’s office? The roads department? I had no idea so I started looking in the yellow pages until I came to “city department.” Lets just call them and if they are not the right people, they would guide me to them. So I made the call. The woman, who answered, carefully listened to my comments, took the address and said, “We will take care of it.” That was that. It was 6 pm when I returned from the hospital. In the head lights of my car, I could easily see that the road defect had been repaired with asphalt – Now that’s service. Here: The stories about here can go on for pages and pages. Any one who has ever called for a complaint to the phone

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department, electricity department, water department etc. knows exactly what transpires subsequently. No need to relive painful memories, is there? There: When we moved to Pakistan in July 2002, we sold our house. I had already paid the year’s home tax in advance and had forgotten all about it. A few months after our return, I got an official letter from the Mobile county commissioner’s office. It had a check of a little over $ 400. What was that for? Turns out that the new owner had paid the rest of the year’s tax and so the county commissioner’s office tracked down my forwarding mailing address from the post office and refunded the remaining amount back to me. That’s called returning of amĀna. That is not surprising. The QurāĀn affirms that, Among the People of the Book there are some who, if you trust them with a heap of gold, will readily return it back; and there are others who, if you trust them with a single dinĀr (silver coin) will not return it back unless you constantly keep on demanding. Ċle-ĂImrĀn: 75

The ĀyĀ refers to the Jews and the Christians, though it applies quite adequately to Muslims as well. It is a generic division in two personal attributes. The fact remains that Muslims are not meant to be subjected to this division, simply because they are supposed to be true to amĀna all the time. There: We had started a new treatment modality for heart patients at our hospital. Before we started it, we decided to include all patients in a study protocol and objectively evaluate the benefits of the new modality. One of the tests used to assess heart patient’s activity index is called a sixminute walk test. I was looking around for the full protocol of the test and found a paper from Arizona which was written a few years ago. The e-mail address of the author was present

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in the journal abstract. The journal required full subscription, which amounted to several hundred dollars per year, for access to the complete manuscript. So I e-mailed the author that we were starting a study on EECP (name of the new modality) and would be obliged if he could send me the full manuscript. The mail was sent at 9 am Pakistan standard time, which would be night time in Arizona. The same night I rechecked my e-mail at 10 pm (exactly 8 am in Arizona) and sure enough there was a reply massage from the author. Think about it. He had opened his mail box soon after arrival in the morning and saw an e-mail from a physician from the third world asking for help. What’s in it for him? Even if he had taken a few days to reply, that would have been considered ethically correct. But not only had he replied with the full manuscript attached in pdf format, but then he had written something else, something which is the real reason for the technical supremacy of the West; he had asked what EECP was – that’s called thirst for learning. That’s what we the Muslims had centuries ago. That’s why the Muslims scientists came up with all the questions and all the answers, until this culture of learning was lost. That’s why they have Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, MIT etc. and we not only do not have anything even remotely comparable to these institutions, but rather the few which had the potential have also been drowned by our inefficiency. Here: The manuscript for our recently conducted study was all set and I sent it to the most prestigious medical journal in the country. I was hoping for a quick acknowledgement but it never came. Months went by and no answer from the journal; neither yes, nor no. Finally I called the office. The managing editor answered and after all the information was given to him, he asked me to give him a day or two to find out the status of the paper. Five days went by and no response, so I called again. It was déjà vu. He asked me the exact same questions he had earlier. I had to show a lot of patience.

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“Give me one or two days and I will get back to you,” he said. If he didn’t, there really wasn’t much I could do, could I? And then after a few days I received an email from the journal telling me that the two reviewers that had send the paper to, for review, had simply not responded back. I called the managing editor. Non-apologetically, he told me that he thought the paper was very good but since there had been no peer review, since the reviewers had not bothered to respond, he would ask the editor to make a final decision. How can an editor decide on the merit of a strict specialty article? A week went by and no answer. I ran out of patience. I wrote an e-mail to the editor about withdrawing our submission and decided to send it to another journal. A few days later I received a letter from the Journal. The language had grammatical mistakes of an eight year old. It was hard to make sense of the opening paragraph and when it did make any sense, it took support of a trivial objection to return the article. And here we are wondering why our professional journals have no international prestige. There… Here…

THE BEST STORIES

H

e made his way stealthily through the thick of battle around him. Spear in his right hand, eyes focused on his target just as a hungry leopard stalking his prey. With intense concentration, he steadily got closer till his target was in range of his spear; Hamza, the beloved uncle of our beloved Prophet Muhammad , sword in his right hand, he was in his element. He had said on the day of Badr, “What faces me has never scared me.” But for Wahshi, Hamza’s death was the only ticket to freedom and unimaginable treasures from his masters, Abu SufiĀn and Hind. She had made a promise to herself, after the death of her father ĂUtbĀ and her uncle ShaĂiba at the hands of Hamza, may Allah be pleased with him, in the battle of Badr and so in Wahshi, the Abyssinian slave, she saw the fulfillment of her promise. So here he was, on the day of UĄud, searching for Hamza and his freedom. One final check and the spear left his hand. Just as Hamza turned, the spear pierced his chest, bringing him to his knees even though he tried to walk towards his assassin. As Hamza fell, I looked up at their faces. Both pair of eyes was glued to the laptop screen; tears had filled up the eyes of Haris and Adil, my 6 and 4 year old sons. The intensity on their faces was as if they were physically present in the battle ground. For days, whenever the name of UĄud was mentioned, they would both spring up and say in unison, “Baba, that’s when Wahshi killed hazrat Hamza.” But the stories did not begin in this manner. It was Superman, Batman, Spiderman or one of the other famous

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TV characters imported from the West; characters who have found a solid grounding in the minds of our children and so, bedtime stories for my children were also based on these characters. I always thought children connected to these imaginary characters more than they did to real stories and those too with an Islamic theme. But then I decided to do my own experiment; I started telling them the stories from the QurāĀn, ‘Qassas-ul-QurāĀn’ as they are known: The stories of the Prophets and their nations. Boys being boys they loved tales of battles. My stories of the QurāĀn also included those of the battles of the Prophet, Allah’s peace be upon him, and his Companions. The reaction was extraordinary. They could relate to those stories more than I had imagined. When I started telling the story of Prophet Ibrahim to my four year old son, his response was perfect. I still remember when I recreated the scene for him, based on the exact message of the QurāĀn (in sĈrat al-AnĂĀm), he could make more sense than most adults. He was lying on my left side in my bed on a Sunday morning and when I said, “When Prophet Ibrahim saw a bright star at night, he thought, could this be my Lord?” Before I could tell him anymore, he said with a small laugh, “Allah cannot be seen, He is very big, in the skies.” “Yes, you are right,” I said with a sense of pride. “But when the day light arrived, the star disappeared and Ibrahim said to himself, this cannot be my Lord. The next day, he saw the moon and thought to himself, could this be my Lord?” From the corner of my eyes, I could see a meaningful smile come over his face as he listened intently to the story. When I came to the part about the sun, before I could say anything, he said, “Hazrat Ibrahim thought this must be my Lord,” “Yes he did,” I said. It was incredible how the story was clicking with his instinct, which based on the authentic hadith

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of the noble Prophet, virtually transmitted in all hadith collections, was not surprising, “All children are born on the natural primordial disposition (i.e. Islam). It is their parents, who turn them into Jews, Christians or Zoroastrians.” It was not long before they had heard all the major stories of the QurāĀn. That was our most enjoyable period of the day; the bed time stories. And then I added a hadith each day and it was so natural that when I would delay the hadith for a few minutes, they would both say in unison, “You haven’t told us the hadith yet.” We seem to have forgotten our role as parents for our children. We are their first role models. But we have no time for role modeling. Caught up in our purely materialistic life styles, we work from 8 am to 8 pm and expect the schools to transform our children. When we do get back home, it’s time to switch the TV on and watch the so called news. No time for a personal engagement with the children. When it comes to wholesome family life, there is nothing more damaging than this multi-functional box called TV. What TV does for the most part, is sell all kinds of things. We have a master seller in each home and the painful part is that he sells us sweet poison and we are a bunch of addicted buyers. I am so intrigued by this ‘breaking news.’ What exactly is that? The only thing these breaking news break is one’s sanity and solitude. Just look at the impact of the so called ‘live’ coverage of the recent Islamabad Marriot suicide bombing and the later Mumbai carnage. The effect on the public would have been dramatically less had it not been for the second to second graphic coverage provided by the electronic media. We forget that there is a natural shield provided by Allah : This is a time buffer before horrific news reaches all humanity. That provides the badly needed recovery time between the never ending spiritual wounds of these events, but thanks to modern technology all that has been taken away. The defenses have been taken away leaving us stripped

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bare, nothing stands between us and the money driven crazed ‘breaking news.’ Then there are the nauseating repetitive advertisements. Even if there is a rare positive show on TV, they interrupt it with socially and morally stripped advertisements so frequently that one forgets what the theme of the show was in the first place. And it’s not just the TV. This malignant disease has afflicted every communication portal. One cannot even open one’s e-mail in peace. Try opening yahoo mail, at least till December 2008, and on the right corner is the picture of a seducing young women inviting you on a blind date! And all I wanted to do was to check my e-mail. Our senses are constantly bombarded all the time by these false advertisers – that’s what they are; false advertisers. Tell me honestly, have you ever felt like you are on top of K-2 after drinking mountain dew? Or suddenly start skiing down difficult mountain slopes after sipping a cup of coffee? Home developers play advertisements about a new housing scheme, the land of which has not beet acquired yet, showing lavishly decorated homes that appear to be from a Hollywood movie set. Are they saying this is what your house will look like? If not, and for sure not, then they are lying to us – plain and simple. You drive down any main road and notice that none of your senses is spared from the onslaught of advertisers. The eyes are pulled away by billboards, the ears by the blasting advertisements from the radio and lest we forget, now they have found a way of using our bodies as advertising tools as well; the T-shirts with bold brand names on the front or back etc. While mega-companies are firing low level employees under the cover of ‘cost cuts’ or ‘restructuring’ because of financial crunch, the millions they spend on executive salaries and advertisements are effected in the least. The world has

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seen, with the collapse of Wall Street, what this greedy and selfish ideology has done to the global financial system. Today our children are raised by cable and satellite television and Sony PlayStation. Their role models, thanks to these magic-boxes, are movie stars, musicians, and ‘artists.’ I remember one day as I was driving back from the hospital, the weather suddenly turned stormy. I stopped my car on the road side. On the car radio, the radio jockey, a woman, said, “The weather is fantastic out there and to celebrate this, I am going to play a fantastic song for all of you.” The weather is fantastic! The howling of the dusty wind, the shaking of mighty trees like paper toys sent shivers down my spine. I began asking Allah  for His Mercy. That was the practice of the Prophet  whenever the weather became stormy. When Ayesha, may Allah be pleased with her, asked him why he was so perturbed, he  replied, “What assurance do we have that this is not the wrath of Allah, when there have been those before us who were destroyed by a similar wind.” But then what else would you expect from a television generation. No time to read about the life of the noble Prophet  or his Companions, may Allah  be pleased with them. Imam al-Baghawi in his Tafsir narrated a saying of Abdullah bin MasĂĈd that “If one wants to follow, then he should follow the dead, for the living have not completely proven themselves in trials.” He then said, “They are the Companions of Muhammad . By Allah, they were the best of this Ummah.” It’s time to relive the days of ‘the best of this Ummah’ with our children. That is their only opportunity to be the best of the future of this Ummah.

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spotted him easily as I walked down the hallway of the hospital; he was stooped down, walking slowly, both hands trying to support his lower back. He saw me as well and stopped as we approached each other. “Assalamu alaykum Sir,” he said in a feeble voice “Walaykum assalam, how are you feeling?” “Much better Sir,” his voice belied his true condition. He walked away slowly, pausing every few meters to catch his breath. I had seen him a few days earlier on cardiology consult service. He was admitted to the medical ward of the charity foundation hospital within Shifa International Hospital. He was emaciated, cyanosed (bluish skin coloration), and talking in brief breaths. He said he was eighteen years old, though he looked more like twelve. He had a congenital heart disease: a hole in the top two chambers of the heart called an atrial septal defect which allows non-oxygenated blood to mix with the oxygenated one being delivered to the body. It is an uncommon disease but one with devastating outcome if not treated early. The treatment is open heart surgery using a patch to close the defect, which leads to near normal life expectancy. I asked him why his surgery was not done when his disease was diagnosed in his childhood. “I am an orphan, my uncle takes care of me and he did not have enough money to pay for the operation.” He replied. I estimated the cost. It could not have been more than fifteen thousand rupees – fifteen thousand rupees. 94

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Now it was too late. He was long past the stage where corrective surgery could be performed. He was fifteen thousand rupees too late and faces a slow and agonizing death by a disease that robs him of precious oxygen – the most sought-after commodity for each and every cell of human body. Every time his face flashes before me, I think of him and all the other faceless ones whose life and dignity is slowly drowning in oblivion because the Muslim state and society refuses to recognize its fundamental responsibility to its citizens. I wish that the Muslim state would recognize that it will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment for miserably failing to create a just health care system which provides for free critical medical care for all its citizens, while at the same time it spends endlessly for overseas treatment, even for noncritical diseases, for the parliamentarians, the bureaucrats, the politicians and their families and so forth and so on. I wish that the pharmaceutical industry stops providing gifts and five-star dinners etc. to physicians. I wish they would stop ‘sponsoring’ the fully paid overseas conference trips for high volume practitioners, as these trips are for the most part, more of a paid vacation than a truly academic exercise. I wish the doctors would buy their own meals and pay for their own conferences, which they easily can. I wish the drug and medical products industry donate fifty percent of their annual marketing funds for free care for deserving patients. I wish that all school going children of the country would reach school in a safe and dignified manner. How can the state ever justify the children of a grade 22 officer to be driven to school in a chauffeur driven car while the children of ordinary citizens are stuffed like animals on private/public buses, vans and horse-carts? I wish the taxi driver who drove through the red light on 14th August, 2008 flying a massive flag of Pakistan on the back of his taxi, would recognize that he had just strangled the spirit of the same country. I might not have had a flag on

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my car that day, but I waited till the light turned green before driving on. I wish the VIP’s of this country would stop wasting valuable and sacred time in pointless ‘opening’ and ‘closing’ ceremonies. Ceremonies about which they are literally clueless until the day before, when their secretaries hand them a carefully written speech which would convey the impression as if they were the masters of the matter at hand. I wish that the organizers of these ceremonies would stop inviting these VIP’s in the first place. I wish they would stop posing for the ‘shield’ shot. Most of these shields end up in the dustbin anyway. Shaykh Hamza narrated that a minister once came to see čmĀm al-Ghazali and the čmĀm said to him, “Your time is all reckoned for, what are you doing visiting me. Go do your job.” I wish that the rulers of the Muslim society would have to go themselves for simple personal legal matters to the courthouses of the country to see what anarchic places these cradles of justice have become. I wish that the elite of the Muslim society would go to work twice every week on public transport just to get a flavor of what the people of the country, on whose shoulders they are in this position of power, have to endure every day just getting to work and then back to home. I wish the multimedia industry including TV, print, and online, recognize the enormous damage they have done to the psyche of this nation. I wish they could read and understand this verse of the QurāĀn, Those who love to broadcast such slander among the believers will have a painful punishment in this life and in the Hereafter. an-NĈr: 19

Think about it; would anyone buy even one of those countless magazines on store shelves if the picture on the

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front page is that of a bearded man in ‘amĀma instead of a sensuous, thinly or partially clad young woman? The publishers and the sellers know the mantra, that’s why she is on there. So how can they absolve themselves of this heinous crime on the Day of Resurrection? Also, if they managed to dig out a juicy story about a public figure, they would publish it in total disregard of the hadith of the Prophet  in which he advised the Muslims to cover the faults of other erring Muslims. (Muslim) We understand that the only exception will be those circumstances where the public wellbeing and safety is at stake. But tell me honestly, is that why they do it? No, this is all just for money. I wish the TV would stop broadcasting dramas shot at expensive locations in Dubai, showing illicit love affairs between the opposite genders. Are they doing it with a corrective purpose in mind? Is this a new psychological methodology for correcting immorality? I wish TV channels would repetitively broadcast programs showing the right way to drive and park and follow the rules on the road and in public places, respecting each other, obeying the law, displaying patience, forgiving each other and so on. Why do they only reserve thirty minutes early morning for QurāĀnic explanations and educational content and telecast frivolous shows the rest of the day? I wish the rulers, legitimate and illegal ones, the politicians, the bureaucrats, the scientists, the chief guests; all either speak in wholesome English or wholesome Urdu and stop putting English rags in an Urdu speech. Is our national language not even worth thirty minutes of no-English run? If that is the case, then we might as well have chosen Arabic as our national language. At least we would have something in common with our Arab brothers and at the same time perhaps have a better understanding of the book of Allah .

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I wish the state would post not one traffic police officer, who is frequently helpless in face of the traffic onslaught, but four officers at every intersection of each city and not just on the VIP routes. I wish that the city departments would hire enough fulltime or part-time employees who would spot the pot-holes and the dead street-light bulbs before they either break the auto-axils or someone trips in the dark and breaks a hip. Would that not help in creating respectable job opportunities for so many unemployed? I wish that the city departments of the Muslim society show the same urgency in repairing the overflowing sewerage lines and disposing off heaps of garbage in crowded neighbor-hoods of the city, with which they maintain the constitution avenue in Islamabad. I wish the Muslim state would provide decent transport and decent salaries to all law-enforcement officials, sparing them the humiliation of begging for free lifts after a full day of hard duty, mostly guarding the VIP’s. How can the protectors of our life, honor and belongings, perform well if they themselves have no respect and unfulfilled basic needs at home? I wish every overseas trip of state bureaucrats and parliamentarians be linked with tangible positive and productive results and if not, the charges of the futile trip be levied on the one who enjoyed it at our expense in the first place. I wish the Muslim state makes it a principle that all civil cases are to be decided within one week and all criminal cases within one month, barring rare exceptions. I wish we would never hear of a case stretching for ten years or more. I wish all the higher courts have three shifts, operating 24 hours a day to dispose-off cases rapidly. Think of all the new jobs for upcoming judges and court staffers.

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I wish the Muslim state would enact laws that bar public and private enterprises from milking unnatural and inhumane working hours from their employees. I wish the state would ensure that every citizen gets to spend quality time with their family and not become utilitarian automatons. I wish all of us could recognize the sickness that afflicts each one of us and not just the rulers of the Muslim Ummah. After-all the Prophet  forewarned, “As you are, so shall be your rulers.” I refuse to believe that all of our problems are because of a handful of corrupt elite and rulers. We are quick to identify the sickness of others but forget that it is the same disease that afflicts us as individuals, and as a society. How convenient it is to see the faults of others and think all is well inside one’s self. I wish… I wish… I wish…

BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Malik, F A. The English translation of the meaning of Al- QurāĀn. Institute of Islamic Knowledge Houston, Texas 1997 2. Khan, Muhammad Mohsin, Hilali, Muhammad Taqi-udDin. Interpretation of the meaning of The Nobel QurāĀn. Darussalam. Riyadh 3. Bukhari, SaĄąĄ, Darussalam. Riyadh 1999 4. Muslim, SaĄąĄ, Darussalam. Riyadh 1999 5. English translation Al-ĂAlim version 6.0

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Masnad

čmĀm

Ahmad.

6. English translation of JamiĂ Tirmidhi. Al-ĂAlim version 6.0 7. Zahra, Muhammad Abu (translation by Aisha Bewley). The Four Imams: Their lives, works and their schools of thought. Aligargh, India 8. Al-jazĀirą, Abu Bakr Darussalam. Lahore 1997

JĀbir.

MinhĀj-al-Muslim.

9. Asad, Muhammad. The Principles of Government in Islam. Kuala Lumpur 1999

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10. Utah Phillips. The “Golden voice Southwest.” 2008, Democracy Now.org

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