Reverberations of a Ramadaan Night…

It was a hard day for me; in fact, this entire period of the past 2-3 months had been quite hard on me. It was Ramadaan of 1431 Hijri, the graceful and blessed month of Islam. I had sought permission from my boss to report to office early and leave by 4.30 to 5.00 PM so that I could open my fasts conveniently at home. This would also ensure that I was able to offer Taraweeh prayers – maybe after 3-4 years… However, it never meant less work for me. The driving work pressure compelled me to work extended hours at home, late nights – sometimes even till 2.30 to 3.00 AM in the morning. The pressure was immense because my boss was to visit Frankfurt for International Book Fair, and we had to close certain books before that, which meant no scope of relaxation in the deadlines.


I soon became pretty annoyed and frustrated with this routine, since it meant immense exertion and a precarious lack of sleep. I had to wake up for the Suhoor at around 3.30 AM. Then, I was able to catch some sleep [about half an hour to 45 minutes] after Fajir prayers. Then came the struggle to reach office latest by 8.30 AM, to ensure that I was able to leave for the day early. At times, I had to struggle with the swelling traffic on the roads to reach home before the Iftaar time, but Alhamdulillah I always managed to reach on time. After Iftaar and Maghrib prayers, I was compelled to continue working from home. Took a small break for Taraweeh prayers; after which a quick dinner and then back to work again till late at night… This routine had been continuing for quite some days and it had seemingly become very exhausting. A satanic thought always crossed my mind during those days – of all the days in the year, why did this have to happen to me during Ramadaan??


It was one of these days that this incident happened to me. I entered the mosque of my apartment for Taraweeh prayers. A very frail and destitute figure sat next to me as we waited for our Imam to commence the Isha prayers. The figure sitting next to me was literally in rags, with a drearily thin physique and sunken and hollow cheeks; and was probably poor enough not to manage a bathing soap even; his body odor eerily conveyed that he had perspired too much in the day and had probably not taken a bath after that. I quietly asked him who he was and what he did. He turned out to be a rickshaw puller who lived across the street. Did he fast, I asked him; to which he replied in the affirmative. Did he work [pull his rickshaw] while fasting, I asked next; to which he again replied in the affirmative. His answers went gorily deep down my heart like a gulp of blood – he fasted all day long, pulled rickshaw, and perspired because of that. That is the reason why he was sweating and smelling so profusely.


Contrast this against my own plight – I drive to office in an AC car, work in the office that is centrally air conditioned, then drive back home again in the same AC car, and cozily sit in my study room and do my work. What would it be like for such a frail and destitute figure to scorch in the sun the entire day, pull his rickshaw throughout the day to ensure that he earns enough to survive the next day, and then keep fasting throughout the day as well…. Oh Allah, how pleasant this body odor of his must be appearing to You indeed, for even the mere stench from the mouth of the fasting people appears like musk to You!!


That was enough, and I simply could not control my emotions after that. I wanted to hug him, but could not do so because the iqaamat for Isha prayers commenced, and I wept throughout the four rekahs; even during the Taraweeh prayers. Allah had made me see how much other people are close to Him, how much harder they toil for their mere survival, how much more they sweat as compared to me, how much more they are stripped off the necessities of life; but still they continue praising Allah and never complain!! And most important of all, Allah had shown to me probably how much more harder I NEEDED TO TOIL TO GET CLOSER TO HIM. I wept despairingly within my soul and controlled my tears from dropping off my eyes until the time I could. Then I prayed to Allah Almighty to make us all close to Him, so that we all are able to toil hard for His cause, and be amongst those whom He would bestow the honor of glorifying Islam, Ameen!!

The Journey of a Lifetime :: Reminiscing Hajj 2010 - Part I

The spellbinding and gorgeous Black Cubical Structure stood in front of our eyes. All emotions and reflexes kindled off quietly as we approached it and gazed through its mesmerizing structure from its top to its bottom. The gorgeousness of the Structure flashed in front of our eyes like lightening, as if we had seen some kind of a treasure!!

Treasure sure it is! The Treasure of the blessings of the Almighty!! I had heard from a lot of people that people are simply unable to control their emotions and their tears when they see the Kaaba for the first time. I was overpowered by my emotions long before setting my eyes on the Kaaba. It happened while we were on our way from Jeddah to Mecca, when our tour guide showed us the approach to Mecca and “Hudood-e-Haram” [the boundaries of the Holy Precinct of Al Haram]. The road ahead of us bifurcated, with one stretch drifting away from the Holy Precinct, clearly outlining the path for the non-believers; ensuring that no non-believer is ever allowed to set foot in “Hudood-e-Haram”!! The other stretch carried a hoarding citing “Hudood-e-Haram starts here”… This was the most felicitous moment of my life; how fortunate are we to have been allowed to traverse this road leading to “Hudood-e-Haram” – Allah-ho-Akbar; thank you Allah for making us among the believers, though completely full of sins we might be!! Tears were simply uncontrollable at this point, and I just shook my wife, who was sleeping besides my seat in the bus. I showed her the bifurcating road and told her that no non-believers are allowed to enter “Hudood-e-Haram”; so thank Allah for making us among the believers! We were four of us on this journey, and my mother and younger brother were seated in the adjacent seats. We then entered “Hudood-e-Haram”; and the microphone speakers inside the bus passionately exclaimed the Talbiyah:

“Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik, Labbaika Laa Shareeka laka Labbaik;


Innal Hamdah, wa Nematah, laka wal Mulk; Laa Shareeka laka…”

Here I am at Your service O Lord, here I am. Here I am at Your service and You have no partners. Yours alone is All Praise and All Bounty, and Yours alone is The Sovereignty. You have no partners…



Preparing for the Journey



We all were very enthusiastic about this journey, so we did not leave any option or resource unturned to gain information about the process of Umrah and Hajj and other details required in Saudi Arabia. Our tour operator had given us some books and had also organized a training camp a few days before we were to depart from India; however, that did not prove to be sufficient; more so because we found some diversions from the Sunnah as mentioned by the tour operators in the training camp. Therefore, we decided to get some authentic books from Markaz Ahl-e-Hadith. These books were a good companion during our stay and guided us towards the Sunnah or authentic traditions of the Prophet (PBUH) with respect to Umrah and Hajj. One of our neighbors, Mr. Tariq, also helped us with some books and a VCD on the Sunnah process of Umrah and Hajj [may Allah accept his services towards this cause, Ameen!] We again thank Allah Almighty that He provided us the opportunity to learn about authentic Sunnah and saved us from innovations (biddaah)!



Leaving India [October 19, 2010]



We had patiently waited for this day to come by, when we would be flying off to Jeddah to set forth our eyes on the glorious and gorgeous Kaaba. Everything was set as planned, and I awaited the arrival of a friend who had promised to drop us to the airport in his car. However, as the saying goes, the journey of Hajj is characterized by hardships and perseverance. Our dear friend became engaged with some crucial official assignment and called us well in time to notify that he would be unable to come by. Alhamdulillah, so the hardships of Hajj has begun for us!! For the first time ever I did not feel any remorse or resentment at this news; actually, felt satisfied that probably Allah Almighty is testing us right at the beginning of this journey! We called in a private taxi for the airport, and then set off…

On the way to the airport, we could see hoards of cars carrying Hajj pilgrims to the airports. Most of the pilgrims were garlanded, as we could see through the cars. I was amused at this sight, because I had read an authentic Hadith the night before, citing how the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions used to garland their sacrificial animals during their Hajj pilgrims!! We were again fortunate enough that ours was a private tour operator and we had our regular international flight from the new gorgeous Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport [not from the Hajj Terminal, since ours was a regular international flight]!

All went fine and we completed our check-in formalities, then immigration, and finally the security check. The flight was on time, and we still had about an hour and a half at hand; so we now thought of offering prayers and changing into Ihraam sheets [since we were to fly to Jeddah and had to go to Mecca by bus from there, we would be crossing the Miqaat in the airplane itself; therefore, it was obligatory to be in the state of Ihraam before crossing the Miqaat]. Though we had practiced assuming the Ihraam sheets a lot, we were not at all confident until this moment. We found a prayer room near Gate 15 of Terminal 3, where we offered our prayers and changed into Ihraam sheets (which happened without any trouble this time!!). The feel of the two unstitched sheets was so amazing; and what to say about the greatness of this attire. With the sheets of Ihraam on, we sure felt like the ambassadors of Allah Almighty, although at present these were just plain unstitched sheets and we had yet not proclaimed our intension for Umrah and Hajj!!

Our flight took off from IGI airport on time. We were told by our tour operators that there would be an announcement in the airplane when we approach the Miqaat, but no such announcement happened. Some good-intentioned people informed us of the approaching Miqaat based on the time lapsed. We then proclaimed our intention for Umrah and Hajj and exclaimed the Talbiyah!! Now, we were Muhrim, or in the state of Ihraam, with all the restrictions of Ihraam applicable to us. This was another chilling moment!

Through the rest of the flight, I just tried to recall and remind myself of the prohibitions that I needed to take care of as a Muhrim – no perfumed soaps or tissues, no killing of insects or mosquitoes, no plucking of branches and leaves, no picking up of fallen things not belonging to us…

It’s Trial, Not Punishment

“Cursed were the people of the ditch (the story of the Boy and the King). … They had nothing against them, except that they believed in Allâh, the Almighty, Worthy of all Praise! … Verily, those who put into trial the believing men and believing women (by torturing them and burning them), and then do not turn in repentance, (to Allâh), will have the torment of Hell, and they will have the punishment of the burning Fire.”

Al Quran :: Surah Al Burooj :: Verses 4, 8, and 10

A lot of scholars assert the fact that the pitiable condition of Muslims world over that we witness today is due to the fact that Muslims are being PUNISHED for their misdeeds. We all at times, gullibly agree to the same. Perhaps it is not so…

Our Apartment has been blessed with one endowment that we have a splendid Dars-e-Quran session every Saturday after Isha. The last one saw a description of Surah Al Burooj, where the Mufti sb emphasized on this aspect of people propagating and believing that the Community’s bad times are punishments from the Almighty. Mufti sb emphasized on various logical reasons to outstandingly defy and nullify this perception, which actually appealed to me so much that I am penning down this brief discourse. Mufti sb emphasized on the following aspects:

1. This Surah was revealed at a time when few Muslims were faced with a lot of torture and torment from the disbelievers. These verses were a respite to the Muslims, who were acquainted with the fact that through the ages, believers have been put to trial, something that will continue for the remaining days of the world. The believers faced the trial and torment because “They had nothing against them, except that they believed in Allâh, the Almighty, Worthy of all Praise!” Deductively, this implies that the believers have been faced with torment and trial through the ages, but they had no fault except for believing in Allah… So, how can they be punished for believing in Allah?

2. The Holy Quran uses the word “trial”, and not punishment, to describe these torments by the disbelievers. Quran is Divine Word; therefore, selects the most appropriate words to describe something. The choice of trial makes it evidently clear that what we perceive as punishment is not actually punishment. It is TRIAL…

3. Allah has promised the punishment of hellfire for people involved in tormenting the believers. So, how logical is it to say that the people who punish the wrongdoers [if we perceive the believers as being punished for their wrongdoings] are destined for the hellfire abound? If we perceive the torments to be punishments, it is similar to perceiving an executioner being punished for carrying out the executions ordained by the Court of Law!! Definitely, the Devine logic will never curse and punish someone who punishes wrongdoers and prohibits wrongdoing; but what the tormenters are doing is definitely not the same.

4. If Allah is so forgiving and merciful that He promises to pardon these tormenters if they repent [even after tormenting the believers for ages], how can He, the Almighty, be so cruel to the believers to punish them with such torments at the hands of the disbelievers? Isn’t it contradictory to believe that on the one hand, Allah offers to pardon the tormenters if they repent, but ordains punishments for the believers? A believer is always higher, as per Allah, as compared to a disbeliever.

To conclude, Allah has mentioned at numerous places in the Glorious Quran that the believers will be put to trial; will be surely put to trial. Trials could come in any form; monetary, health, unwanted situations, untoward incidents… We, as believers, need to ensure that our belief [eemaan] does not give way to these trials under any circumstances, Insha Allah. We must continue to believe that with each trial, we grow as more strong and believing Muslims. We must continue to believe that Allah offers leniency to the disbelievers in their ordeals in this World; simply to enlarge their Heavenly Torment. Mufti sb observed that we should not fall prey to the perception that the situations we face today are due to our wrongdoings; rather we should strive to struggle in the way of the Truth! We must also believe that we, who face trials, are fortunate to the extent that Allah puts His best creations to varying degrees of trials at all times! “Verily, those who believe and do righteous good deeds, for them will be Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise). That is the great success.” [Al Quran :: Surah Al Burooj :: Verse 11]

I have tried my best to put into writing the explanations offered by Mufti sb; any errors that might have crept in would be my personal onus. May Allah guide us to the Right Path always, Ameen!

Muslims have to prove themselves more capable than non-Muslims | ummid.com

Muslims have to prove themselves more capable than non-Muslims ummid.com

The Azmi brothers: Profiles in courage | TwoCircles.net

The Azmi brothers: Profiles in courage TwoCircles.net

When My Wife Took to Hijab

It was a pleasant Sunday afternoon; the much awaited weekend! We, I and my wife, offered the Zohar prayers, had our lunch, and then set out for the famous Central Market at Lajpat Nagar (New Delhi). On an average, I ensure that we visit a good market at least once a month, so that we are able to purchase groceries and other household items required frequently. This visit was one of those monthly visits, but it brought something very fervent and important with it; and We thank Allah for the same!


A few days back, I had joined my mother and wife in a discussion over head scarves and related recent news-making events in Europe. We had discussed the issues with great interest, and had also noted at the time that a similar attitude had probably starting taking an offing in India; when I elaborated on another case where a Muslim girl in Kerala was dismissed from a Missionary school after she refused to remove her head scarf. The entire discussion culminated on an amazingly ironical point – neither my mother nor my wife wore head scarves or anything similar to cover their heads on a regular basis. However, I could see a sparkling resolve in the eyes of my wife towards starting to wear the same as soon as possible. My mother had also encouraged her for the same, though not very emphatically. More so because she believes that tenets of Islam must not be adopted forcefully. In addition, she herself was not using the head scarf; although my sister dons it as a symbol of Islamic liberation very proudly!

Now, we were at the Lajpat Nagar Central Market, when I suddenly spotted a lady wearing a head scarf and Abaya. The scarf looked so gracious and appealing that I could not resist compelling my wife to enquire from where the lady had got the head scarf. To our disappointment, it turned out that the lady was an NRI and had got the scarf from Saudi Arabia. Maybe next time, I thought to myself. Then we came to a store and spotted something like the head scarves. We went inside, and finally selected one for my wife after an elongated screening (it was actually a stole that could be used as a head scarf). The shopkeeper offered to pack it; my wife declined, and I stood there a bit astounded. She then pompously and audaciously put it over her head and asked me to pay; and I was moved beyond my imaginations!!

The first instant reaction that came to my mind was to feel all the prying eyes in the store looking at us. What might they be thinking? Surely they might presume us to be part of the stereotyped ghettoized Muslim community, isn’t it? The very next moment, I rubbished the thought by reciting “There is no other power worthy of worship other than Allah Almighty!”, and instantly felt the satanic thoughts shrugging me off. The next step was to triumphantly stand beside my wife and join her in her jubilant celebrations of her choice of embracing the modesty of Islam! Indeed, I am now a proud husband of a woman who has chosen to embrace the tenets of Hijab and Pardah with pride, honor, and dignity! I rose stirringly high in my own eyes on this accomplishment, although my only contribution to it was a few rupees for the cost of the scarf. We then extolled Allah and gleefully marched throughout the market as if we had clinched a victory!

Indeed, the liberty, modesty, grace, elegance, dignity, and exquisiteness of Pardah is unparalleled!! Pardah, the modesty of Islam, is unmatched in all other forms of exquisiteness! How it gives an all new pristine look to the entire personality!! However, you need those eyes, that heart, and the rational to accentuate it. Now, I feel more proud and vibrant; flamboyant would be a better word, while going out with my wife. We feel very fortunate and thank Allah for enlightening us with His words and leading us to the Right Path. May we be guided by the light of Islam always, Ameen!

The Hindu : News / National : Jessica case: Supreme Court upholds conviction of Manu Sharma

The Hindu : News / National : Jessica case: Supreme Court upholds conviction of Manu Sharma

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The Unstoppable RTI Maverick | OPEN Magazine

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For Shahid..the martyr!! TwoCircles.net

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Remembering Shahid Azmi ummid.com

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Adv Shahid Azmi shot dead in Mumbai TwoCircles.net

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Smoke and mirrors- Hindustan Times

Smoke and mirrors- Hindustan Times

On Cognitive Empowerment

“Coming to understand a painting or a symphony in an unfamiliar style, to recognize the work of an artist or school, to see or hear in new ways, is as cognitive an achievement as learning to read or write or add.”

Nelson Goodman

The Muslim Indian community is today plagued with various maladies, including poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, and political insecurity. Perhaps M. A. Jinnah had foreseen and prophesied this state of the Muslim Indian community, and had vehemently demanded the partition of the Indian Subcontinent. Jinnah may or may not have been justified in his demand for a separate state; however, the reality stands to witness that partition has in no way solved these problems; neither in India nor in Pakistan. At the same time, it is cognitively absurd at this juncture to divulge, introspect, and resent on a historical rhetoric beyond our control. We might always be tempted to depart from the metaphorical and embellished thought process of conferring Partition as the root of our present maladies. However, our mental cerebration would almost always stop us from extricating the effect of Partition and its emotional implications on the sorry state we cut today. Why is any thought of the future so hauntingly dismayed by the past? Why cannot our thought process be alienated from this rhetoric impediment? The primary reason is that we acutely lack cognitive empowerment; and love to mix emotions and thinking [aka mixing drinking and driving??].

Cognitive empowerment might be a heavy and loaded term for many; however, it needs a high level of consideration. Before we define it, let’s take a look at the background of cognition – or the thought process. And even before we talk of cognition, let’s talk about the different types of learning and thought processes. Benjamin Bloom, a noted scientist in the field of learning psychology, has laid down three domains of learning in the taxonomy that he has developed:

• Cognitive: Deals with intellectual learning abilities
  
• Affective: Deals with emotions and behavioral skills
  
• Psychomotor: Deals physical movements, coordination, and use of motor skills
  

Note that the learning we are talking about here is not related to appearing and passing an exam; rather extending to acquiring the skills to visualize, think, perceive, deduce, interpret, and act cogently in a given situation. Also note that being literate is no way a guarantee of gaining learning, as per the Constructivist School of Thought on Cognitive/Learning Psychology. All these three domains of learning play a major role in developing the cognitive thinking and decision making skills of an individual. For example, how we react to an adverse situation, say confronted with a person abusing – this reaction may be propelled by a combination of emotional outburst, combined with an intellectual action requiring physical movement. The reaction could be highly emotional, by replying in the same language; wherein the affective domain dominates the decision making ability. The reaction might also include slapping the abuser; which demonstrates the use of affective and psychomotor domains. In very rare cases, the reaction might include ignoring the person with the thought that he/she has done some wrong to himself/herself, not to me – and contemplating to avoid a similar situation in future. This third reaction vehemently demonstrates a very controlled decision that combines the three domains of learning in the best possible way – as also promoted by Islam. If we gain the ability to ascertain the requisite levels of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor involvements and control our thought process and actions accordingly, that is when I would define as having attained cognitive empowerment.

The irony with the Muslim Indian community today is that we precariously allow the affective domain to dominate in our thought process and decision making skills. This has a direct bearing of the environment that we are generally exposed to. Err; please allow me to call it ghetto, not environment!! We have been brought up in a ghetto that constantly reminds us that learning starts and ends with literacy – the ability to read and write. Unfortunately, learning starts much beyond simple literacy. Unfortunate in its sense because the intellectuals and frontrunners of the Community have never delved in this surprising verity – and we are often too happy and content with our efforts towards making the Community literate; maybe with a few degrees and certificates – nothing beyond that.

It is this ghetto that compels us to argue for reservations and other leverages; perceiving them as means to an end. Unfortunately again, these are ends in themselves, barriers that prevent us from moving any further. What we do with reservations and similar leverages is elevate ourselves on the same platform of abjection and wretchedness; when we should have actually thought of moving forward, not staying at the present location on an elevated platform. It is this ghetto that surreptitiously tempts us towards the coziness and security of being enclosed within a self-defined boundary of progress; bravely negating the external veracity. [For example, we clap and congratulate when a few students of AMU are selected by a few companies; but fail to compare with where the students of other universities stand in terms of placements.] We are belittled by the same ghetto to view engineering, medicine; maybe management and mass communication these days, as the conviction to success, while pompously ignoring any other unconventional but promising career. This ghetto gets more intense and innate in our generations with every level of lack of cognitive empowerment, because lack of empowerment has an overbearing genetic effect.

Cognitive empowerment can be developed with a sincere will combined with the ability to retrospect and question. Questioning leads to arguments, debates, and inductive and deductive reasoning. It has also been encouraged in our religion. The glorious Islamic history is witness to the birth, development, and implementation of this cognitive empowerment and reasoning; which might have obligated Allama Iqbal to proclaim that “the birth of Islam is the birth of inductive reasoning; an intellectual revolt against the speculative philosophy of the Greeks”. However, we have perhaps misplaced it somewhere. We need to search and reconstruct this intellectual revolt against the contemporary, and recognize, see, hear, and induce the reality in new ways. Let’s make this effort to understand a painting and a symphony detached from our conventional thought process. It would mark a renaissance to break open our ghetto thought process and regain our lost cognitive empowerment – not seemingly similar to gaining our lost glory, as per some think tanks. Till then, we have miles to go before we sleep…

Politics Of Babri Masjid By Kuldip Nayar

Politics Of Babri Masjid By Kuldip Nayar

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Outliving the Personality Cult

"An election is coming. Universal peace is declared, and the foxes have a sincere interest in prolonging the lives of the poultry."

- George Eliot

I recollect sitting and discussing the political scenario with a few friends of mine way back in 1996, when the BJP had come to power for the first time. As obvious, BJP’s coming to power was being observed as a disheartening and depressing episode. “What would happen now?” I asked one of the most acclaimed friends in the group. “Nothing; we will get a very virtuous and competent Prime Minister in the rank of Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee!!” The group slithered with utter disbelief, shock, and silence for a while; and we called off the discussion. It’s almost 12 years since then, and I still recollect how true that friend was in stating about Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee – can we ever deny his competency as the Prime Minister of the largest democracy in the world? Before moving any further, let me clarify that I have been a stalwart opponent of the Saffron Brigade, and I still continue to be the same. Nevertheless, I somehow strongly believe in what my friend had said about Mr. Vajpayee, in spite of this.

It is not simple personal preferences or penchants that I wish to maintain here. Our country possesses numerous able and competent leaders like Mr. Vajpayee; irrespective of the political party they belong to. In addition, the country has a plethora of political parties with sarcastically, and sometimes sardonically, separated political views, an ever increasing and never ending phenomenon. The complex mix of individualism, sometimes combined and sometimes separated from the political philosophy, has always tickled the average Indian voter. It would have been really easy to ascertain our choice of the preferred leader(s) if we had to look at individuals separated from the political parties they belonged to. To elaborate – even if we assume that the BJP is communal (a simple assumption, without getting into any niceties), can we say Mr. Vajpyee is communal too? However, voting for the BJP just because one wants Mr. Vajpayee to be the Prime Minister does not appear logical either. The dilemma is that we can neither endorse an individual candidate separated from his/her political party, nor endorse a political party separated from its members. Therefore, even if I strongly endorse an individual political leader, I might not be able to actually vote for him/her because I do not agree with the political views of his/her political party. Any respite?

There was a time when the Indian populace was ascetically driven by the personality cult of the Indian National Congress. Prime Ministers were almost a tradition of royal legacy; from Nehru to Indira to Rajeev. Would it be too harsh to say that the Nehru family is still reckoned as the Royal Political Family of India? We might have Manmohan Singhs and I K Gujrals, but isn’t it self-revealing where the rein of thoughts and actions actually rests? It was believed by almost all average Muslim Indians that Congress was the ONLY benefactor for them (for reasons pretty incomprehensible to me); a belief that has surreptitiously eroded with time. Unfortunately, Congress has probably never been able to rise beyond the personality cult that it was so stitched to even before India got independence. At times, it is so appallingly nauseating to recollect: Though all political parties perform their bit in terms of uplifting the nation, BJP represents nothing but the Saffron Brigade; Congress tersely represents nothing but the festering Nehru legacy…

Remember when Rajeev Gandhi had been elected as the Prime Minister? Public sympathy over the assassination of Mrs. Indira Gandhi was perhaps one of the most prominent motivations for people to vote in favor of the Congress during those times. How logical [or emotional] that decision was is a matter of open debate. India did see a young, energetic, and effervescent India during the tenure of Rajeev Gandhi. In fact, the Prime Ministership of late P.V. Narsimha Rao was probably seen as a respite to Nehru legacy; which was probably too ephemeral to yield results. Evidently, Congress could never gain an absolute majority after that, due to seemingly categorical reasons. This regime also witnessed a dramatic shift in the voting pattern of the Indian Voters; when emotional judgment saw a significant mount in deciding the voting patterns. I would say that the Congress has been a good player of the emotional card, albeit the fact that this emotional [read religious] card might be more vociferously visible in case of communal fronts such as the Saffron Brigade. [Scrutinize the “Jai Ho” television ad of the Indian National Congress as a proof of this statement!!]

The emotional voting pattern was actually induced by the Indian National Congress itself; at occasions when it did not have enough substance to reinforce any logical agenda for elections. The other important weaponry adopted by the Congress was the sponsorship of the Nehru Family as the legal progenies for Prime Ministership. Specifically Nehru Family members who were known to be in agreement with the erstwhile Prime Ministers; others like Sanjay or Maneka Gandhi were probably not deserving because they had the nerve to differ. [I am a politically neural person when it comes to endorsing one between the Congress and BJP; therefore please do not decipher this statement in support of Maneka Gandhi.] This proclivity towards the personality cult was so prohibitive, even in the Pre-Independence era, that perhaps it cost us the division of the nation. This can be further maintained by the fact that Maulana Azad had endorsed the May 16, 1946 proposal of the Cabinet Mission to constitute a federal government with greater autonomy for the provinces. Evidently, Maulana Azad had envisaged that this would subdue Jinnah’s demand for a separate nation. However, unfortunately, the stance was ingeniously hijacked by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru because a weak center would imply a weak position of Prime Ministership (Nehru Family descendants??). Maulana Azad was perhaps very right in mentioning in his book, “India Wins Freedom”, that if this situation had not been monopolized by the Indian National Congress, perhaps we would not have witnessed the eternally blemishing Partition.

Returning to the personality cult postulate, when the BJP and the likes espoused on religious sentiments to generate their vote bank, it was only a more erudite and bespoke implementation of the Congress stratagem. Perceptibly, the Congress has been brazened out by its own weapon now. What it had adopted to entice the Minorities has now been evidently; and unfortunately, more adequately worn out by the Saffron Brigade to commandeer the Majority vote bank [my apologies, an assumed Majority vote bank]! If things continue the way they appear, we should not expect an absolute majority of any party in at least the next 25 years perhaps. What next?

A coalition government is highly susceptible to what I love calling “leg pulling cricket”. Obviously, a coalition has its own benefits in terms of better accountability; but most of the times, accountability is hijacked in favor of vested interests. Do we see a respite? As responsible citizens of the largest democracy, we ought to handle this fact with care. In addition, we need to ensure that we decide our vote based on cognition and acumen, not pure sentiments or emotions. The BJP might appear communal; let’s not vote for the Congress ONLY because of this. The Congress may pledge evasion from communalism [though temporary and doubtful]; let’s not vote for the Congress ONLY for this reason. To emanate my point, let’s not shy away from rethinking and amending our political predilections from scratch. Let’s do a more effective cost-benefit analysis before deciding our vote. We would also be required to read between the lines of media endorsements and not be swayed by their speculations or exit polls [it is evidently proved that exit polls are a strong means to influence voting patterns]. The media also needs to be neutral and impartial in its true sense to ensure that we get a government “of the people”, not of the “politicians and tacticians”. Let’s use the personality cult in OUR favor, not in the favor of the vested interests.

Long Live India, Long Live Indian Democracy!!

An Indian Muslim Answers to Gen. Musharraf

The Myopia of Rational Thinking

“Thus, a Muslim may incite his followers to violence, or indulge in it himself, but he still remains a pillar of the community as long as he performs ritual namaz, goes on Haj and abstains from pork. A Hindu may do likewise, but as long as he donates to temples, goes on pilgrimage, does not eat beef and holds bovine life more sacred than human, he will pass muster.”

So holds Lalit Mohan, in his article, “Understanding Terror, Religion Link,” published by Hindustan Times on January 13, 2009. [Read this article here]

It is nauseating to read and recollect how Mr. Mohan obnoxiously argues and tries to prove the point that terrorism is spelt by religion. It really failed and baffled my acumen to accept how such a myopic view can be held and published by a National Daily like the Hindustan Times. The article contains everything except substance and grounded logic. The article not only speaks of the indigent knowledge of Mr. Mohan about the religions but also narrates his poor logic. Terrorism is a vast issue, and a myopic view such as this would only hamper in our efforts to counter it.

Arguably, Mr. Mohan has adopted a quite inhibited view of terrorism. To elaborate, he hastily bellows on the terrorism that takes the form of conflicting religious interests, be it Kashmir, Ayodhya, Godhra, or Mumbai. What about the terrorism delineated in the form of LTTE, ULFA, Naxalism, and the likes? Which religion would Mr. Mohan ascribe to explain LTTE-based terrorism? What kind of religious convergence do the ULFA have? Or does he want to contend that these are no instances of terrorism? Surely, if he does so, it would defiantly stand against the national sentiments, since the Government of India has banned most of these terror organizations.

“If there was no religious divide, terrorists from across the border would not have come to ravage Mumbai because there would have been no border to cross between two regions that were once one India.” How does Mr. Mohan defend this thesis of his when it comes to LTTE, ULFA, and Naxalites? “So after ‘Islamic terrorism’ there is now ‘Hindu terrorism’, just as we once had ‘Sikh terrorism’ and Christian terrorism in Ireland.” By holding this estimation, Mr. Mohan is doing no good to any of the religions. One might agree to Mr. Mohan (just for the sake of argument) that maybe Islam promotes terrorism. So by saying that we have Hindu terrorism as we had Sikh terrorism and Christian terrorism, does Mr. Mohan want to portray that Hinduism, Sikhism, and Christianity, all promote terrorism? More than three-fourth of the world follows one religion or the other. So, does that mean three-fourth world population comes under the brand of terrorism?

To take a flip-side view, the term terrorism is actually contextual. Do we not recall how Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru were branded terrorists by the British Government, but were heroes in the eyes of every patriotic Indian? Can we afford to doubt the intent of the great Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and his role in India’s struggle for independence? Still, Netaji was never held in high regards, was in fact branded a terrorist by the British rulers. Similarly, LTTE is a hero organization for the Tamil Tigers, in spite of the fact that it’s declared a banned terror outfit in India. To ensure that I am not misconstrued, I would vehemently proclaim that I do not stand to justify or defend terrorism. The point that I want to set right is that the brand terrorists is contextual in most cases. Whatever said, no logic would ever be able to justify the atrocities and killings inflicted on innocents by any means.

Let me now give a rational religious point of view to this argument; taking the example from the great epic Ramayana. We know that Great Hanuman had dignified powers compared to others in his rank. However, he temporarily forgot his powers because he misused them. He was able to recall his powers when he set out with a virtuous intention to help Lord Ram. This applies to all religions as well. Every religion bestows great powers to its followers, but no religion teaches its followers to torture and kill innocents. Yes, religions do teach us to stand for justice; enforce by power if possible, stand for justice by way of words, and stand for justice by considering a wrong as a wrong. If; however, this power of enforcing justice and renouncing injustice is misused by few people, can we say that the roots terrorism lie with religions? “Terror is not a by-product of religion”; however, our myopic way of looking at religions is. What we need to fight is not religion, but the misuse of religion for vested interests, which is a vulnerable coerce with any religion. “This is the evil we must fight. Denial will not get us anywhere”.

Just to add for the information of Mr. Mohan, if a Muslim may incite his followers to violence, or indulge in it himself for an unjust cause, it is not condoned in Islam. For the Holy Quran states that if a person slays another person without any just reason [which has further been defined and elaborated in the Quran], it is as if he has killed the entire humankind; and if he resuscitates the life of another person, it is as if he has saved the entire humankind.

That Sense of Insecurity…

“I am a Muslim and profoundly conscious of the fact that I have inherited Islam's glorious tradition of the last fourteen hundred years. I am not prepared to lose even a small part of that legacy. ... I am equally proud of the fact that I am an Indian, an essential part of the indivisible unity of the Indian nationhood, a vital factor in its total makeup, without which this noble edifice will remain incomplete.”

- Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

A recent public opinion poll on a popular Muslim Indian e-magazine tries to ascertain the most important issue that is plaguing Muslim Indians this year. The issues discussed are many, ranging from economy and employment, to security and spiritually. Interestingly, majority of the respondents felt economy as the biggest area of concern (almost 37%), followed by security (20%). What appears even more alarming is the fact that the readership of this e-magazine includes majority of elite and educated Muslim Indians (most of whom are NRIs in various parts of the world, including the Americas). The alarming percentage of our elite population that acknowledges insecurity is a disturbing fact. [Maybe, economy has been recorded as the most important issue in this poll as a temporary but important issue, because of the persistent world economic slump underway.] Are we, Muslim Indians, insecure; to the extent that 20% of our elite class believes it to be the prime concern?

Arguably, the answer to the above question should be, YES. Muslim Indians are insecure because we face threats from all nooks and corners. We face insecurity in terms of employment, we face insecurity in terms of civil rights and codes, we face insecurity in terms of our beliefs and the edifice of our beliefs, we face insecurity in terms of our material possessions, and we face insecurity in terms of existence. So much so that we have all developed a fear psychosis that has stripped us from exploring and evaluating the de facto. The insecurity of existence becomes the gravest when we hear of the consistent thumping of the media regarding the relationship between terrorism and Muslims, and Islam. It apparently feels strenuous to revere about anything else when we face this momentous insecurity of existence. We have lived, and continue to live in this abject fear of insecurity. However, have we ever contemplated that this is exactly what the adversaries actually want us to believe?

Cogitating the historical despoilment of the Great Partition of 1947, I am reminded of a popular informal saying that almost all Muslim Indians would have been worse than bonded labors in Independent India, had it not been for the efforts of Late Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Aligarh Muslim University. [We do realize the fact how Independent India had been stripped off the elite and intellectual Muslims, our inspiration and think-tank, majority of whom had migrated to Pakistan in lure of greener pastures?] During those overcast days, AMU had emerged as the single source for dispensing distinction and virtuosity to Muslim Indians (and I should not be incorrect to say that perhaps it still continues to be so). Were Muslim Indians secure during those days? Perhaps not. How then, were we able to carve out a niche for ourselves during those days of insecurity – considering the fact that the magnitude of insecurity of existence was the highest during those days?

One prime and important reason that occurs to me is that Muslim Indians were definitely insecure in terms of existence; however, were not insecure in terms of their IDENTITY. Things are probably not much different today – we are in minority today as well, we do face prejudice and biasness today as well, and we do face the same threat to our property and lives today as well. The difference is that we did not face identity insecurity then, which we so deficiently face today. To exemplify – how comfortable do we feel talking about Islam and Muslim Indians in public? How comfortable are we in discussing our rituals and beliefs? Most important of all, how comfortable are we in expressing ourselves as Muslim Indians (not Indian Muslims)? We ensure that we do not talk about the problems being faced by average Muslim Indians because we might be termed intolerant. We avoid expressing our rituals and beliefs because we fear becoming outcasts compared to the Majority. We fear (yes, FEAR) in expressing ourselves as Muslim Indians because we might be branded NON-SECULAR. This, the insecurity of IDENTITY, is the gravest concern that we are evidently faced with today.

The adversaries thrive on our insecurity of identity because they are aware and confident of the fact that this insecurity has all the aptitude to sojourn our rational thinking. And once we are stripped of rational thinking, everything starts slickly falling into their platter! Consider this revised sense of insecurity under the influence of stripped rational – We need to co-EXIST with a Majority. Therefore, we need to live at their disposal. We need to abide by their rules of existence. If we cannot exist, how would we be able to proceed with our subsistence? Everything else (including education, employment, economy, empowerment, disposition, and social recognition and actualization) can wait; first we need to survive, EXIST. This is how things appear, and this is what and how the adversaries want us to believe!

The way out is easier said than done. It all is a vicious circle (something similar to the chakravyuh), the never-ending spiral formation of abjection, which needs to be broken; broken from various fronts simultaneously. The first front that we need to strike is our attitude and thought process, rational thinking, to be more precise. Let’s inspect the conditions a little more objectively, with a more rationale line of thought. Muslim Indians constitute more than 13% of the total Indian populace. What percentage of Muslim representation do we have at various levels of national, social, political, economic, educational, and corporate governance? If we do not have adequate representation, how do we plan to wash out this enduring sense of insecurity? How do we ensure adequate representation if we are not adequately educated and consummate? One may argue that to be educated and consummate, one needs to be secure in terms of existence.

To address the previous concern, let’s appraise Article 29 of the Constitution of India, which states, “(1) Any section of the citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct language, script or culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same. (2) No citizen shall be denied admission into any educational institution maintained by the State or receiving aid out of State funds on grounds only of religion, race, caste, language or any of them.” So, if we are not educated and consummate, how can we expect to discern and implement this provision provided to us by our Constitution?

Having realized the importance of educational deficiency, we need to work on it manifolds. First, we need to collectively shun the premise of insecurity to existence being the highest level of our concern. Rather, we need to look at educational deficiency among Muslim Indians as the gravest of all concerns. We need to reconstruct our educational edifice so that our children get impartial education and excel in both religious and contemporary domains. At the same time, we need to hunt down the disgrace and de-branding of Muslim Indians in terms of insecurity of our IDENTITY. This calls for a revolution in its true sense – working on war footing to pull off both these ends simultaneously. We need colossal efforts, sweat, toil, maybe blood, to uplift ourselves out of this sense of insecurity. That is the only way we can candidly and profoundly say that we are not prepared to lose even a small part of that legacy (being a Muslim) and we are equally proud of the fact that we are Muslim Indians, an essential part of the indivisible unity of the Indian nationhood, without which our noble edifice will remain incomplete.

The Farce of Fatwa

What does Fatwa mean? Who are eligible to pronounce Fatwa? How far is it binding upon the Muslims? Pretty common and simple questions with equally simple answers. However, recent unfoldings have not left these questions as simple as they appear to be.

For instance, I was literally confused by the Imrana case. I have always believed (as every Muslim should believe) that every Islamic doctrine has some logical appeal within it. However, this issue had shaken me completely as the resulting fatwas making the marriage null and void had me thinking for long. I was not ready to accept (still not accepting this) that Islam can be so illogical and detached towards the rights of a woman. Well, to my knowledge, having illicit relationship with one's father-in-law - WITH CONSENT - might well result in the disolution of marriage (no objections to this). However, rape is surely different, leading to a different set of concequences, which should be taken care of while giving such fatwas.

This situation was very tricky and could well be sabotaged by anti-Islamic people who state that Islam is against the rights of women. And they would not be wrong in assuming or conceiving this perception, looking at the way this situation was handled - the woman was a victim of a horrendous crime and at the same time was also denied the right of a lawful marriage??!!


I found this article by Asif Jalal, which also appeared in the Sahara newspaper. I am reproducing it here with his permission.

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The Farce of Fatwa

- By Asif Jalal

The sting operation carried out by a television channel airing footage of muftis at prestigious seminary in Delhi, Deoband and Meerut taking bribe for issuing fatwa is a symptom of deeper malaise that afflict the business of issuing fatwa in India.

This came soon after the controversial fatwa in Imrana case and the fatwa prohibiting Muslims from reciting Vande Mataram. Not far back, in order to facilitate the marriage of an aged Arab to two teenage girls simultaneously, a mufti from Hyderabad issued a fatwa that a man can marry two wives at one go. Another mufti also from Hyderabad issued a fatwa declaring the way Sania Mirza dress to be un-Islamic as that 'leaves nothing to imagination'. If you can recount, there is no end to such scandalous fatwa.

All these lead us to some very significant conclusions. First, the moral fabric of our ulema associated with even the best of the institutions like Darul Uloom Deoband is corruptible and tenuous as that of the rest of the society; they are not immune to the worldly allurements and temptations as we assume them to be. Therefore, we cannot rely solely on them for our guidance and leadership.

Secondly, as per one the conditions for issuing fatwa, it should be proclaimed only by someone who is having a comprehensive knowledge and erudition in the religious and secular knowledge. By this standard, not many muftis are competent to issue fatwa as they thoroughly lack the understanding of the situation and the case. Today our muftis simply open the rule-book which accounts for situations hundreds of years old and pronounce fatwa like a decree. But even the Islamic scholars of the stature of Imams Abu Hanifa and Imam Hanbal issued fatwa only after making a serious study of the situation and taking all aspects of the matter into consideration. However, the contemporary muftis issue fatwa at the drop of the hat without any understanding and due care.

Moreover, one of the basic facts about a fatwa is that it is mere an opinion of a cleric on an issue supposedly from Islamic perspective; and opinion on any issue of concern may be more than one, even contradictory and all of them may be correct. For example, in the Imrana case, as per Hanafi School, the lady was declared illegal to her husband as after the rape she became the mother of her husband. But as per Shafi School she was lawful to her husband. In fact, even within one school the founders of the Islamic laws had no arrogance about the finality of truth.

And what is more important is that a fatwa is not binding or obligatory to comply with, though we treat it as if it is a decree from Allah and its violation is the surest way to hell. The ignorance of this point among the common Muslims is one single biggest hurdle in their socio-economic and educational development, as their single step forward is blocked by plethora of mindless fatwa, and the Muslims think that acting contrary to the fatwa they will anger God. And the non-Muslims think that a fatwa, even if it is contrary to the demand of time and the spirit of the age, is obeyed by all the Muslims necessarily.

Thirdly, as the concern of issuing fatwa is associated with ulema's project to maintain hegemony over Muslim's private sphere and to keep themselves relevant in modern times, it would not be out of place to mention that ulema's deep distaste for the modern education frustrates their power ambition. The principal prerequisite for the position of leadership is knowledge, the religious as well as secular knowledge, the one which they look condescendingly and think as evil and unimportant. For their ambition they would do better if they also possess knowledge of sociology, psychology, political science, modern philosophy etc. That will not only strengthen their hold over the Muslim community, something which they want desperately, but would also serve a community which is basically disorganized, backward and leaderless.

Fourthly, the whole episode also provides an opportunity to the common Muslims to know what goes in making of a fatwa, something which we treat so sacredly. We think that it is the pure feeling, the fear of God and the spirit of service of the people which inspire the ulema to deliver fatwa. Therefore, we take it seriously and endeavour to comply it with all our sincerity. However, a fatwa is a queer combination of the lust for power, greed for wealth and, on the top of it, total ignorance. Therefore, when the Muslims seek a fatwa or come to know about a fatwa on a matter they should give a second thought to it before observing it; they should reject it summarily if they find it to be against reason, human values and the spirit of Islam.

It is also the duty of the Muslim intelligentsia, activists, and leaders to come forward and condemn archaic and retrogressive pronouncements as they create a caricature of Islam and put Muslims to shame. Sometimes they also lead to communal tension.

It should also be realized that Islam is the only religion of the world which does not provide for a priestly class, though the ulema have started acting exactly like that. In Islam, God is accessible and his religion is understandable by anybody who is interested and sincere. That is, anybody having knowledge and interest can apply his knowledge and reason to the problem with which we go to the ulema who more often than not misguide us.

And finally, the media should not give publicity to such bunkum. What may go unnoticed and without controversy is made the central issue of debate and the whole Muslim community get entrapped in that. There are saner people and much worthy things performed by mass of the Muslim population and this aspect of the community should make the core of media concern.