BaKhabar June2014

Better light a candle than curse the darkness
Monthly e-Magazine ISSN 2319-4049

http://bakhabar.biharanjuman.org/ Volume 7, Issue 06, June 2014 BE AWARE, ALWAYS, EVERYWHERE
COVER STORY
15 Anti Corruption
Hadiths
Editorial Board
Publisher: Bihar Anjuman BaKhabar
Editorial Board: Asrarul Haque, Seraj Akram,
Mohd. Allam, Ms Farhat Shakeel and Ja-
hanzeb Mashhadi
Chief Editor: Ms. Asma Anjum Khan
bakhabar@biharanjuman.org
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Bakhabar : June 2014 2
From Chief Editor
This is my Uncle Ghafoors Secret Schindlers List to be presented to
the next PM on May 16 viaAshilesh bin Maulayam
Respected Ashilesh Sir
A
ctually, you are of my sons age, but as you are a CM, I need
to address you as respected only. Otherwise, if I treated you
like my son, you would have found all my Bata Hawaiis,
worn to shreds by now. Nevertheless, I still think of you as a son and
would like to treat you the same. All this while, you have handled
skirmishes among two eternally-warring communities exploitatively
well. And your move of sedition charges against those 67 students
was the Sixer on that last ball by JavedMiandad! Sorry for this sedi-
tious metaphor; but it has sunk deep.
This Javed, samdhi of Dawood Bhai Dongriwale, was our guest.
Look how accommodating Maharashtra is.while we abuse, for-
eigners from UP, we still hold true to, Love thy neighbor! Coming to
this, Top Secret Schindlers list, let me clarify, I am here stating
everything on the oath of our Pakistani PanjSoorah.
Take first my Amman jaan, 80 year old who reads these early in the
mornings and when the copy gets tattered after years of use (and mis-
use), she demands for what? Another Pakistani PanjSoorah! You can
imagine how I have been putting up with this old seditious lady for
years. Taj Company Limited, Lahore, whenever I read these words
on the jackets of our old religious books, at home, my blood boils but
cools down fast, after some time. But I dont know what really to do
with my Dead Dadi. She used to reminisce about her Qeede-Aazam,
Jinnah. In the year 46 of the 1900s, he had come calling, to invite us
to Pakistan, with promises of lands and kothis. He was given a grand
band welcome.
My Dadijaan then was assigned the duty of training the kids to sing
the following Welcome song.
Muslim haitoh Muslim League meinaa
Wehdatkataranashauq se gaa
Kasrat se nadarr, TerahaiKhuda!
Time to Take That Train to Pakistan?
Is it once again time to take that
train to the land of the pure? An ir-
reverent, quirky take on the pro-
found issues raised by BJP leaders
like Giriraj Singh and of course
NarendraModi
Editorial
[If you are a Muslim, then join the Muslim League,
Sing the songs of unity, Do not fear the majority,
God is with you.]
I am sure, by kasrat she perhaps meant exercise! (Is
exercising seditious?) Now should I go and paint the
word Ghaddar on her grave? Whenever I asked her
about the Qeede-Aazam episode, she used to say,
Qeede-Aazam was our guest and we, entertained ,
him suitably, with a banging band. But did we fall
for his promises? None from our family went to get
those promised kothis. Sigh we were called,
Ghaddars, by Qeede-Aazam himself! . So you see,
we hold a double distinction in this sedition matter.
Actors Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan in popular
Pakistan television drama, Hamsafar.
Thirdly, my daughter, whom her film buff grandpa
named after Begum Para; I regret deeply to tell you
is a fan of Pakistani TV star Fawad Khan. The day
our Paro began watching those Pakistani serials,
Alas! Bollywood in general and Shahrukh Khan, in
particular lost their biggest supporter. I still curse
the day she first saw him, dolling out his histrionics
in those silly serials, Humsafar, KuchPyarkaPa-
galpunBhiTha! ZindagiGulzarhai etc. Our Paros
pagalpun for Fawad Khan, knows no bounds, sorry
boundaries.
I tried cajoling her to be back to the pavilion, but she
is her fathers daughter [thats, of course, me!]; she
tells me, that Pak serials make her feel closer to her
tehzeeb. While Indian operas make gajarkahalwa
and sarson da saag; there, they also make Shaami
Kebabs, biryanis and qorma with naan or rumalirotis
and words like Sssalamaalekum, Allah Hafiz,
Phoopijaan, Khalaajaan and AmaanYaar, warm
her heart, immensely.
Paro with that mischievous twinkle in her ever
sparkling eyes enlightens further that, in the eyes of
a few, Shahrukh too is a traitor. And before I can
open my mouth to say anything, she brings out that
name Yusuf Khan [there; here he is Dilip Kumar]
as I happen to be a great-grand fan of this brother in
law of Begum Para.
You know nah he had goter hisNishan-e-
Imtiyaz from Pakistan? Alas! This one Nishaan [or
say Dagh] of being a Pakistani is never wiped out
from our Maleechha beings. My friend Mishra con-
soles, but wickedly, Kyunkekuchdagh ache hotehain!
His iniquitous grin seems seditious to me but per-
haps his surname helps him keep clean, from
Daaghs. We have been living with these Daaghs and
now some of us have got so used to these, that we
just dont care. What to do? Cant wash and wish
them off and sons like you wont allow us to be
wishy-washy about them.
But we demand this seditious tag also for that father
of Alia Bhatt; [imagine his audacity, asking his
daughter to not perform those seditious thumkas at
your Saifi Shame Festival]. And What about those
AMU students , who protested against your
Daddys visit, but gave a hearty welcome to Pak-
istani President Pervez Musharraf, a few years ago?
Your large hearted Abba Jaan might forgive them as
he forgave those Repeat Rapists of Shakti Mills:
Jaane do, ladkehain, ghalti ho jatihai.
I say, to hell with, these ghaltis. Dont give them
the dheel, oops, the deal.
And listen to Om Puri, the actor who after crossing
the Wagah declares, I feel like I was born today!
AndWhat about that new novelist Anees Salim? In
his award-winning Vanity Bagh [and who gives him
Editorial
the award? Its some old fellow called, The Hindu! ]
what does he mean when he says, There is a Chota
Pakistan found in every Indian city? What about the
colour green! Should it be declared seditious too?
Now lets cross the border, for a few minutes and lis-
ten to Central leader of JKNAP, Liaquat Hayat
Khan.
In 2011 a case of Treason was registered at Dadyal
police station against two Kashmiris the vice presi-
dent, National Awami Party (NAP) Khawaja Naeem
and Disrtrict President Mirpur Imran Shehzad. They
had been accused of celebrating the victory of India
over Pakistan during a cricket semi-final that was
held in the Indian city of Mohali. The case is still
live. Now what comment do you expect from me,
after this? Except,
Donontarafhaiaag barabarlagihuwi!
Some good guys celebrating India win in Karachi.
Our good neighbor, Bangladesh too is thinking of
banning those cheering for Pak, after all we, the
good neighbors should unite against that forever
enfant terrible. The biggest tragic case is that of one
of my uncles who used to cheer for Pakistan when
here, but now in Karachi , he is rooting for
India!(Who is that calling us Indian Muslims, Stu-
pid?) Actually, this supporting of Paki team is symp-
tomatic of a defeatist mentality. I know.
And here comes the latest. BJP candidate from
Bihar, Giriraj Singh wants to pack off Modi critics
to where? Pakistan. But why Pakistan? (I wish he
could pack us off to Dubai or Dublin instead! ) Is it
not true that Pakistan is using all its resources to pre-
vent NarendraModi from becoming the PM? he
said. Even within the country, there are people with
the Pakistani mindset who are opposing Modi and
their proper destination would be Pakistan, which is
their political Mecca-Medina.
You see this Daagh of Pakistan is never going to
wear off. Want to embarrass Indian Muslims, call
him/her a Paki and lo and behold, see the rage
.Pardon, watch the fun. Sorry to say, many of my
people have now become brazen enough and laugh it
off! Better to pack us off to Nu-yok, or kamazkam
Dubai, yaar! They reiterate. They are serious, trust
me. And we already see cries of, Chalo Pakistan, on
Twitteristan. And see this and please do not collapse!
Its only a ship. Relax or call Alia Bhatt.
If you insist, pack me off to Lahore or Murree, I
dont like Karachi, it is full of my relatives, who
chose to migrate. We can do more such charcha over
chai, but seeing me doing my Schindlers list, Paro
is humming, Doobmarochullubhar chai mein,
Abba! After this she tears up my list.
Sigh. Its difficult being the father a headstrong
teenager, as well as a simple, plain Indian in India.
Chalo P!
In passing, heres some food for thought:
If a modern Diogenes were to hunt out for Indians
with his lantern, in these days, he would be sure to
come across fervid Hindus, bigoted Muslims and fa-
natical souls deeply engrossed with the problem of
tirelessly finding out how unjustly their own particu-
lar community was being treated and he would have
to ask in sorrow; Where are the Indians? (Syed Ab-
dullah Barelvi, Editor, The Bombay Chronicle, May,
1926.)
AsmaAnjum Khan is Assistant Professor of English
and a community activist based in Maharashtra,
India
Actors Fawad Khan and Mahira
Khan in popular Pakistan televi-
sion drama, Hamsafar
Islam
C
heating and deception are despicable charac-
teristics that are beneath a decent person. In-
tentionally distorting the truth in order to
mislead others contradicts the values of honesty,
which requires an attitude of sincerity, straightfor-
wardness, and fairness that leaves no room for cheat-
ing, lying, trickery, or deceit. There are many texts
from the Quran and the Sunnah conveying the mean-
ing that cheating, whether the target be Muslims or
non-Muslims, is forbidden.
Accepting the guidance of Islam leads a person to
truthfulness, which means a person completely avoids
cheating, cheating, and back-stabbing. The Prophet,
may Allah praise him, said:
Whoever bears arms against us is not one of us, and
whoever cheats us is not one of us. (Saheeh Muslim)
According to another report, the Prophet, may Allah
praise him,passed by a pile of food in the market. He
put his hand inside it and felt dampness, although the
surface was dry. He said:
O owner of the food, what is this?
The man said, It was damaged by rain, O Messenger
of Allah.
He said, Why did you not put the rain-damaged food
on top so that people could see it! Whoever cheats us
is not one of us.(Saheeh Muslim)
Muslim society is based on purity of feeling, love,
sincerity towards every Muslim, and fulfillment of
promises to every member of society. Its members
are endowed with piety, truthfulness, and faithfulness.
Cheating and deception are alien characters in con-
trast to the noble character of a true Muslim. There is
no room in it for swindlers, double crossers, tricksters,
or traitors.
Islam views cheating and deception as heinous sins, a
source of shame to the one guilty of committing them,
both in this world and the next. The Prophet, may the
mercy and blessings of Allah be upon him, did not
merely denounce them by excluding them from the
Muslim community in this world, he also announced
that on the Day of Judgment every traitor would be
raised carrying the flag of his betrayal. A caller will
cry out from the vast arena of judgment, pointing to
him, drawing attention to him:
Every traitor will have a banner on the Day of Res-
urrection and it will be said: This is the betrayer of
so-and-so. (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)
The shame of traitors men and women - will be im-
mense. Those who thought that their betrayal had
been forgotten will find it right there, exposed for the
whole world to see on banners raised high held by
their own hands!
Their shame will increase even more when they meet
with the Prophet of Mercy, the advocate of the sinners
on that terrifying and horrible Day. Their crime is of
such enormity that it will deprive them of divine
mercy and the Prophets intercession. The Prophet,
may Allah praise him, said:
Allah said: There are three whom I will oppose on
the Day of Resurrection: a man who gave his word
and then betrayed it; a man who sold a free man into
slavery and kept the money; and a man who hired
someone, benefited from his labor, then did not pay
his wages. (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)
One should steer clear of all the various forms of de-
ceit and deception present in todays society. Cheat-
ing is common in examinations, business transactions,
and even between spouses and loved ones. Placing a
label on domestically-made products to make it seem
that it is imported is a kind of fraud. Some people
give wrong advice when their council is sought and
thus deceive the person who believes he is getting
good advice. An employee should do the job for what
he is paid for without any deception or cheating.
Rulers rig the ballot to win elections and cheat the
whole nation. Cheating between spouses and having
extra-marital affairs is widespread in modern society.
A Muslim should value himself too highly to be
among those who cheat or deceive perchance one
might fall in the category of hypocrites about whom
the Prophet, may Allah praise him, said:
There are four characteristics, whoever has all of
them is a true hypocrite, and whoever has one of them
has one of the qualities of a hypocrite until he gives it
up: when he is trusted, he betrays; when he speaks, he
lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when
he disputes, he resorts to slander. (Saheeh Al-
Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)
Therefore, a Muslim who has true Islamic sensitivities
avoids deceit, cheating, treachery, and lying no matter
what benefits or profits such activities might bring
him, because Islam considers those guilty of such
deeds to be hypocrites.
Cheating and Deception !!
Islam
[ALLAH'S Quran - 49:11 - Usmani] O you who be-
lieve, no men should ever scoff at other men. May
be, the latter are better than the former.Nor should
women (ever scoff) at other women. May be, the lat-
ter women are better than the former ones. And do
not find fault with one another, nor call one another
with bad nicknames. Bad is the name of sinfulness
after embracing Faith. If anyone does not repent,
then such people are the wrongdoers.
The Prophet (pbuh) has said:
[Bukhari, Book #73, Hadith #58] Narrated Anas bin
Malik: The Prophet was not one who would abuse
(others) or say obscene words, or curse (others), and
if he wanted to admonish anyone of us, he used to
say: "What is wrong with him, his forehead be
dusted!"
[Bukhari, Book #73, Hadith #72] Narrated Anas:
Allah's Apostle was neither a Fahish (one who had a
bad tongue) nor a Sabbaba (one who abuses others)
and he used to say while admonishing somebody,
"What is wrong with him? May dust be on his fore-
head!"
[Bukhari, Book #46, Hadith #721 ] Narrated Al-
Ma'rur bin Suwaid: I saw Abu Dhar Al-Ghifari wear-
ing a cloak, and his slave, too, was wearing a cloak.
We asked him about that (i.e. how both were wear-
ing similar cloaks). He replied, "Once I abused a
man and he complained of me to the Prophet . The
Prophet asked me, 'Did you abuse him by slighting
his mother?' He added, 'Your slaves are your
brethren upon whom Allah has given you authority.
So, if one has one's brethren under one's control, one
should feed them with the like of what one eats and
clothe them with the like of what one wears. You
should not overburden them with what they cannot
bear, and if you do so, help them (in their hard job)."
[SunanAbudawud, Book #41, Hadith #4859] Nar-
rated Abu Hurayrah: The Prophet
(peace_be_upon_him) said: The gravest sin is going
to lengths in talking unjustly against a Muslim's hon-
our, and it is a major sin to abuse twice for abusing
once.
[Muslim, Book #032, Hadith #6263] Abu Huraira
reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) as saying: When two persons indulge in hurling
(abuses) upon one another, it would be the first one
who would be the sinner so long as the oppressed
does not transgress the limits.
http://al-
tanzil.com/Prophet_Explained_Quran_2.html
THE PRAYER OF A BELIEVER....................
[ALLAH'S Quran 46:15 humble ones] O my
LORD! Please Inspire me to be Grateful for ever for
THY Favours to me and to my Parents and Please
Guide me so that I may do Righteous Deeds, well
Pleasing To THEE; Please Grant me Righteous De-
scendents; truly I have turned To THEE repentant
and Truly do I Submit To THEE as a Believer"
[COMMENT - Ibn Kathir] "My Lord! Grant me the
power and ability) meaning, 'inspire me.' (that I may
be grateful for Your favours which You have be-
stowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I
may do righteous good deeds, such as please You,)
meaning, in the future. (and make my offspring
good.) meaning, my offspring and descendants.
Truly, I have turned to You in repentance, and truly, I
am one of the Muslims.) This contains an instruction
for anyone who reaches forty years of age to renew
his repentance and turn to Allah with strong resolu-
tion."
http://al-
tanzil.com/Prophet_Explained_Quran_2.html
ALLAHS COMMAND:
DO NOT RIDICULE AND DEFAME OTHERS
Science
I By Hajira Khan & Sameen Ahmed Khan I
Abstract:
An introduction to the magnets is presented. The
levitation of ring-magnets is described to demon-
strate the force between magnets.
1. Introduction:
Most of us are familiar with magnets. They are used
in everyday life. Very simple applications are such
as the magnets used for sticking decorations on
fridges. Magnets are also used for lifting small ob-
jects such as pins and clips. The tips of many tools
such as screwdrivers are magnetized so as to lift the
nuts and screws. Importantly,
magnets are used for knowing the
direction. This is because a freely
suspended magnet shows the
north and south direction of the
Earth. This forms of the basis of
the magnetic compass. A gradu-
ated compass can be used to lo-
cate the Qiblah the direction of
Makkah Mukarramah required for
offering Salaat (Namaz or
Prayers).
The study of the magnets dates
back to ancient times. The an-
cients were fascinated by their
ability to attract iron and show di-
rection. In modern understanding,
we say that every magnet has two
poles: north seeking pole and a
south seeking pole which we
simply called as the north-pole
and the south-pole respectively. The opposite-poles
attract and the like-poles repel. When a magnet is
broken, we obtain a pair of magnets. It is not possi-
ble to separate the poles. They always occur as a
pair within a single magnet. The Earth behaves as if
it has a huge bar magnet inside it. The Earths mag-
netic filed is a mystery which is an active field of re-
search. Geological studies point to the fact that the
direction of the Earths magnetic field reverses after
few million years.
In the nineteenth century two discoveries were
made: (1) a wire carrying electric current behaves
like a magnet; and (2) a moving magnet induces cur-
rent in a coil of wire near it. The first discovery led
to the invention of very powerful electromagnets,
with controlled properties by changing the current.
The second discovery gave birth to the dynamo and
the transformer. These discoveries revolutionized
the technological applications of magnetism and
electricity. It will be difficult to imagine a life with-
out electricity and magnetism. The many applica-
tions of magnetism include motors, loudspeakers,
variety of meters. Magnetic memories are used in
making videos, compact discs, flash memories and
computer storage devices. High magnetic fields are
used in medical diagnostics from high resolution im-
ages obtained using techniques
such as the MRI (magnetic reso-
nance imaging). Such techniques
have certain advantages over tra-
ditional X-Rays.
2. Floating Magnets:
Like-poles of two magnets repel.
This property can be used to float
magnets. This is easily achieved
using two-ring magnets. Ring
magnets are cylindrical magnets
with a hole in the centre. The di-
ameter is much larger than the
height of the magnets. The ring-
magnets are present in speakers
and microwave ovens. A wooden
dowel (rod or pole) or a pencil is
vertically attached to a wooden
block by a screw. The first ring-
magnet is placed over the wooden
dowel. The second magnet is
brought close to the first magnet to feel the magnetic
forces and decide which of the two poles repel.
After identifying the repelling pole the second mag-
net is places over the dowel in such a way that the
like-poles face each other. This makes the second
magnet float. In a similar manner the third ring-
magnet is also placed over the dowel. The proce-
dure can be repeated to place several more
ring-magnets on the dowel. The force of gravity
pulls the magnets down and closer to each other.
The force of repulsion between the like-poles over-
comes the force of gravity and makes the magnets
float. The distance between the first and the second
Floating Magnets
Science
magnet is the least, followed by the second and the
third, followed by the third and the fourth, and so
on. The first magnet has to bear the weight of the
all the magnets, hence the distance is the least. The
assembly of magnets on the dowel behaves very
much like a spring.
The ring magnets in the photographs are from a
dismantled magnetron (the heating element in mi-
crowave ovens)
If the magnets are pushed down they resist, just
like a spring. Care needs to be taken while bring-
ing the unlike-poles of the magnets together. The
force is strong enough to cause injury and damage.
One can also attach a pan on the topmost magnet
on the dowel and make a weighing device. The
numbers can be marked on a scale attached to the
dowel.
3. Concluding Remarks:
The magnets have numerous applications in our
life. The force of repulsion between the like-poles
can be used to levitate the magnets. It would be an
interesting exercise to study the pattern of the in-
creasing gaps between the ring-magnets on the
dowel.
Bibliography:
1. Magnets, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnets.
2. Physics for Class XII, National Council of
Educational Research and Training (NCERT,
Delhi, India, 2006), http://www.ncert.nic.in/.
3. Sameen Ahmed Khan, Floating Ring Mag-
nets, Bulletin of the IAPT, 4 (6), 145 (June 2012).
(IAPT: Indian Association of Physics Teachers).
http://indapt.org/images/stories/bulletin2012/bul-
letin_jun_2012.pdf
By Hajira Khan, Indian School Salalah, Salalah,
Sultanate of Oman
and
Sameen Ahmed Khan, Engineering Department,
Salalah College of Technology,
Salalah, Sultanate of Oman
(rohelakhan@yahoo.com, http://SameenAhmed-
Khan.webs.com/)
Khabron ki Khabar
Seraj Akram
Ab ki baar Modi sarkar
Achhe din aane wale hain, kiske yah nahi pata.
is bar Muslim pure josh se apni apni pasand ki partion
ko vote diye
Is qaum me yahi josh to baqi hai, yah aur bat hai yah
aksar ghalat hi simt me rahti hai, josh aur hosh dono se
kaam lete to aaj yah halat nahi hoti.
UP ke 3 crore se zyadah muslim ka koi bhi muslim nu-
mayendah nahi parliament me, sab har gaye.
Afsos election ke waqt tak bari partion ke pure 53
candidate ko jitney ki umeed thi, umeed sabko thi,
lekin haqiqat ko samajhne ki taufqi kisi me bhi nahi.
BJP ke jeet me sabse bara role media ka
Aur election commission pamphlet aor sign board ka
hisab mangti he, lekin media me croron ke kharch ka
koi hisab nahi. Ise kahte hain heera luta jaye lekin
koyle par chhaap.
30 saal ke baad is bar kisi ek party ko complete major-
ity mili
Majority mili nahi, balke paise aur media ke bal par
election jita nahi kharida gaya hai.
Modi ke jeet se Muslim frikramand
Sirf wah muslims jise na to Modi ke agende ki gahrai
ka andaza hai aur na hi khud ki qabliyat, hausle aur
taqat ka sahi adraak. Muslim, aur dusri partian election
hare hain, HAUSLA AUR TAQAT nahi, dusri partian
phir election jitney ke qabil ho jayengi apni mehnat
aur lagan se, dekhna hai ke is challenge ko muslim
kaise lete hain.
Muslim ke nam par ministry ka laddu Najma Heptul-
lah ko mila.
Congress 2-3 laddu banti thi, BJP bhi ek laddu bant
dia, thora to itminan hua hoga aam Muslim ko
Musalman ke cabinet minister banne par, yah aur bat
hai ke wah qaum ke bajaye party ki zyadah wafadar
hain.
Opinion
I By Muhammad Tariq Ghazi I
I
n the prevailing gloomy environment there is
good news and there is an additional bad news.
Good news is that Aleem Khan Falki will no
longer be known simply as Aleem Khan, but as
Doctor Aleem Khan Falki. The bad news is for
those who have been gleefully selling their sons and
brothers to marriageable girls and her parents. Now
DrAleem Khan Falki will be targeting such people
from a higher pedestal. Warriors standing on a hill
ensure victory.
It was already in the air for a long time that
Aleem Khan was pursuing a doctorate. There is
nothing wrong in becoming a doctor of philosophy
of sorts, provided one chooses a subject that treats a
sick and ailing community like ours. However, most
of our doctors prefer either to be elevated com-
pounders of the recent past or obtain a high degree
by further killing an already dead person. One Hy-
derabadi leader was reportedly angry with Muslim
intellectuals who ignore social problems and keep
doing research on a couple of dead poets. It is a so-
cial sickness, indeed. A visit to the academia sug-
gests that Muslims of India have become barren:
Ghalib, Sir Syed and Iqbal. These three persons pop
up in mind when someone proposes to go for an
easy PhD. I am afraid soon a diploma of medical
doctorate will be issued on ailments that Sir
Muhammad Iqbal had been suffering from. Ive
heard that one giant has already opened that Pan-
doras Box.
Aleem Khan rejected such ideas when he
contemplated about working for a PhD. He decided
to give these great men some rest in their graves and
opted for a living community which has been the
sickest of all Indian peoples. The body of the
Ummah is suffering from many social diseases.
Media discussions on the recent Indian elections,
for example, were indication of this communitys
political confusion, indecision, foggy thinking, ob-
sessive repetition of clichs umpteen numbers of
time. This community appears to be economically
backward, educationally unproductive, socially
undisciplined, politically nonexistent, intellectually
dumb, unjust in dealings, deceiving in business,
dirty in dwellings, unfaithful religiously, oppressive
in marriage.
Aleem Khan decided to focus on the last
sickness. In fact he has been working in this area for
more than two decades. On this issue he has already
written a book, a stunning blow as far as the title
goes, MardBhiBiktayHayn Men Too Can Be
Bought. It is a blockbuster, translated into English,
Hindi, Telugu and Bengali. Aleem Khan decided to
further research on this subject and instead of con-
fining the study to only India, he expanded the
ground covering Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia,
Saudi kingdom and Egypt. It is not just the marriage
customs that make either of the potential spouses a
commodity to be bought and sold like a semi-de-
tached or single family home in Toronto: it is the
status of woman.
In modern times when woman, according to an
American satirist, is the most dangerous plaything,
Muslims around the world begin singing about
honor, position, freedom, that Islam as soon as
someone talk about women. They declare Islam has
given everything to the fair sex. Fair enough. But
Aleem Khan concluded that more than politico-type
sloganeering status of woman in Muslim countries
is a problem. So he worked on the subject for two
years and authored a thesis on which Maulana Azad
National Urdu University Hyderabad awarded him a
doctorate. Congratulations!
But it was not just a two-year project. It took
proverbial lifetime. Aleem Khan would invite angry
remarks since he was rarely available to kill a week-
end with self-styled pseudo intellectuals like me
over a delicious dinner and more flavorful yet futile
talks. In those days and night he was studying.
When most of us in Jeddah and Dammam and
Riyadh and Dubai were perspiring to build houses
and buy out girls to be wives and again build an-
other house for ooparkiinkome, Aleem Khan was
building his life in order to build a base for his tee-
tering community. In 1971 he finished high school
from Hyderabad, strayed into science faculty of An-
warulUloom College, cursing himself for dissecting
or discussing frogs or bhaji-pala; quietly declaring
to himself that he was born for philosophy. Farabi
was happy to hear that soliloquy. Then a divinely-
sent accident rescued him: bed-ridden for three
months, he moved over to Osmania University for
an external BA in philosophy, psychology and Is-
lamic studies, appeared in the exams on crutches
Aleem Khan PhD
Opinion
and came out flying first division colors. Bravo.
That was not the end of it. Yes, sometimes he
would spare a night to spend in a mushaera, or a
demonstration of his oratorial skill, he had a destina-
tion in mind but never on tongue. He had a propen-
sity for writing. Authorship is travelling in the air;
education is rising on a ladder one step at a time.
An Abdul Majid Daryabadi was an author of scores
of thesis-thick tomes and hundreds of dissertation-
heavy maqalaat, but he was never accepted anything
more than a B.A. Period. How sad. On the other
hand, Aleem Khan could see that many a doctor
would chair the aka-damnia and be the doyens of ac-
ademia without giving much trouble to pen or day-
light or night-lamp. Good for them. Aleem Khan
always had a dream, a vision, a mission, an objec-
tive. His soul was and is restless not due to some
heathenish syndrome but because the world around
him was not as beautiful as the most beautiful cre-
ation of Allah should have made it. That sense of in-
completion would often take him dunya se
duurkahinbadalonkepaar, away from us the pseudos.
From those white clouds emerged Maulana Azad
National Urdu University promising distance educa-
tion. In 2009 Aleem Khan did MA from that univer-
sity, MPhil in 2011 to the chagrin of men demanding
dowry because he titled his dissertation as a human
rights and womens rights violation. That finally
proved that he was using prevailing jargon to present
his case of Islam. He was rising step by step on the
ladders of the academia. The final step that he stands
on today is a PhD.
Our old friend DrAusaf Ahmad once told a gathering
which also had Aleem Khan among the listeners that
were thinkers, not doers. In his youthful days
AusafSaheb was a doer as well otherwise he could
not go to Chicago to earn a doctorate in economics.
Aleem Khan proved that he is a thinker as well as a
doer. His doctorate is the testimony of both thought
and action. He could not write his doctoral thesis if
he had not established SocioReforms Society as the
base of his movement against dowry; and without
that struggle he would not be a doctor today.
East York, Canada
Thursday 29 May 2014
[Contributed to NRI Indians Yahoo Group]
The First Martyrs In Islam
Ammaar ibn Yasir (may Allah be pleased with them both) was a
slave of Banu Makhzoom from the Quraish tribe. When he and his
parents (may Allah be pleased with them all) embraced Islam, the
pagans of Makkah were infuriated and began torturing them. They
forced Ammaar and his parents (may Allah be pleased with them
all) to lie down on hot rocks under the blazing sun, dragged about,
and beaten. According to historical documents, they were punished
for accepting Islam, 'The pagans of Makkah, led by Abu Jahl,
would drag Ammaar, his father Yasir and his mother Sumayyah
(may Allah be pleased with them all) out to the scorching hot val-
leys of Makkah to punish them'
Whenever the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) passed by and saw them writhing in excruciating pain,
he would console them, saying,
"Bear it patiently, O family of Yasir Your promised place is Para-
dise."
The torturers eventually killed Ammaar's father (Yasir may Allah
be pleased with them both). His mother (Sumayyah may Allah be
pleased with her) was killed by Abu Jahl when he ran a spear
through her navel. Sumayyah (may Allah be pleased with her) be-
came the first woman martyr in the history of Islam.
The disbelievers tortured Ammaar (may Allah be pleased with
him) in a variety of ways. They would make him lie down on burn-
ing, rocky earth, place hot rocks on his chest, or pour boiling water
over him, 'while telling him they would not stop until he insulted
the Prophet and spoke well of their deities.'
Ibn Katheer, quoting Ibn Jareer (may Allah have mercy on them
both), said that the disbelievers of Makkah would tell Ammaar
(may Allah be pleased with him) to say derogatory words about the
Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Un-
able to bear the pain, he would sometimes do so, but always repent
later.
Ammaar (may Allah be pleased with him) told the Prophet (may
the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about this.
The Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) it
asked him, "How do you feel in your heart then?"
Ammaar (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "I feel my heart
is content with the faith."
The Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
said, "If they do so again, you do the same."
Thereupon, Allah it revealed the following verse to His Prophet
(may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) "Whoever dis-
believes in Allah after his belief, except for one who is forced [to
renounce his religion]while his heart is secure in faith. But those
who [willingly] open their breasts to disbelief, on them is wrath
from Allah, and for them is a great punishment." Qur'an Surah An-
Nal 16:106.
Al-Baladhuri has quoted Muhammad ibn Kab (may Allah have
mercy on them all) as saying, "Ammaar (may Allah be pleased
with him) would be tortured so much that he did not know what he
was saying." - See more at:
http://www.islamicstories.com/story/134#sthash.TjnSjWlX.dpuf
Islam
I By A. S. Halawani I
I
n his well-known book, Al-Hikam(Words of
Wisdom), sheikh Ahmad Ibn Àtaaillah As-
Sakandari says:
Perhaps clouds of darkness will come by you, so that
He acquaints you with the extent He has Graced you.
The meaning of this piece of wisdom can be
summed up as follows:
Perhaps lusts and lapses which are similar to dark-
ness will come upon one so that Allah the Almighty
acquaints him with the lights He Graced him with.
This will make one increase his thanks when he is
referred back to the light which was distanced by
lusts, and will make him keen on performing the
dues of His blessings in all times. Indeed, there is
not a time where Almighty Allah does not have a
blessing that one owes thanks for.
However, to detail this a little bit further, one is com-
mended to read through the following lines.
What is meant by darkness in the words of Ibn
Àtaaillah is the darkness one finds in his heart be-
cause of committing sins and pursuing lusts and sin-
ful desires.
As is stated by Ibn Àtaaillah, all sinful deeds com-
mitted by man are darkness, while the faithful feel-
ings which dominate the heart and which are
represented in the love for Allah, glorifying Him,
and fearing of Him are lights that illuminate the
heart.
Naturally, light does not coexist with darkness in one
place. If they meet, feelings of restlessness and
alienation are to be found in ones heart; a matter
which may remove any feeling of artificial pleasure
away from the heart of the disobedient. Thereupon,
one flees from these feelings of restlessness and
alienation to the wideness of Allahs Mercy, asking
for His aid as well as relief.
Consequently, one is received with mercy, accept-
ance and relief from his distresses by Almighty
Allah, the Most Merciful. At this, the darkness of
ones lustful desires and disobedience are overcome
by the light of guidance and faith. Eventually, the
disobedient returns as overburdened with two favors
from Allah:
First: the favor of guidance, acceptance and confer-
ring relief upon him; and,
Second: the favor of letting him know that Allah
cares about him through answering his duàa and
rescuing him from the darkness of disobedience.
Certainly, the second favor is greater than the first.
This can be understood from the words of Ibn
Àtaaillah as he says,
So that He acquaints you with the extent He has
Graced you, instead of saying,
So that He honors you with the extent He has
Graced you, for example.
Thus, honoring one with Allahs Graces and Bless-
ings is a great favor as He makes this act of honoring
a means of telling the servant about His kindness and
the mercy He showed to him.
One can realize the greatness of this favor conferred
on him by Allah if he compares the following two
cases.
Case 1: one who is comfortable with the sins and
evil deeds he has fallen into; and
Case 2: one whose sins and evil deeds were them-
selves the cause behind the senses of alienation and
resentment he found in his heart for them and the
strong will he found therein to rid himself of them
through seeking Allahs Aid.
As in the first case, one was left on his own; to his
self that urges to evil. Consequently, he would in-
crease his evil deeds and enjoy his sinful actions.
However, as for the one in case 2, sins were made
hateful to him so that he would feel disinclined to
continue doing them and would decide to abandon
them all. Surely, this is a sign of Allahs Grace and
I b n ` A t a a :
Grace Emerges from Darkness!
Islam
Kindness to that servant who should be more than
grateful.
The kindness shown by Allah to His disobedient ser-
vants reveals itself in the followingayahs in which
He addresses Satan who said what may mean,
{Because You have denounced me as astray, I will
make what is evil in the earth fair-seeming to hu-
mankind. Thus I will, most surely, lead them to the
way of perversity, all together- except Your true ser-
vants among them- the sincere, elect ones.} (Al-Hijr
15: 39-40)
And, Almighty Allah answers him as saying what
may mean,
{ This way- in accordance with Me shall be a
straight one. As for My true servants, you shall have
no position of authority over them- except for those
of the deluded who follow you.} (Al-Hijr 15: 41-42)
This means that Allah says to Satan that those who
knew for certain that they are Allahs servants and
took Him as their sole Guardian and Protector, He
will confer on them repentance for all their sins; He
will make hateful to them debauchery and disobedi-
ence; He will enable them to see Signs of His mercy,
kindness and passion so that they become loyal to
Him even though they may err; and He will pardon
them so that they will be determined on giving up
sins and renouncing disobedience.
In addition, the above Divine Statement excludes
those who savor sins when they commit them and
never feel uneasy or embarrassed thereby as Allah
says what may mean,
{Except for those of the deluded who follow you.}
(Al-Hijr 15: 42)
The following Prophetic hadith seconds this mean-
ing as Abu Hurairah, the Prophets Companion nar-
rated: I heard Allahs Apostle saying.
All the sins of my followers will be forgiven except
those of the Mujahirin (those who commit a sin
openly or disclose their sins to the people). An exam-
ple of such disclosure is that a person commits a sin
at night and though Allah screens it from the public,
then he comes in the morning, and says, O so-and-
so, I did such-and-such (evil) deed yesterday.
Though he spent his night screened by his Lord
(none knowing about his sin), in the morning he re-
moves Allahs screen from himself. (Al-Bukhari&
Muslim)
This hadith reaffirms the fact that Allahs forgive-
ness overlooks those who are in a state of insolence
and arrogance as they boast of their disobedience
and ill-conduct. It is Allahs decree that the arrogant
should be expelled from His mercy, deprived of His
forgiveness and victimized by their own arrogance.
Notwithstanding, to see just a glimpse of Allahs
vast mercy and forgiveness, let us consider the fol-
lowing hadith which reads,
On the authority of Anas ibn Malik, who said: I
heard the Messenger of Allah says:
Allah the Almighty has said: O son of Adam, so
long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall for-
give you for what you have done, and I shall not
mind.
O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of
the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I
would forgive you.
O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins
nearly as great as the earth and were you then to
face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring
you forgiveness nearly as great as it is. (At-Tir-
midhi)
It is clear that Allah forgives all sins no matter how
grave they are for He says, were your sins to reach
the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask for-
giveness of Me, I would forgive you, and that when
the son of Adam seeks Allahs forgiveness for a mis-
deed, be it minor or major, Allah Almighty grants
him forgiveness. This is similar to Allahs saying in
the Quran which may mean,
{Whoever does a misdeed or wrongs his own soul
then seeks forgiveness from God will find God all-
forgiving, mercy giving.} (An-Nisa 4: 110)
I implore Allah to help us all overcome such dark-
nesses, to guide us through the gate of repentance,
and to acquaint us with the extent He has Graced us!
Amen.
http://www.onislam.net/english/shariah/refine-your-
heart/advice/471825-ibn-ataa-grace-darkness-spiri-
tual-faith-repent.html
Cover Story
I By Muhammad Fathi I
C
orruption is one of the worst predicaments
that haunt many countries around the world.
The abuse of power, authority and resources
by governments and public servants hinders the
progress of nations, alienates ordinary citizens and
blocks them from investing in the development of
their nations.
The ailment of corruption is something that, unfortu-
nately, plagues many Islamic countries, and one can-
not avoid raising this question: Why are these
countries associated with corruption? Is it because
they are "Islamic" countries? Is there anything in the
Islamic culture that nurtures corruption?
The answer is absolutely not. In fact, it is because
such "Islamic" countries are NOT adequately faithful
to the Islamic teachings that they are plagued by cor-
ruption.
The following 15 hadiths are just an example of how
Islam fought corruption, made it an individual and a
collective responsibility to expose and stop any
abuse of power and authority.
Public Service is a Great Responsibility
1. Narrated Abdullah ibn Ùmar (may Allah be
pleased with him):
I heard Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be
upon him) saying:
Every one of you is a guardian, and responsible for
what is in his custody. The ruler is a guardian of his
subjects and responsible for them; a husband is a
guardian of his family and is responsible for it; a
lady is a guardian of her husband's house and is re-
sponsible for it, and a servant is a guardian of his
master's property and is responsible for it."
I heard that from Allah's Messenger and I think that
the Prophet also said,
"A man is a guardian of his father's property and is
responsible for it."(The Prophet continued,) "So all
of you are guardians and responsible for what is
under your care." (Al- Bukhari)
2. Ma`qil ibn Yasar (may Allah be pleased with him)
reported from the Prophet that Paradise is forbidden
for any person in authority who dies in such a state
that he is dishonest in his dealings with those under
his rule. (Authenticated by Al-Albani)
3. Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) nar-
rated:
I said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him): O Messenger of Allah, will you not appoint me
to a public office? He stroked my shoulder with his
hand and said:
"Abu Dharr, you are weak and authority is a trust.
And on the Day of Judgment it is a cause of humilia-
tion and regret except for one who fulfills its obliga-
tions and (properly) discharges the duties." (Muslim)
Duty of Fighting Corruption is Collective
4. Abu Saìd Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with
him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him) said:
"Whosoever amongst you sees an evil, let him
change it with his hands; and if he is not able, then
with his tongue; and if he is not able, then let him
hate it in his heart, and that is the weakest of faith."
(Authenticated by Al-Albani)
5. An-Nu`man ibn Basheer narrated that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):
"The example of the person abiding by Allah's order
and restrictions in comparison to those who violate
them is like the example of those persons who drew
lots for their seats in a boat. Some of them got seats
in the upper part, and the others in the lower.
When the latter needed water, they had to go up to
bring water (and that troubled the others), so they
said, 'Let us make a hole in our share of the ship
(and get water) saving those who are above us from
troubling them.
So, if the people in the upper part left the others do
what they had suggested, all the people of the ship
would be destroyed, but if they prevented them, both
parties would be safe." (Al-Bukhari)
15 Anti-Corruption Hadiths
Cover Story
6. Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him)
narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) said:
"Help your brother whether he is the doer of wrong
or wrong is done to him."
The Companions asked,
"O Messenger of Allah! We can help a man to whom
wrong is done, but how could we help him when he
is the doer of wrong?"
The Prophet replied, "Hold him back from doing
wrong." (Al-Bukhari)
No Excuse for Abusing Public Position
7. Abu Humaid ibn Sa`d As-Saìdi (May Allah be
pleased with him) reported:
The Prophet employed a man from the tribe of Al-
Azd named Ibn Al-Lutabiyyahh to collect the Zakah.
When he returned (to the Prophet with the collec-
tions), he said: "This is for you while this (other
wealth) is a gift presented to me. (So, it is mine)."
So, the Messenger of Allah stood on the pulpit,
praised Allah, extolled Him and then he said,
"Why does an official whom I send (in a mission)
say: 'This is for you and this has been presented to
me as gift'?
Why did he not stay in the house of his father and
mother to see whether gifts will be given to him or
not?
By (Allah) in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad,
if any one of you takes anything (wrongfully,) he will
bring it on the Day of Resurrection, carrying it on
his nick"
Then he raised his hands till we could see the white-
ness of his armpits and repeated twice, "O Allah!
Have I conveyed (Your Commandments)?" (Muslim)
8. Àdi ibn Ùmairah (May Allah be pleased with
him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah said,
"Whosoever
among you is
appointed by
me to a posi-
tion and he
conceals from
us (even) a
needle or
more, he is
acting unfaith-
fully and will
bring it on the
Day of Resur-
rection".
Upon hearing this, a black man from Al-Ansar stood
up and said:
"O Messenger of Allah, take back from me your as-
signment."
The Prophet asked, "What happened to you?"
The man replied: "I have heard you saying such and
such."
The Prophet said,
"I say that (again) now: Whosoever from you is ap-
pointed by me to a position, he should bring every-
thing (of its revenues), big or small. (Then,) what he
is given therefrom, he may take. What he is disal-
lowed to take, he should avoid." (Muslim)
9. Abu Humaid As-saìdi (May Allah be pleased with
him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him) said:
"Gifts offered to public servants are ill-gotten gains
(ghulul)."(Authenticated by Al-Albani)
10. Buraidah ibn Al-Husaib (may Allah be pleased
with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) said:
"When we appoint someone to a (public) post and
provide him with an allowance, anything he takes
beyond that is an ill-gotten gain.| (Abu Dawud and
authenticated by Al-Albani)
11. Khaulahbint Àmir (May Allah be pleased with
her) reported that the Messenger of Allah said,
"Some men abuse Allah's Property (that is, public
money and funds). They will go to Hell on the Day of
Resurrection". (Al- Bukhari)
Serious Warning Against Bribery
12. Àbdullah bin Àmr (may Allah be pleased with
him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:
"The curse of Allah is upon the one who offers a
bribe and the one
who takes it."
(Ahamd, Ibn Majah
and authenticated
by Al-Albani)
Fighting Corrup-
tion in Judiciary
13. Ibn Buraidah
(may Allah be
pleased with him)
narrated from his
father that the
"Gifts offered to
public servants are
ill-gotten gains
(ghulul)" (Hadith)
Cover Story
Har Mirch
Seraj Akram
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Judges are of three (types), two of whom will end up
in Hell and one will be admitted to Paradise (as fol-
lows):
- One who judges according to his desires; he will be
in Hell.
- One who judges with no knowledge; he will end up
in hell.
- And one who sticks to the truth in his judgments; he
will be in Paradise." (Authenticated by Al-Albani)
14. Ùbaydullah ibn Abi Bakr said: I heard Anas ibn
Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) saying:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be
upon him) talked about the major sins, or he was
asked about the major sins. Upon this he mentioned:
"Associating anyone with Allah, killing of a person,
being undutiful to parents."
He (the Prophet further) said: "Should I not inform
you about the gravest of the major sins?" And then
he said: "It is false utterance" or he said "false testi-
mony". Shu`bah said: It was most probably "false
testimony". (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
15. À'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) nar-
rated:
The people of Quraish worried about the lady from
BaniMakhzum who had committed theft. They asked,
"Who will intercede for her with Allah's Messen-
ger?"
Some said, "No one dares to do so except Usamah
ibn Zaid the beloved one to Allah's Messenger."
When Usamah spoke about that to him, Allah's Mes-
senger said,
"Do you try to intercede for somebody in a case con-
nected with Allah's Prescribed Punishments?"
Then he got up and delivered a sermon saying,
"What destroyed the nations preceding you, was that
if a noble amongst them stole, they would forgive
him, and if a poor person amongst them stole, they
would inflict Allah's legal punishment on him.
By Allah, if Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad
stole, I would cut off her hand." (Al-Bukhari)
http://www.onislam.net/english/shariah/hadith/ha-
dith-collections/465673-islam-hadith-abuse-corrup-
tion-power-governance.html
BJP aur Modi ke jitney par Indian Muslim kafi
fikramand hain. lekin fikramand zyadah wah
hain jo jitna zyadah sirf bat karte hain, kaam
nahi, warna Modi election jita hai, Musalmaon
ka jazba, hausla, aur taqat nahi. Modi aane ke
baad Muslim ko desh se nikal nahi dengay,
lekin taalimi system me tabdili, idare me firqa
paraston ko oonche oonche ohde dena, aur
muslim ke hausle ko past karne ki koshis ka
imkan hai. Aur iska tor yahi hai ke aaj Muslim
ek waqt ka khana bhale kyon na khaye, bache
ko achhi talim de, dusre jo is qabil nahi uski
madad kare, naya talimi idarah qayem kare,
qayem shuda idare ki quality par khas dhyan
diya jaye, sarkari nokri, police aur fauj me
zyadah numayendgi ke har koshis kare, busi-
ness me aage barhne ki koshis kiya jaye, apne
ekhtalfat ko kam kare aur mil kar ijtemayi
zindagi ko aur mazbut kare. Ijtemayiat ke bina
islam nahi, aur agar Muslim sare ekhtalafat
bhul kar ek qaum ki manind kisi ek ki rahbari
me kam kare, ya phir tanzimo se jur kar
ijtemayiat ko badhawa de to insha Allah Mus-
lim kamzor nahi honge. Aqalmand log dush-
manon ko kabhi bhi kamzor nahi samajhte aur
koi kotahi nahi barat-te is lie Muslim taleem,
moash aur sarkari edare me jitney zyadah
honge dushmano ko hame maghloob karna utna
hi dushwar hoga.
Pareshani kam hausla insane ko darane ke liye
aati hai jabke hausla mand insanon ko aur
oonche muqam par le jane ke liye, 20 cror mus-
lim aaj bhi ijtemayiat ki taraf ruju hon aur phir
apne zaati fayeday ke sath sath qaumi mufad ko
bhi tarjih den to halat behtar hone se koi nahi
rok sakta, aur agar hath par hath dal kar sirf
dusron ke kamo par tanqid karne ka rawayya
barqarar raha, amal se farigh rahe to phir Allah
hi hafiz hai is qaum ka.
Islam
I By Aisha Stacey I
G
od truly is the Most Merciful, Oft Forgiving.
Sincere repentance assures Gods forgive-
ness
If a person truly believes there is no god but God, he
or she should accept Islam immediately.
Islam is the religion of forgiveness; no matter how
many sins a person may have committed, he or she
never becomes unforgivable.
God is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful and the
Quran stresses these attributes more than 70 times:
And to God belong all that is in the heavens and all
that is in the earth. He forgives whom He wills, and
punishes whom He wills. And God is oft Forgiving,
Most Merciful. (Al-Imran 3:129)
The One Exception
There is however, one sin that God will not forgive
and that is the sin of ascribing partners or associates
to God. A Muslim believes that God is one, without
partners, offspring, or associates. He is the only One
worthy of worship:
Say (O Muhammad), He is Allah, (the) One. The
Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He
neither eats nor drinks). He begets not, nor was He
begotten; and there is none co-equal or comparable
unto Him. (Al-Ikhlas 112)
Verily, God forgives not that partners should be set
up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except
that (anything else) to whom He wills. (An-Nisa
4:48)
It may seem strange to say that God is the Most Mer-
ciful, and stress that Islam is the religion of forgive-
ness while also saying that there is one unforgivable
sin. This is not a strange or unreliable concept when
you understand that this grave sin is only unforgiv-
able if a person dies without repenting to God. At
any time, up until a sinful person draws his last
breath he or she may turn sincerely to God and ask
for forgiveness, knowing that God truly is the Most
Merciful Oft Forgiving. Sincere repentance assures
Gods forgiveness.
Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease
(from disbelief), their past will be forgiven. (Al-
Anfal 8:38)
Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said:
God will accept His slaves repentance so long as
the death rattle has not yet reached his throat. (At-
Tirmidhi)
Prophet Muhammad also said:
Islam destroys that which came before it (sins)
(Sahih Muslim)
Often when a person is contemplating accepting
Islam they are confused by or even ashamed of the
many sins they may have committed over their life-
time. Some people wonder how they can ever be
good, moral people when in the shadows lurk their
sins and crimes.
Accepting Islam and pronouncing the words known
as the Shahadah or testimony of faith, (I testify La
ilahilla Allah, Muhammad rasoolu Allah: I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except God
Alone and I testify that Muhammad is the messenger
of God), wipes a persons slate clean.
Accordingly, he or she becomes like a newborn
baby, completely free from sin. It is a new begin-
Islam: The Religion of Forgiveness
When a person is contemplat-
ing accepting Islam, many of
the barriers that he or she per-
ceives are nothing more than
illusions and tricks from Satan
Every new Muslim becomes
unburdened and free to live
a life based on the funda-
mental belief that God is
one
Islam
ning, where ones past sins can no longer hold a per-
son captive. There is no need to be haunted by past
sins. Every new Muslim becomes unburdened and
free to live a life based on the fundamental belief
that God is one.
When a person is no longer held back by the fear
that their past sins or lifestyle prevents them from
leading a good life, the path to accepting Islam often
becomes easier. Knowing that God can forgive any-
one, of anything, is certainly a comforting prospect.
Nevertheless, understanding the importance of not
worshipping anything or anybody other than God is
paramount because it is the basis of Islam.
Islam is a Gift
God did not create humankind except that they
should worship Him alone: I created the jinn and
humankind only that they might worship Me. (Adh-
Dhariyat 51:56), and knowing how to keep that wor-
ship pure and unadulterated is imperative. However,
the details will often be learned after a person has
recognized the sublime truth of the way of life that is
Islam.
And follow the best of that which is sent down to
you from your Lord (i.e. this Quran, do what it or-
ders you to do and keep away from what it forbids),
before the torment comes on you suddenly while you
perceive not! Lest a person should say: Alas, my
grief that I was undutiful to God (i.e. I have not done
what God has ordered me to do), and I was indeed
among those who mocked. (Az-Zumar 39:55-56)
Once a person has accepted the truth of Islam, thus
accepting that there is no god but God alone, there is
time for him to learn about his religion. There is time
for him to understand the inspirational beauty and
ease of Islam, and to learn about all the prophets and
messengers of Islam including the last prophet,
Muhammad, peace be upon him.
If God should decree that a persons life would end
soon after accepting Islam it could be seen as a sign
of the mercy of God; for a person as pure as a new-
born baby would be destined for eternal paradise; by
the mercy of God, and His infinite wisdom.
When a person is contemplating accepting Islam,
many of the barriers that he or she perceives are
nothing more than illusions and tricks from Satan. It
is clear that once a person has been chosen by God,
Satan will do his upmost to lead that person astray
and bombard them with small whispers and doubts.
The religion of Islam is a gift, and just like any other
gift it must be accepted, and opened before the true
worth of its contents can be revealed.
Islam is a way of life that makes eternal bliss in the
hereafter an achievable dream. There is no god but
God, the One, the Only, the First and the Last.
Knowing Him is the key to success and accepting
Islam is the first step on a journey to the Hereafter.
The Economic Times, Friday, 23, 2014,
New Delhi
Politics
I By Israrul Haque I
N
arendraModi'sBharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
and its allies have won India's general elec-
tion by the biggest margin in 30 years. Modi
will be sworn in as the new prime minister of India
on May 26. But why would we want someone to rep-
resent our country who has a tainted past? Modi who
fanned the flames with his New York Times inter-
view in 2002, in which he said his only regret was
that he didn't manage the media better. Following
this, the U.S. imposed a visa ban on Modi and
Britain announced a 10-year boycott.
Modi who is largely positioning himself as a cham-
pion of economic progress because Indian stocks
surged to a record with the Bombay Stock Exchange
having risen as much as 6.15%, and the rupee also
strengthened against the U.S. dollar, might prove to
be a nations risk and disaster, as Indias prosperity
depends not only on rupees strength but also on the
unity of its constituent diversity.Well there are eco-
nomic dreamers who are trying to cover up his past
with the glittering cover of development in Gujarat
but his image is still tainted with the riots in his
state.
Modi has come to power on the back of Gujarat's
economic success during his time as chief minister
of the state, although Gujarat's economy was doing
well long before he came to power. Gujaratis are an
enterprising people, have been the most enthusiastic
in taking advantage of liberalization and globaliza-
tion and have propelled economic growth in their
state, the real credit must go to the Gujarati business
acumen.Many have pointed out that the strong
sweep by Modi and his allies suggests there's a
chance that economic reforms won't be obstructed at
every step the way, they were during the Congress's
fractious rule. Theres much optimism for the Indian
economy, around Modi as PM.
Those celebrating Modi's win must realize that
much of it is true for other states as well, except for
the success story in power. Bihar has grown faster
than Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra more or
less match its growth rates.Gujarat record in educa-
tion and healthcare is still pretty bad as Modi did not
concentrate on that as much as he concentrated on
physical infrastructure to ensure that Gujarat has in
deed prospered under Modi. In fact Gujarat lags in
reducing poverty, showing that the growth it
achieves is rather lopsided. Women have a raw deal,
with high levels of anemia and low levels of college
education, compared to several other states.
While there's much optimism there's a lot to worry
about as well, what his rule could mean for a demo-
cratic nation, even in his victory speech he has not
said enough to make minorities feel safe. Modi's
seeming religious intolerancemight play out as occa-
sional terror strikes as attempts to subordinate the
macroscopic minority will inevitably lead to the
deep hostility.
If at the level of theology Hinduism has no problem
accepting a few more gods, whatever their names,
why it should be inimical to the traditional Hindu
ethos to allow peaceful coexistence of people of dif-
ferent faiths.
Modi has to make the majority community feel that
they are not maltreating the minority and going
against the long Indian tradition of being
tolerant.This, indeed, will be the ideal for both secu-
larism and Hinduism.
Modiness or Madness
Definition of Pornography?
P
ornography is defined in the English language
as an indecent form of art or literature. Islam
also views it as indecent and terms it as
faahisha in the Quran.
Allah Ta'ala says (what means): "Say: The things
that my Lord has indeed forbidden are: shameful
deeds whether open or secret"(Qur'an 7:33)
Faahishah is translated as "shameful deeds" because
it refers to every bad deed that is noticeably ugly to
human beings. In many places in the Quran, Allah
(Subhaanahu WaTa'ala) refers to zinaa, adultery and
fornication as a faahishah. In another verse, Allah
(Subhaanahu WaTa'ala) refers to the marrying of
one's father's wife also as being a faahishah because,
like adultery, anyone with a pure nature will clearly
see it as hideous. Allah (Subhaanahu WaTa'ala) also
calls the crime of the people of Lut (Alaihis Salaam),
homosexuality, a faahishah. Likewise to view pic-
tures of nudity, sexual suggestion, intimacy between
two people, or a person of the opposite gender who
is improperly covered (Islamically) is also an ugly
sin to anyone who wishes to adhere to piety.
Television
One of the most pervasive tools of pornography is
the television. Shows like "Dawson's Creek" and
"Baywatch" have no other purpose except to display
blatant degrees of nakedness and indecent scenes of
intimacy. Movies also succeed in conveying lewd
imagery by almost always including a love/lust story
in the story line. However there are other forms of
pornography on TV that are much more subtle. For
example, most Muslims would not realize that the
viewing of several sports events includes porno-
graphic images. The swimsuits that are worn by both
men and woman during the Olympics are iniqui-
tously revealing. They expose the 'awrah of a woman
and a man for their respective genders and the oppo-
site gender.
The word 'awrah refers to those parts of the body
which are Islamically prohibited to expose in front
of another (either the opposite gender or the same
gender). For example, it is a must for a woman to
cover all of her body except for her face and hands
in front of men who are permissible for her to marry
- that is her 'awrah. Likewise the man's 'awrah is
everything between his navel and knees while in
front of a woman or a man. The skimpy swimsuits
worn by these athletes just don't meet the Islamic
dress code.
Underwear Ads
Another subtle example regards women who view
advertisements that contain pictures of other women
modeling bras and underwear. The 'awrah of Muslim
women in front of other Muslim women doesn't
allow these areas of the body to be exposed and
hence it is haram for even a woman to view them.
It is also important to keep in mind that a person
could be "clothed but naked" as Rasoolullah (Sallal-
laahu Alaihi Wa Salaam) said. For example, com-
petitors in races usually wear some sort of bodysuit
that adheres very tightly to their skin and the exact
shape of their body parts is apparent. This is almost
equivalent to being naked, since it doesn't take much
imagination to figure out what is under such type of
clothing.
Lowering the Gaze
When such images become prevalent in a society,
what is deemed pornographic changes drastically.
The very standard of modesty, which should be a
defining characteristic of Muslim dress and behav-
ior, will become degraded. The Islamic standard
must be upheld. The true believer fears Allah's
judgement and knows that no act will go unac-
counted for and that even his own eyes will bear wit-
ness against him on the Day of Judgement. Allah
(Subhaanahu WaTa'ala) says: "Until, when they
reach it (Hell-Fire) their hearing and eyes and skin
will testify against them as to what they used to do."
Rasoolullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Salaam) warned
us that there is a zinaa of the eyes just as there is a
zinaa of the private parts.
Pornogrpahy:
Why it is Haram & How to deal with it?
The Islamic solution to living in a society where
pornographic images are so visible is to lower one's
gaze.
Allah (Subhaanahu WaTa'ala) says: "Say to the be-
lieving men that they should lower their gaze and
guard their modesty: that will make for greater pu-
rity for them: and Allah is well aquainted with all
they do. And say to the believing women that they
should lower their gaze and guard their modesty;
that they should not display their beauty and orna-
ments except what (must ordinarily) appear
thereof "(Qur'an 24:30-31)
The scholars of tafseer say that this means that both
men and woman are obliged to direct their sight
away from that which is haram and that there is no
harm in looking at that which is halal (such as view-
ing one's spouse while they are uncovered).
In regard to these verses Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahul-
lah) says: "So He (Allah) put purity after lowering of
the gaze and protecting of the private parts. For this
reason lowering the gaze away from the prohibited
things warrants three great benefits. The first of them
is the sweetness of Imaan and the pleasure that
comes from it, which is more sweet and pleasing
than that which he diverted his eyes away from for
Allah's sake. Verily, whoever abandons a thing for
Allah's sake, He (Subhaanahu WaTa'ala) compen-
sates him with better than itThe second benefit is a
light in the heart and quality of intuition and the
third benefit is the strength of the heart and stead-
fastness and courage. So Allah (Subhaanahu
WaTa'ala) would give him, by His strength, the abil-
ity of wisdom and substantiation, and the devil
would flee from him as it has been mentioned in the
saying, "Whoever fears his whims, the devil would
race out of his shadow."
Indeed, the opposite is also true. This is because the
eyes are the most direct path to the heart. One who
allows his whims to overwhelm him and indulges his
eyes in the viewing of haram things has weakened
his heart, corrupted his soul, and invited shaytan to
control him.
________________________________________
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Mozzammil Khalil, son of Loco Pilot, tops
CBSE Class 10th exam in Nagpur Division with
99 pc
I indeed feel extremely happy to share the news with the es-
teemed members of this list that my bhanja (son of my eld-
est sister), MozzammilKahleel tops CBSE Class 10th exam
in Nagpur Division with 99 per cent. My sister migrated to
Nagpur from Bihar as her husband is working there.
We must encourage and motivate our young lot to compete
with the world and contribute to the community, society and
our country to the fullest. If we encourage them and provide
the needed support, they will surely break the barrier
against the odds.
Nagpur News: Mozzammil Khalil, son of Central Rail-
ways Loco Pilot, and a student of Central India Public
School, topped the CBSE Class 10 exam with 99 percent
marks in Nagpur Division. The Central Board of Secondary
Education (CBSE) on Monday sprang a pleasant surprise
when it declared the result of Class 10th Board exam. The
result was announced by CBSE at 4 pm.
When Nagpur Today contacted Mozzammil Khalil for his
comments on the outstanding achievement, he said, It is
dream come true. I was expecting 90 percent or more
marks. But 99 percent has left me exceedingly happy and I
am still recovering from the happiest shock. It is really a
dream come true to say the least. And now with this feat, I
will pursue the further studies with the sole aim of becom-
ing an engineer, Mozzammil said. He gave all credit for
his phenomenal performance to his parents, school and tu-
ition teachers.
Khalid Waheed, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor),Crescent Busi-
ness School (CBS), BSAR University, Chennai-48, India
[http://bsauniv.ac.in/info.aspx?id=141&mid=84]
kwfalahi@gmail.com, Mob. #: +91-9884430351
Islam
I By Gheyas S Mahfoz Hashmi I
Continued from previous issue..
T
he Quran has been ascended in the language
and dialect of Quraish who were very perfect
in Arabic language. Poets of that time are ad-
mired and awarded for their finest works in writing
poetry. Literally function was held to select the best
poetry, which was then hanged at Kaba for public
display.
This period is known as Jahiliah (ignorance) for their
ignorance of Islam and their foolishness. They were
ignorant of rights towards Allah and His servants.
What survives today of their poetries are well re-
garded as the finest of Arabic poetry to date.
Ever since the Quran was revealed, fourteen cen-
turies ago, no one has been able to produce a single
chapter like the chapters of the Quran in their beauty,
eloquence, splendor, wise legislation, true informa-
tion, true prophecy, and other perfect attributes.
What makes the Quran a miracle, is that it is impos-
sible for a human being to compose something like
it, as it lies outside the productive capacity of the na-
ture of the Arabic language. The productive capacity
of nature, concerning the Arabic language, is that
any grammatically sound expression of the Arabic
language will always fall with-in the known Arabic
literary forms of prose and poetry. All of the possible
combinations of Arabic words, letters and grammati-
cal rules have been exhausted and yet its literary
form has not been matched linguistically. The Arabs,
who were known to have been Arabic linguists par
excellence, failed to successfully challenge the
Quran, which says:
If you are in doubt of what We have revealed to Our
Messenger, then produce one chapter like it, call
upon all your helpers, besides Allah, if you are truth-
ful. (2: 23)
Or do they say: He (Prophet Muhammad,) has
forged it (this Quran)? Nay! They believe not! Let
them then produce a recitation like it (the Quran) if
they are truthful. (52: 33-34)
The 13 years revelation of the Quran in Makkah
deals not with Shariat but monotheism as Quraish
had greatly diverted from their true path. Makki
Chapters of Quran deal mainly with:
1. Tawheed: is the concept of monotheism in
Islam. It holds Allah is one and Unique. Basically,
Tawhid is the belief of oneness of Allah and that He
has no partner or peer in His Essence and Attributes.
2. Salah: Since the Kuffars of Makkah were in the
habit of worshipping idols in the belief that these
home-made gods would carry their prayers to Allah
for them, the early verses were also aimed at clarify-
ing this misconception. The verses taught that Salaah
should only be made for and to Allah, as He is the
only one who can answer them. Great stress was
placed on Salah because of its relationship to
Tawheed. Correct Salah directed to Allah alone is the
most basic way of putting Tawheed into practice.
3. The Unseen: Since there was no way that
human beings could possibly come to know about
the unseen world and purpose of his creation and the
creation of the universe, the early verses taught them
about its wonders, its mysteries, and its horrors. The
verses described Paradise and its pleasures in order
to encourage the believers to continue to do good
deeds and to assure them of a reward. They also de-
scribed the Hell-fire and its torments in order to en-
courage the believers to strive to avoid evil deeds.
Description of the fire and its inhabitants also reas-
sured the believers that those who do wrong in this
life will not escape Allahs wrath. Such descriptions
were also aimed at scaring the disbelievers into re-
considering their position before it became too late.
Some of the verses also reasoned with those who
could not accept the resurrection by giving them ex-
amples from nature, such as rain falling on dead
earth bringing it back to life.
4. Allahs Existence: There were many among the
Makkans who were in the doubt about Allahs very
existence. Thus, some of the early verses presented
logical arguments proving on this. Sometimes proofs
were taken from nature and the creatures common
UNDERSTANDING OF SHARIAT (ISLAMIC LAWS)
E.g. , Quran, Sunnah and Ijma (consensus of) Sahaba)
QURAN (FIRST PRIMARY SOURCE)
Part III
Islam
to the society. Allah asked the Makkans.
Do they not look at the camels, how they are cre-
ated. And at the heaven, how it is raised.
And at the mountains, how they are rooted. And at
the earth, how it is outspread (88:17-20)
At other times, straight logic was used. Allah asked
them if they were created from nothing or if they cre-
ated themselves:
Were they created by nothing or were they them-
selves the creators (52:35]
5. Previous Messengers and their Nations: The
Makkan verses often mentioned historical examples
of earlier civilizations, like the Àad and the
Thamod. They were mentioned in order to warn
those who had rejected the message of Islam. The
verses spoke about the wonders of the ancient civi-
lizations. They listed the many blessings which
Allah had bestowed on the peoples of those civiliza-
tions. Then they (the verses) recounted how the peo-
ple disobeyed Allah and denied His blessings, and
how Allahs punishment caught them when they
were totally unaware of what could become of them
if Allah so willed. These examples were quite famil-
iar to the Arabs because ruins of such civilizations
could still be seen. For example, the stone tombs of
Maddain Saleh were directly on the trade route to
Syria.
6. Eeman: Very few laws were revealed in the
Makkan verses. Instead, the verses concentrated on
the principles which would build the Eeman of the
early Muslims. These verses spoke of the importance
of fearing Allah and being aware of His presence and
knowledge of all things. They were often filled with
advice about being patient, perseverant, truthful and
trustworthy, in order to build the moral spiritual
character of the early Muslims who were in a minor-
ity and under a lot of pressure from Makkan society.
Following are some clues which will help common
people identify Makki Sura (Chapters):-
1. Difficult words
2. Surah with Muqattaat letters
3. Small Surah
4. Surah with word Kallah
5. Surah with Sajdah (Prostration)
6. Small sentences
7. Surath with Ya Aayuhannas
8. Surah with previous messengers story
Madni Surah (chapters) ascended during 10 years of
Madani period.
These Surah contain issue like civil code, Shariah
punishment, importance of Jihad and decrees about
it, public dealings, Haj, information about hyp-
ocrites, etc. Madani chapters are generally longer
ones and comprise a much larger sentence.
(hgheyas@albatool.com.sa)
To be continued..
Goodness is Attained
Through Repentance
A man complained to Al-asan Al-Baree
(may Allah have mercy on him) about a
drought, and Al-asan Al-Baree (may
Allah have mercy on him) said to him:
"Pray to Allah for forgiveness."
Another man complained to him of poverty
and Al-asan Al-Baree (may Allah have
mercy on him) said to him: "Pray to Allah
to forgive you."
Another man said to him: "Pray to Allah to
bless me with a child." Al-asan Al-Baree
(may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Pray
to Allah for forgiveness."
Another complained to him that his garden
was dry. Al-asan Al-Baree (may Allah
have mercy on him) said to him: "Pray to
Allah for forgiveness."
He was asked about it and he said: "This
is not my personal opinion, for Allah says
in the Quran: Surah Noo, 71:10-12 : "Ask
forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is
Oft Forgiving He will send rain to you in
abundance. And give you increase in
wealth and children, and bestow on you
gardens and bestow on you rivers." - See
more at:
http://www.islamicstories.com/story/128#st
hash.Ro0glf7B.dpuf
Ramadan
I By Sameen Ahmed Khan I
Abstract:
In this article, we summarize the divisions of
the Holy Quran along with the occurrence
the Sajdah Tilawat and the Muqattaat. These
distinct Ayah enable us to recognize the por-
tion of the Holy Quran being recited. The
approach to the Quranic Arabic through the
Quranic Words is briefly mentioned. The in-
formation given in the article is expected to
assist in our preparation for the Tarawih.
Introduction:
Another Ramadan-ul-Mubarak is around the corner.
The Holy Quran was revealed in the auspicious
month of Ramadan. This auspicious month is
marked with Siyam (fasting) and special Salaat
(prayers) namely the Tarawih Salaat. For many of us
who do not know the Holy Quran by heart, find it
difficult to follow the Tarawih: both its contents and
meaning. Some information about the organization
of the Quran can assist us in following the Tarawih.
This short note is an attempt to familiarize us with
the organization of the Holy Quran.
(Surah, Qamar, 54: 17, 22, 32, 40)
Hence, indeed, We made this Quran easy to bear in
mind: who, then, is willing to take it to heart?
(English Meaning by Muhammad Asad from
http://www.IslamiCity.com/)
Divisions of the Holy Quran:
The Holy Quran has words, Ayahs or signs and the
Surahs. The word Ayah (singular is Ayat) is gener-
ally translated as verses. An Ayah may consist of a
full sentence, more than one sentence, or part of a
sentence. There are different conventions of count-
ing the total number of Ayah. For instance the Bis-
millah before each surah may or may not be counted.
This leads to a difference in the figures arrived for
the total number of Ayah in the Holy Quran. The
count varies from 6239 to 6666. A group of Ayah
make a Surah. There are exactly 114 Surah in the
Holy Quran. Three of the 114 Surah have three
Ayah each, which are: Surah-103: the Al-Asr; Surah-
108: the Al-Kauthar; and Surah-110: the Al-Nasr.
Surah-2: the Al-Baqarah is the largest and has 286
Ayah.
For referring to a particular Ayat the method has
been given to us by the Sunnah of the Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him), that is Surah and
Ayat. Since all Surah and Ayat within them are num-
bered, the most scientific method is to provide the
Surah and Ayah number. For example Ayat-al-Kursi
is 2:255, that is Surah 2 (Al-Baqarah) and Ayah 255.
Some scholars prefer the reference Al-Baqarah 255
or Al-Baqarah (2): 255.
Scholars after the Prophet (peace be upon him) have
done additional division of the Holy Quran for the
convenience of recitation of the whole Quran in a set
period like one week or one month. The seven ap-
proximately equal divisions are called Manzil or sta-
tions.
The thirty equal parts of the Holy Quran are called
Juz or Para (words Sipara and Paro are also used).
There is more than one way of dividing the Juz.
Each Juz is divided into two Hizb (group) and each
Hizb is further divided into four quarters. Thus a Juz
has two Hizb and eight Hizb-quarters. In this system
of division the whole Quran is divided into 240
Hizb-quarters. This allows a person to recite the
Holy Quran in small groups of verses and complete
the recitation in one-month to eight-month periods.
Gearing up for the Tarawih
Page 2 of 10
Ayah number . For exampl e Ayat - al- Kur si i s 2: 255, t hat i s Sur ah 2 ( Al - Baqar ah) and
Ayah 255. Some schol ar s pr ef er t he r ef er ence Al - Baqar ah 255 or Al - Baqar ah ( 2) : 255.

Schol ar s af t er t he Pr ophet ( peace be upon hi m) have done addi t i onal di vi si on of t he Hol y
Qur an f or t he conveni ence of r eci t at i on of t he whol e Qur an i n a set per i od l i ke one week
or one mont h. The seven appr oxi mat el y equal di vi si ons ar e cal l ed Manzi l or st at i ons.

The Seven Manzi l
Manzi l
No.
Sur ah Number s
Number
of Sur ah
i s t he
Manzi l
1 Sur ah- 1: Al - Fat i hah t o Sur ah- 4: Al - Ni sa 4
2 Sur ah- 5: Al - Ma' i da t o Sur ah- 9: Al - Tawbah 5
3 Sur ah- 10: Yunus t o Sur ah- 16: Al - Nahl 7
4 Sur ah- 17: Al - I sr a' t o Sur ah- 25: Al - Fur qan 9
5 Sur ah- 26: Al - Shuar a t o Sur ah- 36: Ya- Seen 11
6 Sur ah- 37: As- Saf f at t o Sur ah- 49: Al - Huj ur at 13
7 Sur ah- 50: Qaf t o Sur ah- 114: Al - Nass 65

The t hi r t y equal par t s of t he Hol y Qur an ar e cal l ed Juz or Par a ( wor ds Si par a and Par o
ar e al so used) . Ther e i s mor e t han one way of di vi di ng t he Juz. Each Juz i s di vi ded i nt o
t wo Hi zb( gr oup) and each Hi zb i s f ur t her di vi ded i nt o f our quar t er s. Thus a Juz has t wo
Hi zb and ei ght Hi zb- quar t er s. I n t hi s syst em of di vi si on t he whol e Qur an i s di vi ded i nt o
240 Hi zb- quar t er s. Thi s al l ows a per son t o r eci t e t he Hol y Qur an i n smal l gr oups of
ver ses and compl et e t he r eci t at i on i n one- mont h t o ei ght - mont h per i ods.

Ramadan
Another widely used division is the Ruku (meaning
bowing or section). The Quran is divided into the
Surah al-Fatiha and 540 Ruku. The Ruku have un-
equal lengths and are a logical point in the science of
recitation. With twenty Ruku a day it takes 27 days
to complete the recitation of the Holy Quran. This is
the pattern generally followed in the 20 Rakaat
Tarawih. The Hizb division is more suited for the 8
Rakaat Tarawih, completing the recitation of the
Holy Quran in 30 days. The Ruku markings are
widely used in the prints from the Indian subconti-
nent. The Hizb marking are common in the prints
obtained from the Arab world.
Page 4 of 10

Anot her wi del y used di vi si on i s t he Ruku ( meani ng bowi ng or sect i on) . The Qur an i s
di vi ded i nt o t he Sur ah al - Fat i ha and 540 Ruku. The Ruku have unequal l engt hs and ar e a
l ogi cal poi nt i n t he sci ence of r eci t at i on. Wi t h t went y Ruku a day i t t akes 27 days t o
compl et e t he r eci t at i on of t he Hol y Qur an. Thi s i s t he pat t er n gener al l y f ol l owed i n t he
20 Rakaat Tar awi h. The Hi zb di vi si on i s mor e sui t ed f or t he 8 Rakaat Tar awi h,
compl et i ng t he r eci t at i on of t he Hol y Qur an i n 30 days. The Ruku mar ki ngs ar e wi del y
used i n t he pr i nt s f r om t he I ndi an subcont i nent . The Hi zb mar ki ng ar e common i n t he
pr i nt s obt ai ned f r om t he Ar ab wor l d.

114 Sur ah wi t h t he Juz and Manzi l
Manzi l
No
Juz
No.
Sur ah
No.
Sur ah Name Meani ng
1
1 1 Al - Fat i hah The Openi ng
1- 2- 3 2 Al - Baqar ah The Hei f er ( The Cow)
3- 4 3 Al - I mr an
The Fami l y of I mr an,
House of I mr an
4- 5- 6 4 Al - Ni sa' The Women
2
6- 7 5 Al - Ma' i dah
The Repast ,
The Tabl e Spr ead
7- 8 6 Al - An` am The Cat t l e ( The Li vest ock)
8- 9 7 Al - A` r af The Hei ght s
9- 10 8 Al - Anf al The Spoi l s of War
10- 11 9 Al - Taubah The Repent ance
3
11 10 Yunus Yunus ( Pr ophet Jonah)
11- 12 11 Hud Hud ( Pr ophet Hud)
12- 13 12 Yusuf Joseph ( Pr ophet Joseph)
13
13 Al - Ra` d The Thunder
14 I br ahi m I br ahi m ( Abr aham)
13- 14 15 Al - Hi j r The Rocky Tr act
14 16 Al - Nahl The Bee
4
15 17 Al - I sr a The Ni ght Jour ney
15- 16 18 Al - Kahf The Cave
16
19 Mar yam Mar yam ( Mar y)
20 Ta Ha Ta Ha
Page 3 of 10
Di vi si on of t he Hol y Qur an i nt o Juz and Hi zb
Juz No. Juz Name Hi zb Sur ah
1 Al i f Lam Meem
1 1: 1 2: 74
2 2: 75 2: 141
2 Sayaqool
3 2: 142 2: 202
4 2: 203 2: 252
3 Ti l kal Rusul l
5 2: 253 3: 14
6 3: 15 3: 92
4 Lan Tana Loo
7 3: 93 3: 170
8 3: 171 4: 23
5 Wal Mohsanat
9 4: 24 4: 87
10 4: 88 4: 147
6 La Yuhi bbul l ah
11 4: 148 5: 26
12 5: 27 5: 81
7 Wa I za Sami u
13 5: 82 6: 35
14 6: 36 6: 110
8 Wa Lau Annana
15 6: 111 6: 165
16 7: 1 7: 87
9 Qal al Mal ao
17 7: 88 7: 170
18 7: 171 8: 40
10 Wa A' l amu
19 8: 41 9: 33
20 9: 34 9: 92
11 Yat azer oon
21 9: 93 10: 25
22 10: 26 11: 5
12 Wa Mami n Da' abat
23 11: 6 11: 83
24 11: 84 12: 52
13 Wa Ma Ubr i oo
25 12: 53 13: 18
26 13: 19 14: 52
14 Rubama
27 15: 1 16: 50
28 16: 51 6: 128
15 Subhanal l azi
29 17: 1 17: 98
30 17: 99 18: 74
16 Qal Al am
31 18: 75 19: 98
32 20: 1 20: 135
17 Aqt ar abo
33 21: 1 21: 112
34 22: 1 22: 78
18 Qadd Af l aha
35 23: 1 24: 20
36 24: 21 25: 21
19 Wa Qal al l azi na
37 25: 22 6: 110
38 26: 111 7: 55
20 A' man Khal aq
39 27: 56 28: 50
40 28: 51 29: 45
21 Ut l u Ma Oohi
41 29: 46 31: 21
42 31: 22 33: 30
22 Wa Manyaqnut
43 33: 31 34: 23
44 34: 24 36: 27
23 Wa Mal i
45 36: 28 7: 144
46 37: 145 9: 31
Page 4 of 10
24 Faman Azl am
47 39: 32 40: 40
48 40: 41 41: 46
25 El ahe Yur uddo
49 41: 47 43: 23
50 43: 24 45: 37
26 Ha' a Meem
51 46: 1 48: 17
52 48: 18 51: 30
27 Qal a Fama Khat bukum
53 51: 31 54: 55
54 55: 1 57: 29
28 Qadd Sami Al l ah
55 58: 1 61: 14
56 62: 1 66: 12
29 Tabar akal l azi
57 67: 1 71: 28
58 72: 1 77: 50
30 Amma Yat asa' al oon
59 78: 1 86: 17
60 87: 1 114: 6

Anot her wi del y used di vi si on i s t he Ruku ( meani ng bowi ng or sect i on) . The Qur an i s
di vi ded i nt o t he Sur ah al - Fat i ha and 540 Ruku. The Ruku have unequal l engt hs and ar e a
l ogi cal poi nt i n t he sci ence of r eci t at i on. Wi t h t went y Ruku a day i t t akes 27 days t o
compl et e t he r eci t at i on of t he Hol y Qur an. Thi s i s t he pat t er n gener al l y f ol l owed i n t he
20 Rakaat Tar awi h. The Hi zb di vi si on i s mor e sui t ed f or t he 8 Rakaat Tar awi h,
compl et i ng t he r eci t at i on of t he Hol y Qur an i n 30 days. The Ruku mar ki ngs ar e wi del y
used i n t he pr i nt s f r om t he I ndi an subcont i nent . The Hi zb mar ki ng ar e common i n t he
pr i nt s obt ai ned f r om t he Ar ab wor l d.

Page 5 of 10
17
21 Al - Anbi ya' The Pr ophet s
22 Al - Haj j The Haj j ( The Pi l gr i mage)
18
23 Al - Mu' mi nun The Bel i ever s
24 Al - Nur The Li ght
18- 19 25 Al - Fur qan The Cr i t er i on
5
19 26 Al - Shu` ar a' The Poet s
19- 20 27 Al - Naml The Ant s
20 28 Al - Qasas The Nar r at i ons
20- 21 29 Al - ` Ankabut The Spi der
21
30 Al - Rum The Romans
31 Luqman Luqman ( The Wi se)
32 Al - Saj dah The Pr ost r at i on
21- 22 33 Al - Ahzab The Conf eder at es ( The Al l i es)
22
34 Saba' Saba ( Sheba)
35 Fat i r The Or i gi nat or of Cr eat i on
22- 23 36 Ya Si n Ya Si n
6
23
37 Al - Saf f at Those Ranged i n Ranks
38 Sad The Let t er Sad
23- 24 39 Al - Zumar The Cr owds
Page 6 of 10

6
24 40
Ghaf i r
Al Mumi n
The For gi ver ,
The For gi vi ng One
24- 25 41 Fussi l at Revel at i ons Expl ai ned i n Det ai l
25
42 Al - Shur a Consul t at i on
43 Al - Zukhr uf Gol d Or nament s
44 Al - Dukhan The Evi dent Smoke
45 Al - Jat hi yah The Kneel i ng Down
26
46 Al - Ahqaf Wi ndi ng Sand Tr act s
47 Muhammad Muhammad ( Pr ophet Muhammad)
48 Al - Fat h The Vi ct or y
49 Al - Huj ur at The Chamber s
7
26 50 Qaf The Let t er Qaf
Ramadan
Many of the 114 Surah have more than one name or
title. A detailed understanding of the meaning of the
titles of the Surah is obtained from the introduction
to that Surah as given in any standard Tafasir of the
Holy Quran (Commentaries and Exegesis).
Sajdah Tilawat:
There are some specific Ayah giving the command to
make Sajdah prostration or mention that the believ-
ers prostrate before Allah in submission to Him. As
a response to these Ayah, it is required, according to
the Sunnah of the Prophet peace be upon him to
make Sajdah whenever one reads, recites from mem-
ory, or hears any of these Ayah. This is a Sunnah
Mu'akkadah and it should not be omitted. These are
known as the Sajdah of Tilawat prostration of recita-
tion. There are fourteen according to some jurists,
fifteen places in the whole Quran, where the Ayah of
Sajdah occur.
The location of the Sajdah Ayah clearly pointed in
the text and in the margins. This is generally done
using the beautiful calligraphy. If some Non-Arabic
publisher has missed theses markings, please make a
record them using the enclosed table. They are
listed in the following table:
The prerequisites for this Sajdah are the same as for
the Salah (Namaz or Prayer): 1. Purity of body,
clothes, and place of Sajdah. 2. Covering of satr. 3.
Turning your face toward Qiblah. 4. Intention of
performing the Sajdah. The procedure is: 1. Stand
facing the Qiblah. 2. Express the necessary inten-
tion. 3. Go down for Sajdah with Allahu-Akbar and
should recite the usual dua, Subhana rabbiyal-Ala.
4. Rise up with Allahu-Akbar after Sajdah.
If an Ayat requiring the Sajdah has been recited dur-
ing the Salah such as the Tarahwi Salah, the Sajdah
Page 7 of 10

7 30
86 At - Tar i q The Ni ght St ar
87 Al - A` l a The Most Hi gh
88 Al - Ghashi yah The Over whel mi ng Event
89 Al - Faj r The Dawn
90 Al - Bal ad The Ci t y
91 Al - Shams The Sun
92 Al - Layl The Ni ght
93 Al - Duha The Gl or i ous Mor ni ng Li ght
94 Al - Shar h The Expansi on of t he Br east
95 Al - Ti n The Fi g
96 Al - ` Al aq The Cl i ngi ng Cl ot
97 Al - Qadr The Ni ght of Power or Honour
98 Al - Bai yi nah The Cl ear Evi dence
99 Al - Zal zal ah The Ear t hquake
100 Al - ` Adi yat Those That Run
101 Al - Qar i ` ah The Gr eat Cal ami t y
102 Al - Takat hur The Pi l i ng Up
103 Al - ` Asr Ti me Thr ough t he Ages
104 Al - Humazah The Scandal monger
105 Al - Fi l The El ephant
106 Qur aysh The Tr i be of Qur aysh
107 Al - Ma' un The Nei ghbour l y Assi st ance
108 Al - Kaut har The Abundance
109 Al - Kaf i r un Those Who Rej ect Fai t h
110 Al - Nasr The Hel p
111 Al - Masad The Pl ai t ed Rope
112 Al - I khl as The Pur i t y of Fai t h
113 Al - Fal aq The Daybr eak
114 Al - Nas The Manki nd

Many of t he 114 Sur ah have mor e t han one name or t i t l e. A det ai l ed under st andi ng of t he
meani ng of t he t i t l es of t he Sur ah i s obt ai ned f r om t he i nt r oduct i on t o t hat Sur ah as gi ven
i n any st andar d Taf asi r of t he Hol y Qur an ( Comment ar i es and Exegesi s) .

Saj dah Ti l awat :
Ther e ar e some speci f i c Ayah gi vi ng t he command t o make Saj dahpr ost r at i on or
ment i on t hat t he bel i ever s pr ost r at e bef or e Al l ah i n submi ssi on t o Hi m. As a r esponse t o
t hese Ayah, i t i s r equi r ed, accor di ng t o t he Sunnah of t he Pr ophet peace be upon hi m t o
make Saj dah whenever one r eads, r eci t es f r om memor y, or hear s any of t hese Ayah. Thi s
i s a Sunnah Mu' akkadah and i t shoul d not be omi t t ed. These ar e known as t he Saj dah of
Ti l awatpr ost r at i on of r eci t at i on. Ther e ar e f our t een accor di ng t o some j ur i st s, f i f t een
pl aces i n t he whol e Qur an, wher e t he Ayah of Saj dah occur .

The l ocat i on of t he Saj dah Ayah cl ear l y poi nt ed i n t he t ext and i n t he mar gi ns. Thi s i s
gener al l y done usi ng t he beaut i f ul cal l i gr aphy. I f some Non- Ar abi c publ i sher has mi ssed
t heses mar ki ngs, pl ease make a r ecor d t hem usi ng t he encl osed t abl e. They ar e l i st ed i n
t he f ol l owi ng t abl e:

Page 6 of 10

6
26
49 Al - Huj ur at The Chamber s
7
26 50 Qaf The Let t er Qaf
26- 27 51 Al - Dhar i yat The Wi nds That Scat t e r
27
52 Al - Tur The Mount ai n
53 Al - Naj m The St ar
54 Al - Qamar The Moon
55 Al - Rahman The Most Gr aci ous
56 Al - Waqi ` ah The I nevi t abl e
57 Al - Hadi d The I r on
28
58 Al - Muj adi l ah The Woman Who Pl eads
59 Al - Hashr The Must er i ng
60 Al - Mumt ahi nah That Whi ch Exami nes
61 Al - Saf f The Bat t l e Ar r ay
62 Al - Jumu` ah The Jumuah ( The Fr i day)
63 Al - Munaf i qun The Hypocr i t es
64 At - Taghabun The Mut ual Loss and Gai n
65 Al - Tal aq Di vor ce
66 Al - Tahr i m Pr ohi bi t i on
29
67 Al - Mul k The Domi ni on
68 Al - Qal am The Pen
69 Al - Haqqah The Sur e Real i t y
70 Al - Ma` ar i j The Ways of Ascent
71 Nuh Nuh ( Pr ophet Noah)
72 Al - Ji nn The Ji nn
73 Al - Muzammi l The Fol ded One
74 Al - Mudat hi r The Wr apped Up
75 Al - Qi yamah The Resur r ect i on
76 Al - I nsan The Man
77 al- Mur sal at Those Sent For t h
30
78 Al - Naba' The Gr eat News
79 Al - Nazi ' at Those Who Tear Out
80 ` Abasa He Fr owned
81 Al - Takwi r The Fol di ng Up
82 Al - I nf i t ar The Cl eavi ng Asunder
83 Al - Mut af f i f i n The Deal er s i n Fr aud
84 Al - I nshi qaq The Rendi ng Asunder
85 Al - Bur uj The Const el l at i ons
Page 8 of 10

Saj dah of Ti l awat ( Pr ost r at i on of Reci t at i on)
S. No. Sur ah No. Sur ah Name Saj dah Ver se No.
1 7 Al - Aar aaf 206
2 13 Al - Raad 15
3 16 Al - Nahl 50
4 17 Al - I sr a 109
5 19 Mar yam 58
6 22 Al - Haj j 18
7 22 Al - Haj j 77*
8 25 Al - Fur qan 60
9 27 Al - Naml 26
10 32 Al - Saj dah 15
11 38 Saad 24*
12 41 Fussi l at 38
13 53 An- Naj m 62
14 84 Al -I nshi qaq 21
15 96 Al - Al aq 19
At ver se 22: 77 Saj dah i s Waj i b f or Shaf i . At ver se 38: 24
Saj dah i s Waj i b f or Hanaf i . Saj dah at t he r emai ni ng
t hi r t een ver ses ar e Waj i b f or bot h.

The pr er equi si t es f or t hi s Saj dah ar e t he same as f or t he Sal ah ( Namaz or Pr ayer ) : 1.
Pur i t y of body, cl ot hes, and pl ace of Saj dah. 2. Cover i ng of sat r . 3. Tur ni ng your f ace
t owar d Qi bl ah. 4. I nt ent i on of per f or mi ng t he Saj dah. The pr ocedur e i s: 1. St and f aci ng
t he Qi bl ah. 2. Expr ess t he necessar y i nt ent i on. 3. Go down f or Saj dah wi t h Al l ahu-
Akbar and shoul d r eci t e t he usual dua, Subhana r abbi yal - Al a . 4. Ri se up wi t h Al l ahu-
Akbar af t er Saj dah.

I f an Ayat r equi r i ng t he Saj dah has been r eci t ed dur i ng t he Sal ah such as t he Tar ahwi
Sal ah, t he Saj dah has t o be per f or med f or t hwi t h wi t hout del ay. I t i s obl i gat or y t o per f or m
t he Saj dah wi t hout del ayi ng i t t o af t er t he Sal ah. I f a per son hear s an Ayat r equi r i ng t he
Saj dah, bei ng r eci t ed by t he I mam, but j oi ns t he congr egat i on when t he I mam has al r eady
per f or med t he Saj dah, he wi l l per f or m t he Saj dah af t er compl et i ng hi s Sal ah.

I f t he Ayat i s r eci t ed or hear d out si de t he Sal ah, i t i s pr ef er abl e t o per f or m t he Saj dah
i mmedi at el y af t er war ds, but one may per f or m i t l at er as wel l . Ther e i s onl y one Saj dah
r equi r ed f or each Ayat . I f a per son r eci t es an Ayat r equi r i ng t he Saj dah i n t he mi nd but
does not ut t er i t al oud or onl y wr i t es i t , he wi l l not be r equi r ed t o per f or m t he Saj dah. I f
t he Ayat r equi r i ng t he Saj dah i s r eci t ed over and over agai n f or memor i zi ng or
under st andi ng i n t he same si t t i ng, onl y one Saj dah wi l l have t o be per f or med, but i f mor e
t han one Ayah r equi r i ng Saj dah ar e r eci t ed, t he number of Saj dah t o be per f or med wi l l be
t he same as t he number of t he Ayah r eci t ed. Si mi l ar l y, i f t he Ayat r equi r i ng a Saj dah i s
r epeat ed i n di f f er ent si t t i ngs, t he number of Saj dah t o be per f or med wi l l be accor di ng t o
t he number of si t t i ngs.

I t i s not val i d t o do t he Saj dah on t he Qur an i t sel f dur i ng t he r eci t at i on of t he Qur an. One
has t o do i t compl et el y as one does i t dur i ng t he Sal ah. I t i s usef ul t o memor i ze t he
compl et e Saj dah ver ses, par t i cul ar l y i n t he cont ext of t he Tar a wi h Sal ah. I t i s al so usef ul
Ramadan
has to be performed forthwith without delay. It is
obligatory to perform the Sajdah without delaying it
to after the Salah. If a person hears an Ayat requir-
ing the Sajdah, being recited by the Imam, but joins
the congregation when the Imam has already per-
formed the Sajdah, he will perform the Sajdah after
completing his Salah.
If the Ayat is recited or heard outside the Salah, it is
preferable to perform the Sajdah immediately after-
wards, but one may perform it later as well. There is
only one Sajdah required for each Ayat. If a person
recites an Ayat requiring the Sajdah in the mind but
does not utter it aloud or only writes it, he will not be
required to perform the Sajdah. If the Ayat requiring
the Sajdah is recited over and over again for memo-
rizing or understanding in the same sitting, only one
Sajdah will have to be performed, but if more than
one Ayah requiring Sajdah are recited, the number of
Sajdah to be performed will be the same as the num-
ber of the Ayah recited. Similarly, if the Ayat requir-
ing a Sajdah is repeated in different sittings, the
number of Sajdah to be performed will be according
to the number of sittings.
It is not valid to do the Sajdah on the Quran itself
during the recitation of the Quran. One has to do it
completely as one does it during the Salah. It is use-
ful to memorize the complete Sajdah verses, particu-
larly in the context of the Tarawih Salah. It is also
useful when listening to the Quirat and reading from
the Quran without the markings of the Sijdah Ayah.
Muqattaat:
Muqattaat literally means abbreviated letters.
Muqattaat are unique letter combinations that appear
in the beginning of 29 Surah of the Holy Quran.
They are also known as Fawaatih or openers as they
form the opening Ayat of the respective Surah. Their
precise meanings remain unclear and are considered
by most Muslims to be divine secrets. Muqattaat
have been and continue to be a topic of intense re-
search and academic discussions in Islamic literature
and Quranic studies. The following table gives the
summary of the occurrence of the Muqattaat.
Quranic Words:
A knowledge of the Arabic language is extremely es-
sential to understand the Holy Quran, the Devine
Message from or Creator and the Creator of the Uni-
verse. There are different ways to learn Arabic. The
Holy Quran has about 6500 distinct words, which re-
peat and there by the Quran has about seventy-eight
thousand words. Some words repeat many times. It
is useful to learn such high frequency words to build
a strong vocabulary of the Quranic words. The addi-
tional vocabulary and the grammar will be a continu-
ation of this basic vocabulary. The knowledge of the
frequently occurring words enables us to get some
understanding of what we are reciting and what the
Imam is reciting. The required words lists are read-
ily available in several languages from the references
given at the end of this article.
Concluding Suggestions:
Ideally, we need to memorize the complete Holy
Quran. Knowledge of the Quranic divisions, the lo-
cation of the Sijdah Tilawat and Muqattaat provides
us a guide in knowing the portion being recited. It is
useful to individually recite about a Juz before each
Tarawih. One can also read the corresponding
Tafaseer or at least the Tarawih summary providing
an outline of what is being recited. Such practices
also improve our concentration in the Tarawih. One
can also use a variety of digital Quran available,
which assist with the recitation and the memorizing.
May Allah Almighty Guide us in learning the Holy
Quran and in practicing what it Guides each one of
us to do, Amen.
Bibliography:
1. Tarawih Summaries in English, Hindi and Urdu,
http://NawabMohammedAbdulGhani.webs.com/tarawih.html
http://www.ipci.co.za/information/taraweeh-quran-summary/
2. Shams Pirzada, Is it not necessary to read the Quran with
Understanding?, Idara Dawatul Quran, Mumbai, India, 13th Edition
(2011). http://scanislam.com/browse-islam/read-quran-with-under-
standing/ and http://www.quranforall.org/quran/iintrqwund.htm
3. Khurram Murad, Way to the Quran, Islamic Book Service,
New Delhi, India.
http://www.sunnipath.com/library/books/B0039P0000.aspx and
http://www.islambasics.com/view.php?bkID=29
4. Sameen Ahmed Khan, The Sajdah Tilawat, Radiance
Viewsweekly, Vol. XLIV, No. 20, pp. 7 (29 October 04 November
2006). http://www.RadianceWeekly.com/ and
http://RadianceWeekly.in/
5. Sameen Ahmed Khan, The Sajdah Tilawat; Islamic Voice,
Vol. 20-10, No. 250, pp. 31 (October 2007).
http://IslamicVoice.com/October2007/Ramadan/index.php and
http://archive.IslamicVoice.com/IV-2007/iv-2007-10.pdf
6. Learn Arabic through Enlish, Hindi and Urdu at: Functional
Arabic: http://www.Functional-Arabic.com/ and http://www.Explore-
Quran.com/index.htm
7. Abdul Karim Parekh, The Easy Dictionary of the Quraan,
This Treasure-house originally in Urdu is now available in numerous
languages including: Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, English and Turkish,
(Zia Publications, Lucknow, India, Fifth Edition (2005). http://Cor-
pus.Quran.com/.
8. Abdul Aziz Dahran, 80% of Quranic Words, This Pocket-
sized booklet is in Urdu and Enlish, Parekh Publications, Nagpur India
(2009). http://www.eMuslim.com/.
9. A website dedicated to Quran, Hadith and Islam:
http://www.SearchTruth.com/.
10. An online source of Quran in different formats accompanied
with audio to suite a variety of readers:
http://www.QuranFlash.com/home?en
Youth
I By Nissar Nadiadwala I
T
he biggest change that the Qur'an can bring in
our lives is that it can make us a giant of a
personality, but not unless we give the Qur'an
its rights. How many students or reciters of Qur'an
amongst us really ask our teachers about the rights of
the Qur'an? Let us study some of the very important
rights of the Qur'an upon us.
It should be recited properly and regularly. Some
people are very careless regarding their makhraj of
Arabic alphabets themselves. Makhraj in English is
understood as enunciation and not pronunciation.
How you utter each word can at times make the big
difference in the meaning too. I have seen Muslim
youth working hard on their English accents and
learning Urdu poetry for impressing people in gath-
erings and making lucrative careers. They attend
special courses and pay thousands of rupees to learn
those accents, but when it comes to the Qur'an they
say, Allah will reward us as per our niyah (Inten-
tions). Just compare the two niyah!
It should be Understood Properly: The Qur'an does
not give permission to understand its teaching on
your own. Consider this: The Prophet (pbuh) was
unlettered, an Ummi, and many of his students, the
companions, were scholars of Arabic language, yet
they went to understand the meaning of the Quranic
verses from the Prophet, rather than deriving their
own meanings. After all the Qur'an is a book of
Laws and Constitution. An excellent example is
given by Ibn Kathir in the reference of Surah al
An'am chapter 6 verse 82, it is those who believe
and confuse not their beliefs with zulm- they are in
security, they are on right guidance. Some of the
companions of the Prophet (pbuh) went to him and
were worried because they felt that each one of them
did some thing or wrong or zulm with others some-
times or somewhere. So were they on guidance? The
Prophet explained them with the other Qur'anic
verse, Surah Luqman chapter 31 verse 13,Indeed
Shirk is the highest form of wrong doing (zulm).
That is the reason why Hadith is important in under-
standing the Qur'an. Those who reject the status of
hadith may note this.
Abdullah ibn Masood (r.a.) was ever ready to travel
hundreds of miles to know the context of even one
verse. On the other hand, today we have Ibn Kathir
online and other tafaseers too yet how many of the
internet users really study Ibn Kathir. In my book
shop, once I had a young visitor who argued with me
about the price of ibn Kathir. I explained him the
reasons but he was not ready to agree. Finally I
asked him how much did he pay for his cell phone
and the amount came to be three times more than Ibn
Kathir! 'Wonderful!' I exclaimed.
It should be obeyed: It is not only that how many
times you recite the complete Qur'an in Ramadan but
it is equally important that how much of the Qur'an
you implement in your life. Those to whom the
Book is given, they recite it the way it has the right
to be recited, al-Baqarah 121. An important verse in
Surah Jumuah notes: The example of those who
were given the book (Torah) but failed (in obeying),
is that of a donkey which carries huge tomes (but un-
derstands not). Are we not donkeys? No book in the
world has so much detailed of explanations the way
the Qur'an has. Every century has seen scores of
commentaries of Qur'an by noted scholars, yet when
it comes to obeying the Qur'an most of us are like
that donkey mentioned in Surah Jumuah, chapter 62
verse 5. I pray to Allah that we dont turn into a
community of donkeys.
It should be spread. HazaBalagullinnaas This is a
message for the entire mankind... ends Surah
Ibrahim with this note. It is the duty of every Muslim
to spread the fragrance of Qur'an, not just by gifting
free copies of the Qur'an Translations to Non-Mus-
lim friends, but by showing them Qur'an in our deal-
ings with people in our personal lives or professional
lives.
The Example of a Donkey...
Those Who Dont Give Due Rights to Their Holy Book
Yourth
I By Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam I
A
s we have explained earlier, this monthly
column is in the nature of an intimate family
discussion within the Muslim community,
especially with youth.
The raging conflict within the Muslim community
worldwide as well as in India is a matter of serious
concern for the communitys elders. Most of this un-
fortunate conflict is baseless and has no substance,
even though it is highly dangerous.
Within India itself the conflict between the masaalik
has deepened in recent months. Bitter mutual recrim-
inations have grown even though the All India Milli
Council has consistently tried to bridge the gap by
bringing all masaalik on a single platform.
The gulf between Islams two main sects has grown
with considerable outside support from within and
outside the country. Again, as usual, the Milli Coun-
cil, of which I happen to be the General Secretary,
has provided a joint platform for leaders not only
from both the sects, but also from sub-sects. The
conflict is not visible on the Milli Council platform
although outside it the intensity of the conflict be-
tween the sub-sects has also grown.
The same discord marks the Muslim castes, zaat and
biradri. Here, too, we have tried to bring people to-
gether and heal the rift. On this score, some anti-
Muslim groups are already celebrating the division
between Muslims. This has several political dimen-
sions which we can discuss at a later stage as this
piece is limited to points of principle only. The anti-
Muslim groups think they do not need to organise
communal riots as Muslims themselves are enough
to kill each other.
At the base of the zaat-biradri conflict lie old issues
of identity as well as the relatively new allure of job
quotas and reservation in educational institutions. All
these issues require careful, sensitive handling and
full assurance to the so-called lower Muslim castes
that the upper castes would not try to take what is
due to the pasmaanda sections. Even otherwise, non-
pasmandashave no way of taking the pie reserved for
the backward castes.
There are even larger issues confronting the global
Muslim Ummah that threaten to break it from inside.
The internal violence in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq,
Sudan, Libya and Egypt is most distressing. In all
those places ethnic and sectarian violence has
brought life to a standstill. In Egypt, the Brotherhood
is at loggerheads with its former ally the Salafis.
Even in Turkey, two major segments of Islam-lovers
are looking at each other with suspicion. Somalia is
already a failed state. The Arab Spring has failed to
bring in peace or democracy anywhere. People in
those countries have not become better Muslims than
they were before the Arab Spring. The great promise
of Arab Spring has turned out to be an illusion.
Indian Muslims have their own old and new set of
problems, the most worrisome of them being recur-
rence of organised violence against them periodi-
cally. To cap it all, we now have the prospect of
internal conflict within the community.
The internal conflicts in Muslim countries are attrib-
uted by sociologist Akbar S. Ahmad to a general dis-
regard in these countries for what he calls the
post-colonial paradigm pluralism, peaceful trans-
fer of power through periodic elections. In the Mid-
dle East tyrannical presidents have presided over
governments for three or even four decades. They
capture power with violence and can be replaced
only with more violence.
The Muslim world must learn these, not as some sin-
ister Western dogma, but as a symbol of respect for
the opinion of each and every citizen and to ensure
their participation in governance, law-making and
policy formulation affecting the entire population of
those countries. Tolerance of dissent is yet another
democratic principle to be learned by all Muslims
everywhere. This is also a good way of engaging
with the diversity of masaalik peacefully and con-
structively.
Earlier generations of Muslims, too, had their differ-
ences and violent expression of disagreement or,
even civil war, has not been unknown in the Muslim
world. Despite all that, over the centuries Muslims
evolved a discipline of dealing with difference of
opinion fruitfully. Islam took the position that differ-
ence of opinion among Muslims is a boon, or Gods
The Fierce Conflict Within
blessing. Because of difference of opinion we are able to look at issues from different perspectives which
help us understand all dimensions of those issues, making a solution easier to find.
This is why for centuries Muslim lands were far more peaceful than Europe, which was always at war with
itself. The Muslims called it Adab-e-Ikhtalaf (norms of expressing difference of opinion). In 2012, the Insti-
tute of Objective Studies organised an important seminar on the topic at Deoband in which major ulema and
Muslim intellectuals participated.
We published proceedings and books on the issue in the following days which can be accessed today for
finding clues to creative solutions. Meanwhile, let us all try to heal the rift as best as we can.
Let us sit together, think together and plan for the process of working together.
http://iosworld.org/short_takes/The_Fierce_Conflict_Within.htm
List of Muslim MPs elected for 2014 Lok Sabha

The current parliament will have lowest level of Muslim representation in its history.At
pathetic 4%, does it cast a shadow on the value of democracy?

List from Muslim Mirror News

No. Name Par t y Const i t uency St at e Mar gi n
1 Asaduddi n Owai si AI MI M Hyder abad Andhr a Pr adesh 202454
2 Si r aj Uddi n Aj mal AI UDF Bar pet a Assam 42341
3 Badr uddi n Aj mal AI UDF Dhubr i Assam 229730
4 Tasl eem Uddi n RJD Ar ar i a Bi har 146504
5 Tar i q Anwar NCP Kat i har Bi har 67723
6 Ch. Mahboob Al i Kai ser LJP Khagar i a Bi har 76003
7 Mohammad Asr ar ul
Haque
Congr ess Ki shanganj Bi har 76003
8 Mehbooba Muf t i PDP Anant nag J & K 65417
9 Muzaf f ar Hussai n Bai g PDP Bar amul l a J & K 29219
10 Tar i q Hameed Kar r a PDP Sr i nagar J & K 42280
11 E. Ahamed I UML Mal appur am Ker al a 194739
12 E. T. Mohammed
Basheer
I UML Ponnani Ker al a 25410
13 M I Shanavas Congr ess Wayanad Ker al a 20870
14 Mohammed Fai zal P. P. NCP Lakshadweep Lakshadweep 1535
15 Anwhar Raaj haa. A AI ADMK Ramanat hapur am Tami l Nadu 119450
16 I dr i s Al i TMC Basi r hat WB 109659
17 Mamt az Sanghami t r a TMC Bur dawan-Dur gapur WB 107331
18 Abu Hasem Khan
Chowdhur y
Congr ess Mal daha Dakshi n WB 164111
19 Mausam Noor Congr ess Mal da Ut t ar WB 65705
20 Badar uddoza Khan CPI M Mur shi dabad WB 18453
21 Md. Sal i m CPI M Rai ganj WB 1356
22 Sul t an Ahmed TMC Ul uber i a WB 201141
23 APARUPA PODDAR
( AFRI N ALI )
TMC Ar ambagh WB 346845

I By Dr. Mohammed Obaidullah I
I
slam came to the Necklace-Islands ((Mala and
Dweep respectively in Sanskrit) or Maldives in
the 12th Century. The famous Moroccan traveller
Ibn Batuta who visited the Maldives in the 14th cen-
tury, wrote how Abu Barakat also a Moroccan, was
believed to have been responsible for spreading
Islam in the islands. The influence of Arabic lan-
guage and culture is too conspicuous to be missed
even today. When I visited this island country a few
days back, I was determined to know how the insti-
tutions of zakat, awqaf and hajj are managed in this
nation of about 395,000 people living in about 198
of the 1192 coral islands.
Zakat
The quantum of zakat collected and distributed has
been steadily growing over the years. The Ministry
of Islamic Affairs (MIA) created in 2008, that has
the mandate to collect and distribute zakat, collected
about Rf 48 million rufiya (USD3.1 million approx.)
as zakat during the year 2013, increasing from
Rf14.9 million (US$1 million) in 2008 and around
Rf7 million per year over 2002-2005.
The distribution of benefits over the past eight years
among the eight eligible categories (asnaf) is as fol-
lows. Poor and needy (fuqara and masakeen) ac-
count for 62 percent of the total zakat mobilized.
Administration of zakat (amileenalaihi) account for
1 percent, the sympathizers (muallafat-
ulquloobuhum) for 0.1 percent, the indebted
(gharimin) for 1.4 percent, stranded travelers (ibnus-
abeel) for 0.5 percent of zakat collected. Finally, 35
percent was spent in the path of Allah in daawah ac-
tivities (fi sabilillah).
With a cent percent Muslim population, the impor-
tance of zakat, awqaf and hajj for the state and its
people can be hardly overemphasized. Management
of these matters in Maldives is entrusted to the state.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs (MIA) has the man-
date to deal with these matters. Housed at the fa-
mous Islamic Centre, a dedicated Zakat Unit
established under the Ministry of Islamic Affairs car-
Zakat, Awqaf and Hajj Management in the
Necklace-Islands
Photo: Mohammed Obaidullah
ries out the collection and distribution of zakat.
Zakat collection is currently undertaken manually.
Within the ambit of Public Finance Act 2006, zakat
funds are paid into a Public Trust Account, under the
Ministry of Finance. Moves are however, afoot to
create an independent zakat fund under the Ministry
of Islamic Affairs. The Zakat Unit also deals the dis-
tribution of zakat with the advice and recommenda-
tions from a special Zakat Committee set up for this
purpose. The Zakat Committee has the mandate to
advise in matters related spending of zakat funds on
the eight categories, and especially on fi-sabilillah.
The Committee has 14 members including the Min-
ister, the State Minister and the Deputy Minister,
representatives from various other Ministries
(Health, Education, Home and Finance), the business
community and the city council and the judicial
commission. A Shariah Committee comprising five
members provides Shariah rulings and advice on
zakat matters to the MIA, the Zakat Unit and the
Zakat Committee.
There are island-zakat-councils in each of the 198
inhabited islands that act as agents of the Ministry
for collection of zakat and provide help in distribu-
tion of zakat.
Private institutional collecting and distributing enti-
ties for zakat-al-mal do not exist, but may be permit-
ted to operate by the MIA. In case of zakat-al-fitrah,
two telecom companies (through SMS) and the Na-
tional Bank of Maldives have been allowed to col-
lect the same.
Traditionally, zakat amount is distributed among the
poor who self-declare and register themselves with
the MIA. On average, approximately 60,000 individ-
uals have been receiving benefits that are very mod-
est (RF120 per year and per beneficiary). Recently,
the MIA entered into an agreement with the National
Social Protection Agency (NSPN) under which it
placed about Rf6 million to provide medical assis-
tance to needy. This would essentially be to supple-
ment the medical assistance traditionally provided
by NSPN to all needy and ensure that such assis-
tance is provided under one-roof.
Currently, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs is working
on a comprehensive legal system that is expected to
provide for mandatory collection of zakat and bring
in detailed guidelines for distribution of zakat.
Awqaf
Awqaf in Maldives are in the nature of religious
awqaf the masjids. The capital, Male, currently has
over 30 masjids. The most recognizable is the Is-
lamic Center in Male, whose golden dome domi-
nates the low-slung skyline. Recently however, there
have are some interesting developments on the
awqaf front in the form of creation of investment
awqaf. While new waqf of land in Male is restricted
by law, the MIA has acquired two pieces of prime
land and aims to build large waqf buildings on the
land pieces. In case of the first project alone called
DarulIman, the Ministry expected to construct a 10-
story building shortly that would result in a recurring
annual inflow of more than 2 million ruffiya that is a
very large amount to manage mosques. The MIA has
also entered into MOUs with local island councils in
five islands for allotment of land that would be de-
veloped to create local waqf funds for the respective
islands.
Hajj
Maldives has also taken rapid strides for financing
and management of hajj for its 800-odd pilgrims
every year. It has established the Maldives Hajj Cor-
poration under the Ministry of Islamic Affairs along
the lines of the Malaysian Tabung Haji Corporation.
It has recently introduced a salary deduction scheme
for its prospective pilgrims and aims to mobilize
around 100 million Ruf during the current year. The
Corporation was established in the face of reported
cases of gross mismanagement of hajj by private op-
erators. Initially it aims to take care of fifty percent,
or 400 out of its quota of 800 pilgrims.
http://sadaqa.in/2014/05/09/zakat-awqaf-and-hajj-
management-in-the-necklace-islands/

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Better light a candle than curse the darkness

Monthly e-Magazine ISSN 2319-4049

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