Today the Pakistani state — that is its government and security structures - stands exposed as never before in front of its own people as well as the world. Never before, since 1971, has the Pakistani nation felt so defenceless and so full of anger and shame.
Yet the disastrous outcome for all of us to see today was the natural outcome of self serving policies pursued by a dictator and subsequently by a US manufactured and NRO sanctioned leadership. Policies based on lies and propaganda was inevitably going to end up in humiliation and disgrace not just for the leadership of the country but for every living Pakistani. That is what finally happened when the US invaded Pakistani airspace and carried out its operation against Osama bin Laden, unhindered and undetected by the seventh most powerful nuclear armed military in the world.
The US had always stated that in case they had actionable intelligence on a high value target, they would take unilateral military action. Why was this strategic US policy decision that directly impaired our security and sovereignty not made a bone of contention in any strategic dialogue? Similarly, the US has stated that in case of any terrorist attack on US mainland, all options would be on the table. Why has our government never sought the revision of this policy conditional to our cooperation to protect Pakistan from a massive military retaliation in case of a terrorist attack against the US mainland is linked to Pakistan? By fighting a US led war and hypocritically telling the people of Pakistan that it was their war, the state of Pakistan lied shamelessly. After all, al-Qaeda was all in Afghanistan, until the US attacks on Tora Bora left an exit route for them to escape. Even more critical, no Pakistani was involved in the 9/11 attacks. But in the aftermath of 9/11 the Pakistani leadership weaved a web of deceit for its people.
Certainly Pakistan should have helped the US get the 9/11 terrorists and their organisation but this did not require handing over the country to the US, allowing the CIA to set up a parallel intelligence network across Pakistan seriously undermining our internal security and indulging in the renditions of Pakistanis to the US.
As Clive Smith of Reprieve has pointed out, 90% of those handed over to the US turned out to be innocent; the case of Mullah Zaeef, the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan and a serving diplomat, was just one such case, where Pakistan also violated its commitments under the Geneva Convention.
To our everlasting shame, after three years at Guantanamo, Mullah Zaeef was found innocent. Using fear as a weapon and having trapped the country into deception and deceit on the US behest, the Pakistani state sent its forces into Waziristan while the US pounded Fata with drone attacks, killing thousands of civilians. It was hardly surprising to find a full-blown tribal rebellion and the Pakistani Taliban as a result of these erroneous militarycentric policies.
Lies continued to be fed to the Pakistani people on the casualties of the drone attacks. Much before the killing of the tribal jirga earlier this year, in September 2004 a drone attack killed 70 people while another 40 were killed the next day during the funerals being held for the earlier victims. With no substantiation, Interior Minister Rehman Malik declared that all those killed were “militants” when the MNA from South Waziristan had declared that if even one of the victims was a foreign militant he would resign! Who can forget the 2006 drone attack in Bajaur which targeted a Madrassah and of the 80 killed, 60 were children? Three days later, a relative of one of the victims committed a suicide attack on soldiers in Malakand killing 50. By far the biggest lie was that Pakistan army was fighting an ideological Taliban rather than 90% of militants being our own tribal people. There was another blatant lie emanating from a Pakistani general that drone attacks always kill militants.
There is no way of ascertaining who has been killed. There is no DNA test conducted as people are just blown into pieces. Drone strikes constitute not only a blatant breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty, but it is also a grave violation of the international humanitarian laws where the US acts as the judge, jury and the excutioner - all put into one - killing suspects’ wives and children.
The drone strikes have created more hatred against the Americans than any other single incident. According to those who attended the dharna the ratio was that one killed out of ten may be a militant. The others are innocent citizens who have nothing to do with any terrorist activity. The New American Foundation Survey that was conducted about six months ago has reiterated that more than 80% tribal people oppose the drone strikes as they believe that these attacks mostly kill innocent people. So why did the Pakistani state accept such a suicidal policy under US pressure? Pakistan’s ruling elite - civil and military - since the sixties have sought US crutches for prolonging their hold on power at the cost of building state institutions and our economy.
Instead of investing in education and social reforms they have taken short cuts at the expense of the Pakistani people, seeking US dollars whenever the opportunity presented itself to sustain its corrupt and extravagant lifestyle as well as inept governance. The same renter class obliged the US during the Gen. Zia’s period to resist the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan with the help of the CIA by creating and funding several militant groups.
The one time heroes of the West turned villains after 9/11. Our leaders also changed their colours and with their new found passion to be portrayed as liberals and bulwarks against Islamic extremism. Their latest mantra of liberalism was music to Western powers who were willing to ally with every scoundrel and thug as long as they danced to their tunes. Most disgracefully, by seeking to make themselves indispensable to the West, our rulers have played a major role in creating the misperception abroad that Pakistan is a haven for radical Islam, despite the reality that every election has shown the religious parties to be marginal in the politics of the country.
Meanwhile, fear has been used as a weapon on the Pakistani people: fear of US military action against them; fear of an economic collapse; and most damaging, fear of the country being overrun by militants and extremists. As a result, while the wealth of the rulers continues to multiply, the country has faced $68 billion in losses over the last decade, as well as 35,000 dead and a national debt that has doubled in three years from Rs5 to $10 trillion. Add to this the displaced people from Fata where the population of 6 million has seen its lives devastated and traumatised, and the disaster visited upon Pakistan becomes clearer.
And, yet we are not trusted by our so-called western allies who are pointing accusatory fingers at us as harbourers of terrorists. Typically, President Zardari had declared at a FoDP meeting in Japan (2009) that “we are fighting to save the world” and then demanded dollars; but in reality it is Pakistan that needs to be saved from its rulers and their lies and corruption. There is only one way forward for Pakistan today. The NRO-sponsored leaders came to power through fraudulent elections as the Election Commission has now made public that out of 80 million registered votes, 37 million were bogus and 35 million unregistered in the last elections.
This government must resign or made to resign through public pressure so that fair and free elections can be held under an independent Election Commission and Nadra based electoral rolls. Reforms must be instituted. An austerity drive must be in place to stop the shameful extravagance of the rulers. A democratic government needs to own its war on terror based on indigenously- formulated policies. Most significantly, a democratic government must take responsibility for all acts of terror in its country.
The more our military and political leadership is seen as a mercenary of the US, the more it increases the radicalisation, extremism and terrorism within Pakistan. Whenever al-Qaeda and the Taliban announce Jihad against the US, they also announce it against US agents - meaning the Pakistani state. This undermines the Pakistan military’s ability to fight militancy effectively. The US should be told categorically that no help or aid is required from it and that the Pakistani state cannot be America’s hired gun anymore.
The tribal people, who have never been involved in terrorism, need to be co-opted into a national policy to fight and isolate the real terrorists. Rule of Law is critical and all militant groups, private armies and other non-state actors carrying arms must be disarmed. There can be no exceptions to this rule. Corruption can only be tackled through an independent accountability process involving auditors and lawyers while tax collection needs to be widened by withdrawing all exemptions so that the rich can be taxed.
A most important aberration that needs to be tackled is illiteracy. An education emergency must be declared and one uniform educational system needs to be put in place as a soon as feasible for the whole country. These problems and their solutions are totally doable but only by a credible and democratic government that has the capacity to mobilize the people and indigenous resources. Perhaps the crossroad that Pakistan has been pushed to at present can be a blessing in disguise.
At a time when the whole Osama operation has exposed the Pakistan state and its duplicity internally and externally, with Overseas Pakistanis suffering an extreme reaction especially in the USA, Pakistanis can choose to rid themselves of this complicit and disgraced leadership.
This is the time for a national revival through restoration of national dignity and sovereignty. Today Pakistan has no other choice.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=45969&Cat=2&dt=5%2F9%2F2011
Sunday, 17 July 2011
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
The short story of the Quarter
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
Brothers and sisters in Islam,
Several years ago, an Imam from out-of-state accepted a call to a Mosque in Houston, Texas.
Some weeks later after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change.
As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, "You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it".
Then he thought, "Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare, they will never miss it.
"Accept it as a 'gift from ALLAH' and keep quiet", another thought came in his mind.
When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change".
The driver, with a smile, asked, "Aren't you the new Imam in town?".
"Yes", he replied.
"'Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I will see you at the mosque"
When the Imam stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said,
Brothers and sisters in Islam,
Several years ago, an Imam from out-of-state accepted a call to a Mosque in Houston, Texas.
Some weeks later after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change.
As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, "You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it".
Then he thought, "Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare, they will never miss it.
"Accept it as a 'gift from ALLAH' and keep quiet", another thought came in his mind.
When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change".
The driver, with a smile, asked, "Aren't you the new Imam in town?".
"Yes", he replied.
"'Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I will see you at the mosque"
When the Imam stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said,
"Oh ALLAH, I almost sold you for a quarter".
Our lives are the only Quran some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Muslims and will put us to the test! Always be on guard - and remember - You carry your IMAN on your shoulders when you call yourself "A Muslim"
Our lives are the only Quran some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Muslims and will put us to the test! Always be on guard - and remember - You carry your IMAN on your shoulders when you call yourself "A Muslim"
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf on the Prophet
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf on the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him and his family)
Below is a transcript of a very beautiful piece that Sidi Hamza did for the BBC World Service's In Praise of God programme last year around the time of the Prophet’s Birthday—salla Allahu 'alayhi wa salam. A copy of it was sent to me earlier today and I felt, especially being so close to the Mawlid, that others would find it beneficial as well, insha'llah.
Twenty-six years ago I became a Muslim largely because I fell in love with a beautiful human being. "I was only sent to perfect noble character," said the man declared as a "mercy to all the worlds."
As time passed, this love grew as my knowledge of him increased. I painfully watched his religion hijacked by some for their own ends distorting his message and forgetting that he was indeed a mercy to all the worlds. I am troubled by the media’s portrayal of him sometimes in the worst of lights. How could the man I came to know and love be so vilified and maligned by those who claim to represent him and also by those who aim to be unbiased interpreters?
Muhammad, peace be upon him, was a shy, reticent man who lived among his people with such high moral character they called him al-Amîn—the Trustworthy.
The Prophet of Islam was born in the city of Mecca, Arabia, into a poor but noble branch of an aristocratic clan known as Quraysh, a people who despised treachery, lies and stupidity, while honouring bravery in battle, generosity in partying, and cleverness in poetry.
Some families, were so ashamed of their baby girls, that they would bury them alive instead of suffering the possible indignity of future dishonour. The religion of the Arabs at the time was a hodge-podge of superstition, divination and idolatry. To them, man's life ended with his death and his afterlife was based on his military exploits might be immortalized by a poets tongue.
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was born into this world on April 9th, 570, Christian era in the lunar month of Rabi'a al-Awwal. His father, Abdallah died during his mother’s pregnancy. And for the first four years he was raised in the relative purity of the desert by a Bedouin woman named Halimah. After which he returned to his mother, Aminah. But in his seventh year, his mother died leaving him in the care of his grandfather.
At the age of twenty-five, he was employed as a commercial agent by Lady Khadijah, a successful widow from his own clan. She soon recognized his honesty and good nature and proposed marriage. Although fifteen years younger than she was, he accepted her proposal, and fathered six of his seven children with her.
At the age of forty, it had become his custom to escape the idolatry of Meccan society by seeking solitude in a cave on the mountain known as "the Mountain of Light." In the solitary confines of his small cave a voice pierced his consciousness declaring: "Recite!"
Alarmed and shivering he fled to his wife, begging her to wrap him in a cloak. He feared for his sanity, concerned that a desert spirit or poetic muse might be pursuing him. More revelations soon followed and Muhammad came to the understanding that he was not only a prophet in a long line of prophets, but that he was the last of them who was sent with a universal message.
As the days passed his revelations increased and they were powerfully rhythmic punctuated with intoxicating messages that challenged listeners to reflect on everyday miracles such as the alternation of the night and day
These revelations revealed to Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, came to be known as the Qur'an, the Muslim holy book. For thirteen years he invited his clan to worship one God, sit with slaves in spiritual solidarity, respect women as soul-full equals and the source of human mercy, care for the widow, the orphan, the weak and the oppressed.
At first people ridiculed his message and accused him of attempting "to make the gods one." His message threatened his people’s financial control of the markets of Mecca where pilgrims from all over Arabia came to spend their wealth.
When his clan failed to stop his preaching they plotted to kill him in his sleep. But he was warned by the Angel Gabriel and told to flee in the cover of darkness to Madina with his beloved friend and lifelong companion Abu Bakr.
Setting out, the two sought refuge in a cave to escape the skilled trackers of Mecca hot on their trail. The bounty hunters quickly came upon the cave, but a spider’s web had already covered the entrance and a dove with her young rested in a nest above it.
When the posse left and the two felt safe again, they continued their journey to the city of Yathrib. And as they entered it the young girls and children of Bani Najjar came out chanting lines of poetry which is still sung all over the world in remembrance of this auspicious occasion.
The name Yathrib was changed to Medina, city of hope. It became a city founded on the brotherhood of virtue. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, enacted a treaty uniting the once warring groups. He secured the rights of the Jewish minority by granting them full citizenship and freedom to practice their religion without constraint.
Days after his arrival in Medina he began the construction of a mosque, a sanctuary of prayer and meditation, in the centre of the city. And he had his companions; the Muslims create their own marketplace in order to ensure economic strength.
The Meccans, sensing that a rising power was now emerging in the peninsula, plotted ways of subverting the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and his growing community of believers.
And the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who had practiced a strict pacifism in Mecca for thirteen years and disliked the use of coercive force, was now given permission by God to defend against any attacks by his enemies. The Qur'an declared, "Fighting has been prescribed for you and you detest it, but perhaps you detest something and in it is much good. And perhaps you love something and in it is much harm, and God knows and you do not know." [Qur'an 2:216].
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Never desire to meet your enemies, rather ask God for peace and well-being; but should you be forced to meet them, then act courageously." [Sahih al-Bukhari]
Muslims are not ashamed of their Prophet’s teaching about war. On the contrary, for us it is a great source of pride. He was courageous as a great lion against the strong and oppressive yet gentle as a shepherd with the weak and the oppressed.
The true object of war fought for God should always be peace. What the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, taught is that Muslims fight for a just cause only. In this world, there are only two choices: two sides, truth and justice or falsehood and oppression. You don’t have to be a Muslim to understand that.
After years of conflict between members of his clan and his followers, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had a revelation that he should visit the sacred mosque. In the eighth year after his migration to Medina the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, set out for Mecca but his adversaries refused to allow him in. They sent out an arbitrator to strike an agreement that would bring the stand-off to an end. And on every point of this treaty the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, compromised his own position in pursuit of peace.
On the journey back to Medina some of the companions were deeply troubled by what had just taken place and disappointed that they were thwarted from visiting the sanctuary. When asked to explain, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, replied, "Did I say it was going to be this year?"
And so the following year, in accordance with the treaty, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and his followers performed a pilgrimage completely unmolested. But soon his clan the Quraysh broke their end of the deal, massacring another clan with alliance to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, attacking them even in the sacred precinct. Abu Sufyan, the head of the Prophet’s enemies, attempted to restore the truce but it was too late. News of the massacre enraged the believers and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, summoned all of the Muslims capable of bearing arms to march on Mecca. When the nearly ten thousand Muslims arrived on the outskirts of the city, the Quraysh realized they did not stand a chance and people either fled or stayed in their homes.
And so it was, after years of persecution, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, marched triumphant into the city of his birth at the head of the largest army ever assembled in Arabian history. With his head bowed in humility he declared a general amnesty and granted war criminals refuge.
His overwhelming magnanimity of character led to a mass conversion among the citizens of Mecca. Even Abu Sufyan, his archenemy, embraced the religion of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. In the months that followed, almost all of Arabia dispatched representatives to swear allegiance to this Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and to enter in the faith of Islam. In a period of twenty-three years Muhammad, peace be upon him, had succeeded in uniting a feuding people trapped in cycles of violence into one people with a sense of destiny and a mission that would transform the world.
He elevated the low, and he lowered the elevated that they might meet in that middle place known as brotherhood. He infused in them a love of learning unleashing a creative power that would lead to some of the most extraordinary scientific breakthroughs in human history.
He died on the same day he was born, in the same house he had lived in for ten years in Medina, on a small bed made of leather stuffed with palm fibres, in the arms of his beloved wife Aishah. His dying words were, "Treat your women well, and do not oppress your servants, the prayer, the prayer, don’t be neglectful of the prayer. O God, my highest companion, O highest companion."
But the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was more than just a great historical person, he was a father and friend, a husband, a companion and above all he was a human being. The Prophet’s unique physical appearance, his high character and willingness to sacrifice for others, are often at the essence of any description of him. He was once described by a contemporary in the following words:
"The Messenger of God was imposing and majestic. His face was luminous like a full moon. He was taller than medium but not excessive in height. He had wavy hair, which he parted and it never went beyond his shoulders. He was light-skinned with a high brow. He had full eyebrows and a small space between them. He had a fine, aquiline nose. His beard was full, his eyes black. His physique was supple and lithe, with a full chest and broad shoulders. When he walked, he was determined and his pace was as if he was walking down hill.
When he spoke he was always brief and reflective. He spoke when he saw benefit and spent long periods in silent contemplation. His speech was comprehensive being neither wordy nor laconic. He had a mild temperament and was never harsh nor cruel, coarse nor rude. He expressed gratitude for everything given to him no matter how insignificant. When he spoke, his companions lowered their heads as if birds were perched upon them. When he was silent, they felt free to speak. He never criticized food or praised it excessively. He never swore, nor did he find fault in people. He did not flatter people but praised them when appropriate.
People entered his gatherings as seekers and left enlightened. He would ask about his companions when they were absent often making inquiries about people’s needs. He never stood nor sat without mentioning the name of God. He never reserved a special place for himself in a gathering and sat where space provided. He gave each of those who sat with him such full attention that everyone felt that he was the most important person in that gathering. Voices were never raised in his presence. The aged were respected for their age and the young were shown compassion for their youth."
The Qur'an reminds Muslims that when they are slandered by those who reject them they should bear it patiently and be forgiving. I yearn for a deeper understanding of this man, his gentleness towards children, his love of animals, his concern for the weak and oppressed, his sense of justice tempered always with mercy.
I personally love his humour and his sense of tomfoolery. He said once, "I joke but always tell the truth." His wife Aishah said, "he was always making us laugh in the house." One of his names is ad-dahhak—the smiling one. His humour and cheerfulness even in the face of the most difficult of times is so needed today in our troubled world. I imagine him telling those of us who don’t laugh enough to lighten up, to show more gratitude even in what appears to be difficulties. And as for those who laugh too much and do so inappropriately, I imagine that he would ask that they reflect deeper on the condition of humanity and nurture compassion in their hearts.
“Those who sin while laughing enter hell crying,” he once said.
Once an old woman asked him if she would enter paradise and he replied, "Old people don’t go to heaven!" The woman was crestfallen with the answer he had provided, to which he added with a smile, "You shall enter paradise in the prime of your youth."
The Arabs believed dates made eye infections worse. His companion Suhayb was eating dates one day while his left eye was infected. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Suhayb do you eat dates and your eye is infected?" To which Suhayb said, "I am eating with my right eye only O Messenger of God." To which the Prophet, peace be and blessings be upon him, laughed heartily.
And once a gruff desert Bedouin came into the mosque and prayed out loud saying, "O God forgive me and Muhammad and don’t forgive anyone else." Hearing this the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, laughed and said to him, "You are limiting the vast mercy of God."
I feel so incredibly grateful and blessed to have come to know him and to learn from him. A day of my life has not gone by that I haven’t felt indebted to him for the wisdom he has given me in making sense of my life and my world.
Every day my love for Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, increases. Like the vast majority of my fellow believers across the world and through times he is, indeed, the Beloved—the Praised One.
To the solace of his name, simply saying Muhammad, has an incredibly soothing effect on me.
Below is a transcript of a very beautiful piece that Sidi Hamza did for the BBC World Service's In Praise of God programme last year around the time of the Prophet’s Birthday—salla Allahu 'alayhi wa salam. A copy of it was sent to me earlier today and I felt, especially being so close to the Mawlid, that others would find it beneficial as well, insha'llah.
Twenty-six years ago I became a Muslim largely because I fell in love with a beautiful human being. "I was only sent to perfect noble character," said the man declared as a "mercy to all the worlds."
As time passed, this love grew as my knowledge of him increased. I painfully watched his religion hijacked by some for their own ends distorting his message and forgetting that he was indeed a mercy to all the worlds. I am troubled by the media’s portrayal of him sometimes in the worst of lights. How could the man I came to know and love be so vilified and maligned by those who claim to represent him and also by those who aim to be unbiased interpreters?
Muhammad, peace be upon him, was a shy, reticent man who lived among his people with such high moral character they called him al-Amîn—the Trustworthy.
The Prophet of Islam was born in the city of Mecca, Arabia, into a poor but noble branch of an aristocratic clan known as Quraysh, a people who despised treachery, lies and stupidity, while honouring bravery in battle, generosity in partying, and cleverness in poetry.
Some families, were so ashamed of their baby girls, that they would bury them alive instead of suffering the possible indignity of future dishonour. The religion of the Arabs at the time was a hodge-podge of superstition, divination and idolatry. To them, man's life ended with his death and his afterlife was based on his military exploits might be immortalized by a poets tongue.
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was born into this world on April 9th, 570, Christian era in the lunar month of Rabi'a al-Awwal. His father, Abdallah died during his mother’s pregnancy. And for the first four years he was raised in the relative purity of the desert by a Bedouin woman named Halimah. After which he returned to his mother, Aminah. But in his seventh year, his mother died leaving him in the care of his grandfather.
At the age of twenty-five, he was employed as a commercial agent by Lady Khadijah, a successful widow from his own clan. She soon recognized his honesty and good nature and proposed marriage. Although fifteen years younger than she was, he accepted her proposal, and fathered six of his seven children with her.
At the age of forty, it had become his custom to escape the idolatry of Meccan society by seeking solitude in a cave on the mountain known as "the Mountain of Light." In the solitary confines of his small cave a voice pierced his consciousness declaring: "Recite!"
Alarmed and shivering he fled to his wife, begging her to wrap him in a cloak. He feared for his sanity, concerned that a desert spirit or poetic muse might be pursuing him. More revelations soon followed and Muhammad came to the understanding that he was not only a prophet in a long line of prophets, but that he was the last of them who was sent with a universal message.
As the days passed his revelations increased and they were powerfully rhythmic punctuated with intoxicating messages that challenged listeners to reflect on everyday miracles such as the alternation of the night and day
These revelations revealed to Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, came to be known as the Qur'an, the Muslim holy book. For thirteen years he invited his clan to worship one God, sit with slaves in spiritual solidarity, respect women as soul-full equals and the source of human mercy, care for the widow, the orphan, the weak and the oppressed.
At first people ridiculed his message and accused him of attempting "to make the gods one." His message threatened his people’s financial control of the markets of Mecca where pilgrims from all over Arabia came to spend their wealth.
When his clan failed to stop his preaching they plotted to kill him in his sleep. But he was warned by the Angel Gabriel and told to flee in the cover of darkness to Madina with his beloved friend and lifelong companion Abu Bakr.
Setting out, the two sought refuge in a cave to escape the skilled trackers of Mecca hot on their trail. The bounty hunters quickly came upon the cave, but a spider’s web had already covered the entrance and a dove with her young rested in a nest above it.
When the posse left and the two felt safe again, they continued their journey to the city of Yathrib. And as they entered it the young girls and children of Bani Najjar came out chanting lines of poetry which is still sung all over the world in remembrance of this auspicious occasion.
The name Yathrib was changed to Medina, city of hope. It became a city founded on the brotherhood of virtue. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, enacted a treaty uniting the once warring groups. He secured the rights of the Jewish minority by granting them full citizenship and freedom to practice their religion without constraint.
Days after his arrival in Medina he began the construction of a mosque, a sanctuary of prayer and meditation, in the centre of the city. And he had his companions; the Muslims create their own marketplace in order to ensure economic strength.
The Meccans, sensing that a rising power was now emerging in the peninsula, plotted ways of subverting the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and his growing community of believers.
And the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who had practiced a strict pacifism in Mecca for thirteen years and disliked the use of coercive force, was now given permission by God to defend against any attacks by his enemies. The Qur'an declared, "Fighting has been prescribed for you and you detest it, but perhaps you detest something and in it is much good. And perhaps you love something and in it is much harm, and God knows and you do not know." [Qur'an 2:216].
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Never desire to meet your enemies, rather ask God for peace and well-being; but should you be forced to meet them, then act courageously." [Sahih al-Bukhari]
Muslims are not ashamed of their Prophet’s teaching about war. On the contrary, for us it is a great source of pride. He was courageous as a great lion against the strong and oppressive yet gentle as a shepherd with the weak and the oppressed.
The true object of war fought for God should always be peace. What the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, taught is that Muslims fight for a just cause only. In this world, there are only two choices: two sides, truth and justice or falsehood and oppression. You don’t have to be a Muslim to understand that.
After years of conflict between members of his clan and his followers, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had a revelation that he should visit the sacred mosque. In the eighth year after his migration to Medina the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, set out for Mecca but his adversaries refused to allow him in. They sent out an arbitrator to strike an agreement that would bring the stand-off to an end. And on every point of this treaty the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, compromised his own position in pursuit of peace.
On the journey back to Medina some of the companions were deeply troubled by what had just taken place and disappointed that they were thwarted from visiting the sanctuary. When asked to explain, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, replied, "Did I say it was going to be this year?"
And so the following year, in accordance with the treaty, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and his followers performed a pilgrimage completely unmolested. But soon his clan the Quraysh broke their end of the deal, massacring another clan with alliance to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, attacking them even in the sacred precinct. Abu Sufyan, the head of the Prophet’s enemies, attempted to restore the truce but it was too late. News of the massacre enraged the believers and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, summoned all of the Muslims capable of bearing arms to march on Mecca. When the nearly ten thousand Muslims arrived on the outskirts of the city, the Quraysh realized they did not stand a chance and people either fled or stayed in their homes.
And so it was, after years of persecution, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, marched triumphant into the city of his birth at the head of the largest army ever assembled in Arabian history. With his head bowed in humility he declared a general amnesty and granted war criminals refuge.
His overwhelming magnanimity of character led to a mass conversion among the citizens of Mecca. Even Abu Sufyan, his archenemy, embraced the religion of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. In the months that followed, almost all of Arabia dispatched representatives to swear allegiance to this Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and to enter in the faith of Islam. In a period of twenty-three years Muhammad, peace be upon him, had succeeded in uniting a feuding people trapped in cycles of violence into one people with a sense of destiny and a mission that would transform the world.
He elevated the low, and he lowered the elevated that they might meet in that middle place known as brotherhood. He infused in them a love of learning unleashing a creative power that would lead to some of the most extraordinary scientific breakthroughs in human history.
He died on the same day he was born, in the same house he had lived in for ten years in Medina, on a small bed made of leather stuffed with palm fibres, in the arms of his beloved wife Aishah. His dying words were, "Treat your women well, and do not oppress your servants, the prayer, the prayer, don’t be neglectful of the prayer. O God, my highest companion, O highest companion."
But the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was more than just a great historical person, he was a father and friend, a husband, a companion and above all he was a human being. The Prophet’s unique physical appearance, his high character and willingness to sacrifice for others, are often at the essence of any description of him. He was once described by a contemporary in the following words:
"The Messenger of God was imposing and majestic. His face was luminous like a full moon. He was taller than medium but not excessive in height. He had wavy hair, which he parted and it never went beyond his shoulders. He was light-skinned with a high brow. He had full eyebrows and a small space between them. He had a fine, aquiline nose. His beard was full, his eyes black. His physique was supple and lithe, with a full chest and broad shoulders. When he walked, he was determined and his pace was as if he was walking down hill.
When he spoke he was always brief and reflective. He spoke when he saw benefit and spent long periods in silent contemplation. His speech was comprehensive being neither wordy nor laconic. He had a mild temperament and was never harsh nor cruel, coarse nor rude. He expressed gratitude for everything given to him no matter how insignificant. When he spoke, his companions lowered their heads as if birds were perched upon them. When he was silent, they felt free to speak. He never criticized food or praised it excessively. He never swore, nor did he find fault in people. He did not flatter people but praised them when appropriate.
People entered his gatherings as seekers and left enlightened. He would ask about his companions when they were absent often making inquiries about people’s needs. He never stood nor sat without mentioning the name of God. He never reserved a special place for himself in a gathering and sat where space provided. He gave each of those who sat with him such full attention that everyone felt that he was the most important person in that gathering. Voices were never raised in his presence. The aged were respected for their age and the young were shown compassion for their youth."
The Qur'an reminds Muslims that when they are slandered by those who reject them they should bear it patiently and be forgiving. I yearn for a deeper understanding of this man, his gentleness towards children, his love of animals, his concern for the weak and oppressed, his sense of justice tempered always with mercy.
I personally love his humour and his sense of tomfoolery. He said once, "I joke but always tell the truth." His wife Aishah said, "he was always making us laugh in the house." One of his names is ad-dahhak—the smiling one. His humour and cheerfulness even in the face of the most difficult of times is so needed today in our troubled world. I imagine him telling those of us who don’t laugh enough to lighten up, to show more gratitude even in what appears to be difficulties. And as for those who laugh too much and do so inappropriately, I imagine that he would ask that they reflect deeper on the condition of humanity and nurture compassion in their hearts.
“Those who sin while laughing enter hell crying,” he once said.
Once an old woman asked him if she would enter paradise and he replied, "Old people don’t go to heaven!" The woman was crestfallen with the answer he had provided, to which he added with a smile, "You shall enter paradise in the prime of your youth."
The Arabs believed dates made eye infections worse. His companion Suhayb was eating dates one day while his left eye was infected. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Suhayb do you eat dates and your eye is infected?" To which Suhayb said, "I am eating with my right eye only O Messenger of God." To which the Prophet, peace be and blessings be upon him, laughed heartily.
And once a gruff desert Bedouin came into the mosque and prayed out loud saying, "O God forgive me and Muhammad and don’t forgive anyone else." Hearing this the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, laughed and said to him, "You are limiting the vast mercy of God."
I feel so incredibly grateful and blessed to have come to know him and to learn from him. A day of my life has not gone by that I haven’t felt indebted to him for the wisdom he has given me in making sense of my life and my world.
Every day my love for Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, increases. Like the vast majority of my fellow believers across the world and through times he is, indeed, the Beloved—the Praised One.
To the solace of his name, simply saying Muhammad, has an incredibly soothing effect on me.
Friday, 24 June 2011
Story of the blind bird
In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful
Peace Be Upon Prophet Muhammad, His Blessed Progeny, His Pure Wives, His Companions and the Scholars who have inherited Him through implementation of His Sunna.
"It is from Allah . Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account." Quran 3:37
"Allah is Subtle with His servants; He gives provisions to whom He wills. And He is the Powerful, the Exalted in Might." Quran 42:19.
"O people none of you shall die until he completes his provision". Ibn Masoud Radiallahu from Prophet Muhammad - Peace Be Upon Him."
“Listen to ...what the Imam Ahmed Ar-Rifai (May Allah be pleased with Him) said:"My heart is at rest because I know that no one will take my ruzuq (provisions) but me"...
A man from the family of Shuman about people he knows them in the area of 'irsal; A person who has a store and sells wheat, like his usual day he opens his store, he fixes and neatens his products (which are sacks of wheat), and he puts a chair in front of his store and sits (waiting for customers), so while he’s sitting, he hears the sound of a beetle, this beetle comes to the sack of wheat (which is an open sack so the customers can see), he (the beetle) takes a grain of wheat to the tree in front of the store on the sidewalk, this beetle comes and goes and goes and comes to this sack of wheat taking a grain of wheat each time, so this man said to himself 'a beetle eats grain?!!? A beetle eats WHEAT!!, what does he want with wheat?!?!' So this man got a ladder and put it under this tree that the beetle keeps going to and climbed up, so he saw a bird nest and in the bird nest he saw a blind bird, a bird that is BLIND!!, this bird cannot fly, it is sitting in this nest, in its house, so this beetle is going and coming bringing this wheat to this bird; Amantu bi Rab al ^alameen, Amantu bIllahil Kareem; he (the beetle) comes holding this grain of wheat, he makes a sound (a whizzing sound), this bird hears the sound and opens his mouth, and the beetle puts this grain of wheat in the birds mouth. La Illaha illa Allah, LA ILLAHA ILLA ALLAH!!, something very weird. This man came out with a phrase, what did he say, he said 'subHan meen sakhar il daboor lal 'asfoor', A BEETLE! It is getting this wheat for this bird that is blind; Allah is the creator of everything; Allah has power over everything; Allah is capable of doing anything; SubHanal Qadiri 'ala kuli shay'; SubHanal Qadiri 'ala kuli shay'.
"And if Allah had extended [excessively] provision for His servants, they would have committed tyranny throughout the earth. But He sends [it] down in an amount which He wills. Indeed He is, of His servants, Acquainted and Seeing. " Quran 42:27.
Peace Be Upon Prophet Muhammad, His Blessed Progeny, His Pure Wives, His Companions and the Scholars who have inherited Him through implementation of His Sunna.
"It is from Allah . Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account." Quran 3:37
"Allah is Subtle with His servants; He gives provisions to whom He wills. And He is the Powerful, the Exalted in Might." Quran 42:19.
"O people none of you shall die until he completes his provision". Ibn Masoud Radiallahu from Prophet Muhammad - Peace Be Upon Him."
“Listen to ...what the Imam Ahmed Ar-Rifai (May Allah be pleased with Him) said:"My heart is at rest because I know that no one will take my ruzuq (provisions) but me"...
A man from the family of Shuman about people he knows them in the area of 'irsal; A person who has a store and sells wheat, like his usual day he opens his store, he fixes and neatens his products (which are sacks of wheat), and he puts a chair in front of his store and sits (waiting for customers), so while he’s sitting, he hears the sound of a beetle, this beetle comes to the sack of wheat (which is an open sack so the customers can see), he (the beetle) takes a grain of wheat to the tree in front of the store on the sidewalk, this beetle comes and goes and goes and comes to this sack of wheat taking a grain of wheat each time, so this man said to himself 'a beetle eats grain?!!? A beetle eats WHEAT!!, what does he want with wheat?!?!' So this man got a ladder and put it under this tree that the beetle keeps going to and climbed up, so he saw a bird nest and in the bird nest he saw a blind bird, a bird that is BLIND!!, this bird cannot fly, it is sitting in this nest, in its house, so this beetle is going and coming bringing this wheat to this bird; Amantu bi Rab al ^alameen, Amantu bIllahil Kareem; he (the beetle) comes holding this grain of wheat, he makes a sound (a whizzing sound), this bird hears the sound and opens his mouth, and the beetle puts this grain of wheat in the birds mouth. La Illaha illa Allah, LA ILLAHA ILLA ALLAH!!, something very weird. This man came out with a phrase, what did he say, he said 'subHan meen sakhar il daboor lal 'asfoor', A BEETLE! It is getting this wheat for this bird that is blind; Allah is the creator of everything; Allah has power over everything; Allah is capable of doing anything; SubHanal Qadiri 'ala kuli shay'; SubHanal Qadiri 'ala kuli shay'.
"And if Allah had extended [excessively] provision for His servants, they would have committed tyranny throughout the earth. But He sends [it] down in an amount which He wills. Indeed He is, of His servants, Acquainted and Seeing. " Quran 42:27.
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Friday, 10 June 2011
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