tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30113705166804001472023-11-15T05:02:25.432-08:00JUST GUIDERAbrahamic Monotheism, Ethics, Science, Spiritually & PeaceUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-67348104840439168322012-09-21T04:55:00.000-07:002012-09-21T04:55:33.763-07:00Prophet Muhammad: Mercy for Creations <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1589874220916617794" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; position: relative; text-align: start; width: 776px;">
<div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-size: large;">وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13;">اے محمدؐ، ہم نے جو تم کو بھیجا ہے تو یہ دراصل دنیا والوں کے حق میں ہماری رحمت ہے</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13;">We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures[Quran;21:106]</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-size: large;">إِنَّ اللَّـهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13;">اللہ اور اس کے ملائکہ نبیؐ پر درود بھیجتے ہیں، اے لوگو جو ایمان لائے ہو، تم بھی ان پر درود و سلام بھیجو</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: xx-small;">"Verily, God and His angels bless the Prophet: [hence,] O you who have attained to faith, bless him and give yourselves up [to his guidance] in utter self-surrender!" [Qura'n;33:56]</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Allah's Messenger was the kindest of men in the same way as he excelled all others in courage and valour. Being extremely kind-hearted, his eyes brimmed with tears at the slightest sign of inhumanity. A Companion, Shaddaad bin 'Awsreported the Apostle as saying: "Allah has commanded you to show kindness to everyone, so if you have to kill, kill in a good manner, and if you slaughter an animal, slaughter it gently. If anyone of you has to slay an animal, he should sharpen the blade first and treat the animal well." <a href="http://peace-forum.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-prophet-muhammad-mercy-for-all.html" style="color: #1b3b66; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Continue reading >>>>></a></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-34024276722673595442012-09-19T01:49:00.000-07:002012-09-19T01:49:47.638-07:00Rebuttal: Anti Islam Film from USA & Freedom of Speech <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">On the pretext of freedom of speech USA and West allows the extremists to insult Islam, Quran and Prophet Muhammad [pbuh]. They are well aware that this will hurt the feelings of 1.5 billion Muslims, the world over who can not bear any non sense on the pretext of freedom of speech. On the other side In order to please …</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><a href="http://islamphobia.wordpress.com/2012/09/14/anti-islam-video-from-usa-holocaust-denial-freedom-of-speech/" target="_blank"><span id="goog_976872127"></span>Continue reading <span class="meta-nav" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">»<span id="goog_976872128"></span></span></a></span></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-16081962416057859082012-08-10T12:43:00.000-07:002012-08-10T12:52:29.299-07:00The World's Muslims: Unity and Diversity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div class="article-container" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, safns-serif; line-height: 13px; margin: 10px 17px 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 60px; text-align: start;">
<div class="article-sidebar-content" id="ctl00_ctl00_BodyContent_LayoutPlaceholder_featureImageContainer" style="float: right; font-size: 12px; margin: 0.25em 0px 0px 25px; outline: none; padding: 0px; width: 300px;">
<span id="ctl00_ctl00_BodyContent_LayoutPlaceholder_featureImage" style="font-size: 12px;"><img alt="gsi-300x200" border="1" height="200" src="http://www.pewforum.org/uploadedImages/Topics/Religious_Affiliation/Muslim/gsi-300x200.png" style="border: 1px solid rgb(192, 192, 192); font-size: 12px; height: 200px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; width: 300px;" title="gsi-300x200" width="300" /></span><br />
<div class="actionbar" style="border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; outline: none; padding: 8px 10px;">
<br />
<div id="ctl00_ctl00_BodyContent_LayoutPlaceholder_ActionBar_AddThisConfig" style="font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="article-paragraph managed-content" id="ctl00_ctl00_BodyContent_LayoutPlaceholder_articlePageContent" style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<div style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The world’s 1.6 billion Muslims are united in their belief in God and the Prophet Muhammad and are bound together by such religious practices as fasting during the holy month of Ramadan and almsgiving to assist people in need. But they have widely differing views about many other aspects of their faith, including how important religion is to their lives, who counts as a Muslim and what practices are acceptable in Islam, according to a worldwide survey by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life.<b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;">The survey, which involved more than 38,000 face-to-face interviews in over 80 languages, finds that in addition to the widespread conviction that there is only one God and that Muhammad is His Prophet, large percentages of Muslims around the world share other articles of faith, including belief in angels, heaven, hell and fate (or predestination). While there is broad agreement on the core tenets of Islam, however, Muslims across the 39 countries and territories surveyed differ significantly in their levels of religious commitment, openness to multiple interpretations of their faith and acceptance of various sects and movements.</span></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.pewforum.org/Muslim/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-executive-summary.aspx" style="color: #003366; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank" title="Continue Reading">Continue Reading >></a> </span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="article-container" style="line-height: 13px; margin: 10px 17px 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 60px;">
<br /><div class="article-paragraph managed-content" id="ctl00_ctl00_BodyContent_LayoutPlaceholder_articlePageContent" style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<h2 style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 9px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
Executive Summary</h2>
<ul style="line-height: 18px; margin: 1em 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;">
<li style="line-height: 18px; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pewforum.org/Muslim/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-executive-summary.aspx#sectarian" style="color: #003366; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Sectarian Differences</a> </li>
<li style="line-height: 18px; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pewforum.org/Muslim/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-executive-summary.aspx#orthodoxy" style="color: #003366; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Differing Views on Orthodoxy</a> </li>
<li style="line-height: 18px; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pewforum.org/Muslim/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-executive-summary.aspx#core" style="color: #003366; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Core Beliefs</a> </li>
<li style="line-height: 18px; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pewforum.org/Muslim/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-executive-summary.aspx#unifying" style="color: #003366; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Unifying Rituals</a> </li>
<li style="line-height: 18px; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pewforum.org/Muslim/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-executive-summary.aspx#commitment" style="color: #003366; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">One Faith, Different Levels of Commitment</a> </li>
<li style="line-height: 18px; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pewforum.org/Muslim/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-executive-summary.aspx#generational" style="color: #003366; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Generational Differences in Religious Commitment</a> </li>
<li style="line-height: 18px; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pewforum.org/Muslim/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-executive-summary.aspx#gender" style="color: #003366; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Women and Men Similar, Except in Mosque Attendance</a> </li>
<li style="line-height: 18px; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pewforum.org/Muslim/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-executive-summary.aspx#importance" style="color: #003366; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Sectarian Differences Vary inImportance </a> </li>
<li style="line-height: 18px; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pewforum.org/Muslim/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-executive-summary.aspx#groups" style="color: #003366; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Views of Other Groups</a> </li>
<li style="line-height: 18px; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pewforum.org/Muslim/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-executive-summary.aspx#about" style="color: #003366; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">About the Report</a> </li>
</ul>
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: large; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><div class="article-paragraph managed-content" id="ctl00_ctl00_BodyContent_LayoutPlaceholder_articlePageContent" style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: large; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div>
Visit: </span><a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-76182994676520521172012-08-03T02:49:00.001-07:002012-08-03T02:49:36.608-07:00Muslims in France after the elections<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
For 3.5 million French Muslims, Ramadan began on Friday, 20 July. Enthusiasm for fasting seems stronger than ever this year, with 71 per cent of Muslims in France observing Ramadan as opposed to 60 per cent 20 years ago, according to the newspaper La Croix. And fast-breaking iftar dinners, such as the welcome iftar at the Grand Mosque in Paris, are attended by newly elected French politicians eager to demonstrate their commitment to a renewed relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims in France following recent elections.<br />
<br />
During the last decade in France, however, debates on the role of religion in the public space, migration, social cohesion and other issues have revealed increasing social tensions and polarization in public opinion. Misperceptions and misinformation often dominate public dialogue about relations between French Muslims and their co-citizens. And things became even worse last year when President Sarkozy’s government banned the wearing of face veils in public places, angering many in the Muslim community.<br />
<br />
For many, the recent elections seem to offer a change.<br />
<br />
Muslims in France are hopeful that the new government will bring positive changes. "With the left [in power], we feel closer to the government and to France in general. And France is closer to Muslims”, said a young Parisian Muslim. “Now, we can focus on more important issues, such as jobs."<br />
<br />
There are other promising signs that the situation is changing. On 19 July, President François Hollande met with the Rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, Dr Dalil Boubakeur. They discussed issues such as the organization of Islam in France, the training of imams and hate crimes against Muslims. And Boubaker paid tribute to the new French president for the climate of serenity and hope established in the country since his election, particularly for Muslims in France.<br />
<br />
Two days later, on the second day of Ramadan, French Interior Minister Manuel Valls was invited to break the fast at the Grand Mosque of Paris.<br />
<br />
While there is nothing new in French politicians attending official iftars during Ramadan (former President Nicolas Sarkozy and Prime Minister François Fillon both did), the 2012 iftar at the Grand Mosque of Paris marks a turning point in French politics toward integrating Muslims into the French Republic.<br />
<br />
On 6 July 2012, Minister Valls, inaugurating the Grand Mosque in Cergy, a typical Parisian suburb built in the 1960s, declared: "Islam, in its universal dimension, is an integral element, in its own right, of what France is today. (…) Too often, Islam has been manipulated; too often it has been seen as a vehicle for suspicion, distrust, and contempt. (…) It is our responsibility to progressively build a French Islam, one that will put down roots in our country.'' Blasting former French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s controversial integration and immigration policies as “random and discriminatory”, he has called for more objective procedures.<br />
<br />
However, more work is needed to repair years of mistrust and misinformation. If France wants to heal the gap between its Muslim population and the government, it is necessary to explicitly reject the link between socio-economic and cultural issues. For instance, it is time to overcome the stereotypes that “Islamisation” is an explanation for unemployment and economic hardship.<br />
<br />
It is also imperative for policymakers to change the dominant narrative of French national identity by including Islamic culture and history in discussions of French heritage. Proud of its concept of laïcité (denoting the absence of both religious involvement in government affairs as well as the absence of government involvement in religious affairs), France nevertheless needs to create a notion of citizenship that encompasses diverse layers of identity and belonging.<br />
<br />
One of the main strategies will be to use education in order to dispel the assumption that identities are fixed, not only because of the dangerous consequences of that assumption, but because of its historical inaccuracy. The challenge is to reshape imaginations so that Muslims can be seen as legitimate fellow citizens.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">By Aude Jehan. a visiting scholar and a French Embassy Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service: </span></i><a href="http://english.alarabiya.net/views/2012/08/03/230100.html" style="font-size: x-small;" target="_blank">http://english.alarabiya.net/views/2012/08/03/230100.html</a><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-13105451040875217202012-08-02T12:53:00.000-07:002012-08-02T12:56:17.970-07:00Prophet Muhammad's [pbuh] Everlasting Promise with Christians<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal;"><strong> </strong><strong>"<a href="http://peace-forum.blogspot.com/2011/02/prophet-muhammads-everlasting-promise.html">مكتوب من قبل نشطاء ارتكاب التجديف [عليه الصلاة والسلام] مخالفة النبي محمد وعد الآخرة مع المسيحيين"</a></strong></span></h3>
<div>
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>According to tradition of </strong><strong>St. Catherine’s Monastery, i</strong>n 628 AD, a delegation from St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, came to Prophet Muhammed <strong> </strong><strong>[peace be upon him] </strong><strong>and requested his protection. </strong><strong> </strong><strong>Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him]</strong> responded by granting them a <a href="http://peace-forum.blogspot.com/2011/02/prophet-muhammads-everlasting-promise.html">charter of right</a><a href="http://peace-forum.blogspot.com/2011/02/prophet-muhammads-everlasting-promise.html">s,</a> which is <a href="http://peace-forum.blogspot.com/2011/02/prophet-muhammads-everlasting-promise.html"><strong>reproduce in its entirety. [Click here]</strong>.</a> This is ever lasting charter, granting unprecedented protection,<a href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/jihad-myth-and-reality/tolerance-in-islam/">tolerance </a>and freedom to Christians living among Muslims.</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong> </strong><strong>The Muslims respect the precedent of their Prophet [peace be upon him], violation of the written charter/commandment of </strong><strong> </strong>Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him] is blasphemy...</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Translation is reproduced below:</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table border="0" style="text-align: justify;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>The Promise to St. Catherine:"This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.
Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them.
No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses.
Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.
No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants.
No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world)."</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The first and the final sentence of the charter are critical. They make the promise eternal and universal. Muhammed asserts that Muslims are with Christians near and far straight away rejecting any future attempts to limit the promise to St. Catherine alone. By ordering Muslims to obey it until the Day of Judgment the charter again undermines any future attempts to revoke the privileges. These rights are inalienable. Muhammed declared Christians, all of them, as his allies and he equated ill treatment of Christians with violating God’s covenant.
A remarkable aspect of the charter is that it imposes no conditions on Christians for enjoying its privileges. It is enough that they are Christians. They are not required to alter their beliefs, they do not have to make any payments and they do not have any obligations. This is a charter of rights without any duties!
The document is not a modern human rights treaty but even thought it was penned in 628 A.D. it clearly protects the right to property, freedom of religion, freedom of work, and security of the person.
I know most readers, must be thinking so what? Well the answer is simple. Those who seek to foster discord among Muslims and Christians focus on issues that divide and emphasize areas of conflict. But when resources such as Muhammad’s promise to Christians is invoked and highlighted it builds bridges. It inspires Muslims to rise above communal intolerance and engenders good will in Christians who might be nursing fear of Islam or Muslims.
When I look at Islamic sources, I find in them unprecedented examples of religious tolerance and inclusiveness. They make me want to become a better person. I think the capacity to seek good and do good inheres in all of us. When we subdue this predisposition towards the good, we deny our fundamental humanity. In this holiday season, I hope all of us can find time to look for something positive and worthy of appreciation in the values, cultures and histories of other peoples.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>References</strong></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>See for example <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ipEuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR12&dq=muhammad+st.+catherine+amir+ali&hl=en&ei=36eGTLPCBMSqlAez-7CCDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA">Life and Teachings of Muhammed by Amir Ali, p. 176. </a>click to read it.</strong>
<strong>Links:</strong>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The original charter does not survive, but several copies are now extant in the library of St Catherine, some of which are witnessed by the judges of Islam in order to lend some force to its semblance of authenticity. The traditional explanation which accounts for the loss of the original claims that during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Ottoman_Egypt" title="History of Ottoman Egypt">Conquest of Egypt</a> by the Ottoman sultan <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selim_I">Selim I</a> in 1517, the original document was seized from the monastery by Ottoman soldiers and taken to Selim's palace at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantinople">Constantinople</a>.<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad#cite_note-1">[2]</a></sup><sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad#cite_note-Ratliff-0">[1]</a></sup> A copy was then made to compensate for its loss at the monastery.<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad#cite_note-Ratliff-0">[1]</a></sup> On the other hand, it is also possible that the charter was simply renewed under the new rulers, as other documents in the archive suggest.<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad#cite_note-2">[3]</a></sup> Traditions about the tolerance shown towards the monastery were reported in governmental documents issued in Cairo and during the period of Ottoman rule (1517-1798), the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasha">Pasha</a> of Egypt annually reaffirmed its protections.<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad#cite_note-Ratliff-0">[1]</a></sup></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In 1630, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Sionita">Gabriel Sionita</a> published the first edition of the Arabic text, with Latin translation, under the title <em>Testamentum et pactiones inter Mohammedem et Christianae fidei cultores</em>.</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The origins of the document has been the subject of a number of different traditions, best known through the accounts of European travellers who visited the monastery.<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad#cite_note-Ratliff-0">[1]</a></sup> These authors include the French knight <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Greffin_Affagart&action=edit&redlink=1" title="Greffin Affagart (page does not exist)">Greffin Affagart</a> (d. <em>c</em>. 1557), the French traveller <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_de_Th%C3%A9venot">Jean de Thévenot</a> (d. 1667) and the English prelate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Peacocke" title="Richard Peacocke">Richard Peacocke</a>,<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad#cite_note-Ratliff-0">[1]</a></sup> who included an English translation of the text.</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Since the 19th century, several aspects of the <em>Achtiname</em>, notably the list of witnesses, have been questioned by scholars.<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad#cite_note-3">[4]</a></sup> There are similarities to other documents granted to other religious communities in the Near East. One example is Muhammad's letter to the Christians of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Najr%C4%81n" title="Najrān">Najrān</a>, which first came to light in 878 in a monastery in Iraq and whose text is preserved in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronicle_of_S%C3%A9ert" title="Chronicle of Séert">Chronicle of Séert</a>.<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad#cite_note-Ratliff-0">[1]</a></sup></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad</a></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>The contents of letter are however generally in line with the special privileges granted by Islam to Christians as People of the Book. </strong></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><a href="http://www.ijtihad.org/">Return to Ijtihad</a></strong></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.ijtihad.org/Prophet%20Muhammed's%20Promise.htm">http://www.ijtihad.org/Prophet%20Muhammed's%20Promise.htm</a>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B0Qfx8dX9TCvYzVjZDc5N2UtNTNlNy00ZjZkLTlhZjgtMjYzZDI5ZWUyYzQx&hl=en">Minorities in Islamic State</a>: The hand book highlights the rights of minorites...
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://peace-forum.blogspot.com/2011/01/blasphemy-law-and-conviction-in.html" target="_blank">Blasphemy law and conviction in Pakistan: The Facts and Fiction <strong>...</strong></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is totally absurd to say that this law targets <strong>minorities</strong>, the statistics show 50% accused were Muslims, Christians being only 12%. Misuse of any law can not be overruled, we know there are false cases registered for murder, robbery, ...</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>More >>>>> </strong><strong><a href="http://peace-forum.blogspot.com/2011/02/prophet-muhammads-everlasting-promise.html">Prophet Muhammad's Everlasting Promise to Christians </a>النبي محمد وعد الآخرة للمسيحيين</strong></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B0Qfx8dX9TCvOGE3NTBiNjEtZDA1Ni00ZDVhLTk2ODMtZjUzMDgzMWVlODJl&hl=en">Tolerance</a> in <a href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/jihad-myth-and-reality/tolerance-in-islam/">Islam by Pickethal</a>
<a href="https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B0Qfx8dX9TCvYzVjZDc5N2UtNTNlNy00ZjZkLTlhZjgtMjYzZDI5ZWUyYzQx&hl=en">Minorities in Islamic State</a>: The hand book highlights the rights of minorites...
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://peace-forum.blogspot.com/2011/01/blasphemy-law-and-conviction-in.html" target="_blank">Blasphemy law and conviction in Pakistan: The Facts and Fiction <strong>...</strong></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><a href="http://peace-forum.blogspot.com/2011/03/taliban-killers-of-christian-minister_8961.html">http://peace-forum.blogspot.com/2011/03/taliban-killers-of-christian-minister_8961.html</a></strong></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><a href="http://wp.me/pCgrB-BN" target="_blank">http://wp.me/pCgrB-BN
</a></strong></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">النبي محمد وعد الآخرة للمسيحيين</span></b></div>
<table background="http://www.ijtihad.org/bg.jpg" border="1" cellpadding="60"><tbody>
<tr><td><div align="center">
<span style="font-family: 'Georgia Ref'; font-size: x-small;"> <b> </b></span><b><span style="font-family: 'Georgia Ref'; font-size: x-large;">PROPHET MUHAMMAD'S PROMISE TO CHRISTIANS</span></b></div>
<div align="center">
<img height="433" src="http://nicedaytravelegypt.com/Catherines.jpg" width="406" />
<img height="438" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/The_Patent_of_Mohammed.jpg" width="314" />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/EHXhjUckF-Q?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/JVLUdIJSFfA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;">نص العهد: "هذا كتاب كتبه محمد بن عبدالله إلى كافة الناس أجمعين بشيراً ونذيراً ومؤتمناً على وديعة الله في خلقه لئلا يكون للناس على الله حجة بعد الرسل وكان الله عزيزاً حكيماً كتبه لأهل ملته ولجميع من ينتحل دين النصرانية من مشارق الأرض ومغاربها قريبها وبعيدها فصيحها وعجميها معروفها ومجهولها كتاباً جعله لهم عهداً. لا يغير أسقف من أسقفيته ولا راهب من رهبانيته ولا حبيس من صومعته ولا سايح من سياحته ولا يهدم بيت من بيوت كنائسهم وبيعهم ولا يدخل شيء من بناء كنائسهم في بناء مسجد ولا في منازل المسلمين فمن فعل شيء من ذلك فقد نكث عهد الله وخالف رسوله ولا يحمل على الرهبان والأساقفة ولا من يتعبد جزيةً ولا غرامة وأنا أحفظ ذمتهم أين ما كانوا من بر أو بحر في المشرق والمغرب والشمال والجنوب وهم في ذمتي وميثاقي وأماني من كل مكروه فمن نكث العهد الذي فيه وخالفه إلى غيره وتعدى ما أمره كان لعهد الله ناكثاً ولميثاقه ناقضاً وبدينه مستهزئاً وللّعنة مستوجباً سلطاناً كان أو غيره من المسلمين المؤمنين."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;">
</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;"></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;">تعتبر الجملتان الأولى والأخيرة في هذا العهد حاسمتان، فهما تجعلان الوعد أبدياً وعالمياً. يؤكد النبي محمد (ص) أن المسلمين يقفون مع المسيحيين من قريب وبعيد، ويرفضون فوراً أية محاولات مستقبلية للحد من وعد دير القديسة كاثرين وحده. من خلال أمر المسلمين باحترام الوعد حتى يوم القيامة، يُفشل الصك مرة أخرى أية محاولات مستقبلية لإلغاء الامتيازات. هناك ثلاثة حقوق لا يمكن التنازل عنها.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;"></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;">أعلن النبي محمد (ص) أن المسيحيين جميعهم حلفاء له حيث ساوى بين معاملة المسيحيين السيئة مع انتهاك عهد الله تعالى.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;"></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;">ومن النواحي المثيرة للاهتمام والإعجاب في الصك أنه لا يفرض أية شروط على المسيحيين للتمتع بميزاته. يكفي إنهم مسيحيون، ولا يُطلب منهم تغيير إيمانهم ومعتقداتهم ولا أن يدفعوا جزية ولا تكون عليهم أية التزامات. هذا صك حقوق دون أية التزامات.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;"></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;">ليست الوثيقة معاهدة عصرية في حقوق الإنسان، ولكنها، ورغم أنها صيغت عام 628 بعد الميلاد فإنها تحمي بوضوح حقوق الملكية والحرية الدينية وحرية العمل والأمن الشخصي.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;"></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;">أعرف أن معظم القراء سوف يقولون "وماذا بعد؟".</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;"></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;">حسناً، الجواب بسيط: يركز هؤلاء الذين يبغون رعاية الفتنة بين المسلمين والمسيحيين على قضايا تتسبب بالفرقة والنزاع. ولكن عندما تطرح موارد مثل وعد النبي محمد (ص) إلى المسيحيين ويتم إبرازها فإنها تبني الجسور.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;"></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;">وهي تلهم المسلمين أن يرتفعوا فوق عدم التسامح الطائفي وتولد حسن النية لدى المسيحيين الذين قد يكونوا يتعاملون مع الخوف من الإسلام والمسلمين.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;"></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;">عندما أنظر إلى المصادر الإسلامية أجد بها أمثلة لا سابق لها من التسامح الديني والشمولية. تجعلني أرغب بأن أصبح إنساناً أفضل. أعتقد أن القدرة على السعي لما هو صالح وصنعه متأصلان فينا جميعاً. عندما نكبت هذا التوجه نحو الصلاح فإننا ننكر إنسانيتنا الأساسية.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;"></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;">آمل في أعقاب فترة الأعياد أن نجد جميعاً الوقت للبحث عن أمر إيجابي يستحق التقدير في قيم وتاريخ وثقافة الشعوب الأخرى.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">St. Catherine's Monastery, Sinai, Egypt <a href="http://www.islamic-study.org/saint_catherine_monastery.htm" style="text-decoration: none;"> A Picture of Prophet Muhammad's Letter to St. Catherine's Monastery</a></span></div>
<div align="center">
</div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia Ref'; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.ijtihad.org/MuqtedarKhan.htm" style="text-decoration: none;">Dr. Muqtedar Khan</a> | 08.22.2010</span></span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: 'Georgia Ref'; font-size: x-small;">This article was published in the <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07084/772029-109.stm" style="text-decoration: none;">Pittsburg Post-Gazette</a> [03.25.2007], <a href="http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=6045" style="text-decoration: none;">Daily News Egypt</a> [03.09.2007], <a href="http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/print/2454" style="text-decoration: none;">AltMuslim</a> [03.03.2007], <a href="http://www.pakistanlink.com/Opinion/2007/Mar07/16/03.HTM" style="text-decoration: none;">Pakistan Link</a>, <a href="http://www.middleeastwindow.com/node/1857" style="text-decoration: none;">Middle East Window</a>, <a href="http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:ih9O8SmnMhcJ:www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=70317&mailtofriend=1+muqtedar+%22American+foreign+policy+sins+are+numerous+and+some+are+even+unforgivable%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=9&gl=us" style="text-decoration: none;">Turkish Daily News </a>[04.10.2007 ], <a href="http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_muqtedar_070313_america_s_gift_3a_a_ne.htm" style="text-decoration: none;">OpEd news </a>[03.19.2007],<a href="http://ikhwanweb.net/Article.asp?ID=531&SectionID=98" style="text-decoration: none;">Ikhwanweb</a> [02.11.07], and many other places..</span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="center">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td align="center" style="color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><span class="arialed" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><strong>Article also available in:</strong></span></td><td align="center" style="color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> <span class="available_1"><a href="http://www.commongroundnews.org/article.php?id=27112&lan=en&sid=1&sp=0&isNew=0" style="color: #0c69ab; text-decoration: none;" target="_top">English</a></span></td><td align="center" style="color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> <span style="color: #cccccc;">|</span> <span class="available_1"><a href="http://www.commongroundnews.org/article.php?id=27133&lan=ba&sid=1&sp=0&isNew=0" style="color: #0c69ab; text-decoration: none;" target="_top">Indonesia</a></span></td><td align="center" style="color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> <span style="color: #cccccc;">|</span> <span class="available_1"><a href="http://www.commongroundnews.org/article.php?id=27138&lan=ar&sid=1&sp=0&isNew=0" style="color: #0c69ab; text-decoration: none;" target="_top">عربي</a></span></td><td align="center" style="color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> <span style="color: #cccccc;">|</span> <span class="available_1"><a href="http://www.commongroundnews.org/article.php?id=27143&lan=ur&sid=1&sp=0&isNew=0" style="color: #0c69ab; text-decoration: none;" target="_top">اردو</a></span></td><td align="center" style="color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> <span style="color: #cccccc;">|</span> <span class="available_1"><a href="http://www.commongroundnews.org/article.php?id=27148&lan=fr&sid=1&sp=0&isNew=0" style="color: #0c69ab; text-decoration: none;" target="_top">Français</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Courtesy Common Ground News Service
<a href="http://www.ijtihad.org/Prophet%20Muhammed's%20Promise.htm">http://www.ijtihad.org/Prophet%20Muhammed's%20Promise.htm</a></div>
<div align="left">
<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua';">
<b><span style="font-size: medium;">M</span></b>uslims and Christians together constitute over fifty percent of the world and if they lived in peace, we will be half way to world peace. One small step that we can take towards fostering Muslim-Christian harmony is to tell and retell positive stories and abstain from mutual demonization. In this article I propose to remind both Muslims and Christians about a promise that Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) made to Christians. The knowledge of this promise can have enormous impact on Muslim conduct towards Christians. Muslims generally respect the precedent of their Prophet and try to practice it in their lives.
In 628 AD, a delegation from St. Catherine’s Monastery came to Prophet Muhammed and requested his protection. He responded by granting them a charter of rights, which I reproduce below in its entirety. St. Catherine’s Monastery is located at the foot of Mt. Sinai and is the world’s oldest monastery. It possess a huge collection of Christian manuscripts, second only to the Vatican, and is a world heritage site. It also boasts the oldest collection of Christian icons. It is a treasure house of Christian history that has remained safe for 1400 years under Muslim protection.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Georgia Ref';"></span>
<br />
<div align="center">
<table border="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua';">The Promise to St. Catherine:</span><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua';">"This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.
Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them.
No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses.
Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.
No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants.
No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world)."
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<span style="font-family: 'Georgia Ref';"><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua';"></span></span>
<br />
<div align="left" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Georgia Ref';"><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua';">The first and the final sentence of the charter are critical. They make the promise eternal and universal. Muhammed asserts that Muslims are with Christians near and far straight away rejecting any future attempts to limit the promise to St. Catherine alone. By ordering Muslims to obey it until the Day of Judgment the charter again undermines any future attempts to revoke the privileges. These rights are inalienable. Muhammed declared Christians, all of them, as his allies and he equated ill treatment of Christians with violating God’s covenant.</span></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Georgia Ref';"><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua';">
</span></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Georgia Ref';"><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua';">A remarkable aspect of the charter is that it imposes no conditions on Christians for enjoying its privileges. It is enough that they are Christians. They are not required to alter their beliefs, they do not have to make any payments and they do not have any obligations. This is a charter of rights without any duties!</span></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Georgia Ref';"><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua';">The document is not a modern human rights treaty but even thought it was penned in 628 A.D. it clearly protects the right to property, freedom of religion, freedom of work, and security of the person.</span></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Georgia Ref';"><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua';">
</span></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Georgia Ref';"><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua';">I know most readers, must be thinking so what? Well the answer is simple. Those who seek to foster discord among Muslims and Christians focus on issues that divide and emphasize areas of conflict. But when resources such as Muhammad’s promise to Christians is invoked and highlighted it builds bridges. It inspires Muslims to rise above communal intolerance and engenders good will in Christians who might be nursing fear of Islam or Muslims.</span></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Georgia Ref';"><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua';">
</span></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Georgia Ref';"><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua';">When I look at Islamic sources, I find in them unprecedented examples of religious tolerance and inclusiveness. They make me want to become a better person. I think the capacity to seek good and do good inheres in all of us. When we subdue this predisposition towards the good, we deny our fundamental humanity. In this holiday season, I hope all of us can find time to look for something positive and worthy of appreciation in the values, cultures and histories of other peoples.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Georgia Ref';"><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua';"><b>References</b></span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Georgia Ref';"><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua';"><b>See for example <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ipEuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR12&dq=muhammad+st.+catherine+amir+ali&hl=en&ei=36eGTLPCBMSqlAez-7CCDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA" style="text-decoration: none;">Life and Teachings of Muhammed by Amir Ali, p. 176. </a>click to read it.</b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Georgia Ref';"><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua';"><b>Links:</b></span></span>
<br />
<div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;">
The original charter does not survive, but several copies are now extant in the library of St Catherine, some of which are witnessed by the judges of Islam in order to lend some force to its semblance of authenticity. The traditional explanation which accounts for the loss of the original claims that during the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Ottoman_Egypt" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="History of Ottoman Egypt">Conquest of Egypt</a> by the Ottoman sultan <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selim_I" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">Selim I</a> in 1517, the original document was seized from the monastery by Ottoman soldiers and taken to Selim's palace at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantinople" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">Constantinople</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-1" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad#cite_note-1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[2]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Ratliff_0-1" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad#cite_note-Ratliff-0" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup> A copy was then made to compensate for its loss at the monastery.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Ratliff_0-2" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad#cite_note-Ratliff-0" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup> On the other hand, it is also possible that the charter was simply renewed under the new rulers, as other documents in the archive suggest.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad#cite_note-2" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[3]</a></sup> Traditions about the tolerance shown towards the monastery were reported in governmental documents issued in Cairo and during the period of Ottoman rule (1517-1798), the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasha" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">Pasha</a> of Egypt annually reaffirmed its protections.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Ratliff_0-3" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad#cite_note-Ratliff-0" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup></div>
<div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;">
In 1630, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Sionita" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">Gabriel Sionita</a> published the first edition of the Arabic text, with Latin translation, under the title <i>Testamentum et pactiones inter Mohammedem et Christianae fidei cultores</i>.</div>
<div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;">
The origins of the document has been the subject of a number of different traditions, best known through the accounts of European travellers who visited the monastery.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Ratliff_0-4" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad#cite_note-Ratliff-0" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup> These authors include the French knight <a class="new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Greffin_Affagart&action=edit&redlink=1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #ba0000; text-decoration: none;" title="Greffin Affagart (page does not exist)">Greffin Affagart</a> (d. <i>c</i>. 1557), the French traveller <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_de_Th%C3%A9venot" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">Jean de Thévenot</a> (d. 1667) and the English prelate <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Peacocke" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Richard Peacocke">Richard Peacocke</a>,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Ratliff_0-5" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad#cite_note-Ratliff-0" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup> who included an English translation of the text.</div>
<div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;">
Since the 19th century, several aspects of the <i>Achtiname</i>, notably the list of witnesses, have been questioned by scholars.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad#cite_note-3" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[4]</a></sup> There are similarities to other documents granted to other religious communities in the Near East. One example is Muhammad's letter to the Christians of <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Najr%C4%81n" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Najrān">Najrān</a>, which first came to light in 878 in a monastery in Iraq and whose text is preserved in the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronicle_of_S%C3%A9ert" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Chronicle of Séert">Chronicle of Séert</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Ratliff_0-6" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad#cite_note-Ratliff-0" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; white-space: nowrap;">1</span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">]</span></a></sup></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad</a></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtiname_of_Muhammad"></a>The contents of letter are however generally in line with the special </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px;">privileges granted by Islam to Christians as People of the Book.</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></span></span></b></div>
<div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;">
</div>
</div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: 'Georgia Ref';"><b><a href="http://www.ijtihad.org/" style="text-decoration: none;">Return to Ijtihad</a></b></span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: 'Georgia Ref';"><a href="http://www.ijtihad.org/Prophet%20Muhammed's%20Promise.htm">http://www.ijtihad.org/Prophet%20Muhammed's%20Promise.htm</a></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B0Qfx8dX9TCvYzVjZDc5N2UtNTNlNy00ZjZkLTlhZjgtMjYzZDI5ZWUyYzQx&hl=en" style="color: #cc3300; text-decoration: none;">Minorities in Islamic State</a>: The hand book highlights the rights of minorites...</span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: 15px;"></span></span>
<br />
<div class="gs-title" style="color: #cc3300; display: inline !important; height: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline;">
<div style="display: inline !important;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a class="gs-title" href="http://peace-forum.blogspot.com/2011/01/blasphemy-law-and-conviction-in.html" style="color: #cc3300; cursor: pointer; height: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Blasphemy law and conviction in Pakistan: The Facts and Fiction <b style="color: #cc3300; text-decoration: underline;">...</b></a></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="gs-snippet" style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.25em; position: static; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is totally absurd to say that this law targets <b>minorities</b>, the statistics show 50% accused were Muslims, Christians being only 12%. Misuse of any law can not be overruled, we know there are false cases registered for murder, robbery, ...</span></div>
<div class="gs-visibleUrl" style="color: #cc3300; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.3em; position: static; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="560px" src="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=false&embedded=true&srcid=0B0Qfx8dX9TCvYzVjZDc5N2UtNTNlNy00ZjZkLTlhZjgtMjYzZDI5ZWUyYzQx&hl=en" width="100%"></iframe></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-10066430954494322852012-08-02T12:49:00.001-07:002012-08-02T12:49:29.195-07:00Five myths about Muslims in America<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I founded the multi-faith Cordoba Initiative to fight the misunderstandings that broaden the divide between Islam and the West — each perceived as harmful by the other. Millions of American Muslims, who see no contradiction between being American and being Muslim, are working hard to bridge this gap. It is therefore not surprising that they have become the target of attacks by those who would rather burn bridges than build them, and the subject of recent congressional hearings exploring their “radicalization.” What myths are behind the entrenched beliefs that Muslims simply do not belong in the United States and that they threaten its security?</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://peace-forum.blogspot.com/2011/04/five-myths-about-muslims-in-america.html" target="_blank">Read full story >>>> http://peace-forum.blogspot.com/2011/04/five-myths-about-muslims-in-america.html</a></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-62491581189565017062012-08-02T12:45:00.000-07:002012-08-02T12:45:06.561-07:00Treking with Adam to Moses through Bible and Qur'an<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Abraham is the common ancestor of three great faiths; Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The narratives of creation and life of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph to Moses [All great prophets, may peace be upon them all] are very similar in Bible and Qur’an being from the same source, the Revelations from God. Exploring the lands where the Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph and Moses lived or traveled as mentioned in Torah [First Five books of Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)] with additional captions from Qur'an highlight the commonalities for batter understanding for interfaith harmony. In this series of 3 vides, Part-1 covers from Adam to Ishmael, Isaac till Jacob [peace be upon them]. Part 2 covers Joseph's move to Egypt, his rise to power followed by migration of Jacob, his father and 11 brothers [66 Hebrews from Palestine to Egypt, adding 4 Joseph's family, total 70], over 400 years of stay in Egypt, till the time of Moses. Part 3 is related with Moses, Pharaoh, migration of 600,000 Hebrews [or 600 families, around 20,000 heads?] wandering in Sinai for 40 years till death of Moses. Part 2 & 3 will be compiled in due course.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/B9VZwm8Ufx4" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9VZwm8Ufx4&w=350&h=250</div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://wp.me/PCgrB-63" target="_blank">More >>> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">The Grand Design of Creation</span></a></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<strong><a href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/theology/guidance/messenger/" title="The Messengers">The Messengers</a></strong></h3>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><strong><a href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/theology/guidance/messenger/adam-noah/" target="_blank">Adam and Noah</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/theology/guidance/messenger/prophet-abraham-decendents/" target="_blank">Prophet Abraham & Decendents</a></strong><ul>
<li><strong><a href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/theology/guidance/messenger/prophet-abraham-decendents/ishmael/" target="_blank">Prophet Ishmael (pbuh)</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/theology/guidance/messenger/prophet-abraham-decendents/isaac-jacob/" target="_blank">Prophet Isaac & Jacob (pbut)</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/theology/guidance/messenger/prophet-abraham-decendents/joseph/" target="_blank">Prophet Joseph (pbuh)</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/theology/guidance/messenger/prophet-abraham-decendents/moses/" target="_blank">Prophet Moses (pbuh)</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/theology/guidance/messenger/prophet-abraham-decendents/david-solomon/" target="_blank">Prophet David & Solomon (pbut)</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/theology/guidance/messenger/prophet-abraham-decendents/after-solomon/" target="_blank">After Prophet Solomon (pbuh)</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/theology/guidance/messenger/prophet-abraham-decendents/john-baptist/" target="_blank">Zechariah & John The Baptist (pbut)</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/theology/guidance/messenger/prophet-abraham-decendents/jesus-son-of-mary/" target="_blank">Prophet Jesus Christ, The Son of Mary</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/theology/guidance/messenger/prophet-abraham-decendents/last-prophet/" target="_blank">The Last Prophet</a></strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
http://wp.me/pCgrB-DF</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-43924678520914219802012-08-02T12:38:00.000-07:002012-08-02T12:38:27.304-07:00Reality of God<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<em><strong>F.W. Norwood wrote: "Life’s greatest tragedy is to lose God and not to miss Him."</strong></em>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Atheists satisfy both criteria in the above formula; Agnostics fall into a different category entirely, but most visitors to this website [<a href="http://www.realityofgod.com/" target="_blank">http://www.realityofgod.com</a>] seem to feel they have lost God, and miss Him very much. These readers believe in an omniscient, omnipotent Creator and Sustainer of the universe, but have not found a religion that makes complete sense to them, or that demands tenets of faith they can fully accept.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Here at <strong><a href="http://www.realityofgod.com/" target="_blank">RealityofGod.com</a></strong>, we try to help visitors establish belief and choose religious direction, using an Islamic line of reasoning. “Using an <em>Islamic</em> line of reasoning?” you ask, skeptically cocking one eyebrow. Yup, you read me right. Think of it this way: You’ve probably already heard everything other religions have to say on the subject, and their arguments didn’t work for you. So here’s your chance to hear what a Muslim has to say. Atheists, Agnostics, Idol-worshippers, even lapsed Jews and Christians will find articles herein that are designed to kindle faith and enrich a person’s spiritual journey. Uncommitted Christians might bypass this website and jump straight to the next website in this series, <a href="http://www.truetojesus.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: green;">www.TrueToJesus.com</span></a>. Open-minded seekers of religious truth might prefer the author’s main website, <a href="http://www.leveltruth.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: green;">www.LevelTruth.com</span></a>. Whichever level you begin with, we welcome you to this line of investigation with the reminder that no amount of searching can take the place of a single, sincere prayer for guidance. For many, such a prayer demands faith in the first place. It is this faith we hope to kindle, nurture and guide through the articles herein. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Dr. Laurence B. Brown, MD</strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.realityofgod.com/" target="_blank" title="Reality of God">http://www.realityofgod.com</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://leveltruth.com/" target="_blank">http://leveltruth.com</a>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="http://truetojesus.com./" target="_blank">http//TrueToJesus.com</a></div>
<div>
<em><a href="http://truetojesus.com./" target="_blank">
</a></em></div>
</div>
<div>
<em><strong>Related Links:</strong></em></div>
<div>
<div>
<em></em><em><a href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://FaithForum.Wordpress.Com</a></em></div>
<div>
<em></em><em><a href="http://quran-pedia.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://Quran-pedia.blogspot.com</a></em></div>
<div>
<em></em><em><a href="http://leveltruth.com/" target="_blank">http://leveltruth.com</a></em></div>
<div>
<em><a href="http://bible-pedia.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><em>http://Bible-pedia.blogspot.com</em></a></em></div>
<div>
<em></em><em><a href="http://peace-forum.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://Peace-forum.blogspot.com</a> </em></div>
<div>
<em></em><em><a href="http://islamphobia.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://Islamphobia.Wordpress.com</a></em></div>
<div>
<em></em><em><a href="http://pakistan-posts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://Pakistan-posts.blogspot.com</a></em></div>
<div>
<em></em><em><a href="http://twitter.com/AbrahamsFaith" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/AbrahamsFaith </a></em></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<em><a href="http://wp.me/pCgrB-IB" target="_blank"><strong>The Reality of God:</strong> http://wp.me/pCgrB-IB</a></em></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-81911081395661240342012-08-02T12:35:00.002-07:002012-08-02T12:35:34.293-07:00Human Rights & Islam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Islam is non racial faith, it does not accept the superiority of any race over others. It grants equality to the humanity. Faith, righteousness and good deeds form the basic criteria for preference of one individual over other, while colour, race and gender does not matter; God says:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>“O mankind! we created you from a a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (Not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honored of you In the sight of God is (He who is) the most righteous of you. and God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)”(Qur’an;49:43).</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>“Verily we have revealed the Book to Thee In truth, for (instructing) mankind. He, then, that receives guidance benefits His own soul: but He that strays injures His own soul. nor art Thou set over them to dispose of their affairs”. (Qur’an;39:41).</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Humanitarian obligations (<em>Haqooq-ul-Ibad</em>) are highly emphasized in Islam. Painfully in practice generally [<em>Haqooq</em><em> Allah],</em> the duties towards God (belief, rituals, prayers) are over emphasized while duties toward fellow human beings are given a low priority in the society, both at the individual and community level. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Since a good balance is the main characteristic of Islam and its code of living so, the responsibilities toward other human beings are indeed given a very strong emphasis in Islam.</span> It should always be remembered that except major sin like denial of God and associating partners with Him; God may forgive other sins that relate to human obligations toward Him, but He will not forgive anything that is due to fellow human being until that person is ready to forgive it. Hence, the Muslims have to perform their obligations like worship and simultaneously be kind to the other human in the society, which is also a form of worship being part of Islamic duties. The Sunnah of Prophet (peace be upon him) is the role model for the Muslims. The virtues like justice, truthfulness, charity, kind and courteous behavior with fellow humans, fairness in trade, dealings, respect of human life and property of others, helping underprivileged, oppressed and weak, weather Muslims or non Muslims alike; are hall mark of Islam. The life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is full of practical examples. The rights of parents and non Muslims have been elaborated separately due to their special significance. Prophet (peace be upon him) was also the best of neighbors and he emphasized that neighbors have a claim on our kindness. All human are equal, the preference is only in piety (known to Allah alone).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Slavery</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When the message of Islam was preached, slavery was a very common practice in all-human societies, it was an international system. The Greeks, Romans, the ancient Germans whose legal and social institutions have mostly influenced the modern world, recognized and practiced all kinds of slavery, like praedial servitude as well as household slavery. Slavery as it existed under the Mosaic law has no modern parallel. That law did not originate but only regulated the already existing custom of slavery (Leviticus 25:44-46, Exodus;21:20-21,26-27; Joshua<span style="text-decoration: underline;">;</span>9:6-27). <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Christianity as a religion did not oppose slavery</span>. The teachings of Prophet Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) did not express disapproval of slavery. Christianity did nothing to eliminate slavery except general advice to the masters to give due to the servants, even the Church held slaves and considered it to be a lawful system. The cruel treatment to slaves in America are well known.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Islam does not support slavery</span>. Like the nuisance of Usury (<em>Riba</em>), in the present time, the evil of slavery was so much ingrained in the world that its elimination had to come gradually as the society developed. There was an important reason for that, which was to help slaves cope with their new status. Had Islam issued an order to free all the slaves straightaway, that would have created social and economic chaos, as many would not have been able to cope. This happened in the US when slavery was abolished by law. Many former slaves went back to their masters to serve them, because they could not earn their living without them. The Islamic approach to the eradication of slavery is balanced. Islamic legislation includes a variety of ways to ensure the reduction and eventual eradication of slavery. As the atonement for many offenses, granting freedom to a slave in addition to repentance was made obligatory. A portion of <em>Zakah </em>funds (Charitable donations) was also used to help anyone who could buy his own freedom in return for a sum of money, which he would pay to his master.(Qur’an;9:60). The institution of slavery was discouraged and the owners and other people were enjoined to give financial help to the slaves to earn their freedom under the law of <em>Mukatabat </em>and marriage with virtuous slaves.(Qur’an;24:33, 24:32). The slaves were to be treated with equity and fairness (Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith, 3.721). However, the slavery continued in Muslim societies for much longer than what could have been expected because of historical and continuation of international slavery. The renowned Orientalist Annemarie Schimmel in the book titled "Islam: An Introduction" has comprehensively summarized the Slavery in Islam; “Slavery was not abolished by the Koran, but believers are constantly admonished to treat their slaves well. In case of illness a slave has to be looked after and well cared for. To free (<em>manumit</em>) a slave is highly meritorious; the slave can ransom himself by paying some of the money he has earned while conducting his own business. Only children of slaves or non-Muslim prisoners of war can become slaves, never a freeborn Muslim; therefore slavery is theoretically doomed to disappear with the expansion of Islam. The entire history of Islam proves that slaves could occupy any office, and many former military slaves, usually recruited from among the Central Asian Turks, became military leaders and often even rulers as in Eastern Iran, India (the Slave Dynasty of Delhi), and medieval Egypt (the Mamluks).”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Non Muslim Minorities</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In communities which base their civil rights on brute strength, the weaker go to the wall, and public opinion expects nothing else. Even in modern democracies of the saner sort, it is often told that it is the fate of minorities to suffer; strength of numbers here becomes the passport to power and privilege. Islam, while upholding balanced views in general, enjoins the most solicitous care for the weak and oppressed. The minorities are treated with justice in every way-in rights of property, in social rights, and in the right to opportunities of development. The non-Muslim living under the protection of a Muslim state is referred as <em>Dhimmi</em>, a free non-Muslim subject. They are exempt from duties of Islam like military service and alms (<em>zakat</em>) instead they are required to pay <em>jizyah</em> (poll-tax).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Historically some Islamic governments paid this poll tax for poor non-Muslim subjects or reduced it to mere symbolic tax. If the State cannot protect those who paid <em>jizyah</em>, then the amount they paid is returned to them. Islam guarantees full protection and security of the State including freedom of religion to all. Thus the notion that the minorities are treated as second class citizens in an Islamic state is based on malicious propaganda. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the main enforcer of human rights safeguarding the legitimate interests of minorities. The monks of Mount Sinai were provided protection. On establishing the first Islamic state at Medina, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) entered into many alliances, treaties with the Muslims and the non-Muslims, securing peace and tranquility for the Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Safety, security and protection of non Muslims is to be ensured (Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith:9.49 & 4.287).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Muslims are encouraged to act towards all the non-Muslims living in Islamic state with kindness and equity. As per Qur’an; "<em>As for such (of the unbelievers) as do not fight against you on account of your faith, and neither drive you forth from your homelands, Allah does not forbid you to show them kindness and to behave towards them with full equity. Indeed, Allah loves those who act equitably</em>"(Qur’an;60:8). There are numerous Hadiths, which encourage Muslims to be kind to other religious communities, especially those who constitute minorities in the Muslim State. As a result many deserving non Muslims were able to get very high positions in the Muslim hierarchy.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Islam does not forbid engagement in respectful and peaceful dialogue with others, especially the Jews and Christians, provided that neither side exploit the ignorance or dire financial need of others so as to psychologically manipulate them in the name of outreach. Islamic law also permits non-Muslim minorities to set up their own courts, which implement family laws drawn up by the minorities themselves. The rights of minorities are well protected in Islam. Another interesting fact in Islamic history is that although Muslims are prohibited from preparing, selling and consuming alcohol, whereas the ruling is not the same with non-Muslim. If non-Muslim minority in an Islamic state wish to do so, and do not involve Muslims, they would actually be given this right, they even consume pork, strictly prohibited for the Muslims. This points out that the concept of human rights in Islam has often been given a much negative view. While throughout Europe and America, Muslims are not permitted to make the call to prayer (<em>adhan</em>) on loud speakers though, the church bells ring freely in the Muslim world. Muslims are asked to call upon the People of the Book for common terms, that is to worship One Allah, and to work together for the solutions of the many problems in the society.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Apostasy</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is reemphasized that there is no forced conversions in Islam; the non Muslim subjects have the right to freely choose to revert to Islam or keep practicing their faith. [“Revert”; because every human is born true to nature, in submission to Allah, in Islam (Qur’an;30:30 and Sahih Bukhari Hadith;6.298)] But once a person reverts to Islam, it is obligatory to practice his faith to be a good Muslim.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Apostasy has always been considered as a capital offence in all the religions and political systems of the world, because it is considered as a high treason against the established norms of society.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>The Bible prescribes death by stoning for apostasy</strong>: “You shall stone him to death with stones, because he sought to draw you away from the LORD your God..”(Deutronomy;13:10). Death penalty for apostasy remained in force in England for long time. It was abolished due to social and cultural developments.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Apostasy is considered as a major sin in Islam</strong>. Whether it is punishable by Islamic law is a debatable matter among Muslim scholars; taking inference from Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith:9.17, some believe that the apostate should be punished after trial because they consider this crime as a betrayal, high treason against the community, while others opine that if someone changes his faith and does not challenge the Islamic society, it is a matter between him and Allah, Who will punish him in hereafter. However, both opinions agree that it is a major worst form of sin punishable by Allah. As per Qur’an; “Those who turn back as apostates after Guidance was clearly shown to them the Evil One has instigated them and buoyed them up with false hopes.”(Qur’an;47:25). It is totally baseless malicious propaganda that the minorities are no well treated in Islam. The Charter of Medina, in fact was the first ever written constitution in the history of mankind which gave the non-Muslims right of choosing a legal system they wished their affairs be governed by, be it Islamic or Jewish law or pre-Islamic Arab tribal traditions. The Christians and Jews have special place in Islam, they are addressed as ‘<em>The People of the Book’</em> in Qur’an. The history of Islam proves this, when Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived together in dominant Islamic societies in Spain, Baghdad and Ottomans empire. There are other social courtesies which Muslims are urged to extend to non Muslims. Human life has very high value according to Qur'an. Islam, being the religion of moderation is in total harmony with the human nature, it allows the fine arts, the adornments, which God has created for the enjoyment and development of human faculties with in the bounds of decency and faith. Apart from human, a believer has to be kind with the animals(Sunnah Abu Dawood, Hadith.1065).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Status of Women</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Before the advent of Islam the status of women in earlier civilizations was very low to the extent that they were denied basic human dignity. Under the Babylonian law, if a man murdered a woman, instead of him being punished, his wife was put to death. In the Greek Civilization, women were deprived of all rights and were looked down upon. In Greek mythology, an ‘imaginary woman’ called ‘Pandora’ is the root cause of misfortune of human beings. The Greeks considered women to be subhuman to the extent that they were considered impure, and they were bought and sold in marketplaces. A woman could not refuse a husband chosen by her guardian and she could not disobey her husband in anyway. When Roman Civilization was at the zenith of its ‘glory’, a man even had the right to take the life of his wife. Prostitution and nudity were common amongst the Romans, the women did not have the right to own anything. If a woman had any property of her own, it was automatically transferred to the ownership of the head of the family. Later, in the reign of Justinian (483-565 C.E), women were given the right to retain what they earned through their own work, but money from other sources (gift etc) remained with the head of family.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>In Bible, Eve is considered responsible for the fall of Adam from grace</strong> (Genesis;3:1-7,12); hence as punishment she has to bear labor pain and serve men: “Unto the woman He said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shall bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee”(Genesis;3:16). The word “Evil” is derived accordingly. Islam repudiates that and makes Adam and Eve equally responsible for their actions. (Qur’an;2:36). As recently as 1805, the English law allowed the man to sell his wife. In the year 586 C.E that is when Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was still a young man, the French elegies organized a convention in which they discussed whether women were human or not. They concluded that a woman was a human being created only to serve men. Even after the French Revolution, in the late 18th century, the French law continued to consider that an unmarried woman was totally unqualified to enter into any contract without the consent of her guardian. The French law of the time stipulated that those who did not have legal status were "young boys, idiots and women.” The Egyptian considered women evil and as a sign of a devil. Before the advent of Islam, the Arabs looked down upon women and very often when a female child was born, she was buried alive by some.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Islam has offered dignity, justice, and protection to women which had been denied to them since long</strong>. Although man and woman have been created equal, but they are not identical. Both have been fashioned differently from each other, so their roles and responsibilities are also different. The variation in their functions does not imply that one is inferior to the other. In Islam, both men and women can rise in spiritual eminence and knowledge. Umme Warqa, a pious women, well versed in Qur’an had been acting as prayer leader (<em>Imam</em>) in the local area, with the permission of Prophet (peace be upon him). Mostly the women used to be in the congregation. An old man is known to deliver <em>Adhan</em> (prayer call). The Qur’anic address always applies to men and women equally, at times the women and men are also addressed together ( Qur’an;33:35). The Muslim women are dressed up modestly which not only enhances their status to a respectable position but also help in controlling indecencies, forbidden in Islam. It may be kept in view that modest dress for women has always been a part of biblical traditions: “also that women should adorn themselves modestly and sensibly in seemly apparel, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly attire.”(1Timothy;2:9). Veil, as a covering for the head was usually worn by Jewish women (Genesis;38:14). It was worn, as a token of modesty (Genesis;24:65), as a token of subjection (Corinthians;11:3,6-7,10) and for concealment (Genesis;38:14). The removing of veil was considered rude and insolent (Song of Solomon;5:7) and threatened as a punishment to ungodly women (Isaiah;3:23). It is also mentioned: “but any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled dishonors her head -- it is the same as if her head were shaven”.(1 Corinthians;11:5). The nuns are still dressed modestly, like Mary, but the Christians are themselves defying Bible (Deuteronomy;22:5) by degrading the women through nudity and vulgarity.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Polygyny </strong>has been practiced since ages; the Bible did not condemn polygyny, to the contrary, the Old Testament and Rabbinic writings frequently attest to the legality of polygyny (1 Kings;11:3, 2 Samuel;5:13, Deutronomy;22:7). The Talmud advises a maximum of four wives. Nowhere in the New Testament is there any explicit commandment that marriage should be monogamous or any explicit commandment forbidding polygamy. The Church in Rome banned polygamy in order to conform to the Greco-Roman culture (which prescribed only one legal wife while tolerating concubinage and prostitution). The Qur’an is the only religious book, that contains the phrase ‘marry only one’, (the legal permission for maximum of four) with instructions of ‘justice’ with all wives, which is difficult, hence a moral prohibition (Qur’an;4:2-3, 4:129). The Sunnah of Prophet and Companions indicate the existence of more than one wives, but may be that they could be fair at least in the matters of equitable provisions, however one can not control the heart, which may be more inclined to one wife over the others. Some Muslim countries have banned polygyny basing on the analogy of ‘impossibility of equity and justice beyond human control (Qur’an;4:129).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The concept of temporary marriage (<em>Mutt’a</em>) though permissible among Shi’a school is not permissible among four Sunni schools of jurisprudence. Qur’an has "tolerated" or "allowed" polygyny, and no more, it is not obligatory. There are places and times in which there are compelling reasons for polygyny. In most societies, females outnumber males. Islam as a universal religion suitable for all places and all times couldn't ignore these compelling reasons. The polygyny in Islam is a matter of mutual consent, no one can force a woman to marry a married man. If a woman lays down the condition of monogyny, initially in the marriage contract (<em>Nikah</em>), it becomes binding upon man. Abul Abbas As-Saffah, the first Caliph of the Abbasid dynasty had promised his wife Umm-e-Salma that he will remain monogamous, she ensured that he adheres to the term even after becoming Caliph. The abuse of polygyny and repudiation of wife by the husband, even when her conduct is faultless, has recently led to the enactment of reformed family laws in most Muslim countries. The Qur'an repeatedly emphasizes the kind treatment of women.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Islam granted the right of divorce to women</strong> <strong>1400 years ago</strong>, once no woman could dream of this freedom. Women were not allowed to bear witness in early Jewish society. In the Christian West, both ecclesiastical and civil law debarred women from giving testimony until late last century. In Islam the testimony of a woman is accepted as equal to that of a man except in financial cases. In fact the woman's testimony can even invalidate the man's in certain cases. Among the pagan Arabs before Islam, inheritance rights were confined exclusively to the male relatives. Islam abolished all these unjust customs and gave all the female relatives inheritance shares. The payment of <em>Mehar</em> to the bride by groom without any upper limit, provide additional financial security to the women. Moreover as compared to men, Muslim woman is financially secure and provided for as a wife, mother, daughter or sister by her husband, son, father and brother respectively. Women are free to earn at their own free will; if they so desire: the expenses of house hold is the responsibility of man. Regrettably in some Muslim societies, the rights granted to the women by Islam are denied due to the local culture and traditions, Islam has nothing to do with this. The rights granted to women by Islam are unrivalled in the history of religion, evident from the fact that among the new coverts to Islam in the West are women because in Islam the women are not subjugated but emancipated.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
No Violence Against Non Muslims</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
It is wrongly propagated that Qur’an encourages violence against non believers, rather contrary is true, it is mentioned:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em>“It may be that God will ordain love between you and those of them with whom you are at enmity. God is Mighty, and God is Forgiving, Merciful.</em><em> </em><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">God does not forbid you to</span></em><strong><em></em></strong><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">be kind and equitable to those who had neither fought against your faith nor driven you out of your homes</span></em></strong><em>. In fact God loves the equitable. God only forbids you to make friendship with those</em><em> </em><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">who fought you on account of your faith</span></em></strong><strong><em> </em></strong><em>and drove you out of your homes and</em><em> </em><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">backed up others in your expulsion</span></em><em>. Those who will take them for friends are indeed the wrongdoers.”(Qur’an;60:7-9).</em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Islam only forbids Muslims to take unbelievers as ‘protecting friends’ (those making mockery of faith, Qur’an;5:51,87). Only God, his messenger and true believers are their ‘protecting friends’ (Qur’an;5:55, 56). Killing of opponents is permissible in the legitimate warfare only as established norm among the civilized people. No individual can take law in own hands to dispense mob justice; it is after trial in the court of law that the criminals are punished in a society governed by Islamic law [Shari’a].</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
For further study, read this e Book and watch videos in playlists.</div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Islam & Society:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong style="text-align: left;">Ethics & Humanity- Video Playlist:</strong><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/2012/06/islam-society.html" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; background-color: #fafafa; color: #004f5c; display: inline; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; outline: none; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Book : Islam & Society</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD00F43AF587A11FF" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD00F43AF587A11FF</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/p/D00F43AF587A11FF?version=3&hl=en_GB&fs=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/p/D00F43AF587A11FF?version=3&hl=en_GB&fs=1</a></div>
Human Rights & Islam: <a href="http://wp.me/pCgrB-1t" target="_blank">http://wp.me/pCgrB-1t</a>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-20577703551720162302012-08-02T12:29:00.000-07:002012-08-02T12:30:37.223-07:00Metaphysics & Eschatology<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<em>“He(alone) knows that which is beyond the reach of a created being's perception, and to none does He disclose aught of the mysteries of His Own unfathomable knowledge, unless it be to an apostle whom He has been pleased to elect”(Qur’an;72:26-27)</em>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: justify;">
<strong> </strong>Metaphysics has vast meanings in Islam; it includes: Knowledge about Allah, His attributes, Angels, Holy Books, Allah’s Messengers and Divine Pre-ordainments (<em>Al-Qadar</em>). It also includes what Allah and His last Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) informed about the knowledge of the matters of past, present, and the future e.g., news abut the creation of the heavens and earth, botanical and zoological life, the news abut the nations of the past, eschatology including paradise, hell, resurrection, the Day of Judgement, and events preceding and following to it. A Muslim must believe in all that is reported in the Qur'an and the prophetic traditions concerning the metaphysical matters (<em>Al-Ghaib</em>). The e-Book <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://quran-pedia.blogspot.com/2011/08/metaphysics-al-ghaib.html" target="_blank" title="Metaphysics: Al-Ghaib">Metaphysics: Al-Ghaib</a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">is about</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold;"> '</span>Metaphysics & Eschatology'. The outline of subjects covered is as follows:-</div>
<ul>
<li>Myth, Reality & Science</li>
<li>Angels : Angels in the Bible; Angels in Islam:Gabriel; Michael; Israfil; Izra`il: Munkar and Nakir; Cherub; Devil</li>
<li>Jinns: Iblis</li>
<li><strong>Eschatology:</strong></li>
<li>The Biblical Concept</li>
<li>Human -Inseparable Psychosomatic Unit</li>
<li>After Life in Christianity</li>
<li>After Life in Judaism</li>
<li>Events Preceding The End Of The World:</li>
<li><strong>Biblical Concept:</strong> Jewish Concept of Antichrist; Christian Concept of Antichrist; Gog and Magog; Second Coming of Jesus; Armageddon</li>
<li><strong>Islamic Concept :</strong> Signs & Indications; Death: Body & Soul; Trial of the Grave; Paradise and Hell; Straight Path</li>
<li>Intersession & Prayers:</li>
<li>The Intercession on The Day of Judgement; The Great Intercession of The Last Prophet (pbuh)</li>
</ul>
<h3>
<strong>For more details click now:</strong> <a href="http://quran-pedia.blogspot.com/2011/08/metaphysics-al-ghaib.html" target="_blank" title="Metaphysics: Al-Ghaib">Metaphysics: Al-Ghaib</a></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZPCOpk0LlwY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: 14px;">Video Playlist: </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEC138126A1B2C52D" style="font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEC138126A1B2C52D</a><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
Metaphysics &amp; Eschatology: Shortlink : <a href="http://wp.me/pCgrB-Pw" target="_blank" title="Paradise Hell">http://wp.me/pCgrB-Pw</a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 26px;"><a href="http://aftabkhan.blog.com/" target="_blank">http://aftabkhan.blog.com</a></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-49020974551619402532012-08-02T12:26:00.001-07:002012-08-02T12:26:39.871-07:00Key to Salvation in 3 Verses- The Essence of Quran<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: 0;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A matchless specimen of comprehensiveness and brevity of the message of Qur’an, a whole world of meaning has been compressed into three short sentences in Surah 103, in few brief words, which is too vast in content to be fully expressed even in a book.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/F8F3ddbL_0c/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/F8F3ddbL_0c&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/F8F3ddbL_0c&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: justify;">In it, in a clear and plain way it has been stated what is the way to true success & salvation for man and what is the way to ruin and destruction for him. The great scholar of Islam; Imam Shafie has very rightly said that if the people only consider (understand) this Chapter well, it alone would suffice them for their guidance(</span><em style="text-align: justify;">Ibne Kathir</em><span style="text-align: justify;">), he is also reported to have said that , if only this Chapter was revealed in the Qur’an, it would have been sufficient for the guidance of mankind (Abdah). How important this Surah was in the sight of the Companions can be judged from the tradition cited from </span><em style="text-align: justify;">Abdullah bin Hisn ad-Darimi Abu Madinah</em><span style="text-align: justify;">, according to which whenever any two of them met they would not part company until they had recited Surah Al-Asr to each other. (Tabarani). According to Imam Razi; This Surah [103] is very harsh, because Allah has decided to destroy all the mankind except those who comply with the four conditions i.e. to have faith, perform Righteous Deeds, urge one an other to Truth and to Patience and Constancy. It implies that the salvation is collectively contingent upon these four acts. As every human is concerned about his own self similarly he has to preach to others i.e. inviting to the </span><em style="text-align: justify;">Deen </em><span style="text-align: justify;">(Islam), advise to act on good things and avoid forbidden and the prohibitions. Read and watch click </span><strong style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://quran-pedia.blogspot.com/2011/08/essence-of-quran-in-3-verses.html" target="_blank" title="Essence of Quran in 3 Verses"><<Essence of Quran in 3 Verses</a>>></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-39120657756098279832012-08-02T12:22:00.001-07:002012-08-02T12:22:34.538-07:00Hinduism,Judaism,Christianity or ISLAM Approved by God or not?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='350' height='250' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/7f-3RSdA17U?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-63484383545147442242012-08-02T12:16:00.000-07:002012-08-02T12:17:21.843-07:00How Muslim Inventors Changed the World<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
From coffee to cheques and the three-course meal, the Muslim world has given us many innovations that we in the West take for granted. Here are 20 of their most influential innovations:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
(1) The story goes that an Arab named Khalid was tending his goats in the Kaffa region of southern Ethiopia, when he noticed his animals became livelier after eating a certain berry.
He boiled the berries to make the first coffee. Certainly the first record of the drink is of beans exported from Ethiopia to Yemen where Sufis drank it to stay awake all night to pray on special occasions. By the late 15th century it had arrived in Makkah and Turkey from where it made its way to Venice in 1645.
It was brought to England in 1650 by a Turk named Pasqua Rosee who opened the first coffee house in Lombard Street in the City of London. The Arabic “qahwa” became the Turkish “kahve” then the Italian “caffé” and then English “coffee”.
(2) The ancient Greeks thought our eyes emitted rays, like a laser, which enabled us to see. The first person to realise that light enters the eye, rather than leaving it, was the 10th-century Muslim mathematician, astronomer and physicist Ibn al-Haitham.
He invented the first pin-hole camera after noticing the way light came through a hole in window shutters. The smaller the hole, the better the picture, he worked out, and set up the first Camera Obscura (from the Arab word “qamara” for a dark or private room).
He is also credited with being the first man to shift physics from a philosophical activity to an experimental one.
(3) A form of chess was played in ancient India but the game was developed into the form we know it today in Persia. From there it spread westward to Europe — where it was introduced by the Moors in Spain in the 10th century — and eastward as far as Japan. The word “rook” comes from the Persian “rukh”, which means chariot.
(4) A thousand years before the Wright brothers, a Muslim poet, astronomer, musician and engineer named Abbas ibn Firnas made several attempts to construct a flying machine. In 852 he jumped from the minaret of the Grand Mosque in Cordoba using a loose cloak stiffened with wooden struts.
He hoped to glide like a bird. He didn’t. But the cloak slowed his fall, creating what is thought to be the first parachute, and leaving him with only minor injuries.
In 875, aged 70, having perfected a machine of silk and eagles’ feathers he tried again, jumping from a mountain. He flew to a significant height and stayed aloft for ten minutes but crashed on landing — concluding, correctly, that it was because he had not given his device a tail so it would stall on landing. Baghdad international airport and a crater on the Moon are named after him.
(5) Washing and bathing are religious requirements for Muslims, which is perhaps why they perfected the recipe for soap which we still use today. The ancient Egyptians had soap of a kind, as did the Romans who used it more as a pomade.
But it was the Arabs who combined vegetable oils with sodium hydroxide and aromatics such as thyme oil. One of the Crusaders’ most striking characteristics, to Arab nostrils, was that they did not wash.
Shampoo was introduced to England by a Muslim who opened Mahomed’s Indian Vapour Baths on Brighton seafront in 1759 and was appointed Shampooing Surgeon to Kings George IV and William IV.
(6) Distillation, the means of separating liquids through differences in their boiling points, was invented around the year 800 by Islam’s foremost scientist, Jabir ibn Hayyan, who transformed alchemy into chemistry, inventing many of the basic processes and apparatus still in use today — liquefaction, crystallisation, distillation, purification, oxidisation, evaporation and filtration.
As well as discovering sulphuric and nitric acid, he invented the alembic still, giving the world intense rosewater and other perfumes and alcoholic spirits (although drinking them forbidden, in Islam). Ibn Hayyan emphasised systematic experimentation and was the founder of modern chemistry.
(7) The crank-shaft is a device which translates rotary into linear motion and is central to much of the machinery in the modern world, not least the internal combustion engine. One of the most important mechanical inventions in the history of humankind, it was created by an ingenious Muslim engineer called al-Jazari to raise water for irrigation.
His Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices (1206) shows he also invented or refined the use of valves and pistons, devised some of the first mechanical clocks driven by water and weights, and was the father of robotics. Among his 50 other inventions was the combination lock.
(8) Quilting is a method of sewing or tying two layers of cloth with a layer of insulating material in between. It is not clear whether it was invented in the Muslim world or whether it was imported there from India or China.
However, it certainly came to the West via the Crusaders. They saw it used by Saracen warriors, who wore straw-filled quilted canvas shirts instead of armour. As well as a form of protection, it proved an effective guard against the chafing of the Crusaders’ metal armour and was an effective form of insulation — so much so that it became a cottage industry back home in colder climates such as Britain and Holland.
(9) The pointed arch so characteristic of Europe’s Gothic cathedrals was an invention borrowed from Islamic architecture. It was much stronger than the rounded arch used by the Romans and Normans, thus allowing the building of bigger, higher, more complex and grander buildings.
Other borrowings from Muslim genius included ribbed vaulting, rose windows and dome-building techniques. Europe’s castles were also adapted to copy the Islamic world’s — with arrow slits, battlements, a barbican and parapets. Square towers and keeps gave way to more easily defended round ones. The architect of Henry V’s castle was a Muslim.
(10) Many modern surgical instruments are of exactly the same design as those devised in the 10th century by a Muslim surgeon called al-Zahrawi. His scalpels, bone saws, forceps, fine scissors for eye surgery and many of the 200 instruments he devised are recognisable to a modern surgeon.
It was he who discovered that catgut used for internal stitches dissolves away naturally (a discovery he made when his monkey ate his lute strings) and that it can be also used to make medicine capsules.
In the 13th century, another Muslim medic named Ibn Nafis described the circulation of the blood, 300 years before William Harvey discovered it. Muslim doctors also invented anaesthetics of opium and alcohol mixes and developed hollow needles to suck cataracts from eyes in a technique still used today.
(11) The windmill was invented in 634 for a Persian caliph and was used to grind corn and draw up water for irrigation. In the vast deserts of Arabia, when the seasonal streams ran dry, the only source of power was the wind which blew steadily from one direction for months. Mills had six or 12 sails covered in fabric or palm leaves. It was 500 years before the first windmill was seen in Europe.
(12) The technique of inoculation was not invented by Jenner and Pasteur but was devised in the Muslim world and brought to Europe from Turkey by the wife of the English ambassador to Istanbul in 1724. Children in Turkey were vaccinated with cowpox to fight the deadly smallpox at least 50 years before the West discovered it.
(13) The fountain pen was invented for the Sultan of Egypt in 953 after he demanded a pen which would not stain his hands or clothes. It held ink in a reservoir and, as with modern pens, fed ink to the nib by a combination of gravity and capillary action.
(14) The system of numbering in use all round the world is probably Indian in origin but the style of the numerals is Arabic and first appears in print in the work of the Muslim mathematicians al-Khwarizmi and al-Kindi around 825.
Algebra was named after al-Khwarizmi’s book, Al-Jabr wa-al-Muqabilah, much of whose contents are still in use. The work of Muslim maths scholars was imported into Europe 300 years later by the Italian mathematician Fibonacci.
Algorithms and much of the theory of trigonometry came from the Muslim world. And Al-Kindi’s discovery of frequency analysis rendered all the codes of the ancient world soluble and created the basis of modern cryptology.
(15) Ali ibn Nafi, known by his nickname of Ziryab (Blackbird) came from Iraq to Cordoba in the 9th century and brought with him the concept of the three-course meal — soup, followed by fish or meat, then fruit and nuts. He also introduced crystal glasses (which had been invented after experiments with rock crystal by Abbas ibn Firnas).
(16) Carpets were regarded as part of paradise by mediaeval Muslims, thanks to their advanced weaving techniques, new tinctures from Islamic chemistry and highly developed sense of pattern and arabesque which were the basis of Islam’s non-representational art.
In contrast, Europe’s floors were distinctly earthly, not to say earthy, until Arabian and Persian carpets were introduced. In England, as Erasmus recorded, floors were “covered in rushes, occasionally renewed, but so imperfectly that the bottom layer is left undisturbed, sometimes for 20 years, harbouring expectoration, vomiting, the leakage of dogs and men, ale droppings, scraps of fish, and other abominations not fit to be mentioned”. Carpets, unsurprisingly, caught on quickly.
(17) The modern cheque comes from the Arabic “saqq”, a written vow to pay for goods when they were delivered, to avoid money having to be transported across dangerous terrain. In the 9th century, a Muslim businessman could cash a cheque in China drawn on his bank in Baghdad.
(18) By the 9th century, many Muslim scholars took it for granted that the Earth was a sphere. The proof, said astronomer Ibn Hazm, “is that the Sun is always vertical to a particular spot on Earth”. It was 500 years before that realisation dawned on Galileo.
The calculations of Muslim astronomers were so accurate that in the 9th century they reckoned the Earth’s circumference to be 40, 253.4km — less than 200km out. Al-Idrisi took a globe depicting the world to the court of King Roger of Sicily in 1139.
(19) Though the Chinese invented saltpetre gunpowder, and used it in their fireworks, it was the Arabs who worked out that it could be purified using potassium nitrate for military use. Muslim incendiary devices terrified the Crusaders.
By the 15th century they had invented both a rocket, which they called a “self-moving and combusting egg”, and a torpedo — a self-propelled pear-shaped bomb with a spear at the front which impaled itself in enemy ships and then blew up.
(20) Mediaeval Europe had kitchen and herb gardens, but it was the Arabs who developed the idea of the garden as a place of beauty and meditation. The first royal pleasure gardens in Europe were opened in 11th-century Muslim Spain. Flowers which originated in Muslim gardens include the carnation and the tulip.<br />
<i>(Courtesy: The Independent)
[My prayers and my rites, my living and my dying are for Allah alone the Creator & Sustainer of Heaven and Earth]
Nasir Pasha. <a href="http://www.muslimthought.com/how-islamic-inventors-changed-the-world/" target="_blank">http://www.muslimthought.com/how-islamic-inventors-changed-the-world/</a> </i><br />
<i>Also read: <a href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/islam-2/knowledge-and-learning/muslim-contributions-in-technology/" target="_blank">Muslim Contributions in Science & Technology</a> </i><br />
<a href="http://wp.me/pCgrB-Uf" target="_blank"><i>How Islamic Inventors Changed the World : http://wp.me/pCgrB-Uf</i></a>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-26973601072883870842012-08-02T12:12:00.003-07:002012-08-02T12:12:46.095-07:00Zionist Christians: Useful tool for Zionist Jews<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif;">Christian Zionists believe that in order to fulfill Biblical prophecy, Israel must conquer most of the Middle East. They are a growing force in American politics with ties to many powerful pro-Israel groups in Washington. Once considered a marginal doctrine among evangelicals, the dispensationalist theology of Christian Zionism includes a belief in the rapture, when the faithful are to be lifted up to Heaven while the rest of humanity—including most of the Jews—will perish.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><strong>The Zionist Jews consider Zionist Fundamentalist Christians as useful idiots, serving their purpose of colonial Zionist existence in Palestine and world domination through control of world economy & USA, while Zionist Fundamentalist Christians consider Jews nothing more than ‘sacrificial lamb’. Read more: </strong></span><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://wp.me/p1dL2Q-gi" target="_blank">http://wp.me/p1dL2Q-gi</a></span>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><a href="http://aftabkhan.blog.com/" target="_blank" title="Aftab Khan's Blog">http://aftabkhan.blog.com</a></strong></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-65167658168263506202012-08-02T12:09:00.002-07:002012-08-02T12:09:50.807-07:00Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) - Unique Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: right;">
<div class="post_meta" style="background-color: white; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0; margin: 0; padding: .3em 0 .4em; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: justify;">The unique character & amazing exemplary life of Prophet (peace be upon him) is in itself testimony of his prophethood. The two miracles granted to the last Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) are: firstly; the Holy Qur’an and secondly; the unique qualities which made him pre-eminently deserving of prophethood (Though he did perform many other miracles, but they are not being referred here). His life history was a miracle in itself! He was a human being, like all other human beings and God commanded him to declare this fact and make it clear to everyone, in case people made a god of, or ascribed Divine attributes to him: “Say (O Prophet): "I am but a mortal man like all of you. It has been revealed unto me that our God is the One and Only God"(Qur’an;18:110). However, it has been proved that no other human being is similar to him in his greatness, even though he had all the physical and mental characteristics of a human being. God Almighty has not created any unique human being from among the children of Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus - and on all the other prophets save Muhammad (peace be upon him).</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Paragon of Virtues & Exceptional Qualities:</h2>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Incomparable to any other Human in History:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It would be both untrue and grossly unfair to Muhammad (peace be upon him) if we were to compare him with all the thousands of great men throughout history. Every great man has been known only for a certain aspect of greatness: some have been known for their wisdom, but notorious for their lack of sensitivity and difficulty in expressing themselves; others were noted for their eloquence of speech and their power of imagination, but the ideas they expressed were banal. Still others were most able administrators and distinguished leaders, but corrupt in their personal lives.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Epitome of Greatness Among Human:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the only great man who can be described as the epitome of greatness. All the others had a blind spot, maybe a guarded secret regarding their moral behaviour - some sort of perversity or weakness. Only Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), has a life history which is an open book, for everyone to read and scrutinize.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Record of Life - An Open Book of History:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He is the only one who permitted his companions to tell the public everything about him. They therefore described every detail of his behaviour both during his hours of tranquility, as well as times when he was open to human weakness; when he showed signs of anger, desire or was prey to emotional reactions. We can also read all about his private and domestic life, as told by his wives. With his permission, Aysha narrated every detail regarding his family life. Nothing has been left out as all his actions were carried out in accordance with the Divine path and guidance. All aspects about his personal life can be read in the books about his life and in those on Islamic jurisprudence. One can even read about strictly personal aspects of his life: his habits with regard to personal hygiene, the way he ate, dressed, slept, etc.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Is there any other great man who has dared to say to the public, "Look - here is my life history, -everything I have done. You can read it and tell others about it - friends and enemies! “And I am open to criticism from anyone!”. Has anyone else's life history been recorded and kept intact for so many centuries? A man may be great for his intrinsic qualities, noble disposition and personal charm, and he can also be revered for his intellectual brilliance, which he leaves behind as a heritage for his own country and the world.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Comprehensive Greatness in All Aspects:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Every great man has only one such dimension of greatness in him. But Muhammad's greatness represents every aspect. We should also consider the fact that most great men are great only among their own people. They may do well for them, while harming others who do not belong to their category. The life histories of statesmen, warriors and conquerors all show this. Or a man may be well known and respected all over the world, but his fame may be due to a limited area: discovery of one of the many laws of nature which God laid down for our universe, or a certain medicine for a particular disease. He may have come up with a new theory of philosophy, or written a masterpiece or the life story of a literary genius.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
However Muhammad's (peace be upon him), greatness was comprehensive in both range and scope, and he practiced what he preached. He was unlike the many missionary zealots of the past and the present, who fail to practice what they preach at the top of their voices! Those whose true colours were exposed during moments of weakness: desire, fear, anger, need and hunger. At moments like this they might completely forget what they teach. Maybe I can hold myself up as an example. Sometimes I rise to sublime heights when I am writing an article, or delivering a lecture encouraging people to abide by truth, goodness, and righteousness. But as soon as I reach these heights, my ego interferes! I start to long for some sort of glory. In fact, man's inner self does try to lead him away form God. So, within a few minutes I come down to earth again, to an ordinary existence. Because people notice this very same attitude among preachers and religious men, they do not take much notice of what they say.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Practiced Whatever He Preached:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As for our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), he practiced whatever he taught. He exhorted people to do what is right, and shun temptation; what's more, he translated his words into actions, using the Holy Qur’an as his guiding force. He was tireless in his effort to reform people by his words and deeds. He was not invited to give lectures and seminars at universities and such places. He carried out his mission wherever he was: at home, in the mosque or in a public place. He really demonstrated everything that the Holy Qur’an pleads for and exhorts people to do, in his everyday life. He used to offer night prayers for such a long time that his feet became swollen. He always sought God's forgiveness. Someone once asked him "Hasn't God forgiven you for all your sins (then why do pray such long hours)?” to which he replied; "Shouldn't I be a thankful servant of God?" Every single action was like a prayer, because he always sought to do good and banish evil, and he unceasingly sought to serve the common good.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I would like to quote just one incident to show how he practiced what he believed and adhered strongly to the principles he held high, and kept above all other considerations. But before I relate the incident, let me preset the following prelude. If a girl from a distinguished family was caught stealing, would she get the same sort of punishment as a girl from a working class background, accused of a similar crime? Probably not! In most cases, many secret efforts would be made to see that the whole matter was hushed up, or the legal punishment was not severe. A similar incident happened during the Prophet's lifetime. A young woman coming from one of the most distinguished and noblest Muslim families committed a theft. She was found to be guilty and the verdict was announced. Immediately some people tried to intervene, hoping that the Prophet, well-known for his magnanimity and love of forgiveness, would grant pardon in this case. Not at all! In fact he was angry that he had been approached in this way, and reminded people of how earlier generations had been ruined because crimes committed by people of influence and position went unpunished, while the weak and humble were punished. He then made a remarkable statement which came to be accepted as a firm principle of Islam: "Indeed - by God, if Fatima, daughter of Muhammad, were to steal, her hand would be amputated." This statement put an end to interference in legal verdicts. The above attitude was natural for the Prophet, because his whole life was a life of Dawah (spreading the message of Islam).</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Lived Simple Life but not as a Hermit:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
His personal likes and dislikes, and his friendships with people were governed by the Divine Message. He did not hesitate to break any bonds which conflicted with his mission. The Prophet (peace be upon him) had elevated himself above all desire for the good things of life which human beings usually crave for. However, he did not live like a hermit and deprive himself of food or become mystic wearing strange clothes.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Food: He ate whatever good food was served to him, provided it came within the confines of Divine Law. He was never seen to look down on any kind of food. He had tremendous willpower which enabled him to be patient at all times, and stay without food for days on end. If hunger pangs overwhelmed him, he would tie a stone over his stomach to suppress his hunger.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As regards his clothes, he did not stick to one particular way of dressing himself. He sometimes wore both a cap and a turban at the same time, or at times one or the other. He usually wore an under-garment, with a robe and an outer garment over it. The jubba (long outer garment) he wore sometimes had narrow sleeves, not the wide sleeves we see today. His turban consisted of a length of cloth tied round his head, which he would drape over his shoulder when it was not being worn. This type of turban can be used for other purposes during times of peace, or for tying up prisoners in times of war. At times he made a tuft for it. It is necessary to wear turbans in the Arabic peninsula due to climatic reasons and to protect oneself form the intense heat. This has given rise to the saying, "Turbans are the Arabs' crowns."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Regarding colours, the Prophet did not stick to any particular one, but wore a black turban on the day of his victorious re-entry into Mecca. Only clothes which show parts of the body which should be covered are forbidden in Islam, or styles which are not in harmony with decency and modesty. Muslim women should only expose their faces and the palms of their hands, and Muslim men should not wear anything made of silk. No Muslim - male or female -should wear any type of clothing associated with other religions, such as a monk's robe or the clothing of a priest. Clothes should not reflect extravagance or be ostentatious. Apart from these rulings, Islam permits any type of clothing.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Adornments Not Forbidden but He Avoided:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not forbid people to enjoy the beautiful and good things of life that God has bestowed on mankind, he did not indulge in them himself. He had risen above the desire to have lust or wealth. It is a well-known fact that the tribe of Quraish offered him wealth, power and the position of leader, and tried to tempt him with many other offers in order to persuade him to give up his mission. But he firmly refused all these offers, and felt pity and concern for the people who had made them.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Above Temptations of Sexual Desires:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Prophet was also above the temptations of sexual desire. However, the, subject of women is one which is exaggerated by orientalists who have researched his life and sought to tarnish his image and mislead the public. They use the fact that he <span style="text-decoration: underline;">married nine wives</span> as a case for him being "a man of lust". But they have judged him in the same way as they judge other great men eminent writers or brave warriors. For example: Napoleon was a notorious womanizer and made the whole nation of Poland act as pimps in order for him to gain the hand of Mary Valvdka, with whom he was madly in love. He forced her father to offer her to him as a price to be paid for the independence of Poland. The life histories of many great men, such as Alexander Dumas, Byron, Goethe and Bodlieare - and many others, abound with scandals of sexual pursuit. And these orientalists have judged our Prophet (pbuh) by the same standards, drawing the conclusion that he, like the others, was sensuous and a man of lust.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
These people (orientalists) did not study Muhammad's (peace be upon him) life in great depth, nor did they take certain psychological factors into consideration. Furthermore, their judgments were partial and showed no respect for moral behaviour. The sexual urge manifests itself in people from the age of puberty until the age of twenty five. A person is considered to be most vulnerable at this age, and sex can become an obsession which leads to all sorts of pitfalls and deviation. This is why free mixing of girls and boys at this age, even for academic purposes, is discouraged.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Non-Indulgence in Immorality Even in Early Life:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now let us consider the Prophet's life at this stage of his life. Did he get misled and enjoy the pleasures his contemporaries indulged in? After all, he was a free man living in a free country and in a society which, at that time, was not governed by any religion or law. He was therefore absolutely free to do as he wished. As we said before, our Prophet's life history is an open book, which anyone can read. Can anyone prove, therefore, that he was, in the full flush of youth, a man who indulged in sensual and immoral pleasures? It is narrated that he was almost led into temptation by his contemporaries, but luckily God saved him. He made him fall asleep, and when he woke up he had forgotten what he had wanted to do. Had he indulged in any such acts of pleasure, his enemies, the polytheists, would not have hesitated to publicize the fact and blackmail him.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Marriages:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When our Prophet (peace be upon him) got married at the age of twenty-five, did he marry a beautiful virgin? Not at all. He married a widow who was his mother's age. Most of his other wives were also widows, and he only married them for tactical reasons. God had granted him permission to marry more than four wives - and this right was not granted to other Muslims. However, God did not give him the right to divorce them, a right which is given to Muslims. Of course, the sexual drive is not a human flaw. How could a characteristic of man become a fault of mankind? But it can be harmful when a man becomes sexually obsessive, making it his sole occupation, and seeking to satisfy himself in ways which are not permitted.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Marriage with Zainab (May Allah bless her):</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The story of Zainab is a favorite among the critics of Islam. They try to find fault with it, through distortion and misinterpretation, and their views do not, therefore, deserve any attention. Zainab was a good-looking girl and closely related to the Prophet (peace be upon him). If he had so wished, he could have married her - an act which would have been the greatest honour her family could have wished for. But the Divine Will had ordained that her marriage would be the cause of two important social reforms which were to come about in Islam. Firstly, she was the subject of a test case, and secondly the Prophet was made to set an example to others. In the first instance God Almighty sought to put an end to aristocratic pride and class consciousness. So Zainab, a girl belonging to the noblest Arab stock, was married to Zayd, a man from a humble background, a fugitive and an adopted son of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Society at that time considered him totally unworthy of her. But she married him all the same, against the wish of her family. Subsequently it was difficult for her to adjust to her new life, and she and her husband were constantly bickering. Both partners were ill at ease with each other and wanted to separate. But the Prophet (peace be upon him) continued to advise Zayd: "Retain your wife and fear God." But the couple had reached the end of their tether and divorce became inevitable.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What happened next involved the Prophet (peace be upon him). He was put to the most difficult test. He had to marry Zainab in order to put an end to the practice of adoption and show the world that it is lawful for a person to marry the wife of his adopted son. [Islam forbade to call adopted son with name of man adopting him, rather he was to be called as son of his real biological father] This was extremely hard for the Prophet (peace be upon him) who did not want to bear the stigma of society as one who had married his (adopted) son's wife. However, he carried out this duty with patience and in obedience to the Divine Will. However, the above incident should be seen in perspective, and not in the way in which it is presented by critics of Islam. The conclusions they draw are nonsense and do not deserve any attention.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Moral Strength, Patience & Forgiveness:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Physical strength builds up our physical resistance, whereas moral strength - the courage of conviction of the heart - brings us victory over our enemies. Yet the most powerful strength of all, more powerful than the might of our enemies or of any material force, is the strength of the willpower to overcome the self and its cravings impulses, desires and inclinations. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has, on different occasions, exhorted the believers to cultivate such strength: "Strong is not the one who is good at wrestling. Indeed strong is the one who controls himself at the time of anger." It is well known that controlling the anger is the most difficult of all tasks!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The amount of energy needed to keep our temper is far greater than that required to knock down our opponent in the boxing ring. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the ratio is 1:100. You can try this theory out in everyday life by asking someone who is at the peak of his fury to abide by the principles of good behaviour. You may not even find one in a thousand men who would respond to your suggestion. Say you are a religious person engaged in the task of spreading our religion and someone murders a very dear relative of yours and then comes to you to confess his crime and respond to your call to religion. How would you react? Our Prophet (peace be upon him) pardoned the man who had brutally murdered his uncle when that man accepted Islam. But even then our Prophet found it hard to suppress his human instinct in such a way so as not to violate the principles of Islam. He therefore said to the man, "Don't let me see you!" So this person never appeared before the Prophet.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The story of Hind is also worth mentioning in this context. Hind was the wife of Abu Sufyan, the arch enemy of the Prophet and his mission. She committed a horrible crime which no human being or wild beast would commit. She cut open the Prophet's uncle's chest, took out his liver and chewed it, but the Prophet forgave her, in spite of all her sinful acts, and accepted her into the fold of Islam. The inhabitants of the city of Taif carried out many wicked deeds against the Prophet, yet when they embraced Islam he pardoned them.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Then we have the most magnanimous act of all-and a most important event in the history of Islam. That was the general pardon the Prophet (peace be upon him) granted the people of Mecca, they who had caused him the greatest possible distress and suffering, both personally and to his mission in general. They spared no effort whatsoever in their attempts to pull him down. They boycotted him, abused him, imprisoned him, threw camel's filth at him while he was praying and placed thorns on the streets through which he passed. All these events did not take place over a few days - but over a period of thirteen years. They also fought pitched battles against him and massacred his relatives and companions.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Then came the hour of retaliation - although this word does not truly reflect this situation. It was time to impose lawful punishment in answer to that long chain of aggressive and humiliating actions. It was at this point that the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked the people of Mecca, "What do you think I'm going to do with you all?" The record of what they had done was always at the back of their minds which meant they were aware of the punishment they deserved, but they did not forget what a noble character Muhammad was. So they answered, "You are a noble brother and the son of a noble brother." Then they stood in silence, waiting for his verdict. If it had been a death sentence to them all, no one would have objected in the least - and no historian in later years, whether a friend or a critic of Islam, would have been able to find fault with his decision. But Muhammad(pbuh) gave a different verdict; it was one that took them by surprise, and continues to surprise every generation. "<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Freedom is granted to you all!" </span>he declared.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Miraculous Aspect of His Personality:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is a pity that I have only been able to give such a brief account of this incident. I would have preferred to devote a whole chapter to it in order to present the facts and the Prophet's magnanimity in its true perspective. Indeed his attitude would have needed the energy of ten thousand wrestlers! <span style="text-decoration: underline;">I wonder why the later day biographers of our Prophet (peace be upon him) were so concerned with the miracles he performed. </span>In fact, they sometimes gave exaggerated versions and filled in details on their own. This was sheer fabrication - why did they need to do this? Wasn't every stand our Prophet (peace be upon him) took and every aspect of his personality a miracle in itself? Which brings us to the definition of the word miracle. Does it mean achieving something that others have been unable to achieve? <span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Prophet's honesty and trustworthiness were miracles in themselves.</span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
One Example out of many Miraculous Aspects:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Alas, it is impossible to give many examples because of the limitations of space, but I would like to mention just one incident from his life. I have read about it hundreds of times and have always regarded it as rather an ordinary story, until suddenly one day, I realized it was a miracle. When the Prophet migrated to Medina he left one of his companions, Ali, behind to take care of the money which the Quraish tribe had entrusted him with. These were the cash assets of the tribe, and Muhammad (pbuh) was the only person they trusted enough to leave them with, even though he and they were not on good terms. He returned them to the Quraish tribe and not to the Muslims, because all Muslims had migrated, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) was the last to leave Mecca. He stayed there till the last moment, like the captain of an abandoned ship; he did not leave until all the passengers had disembarked and got into life boats. This is another great quality of our Prophet (peace be upon him) which I have only mentioned briefly.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Can you imagine two different parties, who have -been engaged in fierce battles, both verbal and on the battlefield for the sake of faith and the Divine Message, entrusting the opposing party with their assets and valuables? Have you ever heard such a story? <span style="text-decoration: underline;">How could they trust their opponent unless his personal character, integrity and honesty were, beyond any doubt, a miracle?</span> To doubt him in any way was impossible. This was what the personality of Muhammad was like.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Strength of Character & Fairness:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Another incidence which shows yet one more aspect of his character. On the day of the battle of Badr, the Prophet was inspecting the infantry. He was carrying a shaft of wood in his hand, and thrust it gently into the abdomen of a soldier named Sawad ibn Ghizya, who was standing apart from the troop formation. The Prophet (peace be upon him), wanted to alert him and make him take his place, but as the prod of the shaft of wood had hurt him, he said to the Prophet, "Oh Prophet of God, you have hurt me. Indeed, God has sent you in order to spread the message of truth and justice!" How do you think the Prophet (peace be upon him) reacted to such an affront from an ordinary soldier? Did he take any disciplinary action; - did he ignore him or forgive him? Or did he apologize to the soldier in the usual way by saying, "I'm sorry." He did none of these things. The Prophet did what no one else would do, and something that may not even occur to anyone to do. He uncovered his own abdomen and said, "Thrust the shaft and inflict pain on me as I inflicted it on you!" This was what he was like. He caused retaliation to himself, in spite of his exalted position among all mankind.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Achievements Unparalleled in the History:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Muhammad's (peace be upon him) life history consists of a series of actions and achievements unparalleled in the history of mankind. No other eminent person has left such a record of greatness and glory in every aspect of his life, behind him. This greatness included personal courage and valor, magnanimity, patience at times of defeat and self restraint at times of anger.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Fearless Warrior: He was a firm and fearless warrior in the battlefield, to such an extent that his companions always rushed to him at critical moments to seek comfort and solace. Even the bravest of men were no challenge for him.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Man of Extreme Compassion:</strong> He was also a man of extreme compassion. He gave a helping hand to the poor and the needy, and stood by the widows and the aged. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Prophet (peace be upon him) always upheld truth, faithfully conveying every verse of the Divine Revelation, including the verses that mentioned his mistakes and reprimanded him.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Honorable and Trustworthy: He honored the treaties he made and kept his word, despite the difficulties and hardships he had to face on that count. He honored his commitments, whether they concerned personal dealings or matters of the state.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Exemplary Personal Conduct and Behaviour:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Prophet (peace be upon him) was meticulous in his personal conduct and behaviour. It was he who laid down rules for table manners and personal hygiene. He educated his companions with regard to these matters, setting himself up as an example for them to follow. His standard of living was in no way different from theirs. He was never aloof from them, always consulting them and listening to their views. He was self effacing and whenever he met his companions he took his seat wherever there was an empty place, even if it meant sitting in a corner, away from everyone else. In fact, visitors had sometimes to strain their eyes in order to spot him. It is said that at one such gathering, a visitor found that everyone who was seated looked identical, and therefore asked, "Who among you is Muhammad?" The Prophet never distinguished himself from others. He was one of them: he dressed like them and resembled them in every way.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Courteous Behavior and Love:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
His attitude to women was very courteous, and his conduct with the members of his family and at home was remarkable for the unrestrained love and affection he showed. He was close to everyone, because he never let people feel that he was superior to them, like a king. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">He never allowed his companions to stand up in reverence to him when he called on them</span>. He used to attend personally to the requirements of his household and even mended his shoes himself. The Prophet preferred to lead a frugal life, though he could, if he had wanted, have lived in grand style in a fabulous palace with all the ensuing display of ostentatious living. But he shunned all forms of show because his thoughts were always engaged in the afterlife.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The house where he lived with his wives was only twenty five meters long. Aysha’s house consisted of one room made of clay and mud, and it was so narrow that there was not enough room for her to stretch out while the Prophet prayed, so that whenever he prostrated he had to push her feet to one side. As for his eating habits, Aysha tells us that he had a very light appetite and that, "a month or two may pass without a fire being lit in the kitchen in order to make bread." When she was asked, "Then what did you all eat?'’ she replied, "Dates and water." This was the staple diet of the Prophet and his family.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Eloquence and Clarity of Speech:</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Regarding his eloquence and clarity of speech, he was always known for expressing himself clearly and simply. All the qualities we have discussed prove that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was an extraordinary man and that God Almighty chose him for the tremendous task, only after preparing him fully for that responsibility.</div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
Conclusion:</h2>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the last prophet was granted two living miracles; The Holy Qur’an and the unique qualities of a perfect human being. It has been proved that no other human being is similar to him in his greatness in qualities. Indeed God knows best upon whom to bestow His Message.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em>[Extract from book: “Islam: A General Introduction”; “Ta’rif-e-Aam bi-Din il-Islam” By: Shaikh Ali Al-Tantawi]</em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://wp.me/PCgrB-mf" target="_blank" title="The Last Prophet"><strong>Must see "The Last Prophet" </strong>: http://wp.me/PCgrB-mf</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/p/0A1E7D4C94E3E5E5?version=3&hl=en_GB&fs=1">http://www.youtube.com/p/0A1E7D4C94E3E5E5?version=3&hl=en_GB&fs=1</a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0A1E7D4C94E3E5E5" style="background-color: transparent;" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0A1E7D4C94E3E5E5</a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<strong>Read Full </strong>: <a href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/muhammad/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">http://faithforum.wordpress.com/muhammad/</a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-25750638568040302322012-07-26T03:17:00.001-07:002012-08-02T11:44:55.921-07:00Q&A with the 'Ground Zero' Imam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="From left: Dennis Prager and Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf" height="245" src="http://www.jewishjournal.com/images/articles/prager_imam.jpg" width="400" />
</div>
<span style="background-color: white;">DP [</span><i style="background-color: white; font-size: small;">Dennis Prager]</i><span style="background-color: white;">: Nothing interests me more than the question of what will be Islam’s future. Anybody, whatever their position, has to be almost preoccupied with the question. . . .</span><br />
Let me begin by asking you for a governing definition of an “Islamist.” Mine is: A Muslim who wishes Sharia to be the law of a land. What is yours?<br />
<br />
IR [<i style="background-color: white; font-size: small;">Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf</i><span style="background-color: white;">] The Sharia is nothing more than the principles of the ten commandments, the principles that Jesus said, the two major commandments: To love the Lord, thy God, with all of your heart, your mind, your soul, and your strength; and to love your neighbor as yourself. . . . Sharia law, in terms of its positive law, Dennis, is the protection and furtherance of six basic human rights: The right to life, the right to honor and dignity, the right to freedom of religion, the right to pursue your intellectual pursuits, to have a family, and to practice the faith of your choice, and to pursue property.</span><br />
<br />
DP: Let me give you an example of Sharia law, and tell me where this falls under one of those six headings. During the month of Ramadan, on a street in Morocco, I was smoking my pipe and a man came over and said, “This is Ramadan. You can’t smoke.” Another example is the Somali cab drivers in Minneapolis who refuse to take passengers who have a bottle of beer in their car because of the ban on alcohol.<br />
<br />
IR: This is a misapplication of Sharia. God’s law involves giving human beings the freedom to sin, the freedom to make mistakes, and part of the law of the land has to be to give people these freedoms. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of misapplication of Islamic law in many countries.<br />
<br />
DP: But is it not a basic yearning of, as you call yourself, orthodox Muslims, to want to see an Islamic state?<br />
<br />
IR: Well, you see, there is a lot of basic misunderstanding around that. The action of the cab driver is no different than the action of a devout, fundamentalist Christian who kills a doctor who provides abortion services because he believes it is wrong. Taking the law into your own hands is wrong. Even under Islamic law, no human being is allowed to take the law into their own hands.<br />
<br />
DP: But is it not the dream of every faithful Muslim to have an Islamic society, meaning that the state is Muslim and enforces Muslim law?<br />
<br />
IR: That is not really completely true. In fact, in many countries, like in Pakistan, the Islamic political parties have never gained more than 25% of the vote. This is the problem: what has happened in the Muslim world in the last fifty, sixty years is that we have adopted the bad systems of what happened in Europe centuries ago when the state established a particular religion. This is the scourge which has become quite prominent in many Muslim countries, or sectors of Muslim-majority countries, and this is the battle that we have to wage today internally within Islam.<br />
<br />
DP: So you think that all of these bad things that we see today in the Islamic world are all aberrations. Let me cite Ibn Khaldun, considered by both non-Muslims and Muslims be the greatest Muslim thinker ever, outside of Muhammad. He wrote that Jihad, for example, means waging war to convert people to Islam; and that Islam is a greater religion than Judaism or Christianity, because those two religions do not believe in Jihad, whereas Muslims do. Now, is he an aberration?<br />
<br />
IR: Look, he is a sociologist. That statement is disproven by the vast majority of Islamic history from the very earliest times, when the followers of the prophets conquered other countries. Their system of rule until the ottomans a century ago, developed systems where people of every religion other than Islam were protected. And that is the system that we need to reintroduce to the Muslim world today. The aberrations we have today are just like the aberrations in Christianity centuries ago, when you had the inquisition.<br />
<br />
DP: My study of Islamic history does not have such a rosy picture. The most dramatic example is Hindus in India, where Hindu historians estimate that many tens of millions of Hindus, because they were not monotheists—Jews and Christians were generally treated differently—were just slaughtered by the Islamic invasions of India. So yours is not my understanding of the Muslim past.<br />
<br />
IR: I beg to differ with you, Dennis. In fact, almost 80% of India was ruled by Muslims, and they ruled over Muslims and non-Muslims. If that were true, in the lands where Muslims ruled, there would be nothing but Muslims like you see traditionally in Europe where any religion other, or any interpretation other than that particular opinion of Christianity—you don’t find other churches existing in those countries until right recently in European history.<br />
<br />
You find under Ottoman rule and Muslim rule, all kinds of other religions. It’s only in the last century or even half a century that this triumphalist Islam has become dominant. This is the problem that exists in the Muslim world today. It only began about a century ago when the nation-state concept began and we created a religious nationalism. When India was split into Pakistan and India back in 1947-48, that’s when these problems really began and have become increasingly strong over the last fifty years and this is what we need to push against. This is why I say that the battlefront is not between Islam and the West, or Islam or Muslims and Hindus, or Muslims and Jews, although that is certainly a factor. The real battlefront is between all good, peace-loving, moderate people of all faith, traditions, against extremists of all faith, traditions, and that’s the battlefront we need to wage and to wage it together if we are going to win this battle for peace.<br />
<br />
DP: Tell me what group represents extremist Christians today. There are one to two billion Christians. Who are the extremists that we have to battle against?<br />
<br />
IR: Well, I mean, it is less of a problem in Christianity than it is among Muslims but those who have said negative things about Islam who, you know, the attitude of the doctors who kill abortion doctors for example.<br />
<br />
DP: But they represent nobody. Let’s be honest, nobody fears being blown up by Christians. People don’t fear being blown up by Hindus or Jews or Buddhists. You could say the Tamils, but that was restricted to Sri Lanka. The reason that I take my shoes off at the airport is fear of Muslim extremists, not Jewish or Christian or Buddhist.<br />
<br />
IR: And we accept that. We acknowledge that fact that the Muslim extremists today are the problem. We acknowledge that. I acknowledge that and Muslims acknowledge that.<br />
<br />
DP: Well CAIR doesn’t. I’ve debated CAIR on national television and they say that there is more terror in the world by non-Muslims than by Muslims. That’s their basic line. You’re not a representative of CAIR, but please don’t say this is what all Muslims acknowledge.<br />
<br />
IR: I’m not saying all Muslims acknowledge but the vast majority of Muslims acknowledge that.<br />
DP: So the question is: why has [all this Muslim violence] arisen? You gave the nation-state problem but the nation-state has risen for all these religions, but only within Islam has this [violence] been happening. Also, every free country in the world has been deeply influenced by Christianity or by Christians. But I can’t think of a free country that developed that was primarily influenced by Islam. Why is that?<br />
<br />
IR: There is a belief among many Muslims that since the attack on Baghdad in the thirteenth century, the Muslim world had gone through its Dark Ages. Libraries were burned and we have been on the defensive. In fact people have written about Muslims being victims of colonialism and other powers, that we have been going through very much of our Dark Ages and what we need today is a Renaissance of the Islam which peaked during the 8th to 12th century where we triumphed (??) all books of the world, we added to knowledge. And in Cordoba, within Spain, where the interaction between Jews and Muslims and Christians was such that people came to Cordoba and studied, and all the books, even the books of the stoics were translated from Arabic into Latin, then into their various European languages which led to the European Enlightenment and Renaissance. And we need today our own Enlightenment and Renaissance because we had it, you know, some eight hundred years ago, or even less.<br />
<br />
DP: Is it at all dispiriting to you that, to the extent that there was a great Muslim period that it was eight hundred years ago? It’s been a lot of time. And during that time, the vast majority of time, Islam was not at all under siege.<br />
<br />
How do you feel when telling me, “We need a renaissance, we in Islam, we need a renaissance to re-establish what we had eight hundred years ago”?<br />
<br />
Moreover, Islam’s decline, which you would acknowledge, did not occur because of being under siege. It was Islam that had authority over non-Muslims for the vast majority of that period. And even those Muslims that were colonized – well, Hindus were colonized as much as Muslims and India produced a thriving democracy. Maybe, and I know it’s painful but all of us have to engage in this, maybe there is a problem in some basic aspects of Islam which I think can be dealt with by people of good will within Islam, but how do you deal with that?<br />
<br />
IR: Your question is legitimate and people have been saying this for the last century. People have been decrying and we need a renaissance in Islam. That is what has led to these movements which have been asking for an Islamic state. But the fact is, we have this problem, and there are countries like Malaysia, that have had a democracy, and Tunisia is beginning to have a democracy. One of the big problems we have had in the last century is the rise of authoritarian regimes run by dictators and this why we are seeing the Arab spring and the aspiration for a democracy. Part of the reason that there has been hostility towards the West is basically political because in the perception of many Muslims, those regimes were supported by the West. But now that we see this rise in democracy, in Tunisia, in Egypt, in Syria today.<br />
<br />
DP: But the first thing that President Morsi, the first speech he gave after being elected in Egypt, was to demand that the United States release the man responsible for the first bombing of the World Trade Center.<br />
<br />
IR: And I disagree with him completely on that.<br />
<br />
DP:I know you do. But you’re not the issue. Islam is the issue.<br />
<br />
IR: But that’s where I respect to differ. Islam is not the issue. People like [Morsi] who have the wrong understanding—which is why many people in Egypt didn’t vote for him. Had the people who are responsible for the revolution succeeded in getting together, they would have won. The problem is that the revolutionaries were divided amongst themselves on a leader. That’s what happened it Egypt. And most of those people are Muslims. Morsi won the vote by only a few percentage points.<br />
<br />
DP: Pakistan was set up to be a secular Muslim state. It would have been, in effect, your model. And now, look today. {The Muslim problem] has nothing to do with Western colonialism, because Pakistan was never colonized for a day. Yet Pakistan today has blasphemy laws, it has a Sharia court, and its constitution says that only a Muslim can be a president of Pakistan. What is a non-Muslim supposed to think when confronting these things?<br />
<br />
IR: I understand fully. I mean this is why people believe that Islam is the problem. The problem is not Islam, it is what I call and inquisition of Islam. Just like what happened in Spain during the time of inquisition, to suggest that that was the teaching of Jesus Christ is not true.<br />
<br />
DP: Right, but Christianity got better and better and better and better, and Islam got worse. That’s the problem. The trajectories are in opposite directions.<br />
<br />
My book , Still the Best Hope, discusses Americanism, Leftism, and Islamism. At the end of the Islamist chapters, I write that I do have a belief that a reformed—I don’t know if my guest will accept that term—Islam is possible and will come from American Muslims. So on that we may have some agreement.<br />
<br />
DP: You’re very welcome. So how, again, do you deal with that? Because we all acknowledge that Christianity had a dark age in Europe, but its trajectory has been moral progress, but the trajectory of Islam has been moral regress. And that’s eight hundred years. So if you’re a salesman and I’m a Martian and want to pick a religion, why would I pick Islam given this record?<br />
<br />
IR: Well that’s a tough question to answer but basically the short answer is: There are many people who find solace in Islam. There are many people who find their spiritual answers in Islam, and Islam’s spirituality and Islam’s discipline, and Islam’s prayer, and fasting. There many people around the world, even in America, who find in Islam their spiritual answers. And that has to be respected and acknowledged.<br />
<br />
DP: And it is. We do. But my question was based on moral record: What do you do with the eight-hundred-year downhill slide?<br />
<br />
IR: Well we have to correct it.<br />
<br />
DP: But why did it happen?<br />
<br />
IR: Well there are many answers. It happened for various reasons. But the real question is: how do we turn it around? And we must turn it around, not only for the sake of Muslims but for the sake of the world. And this is what my book is about, this is what my life is about, what my work is about. And we have to do this together, Dennis. It requires theologians, it requires scholars, it requires people like yourself in the media because a lot of it has to do with perceptions and misperceptions on both sides. We have to work together to turn this around, and the good news is we can. There are many people of good will from the highest levels of government in many countries in the Muslim world, to academics, to people who want to be part of this change.<br />
<br />
DP: Are you familiar with Dr. Zuhdi Jasser?<br />
<br />
IR: Yes. I don’t know him personally very well but I know of him and his work.<br />
<br />
DP: Where do you two differ? Because I have great respect for him. He is the founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, located in Phoenix.<br />
IR: Yes. Well, I mean, look. The questions that we have been discussing have been discussed with the Muslim community both in our home countries and in this community for the last century now. These are nothing new. What we… the challenge we have to do is, how do we bring about together an effective coalition, an effective teamwork that will actually make a difference. And you can’t make a difference by just, you know, calling the kettle black- kind of a thing. We won’t achieve a turnaround if all we do is attack each other. What we have to do is work together.<br />
<br />
DP: This is an odd thing. What business do I have, positive, negative, or otherwise, if the problem is within Islam? What are Jews and Christians and atheists and Buddhists supposed to do?<br />
<br />
IR: Well look, we have to work together to underline the common ethical principles. The Golden Rule is common to all of our religions, and whenever we don’t abide by the Golden Rule we are actually not a good Christian, not a good Muslim, not a good Buddhist, not a good Jew.<br />
<br />
DP: All I’m saying is that if the major problem is within Islam, the task is for you. The outsider cannot change Islam.<br />
<br />
IR: That’s true.<br />
<br />
DP: Only you can, Sir.<br />
<br />
IR: Correct.<br />
<br />
DP: So it’s nice that you’re speaking to me, and obviously I think it’s nice or I wouldn’t have invited you. And it’s nice that you have interfaith dialogue, but the most important thing is for you to go on radio in Cairo and say that Al-Azhar, the major center of Islamic thought on earth, is in bad shape morally. That’s what you need to do.<br />
<br />
IR: It’s not that easy.<br />
<br />
DP: I know. I agree! You’re right, but that’s what you have to do. Would they allow you on Cairo radio?<br />
<br />
IR: Well I have been on Al Jazeera and Allama bia (?) and on many of the Arab media.<br />
<br />
DP: And would you say there, “we’ve been on an eight hundred year decline,” like you told me, “and we better turn this around”? Would you say that?<br />
<br />
IR: Absolutely. And they would agree with me on this, yes.<br />
<br />
DP: Well Al-Azhar wouldn’t agree with you but that’s a separate issue.<br />
<br />
You were asked whether in your view Hamas is a terrorist group. What was your answer? What is your answer today?<br />
<br />
IR: My answer was “yes.” And the fact is that any entity that targets civilian harm is a terrorist group.<br />
<br />
DP: Let’s finally get to the mosque. Are you building it?<br />
<br />
IR: Well I don’t know at this point. We need to raise a lot of money. But the plan is not really for a mosque, as I have said.<br />
<br />
DP: I know, a mosque and Islamic Center, and I have said that each time.<br />
<br />
IR: It’s meant to be a community center, like the YMCA and the 92nd Street Y, to build, to have the kind of programming that builds relationships between Muslims and non-Muslims in America, and to build relationships that can help move this mountain of distrust and suspicion that we have, and turn this story around which I know we can do together.<br />
<br />
DP: Would you acknowledge that it is not anti-Muslim bigotry for an American to be opposed to the building of the Islamic Center near ground zero, or do you believe that by definition, opposition is what is called “Islamophobic”?<br />
<br />
IR: It’s a mixture of many things. It’s a mixture of fear, misunderstanding…<br />
<br />
DP: Well what about human sensitivity? Let me tell you this, if a group of Christians or Jews in the name of Christ or in the name of the Torah had incinerated three thousand Muslims in Cairo, while chanting the Nicene creed in one case, or the Sh’ma in the other, and then a group wanted to build a church or synagogue and large Jewish or large Christian community center within a few blocks of where all those Muslims were incinerated in the name of their religion, I would oppose it.<br />
<br />
IR: I understand that sensitivity. And we spoke to many people from the 9/11 community. The thing is, Dennis, I am a member of that community. I’ve been an Imam of a mosque just a few blocks from there for almost thirty years. My community was part of the community of that local community right in that neighborhood, I have been part of that community for thirty years.<br />
<br />
And we have a presence there, and the fact of the matter is that we want to send a different message. This is what it was about. It’s not about trying to be insensitive at all. And many Muslims even within the community when this whole crisis occurred felt the same way. But the fact is, we want to change the discourse. This is why I am no longer involved with that group, but if we can find a way to send a different message, a message of cooperation, a message of New York City…<br />
<br />
DP: Well look, the greatest message, in my humble opinion, is for you to do this work within the Muslim world. And sir, I thank you for your time. The book is : Moving the Mountain. Imam, thank you again.<br />
<br />
IR: Thank you, Dennis.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>On July 20, Jewish Journal columnist Dennis Prager conducted a lengthy interview on his radio show with Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, author of “What’s Right with Islam Is What’s Right with America,” who is best known for his plans to build an Islamic community center, including a mosque, near the World Trade Center in New York. What follows is the transcribed text of that interview.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.jewishjournal.com/dennis_prager/page3/qa_with_new_yorks_ground_zero_imam_20120724/" target="_blank">http://www.jewishjournal.com/dennis_prager/page3/qa_with_new_yorks_ground_zero_imam_20120724/</a></span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="250" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/N13lDVexHHc" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-64175789626756995142012-07-23T11:45:00.001-07:002012-07-23T11:45:32.224-07:00Moral values in Islam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">There is no escape from moral rearmament if the Muslim world is to survive and make progress. Although most people in the Muslim world, if pressed, would not deny the validity of this proposition, it is equally true that most people would not, for one reason or the other, do anything about it. The supreme indifference towards an issue of vital importance is perhaps the basic cause of the mess in which we have landed ourselves.</span></div>
<span class="kt_fnt_black9" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="font-size: 15px;">
</div>
<div style="font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">
All of us are concern only with our own comfort and conveniences and we have no basic abhorrence and aversion to the injustice, impropriety, dishonesty and selfishness, which constitute the foundation for the type of behaviour which gives rise to the sufferings of the common man.</div>
<div style="font-size: 15px;">
<img alt="" height="234" src="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/images/eds-choice_23072012.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 4px; text-align: justify;" width="310" /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;">The moral rearmament proposal in this article, unlike the one which was launched in the twenties and became famous after the Second World War when it had an enthusiastic revival, is anchored wholly in total belief and commitment to the three basic articles of faith which are the foundation of Islam — belief in one God, in the finality of Prophethood of Mohammad (peace be upon him) and the accountability of the Day of Judgment. The one launched in the twenties was based on the orthodox Western liberal approach, and set out ostensibly to find the common moral denominator among various world religions. As such the commitment to it was based largely on liberal, humanistic, secular and a religious approach to the problems of the material world.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">
The norms and basic concepts of the MRA movement could change from decade to decade or even from year to year as a result of changes in the thinking of human beings, but the norms of the movement being proposed are totally and most securely anchored in the basic concepts of Islam, total acceptance of and commitment to which makes a person Muslim in the real sense. As such these concepts are immutable and unchanging for all times.</div>
<div style="font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">
There can be no denying that one of the most important elements of Islamic ideology is justice. There is no need to quote any Quranic verses because anyone who claims even a nodding acquaintance with Islam knows them full well. The problem of enforcing justice in society demands for its solution total elimination of nepotism and favouritism. It is not an easy task because what we Muslims lack today is a deep and abiding belief in God and the Day of Judgment, which is necessary to bring about a change in the inner man, and all our professions and avowals are only formal, superficial, and not even skin deep. If this is true, the obvious solution of our problem is a sustained, sincere and wide-ranging moral rearmament campaign.</div>
<div style="font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">
Of the three segments of Islamic way of life — Ibadat, Shariat and moral values — the most neglected one is moral values of honesty, justice and sincerity. The total degeneration of our moral values is the real cause of our present predicament.</div>
<div style="font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">
It will require a very large band of dedicated crusaders with an impeccable record of personal and public life to make an impact and bring about a revival of moral values in the Muslim world. This band of honest and dedicated persons must be in a position to throw open for public examination their own record of personal and public life and show how they suffered in material terms as compared to their counterparts but did not deviate from the path of morality and honesty.</div>
<div style="font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">
It would have been most appropriate if the Ulema (religious scholars) had taken upon themselves to organise a campaign for moral rearmament in the Muslim world. The unfortunate fact is that of the three segments of Islam, the Ulema have given the least attention to the propagation of moral values and most of their time is spent either in propounding the finer points of Ibadat or in emphasising certain aspects of Shariah, which to them appear to be all important.</div>
<div style="font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">
That leaves us with the broad category of intellectuals in which we can place not only writers and poets but also journalists and educationists. There is no doubt that this group has from time to time made feeble attempts to propagate moral values in the Muslim world, but the efforts are much too sporadic, haphazard and disjointed to produce any worthwhile visible results. They will, however, always remain a major source of support if and when a moral rearmament movement is launched in the Muslim world.</div>
<div style="font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">
It will essentially be a question of arousing millions of people in the Muslim world who have gone through the travails of life without besmirching their record of proper moral behaviour. The real problem would be to reach these people and make them stand up and be counted. Because of their passive attitude and low-key profile it is difficult to identify them, but once they are roused and mobilised, the selflessness and sincerity of their efforts can bring any movement to ultimate success.</div>
<div style="font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<em>Source: Glimpses of certain aspects of Islam by Nasim A. Jafarey</em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?section=editorschoice&xfile=/data/editorschoice/2012/July/editorschoice_July28.xml" target="_blank">http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?section=editorschoice&xfile=/data/editorschoice/2012/July/editorschoice_July28.xml</a>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-79445167960593716842012-07-18T13:13:00.001-07:002012-07-18T13:13:18.299-07:00Muslims of France<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
There are an estimated five million Muslims in France today, which is the largest such population in Western Europe. What challenges have generations of Muslim immigrants in France been facing to retain their cultural identity? Read more >>>> <a data-mce-href="http://wp.me/p1dL2Q-gc" href="http://wp.me/p1dL2Q-gc" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">http://wp.me/p1dL2Q-gc</a></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;"><br style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5;" /></strong></div>
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-37436701953996212232012-07-18T13:11:00.000-07:002012-07-18T13:11:21.226-07:00Concept of Equality of Men & Women in Islam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<em style="border: none; color: inherit; line-height: 1.5;">“O Mankind! Be conscious of your Sustainer, who has created you out of one living entity, and out of it created its mate, and out of the two spread abroad a multitude of men and women. And remain conscious of God, in whose name you demand (your rights) from one another, and of these ties of kinship. Verily, God is ever watchful over you!(<a data-mce-href="http://tanzil.net/#trans/en.pickthall/4:1" href="http://tanzil.net/#trans/en.pickthall/4:1" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Qur’an;4:1)</a>; “I will not let the good deed of any among you, whether a male or a female, be wasted:” <a data-mce-href="http://tanzil.net/#trans/en.pickthall/3:195" href="http://tanzil.net/#trans/en.pickthall/3:195" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">(Qur’an;3:195) </a></em></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Generally it is believed that in Islam the women are mistreated, their status is lower than men and they do not enjoy equal rights. Such negative perceptions has been created by the ignorant and enemies of Islam, after having failed in the ideological front, however the cultural treatment meted to the women in some of the Muslim societies has provided the basis for such perception. Before the advent of Islam the status of women in earlier civilizations was very low to the extent that they were denied basic human dignity. A cursory look at that would highlight the respectable position granted to women by Islam. The women were degraded and were denied all rights under the Babylonian law. If a man murdered a woman, instead of him being punished, his wife was put to death. In the Greek Civilization, women were deprived of all rights and were looked down upon. In Greek mythology, an ‘imaginary woman’ called ‘Pandora’ is the root cause of misfortune of human beings. The Greeks considered women to be subhuman to the extent that they were considered impure, and they were bought and sold in marketplaces. A woman could not refuse a husband chosen by her guardian and she could not disobey her husband in anyway. Later, they acquired a somewhat batter status, but they remained inferior to men. Though chastity of women was precious, and women were held in high esteem, the Greeks were later overwhelmed by ego and sexual perversions. Prostitution became a regular practice amongst all classes of Greek society. When Roman Civilization was at the zenith of its ‘glory’, a man even had the right to take the life of his wife. Prostitution and nudity were common amongst the Romans. Under theRoman Empire, women did not have the right to own anything. If a woman had any property of her own, it was automatically transferred to the ownership of the head of the family. Later, in the reign of Justinian (483-565 C.E), women were given the right to retain what they earned through their own work, but money from other sources (gift etc) remained with the head of family. <a data-mce-href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/islam-2/women/" href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/islam-2/women/" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Keep reading >>>></a> <a data-mce-href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/islam-2/women/" href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/islam-2/women/" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">http://faithforum.wordpress.com/islam-2/women/</a></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<a data-mce-href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL243A33F84CB34F48" href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL243A33F84CB34F48" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank"><strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;">Videos Playlist: Women In Islam: </strong>http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL243A33F84CB34F48 </a></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfcPIWYnE0M&w=420&h=315]</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;">
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div>
<h2 data-mce-style="text-align: right;" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 1.8em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-align: right;">
مساوات مرد وزن کا تصور اور اسلام</h2>
<h2 data-mce-style="text-align: right;" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 1.8em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-align: right;">
بشریٰ صادقہ*</h2>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: right;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: right;">
حقوق مرد و زن کا مسئلہ اپنی نوعیت کے لحاظ سے اس قدر اہم ہے کہ اس کو تمام معاشرتی مسائل کی بنیاد قرار دیا جاسکتا ہے۔ خانگی زندگی کی ساری مسرتیں اور خوشیاں اس پر مبنی قرار دی جاسکتی ہیں۔ صرف افراد کا بننا اور بگڑنا ہی نہیں، بلکہ حکومتوں کے ضعف و استحکام کا بھی انحصار اسی پر ہے۔ اجتماعی زندگی میں مرد اور عورت کا تعلق دراصل تمدن کا سنگِ بنیاد ہے اور اس کا حال یہ ہے کہ اگر اس میں ذرا سی بھی کجی آجائے تو ع</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
تا ثریّا می رود دیوار کج<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />ایک طرف اس مسئلے کی یہ اہمیت ہے اور دوسری طرف اس کی پیچیدگی اس قدر بڑھی ہوئی ہے کہ جب تک فطرت کے تمام حقائق پر کسی کی نظر پوری طرح حاوی نہ ہو۔ وہ اس کو حل نہیں کرسکتا۔ سچ کہا تھا جس نے کہا تھا کہ انسان عالمِ اصغر ہے۔ اس کے جسم کی ساخت، اس کے نفس کی ترکیب، اس کی قوتیں اور قابلیتیں، اس کی خواہشات، ضروریات اور جذبات و احساسات اور اپنے وجود سے باہر کی بے شمار اشیا کے ساتھ اس کے فعلی و انفعالی تعلقات، یہ سب چیزیں ایک دنیا کی دنیا اپنے اندر رکھتی ہیں۔ انسان کو پوری طرح نہیں سمجھا جاسکتا جب تک کہ اس دنیا کا ایک ایک گوشہ نگاہ کے سامنے روشن نہ ہوجائے، اور انسانی زندگی کا یہ بنیادی مسئلہ بھی حل نہیں کیا جاسکتا جب تک کہ خود انسان کو پوری طرح نہ سمجھ لیا جائے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />انسانی علوم میں سے کوئی علم بھی ایسا نہیں ہے جو کمال کے آخری مرتبہ پر پہنچ چکا ہو، یعنی جس کے متعلق یہ دعویٰ کیا جاسکتا ہو کہ جتنی حقیقتیں اس شعبۂ علم سے تعلق رکھتی ہوں ان سب کا اس نے احاطہ کرلیا ہے۔ اب تک جو حقائق سامنے آچکے ہیں ان کی وسعتوں اور باریکیوں کا بھی یہ عالم ہے کہ انسان کی نظر ان سب پر بیک وقت حاوی نہیں ہوسکتی۔ ایک پہلو سامنے آتا ہے تو دوسرا پہلو نظر سے اوجھل ہوجاتا ہے۔ کہیں نظر کوتاہی کرتی ہے اور کہیں شخصی رجحانات نظر میں رکاوٹ بن جاتے ہیں۔ اس دوہری کمزوری کی وجہ سے انسان خود اپنی زندگی کے ان مسائل کو حل کرنے کی جتنی بھی تدبیریں کرتا ہے وہ ناکام ہوتی ہیں اور تجربہ آخرکار ان کے نقص کو نمایاں کردیتا ہے۔ صحیح حل صرف اسی وقت ممکن ہے، جب کہ نقطۂ عدل کو پا لیا جائے ،اور نقطۂ عدل پایا نہیں جاسکتا جب تک کہ تمام حقائق اور اس کے تمام پہلوؤں پر یکساں نظر ہو اور یہ نظر کسی انسان کی نہیں بلکہ خالقِ انسان کی ہوسکتی ہے، جس نے واقعی مرد و زن کے حقوق میں کمال درجہ توازن اور نہایت عادلانہ نظام قائم کرکے انسان کو دیا ہے۔ یہ اسلام ہی ہے جو حقوقِ انسانی کا علَم بردار ہونے کے ساتھ ساتھ اس کو افراط وتفریط سے بچاتے ہوئے نقطۂ عدل کا راستہ دکھاتا ہے۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
انسانی زندگی کی تقسیم<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />کسی نظام کو چلانے کے لیے ضروری ہے کہ اس نظام کے مختلف پُرزوں کو صحیح جگہ پر رکھا جائے۔ اللہ تعالیٰ نے دنیا کا نظام چلانے کے لیے خود اس کے لیے یہاں کے کارپردازوں کا مقام متعین کردیا ہے تاکہ اس میں کوئی خلل پیدا نہ ہو۔ نظامِ کائنات کو خالقِ کائنات نے بنایا ہی اس اصول پرہے کہ اس کے تمام افراد و عناصر اپنی ضروریات کی تکمیل کے لیے ایک دوسرے پر انحصار کے لیے مجبور ہیں۔ ان میں سے ہر ایک کسی پہلو سے ناقص اور کسی پہلو سے مستغنٰی ہے۔ ہر ایک کسی پہلو سے مطلوب اور کسی اعتبار سے طالب بھی ہے، اور باہمی تعاون سے یہ اپنے اپنے خلا کو بھرتے ہوئے مقصودِ حیات کو پانے کی جدوجہد کرتے ہیں۔ زمین و آسمان، شب و روز، گرمی و سردی، بحروبّر، ان سب میں اسی نوعیت کا رابطہ ہے۔ ان میں سے بجاے خود نہ کوئی دوسرے سے مستغنٰی ہے اور نہ ان میں سے کسی کو یہ دعویٰ کرنے کا حق ہے کہ اس نظامِ کائنات میں جو مقام اس کا ہے کسی دوسرے کا نہیں، یا جو مقصد اس کے ذریعے سے پورا ہو رہا ہے وہ کسی درجے میں اور کسی نوعیت سے اُس مقصد سے ارفع ہے جو دوسرے کے ذریعے سے پورا ہو رہا ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />غور کیجیے کہ اس اعتبار سے ان تمام اجزاے مختلفہ میں جو حیرت انگیز مساوات ہے کیا کوئی شخص اس مساوات کا انکار کرنے کی جرأت کرسکتا ہے؟ لیکن اس مساوات کے باوجود کبھی آپ نے دیکھا کہ محض اس زعم کی بنا پر کہ ہم آپس میں بالکل مساوی ہیں زمین آسمان سے جاٹکرائی ہو، چاند نے سورج کے مدار میں گردش شروع کر دی ہو، رات نے دن کی حدود میں مداخلت کر دی ہو، سردی نے گرمی کا روپ دھار لیا ہو، اور سمندر نے خشکی پر یلغار کردی ہو۔ اگر خدانخواستہ یہ ہوجائے اور دن دو دن کے لیے نہیں صرف چند لمحوں کے لیے ہی ہوجائے تو یہ سارا نظامِ کائنات درہم برہم ہوکے رہ جائے۔ ٹھیک اسی اصول پر عورت اور مرد دونوں مساوی ہیں۔ زندگی کی گہما گہمی اور نشیب و فراز میں ہمیشہ مرد اور عورت ایک دوسرے کے مددگار اور معاون رہے ہیں۔ زندگی کے بارِگراں کو دونوں نے سنبھالا ہے۔ تمدن کا ارتقا دونوں کے اتحاد سے عمل میں آیا ہے۔ دونوں تہذیب کے معمار ہیں۔ انسانی مقصودِ حیات کی ذمہ داری دونوں پر یکساں عائد ہوتی ہے۔ زندگی مرد اور عورت دونوں ہی کی محتاج ہے۔ جس طرح مرد اپنا مقصدِ وجود رکھتا ہے اسی طرح عورت کی تخلیق کی بھی ایک غایت ہے اور قدرت ان دونوں اصناف کے ذریعے مطلوبہ مقاصد کی تکمیل کر رہی ہے۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
مرد اور عورت کے اپنے اپنے دائرۂ عمل<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />مرد اور عورت گو، زندگی کی گاڑی کے دو پہیے ہیں لیکن دونوں کا دائرۂ عمل الگ الگ ہے۔ اس فرق کا اظہار دونوں کو ایک ہی نوع کے دو افراد بنانے کے باوجود مختلف انداز کا وجود عطا کرنے میں پوشیدہ ہے۔ ایک کے وجود کو نوعِ انسانی کی پیدایش میں اضافہ کرنے کے لیے خصوصی تربیت دی گئی ہے، اور دوسرے کے وجود کو جسمانی محنت و مشقت اور بیرونی معاشرتی تگ و دو کے لیے خصوصی بناوٹ دی گئی ہے۔ قدرت کے اس خصوصی انداز کو نہ ہم نظرانداز کرسکتے ہیں، نہ ہم بدل سکتے ہیں اور نہ عبث قرار دے کر کارخانۂ حیات میں تقسیمِ کار کے اصول کو نظرانداز کرسکتے ہیں۔ مرد و عورت کے لیے الگ نوعیت کے جسم کی بناوٹ اور ان کی فطرت میں الگ نوعیت کے رجحانات قدرت کی تخلیق کے مقصد کو بیان کرنے کے لیے بہت کافی ہیں۔ اس سے ثابت ہوتا ہے کہ قدرت نے دونوں کے لیے الگ دائرۂ کار تجویز کیا ہے۔ اس جداگانہ دائرۂ کار کی تقسیم کو نظرانداز کر کے ہم قدرت کے انتظام کے خلاف دوسرے راستے اختیار کریں گے تو لازماً کسی پر کام کا بوجھ بڑھ جائے گااورکسی پر کم ہوجائے گا۔ لہٰذا نوعِ انسانی کی سلامتی اور بقا کا انحصار اس میں پوشیدہ ہے کہ دونوں بغیر کسی منازعت و منافست[تکرار اور مسابقت]کے اپنی اپنی قابلیت پر قانع رہیں اور جو کرسکتے ہیں اس کو چھوڑ کر نہیں کرسکتے، اس کے خبط میں مبتلا نہ ہوں ورنہ یہ منازعت [تکرار] دنیا کو تباہ کرکے رکھ دے گی اور اس غیرفطری تقسیمِ کار سے بہت سی تمدنی اور معاشرتی پیچیدگیاں پیدا ہوں گی۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اسلام عورت اور مرد کو مساوی قرار دینے کے باوجود ان کی حقیقی اور فطری صلاحیتوں کے لحاظ سے نظامِ اجتماعی میں ان کو الگ الگ مقام دیتا ہے اور ان میں سے ہر ایک کو اس مقام پر رکھتا ہے جس مقام پر وہ بہتر طریق پر معاشرے کو اپنی قابلیتوں سے فائدہ پہنچا سکیں۔ عورت و مرد کی تخلیق کے ساتھ قدرت نے جو فرائض وابستہ کیے ہیں ان میں سے ہر فرض بجاے خود اتنا ہی اہم اور اتنا ہی ضروری ہے جتنا کہ دوسرا فرض۔ یہ نہیں کہہ سکتے کہ گھر کا کام سنبھالنا کم اہم ہے اور دفتر کا اہم ہے، یا بچوں کی پرورش کرنا ایک حقیر کام ہے اور سپہ گری یا تجارت ایک معزز کام ہے۔ نظامِ معاشرت و اجتماع کے حفظ و بقا کے جتنے بھی کام ہیں سب یکساں اور ضروری ہیں۔ معاشرے کا جو پُرزہ ان کاموں میں سے جس کام کی انجام دہی کے لیے بھی بنا ہے، اگر وہ ٹھیک ٹھیک اسے انجام دے رہا ہے تو مجموعی مشین کے اندر اس کی قدروقیمت کسی بڑے سے بڑے پُرزے کے برابر ہے اور اس کو حقیر سمجھنے اور نظرانداز کرنے کی کوئی وجہ نہیں ہے۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
حقوقِ مرد وزن میں مساوات کا مفھوم<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />آیئے دیکھیں کہ حق کسے کہتے ہیں؟ اور حقوق میں برابری کا مفہوم کیا ہے؟ ایک مغربی مفکر گالسس ایزیجیو فاز، حق کی تعریف ان الفاظ میں کرتا ہے: ’’انسانی یا بنیادی حقوق جدید نام ہے ان حقوق کا جنھیں روایتی طور پر فطری حقوق کہا جاتا ہے۔ ان کی تعریف یوں ہوسکتی ہے کہ وہ اخلاقی حقوق جو ہر انسان کو ہر جگہ اور ہمہ وقت اس بنیاد پر حاصل رہتے ہیں کہ وہ دوسری تمام مخلوقات کے مقابلے میں اس اعتبار سے ممتاز ہے کہ وہ ذی شعور اور ذی اخلاق ہے۔ انصاف کو بُری طرح پامال کیے بغیر کوئی شخص ان حقوق سے محروم نہیں کیا جاسکتا‘‘۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />گویا حق وہ چیز ہے جسے کوئی دعوے دار وصول کرنے کا قانونی استحقاق رکھتا ہو، یعنی جو کچھ وصول ہو وہ حق ہے، اور جو کچھ اداکرنا پڑے وہ فرض ہے۔ اس بات سے قطع نظر کہ کوئی مرد ہے یا عورت، ہر انسان کو تحفظِ جان، تحفظِ ملکیت، تحفظِ آبرو، نجی زندگی کا تحفظ، شخصی آزادی کا تحفظ، آزادیِ اظہار راے، ظلم کے خلاف احتجاج کا حق، حصولِ انصاف کاحق، معاشی تحفظ کا حق، معصیت سے اجتناب کا حق، آزادیِ تنظیم و اجتماع اور سیاسی زندگی میں شرکت کا حق جیسے بنیادی حقوق حاصل ہونے چاہییں۔ حقوق میں برابری یہ ہے کہ یہ سارے حقوق مرداور عورت کو ملتے رہیں۔ ان کے غصب ہونے کی صورت میں آواز بلند کی جاسکے اور اسے عدل کے ساتھ سنا جائے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />حقوق مرد و زن میں اسلام کی عطاکردہ مساوات کو دیکھنے سے پہلے اس بنیادی سوال پر غور کیجیے کہ مندرجہ بالا حقوق کس کے مقرر کردہ ہیں؟ ان کی قانونی و اخلاقی حیثیت اور ان کا جواز کیا ہے؟ کیا انسان اپنے کسی ذاتی استحقاق کی بناپر ان حقوق کا مستحق بنا ہے یا اپنے کسی دعوے، کسی جدوجہد، یا اپنے منظور شدہ مطالبات کی وجہ سے اسے یہ استحقاق حاصل ہوا ہے؟ انسانی حقوق کسی معاہدۂ عمرانی سے، حکومت اور عوام کے درمیان بالاتفاق ہونے والے کسی معاہدے سے، انسان کے وضع کردہ کسی دستور سے یا انسان اور انسان کے درمیان ہونے والے کسی سمجھوتے (agreement) سے متعین ہوتے ہیں۔ حقیقت یہ ہے کہ انسانی حقوق کی بنیاد صرف مقتدرِاعلیٰ کا حکم ہے۔ اس نے ہر انسان کے حقوق کا تعین کیا ہے اور ان کے درمیان ترجیحات طے کی ہیں۔ قرآنی احکام اور حجۃ الوداع کے موقع پر انسانی حقوق کا منشور ہادیِ برحق کا وہ یادگار خطبہ اپنے ذہن میں مستحضر کیجیے تو آپ اس نتیجے پر لازماً پہنچیں گے کہ یہ صرف اسلام ہی ہے جو حقوقِ انسانی کا علَم بردار ہے۔ فی الحقیقت عورت کی عزت اور اس کے حق کا تخیل ہی انسان کے دماغ میں اسلام کا پیدا کردہ ہے۔ آج حقوقِ نسواں اور مساوات کے جو نعرے آپ سن رہے ہیں یہ سب اسی انقلاب انگیز صدا کی بازگشت ہے جو حضور اکرم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کی زبان سے بلند ہوئی تھی اور جس نے افکارِ انسانی کا رُخ ہمیشہ کے لیے بدل دیا۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />یوں یہ بات واضح ہوگئی کہ جس نے حق کا تخیل دیا اُسی نے سب سے بڑھ کر اور بہترین حقوق بھی دیے بلکہ سچ تو یہ ہے کہ حقوق عطا ہی اسی نے کیے۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
مساوات کا غلط مفھوم ۔ فرائض میں برابری<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />مساوات کا ایک مطلب یہ لیا جاتا ہے کہ مرد اور عورت دونوں مساوی پیدا ہوئے ہیں۔ اس لیے انتظامِ ملک میں دونوں کو مساوی حصہ ملنا چاہیے، یا یہ کہ قدرت نے جن قوتوں اور قابلیتوں سے مرد کو مسلح کیا ہے اور مردجو کچھ کرسکتا ہے عورت بھی وہ سب کچھ کرسکتی ہے، لہٰذا مرد اور عورت کا دائرۂ عمل ایک ہونا چاہیے۔ آج آزادیِ نسواں اور مساواتِ مرد و زن کے نعرے اسی مفہوم کے ساتھ لگائے جارہے ہیں کہ جب تک عورت ٹینک، توپ، ریلوے کا انجن، بحری جہاز، طیارہ، سڑک کوٹنے کا انجن اور سامان سے لدا ہوا ٹرک نہیں چلائے گی، ویلڈنگ سیٹ ہاتھ میں نہیں لے گی، پُل، بند اور بلندعمارتیں تعمیر نہیں کرے گی اسے مرد کے مساوی ہونے کا شرف حاصل نہیں ہوگا۔ گویا جب تک عورت وہی کارنامہ انجام نہ دے جو مرد انجام دے رہا ہے، اس وقت تک مساوات کی شرط پوری نہیں ہوتی، حالانکہ یہ مساوات درحقیقت حقوق میں نہیں بلکہ فرائض میں مساوات ہے اور مساوات کا یہ ایسا تصور ہے جو خود مردوں میں بھی موجود نہیں۔ ذمہ داریوں اور فرائض میں اضافے پر اصرار کرنے والی خواتین اس مغالطے میں مبتلا ہیں کہ وہ اپنا حق طلب کر رہی ہیں۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اس مفہوم نے عورت سے اس کی نسوانیت چھن لی اور اس پر مرد بن جانے کا جنون طاری کر دیا۔ یہ جنون اس کے بالوں کی وضع قطع، اس کے لباس، اس کی چال ڈھال، اس کے کھیل کود اور جملہ سرگرمیوں میں ہرجگہ اُبھر آیا ہے۔ عورت مرد کے پیچھے دوڑتے دوڑتے خود مرد کا روپ دھار بیٹھی ہے۔ اگر عورت کو اس کا صحیح مقام نہ دیا جائے تو اس کے نتیجے میں اس کے مضر اثرات خود اس پر بھی مرتب ہوتے ہیں اور اس کے لازمی نتیجے کے طور پر معاشرہ بھی اس سے متاثر ہوتا ہے۔ اسی طرح اگر مرد کو اس کے صحیح محل کے سوا جہاں کے لیے اس کی قابلیتیں تقاضا کر رہی ہوتی ہیں، کسی دوسرے محل میں استعمال کیا جائے تو لازماً اس کااثر بھی یہی ہوتا ہے۔ ایک طرف مرد کی صلاحیتیں اس سے نقصان اُٹھاتی ہیں اور دوسری طرف معاشرہ اس کی صلاحیتوں اور قابلیتوں کے فوائد کے ایک بڑے حصے سے محروم ہوجاتا ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />یہ نظریۂ مساوات اپنی سادہ اور ابتدائی حالت میں بہت معصوم نظر آتا ہے اور جذبات کی رَو میں بہنے والے مردوں اور عورتوں کو اپیل بھی کرتا ہے۔ لیکن جب اس کو بنیاد بناکر اس پر حیاتِ اجتماعی کی تعمیر شروع کی جاتی ہے تب اس کے عیوب کھلنا شروع ہوتے ہیں۔ یہاں تک کہ اجتماعیات میں ایک معمولی ادراک رکھنے والا شخص بھی یہ محسوس کرلیتا ہے کہ جس نظامِ اجتماعی کی بنیاد اس نظریے پر ہے اس کی بنیاد درحقیقت ریت پر ہے، جس کا گر جانا ہروقت متوقع ہے۔ اس کے بُرے اثرات جو معاشرے اور حیاتِ اجتماعی پر مرتب ہوئے ہیں وہ کسی سے ڈھکے چھپے نہیں۔ مساوات مرد و زن کا پُرفریب نعرہ دے کر ایک طرف عورت کے سر پر اضافی ذمہ داریوں اور فرائض کا بوجھ لاد دیا گیا اور دوسری طرف چالاک مرد نے اسے ہر جگہ دل بہلانے کا کھلونا بناڈالا۔ گھر سے لے کر دفتر، کارخانہ اور ہر شعبۂ زندگی میں ایک یا ایک سے زائد عورتوں کو ساتھ لگائے رکھنے کے شوقین مردوں نے اس کے قرب اور خدمت سے خود بھی فائدہ اُٹھایا اور اسے ماڈل گرل اور سیلزگرل وغیرہ کا روپ دے کر اپنے کاروبار کو بھی چمکایا۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />آج کیفیت یہ ہے کہ سگریٹ، بلیڈ، شراب، ٹوتھ پیسٹ، صابن اور دنیا کی ہر شے کی فروخت کے لیے عورت کے حسن اور اس کی ایک ایک اَدا کو استعمال کیا جا رہا ہے۔ عورت تشہیر وترغیب کا سب سے بڑا ذریعہ اور مرد تاجروں اور صنعت کاروں کے لیے نئے نئے گاہک پھانسنے کا آلۂ کار بن گئی ہے۔ یورپ کی پوری تجارت جنس زدگی کے مرض میں مبتلا ہے۔ اب عورتیں وہاں دھکے کھاتی پھرتی ہیں، اور کوئی ان کو پوچھتا تک نہیں۔ اِلا یہ کہ پوچھنے کی کوئی خاص وجہ ہو۔ اس وقت تک بھی مغربی ممالک میں مرد اور عورت ایک ہی قسم کے جو کام کرتے ہیں اس کا معاوضہ دونوں کو برابر نہیں دیا جا رہا ہے اور اس پر عورتیں شور مچا رہی ہیں۔ پھر جن میدانوں میں عورتوں اور مردوں کو برابر لاکھڑا کر دیا گیا ہے ان میں، چونکہ اللہ تعالیٰ نے فطرتاً عورتوں کو مردوں کے برابر نہیں کیا ہے، اس وجہ سے عورت کی لاکھ کوشش کے باوجود بھی وہ مرد کی برابری نہیں کرسکی ہے۔ اس وقت بھی آپ دیکھیے مغربی ممالک ہوں یا اشتراکی ممالک، کہیں بھی ذمہ داری کے اُونچے مناصب عورتوں کو نہیں دیے جا رہے ہیں، بلکہ وہ مردوں کو ہی دیے جاتے ہیں۔ اس پُرفریب جال کے اثرات ہمارے ہاں بھی در آئے ہیں، اور کبھی حقوقِ نسواں کے نام پر اور کبھی قصاص و دیت کے مسئلے کی آڑ لے کر ایک گروہ ایسا اُٹھا ہے جس نے دلیل و بینہ کی راہ چھوڑکر مظاہرے کرنے اور جلوس نکالنے کی راہ اپنائی ہے۔ یہ گروہ جس کو قرآن میں حکمِ ستروحجاب نہ ملا اور حدیث میں اخفاے زینت کی تاکید نہ ملی، جس نے آج تک کبھی کوئی کارنامہ اسلام کے حق میں اور مغربیت کے خلاف انجام نہ دیا، جس نے رقص و سُرود کی مخلوط محفلوں کو زینت بخشی، جس نے قطاروں میں کھڑے ہوکر باہر سے آنے والے اغیار کا پوری نمایش حُسن کے ساتھ استقبال کیا، جس کے لیے سر پر دوپٹہ ٹکانا مشکل ہورہا ہے، جن کے گھروں میں موجودہ دور کی ساری فضولیات کا دور دورہ ہے، جن میں سے بعض کو نماز کی توفیق نہ ہوئی ہوگی___ انھیں اسلام کے قانون دیت و قصاص کی تصحیح کے لیے سخت بے تابی لاحق ہوگئی ہے۔ جیسے اسلام میں یہی ایک حکم نازل ہوا تھا اور یہ درست ہوجائے تو پھر ٹھیک ہے۔ حقیقت یہ ہے کہ اس تصور کے ساتھ مساوات نہ کبھی قائم ہوئی ہے، نہ ہوسکتی ہے، بلکہ عورت ان پُرفریب اصطلاحوں کے جال میں پھنس کر اس دلدل میں دھنستی چلی جارہی ہے۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
مساوات کا صحیح مفھوم ___ حق میں برابری<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />مساوات کا صحیح مفہوم یہ ہے کہ عورت اور مرد انسان ہونے کی حیثیت سے برابر ہیں۔ جس طرح مرد قدر و احترام کا مستحق ہے، اسی طرح عورت بھی قدرواحترام کی حق دار ہے۔ جس طرح مرد کچھ خاص قابلیتیں اور قوتیں لے کر آیا ہے، اسی طرح عورت بھی کچھ مخصوص قوتیں اور قابلیتیں لے کر پیدا ہوئی ہے۔ جس طرح مرد اپنے کچھ خاص جذبات و عواطف اور کچھ فطری مقتضیات و مطالبات رکھتا ہے، اسی طرح عورت بھی اپنے کچھ خاص رجحانات و میلانات اور کچھ فطری مطالبات و مقتضیات رکھتی ہے۔ اس لیے عورت اور مرد دونوں کو اپنے اپنے فطری رجحانات و میلانات کے مطابق سورج اور چاند کی طرح اپنے اپنے دائروں میں قدرت کی منشا کی تکمیل میں سرگرم رہنا چاہیے۔ معاشرتی امور میں دونوں پر ان کے فطری صلاحیتوں کے لحاظ سے ذمہ داریاں ہونی چاہییں اور ان کی ذمہ داریوں کے اعتبار سے ان کو حقوق ملنے چاہییں۔ ہر ایک کی تخلیق سے فطرت کا جو منشا ہ اس کو وہ فطرت کے ضابطوں کے تحت اپنے اپنے دائرے کے اندر یکساں آزاد اور یکساں پابند رہ کر پورا کرے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اسلامی تصور میں تین باتوں کو خاص طور پر ملحوظ رکھا گیا ہے:<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />ایک یہ کہ عورت پر مرد اپنے حقوق سے ناجائز فائدہ اُٹھا کر ظلم نہ کرسکے، اور ایسا نہ ہو کہ مرد اور عورت کا تعلق آقا و لونڈی کا تعلق بن جائے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />دوسرے یہ کہ عورت کو ایسے تمام مواقع بہم پہنچائے جائیں جن سے فائدہ اُٹھا کر وہ نظامِ معاشرت کے حدود میں اپنی فطری صلاحیتوں کو زیادہ سے زیادہ ترقی دے سکے اور تعمیرتمدن میں اپنا کردر بہتر سے بہتر انداز میں انجام دے سکے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />تیسرے یہ کہ عورت کے لیے ترقی اور کامیابی کے بلند سے بلند درجوں تک پہنچنا ممکن ہو، مگر اس کی ترقی اور کامیابی جو کچھ بھی ہو، عورت ہونے کی حیثیت سے ہو۔ مرد بننا نہ تو اس کا حق ہے اور نہ مردانہ زندگی کے لیے اس کو تیار کرنا تہذیب و تمدن کے لیے مفید ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اس تصور کے نتیجے میں قرونِ اولیٰ میں عورت نے جو مقام و مرتبہ حاصل کیا اور تہذیب و تمدن کی جو ناقابلِ فراموش خدمات انجام دیں وہ یہاں بیان کرنے کی ضرورت نہیں کیونکہ بحیثیت مسلمان ہم سب اپنے شان دار ماضی سے بخوبی واقف ہیں۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
دونوں نظریات میں فرق<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />آپ نے غور کیا کہ مساوات کے یہ دونوں نظریے اپنی اساس و بنیاد اور اپنے نتائج و اثرات میں اتنے مختلف ہیں کہ جس طرح مشرق و مغرب کو یک جا نہیں کیا جاسکتا اسی طرح دونوں نظریات کو جمع کرنا ممکن نہیں ہے۔ ان دونوں نظریات کی اساس پر حیاتِ اجتماعی کی جو عمارتیں تعمیر ہوتی ہیں، وہ اپنی بنیاد، اپنے ڈھانچے، اپنے طرزِ تعمیر، اپنی ہیئت مجموعی اور اپنے معاشرتی فوائد و مقاصد کے لحاظ سے اس درجہ مختلف النوع ہوتی ہیں کہ ممکن نہیں ہے کہ ایک کا پیوند دوسرے کے ساتھ لگایا جاسکے۔ اگر اس قسم کی کوئی کوشش کی گئی تو اس سے ہماری حیاتِ اجتماعی کے کسی ایک گوشے میں خرابی پیدا نہ ہوگی بلکہ یہ ایک غلطی ہمارے پورے نظامِ اجتماعی کو بے ہنگم بناکر رکھ دے گی۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اس لیے اگر آپ مغربی نظریۂ مساوات کے معتقد ہیں اور اسی نظریے کو رہنما مان کر چلیں گے تو ہرقدم پر اسلام سے آپ کی لڑائی ہوگی، اور یہ لڑائی صرف اس اسلام سے نہیں ہوگی جسے آپ فقہا اور ملّاؤں کا اسلام کہتے ہیں بلکہ براہِ راست اللہ کی کتاب اور رسولؐ کے احکام سے لڑائی ہوگی۔ اس لیے آپ کے پاس اس کے سوا اور کوئی چارۂ کار نہیں ہے کہ یا تو آپ اس غلط نظریے کو ترک کرکے سیدھے سیدھے اسلام قبول کرلیجیے، یا اسلام کا نام لینا چھوڑ دیجیے۔ صاف صاف اپنے ارتداد کا اعلان کر دیجیے اور قرآن و رسولؐ کی اطاعت سے الگ ہوکر جس وادی میں آپ کا جی چاہے بھٹکتے پھرئیے۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
نیادی حقوق کو سامنے رکھتے ہوئے، اب آیئے دیکھیں کہ اسلام کس طرح مرد اور عورت کے درمیان مساوات قائم کرتا ہے۔ معاشرے میں عورت و مرد کی مساوات کا اعلان قرآن مجید ان واضح الفاظ میں پیش کرتا ہے:</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
خَلَقَکُمْ مِّنْ نَّفْسٍ وَّاحِدَۃٍ وَّ خَلَقَ مِنْھَا زَوْجَھَا (النسآء ۴:۱) اللہ نے تم سب کو ایک نفس سے پیدا کیا اور اس کی جنس سے اس کے جوڑے کو پیدا کیا۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اس آیت نے عورت کی کم تری اور حقارت سے متعلق ان تمام تصورات کا خاتمہ کر دیا جو قدیم مذاہب اور تہذیبوں میں پائے جاتے تھے۔ اسلام کا اعلان ہے کہ عورت کوئی حقیر و بے کس وجود نہیں ہے۔ وہ کوئی بے مقصد ہستی نہیں ہے بلکہ جس نفسِ واحدہ سے مرد وجود میں آیا ہے اسی سے عورت بھی وجود میں آئی ہے، اور جس طرح انسانی معاشرے کا ایک اہم رکن مرد ہے اسی طرح معاشرے کی دوسری اہم رکن عورت ہے۔ اس معاشرے کا وجود، اس کی بقا اور اس کا تسلسل ان دونوں میں سے کسی ایک پر منحصر نہیں اور نہ یہ کہ ایک پر زیادہ اور دوسرے پر کم منحصر ہے بلکہ اس پہلو سے دونوں مساوی حیثیت رکھتے ہیں۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اللہ کے ہاں فضیلت کا معیار صرف تقویٰ ہے، مرد یا عورت ہونا نہیں:<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />ٰٓیاََیُّھَا النَّاسُ اِِنَّا خَلَقْنٰکُمْ مِّنْ ذَکَرٍ وَّاُنثٰی وَجَعَلْنٰکُمْ شُعُوْبًا وَّقَبَآءِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوْا ط اِِنَّ اَکْرَمَکُمْ عِنْدَ اللّٰہِ اَتْقٰکُمْ ط (الحجرات ۴۹:۱۳) لوگو! ہم نے تم کو ایک مرد اور ایک عورت سے پیدا کیا اور پھر تمھاری قومیں اور برادریاں بنا دیں تاکہ تم ایک دوسرے کو پہچانو۔ درحقیقت اللہ کے نزدیک تم میں سب سے زیادہ عزت والا وہ ہے جو تمھارے اندر سب سے زیادہ پرہیزگار ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />آخرت میں درجات کی بلندی اور فلاح و کامیابی کا تعلق کسی جنس سے خاص نہیں ہے بلکہ مکمل مساوات کے اصول کے مطابق مرد اور عورت دونوں اعمال میں خدا اور رسول صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کی اطاعت بجالاکر ایک دوسرے سے بڑھ کر خدا کی قربت حاصل کرسکتے ہیں:<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّنْ ذَکَرٍ اَوْ اُنْثٰی وَ ھُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْیِیَنَّہٗ حَیٰوۃً طَیِّبَۃً ط وَلَنَجْزِیَنَّھُمْ اَجْرَھُمْ بِاَحْسَنِ مَا کَانُوْا یَعْمَلُوْنَo(النحل ۱۶:۹۷) جو شخص بھی نیک عمل کرے گا، خواہ وہ مرد ہو یا عورت، بشرطیکہ ہو وہ مومن، اسے ہم دنیا میں پاکیزہ زندگی بسر کرائیں گے اور (آخرت میں) ایسے لوگوں کو ان کے اجر اُن کے بہترین اعمال کے مطابق بخشیں گے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اَنِّیْ لَآ اُضِیْعُ عَمَلَ عَامِلٍ مِّنْکُمْ مِّنْ ذَکَرٍ اَوْ اُنْثٰی بَعْضُکُمْ مِّنْ بَعْضٍ (اٰل عمرٰن ۳:۱۹۵) میں تم میں سے کسی کا عمل ضائع کرنے والا نہیں ہوں خواہ مرد ہو یا عورت، تم سب ایک دوسرے کے ہم جنس ہو۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />یعنی نوعِ انسانی کے دونوں اصناف میں سے جو صنف بھی اپنے نامۂ اعمال کو پاکیزگیِ کردار سے مزین کرلے سرخروئی اور کامیابی اس کے لیے مقدر ہوچکی ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اسلام میں عورت و مرد دونوں کو مساوی حیثیت دے کر بعض آیات میں دونوں کو انسان کی حیثیت سے خطاب کیا گیا ہے اور بعض آیات میں اصناف کے نام لے کر۔ آیاََیُّھَا النَّاسُ اور ٰٓیاََیُّھَا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا کہہ کر قرآن میں اَن گنت مقامات پر دونوں کو مخاطب کیا گیا ہے۔ جس طرح مردوں پر احکام نازل کیے گئے ہیں، اسی طرح عورتوں پر بھی احکام نازل ہوئے ہیں۔ عورت کو محض عورت ہونے کی بنا پر مستثنیٰ قرار نہیں دیا گیا۔ ذمہ داری اور جواب دہی میں عورت کو مرد کا ضمیمہ نہیں بنایا گیا بلکہ اسے امتیازی حیثیت دی گئی ہے:<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />لِلرِّجَالِ نَصِیْبٌ مِّمَّا اکْتَسَبُوْاط وَلِلنِّسَآءِ نَصِیْبٌ مِّمَّا اکْتَسَبْنَ (النسآء ۴:۳۲) جو کچھ مردوں نے کمایا ہے اس کے مطابق ان کا حصہ ہے اور جو کچھ عورتوں نے کمایا ہے اس کے مطابق ان کا حصہ۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
منفی تقسیم اور مساوات</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
الگ الگ دائرۂ کار کے باوجود مرد کو خصوصیات کے لحاظ سے عورت پر فضیلت حاصل نہیں ہے۔ قرآنِ مجید میں اس حقیقت کو ان الفاظ میں واضح فرمایا گیا ہے:<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />وَ لَا تَتَمَنَّوْا مَا فَضَّلَ اللّٰہُ بِہٖ بَعْضَکُمْ عَلٰی بَعْضٍ لِلرِّجَالِ نَصِیْبٌ مِّمَّا اکْتَسَبُوْا وَ لِلنِّسَآءِ نَصِیْبٌ مِّمَّا اکْتَسَبْنَ وَسْءَلُوا اللّٰہَ مِنْ فَضْلِہٖ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ کَانَ بِکُلِّ شَیْءٍ عَلِیْمًا o(النسآء ۴:۳۲) اور جو کچھ اللہ تعالیٰ نے تم میں سے کسی کو دوسروں کے مقابلے میں زیادہ دیا ہے، اس کی تمنا نہ کرو، جو کچھ مردوں نے کمایا ہے اُس کے مطابق اُن کا حصہ ہے اور جو کچھ عورتوں نے کمایا ہے، اس کے مطابق اُن کا حصہ۔ ہاں، اللہ سے اس کے فضل کی دُعا مانگتے رہو، یقیناًاللہ ہرچیز کا علم رکھتا ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اس آیت سے ایک طرف تو یہ بات واضح ہوگئی کہ قدرت کی طرف سے جو خصوصیات مرد و عورت کو عطا ہوئی ہیں، ان میں فضیلت کا پہلو کسی ایک ہی کے ساتھ مخصوص نہیں ہے، بلکہ اس فضیلت میں دونوں برابر کے حصہ دار ہیں۔ دوسری طرف یہ بات واضح ہوگئی کہ عورت اور مرد دونوں کی کامیابی اور سعادت اس بات میں ہے کہ ایک دوسرے کی خصوصیات پر رشک کرنے اور ان کی نقل کرنے کے بجاے ہر ایک اپنے اپنے حصے کی نعمتوں کے لیے شکرگزار رہے اور ان کا حق ادا کرنے کی کوشش کرے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />قدرت نے اپنے اپنے دائرۂ کار کے لحاظ سے اپنی عطاؤں میں مرد یا عورت کسی کے ساتھ بھی بخل نہیں کیا ہے۔ مرد کے اندر اگر تخلیق و ایجاد کا جوہر عطا کیا ہے تو عورت کو اس تخلیق و ایجاد کے ثمرات و نتائج سنبھالنے کا سلیقہ و ہنر عطا فرمایا ہے۔ مرد کو اگر حکمرانی و جہاں بانی کا حوصلہ عنایت کیا ہے تو عورت کو گھر بنانے اور بسانے کی قابلیت بخشی ہے۔ مرد کو اگر خاص علوم و فنون سے طبعی لگاؤ ہے تو عورت کے لیے بھی کچھ خاص علوم و فنون ہیں، جن سے اس کو فطری مناسبت ہے۔ مرد اگر اپنے اندر سختی، قوت اور عزیمت کے اوصاف رکھتا ہے تو عورت بھی اپنے اندر دل کشی، شیرینی اور دل ربائی کا جمال رکھتی ہے۔ قدرت کے اس نگارخانے کی زیب و زینت ان میں کسی ایک ہی صنف کے اوصاف سے نہیں ہے بلکہ مرد، عورت دونوں کے اوصاف سے ہے۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
معاشرتی مساوات</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
اسلام نے معاشرے میں عورت کو ماں، بہن، بیوی اور بیٹی کی حیثیت سے نہ صرف مساوی بلکہ تقدس و مرتبے میں مرد سے بہت بڑھ کر حقوق دیے ہیں:<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />ماں کی حیثیت سے: ایک شخص نے رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم سے پوچھا: میرے حسنِ سلوک کا سب سے زیادہ مستحق کون ہے؟ آپؐ نے فرمایا: تیری ماں۔ اس نے (چوتھی مرتبہ) عرض کیا: پھر کون؟ فرمایا: تیرا باپ۔ غور فرمایئے کہ ماں، یعنی عورت کا رُتبہ باپ، یعنی مرد سے کس قدر بالاتر ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />بیٹی کی حیثیت سے: ’’جس نے دو لڑکیوں کی پرورش کی یہاں تک کہ وہ بلوغت کو پہنچ گئیں تو قیامت کے روز مَیں اور وہ اس طرح آئیں گے جیسے میرے ہاتھ کی انگلیاں ساتھ ساتھ ہیں‘‘۔ (مسلم)<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />بہن کی حیثیت سے: اسی طرح تحفظ و تقدس کے لحاظ سے بہن کو بھی مساوی سے بڑھ کر درجہ دیاگیا ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />بیوی کی حیثیت سے: بیوی کی حیثیت بہت زیادہ ہے۔ بیوی کے بارے میں شوہر کو یہاں تک کہہ دیا گیا: ’’دنیا کی نعمتوں میں بہترین نعمت نیک بیوی ہے‘‘۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />ملاحظہ کیجیے کہ عورت کو ہر حیثیت میں معاشرے میں کس قدر عزت و احترام کے قابل ٹھیرایا گیا ہے۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
تمدنی مساوات</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
تمدنی لحاظ سے اسلام نے عورت کو مرد سے بڑھ کر حقوق عطا کیے ہیں:<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />انتخابِ زوج کا حق: اگر مرد کو بیوی کے انتخاب کا حق حاصل ہے تو عورت کو بھی شوہر کے انتخاب کا پورا حق دیا گیا ہے۔ اس کی مرضی کے خلاف یا اس کی رضامندی کے بغیر کوئی شخص اس کا نکاح نہیں کرسکتا۔ اگر وہ خود اپنی مرضی سے کسی مسلم کے ساتھ نکاح کرلے تو اسے کوئی روک نہیں سکتا، البتہ تحفظِ عزت کی خاطر یہ طریقہ اختیار کیا گیا کہ لڑکیاں اپنا نکاح خود نہ کرتی پھریں، کیوں کہ ان کے لیے ناممکن ہوتا ہے کہ وہ اچھی طرح مرداور اس کے لواحقین کو پرکھ یا دیکھ سکیں۔ اس میں باپ اور خاندان کے معاشرتی مقام اور تعلقات کا خیال رکھنا بہتر ثابت ہوتا ہے۔ اس لیے شرعی طور پر ولی اور لڑکی دونوں کی رضامندی ضروری قرار دی گئی۔ البتہ اگر اس کی نظرِ انتخاب کسی ایسے شخص پر پڑے جو اس کے خاندان کے مرتبے سے گرا ہوا ہو تو صرف اس صورت میں اس کے اولیا کو اعتراض کا حق حاصل ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />کمسنی کے نکاح میں اختیار: خیار بلوغ، یعنیاگر کسی لڑکی کا نکاح کمسنی میں کردیاگیا ہو تو وہ شعور کو پہنچ کر اسے برقرار رکھنے یا فسخ کردینے کا اختیار رکھتی ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />خلع کا حق: عورت کو طلاق دینے کا اختیار مرد کو حاصل ہے،تاہم اس کے ساتھ ساتھ ناپسندیدہ اور ناکارہ یا ظالم شوہر سے علیحدگی کے لیے عورت کو خلع اور تنسیخ و تفریق کے وسیع حقوق دیے گئے ہیں۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />نکاح ثانی کا حق: بیوی اور مطلقہ عورتوں اور ایسی عام عورتوں کو جن کے نکاح ازروے قانون فسخ کیے گئے ہوں یا جن کو حکم تفریق کے ذریعے سے شوہر سے جدا کر دیا گیا ہو، نکاح ثانی کا غیرمشروط حق دیا گیا ہے۔ اس امر کی تصریح بھی کر دی گئی ہے کہ ان پر سابق شوہر یا اس کے کسی رشتہ دار کا کوئی حق باقی نہیں۔ یہ وہ حق ہے جو آج یورپ و امریکا کے بیش تر ممالک میں بھی عورت کو نہیں ملا ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />دیوانی اور فوج داری قوانین میں: دیوانی اور فوج داری کے قوانین میں عورت اور مرد کے درمیان کامل مساوات قائم کی گئی ہے۔ جان و مال اور عزت کے تحفظ میں اسلامی قانون عورت اور مرد کے درمیان کسی قسم کا امتیاز نہیں رکھتا۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
معاشی مساوات</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
سب سے اہم اور ضروری چیز جس کی بدولت تمدن میں انسان کی منزلت قائم ہوتی ہے اور جو آج مساوات مردو زن کے نعرے کا سب سے بڑا اور اہم پہلو ہے۔ وہ معاشی حیثیت کی مضبوطی ہے۔ ذرا غور فرمایئے کہ اسلام نے عورت کو کمانے کی ذمہ داری سے بری الذمہ قرار دیتے ہوئے بھی معاشی لحاظ سے اسے نہ صرف مرد کے مساوی بلکہ زیادہ بہتر مقام عطا کیا ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />حقِ ملکیت: عورت کی ملکیت کا حق تسلیم کیا گیا ہے۔ عورت اپنے مال کی خود مالک و مختار ہے۔ اس کے باپ، اس کے شوہر اور دوسرے قریبی رشتہ داروں کو اس میں مداخلت کا اختیار نہیں۔ اس ضمن میں قابلِ ذکر بات یہ ہے کہ اپنے شوہر کے مال پر تصرف کا حق تو اسے دیا گیا لیکن اس کے ذاتی مال پر اس کی اجازت و مرضی اور خوشی کے بغیر کسی کو تصرف کا حق حاصل نہیں۔ وہ تجارت کرسکتی ہے یا کوئی منافع بخش کام۔ اس کے اپنے تصرف میں کوئی دخیل نہیں ہوسکتا۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />نفقہ کی ذمہ داری: عورت بحیثیت بیوی خواہ کتنی ہی مال دار ہو، اُس کا نفقہ بہرحال اس کے شوہر کے ذمے ہے، جو اس کے شوہر کی مالی حیثیت کے اعتبار سے، یعنی بقدر استطاعت طے کیا جائے گا۔ اس بارے میں مرد کی کوتاہی کی صورت میں شرعی عدالت سے رجوع کیا جاسکتا ہے۔ اگر اس کا شوہر نادار اور تنگ دست ہے اور اس کی معاونت کے طور پر وہ اپنا مال اس کے حوالے کرتی ہے تو یہ بہترین صدقہ بن جائے گا۔ اس پر اسے عنداللہ ثواب ملے گا۔ شوہر نہ ہونے کی صورت میں بھی قریب ترین مرد، باپ، بھائی وغیرہ کفالت کے ذمہ دار بنائے گئے ہیں۔ اس کو خود اپنے لیے پریشان ہونے کی ضرورت نہیں۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />حق مہر: بیوی حقِ زوجیت کے طور پر مہر کی مستحق ہے اور مہر کا ادا کرنا فرض ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />وراثت کا حق: اپنے باپ، شوہر، اولاد اور دوسرے قریبی رشتہ داروں سے اسے وراثت ملتی ہے۔ وراثت میں عورت کا حصہ مرد کے مقابلے میں نصف اس لیے رکھا گیا ہے کہ عورت کو نفقہ اور مہر کے حقوق حاصل ہیں جن سے مرد محروم ہے اور مرد پر ہر حالت میں اس کی کفالت واجب ہے۔ جب عورت پر وہ ذمہ داریاں نہیں جو مرد پر ہیں تو وراثت میں بھی اس کا وہ حصہ نہ ہونا چاہیے جو مرد کا ہے۔ بیوی خواہ کتنی ہی مال دار ہو، اس کا شوہر نہ تو اس کے مال پر تصرف کا حق رکھتا ہے، نہ اس کے نفقہ سے بری الذمہ ہوسکتا ہے۔ اس طرح اسلام میں عورت کی معاشی حیثیت اتنی مستحکم ہوگئی ہے کہ بسااوقات وہ مرد سے زیادہ بہتر حالت میں ہوتی ہے۔ گویا اس میدان میں بھی عورت مرد سے مساوی سے بھی بہتر درجہ رکھتی ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اب ذرا مقابلہ کیجیے کہ یورپ عورت کو کمانے والا فرد بنا کر بھی اس کو وہ معاشی برابری اور استحکام عطا نہ کرسکا جو اسلام نے عورت کو گھر کی ملکہ بنا کر معاشی مسئلے سے بے فکر رکھ کے کردیا ہے۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
حصولِ علم اور تعلیم و تربیت</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
عورتوں کو نہ صرف دینی اور دنیوی تعلیم سیکھنے کی اجازت دی گئی بلکہ ان کی تعلیم و تربیت کو اس قدر ضروری قرار دیا گیا ہے جس قدر مرد کے لیے۔ نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم نے فرمایا: ’’علم حاصل کرنا ہرمسلمان پر فرض ہے‘‘۔ نبی اکرم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم سے دین و اخلاق کی تعلیم جس طرح مرد حاصل کرتے تھے اسی طرح عورتیں بھی حاصل کرتی تھیں۔ اشراف تو درکنار نبیؐ نے لونڈیوں تک کو علم و ادب سکھانے کا حکم دیا تھا۔ آپؐ کی ازواجِ مطہراتؓ اور خصوصاً حضرت عائشہؓ نہ صرف عورتوں بلکہ مردوں کی بھی معلّمہ تھیں اور بڑے بڑے صحابہ و تابعین ان سے حدیث و تفسیر اورفقہ کی تعلیم حاصل کرتے تھے۔ پس جہاں تک نفس تعلیم و تربیت کا تعلق ہے، اسلام نے عورت اور مرد کے درمیان کوئی امتیاز نہیں رکھا ہے، البتہ نوعیت میں فرق ضروری ہے کیوں کہ دائرۂ عمل الگ الگ ہیں۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اسلامی نقطۂ نظر سے عورت کے لیے صحیح تعلیم وتربیت وہ ہے جو اس کو بہترین بیوی اور بہترین ماں بنائے اور اس کا دائرۂ عمل گھر ہے۔ اس لیے خصوصیت کے ساتھ اس کو ان علوم کی تعلیم دی جانی چاہیے جو اس دائرے میں اسے زیادہ مفید بنا سکتے ہیں۔ مزیدبرآں وہ علوم بھی اس کے لیے ضروری ہیں جو انسان کو انسان بنانے والے اوراس کے اخلاق کو سنوارنے والے اور اس کی نظر کو وسیع کرنے والے ہیں۔ ایسے علوم اور ایسی تربیت سے آراستہ ہونے کا حق اسلام نے ہرمسلمان عورت کو دیا ہے۔ اس کے بعد اگر کوئی عورت غیرمعمولی عقلی و ذہنی استعداد رکھتی ہو اور ان علوم کے علاوہ دیگر علوم و فنون کی اعلیٰ تعلیم بھی حاصل کرنی چاہے، تو اسلام اس کی راہ میں مزاحم نہیں ہے بشرطیکہ وہ ان حدود سے تجاوز نہ کرے جو شریعت نے عورتوں کے لیے مقرر کی ہیں۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />دینی خدمت اور تنظیم و اجتماع<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />امر بالمعروف اور نہی عن المنکر کا فریضہ جس طرح مردوں پر عائد کیا گیا ہے، اسی طرح اسلام نے عورتوں پر بھی شہادتِ حق کی عظیم ذمہ داری ڈالی ہے اور ان کو اس سے مستثنیٰ قرار نہیں دیا، البتہ عورت کے مخصوص دائرۂ عمل کو اس میدان میں بھی ملحوظ رکھا ہے۔ اس کے اُوپر بھی مرد کی طرح اپنوں اور گھروالوں کو حق پر ثابت قدم رکھنے کے ساتھ دیگر افرادِ معاشرہ خصوصاً خواتین کی خیرو صلاح کی ذمہ داری بھی عائد ہوتی ہے۔ اسلامی نظام کو قائم کرنے کی جدوجہد میں وہ اپنے بھائیوں، باپوں، شوہروں اور بیٹوں کو اس ذمہ داری کے لیے آمادہ کریں، اور اس کے بعد معاشرے میں اقامتِ دین کا فریضہ انجام دیں۔ ثمرہ بنت نہیک کے متعلق لکھا ہے کہ وہ بازاروں میں گھوم پھر کر بھلائی کا حکم دیتیں اور برائی سے روکتی تھیں۔ ان کے ایک ہاتھ میں کوڑا ہوتا تھا جس سے وہ لوگوں کو منکر کے ارتکاب پر مارتی تھیں۔ اس معاملے میں خواتین اُمت نے نہ تو رعایا کی پروا کی اور نہ فرماں رواؤں اور حاکموں کی۔ ان کے ایمانی جذبات نے جس طرح دین کے کھلے دشمنوں کا مقابلہ کیا، اسی طرح دین کے نام لیواؤں کے تضادِ فکروعمل کو بھی برداشت کرنے سے انکار کر دیا۔ کلمۂ حق کے اظہار میں نہ تو باطل کی بڑی سے بڑی قوت ان کے لیے مانع نہیں اور نہ جابر وسخت گیر حکام کی زیادتی و سختی۔ یہ حق عورت کو اسلام نے ہی دیا ہے۔ گویا شریعت کی بتائی ہوئی اخلاقی حدود کے اندر رہ کر جس طرح مرد تنظیم و احتجاج کی آزادی کا حق رکھتا ہے، اسی طرح عورت بھی برابر یہ حق رکھتی ہے، بشرطیکہ تنظیم سازی اور اجتماع بھلائی کے فروغ اور برائی کے انسداد کے لیے ہو۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
سیاسی زندگی میں شرکت</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
اسلام نے عورت کو خانگی زندگی سے متعلق ضرور کیا ہے مگر اس کی فکروعمل کی دنیا کو محدود نہیں کیا۔ دائرۂ عمل کی تقسیم کے اعتبار سے سیاست، ملکی انتظام، فوجی خدمات اور اسی طرح کے دوسرے دفاعی، معاشرتی، معاشی اور صنعتی امور مردوں کے دائرے سے تعلق رکھتے ہیں اور اسلام عورت کو معاشرت و تمدن کی دوسری اہم اور ضروری خدمات کے لیے ان جھمیلوں سے الگ رکھنا چاہتا ہے، لیکن اس کے باوجود عورت اگر خانگی ذمہ داریوں کو پورا کرنے کے بعد اپنے حالات، ذوق اور رجحان کے لحاظ سے زندگی کےُ مختلف میدانوں میں حصہ لینا چاہے تو اسلام اسے نہیں روکتا۔ تاہم، اس کے لیے کچھ اخلاقی حدود قائم کرتا ہے جو عین فطرت کے مطابق اور مقصود انسانیت تک پہنچنے کے لیے ناگزیر ہیں۔ ایک یہ کہ عورت ہر حال میں اپنی حقیقی پوزیشن پر نظر رکھے۔ باہر کی ذمہ داریاں اتنی نہ بڑھائے کہ اس کے اصل خانگی فرائض ادھورے رہ جائیں۔ دوسرے یہ کہ وہ اپنے شوہر کی اطاعت کرے۔ تیسرے یہ کہ اگر مسلمان عورت اپنے شوہر کی اجازت و رضامندی کے ساتھ گھر سے باہر مختلف تعلیمی و دینی اور سماجی خدمات انجام دے تو یہ حقیقت نظرانداز نہ کرے کہ شریعت نے، اس کے اور اجنبی مردوں کے درمیان اخلاق و قانون کی ایک دیوار کھڑی کر دی ہے۔ چنانچہ وہ باہر نکلے تو مکمل اسلامی قدروں اور پابندیوں کو ملحوظ رکھ کر۔ اس طرح ایک باصلاحیت خاتون ایک طرف وہ سارے کام کرسکتی ہے جو خاص طور پر عورتوں کے کرنے کے ہیں، اور دوسری طرف وہ پردے میں رہتے ہوئے مختلف سماجی و سیاسی سرگرمیوں میں حصہ لے سکتی ہے۔ یہ دائرے چونکہ عورت کے لیے کلیتاً ممنوع نہیں ہیں اور خود اسلامی ریاست کو بھی ضرورت ہوتی ہے کہ وہ عورتوں کے مسائل، ضروریات اور تعلیم و ترقی کے بارے میں مناسب اقدامات کرے، اس لیے شرعی حدود کا احترام کرتے ہوئے اگر خواتین کے ادارے ہرسطح اور ہر پہلو سے جداگانہ ہوں، مثلاً ان کی اپنی تعلیم گاہیں، ہسپتال، یونی ورسٹیاں اور کونسلیں قائم ہوں تو وہ وہاں بھی مرد کے شانہ بشانہ قومی ترقی میں اپنا حصہ مؤثر طریقے سے ادا کرسکتی ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />حصولِ انصاف میں مساوات<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اسلام نے نہ صرف بنیادی حقوق میں عورت کو فضیلت و برتری عطا کی بلکہ ان حقوق کے غصب ہوجانے کی صورت میں اسے عدل حاصل کرنے کا مکمل حق عطا فرمایا۔ ان حقوق کی حفاظت کے مواقع عطا کرتے ہوئے اسے قانونی چارہ جوئی کا حق مردوں کے برابر عطا کیا کیونکہ اسلامی معاشرہ عورت پر ظلم و زیادتی کو بہرے کانوں سے نہیں سنتا، اور اندھی آنکھوں سے نہیں دیکھتا، بلکہ وہ اس کے حقوق کا پاسبان و محافظ ہوتا ہے اور عدل و انصاف کے لیے اس کی ہر فریاد کا جواب دینا اپنا فرض سمجھتا ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />ایک صحابیؓ نے اپنی لڑکی کا نکاح ایک مال دار شخص سے کر دیا۔ لیکن لڑکی اس شخص کو پسند نہیں کرر ہی تھی۔ اس نے حضوؐر سے عرض کی: میرے والد نے میری شادی اپنے ایک دولت مند بھتیجے سے کر دی ہے تاکہ اپنی کشایش کا سامان کرے۔ آپؐ نے فرمایا: اگر تجھ کو یہ عقد پسند نہیں ہے تو تو آزاد ہے۔ اس نے کہا : میرے والد نے جو اقدام کیا ہے میں اس کو بحال کرتی ہوں، بلکہ میں چاہتی ہوں کہ عورتوں کو یہ معلوم ہوجائے کہ ان کی مرضی کے خلاف باپوں کو ان کے نکاح کا حق نہیں ہے۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
مساوات سے بڑہ کر حُسنِ سلوک</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
اسلام نے مردوں کو عورتوں کے ساتھ حُسنِ سلوک اور فیاضانہ برتاؤ کی خصوصی ہدایت کی ہے۔ قرآن کا ارشاد ہے: وَعَاشِرُوْھُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ(النسآء۴:۱۹) ’’عورتوں کے ساتھ نیکی کا برتاؤ کرو‘‘۔ پھر فرمایا: ’’آپس کے تعلقات میں فیاضی کو نہ بھول جاؤ‘‘۔ نبی اکرم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کا ارشاد ہے: ’’تم میں سے اچھے لوگ وہ ہیں جو اپنی بیویوں کے ساتھ اچھے ہیں اور اپنے اہل و عیال کے ساتھ لطف و مہربانی کا سلوک کرنے والے ہیں‘‘۔ گویا مرد کے کردار کو جانچنے کے لیے معیار بھی عورت کو بنایا گیا۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />مندرجہ بالا بحث کی روشنی میں ہم نے دیکھا کہ جو حقوق ہر انسان کا بنیادی حق ہیں، ان میں اسلام عورت کو نہ صرف مرد کے مساوی قرار دیتا ہے، بلکہ وہ صرف نسل انسانی کی امین و پرورش کنندہ بن کر مرد سے زیادہ محترم، اس سے تین گنا زائد خدمت کی مستحق، اور اپنے پاؤں تلے جنت رکھنے والی ہستی بن جاتی ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />مساوات مرد و زن اور معاشرتی تقسیم<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />جیساکہ واضح ہوچکا ہے کہ اسلام ایک طرف معاشرتی و اجتماعی دائرے کے اندر مرد و زن کی کامل مساوات کا مدعی ہے، اور کسی پہلو سے بھی مرد کے لیے کسی قسم کی ترجیح تسلیم کرنے کا روادار نہیں ہے، کیونکہ فطرت نہ تو کسی کو زیادہ چاہتی ہے اور نہ کسی سے دشمنی رکھتی ہے۔ لہٰذا اس نے عورت کو عورت کی جگہ رکھ کر اور مرد کو مرد کے مقام پر مساوی درجہ دیا ہے لیکن دوسری طرف معاشرتی نظام میں وہ مرد کو عورت پر ایک درجہ ترجیح دیتا ہے اور اس ترجیح کو نظامِ معاشرت میں توازن قائم رکھنے کے لیے ضروری قرار دیتا ہے:<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اَلرِّجَالُ قَوّٰمُوْنَ عَلَی النِّسَآءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ اللّٰہُ بَعْضَھُمْ عَلٰی بَعْضٍ وَّبِمَآ اَنْفَقُوْا مِنْ اَمْوَالِھِمْ (النسآء ۴:۳۴) مرد عورتوں پر قوام ہیں، اس کی بنا پر کہ اللہ نے ان میں سے ایک کو دوسرے پر فضیلت عطا کی ہے، اور اس بنا پر کہ مرد اپنے مال خرچ کرتے ہیں۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
قوام کا مفھوم و اھمیت</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
ترجیح کے اس مسئلے کو سمجھنے سے پہلے آیئے دیکھیں کہ قوام کس کو کہتے ہیں؟<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />قوام یا قیم اس شخص کو کہتے ہیں جو کسی فرد یا ادارے یا اجتماعی نظام کے معاملات کو چلانے، اس کی حفاظت و نگرانی کرنے اور اس کے لیے مطلوبہ ضروریات فراہم کرنے کا ذمہ دار ہو۔ مرد اِن تینوں معنوں میں قوام یا قیم ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />ایک خاندان سے لے کر ریاست تک پھیلے ہوئے سیکڑوں اداروں میں سے کسی ایک کی نشان دہی کردیجیے جہاں سربراہ اور منتظم اعلیٰ نہ ہو یا ایک سے زائد ہوں اور وہ بالکل یکساں اور مساوی اختیارات رکھنے والے ہوں۔’وحدت‘ اس کائنات ہی کے نظم و انصرام تک محدود نہیں۔ یہ ہرچھوٹے سے چھوٹے انتظامی یونٹ کے لیے بھی ضروری ہے جہاں مساوی اختیارات اور حیثیت کی ثنویت ہوگی وہاں سرے سے کوئی نظام چل ہی نہیں سکتا۔ ہسپتال، کالج، کارخانے سے لے کر ملک و ریاست تک ہر اجتماعی ادارے میں سربراہی کی ضرورت ہوتی ہے۔ پھر کیا وجہ ہے کہ دوسرے اداروں کی طرح خاندان اور گھر میں جو کہ اجتماعیت کا بنیادی یونٹ ہے، سربراہی کی ضرورت نہ ہو؟<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />خانگی زندگی کے نظم کو برقرار رکھنے کے لیے بہرحال زوجین میں سے ایک کا قوام اور صاحبِ امر ہونا ضروری ہے۔ اگر دونوں بالکل مساوی درجے اور مساوی اختیارات رکھنے والے ہوں تو بدنظمی کا پیدا ہونا یقینی ہے۔ جیساکہ فی الواقع ان قوموں میں رونما ہورہی ہے، جنھوں نے عملاً زوجین کے درمیان اس قسم کی مساوات پیدا کرنے کی کوشش کی ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اسلام چونکہ ایک فطری دین ہے، اس لیے اس نے انسانی فطرت کا لحاظ کرکے زوجین میں سے ایک کو خاندان کا سربراہ اور سرپرست مقرر کیا ہے اور یہ حیثیت مرد کو دی ہے۔ مرد کے قوام اور ایک درجے اُوپر ہونے کا مطلب یہی ہے کہ وہ اپنے خاندان کا منتظم اور کفیل ہے اور حضوؐر کی ایک حدیث کے مطابق اُس سے اس ذمہ داری کے سلسلے میں خدا کے ہاں بازپُرس ہوگی۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />یہاں ایک سوال پیدا ہوتا ہے کہ کیا اس سے مرد حاکم اور عورت محکوم بن گئی؟ کیا مرد آقا اور عورت لونڈی بن گئی اور اس کے عزت و احترام میں فرق آگیا؟<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اس سوال کا سیدھا سا جواب یہ ہے کہ کیا وہ اجتماعی ادارے جہاں مرد مردوں کے سربراہ اور قوام ہیں، کیا وہاں مرد مردوں کے غلام ہیں؟ اگر نہیں تو پھر یہ معاملہ صرف عورت ہی کے ساتھ کیوں اُلٹ سمجھا جاتا ہے۔ جہاں تک عزت و احترام کا تعلق ہے، اس کا ’مساواتِ فرائض‘ سے کوئی تعلق نہیں۔ پرائمری سکول کا ایک مشفق اور ایمان دار استاد ڈپٹی کمشنر سے زیادہ لائق احترام ہے، حالانکہ وسائل، اختیارات اور عہدے کی شان و شوکت کے لحاظ سے ان دونوں کے درمیان کوئی مساوات نہیں۔ کسی کے زیرکفالت ہونا بھی کوئی تحقیر و تذلیل کی بات نہیں۔ اگر بچوں اور نوجوان اولاد کی عزتِ نفس یہ کہنے سے مجروح نہیں ہوتی کہ ان کا باپ ان کا کفیل ہے یا ضعیف والدین اپنے بچوں کے زیرکفالت آکر ذلیل و خوار نہیں ہوتے، تو عورت کے لیے محض یہ بات کہ مرد اس کا کفیل ہے کیونکر وجۂ ندامت و شرمندگی ہے۔ وہ کیوں اس فکر میں مبتلا ہوگئی ہے کہ شوہر کی طرح جب تک معاشی سرگرمیوں کا بار نہ اُٹھائے اسے مساوی حیثیت اور عزت حاصل نہیں ہوسکتی۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
مرد ھی قوام کیوں ؟</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
مرد کو قوام بنانے کی وجوہات خود شریعت ہی واضح کرتی ہے، جو یہ ہیں:<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />lفطری دائرہ عمل: تمدن کی جو اعلیٰ خدمات عورت سے لینا مطلوب ہیں اور جس مقصد کے لیے تخلیق کا بار اس پر ڈالا گیا، ان تمام مقاصد کے لیے ضروری تھا کہ اس کو معاشرے میں تحفظ و تکریم نصیب ہو۔ اس لیے بیرونی ماحول اور اس کی کثافتوں سے محفوظ کرنے کا انتظام کیا گیا۔ معاشرت، خاندانی زندگی، پردے اور غضِ بصر کے احکامات اس کو یہ تحفظ، تکریم اور وقار بخشتے ہیں۔ عورت کی نسائیت اور فطرت کو برقرار رکھنے کے لیے مرد کو ہی قوام بنانا ناگزیر تھا۔ عورت کے دائرۂ عمل کو واضح کرتے ہوئے آنحضورؐ نے فرمایا: اَلْمَرْأَۃُ رَاعِیَۃٌ عَلٰی بَیْتِ زَوْجِھَا وَھُوَ مَسْءُوْلہ (بخاری)، یعنی عورت اپنے شوہر کے گھر کی حکمران ہے اور وہ اپنی حکومت کے دائرے میں اپنے عمل کے لیے جواب دہ ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />یہ دائرۂ عمل عین اس کی فطرت کے مطابق ہے۔ چنانچہ خدا نے مرد کو قوام بناکر عورت کا معاشی کفیل بنا دیا اور اس کی عزت و ناموس کے تحفظ اور جملہ ضروریات کی فراہمی کا ذمہ دار بناکر عورت کو خود دوسرے عظیم تر مقصد کی تکمیل کے لیے فارغ کر دیا۔ اس کا اصل کام نسلِ انسانی کی امانت کو سنبھالنا، خونِ جگر سے اسے پروان چڑھانا، تعلیم و تربیت دینا اور یوں انسانی معاشرے کو اس کا سب سے قیمتی سرمایہ مہیا کرنا ہے۔ اسی خدمت نے اسے عظمت کے اس مقام پر پہنچایا کہ جنت اس کے قدموں تلے اور باپ کے مقابلے میں تین گنا زائد خدمت کا حق دار ٹھیرایا۔ یہ مقام اس ’مساوات‘ سے بہت بلندوبالا ہے، جس کے لیے آج اس عظیم ہستی کو دوڑایا جا رہا ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />lمالی کفالت: مرد کو قوام بنانے کی دوسری بڑی وجہ اُسی آیت میں انھی الفاظ سے متصل ہمیں مل جاتی ہے جس میں مرد کو قوام بنانے کا حکم دیا گیا:<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />وَّبِمَآ اَنْفَقُوْا مِنْ اَمْوَالِھِمْ (النسآء ۴:۳۴) اور اس بنا پر کہ مرد اپنے مال خرچ کرتے ہیں۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />یعنی مرد پر خاندان کے لیے روزی کمانے اور ضروریاتِ زندگی فراہم کرنے کی ذمہ داری ہے اور سواے کسی استثنائی صورت کے خاندان کی کفالت کا بوجھ مرد اُٹھاتا ہے اور اپنی صلاحیتوں کے لحاظ سے وہی اس بوجھ کے اُٹھانے کے لائق ہے۔ بیوی بچوں کے نفقے کا قانونی ذمہ دار مرد ہی ہے، عورت نہیں۔ اس لیے مرد ہی اس بات کا سزاوار ہے کہ اس ذمہ داری کی نسبت اس کو سربراہ یا قوام کا حق بھی دیا جائے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />lفطری و جسمانی ساخت: یہ ایک حقیقت ہے کہ ہرشخص میں ہرقسم کے کام کی صلاحیت نہیں ہوتی۔ کوئی کسی کام کے لیے موزوں ہے تو کوئی کسی دوسرے کام کے لیے ناموزوں ہوگا۔ کسی کی جسمانی ساخت محنت اور مشقت برداشت کرے گی تو کوئی بالکل اس کے قابل نہ ہوگا۔ کوئی سائنسی تحقیقات کا اہل ہے تو کوئی آرٹسٹ بننے کی صلاحیت اپنے اندر رکھتا ہے۔ صلاحیتوں کا یہ اختلاف یوں تو ہر دو افراد کے درمیان پایا جاتا ہے لیکن جہاں انسانوں کی ایک صنف کا دوسری صنف سے مقابلہ کیا جائے تو یہ اختلاف بہت ہی واضح اور نمایاں نظر آنے لگتا ہے۔ عورت اور مرد کے درمیان یہ اختلاف شریعت کی نگاہ میں فکری و عملی دونوں پہلوؤں سے ہے۔ چنانچہ عورتوں کے متعلق نبی اکرم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کا ارشاد ہے: نَاقِصَاتُ عَقْلٍ وَّ دِیْنٍ (بخاری) یہاں عقل سے اس کے قواے ذہنی کی طرف اشارہ ہے اور دین سے اس کی جسمانی طاقتیں مراد ہیں، یعنی ان دونوں پہلوؤں سے وہ مرد سے کمزور اور ناقص واقع ہوئی ہے۔ (سید جلال الدین انصرعمری، عورت اسلامی معاشرہ میں، ص ۲۰۰)<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />جدید تحقیقات نے بھی یہ ثابت کر دیا ہے کہ عورت کا دماغ مرد کے دماغ سے چھوٹا ہے (مولانا محمد ظفیرالدین، اسلام کا نظامِ عفت و عظمت، ص ۲۴۷)۔ پھر عورت ہر حال میں یکساں توانا اور تندرست نہیں رہتی۔ اس پر زندگی میں کچھ زمانہ ایسا گزرتا ہے جس میں وہ بڑی حد تک بیکار ہوجاتی ہے اور دوسرے کی امداد و اعانت کی محتاج رہتی ہے۔ میری مراد حمل، رضاعت، بچوں کی تربیت اور حیض و نفاس کے زمانے سے ہے۔ جذبات کی فراوانی، حیا و حیات کی نزاکت، انتہاپسندی کی جانب میل اور التفات عورت کی فطرت ہے اور یہ نسائیت کے لیے عیب نہیں، اس کا حُسن ہے۔ اس سے جو کچھ بھی فائدہ اُٹھایا جاسکتا ہے، فطرت پر قائم رکھ کر ہی اُٹھایا جاسکتا ہے۔ اس کو مردوں کی طرح سیدھا اور سخت بنانا اس کو توڑنے کے مترادف ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />چنانچہ شریعت اسلامی نے اس کی ان کمزوریوں کو صرف تسلیم ہی نہیں کیا ہے بلکہ زندگی کے ہرپہلو میں ان کی رعایت کی ہے۔ چونکہ دنیا میں کام ایک طرح کے نہیں ہوتے۔ چھوٹے بڑے، اہم اور غیراہم ہرطرح کے ہوتے ہیں۔ ان کے انجام دینے کے لیے اسی نوعیت کی صلاحیتیں درکار ہوتی ہیں اور مرد ذہنی و جسمانی توانائیوں میں عورت سے مضبوط ہوتا ہے۔ وہ زیادہ قوی و توانا ہوتا ہے۔ غیرجذباتی اور مستقل مزاج ہوتا ہے، اور عورت کے برعکس عام طور پر یکساں ایک جیسی حالت میں رہتا ہے۔ اس لیے اس کو قوام بنا کر اس کو وہی کام دے دیے جو اس کی فطرت اور صلاحیتوں کے مطابق تھے، مثلاً بیرونی ذمہ داریاں، معاشی بوجھ، دفاع اور حکومت کے فرائض وغیرہ۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />غور کیجیے یہ تمام وجوہات عین فطرت کے مطابق ہیں، عورت کی بھی اور مرد کی بھی۔ یہ فطرت خالق کی عطاکردہ ہے۔ کسی صنف نے خود اسے حاصل نہیں کیا۔ اسی طرح فضیلت کے حصول میں مرد کی اپنی کسی کوشش یا خواہش کا کوئی دخل نہیں۔ یہ خالق کائنات کی اپنی اسکیم ہے، جس کے تحت اس نے مرد اور عورت کے درمیان یہ درجہ بندی کی ہے۔ اس پر اعتراض کرنے اور اس کے خلاف چیخنے کا مطلب اس کے سوا اور کچھ نہیں کہ ہم قدرت کی اس تقسیم سے راضی نہیں ہیں۔ لہٰذا اب اگر کسی ناقص العقل کو اس ترجیح اور تقسیم پر اعتراض ہو تو اسے کم عقلی ہی کہا جاسکتا ہے۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
فطری معاشرتی تقسیم کو نہ ماننے کے نتائج</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
یہ بات بھی سمجھ لیجیے کہ قدرت کی اس تقسیم کے خلاف جب بھی انسان نے کوئی کام کیا وہ تباہ و برباد ہی ہوا۔ عورت نے خالق کی تقسیم کے مطابق ایک مرد کی خدمت کو محکومی سمجھا تو وہ ایئرہوسٹس، ٹیلی فون آپریٹر، پرائیویٹ سیکرٹری، اور مزدور کی حیثیت سے ہر جگہ سیکڑوں مردوں کی محکوم بن گئی۔ پارلیمنٹ ہو یا بنک، سیاسی جماعتیں ہوں یا ٹریڈ یونینیں، تنظیمیں، دفاتر ہوں یا کارخانے، وزارتِ دفاع ہو یا وزارتِ داخلہ، عام کاروباری ادارے ہوں یا ڈیپارٹمنٹل سٹور جیسی وسیع دکانیں، ہے کوئی ایسی جگہ جہاں عورت کی بالادستی توکجا، اس کی مساوی حیثیت بھی تسلیم کی گئی ہو؟ جو عورت صرف اپنے شوہر کا بستر بچھایا کرتی تھی وہ اب بڑے بڑے ہوٹلوں، کلبوں اور تفریحی مقامات پر سیکڑوں اجنبی مردوں کے بستر آراستہ کرتی ہے۔ جو اپنے ایک شوہر اور بچوں کو انس و محبت کی فضا میں کھانا کھلاتی تھی وہ اب ہوٹلوں اور کلبوں کی میزوں پر ہزاروں مردوں کو کھانا کھلاتی، شراب پلاتی اور ان کی جھڑکیاں سنتی ہے۔ ان کے فحش بے ہودہ کلمات کا نشانہ بنتی ہے۔ ان کے ہاتھوں اپنی آبرو لٹاتی ہے اور عزت و احترام کے بجاے ذلت و خواری اس کا مقدر بنتی ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />حقیقت یہ ہے کہ یورپ نے اور اس کی اندھی تقلید کرنے والوں نے عورت کو دیا تو کچھ نہیں، البتہ اس سے سب کچھ چھین لیا۔ اس کا گھر، اس کا سکون، اس کی عزت و آبرو، اس کا حُسن، اس کا جسم اور اس کی توانائیاں___ اس کا زبردست استحصال کیا اور اسے ظلم کی چکی میں پیس ڈالا۔ اسے ’حقوق‘ کے نام پر بیوقوف بنایا گیا۔ وہ فریب خوردگی کا شکار بن کر اپنی آبرومندانہ زندگی اور مقدس و محترم حیثیت کھو بیٹھی ہے۔ عورت کو ذلت و پستی میں دھکیلنے اور کفالت کے تمام سہاروں سے محروم کر کے اپنی روزی آپ کمانے کی مصیبت میں مبتلا کرنے کی ابلیسی تدابیر نے جس پُرفریب نعرے کے جلو میں اسے آگے بڑھایا ہے وہ ’مساوات مردو زن‘ ہی کا نعرہ ہے۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
عورت کے لیے حقیقی مساوات</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
بلاشبہہ یہ ایک کھلی حقیقت ہے کہ جو آج سے چودہ سو سال قبل خالق کائنات نے محمدعربی صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کے ذریعے ہم تک مساواتِ مرد وزن کا قاعدے اور کلیے کی طرح اٹل قانون پہنچادیا کہ وَلَھُنَّ مِثْلُ الَّذِیْ عَلَیْھِنَّ، ’’جس طرح کے حقوق مردوں کے عورتوں پر ہیں، اس کے مثل خود عورتوں کے مرد پر ہیں‘‘، وہی قانون درحقیقت مساوات کی بنیاد اور اعلان ہے۔ اب بھی اگر کسی کو یہ غلط فہمی ہو کہ مرد کی قوامیت سے عورت کے حقوق غصب ہوگئے ہیں تو مندرجہ بالا بنیادی حقوق میں سے ہر ایک کو باری باری لے لیجیے، اور اُوپر کے مباحث کی روشنی میں مردوں کے ساتھ تقابل کرلیجیے۔ اگر آپ تعصب اور خود فریبی میں مبتلا نہیں ہیں تو آپ لازماً پکار اُٹھیں گے کہ بلاشبہہ صرف اسلام ہی ایسا دین اور ضابطہ ہے جس نے عورتوں کو مردوں سے کہیں زیادہ حقوق عطاکیے ہیں۔ ہاں، مرد قوام ہونے کی حیثیت سے بلاشبہہ عورت سے بلند تر ہے لیکن فرائض کے معاملے میں۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
عورت مظلوم کیوں؟</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
حقوق مرد و زن کے بارے میں اپنے دین سے جامع اور مکمل قانون پالینے کے بعد اور حقوق مرد وزن میں ایسی متوازن مساوات جان لینے کے بعد بھی ایک سوال چبھن کی طرح ذہن کی وادی میں کھٹکتا رہتا ہے کہ قرون اولیٰ کی چند صدیوں کے علاوہ عورت مظلوم کیوں رہی؟ دُور جانے کی ضرورت نہیں۔ ہندستان میں مسلمانوں کے دورِ حکومت میں عورت کو کون سا ’عالی مرتبہ‘ بخشا گیا، اور آج اسلامی جمہوریہ پاکستان میں عورت کو کون سے مساوی حقوق دیے جارہے ہیں۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اس سوال کا جواب بے حد آسان ہے۔ اگر چشم بینا استعمال کی جائے سب سے اہم اور بنیادی بات تو یہ ہے کہ مسلمانوں کی حکومت اور اسلامی حکومت بدقسمتی سے یہ دو الگ الگ اصطلاحات ہیں۔ یہ ضروری نہیں کہ جو مسلمانوں کی حکومت ہو، وہ عین اسلامی بھی ہو۔ مسلمانوں کے عہدِحکومت میں کہیں مغربیت غالب رہی اور کہیں مشرقیت۔ اور ایسی رسوم ورواج معاشرے میں پروان چڑھیں جن کا اسلام سے کوئی تعلق نہیں۔ عورتوں کے حقوق کا مسئلہ بھی شومئی قسمت سے اسی سلوک سے دوچار ہوا اور اس بُری طرح مسخ ہوا کہ اس میں اور اصل اسلامی قانونِ ازدواج میں ایک بہت ہی دُور کی مشابہت باقی رہ گئی۔ اب شرعِ اسلامی کے نام سے مسلمانوں کے ازدواجی معاملات میں جو قانون نافذ ہے وہ نہ صالح ہے نہ جامع اور نہ مکمل۔ اس کے نقائض نے مسلمانوں کی تمدنی زندگی پر اتنا بُرا اثر ڈالا ہے کہ شاید کسی دوسرے قانون نے نہیں ڈالا۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اگر ایک اسلامی حکومت بھی یوتھ فیسٹیول اور کھیلوں کی نمایش اور ڈراموں اور رقص و سُرود اور مقابلۂ حسن میں مسلمان عورتوں کو لائے، یا ایئرہوسٹس بناکر مسلمانوں کے دل موہنے کی’ خدمت‘ دیتی ہے، توہمیں معلوم ہونا چاہیے کہ یہ کہاں کی اسلامی حکومت ہے، اور پھر کفر اور کفار کی حکومت اور اسلامی حکومت میں کیا فرق رہ جاتا ہے؟ لہٰذا عورت اگر مظلوم رہی ہے یا ہے تو اس کی قطعی اور واحد وجہ یہ ہے کہ اس ٹوٹی پھوٹی اور خستہ حالت میں بھی اسلام جہاں اور جب بھی رہا ہے وہاں کی عورت کی حالت غیرمسلم معاشرے کی عورت سے بدرجہا بہتر رہی ہے۔ آج پاکستان میں عورت کی کتنی ہی گئی گزری حالت سہی، لیکن وہ یورپی عورت سے کئی درجے بہتر مقام پر ہے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اس کے ساتھ ہی یہ حقیقت بھی سمجھ لیجیے کہ جہاں اسلام نافذ نہیں ہے، اسلامی نظام و قانون رائج نہیں ہے وہاں صرف عورت ہی نہیں مرد بھی مظلوم ہے۔ آپ جہاں کہیں بھی رہتے ہوں اردگرد کے گھرانوں پر نظر ڈال کر دیکھیے کہ مظلوم عورتوں اور مظلوم مردوں کی تعداد کا تناسب کیا ہے، اور کولہو کے بیل پر خود اپنے گھر میں کیا بیت رہی ہے؟<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />بازیابیِ حقوق کی مثبت جدوجھد<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />عورت کی مظلومیت کا اصل دائرہ وہ ہے جہاں اسے اسلام کے عطا کردہ حقوق سے محروم رکھا جاتا ہے اور جہاں مرد خدا اوررسولؐ کے مقرر کردہ حقوق ادا نہیں کرتے۔ معاشی کفالت، مہر، نفقہ اور وراثت جیسے حقوق ادا نہیں کرتے۔ انھیں تعلیم و تربیت کے ایسے مواقع اور ایسے جداگانہ ادارے فراہم نہیں کرتے جہاں وہ اپنی فطرت، صلاحیت اور دائرہ عمل کے مطابق آزادی سے علم حاصل کرسکیں، ان پر تشدد کرتے ہیں۔ معمولی معمولی باتوں پر تین طلاقیں دے مارتے ہیں۔ علیحدگی کی صورت میں ان کا مال غصب کرلیتے ہیں اور اس حق تلفی پر اسے انصاف بھی نہیں دیتے۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />یہ ساری صورتیں ظلم کی ہیں اور جو عورت یا مرد اس ظلم کے خلاف آواز اُٹھاتے ہیں، تحریک چلاتے ہیں، تنظیم قائم کرتے ہیں، وہ سب کارِثواب انجام دیتے ہیں۔ ہر صاحبِ ایمان کے لیے ان سے تعاون کرنا واجب ہے۔ اسلام کے عطا کردہ ’حقوق‘ کی بازیابی کے لیے ایسی ہر تنظیم کی جدوجہد میں ہم ان کے ساتھ ہیں۔ لیکن حقوق کے نام پر ایک ’عیار گروہ‘ اگر عورت کی مظلومیت کے پردے میں ہماری خواتین کو مغرب کی عطاکردہ ’آزادی‘ کے رنگ میں رنگنا اور خاندان کی وحدت کو توڑ کر، تمدن کو برباد کر کے اس کو اپنی مخلوط محفلوں کی رونق بنانا چاہتاہے___ اس سے ہماری کھلی لڑائی ہے۔ اس لیے کہ اگر کوئی شخص یا گروہِ قرآنی ضابطے کے خلاف قدم اُٹھاتا ہے تو وہ خدا کی عطاکردہ عزت و احترام کو چیلنج کرتا ہے، اور ایک ایسے قانون پر حرف گیری کا مرتکب ہوتا ہے جس کا ایک ایک شوشہ تنقید سے بالاتر ہے اور جس کے ہر ہر حرف پر حق و صداقت کی مہر ثبت ہوچکی ہے۔</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
آیئے قرآن پر فیصلہ کرلیں!</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
مندرجہ بالا عقلی دلائل کی روشنی میں یہ ثابت ہوگیا کہ اسلام کے عطا کردہ حقوق مرد وزن کے مابین عین عدل و مساوات پر مبنی ہیں اور تجربے سے بھی یہ نتائج ظاہر ہوچکے ہیں کہ جب اور جہاں ان اصول و قوانین سے رُوگردانی کی گئی، قوم کے اخلاق و تمدن پر روح فرسا اثرات مرتب ہوئے اور قوم تباہی کے گڑھے میں جاگری۔ حقیقت یہ ہے کہ اسلامی قوانین علم، عقل، تجربے، مشاہدے، غرض ہرمعیار پر عین پورے اُترتے ہیں۔<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />اے اسلام کی دعوے دار میری بہنو! کیا آپ تجربے کی بنیاد پر اسلام کی حقانیت کو مانتی ہیں؟ کیا آپ کی نظر میں تجربات و مشاہدات اور دلائل کا وزن خدا اوررسول صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کی بات کے مقابلے میں زیادہ ہے؟ اگر آپ اللہ اور اس کے رسولؐ پر ایمان کے دعوے میں سچی ہیں تو پھر آیئے ___ قرآن پر فیصلہ کرلیں، اور آج یہ اعلان کردیں کہ ہمیں شریعت کا ہر حکم قبول ہے!</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
_______________</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
*مقالہ نگار تعلیم و تدریس سے وابستہ ہیں اور نائب ناظمہ حلقہ خواتین پنجاب ہیں</div>
<div dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<a data-mce-href="http://tarjumanulquran.org/site/publication_detail/128" href="http://tarjumanulquran.org/site/publication_detail/128" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">http://tarjumanulquran.org/site/publication_detail/128</a></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" dir="RTL" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;">
<a data-mce-href="http://wp.me/pCgrB-Um" href="http://wp.me/pCgrB-Um" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank"> http://wp.me/pCgrB-Um : Gender Equality in Islam</a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-86359868768811964492012-07-18T13:08:00.002-07:002012-07-18T13:08:31.789-07:00Bible & Zionism: The Myth & Reality<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;">
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVzbFVO7_yU&w=560&h=315]</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
If you ask any Jew in Israel, "Who gave you Palestine?" [They have all programmed themselves with the idea of<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;"><a data-mce-href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190201436" href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190201436" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank"> Genesis 17:8</a></strong>] Without the slightest hesitation every Jew will reply 'GOD!' That it was God Almighty who had given Palestine, to the Jews. But over 75% of the Israeli Jews if questioned "Do you believe in God?" They immediately respond with "NO!" Yet these atheist and agnostic Jews falsely use !God's name for their usurpation of the land of the Palestinians</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;">EXAMINE THEIR FANCIFUL CLAIM!</strong>: Memorise the above verse in full - "And I will give unto thee.. ..all the land of Canaan..." Gen.17:8. It will prove invaluable against all Christian and Jewish Zionists. So this is the Jewish <strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;">"Holy Tide Deed"</strong> to see and bring about its fulfilment, the Muslims have done nothing over the past thousand years to remove this misconception! They have to convince the Jews and the Christians to the fact that morally and ethically the Jews have no right to Palestine<br style="line-height: 1.5;" /><strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;">TRUE TEST OF PROPHECY:</strong> While the other Jews were keenly following the discussion as I told my employer, 'What you have quoted from your Torah' (the first 5 Books of the Bible are common to both the Jews and Christians), is a prophecy of what God Almighty had promised to Abraham and his descendants for ever." He replied, 'Yes!' I said, "God gives us in the Torah a test with which we can ascertain whether a prophecy attributed to Him is actually His Word or not. He :says And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not ? spoken When a prophet speaketh in the name of the lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing the Lord hath not spoken, but the Prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. Holy Bible <a data-mce-href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190201566" href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190201566" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank"><strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;">(Deuteronomy 18:21- 22)</strong></a>I asked him, "Is this a valid test?" To which he replied, "Yes!" I said, "Then let us apply it to the - prophecy!" The Torah says that on the death of Abraham And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave....The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Herb: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife. Holy Bible (<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;"><a data-mce-href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190201625" href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190201625" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Genesis 25:9-10</a></strong>)</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
And further, the Bible testifies about God's unfulfilled "Promises to the patriarch Abraham and the :elders of Israel in these words These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off.. Holy Bible (<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;"><a data-mce-href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190201687" href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190201687" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Hebrews 11:13</a></strong>) ?And can anything be more explicit than these statements from the Holy Writ And God said unto him (Abraham), Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, .and come into the land which 1 shah show thee Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Haran; and from there, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land (<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;"><a data-mce-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Palestine</a></strong>) in which ye now .dwell And he (God) gave him (Abraham) no inheritance in it, NO, NOT SO MUCH AS TO SET HIS FOOT UPON; yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him..... Holy Bible (<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;"><a data-mce-href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190201765" href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190201765" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Acts 7:3-5</a></strong>)<br style="line-height: 1.5;" /><strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;">STILL SOME GOOD JEWS:</strong> I asked my Jewish visitors whether these simple facts were "GospelTruth", and to my amazement my boss as a spokesman the group, answered, "YES!" This - confirmed for me this Qur'anic statement</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
THAT AMONG THEM (the Jews and the Christians) ARE MU'MINS (Sincere, faithful people) BUT THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE PERVERTED TRANSGRESSORS. [<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;"><a data-mce-href="http://tanzil.net/#trans/en.sahih/3:110" href="http://tanzil.net/#trans/en.sahih/3:110" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Holy Qur'an 3:110</a></strong>]</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
We must find ways and means of communicating with these Mu'mins - sincere, godly people .among the Jews and the Christians When my employer agreed that the facts of unfulfilled promises in the Bible were, according to his knowledge correct, I said. "In that case God Almighty could never have made such promises,God also confirms in the Holy Qur'an that if He makes a promise, His promise MUST 'come to pass' in <strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;">Deuteronomy 18:22</strong></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
THE PROMISE OF ALLAH IS TRUE. Holy Qur'an 4:122</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;"><span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5; text-decoration: underline;">The conclusion was that the Jewish title deed to Palestine based on the prophecy of Genesis 17:8 was invalidated by the test given in the last Will and Testament of Moses - Deuteronomy 18:22.</span></strong> For a reasonable Jew like my employer the discussion was over. But I wanted to pursue the dialogue further, so I said, "I am prepared to concede that God did make such a promise as - "I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting .)possession." (As if Palestine was my father's property ABRAHAM'S SEED: Conceding the point that the prophecy in question was authoritative, I asked, "Who is the seed of Abraham?" Without the slightest hesitation Mr. Beare replied, "We, the Jews!" I said, "No doubt, you are the sons and seed of Abraham, but are you the only seed? No less than in twelve places, in the first Book of the Bible, Ishmael the progenitor of the Arabs is :spoken of as the son and seed of Abraham And Hagar bore Abram (changed to Abraham by God in <strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;"><a data-mce-href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190202064" href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190202064" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Genesis 17:5</a></strong>) a son: and :</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
1 ) Abram caded his SON'S name, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Holy Bible (Genesis 16:15) And Abraham took Ishmael, his SON... (<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;"><a data-mce-href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190202149" href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190202149" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Genesis 17:23</a></strong>) .</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
2) And Ishmael, his SON, was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh .</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
3 ) of his foreskin. Holy Bible (Genesis 17:25) In the very same day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael, his SON. (<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;">Genesis 17:26</strong>)</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
4) And his SONS Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron... (<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;"><a data-mce-href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190202257" href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190202257" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Genesis 25:9</a></strong>)</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's SON, whom Hagar the Egyptian.... (<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;"><a data-mce-href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190202355" href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190202355" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Genesis 25:12</a></strong>)</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
If the Lord God, disdaineth not to recognise Ishmael as the SON and SEED of <strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;"><a data-mce-href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/theology/guidance/messenger/prophet-abraham-decendents/" href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/theology/guidance/messenger/prophet-abraham-decendents/" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Abraham</a></strong> in the Torah, who are we to deny him his patrimony. Indeed, God will not allow the rights of the "first-born" to be jeopardised even if the child is the offspring of a hated wife (<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;"><a data-mce-href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190202424" href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190202424" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Deuteronomy 21:16</a></strong>)</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;">Why should not the Children of Ishmael (the Arabs) and the Children of Isaac (the Jews) live in peace and harmony and enjoy the blessings of God together in the land of promise?</strong></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;">IS MIGHT RIGHT ? </strong></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<img alt="" class="alignleft" data-mce-src="http://justguider.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/mightisright2dsc08496.jpg?w=300" height="300" src="http://justguider.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/mightisright2dsc08496.jpg?w=300" style="border: 0px; cursor: default; display: inline; float: left; line-height: 1.5; margin: 4px 24px 12px 0px;" width="400" /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Theoretically my employer was prepared to concede the points, but prejudices die hard. He retorted, "Deedat, Palestine belonged to us, we ruled it under <a data-mce-href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/theology/guidance/messenger/prophet-abraham-decendents/david-solomon/" href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/theology/guidance/messenger/prophet-abraham-decendents/david-solomon/" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">David and Solomon!</a>" I said, "Sir, if having ruled a territory once by force of arms, entitles you to repossess it, then we Muslims, if we had the power, would equally be justified to reconquer <a data-mce-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Andalus" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Andalus" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Spain. </a>We Muslims ruled that country for almost eight hundred years. A longer period of time than the Jews ever ruled parts of Palestine! The only thing really worth seeing in Spain are the magnificent gardens and fountains, and monumental buildings the Muslims left behind. Does that entitle the Muslims to recolonise Spain? And on the same basis, would the Dutch be entitled to invade Indonesia, because their ancestors" ruled it for three centuries? Or, could the Italians lay claim to Britain because the Romans ruled it"?at one stage under Caesar No!" said Mr. Beare, "Those were foreign conquests, but Palestine is our Motherland, we have" ".only taken back what we have been wrongfully dispossessed I beg your pardon," I said, "there is a grave historical oversight on your part here. The Jews also," under Joshua, invaded Palestine over three thousand years ago and conquered the inhabitants of the land. It was no virgin territory ready to be bethrothed. You conquered thirty kingdoms in as many days (<a data-mce-href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190202639" href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190202639" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Joshua 12:24)</a>. Twelve united tribes of Israel against each divided village state, with their little village chief whom you called "kings!" So you knocked over the Amorites, the Edomites, the Philistines, the Moabites, the Hittites and other too numerous to mention. You destroyed them utterly and they came back for more. And again you "destroyed them utterly," and yet they "!were there And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.(<a data-mce-href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190202699" href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=190202699" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Joshua 6:21</a>)</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;">CRY WITH RODINSON</strong><br style="line-height: 1.5;" />With all the destruction of past, present and future for Israel there is a perpetual spectre of war. Without friendly co-operation with the Arabs there can be no solution to the Jewish problem in Palestine. Morally and ethically the Jews have no right to Palestine. Rodinson, an elite Jew says - in his book - <strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;">"Israel and the Arabs:</strong><br style="line-height: 1.5;" /><a data-mce-href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/2011/12/08/bible-zionism-the-myth-reality/zionism-7/" href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/2011/12/08/bible-zionism-the-myth-reality/zionism-7/" rel="attachment wp-att-3515" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-3515" data-mce-src="http://justguider.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/zionism-7.jpg?w=147" height="150" src="http://justguider.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/zionism-7.jpg?w=147" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; cursor: default; display: inline; float: left; line-height: 1.5; margin: 4px 24px 12px 0px;" title="zionism-7" width="147" /></a>BUT FOR ONE THING, THEY (the Israelis) CANNOT BE SAID TO HAVE A HISTORIC RIGHT TO A" PIECE OF TERRITORY BECAUSE SOME OF THEIR ANCESTORS SUPPOSEDLY INHABITED IT TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO. FOR ANOTHER, THEY OUGHT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THEY HAVE DONE A CONSIDERABLE WRONG TO ANOTHER PEOPLE, IN DEPRIVING THEM OF RIGHTS AT LEAST AS .GREAT AS THEIR OWN THE BITTERNESS FELT BY THE PEOPLE TO WHOM THIS WRONG WAS DONE STILL PERSISTS, AND AS LONG AS IT DOES, THE RIGHTS OF THE ISRAELIS WILL REMAIN PURELY HYPOTHETICAL - THEY CAN ONLY HOPE THAT THE ARABS WILL ONE DAY RECOGNIZE AND ACCEPT THEM. ONLY .THEN WILL THEIR RIGHTS BECOME REAL THE ARABS, TOO, HAVE RIGHTS. IN MANY RESPECTS, THEY MAY JUSTIFIABLY BE HELD TO BE GREATER THAN ISRAELIS'. THE ARABS OF PALESTINE HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS OVER PALESTINE TERRITORY AS THE FRENCH EXERCISE IN FRANCE AND THE ENGLISH IN ENGLAND. THESE .RIGHTS HAVE BEEN VIOLATED WITHOUT ANY PROVOCATION ON THEIR PART ".THE WRONG DONE TO THE ARABS BY THE ISRAELIS IS VERY REAL With all the admissions, confessions and mortifications, the Jew persists - <strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;">WE POSSESS PALESTINE, WE KEEP PALESTINE! Possession is nine-tenth of the law. This was the attitude of my employer too. So, I asked, "How did you (meaning the Jews) possess it?" By force of arms? ".Then by force of arms the Arabs have every right to seek to repossess their homeland.</strong></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
[Excerpts from lecture/ book "Arabs and Israel Conflict or Conciliation" By Ahmed Deedat]</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 24px 0em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em;">
<li style="line-height: 1.5;"><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;"><a data-mce-href="http://peace-forum.blogspot.com/2011/05/jewish-terrorism-from-torah-rabbis.html" data-mce-style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;" href="http://peace-forum.blogspot.com/2011/05/jewish-terrorism-from-torah-rabbis.html" style="color: #743399; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank"><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;"><strong style="line-height: 1.5;">Zionism</strong> & Jewish Terrorism from Torah - Rabbis <strong style="line-height: 1.5;">...</strong></span></a> Zionism & Jewish Terrorism from Torah - Rabbis' Edicts are Costly Hallucinations: "הטרור מן התורה - הרבנים הגזירות הן הזיות יקרים" "الإرهاب من التوراة -- الحاخامات المراسيم والهلوسة مكلفة". WebpageTranslator. Religious edicts, of <strong style="line-height: 1.5;">...</strong></span></li>
<li style="line-height: 1.5;"><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;"><a data-mce-href="http://peace-forum.blogspot.com/2011/02/protocols-of-elders-of-zion.html" data-mce-style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;" href="http://peace-forum.blogspot.com/2011/02/protocols-of-elders-of-zion.html" style="color: #743399; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank"><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;">The Protocols of the Elders of <strong style="line-height: 1.5;">Zion</strong> بروتوكولات حكماء <strong style="line-height: 1.5;">...</strong></span></a> The 1988 charter of Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist group, states that The Protocols of the Elders of Zion embodies the plan of the Zionists. Recent endorsements in the 21st century have been made by the Grand Mufti of <strong style="line-height: 1.5;">...</strong></span><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;"><strong style="line-height: 1.5;"><a data-mce-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Zionism" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Zionism" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Zionism</a></strong></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;">Must Read:<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue; line-height: 1.5;"> <a data-mce-href="http://quran-pedia.blogspot.com/2011/07/chosen-race-jerusalem.html" href="http://quran-pedia.blogspot.com/2011/07/chosen-race-jerusalem.html" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank" title="Zionism, Bible & Quran"><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue; line-height: 1.5;">Zionism, Bible & Quran</span></a></span></strong></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;">Zionist Christians: Useful tool for Zionist Jews: <span data-mce-style="color: #000080;" style="color: navy; line-height: 1.5;"><a data-mce-href="http://wp.me/p1dL2Q-gi" href="http://wp.me/p1dL2Q-gi" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank"><span data-mce-style="color: #000080;" style="color: navy; line-height: 1.5;">http://wp.me/p1dL2Q-gi</span></a></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-49347816842431946872012-07-18T13:06:00.000-07:002012-07-25T02:27:08.052-07:00Religion and reason: The challenges of modernity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Religious scriptures are the most revered pieces of writing. They have been recited millions upon millions of times and raging debates have been carried out to determine the one true meaning behind their allegories and metaphors. Two schools of thought emerged as a result of this battle of semantics. One school which has been dominant historically, based its arguments on traditions, invoked the authority of the past, and preferred to use literal interpretation. The other school has been popular among a “creative minority”. It based its arguments on reason and logic, questioned the authority of past figures, and utilised the tools of metaphorical interpretation to unearth the ‘truth’.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
During the early days of Islam, this divide emerged between Asharites and Mutazilites. With the domination of orthodox theology based upon Asharite principles and establishment of Shariah laws as shaped by traditional schools of Fiqh, the intellectual currents of Mutazilite rationalism were lost in history. Rationalism appeared again in the form of the naturalism of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and the likes of him, as a result of challenges posed by Christian colonialists in India, just like Mutazilite ideas emerged to resolve the challenges posed by Greek philosophy. Ali Usman Qasmi has explored the trend which emerged with Sir Syed and continued till Allama Ahmad Parwez with academic rigour and analytical arguments. Questioning the Authority of the Past: The Ahl al Quran Movements in the Punjab is his doctoral dissertation presented at Heidelberg University, Germany.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The book is divided into seven chapters. The opening chapter provides readers with an introduction defining the nature and scope of the study. Following is an overview of South Asian Islam in the late 19th century as a result of the colonisation of India. Colonial oppression played an important role in the emergence of reformist religious movements. According to Ayesha Jalal, “far from eliminating politics from the realms of religion and culture, the colonial state did much to bring these spheres closer than ever and reshape them in the process.”</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
When there was no formal political representation, “interest groups” emerged along racial, linguistic, cultural, professional and religious lines. The colonial state was not only a political and economic oppressor; it also posed threats in the realms of intellectual and religious spheres. The “Eurocentric canons of rationality” and “Judeo-Christian forms of higher religion” became the leading frameworks of the critique of “eccentric east” presented by Christian missionaries and secular orientalists.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
It was not only Islam which was influenced by this onslaught of modernity. Hinduism was also challenged, at least on an intellectual level if not very much on the cultural plane. The Hindu reaction to the challenges of modernity can be seen in the formation of reformist religio-cultural organisations such as Arya Samaj of Swami Dayanand.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The rest of the chapters are about the theories of leading scholars of the Ahl al Quran movement, such as Syed Ahmad Khan, Abdullah Chakralwi, Khawaja Ahmaduddin, Aslam Jayrajpuri, and Allama Parwez. Before analysing the ideology of Syed Ahmad Khan, the author gives a brief yet comprehensive overview of the critique presented by the likes of William Muir which became the motivating factor for Syed Ahmad Khan and other logical minded people to build the edifice of Islam on<br />
rational principles.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
He questioned the Isnad paradigm of the evaluation of Hadith literature and stressed on the importance of “content analysis”, that is, it is not only sufficient to determine who are involved in the chain of narration of a hadith but also whether the contents of the hadith are acceptable in the light of Quranic teachings. This trend of viewing Hadith literature with greater scrutiny continued in various forms, which later scholars associated with this school of thought. That is why they were given the name of Ahl al Quran, as they gave so much more importance to Quranic teachings than those of Hadith.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
As opposed to a historical reverence assigned to traditions by the orthodox scholars, rationalist school of thought takes into account their historicity. It scrutinises the Abbasid influence on Hadith and early Seerat literature as a tool of political gains.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
“In the Umayyaid-Abbasid power struggle, both sides tried their utmost to claim their right to power on the basis of any tradition that exalted their virtues and belittled that of their adversaries,” says Qasmi. The Hanafi school of Fiqh also prevailed because of Abbasid patronage. The unique approach adopted by the rationalist scholars placed the formation of ideas and theories rightly in their socio-political context as opposed to the orthodox scholars who presented<br />
different schools of thought as if they were formed in a vacuum without any influence from the environment.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Chiragh Ali in his time was concerned with fresh legislation in Islamic law. Moreover, he declared all the wars fought by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as essentially defensive. This is probably the most important aspect of Chiragh Ali’s work in the<br />
current global scenario where Muslims are being criticised for “violent” jihadist views. In modern times, Reza Aslan has also<br />
tried to explain the issue of jihad from an alternative perspective.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
This trend of revisiting religious principles in the light of contemporary issues continued well into the works of Allama Parwez. As he was working at the time of the creation of Pakistan, he was more concerned with the problem of establishing a modern state based on Islamic principles, and determining its duties and rights. During the early days of Pakistan, the power elites were anxiously envisioning the competing interpretations of Islam; they felt the urge to promote the discourse of Islamic modernism as it coincided with their own requirements and visions.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
General Ayub Khan supported the ideas of Allama Parwez to counter the political opposition presented by the religious<br />
parties, mainly the Jamat-i-Islami. Similarly, General Pervez Musharraf supported Javed Ahmad Ghamdi to counter the fundamentalist jihadist propaganda by the likes of the Taliban and to promote a softer image of Islam globally.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
In the concluding chapter, the author gives brief information regarding contemporary scholars whose ideas are also influenced by the rational paradigm in Islam. By writing this treatise, the author is emphasising on plurality of meaning and questioning the literal interpretation of scriptures. It is only an explanation of what “is” Ahl al Quran movement. It does not dwell upon the question of what it “should be”.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Despite the rigorous analysis, however, the author fails to answer the question of why these movements did not gather mass following and stopped producing eminent scholars. Also, he could not establish the intellectual link between the Ahl al Quran movement and the rationalists of the early days of Islam, that is, Mutazilites. However, this work is beneficial as an analysis of<br />
religious ideas and trends from a purely academic point of view.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The Islamic studies departments in our universities should learn from it and try to conduct research on these lines to<br />
provide unbiased analyses and promote tolerance. Although the book is originally a research thesis, it is equally beneficial for general readers who are interested in the development of various schools of thought in Islam.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
Book Review: Questioning the Authority of the Past: The Ahl al Quran Movements in the Punjab</div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
(RELIGION). By Ali Usman Qasmi, Oxford University Press, Karachi, ISBN 9780195473483 : 360pp</div>
<a data-mce-href="http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/18/non-fiction-religion-and-reason-the-challenges-of-modernity.html" href="http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/18/non-fiction-religion-and-reason-the-challenges-of-modernity.html" style="background-color: white; color: #743399; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/18/</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #743399; font-size: x-small; line-height: 1.5;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/18/non-fiction-religion-and-reason-the-challenges-of-modernity.html" href="http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/18/non-fiction-religion-and-reason-the-challenges-of-modernity.html" style="background-color: white; color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">non-fiction-religion-and-reason-the-challenges-of-modernity.html</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14.166666030883789px; text-align: left;"><b>Uniting religion and reason: </b></span><a href="http://t.co/AGpYJ6Fi" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333015441895px; line-height: 14.166666030883789px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://t.co/AGpYJ6Fi</a>
</div>
<div id="post-3405" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;"><a data-mce-href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/faith-and-reason/" href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/faith-and-reason/" rel="bookmark" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank" title="Permalink to Faith and Reason">Faith and Reason</a>:</strong> In a civilised and mature society, the complexities of social and spiritual problems and mysteries of the universe can be understood through philosophy. History shows that in the early stages of civilisation, religion played an important role to unfold secrets of the unknown. Generally, the format of religious teaching was poetry. People achieved spiritual satisfaction … <a data-mce-href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/faith-and-reason/" href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/faith-and-reason/" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Continue reading »</a></div>
<h3 data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px 0px 20px;">
<strong style="line-height: 1.5;"><a data-mce-href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/2011" href="http://faithforum.wordpress.com/2011" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;">Click here for more >>>></a></strong></h3>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-83473058949233873012012-07-18T13:02:00.001-07:002012-07-18T13:02:29.676-07:00Islam: Puritan and popular religion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: justify;">
Throughout the history of religion, the question that arose from time to time was whether religion should evolve according to social, political and economic needs of society or should it retain its original teachings. Those who are in favour purity of religion argue that despite changes in society, believers of a religion must observe its original teachings which should be retained in their original form and shape.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: justify;">
But generally the result is that such people alienate themselves from other sections of society by living in their own world with a separate identity. On the other hand, progressive thinkers point out that if religion cannot respond to emerging challenges, its utility is lost and it becomes stagnant. Therefore, in order to survive, it should be reinterpreted and reconstructed in view of the requirements of the modern times. The two trends are seen in every religious movement. Puritans emphasise on the textual meaning of revealed books or revered scriptures. According to this view, nobody has the right to change the meaning and interpret them in view of one’s own time and ideas. Modernists, on the contrary, believe that they could reinterpret religious texts and adjust according to the changing ideas and thoughts of their time which would make religious teachings more workable and useful to society. The two trends remain in conflict. Puritans accuse the modernist of distortion of religion and polluting its purity by interpretation which benefits or is in the interest of the ruling classes. One can find examples in Islamic history when jurists and ulema interpreted religion to fulfill the wishes and demands of rulers.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: justify;">
For instance, when the institution of kingship was introduced, religious scholars justified it on the basis of religion. When aristocracy accumulated wealth, private property became sacred. Being in the service of the monarch, the jurists validated their actions by issuing fatwas and it became a norm for the rulers to consult jurists and ask them to find religious justification for their debauchery and exploitation.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: justify;">
The modernists believe that by reinterpreting religion they could protect it against the onslaught of modernity, so that outdated traditions in religion could survive new challenges. When a society passes through a crisis and modernists or secular ideologies fail to solve problems of the masses, puritans gain support and popularity. At this stage, puritans attracted the deprived and the poor by offering them solutions for their grievances to make them believe that it would end class differences and restore their dignity in society.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: justify;">
Puritans regard themselves as the custodians of original teachings and look down upon others as misguided heretics. They believe modernists or progressives are against religion which creates in them a sense of arrogance. It is interesting to note that the puritans’ teachings were more suited to the economically well off classes. For example, their women could observe purdah, while women belonging to lower classes had to go out and work in the fields and in the houses of rich people to earn some money. This created a gulf between the rich and the poor.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: justify;">
The masses generally favour religious interpretation that bears religious and spiritual recreational value for them. They participate in festivities at shrines of Sufi saints where people can sing, dance and listen to devotional songs as well as partake in food and sweets being distributed as offerings to the shrines.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;">The two trends are known as puritan and popular religious culture. The former is led by religious scholars who study religion minutely while a popular religious movement is led by ordinary mullahs and Sufi saints. The puritans are always in a minority while popular religion has a large following. In the subcontinent the puritan and the popular trends are represented by the Deobandi and the Barelvi schools of Islamic thought respectively.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;">By Mubarak Ali:</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/08/past-present-puritan-and-popular-religion.html" href="http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/08/past-present-puritan-and-popular-religion.html" style="background-color: white; color: #743399; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/08/past-present-puritan-and-popular-religion.html</a></div>
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-23255575200971004782012-07-18T12:59:00.001-07:002012-07-18T12:59:14.436-07:005 Ridiculous Things you Probably Believe About Islam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
Missionaries to Muslims Agree to Soften Criticisms of Each Other<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />Ten years after 9/11, the heated debate over contextualization is about to get more civil.<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />By Warren Larson<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />Evangelists and missiologists have long debated how best to contextualize the gospel within Islamic contexts. The debate over "insider movements" revolves around a key question: Should converts from Islam be allowed or encouraged to remain in their Muslim religious and social networks after conversion?<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />Past discussion on this topic has proven hurtful to Christians on both sides. However, on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, I believe we are finally going to see real changes in the way Christians write about fellow-Christians in regard to contextualization. This is good news in an arena where there has been a lot of bad news.<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />In an effort to promote reconciliation and facilitate healthy discussion, a group of 50 scholar-practitioners gathered in June to discuss the challenges of contextualization. Bridging the Divide was hosted by missionaries-in-residence Don Little and Benjamin Hegeman of the Intercultural Studies Department at Houghton College in New York. Attendees included five former Muslims and represented a wide spectrum of views on appropriate ways to reach Muslims.<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />Bridging the Divide's goal was to clear up misunderstandings, identify points of agreement and disagreement, and strive for mutual respect and understanding. Disputes over contextualization have a long history, and serious difficulties remain, but progress was made through face-to-face interaction, frank discussion, and a commitment to talk rather than throw darts at each other from a distance. As a participant, I saw three key signs pointing to this trend:<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />1) Love<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />During introductions on the first night, many said they had come to listen. This paved the way for positive interaction. There was open sharing and prayer for one another throughout the meeting, and even tears of repentance over unkind things that had been said or written, often without understanding or accurate citation. Evelyne Reisacher, assistant professor of Islamic studies and intercultural relations at Fuller Theological Seminary, put it this way: "I've wondered before if we really love one another, but this time I've seen it in action." An engaged couple from Houghton College, preparing to serve in the Middle East, said they were privileged to witness how veteran workers modeled love and forgiveness.<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />A final declaration was drafted to summarize the issues that had both united and divided us. We expressed our repentance for the hurtful things we had written about each other in the past, as they contributed to a "divisive spirit" that was harming our ministry. We promised to encourage unity amongst ourselves and committed to "intentionally seek out opposing peer review for our proposed publications that attempt to characterize the views of those with whom we disagree." Ultimately, we reminded ourselves that as Christians, our ultimate end was to work together so that "all may know the gospel." (The full text of the declaration can be read at the end of this article.)<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />2) Understanding<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />It is apparent from the declaration that the consultation succeeded in fostering greater understanding of opposite points of view on the C1-C6 scale used by many missiologists to describe Muslim background believer (MBB) affiliation with Muslim culture. The scale can be summarized as follows: C1: MBBs in churches radically different from their own culture; C2: same as C1, but worship is in the MBBs' mother tongue; C3: MBBs in culturally indigenous Christian churches that avoid cultural forms seen as "Islamic"; C4: MBBs in culturally indigenous congregations that retain biblically permissible Islamic forms (e.g., prostrating in prayer), investing these with biblical meaning; C5: Muslims who follow Jesus as Lord and Savior in fellowships of like-minded believers within the Muslim community, continuing to identify culturally and officially as Muslims; and C6: secret/underground believers.<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />J. Dudley Woodberry, senior professor of Islamic studies at Fuller Theological Seminary, expressed a desire for irenic interaction: "I see God working through the whole spectrum of identity, and having students on both sides of the issue doesn't bother me, but I am troubled by the tone of some of the discussion."<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />Kevin Higgins, international director of Global Teams, clarified his position on the C1-C6 scale. "I prefer not to use the C Scale, as it tends to suggest tight definable boundaries," he said. "But if I had to use it, I would say I know [God] uses and blesses churches or believing communities that are so-called C1, C2, and C3. I believe he loves C6 believers, though I don't know anyone who suggests this is his perfect will for the long term. The actual C5 movements I know of are best described as a mix of C4 and C5, since intentional gatherings of believers in some form of house-church model are a norm."<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />Another speaker, mission strategist Len Bartlotti, presented a number of theological "lenses" or ways of viewing C5 "insider" missiology in order to understand where proponents and critiques are coming from. Drawing a line on the blackboard as a continuum, he said that under an evangelical umbrella, Christians have different understandings of the church, the work of the Holy Spirit, conversion, history, Islam, authority, ways of doing theology, and approaches to other religions. For example, some insiders have a minimalist view of "church"—two or three gathered in Jesus' name—while others insist on organization, including elders, sacraments, leadership, and direction. Thus, one objection to insider movements is actually based on these differing presuppositions related to "church."<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />In reference to culture, Bartlotti said some would emphasize continuity and (in Richard Niebuhr's terms) the "Christ of Culture," relating to Muslims on their own terms; others emphasize the discontinuity of the gospel vis-à-vis Islam—Christ "against culture," and Christ "transforming" aspects of prior belief and culture. Bartlotti noted that one's views of history and the Holy Spirit also affect one's assessment of insider missiology. Some emphasize the Spirit's work in the "here and now" as the gospel breaks out into new contexts and cultural spheres. The opposite side sees the Holy Spirit at work in history: they value how the Spirit has guided the church "into all truth" via Christology, creeds, and the development of doctrines over time. Some view Islam in terms of its "essence" as a religious system, whereas others think of multiple "Islams" and how Muslims in local contexts vary in their religious commitment.<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />Finally, how do MBBs express their commitment to follow Christ? Yes, there is invariably a journey, a process whereby people individually or in groups move toward Jesus. But how they travel down that path, and at what speed, is often disputed, as are the "markers" of that new identity. Many at the consultation found themselves somewhere in the middle of the continuum on each issue.<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />3) Clarification<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />Topics that generated the most discussion were ethics, translation, identity, and hermeneutics. A survey taken in preparation for the gathering revealed that there were roughly a dozen participants who were strongly pro-insider and just as many on the other side. Ninety percent said it was normal for believers to keep their Muslim identity for a time following conversion. Few participants felt it was ever acceptable for non-Muslims to convert to Islam in order to reach Muslims. No one thought it was a good idea for Christian workers to take on a Muslim identity for the sake of spreading the gospel.<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />Our failures to seek to honor brethren above ourselves; and<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />Our contributing to a divisive spirit, since God has called us to be co-laborers in declaring his glory among the nations.<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />We reject<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />The insistence that the particular ways God has worked with our community are the only or preferred ways he must work with others in his great harvest ingathering; and<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />The practice of encouraging cross-cultural workers from a Christian background to take on a Muslim identity.<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />We affirm<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />God is moving globally in a variety of ways to draw Muslims to Christ;<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />The primacy of the Word of God for all aspects of faith and practice guided by the Spirit of God for the people of God; and<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />Practicing fidelity in Scripture translation using terms that accurately express the familial relationship by which God has chosen to describe himself as Father in relationship to the Son in the original languages.<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />We commit to<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />Examine the Scriptures and our own hearts diligently to renew and transform our theological, missiological, and ethical understanding and practice;<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />Love those in the global community lifting up the Lord among Muslims, pursuing the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace;<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />Intentionally seek out opposing peer review for our proposed publications that attempt to characterize the views of those with whom we disagree; and<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />Promote unity and understanding between new and existing expressions of the church, the body of Christ.<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />To the end that all may know the gospel so that, when Jesus returns in power and great glory, as many as possible will enjoy the new heaven and new earth, for the glory of God alone. Even so, come XXXx Jesus!</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/octoberweb-only/missions-muslims-criticisms.html</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-86821032628683022962012-07-18T12:57:00.000-07:002012-07-18T12:57:04.201-07:00Disenchantment with Islam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Those who call themselves Muslims while simultaneously disowning political aspects of Islam are in a strange dilemma: they do not want to leave the fold of Islam and they do not want to fulfill its rights. Instead, they choose to talk around the matter and find a way out of their collective obligations as Muslims by finding scapegoats. <em style="border: none; color: inherit; line-height: 1.5;">By Dr. Muzaffar Iqbal</em></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
A very large number of Muslims now openly express disenchantment with Islam. This is a global phenomenon: one can witness it in Islamic Republic of Iran as well as its name sake republic called Pakistan just as easily as it is apparent in the geographical region where Islam first appeared on the world scene to the shocking bewilderment of the custodians of the two sanctified houses. These men and women are not angry young men of a bygone era; they are mature, responsible adults in their middle ages and beyond. Most of them are educated professionals, although a small minority comes from working classes.<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />This disenchantment with Islam is expressed in many ways but it mostly takes the form of expressing a strong disillusionment with “political Islam”. It targets the character of men and women who do politics in the name of Islam: the so-called Islamists of Turkey; bearded men of Pakistani politics, the “Ruhanis” of Iran—as the Islamists are called in Iran—and gilded, often fat, and always self-proclaimed kings, emirs, princes and princes of the Arab lands.<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />During a recent visit to Iran, I asked the professor in a famous university: would you despise and disown wealth because most rich people are corrupt? He looked at me in astonishment and when he grasped the meaning of my question, he explained that it while it is true that he cannot equate Islam with the character of mullas, yet, he cannot ignore the fact that he is being watched for his religious obligations. “If I do not go to the mosque for my noon prayers, because I am busy in the lab, it does not mean that I do not pray; I take time to pray in my office. But the point is: why are they watching me? Why do I not have the free choice to practice or not to practice?<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />“You do have the choice,” I said, “as far as religion is concerned; there is no obligation on anyone, because Islam is a matter of choice, there is no compulsion in religion,” I quoted verse 256 of Surat al-Baqra, but explained that it means that no one is forced to take Islam as religion, but anyone who proclaims the two testimonies of faith, comes under obligation of fulfilling the rights of religion, otherwise, he or she is either a hypocrite who has pronounced the two shahadas or is simply a sinning believer. This much he granted. Honesty demands that one fulfills the rights of one’s beliefs.<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />But those who call themselves Muslims while simultaneously disowning political aspects of Islam are in a strange dilemma: they do not want to leave the fold of Islam and they do not want to fulfill its rights. Instead, they choose to talk around the matter and find a way out of their collective obligations as Muslims by finding scapegoats.<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />While it is true that many mullas of Iran have become corrupt and most Pakistani politicians who have been politics in the name of religion since the early years of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan are inefficient, corrupt, and have often served as stooges of the dictators, but how does it absolve the self-proclaimed liberals of their duties? Or do they not consider themselves part of the collective Ummah or do they not believe at all in the Qur’anic concept of Ummah of the believers?<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />Where do they stand in terms of their political beliefs and practices as Muslims? Why do they not show their commitment to a worldview based on political thought that stems from the Qur’an? Why do they, instead, seek refuge in some imaginary “liberalism” or “humanism” which does not exist anywhere?<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />The worst case is that of intellectuals who are Muslim by faith, but utterly lost in the wilderness when it comes to the foundation of their “liberal” beliefs. Recently, when I proposed a Union of Muslim States (The News, February 03, 2012), the knee-jerk reaction was to label it an attempt to “take its subscribers back into an imagined past where Muslims were strong, united, uncorrupted and followed Shariah law” rather than look at the political, economic, and social benefits of the proposal. There was not an iota of idealization in the proposed Union; no one ever said that there was an imagined past when Muslims were uncorrupted. Indeed, they were strong; even a freshman course in history will teach that Muslims held the balance of global power from the ninth to the sixteenth centuries. Not only that, they were the most advanced in science and technology, and it was their gilds, artisans, and poets who stood head and shoulders above any other collectivity.<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />But that is not the point. The weight of such a proposal against an imagined “humanism” is simply naïve; and then to side track by giving an example of “Christian Aid”, which supposedly works universally across the globe whereas “Islamic Relief” does not, shows a cloudy mind which is trying to escape from the thrust of the original proposal. First of all, the spectrum of work of “Christian Aid” and “Islamic Relief” has nothing to do with the proposed Union. Second, both organizations are working within certain material constraints and they have their own goals and agendas which are decided by the people who have established them. Furthermore, to claim that “a Muslim who has a claim to piety and religiosity will be charitable for Muslims alone” is to deny history: numerous documented facts about the wealthy Muslims of Baghdad, Cordoba, and Saville would easily dispel that erroneous claim.<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />But what is most puzzling in the argument is that the proposed Union of Muslim States was taken indicate that my approach was somehow “narrow” and I was urged to be “more inclusive and humane”. What does it mean to be more inclusive and humane in a world dominated by brute force? Have these liberals not seen the face of humanism in next door Afghanistan during the last eleven years?<br style="line-height: 1.5;" />Let it be said, once again and even at the cost of repeating oneself: a political philosophy based on the Qur’an does not mean politics of a Fazalur Rahman and to live in denial because Fazalur Rahman is a corrupt politician is childish absurdity. No one owns Islam and the current global realities demand that those who have proclaimed that there is no god except Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger are all responsible for the collective state of the world’s 1.6 billion believers. If a sizeable number of them, and especially the educated, cannot come up with solutions based on their faith, there is no hope for a turnaround in their individual or collective lives.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://www.opinion-maker.org/2012/02/quantum-note-disenchantment-with-islam/" href="http://www.opinion-maker.org/2012/02/quantum-note-disenchantment-with-islam/" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">http://www.opinion-maker.org/2012/02/quantum-note-disenchantment-with-islam/</a></div>
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011370516680400147.post-35698436600819754882012-07-18T12:40:00.000-07:002012-07-18T12:40:00.836-07:00According to Bible, Islamic Halal Food is Kosher for Christians!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<h3 data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" id="post-520" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px 0px 20px;">
A British Christian group argues that the mainstreaming of Halal across the world constitutes part of a global Islamization drive. A Malaysia-based body called the World Halal Forum held a European-focused meeting in London in November, under the theme “Halal Products and Services – Going Mainstream.” The British Christian group has launched “Operation Nehemiah” , they say it has no objection … <a data-mce-href="http://islamphobia.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/halal-food/" href="http://islamphobia.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/halal-food/" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Continue reading »</a></h3>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit: <a href="http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://freebookpark.blogspot.com</a></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com