Islam Between Secular Modernism and Civil Society

By Professor Ali A. Mazrui (Director, Institute of Global Cultural Studies) and Albert Schweitzer (Professor in the Humanities State University of New York at Binghamton, New York, USA)
There are two ways of trying to understand what Islam is all about. One way amounts to interpreting Islam theologically (what do the rules say?). The other method of research is an effort to interpret Islam historically (what have the Muslims done in history?). Theological Islam is a matter of doctrine. Historical Islam is a matter of experience.
Theological Islam is profoundly distrustful of secularism, viewing it as a space where God's laws are not supposed to apply. Such a concept is doctrinally alien. Historical Islam, on the other hand, has interpreted secularism not as a space where God's laws do not apply, but as a space where God's laws are permissive in varying degrees.
Halal - [something is permitted]Makruh - [something is disapproved of but not forbidden]Sunna - [something is recommended but not commanded]Haram - [something is truly forbidden]Fardh or Wajib - [something is obligatory]
Secularism is not a domain of God in absentia, but the domain of God's indulgent permissiveness - the divine green light.
Historical Islam has distinguished between separating church (or mosque) from the state, on one side, and separating religion from politics (on the other side). Separating church from state is do-able - this is an institutional differentiation. Separating religion from politics is NOT do-able - this is behavioral separation in the actions of individuals.
The Republic of India is a secular state - separating church from state. But political behavior in India is constantly affected, reinforced or disrupted by religious factors. India has separated the temple from the state, but has not really sought to separate religion from politics in the hearts of the masses.
England, on the other hand, has not separated church from state. The Queen is both Head of State and Governor of the Church of England. The Archbishop of Canterbury is chosen with the participation of the Prime Minister. And major doctrinal changes in the Church of England need at least the tacit approval of the British Parliament. I am, of course, subject to correction by Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury [in attendance here].
But although the British have not separated church from state (antidisestablishmentarianism), they have remarkably succeeded in separating religion from politics in the domain of individual behavior.
During the life of the Prophet Muhammad and of the first four caliphs (Abubakar, Omar, Uthman and Ali) there was in Islam neither separation of church from state institutionally nor separation of religion from politics behaviorally.
The political secularization of Islam historically began with the royalization of Islam - the establishment of kings and sultans from the dynasties of the Umayyads and Abbasides onwards. The Umayyads reigned from 661 to 750 Christian era; and the Abbasides from 750 to 1268 C.E.
It became clearer across the centuries that there was a Caliph presiding over the Muslim ummah, on one side, and a Sultan presiding over affairs of the state, on the other.
In the Christian Bible the command is "Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's; and unto God what is God's." In historical Islam the injunction became "Give unto the Caliph what is the Caliph's and unto the Sultan what is the Sultan's."
The royalization of Islam was de facto a process of partial political secularization - separating the Caliphate from the Sultanate. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk put an end to the Caliphate on March 3, 1924.
Religious values in the society as a whole remained very strong. What made Islam at the time compatible with the spirit of modernity was Islam's own spirit of creative synthesis. Islam was prepared to learn philosophy from the Greeks, architecture from the Persians, mathematics from the Indians, jurisprudence from the Romans - and to synthesize what was borrowed with Islam's own core values. That was a modern spirit.
The Muslim world went modernist long before the West did - but then the Muslim world relapsed back into pre-modernization. The ancient modernist phase of Islam has left its mark on the subsequent modernization of the West. The marks of Islamic modernism on the English language today include words borrowed from Arabic - like algebra, zero, tariff, and admiral. To recepitulate, Islam was born pre-modern, but receptive to modernism. Then it went modernist in the heyday of its civilization. Then Islam relapsed into pre-modernism, where it has been stuck to the present day.
Islam will return to the spirit of modernism when it returns to the spirit of creative synthesis - learning from others, letting others learn from Islam, and maintaining Islam's own core of authenticity.
Islam and Civil Society
When we now turn to civil society, once again Islam should be interpreted either theologically (identifying its laws and rituals) or interpreted historically (identifying how Muslims have lived Islam across the ages).
Of course the theology and the history repeatedly intersect. For example, Islam is pro-profit but anti-interest. This dual-doctrine had consequences for civil society. Doctrinal opposition to interest led to the shrinking of a money-lending class in the history of Islam. The potential rudiments of a banking system were thus aborted at birth.
On the other hand, the Islamic green light for profit-making influenced the suuq or market-place culture in the political economy of Islam. The Caravan linking one civil society with another encouraged trade across the Sahara Desert and stimulated the dhow trade across the Red Sea to Africa and across the Indian Ocean to east and south-east Asia. Trans-cultural trade helped to propagate Islam across huge cultural distances.
Islam's paradox of pro-profit and anti-interest also resulted in the complex culture of awqaf - a variety of charitable bequests whose civil society beneficiaries ranged from schools and clinics to defacto chambers of commerce, from social clubs for young people to grave yards for the poor.
The mosque itself is, in some Muslim countries, a major institution of civil society. In major cities like Teheran and Cairo the mosque sometimes tries to care for the homeless, either with free food or with shelter during rainy or cold seasons.
In sacred months, like the fasting month of Ramadhan or the pilgrimage month and ashura month of Muharram, the mosque can become a pre-eminent refuge for the poor and the homeless.
Some of the awqaf in Egypt are for the education of girls and women to prepare them for clear roles in civil society. Theological Islam has seemed to discourage women from performing high governing roles over men. However, historical Islam - starting from the great political influence of the Prophet Muhammad's widow, Ayesha - has repeatedly propelled women to offices of power and influence.
Currently the largest Muslim country in population, Indonesia, has a woman head-of-state, Megawati Sukarnoputri. In Bangladesh both the Prime Minister's office and the role of the leader of the opposition have been alternating between two women - Khaleda Zia and Hasina Wajed. In Pakistan Benazir Bhutto has had headed two governments before. And Turkey - a Muslim country with a secular state - has had a woman Prime Minister, Tansu Ciller.
Four Muslim countries have had female Heads of State or Heads of Government long before the United States has had a woman President, Italy a woman Prime Minister, France a woman President, Germany a woman Chancellor, or Russia a woman Head of State.
The United States has tried to protect religious minorities in the civil society through a separation of church and state. And yet after 200 years the United States has only once strayed from the Protestant fraternity. John F. Kennedy was elected in 1960 by the slimmest of margins. In 2000 the USA was tested to see if it would elect a presidential package with a Jew for Vice-President. The system rejected Gore and Lieberman. The USA has never elected a Jew to the White House - and may never elect a Muslim for president for another century.
In this 2004 election it remains to be seen whether the United States would elect its second Catholic for President in over 200 years, John Kerry.
Islam has protected its religious minorities, not through separation of church from state, but through ecumenicalism and the tolerance of ahl el kitab. During the Ottoman Empire Christians attained high office. Suleiman I (1520-1566) had Christian ministers in his government, as did Selim III (1789-1807). Moghul Emperor Akbar (1556-1632) integrated Hindus into government. Saddam Hussein in Iraq had a Chaldean Christian - Tariq Aziz - as Deputy Prime Minister. Egypt nurtured Boutros Ghali (a Coptic Christian) through its foreign ministry and helped him become the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
The Republic of Senegal in West Africa - over 90% Muslim - repeatedly elected Leopold Senghor, a Roman Catholic, as President. Muslim societies have used ecumenical tolerance as a protection of religious minorities in their civil societies.
A Conclusion
Senegal's degree of ecumenicalism in its first half century of independence constituted a degree of secular modernism far ahead of the level reached by any contemporary Western society. Where in the entire Christian West is it even conceivable for a Muslim to be elected President or Prime Minister? Even in those Western countries like France where the Muslim population is much larger than the number of Christians in Senegal, a Muslim would have a hard time being elected Mayor of a small town, let alone President of the Republic.
In the political culture of Muslim Senegal we see signs of the historical proposition that Islam went modernist long before the Western world did. Most of the Muslim world then relapsed into a premodernist culture of legalistic lethargy and social conservatism. But even today elements of modernist Islam can be found in unexpected places - from poverty-stricken Bangladesh ready to follow women in hijab as Prime Ministers to post-colonial Senegalese Muslims ready to elect a Christian for executive President.

THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH.

What Does it Take to Wage Peace?
A Scriptural Vision of Peace Among the Abrahamic Faiths of Judaism, Christianity and IslamBy Imam Feisal

Bridging the Chasm between Islam and AmericaReflections of an American Muslim Imam
Washington National CathedralApril 10, 2003

Bismillah irrahman irrahim. In the name of the all-merciful, all-compassionate God, the God of Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the Children of Israel, the God of Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon them all, and whom we greet with the greetings of peace.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I greet you with the Islamic greeting of peace be upon you, assalamu alaykum.
Islam-a religion I deeply love and which comprises my essential identity as a human being-and Muslims, are broadly perceived as a national security issue in the United States, while America, a land I dearly love and whose values I cherish, has aroused broad antagonism in much of the Muslim World. This is our test today-in Christian language, the cross we have to bear. My fellow Americans have challenged me to offer some urgently needed fresh ideas for bridging and reversing this growing divide.
And in the context of today's victory of US military forces in overthrowing the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq, I seek your indulgence in focusing pointedly onto the very nub of the issues as I see it in the title of our theme, Waging Peace, especially vis-a-vis the Muslim world.
In attempting to fathom the underlying issues, my American non-Muslim friends have probed: Is Islam's theology to blame? Is the problem its various concepts of jihad, the suppression of women in some Muslim societies, the widely held Muslim belief of non-separation between Church and State, the erosion of moderate Islam at the hands of petrodollar funded puritan Wahabis, or the lack of a Reformation like that which Christianity went through?
The question-how the horror of 9/11 occurred in the name of Islam-and the legitimate American fear that Islamic values are fundamentally and inherently hostile to Western and democratic values was highlighted by a journalist who asked me, "I understand political movements, but until you tell me why most liberation movements in the Muslim world use Islamic religious vocabulary to express their grievances, even naming their movements the likes of Jemaah Islamiyah in Indonesia, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah (God's Party) in the Middle East-how am I to believe that Islam is in fact a peaceful religion?"
We-the American Muslims, by this I mean those who have harmonized and integrated both the American and Muslim parts of ourselves-are uniquely positioned to meet this challenge of bridging the chasm between Islam and America. That means learning how to speak to America about Islam, and to the Muslim world about America, and to both about the concord between Islamic values and American values, how they are consonant and when they have parted.
Since 9/11, American Muslims needed to explain to Americans that the root of the violence conducted in the name of Islam was less about theology than about the power and economic structures of the Muslim world, these two being the root causes of all conflicts. While Islamic texts, law and theology mandate tolerance, democratic values, the rule of law under an independent judiciary, and support the principles of separation of powers and democratic capitalism, most Muslims do not live under such governance. The call for an Islamic State implementing Shariah law in Muslim lands, such as Nigeria for example, is invariably a popular cry for an uncorrupt State embodying the American notion of a 'nation under God,' passionately dedicated to the wellbeing of its citizens. Muslims cry 'un-Islamic!' for the very violations that make Americans cry 'unconstitutional!' Thus the corrective of establishing what we would call a constitutional government, in Islamic parlance, would be called an 'Islamic government.' Disenfranchised in their homelands by a privileged tiny minority in state owned economies, many Muslims traverse deserts on foot, and cross oceans on rickety boats, seeking these rights in Western lands, while others use Islamic vocabulary to express their grievances and demand corrective social justice. Yearning for the freedoms and economic empowerment that Muslims in the West routinely enjoy, they seek to reverse the tragic history of a Europe and America consistently supporting authoritarian regimes that have denied them what we consider inalienable God-given rights. Consider that when President Chirac of France visited Algeria recently, the Algerians lining the streets tellingly chanted "Visa! Visa!"
Respect for human life, gender rights, religious tolerance and pluralism are rooted in Islamic scripture. Muslims hear God's voice in the Quran unequivocally mandating non-interference in matters of human conscience: 'There shall be no compulsion in religion;' commanding Muslims to inform unbelievers: 'To you your religion and to me mine.' Finally it asserts that salvation is accessible through other traditions: 'Certainly those who believe, the Jews, Christians, Sabians: whoever believes in God and the Last Day and does good, shall have their reward with their Lord.' Thus we see how religious pluralism is anchored in the most primary of Islamic texts, the Quran.
Cooling the fires of rage first requires answering the simple question, what kindled them in the first place? Fueled by a century-long litany of perceived injuries suffered by the Muslim world, stemming from core principles of US and Western foreign policy, Muslim eyes have watched a western policy toward the Islamic world that appeared to consistently support the following three broad causes:
1. The overturning and suppression of existing or nascent democratic regimes in favor of authoritarian ones that have co-opted the independence of the judiciary and the legislative bodies, destroying the 'separation of powers' doctrine we value so highly in America. Without such highly valued checks and balances, human rights violations have run rampant while the West either looked the other way or actively reinforced such autocratic regimes. The desire for an Islamic State implementing Shariah law, for example, is as we noted earlier but a cry for justice and equity, for the rule of law, for an independent judiciary and for a state that embodies the notion of a 'nation under God,' accountable before the Creator for miscarriages of justice.
2. Non-separation of state and economy. With an economy owned by the state, power became far too concentrated. Too many Muslims see themselves disenfranchised from participating in the economic wealth of the nation, deprived of 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness' while watching it unfairly consumed by a tiny minority-thus the flight of refugees across deserts and oceans to Western countries.
3. The decapitation of a Muslim intellectual aristocracy, which a century ago thought and wrote of how to usher Muslim societies into modernity and of how to translate Western achievements in democratic governance and democratic capitalism into what was still then a very pluralistic Muslim society. Unfortunately, the rise of autocratic regimes eroded the independence of highly regarded and respected Islamic institutions. Such regimes forcefully shifted society's resources from Islamic education to military and technological education in an attempt to industrialize their agrarian societies. By the 1960's when 'the God is dead' reached its peak in the West and clerics were objects of ridicule and satire in movies and plays, it became difficult for Muslim parents to take pride in having a child be a cleric, or a specialist in Islamic studies, and such a field of specialization bore no financial secure professional future in the major capitals of the Muslim world.
An analogy would be the US reaction in 1959 to the Soviet Sputnik event, which shocked the US into the realization that if we wanted to win the space race, we had to invest in the physical sciences and engineering, and make the landing of man on the moon by the end of the 1960's a priority.
The solution, and by this a solution to so heal the relationship between the Muslim world and the US by the end of this decade, so that future 9/11's become impossible, so that nor more Osama ben Ladens arise, involves investing in a program that reverses each of the above causes.
Reversing this legacy requires a partnership between the institutions of power, institutions of economics, and of religion. Here is where the deployment of the American Islamic voice, especially as part of Abrahamic interfaith initiatives in this country, can play a key interlocutory and intermediary role. Such involvement will pay enormous dividends in helping extinguish these fires of history by providing culturally sensitive and Islamically correct avenues and solutions to the political needs of our times.
On behalf of a growing number of American Muslim thinkers, community leaders, and religious scholars, this call is for 'fast-tracking' an Islamic Initiative (as part of a broader Abrahamic initiative) to deploy a 'Manhattan Project' for Waging Peace. With the support of academic, religious and NGO institutions, we can offer our nation powerful arguments-based on the Quran, the Prophet's teachings and the writings of the earliest and most important Islamic thinkers-supporting democratic principles, an independent judiciary, a privatized economy and the non-interference of government in matters of cultural norms, religion and human conscience.
For example, Muslim audiences are often as surprised as non-Muslim audiences, to hear that the second Caliph Omar, a few short years after the Prophet's death on the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem, was the one who invited Jews back to take up residence in that sacred city, thus responsible for reversing the expulsion of the Jews from the City of David. Many of his decisions established legal precedents in Islamic law and jurisprudence, this being one of them. His edict on the protection of Christian and Jewish houses of worship and of their communities demonstrates the fundamental principles of Islamic pluralism. I often cite this history and the commonly known Islamic law that permits a Muslim husband to have a Christian or Jewish wife without requiring her to convert to Islam, to counter and refute the occasional absurd and false misinterpretations I hear from my own community about Muslims being prohibited from befriending Christians and Jews. No Muslim scholar or jurist of high regard or esteem has ever presumed to understand the Quran, the teachings of the Prophet, and the Divine intent embedded in these primary sources of Islamic teachings, more than the Prophet's companions and successors like the Caliph Umar and his cousin and son-in-law the fourth Caliph Ali. These precedents collectively have shaped the understanding of Islamic law and practice.
Muslims are also forced to re-think and nuance their notions of non-separation of Church and State when they hear that the great eighth century Imam Malik, one of the architects of Islamic jurisprudence and founder of the Maliki school of law (named after him), refused to allow his great legal work the Muwatta' to be hung from the Ka`ba in Mecca and adopted as the sole law of the land. Instead, he accepted and suffered punishment because he believed in a pluralistic interpretation of law and in an independent judiciary-as did many other great jurists and Muslim scholars. To put this in context, imagine an American jurist of note, on being asked by the President that his opus work be made the overarching law of the land, and he refuses, and accepts jail and punishment because he believes that other differences of opinion may be equally legitimate.
Such events demonstrate the struggle from the earliest times in Islamic history for what we call today, and take for granted in the West, an independent judiciary.
Islamic texts, and precedents of the greatest Islamic scholars and jurists, strongly support these principles of separation of powers, including that of the separation of Church and State, when understood as being that the role of the State is to be concerned only with issues of proper, ethical governance in accordance with Islam's principles of equity and social justice, and not with using the powers of State institutions to enforce one religious doctrinal opinion over another, or even to enforce one religion over another.
A critical component in implementing what to many appears as "such a fresh thinking American Muslim initiative" is the cooperation of especially important American Jewish and Christian institutions, business and academic institutions, and especially the media, in putting their shoulders to the wheel both to amplify the voice of this new American Muslim identity and to canvass for Muslims' unalienable human rights, while simultaneously sensitive to the legitimate concerns of our Jewish and Christian brethren in the Abrahamic family.
But what will really make this process 'burn rubber' and gain on the ground traction is a US administration that recognizes the importance of such a program to our homeland security, deploying its sole superpower status to project an enlightened compassionate global policy towards the 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide. Liberating Muslims from their democratic and economic disempowerment will begin immediately to transform this rage into friendship ... and an enhanced American security. But what will win the hearts and minds of the Muslim world, and nail the coffin on the ability of the Osama bin Ladens to recruit more anti-American young men, is when the US administration articulates its policies towards the Muslim world in Muslim language.
And let me give you an example.
In his speech to Congress after 9/11, President Bush referred to Muslims as a peace loving people; referring to the words of the Quran and the Prophet as a religion of peace. That speech had a deeply positive effect on many Muslims in the US and abroad. In the speech before the UN he used the UN's own resolutions to justify US stance. Why not refer to the teachings of the Quran and Islamic law in justification of action in Iraq?
Today, to gain trust and win friends in the 'Muslim street,' imagine if the President of the United States now addresses the Muslim world and begins by quoting, in Arabic, the oft-quoted Quranic verse (chapter 2: verse 193), fa la `udwana illa `ala-zzaalimiin, "there shall be no hostility except against the oppressive tyrant," and made a major, direct address to Muslims worldwide, explaining why according to the Quran a good Muslim should be supportive of action against Saddam Hussein. If he adds that Islamic law sanctions the projection and use of force to overthrow (when we cannot transform) a regime that is evil in order to establish a just and peaceful social order, which is why we see Muslims agitating all over the world for regimes that are democratic, fair and uncorrupt, and that his administration will aid Muslims in achieving this objective in the Muslim world, this would shock (and delight) Muslim audiences everywhere. If the speech itself then proceeded to address the Muslim world in its own terms with language that spoke to the issues of people on the street in the Middle East, the effect could be electrifying. This could be the "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech of our age-as John Kennedy did in Berlin-and it would be remembered for decades in the Muslim world.
The use of such arguments by the leader of the free world, demonstrating that American values are very much in sync with Islamic values would have a strong, positive effect on Muslim public opinion and be a big step in attenuating the anti-American sentiment in the Muslim world, especially in countries like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia that pride themselves on their Islamic credentials. In fact, it is not difficult to demonstrate to the Muslim world that the United States is far more 'Sharia-compliant' than many so-called Islamic countries.
The burning need now is for a structure that can catalyze this nascent dialogue between Islam and the West. Together with fellow American Muslims and fellow Americans of other faiths, I would like to thank my colleagues on this podium for their having tirelessly worked to fulfill those scriptural visions of peace, to be admitted by God into that class of 'blessed be the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.' I especially wish to thank the Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell, for her recognition of the importance of this mission, and the conviction with which the Chautauqua Institution responded to being one of the many partners and stakeholders the American Muslims need in working together to create precisely that structure which best utilizes American Muslims' role as a bridge between the two civilizations.
President Reagan made history when he said "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" and the Chautauqua Institution, where Rev. Dr. Campbell heads the religion dept, played a key role by bringing a few hundred Russians to the US to bridge differences, memorialized in the book...(When the hammer and the sickle met the stars and stripes).
We pray that with the combined efforts of such visionary men and women we can repeat this history, and perhaps have a sequel book, 'When the star and the crescent met the stars and stripes. (I'm copyrighting this title Joan!)
Tearing down walls is the easier part, building bridges is the harder work. And we are here for this reason, to pave the way of winning the hearts and minds of those across the various divides.
All religions share a primary commandment-that which Jesus deemed co-equal to loving the Lord our God with all our hearts, our strength, our minds, and souls-and that is to love for our fellow human beings what we love for ourselves. And therefore before our Lord and Creator, we must act together, as Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and all faith traditions whose lives mesh with each other, to do just that.
As one who loves this country, I beseech my President to wage the supreme effort, which Muslims call the 'greater jihad,' to make his policy reflect the language of the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah, by crafting and implementing a US policy that judges nations by God's justice, that will rise up to the challenge of our day to urge nations 'to beat their swords into plowshares, spears into pruning hooks, and usher in a time when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall learn war any more.'
Am I asking for too much? And if you answer yes, my rejoinder will be to paraphrase Jesus, who suggested that we perfect and strengthen our faith and, "ask, with that faith so strong that it can move mountains, and we shall indeed be given."
Thank you.

LIGHT IS THERE, BUT THE HEARTS AREN'T PRESENT...SAAAAAAAAAAAAD :(

From Deep Within: My Quest for Truth, Power, & Purpose

By Jeewan Chanicka

29/11/2004

“A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. To live is to be slowly born.� - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Have you ever walked out into a summer’s night where there are no lights and just stared into the heavens? You see millions of stars piercing the sky, and you realize your insignificance in the universe. Then you stop and think that each star on its own may be significant, each one has shone on a life—in fact, on many lives. Some of them do so for numerous years, and others die after only a short length of time. But the truth of the matter is that they shone. They left their print on the universe, and they changed the way that someone saw the world around them. At such a time, you realize the power that emanates when each one fulfills its purpose.
In Search
Ever since I can remember, I have been searching for the meaning of life itself. Why am I here? What is my purpose? Constantly reflecting on these questions made me different from other children: I was introspective and inquisitive; I asked questions all the time—my favorite one was, “Why?� It seemed that my grandfather’s words often echoed in my ears, “God does not create people just to fill up space on the earth.� It was only recently that I understood the impact this statement had on me. I needed to understand; if no one was here to “take up space� then why was I here? This longing for purpose ignited within me the desire to find my place and my purpose in the universe—the bigger picture.
I remember actively surveying the world around me and desperately trying to understand why the world was the way it was; why people believed what they did, and what made them do the things that they did. I started my search from within, and slowly began to explore the answers of those around me. Perhaps someone I knew had the answer.
While a family who cared surrounded me, there were others who scared me and hurt me with their words and actions. Sometimes, people do not realize that words are as powerful as weapons, especially in the life of a child. From my perspective, I had many daggers that pierced my heart; some of which healed and others which simply faded away, blocked off by a mind that sought protection from the evils of reality. In many ways I became a victim, but in many other ways I became a survivor. There was always one thing that I was sure of, that I never wanted it to happen to anyone else. I never really became angry, but I did get frustrated. My circumstances motivated me even more to understand why people did the things that they did. As I continued to observe people’s words and actions, my overwhelming confusion about people propelled me to embark upon a spiritual journey at a very young age. I was ten at the time, and my quest for purpose continued. Can purpose be drawn from a single source? I believe so, but when it comes from other people, a cause, a feeling, it may not always last. Take for example the other people, a cause, a feeling, it may not always last. Take for example the person who invests in a cause because of a loved one, or because of a desire, or because of a need to feel good, or because of something they see. Purpose then, can be relative, and can waiver with circumstances and environmental factors, changing feelings, or even upon being challenged by others. However, I have found that purpose drawn from a divine source, within clearly defined parameters and with a clear understanding of personal accountability to the Creator outlasts the lives of the very people themselves.
Having been brought up in a Hindu-Christian family, I was exposed to more ways of seeing the world than the average child. I went to a Hindu elementary school and a Catholic secondary school. As I navigated the turbulent waters of religion and various ways of looking at the world, I felt that I had finally found a key, an answer; one that showed me why I was here on this earth, while providing me with the necessary energy and a framework to fulfill my purpose. The framework explained that the aspects of my daily life were worship, and it was all based on an independent relationship with God. The framework was one that called for personal accountability, of knowing that God wanted us to be leaders, of knowing that anything done other than for the sake of God would be useless to us. Acts done for fame, recognition, or even to feel good, would never really last. They may bring benefits to us in this life, but would have no worth in the next. Instead, as I understood it, God was calling us to elevate ourselves, to know that our actions would be judged, not by the results but by our intentions, and that even when people don’t see, God always does. At the age of 11, I became a Muslim.
At the time, it was not an easy choice as I feared my family’s reaction. They would have accepted a lot from me, but not Islam. I was “smart� and a shining example. I had all the potential, and I would be wasting it all in their eyes if I became a Muslim. As many parents worry today, my mother was scared that I would become some type of militant who would kill people in the name of Allah. It took seven years of silent struggle to eventually let them know I had made this choice. It was a hard pill for them to swallow, but they eventually did.
As I reflect on it now, I realize that it is more difficult to be a Muslim today, it has become worse: Being a Muslim today is like wearing a label that says “enemy.� But every time I stop to think about why I made this choice, it only allows me to become stronger and more convinced that I have truly understood why I was created and what my purpose is. It has strengthened my resolve to “live and die� for the sake of God—Allah.
The Holistic PictureWhat I understood then as my purpose, I have only come to fully understand today. My purpose in this life is to worship the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth. Yet worship in this sense does not apply to rituals alone. Worship applies to a holistic desire to live in a way pleasing to the One Who created us, to understand that if we expect His mercy, then we should show mercy. To realize that as we give love to others, so too shall love come to us, and as we pray for others, the angels themselves will pray for us. I believe, in a very real sense, that God put me on this earth to fulfill a divine mission: To stand up for truth and justice for all people, regardless superficial differences, whether they are Muslim or Jews, black or white, rich or poor; to be a beacon of light and compassion to the poor and disenfranchised; to be a pillar of hope and empowerment to those who have lost hope and have lost their way on this journey we call life. It is one of compassion and hope, not one of pretentiousness and judgment: A purpose where I am not fooled by illusions of grandeur, praise or flattery, nor an existence in which I am in need of my work to be recognized.
What I have found is a special and intimate relationship with God, which lays out a holistic way to live my life. It tells me that I am to strive to be the best of creation by looking after all of creation, by enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. This means that I must always stand up and speak the truth, regardless of the consequences. It also means that to be the best that I am able to be, I must protect life and ensure that people are not being oppressed in any way. It means that I must be an ambassador of mercy, as this is the hallmark of Islam. I know that all of my actions are done solely for the pleasure of Allah. I committed my life to him (my living) and if I die while I am walking along this path, then I die for His sake (not as sensationally portrayed in the media today).
But knowing this to be my mission was not enough. I studied the example of Muhammad, Prophet of Islam. I read of a man who led a group of people who changed humanity for all time. He was illiterate, and although he was a powerful leader, he never once slept at night if he had money left in his possession: He would go out immediately and distribute it to the poor. I saw a man who, despite being a leader, slept on leaves on a mud floor, refusing to let the distractions of the world compete for his attention. He remained committed to his purpose. I saw someone who conquered a city in a war but spilled not even a drop of blood, and then forgave the very enemies who had tormented him for years.
Then I continued to look at other prophets of Islam—Jesus, Moses, Abraham—and a significant number of people spoken of with high regard of the Qur’an. I looked at Asiya (wife of Pharaoh), Mary (mother of Jesus), and then I looked at contemporary leaders from whom I draw inspiration—Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Zaynab al-Ghazali, and many others. Looking at their lives, I understood that they were all special individuals who understood something about living. It was not simply about service, but rather it was about change. It was about transforming the world that they lived in. Each person stood up for the truth. They held the reigns of peace in troubled waters and they worked to achieve a moral victory in the world. I spent many years thereafter, struggling to understand what I was supposed to do with my life.
Realizing My Purpose in Life
I tried my best to fulfill this purpose by being involved in my surrounding community; I became actively involved in social services and youth work, looking after many of the disenfranchised. I was sure that I wanted to help people and I was not going to sit idly by and allow anyone to hurt anyone else. I still very painfully remembered the wounds of the battles I faced, and I did not want others to suffer a similar fate. Then one day, after much thought and a few gentle pushes from friends who saw in me more than I saw at the time, I realized one of the best ways to achieve my purpose. How could I enjoin the right, forbid the wrong, be a beacon of mercy, stand up for truth and justice, push myself even more to make a change and transform our world? How could l leave my impact on the world, like the stars that shine brightly? It was as if a veil had been lifted. A new realization was born in my heart—I had to become a teacher. It was a natural extension of what I had embraced as my purpose, and its impact would be immeasurable. In Islam it is called sadaqah jariyah—an act of charity that continues to bring you benefit after your death.

The Youth

This would be the way I could transform the world—one life at a time. Each child that I taught would carry a flame from my candle and use it to light torches elsewhere. As I realized this, I knew that I did not want to work teaching just any kids. I wanted to go to specific areas and target the kids who did not have the same advantages as others, kids who were seen as being “tough,� the children who would be labeled “at risk.� I wanted them to know that despite all the obstacles that life had meted out to them, there was someone in their corner. I would be the one who could look past their images and reputations and look into their eyes, see their hearts, and know the true inner person—the one that exists beneath all the layers. I was the one who would push them to be all that they could be and the one who was willing to walk the extra mile to help them see it in themselves. I wanted to give them the tools that would empower them to be successful, by challenging them and encouraging them to become critical thinkers and to learn how to advocate for themselves. I committed myself to finding ways to empower our children by creating an equitable and inclusive environment.
On the last day of my first practicum class, my students surprised me by recording a version of “Lean on Me,� a song that I had been trying to teach them. The school was in one of the “tougher� neighborhoods of Toronto, characterized by poverty and crime. I had been teaching the song to illustrate how music could be a form of resistance and had talked about the civil rights movement in North America. That day, they also gave me a book of poetry they had written for me. As we spent our last minutes together, the tears flowed from my eyes and from theirs, and I knew that I had found my vocation.
In my heart, I knew it was my “calling,� this was my purpose as defined by God, and it was set out within the framework of education. Knowing and understanding this was empowering. It forced me to look back on my own education and reflect on what made it beneficial—the teachers who cared, and what was difficult—and on the times I felt marginalized from everyone else. It forced me to continue to focus on equity and helping students to see their lives reflected in the curriculum they were studying. Regardless of their background and whatever their belief system, they belonged, their voices mattered, and their teacher cared. I continued to learn and studied the types of programming and strategies that would benefit such children.
ReflectionAs I looked to my “adopted� Islamic heritage, I found that whenever Muslims focused on what God wanted to do, it impacted positively on all people. This happened regardless of where or who they were, what they believed or where they came from. They were all protected and given freedom. I never wanted any of my students to feel alienated; it was something that I had experienced and I did not want another child to feel this way. It was also firmly rooted in my faith, so I went about developing a clear and detailed philosophy about what it meant to be a teacher. I refer to it always; I continue to revisit it with the hope of staying true to my purpose and vocation.
So, today I sit as a teacher, committed to partially transforming the world through the students whom I teach and who teach me. Ours is a relationship of reciprocity; I assist them in knowing themselves as well as knowing me. Together, we work to understand ourselves, our community, and the world we live in, and to fulfill that purpose through our actions. Their struggles are just as challenging as mine.
Because I am a Muslim, every time I hear hateful words echoed in the media or from some passerby, the more love I know I have to give in return. Fear is often generated by the unknown, and so when my students know me, they know I am not the “bogey man� cooked-up by the media. They know that the day the planes flew through the twin towers, my heart ached and I cried, just as I cried after the bombs started falling on Afghanistan and Iraq; that when I see a homeless person, I think of the comfort I enjoy at home and try to do something that will, even for a moment, alter the way that person has to live; that terrorism has no color or creed, so we should not all be tarred with the same brush. I don’t need to be apologetic anymore. I don’t need to hide away, because now my students see me for who I am, as an individual, as a Muslim, as a teacher, as a friend, as a father, and as someone who cares. The more I think of Islam, the more I understand my purpose, and the more I think of teaching as fulfilling that purpose. With God’s help, I can and I will make a difference.
Passing on the Torch
This year, I taught my students about the importance of being active global citizens in our global village. Within two weeks, they raised over two thousand pounds of food and clothing and sent it to orphans and families under occupation in Iraq. In two days, they raised over $1,400 for their school. Several of them have won awards for writing, mathematics, anti-racist art, and student leadership, amongst other things. They have also received recognition and awards as a class for their outstanding work and initiative. We spent the entire year working on them developing a philosophy and an understanding of what their purpose and potential to change the world is. When they leave my class at the end of the year, they will all know, above all else, that regardless of where they end up, they too have a purpose, and they can use that to transform the world both individually and collectively. Watch out world—here we come.
The Power of PurposeParker Palmer, in his The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life, stated that “we teach who we are,� and this literally and figuratively applies to me. My purpose empowers me to empower my students. Having been marginalized at various times in my life, including today, my life has taught me the importance of validating my students and their lives, cultures, and perspectives. Together, we create a shared narrative, one that sees us as individual agents of change, one that values humanity, one that understands equality and equity, one that cares for our environment and one that can appreciate the intrinsic good that exists in all people. Within the four walls of my classroom, I am changing the world, because that is my purpose. When I die, if even one candle is lit that brings light, even for one moment, or my star guides a lost ship, even if one life benefited by my presence, then I will have had a successful life, and that is the power of purpose. With certainty, every single one of us will taste death, however, not all of us will experience living, or living with a purpose.

BE KIND, MERCIFUL, SOFT, AND TENDERHEARTED...

KINDNESS!

PURITY IS HARD TO ACHIEVE,....BUT PURITY ISN'T ONLY IN DEEDS, IT'S IN THE SOUL, HEART, MIND, AND BODY TOO....THAT WAS JUST A THOUGHT AND A DEEP FEELING THAT I WANTED TO SHARE AND IMPRINT..

The Social Involvement of Women

The Social Involvement of Women in Islam

By Imam Zaid Shakir

One of the persistent attacks against Islam is that it is a religion which stifles the social involvement of women. By social involvement, we mean involvement in those spheres of endeavor which occur outside of the home and impact on the general nature and direction of society. Islam, it is said, desires to divest women of any meaningful social role, to keep them “trapped� in the confines of their homes, under the constant surveillance and control of men. This claim, as we will endeavor to show, does not accurately reflect the fullness of Islamic teachings on this issue.
While Islam does advocate a social scheme which places great emphasis on the domestic role of women, it also creates ample space for their meaningful participation in public affairs. The purpose of this article is to examine aspects of that social involvement based on the Qur’an and the prophetic tradition. That examination will be preceded by a brief expose on the fundamental equality of men and women in Islam.
The Fundamental Equality of Men and Women in Islam
The Qur’an emphasizes that men and women are equal in their essential physical and metaphysical nature. We read in that regard, “We have surely ennobled the descendants of Adam.� [1] This ennoblement of the human being precludes any claims to gender superiority, or any feelings of inferiority based on physical, or metaphysical composition. Such feelings underlie schemes of gender-based oppression, and have no place in Islam.
We also read in the Qur’an, “We have surely created the human in the best of molds.� [2] Again, this process of human creation is not gender specific. It includes men and women. As human beings, they have both been created in the best of molds, and their respective ability to fulfill their human potential hinges on factors which have nothing to do with their physical differences.
Islam also emphasizes that both men and women are equal in their servitude to God. Neither gender is a greater or lesser servant of the Divine, even though that servitude may vary in some minor details. For example, women are ordered to cover their hair, while husbands are ordered to spend for their wives’ maintenance. In the modern human-centric worldview, both of these orders would be considered manifestations of oppression; of women in the first instance, of men in the second. However, as Muslims we understand that these are simply two varying manifestations of servitude. We further understand that “God does not desire to oppress His servants in any way.� [3]
Furthermore, men and women are rewarded equally for their righteous deeds. God says in the Qur’an, “And your Lord replied, ‘I shall never cause the deeds of any of you to be lost, male or female, you are of each other.� [4] This verse, and those immediately following it, advocate that women and men are equal in their religion, human worth, the rewards they receive for their worship, and the recompense for their worldly struggles. Imam Fakhr ad-Din ar-Razi summarizes these meanings in his commentary on these verses:
There is no difference in God’s response [to their supplications], nor in the recompense received by the male and the female [for their righteous deeds], as long as they are equal in steadfastly maintaining the obedience of God. This indicates that virtue in religion is based on deeds and not accidental attributes. The fact that some people are male or female, or from lowly or lofty lineage has no bearing in this area. [5]
A related verse mentions that this fundamental equality also pertains in terms of their susceptibility to the punishment of God as a consequence of transgression. God says, “Whoever does wrong will be recompensed accordingly. And whoever does good, male or female, as long as they are believers, they will enter Gardens, provided for therein without stint.� [6]
Even if one believed that men are “better� than women, that belief has no meaning in practical terms, as a particular woman can be better than a particular man, based on her deeds and actions. Similarly, the generality of women can be better than the generality of men in a particular time and place. The great grammarian, Ibn Hisham al-Ansari, elucidates this point in his explanation of the use of the definite article in the Arabic language. He says:
The definite article is for demarcating a category. Hence, your saying, “The man is better than the woman,� if you do not mean by that statement a particular man or a particular woman. Rather, what you mean is that the [former] category in and of itself is better [than the latter]. It is not correct to say that every single man is better than every single woman, because reality contradicts that. [7]
Hence, there is no basis in Islam, if it is properly understood, for any woman to believe that she is inferior to any man. The deeds of the individual are what distinguishes him or her. One whose deeds are best, be he male or female, is best. As God proclaims, “The most noble of you with God is the most pious.� [8]
The Social Involvement of Women
God says in the Qur’an, “Those who when we give them authority on earth, establish regular prayers, pay the poor due, command good, and forbid wrong. And unto God is the end of all affairs.� [9] This verse presents four pillars of an Islamic social order, specifically:
Establishing regular prayer.
Paying the poor due.
Commanding the good.
Forbidding the wrong.
In a functional Islamic society women share all of these duties with men. This is made clear from the following verse in the Qur’an:
“The believing men and women are supportive and protective friends unto each other. They enjoin the right, forbid the wrong, establish regular prayer, pay the poor due, and are dutifully obedient to God and His Messenger. They will receive the Mercy of God. Surely, God is Almighty, Wise.� [10]
In this verse, the four duties mentioned above are restated, and then mentioned as being undertaken by both men and women. The socio-political implications of this verse are made clear to us if we consider that the relationship it articulates between men and women is one of tremendous relevance in the greater societal sphere. This relationship is described by the Arabic term “Wilaya.� This term is defined by al-Fayruzabadi in al-Qumus, one of the most authoritative Arabic dictionaries, as involving, “Planning, governance, and authority.� [11] In all of these duties, men and women support and strengthen each other, as Ibn Kathir, among others, makes clear in his commentary on this verse. [12] The result of such a healthy relationship between the sexes would be a strong, balanced, just, and pious society.
The political implications of commanding the good and forbidding the wrong are further clarified by the wording of the Second Oath of ‘Aqaba, which is referred to as the Oath of War, because of its clear political implications. This oath is distinguished from the First Oath of ‘Aqaba, which focused on issues related to personal piety and individual conduct, and was known as the Oath of the Women. [13] The former oath, as related by Ibn Hisham, reads as follows:
The Prophet, Peace and Blessings of God upon him, spoke. He recited the Qur’an, invited [people] to God, encouraged them to accept Islam, and then said: “I take the oath from you that you protect me as you protect your women and children.� Al-Bara’ b. Ma’rur took his [blessed] hand and said, “Yes, O Messenger of God! We will protect you as we protect our womenfolk and our very souls! We take the oath from you O Messenger of God! We are a warrior people, armed with weapons we have inherited over long generations. [14]
In addition to the men taking this oath, which clearly delineates socio-political duties and obligations, it was also entered into by two women, Umm ‘Umarah Nusayba bint Ka’b, and Umm Muni’ Asma’ bint ‘Amr, and accepted from them by the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of God be upon him. [15] This is a clear proof that both men and women are equal partners in the Islamic social project. From this general description of the social involvement of women in a Islamic society, we wish to move to specific examples.
Women Fighting to Protect Islam
During the Battle of Uhud, Umm ‘Umara Nusayba bint K’ab, one of the women present at the Second Oath of ‘Aqaba, valiantly defended the Messenger of God, sustaining twelve wounds in the process. She nearly killed Ibn Qami’a, one of the fiercest warriors in the opposing force. After the fray, the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of God be upon him, praised her courage and skill. [16] This affirmation from the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of God be upon him, prevents anyone from denying the permissibility of women fighting under similar circumstances, even if other prophetic traditions argue against such fighting being obligatory for them. [17]
The Prophet, Peace and Blessings of God be upon him, also gave tidings to Umm Haram bint Mulham that she would fight in a naval battle. This came after she sought his permission to go forth in a military campaign. She subsequently married Ubada b. as-Samit, and participated with him in a naval expedition. [18] The fact that her participation in that battle occurred with the foreknowledge and permission of the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of God be upon him, is again a powerful argument against those who would refuse to acknowledge the permissibility of this and far lesser significant types social involvement.
It is a well-known principle in the Divine Law that in the face of a direct invasion of a Muslim land by non-Muslim forces, it is mandatory for every able-bodied woman to join the Muslim defenses to repulse the aggressor. [19] As a general practice, the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of God be upon him, would bring women along on military campaigns to function as nurses and to undertake other support and logistical roles. [20] ‘Aisha, Umm Sulaym, Umm Salit, and many others distinguished themselves performing such duties.
Direct Participation of Women in the Political Process
If we can generally define the political process of a particular society as the method by which publicly binding decisions are made, then it is clear that women were an integral part of the political process in the polity presided over by the Prophet Muhammad, Peace and Blessings of God be upon him. An example of this would be the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of God be upon him, accepting the advise of his wife, Umm Salama, to go out and sacrifice his animal then shave his head during the crisis which occurred at al-Hudaybiyya. All of the companions, dissatisfied with the conditions of the treaty that had been struck between the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of God upon him, and his enemies, refused his order to end their lesser pilgrimage. However, when they saw the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of God be upon him, undertake the rites of release they quickly followed suit. Hence, it was the counsel of a woman which ended one of the greatest political crisis yet to occur in the nascent Islamic state. [21]
A similar example can be taken from an incident which occurred during the conquest of Makka. Umm Hani’ bint Abi Talib, the sister of Imam ‘Ali, granted an oath of protection to two idolaters who had actually fought the advancing Muslim forces. When she informed the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of God be upon him, of that, he responded, “We give our collective oath of protection to anyone you have pledged to protect, Umm Hani’.� [22] This act of Umm Hani’ was a state-level political edict which was affirmed by the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of God be upon him. These and many other examples clearly indicate that the social involvement of women in Islam reaches the highest levels of public affairs
The social involvement of Muslim women is further illustrated by the controversial issue of ‘Aisha leading a military campaign to seek retribution for the murder of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, the third leader of the Muslim community after the passing of the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of God be upon him. ‘Aisha did not enjoy universal support in the endeavor. Among those refusing to endorse ‘Aisha’s mission was Abu Bakra. [23] He based his refusal on a tradition he had heard from the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of God be upon him, mentioning that a people who depute their affair to a woman will never succeed. That tradition reads as follows:
In the days prior to the Battle of the Camel, God benefited me from a prophetic tradition I [recalled] hearing from the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of God upon him. [24] When it reached the Prophet that the Persians had elevated the daughter of Kisra to the throne, he said, “A people who depute their affair to a woman will never succeed.� [25]
Hence, Abu Bakra deduced that ‘Aisha’s effort was futile. However, this conclusion was not shared by other companions, many of them more learned than Abu Bakra. ‘Aisha, a great jurist in her own right, agreed to lead the expedition. Talha and al-Zubayr, two of the ten specifically promised Paradise, supported her decision. Hence, from this earliest time, there was a difference of opinion as to the scope and parameters of a woman’s leadership.
This difference of opinion occurring amongst the Companions, concerning the extent of a woman’s political authority continued among latter jurists. While they agreed on the prohibition of a woman ascending to the highest office in the Islamic state, the Caliphate, they differed concerning other high level positions. For example, Imam al-Tabari and Ibn Hazm considered it permissible for women to serve as judges, unconditionally. Imam Abu Hanifa viewed it permissible for a woman to serve as a judge in those issues where her witness is accepted. Others viewed it as being impermissible for a woman to serve in the judiciary under any circumstances. [26]
We should note that the interpretation of the Prophet’s, Peace and Blessings of God be upon him, words concerning the outcome of a woman’s leadership, may involve intangibles which we are incapable of comprehending. In that context, they might not be the expression of a binding historical law. Were they the expression of such a law, they would seemingly be contradicted by events which occurred both before and after its utterance.
As for pre-Islamic times, the Qur’an itself relates the story of Bilqis, the legendary Queen of Sheba. She is mentioned in the Qur’an as attaining worldly success, [27] and as eventually accepting Islam. Ibn Kathir mentions that she commanded a council of 312 delegates, each of whom represented 10,000 men. [28] She was a very successful leader, and her people prospered under her reign.
After the time of the Prophet, Peace and Blessing of God be upon him, there are similar instances of successful woman leaders. Both in general, and in specific military campaigns, of the type undertaken by ‘Aisha. In this latter category, we could mention the British rout of the Argentines during the 1982 Falklands War. That victory occurred at a time when England was under the leadership of two women, Queen Elizabeth II, and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
These two examples in no way contradict the statement of the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of God be upon him, “A people who depute their affairs to a woman will never succeed,� if we accept that the tradition in question has an interpretation beyond our superficial understanding. Surely, God knows best.
In conclusion, Islam is for all people, all times, and all places. It is flexible enough to accommodate many different types of societies, and societal arrangements. It advocates a balanced social order where men and women occupy largely complimentary roles. Although these roles are not always “equal� as we have come to use that term in the context of contemporary analyses of gender relations, they have enough flexibility to accommodate the dignified social involvement of women. The examples used in our brief analysis could have been expanded to include areas such as seeking knowledge, teaching, commerce, business, professions, and other realms. However, what we have mentioned should suffice to show that claims which posit that Islam denies women a space for meaningful social involvement are both misleading and inaccurate.
Imam Zaid Shakir
Hayward, CA
04.01.04

SILENCE..

MEDITATION... :) 10 LETTERS CARRYING A HEAVY AND A DEEP MEANING !!! CHECK IT OUT,,M-E-D-I-T-A-T-I-O-N. WOOOOW..TRY IT!!

THE MINDLESS DATING GAME: HAPPINESS OR HEARTBREAK
Author Unknown
Many unmarried people these days search for “love” in a series of premarital relationships, which far from yielding happiness, lead to nothing but spiritual degeneration, loss of self-respect, heartache and misery. When the average girl reaches the age of ten or eleven, she - sometimes with the knowledge of her parents, sometimes without their knowledge - becomes engrossed in and obsessed with the teen romance novel: a blonde, blue-eyed girl, with a perfect figure, falls in love with the football hero of the school, a few complications on the way (nothing major, of course), but things end happily after. In these novels, girl and boy might hold hands, or there might even be a kiss, thrown in somewhere along the line. By the time the impressionable reader of these novels reaches her late teens, she is sick of these story lines...and is searching for more. And is most cases, “more” is usually available right there in her home, tucked away at the bottom of her mother’s cupboard, in the form of adult romance novels.
The holding hands, and the kissing has now made way for much more, as details of pre-marital passion, and the fulfillment thereof are graphically spelt out on these pages. The reader is told what the “perfect body” is supposed to look like, the notion that sexual intercourse before marriage is sweet and romantic seeps through these pages...the feelings of degradation, and the many possible consequences thereof are conveniently left out. fairy tale is a fairy tale, we tell ourselves, a book is a book...they have no implications on real life. Surely our daughters understand and accept this... But we are deluding ourselves. These same “harmless” fairytales and books, have a detrimental effect on the thinking, lifestyles and attitudes of our children.
The first “crush”/infatuation our daughters experience in relation to members of the opposite sex, is often linked to false perceptions about “dating,” perceptions to which a wide variety of factors contribute. And one of the main factors painting a sugar and candy image of pre-marital romances, are these shallow bits of reading material that our daughters are exposed to.
It is no strange co-incidence that girls grow up believing that a boyfriend is the key to happiness...after all they have barely started walking, when the stories of the poor ill-treated Cinderella, saved only by a dashing prince, and the beautiful Snow White woken up by a prince, and the doomed Rapunzel, saved from the tower by...who else - a dashing hero, are told to them. And when they read romance novels, this theory is further reinforced - for, in the classic teen romance novel, the girl without a boyfriend, or “sweet sixteen and never been kissed” is the poor, laughing stock, who doesn’t have a date to the “prom.” And on the pages of a typical adult romance novel, the heroine is always a successful, beautiful career woman, but, she feels, that “something” is lacking in her life...and that “something” is naturally a man.
It is improbable that the average teenager, would just read these books, and that there would be no impact on her mind. It is usually exactly the opposite: she wishes she was the person on the pages of the book, and transfers her fantasies to her real life. She might see someone at school, who is popular, and good-looking [i.e. the football hero], and so begins her first painful crush, which is accompanied of course, by sending him anonymous ‘Valentine’s Day' cards, or calling him and playing songs over the phone. Satan has set his trap, and the temptation to sin heightens, and each time the temptation is given in to, the girl becomes more daring. By the time the boy “asks her out,” her nafs has gotten the better of her, and her head filled with the notions of how sweet holding hands before that first kiss must be, she cannot resist. And so begins a “relationship.”
But this has all the ingredients that a classic romance novel does not....for those candy-coated pages do not tell you about the heartbreak, the tears, the mood swings and the countless negative aspects that are the central to these relationships And they do not tell you about the degradation and the loss of self-respect, with which people, especially women, emerge, after these relationships. For there is no peace, no tranquillity in such relationships. The daily cycle, the moods, everything about the individual is affected. There is a certain sort of darkness, a restlessness which fills the heart, and this restlessness affects the rest of the family too. For it is now that all the arguments with the parents start: “Why can’t I go out tonight? All my friends are going?” And there are the mood swings, the fluctuating eating habits...if the phone doesn’t ring, then it’s a case of “I don’t feel like eating.” And then there is dishonesty...unable to tell her parents where she really wants to go, she makes the excuse of having to go to the library to study for tomorrow’s test.
The ending of each relationship is most often marked by a long periods of torture, in which the girl has to “get over” the boy. Everyday life becomes a misery...her marks drop, daily moods start to depend on the current state of her relationship with the boy and many girls, totally misled by Shaitaan, even make dua for a “reconciliation.” During this period the girl is ravaged by guilt, because deep down in her heart, she is aware that what she has done is haraam, and she also feels guilty about lying to her parents. If there was a physical aspect to her relationship, then these feelings of guilt are deeply accentuated and coupled with a total loss ofself-respect.
In the worst possible scenario, which is frequently happening, the girl, in an effort to improve her “self image,” may turn to various other ways...smoking, clubbing, drinking and drugs...or she may embark on a series of flings just to make herself feel “special” again. In short the “relationships” so sweetly portrayed in romance novels, which speak only of chocolates, flowers and happiness, end right there: on the pages of the novel.
In real life, such relationships lead to nothing but unhappiness andheartache. For how can there be any real happiness in a “love” inspired byShaitaan? This type of “love” far from being pure and sacred falls into the category of fornication. And regarding fornication, Allah Ta’ala says in the Holy Qur’aan: “The woman and man guilty of adultery of fornication, flog each of them with a hundred stripes: let not compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by Allah, if ye believe in Allah and the Last Day: And let a party of the Believers witness their punishment.” [Surah An-Nur:2]
How can there be any long term happiness in a sin for which the punishment prescribed is so severe? But while keeping in mind the above injunction, we should also not despair of the Mercy of Allah TaÂ’ala...for we cannot even comprehend the vastness of this Mercy. We need to realise and to tell ourselves that there is only temporary satisfaction of the nafs in a pre-marital relationship. And we need to terminate any such relationship which we might be involved in, and sincerely make taubah to Allah.
As difficult as it might be to end such relationships, once we realise and acknowledge to ourselves that the novels to which we are exposed to from such an early age are totally based on a kuffaar way of life, which appears to be very appealing from the outside, but which bears no contentment, no real happiness, it will in sha Allah, be easy to do so.
In addition to painting a rosy picture of dating, these books also create a very wrong concept of what the ideal partner should be like. It is obvious that since they are kuffaar publications, there is no stress on piety, good akhlaaq, honesty and all the other qualities people should be searching for in a potential marriage partner. Instead these books promote superficial thinking, with all their emphasis on “good looks,” “ figures,” “star football players,”“smart cars,”etc.
Parents should closely monitor the reading material which their children bring home and should teach their children about the beauty of nikaah. We should realise, that while it is natural to be embarrassed to discuss such aspects of Islam with them, it is infinitely better for them, that we impart the correct knowledge of an Islamic way of life to them, than allow them to acquire the totally wrong concept of “love” from books, television, movies, and their friends and environment.
It should be explained to each teenager that the pre-marital relationships, the engagements, etc to which we attach such a great deal of importance in this world have nothing but a negative bearing on our lives in the aakhirah. It should be time and time again instilled into their minds that pre-marital relationships are a sin...nikaah is an ibaadah. Allah Ta’ala has Created men and women with natural desires, and He has Created nikaah as an institution in which these desires maybe fulfilled. A nikaah in which both, husband and wife are striving to fulfill their obligations to Allah Ta’ala, such a nikaah will be filled with the mutual respect, love and inevitably, the contentment, which we hopelessly search for in pre-marital relationships. Within the sacred context of a nikaah, in which both parties are obedient to Allah Ta’ala, and adhere to His Commandments, there can be no room for the loss of respect, feelings of degradation, etc. which goes hand-in-hand with “going out” with or “dating” someone.
We should always bear in mind that should we die in the company of a “boyfriend” or a “girlfriend” or even a “fiancé,” we will be leaving this world, having spent our last few moments of this life in the company of a non-Mahram.

IN A TIME WHEN SO MANY OF US ARE LOST IN OUR DAILY, ROUTINE-DRIVEN LIVES, WE LOSE SIGHT OF THE TRUE SOURCE OF HAPPINESS AND PEACE, THOUGH WE OFTEN SEARCH FOR IT IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES. GOD ALONE IS THE SOLE PROVIDER OF PEACE.

MAY GOD LEAD US TO THE PATH THAT IS RIGHT...AMEN

MAY MY LIFE AND YOURS BE FILLED WITH LIGHT...

**.ALLAH.**

ALLAH

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Very interesting discovery ... so we should begin and continue to practice .... Subject: Non-Muslim Psychologist Discovers the Effect of Repeating the Word "ALLAH" in Curing Psychological Diseases....Vander Hoven, a psychologist from Netherlands, announced his new discovery about the effect of reading the Qur'an and repeating the word ALLAH both on patients and on normal persons. The Dutch professor confirms his discovery with studies and research applied on many patients over a period of three years. Some of his patients were non-Muslims, others do not speak Arabic and were trained to pronounce the word "ALLAH" clearly; the result was great, particularly on those who suffer from dejection and tension. "Al Watan", a Saudi daily reported that the psychologist was quoted to say that Muslims who can read Arabic and who read the Qur'an regularly can protect themselves from psychological diseases. The psychologist explained how each letter in the word "ALLAH" affects healing of psychological diseases. He pointed out in his research that pronouncing the first letter in the word "ALLAH" which is the letter (A), released from the respi-ratory system, controls breathing. He added that pronouncing the velar consonant (L) in the Arabic way, with the tongue touching slightly the upper part of the jaw producing a short pause and then repeating the same pause constantly, relaxes the aspiration. Also, pronouncing the last letter which is the letter (H) makes a contact between the lungs and the heart and in turn this contact controls the heart beat. What is exciting in the study is that this psychologist is a non-Muslim, but interested in Islamic sciences and searching for the secrets of the Holy Qur'an. Allah, The Great and Glorious, says, "We will show them Our signs in the universe and in their own selves, until it becomes manifest to them that this (Qur'an) is the truth." (Holy Qur'an 42:53) [Translated from the Qatari "Arraya" Daily Sunday, 24 March,02]

POWER

POWER...!

I asked for Strength……….

And Allah gave me Difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for Wisdom……….

And Allah gave me Problems to solve.

I asked for Prosperity……

And Allah gave me Brain and Brawn to work.

I asked for Courage……….

And Allah gave me danger to overcome.

I asked for Love……….

And Allah gave me Troubled people to help.

I asked for Favours……….

And Allah gave me Opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted……….

I received everything I needed……….

My prayers have been answered.

May Allah Bless You.

MERCY!!!

You Are Never Alone
Sometimes when the world's not on your side
You don't know where to run to
You dont know where to hide
You gaze at the stars in the sky
At the mountains so high
Through the tears in your eyes
Looking for a reason to replace what is gone
Just remember, remember
That you are never alone
Chorus: You are never alone
Just reach into your heart and Allah is always there
You are never alone
Through sorrow and through grief
Through happiness and peace
You will never be alone
So now, as you long for your past
Prepare for you future
But knowing nothing's gonna last
You see, this life is but a road
A straight and narrow path
To our final abode
So travel well O Muslim
and Paradise will be your home
and always remember that you are never alone
Chorus(x2)