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Showing posts with label Living. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Living. Show all posts

Wednesday 28 October 2020

Resurgence of Islamophobia - Time Sanity Prevails


Islamophobia is nota new term anymore for now it has been used excessively over the years to show "growing concern" about Islam and the threat it makes to the Christian world for Islam has now become one of the fastest growing religion in the world. More and more non Muslims are embracing Islam for the ultimately come to the conclusion that word of Qur'an is more closer to the Divine Truth that what is being preached in the churches and synagogues.

Thus it makes Islam an easy target for the hard core follows of other faiths to target Islam on one pretext or the other to debase Islam and Muslims, specially those living in the non Muslim countries and make their living difficult under tougher anti Islam environment. They know that Muslims get intimidated and provoked easily when the very personality of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is targeted.  And in this regard, France is in the forefronts which by taking its Freedom of Speech law more often than not debase Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, by using social and print media.

Years ago, the publication of caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) by Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical weekly magazine, left a very bad taste of France about Muslims living in France. And obviously this hurts Muslims not only in France but the world over to see demeaning caricatures of their beloved Prophet and get provoked. 
When this happened, at that time while much of the (Christian) world  rallied in solidarity with the publication, its irreverent cartoonists and their right to free speech, there were some saner rejections too. Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, a U.S. organization that "defends the rights of Catholics," issued a statement titled "Muslims are right to be angry." In it, Donohue criticized the publication's history of offending the world's religiously devout, including non-Muslims. In fact his statement ended with a quote from U.S. founding father James Madison: "Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty, as well as by the abuses of power." In other words, we may be free to speak, but we have to appreciate the value of that right.
And when they express their anger, the French government takes sides of its writers and cartoonists and support them for they cannot be prosecuted under the Freedom of Speech law. In fact they have never shown concerns of such publications which are in fact the main cause of Muslims' sharp reaction and protests.




The hate for Islam in France is not a new thing. Back in 1890, a play screened in Paris also targeted Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). And as reported in the history, the then Sultan of Abdul Hamid II of the Ottoman Empire took a very serious note of the insults being hurled on to Prophet of Allah and summoned the French ambassador to his court and showed his discontent in very blunt tone:
Read details at Facebook

The publication of caricatures, burning of copies of Qur'an and hates speeches are now gearing up in many countries across Europe, specially Fence, Norway and Denmark. The very recent issue of a French teacher showing the caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has further added fuel to fire, which ended up in sad event of murdering of the teacher by an 18 years old Chechen, who was instantly killed by police. While the Muslims condemned the act of the teacher, they also condemned the act of the young Chechen, for Islam does not allow killing people for difference of opinion. But at the same time, the people of France would understand the sentiments of Muslims and should not support those hurting their religion by pen or by tongue.

This time the reaction of the Muslim world is much sharper and instant than before and many a Muslim countries have banned French imports and taken of French made commodities off the the shelves. Turkey's president and prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, have severely criticized the French president who vowed to continue allowing caricatures and drawings and supporting French journalists and writers to continue with their anti Islam drive for he doesn't want to challenge the freedom of speech law of his country. Even the French non Muslims have started to tell Muslims to leave their country if they cannot respect their laws. But the point is why cannot the French people respect the sentiments of Muslims, which the largest single minority in France? Does it mean France is at war with its Muslim citizens?

Where this terrible state of affairs of intimidating and provoking Muslims will lead to? Cannot the non Muslims learn to respect the religious sentiments of Muslims rather than defending their right to freedom of speech. Instead of moving to the path of tolerance and religious harmony, I think the world is drifting apart more rapidly than before and the present wave of resurgence of Islamophobia will really hurt both Muslims and Non Muslims alike.

After the incident, the French president went public and severely attacked Islam over the death of a French teacher, for showing cartoons of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) during a class on free speech. Not only this, just last month, he had refused to denounce the infamous magazine Charlie Hebdo after it decided to republish Prophet (PBUH) sketches, provoking French Muslims to react. When asked about his opinion on the matter, the French President said that he was in no position to deny the magazine its right of ‘free speech.’

Responding to the French president response, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan lambasted French President Macron for attacking Islam. 
Khan said that Macron deliberately hurt the sentiments of millions of Muslims around the world. PM Khan said that a real leader unites human beings rather than dividing them. This is a time when President Macron could have put healing touch & denied space to extremists rather than creating further polarization & marginalization that inevitably leads to radicalization. Instead, he encouraged Islamophobia by attacking Islam ‘rather than the terrorists who carry out violence, be it Muslims, White Supremacists or Nazi ideologists.’

Imran Khan also wrote to Mr. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook asking for Facebook to place a similar ban on Islamophobia and hate against Islam that has been put in place for the Holocaust.  

Here I may again refer to a quote from U.S. founding father James Madison: "Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty, as well as by the abuses of power."  So let not French people, or any other non Muslim people and governments around the world misuse the liberty and freedom of expression for it may be endangered by the abuse of liberty and freedom laws. Let sanity prevail and let us not hurt feelings and sentiments, specially the religious sentiments, of others.

Meantime, the Turkish president too has expressed his dismay over the French president's response to the incident and has asked for sweeping boycott of French goods:
To know more about life of Muslims in other non Muslim countries, please visit our page: Islam and Life of Muslims in Non Muslim Countries

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.

You may also read our earlier posts on Islamophobia:
If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Tuesday 2 July 2019

Understanding Islam: Responsibilities of a Muslim towards the Society


The main focus of the Holy Qur'an is the man - a man of the household, a man with a neighbourhood, a man in the street crowded with other men, a man as part of a clan, a man living in a community or a society, a man as part of the total population of the country or man as part of the mankind. Wherever the man may be, his personal traits matter, his beliefs, his faith and aspiration matter for it is these basic traits of his radiate his personality and his aspirations around him which may mean a positive impact on his surroundings if his aspirations are positive.

Thus Islam, which is called Deen, more than a religion, teaches man the true faith, give him a belief in one God without any associates, and whole set of instructions how to live a meaningful life. This means the entire focus of Islam homes on to character building of man for it is he who is expected to self cultivate the positivity into his surroundings, right from his own family to the entire society or clan.





Thus if a man has been brought up under the ambit of Islam and has amassed wisdom based on the Divine Guidance as contained in the Holy Quran and following the lifestyle of the last of the prophets, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), he is more than likely to create an environment conducive for others to learn and shape their character and morals. 

This is exactly the philosophy of Islam: If every man self cultivates faith and beliefs as required of him and builds up a high fiber of morals, the cumulative effect would result into a homogeneous society with men radiating positivity and bringing peace and harmony in the society.  By living a life as expected of him as a Muslim and a true believer, there will be:
  • Truthfulness and honesty all around
  • Every individual will respect others and society will radiate healthy outward signs and rays of hope
  • Caring for the have-nots as every morally upright man will not let a children of a lesser god to die of hunger or shiver in cold
  • Equal distribution of wealth or at least dishing out one's extra to others who who cannot meet their two ends meet
  • Building up an environment in which our children grow taking aspirations from the radiating milieu and building up the next generation of men to carry on the torch of Islam.
Last but not the least "sharing knowledge" about Islam with others. Many around us are not literate and need to be guided towards the true essence of Islam. Instead of letting them get inspiration from peers and so called religious mentors doing business rather than serving Islam, those who have read about Islam must come forth and help others learn by sharing knowledge and wisdom based on Divine Guidance and Sunnah of the Prophet of Allah.
This is just a thought that came to my mind and thought of sharing with my readers. The subject can be built up to an enormous length if everyone ponders over it and adds positive input.

Photo | References: | Main Source:  Wikipedia | Other Sources : | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
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Friday 28 June 2019

Islam and Life of Muslims in Non Muslim Countries: Sri Lanka


The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is actually a Buddhist dominated country with Hinduism, Islam and Christianity as its three minority religions. After Hinduism, which is about 12.6% of its populations, Muslims constitute about 10% of its population or some 2.1 million Muslims living on the Island.

Muslims arrived the island in the 7th century when Arab traders were trying to find new trade routes. By the 8th century A.D., Arab traders had taken control of much of the trade on the Indian Ocean, including that of Sri Lanka. Many of them settled down on the island in large numbers, ushering in the era of Islam. From 16th to `9th century, Arab Moors, Javanese (Muslims from the central and eastern parts of the island of Java, in Indonesia) and Malaysian Muslims added to the growing Muslim population on the island. Their descendants, now the Sri Lankan Malays, adopted several Sri Lankan Moor Islamic traditions while also contributing their unique cultural Islamic practices to other Muslim groups on the Island.

The arrival of Muslims from India during the 19th and 20th centuries has also contributed to the growth of Islam in Sri Lanka. Most notably, Pakistani and South Indian Muslims have introduced Shafi'i and the Hanafi school of thought into Sri Lanka. Despite this, most Muslims on the island still adhere to the traditional practices of Sunni Islam.
Jami-Ul-Alfar Mosque, mosque in Pettah area is one of the oldest mosques in Colombo [Photo: Wikipedia]

Presently, Muslims in Sri Lanka are handled by the Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Department, which was established in the 1980s to prevent the continual isolation of the Muslim community from the rest of Sri Lanka. Muslims of Sri Lanka, mostly continue to derive from the Moor and Malay ethnic communities on the island with smaller numbers of converts from other ethnicities, such as the Tamils.

In Sri Lanka as a whole, Muslims suffer from low literacy rates and systematic discrimination. As a result, only few Muslim politicians have managed to secure ministerial jobs or diplomatic positions. During the 26-year Sri Lankan Civil War, the Muslim community was “the target of discrimination, political violence, massacres and ethnic cleansing” by the rebel Tamil Tigers and the government-backed Sinhalese nationalists. On August 3, 1990, LTTE gunmen entered the Meera Jumma mosque of the Muslim-majority town of Kattankudy, “locked the doors to prevent escape and began firing into the crowd” of 300 worshipers. Using automatic weapons, they killed more than 100 people.  During the 1990s and 2000s, the LTTE killed 1,050 Muslims and forced 120,000 of them to leave their homes, lands, businesses and possessions behind in the north. The government has largely ignored the internally displaced Muslims, and there “has been no government inquiry into the LTTE’s massacres and expulsions of Muslims or meaningful apology.”






There are 749 Muslim schools in Sri Lanka, 205 madrasas which teach Islamic education, and an Islamic university in Beruwala (Jamiya Naleemiya). Al Iman Schools in Colombo was the first organization of Islamic schools of its kind, teaching an integrated Islamic curriculum since 2008. In the early 20th century there were few Muslim professionals in accounting, medicine, engineering, etc., but at present they are exceeding the national average. Due to the lack of opportunity in Sri Lanka, many Muslim professionals are emigrating to get jobs abroad, such as to the Middle East, United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe. The Moors have had better social and economic mobility, mainly due to the historic head start they had in getting education and government jobs under the British colonial rule.

The life of Muslims have recently gone under a major change since the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings. No one is really sure in the government or even among Muslims as to why the bombing did take place in the first palace. Whatever the reason and agenda, this brought to fore the presence of radical National Thowheeth Jama'ath, a Salafi influenced organization, was behind the bombings, leading to increasing censorship of Salafi movement in Sri Lanka.

And since early this year, the life of Muslims has undergone a major change. Most of the Muslims denounced the tragic incident and in fact are in forefronts demanding that the perpetrators to be caught and held accountable for the harm they have inflicted on people of many diverse communities and the fact that the actions of these extremists are antithesis of the teachings of Islam – a religion which promotes peace and unity.
Anti Muslim sentiments [Photo: AFP/BBC]

Despite the Muslim stance and stand against the terrorism, the backlash has been brutal as Mosques and Muslim-owned shops have been vandalized or set on fire. In the north-western town of Kiniyama, hundreds of people stormed a mosque, destroying windows and doors and burning Korans, according to witnesses. The attack was triggered by a group of people demanding a search of the building after soldiers inspected a lake nearby looking for weapons, as reported by the Reuters news agency. A large pasta factory was burned near Minuwangoda, with the owners accusing police of standing by while employees were trapped inside. 

Although, the government says that security forces have restored calm to streets in the areas affected by violence and insist officers are preventing revenge attacks on Muslims, the unrest prevails in Muslim dominated communities. There is concern among Muslims that their fears about retaliatory violence were not acted on soon enough.

The daily anti Muslim charges rather look silly but enough to harass them. One Muslim woman’s crime was to wear a shirt printed with a ship’s helm. Her accusers said it looked like the wheel of dharma, so she must be mocking Buddhism, the religion of the majority. A young Muslim man was nabbed for having three sim cards in his pocket, and a broken memory card. True, he worked in a phone shop, but police insisted he must have snapped the memory card to hide nefarious contents. A rich Muslim doctor was accused of having secretly sterilized 4,000 women by pinching their Fallopian tubes. More than 700 of the supposed victims have complained, enraged by rumours of a fertility “jihad” against non-Muslims. 

A top Buddhist monk,Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thero, called for violence against members of the religious minority, and stoning the Muslims. The monk, who heads the Asgiriya Chapter, one the largest and oldest Buddhist chapters in Sri Lanka, went on to call for a boycott of Muslim-owned restaurants, reinforcing a long-standing and unsubstantiated rumour that Muslim restaurants served their Buddhist customers food spiked with sterilization medication. "Don't eat from those [Muslim] shops. Those who ate from these shops will not have children in future," he told worshipers at a temple in the central district of Kandy, where that same rumour had unleashed days of anti-Muslim riots last year.

After the Easter bombing in Sri Lanka, the Buddhist nationalists are exploiting anti-Muslim sentiment and Muslims are living a life on a razor's edge:
Unfortunately, I could not find anything positive about the life of Muslims in Sri Lanka. Perhaps the Easter attacks have marred everything, even the good image of Muslims and their contribution to the country. Perhaps there would be better days some day!!

Author's Note: The data above has been collected from the references as given below. If any one differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

Photo | References: | Main Source:  Wikipedia | Other Sources : | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

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Monday 24 June 2019

Understanding Islam: Why Man is in Loss? Allah Cautions in Surah Al Asr [Chapter 103]


Sūrah Al-‘Aṣr, the 103rd chapter of the Holy Qur'an, has only three verses - but many of us just read it out as if it does not carry any significance to our lives. But those few who take a time out and ponder over the three verses of the surah come to know that Allah has summed up four attributes of a true believer in this surah which if really understood can change our lives, otherwise man is truly in loss, both in this world and the Hereafter. 


Let us now for once, read this surah giving due attention to each word of it, to start with:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"

1.وَالْعَصْرِ‌

By Time.

2. إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ‌

Indeed man is in loss,

3. إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ‌‌

except those:
  • who have faith, 
  • and do righteous deeds, 
  • and enjoin one another to [follow] the truth, and 
  • enjoin one another to patience.
As is evident, here Allah, while taking a vow of the time, has cautioned that 'man' not men is in loss and surely we as individuals are at loss unless we fulfill four preconditions that have been spelt out in the verse 3.

For the most powerful message summed in the surah, this surah is considered the summary of whole Quran by almost all notable classical and modern Islamic scholars including Imam Shafi, Ibn Kathir, and even lately Dr. Israr Ahmed.

These four conditions or pre-requisites are so eloquently explained by Nouman Ali Khan, an emerging Muslim scholar, a Pakistani living in the USA, who has mastered the Arabic language and explained the Holy Qur'an in very easy to understand language, giving examples from our daily lives and stressing home the real message contained in the Holy Qur'an. He has been named one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan.


Please listen to Nouman Ali Khan explaining the Surah Al Asr and the four preconditions that guarantee a man to not be in loss and be blessed:

You may refer to our post "114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, meaning and summary / exegesis of other chapters (Though not complete but building up from 30th Juzʼ / Part backwards for chapters in 30th Juzʼ / Part are shorter and easier to understand). 

Photo | References: | 1 2 |
Reading the Holy Quran should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

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Thursday 25 April 2019

Why Islam Stresses on Respect of Parents

Islam places a great emphasis on relations to b build strong bonds between communities, tribes and nations. But of the relations, the importance of one's relation with one's parents is expressed explicitly and Muslims have been directed to respect and take care of their parents more than any relation in the world.

A Muslim must establish a strong bond with Allah and must never deviate from His commandments in living his life. After Himself, if Allah asks a faithful to respect and be kind to anyone is his parents. At almost a dozen places in the Holy Qur'an, it has been stressed upon the Muslims that they must recognize their parents and that this is second only to the recognition of Allah Himself. 
Your Lord has decreed: (i) Do not worship any but Him;26 (ii) Be good to your parents; and should both or any one of them attain old age with you, do not say to them even "uff (fie)" neither chide them, but speak to them with respect, and be humble and tender to them and say: "Lord, show mercy to them as they nurtured me when I was small." (Quran Surah Al Isra 17:23-24)
This verse enjoins that after Allah’s right, the greatest of all the human rights is the right of parents. Allah has forbidden children against disrespect to parents. We are told not to speak contemptuously to them: the word given in Arabic is “uff,” and even this simple groan of scorn is forbidden. Instead, Allah has told us to address them with honor and deference. Therefore, the children should obey and serve and respect their parents. The collective morality of society should make it incumbent on children to be grateful and respectful to their parents, they should serve them as they nursed and brought them up in their childhood. Above all, this verse is not merely a moral recommendation but is the basis of the rights and powers of parents the details of which we find in the Books of Hadith and Fiqh. Moreover, respectful behavior and obedience to and observance of the rights of parents comprise the most important element of the material education and moral training in the Islamic society and civilization. Incidentally, all these things have determined forever the principle that the Islamic state shall make the family life sound and secure by laws, administrative regulations and educational policy and prevent its disintegration.

And yet again Allah tells the believers to be good to their mothers for they have borne them for nine months with utter hardship, and raised him:
And We have enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship, and his gestation and weaning [period] is thirty months. [He grows] until, when he reaches maturity and reaches [the age of] forty years, he says, "My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to work righteousness of which You will approve and make righteous for me my offspring. Indeed, I have repented to You, and indeed, I am of the Muslims."(Quran Surah Al Ahqaf 46:15)
This verse tells that although the children should serve both the mother and the father, the mother’s right is greater in importance on the ground that she undergoes greater hardships for the sake of the children. The same is borne out by a Hadith, which has been related with a little variation in wording in Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Daud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Musnad Ahmad, and in Adab al- Mufrad of Imam Bukhari, to the effect that a person asked the Prophet (peace be upon him): Who has got a greater right to my service? The Prophet replied (peace be upon him): Your mother. He asked: Who after her? He replied: Your mother. He asked: Who after her? He replied: Your mother. He asked: Who after her? He replied: Your father. This Hadith precisely explains this verse, for in it also allusion has been made to the triple right of the mother: (1) His mother bore him with hardship. (2) She gave him birth with hardship. (3) His bearing and his weaning took thirty months.

The commandments to respect the parents continue. Here in Surah Al Isra 17:24 there is a perfect prayer given for children to recite so that Allah may have mercy on parents:
“And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them your Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood’”. 
The phrase “lower to them the wing of humility” has been interpreted as an image of the way birds spread their wings out of protection and love for their young. Our treatment of our parents is shown in the same way: we should be humble, respectful, and loving towards them

In Surah Luqman (31:14), Allah says:
وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عَامَيْنِ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ
"We have enjoined upon man care for his parents. His mother carried him in weakness upon weakness and his weaning is in two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents, for to Me is the final destination."





Although man has been directed to respect and act in kindness to his parents, there is one exception - and that is if the parents ask him to associate anyone with Allah:
And We have enjoined upon man goodness to parents. But if they endeavor to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them. To Me is your return, and I will inform you about what you used to do. (Qur'an Surah Al-'Ankabut 29:8)
According to traditions quoted by Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ahmad, Abu Daud and Nasai, this verse was sent down in respect of Saad bin Abi Waqqas. He was 18 or 19 years old when he embraced Islam. When his mother, Hamnah, daughter of Sufyan bin Umayyah (niece of Abu Sufyan), came to know that her son had become a Muslim, she said, “I will neither eat nor drink nor sit in shade unless you disown Muhammad. The rights of the mother are superior even according to Allah’s command. Therefore if you disobey me, you will be disobeying Allah too.” Saad was perplexed and came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and told this entire story. At that, this verse was revealed. Possibly other young men who embraced Islam in the initial stage at Makkah were also confronted with similar situations. 

However, while the same theme has also been repeated in (Surah Luqman: Ayat 15), showing compassion to the parents is still stressed:
But if they endeavor to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them but accompany them in [this] world with appropriate kindness and follow the way of those who turn back to Me [in repentance]. Then to Me will be your return, and I will inform you about what you used to do.
This means that even if our parents strive to make us commit the worst act in Islam, we must still treat them with justice. There is no concept of leaving our parents in Islam, even if they are disbelievers. To further elaborate this point, there is a saying from the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, narrated by Asma, the daughter of the Prophet’s good friend, Abu Bakr. Asma once asked the Prophet (pbuh) how she should treat her mother, who was a polytheist. The Prophet of Allah replied, “Treat your mother well.”

Our indebtedness to our parents is so immense that it is not possible to repay it fully. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has on many occasions stressed the importance of both parents so that they should be respected. While he kept a mother on a much higher pedestal and said:"Paradise lies under the feet of the mother," he has also said: "Allah's pleasure is in the pleasure of the father, and Allah's displeasure is in the displeasure of the father." Thus he sums up: "He who wishes to enter Paradise through its best door must please his parents."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has also been quoted as saying: “Every righteous child who casts a look of mercy and affection upon his parents shall be granted, for every look of his, rewards equivalent to that of an accepted Hajj.”  Those around the Prophet questioned: “O’ Prophet of Allah!  Even if he were to look at them a hundred times a day?”  The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) replied: “Indeed!  Allah is the Greatest and Most Kind.”

It has also been attributed to The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, saying:

أَلَا أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِأَكْبَرِ الْكَبَائِرِ ثَلَاثًا الْإِشْرَاكُ بِاللَّهِ وَعُقُوقُ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَشَهَادَةُ الزُّورِ أَوْ قَوْلُ الزُّورِ

Shall I not tell you about the worst enormities? They are three: idolatry against Allah, disobedience to parents, and false witness. [Source: Sahih Bukhari 2511]

If the Prophet has associated disobedience to parents with idolatry and falsehood, the worst sins in Islam, then this tells us that disobedience is not a sinful deed we should take lightly.
May Allah keep us on the right path and help us in repaying our parents for what the troubles and hardships they have endured in raising us and letting us stand on our feet and let us not disobey them in any form, lest it hurts them and we earn wrath of Allah. Aameen.

Photo | References: | Main Source:  Wikipedia | Other Sources : | 2 | 3 | 4 |
If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Tuesday 12 February 2019

Significance of Rights of Allah and Man in Islam


Man has been created by Allah and blessed with countless blessings and bounties to live a comfortable life so that man is obliged to his Creator and thank Him for everything that He has bestowed upon him to live a happy and contended life. He alone is our is the creator, nurture, sustainer, provider, protector and at no time we should be turning away from Him in thanking for his bounties and repenting for our sins and for digressing from the commandments of Allah.

However, at the same time we have obligations towards other men around us as we live in a society, heavily dependent on each other to live a happy life. We thus have rights over them and to them. While we always vie to claim for our rights, how often we are actually willing to care for the rights of others that they expect of us in return? This is something that we must be very careful about for if we hurt someone or usurp someone's rights, even if we realize later and repent to Allah, we shall not be forgiven unless that person who has been victim of our wrongdoing has forgiven us.

Thus we must understand the criticality of our rights towards Allah and man. As for Allah, He is oft forgiving and in fact expects man to repent and beg forgiveness so that He who is Ar Rahman (The Most Gracious) and Ar Raheem (The Most Merciful) should forgive us. If someone commits a sin, regarding the rights of Allah, it may be undone with the help of repentance whenever someone realizes one's mistake. 




But in case of wrong being done to a human being, Allah may not forgive even if a repentance is made in most earnest way for as long as the person who has been wronged has not forgiven. That is why Islam emphasizes on the rights in respect of others more we must be very careful in dealing with others and trying our utmost not to willfully hurt or usurp others rights, for if someone cries out to Allah in pain dealt to him by another, Allah promptly listen and responds. So let us be very watchful as regards rights of others to save ourselves from wrath of Allah both in this world and the hereafter.

As regards to usurping rights of others, the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) has been quoted as saying:
So the one who behaved badly, his righteous deeds will be given to the one who was scolded, cheated, who was killed, and who was hit. If his righteous deeds finish, then angels will be asked to take the sins of those who were scolded, cheated who were killed and given to the one who oppressed. And by doing so the sins of oppressor exceed his own goods, he will be thrown into hell fire.
Please watch the video below by Professor Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, a Pakistani Muslim theologian, Quran scholar, Islamic modernist, exegete and educationist, on the subject. The video is in Urdu, but has English subtitles for those who cannot understand Urdu:
May Allah forgive us of all omissions that we have made with regard to rights towards Allah and man, for we will be too fragile on the Say of Judgement to be forgiven if we weigh less on the scale of forgiveness. Aameen.

Photo | Reference | 1 |
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Tuesday 29 January 2019

Life of Muslims in Non Muslim Countries: Romania


Islam in a strictly dominant Orthodox Catholics is a tale of resilience and of survival.  The Orthodox Catholics is a branch of Christianity that has the least tolerance toward other religions even towards other Christian denominations such as Catholicism Needless to mention that regarding Islam and Muslims, eastern Christianity and it’s adherents have an even narrower view.

Although Islam had once thrived for almost five centuries in what is called the Northern Dobruja part of Romania (lying between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, bordered in the south by Southern Dobruja, which is part of Bulgaria) till as late as 1878, it now accounts for mere 0.3 percent of the total population (or mere 64,337 Muslims as per 2011 census). Most Muslims are of Tatar and Turkish origin, following the Sunni doctrine. The Islam is one of the 16 rites awarded state recognition.

Esmahan Sultan Mosque is the oldest mosque in Romania 1525 [Photo: Wikipedia]

At present there are as many as eighty mosques in Romania. The city of Constanța, with its Carol I Mosque and the location of the Muftiyat, is the center of Romanian Islam; Mangalia, near Constanța, is the site of a monumental mosque, built in 1525.  The oldest madrasah in Romania was set up in Babadag, on orders from Bayezid II in 1484. From the same period onward, groups of Muslim Tatars and Oghuz Turks from Anatolia were settled into Dobruja.

The Dobrujan Muslim community was exposed to cultural repression during Communist Romania. After 1948, all property of the Islamic institutions became state-owned. As a consequence, education in Tatar dialects and Turkish was eliminated in stages after 1959, becoming optional, while the madrasah in Medgidia was shut down in the 1960s. At the same time, Sufi tradition was frowned upon by Communist officials—as a result of their policies, the Sufi groups became almost completely inactive.


It was not after the Romanian Revolution of 1989 that the  Tatar and Turkish were again added to the curriculum for members of the respective communities, and, in 1993, the Medgidia madrasah was reopened as a Theological and Pedagogic High School. The school was later elevated to National College status, and is known in Romanian as Colegiul Național Kemal Atatürk. Since the 1990s, the official representatives of the Muslim community maintain close relations with international non-governmental organizations such as the Muslim World League.




In a country where Islam is only 0.3% of the total population, it is least understood and almost resented for whatever has been known is through stories of the Ottoman Empire incursions and myth of forced conversion.That was the general picture from the history books and specialty literature. In the modern era, Islam is viewed and understood in Romania through the western media and the global propaganda-war on terror scenario.Their unilateral way of portraying Islam and Muslims only helped to consolidate an already existing image and resentment. [2]

In order to mesh the Muslims with the locals, the concept of interfaith-inter-cultural marriages trend began to grow specially after the communism regime fell in 1989. However the concept was badly doomed as a lot of these marriages ended up in bitter break ups.The brides usually moved to their spouse place of origin, but within a few short years they would end up back home with heartbreaking stories to tell. Some of them were forced to convert,some beaten,some locked up,some lost their children,some had to escape,some lived in poverty and conditions worse than those in their own country. [2]

A majority of common Romanians feel that Muslims are primitive, culturally backward and that Islam is violent and cruel, and that Muslims worship a pagan deity, and oppress their women and that we are blood thirsty criminals bend on world domination through Islamization. In fact a lot of hatred and resentment toward Islam. Being a Muslimah ( a female Muslim) in Romania is no walk in park especially for those who wear hijab or the veil. You think that Muslim women have it difficult at times in the west? Think again and pay a short visit to orthodox eastern Europe. Within a month time you will be called every name in the book, in plain sight on the street, malls, stores, public transportation,etc. You will feel like locking yourself up in the house out of your own free will and never stepping foot outside again. [2]

In 2016, Romania’s largest political party nominated a woman from the country’s Tatar minority for prime minister on Wednesday. She would have been both the first Muslim and the first woman to hold the post - I don't have to tell details that follow except that the the Romanian president rejected her nomination, giving "no reasons" for the rejection!!

A mega mosque was to built in Bucharest with the assistance of Turkey in 2016. But it drew a huge public outcry against its construction and a lawsuit was launched to stop the project from taking place. Of the many arguments against its construction, one was "Once Islam enters a land, that land becomes Islamic and Muslims have the duty to liberate it someday." [3] Former president Traian Băsescu argued that Romania doesn't need "an accelerated Islamization process" and that the Muslims of Dobruja already have the mosques they need. The project was finally shelved in 2018 and the land earmarked for it was returned to the government. [7]

Dobromir village in Constanta County, is the only locality in Romania where the majority population is Islamic. "Allah hu Akbar" has been heard here every day, for hundreds of years. The Muslims are reasonably law-abiding and loyal to the country. Romanian Muslims consider themselves and are in all respects except ethnicity Romanians. [4]

I would like my readers from Romania to provide me feedback on the life of  Muslims in Romania to add to personal experiences of Muslims living there and how well do they enjoy their lives.
Watch a video about life of Muslims in Romania and their religious activities:
Author's Note: The data above has been collected from the references as given below. IF any one differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
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Thursday 24 January 2019

The Holy Quran and We


The Holy Qur'an is the fountainhead of Divine guidance for every Muslim. This is a Divine Holy Scripture that was revealed unto Prophet Muhammad ( ) by Allah Almighty through His most trusted angel Jibraeel (Gabriel) over a time period of 23 years. The Holy Qur'an contains commandments and guidelines for the Muslims to lead a life as wanted by our Creator, Allah the Almighty.

However, this is most unfortunate that this Holy Book of Guidance which was revealed for us to READ, for the word Qur'an literally means "the recitation"  in Arabic, has been left out of our daily lives, duly wrapped in the upper most shelves of our cupboards. The chaos we witness in the Muslim world today is that we have stopped seeking guidance from Holy Qur'an and depend more on books written by humans to lead our lives. 

A lot many of us are fond of reading books like so many facets of successful men, how to become rich, how to become famous, or how to become a thriving entrepreneur and like but fail to realize that many such attributes and traits of successful men are given in the Holy Qur'an, but we never ventured to read, understand and implement the Divine guidance contained in the Holy Qur'an.

In fact there is a difference of perception of a successful man in our ordinary lives and in a life prescribed by us in the Holy Qur'an. When we pursue worldly goals, it gives us success in a limited sense. One who attains the heights of of one's professional life can boast of being a successful man or businessman, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he is successful in life. But these short lived wordily gains do not help us to gain the best of both worlds. what we have today here, our wealth, our high ranks of offices and business community will be of no use when death begets us. Because from then on a life of different kind a a nature would start.




Those who lead a life keeping in view the life in the hereafter and follow the dictates of Divine commandments given in the Holy Quran are the ones who will be blessed when all ends and a new eternal life commences. Thus true definition of a successful person is one who has the consciousness to protect his soul, who comes to the Quran for guidance and finds it, and who then progresses to adopt the fruits of that guidance, for it is the Holy Qur'an that has an answer and antidote for every inconvenience that a man may encounter and come out of the difficulties. 
“Take what We have given you with determination and remember what is in it that perhaps you may become righteous.” (Surah Al Baqarah 2:63)
But the question remains: How often do we really READ to find out what is in it and understand the Divine commandments and guidelines given therein to live our life to being successful in this life and the hereafter? 
Successful indeed are the believers. Those who offer their Salat (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness. And those who turn away from Al-Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk, falsehood, and all that Allah has forbidden). And those who pay the Zakat . And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts, from illegal sexual acts) except from their wives or (the captives and slaves) that their right hands possess, for then, they are free from blame. But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors. Those who are faithfully true to their Amanat (all the duties which Allah has ordained, honesty, moral responsibility and trusts etc.) and to their covenants. And those who strictly guard their (five compulsory congregational) Salawat (prayers) (at their fixed stated hours). These are indeed the inheritors. Who shall inherit the Firdaus (Paradise). They shall dwell therein forever. — Qur’an Al-Muminoon 23 :1–11]
Those who really care to read and understand the Holy Qur'an come to know the true meaning of faith, worship and social responsibilities. While faith and worship cleans one spiritually, the awareness of one's social responsibilities make him a better human being and a helper for others. 

In the Holy Qur'an word Falah is used for success. In Surah Al 'Imran Allah says: “There has to be a nation among you summoning to the good, bidding what is right, and forbidding what is wrong. It is they who are the felicitous.” (3: 104) So if we as individuals seek goodness and act what is right and abstain from what is wrong, we will be successful not in this world but in the hereafter too. 

It is time now that we take out the beautifully wrapped Qur'an from the cupboards and take time to read and understand it every day to live a life of Falah - the eternal success. 

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
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Monday 7 January 2019

Life of Muslims in Non Muslim Countries: Austria


Like many European countries, Islam too is the second largest religion in Austria too. As per an estimate (2016), about 8% of the total Austrian population is Muslim. The actual number of Muslims vary between 600,000 to 700,000, mostly Turks, followed by Muslims from Bosnia Herzegovina, Arab countries, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Most of the Muslim population belongs to the Sunni sect of Islam.

The first evidence of Muslims in Austria dates back to nomadic tribes from Asia that entered the region in 895. Following the Ottoman conquest of the Habsburg Empire in the late 15th century, more Muslims moved into the territory that makes up modern-day Austria. However, they were expelled after the Habsburg Empire took control of the region in the late 17th century but a few were allowed to remain. The largest number of Muslims came under Austrian control after the Austro-Hungarian occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878. Austria was the first European country to recognize Islam as an official religion in 1912 following its annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

However, Muslims moved into Austria in sizable numbers in the 1960s when migrant workers from Yugoslavia and Turkey moved to the country. Many Muslim refugees of the Yugoslav Wars also moved to Austria during the 1990s. In 2013, Austria granted the status of a recognized religious community to Alevism, a branch of Shia Muslims.

Perhaps in the wake of growing Islamophobia, a new law was passed by the Austrian parliament in 2015 which illegalized the foreign funding of mosques and paying salaries of imams. The law also gave Muslims additional rights, such as the rights to halal food and pastoral care in the military. The government was of the view that the changes were intended to "clearly combat" the influence of Islamic extremism in Austria. [1]




The life of Muslims in Austria has never been easy. However, in recent years it is getting even worse. In October 2017, the Austrian government passed a law named the "Prohibition on the Covering of the Face." The law was introduced by the center-left Chancellor Christian Kern. Anyone wearing clothes that obscure their face in public is liable to a fine of €150 and must remove the offending garment “on the spot” if ordered by police. This act is out rightly rejected by the local Muslims as it directly affects the Muslim women.
An open display of hostility against the Muslims - Photo The Washington Post

Lat year before the elections, an open display of growing hostility of Austrians towards Muslims was seen in streets of Vienna. Some major political parties were observed deliberately brandishing Islamophobia. A torch-lit procession of ultra-nationalists gathered on the outskirts of Vienna to listen to fiery speeches on the anniversary of a 17th-century victory over Muslim Ottomans. “Today we have to defend our homeland again,” thundered the leader of the Identitaren movement. [3]

There are 205 registered mosques in Austria with hundreds more unregistered prayer rooms. There are four mosques in the country that were purpose-built with minarets. However, recently, there has been also been a clampdown over mosques, specially the ones funded by foreign countries, specially Turkey which funds most of the mosques in Austria to cater for the needs of Turk Muslims in Austria.  The Muslim asylum seekers have a more difficult life as they are considered suspicious and are generally rounded up for questioning. Thus most of them have stopped going to the mosques since the placement of the rightest government in the center. 
The mosques are silent these days, a metaphor of sorts for the low profile many Muslims are keeping because they no longer feel welcome in Austria. One of the worshipers at Schura Mosque on a recent Friday was Viennese Councilman Omar al-Rawi. He said Muslim asylum-seekers are especially afraid to enter mosques nowadays. "They say, 'We won't go to pray because maybe they will think we are radicals so it's better not to pray'" until their refugee status is approved, he explains. [2]
Majority of voters voted for the Sebastian Kurz party for keeping Austria safe from terror attacks carried out by Muslim extremists elsewhere in Europe, as well as curbing asylum and immigration. In June earlier this year, the Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz promised a crackdown on radical Islam  - saying is ‘just the beginning’ of a crackdown.
"These factors stir up uneasiness and fears and makes the Muslim to be seen as 'the other,'" says Carla Amina Baghajati, 51, who is spokeswoman for the Islamic Religious Community in Austria. That "other," she adds, is perceived as a threat to the Austrian norms." The distance between Muslims and top political brass is widening and can be felt. Sebastian Kurz, who used to play an active role in bringing Muslims and the government closer when he was integration minister in 2011, is now distancing himself and no longer attends Islamic holiday events. [2]
The Turkish government has responded aggressively to the Austrian government's clampdown on Muslims and their prayer places and have accused Austrian leaders of "ideologically charged practices that are in violation of universal legal principles, social integration policies, minority rights and the ethics of coexistence." A Turkish government spokesman has been quoted as saying: "The move was "a reflection of the Islamophobic, racist and discriminatory wave in this country." However, Kurz's government insists that the move is intended to protect Austria from radical religious extremism. [3]

The Muslims are very apprehensive of the treatment meted out to them in Austria. “When parties address the issue of Islam, it’s always in a negative context,” said Vienna City Councillor Omar al-Rawi who previously worked as integration representative for Austria’s Islamic Community, a key Muslim group. “The populist undertone is always present. It’s a shame because Austria used to be a success model for how to deal with Muslims,” the 56-year-old from Baghdad told AFP. [5]

The verbal and physical abuse of Muslims in Austria, which between 2015 and 2016 — the most recent year for which statistics were available — rose 62 percent to 253 incidents. Veiled or Hijab wearing Muslim women are often the main target. Besides, there are other problems as well, including vandalism at Muslim businesses and mosques.

While Muslims feel outscored by the people and government of Austria, radicalization among young Muslims is also a concern, with some 300 Austrians having joined Islamic State fighters in Syria and Iraq. “Most Muslims here are good people but the danger of insidious political Islam is real,” said Austrian-Iraqi journalist Amer Albayati who heads the Liberal Muslims Initiative of Austria. [5]

The year 2018 dawned with the birth of the first child of Austria and the newly born baby girl happens to have been born to a Muslim couple. Asel Tamga's her birth sparked outpouring of racist abuse towards the parents. When the couple shared their photo posing with their baby on Facebook, it sparked hateful and racist comments because they are Muslim. The uproar was so intense that the Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, had to step in and hit back at abusers. President Van der Bellen shared a Facebook post condemning the hateful attacks on Baby Asel, and added his own stern words of wisdom. After wishing Asel welcome to the world, he added that; 'all people are born free and equal to dignity and rights. [6]

However, despite the odds and rejection into the society, Islam is on the rise in Austria and growing "dramatically." Watch the video below:
Muslims continue to celebrate their religious days like the two Eids and the month of Ramadan - the month of fasting and actively engage in prayer congregations specially on Fridays. In order to inculcate inter faith harmony and understanding, a Tag der offenen Moschee (Open Mosque Day) was first organized in October 2013 with the aim of building interfaith connections between Austrian Muslims and non-Muslims. The event has continued every year since.

Well this is how life of Muslims is in Austria.The data has been collected from the Internet and I wish I could find anything positive about life of Muslims in Austria since most of the material I came across is negative. I wish Muslims of Austria best of luck and I do hope their struggle for their just rights will bring fruit one day, In sha Allah (God willing) !!

Photo (Mosque) | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
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