Allah fully supported Maryam throughout her pregnancy. It is very difficult for a woman to give birth, a potentially life-threatening experience, all alone, without medical equipment or a midwife's assistance. Nevertheless, Maryam overcame all of these difficulties by placing her complete trust in Allah. Allah helped her with revelations while she was struggling toward a date tree in the full throes of labor pains. Allah told her not to grieve, that He had placed a stream at her feet, and that she should shake the date tree in order to get freshly ripe dates to eat. He also told her to drink and to delight her eyes. As a result, she gave birth in the best possible circumstances. Allah reveals her situation:
The pains of labor drove her to the trunk of a date-palm. She exclaimed: "Oh, if only I had died before this time and was something discarded and forgotten!" A voice called out to her from under her: "Do not grieve. Your Lord has placed a small stream at your feet. Shake the trunk of the palm toward you, and fresh, ripe dates will drop down to you. Eat and drink, and delight your eyes. If you should see anyone at all, just say: 'I have made a vow of abstinence to the All-Merciful, and [so] today I will not speak to any human being.'" (Surah Maryam: 23-26)
Maryam withdrew from her society so that she could be in a psychologically peaceful environment and away from the hurtful behavior of people who could not comprehend her miraculous situation. Allah told her not to grieve and bestowed His grace and protection upon her. No doubt, there was much wisdom in this advice, just as there was in Maryam's withdrawal to a distant place. Muslims must not surrender to sadness; rather, they are to trust in Allah and feel the peace of mind that comes with knowing that Allah will always help them.
This attitude, which is required of all believers, has been confirmed by modern medicine, for doctors tell women, both during their pregnancy and while they are giving birth, to maintain a positive attitude and avoid any sadness and stress. His advice to delight her eyes means not to surrender to sadness and to enjoy the news of Allah's gift.
Eat Dates:
Allah advised Maryam to eat freshly ripened dates. Today, such dates are considered to be food and medicine. Scientists now know that dates contain more than ten substances considered essential for the human body's well-being and continuing health.
Dates contain plenty of the easily digested and absorbed sugars that give the human body its energy for heat and movement. More importantly, these sugars are of the fructose type and not of the glucose type, which quickly raises the blood-sugar levels. Dates provide energy, help muscle tissues and nerve cells develop, and are especially beneficial for people weakened by illness or those suffering from exhaustion, because of their high caloric value. For example, 100 grams of dates contain 1.5 grams of protein and 50 grams of carbohydrates. In addition, their caloric value is 225 kcal. Fresh dates have a 60-65 percent sugar content and a 2 percent protein content.
Modern medical findings suggest that dates benefit women who are almost ready to give birth. Doctors now advise pregnant women to take fructose-containing foods on their due dates, for such foods provide energy used by the weakened body to revitalize itself, have a trigger effect on the milk hormones and thus help the woman's body produce milk, and also increase the volume of that milk.
This information reveals some of the wisdom inherent in Allah's advice to Maryam. Another matter worth reflecting upon is the little stream created by Allah and His advice for her to eat and drink. Now, scientists inform us that people can survive on dates and water for years, because they contain all of the necessary essentials for human life. In fact, one renowned expert on the subject, V. H. W. Dowson, suggests that one glass of milk and one date per day provides a person's daily nutritional requirements.
Dates contain various vitamins (e.g., A, beta-carotene, B1, B2, B3, and B6) and minerals, (e.g., sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, fiber, iron, sulphur, phosphorus, and chlorine) and are also rich in fiber, fats, and proteins. Some of the ensuing benefits are as follows:
A date's nutritional value is based on the balance between its minerals. During the prolonged period of morning sickness and the altering physiognomy, a shortage of potassium occurs and needs to be supplemented. This fruit's high potassium content is certainly welcome here, as its role in preserving the body's water levels.
Iron controls the red blood cells' synthesis of hemoglobin, which prevents anemia during pregnancy and also regulates the blood's RBC balance, which is so crucial for the baby's development. Due to its high iron content, one-and-a-half dates can meet the body's total iron requirement and thus prevent all complaints caused by a lack of iron.
Calcium and phosphorus are very important elements in developing and balancing the skeleton and the bone structures. Dates protect the body from anemia and weak bones, and thus reduce the risk of such illnesses with their high nutritional value and high phosphorus, calcium, and iron content.
Scientists point out that dates can reduce stress and tension levels. Research done at Berkeley University revealed that dates are rich in vitamin B1 (the "nerve vitamin") and magnesium (essential for muscle functions), both of which are essential for a strong nervous system. Magnesium is also very important for the kidneys, and two or three dates per day are enough to meet all of the human body's magnesium requirements.
Dates also contain folic acid (vitamin B9), which is essential for pregnant women, due to its important role in forming new blood cells, producing amino acids, and developing new cells. As a result, a pregnant woman needs double the usual daily amount of folic acid. If the body's folic acid levels fall below the required amount, bigger but less functional red blood cells are formed and anemia occurs.
Folic acid, which is crucial to developing the cell's genetic makeup and division, is the only substance that must be doubled during pregnancy. Dates are very rich in folic acid.
During pregnancy, a woman's daily vitamin A requirement increases to 800 ug. Dates are very rich in the foremost vitamin A: beta-carotene.
Most other fruits are protein-poor, but dates have good protein content.
Oxytocin is used in modern medicine to accelerate labor and is often referred as "rapid birth." It also increases the level of milk production following birth.
Our Prophet (saas) pointed out the benefits of dates in the following hadith: A family that has dates will not be hungry. This is a piece of very good advice.
All of our current information on dates reveals Allah's infinite wisdom and grace upon Maryam, who, inspired by Allah, satisfied all of her nutritional needs by eating dates and thereby eased her child's birth. (Allah knows best.)
Allah Creates a Stream:
Allah told Maryam that He had placed a stream by her feet to eat, drink, and delight her eyes.
Water, like dates, eases labor pains and regulates muscle tension. In fact, some modern birth clinics have pools in which the delivery takes place.
Water, which is necessary for life and one's physical well-being, plays an important role in regulating the body's temperature, transporting nutritional elements and oxygen, and removing waste matter from the body's cells. It also ensures the healthy movement of joints, skin moisture and elasticity, the digestive system, and protects tissues and organs. Water is becoming more widely used in therapy by the day. Contact with water stimulates the immune system, increases anti-stress hormone production, reduces pain, and stimulates blood circulation and metabolism.
Water is important during pregnancy for several reasons. At that time, water intake is especially necessary because the volume of blood increases and because of the developing baby's needs. Women who choose to breast-feed need plenty of water to produce the necessary amount of milk. Considering that 87 percent of this milk is water, we can see how important this production is.
Water also maintains the electrolyte balances in the blood of the mother and the child. Hormones released during pregnancy alter the way various body fluids are used. Toward the end of the woman's pregnancy, blood volume increases 150 percent, and the loss of water through breathing is much greater. The amnion fluid, in which the baby grows, is renewed every three hours. However, it can decrease, as in the case of dehydration caused by insufficient water intake.
Maryam Shakes the Date Tree:
Allah tells Maryam to shake the date tree toward her when she was headed toward it in her labor pains. (Surah Maryam: 25)
Doctors say that pulling something toward oneself during labor can have a positive effect on the muscles. In order to ease labor pains and help bring about a safe delivery, women are advised to do certain exercises that reduce pressure in the body and, therefore, the risk of complications during delivery. They are also thought to quicken the process of giving birth.
Doctors suggest that in the second stage of labor, the woman's head should be slightly raised to take advantage of gravity. Thus, hospital delivery rooms have beds with suitably placed handles and footrests that enable pregnant women to give birth in the most comfortable position.
Other practitioners advise their patients to squat or sit on specially adapted birth chairs. Before recent technological developments, some birth rooms featured a rope hanging from the ceiling, which the expectant mother was to use to try and pull herself up, thus helping the birth process. All of these methods are theoretically and logically helpful. Perhaps this is why Allah told Maryam to pull and shake the date tree. (Allah knows best.)
Maryam Returns to Her Community
When Maryam returned with Prophet 'Isa (as), her people could not comprehend Allah's miracle. Thus, they accused her of indecency and slandered her, even though they knew that she, being a member of 'Imran's family, was devout, held Allah in great fear and respect, had an immaculate character, and always protected her modesty. Allah reveals some of these slanders:
She brought him to her people, carrying him. They exclaimed: "Maryam! You have done an unthinkable thing! Sister of Harun, your father was not an evil man nor was your mother an unchaste woman!" (Surah Maryam: 27-28)
No doubt, this was a trial for Maryam, for she had to face such accusations despite being a chaste woman who held Allah in the greatest respect and awe. These people ignored her impeccable character and honorable conduct, despite her own reputation and that of her family, and so, as always, she turned toward Allah, and trusted in Him, knowing that He would defend her in the best possible way.
Allah, Who always answered her prayers with generosity and compassion, gave her inner peace during this trial. Knowing that Allah would exonerate her completely, Allah inspired her to make a vow: "If you should see anyone at all, just say: 'I have made a vow of abstinence to the All-Merciful, and today I will not speak to any human being'" (Surah Maryam: 26). This is what she told her people.
After this, she only pointed to Prophet 'Isa (as), about whom Allah said through Jibril: "He will speak to people in the cradle and when fully grown, and will be one of the believers" (Surah Al 'Imran: 46), when people confronted and slandered her.
Allah showed her people a great miracle by enabling Prophet 'Isa (as) to speak while he was still a baby in the cradle. Through his words, Allah exonerated his mother Maryam and also introduced Prophet 'Isa (as) as one of His Prophets sent to the Israelites:
She pointed toward him. They asked: "How can a baby in the cradle speak?" He ['Isa] said: "I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Book and made me a Prophet. He has made me blessed wherever I am, directed me to perform prayer and give alms [zakat] as long as I live, and to show devotion to my mother. He has not made me insolent or arrogant. Peace be upon me the day I was born and the day I die, and the day I am raised up again alive." That is 'Isa, son of Maryam, the Word of Truth about which they are in doubt. (Surah Maryam: 29-34)
This miracle amazed Maryam's people. By saying: "… and she who guarded her chastity. We breathed into her some of Our Spirit and made her and her son a Sign for all the worlds" (Surat al-Anbiya': 91), Allah made both of them superior to all other people. Maryam's superior character, honor, and purity were revealed through this speech, and those who had slandered her were defeated.
By saying: "And We made the son of Maryam and his mother a Sign and gave them shelter on a mountainside where there was a meadow and a flowing spring" (Surat al-Mu'minun: 50), He reveals that Prophet 'Isa (as) and Maryam continued to live under His grace after these events.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
The Muslim Woman: Her Status in the Ummah
By Shaykh ‘Abdul ‘Azeez Ibn Baaz (d.1420H) (rahimahullaah) [1]
http://www.troid.org/
"PIVOTAL QUOTE"
The secret of her importance lies in the tremendous burden and responsibility that is placed upon her, and the difficulties she has to shoulder – responsibilities and difficilties some of which not even a man bears.
The status of the Muslim woman in Islaam is a very noble and lofty one, and her effect is very great in the life of every Muslim. Indeed the Muslim woman is the initial teacher in building a righteous society, providing she follows the guidance from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Since adherence to the Qur`aan and the Sunnah distances every Muslim – male or female – from being misguided in any matter. The misguidance that the various nations suffer from, and their being deviated does not come about except by being far away from the path of Allaah – the Most Perfect, the Most High – and from what His Prophets and Messngers - may Allaah’s Peace and Prayers be upon them all – came with. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
"I am leaving behind you two matters, you will not go astray as long as you cling to them both, the Book of Allaah and my Sunnah." [2]
The great importance of the Muslim woman’s role – whether as wife, sister, or daughter, and the rights that are due to her and the rights that are due from her – have been explained in the noble Qur`aan, and further detailed of this have been explained in the purified Sunnah.
The secret of her importance lies in the tremendous burden and responsibility that is placed upon her, and the difficulties she has to shoulder – responsibilities and difficilties some of which not even a man bears. This is why from the most important obligations upon a person is to show gratitude to the mother, and kindness and good companionship with her. And in this matter, she is to be given precedence over and above the father. Allaah the Exalted says:
"And We have enjoined upon man to be good and dutiful to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness upon weakness and hardship upon hardship, and his weaning is in two years. Show gratitude and thanks to Me and to your parents. Unto Me is the final destination." [Soorah Luqmaan 31:14]
Allaah the Exalted said:
"And We have enjoined upon man to be dutiful and kind to his parents. His mother bears him with hardship, and she brings him forth with hardship. And the bearing and weaning of him is thirty months." [Sooratul Ahqaaf 41:15]
A man came to the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said: "O Messenger of Allaah! Who from amongst mankind warrents the best companionship from me?" He replied:
"Your mother."
The man asked, "Then who?" So he replied:
"Your mother."
The man then asked, "Then who?" So the Prophet replied again:
"Your mother."
Then the man asked, "Then who?" So he replied:
"Your father." [3]
So this necessitates that the mother is given three times the likes of kindness and good treatment than the father.
As regards the wife, then her status and her effect in making the soul tranquil and serene has been clearly shown in the noble aayah (statement of Allaah), in His – the Exalted – saying:
"And from His signs is this: That He created for you wives amongst yourselves, so that you may find serentiy and tranquility in them. And He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in this are signs for those who reflect." [Sooratur Room 30:21]
Al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer (d.774H) – rahimahullaah – said whilst explaining the terms muwaddah and rahmah which occur in the above aayah:
"Al-muwaddah means love and affection and ar-rahmah means compassion and pity – since a man takes a woman either due to his love for her, or because of compassion and pity for her; by giving to her a child from himself…" [4]
And the unique stance that the Prophet’s (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wife Khadeejah – radiyallaahu ‘anhaa – took, had a huge effect in calming and reassuring the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), when the angel Jibreel (‘alayhis salaam) first came to the cave of Hiraa. So the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) returned to Khadeejah (radiyallaahu ‘anhaa) with the first Revelation and with his heart beating and trembling severely, and he said to her:
"Cover me! Cover me!"
So she covered him until his fear was over, after which he told Khadeejah (radiyallaahu ‘anhaa) everything that happened and said:
"I fear that something may happen to me."
So she said to him:
"Never! By Allaah! Allaah will never disgrace you. You keep good ties with the relations, you help the poor and the destitute, you serve your guests generously and assist those who have been afflicted with calamities." [5]
And do not forget about ‘Aa`ishah (radiyallaahu ‘anhaa) and her great effect. Since even the great Companions used to take the knowledge of Hadeeth from her, and many of the Sahaabiyaat (female Companions) learned the various rulings pertaining to women’s issues from her.
And I have no doubt that my mother – may Allaah shower His mercy upon her – had a tremendous effect upon me, in encouraging me to study; and she assisted me in it. May Allaah greatly increase her reward and reward her with the best of rewards for what she did for me.
And there is no doubt also, that the house in which there is kindness, gentleness, love and care, along with the correct Islaamic tarbiyah (education and cultivation) will greatly effect the man. So he will become – if Allaah wills – successful in his affairs and in any matter – whether it be seeking knowledge, trading, earning a living, or other than this. So it is Allaah alone that I ask to grant success and to guide us all to that which He loves and is pleased with. And may the Prayers and Peace of Allaah be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his Family, his Companions and his followers.
Footnotes:
[1] He is the exemplary Scholar: Abu ‘Abdullaah, ‘Abdul ‘Azeez Ibn ‘Abdullaah Ibn Baaz. He was born in the city of Riyaadh (Saudi Arabia) on the 12th of Dhul-Hijjah in the year 1330H. He began seeking knowledge by first memorizing the Qur`aan before reaching the age of puberty. After this, He began to study noble sciences such as ‘Aqeedah (beliefs), Fiqh (Islaamic Jurisprudence), Hadeeth (Prophetic Narrations), Usoolul-Fiqh (fundamentals of jurisprudence), Faraa`id (Laws of inheritance), Nahw (Grammar) and Sarf (morphology) – even though the Shaykh became permanently blind at the age of nineteen. He studied these sciences under some of the most prominent scholars of Riyaadh and Makkah of his time, including Shaykh Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdul Lateef Ibn ‘Abdur Rahmaan Ibn Hasan and also the former Grand Muftee and noble scholar, Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Ibraaheem – whom he studied under for ten years. He lived to be eighty-nine years old, he was mild, generous and forbearing in nature, yet firm, whilst wise while speaking the truth. He was a zaahid (one who abstains) with respect to this world and he was one of the foremost scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah in his age. The noble Shaykh – by Allaah’s grace – devoted his whole life to Islaam and it’s people, authoring many books and booklets, teaching and serving the masses, along with being very active in the field of Da’wah. May Allaah forgive our noble father and Shaykh.
This article was a response to a particular question concerning the position and status of Muslim women and has been taken from his Majmoo’ul Fataawaa wa Maqaalaatil Mutanawwi`ah (3/348-350).
[2] Hasan: Related by Maalik in al-Muwattaa (2/899) and al-Haakim (1/93), from Ibn ‘Abbaas (radiyallaahu ‘anhu). It was authenticated by Shaykh al-Albaanee in as-Saheehah (no. 1871).
[3] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 5971) and Muslim (7/2), from Abu Hurayrah (radiyallaahu ‘anhu).
[4] Tafseer Qur`aanil A’dtheem (3/439) of al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer.
[5] Related by al-Bukhaaree (1/22) and Muslim (1/139), from the lengthy narration of ‘Aa`ishah (radiyallaahu ‘anhaa).
http://www.troid.org/
"PIVOTAL QUOTE"
The secret of her importance lies in the tremendous burden and responsibility that is placed upon her, and the difficulties she has to shoulder – responsibilities and difficilties some of which not even a man bears.
The status of the Muslim woman in Islaam is a very noble and lofty one, and her effect is very great in the life of every Muslim. Indeed the Muslim woman is the initial teacher in building a righteous society, providing she follows the guidance from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Since adherence to the Qur`aan and the Sunnah distances every Muslim – male or female – from being misguided in any matter. The misguidance that the various nations suffer from, and their being deviated does not come about except by being far away from the path of Allaah – the Most Perfect, the Most High – and from what His Prophets and Messngers - may Allaah’s Peace and Prayers be upon them all – came with. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
"I am leaving behind you two matters, you will not go astray as long as you cling to them both, the Book of Allaah and my Sunnah." [2]
The great importance of the Muslim woman’s role – whether as wife, sister, or daughter, and the rights that are due to her and the rights that are due from her – have been explained in the noble Qur`aan, and further detailed of this have been explained in the purified Sunnah.
The secret of her importance lies in the tremendous burden and responsibility that is placed upon her, and the difficulties she has to shoulder – responsibilities and difficilties some of which not even a man bears. This is why from the most important obligations upon a person is to show gratitude to the mother, and kindness and good companionship with her. And in this matter, she is to be given precedence over and above the father. Allaah the Exalted says:
"And We have enjoined upon man to be good and dutiful to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness upon weakness and hardship upon hardship, and his weaning is in two years. Show gratitude and thanks to Me and to your parents. Unto Me is the final destination." [Soorah Luqmaan 31:14]
Allaah the Exalted said:
"And We have enjoined upon man to be dutiful and kind to his parents. His mother bears him with hardship, and she brings him forth with hardship. And the bearing and weaning of him is thirty months." [Sooratul Ahqaaf 41:15]
A man came to the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said: "O Messenger of Allaah! Who from amongst mankind warrents the best companionship from me?" He replied:
"Your mother."
The man asked, "Then who?" So he replied:
"Your mother."
The man then asked, "Then who?" So the Prophet replied again:
"Your mother."
Then the man asked, "Then who?" So he replied:
"Your father." [3]
So this necessitates that the mother is given three times the likes of kindness and good treatment than the father.
As regards the wife, then her status and her effect in making the soul tranquil and serene has been clearly shown in the noble aayah (statement of Allaah), in His – the Exalted – saying:
"And from His signs is this: That He created for you wives amongst yourselves, so that you may find serentiy and tranquility in them. And He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in this are signs for those who reflect." [Sooratur Room 30:21]
Al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer (d.774H) – rahimahullaah – said whilst explaining the terms muwaddah and rahmah which occur in the above aayah:
"Al-muwaddah means love and affection and ar-rahmah means compassion and pity – since a man takes a woman either due to his love for her, or because of compassion and pity for her; by giving to her a child from himself…" [4]
And the unique stance that the Prophet’s (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wife Khadeejah – radiyallaahu ‘anhaa – took, had a huge effect in calming and reassuring the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), when the angel Jibreel (‘alayhis salaam) first came to the cave of Hiraa. So the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) returned to Khadeejah (radiyallaahu ‘anhaa) with the first Revelation and with his heart beating and trembling severely, and he said to her:
"Cover me! Cover me!"
So she covered him until his fear was over, after which he told Khadeejah (radiyallaahu ‘anhaa) everything that happened and said:
"I fear that something may happen to me."
So she said to him:
"Never! By Allaah! Allaah will never disgrace you. You keep good ties with the relations, you help the poor and the destitute, you serve your guests generously and assist those who have been afflicted with calamities." [5]
And do not forget about ‘Aa`ishah (radiyallaahu ‘anhaa) and her great effect. Since even the great Companions used to take the knowledge of Hadeeth from her, and many of the Sahaabiyaat (female Companions) learned the various rulings pertaining to women’s issues from her.
And I have no doubt that my mother – may Allaah shower His mercy upon her – had a tremendous effect upon me, in encouraging me to study; and she assisted me in it. May Allaah greatly increase her reward and reward her with the best of rewards for what she did for me.
And there is no doubt also, that the house in which there is kindness, gentleness, love and care, along with the correct Islaamic tarbiyah (education and cultivation) will greatly effect the man. So he will become – if Allaah wills – successful in his affairs and in any matter – whether it be seeking knowledge, trading, earning a living, or other than this. So it is Allaah alone that I ask to grant success and to guide us all to that which He loves and is pleased with. And may the Prayers and Peace of Allaah be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his Family, his Companions and his followers.
Footnotes:
[1] He is the exemplary Scholar: Abu ‘Abdullaah, ‘Abdul ‘Azeez Ibn ‘Abdullaah Ibn Baaz. He was born in the city of Riyaadh (Saudi Arabia) on the 12th of Dhul-Hijjah in the year 1330H. He began seeking knowledge by first memorizing the Qur`aan before reaching the age of puberty. After this, He began to study noble sciences such as ‘Aqeedah (beliefs), Fiqh (Islaamic Jurisprudence), Hadeeth (Prophetic Narrations), Usoolul-Fiqh (fundamentals of jurisprudence), Faraa`id (Laws of inheritance), Nahw (Grammar) and Sarf (morphology) – even though the Shaykh became permanently blind at the age of nineteen. He studied these sciences under some of the most prominent scholars of Riyaadh and Makkah of his time, including Shaykh Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdul Lateef Ibn ‘Abdur Rahmaan Ibn Hasan and also the former Grand Muftee and noble scholar, Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Ibraaheem – whom he studied under for ten years. He lived to be eighty-nine years old, he was mild, generous and forbearing in nature, yet firm, whilst wise while speaking the truth. He was a zaahid (one who abstains) with respect to this world and he was one of the foremost scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah in his age. The noble Shaykh – by Allaah’s grace – devoted his whole life to Islaam and it’s people, authoring many books and booklets, teaching and serving the masses, along with being very active in the field of Da’wah. May Allaah forgive our noble father and Shaykh.
This article was a response to a particular question concerning the position and status of Muslim women and has been taken from his Majmoo’ul Fataawaa wa Maqaalaatil Mutanawwi`ah (3/348-350).
[2] Hasan: Related by Maalik in al-Muwattaa (2/899) and al-Haakim (1/93), from Ibn ‘Abbaas (radiyallaahu ‘anhu). It was authenticated by Shaykh al-Albaanee in as-Saheehah (no. 1871).
[3] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 5971) and Muslim (7/2), from Abu Hurayrah (radiyallaahu ‘anhu).
[4] Tafseer Qur`aanil A’dtheem (3/439) of al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer.
[5] Related by al-Bukhaaree (1/22) and Muslim (1/139), from the lengthy narration of ‘Aa`ishah (radiyallaahu ‘anhaa).
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Can Human beings be Cloned?
Cloning humans 'easier' than animals (1)
In the middle of the year 2001 a group of scientists said cloning humans might be easier than cloning animals. They were optimistic based on the research carried out into human genetics. However experts in Britain criticized their conclusions. An Italian fertility doctor, Dr. Severino Antinori announced his intention to clone humans, so that he can help infertile couples to have children. Many scientists were dismayed and scientists involved in animal cloning warned of the many practical problems in cloning. For example many clones die early or they are born with genetic deformities, and develop terminal illnesses such as cancer.
Genetic difference
Scientists at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina say the reason of all these problems may be one specific gene, which is responsible for controlling the way in which cells grow. When this gene is not working properly, cells can grow in an uncontrolled way to cause cancer tumors to develop.
In normal sexual reproduction a copy of this gene is passed from each parent to the offspring. But in many animals other than humans, one of these genes is turned off.
The cloning process affects the remaining active gene; it cannot work properly, and so the cloned embryo grows in an uncontrolled way.
Ageing Dolly
For example, in sheep less than one embryo in 300 develops normally. Even the world's most famous sheep clone, Dolly, who died recently suffered from problems linked to this gene. Also she aged rapidly and was overweight.
Dr. Randy Jirtle of Duke University told that he and his colleagues found this genetic difference while looking at the evolution of genes. According to them this difference arose about 70 million years ago to help control the size of babies in the wombs of very early human ancestors. The researchers also say finding that the gene works in a different way in humans from animals such as rats and mice has raised questions about large areas of medical research. One example they say is that many drugs are rejected because they cause cancer in these animals. Medical Research should take a look at it t again.
'Dangerous' information
The findings are published in the journal Human Molecular Genetics, but have been criticized in Britain. "It seems that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and the authors have allowed themselves to over-interpretate their interesting results," said Professor Ian Wilmut of the Roslin Institute, in Edinburgh, leader of the team, which cloned Dolly the sheep. "I hope that this will not be used to give encouragement to those who wish to clone humans," he said.
Dr John Parrington, a cloning expert at University College London, pointed out that more than one gene behaved in a way that might cause problems in a growing cloned human embryo. "You can't say, taking this information in isolation, that it's easier to clone primates and humans," he said.
Problems in Cloning People (2)
On April 11, 2003, Washington Post Staff Writer, Rick Weiss, reported "New research suggests that it may be a lot harder to clone people than to clone other animals, an unexpected scientific twist that could influence the escalating congressional debate over human cloning and embryo research."
Researchers Find Replicating Primates Is Harder Than for Other Mammals
"The new work by scientists in Pittsburgh provides an explanation for why hundreds of attempts to clone monkeys have all failed despite successes in several other mammals. The scientists said they suspect that similar roadblocks exist for all primates -- the evolutionary grouping that includes monkeys and humans."
In the light of this information, Congress could settle for less stringent restrictions on embryo cloning studies, which scientists favor. The newly discovered obstacle makes it more likely than ever that rogue scientists' recent claims to have created cloned babies were fraud.
But opponents of human embryo research were afraid that the new research not only identifies previously unrecognized hurdles to human cloning, but also points the way to overcoming those hurdles. They noted that the scientists could come up with a potential way to get around the problem.
"This report is bad news for the unethical charlatans who have been preying on people by claiming they are able to clone people's loved ones," said Gerald Schatten of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, who led the new study in April 11, 2003 issue of the journal Science.
Scientists want to make cloned human embryos to get embryonic stem cells, which live inside early embryos and have the potential to cure a wide array of diseases. Many in Congress support a proposed ban on such research, however, in part because of fears that a cloned human embryo, once made, might be transferred to a woman's womb to develop into a cloned baby. But this will not be so easy. The team discovered a major roadblock to primate cloning by studying what went wrong in their more than 700 attempts to make cloned monkey embryos -- each of which failed spectacularly in the earliest stages of embryo development.
They started out using standard cloning methods, in which a single cell from the monkey to be cloned was fused to a monkey egg cell whose own DNA had been removed. In sheep, mice and other successfully cloned animals, substances inside the egg cell act upon the DNA in the fused cell, reprogramming the genes in a way that makes the cell "think" it is an embryo cell. That cell then begins to divide, one into two, then two into four, eventually forming a new embryo that is genetically identical to the animal that donated the original cell.
Although Schatten's monkey embryos looked normal on the outside, they always failed to develop after the first few cell divisions. Only on close inspection did the cause become apparent: Instead of each cell having a normal number of chromosomes -- the sausage-shaped collections of DNA found in every cell -- some cells had lots of chromosomes and others had few or none.
Schatten's group found that the spindle proteins and molecular motors in monkey egg cells are so closely bound to those cells' DNA that scientists had been inadvertently removing many of them when they extracted the eggs' DNA in the first stage of cloning. As a result, the "tightropes" became chaotic and chromosomes drifted unevenly to the daughter cells.
Similar studies on cloned human embryos in Britain suggest the same phenomenon is at work in humans, Schatten said.
Even if scientists overcome the chromosome problem, it is unlikely that cloned monkeys or humans would develop normally. Most cloned animals -- even those with normal numbers of chromosomes in their cells -- die in the womb or soon after birth because of other problems, which remain unsolvable today, they said.
Because cloned human embryonic stem cells have so much medical promise, scientists favor legislation that would allow them to make cloned human embryos and outlaw only the creation of cloned babies.
Cloning: The Time is Near (3)
Dr. Panayiotis M. Zavos, the former University of Kentucky fertility expert who is hard at work trying to develop techniques that will lead to the full, reproductive cloning of human beings, claims he created a cloned human embryo from the cell of a patient who wants a child and that it grew to eight to 10 cells before he froze it for further study. Writing an essay, ''Human Reproductive Cloning: The Time is Near.'' for the June issue of Reproductive BioMedicine Online, Panayiotis Zavos said ''our team of scientific and medical experts has created the first human cloned embryo for reproductive purposes.''
The Raelians, a religious group that believes humans are clones of extraterrestrial beings, made a similar claim last winter but offered no proof. Most scientists believe their claim to be a hoax.
The non-controversial cloning research is therapeutic cloning aimed at using a person's own cells to develop treatments for degenerative and fatal diseases.
REFERECNES:
(1) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1491056.stm) Wednesday, 15 August, 2001
(2) Rick Weiss, Washington Post Staff Writer, WASHINGTON POST. April 11, 2003.
(3) The Courier-Journal, April 11, 2003, Louisville, Kentucky
In the middle of the year 2001 a group of scientists said cloning humans might be easier than cloning animals. They were optimistic based on the research carried out into human genetics. However experts in Britain criticized their conclusions. An Italian fertility doctor, Dr. Severino Antinori announced his intention to clone humans, so that he can help infertile couples to have children. Many scientists were dismayed and scientists involved in animal cloning warned of the many practical problems in cloning. For example many clones die early or they are born with genetic deformities, and develop terminal illnesses such as cancer.
Genetic difference
Scientists at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina say the reason of all these problems may be one specific gene, which is responsible for controlling the way in which cells grow. When this gene is not working properly, cells can grow in an uncontrolled way to cause cancer tumors to develop.
In normal sexual reproduction a copy of this gene is passed from each parent to the offspring. But in many animals other than humans, one of these genes is turned off.
The cloning process affects the remaining active gene; it cannot work properly, and so the cloned embryo grows in an uncontrolled way.
Ageing Dolly
For example, in sheep less than one embryo in 300 develops normally. Even the world's most famous sheep clone, Dolly, who died recently suffered from problems linked to this gene. Also she aged rapidly and was overweight.
Dr. Randy Jirtle of Duke University told that he and his colleagues found this genetic difference while looking at the evolution of genes. According to them this difference arose about 70 million years ago to help control the size of babies in the wombs of very early human ancestors. The researchers also say finding that the gene works in a different way in humans from animals such as rats and mice has raised questions about large areas of medical research. One example they say is that many drugs are rejected because they cause cancer in these animals. Medical Research should take a look at it t again.
'Dangerous' information
The findings are published in the journal Human Molecular Genetics, but have been criticized in Britain. "It seems that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and the authors have allowed themselves to over-interpretate their interesting results," said Professor Ian Wilmut of the Roslin Institute, in Edinburgh, leader of the team, which cloned Dolly the sheep. "I hope that this will not be used to give encouragement to those who wish to clone humans," he said.
Dr John Parrington, a cloning expert at University College London, pointed out that more than one gene behaved in a way that might cause problems in a growing cloned human embryo. "You can't say, taking this information in isolation, that it's easier to clone primates and humans," he said.
Problems in Cloning People (2)
On April 11, 2003, Washington Post Staff Writer, Rick Weiss, reported "New research suggests that it may be a lot harder to clone people than to clone other animals, an unexpected scientific twist that could influence the escalating congressional debate over human cloning and embryo research."
Researchers Find Replicating Primates Is Harder Than for Other Mammals
"The new work by scientists in Pittsburgh provides an explanation for why hundreds of attempts to clone monkeys have all failed despite successes in several other mammals. The scientists said they suspect that similar roadblocks exist for all primates -- the evolutionary grouping that includes monkeys and humans."
In the light of this information, Congress could settle for less stringent restrictions on embryo cloning studies, which scientists favor. The newly discovered obstacle makes it more likely than ever that rogue scientists' recent claims to have created cloned babies were fraud.
But opponents of human embryo research were afraid that the new research not only identifies previously unrecognized hurdles to human cloning, but also points the way to overcoming those hurdles. They noted that the scientists could come up with a potential way to get around the problem.
"This report is bad news for the unethical charlatans who have been preying on people by claiming they are able to clone people's loved ones," said Gerald Schatten of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, who led the new study in April 11, 2003 issue of the journal Science.
Scientists want to make cloned human embryos to get embryonic stem cells, which live inside early embryos and have the potential to cure a wide array of diseases. Many in Congress support a proposed ban on such research, however, in part because of fears that a cloned human embryo, once made, might be transferred to a woman's womb to develop into a cloned baby. But this will not be so easy. The team discovered a major roadblock to primate cloning by studying what went wrong in their more than 700 attempts to make cloned monkey embryos -- each of which failed spectacularly in the earliest stages of embryo development.
They started out using standard cloning methods, in which a single cell from the monkey to be cloned was fused to a monkey egg cell whose own DNA had been removed. In sheep, mice and other successfully cloned animals, substances inside the egg cell act upon the DNA in the fused cell, reprogramming the genes in a way that makes the cell "think" it is an embryo cell. That cell then begins to divide, one into two, then two into four, eventually forming a new embryo that is genetically identical to the animal that donated the original cell.
Although Schatten's monkey embryos looked normal on the outside, they always failed to develop after the first few cell divisions. Only on close inspection did the cause become apparent: Instead of each cell having a normal number of chromosomes -- the sausage-shaped collections of DNA found in every cell -- some cells had lots of chromosomes and others had few or none.
Schatten's group found that the spindle proteins and molecular motors in monkey egg cells are so closely bound to those cells' DNA that scientists had been inadvertently removing many of them when they extracted the eggs' DNA in the first stage of cloning. As a result, the "tightropes" became chaotic and chromosomes drifted unevenly to the daughter cells.
Similar studies on cloned human embryos in Britain suggest the same phenomenon is at work in humans, Schatten said.
Even if scientists overcome the chromosome problem, it is unlikely that cloned monkeys or humans would develop normally. Most cloned animals -- even those with normal numbers of chromosomes in their cells -- die in the womb or soon after birth because of other problems, which remain unsolvable today, they said.
Because cloned human embryonic stem cells have so much medical promise, scientists favor legislation that would allow them to make cloned human embryos and outlaw only the creation of cloned babies.
Cloning: The Time is Near (3)
Dr. Panayiotis M. Zavos, the former University of Kentucky fertility expert who is hard at work trying to develop techniques that will lead to the full, reproductive cloning of human beings, claims he created a cloned human embryo from the cell of a patient who wants a child and that it grew to eight to 10 cells before he froze it for further study. Writing an essay, ''Human Reproductive Cloning: The Time is Near.'' for the June issue of Reproductive BioMedicine Online, Panayiotis Zavos said ''our team of scientific and medical experts has created the first human cloned embryo for reproductive purposes.''
The Raelians, a religious group that believes humans are clones of extraterrestrial beings, made a similar claim last winter but offered no proof. Most scientists believe their claim to be a hoax.
The non-controversial cloning research is therapeutic cloning aimed at using a person's own cells to develop treatments for degenerative and fatal diseases.
REFERECNES:
(1) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1491056.stm) Wednesday, 15 August, 2001
(2) Rick Weiss, Washington Post Staff Writer, WASHINGTON POST. April 11, 2003.
(3) The Courier-Journal, April 11, 2003, Louisville, Kentucky
Jamaluddin Afghani
The lives of towering personages and great minds are like prisms through which we can study the past so that we can make some sense of the present. In this article we will briefly look at one such personality.
Seyyed Jamaluddin Afghani was undoubtedly one of the most influential Muslims of the twentieth century. Some consider him to be the principal figure in awakening Islamic political sentiments and social reforms in India, Persia, Afghanistan, Egypt and the Ottoman Empire. Others criticize his role in the destruction of Islamic institutions, including the Sultanate of Persia and the Ottoman Caliphate and suspect that he was working in collusion with one European power or the other. The verdict of history on whether he was a patriot or a turncoat is not clear. It is much easier to make a case that while he fervently believed in his grand pan-Islamic vision, he was caught in the whirlwinds of the times like so many Muslims of that era and became a partner in the demise of political institutions that had provided stability to the Islamic world for 500 years.
Seyyed Jamaluddin was born in 1838 at Asadabad near the Afghan-Persian border. He was called a Seyyed because his family claimed descent from the family of the Prophet through Imam Hussain. The title of “Afghani” refers to his Afghan-Persian heritage. As a youth, Seyyed Jamaluddin studied the Qur’an, Fiqh, Arabic grammar, philosophy, tasawwuf, logic, mathematics, and medicine, disciplines that were the backbone of an Islamic curriculum at that time. In 1856, at the age of eighteen, he spent a year in Delhi and felt the rising political pulse of the subcontinent, which was soon to erupt in the Sepoy Uprising of 1857.
From India, Seyyed Jamaluddin visited Arabia where he performed his Hajj. Returning to Afghanistan in 1858, he was employed by Amir Dost Muhammed. His talents propelled him to the forefront of the Afghan hierarchy. When Dost Muhammed died and his brother Mohammed Azam became the emir, Jamaluddin was appointed the prime minister.
In 1869, Seyyed Jamaluddin fell out of favor with the Emir and left Kabul for India. In Delhi, he received the red carpet treatment from British officials, who were at the same time careful not to let him meet the principal Indian Muslim leaders. That same year he visited Cairo on his way to Istanbul where his fame had preceded him and he was elected to the Turkish Academy. However, his “rational” interpretation of the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet was deeply suspect in the eyes of the Turkish ulema and he was expelled from Istanbul in 1871.
Back in Cairo, Jamaluddin had a major role in the events that led to the overthrow of Khedive Ismail Pasha who had brought Egypt to its knees through his extravagance. European influence increased, and Jamaluddin was at the head of the Young Egyptian Movement and the nationalist uprising under Torabi Pasha (1881) that sought to expel the Europeans from Egypt. The British, suspicious of his motives, sent him back to India just before their occupation of Cairo in 1882.
From India, Seyyed Jamaluddin embarked on a journey through Europe and resided for various lengths of time in London, Paris and St. Petersburg. In Paris he met and influenced the Egyptian modernist Muhammed Abduh. Together, the two started a political organization Urwah al Wuthqa (The Unbreakable Bond) whose avowed purpose was to “modernize” Islam and protect the Islamic world from the greed of foreigners. Its strident anti-European tone annoyed the British who engineered to have the organization and its mouthpiece, the Minaret, shut down.
In 1889 Sultan Nasiruddin Shah of Persia visited St. Petersburg and invited Jamaluddin to return to Tehran, promising him the post of prime minister. A reluctant Jamaluddin saw an opportunity to influence events in the Islamic heartland and returned, soon to find himself out of favor with the monarch. Fearing the wrath of the Shah, Jamaluddin took refuge in the Shrine of Shah Abdul Azeem and from the sanctuary, denounced the Shah as a tyrant and advocated his overthrow. It was while he stayed in the sanctuary that Jamaluddin met and influenced the principal figures who had a major impact on the subsequent turbulent events in Persia, including the assassination of Nasiruddin Shah.
The Shah, furious at Seyyed Jamaluddin’s tirades, banished him from Persia in 1891. The Seyyed arrived in Istanbul and was warmly received by Sultan Abdul Hamid II who nonetheless kept a close watch on his activities. Jamaluddin Afghani spent the rest of his life in Istanbul and died of cancer in1896.
Two principal themes run through the life and work of Seyyed Jamaluddin Afghani. First, his proclaimed goal was to unite the Islamic world under a single caliph resident in Istanbul. Towards this end, he sought a rapprochement between the Ottoman Empire and Persia, working to have the Shah recognize the Ottoman Sultan as the Caliph of all Muslims, while the Caliph recognized the Shah as the sovereign of all Shi’as. He wrote to the leading theologians of Karbala, Tabriz and Tehran, passionately arguing his case and was partially successful in bringing them to his point of view. However, the rapprochement did not take place due to the political turbulence in Persia. Second, he sought to “modernize” Islam to make it responsive, as he saw it, to the needs of the age. The movement that he started, which was championed by his disciple, Muhammed Abduh of Egypt, was called the salafi movement. It derives from the word “as salaf as salehin” (the pious ancestors) and refers to the legal opinions advanced by the first three generations after the Prophet. It was essentially a rationalist and apologist movement, which sought to bring about a nahda (renaissance) of Islamic thought.
Muhammed Abduh sought to replace the four schools of Sunnah Fiqh (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafii and Hanbali) with a single Fiqh. He taught that the laws of the Qur’an could be “rationalized” and if necessary, reinterpreted. The Salafi movement had a major impact on Arab intellectual circles around the turn of the 20th century. It influenced the Aligarh movement of Sir Seyyed in India as well as the Muhammadiya movement in Indonesia. The salafi movement, however, had no roots either in Islamic traditions or Islamic history. The nahda was suspected of attempting to secularize Islam, just as the renaissance of the 16th century had secularized the Latin West. As a mass movement, the Salafi movement was a failure and was rejected by the Islamic world.
Jamaluddin Afghani’s one major success was in paving the way for the tobacco revolution of Persia, a passive resistance movement, which contained British influence in Iran at the turn of the twentieth century.
Seyyed Jamaluddin Afghani was undoubtedly one of the most influential Muslims of the twentieth century. Some consider him to be the principal figure in awakening Islamic political sentiments and social reforms in India, Persia, Afghanistan, Egypt and the Ottoman Empire. Others criticize his role in the destruction of Islamic institutions, including the Sultanate of Persia and the Ottoman Caliphate and suspect that he was working in collusion with one European power or the other. The verdict of history on whether he was a patriot or a turncoat is not clear. It is much easier to make a case that while he fervently believed in his grand pan-Islamic vision, he was caught in the whirlwinds of the times like so many Muslims of that era and became a partner in the demise of political institutions that had provided stability to the Islamic world for 500 years.
Seyyed Jamaluddin was born in 1838 at Asadabad near the Afghan-Persian border. He was called a Seyyed because his family claimed descent from the family of the Prophet through Imam Hussain. The title of “Afghani” refers to his Afghan-Persian heritage. As a youth, Seyyed Jamaluddin studied the Qur’an, Fiqh, Arabic grammar, philosophy, tasawwuf, logic, mathematics, and medicine, disciplines that were the backbone of an Islamic curriculum at that time. In 1856, at the age of eighteen, he spent a year in Delhi and felt the rising political pulse of the subcontinent, which was soon to erupt in the Sepoy Uprising of 1857.
From India, Seyyed Jamaluddin visited Arabia where he performed his Hajj. Returning to Afghanistan in 1858, he was employed by Amir Dost Muhammed. His talents propelled him to the forefront of the Afghan hierarchy. When Dost Muhammed died and his brother Mohammed Azam became the emir, Jamaluddin was appointed the prime minister.
In 1869, Seyyed Jamaluddin fell out of favor with the Emir and left Kabul for India. In Delhi, he received the red carpet treatment from British officials, who were at the same time careful not to let him meet the principal Indian Muslim leaders. That same year he visited Cairo on his way to Istanbul where his fame had preceded him and he was elected to the Turkish Academy. However, his “rational” interpretation of the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet was deeply suspect in the eyes of the Turkish ulema and he was expelled from Istanbul in 1871.
Back in Cairo, Jamaluddin had a major role in the events that led to the overthrow of Khedive Ismail Pasha who had brought Egypt to its knees through his extravagance. European influence increased, and Jamaluddin was at the head of the Young Egyptian Movement and the nationalist uprising under Torabi Pasha (1881) that sought to expel the Europeans from Egypt. The British, suspicious of his motives, sent him back to India just before their occupation of Cairo in 1882.
From India, Seyyed Jamaluddin embarked on a journey through Europe and resided for various lengths of time in London, Paris and St. Petersburg. In Paris he met and influenced the Egyptian modernist Muhammed Abduh. Together, the two started a political organization Urwah al Wuthqa (The Unbreakable Bond) whose avowed purpose was to “modernize” Islam and protect the Islamic world from the greed of foreigners. Its strident anti-European tone annoyed the British who engineered to have the organization and its mouthpiece, the Minaret, shut down.
In 1889 Sultan Nasiruddin Shah of Persia visited St. Petersburg and invited Jamaluddin to return to Tehran, promising him the post of prime minister. A reluctant Jamaluddin saw an opportunity to influence events in the Islamic heartland and returned, soon to find himself out of favor with the monarch. Fearing the wrath of the Shah, Jamaluddin took refuge in the Shrine of Shah Abdul Azeem and from the sanctuary, denounced the Shah as a tyrant and advocated his overthrow. It was while he stayed in the sanctuary that Jamaluddin met and influenced the principal figures who had a major impact on the subsequent turbulent events in Persia, including the assassination of Nasiruddin Shah.
The Shah, furious at Seyyed Jamaluddin’s tirades, banished him from Persia in 1891. The Seyyed arrived in Istanbul and was warmly received by Sultan Abdul Hamid II who nonetheless kept a close watch on his activities. Jamaluddin Afghani spent the rest of his life in Istanbul and died of cancer in1896.
Two principal themes run through the life and work of Seyyed Jamaluddin Afghani. First, his proclaimed goal was to unite the Islamic world under a single caliph resident in Istanbul. Towards this end, he sought a rapprochement between the Ottoman Empire and Persia, working to have the Shah recognize the Ottoman Sultan as the Caliph of all Muslims, while the Caliph recognized the Shah as the sovereign of all Shi’as. He wrote to the leading theologians of Karbala, Tabriz and Tehran, passionately arguing his case and was partially successful in bringing them to his point of view. However, the rapprochement did not take place due to the political turbulence in Persia. Second, he sought to “modernize” Islam to make it responsive, as he saw it, to the needs of the age. The movement that he started, which was championed by his disciple, Muhammed Abduh of Egypt, was called the salafi movement. It derives from the word “as salaf as salehin” (the pious ancestors) and refers to the legal opinions advanced by the first three generations after the Prophet. It was essentially a rationalist and apologist movement, which sought to bring about a nahda (renaissance) of Islamic thought.
Muhammed Abduh sought to replace the four schools of Sunnah Fiqh (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafii and Hanbali) with a single Fiqh. He taught that the laws of the Qur’an could be “rationalized” and if necessary, reinterpreted. The Salafi movement had a major impact on Arab intellectual circles around the turn of the 20th century. It influenced the Aligarh movement of Sir Seyyed in India as well as the Muhammadiya movement in Indonesia. The salafi movement, however, had no roots either in Islamic traditions or Islamic history. The nahda was suspected of attempting to secularize Islam, just as the renaissance of the 16th century had secularized the Latin West. As a mass movement, the Salafi movement was a failure and was rejected by the Islamic world.
Jamaluddin Afghani’s one major success was in paving the way for the tobacco revolution of Persia, a passive resistance movement, which contained British influence in Iran at the turn of the twentieth century.
Best of Both the Worlds
Recent news reports indicate that there are 15 million new STD (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) cases each year in the United States; teenagers account for a fourth of them. As Muslims constitute two percent of the US population the STD cases among the Muslim adults must number 300,000 and for teenagers the figure should be 80,000. But in actuality, how many Muslim adults and teenagers suffer from STD.? In Kentucky during the year 2002 there were 88 cases of syphilis, 3,722 cases of gonorrhea and 8,755 cases of chlamydia. Accordingly given their percentage of the population, there should have been two cases of syphilis, 74 cases of gonorrhea and 175 cases of chlamydia among the Muslims. But in reality this was not the case.
Do you know that every two minutes, someone is sexually assaulted in America? In 2000, there were 261,000 victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. [2000 National Crime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics]. Of these, 114,000 were victims of sexual assault, 55,000 of attempted rape, and 92,000 of rape. [2000 NCVS.].
The April 1991 issue of “Free Thought Today” reported that every three days one clergyman or church leader in the US was charged last year with criminal sexual abuse of children or young teenagers. Most of the men received light sentences enabling them to return to the pulpit - and continued sexual abuse of children - quickly. Churches are not only failing to check ministers’ records, but in some instances, are knowingly hiring convicted child molesters. The journal clarified that it was not a complete survey of clergy sexual abuse cases from 1990 - merely a study of 106 criminal cases coming to the attention of Free Thought Today from reports in the daily press. There are 216 lawsuits against Church priests in Louisville for sexually molesting the children. The question is how many Imams and how many Muslim teachers are accused of such crimes?
Islam asks its followers not to wear provocative dresses. It does not prohibit make-up but makes it clear that its purpose should not be to entice the opposite sex indiscriminately. Islam advises its followers that no two non-Mahrams (persons who are lawfully permitted to marry each other) of the opposite sex should meet in private except in dire necessity.
An article titled “ SOCIETY: Is There a Way Out of the West’s Cultural Crisis?” written by Francis Fukuyama (Professor at the International Institute for Advanced Studies at the Johns Hopkins University) was published in the 2 December, 2000 issue of the Wilson Quarterly. An excerpt: “All of the industrialized countries outside Asia experienced a massive increase in social disorder between the 1960s and ‘90s - a phenomenon that I have called the Great Disruption of Western social values. Indeed, by the 1990s Sweden, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand all had higher rates of property crime than the United States. More than half of all Scandinavian children are born to unmarried mothers, compared with one-third of American children. In Sweden, so few people bother to get married that the institution itself probably is in long-term decline”.
The US has a 50 per cent divorce rate. Since this is the highest rate of divorces, one can suspect there is something very wrong with US weddings. Islam permits the termination of a wedding contract, yet the divorce percentage is negligible among US Muslims compared to others.
An American Researcher, Edwin J. Feulner, PhD, president of The Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based public policy research institute wrote in an article titled ‘Whistling In The Dark’ dated September 28, 1995 and available on line at http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ED092895b.cfm
“Congress is crashing head-on into the devastating problem of illegitimacy, and balking. Decades after liberal ideology declared marriage obsolete and liberal welfare policy discouraged it, America has reaped a bitter harvest: Millions of children growing up without dads, and moms struggling through life without much hope for the future. Congress is now trying to hash out the differences between House and Senate versions of a comprehensive welfare-reform bill….Taxpayers will continue to subsidize out-of-wedlock births. Yet, the numbers are stark and incontrovertible. We are becoming a nation of fatherless children. And fatherless children grow up to commit more violent crime, take more illegal drugs and become statistics in more social pathologies than any other group. Unmarried mothers gave birth to 80 percent of all black children born in the inner city in 1994. But the problem goes far beyond the inner city. In 1965, when a worried young strategist in the Johnson administration’s War on Poverty warned of the end of the black family, 25 percent of all black births were to unmarried mothers. Today, nearly 30 percent of all births in America -- regardless of color -- are to unmarried mothers. …. America must stop providing a financial incentive for women on welfare to have children out of wedlock. The only way to do that is to cut off additional payments to those who have more babies while on public assistance, and to deny benefits to girls under 18 who give birth to illegitimate children. “
Every year in the United States, one million teen-age girls give birth to children out of wedlock. This is scary, but the question is how many Muslim teen-age girls give birth to children out of wedlock?
According to estimates, 2 per cent of one million that is 20,000 Muslim teen-age girls should give birth to children out of wedlock in the whole of the United States. Kentucky is one of the 50 states; so Kentucky’s share comes to 400 Muslim girls. Almost one-third to one-fourth of Kentucky’s population lives in Louisville. Hence Louisville should have at least 100 Muslim teen-age girls giving birth to children out of wedlock per year. This is a rough estimate, because the population of US is unevenly distributed. The Northeast, Chicago, California have very high density population.
So what is the inference or conclusion? The result is zero, which means we are adhering to our Islamic values. We are following the commands of Allah (SWT) as revealed in the Qur’an and practiced by Prophet Muhammad (SAS), which is the Sunnah.
We should get a pat on our backs and we should say “Alhamdulillah” Praise be to Allah. This is a blessing. This is a great achievement and we are an excellent example to the non-Muslims. This is an example of Da’wah work. Slowly American will appreciate the Islamic values and the Islamic way of life. Insha’Allah, the Muslim population in America will grow and it is already growing. Islam is the fastest growing religion in America and in the world.
The May 1979 issue of Life magazine had an article on prison life in a San Francisco jail. The emphasis was on the Muslim inmates. What attracted the attention of the Magazine was that all the Muslim inmates were free from homosexuality and drug abuse and drug addiction.
About 10 years ago, The Christian Science Monitor made a couple of documentary films on Muslims in America. They showed how Muslim inmates, on their release from correctional institutions, lead honest lives and practice Islam - sincerely and faithfully. To the extent the Christian building owners, whose lawns the Muslim inmates mow, give them the keys of their buildings in complete trust.
We see the bright side of America and also the dark side of America. We need to enjoy the best of both worlds. What I mean is we can lead our lives as Muslims and at the same time enjoy the bright side of America
Do you know that every two minutes, someone is sexually assaulted in America? In 2000, there were 261,000 victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. [2000 National Crime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics]. Of these, 114,000 were victims of sexual assault, 55,000 of attempted rape, and 92,000 of rape. [2000 NCVS.].
The April 1991 issue of “Free Thought Today” reported that every three days one clergyman or church leader in the US was charged last year with criminal sexual abuse of children or young teenagers. Most of the men received light sentences enabling them to return to the pulpit - and continued sexual abuse of children - quickly. Churches are not only failing to check ministers’ records, but in some instances, are knowingly hiring convicted child molesters. The journal clarified that it was not a complete survey of clergy sexual abuse cases from 1990 - merely a study of 106 criminal cases coming to the attention of Free Thought Today from reports in the daily press. There are 216 lawsuits against Church priests in Louisville for sexually molesting the children. The question is how many Imams and how many Muslim teachers are accused of such crimes?
Islam asks its followers not to wear provocative dresses. It does not prohibit make-up but makes it clear that its purpose should not be to entice the opposite sex indiscriminately. Islam advises its followers that no two non-Mahrams (persons who are lawfully permitted to marry each other) of the opposite sex should meet in private except in dire necessity.
An article titled “ SOCIETY: Is There a Way Out of the West’s Cultural Crisis?” written by Francis Fukuyama (Professor at the International Institute for Advanced Studies at the Johns Hopkins University) was published in the 2 December, 2000 issue of the Wilson Quarterly. An excerpt: “All of the industrialized countries outside Asia experienced a massive increase in social disorder between the 1960s and ‘90s - a phenomenon that I have called the Great Disruption of Western social values. Indeed, by the 1990s Sweden, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand all had higher rates of property crime than the United States. More than half of all Scandinavian children are born to unmarried mothers, compared with one-third of American children. In Sweden, so few people bother to get married that the institution itself probably is in long-term decline”.
The US has a 50 per cent divorce rate. Since this is the highest rate of divorces, one can suspect there is something very wrong with US weddings. Islam permits the termination of a wedding contract, yet the divorce percentage is negligible among US Muslims compared to others.
An American Researcher, Edwin J. Feulner, PhD, president of The Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based public policy research institute wrote in an article titled ‘Whistling In The Dark’ dated September 28, 1995 and available on line at http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ED092895b.cfm
“Congress is crashing head-on into the devastating problem of illegitimacy, and balking. Decades after liberal ideology declared marriage obsolete and liberal welfare policy discouraged it, America has reaped a bitter harvest: Millions of children growing up without dads, and moms struggling through life without much hope for the future. Congress is now trying to hash out the differences between House and Senate versions of a comprehensive welfare-reform bill….Taxpayers will continue to subsidize out-of-wedlock births. Yet, the numbers are stark and incontrovertible. We are becoming a nation of fatherless children. And fatherless children grow up to commit more violent crime, take more illegal drugs and become statistics in more social pathologies than any other group. Unmarried mothers gave birth to 80 percent of all black children born in the inner city in 1994. But the problem goes far beyond the inner city. In 1965, when a worried young strategist in the Johnson administration’s War on Poverty warned of the end of the black family, 25 percent of all black births were to unmarried mothers. Today, nearly 30 percent of all births in America -- regardless of color -- are to unmarried mothers. …. America must stop providing a financial incentive for women on welfare to have children out of wedlock. The only way to do that is to cut off additional payments to those who have more babies while on public assistance, and to deny benefits to girls under 18 who give birth to illegitimate children. “
Every year in the United States, one million teen-age girls give birth to children out of wedlock. This is scary, but the question is how many Muslim teen-age girls give birth to children out of wedlock?
According to estimates, 2 per cent of one million that is 20,000 Muslim teen-age girls should give birth to children out of wedlock in the whole of the United States. Kentucky is one of the 50 states; so Kentucky’s share comes to 400 Muslim girls. Almost one-third to one-fourth of Kentucky’s population lives in Louisville. Hence Louisville should have at least 100 Muslim teen-age girls giving birth to children out of wedlock per year. This is a rough estimate, because the population of US is unevenly distributed. The Northeast, Chicago, California have very high density population.
So what is the inference or conclusion? The result is zero, which means we are adhering to our Islamic values. We are following the commands of Allah (SWT) as revealed in the Qur’an and practiced by Prophet Muhammad (SAS), which is the Sunnah.
We should get a pat on our backs and we should say “Alhamdulillah” Praise be to Allah. This is a blessing. This is a great achievement and we are an excellent example to the non-Muslims. This is an example of Da’wah work. Slowly American will appreciate the Islamic values and the Islamic way of life. Insha’Allah, the Muslim population in America will grow and it is already growing. Islam is the fastest growing religion in America and in the world.
The May 1979 issue of Life magazine had an article on prison life in a San Francisco jail. The emphasis was on the Muslim inmates. What attracted the attention of the Magazine was that all the Muslim inmates were free from homosexuality and drug abuse and drug addiction.
About 10 years ago, The Christian Science Monitor made a couple of documentary films on Muslims in America. They showed how Muslim inmates, on their release from correctional institutions, lead honest lives and practice Islam - sincerely and faithfully. To the extent the Christian building owners, whose lawns the Muslim inmates mow, give them the keys of their buildings in complete trust.
We see the bright side of America and also the dark side of America. We need to enjoy the best of both worlds. What I mean is we can lead our lives as Muslims and at the same time enjoy the bright side of America
Critical Thinking
5% think, 10% think they think, 85% would rather die than think." — Anonymous
"Arguments, like men, are often pretenders." — Plato
Definition:
Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action (A draft statement by Michael Scriven and Richard Paul for the National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking. (1)
Critical thinking is the ability to engage in reasoned discourse with intellectual standards such as clarity, accuracy, precision, and logic, and to use analytic skills with a fundamental value orientation that emphasizes intellectual humility, intellectual integrity, and fair-mindedness. (2)
Critical thinking is defined as reflective skepticism. Critical thinking is a way to approach problems and make decisions
Introduction
By using critical thinking one can enjoy benefits throughout one’s long life. Experience dictates that critical thinking is essential to both effective learning and productive living.
Mankind is going through the information age where ideas are plentiful. However what is lacking is the ability to evaluate ideas in a constructive manner. People with reasoning skills across a variety of situations will find jobs waiting for them. It is paramount to make the students learn how to think critically so that they can become most marketable. Current jobs and future jobs will be displaced by new technologies. The vital requirement for future jobs will be the ability to think critically. Fluctuations in the job market means that tomorrow's workers in order to survive should learn new skills. One should decide which skills are worth learning. Such decisions require critical thinking. Critical thinking means "involving or exercising skilled judgment or observation." Thinking is critical when it evaluates the reasoning behind a decision. Evaluation means that critical thinkers examine the outcomes of thought processes for their positive and negative attributes. But for thinking to be critical, evaluation must be carried forth in a constructive manner (3).
Thinking includes problem solving, decision-making, critical thinking, logical reasoning and creative thinking. Thinking involves the appropriate use of knowledge, and this ability is not developed spontaneously (hastily). In America educators are emphasizing on enhancing critical thinking. Critical Thinking is an academic "buzz" word.
Learning to think critically
Critical thinking moves beyond self-centered views of the universe to a broader, more abstract realm. This means expanding thinking beyond the egocentric values and limited life experiences. In general, one's thinking is more likely to become critical when concrete learning experiences precede abstract thought. (4)
Critical thinking can improve one's academic performance by developing an understanding into the arguments and views of others. For a worker critical thinking skills can improve his/her performance in the workplace. In daily life critical thinking helps us to avoid making foolish decisions. Critical thinking citizens make good decisions on important social, political and economic issues. A critical thinking individual is capable of examining his/her assumptions, dogmas, and prejudices.
The purpose of critical thinking is, therefore, to achieve understanding, evaluate viewpoints, and solve problems. Critical thinking is the inquiry (the cognitive processes) we engage in when we seek to understand, evaluate, or resolve.
The terms critical thinking, reflective thinking, and inquiry were primarily used synonymously. The concept of reflective thinking has been often interpreted as problem solving. Reflective thinking includes only aspects of what is now called critical thinking. Critical thinking appears to be a subset of problem solving. (5)
Benefits of Critical Thinking
Continuous change and evolution are facts of life. Worldwide political events occur unpredictably and with amazing speed. Economic indicators reflect increased instability in the marketplace. Technological advances continue unabated and scientific discoveries give us new understanding about our world and ourselves. We are living in an information age and the amount of information doubles every four or five years. How do we adapt in these uncomfortable times? How can we make decisions with so much volatility and how will our decisions affect our careers, our families, and ourselves?
We are temped to find "quick-fix" solutions to life. We may want to make important decisions based on intuition or emotion rather than taking the time to gather the appropriate information or carefully weigh alternatives. The media, advertisers, and others respond with simple, direct messages that tell consumers what to do, what to think, and what to buy. The desire to have easy answers is understandable, but can also be dangerous. Excessive simplification of complex problems often leads to simple "solutions" that can make matters worse. Life's problems cannot be isolated and systematically solved through a series of action steps.
Albert Einstein once said "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler." Given the complexities of our world, how do we determine when we are oversimplifying an issue? Which decisions deserve our careful consideration? To what degree do we heed the advice of others and to whom do we listen? How do we go about choosing a career, the best investments, or the right doctor? (6)
It has been said, "learning to think critically is one of the most important activities of adult life."
Our Concept of Critical Thinking
Critical thinking skills are vital to well-educated individuals and acquiring this ability should be one of the most important goals in one's life. A broad framework of intellectual rigor is called critical thinking. Critical thinking skills enable people to evaluate, compare, analyze, critique, and synthesize information. Those who possess critical thinking skills know that knowledge is not a collection of facts, but rather an ongoing process of examining information, evaluating that information, and adding it to their understanding of the world. Critical thinkers also know to keep an open mind- and frequently end by changing their views based on new knowledge. (7)
"A broad-based education, inter-disciplinary study, and the ability to think beyond the textbook or class lecture is important for students. Being able to think and write clearly, critically, and cogently is a skill that will contribute to quality of life. Critical thinking is the art of taking charge of your own mind. If we can take charge of our own minds, we can take charge of our lives; we can improve them, bringing them under our self-command and direction. This requires that we learn self-discipline and the art of self-examination. This involves becoming interested in how our minds work, how we can monitor, fine tune, and modify their operations for the better. It involves getting into the habit of reflectively examining our impulsive and accustomed ways of thinking and acting in every dimension of our lives." (8)
Our actions are based on some motivations or reasons. But we rarely examine our motivations to see if they make sense. We rarely inspect our reasons critically to see if they are rationally justified. As consumers we sometimes buy things hastily and uncritically (undecidedly), without ever thinking whether we really need what we are tending to buy or whether we can find the money for it or whether it's good for our health or whether the price is competitive. As parents we often react to our children impulsively and uncritically. We do not determine whether our actions are consistent with how we want to act as parents or whether we are contributing to their self-esteem. We do not think whether we are discouraging them from thinking or from taking responsibility for their own behavior.
People vote impulsively and uncritically, without taking the time to familiarize with the relevant issues and positions, without thinking about the long-run implications of what is being proposed, without paying attention to how politicians manipulate the public by flattery or vague and empty promises. As friends bring out the worst in us or who stimulate us to act in ways that we have been trying to change. As spouses we think only of our own desires and points of view, uncritically ignoring the needs and perspectives of our life-partners. As patients many times we allow ourselves to become passive and uncritical in our health care, not establishing good habits of eating and exercise, not questioning what our doctor says, not designing or following good plans for our own wellness. Too often as teachers, we permit ourselves to uncritically teach, as we have been taught, giving assignments that students can mindlessly do, unintentionally discouraging their initiative and independence, missing opportunities to cultivate their self-discipline and thoughtfulness. It is quite possible to live an unexamined life, to live in a more or less automated, uncritical way. It is possible to live, without developing, or acting upon, the skills and insights we are capable of. However, if we allow ourselves to become unreflective persons, or rather, to the extent that we do, we are likely to do injury to ourselves and others, and to miss many opportunities to make our own lives, and the lives of others, fuller, happier, and more productive.
On this view, critical thinking is an eminently practical goal and value. It is focused on an ancient Greek ideal of "living an examined life". It is based on the skills, the insights, and the values essential to that end. We must become active, daily, practitioners of critical thought. We must regularly model for our students what it is to reflectively examine, critically assess, and effectively improve the way we live. (9)
The Qur'an repeatedly provokes and challenges the reader to think and contemplate the signs of Allah so that she/he can understand. Human destiny is not to be passive like the angels but to be creative for which she/he has been given the most sublime gift of all, the mind. And creative mind is a critical mind. The religious justification for understanding the reading of the Qur'an as initially an intellectual challenge is that mere unreflective and unexamined acceptance of that which is handed down to us is frowned upon by Islam. There is a dynamic relationship that exists in Islam between faith and reflective thought. And has not the Qur'an said, "(Here is), a Book which We have sent down unto thee, full of blessings, that they may meditate on its Signs, and that men of understanding may receive admonition." (Surah, Al-Sad, 38: 29). In fact, "verily in that are Signs for those who reflect (Surah, Al-Rum, 30: 21) is a constant theme throughout the Qur'an, which, among other things, underscores the point that meanings of the sign of Allah cannot be read just off the face of the signs but require thinking and reflection.
In Islam there is no such thing as knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Knowledge has no value and virtue in and by itself. Its virtue lies in bringing human kind closer to Allah. The view that knowledge is the path that leads to Allah highlights two things about Islam. Firstly that knowledge in Islam is important for a Muslim's spiritual growth and development. And, secondly, since knowledge is acquired through the active process of going beyond what one already knows, critical thinking is essential for a Muslim to grow intellectually and spiritually. It further suggests, that intellectual growth without spiritual development is aimless wandering, and spiritual development without the intellectual component is meaningless.
In the Western societies critical thinking is required to lead a successful life based on pragmatic and utilitarian grounds. Critical thinking in its secular mode is entirely a this worldly affair, undertaken purely to bring about changes in the world for the purpose of this life. In Islam, to engage in critical thought is a moral commitment and to be judged on it's moral worth independent of its success or failures in this world. Allah (SWT) requires us to act morally; the success or failure of such actions is entirely in His hands. (10)
Islamic Critical Thinking
In Islam "enlightened thinkers” are known as Raushanfekran.
"Afalaa utadabbaroon al-Quran? (4:82)" Do they not do tadabbur in the Quran? So says Allah in the Quran. Tadabbur means highly concentrated goal-oriented critical thinking like the way scientists do when challenged to find something new or when they embark upon solving a difficult problem.
Qur'anic view of creative reflection is called al-Basira. In Islam Ijtihad or independent thinking is used as a principle of creative and critical thinking; rationality and scientific rationality in a secular perspective.
The Quran encourages us over and over again to think, reflect, ponder, understand and analyse. However, very rarely do parents encourage children to question. Our response to difficult inquiries from our children is to say "do it because I said so." This discourages the children from developing critical thinking. They become lazy and complacent and easy prey to cult type following. To take things at face value makes us vulnerable.
Reason is the common bond of all humans, a means of connecting to the world and to others, the same reason through which Plato and Aristotle communicated their views. Reason and intellect represent the only way of understanding this world, even though this understanding is too relative to guide us to ultimate truths. Our great thinkers, while aware of the indispensability of reason, knew that reason alone could not discover all of reality. Our religious tradition claims that it is ultimately faith of the heart, not the intellect, that comprehends the whole of reality. (11)
If we think of reason and faith as contradictory and opposed to one another, because reason achieves more instrumental impact in this world, faith will be sidelined. It is important to note that the faith I am talking about exists alongside and parallel to reason, not in opposition to it.
Reason can merely take us to the gates of the afterlife. Even though it is aware that the world is not limited to the material, it cannot go farther than this world. It is here that faith must step in. Humans cannot do without reason in their lives as they encounter practical matters, and if they have to choose between faith and reason, they will choose the latter. Interpretations of the world based on reason are relative, a relativity that also permeates our perceptions of religion. But if our understanding of religious tradition and the Quran gets moribund (declining) and in need of transformation, this does not mean that tradition and the Quran have aged themselves. Our intellect is capable of adapting to the current world while also remaining attuned to tradition and the Quran, such that the solid essence of religion is not harmed. Our religious thinking is bound to evolve. (12)
Due to the regime of taqlid or blind imitation, imposed in the name of religion from about the 12th century until the end of the 19th century, the Muslims swallowed the teachings of the so-called `Four Great Imams', even the wholesale medieval theology and jurisprudence, in toto. There were many factors that gave rise to this blind imitation regime of that period and we cannot discuss them here. Nevertheless, it is important for us to realize that after nearly a hundred years since the reopening of the door if ijtihad or critical thinking by Muhammad Abduh's reform movement, this taqlid regime is still with us. (13)
One should develop critical thinking ability in one's studies first: in science, mathematics, computers, and economics, whatever subject one has chosen. If you cannot develop this ability most probably you would not understand the Quran. Also, understanding of the Quran is a long and hard and a lifelong process. And it requires lot of patience and perseverance plus it demands sacrifice. Therefore, you should first try to take few important verses of the Quran (the ones dealing with human relationships and character building) and try to integrate them in your life and studies. Of course it will be very hard and there will be lot of temptations to skirt. But try to avoid them. But keep in mind that we are human beings. We make mistakes. So, don’t feel too bad or don’t be too hard on yourself if you make mistakes. Just make sure that next time you are careful. (14)
REFERENCES:
(1) http://lonestar.texas.net/~mseifert/crit2.html
(2) http://www.csus.edu/indiv/d/dowdenb/4/ct-def/def-of-ct.htm
(3) Halpern, Diane F. Thought and knowledge in An introduction to critical thinking. Mahwah, N.J., L. Erlbaum Associates , 1996.
(4) http://www.ncsu.edu/learn/crit3.html
(5) http://citla.kysu.edu/Resources/Critical%20Thinking/History%20Short.htm
(6) Why Critical Thinking? By Craig A. Hassel, Assistant Professor and Extension Nutritionist Department of Food Science & Nutrition, the University of Minnesota. North Central Regional Extension Publication 433. Revised 1992
(7) http://www.people.vcu.edu/~cturner/critical.htm
(8) http://www.people.vcu.edu/~cturner/critical.htm
(9) http://www.criticalthinking.org/K12/k12class/Oconcept.html
(10) Yedullah Kazmi, The Role of Critical Thinking in Islam, Hamdard Islamicus, Vol. 23 (1): 27-36, Jan-March 2000.
(11) A Message to Muslim Youth by Dr. Mansoor Alam, www.tolueislam.com
(12) Ibid
(13) Ibid
(14) Ibid
"Arguments, like men, are often pretenders." — Plato
Definition:
Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action (A draft statement by Michael Scriven and Richard Paul for the National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking. (1)
Critical thinking is the ability to engage in reasoned discourse with intellectual standards such as clarity, accuracy, precision, and logic, and to use analytic skills with a fundamental value orientation that emphasizes intellectual humility, intellectual integrity, and fair-mindedness. (2)
Critical thinking is defined as reflective skepticism. Critical thinking is a way to approach problems and make decisions
Introduction
By using critical thinking one can enjoy benefits throughout one’s long life. Experience dictates that critical thinking is essential to both effective learning and productive living.
Mankind is going through the information age where ideas are plentiful. However what is lacking is the ability to evaluate ideas in a constructive manner. People with reasoning skills across a variety of situations will find jobs waiting for them. It is paramount to make the students learn how to think critically so that they can become most marketable. Current jobs and future jobs will be displaced by new technologies. The vital requirement for future jobs will be the ability to think critically. Fluctuations in the job market means that tomorrow's workers in order to survive should learn new skills. One should decide which skills are worth learning. Such decisions require critical thinking. Critical thinking means "involving or exercising skilled judgment or observation." Thinking is critical when it evaluates the reasoning behind a decision. Evaluation means that critical thinkers examine the outcomes of thought processes for their positive and negative attributes. But for thinking to be critical, evaluation must be carried forth in a constructive manner (3).
Thinking includes problem solving, decision-making, critical thinking, logical reasoning and creative thinking. Thinking involves the appropriate use of knowledge, and this ability is not developed spontaneously (hastily). In America educators are emphasizing on enhancing critical thinking. Critical Thinking is an academic "buzz" word.
Learning to think critically
Critical thinking moves beyond self-centered views of the universe to a broader, more abstract realm. This means expanding thinking beyond the egocentric values and limited life experiences. In general, one's thinking is more likely to become critical when concrete learning experiences precede abstract thought. (4)
Critical thinking can improve one's academic performance by developing an understanding into the arguments and views of others. For a worker critical thinking skills can improve his/her performance in the workplace. In daily life critical thinking helps us to avoid making foolish decisions. Critical thinking citizens make good decisions on important social, political and economic issues. A critical thinking individual is capable of examining his/her assumptions, dogmas, and prejudices.
The purpose of critical thinking is, therefore, to achieve understanding, evaluate viewpoints, and solve problems. Critical thinking is the inquiry (the cognitive processes) we engage in when we seek to understand, evaluate, or resolve.
The terms critical thinking, reflective thinking, and inquiry were primarily used synonymously. The concept of reflective thinking has been often interpreted as problem solving. Reflective thinking includes only aspects of what is now called critical thinking. Critical thinking appears to be a subset of problem solving. (5)
Benefits of Critical Thinking
Continuous change and evolution are facts of life. Worldwide political events occur unpredictably and with amazing speed. Economic indicators reflect increased instability in the marketplace. Technological advances continue unabated and scientific discoveries give us new understanding about our world and ourselves. We are living in an information age and the amount of information doubles every four or five years. How do we adapt in these uncomfortable times? How can we make decisions with so much volatility and how will our decisions affect our careers, our families, and ourselves?
We are temped to find "quick-fix" solutions to life. We may want to make important decisions based on intuition or emotion rather than taking the time to gather the appropriate information or carefully weigh alternatives. The media, advertisers, and others respond with simple, direct messages that tell consumers what to do, what to think, and what to buy. The desire to have easy answers is understandable, but can also be dangerous. Excessive simplification of complex problems often leads to simple "solutions" that can make matters worse. Life's problems cannot be isolated and systematically solved through a series of action steps.
Albert Einstein once said "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler." Given the complexities of our world, how do we determine when we are oversimplifying an issue? Which decisions deserve our careful consideration? To what degree do we heed the advice of others and to whom do we listen? How do we go about choosing a career, the best investments, or the right doctor? (6)
It has been said, "learning to think critically is one of the most important activities of adult life."
Our Concept of Critical Thinking
Critical thinking skills are vital to well-educated individuals and acquiring this ability should be one of the most important goals in one's life. A broad framework of intellectual rigor is called critical thinking. Critical thinking skills enable people to evaluate, compare, analyze, critique, and synthesize information. Those who possess critical thinking skills know that knowledge is not a collection of facts, but rather an ongoing process of examining information, evaluating that information, and adding it to their understanding of the world. Critical thinkers also know to keep an open mind- and frequently end by changing their views based on new knowledge. (7)
"A broad-based education, inter-disciplinary study, and the ability to think beyond the textbook or class lecture is important for students. Being able to think and write clearly, critically, and cogently is a skill that will contribute to quality of life. Critical thinking is the art of taking charge of your own mind. If we can take charge of our own minds, we can take charge of our lives; we can improve them, bringing them under our self-command and direction. This requires that we learn self-discipline and the art of self-examination. This involves becoming interested in how our minds work, how we can monitor, fine tune, and modify their operations for the better. It involves getting into the habit of reflectively examining our impulsive and accustomed ways of thinking and acting in every dimension of our lives." (8)
Our actions are based on some motivations or reasons. But we rarely examine our motivations to see if they make sense. We rarely inspect our reasons critically to see if they are rationally justified. As consumers we sometimes buy things hastily and uncritically (undecidedly), without ever thinking whether we really need what we are tending to buy or whether we can find the money for it or whether it's good for our health or whether the price is competitive. As parents we often react to our children impulsively and uncritically. We do not determine whether our actions are consistent with how we want to act as parents or whether we are contributing to their self-esteem. We do not think whether we are discouraging them from thinking or from taking responsibility for their own behavior.
People vote impulsively and uncritically, without taking the time to familiarize with the relevant issues and positions, without thinking about the long-run implications of what is being proposed, without paying attention to how politicians manipulate the public by flattery or vague and empty promises. As friends bring out the worst in us or who stimulate us to act in ways that we have been trying to change. As spouses we think only of our own desires and points of view, uncritically ignoring the needs and perspectives of our life-partners. As patients many times we allow ourselves to become passive and uncritical in our health care, not establishing good habits of eating and exercise, not questioning what our doctor says, not designing or following good plans for our own wellness. Too often as teachers, we permit ourselves to uncritically teach, as we have been taught, giving assignments that students can mindlessly do, unintentionally discouraging their initiative and independence, missing opportunities to cultivate their self-discipline and thoughtfulness. It is quite possible to live an unexamined life, to live in a more or less automated, uncritical way. It is possible to live, without developing, or acting upon, the skills and insights we are capable of. However, if we allow ourselves to become unreflective persons, or rather, to the extent that we do, we are likely to do injury to ourselves and others, and to miss many opportunities to make our own lives, and the lives of others, fuller, happier, and more productive.
On this view, critical thinking is an eminently practical goal and value. It is focused on an ancient Greek ideal of "living an examined life". It is based on the skills, the insights, and the values essential to that end. We must become active, daily, practitioners of critical thought. We must regularly model for our students what it is to reflectively examine, critically assess, and effectively improve the way we live. (9)
The Qur'an repeatedly provokes and challenges the reader to think and contemplate the signs of Allah so that she/he can understand. Human destiny is not to be passive like the angels but to be creative for which she/he has been given the most sublime gift of all, the mind. And creative mind is a critical mind. The religious justification for understanding the reading of the Qur'an as initially an intellectual challenge is that mere unreflective and unexamined acceptance of that which is handed down to us is frowned upon by Islam. There is a dynamic relationship that exists in Islam between faith and reflective thought. And has not the Qur'an said, "(Here is), a Book which We have sent down unto thee, full of blessings, that they may meditate on its Signs, and that men of understanding may receive admonition." (Surah, Al-Sad, 38: 29). In fact, "verily in that are Signs for those who reflect (Surah, Al-Rum, 30: 21) is a constant theme throughout the Qur'an, which, among other things, underscores the point that meanings of the sign of Allah cannot be read just off the face of the signs but require thinking and reflection.
In Islam there is no such thing as knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Knowledge has no value and virtue in and by itself. Its virtue lies in bringing human kind closer to Allah. The view that knowledge is the path that leads to Allah highlights two things about Islam. Firstly that knowledge in Islam is important for a Muslim's spiritual growth and development. And, secondly, since knowledge is acquired through the active process of going beyond what one already knows, critical thinking is essential for a Muslim to grow intellectually and spiritually. It further suggests, that intellectual growth without spiritual development is aimless wandering, and spiritual development without the intellectual component is meaningless.
In the Western societies critical thinking is required to lead a successful life based on pragmatic and utilitarian grounds. Critical thinking in its secular mode is entirely a this worldly affair, undertaken purely to bring about changes in the world for the purpose of this life. In Islam, to engage in critical thought is a moral commitment and to be judged on it's moral worth independent of its success or failures in this world. Allah (SWT) requires us to act morally; the success or failure of such actions is entirely in His hands. (10)
Islamic Critical Thinking
In Islam "enlightened thinkers” are known as Raushanfekran.
"Afalaa utadabbaroon al-Quran? (4:82)" Do they not do tadabbur in the Quran? So says Allah in the Quran. Tadabbur means highly concentrated goal-oriented critical thinking like the way scientists do when challenged to find something new or when they embark upon solving a difficult problem.
Qur'anic view of creative reflection is called al-Basira. In Islam Ijtihad or independent thinking is used as a principle of creative and critical thinking; rationality and scientific rationality in a secular perspective.
The Quran encourages us over and over again to think, reflect, ponder, understand and analyse. However, very rarely do parents encourage children to question. Our response to difficult inquiries from our children is to say "do it because I said so." This discourages the children from developing critical thinking. They become lazy and complacent and easy prey to cult type following. To take things at face value makes us vulnerable.
Reason is the common bond of all humans, a means of connecting to the world and to others, the same reason through which Plato and Aristotle communicated their views. Reason and intellect represent the only way of understanding this world, even though this understanding is too relative to guide us to ultimate truths. Our great thinkers, while aware of the indispensability of reason, knew that reason alone could not discover all of reality. Our religious tradition claims that it is ultimately faith of the heart, not the intellect, that comprehends the whole of reality. (11)
If we think of reason and faith as contradictory and opposed to one another, because reason achieves more instrumental impact in this world, faith will be sidelined. It is important to note that the faith I am talking about exists alongside and parallel to reason, not in opposition to it.
Reason can merely take us to the gates of the afterlife. Even though it is aware that the world is not limited to the material, it cannot go farther than this world. It is here that faith must step in. Humans cannot do without reason in their lives as they encounter practical matters, and if they have to choose between faith and reason, they will choose the latter. Interpretations of the world based on reason are relative, a relativity that also permeates our perceptions of religion. But if our understanding of religious tradition and the Quran gets moribund (declining) and in need of transformation, this does not mean that tradition and the Quran have aged themselves. Our intellect is capable of adapting to the current world while also remaining attuned to tradition and the Quran, such that the solid essence of religion is not harmed. Our religious thinking is bound to evolve. (12)
Due to the regime of taqlid or blind imitation, imposed in the name of religion from about the 12th century until the end of the 19th century, the Muslims swallowed the teachings of the so-called `Four Great Imams', even the wholesale medieval theology and jurisprudence, in toto. There were many factors that gave rise to this blind imitation regime of that period and we cannot discuss them here. Nevertheless, it is important for us to realize that after nearly a hundred years since the reopening of the door if ijtihad or critical thinking by Muhammad Abduh's reform movement, this taqlid regime is still with us. (13)
One should develop critical thinking ability in one's studies first: in science, mathematics, computers, and economics, whatever subject one has chosen. If you cannot develop this ability most probably you would not understand the Quran. Also, understanding of the Quran is a long and hard and a lifelong process. And it requires lot of patience and perseverance plus it demands sacrifice. Therefore, you should first try to take few important verses of the Quran (the ones dealing with human relationships and character building) and try to integrate them in your life and studies. Of course it will be very hard and there will be lot of temptations to skirt. But try to avoid them. But keep in mind that we are human beings. We make mistakes. So, don’t feel too bad or don’t be too hard on yourself if you make mistakes. Just make sure that next time you are careful. (14)
REFERENCES:
(1) http://lonestar.texas.net/~mseifert/crit2.html
(2) http://www.csus.edu/indiv/d/dowdenb/4/ct-def/def-of-ct.htm
(3) Halpern, Diane F. Thought and knowledge in An introduction to critical thinking. Mahwah, N.J., L. Erlbaum Associates , 1996.
(4) http://www.ncsu.edu/learn/crit3.html
(5) http://citla.kysu.edu/Resources/Critical%20Thinking/History%20Short.htm
(6) Why Critical Thinking? By Craig A. Hassel, Assistant Professor and Extension Nutritionist Department of Food Science & Nutrition, the University of Minnesota. North Central Regional Extension Publication 433. Revised 1992
(7) http://www.people.vcu.edu/~cturner/critical.htm
(8) http://www.people.vcu.edu/~cturner/critical.htm
(9) http://www.criticalthinking.org/K12/k12class/Oconcept.html
(10) Yedullah Kazmi, The Role of Critical Thinking in Islam, Hamdard Islamicus, Vol. 23 (1): 27-36, Jan-March 2000.
(11) A Message to Muslim Youth by Dr. Mansoor Alam, www.tolueislam.com
(12) Ibid
(13) Ibid
(14) Ibid
Predicament of American Muslims
"O my dear son! Establish worship and enjoin kindness and forbid iniquity, and persevere whatever may befall thee. Lo! That is of the steadfast heart of things."
…..Qur'an, Luqman, 31: 17.
We have just entered into the New Year 1424 AH. This is the month of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic Calendar. 10th day of Muharram is called the Ashura, the day prophet Muhammad (SAS) fasted. When Rasoolallah (SAS) migrated to Madinah, he saw the Jews fasting on the day of Ashura. He asked them the reason for their fast. The Jews told him that it was on the day of Ashura that Prophet Moses (A.S.) left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea with his community. Then Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said that Prophet Moses (AS) is closer to us than you and asked his followers to fast on the day of Ashura. After Ramadan fasting became compulsory, fasting on the day of Ashura became optional
We do not celebrate the New Year. The New Year reminds us about the great tragedy of Karbala. The sacrifices of Imam Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him) and his household. They became martyred or Shaheed.
This article tries to shed light on the predicament of American Muslims in facing the problems of American society and how they affect the lives of the Muslims.
The Muslims in America constitute about 6 million out of a total population of nearly 300 million. That is about 2 per cent. The Muslims are a tiny Island in the Ocean of America where the majority has non-Islamic values.
The world is plagued by all sorts of problems: social unrest, political instabilities, mass poverty and destitution, prostitution, homosexuality, sexual assaults on children, homicides, killings, drug addiction, alcoholism, domestic violence, family break-ups, juvenile delinquency, gun violence in schools and in the public, suicides and the so-called Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids).
If we look around, we encounter scenes and events, which are counter to Islamic values.
In the Public Schools and Parochial Schools, our children may have a teacher who is a Gay or Lesbian. Our next-door neighbor may be a Gay or Lesbian couple with adopted children. That child sees his/her friends have different sex parents compared to her/his own.
There are 216 lawsuits against priests in Louisville, for sexually molesting the children.
The question is how many Imams and how many Muslim teachers are accused of such crimes?
In our work places we see our colleagues having girl friends or boy friends or mistresses. Even the White House is not free from such activities. Even our Governor is accused of such extra marital affairs.
Drugs
In the Schools our children may be introduced to drugs (I know of two college going Muslim students addicted to drugs- and their brains have holes). One went to the University of California at Berkeley and the second one went to Emory University in Atlanta. Both Universities have a fine reputation for higher education. Both are prestigious schools. A common thing between these two students is both their mother and father were professionals and come from a very rich family background. Our children may also be introduced to alcohol or cigarette smoking. They watch their friends kissing, hugging their friends of the opposite sex. The American children do much more than this.
Muslims are taking active part in cleaning their neighborhoods of drug addicts. Here in Louisville in West End.
Imam Siraj Wahaj who is the Imam of Al-Taqwa Masjid in Brooklyn, New York has cleaned several Blocks in the neighborhood of drug addicts. He also received an award and recognition for this outstanding work. The Muslims in the Nation of Islam have a reputation to be free of Alcohol and Drugs.
TV
Both boys and girls who watch a lost of violence on television have a heightened risk of aggressive adult behavior including spouse abuse and criminal offenses, no matter how they act in childhood, a new study (presented in the March 2003 issue of the Journal of Developmental Psychology by psychologists L. Rowell Huesmann, et al., at the University of Michigan's Institute of Social Research) says. The study recommends that parents restrict viewing of violent TV and movies by young children and preteens as much as possible.
Our children watch many programs on the TV and movies on TV. TV has a great impact and profound influence on Children. When you see a James Bond movie on the T.V., your child may innocently ask you "Why James Bond is kissing so many women?" James Bond is a hero who fights the evil enemies. However his morals do not fit into Islamic morals. The child's question may be funny but it cannot be laughed off. The parents should give serious thought to the question. May be your TV should a V-chip which sensors the programs. Discovery, TLC, KETV and others are educational channels. Parents should monitor which programs the children are watching. In some Middle East countries the TV programs are Censored.
Internet
The Internet, for a scholar is the greatest invention. Recently, the news came out that the Internet transmission of digital data is 3,500 times faster than the broadband (cable modem) transmission.
Access to any knowledge is so vast and so fast. There was a time when an individual devoted the whole life to study one subject. Now-a-days one can become a specialist or become master of a given subject in a short time.
House wives can down load Food Recipes, Gardening tips, Childcare, children's education, Health information, travel information, geography, Magazines, Newspapers. Newspapers from different countries. With E-Mail, one can receive and send letters, documents, photos, etc., anywhere in the world in a second. Now there is Internet-Telephone service.
One can do shopping online, book airline tickets, and perform e-trade and e-commerce. Search Jobs and post one's resumes on the Internet. One can find a Mosque in any city; one can find prayer times, Islamic holidays.
There are good things and bad things about the Internet surfing. The good thing is Qur'an, Hadith, Fiqh, Fatwas, Islamic History and Hundreds of topics on Islam are available on the Internet. There are hundreds or even thousands of Websites on Islam.
The undesirable thing is the promotion of erotica on the Internet. Crimes, sale of Alcohol and Drugs on Internet, online gambling, child pornography. Many have been arrested for child pornography by FBI sting operations. The question is how many Muslims have been arrested? Our teenagers and youngsters are susceptible or vulnerable.
Internet CHAT ROOMS
Rape and Murder of teenage girls who use the chat rooms, are frequently reported in the News Media. Strangers entice innocent girls and commit rape and later murder them. They kidnap innocent girls. This happened here in Louisville.
The Internet has filters to block undesirable things- a type of censors. Some Middle East countries block even the E-mails.
Looking at the Moral problems of America, Some Muslim families got scared and returned to their homeland in order to raise their children in an Islamic atmosphere. However they come back to United States within a few months. Because of corruption that is unbearable there. Or problems of adjustment to the old world.
Find Solutions
Now those of us who have decided to stay in the United States and have become citizens of Unites States should face the social problems and find solutions. Everyone in this Jamaat will be recognized as Pioneer Muslims by future generations. The Sahaba, Tabeyeen and Tabe-Tabeyeens were pioneers who went to strange countries in Jihad or for Da'wah. They settled in those strange lands and raised their families Islamically. Iran was a Zoroastrian country, Egypt was a Coptic Christian country, Turkey was a Byzantine Christian country, and India was a Hindu Country. They went to Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Russia and many Central Asian countries.
People living in Third World countries are attracted to USA. USA is glorified as glittering, glamorous, rich, and affluent. Almost every country in the world transmits American TV programs, Hollywood movies. Many of us who are immigrants and naturalized citizens came here for higher studies-in Medicine, Science, Technology, Computers, Business Administration, etc. We decided to stay here to avail of the good job opportunities, for career advancement and to lead a high quality life. America has a high standard of living. Everyone likes the Affluent life of America. This country offers high quality education for our children. Harvard, MIT, Caltech rank highest in the world. Johns Hopkins Hospital stands number one in the world for medical treatment. Everyone witnesses that every year the Americans get the majority of Nobel Prizes. Americans win a majority of the Gold Medals in Olympic Games. Everyone looks forward to fulfilling the American Dream. We can advance educationally, professionally, spiritually, financially, etc. America gives the opportunity to become rich. But here time is money. To earn money you have to sacrifice your time. Bill Gates became the richest man in the world in 20 years. I do not think this possible in any other country. From 60 Billion dollars he is worth 40 Billion dollars now due to the economic depression. I believe everybody lost money. Our Pension funds have reduced to one half. Bill Gates also established a 24 Billion dollar charitable foundation. There is nothing wrong in Islam to become wealthy and accumulate wealth, provided it is Halal earning and Zakah is given on the wealth.
There is a saying that if wealth is lost, nothing is lost, if health is lost, something is lost, but if Character is lost, then everything is lost. Anyone goes astray or deviates from the Right Path or Siraatul Mustaqeem may end up becoming Home Less. I do not think Third World countries have Homeless people. Drug addicts, Drug pushers, members of Organized Crime, gang members and other anti-socials will end up in jail or get killed.
Every year, Drunken Driving results in 40,000 deaths due to Highway automobile accidents. The Muslims do not have this problem of drunken driving. However the other fellow who is drunk can kill us. MADD- Mothers Against Drunken Driving are spearheading a campaign to stop drunken driving. We Muslims should get involved in such projects.
America also gives us the opportunity to practice our faith, to build Masaajids and Islamic Schools. To build Muslim hospitals, to own and operate T.V. stations. To own and publish Newspapers, Magazines. So we have opportunity to cater to the needs of the Muslim Ummah.
STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease)
Recent news media report indicates that there are 15 million new STD cases each year in the United States, and teenagers account for a fourth of them. Sexually Transmitted Diseases are herpes, genital warts, gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis. As Muslims are 2 percent of the population the STD among the Muslim adults must number 300,000 and among teenagers it should be 80,000. How many Muslim adults and Muslim teenagers suffer from STD.? In Kentucky in the year 2002 there were 88 cases of Syphilis, 3,722 cases of Gonorrhea and 8,755 cases of Chlamydia. Accordingly there should be 2 cases of Syphilis among Muslims, 74 cases of Gonorrhea and 175 cases of Chlamydia among Muslims. But in reality this is not the case.
Every year in the United States, one million teen-age girls give birth to children out of wedlock. This is scary, but the question is how many Muslim teen-age girls give birth to children out of wedlock?
According to the estimates, 2 per cent of one million that is 20,000 Muslim teen-age girls should give birth to children out of wedlock in the whole of United States. Kentucky is one of the 50 states; so Kentucky's share any State's share is 400 Muslim girls. Almost one-third to one-fourth of Kentucky's population lives in Louisville. Hence Louisville should have at least 100 Muslim teen-age girls giving birth to children out of wedlock per year. This is a rough estimate, because the population of US is unevenly distributed. The Northeast, Chicago, California have very high density population.
So what is the Inference or conclusion? The result is zero, which means we are adhering to our Islamic values. We are following the commands of Allah (SWT) as revealed in the Qur'an and practiced by Prophet Muhammad (SAS), which is the Sunnah.
We should get a pat on our backs and we should say "Alhamdulillah" Praise be to Allah. This is a blessing. This is a great achievement and we are an excellent example to the non-Muslims. This is an example of Da'wah work. Slowly American will appreciate the Islamic values and the Islamic Way of Life. Insha'Allah, the Muslim population in America will grow and it is already growing. Islam is the fastest growing religion in America and in the World.
The May 1979 issue of Life magazine had an article on Prison Life in a San Francisco Jail. The emphasis of the article was on the Muslim inmates. What attracted the attention of the Magazine was that all the Muslim inmates were free from Homosexuality and drug abuse and drug addiction.
About 10 years ago, The Christian Science Monitor a newspaper published from Boston made couple of documentaries films on Muslims in America. Those documentary films showed how the Muslim Inmates when they are released from the Correctional Institutions lead honest lives, and practiced Islam sincerely and faithfully. To the extent the Christian building owners whose lawns the Muslim Inmates were mowing, gave the keys of their building in complete trust.
We see the bright side of America and also the dark side of America. We need to enjoy the best of both worlds. What I mean is we can lead our lives as Muslims and at the same time we can enjoy the bright side of America. How to do this?
There is hope and there are solutions.
This will be covered in the next article.
…..Qur'an, Luqman, 31: 17.
We have just entered into the New Year 1424 AH. This is the month of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic Calendar. 10th day of Muharram is called the Ashura, the day prophet Muhammad (SAS) fasted. When Rasoolallah (SAS) migrated to Madinah, he saw the Jews fasting on the day of Ashura. He asked them the reason for their fast. The Jews told him that it was on the day of Ashura that Prophet Moses (A.S.) left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea with his community. Then Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said that Prophet Moses (AS) is closer to us than you and asked his followers to fast on the day of Ashura. After Ramadan fasting became compulsory, fasting on the day of Ashura became optional
We do not celebrate the New Year. The New Year reminds us about the great tragedy of Karbala. The sacrifices of Imam Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him) and his household. They became martyred or Shaheed.
This article tries to shed light on the predicament of American Muslims in facing the problems of American society and how they affect the lives of the Muslims.
The Muslims in America constitute about 6 million out of a total population of nearly 300 million. That is about 2 per cent. The Muslims are a tiny Island in the Ocean of America where the majority has non-Islamic values.
The world is plagued by all sorts of problems: social unrest, political instabilities, mass poverty and destitution, prostitution, homosexuality, sexual assaults on children, homicides, killings, drug addiction, alcoholism, domestic violence, family break-ups, juvenile delinquency, gun violence in schools and in the public, suicides and the so-called Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids).
If we look around, we encounter scenes and events, which are counter to Islamic values.
In the Public Schools and Parochial Schools, our children may have a teacher who is a Gay or Lesbian. Our next-door neighbor may be a Gay or Lesbian couple with adopted children. That child sees his/her friends have different sex parents compared to her/his own.
There are 216 lawsuits against priests in Louisville, for sexually molesting the children.
The question is how many Imams and how many Muslim teachers are accused of such crimes?
In our work places we see our colleagues having girl friends or boy friends or mistresses. Even the White House is not free from such activities. Even our Governor is accused of such extra marital affairs.
Drugs
In the Schools our children may be introduced to drugs (I know of two college going Muslim students addicted to drugs- and their brains have holes). One went to the University of California at Berkeley and the second one went to Emory University in Atlanta. Both Universities have a fine reputation for higher education. Both are prestigious schools. A common thing between these two students is both their mother and father were professionals and come from a very rich family background. Our children may also be introduced to alcohol or cigarette smoking. They watch their friends kissing, hugging their friends of the opposite sex. The American children do much more than this.
Muslims are taking active part in cleaning their neighborhoods of drug addicts. Here in Louisville in West End.
Imam Siraj Wahaj who is the Imam of Al-Taqwa Masjid in Brooklyn, New York has cleaned several Blocks in the neighborhood of drug addicts. He also received an award and recognition for this outstanding work. The Muslims in the Nation of Islam have a reputation to be free of Alcohol and Drugs.
TV
Both boys and girls who watch a lost of violence on television have a heightened risk of aggressive adult behavior including spouse abuse and criminal offenses, no matter how they act in childhood, a new study (presented in the March 2003 issue of the Journal of Developmental Psychology by psychologists L. Rowell Huesmann, et al., at the University of Michigan's Institute of Social Research) says. The study recommends that parents restrict viewing of violent TV and movies by young children and preteens as much as possible.
Our children watch many programs on the TV and movies on TV. TV has a great impact and profound influence on Children. When you see a James Bond movie on the T.V., your child may innocently ask you "Why James Bond is kissing so many women?" James Bond is a hero who fights the evil enemies. However his morals do not fit into Islamic morals. The child's question may be funny but it cannot be laughed off. The parents should give serious thought to the question. May be your TV should a V-chip which sensors the programs. Discovery, TLC, KETV and others are educational channels. Parents should monitor which programs the children are watching. In some Middle East countries the TV programs are Censored.
Internet
The Internet, for a scholar is the greatest invention. Recently, the news came out that the Internet transmission of digital data is 3,500 times faster than the broadband (cable modem) transmission.
Access to any knowledge is so vast and so fast. There was a time when an individual devoted the whole life to study one subject. Now-a-days one can become a specialist or become master of a given subject in a short time.
House wives can down load Food Recipes, Gardening tips, Childcare, children's education, Health information, travel information, geography, Magazines, Newspapers. Newspapers from different countries. With E-Mail, one can receive and send letters, documents, photos, etc., anywhere in the world in a second. Now there is Internet-Telephone service.
One can do shopping online, book airline tickets, and perform e-trade and e-commerce. Search Jobs and post one's resumes on the Internet. One can find a Mosque in any city; one can find prayer times, Islamic holidays.
There are good things and bad things about the Internet surfing. The good thing is Qur'an, Hadith, Fiqh, Fatwas, Islamic History and Hundreds of topics on Islam are available on the Internet. There are hundreds or even thousands of Websites on Islam.
The undesirable thing is the promotion of erotica on the Internet. Crimes, sale of Alcohol and Drugs on Internet, online gambling, child pornography. Many have been arrested for child pornography by FBI sting operations. The question is how many Muslims have been arrested? Our teenagers and youngsters are susceptible or vulnerable.
Internet CHAT ROOMS
Rape and Murder of teenage girls who use the chat rooms, are frequently reported in the News Media. Strangers entice innocent girls and commit rape and later murder them. They kidnap innocent girls. This happened here in Louisville.
The Internet has filters to block undesirable things- a type of censors. Some Middle East countries block even the E-mails.
Looking at the Moral problems of America, Some Muslim families got scared and returned to their homeland in order to raise their children in an Islamic atmosphere. However they come back to United States within a few months. Because of corruption that is unbearable there. Or problems of adjustment to the old world.
Find Solutions
Now those of us who have decided to stay in the United States and have become citizens of Unites States should face the social problems and find solutions. Everyone in this Jamaat will be recognized as Pioneer Muslims by future generations. The Sahaba, Tabeyeen and Tabe-Tabeyeens were pioneers who went to strange countries in Jihad or for Da'wah. They settled in those strange lands and raised their families Islamically. Iran was a Zoroastrian country, Egypt was a Coptic Christian country, Turkey was a Byzantine Christian country, and India was a Hindu Country. They went to Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Russia and many Central Asian countries.
People living in Third World countries are attracted to USA. USA is glorified as glittering, glamorous, rich, and affluent. Almost every country in the world transmits American TV programs, Hollywood movies. Many of us who are immigrants and naturalized citizens came here for higher studies-in Medicine, Science, Technology, Computers, Business Administration, etc. We decided to stay here to avail of the good job opportunities, for career advancement and to lead a high quality life. America has a high standard of living. Everyone likes the Affluent life of America. This country offers high quality education for our children. Harvard, MIT, Caltech rank highest in the world. Johns Hopkins Hospital stands number one in the world for medical treatment. Everyone witnesses that every year the Americans get the majority of Nobel Prizes. Americans win a majority of the Gold Medals in Olympic Games. Everyone looks forward to fulfilling the American Dream. We can advance educationally, professionally, spiritually, financially, etc. America gives the opportunity to become rich. But here time is money. To earn money you have to sacrifice your time. Bill Gates became the richest man in the world in 20 years. I do not think this possible in any other country. From 60 Billion dollars he is worth 40 Billion dollars now due to the economic depression. I believe everybody lost money. Our Pension funds have reduced to one half. Bill Gates also established a 24 Billion dollar charitable foundation. There is nothing wrong in Islam to become wealthy and accumulate wealth, provided it is Halal earning and Zakah is given on the wealth.
There is a saying that if wealth is lost, nothing is lost, if health is lost, something is lost, but if Character is lost, then everything is lost. Anyone goes astray or deviates from the Right Path or Siraatul Mustaqeem may end up becoming Home Less. I do not think Third World countries have Homeless people. Drug addicts, Drug pushers, members of Organized Crime, gang members and other anti-socials will end up in jail or get killed.
Every year, Drunken Driving results in 40,000 deaths due to Highway automobile accidents. The Muslims do not have this problem of drunken driving. However the other fellow who is drunk can kill us. MADD- Mothers Against Drunken Driving are spearheading a campaign to stop drunken driving. We Muslims should get involved in such projects.
America also gives us the opportunity to practice our faith, to build Masaajids and Islamic Schools. To build Muslim hospitals, to own and operate T.V. stations. To own and publish Newspapers, Magazines. So we have opportunity to cater to the needs of the Muslim Ummah.
STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease)
Recent news media report indicates that there are 15 million new STD cases each year in the United States, and teenagers account for a fourth of them. Sexually Transmitted Diseases are herpes, genital warts, gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis. As Muslims are 2 percent of the population the STD among the Muslim adults must number 300,000 and among teenagers it should be 80,000. How many Muslim adults and Muslim teenagers suffer from STD.? In Kentucky in the year 2002 there were 88 cases of Syphilis, 3,722 cases of Gonorrhea and 8,755 cases of Chlamydia. Accordingly there should be 2 cases of Syphilis among Muslims, 74 cases of Gonorrhea and 175 cases of Chlamydia among Muslims. But in reality this is not the case.
Every year in the United States, one million teen-age girls give birth to children out of wedlock. This is scary, but the question is how many Muslim teen-age girls give birth to children out of wedlock?
According to the estimates, 2 per cent of one million that is 20,000 Muslim teen-age girls should give birth to children out of wedlock in the whole of United States. Kentucky is one of the 50 states; so Kentucky's share any State's share is 400 Muslim girls. Almost one-third to one-fourth of Kentucky's population lives in Louisville. Hence Louisville should have at least 100 Muslim teen-age girls giving birth to children out of wedlock per year. This is a rough estimate, because the population of US is unevenly distributed. The Northeast, Chicago, California have very high density population.
So what is the Inference or conclusion? The result is zero, which means we are adhering to our Islamic values. We are following the commands of Allah (SWT) as revealed in the Qur'an and practiced by Prophet Muhammad (SAS), which is the Sunnah.
We should get a pat on our backs and we should say "Alhamdulillah" Praise be to Allah. This is a blessing. This is a great achievement and we are an excellent example to the non-Muslims. This is an example of Da'wah work. Slowly American will appreciate the Islamic values and the Islamic Way of Life. Insha'Allah, the Muslim population in America will grow and it is already growing. Islam is the fastest growing religion in America and in the World.
The May 1979 issue of Life magazine had an article on Prison Life in a San Francisco Jail. The emphasis of the article was on the Muslim inmates. What attracted the attention of the Magazine was that all the Muslim inmates were free from Homosexuality and drug abuse and drug addiction.
About 10 years ago, The Christian Science Monitor a newspaper published from Boston made couple of documentaries films on Muslims in America. Those documentary films showed how the Muslim Inmates when they are released from the Correctional Institutions lead honest lives, and practiced Islam sincerely and faithfully. To the extent the Christian building owners whose lawns the Muslim Inmates were mowing, gave the keys of their building in complete trust.
We see the bright side of America and also the dark side of America. We need to enjoy the best of both worlds. What I mean is we can lead our lives as Muslims and at the same time we can enjoy the bright side of America. How to do this?
There is hope and there are solutions.
This will be covered in the next article.
Consider the Culture to Gauge Women's Rights
March is Women's History Month, and while talking with friends about the status of women in America, I happened to remember my grandmother.
She was a woman who went around in a burqa -- as bold and beautiful as any modern woman stepping out of her house in high heels and miniskirt.
My grandmother would never have thought that some day to wear a burqa would become equivalent to being oppressed or being subjugated. Women wore a burqa or something equivalent to it like a big shawl, often called a chador, not just in Afghanistan but also in India, Pakistan and many other countries in Asia. That was the custom.
In India in my grandmother's time, wearing a burqa was elite. It was expensive, custom-made and only women of a certain class wore it. It inspired respect, not repression and abuse, as the Western world seems to believe today.
But then things started to change. My grandmother started facing opposition to her burqa and from no other person but my father. A university vice chancellor and a great advocate of women's education, he viewed the burqa not as a symbol of oppression but of ignorance.
For my grandmother, though, the burqa among other things provided safety. It was like getting into a car and locking the doors. She could walk the streets at midnight and feel absolutely safe. The veil was optional; to let it cover the face or pull it back to reveal it, the choice was hers. That was the power of the burqa. Eventually it disappeared from the scene because it wasn't available, and somehow it lost its status, too.
People often have misconceptions about the status of women in other countries and cultures based on what they see on television and read in magazines. And that is why they are so horrified at seeing women in burqas. The burqa is just an example of how women can be different in different cultures yet have the same desires for freedom and respect.
We assume that women who do not have the same lifestyle as ours must be really oppressed; that they have no freedom or are not given equals rights of any kind. The fact is that women are still struggling for their rights and better treatment in every culture. It has nothing do with how they look and what they wear.
We forget that women in Western society also face insurmountable challenges. The images of women that we see around us are mainly of youth and beauty. One has to look deeper to find women who are old, sick, abused and unhappy. As hard as it is to believe, in an advanced, modern society, many women are suffering like many all over the world.
Women in Western society have many advantages: They are free to get an education, a job, a life of their choice; they can drive, can travel alone, and can do almost anything they want to. But after having lived in the United States for more than 25 years it still surprises me immensely that there is domestic violence, rape and other abuse against women.
A society functions according to many unwritten rules, which help harmonize life for everyone. Sometimes these rules seem elusive and illogical but they serve the overall purpose of maintaining equilibrium. A good example is the different roles of men and women in different societies. In many cultures, for example in India, where I grew up, although men are financially responsible for taking care of family members, it is actually the women who care for them in physical terms. This does not necessarily mean that they are subjugated or suppressed -- not in that culture at least.
While watching Bill Moyers' documentary on death and dying, I was surprised -- or rather not surprised -- to see that even in this country most of the caretakers of the sick and elderly shown were women. There were sisters taking care of sisters and brothers, mothers taking care of children and parents, daughters caring for mothers and fathers.
There is no one ideal situation for women. What is important is the freedom to choose. Women all over the world are struggling to bring about a change in their roles, responsibilities and status. But this change has to be brought about by women for women and not imposed upon them from outside. I hope my grandmother did not give up wearing her burqa because she was forced to do so.
She was a woman who went around in a burqa -- as bold and beautiful as any modern woman stepping out of her house in high heels and miniskirt.
My grandmother would never have thought that some day to wear a burqa would become equivalent to being oppressed or being subjugated. Women wore a burqa or something equivalent to it like a big shawl, often called a chador, not just in Afghanistan but also in India, Pakistan and many other countries in Asia. That was the custom.
In India in my grandmother's time, wearing a burqa was elite. It was expensive, custom-made and only women of a certain class wore it. It inspired respect, not repression and abuse, as the Western world seems to believe today.
But then things started to change. My grandmother started facing opposition to her burqa and from no other person but my father. A university vice chancellor and a great advocate of women's education, he viewed the burqa not as a symbol of oppression but of ignorance.
For my grandmother, though, the burqa among other things provided safety. It was like getting into a car and locking the doors. She could walk the streets at midnight and feel absolutely safe. The veil was optional; to let it cover the face or pull it back to reveal it, the choice was hers. That was the power of the burqa. Eventually it disappeared from the scene because it wasn't available, and somehow it lost its status, too.
People often have misconceptions about the status of women in other countries and cultures based on what they see on television and read in magazines. And that is why they are so horrified at seeing women in burqas. The burqa is just an example of how women can be different in different cultures yet have the same desires for freedom and respect.
We assume that women who do not have the same lifestyle as ours must be really oppressed; that they have no freedom or are not given equals rights of any kind. The fact is that women are still struggling for their rights and better treatment in every culture. It has nothing do with how they look and what they wear.
We forget that women in Western society also face insurmountable challenges. The images of women that we see around us are mainly of youth and beauty. One has to look deeper to find women who are old, sick, abused and unhappy. As hard as it is to believe, in an advanced, modern society, many women are suffering like many all over the world.
Women in Western society have many advantages: They are free to get an education, a job, a life of their choice; they can drive, can travel alone, and can do almost anything they want to. But after having lived in the United States for more than 25 years it still surprises me immensely that there is domestic violence, rape and other abuse against women.
A society functions according to many unwritten rules, which help harmonize life for everyone. Sometimes these rules seem elusive and illogical but they serve the overall purpose of maintaining equilibrium. A good example is the different roles of men and women in different societies. In many cultures, for example in India, where I grew up, although men are financially responsible for taking care of family members, it is actually the women who care for them in physical terms. This does not necessarily mean that they are subjugated or suppressed -- not in that culture at least.
While watching Bill Moyers' documentary on death and dying, I was surprised -- or rather not surprised -- to see that even in this country most of the caretakers of the sick and elderly shown were women. There were sisters taking care of sisters and brothers, mothers taking care of children and parents, daughters caring for mothers and fathers.
There is no one ideal situation for women. What is important is the freedom to choose. Women all over the world are struggling to bring about a change in their roles, responsibilities and status. But this change has to be brought about by women for women and not imposed upon them from outside. I hope my grandmother did not give up wearing her burqa because she was forced to do so.
The Global Bazaar and Islamic Civilization
Three images remain in my mind from my recent visit to South Asia. First, the explosive software revolution in the Southern city of Bangalore has been a boon to the region, or at least to a select few, who have become enormously wealthy. Second, the silk industry of Mysore has been almost destroyed since the region joined the World Trade Organization. Third, the coffee industry in the Western Ghats is similarly on its way to decay and disappearance.
The story of software, silk and coffee is the story of the modern Global Bazaar. While, it is shifting wealth in the direction of a new group of technocrats, it is destroying the old aristocracies, creating in its wake unprecedented social change and social havoc.
Silk was introduced into Mysore by Tippu Sultan, that stalwart soldier who resisted the expanding British Empire for forty years. It is said that after his victory over the British armies at the Battle of Pollipur, he sent a delegation to China to further trade and commerce. The delegation returned in 1784 with silk cocoons and the know-how to manufacture silk. The industry thrived and Mysore silk was valued in the British Empire for its quality and its fineness.
At least that was so until recent years. When India joined the WTO, Chinese silk flooded the market. Superior in its fineness and its quality, and cheaper even at the point of sale, it rapidly displaced the local industry, forcing many of the old silk manufacturers into bankruptcy.
The story of coffee is similar. It is said that Shaikh Baba Budhen of Deccan, an honored Awliya who lived in the seventeenth century, performed his Hajj, and on his way back, picked up some coffee beans from Yemen and introduced them into the hills of the Western Ghats. When the British captured the area from Tippu Sultan, they encouraged the growth of coffee at the expense of staple foods, for obvious commercial reasons. But with the WTO, coffee from Vietnam is rapidly displacing the homegrown product, again forcing the old coffee-estate based aristocracy into poverty.
Such are the winds of change across the globe. The Global Bazaar has created untold wealth and has at the same time produced untold poverty and misery. It has marginalized entire regions, indeed entire continents from the onward march of human civilization. Vast oceans of humanity survive at best at subsistence levels. Driven by a relentless search for profits, global capital has forced art, architecture, music, philosophy, education, culture and love itself to be measured in terms of their economic value. People no longer grieve when a truck driver is killed in a crash; they ask how much the insurance company paid the survivors. They do not measure the worth of a mother in terms of her priceless love; they measure it in terms of wages paid to a baby-sitter.
Some thinkers have called this the post-modern global civilization. This writer holds the position that the so-called post-modern global civilization may not be a civilization at all but a passing material phase in the struggle of man. A civilization must have at its core an inherent spirituality, a spiritual reservoir, which provides sustenance for its renewal. The Global Bazaar may yet develop that spiritual dimension which may qualify it to be a global civilization. But that is something only the future can decide.
The inputs to the Global Bazaar are technology and capital. Its gross output is economic centralization. It has a hierarchical pyramidal structure. At its apex are the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO. Just below it is the transnational corporation. Then, there are the national governments, whose ability to control their own economic destiny is decreasing by the day. At the bottom is the incredibly shrinking man and the incredibly shrinking woman who feel helpless and totally marginalized. Their domain of action and their freedoms are squeezed from every angle. Even that bastion of social stability, the family, is fast disappearing. The industrial revolution created the nuclear family; the global bazaar has vaporized it.
The Global Bazaar has a process and a method. The process is driven by information, which moves at the speed of light. And, enormous amounts of capital change hands at the wink of an eye. It is a virtual world, where people feel they are rich even when they own nothing except a piece of paper. It is a funny world, where the perception of wealth is based on mathematical models and projections by security analysts.
How does the Islamic world enter into this Global Bazaar, which has created a culture limited in its reach only by the speed of light and the human capacity to absorb change? The question is important because some writers, with obvious political agendas, have postulated that not only is there a conflict between Islamic and Christian civilizations, but that there is a conflict between Islam and the post-modern global civilization.
Even a cursory scan of history and elementary social analysis shows that these positions have no merit. The Global Bazaar stands on a foundation built by many civilizations. And the conflicts it has generated are not Islam-specific.
One may start with the Greeks. Modern man is reminded time and again that his civilization is the progeny of Greek civilization, which placed human reason and the autonomy of man on center stage. Yet Greek civilization was itself a composite of ancient Egyptian and African civilizations and borrowed heavily from the wisdom of the peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean. Discovered, adopted and embellished by the Muslims, it reached Europe in the eleventh century through Spain but it was not until the sixteenth century that it found its expression in European lands.
In the middle ages, between the eighth and the thirteenth centuries, Islam and Christianity co-existed, with the lead taken by Islamic civilization. Both had a spiritual core, which showed itself even when they met in mortal combat in the battlefields of Spain and Palestine. The dielectic produced the likes of Salahuddin Ayyabi and Richard the Lion-hearted. Chivalry was valued. A man’s word carried weight. Struggle had a spiritual dimension even though the two sides related to the transcendence of God in different ways.
Things changed starting with the thirteenth century. With the sack of Constantinople (modern Istanbul) during the Fourth Crusade by the Latin Crusaders in 1204, Europe changed its focus from the Cross to the glitter of gold. At about the same time, following the Mongol destructions (1219-1258), the Islamic East turned inward to the world of Ihsan, Taqwa and Tasawwuf. In Italy, the infusion of gold from Constantinople, and the profitable trade with the Egyptian Mamlukes, gave birth to the age of Renaissance in the sixteenth century. After this period, Europe turned decidedly from a Christ-centered civilization to a man-centered civilization.
Europe produced the Protestant Reformation (sixteenth century), Scientific Materialism (seventeenth century), Humanism (eighteenth century), Dialectic Rationalism (nineteenth century), Communism and Fascism (twentieth century). And finally, exhausted from its man-centered philosophical quest, it has now produced Perennial Philosophy, which is nothing but Islamic Sufism coated with a layer of Eastern philosophies.
While a vibrant Europe flexed its intellectual muscles and went through a metamorphosis, the Islamic world made an about-turn towards the beginning of the seventeenth century, from the Age of Taqwa to the Age of Fatwa. The fatwa-hurling Muslims lost out to Europe in the race to control technology and trade. Colonialism resulted, with much of the Islamic world under the heels of a dominant Europe.
The two World Wars collapsed the colonial empires but the inexorable march of technology increased the advantage held by the West vis-à-vis the rest of the world. New mechanisms of control were devised, resulting in the creation of the World Bank, the IMF and Aid Agencies. The Islamic world got its political independence, but economic subjugation only deepened.
Coming back to our main thesis, the economic disparities created by the Global Bazaar are not Islam-specific. Indonesia and Brazil are both up to their neck in debt. So are Zimbabwe and the Philippines. Centralization of economic power has resulted in a North-South divide cutting across religious and cultural lines. A vast majority of the Buddhists of Thailand, Muslims of Turkey and the Catholics of Latin America all belong to the South. The divide is not between Islam and the Global Bazaar. It is between those who have access to technology and capital and those who do not.
The Global Bazaar has exported a consumer-oriented culture across the globe. Teenagers in Karachi wear jeans similar to those worn in New York. Hollywood movies attract huge crowds in Delhi. Qawwali music goes hip-hop. Punjabi withers as a language and Urdu suffers as English takes their place. It should be obvious that the issue is not Islam-specific. The reach of the Global Bazaar has spread a culture that threatens to inundate all older cultures, not just the Islamic culture.
It is true that there are territorial issues such as those in Bosnia, Chechnya and others. But these are political issues, not religious. They have nothing to do with the emergence of the Global Bazaar and would have existed with or without the global consumer economy.
There is no singular conflict between the Global Bazaar and the Islamic world. Muslims stand on the same side of the fence as the Christians, the Buddhists, indeed all men and women of faith, struggling to come to terms with a technology based, irreligious, global avalanche. Modern man is like the tin-man in the movie, the wizard of oz. He carries a lot of metal but has no heart. Islam, working side by side with other men and women of the spirit, can provide a heart to this tin-man. But how can a Muslim provide this heart when he himself has abandoned his own heart (Ihsan) and has become a statue without a soul?
The story of software, silk and coffee is the story of the modern Global Bazaar. While, it is shifting wealth in the direction of a new group of technocrats, it is destroying the old aristocracies, creating in its wake unprecedented social change and social havoc.
Silk was introduced into Mysore by Tippu Sultan, that stalwart soldier who resisted the expanding British Empire for forty years. It is said that after his victory over the British armies at the Battle of Pollipur, he sent a delegation to China to further trade and commerce. The delegation returned in 1784 with silk cocoons and the know-how to manufacture silk. The industry thrived and Mysore silk was valued in the British Empire for its quality and its fineness.
At least that was so until recent years. When India joined the WTO, Chinese silk flooded the market. Superior in its fineness and its quality, and cheaper even at the point of sale, it rapidly displaced the local industry, forcing many of the old silk manufacturers into bankruptcy.
The story of coffee is similar. It is said that Shaikh Baba Budhen of Deccan, an honored Awliya who lived in the seventeenth century, performed his Hajj, and on his way back, picked up some coffee beans from Yemen and introduced them into the hills of the Western Ghats. When the British captured the area from Tippu Sultan, they encouraged the growth of coffee at the expense of staple foods, for obvious commercial reasons. But with the WTO, coffee from Vietnam is rapidly displacing the homegrown product, again forcing the old coffee-estate based aristocracy into poverty.
Such are the winds of change across the globe. The Global Bazaar has created untold wealth and has at the same time produced untold poverty and misery. It has marginalized entire regions, indeed entire continents from the onward march of human civilization. Vast oceans of humanity survive at best at subsistence levels. Driven by a relentless search for profits, global capital has forced art, architecture, music, philosophy, education, culture and love itself to be measured in terms of their economic value. People no longer grieve when a truck driver is killed in a crash; they ask how much the insurance company paid the survivors. They do not measure the worth of a mother in terms of her priceless love; they measure it in terms of wages paid to a baby-sitter.
Some thinkers have called this the post-modern global civilization. This writer holds the position that the so-called post-modern global civilization may not be a civilization at all but a passing material phase in the struggle of man. A civilization must have at its core an inherent spirituality, a spiritual reservoir, which provides sustenance for its renewal. The Global Bazaar may yet develop that spiritual dimension which may qualify it to be a global civilization. But that is something only the future can decide.
The inputs to the Global Bazaar are technology and capital. Its gross output is economic centralization. It has a hierarchical pyramidal structure. At its apex are the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO. Just below it is the transnational corporation. Then, there are the national governments, whose ability to control their own economic destiny is decreasing by the day. At the bottom is the incredibly shrinking man and the incredibly shrinking woman who feel helpless and totally marginalized. Their domain of action and their freedoms are squeezed from every angle. Even that bastion of social stability, the family, is fast disappearing. The industrial revolution created the nuclear family; the global bazaar has vaporized it.
The Global Bazaar has a process and a method. The process is driven by information, which moves at the speed of light. And, enormous amounts of capital change hands at the wink of an eye. It is a virtual world, where people feel they are rich even when they own nothing except a piece of paper. It is a funny world, where the perception of wealth is based on mathematical models and projections by security analysts.
How does the Islamic world enter into this Global Bazaar, which has created a culture limited in its reach only by the speed of light and the human capacity to absorb change? The question is important because some writers, with obvious political agendas, have postulated that not only is there a conflict between Islamic and Christian civilizations, but that there is a conflict between Islam and the post-modern global civilization.
Even a cursory scan of history and elementary social analysis shows that these positions have no merit. The Global Bazaar stands on a foundation built by many civilizations. And the conflicts it has generated are not Islam-specific.
One may start with the Greeks. Modern man is reminded time and again that his civilization is the progeny of Greek civilization, which placed human reason and the autonomy of man on center stage. Yet Greek civilization was itself a composite of ancient Egyptian and African civilizations and borrowed heavily from the wisdom of the peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean. Discovered, adopted and embellished by the Muslims, it reached Europe in the eleventh century through Spain but it was not until the sixteenth century that it found its expression in European lands.
In the middle ages, between the eighth and the thirteenth centuries, Islam and Christianity co-existed, with the lead taken by Islamic civilization. Both had a spiritual core, which showed itself even when they met in mortal combat in the battlefields of Spain and Palestine. The dielectic produced the likes of Salahuddin Ayyabi and Richard the Lion-hearted. Chivalry was valued. A man’s word carried weight. Struggle had a spiritual dimension even though the two sides related to the transcendence of God in different ways.
Things changed starting with the thirteenth century. With the sack of Constantinople (modern Istanbul) during the Fourth Crusade by the Latin Crusaders in 1204, Europe changed its focus from the Cross to the glitter of gold. At about the same time, following the Mongol destructions (1219-1258), the Islamic East turned inward to the world of Ihsan, Taqwa and Tasawwuf. In Italy, the infusion of gold from Constantinople, and the profitable trade with the Egyptian Mamlukes, gave birth to the age of Renaissance in the sixteenth century. After this period, Europe turned decidedly from a Christ-centered civilization to a man-centered civilization.
Europe produced the Protestant Reformation (sixteenth century), Scientific Materialism (seventeenth century), Humanism (eighteenth century), Dialectic Rationalism (nineteenth century), Communism and Fascism (twentieth century). And finally, exhausted from its man-centered philosophical quest, it has now produced Perennial Philosophy, which is nothing but Islamic Sufism coated with a layer of Eastern philosophies.
While a vibrant Europe flexed its intellectual muscles and went through a metamorphosis, the Islamic world made an about-turn towards the beginning of the seventeenth century, from the Age of Taqwa to the Age of Fatwa. The fatwa-hurling Muslims lost out to Europe in the race to control technology and trade. Colonialism resulted, with much of the Islamic world under the heels of a dominant Europe.
The two World Wars collapsed the colonial empires but the inexorable march of technology increased the advantage held by the West vis-à-vis the rest of the world. New mechanisms of control were devised, resulting in the creation of the World Bank, the IMF and Aid Agencies. The Islamic world got its political independence, but economic subjugation only deepened.
Coming back to our main thesis, the economic disparities created by the Global Bazaar are not Islam-specific. Indonesia and Brazil are both up to their neck in debt. So are Zimbabwe and the Philippines. Centralization of economic power has resulted in a North-South divide cutting across religious and cultural lines. A vast majority of the Buddhists of Thailand, Muslims of Turkey and the Catholics of Latin America all belong to the South. The divide is not between Islam and the Global Bazaar. It is between those who have access to technology and capital and those who do not.
The Global Bazaar has exported a consumer-oriented culture across the globe. Teenagers in Karachi wear jeans similar to those worn in New York. Hollywood movies attract huge crowds in Delhi. Qawwali music goes hip-hop. Punjabi withers as a language and Urdu suffers as English takes their place. It should be obvious that the issue is not Islam-specific. The reach of the Global Bazaar has spread a culture that threatens to inundate all older cultures, not just the Islamic culture.
It is true that there are territorial issues such as those in Bosnia, Chechnya and others. But these are political issues, not religious. They have nothing to do with the emergence of the Global Bazaar and would have existed with or without the global consumer economy.
There is no singular conflict between the Global Bazaar and the Islamic world. Muslims stand on the same side of the fence as the Christians, the Buddhists, indeed all men and women of faith, struggling to come to terms with a technology based, irreligious, global avalanche. Modern man is like the tin-man in the movie, the wizard of oz. He carries a lot of metal but has no heart. Islam, working side by side with other men and women of the spirit, can provide a heart to this tin-man. But how can a Muslim provide this heart when he himself has abandoned his own heart (Ihsan) and has become a statue without a soul?
Ehsan, The Forgotten Dimension of Islam
This article is about the Islamic civilization. More specifically it is about Muslims in America and the imperative to build an Islamic community in this land based on Ehsan.
Even as I write, there are deep concerns in the community. There are dark clouds on the horizon. People ask: which way to do we turn? What ought to be the basis for an Islamic life in America?
A great civilization has an inner capacity to renew itself in times of crisis. Lesser civilizations recoil and disappear when they are tested. Great civilizations grow stronger with adversity. And Islam is a great civilization. In the words of Mohammed Iqbal, Islam is like a balloon, you squeeze it in one direction, and it bulges out in another.
Renewal is a continuous process. Each generation has to rediscover itself and define who it is, what it stands for.
If history is any guide, there are three models available to Muslims in America. The first one, based on a strict interpretation of jurisprudence, divided the world into Darul Islam and Darul harab. It evolved in a bygone era when there were insulated communities and the Islamic world was itself a self-contained unit. Communications were primitive. Events in one part of the world did not have a significant impact on another. For instance, an edict from a court in Samarqand would not even be known in Morocco for two years.
This model simply does not work today and must be discarded. Estimates vary but there are between three and six million Muslims in America. There are engineers, doctors, lawyers, shopkeepers, entrepreneurs, executives, bankers, soldiers, teachers, housewives and refugees. Some are black; some are white. Some are dark and some are light. They have enriched the life of this great continent through their contributions in science and technology, trade and commerce. Some came here as early as the eighteenth century from Africa against their free will. Some are recent immigrants and they came here by choice. But altogether they constitute only two percent of the population. This simple arithmetic must always be kept in mind.
On our shrunken planet today, there are 1.3 billion Muslims. That is only 20 percent of the global population. Fully 300 million Muslims live as minorities in predominantly non-Muslim lands. That includes the countries of North America. and Europe. Must they all be condemned as citizens of Darul Harab? The old model was peppered with the vocabulary of believer, kafir, and dhimmi. It is time we moved beyond this vocabulary of yesterday.
The second model is based on the idea of sulah or contract. This model too does not apply to modern life. The relationship between a son of the soil and the land of his birth is more than just a contract or a convenience. It is based on the legacy of a father to a son, from a grandfather to a grandson, and of countless generations before them.
To those who are dismayed by the difficulties of the Islamic community in America, history offers a third model, also based on the Shariah, which was perfected and was successfully used by Muslims at various times to build a thriving life for all people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. This model was based on adl and Ehsan, meaning balance, justice, compassion, love, nobility and character.
After the Mongol devastations of the thirteenth century, it was Ehsan that transformed the hearts of the conquerors and brought them into Islam. And it was Ehsan that brought Islam into India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Medieval Europe. One of the great works of the times, composed at the height of the Mongol devastations, the Akhlaq e Nasiri of Nasiruddin al Tusi (d. 1276), was based on Ehsan. Four centuries after it was published, it provided the basis for the governance of the magnificent Mogul Empire in South Asia. It was required reading in the courts of Akbar, Jehangir and Shah Jehan. This model is so universal in its approach that it may be adopted by any modern society, Muslim or not.
The Qur’an teaches us:
Behold! God commands you justice, balance and Ehsan.
The faith of Islam has three components: Islam, Iman and Ehsan. If Iman is the root of a tree, Islam is its trunk, and Ehsan is its fruit. Voluminous books are written about Islam. Some discuss Iman. Ehsan is the forgotten dimension.
Ehsan is the sap that sustains the tree; without Ehsan the roots are dry and the trunk is but a log of wood. Have you seen a tree that is dead? It has no sap. It has roots that are infested with termites and a trunk that is bare. It may even have branches, spreading out like sticks in a haunted house. But it has no leaves. It gives no shade and it bears no fruit. Such is the status of a man without Ehsan; such is the condition of a people without Ehsan.
Another analogy is that of a rose garden which receives water from a stream. If Iman is the fountain from which gushes forth this stream, Islam is the structure that secures the well, and Ehsan is the water that irrigates the garden. Without water there are no roses.
Ehsan has its origin in Asma ul husna, the most beautiful names of God. All creation is but a reflection of attributes that emanate from the Divine Names. Hence Ehsan embraces all creation. It includes beauty, balance, discipline, excellence, charity, tolerance and good character.
The direction for Muslims in America is clear: Build an Islamic Community based on Ehsan. Where there is hatred, let us build bridges of love. Where there is conflict, build bridges of cooperation. Where there is discrimination, build bridges of fairness.
There are some who complain that life in America has become difficult, that it is characterized by suspicion, hatred, accusations and innuendo.
Inject an element of Ehsan into this life. Overcome suspicion with cooperation.
Overcome discrimination with extra hard work. Answer an accusation with a good deed. Avoid secrecy; maintain transparency. Avoid debt. Engage in trade. If you must borrow, make it qard e hasna. Evaluate people on the basis of their merits, not on the basis of color, name or nationality. Support each other. Help one another. There is strength in mutuality.
Where others use race, religion and gender as their point of departure, use our common humanity as our point of departure. Think not in the framework of Darul Islam and Darul Harab, but in the framework of insaaniat (our humanness), and admiyat (our common descent from Adam). Think not in terms of conspicuous consumption but in terms of the perfection of man through a life of taqwa (God consciousness), tawakkul (contentment), and tazkiya (purification of the heart). Build an edifice of cooperation, not on the basis of expediency, but on the basis of trust. Cement it with the cement of Ehsan.
Ehsan has many dimensions. Ehsan is worship. Recall the Prophetic traditions. When asked to define Ehsan, he said, “Ehsan is to worship God as if you see him, and if you do not see Him, know that he sees you”.
Ehsan is reflected in creation. All creation is Ehsan from Divine love. The rain that sustains life is Ehsan. To a scientific mind, creation offers countless signs to divine transcendence. Creation is also a trust so that humankind may exercise its mandate as divine trustee on earth. So, protect the environment.
Ehsan is beauty, as in husne Yusuf, the beauty of Joseph. Beauty is reflected in all creation, in a baby’s smile, in the opening of a flower, in the blossoming of a tree, in a flock of birds, in a whiff of air, in the flutter of a leaf. Each reflection is unique. Each of you is unique. There never was a time and there never will be a time when another of you will walk on this earth. Every fruit, every date, every leaf has a unique signature. Every atom says: Subhanallahi Bihamdihi, Subhanallhil Azeem (Most glorified is the Lord, Most worthy of praise is the Most High).
Ehsan is the source of art, architecture, poetry, music, language, aadab (good manners), aqhlaq (character), behavior, responsible governance, and culture. Indeed, Ehsan is the source of renewal of Islamic civilization. Muslims have tried to capture a sense of Ehsan in their art and architecture. It is Ehsan that is reflected in the Mosque of Omar in Jerusalem, the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, the Mosque of Salangor in Malaysia, the Mosque of Sultan Ahmed in Istanbul, the Jami of Esfehan and the Taj Mahal at Agra.
Ehsan is love, as in the Mathnavi of Mevlana Rumi, that unparalleled rhapsody of heavenly lyrics, which is widely read in America. Ehsan is a good deed, when one person extends his selfless hand to another. Ehsan is character, as in asway e husna, the most beautiful character of the Prophet Muhammed. Ehsan is excellence, an excellent deed
Ehsan has its reward built into it. Ehsan is the basis of sound economics, as in qard e hasna. Ehsan is mercy as when you forgive a wrongdoer. God commands justice and mercy. Ehsan is mutual support. Mutual support is the basis of seeking out and building a community.
Ehsan is the cement that has held together the Islamic civilization. What binds a civilization? Look at iron crystals, how the atoms in a body centered cubic structure impact to it strength and resilience. Look at water and how the water molecules are held together so that it brings life to a dead earth. Look at the many forms of ice crystals when they shine like diamonds in the brightness of early morning sun.
Similarly, there are bonds that bind humans together. They enable ordinary people to work together to achieve uncommon results. In the Islamic civilization that bond is Ehsan.
The Ehsan of a mother is in her unqualified love. The Ehsan of a father is in his unstinted compassion. The Ehsan of a brother and sister is their support for each other. The Ehsan of a buyer and a seller is in the integrity of their transaction and the quality of the product they produce. The Ehsan in a community is in the sense of belonging of its members. The Ehsan of an employer and an employee is in the quality of the product they produce. The Ehsan between a husband and a wife is in the life and love they share.
It is said that where there is no vision, a people must perish. A vision for Muslims in America must come from within the community. It must evolve from the American experience. That vision is to build an Islamic community based on Adl and Ehsan. The solutions to the challenges we face are not going to come from abroad. They are not going to come from a fatwa from Cairo or a donation from the Gulf. External interventions only distort the cultural evolution of a people.
Value spirituality. Achieve excellence in education. Practice integrity. Accept responsibility. Support each other with good counsel, trade and commerce. Avoid debt. Know the constitution. Get involved with your communities. Feed the poor.
Protect the environment. Support homeless shelters. Strengthen the family on the basis of Akhlaq (good character). Stand up for justice.
Reach out and build bridges to other communities, churches and organizations on the basis of Ehsan. Avoid extremism and extreme positions. Practice mizan (balance and proportion). In summary, give more to the community you live in than you take in
Ehsan springs from the heart. Modern civilization suffers from a cardinal disability: it does not have a heart. Modern man is like the tin man in the movie, the wizard of oz. He carries a lot of metal but has no heart. Can Islam provide that heart? It cannot do so, when the Muslims themselves have become a statue without a soul. What we need is a little less passion and a little more compassion, a little less concern with oneself and a little more concern for the other, a little less emphasis on form and more focus on substance, a zeal to serve fellow men, a penchant for honor, loyalty, fair play, character, rectitude, moral excellence, truthfulness and ethics. It is time to move from the age of fatwa to the age of taqwa, to contribute to a rebirth of the age of Ehsan in this great melting pot, the land of America.
Even as I write, there are deep concerns in the community. There are dark clouds on the horizon. People ask: which way to do we turn? What ought to be the basis for an Islamic life in America?
A great civilization has an inner capacity to renew itself in times of crisis. Lesser civilizations recoil and disappear when they are tested. Great civilizations grow stronger with adversity. And Islam is a great civilization. In the words of Mohammed Iqbal, Islam is like a balloon, you squeeze it in one direction, and it bulges out in another.
Renewal is a continuous process. Each generation has to rediscover itself and define who it is, what it stands for.
If history is any guide, there are three models available to Muslims in America. The first one, based on a strict interpretation of jurisprudence, divided the world into Darul Islam and Darul harab. It evolved in a bygone era when there were insulated communities and the Islamic world was itself a self-contained unit. Communications were primitive. Events in one part of the world did not have a significant impact on another. For instance, an edict from a court in Samarqand would not even be known in Morocco for two years.
This model simply does not work today and must be discarded. Estimates vary but there are between three and six million Muslims in America. There are engineers, doctors, lawyers, shopkeepers, entrepreneurs, executives, bankers, soldiers, teachers, housewives and refugees. Some are black; some are white. Some are dark and some are light. They have enriched the life of this great continent through their contributions in science and technology, trade and commerce. Some came here as early as the eighteenth century from Africa against their free will. Some are recent immigrants and they came here by choice. But altogether they constitute only two percent of the population. This simple arithmetic must always be kept in mind.
On our shrunken planet today, there are 1.3 billion Muslims. That is only 20 percent of the global population. Fully 300 million Muslims live as minorities in predominantly non-Muslim lands. That includes the countries of North America. and Europe. Must they all be condemned as citizens of Darul Harab? The old model was peppered with the vocabulary of believer, kafir, and dhimmi. It is time we moved beyond this vocabulary of yesterday.
The second model is based on the idea of sulah or contract. This model too does not apply to modern life. The relationship between a son of the soil and the land of his birth is more than just a contract or a convenience. It is based on the legacy of a father to a son, from a grandfather to a grandson, and of countless generations before them.
To those who are dismayed by the difficulties of the Islamic community in America, history offers a third model, also based on the Shariah, which was perfected and was successfully used by Muslims at various times to build a thriving life for all people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. This model was based on adl and Ehsan, meaning balance, justice, compassion, love, nobility and character.
After the Mongol devastations of the thirteenth century, it was Ehsan that transformed the hearts of the conquerors and brought them into Islam. And it was Ehsan that brought Islam into India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Medieval Europe. One of the great works of the times, composed at the height of the Mongol devastations, the Akhlaq e Nasiri of Nasiruddin al Tusi (d. 1276), was based on Ehsan. Four centuries after it was published, it provided the basis for the governance of the magnificent Mogul Empire in South Asia. It was required reading in the courts of Akbar, Jehangir and Shah Jehan. This model is so universal in its approach that it may be adopted by any modern society, Muslim or not.
The Qur’an teaches us:
Behold! God commands you justice, balance and Ehsan.
The faith of Islam has three components: Islam, Iman and Ehsan. If Iman is the root of a tree, Islam is its trunk, and Ehsan is its fruit. Voluminous books are written about Islam. Some discuss Iman. Ehsan is the forgotten dimension.
Ehsan is the sap that sustains the tree; without Ehsan the roots are dry and the trunk is but a log of wood. Have you seen a tree that is dead? It has no sap. It has roots that are infested with termites and a trunk that is bare. It may even have branches, spreading out like sticks in a haunted house. But it has no leaves. It gives no shade and it bears no fruit. Such is the status of a man without Ehsan; such is the condition of a people without Ehsan.
Another analogy is that of a rose garden which receives water from a stream. If Iman is the fountain from which gushes forth this stream, Islam is the structure that secures the well, and Ehsan is the water that irrigates the garden. Without water there are no roses.
Ehsan has its origin in Asma ul husna, the most beautiful names of God. All creation is but a reflection of attributes that emanate from the Divine Names. Hence Ehsan embraces all creation. It includes beauty, balance, discipline, excellence, charity, tolerance and good character.
The direction for Muslims in America is clear: Build an Islamic Community based on Ehsan. Where there is hatred, let us build bridges of love. Where there is conflict, build bridges of cooperation. Where there is discrimination, build bridges of fairness.
There are some who complain that life in America has become difficult, that it is characterized by suspicion, hatred, accusations and innuendo.
Inject an element of Ehsan into this life. Overcome suspicion with cooperation.
Overcome discrimination with extra hard work. Answer an accusation with a good deed. Avoid secrecy; maintain transparency. Avoid debt. Engage in trade. If you must borrow, make it qard e hasna. Evaluate people on the basis of their merits, not on the basis of color, name or nationality. Support each other. Help one another. There is strength in mutuality.
Where others use race, religion and gender as their point of departure, use our common humanity as our point of departure. Think not in the framework of Darul Islam and Darul Harab, but in the framework of insaaniat (our humanness), and admiyat (our common descent from Adam). Think not in terms of conspicuous consumption but in terms of the perfection of man through a life of taqwa (God consciousness), tawakkul (contentment), and tazkiya (purification of the heart). Build an edifice of cooperation, not on the basis of expediency, but on the basis of trust. Cement it with the cement of Ehsan.
Ehsan has many dimensions. Ehsan is worship. Recall the Prophetic traditions. When asked to define Ehsan, he said, “Ehsan is to worship God as if you see him, and if you do not see Him, know that he sees you”.
Ehsan is reflected in creation. All creation is Ehsan from Divine love. The rain that sustains life is Ehsan. To a scientific mind, creation offers countless signs to divine transcendence. Creation is also a trust so that humankind may exercise its mandate as divine trustee on earth. So, protect the environment.
Ehsan is beauty, as in husne Yusuf, the beauty of Joseph. Beauty is reflected in all creation, in a baby’s smile, in the opening of a flower, in the blossoming of a tree, in a flock of birds, in a whiff of air, in the flutter of a leaf. Each reflection is unique. Each of you is unique. There never was a time and there never will be a time when another of you will walk on this earth. Every fruit, every date, every leaf has a unique signature. Every atom says: Subhanallahi Bihamdihi, Subhanallhil Azeem (Most glorified is the Lord, Most worthy of praise is the Most High).
Ehsan is the source of art, architecture, poetry, music, language, aadab (good manners), aqhlaq (character), behavior, responsible governance, and culture. Indeed, Ehsan is the source of renewal of Islamic civilization. Muslims have tried to capture a sense of Ehsan in their art and architecture. It is Ehsan that is reflected in the Mosque of Omar in Jerusalem, the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, the Mosque of Salangor in Malaysia, the Mosque of Sultan Ahmed in Istanbul, the Jami of Esfehan and the Taj Mahal at Agra.
Ehsan is love, as in the Mathnavi of Mevlana Rumi, that unparalleled rhapsody of heavenly lyrics, which is widely read in America. Ehsan is a good deed, when one person extends his selfless hand to another. Ehsan is character, as in asway e husna, the most beautiful character of the Prophet Muhammed. Ehsan is excellence, an excellent deed
Ehsan has its reward built into it. Ehsan is the basis of sound economics, as in qard e hasna. Ehsan is mercy as when you forgive a wrongdoer. God commands justice and mercy. Ehsan is mutual support. Mutual support is the basis of seeking out and building a community.
Ehsan is the cement that has held together the Islamic civilization. What binds a civilization? Look at iron crystals, how the atoms in a body centered cubic structure impact to it strength and resilience. Look at water and how the water molecules are held together so that it brings life to a dead earth. Look at the many forms of ice crystals when they shine like diamonds in the brightness of early morning sun.
Similarly, there are bonds that bind humans together. They enable ordinary people to work together to achieve uncommon results. In the Islamic civilization that bond is Ehsan.
The Ehsan of a mother is in her unqualified love. The Ehsan of a father is in his unstinted compassion. The Ehsan of a brother and sister is their support for each other. The Ehsan of a buyer and a seller is in the integrity of their transaction and the quality of the product they produce. The Ehsan in a community is in the sense of belonging of its members. The Ehsan of an employer and an employee is in the quality of the product they produce. The Ehsan between a husband and a wife is in the life and love they share.
It is said that where there is no vision, a people must perish. A vision for Muslims in America must come from within the community. It must evolve from the American experience. That vision is to build an Islamic community based on Adl and Ehsan. The solutions to the challenges we face are not going to come from abroad. They are not going to come from a fatwa from Cairo or a donation from the Gulf. External interventions only distort the cultural evolution of a people.
Value spirituality. Achieve excellence in education. Practice integrity. Accept responsibility. Support each other with good counsel, trade and commerce. Avoid debt. Know the constitution. Get involved with your communities. Feed the poor.
Protect the environment. Support homeless shelters. Strengthen the family on the basis of Akhlaq (good character). Stand up for justice.
Reach out and build bridges to other communities, churches and organizations on the basis of Ehsan. Avoid extremism and extreme positions. Practice mizan (balance and proportion). In summary, give more to the community you live in than you take in
Ehsan springs from the heart. Modern civilization suffers from a cardinal disability: it does not have a heart. Modern man is like the tin man in the movie, the wizard of oz. He carries a lot of metal but has no heart. Can Islam provide that heart? It cannot do so, when the Muslims themselves have become a statue without a soul. What we need is a little less passion and a little more compassion, a little less concern with oneself and a little more concern for the other, a little less emphasis on form and more focus on substance, a zeal to serve fellow men, a penchant for honor, loyalty, fair play, character, rectitude, moral excellence, truthfulness and ethics. It is time to move from the age of fatwa to the age of taqwa, to contribute to a rebirth of the age of Ehsan in this great melting pot, the land of America.
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