Letters to the Editor
Q: I have a politico-religious question that links the status of Muslim community in the past and present. People often give references of the long gone golden age of Muslim rule. But the fact (I don’t know much you would agree with me) is that, barring the first generation of Muslims and a select few after that, rulers and even the caliphs were highly materialistic and selfish (hence caliphate and sultanates and emirates all were limited to families with sons succeeding fathers much like the Jews). As an example, in India itself none of the Moghuls, the last Muslim rulers, could be called as worthy Muslimsof whom we could be proud of, except may be Aurangzeb. This was the case before Moughals with the Delhi sultans as well. In fact even during the time of capture of Sindh, Spain and Africa, the caliphate was not under ideal rulers. Civil wars in Arabia mainly for power garb are evidence of it.
YMD
You have been looking for ideal rulers in the wrong place. If you have to compare Muslim Rulers of the past then compare them with Mussolini, Stalin, Hitler and others. The Turkish Caliphate might have been corrupt, but that corrupt regime accepted the Jews, when European Christians, pushed them to death by the millions. If you have to compare Muslim behaviour with the freshly arriving Jews in their countries, compare with the Jewish daily murder of Muslims in the very land in which they welcomed the Jews: Palestine. So, are you sure, you have the right parameters. Why not then, include in your study – for the next five years – the Qur’anic commentaries? It will cool your burning heart while educating you.
Q: In present day as well, we see this. The first Arab-Israel war of 1948 was lost because of ego issues and power struggle among Arab rulers of Jordan, Egypt and Syria. Even to this day, we see that in Yemen, Syria, Egypt and between Iran and KSA. None of the warring parties are ideal.
YMD
That many of the Muslim leaders are inept, men of the stomachand-phallus, and, top of that, have proved themselves as uniquely eunuchs, is a fact, long established. How long will the infertile generation harp on it?
Nonetheless, generalization – especially if it is of the rush-through kind – is always erroneous and misleading. For instance, people compare a polished Oxford don to an Arab taxi driver, pointing out how polished one is, and how coarse the other. They compare Egypt with Japan and point out that Egypt is in the mud while Japan is in the skies. (It does not occur to them that Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, etc. all Europeans, Christians, Whites, descendants of the Romans, etc. etc. are, by that measure, also in the mud. Why does this not occur to them? It is because their education, in control of their brains since a hundred years, has perverted their souls.
Q: So my question is why were we successful in the past in spite of the similar problems that we have today? Was it because of the Prophet’s blessings that generations immediately after him were successful?
YMD
A detailed analysis will take such space as to bore the educated public. But, first, you need to fix the meaning of “success.” The first three generations, more or less a product of the Prophet, succeeded in diametrically revolutionizing the morals of those they came into contact, transforming animals into
humans. This is how Islam defines success.
If, in the entire known history of mankind, there were ideal societies, ideal people: in prayer-houses, streets, and in ministerial seats, it were the first three generations after the Prophet. In their anxiety to suppress this information, and successfully dethrone them, the West taught the Muslims: “Your golden period was when you gave the world science.” It was a clever strategy, and it succeeded. Successful Muslims ceased to appear, except individuals.
Q: And because they were in turn our immediate successors, we have to pay the price? Was it because in spite of their weaknesses and errors/sins, the only reason for their success was that Allah wanted them to spread the message of Islam and Qur’an in ages when internet and high speed communication was unavailable and He wanted the rest of the world to know what Islam is and decide whether to accept and reject it after the end of the tradition of Prophethood after Muhammad (SAWS).
YMD
Your mind and thoughts represent the mind of an Ummah which is frustrated that Allah is not doing good things to it.
Without being able to answer your intriguing main question, we might point out that the Internet does not carry out the functions “Amr bi al-Ma`ruf, wa al-Nahyu `an alMunkar,” and it never will. It is the Ummah’s function.
Q: How can we try to change the political situation? What methodology should be adopted? Or is it now a personal thing that we should try and limit our working for Islam within our friends and family and don’t worry about the political situation in world where Muslims are oppressed? Just supplicate for them? I know for Allah, this world and the things in it have not significance and the important thing is the hereafter. We should try to struggle for hereafter but does that mean there is no hope in improvement for our situation?
Ahmad,
On Email
YMD
If we remain depending on Allah for improvement of our situation, then, in this world of cause and effect it might not happen. We have corrupted our world, and we have to reform it.
As regards what’s to be done, this question presupposes the answer as doing a few simple things, which will right the situation. But it must be clearly understood and wholeheartedly acknowledged, that corruptions brought by a billion Muslims on this earth, will not be eradicated through half-hearted, facts-hating, take-it-easy attitude of a couple of people here, a couple of people there.
Yet, to come down to the earth, one may ask, do you have access to the one billion Muslims? So, why do you ask: “What’s to be done?” Why don’t you ask, “What can I do?” And do that, when told!
Q: Myself: Miss Faozia Pasha. I want to know whether eating prawns is halal or haram in Islam….?
Faozia Pasha,
On Email
YMD
Consumption of prawns is absolutely halal in Islam.
Q: Islam contains the knowledge, and frames the principles for efficient conduct of finance. The subject of finance in Islamic perspective is to be taught in many colleges, universities, madrassas. Even number of compilations on Islamic finance by renowned Islamic intellectuals dominate the horizon. Islam wants to purify the whole universe in every angle, and to create an exemplary society where rich and poor both will thrive, where justice, equality, modesty, honesty, piety, integrity, sincerity and ideals like these prevail in the society.
YMD
Hyperbolic, balloonist words and a fanciful sentence which at a dozen places needed correction in spelling and grammar indicates that some effort was made to construct it.
Q: In the daily publication of Kashmir, called “Greater Kashmir” I came through an article authored by Sajad Bazaz which highlights that the interest accrued on the account where Islamic banking is not prevalent, can spend interest on destitute and the needy people. My aim is to know whether this is allowed. At any point of time the prophet (pbuh) practised the prohibitions in such a way. Please elaborate it in the light of Quran and Sunna.
Muzaffar Riyaz,
On Email
YMD
At any point of time in life, to know at least one language, to be able to communicate meaningfully, and acquire a little familiarity with one’s own history, is the sign of a civilized if we remain depending on allah for improvement of our situation, then, in this world of cause and effect it might not happen. We have corrupted our world, and we have to reform it. people. To imagine that there were banks, however crude, from which Muslims borrowed, as often as they do now, and so the Qur’an dealt with one of the specific transactions, in some detail, but if it did not, then, the problem being common, the Prophet must have done it … to imagines this … can be, to some people, a frustrating flight of fancy for others.
Some scholars, influenced by the recurring murder of Muslims and looting of their property, have declared that Muslims may use the interests on their savings for helping the needy and the poor, without expecting a reward, but fearing a punishment. But others have not agreed to such a proposition.
The interesting paradox, however, is that Muslims do not have the luxury of savings accounts, and are by and large defined now as the needy and poor community.
Q: Should I watch or listen lectures by Dr Zakir Naik, as some Ulama call him an ignorant and misleading person?
Sameer,
On Email
YMD
Zakir Naik is not a Mufti, or Muhaddith, or Mufassir, or even a Historian. He is a Comparative Religious scholar. So, we do not see why he cannot be watched when the topic is Comparative Religion?
We made this Android application for performing Dhikr and Duas from Quran. Having a smooth interface and with an ever pleasing theme for eyes (white text on black background) makes this app very easy to use.
The application also has a multitalented feature of showing benefits of each Dhikr with authentic Ahadith. Duas from Qur’an have been added with
the translation. The Dhikr count reminder feature includes a custom reminder number with the commonly used count like 33, 100, 1000 and so on.
Each Tasbeeh count can be realized with a small vibration and a reminder of long vibration making it easier for the user to concentrate on the Dhikr without always looking on to the screen.
The following link forwards you to the google play store of our application. https://play.google.com/store/ apps/details?id=com.dev.adilharis. simpledhikrcounter&hl=en
Abdullah,
Kerala, India
Q1: If someone joins me for fardh while I am praying sunnah or nafil then do I have to start saying the takbeeraat aloud to make it as jamaah?
Q2: Can I join someone if I think they might be praying fardh but am not fully sure?
Q3: If I know someone is praying fardh salah alone (when I enter, he starts doing qirat loudly or starts saying takbeerat loudly), can I join him and make jama’ah?
YMD
When the Mujahideen were heading, back and forth, to Afghanistan, during the Russian invasion, they asked Sheikh Bin Baaz as to how should they pray with them there. He instructed them to Pray as the Afghan Pray, that is, the Hanafiyy way, and not create Fitnah there.
This is the answer to you. If you are in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, follow the Hanafiyy system, (in Kerala and Bhatkal, follow the Shafe`i way), and do not create Fitnah, as some young men are fond of doing. The Prophet has said: “Hold on to the Jama`ah. And beware of divisions. Shaytan is with a single man, but at a greater distance from two. So, whoever wishes the best and the
choicest of Paradise, may hold on to the Jama`ah.”
As for legality of the Four Fiqh Schools, it is stupidity to question them.
Q: What Islam says about Al-Qadar (the Divine’s Destiny) in both positive (good things happened in life) scenario and the negative (bad things happened in life) scenario and what about the destiny of brothers of humanity who born as non-Muslims, is their Allah’s destiny for them to go-astray, if so, why Allah has made them?
Nizar Salam
On Email
YMD
By questioning Allah (swt) over Qada’ and Qadr, you have not committed a sin forgivable with Astaghfirullah. Your Imaan has not simply decreased. But rather, you have committed a kind of Kufr. You need to cleanse your head, take a bath, pronounce the Shahadah once, and enter into Islam anew.
Christian theologians, philosophers, and scholars have struggled over the issue of Predestination and Free Will for 2000 years, but have not been able to come to any conclusion.
In comparison, you have a small head with a very limited range of thought. You may admit this for your own good. Then, read through a book on Islamic Doctrine, such as for instance, `Aqeedah Tahawiyyah, or get someone to read out for you this section from the “Letters of Mujaddid alf-Thani,” and accept all that is stated there, whether you are able to understand the full meaning or not.
Modern day Geneticists are not sure too of the issue. Dawkins makes man a slave of his genes. Islamic scholars have, in comparison, covered the details of the issue brilliantly. Obviously, to understand them, you need brilliancy in addition to knowledge and practice.
For a few more details please see the editorial of the September 2018 issue of this magazine.
