Just came across a clip from a school somewhere in Kashmir. Independence Day celebrations held for or by the Waqf Board.
I have a question. Isn’t waqf board a religious body entrusted with serving the Muslim Community. and ideally doing so while uplholding Islamic Values?
Then there is something almost comical about this institution: an organisation built around a religious and communal purpose, yet sitting so comfortably through something you would expect a religious institution to at least question.
It lends its name to celebrations that reduce our children to stage props and performers.
Why is the default way of involving children — and particularly girls — in public celebrations to make them dance to irrelevant songs? Why aren’t our institutions giving them something to think about, create, learn, discuss, build or contribute?
Especially in a place like Kashmir. Which has had a remarkable legacy of people who understood education as a means to enlighten minds, cultivate character and equip people with knowledge and spirituality.
What about the intellectual and cultural legacy of wonderful scholars of the past.
So if it’s an institution whose very existence is tied to religious purpose, you are taksed with deeper work of strengthening the communities spiritually morally, intellectually.
And to be clear: the point is not the children. Children are often simply made to participate in whatever schools and institutions put before them.
Perhaps that is the real tragedy here.
The question is what an institution chooses to facilitate, endorse and place under its own banner.
Four people you never treat harshly:
Al-yatiim (اليتيم), the orphan, the fatherless.
Al-miskiin (المسكين), the destitute, the one who has nothing.
Al-faqiir (الفقير), the poor, the one barely getting by.
Al-mariidh (المريض), the sick, the weakened.
Power is how you treat people who can't push back.
I was shocked when I found out that the Prophet ﷺ used to ask Allah for 47 requests in a single supplication!!
A supplication that might take just one minute of your time, containing 47 requests - imagine that!!
If you spend all day at a fish market,
you'll leave smelling like fish even if you never touched one. But spend your day in a perfume shop, and you'll carry the scent even if you didn't buy anything. That's how environment works. It rubs off whether you realize it or not. Stay around complainers, and everything starts to look negative. Stay around excuse makers, and growth feels optional. But get around people who move with purpose, you'll feel it. Get around people who live in gratitude, you'll start to see differently. The scent of your environment will always follow you.
Maryam (R.A) had no partner.
Aishah (R.A) had no children.
Khadijah (R.A) only found her best partner at the age of 40.
Fatimah (R.A) was tested by
Economic hardships.
Asiyah (A.S) lived with The worst man in History.
And yet Allah chose them, as the best women of All-time. The leaders of women in paradise (Jannah).
So, stop measuring your worth with Dunya's broken scale. Struggle in this world doesn't mean Allah hates you.
Always remember that, Imperfect lives make perfect Legacies!
An Indian Muslim friend sent me this message by whatsapp :
'' Respected Sir,
As a mark of respect for our Santani brothers we Muslims must join in the movement to restore the cow as a symbol of motherhood, gentleness and agrarian productivity, and declare the cow as our national animal.
It will be a very welcome gesture, and bring the country together in a spirit of mutual respect.
When Bahadur Shah Zafar was leading the 1857 Revolt he had banned cow slaughter.
Regards ''
xxxx
To which I sent this reply :
'' I will never support this stupid and reactionary movement. To my mind, a cow is only an animal, like a horse or a dog. To call it gomata is the height of foolishness. How can an animal be a mother of a human being ? Do you have brains or gobar ( cow dung ) in your head ?
Some people say that cow is a mother as it gives us milk to drink. But people also drink the milk of goats, buffaloes, yaks, camels, deer, etc. Should all such animals be worshipped ?
And there is nothing wrong in eating beef. Almost the whole world eats it, America, Africa, Russia, China, Arabian countries, Australia, Japan, most of Asia ( e.g. Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar etc ), and even people in some Indian states, e.g. Kerala, Goa, the north eastern states. Are they all wicked people and Hindus alone sadhu-sants ?
And as to the argument that cow worship is part of Hindu culture, my reply is that there are many stupid things in our culture too, like the caste system and treating dalits as inferior. Should all that continue ? No, we should retain the good things in our culture but reject the bad or silly things. To my mind worshipping cows and cow protection is a silly, reactionary thing.
If we Indians wish to progress we must give up stupid, reactionary thinking and practices. Unity cannot be brought about by continuing them
What Modern psychology calls “Existential dread, Cognitive overload, Attention dysregulation”. The Qur’an gave it a name 1400 years ago: Ghaflah - heedlessness.
The number 1 killer of the human mind isn’t a disease
1400 years before psychology, before therapy was a trend, Allah diagnosed the root of most anxiety and depression! Subhan Allah.