(i) Batha Valley is situated in:

a) Makkah
b) Madina
c) Egypt
d) Jordan
e) None of these

(a) Makkah


(ii) The longest Surah of the Qur'an is:

a) Surah al Baqarah
b) Surah al Imran
c) Surah al Tauba
d) Surah Yunus
e) None of these

a) Surah al Baqarah


(iii) Al-Maeen is a Surah in which there are:

a)100 or more ayahs
b) Simple orders
c) Hard orders
d) Less than 100 ayahs
e) None of these

a) 100 or more ayahs


(iv) "Arbaeen" is the book of Hadith in which there are:

a) 40 Ahadith
b) 50 ahadith
c) 30 Ahadith
d) 20 Ahadith
e) None of these

a) 40 Ahadith


(v) Fatwa Qazi Khan is an authentic Fatwa of:

a) Fiqh Hanbali
b) Fiqh Maliki
c) Fiqh Shafi
d) Fiqh Hanafi
e) None of these

d) Fiqh Hanafi


(vi) "FIDK" garden was bestowed to the Holy Prophet as:

a) Fay
b) Booty
c) Gift
d) Loan
e) None of these

a) Fay


(vii) QUBA mosque has been mentioned in:

a) Surah al Tauba
b) Surah Anfal
c) Surah Dhuha
d) Surah Al-Muzammil
e) None of these

a) Surah al Tauba


(viii) The tile given to the pioneers of Islam was:

a) Mushahidoon al Awwalun
b) Muslimoon al Awwalun
c) Assabiqoon al Awwalun
d) Al-awwalun al awwalun
e) None of these

c) Assabiqoon al Awwalun


(ix) The meaning of YA SABAHAHO is:

a) Good Morning
b) Good Morning declaration
c) Oh, Morning danger
d) Wishing Good morning
e) None of these

c) Oh, Morning danger


(x) The Master if Hazrat Bilal (MABPH) during embracing Islam was:

a) Abu Jahal
b) Ummayia Bin Harb
c) Ummayia bin Khalaf
d) Oqabah bin Abi al Mueet
e) None of these

c) Ummayia bin Khalaf


(xi) Splitting of the moon occurred in:

a) Arafat
b) Mina
c) Muzdalifa
d) Haram e Pak
e) None of these

b) Mina


(xii) The "IFK" event is described in the Qur'an in:

a) Surah Baqarah
b) Surah Tauba
c) Surah Noor
d) Surah Yaseen
e) None of these

c) Surah Noor


(xiii) The Prophet's stamp comprises of these words:

a) Allah,Rasool,Muhammad
b) Muhammad, Rasool,Allah
c) Rasool,Muhammad,Allah
d) Rasool,Allah,Muhammad
e) None of these

a) Allah,Rasool,Muhammad


(xiv) The heads of Zakat are:

a) Eight
b) Nine
c) Seven
d) Five
e) None of these

a) Eight


(xv) MAUWAZATAIN means:

a) A collection of Ahadith
b) Two specific Surahs of Quran
c) A book of Jaffariah fiqh
d) A book of hanafi fiqh
e) None of these

b) Two specific Surahs of Quran


(xvi) Ozza was the name of:

a) a specific goddess of Quraish
b) Honour and Respect
c) name of a tree
d) name of a snake
e) None of these

a) A specific goddess of Quraish


(xvii) LEA'AN is:

a) A clause of Islamic law
b) To receive a reward
c) A term of trade
d) To bargain
e) None of these

a) A clause of Islamic law


(xviii) Ashabus sabt means:

a) Jews
b) Christians
c) Muslims
d) Sabieen
e) None of these

a) Jews


(xix) The number of famous months are:

a) Four
b) Six
c) Seven
d) Two
e) None of these

a) Four


(xx) Jabal-e-Noor is situated in:

a) Arafat
b) Ghar e Hira
c) Ghar e Saur
d) Jabal Uhud
e) None of these

e) None of these



Note: Corrections are warmly appreciated.

comments, criticism and suggestions are strongly encouraged.

write down in detail the problems of “Ummah” in the contemporary world.

“ you are the best nation brought out for mankind, enjoining what is righteous and forbidding from wrong”

Introduction
The word “ummah” stands for the whole muslim community tied together by religion. The muslims are one nation and are tied together in spirit and heart. Muslims in the past were the world leaders, guiding all the other nations, enlightening them. However, today they are entangled in the web of crises in all the sectors of the society, political, social, economic, technological etc.

Challenges facing the muslims in cntemporary world

Political challenges

a) Lack of unity: muslims all over the world are united by the religious ties. It is a divine blessing. Quran says “ hold fast all of you to the rope of ALLAH, and be not divided amongst each other”

However, in recent times, muslims have been divided on the basis of geographical boundaries, ethnicities, linguistics etc. islam does not entertain the division among muslims on the basis of such criterion. Due to the lack of unity, muslims have became an easy prey to the western propaganda. All the former feelings of unity, cohesion, integration amongst the ummah has evaporated.

b) Lack of democratic norms: according to a research conducted, only 7 muslim countries out of 54 are free and 50% countries are termed as “not-free”. This dismal picture is a result of failure of democracy in muslim countries. Islam does not promote such cruel violation of human rights. Most of the muslim countries are governed by monarchs and dictators which have curbed all the civil liberties. According to human rights watch, in saudia Arabia there is a limit on “ free association, free speech”. Likewise in iran, journalists are imprisoned, if they violate the limits defined by the government.

c) Territorial disputes: muslims have been engaged in territorial disputes, which has severely undermined their development in social, economic, technological advancement sectors. Kashmir issue, Palestine, Chechnya conflicts have kept muslims involved in confrontational politics and hindered development of a peaceful society.

d) Ethnic conflicts: most of the muslim countries fight amongst each other on ethnic clashes. Quran says

“ all the muslims are brothers”.

Yet people of different ethnicity ignore the commandments of ALLAH.

According to an arab scholar,

“

ethnic clashes have done more harm to the muslim countries than the toral arab-israel conflict”

e) Governance challenges: no doubt, muslim countries are rich in resources but poor in their management. Muslim countries are present in the most resourceful areas of the world from morocco to Indonesia except india and Israel. They produce 50% of the world oil. In addition around two-third of the world resources are in the control of the muslims. Yet they are dependent on other countries for economic assistance.

Economic challenges

a) Loans: twentieth century was marked by political oppression of muslim countries by the western imperialist nations. nevertheless, towards the end of the century, muslims liberated themselves from the political domination. This, however did not free them in economic terms. Muslim countries remained dependent on non-muslim countries for economic aid in the form of packages, loans etc. according to Islamic development bank, muslim countries have a debt of 616 billion dollars.

b) Capitalism: capitalism is the, most prevalent form of economic system. it promotes economic inequalities and hoarding of wealth in the hands of a few. Communism was introduced in reaction to the ills of capitalism but, it too failed to deliver as it promoted a utopian strategy which was unnatural and artificial. today, most of the muslim countries follow capitalism which is half-baked. This has aggravated the situation and created an atmosphere even worse than in the western countries. The economic disparity in muslim countries is much severe then in the European countries.

Social challenges

a) Sectarinsm: division of muslims into sects has weakened the muslim ummah beyond doubt. In addition to highlighting differences, this division has promoted hostility against opposite sects. Iran-iraq war was an excellent example of such sectarian motivated conflict. Apart from this, the killings of hazara in quetta and shias in Karachi is a demonstration of the severity of the issue.

b) Failure of participation of women : most of the muslim countries do not promote participation of women in matters of collective interests. The absence of the participation of the huge section of the society has hindered the development of the muslim countries along modern lines.

c) Dependency : it is known to all that muslims are dependent on non-muslim economies for economic assistance. However, these assistances are not without a cost. The creditors put forward their terms and conditions and at times even prevent the debtors from pursuing goals of national interest. This has shattered the sense of self respect among the muslim countries.

d) Terrorism: another monstrous issue that has engulfed almost all the muslim countries in its tentacles is terrorism. Individuals and organizations, calling themselves to be muslims perform violent acts and defame the muslim countries. These terrorists have also humiliated the actual “ freedom fighters” in Palestine and Kashmir.

Educational challenges

a) Lack of technology: muslim countries lag behind the well developed western countries due to technological ignorance. This is due to the lack of resources in a few countries and illiteracy in the others. Pakistan, despite being an agricultural country is experiencing food crises. 64% of the population depends on agriculte directly. Yet, the practice of centuries old methods and absence of new machinery has severely affected the food production.

b) Women education: muslim countries do not encourage female education. The illiteracy of a wide section of the society does not allow the ummah to move ahead and compete with the well-educated western world.

critical analysis : muslims in the contemporary world are facing myriad problems. this situation is a result of their political failures, social inabilities and economic mis management. it is imperative for the ummah to take steps in the positive direction.

comments,criticism, suggestions are strongly encouraged.


Q.No.2. What is Human Dignity? Explain how Islam recognized it and what efforts have been adopted to maintain the superiority of man? (16)

introduction
Human dignity is pivotal for any society and for the concept of morality. Without the recognition of dignity, there is no difference between a beast and a human. although the basics of human dignity are as old as the mortal himself, it has been recognized only recently.

Human dignity
Webster’s dictionary defines dignity as “ respect, excellence of character and nobility”. It is All the international organizations and institutions acknowledge the recognition of human dignity as the basis of human rights. human dignity distinguishes a man from a robot. While a robot is only a physical entity, human being is a complex creation with mental and spiritual aspects apart from a corporeal existence.

Human dignity is interrelated with human rights. In a society, where slaves are considered bonded human individuals and are not given respect, the concept of human rights is a mockery. Similarly, the societies that consider women to be mere tools of reproduction and pleasure, the mere idea of human dignity is not applicable.

Islamic concept of human dignity:

Before the advent of islam, society was engulfed in the darkness of ignorance. Human beings were nothing more than animals. The society was divided on the basis of races, ethnicity, sex, colour and were treated, likewise. Islam has recognized the importance of human dignity and at any places in the Quran has stressed upon the elevated status of a man. Quran has explicitly acknowledged dignity of human beings in the followings word

“ we have given great dignity to the children of adam and granted special favours above the greater part of our creation”

The high pedestal of human being in islam is on the basis of the following factors
a) Vicegerency

ALLAH has elevated the status of man over all other creations and has made man his viceregent on this earth. Quran says in surah baqarah

“ indeed! I will create upon earth a successive authority”

b) Superior Creation of ALLAH
Human being enjoys the distinction of being created by Allah himself with his own hands. This is also illustrated in the following verse of the quran

“ Allah said o iblis! what restrained you from prostrating before that which I have created with my own hands”
At another place it says in the holy book

“we have indeed created man in the best of moulds”

c) Sanctity of human life
The concept of human dignity in islam arises from the importance laid on the preservation of a human life. This concept is applied not only on the muslims but also on the non-muslims as holy prophet p.b.u.h said ,

“ one who kills a dhimmi will not smell the perfume of paradise”

The idea of human sanctity is not sensitive in islam that a man is forbidden from not only injuring others physically but also emotionally. Holy prophet (p.b.u.h),

“ a muslim is one from whose hand and tongue other muslims are safe”

d) Prostration of angels
Allah has given man superiorty over angels and asdked them to prostrate before man as mentioned in the Quran,

“ and remember when he ordered angels to prostrate before adam and all prostrated except iblis”

e) Intellectual abilities:
Allah at multiple places in Quran has stressed upon the intellectual abilities of the man. Surah alaq of quran says,

“read! Read in the name of thy lord. Read and your lord has created you from a clot of blood. and taught you the use of pen and taught man what he knew not”

Surah baqarah says,

“and Allah the exalted taught the names of all things to adam”

f) Purpose of the creation of universe
The creator of the universe, himself acknowledges in the sacred book that the universe was created for man. It says

“ it is HE who has created for you all that is in the earth”

g) Brotherhood:

In the pre Islamic era, society was divided into many sections on the basis of class, caste,colour creed etc. with the advent of islam, such ignoble practices no longer held any ground. Islam does not recognize the division among human beings on the basis of petty issues. In islam, slaves and masters are equal, they offer prayers together in a row, shoulder to shoulder. Anyone from any strata of the society has the right to lead the prayers. This concept of brotherhood is the foundation of human dignity.

h) Equality:

islam does not encourages sex discrimination. It has stressed upon the equality of both the sexes, males and females in terms of religious, political, and social rights quran says about women,

“ and they have rights similar to those of men over them and men are a level above them”

The relatively higher status of man is due to the emotional nature of the fair sex.

i) Will of man: human beings have the characteristic that ALLAH has given them free will. He has given man a guideline and given him the freedom to perform his actions accordingly.


Efforts to maintain human dignity

Till 20th century, little efforts were made to recognize human dignity at the international level. however, in the middle of 20th century, u.n passed a charter which stated

“ we the people of united nation determine to reaffirm fundamental human rights and the dignity and worth of human persons, equality of both male and females and nations larger or smaller”

On the basis of the charter, universal declaration of human rights was passed which stated ,

“ and the recognition of inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of every member of the human family which is the basis of freedom, justice and peace”.

International convention of politics and economics also recognizes human dignity as the basis of human rights. All the world leaders are divided on multitude issues, however they have a unanimous approach towards the concept of human dignity.

Even international financial instituitions stress upon the recognition of human dignity and subsequent human rights. All the regional and global organizations, saarc, asean, E.u stress upon the importance of human rights which is the fruit of seeds of human dignity.

Conclusion: human dignity is of paramount importance. Although many human right activists take the concept for granted and do not consider it worth discussion. The fact remains that it is the recognition of human dignity which leads to the ultimate recognition of human rights. All the countries at national and international level stress upon the importance of the human dignity.

CORRECTION

while answering past paper 2013

you've given the right option as Ghar.e.Hira

where as in 2010,Mcq (XX)

its written as

None of these!

It should be none of these since Ghar-e-Hira is situated in Jabal-e-Noor. It is not the other way round

Western concept of human right, discuss human rights of Islam in the light of the sermon of Hajjatul Widah?

Introduction:

Islam is a divine religion. It is comprehensive and covers all the aspects of an individual’s life ranging from intrapersonal to interpersonal affairs. In islam, rights have been categorized broadly into rights of ALLAH and rights of man. Rights of allah include praying, keeping a fast and making a pilgrimage to the house of ALLAH. rights of men cover the rights of all persons such as spouses, children, parents, other relatives, slaves and even neighbours. Consideration of both types of rights is essential. In fact, at certain places importance of rights of men even override rights of ALLAH. if a person ignores rights of men and just limits himself to the rights of ALLAH, he is not at par with the ordains of islam. Similarly, if a person ignores rights of ALLAH and only performs rights of men, he too is deviating from teachings of islam.

western human rights vs Islamic human rights:

Islamic human rights are aimed at the welfare of an individual, family and even larger society. As a result, islam has laid down rights and responsibilities for human beings towards his family, his relatives and neighbours etc. on the contrary, western human rights focus only on personal welfare. They do not acknowledge any responsibility towards their kindred. This is evident from the attitude forwarded towards parents in both the cultures. ALLAH has mentioned time and again to muslims to be respectful towards their parents as mentioned in surah isra
“ Allah has ordained that you worship none save him and be kind to your parents. If one or both of them grow old then say not a word of contempt”.
Whereas in west, children send their aged parents to old homes.
The western society is based on materialistic approach towards life whereas, the Islamic society focuses on spiritual uplift of an individual. All the acts that may injure any human being such as lies, dishonesty, usury, corruption, are prohibited in islam, whereas they are the very base of the edifice of western culture.

Khutba hijjat ul wida

Holy prophet (p.b.u.h) performed his first and last pilgrimage on 10 A.H. he invited muslms from near and far to accompany him to the holy visit. In Arafat, he delivered a sermon which is known as khutba hijjat ul wida. It is this sermon which is the charter of human rights. Muslim critics believe that the west has begun to grant more rights to the humans following their footsteps. Holy prophet in this sermon granted rights to all human beings irrespective of their caste, creed, status and gender. Some of the important points are mentioned below

Equality of Mankind

“There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab and for a
non-Arab over an Arab, nor for the white over the black nor for the black over the white except in God-conciousness.”

This is in contrast to the western culture that has divided human beings on racial, ethnic and geographical basis. The worst form of the racism in west was the forceable slavery imposed on Africans.

Inviolability of life, honour and property

“O’ people! Verily yor blood, your property and your honour are sacred and inviolable until you appear before your Lord, “

The messenger of Allah in this holy sermon prohibited life, property and honour of every person on another. In west such lofty principle are often ignored. Defamation is frequent. Even if a person wants to file a suit against another person for attack on his honour, he has to first prove himself to be an honourable man. More so, he has to present witnesses that corroborate his accusation: i.e they should verify that he has actually been dishonoured as a result of the insult or attack.

interest

“ Allah has forbidden you to take usury………”

islam has forbidden man from earning money through interest, usury or any unfair means including gambling etc. west on the other hand has no such limitations, rather it encourages its people to indulge in such vices as they are the basis of revenue generation. Recently, it has also started a new tactic of exploitation of poor and developing countries in the name of offering financial aid or loans to them. Such loans are often accompanied with a continuous cycle of ever increasing interest.

Rights of women:

Fear Allah concerning women, for verily you have taken them on the security of Allah and have made their persons lawful unto you by words of Allah.

West although projects itself to be a advocate of women rights and their empowerment, but the fact is the contrary. Women are looked upon as a mere object of sex. A recent study conducted in U.K supports this stance that a majority of the british women complain of being sexually harassed by their co-workers and their supervisors. In addition, the western concept of hiring women at a lower pay than their male counterpart speaks clearly of the “so called rights”.

Institution of marriage:

’ people! Verily you have got certain rights over your women and your
women have certain rights over you. It is your right upon them to honour
their conjugal rights,

Marriage is the basic institution of social life as it marks the very beginning of a family unit. Islam has ordained muslim men and women not to defile and pollute their marriage bed. On the contrary, in west both young men and women have affairs. They have made a mockery of the institution of marriage. Illegitimate children are an order of the day.

Kindness towards slaves

And your slaves; see that you feed them with such food as you eat yourselves, and clothe them with the clothes that you
yourselves wear.

the institution of slavery in islam is as old as in other cultures and civilization, yet islam was the only religion to ensure human rights for even slaves. In u.s, in 1957 dred scott decision was passed which refused the right of petition to African slaves on the ploy that they were not to be considered humans and therefore not American citizens.

.Issue of descent

O’ people! Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, has ordained to every one his
due share (of inheritance). Hence there is no need (of special) testament
for an heir

The concept of a will of testament in west has stirred the sentiments of acrimony, animosity and bitterness amongst the legal heirs of the deceased. Allah is the creator of the universe and he knows well the responsibilities and rights a person can and should exhibit.

Obedience of Ameer

O’ people! Listen and obey, though a mangled Abyssinian slave is appointed
your Amir, provided he executes (the Ordinance of) the Book of Allah among you.

In west, religion and state operate independently which is in contrast to the Islamic concept of state and religion being one.

Conclusion: khutba hijjat ul wida was the very first charter on human rights which granted rights to all the members of society , family, relatives, neighbours and even slaves. At the same time, it encourages human beings to observe equality and not to feel superior or inferior to anyone. It also discourages human beings from engaging in methods involving deceit, corruption etc.

explicit the topic, in western society first constitution was carved in 1210 in shape of magna carta , the basic essence of this constitution was protection of fundamental human rights .in 1948 , united nation convention on human rights guarantees personal liberty and freedom in every sphere of society , contrarily , Islam gave protection about 1400 bc in the sermon of Holy prophet (PBUH). that sermon was guarantor of basic human rights .

also mention point relating to unlimited freedoms and liberties have deformed the western society and its culture . This society basis in capitalism . western economic system has enslaved its citizen into interest and bankruptcy . Currently < every american citizen is under debt of federal reserve . in individual freedom , integrity of western women is not saved . she is vulnerable to rape . In clubs , women are prone to prostitution for some dollar . Men involve in alcohol , gambling (casino ) and interest lending . It is the chicken comes to home roost . one point to mention , the system relates to individual affairs . what is happening in euro crisis , Athens melt down in europe, and world economic crisis of 2012 . some what , current political trend relates with fundamental rights .