THE power of the minbar (pulpit) in Muslim societies such as ours is considerable. For whatever flows from this source is heard with rapt attention and largely accepted as true by most believers. Hence the responsibility of the sahib-i-minbar (one who occupies the pulpit) is immense.

While local society may be composed of people with varying degrees of involvement in religious activities, it can safely be assumed that a large number of Muslims in Pakistan attend the mosque at least once a week, to offer Friday prayers. And with the khutbah (sermon) being an integral component of Friday prayers, the imam-i-jummah (who leads Friday prayers) or khateeb (who may also deliver sermons on other occasions) has a large, captive audience.

Considering this, the Friday sermon can be instrumental in changing society and inculcating ethical values amongst the believers. Even if worshippers act upon a percentage of what they hear in the sermon, visible changes can occur in society. But for that to happen preachers must plan their sermons in such a way that the khutbah identifies society’s many ills and, more importantly, proposes ways inspired by Islamic tradition to find a way out of the moral darkness that has enveloped us.

What is usually addressed in the Friday sermon? In most mosques the imam dilates on certain Quranic verses while punctuating the sermon with hadith, often citing examples from the early Islamic era. Yet while citing from these sacred sources is perfectly fine, perhaps not many preachers make an attempt to link tradition with solutions to address modern man’s problems.

Perhaps we forget that the Holy Quran was not revealed for a certain time or for a certain people, but to address mankind’s spiritual and existential issues across the limited boundaries of time and space. It is this disconnect between Islam’s eternal message and the content of most Friday sermons that the learned men of religion need to address.

The sermon can be an essential tool for the character building of society. It is important to address theological and philosophical issues, but preachers should not forget
the people’s problems while addressing believers. Society is brimming with issues that need attention. Seemingly small problems, if regularly highlighted, can lead to big changes.

For example, despite Islam’s focus on personal hygiene and an environment free of all sorts of pollution, our streets and neighbourhoods overflow with filth and garbage.
If khateebs constantly exhort their flocks to make an effort to keep their homes and neighbourhoods clean, people may go the extra mile to do so considering it a religious duty.

Similarly, despite Islam’s insistence on education for all — men and women, rich and poor — we as a society do not value knowledge and revel in ignorance. If our scholars use Friday sermons to send clear messages to the faithful that educating themselves and their children is a religious requirement, perhaps it may change attitudes. To paraphrase a renowned hadith, knowledge has been equated with life and ignorance with death.

There are countless other questions that can be addressed through the pulpit within the Islamic framework which can be instrumental in changing society. These include respect for women, problems of the youth, treating others with empathy and respect, eliminating ethnic discord, how to raise responsible children etc. Islam provides a wide array of tools for character building. It is up to the men of religion and society as a whole to properly employ different tools in different situations.

Perhaps the root of the problem is selecting the right candidate for the right job. Unfortunately, while there are notable exceptions, many of those who occupy the pulpit across Pakistan may not be qualified to bear the heavy responsibility the minbar demands. After all, preaching has become a profession and unfortunately in many instances preachers lack the broader vision the Quran and the Prophet’s (PBUH) tradition seek to give man.

What, then, are the qualities one who occupies the minbar should possess? The base should be impeccable character fused with a firm knowledge of faith and the religious sciences. But it does not stop there. A truly progressive and socially conscious khateeb should be a capable public speaker, able to use the nuances and subtleties of language to effectively communicate the message.

A thorough knowledge of history should be an added bonus, for Muslims do not live in a bubble and should be aware of the changes the world has gone through both before and since the final revelation. Also, the khateeb must have a working knowledge of sociology in order to addresses society’s myriad problems.

But perhaps the most important prerequisite for a khateeb must be hikmah (wisdom), as explained in verse 125 of Surah al-Nahl. Wisdom cannot be learnt in a university or a college, in a madressah or jamea. Academic training is important, but perhaps wisdom is received after studying the book of life, ultimately depending on the Almighty and following the Prophet’s tradition.

It may be a tall order but if our society is to be reformed, responsible and socially aware khateebs must occupy our pulpits, from plush air-conditioned mosques to more modest set-ups in villages and katchi abadis. Mosque boards and trusts must primarily take up this responsibility.

Preaching must focus on societal reform and harmony. Those who preach hate and fan the flames of difference must not be let anywhere close to the minbar. Only by placing capable individuals on the pulpit can we hope to change society for the better and stem the further spread of the poison of sectarian and communal hatred.

The writer is a member of staff.

THE capacity for learning is one of the distinct gifts bestowed upon human beings. It is because of this capacity that humans have contributed to civilisation through continuous reflection, exploration and discovery.

This curiosity for learning and construction of knowledge has today led human beings to the concept of a ‘knowledge society’.

Historically, it is evident that the societies that valued knowledge and provided an encouraging environment to learners excelled in the construction and contribution of knowledge. Consequently, such a culture led those societies to progress in different aspects of life.

Islam has put significant emphasis on learning and seeking knowledge. For instance, in the Holy Quran seeking knowledge is considered khairan kathir (abundant good) and human beings are encouraged repeatedly to reflect on and understand the mysterious world.

Similarly, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) has termed seeking knowledge obligatory upon every Muslim man and woman and guided them to attain knowledge from the cradle to the grave. In short, there are abundant examples in the teachings of Islam that lay stress on learning and acquiring knowledge.

For Muslims, such teachings have been the major impetus for acquiring knowledge and for intellectual discourse. It was because of this motivation that in the formative period of Islam Muslim societies started to thrive due to the thirst for diverse knowledge.

In the 9th-10th centuries Muslim societies excelled in different fields of knowledge such as theology, philosophy, science, art and architecture etc. Those developments are viewed as a treasured contribution of Muslims towards human civilisation.

This conducive environment for learning helped Muslim societies in nurturing extremely dynamic individuals and establishing some highly vibrant centres of learning in cities such as Baghdad and Cairo.

In the early period of Islam Muslim societies were comparatively flexible in studying diverse perspectives. Society then was also considerably open to learning from other cultures. For example, at that period Greek philosophy and science were given substantial attention. The books of Greek scholars and intellectuals were translated into Arabic and conscious efforts were made to reconcile them with Islamic thought.

This tendency of attaining knowledge from diverse sources helped Muslims cultivate an atmosphere where knowledge was constructed and contributed to the larger society.

Today, many Muslim societies such as Pakistan are facing acute challenges in educating their citizens and contributing to knowledge. For example, in Pakistan the literacy rate is comparatively low if compared to neighbouring countries. According to a report around 25 million children are out of school, hence Pakistan will not be able to fulfil its commitment of providing primary education for all children by 2015.

Of the children who do go to school, most of them do not get the opportunity to actualise their potential and develop their competencies. As a result, poor performance can be observed in different spheres of life in the country.

Furthermore, universities are generally considered places from where knowledge is generated and contributed to society. However, it is discouraging to note that not a single university from the Muslim world comes in the top 100 universities of the world; very few are included in the leading 500. However, a few countries like Turkey and Malaysia are making conscious efforts to improve the quality of higher education.

Why does this situation prevail in the Muslim world? There can be many reasons for this disparity. First, it is evident that political will plays a vital role in enhancing the cause of education in any society. However, in many Muslim countries including Pakistan, education has never been the priority of successive governments. No political party or government has shown true commitment to the cause of education. Historically, various education policies have been developed but they have never been implemented properly.

Secondly, the collective mind/attitude also plays a very important role in learning and acquiring knowledge. In many Muslim societies memorisation and rote learning are considered effective methods of learning. Reflective and critical thinking have not been given due importance in the process of education. Such an attitude towards learning does not help society develop inquisitive minds.

Furthermore, dividing knowledge into different categories, such as religious and non-religious or ‘ours’ and ‘others’, limits the learners’ capacity for looking at diverse perspectives. At times religious knowledge is viewed as superior and other scientific knowledge is considered less important. Such an approach shapes an attitude of rigidness and an environment of stagnation.

Looking at this situation, Muslim societies today require serious reflection on the challenges they face regarding learning and education. They need to re-examine their beliefs and reconcile them with the Islamic values concerning learning.

They must learn from the formative period of Islam how Muslims of that era were able to be open to different perspectives and to generate and contribute to the human civilisation’s wealth of knowledge.

In short, no society can progress without education and seeking knowledge. Islam clearly stresses upon learning and, by making it obligatory, values the seeking of knowledge.

The writer is an educator.

muhammad.ali075@yahoo.com

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"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

Quarrelsome behaviour

Amin Valliani


WE see no time in human history devoid of wars and killing. Human history is full of such events. Every nation takes pride in its heroes who fought wars against its enemies. But the question is: why do humans fight and kill each other?

The above question invites us to think about the root causes. Humans live in societies. They are different from each other in many ways such as habits, thoughts, interests and perceptions etc. These differences propel people to struggle for self-assertion and can lead to confrontation, intolerance and violence. Parochial thinking and egoism also create bad blood among different sections of the population.

Some people remain unhappy with the existing conditions of their societies; they feel deprived, mistreated and marginalised, which leads to confrontation and rocks society as a whole. Such societies are more vulnerable to frequent clashes and conflicts.

The Holy Quran highlights this issue. It says “…But man is more quarrelsome than anything” (18:54). This means that every human being has a natural tendency to quarrel. Quarrels start when a person, in response to some grievances, entertains grudges against others and feels indignation, followed by vengeful thinking.

Thereafter, a stage is reached when interaction between individuals touches the point of irrationality. It is amply proved in history that the spirit of revenge has resulted in horrid enmity, driving people to take up arms.

Vengeful thinking damages society at large. Therefore, a civilised society tries to nip vengeful thinking in the bud. It provides many avenues where one can vent one’s frustrations and seek redress and justice.

Islam abhors violent and quarrelsome behaviour in society. It urges Muslims to solve their disputes through reconciliation, mediation, negotiations and other ‘soft’ means of conflict resolution. It warns believers that the devil sows disagreement among them (17:53).

In this connection, we find numerous examples in the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) which promote compromise and mutual concession in order to build friendship and confidence.

One such example is the incident of when the repair and renovation of the Holy Kaaba was over; a serious quarrel arose as to who was entitled to put the Hijr-i-Aswad (black stone) back in its place. Leaders of many Makkan clans were in dispute, each claiming the honour and the right to set the stone back in its place. There was an impasse, which was solved with the Prophet’s humane and intellectual approach.

It was suggested that the first person to arrive at the Kaaba the next morning would have the right to put the stone back. As it occurred the Holy Prophet was the first to arrive at the Kaaba, but he wished to share the privilege. He spread a sheet of cloth, put the Hijr-i-Aswad in the middle and asked all the leaders to hold the sides together and thus carried the stone back to its place.

In several places the Quran refers to solving disputes amicably, calling upon the disputing parties to forgive, for to forgive is ennobling. It enjoins believers to “…do good as Allah has been good to you. …” (28:77). It states that “Believers are brothers. So make reconciliation between your brothers and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy” (49:10). Islam commends those who forgive peoples’ mistakes and do not hold grudges.

However, conflict is a necessary part of life. And resolving conflict is one of the most difficult areas of human endeavour, but not something impossible. Every conflict is resolvable through negotiations if conducted in a spirit of openness, firmness and willingness to accept the ground realities.

Parties need to abjure the use of force, intimidation, rigidity, intransigence and uncompromising attitudes in settling disputes, as these are the biggest obstructions while fluidity paves the way to settlement. These are some basic requirements of resolving conflicts, but each conflict has a unique history with unique characteristics.

Each party to the conflict has its own concerns and fears. The challenge is to find the right inducement to draw the parties off the battlefield and into the negotiating room. The success of negotiations is often attributed to the readiness of parties to exploit opportunities, confront hard choices and make fair and mutual concessions.

It is very unfortunate that the Muslim ummah, during the last many centuries, has seen numerous conflicts turn ugly causing disunity, mistrust, discontent and unhappiness in its ranks. These have prevented smooth development and caused us to remain backwards. Centuries-old issues lurch back to life every now and then causing tensions.

It is a fact that the world will never be free from disputes and differences. But the need of the hour is to promote pluralism — to coexist in spite of differences. There are divergent views even in a family, so the nation at large must consider it a strength rather than a weakness.

Modern man needs to embrace diversity and curb all the irritants that cause differences to turn into animosity and bloodshed. Many disputes erupt due to hearsay and the Holy Book enjoins us to verify before taking any action (49:6). We should keep our faith in Allah’s promise that He “will judge you on the Day of Resurrection about that wherein you used to differ” (22:69).

Equally, it is necessary to inculcate sound ethics in the younger generation so that disputes can be solved with broad-mindedness. Those who live by the sword often die by the sword. Violence breeds misery and ruin. Therefore, in the modern era, one must seek peaceful means of solving disputes.

The writer is an educationist.

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If you tremble with indignation at every injustice then you are a comrade of mine.(Che Guevara)

OUR age needs to rediscover the lost cultural resonance with the revealed words of God, which were spoken to the human species by a series of chosen prophets.

It has become ever more pertinent to reconnect with this common heritage of prophetic wisdom from all religious traditions of the world. This is a curious soul’s well-justified need based upon the past 300 years of man’s misconstrued historical progress modelled after a materialistic heaven on earth.

One can visibly see the social devastation gradually unleashed by the forces of unabated materialism on human cultures, on nature and on the earth in general.

What were the common attributes of the great prophets of the past? Firstly, they all were deeply connected with God. They showed a method to all human beings for an inward connectivity with God. They taught that an inner discovery of God can be witnessed if one knows how to invoke divine mercy.

The method these prophets taught was prayer and hymn. They taught men and women to call out to God at every instant of their lives, over and above the specific times of prayer and worship. The prophets taught everyone to look into the mechanisms of one’s ego. The application of this simple reflective technique would reveal the beauty of God.

The Quran has testified to this inner psychological connectivity when it states that God is nearer to man than his jugular vein.

The second attribute common to all the prophets and wise men was their unanimous and unequivocal refutation of evil and a programme for a simple, moral life.

Just look at the life of Gautama Buddha. He laid the foundations of a simple life. He advised his disciples not to harm any living creature on earth, plants and insects included, take care of fellow human beings and spend a life of reflection, self-control and meditation.

Now look at the life of Prophet Moses. He challenged the tyrannical rule of the pharaoh over Bani Israel. He asked the pharaoh to stop his atrocities and injustices targeting the Children of Israel otherwise he would face dire consequences. Moses was successful in achieving liberation for his tribe, who were suffering under the slavery of an unjust Egyptian king.

Moses always asked his people to pray to God, eat permissible food and be kind to parents. The great prophet would ask his tribesmen to engage in prayers at home and invoke the glorious names of God day and night.

Now just reflect on the words “jugular vein” employed in the Quranic verse. These are symbolic in both meaning and context. The safety and continuity of human life depends upon the healthy functioning of the jugular vein. Similarly, the spiritual and psychological sustainability of a person totally depends upon inner reflection on God.

The inner peace and harmony which has disappeared from contemporary civilisation can be restored if mankind could find its lost jugular vein, which is nothing else but a reflective reunion with our inner essence.

The revealed words of the Quran with which it opens its discourse with human beings are Bismillah ir Rahman ir Raheem, (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful). The Holy Book introduces human beings to a God who is merciful and kind and closer to his soul than his jugular vein. These are the two defining attributes of God’s ‘personality’ in the Quran. In Surah al-Anam, God says that He has “prescribed mercy for Himself”. On the basis of the scholarly authority of Shaikh Abdul Qadir Gilani in his book Ghuniya-tu-Talibeen (the objective of seekers), a hadith has been narrated by him, in which the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has reportedly said that this single verse of the Quran was brought to him by the archangel Gabriel who was accompanied by a procession of 75,000 angels brightly dressed in divine light.

Therefore, anyone hoping to seek God inwardly must invoke His infinite mercy and boundless generosity. All worldly mercies and generosities shown by human beings to each other are nothing but the smallest drop taken from the boundless ocean of divine mercy.

These inspired words of the Quran teach us a simple reflective psychological technique to uncover the centre of our soul. Once one gets access to the centre of one’s soul, one becomes quiet and calm and is in harmony with one’s inner world. All historical contradictions and psychological conflicts evaporate into thin air.

The symbol of the jugular vein tellingly uncovers our biological programming to us. It exposes the biological necessity to connect our egos spiritually with God. The symbol of the jugular vein tells us that God has not abandoned us. One can rely in one’s moments of joy and crisis, in rejection, in loss and loneliness, only on God. That calling out to Him and Him alone, incessantly, repeatedly, purifies us.

Then why run after the optical illusion of an earthly heaven, populated with the idols of greed, vulgarity, falsehood, lust and inequality?

Prophetic wisdom is nothing else but a lost treasure of mankind. It has never left the human ego because of its unique biological programming of being closest to and nearest to God.

The smoke of greed, which has been rising from the chimneys of technological civilisation for the last 300 years, has just marred this inner mirror. The mirror is there, the light is there. We need to take a small first step and see the difference.

The writer is a social scientist based at the University of Management and Technology, Lahore.

ahmadelia@gmail.com

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"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

HUMAN dignity has been one of the central themes in Islamic teachings. Islam has given a distinct position to humanity by viewing humans as the noblest of creatures and man as the vicegerent of God on earth.

According to the Holy Quran, human beings have been inspired by the divine spirit, therefore their status is unique among the creatures (38:72). In another verse human dignity is affirmed very explicitly: “We have honoured the sons of Adam … and conferred on them special favours above a great part of Our Creation” (17:70).

There are numerous examples in the Quran which highlight the high status of human beings and stress on upholding it. From the teachings of Islam it is revealed that the divine spark is present in every human; however, it needs an enabling society to ignite it.

Islam has identified different aspects of human life which are considered crucial for maintaining human dignity. To uplift humanity, multidimensional efforts are required in order to develop the multiple facets of human life such as the physical/economic, intellectual, social/ethical and spiritual aspects.

In the Quran and the teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), helping the less privileged and the weak is constantly underlined. According to the eminent Muslim scholar Dr Fazlur Rahman, the Holy Prophet’s fundamental effort was to reduce the social and economic injustices prevalent in society in order to uphold human dignity.

The sense of deprivation affects human self-worth and drags it to the lowest level. It is evident that poverty limits human potential in many ways. For example, sometimes it compels a person to indulge in crime.

Islam has given high value to human life and health. It has put significant emphasis on caring for the sick and disabled and articulated it as a duty. Good health is termed a divine gift.

The sanctity of human life is highlighted by equating the saving of one life with the saving of all of humanity (5:32). Similarly, according to a hadith “God has sent down a treatment for every ailment”. Hence good health is very crucial for holistic human development.

The intellectual dimension of human beings is constantly highlighted in Islamic teachings. The Holy Quran has reinforced the concept of human beings using their intellect and reflecting on the mysterious creations of God. Education and seeking knowledge are viewed as important to develop the intellectual capacity of human beings.

Therefore, in Islam seeking knowledge is viewed as abundantly good and it is obligatory for every Muslim to seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.

In the Islamic tradition, knowledge has been viewed as light, ignorance as darkness. When the human being is not developed through education then ignorance prevails. Consequently, the individual as well as society suffers.

Spiritual uplift is viewed as a very important area for human development. Human beings are a combination of the body and the soul. Hence we are linked to the Creator while we have an association with fellow beings and other creatures.

According to Islamic teachings for spiritual development, one has to strengthen both relationships. To strengthen the bonds with the Creator one needs worship, and to strengthen the relationship with fellow human beings one needs to fulfil his or her social responsibilities.

The ethical/social dimension is viewed as a very important aspect of human development. It is directly linked to other dimensions of life such as physical, intellectual and spiritual development. Hence, Islam stresses on fulfilling the social/ethical responsibilities for balanced, holistic development of the human being.

To realise the multiple dimensions of human beings, it requires a society that provides opportunity for people to nurture and actualise their gifted potential and use it for the benefit of society.

Developing an enabling society for the people is closely related to good governance and leadership. According to Islamic thought, governance and leadership mean not just to rule but to create an environment where the human potential can be actualised and used for the benefit of society. Therefore, the Holy Prophet envisioned and strived for a society that could help nurture human potential.

Today, many Muslim countries like Pakistan, unfortunately, face huge challenges in human development in terms of poverty, ignorance, corruption etc. For example, in Pakistan a large percentage of people are living below the poverty line. Proper healthcare facilities are not available for a large number of people. Due to different forms of violence, human lives are lost. This situation affects the lives of nearly all the people in the county.

Similarly, the literacy rate of Pakistan is said to be not more than 56 per cent; this means that nearly half of the population is illiterate. According to one report, more than 25 million children are not attending school and as for the students who go to public schools, most of them are not provided the opportunity to develop their potential.

Furthermore, corruption is another big problem in society. Also, spirituality is sometimes viewed only as performing some religious rituals and the moral/ethical aspect is not reflected in society.

In such a situation, the dignity of the human being, as envisioned by Islam, seems like a major challenge. Hence, serious reflection is required particularly on governance and leadership practices in order to develop a society that can help the people actualise their gifted potential in order to uphold the dignity of human life.

The writer is an educator.

muhammad.ali075@yahoo.com

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"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

26.04.2013
SECTS and sectarianism have been an enigma for almost all world religions, and the cause of much strife. Almost all religions comprise sects and sub-sects, which appear to be a historical phenomenon, quite common across history.

More often than not, sects and sectarianism have posed a great challenge to world faiths, leading often to intellectual debates but also to physical entanglement.

So if this is a historical fact, is there a way to approach this problem more constructively? Or do we have to continue to fight for another millennium over these issues?

Historically, sects have been seen as anathema to a faith/community, and therefore as a negative development. In the postmodern world, however, there is an alternative approach that focuses on multiple narratives rather than focusing on one standardised view of a set of interpretations taken from a certain period of time.

In the postmodern world, alternative or multiple interpretations of basic beliefs, tenets of faith, values, rituals, cultures and histories are seen as the richness of faith, not as a weakness. People having different interpretations are not hated but appreciated, encouraged to coexist and even celebrated.

If we were to take the word ‘sect’ to mean deviation or heterodoxy, it would lead us to a totally different attitude. For a long time in history, this attitude has often prevailed. This is one more reason why sectarian fighting has been taking place among different groups.

As a consequence of this attitude, one sect claims the ‘ultimate truth’ or having God only on its side or only their party going to paradise and the rest destined for hell.
Members of one’s own sect are commonly seen as ‘brothers’ in faith and the ‘others’ as enemies.

Such attitudes then regard the interpretations held by others as ‘deviant’ or ‘heterodox’ (deviating from the ‘true’ faith). This attitude may be called sectarianism or communalism. The key features of this attitude may include exclusivity and a ‘win-lose’ attitude.

The other attitude, in which other sects are seen as having an ‘alternative’ belief or opinion (unless they are extremists or militants, hell-bent on destruction), leads to a positive approach towards the ‘other’.

One of the words used to refer to sects in Muslim societies has been firqa, which literally means a branch. This is a powerful metaphor, connoting a branch of a giant tree.

A gigantic tree is expected to have numerous branches as it grows further. Similarly, a rich faith or tradition is always potent with numerous interpretations. Any tradition having only one interpretation for centuries will be a very poor tradition. Unity in this context is not necessarily a good quality of the tree; in fact it can be a debatable one.

This metaphor works beautifully when seen in the context of great world religions which have tended to be split, acquiring multiple interpretations, each one rich in its own way. Many Muslim thinkers and mystics have grappled with this question of unity and diversity in Muslim societies with immense wisdom. Rumi has addressed this issue in multiple ways. In the Mathnavi he uses the metaphor of an elephant and blind men to help us appreciate how human experiences can be subjective and therefore the need to respect others’ experiences and their interpretations.

The world of scholarship, fortunately, is moving towards understanding sectarian divisions, (not sectarianism), in a positive vein. Many scholars are building bridges among communities and across communities, and even across civilisations by initiating meaningful dialogue through analysing histories and traditions in a way that promotes better understanding among members of the same faith or across faiths. Dr Farhad Daftary, a renowned contemporary Muslim scholar, rightly regards the ummah as “communities of interpretations”. He argues that these communities are entertaining differing interpretations of the same faith due to many factors including historical, political, economic and cultural.

For one reason or another, a community has been holding an interpretation of its own background, but within the same faith. So, instead of seeing this diversity as a blessing, for reasons political, economic, racial and parochial, the diversity of interpretations has been regarded as something bad. We know what consequences this attitude has had.

Yet the notion of pluralism is, happily, gaining momentum and brings with it greater promise of avoiding clashes among sects or religions by ending ignorance.

For centuries, communal wars among communities have taken a huge toll on human life and it would be a pity if we were to continue to fight over interpretations of the same or other faiths. Communities, rather, should come together to solve their problems by pooling their resources to help raise the standard of life of their people.

There is indeed hope as we see today many people working across communities and borders without letting their sectarian interpretations become an obstacle.

In sum, sects have been an integral part of Muslim societies for over 14 long centuries. We cannot just wish them away. What we need to do is to look at them with a positive attitude which may lead us to be inclusive and respectful of the multiple interpretations of the Muslim faith.

What needs to be discouraged, however, is sectarianism, which often leads us to exclusiveness, arrogance and violence against those who happen to have a different interpretation of faith.

The writer teaches Histories and Cultures of Muslim Societies at a private university in Pakistan.

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"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

OUR lives today are totally different from the lives of our elders a few decades ago. Their lives were mostly connected to and dependent on nature.

Senior citizens often recall their past days of simplicity when society was not driven by materialism and selfishness. They were unaware of problems of today`s life like loadshedding, gas shortage, CNG crisis etc. They were free to move about at night without having to fear street crime and mafias. In short, they were more content with their lives.

With the dawn of modernisation and urbanisation the old living patterns have been broken. Modernisation has many positive elements, but it has some negative aspects also. These have spread across many societies with adverse and serious consequences on the social, health and economic aspects of life.

Among the negative aspects of modernisation is consumerism, which means buying beyond one`s needs. People buy things not keeping in view their genuine needs but on impulse, just to satiate their desires. Many well-off people flaunt their riches by indulging in consumerism. They frequently change their home furniture, appliances, jewellery and cars without taking into consideration the necessity of doing so.

They hang out in eateries and consume sumptuous meals on a regular basis. Food is a basic human necessity but devouring lavish food on a regular basis is an extravagance. Weddings can last for days with much fanfare. Slick TV commercials also bewitch many people by promoting a luxurious, ostentatious style of living.

As a corollary, people indulge in the rat race of accumulating more money, even through illegal means. Some also allow themselves to get caught in the vicious cycle of borrowing money on high rates of interest. All this makes life more perplexing.

No doubt money is a must for living a quality life, but it should not become an overarching force.

An opulent lifestyle based on extensive consumerism bodes ill for any society. Therefore, serious efforts are required to simplify lifestyles.Islam does not favour excessive materialism or extravagance. In this respect the Holy Quran describes various attributes for believers such as: `And those who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor niggardly, but hold a medium (way) between those (extremes) (25:67).

People are endowed with intellect therefore they are masters of their lives. They are free to lead life as they wish but Islam gives some value-laden directions to have contentment and happiness. Islam does not like those who amass wealth and indulge in ostentation. For example the Quran says `...But the mercy of your Lord is better than the (wealth) which they amass (43:32)`.

In the national context, it is on record that Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, in his speech at Ziarat in 1948, lamented the spending habits of the subcontinent`s Muslims.

He said: `We Musalmans in general and young men in particular do not know the value of money. A paisa saved today is two paisa tomorrow, four paisa after that and so on and so forth. Because of our addiction to living beyond means and borrowing money, we lost our sovereignty over this subcontinent.

Consumerism also risks human health. It generates continuous mental agony and destroys peace of mind. It compels people to remain engaged in an unceasing struggle to make money. This artificial lifestyle leads towards a conflicting situation within families resulting in the loss of happiness, love and affinity.

Health and peace of mind should take precedence over the things money can buy. One must remember that hard-earned money can change people`s lives in a positive manner but illgotten money plays havoc with society. Unbridled pelf destroys the social fabric of society and damages the moral integrity of people. It makes people self-centred and callous to others` needs, thereby increasing the gulf between the haves and havenots.

We live in a world consumed with consumption but people are beginning to realise that pleasure through shopping is a losing proposition. There is more to life than the latest expensive gadgets, fancy clothes and luxury cars. Buying on impulse should be avoided.

It is a matter of reflection for everyone to see what constitutes our genuine needs and how to have a good grip on finances. Sometimes, people are affected by others`lavish ways of living, which they try to imitate.

We are living in an era of economic crisis. This requires us to be more cautious on an individual level to control the cost of living.

A glamorous lifestyle may be a recipe for bankruptcy. The present world population has crossed seven billion people and is growing. Hence, one of the major problems the world is likely to face is the management of resources and controlling the over-consumption of resources.

Feeding the growing population would be a marathon task for future governments. Therefore, wasting food makes no sense economically, environmentally and ethically. Similarly, the aging population is also growing. People live longer but their working life is not increasing. They want financial security during their retirement years.

Ideally everyone should try to save as much as they can. This would benefit people in their retirement days.

• The writer is an educationist.

10.05.2013

The wisdom of Adam
By Ahmad Raza

ADAM is the archetypal man on earth. He is considered to be the first prophet and deputy (khalifatullah) of the Almighty on earth. The mention of Adam in the Quran is episodic.

The first part is concerned with the balanced organisation of his biological structure by God. The material used for this purpose is referred to as mud, clay or dust (teen in Arabic).
According to the Quranic discourse, God applied His own hands to construct the face of Adam.

Once the biological structure was proportionally put in place by God, He then breathed His soul into the tangible physical structure. This brought Adam to life.

The second episode is concerned with the proclamation of Adam’s superiority over the creatures of light and fire (malaika and jinn). These creatures were asked to prostrate (offer sajda) to Adam as a token of recognising his superior knowledge.

The malaika (angels) objected to the Almighty’s choice for Adam’s deputyship on earth but were satisfied when Adam displayed his superior knowledge to them on God’s command. So they all prostrated before Adam in the Divine assembly except one, a jinn described as Shaitan and Iblees in the Quran. He refused to prostrate.

God asked him why he did not prostrate, to which Iblees replied that he was superior to Adam as God had created Adam from mud and himself from fire. Hence Iblees was asked to leave the Divine assembly. But Iblees was cunning. He begged God for an immortal life to mislead and misguide the children of Adam, except those who protect themselves from his devilish allure. Hence Iblees was granted limited immortality to misguide Adam and his progeny.

The third episode took place in the life of Adam after his proclamation of deputyship in the Divine assembly. This was the intrusion of Iblees in heaven, into the blissful life of Adam and Eve, who had been living there in a state of internal peace and harmony. They were closer to the angelic existence and were both still unaware of the biological and sexual desire present in their bodily system. They were also informed not to go close to the ‘forbidden tree’ and save themselves from Divine displeasure.

But Iblees was cunning enough to approach them. He allured them with his sweet rhetoric, telling them they were restrained from tasting the fruit of the forbidden tree so that they may not be able to attain angelic existence or an immortal life. They were tempted by Satan’s narrative and tasted the fruit of the forbidden tree.

Hitherto hidden biological and sexual desires overcame them. They simply disobeyed and lost their pure state of existence in heaven. Iblees was very happy at this great achievement and thought he was successful in failing the Divine choice of Adam as deputy. This episode, however, laid a permanent foundation of a dialectical struggle between the children of Adam and the offspring of Satan on earth.

Adam needs to rediscover his lost purity on earth. Meanwhile, Satan and his progeny continue with their evil ways to stop him from attaining lost immortality. Adam and Eve were sent to earth to restructure their lost purity and immortality by invoking the names of God, the Merciful and Forgiving.

Iblees was, however, unaware of Adam’s superior knowledge and his ingrained ability to seek forgiveness (tawba) for his misdeeds. The act of seeking forgiveness from God purifies the transgressor.

The essential difference between a satanic and human act lies in the fact that man revisits his mistakes and sins and repents. God loves those who repent and forgives them because of His innate and infinite mercy. In this way Adam and his children on earth became symbols of hope and good.

Those who do not revisit and repent their misdeeds are following the path of Satan. They are the symbols of darkness, despair, tyranny and evil. All evil and disorder on earth is perpetrated by these evil, satanic forces.

The touchstone to differentiate the children of Adam and the followers of Satan is very simple. The children of Adam seek forgiveness and amend their mistakes. They seek purity of thought and action. They are those, as mentioned in the hadith, who do not harm other human beings by their hand and tongue. On the other hand, the tribe of Satan thrives on plunder, killing, hatred, disorder and death. They indulge in orgies of destruction every day. They plan day and night to ruin the peace of cities. God and the Prophet (PBUH) have shown their displeasure towards those who perpetrate evil in the peaceful cities.

The satanic forces would invite you day and night to lead an immoral life. They would create fear in you to submit to evil and immoral commands.

In fact one aspect of our civilisation is an abundance of fear. We are driven by fear to blind obedience. For example some of our teachers lash out at us if we question them while our politicians tell us to obey them or else. Hence fear is a weapon.

The writer is a social scientist based at the University of Management and Technology, Lahore.
ahmadelia@gmail.com

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"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

17.05.2013

‘Muslim’ vs ‘Islamic’
By Jan-e-Alam Khaki

WHEN writing about the history of Muslims or history of issues related to Muslim societies, there is nowadays a tendency to call this entire area of study ‘Islamic’ without much thought as to the use of this important epithet.

For example, in modern times, particularly in the Indian subcontinent, there is a strong tendency to call all Muslim histories ‘Islamic history’. Noted scholars have contested this subtle subversion leading to radicalisation or to an attitude that is characterised by exclusivist tendencies.

Interestingly enough, when classical historians wrote histories, they tended to use more neutral titles than ‘Islamic’ or even ‘Muslim’ in their history texts.

For example, the pioneering historian Ibn Ishaq termed his history book Kitabul Magazi al-Nabawiyya (The Book of Wars of the Prophet PBUH) without the use of the word ‘Islami’ or ‘Muslim’.

Similarly, take the example of Al Baladhuri’s Ta’reekh al-Buldaan. It translates as ‘The conquests of cities’ not ‘The Islamic conquests of cities’. These and many other examples of history texts tend to demonstrate that historians were very careful about how to title their works and showed great care in making these decisions.

However, in contemporary times, particularly in the Indian subcontinent, there has developed a tendency to show all caliphs and sultans, governors and generals as ‘Islamic’ heroes.
This leads us to ask: what exactly is the difference between calling something/somebody Islamic or Muslim? And how does this make a difference?

Islamic denotes something/ somebody as mandated by Islam or having Islamic credentials to reflect Islamic character. The word Muslim, on the other hand, denotes an individual who happens to be a Muslim. It does not show what that individual did that was Islamic.

What this does is that it allows historians and scientists to be relatively free to discuss, examine and judge that person’s acts of commission and omission. When a strong epithet of Islamic is added to a concept or a person, it immediately exalts the entity to a ‘sacred’ status and makes it difficult if not impossible to examine it/him/her critically, using or applying the conventions of historical analysis/critical discourse analysis.

Interestingly enough, now this epithet (Islamic) is being used with so many personalities or concepts that practically anything done by a Muslim ‘hero’ or a ruler becomes sanctified and he/she becomes infallible. This appears quite contrary to the historical epochs that we call formative.

Even the common man or woman would question the caliph(s) about the truthfulness or otherwise of their actions. We see a different practice there. In earlier times, they used more natural, non-judgmental, non-religious and neutral terms to denote and describe the important personalities of their age or what they did.

Many notable writers have argued that by having a tendency to refer to acts by Muslims as Islamic justifies what they did and sanctions the act in religious terms, which creates many historical and intellectual problems.

Also, it is argued that this approach has tended to develop myths about history and historical personalities. Often, this tendency leads to an approach of ‘everything being perfect’. What then happens is that a set of myths are developed around a set of propositions or personalities that shroud and conceal the truth.

Particularly, history as a science of study of the past becomes a casualty because the study of history in such approaches then becomes more or less theology, or even may turn out to be devotional literature, having no characteristics of history.

This tends to lead to a loss of status for history, leading to loss of trust in the writer. History, among other things, is all about examining, critically analysing and studying the events or personalities of the past in a scientific way.

It is, therefore, no surprise that many of the scholarly students of history at advanced levels of their training tend to prefer more ‘serious’ historical literature mostly written in the academically advanced countries rather than in developing countries.

Exceptions apart, many history books written in Muslim countries, including Pakistan, methodologically, structurally, and content-wise leave much to be desired.

Some history books are even sprinkled with curses and abuses for personalities whom the writers did not like or approve of. Such is the sad story of some of the writers of our history in many Muslim societies.

One reason why this tendency seems to have developed is that history is approached as a tool to justify sectarian or ideological positions and defame others. The purpose is not finding the truth in history but using history to justify theological positions based on their assumptions and interpretations of history, which might be called ‘theologised’ or ‘ideologised’ histories.

Many other nations also tend to do this in the name of nation-building, which may be called nationalised histories. As opposed to this phenomenon, one can find versions of history written by many Muslim writers who have tried to investigate history from a more objective position trying to draw so-called scientific conclusions.

One such marvellous example is that of Ibn Khaldun. Today, Ibn Khaldun is seen as a shining example of this trend where he tries to study history not as theology, but as a science, an objective study of history without attaching any epithet.

In sum, writers should use the terms ‘Islamic’ or ‘Muslim’ discerningly which can prevent standardisation of everything Muslims do or don’t do in a particular society at a particular time and in a particular context.

The writer teaches Histories and Cultures of Muslim Societies at a private university in Pakistan.

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"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

By Anwar Abbas

Disenfranchising women

BEFORE the advent of Islam the position of women was not enviable, neither in Arabia nor in other parts of the world. In many of the older cultures women were looked down upon and treated as inferior beings.

The position was much the same in cultures that have made significant contributions to the intellectual and artistic wealth of mankind. In the ancient Greek civilisation a woman had almost the status of a slave: belonging to the father in her childhood, to the husband in adulthood and as a widow to her sons.

In the flourishing civilisation of ancient Rome too fathers and husbands had full control over their daughters and wives.

Even in the Jewish and Christian religions as they developed subsequently the woman was supposed to be a source of pollution while some Hindu texts also considered women helplessly dependent on men.

Pre-Islamic Arabs often indulged in infanticide of girls, in whom they normally took no pride. To many of them women were not companions who participated fully in the lives of their husbands but merely objects of pleasure or slaves to carry out their commands. Women had no right to personal property and no safeguards against ill-treatment by their menfolk.

The first thing that Islam did was to declare that there is genuine equality between the sexes and no people or community could build upon the fabric of life when their mutual relations were not rightly ordered. Men must learn to treat women with respect and consideration as well as a sense of justice in economic and social relations.As women have been the `weaker` sex throughout history, men have been especially enjoined to see that they receive their due rights. In the final sermon before his passing the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, `...He is the best of believers (before God) who is courteous and treats his dependents gently. ...` The Prophet allowed women free disposal of their property and improved their position with regard to inheritance.

The laws of Islam cover a wide range of freedoms for women.

These include the freedom for widows to remarry and to divorcethe husband under certain conditions. This was aimed at discouraging slander and unpleasantness and to ensure a proper standard of social conduct between men and women.

Says the Quran (2:229) `...The parties should either hold together on equitable terms or separate with kindness.

Islam also assured women of some economic independence through the right to inherit property, the obligation on the part of the husband to pay her the dower (mehr) at the time of the marriage and, last but not the least, by making the husband responsible for her maintenance.

Compassion for all God`s creatures is the basis of decent, civilised and God-fearing life in Islam. Any attempt by fanatical Muslims or prejudicial and ignorant non-Muslims to eliminate this essential element from the message of Islam is perhaps the biggest danger that the religion faces.

For example, some years ago a senator stunned the upper house, the nation and indeed the world when he reportedly defended as `part of our culture` the alleged burying alive of five women in Balochistan for wishing to marry of their free will.

Political life in Muslim states has been disfigured by dictatorial regimes, frequent coups d`état, political murders and, not infrequently, insensitiveness to the interests of all segments of society. Take, for instance, the banning of women voters from casting their ballots in certain areas of the country in the recent general elections.

It is well-known that the conservative clergy and sometimes genuinely misled scholars have taken the view that women should have no freedom and should not be permitted to participate in the life of a nation. In this case not only religious and sectarian parties but even mainstream parties, who will soon take over the reins of governance in the country, reportedly supported the decision of disenfranchising women voters.

Nearly one half of the population of the world consists of women. It is therefore necessary that any religion or social theory that concerns itself with the good of mankind should also be concerned with the welfare, rights and progress of women.

Islam has laid down in most social, economic and other matters the broad principles which should govern the relations of individuals and groups. If the Holy Prophet had proclaimed for women of the seventh century the kind of freedom which they enjoy today and the full participation which they have in national life, it is doubtful if it would have had a vivid impact or been understood at the time.

At the same time Islam indicated clearly enough the direction of advance and left it to the intelligence of its interpreters and scholars to redefine the position of women in the evolving pattern of society through later centuries. There is nothing in Islam or Muslim history to suggest that it is averse to change.

In fact the ease with which Muslim societies adapted themselves to new material and psychological conditions shows that they always possessed this adaptability.

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Janoon say or Ishq say milti hay AAZADI