I THINK French President Nicolas Sarkozy has not visited a convent of late. If he had he would have noticed nuns in wimples and robes. Would he call the dress worn by nuns “a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement”?In the first presidential address to the French parliament in 136 years, Sarkozy chose to call a dress willingly adopted by many Muslim women all over the world as a sign of subservience and degradation.The burqa or abaya, as it is known in Saudi Arabia, is a body robe. What covers the head and face is called niqab. But it is not a question of semantics, because Sarkozy meant a head-to-toe dress when he referred to the burqa.Sarkozy was right when he said the burqa – the particular type of dress – was not a religious issue. Islam asks its followers – men and women – to dress modestly, and so do all religions. The Islamic concept of hijab is not only physical but also moral. It tells men to lower their gaze in front of women other than their wives and other close relatives. It tells women to be mindful of their gait and garments.The debate here is on two counts: the issue of morality and the freedom of choice.Who is indecent and spoils public morals: a burqa-clad woman or the one in a bikini? Those, who are brought up on moral values which teach respect for women and not maintain that they are not mere objects of desire or enticement and mannequins for public display, will say a woman in a bikini is indecent. But those who have grown up seeing scantly-clad women around them, will find a woman in a burqa objectionable. For more read here.
WHENEVER I’m at my wits’ end with my children, I find myself wondering how people in the past managed to raise families without the plentiful resources, help, diversions – not to mention disposable diapers – that are available to us today.How did they raise men and women whose memories inspire and illuminate our paths? Where are modern parenting techniques – and the gurus and super nannies who make a fast buck expounding on them – falling short? Why has parenting become an angst-ridden exercise for parents and children alike, leading to heartrending stories of abuse, traumatic breakdowns and alienation? What important ingredient are we missing out on in our overzealousness to get the recipe right?In his bestselling book ‘Children Are From Heaven’, author John Gray (of ‘Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus’ fame) talks about “five positive principles of raising children to be compassionate, confident, caring adults,” one of which is: “It’s okay to say no, but remember Mom and Dad are the bosses.”I find it interesting that modern counselors are discovering in hindsight what our predecessors knew instinctively: that children need the emotional security and mental stability that comes with having parents who are ‘in charge’, not helpless putty in the hands of their children. For more go here.
THE hot wind was unbearable as I waited outside the bank for the doors to open along with some 20 more people. After 20 minutes we all took a ticket and waited, frustrated and anxious, for our turn. An elegantly dressed man entered. His garments were exceptional and the aroma of Oud filled the bank. As he proceeded towards the teller, a worker came and greeted him just as you would a sovereign. I took the responsibility to inform him that we were in a queue and asked him to join the queue at the back. The man was oblivious to my comments. However, the worker informed me that he was a VIP. “VIP?!” I said. “Why don’t you build a bank especially for him?” The worker replied, “In heaven you have different levels and so do we on earth and he is from the highest level.” “Money and status don’t get us into heaven,” I responded. I was fuming and could not believe the impudence. We had been waiting for nearly 40 minutes, then all of a sudden someone enters and the bank is at his disposal!It must be clear however that it is Haraam to use Wasta or one’s status to intercede if it infringes upon the rights of others. This is injustice and the Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Verdicts of Saudi Arabia has already issued a Fatwa on this topic. (Fatwa Islamiyyah, 4/300)The harsh reality is that bribery and Wasta has become the norm in Saudi Arabia. May Allah remove this social evil from this blessed country. The only thing we are able to do in such cases is observe patience. We often underestimate the value of patience and anger always gets the better of us. For more go here.
FOR the first few days, the voyage was smooth and enjoyable. Then suddenly a violent storm overtook us. The mountain high waves tossed the ship around like a tiny toy. A mighty wave crushed the ship and wrecked it completely. I saw some floating boards and a few survivors swimming around trying to save their lives. When I recovered from the shock, I found myself clinging to a plank and moving with it at the mercy of the waves.After drifting for two days, in a semi-conscious state, the waves tossed me upon the shore. I thanked Allah for saving me from the jaws of death. I was so weak that I couldn’t move. I lost track of time and was in a state between dizziness and deep slumber. After some time, I slightly opened my eyes and saw a few strange faces staring at me. They carried me to a nearby town. When we approached near it, the first man-made thing which caught my eye was a towering minaret of a Masjid. I thanked Allah for being among my own brethren of faith. They took me to a house belonging to one of them and laid me on a comfortable bed. With proper care, feeding, and treatment, I soon regained my lost energy. I told my kind host all about myself and the mishap of the shipwreck. My host, whose name was Faleh Hasan, informed me that I was in Hodeida, a coastal town of Yemen.I began to attend Masjid to offer my regular prayers and there I came to know many persons of nobility and of high-ranking positions. They all knew my unhappy episode through my host and treated me with understanding and respect. One of them was the aged and pious Sheikh Ahmad Bin Suhail who usually led the prayers. He always greeted me with fatherly affection. For more please read here.
Former US President Jimmy Carter is one of those rare birds who have retained their humanity even after four years in the world’s most powerful job. The architect of the first Arab-Israel peace accord was moved to tears when he visited the ruins of Gaza this week, comparing the condition of the Palestinians to “worse than animals.”
Granted, most Americans are not familiar with the Palestinian way of life, I often wonder what the Israelis themselves think of the people living next door in a permanent hell. Are the Israelis ever moved by the Palestinian suffering, as Carter has been and rest of the world often is? If they are, it is yet to be seen. No matter what happens to the Palestinians and what the rest of the world thinks of their suffering, Israel and its leaders remain as indifferent and as unreasonable as ever. When Benjamin Netanyahu promised his own road map, after President Barack Obama gave him those stony looks in the Oval Office with the world media watching, even the most hardened cynics began nursing hopes of peace.
We thought, maybe, Israel, prodded by its faithful ally and biggest backer, finally has had a change of heart. Maybe, we hoped, it’s finally time for the doves of peace to descend on the Holy Land. Perhaps, the time has come for Palestinians to find themselves a home — even if moth eaten — of their own.
But Israel is nothing if not consistent. Netanyahu did unveil a “road map” in his much-hyped speech but you do not know what to make of it. Having refused to acknowledge the existence of Palestinians all these years, Netanyahu has finally agreed for “peace” and a Palestinian state, if it can be called one. However, his one hand takes back what the other proffers. The “sovereign and independent” Palestine envisaged by Israel will have no military or security forces of its own. It is not permitted to possess or import any weapons. It cannot control its own airspace. And, yes, the borders of this Bantustan will be controlled by the able and efficient forces of the great state of Israel. His Imperial Majesty Netanyahu is kind enough though to grant the future Palestinian state the right to have its own flag and currency. In return, all Israel asks from the Palestinians is the surrender of their rights over their lands and homes in what was once Palestine. They must recognize Israel as the Jewish state and the divine right of Jewish people to the Holy Land. So what if this means the Palestinians can never dream of returning to their homes and lands from which they were driven out or even hope for recompense? In any case, where’s the land and where are the homes that the Palestinians dream of returning to? For more read this.
Fajr prayers on FridaysQ- Is it permissible to habitually recite Surah As-Sajdah and Surah Al-Insan in the Fajr prayer on Friday?A – It is prescribed to recite Surah As-Sajdah and Surah Ad-Dahr (i.e. Al-Insan) in the Fajr prayer on Fridays, and there is no objection to one habitually doing so. However, if it is feared that some of the people will think that it is obligatory to do so, then it is lawful for him (i.e. the Imam) not to recite it sometimes.– Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Verdicts; Fatawa Islamiyah, vol. 2, pg. 458For more read here.
1. Intention before the act: Use the golden touchDaily acts can be converted into acts of worship by making our intentions pure for the sake of Allah’s pleasure. This is Ikhlas (doing our deeds sincerely for the sake of Allah).2. Intention during the act: Spend it wiselyThis means accomplishing our acts of worship in the right manner, i.e. as per the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).Scholars say the above two are conditions for any act of worship to be valid, i.e. Ikhlas and having been done according to Sunnah. For more read this.
