Meet History's Three Gorgon Sisters Christianity, Islam and Judaism

My favorite nickname for Christianity is Medusa; Islam, Sthenno and Judaism, Euryale. Meet the three Gorgon sisters whom some prefer to refer to as the "Abrahamic" religions.Whatever you choose to call them, these three daughters of the Patriarch Abraham share the distinction, among the religions of mankind, of smugly held but mutually conflicting claims of a unique and exclusive universalism; the wellspring of much misery and suffering in human history.
Who were the Gorgons? The Gorgons are from Greek mythology: three ugly winged daemons; Medusa, Sthenno and Euryale. Vase paintings by ancient Greek artists portray the "ladies" as winged daemons with serpent-locks of hair and fierce looking ugly faces. They were identified as sea daemons of reefs which lurked treacherously submerged and posed a deadly threat to ancient mariners. Many are familiar with the story of Therseus whom King Polydektes of Seriphos gave the task of bringing back the head of the eldest of the Gorgons, Medusa. Armed with a sword, a winged boot and a polished shield, Therseus killed Medusa and returned, unscathed, with her head after being hotly pursued by the other two sisters.
Big sister Medusa(Christianity) has, among scholars of the history of religions, the special reputation of having shed more blood and perpetrated crimes against humanity than any other single religion in all history, more even than the crimes of her little sisters Sthenno and Euryale combined. The obsession of Christianity with destroying heretics has been the single driving force of her blood drenched history. The founder of Christianity is reported to have prophesied concerning Medusa: "I come not to bring peace to the world but a sword." And a sword, indeed; a great sword has Medusa been to a hapless humanity.
The tendency of Christians to look upon anyone with a set of beliefs, even only subtly different from theirs, with deep suspicion and disapproval, lies at the root of her historical obsession with the heretic. "If anyone come to me but hate not his father and his mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yea even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."
The Spanish Inquisitions represented the height of the paranoid obsession of Christianity with dissenters. The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition was established by the Monarchs of Spain to defend Catholic orthodoxy. A reign of cold terror began in which Jews, Muslims and others were forced, at the pain of death, to adopt the "orthodox" christian religion. An estimated 2,000 people were executed by the Tribunal between 1480 and 1530. A total of about 49,000 trials were conducted between 1560 and 1700 which included sub-categories of offenses as blasphemy, sodomy, bigamy, freemasonry and witchcraft.
Regardless of what Christians may think, the Muslims were not the "bad guys" in the three centuries of the wars of the Crusades, which some have described as the worst period of madness in human history before modern times. Unnumbered millions perished in war, by disease, pestilence and famine. Jerusalem had come into the hands of the Muslims by A.D. 637. It is noteworthy that Islamic civilization had reached a splendidly high standard of material and cultural sophistication relative to the semi-barbaric condition into which Western Europe had sunk in the Dark Ages. The Muslim Caliphs, in their wars of conquest in the Middle-East, were generally humane and avoided unnecessary destruction and bloodshed, preferring instead to preserve the splendor of the civilizations they conquered for their own benefit. They granted Christians freedom of worship and association throughout their empire. The Western European troops which came to the Middle-East, during the Crusades, were on the contrary little better than a wild herd of savages; crude, rude and uncultured hordes spreading death and destruction where ever they went.
Lured by the wildly exaggerated legends of the opulence, riches and wealth of the East, the Christian leaders exploited the ignorance, poverty and superstition of the masses to whip up religious sentiments and mobilize their people for major military expeditions to the Middle-East. Massacre, plunder, arson, rape, debauchery on a magnitude never before witnessed in history led to the synonymity of the word "Christian," in the Arabic language with the word "barbarian." Such was the savagery of the Europeans of the Dark Ages that they resorted openly, and without hesitation, to cannibalism in times of food shortage during their Crusade expeditions. Generally, the Crusaders, on getting to the "Holy Land," tended to forget their original "spiritual" motives for the military expedition, and soon became absorbed with relatively secular preoccupations as looting and pillaging on a large scale. After a particularly gruesome orgy of bloodletting in one of the Crusades, the fighters in ecstatic religious fervor prayed to God, thanking him for their victory and afterward resumed the gruesome butchery from where they left off. The incident involving King Richard at Acres remains among the most infamous of incidents in all the crusades. After the capture of Jerusalem, Saladin the Muslim Caliph had agreed to pay a large amount in gold in exchange for prisoners. But a minor irritation led to the massacre of hundreds of the prisoners before the city walls on a Friday after Assumption.
The centuries of the Crusades also witnessed the peaking of anti-Semitic sentiments in Europe. The history of the enmity of Medusa and her little sister Euryale is a very long one. Jews have been murdered in Europe as Jesus killers for centuries before Hitler. Given the magnitude of the butchery, it is, indeed, a marvel that Hitler found enough Jews left in Europe to populate his extermination camps! There had been a longstanding tradition in Europe of abducting Jewish children from their parents to prevent them from falling into the heresy of their parents. The Jews were particularly bitterly persecuted in Spain. They were freely massacred in thousands in the cities of of Germany. Such was the magnitude of the butchery that it is reported that on a single occasion of bloodletting the corpses of Jews choked the river Rhine, and the river itself flowed freely with their blood for days.
So much for big sister Medusa; now for a little of the second sister Sthenno (Islam). While it is true that Sthenno has so far been unable to match her sister's monstrosities, yet she has been a gory monster in her own right. The history of her relative tolerance of her two sisters Medusa and Euryale has certainly not been without blemish. It is noteworthy that the career of the founder of Islam, Mohammed, had a lot in common with the career of the bandit king David of Israel, both being "principled men" who found the sword a convenient means for survival.
While it is understandable that most of the early wars of Islam were fought in deference to the imperative of survival, the history of Islam shows a gradual development of the Jihad doctrine from war as pro-active self-defense to a deliberate policy of aggressive expansion. One may locate the full circle of transformation at sometime in the Caliphates of Abu Bakr and Umar, in the seventh century, when Islam began with a series of conquests in Persia, Iraq and Syria. Islam is unique amongst the three Abrahamic religions for having used imperial warfare as the primary means for "evangelization."
In the earlier days of Muslim expansion, the Moslems were not insistent on converting conquered peoples to Islam. A people could avoid being attacked by paying a jizya tax, or otherwise, a zakat tax if they agreed to convert to Islam. However, with the onset of Islamic expansion outside Arabia, around 633 A.D, we witness a shift, beginning with the Blood Canal war, to the notorious Allah-or-the-Sword policy, though to the credit of Muslims they generally refrained from pillaging and massacre when a city surrendered voluntarily. One might point out, to the credit of Sthenno's big sister Medusa, that the continued expansion of Sthenno's power beyond the Arabian Peninsula made a final conflict between the two inevitable. The Crusades might, from a different perspective, be looked upon as a pro-active response to long term Muslim threat.
Little sister Euryale is relatively the tamest of the three sisters, yet the notorious Gorgon family trait of a delusion of unique blessedness and special relationship with God stemmed from her. A lot has been said and written about the "Chosen People of God," syndrome of Judaism. The dominant trait of Judaism is its intensely narcissistic ethno-centrism in which the world's people are ominously divided into two categories: Jew and unclean Gentile. The fact is that ethno-centrism is the seed of the racism tree.The intense ethno-centric narcissism of the Jews bordering on racism is revealed glaringly in the New Testament scriptures. We are told, in the New Testament scriptures, that pious Jews would have nothing to do with Gentiles, especially Samaritans, these being "unclean." On a poignant occasion a woman( a Syro-Phoenician lady) petitioned Jesus on behalf of her sick child. Jesus' response, regardless of how Jesus himself might have meant it, reflected the attitude of Jews to the "Gentiles" who lived around them. Jesus objected to attending to a Gentile "dog." The woman responded wittily: "Even dogs eat crumbs fallen from the master's table."
The three monster sisters converge in the Middle-East, in modern history, in a bloody struggle that has claimed more than its fair share of the world's attention and resources. The policy of the United States in the Middle East is, unfortunately, stoked by the conservative Christian lobby which subscribes to the notion of Israel as the "Chosen People of God," and thus favored by God over the Arab children of the "bondswoman." The Arabs, of course, have their own version of the biblical story which relegates the Jewish ancestor to a subordinate status.
Old sibling prejudices and quarrels die-hard. One thing is certain, however, the final resolution of the Middle-East conflict will not come until the cultural-religious philosophy in which each Gorgon holds an unwavering conviction of her special blessedness, in conflict with those of her other sisters, is finally abandoned
The Writer John Thomas Didymus is the author of "Confessions of God: The Gospel According to St. JohThomas Didymus." ( [http://www.resurrectionconspiracy.com/] ) If you have found this article interesting you are invited to read the article: "Incest Symbolic Mystical Motif in Golgotha Crucifixion" on his blog: http://johnthomasdidymus.blogspot.com/2010/08/incest-symbolic-mystical-motif-in.html

Eid-Ul-Fitr in the True Islamic Spirit

Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of month of Ramdhan. It signifies the end of the month fasting (the first day of the month of shawal) each Muslim derives the meaning holy benefits of Eid benefits of Ramadhan and their own personal spirit to some its like a steep upward stop culminating in the peek with magnificent landscape. To some it is like an opportunity to unwind after a hectic labor of one month.
Contrary to that some actually feel a true spiritual uplift of an untold value. This actually is the true spirit of Eid-ul-Fitr that has been defined by Holy Prophet (PBUH). Its significance is purely spiritual. It is the day when Muslim thank God for having there will, the strength and the endurance to observe fasting to obey his commandment.
The festival began with the first-sighting of the new moon. This day in the Muslim word, is the day of rejoicing and happiness it's also a day of forgiveness and making resolutions. The rejoicing however is not at the departure of Ramadhan. It is the happiness which man feels after successfully completing an important task.
The feast of fast breaking Eid-ul Fitr is God's reward for those who fast during the holy month the prayers of the Eid are a reason of unity and solidarity of Muslims all over the world. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) and all the Imams celebrated Eid and encouraged all Muslims to do it. They told Muslims to wear good clothes, put on perfume and go to mosque to recite Eid prayer. Hazoor (S.A.W.W) used to come out of his home on the day of Eid, reciting the Takbir to glorifying Allah in the loud voice. He advised us to exchange Eid greeting, visit each other, remember the poor by taking out Fitrana before the prayer, visit them at their homes and give them gift if possible.
The concept of the Eid in Islam is not however confined to celebration extravagance, luxurious feasts, friendly handshakes and embraces. The Muslims should rather devote this day to the worship of God and should pray before him to approve their vicious deeds and to forgive their sins. This is because the doors of His pardon are kept open this day and His blessings flow in abundance. On this day do honor God for his endless and all enhancing mercy.
Our holy prophet (Peace be upon him) has advised us to take special care of poor people on this day and include them in our celebration. But we remain busy in evaluating our near and dear ones but very rarely follow the advice of HAZRAT MUHAMMAD (PBUH). The poor are human being like us and they also have their wishes. We should give them due importance on this day at least.
Another day of celebration for muslims is eid ul azha commonly known as "Bari Eid" it is a celebrated in memory of sacrifice made by Hazrat Ibrahim of their beloved son Hazrat Ismail as ordered by Allah almighty. This day teaches us to sacrifice anything in the way of Allah just to oblige him. We sacrifice animals like goat, sheep, camels etc. as to refresh the sacrifice of Hazrat Ibrahim. On this day also, we should remember poor and distribute meat to them.
To conclude, we may say that eid is purely a day of celebration. But it also teaches us so many lessons of tolerance, patience, and loving people below our rank. In short, Allah has given us the day to celebrate but only celebration will be completed if we will add all people around us in it.
Sherry Khan working on website Eid sms messages and also have free collection of Islamic sms

Kazi Nazrul Islam - The National Poet of Bangladesh : A Profile Study

Kazi Nazrul Islam (1899 - 1976) : He is known as Bidrohi Kobi - The Rebel Poet of Bengal, The National Poet of Bangladesh, and more truly a World Poet.
Nazrul said, "Even though I was born in this country (Bengal), in this society, I don't belong to just this country, this society. I belong to the world." [Nazrul Rochonaboli, Bangla Academy, Vol. 4, p. 91]
He was a very versatile poet, lyricist and writer who composed many beautiful verses of poems, prose, songs and classical music.
Nazrul was known as the 'Rebel' poet in Bengali literature and the 'Bulbul' or Nightingale of Bengali music, was one of the most colourful personalities of undivided Bengal. He may be considered a pioneer of post-Tagore modernity in Bengali poetry. The new kind of poetry that he wrote made possible the emergence of modernity in Bengali poetry during the 1920s and 1930s. His poems, songs, novels, short stories, plays and political activities expressed strong protest against various forms of oppression - slavery, communalism, feudalism and colonialism - and forced the British government not only to ban many of his books but also to put him in prison. While in prison, Kazi Nazrul lslam once fasted for 40 days to protest against the tyranny of the then British government.
Kazi Nazrul Islam was born on May 24, 1899 in Churulia village, Bardhawan in West Bengal, India. His mother was Zaheda Khatun and his father Kazi Fakir Ahmed was the Imaam of the local village mosque. The second of three sons and one daughter, Nazrul lost his father in 1908 when he was only 9 years old and his father died at the age of 60. Nazrul's nickname was "Dukhu Mia" (hapless chap), a name that aptly reflects the hardships and misery of his life right from the early years. His father's premature death forced him, at the age of 10, to become the Muazzin (a caller for prayer) of the local mosque. This early exposure to the principles and practices of Islam was to have a significant impact on his later literary endeavors.
In 1910, at the age of 11, Nazrul returned to his student life enrolling in class VI. The Headmaster of the school remembers him in the following words: "He was a small, good-looking boy, always the first to greet me. I used to smile at him and pat him on the back. He was very shy."
Again, financial difficulties compelled him to leave school after class VI, and Dukhu Mia ended up as a cook in a bakery and tea-shop in Asansole.
In his youth, Nazrul joined a folk-opera group inspired by his uncle Bazle Karim who himself was well-known for composing songs in Arabic, Persian and Urdu. As a member of this folk-opera group, the young Nazrul was not only a performer, but began composing poems and songs himself. Nazrul's involvement with the group was an important formative influence in his literary career.
Nazrul submitted to the hard life with characteristic courage. In 1914, Nazrul escaped from the rigours of the tea-shop to re-enter a school in Darirampur village, Trishal in Mymensingh district. Although Nazrul had to change schools two or three times, he managed to continue up to class X, and in 1917 he joined the Indian Army when boys of his age were busy preparing for the matriculation pre-test examination.
For almost three years, up to March-April 1920, Nazrul served in the army and was promoted to the rank of Battalion Quarter Master Havildar. Even as a soldier, he continued his literary and musical activities, publishing his first piece 'The Autobiography of a Delinquent" (Saogat, May 1919) and his first poem, "Freedom" in Bangiya Musalman. Sahitya-patrika, (July 1919), during his posting at Karachi cantonment. What is remarkable is that even when he was in Karachi, he subscribed regularly to the leading contemporary literary periodicals that were published from Calcutta like, Prabasi, Bharatbarsha, Bharati, Saogat and others.
When after the 1st World War in 1920, the 49th Bengal Regiment was disbanded, Nazrul returned to Calcutta to begin his journalistic and literary life. His poems, essays and novels began to appear regularly in a number of periodicals and within a year he became well known not only to the prominent Muslim intellectuals of the time, but was also accepted by the Hindu literary establishment in Calcutta. In 1921, Nazrul went to Santiniketan to meet Rabindranath Tagore - his master-poet, the source of his inspiration...
The same year, Nazrul was engaged to be married to the love of his life - Nargis, the niece of a well-known Muslim publisher Ali Akbar Khan, in Daulatpur, Comilla, but on the day of the wedding (18th June, 1921) Nazrul suddenly backed out at the last moment, and left the place due to some serious misunderstandings and disagreements. However, many songs and poems reveal the deep wound that this experience inflicted on the young Nazrul and his lingering love for Nargis.
In 1922, Nazrul published a volume of short stories Byathar Dan (The Gift of Sorrow), an anthology of poems Agnibeena, an anthology of essays Yugabani, and a bi-weekly magazine, Dhumketu. A political poem published in Dhumketu in September 1922, led to a police raid on the magazine's office, a ban on his anthology Yugabani, and one year's rigorous imprisonment for the poet himself.
On April 14, 1923, when Nazrul lslam was transferred from the Alipore jail to the Hooghly jail, he began a fast to protest the mistreatment by a British jail-superintendent. Immediately, Rabindranath Tagore, who had dedicated his musical play, Basanta, to Nazrul, sent a telegram saying: "Give up hunger strike, our literature claims you", but the telegram was sent back to the sender with the stamp "addressee not found."
Nazrul broke his fast more than a month later and was eventually released from prison in December 1923. On 25th April 1924, Kazi Nazrul lslam married a Hindu woman Pramila Devi and set up his residence in Hooghly. An anthology of poems 'Bisher Banshi' and an anthology of songs 'Bhangar Gan' were published later this year and both volumes were seized by the government. Nazrul soon became actively involved in politics (1925), joined rallies and meetings, and became a member of the Bengal Provincial Congress Committee. He also played an active role in the formation of a workers and peasants party.
In 1926, Nazrul went and settled in Krishnanagar. His patriotic and nationalistic songs expanded in scope to articulate the aspirations of the downtrodden classes. His music became truly people-oriented in its appeal. Several songs composed in 1926 and 1927 celebrating fraternity between the Hindus and Muslims and the struggle of the masses, gave rise to what may be called "mass music". Nazrul's musical creativity established him not only as an egalitarian composer of "mass music", but also as the innovator of the Bengali Ghazal.
The two forms, music for the masses and ghazal, exemplified the two aspects of the youthful poet: struggle and love. Nazrul injected a revitalizing masculinity and youthfulness into Bengali music. Despite illness, poverty and other hardships, Nazrul wrote and composed some of his best songs during his Krishnanagar stay.
From 1928 to 1932, Nazrul became directly involved with His Master's Voice Gramophone Company as a lyricist, composer and trainer, and many records of Nazrul songs, sung by some of the most well-known singers of the time were produced. The newly established Indian Broadcasting Company also enlisted Nazrul as a lyricist and composer and he remained actively involved with several gramophone companies and the Radio till his last working days. Nazrul songs were in great demand on the stage as well. He not only wrote songs for his own plays, but generously provided lyrics and set them to tune for a number of well-known dramatists of the time.
In 1929, a colourful national reception was accorded to Nazrul in Calcutta and was attended by prominent people like the scientist Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray, Barrister S. Wajid Ali and Subashchandra Bose.
In the midst of these productive activities, tragedy struck twice in rapid succession: first, Nazrul's mother died in 1928; a year later, his 4 year old son Bulbul died of small pox, five months after the birth of his second son Shabyashachi.
Between 1928 and 1935, Nazrul published 10 volumes of songs containing over 800 songs of which more than 600 were based on classical ragas, almost 100 were folk tunes and kirtans and some 30 were patriotic and other songs. Thus during the 1930s, Nazrul established a firm classical foundation in Bengali Music. His songs dealt with the themes of love, nature, divinity and nationalism
In 1936, the film Vidyapati was produced based on Nazrul's recorded play. In the same year, Rabindranath Tagore's novel Gora was filmed with Nazrul as its music director and included one of his own songs. In June 1936, Sachin Sengupta's important play, Siraj-ud-daulah was staged. The songs and music were written and directed by Nazrul. The play and songs met with such unprecedented success that a gramophone recording was made, and at that time was commonly heard in almost every Bengali household.
In October 1939, Nazrul's relationship with Calcutta Radio was formalized, and numerous musical programs were directly broadcast under his supervision. Worth mentioning are the critical and research oriented programs such as "Haramoni" and "Navaraga-malika".
During 1939, different recording companies issued a total of over 1000 records, 1648 of which were Nazrul's songs. The total number of his unrecorded songs is perhaps twice as much. Nazrul's songs were also broadcast from Dhaka Radio. This trend continued throughout 1941, with songs based on many different ragas and narrative ballads. Apart from these, Nazrul occasionally took part in recitation and commentary of the Holy Ouran.
In early 1941, Sher-e-Bangla Fazlul Huq commenced re-publication of the daily newspaper Nabayuga ("New Age"). Nazrul was its Chief Editor returning to the world of journalism at the final stage of his active life. On August 8th 1941, Rabindranath Tagore died. Nazrul spontaneously composed two poems in Tagore's memory, of which one was broadcast and recorded on gramophone. Within a year, Nazrul himself fell seriously ill and gradually lost his power of speech, being stricken by cerebral palsy. Thereafter from July 1942 till his death in August 1976, the poet spent 34 years in mute silence unable to speak even a single word.
In October 1942, mental dysfunction set in and Nazrul was admitted to Lumbini Park Mental Hospital in Calcutta, but there was no improvement in his mental condition and he began losing his memory. By then, despite having earned lavish sums through his music, he had also spent recklessly and was in financial difficulties. Many of his old friends turned away in this dark hour, and he became increasingly embittered, as evidenced in this letter to a friend Zulfikar Haider on July 17, 1942 :
...I am bed-ridden due to blood pressure. I am writing with great difficulty. My home is filled with worries: illness, debt, creditors; day and night I am struggling.
...My nerves are shattered. For the last six months, I used to visit Mr. Haque (A. K. Fazlul Haque, the then Chief Minister of undivided Bengal) daily and spend 5-6 hours like a beggar...I am unable to have quality medical help...
This might be my last letter to you. With only great difficulty, I can utter a few words. I am in pain almost all over my body. I might get money like the poet Firdausi on the day of the funeral prayer (janajar namaz).
However, I have asked my relatives to refuse that money.
Yours,
Nazrul
Source: Dr. Sushilkumar Gupta, Nazrul Choritmanosh (Calcutta: De's Publishing, 1960), p. 106]
Nazrul entered a world of increasing isolation, though still revered by Bengalis. In 1945, Calcutta University awarded him the "Jagattarini Gold medal". In 1952, he was transferred to the Ranchi Mental Hospital from where he was sent to London for treatment at the initiative of the "Nazrul Treatment Society" formed and financed by some of his ardent admirers when they came to know of his financial hardships.
Several eminent physicians in London including Sir William Sargent, were of the opinion that his initial treatment had been inadequate and incomplete. Thereafter, Nazrul was taken to Vienna where his condition was diagnosed as incurable. He and his family returned to India in December 1953. He spent the rest of his life in utter misery.
Earlier his wife, Pramila Devi, had become ill in 1939 and though paralysed from the waist down, she spent the next 23 years of her life, caring for her husband until her death at the age of 54 on 30th June, 1962. As per her last wish, she was buried at her husband's birthplace, Churulia. Nazrul's sons, Aniruddha died in 1974 at the age of 43, and Shabyashachi in 1979 at the age of 50.
In 1962, Nazrul was awarded the 'Padmabhushan' Title by the Govt. of India. In 1969, Rabindra Bharati University honored him D. Lit Degree. In Nazrul's opinion, the highest recognition he ever cherished was when his master-poet, the inspiration of his life, Rabindranath Tagore dedicated his "Bashanto" opera to Nazrul, saying that Nazrul had ushered in Bashanto (Spring) in the life of the Nation, thus recognizing him as a wonderful poet.
When in sound health, Nazrul had earlier come to Dhaka in December 1940 to attend the 1st anniversary of the Dhaka radio station. In 1971, the Government in exile of Bangladesh continued to pay the pension due to him by the Government of East Pakistan. After the liberation of Bangladesh, at the request of the Bangladesh Government, the Government of India allowed Nazrul to be taken for residing in Bangladesh with his family.
Nazrul arrived on 24 May 1972, as guest of the Government of Bangladesh and was accorded due honours. The President and Prime Minister paid their homage to him. In 1974, the Dhaka University awarded him the degree of Doctorate of Literature. In 1976, the Government awarded him the "Ekushey Padak" Gold Medal.
On 22 July 1975, Nazrul was transferred to the Post Graduate Hospital for continuous medical supervision. He spent the remaining one year, one month and eight days of his life there. Towards the end of August 1976, his condition deteriorated, his temperature shot up to over 105 degrees, and on 29 August 1976, he breathed his last at 10:10 a.m.
As soon as Nazrul's death was broadcast over Radio and T.V. the news spread like wild fire and plunged the Bengali nation in profound gloom. Life came to a standstill in Dhaka as thousands of men and women lined up to have a last glimpse of the rebel poet's mortal remains in the Teacher-Students' Centre of the University of Dhaka.
At 5 p.m. on the same day, Kazi Nazrul Islam was buried with full state honour beside the Dhaka University mosque. Now almost three decades after his death, Kazi Nazrul Islam resides in the hearts of millions of Bangladeshis as their national poet.
Emerging from the overall backwardness of the Muslims of Bengal in the 1920s, Nazrul injected the community with a much-needed sense of self-confidence. Almost single handedly, Nazrul brought about a renaissance amongst Bengali Muslims, and led them into modernity. The genius of Nazrul achieved the impossible and the Bengali nation remains eternally indebted to him.
Bangladesh honoured itself by honouring Kazi Nazrul Islam with the citizenship of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. Now, the world over, Nazrul is known as the National Poet of Bangladesh.
By the time he passed away in Dhaka on August 29, 1976 -- having spent 34 years in paralytic torment - he had become a legend, the exemplar of a religious sensibility that was not bounded by abstract definitions, but defined itself in the acts of devotion, empathy and creativity. He was the Rebel Poet. His humanistic vision, philosophy and spirit transcended many orthodox boundaries. He was also a very down-to-earth, maatir-manush, his communication so simple and straight-forward that could be understood by the masses.
In those days of India's struggle for Independence and Undivided Bengal, Nazrul always believed in the strength of Hindu-Muslim Unity. Being a Muslim, he himself married a Hindu Woman, Pramila Devi, and also wrote devotional songs - Shyama Sangeet - dedicated to the Hindu Goddess - Ma Kali. He deserves to be known as a very versatile poet, lyricist and writer. He was a mass-oriented, revolutionary, literary figure, always protesting against bigotry, injustice, extremism, fanaticism, exploitation, oppression and inequality of all kinds. He was a bold and undaunted activist always feared by the establishment. He was a passionate advocate of religious harmony always advocating better hindu-muslim relationships. Through his songs and poetry, he propagated the universal values of love, peace, tolerance, freedom, justice, harmony and cooperation. As a persona, he had an indomitable human spirit and was full of love, valour, creativity, humanity and romanticism. He was very warm-hearted and loving and could express his feelings in the most beautiful way through his writings.

The Rise of Mohammad and Islam

Mohammad (who was to become a prophet) was born in Arabia in the city of Mecca in 570 AD. He came from a prominent and highly respected wealthy family. Mohammed told the people who chose to listen to him that he had visions. In these visions it was declared to him that he is the last and only prophet to reveal the truth. Mohammed did not deny other prophets like Moses or Jesus Christ, but the key thing about him was that he is the last and only prophet who can reveal the truth.
The religion which Mohammed preached was simple and accessible: A strict belief in one God with none of the complications that Christianity required - not living after the flesh but after the Spirit. Islam teaches a straight forward ritual one that is similar to that practiced by the Jews which was related to cleanliness and hygiene. The emphasis of basic virtues like courage, charity and hospitality. And above all it promises potential believers that those who fell in love with his religion went straight to paradise which the holy book of Islam, the Koran described in detail, and it seems like fun compared with the paradise Christians go to.
For example, in Islam when a man dies he is going to have virgins in paradise to which he can do whatever he pleases with them. All the while here on earth a Muslim man can marry a lot of women. If you want to pit Islam with Christianity you can say that Islam is the religion of the flesh - carnal passions.
Combined with military force, the message of Islam proved very potent indeed. In the ten years before his death in 632 Mohammed had united all the warring divided tribes and cities of Arabia. By 644, that is 12 years after his death, Egypt and Libya had fallen to Islam as well as Syria, Iraq and Persia. By the time the century ended in 700 AD Arab armies had overthrown of what was left at the Persian Empire, they then laid siege to Constantinople - the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire where the thrown of Emperor Constantine was. And within another 15 years Islam has spread from India to Spain. Part of the secret of their success was that they were not backward and uncivilized as they seemed in appearance.
Arabia had long been a long route for trade in spices, perfumes and slaves. Mohammed himself was a merchant in Mecca before he thought of himself as a prophet. Mecca was the great merchant town and Mohammed found his first support of his claims as prophet in Medina, another merchant town. Mohammed also knew a great deal about Christianity and Judaism. He was once depicted by his diehards in a drawing riding on a donkey next to Jesus Christ.
Another part of Arab's success was that they were Semites speaking a Semitic language which was close to Aramaic, a language spoken by common people from Iraq to Palestine.
Perhaps the most crucial fact that made them successful was their religious tolerance. Muslims in their wars of conquests did not try to exterminate those who believed in Judaism, Christianity or anything else. They simply asserted a higher revelation which made them appear as a chosen people entitled to special privileges on earth and exclusive access to heaven. This left non Muslims second class citizens - tolerated but a bit despised. And further Muslims did not have to pay taxes only non Muslims paid taxes and this was a strong argument for conversion and a strong argument for Muslims to tolerate non Muslims.
Dr Chris Kanyane, PhD (History) of Central Western University, Arlington, Texas (US), http://www.turfloop.com

Principles of the Preamble of the Constitution

Principles of the Preamble:
The following principles are embodied in the constitution of the Islamic republic of Pakistan.
i. Sovereignty:
Sovereignty over the entire world belongs to Almighty Allah and also in Pakistan the first sovereign is Allah and the powers received from him as a delegate or a trustee is to be exercised by chosen representatives of the people.
ii. Federation:
The constitution says that Pakistan shall be a federal state with autonomous units.
iii. Democratic State:
Pakistan is a democratic state. The preamble declares that "State shall exercise its power and authority through chosen representatives of the people". and "where in the principles of democracy, freedom, equality, tolerance as enumerated by Islam shall be fully observed".
iv. Form of Government:
Case law
P.L.J. 2005 SC 1241
Held constitution of Pakistan does not provide purely parliamentary form of Govt. according to west Minister Modern instead Pakistan has evolved its own political system so as to suit political condition found here.
v. Islamic Injections:
Under the constitution of Pakistan Muslims shall be enabled to order their lives in the individual and collective speheres in accordance with the Quran and Sunnah. Quran and Sunnah shall be the basic source of law and all laws existing in Pakistan shall be made in conformity with the principles of Islam.
vi. Fundamental Rights:
The constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan provides the fundamental rights to its citizens.
vii. Integrity of Pakistan:
The preamble of constitution declares that "wherein the integrity of the territories of the Federations etc. sovereign rights on the land sea and air shall be safeguarded".
viii. Equal Rights and protection to minorities:
The minorities as citizens of Pakistan have equal rights and protection. The preamble proclaims that "Adequate provisions shall be made to safeguard the legitimate interests of minorities and of the backward and depressed classes".
ix. Independence of Judiciary:
Independence of Judiciary is basic principles of the constitutional system of Governance. Independence of Judiciary is guaranteed by the constitution.
x. International peace, prosperity and happiness of humanity:
Preamble says that "so that the people of Pakistan may prosper and attain their rightful honoured place amongst the nations of the world and make their full constitution towards international peace and happiness of humanity.
To know more visit [http://www.wiki-engine.com]. We are committed to provide original and authentic contents to our readers.

What Expatriates Should Know About Dubai Culture

Dubai is a great place to work and stay with the family. As many expatriate people work here, it has a multicultural and multiethnic society where more than 200 nationalities and 35 religious faiths exist in harmony. Though Dubai has a tolerance toward other religions and cultures - relative to other Middle East countries- it is predominantly an Islam culture. Cultural awareness can avoid many troubles and make your stay comfortable. The following tips would help you to understand and avoid inappropriate behavior in Dubai.
Respect for Islam
You have to avoid blasphemy in Dubai. Though it is a multicultural and multiethnic society, majority of the people are Muslim. They do not like others to criticize Islam. You may be from another religious faith, and you may not agree with Islam. It may be possible to discuss those differences openly in your country. You have to avoid criticism of Islam in Dubai. If you commit blasphemy, you are likely face trouble.
You also must respect the people who are praying. Muslims pray 5 times a day. There are lots of mosques in Dubai, and there is a separate room for praying in many office buildings. Still you can see many people pray in open places. It is common to see workers stop their work and pray on their mats. You should not disturb them by stepping their mats or walking in front of them.
You should also avoid entering mosque. Muslims do not like non Muslims to enter their places of worship. If you want to visit a mosque, you must go with a Muslim friend. Your friend can advise you about appropriate behavior at mosque.
You should be careful about the consumption of alcohol. According to Islamic law, alcohol is prohibited. However, alcohol is available in approved restaurants, hotels, and clubs. You cannot buy liquor from shops or carry it in your car without a licence. Expatriate workers can apply for a licence, but you should not drink in public place and drive after intoxication. Irrespective of the amount you have taken, police would punish you if they found you are drunk.
Similarly use of narcotic is a serious offence, and it will result in life imprisonment.
Appropriate Behaviour
You must also know how to deal with local people. You should not let down them when you interact with them. Specially, you should not denounce them in the presence of other local people. They take it very seriously. Even a simple joke can lead to great misunderstanding.
You should avoid pointing fingers at others. Local people consider it as a great disrespect. It may be a normal gesture in other cultures, and it does not necessary mean disregard. In many occasions expatriate workers were jailed for directing fingers at local citizens.
Another thing you have to avoid is the aggressive behaviour. There may be several reasons to get frustrated and angry. You will find things are moving slower than you expect, so it natural to get angry and frustrated, but you must control it. Display of aggressiveness would not bring you any benefit as it is considered as an indecency.
You should not use your left hand to give or take things. The use of left had is considered as indecent. You must use your right hand to exchange things.
You should avoid eating in public place during the holy month of Ramadan. Muslims fast from morning to evening during this period. If someone eats in the presence of fasting people, it makes an urge in them to eat. However, there are many restaurants and hotels for non Muslims where they serve the meal in enclosed locations. Non-Muslims can take food from them.
You also should avoid public displaying of affection such as kissing and hugging in Dubai. Local people consider the embracing of opposite sex as a public indecency though it is acceptable in some cultures. Generally, local people report such behaviours to the police if they see it; then police will charge you. Similarly, sex outside marriage is illegal.
You must wear appropriate dress. Dubai has imposed a dress cord according to the Islamic traditions. Ladies should wear long skirt with appropriate length and cover their shoulders without exposing their body indecently. You can wear bikini and swim suit in beaches, but you cannot wear them in public places. You cannot go topless even in beaches. Dubai does not expect you to dress like a local person, but it expects you to wear appropriately to Islamic culture.
When you understand and respect rules and traditions of Islamic culture, you can avoid troubles in Dubai.
Keerthi Illangaratna is a freelance writer based in Dubai.

Europe's New Jews

They inhabit self-imposed ghettoes, subject to derision and worse, the perennial targets of far-right thugs and populist politicians of all persuasions. They are mostly confined to menial jobs. They are accused of spreading crime, terrorism and disease, of being backward and violent, of refusing to fit in.
Their religion, atavistic and rigid, insists on ritual slaughter and male circumcision. They rarely mingle socially or inter-marry. Most of them - though born in European countries - are not allowed to vote. Brown-skinned and with a marked foreign accent, they are subject to police profiling and harassment and all manner of racial discrimination.
They are the new Jews of Europe - its Muslim minorities.
Muslims - especially Arab youths from North Africa - are, indeed, disproportionately represented in crime, including hate crime, mainly against the Jews. Exclusively Muslim al-Qaida cells have been discovered in many West European countries. But this can be safely attributed to ubiquitous and trenchant long-term unemployment and to stunted upward mobility, both social and economic due largely to latent or expressed racism.
Moreover, the stereotype is wrong. The incidence of higher education and skills is greater among Muslim immigrants than in the general population - a phenomenon known as "brain drain". Europe attracts the best and the brightest - students, scholars, scientists, engineers and intellectuals - away from their destitute, politically dysfunctional and backward homelands.
The Economist surveys the landscape of friction and withdrawal:
"Indifference to Islam has turned first to disdain, then to suspicion and more recently to hostility ... (due to images of) petro-powered sheikhs, Palestinian terrorists, Iranian ayatollahs, mass immigration and then the attacks of September 11th, executed if not planned by western-based Muslims and succored by an odious regime in Afghanistan ... Muslims tend to come from poor, rural areas; most are ill-educated, many are brown. They often encounter xenophobia and discrimination, sometimes made worse by racist politicians. They speak the language of the wider society either poorly or not at all, so they find it hard to get jobs. Their children struggle at school. They huddle in poor districts, often in state-supplied housing ... They tend to withdraw into their own world, (forming a) self-sufficient, self-contained community."
This self-imposed segregation has multiple dimensions. Clannish behavior persists for decades. Marriages are still arranged - reluctant brides and grooms are imported from the motherland to wed immigrants from the same region or village. The "parallel society", in the words of a British government report following the Oldham riots two years ago, extends to cultural habits, religious practices and social norms.
Assimilation and integration has many enemies.
Remittances from abroad are an important part of the gross national product and budgetary revenues of countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan. Hence their frantic efforts to maintain the cohesive national and cultural identity of the expats. DITIB is an arm of the Turkish government's office for religious affairs. It discourages the assimilation or social integration of Turks in Germany. Turkish businesses - newspapers, satellite TV, foods, clothing, travel agents, publishers - thrive on ghettoization.
There is a tacit confluence of interests between national governments, exporters and Islamic organizations. All three want Turks in Germany to remain as Turkish as possible. The more nostalgic and homebound the expatriate - the larger and more frequent his remittances, the higher his consumption of Turkish goods and services and the more prone he is to resort to religion as a determinant of his besieged and fracturing identity.
Muslim numbers are not negligible. Two European countries have Muslim majorities - Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania. Others - in both Old Europe and its post-communist east - harbor sizable and growing Islamic minorities. Waves of immigration and birth rates three times as high as the indigenous population increase their share of the population in virtually every European polity - from Russia to Macedonia and from Bulgaria to Britain. One in seven Russians is Muslim - over 20 million people.
According to the March-April issue of Foreign Policy, the non-Muslim part of Europe will shrink by 3.5 percent by 2015 while the Muslim populace will likely double. There are 3 million Turks in Germany and another 12 million Muslims - Algerians, Moroccans, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Egyptians, Senegalese, Malis, or Tunisians - in the rest of the European Union.
This is two and one half times the number of Muslims in the United States. Even assuming - wrongly - that all of them occupy the lowest decile of income, their combined annual purchasing power would amount to a whopping $150 billion. Furthermore, recent retroactive changes to German law have naturalized over a million immigrants and automatically granted its much-coveted citizenship to the 160,000 Muslims born in Germany every year.
Between 2-3 million Muslims in France - half their number - are eligible to vote. Another million - one out of two - cast ballots in Britain. These numbers count at the polls and are not offset by the concerted efforts of a potent Jewish lobby - there are barely a million Jews in Western Europe.
Muslims are becoming a well-courted swing vote. They may have decided the last election in Germany, for instance. Recognizing their growing centrality, France established - though not without vote-rigging - a French Council of the Islamic Faith, the equivalent of Napoleon's Jewish Consistory. Two French cabinet members are Muslims. Britain has a Muslim Council.
Both Vladimir Putin, Russia's president and Yuri Luzhkov, Moscow's mayor, now take the trouble to greet the capital's one million Muslims on the occasion of their Feast of Sacrifice. They also actively solicit the votes of the nationalist and elitist Muslims of the industrialized Volga - mainly the Tatars, Bashkirs and Chuvash. Even the impoverished, much-detested and powerless Muslims of the northern Caucasus - Chechens, Circassians and Dagestanis - have benefited from this newfound awareness of their electoral power.
Though divided by their common creed - Shiites vs. Sunnites vs. Wahabbites and so on - the Muslims of Europe are united in supporting the Palestinian cause and in opposing the Iraq war. This - and post-colonial guilt feelings, especially manifest in France and Britain - go a long way toward explaining Germany's re-discovered pacifistic spine and France's anti-Israeli (not to say anti-Semitic) tilt.
Moreover, the Muslims have been playing an important economic role in the continent since the early 1960s. Europe's postwar miracle was founded on these cheap, plentiful and oft-replenished Gastarbeiter - "guest workers". Objective studies have consistently shown that immigrants contribute more to their host economies - as consumers, investors and workers - than they ever claw back in social services and public goods. This is especially true in Europe, where an ageing population of early retirees has been relying on the uninterrupted flow of pension contributions by younger laborers, many of them immigrants.
Business has been paying attention to this emerging market. British financial intermediaries - such as the West Bromwich Building Society - have recently introduced "Islamic" (interest-free) mortgages. According to market research firm, Datamonitor, gross advances in the UK alone could reach $7 billion in 2006 - up from $60 million today. The Bank of England is in the throes of preparing regulations to accommodate the pent-up demand.
Yet, their very integration, however hesitant and gradual, renders the Muslims in Europe vulnerable to the kind of treatment the old continent meted out to its Jews before the holocaust. Growing Muslim presence in stagnating job markets within recessionary economies inevitably generated a backlash, often cloaked in terms of Samuel Huntington's 1993 essay in Foreign Affairs, "Clash of Civilizations".
Even tolerant Italy was affected. Last year, the Bologna archbishop, Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, cast Islam as incompatible with Italian culture. The country's prime minister suggested, in a visit to Berlin two years ago, that Islam is an inherently inferior civilization.
Oriana Fallaci, a prominent journalist, published last year an inane and foul-mouthed diatribe titled "The Rage and the Pride" in which she accused Muslims of "breeding like rats", "shitting and pissing" (sic!) everywhere and supporting Osama bin-Laden indiscriminately.
Young Muslims reacted - by further radicalizing and by refusing to assimilate - to both escalating anti-Islamic rhetoric in Europe and the "triumphs" of Islam elsewhere, such as the revolution in Iran in 1979. Tutored by preachers trained in the most militant Islamist climates in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan and Iran, praying in mosques financed by shady Islamic charities - these youngsters are amenable to recruiters from every fanatical grouping.
The United Kingdom suffered some of the worst race riots in half a century in the past two years. France is terrorized by an unprecedented crime wave emanating from the banlieux - the decrepit, predominantly Muslim, housing estates in suburbia. September 11 only accelerated the inevitable conflict between an alienated minority and hostile authorities throughout the continent. Recent changes in European - notably British - legislation openly profile and target Muslims.
This is a remarkable turnaround. Europe supported the Muslim Bosnian cause against the Serbs, Islamic Chechnya against Russia, the Palestinians against the Israelis and Muslim Albanian insurgents against both Serbs and Macedonians. Nor was this consistent pro-Islamic orientation a novelty.
Britain's Commission for Racial Equality which caters mainly to the needs of Muslims, was formed 37 years ago. Its Foreign Office has never wavered from its pro-Arab bias. Germany established a Central Council for Muslims. Both anti-Americanism and the more veteran anti-Israeli streak helped sustain Europe's empathy with Muslim refugees and "freedom fighters" throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s.
September 11 put paid to this amity. The danger is that the brand of "Euro-Islam" that has begun to emerge lately may be decimated by this pervasive and sudden mistrust. Time Magazine described this blend as "the traditional Koran-based religion with its prohibitions against alcohol and interest-bearing loans now indelibly marked by the 'Western' values of tolerance, democracy and civil liberties."
Such "enlightened" Muslims can serve as an invaluable bridge between Europe and Russia, the Middle East, Asia, including China and other places with massive Muslim majorities or minorities. As most world conflicts today involve Islamist militants, global peace and a functioning "new order" critically depend on the goodwill and communication skills of Muslims.
Such a benign amalgam is the only realistic hope for reconciliation. Europe is ageing and stagnating and can be reinvigorated only by embracing youthful, dynamic, driven immigrants, most of whom are bound to be Muslim. Co-existence is possible and the clash of civilization not an inevitability unless Huntington's dystopic vision becomes the basic policy document of the West.
Sam Vaknin is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East. He is a columnist for Central Europe Review, PopMatters, and eBookWeb , a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory Bellaonline, and Suite101.
Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia.
Visit Sam's Web site at http://samvak.tripod.com

An Experience While In Germany

To mirror the culture of any community and sketch its life style into a pen-paper shape demands a clear, neutral observation and first hand experiences. A warm welcome in 2001 proved the first impression of the security and protection measures in Germany. People from many nationalities
have dwelled in here and are integral part. Following paragraphs are my personal views the foreigners coming to Germany for some purposes for example to pursue a higher education.
The students from Asia - noticeably from Pakistan - can have a good chance to avail the opportunity to equip and sharpen their minds with the state-of-the-art technologies. Science and business administration are the major fields of attraction for us. Approximately 157* Pakistani students are
seeking further knowledge in Information technology, Water resources, Physics, Chemistry, medical sciences, cultural and languages studies in different universities of Germany.
There has been seen an inconvenience faced by many new comers especially the Muslims comings from Islamic countries. The prime theme is German proficiency. It is clear that one should be proficient in the language of the country where he is intended to fly. Admittedly and alternatively it is a very appreciative step of the universities to initiate an intensive German course for the foreigners. Another significant measure is the integration course started since 2005. The advantage of this course is basically that the attendee would become skilful in daily conversation etc, and can find the suitable job after successful education. For surviving successfully, it is of vital importance that one should also keep abreast of German rules and bureaucratic processes, the social principles, and the traffic regulations.
Life in Germany is very pace full and punctual; off course, a necessary condition for a country to be called "Advanced and developed".
Additionally, a person who wants to be integrated in German culture as a useful contributor of Germany's economy has to compromise a little bit. It is often seen that people especially coming from Islamic backgrounds have a little barrier with them and the new culture. It could be due to the
personal hesitation or their brought up. They have been taught to be in a moralistically respectful to the fellows. The need for the foreigner is to open and widen the mind and vision to accept the thoughts of other nations. People just know Islam as a religion of Terror and restrictions; media has
nothing to do with such images to spread all over the world. The people with a good degree of tolerance and deep understanding of humanity can only indeed clean the stereotypic image of Islam from the TV Screen. We should show our positive integral contribution in German manpower, intellectual intelligence. It is necessary that we exhibit our perfect peaceful nature, friendly communication, intrinsic honesty, keen interest to know other religions with a neutral brain as they are also revealed from the same God - Allah - show our deep tolerance to others. For example, the tolerance of Prophet David (PBUH), the tolerance of The Prophet Jesus Christ (PBUH), and the tolerance of the last Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) showed in his early journey to Tai'f (city in Saudi Arabia) for spreading the last religion of the Supreme Power Allah.
With all such traits and characteristics of a good human being one can start and lead a happier life in any part of the world. Especially in Germany where the basic law: Article 1 - 5: are only for the humanity and personal freedom. It states, "Human dignity shall be inviolable, Equality before the
law, freedom of faith and expression, etc..." Under such a free-hand environment one can positively begin a good philanthropic life and also exhibit a true nature of Islam. It would not be wrong to say here that the German are very friendly and being warm well comers they are in a sense multicultural. This indicates that the terrestrial hatred is not found in this country of 82 million people ** out of which about 2% are the Muslims.
The need for the people coming from The East is to open up their mind like parachute because a parachute works only when it is open and in the other sense, this is only the way they can be good integral profiteers and add their significant contributions in German economy enhancing the East-West
relation as well.
* Grund- und Strukturedaten 2005 bmbf.
** General statistics of Germany
Mr. MALIK graduated with distinction from the University of Punjab in 2001. For further education he went to Germany and secured M.Sc. thesis from the University of Stuttgart in 2003. Now he is making his Ph.D. in Physics. His interestes are Microelectronic Device Fabrication. Organic semiconductors, Diffusion barrier layers. Inorganic Coatings. Plasma CVD. For further communication please contact at maliksnet(at)hotmail(dot)de.

The Islamic Perspective of the Benefits of Coping With Adversity

The Human structure is naturally inclined to put up with feelings such as Self-pity, self-rejection and pessimism, at the beat of the negatives that adversity tends to bring. For the fear of pain, torture and sufferings, people allow their minds to be evaded by twisting emotions they allow to rule them, rather than take full control of the situation.
Whether it's a chronic disease situation, family in disarray, financial calamity, life mess or career disappointments, there can always be a better way to view adversity, to effectively cope and manage the threats on your happiness. We cannot eliminate adversity as, it is part of the challenges of Allah SWT said we will face in life, but we can surely live above it.
When you look beyond the negatives you feel towards a difficult situation, you will find that there is always an uplifting meaning you can attribute to it. All you need do is, switch angle, and view your situation from a different perspective. Adversities tend to come with specific lessons to be learnt and more often than not, they make you stronger if you allow a positive outlook to it. This is not to say there are no breaking points in life, but beyond this, is just a chance of rediscovery, if you do not give up hope, or give in to despair, worry and those other emotions that creep in when challenges come. When you fail to crumble, you can begin to feel the strength that lies within you, and communicate not with the pains of your body, but with the salvation in you can receive in connecting with Allah SWT.
When you positively appraise threatening events, you are more likely to adapt positively to the situation, creating positive changes in your personal and spiritual wellbeing.
It is not surprising that during deep trials and challenges, relationships with family and friends become more strengthened, when you accept it, you will gain positive optimism, patience, courage, resilience, tolerance and sometimes, a valued change in your life's priorities. Adversities creates a whole new vision if your thoughts are properly channelled.
"Oh you who believe! Persevere in patience and constancy. Vie in such perseverance, strengthen each other, and be pious, that you may prosper." (3:200)
The point is that, we generally have a basic assumption of a "set-order" of life, which makes adversity become a shattering experience when it happens, because we have assumed we are invulnerable to harm and can set value to everyday event. In reality however, this is nothing but a personal theory that holds no ground. Knowing and accepting the realities of change helps you better accommodate the new realities and build structures for your personal adaptation. In the holy Qur'an, Allah SWT said: "Seek Allah's help with patient perseverance and prayer. It is indeed hard except for those who are humble." (2:45)
We know tribulation and trials are not what any individual calls for, but as Muslims, we need but accept it when it happens, be steadfast and go back to Allah SWT in repentance and seek help in patience, while we persevere.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "A Muslim, male or female, continues to remain under trial in respect of his life, property, and offspring until he faces Allah, the Exalted, with no sin record"
(At-Tirmidhi).
Managing Adversity
Be grateful to Allah SWT, for the other things that give you wholesome happiness, for in your gratitude, you will make a path for self-rediscovery, you will be able to look beyond your present situation and look ahead to the opportunities that lies beyond the present predicament.
Abu Yahya Suhaib bin Sinan (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is good for him" {Sahih Muslim}.
To effectively manage any crisis situation or any adversity, you need to acknowledge it and accept it. Shying away from the challenges or not accepting it, will rather make it a bigger issue and extend the process and time to tackle it.
Re-evaluate yourself. As earlier said, adversity helps you grow in mind and in soul, it makes you become closer to your Creator and strengthen your faith, it helps you identify what is important and what is not, and gives the opportunity for positive personality change, thereby helping you to practise and grow with a 'mind-set' of a true Muslim.
"No one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint, none but persons of the greatest good fortune." (41:35)
By understanding that there also benefits in any situation you find yourself, no matter how difficult at first, you will be able to explore and understand the positives sides to your situation. You will also be able to put the new reality adversity brings, to a good use if you view it with an open mind. Change your mental frame from seeing your situation as a problem to a prospect.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "He whom Allah intends good, He makes him to suffer from some affliction"
Al-Bukhari
Take action. Adversity demands you do something. You need to decide what steps you can almost immediately take to help yourself; no matter how little. Getting to do something no matter how small, is definitely more productive than doing nothing but wallowing in self-pity and complaining.
Remembering Allah in regular prayers, regular recitation of the Qur'an and seeking further guidance in the Hadith of the Holy Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be with him), will go a long in helping to alleviate sufferings at times of deep sorrow and hardship.
"Oh you who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer, for God is with those who patiently persevere." (2:153)
Develop new strategy, technique or a manner or get help from a professional therapist/practitioner, if need be. Help is always around the corner, but most of all, the greatest of help lies in your acceptance and connection with Allah SWT.
"O you who believe! Have patience and contend in patience, be vigilant and be informed, and fear Allah so that you may succeed."Surah Al Imran v200.
We are all different, unique and special as individuals and have different approaches to things. You will be best suited to draw a plan of how you want to carry life. It is the responsibility of every individual to decide what they want and how they want it.
The way you manage adversity will define who you are and determine where you are heading; because that turn you call 'adversity' can be your opportunity for greatness.
" So indeed with hardship is ease.
Indeed with hardship is ease.
So when you finish the prayer, strive in supplication.
And incline towards your Lord".
Suratul Inshirah Q94:5-8
May Allah SWT always guide us aright and accept our acts of Ibadah. Amin
Mutiat Adebowale is trained and certified life Coach who also works with Muslim Women. If you have queries or want to know the benefits of coaching to the Muslim Woman, please visit my website - http://www.muslimahresources.co.uk.
For Queries relating to my articles or other Personal Development or Coaching topics, Please feel free to e-mail me at - info@muslimahresources.co.uk.
Asalam Alaikum.

"The 99 Superheroes" - Are Islamic Cartoons Justified?

In Islam, every man or woman who enters the fold of the 'Divinely Ordained' religion is bound by a number of laws and beliefs that he is to adopt for sustaining in the material world. No doubt, the most important faith among these is to believe in the uniqueness of the Creator, His Powers and His Attributes. It is thus, known to be the responsibility of Muslims to not only commit their lives to their creator but also convey the message to those who still dwell in ignorance.
A few days ago, while skimming through some news websites on the internet I came across one of president Obama's speech that he delivered during a Summit on Entrepreneurship a month ago. The speech covered topics on what areas he wanted American citizens to look upon to add on to their productivity and how they should collaborate with each other to promote their common goals of sustenance. Among this speech was also a topic that caught all my eyes and ears. The president shed light on a Muslim figure; Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa for his contributions on capturing the imagination of youngsters through a message of tolerance with his comic series entitled "The 99 superheroes".
This series of comic heroes as I discovered later were actually derived from the 99 names of Almighty Allah. The founder of Teshkeel Comics, Mutawa, considered his act to be a way of building a bridge between the Muslim extremists and the Western ideology by making use of the Islamic concepts to promote universal virtues. The comic book with a monthly subscription around US, UK, Middle East and several other countries since first printed in May 2006, for me was hard to swallow.
The Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) himself once mentioned that angels would never enter the house of those who had pictures. For every believer it should be clear that images and portraits of any living thing or cartoons for that matter cannot be justified in the jurisdiction of Islam. In this regard, not only the images but those personifying the attributes of God in cartoon characters cannot be allowed. A human being can possess one or many virtues attributable to God for His 99 names, but the use of cartoons in this case raise questions and controversies similar to the past incidents at Denmark and recently reincarnated on Facebook.
One cannot deny alcohol to be condemned, interest to be forbidden and the taste of pork to be justified in Islam or even Christianity for that matter. Cartoons or any other expressions of art, no matter what angelic purpose they might seem to pursue cannot be allowed in any case no matter what.
The author is an associated editor at IslamTribune a US based Online News Magazine , which tries to address the issues pertaining to people around the world especially the Muslim community. Visit IslamTribune.com for Breaking News , Current Affairs and blogs run by people who have more to share with this world.

Helping Muslims Believe in Jesus Fully

Helping Muslims believe in Jesus fully is no small task. Actually, it is a miracle of God that draws men to believe in Christ. One way that I've found that makes it somewhat easier for a Muslim to trust in Christ is through inter-faith dialogue aimed at leading Muslims to the Bible. The Bible contains the most accurate, detailed picture of Christ. The Muslim view of Jesus, while incredible, is incomplete. Muslims need to see Jesus Christ in the Quran, but eventually, they need the full dose of Jesus in the Bible.
I share this approach as one who's practiced this approach among Arab Muslims for some years now. Knowing what Islam says about Jesus is a doorway to leading sincere seekers of Allah to see, hear and know Jesus fully. For Muslims to believe in Jesus fully, we must find common ground and then share the truths of the Bible with them.
One approach that I've found helpful is to continually remind my Muslim friends of the instruction of the Quran which encourages dialogue between Christians and Muslims:
Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance. And if ye do catch them out, catch them out no worse than they catch you out: But if ye show patience, which is indeed the best (course) for those who are patient. -S. Al-Nahl 16:125-126
This verse is most instructive. I've had the privilege of being able to open the Bible in extended studies with Arab Muslims based on the principles outlined in this verse. Sure, things get heated any time there's an honest comparison of Islam and Christianity. This verse, however, instructs Muslims to remain "patient" and "most gracious". Of course, I always endeavor to do the same.
I simply find common ground between the Quran and Bible. I bring up what is written about the Muslim holy books; the prophets of Allah, Islam and Jesus, or submission to the will of Allah and spring into what the Bible says about each of these topics. Muslims, not unlike other men, need exposure to the Word of Allah. This type of healthy inter-faith dialogue allows for this. Helping Muslims believe in Jesus is much more plausible when the ground rules for discussion and discovery are set and known. I pray you would find, through humble, diligent study, bridges between Islam and Jesus and be able to cross them with your Muslim friends and neighbors.
Wadia Abdullah Ibn Az-Zahir is an ardent follower of Christ who travels extensively throughout the Middle East sharing the Gospel with Arab Muslims. There's much more about using the Quran and helping Muslims believe in Jesus that can help us all produce more fruit. Wadia's simple approach uses these types of Quranic bridges to Christ and is field tested and Christ honoring. http://www.islamandjesus.com.
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)