Category: Uncategorized

  • God forgave his major sin and you killed him for his minor sin

    سأل رجل عبد الله بن عمر عن عثمان فقال أذنب يوم أحد ذنبا عظيما فعفا الله عنه و أذنب فيكم ذنبا صغيرا فقتلتموه
    Abdullah bin Umar may Allah be pleased with him said about Uthman may Allah be pleased with him: He committed a major sin on the day of Uhud by leaving the battlefield but Allah forgave him ( Quran 3:155) and he committed a minor sin in terms of your rights and you killed him.
  • Shia scholar Dr. Isam Al-Imad says that Twelver extremists keep people away from Ahlulbayt

    ومن هنا نحن نرفض طريقة بعض الاثني عشريين في الحوار مع الوهابيين؛ لأنّها طريقة لا يمكن أن تفهمهم مذهب أهل البيت، ولا يمكن أن تقرب بين الاثني عشرية والوهابية، بل هي طريقة تبعدهم عن الحق، وتمزق عُرى الوحدة الإسلامية بين الاثني عشرية والوهابية؛ لأنّ بعض الاثني عشريين لا يحسنون الظن بإخوانهم الوهابيين ويحسبون أنّ الوهابيين من المعاندين للحق. وهذا ظلم شديد للوهابيين؛ فقد كنّا من الوهابيين وحين عرفنا الحق تركنا الوهابية
    We leave the methodology of some Twelver extremists in dialogue with Salafis, because that methodology cannot possibly make them understand the school of Prophetic family and cannot bring Twelvers and Salafis closer, rather it takes them away from truth and disunites the ummah because those extremists do not have a positive thinking about their Salafi brothers and they think that Salafis are enemies of truth, and this is great injustice, because we were Salafis too but when we recognized truth we left Wahhabism.
  • Shia scholar Dr. Ali Shariati says that the Shia treat Imam Ali(as) as an idol

    تم نے امیرالمومنین امام علی علیہ السلام کو ایک بُت کی حیثیت دے دی ہے ۔ جسے صرف پوجا جا سکتا ہے ۔ ان کی تعلیمات سے استفادہ نہیں کیا جا سکتا ۔ اب تم خواہ گریہ کرو ، سر پٹخو ، چیخو ، فریاد کرو ، عشق سے دیوانے ہو جاؤ ، کچھ بھی کر لو ۔ تم علی کو فرشتہ بنا دو یا خدا مان لو ۔ اس سے تمہارے ایمان پر کوئی مثبت اثر نہیں پڑے گا ۔ کیونکہ تم علی کی معرفت سے گھبراتے ہو تاکہ اس کے کردار کو اپنی زندگیوں پر لازم کرنے کی زمہ داری سے بچ جاؤ ۔ #ڈاکٹر علی شریعتی
  • Quran 29:41 and ineffectiveness of spider webs against harsh climate

    A pre-modern Tafsir Jalalayn describes the ineffectiveness of spider webs against harsh climate.
    The likeness of those who choose besides God other patrons namely idols from whom they hope to profit is as the likeness of the spider that makes a home for itself in which to shelter. And truly the frailest the weakest of homes is the home of the spider for it neither protects it from heat nor cold — likewise idols cannot benefit those who worship them — if they only knew this they would not worship them.
    Spiders are cold-blooded, so they must derive warmth from outside their bodies. Being cold-blooded also means the outside temperature directly affects their internal body temperature. When temperatures drop, their metabolic processes slow down. In prolonged cold, cold-blooded animals are susceptible to freezing to death. Arctic spiders have developed adaptations that allow them to thrive in spite of the harsh climate. Some species produce a chemical called glycol that prevents ice from collecting around their bodies. Other species’ bodies have adapted to allow ice to form only outside their cell walls. Some species burrow under a thick layer of snow, which protects them from the wind.
  • The origin of Qalandari Sufis

    Qalandari Sufis trace their origin to a saint Sheikh As-Sawi. He was a beautiful young man. He was once seduced by a woman. She closed the doors. So, he escaped to the bathroom where he shaved his beard, moustache and head. When she looked at him, she was frightened and disgusted, so she expelled him from her home.
    The disciples of that saint started to shave themselves like Buddhist monks. Scholars of sacred law criticized them for violating the sunnah of beard. So, the debate between righteous Pharisees and antinomian Sufis continues for centuries as the Prophet(s) said a faqih who understands religion and sacred law is stronger against Satan than a thousand worshipers.
  • Dialogue with an atheist about the Guided One’s goal of global justice

    Nick Elam

    I want someone that has been persecuted by police as much as I have been to tell me I’m wrong about police. Not someone that has worshipped them since birth.
    Ishmael Abraham Earth will be filled with justice and it is filled now with injustice. If this is what police does to its own citizens imagine what the army does to foreigners. No human deserves to be worshiped no matter how perfect he maybe.
    Nick Elam That’s why our foreign policy is my biggest issue after health care. It’s ridiculous how apathetic we are towards slaughter as long as the people being slaughtered don’t look like us.
    Ishmael Abraham We need an ethical science that does not help in research and development of murderous military industrial complex.
    Nick Elam We need to destroy the Military Industrial Complex outright.
    Ishmael Abraham How can we destroy it without destroying the underlying philosophy of unethical science. Why do scientists develop bombs? Because their scientific worldview is devoid of ethics.
    Nick Elam Well the key to that is developing critical thinking in the population. I’m working on it.
    Ishmael Abraham Hardcore critical thinkers would criticize ethics instead of unethical science.
    Nick Elam Why not both?
    Ishmael Abraham How can you criticize what is inherently pure. Can ethics be misused?
    Nick Elam Nothing can be inherently pure because the idea of purity is a human creation to begin with
    Ishmael Abraham I work in a Nano electronics lab where we have clean rooms. We can always improve purity by reducing number of particles in air. Ethics is about continuous moral progress.
    Nick Elam You’re not talking about purity, you’re talking about cleanliness. Which again, is an idea created by humans. The problem is everyone has a different set of morals. Some people share a lot of morals, but I would doubt any two people have the exact same set of morals. That’s why there has yet to emerge one that is compatible with everyone, and why there will never be one world religion.
    Ishmael Abraham Cleanliness is an exoteric concept and purity is an esoteric concept. Exoteric is something like science and esoteric is something like philosophy. I think globalization will help humanity to evaluate all moral systems and the best will survive critical thinking according to Darwinian concept of survival of the fittest.
  • Dialogue with a modernist Pakistani comedian Shehzad Ghias Sheikh

    Shehzad Ghias Shaikh

    The world has not been kind to men recently. After centuries of oppressing women and exchanging them as property, men cannot simply be asked to suddenly start treating them as people. I would claim that it goes against millions of years of evolution but any talk of evolution is haram so that point is moot.
    In this era of political correctness and Caitlyn Jenner, the last safe haven for men was Saudi Arabia – a utopian world where men could roam free without the distraction of women driving, women cycling and women breathing. If you claim you have seen a woman breathe in Saudi Arabia, I will be convinced you’re a liar – sir, it’s impossible to even spot a nose under that veil.
    Also, do not try to confuse everyone with your science. The entire premise of the argument that “all humans need to breathe” is questionable – there is no scientific proof that women are human. Wouldn’t they be called ‘huwoman’ if it were true?
    They say a woman should be seen and not heard. It is only in the dreamland of Saudi Arabia where I say women should not be seen or heard. I would have added that they should not be smelt either but it’s close to impossible to not smell itar for anyone within a 565 mile radius.
    Unfortunately, the feminazis have invaded Saudi Arabia as well. Following the philosophy of Hitler, a man who had less facial hair than a Sindhi woman, women have started instating draconian laws for men. A Saudi man, the best kind of man out there, was fined SR160,000 dowry to his four wives after he divorced them. The man only did this because he wanted to marry four new wives; a move that is often referred to as being a man, a blanket clause that lets years of patriarchy flourish and perpetuate because… you know, boys will be boys.
    In a grave injustice, the man was also forced to remarry his previous wives. If you support this move by the government, let me ask you, how would you feel if a mobile chor (thief) stole your phone and then later in the day came to your house and returned you your same old phone? You could have blackmailed your father into getting you the new Iphone but now you are stuck with the Iphone 5, the volume buttons of which don’t work just because a chor could not do his job properly. It is scientifically proven that nobody with an Iphone5 has any friends anymore so basically your life has been wrecked like that of a Saudi man.
    If I have used my four cars for a while, I should be able to sell them and buy four new cars. The government has no right to make me drive my old cars again. I know we are talking about wives and not cars but you are forgetting that it is Saudi Arabia; cars have much more freedom in the public space than women.
    If God did not want me to treat women poorly, why would He make me a man? He could have made me a Koala – then I would not have cared about women at all because Koalas are awesome. They eat and they sleep. Basically they are like men without the crippling insecurities that come with society indoctrinating in them to conform to the social norms of their gender, forcing them to tie womanhood to false notions of honour, pride and family. Basically, being a Koala is awesome.
    All I am saying is that marriage is a contract. And like all contracts, there should be an exit clause. If a plane is falling, you should be able to eject. If the Titanic is sinking, you should be able to get on a life boat. Unless, of course, you are Jack and Rose does not let you on even though there was clearly space for two. You took his life and then you took his Oscar, Kate Winslet.
    Marriage is like the Titanic. It is not unsinkable. And when the iceberg hits, all men will try to get the women and children out first.
    A person should not be caged into a marriage if that person does not want to continue to be in one. Unless, of course, you are a woman; no woman should be allowed to leave a loveless marriage. All men would just end up being divorced then. For the institution of marriage to exist, we need women to suffer. Sorry girls, in a battle against a socially constructed idea, the idea will always wins, even if all of us need to die for it.
    By all of us, I mean just women.
    There are not enough life boats for all of us.
    Ishmael Abraham Assalamu alaykum Shehzad bhai. I am a NUST graduate. I just learned about you being a comedian who has studied in US through Fulbright. My father also studied in US through a USAID scholarship. You have touched on several issues in your post. For example, you discussed evolution . Orthodox scholars like Dr. Adnan Ibrahim and Dr. Amr Sherif have started to defend a theistic version of evolution. You should study about Dr. Francis Collins who defends theistic evolution. Quran calls Adam peace be upon him a khalifah/successor so he might be in a chain of biological succession. There are other sacred texts which state that there were thousand other Adams so we do not need to defend the biblical story of incest. John William Draper calls evolution a Muhammadan theory because Darwin was influenced by Muslim philosophers. Like Muslims, Darwin married his cousin.
    Ishmael Abraham We should fight the sectarian traditional ignorance of Saudi Arabia and Iran as well as modern ignorance of gay rights and porn, together. I think Islamic ideals are feminist but selfish/narcissistic and men-hating/misandrist feminism should be discouraged in our societies because we do not want to become countries of highest divorce rates like US.
    Ishmael Abraham Islam does not fear truthfully outspoken women. Umar ibn Al Khattab (radhiAllaahu ‘anhu) with his Wife» “It is reported that a man came to ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (radia Allahu anhu) to complain about his wife’s ill-temper. While he was waiting for ‘Umar to come out of his house, he heard ‘Umar’s wife scolding him and ‘Umar quietly listening to her, and not answering her back. The man turned around and started walking away, muttering to himself: “If that is the case with ‘Umar, the leader of the believers, who is famous for his uprightness and toughness, then what about poor me?!” At that moment, ‘Umar came out of his house and saw the man walking away. He called him and said, “What is it you want of me, O man?” The man replied: “O leader of the believers, I came to complain to you about my wife’s bad-temper and how she nags me. Then I heard your wife doing the same to you, so I turned around, muttering to myself, ‘If that is the situation of the leader of the believers,then what about me?’” ‘Umar replied, “O my brother, I bear with her because of her rights over me. She cooks my food, bakes my bread, washes my clothes, breast-feeds my child… and yet none of these are her duty; and then she is a comfort to my heart and keeps me away from forbidden deeds. Consequently, I bear with her.” The man said,“It is the same with me, O leader of the believers.”‘ Umar said: Then, O my brother, be patient with her, indeed this life is short. [Adh-Dhahabi, Al-Kaba’ir194]
    Ishmael Abraham I really love your middle name Ghias because it denotes unexpected divine help like rain in drought which our spiritual community desperately needs.
  • To a Christian who says Muslim children will lose their Muslim parents to Fire

    Thomas Edward Morgan Jr. How sad that this little girl will be in heaven so soon, while all she knows will be cast into hell, but then think about what her world brought.
    Islam never brought anything good. She will be so happy until she realizes none of her adult elders are in heaven. How sad indeed.
    Ishmael Abraham Quran 2:113 The Jews say “The Christians have nothing [true] to stand on,” and the Christians say, “The Jews have nothing to stand on,” although they [both] recite the Scripture. Thus the polytheists speak the same as their words. But Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which they used to differ.
    Ishmael Abraham Quran 4:123 Paradise is not [obtained] by your wishful thinking nor by that of the People of the Scripture. Whoever does a wrong will be recompensed for it, and he will not find besides Allah a protector or a helper.
    Ishmael Abraham Quran 48:13 And whoever has not believed in Allah and His Messenger – then indeed, We have prepared for the disbelievers a Blaze.
    Ishmael Abraham Quran 3:85 And whoever desires other than Islam as religion – never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.
  • How to become a companion of Jesus peace be upon him in Hereafter?

    عن الحسن عن عمر عن أبان عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام
    قال: من أدمن قراءة سورة مريم لم يمت حتى يصيب ما يغنيه في نفسه
    وماله وولده وكان في الآخرة من أصحاب عيسى بن مريم عليه السلام وأعطى في
    الآخرة مثل ملك سليمان بن داود عليه السلام في الدنيا
    Prophetic descendant Imam Jafar As Sadiq(r) said: Who loves to recite Surah Maryam (Chapter 19 of Quran) will be a companion of Jesus peace be upon him in Hereafter and he will be given equivalent to the worldly kingdom of Solomon ben David peace be upon him in Hereafter.
  • Scholarly book recommendations of an orthodox friend

    Waqar Akbar Cheema

    My * Top 10 Reads * in 2016;
    1. “Recalling the Caliphate: Decolonization and World Order” by S. Sayyid
    2. “A New Anthropology of Islam” by John R. Bowen
    3. “The Impossible State: Islam, Politics, and Modernity’s Moral Predicament” by Wael B. Hallaq
    4. “A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East” by David Fromkin (Reading presently)
    5. “The Sultan’s Admiral: Barbarrosa – Pirate and Empire Builder” by Ernle Bradford
    6. “Tadwin-e-Hadith” by Syed Manazir Ahsan Gilani
    7. “And Muhammad Is His Messenger: The Veneration of the Prophet in Islamic Piety” by Annemarie Schimmel
    8. “Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree” by Tariq Ali
    9. “Creating a New Medina: State Power, Islam, and the Quest for Pakistan in Late Colonial North India” by Venkat Dhulipala
    10. “Ahadith-e-Ahkam aur Fuqaha-e-Iraq” by Mubashhar Hussain.
    Kirby Hopper So many books, so little time…
    Ishmael Abraham Lovers of God become bibliophiles. An orthodox scholar wrote 700 volumes on sacred law.
    Kirby Hopper Some do. Some just get out there and help people all day long. I think they are more orthodox than me.
    Ishmael Abraham Quran 17:84 calls that shakilah or your psychological makeup and everyone acts based on that. However, I read a sacred quote that ink of scholars will be weighed against blood of martyrs in Hereafter and former will outweigh latter. Except that those scholars try to avoid hidden sins and obviously public sins.And do not forget the five prayers a day like Daniel peace be upon him faced Jerusalem thrice I guess each day.
    Kirby Hopper I don’t think Allah is counting. A heart for him is sufficient, and not easily quantified by number of prayers. Some who pray little have a greater and purer heart for him than those who pray 5x daily religiously.
    Ishmael Abraham Heterodox Paul talked about praying without ceasing so praying five times are a minimum in Islam otherwise Quran 19:59 the Chapter of Mary peace be upon her, warns that we will descend into lusts like Israelites. The antinomian seduction along with trinitarian seduction explain gradual hedonization of western culture over two millenia. Abraham peace be upon him did not think in his heart that I have the purest heart rather he moved his feet and hands to slaughter one of his supreme earthly desires.