Chowrangi

Why do mullahs hate women so much? I know many clerics who’re infuriated when they see women driving or working in offices. For some strange reason, Saudi Arabia doesn’t allow women to drive or go out of their houses without being accompanied by a close male relative (like a son or brother or husband). I can understand this kind of thinking among illiterate men who think women are agents of Satan. But this is the twenty first century and most Muslims don’t believe that allowing women any freedom poses a danger to their religion or culture.

In an interview, Syrian-born Saudi scholar Muhammad Al-Munajid described the virgins as “black-eyed….beautiful white young women, with black pupils and very white retinas, whose skin is so delicate and bright that it causes confusion….they are like hidden pearls….They have wide eyes, and they have not been touched by man or jinn. They are virgins, who yearn for their husbands. They are all the same age, morally and physically beautiful. They are like precious gems and pearls in their splendor, their clarity, their purity, and their whiteness. They are like hidden pearls – as pure as a pearl within a shell, untouched by man. Each one of them is so beautiful that you can see the bone-marrow through the delicate flesh on their legs”.

Many people don’t know that children in Islam have to be treated equally in terms of money. I was horrified to learn about a girl mentioning that her father brought her sister a 7 lac car but does not want to spend a single paisa on her university education. Here is a father spending on one daughter’s luxury but does not spend on another’s necessity.

There are many fathers like this. Obviously without any knowledge about Islam. While one child is favored, another is ignored. This is a sin and completely un-Islamic. This applies with sons too. All of them have to be treated equally.

In a western store I was surprised to see a pack of chicken labeled as halal. Not only was it labeled halal, it was actually certified to be halal. When I looked at the label on the back, the first thing it said was mechanically slaughtered.

This is not only the case in western countries but in the subcontinent as well. A machine slaughters chickens that are hung upside down while a tape recorder repeats Bismillah AllahuAkbar. Sometimes a person may be employed to repeat Bismillah AllahuAkbar. The thing common with both is that the recitation of Bismillah AllahuAkbar is not done simultaneously with the slaughter. Even if it was simultaneous, the chicken would still be haram. Chicken has to be slaughtered by hand.

Here is a brief post about the upcoming eid, Eid ul-Fitr. I would first like to mention that this post wouldn’t have been possible without the timely help, regarding the rulings of Zakat al Fitr, from a dearest and sweetest sister, Palwasha Khan (Jazakillah). All right,

Eid – Meaning: Eid is derived from the root word of `Aada meaning returned. We all know that we return to Eid periodically. It is also said to have been derived from ‘Aadah meaning a custom or a practice. The reason being is that people customary celebrate it.

The last ‘ashra of Ramadan is the ‘ashra of salvation from Hell-fire. It is in this ‘ashra that Laylat al-Qadr occurs as well. Allah SWT has said regarding this night, “The night of Qadr is better than a thousand nights.” [Qur’an, Surah Al Qadr]

‘Aa’ishah (r.a.) has said that, “When the last ten days of Ramadaan came, the Prophet (s.a.w.w.) would stay up at night and would wake his family up, and would abstain from marital relations.” [Bukhaari, Muslim]

June 18, 3.00 am Saudi Time

Beggars are a common sight in Makkah, in the back alleys, suqs and wherever a crowd gathers. In addition, the streets are littered with women who have setup shop on the bare ground itself, selling anything from novelty items to sandals and abayas. Close to the haram, expectedly, the concentration of the beggars grows, consisting of women and children.

Surprisingly, or perhaps not, most of them sleep on the streets, in groups with their bundles of belongings serving as a pillow case. It’s not hard for initial sentiments of mercy and pity to turn into an almost revulsion, bordering on abhorrence. Feelings of pride also begin to creep in and an air of superiority manages to find a home when you least expect it.

Come September 19th is one of Italy’s most celebrated and looked-forward-to festival of Saint Januarius, in which the blood of the saint that has been stored in a vial is kissed by devoted Neapolitans.

A woman called Eusebia – who soaked up his blood with a sponge and preserved it in a glass vial – when pagan Romans killed the saint, saved the sample of blood.

The public gathers to watch the blood liquefy, twice a year. It is considered a miracle, even though scientific studies has proved that the vial contains a chemical, thixotropic gel, that increases the viscosity of the blood if left unstirred and decreases if stirred or moved.

Not only does eating mistakenly during fasting hours in Ramadan not break the fast, but it is actually considered a blessing from Allah SWT. It is a sign of Allah’s love that He makes people forget that they are fasting. It is also recommended that if you see a person eating or drinking while they are fasting, do not remind them right away. Let them finish, because what they are doing is due to Allah’s love.

Most Muslims who fast in Ramadan focus on the benefits and rewards of it. But in doing so, we often make mistakes that instead of adding to our experience actually detract from it. Mistakes that can make us commercialize Ramadan as so many other religions have commercialized their sacred days. Insha’Allah the following will serve as a reminder to, first, myself and then to all Muslims. May Allah help us in spending our time wisely this Ramadan and help us in avoiding these mistakes. Ameen!

1. Taking Ramadan as a ritual