Shifa Student Society

Vol.1- Issue 2 August - October 2009

ARE WE REALLY
INDEPENDENT
 TABLEof CONTENTS EDITOR’SNote

Dr. Muhammad Amin

Dr. Naseem Ansari

Dr. Amir Nazir

PAG
A Traveler through the Night
4

E
Written by Ahmed Malik
Pakistan achieved freedom from the British sixty two years ago. Hundreds of
thousands of people poured their lives into the making of a homeland for Muslims to live in
Are we really Independent? peace and prosperity. Even a cursory look at the current state of affairs though, confirms
? Written by Dr. Muzaffar Iqbal
8 that our independence is not yet complete.

Dr. Waqas Ahmed

Dr. Muzaffar Iqbal
Dr. Kazi Zulkadar
Movie Review - “Occupation 101”
Written by Yousuf Raza
10
Take the recent happenings in the Swat Valley. Being pressured by the U.S. into
conducting a military operation that has displaced 3.5 million of its own civilians is not the
act of an independent government, nor is the allowing of drone attacks on sovereign territo-
ry. Where is the benefit in any of this for Pakistan? The growing disillusionment among the
displaced civilians will only bolster the position of the Taliban and worsen the security situa-

U Umar Bin Al-Khattab t tion. Furthermore, the huge additional burden placed by the refugees on an already failing

Ammar Zaman Khan

Written by Dr. Waqas Ahmed
12 infrastructure could lead to the total collapse of healthcare and other essential services.

Jamal Khattak
Umar Shuayb
Alternatively, look at the recent 7.6 billion dollar loan Pakistan took in November of
Forgotten Debts 2008 from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Facing a drastic deficit shortfall, and be-
Forgotten
Debts 15 ing refused help by China, the United States, and Saudi Arabia, Pakistan took another loan,
Written by Yousuf Raza on top of what it already owes to the IMF, the Asian Development Bank, and the World
Bank.

What the Mirror can Reveal

Asmara Ahmed Malik

Muhammad Hammad
Written by Muhammad Hammad
18 It is not only our politics and economics that are so dependent on foreign powers.
Every aspect of our lives, from education to entertainment, from clothing to food, is heavily
influenced by the West. This cannot be dismissed as a natural consequence of globaliza-

Komal Atta
tion. If that were the case, why do we not see many Americans walking around in shalwar
A Day in Aman Refugee Camp kameez?
Written by Zahid Saeed
20
Most frightening of all is that not even our basic Islamic values are safe. We are
succumbing to foreign influence even in fundamental concerns like “what constitutes Islam”
Thinking outside the Box

Ahmad Yaseen Arain

and “who is a Muslim.”
Summary of a lecture delivered by Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki
22

Talal Khattak
Ahmed Malik
It is only through careful thought and determined action that we can remove all ob-

Yousaf Raza
stacles to true independence. With this issue of Transcend, we hope, inshaAllah, to inspire

&
The Caliph
The Bedouin
The Caliph and the Bedouin
A story from the time of Umar bin Khattab (RA)
26
a bit of both.

Ahmad Yaseen Arain

team
TheMAGAZINE
Manifestations of Religiosity 4th Year Student, Shifa College Of Medicine

Written by Kazi Zulkader Siddiqui

28
4 5
A TRAVELER THROUGH
A Traveler Through
TheNight
By Ahmed Malik - 4th year MBBS student at Shifa College of Medicine
A
s he picked up his pen for the first time
in many days, he felt heaviness in his
hands; it was a kind of reluctance. When
he finally allowed his mental determination to
translate into action, and as he began the first
downward stroke of his pen, Sameer couldn’t
help but notice a slight tremor arise in his hand. It
lasted only a few seconds but was long enough
to cause him consternation. He was well-read in
many disciplines of science and was particularly
keen on constantly scrutinizing himself for any
symptoms of neurological disease. Sameer had a
family history of such diseases; some of his family
members had succumbed to the fatal outcome.
Naturally, when he noticed a tremor in his hand,
he could only think of all the diseases associated
with an ‘intention tremor,’ as it was referred to in
medical jargon. The tremor subsided as quickly
as it had begun. Sameer gradually turned his
attention back to writing, hoping that the tremor
was due to the weight of his task.
It had been just two days since his best friend,
Tariq, had died. They had practically grown up
together, and had been the best of friends since
kindergarten. They had attended the same
school, and had been in all the same classes until
it came time for college and choosing a career. At
this point, Sameer and Tariq parted ways. Sameer
went abroad to study journalism and Tariq stayed
in his home country to study medicine. Despite
the physical distance that had developed between
them, they still kept in touch and would often
visit one another. One summer vacation Tariq
would go and visit Sameer and the next vacation
Sameer would come to visit Tariq. Sitting with
paper in front of him and a pen in his hand,
Sameer had vivid flashbacks of the times when
he and Tariq would meet up after long hiatuses
and talk about all the things affecting their daily
lives.
THE NIGHT - BY AHMED MALIK
It was during one of these conversations that
Tariq had expressed his grief for the way things
were running in their home country. Sameer
had agreed with him, but felt that it would do no
good to grieve as things weren’t going to change
anytime soon. He would tell Tariq, “Listen, things
are going to stay the way they are for a long time,
so we shouldn’t be bogged down in depression,
nor should we develop any false hopes. That’s
why I left and came here to study. If things ever
get better, maybe I’ll go back, but if not, at least I
won’t have to deal with them day in and day out.”
Tariq would stay quiet for sometime as was his
habit. He was never too quick to try to counter
anyone. He always gave time for all the words of
a conversation to settle in, and for his thoughts
to collect in his mind before expressing them
as clearly and as politely as possible. After the
pause, he asked Sameer, “What do you know
about diabetes mellitus?” In other circumstances,
Sameer would have been taken aback by this
seemingly off-topic question, but he knew his
friend well enough to entertain his question with
an answer. Besides, it gave him a chance to
demonstrate the ‘well-rounded’ education he was
getting from the country he had moved to.
“It’s a disease of the pancreas where the
production of the hormone, insulin, is not
sufficient, or the receptors for insulin in other parts
of the body are not responsive.”
“So how do we treat it?”
“Well, insulin is needed so that glucose, the sugar
content of our diet, can be removed from our
blood and be transported to our cells, where it is
used for energy. So, I guess we would need to do
something to increase the insulin in our body if
it is deficient; otherwise we need to increase the
responsiveness of our cells to insulin. That’s why
people with diabetes are on insulin injections or
on tablets that either increase insulin release or
the response of cells. Also, they are told to watch
their diet, especially foods high in sugar.”
“That’s right! Now imagine someone you know is
diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (we ask Allah
to protect us) and he decides not to take his
medication and completely ignores the doctor’s
instructions about a balanced diet. What would
happen if his family decided that he was never
going to change and that his attitude toward the
medication and a proper diet
would never improve,
and without trying
“We need to have a
their best to help
him understand the
purpose for everything
situation, decided to
leave him be? Then
we do and in the end it
what if everyone else
close to him—his
is that purpose which
friends, his doctor—
decided the same and
will determine its
refused to do anything
to help him or to
worth.”
get him help? And
finally, what if you,
too, decided to do the
same? Wouldn’t it be
the wrong thing to do on
the part of all those people?”
“Yeah, it would be. I don’t think anyone would do
that unless they had already tried convincing him
and failed.”
“I think that’s what a lot of people are doing with
our country. Without even trying to help it come
to terms with its ailment and to start taking the
proper medication and precautions, people are
leaving the country and letting it be. It’s almost
like leaving a ‘non-compliant’ diabetic at his own
mercy.”
Sameer quickly realized that he had led himself
into a trap by enthusiastically displaying his
knowledge of diabetes, and decided to change
the subject slightly. He could not work out a
proper argument to what Tariq had said, and even
if he could have come up with something, it would
only have been for the sake of argument.
“You doctors really have a funny way to describe
people who don’t listen to you and who don’t take
your medications: ‘non-compliant.’ It sounds like
you’re accusing them of disobeying a military law
or a curfew.”
“Well, at least we’re not scaring the entire world
by stretching every threat into an enormous
goliath. Before it was the ‘communists,’ and now
it’s the ‘terrorists.’”
Sameer knew that Tariq loved to take jabs at
his career choice, so he
always took Tariq’s
comments in good
humor. Even now,
Sameer could clearly
remember how Tariq
had tried convincing
him against taking up
a career in journalism.
It was not that Tariq
did not respect the
field, but it was the
metamorphosis of
the once noble ideals
of journalism into a
form foreign to human
dignity and honesty
that he detested. Sameer
could clearly remember his words as if Tariq were
sitting next to him at that very moment: “They talk
about how journalism represents a venue that can
foster honesty and transparency in a government;
they talk about how a work of true journalism is
untarnished by the slightest element of slander or
libel; but everywhere we look we see something
different all together. Journalism only becomes a
venue trying to foster honesty and transparency
in the government when its community is at odds
with the government. Then, too, it employs all
means necessary to ‘expose’ the government,
even if that requires slander and libel. Sadly, that
is the kind of journalism that pays these days, and
that’s the kind of journalism you’ll end up working
on if you want to be a success.”
When it came to these discussions, Sameer did
not have as dismal an oulook.
“You know, everyone isn’t out there just to make a
lot of money. For that matter the money factor can
even be applied to the field of medicine, and even
6

more so.”
A TRAVELER THROUGH

we need to have a purpose for everything we

do and in the end it is that purpose which will
determine its worth.”

Eventually, Sameer changed his journalism major

to a minor and chose a different major for his
bachelors’ degree. The change was actually more
due to the culture of constantly changing one’s
THE

“That’s true. I guess what I’m trying to say is that

field of study before finally settling on one, which

was prominent in the country he had moved
to. One thing was sure though: even if Sameer
hadn’t agreed with all that Tariq had said, he could
not deny that worth is determined by purpose.

In the months leading up to being diagnosed

with a glioblastoma, Tariq had been extensively
involved in all kinds of community oriented
events. One week there was a drive to create an
awareness of the real message of the Prophet
(SAW); another week there was a food and
clothing drive for the underprivileged people of the
area. All this, he did while maintaining his medical
education. He had slowly been developing some
indications of an internal problem, but that didn’t
slow him down. There were times when he
couldn’t remember people’s names.

He hadn’t told anyone about the diagnosis for

an entire month. Slowly, but surely, his condition
worsened until he was left with no option but to
let his friends and family know. His home was
in another city away from the college, and the
distance only added to his parents’ distress. As
a result, he only informed his parents little by
little about his diagnosis so they did not have to
face a tremendous shock all at once. Eventually,
he had to be hospitalized. His parents acquired
a temporary residence near the hospital and
remained at his bedside all the time. Sameer
would also call him often. They would talk about
all the things they had done together. The
structure of the conversations was strange. Many
times it seemed as though Tariq had to comfort
and counsel Sameer in the way he had been
taught to comfort and counsel patients. Still, Tariq
enjoyed talking with Sameer.

Finally, Sameer decided to travel back to his

home country and visit Tariq for what he feared
NIGHT - BY AHMED MALIK

could be the last time. He would go to Tariq’s

hospital room and sit with him. They would talk for
as long as Tariq wanted. Sometimes, during these
conversations, Sameer would just become silent.
In his mind, he would be travelling through time—
through the years, the months, the days, and now,
the hours—that they had spent together. It was
at these times that Tariq would break the silence,
“Why so quite, Sameer? You’re supposed to be
the ‘jovial companion in evening talk.’” Sameer
knew the reference all too well. Two years ago,
he had had to write a story for one of his college
English classes. He wanted to give a meaningful
name to one of the characters; Tariq suggested
‘Sameer;’ it was a befitting name for a character
who kept others company and was jovial. That
day he had done some research of his own but
never got the chance to talk to Tariq about it. As
fate would have it, today was the day he could
mention it: “What can the ‘jovial companion
in evening talk’ do, without the ‘deliverer of
messages,’ a ‘traveler through the night,’ a ‘path-
breaker,’ and ‘one who leads the way?’”

“There is a lot he can do and a lot he has to do. A

‘traveler through the night’ is just that—a traveler.
The ‘jovial companion in evening talk,’ on the
other hand, may have to stay longer to tell others
about his conversations with the ‘traveler.’ In the
end, when all is brought back to its roots, when
all of creation is scattered dust, and then flesh
and bone are resurrected anew and the souls are
returned, in utmost awe of their rebirth, in utmost
awe of the compelling power of their Creator,
‘the traveler through the night’ and the ‘jovial
companion’ can once again be in the company of
one another. Then, each will have an eternal life.
Each, being owner to large estates, with perfect
families, will meet again as friends, rather, as
brothers, joyfully facing each other on thrones.
That day all this will be theirs, but only after the
records that the Noble Scribes have kept are
reviewed and all are recompensed accordingly.”

Sameer’s anxiety finally settled in. He could now

begin to write Tariq’s obituary. The uncertainty and
heaviness he had been feeling all disappeared as
he completed his opening sentence, “His name
comes from a word in the Qur’an that refers to a
morning star, a shining star, a star that leads the
way.”
S

]
Saying of the
Prophet Mohammad e

mandated on you (the believers). During this month, the

gates of Paradise will be opened and the gates of Hellfire
will be closed. The evil ones (Shayaatin) will be hand-
cuffed. In it there is one night, during which worship is
better than worship in a thousand months. Whoever is
denied its blessings has been denied the biggest blessing.”

s
G

Abu Hurairah (RA) relates that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said when
one Ramadan came:
“A blessed month has arrived. Observing it in fasting is

(Ahmed, Nasaae, and Bayhaqi)

g
8 9
COVER
ARTICLE ARE WE REALLY INDEPENDENT? - BY DR. MUZAFFAR IQBAL

At the dawn of this new era, there is no leader yet, an enormous amount of work to be done, and

?
only the preparation for the appearance of one. there are enormous resources needed for the task

ARE WE REALLY
The stage is being set, conditions are ripe, and a ahead. The resources needed however, are those
reversal of roles has taken place in the most deadly of the poor and the middle class, not of the rich, for
encounter ever experienced by Islamic civilization. there is no blessing in them.

INDEPENDENT
For the first time in their long history, Muslims now
have the entire globe as their theatre of action; that
too not because of their own efforts, but thanks to
the One who has His ways to get Pharaoh to lead
toward his own drowning. (But that is beside the
By Dr. Muzaffar Iqbal
point, for no amount of such historical evidence is
Founder and President, Center for Islam and Science, Canada admissible.) All that can be admitted are the clear-
cut admissions of men like Rumsfeld and women
like Rice, who now understand that the quick route
to oil wells and the restructuring of the Middle East
What is needed now is the coming together of
the traditional middle class—traders, teachers,
students—who have always been Islam’s real
living embodiment. A large number of men and
women, with just enough material resources to
spare one piece of bread from their meager meals,
need to join together to make an effort to transform
their view of life and death. This will allow them
to change the way they live. All they need to see

F
or the past three centuries the Muslim
agenda has been defined by others. This is
perhaps not surprising, given the enormous
power and wealth accumulated by European
nations in the wake of the Scientific and Industrial
Revolutions, allowing them to conquer almost the
entire middle belt of the globe, including some of
the most resource-rich lands where Muslims had
lived for centuries. The dominant position of Europe
was such that the “mere presence of a European
amidst natives was enough to strike terror,” as
Marshall Hodgson writes in his The Venture of
Islam. This terror has lately turned around.
The ‘turning around of terror’ can be viewed
simply as a process which reflects the custom
of the One Who truly governs. This
idea would, however, immediately
alienate the educated reader, whose
rationality does not admit any such
cause for events on this planet. Such is
the dictate of rationalism, which insists that even
mega-processes such as human history must
remain within the limits defined by the scientific
worldview, which does not allow the Hand of
God, as it were, to play any role in human
affairs.
Fortunately, even within the rationalist’s
narrow view of history, there is now ample
evidence to suggest that the three-hundred-
year old darkness of Muslim subjugation is
coming to an end; the first rays of light may
not yet be obviously visible, but the terror of
night has been broken and, as with the strike
of dawn, there are sounds emerging from the
abysmal depths—sounds which are harbingers of
dawn. they envisioned is not so quick after all. 68% of clearly is that this life of such short span in this
men and women living in the most powerful country world has a real dimension, a dimension other
The terror which the white man used to strike in of the world (in purely material terms) now say they than that of bread and butter. This opening of
the natives has turned around; no one is afraid of have no faith left in their leaders. the heart will allow them to clearly see their own
him anymore. A short stroll on any street in Gaza, agenda, something which has been dictated by
Baghdad or Qandahar is enough to confirm this. This is not the moment of rejoicing, for there is others for the last three hundred years. Once they
Men and women laden with iron and laced with too much blood, too much suffering all around take this agenda into their own hands, with a clear
technological gadgets of all kinds walk down the us. Corpses have not been buried, the wounds perception of its goals, details will automatically
road trembling in their uniforms, whereas unarmed, of Abu Ghuraib are still raw, the memory of the be worked out. And then, what Iqbal really wanted
poor, and disheveled natives have little left to fear. sister in faith recently raped and then shot dead to do with his sublime poetry, emerging from the
with her family in Baghdad by U.S. soldier Green deepest springs of poetic imagination and fired by
What has really happened on the ground, however, and his comrades is still painfully vivid. There is the message of the Qur’an, will become a reality.
has yet to happen in the mind of many an educated
Muslim. The reconstruction of Islamic thought
is a far easier task, as Iqbal knew well, than the
reconstruction of the broken spirit which has lived
in chains for so long that it has forgotten how
to be free. But with the appearance of this
new dawn, even the sleepiest minds are
stirring: where are we heading? Who Prophet (peace be upon him) and he said to me,
is controlling our agenda? What do we
need to do?
That Muslims are waking up is, ironically,
thanks to the cruelty they have recently
received. But this is their habit; they did
the same after the Tatars left a million dead
on the streets of that fabled “City of Peace” of
al-Mansur, which has never witnessed peace
since its remote beginning in 750 A.D.; perhaps
there was something wrong in the estimate of the
astrologers who advised the Caliph to start the
have been lifted and the pages have dried.”
construction on such-and-such day. Whatever
the reason of their stirring, the fact is that the
terror that had gripped their hearts for so long is
disappearing.
10
MOVIE REVIEW

By Yousuf Raza - 4th year MBBS student at Shifa College of Medicine

S
Experience
I
want to say that it was brilliant, that it’s the
best television can do, but the macabre truth
that is unveiled simply makes those adjectives
inappropriate. If you think that the Palestinian-
Israeli conflict is a mutual age-old struggle and
Love like never before...
relates to the never-ending war over Jerusalem,

COMING SOON...
then this documentary is for you. If you think
that during the last century Jews moved into
empty homes just waiting for them, then this
documentary is for you. If you feel that this world
is a beautiful place with everything hunky dory
for all, besides the odd skirmish here and there,
then this documentary is definitely for you. If you
think that those times when you are not getting
reports of active battles from the region, the
Palestinans are leading regular, bearable lives
then you should see this documentary—stat. And
finally, if you feel that the mainstream media has
been giving you unbiased, reliable stories from
2010
the region, then know that “The greatest enemy

February 15th-19th
of knowledge is not ignorance, but the illusion of
knowledge” (introductory quote from Occupation
101).

Winner of various awards, including Best

Documentary at the New Orleans Film Festival,
Best Film at the Artivist Film Festival, Hollywood,
the Golden Palm award, and many others,
Occupation 101 will shake you to your core.
Meticulously made and professionally presented,
the documentary does not give anyone the
opportunity to shrug it off as another load of
conspiracy theories. Indeed, with world renowned
journalists and writers like Noam Chomsky, Alison
Weir, Phyllis Bennis and many others presenting
their research, very little doubt remains by the end
of the reel of who is responsible for the conflict.
Additionally, several Israeli Jews themselves—
war-veterans and peace activists who saw the
error of the Zionist ways—spill the beans as this
documentary gives them the opportunity to show
the world why they do not support the agenda
of their government. You can’t even say, “Oh the
Because one day is just not enough
anti-Semitic Muslims are ranting about their claim
to Jerusalem once more,” because other than
Palestinian men, women, and children explaining
their suffering, you will not find many Muslims in
the documentary. With all the facts and figures
At Shifa College of Medicine
attributed to easily accessible sources, the
documentary can stand the scrutiny of even the H-8/4, Islamabad
toughest critics.
www.shifastudents.com
Oh, and this documentary is not available at your
nearest stores (I wonder why…), so you are going
to have to either download it from some torrent
website, or watch it in bits and pieces on youtube,
or on their official website—www.occupation101.
com.
12
UMAR BIN KHATTAAB
U
mar bin
t (Tirmidhą)
al-khattab
by Dr. Waqas Ahmed - Consultant Cardiologist at Shifa International Hospital
H
e headed out alone in the direction of
the holy KaĂbah. Despite the dark, he
immediately noticed the man called
Muhammad Ē offering his prayer next to the
holy sanctuary. He quietly slid behind the cloth
covering the KaĂbah and slowly edged closer to
Muhammad Ē. Unnoticed, he got close enough
to hear what Muhammad Ē was reciting. The
words were mesmerizing. “Muhammad Ē must be
a poet, for how else could an unlettered man utter
such words,” he said to himself. The very next
recitation took him by complete surprise:
Verily this is the word of an honored Messenger.
It is not the word of a poet, little is that you
believe! (Q 69:40-1)
“How did he read my mind?” ĂUmar asked
himself, “he must be a magician.” What he heard
immediately following was enough to shake him
to the core:
Nor is it the word of a soothsayer, little is that
you remember! This is the Revelation sent
down from the Lord of all that exists. (Q 69:
42-3)
This was the first time the message of Islam
permeated his heart. From that day onwards,
he was not the same man. The son of KhaććĀb
had begun his journey to finally become Amąr-ul-
Muāminąn (the leader of the Believers).
He was born in Makkah to KhaććĀb-bin-Nufail
of the Banu-ĂAdi clan of the tribe of Quraysh.
His appellation was Abu-Ąafs, and he was given
the title of FĀrĈq by none other than our beloved
Prophet Muhammad Ē. His lineage meets that
of the Noble Prophet Ē some eight generations
back.
He epitomized the Prophetic Ē narration, “The
best people in jĀhiląya (ignorance) will be the best
- BY DR. WAQAS AHMED
The second of
the rightly guid-
ed caliphs
ones in Islam, once they have been granted the
right understanding and guidance” (BĈkhĀrą).
What started as a fierce animosity to the message
of Islam was replaced by an undying faithfulness
to the message of the QurāĀn and the Sunnah of
the Noble Prophet Ē.
The story of his embracing Islam is deeply
entrenched in the minds of all Muslim children
because of the dramatic turn of events; here he
was, heading to kill the Messenger Ē of Islam;
shortly thereafter, he walked out of the house
of the Noble Messenger Ē to the backdrop of
the air of Makkah resounding with AllĀhuAkbar,
AllĀhuAkbar (God is the Greatest).
ĂUmar ē became a Companion of the Messenger
of Islam Ē in the sixth year of the Prophethood.
He was thirty two years old then, and his courage
was unrivaled. He was an excellent horseman,
swordsman, and wrestler. After embracing Islam,
he went straight to the house of ĂAmr-bin-HishĀm
(Abu-Jahl) to announce his conversion. Even
when the Muslims were ordered to immigrate to
Yathrib (Madinah al-Munawarah) in secrecy, he
circumbulated the KaĂbah, prayed two rakĀĂ, and
then walked straight to the leaders of Quraysh
with a naked sword in his hand, challenging them
to stop him if they dared. None did.
In the early days of the advent of Islam there were
only seventeen literate people among Quraysh,
and ĂUmar was one of them. The Prophet Ē once
said that he had a dream in which people were
brought before him wearing shirts which reached
to the chests of some and longer for others, but
ĂUmar’s shirt was dragging. When asked about its
meaning, he Ē said, “Religion.”
It was the recognition of his extraordinary
attributes that the Noble Prophet Ē said about
ĂUmar:
“Allah has established Čaqq (Truth) on
the tongue and in the heart of ĂUmar.”
“In the previous nations there have been
men who were MuĄadath; if there is a
MuĄadath in my Ummah, it is ĂUmar”
(MuĄadath is one who is inspired by Allah
without being a Prophet). (BukhĀrą)
“If there was going to be a Prophet
after me, it would have been ĂUmar.”
(Tirmidhą)
His glory saw no bounds after he embraced Islam.
He was the first one to use the term of Amąr-ul-
Muāminąn (the leader
The Prophet (SAW) once
of the Believers),
a term which still
inspires awe. He was
one of “The Four”
who would forever said: “If there was going
to be a Prophet after me, it
be remembered as
KhulĀfa-e-RĀshidąn
would have been Umar.”
(the rightly guided
caliphs) and finally,
he was the fourth in
the most venerable
list of “The Ten,”
the ĂAshara-
Mubasharah (the ten who were given the glad
tidings of Heaven in this world).
Ibn-MasĂĈd ē is reported to have said that
ĂUmar’s ē excellence is established by four
things:
1. He counseled the killing of the captives
of the battle of Badr which was affirmed
by the verse of QurāĀn (8:68).
2. He wished for the mothers of the
believers to observe the hijĀb; later on,
the verses of hijĀb were revealed, and the
Prophet Ē said, “Revelation is caused in
my house and you were already inspired.”
3. The Prophet Ē prayed to AllĀh Ī to
strengthen Islam with the conversion of
ĂUmar to Islam.
4. He pledged allegiance to Abu-Bakr
(after the demise of the Prophet Ē) before
anyone did.
MujĀhid ē has also been reported to have said,
“We would often mention that the devil remained
in confinement during the caliphate of ĂUmar
13
and was released after his death.”
The historians are unanimous in declaring the
peak of the Muslim Empire to be during the
caliphate of ĂUmar. Damascus was conquered
by KhĀlid-bin-Waląd ē and Abu-Ubaidah-bin-
al-JarrĀh ē. The victory crippled the Roman
Empire. Under the command of SaĂd-bin-Abi-
Waqas ē, the battle of QĀdisąya saw the fall of
the mighty Persian Empire. Egypt was overtaken
by the army lead by Amr-bin-al-ĂĊs ē. The fall
of Jerusalem without spilling blood reflected the
true spirit of Islamic equality, as it saw the leader
of a magnificent empire holding the halter of
his camel on foot, while his slave rode as they
approached the gates of Jerusalem. That was
enough for the
Jewish elders to
hand over the keys
of the city to the
Muslim army.
Some of his
prodigious
services for the
Muslim state and
its inhabitants
included the
establishment of a
public treasury (bait-al-mĀl), the introduction of
the Hijri calendar, the measurement and record
keeping of public land and a census system,
establishment of a police and prisons department,
fixing of financial allowances for the poor
amongst the Christians and the Jews, a specialized
system for mail delivery across the Muslim land,
and too many more to recount here.
It is said that once ĂUmar ē was returning from
an expedition and came upon the shack of a poor
old woman. He asked her what she thought about
the caliph ĂUmar, and she complained that she
was in abject poverty and the caliph was unaware
of her afflictions.
“But how can ĂUmar know about your state here
in the desert while he sits in Medinah?” he asked
her.
“Then why does he call himself the caliph?” she
replied, upon hearing which ĂUmar ē cried
and asked her how much she would take in gold
dinars to forgive him. After that, he set a monthly
stipend for her from the bait-al-mĀl.
He lived an exemplary simple and austere life.
His clothes were usually patched. Once, people
had to wait a long time for him to come out of his
14
UMAR BIN KHATTAAB
house. The reason was he only had one outfit to
wear, and he had washed it. When advised to use
honey for an illness, he refused to use the stock in
the public treasury without the permission of the
people.
The Persians had not forgotten their defeat
under the leadership of ĂUmar. A Persian by the
name of Abu-lulu-Feroze managed to find his
way into the household of ĂUmar on the pretext
of his extraordinary woodworking skill. One day
soon after, as ĂUmar lead the Fajr salĀh, Feroz
slid behind him and stabbed him multiple times.
The leader of the believers stumbled, but not
before grabbing hold of Abdur-RahmĀn-bin-
ĂAwf ē and asking him to lead the salĀh, which
he did, as ĂUmar ē fell grievously wounded.
Over the next few days, as he laid waiting for the
approaching death, he recalled that the Prophet
Ē had once named ten persons who would surely
go to Paradise. Of those who survived, six were
The Muslim Empire at the time of ‘Umar ē
“ The historians are unanimous in declaring the peak of the Muslim Empire to be during the caliphate of ĂUmar.”
- BY DR. WAQAS AHMED
present in Medinah and ĂUmar ē summoned
them. He ordered them to deliberate and select
one of them as the caliph. He then did something
extraordinary which reflected his immense piety
and sagacity. He added a seventh vote in case of
a tie, but one who was expressly excluded from
the candidacy of the caliphate: his son Abdullah-
bin-ĂUmar ē. The deliberations lead to the
nomination of UthmĀn-bin-ĂAfĀn ē as the next
caliph.
Before his death on 1st Muharram, 24 Hijri,
his son Abdullah came to Saeedah ĂAyesha
Ĕ and requested that the caliph was begging
her permission to be buried next to the Noble
Prophet Ē and Abu-Bakr Siddique ē. She agreed.
And so that is where he lies now, in the company
of the best of mankind and the best of this
Ummah, the two he loved the most. May Allah Ī
shower His Mercy and Blessings on ĂUmar-bin-
KhaććĀb ē.
FORGOTTEN DEBTS
Forgotten
Debts
By Yousuf Raza - 4th year MBBS student at Shifa College of Medicine
I
have a feeling you won’t read this to the end.
If you’re anything like the other 99% of people
who happened to find a copy of this magazine
in their hands and just skimmed through it, you
will not read it through to the end. But if you’re
different, you just might.
And so for you I will continue to write. This article
is not intended to preach; neither do I intend to
show-off my writing prowess or my knowledge—
really, I’m deficient in both areas (I’m not even
being modest, just ask our adroit editor). It is but a
simple plea. Nay, let me eat humble pie, or rather
devour it, and say that it I am begging you, dear
reader, to realize your forgotten debts. Not for
me, but for God’s sake,
for your own sake, and
possibly for the sake of
all the poor, deprived,
and impoverished of
this country. What can
you possibly do to help
them, you ask? Well, I’ll
come to that. First let me
elaborate on what these
forgotten debts are.
1947—Ring a bell? Yes,
after the untiring efforts Corpses of people who set out to migrate to Pakistan during doing? You go to a fast
of the Muslims of India,
ably led by M. A. Jinnah,
Iqbal’s dream was realized on the 14th of August,
1947. But it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park to
get there, was it? Still, we treat it as though it
was. In a way we may be right; in some sense of
the phrase it might have been a walk in the park:
Muslim women were stripped and made to “walk
in the park,” ridiculed and utterly humiliated, raped
in the thousands! Excuse the sarcasm, but I find
15
- BY YOUSUF RAZA
our apathy towards our historical debts rather
incredulous. You and I grew up hearing about
those sufferings and sacrifices: trains, which were
meant to bring emigrants to the newly-founded
homeland, were brought forth filled with mutilated
corpses. Train-loads of dead-bodies! Can you
imagine that? The struggle they must have gone
through, the atrocities they must have witnessed,
and when they finally boarded the train, their life’s
journey was brought to a savage and callous
end. What was their fault? They were Muslim.
They were guilty of desiring to live by the code
of conduct revealed to them by their Creator, in
peace and with freedom. They knew they might
not make it themselves,
but to let others live that
dream would be a cause
worth dying for.
Yet, those ‘others,’ i.e.
us, haven’t really lived
up to their expectations.
We enjoy the freedom
they laid down their lives
for, yes, but to what end
and in what way? To
do exactly what people
across the border are
the partition food outlet in Islamabad
and one in Delhi—what
will strike you most is the uncanny resemblance.
The music, the attire, the conversations—ditto!
Same goes for the wedding ceremonies; take out
the tawaaf around the fire and voila—you have
a replica. From our daily dealings to the laws
prevailing in the ‘Islamic’ republic of Pakistan, you
will hardly find anything reminiscent of what was
revealed to our Prophet (SAW)—the law for which
16
The most amazing people went through the most
testing predicaments to make sure that the Light of
Islam reached every corner of the world, and it is
through their efforts that we are Muslims today, Alhumdulillah.
And so we owe them — BIG TIME.
those noble souls sacrificed their property, honor,
and lives. By acting thus, we have desecrated
their sacrifices in the same vein as those who
raped, pillaged, and murdered them 62 years ago.
Perhaps our crime is greater—they did it because
their Motherland, their god, was being divided; we
do it for no fathomable reason.
The charge-sheet has just started unrolling. For
the second, even more important, debt that we
have conveniently put at the back of our minds,
we have to go back 1400 years. A young boy
is tied to a pillar and his mother is stripped of
her clothes before his very eyes and tortured in
unmentionable ways. An idol is placed before
her and she is asked to concede that this piece
of stone has at least some form of divinity in it.
With her son watching her terrible plight, she spits
on the idol. Incensed, her master takes a spear
and mercilessly shoves it through her, putting an
end to her suffering. But the boy is still alive—he
watches on as each of his father’s limbs are tied
to a horse and the horses are made to run in
opposite directions. Gruesome, is it not? These
are the first martyrs of our ummah: Yasir and
Summaya, May Allah be pleased with them.
Mus’ab bin Umair was one of the wealthiest sons
of Qur’aysh; He was spoiled by the riches and
love given to him by his mother—not unlike you
and I today. But then he received the message
of Islam, and he took it to heart; that is the
difference, I guess. As soon as the news reached
his mother, she took him to a corner of the house
and tied him up. Little did she know that the light
of Iman that was ablaze in his heart was not to
be put out by mere imprisonment. He was to
eventually escape from there, but the luxury and
comfort that he had thus far enjoyed was never
to be seen again by him for the rest of his worldly
life. Once, the Prophet of Allah (SAW), saw the
youth, who used to be the epitome of sartorial
elegance, garbed in tattered and beaten-down
clothes. He said with a smile on his face, “I have
seen this Musab with his parents in Makkah. They
lavished care and attention on him and gave him
all comforts. There was no Qur’aysh youth like
him. Then he left all that seeking the pleasure of
God and devoting himself to the service of His
Prophet.”
Another of these believers was once praying in
front of the Kaa’bah. Entrails of a camel were
hurled onto him while he was in the state of
prostration. Seeing her father being smothered
under the weight, a young girl ran to his aid,
tears flowing down her eyes. Again, whilst in a
state of prayer, with the utmost concentration
and humility before his Lord, the same believer
was assaulted, as a cloth, rolled up to make a
rope, was hurled around his neck and pulled until
his eyes literally bobbed out. But this physical
torture was nothing compared to what he was put
through psychologically. The man, once admired
for his honesty, wisdom and character was now
being called a liar, a sorcerer, a madman! He
was isolated and ridiculed. This, my friend, was
the best of God’s creation, the most loved by the
Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, the leader
of humanity, Muhammad, may Allah’s peace and
blessings be upon him. The psychological torture
was so severe that time and again in the Qur’an,
you will find Allah consoling his servant and
reminding him that he is not what these people
accuse him; rather, he has the best of character,
and he is, in fact, the Messenger of Allah.
All this is only the tip of the iceberg. No amount
of dead words that I or anybody else puts on
paper can make us realize what the Muhammad
Rasullullah and the people with him went through.
My point here is not to relay a history
FORGOTTEN DEBTS
lesson. What I want you and I to realize is that
this religion was not established by the wave of
a wand, so to speak. The most amazing people
went through the most testing predicaments to
make sure that the Light of Islam reached every
corner of the world, and it is through their efforts
that we are Muslims today, Alhumdulillah. And so
we owe them—BIG TIME!
So there you have it—our forgotten debts! If you
are reading this
article, then
you have been
blessed by Do whatever it takes to make this country
Allah, in terms
of your health,
a truly Islamic country; to make it truly
wealth, and independent. For if you take the ’Islamic’
education in
ways others out of Pakistan, then Pakistan ka matlab
in this country
have not. So the
no longer remains “La ilaha illa Allah,” the
weight of these slogan for which your ancestors lost
debts is more
on you than on what they lost and you and I gained what
anybody else.
The natural
we gained.
inclination of
a human being
with a sound heart is to feel gratitude and the
urge to repay those who have done him good.
On the contrary, it is the character of a vile and
contemptible person to actually feel resentment
for his benefactor and to forget and ignore his
debts. If you, my dear reader, possess a sound
heart then you must be wondering how we can
possibly repay these debts. Truth be told, the
weight of a mountain has been lodged on our
fragile and spoiled shoulders. Yet we will not be
asked if we paid back our debt penny by penny,
but rather if we tried. As according to the Prophet
(saw), “It is on you only to try.”
So ending this entreaty, I plead: go back to the
Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Messenger of
Allah. If you don’t pray, start praying. Know the
meaning of your prayer. Converse with your Lord
with the utmost sincerity and dedication. Redress
your wrongs. Ask Him for forgiveness. If you pray,
then strive to improve your prayer to the level of
Ihsaan, about which the Prophet says, “It is that
you worship Allah as if you see Him, and even
though you do not see Him, you realize that He
sees you.” Develop a relationship with the book
17
- BY YOUSUF RAZA
of Allah, His Word, His Message to you and I.
Know its language, and follow its instructions to
the letter, no matter what. Acquire good company,
and help each other towards accomplishing these
ends. And whatever doubts you have, clarify
them. “Ask the people of knowledge if you do not
know.” (21: 07)
What’s that? Difficult, is it? Surely not as difficult
as the lives of those we just talked about?
Remind yourself of
their difficulties,
and that will
make yours look
insignificant.
Finally, do
whatever it takes
to make this
country a truly
Islamic country;
to make it truly
independent.
For if you take
the ’Islamic’ out
of Pakistan,
then Pakistan ka
matlab no longer
remains “La ilaha illa Allah,” the slogan for which
your ancestors lost what they lost and you and
I gained what we gained. It is by this that the
injustices and deprivations that affect most of the
citizens of our country can be removed. Those
poor souls cannot remove the oppression they’re
under themselves; they’re too busy suffering
under them and still trying to make ends meet. So
it has to be you and me! I know it is not easy, and
it is definitely not an overnight thing. But we can
take part in sowing the seeds now and nurturing
the plant to the best of our abilities. When it grows
into a big strong tree, we might not be around, but
our reward will be with the Ever Living.
The world will witness once more, like it did in
the time of the four rightly guided Caliphs, that
the Islamic system of economics and judiciary is
the only way of attaining a truly just social order,
and from there the light of Islam will enlighten
even more souls, and the suffering of the people
in this world, and in the next, will be curtailed.
Waqte fursat hai kahan kaam abhi baqi hai noor-
e-tauheed ka itmam abhi baqi hai. Pull up your
socks and hop to it!
 (This article is a brief summary of Dr. Israr Ahmed’s book: “Lessons from History.”
What the Mirror can Reveal The reader is encouraged to read the original source as important and interesting
By Mohammad Hammad - 4th year MBBS student at Shifa College of Medicine
details have been left out for the sake of brevity.)

ore than 14 centuries ago the Prophet of Islam (SAW) gave us a prophecy, and more than that, a warning against repeating the mistakes of our prede-
M cessors: “My Ummah will experience all those conditions which were experienced by the children of Israel, just like a shoe resembles its pair.” (Tirmidhi)
The Qur’an summarizes the history of Bani Israel in the 17th Surah, Verses 4-9. It tells us that Bani Israel earned the favor of Allah twice; twice were they
blessed with economic and political strength. Both times they became arrogant and disobedient to Allah and so were relegated to the ignominy of divine
punishment. Muslim history mirrors the path of these predecessors.

Liberated Bani
Israel from slavery & Jerusalem Height of financial, political,
polytheistic influences Conquered and military strength
Power corrupts and
divides the Empire
Prophet Musa Prophet Joshua Prophet Suleman An Empire Divided
(AS) (AS) (AS)

Lays down foundation North South

for an empire

Attack!
Assyrians Babylonians
disunity

Jewish court
Material sentences Romans destroy Bani Bani Israel butchered Bani Israel butchered
Comforts
Romans & enslaved
Prophet Isa Israel & enslaved
(AS)
Faith Solomon’s
weakens Temple
destroyed

Power introduces
the element of
corruption
Maccabee Empire
Height of financial, Religious fervor at
political and military
strength
A foreign element Bani Israel nearly
They rebel against
restores the glory of decimated
the Greaks
old
A setback in the
CYRUS, King of Persia defeats They realize their
form ofAlexander of
babylonians and frees the Jews errors & repent
Macedonia
Jerusalem Divine
its zenith reclaimed Providence!

Liberated the Arabs

from ignorance, evil, Reclaims Height of financial, political,
polytheism Jerusalem and military strength
Power corrupts and
Prophet divides the Empire
Umayyad & Abbasid An Empire Divided
Muhammad Umar (RA)
(pbuh) Caliphate

Ground work for an East West

empire laid down

Attack!
Mongols Crusaders
disunity

Material Western Slaughter and Muslims at Jerusalem

Comforts destruction from slaughtered
Colonialism China to Baghdad
Faith Al-Aqsa
weakens Falls

Power introduces
the element of A foreign element Muslim Empire at the
corruption restores the glory of edge of a precipice
old

Ottomon Empire MONGOLS embrace Islam They realize their

errors & repent
Height of financial, Religious fervor at Jerusalem conquered Divine
political and military its zenith By Salahuddin Ayyubi Providence!
strength

nother hadith of the Prophet (SAW) states that there would come a time when the Muslims, though great in number, would be as weak and ineffective as
A the scum on the surface of flood waters, because of a lack of imaan (faith). Such prophecies are not solely meant to insinuate the certainty of a particular
fate, but are warnings against repeating the mistakes of the past nations and losing our imaan, and thus our independent Muslim identity.
Muslims often ask themselves, “Why are we so humiliated in spite of being bearers of the truth?” We should remember though, that just like this prophecy,
the promise of Allah in the Qur’an will also come true—however unlikely it may seem—and the light of Islam will illuminate the entire world.
We have been suffering from the ill effects of our sins for too long. Has the time not yet come for the hearts of the believers to be moved and softened? Or
are we waiting for Allah and the angels to appear right before our eyes for our reckoning?
It is time to wake up; it is time to act.

By Mohammad Hammad
4th year MBBS student at Shifa College of Medicine What the Mirror can Reveal
20
A DAY IN AMAN REFUGEE
A Day in
Aman Refugee Camp
By Zahid Saeed - 1st year MBBS student at Shifa College of Medicine
T
oday, I have seen misery, despair, and
hatred. I have also seen brotherhood, unity,
and an amazing sense of faith in God. What
these brave refugees have endured is beyond
our comprehension. They have been expelled
from their homes. They have travelled for days
on foot, only to find that the government, which
had promised them protection, shelter and food,
is nowhere to be found. Infants lie in the baking
heat, too weak to cry due to malnutrition and
infections. What these people have been through
is something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
The student society collected around 5.5 lakhs in
three days at Shifa. Our task today was simple;
go to the camps, identify the needs of the IDPs,
and distribute supplies. The team consisted of Dr.
Khalid Akbar (urologist and team leader), Dr. M.
P. Qazi (gyne/obs), Dr. Athar Rana (allergist and
immunologist), Dr. Masooma Saeed (anesthesia),
Dr. Naheed Rana, Dr.Ihaab Matabdin, Dr.Nazia,
Dr.Shazia, as well as a group of nursing staff.
From the medical school, Ubaid, Yusuf, and I
were present.
Sunday, May 24th:
P
8 am: Our convoy leaves Shifa heading for
Swabi. We have a truckload of supplies as well
as a bus, and two cars. We are all excited and
optimistic. We have no idea how bad the situation
is.
P
9:45 am: We pass the first refugee camp, just
outside of Mardan. This camp is being run by the
government, and is by far the worst camp that we
will see on our trip. Thirty people are squeezed
inside a tent meant for ten. There is no running
CAMP - BY ZAHID SAEED
water and no fans at the camp. They lie in the dirt.
All of them look lost. The only time I have ever
seen anything close to this was the camp in the
heart of Muzzafarbad right after the earthquake
hit. Back then, we saw NGOs on every street
corner. The UN, the Red Cross, Amnesty
International, Oxfam, etc., are nowhere to be
seen. Only people we see helping are locals. The
sense of unity amongst these people is amazing.
P
11:15 am: We reach the home of our host,
Mr. Liaqat Tarakai. Mr. Tarakai is running seven
refugee camps by himself with every penny
coming from his pocket. Under his care are
10,000 refugees. I understand now the pushtoon
concept of fraternity. Even though he owes
nothing to these people, he treats them like
family, and spends most of his day shuttling
between camps supervising the relief efforts. His
camps are the only ones in the area with fans in
every tent, cold running water, and three square
meals a day.
P
12:15 pm: We leave for Aman Refugee Camp.
It’s an extremely hot day; there is not a cloud in
the sky, and on top of that, no breeze.
P
12:30 pm: We reach the camp. It consists of
around two hundred tents, and has about 1500
residents. We start unloading the supplies and
taking them to the makeshift medical clinic (which
is a crumbling old one bedroom house built in the
early 20th century). By the time we unload the
first truck, each one of us is sweating like a dog.
The heat has no mercy on anyone.
P
1 pm: We have identified malnutrition as the
greatest health risk to children, so Yusuf, Ubaid,
and I, along with a couple of local volunteers,
begin the rounds of the tents, distributing
powdered milk and Lactogen infant baby formula.
It is tiresome work, and it takes us around 1.5
hours to get done. Afterward, we are struggling to
stay on our feet. The heat is a killer. Heatstroke
and dehydration are some of the most fatal
conditions out here.
P
3 pm: We head back to the medical clinic.
There we help fill the prescriptions for the patients
that keep pouring in. The tide of people shows
no signs of abating. Yusuf spots a bunch of
bags filled with shoes. Remembering that most
of the children were barefoot, we head back to
the tents to distribute. It is heartening to see that
the children, though they have been through so
much, are still very playful and naughty. As soon
as they see us coming, every child runs back to
his/her tent and hides their old shoes, so that they
can get new ones. We are flummoxed, because
now we have no idea what to do. In the end, we
decide that one pair of shoes per tent should be
the rule. We never make it through all the tents.
We only get to around tent number 150.
P
4:15 pm: Extremely tired, dirty, and
dehydrated, we start making our way back to the
medical clinic.
P
4:25 pm: I stop to talk to a young man sitting
off to the side of the medical camp. He doesn’t
appear to have any medical problems, so I ask
him what he is doing. Thankfully, he speaks Urdu.
He tells me, with tears in his eyes, how his mother
and father were both killed in Swat, and how he
fled with his two year old brother, who is sick
with a GI infection. He just wants some ORS to
rehydrate his little brother .This guy is probably
21
the same age as I am, yet here he is in a refugee
camp with no apparent future. It really makes you
think about how lucky we are.
P
4:45 pm: We wrap up the clinic as the patient
inflow starts to regress. In total, almost five
hundred patients have come for consults.
P
5 pm: We head towards Mr. Tarakai’s home.
We eat lunch, bid farewell to our kind host, and
then set out for Islamabad. On the way back, we
discuss the needs of the people in these camps.
Dehydration, malnutrition, anemia, GI bugs, upper
respiratory tract infections, scabies, and malaria
top our list of concerns. We now have an idea
as to what to purchase for the next trip: iron and
folic acid supplements, multivitamins, antibiotics,
powdered milk, mosquito repellents, and ORS.
P
7:30 pm: We reach Shifa safely. All of us
are dead tired, and everyone leaves for their
respective homes. It has been an experience
none of us will ever forget.
If you plan on donating to the IDPs, please do not
give your money to the government run funds.
Every IDP I talked to complained that none of
the money, which exceeds 65 million dollars,
has even reached the camps. The government
camps are the most dilapidated and cramped.
Food is scarce and medication is even scarcer,
so PLEASE DON’T give the government your
money. Instead, give it to one of the multiple
NGOs working day and night to make life better
for our brothers and sisters from Swat. In the face
of all this despair, we must realize that, together,
we can make a difference. Pakistan Zindabad.
22
THINKING OUTSIDE
Thinking outside the
BOX
An analytical summary of a lecture delivered by Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki
O
ur sentiments, ideas, and even self-
reflections are so intimately swayed by
those who hold the keys to influence and
power around the globe, that at times we forget
which thoughts are our own and which are the
product of the constant insinuations of those
influential and powerful entities. The talk, ‘Battle
of Hearts and Minds,’ when analyzed thoroughly,
is a call to think outside the box and to develop
a more all-encompassing understanding of
the situation of the Muslim world. The lecture
begins, as should any work of a believer, with the
praise of Allah and salutations upon the beloved
Messenger (SAW). This is followed by the
reading of a quote from a 2007 report of the Rand
Institute, which is a sixteen-hundred employee,
non-profit organization (think tank) that provides
analyses to the U. S. Department of Defense:
“The struggle under way throughout much of the
Muslim world is essentially a war of ideas; its
outcome will determine the future direction of the
Muslim world.”
While agreeing with this fact, Imam Anwar Al-
Awlaki beckons us to question what ideas this
battle is being fought upon, and what role, if any,
the non-Muslim world is playing. According to him,
the battle is set upon the crux of the Muslim belief
system. It is a struggle between remaining true
to our claim to the submission of Allah’s Ultimate
Knowledge and Oneness in Lordship, versus
shirking slightly from that submission by omitting
some parts of our belief system to make it more
acceptable to the various powerful entities around
us. Such a struggle, Imam Anwar warns, “even
existed among the believing nations before us.”
THE BOX
For example, with Banu Israel, there were those
who held on to the truth, and then, there were
those whom Allah Almighty said about in the
Quran, “They change the meanings of the words”
(5:13). So, they would take the words of the Bible
and they would change [them]. And some of that
was done to please the authorities of the time,
because we know that Bani Israel lived under
various nations. For example, they lived under
the Roman rule, and [at] that time the Romans
were pagan. And they lived under the rule of the
kings of Babel, and they were pagans too. And
according to a story mentioned in Tafseer, at a
particular time, some of the Rabbis of Bani Israel
gave a Fatwa to the King of Babylon allowing
him to have a forbidden relationship, only to
please him. So they changed the rule of Allah the
Almighty in order to please a human being!
Discovering the battleground of this war of ideas
leads us to the second question—the role of the
non-Muslim world, if any. That role is defined by
the following quote from US News and World
Report:
Today, Washington is fighting back. After
repeated missteps since the 911 attacks, the
US government has embarked on a campaign
of political warfare unmatched since the height
of the cold war. From military psychological
operations teams and CIA covert operatives,
to openly funded media and think tanks,
Washington is plowing tens of millions of dollars
into a campaign to influence not only Muslim
societies but Islam itself.
In simple words, Imam Anwar states, the US is,
An explanation provided in the report further solidifies
“The dividing line between moderate Muslims and
radical Islamists is whether Sharia should apply.”
So if you, as a Muslim, respect Sharia, the Rand
Institute would like to label you a radical Islamist, and
recommends the same to the U. S. Department of Defense.
“openly stating that we have a desire not only
to influence Muslim societies, but to change the
religion itself.” At this juncture, Imam Anwar puts
forward a question that is to follow naturally in
light of these observations:
Brothers and sisters, when a Muslim, a true
Muslim, hears this, he hears that non-Muslims,
who have no knowledge about the religion, who
do not believe in Allah Almighty, who don’t believe
in Muhammad (SAW) and don’t take [the] Quran
as the book of Allah, when a Muslim hears that
such a people, are openly claiming that we want
to change your religion, this should make any
Muslim who has any love of Allah Almighty angry!
How dare you?! And who are you, to tell us what
Islam is and isn’t?! is not sufficient, in the view of Bernard,
For those to whom this may sound like a typical
rant of an angry cleric, Imam Anwar points to the
sarcastic remark of a non-Muslim analyst about a
speech of former US President George W. Bush
on Islam, “Political leadership collectively appears
to have acquired an instant post graduate degree
in Islamic studies, enabling them to lecture the
population concerning the true nature of Islam.”
The fallout of such an analysis is the desire
to learn how these forces want to change
the religion, and what new shape they want
it to acquire. The answers to these questions
are obtained through an analysis of one of
the publications of Rand Institute titled, “Civil
Democratic Islam,” by Sheryl Bernard. In it,
Bernard declares that there is a need for setting a
creation of ‘moderate Muslims.’ She also provides
a detailed list of the qualities and criteria which
constitute a ‘moderate Muslim.’ Imam Anwar,
while renaming ‘moderate Muslim’ to the ‘Rand
Muslim’ exclaims, “What kind of Islam [do] they
want to force upon us?!” He adds that “They
23
are willing to go to the extent of sending their
armies to enforce on us their particular version
of Islam.” The reader can’t help but notice the
irony of the tactics employed by these entities; all
the while that they make an outcry against how
some factions of Muslims are trying to force their
version of Islam on others, they themselves are
guilty of the same. “Civil Democratic Islam” lists
four characteristics of a ‘moderate Muslim,’ as
explained by Imam Anwar. The more interesting
of these are:
1. Support for democracy: While Imam
Anwar admits that the shura system
of Islam is seen by many as a form of
democracy, he states that such an idea
for a person to qualify as a ‘moderate
Muslim.’ He points out that the report
specifies “a commitment to democracy
as understood in the liberal western
tradition.” The report further asserts
that “support for democracy implies
opposition to the concept of the Islamic
state.” Imam Anwar paraphrases, “So,
a ‘moderate Muslim’ is a Muslim who
believes in a democratic system that is
opposed to the Islamic State!”
2. Acceptance of non-sectarian sources
of law: This means, as analyzed by
Imam Anwar, that a ‘moderate Muslim’
must accept man-made laws over
Islamic laws. An explanation provided
in the report further solidifies his
analysis: “the dividing line between
moderate Muslims and radical
Islamists is whether Sharia should
apply.” So if you, as a Muslim, respect
Sharia, the Rand Institute would like
to label you a radical Islamist, and
24
THINKING OUTSIDE
recommends the same to the U. S.
Department of Defense.
In addition to the above mentioned characteristics
of a ‘Rand Muslim,’ “Civil Democratic Islam”
provides a questionnaire to be filled out by
Muslims to categorize them as being ‘moderate’
or ‘extreme.’ One set of questions asks if
the individual or organization believes that
the government should apply the criminal
law component of Sharia, or even the civil
law component of Sharia, or if the individual/
organization believes that there should be non-
Sharia options. In response to this, Imam Anwar
brings forth a compelling argument:
Praise is to Allah! What are we talking about
here—a vegetable market [where you have to
chose between] buying potatoes and onions?!
What are you talking about, non-Sharia options!
No country in the world gives you options
regarding law. There is [always] one law regarding
every issue. Here they want us to have options.
So you walk into court and you are handed out a
multiple-choice question, ‘Which law do you want
to follow!’
In the end, the report provides some suggestions
on how to help one party in this war of ideas.
THE BOX
A Time for This and a Time for That
From ‘Forty Hadith On: Islamic Personality’ by Shaykh ‘Alî Hasan ‘Alî ‘Abdul Hamîd
Mainly, as summarized by Imam Anwar, these
suggestions are to promote through all means From Hanzalah al-Usayyidee who said:
(media, publicity, print material, monetarily) all
Abu Bakr met me and asked: How are you O Hanzalah? I Replied: Hanzalah is guilty of hypocrisy!
those who fit the Rand criteria for a ‘moderate
Muslim.’ Imam Anwar also provides his He said: Free is Allaah and far removed from all defects! What are you saying? I said: When we are
suggestions on how to confront such propaganda. with Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahu ‘alaihi wa’sallam) and he reminds us of the Fire and Paradise it
One point of great import is that Muslims should is as if we were seeing it with our own eyes. Then when we depart from Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahu
develop an awareness of their true identity: ‘alaihi wa’sallam) and attend our wives, our children and our business, then much of this slips from
“Different colors, different races, different our mind. Abu Bakr said: By Allaah we also experience the same. So I went with Abu Bakr until
languages, but we are one Ummah, and this
should take precedence to any other association
we entered upon Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahu ‘alaihi wa’sallam). I said: Hanzalah is guilty of
that we have!” He ends the talk on a positive note, hypocrisy O Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu ‘alaihi wa’sallam). So Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahu
reminding the audience of the prophecy of the ‘alaihi wa’sallam) said: And how is that? I said When we are with you, you remind us of the Fire and
beloved, and final, Messenger of Allah (SAW): of Paradise and it is as if we are seeing it with our own eyes. Then when we depart from you and attend
our wives, our children and our business then much of this slips from our minds. So Allaah’s Messenger
Brothers and sisters, we are inching toward
the final stage of the hadith of Prophet
(salallaahu ‘alaihi wa’sallam said: By Him in whose hand is my soul if you remained continually as
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah you are when you are with me and in remembering (Allaah) then the angels would shake hands with
be upon him): “There will be prophethood you upon your beds and upon your roads. But O Hanzalah, (there is) a time for this and a time for
with mercy. Then there will be khilafah with that, (there is) a time for this and a time for that, (there is) a time for this and a time for that.
ba’yah(pledge), for as long as Allah wishes.
Reported by Muslim (Eng. Trans. Vol.4, p.1436, no.6223)
Then there will be rule by force, for as long
as Allah wishes. Then there will be rule
against the people’s will, for as long as Allah
wishes. Then there will be khilafah on the
path of prophethood. Then, the earth and
the sky will bestow their treasures.” (Musnad
Ahmad)
[Quran 3:164]
26
THE CALIPH
The Caliph & The Bedouin
A story from the time of ĂUmar-bin-KhaććĀb ē
T
wo young men came upon Caliph Umar ibn
al-Khattab (RA) as he sat in a gathering.
With them was a Bedouin, whom they had
bound.
“What is this?” Umar (RA) asked.
“O Leader of the Faithful, this man killed our father.”
Umar (RA) then questioned the man, “Did you kill
their father?”
“Yes, I killed him,” he responded.
“How did this happen?”
“He trespassed onto my land with his camel. I tried
to stop him, but he wouldn’t. So, I threw a rock at
him. It hit him on his head, and he died.”
Hearing this, Umar (RA) immediately declared, “Al-
Qisas” (retribution).
An unwritten decree, a quick decision, free from
lengthy argumentation… Umar (RA) did not ask
what family the man was from. Was he from a noble
tribe? Did he have a strong lineage? What was
his stature in the society? None of this interested
Umar (RA); he showed no favoritism in matters of
the Deen, and no leniency when judging according
to the Shariah (law). Had his own son been the
murderer, he would have been treated the same.
The Bedouin asked, “O Leader of the Faithful! In
the name of the One by whom the heavens and
earth are standing, give me one night so I may go
to my wife and children in the desert and inform
them that you will soon kill me; I will return to you.
By Allah, they do not have a breadwinner in the
family beside Allah, and then me.”
& THE BEDOUIN
“Who will guarantee your return to me, once you
go into the desert?” replied Umar (RA).
Everyone was silent. They did not know his name,
or where he lived, or his clan, so how could anyone
of them vouch for him? And the guarantee was not
for 10 dinars, or a piece of land, or a camel; if the
Bedouin did not return, the guarantor would have
his own neck cut by a sword. Then, who would
dare to oppose Umar (RA) in the implementation of
the Shariah? Who could possibly even think about
interceding with him? So the Companions were
silent, and Umar (RA) was at a loss. If he killed
this man, then his children would die of hunger—if
he let him go without a guarantee, the blood of the
killed would go to waste.
Umar (RA) turned to the young men, “Will you
forgive him?”
“No, our father’s killer must be killed,” they replied.
Umar (RA) then repeated, “Who will vouch for him,
O people?”
Finally, the ascetic, white-haired Abu Dhar al-
Ghifari (RA), stood up and said, “O Leader of the
Faithful, I will vouch for him.”
“He has killed!” warned Umar (RA).
“Despite this, I will vouch for him.”
“Do you know him?”
“No, I don’t.”
“So how can you vouch for him?”
“I see in him the characteristics of a believer, so I
know he does not lie—he will come back, if Allah
wills.”
“O Abu Dhar, do you know that if he doesn’t come
back in three days you will be responsible?”
“Allah is my helper, O Leader of the Faithful.”
So the man left. Umar (RA) gave him three nights
so he could prepare himself, say good-by to his
family, take care of their affairs after him, and then
return for the retribution, his death.
The three nights passed. Umar had not forgotten
the promise. At asr time, the call went out through
the city: come for prayer! The youth came, the
people gathered, and Abu Dhar (RA) sat before
Umar (RA).
“Where is the man?” Umar (RA) asked.
“I don’t know, O Leader of the Faithful,” Abu Dhar
(RA) replied. He turned towards the sun; it seemed
to be moving at a quicker pace than usual. The
Sahaba were all quiet. Only Allah knows what they
were feeling.
Abu Dhar (RA) held a special place in Umar’s
(RA) heart, and he would be willing to make any
sacrifice for him, but this was the Shariah, this was
the manhaj, these were divine injunctions. They
were not to be played with, and their validity was
not open to discussion. The implementation could
not vary from person to person or from place to
place.
A few moments before sunset, the man finally
arrived. “Allah is the Greatest,” proclaimed Umar
(RA), and this was echoed by all present.
Umar (RA) asked the Bedouin, “Had you remained
in your desert, we didn’t know you, and we didn’t
27
know where you lived.”
He replied, “O Leader of the Faithful, I was not
afraid of you. I was afraid of the One who knows
the hidden and the manifest. I left my children, like
a bird leaves her young, without water or a tree in
the desert, and I am here for my death. I feared lest
it be said, ‘Fulfillment of oaths has vanished from
the people.’”
Umar (RA) then asked Abu Dhar (RA), “Why did
you vouch for him?”
Abu Dhar (RA) replied, “I feared lest it be said,
‘Goodness has vanished from the people.’”
Umar (RA) turned to the young men, “What do you
two say?”
They said, crying, “We forgive him, O Leader of
the Faithful, for his truthfulness. We fear lest it be
said, “Forgiveness and mercy have vanished from
the people.”
Umar (RA) proclaimed again, “Allah is the
Greatest,” as tears flowed on to his beard.
And he said to the young men, “May Allah
reward you with the greatest of rewards for your
forgiveness.”
And he said to Abu Dhar (RA), “May Allah reward
you with the greatest of rewards for your goodness.”
And he said to the Bedouin, “And may Allah
reward you with the greatest of rewards for your
truthfulness and oath-fulfillment.”
And may Allah reward you with the greatest of
rewards, O Leader of the Faithful, for your justice
and mercy.
[Quran 41:34]
28
MANIFESTATIONS OF
Manifestations of Religiosity
– Social and Individual Perspectives
By Kazi Zulkader Siddiqui - Professor, Civilization Studies & Medical Ethics, Shifa College of Medicine
All that is on earth will perish:
And what remains (for ever) is the Face of your Lord, full of Majesty, Bounty and Honor.
A
couple of years ago, I was attending a
conference on South Asia which also
discussed religious perspectives in line
with social, economic and political issues. The
stage was set by a very enlightening speech by
the famous Buddhist social worker Dr. Ariyaratne,
who was one of the keynote speakers from Sri
Lanka.
In his forceful speech, Dr. Ariyaratne expounded
upon four key problems facing the world today:
consciousness or rather a lack of it; a loss of
sense of true religion that converts into man-
made ideologies; a need to go beyond such
ideologies; and a search for a vision which is
meant to be the essence of our guidance in life.
The remedy to these issues, according to Dr.
Ariyaratne, is based on three important steps.
Firstly, the consciousness must be based on
compassion, love, kindness, and non-violence.
Secondly, one must look at the economic woes
and their solutions. We need to eradicate poverty
and reverse the failures of the World Bank and
such institutions that are unable to fathom the
true meaning of poverty. Lastly, we bring about
change for the better through steps that remove
the abnormalities of our society, i.e. poverty,
differences of caste, race, and religion, and by
going back to the old religious values that are
without ideologies.
This speech set my own thought process into
action, to examine the basis of religion and
its role in human life. How does it relate to the
RELIGIOSITY - BY KAZI ZULKADER SIDDIQUI
(Al-Qur’an, 55:26-27)
inequalities in the world? How does it bring about
goodness in one’s life? And what distinguishes
the Islamic concept of true religiosity in finding
that peace in one’s life and contributing towards
change for the better on Earth?
Over the past several years, the secular West
has portrayed religion in general and Islam in
particular as a religion that leads to hatred, terror,
fanaticism, intolerance, and limits to ‘freedom of
expression,’ ‘human responsibility’ and ‘mutual
respect.’
The essential problem in the mind of the West is
due to the fact that religion in this modern age is
man-made, and it is this man-made religion that
promotes the negative elements that are now
associated with it. Religion has thus become
just another social and economic phenomenon,
devoid of the spiritual basis or the ultimate design
of our maker. It is powered by the powerful
churches, temples, and other such institutions
which regulate the religious aspect of one’s life.
This man-made religion is for the sake of selfish
motives, national pride, or ethnic superiority. All
negative human traits are thus projected as the
manifestations of such a concept of ‘religion.’ This
is what leads to hatred, war, terror, intolerance,
sectarianism, and intolerance.
Such a view of religion is diametrically opposite
to the view of religion in the ‘Eyes of God’. Islam
defines religion in a totally different light. The
religion of Allah promotes universalism. Allah
loves all nations and all people alike, and His
religion is for everyone, from the beginning of time
till the very end.
The human values given by Allah to man through
His religion resonate with all other laws in nature,
which are also created by the Merciful One. This
is the religion which is the ‘deen-e-fitrah’ or the
natural religion. This religion is based on the
essence of Love and Mercy while moderating
itself against Justice for all.
Thus, the purpose of religion given to us by Allah
(not the man-made religion) is to promote human
values that are imbued with divine values. In
addition to Love and
The purpose of religion given
Mercy, it advocates
and teaches
us kindness, to us by Allah (not the man-
made religion) is to promote
humbleness
and God-
human values that are
consciousness.
This is the anti-
imbued with divine values. In
thesis of arrogance,
the essential
foundation of the
teachings of Iblis/
addition to Love and Mercy,
Shaytan. it advocates and teaches us
kindness, humbleness and God-
This leads us to
consciousness.
the second article
of faith, which is a
direct reflection of
the first article of belief in the One-ness of Allah,
and which is imbued with the values that are
reflected in the universe. Muhammad (sallAllahu
alayhi wa sallam) was sent down as the last
Messenger of Allah to establish the human
dimension to the message of Allah. He is the
epitome of the human reflection of these divine
values, and not the values of the man-made
religion.
So the essential basis of the same good deeds
(i.e. charity, goodness, caring for the people
around us, elimination of poverty, etc.) takes on a
different dimension when moving from the man-
made religion to the religion of Allah. Rather than
leading to chaos and anarchy, the human element
as reflected in the Prophet’s life depicts peace
and harmony in line with the divine design.
29
“Now has come unto you a Messenger from
amongst yourselves:
It grieves him that you should perish:
Ardently anxious is he over you:
To the Believers is he most kind and merciful.”
(Al-Qur’an, 9:128)
Such is this great man who lived his life for the
sake of others. He would forsake the pleasures
of this world and stand in vigil all night to seek
forgiveness for others. He was the most powerful
of men and yet lived like a pauper. This is the true
reflection of that
divine Love and
Mercy.
In order to
understand the
nature of this divine
religion, we need
to examine the
different aspects
of the relationship
between man and
God, and man
and man. One of
the most beautiful
explanations
comes through an
understanding of
the basic concepts of Islam, Iman, and Ihsan as
expounded by the Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu
alayhi wa sallam) through the famous Hadith
Jibra’il. It brings to fore the differences between
human understandings of religion in conjunction
with the divine wish.
Islam is the manifestation of the human façade
of the natural religion. It regulates human
activity on Earth through laws that are derived
from divine intervention. Thus, Islam does not
guarantee Heaven in the Hereafter for the
individual. Instead, it leads to the creation of good
governance—social and individual—in a state
of peace and prosperity. It leads to social and
professional responsibility. At the same time, it
challenges chaos and disorder. This provides the
conducive environment for a believer to portray a
righteous life, which then becomes the path to
30
MANIFESTATIONS OF RELIGIOSITY
success, leading to Heaven in the Hereafter.
On the other hand, Iman (faith) is the essence of
inner thought that builds core values based on
the divine teachings. It is the real link between
man and God. It provides an answer to all that
is beyond human comprehension. And it leads
to peace and harmony in one’s personal life.
It governs the inner presence and values of a
human being.
The culmination of Islam that is imbued with
Iman (faith) is Ihsan. This is the height of
‘consciousness’ through experience of God at
every moment of one’s life. It is the true coming
together of faith (Iman) and practice (as reflected
through the true implementation of Islam). As the
Prophet said:
Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him
with your own eyes standing before you, and
even though you do not see Him, you realize
that He sees you.
If one were to actually see Allah with his own
eyes, he would never ever indulge in any act that
Certainly did Allah confer [great] favor upon the
believers when He sent among them a Messenger from
themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying
them and teaching them the Book and wisdom, although
they had been before in manifest error.
[Quran 3:164]
- BY KAZI ZULKADER SIDDIQUI
is a violation of the essential divine principles and
values. Thus, Ihsan is that ultimate realization of Seeking clarity amidst confusion?
Allah being ever present with us at every step
and moment of our lives. It is the culmination of
the human psyche and behavior as demanded by
Haunted by the troubled times?
Him.
Looking for answers?
And when our deeds are a true reflection of
that religiosity in a state of Ihsan, it brings about Where did we go wrong?
the best in eliminating our problems in society;
we eliminate man’s ego and bow down in total
submission to the will of Allah. This eliminates
social and economic woes on Earth and leads us
to the state of bliss. It is the real answer for the
removal of the abnormalities of our society, i.e.
poverty, differences of caste, race and religion;
Shifa Student Society is setting the agenda for peace with the
3RD
it is how we return to the ‘old,’ or rather, the real
religious values that are without ideologies. It is
based on the religion of Allah and not the religion
of man. It moves us away from relative truth to the
absolute truth and leads to the best in this life and
the Hereafter.
This is the true manifestation of religiosity and the
real panacea for mankind.
ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE
C O N F E R E N C E
A NATION IN TURMOIL
Searching for the ways of peace
Be on the lookout
for more information; visit www.shifastudents.com

Virtues of Ramadan
A collection of various sayings of Prophet Muhammad e regarding virtues
of the month of Ramadan
The virtues of fasting are great indeed, and one of the things reported in the saheeh ahaadeeth is that Allaah has chosen
fasting for Himself, and He will reward it and multiply the reward without measure, as He says [in the hadeeth qudsi]:
“Except for fasting which is only for My sake, and I will reward him for it.” (al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 1904; Saheeh al-Targheeb,
1/407).
Fasting has no equal (al-Nisaa’i, 4/165; Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/413), and the du’aa’ of the fasting person will not be refused (re-
ported by al-Bayhaqi, 3/345; al-Silsilat al-Saheeh, 1797).
The fasting person has two moments of joy: one when he breaks his fast and one when he meets his Lord and rejoices over
his fasting (reported by Muslim, 2/807).
Fasting will intercede for a person on the Day of Judgement, and will say, “O Lord, I prevented him from his food and
physical desires during the day, so let me intercede for him.” (Reported by Ahmad, 2/174. Al-Haythami classed its isnaad as hasan in
al-Majma’, 3/181. )
The smell that comes from the mouth of a fasting person is better with Allaah than the scent of musk. (Muslim, 2/807).
Fasting is a protection and a strong fortress that keeps a person safe from the Fire. (Reported by Ahmad, 2/402; Saheeh al-
Targheeb, 1/411; Saheeh al-Jaami’, 3880).
Whoever fasts one day for the sake of Allaah, Allaah will remove his face seventy years’ distance from the Fire. (Reported
by Muslim, 2/808).
Whoever fasts one day seeking the pleasure of Allaah, if that is the last day of his life, he will enter Paradise. (Reported by
Ahmad, 5/391; Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/412).
In Paradise there is a gate called al-Rayyaan, through those who fast will enter, and no one will enter it except them;
when they have entered it will be locked, and no-one else will enter through it.” (al-Bukhaari, Fath, no. 1797).
Ramadaan is a pillar of Islam; the Qur’aan was revealed in this month, and in it there is a night that is better than a
thousand months. “When Ramadaan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the
devils are put in chains.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 3277).
Fasting Ramadaan is equivalent to fasting ten months (Musnad Ahmad, 5/280; Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/421).
“Whoever fasts Ramadaan out of faith and with the hope of reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Reported by
al-Bukhaari, Fath, no. 37).
At the breaking of every fast, Allaah will choose people to free from Hellfire. (Reported by Ahmad, 5/256; Saheeh al-Targheeb,
1/419).
From
The Alchemy of Happiness;
by Imam Al-Ghazali
If a man finds himself sluggish and averse to austerity and self-discipline, he should… exhort his soul
somewhat in the following way:
O my soul! You think yourself intelligent and are angry at being called a fool,
and yet what else are you? You prepare clothing to shield you from the cold of
winter, yet make no preparation for the after-life. Your state is like that of a
man who, in mid-winter, says, “I will wear no warm clothing, but trust to God’s
mercy to shield me from the cold. He forgets that God, at the same time that He
created cold, showed man the way to make clothing to protect himself from it,
and provided the material for that clothing. Remember this also, O soul, that
your punishment hereafter will not be because God is angry with your disobedi-
ence, it is your lusts themselves which will have kindled the flames of a hell with-
in you; just as, from eating unwholesome food, disease is caused in a man’s body,
and not because his doctor is vexed with him for disobeying his orders.
Shame upon you, O soul, for your overweening love of the world! If you believe
not in heaven or hell, at least you believe in death, which will snatch from you all
worldly delights and cause you to feel the pangs of separation from them, with
intensity in proportion to your attachment to them.
Why are you madly after the world? If the whole of it, from East to West, were
yours and worshipped you, yet it would all, in a brief space, turn to dust along
with yourself, and oblivion would blot out your name, as those of ancient kings
before you. But now, seeing that you have only a very small fragment of the
world, and that a defiled one, will you be so mad as to barter eternal joy for it, a
precious jewel for a broken cup of earthenware, and make yourself the laughing-
stock of all those around you?
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