The Quide Azam, Pakistan and us

The Quide Azam, Pakistan and us

Debate has been going on (and raised again by comments on Jaswant Singh's book) about what the Quaid wanted Pakistan to be. A case in point is Yasser Latif Hamdani's article "Jaswant's book and Partition" in the News, Pakistan, Sep 24, 2009.



Mr Hamdani's reading of the history of our Quaid is essentially correct, but I find the last paragrah a rather misleading statement of choices.

There are others who argue that "Pakistan ka matlab kiya, la ilaha illallah" (what is the meaning of Pakistan - there is no god but Allah. And contrary to Mr Hamdani's that does not imply that we have to live in a ghetto with a terrorist mentality. That is grossly unjust way of putting things.

I am not a historian, nor an academic of Pakistan Studies, so I do not remember the exact words, but I do recall reading that this question was asked of Mr. Jinnah by the Hindu Press walas that he used to be in the Congress and for Hindu-Muslim unity, why was he now campaigning for an independent Pakistan? He answered that once he was also in the primary class.

This speaks volumes, for it says that he had matured.

My intention is not to get into what Mr. Jinnah wanted Pakistan to be. Let me reiterate that he was an excellent person, very upright and took the legal vs. the populist way to achieve for us Muslims an independent state. His integrity and capability and achievements deserve all the praise we have been heaping upon him.

The issue is different, though. Whatever his views on what the Pakistani state should be, those views were appropriate for him, and while appreciating his merits, we should not blindly follow what we think he wanted us to be.

For us, the question is whether as Muslims we are required to have an Islamic state, to be governed by laws derived from the Quran and the Sunnah, or are we required to adapt our ways to the dominant systems in the world.

That’s the issue, and that is what needs to be debated, if a debate is needed at all.

Bashing Wahabism and Wahabis

From time to time, vitriolic pieces appear in the press by regular contributors and even the editors on the evils of Wahabism. These writings show a lack of understanding of the origins and propagation of this term. Wahabism is a misnomer coined by the British to turn away the Indian Muslims from those who were resisting Imperialism. The term was of course eagerly adopted  by the exploitative pirs and jagirdars who used to milk the ordinary Muslim through ensuring his contribution to the local saints at their graves, a practice that has not gone away after independence. A little help in the form of cash and land grants by the British was also persuasive. The same is now being applied today for the benefit of another Imperial power, and its local cohorts. Unfortunately the so-called "progressive" elements among us are also in the forefront of this bashing.



Even if we accept the term, what the terrorists are doing in the name of Islam is not Wahabism, but since saint-worship (or any other deviation from monotheism) is equally abhorred by them and by the so-called Wahabis, those with an agenda to mislead the common Muslim have started to use the old prescription of Imperial Britain now adopted by the US, as advisd by the Rand Corporation.

What is that which Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab taught? Is it anything new? Has anyone bothered to go through his "Kitabut Tawheed", or the equally reviled "Taqwiautul Eemaan" by Shah Ismail Shaheed who was martyred at Balakot while fighting the Sikhs. Has anyone forgotten what the Sikh Maharaja did to Badshahi Masjid in Lahore, or the state of the Muslims under Sikh rule?

I have read both these books, and also those who oppose these writers. I have read supporting and refuting arguments and the sources cited therein. I find that these books only quote relevant passages from the Quran and Sahih Ahadeeth. Of course, those who want to ascribe Divine attributes to humans or other creations of Allah, would be offended.

To be fair, shouldn't people read the author's own words and the history of their movements themselves before commenting.

Kitab-ut-Tawheed

http://drabdulmajid.com/KITABUTTAWHEED.aspx

Kitab-ut-Tawheed in Arabicكتاب التوحيد الذي هو حق الله على العبيد


Taqwiyatul-Imaan

Testimony from a website:

Justifying Wahhabism


The relationship between Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhab and Ibn Taymiyah

(Qur'an 49:6) O you who believe! If a rebellious evil person comes to you with any news, ascertain the truth, lest you harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful to what you have done. (Qur'an 49:6)

Abdul-Wahhab was indeed influenced by Ibn Taymiyah. In fact Abdul-Wahhab started a similar movement at his time. He had his da3wa (invitation to Islam) in the heart of the Arabian Desert, while Ibn Taymiyah in the center of the area and heart of Islam at that time, Sham (Syria).

Muhammad Bin Abdul-Wahhab came at a similar time, when in Arabia people had started worshipping stones and grave in the name of Islam. He fought a lot of innovations and additions to Islam and his efforts succeeded in uniting with the family of Sa3ud and forming the first Saudi state, but at that time the family of Saud were righteous people, unlike the family of Saud of today. It is interesting to note that Abdul-Wahhab and his students were all Hanbalis, just like Ibn Taymiyah. The first Saudi State ended with the 3rd Ottoman campaign led by Muhammad Ali Basha himself.

Frankly, I hear a lot of slander thrown at Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhab, and I personally used to dislike him. But when I read his book Kitab al-Taw7eed and checked the accessions thrown at him I did not find any of the slander thrown at him truthful. Some cases he is clearly innocent from what is said, sometimes what they accuse him of is clearly in accordance with Quran and Sunnah. Like for example the Sufis attack him for destroying the dooms that were built over the graves of the Companions, but the fact is there are many Hadeeths that say that such things are the actions of the Jews and Christians, and that those who build such things are the worst of the creation and that the Prophet cursed such a thing, and that he strictly forbade such a thing. So as you see, those who attack him are either ignorant about the Sunnah or are just venting out hatred against Arabs.

Some of the other innovation Abdul-Wahhab students canceled, was the innovation of performing four prayers one for each school (mathab). Like a Hanafi would do Athan (call prayer) and then all the Hanafis would perform the prayer behind a Hanafi Imam, then a Maliki would do Athan and the Malikies would do their prayer and so on. Abdul-Wahhab students canceled this and praying in the Ka3ba returned to be unity like it was at the days of the Companions and like it is today, thanks for Allah.

In fact if Abdul-Wahhab is what I know about him by now, then he is Insha' Allah another reformer (Mujadid) like Ibn Taymiyah: he revived the forgotten of the Sunnah, he fought innovations, and he returned the people to the understanding of the Companions.

As for the Wahhabi Da'wa today, many Wahhabi people live in Saudi Arabia. Almost all people in Mecca and Medina belong to this school. They don't use the term Wahhabi, but rather, Salafi Da'wa or Ahlul Sunna wal Jama'a. Although, they have a negative view about women and some modern inventions, they played in important role to keep Islam alive in Arabia. They also played a significant role in raising up Islam and resisting missionary Christians in the Muslim world. Many people think that Wahhabi people are bad because the King of Saudi Arabia is bad. This assumption is clearly wrong since the Saudi kingdom does not follow that school. Their jails are full with Wahhabi scholars. Some people (unfortunately) slander Wahhabis as a way to slander Arabs. If you want to know the truth about those people, I advise you to check this site that is maintained by a famous Wahhabi scholar: www.Islam-qa.com and check out www.usc.edu/dept/MSA

Ultimately, I advise all Muslims: Do not judge people before you listen to them.

وهو صوت عاقل في العالم المجنون

Like I tried translating my blog into Arabic through Google Translate.

Well, not the whole blog, just the main page as of today: August 1st, 2009

The result is rather pleasing, although I haven't read the whole page yet.

The tilte of the blog translates well, too:

وهو صوت عاقل في العالم المجنون


and he/that is وهو

صوت عاقل a sane voice

في in

العالم المجنون the mad world


not bad, not bad at all!

A gaping hole in the bedroom wall

The scene: a house in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, early morning, June 1993

A man is removing the air conditioner in his bedroom, His wife asks: "What are you doing? The AC is working fine". The man does not answer. He keeps at his work. When his wife's voice become too loud, he tells her quietly. "I am taking it for the Bosnian guests". "The what? …" His wife is flabbergasted. "This is my AC. I need it in my bedroom. What will I do without it? You know you cannot buy me another one."

"You will be all right. After all, we have lived without an AC for until this summer."

"I can't live without it. Leave it alone". The woman is in no mood to let go of her comfort appliance.

"Look, we are from a village in this hot part. These people are from a place that is even cooler than Kashmir. They will fry in this heat. They need this AC much more than we do."

When the wife does not stop protesting, the man tells her he will send her back to her village, where there is not even an electric ceiling fan.

Saying this he walks out and heads towards the motor rickshaw stand. The wife stares at the gaping hole left in her bedroom. She feels too angry to cover it with something. Let him do it when he come back. Outside, the man has hailed a rickshaw, A long time ago, pedaled rickshaws were banned, and replaced with motor ones.

The scene changes to just outside Madinatul Hujjaj - the city of the Pilgrims, a complex of plain buildings built for departing pilgrims to Mecca. It comes alive only prior to Hajj, when intending pilgrims are trained and facilitated for their onward journey to the holy land. This is June, much too early for Hajj, but it is inhabited again, as the first batch of Bosnian guests (as the refugees are called) have arrived in the night and accommodated here.

Outside the Madinatul Hujjaj gate, one sees a sea of people in all sorts of vehicles, and even on foot - carrying various things, charpoys (beds), bedding, covers, kitchen ware, daigs (huge cooking pots with cooked food), fruits, meat, chickens, vegetables, pedestal fans, toys for kids, refrigerators, … and this man with an air conditioner. And there are guards, police, welfare organisations' employees, ...

"Please, please, take this AC inside and give it to the Bosnians", he is pleading with everyone he thinks has an official position or may be of help, but no. The guards are not letting anyone or anything in. They have instructions to make sure the guests are not disturbed.

Everywhere is the same story. People have brought out what ever possessions they have for their guests. "Please, please, take these and give to our guests".

As Sajida Sladjic, the Bosnian ambassador to Pakistan, tells this story to us, her special guests at the Bosnian Village, her eyes are filled with tears. "Where else will you find such people, who remind you of the Ansaar", she asks.

The curious case of US consulate in Karachi

Pakistanis subsidize the poor US government!

Shawkat Aziz, a Citibank banker in New York, was imposed on Pakistan as a wonderboy who would take Pakistan out of its economic mess. He was not the only one to be so imposed. Moeen Qureshi, and Shoaib, among others, had preceded him in the list of such wonder-boys.

He was made the Finance Minister, and then the Prime Minister. Here is the first order he issued on becoming PM:

The first order of PM Aziz: serve the US
Concessions to friendly countries is a norm, says former official

by Ansar Abbasi

Saturday, May 23, 2009




ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday was told about the first order issued by Shaukat Aziz, soon after taking oath as the prime minister of Pakistan in 2005. It was to give 28 acres of KPT land, worth billions of rupees, to the US for construction of its consulate in Karachi for only Rs 1.1 billion on a 99-year lease.

On the personal instructions of Shaukat Aziz, the Americans were given the land at the laughable rate of Rs 15,000 per square yard against the market rate of Rs 222,000, causing a loss of billions to the country.

When the Aziz scam was being unfolded in the PAC in pindrop silence, his two former cabinet ministers -- Hamid Hiraj and Zahid Hamid -- and six PML-Q MNAs, now sitting as members of parliamentary accountability, who had voted him to become the premier, were present.

The PAC was told that the 28 acres were actually given to the Americans before the visit of then US President George Bush, who was set to raise this issue in his bilateral talks with President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

Bush was informed that the land had already been transferred to America on their own terms and a happy Bush walked out of the conference room with a huge smile on his face. It was disclosed that the secretariat of Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC), which was the backbone of the cotton economy, was asked to vacate its building urgently so that it could be handed over to the US for construction of the consulate. For the last four years, the PCCC is using a rented building and had paid huge rents to private owners.

The story was unfolded by KPT Chairperson Nasreen Haq. The scam surfaced in the PAC meeting when KPT and Agriculture Ministry officials brought their own controversy over the payment of PCCC building handed over to the Americans. The Agriculture Ministry officials were claiming to have been denied Rs600 million as compensation from the amount to be received from the Americans.

Secretary Establishment Ismail Qureshi was summoned to explain how could he as secretary agriculture had shown no resistance to this move and quietly let the PCCC building be handed over to the US without considering its implications for the cotton committee.

Ch Nisar wondered as to how could all this be done so blatantly by the prime minister of Pakistan and most importantly, how the US could do all this. He said now the Americans might know that why the people of Pakistan did not like them.

“It’s simply mind-boggling,” observed a seriously disturbed Nisar after coming to know the scandalous details. He blasted Shaukat Aziz and said he had already fled the country. “Now what should the PAC do, as the honourable Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had already escaped from the country,” observed Nisar.

Chaudhry Nisar asked the concerned authorities to get the facts verified whether Pakistan was ever given such a huge concession of getting 28 acres of land in Washington, New York or other cities on such concessional rates.

When this correspondent contacted a former official, who was a close associate of Shaukat Aziz, he said only friends of Pakistan were given special treatment during the tenure of the former prime minister. He said the US has always been helping Pakistan in time of need. He said to give concessions to friendly countries is a norm in international relations and unnecessary criticism on this count should be avoided.

The curious case of the US Consulate in Karachi

Musharraf, the clean guy

Everyone, except the army, was corrupt, he said, and set about cleaning the system. Here is a sample of Mr. Clean_Guy's actions:

Documents reveal power scandal in Chak Shahzad palaces
Government found illegally subsidising Musharraf, Shaukat’s electricity bills

Saturday, May 23, 2009
By Ansar Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: Former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, who have built up multi-million rupee palaces in the name of farmhouses in Chak Shahzad bordering Islamabad, are getting subsidy on their electricity bills and are charged at the cheapest agricultural rates, copies of their bills obtained by The News have revealed.

A selected few amongst the other highly influential and well-connected residents of Chak Shahzad are also paying the cheapest rates with the connivance of the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco).

While the whole world knows that Musharraf has constructed a modern house on the farm, obtained for breeding poultry and vegetables, the Iesco is still allowing him to enjoy the cheapest of power tariff D-2(1), which is meant for agriculture tube-wells and lift irrigation pumps and is even subsidised by the government from the taxpayers’ money.




Because of Iesco’s generosity, Musharraf was charged, at least, Rs 50,000 less than the ordinary consumer for April 2009. He has been enjoying similar tariff concession for the last few years which, according to the Iesco sources, is illegal and nothing but cheating and fraud.

Sources in the Iesco reveal Musharraf is one of those over a dozen influentials who are misusing the D-2(1) tariff in their respective farmhouses, which are either used for residential purposes or for industrial and commercial purposes.

Such influentials, besides Pervez Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz who fled from the country within weeks after completing his tenure, includes former PML-N senator Saifur Rehman and top parliamentarians and retired defence officers.

The area SDO, Mian Jamil, when approached confirmed to The News that those using the farmhouses for residential purposes were charged at A-1(a) tariff, which is meant for domestic consumers.

He said such residences if using D-2(1) tariff, were involved in illegality and their power connections should be disconnected.Although, an Iesco source insists that this cheating is going on with the connivance of the authority officials, and SDO Jamil, while admitting that he knows that the agriculture tariffs are being used by Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz, said action would be taken against the violators once The News highlighted the issue.

Iesco spokesman Chaman Khan was not immediately available but a senior Iesco officer Executive Engineer Rashid, while talking to The News, said residential meters were installed at the residences of Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz.

When told that according to the electricity bill of these two farmhouses (see attached copies) the tariff type is given as D-2(1) which is for agricultural use, he said it was not in his knowledge. When asked whether there was any policy of Iesco to give concession to influential or government persons, Rashid said there was no such policy and he would investigate the issue tomorrow.

In the case of Saifur Rehman, whose Chak Shahzad farmhouse is also being used as Redco’s site office, SDO Jamil said his connection was changed a few months back and given industrial tariff. The Admin officer at Rehman’s site office when contacted did not offer any comment.

However, the electricity bill of Saifur Rehman’s place shows that the D-2(1) tariff is still intact at his residence though it was showing not to have consumed even one unit of electricity since January this year. An Iesco source said at least 24 air conditioner units are fixed in the Redco farmhouse buildings.

The SDO also confirmed that a former ISI chief, who is also residing in the same locality, was provided free-of-cost transformer and poles, etc., following orders of the then-Iesco chief Brigadier Shahbaz.

Normally every farmhouse is supposed to pay for Rs 700,000 to Rs 1,000,000 for transformer, which is mandatory for each connection. However, this retired general is using normal domestic connection.

Iesco sources say Gen (retd) Musharraf’s farmhouse was also provided a free-of-cost transformer and other equipment in 2006, which was of higher cost than the one offered to the former ISI director-general. These sources said some senators, including a former Senate chairman, a retired admiral, and a former brigadier, a business group, etc., are also using the D-2(1) connections.

Gen (retd) Musharraf’s electricity bill for the month of April for which the reading was done on May 2 shows that despite consuming 5,600 units, his current bill was calculated at Rs 25,841 at the flat rate of Rs 4 per unit.

On this amount, which includes a general sales tax of Rs 2,763, Musharraf was given tariff subsidy of Rs 8,010, which reduced the bill to Rs 17,831. This is only possible because of the special connection given to the former general. In case of a normal domestic connection, Musharraf would have been charged a much higher rate according to the tariff for domestic consumers.

If an ordinary domestic consumer consumes 5,600 units per month, he would be charged at the following rates: Up to 100 units @ Rs3.29 unit; from 101-200 units @ Rs4.96 per unit; from 201-400 units @ Rs8.03 per unit and above 700 units @ Rs10 per unit. The total would thus be Rs 73,498. It shows Musharraf had saved more than Rs 50,000 in just one month because of this illegal connection and fraudulent use of concessional tariff.

Quranee Urdu, or Urdu words from the Quran

The easier it is here, the more difficult it will be in the Hereafter

we born Muslims did not have to struggle with having to search for the truth, except may be in a superficial way. Being brought up as Muslims we could always see the wrong in other aqeedas. There is a downside, for all will be asked what action they took on the knowledge they possessed.

Some take it to mean we should not try to gain knowledge - if we do not know, we won't be asked about it, but that is wrong. We will be taken to task for not trying to learn.

Those who understand Arabic will have a harder time. Those of us who have a language close to Arabic, will also have to explain why we did not try to learn it.

Subhanallah. There is good news for those who can understand, read and write Urdu:

Urdu is similar to Hindi. Both were indistinguishable, except for the script. Urdu became closer to Arabic because of incorporating the script, but retaining a few letters of the alphabet for sounds peculiar to its Indian origin.

A book called "Quranee Urdu" has just come out by Col. Aashiq Hussain. He has spent his life in the education corps, with Urdu, Arabic and linguistics as his passion. He claims that 94% of the words in the Quran are in use in Urdu in some derived form or the other (sometimes the meanings are different from the Quranic ones).



The book is actually an encyclopedia, although small as encyclopedias go. In the first of its three parts, the author takes a root word of the Quran, and shows its various transformations or similarities in Urdu, with an example from an Urdu couplet for the use. This part forms the major portion of the book. The second part contains those Quranic words which have not been incorporated in Urdu. And the third part is just two pages of pronouns and huroofe jarr.

As a test I took a list of Arabic verbs (some repeated in the list or different meanings), and tried to write out any related Urdu word that immediately came to mind. See what you can make of it:

English pronunciation Arabic usage in Urdu
==================================

accept qabela قبل qubool, maqbool
advise nasaha نصح naseehat
allow samaha سمح
appear dahara ظهر zahir
arrive wasala وصل wisaal
attach rabata ربط rabita
bake khabaza خبز
beat daraba ضرب zarb
begin bada’a بدأ abadaul abaad
bind rabata ربط marboot
bleed nazafa نزف
blow nafakha نفخ
break kasara كسر kasr
burn haraqa-sharp h حرق
calculate hasaba حسب hisaaab
carry hamala حمل hamal, hamila
chew madagha مضغ
collect jama'a جمع jama, jamay
copy nasakha نسخ naskh, nasikh
crawl zahafa زحف
cross 'abara عبر ibrat
cut jaraha جرح jarah, jarrah
dance raqasa رقص raqs, raqqaas
deliver naqala نقل naql
describe wasafa وصف wasf
detect kashafa كشف kashf, kashif
dig hafara حفر
dislike kareha كره kirahat
do ‘amala عمل a`mal
draw rasama رسم rasm (tradition)
dream halama حلم hilm, haleem
dress labesa لبس libaas
drink shareba شرب sharaab, sharbat
earn kasaba كسب kasb
eat akala أكل
enter dakhala دخل dakhl, dakhil
escape haraba هرب
explain sharaha شرح sharh
fall saqata سقط saqit
feel sha’ara شعر sha`ir
find wajada وجد wajd, wajid
follow tabe'a تبع taba`y
forsake hajara هجر hijr, hijrat
freeze jamada جمد jamid, jumood

go dahaba ذهب
grind tahana طحن
guard harasa حرس
hit daraba ضرب darb
hurt jaraha جرح jarah, jarrh
joke mazaha مزح mezaah
jump qafaza قفز
kill qatala قتل qatl
kneel raka’a ركع ruko`o
know ‘arafa عرف urf, urfiat
laugh daheka ضحك tazheek
lay raqada رقد
leap wathaba (th as in thin) وثب
leave taraka ترك
let go, left taraka ترك tark
lie kathaba (th as in that) كذب kazib
listen same'a سمع sama`a, sama`y
look nadara نظر nazr, nazzara
lose khasera خسر
make sana’a صنع sana`at, sana`y, masnua`at
mean kasada قصد qasd, qased
murder qatala قتل qatl, qatil
obtain hasala حصل hasil
open fataha فتح fath, fateh, maftooh
pay dafa’a دفع
permit adena أذن izn, azaan
place wada'a وضع waz`a
plant zara'a زرع zira`at
play la'eba لعب lahw wa la`ab
prevent mana'a منع man`a, mana`y, mamno`o
promise wa'ada وعد wada`a
push dafa'a دفع dafa`a, dafa`y
put wada’a وضع waza`a
reach wasala وصل wisl, wisaal
read qara’a قرأ
refuse rafada رفض
regret nadema ندم nadim, nidamat
request talaba طلب talb, taleb
ride rakeba ركب rakaab
rise nahada نهض
rule hakama حكم hukm, hukumat
run rakada ركض
saw nashara نشر
scream sarakha صرخ
search bahatha (th as in thin) بحث
seek bahasa بحث bahays
show ‘arada عرض `arz, `arzee,
sink gharaqa غرق gharq
sit jalasa جلس jalsa, majlis
slay dabaha ذبح zibah,
sneeze 'atasa عطس
spill dalaqa دلق
spit basaqa بصق
split qasama قسم qasm
spread nashara نشر nashr, nasher, manshoor
squeeze 'asara عصر asr, asre hazir
stand waqafa وقف waqf, waqif
steal saraqa سرق masrooqa
sting lasa’a لسع
strike daraba ضرب zarb
succeed najaha نجح related: nijaat
swear halafa حلف halaf
sweep masaha مسح masah
thank shakara شكر shukr, mashkoor, shukria
think fakkara فكر fikr, afkaar
thrive najaha نجح
touch lamasa لمس lams
understand fahema فهم fahm, tafheem
wash ghasala غسل ghusl
wear labesa لبس libaas
win rabeha ربح
work 'amela عمل `aml
worry qaleqa قلق qalq
write kataba كتب ketaab, kateb, maktoob