Owys Zemir – My Bit for Change

Ramadhan – The Month of The Quran

“The month of Ramadhan is the month in which the Quran was revealed; a guide for the people, the most authoritative of all guidance and a criteria to discern right from wrong”. (Al Baqarah:185)

As Muslims around the world celebrate the arrival of Ramadhan – the month of compassion, reflection and forgiveness – they also gear up to come nearer to their Lord through the Glorious Quran. Ramadhan provides an ideal atmosphere for righteousness in general but it particularly provides an opportunity to improve upon one’s study of the Holy Quran. As expounded by the Almighty Himself in the above quoted verse, there is a special connection between the Noble Quran and the blessed month of Ramadhan. Thus, this month also provides an ideal occasion to build, develop or strengthen a personal relationship with the Book of Allah, and through it with the Rahman Himself.

Our beloved Prophet (peace and Allah’s Mercy be upon him) devoted his lifetime in delivering Allah’s Message. Ponder on the thought for a moment that the epitome of Allah’s creation, the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad (peace and Allah’s Mercy be upon him), had to bear twenty three long years of continuous hardships for delivering this Message, the Glorious Quran. For Muslims, bearing the love for their Holy Prophet (peace and Allah’s Mercy be upon him) in their hearts is part of faith. Association with the Message that was Muhammad’s (peace and Allah’s Mercy be upon him) lifetime mission, thus, must ensue out of the love for Muhammad (peace and Allah’s Mercy be upon him). During Ramadhan, every Muslim ought to probe his or her heart for the sincerity in his claim for the love for Allah and His beloved Prophet (peace and Allah’s Mercy be upon him). For, amongst the followers of the Prophet (peace and Allah’s Mercy be upon him), there are those about which the following expression of the Holy Prophet (peace and Allah’s Mercy be upon him) on the Day of Judgment is narrated in the Quran itself:

“And the Messenger will say: “O my Lord! Verily, my people deserted this Quran””. (Al-Furqan:30)

For Muslims, merely the recitation of the Noble Quran should not suffice as being enough for the ultimate salvation. Although it is a guide for mankind in general but for Muslims, it is meant to be read, understood, acted upon and propagated. The character Islam wants to build for a Muslim, the society it wants to develop, the bond it wants to establish amongst mankind and their Creator is all contained in this divine “User’s Manual”. Allah does not burden a person beyond one’s capacity and thus each Muslim has to fulfill his obligation to the Noble Quran to the utmost of his personal capacity. Our beloved Prophet (peace and Allah’s Mercy be upon him) has demonstrated that this is a continuous and life long process. The following verse can be related to the understanding of the Holy Quran to a person’s intellectual capacity:

“When they will be brought into the presence of God, He will ask them, “Did you reject My revelations without fully understanding them. What did you know about them if you had any knowledge at all?” (An-Naml: 84)

The effort towards developing an improved understanding of the Quran is not cumbersome if attempted as a convenient daily routine suiting one’s individual capacity, capability and commitments. The first step of any journey is the most important one. The road to salvation would be easy to tread if it is divided into small manageable steps while the final goal be kept in sight.

“It is better for you to learn (understand) a single verse of Holy Quran in the morning rather to pray hundreds of Rakaat”. (Ibn-e-Ma’ja, 1:619)

Allah has repeatedly mentioned in the Quran in various contexts that He has made His Word easy to understand, remember and preach. The ambience of Ramadhan provides time to reflect upon one’s commitment to his faith and thus to the Book of Guidance and Mercy. A suitable routine towards improved Quranic comprehension initiated in Ramadhan can follow through into the whole year and subsequently into one’s whole life.

It is a time to answer the call of the Quran –

“And We have indeed made the Qur’an easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition?” (Al-Qamar:17)

– with a positive mind, a open heart and a balanced approach. In Quran’s own words taught to us:

“We hear and obey. Grant us Your forgiveness, Lord, to You we shall all return!” (Al Baqarah:285).

Culminating with the following supplication:

“O Allah! let me receive Your mercy by means of the Noble Qur’an and make it my guide as well as a source of light, direction and grace for me. O Allah! revive my memory of whatever I have forgotten from the Noble Quran and grant me understanding of whatever part I know not, enable me to recite and follow it during hours of day and night and make it my main argumentative support”.

Wishing everyone a blessed and enlightening Ramadhan….

The Quranic Concept of Truth and Journalism

“We need not be theologians to see that we have shifted responsibility for making the world interesting from God to the newspaperman.” (Daniel J Boorstin)

This article could have begun with an example of Yellow Journalism. A sensational headline bound to attract, opening lines to chill the spine, spicy factoids sugarcoated as facts, an agenda to shame the devil and shocking pictures as icing on th e cake. The only reason of opening it with this quote is to highlight what has become of journalism in present times. But to think better of it, surely the Quran must lay down guidelines for ethical reporting and that ought to form the preamble to this article. Although a list of Quranic principles which could serve as an ethical code of conduct for journalism could be exhaustive, there is one principle that is vital to any such list: Truth. It is to be kept in mind that the canvas on which this Quranic standard is boldly painted is God Consciousness, which is indeed the underlying principle governing all actions of a Muslim. Naturally, the implication of Divine accountability for all our actions must lead to a natural sense of self accountability.

O you who have attained to faith! Remain conscious of God; and let every human being look to what he sends ahead for the morrow! And [once again]: Remain conscious of God, for God is fully aware of all that you do. (Quran, 59:18).

Truth is a concept that has been repeated in the Quran umpteen times to highlight its importance. Words like “Haq” and “Sidq” have been used repeatedly and all aspects of Truth have been expounded upon in various contexts. The Quranic notion of Truth is absolute, ultimate and definitive. Indeed one of the names of Allah is “Al-Haq”. The Word of Allah, the Quran, is an absolute truth, being a criterion to judge between the true and the false. The Messengers have been sent to guide to the Truth, validate and establish it. Believers are acceptors, upholders, adherents and supporters of the Truth. Truth has been likened to as the light while falsehood as the dark. Death, the Day of Judgment, the Hereafter, Paradise and Hell are expressed as being the ultimate Truths. Truth is, indeed one of the central themes of the Quran and thus one of the basic tenets of Islam.

Say: “The Truth has arrived and Falsehood neither creates anything new, nor restores anything.” (Quran,34:49)

Once Truth assumes the place of one of the guiding beacons in Islam, its role in an Islamic Society or amongst Muslims becomes doctrinal and it assumes the foremost place in the Islamic code of conduct. Thus, by application, accepting, professing, adhering, supporting, expressing, searching, spreading, upholding, validating, establishing, manifesting and revealing the Truth is part of the Muslim way of life and its manifesto. Linking up with reporting and journalism, Truth is the one fundamental principle that translates as the prime objective of journalism. Accurate, uncompromised and unaltered reporting of Truth with no strings attached.

And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is). (Quran, 2:42)

“Why do you mix Truth with falsehood and conceal the truth while you know?”. (Quran, 3:71)

Truth has to be the scarlet thread of all reporting. In this era of information operations it is necessary to elevate reporting and free it from the shackles of the overall information strategy which tends to subjugate it to the role of a mere tool for the extension of a grader schema. This is only possible when the prime objective of reporting is the broadcast of Truth. News has to be authenticated before being broadcasted and the responsibility lies on the reporter to confirm the accuracy of a report before spreading undue fear or thrill. Confirming a report’s authenticity is necessary lest that report causes damage or unwarranted loss. Reporting should never be speculative or based on mere conjecture. A part of the truth or incomplete facts should not prompt to jump to conclusions or lead to fanciful thinking. However, it is to be kept in mind that the responsibility of communication of Truth does not rest with journalists or their kin alone. The overall system has to be tailored so that Truth can flourish and can be freely propagated.

O you who have attained to faith! Remain conscious of God, and [always] speak with a will to bring out [only] what is just and true. (Quran, 33:70).

Guesswork, spying, slander and backbiting are all vices to be avoided. No paparazzi spying on celebrities. No speculation on what someone might have done. No unfair means to make glitzy headlines. No debate on the meaning, constituents, form, nature and context of Truth, as what Truth means is clear. No indirect implications, subtle insinuations, hidden agendas, prejudices and ulterior motives. No incorrect, adulterated, partial and extra-contextual quoting from sources or references. No factoids, semi-truths or pseudo-truths and one sided coverage No fear of repercussions, pressures of protagonists or antagonists.

When there comes to them a matter, be it of security or fear, they broadcast it; if they had referred it to the Messenger and to those in authority among them, those of them whose task it is to investigate would have known the matter.(Quran, 4:83).

O you who believe! if an evil-doer comes to you with a report, look carefully into it, lest you harm a people in ignorance, then be sorry for what you have done. (Quran, 49:6).

For, most of them follow nothing but conjecture: [and,] behold, conjecture can never be a substitute for truth. Verily, God has full knowledge of all that they do. (Quran, 10:36).

O you who have attained to faith! Avoid most guesswork [about one another] for, behold, some of [such] guesswork is [in itself] a sin; and do not spy upon one another, and neither allow yourselves to speak ill of one another behind your backs….(Quran, 49:12).

Can you, then, hope that they will believe in what you are preaching – seeing that a good many of them were wont to listen to the word of God and then, after having understood it, to pervert it knowingly? (Quran, 2:75).

Truth is indispensable when it comes to reporting and journalism. Imagine an era of journalism where the golden principle of Truth as illustrated by the Quran form a code of conduct. Where media is free from its inherent evils because of adherence to the cardinals of Truth and honesty. Where no color can be ascribed to journalism signifying its ills. Where conscientious and conscious reporting is the norm and Truth is the only ulterior motive and hidden agenda and is clearly manifest. The hope for such an era is not Utopian, not in the least for Muslims.

And say: “Truth has (now) arrived, and Falsehood perished: for Falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish.” (Quran, 17:81)

Of M-Theories, God Particles and Multiverses

“There is a probably apocryphal story, that when Laplace was asked by Napoleon, how God fitted into this system, he replied, ‘Sire, I have not needed that hypothesis.”-Stephen Hawking: Does God Play Dice?

There is a new Church and a new Clergy: Modern Science and Scientists. They may not chant incantations in Latin no one can understand nor do they put on holy garbs unlike common men. However, these scientists do speak a language no one has an idea about and their word is as divine. The logic and proof they put forward is undecipherable and thus, undeniable. The philosophical and theological implications of their findings are huge and are being widely propagated by atheists, humanists and (of course) scientists alike. Since the dawn of the “Muslim Dark Ages”, there is no challenging these minions of science, except mullahs, whose only line of defense is Suqoot-e Nikah (abrogation of Muslim marriages).

“It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the Universe going.” -Stephen Hawking

So, when Stephen Hawking or Michio Kaku – prophets of a scientific new era in their own might – deem God “unnecessary”, Muslim scientists are not to be found and the reply of the ummah in face of a host of modern scientific questions is silence. Ironically, even our religious scholars have no time for these trivial questions as they have much important matters to attend. Looking on the bright side, if there is any, at least that saves our nikahs!

We are still trying to bask in the glory of the long gone era when Islam led the way for science and the other so-called gentiles were in the Dark Ages. However, we never had time to notice the eclipse that has cast our glory into darkness and the turn of the tide in which, we have been left only with words and stories that now are as forlorn as the glorious age itself. Frankly speaking, when was the last Muslim call for Eureka, Muslim inventor, Muslim Nobel Prize, Muslim scientific breakthrough….hard to recall, isn’t it? But we still consider ourselves to be the Chosen leaders of all the nations anyways (sound a bit like Bani Israel?). Okay forget about that; let’s take a slightly different quiz: where is the Large Hadron Collider located and who collaborated to build it? Who launched the Hubble Telescope or the COBE Satellite? Who is running the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence program? Who spends the most on scientific research and exploration? Here’s a hint: the answer has nothing to do with those who face the Kaaba. Do I see a nikah abrogating Mullah wielding his fiery tongue at me?

And you thought seeking knowledge was incumbent on Muslims, even if it demanded the extent of travelling long distances, like say, China? Or maybe you had heard that Wisdom is a true Muslim’s lost heritage or that the Quran invites you to explore the universe. It seems while we were on a holiday, someone else took the lead. Now that they have the knowledge, they can present the facts with their perspective, as the only legal challenger is, let’s say, unavailable.

There was once really a time when Muslims propelled by the Quran, sought answers to fundamental scientific questions and delved on philosophical and theological implications of the answers they found. The Ibne Sinas, Al-Bairunis, Razis, Haythams were a whole clan who led the world of science without stumbling into the darkness created by absence of theological guidelines. It was because they were not divorced from the light emanating from the Noble Quran. However, such an era was not to last and not an inkling of their spirit was retained by present Muslims.

“Now at the beginning of the 21st century, faced with scientific claims like Neo-Darwinism and the multiverse hypothesis in cosmology invented to avoid the overwhelming evidence for purpose and design found in modern science, the Catholic Church will again defend human reason by proclaiming that the immanent design evident in nature is real”. -Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Arch Bishop of Vienna

Not that there aren’t any questions left or every picture is crystal clear. But those trying to find the answers have their own ideas and basis of conclusions. Steps in the shape of Specola Vaticana (the Vatican Observatory) and The Pontifical Academy of Sciences aim to promote the progress of the mathematical, physical and natural sciences and the study of related epistemological problems. Thus allowing for an official Vatican response to many scientific observations such as the one quoted above. In 1992 the Roman Catholic Church finally acknowledged that it had been wrong to condemn Galileo. So did any of our eminent scholars renounce their nikah abrogations for those who believed in man’s landing on the moon? Are there any apologies for condemning Sir Syed learning and advocating the learning of English? The wide gap between the (Muslim) men of science and the religious scholars makes it seemingly impossible to reach at an Islamic insight into the world of science. Neither the former have an elaborate understanding of religion, nor the latter of science. Even, vice versa is somewhat true. However enthusiastically may we claim of the mention of the Big Bang in the Quran more than fourteen hundred years ago, that mention never led us to discovery of the phenomenon, nor its ready acceptance once it was announced.

“We will soon show them Our signs in the Universe and in their own souls, until it will become quite clear to them that it is the truth. Is it not sufficient as regards your Lord that He is a witness over all things?” -Al-Quran, 41:53

The question is when these Signs show up, will we be able to give the world a clearer explanation based on our understanding of both, science and the Quran, or would we be banking on Hawkings and Kakus to interpret them for us?

Change, do we really want it?

A friend of mine tasked me to list all the problems facing Pakistan or Pakistanis. I thought it would be a piece of cake, albeit, an exhaustive list of never ending predicaments we are facing. The ‘z’s came prior to the ‘a’s in my mind as I brainstormed (rather, as a multitude of issues stormed my brain). I thought of prioritizing these issues and that is where the trouble started.

What is our biggest or foremost problem??

I turned to my wife and to her, our biggest issue was lack of security. My son’s list topper was injustice and my 8 year old daughter thought that our greatest problem is that we never stop arguing and quarreling leaving no energy for action. Well, I guess these are real issues, but then, everybody has his own gauge. I came across the ayat from the Qur’an, and then it struck me that our greatest problem is that we don’t really want change.

ALLAH does not change a people´s condition unless they change what is in their hearts…. [13:11]

Every one of us is really waiting for a “somebody” to descend from the heavens and solve all our issues with a magic wand. Some of us even have this supreme revolutionary leader of the Pakistani nation figured out. Nowadays, mostly for our youth, it seems that it’s Imran that Khan while we ourselves ‘khant’. Yet others have different personalities in mind who’ll deliver us from our problems. And then there are those who firmly believe that Mahdi (AS) himself will arrive to end the plight of all Muslims in general and us Pakistanis in particular. Others are blasé enough to leave it to God Almighty Himself to do something while we wait. Of course till such time, there isn’t much to do, or is there?

‘Whoever from amongst you sees an evil, he should change it by his hand, if he is unable to do so then he should change it by his tongue (by speaking against it), and if he is unable to do so then he should reject it in his heart – and this is the weakest of Iman’ (Muslim).

Gauge yourself with the standard laid down in the above referred Hadith. Are we causing physical or verbal change? Do we even stand at the lowest level? Do any of our current or future plans start with change? We just want things to improve overnight and want that when we wake up, everything has turned utopic. Look around and you’ll see that all those who are making moving speeches, none has any change on the agenda, and even if someone does, it’s only a façade and has hardly anything to do with real measures. We appear desperate for change from the outside but are afraid to accept the reality that this implies that we have to change our own selves. For any change to be meaningful it has to come from within, not without. So if we find grandiloquence of the patriotic, spiritual, political, social or even glamorous genres, we line up for the shot and come back relieved. However, the only revolutions such methods can achieve are superficial. Every so called leader that we have has a different cloak, a different line to sell, but in the end its just tactics to win a following. Throwing in Irene Peter’s quote:

“Just because everything is different doesn’t mean anything has changed”.

So what am I talking about here? Let me elaborate. Ever heard that, “if you’re not part of the solution then you’re part of the problem”? In essence, each and every one of us, are indeed part of the problem. If, for instance, corruption is our greatest mire, aren’t we all responsible for it in some way. We are all contributors to the situation we are in. It’s my own self that I have any real power over and I can really influence, so, naturally, any change that I really desire ought to start from my own self. I cannot sit idle and wait for any harbinger of change to end my woes. An individual is the basic component of society. Victor Frankl has said,

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves”.

If we are really heading towards doom, we don’t have time to sit down and ponder over the root causes, the factors and solutions. We need not wait for the right leaders, multitudes of like minded people, favorable circumstances or conducive environments. If our predicament is as dire as we consider it to be, then we have not a moment to lose.

“It is not necessary to change, survival is not mandatory” (W. Edwards Deming).

Each and every one of us has to be the first domino. In this game, there is no jump to higher levels without going through the first one. However, I am forced to conclude that we love this quagmire, we really do. Otherwise, we would have acted long ago.

“Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof” (John Kenneth Galbraith).

There you have it, that’s our real dilemma, we are stagnant from the inside, and we don’t want to change, not really. There was this “Smiles a Lot” character in the movie “Dances with Wolves”, and if we had a similar name, ours would be “Talk a Lot”. We talk much without actually ending up anywhere.

For better or for worse, change is inevitable, whether we form part of it or not. Let us not lament over it tomorrow that had we acted, we could’ve been at a different place. The verdict from the Quran is quoted above. That’s the ab initio for any real change we want and that’s where we start from.

Whatever is the goal of your endeavors, “When you are through changing, you are through” (Bruce Barton).

Leaving you with W.H. Auden to ponder over…

We would rather be ruined than changed;

We would rather die in our dread

Than climb the cross of the moment

And let our illusions die.