Islamic banking … whats it about?

Islamic banking … whats it about?

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

4:40 PM

I need to clarify my understanding on Islamic Banking , a concept that’s intriguing me over the past so many years. As a muslim its necessary that we try to understand  our world and all the stuff that’s going on and its only with this spirit that I write thus, inviting your  considered opinion and comment on the subject.

While not even  attempting to cross  learned ulama  promoting islamic banking, this is an attempt to critique intellectually on the subject , in the hope that I can clarify my thoughts.

Not a feature in most muslim majority countries in  significant number.

It's an observable fact on the ground that most muslim majority countries, haven't adopted the Islamic banking system and some have rejected the modern interpretation of it altogether. Egypt , Malaysia, Saudi, emirates, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia come to mind and some of these have rejected outright implementation of a non riba system and continue to operate under riba. Obviously, though muslims, they are all comfortable with the current operational riba model. So, how does one arrogate the right to call it " Islamic Banking " just because of terminology used ? 

Growth of islamic banking as proof, not quite valid.

A recent argument I've heard , is that islamic banking is growing and that’s proof that its sound and acceptable. But that doesn’t make sense to me as riba is also growing alongside. The thing to look at is  the fundamentals of islamic banking's growth. Is it because of a genuine desire to conform by muslims; is  growth also due to non-muslims taking up sharia compliant  banking; is it a desire by muslims to conform with reservations, but in the comfortable belief that they've just passed on the responsibility of riba ? is it a reflex rejection of the Wests intellectual and physical bombardment of muslims everywhere ?

 Is IB just a marketing ploy ?

 It could well mean that the whole thing is a marketing success, playing wittingly or unwittingly on  muslims worldwide.  In the wake of 9/11, more muslims have become assertive of their faith. With noble intentions to put their money in halal funds as they perceive it, drawing on fatwas from learned ulema that one bank or another of their choice is certified halal, certified sharia compliant. Doesn’t mean that the operations of islamic banking are correct. Could be that some islamic  format is present and they are  being observed in the breach, while in the normal course of a day's business, the riba system continues to play on in the islamic bank.

Claims of being a recent phenomenon are also invalid.

Claims by Islamic bankers when confronted with uncomfortable questions  point out to defects in the current Islamic system are being rectified and that this whole islamic banking thing is just a couple of decades old and therefore need time and space to grow, these apologies  ring hollow.

Islam has been around for a little longer. If it’s a perfect system given us, then the laws for monetary transactions must be in place , must have been in practice at some point before this.

To illustrate this last point , from the time of the prophet itself let me refresh up on history. On the eve of hijra , the situation in Medina was such that the Arabs, while owning the land, were actually totally under the financial control of Jews of medina . They were the money lenders to the Arabs of Medina.  Trade also was in the hands of the Jews as was moneylending and arms manufacture.. Just like today, I guess.

Within two years, the Jews of Medina opted to leave the City, leave their transactions , leave their moneylending, and go live  by themselves,  somewhere else. A bunch of moneyless, asset less Emigrants met up in business with a bunch of previously indebted muslim community of Ansars of Medina , and turned things around. What happened ? Apart from the Help of Allah coming down in terms of Baraka, and this a quantum jump in Iman, the muslims got together, financed each other in terms of sharia compliant instruments, trusted each other, and succeeded.

Rate of returns in the selection of funding a project, hardly the benefit to society as a whole.

Another observable feature by this writer of the practise of islamic bankers in Colombo is the subtle Rate of Return, ( aka interest) agenda ; its not about the social returns of a project but the best returns to the investors of the bank. Of course this is an implicit consideration in their deliberations. If this isnt Riba, go figure !

Islamic banking is Risk taking not insurance covering !!

Main feature of Islamic banking dear brothers is the profit sharing feature that is distinct from Riba based bankers. Good in principle but near impossible to implement. Which investor of the bank in todays time will Risk his money to another ?

Composition of the I Banks investors, its shareholders. …

Most cash investors in Islamic banks are still Big Time business men and investors, having surplus money, who don’t have use for the monies they invest , greater than the projected returns on islamic bankers and that’s why they lend in the first instance; its not altruistic, believe me. They vast majority of stakeholders are not the general public but a select few millionaires who happen to also be businessmen. That’s awfully bad for another reason. True Islamic banking should comprise the entire general public and control and management of the functions of such an institution shouldn’t be in the hands of large corporates but selected teams from amongst the staff and the investors in general. But how is this selection going to be done is another process.

A question of legality here…

In any transaction involving common sense, there's  something called legal consideration and forms the basis of a transaction. Now if we take  Islamic banking as business that involves a partnership of sorts between bank and borrower where one has the money and no knowledge and the other knowledge buyt no money, why must the borrower come clean and tell the lender, the I Bank all the salient points of the business, especially as the ownership of the bank is in the hands of the select millionaire businessmen ?

Suppose , and its happened before, I, a convinced muslim , elect to tell the Islamic bank  details of my unique project and its rejected by the bank as a bad proposal. I've now given my only asset, my knowledge, in exchange for absolutely nothing from the banks side !! How Islamic is that ? Now, with the transfer of  My Knowledge to the Money Lender, the Bank has both of the  Assets required for a business ie, money and my knowledge, and let's not forget who owns and manages the Islamic Bank. Let's not be altruistic either, here, we are talking to hard-nosed bankers and some among us borrowers are hard-nosed businessmen too.  Something isn't right here, what ?

Islamic banks ought to be Risk taking but Prudent,  Trade Knowledgeable Banks; they ought to have in their expertise, men and equally women, who are trade knowledgeable, bankers, accountants , the lot.. Few Bankers fit the bill in terms of Trade knowledge. Of course the Owners to the Banks are knowledgeable enough and they perhaps in their wisdom, are enough .

I believe that an over whelming majority of the Banks activities are in no way risk taking; they are but riba based banks in everything but name; grandiose terminology signifying that Riba exists in different names.  Ask all the islamic banks in existence and you will find that most of their lending portfolio is in no way risk taking, profit sharing. What Islamic banking are we talking about ?

Perhaps the way forward is as follows:-

1. A more  broad based society owned bank rather than corporate owned.
2. More of a society based bank than a commercial bank.
3. Small and Big money participation with none of the Banks knowledge base to be disseminated outside. Tough call , this.
4. More Grameen bank lending to cover all sections of society; giving of small loans ala the grameen method
5. Branch Banks to have autonomy on controlling their monetary affairs and the de centralization of all banks in terms of their  funding, as after all this is the true islamic method from the days of the rightly guided caliphs. . Won't happen under existing conditions as large capitalists will have little say thereafter. Local Governance was what muslim empires of yore do very successfully; centralized control brings about corruption. If a region has money, let them enjoy the fruits of their hard work, rather than giving a central government to have huge pointless expenditures etc etc.
6. What's happening now is intellectual theft under cover of islamic principles, in a time period when Islam itself has been stolen.

That quantum leap in faith is what's missing in the world today.  I don’t blame the Islamic bankers either for too many of them have been taken to the Cleaners ! Still, the Islamic banking model is etched in history and we need to implement it, but how?

Fayaz Moosin.

Colombo. Oct 2015.

ISIS ISIL take note !!!

ISIS ISIL take note !!!

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

10:59 AM

HEY ISIS, whoever you really are, here are authenticated  proofs  of Islamic behavior, something you ought match your deeds with,  and a try not to  darken my faith with your name.

Systematic persecution of minorities living under muslim rule is unheard of  in the whole of Islamic history, so, where is your historical precedent and  theological justification, may we all muslims rightfully ask ?

There are NO historical parallels in Islamic history of the Christian Inquisition, nor Christian Holocaust of the Jews, but you seem to  have taken over from Christian practices, their historical pages .

The great Harun al Rashid  gave Christians religious freedom and high positions based on ability,  in his administration , despite being tormented by neighbouring christian rulers.

The even greater soldier, Khalid bin Waleed, ( heard of him ??) ,destroyer of both Roman/Byzantium  and the pagan Persian empires, the first in world history and the one of only 2 in all world history to  have crushed  two huge enemies on two fronts at the same time, had this to state in the Treaty of Hira, unhindered by any christian opposition:-

"Churches shall not be demolished; nor will christians be stopped from worshipping in their churches, nor will anyone stop them from openly practising the faith, blowing their trumpets in public on occasions."

 And you go about killing Christians as if its some God given messianic right..

This was Khalid bin Waleed practicing what's known as Sharia Law, and the protection that such law affords non-muslims.

Examples shown above are from different times in Islamic history, for your edification as your behaviour isn't consonant with what Islamic sharia says, and hence you aren't muslim. 

Such model human behaviour is derived from the prophet of Islam himself, from the Treaty of Najran AH 8, the prototype of all subsequent treaties in all of muslim history in all of muslim lands, and reads thus:-

1. All non muslims paying Jizya to be defended against outside attack
2. Non-Muslims not to be intimidated in any form to convert to Islam.
3. Jizya, or military exemption tax, 2% of wealth to be collected by the tax collector visiting your home, not the other way about; a great boon, in the days before petrol and the new vehicles you mysteriously have got.
4. Non-muslim lives, property protected from nationalization and such other crap.
5. Priestly classes to remain in office and symbols of worship and places of worship to remain untouched.

 ALL OF THE ABOVE GIFTED TO A DEFEATED CHRISTIAN ENEMY.

Shariah assures all, the Rule of Law; it could not be changed nor ignored by any muslim king, commoner, caliph. What say you ISIS ?

ISIS, you’ve been rejected by every muslim organization spanning the globe and nobody recognizes you, and yet you continue citing muslim support. How ? Who are you ? Whence do you come and how did so many foreigners and foreign weapons join you ? 

Sheep and goats’

Island editorial.

Sheep and goats’

September 6, 2015, 12:00 pm 

People sans basic science and maths skills tend to make bad decisions and run the risk of being ‘bamboozled’, BBC has reported, quoting Head of the British Science Association Prof. Dame Athene Donald. She is of the view that teaching students maths up to 18 years will help produce a wiser population.

Prof. Donald laments that students in the UK are forced to make subject choices too early in life––at the age of 14––and that practice effectively divides the nations into ‘sheep and goats, science and arts people’. The study by Prof. Donald et al is focused on Britain, but its findings, we believe, are of universal applicability. In this country, the sheep are separated from the goats when students sit the GCE O/L examination. Those who perform extremely well follow science subjects and others opt for streams such as arts and commerce.

One may wonder whether successive governments here have purposely created a situation where many students fail maths and science at the GCE O/L examination. When people lose interest in those two subjects very early in life and fail to make good decisions, politicians can hornswoggle them easily. The Education Ministry revealed last year that 52.14 percent of GCE O/L school candidates had failed the English language, 42.77 percent of them mathematics and 32.47 percent of them Science and Technology.

The UNP has, in its August 17 election manifesto, promised one million jobs within the next five years and the UPFA one and a half million jobs. Now that they have come together to form a joint government, they have to implement both these pledges; they will have to create 2.5 million jobs by 2020! Is it because of the high failure rate in maths and science at the GCE O/L examination that electors fall hook, line and sinker for such promises?

About 90 members of the last Parliament had failed GCE O/L and 145, GCE A/L. This may explain, going by the British Science Association research findings, why legislators make bad laws and decisions and the country is in such a mess.

Prof. Donald has said: "We may be mocked if our knowledge of Shakespeare or Austen isn’t perfect, but it is still OK to say: ‘I could never do maths at school.’ One, no doubt, has to learn maths to be able to improve one’s analytical skills and make intelligent decisions, but the fact remains that reading Shakespeare and other literary greats helps boost one’s brain power according to scientists. Reading Tolstoy, Conrad et al is sure to give a rocket boost to one’s brain!

A University of Liverpool research team, in 2013, demonstrated, using brain scans, that challenging literature such as the works of Shakespeare and Eliot ‘shifts mental pathways and prompts new thoughts in readers’. Besides, a research carried out by Emory University in the US has proved that reading novels boosts memory. According to a 2009 study by University of Sussex six minutes of reading can help reduce stress by 68% and prepare the mind and the body for a good night’s sleep.

One cannot but agree that there is a pressing need for promoting science and maths, but the importance of developing liberal arts education cannot be overemphasised. The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS) report (2013), titled, The Heart of the Matter, has recommended a well-rounded education where science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are coupled with the humanities and social sciences and stressed the fact that ‘all disciplines are essential for the inventiveness, competitiveness, security, and personal fulfillment’ of the public. Commenting on the AAAS recommendations, we argued in an editorial comment, A gem-studded report, on June 25, 2013 that what was needed was not the promotion of STEM at the expense of liberal arts but an education system that facilitated the cross-pollination of disciplines for the benefit of students who needed to be equipped to face multifarious challenges in life.

One has no difficulty in agreeing that maths and science help make good decisions, but one has a question which, perhaps, not even the veteran British Science Association researchers may be able to answer. Why do the students of Science Faculties at Sri Lankan universities, especially, in Colombo, Jayewardenepura, Kelaniya and Matara cannot make wise decisions in tackling seemingly simple problems without resorting to mindless violence? These undergrads also allow sinister, external political forces to ‘bamboozle’ them in spite of their superior knowledge of maths and science. They are no better than their counterparts in arts faculties characterised by frequent clashes, bloodshed besides savage ragging. Why oh why?

From <http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=news-section&page=news-section&code_title=55> 

games people play

Games people play.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

7:48 PM

ISIS / ISIL are fighting Assads Syria.

They, the ISIS, are hated by the West;

Assad is a hated thorn to the West for his support to Russia.

The west is bombing everybody.

The west is bombing ISIS, in Syria, ignoring the fact that its attacking a sovereign state, killing ordinary Syrians in the process and reducing this proud land to rubble. Russia is doing nothing concrete to stop the West, and can it really ?

So, is the west attacking ISIS because they like them less than Assad and is it doing Assad , the Russian protégé , a favour ? No. Then why and what's going on here ? Because they the ISIS, are the patsy, the dumbos , the pawns sold on some religious theory by some of their Arab brothers, who are in fact pawns of the West. Think Saudi Arabia and you are probably right.

Russia has its only Mediterranean Naval Base in Syria; is newly energized by Putin, militarily coming in fast to match the West, but it cant match the wests weaponry, yet. Given a few years, very likely cheaper and effective stuff.

Russia and China have teamed up to break the monopoly of the West in International Trade and more significantly, in the use of the Dollar for all trading activity. Today, the heavily indebted United States and Europe are not getting wiped out overnight financially because their debit banking position is being propped by inward Dollar flows as all payments from all over the world need to be cleared through New York.

War is a good thing in a sagging economy; its boosts the economy and right nor the west is broke.  But war , using your own men is a political liability; the populace wants to win, be ascendant, but not lose its men to war, even a foreign war not on their shores. Next best thing is to use a proxy, who is the ISIS.  Where indeed did they get their men and material and who are these people that can defy the Wests best intelligence gathering capability? Its clear they are the patsy.

Mud brained Arabs and muslims from other lands , sold on a story of a Caliphate just around the corner, they are the patsy of the West and its hidden promoter, Israel. ISIS doesn’t talk, even touch Israel, why ?  A Caliphate is something else, requiring decency, principled action by an army of muslims and in no way an army of thugs shouting Islamic slogans yet praying in all directions except Mecca ! Syrians know this but the world media doesn’t tell the American people; its not news worthy in a Jewish controlled media.

Now the proxy doesn’t know he's a Patsy; he's then bombed out of his ass by the French who gallantly attack with superior aircraft and make light work of ISIS and everything in Syria, its infrastructure, its innocent people and its dignity.

Syrian refugees bombed out of their wits , now run as refugees to the west as their Arab brothers have deserted them. Slaves they become, taken in by pity by the west in small numbers, grudgingly, and leave the refugees eternally grateful, for having bombed them and thereafter taken some in. A once self-sufficient community of Christian and Muslim and others have become slaves in a set up.

War games played out by super powers have successfully carved out new artificial territories before and todays no exception as its all an old imperial game.

If you sri Lankan's don’t believe me, just consider our story. Tamils were used as proxies and patsies for 30 years, after creating chaos where there was none before.

Our refugees fled to western lands, and became significant contributors to their western economies by dint of natural intelligence and hard work, never ever to return to lanka. Meantime , the state of Sri Lanka, savaged by   all manner of western resources including the UN, succeeds making us a willing Client state after a regime change. MR , was practically Chinese and he had to go. The West has won, sanctions to lanka look distant and everything seems right in their world, the Wests' world.

And China hasn’t lost either. They got Gwadar Port, Pakistan, much bigger than Colombo could ever offer, a new multi lane Karakoram highway linking China by Road to the Arabian sea; Pakistan's ecstatic in being  client state to China and they're probably justified too and everything is hickory dory.

Where is God in all this Mess ?

SYRIA burning, Refugees miserable all of them pouring over and into western nations borders, infants dying mothers crying, where is God in all this? 

Its not that agnostic people don’t want to believe in God, in whatever form that each theistic religion likes to portray Him , be it Hinduism , Christianity Islam or even Buddhism, the last, a religion too,  insofar as Buddhists worship Buddha and ask him divine favours;  its that such people are unsure of  such a God , however portrayed and they ask the natural question of whats God doing in all this mess that is the world.

To them , the portrayal of God doesn’t add up and I don’t blame them either; for where is the Merciful God when disaster strikes , they ask ? 

At the end of the day, what we are debating about is only a value system, a belief system, a system offering solutions , promises, and restitution of robbed rights. At the end of the day, people are well advised to do good and carry on doing good to others till its time for your own departure from this earth, sans everything you own and enjoyed, save your deeds, good and bad. This will abide by you, no matter whether you are of any faith or faithless.

But let me tell you  that only islam that makes  wide ranging , deep promises in the life to come. Other faiths are at best a vague assertion of what happens next. Only Islam explains in great detail. 

Indeed it's only natural that if someone were to promise you something in the future, that you’ve never experienced before, nor seen anyone alive who can confirm such a promise, then this promise must be spelt out here and now, so that people can work toward it. If any religion falls short of explaining the promise, what is the purpose in inviting people to listen to their story alone. I use the word story deliberately, as its all a promise, nothing actually experienced by  someone who lived on earth to tell the tale. 

No religion except Islam promises clearly, unambiguously, a permanent afterlife in one of two locations, heaven or hell. Every other religion is so vague in explaining to its followers the results one gets by following their particular belief system and this is amazing to me. 

Only Islam offers hope for the dispossessed; a stern warning to the oppressor no matter who he may be and including the so called ISIS; only Islam offers a guide to the world weary , hope to the seemingly lost and a offers a never ending always increasing Felicity to the   believers. 

Whether you believe or not, Islam offers a choice, an intelligent choice is always open to man.  

All the worlds troubles and all its happiness is but absolutely nothing in comparison to what's in store and I invite people to reflect upon this following sentence..

A single dip in Paradise, for a fleeting second will make the worst deprived  world weary refugee and  believer, swear that he never ever knew any tribulations whilst on earth; by severe contrast an instants reprieve from the scorching Fire of Hell, will make the damned man only ask of his Lord to be relieved from just Looking at Hell itself.

 Think of the extreme states that we are promised.  Joy and utter despair is yours to choose; Your own actions, your own hands , your intentions, your mouth and your sexual organs will you to one of these places. Indeed. Stay around and find out  or do something about it today itself. 

amantubillahi

amantubillahi

Friday, August 28, 2015

4:32 PM

1. I believe in strange things, things I haven't seen or experienced , so I don’t mind if other religionists share their beliefs however different  they may seem to me. This is an open invite to Hindus, Buddhists, Christians Communists, agnostics of every kind, and Gnostics of every flavour. Share views, ask questions about the other; keep your faith, know another's. Let me start by telling you mine….

2. I believe in Deity, Planned evolution, A God, not a plural of God, just One, Unique, the One to whom every created and non-created thing owes  its very being, who isn't begotten or does He beget children. To reduce Him to the created in our eyes, is to reduce Him to human terms and the Uncreated cannot be a created. Thus said,

3. I believe in a whole universe is out there hidden from our eyes, incredibly larger than we humans could ever imagine. I believe in beings called Angels, certainly not looking like a cherub, nor your earthly beloved, but huge creatures who are in the total absolute bidding of this One God.

 Just one of these Angels, called Michael, has a head so large that it can retain the waters of the earth, without ever spilling a drop. Imagine , if you will , his body size, and he isn't the biggest one of them either. Gabriel is larger. Man, is a very weak creature, though he thinks he is something else ! We are unable to see and hear beyond certain parameters and for example we cannot hear as well as a dog, yet know a dog can hear better than us.

4. I believe that this God, this Allah, created Man and thereafter gave him an instruction manual, consistent stuff.  If any scripture is inconsistent with itself it simply means, it's not from God, whatever is claimed otherwise.

It's something like we expect an instruction manual when you buy the latest BMW, and an entirely plausible thing that IF God made Man, He ought to have invested him with an instruction manual too. What's implausible is that God made Man in His Image, taken literally and that to me is because, apart of divesting His Godhood, He, God would have to be a Multi Colored , Multi-racial black, white and yellow Being of varied hue, Frizzy haired here n Spiky Chinese hair there, and elsewhere, dunno where, long of locks and besides this,  being Man and Woman at the same time too. Nope, implausible.

5. I believe God gave Foremen to teach them Men to Drive. These foremen, aka, Prophets , Messengers, and holy me were the authoritative, certified guides of the manual of conduct of vehicle Man.

  The Manual, thus sent had to be simple, yet complex, understood by every man, simple minded and complex thinking.

 So, Aboriginal Australians , with a limited vocabulary, 600 words in all to their language, believed that God was a Unique Being having no alimentary canal, no asshole, and therefore no need for food. Simple, eloquent thinking and succinctly put ; if a " God" had to eat , He would be subject to hunger and could die in the absence of food. God didn’t have to prove his Godhood by eating a broiled fish and honeycomb, no indeed, that was actually done to prove Jesus' manhood, human hood, not god hood !

 For other tribes and nations came the Ten Commandments and a full exhaustive explanation to the 10, was and is , the Quran. You can claim that Quran is of Human  origin, but do tell the Catholic Church at Pontiffs level, they'd be very interested as they've been trying to disprove the Qurans Divine origin these 1000+ years past.

Radical departures from the manual sent , as many have done in history, is an entirely probable thing, for man changes words n meanings of a divine text to his liking and own prejudices,  never mind what God, the Deity said. In the case of Quran, the text has never been changed , say its worst detractors, but we have to admit that frequently people have tried and failed,  to change its interpretation and succeeded amongst their own narrow supporters.

And , the message itself, universally spelt out is: " Hear oh israel ! The Lord thy God is One God" -Bible; and "Qul Huwallahu Ahad ! - Quran… exactly same in meaning. ( so, why are they fighting ?)

6. I believe in a purpose to Life as Life itself is short and death certain and choices given as options to behaviour. If no choices were available to man, there would be no purpose to life ! As to the question you may ask, " why all this stuff about creation choice, manual, heaven hell", the simple answer is I don’t know, and its beyond my pay grade and yours. 

I believe in lasting solutions , not quick fixes, where father Time stands still, where we don’t age, and we live happily in ever increasing detail, never to be removed,  ever. Not interested in re birth, paradise on earth, for living on earth is a daily grind even for the rich. Life on Earth, is really a bore, for by the time you’ve made it(materially), you’ve had it( life ends) Better to hope for a promise lasting and work toward it. No loss in the offer , no loss in trying anyway.

7. Getting seriously philosophical now, with every one of us, there's stuff that’s happened in the past that unchangeable now, by its very nature.  Things happened and it was just meant to be; no room in my life for gnashing teeth and saying" if only etc etc" Destiny is all what happened in the past so get over it and start anew. That’s Qadr or Destiny I'm speaking of.  Look at it as  tests only in a short sharp life on earth.

This then is the very  core of my beliefs.. I've shared with you and will love to hear yours too.

reflections on a rainy morn

reflections on a rainy morn.

6 May 2013 at 12:17

Wonderful Earth ! so so temporary a place for Man to live in, a mere tool only, to use the world temporary to get to another, a permanent  place..

Earn each day, my good deeds, and use the "Earth tool" ! Gently extract its riches but cause no environmental damage .

Use Time, my greatest wealth and asset, wisely !

Realise that i am but an abject slave, never a master, no matter what others may think about me. A single nerve, moved from its place will remind me what i really am, a helpless being . To what purpose then is arrogance, when i may have to rely, depend upon a male ward attendant at a hospital to help me pee, all the while I am in agony, difficulty and pain. Rulers of the world , please reflect !

Realise I don't own the earth tho' i buy and sell bits and parts of it. Earth belongs to Him who created it from nothing, from nonexistence, and I can't even create a man eating Maggot, having all science at my disposal.

Know for sure that only the sand of my grave will put an end to my craving, my greed for wealth and honour..All wealth, all terrestrial stuff will surely give evidence one day to its owner, abut me; how i earned it and how i spent every penny of it, Halal and Haram earnings, both !

My tongue, that inarticulate muscle mass once my soul has left it, will once again be given life, resurrected, wholly articulate and together with the Earth, be commanded to speak and sing it shall about me. So let me walk and talk with very great care !Everything I say and do is being recorded in a way that leaves out nothing, not even my thoughts ! Move over Google, the CIA and every minute intelligence gathering apparatus. 

Appreciate every moment, enjoy every drop of rain that falls, every burst of scent from my jasmine tree, every mango eaten by my neighbours, the birds and squirrels. They have every right to the fruit i grow.

No, I'm not the master of my fate ,nor am i the master of all i see; merely an observer, a flotsam, a microdot of creation, moving within the natural laws of the world even if i was the owner of the Burj Khalifa. Soon to pass on, soon to mingle amongst the dust, sands, fauna and flora of earth is the fate of my body and widely scattered will I remain , till He who made me the first time will bring me back exactly, even to my fingertips !

Trading with the stuff of this world, i nevertheless do not own them; merely a renter of a trust that needs to be returned in good order, before i depart.

Trials and tribulations of Dunya(this world) are but fleeting tests. Equanimity and the larger word, Sabr, is required. Rest content. No worries no issues, no matter what my condition be!

All praise is to Allah alone, for returning my life to me from the death thats my daily sleep; to whom I shall inevitably return, to whom all accounts shall be rendered. May the interview be a happy one !

Allahumma anta rabbi , la ilaha illa anta; anta khalqtani,wa ana abduka....

post Fajr,on my balcony watching the gentle rain patter down.

Colombo 6th May 2013.

Pasted from <https://www.facebook.com/notes/fayaz-moosin/reflections-on-a-rainy-morn/585961078090569?pnref=lhc>

muslim fundamentalism

In The Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

islamicbookshop.com

September/October Newsletter

"Muslim fundamentalism is fast becoming the chief threat to global peace and security as well as a cause of national and local disturbance through terrorism. It is akin to the menace posed by Nazism and fascism in the 1930's and then by communism in the 50's".

The New York Times /International Herald Tribune (9 Sept 1993)

According to the Reader's Digest Universal Dictionary "fundamental" means "having to do with the foundation; elemental; basic", and "fundamentalism" an "unswerving belief in a set of basic and unalterable principles of religious or philosophical nature". The term was traditionally used for Christians who believed the Bible to be the literal truth even when it was found in conflict with modern scientific discoveries. "Fundamentalist" soon became a derogatory term. What purpose does the term serve when used in connection with Muslims?

Western science is built on the foundation of scientific discoveries of Muslim Spain before the inquisition, and unlike the Bible, the Qur'an has never yet been proven to contradict reality. The Qur'an encourages scientific research. Somebody believing the Qur'an to be the fundamental or elemental and basic truth, can hardly be accused of being irrational. Nor can there be anything wrong with firmly holding
on to "basic and unalterable principles". Modern secular society, for example, has agreed on a Universal Declaration of Human Rights to establish such "basic and unalterable principles". To try and frighten people of Muslim fundamentalism, therefore, makes little sense. Still it is being done every day.

Branding People for Political Gain

When democratic elections were cancelled in Algeria or when Muslim campaigners for democracy in Egypt were hung without proper trial, it was enough of a justification to brand them as Muslim fundamentalists. No further questions needed to be asked. Fundamentalists meant terrorist. Terrorist meant danger. Danger justified eliminating those responsible. On the other hand, when Israel bombed civilian areas in Lebanon or when Serb militia massacred innocent Muslim men, women and children in Bosnia, the term Jewish, or Christian fundamentalists was never used to refer to them.

In his book Pity the Nation on the long conflict in the Lebanon, Robert Fisk, one of he longest serving British Middle East correspondents, spells out how emotional and ambiguous this use of language is. "But 'terrorism' no longer means terrorism. It is not a definition: it is a political contrivance. 'Terrorists' are those who use violence against the side that is using the word. The only terrorist whom Israel acknowledges are those who oppose Israel. The only terrorist the United States acknowledges, are those who oppose the United States or their allies. The only terrorists Palestinians acknowledge - for they too use the term - are those opposed to the Palestinians. To adopt the word means that we have taken a side in the Middle East, not between right and wrong, good and evil, David and Goliath, but with one set of combatants against another. For journalists in the Middle East, the use of the word 'terrorism' is akin to carrying a gun'.

Yet, The Times he worked for, and The Independent he now writes for still happily "carry a gun" and shoot at "Muslim fundamentalists" or "Muslim terrorists" instead of objectively reporting the news. Prejudice against Islam is deep seated, because nobody bothers to find out what Islam really means and what code of conduct the Qur'an prescribes for Muslims.

The Fundamentals Of Islam Here, then, are some of the "fundamentals", "basic and unalterable principles", of the Qur'an, Muslims believe in:

"Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from error. Whoever rejects idols and believes in Allah (Arabic name for the one and only God) has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks. And Allah hears and knows all things."
Surah 2 (al Baqarah / The Cow), verse 256.

"We bestowed (in the past) wisdom on Luqman: Show gratitude to Allah. Anyone who is grateful does so to the profit of his soul; but if anyone is ungrateful. Verily Allah is free of all wants, worthy of all praise. Behold, Luqman said to his son admonishing him: 'O my son, join not in worship (others) with Allah; for false worship is indeed the highest wrong-doing'.

And We have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents. In travail upon travail did his mother bear him, and in two years was his weaning. Show gratitude to Me and your parents; to Me is the final goal.

But if they strive to make you join in worship with Me things of which you have no knowledge, obey them not, yet bear their company in this life with justice, and follow the way of those who turn to Me. In the end the return of you all is to Me, and I will tell you all that you did.·

'O my son', (said Luqman), if there be but the weight of a mustard seed and it were (hidden) in a rock, or (anywhere) in the heavens or on earth, Allah will bring it forth, for Allah is subtle and aware.

O my son, establish regular prayer, enjoin what is just, and forbid what is wrong, and bear with patient constancy whatever afflicts you, for this is firmness in (the conduct) of affairs.

And swell not your cheek (with pride) at men nor walk in insolence on the earth, for Allah loves not any arrogant boaster. And be moderate in your pace, and lower your voice, for the hardest of voices is the braying of the ass."
Surah 31 (Luqman), verse 12 - 19.

"O Mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other (not that you may despise each other). Verily, the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)."
Surah 49 (Al Hujurat/The Chamber) verse 13

"Say: 'O people of the Book (Christians and Jews), come to common terms as between us and you: that we worship none but Allah, that we associate no partners with Him, that we erect not among ourselves lords and patrons other that Allah,' If then they turn back, say: "Bear witness that we (at least) submit (to Him)."
Surah 3 (Ali Imran/The Family of lmran), verse 64

"Say: 'We believe in Allah, and what has been revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the tribes, and to the prophets from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we submit."
Surah 3 (Ali Imran/The Family of lmran), verse 84

"Say: Will you dispute with us about Allah, seeing that He is our Lord and your Lord; that we are responsible for our doings and you for yours; and that we are sincere (in our faith) to Him?"
Surah 2 (Al Baqarah / The Cow), verse 39

"Those who believe (in the Qur'an), Those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians, and the Christians, and the magicians, and the polytheists, - Allah will judge between them on the Day of Judgement: for Allah is witness of all things."
Surah 20 (Al-Hajj), Verse 17

These then, are some fundamentals of Islam.
Do you find anything fundamentally wrong with them?
Do they make you feel afraid?
Do you feel endangered by someone who follows them?
Surely not.

So next time, somebody talks about "Muslim fundamentalists" or "Islamic fundamentalism", let them know the truth, because you know better than them. Let no one frighten you about Islam, which literally means "a religion of peace through submission to God".

We, at this point, are not concerned about looking into who undertook the attack in New York and Washington. However we assert that America has directed an allegation against Osama Bin Laden without providing any evidence. All that they have claimed is that he is a prime suspect.

The rules of Islam forbid any aggression against civilian non-combatants. They forbid killing of children, the elderly and non-combatant women even in the battlefield. They forbid the hijacking of civilian aeroplanes carrying innocent civilians and forbid the destruction of homes and offices which contain innocent civilians. All of these action are types of aggression which Islam forbids and Muslims should not undertake such actions. As for Jihad to fight the enemy who commits aggression against Muslims, usurps their land, plunders their resources and attempts to control them; not only is this a legitimate matter but it is an obligation (fard). It is the highest peak of Islam.

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:

"The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is the prayer and its highest peak is Jihad." Read More...
...The Worlds Worst Terrorists Are Based In Washington - The Independent
...Lies, Hatred and the Language of Force - The Independent
...They Can't See Why They Are Hated - The Guardian
...Did Israel attack the Pentagon and the World Trade Center? - Info Times
...Thought provoking article from Michael Moore
..."Vigilantes take up arms, vow to expel 'Muslim filth'" - USA Today
...The Greatest Crime Since World War II?
...Mossad Behind Attacks
...Interview with Chomsky - Radio B92 Belgrade
...It is not going to be easy - Robert Fisk
...The Forgotten Land, The Abandoned Nation - Afghan Ambassador
...A History of Global US terrorism - Larry Mosqueda Ph.D
...The True, Peaceful Face of Islam - Time Magazine
...Inevitable Ring to the Unimaginable - John Pilger
...Why Are We So Hated? - Pacific News Service
...Article from leading Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz

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