Bibi Tabassum and Suraiya Quraishi who embroidered the Quran.
Bengaluru :
This is a miracle. An awe-inspiring phenomenon took place in this city a few days back, as two sisters- Bibi Tabassum and Suraiya Quraishi- embroidered the sacred Quran onto 604 pages of plush velvet cloth.
Showing excellent craftsmanship, they used needles and threads to meticulously prepare an embroidered holy Quran. This embroidered Quran, prepared under the watchful guidance of an Alim-e-deen (religious scholar), is not only easily legible but also heavenly captivating.
Bibi Tabassum, the younger of the two sisters, holds a great fondness for doing embroidery ever since she was a child. In the beginning, she used to embroider only small verses of the Quran, but one day, an idea graced Bibi Tabassum’s mind – to intricately embroider the entire holy Quran. This took her on a laborious journey, one fueled by love and devotion.
Expressing extreme gratitude to Allah for giving them the opportunity to prepare this embroidered Quran, Bibi Tabassum says that she aspires to gift this embroidered holy Quran to a library in the holy city of Madina.
Venturing on this embroidery voyage of the Quranic verses along with her elder sister Suraiya Quraishi, Bibi Tabassum started with the first inaugural Surah of the Quran i.e. Surah Al-Fatiha, and continued diligently. The last surah- Surah An-Nas marked the culmination of their hard labour.
This embroidered holy Quran is divided into five volumes, and each volume consisting of six chapters. It went through a meticulous binding process by the skilled hands of its creators.
Initially, in the detailed process of embroidery, Bibi Tabassum used to inscribe the verses of the Quran with a pencil on the velvet cloth, followed by both the sisters intricately weaving threads along those sacred lines.
Carrying on the demands of daily life, both sisters, driven by unwavering dedication, used to finish their household chores and then engage in the embroidery work of the holy Quran.
To ensure the utmost accuracy of the embroidered work, a learned religious scholar closely scrutinized each verse upon the completion of a page. Bibi Tabassum says, ‘After completing every page of the embroidered holy Quran, we would show that to our scholar and do any correction if required.”
In the aftermath of this big achievement, family members are thoroughly elated for the two sisters. They say that the two sisters have utilized their time for a very noble endeavour. Extending heartfelt gratitude, they thank Allah for the manifestation of this lovely artwork, which stands as a testament to the beautiful blending of devotion and artistry.
source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> News> Society / by India Tomorrow (headline edited) / February 05th, 2024
A class 11 student from India hopes to bring a new level of awareness to the Syrian Civil War with her debut novel, ‘When the Sky Wrote Back’. The book has been published by Delhi-based Bluerose Publishers and is 341 pages long.
The author, Mariyam Imbisat, is a 16-year-old student at Azaan International School in the Indian city of Hyderabad. The teenage writer created the character of Noor Ahmar, a young female journalism student from Egypt who travels to Syria undercover to report for a news organisation. The novel depicts the horrors of war, including bombardment, starvation, and fear, as well as the character’s range of emotions.
The Syrian Civil War is an ongoing conflict that started in the Middle Eastern state in March 2011. The United Nations Human Rights Office estimated in 2022 that 306,887 civilians – 1.5% of the total pre-war population – were killed between March 2011 and March 2021 due to the conflict. Since then, the number of dead has just gone up.
In addition to the bloodshed, more than half of Syria’s pre-war population of 22 million have had to flee their homes.
Imbisat says she chose the character of a journalist because she believes in the power of journalism. “The journalists have the power to express the voice of voiceless people, especially in times of conflicts,” Imbisat told Two Circles.
According to Imbisat, the late Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Aklah inspired the choice of a young Muslim woman journalist as the main character. Aklah was slain in 2022, allegedly by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).
Imbisat states that through Ahmar’s journey, she hopes to spread “the message of humanity” to people all across the world. The novel raises awareness of human rights violations and killings through the character’s accounts, as well as advocates for change.
“The story was made for Syria but it has a lesson for the whole world,” she said.
Imbisat began writing the novel four years ago, when she was just twelve years old, as a diary in which she documented Ahmar’s daily life.
“It was difficult to write about something so sensitive like the Syrian war. I used to spend hours reading about conflicts in the world. I was imagining all the scenes in my head,” she added.
Imbisat says she had unwavering support from her parents while she was writing the novel and her mother who is a school teacher helped her regularly with the novel and even helped finding a publisher. The book took more than a month to be edited and published.
The novel concludes with the killing of the young journalist, as Imbisat writes, ‘the young journalist was silent but was not blind’, and all of Ahmar’s recordings and images were released to the world days after her death.
The novel is available online and priced at INR 340.
Tauseef Ahmad is an independent reporter based in Kashmir, India.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Indian Muslim / by Tauseef Ahmed / January 23rd, 2024
Irfan Ahmad Khan taught many people about the Quran, including his great-grandchild Sulayman Ahmed Ansari. | Provided photo
Irfan Ahmad Khan wrote books, taught college classes, gave lectures and counseled inmates after their release from jail to help people learn about the Quran.
One of the best-known Quranic scholars in Chicago’s South Asian Muslim community, he also worked to promote understanding among different religions through interfaith groups.
“My father’s aim was not for material gain or fame,” said his daughter Humera Hai. “Spiritual peace and harmony was his main aim.”
He would go hours out of his way to drive medicine to a sick person or to resolve disputes, Hai said.
Mr. Khan, 86, who had been having heart problems, died April 3 in Chicago, said his grandson Saeb Ahsan.
Irfan Ahmad Khan in 1996. | Sun-Times files
Mr. Khan, who lived in Markham, spoke and wrote in English, Urdu, Hindi and Arabic. He also could read and write in Farsi and Latin.
His books included “An Introduction to Understanding the Quran,” “An Exercise in Understanding the Quran” and “Reflections on the Quran.” He also edited a journal on Islamic thought.
He was born in 1931 in British India, in Saharanpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh. His father was a well-to-do merchant and landlord. He expected his son to take a role in the family businesses, but “He wanted to study,” said his daughter.
In 1952, he earned a degree in physical sciences from India’s Aligarh Muslim University and continued his Islamic studies in the city of Rampur. He taught at the Indian university from 1958 to 1973.
Irfan Ahmad Khan and his wife Shamim. | Provided photo
Mr. Khan married Shamim Akthar Khan in 1957.
“He was always so gentle, so kind,” his wife said.
In 1974, he arrived in Chicago to study at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His wife, who was raising their seven children in India, had to await immigration clearance and wasn’t able to join him full-time until 1981, Hai said. “Both of them struggled” with being apart, their daughter said.
Mr. Khan, who admired the philosophers Immanuel Kant and Rene Descartes, earned a master’s degree in philosophy from UIC in 1977 and a doctorate in philosophy in 1986, according to the university.
Irfan Ahmad Khan, with then-Mayor Eugene Sawyer in the background. | Provided photo
He taught Islamic philosophy at UIC and lectured at schools including the University of Chicago, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Iowa, his family said.
He was founder and president of the World Council of Muslims for Interfaith Relations, an emeritus board member of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, founding president of the Interreligious Engagement Project for the 21st Century and director of the Association for Quranic Understanding.
“His message was that there was a commonality in many faiths — a commitment to justice and fairness,” said Abdullah Mitchell, a lawyer and friend who said Mr. Khan was known for his outreach to the African-American Muslim community.
His lectures were delivered with energy and humor, and he always was approachable, said another friend, Afaq Mujtaba.
Mujtaba said young people in the South Asian Muslim community referred to him as “Uncle,” a term of affection and respect.
When Mujtaba’s mother died, “The way he consoled me, I will remember for the rest of my life,” he said.
Mr. Khan made multiple pilgrimages to Mecca and traveled to educational and interfaith conferences in Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe.
Islamic scholar Irfan Ahmad Khan worked to build relationships with other religions and interfaith groups. | Provided photo
His grandson said Mr. Khan would tell him, “Develop your relationship with God” and “Keep your studies’ focus; don’t necessarily get married too early.”
He enjoyed Red Lobster, Reza’s Restaurant on Ontario Street and anything that tasted of mango, his grandson said. Every morning, he ate toast and drank strong English breakfast tea with milk and lots of sugar. He liked it in a china cup and saucer, the hotter the better.
Once, when a student brought him tea, he removed his topi — a traditional hat — and placed it atop the drink like a tea cozy to keep it warm. But Mr. Khan forgot where the tea was. So the student brought him a second cup. “He picked up his hat,” said his son Farhan, “and he found the other tea.”
Irfan Ahmad Khan. | Provided photo
He always made sure his sherwani — a formal, knee-length coat — was pressed and crisp.
Though he usually focused on philosophical questions and lectures, his family found it endearing when Mr. Khan would catch a glimpse of an Indian or Pakistani soap opera on TV and then comment, with serious deliberation, on the motivations of the characters.
“This person is not being honest,” he’d say. “They are trying to take advantage.”
He is also survived by daughters Nusba Parveen, Husna Ahmad, Bushra Islam and Saba Khan, son Salman, brothers Ehtasham, Afzal, Iqbal and Rehan, sisters Ayesha Jamal and Rehana Bilquis and 21 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Services have been held.
source: http://www.chicago.suntimes.com / Chicago Sun*Times / Home> Obituaries> News> Religion / by Maureen O’Donnell / April 14th, 2018
Author Nuzhat Khan weaves a story of love and loss against the backdrop of Uttarakhand’s forest fire catastrophe in her latest novel.
Author Nuzhat Khan | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Author Nuzhat Khan is among the growing tribe of writers confronting the world’s most pressing issue — climate emergency and the unfolding weather catastrophe — through a genre of fiction set in natural ecosystems. In her latest novel Whistling Woods (Petals Publishers), she highlights the impact of forest fire on people’s livelihood in Uttarakhand along with the story of two strangers — Akshay and Kaveri — who embark on a journey of self-discovery to the hills.
Nuzhat says the book is her way of doing her bit for Nature and the environment. “Growing up in Almora hill station amidst the snow-capped Himalayan ranges of Uttarakhand, I was blown away by the stunning landscape. This is the case with anyone who belongs to the hills. It pained me to watch forest fires ravage the serene hills.” She decided to act by writing a light-hearted story around the issue to reach out to more people. “I thought presenting plain facts and figures would be drab on topics like, what’s fuelling forest fires that continue to scorch hectares of green cover? I have tried to propose a solution, although it may not be the perfect one,” she says.
Her style of storytelling, both evocative and driven by research, helps readers get a grip of the issue while enjoying the budding romance between the lead characters. “I have attempted to capture a mix of human emotions, complexity of relationships, and the innocence of love. The setting helped me run parallels between urban and rural lives. For people in villages, even access to clean drinking water can be challenging ” explains Nuzhat adding that the book has been in the making for five years which also involved several trips to institutes like Avani Bio-Energy plant in Pithoragarh, the Naula Foundation, an NGO that creates awareness on the problems of dying aquifiers (naulas) in the hills of Uttarakhand.
“My interactions with the locals and forest department officials was an eye-opener. They are constantly working to mitigate the problem. Organisations like the Himalayan Institute For Environment, Ecology & Development have developed fire reporting apps that can alert people on forest fires across various locations.”
She points out that the ashram described in the book that works towards empowering girl children was inspired by the Lakshmi Ashram run by a couple in Uttarakhand. “Some of the characters are not entirely fictional,” she hints.
The book also touches upon excessive tourism in the hills. “Several unplanned constructions in the form of resorts have come up usurping the forest cover and triggering landslides. The region is also prone to earthquakes.” She wants people to sit up and take note of Uttarakhand. “Everyone wants to live in the hills. I want to tell them it is beautiful, but everyday life can be challenging.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books / by K Jeshi / December 26th, 2023
‘Conversations with Aurangzeb’ reimagines the story of the most controversial Mughal emperor
A 17th century painting of Aurangzeb in his ‘darbar’. | Photo Credit: Wiki Commons
Tamil writer Charu Nivedita’s Conversations with Aurangzeb, translated by Nandini Krishnan,is an unpredictable book. In it, a writer begins a novel with an idea but soon meets the spirit of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, who decides to seize the opportunity to tell his side of the story. This is an irreverent, indignant Aurangzeb, most unlike the historical character we are familiar with.The writer and Aurangzeb speak of the past and present, of Mughals and Marxism, of satire and Sunny Leone, and a host of other contemporary subjects. Krishnan says the novel is “defiant of all genres”.
discuss the wildly imaginative book, their collaborative process, and the latest translation fad. Edited excerpts:
Author Charu Nivedita | Photo Credit: Backiaraj M.
You’ve given an unpopular historical figure a voice to defend his actions. In a country where satire is often lost on a lot of people, did you ever feel this book was a risky proposition?
Charu Nivedita: All my writing is risky because I always choose taboo topics. I have always been a misunderstood guy. In a historical perspective, Aurangzeb is also a misunderstood guy. So, I find some similarity between Aurangzeb and myself as a writer.
There are Tamil references throughout the novel. Why and how did you decide to weave these in?
CN: Even though I live in Tamil Nadu, I don’t agree with the culture here. My fellow writers don’t consider me a writer; I always feel like an outsider. Though I write in Tamil, I imagine a European, South American or an Arab readership. I mock the land in which I live. I feel sometimes that I live in a circus when I see the film industry, the paal abhishekam (a ritual of worship with milk)for the cut-outs of actors, or the happenings in the political arena. Self-mocking is important. One who is ready to parody himself or herself can do that with others.
You have said in your translator’s note that some books are untranslatable. Why is that?
NK: I mean there are certain books that are extremely localised. For example, anyone in India who has watched Hindi films would find the line ‘Kitne aadmi the? (How many men were there?)’ funny in any context. But if you’re going to use that line with an American audience or with someone who doesn’t watch Hindi films, it would make no sense at all.
The history of Tamil cinema is as old as modern Tamil writing. There are constant references and cross-references to it in literature. Even in (Nivedita’s) Zero Degree, there is a reference to a scene from the film Chinna Gounder. Unless you get its context, it is not jarring or funny or discomfiting in any way. That’s why I felt Zero Degree was untranslatable.
There is a larger reach now of Tamil books for an English reading audience. What do you think of this translation boom?
NK: Right now, translations are sexy because Geetanjali Shree won the International Booker Prize in 2022. In the 90s, because of Vikram Seth’s enormous advance and later because of Arundhati Roy’s Booker win, Indian writing in English became sexy. This is just a fad. This has also given space to some very subpar translations because everyone is trying to get 20 books translated. We need to maintain the quality of someone like a Charu Nivedita or Ashokamitran or Perumal Murugan or Thamizhachi Thangapandian. Translations do have reach, but does the same quality of work reach an audience? I don’t know.
Also, there is a lot of focus on the writer’s story rather than the story that the writer is telling. And by that, I mean the writer’s gender, caste, their politics, and so on. Unless we go beyond these to the quality of their stories, we are in trouble.
CN: There is a translation boom. But unless there is a miracle, as in the case of Perumal Murugan or Vivek Shanbhag, one is unknown outside their own region. I am unknown outside Tamil Nadu or Kerala. There is no controversy or award because of which people might know me. This is the sad state of affairs.
radhika.s@thehindu.co.in
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Litfest> Interview / by Radhika Santhanam / January 18th, 2024
Dr Valli is the scientist who made the world realise the importance of food grains
He had a comfortable US job that he left to return to India and make it healthy. More than two decades since he launched his mission, India’s ‘Millet Man’ Dr Khadar Valli Dudekula was recognised by the government of India with the civilian honour Padma Shri during the 74th Republic Day celebrations on Thursday, January 26.
Dr Valli is the scientist who made the world realise the importance of food grains. He has numerous researches to his name and has worked extensively for revival of grains over 20 years. As per The Better India, Dr Valli woke up to the problem of diet-related consequences in society around 1986-87 when he came across the case of a girl who had started menstruating at 6 years of age. Shocked by this, he decided to return to his country in 1997 and settled in Mysuru to work towards a healthy society rather than in a foreign nation.
Dr Valli is an independent scientist and food expert. In his pioneering work, he has revived five types of disappearing millets. He is a leading advocate of Millet cultivation and use. He was born in a humble background in Kadapa District of Andhra Pradesh. He pursued his BSc (Education) and MSc (Education) from Regional College of Education, Mysuru before earning a PhD in Steroids from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. Besides being an agricultural scientist, he is also a homoeopath.
After completing education in India, he became a postdoctoral fellow in environmental science at Beaverton, Oregon for three years. He then worked as a scientist with Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) for four years before working with DuPont for a year in India and four plus years in the US. He discovered medicinal properties of grains during his research and named 5 specific types of grains he prescribed as “Siridhanyalu”.
source: http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA / Home> India / by DNA Web Team / January 28th, 2023
The retired surgeon of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital traverses like a nomad to advocate birth control, especially among Assam’s rural Muslim populace.
Dr. Ilias Ali. | Express Photo Services
Guwahati :
Assam’s “family planning jihadi”, who quotes from the holy texts, has finally got his dues, the Padma Shri.
For the past many years, Dr. Ilias Ali has been on a holy mission. The retired surgeon of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital traverses like a nomad to advocate birth control, especially among Assam’s rural Muslim populace.
The 63-year-old often adopts unusual but unique methods to motivate people to go for ‘No Scalpel Vasectomy’ (NSV). He quotes verses from the Quran and the Hadith to encourage people to go for NSV. He mostly works in the state’s Bengali Muslim settlements where people view NSV and the use of contraceptive pills as un-Islamic. Resistance is common, yet he has been able to motivate over 55,000 people to go for NSV.
“The first few years of my mission were very challenging. Those days, my family would get scared when I embarked on a journey to conduct an NSV camp. It feared for my life,” Dr. Ali, who is still a part of Assam’s NSV programme, told this correspondent.
President Kovind presents Padma Shri to Prof Dr Ilias Ali for Medicine. A public health specialist, he has spread awareness about family planning and popularised different means of birth control / pix: rashtrapatibhvn
He is happy that the government has recognised his contribution to society.
“I am very happy that my contribution has been recognised. It is an honour to the entire medical team that I have been a part with for years,” he said.
Uddhab Bharali is the other person from Assam to be named for the award. The 57-year-old has to his kitty over 150 innovations.
Three decades ago, Bharali had to drop out of his engineering studies as he could not afford to pay fees and was required to take care of his family. However, that was hardly an obstacle. Riding on his passion for creativity and innovation, he started developing machines, mostly from scrap, for everyday use. The turnaround was when he created a polythene-making machine for surrounding tea estates.
Much of his inventions are today centred round agriculture. His machines for de-seeding of pomegranates, peeling areca nuts and cassava, cutting tobacco leaves to extracting passion fruit juice helped in speedy agricultural process and provided livelihood to many.
Earlier, the BBC had done a documentary on the innovations of Bharali who is a recipient of several awards including three from abroad. He said he was very happy to be honoured.
“I’m feeling very happy that I have got a national recognition. I will continue with my work,” the innovator who works with students from various IITs, said. Bharali takes care of 25 families with poor financial backgrounds and is widely known for his philanthropic works.
Two others from the Northeast to be named for Padma Shri are archer Bombayla Devi Laishram of Manipur and flutist Thanga Darlong of Tripura. The 99-year-old Darlong is the last tribal musician to play “Rosem” which is a bamboo-made flute-like musical instrument.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Nation / by Prasanta Mazumdar (picture edited) / Express News Service / additional photograph of Padma Shri Award introduced – pix: source: rashtrapatibhvn: / January 26th, 2019
‘I invite any Indian who claims to be a nationalist to the core to have a conversation with me,’ Rana wrote for The Wire in 2017.
Munawwar Rana (1952-2024). Photo: Youtube
New Delhi:
Urdu poet Munawwar Rana died on Sunday, January 14. He was 71.
Rana, who had been suffering from throat cancer, breathed his last at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow.
The poet is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son, PTI has reported.
Rana was an outspoken artist and was vocal against communal politics.
In 2021, Lucknow police registered an FIR against him for allegedly inciting religious feelings for his comments on Valmiki, who wrote Ramayan.
“Valmiki became a god after he wrote the Ramayana, before that he was a dacoit. A person’s character can change. Similarly, the Taliban for now are terrorists but people and characters change…When you talk about Valmiki, you will have to talk about his past. In your religion, you make anyone god. But he was a writer who wrote the Ramayana, but we are not in competition here,” Rana had said.
In 2017, the poet, who wrote the famous Maa, wrote for The Wire:
“I invite any Indian who claims to be a nationalist to the core to have a conversation with me. Let him decide the time and place. If Allah wills it, they will emerge as traitors; and we will emerge as nationalist Indians. You say ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’. My friend, we kneel on earth and kiss this soil 94 times in veneration while offering our prayers.”
On social media, many have condoled his passing.
source: http://www.thewire.in / The Wire / Home> Books / by The Wire Staff / January 15th, 2024
MILLIONS of people around the world benefit from interest-free baking. But, not many know that the scholar who made it possible within the context of the modern economic system left for his final abode on November 11 in San Jose, some 8,000 miles away from a small village in Northern India where he was born in Gorakhpur in 1931.
Dr. Muhammad Nejatullah Siddiqi left a legacy that will continue to help countless access interest-free loans to achieve their dreams. Nejat means salvation. Dr. Nejatullah’s work proved salvation to people who could not advance their financial growth in the highly competitive world due to a lack of capital. Who would have thought that growing up in colonial India, Dr. Nejat would surpass the peak of academic excellence and achieve professorship in two of the world’s most prestigious universities, the Muslim University of Aligarh and Kind Abdul Aziz University, Saudi Arabia. Indeed, education in British India was reluctant to open the door for an aspiring Muslim student to help develop the Islamic Development Bank, which has financed thousands of development projects worldwide.
But he did it with dedication, commitment, and desire to translate concepts into concrete programs to benefit people. He labored hard to author 63 significant books, hundreds of articles, and thousands of lectures worldwide while pioneering economics based on divine principles of justice and equity.
His most widely read book is “Banking without interest,” published in more than 30 editions between 1973 and 2022. His other works in English include Recent Theories of Profit: A Critical Examination (1971); Economic Enterprise in Islam (1972); Muslim Economic Thinking (1981); Banking Without Interest (1983); Issues in Islamic banking: selected papers (1983); Partnership and profit-sharing in Islamic law (1985); Insurance in an Islamic Economy (1985); Teaching Economics in Islamic Perspective (1996); Role of State in Islamic Economy (1996); Dialogue in Islamic Economics (2002) and Islam’s View on Property (1969). He received two major awards for his work: King Faisal International Prize for service to Islamic Studies and Shah Waliullah Award for his contribution to Islamic Economics.
Describing the future of Islamic Economics, he wrote in 2013 that the changing world would call for five strategic changes in approach: Family rather than the market as the starting point in economic analysis; Cooperation playing a more significant role in the economy, complementing competition; Debts playing a subsidiary rather than the dominant role in financial markets; Interest and interest-bearing instruments playing no part in money creation and monetary management; and, lastly, Maqasid based thinking supplanting analogical reasoning in Islamic economic jurisprudence. In what follows, I’d like to discuss these points to help you get in touch with these challenging propositions.
He wrote about his involvement in Islamic economics.
“I have been involved in Islamic economics most of my life. At school, however, I studied science subjects but switched to economics, Arabic, and English literature for my BA degree at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), which I joined in 1949. My reading habit influenced my decision. I was devoted to al-Hilal and al-Balagh magazines, published under Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888–1958), poet, critic, thinker, and one of the great leaders of the Independence Movement. I also read al-Tableegh and was influenced by the Deobandi scholar Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (1863–1943), the author of the famous book on belief and correct conduct (for women), Heavenly Ornaments. And as most young people of my age and time, I studied the works of Maulana Abul Ala Maududi (1903–1979). Two of Maududi’s pieces deeply impacted me: lectures at Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow, and a scheme he proposed to Aligarh Muslim University, both in the mid-1940s, later published in a collection titled Taleemat. Under the influence of these ulama – religious scholars – I abandoned science and the engineering career I had planned. Instead, I wanted to learn Arabic, gain direct access to Islamic sources, and discover how modern life and Islamic teachings interacted. I stuck to this mission, even though I had to take several detours stretching over six years – to Sanwi Darsgah e Jamaat e Islami, Rampur, and Madrasatul Islah in Saraimir before I arrived eventually at Aligarh to earn a Ph.D. in economics.
The years spent in Rampur and Saraimir were full of lively interaction with Ulama. We spent most of our time discussing the Qur’an, the traditions of the Prophet, commentaries on the Qur’an, fiqh (jurisprudence), and usul-e-fiqh, or principles of jurisprudence. That this happened in the company of young men my age, fired by the same zeal, was an added advantage. We had each chosen a subject – political science, philosophy, economics – that we thought would enhance our understanding of modern life. We combined modern secular and old-religious learning to produce something that would right what was wrong with the world. We received a warm welcome from Zakir Hussain (1897–1969), the former President of India, then Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University; Mohammad Aaqil Saheb, Professor of Economics at Jamia Milliyah Islamia, Delhi; and by eminent teachers at Osmania University in Hyderabad.
Our mission was to introduce Islamic ideas to economics. These were at three levels:
A background provided by Islam’s worldview places economic matters in a holistic framework.
A set of goals for individual behavior and monetary policy,
Norms and values, resulting in appropriate institutions.
Maududi argued that this exercise performed in critical social sciences would pave the way for progress toward an ‘Islamic society. I was fully sold on the idea. We were also influenced by the extraordinary times through which Islam and Muslims were passing worldwide. Islam was ‘re-emerging’ after three centuries of colonization which was preceded by another three centuries of stagnation and intellectual atrophy. The great depression had just exposed capitalism’s darker side, and Russian-sponsored socialism was enlisting sympathizers. We thought Islam had a chance if only a convincing case could be made.
Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqi devoted an entire book to the Objectives of Shariah (Maqasid Shariah). He did not agree with those writers who insisted on the five categories of objectives mentioned by al-Ghazali, claiming that many other purposes come under them in one way or another. He suggested more goals to be added beside and beyond the five mentioned above, such as honor and dignity of humankind, fundamental freedom, justice and equity, poverty alleviation, sustenance for all, social equality, bridging the gap between the rich and the poor, peace and security, preservation of system, and cooperation at the world level. He supports his stand by various verses of the Qur’an and the sayings of the Prophet, especially in dealing with the non-Muslims.”
Dr. Siddiqi surveyed the history of the idea of Shariah objectives. To him, the concept of Shariah objectives has existed from the very beginning of Islamic history. But it was al-Juwayni (d. 478/1085) who first used the term, from whom his disciple al-Ghazali (d. 505/1111) took it and divided it into five categories: Protection of religion, life, reason, progeny, and property. Ibn Taymiyah (d. 728H/1328) introduced the protection of dignity in place of progeny. He also argued that objectives should not be limited to the protection from haram (forbidden) but should include securing benefits. Thus, the number would be unrestricted to five objectives. Ibn al-Qayyim followed the suit of his teacher, Ibn Taymiyah, and included justice among the objectives. He examined the opinions of al-Shatibi (d. 790/1389), Shah Wali Allah al- Dihlawi (d. 1172/1763), and a quick survey of the contemporary literature.
At 91, when he breathed his last in this mortal world surrounded by his life-long partner, three sons, and two daughters, Dr. Nejat had already achieved what only a few chosen ones achieved. He ensured perpetual reward from his creator for his contributions to bringing millions into the fold of economic growth. As a result, marginalized people who lagged because of the lack of capital are in the process of building a stable financial life. Dr. Nejatullah turned concepts of divine justice and equity into practical reality. When he started his work on Islamic banking, there was hardly an institution applying religious principles; now, there are over 500 Islamic banks and thousands of other non-interest-bearing financial institutions. His legacy is there to stay and benefit people worldwide. His work has turned him into a legend, and the future generation would rightly call him the father of modern Islamic banking. His nephew, Dr. Ahmadullah Siddiq, Professor of Media Studies in Illinois, said, “It is not a loss of a family, but a loss of a generation that always looked at uncle Nejatullah as a shining source of inspiration.”
Academic honours
Awarded King Faisal International Prize for Islamic Studies, 1982.
American Finance House Award, 1993
Ph.D. in Economics from Aligarh Muslim University, India, 1966.
Arabic and Islamic learning from Rampur, India, 1954.
Work experience
Professor of Economics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from October 1978 to the present.
Professor of Islamic Studies, Aligarh Muslim University, India, from 1977 to 1978. (On leave from AMU from 1978 to 1983)
Reader (Associate Professor) in Economics, Aligarh Muslim University, India, from 1975 to 1976.
Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Economics, Aligarh Muslim University, India, from 1961 to 1974.
Supervised several Ph.D. dissertations at Aligarh University, Ummul Qura University, Makkah, Imam Saud University, Riyadh, and Sokoto University, Nigeria.
Editorial and Advisory positions
Member, Editorial Board, Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Islamic Economics, Jeddah from 1983 to present.
Member International Board, Review of Islamic Economics, International Association of Islamic Economics, Leicester, U.K. from 1991 to present.
Member, Advisory Board, Islamic Economic Studies, Islamic Research, and Training Institute, Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah.
Member, Board of Trustees, AAOIFI (Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions, Bahrain) 1999 –
Member, Editorial Board, IQTISAD Journal of Islamic Economics, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 1999
Member, Advisory Editorial Board, The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, AMSS & IIIT, U.S.A. from 1985 to 1991.
Member, Advisory Board of the Journal, Humonomics, Toronto, Canada from 1985 to Present.
Member, Advisory Board, MASS, Journal of Islamic Sciences, Aligarh, India, from 1985 to 1997.
Editor, Islamic Thought, Aligarh, 1954-1959.
List of published books
English
1. Economics, an Islamic Approach, The Islamic Foundation, Leicester, U.K. 1999
2. Teaching Economics in Islamic Perspective, Centre for Research in Islamic Economics, KAAU, Jeddah, 1996
3. Role of the State in the Economy, The Islamic Foundation, Leicester, U.K, 1996
4. Insurance in an Islamic Economy, The Islamic Foundation, Leicester, U.K. 1985
5. Partnership and Profit-Sharing in Islamic Law. The Islamic Foundation, Leicester, U.K. 1985
6. Banking Without Interest, The Islamic Foundation, Leicester, U.K. 1983
7. Issues in Islamic Banking. The Islamic Foundation, Leicester, U.K. 1983
8. Muslim Economic Thinking. The Islamic Foundation, Leicester, U.K. 1981
9. Contemporary Literature on Islamic Economics, The Islamic Foundation, Leicester, U.K. 1978
10. Economic Enterprise in Islam, Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India. 1972
11. Some Aspects of the Islamic Economy, Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India. 1972
12. Muslim Personal Law (Edited), Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India. 1972
13. Recent Theories of Profit: A Critical Examination. Asia Publishing House, Bombay, India. 1971
N.B: Some of these books have also been published in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Indonesian, Malay, Hindi, and Bengali languages.
Urdu
1. Tahreek Islami Asr Hazir Men (Contemporary Islamic Movement). 1995 Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India.
2. Quran awr Science (Excerpts from Syed Qutb’s Tafsir with a detailed Introduction). 1978 Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India.
3. Nash’at Saniyah Ki Rah (Towards Islamic Renaissance) 1974 Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India.
4. Insurance Islami Ma’ishat Men (Insurance in Islamic Economy). 1974 Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India.
5. Ghair Sudi Bank Kari (Interest Free Banking) 1969 Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India.
6. Shirkat awr Mudarabat Ke Shar’i Usul (Sharia Principles of Partnership and Profit-Sharing). 1969 Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India.
7. Islam Ka Nazarriyah Milkiyat (2 Vols.) (Islam’s Theory of Property). 1969 Islamic Publications, Lahore, Pakistan.
8. Islam Ka Nizam-e-Mahasil (Translation of Abu Yusuf’s Kitab al Kharaj).1966 Islamic Publications, Lahore, Pakistan.
9. Islam Men `Adl-e-Ijtimat’i (Translation of Syed Qutb’s al `Adalah al Ijtimaiyah fi’l Islam). 1963 Islamic Publications, Lahore, Pakistan.
10. Islami Adab (edited) (Islami Literature) 1960 Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India.
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Dr Aslam Abdullah is an Indian American writer and activist.
source: http://www.clarionindia.net / Clarion India / Home> Features> Indian Muslim / by Dr. Aslam Abdullah / November 14th, 2022
It is the first detailed account of the Indian city of Amroha in English.
Supplied photo
Inam Abidi, a Dubai resident since 2006, wears two hats with equal passion — one as a cloud consultant by profession, and the other as a writer at heart.
His journey as an author reached its culmination earlier this year with the publication of his first book, Making of a Qasba: The Story of Amroha. This achievement marked the realisation of a long-held dream that had been nurtured since his college days.
The book, painstakingly researched over three years, stands as the first comprehensive historical account of the city of Amroha presented in the English language.
Amroha, Inam’s hometown, is situated in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, renowned for its association with luminaries like Kamal Amrohvi, Jaun Elia, Sadequain, and Jai Krishna Agarwal.
The Qasba of Amroha holds a distinguished status as a prominent Sufi centre, steeped in history and tradition.
Inam said the idea of the book first struck him 2015 when he was researching for an article about Amroha, with the intention of acquainting his children with their ancestral heritage.
“I looked up everywhere, but couldn’t find much in English,” he recalled. “It was then that I recognised the significant gap in English accounts detailing the city’s rich history. This realisation spurred me to delve into the project of writing a book.”
Over the years, Inam made multiple visits to Amroha, which his family had left in the 1970s when they moved to Lucknow. He engaged in meetings with individuals well-acquainted with the city’s heritage, scoured through a multitude of books in various languages including Urdu, Persian, Hindi, and English, and examined numerous YouTube videos.
Along this journey, he encountered a variety of people, from a former senior government official who initially believed he was co-writing the book and subsequently ceased communication when he learned otherwise, to a rickshaw puller who went out of his way to capture images of historical sites within the city and shared them with Inam.
Regarding the most gratifying part of his experience, Inam shared, “I stumbled upon a rare painting of Amroha and became curious about the artist behind it. It turned out he was also a resident of Lucknow. Meeting Jai Krishna Agarwal, a renowned Indian printmaker from Amroha, was a privilege. Despite being in his 80s, he had vivid memories of the city to share with me.”
In the world of historical accounts, Inam knew controversies were common. He stated, “As a researcher, one grapples with conflicting accounts and the biases of the ruling elite. It’s also challenging to assess past events with contemporary knowledge.”
Inam’s perspective on technology and history is insightful. He believes that technology streamlines the present and prepares us for the future, while history teaches us invaluable lessons from the past.
One aspect that tinges Inam’s achievement with sadness is the loss of his father, who passed away a year before the book’s publication. He reflected, “My father would have been elated.”
source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com / Khaleej Times / Home> Lifestyle> Books / by Mazhar Farooqui / October 27th, 2023
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