Sadia Dehlvi
Honour unto a slave
As Rabi-ul-Awwal, the blessed month of Prophet Mohammed’s birth visits us again, it is time to reflect on the true meaning of his teachings. Some of his companions, like Bilal, were exemplars of the prophetic message of submission to the one God.
Her right to her life
Religion is often blamed as one of the reasons responsible for the subjugation of women, but it is usually cultural traditions to blame and not the religion.
The eternal martyr
This month of Muharram, which means “sacred” ushers in the Islamic New Year. Even in pagan Arabia, Muharram was one of the four sacred months in which war and bloodshed were forbidden.
Waris Shah’s love story
Waris Shah is a famous Punjabi Sufi poet of the 18th century. He is best known for immortalising the love of Heer-Ranjha in the traditional folk story of Punjab. Heer is considered one of the quintessential works of classical Punjabi literature.
Abrahamic sacrifice
The Haj pilgrimage falls on ninth of Zil Hajj, the 12th and last month in the Islamic calendar. The following day marks the festival of Id al-Azha, The “Celebration of Sacrifice”, when millions of Muslims throughout the world join the pilgrims in their joy and thanksgiving to Allah.
Jesus and Mohammed
Prophet Mohammed never saw himself as the founder of a new religion, but the last in the chain of prophets from the lineage of Prophet Abraham. In the narrative of his flight to heaven, known as the Ascension, he encounters Moses, Jesus and other prophets common to Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
Quest for the king within
One of my all-time favourite books is the 12th-century Persian Sufi Fariduddin Attar’s Mantiq ut Tair, which has been translated into English as Conference of the Birds. His name Attar, alluded to the fact that he sold perfumes.
Water as an act of worship
As the rains lash Delhi after a hot and parched July, I look out at the lush green trees and thank God for the mercy of rain. Water is as an integral part of Islam, as a source of growth, sustenance of the earth and puri?cation of the body.
Among verses that adorn the Quran are, “And it is He who sends the winds as good tidings before His mercy, and We send down from the sky pure water” (25:48) and “Know that the Heavens and the Earth were joined together as one, then We parted them and made from water every living thing”. (21:30) In the holy book, God speaks of creating rivers and oceans as a means for us to facilitate transportation. Rains, fountains, rivers and oceans are mentioned throughout the Quran as a symbol of Allah’s mercy and benevolence to mankind.
Islam views depopulating floods as a symbol of God’s wrath. The waters of the flood were a part of God’s revelation to Prophet Noah. The survival of Noah’s Ark is seen God’s mercy. One of Noah’s vain sons drowned and was swept away by a tsunami-like wave. Hence, agitated water is a seen as a symbol of God’s anger.
Message of Id-ul-Fitr
Id-ul-Fitr is a day of peace, joy, sharing and spreading happiness. Id is derived from the Arabic root word awd, which means to return.
Month of mercy
The month of Ramzan is a gift that returns each year as an opportunity to fight spiritual diseases and purify our hearts. The goal of fasting is the acquisition of taqwa, a conscious awareness of God.
