What's in a name?

by Dr. Aslam Abdullah

The Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS), through its sectarian policies, is creating conditions of the division of India on the basis of caste, religion, and ethnicity. By renaming that sounded non-Brahman or non-upper-castes the organization that has its strongest presence in all aspects of Indian life is sending a clear message to minorities and Hindus who do not share its version of history that India is not for them and if they have to live in the country, they will have to submit to the RSS vision of nationalism.

Its campaign to change Muslim or Christian sounding names is not different than what the Taliban did in Afghanistan when they destroyed Buddhist structures or the ISIS did in Iraq and other places when it demolished historical monuments reminiscent of other religions. The RSS is doing exactly the same by changing names and removing all traces of history that contradicts its views on India.

The policy which is no different cultural genocide would leave few options for India's Dalits, non-upper-caste Hindus or Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Pagans, Jains and even non-RSS Hindus. In India's, six out of 29 states the Brahman or the upper caste of Hindus are between 10 and 20 percent of the population. In the remaining states, they are between one and nine percent, Uttarakhand has 20 percent, while Andhra Pradesh has one percent of Brahmans.

In the nation, they are less than five percent but they occupy the majority of influential places.

The caste with the highest population in India is known Other Backward Class or Castes. They account for more than 70% of the total Indian population. The lowest of the castes are described as the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. They are about 16.6% and 8.6%, respectively, of India's population. The states with the highest number of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh  

Despite the fact that lower castes and backward communities suffer the worst treatment socially and religiously, the RSS and its political leadership have cleverly projected itself as a party of Hindus trying to save India from the culture of Muslim and Christian invaders and from the deviant behavior of religions that emerged in opposition to caste hierarchy perpetuated by Brahman.

Even though scholars regard Hinduism as a synthesis of various Indian cultures and traditions, with diverse roots and no single founder, the RSS views India as a special place in the world of Hindu deities, a place that India never achieved under its political rulers who despite sharing the same religious traditions never created a united India. The RSS believes that it has a divine mission to accomplish by turning India into a pure Hindu state in the image of its ideal.  

Not all Hindus agree with that vision. Certainly, non-Hindus such as Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Muslims, and pagans have different perspectives on India and its history. Yet, the RSS asserts that it owns India and if anyone claims to be Indian must accept its vision of the country.

The RSS and its political wing BJP are not only aware of the electoral advantage they might gain through this campaign but are also clear about their policies especially towards Muslims. The RSS view Muslims as invaders who challenged India's caste system and Brahmanical hegemony. They blame Muslims for the conversion of Dalits and other lower castes to Islam. They accuse Muslims of abducting their women and molesting them. They propagate, that Muslim rulers during their rule in India demolished Hindu temples and subjugated Hindu masses. They even say that culturally, Muslims did everything to humiliate Hindus either in the form of beef-eating or adopting a lifestyle that was different than the Brahmanical domination.

The RSS believes that without humiliating Muslims and reducing them to a nonentity, Hindus dignity cannot be restored. Brahmans and other upper castes are aware of their numerical weakness. They know that without the strength of Dalits and other backward communities, they cannot impact India's electoral politics. Hence, they poisoned the minds of Dalits and backward communities by projecting Muslims and Islam as enemies of India and Hinduism. In their effort to win over Dalits, they always use the Pakistan card saying that Muslims opted out of a united India by carving their own state in the name of religion, thus, forfeiting their right to live in India. They should either convert to Hinduism or settle in Pakistan. They have always questioned the loyalties of Muslims in India and projected them without any evidence as traitors.

But, the RSS, also is a grassroots organization with a militancy. It holds its daily militant activities and it also runs several welfares and educational projects in thousands of India's villages. Through these projects, it spreads its ideology of an assertive Brahmanism that calls for the restoration of the purity of India by removing elements that caused India to lose its uniqueness in the world.

Obviously, this view would be challenged by Indians of all faiths and ethnic groups. The resistance would either lead to various civil wars or several divisions of the country. The RSS in it animosity of Muslims have gone far ignoring the history of India and Hindu rulers. It certainly is leading India to its most dangerous future, a future where India that we see today would not exist.

Dr. Sulayman Nayang: a Sage Intellectual and an architect of American Muslim identity

Always polite, always respectful, always optimistic and always progressive. That is how I always characterize Dr. Sulayman Nayang.  He was a professor and former chairman of the African Studies Department at Howard University in Washington, D.C. He was a co-principal investigator of the Project MAPS and also a former deputy ambassador and head of the chancery of the Gambia Embassy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He also served as a consultant to several national and international agencies and on the boards of the African Studies Association, the American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies, America's Islamic Heritage Museum, and the Association of Muslim Social Scientists. He wrote extensively on Islamic, African and Middle Eastern affairs. He had a master's degree in public administration and a Ph.D. in government from the University of Virginia. He was an advising scholar for the award-winning, PBS-broadcast documentaries Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet (2002) and Prince Among Slaves (2007), produced by Unity Productions Foundation.

But to many of us, who came to this country in the early eighties, he was a pillar of the Muslim community who pioneered the development of Islam in the US. He was an academician, but he transcended his role and became of the most rational public intellectual and a traditional Muslim teacher with all humility that one often hears about the earliest generation of the believers.

 I had numerous encounters with Dr. Sualayman Nayang, the last time in Las Vegas, where we along with interfaith leaders shared the podium discussing the essentials of a pluralistic and democratic society. We were together in several conferences and seminars, but the most memorable time that I had was spent in the Fish Camp in Yosemite national where we both attended the Muslim Family youth camp organized by the Central California Muslim society. The four days that we had together were spent in discussing everything, including theology, jurisprudence, history, and the current affairs of Muslims. He was well versed in western political thoughts, religious pluralism, American history and Muslim struggles for their identity throughout history.  Like a traditional teacher, he would hold discussions on various topics and invite the participants to express their opinions fearlessly.

He believed that the American Muslim community was unique as it has the best opportunities to live Islam the way it should be lived combining modernism with traditionalism. He also believed that Muslims in American would have to evaluate the jurisprudence and build on it. He believed in the unity of Islam with its diversity and often argued that Muslims should learn to live with their differences even on theological issues as long as the goal is to serve humanity. 

 Dr. Nayang suffered a stroke in June 2016. His school honored him by instituting a formal scholarship fund established in his honor. Some of his friends launched a fundraising campaign to take care of his medical bills. Almost 100,000 were needed, but the collections did not reach the $40,000 marks. Its really sad to see that the man who dedicated his life and work to serve the Muslim American community suffered apathy, even from those who learned from him and grew under his shadow.

But this is how communities act? They often ignore those who serve it, but after their departure, create great monuments for them. The legacy that Dr. Nayang left would continue to inspire hundreds of his students throughout the world and the ideas that he propagated would continue to influence the Muslim minds for the generation to come.

The least we can do is to remember him in our prayers and thank God for his intellect and service.

Khashoggi’s Disappearance:  A Political And Theological Quagmire 

The disappearance of political dissidents is neither unusual nor mysterious in our world. But the drama that surrounds Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance has taken a turn that is most likely to influence the political and financial maps of the world in the foreseeable future.

Khashoggi was a free thinker and a journalist working with the Washington Post.  He was close to the well-known Saudi billionaire Prince Al Waleed bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz bin Al Saud, a member of the Saudi royal family at odds with the present Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman. He entered the Saudi Consulate in Turkey in October and never returned.

The Turkish officials say that he was murdered inside the Saudi consulate. Saudi Arabia initially denied the allegation, but later changed its position. Ironically, those who came to the rescue of the Saudi Arabian government were right-wing media experts, known Christian evangelical leaders, Republica party leaders and above all President Trump.

Saudi government refuted the Turkish claim that the journalist was murdered on the premises of its consulate and threatened severe punishment against those who believed in the Turkish narration. The government claimed that Khashoggi left the premises.

However, when asked to provide the proof of his exit, the Saudis kept quiet. Meanwhile, the US intelligence sources claimed that they had intercepted messages from Saudi Arabia suggesting that a team of 15 Saudi men was dispatched to Turkey to tame Khashoggi.

When the Turkish officials claimed that they had the evidence to prove the murder of the dissident inside the consulate, the Saudis insisted that they were unaware of his fate. However, the right-media promoted the rumor that Khashoggi was a sympathizer of the Muslim Brotherhood and Qatar was behind the efforts to malign Saudi Arabia.

This explanation was repeated by President Trump’s son as well as prominent Christian evangelical leaders trying to create the impression that the murder might be a good thing in disguise as it eliminated a terrorist sympathizer. This explanation did not make any sense at least to world business giants, many of whom announced their decision to pull out from an already planned financial summit in Saudi Arabia.

President Trump initially said that if found guilty, Saudi Arabia would be punished severely even though he also pointed out that the US was in a 110 billion dollar arms deal with the kingdom. The Saudis retaliated in anger and suggested that they would open their doors for the Russians and decrease the oil output to let the prices soar to 200 dollars per barrel.

It was at this point that President Trump changed its rhetoric and adopted the right-wing explanation but with a twist. He acknowledged that the journalist was killed, but not by the Saudi government. Instead, he argued that the killing was done by the rogue elements who acted on their own.

This was the line that the Saudi government immediately adopted when the news was circulated unofficially that Khashoggi was killed accidentally during interrogation and the Saudi Arabian officials or rulers were not aware of it.

Political murders are not new to the kingdom. No specific data are available, but Human Rights observers believe that hundreds of political dissidents are languishing in Saudi prisons and scores have been killed over the years. What is intriguing is why a US President and right-wing politicians as well Christian evangelical leaders are supportive of the Saudi monarchy and absolving it from any role in the murder.

The right-wing politicians and President Trump advised by his son in law who is his envoy in the Middle East peace efforts believe that Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is the key to the permanent US presence in the Gulf as well as the permanent security of Israel. They believe that because of the prestige the kingdom enjoys in the Sunni Muslim world, the decision Muhammad bin Salaam takes towards the US, Israel, and Iran would be accepted by a great majority of Muslim countries who are dependent on Saudi Arabia for their oil needs or financial subsidy.

They believe that over the years Saudi Arabia has developed an intensive network among Muslim organizations and groups all over the world. The Trump Administration is confident that the network would help the Saudis to convince Muslims of their approval of the US peace plan in the Middle East.

Besides, there are financial gains for the US in maintaining cordial relations with the Monarchy. But the US is aware of the fact that even in case of a change in regime; the US oil interests would remain secure. So it is not the oil that is the driving force behind the current policy towards Saudi Arabia. Rather, it is the future of Israel that is driving the current policy towards monarchy.

President Trump intends to secure Israel’s security permanently before the end of his first term. Christian evangelists are of the opinion that only Trump can do that, hence they are willing to accept the Saudi monarchy in its present role. The evangelists believe that the security of Israel would bring them closer to their theological goals of establishing the kingdom of God on earth under the leadership of Jesus who would return only when greater Israel is formed.

In this political and religious quagmire, the ideas of freedom of expression and human dignity are lost as the concerned parties are keener to accrue political, financial and theological benefits for their interests. The the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi is being used as a pawn in this political and theological game of chess.

Hajra is Hajra 

Hager is Hager

by Dr. Aslam Abdullah

Hajra, the wife of Prophet Ibrahim, the mother of Prophet Ismael and the matriarch that created an entire civilization remains a forgotten figure in the annals of religious history. There is not much archeological data available on her life, genealogy, family. Her description in Old Testament projects her as a villain who could not show gratefulness to her mistress Sarah, the wife of Prophet Ibrahim who in her old age had given her the status of his concubine and whose son was always jealous of Saras's son Prophet Isaac. The Muslim scholarship has also not focussed on her real contributions to humanity and especially in building an international community of monotheists single-handedly. Even though the Quran has preserved her sacrifices and contributions in the institution of Hajj, our scholarship, in general, has ignored the essence of Hajira's life and the lesson one should draw from that.

Hajra was young and had a suckling infant. No woman could ever imagine that her husband who in his old age miraculously fathered his heir would leave the wife and child in a barren land with not many resources to sustain them. Regardless of the explanations given by others, the act would appear to many as an irresponsible one. Yet Prophet Ibrahim described as the friend of Allah and one of the role models for humanity did that. Why?

Let us turn to the prayer that Prophet Ibrahim made while leaving the young wife and the infant in the desert of Arabia. "O our Sustainer! Behold, I have settled some of my offspring in a valley in which there is no arable land, close to Thy sanctified Temple, so that, O our Sustainer, they might devote themselves to prayer: cause Thou, therefore, people's hearts to incline towards them and grant them fruitful sustenance, so that they might have cause to be grateful."- 14:37  The prayer is not just a plea to God but an agenda given to Hajira who was the only adult in that neighborhood. This is a four-part agenda, 

1. People should establish a community centered around monotheism through praying to only one God. 

2. People should constantly invite others to the idea of the oneness of the creator and convince them of its viability and validity.

3. People should work hard to create a means of sustenance in the barren land. 

4 People should express their gratitude to God by using their resources properly and in a balanced manner with no misuse.

Obviously, the task to ensure that the people who settled near the well of Zamzam water understand and live by that, in addition, to prepare her son for the role of leadership.

God inspired Prophet Ibrahim to leave her in the barren land to prove through her dedication, perseverance, struggle, commitment, and faith in God that the task of community building can be led by women as well and given the opportunity she can create a whole civilization and community by herself. Prophet Ibrahim was fully convinced that such a leadership role cannot be demonstrated in societies that were male-dominated for centuries and had little worth for women. In Hajira, God found the strength, integrity, and tenacity of a woman to play that role. 

The idea was to demolish the idea of gender-based discrimination and the notion that a woman cannot play a major role in community life. So precious were her experiences in the barren land that God preserved them in the rituals associated with the Hajj. The staying in Mina and spending night n Muzdalifa, the running between Safa and Marwa, that God describes as divine knolls, the drinking of the water of Zamzam as well as making the rounds of the Kaaba and the sacrifice are all associated with her and her son.

Hajra is not an ordinary woman in the history of monotheism, It was her leadership that created the corridor of unity in Makkah among believers coming from different parts of the world. God preserved the institution of Hajj not only to remind people of his oneness and the unity of humanity but also to teach that women can also be the leaders in every sense of the term.

Hajra is the only woman in the history of monotheism who created a monotheistic civilization by herself and demolished the false idols of gender discrimination. She showed to the people that even in the loneliness and in the most vulnerable situations, a woman can protect her honor and dignity and play the leadership without compromising them, She proved that leadership comes from dedication and commitment to right ideas and had nothing to do with gender divisions. She established the principle that women are no less than men in seeking the welfare of the society. She proved that a woman can be positive even in the worst adversarial conditions and she demonstrated beyond doubt that if she can raise a child all by herself without any ill feelings towards his father who had left them alone, she can also raise a nation and a civilization. So Hajira is Hajira because God honored her by institutionalizing her leadership in the form of Hajj.

Muslim American Leadership and Law Enforcement Agencies

by Dr, Aslam Abdullah

Some Muslim Americans are very angry with law enforcement agencies, especially FBI, consequently, they have taken a position boycotting any interaction or dialogue with its officials. Muslims are not unanimous on this yet, but some of their major organizations have taken this stand. Is this a pragmatic decision and what message does it communicate with law enforcement agencies and the country as a whole?

Doubtlessly, since 9/11, Muslim Americans and Muslim in general have often been viewed by many politicians, and even some law enforcement agents as suspects. The use of financial resources in monitoring Muslim organizations and centers is not uncommon in several states. Often, the right-wing leaders have promoted the idea that Muslims cannot be trusted as their agenda is to promote the domination of Islam in the country through clandestine activities.

Obviously, most of these are perceptions. But the absence of Muslim Americans from active dialogue and discussion with law enforcement agencies is a major factor in their continuation. Others who have different agenda have somehow influenced law enforcement agencies to accept their views, however biased, they are towards Islam and Muslims and since Muslims are not there to clarify these perceptions, the one-sided view prevails.

Muslims in the united states are not a monolith group. They are split in hundreds of ethnic communities with different experiences and conditions African Americans who make up the largest segment of Muslim Americans have totally different attitude towards law enforcement agencies, while Muslims from Afghanistan, Iran, Bosnia, Kosovo, Somalia or North Africa who came here as refugees to live a dignified life have different attitude towards such agencies. Muslims from the Middle East who came here at the beginning of the 20th century in places like Detroit have a different perspective while Muslims who came here from South Asia in the 60s mainly as students have different experiences.

These groups have not yet collated to develop a national agenda and perspective, hence each organization dominated by a particular ethnic group adopts a perspective based on its understanding. 

Also to be noted is the fact that many prominent Muslim American leaders, especially of immigrant backgrounds were active supporters of organizations such as Ikhwan ul Muslimeen, or Jamat Islam, etc. Similarly, many African Americans were once the members of the Nation of Islam that had a specific view on race relations. Many who became Muslims recently have aligned with those ideological groups that are politically influenced by despotic regimes in the Middle East promoting a very strict understanding of Islam with no openness towards non-Muslims.

Law enforcement agencies do not have the resources to figure out who is who in the Muslim community. Their research and intelligence gathering resources are poor. They do not have many agents who speak the languages of the immigrants. They do not have expertise in the cultures of such communities. They also lack a clear understanding of the diversity within the Muslim community in interpreting the religious texts.

Also, the law enforcement officials are recruited from society in general. Not every member of the society is exposed to religious diversity or an objective understanding of diverse belief systems. Many bring their stereotypical images of others with them in their work and no matter what is the level of professionalism, the images of the past often linger on.

Law enforcement agencies are not political. They are run on national resources. They are bound by the constitution and hence they are by law defenders of law and every law-abiding citizen. However, if communities are close and not interacting and having a dialogue with them, there is no way that a better understanding can evolve.

In the absence of Muslims from the dialogue with law enforcement agencies, other special groups have filled with information about Muslims that is often inaccurate and wrong.

The only way to correct that is that Muslims engage in an open dialogue with law enforcement agencies to learn their functions and to tell them about the community. Law enforcement agencies work on the basis of reasonable tips they get from the public or their contacts and unless they reach to the bottom of such tips, they continue to pursue. Muslims can be a source to clarify assumptions, accusations, and assertions without fearing that this would put them in jeopardy.

Similarly, law enforcement agencies also should show respect to Muslims the same way they show respect to other segments of American society. That means that they should not view the entire community as a monolith group engaged in some conspiracy against the US. When they hear such accusations against Muslim individuals, they should investigate that individual thoroughly and seek Muslim help to bring the case to a closure.

Law enforcement agencies have a general perception that most religious organizations are not transparent in their financial dealings. It's not only about Muslims, but it involves everyone. In religious organizations, a lot of cash dealing is involved, and no matter how careful one is, there is no system that tracks every cash transaction. The idea that cash can find itself in undesirable hands cannot be ruled out. Obviously, the only people who can satisfactorily explain things related to cash are those who handle them. This is just one issue, there are many more. Often people with special interests may want to influence the congregation with their ideas that may be a determent to public Only those people who are part of the congregation know about that.  If law enforcement agencies are tipped about such thing, they would investigate and if those who are part of the group are not there to respond, a  lot of assumptions would be made and that might not be accurate. We saw that recently with the Russian interference in our elections. Even though no one has investigated it yet, but the involvement with the Russians in our elections through religious groups cannot be eliminated.

It is imperative that rather than reacting in anger, Muslim leadership looks at the issue of having dialogue with law enforcement agencies in a pragmatic manner and openly develop a perspective that serves the interests of the country and the community.

Isolation is not the solution. It would exacerbate misgivings and create confusion. It is better than the Muslim leadership to review its stance towards law enforcement agencies and extend the hand of interaction for better relations.

 The Essence of Hajj

Abu Uthman al-Sabani al-Shafii (d 449) in his book Kitab ul Maitain narrates Prophet Muhammad as saying, "towards the end of the time, four main groups of people will flock around the Kaaba to perform Hajj: The powerful rulers, who want to have fun or who want to enjoy the occasion, the rich people to promote their businesses, the poor to seek financial support and the reciters (or scholars) to demonstrate their skills."

Al-Sabuni was not an ordinary scholar. He narrated the Hadith after ensuring that the matan or text and isnad or chains are sound. He once said "I never narrated a Hadith nor a non-Prophetic report in a gathering, except if I possessed its chain of transmission; nor did I ever enter the library except in a state of ritual purity; nor did I ever narrate Hadith, nor hold a gathering, nor teach, except in a state of ritual purity."

Are we living in that period that was predicted by the Prophet? Has Hajj really become a type of ritual devoid of any meaning? Is Hajj an individual ibada (worship) that requires a believer to spend time and resources to get closer to an omnipotent and omnipresent God? Has the Hajj become a business in our times? Or has it become a vacation?

There was a time when people would spend months and months preparing themselves financially and spiritually to live the real meaning of Hajj. However, nowadays Hajj is offered as a holiday package. Many Hajj agencies all over the world offer value packages with super programs, deluxe programs, and short executive program. These programs offer the best and closest accommodation in Makkah and Medinah, best available food and best possible position in the House of Allah. Depending on how much you pay, you can get the finest place in Makkah and Medinah. If you happen to be the guest of royalty, then probably, no one can ever compete with your placement in the two mosques. When the Prophet performed his only Hajj, the only provision that he had with him was no more than four dirham as narrated in several books of ahadith.

Hajj was meant to teach the pilgrims endurance and perseverance for higher causes, yet it has been turned into an exercise inconvenience. Hajj was meant to express the utmost humility in the presence of the rest of humanity by declaring that "Here I am, Here I am, I will not make anyone Allah's partner. Allah is the one who is in control of everything and He alone is the one who is the source of all blessings and praise." Yet, today, Hajj, for many, has become, a badge, a symbol of spiritual arrogance.

Hajj is an institution that is supposed to reassure the people that ethnic, cultural, linguistic, geographical, wealth-based, race and color differences that humans have imposed upon themselves have no reality in the presence of God. All are one and the purpose of all is to follow the divine guidance to create universal humanity to the well being of everyone. Hajj is meant to be a pledge to live the example of Hajj beyond the Hajj. It is an occasion to create a personality without a dimension and space.

Yet, through social engineering and manipulation of resources, Hajj is rapidly adapting social elements that distinguish the rich from the poor, the very institution that it is supposed to demolish. Divisions among Hujjaj on the basis of their ethnicity and money are visible throughout the Hajj journey.

While the hujjaj coming from poorer regions of the world may find accommodation miles away from the Haram, those who are rich can find accommodation within the vicinity of the Kaaba

The Quran describes Kaaba as a center of guidance to humanity. "Indeed the first House of Worship open to all was established in the Noble Makkah. Indeed, this House is the center of guidance for all humanity." (3:96) The place was not only a place for bringing together all the people but it is a center for promoting peace. (2:145). It was a place that was meant to help humanity realize its universality rather than divisions (5:97)

For this great purpose of helping humanity realize its dream of removing all the differences and divisions among themselves the institution Hajj come up with the clear example of making us understand and observe that unity of humanity is possible. For this the Quran asked Prophet Ibrahim to invite people to Hajj, so that they may witness the beauty and magnificence of the guidance of Allah.

Hajj is like a united nation in its real sense without five elitist powers. With no hidden agenda and security council privileges, each nation and community come to Makkah with the single purpose of serving God and reiterating their covenant with Him. Hajj provides the opportunity for everyone to witness the common bonds among people regardless of their differences. Hajj promotes the idea of the dignity of human beings, male or female, young or old and rich and poor.

Hajj also creates space for intellectual ideas among people so that they could all remain focused on their main agenda of serving humanity through following the guidance of God.

It is this spirit of Hajj that was prevalent at the time of the Prophet and his trusted companions. It is this spirit of Hajj is now being challenged by the modern business-dominated society and hierarchy of rich and poor culture. However, among all this razzmatazz, still there are people who come to the Hajj to take the inspiration to transform themselves for a better future both for them and for others. They are the ones who do not care about big hotels or better facilities. They are the ones who spend their days and nights in Mina, Arafat, Muzdalfa, Makkah and Medina. Here they remember the covenant that Allah made with Prophet Abraham, the builder of Kaaba. Prophet Abraham was told by God, Almighty, "I am making you the source of balance and inspiration (The Quran uses the word Imam, that literally means the instrument that a construction worker uses to level the construction) for all people," (2:124). Encouraged by this honor, the Prophet asked: "Is this covenant for my progeny too," No," said Allah, "Those who deviate from my path would not qualify for this honor," (2:124)

In these simple words thus was describing the real intent and purpose of the Hajj and all other faith-based institutions. The dignity and honor do not come with buying this or that package. It comes through dedication and commitment to the divine values and living up to them.

Some day, the Hajj will be restored to its original intent by those un-known and un-recognized faces who come from all over the world quietly without any fanfare and who spend every moment of their presence in the noble sanctuaries and the pilgrimage path with the determination to follow their real leaders: Prophets Ibrahim, Prophet Ismail and Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon them, in every aspect of this great institution.

The re-enactment of acts performed during the Hajj are attributed to Prophets Ibrahim and Ismal and Mother Hagar. They are primarily meant for the purpose of reminding the humanity that in order to bring people together, God's guidance is received, acknowledged, accepted and followed by a small group of people who may not be present physically seeing the fruits of their efforts. Prophet Ibrahim created that nucleus for perpetual change in human behavior and for that he was honored by God who declared him as an Imam (role model) for humanity. The guidance that inspired Prophet Ibrahim to put the dream of one people under God, in reality, is there in its clearest, puritan, crystal form in the Quran. How ironic it is that despite the guidance, many remain misguided, including those who claim to have understood and mastered the divine guidance.

Muslim Travel Ban: America under the Dark Cloud of Bigotry

by Dr. Aslam Abdullah

A divided Supreme court on partisan lines upheld Muslim travel ban by a margin of 5 to 4. No different than the 1944 Supreme Court decision that upheld the internment of Japanese American. In the decision the majority conservative judges believe that the President has sweeping statutory authority and his decisions based on national security are within his constitutional rights.

Thus, National security is the mantra that gives the President absolute power to impose whatever policy he deems fit to secure national interests. 

The implications of this decision are far-reaching. 

The president now has the backing of the judiciary branch to include more countries in the list travel ban countries.

The President can revoke the naturalized citizenship of any legal resident anytime under the pretext of national security

The President can declare any community or a country a threat to the people of the United States

The President can ban any religion under the pretext of danger to the people of the United States

The decision, in fact, expands the power and authority of the President beyond the known constitutional process. It relegates the house and senate to a debating club without any authority to legislate because the President has the authority to question any legislation to secure national interests.

This is the rise of dictatorship on the ashes of democracy and no one really knows how the events would unfold the future political drama in the country.

The Supreme Court decision is made by judges who claim to be nonpartisans and secular, but the reality is that like any other human beings their religious and political ideas and affiliations impact their views. 

In the current Supreme Court, there are five Catholics, three Jews, and one Protestant, even though he is not loud about his religious affiliation. The Catholics are chief justice John Roberts, Justice Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor. The Jewish justices are Ruther Bader Ginsberg, Stephen  Breyer, and Elena Kagan. Neil Gorsuch is an Episcopalian  This has not been the case always. Since its inception in 1789, the Supreme Court has had 91 Protestant judges out of 113 judges.

The judges are not selected on party or religious lines. However, the possibility of their religious and ideological biases may impact their decision. The travel ban decision seems to emerge from this hypothetical belief that the current Islamophobic propaganda created by the right-wing Christian evangelical political groups close to the Republican party and especially to the President might have impacted he conservative judges who are usually more inclined to take positions that in the past have favored the conservatives and Republicans.

Indeed, this decision is one of the most earthshaking in modern American history with far-reaching consequences t the generations to come. The 1944 supreme court decision upholding the internment of Japanese still haunt the Japanese and the ethnic and religious minorities. This current decision would be a nightmare for Muslims and other religious minorities who do not endorse the Republican or Trump agenda in the near future. This decision would be seen by the generations to come as a form of legalized Islamophobia and under this decision, Muslims would face, a situation that might pale the Japanese internment. The country is in the grip of white supremacy and evangelical Christian who view every non-white non-Christian especially Muslims a threat to Western Civilization under the leadership of America. When race and religion combine to promote their supremacy, nothing but persecution and violations of basic human rights occur through a process the perpetrators call legal. This is where America stands today.

How to determine what Impact Ramadan has on our lives?

By Dr. Aslam Abdullah

The month of fasting is over and life is now slowly returning to the pattern that we all had before Ramadan. Let us take a moment to reflect on what we gained during this month besides the reward from God, Almighty. Let us also plan to use during the next 11 months the training that we had in self-control in the month of Ramadan  A simple way of doing that is to compare ourselves to the branches of Iman as identified by the Quran and the Ahadith. The Prophet said in several of the statements attributed to him that there are some 60 or 70 odd branches of Iman. The highest is to bear witness there is no god with Allah and Muhammad is his messenger and the lowest is the removal of harm from the road and modesty is also of faith. 

Imam Bayhaqi (d. 486 A.H identified some 77 branches of Iman. Some 30 of these branches deal with the heart, some seven with the tongue and the remaining with our actions.

Let us see how the self-discipline, exercise in Ramadan would help us to impact our behavior, attitude, and actions in relation to these branches of Iman.

 The branches of Iman related to the heart

By the grace of Allah, the Almighty, we all 

1.      Believe in the oneness and uniqueness of Allāh Most High.

2.      Believe that everything other than Allah was non-existent. Thereafter, Allah, the Highest created these things and subsequently, they came into existence.

3.      Believe in the existence of angels.

4.      Believe that all the heavenly books that were sent to the different prophets are true and the Quran is the final divine testament.

5.      Believe that all the prophets are true and Prophet Muhammad is the last messenger and the Prophet of Allah.

6.      Believe that Allah Most High is the creator of the knowledge of everything.

7.      Believe that Resurrection will definitely occur.

8.      Believe in the existence of Heaven.

9.      Believe in the existence of Hell.

10.    Have a love for Allah, the Highest.

11.    Have love for the Messenger of Allāh, ﷺ.

12.    Have the intention of serving God   

13.    Fear Allah Most High.

14.  Trust in Allah Most High. 

Do all these beliefs lead us to have?

15.  Hope for the mercy of Allah Most High.

16.  Regrets and remorse when a sin is committed. 

17. Have modesty. 

18.  Gratitude over a bounty or favor.

19.  Commitment to our promises  

20.  Patience.

 21.  Humility

22.  Mercy on the creation.

23. Acceptance of the reality that we face in our lives  

24. Humbleness

25.  An attitude with malice or hatred towards anybody.

26.  No jealousy towards anyone.

27. Control over our anger.

28. Goodwill to all and malice to none

29. A balanced attitude in the world.

30.  Love or hate someone solely because of Allāh. 

Concerning the branches of Iman dealing with our tongue

we need to ask would we continue

1.      To recite the Testimony of Faith [Kalimatu-sh Shahādah] with our tongue.

2.      To recite the Qur’an regularly.

3.      To acquire knowledge.

4.      To pass on knowledge.

5.      To make supplications [du’a] to Allāh Most High.

6.      To make invocations [dhikr] of Allāh Most High.

7.      To evaluate ourselves to ensure that we do not lie, backbiting,  vulgar words,  curse, and indulge in useless talks and actions.  

Branches of Iman concerning our actions.

We must ensure that we 

1.      Make ablution [wudū], take bath [ghusl], and keep one’s clothing clean.

2.      Are steadfast in offering the prayer [salāt].

3.      Pay the tithe zakāt and Zakat-l Fitr.

4.     We continue to fast.

5.      Perform the Hajj if we have means.

6.      Make tawaf during the Hajj.

7.      Move away or migrate from that place which is harmful for our practice of religion [din].

8.     Fulfill the vows that have been made to Allāh Most High.

9.      Fulfill the oaths that are not sinful.

10. Pay the expiation [kaffārah]for unfulfilled oaths.

11. Cover those parts of the body that are obligatory [fard] to cover.

12. Perform the ritual slaughter.

13. Enshroud and bury the deceased.

14. Pay off our debts.

15. Abstain from prohibited things when undertaking monetary transactions.

16. Do not conceal something true which we may have witnessed.

17. We do not go closer to fornication and other lewd actions.  

18. Fulfill the rights of those who are under us.

19.  Provide comfort to one’s parents.

20. We rear children in a proper manner.

21. Do not sever relations with one’s friends and relatives.

22. Obey one the law

23. We are just.

24. We do not initiate any way that is contrary to the generally accepted legitimate ways of Muslims.

25. We obey the legitimate rulers, provided what their government is not contrary to the principles of justice.

26. We make peace between two warring groups or individuals.

27. We participate in noble tasks.

28. we command the good and forbid the evil.

29. We reprimand ourselves for mistakes, according to divine guidelines.

30. We stand up to those who are bent on destroying the divine guidance  

31. We fulfill one’s trust (amana).

32. We give loans to those who are in need.

33. We see to the needs of one’s neighbor.

34. We ensure that one’s income is pure.

35. We spend according to the divine guidelines

36. We reply to one who has greeted you.

37. We say yarhamuka-Llāh [Allāh have mercy on you!] when anyone says alhamduli–Llāh [all praise is for Allāh] after sneezing.

38.   We do not cause harm to anyone unjustly.

39. We abstain from actions contrary to Islamic teachings.

40. We remove pebbles, stones, thorns, sticks, and the like from the road.

Let us use this list as a barometer to determine the impact of Ramadan on our Iman and let us be prepared to correct ourselves once we realize that we are lacking in some aspects of our behavior and character.

What, then, is the Lailatul Qadr?

by Dr. Aslam AbdullahGod Almighty revealed the Quran at a time when the world was living in a spiritual vacuum and darkness.  It was a world that had forgotten the significance of the divine revelation or Wahi in one's life. In fact, the renewal of the revelation was a turning point in human history and the beginning of a new era.      It was expected that men and women under divine guidance would create a world that would bring about peace and justice and end the exploitative ways of managing things. It was meant to redefine God and His message in an objective manner. The night when the revelation began was indeed the most blessed night, better than 1,000 months.This night created the intellectual conditions for the coming of an era where human beings under divine guidance would be inspired to explore the forces of nature and learn about their real purpose of existence. They would overcome superstitions and irrational thoughts that had dominated them for centuries in the name of God.The guidance would inspire Human beings to rid of all darkness and ignorance and ultimately bring material resources in full harmony with divine guidance. The resources created by the divine would be used for serving humanity not destroying it. It was expected that Humans would draw strength from their intellect, sincerity, and commitment to divine guidance as well as from the hidden forces of Allah.It’s a night when human beings should focus on rediscovering their real purpose in the universe under divine guidance and refresh their commitment to those values. If they do that this one night would be better than 1000 months and they would rediscover the real essence of life.So what should we do on this night.Select a few passages of the Quran that reminds human beings of their role in this universe and reflect on them while offering prayers as many times as one can and seek clarity for future work.Spend the night in seclusion pondering about the Quran message. In addition to having big lectures and extra congregational prayers with lengthy duas sung in heart-melting voices also spend the night reflecting upon your existence, your purpose and your future commitment and Allah has promised that you would find the power in this night.