Women of Shaheen Bagh

Never before in the history of Muslims, there arose a movement led by women to protect the constitutionally guaranteed secular and plural structure of a country as they rose in Shaheen Bagh, a small residential district in New Delhi.  Perhaps it would be appropriate to say that this women-led movement is unique in the history of the world.
No one would have thought that those who live on the margins of their community would motivate and galvanize millions around the world and mobilize them to be activists rather than passive spectators.
It is feminism at best. It is resistance at the peak, and it is a revolution with far-reaching consequences not only for Muslims in India but in the rest of the world as well.  It is not an exaggeration to foresee a future where every movement led by women will feel its impact.
It started as a protest against the notorious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that the Hindu nationalist party government passed in India's parliament on December 11. Soon, it became the movement for the protection of India's constitution, and now it is a revolution that every law-abiding, secular, and democratic Indian wants to identify.
This movement drew crowds in millions all over the country. It led several state assemblies to pass resolutions against the CAA. It brought the secularists and democrats on one platform, and it exposed the fascists who want to turn India into a Hindutva Rashtra.
Shaheen Bagh women are average Muslim women. They do not belong to any political party or identify with any religious sect or institution.  Most of them grew up in an environment that put restrictions on their movement and participation in public life. They come from various strata of the middle-income group.
Their entry into Muslim public institutions such as mosques and Islamic centers was restricted, so they had little opportunity to listen to the religious sermons of their leaders.  Even they had gone to mosques and Islamic centers, and the speeches might have told them that their place is within the four walls of their homes, or they have to serve their husbands, or they must not speak in front of men. Yet they gathered information about their world through the internet or joining WhatsApp groups of sisters or news circulated through television, etc.
They felt suppressed in a male-dominated world. But when these women saw their daughters and sons beaten mercilessly by the Delhi police on December 15 at Jamia Millia Islamia, they could not hold their anger back. They came out in the streets against police brutality. The protest evolved into a movement for the protection of the constitution, and soon India's women, in general, responded to their sisters and daughters in Shaheen Bagh.
Today, in hundreds of cities across India are women are out on the streets braving harsh winter and vulgar attacks on their integrity and character. The fascist party's leaders called them Pakistani agents, or terrorists or traitors. Some even went to the extent of calling them, whores. Yet these women in their hijab and niqab did not let their dignity leave them. They stood their grounds firmly, and even after 70 days of protest, they are as enthusiastic as they were on the first day.
The Supreme Court of India, which symbolizes the values of a male-dominant institution, could not capture the essence of the movement. It reduced its importance by declaring a dispute over road closure. The 100-meter space these women have occupied in Shaheen Bagh has become a priority of the Court, not the constitution that these women are determined to defend.
The women of Shaheen Bagh do not trust the present government of India. In their view, it consists of fascists and liars. They believe that the ruling party is using its majority to change the ethos of India. They strongly feel that religion does not determine citizenship, and people have a right to live with dignity in their own country.
These women have shown the world that despite all obstacles and impediments, people can rise and peacefully bring about changes.  They have shown discipline, responsibility, and dedication to the cause, and they have created a role model for the women of the world. Hopefully, they will inspire Muslim women around the world to defend human dignity and plural values so that no one feels excluded.

The Hereafter, Akhira

The concept of Akhira is the foundation of Islam. It's a simple concept based on logic and specific fixed laws. It is not a mystery or an enigma. In simple terms, it means that whatever we do in this world will bring us consequences, and Akhira or the Hereafter is the phase where every human being will know them and understand the nature of life that they will live in the next phase of existence. This concept proves the existence of a higher authority and the idea of life after death and asserts the supremacy of justice. Not every action we perform in this world is known or open. The Hereafter will record and reveal everything that we do in this world.

The universe we live in is not a haphazard entity. Everything that exists in it follows specific laws.  We call them. The laws of Return and they are fixed. Every action taking place in this universe creates its reaction and consequence. We notice some reactions immediately and others later. The reaction and consequence are fixed. For instance, if we do not know how to swim and we throw ourselves in Deep Ocean, according to the Law of Return, we would perish.
The Quran such consequences immutable and divinely created scales or criteria.
This has been Allah's Sunnah (practice), and there will never be a change in this  (48:33, 17:77, 35:43) : "… the scales fixed by Allah...(33:38)"

The laws are self-evident in the physical universe. In the spiritual world, sometimes, the consequences appear instantly and sometimes later. This concept of Law of Return at a later phase of existence is the foundation of the Hereafter.
Thus the concept of a hereafter is the logical culmination of the Law of Return. Akhira or Hereafter is the concluding phase of existence. Akhira is the essence of faith. It leads to the beginning of a new phase of existence that is different from the previous one. The word Akhira is used in r different meanings in the Quran.
There is a tomorrow or a future for everything present
The tomorrow of individuals emerges from their today.
There is a tomorrow for humanity
The tomorrow of humanity comes on the heels of its existence in the world
The tomorrow of humanity is different than its today
The ultimate tomorrow of individual and humanity is the ultimate Akhira that would close every chapter of today and usher in into  a new phase

The belief in the Hereafter completes one's faith in divine guidance. The Quran describes the believers  …and (in their hearts) have the assurance of the Hereafter. (2:4) See also (27:3, 31:5)
The Quran declares the belief in the Hereafter as a fixed condition for understanding divine guidance. It describes those who do not believe in this concept as Mushrik or a polytheist. Furthermore, it says that Evil forces can quickly overtake those who do not accept the Hereafter as the ultimate reality.
This concept asserts the supremacy of the Law of Return. There will be a world where everything human beings do in this world would be accounted for, and consequences will be delivered, and a new beginning of existence will come into being.
The Law assures that human beings will exist after death, and the Qiymat is the phase of the physical resurrection of human beings. This resurrection will be a huge assembly, and every action that human being indulges in the world would manifest itself before everyone
What happens after death? The common belief among Muslims is that after death humans body will receive punishment or reward. The Quran does not say so. It mentions two deaths and two lives
They will say, our Sustainer, twice have you made us without life, and twice have you given us life! (40:11)
 How can you reject the belief in Allah - seeing that you were without life, and He gave you life; then will He cause you to die, and will again bring you to life; and again to Him will you return. (2:28)
Before we came into this world, we were dead, and our birth ushered into life. Death is the end of this life. After that, God will raise us again on the Day of Judgment. What the Quran calls Barzakh is an interim period between death and resurrection.
The Day of judgment would determine the final destination of every human being.  Those who did not believe in the concept of life Hereafter and the Law of Return and indulged in actions that defied the divine guidance would live a phase of new life that would be full of pain, turmoil, destruction, and upheavals. This life will be their hell.  Those who live their lives according to the divine guidance will have a life of peace and contentment, prosperity, success, and achievement.  This will be their paradise.
The life of these two categories of people will be eternal. Thus the concept of Akhira is to help human beings to prepare for eternal life. The Law of Return, based on the nature of consequences, will determine the final phase of one's eternal existence.