The Political Framework of Islam
By IOL Team
14/08/2003
The political system of Islam is based on the three principles of Tawheed (Oneness of Allah), risalah (prophethood) and khilafah (humans’ moral responsibility).
Tawheed means that Allah (God) alone is the One and Only Creator, Sustainer and Master of the universe. He alone has the right to command or forbid. Worship and obedience are due to Him alone.
Hence, it is not for us to set the ethical and moral codes or invent our frames of reference, though every nation, group or individual is entitled to contextualize Allah’s commandments and guidance that were revealed in succeeding religious messages within their own time and space; hence religious devotion is a dynamic and not a static condition. This principle of the Oneness of Allah does not contradict the concept of the legal and political sovereignty of the political community; hence the different models of Islamic democratic governance through Islamic history.
The risalah is the message of the prophets. Islam is the last revealed religion and the Qur’an is the last testament. Muslims believe in the previous messengers and their messages and their original and authentic Holy Books. The Qur’an lays down the broad principles on which human life should be based universally, as it is the last revealed message from Allah, and Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah, established a model system of Islamic life in accordance with these principles. The combination of these two elements — Tawheed and risalah — is called the Shari ‘ah (Law).
Khilafah means representation. Humans — both men and women — according to Islam, are the representatives of Allah on earth, His vicegerents.
To illustrate what the previous notions mean, let us take the example of an estate of yours which someone else has been appointed to administer. There are four conditions in this relation: First, the real ownership of the estate remains vested in you and not in the administrator; second, he administers your property directly in accordance with your instructions; third, he exercises his authority within the limits prescribed by you; and fourth, in the administration of the trust he executes your will and fulfills your intentions and not his own. Any representative who does not fulfill these four conditions will be abusing his authority and breaking the covenant which was implied in the concept of delegation.
This is exactly what Islam means when it affirms that man is the representative (khalifah) of Allah on earth. Hence, these four conditions are also involved in the concept of khalifah. The state that is established in accordance with this political theory will, in fact, be a caliphate under the sovereignty of Allah. It should rule with the power of the people in accordance with the principles of justice and welfare. Such a society carries the responsibility of the khilafah as a whole, and each one of its individuals shares in it.
Hence the form of Islamic government might be called theo-democracy, a combination fully different from the Western historical experience of the relation between church and state.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
The Best Days of the year
The Best Days of the YearThe Day of `Arafah & `Eid Al-Adha
By Ælfwine Mischler
January 11, 2005
On the Mount of Mercy in `Arafah
God has created some times better than others in the sense that the reward for good deeds done during these times is multiplied many times. This encourages His servants to do more righteous deeds and to worship Him more in order to ready themselves for death and the Day of Judgment.
Muslims believe that the best such season of worship is the first ten days of the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijjah. These days, which include the Day of `Arafah and `Eid Al-Adha, bring the Muslims an opportunity to correct their faults and make up for any shortcomings. This year, Dhul-Hijjah begins on January 12, 2005.
The blessings of Hajj spill over to those who are not making the pilgrimage if they fast on Dhul-Hijjah 9, the Day of `Arafah. On this day, also known as the Waqfah (standing), the pilgrims stand on and around the Mount of Mercy to ask Allah’s forgiveness. When the sun sets that day, all their past sins are forgiven. If those who are not making Hajj fast on that day, the sins of two years (the past and the coming one) are forgiven. This year the Day of `Arafah corresponds to January 20, 2005.
The following day, Dhul-Hijjah 10, begins a three-day Islamic public celebration known as `Eid Al-Adha, the `Eid of the Sacrifice. In some places it is known by the Turkish name bairam; `Eid Al-Adha is the Greater Bairam. This year the dates of `Eid Al-Adha correspond to January 21–23, 2005.
For more details see:
Merits of the First Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah
Celebrations and Prayers: `Eid Al-Fitr
The Story of Ibrahim’s Sacrifice
This `eid commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Isma`il (Ishmael—peace and blessings be upon them both). Muslims should reflect on their own commitment to Allah and strive to strengthen their relationship with their Creator.
Muslims celebrate this `Eid by attending special congregational Prayers followed by a sermon (khutbah) in the morning. It is a confirmed sunnah to attend these Prayers, which are usually held outside the mosque. The form of the Prayer is the same as that of `Eid Al-Fitr Prayer and is also preceded by the Takbir. Muslims are recommended to perform ghusl (complete ritual bathing) and put on their best clothes beforehand. Women who cannot perform the ritual Prayer should attend and sit on the sides or in back so that they may share in the joy of that day.
Afterwards, or on either of the next two days, many Muslims sacrifice a sheep or goat, or seven people may share in sacrificing a cow. The sunnah is to give one-third of the meat to the poor, one-third to friends and relatives, and to keep one-third for one’s own family. The majority of scholars agree that this sacrifice is not obligatory (for those who can afford it), but is a confirmed sunnah.
Pilgrims in the state of ihram (consecration) are forbidden—among other things— to clip their nails or cut or pluck their hair. Those who do not perform Hajj but who plan to sacrifice an animal on `eid should likewise abstain from clipping their nails or cutting or plucking their hair from the first day of Dhul-Hijjah until they sacrifice. The majority of scholars agree that this abstention is not obligatory, but it is a confirmed sunnah and highly recommended.
During these ten days, Muslims should also recite Allah’s praises often with the phrases “subhan Allah” (glory be to Allah), “al-hamdu lillah” (all praise to Allah), “Allahu Akbar” (Allah is Greatest), and “la ilaha illa Allah” (there is no god but Allah).
The Day of `Arafah is an excellent time to repent and return to Allah. `Eid Al-Adha, the best day of the year, combines two great acts of worship, salah (ritual Prayer) and sacrifice. Together, they offer Muslims the chance to become closer to their Creator and Lord.
By Ælfwine Mischler
January 11, 2005
On the Mount of Mercy in `Arafah
God has created some times better than others in the sense that the reward for good deeds done during these times is multiplied many times. This encourages His servants to do more righteous deeds and to worship Him more in order to ready themselves for death and the Day of Judgment.
Muslims believe that the best such season of worship is the first ten days of the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijjah. These days, which include the Day of `Arafah and `Eid Al-Adha, bring the Muslims an opportunity to correct their faults and make up for any shortcomings. This year, Dhul-Hijjah begins on January 12, 2005.
The blessings of Hajj spill over to those who are not making the pilgrimage if they fast on Dhul-Hijjah 9, the Day of `Arafah. On this day, also known as the Waqfah (standing), the pilgrims stand on and around the Mount of Mercy to ask Allah’s forgiveness. When the sun sets that day, all their past sins are forgiven. If those who are not making Hajj fast on that day, the sins of two years (the past and the coming one) are forgiven. This year the Day of `Arafah corresponds to January 20, 2005.
The following day, Dhul-Hijjah 10, begins a three-day Islamic public celebration known as `Eid Al-Adha, the `Eid of the Sacrifice. In some places it is known by the Turkish name bairam; `Eid Al-Adha is the Greater Bairam. This year the dates of `Eid Al-Adha correspond to January 21–23, 2005.
For more details see:
Merits of the First Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah
Celebrations and Prayers: `Eid Al-Fitr
The Story of Ibrahim’s Sacrifice
This `eid commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Isma`il (Ishmael—peace and blessings be upon them both). Muslims should reflect on their own commitment to Allah and strive to strengthen their relationship with their Creator.
Muslims celebrate this `Eid by attending special congregational Prayers followed by a sermon (khutbah) in the morning. It is a confirmed sunnah to attend these Prayers, which are usually held outside the mosque. The form of the Prayer is the same as that of `Eid Al-Fitr Prayer and is also preceded by the Takbir. Muslims are recommended to perform ghusl (complete ritual bathing) and put on their best clothes beforehand. Women who cannot perform the ritual Prayer should attend and sit on the sides or in back so that they may share in the joy of that day.
Afterwards, or on either of the next two days, many Muslims sacrifice a sheep or goat, or seven people may share in sacrificing a cow. The sunnah is to give one-third of the meat to the poor, one-third to friends and relatives, and to keep one-third for one’s own family. The majority of scholars agree that this sacrifice is not obligatory (for those who can afford it), but is a confirmed sunnah.
Pilgrims in the state of ihram (consecration) are forbidden—among other things— to clip their nails or cut or pluck their hair. Those who do not perform Hajj but who plan to sacrifice an animal on `eid should likewise abstain from clipping their nails or cutting or plucking their hair from the first day of Dhul-Hijjah until they sacrifice. The majority of scholars agree that this abstention is not obligatory, but it is a confirmed sunnah and highly recommended.
During these ten days, Muslims should also recite Allah’s praises often with the phrases “subhan Allah” (glory be to Allah), “al-hamdu lillah” (all praise to Allah), “Allahu Akbar” (Allah is Greatest), and “la ilaha illa Allah” (there is no god but Allah).
The Day of `Arafah is an excellent time to repent and return to Allah. `Eid Al-Adha, the best day of the year, combines two great acts of worship, salah (ritual Prayer) and sacrifice. Together, they offer Muslims the chance to become closer to their Creator and Lord.
Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee talks with PM
Buddha talks on ISI, NE terror with PM
KOLKATA, Jan 11 (UNI): West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today discussed with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh the alarming growth of terrorism in neighbouring countries that had been threatening India’s eastern and north-eastern States.
Official sources said during his 40-minute meeting with Dr Singh, the Chief Minister discussed the situation in both Bangladesh and Nepal and the way the ISI, the Intelligence agency of Pakistan, had been encouraging the Islamic terrorists, rebel Indian insurgents groups and the Maoists.
Mr Bhattacharjee explained to Dr Singh the danger the eastern and north-eastern States, especially West Bengal, Tripura and Assam, had been facing because of these developments in Bangladesh and Nepal.
The sources said the Chief Minister also expressed concern over the way Bangladesh had fast been turning into one of the biggest markets for clandestine arms, which were being used by the Islamic terrorists, the Indian insurgent groups and the Maoists.
They said the ISI, which had been of late concentrating more on the eastern part of the subcontinent, had been helping the Islamic terrorists and Indian insurgents groups having camps in Bangladesh and through them the Maoist guerrillas with the help of a section of officials in Bangladesh Government, the NSI, the Intelligence agency of Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Army and the Bangladesh Rifles.
Mr Bhattacharjee also urged Dr Singh to create pressure on Bangladesh so that it could be refrained from encouraging terrorists and anti-Indian forces. The State Government had earlier submitted the list of training camps being run in Bangladesh by different terrorist groups to the Centre. The Centre had already taken up the issue with the Bangladesh Government, which had all along been denying the existence of any terrorist camps in its territory.
KOLKATA, Jan 11 (UNI): West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today discussed with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh the alarming growth of terrorism in neighbouring countries that had been threatening India’s eastern and north-eastern States.
Official sources said during his 40-minute meeting with Dr Singh, the Chief Minister discussed the situation in both Bangladesh and Nepal and the way the ISI, the Intelligence agency of Pakistan, had been encouraging the Islamic terrorists, rebel Indian insurgents groups and the Maoists.
Mr Bhattacharjee explained to Dr Singh the danger the eastern and north-eastern States, especially West Bengal, Tripura and Assam, had been facing because of these developments in Bangladesh and Nepal.
The sources said the Chief Minister also expressed concern over the way Bangladesh had fast been turning into one of the biggest markets for clandestine arms, which were being used by the Islamic terrorists, the Indian insurgent groups and the Maoists.
They said the ISI, which had been of late concentrating more on the eastern part of the subcontinent, had been helping the Islamic terrorists and Indian insurgents groups having camps in Bangladesh and through them the Maoist guerrillas with the help of a section of officials in Bangladesh Government, the NSI, the Intelligence agency of Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Army and the Bangladesh Rifles.
Mr Bhattacharjee also urged Dr Singh to create pressure on Bangladesh so that it could be refrained from encouraging terrorists and anti-Indian forces. The State Government had earlier submitted the list of training camps being run in Bangladesh by different terrorist groups to the Centre. The Centre had already taken up the issue with the Bangladesh Government, which had all along been denying the existence of any terrorist camps in its territory.
Chilarai Xena Bahini , for Koch-Rajbonshis
Now Chilarai Xena Bahini to protect Koch-Rajbonshis
BONGAIGAON, Jan 13: The preliminary work for the formation of Chilarai Xena Bahini, a wing of the All Koch Rajbonshi Students’ Union (AKRSU), has been started in a meeting held at the premises of AKRSU’s office at Bijni on the occasion of the Jatiya Swahid Divas recently.
Speaking on the occasion, AKRSU president Biswajit Roy said that there is no value of democracy in India at present though India is the biggest democratic country in the world. He clearly said that the Government of India only understood the language of gun and was interested to solve their problems who had taken up arms in their hands.
Thus, the AKRSU is compelled to constitute Chilarai Xena Bahini to protest the conspiracy of both the State and Central Governments against the interest of the Koch-Rajbonshi people of Assam, Mr Roy said.
In course of his speech, Mr Roy said that the main aim of the Chilarai Xena would be to work under the constitution of AKRSU with a democratic outlook, but if necessary, it would be ready to resist the enemy. He also said that the Chilarai Xena Bahini would be constituted only at the zonal level and not at the district level in the greater ‘Kamatapur’ area.
The president of AKRSU administered oath to a large number of youths who had joined the Chilarai Xena Bahini on the occasion.
Earlier, Mr Roy formally hoisted the union’s flag, while Damayanti Roy, president of Bijni Mahila Samity, hoisted the Mahila Samity’s flag.
The black flag was hoisted by Kshitish Barman, office secretary of AKRSU, while Sailen Roy, ex-president of Bijni Zila Koch-Rajbonshi Sanmiloni paid homage to the swahid bedi by offering garlands.
BONGAIGAON, Jan 13: The preliminary work for the formation of Chilarai Xena Bahini, a wing of the All Koch Rajbonshi Students’ Union (AKRSU), has been started in a meeting held at the premises of AKRSU’s office at Bijni on the occasion of the Jatiya Swahid Divas recently.
Speaking on the occasion, AKRSU president Biswajit Roy said that there is no value of democracy in India at present though India is the biggest democratic country in the world. He clearly said that the Government of India only understood the language of gun and was interested to solve their problems who had taken up arms in their hands.
Thus, the AKRSU is compelled to constitute Chilarai Xena Bahini to protest the conspiracy of both the State and Central Governments against the interest of the Koch-Rajbonshi people of Assam, Mr Roy said.
In course of his speech, Mr Roy said that the main aim of the Chilarai Xena would be to work under the constitution of AKRSU with a democratic outlook, but if necessary, it would be ready to resist the enemy. He also said that the Chilarai Xena Bahini would be constituted only at the zonal level and not at the district level in the greater ‘Kamatapur’ area.
The president of AKRSU administered oath to a large number of youths who had joined the Chilarai Xena Bahini on the occasion.
Earlier, Mr Roy formally hoisted the union’s flag, while Damayanti Roy, president of Bijni Mahila Samity, hoisted the Mahila Samity’s flag.
The black flag was hoisted by Kshitish Barman, office secretary of AKRSU, while Sailen Roy, ex-president of Bijni Zila Koch-Rajbonshi Sanmiloni paid homage to the swahid bedi by offering garlands.
The assamese ? Who are they ?
The Assamese? Who are they?Srutimala Duara
"We are from Assam" — tell that to a person from another State of India, and don’t be surprised if you hear them asking, "Where is Assam?" The first time I heard this I thought they didn’t have geography as their subject in the class, for from our school days we are aware of the location of every State in India. Perhaps even if they did study geography, the State of Assam is excluded from the map given to them. Even to this day majority of the people think that Assam means just Shillong!
When we were in one of the hill stations, and asked where we hailed from, some folks, educated ones mind you, gave very knowledgeable exclamations when we told them that we were from Assam, "Oh, Shillong!" Even a national paper like The Times of India proved that they know nothing about Assam and the Assamese. In an advertisement regarding matrimonial under the heading ‘The National Search’ about new rates effective from September 15, 2004, in the column under ‘Nationality’ among the boxes to tick, the first box reads ‘Assamese’ and then European, Japanese, Pakistani, West Asian, British, American, other foreigners, etc. So, even a national paper thinks that ‘Assamese’ is a separate nationality. What do you have to say about this? Once, writer Nirupama Borgohain related a conversation that left me speechless — I didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. A woman from another State asked her, "The passage to the North-east is so narrow that I wonder how people can pass through." To humour the lady, Nirupama Borgohain said, "We have to crawl through." And I have no doubt that the lady believed her. Now the question is — why are these folks from outside the North-east so ignorant about us? There was a time when they thought that we were all barbarians, perhaps even cannibals waiting for the people from the other States to taste them! And today, though it took the Assam Agitation and the terrorist activities to put Assam in the India map, yet there is a lot that the people have to know about us and I wonder why this is the case. Is the narrow stretch of land that separates the North-east from the rest of India the cause? Are people scared of the very thought that they would have to crawl through the passage to be linked with us?
"We are from Assam" — tell that to a person from another State of India, and don’t be surprised if you hear them asking, "Where is Assam?" The first time I heard this I thought they didn’t have geography as their subject in the class, for from our school days we are aware of the location of every State in India. Perhaps even if they did study geography, the State of Assam is excluded from the map given to them. Even to this day majority of the people think that Assam means just Shillong!
When we were in one of the hill stations, and asked where we hailed from, some folks, educated ones mind you, gave very knowledgeable exclamations when we told them that we were from Assam, "Oh, Shillong!" Even a national paper like The Times of India proved that they know nothing about Assam and the Assamese. In an advertisement regarding matrimonial under the heading ‘The National Search’ about new rates effective from September 15, 2004, in the column under ‘Nationality’ among the boxes to tick, the first box reads ‘Assamese’ and then European, Japanese, Pakistani, West Asian, British, American, other foreigners, etc. So, even a national paper thinks that ‘Assamese’ is a separate nationality. What do you have to say about this? Once, writer Nirupama Borgohain related a conversation that left me speechless — I didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. A woman from another State asked her, "The passage to the North-east is so narrow that I wonder how people can pass through." To humour the lady, Nirupama Borgohain said, "We have to crawl through." And I have no doubt that the lady believed her. Now the question is — why are these folks from outside the North-east so ignorant about us? There was a time when they thought that we were all barbarians, perhaps even cannibals waiting for the people from the other States to taste them! And today, though it took the Assam Agitation and the terrorist activities to put Assam in the India map, yet there is a lot that the people have to know about us and I wonder why this is the case. Is the narrow stretch of land that separates the North-east from the rest of India the cause? Are people scared of the very thought that they would have to crawl through the passage to be linked with us?
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