Rites and Rituals - Muhammad Latif Chaudhery, Lahore

[Dr. Shabbir]

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We are often questioned about fiestas in Islam.The problem is that a lot of utilities necessitated by geographical conditions have been Islamized to an extent that any one speaking against them is declared Kafar. Take the example of Lota. For scarcity of water in Arbia, they invented a utensil (lota) with a small outlet to restrict flow of water. We in India had plenty of water. We preferred Gadvi (a utensil with wide outlet ) and found it more convenient. These two utensils had nothing to do with the religion but you probably know it very well that Gadvi became the symbol of Hinduism and Lota was co-opted by Muslims. Maulvi Sahib of my Masjid is still adamant that Taharat without lota is not valid.

Miswak to me is a fine combination of brush and cleansing fluid. The purpose is to clean teeth but it certainly is not hygienic to use one miswak by dozens of persons and then using it for plugging in the leaking water taps on the wadu pad. This we see in almost every mosque. Is it a sin to improve upon these practices?

As for beard (Personally I have beard) Quran has not said a word about it. Hadith does not enjoin upon Muslims to grow beard. On the contrary it speaks of trimming and proper maintenance of beard for those who happen to grow beard.

Dress code is precisely defined in Quran leaving no room for anyone ridiculing others. I know a great scholar of Islam decreed that wearing Kurta of lawn is haram. I wish he spent a hot season in Multan, Pakistan.

Hindus had too many Festivals. Muslim parents didn't want to let their children have an impression that Hindu Religion is more floricultural than Islam. That was the reason they created as many rituals as other religions had. Many of such rituals, though not vouched by Islam are not against Islam either.

To my understanding Islam did not interfere with the cultural heritage of Arabs except changing their direction from Multi-gods to One God and is not, therefore, expected to take away from me the attraction of my culture as an Indo/Pak Muslim.

In India, Hindu celebrated birthday to gauge physical development of a Child. For this purpose a thread named Taraghi was loosely tied across belly of the child. With this thread chest of the child was measured on each birthday in presence of the family and measurement was marked with a knot on the thread. The celebration was thus named Saal-Girah ( Annual Knot ). Muslim in Pakistan do celebrate Saal-Girah by marking number of years lived with candles in a joyful gathering of the family.

I have not heard of any superstitious notion attached to.

Death rites like Kull, So-aim, Chehlum are considered riligious rites. I am not aware of religious preachings relating to these rituals but I do know that in agrarian lands where cattle and crops are equally important and farmer can not skip looking after their herds and corps for many days, our ancestors decided to burry immediately the dead one by close neighbours, and fixed a day ( usually the third day) for mourning by other relatives. Fortieth day after the death was fixed for elders of the family to get together to decide the issues pursuant to death of a person. This included meal for the elders and a concluding Du'a on settlement of issues confronting the bereaved family.The purpose of these rites is now completely lost. Only the feast and du'a for the dead one is left..

Allah knows better.

Muhammad Latif Chaudhery
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[dana]

Islam is a way of life, it is being. It is following the Laws set by Allah. You reap what you sow. If your actions are kindly, and you are honest and generous and charitable, then in response to these actions, kindness honesty, and charity will correspond back to yourself. Islam is a verb, in the sense it is doing, it is actions. If we are bringing hell to others, then that same hell is coming right back to me. Like a boomerang. Islam did not start with Prophet Muhammad. Islam started in the beginning with the first African, the original man. Worshipping Allah and only Allah was before Abraham. The birthplace of this way of life was Africa, and was born in the first great civilization Kemet(Egypt). Doing Allah's will, giving to others charity, love for one another, has been in existence since time immemorial. Islam is not how many times you pray, nor is it what you say. It is all about what you do. You can say all the right the things but if your actions do not support what you say it is meaningless. In America it is amazing how much brainwashing we receive about the greatness of the white man. Everything good in America is white, Jesus, Angels, The White House, George Washington, Honest Abraham Lincoln. All lies. The myth of the white jew. Another lie. All races need to understand that we are one race. The Black race had to be the first race; due to the atmospheric conditions that existed in Africa. The Melonin in blacks skin was vital in starting human life. There is no human race without the black race. All races need to understand that we all started as one. We all have one father and mother, they just so happen to be black. Does that make black superior? NO!!!! It is all individual based. Your superiority or inferiority depends on your conduct, and that is the responsibility of the individual. There is this growing chasm in the world. And it seems that America, Britain, France, Russia, China are all vying for world domination. This must end, but only the white people can help other white people not be so devilish. How can Bush still be living and Hussein Hanged? How can you murder close to a million people and call yourself trying to free them? It is the white zionist jew, that teaches in there so called holy books that the black man descended from Ham as a curse; yet this black man is there father! Is this why it is so easy for the zionist to murder dark skinned Palestinians? Why are the Ethiopian Jew the original Hebrews suffering racism from there Jewish brother? Why does Jesus say 'how can you love me, yet hate your brother whom you see everyday?' The open enemy to us all is division, wether it is class, race, culture, religion. We are one family and we must find someway to unite. How do we unite? I am a black man, but I am very fair skinned. I have suffered more racism from blacks than whites growing up. Yet as I travelled America I saw first hand the racist beast still exists. The racism has become inbred. Everytime we see Jesus he is white. A LIE, everytime we see the Greeks, they tell us these homosexuals were the fathers of medicine, science, philosophy, another LIE. Africa and Africans are the fathers of medicine, science, mathematics, philosophy, astronomy, lingusitics, the arts. It is indisputable. Yet we see movies like 300, that continue to spread the myth of white superiority. I say this, that if black people or any person for that matter is not a success. They only have to look at their actions and not anyone else for their failure. Is this an unfair system for the rich. Yes, but so what. Allah is Allah and he will provide for us, providing we help ourselves and do the right thing, the right actions, and our life will be full of ups and downs but far more ups. And then we get to enjoy the HereAfter Eternally with Allah constantly growing! Part of our growth process has to deal with understanding life around us. Understanding truth from falsehood. More importantly it is doing what is right. The best garment we can wear is the garment of righteousness. Give and Grow!!!