Thursday, March 20, 2008

Ordeal

People who are sensible about love are incapable of it.
-Douglas Yates

It was the sugarcane-juice that started the chaos in my nose and throat. I took time to recollect what all I had eaten in the last 3 to 4 days before remembering the plastic-glass that had freshly crushed juice with pieces of ice in it on Sunday. Sugarcane juice and guavas are two things I try to avoid in spite of desperate liking towards them. Sunday my friend wanted to have it and I couldn't resist the temptation. I am a kind of allergic to these fruity materials - they end up giving me cold and throat infections. My head's been heavy for three days now.

Yesterday I happened to talk about the hoors, mentioned in the Holy Quran and the hadees that are supposedly going to be given to men who have been pious in this world. It is said in the books that a pious man would get 72 of these hoors who would be indescribably beautiful and would honor only their husbands. There are also mentions about their young attractive ages and states of so-called purity. There are many descriptions of these hoors given to us making them an attraction for men to do good deeds so that they enjoy hoors in heaven. Women and non-Muslims have raised many questions on how this kind of gender bias appears in Islam and what are the rewards for pious women when they enter paradise.

When I follow my religion and put my faith in Allah, my only objective is to do what Allah has asked me to do. Now, it's a different question how well I do it. But it's not paradise that attracts me towards good; it's Allah's order that makes me do it. And some times it's the fear of hell. But there is a prime reason that guides me and pulls me to the right direction - when I do good deeds and when Allah is pleased with me, in the hereafter I will get to meet Him. Obeying Allah will take me to Him. If I am a sinner I go to hell and never get to see Allah. So as a bottom line, things are not about hell or heaven, it is all about what my Creator has asked me to do and my desire to meet Him.

Please blatantly question the Quran and the hadees without understanding the essence what they are supposed to believe in. They put forth the questions with confidence of a warrior who knows that his motives are right and his strength is going to win him the war. But they don't understand that they are questioning what Allah and His prophet (pbuh) have said. Allah is the author of the holy Quran and questioning what's written in that book is equivalent to questioning Allah. It also shows the amount of faith within us. It shows how much we believe in the holy Quran.

Talking about hoors, I am sure if I happen to meet one today I wouldn't like her. They are supposed to be transparent with their marrow visible. That would look like a deformity to me and appear disgusting. But I am sure of one thing: if Allah is pleased with me and lets me enter heaven, I would definitely like what hoors are for when a person enters heaven, he is not the same person who had spent a life on this earth. He would have different heart to feel and perceive things differenty, different eyes to see and understand things differently, and most importantly there won't be any evil there in heaven.

I am not aware if Quran mentions that men can do with the hoors what they see on televisions. I am sure that things would be much more pure and spiritual there with no evil desires. There won't be any desire there in heaven that is considered dirty here in this world. Men and women have been given rights in equal weights in this world and so will it be in the heaven.

Many women think that Allah is being unfair to them. I find it obnoxious to hear. It is Allah who decides and not we about what is fair or unfair. And Allah is our God and He knows best what is good for us. If He decides to give something to somebody, so be it. Who are we to question? But yes of course, Allah is just and He is never unfair. Things go in the direction of our interpretation of what we hear and what we are prejudiced about. Allah also says: “And round about them will (serve) boys of everlasting youth. If you see them, you would think them scattered pearls” [al-Insaan 76:19]

Just imagine women being told that they would be given 72 husbands in the paradise. Sure, if Allah wants it that way, it will be good no matter how men perceive it. But Allah makes things sweeter for women. He says: "Therein you shall have (all) that your inner‑selves desire" [Fussilat 41:31-32]. Allah created us all and He knows that by nature women are shy and have more complex emotions and feelings compared to men. Allah knows who deserves what and He takes into account everything we do.

I have also once read that in the Arab world there were many stories of men receiving many wives in heaven if they fought bravely in battles and the descriptions of those women were astounding. The descriptions made other women feel inferior and the purpose of these stories was to subjugate women and to make them feel weaker. It was Islam that uplifted women and made them stronger. No doubt why there are more women embracing Islam than men.

Media and non-Muslims highlight only the parts of Islam that have the capacity to create contradictions and belittle the religion. They quote verses out of context and make people including Muslims question what Allah says. It is a pity that nobody tries to find the truth. It is sad the people forget what faith is about. It is not just about men wanting hoors. If men try to do good deeds to have 72 women with them and hope to do whatever their hearts desire, I am sure those desires in unreasonable measures they have in them now could attract Allah's displeasure. All good we do is for Allah; not to have women with us and take pleasure in them.

And if women still feel that things are really unfair to them, the best thing for them would be to read and understand the holy Quran and teach their children what Allah says in it. This way, at least the future generations would know the right reasons, what the right things they are supposed to be and have belief in them. There are reasons why I give more priority to quality education. It promotes self-thinking and rationality. It makes us free of what others talk. Holy Quran talks on all aspects of life. Hadees go in depth of everything mentioned in the holy Quran. We don't have to listen to the media and what the disbelievers say. We can only try to guide them.

Allah says: "And We shall remove from their breasts any (mutual) hatred or sense of injury (which they had, if at all, in the life of this world); rivers flowing under them, and they will say: ‘All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has guided us to this, and never could we have found guidance, were it not that Allah had guided us! Indeed, the Messengers of our Lord did come with the truth.’ And it will be cried out to them: ‘This is the Paradise which you have inherited for what you used to do’" [al-A’raaf 7:43]

This clears all the doubts about how we would feel when we inshAllah enter the paradise. We would feel and think only what Allah desires. If a man hates his wife in this world, he would love her there. If a woman dislikes her husband in this world, she would love him there. If a woman here hates men thinking them to be gross and corrupted, things would be different in heaven. Even wine would be a virtuous drink. Things would be different. All we have to worry is about what we do here in this world. Allah is all merciful and forgiving. We only have to repent and do all that He wants us to do.

A few times I have been asked why I don't have a separate blog of religious topics. I find it illogical that I separate religion from the mainstream. Then I am sure there are those who think I have no right to write about religion when I am not so pious. Allah knows things best. I personally know people who think I am a big sinner. Allah knows what they are. If showing faith openly, writing separate blogs for Islam and calling others as sinners makes one a better Muslim, then I am glad I am better than those. I know all my blogs where I have written things that are not in concord with my religion. There are a couple of poems and quotes that are imperfect. To the best of my knowledge, rest is fine. I am open for all debates but not to those who hide their names. I am proud of who I am. I am proud of the identity gifted to me by Allah.

There are so many ways one can access the right interpretations on what is written in the Quran and the hadees. For those who find it difficult to read - which I am sure is a foolish thing to hear - there is a channel called Peace TV. Some cable operators in India block it on purpose. It should be made clear that this channel is broadcasted in India with its headquarters in Mumbai and the channel is perfectly legal. It is Q TV that has its roots in Pakistan and is illegal. Even the content on Q TV is unIslamic. There are so many videos available in the market that clear the misconceptions about Islam. People like Dr. Zakir Naik and Dr. Israr Ahmed have been doing wonderful work in the subcontinent. People still like staying in darkness and shouting because they are afraid - they know there is something wrong inside their hearts; their beliefs don't give them clear conscience.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

For the last second para:

It is just not about having a separate space for religious stuff or not having one.In fact,I have never understood the term 'religious'.There is more to Islam than just being a religion.

Innumerable times that we hear and repeat,Islam is a way of life.And I believe blogging is part of that very life.Everyone has got their own ways of doing things.In my case,for instance,reiteration of the same old verses,the same old Hadeeth in words and deeds reinforces my faith,for I did read and believe in the Hadeeth-"Faith is like a cloth.It gets dirty and needs cleaning and renewing just as a cloth does."(I exactly can't recollect the name of the Sahih book right now,'ll let you know,InshaAllah)

When you are practising your difficult maths problem 'n' times to get it right,it does not mean you are showing to the world how nicely you can do it!Similarly,our faith.

One doesn't find it logical and nice, others interfering with his/her way of doing things.That doesn't give that person sufficient reason or right to ridicule others with their ways.
We all are different people using different tools and gifts,different approaches towards the SAME GOAL!

:)
Peace

xubayr said...

:) Peace

Anonymous said...

I don't give any fact a second thought until it proves to me as one,specially pertaining to Islam(i.e until I learn of it from the Quran-E-Kareem or the Sahih Hadeeth).Pardon,I have no knowledge about the exact number of the promised rewards you speak of,for men.Perhaps,more reading is needed of me.Rest was fabulous.

I think the way you put the right stuff across was really nice!

Anonymous said...

Zubair , What does your name mean ?

:D :D

xubayr said...

You know it Dazzle, you know it. But still, for you - just because you ask - it means WISE!

Anonymous said...

HA HA HA HA HAHA
HA HAHA HAHA HA H ...can't stop laughing
:p

Anonymous said...

And for the other visitors of this blog ----

My comments are in noway related to this specific post :)

xubayr said...

:) :P :D