Private Opinion

Ramadan Blogging: Day 13

A thousand words. Or may be more.

Ramadan Blogging: Day 12

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 127:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, “Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting.)” [Sahih Bukhari]

Ramadan Blogging: Day 11

Sunday was the first big community iftar at MCA which a couple of thousand people attend and break their fast together. We decided to skip the iftar because it is too crowded and weekend is the only time we can cook and eat at home during Ramadan. So, we prepared haleem, chicken biryani etc. over the weekend.

What I really missed at the community iftar was the speech by Imam Zaid Shakir who is one of the most influential American Muslim voices. He is an African-American convert to Islam and has been trained in the traditionalist Islamic school of thought. I reached the event late and couldn’t really understand his speech completely. However, I would like to share the short-talk he gave for three minutes after the isha prayers.

Ramadan Blogging: Day 10

Lesson Learnt: If you have rich chicken curry for sahrii and then cry yourself hoarse during a humdinger of a match featuring India and Australia, your throat is going to be parched dry.

There Are More Than A Billion Indians

Some of them are bound to be alike.

Meanwhile George Bush declares Nelson Mandela dead killed by none other than Saddam Hussein.

I heard somebody say, ‘Where’s Mandela? Well, Mandela’s dead because Saddam Hussein killed all the Mandelas.

Long live Mandelas.

Ramadan Blogging: Day 9

I had never seen a Ramadan comic strip before this one. Click on the image to see more.

Meanwhile, I am upgrading my laptop’s OS from Windows XP to Vista. I’ll see you all later if it survives the ordeal.

Ramadan Blogging: Day 8

Whenever I hear the month of Ramadan is approaching, I am reminded of this anecdote of Mirza Ghalib. As we all know, some aspects of Ghalib’s life were not palatable to everyone. When he was asked to appear before a British tribunal after the 1857 war of independence, the officer asked Ghalib if he was a Muslim. Ghalib wittingly replied, aadhaa huuN (yes, half). The officer persisted how come half, to which Ghalib said ‘I drink wine but do not eat pork’.

Why Only Indian Muslims Have To Act Stupid?

So, there is this push in Saudi Arabia to do away with the stone-age rule of women not being allowed to drive on their own. BBC News presents four viewpoints from a cross-section of Saudi society. Three of them present pretty valid point of views. Now, read what Ibrahim Hussain, an immigrant from India has to say on the issue (emphasis mine):

I am from India, but I have been living in Saudi Arabia for 20 years.

I am married and I have daughters. We don’t have a driver - I drive them about myself. This works fine and the women in my family do not want to drive.

Ramadan Blogging: Day 7

One of my absolute favorite na’ats, faslon ko takalluf hai hamse agar.

Ramadan Blogging: Day 6

Raza Rumi points us to this beautiful Ghazal by Jalaluddin Rumi.

Celebrate! The month of fasting has come.
Pleasant journey to the one
Who is the company of the fasting.

I climbed the roof to see the Moon,
Because I really missed fasting
By heart and soul.

I lost my hat while looking at the Moon.
the Sultan of fasting made me drunk.

O Muslims, I have been drunk
since that day I lost my mind.
What a beautiful fortune fasting has.
What a wonderful glory.