Category Archives: Canada
A Path Towards Harmony
February 1, 2004 / Dhul Hijjah 1424
Volume 1, Issue 4
The basic concept of mysticism in Islam is to know oneself and to know one’s Creator as the Hadith says:
“Whoever knows himself,
knows his Lord.â€
It is through this process that one discovers the unity in man. Selflessness is the substance of Tasawwuf (Sufism or Islamic Mysticism). Self-discipline is used to raise oneself above the self and identify oneself with the Divine Self. Man has to establish a harmony between his body and soul to reach the Divine Light that Allah Almighty has placed in him. The proper method to reach the Divine is to go through the following stages: Shari’ah (Islamic Outer Law), Tariqah (Islamic Inner Path), and Haqiqah (Ultimate Reality). There is no dichotomy between Tariqah and Shari’ah. Shari’ah refers to the laws that govern man and society.
Tasawwuf can be translated in English as metaphysics. However metaphysics may not explain the full meaning of Tasawwuf. Nevertheless, this is how it is typically translated. People of Tasawwuf are called Sufi (one of the meanings of which reflects the simple, woolen garments worn by the earliest Sufis). In Tasawwuf the first stage is to follow the path led by a Shaykh or Murshid (spiritual guide) on the journey to the soul. This is done through Bai’ah, or spiritual contract where the seeker promises for the sake of Allah and His Messenger (Peace Be Upon Him), giving his word that he or she will try to never commit a sin or do anything against the Shari’ah. In Tasawwuf, taking Bai’ah or giving one’s hand in the hands of one’s Murshid is in reality giving one’s hand in the Hand of Allah Almighty through one’s Murshid who is connected eventually to the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) through his spiritual guides in a chain of transmission that connects heart to heart. In Tasawwuf the orders and commands of the spiritual guide must be followed. It is imperative to submit oneself to the Shaykh without any doubts because he is the Ameer (leader). Regarding this, Hazrat Shaykh Ali Hajweri (may Allah Almighty have mercy on him) refers the Quranic ayah:
“O People who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Noble Messenger, and those amongst you who are in authority.â€
[Al-Qur’an 4:59].
Follow Allah Almighty’s orders, and the Noble Prophet’s (Peace Be Upon Him) orders and “ulil amr†means spiritual guides.
A Sufi who chooses the path of Tasawuuf may finally reach the level of a Wali, i.e. a Friend of Allah. The Awliya Kiram (Noble Friends of Allah) and the Ulema Kiram (Noble Scholars of Islam) should not traverse different paths in different directions, but they should meet on the straight path, i.e. the Sirat-ul-Mustaqeem and hand in hand create in the human being the consciousness of the soul and the body. Hazrat Shaykh Ali Hajweri (may Allah Almighty have mercy on him) clearly defines in his book about the importance of the Shar’iah and that the people of Shar’iah could be excellent preachers of Islam through Tasuwwuf. Allah Almighty has said:
“There are servants of God who
walk humbly on earth and when
an ignorant one converses them,
they pray for his welfare.â€
[Al-Quran]
As the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said:
“Those who hear the prayers of a Sufi and do not say Ameen, come in the list of the negligent, in the eyes of Allah Almighty.â€
The stated Hadeeth (saying of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him)) clearly refers to Sufism and presents a comprehensive knowledge about acceptance in the eyes of Allah Almighty. The Hadeeth proves that Sufism was practiced in the blessed time of our Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).
The people striving to attain and reach the Divine Light are those who curb their worldly requirements and selfishness and submit oneself to the willingness of Allah Almighty and His Beloved Messenger (Peace Be Upon Him). In a Hadeeth, the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said:
“Die before your death.“
When a Sufi attains to Allah Almighty, he never loses Him, and when he loses himself i.e. through the negation of his ego and super ego, he never regains it. This means that when he involves himself in the Dhikr i.e., remembrance of Allah Almighty, he never regains his own personality. According to Hazrat Abul Hasan Husri (may Allah have mercy on him): â€a Sufi is he whose existence has no nonexistence and whose nonexistence has no existence.†Meaning that whatever he attains, he never loses and whatever he loses he never regains.
In short, it can be said that Sufism is a comprehensive applied syllabus of cosmic law (Shari’ah). Mostly, people are confused with their social, political, economical and ethical viewpoints due to lack of knowledge of the Shari’ah which emphasizes human relations, forgiveness, and the most important aspect of society, i.e. tolerance. Tasawwuf is a knowledge of peace and justice, harmony among different cultural groups and supremacy of humanity. Contemporary social order requires comprehensive principles of Tasawwuf to be applied in the different societal institutions for the betterment of state, politics, public administration, international relations with reference to peace and justice in the world.
References: Taken from articles and speeches of Prof. Dr. Manzoor-ud-Din Ahmed, a distinguished professor of Columbia University, USA and Prof. Dr. Mohammed Ahmed Qadri, Founding Director of IECRC in CA, USA.
Sohail Rana Qadri & Aniqa Rana Qadri
Mr. & Mrs. Rana Qadri are active members of IECRC Canada and contributors to the IECRC Newsletter.
PRESS REPORT – Interfaith Communication: A Bridge Among Nations
The Islamic Educational and Cultural Research Center (IECRC) and the Canadian Women Counseling Center (CWCC) jointly organized a grand gathering of an Interfaith Celebration of the Birth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) titled “Interfaith Communication: A Bridge Among Nations†on Saturday, March 6, 2010 at York Conference Center in Surrey, British Columbia. The beautiful gathering was attended by over 450 men, women, and children of many diverse organizations, groups, faiths, and cultures from all walks of life.
This was the 5th year in a row that the CWCC and IECRC have conducted this annual spiritual gathering commemorating the life and birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the final Prophet to humanity according to the Islamic tradition. The conference was attended by interfaith representatives from several different religious groups including Pandit Acharya, Dr. Raminder Pal Singh, Mr. Allen Welding, along with representatives from the B.C. legislative assembly and the World Peace Federation, and heads of various social and political organizations. The speeches delivered represented a wide variety of backgrounds and topics.
Mr. Allen Welding, President of the World Peace Federation and Christian Leader said that our heart is not bound by geography, and that “We are one family under God.†He added, “Cooperation is a way towards peace, and humanity is one body. Humanity is not connected to God hence we harm one another. â€
Dr. Raminder Pal Singh Kang, the well-known radio host of Sher-e-Punjab gave a direct message to the audience in which he mentioned the relationships between Muslims and Sikhs in history. Dr. Kang mentioned that the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest place in Sikhism, had its first stone layed by a Muslim, and that Hazrat Baba Farid’s (may God have mercy on him) writings are a part of the Guru Granth Sahib. Dr. Kang reminded the audience that people have less time to read and study, and thus misinformation is spreading. He shared his experience describing how he had became a student of Islamic Philosophy after he had hosted several shows with Dr. Qadri about Islam on Sher-e-Punjab where “you can always talk about other mazhabs (faiths). ”
Pandit Acharya Shrinath Prasad Dwivedi, a Hindu scholar, said that peace on Earth starts with the individual, not with an organization. With the modern world, distances are reduced, but barriers within the heart need to be broken. Pandit Acharya recited a self-composed piece of poetry in praise of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) that delighted the audience.
Senior government representatives were also present during the occasion. Bruce Ralston, Member of the Legislative Assembly, Surrey-Whalley, briefly wished all conference attendees well and congratulated the organizers on the conference. He also mentioned that what impressed most about Islam was its prohibition of Usury and the establishment of Zakat (the poor due).
Sukh Dhaliwal, MP of Surrey, mentioned that all religions emphasize social justice, that the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was about social justice, human rights, and equality, and similarly that of Guru Nanak. Mr. Dhaliwal said that we can believe in different values, come from different cultures, and be different, yet at the same time love each other, respect each other, and thus “we have taken ourselves beyond tolerance, we have accepted each other.” He said that religious organizations are instrumental in providing social services, and congratulated Dr. Qadri and the attendees for promoting justice, accepting all communities, and conveyed greetings on behalf of the assembly.
Vice Consul General Tipu Usman of the Pakistan Consulate in Vancouver emphasized the need for dialogue as a way and basis to promote trust, and not as a platform for argumentation.
Shakyh Ismael Khaleeq, Imam of the Kautharriyah Hussayniyyah Islamic Center, said that different cultures are like different colors in a garden; a garden is more beautiful with a variety of colors. He exhorted the audience to understand that ends do not justify the means, and to live a compassionate and loving life with each other.
Maulana Tayyib Qasmi, Principal of the Chilliwack Islamic College gave a brief but effective speech on the importance of remembering and honoring the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), especially in the spirit of coming together as one community. He humbly prayed that his presence in this blessed gathering would become a means for his forgiveness on t he Day of Judgment.
Mr. Tanveer Choudhary of the Pakistani Cultural Association spoke about the impact Allamah Iqbal, Pakistan’s famous national poet also known as the Poet of the East, had in a unified view of man and his place in the world. Maulana Abdul Lateef Nomani, Imam of the Fiji Islamic Center, highlighted the compassionate and self-sacrificing nature of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Syeda Zille Humma and Fatima Sharaaz, both IECRC representatives from the United States, spoke about the meaning of love for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and how the Prophet (peace be upon him) elevated the status and esteem of women by introducing essential women’s rights that have now been taken for granted, respectively. Dr. Syeda Saiqa Zubeda, Founding Director of the CWCC, spoke about the importance of love in Islam, saying that Sufism, the spiritual dimension of Islam, was Islam with love, and the real representation of Islam.
Youth from both the surrounding Surrey area, as well as those who had traveled from the USA to attend this event waved flags and recited the Naat poetry that describes the attributes of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Among the youth and children were Abdullah Ayyaz Qadri, Abdurrahman Ayyaz Qadri (both studying to commit the entire Holy Quran to memory), Zaynab Ayyaz Qadri, Roha Imran, and Khizr Abbasi.
Both adult and youth groups from Surrey and the United States recited beautiful and heartfelt poems honoring the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on this sublime occasion including Adeeba Iqbal, Amber Imran, Sohail Rana Qadri, Imran Qadri, Shaanawaz Khan Qadri, and Ismael Rajput.
Mr. Charan Gill, Executive Directory of PICs, a progressive social welfare organization in Surrey, presented IECRC with an award for outstanding community service. Various other awards were rewarded to groups and individuals working to promote peace and social justice.
To conclude the conference, Prof. Dr. Mohammad Qadri, a world renowned scholar from the family of the Bani Hashim (the family of the Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him), and Founding Director of the Islamic Educational and Cultural Center delivered the concluding remarks about the universal message of brotherhood that Islam conveys with references from the Holy Quran and the Life of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Dr. Qadri said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) conveyed the message of Islam to make our ethics the ethics of God. He said that if we pay respect to others, we and our community will be respected by others. Dr. Qadri stated, if you love humanity, God will love you. He reminded the audience to follow the Prophetic example and to be forgiving and merciful.
Dr. Qadri reminded the audience of a very important communal requirement that is aimed at supporting those in need under the most trying circumstances. He called to pass a resolution in favor of an endowment fund for funeral costs, which was passed by the community with no opposition.
Sharaaz Qadri, Director of IECRC in the USA, was emcee for the evening. Throughout the evening, Mr. Sharaaz Qadri gave references from the life of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) that reminded the audience of the tradition of compassion, mercy, respect, tolerance, in Islam. As is tradition in Milad Shareef gatherings, the program began with a recitation from the Holy Quran, the Muslim holy book, and poetry in Praise of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
The vote of thanks was given by Mr. Ayyaz Yousaf Qadri, Managing Director of IECRC-USA. He thanked all the guests for their participation, and thanked all the volunteers of IECRC and CWCC for their immense dedication and hard work for making this spiritual, educational, cultural, and social event a great success.
Dr. Mohammad Ahmed Qadri finally led everyone in a standing salutation (Salam) to send greetings and blessings to the Prophet (peace be upon him).
For feedback on this conference you may write to info@iecrcna.org or cwcc04@yahoo.ca.
یارک کر سٹل Ûال سرے (کنیڈا) میں عید میلاد النبی
Source: http://www.aalmiakhbar.com/index.php?mod=article&cat=specialreport&article=13311
15.03.2010, 12:05am , سوموار (GMT)
اسلامک ایجو کشنل اینڈ کلچرل ریسرچ سینٹر Ø§Ù…Ø±ÛŒÚ©Û Ú©Û’ زیر اÛتمام پانچویں Ø³Ø§Ù„Ø§Ù†Û Ú©Ø§Ù†Ùرنس یارک کر سٹل Ûال سرے (کنیڈا) میں عید میلاد النبی منانےکے Ø³Ù„Ø³Ù„Û Ù…ÛŒÚº منعقد Ûوئی Û” اس Ù…Ø±ØªØ¨Û Ø®ØµÙˆØµÛŒØª ÛŒÛ ØªÚ¾ÛŒ Ú©Û اس کامو ضوع تھا “انٹر Ùیتھ کامنیکیشن اینڈ برج امانگ دی نیشنز “ اس لیئےاس میں غیر مسلم Øضرات Ú©Ùˆ بھی شرکت Ú©ÛŒ دعوت دیگئی تھی۔ Ù„Ûذا جناب سکھ ڈھلیوال ممبر پارلیمنٹ ØŒ مسٹر بروس ایم ایل اے۔ ڈاکٹر ایلن ورلڈ پیس مشن ØŒ جناب پنڈت دیویدی جی ( مشÛور اسکالر ØŒ شاعر، Ûندی لٹریری سو سائٹی کنیڈا Ú©Û’ صدر اور مذ Ûبی رÛنما)
اس Ú©Û’ بانی جناب ڈاکٹر Ù…Øمد قادری کی تقریر سے Ù¾Ûلے قرآن پاک Ú©ÛŒ تلاوت Ûوئی ،پھر مختل٠لوگوں Ù†Û’ Øمد اور نعتیں پڑھیں اور اس Ú©Û’ بعد انÛÙˆÚº Ù†Û’ اپنی اÙتتا ØÛŒ تقریر آغاز کیا، جس میں مسلمانوں اور غیر مسلموں Ú©Û’ در میان غلط ÙÛمیاں دور کر Ù†Û’ Ú©Û’ لیئے اس قسم Ú©ÛŒ کانÙرنسیں منعقد کر Ù†Û’ Ú©ÛŒ ضرورت Ù¾Û Ø²ÙˆØ± دیا ،جو Ú©Û Ø§Ø³Ù„Ø§Ù… Ú©Û’ خلا٠ایک چھوٹے سے Ø·Ø¨Ù‚Û Ú©ÛŒ Øرکتوں ÙˆØ¬Û Ø³Û’ دنیا پیدا Ûوگئی Ûیں۔
اس تقریب میں جناب ٹیپو نائب Ú©Ùˆ نسلرجنرل آپ پاکستان خطاب Ùرمایا اورجناب شیراز قادری نے بھی تقریر Ùر مائی جو دوسرے بÛت سے لوگوں Ú©Û’ ÛÙ…Ø±Ø§Û Ø§Ø³ میں شر کت Ú©Û’ لیئے کیلیÙورنیا سے تشری٠لائے تھے ۔بعد میں انÛÙˆÚº Ù†Û’ ÛÛŒ نظامت Ú©Û’ Ùرائض بھی انجام دیئے Û” Ø¬Ø¨Ú©Û Ù…Ù‚Ø§Ù…ÛŒ علما Ø¡ میں سے مولانا عبد الطی٠نعمانی امام Ùیجی اسلامک سینٹر ØŒ مولانا طیب قاسمی سر Ø¨Ø±Ø§Û Ø§Ø³Ù„Ø§Ù…ÛŒ اکیڈمی چلیواک اور امام خلیق اسمٰعیل( امام الکوثر ØØ³ÛŒÙ†ÛŒÛ Ø³ÛŒÙ†Ù¹Ø± اور العباس سینٹر) Ù†Û’ تقریر Ùر Ù…Ø§Ø¦ÛŒØŒÂ Ø¬Ø¨Ú©Û Ø®ÙˆØ§ØªÛŒÙ† Ú©ÛŒ نما ئندگی ڈاکٹر ساعقÛ صاØØ¨Û Ù†Û’ Ú©ÛŒ Û” ان سب Ù†Û’Â Øضور (ص) Ú©ÛŒ Øیات ÙÂ Ø·ÛŒØ¨Û Ù¾Ø±Â Ø³ÛŒØ± Øا صل روشنی ڈالی۔
ÛŒÛ Ø³Ø±Û’ Ú©ÛŒ تا ریخ میں دوسرا مو Ù‚Ø¹Û ØªÚ¾Ø§ Ú©Û Ø§Ø³ قسم کا اجتما ع منعقد Ûواجس میں غیر مسلموں Ù†Û’ بھی شرکت کی۔ اس سے Ù¾Ûلے جناب شمس جیلانی Ù†Û’ دس Ø¨Ø§Ø±Û Ø³Ø§Ù„ Ù¾ÛÙ„Û’ Ùیجی اسلامک سینٹر میں ایک Ù†Ø¹ØªÛŒÛ Ù…Ø´Ø§ Ø¹Ø±Û Ú©Ø±Ø§ÛŒØ§ تھا۔ جب ÙˆÛ Ø§Ø±Ø¯Ùˆ ایسو ایسشن Ú©Û’ صدر اور Ûندی لٹریری سو سائٹی Ú©Û’ جنرل سکریٹری تھے ØŒ اس وقت پنڈت دیویدی جی Ûندی سو سا ئٹی Ú©Û’ صدر اور سرے Ûندو مندر Ú©Û’ Ù…Ûانت تھے Û” جواÙس Ù…ÙˆÙ‚Ø¹Û Ù¾Ø± بھی مو جود تھے ۔پنڈت جی Ù†Û ØµØ±Ù Ø§Ú†Ú¾Û’ شاعر Ø¨Ù„Ú©Û Ø§Ú†Ú¾Û’ انسان بھی Ûیں Û”
دوسرے قابل ٠ذکر اسپیکر سکھی ڈھلیوال ممبر پارلیمنٹ اور مسٹر بروس ایم ایل اے (سرے ) تیسرے ورڈ پیس مشن Ú©Û’ Ùا در ایلن تھے۔ آخر میں جناب شمس جیلانی نے لوگوں Ú©Ùˆ ان Ú©ÛŒ خدمات Ú©Û’ ØµÙ„Û Ù…ÛŒÚº اسناد ٠ستا ئش سینٹر Ú©ÛŒ طر٠سے تقسیم کیں Û” جن میں سے منیجنگ چی٠“ایڈیٹر مریکل “ جناب نصیر پیرزادÛ اور مقامی ریڈیو پر پاکستانی پروگرام Ú©Û’ میزبان جناب سلیمان ناصر (سابق انا ونسرریڈیوکوئٹÛ) اسناد وصول کرتے ÛÙˆ ئے تصویروں میں میں نظر آرÛÛ’ Ûیں Û”
آخر میں جناب شمس جیلانی Ù†Û’ اپنی تقریر میں جناب ڈاکٹر Ù…Øمد اØمد اور ان شریک ÙØیات Ú©ÛŒ ملی اورانسانی Ú©Ùˆ ششوں Ú©Ùˆ سرا Ûااور Ú©Ûا Ú©Û “مشک Ú©Ùˆ کبھی تعری٠کی ضرورت Ù†Ûیں ÛÙˆ تی ÛÛ’ ،اس Ú©ÛŒ خوشبو خود ÛÛŒ Ûر ناک Ú©Ùˆ معطر کرکے لوگوں Ù…ØªÙˆØ¬Û Ú©Ø± لیتی ÛÛ’ Û” ابھی Ù…Øمد صا Øب اور ان Ú©ÛŒ شریک Øیات ڈاکٹر صا عقÛ صاØØ¨Û Ú©Ùˆ ÛŒÛا Úº آئے Ûوئے صر ٠تین سال ÛÙˆ ئے Ûیں اور ÙˆÛ Ø¯ÙˆÙ†ÙˆÚº خدمت خلق میں بÛت سوں سے سبقت Ù„Û’ گئے۔
ÛŒÛ ÛÛŒ در اصل اسلام کا مشن ÛÛ’ Ú©Û Ù…Øبت سب سے Ù†Ùرت کسی سے Ù†Ûیں اور جو ایسا کرے گا تاریخ میں اس کانام ØªØ§Ø¨Ù†Ø¯Û Ø±ÛÛ’ گا Ú©ÛŒÙˆÙ†Ú©Û Ø§Ø³ Ú©ÛŒ گارنٹی قرآ Úº Ù†Û’ Ø³ÙˆØ±Û Ûود کی ایک آیت میں دی ÛÛ’ جس میں Ø§Ù„Ù„Û Ø³Ø¨ØØ§Ù†Û ØªØ¹Ø§Ù„ÛŒÙ° Ù†Û’ مسلمانوں Ú©Ùˆ پانی یا دھات بننے Ú©ÛŒ ترغیب دی ÛÛ’ØŒ جھاگ بننے سے منع Ùر ما ÛŒØ§ØŒÂ Ø¬ÙˆÚ©Û Ù¾Ø§Ù†ÛŒ یا دھات سے ÛÛŒ بنتا Ûے اوربغیر کسی Ú©Ùˆ Ùا Ø¦Ø¯Û Ù¾Ûونچا ئے، اپنی موت آپ مر جا تا ÛÛ’Û” انÛÙˆÚº Ù†Û’ مزید Ú©Ûا Øضور کاپÛلا مشن بلا تخصیص٠مذ Ûب اور ملت، خدمت٠خلق کرنا تھا Û”
اس لیئے Ú©Û Øضور (ص) رØمت صر٠مسلمانوں Ú©Û’ لیئے ÛÛŒ Ù†Ûیں بھیجے گئے تھے Û”Ø¨Ù„Ú©Û ØªÙ…Ø§Ù… عالموں Ú©Û’ لیئے ر Øمت اللعالمیں بنا کر بھیجے گئے تھے Û” ÛÙ… سب کوانکا اتبا ع کر تے Ûوئے انسانیت Ú©ÛŒ خد مت کر نا چا Ûیئے۔
جو لوگ عید میلاد النبی منانے Ú©Ùˆ بدعت Ú©Ûتے Ûیں انÛیں اپنا Ø¬Ø§Ø¦Ø²Û Ù„ÛŒÙ†Ø§ چاÛیئے Ú©Û Ø§Ù†ÛÙˆÚº Ù†Û’ سو سال میں اسلام Ú©ÛŒ کیا خدمت Ú©ÛŒ ÛÛ’ØŸÛ” Ø¬Ø¨Ú©Û Ø¹ÛŒØ¯ میلاد Ùالنبی منانے والوں نے صØØ§Ø¨Û Ú©Ø±Ø§Ù… (رض) اور اولیا ئے عظام (رØ)Ú©ÛŒ Ø±Ø§Û Ø§Ù¾Ù†Ø§ کر ( مØبت سب سے اور Ù†Ùرت کسی سے بھی Ù†Ûیں )ایک کھرب سے Ø²ÛŒØ§Ø¯Û Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…Ø§Ù† بنا ئے ØŒØ¬Ø¨Ú©Û Ø§Ù†Ûیں بدعتی Ú©ÛÙ†Û’ والوں نےصر٠مسلمانو Úº Ú©Ùˆ کاÙر بنایا، بدعتی بنایا، با تیں بنا ئیں یا پھر دنیا Ú©Ùˆ شدت پسندی کا تØÙÛ Ø¯ÛŒØ§Û”Â ÛŒÛ ØªÙ‚Ø±ÛŒØ¨ دو بجے سے نو بجے شام تک جاری رÛÛŒ Û”