Category Archives: Personalities

March 17, 2010   Companions, Islam, Personalities, Saints, Spirituality, Uncategorized   No comments

Responding to Tribulations in Our Times

Issue # 12
April 22, 2007 / Rabiuth Thani 1428

Immensely Blessed is He in Whose control is the entire Kingdom, and He has authority over everything. He, Who has created death and life that He might test you, as to whose work, is excellent among you. And He is the Esteemed One the Forgiving. [The Holy Quran 67:1-2]

It is clear from the aforementioned blessed verse of the Holy Quran that trials and hardships that face the human condition in the form of tests from Allah Almighty are a part and a parcel of His Divine Plan on this earth. Who has not experienced some type of hardship in life, be it in the form of loss of a loved one, loss of one’s health, or wealth. The question then arises: what is the purpose of the test? Is it ultimate harm or ultimate good? The answer lies in the same verse above. It is to see how one responds to the test. Whether the ultimate result of the test is harm or good depends on one’s own response to it. Does one exhibit patience (sabr) recognizing that the test is from the Almighty, Loving Creator and therefore can only carry goodness in it despite the apparent signs of harm? Does one express gratitude (shukr) to Allah Almighty appreciating the fact that one was considered worthy of such a weighty examination? Does one appreciate the fact that this opportunity for reflection (tafakkur), purification (tazkiya), repentance (tauba) and seeking forgiveness (istaghfar) will make a better, stronger person out of us? Or does one simply complain about the outward temporary losses not being able to see Allah Almighty’s Wisdom?

One simply has to turn the pages of history and observe the lives of the greatest people who have walked this earth – the Prophets (peace be upon them all), and the Saints (Awliya – may Allah Almighty be pleased with them and have mercy on them all) to see that when Allah Almighty wishes to grant His knowledge (marifat) & closeness (qurbat) to His servants, He Almighty sends hardships. One must remember, however, that the Prophets and Saints are Allah Almighty’s chosen people and their role on this earth is that of guiding the common folk. Therefore, the hardships they face are instructional for others and for the purpose of increasing them in infinite spiritual ranks with their Creator. The Crown of the Saints, Hazrat Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (b. 1077 CE, may Allah be pleased with him) says in his famous Sirr-ul-Asraar, “Allah created the spirit (rooh) in the finest formation in the realm of Divinity. Then He wished to reduce it to the lowest of the low, for the purpose of increasing intimacy and nearness.”

The pious Hazrat Syeda Zaynab (May Allah be pleased with her), the beloved grand-daughter of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) experienced so many hardships in her life that she earned the title of Ummul Masaib, the “Mother of Hardships.” When she was six years old, her beloved Grandfather – our Beloved Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him), who had honored her with the name Zaynab and placed His Blessed Saliva in her mouth, passed onto the Realm of Divine Beatitude. Six months later, her blessed mother Hazrat Syeda Fatima Zahra (May Allah be pleased with her) too joined her Blessed Father (Peace Be Upon Him). Upon reaching early adulthood, she witnessed the martyrdom of her beloved & respected father, Hazrat Ali (May Allah be pleased with him). Ten years later she witnessed the martyrdom of her dear brother Hazrat Imam Hasan (May Allah be pleased with him). And on the battlefield of Karbala, she lost her dear brother Hazrat Imam Husayn (May Allah be pleased with him) and nearly the rest of her entire family. However, in the face of such immense hardships she always stood tall for the Truth against the wrong-doers. Her words of fortitude, courage, and resilience reverberate the passageways of history providing inspiration to both women & men today.

There is a famous narration regarding the great 8th century CE Saint Hazrat Rabia Basri (May Allah be pleased with him) regarding the response to hardships. A Saint was asked about how one should respond to hardships and he said, ” with patience (sabr)”. Another Saint was asked the same question and he replied,  “with gratitude (shukr)”. When Hazrat Rabia (May Allah be pleased with him) was asked the very same question, she said that one should be so engrossed in love (ishq) for Allah Almighty and His Messenger (Peace Be upon Him) that one cannot even see the hardship!

It is clear from the writings and sayings of all the great scholars and saints that the foremost response to hardships in life is patience. Indeed Allah Almighty Himself commands us in the Holy Quran to seek help from prayer and patience. [Al-Quran, 2:45] As Hazrat Syeda Zaynab’s (May Allah be pleased with her) blessed father, the Gate of Knowledge (Babul-‘Ilm), from whom she directly learnt, Hazrat Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) writes in his famous Nahjatul Balagha that the relationship of patience (sabr) to faith (iman) is like that of the head to the body. He (May Allah be pleased with him) further says as is reported in the famous Kashful Mahjoob of the 11th century CE scholar and Saint, Hazrat Daata Ganj Baksh (May Allah be pleased with him) that, “I have recognized my Lord (marifat) in the breaking of plans.”

Allah Almighty also states in the Holy Quran that He appreciates gratitude [Al-Quran, 4:147] The scholars have said that one must say “Alhamdulillah ‘alaa kulli haal,” i.e. all praises are to Allah Almighty in every condition. When one adopts such a response to one’s hardships then the angels pray for one’s forgiveness and deliverance. Whether Allah Almighty has given us an apparent blessing or an apparent hardship, in every situation one must say “Alhamdulillah.” It is also very important to remember that what may seem as an apparent blessing may also indeed be a test. As Hazrat Daata Ganj Baksh (May Allah be pleased with him) warns us in his Kashful Mahjoob that, “a blessing is truly a blessing when it guides you towards Allah Almighty. If it veils you from the Giver, then it is a hardship (bala).” In the eloquent words of the great 12th century CE Persian poet, Shaykh Saadi (May Allah be pleased with him)  (translated):

Aysh vo kya jo halaakat ka sabab ban jaae

Jis ka anjaam ho raahat vo museebat achchi

May Allah Almighty give us the guidance (taufeeq) to follow in the footsteps of our pious predecessors and may He Almighty grant us a portion of their patience in our hardships and may He grant us that spiritual station (maqam) that we are so engrossed in His and His Beloved’s (Peace Be Upon Him) love that the hardships become invisible to us. Ameen.

Syeda Shagufta Ahmad Qadri

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March 17, 2010   Canada, Culture, IECRC Chapters, Intercultural Communication, Islamic Months, Personalities, Prophets, Rabi ul-Awwal   2 Comments

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.

Group Conference Speakers and Organizers

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.

Audience

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. ”

Dr. Allen Welding

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). ”

Dr. Raminder Pal Singh

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.

Pandit Acharya Shrinath Prasad Dwivedi

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.

MLA Bruce Ralston

MP Sukh Dhaliwal

Vice Consul General Tipu Usman

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.

Sheikh Ismael Khaleeq

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.

Maulana Tayyib Qasmi

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.

Zaynab Ayyaz Qadri

Roha Imran

Khizr Abbasi

Amber Imran

IECRC Naat Group from Surrey

Recitation of Burdah Shareef

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.

Mr. Charan Gill

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.

Prof. Dr. Mohammad Ahmed Qadri

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).

Sharaaz Khan Qadri

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).

Salaam and Dua

Salaam and Dua

For feedback on this conference you may write to info@iecrcna.org or cwcc04@yahoo.ca.

One thing is common about quality social justice, sk brought diversity, Canada Aa a nation fortunate charter of rights india mother Teresa social justice equal presence participation of women teachings of saw keep serving humanity… Good wishes.
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March 17, 2010   Canada, Culture, Intercultural Communication, Islamic Months, Language, Personalities, Prophets, Rabi ul-Awwal, Uncategorized   No comments

یارک کر سٹل ہال 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)

عالمی اخبار کینڈا بیورو

اسلامک ایجو کشنل اینڈ کلچرل ریسرچ سینٹر امریکہ کے زیر اہتمام پانچویں سالانہ کانفرنس یارک کر سٹل ہال سرے (کنیڈا) میں عید میلاد النبی  منانےکے سلسلہ میں منعقد ہوئی ۔ اس مرتبہ خصوصیت یہ تھی کہ  اس کامو ضوع تھا “انٹر فیتھ کامنیکیشن اینڈ برج امانگ دی نیشنز “ اس لیئےاس میں غیر مسلم حضرات کو بھی شرکت کی دعوت دیگئی تھی۔ لہذا جناب سکھ ڈھلیوال ممبر پارلیمنٹ ، مسٹر بروس ایم ایل اے۔ ڈاکٹر ایلن ورلڈ پیس مشن ، جناب پنڈت دیویدی جی ( مشہور اسکالر ، شاعر، ہندی لٹریری سو سائٹی کنیڈا کے صدر اور مذ ہبی رہنما)
اس کے بانی جناب ڈاکٹر محمد قادری  کی تقریر سے پہلے  قرآن پاک کی تلاوت ہوئی ،پھر مختلف لوگوں نے حمد اور نعتیں  پڑھیں  اور اس کے بعد انہوں نے اپنی افتتا حی تقریر آغاز کیا، جس میں مسلمانوں اور غیر مسلموں کے در میان غلط فہمیاں دور کر نے کے لیئے اس قسم کی کانفرنسیں منعقد کر نے کی ضرورت پہ زور دیا ،جو کہ اسلام کے خلاف ایک چھوٹے سے طبقہ کی حرکتوں وجہ سے دنیا پیدا ہوگئی ہیں۔

اس تقریب  میں جناب ٹیپو نائب کو نسلرجنرل آپ پاکستان خطاب فرمایا اورجناب شیراز قادری  نے بھی تقریر فر مائی جو دوسرے بہت سے لوگوں کے ہمراہ اس میں شر کت کے لیئے کیلیفورنیا سے تشریف لائے تھے ۔بعد میں انہوں نے ہی نظامت کے فرائض بھی انجام دیئے ۔ جبکہ مقامی علما ء میں سے مولانا عبد الطیف نعمانی امام فیجی اسلامک سینٹر ، مولانا طیب قاسمی  سر براہ اسلامی اکیڈمی  چلیواک اور امام خلیق اسمٰعیل(  امام الکوثر حسینیہ سینٹر اور العباس سینٹر) نے تقریر فر مائی،  جبکہ خواتین کی نما ئندگی ڈاکٹر ساعقہ  صاحبہ نے کی ۔ ان سب نے  حضور (ص) کی حیات ِ  طیبہ پر  سیر حا صل روشنی ڈالی۔

یہ سرے کی تا ریخ میں دوسرا مو قعہ تھا کہ اس قسم کا اجتما ع منعقد ہواجس میں غیر مسلموں نے بھی شرکت کی۔  اس سے پہلے  جناب شمس جیلانی نے دس بارہ سال پہلے فیجی اسلامک سینٹر میں ایک نعتیہ مشا عرہ کرایا تھا۔ جب وہ اردو ایسو ایسشن کے صدر اور ہندی لٹریری سو سائٹی کے جنرل سکریٹری تھے ، اس وقت پنڈت دیویدی جی ہندی سو سا ئٹی کے صدر اور سرے ہندو مندر کے مہانت تھے ۔ جواُس موقعہ پر بھی مو جود تھے ۔پنڈت جی نہ صرف اچھے شاعر بلکہ اچھے انسان بھی ہیں ۔

دوسرے قابل ِ ذکر اسپیکر سکھی ڈھلیوال  ممبر پارلیمنٹ اور مسٹر بروس ایم ایل اے (سرے ) تیسرے ورڈ پیس مشن کے فا در ایلن تھے۔ آخر میں جناب شمس جیلانی نے  لوگوں کو ان کی خدمات کے صلہ میں اسناد ِ ستا ئش  سینٹر کی طرف سے تقسیم کیں ۔ جن میں سے منیجنگ چیف  “ایڈیٹر مریکل “ جناب نصیر پیرزادہ  اور مقامی ریڈیو پر پاکستانی پروگرام کے میزبان جناب سلیمان ناصر (سابق انا ونسرریڈیوکوئٹہ) اسناد وصول کرتے ہو ئے تصویروں میں میں نظر آرہے ہیں ۔

آخر میں جناب شمس جیلانی نے اپنی تقریر میں جناب ڈاکٹر محمد احمد اور ان شریک ِحیات کی ملی  اورانسانی کو ششوں کو سرا ہااور کہا کہ  “مشک کو کبھی تعریف کی ضرورت نہیں ہو تی ہے ،اس کی خوشبو خود ہی ہر ناک کو معطر کرکے لوگوں متوجہ کر لیتی ہے ۔ ابھی محمد صا حب اور  ان کی شریک حیات ڈاکٹر صا عقہ  صاحبہ کو یہا ں آئے ہوئے صر ف تین سال ہو ئے ہیں اور وہ دونوں خدمت خلق میں بہت سوں سے سبقت لے گئے۔

یہ ہی در اصل اسلام کا مشن ہے کہ محبت سب سے نفرت کسی سے نہیں اور جو ایسا کرے گا تاریخ میں اس کانام تابندہ رہے گا کیونکہ اس کی گارنٹی قرآ ں نے سورہ ہود کی  ایک آیت میں دی ہے جس میں اللہ سبحانہ تعالیٰ نے مسلمانوں کو پانی یا دھات بننے کی ترغیب دی ہے، جھاگ بننے سے منع فر ما یا،  جوکہ پانی یا دھات سے ہی بنتا ہے  اوربغیر کسی کو فا ئدہ پہونچا ئے، اپنی موت آپ مر جا تا ہے۔ انہوں نے مزید کہا حضور کاپہلا مشن بلا تخصیصِ مذ ہب اور ملت، خدمتِ خلق کرنا تھا ۔

اس لیئے کہ حضور (ص) رحمت صرف مسلمانوں کے لیئے ہی نہیں بھیجے گئے  تھے ۔بلکہ تمام عالموں کے لیئے ر حمت اللعالمیں بنا کر بھیجے گئے تھے ۔ ہم سب کوانکا اتبا ع کر تے ہوئے انسانیت کی خد مت کر نا چا ہیئے۔

جو لوگ عید میلاد النبی منانے کو بدعت کہتے ہیں انہیں اپنا جائزہ لینا چاہیئے کہ انہوں نے سو سال میں اسلام کی کیا خدمت کی ہے؟۔ جبکہ عید میلاد ِالنبی منانے والوں نے  صحابہ کرام (رض) اور اولیا ئے عظام  (رح)کی راہ اپنا کر  (  محبت سب سے اور نفرت کسی سے بھی نہیں )ایک کھرب سے زیادہ مسلمان بنا ئے ،جبکہ انہیں بدعتی کہنے والوں  نےصرف مسلمانو ں کو کافر بنایا، بدعتی بنایا، با تیں بنا ئیں یا پھر دنیا کو شدت پسندی کا تحفہ دیا۔  یہ تقریب دو بجے سے نو بجے شام تک جاری رہی ۔







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