I’ve joined the League

After nearly 15 years of having a mobile phone, finally I have joined the League of people whose mobile phone has been stolen!

It happened in Kolkata last Monday, and I admire the person’s guts. He stole it from right under my nose – the phone was kept by my side, along with my tie and glasses. And within less than a minute, the phone was switched off.

I immediately went to the nearest Vodafone Store and got a replacement SIM card. The executive assured me that it would be activated within 4 hours. We then went to the Nokia Store to block the phone using the IMEI number.

And here’s a lesson, folks. The IMEI number blocking is a sham!

The store owner himself said that it would be worthless blocking the phone, because the thief would walk up to the grey market and erase the IMEI number, making the phone usable all over again!

I said a prayer, got a temporary old handset, and life continued.

At night, I checked the phone. The SIM was not activated yet.

In the morning, I checked it again. Nope, no activation yet. I was with a colleague, so that made matters easy. At about 10, another colleague called up, saying that he tried calling me up, and the thief had picked up the call. He was using my number.

And that led us on a wild goose chase for about 45 minutes. We called the thief, who said that he would return the phone, but kept giving wayward directions, before I finally gave up and decided to go to the police. My worry was not so much about the phone, but about the possible numbers the thief may have called. Nowadays, you never can be sure...

We stopped over again at the Vodafone Store, where the same executive was about as helpful as a clerk in a Government Office. He had sent the e-mail to Mumbai, and that was the best he could do, etc.

So unlike Vodafone Mumbai!

After finishing my client meetings, at around lunch time, I called up Pallavi, our Vodafone Relationship Manager in Mumbai. In less than one hour, the old SIM was inactivated and my new SIM was on. Thanks, Pallavi!

We then went to Shakespeare Sarani Police Station, who said that while the place where the theft took place, though closer to their station, was in another jurisdiction. Upon hearing that I was a visitor to their city, they went out of their way to be helpful, coming along with me to the crime scene, and then escorting me to the Beniapukur Police Station, under whose jurisdiction the theft took place, in their vehicle. The Sub-Inspector at this Police Station was even more helpful, as well as extremely apologetic about a visitor having to face this problem in his city. He helped us in writing the proper report, and got it logged in very quickly.

Thank you, Mr. Vaibhav Shroff of Shakespeare Sarani Police Station and Mr. Nazrul Islam of Beniapukur Police Station!

Anyway, now I am still using the temporary old handset. Still undecided on which handset to buy!

Ahmedabad

What a change this city has seen!

In the 90s, when I stayed here for a while, and then kept visiting regularly, this city was no more than an overgrown village. The airport resembled a railway station, with crowds, congestion, and absolutely no facilities to talk about. Traffic sense was non-existent, possibly because roads were pathetic.

The changes over the past decade are just amazing, to say the least! Wide roads, organized traffic, eating places, malls…the works! And the airport can now be bracketed with possibly some of the best in the world!

However, beneath all this glitz and glitter, I also notice a strong underlying current of disquiet. People are generally wary of trusting each other. One particular community in the city has been clearly pushed into ghettos, as it were!

Makes me wonder. What would I choose?

A city where people trust each other and feel safe, but which lacks infrastructure, basic needs, quality of life. Or one which boasts of great infrastructure, a high quality of life, but where a person would not trust his neighbour, and always be worried for his and his family’s life!

A Morton’s Fork, isn’t it?

“Allah loveth not those given to excess”

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As:
Allah's Apostle said, "O 'Abdullah! Have I not been formed that you fast all the day and stand in prayer all night?" I said, "Yes, O Allah's Apostle!" He said, "Do not do that! Observe the fast sometimes and also leave them (the fast) at other times; stand up for the prayer at night and also sleep at night. Your body has a right over you, your eyes have a right over you and your wife has a right over you." (Bukhari 7:62, Hadith 127)

Someone very dear to me was hospitalised last week. He had fainted at his office. His BP had fallen to critically low levels. After a battery of tests (including MP and CBC! I wonder why MP and CBC when it was low BP? Maybe the doctors and insurance companies know better!)...

Anyway, as usual, I digress...

After a battery of tests, they have diagnosed a problem in his inner ear, and it would need to be operated upon. This problem was also diagnosed a few years ago, but was taken lightly by the person.

This person is also actively involved in a few social causes which take up a lot of his time – sometime at the expense of his family, in my reckoning.

And despite our repeated entreaties, pleadings and even admonishing from his mother, he is adamant on following his lifestyle, which we all know his detrimental to his health.

Consider the weeks leading up to his hospitalisation. The social organisation for which he gives of his time had organised a seminar / workshop on Oct 29-31. He was running around for it for a couple of weeks during the day, and was at office at night. Sleep – about 2 hours daily. Some other jobs came up the next week, and he volunteered for them. No sleep again. The weekend before Eid, some people had come from out of town. Who will take care? Who else? And when he had some time off, you could find him online.

Not only that, he also fasted for the 8 days leading up to Eid, and wanted to also fast on Tuesday while in hospital. It was only because of a trick played on him by my wife, the hospital staff and I that he could not do so.

All of this, I daresay, with complete disregard to his wife’s feelings and concern, and his own health.

On Eid, the doctor agreed to our requests to release him for two hours so that he could attend the Eid prayers. We drilled it into his head that he has to go with us to the masjid, sit in one place, pray and accompany us back.

Do you think he did that? Oh, quite the contrary! Knowing that we could not scream at him and stop him in front of everyone at the masjid, he went ahead and did his own thing, till I finally had to lose my cool.

I know you are reading this, my dear brother, and wanted to highlight the above Hadith to you. You are disregarding the above words of Rasool Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) completely! And I hope you change. Do what you are doing, but stay within limits. Do not go to the extremes that you are going now.

After all, at various points, the Qur’an highlights that Allah does not like those who transgress limits. And you know that much better than I do!

What next?

Just read in today’s daily that the Mumbai Police have booked a woman who blew the lid off her husband’s misdeeds. The reason given – she did not go the police earlier, therefore, she must be abetting him.

Wondering what will they do next? Will they book a citizen who reports a crime in his neighbourhood for not calling them while the crime was being conducted? They could make him an accomplice in the crime because he let the criminals get away before calling them.

And it happened on the same day that they removed Borude from his job!

To use a tennis terminology – Mumbai Police has scored a winner and hit an unforced error!

Speedy

She came home one rainy afternoon in the monsoon of 2007 – dripping wet, extremely famished and very pregnant.

There she was in our backyard, with a piteous face, either too weak or too proud to make a sound and ask for something. My wife, having a soft corner for her species of the feline family, prepared a fresh chapatti, ground it in milk and offered it to her. She gulped it down quickly, looked up as if to say thanks, and ran off.

Three hours later, she was back again!

The routine went on for two days; and the third morning, as I was leaving for office, I realized I could not take the car out of the garage. Because there she was, with four cute little babies, who most probably were born early that morning itself.

My son – who loves fast cars – decided he would call her Speedy. My daughter – who loves to agree with her brother on most things (which irritates him no end!) – concurred. My wife – who anyway loves cats – decided to feed her till the babies grew a bit. My dad – who loves his daughter-in-law – decided to protect the babies from the neighbourhood stray dogs. My mom – who, incidentally does not like cats – decided to take pity just this once.

And that’s how Speedy came into our lives.

It has been three years now, and the house has seen an assortment of cats, due to Speedy’s propensity to have a litter every four months, with an amazing variety of experiences for all of us.

While they are generally very well-behaved, the babies have spoilt my mother’s carefully tended plants from time to time. Speedy has once walked into the kitchen and spilt all the milk. The feline family has torn away my expensive car cover. And the tyres of my car, my brother's mobike and the children's bicycles are their favourite nail sharpeners.

Every day, Speedy has to sit on the kitchen window sill and look through the glass at my wife or my parents, till she sees them preparing her milk and chapatis, or getting the pieces of chicken. At the point they do so, she jumps down from the first to the ground floor in the agile way that only cats can do, walks through regally through the back door, out the front, to have her food.

My father gets mutton from the neighbourhood butcher every alternate morning, and it is a sight to see the cats following him with their tails up in the air till he reaches their designated eating spot, and waiting for him to empty the contents of the bag before slowly starting to eat their fill.

It has also led to regular daily visits by the neighbourhood cats and stray dogs, with mixed feelings.

I have had to answer my children’s questions and have also been a witness to my son’s hilarious explanation to his sister, cousins and other neighbourhood kids on ‘how are her babies born’. After crying bitterly for days when some babies died initially, my daughter has now accepted death as an inevitable part of life (which sometimes frightens me!)

And now, three years later, we can safely say that Speedy and her children can now count me, my wife, parents, brother, our neighbours and the assortment of our children, and those of the neighbourhood – as their pets.

The Verdict is Out!

Sikandar ne Porus se kee thi ladaai
Woh kee this ladaai, toh main kya karoon

While travelling back to office yesterday afternoon after a spate of cancelled meetings, I decided to take the train from CST to Parel. It was around 3:00 in the afternoon, and the train was crowded with prime rush hour traffic as nearly all offices had declared a half day due to the expected verdict. The crowded train was the best place to observe the expressions and reactions of various people and try to analyse their feelings.

The train was packed with travellers of all religious denominations, castes and creeds; and the expressions on the faces of each person reminded me of the above song.

There was nary a person who seemed remotely interested in the verdict from a religious perspective. Everyone seemed completely detached from its socio-political implications.

On the contrary, there was a sense of wariness, a worry on their faces – worry whether their daughter has reached home from college, worry whether their son is sitting at home or is roaming outside, worry about whether they have enough rations stocked up for a couple of days, worry about the goons who masquerade as social workers or political party workers in their area, worry about the disconcerting sms they had received from their neighbour in Thane or wherever.

Seeing those reactions made me realize once again that while certain interested parties might create a ruckus about this issue again, and the media might play on for their TRPs, the ordinary man on the street, irrespective of his religious or social standing, is so frightened! Frightened for his family, his security, his next square meal.

Their expressions could actually be summed up very aptly by the opening lines of another very famous song…

Saari umr hum mar mar ke jee liye
Ek pal toh ab humein jeene do, jeene do

But seriously, Anthony Quadros!

About a fortnight ago, a city tabloid carried an interesting interview with the general secretary of Mumbai Taximen’s Union, Anthony Quadros. In that interview, he raised a few very interesting demands, which left me in splits for a long time.

He demanded...I wonder why every union leader only demands? Can’t they request, suggest, discuss? Demand – huh!

Anyway, I digress. And let me write this in first person to Anthony.

Anthony, you demanded rest places, taxi stands, transit points, urinals, a place to have their meals and an ‘engaged’ taxi board, which can be used by the driver at the time of rest.

All very valid demands, except that they all already exist!

Let’s talk about urinals first. In case your taxi drivers have not noticed, Anthony, there’s one large urinal just opposite CST. Take the JJ flyover from there, and there’s one at Byculla market – about 10 minutes drive from CST. The next one is at Parel, near the Railway Colony. Move ahead, and you’ll find one at Dadar TT, under the bridge. Four urinals that I can show you in a stretch of about 10 kilometers – there may be more. And in case your driver has to take a right at Wadala towards Bhakti Park, there’s one large urinal right next to the Customs Ground on Anik-Wadala Road. But this one, I’m absolutely certain, is invisible to your taxi drivers. After all, hundreds of taxis are parked all around this urinal, water is used from there to wash the taxis, but one always finds the drivers standing on the side of the road doing their thing all around the urinal but not going inside.

What next? Rest places, taxi stands, transit points. Can you explain to me the differences between the three? Because the 4 taxi stands that exist between Koparkhairane Sector 6 and Vashi Sector 17 – a distance of 5 kms (lesser, if you actually measure it, Anthony) have rest places, are also transit points and have rest place – and also have enough places around for taxi drivers to have their meals.

Anything else? Ah, the engaged taxi board. But then, doesn't the existing ‘half-down’ meter signify that the taxi is engaged?

You also mentioned that your taxi drivers refuse to ply certain passengers because they need to take some rest. I am unable to fathom how a taxi driver who refuses to take me from Phoenix Mills to Doordarshan because he wants ‘to take some rest’ is immediately refreshed when the person next to me asks him to go up to Bandra or Andheri! Please let us know the secret of this immediate energy - it will be very useful for a lot of people like me.

But seriously, Anthony Quadros!

Vipassana and Eit'kaaf

Hi everyone. I’m back after a long time, seriously long.

Been a hectic couple of months, with the Maharashtra State Summit (which went off very successfully), then the travels to North and East on work, then Taizeen’s illness.

A Very Happy Ramadaan to everyone. Ramadaan Kareem.

A while ago, someone was talking to us about Vipassana, and how it has helped him. And he was recommending it to all of us. He was strongly recommending doing the 10 day course at Igatpuri.
Just a quick recap of what Vipassana is, and certain requirements (Source: http://www.dhamma.org/en/vipassana.shtml)

“Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India's most ancient techniques of meditation....

...There are three steps to the training. The first step is, for the period of the course, to abstain from killing, stealing, sexual activity, speaking falsely, and intoxicants. This simple code of moral conduct serves to calm the mind, which otherwise would be too agitated to perform the task of self-observation...

...Separation of Men and Women
Complete segregation of men and women is to be maintained. Couples, married or otherwise, should not contact each other in any way during the course. The same applies to friends, members of the same family, etc...

...The entire practice is actually a mental training. Just as we use physical exercises to improve our bodily health, Vipassana can be used to develop a healthy mind.”

I was intrigued by the similarities between this course, which runs for 10 days, and Eit’kaaf (I’tikaaf).

Eit’kaaf literally means applying oneself sincerely, diligently and persistently to something. In Islam, it means staying in the mosque for the specific purpose of worshipping Allah. It is a a Sunnat (manners, behaviour, method and fundamentals. Used in Islam as meaning the actions, manners, behaviour, method and fundamentals of the Prophet, PBUH).

It was observed every year by the Prophet every year in Ramadaan, and Muslims are encouraged to follow this Sunnat and seclude themselves in a mosque away from all worldly desires, family, friends, relatives etc. during the last 10 days of Ramadan, with the sole purpose of praying to Allah and seeking his blessings.

Here are some rules of Eit’kaaf.

• For a man, Eit’kaaf should be done in a masjid, secluded away from the world. A woman can designate a place in her house and observe Eit’kaaf there
• One should refrain from idle talk during Itikaaf
• However, to remain completely silent during Eit’kaaf is not permissible. If one remains silent after zikr and recitation, this is fine. Remaining silent is not a form of worship
• To indulge in unnecessary worldly activities during Eit’kaaf is close to forbidden
• Fasting is a prerequisite of Eit’kaaf
  (Source: http://www.inter-islam.org/Lifestyle/Itikaaf.html)

If performed right, Eit’kaaf will help a worshipper build immunity (if I may use this word) against unnecessary worldly pleasures and desires, get closer to Allah, and build soundness of his own heart. After all, as the Prophet (PBUH) has said,

“Beware, in the body there is a piece of flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound and if it is corrupt the whole body is corrupt, and hearken it is the heart.” (Muslim: Book 10, Hadith 3882)

It's that time of the year again!

It’s that time of the year again…
Of walking by the sea face, willing the wind to blow in my face
Of getting drenched in the huge waves, caring two hoots for hygiene when the salty sea water goes down my throat

It’s that time of the year again…
Of avoiding the showers on the way to office, and wishing they allowed us to wear capris or bermudas and sandals to work
Of getting caught between the desire to get wet, and the need to keep the mobile phone and diary dry – the latter winning over, leaving a pain in the heart

It’s that time of the year again…
Of going to sleep listening to the bullfrogs calling out to their mates
Of waking up to the patter of rains on the plastic chhajja outside the house

It’s that time of the year again…
Of bhuttas and hot bhajiyas with tea
Of jamuns that make my mouth go purple

It’s that time of the year again…
Of getting caught in the traffic jam, and cursing the municipal corporation
Of playing again like the child I was, when I get caught in water logging on the weekend

It’s that time of the year again…
Of getting caught between the desire to splash water on people while driving by
And thinking, “Would I have liked it if someone else had done that to me”

It’s that time of the year again!

World Environment Day

Coming back from office yesterday, I saw a ‘Save Environment’ rally taken out by a leading political party. Leading the rally was a premium open top car – one of those guzzlers – followed by another premium car, the Rs.70 lakh plus range ones – another guzzler.

This was followed by a few more gas spewing 4-wheelers, then about 20 token bi-cyclists, with an ambulance and a large police van bringing up the rear.

They were moving on at a fair pace, not stopping to talk to people or informing them about the Environment Day, as one would presume. But to be fair, all the cars and the bicyclists had some greenery tied to some part of them - a few branches probably broken from a tree at the last minute. After all, people are smart enough to understand what that means, right?

I don’t know why, but seeing all those guzzlers and the tokenism reminded me of a certain political personality. Someone who had created an oxymoron about something being necessary for something opposite. Something to do with peace, if I remember right!

Anyway, Happy Environment Day, folks!

Freedom and Responsibility

This post is an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg and his team at Facebook. However, the contents are equally applicable to a lot of people across all walks of life.

Dear Mark,

Hi! I’m a regular user of Facebook (though I do not log on daily) and I have re-connected with a lot of old friends, thanks to you and your team.

Lately, I’ve been seeing with a lot of consternation the misuse of facebook by a group of people, and hence I am writing this letter to you. I do not know how to send it to you (cannot send you a message on your facebook page), hence I am going to post it on my blog in the hope that it reaches you.

This month saw an “Everybody draw Muhammad Day” on facebook. Needless to say, as a Muslim, it hurt me like hell! And I can assure you; it hurt every practicing Muslim who saw, read or heard about it.

A lot of people also wrote to each other about banning facebook. It would have been the easiest thing to do for me.

But, I believe, these sorts of reactions are possibly the reason why we have so much angst in the world today.

God has made us humans unique, in the sense of giving us the freedom to choose, to think and make our own decisions.

But at the same time, this freedom comes with a responsibility – the responsibility of doing the right thing.

And anything that has the potential of hurting 20% of the people of the world – I’m sure you’ll agree – cannot be right!

Mark, everything has a potential of amazing use for good, as well as for wrong ends. Likewise, on facebook. Your invention has done an amazing lot of good in helping people re-connect; do not let it be misused by a small group of people for their petty ends.

I read with delight your donation to Diaspora. It shows your strong belief in freedom as well as the responsibility to guard that freedom. And that is what makes me believe that you will do something about not letting facebook be a medium for people who do not respect the religion or wishes of others who have a different approach to our Creator from theirs.

Yours sincerely,

Mubin

The Concept of Hijaab

Newspapers over the past few weeks have been flooded with articles related to the ban on Hijaab in some country or the other. Issues raised have related to women’s emancipation, their independence, equality, their status in society, and lately, about Hijaab being a threat to security!

For this post, I intend to look at the concept of Hijaab or Purdah, from five angles. And then leave it to you, dear reader, to arrive at your own conclusions.
A. Definition of Hijaab in Islam
B. Extent of observing Hijaab in the manner of dressing
C. Removal of purdah and the effect on society (no moral preaching, just a few thoughts)
D. Hijaab in other religions
E. Hijaab for men

So here I go.

A. Definition of Hijaab in Islam
The Arabic word ‘Hijab’ literally means curtain or cover. Most Islamic legal systems define this type of modest dressing as covering everything except the face and hands in public. According to Islamic scholarship, Hijab is given the wider meaning of modesty, privacy, and morality. (Wikipedia)

In other words, it means to either hide oneself or be modest in the manner of dressing in front of strangers of the opposite gender. At the same time – and this is often forgotten - it also means avoiding looking at strangers of the opposite gender. (Strangers here would mean any person who one can technically marry).

When I am watching a movie and gaze upon the actress on screen, both she and I are guilty of not observing Hijaab.

B. Extent of observing Hijaab in the manner of dressing
Dr. Zakir Naik, in his book, “Answers to non-Muslims’ Common Questions about Islam” has succinctly mentioned the types of clothes to be worn, and I quote-

According to Qur’an and Sunnah there are basically six criteria for observing hijab:
1. Extent:
The first criterion is the extent of the body that should be covered. This is different for men and women. The extent of covering obligatory on the male is to cover the body at least from the navel to the knees. For women, the extent of covering obligatory is to cover the complete body except the face and the hands upto the wrist. If they wish to, they can cover even these parts of the body. Some scholars of Islam insist that the face and the hands are part of the obligatory extent of ‘hijab’.
All the remaining five criteria are the same for men and women.
2. The clothes worn should be loose and should not reveal the figure.
3. The clothes worn should not be transparent such that one can see through them.
4. The clothes worn should not be so glamorous as to attract the opposite sex.
5. The clothes worn should not resemble that of the opposite sex.
6. The clothes worn should not resemble that of the unbelievers i.e. they should not wear clothes that are specifically identities or symbols of the unbelievers’ religions.
(Unquote)

The following verse of the Qur’an sums up the requirement of Hijab from believing women.

Waqul lilmu/minati yaghdudna min absarihinna wayahfathna furoojahunna wala yubdeena zeenatahunna illa ma thahara minha walyadribna bikhumurihinna AAala juyoobihinna wala yubdeena zeenatahunna illa libuAAoolatihinna aw aba-ihinna aw aba-i buAAoolatihinna aw abna-ihinna aw abna-i buAAoolatihinna aw ikhwanihinna aw banee ikhwanihinna aw banee akhawatihinna aw nisa-ihinna aw ma malakat aymanuhunna awi alttabiAAeena ghayri olee al-irbati mina alrrijali awi alttifli allatheena lam yathharoo AAala AAawrati alnnisa-i wala yadribna bi-arjulihinna liyuAAlama ma yukhfeena min zeenatihinna watooboo ila Allahi jameeAAan ayyuha almu/minoona laAAallakum tuflihoona

And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss. (Qur’an 24:31; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

There is another verse that explains the manner of covering of a believing woman.

Ya ayyuha alnnabiyyu qul li-azwajika wabanatika wanisa-i almu/mineena yudneena AAalayhinna min jalabeebihinna thalika adna an yuAArafna fala yu/thayna wakana Allahu ghafooran raheeman

O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Qur’an 33:59; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

One of the Hadiths of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) clearly mentions the extent that a Muslim woman should cover herself.

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:
Asma, daughter of AbuBakr, entered upon the Apostle of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) wearing thin clothes. The Apostle of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) turned his attention from her. He said: O Asma, when a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it does not suit her that she displays her parts of body except this and this, and he pointed to her face and hands. (Abu Dawood: Book 32, Hadith 4092)

To sum up, the most important term in the manner of dressing is that it should be such that even if a stranger sees you, it should not (sexually) attract him or her towards you.

C. Removal of purdah and the effect on society
A Marketing Head of a music channel, sharing the results of a study they had conducted in 2008 on the youth of today, summed up of the attitudes of girls in a single statement, “Let me show you what you can’t have”.

In the guise of openness, isn’t this moral turpitude?

As I’ve mentioned earlier, I’m not going to preach, so let me just ask some questions, which my readers may answer for themselves.

When we see beauty contests, Fashion TV and similar TV channels, Film Awards shows or even the kind of photographs of actresses, models, WAGs etc. that keep being printed daily in respectable ‘family’ newspapers, do we look at those women as individuals, or as “...mmmmmmm”?

What first strikes our mind when we see a demure looking girl in a nice loose dress walking down the street vis-a-vis when we see a similar girl in a cleavage revealing, figure-hugging dress?

Finally, have things like dancing, stage shows, small dresses, bikinis etc really made women equal to men, or elevated their position in society?

D. Hijaab in other religions
Both Christianity and Judaism have laid emphasis on the veil. Till the 12th century, Christian women traditionally wore veils. The exception was young girls (note the similarity to Islam?). It was only from the 15th century onwards that veils were replaced with hoods, and then slowly over the next 500 years, we see what we see today.

Judaism requires both men and women to substantially cover their bodies. Men are generally required to wear long trousers and long-sleeve shirts, and women wear blouses with sleeves below the elbow and skirts that cover the knees. Women are also required to wear loose clothes and not trousers in the presence of men. Men and women of the conservative Haredi community still do not wear tight clothes, skirts with slits, thin or bright clothes etc. (again, note the similarity?).

Similar to Islam, Judaism also follows the concepts of ‘Yichud’ – the non-permissibility of a man and a woman not married to each other being allowed to meet in seclusion – and ‘Negiah’ – non-permissibility of physical contact with a member of the opposite sex, except for one's spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, and grandparents – people one cannot marry.

We have a strong Jewish community here in Mumbai. Do we remember seeing Jewish men and women without proper loose-fitting dresses? I, for sure, don’t!

As regards Christianity, let me just begin and end with this quote.

But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. (Corinthian 11:5-6, King James Bible)

Buddhist, Jain and Hindu nuns have been either covering or shaving their heads for centuries.

E. Hijaab for men
Which brings me to my last point. Is Hijab only for women in Islam?

While we all keep talking about covering women etc., Hijaab is as strictly enjoined for men in Islam – maybe even more strictly.

Regarding the manner of dressing, certain types of dresses and ornaments that would make women attracted towards them are forbidden for men. There are numerous Hadith to that effect. Let me quote two.

Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri:
AbdurRahman said: I asked AbuSa'id al-Khudri about wearing lower garment. He said: You have come to the man who knows it very well. The Apostle of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: The way for a believer to wear a lower garment is to have it halfway down his legs and he is guilty of no sin if it comes halfway between that and the ankles, but what comes lower than the ankles is in Hell. On the day of Resurrection. Allah will not look at him who trails his lower garment conceitedly. (Abu Dawood: Book 32, Hadith 4082)

Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib:
The Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) took silk and held it in his right hand, and took gold and held it in his left hand and said: both of these are prohibited to the males of my community. (Abu Dawood: Book 32, Hadith 4046)

Clearly, Muslim men are also required to cover their body from the navel upto the ankles. Additionally, Muslim men are forbidden from wearing gold jewellery, silk or any similar things that could be considered as a display of wealth on one’s body.

That’s not strict!

But the strict part of the Hijaab for men is not in their dress. It is in this verse of the Qur’an.

Qul lilmu/mineena yaghuddoo min absarihum wayahfathoo furoojahum thalika azka lahum inna Allaha khabeerun bima yasnaAAoona

Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. (Qur’an 24:30; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

In the Qur’an, men are strictly ordered to lower their eyes in front of strange women, and not to look at them in the face.

Difficult?

Now let’s see what the Bible says about it.

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. (Mathew 5:27-29, King James Bible)

This post has become much longer than what I’d envisaged when I started writing it. But let me end this post with a story from the Ramayana that I’d heard when I was a child. I do not have a reference for this; yet I’m mentioning it here - as an apt ending to this topic.

This was after Sita was kidnapped by Ravan. As he was carrying her to Lanka, she started dropping her jewellery one by one to guide Ram and Lakshman. When the jewellery was shown to them, Ram recognised all of it as Sita’s. But Lakshman could not recognise any jewellery – necklace, earrings, bangles. The only jewellery he recognised was Sita’s ‘bichiyas’ (toe rings worn by married women). When questioned, he said, “How could I look at Sita’s face when she was a strange woman to me? All my life, I have only looked at her feet, and I’m sure that these are her bichiya.”

(References and Acknowledgements: Al Qur’an; The Books of Hadith; ‘Answers to non-Muslims’ Common Questions about Islam’ by Dr. Zakir Naik; The Bible; Wikipedia; yaqb.org. Thanks once again to my brothers and cousins)

The Power of Music

Name one thing synonymous with Hindi Movies (or any Indian movie for that matter).

You’re right, it’s music! Virtually no movie is complete without it.

And therefore, after my previous post on movies, it is only apt that my next post is on music.

However, it is not about film music, but about music itself.

It is said that music has the power to relieve tensions (though some types of music work the opposite!). Music attracts and unites people, irrespective of caste, creed, beliefs, attitudes, geographical boundaries...

And that is where I end this post – geographical boundaries...

With a link to a little film that I saw on youtube, courtesy my friend, A.G. Danish (Thank You, Danish!). Actually I wanted to just post the link, but I realised I hadn’t bored all of you for a while, hence these few lines.

Enjoy!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2tFfQyv4uM

(P.S. Apologies to my friends who are not from India. This tune is very unique to our country)

Hindi Films behind the Veil

Hi everyone,

Been a long time since my last post! A combination of work (lots – both at office and at home!), Windows crashing (Thank You, Mr. G.) and a temporary writer’s block (miniscule) led to this.

However, things seem to be back to normal (lots of work is now normal – and I’m loving it :-)), so here’s my latest – on Hindi Films Behind the Veil.

Sometime in 2004, I was travelling between Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Upon entering the flight, I saw an elderly, distinguished looking Saudi gentleman in my place, animatedly talking to the gentleman next to him. Realising that he could have made a mistake, I said, “Excuse me Sir, I think you’re sitting on my seat.” He gave me a beatific smile and responded, “Young man, I know I’m sitting on your seat!”

My consternation must have been immediately visible. Seeing me flummoxed like that, he explained that the gentleman on his left was an old friend from his youth. They had lost touch, and had bumped into each other after nearly 25-30 years, and were catching up on all the lost time!

Then he asked me, “Where are you from?” I still remember his words when I said I was from India. “Aah! The land of Amitabh Bachchan.”

Huh!!! I mean, I know that a lot of people across the globe love Hindi Films, and a lot of people would recognize Mr.B. Egyptians, for instance, are crazy about him. But this was Saudi Arabia.

Conservative, puritan Saudi Arabia.

Where films are not made, there are no cinema theatres and expats watch movies from their country on their DVDs at home.

And virtually no Saudi understands Hindi.

I must have showed my amazement on my face, to which the gentleman explained that there were cinema theatres in Saudi Arabia earlier. He had grown up watching Hindi films on his 16 mm projector in the Old City of Jeddah, and was a big fan of Amitabh Bachchan, having watched all his films from Zanjeer onwards.

I thought that possibly the older generation of Saudis - who had seen some Hindi films – must have some knowledge about our cinema. But for the younger ones, who have grown up on American culture and swayed to Lebanese pop music, our films must be as alien as possibly someone from Alpha Centauri.

That notion changed about a year later, when my wife and I were out shopping in Azizia, Jeddah – an area populated by people of the countries of our sub-continent.

Those who know Jeddah would know that the Pakistani populated area of Azizia is one of the best places to get pirated CDs. One can get decent quality CDs within a day of the movie releasing in India, and sometimes even the day before – from hawkers, who are discreet when they have some ‘information’ and pretty blatant otherwise, spreading their wares on sheets on the footpath.

Well, coming to the point, my wife and I were shopping for some fresh vegetables, next to this hawker of CDs, when a group of 5-6 very excited Saudi girls chatting animatedly came up and asked the hawker for the latest “John Ibraheem film”.

???

After they’d done their purchase and moved on, the hawker shared that after his shirtless debut in Jism, our Abraham was the latest heartthrob of Saudi girls, and he actually had to stock better quality, extra CDs of John’s films.

Well, well, well! I wouldn’t even have dreamt of that!

How many friends do you have?

How many friends do you have?

Let’s think! School friends, college friends, friends in office, friends at home, at places we frequent regularly, and then some phenomena possibly unique to Mumbai City - train friends.

Then there’s the new technology-driven revolution. Facebook, Orkut and other social networking sites, through which we now have hundreds – if not thousands – of friends!

The measure of a person’s popularity is the number of friends he has.

But just wait. Are these friends? Or are they acquaintances, colleagues, neighbours, associates etc?

The Oxford Dictionary defines the word ‘friend’ as ‘a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically one exclusive of sexual or family relations’.

I believe this simple definition is not enough! It falls far short of the real understanding of the word.

I read a nice poem (I don’t know the author) which defined friendship as follows-

A friend is a tender shoulder
On which to softly cry
A well to pour your troubles down
And raise your spirits high

A friend is a hand to pull you up
From darkness and despair...
When all your other “so called” friends
Have helped to put you there

A true friend is an ally
Who can't be moved or bought
A voice to keep your name alive
When others have forgot

But most of all a friend has a true heart
For from the hearts of friends
There comes the greatest love of all!

And a much more profound definition of a friend was given by Aristotle, who said, “What is a friend? A single soul, dwelling in two bodies”.

I remember having read a very nice story of a businessman who had just one friend, while his son had hundreds. The son used to keep telling the businessman that he would have succeeded much more in life if he had more friends, and used to keep referring to himself and his friend circle.

Then one day, the businessman told his son, “Son, let’s check if your so-called friends are really your friends. Tomorrow morning, go to all your friends one by one and tell them that we have lost everything in our business, and we’re destitute – on the streets. Tell them that you need their help. Ask them for a place to stay and food for our entire family and some of our servants for one month. Tell them that we would manage on our own after that.”

The next morning, the son did as he was told. He went to each of those hundreds of friends and asked them for help. But under one pretext or the other, he was turned away by all of them. Each one – except for two.

He returned home and narrated the entire episode to his father. The businessman asked him about the statements of the two friends who had agreed to help him. He replied, “Dad, the first friend asked me, ‘How many people are you?’ When I gave the answer, he asked me to come on over and stay with him. The second friend said, ‘Come on over. By the way, how many of you would be there?’.”

The businessman told his son, “See, you have possibly just two friends. Nurture and cherish their friendship, especially of the second one. Because he could be possibly your only friend.”

While the son had got the message, he was still puzzled as to why his father still said that these two were ‘possibly’ his friends. So he asked his father. And the businessman said, “Now let me show you what a friend really is. Go to my friend and tell him the same story.”

The son went to his father’s friend. Upon hearing the story, the father’s friend said, “Son, you come in and rest, while I go and fetch your father and everyone else. And you need not worry about one month or whatever. You can stay here for as long as you want. And I’ll help you and your father to build your business again.”

So, how many friends do you have?

The Qur’an on the Cosmos

It has been a fortnight since I’ve written the last post, and what a hectic fortnight it has been!

Added to that, when I sat down to make my notes related to this post, it ran into more than 20 pages!

It has taken a lot of editing to bring this post down to manageable size, although I’ve had to leave a lot of references out.

What I’ll try and do in this post is to mention a few theories, relating to the earth and the universe, prevailing in the 6th century AD or later, give one or two references (if needed) on each, and mention what the Qur’an has to say about them. Later in the post, I shall specifically mention a couple of celestial phenomena that were completely unknown when the Qur’an was revealed – phenomena discovered only in the past 40-odd years – and see if the Qur’an has any references to these.

Theory 1: The Universe is without beginning or end

As late as the first three decades of the 20th century, scientists believed that the universe was static - without beginning or end. Even Albert Einstein, in his general theory of relativity, added a cosmological constant to his theory to try to force it to allow for a static universe with matter in it.

The idea of the universe expanding was proposed by Hubble only in 1929. And it was only in the 60s, with the works of Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose that the majority of cosmologists accepted the Big Bang theory, where the universe began a finite time ago.

On this point, the Qur’an says,

Awa lam yara allatheena kafaroo anna alssamawati waal-arda kanata ratqan fafataqnahuma wajaAAalna mina alma-i kulla shay-in hayyin afala yu/minoona

Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe? (Qur’an 21:30; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

Revelation – 6th century. Acceptance by scientists – 20th century. And an interesting use of words – ‘clove them asunder’. Striking resemblance to the Big Bang, isn’t it?

There’s another verse which has a clear reference to the Big Bang.

Thumma istawa ila alssama-i wahiya dukhanun faqala laha walil-ardi i/tiya tawAAan aw karhan qalata atayna ta-iAAeena

Moreover He comprehended in His design the sky, and it had been (as) smoke: He said to it and to the earth: "Come ye together, willingly or unwillingly." They said: "We do come (together), in willing obedience." (Qur’an 41:11; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

Another verse clearly mentions that the Universe will come to an end.

Yawma natwee alssamaa katayyi alssijlli lilkutubi kama bada/na awwala khalqin nuAAeeduhu waAAdan AAalayna inna kunna faAAileena

The Day that We roll up the heavens like a scroll rolled up for books (completed),- even as We produced the first creation, so shall We produce a new one: a promise We have undertaken: truly shall We fulfil it. (Qur’an 21:104; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

Each of these verses pointed to things that were unknown till the last couple of hundred years to humans!

Theory 2: The earth is static and the centre of the universe

Around 150 AD, Ptolemy theorised that the earth was static, and that the Sun and all other planets revolved around it.

Around 1543 AD or so, Tycho Brahe proposed a geo-centric universe, with a static Earth at the centre of the Universe with the Moon and the Sun orbiting it, with the rest of the planets going around the Sun.

Two key proponents of the theory that the earth is not static and not the centre of the universe - Copernicus (around 1543 AD) and Galileo (17th century) – were both accused of heresy. While Copernicus’s book was banned, Galileo was given life imprisonment and was under house arrest till his death. Remember, both these events happened during the Renaissance!

To be fair, the idea of a heliocentric system had actually already been proposed around 200 B.C. However, Aristotle had asked some very simple - and very logical – questions; way earlier, around 350 B.C. This father of formal logic had asked, (1) If the Earth spun on an axis, why didn't objects fly off?; (2) If the Earth was moving (around the Sun), why didn't it leave behind the birds flying in the air?; (3) If the Earth was orbiting the sun, why didn't the stars appear to change their position since they were being viewed from a different perspective? And these seemingly logical questions held sway for a geo-centric system till the Renaissance.

And then this theory turned around on its head, to another theory.

Theory 3: The Sun is static and the centre of the Universe

First Copernicus and then Galileo propounded the heliocentric theory of planetary motion. This theory was supported by Yohann Keppler, who, around 1609, showed that planets revolve around the sun and also rotate upon their axes.

However, post these discoveries, it was thought that the Sun was stationary and did not rotate about its axis like the Earth.

On both these theories, the Qur’an says

Wahuwa allathee khalaqa allayla waalnnahara waalshshamsa waalqamara kullun fee falakin yasbahoona

It is He Who created the Night and the Day, and the sun and the moon: all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course. (Qur’an 21:33; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

Simple line, yet very profound!

This is re-stated in the Sura Ya-Seen.

La alshshamsu yanbaghee laha an tudrika alqamara wala allaylu sabiqu alnnahari wakullun fee falakin yasbahoona

It is not permitted to the Sun to catch up the Moon, nor can the Night outstrip the Day: Each just swims along in its own orbit according to Law. (Qur’an 36:40; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

Theory 4: The earth is flat

I allude to this theory also because of one of my readers – swap – who has mentioned this in his/her comments. (Just an aside for swap - it would be great if you could identify yourself. You could e-mail me at khanmubin@gmail.com).

While Zaffer has replied to this, giving references in his reply, let me refer to two verses from the Qur’an which prove this theory wrong.

Alam tara anna Allaha yooliju allayla fee alnnahari wayooliju alnnahara fee allayli wasakhkhara alshshamsa waalqamara kullun yajree ila ajalin musamman waanna Allaha bima taAAmaloona khabeerun

Seest thou not that Allah merges Night into Day and he merges Day into Night; that He has subjected the sun, and the moon (to his Law), each running its course for a term appointed; and that Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do? (Qur’an 31:29; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

Khalaqa alssamawati waal-arda bialhaqqi yukawwiru allayla AAala alnnahari wayukawwiru alnnahara AAala allayli wasakhkhara alshshamsa waalqamara kullun yajree li-ajalin musamman ala huwa alAAazeezu alghaffaru

He created the heavens and the earth in true (proportions): He makes the Night overlap the Day, and the Day overlap the Night: He has subjected the sun and the moon (to His law): Each one follows a course for a time appointed. Is not He the Exalted in Power - He Who forgives again and again? (Qur’an 39:5; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

The English translations of both these verses really fall short of explaining the true meaning of the Arabic words.

In the former verse, the Arabic word 'yooliju' refers to the night slowly and gradually changing to day and vice versa. Such gradual changes can happen only if the earth is round. It stands to reason that if the earth was flat, this change would be sudden and not gradual.

In the latter verse, the Arabic word ‘yukawwiru’ literally means ‘to overlap’ or ‘to coil’. As eloquently explained by Dr. Zakir Naik many times, this overlapping or coiling is in the way a turban is wound around the head. The overlapping or coiling of the day and night can only take place if the earth is spherical.

But wait, I’m keeping on proving that the earth is round, but it really is not. We have found in the last century that the earth is flat at the poles – egg-shaped, as it were!

So what does the Qur’an say?

Waal-arda baAAda thalika dahaha

And the earth, moreover, hath He extended to a wide expanse (Qur’an 79:30; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

The key word in this verse is ‘dahaha’, which means an ostrich-egg. Anyone who has seen an ostrich-egg will see the resemblance with the spherical shape of the earth.

Do we need any more proof?

I realise that the post has become quite long, and I’ve not even touched the tip of the iceberg which is the minefield of scientific information in the Qur’an. So let me quickly move to verses pointing to three phenomena which really have been discovered only in the past 3-4 decades.

Phenomenon 1 – The Universe is expanding

Waalssamaa banaynaha bi-aydin wa-inna lamoosiAAoona

With power and skill did We construct the Firmament: for it is We Who create the vastness of space (Qur’an 51:47; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

When translated word for word, the literal meaning of the verse is ‘And the sky/space We built/constructed it with power/support, and We are extending/spreading (it)’. The key Arabic word here is ‘moosioona’ which means ‘expanding’.

Phenomenon 2 - Presence of interstellar matter

I remember studying in my physics class in school that space between two celestial bodies is a vacuum. And I went to school in the 80s! Only recently, astrophysicists discovered the presence of plasma - consisting of completely ionized gas containing equal number of free electrons and positive ions - in this interstellar space.

In the 6th century AD, the Qur’an said,

Allathee khalaqa alssamawati waal-arda wama baynahuma fee sittati ayyamin thumma istawa AAala alAAarshi alrrahmanu fais-al bihi khabeeran

He Who created the heavens and the earth and all that is between, in six days, and is firmly established on the Throne (of Authority): Allah Most Gracious: ask thou, then, about Him of any acquainted (with such things). (Qur’an 25:59; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

‘All that is in between’? Why does the verse not stop at heavens and the earth? Interesting, isn’t it?

Phenomenon 3 - Pulsars

First discovered in 1967, pulsars are highly magnetised neutron stars that emit beams of radiation. These radiations from the pulsars make sounds like a knock or of a hammer. Scientists have also discovered that these radiations have the ability to penetrate or pierce anything, including the earth.

Nearly 1,400 years before this discovery, the Qur’an said,

Waalssama-i waalttariqi. Wama adraka ma alttariqu. Alnnajmu alththaqibu.

By the Sky and the Night-Visitant (therein); And what will explain to thee what the Night-Visitant is? (It is) the Star of piercing brightness. (Qur’an 86:1-3; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

Two key Arabic words in these three verses accurately describe pulsars. ‘Taariq’ means ‘knocking sounds’, reflecting the sounds emitted by pulsars; and ‘Thaaqib’ means ‘penetrating waves’, accurately describing the beams of radiation of a pulsar.

Is it any surprise then that the chapter itself is called ‘At-Taariq’?

And for someone who wants to debate on the ‘six day’ comment, it would be worth remembering that the Arabic word for day is ‘youm’, and it could stand for different measures of time, from a day to an eon.

There are a few verses in the Qur’an which point to this fact. Consider these-

TaAAruju almala-ikatu waalrroohu ilayhi fee yawmin kana miqdaruhu khamseena alfa sanatin

The angels and the spirit ascend unto him in a Day the measure whereof is (as) fifty thousand years. (Qur’an 70:4; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

WayastaAAjiloonaka bialAAathabi walan yukhlifa Allahu waAAdahu wa-inna yawman AAinda rabbika kaalfi sanatin mimma taAAuddoona

Yet they ask thee to hasten on the Punishment! But Allah will not fail in His Promise. Verily a Day in the sight of thy Lord is like a thousand years of your reckoning. (Qur’an 22:47; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

For educated people like us, who now know that a day on Earth is not the same as a day on Mars, which is different from a day on Saturn, this concept should not be difficult to grasp.

Even after editing, I realise this post has run too long. I trust it would hold the attention of readers of my blog.

And let me end with a reference to the one verse that all Muslims – and most non-Muslims – know. It is in the first chapter of the Qur’an, and it says,

Alhamdu lillahi rabbi alAAalameen

Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds (Qur’an 1:2; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

I have always found this to be a very interesting verse. Why did Allah not choose the word ‘Al Kawn’ (The Universe). Why did He choose to use the word Aalameen (the worlds). After all, He has mentioned that He created the universe, and the description is similar to the Big Bang theory (we’ve read that earlier in this post).

Is this a signal to mankind that there is extra-terrestial life elsewhere in this Universe?

(References and Acknowledgements: Al Qur’an; The Qur’aan and Modern Science-Compatible or Incompatible by Dr. Zakir Naik; The Bible, The Qur’an and Science by Dr. Maurice Bucaille; www.islam.about.com; Wikipedia; www.windows.ucar.edu; yaqb.org and many other websites, books, notes and presentations. Thanks to Zaffer, Mudassar, Naeem, Waseem, Khalid, Irfan and my other brothers and sisters who have been feeding me with information over time and enriching my knowledge of our religion )

Sachin Tendulkar's Performance Appraisal

A howlarious e-mail sent by my friend, Luke de Noronha, immediately after Sachin scored his double ton had me in splits, and I just had to share it with all of you!

Thanks Luke, for letting me do so!

How would Management appraise Sachin Tendulkar's performance?

Sachin Tendulkar: 200 Runs, 147 Balls, 25x4, 3x6

Agree you have done well……BUT

25 x 4s = 100
3 x 6s = 18

It implies that you have done 118 runs in 28 balls

And
12 x 2s = 24
58 x 1s = 58

It means you have done all 200 runs in only 98 balls

So you have wasted 147-98 = 49 balls

Considering only 1 run scored on each of these balls you could have earned 49 valuable runs for our team

Manager’s Comment: You Met Expectations and NOT EXCEEDED (though anyone else of our team could not do it) and your Grade is C

Training Recommendations: Learn how to STEAL singles

Congrats Sachin, but I wanted more!

Words fail me when I want to congratulate possibly the best overall batsman (and a good but under-utilised bowler) in world cricket today!

On the way to a meeting, listening to the commentary on AIR, I was rooting for Sachin to complete his double century and create a new world record. And when he eventually did, I stopped the car to clap, whistle and do a little jig right there, at the junction of Hiranandani and Kailas Complex, Powai.

But I must confess that I was a tad disappointed! Not much, just a miniscule - I think the disappointment was somewhere in the range of 2.96 parts per trillion.

Because when he had reached 186 in the 43rd over, and runs were coming in torrents, my expectations had increased.

I wanted him to then take more of the strike and score 230.

Because, that would have then been the world record for the highest score in any recognised form of one day international cricket.

Beating Belinda Clark's 229*, for Australia v/s Denmark in the Women's World Cup in Dec 1997; which was incidentally scored at Sachin's home ground - MIG, Mumbai!

That's the problem about this genius. The more he does, the more we fans expect. But really, he does not disappoint us, does he!

Congrats once again, Little Master!

The Qur'an on Embryology

During the course of an online discussion last week, a non-Muslim acquaintance made a sweeping statement about the Qur’an needing to be updated. While I immediately corrected him about making a statement without having read it or knowing about it, it set me thinking.

So, from this post onwards, I’ll try for every alternate post on the Qur’an for a while. And at the end of a few posts, I’ll let him decide.

So, RD, this is for you!

In one of my earlier posts (July 09), I had written about the water cycle. In that, I had mentioned that I would write about human embryology later. So, let’s start with that.

In approximately 610 A.D., the first verse of the Qur’an was revealed. And it says-

Iqra/ bi-ismi rabbika allathee khalaqa. Khalaqa al-insana min AAalaqin

Proclaim! (or read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created. Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood. (Qur’an 96:1-2; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

The word ‘alaq’ in Arabic has multiple meanings. One of them is a drop of congealed blood. Another meaning is something that clings – a leech-like substance.

Describes the state of the foetus in the first two weeks very succintly, doesn't it?

There is another verse, which says-

Inna khalaqna al-insana min nutfatin amshajin nabtaleehi fajaAAalnahu sameeAAan baseeran.

Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: So We gave him (the gifts), of Hearing and Sight. (Qur’an 76:2; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

Mingled? Now what’s that?

Possibility one – we know that the zygote is formed from the mingling of the sperm with the egg. And most people even in the ancient times knew this. So what’s new?

But consider the word – mingled sperm. Sperm. Not mingled liquids, but mingled sperm.

Only in the past half a century or so, with advances in medical research and the invention of powerful microscopes, do we know that the semen doesn't just contain sperm, but fluids secreted by several glands during ejaculation.

During the sexual act, semen travels from the epididymis through the vas deferens, where it picks up a fluid rich in fructose - a sugary substance that acts a bit like rocket fuel. Other fluids kick in along the way to the urethra, from the prostate gland, the Cowper's glands and the seminal vesicles - each one having a role to play.

The finished product contains approximately just 10% sperm. The rest consists of enzymes, vitamin C, calcium, protein, sodium, zinc, citric acid and fructose sugar.

It gets more interesting.

Khalaqakum min nafsin wahidatin thumma jaAAala minha zawjaha waanzala lakum mina al-anAAami thamaniyata azwajin yakhluqukum fee butooni ommahatikum khalqan min baAAdi khalqin fee thulumatin thalathin thalikumu Allahu rabbukum lahu almulku la ilaha illa huwa faanna tusrafoona.

He created you (all) from a single person: then created, of like nature, his mate; and he sent down for you eight head of cattle in pairs: He makes you, in the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness. Such is Allah, your Lord and Cherisher: to Him belongs (all) dominion. There is no god but He: then how are ye turned away (from your true Centre)? (Qur’an 39:6; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

Three veils of darkness.

Modern studies in embryology have proved that the foetus in the womb is covered first by the anterior abdominal wall of the mother, the uterine wall and then the amnio-chorionic membrane.
Let’s look at a couple more verses before I end.

Walaqad khalaqna al-insana min sulalatin min teenin. Thumma jaAAalnahu nutfatan fee qararin makeenin. Thumma khalaqna alnnutfata AAalaqatan fakhalaqna alAAalaqata mudghatan fakhalaqna almudghata AAithaman fakasawna alAAithama lahman thumma ansha/nahu khalqan akhara fatabaraka Allahu ahsanu alkhaliqeena.

Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay). Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed. Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then we developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create! (Qur’an 23:12-14; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

4 stages clearly mentioned: Alaqah (leech-like) - which is how the foetus implants itself in the uterus; then a mudghah (lump) – which is really how it looks after a couple of weeks of absorbing nutrients; then flesh and bones – which starts from about week four onwards; and then finally the birth.

Falyanthuri al-insanu mimma khuliqa. Khuliqa min ma-in dafiqin. Yakhruju min bayni alssulbi waalttara-ibi.

Now let man but think from what he is created! He is created from a drop emitted. Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs (Qur’an 86:5-7; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

Let me copy from Dr. Zakir Naik on this - In embryonic stages, the reproductive organs of the male and female, i.e. the testicles and the ovaries, begin their development near the kidney between the spinal column and the eleventh and twelfth ribs. Later they descend; the ovaries stop in the pelvis while the testicles continue their descent before birth to reach the scrotum through the inguinal canal. Even in the adult after the descent of the reproductive organ, these organs receive their nerve supply and blood supply from the Abdominal Aorta, which is in the area between the backbone (spinal column) and the ribs. Even the lymphatic drainage and the venous return goes to the same area.

There are many more verses, but not many people read long posts (or even long news articles) nowadays. Hence, in reader interest, let me stop here with two thoughts that I leave behind.

How could an unlettered – illiterate – person living in the desert of Arabia could have known all this?

More importantly, if this book, revealed between approx. 610-633 A.D., contains such verses that are in perfect harmony with modern medical science, does it need to be updated, or does our knowledge of it needs to be improved?

More on Cosmology in the next post, Insha Allah. Till then, just think about this!

(References: The Qur’an; ‘The Bible, The Qur’an and Science by Dr. Maurice Bucaille; The Qur’an and Modern Science by Dr. Zakir Naik; The Qur’an, Knowledge and Science by A. Abdallah; www.thesite.org)

Justice

Two thoughts about our judicial system have been swirling in my mind for a few years now. The incidents that happened in the past one week - the Haveliwala drunken driving, and the Rathore stabbing - make me pen my thoughts down.

Before putting down my thoughts, let me categorically state that there is no intent or attempt at contempt of court, just my personal thoughts on our judicial system.

Justice Delayed is Justice Denied:
This oft’ used phrase never rung truer to me than when I had lodged a case regarding payment made for purchasing a house which I did not get possession of. I lodged the case in court in 2000, and had nothing but ‘taareekh’ (dates) till 2007. Except for once when I went to court and the Honourable Judge just saw my face; neither the builders nor I even had to go to court once till we went together to withdraw the case. The builders were honest fellows who had gone bankrupt, and when they recovered sufficiently, they themselves called and returned my money.

But just consider - if there was not a single hearing in a clear open-and-shut case for seven long years; had the builders not been honest, would I have ever got my money back?

The 1992/93 riot cases, the 1993 blast case are all still somewhere in some ‘fast-track’ court, while the main accused are all roaming scot-free! Someone who was caught red-handed by the army – no less - has won elections and become a minister, getting protection from the same policemen who were supposed to arrest him. And I don’t think anyone even remembers about the status on the 1984 police strike cases!

I’m not sure whether the student who stabbed Rathore was mentally unsound or not, but see the circumstances – 19 years!!!!

Certain cases like the Jessica Lal case, or the Ruchika case, catch our attention due to the media coverage they have got, but just consider this – as many as 3.14 CRORE cases are pending in Indian courts (as on June 2009), possibly in many of which the defendents or the complainants have passed away waiting for justice!

In our Quest to be Just, are we being Unfair:
To my mind, the Qasab case, the Haveliwala drunken driving case, the Salman Khan accident case are all open-and-shut cases. More than enough proof, enough witnesses, and yet, the police has to sew up every thread.

Why do the police have to check out Nooria’s driving record in the US? And how does it make a difference whether there was 457 mg of alcohol in her blood or 45.7 mg. Isn’t it enough that she was drunk and driving? And even assuming for a moment that the alcohol content was within limits, the fact is that she ran over two people. Enough witnesses, clear proofs to support it. Why does the case have to involve sub-cases of in-camera proceedings, media involvement et al? (There’s something else that I’d like to ask her father. Alcohol is haraam in Islam; have you done your duty as a good Muslim father? But that’s another story altogether!)

Why is the Qasab case going through so many twists and turns? The man has massacred innocents on camera – and we’re getting more twists in his case than in an Ekta Kapoor soap!

Why does the onus of proving and re-proving guilt ‘beyond doubt’ even in clear cases like the two above, have to fall on the prosecution? Why do the accused get the benefit of the rarest of doubts, even in cases – and some have been mentioned on court records by some honourable judges – when the honourable judge believes that the person is guilty?

Is it our endeavour to not let a single innocent be proved guilty, even if some guilty people go off scot free? Or is it our endeavour to show to ourselves and the world that we deliver absolute justice?

In both these cases, is it not that we are being over-benevolent to the accused at the cost of traumatising the complainant or the victim? In this case, are we not being unjust really to the victims?

Is it therefore, any surprise that criminals cock a snoop at the legal system?

Are these the reasons for ‘encounters’?

Methinks sometimes that the old days of the rajas that we read about were better – one hearing, clear discussions, quick decisions.

Maybe in a rare case, some innocents may be pronounced guilty (although I would trust our judiciary that such a thing would not happen). But isn’t that a chance worth taking to ensure that justice is not only served, but delivered on time?

Because, at the present moment, for sure, in our quest to be just, we are just being unfair!

(P.S. In case you have liked my post and would like to share it with your friends, I’ve made it easy for you by adding some links at the bottom of each post. Please feel free to just click and share it with others.)

Happy Republic Day

Hi everyone, and a Very Happy Republic Day to you.

Or let me put it another way – A Very Happy one of two days in the year when we remember that our flag is the Tricolour.

Because all other days, I see all kinds of flags – of various hues, shapes, sizes, designs – I see everything but the tricolour!

Every day, when I stop at the Suman Nagar signal, I see three tall poles – one with a saffron flag, one with a blue flag, and one with a blue, saffron, green and white flag.

Walk down Govandi, and you will see flags with a star between the crescent moon.

Certain areas in the city are dotted with green flags, certain others with green and saffron ones.

Flags with lotuses, flags with elephants, flags with palms, flags with moon and star.

And God forbid if anyone even dares to touch or desecrate any of those flags – there would be a riot!

People would be killed, houses would be burnt, children would be orphaned, all for those flags!

As for the tricolour, watch out for the municipal sweepers cleaning the streets on Jan 27 and Aug 16!

Happy Republic Day!

Dreams

“Itni shiddat se tumhe paane ki koshish ki hai
Ki har zarre ne mujhe tumse milane ki saazish ki hai”

(I have tried with such extreme intensity to get you
that every atom has conspired to make me meet you)

“Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaaho to saari qaaynaat tumhe usse milane ki koshish me lag jaati hai”

(It is said that if you desire something with all your heart, then the entire universe endeavours to get it for you)

Gosh, translations have a way of taking the entire romance out of a couplet!

Anyway, remember this dialogue by Shahrukh Khan in Om Shanti Om? There are other variations on the same theme. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is possibly one of the best stories on this. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne talks about the Power of Attraction. One could go on and on.

But is it really true? Does wishing for something with all your heart and soul, with all your intensity of desire, really make it happen for you?

We’ve read about amazing success stories which started from such dreams. I’m not talking about long ago, but recent ones – in our lifetime. Microsoft, Google, Apple, Virgin etc. And closer to home, there’s Infosys. (Read Sudha Moorthy’s “How I taught my Grandmother to read and other stories”). Then there’s Reliance!

Ahh, all of them are too big! It took geniuses, it took a few miracles, there was something else also, etc.etc....

Maybe true. Such stories do not happen to everyone.

But then, it could also have something to do with the dream that you have. Let me give the examples of two boys - one the son of a clerk who lost his job in the union strike in the 80s, and the other the son of a taxi driver. Both started off their lives in chawls in Nagpada (Google 'Nagpada' in case it sounds unfamiliar, and I'm sure you know what chawl means.)

Today, the first boy is a CA who is now working as a CFO at an MNC; and the other has his own successful contracting business, and who also runs and virtually single-handedly funds an orphanage for girls.

Which brings me to today's story. Of a boy who was also born and brought up in a chawl in that same area. In a 180 sq.ft. tenement with four toilets to be shared between 20 similar households. He lived in an area where most boys dropped out of school, and the better ones went on to pass their Std.10, and just a handful actually went on to complete their education. His mother was a municipal school teacher. And that allowed him and his two brothers to study for free, as the municipal corporation would pay their fees. He had to come 1st or 2nd in class, so that he would be eligible for scholarships that would help buy books, stationery and uniforms for the next year. Even with that, the brothers would have only only one set of uniform each for the entire school year.

One set of new clothes would come on Eid. And they had to be taken care of for the entire year. Imagine three growing boys starting off the year wearing loose shirts and trousers, which would be so tight-fitting a year later that the stitch had to be altered.

He participated in - and won - elocution competitions, debates, quizzes, but did not get through in athletics; maybe something to do with the diet - or lack of it!

He made a virtue of attending his school parties in school uniform when all classmates were in their best dresses.

When the time came to go to college, the issue was not of fees or books - he knew he would get the scholarship to take care of that - but of what he would wear! But he went through, with clothes borrowed from and shared with his uncle!

Immediately after college, he had to work since scholarships stopped after graduation, and there was not enough money to go in for higher education. His attempts to get into management were thwarted through a series of getting through CATs, GDs and failing in interviews. He did not know why then, but he possibly realizes now.

But amidst all this, he dared to dream!

Dreams which seem small now, but which were unachievable then!

Dreams of a large house ("with a kitchen as big as the house we are staying in, Ammi!"), of a car so that his parents would no longer have to wait for the bus or train in their old age, of enough money so that his wife and children would never lack what he, his mother and his brothers did.

And worked towards realising those dreams.

His mother pledged her Provident Fund, and along with his own savings through the period that he worked after graduation, he got through for post-graduation in Advertising and PR at IIMC, New Delhi. Upon reaching Delhi, he realised that the bank draft that he was carrying with him would take 15 days to encash, while the fees had to be paid in cash within 3 days!

And then, the dreams started coming true!

The universe conspired and endeavoured to get him what he wanted.

A friend of his mother had given him a letter to be delivered to her uncle in Delhi. He had never met this gentleman, they did not know each other, and a mixture of pride and embarrassment would not allow him to seek anyone's help. But somehow, when he went to deliver the letter, this gentleman realised something was amiss, found out the details, and not only paid his fees but also gave him some spare money to tide over till the draft was encashed and he could repay the loan.

That was the first instance!

From an advertising agency, he moved to a media house when it was considered infra dig to do so. Within 3 years, he got ESOPs, which partially helped fund his house!

That was the second instance!

When he tried his hand at a business and was swindled in it, he got a job in the Middle East, which not only helped him recover his losses, but also enabled him to perform Haj - a privilege that most Indian Muslims only keep dreaming about!

That was another!

If I write all the instances where the universe conspired to help this boy who just dared to dream and work towards it, it would take a book!

As my brother likes to say, "Dreams are a manifestation of your inner ambitions. They help you fix the aim / target / destination.....or the intent."

These dreams are the one that you dream in daylight!

So dare to dream - and then don't stop at that. Just go single-mindedly towards achieving your dreams, and the universe will endeavour to help you!

Anyway, what happened to that boy?

He now stays in a house which - as his wife says - is a dream house. The kitchen is not bigger than the tenement he grew up in, but his bathroom is definitely larger than the area that he and his wife used to euphemistically call their "bedroom". He drives a car that none but possibly the top 1% of urban India would drive.

Then, about a little more than a year ago, he stopped dreaming!

And...nothing changed for him.

Nothing at all!

There is no movement.

On the outside, he is reasonably successful, happy, "arrived" - as they say in Mumbai. But internally he realises that the past year could have been much better used. He could have gained much more - more knowledge, more work, more self-fulfillment!

He knows that the realisation has come in time. He's still young! He has started dreaming again - and working towards it.

This is not the 'Happies Endings' yet.

Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost!

(Postscript: I wanted to start the New Year with a blog that will hopefully inspire people to dare to dream, think positive and work unwaveringly towards achieving their dreams. Written over 10 days, this post is a culmination of that. Even if it helps one person achieve his/her dreams, that excruciating catharsis that I underwent in penning this would be worth it.)