Better light a candle than curse the darkness

ISSN 2319-4049

http://bakhabar.biharanjuman.org/

Be Aware, Always, Everywhere

Volume 5, Issue 11, November 2012

It is not the meat of the sacrificial animal nor their blood, that reaches Allah: it is your piety that reaches Him: He has thus made them subject to you, that ye may glorify Allah for His Guidance to you and proclaim the good news to all who do right. [Quran, 22:37] Eid Al Adha is a celebration that strengthens a Muslim's resolve to sacrifice, in the way of Allah, that which he may love the most (commemorating Ibrahim Alaihis Salams readiness to sacrifice his most beloved son who was a gift from God in an age when no one could even dream of becoming a father). This sacrifice on the day of Eid-Al-Adha is preceded by disciplining of Muslims to a life of giving (sacrificing) during the first nine days of Dhul-Hijjah (the best ten days of the year), and a strict training of piety, to internalize the attribute of sacrifice (forgiveness, patience, charity, good deeds). May Allah bless us muslims with the right spirit of Eid-Al-Adha, accept the sacrifices of our time, our hard-earned money, our opportunities of perceived enjoyment, and internalize the attributes of sacrifice as a habit throughout the year.

Editorial
Mumbai in Bihar! Just as I was getting used to braving those amusing looks my husband kept giving me since the sudden news of my being the Editor in Chief of Bakhabar, came the evergreen news about the Bihar-Maharashtrian warfare. So unfair! This is a story we have long been accustomed to hearing every now and then , mostly when our dear politicians have nothing better to do. Our Bakhabar story is unique in this respect that an eminent publication from Bihar is being edited by a quintessential Maharashtrian! Ever since my association with Bakhabar everyone keeps asking me if I too was/am from Bihar.[Almost sounding like ,Et tu Brutus!?] When smiles failed to stop those important queries, I resorted to the oft used weapon of silence. But one fine sunny morning, one of my childhood friends, an eminent educationist, too joined the ranks , Is there any chance of your forefathers being from Bihar? she wondered aloud.Now I gave up. Sending a smiley proved to be of no use either ; rather , prompting a further query from the same friend . This time I was asked; May be someone from your in laws ,was ? Well, you know , from where! Now ,I saidYes. Haan hum bhi Bihari hoon! Because it means a hard working person with determination and dedication ! After this, however all queries stopped, and thank God for that and special thanks to Brother Shakeel Ahmad, founder of wonderful Bihar Anjuman, for making this joint venture between Bihar and Mumbai possible. Dont know if that retort of mine was satisfactory or further stirred a hornets nest but it put my mind in the nostalgic gear. And I began recalling my childhood visits to Bombay of those serene times sans the mad politics of today,to my aunts home. Apart from Hanging Gardens, Rani Bagh and Chowpatty, one of the biggest attractions there was one Moulanas corner shop which rented Ibn e Safis novels ,[ A rent that was rarely paid!] the Christian Missionary school, and a big Parsi neighborhood, and how can I forget those immense shady trees which appeared almost blackish due to their excessive chlorophyll.All of this is a most cherished memory of mine .We Muslims ,Parsis, Christians and the Marathis [great connoisseurs of books and music !]all presented such an intense and most likeable picture of the erstwhile cosmopolitan Bombay. Oops! Mumbai! People say Mumbai is nothing but chaos, I say, Yes, it is.But Its a beautiful chaos! One falls in love with Mumbai, as its magic grows on you with time. Strangely it was Congress which brought about this change in the nomenclature, from cosmopolitan Bombay to Aamchi Mumbai. Yeah, we never know these politicians, almost all of them play the same games over and over again , leaving us with no choice but to smile. And Smiles are the best response that can be offered in certain situations. One more reason for our smile is the good news that Bakhabar is now a journal and has got an ISSN certification! So wishing you all a big smile from this joint venture of Bihar and Mumbai, Jai Hind Ms.Asma Anjum Khan

Many of us tend to think that following Sunnah or any Hadith is to follow all or follow none. 'Karey to poorehadeeson per amalkaro, nahi to karo hi mat'. This is a foolish attitude our people show toward Sunnah. It's more like saying 'khaye to Biryani khao, nahi to bhukkemaro' - eat biryani or die hungry. Moreover, some people think, if you follow complete Islam, you have to leave your office, family and go into jungles for worship. Obviously, this is NOT Islam, but some strange ideologies promoted by some Muslims who were influenced by Brahamanism, Greek ideology and Buddhism. Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) lived practical and rational life; he was perfect business-man, perfect husband, perfect teacher, just ruler and many more. He did not give his worldly responsibilities and went into jungles leaving everyone behind. Islam is a complete way of life, it is a practical and rational religion. It's not what many Muslims present it as a religion of asceticism.

Bakhabar

Khabron ki Khabar

7 Donts after a meal?

Seraj Akram Hajj se is bar bhi muslim bhaichare ki misal qayem ki gayi. lekin is ijtema se duniya ke muslim ke liye kya kya khairkhahi ke kam kiye ja sakte hain us par koi gaur khoz nahi, bas mazhami rasm ada karne ke liye jama hue, chale gaye, iski hikmat se faizyab hone par gaur nahi kiya jana afsosnak. Eid ul Azha bare dhum se manayi gayi Qurbani ke is tyowhar par janwaron ki Qurbani par jitna zor us ka 5% bhi qurbani ke hikmat par nahi. kya qurbani ka gosht Allah ko pasand he ya insan ke roz marra ki zindagi me apne nafs ko Allah ki khusnudi ke qurban karna zyadah pasand? Hajion ne pure sakun ke sath Hajj ada kiya. Sawab ke sath sath insan ke batin ko durust karne ki zahmat aaj bhi nahi mahsus ki ja rahi he. aakhir Hajj ke dauran aisa intezam kyon nahi kiya jata jis se insan ki galat adat, yaqeen aur rasm o rewaj se bhi nejat mile. Robert Wadra par corruption ka ilzaam Aisa lagta he ki sarkar ka kam sirf corruption karna rah gaya he. Gadkari ne croron rupie ka ghapla kia ise kahte hain lead from the front, BJP congress se pichhe kyon rahe. Syria me khun kharab jari Aur puri duniya be parwah apne kamo me magan. Mohammad SAW par France me cartoon chhapa gya ise kahte hain thook se suraj ki roshni ko bujhana, Mohammad SAW ki taleem ka jawab to nahi diya ja sakta to ochhe hathkande apnakar apni khabasat zahir karne lage. America me Mohammad SAW par film bani yah wah roshni he jise jitna bujhane ki koshis hogi utni hi phailegi, shayed unhe pata nahi. Jaspal Bhatti ka accident me inteqal Desh ne ek behtareen mazahia nigar ko kho diya. har sal Children day khub dhum dham se manane ki rawish jari. lekin kisi ko un garib, yateem bacho ka khyal nahi jinko 2 waqt ki roti aur parhne ko kitab nahi. Burma me muslim ka qatl jari aur duniya ke dusre maqam ke muslim ki begairti me koi kami nahi. Sarkar ne Ambani ko arbon arab ka fayeda pahunchaya...Kejriwal 65 sal ke baad bhi garib isi liye to khatm nahi huyi, sarkar ka dhyan amiron ko amir banane me zyadah aur garibon par kam rahta he. Bakhabar 1. Don't smoke-Experiment from experts proves that smoking a cigarette after meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes (chances of cancer is higher) 2. Don't eat fruits immediately - Immediately eating fruits after meals will cause stomach to be bloated with air. Therefore take fruit 1-2 hr after meal or 1hr before meal. 3. Don't drink tea - Because tea leaves contain a high content of acid. This substance will cause the Protein content in the food we consume to be hardened thus difficult to digest. 4. Don't loosen your belt - Loosening the belt after a meal will easily cause the intestine to be twisted & blocked 5. Don't bathe - Bathing will cause the increase of blood flow to the hands, legs & body thus the amount of blood around the stomach will therefore decrease. This will weaken the digestive system in our stomach. 6. Don't walk about - People always say that after a meal walk a hundred steps and you will live till 99. In actual fact this is not true. Walking will cause the digestive system to be unable to absorb the nutrition from the food we intake. 7. Don't sleep immediately - The food we intake will not be able to digest properly. Thus will lead to gastric & infection in our intestine.

Corner
10 years ago a person was distributing leaflets which said 'A person in Madina saw a DREAM and blah blahblahblah', make 100 copies and distribute to see profit and if someone tears it 'HE WILL DIE WITHIN 6 DAYS'. I took that and told him 'ALLAH HO AKBAR' and tore the paper before him and asked him to meet me after 6 days. He yelled at me and was about to beat me up, however I confronted him then. It's been 10 years, not a single harm has affected me for tearing the paper. Alhamdulillah. The Owner of Profit and Loss is ALLAH, the Owner of Benefit and Harm is ALLAH. No paper, statue, photo, grave, Dargah, Amulet, has power to benefit or harm you. :)

Zahacks

Many times we see our youth who are getting married saying 'I told my would-be in-laws, not to give Dowry, they forced me and insisted me', 'I told my parents to shun all the unIslamic rituals in my marriage like Manje, Sanchak, etc, they did not listen to me', 'My uncle forced me to take Dowry and Jode-ki-Rakham', 'My maternal aunt insisted me', 'My this relative and that relative insisted me'. I tell those youth, 'YOUR WIFE NEEDS A MAN, NOT A LOSER LIKE YOU', the person who cannot even voice his opinion in his own marriage is a COWARD and LOSER. How can a person, who cannot follow what is truth and go by the crowd, support his wife and children in future?

People tend to make DECISIONS based on ASSUMPTIONS so easily that they dont even think about what will going to happen if their assumption goes wrong. He is doing this for popularity, He uses Facebook for his own publicity, He is smiling to please his boss, He is wealthy, because he gets funds, He did simple marriage because he did not have money, otherwise he would have done pomp-show , He gets funds from America, so he speaks such things, He is a secret agent of such-and-such organization, She speaks so piously to get good match, blah blahblahblah. Remember, if any of these assumptions go wrong, then there is no easy way of doing Kaffara or Compensation. And those who make assumptions, their good deeds will be emptied and transferred to those who are ill-assumed. Thats the reason ALLAH said in Surah Al-Hujarat of Quran, to avoid GUESSWORK about each other, as MOST GUESSWORK is a GRAVE SIN.

If a Medical Doctor speaks about mechanis m of Aeroplan e and tells ardently to use WATER instead of Petrol. You would call him a mentally retarded person. If a Mechanical Engineer speaks about operating heart and tells ardently to use water pump to regulate blood through veins. You would surely call him a fool. I wonder, why the people who have no knowledge or zero knowledge about Islam, love to pass comments on the matters of Islam.

In my country, nonVegetarians are cruel and aggressive sinners, but Tiger and Snake are venerated powerful creatures. :) :)

Bakhabar

Corner
Many times people taunt others saying 'BilliSauChuheyKhaker Hajj koChali' - Cat went to Hajj after having eaten 100 mice. But let me tell them, even if cat goes to Hajj with pure intention and with sincere repentance, then surely ALLAH forgives. ALLAH is OftForgiving and Most Merciful. If a person sincerely feels remorseful and guilty about his evil actions and as k s f o r forgiveness, he'll be granted. However, if someone sins all the life with an EXCUSE to do Hajj at the end or to be called as 'Al-Haaj' or get respected in society, or earns through unlawful means and feels that he'd be forgiven through Hajj, then Angels curse those people. Let's say, someone insults your father and abused your mother and you tear sofas of your drawing room, break window-panes of your living room, throw acid on your dining table and set off gas-cylinder of your kitchen. Who will be benefited through these actions? Yourself or the one who insulted your parents? The person who insulted your parents knows your weakness and he also knows your stupidity. He abuses and hides somewhere, so that your frustration gives him enjoyment; moreover your stupid behavior of creating chaos in your own home, makes him more SADIST. He enjoys making you look violent, he enjoys creating chaos in your home, he enjoys trouble to be fueled. Don't ever fall prey to the OPPORTUNISTS and SADISTS who want to create mess in your own home by abusing our Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). Let the evil mongers die in their rage and let's answer them the way Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) answered. [Over: no more explanations] Bakhabar

Zahacks

Here in India, you find strange people; all the year if you visit BEEF hotels at Nampally, Hyderabad, you'll see majority of those people who come with their watery mouths to have delicious BEEF DISHES. But during BAKREED, you see them chanting slogans against BEEFSLAUGHTER. They try to put the poor butchers and beef vendors at loss by: 1. Selling them cows in return of HUGE amount. 2. Stopping the cow carriers on the high-ways and beating vendors and butchers and looting them. THIS IS REAL HYPOCRISY.

At times when I wake at middle of night at the crying of my son, I see my wife waking up from the deep sleep and taking care of him; patting him, making him comfortable for sleep. It gives me a thought, what a pain MY MOM would have taken for me, when I troubled her at middle of nights. What kind of trouble she took to raise me sacrificing her needs. That's the reason, Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) said, mother owes 3 times of your love and respect than father.

My wife is a Medical Doctor and my sister is Masters in Mathematics; there was no compulsion from anyone on them to quit education or studies. If a man is educated, only he is educated; but if a woman is educated, whole clan is educated. However, education does not necessarily mean to be Englishinfluenced. If someone can be within the parameters of morality and proper values, there is no way to stop them from seeking education. There has been no compulsion, it is only a STAGED-DRAMA about MalalaYusufzai to create differences and hatred among people, as there was a staged-drama about SWAT valley female beaten by Taliban. Later investigations showed, it was a video-shoot made by an NGO by paying the ACTORS. Don't get fooled by these tricks, and by THE FOOLS who promote it.

Har

Mirch Seraj Akram

Muslim har masle par bat karte hain aur phir aage barh jate hain, kya aisa nahi hona chahie ke kuch masayel ke asal jar ka pata karke us par pura focus diya jana chahie? achchhe kam karne wale logo ki kami nahi, lekin kitne log is bat par gaur karte hain ke jo bhi achhe kam kiye ja rahe hain wah pure muharat, imandari, shafafiat aur dil se kiya ja raha he ke nahi? agar sabkuch sirf marne ke baad sawab ki hi khatir kiya ja raha he to phir ham duniya me bhi uske natije ki umeed kyon karte hain? kya Haj ke liye ek khas system bana kar uske ekhrajat ko kam karke bache paise ko ler pure dunia keMuslim ki tabah hali aur parehsani ko dur karne ki koshis nahi honi chahie? kaha jata he ki Muslim ke pas leader nahi he, kya kisi samaj me jab karne se zyadah bolne wale, quwat bardasth se mahroom awam aur qurbani ke bajaye zati mofad ki rawish payi jati ho to us samaj me behtar Rahbar paida ho sakta he? aajkal Muslim deen ke asal ko chhorkar faroyi masayel me uljha hua he, jidhar dekhiye maslaki ekhtalfat par log apni tawanayi zaya kar rahe hain, kya islam ke hikmat ke khazana me se itni bhi shaoor aaj ke muslim ko nahi mili
Bakhabar

Every Year, We Celebrate Children's Day, but it hardly improves status of poor children

"The presidential election in USA and the Role of Muslim Voters

After every four years it is election time to select a President and vice president in United States of America. America being the greatest democracy of the world choose a president only for two consecutive terms. Which is a total of eight years. It is regardless of the fact how talented and capable a president is? He only can stay for two consecutive terms and if he lost that is the end. In this election respectively the representatives to Congress and Senators to Senate are elected for both Parties. Therefore it is election fervor and election fever in the United States. The ages old symbols are Elephant for Republicans and Donkey for Democrats. Their colors are respectively Red and Blue. Republicans is generally called GOP( Grand ole party). Governor Mitt Romney is Nominee for Republican Party while Barack Hussein Obama is the incumbent President of Democrats. Both of the parties and nominees are working their best to win these elections. For Obama and Democrats it is a matter of great honor and prestige to re win these elections and stay as president for his second term. They have gone through three crucial debates . The first one won by Romney and in the second one Obama settled the scores. The third and final one was almost a drawn one on foreign policy. On relations towards Pakistan and the drone attacks both of the candidates are unanimous. It is must for a US commander- in chief to prioritize the US interest. These debates in general show the trend and mindset of the Candidates and their chances to win the elections.These debates generally set the future course for the victory of a President and impact the polls a lot. The greatest problems to be discussed and taken care of are the sluggish economy, increasing unemployment rates , falling Housing prices ,foreclosures and downward trend of Wall Street and banks. Barack Obama did a lot of concrete steps to safeguard his second term. He brought back the forces from Iraq. Killed Osama bin Laden at Abbottabad Pakistan. A great achievement in his tenure,for which President Bush struggled a lot but unsuccessful. Arab spring in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya got a successful turn over in a short period with less sacrifices with the help of United States. In Syria it is getting tougher every day with a non ending bloodshed and atrocities. USA is feeling helpless to handle the situation. He has promised to bring back forces from Afghanistan by 2014. The drone attacks by his order killed hundreds of non combatant people in North Waziristan Pakistan.But the claim is about eliminating most of the Al-Qaida activists through drone attacks. Anwar Al Awlaki was killed in Yemen and his young son too through drone attacks. They were US citizens and this killing is considered as an extra judicial killing even by Amnesty International. A big blow for the recent Government came with the killing of US ambassador and three other on September 11 in Benghazi When a mob attacked the US embassy. The right wing media , Republicans and Romney are putting the whole blame on the Obama administration for their insufficient security at Embassy. At home he introduced some health care initiatives called Obama care .Tax cuts for the middle class and poor. The worsening situation is with Health care( Medicare, Medicaid ) and social security, where many are misusing the funds while a lot many needy, deserving and elderly people are denied with facilities and benefits. He took some concrete steps to salvage the Auto industry. The Muslim role and involvement in this Elections.

By: Abida Rahmani

According to a rough estimate the Muslim population In the United states is about 7 million. It is quite a significant voters bank which each candidate would like to utilize. The Muslims in USA are facing significant problems after 9/11. They are watched, racially profiled, wire tapped , their mosques bugged in and sermons recorded. So many of FBI Muslim informers are infiltrated and highly paid to keep an eye on them. In general it is a tough time for a practicing Muslim, who is not involved in any sort of terrorism but only look like Muslim. There are stereotyping and Islamic phobic remarks and almost once in a month a Muslim man or a group is nabbed with charges of terrorism after the imposition of patriotic act. It is a brazen fact that if 9/11 was done by Muslims ,nothing significant whatsoever is done by a Muslim except that Fort hood shooting by Major Hassan in which 13 Army men got killed. Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann claimed there are stealth efforts to impose sharia law on the US. In July - after she dropped out of the primary - she accused Huma Abedin, Hillary Clinton's deputy chief of staff, of ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Still the Muslims living here consider it a safe home and environment for themselves, their families and kids. Muslims are affected with downturn economy and unemployment, like other communities. In Muslims there is a big group of black Muslims , mostly converted to Islam. They have a soft corner for President Obama being a black and some how with Muslim roots. numbers." If we watch the general meetings of both candidates , Obama's meetings are mostly attended by colored people, black , Latinos, Asians and so on. While Romney's meetings are largely attended by white people , white supremacists and Caucasians. In today's polls Obama had more women votes than Romney. Muslims make up a large portion of the population in crucial swing states like Virginia and Florida. They are considered to be the fastest growing community in US. 'Muslims for Romney or Obama" But there are some Muslims who, repelled by the Democrats' positions on social issues, are voting Romney. Umar Ahmad Ghumman is a Pennsylvania voter and dual citizen who served as a minister of investment in Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's government. He's always voted Democrat, but this election cycle Ghuman was inspired to launch an organization called Muslims for Romney after he discovered the public school his eighth-grade son attended had given a writing assignment on a lesbian couple who had spoken there. Muslims for Romney, he says, aims to show both Republicans and Muslims "how similar our values are", and to encourage Muslim voters "to wake up and fight against abortion and gay rights". Decrying what he describes as the "unholy, unnatural alliance" between Muslim voters and Democrats, he urges Muslims to pay more attention to social issues within the US. Muslims for Romney, he says, aims to show both Republicans and Muslims "how similar our values are", and to encourage Muslim voters "to wake up and fight against abortion and gay rights". Decrying what he describes as the "unholy, unnatural alliance" between Muslim voters and Democrats, he urges Muslims to pay more attention to social issues within the US. At a presidential debate viewing party in Arlington, Virginia hosted by the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) - a group promoting the civil rights of American Muslims - many of the roughly 50 people there were critical of some Obama policies. But no one said they planned on voting for Romney. One factor driving Republicans' low support among Muslim voters? The

continued on page 8 Bakhabar

continued from page 7

"The presidential election in USA and the Role of Muslim Voters

party's primary process, during which several candidates made incendiary comments about Muslims. In remarks made at a private fundraiser that was secretly videotaped, Romney declared Palestinians have "no interest whatsoever in establishing peace". And on a trip to Israel this summer, Romney explained Israel's economic success vis-a-vis Palestine by saying culture makes all the difference". Shameem Ahsan, a New York native who is voting for Obama, said at the debate viewing party that Romney "could have just not said anything. But he tried to, I thought, score points with people and take advantage of antiMuslim sentiment in this country."Yasmin Hussein, MPAC's Young Leaders Coordinator, said the group conducted an informal survey after a viewing party for the first presidential debate. "The majority of the people were actually undecided," she told Al Jazeera. She believes that was partly due to Obama's poor performance in the debate - but also because "a lot of Muslims are really coming out strongly against" the Obama administration's increased use of drone attacks in Pakistan and the failure to close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Congressman Keith Ellison, a Democrat from Minnesota who is the first Muslim to be elected to Congress, said, "I think the Muslim community's still going to vote for Obama in overwhelming numbers. In this election cycle, however, neither Obama nor Romney have made substantial outreach efforts to potential Muslim voters. Farid Senzai, the director of research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, noted that although Obama has held annual Eid events and similar ceremonies, he has not done "much in terms of direct, overt meetings" with American Muslims. He suspects this may be partly the case because a sizeable percentage of Americans continue to falsely think Obama, a Christian, is actually a Muslim. Like most of United states the Muslim Voters are divided and undecided. The independent voter has a right to vote any candidate but the registered one for the parties has just to be vote for their respective parties. Talking to some Muslim voters myself I found them undecided too but obviously the inclination is more towards Obama.If Obama wins or loses it would be the last and first black president in the history of United States for a long time to come. There are great Muslim donors to both parties. Especially Obama has some great Muslim donor friends. There are sporadic news of some Muslims taking part for some posts in this election. After the election we will be able to know how many got elected to those offices. -Abida Rahmani 502-276-4708

10 gems for a good life

By Aaidh Bin Abdullah Al-Qarni 1. Wake up in the last third of the night to beg forgiveness from Allah. ...and those who pray and beg Allahs Pardon in the last hours of the night. (Quran, 3:17) 2. At least once in a while, seclude yourself from people in order to contemplate. Those who remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth... (Quran, 3:191) 3. Stay in the company of the righteous. And keep yourself patiently with those who call on their Lord... (Quran, 18:28) 4. Remember Allah often. Remember Allah with much remembrance. (Quran, 33:41) 5. Pray two units of prayer with sincerity and devotion.? Those who offer their prayer with all solemnity and full submissiveness. (Quran, 23:2) 6. Recite the Quran with understanding and reflection. Do they not then consider the Quran carefully? (Qur an, 4:82) 7. Fast on a hot, dry day. He abandons his food, drink, and desire all for Me. 8. Give charity secretly. Until the left hand doesnt know what the right hand has spent. 9. Provide relief and aid to the afflicted Muslim. Whoever gives relief to a Muslim from one of the vicissitudes of this life, Allah will relieve him from a calamity that is from doing the calamities of the Day of Judgment. 10. Be as abstemious and abstinent as possible in this fleeting world.? The Hereafter is better and more lasting. (Quran 87: 17) Excerpt from Dont Be Sad, IIPH

Islam preaches mercy for all creation

By Ahmad Wahaj Al-Siddiqui AFTER 9/11, Islam and Muslims have been targeted and accused of violence and terrorism. The reality is that terrorists have no religion and this is specially true because they have targeted and killed probably more Muslims than non-Muslims. Islam is against all anti-social behavior and it has clearly defined the rights of every creation, including animals and plants. It has outlined our duties towards each other and defined how our relationships with each other should be. The rights and duties of parents and children towards each other, for example, or those of wives and husbands or masters and servants have all been explained. Islam orders Muslims to be good with their neighbors, irrespective of their status in society, color or religion. It orders the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice in the society. Our duty is not restricted to our relatives or neighbors alone, but it also includes common people we meet on the street. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was a mercy to the Alameen (all creation). Islam promotes welfare of all humanity. It orders rich Muslims to pay Zakat (obligatory charity) to the needy people. Moreover, the right to education is very much emphasized. Islam orders free education for all. Every citizen should have access to free learning and this is a responsibility on every Muslim state. Furthermore, Islam does not allow its followers to swear at the gods of people of other religions. It prohibits forceful conversions and promotes tolerance. Muslim rule from its very beginning provide a living proof of its tolerance and humanitarian approach. SG May Almighty ALLAH (SWT) guide all of us to the Right Path and give all of us the courage to accept the Truth in the light of Qur'an and Sunnah and to reject all things which are in contradiction to the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah, Aameen

Bakhabar

Virtues of the month of Muharram

[What muslims should do or not do in this month]
1. Muharram is one of the four sacred months: The month of Muharram is the first month of the Arabic year, and it is one of the four sacred months of Allah [Quran, 9:36] Abu Bakar Radhi Allaho Anhureported that the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) said: . The year consists of twelve months of which four are sacred: three consecutive months, Dhul-Qadah, Dhul-Hijjah and Muharram, and Rajab of Mudar which comes between Jumada and Shaban. [Bukhari (3167) and Muslim (1679)] It is proven from the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) that the best fasting after Ramadan is fasting in the month of Muharram,as in the report of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) said: The best fasting after Ramadan is the month of Allah Muharram, and the best prayer after the obligatory prayer is prayer at night. [Muslim, 1163]. 2. The virtue of fasting Ashoora (10th Muharram): Fasting the day of Ashoora expiates for the past year, because the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) said: Fasting the day of Arafah I hope Allah will expiate thereby for the year before it and the year after it, and fasting the day of Ashoora I hope Allah will expiate thereby for the year that came before it. [Muslim, 1162]. This is by the bounty that Allah bestows upon us, whereby fasting one day expiates for the sins of a whole year. And Allah is the Owner of great bounty. With regard to the reason why the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) fasted on the day of Ashoora and urged the people to do likewise is mentioned in the hadeeth of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) came to Madeenah and saw the Jews fasting on the day of Ashoora. He said, What is this? They said, This is a good day, this is the day when Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemy and Moosa fasted on this day. He said, We are closer to Moosa than you. So he fasted on this day and told the people to fast. [Bukhari (3167) and Muslim (1679)] The expiation of sins that is achieved by fasting Ashoora refers to minor sins; with regard to major sins, they need separate repentance. Messenger of Allah (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) fasted on the day of Ashoora and intended to fast on the ninth day, also, in the coming year. But,before the Muharram of next year he had passed away. [Muslim, 1916]. So, it is mustahab (better) to also fast on the 9th, and not single out the 10th for fasting. However, Ibn Taymiyah, Rahimahullah, said that it is not makrooh to single out just the 10th day for fasting. We should not observe voluntary fasts when we still owe one or more days from Ramadan, rather we should complete the Ramadanfasts first, then observe voluntary fasts. If the intention of fasting on Ashoora day is to compensate for the Ramadan fast, it is acceptable. 3. What the Shiah do on Ashoora is bidah (innovation) and misguidance: What the Shiah do on Ashoora of beating their chests, slapping their cheeks, striking their shoulders with chains and cutting their heads with swords to let the blood flow are all innovations that have no basis in Islam. These things are evils that were forbidden by the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam), who did not prescribe for his ummah to do any of these things or anything similar to them to mark the death of a leader or the loss of a martyr, no matter what his status. During his lifetime (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) a number of senior Sahabah were martyred and he mourned their loss, such as Hamzah ibn Abd al-Muttalib, Zayd ibn Harithah, Jafar ibn Abi Talib and AbdAllah ibn Rawahah, but he did not do any of the things that these people do. If it was good, he (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) would have done it before us. Abd-Allah ibn Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) said: He is not one of us who strikes his cheeks, rends his garment, or cries with the cry of the Jahiliyyah. [Bukhari (1294) and Muslim (103)] Al-Hafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Every Muslim should mourn the killing of al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him), for he is one of the leaders of the Muslims, one of the scholars of the Sahabah, and the son of the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam), who was the best of his daughters. He was a devoted worshipper, and a courageous and generous man. But there is nothing good in what the Shiah do of expressing distress and grief, most of which may be done in order to show off. His father was better than him and he was killed, but they do not take his death as an anniversary as they do with the death of al-Husayn. His father was killed on a Friday as he was leaving the mosque after Fajr prayer, on the seventeenth of Ramadan in 40 AH. When Hazrat Uthman was killed - he was besieged in his house during the days of al-Tashreeq in Dhul-Hijjah of 36 AH, his throat was cut from one jugular vein to the other - but Hazrat Ali, Radhi Allaho Anhu, did not take his death as an anniversary, nor did he takethe murderous death of Umar ibn al-Khattab,while standing in the mihrab praying Fajr and reciting Quran, as an anniversary. Muslims did not take as an anniversary, Abu Bakr alSiddeeqs death.Muslims did not mark an anniversary for the greatest messenger of Allah (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam), the leader of the sons of Adam in this world and the hereafter.All theprophets died before our prophet, but he did not take the dates of their deaths as anniversaries on which they do what these ignorant Rafidis do on the day that alHusayn was killed. The best that can be said when remembering these and similar calamities is that which Ali ibn al-Husayn narrated from his grandfather the saying of Messenger of Allah (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam): There is no Muslim who is afflicted by a calamity and when he remembers it, even if it was in the dim and distant past, he says Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon (verily to Allah we belong and unto Him is our return), but Allah will give him a reward like that of the day when it befell him. [Narrated by Imam Ahmad and Ibn Majah, end quote from al-Bidayah wal-Nihayah (8/221).] 4. What the anti-Shia do is also bidah (innovation) and misguidance:On the day of Ashoora, the Nasibis of Syria do the opposite of what the Rafidis and Shiah do. They cook grains on the day of Ashoora and do ghusl and perfume themselves, and wear their finest garments, and they take that day as an Eid on which they express happiness and joy, intending thereby to annoy the Rafidis and be different from them. Celebrating that day is an innovation (bidah), and making it an anniversary for mourning is also an innovation. Hence Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Because of the killing of al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him), shaitan caused the people to introduce two innovations: some introduced mourning and others introduced celebrations Every innovation is going astray. None of the four imams of the Muslims or any other (scholars) regarded either of these things as mustahab. [Minhaj al-Sunnah (4/554)]. It should be noted that these reprehensible actions are encouraged by the enemies of Islam, so that they can achieve their evil aims of distorting the image of Islam and its followers. These innovations, that is, (a) celebrating as a day of enjoyment, and (b) mourning for the killing of Hazrat Husain,Radhi Allaho Anhu, reached Iran and Iraq and India during the British occupation. The British are the ones who exploited the ignorance and naivet of the Shiah and their deep love for Imam al-Husayn, and taught them to strike their heads with swords. Until recently the British embassies in Tehran and Baghdad sponsored the Husayni parades in which this ugly spectacle appears in the streets and alleyways. In Britain, they claimed these acts of Muslims as barbaric, and justified the occupation as a saviours act so that the uncivilized and barbaric muslims dont eliminate each others existence. Excerpted from Islam Q&A

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Muslim Fathers Have to Man Up

by Yahya Whitmer As-Salamu Alaykum, There is an old saying that goes It takes a village to raise a child. To me, that statement emphasizes the tremendous impact that a childs environment and peers has on his or her development. In a hadith narrated by imam Muslim, the Prophet ?allallahu alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) mentioned that sheep shepherds are meek and humble, whereas the caretakers of camels are proud and arrogant, indicating that these human beings are influenced by the innate character of the animals that they take care of. In commenting on this hadeeth, the Ulama have long mentioned that if people are susceptible to being influenced by the character of animals, then how much more susceptible must they be to being influenced by other people and cultures? Now, please take time to think about this in relation to the situation with Muslim families today. Take a quick scan of mainstream culture; check out what is playing on TV or in the cinema, what are the popular stories on the internet, see what your average co-worker or potential classmate for your child is talking about. While there are positive nuggets to be found, the overwhelming majority of what is buzzing and rumbling in the cloud of mainstream culture is petty, selfish, and indulgent, and Muslim cultures are not exempt from this. This is our new, global village. Our children deserve better. And the only person that can provide them what they deserve is you, Allah willing. Each of you is a shepherd and each of you shall be asked about his flock [Bukhari and Muslim], is what the Prophet ?allallahu alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told us. Was there ever a time in history where this hadeeth has been more pertinent to a Muslim parent? Has there ever been a time where adultery, disrespect for parents, heedlessness of the Creator, rudeness, and intoxication, which are sins condemned by all the worlds major faiths, are not just accepted, but actually advertised to children? I dearly wish that I was exaggerating, that I was some turbaned version of Glenn Beck, but take one long, eye-searing look at the popular media that is targeted at youth, such as MTV and hip-hop, and you might get upset with me for understating the problem. When it comes to their mothers, many may even complain that their mothers are too involved, nosy, or smothering. Ask them about their fathers and you will often get blank expressions, and vague, shy answers that they dont spend much time together. Our sisters were not meant to bear this tremendous responsibility alone. Children need the unique dynamics that a father and a mother bring to a family. Allah has created everything with an inherent nature and purpose, as indicated by the Prophets ?allallahu alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) statement, People are minerals like the minerals of gold and silver, the best of them before Islam are the best of them in Islam when they obtain knowledge and understanding. [Bukhari and Muslim]. There is a specific role that men are supposed to play in the family, modern gender politics be damned. Failing to live up to that role is failure to be a man. Our Creator said, men are the caretakers (Qawwamoon) of women [An-Nisaa', 34]. I understand that this verse has often been used as a bludgeon to enforce female subservience to their husbands, but that is the result of a backwards and impotent culture, and has nothing to do with our Creators intent in revealing this verse. As always, our salvation comes from the Sunnah of the Messenger ?allallahu alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). In dealing with his wives and children, the Prophet ?allallahu alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) demonstrated kindness, consideration, compassion, and patience that would put any modern relationship guru to shame. And he sealed the issue by saying, The best of you is the one who is best to his family, and I am the best amongst you to my family [At-Tirmidhi}, emphasizing that his implementation of Qawwamah is the only authentic one, and it is not open to a new American, Arab, Pakistani, or other interpretation. To reiterate: failure to be strong, kind, and caring to your family is failure to be a true man and Believer.

And as I often have to point out, the Muslim community is not mystically protected. Just because our children are named Aisha and Mu?ammad, or because someones great grandfather was a hafiz of the Qur?an, does not bestow a quasi-magical barrier of protection from societys ills. Through research and personal accounts, I can guarantee you that our children fall prey to the same immorality that the children of all other communities suffer from. Permit me to lift the veil for just one moment: amongst Muslim youth, I know stories of zina, alcohol and drug use (including kids in Hifz school), apostasy, and even incest. We are not immune! These children needed a protector. They needed a true Muslim Father. Let me address the inevitable question: Why am I talking about Muslim Fathers and not Muslim Mothers?

There has never been a time when families have been more in need of this strong, caring figure. We live in an age where we can take nothing for granted. Can you wholly entrust your childs education to the public school system, especially in such an evolving and dynamic world? Thousands of educators and experts have written about the inherent flaws of our school system and those flaws are present in any school that models itself after that system (i.e. Islamic schools). Is the food in our supermarkets safe? Again, the testimony of countless experts highlights significant dangers in the way our food is produced. What about your childs physical development? Hours and hours of play every day were once typical for a child, but current cultural trends are more likely to steer your child towards hours in front of the TV or computer. And what about their spiritual life? Is it enough to send them to Qur?an class on Saturday and Sunday? Would memorizing and reciting lines from Greys Anatomy be enough to make them competent physicians? What about the immorality promoted by modern media channels that I discussed earlier? The list goes on and on, the challenges are relentless, and Muslim families will be overwhelmed, unless they can come together, cooperate, and help each other in the path to their Creator. This endeavor, like all great endeavors, needs a leader. That leader is supposed to be the Muslim Father. And Allah knows best muslimmatters.org

The simple answer is that the level of involvement of Muslim Mothers in the upbringing of our Ummahs children is relatively high; look at Muslim parenting websites, masjid activities geared towards children, etc., and you will find that the majority of participants are mothers. Or even better, speak with the youth of your local community and ask them about their relationship with their parents.

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Marital problems in the Indian Diaspora living in the Middle East

With reference to the Embassies involvement to solve the issues
Aleem Khan Falaki, Jeddah No such study or research has been carried out ever on this subject yet. The history of this phenomena is not very old. It is as old as the petrodollars flow of wealth in the Middle East from Seventies when the influx of job seekers started in the Oil rich Arab states. Having studied the Counseling in Marital problems, I started writing columns in the local Urdu Weekly Urdu Magazine published from Jeddah. In response, the concerned readers began calling for help. I was surprised to discover the fact that almost every 10th Indian, particularly the Muslims, are having strained relations with their spouses or in-laws. The number of children affected is countless. Since the local Arab Governments do not show any sympathy or interest to solve the expatriates disputes even if they end up with police case, it was inevitable to form a NGO and coordinate with the embassy where the majority of the cases are reported. As an average, 2-3 cases are reported weekly to the Embassy, Weeklys office and directly to the NGO. Nature of complains: 1. Most of the cases are dowry-oriented. Since the grooms main qualification of being an NRI supersedes all other academic qualifications, the parents prefer to spend on NRI bride-grooms as the parents wish to see their daughters go abroad. When she lands she finds him far away from her ideals. The one who could have been a match to her is often, in terms of dowry, out of the capacity of her parents. Therefore, the parents have to overlook the criteria of mental or intellectual or educational matching, they wed their daughters according to their financial affordability. 2. There are many cases where the bride-grooms provided fake information about their job, earning, qualifications etc. before the marriage. As a result, the innocent girls found an entirely different standard of life upon arrival, far below their expectations. 3. Many expatriates do not qualify for maintaining family status so they cannot obtain the familys visa. The distance creates many disputes with in-laws and, consequently, they go to the police and courts. The women seeking divorce do not get any help from Qazi. The courts take too long as unless the bride-groom appears in the court, no fast judgment can be passed. Even if the court summon or sends warrant to the bride-groom, he does not respond as the Indian Embassy is not equipped with any power to catch hold of such violators. The Middle East is a safe land for those who run away from the family disputes. No Qazi or Court can serve notice to them unless they return back. A case study: A young man Mr. Mujahid Ali Shah, a native of Hyderabad who had divorced his wife due to anti-dowry case against him, was allowed to meet his two daughters once in a week by the Court. He violated the Courts instructions, deceived the law bribing some officials and brought the daughters to Jeddah. He is absconding from India. The embassy does not have power to compel his Saudi Sponsor to send him back. In the same way, we often receive many requests from the parents and Qazis to locate the absconding husbands. The complainants send the copies of the FIR and even Court orders but they are of no use. As long as the Arab sponsor does not exit the wanted person, he has liberty to stay abroad. 4. The sufferings of the Indian Muslim girls married to Arab Shiekhs is a common phenomena. The brokers including Qazis convince the parents of the girls under the pretext of Islamic permission to such marriages and wed the girls with Arabs. The poor parents fall prey. The Sheikhs abandon these girls within a week or two after enjoying a few nights with these girls. There is no agreement between India and other Arab Governments to bring these sheikhs to the courts. There are many girls who begot children too. 5. Similarly, there are many girls who married to the Arabs and came to Middle East. They found on arrival that the Sheikh are already married to other wives. Since the Indian maids are considered as more efficient and loyal here, these girls are forced to work like maids. An example: I came across a case of a Keralite Muslim girl namely Rehana kulsoom. She belonged to a very poor family. An Aged Saudi married her and brought her to Saudi Arabia on a Maids visa as the Saudi nationals are not permitted to marry any non-Saudi woman. The innocent girl did not know this. She was assigned to look after the Saudis ailing mother who on wheel chair. The Saudi used to come home once or twice a week and always used to make excuses of his excessive travelling. Later she found out that the man already has got two wives and several children, he needed only a maid to look after his mother. When the mother died after a few years, he sent her back giving her a few hundred Riyals only. While she was forced to attend his mother, he had taken her passport and local ID in his custody and made excuses that he has lost. Eventually, the Embassy had to come to rescue the woman and got her relieved from the torture. 6. The educated girls who had been at jobs in India find very difficult to adjust here as the women are not allowed to work except in the profession of teaching or nursing. The husbands want to live together but the women do not find any attraction in the life without going to jobs. As a result, many a complications arise in the married life. For example: Ismail Akbar is a 40 years old sales executive in my company, married with 2 sons and a daughter. His wife is a Life insurance agent and earning over 50,000 Rupee monthly in India. She wants to visit him now and then but not interested in staying permanently. The husband could not resist his natural needs and married a nurse locally. The first wife writ for divorce in Bombay court and the poor guy is facing enormous difficulties as he is not willing to part from his wife and children. 7. It is not that only the women are victimized. In many cases, we witnessed the men too are harassed by the wives and their parents. Since most of the expatriates second generation too has become a working class abroad, the men who marry locally here, find an army of in-laws around them. The involvement of in-laws from both sides often multiply the problems. 8. We often find the complains of impotency in the men. The years in the deserts they live before the marriage lead them to the bad habits of pornographic entertainments. They fall in illicit acts of sexual satisfaction and soon lose power. Afraid of defamation after marriage, they accuse the wives of immorality. As a result, the women are victimized due to the false allegations. 9. The advancement of the social media like Face Book and twitter etc have destroyed the morality. Since the women are mostly alone at home, willingly or unwillingly they indulge in to acquaintance of many such friendships that arouse the suspicions in their husbands mind and subsequently the relations start getting strained. It is often indicated in the newspapers that in the West as well as in the rich Arab states, 50% of the divorces and strained relationship are due to the social media. Recommendations to the Ministry of Non-Resident Indians 1. The embassies must be given power to withhold the passport, or to influence the courts or local police stations in India with their report. Since revocation of the passport needs a long judiciary process, the embassies should have power to instruct the Indian immigration

continued on page 14 Bakhabar

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CONCEPT OF INNOVATION (BIDAT) IN ISLAM

Gheyas S Mahfoz Hashmi, Jeddah (hgheyas@albatool.com.sa) As discussed in previous issue, Bidt is a severe sin in Islam. A successful Muslim will be taken away on his way to Jannah from Houd Kauther due to Bidt. It is so severe that its strong condemnation has been coming since prophets time. Worshiping and praying are not man-made but are from Allah, which came to mankind through His book and His Prophet. Every prophet has his own nation who were commanded to follow him. We are the nation of the last prophet Mohammad (S). So, even following any other prophet other than him (Prophet Mohammad bin Abdullah) is not valid. Every nation has to follow his prophet only. Allah Almighty is owner of Religion and every action therein is prescribed by Allah only. Allah does not tolerate interfering (innovation, deletion & addition) with His religion and the prescribed methods thereof. However, many people are confused with Bidt even some scholars. I went in length into it, which I would like to share with the readers of Bakhabar so that it could not remain a confused topic. I will try to discuss it as brief as possible. Allah Al- Mighty says: Today I have completed for you your religion and perfected my favor upon you and have chosen Islam as your Religion (5:3) Also says: O you, who have believed, do not go beyond Allah and His Messenger but fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing. (49:1) Our prophet (S) says: Indeed every new thing is an innovation and every innovation is deviation and every deviation leads to fire (Muslim, etc) Bidt has its origin in combination of letters ( ( which means to create a new thing which had no basis of its existence. Allah is )Originator of Heavens and Earth). Here ( ( is from ( (, i.e., Allah creates a thing from nothing (no base, no origin). In Islam Bidt is: Worshipping Allaah in ways/method that Allah and His prophet have not prescribed. Or Worshipping Alllah in ways/methods that are not those of the Prophet (pbuh) or his rightly guided successors (Khulafa Rashidoon), or learned Sahaba (companions), although their actions are also Hujjah (subject to discussion). In order to understand the concept of Bidt in Islam, one could imagine a glass of crystal clear water that is meant to quench thirst. Someone adds some colour to it with the intention of making it appear more appealing to the thirsty. Then, another person further adds some sugar to make it tastier. Would you still consider it to be a glass of pure water? Not at all! Now, what you have is an adulterated version of what was formerly pure water. More precisely any new action or method/ways or addition/deletion which was possible at the time of the prophet (S) but not done by him is Bidt. For example, Tasbeeh recitation on other than hand (stone, nuts, seeds, etc) is Bidt as this was possible at the time of our prophet (S) but he didnt do it. That is why Hazrat Ibn Masoud (R) has forbade a group who was doing Tasbeeh on pieces of stone in a mosque, saying only a short period gone on the prophets passing away (S) that you have started Bidt. Our prophet (s) has explained everything so that his nation are safe from Shatans tricks, whose prime job is to present a sinful thing, top of that are Shirk and Bidt, in such a way that it looks to be a Sunnah. Out of 73 only one fragment (group) will go to Paradise. The noble Companions asked: O Allah's Messenger (S), which one is that? Whereupon he (s) said: It is one to which I and my companions belong. So, any action that is not supported by the prophet (S) and his companions (R) is a new item (Bidt). There are two types of Bidt. (1) An action in the name of Islam that did not exist initially. (2) An authentic action of Islam, which has an addition and deletion along-with it. The example of former is Birth Day or Marriage Day Celebration or Death Anniversary in the name of Islam or Celebration of more than 2 Festivals, as it does not have any kind of support from our prophet (S) nor his companions (R). The example of the later is recitation of Darud in standing position and loudly, as it too does not have any support. Any action not done in the name of Islam is not a Bidt. With the development of science and technology many new things have come up that were not available at the time of the prophet (S). If such things are introduced in Islam provided they are legitimate and are beneficial to Islam, its usage will not only be legitimate but will be encouraged, like using of sophisticated communication system to preach Islam. Praying in sitting form for patient and weak person are permissible in Islam. If such people use chair which was not available at the time of the prophet (S,) their praying will not be a Bidt. Why? It is because it is a legitimate facility which did not exist at the time of the prophet (s) and such people are comfortable with it. In case it existed at that time and our prophet (S) and his companion didnt use it, it should be a Bidt. So, anything or any method that exited at the time of the prophet & his companion but not used by them is Bidt. It is narrated by Hasan Bsari that someone has invited Hazrat Usman Ibn Aas to attend the ceremony of Khatna (circumcision). He refused and said that they never attended such program in the time of Rasulullahs (S) auspicious life and no one invited them to attend such program. (Musnad Ahmed) Hazrat Nafe stopped a man who said ? ? ? at sneezing as he added a word with Alhamdulillah (Timizi). In Islamic Jurisprudence there is one theory called Maslaha Mursala (MM). It is a Public Interest consideration is derived from Quran and Hadith under which )Getting Benefit and Prevention of Harm) is applied. Many people are confused between this and Bidt. According to Imam Al Ghazali MM consists of considerations, which secure a benefit or prevent a harm but are, in the meantime, harmonious with the objectives (Maqasid) of the Shariah. MM IS A SOURCE OF ACHIEVING OBJECTIVES OF SHARIAH WHILE BIDT IS RELATED TO THE OBJECTIVE OF SHARIAH. Technically a consideration is a proper & harmonious ( ( to the objectives of the Lawgiver, it secures a benefit or ? prevents a harm, and the Shariah provides no indication as to its validity or otherwise. Decision to issue currency, to establish prisons, & to impose tax (kharaj) on agricultural lands, etc, in the conquered territories despite the fact that no textual authority can be found in its favour are examples. The MM can neither be enumerated nor predicted in advance as they change according to time & circumstance. For example, a line (of marble) was drawn in front of the Hajr Aswad for the Pilgrims for their easy Estilam. This worked for a long time. But when the same in view of crowd increasing became a hurdle for the flow of Pilgrims it was removed. The concept of MM does not apply to the rulings of the Prophet. When there is a Prophetic ruling in favour of a Maslahah, it becomes part of the established law, hence no longer a MM. From a historical vantage, the notion of MM originates in the practice of the Companions. Khalifah Abu Bakr (R) ordered the composition of Quran in the form of a book as he feared its loss due to martyr of a number of companions in the battle of Yamamah. A group of people objected it considering it a Bidt as it apparently seems to be but in fact it was MM. Recently a Saudi scholar has regarded the closure of shops and offices in KSA for 5-time prayers as Bidt saying such practice was not existing at the time of the prophet (S). So, here he confused between (Bidt & MM).

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Then... He will not neglect us

Can you recall which blessed Muslim woman in history said this uniquely inspiring statement? If your answer was Hajar, then you guessed it right! Yes, Hajar said this Hajar, the great mother of Prophet Ismail and the obedient wife of Prophet Ibrahim! (Peace be upon all of them) Do you know the background in which this bold lady uttered this revolutionary statement a statement which I feel has assumed the shape of a dew drop that is permanently embedded in the cheek of time! I and You, each with a breast-feeding child in hand, must go individually to a desert to realise something of that situation and feel the taste of Iman this exceptionally bold and blessed lady had in her! This statement is a slap on the face of all those men who degrade Muslim women just because they are the women of Islam! This statement is also a slap on the face of those Mullahs who lecture about the virtues of being a man brushing aside the power in women! This statement, mind you, is powerfully loaded with an extra-ordinary determination of a noble Muslim woman who had put her total reliance on none but Allah! This was said by a lady with a breast-feeding child in her hand while her husband was leaving her all alone in the desert sands of Arabia! Her husband was leaving her at a place where no water was available! He was leaving her at a place where no human population was found around! He was leaving her all alone in the desert at that point in history when there was no light, no electricity nothing to enjoy! Before we proceed further, let me quote the starting part of this hadith: (Prophet) Ibrhm brought her (Hajar) and her son Ismail while she used to nurse him at her breast, near the Kabah under a tree on the spot of Zamzam, at the highest place in the mosque. During those days there was nobody in Makkah, nor was there any water. So he made them sit over there and placed near them a leather bag containing some dates, and a small waterskin containing some water, and set out homeward. Ismails mother followed him saying: O Ibrhm! Where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose company we may enjoy, nor is there anything (to enjoy)? She repeated that to him many times, but he did not look back at her. Then she asked him, Has Allh ordered you was destined to be born in the progeny of her son, Ismail, indeed Allah did not neglect her. When Allah revealed this verse in the Quran: ? and publicly proclaim Pilgrimage for all mankind so that they come to you on foot and mounted on lean camels from every distant point, making it mandatory for all affording Muslims to visit Makkah at least once in their life time that Makkah whose first citizen was Hajar, Allah did not neglect her. When Allah dedicated her act of running between Safwa and Marwa as one of the main acts of Hajj and Umrah, making men and women run in her memory and run till the end of time indeed Allah did not neglect her! When Allah granted her husband, Ibrahim (peace be upon him), the distinction and honour of being the grand father of many Prophets, He did not neglect her. When Allah earmarked her husbands place the Maqam Ibrahim as a place of prayer, He did not neglect her. When Allah made the mention of her husbands name mandatory in the Tashahhud of every Salah, He did not neglect her. When Allah liked the act of her husbands resistance to the temptations of Satan so much that He made it an obligatory act of Hajj the act of throwing pebbles at Jamrat Allah did not neglect her. There is so much about Hajar, and you thought that Muslim women are fit for nothing!! Hajar is an inspiration for all of us. Hajars faith and trust in Allah were as solid as the mountains of Makkah! If we have strong faith and unshakeable reliance on Allah, like Hajar, then He will not neglect us. Allah assures us in the Quran: Do not, then, either lose heart or grieve: for you shall surely gain the upper hand if you are true believers (3: 139) May Allah guide us to the Straight Path. Aameen. O our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily,You are the All-Hearer, the AllKnower. (2:127) http://yassarnalquran.wordpress.com/ 2011/11/05/then-he-will-not-neglectus/#more-1432

to do so? He said, Yes. She said, Then He will not neglect us. Subhanallah! I glorify Allah! If Allah has ordered you to leave us all alone in this desert, then He will not neglect us! What an inspiration Hajar is! Peace be upon her. History is witness to the fact that not only Allah did not neglect her and her family when she was alive but He has also blessed Hajar with infinite blessings blessings that continue till this day despite the passage of thousands of years, and will continue as long as this world is in existence! When Allah blessed Hajar with cool and refreshing waters of Zam Zam in the midst of heat and dust of a desert, Allah did not neglect her. When Allah caused the tribe of Jurhum to go and settle in Makkah, giving Hajar the blessing of living with people, Allah did not neglect her. When her son, Ismail, was provided the opportunity of learning the language and culture from the people of Jurhum, Allah did not neglect her. When Ismail, her son, grew up to marry one of the girls of Jurhum tribe, Allah did not neglect her. When Allah gave Ibrahim and Ismail her husband and her son the honour of raising the foundations of Kabah, the glorious House of Allah, indeed Allah did not neglect her. When Allah answered the duaa of her husband by blessing the land of Makkah with such blessings that no piece of land on earth has, Allah did not neglect her. When Allah announced the good news of her husband passing the hardest test of willing to sacrifice their very son by making it the cause of the celebration of Eidul Adha for posterity, He did not neglect her. When Allah elevated the status of her son by making him one of His Prophets, He did not neglect her. When Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the last and final Messenger,

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Reviling The Messenger of Allah

(peace be upon him)
By E ISLAM TEAM Allah, The Most Exalted, says "We have not sent thee(Muhammad peace be upon him) Except as a Mercy to the Worlds." (Quran:Surah 21 Aayat 107) Humanity, both Muslims and Non-Muslims bear testimony to the excellent character of the Noble and Last Messenger of Allah Taala (peace be upon him). It is tragic that every now and then, biased and offensive works against Islam and Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) are circulated in the media. In addition to the recent provocative anti-Prophet film, a satirical French magazine published new cartoons mocking Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him). It is a repeated scenario: the same messages of enmity, hate and antagonism are being recycled again and again. Any film or publication which vilifies any Prophet of Almighty Allah (pbuh) justifies condemnation. This film not only vilifies the personality who is revered by billions of followers in every part of the world, but is also constitutes a grave misrepresentation. The offensive film is directed at the following mischief:Firstly, it is obviously intended to create the furor and backlash which it has achieved. The evil perpetrators of this heinous conduct i.e. all those associated, in any way whatsoever with the creation and dissemination of such film intended and effectuated the loss of lives and other negative consequences that have since ensued. Secondly, these evil doers are also driven by the desire to profit as much as possible financially from such unconscionable conduct and in compromise of all and any semblance of decency they have traded their souls for money. Loving the Messenger of Allah Taala (peace be upon him) and feeling offended when he is insulted is expected from every Muslim and is a fundamental part of our Imaan (belief). However, the way such good feelings are put in action makes a huge difference. A wise response would turn such a challenge into a great opportunity to reach out to people and to raise their awareness about the Messenger of Allah Taala (peace be upon him) and his message.Our response should be wise, tactful and calculated so that it has the greatest impact. What can we do? Turn to Allah Taala by means of Dua (Prayer) and ask Him to protect the honour and dignity of Muhammad (peace be upon him). Indeed all affairs are only in the Control of Allah Taala. Appropriate legal and other proceedings be instituted against the perpetrators as no reasonable and civilized society should and would tolerate such heinous and base conduct. Extensive public condemnation together with adequate penalties and punishment within the relevant legal framework should be imposed and in this respect both appropriate criminal and civil proceedings should be instituted. Increase the recitation of Salaat and Salaam(Durood Shareef/sending blessings) on The Messenger of Allah Taala (peace be upon him). Demonstrate to the world the excellent Akhlaaq (Character) of Muhammad (peace be upon him) by inculcating within us the noble sunnah (lifestyle) of The Messenger of Allah Taala (peace be upon him). Make it our duty to educate our family, friends and colleagues about the Great Last and Final Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) who has indeed been sent as a Mercy to the Entire Humanity. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "None of you has perfect faith until I am more beloved to him than his parents, his children and all the people". (Hadith- Bukhari, Muslim). One who attains the following three things will taste the sweetness of faith: To make Allaah and His Messenger more beloved to himself than anything else; To love a person for no other reason except for the sake of Allaah; And to hate to return to disbelief just as much as he would hate to be thrown into fire.(Hadith-Bukhaari, Muslim). Source. www.eislam.co.za

continued from page 11

Marital problems in the Indian Diaspora living in the Middle East

department to seize the passport at the airport itself as soon as the violators arrive at any Indian airport. 2. NGOs who come forward to counsel in the marital problems, must be given legal support by the embassies to take action. The embassy should support the action taken by the NGOs. This will not only reduce the domestic violence, divorces etc but also reduce lot of pressure from the embassy staff who willingly or unwillingly have to involve in the disputes. 3. There is already an agreement between the Indian Government and most of the Middle East Governments on exchange of terrorists, smugglers etc. There should also be an agreement to exchange the persons who are wanted by any Indian court but they are absconding. If any Indian court issues a warrant against a person, the embassies should be able to compel the Arab sponsor to arrange the exit of the wanted person. 4. The Community Welfare section of every embassy must be provided with an official counselor to counsel between the wives and husbands. 5. Strict laws must be introduced to stop the marriages of Indian girls to the Arab nationals. At the same time, more severe punishments too should be introduced against those Qazis and brokers who arrange such marriages in violation to the real Islamic laws. 6. Most important: The Government must ban the dowry system. This is the root of many crimes in the society as well as a worst violation of Womens Rights. The article 498A or anti-dowry act 1961 and 1986 are not enough to curb the present days dowry trends. New strict laws must be introduced to eradicate it. ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ______The author of the article Mr. Aleem Khan Falaki is a PhD Research scholar from Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad. He is also the President of Socio Reforms Society of India. Based in Jeddah, writer of books on Life Insurance, Dowry system etc. He can be contacted on aleemfalki@yahoo.com

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The Child who Brought an Open Umbrella for Prayer

Professor Nazeer Ahmed The rains failed again that year. It was the third year in succession when there was no rain. The crops had disappeared and the land was a brown swath of dusty rubble. Trees had lost their leaves years ago and stood out like silhouettes of cactus on the dusty horizon. There was a stream that skirted the village in years bygone. Now the riverbed was dry. Where once flowed clean, fresh water from the nearby mountains, there was now a bed of clay, cracked in a checkerboard pattern with gaps as wide as a foot. No one knew what had happened to the birds except for the vultures that circled the town, looking for a carcass or two of an animal that was left dying. There was famine in the land. People walked around like sticks, sans flesh, surviving on whatever ration was brought to them by trucks, distributed by charities, located in far-away lands. Desperate for help, the people of the village held a meeting under a big banyan tree that was as old as the village. Let us pray, said an elderly man. Only God can help us now There lived people of many faiths in the village. There was a temple, a church and a mosque, each belonging to a different group. There ensued a big debate as to where to hold the prayer- in a temple, a mosque or a church. Each community pressed its respective position. There was no consensus. Exhausted, they decided that each group would go to its own place of worship and beseech the Almighty for rain. The faithful decided to hold their prayer in the open, late that night, under the open sky, away from the town. It was a full moon night and the moon shone with its alluring brightness against a background of shimmering stars. The men gathered in a field by the river. The mullah was there with his white turban and so were the kazi and the muezzin. And there were the men who at one time were considered rich by virtue of the cattle, sheep, orchards and cultivated land they owned. As the men formed neat rows for prayer, a child came running from the town, holding high an open umbrella over his head. Huffing for breath, he stood in the back row, umbrella still unfurled. The men could not but help turn around and wonder what was going on. Some were curious; others were annoyed because the umbrella created space between their shoulders where there should be none. At last the mullah admonished the child. Why did you bring the umbrella, O foolish child! said the mullah to the child. Dont you see there is no rain and we have come here to pray for rain? Only a foolish one would stand on a clear night like this with his umbrella open Yes, said the child. I came to pray too. I am certain my prayer will be answered and it will rain. I have complete faith in God. That is why I brought my umbrella. The mullah was dumb founded. The men had a sense of shame. Each one looked to his right and to his left and then he looked inside his own soul for that certainty of faith that was absent. Who was the teacher here and who was the pupil? If you pray for rain, you must have certainty in your heart that it will rain. Verily! Through the passage of time Humankind is at loss Except such as those Who have certainty of faith. (The Quran)

The Foolish Servant

There lived in a town a very rich man, who was given every comfort and luxury by ALLAH ALMIGHTY. He had a servant who was slightly foolish. One day the rich man called his servant and presented him with a gift saying: Keep this in a safe place until you find someone more foolish than yourself. When you do, give it to Him. The servant replied: Very good, Sir! After some time, the rich man became very ill. Many doctors treated him but there was no sign of recovery. He finally lost hope and called for his servant and said to Him: I am leaving now. If I have caused you any grief, please forgive me. Servant: Sir, where are you going? Rich Man: Where everyone has to go. Servant: When will you return? Rich Man: I am going to a place from where there is no return. Servant: I see Have you made your preparations for your comfort there, sir? Rich Man: No. Servant: Sir, have you made arrangements to safeguard yourself from heat and cold? Rich Man: No. Servant: What have you done about your food and drink, sir? Rich Man: Nothing. Hearing this, the servant laughed and said: Sir, this is most surprising. In your temporary home, you have made all sorts of arrangements of joy and comfort; buildings and bungalows, gardens and parks, servants and maids, beautiful cars, shops, factories and all sorts of luxuries, but for your permanent home, you have made no preparations whatsoever. Now tell me sir, where will I find someone more foolish than you? Hence I am giving this gift to you. Moral of the story: We should take time out and review frequently whether our actions are solely for the life of this world or for the eternal life in the Hereafter. We have to prepare for our final destination rather than this temporary world.

Flattery and praising to us are like sweets to the Diabetic patient; it looks good when taken more and more, but it damages patient's health, so much so that it kills.

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A glimpse into bygone days

S.G. Jilanee This is the story of the times, not very long ago, when life moved at a slow pace. There was plenty of time not only to stand and stare, but much more. With gold selling at rupees 22 per tola (12 grams) and other necessities of life aplenty and cheap (pure ghee sold at less than one rupee a seer) there was cheerfulness all round. Festivities and ceremonies were frequent. Some were quite elaborate. Chhati was observed on the sixth day of the birth of a baby. It was the occasion for naming the newborn marked with much rejoicing. Weaning of the baby at the age of 30 months and giving it the first taste of savoury food was another occasion to enjoy. Bismillah was performed when the child was about four. This was an elaborate ceremony, Draped in the best attire, the boy or girl sat, respectively, before a maulvi, or ustani (female teacher), and repeated bimillah as recited by them. After the ceremony gifts would rain on the child and there would be a joyous feast. Girls went through kaan chhedan (ear-piercing) at about the same time as bismillah. Their ear-lobes were pierced with a needle and they bore the pain with a grin to be able to wear ear rings. Between seven and eight years of age kids were initiated into Ramadan fasting. The first day of fasting was celebrated with as much clat as the Bismillah. The beauty of it was that all the iftar cooking was done at home. Dolls weddings were other occasions for partying. Girls would do matchmaking between the male doll of one and the female doll of another among their friends. All customs and rituals of real marriages were observed; invitations, henna, barat, nikah, rukhsati, waleema and chauthee (fourth day after wedding) under the guidance of elders, only on a mini-scale. When girls reached the age of puberty, their first menstruation was an event of great joy in the family. As Bilquis Jahan Khan narrates in her autobiography, A Song of Hyderabad, her first menstruation was greeted with a seven-gun salute from her maternal grandfathers Arab guards. Weddings were the apex of all rejoicings. The brides home became the centre of festivities from almost a month before the event with frequent visits from relatives. Seamstresses worked on bridal dresses. (There were no readymade jodas) Wedding invitation was hand-written on a scroll of glazed paper (red or green) with a list of invitees. With family or Mr. and Mrs., was not specified. One name included the whole family. The invite was circulated through the family barber. The invitee would make the sign of the Urdu character swad over his name in token of acceptance and give some coins to the messenger. About 15 days before the wedding the bride was confined to a dimly lighted room, lest the sun should burn the fairness of her skin. This was the maiyoun. During this period ubtan (fragrant herbs ground to a paste with gram flour) was rubbed regularly all over the brides body and especially her face. A paste made from fresh henna leaves was applied all over the palms, fingers and nails of both hands, without any designs or patterns. This lent a lasting fragrance to the hands. After the nikah had been solemnized, reciting a laudatory poem for the groom was a hallowed tradition. How it caused a spat between Ghalib and Zauq at the wedding of Prince Jawan Bakht is history. When the bridegroom was led to the womens section to perform the many rituals the entrance was blocked by the brides younger brothers. A fee was negotiated before the blockade was withdrawn. This custom was reversed when the bride arrived at her new home. Her palanquin was blocked by the grooms younger brothers. When the groom took off his shoes to walk on the carpet, the brides sisters stole his shoes, which were returned, again, after some reward. An important ritual was arsi mas-haf. The newly-weds sat side by side, with a sheet over their heads. A mirror was held up in which they saw their reflection (for the first time in cases where the bride and groom were strangers) Meanwhile, outside the guests would be entertained by professional songstresses or regaled by bhands and mirasis (traditional jokers). There was no photography. The bride did not appear before male guests. For four days until chauthee she kept her eyes shut, except before her husband and the closest relatives in the secrecy of her bedroom. Roo numayee was a formal ceremony on the chauthee day. The bride sat on a carpet (farsh), eyes shut. Her attendant gently lifted her chin for the guests and relatives to see her face as they filed past and offered money as salami. After chauthee the bride returned with her spouse to her own home for a brief period before she finally went back to settle in her new abode. All that is now a sweet dream! (ends)

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You Dont Have to See the Whole Staircase

admission to a top-notch university. I felt a thrill of excitement when I received the email inviting us to write and share interesting information or stories related to the most beautiful book on earth the Quran. Thank-you for this opportunity to promote the understanding of the Quran! I would like to share my own story. I have never been a practicing Muslim; I spent my thirty years of life wasting time in activities like music and watching movies, far from my real purpose of life. One incident changed my life and brought me closer to the Quran. About four years ago I was in the process of studying for my teaching career when I became very sick. I couldnt eat properly for two weeks and my fever wouldnt subside. Alhamdulillah, I recovered physically, but I found a great restlessness in my soul and heart. I had no idea what was going on with me because there was no one to guide me. My aunt gave me a book of the prophet's duas for peace. I kept it with me. One day I felt that same helpless feeling of restlessness; I started reading those duas and instantly found peace. My next goal was to read and understand the glorious Quran. I found some Quran classes, a quick review of the whole Quran that lasted for three months. Those three months were the best time of my life. They changed my whole outlook on life and convinced me that this world is nothing but deception. My life was never the same again. I started praying five times a day and wearing hijab. But I was still apprehensive; still a slave to my nafs, I thought of my career and other worldly desires. This was due to my weak iman and the lack of support I received (you won't find too many people supporting or encouraging you to be attached to the Quran). I wanted to embrace the Quran and make it my only purpose in life, to leave my job and other worldly desires, but was I strong enough? No! I wasnt! After lot of thinking and advice from other people, I chose to continue with my job. During my three years of working I once considered taking off my hijab, but my Lord was with me. I was, and still am, such a sinner, but Allah never leaves our sides. As time passed I began to see the harsh face of reality at work the dual personalities, the backbiting, etc. I would be so drained by the end of the day that I had no time for my home, my kids, the Quran, or religious duties. I realized that in order to fulfill the responsibilities God had assigned to me I had to leave my job. After I resigned things were not easy; Allah tested me. For a long time I didnt know where to start, but then I started praying to Allah to give me hidaya, to keep me on a straight path, and to make me do things that were pleasing to Him. This required constant effort and hard work. Many prayers for the right path and constant connection with the Quran are what helped me sail through. The Quran brought a soothing comfort to my heart every time I read it. I want those who are struggling to find the straight path of Allah to know that the journey is tough but truly worth it. Yes, you have to give up a lot of things to attain Allah's pleasure, but you never know how much time youve been allotted on this earth. Jannah is a special place, and you have to work hard to enter it, as if trying to gain How do you work to enter Jannah?

byFaizaAsad

Dont put your main purpose in life behind you, thinking you have a lot of time and can do it later. Spend every moment in obedience to our Creator. Keep going and never look back. Take small steps toward the only ultimate success. You dont have to see the whole staircase just take the first step and keep on praying. Set your goals and priorities. Be positive and hopeful of Allah. (Allah said, Whoevers main concern is the concern of the hereafter, Allah will take care of his worldly affairs and all that is worrying him.) If you fail a hundred times, try again a hundred times to get up. (If you give up, you cant get up!) Stand up for what you believe in, even if you're standing alone. Don't ever forget that Allah is beside you. I pray for all Muslims who are struggling in the path of Allah that youll never give up keep going slowly and steadily and InshaAllah youll reach your destination.

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Bakht Khan: Winner of a lost battle Part2

By Ms. Asma Khan*, Chief Editor, BaKhabar
P.C. Joshi in his work, Inquilab 1857 makes a significant observation about this term, Wahabi. He says that, The use of the term Wahabi is not at all correct, because the political ambitions and social views of allegedly Indian Wahabis were not based on Abdul Wahab of Najad but on the man who came before him. He was Shah Waliullah [died:1762]. Thats the reason some supporters of Islamic renaissance like, Ubaidullah Sindhi [1861-1948], Ghulam Sarvar and [Hakeem]Ajmal Khan have preferred to call themselves as Waliullahi or the followers of Shah Waliullah. But I have maintained this word due to its popular use and historical importance. His Wahabism thus had Indian roots. Hence despising the Rohella Subedar as a Wahabi is to belittle the efforts he made for a unified fight against our former rulers. It is unfair to the man in question who is among the real heroes of the mutiny. Noted historian Irfan Habib too condemns the practice of labeling and cornering him as a Wahabi and describes Bakht Khan as, the republican minded commanderin-chief in Delhi, who is most unfairly portrayed as a Wahabi in some modern accounts. Wahabi or not, what is important to notice, is that he struggled for unity among the different religious sects and led the Fauj-eHindustani and fought for a unified and free India. Barun De admires this General of Bareilly for providing the quintessential unity that was severely lacking among the ranks of the rebels. He terms Bakht Khan a true leader and lauds his efforts at unifying different forces of the time, as worth studying. My attempt here is to present a brief sketch of this great General as a figure who, till his last, struggled for the dream of a free and unified India where harmony among different ethnic groups was his top priority. His Origins: Bakht Khan was of Rohilla [Afghan] stock. His grandfather Ghulam Qadir Khan came to Lucknow to make a living. His father Abdullah Khan, said to be a very handsome man, was married to an Awadh Princess. Bakht Khan was formerly a Subedar in the 8th Foot Artillery at Bareilly and had served the British for over forty years and fought bravely in Afghan wars. He had progressed quite rapidly and was appointed in a high-ranking position there. Interesting to note, is his close friendship with many British officers, under whom he had served and imbibed the art of war. Colonel George Bourcheir was educated in Persian by him, and who describes his tutor as, very fond of English society ..[and] a most intelligent character. But quite a few disagreed and called him, a fat guy, socially ambitious and an incompetent horseman, probably the worst insult for a soldier, in those times. His commanding officer, Captain Waddy [BHA], describes him thus, He is sixty years of age and is said to have served the Company for forty years; his height 5 feet 10 inches; 44 inches round the chest ; a very bad rider owing to a large stomach and thick thighs but clever and a good drill. When the revolution began he was already in his native town of Bareilly and his fame as a fine administrator and a brave and especially able army commander had spread in the country. He had arrived in Delhi with a huge contingent of 7000 [according to another source, 14000] cavalry and hundreds of infantry and a treasure from Bareilly. Bakht Khan as an Administrator: It is indeed quite fascinating to know Bakht Khans efforts in trying to enforce some kind of sense and sensibility, onto the madness of loot, plunder and sheer chaos of the Delhi of 1857 uprising. He tried every trick in the book to restore law and order amid that disturbing pandemonium. Munshi Jeevan Lal, the overweight Mir Munshi [Chief Assistant] of Resident of Delhi, Sir Thomas Metcalfe [who was working as a British spy, describes how General Bakht Khan went about restoring order amidst that unprecedented anarchy spread after the arrival of the rebels, in the capital. Its a human thing to love admiration; but when it comes from the enemy, it becomes doubly significant. Munshi Jiwan Lal in the notes to his British Masters appreciates measures taken by Bakht Khan. There were to be no taxes on salt and sugar, looting [by the just arrived rebel soldiers]had to be stopped else their plundering hands would be cut off, shopkeepers were to be given full protection and even encouraged to use weapons[if they had none, then would be duly provided from the state armoury], soldiers were to be removed from the Dilli bazaars as it created difficulties for the general public and relocated in camps outside Delhi gate, their salaries were to be restored and promises of jagirs were made to them in return of their services to the army. He further informs that the Generals men had also killed three spies working for the British [M.Baqar Ali, father of Muhammad Husain Azad, the famous Urdu writer, too, had complained in his first report that, he is followed by the spies of Bakht Khan wherever he goes. The Metcalfes Munshi tells his masters that General Bakht Khan was soft spoken to his men but also remained firm that, they should not cross their line of duty even in the smallest measure. Impressive army parades were conducted by him from Delhi Gate to Ajmeri Gate. Many important petitions from various kings, Nawabs, Rajas, and officials of courts, were forwarded to the King and replies were received through the office of Governor General Bakht Khan; chief among them were, Qudratulla Khan, Risaldar of Awadh, Khan Bahdur Khan, Rao Tula Ram. A ruqqah was also addressed to the Patiala Rajah, conveying pardon of the King for his faults, many other such instances of accessing the King through the General can be found in different accounts of history. Here he was playing the role of a keen diplomat. His honest and sincere attempts at running the administrative affairs efficiently at court and his diplomacy with the men of importance are discernible from these accounts. The steps he took to restore a sense of sanity in those insane times are evidently commendable but somehow go unnoticed by his critics. Bakht Khan as a military strategist: The General was a shrewd military strategist. What he achieved at the battle field of Delhi becomes more significant considering the dire circumstances he worked in. He had little support from his own army factions and was constantly attacked and maligned by some hostile elements from within. His strategies on the battle field, his trying to sabotage the passages that took supplies to their camp, invention of rota system and his playing the mind games with the enemy, all are indeed splendid. Richard Barter gives tribute to this great man thus: Thanks to the system organized by Bakht Khan..We were scarcely able to stand. He was speaking, worn out at the battle ground along with his soldiers, thanks to the new Generals machinations. Their frustration grew to the extent that some of the British soldiers seeing no sign of relief wanted to kill themselves on purpose, and some even did. Be it propelling a contingent to Alipore or setting up a new rota system intended to engage the British forces on a daily basis, and which meant leaving them no respite from the combat, General Bakht Khan always worked on new strategies to defeat his enemy. Soon after his arrival, on the ninth of July he made a massive attempt to destroy the British forces and one of his strategies was to clothe his men in British white uniforms. This took the opponents by surprise and a deep access was gained into their camp. Such regular expeditions by Bakht Khan frustrated the enemy to the extent that, they began losing all hope of capturing Delhi again. He succeeded as he knew the British tactics inside out .His long service to them had at last, paid off.

"Mutineers" or Freedom Fighters?: Museum at Red Fort continues to insult our heroes by calling them "mutineers." * Asma Anjum Khan is Assistant Professor of English in Maharashtra

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Biharis and their sacrifice for Pakistan:

Unfulfilled promises
Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi In my previous two articles, I dealt with the sacrifices made by Bihari Muslims for Pakistan since the emergence of the two-nation theory under which the subcontinent was divided between India and Pakistan. The articles also shed light on the expertise and skills of Biharis which rescued East Pakistans economy from collapse. Biharis suffered a lot and fought together with the Pakistan army in their failed bid to ensure the survival of Pakistan as a unified state. However, after the war ended and the Pakistan army surrendered to the Indian army, Biharis were left unprotected and were vulnerable to murder, looting and rape by militias associated with the Awami League. Although the laws of war gave protection to the surrendered army, there was no law to protect Biharis or defend them. The Simla Agreement, concluded by India and Pakistan in the year following the 1971 war, laid down the principles that should govern their future relations. It also formulated steps to be taken for further normalization of mutual relations. Under this agreement, signed by the Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto with his Indian counterpart Indira Gandhi, the surrendered Pakistan troops were able to return to their country. However, the agreement did not include any specific provisions either to ensure the protection of Biharis and safeguard their basic rights if they preferred to stay in Bangladesh or to facilitate their return to Pakistan, a country for which they had made big sacrifices. Under agreements reached by the government of Bhutto, nearly 200,000 Biharis repatriated to Pakistan. There were also reports that some of them chose to attempt to integrate with the Bengali community rather than return to Pakistan. But all the facts indicate that most of them were unable to integrate with the Bengali community. Only a few of them managed to do so by means of intermarriage with Bengali men and women and by acquiring proficiency in the Bengali language, while the rest of them were destined to live in overcrowded tents and huts in miserable conditions, in anticipation of their return to their country, Pakistan. There were several proposals made to solve the problem of Biharis, of which the most notable was for setting up an endowment under the aegis of the Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL). An agreement to establish the endowment was signed by Pakistan President Gen. Zia ul-Haq and Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef, secretary general of the MWL. The founding committee members of the endowment included several prominent Saudi and Pakistani figures, including President of the Arab Gulf Program for Development (AGFUND) Prince Talal Bin Abdul Aziz, who was also second president of the endowment, and Amin Al-Attas, assistant secretary general of the MWL. High hopes were pinned on the endowment especially because of the enthusiasm shown by Gen. Zia ul-Haq, who declared that he would ensure the return of the stranded Pakistanis to their country even if it had to be on his own back. But unfortunately, destiny did not allow him to fulfill this promise. However, some Biharis who were later repatriated to Pakistan settled in Punjab province where Gen. Zia had built houses for them on land donated by the provincial government, headed by Nawaz Sharif. The Muslim World League gave $50 million toward executing the project for the repatriation and settlement of the stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh. The organization also offered to extend more donations and gifts so as to raise the amount required to solve the problems of around a quarter of a million Biharis who were living in appalling conditions in overcrowded tents and huts without access to even the basic requirements of life such as food, medicine and clothing. Today Biharis are still languishing in these camps where they have been since the breakup of United Pakistan and the creation of the independent state of Bangladesh 40 years ago. After the death of Gen. Zia ul-Haq, Pakistan Peoples Party leader Benazir Bhutto assumed power as prime minister of Pakistan. She showed no interest in the subject of the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis from Bangladesh. Perhaps this was because of her animosity for her predecessor Gen. Zia ul-Haq for hanging her father after holding a summary trial or she might have disliked her rival and successor Nawaz Sharif who was interested in resolving the issue of the stranded Pakistanis. In the name of the Punjab provincial government, Sharif, in his capacity as chief minister, donated land to build a city to accommodate all the Pakistanis stranded in Bangladesh. However, it was reported that Benazir Bhutto, after a visit to Bangladesh, announced that Biharis would continue to remain in Bangladesh forever. There were renewed hopes of reactivating the MWL endowment for Biharis during the second tenure of Nawaz Sharif as prime minister of Pakistan. He demonstrated interest in the topic and took charge as president of the endowment replacing Gen. Zia ul-Haq. The endowment then built a large number of houses in Punjab province and handed over some of them to more than 60 repatriated Bihari families while the majority of the dwellings remained vacant due to the political turmoil in the country. In his second term of office, Nawaz Sharif did not have enough time to resume the repatriation and settlement process. He was ousted in a military coup orchestrated by the army chief Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who renewed the era of military coups that have plagued Pakistan throughout its history. (Next weeks article will focus on the resolution of the deadlock over the MWL endowment and efforts and suggestions made, especially by the Stranded Pakistanis General Repatriation Committee, to keep the topic alive and draw global attention to the plight of Biharis.)

Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi is a former Saudi diplomat who specializes in Southeast Asian affairs

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Dengue
Fever Remedy
I would like to share this interesting discovery from a classmate's son who has just recovered from dengue fever. Apparently, his son was in the critical stage at the ICU when his blood platelet count drops to 15000 after 15 liters of blood transfusion.

His father was so worried that he seeks another friend's recommendation and his son was saved. He confessed to me that he gave his son raw juice of the papaya leaves. From a platelet count of 45000 after 20 liters of blood transfusion, and after drinking the raw papaya leaf juice, his platelet count jumps instantly to 135000. Even the doctors and nurses were surprised. After the second day he was discharged. So he asked me to pass this good news around. Accordingly it is raw papaya leaves, two pcs, cleaned and pound and squeeze with filter cloth. You will only get one tablespoon per leaf. So two tablespoon per serving once a day. Do not boil or cook or rinse with hot water, it will lose its strength. Only the leafy part and no stem or sap. It is bitter and you have to swallow it like. But it works. Papaya leaf juice is a natural cure for dengue fever. As dengue fever is rampant now, I think it's good to share this with all.
Bakhabar

AL-SHAHEEN PARA MEDICAL COLLEGE & HOSPITAL

Few seats reserve for Bihar Anjuman sponsored students
A unit of Al Shaheen Group of Institutions [An ISO 9001:2008 certified organization] [Sponsored by Dr Shaheen Neshat Memorial Trust] Mashrak -841417 Saran, Bihar ADMISSION OPEN COURSES OFFERED Dr Shaheen Neshat Memorial Trusthttp://drshaheenneshatmemorialtrust.orghas granted few FREE seats which shall be offered to MUSLIM MINORITY/ECONOMICALLY POOR / SC & ST STUDENTS DMLT DIP. X-RAY DIP. SANITORY INSP. DIP. PHYSIOTHERAPY CERTIFICATE IN MEDICAL DRESSER ? Free admissions are available only on sponsored seats by the Dr Shaheen Neshat Memorial Trust. ? FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS. Contact: info@drshaheenneshatmemorialtrust.org Web: http://www.drshaheenneshatmemorialtrust.org Tel 06159 224253; 225092 9798111525- 99311957108651901999

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Quran
Week in London NEVER CHANGED
NEVER ALTERED BILLIONS READ IT MILLIONS MEMORISE IT EVER WONDER WHY?

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Excerpts from holy

Quran
1. Respect and honour all human beings irrespective of their religion, colour, race, sex, language, status, property, birth, profession/job and so on [17/70] 2. Talk straight, to the point, without any ambiguity or deception [33/70] 3. Choose best words to speak and say them in the best possible way [17/53, 2/83] 4. Do not shout. Speak politely keeping your voice low. [31/19] 5. Always speak the truth. Shun words that are deceitful and ostentatious [22/30] 6. Do not confound truth with falsehood [2/42] 7. Say with your mouth what is in your heart [3/167] 9. When you voice an opinion, be just, even if it is against a relative [6/152] 11. Do not talk, listen or do anything vain [23/3, 28/55] 12. Do not participate in any paltry. If you pass near a futile play, then pass by with dignity [25/72] 13. Do not verge upon any immodesty or lewdness whether surreptitious or overt [6/151]. 14. If, unintentionally, any misconduct occurs by you, then correct yourself expeditiously [3/134]. 15. Do not be contemptuous or arrogant with people [31/18] 20. If you do not have complete knowledge about anything, better keep your mouth shut.You might think that speaking about something without full knowledge is a trivial matter. But it might have grave consequences [24/15-16] 21. When you hear something malicious about someone, keep a favourable view about him/her until you attain full knowledge about the matter. Consider others innocent until they are proven guilty with solid and truthful evidence [24/12-13] 22. Ascertain the truth of any news, lest you smite someone in ignorance and afterwards repent of what you did [49/6] 23. Do not follow blindly any information of which you have no direct knowledge. (Using your faculties of perception and conception) you must verify it for yourself. In the Court of your Lord, you will be held accountable for your hearing, sight, and the faculty of reasoning [17/36]. 24. Never think that you have reached the final stage of knowledge and nobody knows more than yourself.
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Remember! Above everyone endowed with knowledge is another endowed with more knowledge [12/76]. Even the Prophet [p.b.u.h] was asked to keep praying, "O My sustainer! Advance me in knowledge." [20:114] 25. The believers are but a single Brotherhood. Live like members of one family, brothers and sisters unto one another [49/10]. 26. Do not make mockery of others or ridicule others [49/11] 27. Do not defame others [49/11] 28. Do not insult others by nicknames [49/11] 29. Avoid suspicion and guesswork. Suspicion and guesswork might deplete your communal energy [49/12] 30. Spy not upon one another [49/12] 31. Do not backbite one another [49/12] 32. When you meet each other, offer good wishes and blessings for safety. One who conveys to you a message of safety and security and also when a courteous greeting is offered to you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous or (at least) of equal courtesy [4/86] 33. When you enter your own home or the home of somebody else, compliment the inmates [24/61] 34. Do not enter houses other than your own until you have sought permission; and then greet the inmates and wish them a life of blessing, purity and pleasure [24/27] 35. Treat kindly -Your parents-Relatives-The orphansAnd those who have been left alone in the society [4/36] 36. Take care of -The needy,-The disabled-Those whose hard earned income is insufficient to meet their needsAnd those whose businesses have stalled -And those who have lost their jobs. [4/36] 37. Treat kindly -Your related neighbours, and unrelated neighbours-Companions by your side in public gatherings, or public transportation. [4/36] 38. Be generous to the needy wayfarer, the homeless son of the street,and the one who reaches you in a destitute condition [4/36] 39. Be nice to people who work under your care. [4/36] 40. Do not follow up what you have given to others to afflict them with reminders of your generosity [2/262]. 41. Do not expect a return for your good behaviour, not even thanks [76/9] 42. Cooperate with one another in good deeds and do not cooperate with others in evil and bad matters [5/2] 43. Do no try to impress people on account of selfproclaimed virtues [53/32] 44. You should enjoin right conduct on others but mend your own ways first. Actions speak louder than words. You must first practice good deeds yourself, then preach [2/44] 45. Correct yourself and your families first [before trying to correct others] [66/6] 46. Pardon gracefully if anyone among you who commits a bad deed out of ignorance, and then repents and amends [6/54, 3/134] 47. Divert and sublimate your anger and potentially

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Sirf rone se muqaddar nahi badla karte Dast e mehnat se hi taqdeer banaye koi Yun to girte ko girate hain sabhi log magar Baat to jab hai ki gitre ko uthaye koi.

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9 steps to acheive your goals

1. Define your goal
The first step is to define your goal. Perhaps you've always dreamt about running a race or learning a new language? Maybe you're determined to seek a promotion or you simply want to shed a few kilos. Consider everything. What would you do if you had more time? What would you like to accomplish in the future? What do you regret about the past? In the words of motivational speaker Les Brown (www.lesbrown.com), "Your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what is possible for your life." Whatever you choose, make sure your goal is specific, achievable and tangible. simply can't 'unlearn' it. By writing, reading and reexperiencing those feelings of success over and over again you are essentially telling yourself what you want by believing that you already have it."

6. Spot the Obstacles

Now identify your potential obstacles. When suddenly faced with obstacles it can be difficult to remain focused and energetic. They can sap your energy, time and enthusiasm. What may hinder your progress? Old habits die hard and current mindsets can be difficult to shift, but identifying the obstacles will prepare you for the road ahead - forewarned is forearmed after all. "Be perfectly honest with yourself," says Carolyn, "this is the only way to identify all the possible problem areas. And only when you identify these can you develop strategies to minimise them."

2. Set your deadline

A goal without a deadline can be forever postponed, so set a deadline and aim to be as realistic as possible. If your goal is to lose a certain amount of weight for example, count on losing 2 pounds (around one kilo) per week. If you have your eye on that promotion, think about when your next appraisal is scheduled or another opportunity when you will have the chance to shine. Diana Scharf Hunt, author of The Tao of Time (Fireside), summed it up perfectly by saying, "Goals are dreams with deadlines."

7. Seek the Solutions

Think about how you can overcome these obstacles. What in your life needs changing? This is your opportunity to plan you strategies for handling the setbacks. If you consider each obstacle, one by one, you can easily identify a suitable solution; this may mean a change to your usual routine, enlisting the support of a friend or family member or a change to your current mindset. "If you can't find the solution yourself then ask someone who has achieved a similar goal how they did it" says Lucy, "or imagine you are sitting with a role model, a top athlete, for example. Ask them what to do and then put yourself in their shoes and give the advice they would give."

3. Identify your purpose

True motivation comes from understanding your underlying purpose, so think about what that is. Ensure your goal is something that you really want and not what others want you to do. Ensure also, that the goal you have set is in line with your overall purpose. If your purpose is to get fit, then a weight-loss goal may not be in line with this - it is possible to be slim, but still be unfit. Instead, it should rather be, "To achieve the same fitness levels I had when I was 20".

8. practise visualisation
Take time to imagine that you have achieved your goal. What is it like? How do you feel? Excited? Exuberant? How has your life changed? How does it look, feel or sound? Capture that moment in your head and never lose sight of it. Try to make your vision so clear that you can perceive it with all five senses. The clearer the image in your mind, the easier it is to manifest into reality or in the words of Napoleon Hill, author of Think & Grow Rich (Ballantine Books), "What the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve."

4. Recognise the benefits

Determine, and better still, write down, the benefits you expect to enjoy from reaching your goal. Ask yourself what you will achieve from conquering your goal? Defining the benefits will help you to overcome moments of weakness. Evaluate these carefully and your goals will become much more attainable and your motivation increased. Lucy Mackintosh, NLP Coach and founder of The Law of Attraction Group in Dubai (www.lawofattractiondubai.com) says, "Write them on post-it notes and stick them on the fridge, in the car, on a mirror; by never losing sight of the benefits of success, your goal will remain at the forefront of your mind which will only strengthen your resolve."

9. Create your action plan

Create a step-by-step action plan detailing exactly what you need to do to achieve the goal. Remember in step one we identified that goals are the road maps that guide you? Well think of your action plan as the specific directions to get you to your destination, via the quickest and easiest route possible. Depending on the nature of your goal, identify any major milestones necessary to achieve it, then break down each milestone into specific tasks or steps. Sometimes just knowing where to start is hard, in which case enlist the support of others, be it friends, colleagues or a support group. Be prepared to journal the process. Writing things down helps to collate our thoughts, handle potholes and identify and deal with weaknesses. Strive to make progress every day. Every single day. And tell everyone you know about your goal accountability is a great way to ensure that you do what needs to be done source: unknown

5. Instill self-belief
You must believe your goal is achievable; unless you believe you can 100 per cent reach it, you will have no true motivation. Those who think they can and those who think they can't are both right; the power of positive thinking knows no end. According to Carolyn Mitchell, NLP Life Coach and owner of Blue Sky Life Coaching (www.blueskylifecoaching.ae), "Affirmations are an excellent tool to promote self-belief and assure ourselves of positive outcomes. Begin with fast forwarding to the time when you have achieved your goal. Learn what it feels like [in your mind] to experience what the success of achieving your goal means to you. Feel it or see it for yourself. Once you have learned what success feels like, you Bakhabar

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Analysis of Malala Yousufzai Episode:

A Neutral Approach Exposing Western Hypocrisy

ByArbazulHoda<arbazfahad@rediffmail.com> Over the past week MalalaYousufzai has been the Pampered baby of the media .The nations of east and west have joined voices to unequivocally condemn the savage attack on a girl blossoming in her youth, working for the exhilarating the pitiable condition of the feminist society in Khyber Pakhtunwa. Ms. Yousafzai shot to prominence in 2009 when she began writing a diary in Urdu under the pseudonym GulMakai for the BBC about the travails of living under the Taliban regime.She was only 11 then, but her heart-rending accounts caught international attention, and she was nominated for the International Childrens Peace Prize by the Amsterdam-based advocacy group KidsRights in 2011. Barack Obama even offered US Air Ambulance for the valiant activist. Hours later, the Pakistani Interior minister stated that they would launch an offensive campaign against the militancy and obscurantism in Swat. The incident was incensed when MalalaYousufzai was shot by the Tehrik-i-Taliban, Pakistan. The TTP(Tahrik-i-Taliban, Pakistan) is an umbrella organization of various so called Islamist militant groups based in the northwestern Federally Administered Tribal Areas(KhayberPakhtunwa) along the Afghan border in Pakistan. The TTP is not directly allied with the Afghan Taliban movement led by Mullah Omar, with both groups differing greatly in their history, strategic goals and interests although they both share a primarily Deobandi interpretation of Islam and are predominantly Pashtun. As per media reports Malala was targeted because she had the mettle to stand up to the oppresical hegemony of the TTP. As the news of Malaya being shot gathered light, emotions were stirred and sentiments roared from across the political spectrum. Now, before submerging oneself in Emotional extravaganza and boisterous frenzy regarding the event, we need to examine a few facts. know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things). Quran 49:13 Indeed, we have honored all the children of Adam Quran 17:70 And as the Prophet said in his farewell speech, All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a nonArab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black, nor a black has any superiority over a white- except by piety and good action. In Islam men and women are equal. As the Quran says, And women shall have rights similar to the rights against them, according to what is equitable; but men have a degree (of responsibility) over them. And Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise Quran 2:228. From this verse we can conclude:1. Allah gave men and women similar rights, then, 2. He gave the men a greater degree of responsibility over the women than that of women over men. It follows that the rights owned to the wife are non-negotiable, whereas the husband has to give up certain rights. This is not a feminist reading but the actual explanation of Ibn `Abbas (companion of the prophet) according to al-Tabari in his Tafsir, and the latter preferred it over all other commentaries of that verse (Al-Tabari said the best explanation is that of Ibn `Abbas). Equally, men bear the major responsibility of earning for a living, harnessing and developing the resources of the earth, facing life hardships, and defending his family and the community against dangers. A man is responsible to financially support his wife (even if she is rich), his daughters until they are married, his sons until they are able to support themselves, his needy parents, as well as other blood relatives. To fulfill these major responsibilities, he should assume the role of Protector/ Guardian/ Leader, and this is what is meant by a degree above them.As the Quran observes,Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, Quran 4:34 Further Allah clarifies, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, Quran 4:34 People who ridicule Islam by asserting that islam is the religion of the ignorant,which suppresses the ideals of free thinking and scientific spirit, forget that the Quran marked its genesis on Human civilization with the word Iqra which means To Read. The whole context is Read, in the name of your lord who created man from a clot of blood Quran 96:1-2 Over the past 1400 years the word Iqra has been a powerful magnet and source of motivation for muslims to seek knowledge and wisdom. This endeavor has been further accentuated by the prophetic Aahadith(Narration) The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The seeking of knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim." - Al-Tirmidhi It were the Muslims whose splendid universities at Baghdad, Cairo and Cordova paved the way for the resurgence of Europe without which Europe would have been evidently wandering in benightedness. However, Islam prohibits a mixed gathering of sexes in (basically) 3 categories. The first is of worship, seeking education or livelihood, and lastly, social activities. Islam removes the possible causes which may breed corruption. It strikes hard at the root of evil and suggests measures which may bring about peaceful, happy and harmonious relations among the Muslims. It discourages free and unbridled contact between men and women in order to check the consequences of undesirable impulses. It puts restraint to such impelling forces which might play a disastrous role in degeneration of mind of the young men and women.

The Media
We are residing in an age where the media is more of an intermediate of procuring the interests of a certain faction of the society. It has forfeited its primary objective i.e. to enlighten the common massesabout the trepidatious elements in the society, unmasking the pungent and masquerader factions of the society and upholding the Real Truth.The truth, stranger than fiction, a reciprocal to peoples beliefs and assertions. Truth is a powerful weapon, it can instigate revolutions, a mighty shield against the sword of tyranny and inequality. However it is a mystifying notion that the news we see on television is manipulated and maneuvered as per the desires of the glitterati. In such a situation, we need to examine, and assimilate the news bought to us in its proper pretext with a clear conscience and disdaining our biased perfidy.As the Quran says:O ye who believe ! If a wicked person comes to you with any news, ascertain the truth, lest ye harm people unwittingly, and afterwards become full of repentance for what ye have done. Quran 49:6 Assuming the media reports to be true, Malala was creating awareness among the women folk, rousing them to stand up for their civil, educational and social rights which the sadistic regime have deprived them of. Now was she preaching in accordance with the injunctions of the Shariah or was she culminating a belief contrary to Islamic principles? A Point left for introspection!! Now, what is the Islamic perspective regarding Education, or to be precise, Female Education. Islam makes no division on basis of sex, caste, creed and ethnicity. This doctrine of Eternal equality has been preached in human annals since times immemorial but only islam has been able to practically cultivate this idea of unprejudiced equality in its scheme of things, as Allah says in the Quran: O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may

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Rahbar Coaching Centre

Darbhanga News

Rahbar Coaching Centre

Bhagalpur

RAHBAR Coaching Centre, Bhagalpur conducted its 12th Awards Ceremony, on 7thOctober 2012, at Middle School, Puraini: Chief guest on this occasion was Janab AtaurRahmanSb (Islamic Scholar), while Janab Hafiz Mahmood sb. graced the function as guest of honour. The ceremony was presided over by Janab Syed Ali Manzoor Sb., the head of RCC management committee. The students of centre were very eagerly awaiting the ceremony. Two renowned Islamic scholars of the locality, known as MaulanaAtaur-Rahman sb and Hafiz Md. Mahmood sb, gave their kind consent to bless the occasion as chief guest & guest of honour, respectively. Other elites of the locality, Jb. Dr. Fasi-uz-zamasb, Jb. Syed.NajmulHaque Sb. etc were also present on this auspicious occasion. The Function was presided by Jb. Syed. Ali Manzoor the committee head. After distribution of the Awards, both the honourable guests, in their talks, encouraged the student to develop their personalities in such a manner that they could impress the society as true practicing Muslims and as good, law-abiding citizens of the nation. The function ended with the distribution of Toffees to the students, light refreshment to the guests, and recitation of "Lab peAatihaidua ..." by students.

Bihar Anjuman'sDarbhanga Chapter formally launched on 2nd October, 2012: With the efforts of Ahmad Rasheed Sb, who was a moderator of Bihar Anjuman in Saudi Arabia for many years, and decided to finally settle down in Darbhanga, a new chapter came into existence, alhamdolillah. Brother Shahid Athar, representative of Muscat chapter had prepared the groundwork for the chapter to become a reality. Following is a report sent by bhai Ahmad RasheedSb: This is to inform you with great pleasure that we nitiated to start Bihar Anjuman (Darbhanga Chapter) and a general meeting was called by me at the residence of Dr. Ahmad Naseem Arzoo, at mohalla RahmanKan Darbhanga on 2nd October-2012. The following young dynamic people were invited to attend the meeting to form a core committee of Darbhanga Chapter: 1, Dr. Md. Badruddi Ansari sab, 2. Dr. Ahmad NaseemArzoo sab, 3. ShafiurRab Ansari sab, 4. Jb. Anwar HussainQasmi sab 5. Mr.NafeesulHaqRinku, 6. Jb. Muzaffar Khan ( BacchuBhai) 7. Md. Inayatullah, 8. Jb. ShahidAthar The following decision has been taken in this meeting. 1. Dr. Md. Badruddin Ansari sb, was elected as an Amir of DBG. Chapter of BA. 2. Dr. Ahmad Naseem Arzoo sb was elected as a Naib Amir of BA Dbg Chapter. 3. Taken over the Rahbar Coaching Center from MASS to BA Darbhanga Chapter. 4. Shifting the venue from BibiPaker Middle school to DarsgahIslami in PuraniMunsafi (Old Venue).

Understand Quran the Easy Way

Understand Quran the Easy Way (workshop), 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Nov 2012, from The Understand Quran Academy, Hyderabad, to be organized by Bihar Anjumans Patna chapter @ Anand Place, AnandVihar, opposite Police Colony, Anisabad, Patna: 3 Day Short Course, developed by AdbulAzeezAbdurRaheem Why you should join this course? 1.You will be able understand Most common words of Quran which occur frequently in the Quran 2. You will be able understand the basic Grammar of the Quran 3. You will be able to understand 80% of Quran directly without translation InshaAllah 4. You will InshaAllah start performing daily recitations (in your 5 daily prayers and others) with understanding which will tremendously improve your concentration in Salah 5.Your thinking that Quran is difficult to understand will be removed forever You may visit the website www.understandquran.com for more details of the course and instructor. Why must we understand the Quran? Will they not then ponder over the Quran, or is it that they have locks on their hearts!? [Quran, 47:24] (This is) a Scripture that We have revealed unto thee, full of blessing, that they may ponder its revelations, and that men of understanding may reflect. [Quran, 38:29] The Quran is a guide to humanity which also includes you, dear reader. Since none of us want to be misguided, it is paramount not only to read or recite the Quran, but to understand and implement it in our lives as well. Methodology: Total Physical Interaction (TPI) Contact Person: Shahid Amin (7870958776 and 9097274310)

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Rahbar Coaching Centre

Sitamarhi

RAHBAR Coaching Centre, Sitamarhi conducted its 15th Awards Ceremony on 6thOctober 2012, Crescent Public School, Rajopatti: JanabDr. Zeyaul Mustafa Rizvi sb (Homeopathic Doctor) graced the monthly event as Chief Guest, and as a special Invitee Janab MohdAnzar sb (Teacher) attended the program. The programme started with Tilawat-e-Quran by the student of class 8th, at 8:30AM.

Jb Amir Iqbal sb (Chairman of Sitamarhi Coaching center), welcoming the guests, briefed them about the aims, objectives, and functioning of RAHBAR coaching centres. He said that the condition of class 9th was very good, and the condition of class 8th and 10th was satisfactory. The students of class 8th and 10th should be more regular in their classes. He briefed the audience about the details of Bihar Anjuman and RCC Sitamarhi. He also informed the audience that the coaching was absolutely free, and reserved completely for poor students; still its condition and management was very good and not like the government system. Jb Dr. Zeyaul Mustafa Rizvi sb (Homeopathic Doctor) praised the work of RCC by Bihar Anjuman. He described about the present condition of Muslim community students and said that the current condition was far from satisfactory. Therefore, the community is looking towards the students of this coaching program for changing the status quo of this community. They must realize the responsibility, and work harder to fulfill this greatly valuable responsibility. Jb Mohd Anzar sb (Member of the committee of RCC Sitamarhi) gave some tips to the students on how to get Success. He also urged the students to follow routine which they have made to achieve the goal. Afterwards, the awards were distributed by the chief guest.

Rahbar Coaching Centre

Gopalganj

RAHBAR Coaching Centre,Gopalganj @ Hathwaa conducted its 18th Awards Ceremony on 14th October 2012: Mr Sidhhrtha Kumar, Manager, Health Department, Hathwa, graced the ceremony as its chief guest. The 18th Awards ceremony of this Centre started at 4 P.M. in the premises of Iqra Public High School, with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Hozaifa, a student of Grade IX. Janab Sharfuddin Ahmad anchored the program and welcomed guardians and the Chief Guest, Mr Sidhhartha Kumar. Introducing the Chief Guest Janab Ahmad said that Mr Sidhhartha Kumar is always eager to help the poor and needy in the time of distress. He has organized many health camps for the poor.

Jb Ahmad Sb. invited Dr Sarfaraz Ahmad to present the monthly report. Expressing his pleasure on the presence of the guardians in a large number, Dr Ahmad asked them to cooperate the centre with their inputs and suggestions. He said that the syllabus of Urdu (Grade X) is almost complete so more attention is now being paid to the Grade VIII and IX. Science and Mathematics are being taught regularly. After the Puja and Eid Holidays the Urdu classes will be replaced by the classes of English. He asked the teachers to pay more attention on class tests. JbS harfuddin Sb. announced the prizes that were given by Jb Tarique Anwar, Mr Arun Kumar (teacher) and the Chief Guest. Dr Ahmad gave the scholarships to the deserving students. The Chief Guest was all praise for the programs being run by Bihar Anjuman. He informed the students about various health related practices and habits and said that good health is the first and foremost requirement to become a good student. Dr. Ahmad Sb. announced that the fortnightly tests will be held on the 15th and 16th of October, and that the centre will remain closed from the 21st of October to the 4th of November. There will be no awards ceremony in the month of November. The performance of October and November tests will be calculated jointly for the program in the month of December, 2011. Br Tarique Anwar Sb. presented Vote of Thanks and said that it was a great honour to have Mr Anand Kumar Pandey as the Chief Guest in this program. He expressed his gratitude saying that Mr Pandeys visit will have definitely inspired the students. The program came to an end at 5:30.

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Rahbar Coaching Centre

Muzaffarpur Rahbar Coaching Centre

Hazaribagh

28th Awards Ceremony @ RAHBAR Coaching Centre, Muzaffarpur on 7th October 2012, at Hazrat Ali Academy, Chandwara.Chief Guests on the occasion was Janab Athar Siddiqui sb, DCLR, West Muzaffarpur Special invitees on the occasion were Janab Mansoor Alam Sb., patron of RCC Muzaffarpur, JanabMohd Taj Sb, Janab Anil Kumar Sb, Janab Kishor Kumar, and Janab Md.Mustahsan Sb. The ceremony started at 4:30 pm, with recitation of Quran, by Md. Sharique, a student of RCC Muzaffarpur. Janab Md. Ehsan Sb welcomed the guests. Dr. Md. A. Rahmani conducted the function. Prof. M.M. Alam in his introductory speech focused on value of education. He encouraged students to work harder, and ALLAH SWT being the most just, will surely reward them for their hard work. He also advised students to respect their parents and teachers. He briefed the audience about Bihar Anjuman and updated especially about Rahbar coaching centers running at different places. Chief Guest, Janab Athar Siddiqui sb, was very delighted and expressed the hope to see the determination in students to make their life better. He guided the students to mature their skills and studies even further. He motivated students to do hard work as it is the only key to success in life; well-educated persons are the most precious assets for humanity as they lead the entire society towards progress. How can one guide even his own family in the right path if he is not well educated? Finally, the event came to an end after distribution of awards to best performing students (3 categories), vote of thanks by Anil Kumar sir, and dua by Prof. M. M. Alam sb.

RAHBAR Coaching Centre, Hazaribagh@ Khirgaon conducted its 12th Awards Ceremony, on 02-10-2012,at Millat Academy, Khirgaon: The RCC was honouredby the presence of Janab Dr. Parwez Ahmed (M.B.B.S), Kolkata; General Physicianas chief guest. Prominent personalities who graced the occasion as special Invitees included Dr. Ashique Ahmad (Ph.D, B.Ed, Net Qualified, Acamedician, Social Activist) , Mr. Asrar Alam (Asst. Teacher, Middle Scho o l Bana v o , Chau para n ) , Md. Asla m ( Asst. Te a c her, Midd l e Scho o l Pandaul, Chauparan), Mr. Wasim Ahmad (Social Activist), and Mr. Shahi dRaza (Social Activist). The Programme was organized on 02/10/2012 at RCC Millat Academy, khirgaon, Hazaribagh. The Programme commenced with the recital of the holy Quran by Roushan Jahan, a student of Grade VIII. Then the programme started with a speech presented by Chandni Perveen of Grade VIII on Time and its Importance. After that, Nazneen of Grade VIII presented a Naat Shareef. Rubeena & Soni Perveen of Grade IX also presented a Naat. Farhana & Sana Samshad of Grade IX spoke about Mahatma Gandhi & Importance of Time respectively. Key Note Address was given by Jb. Akhtar Hussain, the Principal of Millat Academy, Hazaribagh. The Chief Guest Dr. Parwez Ahmad interacted with the students through his influential speech and Question & Answer Session. Other Guest of Honours and Speakers also tried to boost up the morale of the students by their speeches. Then the awards were distributed among the students and the Programme concluded with the Vote of Thanks given by Prof. Ziyaul Haque (Team Leader, RCC Hazaribag).

Million of suffering people need your help. Thanks Allah by helping to his creatures.
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Rahbar Coaching Centre

Samastipur

RABAR Coaching Centre, Tajpur, Samastipur conducted its 14th Awards Ceremony on 07-10-2012, at Tajpur Public School, Tajpur:JanabDr. Ahmad HussainSbattended the function as its Chief Guest, while Janab Anwar HussainSb, coordinator of Rajwa school, and JanabIzhar Ahmad Sb, JanabNooruzzohaSb, JanabAbrarAhmad Sb, Janab Abu Md. FakhruddinSb were the prominent personalities who graced the event as Special Invitees. The Award Ceremony started at 10:30 am with recital of the Holy Quran by MuniraIqbal, a student of RCC Tajpur.Janab Master Anwar Hussain Sb, coordinator of Rajwa school presided over the ceremony. First of all, Janab Abu Md. Fakhruddin Sb, team leader of RCC, welcomed the guests, students, and guardians, and introduced the aims and objectives of RAHBAR Coaching Centres for free coaching to Minority and Dalit Hindu students. He urged the students to focus on strengthening their command on their mother-tongue (Urdu); this will help them easily learn other languages as well. Janab Abrar Ahmad Sb urged the students not to mind the chiding they receive from teachers, team-leaders; the benefits of education can be availed by actually heeding to their advice. They should make wholehearted efforts to do better everyday. Janab Nooruzzoha Sb highlighted the RCC's mission to get them employed as early as possible, through admission in diploma engg, after the 10th board exams. Bihar Anjuman has been successful in funding the educational pursuits of students across Bihar & Jharkhand, alhamdolillah. He urged the present students to churn out more zero-to-hero stories from RCC Tajpur, in the coming year, and do better than the previous batch, so that their parents and the society can be proud of them, insha-Allah. Janab Dr. Ahmad Hussain sb, the chief guest, asked the students to focus on making a name for themselves, and bring accolades to their families, the society, and the country. He also urged them to work hard to take themselves to the highest levels of success. This is the only way to make the best use of this coaching centre, and fulfill the desire of those who are making the noble efforts to educate those who don't find resources for private tuitions. Janab Master Anwar Hussain Sb, in his presidential address, stressed upon the importance and benefits of education, and appreciated the organizers of this coaching mission which paves the way for stopping drop-outs, and raising the percentage of Muslim students in higher studies and jobs.

Rahbar Coaching Centre

Patna

38thAwards Ceremony @ RAHBAR Coaching Centre, Patna on 21st October 2012, at Najam High School, Phulwari Sharif: Chief Guests on the occasion was Janab Prof.Mahmood Naushwi Sb., Head Of Department of Urdu (Associate Professor). Special invitees on the occasion were Janab Najmul Hassan Najmi Sb.,Janab Er. Shahid Amin Sb, and Janab Jameel Mazhari Sb, Manager BA. Zameer, a student of class 10th at RCC Patna recited the holy Quran before commencement of proceedings.

Janab Najmul Hasan Najmi Sb. introduced all the guests and invitees to the audience. He informed them that we organize an Award Ceremony every month and publish the report on the website which has dedicated page for this centre, as also for every centre. He suggested to students that they must focus only on their aim and to do everything to reach the target they set. He shared the good news that 24 RAHBAR Coaching Centres is operating in 23 districts of Bihar and Jharkhand. Later, he invited Prof. Mahmood Sb. to express his views and share his experiences. Janab Mahmood Sb. stressed upon the fact that knowledge is power. Addressing the students, he urged them to work hard, because their success is dependent on amount of labour they put into this life-changing mission. He also urged them to live a life of discipline. He expressed his thanks to Bihar Anjuman for their noble work in the educational field. He drove his point home, by citing many real examples. Janab NajmulHasan Najmi Sb. on behalf of Bihar Anjuman delivered vote of thanks to guests for coming to this function. The ceremony concluded at 4:00 p.m. with dua of Najmul Hasan Najmi Sb.

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Rahbar Coaching Centre

Kishanganj

RAHBAR Coaching Centre, Kishanganj conducted its 18th Awards Ceremony on 17thOctober 2012, at Millat Girls High School, near Churipatti in the district headquarters

The 18th award ceremony of Rahbar Coaching Centre witnessed the presence of six accomplished teachers including Headmaster of Line Urdu Middle School, Janab Anzar Alim. The local leader Janab Nayemmudin Quasmi Sb. dedicated the award ceremony of Rahbar Coaching Centre to teachers because of Teachers Day celebrated on September 5 across the country. The experienced teachers belonging to different schools of Kishanganj attended the award ceremony with high enthusiasm and praised the exception work of Bihar Anjuman for the community. The award ceremony started at 3 PM in the afternoon with recital of Glorious Quran by Bulbul Khatoon, a student of the coaching centre. The programme proceeded further with award distribution ceremony and awards were given away to top rankers, punctual students and top attendance holders, as per coaching project guidelines. The programme moved ahead and Janab Sarfaraz Akbar Sb., a teacher by profession and chief guest of the monthly ceremony, shared his vast experience of life with the students and gathering. He had emphasized on the need to punctuality and the important characteristic of obedience among the students and teachers. Later, Jana bAminul Hoda Sb. and others delivered highly motivational speeches in the award ceremony. Continuing its regular curriculum to reward the meritorious and top-performing students of the coaching centre exclusively meant for financially weak students, the Rahbar Coaching Centre of Kishanganj organized the 17th monthly award ceremony on September 13, 2012. Organised at Line Urdu Middle School under the leadership of local leader Janab Nayeemuddin Quasmi sahib, the award ceremony started at 4 pm with recital of Glorious Qoran by RubinaKhatoon, a student of Class VIII. The vote of thanks was given by Maulana Nayeemuddin Quasmi Sb. The award ceremony finished at 5.00 pm.

Rahbar Coaching Centre

Motihari

RAHBAR Coaching Centre, Motihari (East Champaran) @ Siswa conducted its 13th Awards Ceremony, 7thOctober 2012, in the campus of Al-Ameen Educational and welfare trust, Siswa. Janab Qaisarul Islam Sb. (Ameer-e- Moquami, Jamat-e- Islami Hind, Motihari Unit) graced the awards ceremony as chief guest, while special invitees included Janab Ziyaul Haque Sb., Jb. Musa Sb., Jb. Wasi Akhter Sb., Jb. Muslim Sb., Jb. Ghalib Ahsan Sb. The award ceremony started at 4:30 p.m. with recital of the Holy Quran by Rahmat Anjum (Student of class 10th). Then, TarannumJahan (student of class 8th) recited a Naat. The award ceremony was conducted by JanabShamimAkhter Sb. (Principal of Rahbar Free Coaching Centre, Siswa). The award ceremony was conducted by JanabShamim Akhter Sb. (Principal of Rahbar Free Coaching Centre, Siswa). The chief guest, Janab Qaisarul Islam Sb., addressed the students and their guardians, highlighting the importance of education. He said, About 50years ago, there was total ignorance in India. But now, due to education, we have entered an the age of computers and high-tech gadgets. If you are not educated then you are groping aimlessly in the dark. Allah wants to take us out of the valleys of darkness into the light of sunshine. Illiteracy is the greatest illness of our society. Americans and western countries are at the top in every field due to education. If you want to see your society and your country rise to the same levels, then education is necessary for you and for everyone around you." Finally, the awards were distributed by the chief guest among the students. The coordinator of Siswa unit of Rahbar Free Coaching Centre, Jb. Mukhtarul Haque Sb. thanked the guests, guardians and teachers. The programme concluded by the dua of Janab Mohd. Manir Sb. at 6:15pm.

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Rahbar Coaching Centre

Ramgarh

RABAR Coaching Centre, Chitarpur, Ramgarh conducted its 12th Awards ceremony, on 11thOctober 2012, at DarsgahIslami, Chitarpur: Janab Ashfaque Ahmad Sb. (Principal Govt. Middle School) was the chief guest at the function. The program started at 4pm with the recital of the Holy Quran by Osama Ayat, a student of Class VIII at this RCC. In the inaugural speech, Br. Ahmadullah Falahi, introduced the Rahbar coaching centre project, with specific focus on RCC Chitarpur, and thanked Bihar Anjuman for this kind of selfless service to the community. He also emphasized the contribution of teachers and said that success can come once you follow the instructions of your teachers diligently with full devotion. Another invitee of the program Mr Azhar Ali also expressed his views and said it gives immense pleasure to be with you today and advised students for hard work and punctuality in their classes. Similar views were expressed by Abid Ali while addressing the students. The chief guest, Janab Ashfaque Ahmed Sb., congratulated the committee members for organizing such an excellent program to change the educational status of the community. He mentioned that this coaching will certainly prove a boon for the community, insha-Allah. It will help all of you to build the best possible career. He also emphasized upon the fact that studying is the prime duty for every student. The program concluded at 5:30pm with dua.

Rahbar Coaching Centre

Chapra

RAHBAR Coaching Centre, Chapra conducted its 21st Awards Ceremony on 7thOctober 2012@ Islamia High School, Olhanpur, Chapra Janab Minhajul Abadin Khan Sb, Retired Advisory Teacher, Cambridge Educational Authority, UK took time out of his normal schedule to grace the ceremony as chief guest. Prominent among other special invitees were Janab Mohd. Arshad Ali Sb., Hafiz and Janab Salam Khan Sb. The program started at 8 am with recital of the Holy Quran by Janab Mohd. Arshad Ali Sb., Hafiz.

1st Awards Ceremony @ Wadi-e-OwaisKarni, Makatpur (Jharkhand, Block: Jainagar)

, on 29-09-2012, at the RCC center at village Tudmi: The first award ceremony was organized by Rahbar Coaching Center in Koderma on 29th September 2012. The program was organized at the RCC center at village Tudmi. The awards for best attendance and best performance in monthly assessment were given to the students of class VIII, IX and Xth by the eminent persons of the society including Maulana Shahadat Hussain (President of the Education Committee), Shri Basudev Das (Member of the Education Committee) and Mohammad Mustaqueem Ansari (Ward Member). The program was conducted by the members of the committee of Rahbar Coaching Center Md. Salim Ansari and supported by Zakir Hussain and Mahfooz Alam. The award ceremony got concluded with a speech of Maulana Shahadat Hussain and vote of thanks presented by Salim Ansari. Maulana Shahadat delivered a short speech on the importance of education and skilled based training to the youths of the remote rural poor youths where sources of livelihoods are very limited.

The chief guest MinhajulAbadin Khan sb on this occasion briefed about standard and status of Cambridge and Oxford institutes. He also explains varies method of teaching to teachers. He asked few question to the students and distributed Rs. 200 prize to them. He also informed students and guardians that economic condition is not an obstacle to get education and best example is this platform provided by Rahbar coaching centre. The ceremony was followed by prize distribution to the students who had scored well in September exams. The Vote of Thanks was delivered by local team leader Janab Abdus Salam Khan Sb. The ceremony concluded at 9 am.

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Editorial Board
Publisher: Bihar Anjuman BaKhabar Editorial Board: Asrarul Haque, Seraj Akram, Mohd. Allam and Ms Farhat Shakeel Chief Editor: Ms. Asma Anjum Khan
bakhabar@biharanjuman.org

email

The editors and publishers are not responsible for the views of writers, and their views do not reflect our policy or ideology in any way. We however reserve the right to edit any material submitted for publication, on account of public policy, or for reasons of clarity and space. From Publishers. Pictures have been taken from available public sources.

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