BENEFICIAL PERSON IN THE EYES OF MAULANA WAHID-UD-DIN KHAN
By Syed Mustafa Ahmad When Maulana Wahid-Ud-din khan has left this ephemeral world forever, I was persuaded to remind his some words, even though he consisted an ocean of words. He used to say that God has created innumerable species for a purpose. He believed that Allah is the intelligent maker. Whatever is created, can never be useless. Everything is good at its place. Among all the creations, man is above all. He has been gifted with amazing faculties that make him extra ordinary. He has the potential to reach the pinnacles of glory or reach the lowest position. In this way, the ball is thrown in a human being’s court to decide what to become. Here, in this article, I would like to discuss qualities of a worthy person in the backdrop of khan’s view. First is his or her personality. He or she knows his or her personality well. He has introspected and has learnt that who I am. Where from I came? Where I am going to? He knows the rights of His Creator as well as people. He knows that the most important deed in God’s eyes is manner. Treating His creation with etiquettes, is an important characteristic of the worthy person. He always wants to take full advantage of the situation where he can help anyone, regardless of creed, color, sex, etc. In short, his personality is a realized personality. Second is foresightedness. He always looks at the end of the tunnel, however, he lives carefully in the present. Moments of happiness or sadness don’t bother him very much because he knows that all the worldly happiness or sadness is temporary. Moreover, it is not advisable to get entrapped in the snares of worldly comfort and ease. He, after careful observation, has come to conclude that I have to live here in order to have the best in the Hereafter. Third is humility. He never is arrogant. He is down to Earth. He speaks according to situation. He never speaks against the needs of situation. After a careful observation, he has come to conclusion that sometimes it is better to keep silent because the need of the hour demands that. If he feels that his speaking can prove disastrous, he remains silent. In this way, his humility is real humility. He never bothers what others say. He does for the satisfaction of the heart and His Creator. Fourth is morality. He is good in conduct and business with everyone. He never loses sight of the fact that in order to please His Creator, he has to do what he is entitled to do. If a person does wrong to him, he never thinks of harming him or her. Being aware of the fact: a true person does good to everyone for the sake of God, in this way, he sets an example. He, sometimes, forces his opponent to think differently about him. Fifth is silence. It is one of the most important characteristics of the worthy person to remain silent. He reads less but ponder over the things that he has learnt. According to one of the great scientists that was discussed in the monthly, Science Reporter, a person told him that I read a large number of books. The scientist was pleased. But he remarked that your way of reading is not good. If you read in this fashion, then it means that you have no time to think. You only add knowledge but without understanding anything. However, it doesn’t mean that they are silent in the times of speaking. At the moments of speaking, he speaks through many ways. Sixth and last is his or legacy. Knowing his deeds, almost everyone in the society wants to imitate him or her. Such is an attraction of his or her personality that everyone is ready to copy his or her style. He or she doesn’t feign but still people feel that it is an honor to be like him or her. Really, a worthy person is an asset. Now, it is up to us to decide whether we want to become a ray of hope or keep disturbing others in whatever manner we can do. The need of the hour is to prepare ourselves as the real models of truth, love, humility, etc., and become beneficial person.REFERENCES SPIRIT OF ISLAM( AN ENGLISH MAGAZINE) AL-RISALA( AN URDU MAGAZINE)
News Kashmir Exclusive The second wave of pandemic Coronavirus has wrecked havoc in entire India .Jammu and Kashmir too is passing through difficult circumstances. In recent times there have been riising number of covid-19 cases and deaths in Jammu and Kashmir .The lockdown has a result returned in Jammu and Kashmir. Recently , the administration had ordered a “complete lockdown” in Srinagar from 7 p.m, 29 April, 2021 to May 3. “There will be Complete Lockdown in Srinagar District from 7:00 pm Thursday (29/04/2021) to 7:00 am Monday (03/05/2021). Exemptions apply to essential services. Detailed order shall follow,” said Deputy Commissioner, Mohammad Aijaz Asad, in a tweet . The announcement came a day after the administration ordered imposition of 144 CrpC, banning the assembly of five or more persons in the summer capital of the J&K. Masses are welcoming the move of imposing lockdown . Amid reports of vaccine shortage and other drugs related to covid Government refuted the reports .In this regard the Jammu Kashmir Government asked some sections of media to act sensibly and stop scaring people. In a hurriedly called press conference at the office of Directorate of Information and Public Relations on Thursday late evening, Advisor to Lieutenant Governor Baseer Khan said that some quarters in media are trying to give an impression that there is shortage of Oxygen supply in Kashmir hospital which is totally untrue and baseless. “Neither there is shortage of Oxygen nor there is shortage of any medicine,” He said it is not good to present Covid-19 related management in bad light. “Let me tell you in our Union Territory we have 20 tons of Oxygen available which is sufficient to meet any demand. There should be no room for any doubt,’ Baseer Khan said. Khan said Jammu and Kashmir is at first position where one crore 25 lakh vaccines are coming. UP is at 2nd place as for as vaccine procurement is concerned. While talking about the reports that Ramdesivir vaccine is not available in ample quantity, Baseer Khan said that this vaccine is available in sufficient quantity and it is being provided and offered at places where needed. “There are some quarters who want to give an impression that there is scarcity of medicine. We are in the process of identifying those quarters,” he said. Khan said that Tocilizumab drug is in pipeline and is arriving in Kashmir Valley. “We have placed the order for Tocilizumab drug and this drug is coming in sufficient quantity. Khan was flanked by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir PK Pole, Director SKIMS Dr AG Ahangar and Director Health Services Dr Mushaq Ahmed Rather. One hopes all out efforts would be displayed by the Administration to meet the challenges arising out of pandemic wave.
Welcome relief for vehicle owners In a Development which would give relief to the people of Kashmir, few days back the Jammu and Kashmir High Court scrapped the March 27 circular issued by RTO Kashmir, which mandated reregistration of vehicles with outside state registration numbers within 15 days. This judgment was lauded by the vehicle owners across Jammu and Kashmir. The high court said that a vehicle once registered in any Indian state doesn’t require to be registered elsewhere in India, but when the Motor Vehicle registered in one State and runs in other states for more than 12 months, the owner shall apply to the Registration within whose jurisdiction the vehicle is for the assignment of the new registration mark, this is valid under Sections 46 and 47 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988. Moreover, lifetime tax that is levied at the point of registering a vehicle in terms of Section 3 of the Motor Vehicles Act cannot be levied merely on a presumption that a vehicle registered outside JK has remained in the Union Territory for more than 12 months.After this judgement many such vehicle owners sighed breathe of relief .Advocate Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, who appeared for the petitioners seeking quashment of RTO’s circular, told reporters, “As per the quashment of the order issued by RTO by the honorable high court, vehicle owners with outside registration numbers can drive the vehicles in Jammu and Kashmir or any other state. “There is no need to re-register or pay any token tax”.In these sad times the news like such has brought smiles on scores of faces .
I have tried to make my book Comprehensible to the Common Man : Furquan Moharkan, Author of The Banker Who Crushed His Diamonds
Furquan Moharkan is a senior correspondent with Deccan Herald. He is among the dynamic faces of Kashmir , having recently authored a much impressive book The Banker Who Crushed His Diamonds- The YES Bank Story” .In an exclusive interview with the News Kashmir, he talks to Rameez Makhdoomi. A bit about your early life? I am a journalist by both luck, as well as by choice. I have done my BBA from Christ University, Bangalore, before starting my career as an investment banker. One year into job, I found my calling and quit the high-paying job, just to pursue journalism. It was all abrupt. I am thankful to Deccan Herald to give a chance to a newbie like me. And it was never looking behind from there. A Kashmir writer choosing economic genre to write is rare, how did your interest develop in same?Even though, I have been largely emotionally invested in Kashmir, due to my childhood memories in the place, yet Bengaluru has had more of an influence in shaping my career. What was so special about Yes Bank debacle story for you to author a book on it?It is mind-boggling to realize that action of one single man over the years, caused a loss of Rs 60,000 crore to 1.6 million investors – many of whom had invested hugely in the bank. And while Rana Kapoor went about the unprecedented irregularities, the ecosystem turned a blind eye – in a way, siding with powerful. The collapse of YES Bank – then India’s fourth largest private bank – has completely shattered trust of a common man in the banking system. And trust is the most important pillar of the financial system. Did you had belief that it would jump into one of best sellers on Amazon and other platforms?Yes, I had a bit of idea about it. I knew people wanted to know about it. Even within the ecosystem of YES Bank, lot of people wanted to get their hands in the book. Plus, I have tried to make the book comprehensible to the common man. Probably that is what led to success of the banking story, which is very rare. How excited are you it being adopted as a Bollywood film?Very excited. You know it will help a lot in financial literacy in our country – which is very rare. The screen is a very convenient form taking hard hitting stories to masses. Your advice to young writers of Kashmir?Stay true to yourself. Don’t get carried away. Focus on the subject that you know, rather than being a jack of all trades. Your role model ?I never made role models, but I did like the knowledge and subject matter expertise of many people. Dr Manmohan Singh, Dr Amartya Sen, Nidhi Razdan, Muzamil Jaleel to name a few of them. Would your future books also revolve around economic topics?Yes. I only know about the economics only. So putting my hat in a other ring, would be a very foolish step.
News Kashmir Desk Inflation or price rise amid the ragging Pandemic of Coronavirus is hitting quite badly the interests of the masses of Kashmir.
The rising inflation is giving harsh times to the people in the Valley of Kashmir. The monster of inflation is impacting all important sphere of life in the valley of Kashmir. Pertinently, Inflation means paying more for goods than what you were paying earlier. Off late, not only indispensable goods have seen a price hike, non-essential items have also seen this hike.Fruits and vegetables continue to be sold at very abnormal high prices as the government notified rate list is not being followed by shopkeepers and vendors selling perishables in Kashmir markets.Price rise complaints are surfacing at the juncture when when the FCSCA department claims to have sealed over a dozen shops for overpricing of the items during the recent times .On the other hand of the spectrum ,The black marketing done by few vested interests during the long closures of the national highway causes immense hardships to the consumers . The need of the hour is to undertake more market Checks so as to keep a eagle eye on black marketing .Vegetables and non vegetarian food items is witness to much drastic price rise during these highway closures . Eggs as a commodity also see much abnormal price rise during the road blockade .Currently even the price of chicken basic eatable item in Kashmir are hovering in high range of between Rs140 to 170 Per kilogram .More market checking squads on price rise is the way ahead to tackle the rising inflation in the Kashmir valley.It is important to mention that The Centre on Monday asked state governments to adopt zero tolerance against hoarding of essential supplies like food and drugs during the lockdowns and curfews imposed in some states to contain the spread of COVID-19.Local political pulse is also speaking against the price rise .Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Youth Wing Thursday said that the soaring prices of daily essentials including edible oils and vegetables had added to the woes of the people amid COVID-19 outbreak. A statement of PDP Youth Wing issued here quoted the PDP Youth State Secretary Arif Laigaroo as saying that due to an increase in the price of the essential commodities people were in a dilemma over what to buy and what not to buy.One hopes rising inflation especially of the essential items in Kashmir is checked immediately to give much needed relief to the masses .
The first thing is to give something in charity in secret. Allah swt says, “If you give charity openly then what a good thing it is; and if you give to beggars in secret it is better for you than everything, and He will remove some of your sins. And Allah is Aware of what you do.“(Qur’an 2:271).
The best among you are those who bring greatest benefits to many others. Charity preached by every religion of the world, is a way of bringing justice to society. And justice is the essence of religion, Islam has therefore made charity that is Zakah, obligatory and binding upon all those who embrace the faith; it has been made into an institution in order to give in permanence and regularity. You know that charity, is the Third Pillar of Islam, a major teaching. Being charitable and providing for the needy are important features of the Muslim character. Why is charity so important?The existence of countless starving, poor, hungry and destitute Muslims and non-Muslims in the world points to the need for this essential teaching to be put into practice. Affluent Muslims may not realize how their wealth could strengthen whole communities. Giving charity correctly is crucial to both the well-being of the needy as well as the ultimate happiness of the wealthy. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) emphasized this principle repeatedly. Every situation, good or bad, it’s a choice upon ourselves. Predicted on our intentions, whether it becomes a tool for good or for bad, the choice is yours. Either you can decide to follow it through to raise you up or you can complain about it, and send you down. That’s not theory, that’s a practise. If you practise it, you know that everything is due to Allah swt. And if you know that Allah swt acts with Hikma, with wisdom, then you know that in all occurrences, there is wisdom in that what happens to you. There is the opportunity for khayr and for goodness. 2ndly, being kind to people in word and deed, and all kinds of doing good. This is one of the means of removing worry, distress and anxiety. By this means Allah swt wards off worries and distress from the righteous and immoral alike, but the believer has the greater share of this, and is distinguished by the fact that his kindness to others stems from sincerity and the hope of reward, so Allah swt makes it easy for him to be kind to others because of the hope that this will bring good things and ward off bad things, by means of his sincerity and hope of reward. Allah swt says (interpretation of the meaning): “There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who orders Sadaqah (charity in Allah’s Cause), or Ma‘roof (Islamic Monotheism and all the good and righteous deeds which Allah has ordained), or conciliation between mankind; and he who does this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allah, We shall give him a great reward.” [al-Nisa 4:114] Allah swt says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Spend of that with which We have provided for you, before a Day comes when there will be no bargaining, nor friendship, nor intercession. And it is the disbelievers who are the Zaalimoon (wrongdoers)”[al-Baqarah 2:254] “The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah swt, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah swt gives manifold increase to whom He wills. And Allah swt is All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-Knower.262. Those who spend their wealth in the Cause of Allah swt, and do not follow up their gifts with reminders of their generosity or with injury, their reward is with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve”[al-Baqarah 2:261-262] “O you who believe! Spend of the good things which you have (legally) earned, and of that which We have produced from the earth for you, and do not aim at that which is bad to spend from it, (though) you would not accept it save if you close your eyes and tolerate therein. And know that Allah swt is Rich (Free of all needs), and Worthy of all praise”[al-Baqarah 2:267] “Believe in Allah swt and His Messenger (Muhammad), and spend of that whereof He has made you trustees. And such of you as believe and spend (in Allah swt’s way), theirs will be a great reward”[al-Hadeed 57:7]It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah swt be pleased with him) said: Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever gives charity equal to a date from good (halal) earnings – for Allah swt does not accept anything but that which is good – Allah swt will take it in His right hand and tend it for the one who gave it as any one of you tends his foal, until it becomes like a mountain.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1344; Muslim, 1014. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah swt be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah swt be upon him) said: “There is no day on which the people get up but two angels come down and one of them says, ‘O Allah, give in compensation to the one who spends (in charity),’ and the other says, ‘O Allah, destroy the one who withholds.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1374; Muslim, 1010.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah swt be pleased with him) that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah said: ‘Spend, O son of Adam, and I shall spend on you.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5073; Muslim, 993. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The believer’s shade on the Day of Resurrection will be his charity.” (Al-Tirmidhi)On the day when all other shade will be gone, Allah swt will shade and shelter those who give charity and care for the poor. The Muslim’s sacrifice in this life will be their protection on the Day of Judgment.The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “If anyone would like Allah swt to save him from the hardships of the Day of Resurrection, he should give more time to his debtor who is short of money, or remit his debt altogether.” (Muslim)If someone owes you money, it is considered charity if you show mercy, give the debtor more time to pay back his loan, or even cancel out the person’s debt. If charity is a person’s shade on the Day of Judgment, cancelling a person’s debt will also serve as a protection.It is considered better to give charity than receive it. One should be wary of repeatedly soliciting and taking from sadaqa and zakat funds. Those who refrain from taking these funds (so that more will be left for the other needy) will be provided for by Allah swt and be made self-reliant by Him.The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The upper hand is better than the lower hand (he who gives is better than him who takes). One should start giving first to his dependents. And the best object of charity is that which is given by a wealthy person (from the money left after his expenses). And whoever abstains from asking others for some financial help, Allah swt will give him and save him from asking others, Allah swt will make him self-sufficient.” (Al-Bukhari) The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The believer’s shade on the Day of Resurrection will be his charity.” (Al-Tirmidhi)On the day when all other shade will be gone, Allah swt will shade and shelter those who give charity and care for the poor. The Muslim’s sacrifice in this life will be their protection on the Day of Judgment. By sacrificing part of one’s wealth and giving it in charity, the individual is guaranteeing protection for themselves from tragedy and misfortune.The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Give charity without delay, for it stands in the way of calamity.” (Al-Tirmidhi) suhaibbhatt85@gmail.com
DUA ( A weapon of a believer).By Sufaya Yousuf It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (Radiallhu Anhu) that the Messenger of Allah said: “(The Dua) of any one of you will be answered so long as he is not hasty in seeking a response and does not say, ‘I prayed but I have not had a response.Dua is a supplication, communication with Allah, most powerful, most merciful. It is a way through which a believer can make conversation with His master. We turn to Almighty Allah because we all know that only He can solve our problems, only He can fix our broken hearts no one else can ever do this. Because only He know the secrets of our hearts, the All-knowing, the most-powerful. Dua is a most compelling weapon works only for those who know how to use it sincerely and seriously. We can make dua in any language, when a women is in her menses and also in a state of ceremonial impurity.Allah (SWT) stated in the Holy Quran: “And your Lord says, “Call upon Me; I will respond to you.” Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible” (Quran, 40:60).Anas reported that Allah’s Messenger visited a person from amongst the Muslims in order to inquire (about his health) who had grown feeble like the chicken. Allah’s Messenger said: Did you supplicate for anything or beg of Him about that? He said: Yes. I used to utter (these words): impose punishment upon me earlier in this world, what Thou art going to impose upon me in the Hereafter. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger said: Hallowed be Allah, you have neither the power nor forbearance to take upon yourself (the burden of His Punishment). Why did you not say this: O Allah, grant us good in the world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the torment of Fire. He (the Holy Prophet) made this supplication (for him) and he was all right. — Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, Sahih Muslim[3]There is no fixed time or place for dua we can make dua at anytime or anywhere. We should try to make dua in every situation because it is only dua which can change one’s destiny. And it’s only dua that can get you closer to Almighty and increase your faith in your Lord. According to Hadith Dua has a uniquely ability to change the destiny.(Tirmidhi)All the Prophets (peace be up on them), as we find in the Quran, restored to supplications, as their ultimate ‘weapon’ to solicit Allah’s help when all their efforts would fail while reforming nations in their respective hostile environment.At the time of battle of Badr, the future of Islam was under threat because a small ill-equipped band of 313 Muslim soldiers faced an army of 1000 well armed. The Prophet (peace be up on him) spent his whole night on the eve of battle in supplicating and begging for help. And on the day Allah grant Muslims the greatest victory of History.In another Hadith it is mentioned that dua is a worship (sunan Abu dawood). Dua is an expression of total dependence on Almighty Allah knowing that every single condition good or bad, happy or sad is in hands of Almighty Allah. Dua is that act which connects a slave to his master. A slave lifts his hands as beggers does while lifting their begging bowls. Sometimes our duas are not being accepted, there is a option that the dua will be accepted later on in this life or in the Hereafter or the dua will be accepted by other means as one Hadith said, Jabir narrates from the Prophet, “Whoever does duaa to Allah, Allah fulfills his seeking or in exchange averts misfortune until the duaa is not related to sin or breaking some relation.” (Tirmidhi)Now a days, we only make dua when hardships befall us and is the last resort when, all else failed. However this should not be the case, we should always make Dua because it is a powerful weapon, it is a light in the darkest hours of our life. Dua is a source of comfort and ease in our difficult conditions. Prophet (saw) said, Whosoever desires that Allah answers his Duas in unfavourable and difficult conditions, he should make plentiful dua in days of ease and comfort.”We should always make dua for everyone because if we do so, the same thing will happen with us too. The Prophet said, ”Duaa for a person not present is accepted quickly by Allah”.May the above information strengthen our resolve for making more duas and may it benefit us in many ways. May Allah increase our knowledge and make this knowledge useful for us Ameen. By sufaya yousf. Currently pursuing bachelor at srinager. Sofisufaya1999@gmail.com
Syed Mustafa Ahmad It is an undeniable fact that in a civilized society, education is the most strongest tool. Since A long time, a civilized nation has been investing in education in whatever way they can. They are never lenient in spending over this resource. Education for them is the only motive of their life. A Chinese proverb says that for the secure future, a country or nation has to invest in education. So, it becomes clear that how important education is. If we look at different countries, we come across the happiest and the most developed countries of the world. When we delve deep into the causes responsible for their achievements, we see that they spend very less on defense , parties, shows, etc. They invest in human brains. Their motive is human development. Japan is a live-example of this. It is the third largest economy of the world. In 1945, they were devastated by the two atomic bombs. They made their destruction construction. Instead of falling into the depths of despair, they prepared themselves for something beneficial. They constructed from the grassroot level. What they do, is that they create human minds that they can enable them to reach the pinnacles of development and glory. However, in case of India and Pakistan, the situation is quite dismal. Both the countries are the product of bloody past. They live in past. Past grudges are still found in every domain of the countries. They look at each other through the lens of enemy. For this, they try everything that can help them to feel secure. In this way, they spend a lot of money over defense. This results in the deterioration of the major pillars of the country, particularly education. No university in both the countries is among the leading universities of the world. We don’t have world class research. This situation is not the product of a single factor. It is the handiwork of many things. First is religiosity. Religion has attained the most horrible shape in our society. Orthodoxy doesn’t not allow both the countries to look at the other side of the coin. Reasoning and enlightenment are alien to them. They believe that religion means to apply what is written in the so-called holy books. It doesn’t come to them that whether it is feasible or not. They want that whatever they believe in, should be found in nook and corner of their countries. In this way, the hard-earned money is spent on religious activities that have no sanction in religions. Second is that past is dearer to both the countries. They think that present is unsuitable for living. It is best for them to go back to that period, where myths ruled the roost. They are made to believe that once they were ahead of everyone. In this way, the past animosities, if present, persist in the present as well that make education a soft tool. They want the students to believe that in order to live, one has to go back into the past and follow that in letter and spirit. Third is syllabus. The Indus Valley Civilization syllabus has nothing to do with the present. Yes, it is our heritage. We should preserve it. However, it doesn’t make any sense when in the age of robotics, we are forced to learn those things that have no compatibility with the present. When people have begun to colonize the Mars, the students of both the countries are told to live the lives of glorious past that was half-glorious. In this way, education is compromised. The real meaning of education is to produce those people who can be problem solvers; nor problem creators. In the present, students have become frustrated and hence problem creators. Fourth and last is leniency. Both the countries are lenient in every manner. They abhor the word” hard-work”. What they want is that the heavens drop things for them, without any movement of our bodies. China has the principle of “ 9-9-6”. It means that they work everyday from 9a.m. to 9 p.m. for six days. It enables them to take lead in every sphere of life and has earned the tag of being the second largest economy of the world. Our condition is that some hours of learning or training make us tired. In this way, our educational system is out of context. Chinese students have a goal in their minds to make China “ great” in every respect. Hence, they prosper. In short, education must never be compromised. It should take lead. With it, health and hygiene should be given priority. When education is given its proper due, it means that other sectors will also prosper. The sooner this is achieved, the better it is for all of us. So, let us try our best to make creative education our priority. By: Syed Mustafa Ahmad
The oxygen is the basic need of life without which humans can’t survive . The second wave of Coronavirus pandemic has been much brutal in the country with patients all across struggling for oxygen . Scores of heart rending images and videos showing that patients dying due to lack of oxygen and given no medical attention have bruised the soul of India. Faced with shortage of oxygen supply to treat an unprecedented rise in critical Covid patients across the country, India tonight decided to ban the supply of oxygen for industrial purposes from April 22 till further order. “…..the supply of oxygen for industrial purposes by. manufacturers and suppliers is prohibited forthwith from 22.04.2021 till further orders,” the health ministry said in a statement.Crowds have formed outside hospitals in major cities which are filled to capacity. A number of people have died while waiting for oxygen.Experts have expressed shock and pain over the fact that Ever since the second wave of the pandemic started, the healthcare system in India has been teetering on the brink, with many hospitals unable to handle the relentless inflow of patients whilst also running short of beds, oxygen cylinders and other essentials. The hospitals in the country are finding it hard to shore up supplies of medical oxygen amid rising demand for beds as a fast-spreading second wave of coronavirus stretches the country’s chronically underfunded medical infrastructure to breaking point, officials and doctors said. One hopes that the Government would give utmost priority to the oxygen supply and ensure its availability in the entire country .
Suhaib Ashraf BhatWhat has been stated by the scholars is that Paradise is in the seventh heaven and Hell is in the lowest level of the earth. Al-Bukhaari (7432) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) said: “If you ask of Allah swt, then ask Him for al-Firdaws, for it is the middle of Paradise and the highest part of Paradise, and above it is the Throne of the Most Gracious.”Firstly: At-Tirmidhi narrated (2450) – and classed it as saheeh – that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah swt be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah swt Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) said: “Whoever is concerned should set out when it is still night and whoever sets out when it is still night will reach the destination. Verily the merchandise of Allah swt is expensive, verily the merchandise of Allah swt is Paradise.”Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi and elsewhere. Paradise is expensive merchandise, and al-Firdaws al-A‘la is the highest and best part of Paradise. No one reaches it except those whom Allah swt has singled out for more of His grace. At-Tirmidhi narrated (3174) – and classed it as saheeh – from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah swt be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) said: “al-Firdaws is the highest part of Paradise, and the centre and the best of it.”Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah swt be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah swt Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) said: “Paradise is surrounded with difficulties and Hell is surrounded with desires.” Agreed upon. If Paradise is surrounded with difficulties and different kinds of hardships, then how about the highest of its degrees and the most sublime of its statuses? This indicates that the matter is not something easy. Ibn al-Qayyim (Rahimullah) said: The purest of all created things, and the most sublime, luminous, noblest and highest in both literal and metaphorical terms is the Throne of the Most Gracious, may He be glorified and exalted. Hence it was fit for Him to rise above it. Therefore the closer anything is to the Throne, the more luminous, pure and noble it is than that which is further away from it. Hence Jannat al-Firdaws is the highest, noblest, most luminous and best part of Paradise, because it is close to the Throne, for the Throne is its roof, and the further away anything is from it, the darker and more constricted it is. Hence the lowest of the low is the worst of places and the most constricted and furthest from all that is good. End quote. Al-Fawaa’id (p. 27). The people of al-Firdaws al-A‘la are the ones who hasten to do good as they are commanded. Allah swt, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“And those foremost ((in Islamic Faith of Monotheism and in performing righteous deeds) in the life of this world on the very first call for to embrace Islam,) will be foremost (in Paradise).These will be those nearest to Allah swt.In the Gardens of delight (Paradise)”[al-Waaqi‘ah 56:10-12]. As-Sa‘di said: Those who are nearest to Allah swt are the elite of mankind. End quote. Tafseer as-Sa‘di (p. 833) Ibn Katheer (Rahimullah) said: Whoever competes in doing righteous deeds in this world and wins the contest, in the hereafter he will be among the first to attain reward and honour, for the recompense matches the nature of the deed and as you do, so you will be requited. End quote. Tafseer Ibn Katheer (7/517) Secondly: It should be noted that one of the best means of attaining what you want and being saved from what you fear is supplication (du‘aa’), for supplication is worship, as it was narrated from the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) in a saheeh hadith. As it is an act of worship that is beloved to Allah swt, it is a means of attaining one’s goal. When Allah swt wills good for a person, He causes him to take the measures that lead to it and He makes it easy to do the deeds that will qualify him to attain that. Allah swt, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah swt and fears Him,And believes in Al-Husna,We will make smooth for him the path of ease (goodness).But he who is a greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient,And gives the lie to Al-Husna,We will make smooth for him the path for evil”[al-Layl 92:5-10]. Al-Haafiz said: This indicates that al-Firdaws is above all of Paradise. Hence the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) said, teaching the ummah and motivating them: “If you ask of Allah swt, then ask Him for al-Firdaws.” End quote. Thirdly: It should be noted that attaining high status in this world and the hereafter cannot be done by means of wishful thinking and dreaming; rather it can only be by taking the measures that lead to that. Otherwise there would be no difference between one who is honest and one who is a liar. This is by the wisdom of Allah swt, may He be exalted, that He has made His slaves accountable and enjoined certain things upon them. Allah swt, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“It will not be in accordance with your desires (Muslims), nor those of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), whosoever works evil, will have the recompense thereof, and he will not find any protector or helper besides Allah swt.And whoever does righteous good deeds, male or female, and is a true believer in the Oneness of Allah swt (Muslim), such will enter Paradise and not the least injustice, even to the size of a Naqeera (speck on the back of a datestone), will be done to them”[an-Nisa’ 4:123-124]. Shaykh Ibn Sa‘di said:“It” that is, the matter of your salvation and purification “will not be in accordance with your wishes nor those of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)”. “Wishes” refers to self-talk that is not based in actions, and which is accompanied by mere claims; if one wished the opposite, it would be all the same. This is general in meaning and applies to all matters, so how about if it applies to the issues of faith and eternal happiness?… His deeds either confirm that claim or demonstrate that it is false.End quote from Tafseer as-Sa‘di (205) Sincerity towards Allah swt:Muslim (1909) narrated from Sahl ibn Hunayf (may Allah swt be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) said: “Whoever sincerely asks Allah swt for martyrdom, Allah swt will cause him to attain the status of the martyrs, even if he dies in his bed.” An-Nawawi (may Allah swt have mercy on him) said: This indicates that it is mustahabb to ask Allah swt for martyrdom and it is mustahabb to have good intentions. End quote. ·Belief in Allah swt and in His MessengersAllah swt, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“Verily! Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah swt Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous deeds, shall have the Gardens of Al-Firdaws (the Paradise) for their entertainment”[al-Kahf 18:107]. As-Sa‘di said: It may be that what is meant by the Gardens of al-Firdaws is the highest part of Paradise, the middle and the best thereof, and that this reward is for the one who perfected his faith and righteous deeds, and for the Prophets and those who are nearest to Allah swt. Or it may be that what is meant is all the levels of Paradise, so this reward includes all levels of people of faith, including those who are nearest to Allah swt, the righteous, and ordinary believers, each according to his condition. This is more likely to be the meaning, because of its general nature.End quote from Tafseer as-Sa‘di (488). It was narrated from Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri (may Allah swt be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) said: “The people of Paradise will see the people of the chambers above them as they see a brilliant star far away on the horizon in the east or in the west, because of the difference in status between them.” They said: O Messenger of Allah swt, will those be the chambers of the Prophets that will be attained by no one else? He said: “No, by the One in Whose hand is my soul; they will be men who believed in Allah swt and believed in the Messengers.”Agreed upon. Al-Haafiz said: The words “and believed in the Messengers” mean in the true sense of the word, otherwise everyone who believed in Allah swt and believed in His Messengers would reach that level, and that is not the case. ·Doing wudoo’ when it is difficult, taking many steps to the mosque, and waiting for prayer after prayerIt was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah swt be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah swt Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) said: “Shall I not tell you something by means of which Allah swt erases sins and raises people in status?” They said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah swt. He said: “Doing wudoo’ properly at times when it is difficult to do so, taking many steps to the mosque, and waiting for prayer after prayer. That is constant readiness.” Narrated by Muslim (251) The acts of obedience that are mentioned in saheeh reports as means of being with the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) in ParadiseMuslim (489) narrated that Rabee‘ah ibn Ka‘b al-Aslami (may Allah swt be pleased with him) said: I used to stay overnight with the Messenger of Allah swt Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) and bring him water for wudoo’ and whatever he needed. He said to me: “Ask.” I said: I ask to be with you in Paradise. He said: “Is there anything else?” I said: That is all, He said: “Help me to do that for you by prostrating a great deal.” Muslim also narrated (2983) that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah swt (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) said: “The one who sponsors an orphan, whether it is a relative of his or not, he and I will be like these two in Paradise,” and Maalik pointed with his forefinger and middle finger. And he narrated (2631) that Anas ibn Maalik said: The Messenger of Allah swt Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) said: : “Whoever takes care of two girls until they reach puberty, he and I will come like this on the Day of Resurrection” – and he held his two fingers together. Imam Ahmad narrated (12089) that Anas or someone else said: The Messenger of Allah swt Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) said: “Whoever takes care of two or three daughters, or two or three sisters, until they die before him or he dies before them, he and I will be like these two,” and he gestured with his forefinger and middle finger.Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in as-Saheehah (296) To sum up: striving hard in doing righteous deeds, hastening to do good deeds, persisting in righteous deeds and acts of kindness, and competing in doing good and righteous deeds form the basis for reaching what one most hopes for in this world and the hereafter, even if that ultimate goal is al-Firdaws. Suhaibbhatt85@gmail.com
