The Prophet's birthday this week

Al hamdulillah, wassalaat wa salaamu ala rasoolillah.

Tomorrow is a holiday in Pakistan due to Eid Milad-un-Nabi... having started working that does make it slightly against my personal interest to argue that this is a bid'ah, the Sahabah never did it, etc. But myself, I will be breaking the trend and actually be taking my first teaching assignment tomorrow insha'Allah.

LUMS is an interesting place to meet people. I'm supposed to be training some NGO employees attending the "Social Enterprise Management Programme" on the pros and cons of putting a service on the Internet. I thought I'd sit in on one of the other sessions on the module to get a feel for the crowd. Quite a diverse lot. The issue being discussed was how a hospital that focuses on a single type of operation is very lucrative due to what we call "economies of scope". One participant could relate when she said "Yes, we do a similar operation in our family planning work... we close up the blah tubes and you can perform that operation anywhere without need for a table..." The facilitator of that discussion - who happened to be an ardent TJ - offered no comment. He moved swiftly onto the next point.... interesting place to meet people this LUMS.

Wonder what personal experience they'll want to share with me in the world of cyberspace... "Yes I remember the time I was in this chat room and somebody asked me advise about getting sterilised...." (?!)

Mehfil-e-zikr-e-habeeb

These days DHA (my locality) is plastered with posters all over about this series of 3 evenings dedicated to mehfil-e-zikr-e-habeeb. I've already missed two... what do you think, will I have done a travesty to any sense of Muslimhood in me if tomorrow, THE day, misses me?

Shabir's in town

Yes Shabir Siddique, of Nelson and of Australian connection, surprised me the other day by turning up at my place (yes on his now 4 year old motorcycle). We will have the benefit of his company for at least a month it seems. He's considering moving to Pakistan.... now can you think of one single reason why Shabir will even consider saying no to such a prospect...?

Political philosophy of ibn Taymiyah

I've got a friend who has to write an essay for his Islamic Political Philosophy (run from a Sufi orientation) class, and he's decided to give the teacher a run for his money by actually trying to put it to him that i.T. did have a political philosophy. Can you help this brother... he's not conversant in Arabic so direct translations or pointers to websites rich in such discussion would help... remember he's got to fit into 7-8 pages... no dissertations please.

Jury still out on chicken

I was at a meeting of some high-ranking foreign deligates in a five star hotel here in Lahore... can you imagine a buffet without chicken... I actually experienced one ... it seems because chicken is being shelved, even mutton without meat on the bone is selling... so it seems the chicken crisis continues... though, Shazad, rumour has it that steak has returned to Defence Club: will you consider reviewing your position? Not even for the sweet onion sauce at (halal) Subways?

wassalamu alaikum

Abdullah

From the biggest trial to Henry leaving Arsenal

All praise and thanks are due to Allah and may peace and blessings be upon his last Messenger, the mercy for the worlds.

Al Hamdulillah?

I forgot to mention my surprise last week when I opened the paper to p.2 to find a full page add: at the top and centered in bold Arabic was "Al Hamdulillah". Curious to know what this was about I unfolded the paper so that the whole page was in view... the ad. continued "Rolls Royce is now being imported in Pakistan by Fulaan Fulaan dealers". Al Hamdulillah? Al Hamdulillah alaa kulli haal!

Where are we going...?

I didn't realise how long it has been since we drove around the Main Boulevard in Lahore at night... ufffff! Won't do that again. Thought I had enough to confront going to Uni. Little did I know that now boutiques line the Boulevard and they (as well as the Coke ads) now openly display sleevelessness and the like.

Is this just single-issue fundamentalist paranoia on my part? The other day I came across the hadith that is reported to be in Muslim...

"Verily, the world is sweet and alluring. Verily, Allah is going to make you successors in it. So look to see how you perform. Beware of this world and beware of women. Verily, the first trial that afflicted the Tribes of Israel was concerning women."

And add to that: "I have not left anything after me that is more harmful a trial for men than women." (B&M).

And it seems this the front upon which the kuffar are trying to work. But beware, Allah has said (Soorat-un-Noor:19)

"Verily, those who like that Faahisha (immodesty/immodest acts) should be circulated among those who believe, they will have a painful torment in this world and in the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you know not."

And we remember Yusuf's saying (alaihis Salam): "Except that you cause to be averted from me their (the women's) plots, I will be inclined to them, and I will be of the ignorant."

It was interesting to read in a translated bit of Ibn-ul-Qayyim's madarijus-Salakeen (Jumu'ah Mag. zindabaad!) that ignorance is not only simple lack of knowledge. But jahiliyya is also the state where whims/desires overwhelm one to the point that a person becomes as if he doesn't have the knowledge. Thus, it seems, this is the type of Jahiliyya that Yusuf (AS) was seeking refuge from.

Whence chicken?

I don't know if you guys are aware, but Pakistan has gone off chicken due to the avian flu business. Regardless of the assurances of WHO recommendations to make sure you cook and eat and don't directly touch the uncooked bird, chicken has become a firm dining table no-no especially after some rumours of a death in Sheikhupoora.

Yesterday (the start of the weekend) KFC's forecourt was empty! Its a snowball effect as because a few people are going off chicken, other people are doubting that what's available at outlets is not fresh, so people don't buy and because other people think other people are not buying...etc! Chicken (and egg) prices have halved!

This is presenting regular outside eaters with great difficulty in choice. Beef is not on, except at McDonalds, and that leaves mutton, fish/prawns... so the Chinese restaurants are the other options... and you can tell Shazad that, yes, the Club's only got fish steak on its menu (why no beef one's beats me).

As you can see, a crisis for your standard Lahori "burger" family...

Blackburn in Pak. News

Just read the papers today and found that Condi got told to leave by our beloved Blackburn brothers, when Straw brought her around...interesting.

Other

Also, yes you will be surprised to learn, we too are getting news that Thierry Henry might be leaving Arsenal to go to Spain... what's the latest boys? Seems the Sh. Nuh Keller piece didn't excite many... wasn't meant to though... should have added some health warnings there...?

wassalamu alaikum

Abdullah

From the biggest trial to Henry leaving Arsenal

All praise and thanks are due to Allah and may peace and blessings be upon his last Messenger, the mercy for the worlds.

Al Hamdulillah?

I forgot to mention my surprise last week when I opened the paper to p.2 to find a full page add: at the top and centered in bold Arabic was "Al Hamdulillah". Curious to know what this was about I unfolded the paper so that the whole page was in view... the ad. continued "Rolls Royce is now being imported in Pakistan by Fulaan Fulaan dealers". Al Hamdulillah? Al Hamdulillah alaa kulli haal!

Where are we going...?

I didn't realise how long it has been since we drove around the Main Boulevard in Lahore at night... ufffff! Won't do that again. Thought I had enough to confront going to Uni. Little did I know that now boutiques line the Boulevard and they (as well as the Coke ads) now openly display sleevelessness and the like.

Is this just single-issue fundamentalist paranoia on my part? The other day I came across the hadith that is reported to be in Muslim...

"Verily, the world is sweet and alluring. Verily, Allah is going to make you successors in it. So look to see how you perform. Beware of this world and beware of women. Verily, the first trial that afflicted the Tribes of Israel was concerning women."

And add to that: "I have not left anything after me that is more harmful a trial for men than women." (B&M).

And it seems this the front upon which the kuffar are trying to work. But beware, Allah has said (Soorat-un-Noor:19)

"Verily, those who like that Faahisha (immodesty/immodest acts) should be circulated among those who believe, they will have a painful torment in this world and in the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you know not."

And we remember Yusuf's saying (alaihis Salam): "Except that you cause to be averted from me their (the women's) plots, I will be inclined to them, and I will be of the ignorant."

It was interesting to read in a translated bit of Ibn-ul-Qayyim's madarijus-Salakeen (Jumu'ah Mag. zindabaad!) that ignorance is not only simple lack of knowledge. But jahiliyya is also the state where whims/desires overwhelm one to the point that a person becomes as if he doesn't have the knowledge. Thus, it seems, this is the type of Jahiliyya that Yusuf (AS) was seeking refuge from.

Whence chicken?

I don't know if you guys are aware, but Pakistan has gone off chicken due to the avian flu business. Regardless of the assurances of WHO recommendations to make sure you cook and eat and don't directly touch the uncooked bird, chicken has become a firm dining table no-no especially after some rumours of a death in Sheikhupoora.

Yesterday (the start of the weekend) KFC's forecourt was empty! Its a snowball effect as because a few people are going off chicken, other people are doubting that what's available at outlets is not fresh, so people don't buy and because other people think other people are not buying...etc! Chicken (and egg) prices have halved!

This is presenting regular outside eaters with great difficulty in choice. Beef is not on, except at McDonalds, and that leaves mutton, fish/prawns... so the Chinese restaurants are the other options... and you can tell Shazad that, yes, the Club's only got fish steak on its menu (why no beef one's beats me).

As you can see, a crisis for your standard Lahori "burger" family...

Blackburn in Pak. News

Just read the papers today and found that Condi got told to leave by our beloved Blackburn brothers, when Straw brought her around...interesting.

Other

Also, yes you will be surprised to learn, we too are getting news that Thierry Henry might be leaving Arsenal to go to Spain... what's the latest boys? Seems the Sh. Nuh Keller piece didn't excite many... wasn't meant to though... should have added some health warnings there...?

wassalamu alaikum

Abdullah