Author Archive: Infoeditor
A Platform to Go Critical
How and why was the Critical Muslim Launched? An explanation Muslims have an aversion to criticism. Many believe that ‘their Islam’, whatever variety it happens to be, is perfect and above criticism. They believe that all questions of importance have already been answered by the great jurists of history. Muslims just have to believe and […]
The Text in Rhythm with Nature
A look at the narrative style of the Quran with the focus on the symbols, metaphors and allegories the Holy Book calls to play) If chapter names are any indicator of the overall message a book drives home, the Holy Quran might appear to be a work dealing with a disparate list of topics that […]
Konya, Where The Past Transcends the Present
Last year in June, during my visit to Turkey I visited the Mevlānā Museum in Konya and it was indeed an experience that I continue to cherish in my heart. Mevlana Museum is the popular name of the Green Tomb (Yeşil Türbe), a splendid shrine where Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (d. 1273), popularly known in […]
Zoophobia in Islam
I have often observed the stupid indifference of my Muslim friends to animals as an admixture of zoophobia (extreme fear of animals) and misozoony (Hatred of animals). First, I found them cynophobic (disliking dogs). One of my friends related to me the Prophetic hadith on washing seven times (one time being with water), in case […]
Gamal al Banna – a Life of Defiance
The images that comes to one’s mind on hearing the name ‘al Banna’ in Egypt is that of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). But what Gamal al Banna the youngest brother of MB founder Hassan al Banna upheld throughout his life was altogether just the opposite. His life proved that progressive thoughts could not only make […]
A Spectrum of Exotic Bands
A stage for diverse music traditions in the world and different cultures, Rainforest Music Festival for the year 2013 will be held on June 28-30 in Kuching, Malaysia. The major theme underlying in this gathering of sound is this: each band and each performer is a unit of voice/voices. When units come together in a […]
Rashid Rida and the Kerala Muslim Reformist Movements
Interactive Blogemics carried a piece under the title ‘Moulid: Beyond Rashid Rida’s Tolerance’ in its last issue. Here is an engaging discussion based on it in the Facebook group ‘Garden of Bliss!’ Saleem Ch: Teach your children three things; Love of your Prophet; Love of his Ahl al-Bait and the recitation of the Quran. Hadith- […]
Visual Representations of Prophet
Why is it that visual representation of Prophet Muhammad is banned in Islam? What is the theological rationale for the ban? I stumbled upon an article, where the following is stated: ‘In certain reference works and books about Islam, we may come across the claim that even if the Prophet Muhammad was represented in pictorial […]
In Rapture with a Sarod
With certain fingers, a Sarod is more than an instrument and music is more than music. Longing is more than what you thought it was. When Ustad Amjad Aali Khan sits with his sarod and his fingers move along its strings, the sarod sobs, weeps, cries, wails, grumbles, groans, murmurs, smiles, laughs, giggles, yells and […]
Misfortunes of Two Indian Stars
Headlines about two Indian actors have recently gone viral. They are Bollywood’s own King Khan and Kollywood’s own King Kamal. Shah Rukh Khan wrote an article titled ‘Being a Khan’ in the Outlook Turning Point Magazine on the agonies of carrying a name, Khan. Kamal Hassan made Vishwaroopam (Global Shape), a film on the most […]
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