Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Helping the Poor through Aarthik Qurbani

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Pune, MAHARASHTRA :

Over the last decade, individual Muslims have started breaking from the tradition of sacrificing animals on Bakra Eid, motivated by the thought that the considerable amount spent on buying and sacrificing animals would be put to better use for the community’s welfare, specially education.

Paigambar Shaikh (with beard) flanked by Rafique Shaikh, left, and Alam Pathan with the beneficiaries of Aarthik Qurbani in 2020.

Wednesday was a busy day for Pune activists Paigambar Shaikh, Alam Pathan and Rafique Shaikh. It marked the start of the distribution of funds collected by Paigambar through his ‘Aarthik Qurbani‘ campaign.

It’s happened elsewhere, but the ‘Aarthik Qurbani‘ movement started by Pune activist Paigambar Shaikh is unique.

Over the last decade, individual Muslims have started breaking from the tradition of sacrificing animals on Bakra Eid, motivated by the thought that the considerable amount spent on buying and sacrificing animals would be put to better use for the community’s welfare, specially education.

In Bengaluru, some of these Muslims have managed to convince others to follow their example. After the 2018 Kerala floods, social media helped convince many across the country to donate the money kept for the sacrifice, or at least a part of it, for the floods, as reported in Rediff.com.

However, Paigambar Shaikh’s Aarthik Qurbani movement is different from all these, in that it is not restricted to Muslims. In fact, the campaign run by this self-employed content writer on Facebook, gets more responses from Hindus than Muslims, and the beneficiaries of the monetary sacrifice are also from all communities.

This reflects the concerns of 31-year-old Shaikh and his colleagues: All three are social activists, not just community activists.

“Not once has any Muslim who has contributed Aarthik Qurbani told us that his/her money should only go to Muslims,” Paigambar tells Rediff.com  Senior Contributor Jyoti Punwani. “And we would never accept such a condition.”

The meat that is sacrificed on Bakra Eid, points out Paigambar, does not go only to Muslims. “It’s in three parts: One kept for yourself, one for those who are needy among your relatives, and the third for the poor. The poor need not be from your community only,” he explains.

“Also, the money you spend on buying animals does not go to Muslims; most of the sellers are non-Muslims,” he points out.

However, since he started his campaign in 2014, more and more Muslims have been getting drawn to it. This year, of the 117 persons who donated, 50 were Muslim.

They collected almost Rs 95,000, less than earlier years, but more than what they expected, given the financial blow dealt by the two lockdowns.

On Wednesday they kicked off their distribution by donating educational material to two women, one Hindu, the other Muslim, who teach poor children for free. Needy students are their main beneficiaries, but they have also helped flood victims in Kerala and Maharashtra.

Distribution of Aarthik Qurbani in 2021.

While orthodox Muslims oppose substituting animal sacrifice with monetary sacrifice, Paigambar reveals that it was his study of the Quran that prompted him to begin this practice.

“In the Quran it says one must sacrifice that which is dearest to our hearts. How can an animal that is purchased with the express aim of sacrificing it be the closest thing to our hearts,” he asks.

In the last two years, the Maharashtra government has insisted that because of Covid compulsions, Muslims should perform a ‘symbolic’ sacrifice. But community leaders have rejected this suggestion, saying no such concept of symbolic sacrifice exists.

However, Paigambar Shaikh maintains that the Bakra Eid sacrifice is symbolic. “Hazrat Ibrahim dreamt that Allah had asked him to sacrifice that which was dearest to him, and prepared to sacrifice his son. But at the crucial moment, Allah presented a dumba (ram) for the sacrifice. Doesn’t that show that it was a symbolic sacrifice? Our Aarthik Qurbani too is symbolic.”

Finally, what set the seal on Paigambar’s conviction were the words from the Quran: ‘Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you.’

“It’s the intention that counts,” says Paigambar.

Those who oppose the concept of substituting charity for animal sacrifice point out that Bakra Eid is the one occasion that the poor get to eat mutton which is otherwise out of their reach.

However, asks Paigambar: “What is more important — eating mutton or getting out of poverty? Those who go around distributing mutton to poor families, would be surprised to know that some of those families can’t even afford to buy the half-a-dozen notebooks needed for their children’s school. It’s not in our hands to abolish poverty, but by enabling a poor family to educate its children, we are providing them a means to come out of their poverty.”

At any rate, he adds, the prime motive for the animal sacrifice is not feeding the poor; it is pleasing God.

This year’s distribution of Aarthik Qurbani: Rafique Shaikh and Paigambar Shaikh with the recipients.

Rafique Shaikh joined Paigambar’s campaign in 2019, when Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur were hit by floods. The eldest of four brothers, this 33-year-old businessman decided that the money they’d kept aside for sacrificing goats would go for the flood hit.

“The satisfaction we got from wiping the tears of those in distress by this sacrifice was a completely different experience,” he recalls.

Alam Pathan was already performing Aarthik Qurbani since 2009. That year, Pathan’s father died a day before Bakra Eid, and the family felt it inappropriate to celebrate the festival. Instead, they donated the money they would have spent on the animal sacrifice to the poor, and have since stuck to that practice.

Opposition from the orthodox, including threatening calls, have not fazed these men.

“We don’t tell anybody to give up animal sacrifice,” points out Rafique Shaikh. “This year, I could afford to sacrifice a goat and also make an Aarthik Qurbani, so I did both. One can buy a goat for Rs 11,000 or Rs 50,000. Isn’t it wasteful to spend so much on one goat? We just suggest that instead of spending all that money on an animal, why not keep a part of it for those who need it?”

Alam Pathan has one way of dealing with opposition: Ignoring it.

Were he to heed opposition from the orthodox, this 39 year old’s life would be very different.

Paigambar Shaikh derives his inspiration from Prophet Mohammed and Shivaji Maharaj.

As the only Muslim family in his village, says Pathan, the palkhi carrying the padukas of Sant Tukaram taken out during the annual Pandharpur pilgrimage, would stop at his house. He would participate in all the village bhajans and keertans, and continues to do Shri Dnyaneshwari Pravachan — he lectures on the Dnyaneshwari written by the 13th century poet Sant Dnyaneshwar. He also visits the famous Tirupati Balaji temple in Andhra Pradesh every year.

“This is how my father brought us up,” says the real estate dealer.

Paigambar Shaikh has received threatening calls for his campaign. But says he, he derives inspiration from two personalities when confronted with such opposition.

First, Prophet Mohammed, who said nothing even to the woman who threw garbage on him whenever he passed by her house. The day she didn’t do so, he went to check if she was okay and tended to her.

That gesture made her accept Islam.

Paigambar’s second inspiration is Shivaji Maharaj, who never accepted defeat.

“Aarthik Qurbani is now here to stay. No one can stop us. Next year onwards, we will be spreading the movement from Pune to other districts of Maharashtra.”

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com

source: http://www.rediff.com / rediff.com / Home> News / by Jyoti Punwani / July 30th, 2021

Book review | ‘Labour and Migration among Indian Muslim Artisans’: A limited but sensitive look at work-from-home outside urban, corporate India

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Sahranpur, UTTAR PRADESH :

Chambers’ research on how women’s labour is devalued and underpaid lays the ground for future researchers on how women offer care and strength to each other within patriarchal settings.

In Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Chambers' research showed, job opportunities for female wood workers are still curtailed. Most women are restricted to the home, and many of those who work in factories, are concerned about sexual predators.

In Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Chambers’ research showed, job opportunities for female wood workers are still curtailed. Most women are restricted to the home, and many of those who work in factories, are concerned about sexual predators.

Whose stories are centred when ‘working from home’ is seen as ‘the new normal’? How does one account for the labour of women who have always worked from home because of the patriarchal structures in their lives? Thomas Chambers’ book Networks, Labour and Migration among Indian Muslim Artisans (2020) will make you think about these questions.

Book Review | 'Labour And Migration Among Indian Muslim Artisans': A Limited But Sensitive Look At Work-from-home Outside Urban, Corporate India

The author is a senior lecturer in anthropology at the Oxford Brookes University. His book is based on ethnographic fieldwork with woodworkers in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

Chambers notes that migration to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) from Uttar Pradesh now exceeds that from Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. He writes, “The state registered 191,341 emigrants to the Gulf in 2012, compared with 27,428 in 2004. Figures for 2013 and 2015 suggest that numbers exceeded 200,000 in these years.”

The book examines how local friendship groups and apprenticeship networks open up opportunities for men to migrate to the GCC whereas women’s engagement with the labour market keeps them mostly confined to the home. The book will help readers appreciate how ‘working from home’ is experienced outside corporate India, and how this experience is shaped by gender. Chambers tries to explain this using the concept of ‘chal-chalan’ in local parlance.

He writes, “The term articulates a complex assemblage of gendered moral and ethical circulations that regulate women’s sexualities, bodies and subjectivities. It was also at the forefront of women’s discourses about participation in paid labour within and beyond the home.” His book will deepen your understanding of workplace sexual harassment, a big reason for women woodworkers to prefer working from home rather than in factories.

Unlike men who are able to withdraw their labour and seek work elsewhere within India or outside, women’s mobility is restricted. They are expected to look after children, and the sick and elderly. Their economic independence is also curtailed by employers who justify low wages by insisting that their labour is unskilled, and that their income is meant to supplement the earnings of the men in the house who are supposed to be the real breadwinners.

The book shows how this reasoning is flawed. Chambers found that women with husbands who were either unemployed or alcoholic had to bear all the responsibility for running their households. Women who were divorced or widowed were also in a precarious situation. Working in factories would pay them a lot better but it would make them more vulnerable to sexual predators who saw them as easy prey as “they lack(ed) the ‘protection’ of a husband.”

Chambers writes, “My involvement with the mohallas has always been mediated in a highly gendered context. Narrating the lives, experiences and subjectivities of women is therefore one of the more challenging aspects of this book.” He adds, “Gradually, curtains fell away, and over the years I have developed many close relationships with women in the mohallas.”

Earning the trust of one’s respondents is key to producing ethical scholarship. Researchers need to care not only about their research questions but also the human beings who help them generate knowledge by sharing their time, lived experiences and personal insights.

Chambers has quoted some of the women he interviewed. One of them, named Sabra, says, “Sometimes in the factories the men are really very rude. Some men address me like a dog…I never talk to men in the factory as I know they are shameless…They say, ‘If you are pak daman, then go to your home. If you belong to a respectable family, you would not come to the factory.’ I have to bear this blame silently. If I did not, my job would be finished.”

Acknowledging the particularities of his social location as a white, non-Muslim man from the UK entering a gender-segregated environment in north India for his research, he attempts to listen and understand with sincerity. This is refreshing because the trope of white men trying to save brown women from brown men is not only patronizing but has also been overdone.

Chambers writes, “My male positionality imposed limitations that did not arise in my relationships with men. The experiences of women who labour in wood production are so distinct from those of their male counterparts that any attempt to interlace the narratives runs the risk of obscuring these distinctions.” To overcome these limitations, he draws on Ayesha Ansari’s work to contextualize Muslim women’s experiences in the Indian workforce.

It can be rewarding to read Chambers’ book alongside Devaki Jain’s recent memoir The Brass Notebook (2020). As a feminist economist, she is deeply invested in pointing out that women in households marked as being below the poverty line are neither sitting idle nor occupied exclusively with household chores and childcare. They roll bidis, sell cow dung cakes, or earn money for their family in other ways. This is economic activity, and it requires skill acquisition.

Though Chambers’ analysis is largely heteronormative, he subtly points out the relationship between homosociality and same-sex desire in Saharanpur’s gullies, expressed through the religious rhetoric of brotherhood. You might find it useful to read Gayatri Gopinath’s book Unruly Visions: The Aesthetic Practices of Queer Diaspora (2018), which suggests that the “Gulf dreams” of migrants may “extend beyond limited heteronormative framings.”

She writes, “If working-class migrants are viewed as heterogeneous, desiring subjects rather than reductively defined simply through their labour, what other longings and forms of relationality come into view in the homosocial, regional and diasporic spaces they inhabit?”

This question could also be posed in relation to the desires and aspirations of women woodworkers in Saharanpur, involved in “polishing, sanding and touching up on defects on items such as boxes, incense holders and rehals (folding stands for holding the Quran).”Are these women’s lives defined only by their income and status as woodworkers? Chambers’ limited access to them keeps him from offering insights into the friendships, solidarities and intimacies that might be forged between them. However, his research on how women’s labour is devalued and underpaid lays the ground for future researchers to explore how women offer care, joy and strength to each other within patriarchal settings.

source: http://www.moneycontrol.com / Money Control / Home> News> Trends> Features / by Chintan Girish Modi / July 24th, 2021

From Mysuru To Mumbai: Railway Porter Badge No. 16 Takes Her To ‘Indian Idol’ Stage

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Mysuru, KARNATAKA :

Rizwana Banu’s story breaks free from dogmas of male-dominated profession.

She is alone but not broken. Her life is filled with tragedy, yet she is a dreamer. She is brave, graceful, independent, hard-working, confident and what not. Words fall short to describe her attitude towards life. Her journey of life is an inspiration to all women out there. 

Next time when you are at the Mysuru City Railway Station, there are chances that you will come across 39-year-old Rizwana Banu, with a smiling face offering to carry your luggage. She is the only woman among the 60 porters at the Railway Station and she does the job as efficiently as the men.

Wearing Porter Badge No. 16, Rizwana has appeared on the stage of the country’s biggest singing TV reality show ‘Indian Idol’ in Mumbai on July 6 and this has made her the talk of the town. But the celebrity status has not got into her head and she still lifts passenger luggage, smiling. Her amiable approach gets her a few rupees more than the normal remuneration.

Life not a bed of roses

Rizwana lives in Shanthinagar and she lost her husband Javed Pasha in 2010. Javed was also a Porter at the Railway Station and after his death, the world came crashing on her as she had to take the responsibility of looking after the family including four children, parents and in-laws. 

She was not qualified enough to get a job and she fell back on what her husband was doing for a living. Fortunately she got the job on compassionate grounds and she became the lone woman porter. 

Sharing her life’s story with Star of Mysore, Rizwana said, “Initially I was scared to work amidst men as I was the only woman doing this job. I did not have friends and even passengers would ignore me thinking that I cannot carry heavy luggage. There were many depressing moments and many times I cursed myself for having been born as a woman.”  

“I had no other option as I am the only bread-winner in the family on whom eight are dependent. I slowly gained confidence to work among men and even passengers started showing concern towards me. They sometimes pay extra money for my hard work.  It’s been 10 long years,” she says with a sigh. 

Unexpected opportunity

On appearing on ‘Indian Idol’ stage, she said that she never thought of standing on such a huge and famed stage. “Though I was not a contestant, it happened to me unexpectedly. I got an opportunity to go to Mumbai through our mesthri Jalendra. The ‘Indian Idol’ show managers were looking for a lady surviving life despite odds. Somehow they contacted Jalendra and asked me to come to Mumbai,” she said. 

“I was flying for the first time in my life. After I reached Mumbai they arranged for accommodation at a private hotel. The next day I was invited on the stage and a video of my entire journey was shown to the audience. Show judges Anu Malik, Himesh Reshammiya and Sonu Kakkar praised me,”  Rizwana recalled. 


“Seeing the video that captured my life and struggle, everyone’s eyes welled up with tears. For me, I received the respect which I always wanted to earn. The anchor of the show Aaditya Narayan (son of singer Udit Narayan) announced that he would give me his one episode’s remuneration,” she said. 

Rizwana got Rs. 1.5 lakh from the reality show. She plans to use it to clear a part of the Rs. 5 lakh loan taken for her daughter’s marriage. “Actually I watched the show and I am a big fan of contestant Mohammad Danish. But I never imagined that I would get an opportunity to be on the live stage,” she noted. 

Life of a Porter not easy

“Earlier there were no lifts and escalators and porters had to carry the luggage using stairs. Now things have changed. I work 11 hours a day, from 6 am to 5 pm and whenever I have body ache, I take painkillers to be prompt at work the next day,” she said. 

Lockdown was tough for Rizwana and her son sold tea to make ends meet. “I earn Rs. 300 a day, which is hardly enough but I have never complained and I am thankful to have at least this much. I love watching movies and dream of meeting the ‘real coolie’ Amitabh Bachchan one day,” she said and went about her routine.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by G. Amit Kumar / July 30th, 2021

Ebrahim Alkazi’s legacy bears testimony to cultural links between Saudi Arabia, India

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Pune / Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA / NEW DELHI :

Ebrahim Alkazi will continue to live in the hearts of Saudis and Indians who are on the quest to deepen the friendship and cultural heritage they share.

Ebrahim Alkazi (1925-2020)

Last week, we lost Ebrahim Alkazi, a legend of Indian theatre with Saudi Arabian roots. I fondly remember my first experience of meeting him in the spring of 2014 at his house in New Delhi. I was touched by his unique character and his passion for the arts. He greeted me with a few words spoken in the distinct Qassimi dialect. Alkazi was also a noted art connoisseur and collector, credited for fundamentally transforming Indian theatre and having etched a name for Indian theatre worldwide. His legacy will forever remain a testament to the rich intellectual and cultural links between Saudi Arabia and India.

Alkazi’s father, Hamad, was a trader from Unaiza in Saudi Arabia’s Qassim region, who subsequently settled in Pune where Ebrahim was born in 1925. Despite his early immersion in theatre, he gradually pursued his love for visual arts. He showcased the avant-garde artist in him throughout India, the US and Europe through his path-breaking work before becoming the director of the National School of Drama in Delhi and the Asian Theatre Institute in 1962. He will always be remembered for his contributions in the field of arts that resonate with our cultural bonds. The strings that bind Saudi Arabia and India are many and have become stronger and more diverse over time. However, the cultural ties that the two countries share are perhaps the deepest. Pre-Islamic Arab poetry has many references to Indian swords and several other Indian goods.

The two countries have a fascinating history of intellectual exchanges. Science, arts, literature, and languages – the mutual influence has indeed been profound. For instance, many Indian texts in the field of medicine, mathematics and astronomy were translated over the centuries into Arabic. The father of Indology is none other than the Arab scholar Al-Biruni. His monumental work Ta’rikh al-Hind is undoubtedly the most comprehensive pre-modern encyclopaedic work on India.

Another notable text, the Panchatantra, was translated by the Arabs who took it to Europe and the rest of the world, as were Hitopadesha and Chanakya’s Arthashastra. India’s famous medical treatises such as Charaka and Susruta were translated into Arabic as well.

The Arab travellers were also prolific writers and wrote extensively on India, its people and diverse cultures. Writers such as Sulaiman, Ibn-ul-Faquih, Al-Masudi and Al-Idrisi documented in great detail their impressions of south India, its people, customs and traditions. The world-famous Arabian Nights also called Alf Laila in Arabic and Adventures of Sindbad the Sailor too describe southern India. According to Ibn Nadeem, a 16th-century Arab writer, Sindbad was written in India.

These deeply-rooted cultural ties have continued to grow. For instance, Yoga has become an increasingly popular sport in Saudi Arabia. Since November 2017, the International Yoga Day is celebrated in an open area in the centre of Riyadh. In 2018, India was a guest of honour at our annual cultural festival of Al Janadriyah. The theme of the Indian pavilion at the festival was “Saudi ka Dost Bharat” (India is a friend of Saudi Arabia). This last decade has been seminal in expanding our friendship into a strategic partnership.

A most significant milestone in our ties with India was the visit of His Royal Highness Crown Prince to India in February 2019, which re-affirmed the deep commitment of the two nations to strengthen their strategic engagement.

Our shared cultural bonds are also deepened by the religious ties between our peoples. The annual pilgrimage to Makkah has facilitated the exchange of cultures and traditions as well. But above all, our ties have been strengthened by pioneers like Ebrahim Alkazi. He will continue to live in the hearts of Saudis and Indians who are on the quest to deepen the friendship and cultural heritage they share.

This article first appeared in the print edition on August 12 under the title “A symbol of friendship”. The writer is the ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to India

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Opinion> Columns / by Saud Bin Mohammed Al Sati, Ambassador Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to India / August 12th, 2020

Hyderabad: Prof Ainul Hasan new MANUU Vice-Chancellor

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Allahabad, UTTAR PRADESH / Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Gachibowli: 

Noted Persian scholar Prof Syed Ainul Hasan is the new Vice-Chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu University. According to a communication received from the Union Education Ministry to the varsity, the President in his capacity as the Visitor of MANUU appointed Prof Hasan, as the fifth VC of MANUU for a five-year term.

Prof Ainul Hasan is a professor, Persian & Central Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Earlier, he also served as the Dean, School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies, JNU. He is also the president, All-India Persian Scholars’ Association. He has more than 34 years of teaching experience and produced 87 research scholars.

A visiting professor of Rutgers State University, New Jersey (US) under Fulbright, Prof Hasan authored 13 books. He is a specialist in Indo-Iran, Indo-Arab relations and comparative literature.

Prof S M Rahmatullah, In-charge VC and Prof Siddiqui Mohd Mahmood, Registrar I/c, congratulated Prof Hasan on his appointment. They hoped that under his leadership MANUU will attain new heights of academic excellence.

source: http://www.telanganatribune.com / Telangana Tribune / Home> Hyderabad / by Telangana Tribune / July 24th, 2021

Remembering Mir Syed Ali Hamdani (R.A)

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IRAN / KASHMIR (J&K) :

Syedus Saadat Salaar’e Ajam: Dast’e ou Maemar’e Taqdeer’e Ummam

(Syed of Syeds and a leader of Iran; who shaped the destiny of nations) (Allama Iqbal)

Many great saints, sages, and savants came to Kashmir for promoting and propagating ‘Islam’. Among these personages, ‘Syed Ali Hamdani (R.A)’ is the most prominent and is considered as the founder of Islam in the valley.

Syed Ali Hamdani enjoys the prestige of being Najeeb-ur-Tarafaen Syed- ( a true Syed whose lineage has never seen non- Syed) with his father Syed Shaha-bu-deen Hamdani, a decedent of Imam Hussein (A.S) and his mother Syeda Fatima, a decedent of Imam Hassan (A.S). Born on 12 Rajab-ul-Murajab 714 AH (12 October 1314 A.D) in Hamadan (Iran), and died on 6th Zilhujjah 786 AH (19 January 1384 A.D) in Kunar (a province in Afghanistan), Syed Ali Hamdani was Sufi Saint of Kubravi order, a scholar, a theologian, a socialist, a writer, a poet, and a preacher par excellence.

Having several titles, ‘Ali Sani’, Amir-I- Kabeer, Shah-e-Hamdan, Qutub-ul-Aktaab, etc. Syed Ali Hamdani belonged to an educated family and received basic education under the supervision of his maternal uncle Ala-ud-Daula Semnani for thirteen years. For Spiritual training, Syed Ali Hamdani proceeded to Sheikh Shrafuddin Mahmud Mazdigani who instructed him to set out on a journey, meet the saints, get guidance from them, and spread the message of Islam. He traveled frequently, spent the better part of his life traveling, and contributed enormously to the dissemination of the Islamic message.

According to tradition, he toured around the world three times and carried teachings of Islam to many countries, which include China, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, etc. He also chose the valley of Kashmir and sowed here the seeds of love, peace, and harmony that influenced masses to accept the message of Prophet (PBUH), that is – ‘There is no God but Allah. Muhammad (PBUH) is the messenger of the God.’

The valley of Kashmir is blessed in the sense that Syed Ali Hamdani came here thrice and made it the center of his activities. He came to Kashmir for the first time during the reign of Sultan Shihab-ud-din in 774 A.H (1372 B.C) and stayed here for a brief period of four months.

Sultan Qutubudin (brother of Sultan Shahabuddin) welcomed the second visit of Hamdani in 781 AH (1379 A.D). This time Hamdani was accompanied by 700 missionaries who assisted him in establishing mosques, seminaries, and centers of preaching across the length and breadth of the valley. This visit was thus, a landmark in the growth of Islam. After spending 2years, he went back to Turkistan via Ladakh.

He visited the valley again in 785AH (1383 A.D) but had to return earlier on account of illness. On return from this visit, he reached Kunar and after few days bade adieu to materialistic life (on 6th Zilhujjah 786 AH). His earthly remains were taken to Kolab in Khitlan (Tajikistan) and buried there.

Before leaving Kashmir, he deputed his son Mir Muhammad Hamdani (r.a) to take forward the sacred mission of enlightening the hearts of people with the faith of Islam. Mir Muhammad Hamdani later institutionalized the Islamic mission in Kashmir. He supervised the construction of famous institutions like, Khankah e Maula (Srinagar), Khankah e Faizpanah (Tral), Khankah-I-Aala (Pulwama), Khanqah, (Wachi Shopian), etc, which played an important role in spiritual, social, and educational reforms throughout the history of Kashmir. Even at present, these institutions continue to be the fountainheads of excellence and spirituality.

Hamdani’s economic impact on Kashmir is incredibly profound. His role in the economic upliftment of the Kashmiri nation is historic and crucial. He aimed to make Kashmiri self-sufficient by imparting skills. Thus, along with religious preachers, he brought with him numerous artists and artisans who settled down in Kashmir and taught the craft of Pashmina textile and carpet making to the local population. The establishment of the shawl industry and its subsequent prevalence in this part of the world has been possible because of him. The introduction of the craft, handicraft, calligraphy, Copper-work, and Silverwork in Kashmir is also the benevolence of Hamdani on the Kashmiri people. He familiarized people with trade and commerce on the pattern prevailing in central Asia that boosted them economically. In addition, he revived agricultural, irrigational, and industrial systems by suggesting new techniques. In this way, Hamdani changed the life patterns of the Kashmiri people and shaped the destiny of Kashmir. Apart from appreciating Hamdani’s role in Kashmir’s Islamic revolution, Allama Iqbal immortalized his socio-economic, and cultural contribution as- Khitah ra ‘aan shah’e darya aasteen; Daad ilm wa sannat wa tehzeeb wa deen (Shah Hamdan provided (to Kashmiris) knowledge, industry, culture, and religion through his inclusive approach and oceanic vision).

Hamdani was a man of letters and despite having a busy schedule, he proved to be a great poet and writer. In poetry, he used pen names; ‘Ulai’ and ‘Ali’ and Chihli-Asrar is one of his anthologies consisting of 40 poems mostly based on spirituality. He wrote hundreds of pamphlets in Arabic and Persian to reach the maximum audience and to preserve his ideas, philosophy, and message (which include guidance for Kings and rulers) for the future generation. Abdul Wahab Noori, author of the book Fatuhaati Kubraviyah quotes Syed Ali Hamdani saying; ‘I have not been appreciated in this world but hundred years after my death, people will start benefiting from my writings and appreciate my value’. And without any doubt, these pamphlets exist as documents of guidance for all. These writings are scattered in different libraries of the world and scholars in particular and people, in general, are benefited from them.

Among these writing, Awrad-Fathiyah is one of the great Arabic works of Syed Ali Hamdani. It is a reflection of Hamdani’s concern for Muslims of Kashmir. Syed Ali Hamdani on noticing unsure faith and witnessing the plight of Kashmiri Muslims asked them to recite Awrad loudly to reinforce the belief and to get rid of sufferings by invoking Almighty Allah.

So immense is the contribution of Syed Ali Hamdani that one column will not suffice to cover it. A detailed account of his role in the preaching of Islam and influence on different aspects of the lives of Kashmiris has brought forth many books. Nevertheless, what is important for us is to understand his message, imbibe his teachings, and practice them in everyday life besides bearing in mind his multi-dimensional role.

source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / by Zeeshan Rasool Khan / July 17th, 2021

South African-Indian Islamic Scholar Mufti Ebrahim Desai Passes Away

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INDIA / Durban, SOUTH AFRICA :

Mufti Ebrahim Desai, the world-renowned South-African-Indian Islamic scholar, and jurist, who established the Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah in Durban, South Africa where he trained students to become muftis passed away Thursday 15 July in Durban. He was 58.

Mufti Ebrahim Desai had been issuing fatwas in various fields for more than 25 years, mainly through the askimam.org website.

Born on 16 January 1963 in Richmond, South Africa, Mufti Desai memorized the Quran at the Waterval Islamic Institute and studied traditional Dars-i Nizami course at the Jamia Islamia Talimuddin in Gujarat, India. He specialized in fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) under Mufti Ahmed Khanpuri and also studied with the former Grand Mufti of Darul Uloom Deoband, Mahmood Hasan Gangohi, the author of the multi-volume Fatawa Mahmudiyyah.

Mufti Saheb taught Fiqh, Principles of Fiqh, Tafsir, Hadith at Madrasah Ta῾limuddin, Isipingo Beach, South Africa for 10 years. He also headed the Fatwa Department at Jamiatul Ulama, KwaZulu-Natal. He was a senior Sheikhul Hadith at Madrasah In’aamiyyah, Camperdown for another 10 years. In 2011, Mufti Ebrahim Desai Saheb moved to Durban permanently and laid the foundation for Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah, Sherwood, Durban. In the early 1990s, he started Ask Imam Fatawa Portal, an online Islamic questions and answers database of Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah.

Mufti Desai was an Islamic finance expert who served as sharia advisor to various Islamic financial institutions.

He was featured among The 500 Most Influential Muslims compiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre and referred to as the “South African Grand Mufti of Indian descent.”

Mufti Ebrahim Desai had authored two books, “Introduction to Hadith: A general introduction to Hadith and its sciences” and “Introductions to Islamic Commerce”. His fatawa have been compiled in a book titled “Al-Mahmood”. Another compilation of his talks at the Shariah Compliant Business Campaign is also available titled “Shariah Compliant Business Campaign”. The latest compilation of contemporary verdicts is also available titled “Contemporary Fatawa”.

Muslims around the world expressed their sadness over his death.

Final Bequest: A Plea from the Grave of a Deceased Parent by Mufti Ebrahim Desai

source: http://www.thecognate.com / The Cognate / Home> News / by Shaik Zakeer Hussain / July 16th, 2021

Mangaluru: Harekala Hajabba among Beary Academy’s award winners

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Mangaluru, KARNATAKA :

Mangaluru: Harekala Hajabba among Beary Academy's award winners - Daijiworld.com

Mangaluru :

Karnataka Beary Sahitya Academy has chosen nine persons with considerable achievements to their credit in their respective fields, for the honorary awards and honorary felicitations pertaining to the year 2021.

Harekala Hajabba has been chosen for his achievements in the field of Beary language and education sector. Hussain Katipalla, a famous singer, has been chosen for his contribution to the field of Beary art and literary fields. Dr E K A Siddique Addoor has been picked for enriching Beary culture and social service fields.

Honorary awards comprise Rs 50,000 cash component, felicitation, and award plaque.

Ashraf Apolo from Beary music sector, Dr K A Muneer Bava from Beary organizational sector, Mariam Fauzia B W, Beary woman achiever, Zulphi Beary from Beary Youth talent sector, Muhammed Basheer Ustad from Beary Duf field, Mohammed Faraz Ali from Beary young talent sector, have been selected for the Beary honorary felicitation. The felicitation comprises Rs 10,000 in cash, felicitation, and citation.

Academy president, Rahim Uchil, said that the awards function will be held at Shivamogga after fixing a date of the chief minister, Shivamogga district in-charge minister, and Kannada and culture department minister, after the Covid situation eases substantially.

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Karnataka / by Daijiworld Media News Network (SP) – June 30th, 2021

‘UAE 50’ number plate set to fetch record price

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA / U.A.E. :

UAE-based motoring historian and author Mohammed Luqman Ali Khan with the ‘UAE 50’ number plates in Abu Dhabi. — Photo by Ashwani Kumar

The special plate was first released in January 1955 by Bristol County Borough Council.

Since it’s the Emirates’ golden jubilee year, it will be quite a sight to see an Emirati or a UAE resident driving around London with a ‘UAE 50’ number plate.

Such a unique number plate actually exists and it is grabbing the attention of bidders globally, said UAE-based motoring historian and author Mohammed Luqman Ali Khan, who has seen the registered plate and the official documents.

The UK-registered number plate is up for grabs through an online auction — and the bid is expected to break the world record for the most expensive plate.

The special plate was first released in January 1955 by Bristol County Borough Council. Currently, it is owned by a private British collector in the UK, who is a serial investor. Khan is now coordinating with the owner and looking for potential bidders in the UAE.

“This is the Year of the 50th and the Expo 2020 Dubai (is kicking off soon). There is no bigger occasion and a better opportunity to acquire this historic British number plate,” said Khan, while flaunting a copy of the number plates in white and yellow colours.

The UK is a popular destination for UAE nationals and residents, with some of them shipping their supercars when they travel abroad. Now, imagine an Emirati or a resident taking a luxury car bearing the ‘UAE 50’ plate to the streets of London.

“It will be a majestic sight. I hope the number plate is bought by someone from the UAE,” said Khan, who has been a resident of the country for more than 10 years.

The UAE holds the most world records when it comes to number plate prices. ‘UAE 50’ is being sold on www.specialnumberplates.com, and Khan is hopeful of finding a potential bidder before the auction ends closer to the Expo opening date.

The Indian expat has curated events such as the UAE and the British International Concours d’Elegance. In 2018, he discovered the first official state motor car — Rolls Royce Phantom V in Vienna, Austria — and is documenting the story through a pictorial book titled ‘Sheikh Zayed’s Rolls-Royce 5VE15’. He has written ‘Automobiles of the Nizams’ and is working on ‘Automobiles of Sheikh Zayed’, ‘Rolls-Royce in Arabia’ and ‘Nizam’s Throne Rolls-Royce 2117’.

ashwani@khaleejtimes.com

source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com / Khaleej Times / Home> Year of the 50th / by Ashwani Kumar, Abu Dhabi / July 06th, 2021

Tokyo Olympics: Anurag Thakur to launch official Team India Cheer song for Tokyo Games created by A R Rahman, Ananya Birla

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Chennai, TAMIL NADU :

Tokyo Olympics: Anurag Thakur to launch official Team India Cheer song for Tokyo Games created by A R Rahman, Ananya Birla [Pic credits: India Today]

Tokyo Olympics: Anurag Thakur to launch official Team India Cheer song for Tokyo Games created by A R Rahman and Ananya Birla – The Indian Olympic Association will launch the official l Team India Cheer song for Tokyo Games created by A R Rahman and Ananya Birla on Wednesday at 3.30 PM. Sports Minister Anurag Thakur (Union Minister of I&B and Youth affairs, Sports Minister) will launch the official song in presence of IOA President Narinder Batra, Rajeev Mehta (IOA secretary) and MoS for home, Youth affairs and Sports Nisith Pramanik. The event will live stream on Team India and SAI.

Music maestro AR Rahman has teamed up with young singer Ananya Birla to work on ‘Hindustani Way’, a song that aims to boost the morale of Indian players who are all set to participate in Tokyo Olympics 2020.

“All of us are really excited to have made this special song and hope our athletes can feel the entire nation rooting for them, the Hindustani way, when they hear it. It was a pleasure working with Ananya on this project and we hope to convey all our support and best wishes to Team India through it! Jai Hind,” Rahman, who has composed the track, said.

Tokyo Olympics: Anurag Thakur to launch official Team India Cheer song for Tokyo Games created by A R Rahman and Ananya Birla

The track is jointly written by Ananya, Nirmika Singh, and Shishir Samant.

Expressing happiness on singing such an inspiring song, Ananya said, “It is a true honour to write and sing a song to cheer our Indian Olympic contingent at Tokyo 2020. The grit and fortitude of the Indian Olympic team in the face of such a challenging year is inspiring.”

“It was surreal to have had the opportunity to collaborate with my role model, AR sir on such a prestigious project, from whom I have learnt so much. We are here cheering, the Hindustani Way,” she added.

The Tokyo Olympics will be held from July 23 to August 8. The event was slated to be held last year, but it had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

#Cheer4India | Launch of The Official Team India Cheer Song for Tokyo 2020

(with ANI inputs)

source: http://www.insidesports.co / Inside Sport / Home> Latest Sports News / by James Kuanal / July 13th, 2021