The acquittal of Faheem Ansari and some questions

The trial court in Ahmedabad created history of sorts by convicting a senior BJP leader and former minister in the Narendra Modi government, Mayaben Kodnani, and a former Bajrang Dal convener Babu Bajrangi along with 30 others for the massacre of innocent Muslims in Naroda Patiya. This is the first case in which political leaders, if one can call them that, have been found guilty. The tears streaming down the faces of the survivors of this terrible terrible massacre was indication of the suffering and trauma they have gone through in all these years.

The Supreme Court, while convicting Kasab, acquitted two Indian Muslims, Farheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed, who had been accused by the Mumbai investigators of being co-conspirators. The lower courts had acquitted them, but clearly the authorities had gone in appeal to the apex court that has upheld the acquittal. Significantly, except for a few newspapers no one even bothered to speak of this important acquittal, and even the sections of the media that reported the facts did not dwell on the trauma that the two men and their families must have gone through.

Who is going to compensate them? Rehabilitate them and their families? There isn’t even a hint of an apology from the state government and all those responsible for keeping two innocent men in jail for a crime they clearly had no part in. In fact more and more reports from Maharashtra suggest that such arrests have become a common practice with the police and the politicians totally unaccountable for the numbers of innocent people they arrest, torture and jail without any proof whatsoever. So while the nation exults over the death sentence for Kasab, it should also pause to pay some thought to the two innocent men whose lives have been ruined in the process.

The second case of Naroda Patiya also has an untold story, of the 97 victims who were brutally raped and killed by a 5,000 strong mob on February 28,2002 of whom 32 have been convicted by the courts. But what about the rest? Where are they? Why have they not been arrested? This along with the trauma and the suffering of the victims is a story that needs to be tracked down, and told. For, while justice has been dispensed, the country needs to assess whether it has been enough, whether there are several loose ends that need to be tied so that the secular and just foundations of India are not just strengthened, but protected against future assault.

The investigating authorities seem to be falling short in more ways than one. Innocent persons are arrested, tortured, jailed and released only after the court’s intervene. Guilty persons are able to evade the investigators and walk free as the investigating agencies fail to collect sufficient proof, or at times, even find the accused even though they are giving interviews to the media. The point here is that while the higher judiciary at least is trying to do its job with a modicum of responsibility and honesty, politicization and corruption has hit the police and the investigating agencies to a point where fiction often replaces facts.

Seema Mustafa in DNA. Here

Be a Rahmani not a Ramadhaani .. !!!!

Alhumdhulilah, Yes! The blessed month or month of patience or month of Qur'aan is already over. We spent our nights in Prayer, days in Qur'aan, tongues moistened with Dhikr of Allaah and other forms of worship.

Now, the question is how we can sustain the experience of Ramadaan in coming days?

Sustain it by being consistent on some of the crucial deeds mentioned here

#1: Don't miss the Congregation - Save yourself from the Fire!

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said "Whoever prays for forty days with the congregation, always being present for the first takbeer, it will be written that he will be safe from two things: he will be safe from the Fire and safe from hypocrisy." Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 200

#2: Never miss the Sunnah and Nawfil. This is the first wall Satan breaks to break your castle of Salah

Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "To this (dead person), adding to his deeds only two light voluntary rakat that you may belittle, is more beloved to him than all of what is in your worldly life"

#3: Get up an hour before Salatul Fajr and pray Saltul Tahajjud - Get all your needs answered by Allaah!

Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The Lord descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the night remains and says: 'Who will call upon Me, that I may answer Him? Who will ask of Me, that I may give him? Who will seek My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?'" (Bukhari and Muslim)

#4: Read the Qur'aan, a page or two at least after Fajr or whenever it will be convenient for you. Don't leave it for next Ramadaan

Narrated Aisha: The Prophet said, "Such a person as recites the Qur'an and masters it by heart, will be with the noble righteous scribes (in Heaven). And such a person exerts himself to learn the Qur'an by heart, andrecites it with great difficulty, will have a double reward." (Bukhari)

#5: Perform Dhikr after Salatul Fajr and Salatul Asr for around 5-10 minutes - Make your day productive!

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever recites this (so and so dhikr) with conviction in the evening and dies during that night shall enter paradise, and Whoever recites it with conviction in the morning and dies during that day shall enter paradise" (Bukhari)

Refer Hisn al Muslim "Words of Remembrance for Morning and evening"

#6: Follow all Etiquettes like Etiquettes of sleeping, restroom and so on.

Refer to "The Book of Manners" by Shaykh Fu'aad ibn ash Shulhoob or Islaamic Ethics 24x7 handout

P.S.: You could download and listen to the lecture delivered on this subject entitled "Reverse Gear - Your roadmap for better Post Ramadan phase." by clicking HERE. This lecture discusses why we are able to do certain things in Ramdaan and why we are not able to do it later.

O Allaah! Make us among the worshippers of Allaah and be consistent in our deeds. O Allaah! Make us among the patient ones.

Narrated 'Aisha: The Prophet was asked, "What deeds are loved most by Allah?" He said, "The most regular constant deeds even though they may be few." He added, 'Don't take upon yourselves, except the deeds which are within your ability (Bukhari)

Ramadan GoodDeed Cookbook - Recipe 8: The final ingredient!

Bismillah: Ramadan GoodDeed Cookbook brought to you by Deeds in 60 seconds

Recipe 8: The final ingredient!

What will protect you on the Day of Judgement?

"Fasting and the Qur'an will intercede for the slave on the Day of Resurrection. Fasting will say: 'O My Rabb! I prevented him from food and desires, so accept my intercession for him.'

And the Qur'an will say: 'I prevented him from sleep during the night, so accept my intercession for him.' He (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said: 'And they will (be allowed to) intercede.'" [Ahmad, at-Tabarani & Al-Hakim]

Last few nights of Ramadan – let us not count the days but let us make the days count! Go the extra mile. Make the sacrifices now! If you can’t make them in these blessed nights then when will you make the change?

[Take 60 seconds...] Increase in DUA, Quran Recitation, Nafl / Sunnah Prayers, giving sadaqah, in Kindness to others etc. Really max it out so you can get really close to Allah swt!

May Allah swt bless you all with many laylatul qadr nights. Say Ameen.

Ramadan GoodDeed Cookbook - Recipe 7: The best meal of the day

Bismillah:

Ramadan GoodDeed Cookbook
By Deeds in 60 seconds

Recipe 7: The best meal of the day

The Prophet, pbuh, would often tell his Companions, "Shall I tell you about the best of deeds, the most pure in the sight of your Lord, about the one that is of the highest order and is far better for you than spending gold and silver, even better for you than meeting your enemies in the battlefield where you strike at their necks and they at yours?"

The Companions replied, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah!" The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The Remembrance of Allah." [Tirmidhi, Ahmad]

And indeed the secret to happiness is: “Verily, in the remembrance of Allâh do hearts find rest.[13:28]. When you do dhikr, this will protect you from all of your enemies –from shaytan, from the problems and temptations of this world, and from your own desires.

The Prophet pbuh said: Two words are LIGHT on the tongue, HEAVY in the balance, BELOVED to the Merciful: ‘Glory be to Allah and by His praise. Glory be to Allah, the Immense.’” [Bukhari]

Just like suhoor & iftaar nourishes the body, dhirk in the morning & evening nourishes the soul!

[Take 60 seconds…] And open up a channel of communication, a dialogue between you and Allaah. “And remember your Lord much and exalt [Him with praise] in the evening and the morning.” [Qur’an, 3:41].

What dhikr will you do today? ;-)

Ramadan GoodDeed Cookbook - Recipe 6: Chocolate Moose

Bismillah:

Ramadan GoodDeed Cookbook
By Deeds in 60 seconds

Recipe 6: Chocolate Moose

A man asked the Prophet pbuh "Who is most worthy of my love and respect?"

The Prophet pbuh replied, "Your mother." The man asked, "And then who?" The Prophet pbuh again answered, "Your mother." The man asked one more time and received the same answer. When the man asked the question a fourth time, the Prophet pbuh answered, "Your father." [Bukhari & Muslim].

And Allah swt says: "Verily, Allah loves those who repent and those who purify themselves."[Surah Al-Baqarah:222]

[How about a challenge to incorporate both the hadeeth and ayaah?] Compete with your mother and see how many times you will say “Astagfarulla” in the day. Cultivate this as a habit and help each other to attain the pleasure of Allah. SubhanAllah what an amazing way to spend time with your mother, seek forgiveness, have fun and attain the love of ALLAH.

Just like chocolate is essential to the moose, our parents are the essential LIFE ingredient to entering Jannah.;-)

[Take 60 seconds…] Do something special today to make your mother smile. Take her for a walk; ask her how her day has been. And if you are brave enough take up the challenge? Or simply record a thankyou message in the history of time by leaving a thankyou note/dua/ comment below.

[Complete the sentence] "My mother is..."

Ramadan GoodDeed Cookbook - Recipe 5: Bread ‘n’ Butter Pudding [pronounced butta]

Bismillah. 

Ramadan GoodDeed Cookbook
By Deeds in 60 seconds

Recipe 5: Bread ‘n’ Butter Pudding [pronounced butta]

Want to get billions of hasanaat (rewards) from Allah in just a few seconds? Just make du'aa to Allah to forgive your brothers & sisters in Islam!

’The Prophet sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam said: “Whosoever seeks forgiveness for the believing men and the believing women, Allah will record for that person – equivalent to every believing man and believing woman – a good deed.” [Tabarani]

SubhanAllah how easy is that? How Merciful is Allah swt to His slave. DUA is the bread n butter for a MUSLIM - it is the essence of ibaadah!

“O ALLAH HELP & FORGIVE ALL THE MUSLIMS IN BURMA”
“O ALLAH HELP & FORGIVE ALL THE MUSLIM IN SYRIA”
“O ALLAH HELP & FORGIVE ALL THE MUSLIMS ALL OVER THE WORLD…”

[Take 60 seconds…] And say a HUGE Ameen sincerely for the sake of Allah! And remember them in your duas, before you open your fast, in qiyam, at suhoor and why not just make dua right now?