Religion and Philosophy
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Relevance of Indian Philosophical Thought
The Indian subcontinent happens to be the home to one of the oldest human civilizations in the world. This civilization that thrived in this part of the world has passed on to us an enormous wealth of literature that deals not just with ethical and moral codes, but also with Philosophy and Science. One of the defining characteristics of the Indian Civilization was its approach to knowledge. While the Greeks would develop sciences for the sake of sciences or they would gain knowledge for the want of knowledge, Indians would have a different world view altogether. They would develop sciences both for the sake of spiritual as well as mundane…
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Proclaim! All of you who care, Proclaim!
Proclaim! You the reader, Proclaim! “In what capacity do I proclaim? In whose name do I proclaim?” “Proclaim, in the name of your Lord who created man from (what you could never imagine it could be made from. A thing nothing in its essence, then what is it that fills you with arrogance.)” “Proclaim, the fact that your Lord is the most Bounteous (for it is he who has given all that he has given to anyone who has anything. There is nothing to be proud about).” Proclaim! You who has lost courage, Proclaim! “What do I tell them who it is that taught me what to proclaim?” “(Proclaim that…
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Kaashif and Baatin on Love
What does it mean to say that if there is a tinge of attachment it is not real Love? Kaashif Real Love is selfless. There is no attachment, you don’t need the person anymore. Baatin How can “no attachment” be possible? Kaashif At the “real” level of Love, you are not attached to the person but the person’s “being”. And that is how “no attachment” is possible. Baatin Separation from the beloved shouldn’t hurt then. Kaashif The “being” of the person never goes. The beloved always “is” once she “has been”, she cannot “not be”, for a person who has “been” will always “be”, he can never “not be”. Baatin…
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How to practice faith?
I don’t claim to be a mystic who has gained any kind of spiritual mileage, however, the very fact that I am a human being makes me eligible to write on a topic that concerns the core living of us humans. While for most of my life I have held on to rationalism in the public sphere of my life while holding on to intuition as the source of judgment in my personal one, the two often seem to be at loggerheads for an outsider. That, however, has not been true in my experience; it has been a smooth ride between the two seemingly contradictory sources of knowledge. Why I…
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The Khwarij of today
The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “There will be division and sectarianism in my nation and a people will come with beautiful words and evil deeds. They will recite the Quran but it will not pass beyond their throats. They will leave the religion as an arrow leaves its target and they will not return to it as the arrow does not return to its bow. They are the worst of the creation. Blessed are those who fight them and are killed by them. They call to the Book of Allah but they have nothing to do with it. Whoever fights them is better to Allah than them.”