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QURAN & VEDAS "The Quran requires you to say to people of scripture: We believe in that which has been revealed into us and revealed unto you; our God and your God is one and unto him we surrender. We hold this God-given law dear to our heart, based as it is on human dignity; reason and brotherhood of man. With reverence we have also read the Vedas of the Hindus. They proclaim their faith in universal unity and express the belief that God is one although He bears many names." -- Tipu Sultan. "....Religious tolerance is the fundamental tenet of the Holy Quran ". The Quran calls upon you not to revile the idols of another religion for it says: revile not those unto whom they pray beside Allah lest they wrongfully revile Allah through ignorance. The Quran expects you to vie with each other in good works and says for each we have appointed a divine law and a traced out way. Had Allah willed he could have made you one community...so vie one with another in good

I have lighted a different fire in the heart, I have brought a tale from the Deccan . I have a shining sword on my side; I am drawing it out gradually from the scabbard I speak a subtle point about the martyr tipu sultan; I fear the festival day might turn bitter. I proceeded to kiss his dust, There i heard from his holy grave; If one cannot live a manly life in this world Then to sacrifice life,like a man,is life ( After visiting the tomb of Tipu Sultan) sayings of Tipu Sultan: "Better a lion's life for two days than a jackal's life for two hundred years" 'There can be no glory or achievements if the foundation of our places, roads and dams are mingled with the tears and blood of humanity'....." "ya Allah, it is better to die beneath the clouds of battle raining blood upon heads than to live a life of shame and degradation" (source: Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan Evaluation of their Religious Policies-Dr.BG.N.Pandey)

Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer , worshipper, lover of leaving. It doesn't matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vow a thousand times Come, yet again, come, come.

Dr. Yusuf al - Qaradawi Secularism may be accepted in a Christian society but it can never enjoy a general acceptance in an Islamic society. Christianity is devoid of a shari' ah or a comprehensive system of life to which its adherents should be committed. The New Testament itself divides life into two parts: one for God, or religion, the other for Caesar, or the state: "Render unto Caesar things which belong to Caesar, and render unto God things which belong to God" (Matthew 22:21). As such, a Christian could accept secularism without any qualms of conscience. Furthermore, Westerners, especially Christians, have good reasons to prefer a secular regime to a religious one. Their experience with "religious regimes" - as they knew them - meant the rule of the clergy, the despotic authority of the Church, and the resulting decrees of excommunication and the deeds of forgiveness, i.e. letters of indulgence. For Muslim societies, the acceptance of secularism means so

Zafar Khan Homosexuality is not allowed in Islam. There are various verses in Quran where Allah clearly says about Homosexuality. We also (sent) Lut : he said to his people: "Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? "For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds." - Holy Quran 7:80-81 "Of all the creatures in the world will ye approach males". "And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your mates? Nay ye are a people transgressing (all limits)!" - Holy Quran 26:165-166 The end result for not giving up homosexuality was the destruction of entire cities When Our decree issued We turned (the cities) upside down and rained down on them brim stones hard as baked clay spread layer on layer Marked as from thy Lord: nor are they ever far from those who do wrong! - Holy Quran 11:82-83 The Quran forbids any sexual relationship other than in a

They call my people blood thirsty terrorists blowing up buildings and planes with dynamite tied to their chests killing civilians by the hundreds -but am I a terrorist? True, some of my people of names similar to mine do act violently in despair when their human rights are stolen when their suffering and plights are ignored in the refugee camps of Sabra and Chatala . - but am I a terrorist? They are not living their faith just acting on emotions and hate full with the revenge for the oppressor with little regard for innocent lives they are just Muslim in name -but am I a terrorist? Islam, the religion of peace teaches Muslims to respect life "If anyone had killed one man except in lieu of murder and mischief it is as if he killed the whole mankind" Same verse in Torah and Quran too by the same God -how could I be a terrorist? Prophet Mohammad, Peace be upon him was a mercy to mankind he cared for the poor, elderly and

What a year was 570 AD A person was born, a prophet to be Muhammad (saws) that was his name People were misguided and that's when he came He would go on to leave all the idols behind He is an example to all of mankind Rabbi al Awwal the 12 th , that was the day He came to this world to show us the way He was born in Mecca, the holiest place A life full of challenges he was to face Abdullah ( RA ) his father,had by then passed away Leaving Amina ( RA )his mother,in her arms he lay Haalima Sadia ,took over his care Until he was six,our prophet was there His mother then died,he was left all alone Abdul Muttalib his grand-dad then made him his own When our prophet was nine, his grandfather died Abu Talib , his uncle, became his new guide In his 20's,a merchant Muhammad (SAWS) became by trade Al- Amin ,(the trustworthy) became his grade Hazrat Khadija ( RA )aged 40, became his bride He was 25, with her by his side To the poor,she gave away all her wealth A dedicated wife i

Often I am minded, inform the days of my childhood, How once I went out with my father on a festival; In fun I grew preoccupied with all the folk about, Losing touch with my father in the popular confusion; In terror and bewilderment I raised up a cry, Then suddenly my father boxed my ears: "You bold-eyed child, how many times, now, Have I told you not to lose hold of my skirt?" A tiny child cannot walk out alone, For it is difficult to take a way not seen; You too, poor friend, are but a child upon endeavour's way: Go, seize the skirts of those who knows the way!

1. Oh, the boundless Ya, Allah! Unbound by Religious shell, you are! Epitome of unbridled freedom, you are!! Your light And your shade, For my happiness, I seek!!! So too for my restful sleep. You raze the boundaries of Cities and of households. Yet, I encapsulate you In the depth of my heart. Is it human heart alone A world without barrier? Oh, the core of boundless infinity, I worship thee. 2. Ya, Mohammad Ya Mohammad , May the lord shower his grace upon him! You are the golden dawn That illuminates the dark Arabian nights. The last prophet Who fight for fidelity and truth. We hear about the luminosity Of that face Even after the long Fourteen centuries. We are unfortunate Who came late, We bemoan our fate. Oh, the master Esteemed by more than Forty generations We prepare for you, The banquets of love. You came like the raindrops, On the desert, unexpectedly; The rain has long gone, Yet, as a golden memory, it remains, In each tiny speck of sand. 3. A forlorn woman You are not alone

What is love, but an emotion, So strong and so pure, That nurtured and shared with another All tests it will endure? What is love, but a force To bring the mighty low, With the strength to shame the mountains And halt time’s ceaseless flow? What is love, but a triumph, A glorious goal attained, The union of two souls, two hearts A bond the angels have ordained? What is love, but a champion, To cast the tyrant from his throne, And raise the flag of truth and peace, And fear of death o’ erthrow ? What is love, but a beacon, To guide the wayward heart, A blazing light upon the shoals That dash cherished dreams apart? And what is love, but forever, Eternal and sincere, A flame that through wax and wane Will outlive life’s brief years? So I’ll tell it on the mountaintops, In all places high and low, That love for you is my reason to be, And will never break or bow. - Matt Dubois – I thought love was just a mirage of the mind, it's an illusion, it's fake, impossible to find. But the

A Special World A special world for you and me A special bond one cannot see It wraps us up in its cocoon And holds us fiercely in its womb. Its fingers spread like fine spun gold Gently nestling us to the fold Like silken thread it holds us fast Bonds like this are meant to last. And though at times a thread may break A new one forms in its wake To bind us closer and keep us strong In a special world, where we belong. - Sheelagh Lennon – A stranger you were once. Then, with a gentle look you took my hand. As our lives engaged, you lit my life and I held both your hands. Now that decades have passed, ours souls have indeed become one. How fortunate we are that we have found the love so true that everyone dreams about. - Laura Veronica Merodio -

Introduction Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad, abu Hamid al - Tusi al Ghazali al Shafi (450-505), the great venerable philosopher not only in the history of Muslim philosophy but also in the human thought. It is amazing to note that imam is known in Islamic surface the proof of Islam ( Hujjat al -Islam) ornament o the faith, gatherer of the multifarious sciences, great Siddiq absolute mujtahid , he considered a mujaddid and reckoned on a par with the four imams. Imam Ghazali was expert of in the principles doctrine and those of jurisprudence. Shaykh Yusuful Qaradawi remarks that, like Umar ibn Abdul Aziz and al Shafi for their respective times, al - Ghazali is unanimously considered the renewer of the fifth Islamic century. Life and Education Imam Ghazali was born in Khurasan in 450/1048. He received thorough education in Quranic exegesis, Hadith , fiqh and kalam . His teachers were the celebrated scholars at that time. Ahmad ibn Muhammad al - Rad

Necessity of the reformation is when the downfall happens in the course of time and place. But the reformation is not meant to bring something new. Their responsibility is bringing the community back to proper and strong path. The deviation of Muslim Ummah , formidable challenges that they face and necessity of the time are the main the reasons of the presence of the reformers. They will be the guiding lights of the community. The history is big eyewitness of the presence of the reformers. The verdict of holy prophet Muhammad ( PUBH ) about the reformers ( mujaddids ) has been happening. Shah Wali Ullah Qutb al -din Ahmad known as Shah Wali Ullah was born in 1114/1703 four years before the death of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb .His genealogy can be traced back to the family of pious K halifah of Islam Umarul Faruq .The forefathers of Shah wali Ullah are said to have migrated to India and found their settlement here at Rohtak village, when the Tatars started the destr

By Dr. Habib Siddiqui POSTED: 9 JAMAD -UL- AWWAL 1427, 5 JUNE 2006 Of all the Muslim rulers who ruled vast territories of India from 712 to 1857 CE, probably no one has received as much condemnation from Western and Hindu writers as Aurangzeb. He has been castigated as a religious Muslim who was anti-Hindu, who taxed them, who tried to convert them, who discriminated against them in awarding high administrative positions, and who interfered in their religious matters. This view has been heavily promoted in the government approved textbooks in schools and colleges across post-partition India (i.e., after 1947). These are fabrications against one of the best rulers of India who was pious, scholarly, saintly, un -biased, liberal, magnanimous, tolerant, competent, and far-sighted. Fortunately, in recent years quite a few Hindu historians have come out in the open disputing those allegations. For example, historian Babu Nagendranath Banerjee rejected the accusation of forced conversion