Thursday, December 25, 2014

Happy Merry Christmas:



As many of us look forward to the holiday season, we remain humbled by the individual and collective gifts that our friends / members bring to energize our Indian / global community.
At this year-end and always, we pauses to reflect on the generosity of our steadfast supporters and brothers. Thanks to your contributions, we are able to further its purpose.
We thank you for your brotherhood and partnership in this important work and wish you a wonderful holiday season! and also wishing you all around the World You & Your Family Members a Very " Happy Christmas" May this Christmas bring Peace, Harmony Joy, Health and Wealth to all. May God Prevail Peace and Love on Earth ! Jai Hind
e.3875.com/christmas/ep2.html

Sunday, December 21, 2014

The Portrait of Anguish



O the much sought after Reality! Some time appear in material form. As innumerable prostrations restless in my humble forehead are. Join the assembly’s celebrations, you are a song, be heard. What good are melodies which veiled in guitar’s frets are. Do not jealously protect them; your mirrors are the mirrors. Which would be dearer in the Maker’s eye if they broken are? During circumambulation the moth exclaimed, “Those past effects. Neither in your story of pathos, nor in my tale of love is”. My wretched sins could not get shelter anywhere except. When they in the shade of Thy Gracious Forgiveness were. Neither Love has that warmth nor does Beauty have that humor. Neither that restlessness in. Neither Ghaznavis nor those curls in the hair locks of Ayz are. Whenever I went into prostration a voice came from the earth. Your heart is in materialism no rewards for your prayers are.

Era has come for openness, so Beloved’s Sight will be common. The secret which silence had concealed, will be unveiled now. O Cup-bearer! Time has gone when wine was taken secretly. The whole world will become a wine-seller shop, everyone will be drinking, Those who once wandered insane, will return to habitations, Lovers’ wandering will be the same but deserts will be new, The Hijaz’ silence has proclaimed to the waiting ear at last, The agreements(promises) established with desert’s inhabitants will be re-affirmed, Which coming out of deserts had overturned the Roman Empire, I have heard from the Qudsis (Angels) that the same 'Lion' will be re-awakened, As the cupbearer mentioned me in the winedrinkers’ assembly, The tavern’s sage said, “He is insolent, he will be disgraced”, O Western world’s inhabitants, God’s world is not a shop!, What you are considering genuine, will be regarded counterfeit(fake), Your civilization will commit suicide with its own dagger(knife), The nest built on the weak branch will not be permanent, stable, The caravan of the feeble ants will make fleet of rose petals, However strong the ocean waves’ tumult(uprising) be, it will cross the ocean, The Lala (a bird), shows its spots to every flower-bud in the garden. Knowing that by doing this it will be among the Love haters, O Sight! That was the One you showed us as a thousand, If this is your state what will be your credibility? As I told the turtledove one day the free of here are treading on dust! The buds started saying that I must be the knower of the garden’s secrets! There are thousands of God’s Lovers, who are roaming in the wilderness, I shall adore the one who will be the lover of God’s people, This is the world’s custom, O Heart! Even winking is a sin, What will our respect be if you will be restless here? In the darkness of the night I shall take out my tired caravan, My sigh will be shedding sparks my breath will be throwing flames, If there is nothing but show in the aim of your life, Your destruction from the world will be in a breath like spark, Do not ask about the condition of Iqbal, he is in the same state, Sitting somewhere by the wayside he must be waiting for oppression!

The Portrait of Anguish
Why does this custom of silencing exist in your assembly? My tongue is tantalized to talk in this assembly.
For our brothers Is this trouble not enough, to ruin one what else should be, if you are some one’s friend then why needs heaven be his enemy? Delve into your soul and there seek our life’s buried tracks;Will you not be mine? Then be not mine, be your own right!
The Portrait of Anguish Tasveer-e-Dard: I understand that the world is like play ground as it is looking the game all around the world since a long time I am feeling and teaching and learning for the promotion of Urdu language and literature as world fame poet Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib said that the deserts ruined in heaps of sand, before me the oceans drowned. Never think for you I’ll fade; just see by me your shade. The world is my play ground, always ripped are two halves of myself Goblin pulls me and bars me the Elf. The world is my play ground, Limbs are numb but ram is not, don’t let the gush of tipple drought, the world is my play ground.
So that my story is not indebted to the patience of being heard, My silence is my talk, my speechlessness is my speech, Why does this custom of silencing exist in your assembly?, My tongue is tantalized to talk in this assembly , Some leaves were picked up by the tulip, some by the narcissus, some by the rose, My story is scattered around everywhere in the garden , The turtle
doves, parrots, and nightingales pilfered away, The garden’s denizens jointly robbed away my plaintive way, O Candle! Drip like tears from the eye of the moth, Head to foot pathos I am, full of longing is my story, O God! What is the pleasure of living so in this world?, Neither the eternal life, nor the sudden death is mine, This is not only my wailing, but is that of the entire garden, I am a rose, to me every rose’ autumn is my autumn, “In this griefstricken land, in lifelong spell of the caravan’s bell I am, From the palpitating heart’s bounties the silent clamor I have“, In the world’s garden unaware of pleasant company I am, Whom happiness still mourns, that hapless person I am, Speech itself sheds tears at my ill luck, Silent word, longing for an eager ear I am, I am a mere handful of scattered dust but I do not know, Whether Alexander or a mirror or just dust and scum I am, Despite all this my existence is the Divine Purpose, Embodiment of light is whose reality, that darkness I am, I am a treasure, concealed in the wilderness dust, No one knows where I am, or whose wealth I am?, My insight is not obligated to the stroll of existence, That small world I am whose sovereign myself I am, Neither wine, nor cupbearer, nor ecstasy, nor goblet I am, But the truth of everything in the existence’ tavern I am, My heart’s mirror shows me both world’s secrets, I relate exactly what I witness before my eyes, I am bestowed with such speech among the elegant speakers, That the birds of the ‘Arsh’s roof are concordant with me, This also is an effect of my tumultuous love, That my heart’s mirrors are Destiny’s confidante, Your spectacle makes me shed tears, O India!, Your tales are admonitory among all the tales, Conferring the wailing on me is like conferring everything, Since eternity Destiny’s pen has put me where all your mourners are, O gardener do not leave even the rosepetals’ trace in this garden!, By your misfortune war preparations are afoot among the gardeners, The sky has kept thunderbolts concealed up its sleeve, Garden’s nightingales should not slumber in their nests, Listen to my call, O imprudent one! This is something which, The birds in gardens are reciting like the daily prayers, Think of the homeland, O ignorant one! Hard times are coming, Conspiracies for your destruction are afoot in the heavens, Pay attention to what is happening and what is going to happen, What good there is in repeating the tales of the old glories?, How long will you remain silent? Create taste for complaint!, You should be on the earth, so your cries be in the heavens!, You will be annihilated if you do not understand, O people of India!, Even your tales will disappear from the world’s chronicles, This is the law of Nature, this is the order of Nature, Those who tread dynamism’s path, are the darlings of Nature, I will surely exhibit all my hidden wounds today, I will surely change assembly to a garden with bloodmixed tears, I have to light every heart’s candle with hidden pathos, I will surely create bright illumination in your darkness, So that lovecognizant hearts be created like rosebuds, I will surely scatter around my handful of dust in the garden, If stringing these scattered pearls in a single rosary, Is difficult, I will surely make this difficult task easy, O Companion! Leave me alone in the soul-searching effort, As I will surely exhibit this mark of the ardent Love, I will show the world what my eyes have seen, I will surely make you also bewildered like a mirror, The discerning eye sees everything covered in veils, It does see the exigencies of the nature of times, You have not acquainted your heart with pleasure of dignity, You have passed your entire life in humility like footprints, You always remained entangled inside the assembly, but
Have not acquainted yourself with the world outside the assembly, You have continued loving the charm of material beauties, But you have never seen your own elegance in this mirror, Give up prejudice O imprudent one! In the world’s glass house, They are your own pictures which you have taken as evil ones, Become embodiment of the wail of tyranny of life’s pathos!
You have concealed sound in your pocket like the rue seed, Clarity of heart has nothing to do with external decorations, O imprudent one! You have applied myrtle to mirror’s palm, Not only the earth even the sky is bewailing your imprudence, It is outrageous that you have twisted the Qur’an’s lines!, To what purpose is your claim to monotheism!, You have made the idol of self conceit your deity, What did you see even if you saw Yusuf in the well?, O imprudent one! You have made the Absolute confined, You are greedy of flowery style even at the pulpit, Your advice also is a form of storytelling, Show that universally illuminating Beauty to your weeping eye, Which renders the moth highly agitated, which makes the dew weep like eye, Mere seeing is not its purpose! O greedy one, Some One has made the human eye with some purpose, Even if he viewed the whole world, what did he see?, Jam could not see his own reality in the wine cup , Sectarianism is the tree, prejudice is its fruit, This fruit caused expulsion of Adam from Paradise, Not even a single rose
petal could rise by sun’s attraction, It is the longing for elegance which raises the dew, Those wounded by Love do not wander in search of cure, These wounded ones themselves create their own cure, The heart gets complete illumination by the spark of Love, The Tur’s flower bed is raised from the Love’s small seed, Every malady’s cure is to remain wounded with Longing’s sword, Wound’s remedy is to remain free from obligation to stitching, With the Bekhudi’s wine up to the celestial world is my flight, From disappearance of color I have learnt to remain fragrance, How can the weeping eye refrain from homeland’s lamentation?, The ‘ibadah for the poet’s eye is to remain constantly with ablution, To what purpose should we make our nest in the rosebranch, Ah! How can we live with constant disgrace in the garden, If you understand, independence is veiled in Love, Slavery is to remain imprisoned in the net of schism, Contentment is what keeps the cup submerged in water, You should also remain like the bubble in the stream, It is best for you not to remain indifferent to yours own, O apathetic person! If you want to remain alive in the world, Soulinvigorating wine is the Love of the human race, It has taught me to remain ecstatic without the wine cup and the pitcher, Sick nations have been cured only through Love, Nations have warded off their adversity through Love, The expanse of Love is at once foreign land and homeland, This wilderness is the cage, the nest, as well as the garden, Love is the only stage which is the stage as well as the wilderness, It is the bell, the caravan, the leader as well as the robber, Everybody calls it an illness, but it is such an illness, In which the cure for all ills and misfortunes is concealed, The heart’s pathos in a way is to become embodiment of Light, If this moth burns it is also the assembly’s candle, The Beauty is just one but appears in everything, It is Shirin, the sky, as well as the mountain digger, Distinction of sects and governments has destroyed nations, Is there any concern for the homeland in my compatriot’s hearts?, Prolonging the tale of my woes calls for silence, otherwise, The tongue in my mouth as well as the ability to speak is, “Take not this meaningful tale as related by me is, The story was endless, but related with silence is.”
Phool ki Patti Sy Kut Sakta Hai Heeray Ka Jigar, Mard E Nadan Pr Kalam E Narm O Nazuk Bai Asar, The heart of diamond can cut by the leaf of flower, but soft talk is unimpressive for an unwise.
Though the mosque was built overnight by the believers, our heart being old sinner for years devout could not be, What a beautiful message did Sanusi give to King Faisal, By descent you Hijazi are, but in heart Hijazi could not be, Though eyes become wet there is no pleasure is in this weeping, If by mixture of affliction’s blood tears pink could not be, Iqbal is a good advisor, fascinates the heart in moments, He did become hero in talk, but one in deeds he could not be.
I’ll tell you truth, oh human, if I may make so bold!, These tradition in your minds, these old traditions have grown old, To hate your fellow
mortals is all they teach you, while, Our God too sets his preachers to scold and to revile; Sickened, from both yours all traditions I have run, Alike our preachers’ sermons and your fond myths I shun. In every graven image you fancied God: I see in each speck of my country’s poor dust, divinity. Come, let us lift suspicion’s thick curtains once again, unite once more the sundered, wipe clean division’s stain. Too long has lain deserted the heart’s warm habitation, Come, build here in our homeland an altar’s new foundation, And rise a spire more lofty than any of this globe, With high pinnacle touching the hem of heaven’s robe! The hearts of all who worship, pouring them wine of love: Firm strength, calm peace, shall blend in the hymns the votary sings— for from love comes salvation to all earth’s living things.
India’s Command to India’s Youths: Rise, and from their slumber wake the poor ones of My world!, Shake the walls and windows of the mansions of the great!, Kindle with the fire of faith the slow blood of the slaves!, Make the fearful sparrow bold to meet the falcon’s hate!, Close the hour approaches of the kingdom of the poor—, Every imprint of the past find and annihilate!, Find the field whose harvest is no peasant’s daily bread—, Garner in the furnace every ripening ear of wheat!, Banish from the house of God the mumbling priest whose prayers, Like a veil creation from Created separate!, God by man’s prostrations, by man’s vows idols cheated—, Quench at once My shrine and their fane the sacred light!, Rear for me another temple, build its walls with mud—, Wearied of their columned marbles, sickened is My sight!, All their fine new world a workshop filled with brittle glass—, Go! My poet of the East to madness dedicates.

Monday, October 6, 2014

Don’t walk behind bright and beauty because that is a castle in the sky



Na Ja Zahir-Parasti Par Agr kuch Akl-o-Danish Ho,
Chamakta Jo Nazar Aata Vo sab Sona Nai Hota.

            Don’t believe in what is manifest if you are rational because all that glitters is not gold. In modern times, people can be seen running after power to serve their self interests. No one seems to be concerned about humanity. India is no exception to this trend. This has become an age of ostentatious and selfish lifestyle which is associated by negative attitude towards fellow countrymen and the nation.

            There are some are so called Ashrafs or feudal minded Muslim leaders who have always been close to government and government institutions. They have been acting like contractors of the entire Muslim community and this can be seen particularly during elections when they bargain with the political parties as if all the Muslim votes are under their control.  mainly in every election selling to poor Muslims of India like scapegoat in the hand of political party of India and through this type of bargaining they earning high source of revenue, bread and butter and governments allotted palace, fort, Kothi and bungalows since 1947 while they are broker time server they are neither obedient for government and political party nor rescuer for poor Muslim of India but they are enthusiast of sin so that please shield yourself since the identical.
In this circumstances government should effort for marginal and deprived Indian Muslim those who are taking breath in the remotest vicinity of India like, Kisan Ganj, Araria Purnea and its isolated and outmost villages where a lot of people dying on account of snake serpent poison without medicine and foodstuff, living unprotected and homeless today because of the tyranny and inhuman act of hypothetical amalgam and feudal wits Muslim chief.
Hope our voice will reach to government and there will be commence of a new morning for the downtrodden and exploited poor humanity of same surrounding area.
Feudal minded Muslim leaders are like this: Is this trouble not enough, to ruin one what else should be, if you are some one’s friend then why needs heaven be his enemy?
Better than the entire world, is our Hindustan,
We are its nightingales, and it (is) our garden abode
If we are in an alien place, the heart remains in the homeland,
Know us to be only there where our heart is.
That tallest mountain, that shade-sharer of the sky,
It (is) our sentry, it (is) our watchman
In its lap frolic where thousands of ponds,
Whose vitality makes our garden the envy of Paradise.
O the flowing waters of the Ganges, do you remember that day
when our caravan first disembarked on your waterfront?
Religion does not teach us to bear ill-will among ourselves
we are of Hind, our homeland is Hindustan.
In a world in which ancient Greece, Egypt, and Rome have all vanished without trace
our own attributes (name and sign) live on today.
Such is our existence that it cannot be erased
Even though, for centuries, the cycle of time has been our enemy.
Iqbal! We have no confidante in this world
what does anyone know of our hidden pain?


There is no hope to be found
There is no resolution to be sought
Death is destined to arrive one day
But why does sleep fail to come all night
Once I was able to laugh at the predicament of my heart
Now I am unable to laugh at anything
Though I am aware of the rewards of prayer and virtue
But I am prohibited by my disposition
This matter is such that I am prevented from speaking of it
Otherwise what is there that I cannot speak of
Why shouldn’t I shout for I reminisce
Yet my voice fails to produce any sound
Though the wound of my heart cannot be seen
but my healer, even a trace of its smoldering is missing
I am in such a state, from where even I am
Unable to get any news of myself
I am dying of impatience in hope of death
Death appears,yet fails to arrive
How will you go to Kaaba, O Ghalib!
You do not bear any shame!

So that we should practice

Mother, I salute thee!
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
bright with orchard gleams,
Cool with thy winds of delight,
Dark fields waving Mother of might,
Mother free.
Glory of moonlight dreams,
Over thy branches and lordly streams,
Clad in thy blossoming trees,
Mother, giver of ease
Laughing low and sweet!
Mother I kiss thy feet,
Speaker sweet and low!
Mother, to thee I salute.
Who hath said thou art weak in thy lands
When the swords flash out in seventy million hands
And seventy million voices roar
Thy dreadful name from shore to shore?
With many strengths who art mighty and stored,
To thee I call Mother and Lord!
Though who savest, arise and save!
To her I cry who ever her foeman drove
Back from plain and Sea
And shook herself free.
Thou art wisdom, thou art law,
Thou art heart, our soul, our breath
Though art love divine, the awe
In our hearts that conquers death.
Thine the strength that nerves the arm,
Thine the beauty, thine the charm.
Every image made divine
In our temples is but thine.
Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen,
With her hands that strike and her
swords of sheen,
Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned,
And the Muse a hundred-toned,
Pure and perfect without peer,
Mother lend thine ear,
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
Bright with thy orchard gleems,
Dark of hue O candid-fair
In thy soul, with bejeweled hair
And thy glorious smile divine,
Loveliest of all earthly lands,
Showering wealth from well-stored hands!
Mother, mother mine!
Mother sweet, I salute thee,
Mother great and free!

Hajj 2014 – Considering Alternatives to the Animal Sacrifice (Qurbani) of Eid-ul-Adha


This article is part of Patheos Muslim’s and Altmuslim’s Hajj 2014 reflection series, which is focusing on the good, the difficult and everything in between about the holy days of Dhul Hijjah, the Hajj pilgrimage and Eid ul Adha, the second major holiday for Muslims.
By Bina Ahmad and Fatima Ashraf
Eid-ul-Adha is a very important holiday for 1.3 billion Muslims around the globe. It marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage as well as commemorates the story of Prophet Ibrahim’s (may peace be upon him) sacrifice. A traditional animal sacrifice, the Qurbani, has been an integral part of this holiday, with meat being shared between friends, family and those in need. But can there be an alternative to the traditional animal sacrifice? And can those alternatives still celebrate the spirit of Hajj, commemorate the story of Ibrahim and fulfill our purpose — faith in and obedience to God — all in a manner of pure love towards all of creation.
The story of Prophet Ibrahim’s sacrifice is a beautiful one of faith, love and mercy. Ibrahim sees a divine order in a dream to sacrifice his only son, Ismail. Years before, God ordered Ibrahim to leave Ismail, then an infant, and his mother Hagar, in the desert as a sign of faith in Him. Ibrahim’s successful obedience resulted in Ismail and Hagar finding the well of Zam Zam and other provisions they did not imagine possible.
Years later, Ibrahim finds the order of sacrifice especially difficult since he prayed so intently for a son and then had to leave this son as an infant. But Ibrahim’s faith did not waiver, nor did he force his son to comply with this order to take his life. Instead, Ibrahim explained everything to Ismail, and Ismail responded with faith in God that paralleled his father’s, “O my father, do as you are ordered, for you will find me, if Allah wills, among those who are patient.” (37:102)
When the time for sacrifice came, Ibrahim and Ismail both called out in faith, “Allahuakbar” — but the knife did not cut Ismail. Instead, a call from God came saying, “O Ibrahim, you have fulfilled the dream you saw” (37:104-105), and according to most scholars, a white sheep with big eyes and horns was sacrificed instead.  According to Ibn Katheer, the purpose of Ibrahim’s trial — faith and obedience — was achieved, and God in His infinite mercy allowed father and son to remain together.  Today, Qurbani is practiced as a way to remember Ibrahim’s obedience to God.
There is some level of disagreement among scholars as to the obligatory nature of Qurbani. Some believe that it is wajib and others that it is sunnah .  However, there is consensus that the reason for Qurbani is to demonstrate complete submission to God, for His pleasure.  “It is not their flesh nor their blood that reaches Allah; it is your piety that reaches him.” (22:37)
One of the most beautiful things about Islam is its promotion of critical thought. Muslims have been leaders of critical thinking throughout history as exemplified by their use of Qiyas, or deductive analogy, and Ijtihaad, or diligence and independent reasoning.  Islam is timeless because Muslims think critically about the Quran and hadith and are able to use these texts to create solutions to new problems.  As times change, new problems are inevitable. Muslims have been leaders in health, science, technology, architecture, and law precisely because our religion supports critical thinking and problem solving.
In modern times, the killing of millions upon millions of animals for food has become a big, profitable business that is no longer moral or ethical.  Additionally, the meat industry requires extraordinary amounts of natural resources and results in millions of tons of waste that contribute directly to climate change. Muslims are already researching and developing alternatives to factory farms; but more can be done, especially around the time of Eid-ul-Adha when we place a large demand on the industry.  We can address the industry’s problems and perhaps find alternatives to Qurbani, with critical thought.
Meat and Colonialism
The first thing to consider critically is the relationship between meat consumption and Islam. According to Richard Foltz in his book, “Animals in Islamic Traditions and Muslim Cultures,” pre-Islamic Arabs lived a pastoral-nomadic existence in a harsh desert climate. A vegetarian diet would have been difficult. Nevertheless, with the revelation of Islam and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, rules and restrictions were placed on eating meat, suggesting clearly that alternatives do exist and that Muslims were challenged to find these alternatives.
Muhammad (peace be upon him) is recorded as being semi-vegetarian with minimal meat consumption. As Islam traveled to different lands with different climates, the possibility of decreased meat consumption became an easy reality, if not already an existing cultural practice. With colonialism however, meat consumption rose dramatically, even in countries where this was not the norm. As Drs. Colin and Thomas Campbell assert in their book, “The China Study,” European notions that plant-based diets were for the poor and primitive, while meat-based diets were for the wealthy and civilized, lead to the incorrect construct that intelligence was tied to meat consumption– a notion that spread globally through colonialism and survived post-colonization. Even today, many Muslims link meat and wealth together, even though meat has become one of the cheapest things to buy, cheaper in many places than organic produce.
Halal and Factory Farming     
The second thing to consider critically is the depth of the word halal as it applies to meat.  All meat is not halal, or permissible.  In “Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet,” Ibrahim Abdul-Matin discusses the conditions under which meat is considered halal. The most basic conditions are that the animal feeds on plants and is not strangled, beaten, killed by a fall, gored or killed by another animal. Then, the conditions get even more detailed.
The slaughter of animals must not occur in front of other animals. The knife must be wiped clean and put down before using again. Conditions regarding the animal’s upbringing are also clarified. Animals are to be raised in natural conditions, eating natural foods and be respected.  All of these conditions of permissibility emphasize the seriousness of animal life.  Furthermore, if these conditions are not met, the meat, by most scholarly opinion, is not halal.
The factory farming industry of today is where the vast majority of all meat, including so called halal meat, comes from. The problem is that absolutely nothing related to the factory farming industry can be considered halal. The most simple investigations have uncovered that animals are fed other animals, not plants. Animals are tortured.  For example, cows are burned with hot irons, dehorned and castrated without anesthesia.  Animals are starved.  Veal, which is derived from male calves, are deliberately raised anemic to keep their flesh pale and thus marketable as a delicacy.  Animals are genetically engineered — chickens are often pumped with hormones to make them grow so quickly and unnaturally that they cannot stand on their own two feet.
Neither the basic nor the more detailed conditions of halal are met by the factory farming industry. This industry is about profit and profit alone. Factory farming maximizes agribusiness profit by minimizing space and quality of life for the animals, confining them into incredibly crowded and filthy cages.  Chickens, for example, are confined to spaces smaller than your iPad with no ability to stretch their wings, often suffocating to death. This treatment is far, far from halal.
Factory Farms and the Environment
The third thing to consider critically is the environmental impact of factory farms. Islam calls upon us to be stewards of the Earth.  The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “The world is beautiful and verdant, and verily Allah, be He exalted, has made you His stewards in it…” Factory farming is one of the planet’s most wasteful and environmentally damaging industries.  It wastes and destroys water. It takes more than 2,400 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat (versus 25 gallons to produce a pound of wheat).  You save more water by not eating a pound of meat than you do by not showering for six months.
Furthermore, intensive confinement of animals requires pumping antibiotics into the animal feed — otherwise the animals die from disease in these cramped conditions.  Antibiotics remain in the animal’s bodies and local water sources post slaughter.  Confined animals also produce tons upon tons of raw waste which leaves dangerous levels of phosphorus and nitrogen in the water supply as well.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), factory farming is also a leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions, with 37 percent of methane emissions attributable to the maintenance of factory farms.  Growing feed for this incredibly large number of animals releases more than 90 million tons of C02 into the atmosphere.
The Spirit of the Tradition
The final thing to consider critically is the spirit of Eid-ul-Adha and spirit of the story of Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail (peace be upon them).
Eid marks the end of Hajj, the largest gathering of human beings on the planet. Hajj is about religious routines and rituals, and it is also about how human beings conduct themselves with one another including their impact upon the shared natural environment.  Islam places great emphasis on care for humanity — which is one reason why the Eid sacrifice is divided in thirds — for the poor, for the community and for the self.
However, considering the health consequences and environmental degradation associated with meat consumption today, it makes sense to show love for our fellow humans by providing them with something other than meat, like plant-based staple foods including rice, flour, lentils and produce.  These provisions not only last longer than meat, but make for healthier meals and can be more easily shared with many more people.  In accordance with how the Qurbani is shared, we can think critically about the amount of plant-based foods to share, perhaps packages of weight similar to the weight of an animal that would have been sacrificed.
In the story of Prophet Ibrahim’s sacrifice, it is noted how difficult this order was for him. He showed an incredible amount of strength, dedication and faith in God and His mercy. The ultimate test of obedience was passed. It is worth thinking about whether today’s ritual of sacrifice is truly commemorating the difficulty and strength of Ibrahim’s decision. It might actually be that, in refraining from sacrifice, that we are choosing the more difficult and more observant path.
Finding meat is no longer a difficult task – the factory farming industry is all about convenience for convenience is key to generating profit.  Protecting the planet and all of its creations is a difficult task and is also a way to submit to Allah –for the Earth and its dwellers are His creations. Perhaps today, taking a stand against unjust forces like colonialism and capitalism that have created the profit-driven, morally-depraved factory farming industry from which our meat comes from today, is also a powerful way to show obedience to God.
The considerations above do not take into account Muslims’ finding alternatives to factory farms for their Qurbani. The above considerations do, however, recognize that the vast majority of animals raised for food come from the factory farm system and that it’s still very difficult to know whether an animal lived a good life or not.  Since the importance of an animal’s life is taken very seriously in Islam, perhaps obedience in this case is refraining from supporting an industry where animals are horribly mistreated.
Undoubtedly, this article will be received with criticism, reproach and rebuttal.  All of this is fine; as Muslims, we are called upon to reason, debate and discuss until the best philosophy and practice is discovered. We are attempting to present an alternative viewpoint, one that may be marginalized, but one that is quickly becoming more relevant as times change and the practices around meat become more and more Islamically questionable.
Fatima Ashraf is a consultant working with non-profit organizations and government entities to improve programs and policies focusing on equitable health care and education. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons and is committed to raising Muslim boys who care for all of creation.
Bina Ahmad is a social justice activist, human rights and animal rights attorney, and a Pakistani Ahmadi Muslim. She was a Legal Consultant to the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) New York City Chapter during Occupy Wall Street, and was a 2012 Spring Fling Honoree for her work. She has lived and worked in Palestine with Al-Haq (the oldest Palestinian human rights NGO), and also worked with the Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch, and Farm Sanctuary. She is National Vice President to the NLG’s National Chapter. Currently, she is a public defender with the Legal Aid Society in Staten Island, New York.



The Allah of Islam is the same as the God of Christians and Ishwara of Hindus. Even as there are numerous names of God in different religion. The names do not indicate individuality but attributes; and little man has tried in his humble way to describe mighty God by giving Him attributes, though He is above all attributes, 
Indescribable, Immeasurable.

Many years back I met a very close relative of M.K. Gandhi in a seminar I won’t disclose his name. As a young researcher, I was obviously very excited to see someone from Gandhi's own family for the first time. To my surprise this person was equally keen to know me and my work because he liked my paper on Gandhi's politics. Finally, we met after the seminar. He asked me a typical question: what was Muslim response to Gandhi? I did not give any politically correct answer and expressed my inability in this regard, though I said that this type of questioning could not help us in making sense of someone like Gandhi. Quite astonishingly, the conversation virtually stopped here and we never met after that. I think, he realized that I was not a Gandhian at all; and, I realized that the best possible way to understand Gandhi is to think of him as an Idea.



What id Edul - Adha


The Hajj pilgrimage draws millions of Muslims from around the world every year to Mecca, the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad, Islam's holiest place. Saudi Arabia expects to host perhaps three million people in a ritual journey that every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it must make at least once in their lifetime. It is the largest annual gathering of humanity anywhere. Timed to the Muslim lunar calendar, the Hajj is followed by the celebrations of the three-day festival of Eid Al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, which symbolizes Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. You can collect online a lot of photographs of the Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as well as images of preparations for the Hajj and Eid Al-Adha in many other parts of the Muslim world
In the light of call of times the real meaning of ‘’Qurbani’’ is physically and spiritually everyone should stand and purify himself by his positive self help, because this is the famous idiom self help is the best help and God help those who help themselves after that then guide others for the same, this guidance act of any will called ‘’Haj’’.
In the light of said statement we should do the following positive activities for humanity, first your act will call ‘’Qurbani’’ and your guidance to others will call ‘’Haj’’ that is:
Stand and buildup yourself by self help and scarifies
Guide others for the same
Control on your all evil activities committed by you and guide others for the same
Do all better for you and guide other for the same?
In the light of own tradition similarly when a human will remain active in his whole life from birth till death then he will meet the salvation after this mortal world that this is the real meaning of ‘’Qurbani’’ and ‘’Haj’’.
May Allah give everybody the capacity and knowledge to recognize the real and rational meanings of the Hajj--a ritual that commemorates human creativity, and the values of righteousness, justice and equality? Let us say, I am ready to obey your orders, O God to fight against injustice of all kinds, and to establish a peaceful world for entire humanity.
So that oc the occasion of id Edul - Adha (Qurbai Haj pilgrimage) Please accept my hearty Congratulation and regards for the same. May God bless you bonus physical condition, prosperity, elevated position, command, authority, capability, prospect, assets, constancy to enhance promotion and propagation of peace and organization.
I pray to holy God that all your good deeds will be cause of your happy life in both worlds.
I hope to continue this relationship with you and your intellectual fragrance and superior thoughts including your deliberation in future. I would also like to contribute in academic and intellectual spheres.
Make us proud by your accomplishments. Remember, you are what you think you are, and almighty willing, you will be what you want to be-provided you educate yourself. My prayers and good wishes are all and you.
I am submitting my respects to you and your all elders and put forward the oceanic regards to them and best wishes to all younger ones.
Once again wishing you and your family happy idu'ul Azha may God give us strength to serve mankind including God will empower us with more wisdom to do something else for our society and make this earth a harmonious place for living together "live with love?"
This is our humble appeal to all my brother please don’t tag / exhibit / show slaughtered goat on the face book: In the light of humanity exhibition of the process of the Qurbani and its photograph or slaughtering goat’s photograph and meet etc. on the face book is not only strictly prohibited also legally prohibited and morally offence please stop the same and also Suggest to others for the same if we will not follow in the light of Indian constitution we may be punished.
Is this trouble not enough, to ruin one what else should be, if you are some one’s friend then why needs heaven be his enemy?
With profound regards.
Yours sincerely
Dr.  Syed Mohammad Yahya Saba
Dept. of Urdu
Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007

E-mail: urisath@yahoo.com 
Mob: No: 09968244001