In the wake of the Orlando shooting, I found the right wing media trying very hard to ‘prove’ that the Omar Mateen the Orlando shooter, had motivations related to Islam. They were very indignant about the fact that Obama did not use the term ‘radical Islam’. This amused me very much. My right wing fellow human beings need not have worried at all. One does not have to say ‘radical Islam’, ‘Muslim extremism’ or even my personal favourite, ‘Islamofascism’ to... Read more

After an intense Ch 8/9, Quran returns to a softer tone with the ALR series. This is a series of chapters which are focussed on the risalat/messengership. By understanding them, we may come to understand Ch 16 and 17 later which tells us about the establishment of peace. The ALR series begins with Sura Yunus. This chapter takes us, for the very first time in Quran, to the personal experience of one who is inspired. This person’s existential conditions are... Read more

After the theoretical/philosophical layout of utopia, we are given the life cycle of the system of peace and justice. Ch 8/9 is a single chapter. There is no basmalah demarcating it and when read as a contiguous whole, it provides the system which all human beings seek. This is understood from 8/1. Nafilah is the rewards which comes from prior work. All human systems seek to achieve this status. 8/1 tells us that the greatest nafilah (anfal) is for Allah... Read more

Chapter 7 (Al-Araaf) picks up on the monotheism of Ch 6 and approaches it in another way. The monotheism is now seen in relations to adam-hood, which is the prototype of human beings related to utopia. Ch 7 begins with the kitab, God’s ultimate system for mankind. Following what is inspired from it will make God our guardian in life. The chapter then relates the story of adam and focuses on iblees (the psychological force of naysaying or negativity). This... Read more

Summer Ramadhans tends to take the spring from my step. Long days of fasting coupled with the heat does takes some getting used to so I find myself napping more often than usual. Today, I found myself in deep despair when my post-nap web browsing revealed yet another terrorist attack, this time on a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. The shooter has already been identified and with a ‘Muslim’ name and ‘radical leanings’ (yes, they discovered it very quickly, masha... Read more

After Quran gives us four long chapters detailing the system of utopia, it takes us back to the principle of tawheed/monotheism. Quran’s version of monotheism is not a theological theory, it is rather an experience. From the very first verse, rabubiyah/lordship is mentioned. It is also mentioned in the last verse (Vs 165). This shows that we must build this relationship exclusively. That is monotheism. This chapter also mentions Ibrahim twice (6/74) and (6/161). This is no coincidence. The story... Read more

Today we come to the last chapter of the Fantastic Four (Our special name Chapters 2 – 5), Al-Maidah. Al-Maidah is the fraternal twin of An-Nisaa. Like An-Nisaa, it starts with a call but not to humankind (4/1) but rather to those who have believed (5/1). Believed in what? Believed in Verse Zero (the bismillah) and perhaps the system of Ch 4. 5/1 is a single verse passage for those who seek a stable bounty from Allah. The way to... Read more

Chapter 4 (An-Nisaa) is one of only two chapters which begin with a call to humankind. It then proceeds to give us instructions on how to build a society which enables humankind to reach a state of independence. The way to achieve this essentially is to build social bonds and help put disempowered individuals back on their feet. There are three levels of instructions for those who have believed in this philosophy (4/19, 4/29 and 4/43). These instructions cover family... Read more

Chapter 3 (Aali Imran) is the fraternal twin of Chapter 2. Although they do not look alike, Ch 3 compliments Al-Baqarah’s ideas and takes it to a more personal level. For example, the standing position of Ibrahm which is only mentioned in these two chapters (2/125 and 3/96) is mentioned in Ch 2 in the sense of nation building and in Ch 3 on a personal level by connecting it to the personality of Isa. In Ch 3, the messenger... Read more