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Then came the Bolshevic Revolution of March, 1917, as if to put the finishing touches on Western depredation. This Revolution was not only to change the political scene by cutting across the history and geography of the world, nor was it confined to economic and political thought, but it also endeavoured to pull down all the accepted principles of creed and morality. It laid claim to a new edifice, one which demolished the existing pattern of life and human consciousness. Naturally, Islam was to suffer most from it because it believed in asset of unalterable values which required positive faith in ultimate reality. Unfortunately, there were few among the Muslims who could sense the danger or could do anything to contend it. They perhaps lacked the “wisdom of Faith” that had always warned them of even lesser dangers on earlier occasions. In the western part of the Islamic world, the ex-Defence Minister of Turkey, envar Pasha (1881-1892), was the first to perceive the danger. He organised the people of Turkistan and fought a number of battles against the Bolshevics during 1921 and 1922. On the 4th August, 1922, he attacked the Russians near Kochgin village; the enemy was overwhelmingly large in size, and Envar Pasha fell fighting valiantly on Friday, the seventh of Zil Hijja, 1340 A.H.  Read more... (1318 words, estimated 5:16 mins reading time)

So far, I have told you about the reformatory and revivalist movements of India. Now I propose to speak about the great reformer of Arabia, Shaikh Abdul Wahhab (115-1262), who was a contemporary of Shah Walilullah.16 His movement was singularly successful owing to a variety of causes, political and historical as has seldom been achieved by others. His movement gave birth to a school of thought which influenced a whole generation and the state of Arabia in particular as also that of other countries too. At the same time Yemen enjoyed the influence of Allama Muhammad Ali ibn Ali al-Shaukani (1172-1250 A.H.); in Asir there was Ahmad ibn Abdullah ibn Idris Hasani, the founder of the Idrisiyah order; and Syed Muhammad ibn. Ali al Sinnausi (1206-1276) who was born in Libya. All of them took up the task of reformation and the propagation of Islamic teachings, and in so doing infused a spirit of Jihad among their people. European Orientalists normally dub all these reformers as the followers of Shaikh Abdul Wahhab. Their attempts, however, are unsuccessful, as they cannot produce any evidence in support of such contention. In actual fact Western scholars cannot appreciate the fact that the study of the Qur’an and the a hadith, coupled with sincerity of purpose, can produce reformers in every age reformers who are always willing to fight the forces of vice and waywardness.  Read more... (1406 words, estimated 5:37 mins reading time)

During the Battle of Bait Lihya, the Muslim Commander Zarrar(ra) was captured by the Byzantine forces. Word was sent to Khalid Bin Walid (ra) for further help.

Leaving the command of Damacus to Abu Ubaida (ra), Khalid( ra) set off to Bait Lihya with his mobile contingent of 4000 horsemen. As Khalid(ra ) approached the battle-field, he saw a muslim rider with a masked face gallop of towards the Byzantine front. This warrior would kill a number of the enemy soldiers, and then withdraw. He would after some time pounce on the enemy again and kill everyone who came his way. He was striking fear in the ranks of the enemy soldiers.  Read more... (796 words, estimated 3:11 mins reading time)

Thoughts and powers. This revolution was to nullify the efforts of all those conquerors of the past who had won the land for Islam. It also meant the invalidation of the labours of Khwaja Moin Uddin Chisti and his pure hearted disciples who had on the one hand preached the message of love and humanity and social justice to the people and, on the other, provided moral and spiritual guidance to rulers to run the country as conscientious, true-hearted and God-fearing servants of the country. This was not all, for this revolution threatened to destroy the entire educational system and intellectual fabric of the land which had been laboriously built up by these men of God.  Read more... (1139 words, estimated 4:33 mins reading time)

Friends have invited me to give a talk on Madinah, describing what I saw there, and I have readily agreed. As a Persian poet has said: “To talk of the beloved is no less pleasant than to meet him.”

I do not know when I first heard of Makkah and Madinah. Like all Muslim children, I was brought up in an environment in which Hijaz (Arabia) and Makkah and Madinah were household words. I, distinctly, remember people saying Makkah, Madinah together as if these were the same. When they took the name of one of them, they, generally, mentioned that of the other as well. I, thus, came to imagine that Makkah and Madinah were not two different places, but one, and learnt to appreciate the difference only as I grew up. It, then, became clear that these were two different towns separated from each other by over 300 kilometers.  Read more... (1760 words, 6 images, estimated 7:02 mins reading time)

One day a man came to the Imam and said: “I kept some money somewhere in my house, but do not remember exactly here. I now need the money badly. Please tell me how I can find it.” Brother,” protested the Imam, “do not find this kind of problem mentioned in fiqh. Why have you come to me for advice?” but on further entreaty by the man he advised him to pray throughout the night. The man, accordingly, went home and started praying, he had prayed for a little while when he suddenly remembered where he had put the money. So he ran to the Imam and told him of the efficacy of his advice.  Read more... (472 words, estimated 1:53 mins reading time)