The tales of Pharoahs: The secrecy behind the death of Ramessess III now revealed

Who Killed Ramesses III?

by Heather Pringle

For more than a century, Egyptologists have puzzled over the mysterious demise of Ramses III in 1155 B.C.E.

According to trial records preserved on the Judicial Papyrus of Turin, an assassin murdered the pharaoh during a bloody palace coup, reports the journal, Science.

But was this truly the case, and if so, who led the plot? A new study published on December 17, 2012 in BMJ shows that Ramesses III died violently after conspirators slashed his throat and reveals that one of the alleged ringleaders, Ramesses's son Pentawere, may have later been strangled.

The research team arrived at these findings after analyzing both DNA samples and CT scans from two mummies: Ramesses III (with linen bandage, above right) and a previously unidentified young man found with him in a cache in Deir el Bahari.

The unidentified 20-year-old (shown with arrows pointing to unusual compressed skin folds) proved to be one of Ramesses's sons: He appeared to have been strangled (also evidenced in the scan by overinflated thorax) and buried with a goat skin, a pelt that ancient Egyptians deemed ritually impure and therefore a mark of dishonor befitting an assassin. Sitting on a throne has long been a perilous business, it seems. 

How the seeds of communalism were sown in India in 1857

2012

By Justice Markandey Katju

Communalism, which was almost non-existent in 1857, is widespread in our society today. Muslims often face discrimination in getting jobs, houses on rent, etc, as the Justice Sachar Committee report has highlighted.

Muslims are often falsely implicated in bomb blasts and they have to spend years in jail though ultimately found innocent.

As I mentioned, up to 1857 communalism was almost non-existent in India. There were no doubt differences between Hindu and Muslims, but there was no enmity between them. In the Mutiny of 1857 Hindus and Muslims jointly fought against the British.

After crushing the Mutiny the British decided that the only way to control India was divide and rule. Consequently, the policy came from London to create hatred between Hindus and Muslims.

The British Collector used to secretly call the Panditji and gave him money to speak against the Muslims, and similarly he gave money to the Maulvi Saheb to speak against Hindus. All communal riots began after 1857. The communal award in the Minto-Morley ‘Reforms’ of 1909 introduced separate electorates for Hindus and Muslims.

Year after year, decade after decade, the communal poison was injected by the British into our body politic, and even after 1947 there are elements which continue this (see online ‘History in the Service of Imperialism’ and my article ‘What is India’ on my blog http://justicekatju.blogspot.in)

Certain agent provocateurs take advantage of our backwardness to incite communal riots, and unfortunately many people fall prey to these evil designs and get emotionally carried away by communal propaganda and fight with each other.

(Excerpts taken from a reply by Justice Dr Markandey Katju to two young law students, who served him a legal notice for his remark that 90 per cent of Indians are fools. Full text can be had on the following link: http://justicekatju.blogspot.in/2012/12/mreply-to-young-students-tanaya-and.html

Haj is a major opportunity for scientific and health research: The annual Haj season is a major opportunity for scientists and health planners to do research on the impact of mass gatherings on human health

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: The annual Haj season is a major opportunity for
scientists and health planners to do research on the impact of mass
gatherings on human health. Dozens of scientists the world over are
now researching on emerging pathogens and diseases and how infectious
diseases can be controlled through scientific planning during mass
gatherings like Haj.

According to science journal Lancet, “the exchange of experiences
between the organizers and hosts of the 2012 Olympic Games and the Haj
provides an ideal platform to take the formal discipline of mass
gathering forward. Both events will provide the opportunity for
appropriate research to obtain an evidence base and for guidelines
approved by the World Health Organisation”.

The Haj is growing by two lakh people every year. A Global Mass
Gathering Network led by Saudi Arabia has been formed to study
initially 2012 Olympics and the Haj. This will be extended to other
mass gatherings like the Kumbh Mela scheduled for next year.
“In 2013, the plan is to devise indicators to measure the health of
people attending mass gatherings, alongside a research agenda in
partnership with the WHO and others.”

Dr Shuja Shafi, deputy secretary-general of the Muslim Council of
Britain and honorary consultant medical microbiologist, NW London
Hospitals NHS Trust, London, is an expert on studies on mass gathering
and their impact on people’s health. “Apart from its religious and
spiritual significance, almost anything else that is associated with
the Haj is unique and amazing. The larger it grows the more
fascinating it becomes, seemingly worldly problems associated with the
Haj attract attention of Muslims and non-Muslims alike,” he said.

The international outbreak of meningitis associated with an otherwise
unknown strain of meningococcus among pilgrims returning from Haj in
the years 2000 and 2001 are summarised have helped in better planning
by health authorities. Introduction of a specific vaccine
(quadrivalent ACW135Y) vaccine brought about an abrupt end to the
outbreak and the infection being acquired during Haj.

“As large gatherings increase in number and complexity and grow
bigger, managing them effectively an efficiently is perhaps the
biggest public health challenge facing the world”, said Dr Shuja
Shafi, who hails from Hyderabad.

Communicable diseases, respiratory infections, blood borne infections
(associated with head shaving), gastro intestinal infections are
common. Control and management of infections in the wake of Pandemic
H1 N1 influenza (in 2009) placed the Saudi authorities in good stead
to deal with issues relating to the Coronavirus infection (SARS-like)
reported recently.

Dr Shafi said with a high prevalence of diabetes and heart disease,
there is now focus on these non-communicable diseases. Appropriate
advice and prevention of complications or adverse events while at Haj
is now emerging as the major health challenge for organisers.

On foot for the Haj: Bosnian walks 3,600 miles to perform Haj in Saudi Arabia

He crossed six countries on foot because he had no money

October 22, 2012

A 47-year-old Bosnian Muslim man reached Saudi Arabia this week to perform the annual pilgrimage after travelling nearly 3,600 miles (5,900 km) on foot from his Bosnian village, Saudi newspapers said on Monday.

Senad Hadzic set off from Banovici in north Bosnia Herzegovina in December 2011 during which he crossed six countries, including Turkey, Jordan and Syria before entering Saudi Arabia this week.

Newspapers quoted him as saying in a You-Tube film that he walked all that distance because he had no money.

“I wanted to perform Haj but I had no money…I decided to walk to Saudi Arabia, having only 200 euros,” he said.

“I slept at mosques, schools and other places, including houses offered to me by good people…some people asked me whether I was scared when passing through wild places and I told them ‘why should I…God is with me.”

The Bosnian pilgrim left last December on pilgrimage to Makkah by foot arrived in the holy city of Mecca after passing through seven countries including war-torn Syria.

“I arrived Saturday in Makkah. I am not tired, these are the best days of my life,” Senad Hadzic, 47, told AFP when reached by phone.

He said he had covered some 5,700 km in 314 days of walking through Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Syria and Jordan to Makkah, with a backpack weighing 20 kg.

He charted his progress on his Facebook page, where he posted a picture apparently of an entry/exit card for foreigners issued by the Syrian Interior Ministry.

“I passed through Syria in April. I walked some 500 km in 11 days. I went through Aleppo and Damascus and passed dozens of checkpoints held by pro-government and rebel forces alike, but I was never detained,” Hadzic said.

“I walked in the name of Allah, for Islam, for Bosnia-Hercegovina, for my parents and my sister,” he added.

On his Facebook page, he said God had shown him the way in dreams, including to go through Syria instead of Iraq.

During the pilgrimage, Hadzic faced temperatures ranging from minus 35 Celsius in Bulgaria to plus 44 Celsius in Jordan.

He said he had to wait in Istanbul for several weeks to get permission to cross the Bosphorus Bridge on foot and two months at the border between Jordan and Saudi Arabia to obtain an entry visa.

Film on the Holy Prophet: The truth behind the "Muslim Rage"

Who's afraid of Muslim Rage?

by Avaaz Team 

A US magazine cover (below) screams out the general media slant of the last two weeks: the Muslim world is burning with anti-western anger over an Islamophobic film, with hordes of violent protesters on the streets threatening us all ... but is it really? Citizens and new media are responding, and Gawker has brilliantly satirised the hype with alternative images of "Muslim Rage":

8 / 13

When Newsweek asked readers to tweet their own stories about #MuslimRage, many thousands did, hilariously:

Seven things you may have missed in the 'Rage':

Like everyone else, many Muslims find the 13 minute Islamophobic video "Innocence of Muslims" trashy and offensive. Protests have spread quickly, tapping into understandable and lasting grievances about neo-colonialist US and western foreign policy in the Middle East, as well as religious sensitivities about depictions of the Prophet Muhammad. But the news coverage often obscures some important points: 

1. Early estimates put participation in anti-film protests at between 0.001 and 0.007% of the world's 1.5 billion Muslims – a tiny fraction of those who marched for democracy in the Arab spring.

2. The vast majority of protesters have been peaceful. The breaches of foreign embassies were almost allorganised or fuelled by elements of the Salafist movement, a radical Islamist group that is most concerned with undermining more popular moderate Islamist groups.

3. Top Libyan and US officials are divided over whether the killing of the US ambassador to Libya was likely pre-planned to coincide with 9/11, and therefore not connected to the film.

4. Apart from attacks by radical militant groups in Libya and Afghanistan, a survey of news reports on 20 September suggested that actual protesters had killed a total of zero people. The deaths cited by media were largely protesters killed by police.

5. Pretty much every major leader, Muslim and western, has condemned the film, and pretty much every leader, Muslim and western, has condemned any violence that might be committed in response.

6. The pope visited Lebanon at the height of the tension, and Hezbollah leaders attended his sermon, refrained from protesting the film until he left, and called for religious tolerance. Yes, this happened.

7. After the attack in Benghazi, ordinary people turned out on the streets in Benghazi and Tripoli with signs, many of them in English, apologising and saying the violence did not represent them or their religion.

Add to that the number of really big news stories that were buried last week to make room for front page, angry Muslim "Clash" coverage. In Russia tens of thousands of protesters marched through Moscow to oppose Russian President Vladimir Putin. Hundreds of thousands of Portuguese and Spaniards turned out for anti-austerity protests; and more than a million Catalans marched for independence.

Muslim rage or Salafist strategy?

Meet Sheikh Khaled Abdullah, the Salafist TV host who peddled the film (Ted Nieter)

The "Innocence of Muslims" was picked up and peddled with subtitles by far-right Salafists – radical followers of an Islamic movement long supported by Saudi Arabia. The film was a cheaply made, YouTube failure until an Egyptian Salafist TV host, Sheikh Khaled Abdullah (right) began promoting it to viewerson 8 September.

Most insulted Muslims ignored the film or protested peacefully, but the Salafists, with their signature black flags, were leading instigators of the more aggressive protests that breached embassies. Leaders of the Egyptian Salafist party attended the Cairo protest that broke into the US embassy.

Like the far-right in the US or Europe, the Salafist strategy is to drag public opinion rightwards by seizing on opportunities to fan radical anger and demonise ideological opponents. This approach resembles that of anti-Muslim US pastor Terry Jones (who first promoted the film in the west) and other western extremists. In both societies, however, the moderates far (far!) outnumber the extremists. A leading figure in Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood (the more powerful and popular political opponent of Egypt’s Salafists) wrote to the New York Times saying: "We do not hold the American government or its citizens responsible for acts of the few that abuse the laws protecting freedom of expression".

Good reporting

A lonely band of journalists and scholars have approached the protests with an intent to truly understand the forces behind them. Among them, Hisham Matar, who powerfully describes the sadness in Benghazi after J Christopher Stevens' killing, and Barnaby Phillips, who explores how Islamic conservatives manipulated the film to their advantage. Anthropologist Sarah Kendzior cautions against treating the Muslim world as a homogenous unit. And Professor Stanley Fish tackles a tough question: why many Muslims are so sensitive to unflattering depictions of Islam.

COP 11 biodiversity: Hyderabad mosque puts up display boards on what the Holy Quran says on biological diversity

What the Holy Quran says on conversion of biodiversity

Courtesy: Azizia mosque, Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad

The medicinal benefits of Hyderabadi haleem: This Ramadhan dish strengthens muscles, burns fat fast, and increases sperm count in men

The unique feature of  this Hyderabadi dish is that it contains both slow-digesting and fast-burning ingredients. The fibre content is also relatively high. The legumes that go into its
production increase muscle strength and sexual potency. The ingredients are also rich in potassium and magnesium. Whole grains like wheat, nuts, vegetables and dry fruits solve the problem of low sperm count, which has of late become a major health and reproductive problem in industrialised nations.

By Syed Akbar

Haleem, the special Ramzan dish of Hyderabad known for
its unique taste, has several
medicinal properties that improve semen production and stimulate ovulation.
Studies by city Unani physicians and researchers show that Haleem and its
variant Harees increase sperm count and
promote sperm health and motility in men and assist in better ovulation in
women. The special ingredients that go
into the preparation of Haleem and Harees stimulate blood circulation to
vital body organs thereby reducing sexual
dysfunction and the problem of low sperm count.
"The unique feature of  this Hyderabadi dish is that it contains both
slow-digesting and fast-burning ingredients. The
fibre content is also relatively high. The legumes that go into its
production increase muscle strength and sexual
potency. The ingredients are also rich in potassium and magnesium.
Whole grains like wheat, nuts, vegetables and dry fruits solve the problem
of low sperm count, which has of late
become a major health and reproductive problem in industrialised nations,"
says Dr Fazal Ahmad, senior Unani
researcher.
Dr Fazal, who also edits Unani monthly Cure for All, points out that
Haleem and Harees acquire the aphrodisiac
properties primarily because of the five "Gs" that go into its
preparation. "Gur (jaggery), gond (natural gum), ghost
(meat), ghehoon (wheat) and ghee are special Unani prescriptions. A
combination of all five or some of them
increases sexual potency primarily by increasing the sperm count. Our
research has shown that those who consume
Haleem or Harees on regular basis are sexually more active than who
don't," he says.
Many residents of Barkas locality in Hyderabad consume Harees at breakfast
everyday and this is reflected on their
good physique and better reproductive health.
According to senior Unani physician Dr Ilyas Khan, Haleem contains
minerals selenium, folic acid, and zinc and
vitamins A, C, and E. "It has been scientifically proved that foods rich
in these compounds increase the sperm count
and sperm motility, thus assisting in reproductive health. Studies have
shown that Haleem and Harees increase blood
circulation and assist in blood production. The system of Unani medicine
says any food that increases blood
circulation will promote sperm production," he says.
Hakeem Tariq Mehmood Chughtai in his research publication on the health
benefits of Haleem and Harees points
out that one should not take water immediately after consuming this
special festival dish to derive maximum benefit
from it. Since Haleem/Harees contains both "slow and fast digestion
ingredients" the benefits will be more if the dish
is consumed soon after breaking the day-long fast during Ramzan.

The tiger of Mysore: Tipu Sultan, a royal freedom fighter

Sri Ranganatha temple was hardly a stone's throw from his palace from where “he would listen with equalrespect the ringing of temple bells, and the Muezzin's call from the mosque”.

"It is far better to live like a Tiger for a day than to live like a

Jackal for a hundred years." - Tipu Sultan

By Syed Akbar

More than two hundred years have passed since Tipu Sultan, the Tiger,
roared against the invading Britishers with his magical statement to
inspire the people of his kingdom to fight the enemy.
And his words still reverberate in the ramparts of Srirangapattinam, his
beloved city dedicated to Lord Sri Ranganatha Swami, and in the hearts of
millions of Indians. True to his statement, Tipu Sultan lived and died
like a tiger.
Perhaps he is the only ruler, who took over the reins of a kingdom amidst
a war and relinquished it in a battlefield while protecting the life and
honour of his subjects.
Tipu Sultan, the Tiger of Mysore, is as enigmatic as ever. Critics despise
him with charges of religious bigotry and persecution. Admirers label him
as one of the most secular rulers and a king with vision far ahead of his
times. To him goes the credit of discovering and perfecting the art of
rocketry and no less a person than the Missile Man, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam,
describes Tipu Sultan as the father of Indian rocket technology.
The arguments of his staunch critics notwithstanding, Tipu Sultan was the
first native ruler, who fought against the British rule tooth and nail,
much before the first war of independence. There was perfect communal
harmony during his regime and this was evident from the fact that there
was not even a single uprising of people, despite the numerous wars he
fought. The people of his kingdom were solidly behind him in all the wars.
Historians recall how Tipu Sultan donated money to Sri Shankaracharya of
Sringeri to reinstall the displaced image in the Sharda temple. More than
30 letters written by the Sultan to the Shankaracharya in chaste Kannada
testify to the magnanimity and religious tolerance of the Tiger of Mysore.
As mark of honour to the Hindu religious head, Tipu Sultan departed from
his usual tradition of beginning his letters with the Arabic invocation
“In the name of God”. Instead he wrote the name of the Shankaracharya at
the top of the letter while he put his name at the bottom, without the
usual honorifics and titles that go with the nobility.
As one noted historian points out, Sri Ranganatha temple was hardly a
stone's throw from his palace from where “he would listen with equal
respect the ringing of temple bells, and the Muezzin's call from the
mosque”.
“The Britishers”, says Prof Sheik Ali, historian and former
vice-chancellor of Goa and Mangalore University, “had never been
confronted with a more formidable foe. His regime begins in the midst of
war against the English, and ends in the midst of war against them. He
built up an efficient system of administration and was almost the first
Indian ruler to apply western techniques
in the heart of government.
“Long before the events of 1857, when a spirited reprising attempted to
throw of the English and before the formation of the Indian National
Congress, which set the pace for National
Movement, Tipu struggled hard to rouse a consciousness of his neighbours
to the impending danger to Indian Independence from the English,” says
Prof Ali in his biography of Tipu Sultan.
Not many know that Tipu Sultan was an able journalist too. He launched a
local newspaper “Fauji Akhbar” (Soldier News). Tipu was a multi-linguist,
well versed in Kannada, Marathi, French, Arabic, Persian and Urdu.
Sultan Fateh Ali Tipu was born on November 20, 1750 and died at a young
age of 49 on May 4, 1799. He inherited the kingdom, principles, values and
traditions, besides valour and strength from his father Hyder Ali. At the
age of 17, Tipu Sultan fought against the British army forcing the latter
to retreat.
Instructed in military tactics by French officers, employed by his father,
Haider Ali, a de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore, Tipu first
accompanied him in a war against the British in the First War of Mysore in
1766.
He also commanded a corps of cavalry in the invasion of Carnatic in 1767.
He, however, went on to distinguish himself in the First Anglo-Maratha War
of 1775-1779. Tipu helped his father defeat the British in the Second War
of Mysore and negotiated the Treaty of Mangalore with them.
He was defeated in the third and fourth Anglo-Mysore War by the
combined forces of the English East India Company, the Nizam of
Hyderabad, the Maratha Confederacy, and Travancore.
An able administrator and planner, Tipu Sultan laid the foundation for a
dam where the Krishna Raja Sagar Dam across river Cauvery today stands. He
also completed the project of Lal Bagh, the extensive gardens started by
his father. He built roads, public buildings, and ports along the Kerala
shoreline.
During Tipu Sultan's reign, a new calendar, new coinage, and seven new
government departments, were introduced. Tipu also had a penchant for
innovations, especially in weaponry.
All of them were exquisite and had great workmanship. He was a great
promoter of agriculture and industry, trade and commerce. He built a navy
and opened factories far and near, which ultimately linked the State of
Mysore with the outside world. His trade extended to countries which
included Sri Lanka, Afghanistan,
France, Turkey, and Iran.

Islamic months: The religious, spiritual, economic, social importance of Ramadhan

The Night of Power or Lailat-ul-Qadr falls on one of the odd nights in the last 10 days of Ramadhan. Muslims spend in prayers all through the night supplicating to the Almighty for peace and blessings on all people and all creatures. Ramadhan is the occasion for Muslims to mend their ways and establish a direct link with the Creator

By Syed Akbar
Ramadhan is the ninth month of the Islamic Higera calendar. Literally 
Ramadhan means "heat" or "something that burns up". The name assumes 
significance as fasting, charity and noble deeds in Ramadhan burns away 
sins, Satanic filth and ego from the hearts and minds of the people, who turn 
to the Almighty during this holy month.
A notable feature of Ramadhan is that fasting during this month had been in 
vogue even before the birth of the Holy Prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (peace 
be upon him). The righteous and pious among the Arabs used to observe 
fasting and pay charity during Ramadhan. The Holy Prophet has streamlined 
the system of fasting and charity and made them mandatory on all Muslims.
Of the 12 lunar Islamic months, Ramadhan is considered holy primarily because the Almighty God had revealed the Holy Quran on Hazrat Muhammad during this month about 15 centuries ago.
The Holy Prophet was deep in meditation in the Cave of Hira in the outskirts of Mecca when he 
received the Divine Message through Archangel Gabriel (Hazrat Jibrail). The 
Message from God continued to be revealed on the Holy Prophet thereafter 
for the next 23 years. This Divine Code is the Holy Quran, the last of the 
Scriptures of God sent to prophets and messengers from time to time to all 
places and to all people.
"Ramadhan is also considered holy because God has prescribed fasting and 
ordained charity. While fasting is obligatory on all Muslims, men and 
women, without exception, charity is enjoined on only those who are 
financially sound. The charity given during Ramadhan is of two types, Zakat 
(compulsory charity) and fitra (alms). Zakat like fasting is one of the five 
pillars of Islam, the other being Kalima (assertion that there is only one God 
and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God), Namaz (five daily prayers) 
and Haj (pilgrimage to Mecca)," says Islamic scholar Hafiz Syed Shujath 
Hussain.

Referring to the importance of Ramadhan, the Holy Quran (2:185) observes, "Ramadhan is the (month) in which the Qur'an was sent down, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgement (between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at home) during that month should spend it in fasting "

The Holy Quran is also specific about the time of revelation during the month 
of Ramadhan. Elsewhere, the Scripture says, "Indeed, We have revealed this 
(Message) in the Night of Power. And what will explain to thee what the 
night of power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months" 
Qur'an (97:1-3).
"The Night of Power or Lailat-ul-Qadr falls on one of the odd nights in the 
last 10 days of Ramadhan. Muslims spend in prayers all through the night 
supplicating to the Almighty for peace and blessings on all people and all 
creatures. Ramadhan is the occasion for Muslims to mend their ways and 
establish a direct link with the Creator," points out Islamic teacher Moulana 
Abdul Kareem.
In commemoration of the revelation of the Holy Quran, special night prayers 
called the Taraveeh are held in all mosques and at select homes and other 
places. Hafiz (those who know the Quran byheart) recite the Holy Quran in 
parts on 30 nights. In Hyderabad and other Indian cities, special 
arrangements are also made for women to offer the Taraveeh prayers.
Referring to the importance of fasting, the Holy Prophet observed: Allah, the 
Almighty has said: "every act of man is for him except fasting, it is done for 
My (Allah's) sake and I will give reward for it. The breath of a person on fast  
is sweeter to Allah than the fragrance of musk." 
Muslims the world over take to heavy charity work during Ramadhan as they 
believe that Almighty God will reward them 70 fold or even more. According 
to an Hadith (sayings and traditions of the Prophet), "when Ramadhan starts, 
the gates of paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the 
Satan is chained.
The Prophet has also said: The affliction of a person in his property, family  and neighbours is expiated by his prayers, fasting and giving in charity. Whoever fasts the month of Ramadhan out of sincere faith and hoping for a 
reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.
Apart from its religious significance, Ramadhan has social importance too. 
While fasting makes a person understand the pangs of hunger and thirst so 
that he help the poor and the underprivileged. On one hand Ramadhan makes 
Muslims understand the sufferings of the poor and on the other it makes it 
mandatory on every well-to-do Muslim to donate in the cause of the 
Almighty God. Fasting also makes one physically fit and mentally agile.
"The money collected from Zakat and Fitra, if properly utilised, will solve the 
problem of poverty in many countries. In Hyderabad alone Zakat and Fitra 
worth Rs 100 crore is given every Ramadhan. The amount runs into at least 
Rs 2,000 crore for India. Unfortunately, there is no centralised agency to 
collect and spend the Zakat money for the common good of all. We should 
have the concept of Bait-ul-Maal (charitable treasury)," says Moulana 
Rafeeuddin Qasmi.
Muslims end this great month by celebrating the Id-ul-fitr or the festival of 
alms-giving as a gratitude to the Almighty for having Blessed them with the 
opportunity to fast and make amends. Fitra is compulsory before the Id 
prayers so that the have-nots too join the festivities.

What does Id-ul-Adha mean to Muslims: Bakrid is more than a festival of ritual sacrifice

By Syed Akbar

Bakrid or Id-ul-Adha is not just a festival of ritual sacrifice. It is a festival of charity too. Like the other grand Muslim festival of Alms-giving or Id-ul-Fitr, Bakrid brings cheers to millions of poor people living across the globe and pours in charity enough for several orphanages and madarasas to fend themselves for a few months.
The tradition of sacrifice dates back to the grand prophet, Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him), known to Jews and Christians as Abraham. The meat of sacrificial animals is divided into three parts. One part is distributed among friends and relatives, the second part is meant for the poor and needy and the third portion is for self consumption.
It has been a tradition among Muslims right from the times of the Holy Prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him) to donate the skin of the sacrificial animal. The skin or the proceeds from its sale is to be donated to orphanages, madarasas or charitable organizations so that they could get enough funds from the donation.
According to a rough estimate, over five million animal skins are distributed during the Bakrid festival in India alone. The largest donation in the form of skin comes from Mumbai, followed by Hyderabad by virtue of their large Muslim population. In Andhra Pradesh alone skins worth Rs 30 crore are donated among charitable institutions. If the value of the meat portion distributed among the poor and needy is calculated, it simply runs to Rs 400 crore. This figure for the whole of India means a few thousand crores.
According to Muhammad Saleem, former AP Wakf Board chairman and vice-president of All-India Jamiat-ul-Quraish, about 20 lakh sheep and buffaloes are sacrificed on Bakrid and the succeeding two days.
“The idea behind celebrating Islamic festivals is not just to rejoice but to remember the pangs and troubles of the have-nots. God Almighty has given so much to us and it is our duty to remember the unfortunate ones at least on the Id days. Besides the skin of animals, one-third of the meat is also distributed among the poor. Mosques are not qualified to receive the donation of skins or the sale proceeds from them. Because festivals are for people and the poor have a greater right over the charity,” observes Moulana Hafiz Syed Shujath Hussain.
Besides individual sacrifices of animals, sacrifice is also institutionalized in Hyderabad and other parts of the country. Several charitable and Zakat organizations have been collecting the cost of the animal for sacrifice from those who cannot do the same on their own. The facility is being largely utilized by non-resident Indian Muslims, particularly those living in the West.
The Hyderabad Zakat and Charitable Trust is collecting Rs 2400 per sheep for sacrifice on Bakrid. There is also a provision for distribution of the entire meat among the poor, in case the person is an NRI.
Moulana Shaik Najeeb Ahmad says the sacrifice of animals on the Bakrid is more than just a ritual. The Almighty tests the person sacrificing the animal whether it is being done with pure intentions or as a show or pomp. “The Almighty makes it clear in the Holy Quran that neither the blood nor the flesh of sacrificial animals reach Him. It is the piety and pure intentions and the spirit behind the sacrifice that counts with the Almighty. By sacrificing animals Muslims are not only expressing their piety towards the Creator but also helping the have-nots to get charity, though in the form of meat. It is indeed a great celebration for the poor who do not have access to rich nutritional food. At least once a year they do get the opportunity,” Moulana Najeeb points out.
On an average each madarasa gets around Rs 30,000 from the sale proceeds of skins of sacrificial animals and this fund keeps them running for a couple of months. The Zakat collections during Ramadhan is, however, greater than the donations they receive during Bakrid. Some madarasas and charitable institutions manage one whole year from the Zakat donations.

Hyderabad's top zakat givers: Helping society economically

By Syed Akbar

Every Ramzan Hyderabad pours in hundreds of crores of Rupees in Zakat, the mandatory charity on the rich Muslims. The city stands second in India in Zakat collection next only to Mumbai. Muslim have been ordained to contribute in charity 2.5 per cent of their total savings in a given year.

While every rich and upper middle class Muslim contributes his or her share to Zakat, there are a few traditional families in Hyderabad known for their generous charity during the Islamic holy month of Ramzan. Muslims ensure that they pay their Zakat dues before the Id-ul-Fitr as charity during Ramzan is considered to bring 70 times the reward (sawab) with the Almighty.
Since Islam prohibits Muslims from making a show of Zakat donation, none of the members of these traditional Zakat donor families wants to divulge the amount they contribute towards charity. However, according to sources, some Hyderabadi families give as much as Rs 5 crore each in Zakat. 
The traditional families known for big Zakat contributions include those of builder-politicians Bashiruddin-Ghayasuddin Babukhan, industrialist- educationists Shah Alam Khan-Mahboob Alam Khan, OU academic council
member Abid Rasool Khan, senior Telugu Desam leader Ibrahim Bin Abdullah Masqati, former Wakf Board chairman Muhammad Saleem, the Owaisi brothers Asaduddin and Akbaruddin, educationist-politician Vizarat Rasool Khan, the Allauddin family and industrialist Syed Hamid. Says Abid Rasool Khan, "most of my Zakat goes to institutions rather than a few individuals. If the funds are channelled and utilised for generating self-employment, there will be no poor person left in the country. I usually give more than the stipulated 2.5 per cent of my income as a precautionary measure lest my calculations went wrong".
The Babukhan family of former minister Basheeruddin Babukhan and Ghayasuddin Babukhan also manage the Hyderabad Zakat and Charitable Trust which has changed the living stands of lakhs of families in the rural side in the last few years. The Zakat Trust is part of the United Economic Forum which is now a registered NGO with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

"We have been providing pensions to more than 1,000 widows, constructing around 100 houses, giving clothes to thousands of students, and offering scholarships worth about Rs 2 crore through the Zakat funds," says United Economic Forum secretary Ghayasuddin Babukhan.

The Shah Alam Khan family, which manage Golconda cigarette factory and a host of educational institutions. Shah Alam Khan, his son Mahboob Alam Khan and other family members distribute an undisclosed amount towards Zakat. The Shah Alam Khan family gives charity to individuals and their Zakat is not institutionalised as the Babukhan family had done. The Owaisis are said to be contributing anything upward of Rs 1 crore in
charity but they keep it secret for religious reasons. The Masqati family, which owns a big dairy, contributes to education, marriages of poor girls and self-employment.
Muhammad Saleem, however, believes in donating Zakat to individuals rather than institutions. "There's nothing wrong in donating to institutions. But I keep on donating from Zakat funds round the year. Most of the people who approach me are poor. They are in need of money for education of their children or for medical treatment. This gives instant relief to the needy," he adds.
According to rough estimates, about four lakh people stand to benefit from Zakat in one way or the other. "A notable feature of this charity is that it has no religious bounds. The receiver can be of any religion or region. The only eligibility is poverty and need. Islam believes in social equality and Zakat is the best source of achieving it," says Moulana Syed Shujath Hussain.

What is the significance of the numerical value of 786?

By Syed Akbar 
Hyderabad: Numbers have always fascinated man because they convey more than just numeric values. Some numbers have religious or astronomical significance while others are of astrological, historical or 
mathematical importance. When one number combines all these factors, it becomes still more important. And that number is 786. 
On August 7, 2006 the world witnessed a unique combination of date that signifies this magical figure 786 - seventh day of the eighth month of the sixth year of the new millennium or 7-8-6 for short. Apart from the religious importance a majority of the Muslims attach to this number, 786 has astrological, historical, mathematical and astronomical significance too. This unique combination of date is repeating itself after 100 years and it will recur only after a century. 
The number 786 is a gematrical (numerical) value of the Islamic invocation, Bismillahi’r Rahmani’r Rahim, or In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful, which every Muslim is commanded to recite before doing any work. Muslims in the Indian sub-continent revere 786 and print it on wedding and other invitation cards and put it down on paper before the start of writing anything. However, Muslims in other parts of the world do not attach any religious significance to the number and write Bismillah (In the name of Allah) in full. 
According to Islamic scholar Hafiz Syed Shujath Hussain, in Arabic there are two methods of arranging letters, one of them being the Abjad (ordinal) method. Early Islamic scholars have assigned an arithmetic value to each of the Arabic letters from one to 1000. The letters are arranged as Abjad, Hawwaz, Hutti, Kalaman, Safas, Qarshat, Sakhaz and Zazagh. This arrangement was based on the gematric system adopted in West Asian languages like Aramaic, Phoenician and Hebrew.
"We get the magical 786 if we take the arithmetic values of all the 19 letters in Bismillahi’r Rahmani’r Rahim," he points out. Besides the Islamic importance, 786 has historical significance because the famous Abbasid Caliph, Harun Rashid, assumed throne on September 14 in the year 786 CE. It was during his regime and perhaps in the year 786 CE that the gematrical value of Bismillah (786) was calculated and arrived at by 
Islamic scholars and linguists of his court, says Muslim religious teacher Moulana Abdul Kareem. 
Mathematically speaking, 786 is a sphenic number (a positive integer that is the product of three distinct prime factors). In other words, 50 can be partitioned into powers of two in 786 different ways, points out senior mathematics lecturer V Radhakrishna. Also 786 might be the largest "n" for which the value of the central binomial coefficient is not divisible by an odd prime squared.
This number is significant even in astronomy and astrophysics leave alone astrology and numerology. The New General Catalogue refers to NGC786 as  a magnitude 13.5 spiral galaxy in the constellation Aries. An asteroid has also been named as 786 Bredichina. The triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn occurs very rarely and so far this astronomical event has been witnessed only thrice in the living memory as it occurs only every 800 years. It was first recorded in 7 BC (the Star of Bethlehem in the sky at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ ), then in 786 CE and the last time in the year 1583, according to a astro-mathematical 
calculation prepared by the University of Helsinki, USA. 
Astrologers point out that the ubiquitous astrological predictions trace their origin to the year 786 BC. This year is considered of great importance to astrology as it was the year of official opening of the new temple dedicated to Babylonian god Nabu at Calah, an ancient city of Assyria. Nabu is represented by planet Mercury and is considered as the god of astrology among other things. 
Mufti Ibrahim Desai is of the view that the numerical 786 cannot replace the written Bismillah. In a fatwa, he says, the tradition of writing 786 was not present during the days of the Prophet. It was introduced about 150 years after his passing away.
"Whosoever uses 786 with the intention to obtain Allah's Blessings, is a misguided person and any attempt to justify it, is ignorance", he observes. However, the Mufti Muhammad Khaleel Ahmad of the 130-year-old Jamia Nizamia is of the view that 786 is allowed and permissible to write with the intention of gaining Blessings.
All-India Muslim Personal Law general secretary Abdul Rahim Qureshi told this paper that "786" is written only in India and Pakistan. It does not have any Islamic significance except that it is a numerical code for Bismillah.Interestingly, if the letters in "Lord Hari Krishna" are to be given gematrical 
value in Arabic, the total numerical value of Hari Krishna will sum also up to 786, says Hafiz Shujath Hussain.Eminent astrologer TM Rao, however, does not see any astrological significance for August 7, 2006. "It is just like any other day, except that it has a significant combination of numbers 7,8 and 6," he adds.

Food habits in Ramzan: Hyderabadis moving away from traditional dishes gradually

By Syed Akbar

Ramzan is gradually turning to be quite different in Hyderabad, at least on the food front. With the change in the food habits of Hyderabadis, the traditional menu for the pre-dawn "Sahar" and the post-sunset "Iftaar" has given way to Chinese, Italian and Andhra dishes.
The ritual of fasting was once considered to be incomplete in this part of India without the traditional Hyderabadi dishes. But this festival season, several non-Hyderabadi dishes are all set to make their way
into the special Ramzan menu.
Instead of the traditional morning dishes Nahari Kulcha, Murgh, Kichidi Kheema and Bagara Chawal with Dalcha, "modern" Hyderabadis are now preferring Andhra food items like Idli, Vada and Uthappa and Chinese stuff including Chop Suey, Chow Mein and Lo mein. The famous "bun muska" has simply disappeared from the Ramzan menu."The traditional Hyderabadi items are too oily and full of cholesterol. Though the dishes taste good, they have a long term ill-effect on the body. Eating food with high cholesterol content early in the morning is not good for health. So we are going in for the lighter stuff to ensure that the fasting goes on well without trouble," says lecturer B Moinuddin.
The highly educated ones, on the other hand, are going in for Pizza, French fries, Chicken nuggets, spring rolls and egg rolls. In tune with the changed food habits, several restaurants have made special arrangements to supply these items early in the morning in time for the Sahar. Even roadside bandis have come out with the "sahar" menu to cater to the changed needs, selling hot Idli, Vada early in the morning. "There's a perceptible change in the eating habits of Hyderabadis. More and more families are going in for ready-made food stuff even for festivals. Preparation for sahar means waking up at 1.30 am so that the food is ready by 3.00 am.
By the time the fajr (dawn) prayer is completed, it will be 5.45 am. This leaves only a little time for sleep. And this is primarily the reason why more and more people are going in for ready-made and easily digestible items," says senior Islamic scholar Hafiz Syed Shujath Hussain.
However, the old Hyderabadis still want to stick to their favourite all-time dishes like Kofta, Lukhmi along with Nahari Kulcha or Bagara Chawal with Dalcha.
Moreover, with Ramzan falling in the rainy season (this is the first time that the festival falls in rainy season in 33 years), the menu for the "Iftaar" has also undergone a few changes. The temperature is slightly lower and so there will be no "cool stuff" like Firni, Harira, Faluda and Lassi. Ramzan, which literally means "heat" is also going to be a rather cool affair this season.
Ramzan falls in different seasons in different years completing the cycle in 33 years. This is because the lunar calendar falls short of 11 days in relation to the solar year.