Articles by Dr. Parvez

Sex is nature's way of ensuring the survival and propagation of species through reproduction. But it does have a huge element of pleasure to it, especially when it comes to human beings. This balance between function and pleasure has been the subject of discussion and debate all along the history of human civilization. When it comes to sexual expression, there are three major ideologies that are most prevalent: 1. Monasticism  2. Islam 3. Hedonism  1. Monasticism : This idea holds the view that sexual life is inherently incompatible with piety. Priests practice monasticism and abstinence (ब्रह्मचर्य), while the common men treat is as a ‘necessary evil’ required for procreation.  But the Qur'an says that God did not ordain this practice of monasticism to begin with, and those who chose this way - ostensibly to please God - could not abide by its strict code either. وَرَهْبَانِيَّةً ٱبْتَدَعُوهَا مَا كَتَبْنَـٰهَا عَلَيْهِمْ إِلَّا ٱبْتِغَآءَ رِضْوَٰنِ ٱللَّهِ فَمَ...

There are plenty of ayaat which tell us that God would forgive us our sins if we repent to Him. Towards the end of Surah alFurqan, He even says that He would forgive those who call upon others besides Him and commit murder and zina, provided they repent, believe in Him and perform good deeds. In Surah Zumar, he reaches out to the sinners and quite affectionately tells them not to lose hope of God's mercy: قُلۡ یٰعِبَادِیَ الَّذِیۡنَ اَسۡرَفُوۡا عَلٰۤی اَنۡفُسِہِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُوۡا مِنۡ رَّحۡمَۃِ اللّٰہِ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ یَغۡفِرُ الذُّنُوۡبَ جَمِیۡعًا ؕ اِنَّہٗ ہُوَ الۡغَفُوۡرُ الرَّحِیۡمُ But by far, the most reassuring ayat on forgiveness that I have come across in the Qur'an is the 70th ayat of Surah Anfal. It says, یٰۤاَیُّہَا النَّبِیُّ قُلۡ لِّمَنۡ فِیۡۤ اَیۡدِیۡکُمۡ مِّنَ الۡاَسۡرٰۤی ۙ اِنۡ یَّعۡلَمِ اللّٰہُ فِیۡ قُلُوۡبِکُمۡ خَیۡرًا یُّؤۡتِکُمۡ خَیۡرًا مِّمَّاۤ اُخِذَ مِنۡکُمۡ وَ یَغۡفِرۡ لَکُمۡ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ This ayat was revealed in the ...

Several million years ago, when God decided to create a new species we now call human beings, he gathered the angels and informed them,  اِنِّیۡ جَاعِلٌ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ خَلِیۡفَۃً Khalifa means a person who has been delegated some authority and power by the one who originally possesses that authority and power. The political successors of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ were hence called Khalifa, because they ruled in his name, by the authority vested in them by virtue of being the Prophet's political successors. Similarly, spiritual leaders too make their most accomplished students their Khalifa, which essentially means that they too would now deem to have the same spiritual authority that they have. So when God said that He would create a new species which would act as His Khalifa, what He meant was that this new species (man) would be delegated, in some measure, some of God's own powers and attributes that other species on earth do not possess. But as all Spiderman fans know, With great po...

Would you keep your promise? A set of ayaat that struck me and stuck with me this Ramazan was the 14th-15th of Surah alAhzab: وَ لَوۡ دُخِلَتۡ عَلَیۡہِمۡ مِّنۡ اَقۡطَارِہَا ثُمَّ سُئِلُوا الۡفِتۡنَۃَ  لَاٰتَوۡہَا وَ مَا تَلَبَّثُوۡا بِہَاۤ   اِلَّا  یَسِیۡرًا وَ لَقَدۡ کَانُوۡا عَاہَدُوا اللّٰہَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ لَا یُوَلُّوۡنَ الۡاَدۡبَارَ ؕ وَ کَانَ عَہۡدُ اللّٰہِ مَسۡئُوۡلًا  “And if they had been invaded from all sides, and fitnah (i.e. disobedience/ betrayal) had been demanded of them, they would certainly have obliged without much hesitation. And they had already promised Allah that they would never turn their backs and flee. And a promise made to Allah would certainly be accounted for.” [Surah alAhzab, ayaat 14 and 15] Since the Qur’an is all about introspection, I kept wondering where I stand vis-a-vis these two ayaat. These ayaat speak about those Muslims who reside in Muslim societies and follow Islam in their routine lives, but they falter when...

Khajoor khana Sunnat NAHI hai!  What? Wait? But this is what we have been told all along - that khajoor khana Sunnat hai. Even I felt so until I attended a lecture by Maulana Dr. Athar Habib Nadvi sahab some time back who explained to us that apne ilaqe ka sabse sasta khana khana Sunnat hai, na ki khajoor khana, per se. 7th Century Arabia me gareeb se gareeb aadmi bhi khajoor afford kar sakta tha. Gharo me kuch na hota tab bhi khajoor aur pani hota. Isiliye Huzoor ﷺ khajoor khana pasand karte the, because that was something even the poorest could afford. Aap ne kabhi zaitoon/olives import kar ke nahi khaye. Aap India me hote to khajoor bhi import kar ke na khate; yahañ ka staple diet pasand karte jo yahañ ka har aadmi afford kar sakta hai (daal, roti, chawal). This is because Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was a mass leader. He had once famously told a poor host that vinegar is the best food (because that is all he had in his house at that time to serve him with bread), even though it is estab...

Satan did not bow before Adam because he considered himself better than Adam. He did not find it necessary to bow before an inferior being made of clay. ​قَالَ مَا مَنَعَكَ اَلَّا تَسۡجُدَ اِذۡ اَمَرۡتُكَ​ ؕ قَالَ اَنَا خَيۡرٌ مِّنۡهُ​ ۚ خَلَقۡتَنِىۡ مِنۡ نَّارٍ وَّخَلَقۡتَهٗ مِنۡ طِيۡنٍ Surah alA’araf: 12 But by that logic even the angels should have refused to bow before Adam, right? They too were created of a better raw material than Adam (noor), which was even better than that of the Satan (fire), and even they could not understand why God was creating a species which would cause havoc on earth and shed blood. وَ اِذۡ قَالَ رَبُّکَ لِلۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃِ اِنِّیۡ جَاعِلٌ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ خَلِیۡفَۃً ؕ قَالُوۡۤا اَتَجۡعَلُ فِیۡہَا مَنۡ یُّفۡسِدُ فِیۡہَا وَ یَسۡفِکُ الدِّمَآءَ ۚ وَ نَحۡنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمۡدِکَ وَ نُقَدِّسُ لَکَ ؕ قَالَ اِنِّیۡۤ اَعۡلَمُ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ Surah alBaqarah: 30 But they bowed! That is called ibadah (submission). No ifs, no buts. Just hear and obey. There are man...