Malala Yousafzai: 14-year-old Pakistani activist shot

[glo]

The Pakistani Taliban and Afghani Taliban are two different groups (although they are the same ethnic people and hold similar interpretations of Islam in certain aspects). It is the Pakistani Taliban that is held to have reportedly carried out the attacks. They have released a statement, and have said that she will be targeted again and that she is 'western minded'. All she did was write a blog for the BBC Urdu service, championing education for girls in her area. I know this kind of ideology exists with these type of people from personal experience.

That's really informative. Thank you for clarifying!

I am just grateful that this brave little girl has survived the attack and is on her way to making a recovery alhamdulillah. May Allah protect her and all our young Muslim sisters and daughters who seek true Islam and by it, liberation. Ameen.

Assalamu-alaikum,
My heart breaks at this story.....and the suffering caused by the hands of our own muslim brothers.....in the name of Islam!
Astaghfirullah.

:wa:

It seems completely crazy to me to want to prevent girls from gaining an education ... :heated:

 

[~Zaria~]

It seems completely crazy to me to want to prevent girls from gaining an education ... :heated:

Initially, I thought that they were against 'co-education', with free mixing between boys and girls - and I can understand this.
However, it is apparent that even Girls-Only Schools have been targetted.....which completely baffles me.

Islam endorses 'seeking knowledge from the cradle to the grave' - for both men and women.

It is unfortunate that yet again, the face of Islam is being tarnished by its very own ummah.

Which is why we should never judge a religion by its people......but rather by its actual books and principles.

There are Shaytaans amongst every community.

 

[CosmicPathos]

Big deal. Who remembers Dilawar?
http://vimeo.com/19952563

My msg to a paki friend who is all teary over this:

why doesnt your heart cringe on death of more innocent "angels" everyday in Pakistan? Is it because you have not seen their faces or seem them debating? Or is it because they were not ambassadors of "peace" as this Malala was? Why did Malala in her childhish naivity love Obama? Dont you think damage to her has been caused by political forces who used her for "message of peace."

Hopefully you'll see the stupidity of human experience by my question. Humans make a big deal out of what they see, even though statistically much worse has had happened then what they saw yet they only cringe for the visually disturbing but not for the one which is statistically heart-breaking.

More kids have died in much worse ways than this.

If you truly like Allama Iqbals poetry, wake the heck up and exceed the limitations imposed by human experience.

 

[CosmicPathos]

'seeking knowledge from the cradle to the grave'

is that for religious knowledge or secular knowledge?

 

[M.I.A.]

times like these i hope there actually is a god.

because i dont know what the hell is going on.

mischief maker or the oppressed?

...allah swt knows best.

even that does not help sometimes, no?


one thing is for sure, the guns make the decisions apparently.

 

[CosmicPathos]

times like these i hope there actually is a god.

because i dont know what the hell is going on.

mischief maker or the oppressed?

...allah swt knows best.

even that does not help sometimes, no?


one thing is for sure, the guns make the decisions apparently.

And they have made the decisions since we emerged from Africa.

 

[CosmicPathos]

Those retards have no fear of Allah. THEY ARE NOT MUSLIMS!!! No Muslim with fear of Allah in their heart would attack an innocent child or a female!

Mind you, murder is not an act of kufr. You calling a murderous Muslim a kaafir takes you outside the fold of Islam.

 

[جوري]

is that for religious knowledge or secular knowledge?

Ah, but do you not believe that all knowledge leads to theological query?

times like these i hope there actually is a god.

how interesting.. and at the same time unfortunate!

best,

 

[جوري]

Mind you, murder is not an act of kufr. You calling a murderous Muslim a kaafir takes you outside the fold of Islam.

akhi,



There are 2 types of kufr, Kufr akbar (major kufr) and kufr asghar (minor kufr).

There are different types of kufr (disbelief) as well as different levels. While shirk is the unforgivable sin and falls into the category there are minor kufr.

Examples of Kufr: "Cursing a Muslim is sinful and fighting him is disbelief." (Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree)

"Two things in people are disbelief: speaking ill about the lineage of others and wailing over the dead." (Saheeh Muslim)

"Whoever makes an oath by other than Allaah has committed disbelief." (Sunan Abu Daawood)

"Whoever cohabits with a menstruating woman, enters a woman from her rectum, or goes to a fortune-teller has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad." (Sunan Abu Daawood)

"And do not detest/hate your fathers, for that is disbelief from you."


"And whoever does not judge by what Allaah has revealed, then they are the disbelievers." (5:44)


Ibn Abbaas said: "It is not the kufr that takes one out of the religion. Rather when he does it then it is [an act of] disbelief, and he is not like the one who disbelieves in Allaah and the Last Day" and Taawoos said the same and Ataa said: "It is disbelief less than disbelief, oppression less than oppression and rebellion less than rebellion."

There are many others, the prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) was not narrated to have called anyone a kaafir, merely he used to say that if one does such and such action then he would fall into kufr. In addition, one is excused if they did anything in ignorance, accident or was forced. "Error, forgetfulness and what is forced are removed as sins from my nation." (Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree)

I don't know all the different types of kufr and their level as i don't have knowledge on the matter but i'm sure brother Ansar or others will address your questions.

Relevant Information
http://www.islamicboard.com/miscellaneous/28519-what-things-make-muslim-kaffir.html

At any rate I am inclined more to sister Endymion's comments on the matter than anything else posted here!

 

[CosmicPathos]

Ah, but do you not believe that all knowledge leads to theological query?

It also leads to atheism ....

Nothing wrong with scientific pursuits if the intention is to help humanity or to explore wondrous creation of Allah ... but most scientists happen to be non-believers despite having such theological query. So one's emaan can be endangered by such pursuits. Tread carefully. Wallahu aalim.

 

[M.I.A.]

Ah, but do you not believe that all knowledge leads to theological query?



how interesting.. and at the same time unfortunate!

best,

dont get me wrong i know there is a god.

and i know nothing lasts in flesh and bone.

and maybe there is no changing who we are and how we act.

so why the book?

i mean its like a roomfull or lawyers needing a suicide bomber to convict somebody.. maybe they should seek a new career path.

or a better education system.

 

[CosmicPathos]

akhi,



There are 2 types of kufr, Kufr akbar (major kufr) and kufr asghar (minor kufr).

There are different types of kufr (disbelief) as well as different levels. While shirk is the unforgivable sin and falls into the category there are minor kufr.

Examples of Kufr: "Cursing a Muslim is sinful and fighting him is disbelief." (Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree)

"Two things in people are disbelief: speaking ill about the lineage of others and wailing over the dead." (Saheeh Muslim)

"Whoever makes an oath by other than Allaah has committed disbelief." (Sunan Abu Daawood)

"Whoever cohabits with a menstruating woman, enters a woman from her rectum, or goes to a fortune-teller has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad." (Sunan Abu Daawood)

"And do not detest/hate your fathers, for that is disbelief from you."


"And whoever does not judge by what Allaah has revealed, then they are the disbelievers." (5:44)


Ibn Abbaas said: "It is not the kufr that takes one out of the religion. Rather when he does it then it is [an act of] disbelief, and he is not like the one who disbelieves in Allaah and the Last Day" and Taawoos said the same and Ataa said: "It is disbelief less than disbelief, oppression less than oppression and rebellion less than rebellion."

There are many others, the prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) was not narrated to have called anyone a kaafir, merely he used to say that if one does such and such action then he would fall into kufr. In addition, one is excused if they did anything in ignorance, accident or was forced. "Error, forgetfulness and what is forced are removed as sins from my nation." (Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree)

I don't know all the different types of kufr and their level as i don't have knowledge on the matter but i'm sure brother Ansar or others will address your questions.

Relevant Information
http://www.islamicboard.com/miscellaneous/28519-what-things-make-muslim-kaffir.html

At any rate I am inclined more to sister Endymion's comments on the matter than anything else posted here!

Thanks for correction. Murder could be an act of minor kufr as you posted but it does not make one a kaafir, even though it is one of severest sins whose punishment is eye for an eye.

w salam

 

[جوري]

It also leads to atheism ....

Nothing wrong with scientific pursuits if the intention is to help humanity or to explore wondrous creation of Allah ... but most scientists happen to be non-believers despite having such theological query. So one's emaan can be endangered by such pursuits. Tread carefully. Wallahu aalim.

Indeed, the line of reasoning that leads to God is the same one that leads away and I think we all need to go there, or we'll be worshipping on the edge because we found our forefathers on that path.

Once more. Sr. Endymion's comments here are the ones that I find myself most inclined to believe..

 

[CosmicPathos]

It wasn't the police.There are some agencies working and making the way of drone attacks firm in this area.According to the interviews of tribal people,there are no Taliban nor terrorist neither they kill people or harm them.In tribal system,all the people of valley are known to each other and there is no stranger.Drones keep killing innocent people and the paid people of these agencies attack people in the name of Taliban to give reason to drones.There are thousands of women in tribal areas having education without any fear,why don't Taliban kill them?And who those agencies are paid by?Indian currency and American dollar might answer this question.

I agree with this, this might be a possibility. But why the need to justify that women are getting education, as to please the kaafirs? Believe it or not, Taliban in Afghanistan did prohibit women from going out to schools cuz they stated it was times of war and education was not laazim o malzoom in such circumstances.

Same can be said about modern day swat.

My best friend who is a solider and a physician in Pakistani army lost his colleague to an IED in Swat recently. These are not times of peace.

 

[جوري]

did prohibit women from going out to schools cuz they stated it was times of war and education was not laazim o malzoom in such circumstances.

I believe they'd home schooling or so I'd heard or learned from youtube, going outside however is very dangerous.
I hate absolutely detest what the kaffirs have done to Afghanistan over the centuries.. for all the Afghan successes against invaders, they've always been a center of kaffir greed and I fear they've never fully recovered one prolonged war after the next and one puppet regime after the next..

 

[جوري]

To add to that the Afghans can't even go to weddings or funerals out of fear of being droned and the same situation in Yemen and Iraq. American drones don't distinguish between those baaaaaaaaaaad taliban and regular civilians so they all become as Madeline not so bright said collateral damage!

 

[joboman24]

so sad. is this the way to go for everyone who opposes the taliban's version of islam? What is this logic of killing people for disagreeing with your version of your life. what happened to live and let live? Is it really that hard to coexist and let people just lead their life regardless of what they want to believe in or learn.

 

[joboman24]

To add to that the Afghans can't even go to weddings or funerals out of fear of being droned and the same situation in Yemen and Iraq. American drones don't distinguish between those baaaaaaaaaaad taliban and regular civilians so they all become as Madeline not so bright said collateral damage!

True, but at least this is unintentional killing rather than intentional killings by the taliban. Certainly more justifiable from a moral standpoint but horrible nonetheless.

 

[~Zaria~]

is that for religious knowledge or secular knowledge?

Assalamu-alaikum,

This is a discussion in its own right. I think the following article addresses it very well.
MashaAllah.

Islam and the Pursuit of Worldly Knowledge
It is not about making a choice

By Shaykh Salman al-Oadah
​

Many young men and women in our colleges and universities have abandoned the pursuit of studies like medicine and engineering.

They presume that such studies will not benefit them in the Hereafter. I have heard them complain that their studies are a curse upon them and it would be better for them to study Islamic knowledge than what they are wasting their lives pursuing.

These young people are operating under the misconception that the study worldly knowledge are technology are somehow in conflict with Islam. They feel that their worldly studies keep them away from being truly devout and close to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala. At the very least, they feel that the pursuit of such knowledge is encouraged by Islam and that there would be no sin or censure upon the Muslims for neglecting it.

Islam calls us to seek knowledge in the broadest sense of the word. The Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wasalam said: ‘Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.’ [Sunan Ibn Majah]

Islam gives preference to a knowledgeable person over an ignorant one. Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala says:

“Say: ‘Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know?’”

[Soorah al-Zumar :9] ​

There are around 750 verses in the Qur’aan that encourage us to think about the universe that surrounds us and all that has been created within it and placed at our disposal. The study of the universe is indisputably the domain of the natural sciences.​

Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala says the following:

“Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the Earth; in the alternation of the night and the day; in the sailing of the ships through the ocean for the profit of mankind; in the rain which Allaah sends down from the skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the change of the winds, and the clouds which they trail like their slaves between the sky and the earth;- (Here) indeed are Signs for a people who have sense.”

[Soorah al-Baqarah, 2:164]​

“Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the Earth, and the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for people who have understanding.”

[Soorah Aali-Imraan, 3:190] ​

“And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the Earth, and the variations in your languages and your colors: verily in that are Signs for those who know.”

[Soorah Room 30:22]​

“It is He who makes the stars (as beacons) for you, that ye may guide yourselves, with their help, through the dark spaces of land and sea: We detail Our signs for people who know.”

[Soorah al-An‘aam 6:97]​

The first verse to be revealed to the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was a verse commanding him to read. For this reason, scholars have declared knowledge to be the first obligation held upon a legally accountable person.

The first thing that a person is required to have knowledge of, of course, is Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala, His religion, and His revelation. However, this obligation ultimately embraces all useful knowledge, since the first step in any area is to have knowledge about it.

How can it be acceptable for us as Muslims – the people commanded before anything else to read – to go down the road of ignorance and give up competing with the other nations of the Earth in the pursuit of knowledge?

How can we do so especially at a time when they are the ones excelling in every field of human knowledge without the benefit of our heritage and our faith that encourage us to do so?

What bridge will help us to span the distance between the pure truth of our sacred texts and the miserable state of ignorance and misunderstanding that besets the lives and the mindset of the Muslim world?

Knowledge is of two kinds:

religious knowledge and

worldly knowledge.​

Worldly knowledge includes all branches of knowledge by which we acquire through our human experience and interaction with the universe that surrounds us. We acquire this knowledge by investigating and contemplating the patterns and laws that exist in nature.

The study of science and technology is of utmost importance to the upliftment of nations and civilizations. The Muslim world is in desperate need of this knowledge. No one who has eyes can fail to see how weak we are in this area, in spite of the emphasis that Islam puts upon it. Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala says in more than one place in the Qur’aan:

“It is He who has produced you from the Earth and settled you therein.” ​

Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala is telling us that He has made us to live on Earth for the duration of our lives and we are supposed to develop it, cultivate it, and thrive in it. How are we expected to do this if we do not know what will better our lives and what will bring harm to us?

Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala says:

“And when the Prayer is finished, then may you disperse through the land, and seek of the bounty of Allaah: and celebrate the praises of Allaah often that you may prosper.”

[Soorah al-Jumu‘ah 62:10]​

Here Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala is talking about commerce, investment, and economic development.

Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala says:

“It is He who has made the Earth manageable for you, so traverse through its tracts and enjoy of the sustenance which He furnishes: but unto Him is the Resurrection.”

[Soorah al-Mulk 67:15] ​

This verse alludes to agriculture, land development, and traveling in search of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala’s bounty.

The Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:

‘If the Final Hour arrives while one of you has a sapling in his hand and he can finish planting it before standing up, then he should do so.’

[Musnad Ahmad]​

In the field of medicine, the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:

‘Every disease has a remedy. If the remedy is applied to the disease, the patient will be cured by Allaah’s permission.’

[Saheeh Muslim] ​

He also said:

‘Allaah did not send down a disease without sending down a cure for it.’

[Saheeh al-Bukhaari]​

A desert dweller once asked the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam:

‘What type of people are the best?’​

The Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam replied:

‘The best of them in moral character.’​

The man then asked:

‘O Messenger of Allaah, should we seek medical treatment?’​

The Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam replied:

‘Seek medical treatment, for truly Allaah as not send down a disease without sending down a cure for it. Those who have knowledge of the cure know it, and those who are ignorant of it do not.’

[Musnad Ahmad]​

The Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam referred to medical knowledge as knowledge and to a lack of it as ignorance. He encouraged us to use our minds and our resources to seek out the cures to the diseases that plague us by telling us that those cures are out there for us to discover and make use of.

How can a people who profess this religion and follow these texts be content to remain steeped in illiteracy and ignorance while other nations who do not share our legacy are progressing by leaps and bounds?

This is something surprising indeed!

The pursuit of any field of useful worldly knowledge, in principle, is an obligation that does not fall on everyone’s shoulders. As long as a sufficient number of people in society take it up, everyone else can follow other pursuits. However, today it is becoming more and more of an individual obligation. We live in an age of unprecedented technological challenge and we are witnessing a Muslim incapacity that is quite startling.

The nations of the West are improving their knowledge and their application of it night and day in order to dominate the nations that surround them. We have been reduced to the lamentable state of dependency, especially in the fields of medicine, engineering, and manufacturing technology.

It is not possible for the Muslim world to be an example for others to follow unless it strong and able to move forward. Many people are turned off by Islam because of the sorry state that they see the Muslims in – their economic backwardness, the misconceptions and falsehoods that plague them, and their intellectual and spiritual shortcomings.​

Al-Shatibi and a number of other scholars jurisprudence, Islamic Law tell us that Islam has come to safeguard five universal needs: religion, life, lineage, property, and reason. Some scholars have claimed that this is a matter of juristic consensus.

It is not possible to safeguard these five universal needs effectively without possessing accurate scientific knowledge and being able to employ it properly to defend the faith and bring about worldly prosperity. Medicine, for instance, is a way to preserve life by safeguarding our bodies from illness. This is why our pious predecessors had so much respect for medicine. Some quote Imaam al-Shafi’ rahimahullaah as saying:

“Knowledge is only of two kinds: religious knowledge and worldly knowledge. The knowledge that belongs to the domain of religion is Islamic Law and the knowledge that belongs to the domain of worldly matters is medicine.”​

He is also quoted as saying:

“After knowledge of what is lawful and prohibited, I know of no knowledge to be nobler than medicine, except that the People of the Scripture have outdone us in that field.” ​

It is said that he expressed his regret for the Muslims’ neglect medical knowledge by saying:

“They have neglected a third of all knowledge and left it to the Jews and Christians.”​

[Quotes taken from al-Razi, Adab al-Shafi’ wa Manakibuh]​

A student cannot help but notice that there is an experimental approach to the worldly sciences. It is an approach of applying astute and rigorous analysis to meticulous and time-consuming observations. This methodology comes under the Qur’aanic injunction for us to reflect upon the universe. Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala says:

“Those who remember Allaah standing and sitting and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the Earth (saying): Our Lord! Thou hast not created this in vain! Glory be to Thee; save us then from the chastisement of the fire:”

[Soorah Aali-Imraan 3:191] ​

If a person has a sincere and wholesome intention for pursuing this knowledge, it will have a positive effect on his faith. It will reinforce the textual evidence for the existence of the Almighty Creator. It also assists in our better appreciating the scientific allusions given by the Qur’aan, which emphasizes its miraculous nature. This is a good way of calling non-Muslims to Islam and of strengthening the faith of the believers.

An economist can give support to Islam’s interest-free economic system in a way that a scholar of Islamic law never could. Islamic teachings came only to protect human life from going astray and to encourage productivity and work, so much so that wholesome, productive work is recognized as a sublime virtue and an act of devotion.

Using the proper means – the natural causes – to get things done is part of our faith and creed. Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala says:

“Verily We established his power on earth, and We gave him the ways and the means to all ends. One (such) way he followed.”

[Soorah al-Kahf 18:84-85] ​

Failure to use proper means is, in effect, a deprecation of Islamic teachings. Whoever gives thought to the guidance of the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam will easily see how he took the needed practical steps to achieve his aims, from the time of his emigration until the time of his death.

Advancements in science and technology are among the ways and means to achieve the upliftment of the Muslim world. Much of the backwardness and many of the defeats that from which we have been suffering is but the result of our lagging behind in scientific knowledge, our paucity of general understanding, and our inability to appreciate the true relationship between cause and effect.

Muslim history abounds with examples of scientific and cultural ingenuity. The Muslims inherited the knowledge of the nations that came before them and developed it and placed it in the context of a precise moral framework. Muslim scholarship made a vital contribution to the enrichment and advancement of human civilization.

Sadly, there are serious shortcomings in or efforts to teach the Muslims that the Qur’aan is concerned with these sciences that give humanity the ability to benefit from the world around them. It is indeed from Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala’s wisdom behind placing humanity up on Earth that we would develop it and cultivate it.

As I have already said, our lagging behind in scientific knowledge has made us as Muslims dependent on others. Equally, we meet with considerable difficulties when we try to build productive relationships and nurture cooperation between our scientists and Islamic scholars. There is a wide gulf between these two fields of knowledge, as if one has absolutely no bearing upon the other. The truth is, these two fields of knowledge have a complementary relationship. The fruits of scientific enquiry are in harmony with what the Qur’aan says about our role in developing the Earth and benefiting from it in every way.

We should mention that our lagging behind in science and technology while the West is progressing at a fantastic pace has a damaging effect on our mental health and on our determination. This is painfully true when it comes to our youth. It makes us feel defeated in front of the West, as if we have no contribution to make. Such a state of affairs ultimately leads to an erosion of our moral values. Our people start to believe that the West is the ideal that must be followed and emulated in every way, even when it comes to the low moral standards that the West itself suffers from.

Our youth must be made aware of these truths. They must know the extent of the danger that surrounds the Muslim world and what must be done for our upliftment.

Islam demands from us a sincere and mighty effort to achieve growth and development, first and foremost to please our Lord, and secondly to realize our own welfare in both our worldly and religious lives.

We must prevent ourselves from melting away in front of the challenges that confront us in this era of globalization.

 

[CosmicPathos]

Interesting article. I do agree that Quran calls upon pondering.

". We have been reduced to the lamentable state of dependency, especially in the fields of medicine, engineering, and manufacturing technology."

I disagree. Muslim nations have many doctors and many engineers. Doctors and engineers do not usually create new knowledge, unless they are involved in research projects. Moreover, medicine and engineering are professional careers while doing science research as a tenured professor is not a "career" in traditional sense but a way of living life. There is a reason why most Noble Prize winners in Medicine are PhDs and are rarely MDs.

If Muslims need to become dominant, they need to develop basic scientists, cosmologists, physicists, biologists, chemists, astronomers, so on and so forth.