Dr Muhammad Maroof Shah

  By performing the supreme sacrifice of the self one is united with the Eternal, the Infinite. Hussain’s faith or philosophy states in simple words three points. The greatest adventure or meaning of life lies in death. Time and all its games it plays with us are meaningless except in light of the Eternal. We must die seeking justice and liberation of the Proles ( all the oppressed regardless of colour or creed). All these ideals are Socratic ideals, the greatest philosopher- matyr of history. For Socrates the purpose of philosophy is preparation for death. He refused to take allegiance of the corrupt rule or ask for pardon or even exile to escape death sentence. The spirit of his great Apology recalls the lectures delivered by Imam Hussain(a.s) to his family members and the opponent’s army. The point is that one must respect the call of the conscience. And as Socrates asks, who knows that death is a punishment? He says that he owes a cock to Heaven for the favor of taking away

In engaging with the mystery and tragedy of Karbala, such questions as the following are asked: What was God doing when the Prophet’s (PBUH) family suffered a blood-bath? Where is the compensation for the victims? Is there no justice in this world? How can we affirm the whole tragedy without getting profoundly disturbed on moral, aesthetic and religious planes? Isn’t God fully in control and ultimately directing everything towards the Good? If yes, how? Blood, thirst, trampling human dignity – what crime was not committed in Karbala – and still we are required to see divine wisdom? Why is mourning Hussain (AS) such a catharsis if it is pain and sorrow that is relived? How come the mourning procession accomplishes what could be described as an aesthetic miracle for the participants? In order to approach to resolve these questions, let us examine how Nietzsche, one of the most influential of modern philosophers, approached the question of suffering in life, for, it is only at the heigh

Reading Camus and Dostovesky in Muharram. Albert Camus has presented an influential case for what he called metaphysical rebellion, and cited the reign of injustice, innocent suffering, and failure of reason to comprehend the absurdity of experience and slaughter house that history is as validating such a response. Imam Hussain’s encounter with death and finitude, and all the evil that life has to offer, including misery and death of innocents is exactly opposite. However, in terms of concrete action against injustice or evil, both conclude on the same note. Let us read Camus and then try to ask him, and with him the absurd heroes we find everywhere today loitering in the streets and cafes, the question of meaning of the life of martyrdom.       Camus’ case is lucidly argued in The Myth of Sisyphus and The Rebel . He finds no meaning in life – not to speak of in death – and finds that this universe that includes death and suffering of innocents is indifferent or hostile to our a

Looking at the practice of Hijab in the light of modern alternative interpretations. Regarding the issue of veil I have been puzzled by a few questions. Here it goes: Why it evokes strong responses for and against, to the extent that Muslim society is polarized on this Shouldn’t a woman ask herself why a man arrogates to himself the right to advocate for veil, speak in the name of God, and use persuasion or coercion to keep a woman in line with his conception of her body? Why there have hardly been any influential women exegetes, or women fuqaha in our tradition? Have women chosen silence or been silenced? Is the right question today whether women should be veiled or not, or it is of identifying and fighting every symbol of gender injustice imposed in the name of religion? Why particular form of dress becomes an issue impacting sometime sacred relationships like marriage or choice of mate? Today I propose to look at certain influential modernist Muslim interpretations to

Speak of happiness and wine And seek not the riddle of the universe, For no one has, nor will Unveil this mystery through wisdom                                                            (Hafiz) Hafiz, also known as the   Lisan-ul-Ghaib , is considered the greatest poet of the Persian language. Once upon a time, Kashmir also produced great poets and scholars of Farsi , and it was our privileged language, but gradually the Persian colour of our culture has faded. The result is that our new generation is not familiar with the giants that constituted a presence on our literary horizon. In the old times, even illiterate people could quote from the Persian classics. Sa'adi was a part of the syllabus. After reading him at school, one could not afford to be mean and degenerate the way we find illustrated everywhere today. We need to revive the taste for the Persian language and its literature. It constitutes a truly treasured education that many great names across the world advocate. S

They probe life and come up with insights we direly need. Name the best short story or novel in the world literature and one is most likely to answer some writing from Russian literature. By general consensus Tolstoy and Dostoevsky are the greatest novelists. To be the greatest novelist is to be the greatest teacher of life.       We hardly live life; don’t know its beauty, glory and meaning. We are enslaved by what Schopenhauer called Will and live life as if under bondage. We have complaints and grudges against almost everyone; we keep cursing others and even ourselves at times. We come and go without having learnt the meaning of life with all its challenges, guilt, violence, tragedy, horror and countless distractions and games that ego invents to avoid facing reality of nothingness within. The question is “where is life lost in living?” – in vegetating, in complaining, in cursing, in “fret and fever,” in day dreaming, in begging for fame or recognition.       Understanding the

How primordial and universal faith’s claim is and how crucial and fundamental its invitation – and how we are all summoned to respond, willingly or unwillingly, to the call and can’t afford indifference – is seen in a deeper penetration into the meaning of Shahadah or Witnessing. One becomes Muslim by uttering shahadah . The dictum that “by living one religion fully one lives all religions” may be illustrated by noting the deeper meanings of the act of   shahadah .   But first, a few remarks on what witnessing means for metaphysicians and mystics:       The point to note is that we can’t give witness of what we don’t know or have not verified for ourselves in some sense. If we haven’t known God or Unity, how can we be asked to provide witness of the same? A clue to the answer is provided by metaphysicians-Sufis who point to the fact that one of God’s names is   Shahid .   It is really God who witnesses His Own Glory and Beauty or Himself. We also know that God alone is truly exist

Sufism might have theological critiques but literature provides its strongest support and in a way helps dissolve much of now mostly outdated theological critiques of Sufism. Thanks to Urdu Department CUK and Sahityya Academy we had, after much time, a seminar on Sufism and Urdu Literature. Some points that emerged in the papers and discussions may be summed up in the following propositions: Urdu literature from Khusrow till date is informed by Sufi sensibility. No great name in Urdu literature is anti-Sufi and all are to certain extent indebted to Sufism. The world could be saved by better engagement with the mystical or Sufi and especially what is called Quranic Sufism or Ihsan centric narrative. Sufism should be taken as synonymous with spirituality and that is the essence or core of religions. If Sufism becomes philosophy divested from practice and indulges in anti-social and ideologically complicit actions, it should be resisted. Sufism needs to be purged of