Pakistan's Universities - Problems and Solutions

Re: # 56
Each time you say Algorithm or Algebra you are talking about my man Khwarizmi.

Ans: Does that implies, this guy was the origin of the knowledge. Modern world has nice system of patenting. If, India had petented its mathematical knowledge base. It would have the richest country in the world ( number system will fetch money from each piece of computer - both H/W and S/W).

Re: # 73
silly african americans who are anxious to prove that the ancient egyptians were negroes, or get all excited over their ancestor who invented the tooth pick,

Ans: That is correct.

Re: # 99

mecca math

.... muslims might have invented algebra and the vacum cleaner, but it is evident that mo of mecca couldn't do simple arithmetic ..... i know, i know, he was an ummi who never went to school, but that is no excuse for a man who talked to winged angels and flew on winged horses :

here is what a good christian mathmetician at liberty university came up with:


(Koran 4:11)
Allah directs you as regards your children's
(Inheritance): to the male a portion equal to
that of two females: if only daughters, two or
more, Their share is two-thirds of the inheritance;
if only one, her, share is a half.
For parents, a sixth share of the inheritance to
each, if the deceased left children; if no
children, and the parents are the heirs, the
mother has a third; if the deceased left brothers
the mother has a sixth...

(Koran 4:12)
In what your wives leave, your share is a half,
if they leave no child; but if they leave a child,
ye get a fourth; after payment of legacies and
debts. In what ye leave, their share is a fourth,
If ye leave no child; but if ye leave a child, they
get an eighth; after payment.

(Koran 4:176)
...If it is a man that dies, leaving a sister
but no child, she shall have half the inheritance:
If a woman dies and leaves no child, her brother
takes her inheritance: If there are two sisters,
they shall have two-thirds of the inheritance.
If there are brothers and sisters, the male takes
twice the share of the female.

Let us suppose that a man dies and leaves behind three daughters, two parents and his wife. According to the verses stated above the three daughters together will receive 2/3 of the share, the parents will receive 1/3 of the share and the wife will receive 1/8 of the share.

Do the math once again: 2/3 + 1/3 + 1/8 = 9/8 = 1.125. The distribution of the property adds up to more than the available property! How can this distribution be possible? Once again Mohammed displays his inability to add. Well, if a person can't add integers then it is unprobable that he would know how to add fractions.

Another example: A man dies and leaves behind his mother, his wife and two sisters. According to what Mohammed has stated in Koran 4:11-12 and 4:176 the mother will receive 1/3 of the property, the wife will receive 1/4 of the property and the sisters will receive 2/3 of the property.

Let us add up the fractions again: 1/3 + 2/3 + 1/4 = 5/4 = 1.25 and once again it adds up to more than the available property.

........... so, a good muslim can give away a buck and a quarter even though you only have a buck .......that beats the heck out of turning water into wine ..... subhanallah ! ... or, should i say, "verily, we are doomed"

Also, the law works as a system, not individual laws applied in a vacuum. Each law is applied with reference to other laws. It is the responsibility of the man to provide for his family according to Islamic law.So first eliminate this Islamic practise based on the modern consition that women work too, so a man is not respnsible for running the house .. but this is ISlamically and culturally impossible .. so if you start dishing out equal shares to your children, you are being unfair.

As far as wills are concerned, as a last resort even in traditional sunni Islam you can give all your money to one child - it is not recommended - but I gather it is allowed. So if the situation is that bad ad your sons have forsaken you (aalaa Baghban isstyle) then you can bar them from your money by giving it to your daughter before you die.

And Allah knows best.

tahmed32 I understand your concern, but as a few others have pointed out, contextualizing leads to numerous problems.
The problem with Pakistan is that the best minds have set their eyes on lucrative professions such as engineering, law, IT etc. and not many intelligent people study the traditional Islamic sciences. As a result we are short of spokesmen for traditional Islam .. add to this the mallah culture and you have a serious problem on your hands. In this situation people with very shoddy credentials are taken as experts and their understanding is not sound. One can only hope that more of our educated class will get involved in traditional ISlamic education and convey to the generations to come the soundness of that understanding.

This obsession with reform is really misplaced. In the west scholars like Hamza Yusuf, Abdal Hakim Murad, Dr Umar Faruq, Abdullah Bin Bayyah etc. have been able to make such a huge impact. If you are interested check out my blog where I have
excellent links. You will find your questions answered there.

dilsenomad.wordpress.com

sattar: In #91, it is the "how" I am proposing, not (as you assume) the "what" with respect to issues of inheritance.

GT: Look forward to your take on this. However, in examining the issue, please keep in mind what I wrote at the end in bold: " I wont solve the problem - but will end this post by merely pointing to HOW it should be solved: i.e. by a democratically elected national assembly that is bound not by narrow and selective interpretions of the Quran (sharia), but by the broad principles of justice and protection of the weak. "

Thus - in Pakistan, mullahs have been pushing for "shariah" laws for decades. And where they have succeeded (hadood, blasphemy), they have been passed not after free and open debate in a proper parliament (as such important matters should be), but by the stroke of a pen by the scoundrel Zia. And the results are there for too see: the above-mentioned Quranic principles of justice and protection of the weak have been assaulted in the name of Islam!!

That is why it is so important to keep in mind what I wrote above - about the PROCESS (the "how" noted above) is important.

Re #91: Similar reasoning would suggest that Quranic restrictions on pork and wine too are circumstantial and should be done away with. Of course, hygiene codes would ensure cleanliness in pork consumption and legal codes would serve to quell alcohol abuse.

Your view would come across as more genuine if you agree that enjoying a pork chop with a glass of wine is not against Quranic guidance.

While Quran readily grants flexibility in application of its principles, dismissing these principles altogether … in the name of Islam … remains a far-fetched notion.

Tahmed sahib:

" the logic would be to bring laws up to date and give equal amounts to sons and daughters."

Not necessarily!!!! Maybe I should write something about these laws when I have time.

#76 Posted by Urstruly

Urstruly,

Thanks a ton for the reference. I shall read it soon.

welcome dilsenomad..pls visit unplugged section too.

dilsenomad #81: greetings my friend to chowk.
on inheritance laws. The Quranic statement of "2 parts to boys and 1 to girls) is not a principle of itself. Rather, it is the application of a broader principle of justice and protection of the weak that is emphasized in the Quran.

Under the conditions you mention (i.e. boys responsible for parents in old age), you say boys should get twice what girls get. Even under these assumptions, to me it is a weak argument - the two to one ratio is arbitrary and the assumption is very weak indeed (as discussed below).

Let us apply your rule in practice: As a moments reflection on examples you know of will no doubt tell you, he reality is that it is often the daughter who takes care of the parents in old age rather than the son. The 2-1 rule works against in the opposite direction to the one you mention!!


So, does one stick to the application of a principle even if common sense tells us that it in facts works to the detriment of the broader principle? Or does one modify the application to suit reality? Common sense would tell us that in this case, the parent may wish to reward the daughter for taking care of them in their old age by leaving behind their home to one child alone. Or perhaps the parents may wish to reward a poor servant who has served them in their old age, while their own children ignored them? (I am sure you will find such cases in Pakistan - I know a few such unfortunate cases myself).

So, using your example, what is the solution?

In the US and other countries with strong legal frameworks, "Wills" are an obvious and effective means for older people to reward those who were kind to them, rather than being forced to give to other individuals who may be their sons but didnt care for them. But..Pakistan has a very weak legal framework (despite our noble lawyers and Chief Justice now languishing in house arrest as they refuse to bow to the demands of the rogue general musharraf). Even BB's "Will" was not made public, and thus could well have been a concocted document!!

So - we have to use our heads and try to come up with a proper solution. I wont solve the problem - but will end this post by merely pointing to HOW it should be solved: i.e. by a democratically elected national assembly that is bound not by narrow and selective interprettions of the Quran (sharia), but by the broad principles of justice and protection of the weak.

Dearest Uncle,
In me you will find somebody who thinks on the same lines .. somebody for whom the Quran is the first source. Where I differ with you is only that I tend to focus on some of the problems we are facing .. specially our youth who have lost a sense of direction and purpose.I am at the same time full of hope, but am cognizant of the effort that is required to make a stand against the cultural imperialism.

From my negative comments you took the wrong idea and your comments were out of taste. In any case I apologize for giving you the wrong impression.

And Allah knows best.

Re: # 83

The video is not doctored. Just exchange a few posts with hamidm and you find yourself scratching your head.

Re: # 83

The video is not doctored. Just exchange a few posts with hamidm and you find yourself scratching your head.

Re: # 85

Cultural imperialism is indeed a reality. That was not my point.

God(SWT) Law does not Allow cultures that are full of beauty, mercy, kindness, and what not to be easily destroyed. People who have those attributes are also blessed with courage and bravery, something I have been search for with a microscope since I was old enough to think.

Before a people are physicaly defeated, they have morally defeated themselves long time ago. And always entirely of their own efforts, without any help from outsiders.

Unwillingness to search history for reasons of moral decay of peoples/civilization is a symptom of mental laziness where it comes much easier to blame others for one's own faults. It must be caused by deliberate, or induced, amnesia/dementia, which seems to me to a structural problem better addressed by a neurologist.

... Or, perhaps, uncle learnt his principles from a different book (but I only had access to an Arabic Qur'an with translations). Perhaps you can tell me where you learnt yours?