Is this Amnesia or Dementia? Re: # 59 taqwa and khushu is exclusively used as for being mindful of God and being cautious to stay on the right course. Khauf is exclusively used for such as fear of worldly things, an example I gave earlier.

There is no possibility of confusing the two concepts in the original. When I get time I will write an article on that, where I will show count for each of these words.

Also, many are totally confused about the concept of 'submission'. In the same way as they are confused about 'fear'. Again, being brief, as I don't have time right now,

'submission' is to identify the egoistic part of your nature/your self/your psyche and bring into in alignment with the universal Tao.

Nothing was meant to bow to this or that thing. Topic of my second article. As Shakespeare said, “It is neither good nor bad, but thinking makes it so”

Is this Amnesia or Dementia? Four different Arabic words in Quran are translated into English as ‘Fear’.
Taqwa, khushu, rahab and khauf.

When someone like laddu talks about fear of God, they are interpreting it as the last one which is not used in Quran in that way.

Khauf (same as borrowed by Urdu) has been used for example in the following verse:
“whosoever follows My guidance, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” 2:38 (Yousaf Ali’s translation)

The other words like 'taqwa' and 'khushu' are in the sense of trembling of the heart in encountering the infinitely mystical universe and at the thought of its creator – it is humbling of the heart. It is seeking for the truth and staying on the path for that search. It is the striving to avoid the pitfalls which are at our right, left, and centre.

These words have much more deeper, elegant and mystical meaning than it is normally understood by the word ‘fear’. Some have translated it as ‘being conscious of creator’ ‘being in awe’ 'righteousness' and 'self restraint' and such. (my own preference is for 'mindful')

The best way to understand it is to read all the 274 (to my count) verses where these words occur which are translated as ‘fear’ and then see what sense it makes in all those contexts. You may even find that often those words are used without saying 'fear God or Allah' but translators have made it 'fear Allah' e.g., 2.63. It just says "...ma feehi laAAallakum tattaqoona", which could be translated as 'so you may stay mindful'. but Yousaf Ali say "perchance, ye may fear Allah"

The accepted scholarly procedure to understand an original when translations cannot do the job is to see that concept in all its occurrence in the original and then extract meaning from that. If anyone would do that with the so called concept of 'fear' they will just stand in awe of the grace and profundity of these words.

Is this Amnesia or Dementia? Dear Tahir Javaid,
I am happy to see your article published on FP. I am happy on many accounts but I will count only a couple.
First, I am happy and relieved to see that I can give a real name to ‘A nick’ (I am not saying you have millions of nicks). When you are addressing a nick instead of a real name, something feels missing and a bit gawky. I may sound old fashioned but it is personal opinion and I am old fashioned. So for me it was a great relief to know that ‘hurricane’ is not a storm but a person.
Second, … well, I am happy to see an article of yours instead of iLogs and what not.
As far as merits of the articles are concerned, as a special favour, I am sparing you all the literary criticism for which I feel a doomed urge whenever and whatever I read, but mostly now I restrain myself in order not to make too many enemies. Life is too short for that.
Now, by this I don’t mean to imply any negative criticism – you write well – by criticism I mean giving positive feedback. You have made some good points and I applaud you for that. However, the conclusion sounds like a psychotherapy session of a sort. Moreover, the conclusion of hoping that hope will allow us to escape from escapism is a hope that is hopeless.
It is idealism.
To formulate the ideals to which we must strive is a good exercise but the key is to know the ‘how’ of achieving those ideals. And that is where the rub is.
(I mean Shakespearean / Hamletian ‘rub’ - not your and my Rubbul alameen)
Keep up the good work,
Mutaal Mooquin

Musharraf and Me Re: # 48 nkg, both imperatives are unlikely to happen. Idealism does not work. So sad.

Musharraf and Me Re: # 45 majumdar; to be 110% honest, I do not read a lot on chowk, so I don't know if there is a propaganda existing on chowk. I recall the material I know in my youth years and the common sense which can glean the truth even without much material. I have lost all those reference books, so I can only recall that historically it can be proved that it were these feudal who wanted Pakistan, because Congress had land reforms in his program. Events after events prove how these people supported it and how ordinary people were duped by their emotions. I really do not want to discuss all this. It is very painful what happened in 1947 (and even more painful that so few people realize its long erm consequences in whole of this region) and no one ever ever can convince me otherwise. I hear even today the screams of people fleeing their homelands and .... (no words can describe all that through which people to have go through - for what??????????????) - no I don't want to talk about it.

My Dear President Musharraf HP - just a note of appreciation on your comments; always enlightening

Global Warming: Green with Controversy Re: # 4 & 5, nkg, majumdar
absolutely, without making fundamnetal changes in our way of thinking, in our way of liviing and in our behaviours, all other solutions are ad hoc solutions and will not hold. Consequence of humanity's actions are staring back right in the eyes. If we do not take the chllange we are doomed. But who listens in this fast paced, greeed insipired, ego centric world. We can only keep doing our part, little by little, that is all we can do and must do. Thanks for your feedback.

Global Warming: Green with Controversy Re: # 3 Delirium, well said. I appreciate your perceptive take on the CO2 question. The claim that excessive CO2 is beneficial is not only doubtful it is ludicrous and shocking. It is a bait for the simple minded people like the one I cited. It is misleading to say the least and at its worst is criminal. The big corporations are spending millions to spread misinformation. Greed, greed, greed. All boils down to that.
The other point you mentioned about balance is the key point. Nature / universe runs on fine balance. From a tiny cell of living being to most complex systems in the universe every thing runs on a fine balance. (I don’t want to sound religious here but I cannot help recalling 55: 7-8 where Quran says, it is all on a balanced scale, so take caution to not disturb this balanced scale - this verse has so stayed with me for its profound wisdom).
Human tragedy can be summed up in one notion - that is, we have not learned to stay on a balanced course (here again, balanced course is more apt translation of 'siratul mustaqueem than the straight path - all Urdu readers know qaim and mustaqueem have same roots).
I was also enthralled to understand this fine balance in case of CO2. If CO2 in that tiny amount was not there earth will be inhabitable as it will freeze. But excess of it will make it inhabitable too. The fine balance.
And we still don't know the balance of oceans - the big unknown as the scientists warns us.
Thanks for your comments and compliment.

My Dear President Musharraf There cannot be anything more comical and sickening at the same time, than labeling others and pronouncing judgments without giving any argument(re #59)

My Dear President Musharraf bubba, ki janaN meiN kaun

Musharraf and Me I normally do not find enough inspiration to participate in any political discussion. It is all so hopeless. But at this point, I feel urge to share one of my strongest convictions. (so strong that I am posting it on every interact on this topic - directly related or not)
Gosh, how to say it. I will support only that government / party that is sincerely and totally committed to abolish feudalism in Pakistan. That is our key problem. People get excited about this or that leader. People talk about merits and demerits of despicable military rule or corrupt political parties rule. People get ensnare in a bit of hero worship. People get worked up with their emotions and erupt like lavas. But what we forget is the fact that no party, no military rule has ever made the fundamental change in our society; the only fundamental change which will take our country forward is the structural change to break the social and economic grip of bastard feudal lords. It may sound old fashioned classical socialist line, but the fundamentals never change. There is a feudal-military, feudal-political alliances which will never allow this to happen. That is why right from the start, when Jinnah and Liaquat have been murdered, no government have ever taken a single serious step towards liberating the poor masses from their horrible shackles. Even Bhutto, the socialist, even the Musharaf the enlightened one, failed miserably in this respect. The former betrayed the latter ignored. In the final analysis, they (and all others for that matter) were in alliance with those feudal bastards, (knowingly or unknowingly - the games are played in those circles in different ways.) So to hell with all the political parties; to hell with military rule- where country’s daughters and sisters and mothers, if they speak their mind, are raped in the streets and buried alive in the fields. What more despicable portrayal of a country can be than shown in one of Tazeen's iLog. And then people still do not see how it is these feudal bastards who are enemies and - emotions aside - are fundamental problem of Pakistan. With their firm grip on the politics and social fabric they stilt any real growth in culture, economics and arts. It is from that milieu of feudalism from which also all the religious fanaticism flourishes too.
We divided India so that feudal of Punjab, Sindh, Blochistan and NWFP can flourish. We committed horrible crimes in then East Pakistan so that Majeeb could not come to power and break the power of feudalism. We build nukes so feudal can be safe. Hell all. This is real blindness. We don't see the real enemies and are swayed by one or other hero worship. Messiahs will keep coming and leading us nowhere until people are blind and do not see their enemies and their own power. How they will see it. I don't know. If history is any evidence, then it will be through hell of bloodbath.

The Aftermath of Musharraf’s Departure I normally do not find enough inspiration to participate in any political discussion. It is all so hopeless. But at this point, I feel urge to share one of my strongest convictions. (so strong that I am posting it on every interact on this topic - directly related or not)
Gosh, how to say it. I will support only that government / party that is sincerely and totally committed to abolish feudalism in Pakistan. That is our key problem. People get excited about this or that leader. People talk about merits and demerits of despicable military rule or corrupt political parties rule. People get ensnare in a bit of hero worship. People get worked up with their emotions and erupt like lavas. But what we forget is the fact that no party, no military rule has ever made the fundamental change in our society; the only fundamental change which will take our country forward is the structural change to break the social and economic grip of bastard feudal lords. It may sound old fashioned classical socialist line, but the fundamentals never change. There is a feudal-military, feudal-political alliances which will never allow this to happen. That is why right from the start, when Jinnah and Liaquat have been murdered, no government have ever taken a single serious step towards liberating the poor masses from their horrible shackles. Even Bhutto, the socialist, even the Musharaf the enlightened one, failed miserably in this respect. The former betrayed the latter ignored. In the final analysis, they (and all others for that matter) were in alliance with those feudal bastards, (knowingly or unknowingly - the games are played in those circles in different ways.) So to hell with all the political parties; to hell with military rule- where country’s daughters and sisters and mothers, if they speak their mind, are raped in the streets and buried alive in the fields. What more despicable portrayal of a country can be than shown in one of Tazeen's iLog. And then people still do not see how it is these feudal bastards who are enemies and - emotions aside - are fundamental problem of Pakistan. With their firm grip on the politics and social fabric they stilt any real growth in culture, economics and arts. It is from that milieu of feudalism from which also all the religious fanaticism flourishes too.
We divided India so that feudal of Punjab, Sindh, Blochistan and NWFP can flourish. We committed horrible crimes in then East Pakistan so that Majeeb could not come to power and break the power of feudalism. We build nukes so feudal can be safe. Hell all. This is real blindness. We don't see the real enemies and are swayed by one or other hero worship. Messiahs will keep coming and leading us nowhere until people are blind and do not see their enemies and their own power. How they will see it. I don't know. If history is any evidence, then it will be through hell of bloodbath.

My Dear President Musharraf I normally do not find enough inspiration to participate in any political discussion. It is all so hopeless. But at this point, I feel urge to share one of my strongest convictions.
Gosh, how to say it. I will support only that government / party that is sincerely and totally committed to abolish feudalism in Pakistan. That is our key problem. People get excited about this or that leader. People talk about merits and demerits of despicable military rule or corrupt political parties rule. People get ensnare in a bit of hero worship. People get worked up with their emotions and erupt like lavas. But what we forget is the fact that no party, no military rule has ever made the fundamental change in our society; the only fundamental change which will take our country forward is the structural change to break the social and economic grip of bastard feudal lords. It may sound old fashioned classical socialist line, but the fundamentals never change. There is a feudal-military, feudal-political alliances which will never allow this to happen. That is why right from the start, when Jinnah and Liaquat have been murdered, no government have ever taken a single serious step towards liberating the poor masses from their horrible shackles. Even Bhutto, the socialist, even the Musharaf the enlightened one, failed miserably in this respect. The former betrayed the latter ignored. In the final analysis, they (and all others for that matter) were in alliance with those feudal bastards, (knowingly or unknowingly - the games are played in those circles in different ways.) So to hell with all the political parties; to hell with military rule- where country’s daughters and sisters and mothers, if they speak their mind, are raped in the streets and buried alive in the fields. What more despicable portrayal of a country can be than shown in one of Tazeen's iLog. And then people still do not see how it is these feudal bastards who are enemies and - emotions aside - are fundamental problem of Pakistan. With their firm grip on the politics and social fabric they stilt any real growth in culture, economics and arts. It is from that milieu of feudalism from which also all the religious fanaticism flourishes too.
We divided India so that feudal of Punjab, Sindh, Blochistan and NWFP can flourish. We committed horrible crimes in then East Pakistan so that Majeeb could not come to power and break the power of feudalism. We build nukes so feudal can be safe. Hell all. This is real blindness. We don't see the real enemies and are swayed by one or other hero worship. Messiahs will keep coming and leading us nowhere until people are blind and do not see their enemies and their own power. How they will see it. I don't know. If history is any evidence, then it will be through hell of bloodbath.

Global Warming: Green with Controversy Re: # 1 nkg, No doubt we face a myriad of problems. If we are wise enough (collectively) we must know more and more about each of these problems because, our very existence is at stake. To some it may sound like gloom of doomsday scenario. But in my mind there is no doubt where we are heading with our despicable way of living, with greed holding the globe a hostage.
Every locality has its own specific problems and we have to start somewhere. Now I have huge issue with how India and China (as their impact will be the biggest)are seeing the road to progress. It will just add to the pace of global suicide, the process which West started.
Can East not lead the way, or we just monkey others?

Fashion Or Lack Thereof Re: # 14, akcheema, you said, "you guys are indded (indeed) intent on "proving" absolutely anything from the book!! .... and with that level of stupidity, who could argue?" (bold letters by me)
While addressing on this interact, you also lumped every one together. Not all 'you guys' first of all are guys and then not all are saying the same thing. I would appreciate if each point is discussed on point by point basis without over-sweeping generalizations and extrapolations.
1. I don't think MeiraJ08 tried to prove anything. She just referred to a discussion where someone expressed an opinion. It is not a proof, and neither had she presented it as a proof.
2. Your conclusion that there was an attempt to say that ‘everything there is to learn is in Quran’ is without base. You extrapolated that anyone is trying here to prove everything from Quran.
4. Your words choice was in poor taste and your explosion uncalled for. Talking about concept of Divine Feminine is no stupidity and that is all MeiraJ08 did. You could argue on that basis but a lot of generalization and extension and even emotional response, all seems to be irrelevant to say the least.
Regarding God's gender, we must remember, language is just one tool of communication with all the limitations of a tool in the hands of a feeble creature. Even Divine when speaking to that creature has to speak through that tool with all its limitations. Reality is not understood through words alone even if those are Sacred words. Reality is known only by experience. And in the world of experience there is no labeling, there is no gender talk. In fact, there is no talk at all. It is silence – utter and complete - and Lover and Beloved are one.

Sometime ago, I sent the following note while discussing an article on Chowk about God a metaphor. I copy it below as it has some relevance here:

“It is true that when ideas, emotions and realities are not contained by the everyday prosaic language, then the figures of speech such as metaphor, allegory and so on and so forth are employed. It is also true that language must have evolved in time to this higher level of expression and it is important to understand such expression at the proper level of meaning. But (….) neither all the language is metaphor, nor use of a metaphor means that reality is discounted in anyway. Like every other tool, this tool we call language has its uses and its limitation. For proper use of this tool, it is imperative that we can feel that reality to which a linguistic device such as a metaphor points out, and appreciate that for which it stands. Here is an example of a metaphor by John Donne:
“O more than moon,
Draw up not seas to drown me in thy sphere;
Weep me not dead, in thine arms, but forbear
To teach the sea what it may do too soon.
Donne uses the reference to the moon’s control over the tides to create a complex metaphor – Arthur F. Gould”
That to which this complex metaphor points out has a reality which you can only feel through pondering over and appreciating the meaning to which it alludes.”

Fashion Or Lack Thereof I just came back from a walk on this full moon night with the following lines composed. I want to relish in this poetic moment before I say a few words about #14 and ensuing dialogue. Somehow, I think this is opportune to share this moment first:

Divine Feminine

The moon,
The night,
The mount,
The sky,
The path,
Infinity herself
Walked with me
Laughing silently
Leading nowhere
Every “blade of grass”
With silver was awash

And the moon
Full
Hung, buoyantly
Before the cloud
Of thousand shades
And the sky, like a ghost
A symphony played
Of starry tune
And the full moon
Round
Bright
Soft
Plump
Buoyant with glow
Was hung
Like divine feminine undressed
Like earthly woman’s breast