"मस्ती में एक
हंसी को
खुदा कह
गया हूँ
में, जो कुछ भी कह
गया वजाकह गया में......."
Was I in love with her?
Maybe not, but she was the most beautiful thing that God created. In an innocent mind of a ten year old God in a hurry often leaves lot of vacant space for many ephemeral love to grow like wild flowers.
Falling in love then though transient, was easy and always pure..
I was about ten then, and every
morning to my school I would pass by the
Mosque of our neighbouring Muslim village .The young Muslim kids having finished their daily lessons of Quran in the Madrassa would return home and get ready for the regular school. This is where I would wait for Abedul, my classmate to join me for school. It had become a
ritual for me .
But it was not Abedul for whom my daily ritual began. It was Rukshana, his sister.
And as the day begins, wanting to get a glimpse of her was like waiting to seeing the morning sun.
But it was not Abedul for whom my daily ritual began. It was Rukshana, his sister.
And as the day begins, wanting to get a glimpse of her was like waiting to seeing the morning sun.
She
must’ve been a few years elder to me. Like all the girls in their pale blue dresses and
the hijabs around their heads, Rukhsana’s flawless rosy face looked just like the
expensive apples in the town fruit seller window, very carefully wrapped in
tissues protecting from even the smallest dent.
She
knew about my crush for her.
I am not sure if Abedul too did. Even if he did he
never mentioned it. That was the advantage of having a friend who wouldn’t want
to embarrass you.
But
Rukshana one day caught me by my ears, teased me to death and said if I
promised to grow up fast she might even think of marrying me. It was my turn to get my cheeks red..redder than those apples !!!
No, Rukhsana didn’t marry me. But even if she had, no one would’ve gone blowing whistles over conversion of any kind.
No, Rukhsana didn’t marry me. But even if she had, no one would’ve gone blowing whistles over conversion of any kind.
An-Najm 53:27
"Indeed,
those who do not believe in the Hereafter name the angels female names".
Then one day there was a celebration at her house for her having completed reading the Quran. She will not have to go to the Madrassa
every morning any more. She and all those kids now are true Muslims.
That was the last day I had seen her.
Like i said before at age ten falling in in love is just transient. But certain feelings do go pinching the heart somewhere. You feel that sweet pain there even in that age. Maybe my eyes did at times inquisitively stopped at Rukshana's little mounds of nascent breasts trying to explore beyond her blue and white robe. But in her face I saw the world.. I learnt what ecstasy was, and in her I found my Khuda, my God….
But Rukshana's face soon went hiding under the dark cover of black Burqa, for now having read the Quran she has become a true Muslim, and in Islam a girl can never be an angel.
That was the last day I had seen her.
Like i said before at age ten falling in in love is just transient. But certain feelings do go pinching the heart somewhere. You feel that sweet pain there even in that age. Maybe my eyes did at times inquisitively stopped at Rukshana's little mounds of nascent breasts trying to explore beyond her blue and white robe. But in her face I saw the world.. I learnt what ecstasy was, and in her I found my Khuda, my God….
But Rukshana's face soon went hiding under the dark cover of black Burqa, for now having read the Quran she has become a true Muslim, and in Islam a girl can never be an angel.
Talking of Angels, I often wondered what language God speaks. He must be multilinguist .
Was Rukshana too one? How else she understood and absorbed the nuances of things said in a poetic form in a language far detached from her mother tongue, and that too at a young age of a preadolescent kid?
Was Rukshana too one? How else she understood and absorbed the nuances of things said in a poetic form in a language far detached from her mother tongue, and that too at a young age of a preadolescent kid?
No poetry in any language can exactly be translated into another and still carry exactly the same essence. Lot of feelings get lost in the process.
Quran is a compilation of verses and is not chronological in it's order. Messages of God recited in verse by Prophet Muhammad were much after his death compiled to become what The Quran today is.
Like all other Holy books,The Quran too is a guideline to Islam.
It
is not a rule book.
The verses were interpreted later by various Caliphs and that became The Hadith, the rule book for practicing Islam. There are not
one but many different books called Ahadists. With every Caliph the
interpretations changed a little bit. Even of today the translations of the
Quran by various scholars differ.
Ayah-Nur.
24:31
their gaze and they should guard their chastity, and not (to)
display their adornment except what is apparent of it.
And let them their head covers over their bosoms,
nd not (to) display their adornment except to their husbands,
or their fathers or fathers (of) their husbands or their sons
or sons (of) their husbands or their brothers or sons (of) their
brothers or sons (of) their sisters, or their women or
what possess their right hands or the attendants having
no physical desire among [the] men or [the] children
who (are) not aware of private aspects (of) the women.
And not let them their feet to make known what they conceal
of their adornment. And turn to Allah altogether
O believers! So that you may succeed”.
This seems to be the word by word translation of
a verse as to how a woman should dress. But as you go thru different versions of translation that followed, the veil told to be drawn over the bosoms
slowly gave way to complete covering of the body except for the eyes, hands and
feet!
So how does one interpret the Quran or any other religious book?
Where do you find the meaning of the Messages of God? It is not in any book interpreted by religious leaders and scholar.
The meaning, the essence and the real message lies with-in you.
To learn and practice any religion one has to first unlearn what has been already taught.
The meaning, the essence and the real message lies with-in you.
