Whenever their is a bomb blast or a suicide bombing anywhere in the world the most likely perpetrators are Muslim youth. Photographs of young men in between their mid-twenties and thirties with small beard or a stubble carrying checked head scarf are a common sight on televisions and newspapers covering news of bombings. What does this indicate ? To any common observer this is a clear indication that the religion which is followed by some 1 billion people and which means peace and submission before the will of God, is the one responsible for all the acts of Terrorism in the world today.

The Terrorism is an act of using mass voilence to create an atmosphere of terror against a country or a select group of people so that they sucumb and the goals are met. If you judge the events taking place around the world according to this defination, impartially, your views are going to change a little. You will suddenly notice that those claimimg to be waging a war against terrorism are themselves involved in this gruesome act. Or you may say that their is war going on around the world between the two parties and none of them is ethical. In General, the ill treatment of Palestinians and Iraqis by the hands of Western Powers have made some of the muslims to believe that they are their enemies and so they have made groups to fight a kind of Gorilla war against them. However it is not sanctioned under Islam. 

Keeping in view the context of the discussion let us find out the relevent teachings of the Quran. Islam like any other religion calls on its followers to wage, a Jihad (see notes), a war against those causing injury, expelling muslims from their homes and not allowing them to practice peacefully but warns them to not to exceed limits (Quran al baqarah verse 190).  It never preaches to declare a war against people following other faiths in fact it tells them to respect them. " God doesn't forbid you from respecting those who have not raged a war against you on account of your religion..." (Quran 60: 8,9). Keeping good relations with ones neighbour is one of the most stressed teaching and that the neighbour can be a muslim or a non muslim. As far as Jihad is concerned Quran says "No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another"  ( Quran al qamar verse 38) means no one should be punished for the crime of his near one, leave alone targetting a whole community for those who have waged a war against the muslims. Furthermore, it is mentioned in holy Quran (al maidah verse 32) that Killing an innocent human being is like killing whole humanity and saving a human being is like saving the humanity. Quran and prophet Muhammed told the muslims that  retalliation is a sin and that God is pleased with those who forgive. Prophet at the time of wars would repeatedly remind the armies to not to harm the women, children and elderly. Islam tells the Non Muslims    " To you be your way and to me mine" " Let their be no compulsion in religion"  ( Quran Al baqarah verse 256)

Question also arises as to who will decide that it is correct time to wage a Jihad. It is an established and elected body representing the Muslims which can decide upon the matters like this, an example is the P.L.O or any other elected government and so any fringe group cannot issue a fatwa to start Jihad even in the times of crisis.

Thus from above mentioned teachings of Quran and Prophet it can be said that killing of masses is not permitted in Islam. Car Bombings, attack over buildings, torture, kidnapping and suicide bombings are not permissible in Islam even in the case of Jihad. Or you can say that a holy war or Jihad can't be waged for narrow political gains and it doesn't authorise killing in the way the terrorists are doing. People like Zawahiri and Bin Laden are not educated in Islam so they neither have the qualification nor the intent and so they easily misinterpret certain verses of Quran which told the muslims of that period to fight against the infidels who had made it difficult for muslims to practice their faith. 

Jihad is defensive and not a weapon to be used to propagate Islam, if that had been a case their would n't be a single non-muslim living in Spain where the muslims ruled for 800 years and rather muslims form just about 2% of the Spain's population. Indonesia the country with highest number of muslims in the world never saw muslim armies on their lands, all the converts were the result of Sufism.

Darul Uloom Deoband the largest Institution of Islamic Studies in India and the second largest in the world on 25th febuary 2008 issued a declaration, in the presence of Islamic Scholars of all the School of Thoughts, denouncing all the forms of terrorism and killing in the name of Islam and declared that people participating in such acts can't  call themselves muslims.  

(Note:Jihad- According to Interpretation of Official Quran, by Custodian of two Holy Mosques, any pain staking effort sacrificing ones greed, person, property or life for leading a virtuous life according to will of God is called Jihad. Mere brutal fighting is opposed to the whole sprit of Jihad, while the sincere scholar's pen or preachers voice or wealthy man's contribution may be the most valueable forms of Jihad.)  

Yasser Iqbal Kidwai                                                                                                     

Constantine I or Constantine the Great  is widely believed as the First Christian Emperor. Traditionally, Romans followed the policy of execution against the Christians. Constantine, coming to power 300 years after the birth of Jesus, announced the policy of tolerance towards Christianity in the Edict of Milan, shortly after becoming ruler, which stopped killing and harassment of the Christians and returned confiscated Church property. It is believed that Constantine anticipated that Christianity was spreading at a fast rate and the Roman Empire would fall into a deeper conflict if it didn’t recognize it. He was also not an undisputed ruler and was threatened continuously by other nobles so he required a group of people who remained dedicated and loyal to him in the most adverse situations; he identified the Christians for this role. Romans by this time must have also realized that Christians were not the traitors as blamed by the Jews and posed no direct threat to Empire. Christians at that time followed the policy of pacifism, not participating in warfare and seeking peaceful resolution of conflicts. Constantine immediately changed the negative approach of earlier Roman Kings who believed that Abstaining from joining the Roman armies, when directed, was a denial to the authority.

Soon, Christianity replaced Traditional Roman Practices, to become the official religion and thus clergy were given high status and there were large scale conversions.The Capital city was changed to Constantinople and it became an important seat of Christian learning. Pagan symbols were replaced but wherever pagans were powerful they were not exactly removed and rather were absorbed into Christianity.

However, Constantine was not so kind for all his subjects. He led an army to kill Donatists Christians, who believed that  who so ever bowed before Romans and compromised do not deserve to be taken into the fold again. He was against them for obvious reasons.

He also called the Council of Nicaea against Arians, the followers of Arius, who don’t believe in the concept of Trinity and thus do not believe that Jesus was divine enough to be called a part of God. He is said to have threatened the priests against voting in favour of Arius. However, later he repented and invited back the Arius and was baptized by an Arian priest, his son was also an Arian. His rule also affected Jews who were banned from keeping Christian slaves. Conversions of Christians to Judaism were also prohibited and thus the propagation of Judaism was effectively stopped. Jews’ religious freedoms were curtailed to a large extent.

It is an undeniable fact that Constantine was a very important factor in propagation of Christianity as a major religion. However he had a major impact on the Christian theology also; he transformed a religion of simple God fearing people into one which had a priestly class separate from common believers. Before this Christianity was growing inspite of Roman threats, Christians were fearless and there was no difference between a priest and a common man. However, now many influential Romans in pursuit of Power became Christians. Christians earlier used to follow the policy of non violence and sought peaceful resolution of problems but now  under Constantine they started to build up as an army and persecuted even their fellow Christians, the Donatists. Author of Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown, writes that Constantine while promoting Christianity brought into it many customs of the Roman Pagan religion. One of them was the theory that Jesus was the son of the God and not a common Prophet.

Constantine according to him told the priests to compile the Bible and used only those Gospels which suited him.

Yasser Iqbal Kidwai

Secularism- Difference between Indian and Western concepts.

Secularism is the policy of Non-Discrimination on the basis of faith and religious belief. The west’s idea of secularism is one in which there is no interference of religion in the secular matters like governance and similarly a person is either religious or secular. For a person or organization to be called secular, it must not have anything to do with the religion. In India, we have a slightly different meaning; we do not forbid our government to have any sort of contact with the religion. The government here can openly provide subsidies for pilgrimages like in case of Hajj and Kailash Mansarovar yatra and yet it maintains its status of a secular Government. There is a very thin line between discrimination and help/ Upliftment and we are capa our people and society. We, Indians are basically religious people and so it is present in every walk of oble of maintaining that. We can call people with large tilaks or turbans or beards to be secular.

 The difference in the concept lies in the nature ofur life. We never take a step without mentioning the name of God, any new venture, release of a movie, Purchase of a vehicle; nothing can materialize without the name of God mentioned in thanks and prayers thus it is practically not possible for us to carry a west like rigid stand on secularism. Secularism in India is a way of living; we need not be nonbelievers or non practicing to be secular minded. We also need not believe in divinity of others Gods, prophets, holy men to be able to respect them. A Hindu may not believe that the Jesus was the son of the God but still he will love and respect him similarly a Muslim may not believe that the God himself came down to earth in the form of human but still he will respect Lord Krishna. It is not uncommon to see Hindus securing the shoes of their Muslim brethren while the later are observing their Eid prayers and Muslims participating to make Durga Puja festivities in their locality a success.

We do not require to be taught or disciplined to be secular, it is in our blood and our great history is a testimony. Apart from a one or two rulers it is full of Kings like Ashoka, Sher Sher Shah, Akbar and Shivaji who were all religious to the core and yet liberal and tolerant. It was a common sight of soldiers belonging to one community fighting for the King of another and that too against the king of their own. Large number of Muslims faught for Guru Gobind Singh or Shivaji against the Mughals, who in turn had valiant Rajputs with them. Writers and philosophers are the mirror of a society, while Muslims like Ras khan, Rahim, Jaysi and Kabir praised Hindu Gods, Guru Granth Sahib is full of chants for Farid and others and Mahatma Gandhi and Vivekananda never shied to show their admiration for Prophet Muhammad and Jesus. We are spiritual and yet Secular, We therefore need not be restrained by law to be able to respect others feelings, it is part and parcel of our lives. Our Culture and civilization is thus the reason why we Indians can be followed throughout the world on this front.

Yasser Iqbal Kidwai

Women’s Rights in Islam

"O ye who believe!  Ye are forbidden to inherit women against their will.  Nor should ye treat them with harshness, that ye may take away part of the dower [money given by the husband to the wife for the marriage contract] ye have given them, except where they have been guilty of open lewdness; on the contrary live with them on a footing of kindness and equity.  If ye take a dislike to them it may be that ye dislike a thing (any one of their habits), and God brings about through it a great deal of good (many good habits so don’t make an issue of that particular quality which you don’t like but to other qualities).  (Quran, 4:19)" It is not be an exaggeration to say that Quran and the prophet Muhammad were the first to provide a well documented and comprehensive set of rights for women. An example is that a woman can’t be married by her parents without her consent and she has the right to see and talk to her husband before marriage in the presence of elders. Now the question arises:

Why are the rights and freedoms given in Islam not exactly similar to those offered in modern, western world? 

 Before understanding the role and rights of women we must understand that while all the religions tell us about the Do’s and Don’ts, Islam is the only one which also guides us of achieving these. An example of this is that while we all know that it is wrong to commit adultery, Islam helps us to avoid conditions in which adultery can take place. It tells us that a young man and women, Na-mehram (unrelated to each other), when alone are joined by Satan. Means this has been prohibited to prevent adultery and so you can identify why the freedoms are not exactly similar.

Female Infanticide and foeticide

Right to life of a female infant or foetus is protected under Islam. Holy Quran says "And when the female (infant) buried alive -  questioned, for what crime she was killed." (Qur'an 81:8-9).  On the judgment day the females who were killed will be asked and they will accuse their parents/ father for the heinous crime and they who believe that they have escaped the killing will then be taken to task. There are 3 more places in which Quran prohibits this crime.Demographic studies point out the fact that this is also one of the reasons why Muslims have high growth rate yet have the best sex ratio. 

EDUCATION

Prophet Muhammad makes it compulsory for all Muslims to educate their children whether girl or boy. This is what he says about a slave girl “He who has a slave-girl and teaches her good manners and improves her education and then manumits and marries her, will get a double reward” Bukhari Volume 3, Book 46, Number 723.

 Right to property or inheritance in Islam

Islam provides women of the right to inheritance. This right is automatic and does not require a will in their favour and the inheritance thus received is not only from Father but also from husband and son. "Unto men (of the family) belongs a share of that which Parents and near kindred leave, and unto women a share of that which parents and near kindred leave, whether it be a little or much - a determinate share." ((Qur'an 4:7). The share of a women from his father however is half of what her brother gets, this is because the men have an additional responsibility of taking care of the family while the share of women can’t be taken for this purpose.

Right to work

Women are allowed to work in those arenas where there are no issues pertaining to their safety. Even Prophet Muhammad’s wife Khadija was a trader. However, it is clearly stated that it is the responsibility of a women to nurture, educate and develop good habits among their children and so if a women thinks that she can perform both jobs together there is no problem.

Purdah

All the religions tell their women to dress decently and most of them tell them to cover their heads and sometimes faces also (Nuns cover their heads and age old Hindu custom of purdah is still prevalent). Islam tells women to dress modestly not to wear tight clothes, cover their body sufficiently so that only face hands and ankles are visible. No Quranic revelation tells them to wear the black garment called burqa from head to toe. Head can be covered by a hijab (scarf) or simply a dupatta. This revelation defines clearly “O prophet , tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent (Of face, hands and ankles) and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands or fathers or husbands' fathers, or their sons or their husbands' sons, or their brothers or their brothers' sons or sisters' sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants who lack vigour, or children who know naught of women's nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn unto Allah together, O believers, in order that ye may succeed (Quran 24:31)

Women allowed in the mosque

Women are allowed to pray with men in mosque, however since the believers are required to give all their attention and concentration to God while praying it is required that women don’t stand shoulder to shoulder with men, which will definitely divert the attention. For this 3 separate rows of men women and children should be their. Prophet muhammed says "When a woman asks authorization from one of you to go the mosque, let him grant it to her."
Women for this reason only don’t lead a prayer (It is not mentioned anywhere that women can’t lead prayer), however they can lead a prayer in their home. Recently a women in Boston led a prayer of Eid al fitr and their was no opposition. 

Rape

A recent incident from an Indian village saw a rape victim  being traumatized by the village panchayat and told that she leave her husband since she is raped by her father in law(Imrana case). Rape is described as one of the most heinous crimes and the victim even does not require providing any proof of that (all other crimes are required to be proved sufficiently, according to Muslim law, before the criminal gets the punishment other then this one in which the charge by a women against a man is enough). The victim is to be rehabilitated, Sheikh Al-Qaradawi and most other Scholars of Islam believe that young Muslim men should hasten to marry women who fall as rape victims, so as to reduce their suffering and console them, to compensate them for the loss of the most precious thing that they possess. The rapist should be killed by stoning so that others can see and take lesson.

Polygamy

Their is no major religion which puts a restriction over no. of wives only Islam tells the muslims that they can marry only upto four. This should be noted that they are not told to marry more than one wife but are told not to marry more tan four. They however are instructed to take due care that all of them get equal attention, care and rights over property etc. The Polygamy was especially necessary at the time of warfare when a large number of women were widowed. Prophet muhammed himself married widows and only one of his wives was unmarried also his second marrige took place when he was over 50 and it had become necessary to provide an example to his people that they should not shy away from supporting the widows and their children.

Dowry

Quran and Islam has only one meaning of Dowry, It is the sum a husbands gives or promises to her wife at the time of marrige. This is also called maher and now a days it runs into lacs of rupees and is a great security for women in the case of divorce or split.

Right to Divorce

Islam provides its women a right to take separation from their husbands in case of a failed marrige, it is called Khula.

If Islam is such a noble religion, why are their so many atrocities on women in Afghanistan and else where ?

Reason is not the religion but the followers. People still follow their tribal and traditional practices even after getting clear instructions from Quran and Prophet. Their is a famous phrase “Allah to maaf kardega lekin bande nahi (Allah will forgive but not the believers)”. Problem arises when self styled mullahs educated in the most backward environment without practically any books take control of the proceedings while the scholars and Muftis of Islamic theology remain seated comfortably in their A/C rooms of the mosques.

Yasser Iqbal Kidwai

Their is an oft repeated phase put across by the scholars in one form or the other:

Shun the world and search for peace!

Look, what you what you disowned in the process, your very self.

The world as it is today, since its inception has seen innumerable geographical, demographical and idealogical makeovers. But, one issue which even today fuels the thoughts of religious scholars, political ideologues, spiritual preachers alike is the attainment of peace. This is one prized possesion, which entails far more envy than cash registers, which come a good second.

An individual appraisal might lead to different parameters and standards defining peace. Quite often, the young lot of every generation relate it, with living the prevailing culture to the fullest. Persons egged on by career upswing see the word coming in their ambitions taking the desired profile. For the elderlies, it is a forgone issue with the time ticking by and desperation creeping in. Each of such pursuant will have to revise the definition once they are past that particular phase. Peace is not a bequeathed property which can be categorised as per your interests and ambitions. It has to be earned.

Earned not just for academic purpose but one has to wage a battle against ones own self. The self which has been battered and left unattended in the past by our own deeds. And if it has been said, then rightly so, that one need not relinquish the world to see the face of peace. If somebody experiences delight and everybody does so, in the stillness of a lake, or sun feasting mountain ranges or the unexplored ravines, it is definitely justified. But the problem arises when one equates these pleasantries with peace. For, it is a very temporal allurement.

The moment your awestruck gaze is introduced to the continued nature of this process, you loose interest. It no longer remains a phenomenon. Unless you are devoid of any senses i.e. an insane person who GOD willing is at peace with himself, you are bound to do some introspection. A talk that can lift you above this haze. The repercussions might be slightly harsh in the beginning but one will have to move on with a gaurded conduct. A conduct which brings respect for the elders and youngsters, which smiles on every rebuttal, which justifies patience and perseverance, which is guided by truth and last but not the least provide a reason for every soul to be happy.

Qazi saad

Life has got some strange ways and if I’m not overstating, interesting ways of testing your mettle. One moment you would be doing the rounds of heaven; with peace descending in, the environment dissolving your materialistic entity into effervescence untraceable and the other, grim reality suddenly smashes into your face without any embellishments.

Each morning, you begin with a new resolve of upstaging your admirable opponent, only to realize the irony at the fall of the day: your fate is at his disposal. At times, you are clueless and are made to laugh at your gullibility; why in the first place  you entered this ordeal. And to top all of this , your opponent never falls short of means. To give a face to means is not a very difficult task. It could be in the form of your neighbour, the ever spilling shopkeeper, the least concerned colleague or your very personal relatives; well past the saleablity date. Don’t feel intimidated by the long listing. The deal comes with an assurance; it would be one after another (Unless otherwise you are the chosen ill-fated). But your admirable opponent has its own ways. At the end of the day, with the final verdict against you: the tormented, the exploited, the disabled: it plays its master stroke. It takes umbrage in one of its many means and assumes the role of cherisher. The defeated gets up praising the divinity, yearning for the fresh beginning. Never does he realize for once, that the tarmac was purposefully laid and he is forced to act upon. Job accomplished: as you traversed the travesties and tasted the potion of hope and belief, it flashes a wry smile.

A gesture which does everything but disown. Yes, it signals the dreadful arrival of the night but along come the cool tidings of a soul resurrected in somber sleep. Its resonance a prelude to the vibrance of a sunbathed morning.  

Qazi Saad

BHINDRANWALE- Terrorist or Saint?  The question still remains to be answered even as the world is witnessing 25^th year of the death of the most controversial Sikh leader of all time. Seldom do we encounter a figure that is either hated or loved as deeply as Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. There are not many who can claim to be neutral when it comes to supporting him as a martyr or rejecting him as a terrorist. 

 Born in the year which saw India’s Birth as an Independent nation, he was all set to play the most sensational innings ever played in Indian politics since that fateful year.  Starting his sikh education under Damdami Taksal, he soon became the brightest of the students of the organization headed by Kartar Singh. He started missionary activities travelling village to village guiding sikh youth to take Amrit and thus returning to the purest form of Sikhism. He told them to abstain from alcohol and non-vegetarian food and not to tie their beards. Bhindranwale was blessed with boldness and great oratory skills. Where ever he used to go, villagers used to bring to him their day to day problems which he solved. Ones while he was attending the masses, a girl came to him who said that she was being abused by her in-laws for not bringing enough dowry. He ordered his men to bring her in-laws, when they came he took out few bills from his pocket and told them that the girl was the daughter of Jarnail singh Bhindranwale and they could take as much money from him as they wanted. They immediately went down to their knees and promised never to harass the girl.   He was tactful and shrewd and never shied away from displaying whatever power and skills he had, this increased his popularity by leaps and bounds. Bhindranwale, although never claimed any political position, became so powerful that the congress led by Indira Gandhi tried to use him to bring down the Akalis.

The problems started during the clashes between Nirankaris and Sikhs, such times demand a position to be taken and Bhindranwale assumed the role which was best fit to his personality, Aggressive and uncompromising. Khushwant Singh writes that he was aware of the fact that hate is a bigger passion than love. The leader of Nirankaris, Gurbachan Singh, was murdered and Bhindranwale was arrested for the charge of ordering the assassination. His arrest saw clashes in whole of Punjab, later he was released on the lack of evidences. This drama made Indira Gandhi realize the position and power he had assumed in Punjab. He was again arrested the next year, this time for the murder of Jagat Narain the owner of Hind Samachar Group. Incidences of violence grew so much that the union Home Minister had to tell the Parliament that there are no evidences against him and he was immediately released. He was now the single biggest leader in Punjab and both Indira Gandhi and Akalis were plunged into desperation. Bhindranwale was now widely seen as a propagator and advocate of Khalistan movement. He however, chose to be diplomatic while in media "we are not in favour of Khalistan nor are we against it" and "We won't reject it. We shall not repeat 1947".

Is Triple Talaq Valid in Islam ?

It is a practice of saying talaq 3 times in one go and thus getting the wife divorced. It was the method of Arabs before the advent of Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet of Islam reformed the society of social evils as the Allah sent the relevant Quranic revelations, this also included the practice of saying talaq thrice in one go and obtaining talaq.

Once a person by the name of Rukanah pronounced three divorces against his wife but later he was sorry for it. Prophet Mohammed asked him how he divorced, Rukanah replied that he had pronounced three divorces. The Prophet asked if he had pronounced it in one sitting, he replied in affirmative. Noble Prophet told that he should treat it as one talaq and that he can take back his wife(2202, Kitab Al-Talaq' of Sunan Abu-Dawud), this clearly shows that their is no existence of any such thing in Islam as Triple Talaq. This change in the traditional Arab Practice of saying talaq thrice in one go was brought about by the revelation as mentioned in Holy Quran in aytaats 4:35 and 2:229-230. The former ayat tells muslims to bring in methods for conciliation like mutual discussion and arbitration etc before taking the extreme step and the later one starts with ‘Al-talaqu marratan’, i.e., divorce may be pronounced twice.The word marratan implies a gap between two pronouncements which means there should be a large enough time-gap between the two pronouncements of divorce.  Marratan (twice) itself carries this sense.  When somebody says that I have eaten Hyderabadi biryani twice, it doesn’t mean that he has eaten two plates on the same meal, it means on two different occasions.

Now the question arises how this bidat (Innovation to actual Islamic principal) practice came to be associated with Islam. During the Caliphate of Umar, Arabs conquered areas of Egypt and Syria. Muslims came into contact with the women from these lands, captivated by their beauty they sent marriage proposals but these women told them to first divorce their existing wives. To satisfy these women they simply started pronouncing talaq thrice to their wives thus pretending that they had divorced however in reality they had not. This made the Caliph issue the decree that in such cases even if the three divorces were pronounced in one go the talaq would be final and husbands would have to pay the Maher amount to their wives and they would then have no claim over their wives.

This need not be mentioned that the Muslims are required to follow the teachings of Holy Quran and Hadith rather then the rule imposed by a Caliph over his people to prevent them from deceiving the women. The rule or the law was for people of his time whereas the Quran and Hadith are applicable for all times and all people. Almost all the Islamic Scholars whether belonging to  Ahlehadis, Shia, Hanfi or any other school of thought agree that this practice is either Haram or Bidat so muslims must not allow this to corrupt their society. 

Yasser Iqbal Kidwai

Concept of God: Buddha it is believed refrained from describing God as the God according to him is indefinable and he didn’t think it important for his followers to give too much importance to this investigation.  But a verse can however be seen as throwing light over the God although the Buddhist might call it Nirvana “Monks, there is an unborn, a not-become, a not-made, a not-compounded. Monks, if that unborn, not-become, not-made, not-compounded were not, there would be apparent no escape from this that here is born, become, made, compounded. But, monks, since there is an unborn, not-become, not-made, not-compounded, therefore the escape from this that here is born, become, made and compounded is apparent”.

Teachings: The above mentioned sects claim to follow the original teachings of the Buddha in the Pali scriptures and call for attainment of personal salvation. The followers of the Theravada are expected to follow the 227 rules laid down in a collection of books called the Vinaya. Four of these rules are strictly to be followed by a Bhikshu (Monk). They are not to do the following : Killing a human being, Sexual intercourse, Stealing and Falsely claiming super normal powers.

The central teaching of all schools of Buddhism is grounded in the "Four Noble Truths". The first truth is that life is subject to Dukkha (suffering or frustation)The Second Noble Truth states that the Cause of Dukkha can be attributed to three things - greed, anger and a deluded mindThe third Noble Truth concerns the overcoming of Dukkha, that is, overcoming the greed anger and delusion that are the source of DukkhaThe Fourth Noble Truth is the method taught by the Buddha for attaining the state of Nirvana. 

It is the Noble Eightfold Path- The Path to Enlightenment Right Understanding is knowledge that the Four Noble Truths lead to the overcoming of Dukkha. It does not imply a total understanding of these Truths but a confidence that, by following the Path, the result will be attained. Right Thought is to be constantly aware of one’s thoughts and actions and thereby avoiding harm to any living creature. Right Speech is awareness of one’s speech so that, what one says, is beneficial to the hearer. Right Action is to be aware of one’s actions and observe the five precepts so that one does not cause harm to oneself or any other living creature.

The Five Moral Precepts - Essential for Spiritual Progress To undertake the training to avoid taking the life of beings. To undertake the training to avoid taking things not given. To undertake the training to avoid sensual misconduct. To undertake the training to refrain from false speech. To undertake the training to abstain from substances which cause intoxication and heedlessness.

These are the basic precepts expected as a day to day training of any lay Buddhist. Right Livelihood is to earn one’s living in a way that does not cause harm or sufferingRight Effort is the avoiding of evil which has not already arisen, rejecting evil which has already arisen, the acquiring of wholesome things which have not yet been acquired and the stabilizing of those wholesome characteristics that have already been acquiredRight Mindfulness is training in constant awareness of the effects of one’s actions, whether of body, speech or mind, and thus avoiding harmful actions.Right Concentration is cultivating the mind through concentration and meditation so that one attains intuitive insight or highest wisdom.

Idol worship and MonotheismThe Buddha condemned idolatry. When, just prior to his passing away, he was asked how he could be remembered he replied that those who practiced his teachings would remember him best. It is interesting to note that their used to be no images of Buddha before coming of Greeks who when assimilated in Buddhism prepared Statues of Buddha some of them were even similar to the Greek Gods or at least Buddha looked like a Greek or Roman rather than Indian. The Buddha foresaw that worship of him in any form would result in his deityfication  so gave more emphasis  on seeking salvation from identifying Nirvana, the eradication of greed anger and delusion, as being solely within one's own power. Also this is why the concept of God is so blurred in Buddhism; Buddha wanted his followers to lead a virtues life rather than searching the truth of God. Now Idol worship is prevalent even in Theravada sect and in others it is the most important ritual.

Karma and Rebirth Most Buddhists believe that, upon the dissolution of the body, rebirth may take place in a state consistent with the qualities of the consciousness energy, or resultant of past actions (karma) at the time of death. This rebirth may occur in human form, animal form, as a ghost, in a blissful state (deva) or in a woeful state. Each of these states is impermanent and lasts as long as the karmic energy, which was the cause of that rebirth, sustains it. In other words, we are subject to a constant round of rebirths (Samsara) until Nirvana, or the release from rebirth is attained. The Theravada tradition believes that rebirth is instantaneous upon the death of the individual, Karma is not a reward or punishment for past actions but rather a natural result or outcome of them. Buddhists do not accept the concept of a creator god who sits in judgment on his creation. We are our own creator by our past actions. Law of Karma states "We are what we have done and we will be what we are now doing". On a popular level as taught in institutionalized Buddhism, whenever misfortune or happiness befalls us, it is due to our past karma. This tends to imply a punisher or rewarder, in other words a judging god, an idea which Buddhists reject. That is why many modern Buddhist scholars interpret Karma as a psychological phenomenon. Bad actions cause remorse, regrets and feelings of guilt which disturb our peace of mind, whereas good actions bring joy and happiness and peace of mind.

The Brahma Viharas or Four Immeasurables Another important doctrine is that of the Heavenly States or Four Immeasurables (Brahma Vihara) which all Buddhists should cultivate. They are Boundless Loving-kindness (Maitri, Sanskrit, Metta, Pali), Boundless Compassion (Karuna), Boundless Joy (Mudita) and Boundless Equanimity (Upekkha). The practice of these four should be directed towards all living beings. The Buddha describes "Boundless Loving-kindness" as that unconditional, selfless love that a mother has for her only child. Boundless Compassion is the feeling of wishing to take onto oneself the sufferings and sorrows of others. This compassion is especially emphasised in the Mahayana school where followers will take the Bodhisattva Vow which promises to postpone the attainment of Enlightenment until all suffering creatures may be saved. Boundless Joy is rejoicing in the good fortune of others. It is the opposite of envy or covetousness. Boundless Equanimity is the cultivation of an even mind - one that is unmoved by either happiness or misfortune.

Taking Refuge in the Triple Gem - The Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha Buddhists of all schools regularly perform the action of ‘Taking Refuge’. A refuge is a shelter or safe haven and similarly, in Buddhism, taking refuge is considered to be a protection. The refuges are:- The Buddha - the teacher, is referred to in the scriptures as "Teacher of gods and men". The Dharma (Sanskrit) or Dhamma (Pali) - his teaching. Before the Buddha passed away, he told Ananda, his chief disciple, that after his passing, the Dharma would be the teacher. The Sangha - is the community of followers. More specifically, it refers to those who have left home to follow the spiritual life, the Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis. In the broader sense, it includes those who are following his teachings whether they be monastic or lay. The initial recitation of the "Three Refuges", before a member of the monastic Sangha, constitutes formally becoming a Buddhist. In the Tibetan tradition, an additional refuge is added, that of taking refuge in the Guru (teacher), who initiates the Cela (student).

Practices and rituals Buddhism, starting from being a complete non ritualism at the time of Budhha, has now become a highly devotional religion. A Buddhist ceremony will usually start with the offerings of lights, incense and flowers on the shrine. Occasionally, fruit, cakes and drinks will also be offered. Other important devotional practices are the chanting of sutras (sermons of the Buddha or other great teachers), prostrations before a Buddha image, and, most importantly, practicing meditation. The chanting of sutras is often, mistakenly, referred to as Buddhist prayers. Buddhists do not pray to a god, however, Buddhists from the Mahayana tradition will sometimes pray to Bodhisattvas for assistance and blessings.

 Meditation or Mental Cultivation Meditation (Bhavana) is a central part of Buddhist practice. In the Theravada tradition, two forms of meditation, calm (Samatha) and insight (Vipassana) are recognised as essential practices in achieving spiritual progress. Calming the mind is achieved by concentration on a specific object and excluding all other thoughts. Often, the breath or the movement of the diaphragm is used as a suitable object for concentration. At other times, objects, such as coloured discs (Kasinas) or meditation beads (Mala) or even counting the breaths are used to fix the mind.

Yasser Iqbal Kidwai

Their are sufficient evidences to prove that the Jesus Christ, known to muslims and the people of east as Isa Masih, did not die on cross. Christians widely believe that he was killed the same day but New Testament records that  his deciples found him on their way and didn't allow him to leave them, he then stayed with them and had dinner. "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is myself; handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have, he took from them boiled fish and a piece of honeycomb and ate them in their presence" (New Testament; Luke 24-39). This clearly points to the fact that Jesus survived the cross, moreover muslims regard him as a prophet and  Quran dismisses the idea of Jesus dying on the cross "The Jews neither murdered Jesus, not did they kill him on the Cross; no, they only suspected that Jesus had died on the Cross; they did not have proof which could have convinced and satisfied them that Jesus (on whom be peace) had really died on the Cross" (Quran; 4-157). Prophet muhammed is recorded to have said that Jesus'  life was 120 years and not 33 years when he was put to cross. Islamic sources also describe Jesus as a 'great traveller' and sometimes 'the leader of the travellers' thus proving that he travelled a lot and that too, after being put to cross. It is believed that Jesus after surviving the Crucification left Jerusalam and travelled to east in search of  the '10 lost tribes of Isreal' 

He travelled to Syria, Persia, Afghanistan and then to India and Tibet. He found on his way the 'Bani Isreal' tribe of Hazara, the people of jewish origin who had converted to Buddhism, he found similar sorts of people in Kashmir. Their is a famous tomb in Gilgit Dist. of Kashmir called grave of Yuz Asaf, an adjective of Jesus, or Isa. A text from Hindu scripture Bhavishya Puran very clearly mentions that  the king asked the holy man who he was and holyman fair skinned and wearing white clothes replied  "... ishputram ch ma, vidhi kumarigarbh sambhavam ......... isha masih ch mam nam pratishtham" 'I am called a son of God, born of a virgin........ I was called Isa-Masih.

In 1894 Nicolas Notovitch published a book called 'The Unknown Life of Christ'. During one of his jouneys he visited Leh, Notovitch learned, while he was there, that there existed ancient records of the life of Jesus Christ called Isa their. In the course of his visit at the great convent, he located a Tibetan translation of the Document and carefully noted in his diary over two hundred verses from the curious document known as "The Life of Sant Isa"

When he returned to the western world there was much controversy as to the authenticity of the document. It was obvious as anything against the established theories and perceptions of christians, or of people of any faith for that matter, is always rediculed and rejected. In his defense he called for a scientific expedition to prove that original tibetan documents existed. One of his skeptics was Swami Abhedananda. Abhedananda travelled to same location to expose the false hood. His book of travels, entitled 'Kashmir O Tibetti', tells of a visit to the Himis gonpa and includes a Bengali translation of two hundred twenty-four verses essentially the same as the Notovitch text. Abhedananda was thereby convinced of the authenticity of the Isa documents. Furthermore their are so many similarities in adjectives, lives and teachings of Jesus and the Buddha that one can easily say that those buddhist documents which were written during and after 1st centuary A.D were highly influenced by what they heard from their Isa during his travel to India.

It is a possiblity that Jesus returned from Tibet and visited India extensively to finally settle in Kashmir where he had followers among the lost tribes of Isreal and may be from other races.

Yasser Iqbal Kidwai