Wednesday, 24 August 2022

Pakistan Muslim League (N) & The Transgender Bill 2017

 

 ‏قُلْ يَٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْكَفِرُونَ ‎

‏لَآ أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ ‎

‏وَلَآ أَنتُمْ عَبِدُونَ مَآ أَعْبُدُ ‎

 ‏وَلَآ أَنَا۠ عَابِدٌۭ مَّا عَبَدتُّمْ ‎

‏وَلَآ أَنتُمْ عَبِدُونَ مَآ أَعْبُدُ ‎

 ‏لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِىَ دِينِ ‎


The Quran 109


A Muslim is a person who submits to Allah's DEEN (Law). The DEEN has been defined in The Quran in Q9:36, Q12:40, and Q30:30, as follows: 

إِنَّ عِدَّةَ ٱلشُّهُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًۭا فِى كِتَـٰبِ ٱللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ مِنْهَآ أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌۭ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ ۚ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا۟ فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ وَقَـٰتِلُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ كَآفَّةًۭ كَمَا يُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمْ كَآفَّةًۭ ۚ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ ٣٦

Q9:36 Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves Nafs during them. And fight against the disbelievers collectively as they fight against you collectively. And know that Allah is with the righteous [who fear Him].(translation edited for clarity; in italics)

مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَسْمَآءًۭ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَـٰنٍ ۚ إِنِ ٱلْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۚ أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٤٠

Q12:40 You worship not besides Him except [mere] names you have named them, you and your fathers, for which Allah has sent down no authority. Legislation is not but for Allah. He has commanded that you worship not except Him. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know.

فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًۭا ۚ فِطْرَتَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِى فَطَرَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا ۚ لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٣٠

Q30:30 So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah (separation) of Allah upon which He has created separated [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know. (translation edited for clarity; in italics)


Legislation belongs to Allah only. He does not share His legislation with anyone. He has declared that there should be no change in His Creation. No word and No act should violate the DEEN. 

The Transgender Bill was proposed during Pakistan Muslim League (N) government, and then The Transgender Act was also passed during their government. The Act allows for change in gender, both in official documents (CNIC) and through medical procedure (gender corrective treatment). So, in theory and in practice, the Act provides for violation of the DEEN.  

Pakistan's Constitution states that: 

https://pakistani.org/pakistan/constitution/part9.html 

Part IX: Islamic Provisions

227 Provisions relating to the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah.

(1) All existing laws shall be brought in conformity with the Injunctions of Islam as laid down in the Holy Quran and Sunnah, in this Part referred to as the Injunctions of Islam, and no law shall be enacted which is repugnant to such Injunctions. 

...  

It was claimed by the Pakistan Muslim League (N) government that the proposed Transgender Bill 2017 was passed by the Senate with the approval of the Islamic Ideology Council of Pakistan. The Express Tribune reported on January 2, 2018 that: 

Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz, while speaking to Express Tribune said the name of his body was misused in this context. “This bill was not sent to the CII before being approved by the Senate Functional Committee on HR, but CII’s name was misused for its approval,” the chairman said. 

...

The Quran is very clear that Allah creates the humans' gender as He Wills. Reassigning gender based on an individual's personal preference cannot be allowed. 


The Quran, Surah al-Hajj ayat 41 states that: 

ٱلَّذِينَ إِن مَّكَّنَّـٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَمَرُوا۟ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهَوْا۟ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلِلَّهِ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْأُمُورِ ٤١

[And they are] those who, if We give them authority in the land, establish prayer and give zakāh and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. And to Allāh belongs the outcome of [all] matters.

— Saheeh International

Those who, if We give them power in the land, establish worship and pay the poor-due and enjoin kindness and forbid iniquity. And Allah's is the sequel of events.

— English Translation (Pickthall)

[Q22:41]



Potential Misuse by Homosexuals in Pakistan 

Homosexuality is condemned by the Abrahamic faith. Jews, Christians and Muslims all agree on it. Homosexuality is a criminal act, and is punishable by law in Pakistan.

The fact that the Transgender Act 2018 allows for gender selection by the individual opens the path for the law to be misused by homosexuals. It allows for a loophole to legalise an illegal act. 



PML (N) and other political parties of Pakistan  

The Transgender Bill 2017 was proposed by representatives of almost all political parties of Pakistan, and was passed into the Transgender Act also by representatives of almost all political parties of Pakistan. 

Geo News reported on May 8, 2018:  

Ratified by the Senate earlier this year, in March, the "Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018" was passed in the Assembly by a majority. 

Syed Naveed Qamar of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) — who, on August 8, 2017, piloted the bill to provide protection, relief, and rehabilitation of rights to transgender persons — as well as Senators Rubina Khalid, Farhatullah Babar, and Dr Karim Khwaja have been monumental in this bill's progress. 

It was opposed by Naeema Kishwer, of Jamiat Ulema-e Islam - Fazal group (JUI-F), who said it should instead be referred to the standing committee for detailed deliberation. She also moved a motion and amendments to refer the bill to the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) and the standing committee. 

Her amendments, however, were rejected.

Most political parties in Pakistan have shown little regard or understanding of the DEEN, and have generally failed to legislate accordingly. 

The Quran states: 

وَمَآ أُمِرُوٓا۟ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ حُنَفَآءَ وَيُقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤْتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ دِينُ ٱلْقَيِّمَةِ ٥

Q98:5 And they are ordered naught else than to serve Allah, keeping religion pure for Him, as men by nature upright, and to establish worship and to pay the poor-due. That is true religion.

 The word مُخْلِصِينَ translates to sincerely,  لَهُ for HIS (Allah's), ٱلدِّينَ  Laws. 

Pakistan's Senate and Parliament have repeatedly failed, and floundered, in upholding the DEEN. This is just one example. The political parties, elected by the masses, have generally shown little to no sincerity to the DEEN. The politicians in particular, and the masses in general, have not been true to the slogan: 

پاکستان کا مطلب کیا لاالہ الا اللہ‎ 

What is the meaning of Pakistan? 

There is no god but Allah.   



Pakistan & Other Countries 

Self-perceived gender identity is a major goal of transgender rights movements globally. All over the world, there are efforts going on to legalise it, and remove all barriers in the way. 

According to a report in Al-Jazeera on May 9, 2018

Amnesty International’s Pakistan researcher Rabia Mehmood praised the move.

“This bill makes Pakistan one of the few countries in the world to recognise the self-perceived gender identity of transgender individuals,” Mehmood said.  

This is the beginning of the End. 



Consequences 

The DEEN (Law) must be upheld, otherwise there will be legal consequences.  

Historically, The Torah and The Quran narrate the fate of the people of Lut alaihisalam, when they refused to give up their corrupt practices. From my reading, it seems that they had legislated for it, and thus considered it legal to do as they wished. After fair warnings and preaching, they eventually suffered Divine Punishment. 

The Bible foretells that end times will be like the Days of Lot and like the Days of Noah. The Hour (السَّاعَةَ) is the promised time of the terrible earthquake when this world will end, and the world of eternal consequences will begin.   

That  is for the disbelieving nations. 

What about the believing nations? 

The history of the Bani Israel is especially instructive, in that they were the chosen people, entrusted with  upholding The Torah, and so they suffered destruction and exile twice in their history, due to their corruption. They were invaded, massacred, their masjid and their houses destroyed, and those left alive were exiled and made slaves. 

Pakistan was prayed for as an ideal Muslim State where we would be free to practice Islam. Allah granted us an independent Muslim State. We need to worry about our fate, as regards our negligence of The DEEN. 

Ignorance of The Law (DEEN) is no excuse. Believers, leaders and masses alike, must study The Quran, and live by it, not against it, lest they be 'booked' under the divine 'law'. The Believers are under a ratified covenant. It must be upheld. 



References & Links 

Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2017

https://na.gov.pk/uploads/documents/1502192618_626.pdf 

Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018 

https://na.gov.pk/uploads/documents/1526547582_234.pdf 



Related Posts 

As in the Days of Lot (Russia’s Holy War) 

https://expeditionthink.blogspot.com/2022/04/as-in-days-of-lot.html 

Maroof & Munkar 

https://signsandscience.blogspot.com/2022/01/maroof-munkar.html 

Homosexuality, Adultery and Rape 

https://islam-qna.blogspot.com/2017/09/homosexuality-adultery-and-rape.html 

The Destruction of The Masjid of Solomon 

https://signsandscience.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-destruction-of-masjid-of-solomon.html 

World History & Future Implications 

https://signsandscience.blogspot.com/2015/06/mission-of-messengers.html  

The Covenant & Its Ratification 

https://islam-qna.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-covenant-its-ratification.html 



Last updated on: September 20, 2022

 

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Friday, 12 August 2022

as-Salaat vs Yoga

Yoga, primarily practiced in South Asian polytheistic traditions, has grown in popularity globally. Many persons from the Abrahamic faith also perform yoga as a form of exercise. There are varying opinions whether it is permissible or not. The following is a comparison between the as-Salaat (the Abrahamic form of prayer) and yoga:  

1: Contact

as-Salaat (contact prayers) is the Abrahamic form of establishing regular contact with Allah, the only God. 

Yoga (yug or yuj (unite or yoke)) is the polytheistic form of establishing contact with their deities. The root of the word is found in a hymn to the rising sun-god in Rigveda 5.81.1

2: Movements & Poses

as-Salaat comprises of physical movements and poses of submission to Allah, the only God. 

Yoga comprises of physical movements and poses for submission to their deities. Though modern yoga poses are claimed to be secular, ancient seals discovered from the ruins of Indus Valley Civilisation depict yoga poses. 

3: Words

as-Salaat (for Muslims) comprises of Arabic words of guidance from al-Quran and words celebrating the perfection of Allah, the only God. Jews and Christians also have their form of as-Salaat including words from their scriptures. 

Yoga comprises of Sanskrit words (mantra) of devotion to their deities, introduced by the practitioners, and the guiding philosophy for life. 

4: Number of Times

as-Salaat is enjoined five times a day upon Muslims, upon Jews thrice, and Christians identify seven prayer times from their scriptures. 

Yoga  ... 

5: Timings

as-Salaat is to be established from the decline of the Sun (afternoon) till Fajr (dawn prayers), that is, till before sunrise. 

Yoga (modern) includes surya namaskar poses, whose time follows the Sun cycle across the sky; great importance is attached especially to sunrise and sunset. 

6: Protection

as-Salaat is to seek Allah's protection from evil 

Yoga poses aim to channel the serpentine energy from the root, through the chakras, to eventually open the third eye 

7: Eternal

as-Salaat is a most important ritual for the remembrance of Allah. The compensation of the successful nafs (soul) in the Hereafter will be its permanent reinstallation in its body on the Day of Judgement. Those who lose their nafs (soul) on that Day will suffer the most profound loss.    

Yoga is about eternal liberation of the soul from its body. 




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Related posts 

Nafs  

Human: Body or Soul? 

The Nafs of The Insaan 

Polytheism: The Sin committed by The First Human Couple  

The Serpent & The Snake: a Clear Sign 

The Serpent & The Third Eye  

Snake Symbols 

Feminism 

The Mighty Ancients! 

The Mighty Ancients (presentation) 

The Evil of the الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ 

Faith vs Science [Transhumanism - I: aiming to create the god-self?] 

Acknowledging the Perfection of our Lord 

Salaam, The Significance of the Spoken Word! 

No Duality, No Trinity, No Divine Family 

The Sustainer of the Worlds (رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ) 

Allah, fāṭir (فَاطِر) of the Skies and Earth 

The Sun, The Moon & The Planets 

No ilah but Allah لا إله إلا الله 

Prayer & Remembrance of God 

The Straight Path (الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ) 

To Forget the Meeting with Allah 

The Quran, the Pharaoh, Exodus and the Promised Day! 

Muhammad ﷺ, a Messenger like Moses: The Qibla 



... 

Last updated on: August 14, 2022


Monday, 8 August 2022

Understanding Q2:256 (No compulsion in Deen)

DRAFT 

Kufr, Fusuq, Isyaan, Ghaiy, || Rushd, Islam & Iman: what they mean in the context of Allah's Deen 


وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ

And when My servants question thee concerning Me, then surely I am nigh. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he crieth unto Me. So let them hear My call and let them trust in Me, in order that they may be led aright.

[Al-Quran 2:186, Translation: Pickthall]

Allah responds immediately. Allah is asking us to also listen to Him, trust His Guidance (The Quran), may be, then, we will have sound judgement, the ability to make legally right choices and decisions (see Rushd below). 


لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ ۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ ۚ فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ لَا انفِصَامَ لَهَا ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error. And he who rejecteth false deities and believeth in Allah hath grasped a firm handhold which will never break. Allah is Hearer, Knower.

[Al-Quran 2:256, Translation: Pickthall]

There is no compulsion in the Deen (Law of Recompense). The legally correct has been made distinct from the legally wrong. On the Day of Deen, Allah, The Owner of the Day of Deen, will judge according to His Deen. 

Allah's Deen has been spelled out. Individuals and nations have the freedom to choose Allah's Deen, or not. There is no compulsion in this world. People can get away disobeying Allah's Deen, and may even find legal cover for their violations in the laws they legislate themselves. However, the word Deen means law of recompense, so, on the Day of Judgement, we will be recompensed according to Allah's Deen. 

The same Deen has been revealed to all prophets. The Torah, The Injeel, and The Quran, each have their own set of revealed laws (Shariah). In Q5:49, the Prophet ﷺ has been asked to judge according to what Allah has revealed in The Quran. The last statement in Q5:49 is that most humans are defiantly disobedient. The next ayat then questions: 

أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ ۚ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حُكْمًا لِّقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ

Is it a judgment of the time of (pagan) ignorance that they are seeking? Who is better than Allah for judgment to a people who have certainty (in their belief)?

[Al-Quran 5:50, Translation: Pickthall]

... 

Surah al-Hujarat (The Private Apartments) is the forty ninth surah in The Quran. It contains eighteen ayaat. The surah uses all the words in the subtitle of this post except 'ghaiy'. In ayat 16, it questions: 
So, when using the following terms in the context of Allah's Deen: 


Kufr means to outright reject Allah's Deen, 

for example: 

  • those who do not judge according to Allah's Book (Q....  )
  • People of the Book reject Allah's ayaat (Q3:98) 

...


إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَسْتَحْيِي أَن يَضْرِبَ مَثَلًا مَّا بَعُوضَةً فَمَا فَوْقَهَا ۚ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَيَقُولُونَ مَاذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِهَـٰذَا مَثَلًا ۘ يُضِلُّ بِهِ كَثِيرًا وَيَهْدِي بِهِ كَثِيرًا ۚ وَمَا يُضِلُّ بِهِ إِلَّا الْفَاسِقِينَ

Indeed, Allah is not timid to present an example - that of a mosquito or what is smaller than it. And those who have believed know that it is the truth from their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve, they say, "What did Allah intend by this as an example?" He misleads many thereby and guides many thereby. And He misleads not except the defiantly disobedient,

الَّذِينَ يَنقُضُونَ عَهْدَ اللَّهِ مِن بَعْدِ مِيثَاقِهِ وَيَقْطَعُونَ مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ أَن يُوصَلَ وَيُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ۚ أُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ

Who break the covenant of Allah after contracting it and sever that which Allah has ordered to be joined and cause corruption on earth. It is those who are the losers.

كَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَكُنتُمْ أَمْوَاتًا فَأَحْيَاكُمْ ۖ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ

How can you disbelieve in Allah when you were lifeless and He brought you to life; then He will cause you to die, then He will bring you [back] to life, and then to Him you will be returned.

[Al-Quran 2:26-28, Translation: Saheeh International]

Fusuq means to defiantly disobey 

for example: 

  • the Fasiq (defiantly disobedient) do Kufr (reject Allah's Book)  (Q2:99) 
  • many People of the Book are Fasiq (defiantly disobedient) (Q3:110)  
  • the Fasiq (defiantly disobedient) do not judge by what Allah has revealed (Q5:47) 
  • most among humans are Fasiq (defiantly disobedient) (Q5:49)


Isyaan means disobedience 

for example: 

  • Adam disobeyed his Lord, ... (Q20:121) 

Ghaiy means to make a legal error 

for example: 

  • Iblis blames Allah for making him err (Q7:16, Q15:39) 
  • Iblis promises to make humans err (Q38:82) 
  • Adam عليه السلام disobeyed his Lord, so he erred (Q20:121) 
  • Noah عليه السلام said that his advice will not help if Allah wants to let them err (Q11:34) 
  • Moses عليه السلام said to the man who kept picking fights, and calling for help, that he was clearly in error (Q28:18) 
  • Muhammad ﷺ has neither strayed, nor erred (Q53:2) 

....



Rushd means legally right conduct / sound judgement 

for example: 

  • there is no compulsion in the Deen (Law of recompense): sound judgement has been made distinct from ghaiy (Q2:256)
  • when orphans reach maturity, and have sound judgement, hand over their wealth to them (Q4:6)
  • the young men prayed for sound judgement in their affair (Q18:10) 
  • whoever Allah misguides, he can have no murshid (rightly-guiding friend) (Q18:17) 
  • when intending to do something in future, say in sha Allah; if you forget to say 'in sha Allah', then when you remember, say that maybe my Lord will guide me to what is closer than this to rashada (legally right statement)   
  • Moses requested to be allowed to follow the servant of Allah, so as to learn Rushd from him (Q18:66)  
    • the boat was damaged so the hardworking people could continue earning their living, as all the good boats were being seized by a king 
    • the child (who would grow up to be evil) was killed before he could cause grief to his righteous parents in their elderly years,  with the hope that Allah will replace him with a better person 
    • the wall was rebuilt, in the arrogant neighbourhood, to protect the wealth of orphans till they were old enough, as a Mercy from Allah, because their father was a righteous man 
  • we gave Abraham sound judgement (Q21:51) 


Islam means submission to Allah's Deen 

for example: 

  • Allah commanded Abraham to submit (...), so he submitted (...) (Q2:131)
  • ask the people of the Book and the people of Makkah, do you submit (Q3:20)

....


Iman means to believe in Allah, and the Judgement of the Last Day (the resurrection and the accountability)  

for example: 

  • Allah asked Abraham if he didn't believe, when he requested to be shown how Allah gives life after death (Q2:260)
  • ... 

....


See also: 

The Right Religion (Deen) 


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