The Islamic concept of economy requires minimal interference from the state to impose restrictions on the movement of labour or capital. An Islamic state is required to maintain a balanced budget. Taxes should be kept at a level so as to finance the functions of a government that are limited to border security, internal security, provision of justice, ensuring equal rights of the citizens and development of basic infrastructure. In an Islamic society, social services like education and healthcare are the responsibility of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) created and run by wealthy and professional individuals. These NGOs are required to be non-profit, self-sustaining operations where the rich pay higher prices for services while the poor are subsidised or even given free service. It is a concept practiced by the Sindh Institute of Urology (SIUT), Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital or Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). As capitalism loses its universal appeal, it is an opportunity for Islamic intellectuals to offer an alternative that is more natural, equitable and social. -- Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi

That a man forced to endure incarceration and self-exile — a man who had his patriotism questioned and his loyalties tested has been enshrined in yet another Hall of Fame is a remarkable twist of fate “For the saddest epitaph which can be carved in memory of a vanished freedom is that it was lost because its possessors failed to stretch forth a saving hand while there was still time” — George Sutherland. -- Afrah Jamal

Although the positions he took — regarding important religious, social and political questions of his time — were clearly orthodox, Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi can be studied as a product of the modern, colonial times. For a professional Maulvi, he came from a non-traditional background, received his higher education in the newly commissioned madrasa at Deoband and throughout his busy life, used most of the modern means of communication for his purposes. Ghouri quotes Thanvi while speaking about the Firasat-e-Khudadad or the God-gifted wisdom of Abdul Haq. In that, he decided very early in their childhood, what course the lives of his two sons were going to take. Ashraf Ali was chosen for taleem-e-arabi (‘Arabic education’), while Akbar Ali was to acquire taleem-e-angrezi (‘English education’). An old aunt of Thanvi took it as discrimination against the elder son that he was being deprived of the modern education, as she thought the ‘Arabic education’ would limit his chances of earning money. Abdul Haq got enraged and said, “Bhabi sahiba, tum kehti ho ko yeh Arabic parrh kar khayega kahan se. Khuda ki qasam, jis ko tum kamane-wala samajhti ho, aise aise is ki jutiyon se lage lage phirain ge.”-- Ajmal Kamal

Masood Alam Falahi, a young graduate of a madrasa in Bihar who went on to do his M Phil and PhD in Delhi, has written a book called Hindustan Mein Zaat-Paat Aur Muslman in 2007 (reissued in a revised and enlarged form in 2009 and available in English translation on the internet at newageislam.com). This book is a treasure trove of revealing quotations from the Muslim religious and historical literature of the subcontinent on the subject. Among other things, Falahi quotes an interesting anecdote about Aligarh written by the famous Deobandi Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (1863–1943) in his collection of responses to religious queries called Ashraful Jawab, which shows how the firm policy of segregating and differentiating between people of higher and lower castes was a common factor between Aligarh and Deoband. Thanvi writes: “An Englishman went to visit Aligarh College. He saw that while the sons of aristocrats (raeeson ke larke) studied, the servants accompanying them stood and waited at a distance; they could not even think of sitting next to their masters. But at the time of the Namaz, the servants and masters stood next to each other. He asked the raees-zadas if standing shoulder to shoulder during the prayers did not make these servants bold and impudent. -- Ajmal Kamal

In my 1,193 days in Parliament, I worked vociferously for the rights of all, including the youth. Their jobs were being sold, merit was ignored and institutions were made professionally bankrupt. It is a big sin, not a small one. I have seen the youth protest, block roads and sit for days on the footpaths. They have suffered enough. On some of these occasions, I have joined them too. The old order is changing. I think it is time to turn the tables on these looters. Now I want my youth to turn their force into a positive force. If the looters don’t want to give them jobs, we will work for our nation, our sweet dharti and our sweet people, voluntarily till better sense prevails. We will be the pied pipers, who will spread the message of the rights of the people of Pakistan so that they choose a better leadership next time. The looters’ days are numbered. That message of the rights will be as follows.-- Marvi Memon

It is a long and winding journey to sacred places from the grave of Pir Muhammad Barkhudar Gilani Qadri, a Pakistani Sufi figure in Sillanwali, to Ulakan Syeikh Burhanuddin Mosque in Pariaman, West Sumatra, Indonesia. In those burial complexes, ordinary people experience the “conversion” of life. In this context, we see that Sufi figures are not stereotypic wandering men in self-ecstasy. Indonesian people can fairly say that men like pedagogic Ki Hadjar Dewantara who founded Taman Siswa College during the Dutch occupation, freedom fighters Tuanku Imam Bonjol, Prince Diponegoro and other Indonesian heroes and heroines and even non-Muslim independence fighters are Sufi. They did not hide in solitude but led their people to sovereignty. I assume in their ziyarat or long struggle, while waging guerilla war behind mountainous villages, men like Imam Bonjol or Diponegoro used many religious practices to maintain morale among their followers. They would have recited zikir or religious contemplative chants in circle pattern, performed muraqaba or meditation by using their own cultural musical instruments (sama) to achieve self-peace and self-conviction in their fight against the invaders. -- Abrar Haris  

A set of rules known as the Misaaq-i-Madinah (‘Pact of Madinah’), was drafted in the first year after Hijra (623 C.E.). It has come down to us in its complete form in the Prophet’s biography by Ibn Ishaq. The document is made up of about 52 clauses. Dr Hamidullah says it is the “first written constitution of the world”. He also says that the Prophet introduced moral values in politics, institutionalised the provision of justice and declared that real and final power belonged to God alone. He did away with the concept that the king could do no wrong. He declared himself to be God’s Prophet and His representative on earth and considered the instructions that he brought for his followers, binding on himself. M. Akhtar Muslim says in his book, Quran Aur Insani Huquq, (‘Quran and Human Rights’) that this document attempts to meet all the challenges and needs of every class and individual with regard to justice, tolerance, peace and freedom, including freedom of religion and the principle of coexistence. He also says that even Jews, who were well-known for their knowledge, skills and intelligence for centuries and were quite sharp in their dealings with others, accepted this agreement willingly, peacefully and completely. -- Nilofar Ahmed

One of the first and lasting impressions of Istanbul — ancient capital of empires — is the call to prayer. It rings out simultaneously at the appointed times from various mosques, old and new, that dot the city. Though the tone and pitch of the voices of the muezzins vary, they share a quality of passionate intensity that inspires a response in all those who hear it. Stepping into the Hagia Sophia’s cavernous central hall, one is filled with a sense of infinite space. The neck arches and the head tilts backwards to take in the expanse of the giant dome that caps the building, as the eye attempts to focus on the wisdom etched in golden calligraphy at its centre. The experience is not unlike that of childhood wonder at the immensity of the night sky studded with innumerable stars. Cocooned in awe, one can easily ignore the milling crowds of tourists and return to an interior space that can feel as vast and deep as the soaring silence of the domed space above. -- Swati Chopra

THE suicide bomber who murdered Burhanuddin Rabbani, head of the Afghan High Peace Council, concealed an explosive in his turban. This is not the first time the traditional head gear has been used to hide a bomb. These attitudes and traditions present formidable security challenges. We all remember how Maulana Abdul Aziz tried to escape arrest during the Lal Masjid episode by donning a burka. In India, robbers wore this all-concealing garb to hide their guns in a daring hold-up in a jewellery shop. “If the Jewish women could have torn off their yellow stars and slipped into the masses to survive, they would have done it in a flash. Most Jews have integrated into the societies they have come to live in….” I think the old adage `When in Rome, do as the Romans do` pretty much sums up my feelings on the subject. -- Irfan Husain

From a region that once sent school dropouts as unskilled workers to Gulf countries, Malappuram district is now giving other states a run for their scores. The pass percentages in class X exams over the years chart that success story. In 2001, the pass percentage was a dismal 33.24. In 2002, it touched 41.23 per cent and in 2004, it stood at 58.77 per cent. Then, the big change happened. In 2010, the figure touched 86.91 per cent and in 2011, the district registered a pass percentage of 88.52, within touching distance of the overall state pass percentage of 91.37. What makes Malappuram’s story of educational resurgence a happy one is the baggage of history it leaves behind—one of a long, bitter past of hatred towards English and modern education. Every year, youngsters from Malappuram and the larger Malabar region come to Delhi University to pursue under-graduate and post-graduate studies. -- Shaju Philip & Nandini Thilak

I cannot imagine Eid without the nervous anticipation of the previous night. Nor the beginning of Ramazan without the nail-biting tension of not knowing. Does one fast the next day, or does one not? Does one stay up all night cooking for the feast that must follow the next day, or does one keep all preparations on hold for another day? Does one set the alarm for the pre-dawn meal, or does one enjoy the luxury of sleeping a few more hours? For everything depends on the sighting of the new moon, the hilal, the proverbial Eid ka chand which, quite literally, kal ho na ho! Everyone is craning their necks, standing on tiptoe and pointing and peering. For me, chand raat, the night before Eid, conjures up images of frenetic activity and a great deal of excitement and clamour: young girls putting Mehndi and trying on new dresses, the clatter of crockery being washed and stacked for the next day, masalas being fried, and copious amounts of foods being cooked. While the men may lounge about smoking, chatting, drinking tea or eating - relaxing, as it were, after the month-long fasting, the women are usually busy preparing for the endless feasting the next day.-- Rakhshanda Jalil

I can’t write another column about dead people. Every columnist in Pakistan has wasted enough ink lamenting the inhumanity of our political leaders. They do not care. For them, Karachi is a treasure hoard for which they will slaughter us all. We can type in anger, write caustic creeds and use up all the metaphors involving slaughterhouses and rivers of blood, the killing will not stop. So what can I write about? My skills only allow me satire and that is useless when the targets don’t even care. So instead, let me offer up a smaller story of humanity. -- Sami Shah

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children” — Nelson Mandela The exploitation of children is not unique to Pakistan and is in fact a common feature throughout the developing world. It appears to be most effectively addressed when NGOs and governments join hands to create awareness and take action. There are reports that Pakistani authorities realise the need for such joint efforts and, with the support of NGOs, are in the process of establishing a shelter for the rehabilitation of street children in Karachi. Although the shelter may not be more than a drop in the ocean, it will be a positive step that can be replicated. -- Amber Darr

It is true that during the medieval ages Muslims made great advances in the study of medicine, physical and biological sciences, history and sociology. Their works reached the Europeans through translations. They advanced the frontiers of knowledge that existed at that time. They questioned conventional wisdom, made new discoveries and got new answers. Then came the theologians, notably Imam Ghazali, who taught that no further questions needed to be raised because enough had been asked and answered. Knowledge in the Muslim lands froze rigid. Conformity (taqleed), instead of innovation, became the rule. This remained the case for several hundred years and became a habit of the Muslim mind and it continues to be the same way even today. The Ulema (Islamic scholars) have traditionally taught that all that is worth knowing has already been stated in the Quran and Sunnah, and whatever has not been covered in these sources is not worth knowing. -- Anwar Syed

Ramzan is the month of fasting and feasting. It is also the month in which God introduced His word - the Quran - to mankind by revealing it to Muhammad, his messenger. It is a month in which Muslims break away from the mundane and try to lead a compassionate and pious life by adhering to the five pillars of Islam: Kalmah (declaration of faith), Salat (prayer), Soum (fasting), Zakat (alms tax, to purify) and Haj (pilgrimage to Mecca). Every Muslim tries to align his or her schedule in such a fashion that enough time is devoted to prayer, preferably in a mosque and in congregation, and supplication. Those who find it difficult to leave the workplace, offer prayers in any isolated corner, keeping in mind not to inconvenience others.-- Syed Mohammed