The first revelation of ' Iqra bismi Rabbikallazi khalaq', left the Prophet in a feverish state, with deep fear. It was Hazrat Khadija who gave Him strength at that crucial stage, by  reposing faith in Him, becoming the first to recite the kalma, and the first to offer namaz behind Him. She braved the onslaught of the Meccan oligarchy, sacrificing  all her wealth to support the  small Muslim community. When she passed away her wealth was gone. Further the Prophet lost that one vital support within Meccan society. Combined  with the death of His uncle Abu Talib, the Prophet realised that migration to Medina was the only option. That was Hizrat, and the beginning of the Islamic calendar. As long as she lived the Prophet  never had another wife. After her death, any reference to her name , would make Him pensive and at times tearful. – J. S. Bandukwala

Mr. Sultan Shahin,

If you are a Muslim, then Assalamu Alaikum,

I am double Post graduate of Science and MBA from Maharashtra. Recently I read about you and your website in a local newspaper. I am ashamed about myself that I visited your website. It’s very sad that to please someone you say that some verses of Quran were meant only for the time of the Prophet and are not meant for today (May Allah forgive me). Are you real Muslim or some anti-Muslim forces are supporting you to misguide others?

You also please non-Muslims by saying that these people will also enter into Allah's Heaven. Here only I came to know your level.

Please shut down your web site and join any madrasa to learn Islam.

And keep Beard on your face if you are Muslim, because it is Practice (Sunnat) of my Prophet Muhammad Swallallahu alaihi wa sallam.

Please Do Not Misguide Real Muslims by your dirty Website.................

Irfan Ahmad

Dear Editor,

Your beautiful website was recommended by a friend suggesting that it might be able to provide some ideas to me with a view to helping Hindu fundamentalists of India also reform themselves, so that the combined efforts of liberal Muslims, liberal Hindus and others might be able to bring lasting peace in South Asia, which appears to have been deliberately disturbed by a common strategy of the mischievous leaders of two great religions.

Well-meaning and sound research

I have hurriedly glanced through your site and instantly liked it as a wonderful piece of well-meaning and sound research in which many objective researchers have made their valuable contribution.

I heartily congratulate you and all your associates for their very timely effort aimed at reforming Islam so that it may help ease the tension caused by strained relations between India and Pakistan.

I believe that reform on intended lines only in Islam are not going to be enough in the matter of the achievement of the laudable objective and that the other party to the strife in the region, namely, Hinduism ought also to reform itself independently and with the same objective of restoring peace in the region. Further, just as you have decided to call upon the warring factions within Islam to reappraise the basic and original traits of the Islam at its birth, Hindu religious leadership also engage itself in similar exercise, with reference to its own scriptures the number, character and contents of which are debatable. – Dr. S.L.Dhani, IAS (Retd)

Dear Sultan Shahin,

Anyone who creates divisions in Islam, creates, supports and encourages sects is against the unity and oneness of Islam. It is the greatest disservice to Islam and your website and newsletters are precisely doing the same. Sorry to say this. This is in collusion with the enemies of Islam.  May Allah enlighten you!

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُواْ دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُواْ شِيَعًا لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُمْ إِلَى اللّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفْعَلُونَ

(6:159)

(Y. Ali) As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, thou hast no part in them in the least: their affair is with Allah. He will in the end tell them the truth of all that they did. 6:159 -- Naseem Ahmed

Fuelling Islamophobia: Scary pictures from a Muslim demonstration in London

Wake Up Call! 

These pictures are of Muslims marching through the STREETS OF LONDON during their recent ' Religion of Peace Demonstration. ' 

Why would anyone think that we should be at war with such nice, peaceful Muslims?!

You need to forward this one to everyone!  These pictures tell it all!

Muslims have stated that England will be the first country they take over!

These are pictures not shown on American TV or in American Newspapers, but were forwarded by a Canadian friend who thought all Americans ought to know! -- Syed Rizvi

My dear Sultan Shahin Sahab,

I have read Mr. M.K. Dhar's article ‘Hindu-Sikh Minorities in Pakistan: The Vanishing Communities’ on the condition of Hindu Sikh minorities in Pakistan. I am deeply troubled that minorities in Pakistan are treated so badly. This is against the very essence of Islam, as expressed in a number of Quranic Ayats. In particular : (2,256) Laaa Ikraha fid diin. There is no compulsion in religion.

(109,6) Lakum diinukum wa liya diin. Unto you your religion, and unto me mine.

(16,36) Wa laqad basna fii kulli ummatir rasuulan. We have sent among every people, a Prophet.

The Holy prophet never forced Islam on anyone, including His own beloved uncle, Abu Talib, who refused to recite the Kalama, even though he was very sympathetic to the new faith. Further Waraqa ibn Naufal,  a mystic and a first cousin of Hazrat Khadija, told her, right after the first revelation, that her husband is the Prophet. Yet oddly he continued in his  faith of Christianity, and refused to accept Islam. But no force was ever applied on him to change his faith. -- J S Bandukwala

Dear Sultan Shahin,

I am an American. I was born into a Jewish family and attended 6 years of Hebrew School as a youth and of course was Barmitzvahed in 1968. Today I am a rather militant and very devout Atheist, not that it's important to this discussion but that it might help the reader to understand my perspective. Out of respect and because my own beliefs are not generally accepted by a very theological American population generally accepting Christianity I have chosen to accept all religions as being universally assumed truths which should be viewed with equality. I wish harm to no one.

Let's examine the phrase "equal respect to all prophets and all religions" as it applies to America today and I would like to ask your opinion on what I would consider a vital question for the Islamic world today. ... -- Jeff Prager,

Founder & Publisher – Retired, Senior Magazine

New Age Islam"? Look, we appreciate the efforts to pacify your religion, but if you were truly smart you'd realize it's a bunch of BS Muhammad made up to benefit his power and abilities to wage warfare. If you could look outside for just one second, outside of the ancient beliefs you have been told are true, and really thought about it you'd be able to free yourself.

Your "New Age Islam" is not compatible with Islam in its truest form, therefore many Muslims will reject it. If I saw what people did in the name of my religion and it was the same as what is done in the name of Islam, I would leave it in an instant. Though, we know that some places will kill you for trying to leave Islam.

Islam is simply incompatible with progress. – Toronto Sun

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Sir, This refers to the painful news item TNN Feb 9, 2010, MCI threatens de-recognition of 11 medical colleges including JN Medical College, AMU. I am shocked and pained to see this all. My small write up regarding the medical college affairs may create some debate but for the benefit of the system. It is humbly requested to you sir to give a serious perusal and take action in the best interest of the institution. ….

… Even the district hospital system would be better than the current JNMC hospital system. The college had to emerge as a model for transparency and accountability in the true spirit of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. But alas the tragically entrenched vested interests have been allowed to hijack the mission of the founder the college. A powerful axis of dishonest-administrators and education mafia at the campus has made the system collapse. Those who were meant to be in the vanguard of fighting corruption are fighting to protect the corruption. A rogue’s gallery of corrupt academicians and administrators are creating money out of each grant released by the UGC. …

With regards! Dr. Umar Ahmad MBBS, 75 batch, Present Location ?????

Photo: Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University.

Look at this image. Is it shirk? Why are all of the imams and ulama facing the muwajaha with the king? If not, then why are Muslims stopped from this and even physically harmed at the muwajaha? -- Abdul Aleem Khan

HE (Dr. Zakir Naik) SAYS that all non-Muslims will go to Hell no matter how good they are. Tell me is this statement good. My cousin expired in the 26/11 shootings. If someone says he will go to Hell, and boiling water will be poured on him only because he wasn’t a Muslim, won’t I feel bad? Now I am a very practical person, so I would just let it go but an emotional person can become very aggressive on hearing this, so instead of PEACE I am sorry to say ZAKIR NAIK IS KNOWINGLY OR UNKNOWINGLY PROMOTING ANYTHING BUT PEACE (on his Peace TV). A non-Muslim child expires; will he also go to hell?  yeh kya logic hai, aap socho! Now he can say Muslims will go to Heaven. Why does he have to say that all others will go to Hell? Surely the merciful God is not a human being to have a trait like possessiveness. Surely God wants his children to b righteous only.

Ananya Menon

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Dear Ananya Menonji,

I am very sorry to know about your cousin. Rest assured he is a martyr and will go straight to Heaven. Dr. Zakir Naik is a suited-booted fanatic who has no understanding of Islam. He has the understanding neither of the spirit of Islam nor of its letters actually. It is a tragedy that thousands of Muslims follow him. Islam-supremacism, however, is not his invention. Millions of misguided Muslims think along those lines, without realizing that this renders us

Dear Mr. Sultan Shahin:

I'm a Lutheran Christian in the United States, and I just wanted to send you kudos and a big "THANK YOU" for your publication, "New Age Islam". 

New Age Islam gives a completely different face to the Muslim faith, especially here in the United States where our conservative-dominated media portrays Islam as a medieval religion where its adherents go about blowing themselves up or beheading people willy-nilly.

New Age Islam is a badly-needed publication which shows the world that Muslims are reasonable, rational, intelligent people who would like to live in peace -- just as Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, etc. by and large are reasonable, rational, intelligent people who would like to live in peace.

I don't think Christians would be happy to be associated with the ugliness which is a part of Christian extremism such as in Uganda, or Westboro Baptist Church (Fred Phelps' church in Topeka, KS), or the xenophobic Christian Identity movement in the Western Hemisphere but many of us seem all-too-willing to overlook these groups as "aberrations" while using a very broad paintbrush to paint all Muslims as "terrorists" based on the actions of a few.

Thank you for this publication.  Its Newsletter is one of the pieces of incoming email which I make a point of reading when I receive it.

Mark Carpenter