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    My favorite artworks from European Museums

    My favorite artworks from European Museums

    Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

    Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

    Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

    Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

    Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

    Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

    Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

    Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

    The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

    The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

    Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

    Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

    Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

    Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

    St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

    St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

    Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

    Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

    Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

    Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

    The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

    The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

    The Dohany Street synagogue in Budapest

    St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

    St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

    The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

    The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

    Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

    Takht-e Marar, Golestan Palance, Teheran, Iran

    Takht-e Marar, Golestan Palance, Teheran, Iran

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      My favorite artworks from European Museums

      My favorite artworks from European Museums

      Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

      Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

      Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

      Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

      Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

      Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

      Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

      Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

      The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

      The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

      Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

      Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

      Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

      Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

      St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

      St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

      Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

      Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

      Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

      Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

      The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

      The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

      The Dohany Street synagogue in Budapest

      St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

      St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

      The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

      The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

      Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

      Takht-e Marar, Golestan Palance, Teheran, Iran

      Takht-e Marar, Golestan Palance, Teheran, Iran

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      Keep the Faith

      inBook and Publication
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      appeared in India Today’s Woman Special on September 8, 2016

      There is no gender difference in Sufism for as Dr Javad Nurbakhsh writes in his book Sufi Women; “women who seriously set foot on the path towards reality are in exactly the same position as men who do so.”

      He goes on to say, “Since in the ocean of divine unity neither “I” or “You” exists, what possible meaning can man or woman have?” There have been many famous women Sufi saints and many women who have influenced saints and been their teachers.

      Someone once asked the great Egyptian Sufi master Dho’n-Nun Mesri, “Who, in your opinion, is the highest among the Sufis?” He replied, “A lady in Mecca, called Fatimah Nishapuri, whose discourse displayed a profound apprehension of the inner meanings of the Qur’an.”

       

       

       

       

       

      Delhi has the dargah of Bibi Fatima bin Sam who was known as the Rabia of Delhi. Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya had said for her, “When a tiger comes out of the forest no one checks whether it’s a male or female.” Sufism was the way to attainment of the divine and finding perfection in worship or Ihsan.

      “Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see him; if you can’t see him, surely he sees you.” A Sufi will discharge all the duties of a believer, spending their time in prayers, fasting and reading the holy text but with most emphasis on zikr or remembrance of God.

      As Abu’l-Hasan al-Nuri, a great early Sufi said, “Sufism is not rituals and forms and is not bodies of knowledge, not doctrines, not ideas, not theories. But it is impeccable manner, the manner of the lover in the presence of the beloved.”

      Sufi saints became popular because of his or her inclusive teachings which bound together people of all faith, caste and gender. So to me, it’s ironic that the trustees of Haji Ali Dargah, Mumbai, are trying to bind the tradition of love and spirituality with such orthodox rules.

      They use a hadith, which have been abrogated, and others, which are said to be weak when putting a ban on women from entering a dargah. There is a hadith, which quotes the Prophet as telling his wife Hazrat Ayesha who wanted to visit the grave of her brother, “I had prohibited you from visiting the graves, but now I encourage you to visit them.”

      [Sahih Muslim (977)] So the argument that women should not visit graves is also not based on strong hadith traditions. There are some arguments that graves are not places of worship and women may get misled. I ask these people aren’t men as likely to get misled if their faith is weak? Nowhere in the Quran are only men called believers.

      The Quran addresses both men and women when talking of righteousness and piety. So what’s permissible for men is also permissible for women. We who go to dargahs and I go very often, do not ask the saints to accept our prayers for we know that only Allah will do, but we ask them to become a waseela or intercessor for us to reach Him. Now let us take the argument that it creates a law and order problem for the trustees.

      That surely is not the fault of the women if you can’t spruce up your administration. I had no problem when I visited it prior to 2011. It’s time we were allowed equal access once again.

      If we can visit the House of Allah in Kaaba, Mecca together with men, do the tawaaf or circumambulation together without any segregation then why can’t we enter a dargah? If House of God allows women how can a mosque or dargah stop them? Men and women of all faiths visit dargahs, and as citizens of India, we are guaranteed that equality under the constitution. I am glad the judiciary is ensuring that right.

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      Rana Safvi

      Come, explore and fall in love the Beauties of Delhi (Dilli ki Ranaiya’n) and the World with me, Rana Safvi

      I have a masters in medieval history from the prestigious Centre for Advanced Studies, Dept. of History, AMU. A firm believer in our Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb, I am passionate about gaining and sharing knowledge and these days I am doing it via the social media platform.

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