JAIHOON.COM

A Prayer!

Ya Rahman ! Ya Raheem ! O My Loving Lord !
You’ve fondled me with your Mercy . . .
You have answered me,
Even before I have called upon you !

In the bazaar of Love . . .

In search of a drop, I found an ocean!
Looking for an angel, I was blessed with a human,
Alive, with a heart.
In the bazaar of love
Many gathered around my caravan,
Yet only a Single Buyer did I find!

My Rosary is breaking!

One bead after another

My Rosary is breaking

Star by Star

My sky is shattering…

Valentine’s Day: The Cupid Conspiracy

In fact, it is the defeat of true love when corporate entities like gift vendors, be it online or offline retail stores, starts to superimpose the parameters for the pleasing the Beloved in the way that pleases their profit margins. Like a parvanah (a moth), Love is bewitched by the Shama’a (lamp)’s glitter. Unaware, it burns inside it….And the sad state of affairs show that such relationships, inspired by hot-selling romantic quotes and gifts, are as delicate as the Valentine Balloons - a little thorn pricks and it goes boom!

Need for an Islamic auction site

And being a staunch believer in Iqbalian philosophy, I believe that the ‘angel should not go in hiding, when the devil is making merry’. Therefore I was envisioning a Muslim auction site where Islam was the theme, in its background, icons, sounds, animations…

Mother Rediscovered

Thanks to the media, the commercial giants have spent heavily on defining motherhood through their products. Biscuits, stationeries, soft drinks, online gift vendors have all rediscovered a sudden fondness for the entity called ‘Mother’. Business as usual.

Hum Dil de chuke!

I had a fascinating Biology class today. The topic in discussion was the Heart transplant and other cardiac related issues. Many students asked questions about what they knew and what they didn’t. The teacher replied satisfactorily

Hum faqeeron ko Madeene ki gali achi lagi(Urdu Nasheed)

Away from Madina
Our lives had no color or shape
When approached near
Life became good
We beggars felt good
About Madina’s streets

Rein of the Merciful Sultan

God made you the merciful sultan
Entire world for your compassionate reign
All the sweet words I write
Not enough for the love I invoke
I carve out of my heart
To join the garland I make…

Love… all my love!

O beloved of God!
O treasure of the world!
O the heart of whom
is purer
than gold.

Jaihoon’s poem inspired while greeting salaam at Rawdha after fajr

മാനിനെത്തേടി

തമസ്സ്‌ (അതാണ്‌ ഷംഷാദ്‌ രാജാവിന്റെ മൂത്ത മകന്റെ പേര്‌) എന്തോ ആലോചിച്ചിരിക്കുകയാണ്‌. കാര്യമായ എന്തോ പ്രശ്നം അയാളെ അലട്ടിക്കൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്നുണ്ടെന്ന്‌ ആ മുഖഭാവത്തില്‍നിന്ന്‌ മനസ്സിലാക്കാം. കുറെ നാളായി ഈ ആലോചന തുടങ്ങിയിട്ട്‌. മനസ്സിന്ന്‌ ഒരു സ്വസ്ഥതയും ഇല്ല. ഊണില്ല, ഉറക്കമില്ല. ക്രമേണ ആ യുവകോമളന്റെ മുഖഭാവം മാറാന്‍ തുടങ്ങി. ക്ഷീണിച്ച്‌ എല്ലും തൊലിയുമായി. കണ്ടാലറിയാതെയായി. തന്റെ മനസ്സിനെ പിടിച്ചുകുലുക്കിയ സംഭവമെന്താണെന്നാലോചിച്ച്‌ അയാള്‍ക്കുപോലും ഒരെത്തും പിടിയും കിട്ടിയില്ല.

ഗുല്‍ സനോബര്‍

ഹൊ ഉപ്പയൊന്ന്‌ സമ്മതിച്ചുകിട്ടാന്‍ എത്ര പാടുപെട്ടു. എന്തെല്ലാം അനുനയവാക്കുകള്‍ പറയേണ്ടിവന്നു ആ നാവില്‍ നിന്ന്‌ അനുകൂലമായ ഒരുവാക്ക്‌ വീണുകിട്ടാന്‍. അല്‍മാസ്‌ റൂഹ്‌ ചിന്തിക്കുകയായിരുന്നു. ചുവന്ന്‌ മിടുമിടുക്കനായ കുതിരയുടെ കടിഞ്ഞാണ്‍ അയാള്‍ ശക്തിയായി വലിച്ചു. അത്‌ പറപറക്കുകയാണ്‌ മുന്നോട്ട്‌.

His Nearness, our Paradise - Rabia Basri’s reply to Jaihoon

Last night had I a dream
Close to real did it seem
Across the streets of Basra
Walking I in a state of doubt
My mind in pain was put
With Reason my heart was cut
Appeared then by my side
Who in His Love all nights cried
She saw the cloud in my eyes
As if faith’s sun not in me rise

His city, the hive of joy

I am fashioned by hand of man
Beautified is he by Ar-rahman
O Jaihoon! His city is the hive of joy
Tears there as sweet as honey

കമിതാക്കളേ ഗര്‍വു പാടില്ലൊരിക്കലും!

ആ ദിനം മുഴുക്കെയും ഞാന്‍ കഠിന കഠോരമായ്‌ നൊന്തിരുന്നു
പ്രകാശമറ്റ അതിസാഹസത്താല്‍ എന്‍ ഹൃത്തിനും തിമിരം പിടിച്ചിരുന്നു

അനുരാഗ മരുപ്പരുപ്പില്‍ നിന്ന്‌ ലെയിലയുടെ പരിഭവം

എന്‍ സമശീര്‍ഷര്‍ക്കു മധ്യേ ഒരു രാജ്നിയായിരുന്നു ഞാന്‍
എന്‍ ഗുരുവര്യര്‍ക്ക്‌ പോലും വിസ്മയാവഹമായിരിന്നു എന്‍
ബുദ്ധിശക്തി

One for a cause

Rajeev Nair, The Gulf Today, July 11, 2002
Punchy, power-packed and direct-that?s www.jaihoon.com for starters. But it is more: Here?s to the dogged determination of a youngster, Mujeeb Rahman,-IT-savvy, not IT-trained-who explores the untapped potential of the Internet for healthy, positive and meaningful interaction, and in the process helps you discover the roots of a rich […]

Tasawwuf: Comprehensive, Modern and Scientific

A critical essay by Shihab Thangal on the developments and present misconceptions about Mysticism in

Sait Sahib: Thunderbolt for Minority’s Rights

Sayyed Shihab Thangal’s essay on the demise of Ibrahim Sulaiman Sait. Translated by Jaihoon
Ibrahim Sulaiman Sait had become popular in Indian politics for his purity in social life. A politician who upheld the high morals in life. He was different from rest of the politicians as he stood firm in his convictions. I have had […]

Thunjath Ezhuthachan : The Father of Malayalam language

Thunjath Ezhuthachan was born around 450 years ago in Malappuram district. The story of his birth is mixed with myths and truths. His real name was Ramanujan and signs of brilliance were evident in his childhood. He traveled extensively in search of knowledge and returned to Thrikandiyur, his birthplace, after mastering the religious sciences.
The privileged […]

PMSA Pookoya Thangal: The dazzling light of today’s daybreak

‘Today is the sound continuation of Yesterday’
The flowers of past used to blossom in Imam’s gatherings. These moments tied present with the past. He was particular that ‘Today was the sound continuation of yesterday’. Today’s daybreak acquired its light from the fading light of yesterday’s twilight. History is not meager tales of past events. It […]

Syed Shihab: Arabia’s gift to India

‘The Indian Muslim minority has made valuable contributions to Islamic culture and world civilizations while living under the secular framework of the country’, said renowned scholar, orator and a member of the Rajya Sabha (upper house of Indian Parliament) representing the Indian Union Muslim League. He was speaking at the Asian Studies Center of the […]

Kerala in Arabian Poetry

When we analyze the historical records, we find that in the pre-Islamic period, the ancient Arabian poet Umrul Qais (before the advent of Islam), has mentioned the relationship between Pepper, Kerala and Arabia in his poem. He has compared the bird droppings found on the courtyard of his lover to the pepper in Kerala.
The Greek […]

The influence of sand dunes in songs

The influence of Arabia is evident in every walk of Keralites’s life. The arts and music are shaped by many factors, and the sand dunes is one of them in case of Kerala. Suffice is to say that the pronunciation of Arabic words is not just the monopoly of Muslim artists.
There are number of non-Muslims […]

Genesis and Growth of the Mappila Community

Contributed to Jaihoon.com by Dr. Hussein Randathani. Posted on December 16 2005
The long-standing Arab contact

Sayyida Nafisa at-Tahira

Rare Lady Saint of the Egpytians
[Excerpted from From the Light of Ahl al-Bayt: My Spiritual Experiences Unveiled] by Imam Metawalli ash-Sha`rawi
Sayyida Nafisa was born in Makkah on the 11th of Rabi`a al-Awwal, the same night that the Prophet (s) was born, in the year 145 H. Her father had been appointed governor of Madinat al-Munawwara […]

Rensselaer Senior Named One of Top 10 College Women by Glamour Magazine

Ghofrane Benghanem is tutor, biochemistry and biophysics student, Muslim, hospital volunteer, woman mentor, biomedical researcher, community advocate, teaching assistant, and more. She also has recently been named one of Glamour magazine’s Top Ten College Women in the United States.
“As a scientist, being included in a mainstream magazine that is read by many American women demonstrates […]

Great Ones are grown in the lap of Noble Mothers

[A life sketch of Sayyeda Khairunnisa, the mother of Maulana Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi.]
Maulana’s mother was a hafidhah (committed Holy Quran into memory), a scholar and a poetess. A few of her books, including two poetry collections, have been published. She enjoyed good command over the women of the village and hence led […]

Mothers use no calculator

[by sister ‘Ummi’. Posted with special permission]
[In an age when we calculate the profit and loss for every action we take, for every word we utter, for every emotion we feel… a mother of two children shares the love towards her children, ingrained in her heart by the Most Merciful, without giving a second thought […]

A change that veiled the body, but unveiled conscience

[Actress finds peace in the Holy Book by By Bassma Al Jandaly | 18-11-2002]
Beaming a broad, infectious smile, Abeer Al Sherqawi is eager to impart her newfound inner peace and serenity after rediscovering the Holy Quran.
The 32-year-old Egyptian screen siren, who used to wear skimpy outfits in the heyday of her career, recently came to […]

Don’t let machines rule your mind- Sheikha Jawaher

[By Eman Al Baik -Sharjah, October 10 2002, Gulfnews ]
Technology and technical knowledge must be used to foster youngsters’ love of history, heritage and a sense of belonging, Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, […]

Father should complement Mother

Her Highness Jawaher on the Father’s role in building the family structure
Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, has lamented the “receding role of the father” in UAE society, and urged parents to […]

Rabia Basri : The jewel from Basra

Life sketch
Rabi’a’s parents were so poor that there was no oil in house to light a lamp, nor a cloth even to wrap her with.
She was the fourth child in the family. Her mother requested her husband to borrow some oil from a neighbor. But he had resolved in his life never to ask for […]

Unique pearls on the shore of Islam

This is an age where there are many struggles for the equality of women. Seminars, books, talk show demonstrations…what else not is used in propagation of the feminist agenda. And in this process, the apostles of feminism don’t waste any chance in painting Islam as a backward and discriminatory religion. Hijab is labeled as ‘an […]

Don’t ask me for that Love again.

[ Islamonline.net, By Anthony J. Aschettino Peace Activist – USA 21/06/2002]
Sometimes you go through an experience in life that leaves an indelible mark on your soul and an inerasable footprint on your mind. My trip through the West Bank as a participating member of the International Solidarity Movement for the Palestinian People was such […]

Then reading to learn, Now learning to read

[Why don’t we read? By Wajeha Al-Huwaider/Al-Watan, Published on 26 August 2002, Arabnews.com]
Several years ago when I was trying to get a job here, I discovered that what I had studied for my master’s degree was a largely unknown subject. Consequently I found it hard to explain what was meant by Reading Management which is, […]

Atrocities against Women in India: Thoughts on Gujarat massacre

by Nihla_ag, Student Counselor.
Gujarat ke firaq se hai khar khar dil
Betaab hai seene mein aatish bahar dil
Marham nahin hai iske zakhm ka jahan mein
Shamshir-e-hijr se jo huwa hain figr dil
(My heart is thorn-filled with longing for Gujarat
Restless, frantic, flame wrapped in the spring
On earth there exists no balm for its wound
My heart split asunder […]

Merciless offer kills a helpless lover

Exit an expat, with dreams killed by his sponsor, by Saleh Fareed, Special to Arab News, Feb 9th 2003
JEDDAH, 9 February 2003 — A young expatriate’s long-cherished dream ended with his death last week in Jeddah. His sponsor had refused his request for an exit/re-entry visa.
The man’s best friend, who prefers to remain anonymous, told […]

‘Let’s Run a Race, but First Let Me Break Your Knees.’

An edited version from the article by by Arundhati Roy, ‘Buy One, Get One Free’ ; Sponsored by the Center for Economic and Social Rights; May 19, 2003. Copyright 2003 by Arundhati Roy
In these times, when we have to race to keep abreast of the speed at which our freedoms are being snatched from us, […]

A torture nightmare beyond imagination

Text of the address by Maher Arar. Related news @ http://www.theglobeandmail.com
I am here today to tell the people of Canada what has happened to me.
There have been many allegations made about me in the media, all of them by people who refuse to be named or come forward. So before I tell you who […]

What went wrong!

Arab Leaders are winning, Mr. Mahboob A. Khawaja, Ph.D., specializes in strategic studies with keen interests in comparative civilizations, change and development, conflict resolution and author of recent publication: “Muslims and the West: Quest for Change and Conflict Resolution”, Maryland, U.S.A. 2000.
There would be “no triumph of folly if there would be no submissive fools”, […]

A civilization driven by inventions

There was once a Civilization that was The Greatest in The World
By CARLY FIORINA, ex-CEO of Hewlett-Packard. This is an excerpt from a speech titled: “TECHNOLOGY, BUSINESS AND OUR WAY OF LIFE: WHAT’S NEXT” Delivered at MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA SEPTEMBER 26, 2001
It was able to create a continental super-state that stretched from ocean to ocean, […]

‘Arabs! Change, or you will be changed.’

Transcript of Shaikh Mohammad’s opening speech @ the Arab Strategy Forum
I wish a warm welcome to our guests.
This forum is held on the first day after the end of the mourning period for our dear departed Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. May Allah have mercy on his soul.
As we resume our official activities and […]

Annemarie Schimmmel : On Deciphering The Signs Of God

Annemarie Schimmel, whom we are remembering today, has been a larger than life scholar in the great tradition of German scholarship. Schimmel’s spanned centuries of Islamic learning to make her an authority on the literary heritage of different Islamic peoples - Turkish, Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Sindhi and Pashto. Plus this was a connoisseur of music […]

“The believer is like rain, wherever he goes is goodness” Amr Khaled’s message to US Muslims

Amr Khaled was recently named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Persons in the world, and he had been invited to the United States. Transcript: CAIR/ISNA - ‘An Evening with Amr Khaled’
On Saturday, May 12, the Maryland and Virginia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MD/VA), in cooperation with the Islamic Society of […]

Mild Venture vs. Wild Adventure

Imagine rising up at 5 in the morning and getting ready for a semi-picnic trip with all the sincerity of exploring a region never-seen but often-heard before?
Dawn at Kerala (like any other place on earth) is an exciting ’series of moments’ with the day slowly rising from the womb of night and night slowly hiding […]

Kerala: Everywhere a dustbin?

The visiting students delegation from a Japanese university had much to share with people of ‘God’s Own country’. They were visiting Kerala as part of their course of Global Citizenship, which was organized by OISCA, a body promoting environmental awareness. The seminar was organized by the Edappal Chapter of the environmental organization at Kuttippuram beside […]

Umar Qazi - Sufi Poet on Horseback

Introduction
In 19th and 20th centuries, India had to bear many sufferings at the hands of British rule. The Indian Muslims fought with full vigor to oppose the British imperialistic designs. They had to face drastic economic consequences as a result. In the anti-imperialistic battle, great leaders who left their marks on history led them.
Umar Qazi […]

All About MeraWatan

MeraWatan is an e-documentary on the historical and cultural impact of the Indo-Arab relations. It primarily focuses on the Arab-Kerala relationship with a flavor of Iqbalian philosophy.
The whole concept of MeraWatan stems from a single verse of Iqbal,
“Meer-E-Arab Ko Aaayi Tandi Hawan Jahan Se
Mera Watan Wahi Hai, Mera Watan Wahi Hai! “
From where the Arabian […]

My meeting with Allama Iqbal

I had a meeting with the illustrious poet, which was worthy of being remembered. On. . .