Thirty first-/ 31 night থার্টি ফার্স্ট নাইট! এবং আমাদের নোংরামিঃ

আমরা অতি শীঘ্র 2013 তে পদার্পণ করতে যাচ্ছি। অর্থাৎ আমাদের জীবন থেকে পূর্ণ একটি বছর বিদায় নিল। নতুন বছরকে নতুন চেতনায় গ্রহণ করতে হলে আত্মসমালোচনার কোনো বিকল্প নেই। অথচ এই সময় আত্মসমালোচনার পরিবর্তে আত্মবিস্মৃতির দৃষ্টান্তই প্রকটভাবে দেখা যায়।
নতুন বছরকে স্বাগত জানাতে দেশের শহর-নগরগুলোতে জমে ওঠে উদ্দাম নাচ-গানের আসর। আমাদের মিডিয়া একে আদর করে বলে ‘তারণ্যের উন্মাদনা’। যেন তরুণ মাত্রেরই উন্মাদ হওয়া অপরিহার্য। এই উন্মাদনা এতটাই বাঁধভাঙ্গা রূপ ধারণ করে যে, রীতিমতো আইনশৃঙ্খলার পরিস্থিতির উদ্ভব ঘটে।
মুসিলম পিতামাতার সন্তানরা এ রাতে ভেসে যায় আল্লাহর নাফারমানীর সয়লাবে। সর্বত্র ছেলেমেয়ের অবাধ মেলামেশা প্রকট রূপ ধারণ করে। তরুণ-তরুণীরা জোড়ায় জোড়ায় ঘুরে বেড়ায়, রেস্তোরাঁ, পার্ক-উদ্যান, নাইট ক্লাব ইত্যাদিতে। বহু অপ্রীতিকর ঘটনাও ঘটে থাকে। নাইট ক্লাব ও অভিজাত হোটেলগুলোতে বসে মদের আসর। তরুণ-তরুণীদের প্রলুব্ধ করার জন্য থাকে নানা রকম আয়োজন। ফলে নারী ও মদে পঙ্কিল হয়ে ওঠে বছরের প্রথম দিনরাত্রিগুলো।
বলাবাহুল্য, পাপাচার ও নাফরমানির মধ্য দিয়ে যে বছরের সূচনা তা জাতির জীবনে কতটুকু সুফল বয়ে আনবে তা খুব সহজেই অনুমেয়। একজন সাধারণ রুচিশীল মানুষও থার্টি ফার্স্ট নাইটের এই নোংরামি সমর্থন করতে পারেন না। এই ধরনের পাপাচার বন্ধ করতে সচেষ্ট হওয়া প্রত্যেক সচেতন নাগরিকের অবশ্যকর্তব্য। আর একটি মুসলিম দেশের অভিভাবক হিসেবে দেশের সরকারের কর্তব্য এই ধরনের চরিত্রবিধ্বংসী বিজাতীয় উৎসব কঠোরহস্তে দমন করা।

এখানে আমার মতামত হলঃ থার্টি ফার্স্ট নাইট আমরা কেন উৎযাপন করবো না, অবশ্যই করবো কিন্তু তা অবশ্যই উপরে বর্ণিত নোংরামির মধ্য দিয়ে নয়। আমরা থার্টি ফার্স্ট নাইট উৎযাপন করবো আমাদের নিজেদের আত্মসমালোচনার মধ্য দিয়ে। অর্থাৎ বিগত বছরে আমরা যে সকল গনাহর কাজে লিপ্ত হয়েছি, যে সকল ভুল করেছি, যে সকল অন্যয় করেছি, যে সকল খারাপ কাজ করেছি, নামায ঠিকমত কায়েম করতে পারি নাই তার জন্য আল্লাহর কাছে ক্ষমা চাওয়া ও তওবা করা। এবং প্রতিজ্ঞা করা যে জীবনে আর কখনও গোনাহ করবো না, খারাপ কাজ করবো না, পাঁচ ওয়াক্ত নামায ঠিকঠাক মত কায়েম করবো। তবেই আমাদের “থার্টি ফার্স্ট নাইট” উৎযাপন সফল হবে। আল্লাহ আমাদের সবাইকে হেদায়েত দান করুন। আমিন……।

Is-Luck-a-god ?

 

Article appeared Friday, December 16th, 2011 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (207)yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

How often are the expressions, “I was lucky” or “Wish me luck!” used? Have we ever consideredwhat the use of such expressions implies about our beliefs? Searching the Internet one finds avariety of opinions. For example, the website

{1}

discusses the popularity of such expressions,however, at the end asks, “But, is it (luck) for real?”

“

The existence of luck and of the ability to influence luck, both for good or ill is one of theprolific and diverse

beliefs

in all of humanity. More popular than a belief in a personalGod, more widespread than a belief in humanistic potential, and more prevalent thanany kind of belief in natural or earth based spirits, the belief in Luck crosses lines of religion, class, race, culture, upbringing, and geographic distance.

” {1}

So the question is: do “Bad Luck” and/or “Good Luck” represent gods in parallel to our Creator?Or, if luck is just an opportunity, does random chance create the opportunity? If we are created,by crediting our created opportunities to “Luck”, are we being derogatory or unjust to our Creator and thus

 proving 

our disbelief?To help us understand that opportunities are not accidents Warren (2002, p.22-23) writes:

“

You are not an accident. Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no flukeof nature. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did… Long before you wereconceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of God. He thought of youfirst. It is not fate, nor chance,

nor luck 

, nor coincidence that you are breathing at thisvery moment. You are alive because God wanted to create you…God prescribed everysingle detail of your body. He deliberately chose your race, the color of your skin, your hair, and every other feature. He custom-made your body just the way He wanted it. Hedetermined the natural talents you would possess and the uniqueness of your personality…Because God made you for a reason, He also decided

when you 

would beborn and

how long you 

would live.

He planned the days of your life in advance...God left no detail to chance.

He planned it all for 

his

purpose…Nothing in your life is arbitrary. It'sall for a purpose.

” {2}

Warren derives his wisdom from an in-depth study of the Bible. As an example, he quotes:

“

You saw me (in your mind) before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every

moment 

was laid out before a single day had passed.

”

[Psalm 139:16, NLT]

{3}

Before documenting, a design would need to be mentally pictured or conceived. Similarly, our Creator conceived each of us before creating us. In addition, He documented the opportunitiesand tests that we would be given each day during our designated stay on earth. The planincluded how we would be created in the womb, which womb, time and place. Whatopportunities each of us would be given, good or bad, what fortune or misfortune each of uswould be given, have all been pre-planned. The fact that nothing is random is confirmed by theQur’an, the most recent Revelation after the Bible.

“

No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in a decree beforeWe bring it into existence: that is truly easy for Allah (our Creator):

”

[57.22]Two questions arise – why did

•

our Creator make the effort to fashion us as beautiful and complete human beings?

•

He give us opportunities, tests and varying degrees of fortune

Yousuf M Islam, PhD
Professor,
Dept of Computer Science & Engineering and
Executive Director,
Human Resources Development Institute (HRDI),
Computer Science & Engineering Department
Daffodil International University (DIU)
Mobile: 01711876909

Dutifulness to Parents, even if they are unjust

Dutifulness to Parents, even if they are unjust

**Ibn 'Abbas said, "If any Muslim obeys Allah regarding his parents, Allah will open two gates of the
Garden for him. If there is only one parent, then one gate will be opened. If one of them is angry, then
Allah will not be pleased with him until that parent is pleased with him." He was asked, "Even if they
wrong him?" "Even if they wrong him" he replied.

Dutifulness to One's Mother

Dutifulness to One's Mother

##Bahz ibn Hakim's grandfather said, "I asked, 'Messenger of Allah, to whom should I be dutiful?'
'Your mother,' he replied. I asked, 'Then whom?' 'Your mother,' he replied. I asked, 'Then whom?'
'Your mother,' he replied. I asked, 'Then whom?' 'Your mother,' he replied. I asked, 'Then to whom
should I be dutiful?' 'Your father,' he replied, 'and then the next closest relative and then the next.'"

## 'Ata' ibn Yasar said that a man came to Ibn 'Abbas and said, "I asked a woman to marry me and she
refused to marry me. Another man asked her and she agreed to marry him. I became jealous and killed
her. Is there any way for me to repent?" He asked, "Is your mother alive?" "No," he replied. He said,
"repent to Allah Almighty and try to draw near Him as much as you can."
'Ata' said, "I went to Ibn 'Abbas and asked him, 'Why did you ask him whether his mother was alive?'
He replied, 'I do not know of any action better for bringing a person near to Allah than dutifulness to
his mother.'"

                          

Gentle words to Parents

Taysala ibn Mayyas said, "I was with the Najadites [Kharijites] when I committed wrong actions
which I supposed were major wrong actions. I mentioned that to Ibn 'Umar. He inquired, 'What are
they?" I replied, 'Such-and-such.' He stated, 'These are not major wrong actions. There are nine major
wrong actions. They are: associating others with Allah, killing someone, desertion from the army
when it is advancing, slandering a chaste woman, usury, consuming an orphan's property, heresy in
the mosque, scoffing, and causing one's parents to weep through disobedience.' Ibn 'Umar then said to
me, 'Do you wish to separate yourself from the Fire? Do you want to enter the Fire?' 'By Allah, yes!' I
replied. He asked, 'Are your parents still alive?' I replied, 'My mother is.' He said, 'By Allah, if you
speak gently to her and feed her, then you will enter the Garden as long as you avoid the major wrong
actions.'"Hisham ibn 'Urwa related this ayat from his father, "Take them under your wing, out of mercy, with
due humility." (17:24)

Honouring Parents

 1.Honouring Parents:

1. TheWords of Allah Almighty: "We have instructed man to

honour his parents." (29:8)

1. Abu 'Amr ash-Shaybani said, "The owner of this house (and he pointed at the house of 'Abdullah
ibn Mas'ud) said, "I asked the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, which action Allah
loves best. He replied, 'Prayer at its proper time.' 'Then what?' I asked. He said, 'Then kindness to
parents." I asked, 'Then what?' He replied, 'Then jihad in the Way of Allah.'" He added, "He told me
about these things. If I had asked him to tell me more, he would have told me more."

2. 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said, "The pleasure of the Lord lies in the pleasure of the parent. The anger of
the Lord lies in the anger of the parent."