physical-world-map

History of Major Religions in Under 3 Minutes

I came across a video, posted by Business Insider, that shows how religions spread around the world. This video, primarily an interactive map, shows the growth of major religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and of course, Islam.

The video, in itself, has some minor flaws, such as the fact that Hinduism is shown to have originated in the Indus Valley Civilization — while the Indus Valley Civilization’s religion was slightly similar to modern-day Hinduism, it was not purely identical, and excluding a few major gods and idols, both have huge differences. Continue reading “History of Major Religions in Under 3 Minutes”

taj-mahal

The Legacy of Islamic Architecture in India

Islamic architecture can be seen all around the world. India is one such country where Islamic art and architecture is indeed very prominent.

Often, in foreign discourses, the discussion about Islamic architecture in India is confined to Taj Mahal at Agra and the Jama Masjid of Delhi. However, there is much more to it: be it the northern part of the country, or the coastal areas of the south, or the Deccan plateau region in central India, Islamic architectural marvels are present everywhere.  Continue reading “The Legacy of Islamic Architecture in India”

Remembering The Greatest British Muslims

Over the course of time, many Muslim reverts have done a lot to help their brethren all around the world. This documentary by BBC talks about the lives and works of three such British Muslims, who sacrificed a lot and contributed towards the benefit of humanity at large:

This documentary tells the little-known story of three English gentlemen who embraced Islam at a time when to be a Muslim was seen as being a traitor to your country. Through personal journeys of still surviving relatives, the programme looks at their achievements and how their legacy lives on today.

Continue reading “Remembering The Greatest British Muslims”

athiests

There Are No Atheists On A Sinking Ship

“There are no atheists on a sinking ship” — this is an old and well-known saying. It is natural for a troubled human being to call out to Allah, and even the strongest of atheists turn to Allah when they are faced with adversity.

As Allah says in The Quran 31:32,

And when waves come over them like canopies, they invoke Allah, sincere to Him in religion. But when He delivers them to the land, there are (some) of them who are moderate (in faith). And none rejects Our signs except everyone treacherous and ungrateful.

Continue reading “There Are No Atheists On A Sinking Ship”

Islam, Philosophy and Science in Baghdad

While present-day Baghdad is generally in the news for wrong reasons such as terrorism and war (all planted thanks to foreign interference), it was not always the case. Back in the day, Baghdad was quite easily the biggest and most cosmopolitan city in the whole world, known for its splendor and progress.

Among other things, Baghdad was also known for its scientific growth, learning and other advancements. The Islamic Golden Age, from the mid-8th to the mid-13th century AD (though it quite possibly existed right until the mid-15th century), was the period when the Islamic World made great development in virtually every field of knowledge. Of course, Baghdad served as the center of such developments.  Continue reading “Islam, Philosophy and Science in Baghdad”

Cleaners of The House of Allah

The cleaners of the two sacred Masjids in Mecca and Medina play an important role in making sure that Masjids are kept clean. To achieve that, nearly 200 officials and seasonal employees, 2700 workers, 260 controllers and 100 supervisors are employed.

The following documentary details the work of The Department of Cleaning and Furnishing at the Grand Masjid in Mecca. While this documentary is far from perfect — it highlights the efforts of the Saudi government more than it talks about the people who actually do the cleaning, and the text to speech narration pronounces several Arabic words incorrectly — it still offers a rather touching overview of the entire process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIBFwBrQGjk