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Remember banking
Thoughtfulness is a factor of doing the unnecessary. Always do the unnecessary act of kindness This is a take on the previous one for the city boys. Life is a bank account. How much you can draw out depends on what you put in. You put it in when you don’t need it. So that…
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Focus on Giving
The world loves ‘givers’ and hates ‘takers’. Now this is not just some ‘nice to do’ thing. Think farming. What do you do if you want a great harvest? Plant lots of good seed. What happens if you eat up the seed? No harvest. Life is farming. Imagine that you walked into the hut of…
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Be Resourceful
‘No’ does not mean ‘Never’. It merely means, ‘Not in this way.’ Or ‘Not just now.’ That’s what makes frustration fun ‘No’ does not mean ‘Never’. It merely means, ‘Not in this way.’ Or ‘Not just now.’ So invent new ways. That way frustration becomes fun. There are too many incidents in my life where…
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Be Thankful
That’s a picture I took flying over South Africa. The patterns of fields is a factor of the ariel view. Perspective is a factor of distance. And so is learning in life. That’s why documenting incidents, reflecting on them and trying to conceptualize learnings is so important. So is sharing. And that’s why this blog.…
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May our hearts come together
It must be remembered that none of the Sahaba who were alive at that time approved of or in any way supported the actions of Yazid. And that all the Ulama and people of knowledge of the Ahl-us-Sunnah (Sunni) have condemned these evil deeds. Unfortunately, despite this, much misinformation is spread, and much misunderstanding exists…
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When the voiceless get a voice
If there’s one overwhelming sign that numbers mean nothing and organization means everything, it is the plight of Dalits and Muslims in India. Dalits and Muslims are officially 17% and 13% of the population. That means that together one in three Indians is a ‘Dalim’ – Dalit Indian Muslim (my coinage today – in case…
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Stopping radicalization through the barrel of a gun
One of my friends sent me this article and asked for my opinion. http://www.firstpost.com/india/we-are-losing-kashmir-to-islam-ten-ways-to-counter-radicalisation-in-india-2997302.html My answer: Actually what this guy proposes is quite tame. See what some others did: Albania: the only European country with a majority Muslim population was ruled by Enver Halil Hoxha (born Muslim) communist leader of Albania from 1944 until his…
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Entrepreneurship Development is the key to economic upliftment
This picture which I took in Pune on my way to the airport after teaching a leadership course at SKF, is my all-time favorite. It is a picture of a man who decided to take his future into his own hands and become an entrepreneur. He gives the lie to all those who complain about…
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Wedding Khutba
All praise and thanks to Allahﷻ the Rabb of the universe. Salam on His Messengerﷺ and his family. To begin, Allahﷻ said: وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ Rum 30: 21. And among His Signs is this, that He created for you…
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Dealing with a political problem called ISIS
This is truly one of the saddest pictures that I have ever seen. You can see how she is holding back her tears. What have we adults done to our children? I defend Islam. Not those who call themselves Muslim but go against Islam. ISIS is a political problem. Not a religious one. So trying…