Home › Blogs › iFaqeer's blog

Funeral Services for Benazir Bhutto...and a word on the religious tenor of the Bhuttos

Posted December 28th, 2007 by iFaqeer
in


Just learnt that a Ghayabana Namaaz-e-Janaza is going to be held for Benazir Bhutto after/with Friday prayers at the Masjid-e-Farooq-e-Azam in Concord, California. I am told it is off the Clayton Exit, across from the Safeway and near the BART Station and there will be a prayer meeting (Du’a) at the BART Station afterwards.


Sorry about the late notice, but I just found out.


There will most probably be services in other places around the world. Please feel free to post information in the comments section here to inform others.


For those not familiar with the concept, "Namaz-e-Janaza" is the South Asian name for the Muslim prayer said at a person’s bier before he or she is interred. There is a tradition of saying the exact same prayer "ghayabana", or "in absentia", in situations like this where a lot of people not physically present at the burial want to participate (or in cases where a body is not found; but that’s another story).


As a matter of clarification, I am forwarding this not because I am a fan or follower of Benazir, her father, or the PPP, but for all their faults and follies, both she and her father were in a tradition of South Asian and/or Muslim leaders going back at least to Akbar, who chose to make at least a public connection with the more folksy interpretation of their constituencies’ faith(s).


In my book, she gets credit for being the only Muslim leader I have ever heard invoke Ijma, the Islamic concept of consensus as a source of community self-governance.


The discussion on KQED about Benazir’s passing and it’s aftermath went well and the audio archive should be available at:


http://www.kqed.org/pgmArchive/RD19/20071223/week



Photo is an AP image taken off the BBC website.
Cross-posted on the iFaqeer, Wadiblog, ProgressiveIslam.org, and Pak Tea House blogs.
Technorati tags applicable to this post: – –

Comments

Her support of the Taliban

On December 28th, 2007 GustavoMustafa says:

Her support of the Taliban and Pakistan’s diplomatic recognition of this rouge regime in the last century is a sore spot for me.  However, I cannot deny her charisma, even if she was no saint, she was probably the best option for the people of the vast majority of religious but secular and moderate Pakistanis.


When Pakistanis allege Afghanistan is not a country, Pakistan is now suffering from the same ills that face Afghanistan.


Pakistanis have the following issues that confront nation-building in Afghanistan:


1.)  Poverty


2.)  Hemorrhaging of human capital


3.)  Religious extremism


4.)  Ethnic/intra-Muslim/sectarian strife


5.)  Ensuring stability for the sake of economic development and growth


6.)  Unsettled frontiers and borders


7.)  Quest for identity


8.)  Victim to superpower hegemony

Boston Metro Area Qur’an

On December 28th, 2007 iFaqeer says:

Boston Metro Area
Qur’an Khwani (Quran recitation) at ICB Wayland: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=6925998362&ref=nf

Both nations have fallen

On December 28th, 2007 GustavoMustafa says:

Both nations have fallen under the influence of  "Gulf Arab Salafication" which has proven fatal to the indigenous forms of Islam that exist in this part of Asia.

A "rouge regime" would be

On January 2nd, 2008 Sitaram says:

A "rouge regime" would be some kind of gay comedy off-broadway.


I think you mean "rogue regime".


Rogue rhymes with Vogue Magazine.


Rogue often brings to mind a "rogue elephant."


Rouge is pronounced like Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

A rouge regime would be the

On January 3rd, 2008 Fashion Mujahid says:

A rouge regime would be the type of government en vogue after the Fashion Jihad victory. Death to pale cheeks!
Seriously, I think the jury will be out on Bhutto’s legacy for a while yet.

Down with Muslim dynastic

On January 4th, 2008 GustavoMustafa says:

Down with Muslim dynastic rule!  Her son should stay away from Karachi and keep himself busy with his studies in Oxford.  Pakistan was the creation of the Muslim League, an elitist group of former ruling Muslim sultanates during the Mughal period, who wanted nothing more than to maintain control over some piece of real estate.  Their adversarial take on a Hindu majority India being a detriment to a Muslim minority was contrary to anything previously seen in the "Golden Age" of Islam.


Throughout Muslim history, rulers sometimes were the religious minority but ruled their polyglot and pluralistic kingdoms quite well.  The Muslim League succumbed to Western nationalism, the same thread of thinking espoused by the extremists.

Thanks Gustavo!  I was

On January 6th, 2008 Hakim Baker says:

Thanks Gustavo!  I was about to say something about the Khmer Rouge but I didn’t want to take the tangent any farther. 

Back to top