After life: Joining the Creator

 After life: Joining the Creator 

by Fazeel Chauhan posted Mar 3, 2021

I enjoyed the research done by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, on death and dying. In one of her books she listed the findings of her qualitative research with terminally ill people. As she witnessed the deaths of many people in a hospice, etc., she found a common theme:

1) When a person is about to die, they start seeing close friends and family who have already passed away. 

2) The dying person sometimes began talking to those friends who had already died. 

3) Kubler-Ross deduced from these findings that those close to us, come to get us at the time of death. It is them because they come to let us know that death is nothing to be afraid of. 

4) You go to join the people you love after death. 

That makes me feel more accepting of death. For Muslims, when a person passes away, they say, "He has joined the Creator", or "She has become Beloved to God", or "They have returned to God". 

In Islam, the belief is that before birth, the souls were all together in one place. When a person is born, two angels are assigned. One writes all the good deeds and the other writes all the bad deeds, throughout the lifetime of the person. In the end, there is a judgement day like Judaism and Christianity. But before that, there are some steps. Judgement starts in the grave, based on good and bad deeds, the consequences begin there. Since humans have been predicting end of times or armageddon for a few centuries, it is also said that end of times or judgement day for any person is the day of their death. 

In Islam, at the end, the earth is described as: everything gets destroyed. After all that, all human beings are resurrected. Each person will be held accountable for their small and big actions. The record of their deeds are presented and put on a balance. If the good deeds weigh more, the person goes to Heaven. If the bad deeds weigh more, then the person is sent to hell. Similar to the intercession of Jesus, some Muslims believe or hope that Prophet Muhammed will plead for the Creator's Mercy to ask God to Forgive his followers. Yet, there is no automatic forgiveness. Some deeds which a person considered small, might actually be weighed as big. While some big deeds, might get weighed as minor, depending on the intention of the person. So the jury is always out. There is also the idea that while alive, a person can repent, do atonement and make amends. But when they die, it's too late. Except, if the person had done some works or charity which continues to benefit people after his death, then those good deeds continue to be counted, even after the person dies. Also if their descendants pray for the Creator to Forgive the dead person, this is considered beneficial for the dead person, because the Creator can choose to accept any prayer at any time. For example, if daughter gets a water well setup on behalf of her dead father, so that free water is provided to poor people, in a desert area, then the father's good deeds continue, even after they are dead. Thus many people try to leave a positive legacy.

Muslims believe that the Judeo-Christian and other Prophets are not dead, that their spirits live on. Sufi Muslims take that further to say that also the Saints and Sages are alive. Thus Sufi people gather at the shrines of the saints every Thursday in the form of a celebration with music, which might also include dance. In Islam, the belief is that the world is an illusion, or a dream. The idea is that the saints and prophets are present, just behind a veil, in the world of the unseen. On the other hand, the Earth is the world of what can be seen. And when we die, we wake up from the dream. And the life of the hereafter is what's real. This also helps people in grieving. They often say, my mother went to the Creator, and we all will go to the same place.

Ali Haider Show

 

(7) Ali Haider Show

7-31-95  by Fazeel Chauhan

Ali Haider, Bushra Ansari, Bunny and Milestones have been touring together for the last six weeks. Los Angeles was the last leg of this tour. Unfortunately, for the artists, the end of this tour was marked by an unpleasant experience. The problem had to do with the financial contracts. This was one reason why it took so long for the performance to begin. Originally, the show was to start at 7:30. Then, in last week's Pakistan Link, the new show time was changed to 8:30pm. But it was 10pm when the curtains finally opened and Bushra Ansari took the stage with Allah-Ditta band.
          I think you'll agree that it's about time that we as a community start being on time. As artists and promoters, we need to begin the shows exactly at the announced time. This is the promise that you've made. On the other side, the audience needs to be in their seats at the scheduled time. Another factor which caused the delay of this show was that many people did not arrive at 8:30. In general the attendance was low and I suppose the organizers were waiting for more people to arrive before they started the show. If the artist, promoter or audience is late to a gathering, nobody wins. We all lose. And what we lose is our most valuable asset which is time. It's about time that we discard the idea of "Pakistan Standard Time."
          Bushra Ansari sang beautifully. Her voice is very melodic and her personality is very confident. When some men were making too much noise, she told them directly that it's better if they let her talk. I like seeing that positive power in women. Due to the low attendance, $10 tickets were not sold. Only $15 and above were available and this made some people angry. To ease the tension, Bushra told a good joke about miser husbands. I guess us men don't spend enough money on the women and we're miserly with our compliments too. I wish someone had taught me how to compliment a woman. So I have a request to the elder males in our community. Could you teach us younger guys what you've learned in life so that we don't make the same mistakes again? Teach us the practical stuff, not the theoretical.

Bushra introduced the stage band. The Allah-Ditta band had a bass player, guitarist, drummer and a keyboardist. They were good musicians but lacked energy. Some day, I'd like to see the Desi versions of "Flea" and Pete Townsend, jumping all over the stage. These musicians exemplify the celebration of life through their energy.

The next band to take the stage was Milestones. Unfortunately, the band's name was incorrectly pronounced and advertised several times as Mile Stone. Sounds like a rock that's a mile long. The audience didn't seem very familiar with this band. For me, It was awesome to finally see them perform and to hear "Candy's" voice leading this band. Wow. Things really have changed. A Desi woman was wearing pants and singing "Blue Suede Shoes." Her voice was very impressive and well-trained. She's the Desi "Sade." I'll bet that Sade was a great influence on her hypnotic and smoothly flowing voice. Even her hairstyle was like Sade. The best moment for Milestones was when the bassist was singing a rap song and Candy was weaving a web of harmonies over it. From the first time I heard her, I said that this woman is very talented and she will go very far.

Bunny took the stage and raised the energy in the hall with a few upbeat dance tunes. I think the bad dudes sitting in the back harassed him too much. I felt bad for the guy. An artist cannot give you his best if he's under stress from the organizers or from a ruthless audience. Us artists are usually the sensitive type. And I could see that something was bothering Bunny. Maybe he didn't feel enough cohesion with the Allah-Ditta band. They probably performed together rarely because Bunny has his own band. Bunny's performance was very good. Especially when he grabbed a guitar and played along as he sang. Bunny is a talented musician with a voice that has strength and depth. I talked to him backstage. He came across as a very friendly, humble and caring man.
Ali Haider performed about ten songs. Out of all the musicians, he had the greatest energy. He danced around on stage and got the audience to sing along with him on a few songs. Then he came off stage in the middle of a song. I thought he was going to say a few words to the rowdy guys in the back. But he went and sang to a few women instead. The audience really loved it that he came down and mingled with the crowd. Ali seems to be getting increasingly popular. He's also trying to break into the Indian market. Unlike many other pop bands, I didn't notice any stolen riffs in his music. What we need is originality and not copies of western songs. And Ali Haider definitely is original and very creative.
The show ended at 1am. The sound quality was sloppy. This was not the musicians' fault but had to do with the proper blending of all the instruments. I discovered that the musicians did not have a chance to check their instruments beforehand. And this is why the sound was not mixed properly. All these musicians were very talented. It is unfortunate that their sound quality lacked perfection and that they did not have enough time to show us more of their musical abilities.

When I protested the Gulf war, very few people showed up at the demonstrations. But a Raiders football game or a Guns 'n' Roses concert can attract 80,000 people at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Is there more peace in the world after either event? How can we gather people together and empower them to make the world a better place? How about taking 1% of the time at our functions to address the real issues of Muslims? Maybe a five minute speech on Bosnia and a donation box would've made a difference at this concert. What do you feel?

 

Dua. Prayer: To not make this world our biggest concern

 

Ali Haider Show

by Fazeel Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~  7-31-95)

Ali Haider, Bushra Ansari, Bunny and Milestones have been touring together for the last six weeks. Los Angeles was the last leg of this tour. Unfortunately, for the artists, the end of this tour was marked by an unpleasant experience. The problem had to do with the financial contracts. This was one reason why it took so long for the performance to begin. Originally, the show was to start at 7:30. Then, in last week's Pakistan Link, the new show time was changed to 8:30pm. But it was 10pm when the curtains finally opened and Bushra Ansari took the stage with Allah-Ditta band.
I think you'll agree that it's about time that we as a community start being on time. As artists and promoters, we need to begin the shows exactly at the announced time. This is the promise that you've made. On the other side, the audience needs to be in their seats at the scheduled time. Another factor which caused the delay of this show was that many people did not arrive at 8:30. In general the attendance was low and I suppose the organizers were waiting for more people to arrive before they started the show. If the artist, promoter or audience is late to a gathering, nobody wins. We all lose. And what we lose is our most valuable asset which is time. It's about time that we discard the idea of "Pakistan Standard Time."
Bushra Ansari sang beautifully. Her voice is very melodic and her personality is very confident. When some men were making too much noise, she told them directly that it's better if they let her talk. I like seeing that positive power in women. Due to the low attendance, $10 tickets were not sold. Only $15 and above were available and this made some people angry. To ease the tension, Bushra told a good joke about miser husbands. I guess us men don't spend enough money on the women and we're miserly with our compliments too. I wish someone had taught me how to compliment a woman. So I have a request to the elder males in our community. Could you teach us younger guys what you've learned in life so that we don't make the same mistakes again? Teach us the practical stuff, not the theoretical.
Bushra introduced the stage band. The Allah-Ditta band had a bass player, guitarist, drummer and a keyboardist. They were good musicians but lacked energy. Some day, I'd like to see the Desi versions of "Flea" and Pete Townsend, jumping all over the stage. These musicians exemplify the celebration of life through their energy.
The next band to take the stage was Milestones. Unfortunately, the band's name was incorrectly pronounced and advertised several times as Mile Stone. Sounds like a rock that's a mile long. The audience didn't seem very familiar with this band. For me, It was awesome to finally see them perform and to hear "Candy's" voice leading this band. Wow. Things really have changed. A Desi woman was wearing pants and singing "Blue Suede Shoes." Her voice was very impressive and well-trained. She's the Desi "Sade." I'll bet that Sade was a great influence on her hypnotic and smoothly flowing voice. Even her hairstyle was like Sade. The best moment for Milestones was when the bassist was singing a rap song and Candy was weaving a web of harmonies over it. From the first time I heard her, I said that this woman is very talented and she will go very far.
Bunny took the stage and raised the energy in the hall with a few upbeat dance tunes. I think the bad dudes sitting in the back harassed him too much. I felt bad for the guy. An artist cannot give you his best if he's under stress from the organizers or from a ruthless audience. Us artists are usually the sensitive type. And I could see that something was bothering Bunny. Maybe he didn't feel enough cohesion with the Allah-Ditta band. They probably performed together rarely because Bunny has his own band. Bunny's performance was very good. Especially when he grabbed a guitar and played along as he sang. Bunny is a talented musician with a voice that has strength and depth. I talked to him backstage. He came across as a very friendly, humble and caring man.
Ali Haider performed about ten songs. Out of all the musicians, he had the greatest energy. He danced around on stage and got the audience to sing along with him on a few songs. Then he came off stage in the middle of a song. I thought he was going to say a few words to the rowdy guys in the back. But he went and sang to a few women instead. The audience really loved it that he came down and mingled with the crowd. Ali seems to be getting increasingly popular. He's also trying to break into the Indian market. Unlike many other pop bands, I didn't notice any stolen riffs in his music. What we need is originality and not copies of western songs. And Ali Haider definitely is original and very creative.
The show ended at 1am. The sound quality was sloppy. This was not the musicians' fault but had to do with the proper blending of all the instruments. I discovered that the musicians did not have a chance to check their instruments beforehand. And this is why the sound was not mixed properly. All these musicians were very talented. It is unfortunate that their sound quality lacked perfection and that they did not have enough time to show us more of their musical abilities.
When I protested the Gulf war, very few people showed up at the demonstrations. But a Raiders football game or a Guns 'n' Roses concert can attract 80,000 people at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Is there more peace in the world after either event? How can we gather people together and empower them to make the world a better place? How about taking 1% of the time at our functions to address the real issues of Muslims? Maybe a five minute speech on Bosnia and a donation box would've made a difference at this concert. What do you feel?

Abandonment of Religion

Abandonment of Religion

by

Fazeel Aziz Chauhan

(as published in Pakistan Link, Los Angeles, 10-17-97)

When we come to America, our beliefs are tested and challenged like never before. In the old country, you are usually conditioned to living in a homogenous community. This may have been a predominantly Muslim society or a native or eastern culture. Thus the bombardment of all the western and alien elements in the new and contrary environment can often send you into a headspin. So much so that the process of adaptation or assimilation can make you abandon your religion. The loss of these beliefs also translates into the severance of your roots and the crumbling of your personality's foundation. This issue is of great concern specially when it comes to the new generation. Hopefully sooner than later, you realize that you have lost your way. Now how do you get back to the right path?

Life in the States can be very unstable. The opportunities are available for both paths: to learn and progress or to slip and drown. Under the new flag, you may experience more freedom of choice and decide that nobody can tell you what to do anymore. In the past, your father told you to be responsible and held you accountable for your actions. Mother told you to be a good boy and stay away from the company of partying people. Teachers told you to behave yourself and obey authority. Your community pressured you to conform to their religious and cultural norms. 

What leads a person to abandon religion? It probably begins soon after migration when a person first tries to assimilate into the American way of life. You may feel that all those old pressures and restrictions were bogus and need to go out the window. You begin to taste all the forbidden fruits and turn a blind eye toward your beliefs. You see that many Americans laugh at the idea of religion and God, and that concept begins to brainwash you too. Under the influence of this scientific and logical-brain oriented society, you begin to mistrust your heart and soul. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan quotes Allama Iqbal in a Qawali "Man Kee Dunya May Na Daykha May Nay Afrangi Ka Raaj".

Believing the values of the pop culture, you perceive organized religion as being empty and meaningless, only full of dogma and rituals. You entertain the idea that you haven't seen God and that he doesn't exist. The emphasis on individualism, consumerism, and the pleasure principle also encourage you toward worldly things and away from spirituality. Crutches like sex, medicines and alcohol only provide temporary happiness and escape from harsh realities. Some people subscribe to the melting pot philosophy and end up losing their own identity. 

The process of moving away from being Muslim and Pakistani, and into being American involves losses as well as gains. After the initial mild or severe culture shock has diminished, you begin to realize where you are and what you've lost. "By Gosh Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore". The solitary life, separation from family, lack of belongingness, payment of bills and incompatible values can all become very stressful. The loss of a supportive culture can also lead to a loss of the intertwined religious beliefs. 

As your beliefs weaken, any difficulty can turn into a test of faith which can cause you to lose hope and abandon religion. For example, a lack of loving relationships takes a heavy emotional toll and makes you lost and lonely. Not understanding the new culture's values can cause a lot of suffering and confusion. Often you feel stranded between two worlds and even simple decisions can create conflicts that tear you up inside. The harsh American life and lack of ikhlaaq (caring) among people in the big cities stabs at you to cause ulcers. A major problem develops into a test of faith, as you turn to God and pray for help and guidance. And if God doesn't answer in a timely manner, you can feel frustrated and overwhelmed. You can get trapped by grief or heavy burdens and become hopeless, angry, cynical and rebellious. You may end up thinking that maybe there is no God, and religion is not true. Also, folks who become rich or happy with stable lives can say "I don't have a problem, Why do I need religion?". 

Another reason for reaching the point of abandonment of religion is the lack of a strong belief system (Imaan). Some of us were not educated with the proper religious knowledge and understanding. Instead, blind faith, rote memorization and fear tactics were emphasized. Bad experiences with other Muslims who may be unkind, not trustworthy, insincere, deceptive, liars, cheats, greedy, selfish, uncooperative, self-righteous, prejudiced and narrow minded, make us doubtful and bitter. We may start believing the local media who criminalize Muslims and attempt to defeat, belittle and deceive us. 

How does a person come back to God and religion? After abandonment, a person may have embarked on a search for truth and spiritual fulfillment through other means. Many philosophies can help a person find a good path. But a proper understanding of religious teachings can provide guidance on a precise road map. A person can come back home to Islam through the front door, by studying the Quran and Hadith. The ability to decipher the truth can increase with age. It would help if practical solutions to common problems are provided through the mosques. A more progressive approach needs to be promoted to better apply Islamic teachings into every day life. In this matter, new African American and Hispanic Muslims provide us with fresh perspectives, hope and inspiration. 

A person can also find his way back home to Islam through outside channels. Yoga, self-help books, psychology, meditation, support groups, music, 12 step programs, counseling, and self expression through the arts can heal a person. Learning and testing the truth through these alternative methods can validate Islamic teachings. Thus a person can discover that what he was taught in childhood was true after all and he can then return to the right path. The best healer and guide is a sincere and trustworthy friend. Are you going to help someone by being that Muslim friend who serves as an example - like Prophet Mohammed or Hazrat Ali "The Walking Quran"?

The Debate about the Creator

2500 years ago, the Buddha said life is suffering. And then he spent his life to find the way out of suffering. Part of the answer is meditation, reflection, mindfulness. How do you explain pain, and how do you handle suffering?

This is one possible explanation of why God allows pain and suffering.

A man went to a barbershop to have his haircut and his beard trimmed. Barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.
They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't Believe that God exists."
“Why do you say that?" asked the customer

The barber joked, “I’m the one with the sharp instrument in my hand, but I won’t try to convert you. So you believe there was someone who triggered the big bang?”.

The customer said “I do believe there is a Creator, and many people use the word God”.

The Barber said, "Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to retort with something smart nor to start an argument.

The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbers shop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an un-trimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barbershop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber."I am here, and I am a barber. You can touch me. And I just worked on you!"

"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards like that man outside."

The Barber said, "Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to me."
"Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him”.

"O you who believe! Be patient, and excel in patience, and remain steadfast and fear Allah, that you may be successful." [3:200]