AYA SOFYA AND THE BLUE MOSQUE Of Historical Istanbul.

 

The Historical Aya Sofya

And The 'Blue Mosque'

Of Istanbul

(M. Javed Naseem)

 

I am sorry for my absence as normally I post a new article every Friday. We travelled one Thursday evening from Casablanca (Morocco) to Instanbul (Turkey); spent the night in the air; and about 2:00am in the morning (Friday) reached our hotel. Slept a couple of hours and then rushed to the biggest historical landmark of the country, Aya Sophya (Turkish) or Aya Sophia (general expression) or Hagia Sophia (Roman). We (me & wife) wanted to offer Friday prayer there and then other prayers at the Blue Mosque (Masjid Sultan Ahmet), the most beautiful and the biggest mosque in Turkey. Alhamdo-lillah (thank God), we successfully achieved that goal.

Officially, this big mosque is called in Turkish “Ayasofya Kebir Camii” (Ayasofya, the big mosque). There's another Ayasofya which is called “Kucuk Ayasofya Camii” (Small Ayasofya Mosque). We visited both, as both of them were close to our hotel, and not far from each other either (maybe 500 meters apart). The design of the both mosques is very similar; but the big one is really majestic and elegant from inside too. It's the major historical and cultural site in Turkey. It is also the last of three church buildings to be successfulloy constructed on the same site by the Eastern Roman Empire. It was completed in 537-AD. From 360-AD to the year 1204, it was an Eastern Orthodoc church. Following the 4^th Crusade, it was converted into a Catholic Church. In the year 1261, it was reclaimed and again became the Eastern Orthodox till 1453, when the Ottoman Empire conquered Constantinople (Istanbul). It was converted into a mosque and served as a mosque until 1935, when it was converted into a museum. In the year 2020, it became a mosque again.

Hagia Sophia's splendour and elegance doesn't need my introduction or explanation. When you see it by yourself, you'll be mesmerized and lost into time. And when you offer prayer inside this historical place, you'll fee the awe. A feeling that is hard to describe.

 

Masjid Sultan Ahmed (Turkish: Sultan Ahmet Camii) is also popularly known as the 'Blue Mosque'. It is right in front of the famous Aya Sofya or Hagia Sophya in Istanbul. It is historical imperial mosque of the Ottoman era. The Blue Mosque was constructed between 1609 and 1617-AD during the rule of Sultan Ahmed-I. It remains functional till today. It also attracts a large number of tourists and is one of the most iconic and popular monuments of Ottoman architecture.

The mosque has a classical Ottoman layout with a central dome surrounded by four semi-domes over the pray hall. It is fronted by a large courtyard and flanked by six minarets. On the inside, it is decorated with thousands of Isnik tiles and painted floral motifs in predominantly blue colors, which give the mosque its popular name (the Blue Mosque). The mosque's religious complex (Kulliye) includes Sultan Ahmed's tomb, a madrasa, a museum and several other buildings.

The Blue Mosque was built next to the former Hippodrome and stands across from the Hagia Sophia. The Blue Mosque was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1985, under the title of 'Historic Areas of Instanbul'.

I have visited Petra in Jordan, the Pyramids of Cairo, Egypt, and many other important, historical sites in different countries of the world but I never saw such a big crowd of tourists at one place as I saw it in Istanbul. Thousands and thousands of tourists from all parts of the world, Muslims and non-Muslims. I saw such a crowd only at Makkah and Madinah (Saudi Arabia), the holy places of Muslims.

 

There's another thing worth mentioning here! Whey you visit Petra (Jordan), you pay the entry fee; when you visit the Pyramids of Cairo, Egypt, you pay the entrance fee; even when you visit the Hassan-II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco, you pay as a tourist or visitor 150-Dirhams ($15.00) per person. But in Istanbul, you don't pay to enter the both mosques the Blue Mosque and the Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia). It is free for both Muslims and non-Muslims. Only during the prayer times, the non-Muslim tourists or visitors are restricted to enter. After the prayer, they can enter the both mosques.

The huge neighborhoods around both mosques are the most expensive tourist areas of Istanbul. The prices of hotel rooms, taxis, restaurants, cafe, fruits, sweets, ice cream and everything else are enormously high. You have to make a real effort to find a place with reasonable prices. The locals don't buy anything from that zone. They live outside and they buy outside the tourist areas. The best way to move around is on foot or by metro trains or buses. For that you need to buy the Metro card.

Both big mosques (Aya Sofya and Masjid Sultan Ahmed), the Small Aya Sofya, the famous Topkapi Museum are in the same neighborhood called “Fatih” and the other smaller area called “Sultanahmet”. Hotels are very expensive in those areas but worth it as all major attractions are on a walking distance. Even the most popular world-famous shopping area called “Covered Bazar” or “Grand Bazar” is not far. All those attractions are just 10-20 minutes walk away. But if you are in areas like Teksim, which also surrounds may hotel, restaurants, bars, night clubs, shopping malls, etc., you are a bit far from the main attractions. If you are not using Metro, the taxi will be very expensive. And like any other country, taxi-drivers cheat too to make an extra buck.

 

Istanbul is a very beautiful city, full of water, islands, hills and green spots. The food is really tasty and the climate is good. Turkish sweets like “Baklawa” and the “Turkish Delights” are unique and delicious. Don't forget to go on a cruise, like Princess' Island tour, or Bosphorus Islands tour, etc. It is expensive but worth it. A great experience! We really enjoyed it. There is a lot of history scattered all around Istanbul. There is something for every taste.

When we visited, a US dollar was worth 28-TL (Turkish Lira). By that standard, Turkey should be cheaper for American and European tourists, but unfortunately it is not. The main tourist areas are just rip-off, like many other countries. But if you manage to go out of main tourist areas, it is really cheap and people are really friendly. You'll see the difference and will change your opinion too.

Subhan Allah! God's creation is beautiful. Travel and enjoy it; and be grateful to Him that you got a chance to do that.

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GENOCIDE IN PALESTINE: The Evil Empire Is A Party To The War.

Genocide In Occupied Palestine, Syria, Iraq

The Evil Empire Is A Party

To The War And Patronizes

Israeli Genocide Agenda

Puppet Muslim Rulers Are Guilty

Of Not-Helping The Muslim Victims

Against Aggression And Injustice

(M. Javed Naseem)

These are the End Times and we'll see a lot of bloodshed, aggression, wars, destruction and injustice in the world. Unfortunately, we see the brunt of it in the Muslim World as it has been well-planned by the evil forces of unbelievers and infidels. The entire world is busy crying for Ukraine, shedding crocodile tears and bungling billions of dollars, while on the other side, the oi-rich Muslim governments are doing nothing for the Muslim victims of Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Yemen. What a shameless show of hypocrisy, discrimination, double-standards and injustice on the part of so-called 'civilized' world!

This kind of genocide will continue as the survival of the Western defense industrial complex depends on wars and conflicts. The sponsor, support and even start those conflicts/wars to make big money from weapons' sales. This also serves a political motive to control the oil-rich countries. Therefore, there will be no peace in the world; only wars, wars and more wars. They create terrorists, supply them with weapons and then sell the weapons to the respective governments to fight those terrorists. Most of the morons don't understand the evil agenda. American politicians are openly making statements to support the occupying apartheid state of Israel in its genocide campaign (called 'war').

The Muslim leaders are behaving like the Munafiqeen (hypocrites) and are not helping the victims in Palestine or Syria or Iraq, etc. They are trying to please the West and the apartheid Israeli regime, establishing friendly relations with it at the cost of Muslim lives. The evil occupying Zionist regime has cut off supplies of electricity, water, food, medicines and everything else. They want to wipe out Palestinians and Hamas from this territory because the West is behind them and nobody is helping Palestinians except Iran. That's the height of shamelessness and cruelty. How would the Muslim leaders answer questions on the Day of Judgment? Allah commands:

“And fight them on until there is no more

tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice

and faith in Allah altogether and everywhere;

but if they cease, verily Allah does see

all that they do.”

(al-Quran 8:39)

In situations of wars and aggression like in the present time, Muslims are commanded by Allah to help the victims and stop or fight the aggression and injustice. Everybody knows that but nobody is following that command. They are all playing politics for their own survival. They want to stay in power at all costs and will continue licking the boots of the evil Zionist masters who are responsible for all those atrocities and injustice.

Allah warns the hypocrites in the Quran:

“The hypocrites, men and women, (have an

understanding) with each other: They enjoin evil, and

forbid what is just, and are close with their hands.

They have forgotten Allah; so He has forgotten them.

Verily the hypocrites are rebellious and perverse.”

(al-Quran 9:67)

“Allah has promised the hypocrites men and women,

and the rejecters of Faith, the fire of Hell. Therein shall

they dwell. Sufficient is it for them. For them is the

curse of Allah, and an enduring punishment.”

(al-Quran 9:68)

 

Those who claim to be Muslims or believers, should know what to do in this situation and how to help stop the genocide in Palestine and other countries. If they don't help the Muslim victims in their time of need, when they are thrown out of their homes; they are deprived of food, water, electricity, medicines, healthcare facilities; and on top of that they are being bombed! Don't the believers read the Quran, the Bible or the Torah? The whole world is watching and doing nothing!

Muslim rulers are being blackmailed as they want to stay in power with the support of the Evil Empire; so they are paying the price. But in fact, it is the general people who are suffering. Power is a Godly quality and only God can use it justly. Human beings, when given power, often try to play God and end up doing injustice to the fellow humans. They cannot resist the temptation, therefore, the corruption prevails. Power is responsibility and it should be used for the service to humanity. A ruler/governor who enjoys power, is actually given responsibility to serve his people. A ruler is a servant of Allah and he should serve His people; take care of them, solve their problems and promote peace and justice in the society. But the modern day ruler, on the contrary, considers himself as “king” of the people and takes people as his servants. He likes it very much when people gather in rows for his reception, bow in front of him and kiss his hand.

On the Day of Judgment, all rulers would be asked questions about their people. A ruler must be a humble and God-fearing servant of people, and not an arrogant tyrant. He is responsible for social justice, equality, peace and prosperity of his nation. He is not allowed to take people’s money or property. He is answerable to God for the sufferings of his people (due to injustice), during his tenure. 

 

The problem with us, Muslims, is that we don’t fear Allah. We don’t think that we are going to die sooner or later. We don’t think about the Day of Judgment and answering questions in front of Allah. We have become hypocrites (Munafiq) as we say one thing and we do something else. We lie to others every day and we don’t consider it a sin or something immoral. It is accepted as normal behavior in the society. We read the Holy Quran and still we don’t get the message! We read about other nations and generations that were destroyed because of their sins and evil-doing but we don’t learn any lesson from the Quran, nor from the history of the nations. We know that it happened to other nations but we think it is not going to happen to us. Why not? Allah says:

“How many a township have We destroyed

while it was sinful, so that it lies (to this day)

in ruins, and (how many) a deserted well and

lofty tower! Have they not traveled in the land,

so that they may have hearts wherewith to feel,

and ears wherewith to hear? For indeed it is

not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts,

which are within the bosoms, that grow blind.”

(al-Quran 22:45-46)

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GUIDANCE: ALLAH NEVER MISGUIDES! Don't slander, it's a blasphemy!

 

Allah Never Misguides!

Don’t Slander,

It's A Blasphemy!

(M. Javed Naseem)

Allah is ‘Infinite Mercy’ and ‘Infinite Love’. He created us and He loves us many times more than a mother loves her children. He commanded us to be grateful and obedient to Him so that he would shower His blessings and bounties on us. But at the same time, He warned us of Shaitan (the Devil) being our enemy manifest. He clearly warned us of painful punishment if we followed Shaitan (doing evil deeds and disobeying Allah’s commands).

“Allah created the heavens and the earth

for just ends, and in order that each soul

may find the recompense of what it has

earned, and none of them be wronged.”

(al-Quran 45:22)

For a long time now, I have seen people preaching Islam (doing Da’wah) on TV and on social media/internet. They always quote some Quranic verse: “Whom Allah guides, nobody can misguide him; and whom Allah misguides (sends astray), nobody can guide him”. Excuse me? Are you wrongfully accusing Allah? That is slander, a blasphemy!

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Allah has created everything (including

you) in Truth. Why would He mislead

you and then burn you in Hellfire? Many

people are promoting incorrect translation

of the Quranic verses to wrongfully accuse

God! Allah never leads people astray!

Instead, He guides them to the right path.

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The true guidance comes from Allah and that can guarantee our success in this world as well as in the Hereafter. I have been arguing with people to clarify and make them understand the true meanings of such verses. Here's the correct translation:

وَمَن يَهْدِ ٱللَّهُ فَهُوَ ٱلْمُهْتَدِ وَمَن يُضْلِلْ

فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِهِ“

It is he whom Allah guides, that is on true”

Guidance; but he whom He leaves astray, for

such will you find no protector besides Him.”

(al-Quran 17:97)

The FaceBook/internet preachers) are promoting incorrect translations of the Quran. Allah never misguides, misleads or sends anybody astray. The English and Urdu translators (copying each others) are the source of this blasphemy. Even the so-called ‘scholars’ have erred on this verse.

Allah guides people from the Darkness to the Light. He guided Adam and Eve when they were misled by Shaitan. He sent thousands of prophets or messengers to guide humanity to the right path. When we follow our lusts, desires and greed, we go astray, under the influence of our enemy Shaitan.

Now, imagine for a second that the whole world has gone astray. Then there are some who realize what has happened, and they repent begging Allah for forgiveness and mercy. Allah knows best who is sincerely repenting and asking for forgiveness. So, He forgives whom He wills. But how about the rest? Well, He leaves the rest wherever they are because they never asked for guidance. If they are astray, He leaves them there. If they are sinful, He leaves them in sin. He does not guide them because they don’t seek guidance. Their actions don’t support their case (requesting forgiveness).

Here’s another example from Surah al-Room, verse 29. Yusuf Ali, being my favorite translator (but I consult at least 5 translations), renders the following translation of this verse:

بَلِ ٱتَّبَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوۤاْ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ فَمَن

يَهْدِى مَنْ أَضَلَّ ٱللَّهُ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ

“Nay, the wrong-doers (merely) follow

their own lusts, being devoid of knowledge.

But who will guide those whom Allah leaves

astray? To them there will be no helpers.”

(al-Quran 30:29)

Pickthal’s translation goes like this:

“Nay, but those who do wrong follow their

own lusts without knowledge. Who is able to

guide him whom Allah hath sent astray?

For such there are no helpers.”

(al-Quran 30:29)

And it is not Pickthal alone. Shakir Ali and Khalifa have also translated the above verse like Pickthal.

Similarly, most of the Urdu translators (even some of the famous Ulema) have made the same mistake of adopting Pickthal’s version without much thinking.

The Almighty revealed the Quran to guide people who had gone astray. He did not send them astray, He gave them freedom of choice. He only let them go and stay astray because they never repented.

Allah clarifies in Surah al-Qasas that it’s the lusts of people that send them astray. And when they keep following their own desires and lusts (instead of repenting), Allah does not guide them. He leaves them in that condition:

“But if they hearken not to you, know that

they only follow their own lusts; and who is

more astray than one who follow his own lusts,

devoid of guidance from Allah? For Allah

guides not people given to wrong-doing.”

(al-Quran 28:50)

Therefore, it is not the incorrect translation alone but also blaming Allah for something He never did! That’s a blasphemy! We make our own choices – right or wrong – and Allah lets us do that. He allows us to do wrong because He knows that One Day we would be answering questions and held accountable for all that we did. We would be rewarded accordingly.

 

Allah did not send Nimrod astray nor the Pharaoh of Egypt. They chose to go astray and Allah tried to show them the path of guidance through His prophets Abraham and Moses, respectively. But they did not repent, so Allah left them in that condition. Therefore, it would be wrong to say that Allah sent them astray. Allah just allowed them to go whatever way they chose to go.

“Allah disdains not to use the similitude of

things, lowest as well as highest. Those who

believe know that it is truth from their Lord;

but those who reject Faith say: "What means

Allah by this similitude?" By it He causes

many to stray, and many He leads into the

right path; but He causes not to stray,

except those who forsake (the path).”

(al-Quran 2:26)

The above verse tells us clearly that Allah does not cause anybody to go astray. It’s the people who forsake the right path, by their own choice, to go astray and Allah lets them go in that direction.

One thing is clear that going astray is on the part of man while guidance is on the part of Allah. He guides whom He wills. When Allah withdraws His guidance, nobody can save that person from Hellfire.

“For any whom Allah leaves astray,

there is no protector thereafter. And

you will see the wrong-doers, when in

sight of the Penalty, say: "Is there any

way (to effect) a return?"

(al-Quran 42:44)

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