Editorial
The early months of the year 2023 have been rocked by controversy and media headlines, beginning from the BBC documentary and its fallout and the Adani-Hindenberg affair. Recently, the ghastly killings of Junaid and Nasir in Haryana, who were burnt alive by ‘cow...
Women, Arise and #EmbraceEquity!
The concept note states that, “Equity isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have. A focus on gender equity needs to be part of every society’s DNA…Equity means creating an inclusive world…Each one of us can actively support & embrace equity within our own sphere...
Aura Readers’ Club – Kuwait
On 18th February, 2023, an online review meeting of Aura’s February 2023 issue was organised by Aura Readers’ Club - Kuwait. This was the first international meeting of the Readers’ Club, after a series of events by groups in India. The highly distinguished speakers...
Face to Face with Nasira Khanam
Nasira Khanam, who hails from Hyderabad, is a senior member of Jamaat e Islami Hind. She has led the Women’s Wing at the state and national levels for many decades. On the occasion of Jamaat e Islami Hind’s 75th anniversary, Aura spoke to her about the participation...
Give Me My Shade, O My Shady Tree
The silent tear that rolled down her cheek The ugly fear that was at its peak. The dirty thoughts that clogged her mind, The dark emotions that haunted from behind. The raging storms that created uproar, The nasty waves that hit the shore. The feeling of dejection...
Grandma, Please Pardon!
Listen..! Yes, sharpen the ears... Do you hear that voice? Pulling chains...Hitting heads! Falling roofs…Shrilling walls! A hefty blast…Shaking the minds! Quaking the hills…Mounting the muds! Grandma, sorry! I know your tears’ve already dried. Holy blood became frozen...
A Woman Can Go Through Hell & Back But Still Shine Luminously
This time after coming back home from the hospital I didn’t cry. Instead, I tried to be mentally stronger, by reading books and listening to motivational lectures. Now, I am also trying to be physically stronger. I’m following the diet which was advised by my doctor,...
Child Marriage: Not just a ‘Minor’-ity Matter
Noorul Islam Mazarbhuiya, a social worker and religious leader from Assam says that “Marriageable age depends upon the mental and physical maturity of the bride and bridegroom in Islam. It varies from person to person and from place to place. The lawmakers have...
O, Sleep: A Sublime Sign of the Almighty
Sleep is understood to be one of the greatest signs of Allāh’s presence. The Qur’an says in Surah-Ar-Rum, verse 23 “And of His Signs is your sleeping at night and your seeking His Bounty during the day. Indeed, there are Signs in this for those who hearken”.Night...
‘Why We Sleep’ by- Matthew Walke
Why We Sleep was first published in 2017. It is written by Matthew Walker, a scientist and professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. If you were active on social media during 2020, You might have seen it making rounds there....
Midnight Mi’raj
Every night is a Mi’raj night! when breezes froze, sand dunes slept palm leaves perched, Zaytun branches dozed Falcon feathers flaked, upon fallen fig leaves the musallas murmured merrily, listening the lonely love letters of a wearily weeping worshipper. Every night...
A Season of Bliss
Ramadhan, a month of peace and light, A time for reflection, devotion and might, Fasting from dawn till dusk with grace, Purifying the soul and seeking Allah’s embrace. The Quran is read with fervor each night, As believers gather to pray with all their might,...
The Forgotten Scent of Mercy
“When the month of Ramadhan arrives, the doors of mercy open”- Prophet Muhammad (SAW)Has there been anyone to feel belonging in this world? Perhaps not, Surely it is beautiful to look at, think about, But the beauty of it is sure to bring you down with no gain Or...
Making or Breaking Habits in this Blessed Month
“O you who have believed, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse: 183) As for relatives, if a relative is sick or in trouble, we should go and take care of them, console...
Psychiatry, Islamic History & The World of Mental Health
Belief and dependence on the sovereignty of the Creator in all things, not just disease, can give people salvation. Depression is one of the sources of mental illness. Anxiety is born from frustration. There is instability in the character. Therefore, the objective of...
Budget 2023-24: Failed Promises Towards India’s Children
On investment in ECCE, the report of Save the Children and CBGA suggests that government institutions spend 1030 INR per child and private institutions spend 12,834 INR per child. The analysis of the same report suggests that “the total resource requirement to provide...
The Adani Empire is Falling, Brick by Brick. Here’s Why You Should Be Concerned
Had it been only Adani’s money, nobody would have cared. But in this fiasco, the common public is also a stakeholder , which makes the rise and fall of Adani Enterprises very important. Two major public sector investors in Adani enterprises are the SBI and the LIC....
Hysterically Yours…
Unfinished business everywhere You can’t blame the woman ‘if’ she feels crazy Can you be at two places at once? Two vessels are always full, I wish it was our bank account or pantry but lo! Tis the kitchen sink full of dishes and the Laundry bag full of clothes Both...
Women As Mufassirah (Female Exegetes) & Their Contributions To Quranic Exegesis
While doing the tafsir, Al-Ghazali goes over the meanings of the verses in an easy manner. First, she explains the basic concepts that appear in the verse(s) in focus. She then discusses the time period during which the verses were revealed. Then, she conveys the...
Muslim Women, in Various Moods: A Digital Photo Essay Courtesy Artificial Intelligence
So, briefly put - what can AI art envision, for a category of people who have often been denied joy and happiness in media, who are envisioned singularly as oppressed, angry, or just plain, homogenous? Courtesy DALL-E and Midjourney, two different websites that allow...
How to Strengthen your Muscles of Happiness
When the Prophet(PBUH) and his Companion Abu Bakr (RA) were in the cave, abandoned, the words of the Prophet to his Companion were, “Abu Bakr, what do you think of two people with whom Allah is the third?”. This approach was from a new perspective and different from...
Let’s DIY and Decorate our Home!
Disposable Cups Wind ChimeMaterials Needed: Plastic (or any disposable) cups Paints and brushes Woollen yarn Glitter and anything available at home to decorate Scissors and glue Cardboard Procedure: Take a plastic cup and paint the two halves with two different...
Short Stories in the Hadith
Did you know the meaning of Hadith? These are the sayings or actions of our beloved Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم .Let’s learn a beautiful lesson taught to us by our Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.Prophet (ﷺ) entered the garden of a man from the Ansar. A camel saw...
Flash Fiction
“Don’t go. You will suffocate. That’s not the place for us. We are created to live here.” Said the Mother Fish. But Little Fish was very adamant. “No! This is not fair. Look at the birds. How happily are they flying in the sky! Can’t I go to the beach and enjoy the...
Two Images of Grief & Hope from the Turkey-Syria Earthquake, 2023
As the saying goes, the smallest coffins are often the heaviest. While the 2023 earthquake has taken thousands of lives, left much more displaced and homeless and shattered entire cities, it has been the searing images and videos of news around children that have...
If it Bleeds…
There is something uniquely horrific about the injustice being forgotten: mass graves in warzones, numbers instead of names in gas chambers, the idea of not only stripping someone of their autonomy and their life but also their memory, the legacy they leave behind. In...
Consumer Rights & Class Consciousness
Allah swt states in the Holy Quran, an instance of the Prophet Shuaib (peace be upon him) who beseeches his people: “O my people! Give full measure and weigh with justice. Do not defraud people of their property, nor go about spreading corruption in the land.” (11:85)...
Pluralism, Contemporary Challenges & The Islamic Perspective
Primarily it was the Companions of the Prophet who made it their life’s mission to spread the beautiful message of Islam to Arabia, Persia and North Africa. After several centuries, it was the galaxy of Muslim Sufis and Muslim traders who took the message of Islam to...
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