Mohammed Jawad Ali

“the event of the ‘golden calf ’ stands for love of this-worldly things as objects of worship (v. 51). This event happened soon after the great blessing of Bani Israel’s deliverance from the Pharaoh. The Book and the covenant had yet to come. This love, when it competes with and overwhelms the love for Allah, is the root cause of decadence.”
― Khurram Murad, Key to al-Baqarah: The Longest Surah of the Qur'an

“I would love to see the disparity between the rich and poor [in India] reduced. If you have a billion people that should be our strength. —Ratan Tata, interview with Damien Whitworth, 2006”
― Peter Casey, The Story of TATA: 1868 to 2021

“When the Libyan uprising was first gathering steam, Qaddafi dismissed the protestors as “rats” and vowed to eradicate them with unmatched fury. Six months later, dirty and on the run, he was found by Libyan fighters hiding in a sewer pipe near the city of Sirte, begging his captors not to shoot him. They did not oblige. Tellingly, in a sign of broader trends across the region, on the day that Qaddafi’s palace in Tripoli fell to the rebels, the flag that was hoisted atop the building was that of Qatar, a sign, no doubt, of the tiny sheikhdom’s surprising reach and power. Qatar’s flag was soon replaced by Libya’s own new flag. But the symbolic importance of seeing the Qatari flag over Qaddafi’s one-time headquarters was hard to miss. A new regional power had risen.”
― Mehran Kamrava, Qatar: Small State, Big Politics

“Ibn Ishaq has recorded that Makkan ladies were once gathered around Ka’abah on the occasion of a festival. Hubal’s idol was set up in the vicinity of Ka’abah along with numerous smaller idols. Pilgrims not only circumambulated Ka’abah, but also prostrated before the idols and invoked them to fulfill their needs. Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her) was also present on the occasion. The gathering of women, consisting of old as well young, rich as well as poor, assumed divinity in the idols and paid them respects. A Jewish man who witnessed the occasion observed the women for some time, then spoke, “Respected ladies! A Messenger of God is due to arrive amongst you. Whoever of you finds the opportunity to marry him should do so.” The chitchat of the ladies was suspended for a moment. They were astonished by what the man had just said. They wondered who this man was and what he meant. Then some of them said he was not one of the Makkans. They thought he had mocked them and insulted their deities. Some of them started yelling at him. Others picked up stones and pebbles and hurled at him. With the exception of Khadijah, every other woman participated in scorning the man. It is recorded that Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her) chose not to speak in defense of the false deities and remained silent. Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her) did not sympathize with the idols and the false deities even before Islam.”
― Abdul Malik Mujahid, Golden Stories of Sayyida Khadijah