Shashi Tharoor, in his message on X (@ShashiTharoor), writes: “One #KeralaStory from the recent election results that communalists should note: a Muslim majority constituency, Thavanur, elected a Christian, VS Joy; a Hindu majority constituency, Kalamassery, elected a Muslim, VE Abdul Gafoor; and a Christian majority constituency, Kochi, elected a Muslim, Muhammed Shiyas. Despite some influence from the national trends in favour of identity politics, Kerala remains a model of communal harmony, a state where people see human beings first and caste or religion later.”
Indeed, democracy thrives in Southern states.
- Kabeer
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Educational Aspiration in Jamia Nagar
Apropos Aftab Mohammad’s article, “Beyond the Stereotypes: What Jamia Nagar Reveals About Muslim Education” (Radiance, 16 May 2026). I really enjoyed reading your article. You effectively challenged stereotypes around Muslim education through empirical data. The article shows that educational aspiration in Jamia Nagar is strong but the real barriers are poverty, weak public schooling and unequal access to quality education.
I also liked the discussion on gender and dropout patterns, especially how financial pressure forces many boys to leave education early. Plus, I found your point about the gap between school enrolment and actual learning very important. Overall, the article is a valuable contribution to the discourse on education and social inequality in India.
Syed Nasir Rizvi
Delhi
Truly Insightful, Indeed
This is with reference to Aftab Mohammad’s article, “Beyond the Stereotypes: What Jamia Nagar Reveals About Muslim Education” (Radiance, 16 May 2026). I read your article. It is truly insightful and written with such clarity and honesty. The way you have presented the real condition of the school education system in Jamia Nagar is both powerful and eye-opening.
You have beautifully highlighted how the system has been neglected over time and how marginalised students are struggling to access even basic quality education. It’s not just information; you have shown the lived reality of these children and families.
Mohammad Zeeshan
IIM Kozhikode, Karela
Non-Stop Praise for Prophet Muhammadﷺ
A special noble status accorded only to Prophet Muhammad ﷺin the Qur’an 48:29 is that he is called “Muhammadur Rasulullah” which means “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”. The word “Muhammad” is derived from the root hamdin Arabic, meaning the “praise”. So Muhammad means “a man who is praised or the praised one”.
Now Islam has spread and reached every nook and corner of the world and it is obligatory for all Muslims to offer prayers (salat) five-times daily. When the prayer-time is due, Adhan is given from every mosque in the world, inviting Muslims to attend the mosque for prayers. Mu’azzin loudly gives Adhan, announcing “Ashhadu anna Muhammadur Rasulullah” which means “I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”. Moreover, during prayers and supplications, Muslims praise and glorify the Prophet, seeking Allah’s mercy and blessings upon him with a worthy love and salutation (Taslim) for him. The Prophet is thus praised, glorified and greeted by Muslims across the world non-stop. Historically no man is so much praised, glorified and greeted as Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, signifying that he is the only greatest man for all times in the world. So, calling the Prophet “the praised one” is practically justified.
Secondly, Prophet Muhammad ﷺis also known by another important epithet “Ahmad” in the Qur’an 61:6. The word “Ahmad” means a man who extremely praises Allah. Prophet Muhammad (Ahmad) exhibited his extreme praise, glory, and love for Allah, the Exalted in prayers and supplications to Him as stated in the Qur’an: “My prayer, my sacrifice, my life and my death are all for Allah the Lord of the universe.” (6:163) Again it is reported that the Prophet ﷺused to keep standing in prayer so long that his feet got swollen”.
Muhammad Abdus Samad
Ambari,Dhupdhara, Assam