Sense of Deprivation – احساس محرومی – Part 1

What urged me to write on this topic is the statement of a politician, “the sense of deprivation in people is causing the demand for new provinces”.  What I say, it is not ‘new provinces’ we are going to make but we are dividing the provinces with many cities into many small size provinces.  Who knows in future, further sense of deprivation would cause further division of citi-sized provinces into town-size and then neighbourhood-size provinces.  I think they were called tribes.  So we will become a tribal society.

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Deprivation generally means missing some or more necessities of life, lacking physical abilities or mental powers, losing possessions or will to do something, etc.
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People say that the increase in crime rate is due to deprivation.  According to psychologists, the feeling of deprivation can force people to jealousy, murder, depression and suicide.

What has come into observance, the practical meaning of word ‘deprivation’ in my country is to choose or create a reason or reasons to develop ‘sense of deprivation’, mostly to seek favours or win sympathies from others.  The strong stimuli behind this self-conspiracy is the fear of taking responsibility of actions and decisions.  Everybody wants to stand up proudly saying, “yeah, I know I am a sinful person, but at least I didn’t do this and that……(a long list of good intentions never practiced in real).”  People are in a greed of having everything while losing nothing.  This is an unnatural and evil behaviour.  They never get to realize that they keep losing everything and while getting nothing at the end but regrets and feelings of deprivation.   I hope I made my point clear to myself.  Thank You Lord!
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As Pakistani society has divided itself into many occupational, status-based, age-wise and religious communities………such as youth, elders, politicians, show-biz, doctors, teachers, nurses, lawyers, journalists, farmers or Defense Area, Cant. Area, Gulshan Area, North Nazimabad Area, Gulberg Area, Model Town Area, Laloo-Khait, Surjani Town, Malir Town, Saudabad, Khokrapaar or Agha Khani Community, Khoja Community, Hindu Community, Christian Community, Memon Community, Dehli-Sodagraan Community, Saadaat Amroha Community, Rizvia Society, etc. (such division among Muslims except for administerial purpose is a kufr)………….. they all have developed their own “sense of deprivation”.
Religious people feel deprived when lose their donors and find themselves helpless for earning by physical work.
Politicians, when don’t get votes, go furious due to depression and go to any extent in revenge from both opposition and people.
Show-biz tycoons indulge into the lust of deprivation when don’t get awards and appreciation or lose fans.
Women are the most deprived part of our society as they are never satisfied with what they have and keep exploiting the term “women’s rights”.
Women love to live alive in a continuous state of depression related to their bodily shape, facial attraction and fashion.
Students convince themselves that they can’t study because of lacking facilities and good educational system.
Elders waste their old age in pushing their children into guilt by reminding the favours they had done to them and for not getting the same return.
Under-privileged think they have all the rights to become a crime-activist and prostitutes as the result of people’s negligence and as the system demands them to be.  The most famous dialogue preached by dramas and movies is, “what has society given to us? now its time to take revenge from society”.

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قسم سے کہہ رہی ہوں اس ملک کی تباہی کی سب سے بڑی وجہ یہ ہے کہ ہر کوئی، ہر کوئی، ہر شعبے کا ہر شخص، ہر گھر میں بیٹھا ہوا ہر شخص، اپنی کمیونٹی کی ایک برائی سننے کو تیار نہیں، الٹا اپنے اپنے کنوؤں کے مینڈکوں کے ہر الٹے سیدھے کام کا دفاع کرتے ہیں… ہر ایسی تنقید کو جس سے انکے دل کا چور سامنے آجاۓ  اور انکی تہذیب، روشن خیالی اور ملک و قوم کی خدمت کا پول کھل جاۓ… کہتے ہیں کہ یہ فالتو باتیں ہیں… کام کی باتوں پر توجہ دیں… مطلب کے جو انکے مطابق کام کی بات ہو وہ اہم ہے اور وہی سب کو کرنی چاہیے… واہ! کیا آزادی راۓ اور جمہوریت ہے… مطلب یہ کہ زبان تمہاری، الفاظ ہمارے… ہم تو جیسے پاگل ہیں…
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اور جب زرداری، الطاف حسین، نواز شریف اور دوسرے سیاسی شیطانوں پر لعنت بھیجی جا سکتی ہے… تو پھر شوبز کے لوگ اور کھلاڑی کس کھیت کی مولی ہیں اور کیوں معصومیت کے ڈھونگ میں انہیں بخشا جاۓ… ارے غلط باتیں ہیں، الزامات ہیں تو دفاع کرو، سچ بتادو سب کو… ورنہ اعتراف کرو…
اور میں ٹھری دل جلی، پاگل، جاہل، خود سر، بد تہذیب اور بدتمیز… ایسی ہی باتیں کرتی رہوں گی جب تک دل چاہے گا… کیسی باتیں.. ایسی… کہ میرے لحاظ سے ملک کے تمام شعبوں کے لوگ برابر کے حساس، منحت کش، سچے، معصوم، ایماندار ہیں… اور سب کا حکومت کے مال پر برابر کا حق ہے… ہر شہری چاہے جس فیلڈ کا ہو برابر ہے… ورنہ سب شیطان یا سب غافل یا سب پاگل اور جاہل…
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آج بات کرنی ہے میں نے “احساس محرومی” کی…
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آج تک تو مہنگائی، غربت، جہالت اور دہشتگردی کو سسٹم کی ناکامی کی جڑ بتایا جاتا تھا… آج ایک نیا بیان سنا ایک سیاستدان کا کہ احساس محرومی کی وجہ سے نئے صوبوں کی بات ہو رہی ہے… کوئی کہ رہا ہے کہ احساس محرومی کی وجہ سے جرائم میں اضافہ ہو رہا ہے… یہ تو کہا ہی جاتا ہے کہ احساس محرومی کے وجہ سے ڈپریشن ہوتا ہے… لوگ خود کشی تک کر لیتے ہیں…دوسروں سے حسد کرنے لگتے ہیں یہاں تک کہ دوسروں کو قتل کر دیتے ہیں…
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احساس تو سمجھ آ گیا… یہ محرومی کیا ہے… اگر محرومی چیزوں کے نہ ہونے کو کہتے ہیں تو اس لحاظ سے تو پاکستان کا ہر شخص خود کو محروم سمجھتا ہے… سب کے اپنے اپنے احساس محرومیوں کے معیار ہیں…
سیاستدانوں کو ووٹ نہ ملیں، مخالف جیت جائیں تو انھیں احساس محرومی ہو جاتا ہے…
دینی لوگوں کو چندہ نہ ملے تو وہ محرومین میں شامل کرلیتے ہیں اپنے آپ کو…
شوبز کے لوگوں کو ایوارڈ نہ ملے، ہزار بارہ سو لوگ تعریف نہ کریں تب تک وہ احساس محرومی کا شکار رہتے ہیں…
خواتین کو انکے من چاہے حقوق نہ ملیں تو انکی محرومی کا احساس انھیں کچھ کرنے نہیں دیتا…
طلبہ طالبات کو سہولتیں نہ ملیں تو احساس محرومی کی وجہ سے پڑھنے سے انکار کر دیتے ہیں…
بزرگوں کی بات نہ مانی جاۓ اور انکو انکے مزاج کے مطابق عزت نہ دی جاۓ تو وہ احساس محرومی سے ہر وقت چڑچڑے ہی بنے رہتے ہیں…
کھلاڑیوں کو موقع نہ ملتا رہے جب تک کہ وہ کبھی نہ کبھی کامیاب ہوکر دکھا دیں، انکا احساس محرومی ختم نہیں ہوتا…
غریب کا احساس محرومی کہ اسکے پاس کچھ بھی نہیں ہے، اسکو ہر قسم کے جرائم پر مجبور کر دیتا ہے…
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اور ایک نئی بات بھی سامنے آئی کہ اگر کسی کی اصلاح بھی کرو تو اس کو بھی خواہ مخواہ احساس محرومی ہونے لگتا ہے کہ ہاۓ میرا دل توڑ دیا…
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اگر محرومی معاشرے میں کوئی مقام نہ ہونے نہ پہچانے جانے کو کہتے ہیں کہ آتے جاتے ہر کوئی سلام کوئی کیوں نہیں کرتا… تو پھر یہ خالص شوبز کا ڈپریشن ہے… اور ان لوگوں کا جن کی نظر میں عزت ہوتی ہی وہ ہے جو دوسروں کے تعریف کرنے سے بنے… اسی لئے ہمارے معاشرے کی اکثریت اور خاص کر نوجوان ہر قسم کا کام ہر حد تک کرنے کے لئے تیار ہو جاتے ہیں… کہ بس لوگ آگے پیچھے بھاگیں، ٹوٹ پڑیں آٹو گراف لینے کے لئے…
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پچھلے کئی سالوں میں جو نظر آیا پریشان اور بے سکون نظر آیا… جس سے پوچھو کہ کیسے حال ہیں وہ مہنگائی کا رونا رونے لگتا ہے… بیماریوں کی تفصیل بتانا شروع کر دیتا ہے… تھکاوٹ، وقت کی کمی، مایوسی، بیزاری… پہلے تو کچھ دوسروں کے معاملات کی کھوج کرتے تھے لیکن اب تو ایک بھاگ دوڑ سی مچی ہوئی ہے… اور اسکے ساتھ ہی ذرا نظر ڈالیں شاپنگ سینٹرز پر، فاسٹ فوڈ کی دکانوں پر، بوتیک پر، شادی ہالز پر، دن بدن سڑکوں پر بڑھتی ہوئی نئی نئی گاڑیوں پر، مختلف مقاصد کے لئے نکلنے والی ریلیوں پر جن میں اکثر گاڑیاں اور موٹر سائیکلز گلی گلی پھرائی جاتی ہیں… ایک ایک گلی میں چار چار مہنگے اسکولوں پر… آۓ دن ہونے والی شادیاں اور ہر سال پیدا ہونے والے بچے…
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یہ سب دیکھ کر صرف ایک احساس ہوتا ہے مجھے اور وہ یہ کہ اس قوم کو سب کچھ دے کرجن چیزوں  سے محروم کر دیا گیا ہے اور وہ ہے “سکون، آرام، چین، شکرگذاری، احسان مندی”…
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احساس محرومی میں غلطی کس کی ہوتی ہے… انکی جو دوسروں کو اپنے سے کم تر جان کر انکو انکی محرومیوں کا احساس دلاتے ہیں… یا انکی جو خود کو احساس محرومی میں مبتلا کر لیتے ہیں…
عوامی سطح پر تو خیر جو اخلاق ہے ہماری ٩٥% عوام کا… عام لوگ اپنے سے نیچے والوں کو حقیر کرتے ہیں اور اپنے سے اوپر والوں سے حقیر ہو جاتے ہیں… لیکن اس میں ایک بہت بڑا اور برا کردار ہمارے سیاسی شیطانوں اور دینی تماشہ بازوں کا بھی ہے… جب اپنے ہی ووٹرز کو روٹی، کپڑا، مکان جیسی بنیادی ضروریات کو زندگی کا مقصد بنا کر پیش کیا جاۓ تاکہ لوگ اپنی چار پانچ فٹ کی ذات اور چند انچ کے پیٹ سے آگے کبھی کچھ سوچ ہی نہ سکے… ایک سے لے کر ہزار کپڑے، میچنگ جوتے، زیورات، صرف اور صرف کھانوں کی انٹرٹینمنٹ اور کھانوں کی پکنک اور پھر زمینوں کے گز بڑھانے کی کوشش…
اور پھر کوئی اور آجاۓ جاہل عوام کو اختیارات کے خواب دکھا نے… یا پھر غیر ملکی ثقافت اور رسموں اور رواجوں کے آئینے میں سکون اور خوشیوں کو تلاش کرنے کی تھیراپیز کرائی جاتی ہیں… دینی جماعتیں اور مذہبی علماء اکثر دنیا کی ہوس نہ کرنے اور دنیا کی آسائشیں چھوڑ دینے کو پریشانیوں سے نجات اور سکون باعث بتاتے ہیں…
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خیر جو بھی ہے، ایک سوال یہ ضرور پوچھنا چاہیے سب کو خود سے کہ ہمیں کوئی احساس محرومی ہے کہ نہیں؟ اور ہے تو اس کی وجوہات کیا ہیں؟ اور کہیں یہ صرف ناشکری کا نتیجہ تو نہیں… کیونکہ الله ظالم تو نہیں کہ اٹھارہ کروڑ کے اٹھارہ کروڑ کو سزا یا آزمائش میں مبتلا کر دے…
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Who is the most kind and the wisest?

The purpose is of this writing is not to pass any judgement on anyone.  This is just another tiny effort to look into the mirror of Islamic doctrine and see how many scars are left there on heart and soul.

There are 114 surahs in Qur’an and each except one (Surah At-Taubah/The Repentance) begins with the acknowledgement of God’s attributes “In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent/Compassionate, The Merciful”.  The same statement is mentioned once in Surah An-Namal/The Ants, when Prophet Sulaiman/Solomon uses the same words to begin with in a letter to the Queen of Sheba.

The same Quran mentions Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as the mercy for all the worlds Allah (SWT) has created.  Each and every moment of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)’s life is an evidence to prove this claim to be true and certainly it has everything to do with his character.  “We have sent you but as the mercy for all worlds”… Surah Al-Anbiya 107

The words of Qur’an and the life of Prophet (pbuh) are beautiful combination of moral laws and court laws – together they are called ‘shariah’/the Islamic code of law.  Any Muslim having a doubt and then preaching it as a defect of Islam, such as ruling on two women as a witness against one man or four marriages for men and only one for woman, is considered a ‘kafir’, which literally means the one who rejects or denies.  So, the word ‘kafir’ shouldn’t be used to for non-Muslims.

Allah (SWT) says in Qur’an, “ And there are, certainly, among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), those who believe in Allah and in that which has been revealed to you, and in that which has been revealed to them, humbling themselves before Allah. They do not sell the Verses of Allah for a little price, for them is a reward with their Lord. Surely, Allah is Swift in account.  O you who believe! Endure and be more patient (than your enemy), and guard your territory by stationing army units permanently at the places from where the enemy can attack you, and fear Allah, so that you may be successful.”…. (Surah Aal-e-Imran/The Family of Imran 199/200)

Islam has introduced a very balanced and flexible life-style.  The exceptions and limitations in obligations are already set by the Shariah and they are termed as “hudood or hudood-Allah” in Quran.  Similarly, the Shariah has outlined the emotional expressions prohibiting extremism and exaggeration.

For example, a strong belief in our society about God is that there are no limits for glorifying Allah Almighty.  Yes, there are.  Allah (SWT) has specified how to and when to remember Him formally on daily and yearly basis, i.e. salah/prayer and Hajj/pilgrimage to Makkah.  However, there are no time limit and conditions to communicate with Him for any reason.  He Almighty is awake and present all the time.

Be wild in anger, be crazy in excitement, be pessimist in sadness, be disappointed in trials,  be haughty in richness, be silent for witness, be a support in false accusations, be overjoyed in celebrations, etc. —  this is how life events are dealt in our society, by showing extreme behaviour and this is prohibited in Islam.

Sometimes, people don’t realize that they are acting as they are wiser than Allah (SWT) and prophets.  They do violate the limits of Shariah and then defend themselves and justify their actions by giving lame excuses.  Who do they try to satisfy, God, people around us or themselves?

There are lots of things that we do and we can say that we do them because we like them.  There are many things that we don’t do and we can say that we don’t do them because we don’t like them.  We can simply say that I do this or I don’t do this because this is how understood the religion.  This is better than manipulating religious principles.  This is not wise to corrupt the religion and create complications for others by wrong interpretations of Islamic moral values.

This intentional or unintentional corruption in religion develops a guilt in mind.  This guilt often transforms into an extra-ordinary feeling of kindness and sympathy to others and is exhibited by charity work.  Those who are involved in breaking the system or if not breaking, not building the system usually rejoice themselves by feeding, helping, educating hungry and needy people at large scale.  This is one way to kill that guilt.

In the same manner, people exaggerate while consoling, condoling, grieving, describing, explaining and even guiding.  We mourn for weeks, months and years.  They exaggerate while praising sacred prophets, saints, leaders, heroes, elders, family dynasty, etc.  This exaggeration turns into controversies and contentions and finally leads to physical combats.

Sometimes people unknowingly try to pretend that they are more kind than God Almighty and His prophets.  They have more sympathies with rapists, robbers, adulterers and murderers than with the victims.    Forgiveness has its own conditions.  Forgiveness is when exercised unnecessarily to the wrong people, it benefits the criminal minds only. Only God Almighty has the right to forgive whoever He wills for any or no reason.

Sometimes people behave like they have more ego and temperament than God Almighty and His prophets.  Mostly men try this on women, elders on youngsters, rich on poor, smart on naive.  Raising voice for rights, for choice is also considered a matter of ego.  The Arabic word ‘ana’ meaning ‘I’ with the thought of completeness and absolute powers suits only to God Almighty.

I was just thinking that if Edhi, Ansar Burni Trust and other legitimate charity organizations have established as parallel to the government institutions, why don’t they join together and really make one for the sake of this country.  Edhi’s team works more like a ‘baitul-maal’.  Sarim Burni’s team plays Supreme Court in addition to police and detectives.  Shoukat Khanum Memorial Hospital’s team along with Dr. Adeeb Rizvi and many others can run the best health ministry in the world.  There are many educational institutions like Namal that can replace the board of education in all four provinces and adjacent territories.  Those who are making world records can be the best to deal with foreign affairs.

Who cares who sits in the President House!  People can choose Dr. A. Q. Khan or Justice Wajeehuddin or any other smart, honest and patriot man as a guide and leader.

Unemployed youth can head towards the villages and farms to help farmers to grow more and more food.  You know why, because food is most essential in all necessities.  They can even train themselves as a substitute to law enforcement bodies.  We are missing them any way.

People of Pakistan are a government, then why let the criminals and incompetents draw salaries from assemblies and make others beg for what they deserve?

Is dowry a curse? کیا واقعی جہیز ایک لعنت ہے؟

In Pakistan, dowry is the real attraction of wedding affairs and the bride and groom sides get excited when preparing it for each other.  Some people call it a curse as they can’t afford it and their daughters do not receive any proposals.  They demand the government to make laws against dowry.

Jahez is the form of dowry which is given to the bride by her parents, family and relatives, which consists of dresses, real gold jewelry, bedroom set, utensils and crockery, refrigerator, washing machine and other household stuff.  Sometimes, the groom and his family even demand car or motorbike.

Bari is the type of dowry which is prepared by the groom’s side for bride and it consists of few dresses, bangles and shoes.

Pehnaoniyan is a sort of dowry, mostly dresses, which is gifted to groom’s entire family by bride’s side.

Mehr is the cash amount fixed by both sides and groom is liable to pay it to the bride either at wedding night or any time after that.

Jahez, Bari, Pehnaoniyan and Mehr – all these materialistic exchanges are meant to build trust and strong ties between the two families.  They do if not dealt as a business matter and as a demand from each other.

Anything that was done by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) cannot be a curse.  He (pbuh) prepared dowry for his daughter Fatimah Zahrah (r.a.) at the time of her wedding with Ali ibn Abi-Talib (r.a.).  It was a very simple dowry, basic household stuff that he (pbuh) and Hazrat Ali could afford.

Jahez is something that parents give their daughters for their love.  Bari shows in-laws’ love to the bride.  Pehnaoniyan is simply a family to family gift.  Mehr is the personal matter between bride and groom.  What can government or police do about it?

The idea of FAD “Fight Against Dowry” is a non-sense.  What right does any NGO or social worker has to go in fight with something that is purely a family matter and even in religion there are no laws about it.  However, people should be advised not to pressurize or threat the other side to buy anything that is out of their reach.

 

جہیز ایک لعنت ہے… جہیز کے خلاف قانون بننا چاہیے… جہیز پر پابندی لگانی چاہیے… جہیز مانگنے والے لالچی اور گھٹیا لوگ ہوتے ہیں… “فائٹ اگینسٹ ڈاؤری یعنی جہیز کے خلاف جنگ”…
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جہیز کے بارے میں یہ وہ باتیں ہیں جو سالوں سے سنتے چلے آ رہے ہیں… مہر کی رقم اور پہناؤنیاں بھی ایک مسلہ ہوتی ہیں… البتہ بری کے بارے میں آج تک کوئی خاص باتیں نہیں کہی سنی گئیں… یہ رسمیں کہاں سے اور کیسے شروع ہوئیں، انکا معاشرے پر ، لوگوں کی زندگی پر کیا اثر پڑتا ہے، انکا اسلام سے کوئی تعلق ہے بھی کہ نہیں… یہ کوئی نہیں سوچتا…
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جہیز ایک لعنت ہے… کیا وہ عمل جسے رسول الله صلی الله علیہ وسلم انجام دے چکے ہوں ایک لعنت ہو سکتا ہے؟ اور انہوں نے خود اس کے لئے کوئی اصول یا قانون کیوں نہیں بنایا؟  یا یہ کیوں نہیں کہا کہ جیسا فاطمه کا جہیز ہے ساری مسلمان لڑکیوں کا اسی طرح کا جہیز بننا چاہیے؟… 
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جہیز کے خلاف قانون بننا چاہیے… کیا قانون بننا چاہیے کہ جہیز بالکل نہ دیا جاۓ… یا صرف بیڈروم سیٹ اور کپڑے دے جائیں، گاڑی، سکوٹر، فرج، ٹی وی، صوفہ، ڈائنگ ٹیبل، واشنگ مشین، برتن، استری وغیرہ نہیں… یا پھر صرف کپڑے اور زیور اور کچھ نہیں… اور شادی سے پہلے پولیس والے جہیز کا سامان چیک کریں گے؟ 
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جہیز پر پابندی لگانی چاہیے… کیا پابندی لگے اور کون لگاۓ… کہ جہیز خالص لڑکی والوں کی مرضی سے لیا دیا جاۓ گا… اور لڑکے کے گھر والے یا خود لڑکا کسی چیز کی فرمائش نہیں کرے گا؟ 
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جہیز مانگنے والے لالچی اور گھٹیا لوگ ہوتے ہیں… لڑکے والے کیا سوچ کر لڑکی والوں سے فرمائشیں کرتے ہیں اور لڑکی والے کیسے کہ اپنی بیٹی سے نجات حاصل کرنے کے لئے لڑکے والوں کی ہر نا جائز بات مان لیتے ہیں… جب خود سب مان لیتے ہیں تو پھر قانون اور حکومت سے کیا توقع کرتے ہیں… وہ کیا کریں؟… لڑکے کے گھر والوں کی پٹائی کریں، جہیز کا سامان واپس کروائیں… قانون بنائیں، پابندی لگائیں… 
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“فائٹ اگینسٹ ڈاؤری یعنی جہیز کے خلاف جنگ”… کس سے؟ لڑکی والوں سے یا لڑکے والوں سے…
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مجھے تو یہ سمجھ نہیں آتا کہ اتنے جنگ و جدل، بحث مباحثے، کاروباری لین دین، طنزوطعنہ، چہروں کے بھیانک تاثرات کے بعد شادی شادی کہاں رہ جاتی ہے… اور کون پاگل ہوگا جو یہ سوچے کہ اس طرح لڑکی اور لڑکا خوش رہ سکتے ہیں…
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عجیب بات یہ ہے کہ جب کسی کے گھر میں شادی کا موقع آتا ہے تو وہ یہ ساری باتیں بھول جاتے ہیں… شادی چاہے لڑکی کی ہو یا لڑکے کی… خوشی سے زیادہ ایک بوجھ ہی بنی ہوئی ہوتی ہے… لڑکی والے جہیز اور لڑکے والے بری اور دونوں گھرانے مہر کے معاملات میں الجھے ہوتے ہیں… لڑکی کے شادی اور ولیمہ کے جوڑے  لڑکے والے اور لڑکے کے شادی اور ولیمہ کے کپڑے لڑکی والے دیتے ہیں… لڑکی والے پہناؤنیاں دیتے ہیں لڑکے کے تمام گھر والوں کے لئے… کتنے جوڑے دیے، مہنگے دیے، سستے دیے… کتنے سیٹ دیے، سونے کے ہیں، چاندی کے ہیں… لڑکی والے زیادہ مہر رکھوانا چاہتے ہیں کہ لڑکے پر دباؤ رہے جبکہ لڑکے والے کم مہر رکھوانا چاہتے ہیں تاکہ لڑکی ڈر کر رہے… 
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میں نے آج تک شادی کے موقعوں پر لڑکی اور لڑکے کے گھر والوں کو سکون اور اطمینان سے انتظامات کرتے نہیں دیکھا… ہاں پریشان ہوتے ضرور دیکھا ہے، خاندان والوں کے سوالات سے ڈرتے ضرور دیکھا ہے، سسرال میں لڑکی کے خوش رہنے کے نام پر پیسہ لٹاتے ضرور دیکھا ہے… لڑکے والوں کو رعب میں رکھنے کے لئے انکے گھر کو بھرتے ضرور دیکھا ہے… بہت سے لوگ ایسے ہیں جو دوسروں کی شادیوں پر تنقید تو کر دیتے ہیں لیکن جب انکے اپنے گھر میں شادیاں ہوتی ہیں تو وہی حرکتیں کر رہے ہوتے ہیں… بہت سے خاندان تو جہیز اور بری کو کوئی مسلہ نہیں سمجھتے… انکے خیال میں یہ زندگی اور ہماری روایات کا حصّہ ہیں لہٰذا ان کو تو نبھانا ہی ہے…
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اور جس دنیا سے ڈر کر یہ کام کے جا رہے ہوتے ہیں وہ امریکہ، اسرائیل، بھارت اور برطانیہ نہیں… لڑکی اور لڑکے کے اپنے خاندان والے، رشتہ دار اور محلے والے ہوتے ہیں… میں تو کہتی ہوں لعنت جہیز پر نہیں ایسے خاندان والوں، رشتہ داروں اور محلے والوں پر بھیجنی چاہیے جو ایک دشت گرد کی صورت میں ایک دوسرے کے اعصاب پر سوار رہیں… زندگی کے لئے عذاب بن جائیں اور خوشیوں کے موقعوں پر غم، دکھ اور پریشانی کا سامان بنیں… اس قسم کی گند کو یا تو صفائی کریں یا پھر اسے دور پھینکیں کوڑے کے ڈھیر پر… اور اپنی بیٹی اور بیٹے کے مستقبل کے بارے میں سوچیں کہ کس طرح یہ خوش رہ سکتے ہیں… 
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گنتی کے چند خاندان اور لوگ ہونگے جو شادی کو ایک فرض سمجھ کر انجام دیتے ہیں اور اسے بوجھ اور غم کا سامان نہیں بننے دیتے…

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رسول الله صلی الله علیہ وسلم کی مثال:
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جہیز کو جسٹفائی کرنے کے لئے ہمیشہ رسول الله صلی الله علیہ وسلم کی مثال دی جاتی ہے کہ انہوں نے بھی تو حضرت فاطمه الزہرہ کو جہیز دیا تھا… عجیب بات ہے کہ جب رسول الله صلی الله علیہ وسلم، حضرت فاطمه الزہرہ اور حضرت علی کی زندگیوں پر، سنتوں پر عمل کرنے کا معاملہ ہو تو ہم کہتے ہیں کہ وہ چنے ہوۓ لوگ تھے، ہم عام لوگ ان جیسے نہیں بن سکتے… وہ زمانہ اور تھا، یہ زمانہ اور ہے… لیکن اپنی رسموں اور روایات  کا دفاع کرنا ہو تو بڑی خوبصورتی سے انکی زندگی کے کسی حصّے کو اپنی زندگی میں فٹ کر لیتے ہیں…
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ذرا رسول الله صلی الله علیہ وسلم، حضرت فاطمه الزہرہ اور حضرت علی کی زندگیوں پر نظر تو ڈالیں کہ وہ تھے کس قسم کے لوگ… انکی زندگیوں میں انسانوں، خاندان، رشتہ داروں اور دنیا سے ڈر کر کام کرنے کا کوئی تصور نہیں تھا… انکا ایمان ہر قسم کے خوف سے پاک تھا… انہوں نے اسلام کو اپنی زندگیوں میں فٹ نہیں کیا ہوا تھا بلکہ اسلام کے دیے ہوۓ اصولوں پر نہ صرف اپنے آپ کو فٹ کیا کرتے تھے بلکہ اپنے ماننے والوں کے لئے زندگی کی خوشیوں، سکوں اور کامیابی کے اصول بھی وضع کرتے تھے… انکی زندگی کا مقصد کپڑے، جوتے، کھانے اور معاشرے کی مرضی سے جینا نہیں تھا…
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حضرت علی تو خود رسول الله صلی الله علیہ وسلم کے گھر پر پلے بڑھے تھے… انکے پاس کوئی جائیداد نہیں تھی… وہ رسول الله صلی الله علیہ وسلم کی زندگی کا ہی عکس تھے…
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حضرت فاطمه الزہرہ کی شادی کے موقع پر رسول الله صلی الله علیہ وسلم نے حضرت علی کو زرہ بیچنے کی ہدایت کی… مطلب کہ لڑکے کو خود اپنی شادی کا انتظام کرنے کو کہا نہ کہ قرض ادھار لے کر ہلا گلا کرنے کو…
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مختلف روایات کے مطابق حضرت علی کو چار سو، چارسو اسی یا پچ سو درہم ملے جو انہوں نے رسول الله صلی الله علیہ وسلم کے حوالے کر دیے اور جس سے شادی کا انتظام کیا گیا… جو چیزیں جہیز کے نام پر دی گئیں تھیں وہ یہ تھیں… ایک قمیص، ایک دوپٹہ، ایک کمبل، کجھور کے پتوں سے بنا ہوا ایک بستر، دو ٹاٹ کے فرش، چار تکیے، ہاتھ کی چکی، ایک تانبے کا برتن، چمڑے کی مشک، پانی پینے کے لئے لکڑی کا برتن، ایک کھجور کے بنے ہوے پتوں کا برتن، دو مٹی کے آبخورے، مٹی کی صراحی، زمین پر بچنے کے لئے ایک چمڑا، ایک سفید چادر اور ایک لوٹا…
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جو لوگ کہ ہیں کہ وہ جہیز اس زمانے کے لحاظ سے تھا اور آج کے دور میں آج کے لحاظ سے…. تو ایسے لوگوں کو شاید معلوم نہیں کہ جب رسول الله صلی الله علیہ وسلم نے جہیز کا سامان دیکھا تو انکی آنکھوں سے آنسو رواں ہو گئے تھے… جس کو سارے خزانوں کا مالک بنایا گیا ہو اسکی بیٹی کا یہ جہیز… 
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کچھ روایات کے مطابق جہیز حضرت علی کی زرہ کی رقم سے ہی خریدا گیا تھا اور حضرت فاطمه الزہرہ کا حق مہر پانی تھا… کہیں ذکر ہے کہ انکا حق مہر چار سو درہم تھا اور باقی رقم سے جہیز خریدا گیا تھا…
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بہرحال… رسول الله صلی الله علیہ وسلم نے بیٹی کی محبت میں اس کی شادی کی خوشی میں یا ضروریات زندگی سمجھ کر حضرت فاطمه کو جہیز دیا… یا پھر حضرت علی کے ہی پیسوں سے یہ سب انتظام کیا گیا… وہ ایک مثال ضرور ہے مسلمانوں کے لئے… لازمی نہیں کیونکہ خود الله سبحانہ و تعالی نے قرآن میں اور رسول الله صلی الله علیہ وسلم نے شریعت میں اس بارے میں کوئی قوانین نہیں بناۓ…
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سوچنے کی بات یہ ہے کہ کیا بیٹی کی شادی کے موقع پر محبت کے اظہار کے لئے کوئی قانون بنایا جاسکتا ہے؟  کیا بیٹی کی ضروریات زندگی کی فہرست کے لئے کوئی قانون بنایا جا سکتا ہے؟  کیا شادی کے موقع پر بیٹی کو کچھ دینا لعنت کہلایا جا سکتا ہے؟  کیا بیٹی کو شادی کی خوشی میں کچھ دینے پر پابندی لگائی جا سکتی ہے؟  جو والدین اپنی بیٹی کو اپنی مرضی سے، اسکی محبت میں، زمانے کے خوف سے، رشتہ داروں کے در سے، سسرال میں با عزت رہنے یا کسی بھی وجہ سے جہیز دیتے ہوں تو کیا لڑکے والوں کو گھٹیا اور لالچی کہا جا سکتا ہے؟ کیا بیٹی کو دے جانے والی چیزوں کے خلاف جنگ کی جا سکتی ہے؟ 
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جہیز، بری، مہر… خالص گھریلو معاملات ہیں اورانکا براہ راست تعلق دلہا اور دلہن سے ہوتا ہے… اور دلہا اور دلہن کو ہی اس کا فیصلہ کرنے دینا چاہیے… اس میں حکومت اور پولیس کچھ نہیں کر سکتے… خاندان اور رشتہ داروں کا بھی ان سے کوئی تعلق نہیں… ان تینوں کو فرض کی طرح نبھانا یا مسلہ بنانا لڑکی اور لڑکے والوں کے ہاتھ میں ہوتا ہے…  
مسلہ یہ اسی صورت میں بن سکتے ہیں جب لڑکی والوں کے دل میں دکھاوا، حسد اور مقابلے بازی ہو اور لڑکے والوں کے دل میں لالچ… بھلا لالچ، دکھاوے، حسد، مقابلے بازی…. انکے لئے کیا قانون بنایا جا سکتا ہے…
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شادی کو خوشی کا موقع بنانے کے لئے ضروری ہے کہ لڑکی اور لڑکے کے گھروالے اسے کاروباری شکل نہ دیں… انسان اور اس کے احساسات کپڑوں، جوتوں، زیور اور دنیا کی ہر چیز سے زیادہ قیمتی ہوتے ہیں…

Educational Emergency in Pakistan

Whatever it means, we’ve got to do something about it.  By the way, when, in the history we had not been into educational crisis.  We only declared it now.

I have few questions in my mind…

1- What made us realize that we are facing a nation-wide educational emergency – general moral decline, increasing street crimes, extremism in behaviour, rising family issues, obscenity,  students’ inability to read/write/understand/solve problem or something else? 

We usually use the word ‘education’ as a solution to all problems.  If I say yes to all these elements, then obviously education alone can’t serve as an antidote.  Education is a process of academic activities that spreads over many years.  It doesn’t work like a magic wand.  People can’t be excused for their moral misbehaviour just because they have never been to school.  Street crimes aren’t only the result of economic crisis but a youth adventure and  part of political games too.  Family issues rise because of injustice and conspiracies.  Extremism and obscenity are the matters of self control.

It is actually “students’ inability to read/write/understand/solve problems” which has proved parents, school administrations and the ministry of education a big failure.  Parents actually are the key investors, they should set a guideline for themselves, use their rights to interfere in schooling system, pressurize the ministry of education to take right steps for quality education.  Parents should learn how to deal with children, how to motivate them towards learning, how to discipline them, how to evaluate their intellectual skills, etc.

Remember, a society consists of families, which are led by parents.  Good parents means good society.

2- Who declared this emergency or is it a divine declaration?

This emergency must have been declared by very concerned patriots of Pakistan.  Otherwise, parents only care about their own children, rest go to Hell.  Ministry of Education is aimless and incompetent.  School administrations are mostly run by or are influenced with political parties – and we know the fact that political parties would never support a ‘strong Pakistan based educational system in Pakistan”.  English medium schools of Karachi and Sindh and many colleges are good example of it.

3- Which people exactly have responded worriedly about this emergency – parents, higher level students, teachers, school administrations, ministry of education, government, illiterate majority or literate minority?

I think that parents, teachers, school administrations, ministry of education, government and illiterate majority are worried about this emergency.  They have been playing a very set monetary game so far, they wouldn’t want to see things improving.  Higher level students are more worried about the utilization of their degrees, how to gain what they have spent on education.

4- Which elements have caused this disastrous situation – over population, imported curriculum, non-qualified teachers, inefficient school administrations, parents’ illiteracy, television programs, overall negligence of our society?

If everyone, which means each one of us, agree upon all of them – what would then each one of us do something about them?  Teachers school staff come from common houses.  Parents can’t control television channels but can control the television set in their home.  Parents, women especially, can sacrifice two hours stupid morning shows and use that time to improve their literacy and ILLITERACY even after achieving a degree or diploma.

5-  What state of educational crisis are we in? 

a)  The students in schools and colleges are unable to read and write independently – an essay, an application, an article, an incident, an event, a story, even a paragraph.  They have no habit of using a dictionary or a thesaurus.  They are unable to do even simple mathematical calculations.

b)  About 7 million children in Pakistan do not go to school.

This simply means that the tinee tiny official funds for education and parents’ money that they spend on their children’s education, all have been wasted – by whom? – by parents, school administrations and ministry of education.

There is no planning for non-attendees to learn to read and write.

What is education?

Dictionaries say: Education is the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.  It is the act of imparting or acquiring skills as for a profession.  It is a kind of schooling.

Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next.”  Jhon Dewey in Democracy and Education

Pakistan is a gender-based, family-oriented, feudal-minded society.  Gender-based in a sense that different standards are set for boys and girls.  Family-oriented because children are not allowed to violate family tradition and decisions taken by elders no matter how stupid they sound.  Feudal-minded – showing the attitude of ‘might is right’ so people, instead of focusing on rights, consume their efforts in gaining authority.

In Pakistan, the general concept of education is limited to financial gains and loss; a degree or diploma or any state which can enable to earn livelihood.  They find it totally useless if degree fails in getting them a job of standard they have set.  The majority of Pakistan want to spend not a single paisa and no time on education, all they want it for free.

Education in Pakistan has no value for elite and show-biz people, they have no reason to think about it.  Most educated lot, thinkers and NGOs are influenced with western style of education – they are obsessed with English –  their children speaking English and that’s it – what are they learning in English and its effect, they don’t care about it – Pakistan is none of their concern.

WHAT SOULD BE DONE IN THIS SITUATION?

1- This is very unfortunate that there are all kind of television channels running in Pakistan but an educational one except Virtual University which is for higher level students.

In America, PBS is dedicated to children’s program, teaching them letters, vowels, words, rhyming, syllables, sentence formation, politeness, communication skills, friendship, kindness to animals, caring animals and plants, etc.

2- While introducing imported curriculum in Pakistan, we totally ignore the fact that those high standard curriculum are not ‘high standard’ for where they are taken from.  Those are English countries.  Their children are born in an English speaking environment so they make their curriculum not to introduce a second language to their children but to learn skills in their own language.  When their teachers say ‘what is this?’, their children know what she is saying.

For our students, English is a second language.  Our children don’t even watch English cartoons or movies in English but Hindi.  So they don’t get to hear what they are forced to excel in at the age of 4 or 5.  This is not the matter of English or Urdu, very wickedly, Pakistani children are attracted to adopt Hindi through commercials, cartoons and movies.

3- Schools and colleges should be free of political influence.

4- Montessori syllabus and the categorization of subjects in 9th and 10th grade are both perilous.

Montessori syllabus in Pakistan is a violation of its own objectives and a great burden on little minds, which results in losing interest in learning anything by the age of 10.

This weird classification of subjects restricts growing minds from thinking extensively.  Science, Arts, Home-Economics, Computers – all divided in main groups – this is non-sense.

5- For those have no chance of going to school need to be placed where they can spend at least half day to learn unlike schooled children.

 

Curb America – Bad Dog!

PREFACE:

Islam is a dominating force and due to its flexibility, it has caused ‘a pain in the neck’ for everyone who dared to eliminate it.  Iqbal mentioned very beautifully the scientific facts about Islam and Muslims.

اسلام کی فطرت میں قدرت نے لچک دی ہے

جتنا کہ دبا دیں گے, اتنا ہی وہ ابھرے گا

Muslims are like sun, which never sets but to rise and shine on the other half of the earth, keep taking turns.  Mujahideen (those who fight against evil) are like leaping fountains, chanting ‘catch me if you can’ to malicious powers.

جہاں میں اہل ایماں صورت خورشید جیتے ہیں

ادھر ڈوبے  ادھر نکلے, ادھر ڈوبے  ادھر نکلے

Muslims belong to each other.  Muslims united have always proved to be an unbeatable force.  They will keep growing until the last day on this earth.

SURFACE:

America has appeared as another enraged anti-Islam, anti-Muslims and anti-Pakistan extremist power.  The devil is followed by a devil and an evil supports an evil.  Americans cannot harm any nation without the support and assurance given to them by their leaders and politicians.

The saviour of American interests in Islamic countries come into power, impose American-planned laws on their people, lead their own people to beggary, distress, default, division, hatred, poverty, starvation, suicide and civil war.

Two things they don’t consider at all; one, that Allah is the absolute power and He is knows how they are betraying their own people.  Two, that what traitors think is their success is nothing but working relentlessly through humiliation, mortification, slavery and then their planned assassination by their masters.  An ignorant finds no competency in gentleness, this is all I can say for them.

Muslims may have obliterated the memories of Yazeed, Mir Jafar, Mir Sadiq and their end but cannot forget what has happened recently to Husni Mubarak, Qaddafi and Zain bin Ali.  They were not promised to this end by their worldly masters but the Almighty Lord.

Who’s next?  Country wise, seems to be Syria.  Region wise, Balochistan.  Person wise, the politicians of Pakistan.

FACE-TO-FACE

Do Pakistani hoi polloi ever sense the danger before believing in what America say through their mouthpiece, the Sardars in Balochistan and KPK, the Wadairas in Sindh, the Chaudhrys in Punjab, the alumni of Karachi University and through liberals?

America promising anything to anyone means ‘nothing but complete destruction for everyone’.  This is what all Balochis, Pakhtuns, Punjabis, Sindhi and Karachiites and minorities know very well.

If anyone would remember how Changez Khan trapped Muslims one by one and perished them in destitute.  Americans are nothing less.  They are the worst enemy of Islam and Pakistan.  India is certainly and foolishly helping them at every level.  They both, wouldn’t let anyone enjoy freedom as they are promising now.  Pakistani politicians are cunning enough to protect themselves and present people of Pakistan for slaughter instead.

The only people Americans and their allies can let prosper are the criminal minds of our society, the true traitors.  Those who plan to…extirpate our economy, promote prostitution, nudge nudity, ruin our reputation, proliferate fear, impregnate illiteracy for imparting irrationality and invalidate our integrity.

TO-FACE

Before speaking up for Balochistan, Americans ignored the state-sponsored brutalities of Indian armed forces in Occupied Kashmir and of Israeli armed forces in Palestine.

The first step to abolish American interference should be to root out these parasites who are aiding their hosts to turn each Pakistani province into another Kashmir or Palestine.

Very difficult, it is to raise voice against violence at home, to repudiate vain rituals, to resist peer pressure – but this is sunnah, the prophetic methodology, we can’t refrain from it.

Any disobedience or refusal American orders results in frequent incidents of bomb blasts, street crimes, robberies, kidnapping for ransom, murders, bans, gas and electric load-shedding, etc.  No normal person can be so brutal – common people can be.  These are common people who live among us and know all the places, people and their activities very well and they are in abundance.  They have free time to wait for instructions, they don’t fear arrest or punishment.

Who instilled so much hatred and ferocity in their hearts – their parents, neighbours, friends, teachers?  Why do they do all that – just for adventure?  What do they get at the end – freedom to enjoy money they get, respect from their own family members or death?

FACE-OFF

How much common Pakistanis are concerned with the issue of Balochistan?

Are common Pakistanis aware of the importance of Balochistan and Kashmir in this region?

Do common people of Balochistan know how they are being trapped by America and India?

How should Pak-based American citizens react regarding Balochistan resolution that their government has prepared?

Wonders of Parenting

Once a parent, a parent forever.  This phrase is usually said to be true for mothers, “Once a mother is a mother forever” or if it is not then I just said it so.  I actually learned it from a famous Pakistan playwright Bano Qudsiyah’s play “Sanwal Mor Moharan”.  It is true for fathers in some cases too.

Carrying an organism for nine months in their wombs, suffering from the biological changes it goes through, is a reason enough to respect women as sacred human beings.  This whole process is a wonder that most women produce many times so happily.  Mothers are used as a bearer and courier for delivering humans into this world but that does not allow them to play God for their children.

Fathers initiate the process and do not stop struggling for their existence till the last moment.

In general, raising children is called parenting.  How parents raise their children defines them as a good or bad parent.  It is a process of taking care of children, educate them, train them to be a good human being and guide them how they can live a happy life.

In Islam, parenting is not only a big responsibility but a way of worshiping God.  Muslim parents unlike other parents are obliged to educate their children with the fundamentals of Islam too.  They cannot avoid it.  How do they manage to do that is a challenge for them and this is what they will be inquired about on the Day of Judgement.

Parenting is like growing up with your child again and with two or more children, again and again.   You experience your childhood in a different way, perhaps the way you think you should have been brought up by your parents.

If we really believe in ‘once a parent a parent forever’, then parenting should be done in two ways; directly and indirectly.

Direct way is to raise them, take care of them, educate them, prepare them to face challenges and leave them on their own.  The best way parents can help in building a society is by keeping their own children save from its negative impacts.

Indirect way can be the next step after direct parenting.  After raising their own children, parents just can’t sit home satisfied that their job is done, while their children are out there facing trials.  Parents can take part in building society for the ease of their own children.  If they don’t get involve in indirect parenting, their efforts for direct parenting may result in low, zero or negative.  They need to understand that when their children are out there, parents just can’t sit home and assume that their children out there will be fine.

What is the best part of parenting?  The best part of parenting is to make children understand that one day, they will become parents and then grandparents.  Whatever the circumstances they are born under, they have to think about their comfortable future and untroubled old age.

Is parenting supposed to be for life time?  Direct parenting, I don’t think so.  The purpose of parenting is to prepare children to live an independent life and be able to make wise decisions.  Parenting stops when children become adult enough to understand their responsibilities and are ready to live on their own.  Aren’t 20 or 25 years a good enough time to transform an infant into a qualified and capable asset of society.

Is parenting fun?  Parenting is fun when parents spend time with their children.  Joining children in their activities, showing them colours in nature, reading stories to them, singing them rhymes, sharing pleasant memories with them is all fun.  Parents rejoice the moments when they witness a rightful personality development in their children.

In Pakistan, parenting is either fun or a burden.  Fun for elite as they produce heirs.  Burden for the rest as they HAVE TO take care of them.  Normally, children just grow because parents refused to take responsibility of reproductive sentiments.

Parents in Pakistan devote themselves to their children for life time.  They think this is necessary for family bonding.

Pakistan is basically a family oriented society.  People are more devoted to their families than to community and country.  While earning for their families, they totally ignore their duties as a citizens of a country or as a member of community.  This attitude is totally against Islamic teachings.  Such a society falls more rapidly into crimes and provides culprits with all the moral facilities to produce more evil.  Parents don’t realize that their children will bring that evil home one day and that will be too late for parents to do anything about it.  Unless they go outside and start correcting the society.

One problem of parenting in Pakistan is that parents desire their children to grow in a new environment but they always let them down by mentioning their own childhood as a better time.  While comparing the two time periods, parents should remember their children are missing that fun because of them.  So, either parents should be grateful to their parents and condemn themselves for being bad parents or they should appreciate what their children are going through.

Another negative aspect of our society is that, that the family members become rapacious.  ”Whatever I am earning is for my wife and my children or my husband’s income is all mine and nobody else has a right on it or my wife should spend every single penny at home or I should decide where to spend my son’s salary.”  This is just the opposite of Qur’anic teachings.

“And those in whose wealth there is a known right, for the beggar who asks, and for the unlucky who has lost his property and wealth..” Surah Al-Ma’arij

“They ask you, (O Muhammad), what they shall spend.  Say, that which you spend for good (must go) to parents and near kindred and orphans and the needy and the wayfarer…”  Surah Al-Baqarah/The Cow 215

Pakistan is naturally an emotional society.  A majority of them don’t believe in reasoning and deal with matters emotionally.  Parents can’t take ‘no’ from their children and get emotional – tears, threats, thunder, termination – all the temperamental tools are being tested to change ‘no’ into ‘yes’.

Children who are brought up emotionally usually don’t behave rational and so, they lose many chances to grow and glow.

Pakistan, habitually is an extremist society.  Parents think, act and react at extremes.  They would sacrifice anything when they are in love with their children and then expect the return at same intensity.  Then they would take away anything from their children when they are angry with them.

Religiously, parents don’t follow Islam as a way of life but as an issue of who is right and who is wrong.  They eiter  Children grow hyper and with short-temperament in this suffocated environment.  They let out this frustration on society, without figuring out that their own family is the part of it.

Pakistani parents have their own reasons for being social.  According to them, children learn to live in family through wedding, aqiqah, roza kushai and birthday ceremonies.  They learn the importance of religion through milad, Qur’an khwani and dars.  They learn about their culture from basant and movies.

In last few decades, parenting has lost its essence in Pakistan.  Parents don’t set any guideline for themselves and for their children.

Life for children can be a lot easier if parents in Pakistan just remember one thing.  No era in any region was ever perfect, except that which was ruled by prudent majority and that rarely happened.  So, no matter what circumstances they are dealing with, if they have children, good parenting should be their first priority.


Beautiful Supplications

 WE LEARN MORE BY LISTENING THAN TALKING.  

WORDS OF GLORIFICATION AND REPENTANCE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN UNGRATEFUL TO THEIR PARENTS AND THEIR PARENTS ARE NOT PLEASED WITH THEM.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVx64HgWtPo

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DUA-E-KUMAIL, A PRAYER TAUGHT BY HAZRAT ALI TO HAZRAT KUMAIL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58C7efLec5M

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DUA-E-NOORUN ALA NOOR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0-Npm092xo

Love, Pakistan and Valentine’s Day

 What’s love got to do with Saint Valentines?

All early 14 Saint Valentines were the martyrs of Christianity and had nothing to do with love and romance.  The name “Valentine” is derived from valens meaning worthy, strong and powerful.   It is celebrated in churches in religious terms.

The modern Valentine’s Day has gradually been developed to express love and affection through cordate objects, doves, Cupid and red colour.  Cupid, a character in Latin literature by Apuleius had an ability to make people fall in love.  It is derived from Latin cupido meaning ‘desire’ and Amor meaning ‘love’, is the god of desire and erotic love with his Greek counterpart Eros.

The Valentine’s Day is celebrated in many parts of the world including few Islamic countries on different dates with different names in relation to their own  ’mythical love stories’.

However, the religious sector in some Islamic countries condemn it for many reasons, such as, it is a Christian day or is being celebrated by Christian or non-Muslims, promotes immodesty and is against their definition of chastity in Islam.  The word ‘chastity’ anyhow is derived from Latin castus meaning ‘pure’.

Pakistani literature, just like other literature around the world, is full of enchanting love stories.  The characters have been depicted romantically in both prose and poetry.  Heer Ranjah, Sussi Punnoon, Sohni Mahivaal, Omar Marvi, Mirza Sahiban, Yusuf Khan and Sherbano, Adam Khan and Durkhanai, Noori Jam Tamachi are some of the most famous one.  Not only that but Pakistanis are also impressed with the tale of Laila Majnoon and Romeo Juliet and Cleopatra and Mark Antony.

Then there are some  said to be true love stories of Emperor Jahagir (real name Nuruddin Salim) with the maid/kaneez Anarkali and with his wife Mehr-un-Nisa famous as Noor-e-Jahan meaning ‘light of the world’  and Noor-Mahal meaning ‘light of the palace’ – and of Emperor Shah Jahan (real name Shahabu-ud-din Muhammad Khurram) with Arjumand Bano, the 14 year old niece of Empress Noor Jahan, got fame as Mumtaz Mahal meaning ‘the jewel of the palace’.  He built Taj Mahal, one of the wonder of the world, in remembrance of her beloved love.

Avoiding the failed love-affairs, there are few successful real life love stories, topping both Quaid-e-Azam and Madam Noor Jahan with Pakistan, Muhammad Ali and his wife Zeba, Santosh Kumar (Moosa Raza) and his wife Sabiha Khanum, Darpan (Ishrat Raza) and his wife Nayyar Sultana.  Beside that, in my family, out of many love-marriages, I would proudly mention my cousin with her husband, both hearing impaired, enjoying their life romantically with triplets, great couple.

Religiously, the story of Prophet Yusuf/Joseph (peace be upon him) and Zulaikha (Potphar’s wife) was popular among Persian poets.

Out of all, I must say that Emperor Shah Jahan stands out for holding 1st position among all successful lovers and as he waited five years to marry her love, they had 14 children and he built Taj Mahal to express the intensity of his love for her.

Religious parties in Pakistan have been protesting against Valentine’s Day celebrations.  Many moderates also condemn it as the way it is celebrated is against their culture and moral values.

Recently, Jamat-e-Islami (the religious-political party) announced February 14 as Yom-e-Haya meaning the ‘day of modesty’ to defy the effects of Valentine’s Day on our youth.

What has modesty to do with love-affairs, marriage-proposals and exchanging gifts for love?

Modesty/Haya is the part of faith since 1433 years and it should be the part of a Muslim’s personality every second of his/her life.  Hazrat Usman among all companions is considered the most modest man, was married to Hazrat Ruqayyah, Hazrat Umm-e-Kulsoom and Hazrat Naila.

Among prophets, Prophet Yahya ibn Prophet Zakariyyah/Jhon the Baptist is famous for being the most modest.

For Muslims, great example comes from Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), who’s character is most appreciated in Qur’an.  He said, “Beloved to me are three things, fragrance, women and salah/namaz/prayer is the coolness of my eyes” – he didn’t use the word ‘my wife’ but women in general.  He married 11 honourable ladies.  Hazrat Kadijah bint Khawailud, the modest lady, proposed him out of love and respect.  Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was shown Hazrat Ayesha and he fell into love with her.  He (pbuh) has mentioned many times his love for Hazrat Khadijah and Hazrat Ayesha.

Although there is a concept of part-time love according to some religious sects, Islam encourages adulation, loyalty and tenderness for better relationship between spouses.  As I have heard a hadith that the worst among transgressors are those who cause fitnah/evil/trial between husband and wife and try to destroy their relationship.

So, in Islamic history, modesty never stopped any man or woman from sending proposals and marriages of their own choice.

Love is the feeling which is appreciated and celebrated in every religion, in every culture, in every era, at every time, by everyone except Pakistan.

Romance is excitement, sentiment and attachment.  It is not just a childish love-affair between a girl and a boy.  Romance is the beauty and attraction found anywhere and everywhere, it could be in food, in clothes, in books, in pets, in flowers, in forests, in caves, in moon and stars, in work, in passion, in money, in people.  For a lot of people it is in Qur’an, in Muhammad (pbuh), in Salah, in Makkah and Madinah.  It is not flirt or scandal all the times.

The coordination, harmony, melody and engineering in nature is romance.  Isn’t it?

What is the value of love and romance in Pakistan?

In Pakistan, love is related to power and authority; love of Allah, love of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), love of parents and husband’s power of sexual intercourse.

The society, as a whole, demands and admires the expression of love in form of unilateral devotion, forbearance, sacrifice and tolerance.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “Exchange gifts, it increases love”.  While in Pakistan, exchanging gifts is either a trade done on ceremonies and festivals or a romance.  Romance is entitled as ‘vulgarity, sin and kufr/disbelief’ as it is thought to be happened between a male and a female in seclusion.

Is Valentine’s Day celebration non-Islamic?

Heart-shape objects, notes of love, gifts, doves (excluding Cupid for being a Latin fictional character) are the symbols of love and peace.  Whether they are used at Valentines, Eids, birthdays, weddings or other events, they are meant to express same feelings.

The truth is that Pakistanis in particular have forgotten to celebrate anything at all, especially if it has to do something with love.  They find it more convenient to observe SOG days, protest days, strikes, days long mourning and all occasions that are related to death.

Why Pakistani youth seems more interested in celebrating Valentine’s Day and in a Western style?  These youngster live in a society where they don’t see their parents, grandparents, uncles and aunties, couples in neighbourhood in romance, not even to the limit that is allowed in Islam.  All they observe is frustration and resentment in relations.  All they get to see is dust and barrenness and pollution in the environment.  All they have to hear are arguments, justifications and directions.  Beside that, they are always occupied with celebrations and the related controversies.  Isn’t it all very suffocating?

They know that their parents will decide for their fate.  They can’t look out for a life-partner as Islam has allowed them and even after that they are not free to live as they want.  The life they fantasize through movies, love-tales and western culture.

Are the stories of Cinderella or Phoolmadrani (the Urdu version of Cinderella) and of princes and princesses that nani and dadi once used to tell non-Islamic too?

Islam is the religion of beauty, love and relaxation.  It does not leads anyone to dark ages.

شکر ہے ویلنٹانئز شہداء کا کہ جماعت اسلامی کو یوم حیا منانے کا اعزاز دے گئے۔۔۔ حالانکہ حیا کا پیغام اتنا ہی پرانا ہے جتنی انسانی تایخ۔۔۔ رسول الله صلی الله علیہ وسلم کو بھی حیا کا پیغام لائے چودہ سو سال گذر گئے۔۔۔ اور یوم حیا کا آج خیال آیا۔۔۔ عیسائیوں اور امریکنوں کے مقابلے پر۔۔۔

یوم حیا تو وہ دن تھا جس دن حضرت عائشہ رضی الله عنہا کی عزت اور عصمت پر لگائے گئے الزام کا داغ خود الله سبحانہ وتعالی نے قرآن کی آیا سے دھویا۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ یوم حیا وہ دن تھا جب حضرت مریم علیہ السلام  کی عزت اور عصمت پر لگائے گئے الزام کا دفاع ان کے معصوم بیٹے نے کیا۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ یوم حیا وہ دن تھا جب حضرت یوسف علیہ السلام عزت اور عصمت پر لگائے گئے الزام کا جواب ان کے اپنے جسم پر موجود لباس نے دیا۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ یوم حیا وہ دن تھا جب الله سبحانہ وتعالی نے قرآن کے ذریعے حضرت زینب بنت جحش کا آپ صلی الله علیہ وسلم کے ساتھہ نکاح کا اعلان کیا اور منافقوں کی زبانیں بند کیں۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔

لیکن جماعت اسلامی یا آج کل کے دینی لوگ کیا جانیں۔۔۔ کیا جانیں یہ کسی کی عزتیں بچانا, خوبصورتی اور احسان کے ساتھہ۔۔۔۔ یہ مقابلے کرسکتے ہیں, شک کرسکتے ہیں, تجسس کرسکتے ہیں, الزامات لگا سکتے ہیں, سزا سنا سکتے ہیں۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ 

Who should a man favour – mother or wife?

Am I a woman, or am I a woman?

So what if I am a woman.

Since I am a woman, I am very powerful.  Sooooo powerful that my counter part specie fears me.  Yeah, that is ‘mmmennn’.  Their belief is weaker than my action.  My one bodily move can shake the building of their faith.  They lose their mind.  They take no time to decide between God and me.  Poor men!

They say I’m no wise, not trustworthy, not worth listening to.  I say, “O you who are weak and embarrased! bring evidence of what you belief or just shut up”.  They utter from their mouths which they have no solid proof of.  They flow with liquidity of their immature thoughts and fall into the drowning mud of embarrassment.

Annnnnnd, because I am a woman, I am very greedy and wicked too.  I realized the strong hold of men on all resources.   They do not educate me.  I know no nimble access to my necessities.  I be their slave either this way or that way, to get my provisions.  Legally, there is no way I can get my bread and butter respectfully.  My simplicity is not enough to convince them.  So, I trick men with my adornment and eloquence.  They say I trick them.  That is because they give by tricking.  Yet, they claim that women are born twisted as they were created with the twisted rib of Adam.  Foolish men!

So this is what I am, a woman.

Just kidding!  :) It doesn’t happen like this, not always, right?

Men are not that cruel.  Not to their wives in particular.  It is only that they don’t greet women as practiced by the Prophet (pbuh), don’t smile to them in the day time, quite a few times insult them in front of others, keep their womb occupied with their heirs on annual basis.  It is not their fault though.

They are born innocent bhaeee.  Don’t you see how they get confused between mother, sisters and wife, whom to favour?  And look at women how they enjoy the whole situation, fighting over their beloved ‘money laying rooster’, ha ha ha, a stimuli for their satisfaction.

But really, who should men favour – mother or wife?

Why women even create this situation and make it difficult for men to be just and fair?  How can they deny each other’s right. Both have rights and so do men….. as a father and as a husband.

And men are foolish and weak, I have  just proved it.  The time and energy left after job hours does not allow them to make any wise decisions.  Leaving either one is not a wise decision any way unless otherwise demanded by either side.

One thing that mothers should remember it is that, it is children who have to remember that their Paradise lies under the feet of mothers.  It means that mothers should be provided with all the facilities and should be respected as it is due to them.  Mothers cannot use this honour as a weapon to threaten their children and force them to leave their rights that God has granted them.  This is injustice.  Mothers should be wise enough to understand this.

They should also remember that the Paradise under their feet is not liable for daughter-in-law or son-in-law.

Wives should not forget that they do not own every single paisa their husband earn.  Their husband’s mother do have a share in it.  They should remember that if God has given them sons, as they desire, then one day, they will also become mother-in-law and will suffer the same.  Because God is the Most Just.

Mothers and wives! Let your men curb at home, I mean keep them happy at home, so they do not bother to bother other women on streets or anywhere.

So I also be a good woman.  Otherwise you know me….

 

 

Fathers in history

 

 ایک ایسا وقت بھی گذرا تھا, اس بستی کے ہر کوچے پر

 جب کوئی بھی تصویرنہ تھی, اس کرہ ارض کے پردے پر

جب دنیا خالی خالی تھی, سناٹا تھا, ویرانی تھی

بابا آدم, ماں حوا کو, یہاں خلقت ایک بسانی تھی

یہ جوڑا تھا انسانوں کا, اعلی ادنی مطلوب نہیں 

رشتے میں بندھ کر آئے تھے, صرف عورت مرد کا روپ نہیں

تابعداری, نا فرمانی۔۔۔ ہر حال کے تھے سنگھی ساتھی 

دن عیش کے ساتھہ ہی دیکھے تھے, پھر سزا بھی ساتھہ میں ہی کاٹی

دو انساں کیسے جیتے ہیں, روتے روتے ہنستے ہنستے

حوا شوہر پر جاں دیتیں, وہ بیوی کے دیوانے تھے

وہ داعی چین سکون کے تھے, وہ مساوات کے حامی تھے

وہ جب بچے پیدا کرتے, اک لڑکا اک لڑکی ہوتے

آغاز تھا یہ انسانوں کا, جنھیں کائنات سب تکتی تھی

شوہر بیوی, اماں ابا, بھائی بہنا, بیٹا بیٹی

***

پھر ایسا وقت بھی آیا کہ جب عورت بے توقیر ہوئی 

سارہ اور ہاجرہ بھول گئیں, مریم کی بھی تحقیر ہوئی

پھر لے کر پیار محبت کا, پیغام رسول الله آئے

جو مردوں کے تو باپ نہیں, بیٹی کے والد کہلائے

اپنی بیٹی کی عزت کو, خود آپ کھڑے ہوجاتے تھے

اوروں کی بیٹیوں کے دکھہ پر, کڑھتے اور اشک بہاتے تھے

وہ جنکا فرض عیادت تھا, ایک غیر, یہودی عورت کی

سامان اٹھاتے تھے اسکا جو ان سے نفرت کرتی تھی  

سمجھاتے تھے یہ امت کو, بیٹی رحمت, بیٹی عصمت

کیوں بیٹی زندہ دفن کرو, بیٹی پالو, پالو جنت

فرماتے تھے کہ قابل حب,  مجھے مشک, نماز اور عورت ہیں 

عورت کو جو کمتر جانیں, کیا پھر بھی شامل امت ہیں

*** 

وہ وقت بھی آخر کار آیا, انسانیت پامال ہوئی

مردوں پہ غلامی چھائی, عورت ذلت سے بے حال ہوئی

تو قائداعظم  نے آکر, کچھہ یوں سب پر احسان کیا

بن کر بابائے قوم, مسلمانوں کو پاکستان دیا 

دنیا کو جناح نے سکھلایا, بہنیں تقدیر بدلتی ہیں

اور بھائی کا بازو بن کر, ہر مشن پہ ساتھہ نکلتی ہیں

مائیں بہنیں بیوی بیٹی, گونگی بہری تصویر نہیں

یہ قدم ملا کر ساتھہ چلیں, یہ پیروں کی زنجیر نہیں

فرمایا قائداعظم نے, کوئی قوم ترقی کر نہ سکے

جب تک عورت کو ساتھہ نہ لے, جب تک عورت کا ساتھہ نہ دے

How many fathers do I have in history?

Prophet Adam (peace be upon him), the father of entire human species;

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) – the father of daughters, not sons (as it is said in Qur’an) – who told me about my rights;

Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the ‘Father of Nation’;

and my biological father, who was the cause of my birth and raised me up;

and then my spiritual fathers, who became the source of guidance.

The first three names are alive but the world has lost them as a character.  They did not appear as a dominating gender but as a partner to their females.  They co-operated, changed the history and influenced the mankind.

I wonder what language did father Adam and mother Hawwa/Eve (peace be upon both of them) speak in Paradise?  How were they sent to earth?  How they felt for being the first human-couple on earth?  How did they feel about beginning human history on earth?  Did they behave like today’s husbands and wives?

I also wonder why did Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) mention women ‘worth loving’, like perfume and prayer/namaz?  He smiled to his wives, discussed matters with them, helped them.  He stood up in respect for his daughter.  He listened to women’s complaints and favoured them against their husbands.  He even visited a sick Jewish woman to know how is she feeling.  He never raised his voice against any woman whether known or strange.

Quaid-e-Azam said that no nation can rise unless their women stand side by side to their men.

The world is not Adamic  anymore.  It has been divided into groups, tribes, nations, race, gender, faith, cultures,  relations and connections – it is not the matter of ‘right and wrong’ anymore – nothing right now seems to unite them, not even Islam as it is redefined by various religious groups.  Women everywhere are in search of their status in society.  Thinking of them as a competitor or a rival, they have lost their own identity.  The identity of being a human being and act like one and a slave of the God Almighty and behave like one.

Why do women go to men to know about their status and rights in Islam, why don’t they find out themselves, why do men have to define things for them?


Qaseedah Muhammadiyyah

القصيدة المحمدية

A unique poetry, in which every verse begins with the name of Muhammad (pbuh)

مُحَمَّدٌ اَشرَفُ الاَعرابِ وَالعَجَمِ…مُحَمَّدٌ خَيْرُمَنْ يَّمْشِى عَلى قَدَمِ

مُحَمَّدٌ باسِطُ الَمعْروفِ جامِعُهُ…مُحَمَّدٌ صاحِبُ الاِحْسانِ وَالكَرَمِ

Muhammad is the noblest of Arabs and non-Arabs

Muhammad is the best of those who walk upon legs

Muhammad is a spreader of good and its gatherer

Muhammad is a possessor of beneficence and generosity

مُحَمَّدٌ تاجُ رُسْلُ اللهِ قاطِبَةً… مُحَمَّدٌ صادِقُ الاَقْوالِ وَالكَلِمِ

مُحَمَّدٌ ثابِتُ الميثاقِ حافِظُهُ…مُحَمَّدٌ طَيِّبُ الاَخلاقِ والشِّيَمِ

 Muhammad is exclusively the crown of all Allah’s messengers

Muhammad is true in speech and sayings

Muhammad is an upholder and protector of covenants

Muhammad is of pleasant character and disposition

مُحَمَّدٌ رُوِيَت بِالنُّورِ طِينَتُهُ… مُحَمَّدٌ لَمْ يَزَلْ نُورًا مِّنَ القِدَمِ

مُحَمَّدٌ حاكِمٌ بِالعَدْلِ ذُو شَرَفٍ…مُحَمَّدٌ مَعْدِنُ الاِنْعامِ وَالحِكَمِ

Muhammad’s natural substance was quenched with divine nur

Muhammad’s light has not disappeared since the beginning of time

Muhammad is an upright judge, possessing honour

Muhammad is the source of benefaction and wisdom

مُحَمَّدٌ خَيْرُ خَلْقِ اللهِ مِنْ مُّضَرٍ… مُحَمَّدٌ خَيْرُ رُسْلِ اللهِ كُلِّهِمِ

مُحَمَّدٌ دِينُهُ حَقٌّ نَدِينُ بِهِ… مُحَمَّدٌ مُجْمِلًا حَقًّا عَلى عَلَمِ

 Muhammad is the best of Allah’s creation, from Mudar

 Muhammad is the best of all of Allah’s messengers

Muhammad’s creed is a truth that we profess and adhere to

Muhammad is moderate and decent, befitting of a noble

مُحَمَّدٌ ذِكْرُهُ رُوْحٌ لِاَنْفُسِنا… مُحَمَّدٌ شُكْرُهُ فَرْضٌ عَلَى الْاُمَمِ

مُحَمَّدٌ زِينَةُ الدُّنْيا وَ بَهْجَتُها… مُحَمَّدٌ كاشِفُ الغَمَّاتِ وَالظُّلَمِ

Muhammad’s remembrance is a respite for our souls

Muhammad’s praise is obligatory upon all the nations

Muhammad is the beauty and adornment of this world

Muhammad is a remover of afflictions and darkness

مُحَمَّدٌ سَيِّدٌ طَابَتْ مَنَاقِبُهُ… مُحَمَّدٌ صَاغَهُ الرَّحْمَنُ بِالنِّعَمِ

مُحَمَّدٌ صَفْوَةُ البَارِي وَخِيرَتُهُ… مُحَمَّدٌ طاهِرٌ مِّنْ سائِرِالتُّهَمِ

Muhammad is a master and his virtues are pleasant

Muhammad is the one who the Most Merciful created full of benefit

Muhammad is the Creator’s best and elite

Muhammad is unblemished from all evil suspicions

مُحَمَّدٌ ضاحِكٌ لِلضَّيْفِ مُكْرِمُهُ… مُحَمَّدٌ جارُهُ وَاللهِ لَمْ يُضَمِ

مُحَمَّدٌ طابَتِ الدُّنْيا بِبِعْثَتِهِ… مُحَمَّدٌ جاءَ بِالاَيَاتِ وَالحِكَمِ

Muhammad is cheerful and hospitable to his guest

Muhammad never brought evil to his neigbour, by Allah I swear

Muhammad’s emergence caused the world to become delightful

Muhammad came with Qur’anic verses and multiple wisdoms

مُحَمَّدٌ يَوْمَ بَعْثِ النَّاسِ شافِعُنا… مُحَمَّدٌ نُورُهُ الْهَادِي مِنَ الظُّلَمِ

مُحَمَّدٌ قائِمٌ للهِ ذُوهِمَمٍ …مُحَمَّدٌ خاتَمٌ لِلرُّسْلِ كُلِّهِمِ

Muhammad is our intercessor on the Day when mankind is resurrected

Muhammad’s light is a guide out of darkness

Muhammad is dedicated to Allah, endowed with ambitions

Muhammad is the seal of all of the messengers

DUROOD-E-SHIFA


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e5o9–2v0Q&feature=share

Milad Celebrations

کی محمد سے وفا تو نے تو ہم تیرے ہیں

یہ جہاں چیز ہے کیا, لوح وقلم تیرے ہیں

So, if I would be given the pen and the tablet, I would write HONOUR and MERCY for all those who stand for justice and help those who are being oppressed.  May Allah (SWT) help Kashmiris and Palestinians get freedom from their oppressors.  Ameen!

Pakistanis having 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal and Kashmir Day on the same day, are celebrating the birth of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) which he never celebrated himself, neither his family and companions ever partied the day like we do.

Can these celebrations resolve the Kashmir dispute?  Can these celebrations reduce the prices of electricity, gas and sugar?  Can these celebrations be the source of income for anyone else beside professional na’at reciters, milad organizers and confectioners?  Do these celebrations promise a respectful life and a better future for women and children on streets?  Can these celebrations be a threat to corruption and crimes in Pakistan?  Hundreds of children and women have been abducted from Data Darbar and other saint’s tombs – even Data and other saints had failed in protecting them from kidnappers and saving their dignity.  Drugs are sold at these places – again the saints in their graves have failed in controlling drug and curing drug addicts.  Then what is the point of celebrating milad at Data Darbar – ARY people should think about it.  Do the organizers, scholars and attendees there know about these problems?

What is the difference between Christian’s confession before father or priest and Milad celebrations while both cost money for wiping sins – more sins, more confessions and more income – good business?

Don’t Pakistani Muslims realize that the world does not trust us?  The world see us as sinners – liar, cheater, dishonest, traitor, irresponsible, careless, illiterate, unjust, torturers, rapist, disrespectful, comedians – and we haven’t proved that we are not.

کیا کہیں کوئی روایت ملتی ہے کہ رسول الله صلی الله علیہ وسلم کو کبھی ساری رات بیٹھہ کر صحابیوں سے اپنے لئے قصیدے سنتے دیکھا گیا ہو۔۔۔ یا خود رسول الله صلی الله علیہ وسلم نے گھنٹوں بیٹھہ کر صحابیوں کو پہلے نبیوں کے قصے سنائے ہوں۔۔۔ 

کیا بارہ ربیع الاول رسول الله صلی الله علیہ وسلم کے زمانے میں نہیں آئی۔۔۔ کیا اہل بیت اور اصحابہ کرام کو بارہ ربیع الاول کی اہمیت کا اندازہ نہیں تھا۔۔۔ یا جنوبی ایشیا کے مسلمان علم, عقل اور ایمان میں اہل بیت اور اصحابہ کرام سے زیادہ ہیں۔۔۔ 

بجلی کے بحران سے تباہ شدہ ملک میں بارہ دن سے بجلی کے بلبوں سے چراغاں ہورہاہے۔۔۔ کتنے ہزار یونٹس بجلی خرچ ہو چکی ہے۔۔۔ تعلیمی اداروں کی بجلی کٹ رہی ہے, فیکٹریاں بند پڑی ہیں, بجلی کی قیمتیں بڑھ رہی ہیں۔۔۔ کیامسلمانوں کا معاشرہ اتنا لاتعلق ہوتا ہے اپنی معیشت سے, اپنے مسائل سے۔۔۔

ملک میں پچھلے کئی سال سے چینی کابحران ہے۔۔۔ چینی کی قیمتیں دگنی ہوگئیں۔۔۔ کچھہ اندازہ ہے گنے کی فصلوں کا کیا حال ہے, کتنے سو ٹن چینی کی مٹھائی بٹ چکی ہے میلادوں میں۔۔۔ کیا اتنا میٹھا کھانا ضروری ہے ربیع الاول میں۔۔۔ 

بارہ ربیع الاول کا احترام اپنی جگہ۔۔۔ اسکے آخرت میں ثواب کا معاملہ اپنی جگہ۔۔۔ رسول الله صلی الله علیہ وسلم سے محبت اور عقیدت میلاد  اور نعتوں سے مشروط نہیں۔۔۔  رائیونڈ کے اجتماع, درس قرآن, قرآن خوانیاں, میلاد۔۔۔ اتنے سالوں میں اس خطے کے چالیس پچاس کروڑ مسلمانوں نے دنیا کو کیا دیا۔۔۔ خود کو کیا دیا۔۔۔ 

کیا رسول الله صلی الله علیہ وسلم کی زندگی کا مقصد مسکینیت, ماتم, سوگ, من چاہی رسومات, مولوی کی اطاعت, دنیا سے بے خبری, غیر ذمہ داری, گندگی, بدنظامی, بھیک مانگنا تھا۔۔۔ اگر ایسا تھا تو اس کے لئے رسول الله صلی الله علیہ وسلم کو کچھہ کرنے کی ضرورت نہیں تھی اور نہ ہی الله سبحانہ وتعالی کو کوئی نظام دینے کی۔۔۔ کیونکہ مسکینیت, ماتم, سوگ, من چاہی رسومات, مولوی کی اطاعت, دنیا سے بے خبری, غیر ذمہ داری, گندگی, بھیک, بدنظامی تو عربوں میں پہلے سے موجود تھیں۔۔۔ 

شاید بہت ساری غفلتوں کا احساس دلانے کے لئے اس سال بارہ ربیع الاول اور یوم کشمیر ایک ہی دن پڑے ہیں۔۔۔

ایک میرا ہی رحمت پہ دعوی نہیں

شاہ کی ساری امت پہ لاکھوں سلام

  Just imagine, if Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) really gets a chance of visiting Pakistan tonight, would he join the na’at and milad mehfils and enjoy his praises or would he cry for men, women and children spending the night on streets, some hungry, others may be sick,  no sanctuary in mosques for women while they are being raped on the streets – and who would he call true ashiqan-e-rasool, those who are guarding the borders of Islamic Republic of Pakistan or those who are busy hitting jack-pot on the night of Milad-un-Nabi?

QASEEDAH BURDA SHAREEF

Social/Economic Development – 8th Grade Syllabus

Part of the syllabus:

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT/ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

Social Development can be defined as the process in which a country organizes its wealth and resources and utilizes them to improve the quality of life.  It argues that social interaction is necessary for progress and relief as it helps in understanding problems and suggests possible solutions.

Economic Development is a process in which a country’s resources and imports are used to increase wealth and generate more revenue.  It is meant to ensure better working opportunities, skilled labour, professional environment and an overall prosperous economic condition.

What is the common factor in all kinds of development?  Why is it important to make right decisions about development?

‘Change’ is the common factor in all kinds of development.  Any development is useless if it does not bring any change or if change is not accepted.  Development brings changes that are irreversible.  Any man-made features once planned and fixed cannot be reversed.  That is why it is important to study all necessary geographical and social aspects carefully and make right decisions about development.

Why are ‘people’ considered the key resource for economic and social development?

People are the key resource for economic and social development.  People are the manufacturer, labourer, inventor, producer, investor, organizer, operator, transporter and user.  All natural features on land and natural resources are used up by people satisfy their needs and desires.

People’s needs vary because of various resources, geographical features and different climate.  That is, people in countries with hot climate wear, eat and drink differently than those who live in countries with cold climates.  Populations of agricultural countries have different working hours as compared to the industrial countries.  The dwellers of coastal and mountainous areas face different weather challenges.

Countries of the world depend upon each other to grow their wealth for strong economy.  The economists and traders plan for good financial opportunities, seek international markets and consider domestic and foreign economic policies.  Agricultural countries look out for new ways and skilled labour for high yield of crops.  Cattle and livestock need people who can use them and take care of them properly.  Goods are traded and transported domestically and internationally by land vehicles or via air or ships.

All these tasks are planned and accomplished by people.  People work for people, thus life goes on.

Countries vary in size geographically as well as by the number of population.   Countries with low human resource need more people to work for them.  Individuals of high populated regions emigrate to those countries in search of employment.

The emigrants need to know the laws of the land they travel to and must learn how to evolve in a strange society without creating issues.

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Content that is not the part of syllabus…

What are the objectives of social/economic development?

The objectives of social development/community development are; developing progressive approach, discussing grave issues in order to reduce their negative impact, establishing good social relations, promoting good values, addressing health issues, counseling youth and elders in stress and depression, enhancing learning process and developing skills, gathering new ideas and organizing resources to work on them.

The objectives of economic development are to improve working conditions, to create jobs, to build a fair tax system, to improve quality of life through economic means.

The importance of social development/social interaction in Islam:

Islamic ethics are the soul of Islamic society.  Social interaction in Islam is all about good manners, with the purpose to promote peace, respect, trust and unity.  Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “I have been sent to perfect good manners.”

“And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or return it equally.” (Surah An-Nisa, 86) [The recommended greeting is to say "Assalam-u-Alaikum meaning 'peace be upon you']

“O you who believe! enter not houses other than your own, until you have asked permission and greeted those in them, that is better for you, in order that you remember.” (Surah An-Nur, 27)

“….But when you enter houses, greet one another with a greeting from Allah, blessed and good….” (Surah An-Nur, 61)

According to a hadith narrated by the Prophet (pbuh) are six; return greetings, accept invitation, good advice, visiting the sick, supplicate for the one who sneezes and attend the funeral procession. [The return of greeting is 'wa alaikum as-salam meaning 'may peace be upon you too/ the one who sneezes should say 'Al-hamdulillah meaning 'praise be to Allah' and others around should utter 'yarhamukallah' meaning 'may Allah have mercy on you' which should be returned by saying 'yahdeekumullahu khairun' meaning 'may Allah guide you to the goodness'.]

Abu Hauraira reported from the Prophet (pbuh), “every small bone of everyone has upon it a charitable act fro everyday upon which the sun rises.  Bringing about justice between two is an act of charity.  Helping a man get on his mount, lifting him onto it or helping him put his belongings onto it, is a charitable act.  A good word is a charitable act.  Every step you take toward the prayer is a charitable act.  And removing a harmful thing from the path is a charitable act.”

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “do not be envious of one another, do not inflate prices by overbidding against one another, do not hate one another, do not turn away from one another, do not enter into commercial transaction when others have entered into that (transaction), but be you, O slaves of Allah, as brothers.  A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, he neither oppresses him, nor does he lie to him, nor does he look down upon or humiliate him.  Piety is here (and he pointed to his chest three times).  It is evil enough for a Muslim to humiliate his brother.  All things of a Muslim are sacred for his brother-in-faith; his blood, his property, and his honour.”

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SOCIAL SCIENCES:

It is the study of social life of humans and animals and the human behaviour.

main branches of social science:

Anthropology, Economics, Education, Geography, History, Law, Linguistics, Political Science, Public Administration, Psychology and Sociology are the main branches of social science.

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Quotes on change and development:

“But the Monasticism (isolation) which they invented for themselves, We did not prescribe for them, but (they sought it) only to please Allah therewith, but that they did not observe it with the right observance”….  Al-Qur’an – Surah Hadeed/The Iron 27

“Verily! Allah does not change people’s condition (to a good one) unless they do not change their state themselves.” Al-Qur’an – Surah Ra’ad/The Thunder 11

“Facilitate things to people, do not make it hard for them; give them good tidings and do not make them run away.”…..Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ‘s words reported by Anas bin Malik in Sahih Al-Bukhari

“Whoever would be glad to have his livelihood expanded and his life prolonged should maintain family ties.”  Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

“Religion is sincerity.” Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

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“You have to stand guard over the development and maintenance of Islamic democracy, Islamic social justice and the equality of manhood in your own native soil.” Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, The Founder of Pakistan

“If we want to make this great State of Pakistan happy and prosperous, we should wholly and solely concentrate on the well-being of the people, and especially of the masses and the poor… you are free to go to your temples mosques or any other place of worship in this state of Pakistan.”  Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah
“The only effective power, therefore, that counteracts the forces of decay in a people is the rearing of self concentrated individuals.  Such individuals alone reveal the depth of life.  They disclose new standards in the light of which we begin to see that our environment is not wholly inviolable and requires revisions.”  Dr. Muhammad Iqbal in “Reconstruction of Religious Thoughts in Islam”

“If you wish to be heard in the noise of this world, let your soul be dominated by a single idea. It is the man with a single idea who creates political and social revolutions, establishes empires and gives law to the world.”  Allama Iqbal – Stray Reflections

“Some people are ok with doing nothing all day after they retire, but then some people if they had nothing to do would go mad and start banging their heads against a wall.”  Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan

“Fulfill your mission and a great sublime future awaits your enthusiasm and action. Remember: ‘cowards die many times before death; the valiant never taste death but once.’ This is the only course of action which suits any self-respecting people and certainly the Muslim Nation.”  Madr-e-Millat Fatimah Jinnah

“Businesses owned by responsible and organized merchants shall eventually surpass those owned by wealthy rulers.”  Ibn Khuldun in Muqaddamah

“Man by nature is a social animal.” Aristotle

“Apply yourself both now and in the next life. Without effort, you cannot be prosperous. Though the land be good, You cannot have an abundant crop without cultivation.”  Plato

“Do not waste your time on Social Questions. What is the matter with the poor is Poverty; what is the matter with the rich is Uselessness.” George Bernard Shaw

“Nothing is more useless in developing a nation’s economy than a gun, and nothing blocks the road to social development more than the financial burden of war.” King Hussein I

“I’m encouraging young people to become social business entrepreneurs and contribute to the world, rather than just making money.  Making money is no fun.  Contributing to and changing the world is a lot more fun.”  Muhammad Yunus

 Social sciences and Islam:

Islam is not just a religion or a code of law.  It is a system which deals with the nature of man and it’s relation to the rest of Allah’s creations.  It rejects the concept of monasticism and suggests people to live in communities.  Islam does not require humans to act supernatural in normal condition and mesmerize the world by performing miracles.  It encourages people to be good and become a dominate force over evil.  It motivates people to surprise the world with courage, determination, patience and perseverance.

The life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the best example for us all.  He lived like an under-privileged man and his greatest miracle was that he still survived as the most distinguished person and the only man who ruled the lands and hearts as a prophet, a preacher, a leader, a law-maker, a politician, a ruler, a social worker, a reformer, a military commander and a conqueror.

He brought revolution in people’s personal and social life, built the economy, changed the way of politics, purified the faith from corrupted beliefs.  He changed the ways people think and behave.

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His solutions were a great relief for everyone.

Few years before his proclamation of prophethood, at the age of 35, he was trusted to solve the dispute of fixing of Hajr-ul-Aswad by the leaders of Makkah.

After Muslim’s migration to Madinah, he tied the migrants (muhajreen) and residents of Madinah (ansar) into the bonds of brotherhood.

For the prisoners of Battle of Badr, those who had nothing to pay for ransom, he suggested that they can teach ten people in Madinah and be free.

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Not only that but he introduced to the world the men of desert as the most incredible rulers, generals, law-makers, administrators, educationists, scientists, researchers, explorers, thinkers, philosophers, poets, writers, preachers, scholars, reformers, soldiers and conquerors of the world.  All of them led a social life in a unique way.

Muslim’s Participation in changing the World

Muslims were the master of all sciences.  They ruled the world with the power of their knowledge.

Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi is considered the ‘father of algebra’.

Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Sīnā (Avicenna) is regarded as the ‘father of early modern medicine and clinical pharmacology’.  He is also considered the ‘father of the fundamental concept of momentum in physics’ and a pioneer of aromatherapy.

Jabir ibn-Hayyan (Geber) honoured to be the ‘father of chemistry’.

Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Kathir Al-Farghani who worked on the measurement of the diameter of the Earth and had the ‘Alfraganus’ crater on moon named after him.

Muhammad ibn Zakariya Razi known as the ‘father of pediatrics’ and a pioneer of neurosurgery and ophthalmology.

Abu Rayhan Al-Beruni is called the ‘father of Indology’ and the ‘father of geodesy’ and was the ‘first anthropologist’.

Ibn Al-Haytham (Alhazen) is regarded as the ‘father of modern optics’ and the ‘founder of experimental psychology’.

Abu Sa’d Al-Ala’ ibn Sahl is credited with first discovering the law of refraction, usually called Snell’s law.

Ibn Zuhr (Avenzoar), the ‘father of experimental surgery’ and pioneer of experimental anatomy, experimental physiology, human dissection, autopsy and tracheotomy.

Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi (Abulcasis), the ‘father of modern surgery’.

The most prominent of all Abu Zayd Abdur-Rahman bin Muhammad bin Khaldun who impressed the world most with his work on historiography, sociology/social sciences, economics, Islamic theology, nutrition and astronomy.  He wrote his first book “Lubabul-Muhassal” which is a commentary on Islamic theology of Fakhrud-din Al-Razi, at the age of 19.  He is known as the ‘father of real sociology’.

Muhammad Yunus, the ‘father of micro-credit and micro-finance’.

Lotfi Ali-askerzadeh, the ‘father of Fuzzy Mathematics and Fuzzy set theory’.

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