Sixty Two and Twenty Four

August 14, 2009. My country completed sixty two years of its life and I, twenty four years of my life. Together. For the fear of making this post turn into a hodgepodge, I would like to reflect upon both the events separately...

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خدا کرے کہ میری عرض پاک پر اترے"
وہ فصل گل جسے اندیشہ زوال نہ ہو"

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August 13, 2009. The moment, I stepped into the University, loud, blaring music accompanied by screaming and shouting of both girls and boys, welcomed me. I shook my head in disappointment - something I have been now doing for the past five years - and headed towards the department. And yesterday, I realised, how decent a people we were! Alhamdulillah. On a departmental level, no useless activity was to take place. Our teachers had planned an intra-department discussion on the topic, 'The Pakistan we have. The Pakistan we want.' I am quite sure of the fact that this was THE most decent, educative and fruitful activity that must have taken place on the campus yesterday. About thirty people - both teachers and students - sat around a huge table in the department's library and discussed as to what can be done to improve our social conditions. Social, primarily, because we cannot have any say in the political affairs of the country, of course. The agenda was to come up with something that could be done on a personal level with a group of like-minded people. The discussion was presided by one of our senior teachers (read: mentors). The good thing about the discussion was that this time people genuinely were interested in DOING something and not just simply end up being engaged in futile talk. The most enlightened views, as always, came from none other than the respected Dr. I. He was of the opinion, and quite rightly so, that there is no use talking endlessly about the American policies and interference in our country. We all know that and we all surely disapprove of it. We, on our level, should only focus on what we ourselves can do in our little capacities. For example, if someone is a teacher, they must hold themselves accountable if they are not doing their job properly. How often are we mindful of the fact that every morsel of food that we consume should have been earned by lawful means. If, we as individuals, just start taking care of this one thing, how many of our problems would resolve! Then he mentioned an advice by his Shaykh that no matter how much zikr you do, no matter how much nawafil you offer, and no matter how much iba'adah you engage yourself in, if even one morsel of food earned by haraam means goes into your stomach, all efforts made are in vain.

I wish I had enough time to write about all the topics that were discussed yesterday. Purpose of existence. Change. How to make a difference. Spiritual development of an individual and society. Hopelessness. Hope ...

But anyway, before ending this, I would like to quote a thought provoking poem I read in today's paper by Sahir Ludhyanvi:

آؤ کہ آج غور کریں اس سوال پر
دیکھے تھے ہم نے جو وہ حسین خواب کیا ہوۓ

دولت بڑھی تو ملک میں افلاس کیوں بڑھا
خوشحالئ عوام کے اسباب کیا ہوۓ

بیکس برہنگی کو کفن تک نہیں نصیب
وہ وعدہ ہاۓ اطلس و کمخواب کیا ہوۓ

جمہوریت نواز، بشر دوست، امن خواہ
خود کو جو خود دیے تھے وہ القاب کیا ہوۓ

ہر کوچہ شعلہ زار ہے ہر شہر قتل گاہ
یکجہئ حیات کے آداب کیا ہوۓ

صحراۓ تیرگی میں بھٹکتی ہے زندگی
ابھرے تھے جو افق پی وہ مہتاب کیا ہوۓ

مجرم ہوں میں اگر تو گنہگار تم بھی ہو
اے رہبران قوم خطا کار تم بھی ہو

I very firmly believe that the time for self accountability is this. We cannot afford to delay this process any longer. Neither as individuals. Nor as a nation. May Allah SWT always bless Pakistan and its people. Aameen.

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The day gone by...


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As for myself... Well, what to say? On waking up in the morning I wondered what could be the best way to begin this day... After some brainstorming and introspection, I could only come up with one answer: Salaat-ut-Tauba.

It was indeed a day of introspection. A day of looking back. A day of reflections. A day of commemorating the love of so many people in life. A day of commemorating sorrows. A day of immense gratitude. A day of old requests made anew to Allah. An extraordinarily ordinary day filled with tears and smiles...