Who Am I

A question we should ask ourselves

A thought we should arise in ourselves

If I am a Human, than who are they?

Killing each other is not a human way

Conspiring, polluting, looting and shooting

Should I call it my reasons to Stay?

If I am a Muslim, than why am I?

They ask me to keep quiet, why do I?

I am not a terror; I am not a cursed one

I have a problem; I believe in only One

If I am terror than why am I terrorised

Seeing my people killed, I am surprised

Don’t just see, listen, think and believe

They are telling you, what they want you to believe

If I am a Pakistani, than what should I do?

I am my own enemy, why to blame you?

I do know who is threatening my interests

It’s neither west nor my neighbour, it’s my lust

I say more, I do less, and I need more, I think less

My life is an agony, I am a complete mess

Those who believe I have to change

I think of them as they are strange

Story of a Traveller

I found a traveller two years ago

Who has got an arrow but no bow?

Who was unaware, which way to go?

If you asked her something, she said, “I don’t know”

But don’t know how, she got the way

Walking alone, she was never astray

Whenever she wanted to choose anything

Everything was like in her tray

One day she decided to find a new way

After several months, she found her day

Holding someone’s hand, why she still afraid?

But she thought she had found her way

In reality she was still far away

She hadn’t got habit to look back again

She shows as she has got no pain

Why loving sometimes seems all in vain  

Why she want to cry in the rain

Now I saw some light in her

I keep asking, it might not be her

But I fear this light may not vanish again

The journey of light (noor) may not perish again

Oh Allah, I pray she may find in her

A candle who wants to burn again

Reasons of our Failure

Reasons of our failure

I am writing this article to help my Pakistani youth to analyse that how bad we are. We need to change our selves. We have to come out of the shell. If we will remain quiet as our ancestors did, then there will be no more Pakistan in future.  You will only see Pukhtoonistan, Sindhistan, Punjabistan and Balauchistan. Please don,t think I am against any sect or caste, in fact I am against myself.  Hope you will understand my point of view. I need your sincere comments at the end.

False Perception

Our ego is so high that we do not consider other nations comparable to us. It is not the case at national level only. We are living like a frog in a pond unaware of vastness and openness of an ocean. You will hear some of the comments like “Pakistan Came in to being in the name of Allah, so Allah will protect it. No need to worry”. This statement is true that Allah gave us this land but we ignored the real part which is Allah gave us this land to show people what Muslims are. How Muslim thinks, act, work, run economy, develop relationships, shows patience, regard relations, treat gently, run state and responds when someone threats its national interests.  We are in everlasting circle of casteism and sectism, from which we are not ready to come out. If I am a Pathan than I will only think Pathans to be superior to others. It’s not what I say but it’s what I actually do. I will marry in Pathans and think that others are not equal to me. Here I am negating Islamic concept of considering everyone equal. This disease of casteism infuses a virus of inequality, injustice, disregard for others, discrimination and racism in me. These are the things which were not liked by our Prophet (PBUH). Then why to call myself a good Muslim? We will see this virus in Syed’s of Pakistan too. I am using word Pakistan particularly because it’s in our country only.  How we treat Syed’s. Let me give you an example. In my hostel, we are a group of five members. Everyone has some responsibility. I go out to buy stuff from market, sometimes cook too. Similarly other’s have their responsibilities to fulfil. But when it comes to Mr. Syed Sahab? Then he is not ready to cook or do anything. Sometimes he even asks us to fetch a glass of water for him which is placed just in front of him. To be honest it’s not his fault, because we gave him this respect. Without thinking our prophet said everyone is equal and only those are superior who are good in faith. I believe by giving extra respect to one sect is also inequality. This is not what I think, it is because our Prophet (PBUH) showed it by his actions. He prayed much more than anyone else, he respects other more than anyone else, he likes to participate in every work, he wants to do his work for himself, he likes equality and he even once said : “ If I will find that my daughter had committed a theft than I would surely cut her hands”. It is because he wanted us to know, don’t make yourself in a way that you will become ignored of reality and true spirit of Islam. We are giving preference to some castes and result is injustice and inequality in our society.

Intolerance

We have intolerance for other religions, nations (non muslims), castes, sects and even views. Words like Jew, Hindhu and Ahmedi at once ignite our ego and we start abusing them. All Jews, Hindhus and Ahmedis are not alike. It is forbidden in Islam to develop strong ties with them but it does not means that Islam says to abuse them or think down upon them. No one will accept Islam, if you will not show respect to them. Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) showed respect to all religions and people. That’s why everyone whether his enemy or friend was admired of him. They listen to him. Ahmedi brought up in our culture. They are not outsiders. We gave them this courage to develop. If you go back to history, when Mirza Ghulam Ahmed started his campaign, people were admiring him at that time. He was given so much respect that he changed the concept of last prophet. Now after 100 years, instead of bringing these Ahmedi’s who don’t know themselves that what are they doing, we are not providing awareness to them instead spitting and abusing them. And the result of this resistance is that they are now propagating in different parts of the world. I myself met Nigerian Ahmedi, he was saying Pakistani’s are cruel and intolerant as they are killing Ahmedi Muslims. I told him that Ahmedi’s are not Muslims. He asked me how, I told him the reason. It’s not the case with only one Ahmedi. Everyone thinks like that we are cruel and intolerant. We should have to be calm and think of ways in order to provide them awareness.

DON’T ARGUE Culture

It is one of the reasons of our non innovative culture. If a child do anything or want to give his suggestion, we tell him’ “Don’t Argue” or we don’t accept his suggestion. If our elder are doing something wrong, it is a taboo to tell them not to do it. But on the other hand if a younger one is doing something, if we think that it is not right but in reality it is right. Even then we ask him to keep quiet and don’t do it. I know one of my Uncle who says his prayer wrong but no one out of his children is ready to tell him that he is saying his prayer wrong. Because they think, he will mind it. Once I asked my father about going for Tableegh, he said No you won’t they are not right. You are Brailwi not Deobandi. So as a result, I am not allowed to argue and tell him that both are Muslims with different thoughts. It is not right to accept one and reject other. Both are doing things right according to their school of thought.

It is because of this don’t argue culture that we are injected with a virus of unconfidence, non innovation and depression in our culture. We destroy thinking of our young ones right in the beginning. So how can they bring up with innovative thoughts or do something new and different.

ALL IS WELL and NOTHING WILL HAPPEN culture

It means we believe that no matter whatever we will do; Allah will help us in the end. Everything will become well at the end whether in this world or here after. It is because of this thinking that we tell a lie, do dishonesty, work lazily or insincerely, abuse others and don’t care about other’s interests. It is also a paradigm that we believe nothing will happen whatever we will do. Even though, we are facing problems like economic crisis, instability and insecurity because of it. Now everything which Allah told us is happening but we are still there where we were: All Is Well and Nothing Will Happen. We are like pigeon, which use to close its eyes on seeing a cat instead of making effort. These two revolutionary sentences are part of our culture that’s why when we choose our politicians and when they run the country, they say: All is well and nothing will happen whatever we will do.

Brotherhood or Inequality

We help others on the basis of sect, cast, of same city, of same street and relative. We are so strict in it that we even ignore that when someone do wrong, we need not to support him in his evil deed. Its result is, when we have to select some politician, we vote on the basis of these relations. My father will vote PML (N) because his friends’ brother is standing for PML (N). Whether that man is a big cheat but still no need to worry? As that is what we call brotherhood. Is it really brotherhood or an in equality? We are supporting people related to us whether they are right or wrong. We have no balance to measure it. Its result is off course inequality, injustice, unfair dealing, betrayal and lying.  I think we should not call it Muslim brotherhood. It is beyond Islam’s preaching’s.

Angels

Life is not but a mystery. We are given with five senses but are not enough to resolve life’s mystery. We can speak, see, hear, smell and feel the things which are within our limits. These limits are defined by someone supreme who is aware that if we would have been given beyond our limits, the joy of living in this world would be ruined. But there are some people who are blessed with senses beyond limit. They are special people who preach us what we can’t see or even can’t imagine. These are the Prophets, Saints and those who are blessed with such powers. But even then they are not in a direct contact with that supreme power operating the whole universe. There is an invisible veil between God and mankind. Though He can communicate with us directly but He wants himself to remain unseen unless we will meet Him at the day of judgement. So He chose Angels to spread His messages to Prophets and rest of mankind. Prophets receive these messages directly from angels but for rest of us, these messages are sent in the form of some incident, event or thought called intuition.

Just take a look at your life and ask yourself, how many times you come across some problem with not even a minor chance of getting rid of it but suddenly the whole situation changed as someone else has got your remote control, operating your each and every moment of life. Think of Newton, he saw apple dropping down like other’s but was given the intuition of developing his famous Laws. Ask Einstein how come you can give such theories when you had never done something like that in your life. Human civilisation had passed through different periods starting from Stone Age to this Modern Era. But interesting thing in all of it is, we are the same humans as were thousands of years ago with same senses but where the difference came from. It is not us who invented things, discovered new routes and created huge buildings. It was already written by the Supreme power. We are given with blessings of intuition at different times in order to start new era of civilisation. And these intuitions are sent to us by these Angels.

If it is not your time to die, you are protected by your angel of death. But if you are no more required in this world, your angel can not help you at that time as they are guided not the guiders. Unfortunately, there is no instrument developed to justify their presence but once humans will be able to find their existence, time for another civilisation will start which is called Armageddon. I can still remember a story we use to hear in our childhood. Once, God sent one of his angels to destroy some nation because they mastered astrology. That angel thought why not talk with someone before destroying them.  He asked one of the farmers, “Can you tell me where is that angel who is going to destroy your nation”. The farmer took his sick and started drawing strange lines on ground. After couple of minutes he replied, “He is not in the East, West, North or South but he is in here somewhere. Since I am not an angel, it means it is you who are”. After hearing that prediction, angel became astonished and got an idea why God sent him to destroy them.

By Sami Ullah Khan

Hidden Code

We are born with hidden abilities and power that we are unaware of. We perform deeds and blame fate for consequences. Sometimes results are good, in some cases it can be bad. Sometimes we think well, do good but results are not what we want to be. Sometimes we do nothing but get more than we deserve. Sometimes one man prays and whole community is forgiven and sometimes whole nation prays but no one is forgiven. We are in a cluster of what we call fate but at the same time there is something which is far more than just a destiny. It is something which is different for different people regardless of their race, nation or religion. I call it “Hidden Code”.

Have you ever noticed that there is some special thing related to every person which when he does, he gets favourable results or in other words he gets ultimate satisfaction. Some people give money to needy, some of them pray.  Some perform fast while some say darood. Some recite Quran and some feed animals. They all are blessed by Allah in one way or other. But interestingly, it is not always necessary that if someone is blessed for helping needy, other will also be blessed in the same way if he will perform the similar deed of helping needy. This is the hidden code of that person, which when he does, gets satisfaction in the form of money, peace of mind or fulfilment of desires. Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddique (R.A) was renowned on being companion (Siddique) of Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H). So being a companion was his hidden code and was blessed by Allah on this grounding. Similarly Hazrat Umar Farooq (R.A) was blessed for distinguishing truth from falsehood, Hazrat Usman Ghani(R,A) for being wealthy and helping the needy, Hazrat Ali Murtaza( R.A) for pleasing Allah and his Prophet (P.B.U.H). There is no doubt that all of these Sahaba were greatly praised by our Prophet (P.B.U.H) but still they got some unique characteristics on which they became famous and were blessed as well.  These qualities were their hidden codes helping them achieving ultimate satisfaction.

I call this code as hidden because sometimes a person doesn’t know what his code of success in life or hereafter is. I remember one of my colleagues working with me was always complaining about his bad luck. He told me that whenever he does something, it goes wrong and he is not getting job as well. Once he told me that I am Hafiz e Quran but not reciting it since I came to Manchester. But recently he started saying his prayers and beginning to recite Holy Quran. Suddenly his fate made a U-turn and now he is not only getting work but satisfied as well. He once told me that one night when he was preparing for exams, there was no light so he was using lantern.  Suddenly he went asleep and lantern fell down. It caused fire all around his bed and it was gradually moving towards his blanket. But he told me that he has a habit of talking while sleeping. He was reciting verses of Holy Quran during napping and his father was preparing to sleep in other room. He saw smoke coming out of his room but he thought that how it is possible as his son is reciting Quran and is awaking. But when he went inside he was amazed to see that fire was all around him but is not catching him as he was reciting Quran. He then woke him up and surprisingly saw fire reached his blanket but hadn’t harmed him.  So the hidden code of him was reciting Quran and that is what he observed now.

There are lot of examples around us and even the same principle applies to us if we observe our life closely. Some people know how to use it and some are using it without thinking about it. It is up to us how we see the world.

By Sami Ullah Khan

The Message

We are born with a unique identity. Where ever we are and whoever we are. We are defined by one complete word “Muslim”. No one is born with mission, vision, objectives and goals but a Muslim. Call it a fate or good luck. Consider it a mark or opportunity. We are here with a complete system to follow and to let others know who we are and why we are. It doesn’t matter what skills have we got and which tools we require. Our mission is to spread a “Message”. A Message decoded thousands of years ago when the whole universe came into existence. A Message translated in many languages, written on different tools, propagated from one chest to other, passed through various generations and at last reached us. There is no God but Allah (and Muhammad (P.B.U.H) is the last Messenger of Allah).

I met with people who sometimes hadn’t got enough knowledge of Islam, not good speakers, not even expert in other languages but were still working to spread this message. First of all whenever some Muslim goes for a prayer, he is propagating a similar message as a religious scholar does. Muhammad Ahmed, came to Manchester for battling with his luck, belong to a Pathan family in Chakdarra, District Dir.  He is not a good English speaker and even speaks Urdu with difficulty as his native language is Pashto. Whenever he met any English girl whether at Bus stop or at job. He always gives them information on Islam even though his intensions were not that in the beginning. Once on a bus stop, he saw two English girls standing without make up. He asked them today is Friday night and you are in simple dress without any make up. They said we are in Christian Missionary and we preach Christianity to other people. At once a message decoded in his mind and he asked them to study Islam as well. He even gave them name of Muslim scholar “Dr Zakir Naik” in order to search online his lectures on similarities in Islam and Christianity. Those girls were also curious about listening to that Scholar. Thinking critically he had done wrong deed by talking with stranger Christian girls even though in the beginning his intentions were not to spread that noble Message. But as a matter of fact “It came out of his mouth in a sudden as he was not thinking to spread this Message”.

Tariq Ali from Gujar Khan, not even matric pass, came to Manchester couple of months ago.  He can’t speak English but can understand it. He joined security and started working with English man. Sometimes he used to pray during job though he was not a regular “Namazi”.  Once English security officer asked him about what he is doing. He told him that its prayer and we do it five times a day. He further asked him about Islam. So, similar message decoded in his mind and even he can’t speak English but he preached him. As a result of it that English man asked him for the translation of Holy Quran.

According to Independent News U.K (4 Jan 2011) only in U.K there are about 100,000 people who converted to Islam and each year about 5000 people embraces Islam. When census were carried out to know which name is most popular for new born baby in U.K. An interesting outcome took place. It was Muhammad which was considered to be the most popular name used for newborn babies (Mail Online, 28 Oct 2010). Off course Allah took responsibility of spreading this Message as He says that “If you will not do it, I will replace you with others better than you are (summary of original saying)”. Faces will change but message will remain the same “La ILa Ha Illallah Muhammadur Rasoolullah”. It is up to us how willing we are in spreading this Message.

By Samiullah Khan