A Different Lens

I have been struggling for the past couple of weeks to pen down something. My mind boggled, my emotions fried and my life distracted. My insides are in turmoil. I have always been amazed by this miracle of Allah Suhanahu wa Ta’ala of how in fills our hearts with the love of other people, who are not our blood relations, not our friends nor our acquaintances. Every single person’s ordeal seems like etched in my heart, every person’s tears has moved me to tears, I know I can never understand their pain, anguish, heartbreak or the burden they bear, I feel something in my heart that these mere words can never do justice to.

I have the understanding of things now that I could hardly understand in the past. I remember how the Quran says to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), to not let these people denying the truth, consume you. And I always used to wonder why was the Prophet so consumed by that, why did he felt so… I only realized just now that when people can see the Truth as light as the Day and you know that they know it, and yet they don’t testify it or acknowledge it is very frustrating. In the current times, when people everywhere, don’t want to acknowledge that war crimes are taking place, over 7000 children have died, that IOF kills, kidnaps, blows up hospitals and time and again refers to turning Ghazza into a ‘football field’ or ‘parking lot’ and are in complete denial of a genocide and a holocaust taking place right in front of their eyes, makes you realize how heart wrenching the situation must have been for the Prophet (saw). He preached the Quraish and the people of Makkah for 13 years, and for 13 years, they knew he was telling the truth and yet they didn’t accept it. As the Quran says, ‘ it is not the eyes that are blind, but the hearts’. How can one see all these modern warfare tech weapons unleashed on civilians and yet turn a blind eye to the atrocities that the state of Israel is committing. So much so that these people think that bombing hospitals and doctors is acceptable. How sick and how much of a psychopath one has to be to accept that and not bat an eye.

The people of Ghazza were denied food, meds, water, fuel and basic necessities. In the current times, when human beings think that they are on the pinnacle of civilization and where human rights are for all, such behaviour puts a question mark on the intellect of the so-called human beings. The struggle they went through in the past one and a half month, is unquestionably, not only horrendous, horrific but it also raises questions as to what is this so-called-civilised world have come to. Are we even human to deny basic human rights to more than 2 million civilians. The human rights organization, the women’s rights organizations, UNICEF, UNESCO, feminists, children’s rights organizations, all were silent and are still silent. The hypocrisy of all these people, who wail at the fully covered women because they think their rights are breached, where are they when the women, pregnant women and girls were bombed to bits, when they were being amputated and when C-sections were performed on them, without anesthesia. Where is UNICEF, when the school board cancelled the year because all the kids were killed, and when the Israelis chanted that,’ There are no schools in Gaza, because we have killed all the babies’.

The insanity has cross all limits so much so that I can’t wrap it around my head. We feel angry , anguished, heart broken and depressed everyday. Why can’t the world see it. Why are people so heartless and so emotionless as to look at the atrocities and just turn a blind eye towards it. Everyday, brings new pain, new low and new destruction, yet the people, to whom Allah has given power, sit and do nothing except for paying lip service, doing extreme disservice to everyone around them. The respectable, don’t seem respectable now. There is NO freedom of speech, where people so proudly used to boast that they are the flagbearers of freedom of speech.

Ahlul Jannah

Have you ever wondered how the people of Jannah looked like? I mean you look at them, and you are in awe of their eiman, conviction and their relationship with Allah. I saw them. Weirdly, on my Instagram reels; thousands of them. I look at these people and I am amazed, shocked and inspired at the same time. These people have suffered great pain, they have lost everything; from their houses to their families, from their friends to their colleagues. Some have lost their limbs and have been burnt beyond recognition. But what makes them from Ahlul Jannah are the words that they utter in this calamity that makes my hands shake, my eyes tear, and my heart ache; they say ‘ hasbunAllahu wa Na’mal Wakeel’! (Sufficient for us is Allah and (He is) our best Disposer of affairs)

To the people of Ghazza and Palestine: You show us what it is like to be the people of Jannah. What ehsaan is like, what is resilience, what is sabr… Oh! People of Ghazza, when I see you holding the Quran and reading it in the hospitals, while injured, in the ambulances, and everywhere,, you teach me how my relationship with Quran should be like. Ya Ahlul Jannah, you show us how to be happy in Allah’s qadr. Oh my brothers and sisters from Ghazza, you have put all of us to shame.

Oh Ahlul Jannah! I have fallen in love with you though I have never met you. I love you even though I don’t know you. I love you for the sake of Allah. I love you for teaching me how to be grateful. I love you for teaching me what brotherhood is. You have taught me what life is and how transient these affairs are. Allah has given you so much respect that everyone loves you in this dunya and you are welcomed by the Angels in the heavens.

An Open Letter To the Leaders of the Muslim World

Past couple of weeks have been quite heart wrenching as the news from Al Quds, Sheikh Jarrah and Gaza keeps coming in. The Israeli assault over the unarmed and innocent Palestinians is not only shattering the hearts of Muslims around the world but also raising a question on the very role of the leaders of all the Muslim countries around the world.

The Muslim leaders called for OIC and then they even called press conferences and sent out press releases where they condemned the heinous acts of the apartheid state of Israel. That, indeed, must have sent the message to their own people, that yes, they do side with the Palestinians but the big question is: Is this act enough?

President Arif Alvi reportedly said that since the Muslim nations are weak, their voice has no power in the international realm. Prime Minister has sent medicines and COVID relief meds to Palestine. Saudi Arabia has condemned the whole act. Turkey is saying we will do something and strongly condemned the attack. Egypt is silent. Qatar has deported the ambassador of Israel . UAE has blamed Hamas for the whole affair because it retaliated with their homemade rockets when Israeli forces used stun grenades and F-16s and white phosphorus bombs on the innocent civilians of Palestine. Kuwait said that they will imprison anyone who said that they support Israel.

One wonders that if the condemnation is the only thing that they can do? What are we (the masses) supposed to do then? The masses are doing the same, condemning and holding rallies to stand up for their brothers in these tested times.

The Question is : where is the best intelligence agency of the world? Where is the best army of the world?! Where is the commander of the United Muslim Army of the world? What are these so-called armies of the world protecting when their brothers, sisters and children in Islam need them the most? The leaders turn a blind eye to the atrocities does by the Zionist regime of the Jews and think that they have nothing to do with the whole situation? Was the whole Muslim block army made just for fun and play and was to be used just against the Muslims?

Leaders of the Muslim World, have you not read in the Quran, Allah say in Surah an-nisa (ayat 75-76):

75. And what is wrong with you that you
    fight not in the Cause of Allāh, and for
    those weak, ill‑treated, and oppressed
    among men, women, and children,
    whose cry is: “Our Lord! Rescue
    us from this town whose people are
    oppressors; and raise for us, from You,
    one who will protect, and raise for us,
    from You, one who will help.”
76. Those who believe, fight in the Cause
    of Allāh, and those who disbelieve,
    fight in the cause of Ṭāghūt (Satan)(1).
    So fight you against the friends of
    Shaiṭān (Satan). Ever feeble indeed is
    the plot of Shaiṭān (Satan).

These are the kinds of leaders or the heads of the states of the Muslim Ummah. The state of affairs is in the hands of those who are not capable of providing Muslims some self respect. We are put to shame by them and we are embarrassed, as the people, that we cannot do much physically. The Muslim Leaders and the ulema of the Muslim countries have failed the people of Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Rohingya , Muslims of China, Kashmir, Bosnia, etc. They believe in the jihad that you can do by your words, by pen by your character or by just praying five times a day.

Doesn’t Quran say in Surah At-Tauba (ayat 19-20) :

Do you consider the providing of
drinking water for the pilgrims
and the maintenance of Al‑Masjid
al‑Ḥarām (in Makkah) as equal to
the one who believes in Allāh and
the Last Day, and strives hard and
fights in the Cause of Allāh? They
are not equal before Allāh. And
Allāh guides not those people who
are the Ẓālimūn (polytheists and
wrong‑doers). Those who believed (in the Oneness
of Allāh — Islāmic Monotheism) and
emigrated and strove hard and fought
in Allāh’s Cause with their wealth and their lives are far higher in degree with Allāh. They are the successful.

Do Kings, Prime Ministers, Presidents and the Ulemas of the Muslim nations think that the kind violence, bloodshed, genocide that has been going on around the world only on Muslims can be waived off by providing a soft image of Islam?! Do they think the Ayaat of the Quran deem invalid (Astaghfirullah) in today’s world?! Do they think that they will not be tested like Muslims before them ? Quran says in Surah Al-ankabot (verse 2-6):

Do people think that they will be left
alone because they say: “We believe,”
and will not be tested?

3. And We indeed tested those who were
   before them. And Allāh will certainly
   make (it) known (the truth of) those
   who are true, and will certainly make
   (it) known (the falsehood of) those
   who are liars, (although Allāh knows
   all that before putting them to test).
4. Or think those who do evil deeds that
   they can outstrip Us (i.e. escape Our
   punishment)? Evil is that which they
   judge!
5. Whoever hopes for the Meeting(1) with
   Allāh, then Allāh’s Term is surely
   coming and He is the All‑Hearer, the
   All‑Knower.
6. And whosoever strives, he strives
   only for himself. Verily, Allāh stands
   not in need of any of the ‘Ālamīn
   (mankind, jinn, and all that exists)

Whatever that is happening in Gaza, Palestine or infact any other place where Muslims are oppressed, executed and expelled just because they are Muslims, it is not a test for those people as much as it is a test for the rest of the Muslim Ummah. Do we think that we will not be questioned about what we did for the oppressed?!! The scholars were supposed to educate but they stay clear of the politics as it may tarnish their image, the ulemas just pray (whereas they should have been the one guiding the leaders of the Muslim nations as to what should the adequate response should be) and the leaders…what can I say, they just condemn. It seems as if no body is capable of doing anything and this reminds me of the beautiful hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaehi wassallam):

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said that the Companions were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) when a Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and asked him about the exact date of the Hour. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) however proceeded with his speech to the audience. Some of the audience thought that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) heard what the man said but disliked his question and some others thought that he did not hear it. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) finished his talk, he said: “Where is the one who asked about the date of the Hour? The man informed him of his existence. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) then said: “If the trust is betrayed and neglected, then expect the coming of the Hour”. The man further asked about the trust and how it can be wasted or betrayed. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “When the matter is entrusted to those who are unqualified to implement its duties, then wait for the Hour”

(Narrated by Al-Bukhari, Hadiths no.59, 6496)

Now is the time to act as how the sahabah acted in those times. They didn’t sit around and waited for Allah’s help. Remember Allah’s help come to those who get up and fight in His name. Allah’s help came to those 313 people, who fought against the army of thousands.Allah has promised His help to those who stand in the face of Muzlimun.

Most of the people are laid back and waiting for Imam Mehdi to.arrive and the save the Muslims from such trials and tribulations. To all those people, who are sitting and waiting, do you think you will not be questioned about what did you do when F-16s , drone missiles and massive artillery was used against your brother. If I were in his place, would I not want someone to help me. This reminds me of another hadith :

Narrated (Abdullah bin Umar): Allah’s Messenger (P.B.U.H) said,

“A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, so he should not oppress him, nor should he hand him over to  an oppressor. Whoever fulfill the needs of his brother, Allah will fulfill his need; whoever brought his (Muslim) brother out of a discomfort, Allah will bring him out of the discomforts of the Day of Ressurrection, and whoever screened a Muslim, Allah will screen him on the Day of Ressurection”

– Sahih Al Bukhari (The Book of Mazalim) 

Narrated Anas: The Prophet (SAW) said, 

“None of you will have faith till he likes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself”

–Sahih Al Bukhari (The Book of Belief i.e. Faith)

The fitnah in Palestine is not as much a test for those people, they have passed the test with flying colours, it is but a test for the rest of the Muslim nations, their leaders ( both political and religious) . What strategy they have up their sleeves that will stop the genocide of the Muslims in Palestine or Burma or Kashmir or Syria etc. The world will never stand with the Muslims, the rest of the world has built up the narrative that Muslims are terrorists because, unfortunately, only a handful of people retaliate. The other are too busy bathing in their precious lifestyles to care. Non Muslims could never have dared touched a hair of a Muslim, if the Muslim had stood united against anything and everything. We still have time to think, to stand in a row and come out of our comfort zones and be what we were supposed to be, the Muslims who stand for their fellow Muslims.

‘SPINE’

The time has come again for the Prime Minister to show some ‘spine’; simce it has been so long since we last saw someone show some stature, some depth, some insight into things that needed them. The conflicts, the situations in the Muslim countries doesn’t look good at all and we wonder, being the sole nuclear power, where we stand when the poor Muslims need us in these troubled times.

The morning of the decade 2020 doesn’t seem to have a promising day ahead. The Muslims, be it in China, Myanmar, Kashmir, India, or the gulf states, are not just being marginalised and penalized for being Muslims, but are brainwashed and killed too.

Coming to the country who is dear to me like my baby, it hurts me Every time when we take bad decisions, when we make mistakes that make us look like buffoons in the international community but all I can do is just stomp my feet and fume over the stupidity of the most ‘respectable’ electables.

The recent issue of the extension of the army chief has again made everything look like a joke too. The prime minister, who once was against any extension being given to the army chief, is now making extra efforts to extend his tenure. The Prime Minister should have shown some spine and should have stuck to his decade long stance against any extension being given to anyone.

Now the question will arise about the recent escalation in the middle East; the US ‘foreign Secretary ‘ called out to Pakistan’s counterpart, General Bajwa, about the situation that they have ignited in the Muslim World now. Now it’s time for the Prime Minister to show some ‘spine ‘ and not dive into the war like Mushy did when Collin Powell called on to him.

The time of war, the time of decisions and the time to show some spine has come. The world doesn’t look good whether it is the fire in Australia, or the fire in the Middle East, third day into 2020, and we are admist bloodshed, wars, and global warming.

“You Will be Able to Marry ‘white-skinned’ Kashmiri girls Now!”

We are looking towards another genocide, and this time around the victims are Muslims of Occupied Kashmir. And no one will bat an eye because it is the MUSLIMS of Kasmir, had it been another nation, the state conferring to this would have been deemed terrorist state and the western countries would have formed an alliance to bomb that state to nothing as they did with Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Western world has always been like that when it comes to genocide against Muslims, the world that looks in retrospect at the pictures of Jews being tortured and killed by Nazis and says ‘never again’, is silent on the mass killings of Kashmiris because they are Muslims. The West and the feminist movements that go wild that the women who wear burqas are opressed and should be liberated, are silent because women in question are Muslims and from Kashmir and even if they are raped, it is okay. The double standards of the West is just ‘WOW’ when it comes to Muslims and Muslim women. We didn’t see any reaction from all those feminist movements when the BJP announced that you will now be able.to marry ‘white-skinned’ women. Even the human right’s activists went silent on the ‘racial’ remarks.

The Muslim world has again shown how low they have stooped to when it comes to standing with your Muslim brothers. UAE says it is with India for the mass killings of the Kashmiris. The rest of the Muslim world has no voice whatsoever. They live in their little bubbles of happiness and wouldn’t really care about the rest of the Muslims. Muslims, living in Muslim countries are opressed, so we shouldn’t really be shocked any ways. This episode will be written down in history as a massive failure of the Muslim ummah, where they couldn’t stop a massacre, rapes of women and children and massive ethnic cleansing. The world doesn’t stand with Syrian people, doesn’t stand with Palestine, doesn’t stand with rohingya and Chinese Muslims AND THEY WILL NOT STAND WITH KASHMIRI MUSLIMS!!! BRAVO!

The most bizarre of reactions came from the leadership of Pakistan. They talk little of Kashmir. Prime Minister claimed a few weeks back that U.S. has agreed to be a third party in solving of Kashmir issue and yet this happens after a few days! The news is filled with racial slurs of party leaders against one another. OIC has not been called yet! Even the role of OIC has been compromised since they called in India as a guest in the previous session. Will OIC now intervene in this new move of the land grabbing act of India. What we see is the same old attitude of the politicians, hurling insults at one another and showing not a single speck of seriousness.

This is just heart breaking that no one really cares!

Dunya

I once heard someone I respect saying,’ If your deeds do not have any positive impact on your Hereafter, are those things worth doing?’

Today, when I use my smartphone all the time… *sigh*

I need to focus on the goal as this world is just a deception

My Hero

There was no one like Umar (radiAllahu anhu)!

The Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaehi wassallam) said, the path that Umar chooses to walk on, Satan runs away from it.

When I feel desperate, depressed and anxious, I become a very bitter person even when I don’t want to. I want that bitterness to channel into something which is positive, yet I fail at it and I indulge in YouTube and Pinterest trying to deviate myself from the ongoing events.

In the midst of all the depression and anxiety and bitterness and harshness that my heart was filled with, and life felt like not going anywhere, I prayed today after my Salah that, ‘ Please… O Supreme Being!!!fill my heart with contentment.’ And I guess.it was for very this reason the stories of reverts came up on my youtube wall and I stumbled upon the story of the second Khalifa Umar ( radiaAllahu anhu). Subhan Allah.

I have no idea how but Allah’s work is amazing when it comes to filling your heart with the love of people whom sometimes you barely know. And SubhanAllah, clearly one of the signs of Allah that he has instilled the love of those who sacrificed their everything for Allah, in our hearts even though we haven’t seen them, haven’t met them. We love them because the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaehi wasallam) loved them. We love them because they loved the Prophet the way he deserved to be loved. And we admire them for their unwavering belief, commitments. And we want to be like them knowing fully well that we can never be like them but they are our heroes and our models. SubhanAllah.

We feel down low when minute things hit us, and we fail to get out of that misery and we think life is unjust and unfair. But when we hear the story of these people, and how they lived and how much they sacrificed, we see how little we are as a person, how little we are as humans and in the pit of our hearts, how little faith we have in our Rabb.

May Allah protect us all and save our hearts from turning into stones and fill our hearts with love for those whom He love. Ameen.

Hajj 1438/2017

Prophet Ibrahim (a.s)!!!

His tests have been made into ibadahs for us! 

Hajj, Umrah, Sa’ee, Stoning of Jamarat, sacrificing animals; enacting whatever he did for the sake of Allah. May Allah accept from us as he accepted from him. Ameen

Double Standards

And the song blared on the smart phone of my husband;

‘Barda Dushman bana phirrta hai!’

And I kept thinking about the medressah kids that died in a drone attack; the kids that were burnt by white phosphorus by the Musharraf regime! My heart bleeds for the kids that died in Army Public School. I imagine myself in the shoes of those mothers and I can’t imagine the pain they must be feeling every second of everyday. But at the same time, I cannot forget the mothers of the drone victims and the fact that they go through the same thing. Does this very song make one class more equal than the other? I must say, to me, it seems so. Kids, killed in the name of zarb-e-azb or in the name of revenge, I see those, who target them, as villians, murderers and terrorists, be it those who wear uniform or those who do not.

A lot of questions have been raised with the Peshawar incident but I wont dwell on that but I think the CM of KPK, the Army Chief and DG ISI should have resigned and accepted that it was their fault that this kind of incident had happened when they were incharge. Making songs wont make it up to the flaws and loopholes in their plans, but rather makes it seem as if they are not yet serious about it all. As if this song will do justice to the dead. And by the way, on a positive note, this song will comply more to thie children of Gaza, who die everyday and are killed and targeted just because they are Arabs, Palestinians and Muslims. What happened in APS, happens everyday there, and we do not consider that a part of our world. How can we…  we cannot even give the same response to the victims of drones as to the children of APS. Thank you ISPR for creating a class divide that the kids of armed forces are more equal than those of ‘bloody civillians’.

And there is nothing wrong with the shadi affair of the Khan or is there? That is the question! Nikah in Islam is supposed to be an “announcement” and not a secret affair. Allah has made Nikah very honorable and not something to be rediculed. I just have one issue: when Khan said that he has nothing to hide then why was there a need to make it into a conspiracy?!

And the most important of it all was the way Charlie Hebdo was carried out. How can one person always keep a passport when going for something like this? 9/11 rings in my ears at this all. Anyway, to sum things up all I would like to say is that Muslims tend to be a soft target when it comes to that. It has been happening since for ever and they do it delibrately in the name of ‘freedom of expression’, knowing that it is not freedom of expression when you cannot say a word against Holocaust and say everything about Islam because jews are more equal than the rest of the world!

Why I Am Not Supporting Imran Khan

I am sure the title must have made everyone believe that I am supporting Nawaz Sharif but unfortunately to their dismay that certainly is not the case. The media and social media wars are at their best right now and the kind of language the educated class is using, makes everyone question their education. Anyway, the reasons why I am not supporting Imran Khan are;

He talks about Quran, the model of state of Madinah, Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) at the dharna and soon after you hear this blaring music and people would start dancing. It is, to me, like making fun if shariah. How can two of these things be together. Did the sahabiyat and the sahabas danced in Madina in front of their na-mehrams? Anyway, even if I oversee it, I don’t see the shariah (like in the state of Madina) being implemented in KPK where his party is ruling!

His actions seem contradictory to his words of the model of Madina and the Life of Prophet (pbuh) when the education system in KPK has removed the chapters regarding the lives of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his companions from their text books. ‘kia zamanay mein panapnay ki yehi baatein hain’

Yesterday he burnt his electricity bill in front of everyone of his grand residence at Bani Gala. This was him being a reactionary rather than being a proactive leader. Even if the power supply of his residence is cut off, no one will go through any difficulty in his family. He doesn’t have old parents, sick toddlers or kids at home that if there’s no water in the tap, the wife wont nag him. Imagine living in a small apartment with poor ventilation, with kids and old parents and no power( because you burnt your electricity bill). This is how one is distant with the ground reality that instead of actually providing with the solution, they are provided with more problems. IK, you have youth’s support why don’t you do something innovative rather than doing meaningless things.

I have been the student of media and I know that these so called free media channels are not there to provide you with reality and Truth but is there to show you tarnished events and things in order to change the way you think and to form your opinions. Like George Orwell said that these are propaganda factories where they follow those who are their investers. The air time and the time given to the programs discussing these dharnas is unlimited, one wonders what is behind all that. (Yesterday, there was a rally of JI in bahawalpur, and the media didn’t as much give it a few second’s coverage!) I guess we all know that these propaganda factories are run to change ones’ mindset!

Anyhow, how can he let the people, he bashed yesterday, to stand with him. Sheikh Rasheed has been an ally of Musharraf and Imran Khan, who is against everything Mushy gave to Pakistan, has no issue with him now. Shah Mehmood Quraishi, a gaddi nasheen, will he implement shariah law?

I am not pro-PMLN, NOR PRO-PPP, NOR PRO-MQM, and nor Pro-ANP. I want this system changed but the kind of change PTI is offerring, it’s quite tragic as well and not the kind of tabdeeli that will actually be a tabdeeli towards a better Pakistan!