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Monday, March 30, 2009

I cried for my Mom

I really did cry like a baby.
Muslims are all well aware of the rituals of Hajj and Umrah.
One of the rituals is
"Saée" (Brisk walk or run between Safa and Marwah the two small hills in the Haram in Makkah Mukarrama)
God liked it so much that He made it a ritual for all times to be followed by Muslims who go for Hajj or Umra.
Have been there many times and did it regularly during my Hajj and during my previous Umrahs. This had not occured to me before.
Last Umrah was last week and while busy performing, my thoughts went to Bibi Hajira who was overtaken by the worry of her baby (Ismaeel AS), lying in the desert "unprotected" except with prayers of the Father and of his mother who also had to search for water as he was thirsty.
Mothers know it well. Fathers probably not so well. The real pain in the heart for the baby. Allah ko maan kay dil ki yeh taRap aisee bha gaiyee keh Uss nay yaad rakhnay kay liyay yeh rasam banadee.
God so liked that feeling of the motherhood that He made it a "celebration". How much worry and pain she (Bibi Hajira) must have gone through while going on the hill to look for water for her thirsty baby and then keeping an eye so no wild animal attacks him. Then there was a low-lying part of the distance between the two hills where she could not see the baby so she would run, hustle or rush to get back higher so she would not lose sight of her baby. Praying all the while to the Almighty to solve the problem of her thirsty baby. No mention there of her own thirst and physical distress all alone with that baby, not thinking of her own problems that her Husband had left her there with the baby all under the "orders of God Almighty".
And suddenly I was thinking how my own mother must have brought me up worrying and being concerned about my well being etc. Of course she has been dead over 45 years now but my heart started crying and I was suddenly shaken, I found my throat choked and my eyes filled with tears and I found myself crying loud
"Ya Allah meri Ammanji ki Qabar kushadah ker day Ya Allah mei Ammanji ki Qabar main noor bher day, Ay meray Allah meri Ammanji ko bakhsh day aur unkay Jannat kay darjay mazeed buland ker day, Ya Allah, Ya perwardigar....."
I was running between the two marks (where, Bibi Hajira had to run), these marks are preserved as "Malain akhderain" (in Arabic). I prayed for this mother and child.
It is the essence of motherhood that we commemorate. O Allah we thank you for guiding us thus and making us among the Rashideen.
I saw many people running or trying to sort of thoughtlessly though they were doing the same thing,
"Commemorating the essence of motherhood".

Friday, March 13, 2009

Jumáh Journal--Silent Conversation

You are all familiar with ominous connotations erroneously (or from political backings) associated with the Fridays that happen to be on 13th of a month.
Not for Muslims. On the contrary, It may be a good day for us.
Actually it is the best day of the week for us Muslims 13 or not 13. The numbers do not carry omens for us. It is actually prohibited for Muslims to believe in such things.

Here are the details for Friday, 13 being good.
Last night I was shopping and somewhere on the Mall, I lost my wallet which I discovered when I got home. Well, you can imagine the extreme anxiety it caused. I was very disturbed. Looked and looked several times at all places which I could put it and forget in our house and turned up with nothing. Went to the Mall and established contact with "Lost and found" and security persons and revisited the stores I had visited with nothing found. Came back and started praying with , Ayat-el-Kursey and
Inna Lillahi wa Inna ilaihi Rajeoon. Prayed after Fajr salat and Dua-e-Hajat and a special dua
from the book "Hissn Hassin" (Inaccessible fortress) -- 6-30 AM
"O Allah, the bringer back of the lost things and shower of the right way for the lost one, you are the only one to guide the one who is lost, from your own power bring my lost wallet back to me for that was given to me by you and it is from your Grace and award that I got it" (my own way of rendering it in English from the Arabic and Urdu)
I made a sadaqa intention etc. and felt somebody may find it and turn it in. I did not worry about the cash, it is the cards etc. which are anxiety producing and we called the Mastercard informing them about the lost wallet about which they advised us etc.
9 AM--Believe it or not we got a call from our insurance people that my wallet had been found.
We called and were told everything is under lock and key and will open at 12 noon
When I went to the store at the appropriate time (where it was located) I walked in and asked a man there to find where the security is.
As we walked together in the corridor he pointed right in front of me there she is she is the security--- a girl without security uniform stood there, so I go and say "Hello security".
She very serious and calm asks me
"How can I help you?"
" I was here last night shopping and I lost my wallet.
"Suddenly A BIG SMILE, "I thought I knew your face, I've got your wallet, sir"
She had seen my photo-ID of Dr. Licence and recognised.
A BIGGER SMILE on MY face now as she handed it over to me.
All the cards were there, the only missing thing was cash (Dont ask me how much).
NO problem Mr. Finder, you deserve it. Keep the change, let it be your fees
and thanks a million.

Sunday, March 08, 2009

Sunday Surkhi-- Transport poetry

I am sure you have seen all kinds of things (including mostly poetry) written on trucks buses or anything running as transport in Pakistan (or India).
"Pappoo yar tang na ker" is one of the most popular non-poetic writing (in Lahore-Pindi area).
Painting and writing such things are a variety of our culture that people in the West are missing--bicharay
Many verses are poorly written out of wazan etc. but the contents are usually very enlightening and entertaining to say the least. Some are good verses of known poets. I remember a good one from one Lahore Bus I saw a long time ago which I would share:
Shouq-e-gul-bosi main mainay rakh diyay kaNtoN peh lab
Kis qader dhoka diya rangeeN gulistaN nay mujhay
But usually these verses are more eye-catching.
Some Zinda dil has done a remarkable job for his life-time and collected a large number of such "poetry Gems" from across Pakistani vehicles and has called it
"Deevan-e-transport"
I came across this info today. Here are a few for your tabassum:
Meray mehboob ka andaz jahan main sub say nirala hay
adaaiN haiN buhut shokh magar rang zara kala hay

Aadmi aadmi ko dus raha hay
SaNp samnay baitha huNs raha hay (That may be funny but can be very deep in meaning too)

Ya ilahi kiya ghazab hay khat ka ana band hay
Ya muhabbat kam huee ya dak khana band hay (very Pakistani indeed)

Kone kihta hat mulaqat nahiN hota
Mulaqat to hota hay baat nahiN hota (This must have been painted and written in Peshawar)

I must find this book.

Friday, March 06, 2009

Jumáh Journal--Life without religion

Atheism and a-religiousness may not necessarily be synonymous but they are close.
Suppose you have no religion and say your brother requires a kidney for survival. Would you donate your kidney? and if you do why? and if you dont , why not?
Well if you donate, you are sacrificing your own kidney and undergoing a hazardous procedure leaving you with only one kidney which may be OK for you but would leave you rather vulnerable as compared to your present position of health. Its yours why would you part with it?
Because it is a good deed. Aha! What is good and how do you reach that conclusion?
How do you define what "good" is?
If you do not sacrifice your kidney that is good for you because you will remain healthier.
How does that "good" differs from other above stated good?
What principals determine that "goodness"?
These are some of the Philosophical questions, that may require the assistance of
Humanitarianism (what is humanitarianism?)
Relativism

and God knows how many other "isms" in order to make some sense out of the answer.
To stay out of "religion" is more confusing and less clearcut. The norms given with their relative importance and where which of the norms will be preferred etc. are all in the teachings to guide the human beings.
So far , so good. But if the teachings become dogmatic and forceful and out of context and irrelevant with preferences becoming personal rather than those belonging to teachings, the religion becomes "trouble" by itself. If you give a sword in the hands of a novice or a child you are going to see bad results, it must be given in proper hands for it to be successfully and properly used.
I have only taken one example above to make a certain point.
Then for the atheist comes the question
Why believe in God? and you get into another set of questions and philosophy. May be I am not the philosophical type. Have a nice day.

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Cricket and Lahore

Ever since Pakistan started playing this British game Lahore has had a definite input in its popularization.
The recent horrible attack on the visiting team who are so friendly with us, has caused a huge damage to this popularity and may be even fatal.
8 persons lost their lives. That is unforgivable.
Like all these scheduled attacks the attackers were bold and it appears they were guaranteed success and safety, so they vanished unhurriedly and police was watching like other spectators.
It has made me very sad.
Very very sad indeed.
I dont think anybody in Lahore will be seeing much Cricket any more except perhaps on TV

Sunday, March 01, 2009

Sunday Surkhi-Pressuring Obama

The President is under pressure and low grade fire about his budget and financial rescue program, which was expected.
Since Israeli elections are over and new leaders are in power they started the game of testing as well as pressuring the new president of USA:
New threat of punishing Gaza again
Iran 's nuclear threat

There is no doubt Obama is sending the messages to Israel for full support as usual (no change in policy here) yet the insistence of the leaders on "testing" our guts while we are engaged fully in uplifting the recession faced by us is pure selfishness and utter disregard of our economy.
Iran, even if given the way to weaponization of Nuclear power, is still many years away while Israel that feels the threat is already more than fully eqipped nuclear-wise
Leaving Nuclear arms aside, Israel is a powerful army more than fully eqipped by us anyway, amply demonstrated by the use of all that stuff in recent uneqipped Gazza, why the paranoia?
This is not being friendly nor the behavior expected from an ally of US.
Pressuring Obama seems at this time to be unfriendly gesture.