In school I had the chance to learn to sketch with charcoal pencils. We did a white on black drawing, showing transparent objects placed on a big box. I didn’t do very good, but I thought of sharing my work. Here it is;
Nothing special, but better than nothing.
I know I’m not around here. I’ve been really sick and a lot is happening so it is difficult to write for me these days (months?). Anyway, there was a message I wanted to convey to everyone out there in the world, each and every man and woman. I copied it from a friend’s facebook wall. I hope you all read it. Its just a general message that Pakistani youth, of which I’m a part of, wants to get across.
Hello.
I don’t know anything about you, and you don’t know anything about me. Right now, I’m just an ordinary Pakistani citizen and for a few moments I’d like you to please forget what you’ve been listening and seeing on the news about the violent protests against the anti-Islam film and listen to what I have to say.
I am a Muslim, a Pakistani Muslim, and I denounce and distance myself from all forms of recent violence you’ve seen in the name of ‘protecting the honor of the Prophet (PBUH)’, because what these rioters are doing is anything but protecting his honor. The religion that these self-proclaimed ‘saviors of Islam’ are forcing on the world is anything but Islam. Because Islam in its purest form, and the Islam that I know and practice teaches me nothing but peace. It teaches me to remain calm in all conflicts. It teaches me to address the people of the scripture in the nicest manner. I’d like you to know that these misguided individuals don’t represent the majority of us Muslims. I’d like you to know that they’ve hijacked my religion. I want you to know that taking someone’s life, hurting them in any way or destroying public and private property is strictly forbidden in my religion. I want you to know and believe that what you’re seeing on screens is not a show of Islam.
But I’d also like you to know that our feelings have indeed been hurt by ‘Innocence of Muslims’. They have been hurt because Prophet Muhammad means the same to us as Jesus and Mary mean to you. We hold him in the same level of high regard as you hold them. We’re hurt because what he preached is nothing like what that creation of an ignorant mind portrays. My Prophet preached peace and mercy. Muhammad (PBUH) preached forgiveness and patience. He taught me to act sensibly in all situations, which is why I’m writing to you this very moment. I’ll understand if you’re having a hard time believing what I’m saying, so here’s something that might manage to convince you. “And the people of the Rehman (Allah) are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they respond ‘peace!’” (Quran, 25/63), “Repel evil with good, and he who is your enemy will become your dearest friend” (Quran, 41/34), and “And do not argue with the people of scripture except in the nicest manner” (Quran, 29/46), are all verses from our holy book, Quran. I know you might not have the resources to check these in the book for yourself, but you can always search them on the web and I guarantee you’ll find plenty of links confirming that these phrases are indeed what Islam is all about: peace, mercy, love, patience.
I want you to know that I completely reject the concept of blaming all of America for the work of one evil mind. I want you to know that my religion is much, much bigger than what certain images of violence lead you to believe. Not as a Muslim, but as a human being I request you to please condemn the film in whatever means you can, because it isn’t freedom of expression, it’s downright hate speech. I want you to help me protect the name and teachings of a person who preached nothing but love. I want you to not let it define my religion for you.
If none of the above convinced you, I hope the fact that I approached a citizen of America, a common man, to get my point across instead of going out in the streets and burning your flag, will.
Best Regards,
An ordinary Muslim.
Thank you for reading. I just want you guys to know that my country and its people are going through a tough time. Almost all great nations once went through something in history. And ours is happening right now in present. I hope you all will at least try to understand. Thank you, again.
Hello everyone!
I’ve been sick for a looooong time. Longer than that I guess. I’ve been immesely sick for all this time, still am. But I didn’t want to ignore this blog anymore. I guess I was more sick since I’d stopped writing. Anyway, as I laid in my bed for all those sick days, I thought of making a bucket list. As life is short, and even then there is no guarantee that it will be okay.. *cough cough*
I, like everyone else, want to do a lot with this gift of life. I have so many dreams, wishes and hopes. But one thing that I’ve learned on the sick bed is that little things are more satisfactory than the big ones, because baby steps are what actually lead one to his/her destination. I want to drive away my fears and learn a lot of new things, visit some places and own something big and dreamy.
Here is the list of what I want to do the most:
Though there is never enough in life, still I’ve kept this list very short. I’ve already started learning to paint btw, and I do hope to update this post soon.
Also, pray for my health people and let me know what you think of when you fall sick. (:
Since everyone's coming up with their own manifesto for whatever reason they believe in, I've decided to put forth my own because I am, much to my disappointment and irritation, surrounded by rishta zombies. Now let's clear one thing before I even start: It's not just the aunties. I see tweets on Twitter and status updates on Facebook bashing elderly ladies and claiming that they're the sole reason why our society is obsessed with marriage and other gimmicks but guess what?
I used to sketch some time back.. in the days when life was really easy. I gave it up when more important things came around and took my time. However, I never painted, except the one and only time when I painted my bag. Anyway, as starters, the teacher told us to make the Colour Wheel using poster colours. Here is the picture of what I came up with. Not good, but not bad either, considering it is my first work with paints (on paper) ever!
Ready to be kicked!
My parents gave me alot and I know I can never thank them enough or pay them back for it. Yesterday, on my birthday, I didn’t ask my father for anything because I realized that he has already given me the best thing in the entire universe; the understanding of religion.
I grew up listening to him saying, ‘Do not believe (in the matters of religion) what one says until you research for it.’ He told me to discover what religion is, all by my own. I was free to read about any religion and free to listen to any scholar. What I learned all along was the fact that this World hardly has any so-called-scholar who knows what he is talking about. I don’t talk about religion usually, as it is a really sensitive issue for everyone. But after yesterday, I couldn’t stop myself.
Note: This post is not directed towards any religion, it is directed towards the so-called-Muslim sects.
Yesterday was February 5th, 2012 of Solar Calender making it 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal of Lunar Calender.
Popularly, Muslims believe that 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal was the day the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) was born, which isn’t actually proven and none of the recognised Islamic scholar believes it nor any Muslim who actually studies Islam. However, as Muslims are divided among many sects, the main two being Shia and Sunni, a further division of Sunnis believe that 12th of Rabiul-Awwal is the confirmed date of Prophet’s birthday.
So things really don’t seem bad till now, but somehow, this same class of Sunnis is very much against Shias, which again doesn’t really sound bad as every sunni, even if he/she doesn’t show it, doesn’t count Shias as Muslims. The reason is the fact that Shias openly claim that Muhammad (p.b.u.h) was chosen a Prophet ‘mistakenly’ (indirectly saying God made a mistake, right?) and that the Khulfa-e-Rashideen did not deserve the status they were granted and.. I can write more than 50 pages of how different their beliefs are and the fact that they never talk about it with Sunnis as the Holy Book Qur’an does not say a single word in accordance with what their Imams say.
To be honest, I don’t even care about what Shias say, believe or do. To me, what matters is what Sunnis are doing as it affects and irritates me. Now I don’t know where he heard/read it but my brother said:
‘Kisi se itni nafrat mat karo kay wo nafrat tumhe bhi usi jesa bana de.’
‘Do not hate someone so much that the hatred could make you do the same thing you hate them for.’
The above saying goes perfectly with what that particular class of Sunnis, Barailvis, are doing in their hatred towards Shias. From Musical naats to the free lemon juice/kashmiri tea to the lightening and flags. The only difference is that of the colour. Shias wear and make everything in Black and Barailvis use the colour Green for doing the same things. Sunnis are fine with whatever anyone believes in as long as they don’t do BS (sorry, didn’t have any other word) in the name of Islam. Sadly, this is exactly what Barailvis are doing. They are competing with Shias in the Shia-way. They have turned it into a war. The Shia-Sunni war. The Blacks versus the Greens, while they are all the same: biddati (inventors of new things in religion which are not part of it).
It saddens me. Islam is not about lightening/darkening your streets or singing for God. Its about living life in the limits He had decided for the mankind. Its about praying to Him silently and not brag about it. Its about giving to others in such a way that if you’re giving something with your right hand, then your left hand shouldn’t know. Its about being good to your ownself and others. As for the celebration on 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal, it makes me sick. A bidatti is a bidatti. It doesn’t make a difference if he wears a black turban or a green one.
The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said:
“Allah kisi Biddati ka Roza, Namaz, Sadqa, Hajj, Umrah, Jihaad, Farz, Nafil (Gharz koi bhi Naik Amaal) qabool nahi farmata, Woh (Biddati Shakhs) Islam se is tarah Nikal jata hai jis tarah baal aatay se nikaal diya jata hai.”
“Allah does not accept the fasting, praying, charity, Hajj, Umrah, Jihaad, Farz, Nafil (or any virtue) of a bidatti. He (bidatti) is expelled from Islam just as a hair is excluded from flour (grains).”
(Ref: Ibn-e-Maaja, Hadees #49, Kitaab-us-Sunnat, Riwayat: Hazrat Huzaifa RaziAllah Tallah Anho)
