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Insights

Thoughtful Insights about life in general.

Beyond Politics: The Real Right to Rule

| A Better Muslim, Faith & Life, Insights, Politics, The Pakistan Dreamby

Political debates are pretty common in our country. Usually, they’re about “who is better for Pakistan.” Rarely do they focus on “what is better for Pakistan.” If we look at the manifestos of all political parties, military rulers, and even caretakers, we’ll find a few common themes: education, poverty alleviation, increasing exports, stronger defense, more jobs, and fighting corruption. But if we dig deeper into their hidden agendas, it all comes down to one question: “How do I come into power and how do I stay in power forever?”

My point is that none of these published or unpublished manifestos, really serve Pakistan because they fail to answer one crucial question: “Who has given us the right to rule?” This question matters because we are accountable to whoever gave us that right.

In the Quran, Allah says:
…Allah gives His kingship to whom He wills. (2:247)

This means that Allah gives us the right to rule, making the rulers accountable to Allah and Allah alone. Not to the establishment or judiciary. Not to the various mafias in real estate, agriculture, retail, or sugar. Not to the various superpowers or ‘brotherly’ Arab countries. Not even to the people of Pakistan. The rulers are accountable to Allah and Allah alone. And the reason that the right to rule is given by Allah, is to implement the laws that He has mentioned in the the Quran and Sunnah.

This important factor is not just ignored by our ruling elite but also by us. We too have been given a right to rule—a right to rule over our families, homes, and employees. And most importantly, a right to rule our own lives. We too are required to implement the laws of Allah in the domains that are given under our control.

The real change will come in our lives and our country when we accept this one important fact: Our lives, our children, our money, our fame, our rules, are all given by Allah and Allah alone. And they have been given to us for a reason, which is to implement the dos and don’ts as specified by Allah in the domains that we rule over. Have we done so? And if not, what right do we have to criticize someone who has not implemented them? What right do we have to criticize the rulers of our country? In Pakistan, implementing the laws of Islam is not difficult. In fact, they are quite easy and facilitative. If we still have not implemented these laws or agreed to implement them, then as far as I am concerned, we have no right to criticize anyone else, be it our neighbors, friends, or even our political elite. Everyone is busy disobeying Allah, and we are Everyone.

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Asking Questions

| Insightsby
Asking Questions

Lessons from Talks of Maulana Ashraf Ali Thavni

When a question is asked, the sincerity of the seeker should be judged. If the seeker has a genuine intention of following, then he can be answered. Otherwise, we can respond with “I don’t know” or “Ask this question later” etc

Similarly, when we are asking questions, we should evaluate our sincerity and intention as well. And only ask questions with the sincere intention of following. Otherwise, we would have wasted our time and the time of our Shaykh.

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The Long Road Ahead

| Be Productive, Insights, The Pakistan Dreamby

The long road ahead is not covered by hard work or perseverance, but by breaking it down into smaller, manageable chunks. Make the chunks so small that moving from one to another will seem effortless. Putting effort into something requires too much effort (duh), so why put so much strain on your body and mind? Just be consistent and keep making smaller strides toward your destination. Once you reach the destination, people will admire your stamina, perseverance, and hard work, while you will be looking for the next long road…

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Lessons on greed from Abha

| A Better Muslim, Insights, Saudia Arab, Travelby
View from Dahab Walkway Abha

Whenever you embark on a journey, the unfamiliar surroundings and challenges can serve as profound teachers. The lessons learned in such moments are often etched into your memory, as they come amidst the backdrop of perseverance and a tested spirit. In a foreign land where roads and pathways are unfamiliar, and your mind and body may feel defeated, it is your soul that propels you forward. Nature, in these moments, imparts lessons that penetrate not just your body and mind but directly enter into your soul, leaving lasting imprints.

During my trip to Abha last year, I encountered a valuable lesson that shed light on a hadith I had heard many times before but now understood on a deeper level.

On a crisp morning, my wife and I ventured onto the Al Dahab walkway. The view was stunning. The mountains that surrounded us were a spectacle, with layers resembling the folds of a fully opened curtain, gracefully curved. Stretching as far as the eye could see, these majestic mountains framed the landscape. Between them, roads snaked through the terrain, accentuating the awe-inspiring beauty of the scene. However, what truly captivated me was the deep valleys nestled between the mountains. These valleys were so profound that the cars traversing the roads below appeared minuscule, resembling tiny mice scurrying through the vastness.

It was at that time that the hadith on greed raced into my mind.

“If the children of Adam possess a valley of gold, (still), he would wish that he has two valleys. And his mouth would never be filled except with sand. And whosoever makes Taubah to Allah azza wa jall, his Taubah would be accepted.”

(Bukhari; Muslim Shareef)

Standing on the sidelines, I imagined the valley in front of me, filled with gold, but not being enough. I thought about my yearning for just a ‘little’ bit more so that I may fulfill some more of my desires. I thought about millionaires aspiring to be billionaires and billionaires wanting more. Nothing, it seems, is ever enough for us. This thought made me realize that this perpetual desire for accumulation could be a profound spiritual ailment. At that moment, I made a heartfelt dua to Allah, pleading,

‘Ya Allah, protect me from such an illness, for I do not know how to protect myself’.

Standing there I started counting what I had and thanking Allah for each blessing. I started comparing my luxurious life with people with far less and still being happy and thankful for what they had. I started to think about how all of these blessings are not because of my effort but only because of the profound blessings of Allah.

Lessons from nature have a unique way of penetrating the soul, leaving us with insights that linger long after the journey has ended. This encounter, at least for me, served as a reminder to appreciate the blessings we have and to guard against the insatiable desire for more.

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What is the Purpose of Life?

| A Better Muslim, Be Productive, Insights, Personal Growth, The Pakistan Dreamby

Why we need to know the answer

Imagine you are on a train, but you don’t know where it’s going. You don’t know why you are on it, or what you’re supposed to do when the train stops. You are sitting there, watching the scenery pass by, wondering what’s next. That’s what it feels like to live a life without purpose.

You might be traveling on a luxury train and have pleasant company and great food. Even the scenes might be breathtaking. But every few minutes you would be reminded of the fact that you don’t know why you are on the train. Who put you on it, where are you headed, and what you are going to do when the train stops? These questions would constantly bother you and beg you to answer them, no matter how luxurious your ride is.

Now imagine, you have the answer to all these questions, but the train ride is not very comfortable. The AC is not working, the food is not good, and unpleasant people surround you. But deep inside you would have peace because you know that the train would eventually stop bringing you to a destination of your choosing.

In the first instance, even with all the comforts you would feel uneasy, while in the second case with all the hardships you will have warmth and comfort in your heart, and you would be at peace. That is why it is so important to find the answer to the question of the purpose of our life; why we are alive?

Man’s Pursuit for Answers 

This is the reason why man has always tried to answer the question; who gave us life and why? In their pursuit, different men took different paths. Some tried to create the answers and ended up creating man-made religions and philosophies that had varying degrees of popularity and acceptance. But such philosophies, religions, or ways of life, had a severe disadvantage. They were restricted by the capacity of the human mind and intellect. As a result, they were easily challenged, modified, or rejected by humans with a higher intellect or information.  

The other path was to find rather than create the answers. This path started with the understanding that ‘someone’ put us on this earth and gave us life for a purpose. That the thing we call ‘nature’ is also a creation just like us. Created to ensure life. These people found answers to their questions in ‘Abrahamic Religions’ like Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. All of these religions provide not abstract but concrete answers to these questions i.e. ‘Life has been given by God’ for ‘Gaining HIS proximity and acceptance’. Humans do not create these answers but rather are told by God HIMSELF through HIS Prophets (messengers) and Holy Books.

How Islam Defines the Purpose of Life 

Islam has not only given these answers in the Quran and Sunnah but has also taken many steps further. It has told us who God is and what are HIS traits. It has told us that the purpose of our creation is to ‘gain HIS proximity by worshipping HIM’. And the reason that HE created ‘life and death’ was to judge who performs the most noble deeds. Islam has also listed the acts of Worship and clearly defined how they are to be performed. It also classifies deeds into Good and Bad.

We are not left at the mercy of ‘Abstractions’ and ‘Interpretations’. What has been defined is to be followed. What has not been defined has been deemed not important to the ultimate purpose of life. So it can be interpreted in whatever way we see fit and fruitful.

Impact on my life

For me, knowing the answer to the question of the Purpose of Life through Islam is not only comforting but also keeps me focused. I understand why I worship Allah and recite the Quran. Why I got married and have children, why do I need to work and earn for my family, and also focus on the upbringing of my children? Why I need to be as productive as I can be and why I need to focus on my health and fitness. Why do I also need to go out and enjoy the various experiences that this world has to offer with my family and friends? The answer to all these questions is that Islam has categorized them as acts of ‘Worship’. And I need to perform them to gain proximity to Allah my creator.

Knowing these answers also insulates me from hardships and suffering. Islam tells me that hardships and suffering are also created to gain proximity to Allah. This journey of life on earth has to end one day. So it does not matter how luxurious or not the journey is. Eventually, when my life ends, based on how successful I have been in fulfilling the ultimate purpose, I shall enter a life full of luxuries that will never end. That life, the destination, is much more important.

Conclusion

The biggest question about life can be answered in a single sentence:

‘We are created by Allah, for HIS worship, so that our deeds become noble and worthy of acceptance by HIM, earning us HIS proximity and acceptance’.

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What Time Is

| Be Productive, Insightsby

You can tell people what is the time, but it is very difficult to tell them what time is!

Recently, I was teaching my kids what time is. And I was at a loss for words. How do you explain what time is? You can teach people how to tell time. You can tell them how to manage time. But how do you define time?

So I did some research to understand what time is, only to find out that time is the scariest thing in this world.

Dictionaries define time as

Time is the continued sequence of events that occurs in an irreversible succession from the past through the present and into the future.

I read it several times to understand and then several times more just to figure out how to explain what time actually is. I ended up breaking the definition of time into smaller parts and that is when things turned scary.

  1. Time is the continued sequence of events, which means that time is continuous and that it never stops. It keeps moving.
  2. Time is a sequence of events, which means ‘something is always happening’ and they are happening in a ‘sequence’ i.e. one after the other. At any point of time an event is thrown at us and we are expected to respond to it.
  3. The events occur in an irreversible succession. You cannot go back in time. So time does not give you the chance to go back and fix your mistakes.
  4. And the final part is, since time never stops and it never moves backward, then it means that time always move forward bringing us from the past, through the present and taking us into the future.

At the end of my explanation, my kids were yawning but my eyes were fully lit up! I guess I never put a lot of time into understanding what time actually is. And now that I had studied it carefully I realized that time is the scariest thing in this world. Why? Because time is going to continuously move forward and throw an event at you asking for a response from your side. And if you are not prepared for it, you lose and time wins. Whatever the result of your previous battle you can’t stop to celebrate or sulk, as time never stops, it just moves forward and throws another event at you. You don’t get time to recover, you don’t get time to celebrate. Whether you want it or not time will move forward. Whether you like it or not, it will throw an event at you. And you have to respond. You can’t quit, you can’t hide because in essence time is always with you.

But all is not gloom and doom. One common thing that you would find in successful people from any walk of life, is that they have embedded this definition of time deep within themselves. At any point of time, they seem to be ready to respond to the event thrown at them. And when they fail, like all humans do, they just get up and get ready for the next event. They keep riding the wave of time as an expert swimmer would. Not stopping, not resting, not sulking about this wave or that. They know, like the swimmer knows, that if they stop they will drown or might never reach the shore. They have to, and they do, keep moving forward. They are prepared for all possible outcomes. They know that their responding action will dictate the next event that time throws at them. So they design their responses accordingly. e.g. They know that they might fall sick, so they adopt healthy habits, they know that one day they would retire, so they save and invest, they know that one day they would die, so they prepare for the hereafter.

And the final scary part. Time is continuous and all continuous things will eventually stop. Time too, at one point, will stop…

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The Spider’s Web

| Insightsby

Have you ever seen a rat wheel? It is a small wheel in a small cage. The tiny rat, climbs into the rat wheel, you want to see him play. So you hang a cheese in front of the wheel. The rat swings his legs with massive speed. With each gallop, he feels that he is closer to the cheese, but the more he runs, the more he stays in the same place.

Today’s world is abundant with answers but barren in questions. So let me ask you a few questions, you might have or should have asked, as you moved through life. Right questions sets you in the right path, isn’t it?.

Remember, the best friends you used to have in school. You were in-separable. Life without them; unimaginable. However time moved on. You got separated and grew up. Now you don’t even know where they are. Were they able to achieve their dreams? Were you? Even if you meet them now, so much would have changed, that the chances of you becoming best friends again, are rare. Have you ever wondered; what happened?

Then there was your first love. You were sure. They were the key to your happiness. Life without them; unthinkable. However you grew out of your love. You might have even forgotten their names or how they looked like. It was so long ago. And even if you are to meet them now, the chances of your heart missing a beat, are none. Have you ever wondered; what happened? How can it be? Why things change?

Now you move ahead in life. College, university and job. All of it happens in a flash. And then marriage. And then you start to see yourself in your kids. Everything should be settled by now. But now you have some more questions.

Streets are full of talented people and palaces are full of morons. Have you ever wondered?

Money; you are sure. You just need a little bit more to have a happy life. But as you jump from one desire to another, you wonder; when would it be enough?

This world is like a spider’s web. The more we try to get out of the meaningless and the mundane, the more we get buried in it. But then you move ahead in life, and now your eyes start seeing less, and you start having some more questions…

Is this world a transient station or a destination? If it is a station, where are you headed to? If it is a destination, why you need to leave?

Strange is the world, isn’t it? Especially if you don’t get the answer to all your questions, and stranger are its ways…

The rat, wakes up. He sips some water and eats. And then looks at that extra bit of cheese, hanging from the roof of his home. He climbs the wheel. And starts to swing his legs. He needs to have that cheese. It seems to be coming closer to him. It starts to swing towards him. He is almost there. He is able to take a small bite before it swings away. He loved the taste. He feels that he has accomplished something. He needs to go at it again. He starts swinging his legs faster. He is about to reach it again. His body is aching. But he is very close. He is about to get that extra bit of cheese. He never needed it in the first place. But now he wants it. He comes very close. It is so near…

…but suddenly. He trips. He falls down. His heart is beating very fast. Too fast. His eyes are still fixed on the swinging cheese. He tries to get up. He was very close. He needs to try again. But he cannot feel his legs anymore. Life, is slowly leaving him. His heart is now stopping. He was very close. He sees the cheese one last time as he closes his teary eyes. He knows that the end has come.

Not a second more.
Not a second less.

Now the cheese is not for him. Someone else will replace him. Someone else will repeat the same cycle, with the same vigor; and sadly with the same fate. The next rat in the wheel will not learn from his predecessor. Have you ever wondered; why…
… or will you ever wonder, that the next rat in the cage

Is Actually You!?

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The New Normal

| Insights, Politicsby

The sound of Azaan (the call for prayers) enters my room along with a cool breeze through an open window. Under normal circumstances, I would get up, perform Wuzu (ablution), call on my kids, Noor and Saif, and together we would head towards the Masjid. This was our routine, this was normal.

But times are not normal anymore. In Kuwait, like in many other parts of the world, to prevent the spread of corona virus Masjids are closed and Azaans are accompanied by two additional lines.

As salatu khairum min buyutuk
(Praying at home is better)

Just like me, lives of millions around the world are defined by similar routines. Be it early morning walks, after office gym, weekend movies, or family picnics. Just like mine, all these routines, today stand disrupted, causing agony and confusion. Every where that I look, people are trying to deal with this new reality; some with denial and the others with moderate to extreme precaution.

I must admit that initially it was all very novel. The buzz words ‘Work from home’, ‘More time to learn a new language or skill’, ‘Sleeping without alarms’, ‘Spending more time with children and famliy’, were fascinating to say the least. But then the novelty started to wear out. The numbers of infections started to increase, economic realities started to hit us. ‘What If’ started to capture our minds. Despair, confusion and fear started to creep in. Smokers who had quit; started to smoke again. ‘there is nothing else to do!’, they would say. We the humans, who were control freaks by nature, suddenly started to lose control. Nothing remained in our hands anymore. Everyone glued themselves to a screen, telling them the latest numbers. The new normal  as it was being called, started to wear off. No positive stories were coming through and the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, was no where to be seen.

Meanwhile the buzz words changed to ‘The situation is expected to stay as is for a couple of years’, ‘Herd immunity might not work’. ‘Economic hardships would last even longer’. There is gloom every where and an expected doom, most likely just around the corner. No one can say what is going to happen, how we are going to get out of it. Are there other viruses waiting to hatch? Can something bigger hit us?

Although most of the despair is justified to an extent, but the reality is a bit different. While we cannot be sure about what is going to happen, but we can be sure about one thing.

Human beings are survivors.

As human beings, we have outlived more powerful species. We have outlived genocides, ethnic cleansing and racial discrimination. We have come out of wars, famine, floods and earthquakes. Hiroshima and Nagasaki came out of the worst possible calamity that anyone can ever imagine. We came out, although with scars, but we came out. That is how we are designed by our Creator. One way or the other we always find a way and continue to live on. Till the time, the Creator of this world decides to wrap up, things will continue to move forward. We will become better, smarter, learn from our mistakes and ensure that we leave a better world for our coming generations. As long as equality, justice and tolerance is embedded in our actions, like it is in our vast majority, we will continue to not only survive but progress.

It doesn’t matter how many routines are disrupted world-wide; it only matters how many new ones are created.

The sound of another Azaan enters my room. But this time from the slightly open door of my room. It is my son, the designated Muazzin (person who gives Azaan) of our home, who is calling us to prayer. I get up from my chair to perform Wuzu and perform Salah with my entire family. Masjids outside might be closed but we, like many others, have converted our home into a Masjid. I move to enter into a new masjid. I move to enter into a new normal. 

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Along came a Virus!

| Insights, Politicsby

The talk was about Artificial Intelligence. The talk was about Smart Cities. The talk was about terrorism and wars, about naked genocide wiping out cities and populations.

Along came a virus and became the thing to talk about.

Every super-power was working to increase it’s influence and outsmart their peers. Power and influence drove them. Humanity and compassion went out of the room. It didn’t matter if their true faces were exposed. They were the super powers, they had spoken, everyone else had to comply. 

And then, came a virus! And showed everyone their worth.

We, too, jumped into the rat race and set our sights on making more money. From 4 to 5, from 5 to 6 and beyond, we wanted to add more digits to our paycheck. Everything sells, and we were ready to sell our body, mind, religion, family, country or culture, just to satisfy our greed and make more of what we already had too much of.

Then, came a virus! And taught us, how little we actually needed.

This virus is a tiny particle of protein. In weight, mass, appearance, it can be termed as ordinary. But it is anything but ordinary. It has brought super powers to their knees. It has turned smart cities into ghost towns. It has made powerful people, with stock piles of advance weapons and machinery, beg for masks and medicine.

There is No President on press spitting venom. There is No Idol on Television, No Diva on Screens, No Super heroes. No one is claiming to be larger than life. No one is showing off their wealth, muscles, influence or intelligence. Everyone has been humbled. This particle, tinier than the tiniest particle of sand, has stopped wars, terrorism, be-headings, blasts and carpet bombings. All of a sudden it has wiped out inhumanity.

Behold the virus that made us all humans!

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