Asad Shaikh – My Bit for Change

‘What a dhamaka khaiz offer yaar!’ I heard a teenager speaking to his friend with bright eyes and excited tone, over the new offer by a leading multinational food chain in the city. He added “I am sure they won’t compromise on quality as they are up to international standards and it is world renowned global chain”.

This was the day when a multinational food chain started its business in Pakistan and offered one for one (Buy one, get one free) pizzas. Regardless of the quality they served, there streets were jam-packed with cars and people outside all of its outlets. People waited for hours to get that one free pizza. Most of them came out with some complaints that they were not served properly, the quality was not up to the mark etc. but at least they were happy and content that they got two pizzas and paid for one.

I recall an offer, I read a few days back, guaranteeing 700% returns on investment with no hidden marketing gimmicks, from someone extremely credible. It also talks about guaranteed spacious accommodation at the most peaceful and picturesque place ever existed, with all the incentives one could dream of. You just need to find the right person, give him your investment money and you have a pre-confirmed pact that your account has been upgraded with 700times (or more) the profit.

What a lucrative offer it is by none other than our Creator, Allah (Subhanahu Wata’aala). He guarantees:

The charity of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah (charity) may be likened to a grain of corn, which produces 7 ears and each ear yields a 100 grains. Likewise, Allah develops manifold the charity of anyone He pleases, for He is All-Embracing, All-Wise. (Surah Al-Baqarah 261)

To add to this, Allah has offered some amazing incentives in the form of virtues of Ramadhan. It’s a month when rewards are multiplied 70 times for every obligatory act of worship (Farz), while each offered nafil (voluntary act) is rewarded as farz. In this very month, Allah has promised to forgive all sins provided a person fasts and spends sincerely, seeking rewards from Allah alone. This is the very month where prayer of one night is rewarded as if one has prayed for 84 years (1000months). Allah says that every deed will receive 10 to 700 times reward, except Siyam (fasting) as it is for Him and He will reward it as he likes. Wow, now this is surely a called a “Dhamaka-khaiz offer”.

Ramadhan provides excellent opportunity for us to purify ourselves and make habit of abiding by the commands of Allah and his Prophet (S.A.W). It is the month of blessings when Quran was revealed, It is the month of Allah’s extreme mercy, forgiveness and emancipation from the Hellfire; a month when it is made easy for us to practice good deeds and the doors to Heaven are let open while devils are held captive.

In short, it’s a month of countless blessings from Allah like a rainfall but its effects are not the same everywhere and on everyone. For instance, when it rains, a piece of land absorbs and benefits according to its receptive quality. At one place the Earth turns into a lush green field and on the other, it only collects for a while and either drains or evaporates. So it is up to us how we spend Ramadhan and either avail it and prosper, or waste it and destine ourselves to complete destruction (according to a Hadith of the Prophet SAW).

Are we looting this sale, competing each other, as we queue up to get a free Mobile SIM, a half price worldly deal or as we put ourselves in pain by not going to bed only to avail a mere midnight food offer. Book your commitment order now and utilize these wonderful bunch of offers. Ramadhan Mubarak!

Reference:

Al-Quran (Surah Albaqarah (183, 261), Surah Al-Qadr, How to spend Ramadhan (Urdu)

A “Mullah meeting” was in progress with around 20-25 participants. It was organized by a hardliner, radical Islamist group with extremist views. A man with a turban on his head and unknown identity was speaking to the gathering and encouraging the new “recruits” for more terrorist attacks and their rewards in the hereafter. Suddenly a youngster from the gathering volunteered himself for the next attack. He spoke some emotional, brainwashed phrases to show his commitment and inviting others to do the same. He prepared himself, left the place and went into a nearby market. Upon entering a shopping mall he took his hand to the suicide jacket’s pin and shouted Allah-u-Akbar, detached its pin and……

”No…!” I screamed and jumped out of bed. I woke up sweating and my heart pounding like anything. I took a glass of water and then thanked God that it was only a bad dream and nothing more.

It was a usual day and I started surfing the internet where I read news….

“US Embassy holds gay, lesbian ceremony in Islamabad”.

I was shocked as it was not the US embassy in any liberal European country or China, not even in a so called secular state like India. In fact, it was held in the heart of our very own ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN…!!!. I remembered a BBC news few days back that an NGO organized a meeting for homosexuals who were gathered from all over the country to Nathiagali (KPK), I remembered a similar event organized a couple of years back in Karachi and thought where we are heading to??

The event was arranged by none other than the US embassy itself, assuring full support to these “enlightened moderate and liberal class”.

“I want to be clear that the US Embassy is here to support you and stand by your side every step of the way”, said Charge d’ Affaires Ambassador Richard Hoagland at US embassy.

Wow… Isn’t this wonderful?? The world’s super power is backing you to live a “Jesay chaho jeo” life in Pakistan. Our police, rangers, FC and military are alert enough to catch the bombers before they are successful in their attempt and we hear the news every day that a potential suicide bomber is arrested; a planned suicide attempt was engaged etc. Our authorities, our police may have been ignorant and may be this event was carried out secretly. But wait, we have an official press release by US embassy informing everyone that we will promote “whatever we want” and “wherever we want” “jo kerna hai ker lo” (Do whatever you like).

How can “OUR” authorities even think of questioning them about this?? They can only catch Jihadist literature from a Madrassa, they can invent Al-Qaida personnel from wherever they want, they can let Kashmir Singh (Indian RAW spy) go back with full protocol and last but not the least they can give a CIA spy safe exit who was on Exit Control List as per High Court orders. What would have happened if the “Mullah Meeting Dream” was real and it took place in a local hotel, had it gone unnoticed the same way? Could they issue a press release as well with our foreign office and authorities being dumb and mute?

Why am I comparing these two completely different scenarios?

Promoting these shameful events like a Homosexual gathering is as harmful as promoting the Talibanization. In the West, this failed culture has made life a hellfire in itself with crushed family system and miserable youth, and now they want to rot our roots and weaken our generations.

‘’We also sent Luut, and recall when he told his people: “Do you commit shameless acts with your eyes open? Do you lustfully approach men instead of women? Nay, you engage in acts of sheer ignorance.” But this had only one answer from his people. They said: “Expel Luut’s folk from your city. They pretend to be absolutely clean.” Eventually We saved (Luut) and his family, except his wife. We had decreed that she should be among those who would remain behind. And We rained down upon them a rain. It was an evil rain for those who had already been warned.’’ (Surah Al-Namal 54-58)

The liberals and the enlightened moderates, when they condemn Taliban, repeatedly quote Quran “Taking a single human’s life is like killing the whole humanity”. Would they also be quoting the above straightforward verses of the same Quran where it condemns this shameful act?

I went through some blogs and articles speaking the same language as the US embassy on our very own “Sexpress Tycoon” which has a clear agenda to promote this kind of immoral, non-Islamic and alien culture in Pakistani society. I have also seen sarcastic comments for people who talk about values and roots as “They pretend to be absolutely clean” as quoted in above verse. But, it was very encouraging to see most of the comments on social media condemning this US embassy event. It is a ray of hope that Pakistanis will not be so dumb to let this penetrate in their society that easily, but is it too late or we still have time for reverse engineering for going back to our cultural roots??

Just a note of clarification: I consider any suicide attacks in Pakistan to be absolutely against Islam but at the same time I firmly believe that these plots against our values and religion are more hazardous as they (on a long term) are bound to weaken our cultural and ideological roots and a strong family system, on the basis of which we still stand in the world, despite all the evils in the society.

Asad Shaikh is a freelance writer and an analyst on issues related to evolution of Pakistani society and moral degeneration.

Author: Asad Shaikh

Before it’s too late!