Welcome Ramadan

I am very thankful of Allah Almighty that he blessed us all another year of Ramadan, a unique annual event which is waited among nearly 2 billion human beings around the world. Fasting is the undoubtedly is the most honored way of reflecting spiritual practices.

Ever wonder being Muslims; why do we fast? And what does Ramadan teaches us? And what are the benefits?

There is no doubt that there are countless rewards of fasting in Ramadan & its full benefits are known only to Allah Almighty, but according to knowledge and practices the prize is most precious.

The five pillars are the foundation of Islam, which form the basis for a spiritual culture designed to provide an ideal environment for personal growth and spiritual evolution.

Fasting in Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, constituting one of the most important spiritual practices designed to empower a human being in overcoming the self and transcending the ego, the one true veil between a human being and his or her Creator.

Spiritual purification is one of the primary benefit of Ramadan, the important goal of Islamic Spirituality. Mind, body & spirit are counted as separate gears but truth is they all are connected & related to each other. Improvement in any component will naturally affect others. Fasting in Ramadan purifies the mind, body and spirit, leading to greater clarity, sensitivity and health.

Fasting in Ramadan has scientifically documented that the only thing that can effect for improving human health & permanency is the intake reduction & consumption of food. Fasting in Ramadan allows the digestive system & body parts to rest from the daily demands of processing & breaking down the food. Etc. For the health & youthful life one must fast in Ramadan.

Ramadan gives us chance for renewing solidarity and cultivating relationships with one’s family and community, which is the greatest benefits of fasting. The ones who fasts in Ramadan can only truly describes the beauty & joy of opening fast, observing Taraveh & celebrating the gift of life for 30 days with family & loved ones. The greatest social experience of any human being ever experience is fasting in Ramadan, the most important & unique pillar of Islamic practice.

People don’t realize generally until the month of Ramadan is gone, what they have missed. By fasting one become acutely aware of the unlimited richness of priceless favor of Allah Almighty, which HE has blessed humanity with many tasty food? Enhancing gratitude is the important purpose in Islam, and fasting in Ramadan cultivate gratitude. 

Its fact that we as human beings are totally dependent upon the heavenly grace of Allah Almighty for survival. Fasting in Ramadan we realize in modest way about these blessings. Living the materialistic life we take things for granted & become neglectful. The holy month of Ramadan continually reminds us about our weaknesses, our strengths, goodness and selflessness.

We live in a world of natural richness, countless beauty & wisdom, due to lack of compassion, unity & harmony among human beings throughout the world people yet struggle with poverty, hunger & scarcity. By fasting in Ramadan we develop the holy qualities of understanding & compassion. Teaches us our core connection & oneness as human beings regardless of borders & labels that create an artificial separation among the citizens of human race.

Ramadan is a gift from God, enabling us to become more compassionate, caring, kind and grateful. Its gives us unique opportunity to develop spiritually and gain strength to control over ourselves, our egos, the nafs, the unconscious automatic primitive nature that tends to dominate our lives when unchecked.

May Allah Almighty guide us all & guide us on the right path, Ameen.

May you all have blessed Ramadan.  

Women - A Curse In Pakistan

Why wasn’t the sitting government questioned for resignations? Why an emergency parliament session wasn’t called upon? Why wasn’t any protest or sit-in systematized? Why any political or religious personal didn’t allege it? It was a dark day in Lahore on May 27th, 2014; in the daylight at Lahore High Court, occurs a cruel incident that has brought shame not to the people in Pakistan only but to the entire world. It must have taken 15 to 20 minutes for this act to be played; and there must have been 20 to 30 people watching this. She was been SANSAAR – in the name of Honor, braced by Lahore Police within the High Court premises. This case wasn’t of much importance to Government, but after criticisms from all over the world Supreme Court & State got in motion. The case is now in Anti-Terrorist Court.

 

Life of a Pakistani Women in 21st century has not been better as it was in Stone Age; lack of non-implementation of Law has given birth to barbarism. The question arise that apart from electricity crises, terrorism, rigging; honor killing is ignorable in Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The Pakistan which came into being in the name of Islam, and under these women is used as a tool to release anger in every form. Political parties which has a major role in building structure of a society, why aren’t they unite against the weaknesses within culture & norms.

 

According to researchers almost 1000 women are killed between 1999 to 2004, unfortunately the count has increased to 4% till today. Human Rights Commission says 933 were killed in name of honor & other 1601 women were killed in other cruel reasons just in 6 early months of 2013.

 

The total count of registered cases in 2013
Punjab	2602
Sindh	1833
KPK	1181
Baluchistan	864
From Jan 2014 to date	869
TOTAL	7349

 

As Islamic Republic our stakeholders turn their eyes off on such cases, but when the world criticize us as in this particular case High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay strongly condemns the killing of Faraza and watching closely to this case. They also urged the Government to take preventive measure to stop such killings.

 

Still remember the case filed by Ms. Saima Sarwar married to resident of Peshawar, fled to Lahore & was living with her parents after leaving her husband for about 4 years. She was killed by some unidentified persons hired by her ex-husband family as they have threatened her to kill her if she tried to divorce her husband. This incident took place in the year 1999 at Office of her attorney Ms. Asma Jahangir. No arrest was made and no case was registered against such act.

(Reference: www.derechos.org/human-rights/actions/ VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN Case PAK 120499.VAW)

 

Likewise in the year 2008 from a remote area of Baluchistan province five women were buried alive, allegedly by the younger brother of Mr. Sadiq Umrani, the provincial minister and a prominent leader of the ruling party at that time. However, police have still not arrested the perpetrators after one month of the incident. (Reference: The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC))

 

Same as Rukhsana (not her real name) once delayed to provide food for her husband’s dog, was maltreated & abducted that whole night by her husband. The next morning it was felt necessary to see doctor, but doctors refused to treat her as it was a police case. The doctors asked them to bring a letter from police station for the same, so she went to police station with her mother, and was able to brought letter against bribe. In this whole scenario her father & brother kept themselves aside & said it’s her husband & he has every right to treat whatever way he wants to. (True Story via Human Rights Commission Asia)

 

Hakim (not his real name) was happily married & was planning to have a child got trapped in vicious plan to the person to whom he owed 10,000/- (opponents of his Wadera). One day he was called by his Wadera & said that the person Hakim owes money is his enemy too, he planned to accuse Hakim’s wife having an affair with their mutual enemy. Wadera assures him that they will call for Jirga & Jirga would be headed by me, will ask for his enemies’ daughter in compensation. But all went wrong, that Wadera bonded up with his own enemy; bribed the police & Hakim was blamed for killing his own wife in the end. (True Story Via Human Rights Commission Asia)

 

Hypocrisy is worse curse than blasphemy. Increase in religious interests, pack Masajids aren’t creating responsible individuals. We don’t practice Islam in daily lives; we act totally opposite against Islam. This ‘honor killing’ is basically a product of Beghairti and Behissi. How come this honor is never been awaken when there is jumble in food, when police arrests innocent young boys from neighborhood, we owe millions & billions; that has to be paid don’t know for how many generations – no honor there. We don’t throw garbage in bins, like to spit on neighbor’s wall, over flooded gutters all across the streets – no honor establish there. But this HONOR is awake only on the act of a Woman, which is her religious as well as her social right. Choosing life partner and practicing the right of marrying man she want is not only allowed but is her religious right.

 

Shariqa Ahmed

Twitter: @shariqa_ahmed