An open letter to the Barakat Abu-Salah Families and All Who Care!

You can never find Greatness but if Greatness is looking for you, it most certainly will!

I have said this a million times before and I will say it again that greatness is something most of us seek but few achieve it and majority of those who achieve it, never even expected or desired it. If you closely research, read history, and follow current events, you will see that true grandeur doesn’t require you to be the best in what you do or demands a doctorate as a prerequisite. You must have seen people who put all their efforts in their job by ignoring their families, friends, health, and beliefs but after giving everything, the only thing they are left with are regrets and what ifs. On the other hand, there are few mysterious souls who are picked by forces beyond our comprehension and greatness just follows them like a shadow, dying for their glimpse. These forces are in control of God Almighty, the one who turns their tiny deed into mountains of gold, their simple words into a slogan, their blood into a clot that stops bloodshed, and their scars that give birth to a revolution.

Nelson Mandela, for example was a black man in a racist society, imprisoned for 27 years, opposed by almost everyone and even the super power like United States proclaimed him to be a terrorist (just like 1.5 billion Muslims are today) became a symbol of freedom, equality, justice, and human rights. Spending prime of his life in prison should have killed his odds of grandeur but that is where the unseen forces come into picture. Fifteen years old Aitzaz Hasan is another example who saved lives of 900 students by single-handedly tackling and stopping a suicide bomber from attacking a school in Pakistan. Aitzaz Hasan never planned for this, he didn’t go to school that day to be a hero or a martyr and same is true for Deah, Yusor, Razan, and the Barakat/Abu-Salah Families.
Deah was fundraising for $20,000 to support a team of doctors and dentists helping Syrian refugees. I don’t think he was sure he will be able to reach 20k mark but he trusted in Allah just like prophet Moses (as) who put his staff in the sea and trusted in Allah for the rest. The last time I checked, the total contribution to his cause on youcaring.com was at $353,884 and counting. I don’t think he ever expected it to reach 300k but Allah is the one who decides the outcomes of everything and He had something better for Deah and his efforts i.e. Deah walked towards Allah and Allah ran towards Deah.
Yusor who married Deah 6 weeks earlier with the plans to have kids and spend long and happy life with her husband and family and Razan was just visiting her sister that day. Dr. Suzanne Barakat never wanted to be interviewed by the world media and be representative of not only her family but also the whole Muslim World, Deah never intended his (request for donations) YouTube video to become proof of his personality and character, his parents never panned to show the whole world the true meaning of patience and submission to the will of Allah. No, none of them ever planned any of that but Allah has his own mysterious ways which are beyond our understanding.
Legacy of Deah, Yusor, Razan, Dr. Suzanne, and the Barakat/Abu-Salah family is right in front of us and we should learn from it but we should also ask ourselves a question: What Will Be My Legacy?!
Yet again… You can never find Greatness but if Greatness is looking for you, it most certainly will!

Inna Lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un – Surely we all belong to Allah and to Him shall we return. This is extremely difficult test and may Almighty make it easy for them. Aamin!

New Year’s Resolution Tips for All – From Atheists to Religious and Everyone in the Middle

1. The best of all richness is the richness of the heart.
2. The worst blindness is the blindness of the heart.
3. Lucky is the person who learns from the mistakes of others.
4. The pinnacle of wisdom is the fear of your creator.
5. All that which is little and suffices you is better than a lot that distracts you.
6. The worst of all excuses is the excuse you give at the time of death.
7. The most evil of all the regrets is the regret on the Day of Judgment.
8. The firmest of all handhold is the righteous word and the word that encourages to do good.
9. The higher hand (who gives charity) is better than the lower hand (who takes charity).
10. The best of all deeds is the one that benefits you in this life and the next.
11. Whoever wants to show off must know that he will be shown punishment.
12. The best of all knowledge is the one that is followed.
13. The worst of all sins is a lying tongue.
14. The worst of all incomes is the income of riba or interest.
15. The worst thing to eat is the property of an orphan.
16. Whoever is patient at the time of calamity, the Almighty will give him better than what was taken away.
17. The best of all deeds are the ones that are done with most sincerity and the worst of all deeds are innovation (in religion).
18. The most blind of blindnesses is to be misguided after your Creator guided you.
19. Whoever controls his anger, will be reworded.
20. Whoever is patient, his Creator will give him more.
21. The most truthful of all speech is the book of Allah.
22. The best of all paths is the way of Ibrahim (as), best of all sunnah is the Sunnah of Muhammad (swt) and the best guidance is the guidance of/by the prophets.
23. Best thing you can say is the zikr of Allah and the best of all stories are those mentioned in Quran.
24. The best death is the death of a martyr.
25. The best thing that settles in the heart is yaqeen (certainty in beliefs).
26. Alcohol is the mother of all evil.
27. There are those who don’t come for the Jummah at all except on rare occasions and there are those who don’t do zikr enthusiastically.
28. Whoever will ask for forgiveness, his Creator will forgive.

Prophet Muhammad’s (saw) speech on his way from the area of Tabook back to the city of Madina.

A Drop In The Endless Sea

What can one man do, what can I do, it is impossible, etc. are some of the thoughts and whispers that surround us whenever we try to think out of the box or when we try to break the chains of society, norms and sometimes even logic. These voices and whispers discourage us from even blinking at the time when we should have acted, they stop us from helping the helpless by using flawless reason and perfect logic, they stop us from telling the truth when the whole world wants to believe in falsehood. And slowly but surely, it is these voices that sculpture and carve our personality by transforming us into a little robot who only knows to conform to the norms and boundaries set ”ironically” by those who did not conform, didn’t follow, or the rebellious. The ones who unlike most men, took charge, ignored the whispers, showed perseverance and eventually conquered everything that others thought were impossible. Those who truly believe in themselves and their cause, who are not fearful of defeat, who put their trust in Allah, and with strong faith and belief, take the leap of faith into the pit of fire, just like prophet Abraham A.S. The one who was also alone, naked and helpless (according to logical and worldly definition) but confident, steadfast, and fearless against opposing odds, logic, society, and the norms defined by mortal men.

Another thing that stops us from taking initiative and acting on our ideas and dreams is the thought that, ‘what I am thinking or my ideas are insignificant and useless’. But if we look around (what Allah wants us to do by repeating it again and again in Quran i.e. look around, research, dive, leap and discover) we will discover that in this life and also in the whole universe, nothing is insignificant, neither the material things (a single man for example) nor those that are abstract (deeds, thoughts, ideas, truth, dreams, love, faith, knowledge, etc). If you think you are powerless, think about the power of something as tiny and insignificant as an atom, with which two cities were leveled in seconds. If you think you are insignificant, think about a dot because there was a time when whole universe was just a point, a dot, but insignificant? never! And who can forget supernova that lasts for only a split second but results in something so amazing and powerful that even light cannot escape it. And if you think that you, your personality and your accomplishments as tiny and minute, don’t forget that there was a time when Einstein, Newton, Plato, Alexander, and all others could have been defined as a single cell, a point or a dot; with no accomplishments or achievements around them. If you think your dreams are useless, delusions and insignificant, think about a dream that saved Egypt and all the surrounding areas from total destruction. If you think little evil deed can be justified, don’t forget your parents who were in heaven one day and were on the blue pearl the next, all because of an apple. Similarly, no good deed is insignificant either because only Allah knows the worth of our actions and only He knows the domino effect of something as simple as a smile.
Someone once told me a story of a very knowledgeable Muslim convert who found his Creator because of a conversation he had with a Muslim immigrant when they casually talked about Islam and the immigrant Muslim, in his broken English answered all the basic questions he had. The amazing part of the story is that this conversation on Islam between two total strangers happened when they were sharing needles to inject heroin. They continued their discussion even when they were high on heroin. So this apparently insignificant act of an unknown weak Muslim, resulted in Islam of someone in totally unexpected way. Hence nothing is insignificant, neither a deed, nor an action. If you are on the right path then Allah’s help is with you, and when Allah’s help is with you, the only thing that’s insignificant is the universe. And that is the point in ones life when odds, numbers, statistics, calculations and estimations become insignificant and people, society, social pressures, opposition, hunger and pain becomes irrelevant.
I will post more on this topic some other day iA!

Rumors & Spicy Gossip With Diet Coke Please!

The excitement on the faces of islamophobes was [like Barney says: legen…~wait for it~…dary] legendary, when a news about a fatwa came out allowing fighters in Syria to rape women. The news was of course not true and the story has been retracted from most websites I looked.  Confirming any news is extremely important, not only in our public and private lives but also it is our responsibility as a member of this great nation. There are people out there who intentionally or unintentionally spread rumors about a person/family/community and love to hype up tiny things and are professional in spicing up almost anything. If they go to a funeral and see a skinny body of the deceased, they say, “He died of hunger, his family never took care of him”. In weddings, bride’s sister almost always gets the medal of being a whore, and so on… I have personally seen the situations in which a rumour or a false statement almost destroyed a marriage, a happy family or friendship. That girl is sleeping with this guy, that girl is a whore, this guy is alcoholic, that person is having an affair with that person, her b***s are fake, she wears a bra with extra padding, she is so hairy, they are so poor, he wears a wig, he has a goori girlfriend, she is pregnant and that is why they are getting married, are some of my favourites.
People didn’t even leave prophet Muhammad S.A.W and his family alone and nothing stopped them from spreading rumours about his wife Ayesha R.A by falsely accusing her of adultery. They also accused Maryam (Mary) A.S of fornication and claimed that Jesus A.S. is her illegitimate son. Allah called these accusations ” بُهْتَـناً عَظِيماً” or great lie in the holy Quran.
Following verses of Quran were revealed to prove Ayesha’s R.A innocence and should also guide us inshAllah.
Allah says in Quran:
Verily, numerous among you are those who would falsely accuse others of unchastity [but, O you who are thus wronged,] deem it not a bad thing for you: nay, it is good for you!
[As for the slanderers,] unto every one of them [will be accounted] all that he has earned by [thus] sinning; and awesome suffering awaits any of them who takes it upon himself to enhance this [sin]!
Why do not the believing men and women, whenever such [a rumour] is heard, think the best of one another and say, “This is an obvious falsehood”?
Why do they not [demand of the accusers to produce proof or witnesses for] their allegation?  for, if they do not produce such witnesses, it is those [accusers] who, in the sight of God, are liars indeed!
And were it not for God’s favour upon you, [O men,] and His grace in this world and in the life to come, awesome suffering would indeed have afflicted you in result of all [the calumny] in which you indulge; when you take it up with your tongues, uttering with your mouths something of which you have no knowledge, and deeming it a light matter whereas in the sight of God it is an awful thing! (Quran 24:11-15)

Lesson to learn: Allah says in Quran: O Believers, if an unrighteous person comes to you with information, you should verify it or else you might inflict harm on a people in ignorance and then end up regretting what you have done. (Quran 49:6)

Arrogance, Ego & Other Drugs!

First thing first, How do I deal with arrogant people? Just like everyone (including arrogant people) I always felt awkward and stressed while dealing with arrogant people but then I came up with a brilliant idea and you can use it too!
Whenever I have to/had to deal with an arrogant person, I just visualize him/her sitting in a bathroom with an explosive case of diarrhea and after that, the arrogant and rude person turns into very, very ordinary and miserable person. Now you can ask why I use diarrhea specifically? It is because arrogance just like diarrhea, happens when someone is given more than what they can handle, resulting in emotional imbalance and explosion. Like they say in Urdu: khaali bartan zayada aawaz daita hai or empty pot makes more noise, which is most certainly true for the arrogant ones.
Arrogance and ego are the hardest of the challenges faced by us in this life and overcoming these two diseases of heart and soul can be the defining moments in a person’s life. Since the beginning of time, all those who were enslaved by the two evil siblings(arrogance & ego), were eventually destroyed as their hearts and souls were consumed by the darkness that accompanies arrogance, ego and other drugs.
Even the story of mankind starts with a discovery of a problem hidden deep in the heart of a being made of fire named Iblees, the one who’s level of knowledge and understanding was such that he was elevated to the heavens to teach the angels. The one who out of his arrogance and ego, couldn’t bow in front of someone made of clay. He is the one whose arrogance and ego consumed him and in just a moment, his status changed from the best, to the worst of them all. Yes, just like all defining moments since the beginning of time when a moment defines and sets direction for thousands of years, for iblees too it only took a moment to bring the hidden illness out in the open, the illness of arrogance and ego. And that was the moment when the arrogant one decided to be the eternal enemy of Adam and his children and started to plot, plan and whisper in their ears. He eventually succeeded in misguiding/making Adam and Eve taste the forbidden fruit resulting in a punishment by banishment to the blue planet, we now call home. After the punishment, Adam and Eve were ashamed and did something Satan couldn’t do because of the disease in his heart; Yes, they accepted their mistake, their poor judgment, their sin and asked for forgiveness with pure hearts, conviction and sincerity. They were able to accept their weakness because their hearts were pure; their hearts were pure because unlike satan, they was free of arrogance and ego. And by the way this repentance, sense of shame and humbleness were exactly the characteristics that made the one made of clay better than the one made of fire.
Just like the first evil committed in the heavens was arrogance, story of the blue planet isn’t different either, where arrogance and ego of Kane consumed him resulting in the first murder in the human history. No logic, no argument and no advice of Adam A.S helped Kane and he still murdered his brother because the darkness of arrogance blurred his judgement and vision. And when your judgement is blurred, right starts to look wrong, light turns into darkness, truth is eaten up by lies and slowly but surely, everything you do becomes the ultimate truth, brightest light and one and only solution or opinion.
Our history is full of arrogant people and arrogant nations who paid dearly because of this evil. Arrogance of Cleopatra ends with her loosing Egypt, love of Mark Anthony and eventually her own life. Hitler arrogantly under estimating Russia in Operation Barbarossa is known to all and who can forget Bonaparte and the blunders of Waterloo. A mosquito was all it took to bring Nimrod and his arrogance back to earth. Henry the VIII had to “create” a whole new religion just to have some so called legitimate “fun time” with poor Ann. Arrogance of Russia in Afghanistan and Americans following their footsteps is not so much ancient history either.
All the signs and warnings were not able to break the spell of arrogance over (the self proclaimed god) the Pharaoh of Egypt until he saw the destroyer of all happiness when he was drowning, but it was too late. Allah says in Quran: He cried, “I accept faith that there is no True God except the One in Whom the Descendants of Israel believe, and I am a Muslim. (Quran 10:90)
And then there is a story of the wealthy Israelite named Karoon who had so much wealth that the keys of his treasures were carried by hundreds of camels and was destroyed because of his arrogance. Allah talks about his arrogant behaviour and his claims as follows: He said: “What I have been given is due to knowledge I possess.” (Quran 28:78)
It was the arrogance of another man whose knowledge and intelligence couldn’t help him against the fire of ego and arrogance and eventually took him to the depths of hellfire. It was the same man who was famous for his knowledge, understanding, intelligence and skills in Arabia and beyond. It was because of his amazing personality and charisma, that he was famous by the name of Abul- Hakam or father of knowledge. But when father of all knowledge was blinded by tribal arrogance and ego, he was renamed to Abu Janl or father of ignorance. It was because of his strong personality that prophet Mohammad S.A.W asked Allah for his guidance (He asked for any one of the two i.e. Omar bin alKhattab or Omar bin alHissham).
You can judge the level of his evil genius from the fact that when all the chieftains of Makkah were planning to kill prophet Muhammad S.A.W, satan was there too (in the form of a man). When everyone started giving their ideas of murdering the prophet, satan also shared his ideas, thoughts and plans with them. But you may be surprised to know that it was Abu Jahl who came up with the best plan; the plan which satin couldn’t come up with, the plan which impressed and amazed all the chieftains including satin, yes… the perfect and foolproof plan!
Just like the bright shining sun cannot help someone without light in his eyes, same is true for Abu Jahl and you can judge that in the event described below.
Once Mughira, who was one of the chieftains of Quraish asked Abu Jahl if he admitted prophet Mohammed’s prophet hood. He replied, “I know that he is truly a prophet. Nevertheless, we compete with the Banu Hashim (prophet’s tribe) in everything. They have the honor of providing food and water to the pilgrims. Now if they also get the honor of prophet hood, I won’t be able to endure it at all!”
One the day of the battle of Badr, Abdullah ibn Masud saw Abu Jahl taking his last breaths, his whole body was buried under steel, and he had his sword in his hand. He was unable to move any part of his body because of the severity of his wounds. Abdullah ibn Masud mounted his chest to check his condition and even at that time, Abu Jahl said arrogantly to Abdullah R.A, “Oh worthless shepherd, you have climbed upon a very strong and high mount”. And when Abdullah ibn Masud started to cut off his head with his blunt and cheap sword, Abu Jahl told him to use his sword instead because according to him, Abdullah ibn Masud’s cheap sword wasn’t good enough for his neck. Last but not least, when Abdullah ibn Masud was about to cut off his head, Abu Jahl told him that he is doing it incorrectly and he should cut off the neck closer to the body so that his head can look higher when placed with other casualties of the battle.
Quran is full of verses where Allah gives warnings to the mankind for example:
“Do not walk on the earth arrogantly, certainly you will never be able to tear the earth open, nor compete with the mountains in height.” (17:39)
“Do not turn your cheek away from the people in arrogance, and do not walk on the earth arrogantly; God does not love any arrogant and boastful person. Be modest in your walk, and lower your voice; surely the most hideous of voices is that of the ass.” (31:18-19)
Ali ibn Abi Talib R.A said, “I am surprised at man: his beginning is a sperm and his end is a corpse, and between his beginning and his end he is just a earner of waste, and still he is arrogant!”
So in short, the take home message is that just like all the beautiful, handsome, rich and powerful before us, we too will turn to dust one day. So we should learn from the history and understand that my super fast car and your huge mansion, my bank balance and your gold & silver, my degrees and your MDs, and my ego and your arrogance will only lead us to our destruction. Those who are arrogant because of their degrees, qualifications and knowledge should not forget Abu Jahl, those arrogant because of their power should learn from Nimrod, those who are arrogant because of their money and mansions should see what happened to the Pharaoh, and all those who feel pride in arrogantly showing off their gold, silver and diamonds should seek guidance from the story of Karoon. Secondly, we should also keep this thought and realization in back of out heads that, in the end, all we leave behind are our good deeds, what we did to help others and the way we positively and productively impacted the lives of people around us.
Iqbal talks about arrogance in his poem ‘Pahar aur gulhari’ or ‘A dialog between a mountain and a squirrel’ as follows (Urdu given below the English translation:

A mountain said this to a squirrel
Commit suicide if you have self respect
You are insignificant, still so arrogant, how strange is it!
You are neither wise, nor intelligent! not even shrewd!
It is strange when the insignificant pose as important!
When the stupid ones like you pose as intelligent!
You are no match in comparison with my splendour
Even the earth is low compared with my height and mightiness
The grandeur of mine does not fall to your lot
The poor animal cannot equal the great mountain!

On hearing this the squirrel said, Hold your tongue!
These are immature thoughts, expel them from your heart!
I do not care if I am not large like you!
You are not a pretty little thing like me either
Everything shows the Omnipotence of God
Some large, some small, is the Wisdom of God
He has created you large in the world
And He has taught me climbing large trees
You are unable to walk a single step
Only large size! What other greatness do you have?
If you are large show me some of the skills that I have
Show me how you break this beetle nut as I can
Nothing is useless in this world!
Nothing is bad in God’s creation!

Pahar aur gulheri

Koi Pahar Ye Kehta Tha Ek Gulehri Se
Tujhe Ho Sharam To Pani Mein Ja Ke Doob Maray
Zara Si Cheez Hai, Iss Pe Garoor, Kya Kehna
Ye Aqal Aur Ye Samajh, Ye Shaur, Kya Kehna!
Khuda Ki Shan Hai Na-Cheez, Cheez Ban Baithen
Jo Be-Shaur Hon, Yun Ba-Tameez Ban Baithen
Teri Bisat Hai Kya Meri Shan Ke Aagay
Zameen Hai Passt Meri Aan Baan Ke Aagay
Jo Baat Mujh Mein Hai, Tujh Ko Vo Naseeb Kahan
Bhala Pahar Kahan, Janwar Gareeb Kahan!

Kaha Ye Sun Ke Gulehri Ne, Munh Sambhal Zara
Ye Kachi Baatain Hain Dil Se Inhain Nikal Zara
Jo Mein Bari Nahin Teri Tarah To Kya Parwa
Nahin Hai Tu Bhi To Aakhir Meri Tarah Chotta
Her Aik Cheez Se Paida Khuda Ki Qudrat Hai
Koi Bara, Koi Chotta, Ye Uss Ki Hikmat Hai
Bara Jahan Mein Tujh Ko Bana Diya Uss Ne
Mujhe Darakht Pe Charhna Sikha Diya Uss Ne
Qadam Uthane Ki Takat Nahin Zara Tujh Mein
Niri Barai Hai, Khubi Hai Aur Kya Tujh Mein
Jo Tu Bara Hai To Mujh Sa Hunar Dikha Mujh Ko
Ye Chaliya Hi Zara Tor Ker Dikha Mujh Ko
Nahin Hai Cheez Nakami Koi Zamane Mein
Koi Bura Nahin Qudrat Ke Karkhane Mein

The Fifty Shades of Today’s Muslims

…so I was talking to my friends during lunch and the technical discussion took a tangent and we started talking about religions and beliefs. One of my Jewish friend asked us (me and another Muslim guy) about our religion. The reply my Muslim friend gave was really weird, confusing and funny but I kinda expected it. I expected it because I have heard it so many times from Muslims regardless of their geographic location, origin, color, etc. Many of you must have heard the same thing or maybe you are also one of those who describe their religious beliefs just like my friend.
So anyways, my friend replied to the American guy as follows: Oh! I am a moderate Muslim!!! This term always makes me laugh so I thought I should write about it. Good idea right!? May be not, but then everybody hates me anyway, so who cares!
Just like fifty shades of grey, Muslims these days come in many different shades and colors such as “liberal Muslim”, “Spiritual Muslim”, “spiritual but not religious Muslim”, etc.  After analyzing many such personalities (like my friend), I have come up to the conclusion that there are two main causes behind people who describe their beliefs in fifty different shades, when in reality Islam comes in only one.
The first reason is spelled as follows: “I.n.f.e.r.i.o.r.i.t.y C.o.m.p.l.e.x” and the second one can be described as “human weakness”. Now let us talk about these two behaviours and the root causes behind each one in some detail.
The concept of inferiority complex was deeply engraved on the hearts and minds of the Muslims when the European powers started colonization of their lands in Africa and Asia. All colonized territories were controlled with extreme intelligence by making the oppressed people feel insignificant, illiterate, uncivilized, etc. They were force fed the ideas that things they do, things they know, the way they look and everything they believe in makes them uncivilized and uncultured. Hence lassi (curd drink) became paindoo (uncultured) and tea was the new drink of the east, dark color became a stigma and fair&lovely was needed just to look acceptable in the society, beard was unacceptable and men with face like a baby’s butt were the new definition of manhood, when the women who used to breastfeed their kids saw the goori (white) ma’am using the bottle, they took loans to buy the bottles for their loved ones, etc.
Another tactic used against the locals was to divide and rule. As we all know that languages join and keep people together, hence applying the formula of divide and rule, the people of subcontinent were disconnected from Iran, Afghanistan and the Arab world by the introduction of a new language you now know by the name of Urdu. People who didn’t know Urdu/English were not given jobs, all paperwork was changed from Farsi to Urdu/English, teaching Arabic or Farsi in schools was discouraged or discontinued, etc. The people were also made to feel inferior by belittling their profession, hence the super skilled shoemaker of the Muslim world became “moochi” (derogatory term for a shoemaker), imam masjid fell from being the teacher and important part of the community to being someone who lived on the leftovers of the landlords, molvi and Sufi became derogatory terms, and much more. Many of you may not know but there used to be sign boards in some parks and markets of subcontinent with a message saying: Dogs and Indians are not allowed!!!
All those who opposed the oppressors were killed or thrown out of their lands, and all those who supported them and betrayed their people and their land became Makhdooms, Shahs, Gailanis, Zardaris, Sardars, etc. the same people who still rule us. If we compare the colonized and non-colonized regions of the world, we can see the vast differences in the way they feel about their beliefs, culture and everything that defines them as a nation. For example Afghans and Iranian are neighbors of Pakistan but you can see the vast differences in their behaviour as a nation and the level of self respect. I can bet that the dog of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has most self respect than Zardari and company can ever have in 1000 years. The blood of 28 Pakistani sons is cheap and worthless because we have no self respect and have forgotten the meaning of honor. We honor our martyrs by opening the supply routes while Hamid Karzai even though the puppet, was able to get an apology for the blood of innocent Afghan civilians.
Hence it is the same inferiority complex of our ancestors that is transferred to the next generations making us liberal/moderate Muslims, hate our culture, our people, and ourselves.
Coming back from historic perspective behind the concept of moderate Muslims to present, what most people fail to understand is that there is no such thing as moderate or liberal Muslim. I mean is it acceptable for a moderate Muslim to miss Sallah(prayer) or is it ok for a liberal Muslim to drink alcohol? Can you reach spiritual nirvana by dancing with Anna or Shabana? The answer is No! Negative! Nahi! Nah! Nope! So why do people use these terms other than the first reason of this amazing brain fart… i.e. inferiority complex.
Second reason is human weakness i.e. it is an easy way to justify our weaknesses and hence those who drink become liberal Muslims and those who miss prayer become moderate Muslims, etc.
But according to me, there are only two kinds of Muslims i.e. strong Muslims and weak Muslims (like me) or those who try their best to follow the path they have picked and those who are weak and are not able to control their desires and are easily distracted by all the attractions this world has to offer. Weaknesses like alcohol, drugs, women(or men), stealing, cheating, lying, etc. It is not easy to resist these attractive things because we are weak and our desires are strong. Furthermore, it is in human nature to do things that we are not supposed to do or acts/things that are harmful to us, either in long run or in near future. Our curiosity defines us as humans and just like everything else, curiosity comes at a price; sometimes in the form of STD or unwanted pregnancy(knowledge gained at the student health services during college, the place where the reality bites), and sometimes falling from the garden of Eden to earth.
Hence, a Muslim can be weak but can never be liberal, moderate or something else. We are weak and we do things out of weakness and there is nothing wrong in being weak but accepting the weakness and not doing anything to weaken it, is. Another important thing that I have learnt from my personal experience is that not doing anything about our weaknesses is one thing but justifying our weaknesses is the worst thing that we can do to ourselves. Justifying our weaknesses closes all doors of improvement, and no improvement means death. Hence accepting the truth about our weaknesses is the first step, fixing comes much much later.
History is full of men and women who were weak but accepted the truth about their weaknesses and never tried to justify them, and with time, with their effort and with the help of Allah they became the best of them all. Men like, Zaheer-ud-Babar, Umar bin Al-khattab, etc. My own journey from being an atheist to a weak Muslim was not so easy either, but even in the worst of times during this journey, I never justified my weaknesses.
Another important thing is to know the meaning of our claim when we say that ‘I am a Muslim’, or what does being a Muslim means? There is a huge misconception among Muslims that being born in a Muslim family makes you a Muslim! I can announce this with deep sorrow that sadly all those think like that are wrong! Wrong because being a Muslim is not a child’s play and we always, always, always choose to be a Muslim or something else; sometimes couciously  and sometimes by our actions. In my case, even though I was born in a Muslim family, that never made me a Muslim; I had to pick a path, first I picked atheism, and then monotheism; hence we have to choose, and we always do!
Next question: So what happens when you pick “the” path? After making the choice, you have to prove your claims, i.e. the testing begins. Allah says in Quran:
[29:2] Do men imagine that they will be left (at ease) because they say, We believe, and will not be tested with affliction?
The test is according to you level, good students can answer All kinds of questions while weak ones can only answer easy ones.
[29:3] Lo! We tested those who were before you. Thus Allah knoweth those who are sincere, and knoweth those who feign.
So we should always remember that all those who claimed were tested! 20,000 Christians(followers of Jesus A.S not Paul) were burnt alive because they believed and stayed steadfast. Allah talks about them in Quran as follows:
[85] Woe to the makers of the pit (of fire), Fire supplied (abundantly) with fuel. Behold! they sat over against the (fire), And they witnessed (all) that they were doing against the Believers. And they ill-treated them for no other reason than that they believed in God All mighty, Exalted in Power, Worthy of all Praise!
Bilal R.A was tested if you remember! His test was harder because he was not weak like us. Nothing stopped him from saying that truth, and then Allah’s help came and he passed the test with flying colors!
In short, all we can do in life is try. Try and we will succeed.  Be proud of who you are, what you believe in, your people, your history and your bright future.
And BTW never under estimate the power of a weak Muslim because the prophet Mohammad S.A.W said that “the believer sees with the Light of Allah!”. And my dear friends, if you have light of Allah, you have everything!

Gaza and the Muslim world!

So Paris Hilton opened her new store in Makkah close to the holy mosque. I think this is a good thing because now Muslims can properly accessorize themselves before entering Masjid-al-Haram! It will not only increase their takwa but they will look and smell good too. Paris Hilton is so thoughtful. At least there is someone who cares about Muslims. She can really improve her sales by claiming in her advertisements that “Passport (Fragrance) by Paris Hilton. Get extra 1000 hasanaat/naikiaan/points with each prayer in this life, and as the name suggests, it is also a “passport” to Jannat-ul-Firdoos!!! Buy it now!”

Now back to the original topic…The rain of fire over the terrorists of Gaza is justified if you ask me and why shouldn’t it be?  I don’t think anybody can just sit and do nothing when the safety of their loved ones is in jeopardy, when the terrorists are planning massive attacks using their matchsticks, rocks, slingshots and other advance weaponry, and when you are fighting against the savage barbarians who should be stopped in their tracks to protect and safeguard your peaceful & civilized way of life.
The fear of rocks and slingshots in justified too, because one of the biggest victories in the history of God’s Chosen People (at that time) came with the help of tiny rock and a slingshot. The only difference between now and then is that the roles are reserved. This time, the army of Goliath is playing their part by using rocks & slingshots, but unlike last time, the chosen people are better equipped in every imaginable & possible way.
But who is Goliath and who is David; who is with rocks and who is with tanks; who is strong and who is weak; who is good and who is evil; in today’s scenario, it is not difficult to comprehend.
I have seen many people on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc. talking about all that is happening in Gaza. Everyone is sharing the pictures of fathers holding their murdered sons, pictures of mothers with the shredded bodies of their daughters, and much more. General idea behind all the posts: America and Israel are evil, Jewish lobby, lobbyists and their control over American politics, bla bla bla… But instead of cursing the Zionists and the Capitalists, the only thing we need to do is to look in the mirror. The person is the mirror is the one to blame. We are responsible for everything that has happened and everything that will happen in the future.
Getting pissed at the Zionist lobby, their money and power is like getting angry at your neighbor for buying a new car. I mean he bought the car because he can afford it. Similarly, if Zionists can control political and public opinion of Americans then instead of getting angry and emotional, we should work on our own weaknesses and try to improve ourselves as individuals and as a nation. It is not Zionists fault that Saudis waste most of their oil money on building palaces and showing off. It is not Zionists problem that most of the Muslim leaders (those who are in power and those who are not) are corrupt. Hence “look in the mirror!!!”
Secondly, blaming the Zionists, protesting in front of them and asking them to stop is just pure stupidity. I mean everyone should understand and accept the fact that there is a war going on in the Holy Land. I don’t know your definition of war but according to me, both the “terrorists” of Gaza lighting up their matchsticks and the response efforts of  Zionists to blow out the flame(of matchsticks) with carpet bombing and missile strikes are acts of war and that is how wars are fought. It is true that one side is weak and the other one is super strong with full or silent support of the whole world. The side that is weak and without any support or help is in that condition because of us i.e. their “brothers” and “sisters”. We have abandoned them; we have deserted them; both as individuals and as nations of the sleeping Muslim world. Hence “Mirror, mirror upon the wall, who is responsible of this all?”
For me, Zionists and the Capitalists are more Muslims than we can ever be. They give importance and value the life of their citizens. An Israeli killed due to the matchstick attack from Gaza is considered act of war, attack on a single American is dealt with an iron fist, etc.  It may be surprising for you but these are extremely Islamic concepts and that is exactly how a “true” Muslim nation should react. According to the hadith of Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W) blood and honor of a single Muslim has more value in the eyes of Allah then the Kabbah. Muslim history is full of such events where life and honor of a single citizen was given the utmost importance. For example the clan of Banu Qaynuqa was thrown out of Medina when a Muslim woman was pestered to uncover her hair by some men of the clan. To make the situation worse, some mischievous men of the clan pinned her clothing such that, upon getting up, she was stripped naked. Single letter of a Muslim woman (to Hajaj Bin Youssef) who was in Raja Dahir’s (of Sindh) captivity resulted in the conquest of Sindh and the Sub Continent. A single cry of help and tears of a Muslim woman resulted in the conquest of Cyprus. Iqbal talks about the conquest of Cyprus as follows:

Dasht To Dasht Hain, Darya Bhi Na Chhore Hum Ne
Bahr-e-Zulmaat Mein Daura Diye Ghore Hum Ne

Not only land we bore Your (Allah) Word across the heaving seas,
Upon our steed of zeal, we rode unto their darkest boundaries

On the other hand, we so called Muslims don’t care when our kids are droned, when Raymond Davis kills our sons, when our daughters are massacred in the red mosque, when our scholars are murdered, when our sisters like Aafia are imprisoned…(I have much more to say but this thing is getting too long.)
In short: where is the mirror?” Find it, look in it, analyze, improve and conquer the world! I have no doubt in that! Time has come!!! (This is a reminder to me too!)

Knowledge, wisdom & understanding

Everyone is aware of the story of Malala Yousafzai who was shot in the head by Taliban wanabbes also knows as TTP. They accepted the responsibility of this senseless and inhumane act as soon as the story was out in the media. The speed at which they accepted the responsibility was faster than the speed of light proving Einstein right with their infinite mass (thick headedness) and zero knowledge,

understanding and common sense. They justified their act using the same religion and theology that prohibits it’s followers from not even ”touching” women, children, monks, old & weak, non combatants, but also crops in fields, trees, and animals. They justified this evil by using the same message that preaches that killing a human is like killing the whole humanity and saving a life is like saving the whole humanity.
After reading the statements given above, the first question that comes in our mind is that how can someone who follows or claims to follow this kind of religious philosophy can do such an act?
The answer to this question is simple but complicated, long but concise, vertical but horizontal and circular but triangular in nature. According to the statement issued by TTP, they base their justification on in depth ”knowledge” of Quran, Hadeeth, Islamic law & jurisprudence, Islamic history etc. But Huston, we have a problem, a serious one!
To better understand the problem, first we should look in Quran as that is the most important source. All those who have read the Quran with translation/explanation, will testify that whenever Allah talks about knowledge, He also talks about one more thing; one thing without which knowledge is useless. Yes you are right, it is called “wisdom & understanding aka حُكْمًا وَعِلْمً”. Now let me give you some examples to better understand this concept:
In Quran, Allah talks about prophet Joseph whose knowledge and wisdom saved Egypt and it’s people from total destruction i.e And when he reached full manhood, We bestowed upon him the wisdom to judge between right and wrong, as well as innate knowledge (12:22).
When Prophet Moses goes back to Egypt with his new mission and Pharaoh asks him about the murder he committed and the reason why he fled Egypt, he replies by saying i.e. I fled from you because I feared you. But since then my Sustainer has endowed me with the wisdom to judge between right and wrong, and has made me one of His message bearers (26:21).
And prophet Abraham asks Allah by saying i.e. O my Sustainer! Endow me with the wisdom to judge between right and wrong, and make me one with the righteous (26:83).
As we can can see in these examples, the importance and emphasis that is given to wisdom and understanding in the religion whose followers are famous for being hyper emotional. Hyper emotional includes people from both sides of the spectrum i.e. those who shot the girl, those who are always ready to burn stuff and those who just want to bomb all those who differ from their ideas of modern society.
Trust me when I say this, ”Emotions can never win wars” Wars are won by tactics, patience, planning and by wisdom. It was the impatience and emotions that cost crusaders and Guy of Lusignan Jerusalem and almost all it’s army. And it was the wisdom and patience of Saladin who waited for the right time (he planned up to minute) and location in the battle of Hattin.
A doctor applies his knowledge to identify the illness by looking at the symptoms and then tries to cure the disease, a General makes a unique and unexpected battle plan by applying his knowledge and experience (and destroys his perfect career by lowering his pants. Oh! I mean guard. yes! guard is what I wanted to say!). Even an anti virus program in our computers applies it’s (man made) intelligence and knowledge of specific patterns, signatures & attributes to detect and eliminate the virus.
END OF PART 1

Baba Bullay Shah said about people without wisdom and understanding:

Parh parh ilm qitaban da, tu naan rakh lya qazi
hath wich phar ke talwaran, tu naan rakh lya ghazi

You have read some books and call yourself scholar & a judge
You have a sword in your hand and call yourself soldier & a veteran

Take home message for today: If you have knowledge but no wisdom to apply that knowledge to the problem at hand, then that knowledge is as useless as “Snooki”. (If you don’t know who Snooki is, your future is bright because even knowing the name of such stupidity can destroy your odds. She is like modern version of Medusa. The onlooker’s brain turns into stone just by a single look. Trust me, I saw her and I am not the same anymore. The damage is done!)

self help can only help!

The elections are finally over and the Obam-ination of America continues for another four years. The promise of ”change” in 2008 was fulfilled resulting in this historic victory. Even though the change was only in the definition of the word ”change”, but who am I to question if the sheeple of America are happy (I am neither Democrat nor Republican and in fact I am against ”western democracy” but we can talk about that some other time).
Just like many Americans, Middle East & the Muslim world is happy and relieved. Obama’s middle name just give them some sense of security, which Romney’s middle name just can’t do. I am also unable to understand this philosophy, but it is true. They were really scared of Romney and the republicans but now they can breath. Pakistanis were worried about ”boots on ground” and the middle east was concerned about more American support for Israel in case of republican victory. I even saw someone in my Facebook news feed saying ”Obama wins!!! Now let us see what he does for (”to” would have been more appropriate) Syria!!!”. What all these people (& nations) fail to understand is that Obama or Romney, Democrats or Republicans, Black or White, Pink or Purple will never do anything for anyone. That is not how nations think or work. Nations only keep their national interest in mind. They don’t & should not care about Syria, Pakistan or any other nation and why should they?
If Saddam is useful, he will be used (helped) to take care of the Iranian revolution and flushed like a toilet paper when both nations (Iran & Iraq) are weakened because of the 10 year war. And after a job well done, they pull him (Saddam) from a sewage pipe like a clogged toilet paper and put him for a display. Afghans were ”Mujahedeen” until Russian disintegration and then magically turned into ”terrorists”. Pakistan stays an ally as long as they keep killing their own people. Saudis will always be friends as long as they are compliment. Gaddafi becomes a friend as soon as he gives up his nuclear ambitions, and discarded by his own 24 caret gold gun, when he has served his purpose. Hence, ”nations only work for and protect their own interests!!!”. It is funny to expect something from someone when you are not doing it yourself. It is not America’s fault that Pakistan is weak and cannot protect it’s borders and air space. Nations are like people, some are weak and some are strong. Consider the following scenario:
I was bullied in school and that is when I learned that you should shut up and accept everything as long as you are weak and cannot retaliate. Your good behavior, being nice, paying lunch money as tax, accepting orders,doing homework etc. will not change the behavior of the bully towards you. You have to take care of matters yourself. God help those who help themselves. Finally, I acted upon the proverb and helped myself by beating the **** out of the bully.
Yet again, ”nations only work for and protect their own interests!!!”. Pakistan will be ”droned” till death if it is in American national interest. Sad but True!!! Moral of the story: Instead of asking the bully to stop or help you with your affairs, you will have to help yourself. All I can pray for myself and my people is:

Aza’im Ko Seenon Mein Baidar Kar Dey
Nigah-e-Musalman Ko Talwar Kar Dey (Iqbal)

Awaken in them an iron will,
And make their sight a sharpened sword