By Afshan Gazi
One can survive but cannot live in isolation in this advanced world. We can spend most of our time with computers and other gadgets; but we need others in order to survive. There are scores of associates who are there for us like our parents, brothers, sisters and other people who subsist in our proximity. With parents you can talk only in the capacity of their child. With your brother and sister you can be friendly but you necessarily need to follow some important norms. But if you are lucky enough, you can search out a person in your life in front of which you can open your mind without any restrictions and you proudly call him your ‘friend’. You can have friends with anyone but the one who has same problems, same age and the same conditions in life as you may have proves to be your best friend , your soul mate because it’s only him who in real sense can understand you and your problems.
Life is divided into few phases. In the initial stage when you are a kid, anybody who talks to you nicely or gives you toys and chocolate kind of things is your friend. In the next stage when you join the school, one with whom you share your table, lunch, notebook and other eatables becomes your friend. Your senses start growing and hence change the definition of your friend. You start expecting more and giving more. Then these relations keep on strengthening with time. After school, you get into some college and in this stage most of the find true and lifelong friends. After that you get into some profession and then finally get married. Your friend stays with you through all these changes and then you have your children who make friends and this pleasant circle goes on and on...
A friend is someone who stands by you through thick and thin and accepts you accepts you are...understands you, trusts you, guides you and supports you....a friend knows every damn thing about u still manages to love; you all the way. A friend knows your past, stays with you in your present and has full faith in your future.
A true friend is a blessing from above, who after penetrating, touches the walls of the heart and stays in your soul. A sincere friend is honest, frank, truthful, cheerful and above all reliable. You can always count on him at the times of distress. Even if your chum cannot lend a hand, his only presence makes you feel improved. A true friend always takes you across the oceans of problems and difficulties... There are many who can wipe tears of eyes but only your friend can see the aches of your heart. Rightly said, your relationship with your friend should be like the one between the eyes and hands. Whenever your eyes cry, your hands wipe away the tears and whenever your hands get hurt, eyes cry. When you have very intimate relationship with your friend, you have to give all you have to make your friend happy, what if you are not a part of that happiness, whatever lies behind u, whatever lies in front of you that hardly matters what is important is that what lies within you...n a friend always helps u to discover all your hidden potentials... shows u a new way to life. Whenever two people are close, words are often said and things are done that never intend to hurt but somehow they do. At such times, we must have the courage to forgive our friends. We are often taught that we must forgive our enemies but I think it’s more difficult to forgive friends... we need to have compassion and love for each other that will polish our relationship and make it even more stronger. To have long term friendships develop short term memory. Your friend is always keen and enthusiastic to spend quality time with u. It’s not necessary to do great things in companionship, do small things but with great love. And if you really do small things every day, big things will one day come to you, asking to be done... it’s the little things that matter the most. What good is a microwave without the connection of electricity? A first-rate camaraderie is the blending of two forgivers. Friends and diamonds have few things in common both are precious, rare and add color to the life...life may change with time the way seasons do but your friends never get changed. They remain same and always there for you... it’s often said that old friends are best friends. Give yourself a chance and you will see that new friends will also turn old one day and will certainly prove to be the best of all the times.., people readily accept your praises and qualities that your friend associates with you. A false friend can prove worse than an enemy and can do greater harm, if your friend breaks your trust he becomes a curse. When someone gets an entry in your life, he can either make it better or just worse than it is. A friend not only gives a physical and mental support but supports you monetarily, at times. Even silence speaks in volumes when you are with your friend. You need not to mention the dilemma; your intimate friend recognizes it. He can understand your gestures and stupid expressions … by its love; makes your life a better place. A friend often looks up to you just to see your happy face… people are alone, without friends, because they build walls where they are supposed to build bridges. You get your family by chance but you always have the friends of your choice. So, treat your family as friends and friends as family… friends can turn a common place into beauty and splendor… there’s nothing in the world that true friendship cannot change..
Friends are unselfish and kind,
For it sees with its heart and not with its mind!!
It’s free but priceless.
Friendship, like pure magic,
Is life’s sweetest mystery…
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Role of youth in decision making.
Afshan gazi
Imagine a world full of magic and fantasies weaved inside out…imagine a world where youngsters will have their say, imagine a world where youngsters are involved in decision making.
The problem with this concept of youngsters as decision makers is that so far it is a fantasy and a fairy-tale.
How else do you explain a country which is widely proclaimed as the world’s youngest nation, there’s ironically but not surprisingly a serious shortage of young leaders and decision makers? For me the answer is simple, and complicated at the same time. It is simple because young people are rarely taken seriously enough take their advice let alone act as decision makers. But at the same time it’s complicated and confusing because one of the most often repeated clichés of all the times is “the future belongs to the youth”.
There is, this vicious circle, in which the older generation keeps on saying that the future belongs to the youth but the youth never get a chance to run the world till they are old and the new old says the same thing that the old old used to say, “The future belongs to the youth”.
Many blame the youth of being impatient and idealistic. But those people fail to see the fire within that does not blow away in the face of the storms. They fail to see the light that rises from hearts of the youth of this nation.
The decision making process for a young person to me involves a stratification of some of the major areas where these decisions matter. These include but are not limited to the home, the institutes of education and the instruments of the state.
I fail to remember even one person who is involved in the decision making process at a larger national or international level. People often cite examples like Rahul Gandhi or Omer Abdullah as young people who are involved in decision making-it’s nothing, continuity of political families. These children born not with silver but with platinum spoons in their mouth are not representative youth of our nation. Now even technically youth is defined as the age group from 15-35 and both of them are overage. And the main reason they involved in a decision making process at national and state levels is simply that they belong to political families. Their personal capabilities are not the major reason for their being there where they are and that holds true for the maximum number of young people sitting in the parliament today. There are examples from Jyotirade scindia to Sachin pilot.
India- is the largest democracy but by and large it is “feudal democracy” where family lineage is more important for staying in politics and reaching the decision making stage. A democracy is yet to be born in India, where real youth will be the decision makers. India by all standards is an elite democracy~ where millions of rural and tribal youth have no say.
The only place where young people have their say is the IT industry or the BPO industry. And the reason for that, I suspect is that both are very young industries who earliest pioneers are hardly older than 45 years and they are the industries where innovation not tradition is the key to stay in the business. But both these industries are exceptions rather than a rule. It is not enough to have youth policies and national bodies representing youth. While consultations can be of some value, young people are increasingly demanding that they should also be involved in decision making process at all levels. One time consultations or opinion polls are not adequate means of engaging them as active citizens. They want recognition as partners as significant contributors to public policy. They want their own organizations and networks through which to articulate heir concerns. The active involvement of young people must be embedded in the political processes at the local, national and global levels so they become the subjects and not the objects of the policies that affect their lives. Government need to lend their support and be willing to engage in dialogue with youth-led organizations.
The youth today at its incapability to change the way the world is run has raised a generation of malcontents. I will not say how important the role of youth in decision making is. It will be like arguing why freedom of expression is important. The question is not whether or not, the question is when.
Imagine a world full of magic and fantasies weaved inside out…imagine a world where youngsters will have their say, imagine a world where youngsters are involved in decision making.
The problem with this concept of youngsters as decision makers is that so far it is a fantasy and a fairy-tale.
How else do you explain a country which is widely proclaimed as the world’s youngest nation, there’s ironically but not surprisingly a serious shortage of young leaders and decision makers? For me the answer is simple, and complicated at the same time. It is simple because young people are rarely taken seriously enough take their advice let alone act as decision makers. But at the same time it’s complicated and confusing because one of the most often repeated clichés of all the times is “the future belongs to the youth”.
There is, this vicious circle, in which the older generation keeps on saying that the future belongs to the youth but the youth never get a chance to run the world till they are old and the new old says the same thing that the old old used to say, “The future belongs to the youth”.
Many blame the youth of being impatient and idealistic. But those people fail to see the fire within that does not blow away in the face of the storms. They fail to see the light that rises from hearts of the youth of this nation.
The decision making process for a young person to me involves a stratification of some of the major areas where these decisions matter. These include but are not limited to the home, the institutes of education and the instruments of the state.
I fail to remember even one person who is involved in the decision making process at a larger national or international level. People often cite examples like Rahul Gandhi or Omer Abdullah as young people who are involved in decision making-it’s nothing, continuity of political families. These children born not with silver but with platinum spoons in their mouth are not representative youth of our nation. Now even technically youth is defined as the age group from 15-35 and both of them are overage. And the main reason they involved in a decision making process at national and state levels is simply that they belong to political families. Their personal capabilities are not the major reason for their being there where they are and that holds true for the maximum number of young people sitting in the parliament today. There are examples from Jyotirade scindia to Sachin pilot.
India- is the largest democracy but by and large it is “feudal democracy” where family lineage is more important for staying in politics and reaching the decision making stage. A democracy is yet to be born in India, where real youth will be the decision makers. India by all standards is an elite democracy~ where millions of rural and tribal youth have no say.
The only place where young people have their say is the IT industry or the BPO industry. And the reason for that, I suspect is that both are very young industries who earliest pioneers are hardly older than 45 years and they are the industries where innovation not tradition is the key to stay in the business. But both these industries are exceptions rather than a rule. It is not enough to have youth policies and national bodies representing youth. While consultations can be of some value, young people are increasingly demanding that they should also be involved in decision making process at all levels. One time consultations or opinion polls are not adequate means of engaging them as active citizens. They want recognition as partners as significant contributors to public policy. They want their own organizations and networks through which to articulate heir concerns. The active involvement of young people must be embedded in the political processes at the local, national and global levels so they become the subjects and not the objects of the policies that affect their lives. Government need to lend their support and be willing to engage in dialogue with youth-led organizations.
The youth today at its incapability to change the way the world is run has raised a generation of malcontents. I will not say how important the role of youth in decision making is. It will be like arguing why freedom of expression is important. The question is not whether or not, the question is when.
are we united? actually not!!!!!
Realize that we belong to each other.
Afshan gazi
Why we claim we are united when we are not?
Kashmir is a nation of different religions, faiths and rituals. The climate is different in different regions as are the products, dresses, food habits, color culture and many other things yet in this diversity we claim to be united. We have certainly differences in ideas yet we believe that there’s oneness amongst people. But, the irony of the fate is that at the time of crisis mostly we get untied and forget about unity and oneness. We just think of ourselves and at the most about our families. Certainly, our elders and leaders are all busy in filling their pockets and youth in indulged in degradation, be it moral or whatsoever.
After getting up so late in the morning, we hastily have our breakfast and a glimpse of the newspaper and wonder what has happened to our society not realizing that we have made it that ways. We wish we could do anything about it then realizing that there’s nothing in our hands we go back to take a nap and again get indulged in seeking our self-interested desires.
Nothing except our families or friends is important to us. All we can do is to carry the slogans of kashmiriyat and freedom. We don’t remember that we must first deserve than desire. Fine, you tell me, do we deserve???
Our brother, Rafiq Ahmed shah , who was a student of Islamic studies in the university of Kashmir, is dying every moment in Tihar jail and the worst part of the story is that he is our innocent Kashmiri brother and what are we doing for such powerless and helpless people? ? It’s not only about Rafiq Ahmed it is about hundreds of such despondent and dejected Kashmiri brothers. Why that only KUSU (Kashmir university students union) is trying to rescue that person who is far above the line of suspicion?? I appreciate KUSUs efforts but is it their job??? Why don’t others realize that the students are the future of Kashmir and their time is so very precious not only for them but also for our nation? Still they are doing it. Why isn’t anyone else coming forward??? Where are our leaders sleeping who get up once in a span of five years and yell for votes?? Where are they now, when we need them and their support?? Our political parties and leaders make us their scapegoat for their personal benefits. Not only this but our media especially the electronic one exaggerate only those things which give them publicity and profit. Our police corrupt. The red-tape system and old style working of our departments has added fuel to fire.
It’s a matter of fact that deep inside our hearts we know it’s useless to expect anything from them. But, let’s all come forward to help such people. We need to do just small things that may affect the lives of these guiltless people greatly. In case if it would have been your own son or brother at Rafiq’s place, for god’s sake tell me, would your reaction had been the same. If no??? Then you have no right to speak about kashmiriyat and brotherhood.
Kashmiris are becoming the fuel of the fire and still are carrying the slogans like save Dal Lake and all that. For God’s sake, save people first… During these 18 years we have seen just chaos, confusion, turmoil, disorder and madness everywhere around us in Kashmir. The concept of peace has been eradicated from the minds of our youth. Peace has no meaning for our generation. We can just desire for the peaceful atmosphere, peaceful minds, hearts and souls.
Time is beating the fate of our own Kashmiri fellows and we are busy in attaining so called prosperity, fulfilling our selfish desires, making our careers and doing what not. We are constructing roads, buildings, railway tracks and all but we need to build up peace, cooperation and unity that are more important. We need to realize we belong to each other.
We are having so called representative form of government which is supposed to be answerable but quirk of fate once again is that our whole system is corrupt. Those who live outside this valley may say Kashmir is “the paradise on earth” or that it is the “Switzerland of the East”. For them Kashmir is the summation of Lofty mountains, dense forests, sparkling streams, blue sky, transparent waters , waterfalls but for those who live here in Kashmir the picture is totally different. Tourists from different parts of the world come here, pay a heavy amount of cash and enjoy time they spend here but we being the residents cannot get pleasure from it. Whenever anything happens good or bad we become nostalgic.
We exist like other plants and animals do but we have forgotten to live… we have borrowed our lives from death. After leaving our homes in the morning we are never sure of returning back. A bomb can explode anytime, anywhere like few days back it happened in lal chowk.
There are so many orphans, widows, children and elderly people who are struggling like donkeys do to make their both ends meet. What are we doing for them??? Rich is becoming richer and poor is getting poorer.
There are so many evils in our society which are impossible to enlist in one go. We cannot change everything in just the twinkling of an eye but at least let’s initiate it. It’s time to help people like Rafiq Ahmed so that nothing of the kind happens to anyone again. It’s time to get up, recognize our power and do something about it. Get up; we have got so much of time to sleep in our graves. Get united and make this Kashmir again a “Janat e Benazir”. Together we can face any challenge and we can not only change our nation but also the whole world.
Afshan gazi
Why we claim we are united when we are not?
Kashmir is a nation of different religions, faiths and rituals. The climate is different in different regions as are the products, dresses, food habits, color culture and many other things yet in this diversity we claim to be united. We have certainly differences in ideas yet we believe that there’s oneness amongst people. But, the irony of the fate is that at the time of crisis mostly we get untied and forget about unity and oneness. We just think of ourselves and at the most about our families. Certainly, our elders and leaders are all busy in filling their pockets and youth in indulged in degradation, be it moral or whatsoever.
After getting up so late in the morning, we hastily have our breakfast and a glimpse of the newspaper and wonder what has happened to our society not realizing that we have made it that ways. We wish we could do anything about it then realizing that there’s nothing in our hands we go back to take a nap and again get indulged in seeking our self-interested desires.
Nothing except our families or friends is important to us. All we can do is to carry the slogans of kashmiriyat and freedom. We don’t remember that we must first deserve than desire. Fine, you tell me, do we deserve???
Our brother, Rafiq Ahmed shah , who was a student of Islamic studies in the university of Kashmir, is dying every moment in Tihar jail and the worst part of the story is that he is our innocent Kashmiri brother and what are we doing for such powerless and helpless people? ? It’s not only about Rafiq Ahmed it is about hundreds of such despondent and dejected Kashmiri brothers. Why that only KUSU (Kashmir university students union) is trying to rescue that person who is far above the line of suspicion?? I appreciate KUSUs efforts but is it their job??? Why don’t others realize that the students are the future of Kashmir and their time is so very precious not only for them but also for our nation? Still they are doing it. Why isn’t anyone else coming forward??? Where are our leaders sleeping who get up once in a span of five years and yell for votes?? Where are they now, when we need them and their support?? Our political parties and leaders make us their scapegoat for their personal benefits. Not only this but our media especially the electronic one exaggerate only those things which give them publicity and profit. Our police corrupt. The red-tape system and old style working of our departments has added fuel to fire.
It’s a matter of fact that deep inside our hearts we know it’s useless to expect anything from them. But, let’s all come forward to help such people. We need to do just small things that may affect the lives of these guiltless people greatly. In case if it would have been your own son or brother at Rafiq’s place, for god’s sake tell me, would your reaction had been the same. If no??? Then you have no right to speak about kashmiriyat and brotherhood.
Kashmiris are becoming the fuel of the fire and still are carrying the slogans like save Dal Lake and all that. For God’s sake, save people first… During these 18 years we have seen just chaos, confusion, turmoil, disorder and madness everywhere around us in Kashmir. The concept of peace has been eradicated from the minds of our youth. Peace has no meaning for our generation. We can just desire for the peaceful atmosphere, peaceful minds, hearts and souls.
Time is beating the fate of our own Kashmiri fellows and we are busy in attaining so called prosperity, fulfilling our selfish desires, making our careers and doing what not. We are constructing roads, buildings, railway tracks and all but we need to build up peace, cooperation and unity that are more important. We need to realize we belong to each other.
We are having so called representative form of government which is supposed to be answerable but quirk of fate once again is that our whole system is corrupt. Those who live outside this valley may say Kashmir is “the paradise on earth” or that it is the “Switzerland of the East”. For them Kashmir is the summation of Lofty mountains, dense forests, sparkling streams, blue sky, transparent waters , waterfalls but for those who live here in Kashmir the picture is totally different. Tourists from different parts of the world come here, pay a heavy amount of cash and enjoy time they spend here but we being the residents cannot get pleasure from it. Whenever anything happens good or bad we become nostalgic.
We exist like other plants and animals do but we have forgotten to live… we have borrowed our lives from death. After leaving our homes in the morning we are never sure of returning back. A bomb can explode anytime, anywhere like few days back it happened in lal chowk.
There are so many orphans, widows, children and elderly people who are struggling like donkeys do to make their both ends meet. What are we doing for them??? Rich is becoming richer and poor is getting poorer.
There are so many evils in our society which are impossible to enlist in one go. We cannot change everything in just the twinkling of an eye but at least let’s initiate it. It’s time to help people like Rafiq Ahmed so that nothing of the kind happens to anyone again. It’s time to get up, recognize our power and do something about it. Get up; we have got so much of time to sleep in our graves. Get united and make this Kashmir again a “Janat e Benazir”. Together we can face any challenge and we can not only change our nation but also the whole world.
IS IT STILL A PARADISE
My world is not yet completely dead as I don’t know whether I should write an obituary or not, Afshan Gazi portrays the tragedy Kashmir has turned to be.
Kashmir is cradled in the mountains of the Himalayas and considered as the Switzerland of South Asia. It has once been so beautiful that the Emperor Jehangir once exclaimed; "If there is paradise anywhere on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here." But then, is it sagacious to call our valley a heaven now? It’s turned into a virtual hell.
My father repeatedly talks a lot to me about his childhood. He talks about a foot long icicle, about snowfall that ended for days together, about spring that would bloom into the buds of badam vaer, about long winters and hot summers. And then, I wonder what will we tell our children tomorrow?? About the choked up streams, about snowfall that never came on time, about lakes that are dead, about trees that were cut just because they blocked the view. Not only that we can surely tell them about the bloodshed, about how bombs were exploded, about how children were orphaned, women made widows and how starving people died…then ultimately I come to a conclusion we the children of this age have nothing good to share with our future generations. We don't have those nostalgic memories which our fathers and forefathers relish by sharing with us. Unfortunately we have nothing good to share with our posterity. And the fault is not ours. We were brought in the world of guns and bombs. We were brought in a world where a man peeped at us 24*7 from behind a sandbag bunker but I think I am too worried about the future because the rate of destruction at which we are going there will be no tomorrow.
Kashmir was a paradise not only for the dwellers but also for the saints, Rishis and tourists. If you still go and ask a Bedouin in the deserts of Arabia what paradise looks like… his answer will most probably be the images of crystal clear sparkling waters, huge snow capped mountains, lush green fields…then think about it and you will realize that this image has a striking resemblance with the picture postcard image of pristine Kashmir. But we do not live in a post card. The Kashmir that's on the post card is very different from the Kashmir we live in.
How is it that the land that was once the favorite retreat of tourists has suddenly become inhabitable for its own residents? Let's not think how Kashmir was or how is it now let's think how Kashmir is now and how it can be and what it should be. Let us make Kashmir more beautiful than it ever was to the extent that the post card image of Kashmir looks inferior to real Kashmir. In spite of amassing the problems we need to come up with solutions. Friends, our fathers received a picture perfect heaven, gave us an altered heaven and we are preparing hell for the future generation… we have only one Kashmir and I don't think it is worth a risk. Kashmir is on the edge today; tomorrow it will be off it if we do not discharge duty in an appropriate way. We cannot get back what we have lost but we can at least save what is left off.
Arundati Rai once wrote," my world is dead; I write to mourn its passing". But my world; my Kashmir is not dead yet but I wonder if I should start writing its obituary.
Kashmir is cradled in the mountains of the Himalayas and considered as the Switzerland of South Asia. It has once been so beautiful that the Emperor Jehangir once exclaimed; "If there is paradise anywhere on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here." But then, is it sagacious to call our valley a heaven now? It’s turned into a virtual hell.
My father repeatedly talks a lot to me about his childhood. He talks about a foot long icicle, about snowfall that ended for days together, about spring that would bloom into the buds of badam vaer, about long winters and hot summers. And then, I wonder what will we tell our children tomorrow?? About the choked up streams, about snowfall that never came on time, about lakes that are dead, about trees that were cut just because they blocked the view. Not only that we can surely tell them about the bloodshed, about how bombs were exploded, about how children were orphaned, women made widows and how starving people died…then ultimately I come to a conclusion we the children of this age have nothing good to share with our future generations. We don't have those nostalgic memories which our fathers and forefathers relish by sharing with us. Unfortunately we have nothing good to share with our posterity. And the fault is not ours. We were brought in the world of guns and bombs. We were brought in a world where a man peeped at us 24*7 from behind a sandbag bunker but I think I am too worried about the future because the rate of destruction at which we are going there will be no tomorrow.
Kashmir was a paradise not only for the dwellers but also for the saints, Rishis and tourists. If you still go and ask a Bedouin in the deserts of Arabia what paradise looks like… his answer will most probably be the images of crystal clear sparkling waters, huge snow capped mountains, lush green fields…then think about it and you will realize that this image has a striking resemblance with the picture postcard image of pristine Kashmir. But we do not live in a post card. The Kashmir that's on the post card is very different from the Kashmir we live in.
How is it that the land that was once the favorite retreat of tourists has suddenly become inhabitable for its own residents? Let's not think how Kashmir was or how is it now let's think how Kashmir is now and how it can be and what it should be. Let us make Kashmir more beautiful than it ever was to the extent that the post card image of Kashmir looks inferior to real Kashmir. In spite of amassing the problems we need to come up with solutions. Friends, our fathers received a picture perfect heaven, gave us an altered heaven and we are preparing hell for the future generation… we have only one Kashmir and I don't think it is worth a risk. Kashmir is on the edge today; tomorrow it will be off it if we do not discharge duty in an appropriate way. We cannot get back what we have lost but we can at least save what is left off.
Arundati Rai once wrote," my world is dead; I write to mourn its passing". But my world; my Kashmir is not dead yet but I wonder if I should start writing its obituary.
Are we prepared????
LESSON
Sooner, later we have to quit this world, writes Afshan Ghazi.
You are not special; you will die too. Have you ever been on the waiting list for an interview? You never know when you will get a call from the boss but still you have to keep all your stuff packed and be ready with all your documents in order. Same is the case with our life. We are all in the waiting list of death…and can get a call from almighty Allah at any point of time. So don’t you think we should keep ourselves ready for this painful moment?
Life is indeed very beautiful, if we just look at it. But all beautiful worldly things have to end up one day. When this life ends up, it brings extreme pain and suffering with it. But, how one would come to know what exactly happens at the time when a person dies. Nobody can return to this world and narrate the painful experience of his death. But for us the only genuine source which can tell us what happens after death is Qur’an and the sayings of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) Islam says man possesses eternal life and interprets death as transfer of one stage of life to another. Death is just the separation of the spirit from the body which ultimately introduces us to another stage of life, life that is eternal. Life, that purely depends upon the good and evil done in the stage prior to death. But the moment of death is extremely very painful. Even if all the pains, sufferings, torture, grief, sadness and problems of this life are combined together, they would still be less than the suffering at the time of death.
Hazrat Shadaad bin Aws (RA) on his deathbed said: “The moment of death is worse than the worst horrors of life. It is more painful than being cut alive with a saw, more horrible than being cut with scissors and more painful than the bones being boiled. If a man came back to life after experiencing death and told it to people, the sleep and comfort of people will vanish”. Allah says in Quran “Every soul shall taste death” (3?185)
Each soul has been given a fixed date and cannot stay here forever. It has to return to God. Depending on its deeds, it will either be awarded or punished. That means it will either go to heaven or to hell. But then, everybody wants to go to heaven yet nobody is ready to die? Nobody remembers that we have been created for subsistence not annihilation. We have to die one day, sooner or later, one after other, that’s something we all are aware of and we also know that death keeps no calendar .Still if we ask ourselves a question, are we ready to die? The answer will be a resounding NO in most of the cases .That’s something I can make out. But the question is why we are not ready to die? We say that life is not a bed of roses but a crown of thorns, then why we struggle to stick to this thorn bed as long as possible? May be we all are so busy in our lives that we do not get time to deem that we have to die one day. We are not permanent residents of this very planet. We have to shift from the multistoried mansions to a small dark room. From the companionship of hundreds to solitude, from comfort to torment, and from unaccountability to accountability.
Still we are not ready to die, why? After pondering about it, most of us may consider that they have not done enough good deeds to face the almighty Allah, or that we are afraid of losing our loved ones, or is it that we are so much lost in this materialistic life that we do not want to leave this materialistic world that seems known and comfortable. Few people think that they need to accomplish all goals of their life before they die. Dying without having accomplished all their goals in life would make their life seem insignificant and pointless. What kind of goals are they accomplishing? Perhaps I will never understand that… some people say that they are afraid of death because it is unknown but we as Muslims know everything that will happen to us after death. So why are we not ready? We gather for processions and stuff like that, how often we gather to thank almighty Allah for all he has bestowed upon us… why are we being so indifferent towards death?
I am not telling you to set everything aside and think of the fact that you have to die one day…I don’t want that. I just want to convey that remember death all the time and you will not do anything wrong in this life which will pay you in the life hereafter.
Death is sure, so let us prepare ourselves for it. Offer prayers regularly and realize we belong to each other, eradicate hatred from your hearts, have faith on the day of judgment, be a true believer and not a sycophant and be righteous and fair in all your decisions, give alms to poor and needy and do not show off.
In short, be the embodiment of Quran and the teachings of ‘Sunnah’. That way you will prosper here and hereafter.
Sooner, later we have to quit this world, writes Afshan Ghazi.
You are not special; you will die too. Have you ever been on the waiting list for an interview? You never know when you will get a call from the boss but still you have to keep all your stuff packed and be ready with all your documents in order. Same is the case with our life. We are all in the waiting list of death…and can get a call from almighty Allah at any point of time. So don’t you think we should keep ourselves ready for this painful moment?
Life is indeed very beautiful, if we just look at it. But all beautiful worldly things have to end up one day. When this life ends up, it brings extreme pain and suffering with it. But, how one would come to know what exactly happens at the time when a person dies. Nobody can return to this world and narrate the painful experience of his death. But for us the only genuine source which can tell us what happens after death is Qur’an and the sayings of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) Islam says man possesses eternal life and interprets death as transfer of one stage of life to another. Death is just the separation of the spirit from the body which ultimately introduces us to another stage of life, life that is eternal. Life, that purely depends upon the good and evil done in the stage prior to death. But the moment of death is extremely very painful. Even if all the pains, sufferings, torture, grief, sadness and problems of this life are combined together, they would still be less than the suffering at the time of death.
Hazrat Shadaad bin Aws (RA) on his deathbed said: “The moment of death is worse than the worst horrors of life. It is more painful than being cut alive with a saw, more horrible than being cut with scissors and more painful than the bones being boiled. If a man came back to life after experiencing death and told it to people, the sleep and comfort of people will vanish”. Allah says in Quran “Every soul shall taste death” (3?185)
Each soul has been given a fixed date and cannot stay here forever. It has to return to God. Depending on its deeds, it will either be awarded or punished. That means it will either go to heaven or to hell. But then, everybody wants to go to heaven yet nobody is ready to die? Nobody remembers that we have been created for subsistence not annihilation. We have to die one day, sooner or later, one after other, that’s something we all are aware of and we also know that death keeps no calendar .Still if we ask ourselves a question, are we ready to die? The answer will be a resounding NO in most of the cases .That’s something I can make out. But the question is why we are not ready to die? We say that life is not a bed of roses but a crown of thorns, then why we struggle to stick to this thorn bed as long as possible? May be we all are so busy in our lives that we do not get time to deem that we have to die one day. We are not permanent residents of this very planet. We have to shift from the multistoried mansions to a small dark room. From the companionship of hundreds to solitude, from comfort to torment, and from unaccountability to accountability.
Still we are not ready to die, why? After pondering about it, most of us may consider that they have not done enough good deeds to face the almighty Allah, or that we are afraid of losing our loved ones, or is it that we are so much lost in this materialistic life that we do not want to leave this materialistic world that seems known and comfortable. Few people think that they need to accomplish all goals of their life before they die. Dying without having accomplished all their goals in life would make their life seem insignificant and pointless. What kind of goals are they accomplishing? Perhaps I will never understand that… some people say that they are afraid of death because it is unknown but we as Muslims know everything that will happen to us after death. So why are we not ready? We gather for processions and stuff like that, how often we gather to thank almighty Allah for all he has bestowed upon us… why are we being so indifferent towards death?
I am not telling you to set everything aside and think of the fact that you have to die one day…I don’t want that. I just want to convey that remember death all the time and you will not do anything wrong in this life which will pay you in the life hereafter.
Death is sure, so let us prepare ourselves for it. Offer prayers regularly and realize we belong to each other, eradicate hatred from your hearts, have faith on the day of judgment, be a true believer and not a sycophant and be righteous and fair in all your decisions, give alms to poor and needy and do not show off.
In short, be the embodiment of Quran and the teachings of ‘Sunnah’. That way you will prosper here and hereafter.
life is all about moods!!
LIFE
High and low, good and bad; they fluctuate like a roller coaster, writes Afshan Gazi.
Be aware of moods. Moods can be extremely deceptive. Low moods derail the whole mind. Such moods probably trick us into believing that life is far worse than it really is. We start losing our mental balance, when in low mood. It feels like there’s nothing to hearten and there’s no heartfelt bliss and everything seems yet so gloomy. In a bad mood, even the happy memories of the past may us cry. We take criticism into our stride. We lose wisdom, perspective and commonsense. Even the most important relationships come to a stop and communication becomes so very hard. One loves to be secluded and solitary and at times soliloquizes. Out of the frustration we feel that it’s the end of every good thing that can ever come in our way. Yes, it’s true that there’s something rejuvenating and peaceful about being alone and having some time to reflect, work, or simply enjoy the quiet. But it’s true when your mood is good. In a good mood, being alone helps to balance out the confusion that infiltrated much of our day. But, life seems worse if you are alone in a bad mood. Life sounds serious and difficult. We take small things personally and often misinterpret those around us and impute malignant motives into their actions.
When we are low rather than blaming our mood we feel that our whole life is wrong. It really saddens us. At times, even humor makes us cry. We exaggerate small problems and make our lives pathetic. Life becomes sluggish, swiftness is no more present in our lives. We see our future timid and awful. Depending on our moods we interpret identical circumstances in total contrast. In a low mood, we just fix blames and never think of fixing the problems. We must always remember, in life “when the going is tough, the tough get going”.
In a good mood life rocks and everything just seems so great and beautiful. It becomes so easy to carry on with the relationships. Our attitude becomes positive. We can be more creative and we can achieve better. We feel independent, free and out of the world. Our heart, mind and soul become alive. We have hope and that makes life full of ecstasy. Circumstances hardly matter and we get to know that life is certainly learnt backwards but lived forward. To cope up with any problem, we need to feel good and learn to handle our stress. Once we get to know how to handle stress, life will be a smooth ride for us all. In a low mood, we must change ourselves in a proper way and this is the only step we need to take. If this happens all the rest will fall in place.
The principles which we apply in the traffic are quite similar to those which we apply to our day to day life. The person whom we most influence is ourselves and it’s just you who can turn a bad mood into a good one. We can try to change others but with our own selves we can make a complete U turn, that’s YOU turn.
In traffic, when our progress is blocked by a slow moving heavy vehicle, there is nothing we that we can do about it except wait patiently for the vehicle to give us way and similarly, we have no option but to steer away when another car is approaching our heads. In both the can the only one who can alter the situations is you.
We live in a world where there are cultural differences and also individual differences but this is something which makes each of us unique. Whenever you are in an a bad mood, learn to let it pass, leaving it alone. A low mood is no time to an analyze life. Be graceful in low moods and grateful in good ones. Next time when you feel low, remind yourselves, it will pass and it will.
understanding life!!!!
LESSON
Let’s be forthright and do everything to earn the pleasure of Allah, suggests Afshan Gazi.
Life’ on earth... is a span between the ‘azaan‘ and ‘namaz’. It’s a fact none can deny. When a baby gets birth, azaan is recited in its ears and he grows up facing the ups n downs of life and finally it dies and at that point of time namaz e jinazah is recited over its funeral. Thus, making its life a span and just a span between azaan n namaz...But, if you are a true believer, you know that it’s just a trailer or an entrance test which decides your life after death whether its going to be a dream or a nightmare …
Islam gives a clear, strong, true, perfect and real concept of life. According to Islam, life doesn’t end in itself on this earth but is just a transitory stage to a higher existence. Fundamental principle of this belief is accountability and the virtual life hereafter.
We all live in the world of eternal fantasies n just don’t remember what we are here for. Everyone is after success and a few of us after successful people, to get success obviously... we all roll in wealth when it comes to fetch worldly comforts but it’s just a few of us who have riches to spend in the way of Allah subhanawatalah…we all have desires to go for world tours but how many of us live to perform Hajj??? Most of us get up early in the morning and search for newspapers, cell phones and tea but how many of us get up early in the morning to thank our creator for all he has blessed us with…we find to study novels, newspapers, magazines..Even after getting up in the morning first thing we do is checking our inbox but how often we open holy Qur’an to recite just a few verses…
It’s interesting to know that Muslims who can read Arabic n who read Qur’an can protect themselves from various psychological diseases-”Al Watan” a Saudi daily reported few years back…Each letter in the word “ALLAH” affects the healing of psychological diseases. According to a psychologist, the pronouncing of letter (A) released from respiratory system eases breathing, consonant (L) in the Arabic way with the tongue touching slightly the upper part of the jaw and producing a short pause constantly, relaxes the respiration. Also, pronouncing the last letter (H) makes a contact between the heart and the lungs n in turn controls the heart beat. But, unfortunately, we teach our infants English n if by any chance we start to teach them some Arabic verses, we are considered to be out dated. We have irresolute and feeble beliefs.
Now a days, people are worried about their physique, looks n all that kind of stuff but are we actually ready to face the consequences…we are so busy with our daily schedules that we hardly get time to analyze what is wrong n what is not…we have no time for our families not even for ourselves. We don’t have patience none more important quality of our generation is that we don’t admit our mistakes unhesitatingly, acknowledging that we are less wise now then we were, before committing the mistake.
Life is not a bed of roses but it’s not a jungle of thorns too…life is a succession of moments. To live, each one is to succeed… Guys, we need to change our perspective, our views n our attitude. We can turn scars to stars... it’s true that life is given to us just one, but, if lived once is enough…if we choose to see the world in new ways; we can literally change the world before us.
Let’s build our character and strive to achieve excellence.
Let’s be forthright and do everything to earn the pleasure of Allah, suggests Afshan Gazi.
Life’ on earth... is a span between the ‘azaan‘ and ‘namaz’. It’s a fact none can deny. When a baby gets birth, azaan is recited in its ears and he grows up facing the ups n downs of life and finally it dies and at that point of time namaz e jinazah is recited over its funeral. Thus, making its life a span and just a span between azaan n namaz...But, if you are a true believer, you know that it’s just a trailer or an entrance test which decides your life after death whether its going to be a dream or a nightmare …
Islam gives a clear, strong, true, perfect and real concept of life. According to Islam, life doesn’t end in itself on this earth but is just a transitory stage to a higher existence. Fundamental principle of this belief is accountability and the virtual life hereafter.
We all live in the world of eternal fantasies n just don’t remember what we are here for. Everyone is after success and a few of us after successful people, to get success obviously... we all roll in wealth when it comes to fetch worldly comforts but it’s just a few of us who have riches to spend in the way of Allah subhanawatalah…we all have desires to go for world tours but how many of us live to perform Hajj??? Most of us get up early in the morning and search for newspapers, cell phones and tea but how many of us get up early in the morning to thank our creator for all he has blessed us with…we find to study novels, newspapers, magazines..Even after getting up in the morning first thing we do is checking our inbox but how often we open holy Qur’an to recite just a few verses…
It’s interesting to know that Muslims who can read Arabic n who read Qur’an can protect themselves from various psychological diseases-”Al Watan” a Saudi daily reported few years back…Each letter in the word “ALLAH” affects the healing of psychological diseases. According to a psychologist, the pronouncing of letter (A) released from respiratory system eases breathing, consonant (L) in the Arabic way with the tongue touching slightly the upper part of the jaw and producing a short pause constantly, relaxes the respiration. Also, pronouncing the last letter (H) makes a contact between the heart and the lungs n in turn controls the heart beat. But, unfortunately, we teach our infants English n if by any chance we start to teach them some Arabic verses, we are considered to be out dated. We have irresolute and feeble beliefs.
Now a days, people are worried about their physique, looks n all that kind of stuff but are we actually ready to face the consequences…we are so busy with our daily schedules that we hardly get time to analyze what is wrong n what is not…we have no time for our families not even for ourselves. We don’t have patience none more important quality of our generation is that we don’t admit our mistakes unhesitatingly, acknowledging that we are less wise now then we were, before committing the mistake.
Life is not a bed of roses but it’s not a jungle of thorns too…life is a succession of moments. To live, each one is to succeed… Guys, we need to change our perspective, our views n our attitude. We can turn scars to stars... it’s true that life is given to us just one, but, if lived once is enough…if we choose to see the world in new ways; we can literally change the world before us.
Let’s build our character and strive to achieve excellence.
life is like that!!!!!!
HUMAN EXISTENCE
Let’s not be too pessimistic about life. It is just a journey which gives some moments to lament, some to enjoy, writes Afshan Gazi.
Is life ever going to be fair? Is it ever going to give us a chance to stay happy? Is it ever going to be the way we want it to be? These questions often strike our mind. But we hardly ponder over one question; that is life meant to be fair? We at all times deem that life ought to be fair or that someday it will be. In spite of knowing everything, we hardly realize that it is not fair and it won’t be.
When we see someone complaining about life we feel very unpleasant and sorry for that person saying that life should have been fair for him without even thinking for a second that it won’t be. We are all humans and are bound not to be impassive. We all have hearts filled with pain, demands and desires, minds overflowing with agony, stress, burden and anxiety. But, in spite of all these things we can stay happy if we actually want to make life fair.
Different people react differently when in trouble. If girls cry, some guys smoke yet others drink and there are some insensible people who commit suicide just because they feel they can never make their lives better. But can we not use our reason and intelligence; not tears, cigarettes and all, to get what we want. There’s no problem without a solution and solutions are never found by running away from a problem. So whenever you are not able to solve a problem, manage it. Nobody is faultless but the problem is that we don’t strive against our faults instead we hide them. When we make mistakes we spend a lot of time in nitpicking about what’s wrong with life. ”It’s not fair” we say, not realizing that it was never intended to be so.
Now the question is: how to make our lives fair enough? And the answer is, with our own strength, will and potential. We need to consider all the positive reactions which will motivate us to positive actions and positive actions are strongest weapons to defeat unfairness of life. Most of us think that life is not fair not because they lack intelligence, ability, opportunity or talent but because they don’t give their problems all they have got. Many people argue, confront and fight practically over anything turning their lives into a series of battles. It’s the fundamental ingredient for unhappiness and frustration.
Depending upon the mode of life we have diverse parameters to determine unfairness of life like even small children feel life is unfair to them. They have their own rationale for that and I suppose all of us are aware of those stupid reasons. Shedding tears cannot do. There is need to realize the fact that as long as you are alive you have to face problems in one form or the other. There’s no one who does not have problems but the difference lies in the way you cope up with your problems. If you live happily even in stress, you are more acceptable and life does not seem that bad. Remember that the bad times are not there to stay forever. They have to end up so what’s the fun of being hyper about anything. Even after all this, if you still feel life is not fair and all the problems of the world surround you only then just take a nap and try to imagine people who have lost everything for one reason or the other…and try to comprehend how are you better than them and you’ll surely find out that you need to thank God for all he has bestowed you with. Do not say “life is not fair” just shout “I’ll make my life just and fair”. If you think you can, you can and if u think u cannot then you are right.
We can be happy in our lives and can make our lives fair just by taking proper decisions at proper times, by choosing consciously and wisely that which battle should we fight in our lives and which ones are better left alone. Life is filled with opportunities and to choose between making a big deal out of something and or simply letting it go. Choosing right way, we will be far more effective in winning those battles that are truly important. There are times when we have to fight for something we really believe in. And there’re times when we feel no one is with us, thinking that even god is denying us.
We need to be familiar with the fact that it’s not life’s job to make everything ideal for us but it’s our own challenge to recognize this fact which can be a very liberating insight. From self pity and frustration, move on to action and make life FAIR that will help both us and others. And when we surrender to the fact that life is not fair we do everything in our power to improve our lives and the world as a whole.
Let’s not be too pessimistic about life. It is just a journey which gives some moments to lament, some to enjoy, writes Afshan Gazi.
Is life ever going to be fair? Is it ever going to give us a chance to stay happy? Is it ever going to be the way we want it to be? These questions often strike our mind. But we hardly ponder over one question; that is life meant to be fair? We at all times deem that life ought to be fair or that someday it will be. In spite of knowing everything, we hardly realize that it is not fair and it won’t be.
When we see someone complaining about life we feel very unpleasant and sorry for that person saying that life should have been fair for him without even thinking for a second that it won’t be. We are all humans and are bound not to be impassive. We all have hearts filled with pain, demands and desires, minds overflowing with agony, stress, burden and anxiety. But, in spite of all these things we can stay happy if we actually want to make life fair.
Different people react differently when in trouble. If girls cry, some guys smoke yet others drink and there are some insensible people who commit suicide just because they feel they can never make their lives better. But can we not use our reason and intelligence; not tears, cigarettes and all, to get what we want. There’s no problem without a solution and solutions are never found by running away from a problem. So whenever you are not able to solve a problem, manage it. Nobody is faultless but the problem is that we don’t strive against our faults instead we hide them. When we make mistakes we spend a lot of time in nitpicking about what’s wrong with life. ”It’s not fair” we say, not realizing that it was never intended to be so.
Now the question is: how to make our lives fair enough? And the answer is, with our own strength, will and potential. We need to consider all the positive reactions which will motivate us to positive actions and positive actions are strongest weapons to defeat unfairness of life. Most of us think that life is not fair not because they lack intelligence, ability, opportunity or talent but because they don’t give their problems all they have got. Many people argue, confront and fight practically over anything turning their lives into a series of battles. It’s the fundamental ingredient for unhappiness and frustration.
Depending upon the mode of life we have diverse parameters to determine unfairness of life like even small children feel life is unfair to them. They have their own rationale for that and I suppose all of us are aware of those stupid reasons. Shedding tears cannot do. There is need to realize the fact that as long as you are alive you have to face problems in one form or the other. There’s no one who does not have problems but the difference lies in the way you cope up with your problems. If you live happily even in stress, you are more acceptable and life does not seem that bad. Remember that the bad times are not there to stay forever. They have to end up so what’s the fun of being hyper about anything. Even after all this, if you still feel life is not fair and all the problems of the world surround you only then just take a nap and try to imagine people who have lost everything for one reason or the other…and try to comprehend how are you better than them and you’ll surely find out that you need to thank God for all he has bestowed you with. Do not say “life is not fair” just shout “I’ll make my life just and fair”. If you think you can, you can and if u think u cannot then you are right.
We can be happy in our lives and can make our lives fair just by taking proper decisions at proper times, by choosing consciously and wisely that which battle should we fight in our lives and which ones are better left alone. Life is filled with opportunities and to choose between making a big deal out of something and or simply letting it go. Choosing right way, we will be far more effective in winning those battles that are truly important. There are times when we have to fight for something we really believe in. And there’re times when we feel no one is with us, thinking that even god is denying us.
We need to be familiar with the fact that it’s not life’s job to make everything ideal for us but it’s our own challenge to recognize this fact which can be a very liberating insight. From self pity and frustration, move on to action and make life FAIR that will help both us and others. And when we surrender to the fact that life is not fair we do everything in our power to improve our lives and the world as a whole.
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