What does it mean to be a Pakistani?

Being a Pakistani is not just about embracing an identity that differentiates you from the rest of the world. It's about proclaiming the right to be recognized as an independent and free human being with pride, dignity, honor and grace - no matter where you are on the face of the earth and no matter what you do.

From the beauty of the green and white / the star and the crescent on its flag, to the glory and passion that lives deep down the hearts and souls of all its inhabitants - everything is a shining testament of the wonderous vibrance and unconquerable grace that our country represents for us

- Proud forever and always as "Pakistanis" :)

Lets take a look at what it means to be a Pakistani from ideological, social and 'humane' perspectives as well.

Being Pakistani Means:

- Adhering to the ethical, inspirational and ideological essence of what our country was founded upon. The story of this movement is a story of the ideals of equality, fraternity and social and economic justice struggling against the forces of domination, exploitation, intolerance and tyranny. As Pakistanis we must embrace these philosphies which give meaning and worth to our existences as Free Individuals and as Pakistanis under one flag. That is what being a Pakistani is all about. That is what our culture should be all about.

- Sinking all our differences and standing united together under the same banner under which we truly achieved Pakistan and let us demonstrate once again that we can, united, face all dangers in the cause of glory of Pakistan, the glory that Quaid-i-Azam envisaged for Pakistan. That is what being a Pakistani is all about. That is what ou culture should be all about.

- Remember Quaid-e-Azam's 3 points of prosperity? >> Unity, Faith and Discipline.

As Pakistanis and as Muslims we must march forward under the banner of the star and the crescent with unity in our ranks, faith in our mission and discipline in our thoughts. We must fulfill our mission and no doubt a great sublime future awaits our enthusiasm and action.

We should always remember that : "Cowards die many times before death; the valiant never taste death but once" ....This is the only course of action which suits any self-respecting people and certainly the Muslim Nation.

That is what being a Pakistani is all about - That is what our culture should be about!

Pakistan Zindabad! :)

- Ali -

Being "Quiet" a bad thing?

My Perspective:

As far as my perspective on the topic goes, I think indeed our Prophet Muhammad (saws) was truly the most inspiring and utmost beautiful example of compassion, mannerism, mercy and patience for all humanity.

Being "Quiet" is something that majority of the people in today's liberal world percieve as a "Weakness". Freedom of speech, liberation of thought, expression of opinion etc are things that power the "Liberal" ideology throughout the west in specific as our world has evolved decade by decade.

Now, I live in Canada and I can safely say that a big majority of the people in the west have truly "lost" the idea and the concept of "patience", "compromise" and "perseverance" when it comes to human bonding because everyone feels they have a right to express themselves and practice their right of freedom of speech and expression of opinion, because somehow if they don't, they might come off "weak" in the eyes of society.

This sadly, is an increasing mind-set that is prevailing specially here in the west and that is where the "abuse" of freedom of speech takes place because people make it a matter of their ego, pride, dignity and honor when it comes to "difference of opinion" and hence they feel they need to utilize the vehicle of "freedom of speech" to come off right, preserve their dignity and most of all put their point across even if its insignificant to the context.


Islamic stance:

Now in contrast, what the Prophet Muhammad (saws) taught us 'practically' within his lifetime, is that being "quiet" or adopting "silence" does NOT in any way, form or level; shows one's "weakness" whatsoever.

People barbarically insulted, sarcastically mocked, heartlessly humiliated, viciously disgraced and arrogantly shrugged off our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saws) in the initial stages of his Prophethood, yet he persevered through it all, he stood his ground against all odds, compromised by putting behind his dignity, sacrificed by leaving behind his honor and adopted "silence" by not giving importance to his pride even though he was the last and greatest Prophet of Allah (swt).

Why? Why would a Prophet adopt "Silence" and "Quietness" when people insulted him, mocked him, humiliated him and all he ever did was smile back at them compassionately by keeping quiet!

The answer is simple! A "Muslim" is supposed to keep his composure, hold his ground and NOT succumb to the "Nafs" by giving in to anger and the best way to do that is keeping "quiet".

Breaking the shackles of "Self-Slavery"

Islam, gives us the oppurtunity to "Liberate" ourselves from the "Slavery" of the "NAFS".

When a person gives in to his "Nafs" by succumbing to anger, crumbling to lower desires, drowning in the deviant waters of revenge, hate etc...then the person is only entrapping, imprisoning and cocooning himself in the prison of his own EXISTENCE!

A slave of the SELF, is not true liberation

A slave of the SELF, is not true freedom

A slave of the SELF, is not true "humanity"

....because a human being is the grandest creation of God Almighty and we owe alot to our creator and the best way to liberate and free ourselves from our own fallacious shortcomings, our own imperfect designs and our own feeble and erroneous tendencies, is to SUBMIT ourselves to the creator- Allah (swt) UNCONDITIONALLY with all our hearts and all our souls with every inch of our existences.

THAT is true freedom and true liberation, and Masha'Allah the Prophet (saws) showed us exactly that as an immaculate and perfect example of the way a human being should be.

Hadiths of the Prophet (saws)

There's a Hadeeth where the Prophet Muhammad (saws) once said:

"A man who restrains himself from violence is stronger than a man who knocks down the other in anger"

Here are a few more Hadiths that express the dire consequences of "Excessive" talking in the light of Islam:

At-Tirmidhi relates in a hadith on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar:

“Do not talk excessively without remembering Allah, because such excessive talk without the mention of Allah causes the heart to harden, and the person furthest from Allah is a person with a hard heart.”

In the above Hadith we can clearly see how it profoundly POINTS towards the social culture that has rooted deep down in the west today that I mentioned at the start of my posts!

The above Hadith portrays how excessive talking results in one's heart to become hardened because when you talk without a reason just to be "talkative" or to "impress others" or to preserve your dignity and "image" in the eyes of others, you think your practicing your right of "freedom of speech" and "expression of opinion" whereas your only ranting monotonously, thus giving in to your "Nafs" and becoming your own slave!

Because when you talk excessively for the sake of "Not" being "quiet", then you lose focus of the "rememberance" of Allah (swt) and you only talk for "yourself" by giving importance to your pride, honor and dignity for the sake of the world to hold you dear in their eyes. But what about holding dear in the eyes of your creator - Allah (swt)? Isn't that more important?

Hadiths on avoiding excessive talking

Here are a few more Hadiths that teach us to abstain from excessive talking and adopting "silence" more often.

Uqba ibn Amir said: “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, what is our best way of surviving?” He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, replied: “Guard your tongue, make your house suffice for sheltering your privacy, and weep for your wrong actions.’”

-- At-Tirmidhi

It has also been related by Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Let whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day either speak good or remain silent.”

-- Sahih Bukhari

Final thoughts:

That is exactly why the Prophet (saws) never excessively talked. Never excessively laughed, never excessively did anything.

The Prophet (saws) only talked upto an amount that was "Necessary" without indulging in monotonousness of speech.

He adopted "Silence" in the worst of times when normal men would bulge out with anger in the face of humiliation and insult. ..

He only smiled back in silence!

Such was his utter and profound greatness as a human being, as a man and most of all as an example of beauty, compassion, perseverance, compromise, patience (sabr) and most of all "Moderation" to for all of humanity.

May Allah (swt) guide us all and enable us to achieve the kind of success and prosperity in this life and the hereafter, that a good Muslim is supposed to.

Ameen!

Allahu Akbar

-- Omar Khayyam's pearls of wisdom -- My take on them

"I resolve daily that at dusk I shall repent

For a night with a cup full of wine spent

In the presence of flowers, my resolve simply went

In such company, I only regret that I ever resolve to repent"

These are some of my favorite stanzas from Omar Khayyam's works. I just thought I'd express my take on them:

Omar Khayyam truly is one of the most scholarly and enlightened personalities in recent human history. A poet, mathematician, philosopher and astronomer - Omar Khayyam was one of the most profound torch bearers of human enlightenment throughout the 11th century, while the Europeans languished in the dark of medieval times.

I admire him in more ways than one.

The stanza mentioned above from one of his works, is a heart rendering medicine of wisdom and soulful healing of purity that ever human being on earth specially Muslims should hold deep down their hearts.

What the writer is trying to portray is how as human beings we live every day, every minute, every heartbeat and every breath surrounded by the extravagance, glitter, luxury and pleasures of the worldly life. Day by day, month by month, year by year our lives pass away as softly as sand through the palm of the hands.

We wake up every day to another God gifted "opportunity" to live and "exist" as human being and most of all as "Muslims", yet we succumb to the desires of this worldly life. We crumble to our tendency of "Imperfection" and that imperfection resonates through our choice of submitting to the will of our "Nafs" to attain worldly pleasures instead of submitting ourselves to the creator and the sustainer - Allah (swt) without whom we would not exist in the first place.

The pearls of wisdom expressed by Omar Khayyam applies to me in every thing I do, every thing I say and everything I exist, live and strive for as a human being, as a man, as a person and most of all as a blessed and gifted "Muslim" rich with the greatest treasure of them all - ISLAM! As it should be to every other Muslim as well.

The universe, the world and the wonders of all existence, has been blessed with so much beauty, immaculate grandeur, incomprehensible grace, unconquerable glory, immense and utter perfection, profound intricacy, majestic and fascinating wonders - All testaments of immense and utter glory, power, wisdom and greatness of our creator - Allah (swt). Yet every single day we live, we forget the very purpose of our existence, let alone the purpose and reason behind the inconceivable perfection and beauty of the universe!

We forget how every breath we breathe, every heartbeat that beats in our chests, every blink of an eye we live through, every drop of blood gushing through our veins and most of all every second of our "Being" is a gift from God Almighty with a purpose. We unravel and unwrap the gift but we forget its PURPOSE!.

Life is an open road that's there to cover the distances. There is no point on driving a car on the road if you don't know whats the purpose (Destination) of your trip! There's no point in turning on the radio, listening to music, turning on the airconditioner etc in the car every time you sit in it, yet not knowing where you want to go.
The inability to recognize your "Destination" on the road to life and realize the "Purpose" for which that destination holds importance, is the fallacy of the human being that throughout the annals of history has crippled our worth as the ultimate creation of Allah (swt) and not only have we suffered in this life, but we will surely suffer in the hereafter unless and until we: Recognize, Realize and Rectify - The purpose of our existence as human beings, our reason to live as "Muslims" and most of all the gratitude of utter and total "Submission" to the creator - Allah (swt) that we OWE to him for his infinite mercy, blessings and gifts!

May Allah (swt) guide us all to the right path and may we soar high each day with every heartbeat and every breathe as Muslims and may we fulfill our purpose of existence to the creator because "Submitting" ourselves to the God Almighty is what being a "True" Human Being is all about in the first place, instead of submitting, succuming and crumbling to the will of our "Nafs" which only pulls us down into the darkness of oblivion like quick sand.

Ameen!

Allahu Akbar!

My 2 Cents On Islamic Scholar - Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf - I have got to say that he is amongst my favorite Islamic scholars no doubt!

We need rationalist, educated, enlightened and passionate Muslims like him today to be the torch and flag bearers of the Ummah specially in times when we find ourselves under siege by the west.
I think his "Zaytuna" Institute in California, truly is a benchmark of Islamic enlightenment and truly a testament to profound vibrancy of Islam's eternal message for both Muslims and non-Muslims alike that helps resonate its perfection through the hearts and minds of people in more ways than one!


I strongly believe his revivalist ideas, his propagatory ambitions, his immense and utter intellectual perspectives, his profound and unwavering commitment to dialogue on religious, social, international and political levels, his gifted knowledge on contemporary issues and his inspiring research and analysis on issues facing the Ummah today and ways to counter those issues, truly and without a doubt make him one of the best Islamic Scholars that live today.

I have nothing but sheer respect, admiration and commendation for Sheikh Hamza Yusuf and I pray that May Allah (swt) bless him for all his Nobel efforts in this life and the hereafter!

Ameen!

Can Muslim Men Marry Christian/Jewish Women?

" In The Name Of God, The Beneficent And Most Merciful"

Asalam Alaikum

It is permissible for a Muslim man to marry a woman from the People of the Book (i.e. the Jews and the Christians), only if they fulfill certain criteria.

Allah (swt) in the glorious Quran says:

"And (Lawful in marriage are) chaste women from among the believers and chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you"

[Holy Quran: Surah Al-Maidah 5:5]

Based on the above verse, most of the scholars say that a Muslim man can marry any woman who is a Jew or a Christian. On the other hand, if we read the Qur’an as a whole, Allah (swt) also says that Muslims are not allowed to marry Mushriks i.e. people who associate partners with Allah (swt)

"And do not marry Mushrik (polytheistic) women until they believe. And a believing slave woman is better than a polytheist, even though she might please you"

[Holy Quran; Surah Al-Baqarah 2:221]

Moreover, we find that the Jews and the Christians too associate partners with Allah (swt).

Says Allah (swt) in the Glorious Qur’an:

"They (Jews and the Christians) have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah, and (also) the Messiah, the son of Mary. And they were not commanded except to worship one God; there is no deity except Him. Exalted is He above whatever they associate with Him"

[Holy Quran; Surah At-Tawbah 9:31]


The Christians, who claim that Jesus (pbuh) is God as well as the Son of God, insist on the supposed divinity of Jesus (pbuh) and worship him as such.

"They have certainly disbelieved who say, “Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary” while the Messiah has said, “O children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.” Indeed he who associates other with Allah – Allah has forbidden him paradise and his refuge is the fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers."

[The Holy Quran; Surah Al-Maidah 5:72]

From the above-mentioned verses and many such verses of the Qur'an, it is very clear that almost all the present day Jews and the Christians are committing shirk by joining partners with Allah (swt).

In another verse of the Glorious Qur’an, Allah (swt) conciliates all the above verses by informing us that among the Jews and the Christians there are also people who are true believers i.e. they believe in only one God and do not associate partners with Allah (swt).

It says:

"Among them (Jews and the Christians) are believers but most of them are defiantly disobedient."

[The Holy Quran Surah Ali Imran 3:110]

Conclusion:

Therefore, according to common Islamic sense and basic comprehension as Muslims, we can deduce from the above information that Muslim men are permitted to marry only those women from the People of the Book (i.e. the Jews and the Christians) who are chaste as well as who do not commit shirk i.e. those who do not believe in trinity and Jesus’ (pbuh) divinity. And Allah Knows the Best.

Islamic Banking - A force to reckon with!

Introduction:

Islamic banks appeared on the world scene as active players over two decades ago. But "many of the principles upon which Islamic banking is based have been commonly accepted all over the world, for centuries rather than decades"..

The basic principle of Islamic banking is the prohibition of Riba- (Usury - or interest):

While a basic tenant of Islamic banking - the outlawing of riba, a term that encompasses not only the concept of usury, but also that of interest - has seldom been recognised as applicable beyond the Islamic world, many of its guiding principles have. The majority of these principles are based on simple morality and common sense, which form the bases of many religions, including Islam.

The universal nature of these principles is immediately apparent even at a cursory glance of non-Muslim literature.

Usury was prohibited in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, while Shakespeare and many other writers, particularly those writing in the 19th century, have attacked the barbarity of the practice.

Much of the morality championed by Victorian writers such as Dickens - ranging from the equitable distribution of wealth through to man's fundamental right to work - is clearly present in modern Islamic society.

Significance

Although the western media frequently suggest that Islamic banking in its present form is a recent phenomenon, in fact, the basic practices and principles date back to the early part of the seventh century.

(Islamic Finance: A EuroMoney Publication, 1997)


It is evident that Islamic finance was practiced predominantly in the Muslim world throughout the Middle Ages, fostering trade and business activities. In Spain and the Mediterranean and Baltic States, Islamic merchants became indispensable middlemen for trading activities. It is claimed that many concepts, techniques, and instruments of Islamic finance were later adopted by European financiers and businessmen.
_______________________________________________________________

The revival of Islamic banking coincided with the world-wide celebration of the advent of the 15th Century of Islamic calendar (Hijra) in 1976. At the same time financial resources of Muslims particularly those of the oil producing countries, received a boost due to rationalization of the oil prices, which had hitherto been under the control of foreign oil Corporations. These events led Muslims' to strive to model their lives in accordance with the ethics and philosophy of Islam.

Disenchantment with the value neutral capitalist and socialist financial systems led not only Muslims but also others to look for ethical values in their financial dealings and in the West some financial organizations have opted for ethical operations.

Islam not only prohibits dealing in interest but also in liquor, pork, gambling, pornography and anything else, which the Shariah (Islamic Law) deems Haram (unlawful).

Salient Features:

Islamic banking is an instrument for the development of an Islamic economic order. Some of the salient features of this order may be summed up as:

1.
While permitting the individual the right to seek his economic well-being, Islam makes a clear distinction between what is Halal (lawful) and what is haram (forbidden) in pursuit of such economic activity. In broad terms, Islam forbids all forms of economic activity, which are morally or socially injurious.

2.
While acknowledging the individual's right to ownership of wealth legitimately acquired, Islam makes it obligatory on the individual to spend his wealth judiciously and not to hoard it, keep it idle or to squander it.

3.
While allowing an individual to retain any surplus wealth, Islam seeks to reduce the margin of the surplus for the well-being of the community as a whole, in particular the destitute and deprived sections of society by participation in the process of Zakat.

4.
While making allowance for the ways of human nature and yet not yielding to the consequences of its worst propensities, Islam seeks to prevent the accumulation of wealth in a few hands to the detriment of society as a whole, by its laws of inheritance.

5.
Viewed as a whole, the economic system envisaged by Islam aims at social justice without inhibiting individual enterprise beyond the point where it becomes not only collectively injurious but also individually self-destructive.

Summary

The Islamic financial system employs the concept of participation in the enterprise, utilizing the funds at risk on a profit-and- loss-sharing basis. This by no means implies that investments with financial institutions are necessarily speculative. This can be excluded by careful investment policy, diversification of risk and prudent management by Islamic financial institutions.

It is possible, that investment in Islamic financial institutions can provide potential profit in proportion to the risk assumed to satisfy the differing demands of participants in the contemporary environment and within the guidelines of the Shariah.

The concept of profit-and-loss sharing, as a basis of financial transactions is a progressive one as it distinguishes good performance from the bad and the mediocre. This concept therefore encourages better resource management.

Islamic banks are structured to retain a clearly differentiated status between shareholders' capital and clients' deposits in order to ensure correct profit-sharing according to Islamic Law.


Status Of Islamic Banking

When the concept of Islamic banking with its ethical values was propagated, financial circles the world over treated it as a Utopian dream. Having lived for centuries under the valueless capitalist economic system, they asked what ethics had to do with finance?

Attitudes are changing gradually and in the last few years' value neutral conventional banking has begun to trouble the conscience of an increasing number of people.

There is a reluctance to hand over the funds to banks and financial institutions that invest in companies engaged in unethical and socially harmful activities. The emerging Islamic banking scene has succeeded in achieving general acceptance.

Today, Islamic banking is estimated to be managing funds to the tune of US$ 200 billion. Its clientèle are not confined to Muslim countries but are spread over Europe, United States of America and the Far East.

Growth

Islamic banking continues to grow at a rapid pace because of its value-orientated ethos that enables it to draw finances from both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Islamic bankers, keeping pace with sophisticated techniques and latest developments have evolved investment instruments that are not only profitable but are also ethically motivated.

Today, more than two hundred and fifty Islamic financial institutions are operating world-wide.

List of countries where Islamic Banks are functioning

Albania, Algeria, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Canada, Cayman Islands, North Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, France, Gambia, Germany, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, The Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharja), United Kingdom, United States, Yemen.


Islamic Equity Funds

Today, more than 250 Islamic banks are operating from China to USA, managing funds to the tune of 200 billion USD.

Western banks, through their Islamic Units in U.K, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, etc. also practice Islamic banking.

Besides, Islamic funds have found a flourishing market in USA and Europe.

Islamic investment equity funds market is one of the fastest growing sectors within the Islamic financial system. Currently there are approximately 100 Islamic equity funds worldwide. The total assets managed through these funds currently exceed US$5 billion and is growing by 12-15% per annum.

With the continuous interest in the Islamic financial system, there are positive signs that more funds will be launched. Some western majors have just joined the fray or are thinking of launching similar Islamic equity products.

Despite these successes, this market has seen a record of poor marketing as emphasis is on products and not on addressing the needs of investors. Over the last few years, quite a number of funds have closed down.

Most of the funds tend to target high net worth individuals and corporate institutions, minimum investments ranging from US$50,000 to as high as US$1,000,000.

Target markets for Islamic funds vary, some cater for their local markets e.g Malaysia and Gulf based investment funds. Others clearly target the Middle East and Gulf regions, neglecting local markets and have been accused of failing to serve Muslim communities.

Since the launch of Islamic equity funds in the early 90's, we have seen the establishment of credible equity benchmarks by Dow Jones Islamic market index and the FTSE Global Islamic Index Series. The website www.failaka.com monitors the performance of Islamic equity funds and provide a comprehensive list of the Islamic funds worldwide.


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