I am not really sure that i am patriotic. I cannot love Pakistan if it ceases to exist for what i have beleived it has stood for since my childhood. Yes, the same "Pakistan ka Matlab kya?, La illaha Il Lal Lallah".
The reason is obvious i am a muslim and muslims everywhere regardless of geographical boundries are one nation. We might not declare ourselves to be or we might prefer our geographical boundaries but the reality is that when a muslim is killed in Afghanistan or Palistine we all feel pain. We are like a single entity like our prophet said. Being a muslim gives us a national identity unique and boundless.
Islam does not discourage patriotism as long as its healthy and does not thrive on hatred or narcissim. A recent example "sab say pehlay Pakistan" slogan made popular by the Musharraf regime has remained with us even after the General was thrown out of the country. It started with Afghanistan and now recently i read it in an answer by a learned editor of a famous weekly youth magazine to a reader when requested to give coverage to the atrocities being committed against the Muslims of Burma.Her answer was and i qoute:
"You have left out Pakistan here…. Eh, it seems we don’t believe in ‘Pakistan first’."
If this is patriotism then i am not patriotic..
Lately a lot of speculation on the media is being made about whether Pakistan should have been formed or not, whether Pakistan's ideology is essentialy islamic or secular, whether all those people who gave their lives for this Pakistan were idiots or not?. Well not the last one in the exact words but since they keep implying that La illah Il lallah was not Pakistan's ideology and is a false interpretation of the Mullah for his own purposes then actually in a way they are saying that all those extremely educated as well as uneducated, devout and average muslims who gave up so much back then so that today we could sit on comfortable couches in front of cameras all lamenting at the uselessness of their efforts were infact idiots!
Another very common fact used as evidence against the logic of Pakistan is the lack of support of Ulema and scholars of that time for the cause of Pakistan. Which in fact is not completely true. A lot of scholars were in favour of the Pakistan movement and a few who were not, that was because they were doubt ful of the muslim leadership and of the effectiveness of the efforts of a muslim community (which was very weak spiritually as well as physically at that time) in creating an islamic state. Their doubts were not purely baseless.
Yes, the reality is that the muslim back then wasnt much better than the average Pakistani muslim now. Practical islam was as scarce as it is now. When one goes through historical narratives of the partition by different kinds of writers. Some with an islamic leaning some with a more literary leaning. One thing remains common and stands out. The vulnerabilty and surprise of the muslim at the hatred and barbaric treatment of the Sikh and Hindu.
The fact that muslims trusted them so much that they didnt do anything much to save or prepare themselves from their decitful friendly neighbor is very distressing. They didnt see it coming!. A muslim is or should be atleast always prepared(according to his resources of course). He is not caught unaware. This quality of a momin has been stressed upon in the Quran many a times. Majority muslims are the same today. Often caught unaware when adversity strikes and then chaos and mayhem results. Muslims should remain calm and collected at times of trials so that their senses are not rendered useless. So that they are aware of the gravity of the situation beforehand and are able to act accordingly.
The common muslim was as heedless of the basics of islam as he is now. Exceptions are always there but exceptions do not make up the majority. For a people who were fighting for a homeland to parctice Islam freely and not fullfilling the most basic Fard like performing the five times salah at the same time is an indication of the trouble to come. An indication of the price they had to pay for that freedom. Again i would like to stress that exceptions are always there but they do not make up the majority.What happened was inevitable and logical but not at all useless as what most of these media pundits are portraying.
No, we paid a heavy price because we were not prepared. We were longing for something very right but without the basic groundwork.
Quiad e Azam was chosen by Allah swt for a reason. He was the best choice at that time as a leader and NO he was not secular and neither was he a Mullah. He was a very normal muslim whose realization and understanding of islam increased after his involvment in the mission undertaken by him. He was unfortunately surrounded by the very element that deines the logic of Pakistan movement now. He himself knew it. On one hand was the aristocratic elite and on the other was the religious elite. Between these two Quaid-e-Azam was the only available balance.
Allah (swt)'s will was to create Pakistan. So it was created. Alhamdullilah. A lot may disagree with my understanding of our identity crisis and present day confusions but the fact is that the very aristocratic elite ( a lot of whom are portrayed as heroes in our national syllabus) involved in the Pakistan movement due to their own interests became the reason for this present day confusion about Pakistan's ideology. Everything about the struggle may not have been all so excellently religious or pure but it was not secular either! Its hard to state everything as black and white because a lot goes on above in the heavens when men struggle , a lot is forgiven and a lot is tested before freedom is acheived. One thing is for sure though. Even if La illaha il lal Lallah wasnt estabilished in our land as our ancestors wanted. We still have time to understand from their sacrifices, efforts as well as shortcomings and learn. Pakistan will be what we are. If we belief and practice La Illaha Il Lal Lallah with all its implications then only can we acheive what they all strove for. Pakistan is whatever we make of it. We can do better and so can Pakistan inshallah!
The reason is obvious i am a muslim and muslims everywhere regardless of geographical boundries are one nation. We might not declare ourselves to be or we might prefer our geographical boundaries but the reality is that when a muslim is killed in Afghanistan or Palistine we all feel pain. We are like a single entity like our prophet said. Being a muslim gives us a national identity unique and boundless.
Islam does not discourage patriotism as long as its healthy and does not thrive on hatred or narcissim. A recent example "sab say pehlay Pakistan" slogan made popular by the Musharraf regime has remained with us even after the General was thrown out of the country. It started with Afghanistan and now recently i read it in an answer by a learned editor of a famous weekly youth magazine to a reader when requested to give coverage to the atrocities being committed against the Muslims of Burma.Her answer was and i qoute:
"You have left out Pakistan here…. Eh, it seems we don’t believe in ‘Pakistan first’."
If this is patriotism then i am not patriotic..
Lately a lot of speculation on the media is being made about whether Pakistan should have been formed or not, whether Pakistan's ideology is essentialy islamic or secular, whether all those people who gave their lives for this Pakistan were idiots or not?. Well not the last one in the exact words but since they keep implying that La illah Il lallah was not Pakistan's ideology and is a false interpretation of the Mullah for his own purposes then actually in a way they are saying that all those extremely educated as well as uneducated, devout and average muslims who gave up so much back then so that today we could sit on comfortable couches in front of cameras all lamenting at the uselessness of their efforts were infact idiots!
Another very common fact used as evidence against the logic of Pakistan is the lack of support of Ulema and scholars of that time for the cause of Pakistan. Which in fact is not completely true. A lot of scholars were in favour of the Pakistan movement and a few who were not, that was because they were doubt ful of the muslim leadership and of the effectiveness of the efforts of a muslim community (which was very weak spiritually as well as physically at that time) in creating an islamic state. Their doubts were not purely baseless.
Yes, the reality is that the muslim back then wasnt much better than the average Pakistani muslim now. Practical islam was as scarce as it is now. When one goes through historical narratives of the partition by different kinds of writers. Some with an islamic leaning some with a more literary leaning. One thing remains common and stands out. The vulnerabilty and surprise of the muslim at the hatred and barbaric treatment of the Sikh and Hindu.
The fact that muslims trusted them so much that they didnt do anything much to save or prepare themselves from their decitful friendly neighbor is very distressing. They didnt see it coming!. A muslim is or should be atleast always prepared(according to his resources of course). He is not caught unaware. This quality of a momin has been stressed upon in the Quran many a times. Majority muslims are the same today. Often caught unaware when adversity strikes and then chaos and mayhem results. Muslims should remain calm and collected at times of trials so that their senses are not rendered useless. So that they are aware of the gravity of the situation beforehand and are able to act accordingly.
The common muslim was as heedless of the basics of islam as he is now. Exceptions are always there but exceptions do not make up the majority. For a people who were fighting for a homeland to parctice Islam freely and not fullfilling the most basic Fard like performing the five times salah at the same time is an indication of the trouble to come. An indication of the price they had to pay for that freedom. Again i would like to stress that exceptions are always there but they do not make up the majority.What happened was inevitable and logical but not at all useless as what most of these media pundits are portraying.
No, we paid a heavy price because we were not prepared. We were longing for something very right but without the basic groundwork.
Quiad e Azam was chosen by Allah swt for a reason. He was the best choice at that time as a leader and NO he was not secular and neither was he a Mullah. He was a very normal muslim whose realization and understanding of islam increased after his involvment in the mission undertaken by him. He was unfortunately surrounded by the very element that deines the logic of Pakistan movement now. He himself knew it. On one hand was the aristocratic elite and on the other was the religious elite. Between these two Quaid-e-Azam was the only available balance.
Allah (swt)'s will was to create Pakistan. So it was created. Alhamdullilah. A lot may disagree with my understanding of our identity crisis and present day confusions but the fact is that the very aristocratic elite ( a lot of whom are portrayed as heroes in our national syllabus) involved in the Pakistan movement due to their own interests became the reason for this present day confusion about Pakistan's ideology. Everything about the struggle may not have been all so excellently religious or pure but it was not secular either! Its hard to state everything as black and white because a lot goes on above in the heavens when men struggle , a lot is forgiven and a lot is tested before freedom is acheived. One thing is for sure though. Even if La illaha il lal Lallah wasnt estabilished in our land as our ancestors wanted. We still have time to understand from their sacrifices, efforts as well as shortcomings and learn. Pakistan will be what we are. If we belief and practice La Illaha Il Lal Lallah with all its implications then only can we acheive what they all strove for. Pakistan is whatever we make of it. We can do better and so can Pakistan inshallah!
Comments