14th August, 2020 – A SHIP WITHOUT CAPTAIN

 

14^th August, 2020 – A SHIP WITHOUT CAPTAIN

Today is 14th August, Pakistan Independence Day. The day arrives when Corona pandemic has almost vanished from the country Al-hamdulillah.

 

A strange thing happened to me this morning, something short of a miracle. I got up this morning and didn’t remember that it is 14th August today. Last night I did recall about the date and day but not this morning.

 

It was hot this morning and I decided to take a bath right away first thing which was not in my plan. I reached out to my clothes and there were two dress suits hanging, trouser with shirt and a shalwar-kurta suit. I first decided on trouser and shirt but it occurred to me that it is Friday (Jumm’ah) so finally chose shalwar-kurta. After taking the bath, I stepped into the living room where the family members were already seated. After greeting them my eyes stole a glance on the TV screen and then I came to know that it is Independence Day due to the special program being shown. Till then I was aware only about the day being Friday but not about 14th August. Then I suddenly looked at the shalwar-kurta I was wearing and was astonished!

 

Do you know about the colour combination of shalwar-kurta I had chosen to wear on Friday, August 14, 2020 without any planning? A white shalwar with dark-green kurta, a suit which I had especially gotten stitched as a patriotic sentiment few years back. But this morning I had co-incidentally worn it after many days only because of Friday without paying attention to its Pak flag colours that suit the spirit of 14th August also – SubhanAllah!

 

The above might seem a trivial self-serving account to others but its timing is quite wondrous. 

 

As far as Corona pandemic is concerned, we needed to overcome it with both worldly and spiritual measures and Al-hamdulillah we did it that way. In the end however it is only the Divine Authority which can empower or weaken us. If we adopt worldly ways to defeat any calamity then it is Almighty Allah only who has equipped us so and continues to equip us. Threats and dangers are still out there and manifest themselves in different ways. It’s good that many educated Pakistanis started saying their Salah (namaaz) five times a day when home-bound due to lockdown and they will carry this habit afterwards also in sha Allah!

 

While investing in a dress that has national colours is fine but it does not reflect the whole point of patriotism. Yes, tree plantation campaign does reflect it more, caring for the community without advertising our deeds on social media does reflect it more, striving to live our lives in accordance with Islam does reflect it more because Pakistan and Islam are next to each other.

Even if we subscribe to some Western sources for learning purposes but we have to still feel strong about our own Islamic values and traditions as outlined in Qur’an and Sunnah. Though there is a lot of disparity among various religious schools of thought in Pakistan but the spirit of Islam remains the same which we need to identify. The current TV programs and shows on Islam are not doing justice to that spirit of Islam because after all cable TV in Pakistan is just commercial media. Secondly, making and showing a film like ‘Sher-Dil’ on Cable TV on Pakistan Independence Day only exposes that you know nothing about the ideology of Islam which is closely associated with ideology of Pakistan.

 

Minorities in Pakistan have to be cared for just like the Muslims in Pakistan. They have the right to equal access in education, healthcare and other basic needs. But Pakistan government should desist from any plans to renovate or to build any worship place of Non-Muslims ‘from its own expenses’. Non-Muslim communities in Pakistan can build or renovate their worship places from their own money after approval from authorities. It is because ‘Shirk’ (associating partners with Allah) is the biggest sin in Islam and it is absolutely forbidden in Islam for a Muslim to contribute ANY share in Shirk-based projects or activities of Non-Muslims. No matter who tells you otherwise, in the end you are accountable to Allah on Judgement Day, the length of which will be 50,000 years as per Sur’ah Al-Ma’arij, verse 4. A Muslim government is under obligation to provide security measures to existing worship places of Non-Muslim minorities only. Islam is very strict on some basic beliefs!

 

Being part of any Shirk activity or project means you do NOT believe in Almighty Allah as the One and Only God. Supreme Court of Pakistan needs to take strong action in this regard against individuals or institutions which are propagating that it is fine for Pakistan Government to build or renovate any worshipping place of Non-Muslims. Supreme Court of Pakistan is foremost subservient to laws of Allah and His Prophet (pbuh) rather than political entities.

 

We have to do our duty to the nation in our respective capacities as Pakistanis but Islam is at the base of everything in Pakistan and that includes Non-Muslim citizens of Pakistan also!

 

We will continue to learn from each other in future!

 

-      By S Roman Ahsan (14th August, 2020).