One of the more important reasons for the formation of Pakistan was the need for a separate religious identity for the Muslims of the Sub-continent. Islam was hence declared the state religion in 1973. This was considered a logical move as 95- 97 percent of the population is Muslim, and there was a need to counter the otherwise secular nature of the constitution. Pakistan had a brief flirtation with religion
What will happen to me after I die? This is a question man has been asking ever since he became aware of the fact that life ends at some point. Why is it important to think about this ultimate reality? Everything we do in life has a specific objective and a specific outcome, the same applies to life itself. Almost all religions believe in the existence of life after death,
One of the brightest stars among Muslim scholars and the most gifted disciple of Shaikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Shams Al-din Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr, Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya was born in 1292 C.E. in a village near Damascus. Information about his early childhood and education is scant except that he studied the basics of fiqh, hadith and other Islamic subjects from his father, who was the qayyim of Madrasa Al-Jawzziyah in Damascus.
Allah (SWT) asks us to become Muslims, which means to submit to him unconditionally and obey every command without question or modification. After the era of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his companions, people started straying from the Deen due to weakness in Iman. They started making amendments in the Deen by creating seemingly harmless innovations. Such innovations are what we refer to as bid’ah. What is Bid’ah? Bid’ah is the
“Inside the only room of the house, a three-year-old girl … was lying on the floor with her hands and feet tied.” “She was in a semi-conscious state, and her mother was sitting beside her.” “…the couple had lit a number of candles around the child, which police believe was part of some magic ritual. Police also found printed material containing black magic chants and other information.” The scariest part:
Media in our societies today is much more influential than many of us may realize. How we think about and react to events and happenings around us largely depends upon the information we receive from different forms of media. Despite a strong presence of new media, TV still is one of our primary sources of news and entertainment. TV news anchors are undoubtedly the opinion makers for the masses. The
When I read Islamic literature or talk to Ulema, falling in love is a subject that is often avoided like the plague and – at best – looked down upon. Why is it so? We live in a world where men and women constantly interact and are bound to be attracted to each other. How should we deal with it? Should we just force ourselves into believing that it is
An exceptionally sweet tropical fruit with a grainy inner flesh, chiku adds a special sweetness to milkshakes and smoothies. However, its sweetness can also be explored through a simple, yet mouth watering ‘chiku barfi’. And, since this fruit is almost out of season…. here’s a good way to preserve its flavor! Ingredients: Here’s what you are going to need: 8 tsp Sugar 2 tbsp Ghee 1 cup Khoya 4 cups
“I couldn’t come yesterday; sorry to make you wait.” How many times have we either heard or said this sentence or something to the same effect? This may seem like something trivial to most of us and we don’t give it even a second thought. However, in reality, this is a serious matter that we should be concerned with. “O you who believe! Fulfill your promises.” [Al-Ma’idah: 1] Misconception about
“Baba kahani sunao’! This request (a demand rather) leads to one of the most fun activities I do with my kids. Their eyes open wide with wonder and fingers excitedly run over the illustrations as they make comments about characters in the story. Just awesome! Unfortunately, I don’t see this tradition being practiced in most Pakistani homes any longer. Parents are too busy to read to their kids and children