PakFellows Blog

I was in class 9 then. Each day, mom used to wake me up early in the morning. I was fed-up. At that moment I thought, at college life would be better. Mom would not care a lot then. But at college, I had a competition with one of my fellows, so I kept myself work hard till late night. The ray of hope at that instant was the ending of college and beginning of university era.

At university, the competition got tougher. Struggle to be a versatile professional was my ultimate goal. I did well, got into an esteemed headquarter of multinational company but the fight didn’t stop here either. I wasn’t much happy as I had to work hours and hours without break. I couldn’t spend much of time with my family. The distant between me and my friends started growing. I needed someone to share my feelings. I started thinking, life will be better after getting married and having a baby or two.

But I used to get frustrated when the kids were not old enough and on my return from office, they used to ask for a walk or going out for a dinner. I somehow managed the things with the expectation that when kids would grow up everything will be perfect. But dealing with teenagers was a much unpleasant job. I kept on waiting happiness as my children got married, I had grand children and finally I retired. Today, sitting under the umbrella, I repent that I wasted most of time waiting for happiness. Today, I have a lot of time to read books, think about past, think about my mistakes and I realize that I waited for something that was never to come. Happiness is a journey that is to be travelled not to be waited for.

I stood up, went to my house and called all my children and grand-children and asked them to join me on this weekend. I narrated them the story of my life and continued.

The truth is, there’s no better time to be happy than right now, right here. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It’s best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D. Souza. He said, ‘For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.’

This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. Treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with and remember that time waits for no one.

So, stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you’re off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you’ve sobered up, until you die, until you’re born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So work like you don’t need money, love like you’ve never been hurt and dance like no one’s watching. Everyone scream out – “I am moving towards happiness!! Right now, right here!”

– By anonymous

اردو شاعر۔ دسوہہ ضلع ہوشیار پور ’’بھارتی پنجاب‘‘ میں پیدا ہوئے۔ اینگلو عربک ہائی سکول دہلی سے دسویں جماعت کا امتحان پاس کیا۔ 15 سال کی عمر سے مشق سخن شروع کی ۔ ابتدا میں جگر مراد آبادی سے متاثر تھے اور روایتی غزلیں کہتے تھے۔ آزادی کے بعد کراچی آگئے اور کچھ عرصہ معروف کسان رہنما حیدر بخش جتوئی کی سندھ ہاری تحریک میں کام کیا۔ یہیں ان میں طبقاتی شعور پیدا ہوا اور انھوں نے معاشرتی ناانصافیوں کو اپنی نظموں کا موضوع بیایا۔ 1956ء میں لاہور میں رہائش اختیار کی۔ ایوب خان اور یحیی خان کے دور آمریت میں متعدد بار قید و بند کی صعوبتیں جھلیں۔ نظموں کے پانچ مجموعے ۔ برگ آوارہ ، سرمقتل ، عہد ستم ، ذکر بہتے خون کا ، گوشے میں قفس کے ۔ شائع ہو چکے ہیں۔

حبیب جالب کی سیاسی شاعری آج بھی عام آدمی کو ظلم کے خلاف بے باک آواز اٹھانے کا سبق دیتی ہے۔ نومبر 1997 میں جب اس وقت کے حکمراں جنرل پرویز مشرف نے ایمرجنسی لگائی تو مشرف کے سیاسی مخالفین کے جلسوں میں حبیب جالب کی شاعری دلوں کو گرمانے کے لیے پڑھی جاتی تھی۔

After the first century of Mohammad P.B.U.H and his close companions, Islam started being wrapped by concepts that either were crafted or were borrowed by other religions. Unfortunately such concepts became exactly Islam in next centuries. This was the time when an attempt of conveying the real objective of Islam and removing the veils of mistaken and misinterpreted thoughts could make Muslims feel a drift from religion. Obviously it was an unmanageable situation but the world of Islam found an eye which could see real Islam hidden behind thousands veils and a tongue that knew the psychological state of his audience – Mohammad Iqbal. The centre of his thoughts was Qur’an. He never considered himself a poet but used poetry as a medium to deliver his message considering the circumstances and customs of the country. For him Qur’an was a book that emphasized “deed” rather than “idea”. Obviously, a person who understands Qur’an very well, understands the world very well and knows the real issues of the world and their solution.

Iblees ki Majlis e Shura is one of Allama Iqbal’s final works. Sort of his last opinion on the world.

Iblees is sitting with his five advisors and starts a meeting with self-praising statements and explains what he has done so far to take the world at this stage. First advisor affirms his strategies and explains the state of people around the world. Second advisor reminds them about a threat. But first advisor corrects him and refutes his fear. Third advisor reminds them about another “serious” threat. Forth advisor provides the solution to that threat. Fifth advisor explains that “serious” threat again in more detail to let Iblees understand the seriousness of the matter. Iblees who is listening to all advisors refutes all of the fears that they have but discloses his own fear and considers it a “Real” threat to his satanic system. He explains why he is afraid of that threat and then he finally tells them what to do.

I am sharing a few lines here from this awesome piece of thought!

جانتا ہوں میں یہ امت حاملِ قرآں نہیں
ہے وہی سرمایہ داری بندہء مومن کا دیں
جانتا ہوں میں کہ مشرق کی اندھیری رات میں
بے ید بیضا ہے پیرانِ حرم کی آستیں
عصر حاضر کے تقاضوں سے ہے لیکن یہ خوف
ہو نہ جائے آشکارا شرعِ پیغمبر کہیں
الحذر آئین پیغمبر سے سو بار الحذر
حافظ ناموس زن، مرد آزما، مرد آفریں
موت کا پیغام ہر نوع غلامی کے لیے
نے کوئی فغفور و خاقاں، نے فقیر رہ نشیں
کرتا ہے دولت کو ہر آلودگی سے پاک و صاف
منعموں کو مال و دولت کا بناتا ہے امیں
اس سے بڑھ کر اورکیا فکر و عمل کا انقلاب!
بادشاہوں کی نہیں اللہ کی ہے یہ زمیں
چشمِ عالم سے رہے پوشیدہ یہ آئیں تو خوب
یہ غنیمت ہے کہ خود مومن ہے محرومِ یقیں!
ہے یہی بہتر الہیات میں الجھا رہے
یہ کتاب اللہ کی تاویلات میں الجھا رہے

توڑ ڈالیں جس کی تکبریں طلسمِ شش جہات
ہو نہ روشن اس خدا اندیش کی تاریک رات!
ابنِ مریم مر گیا یا زندہء جاوید ہے؟
ہیں صفاتِ ذاتِ حق سے جدا یا عین ذات؟
آنے والے سے مسیح ناصری مقصود ہے
یا مجدد جس میں ہوں فرزند مریم کے صفات؟
ہیں کلام اللہ کے الفاظ حادث یا قدیم
امتِ مرحوم کی ہے کس عقیدے میں نجات؟
کیا مسلماں کے لیے کافی نہیں اس دور میں
یہ الہیات کے ترشے ہوئے لات و منات؟
تم اسے بیگانہ رکھو عالمِ کردار سے
تا بساطِ زندگی میں اس کے سب مہرے ہوں مات!
خیر اسی میں ہے قیامت تک رہے مومن غلام
چھوڑ کر اوروں کی خاطر یہ جہانِ بے ثبات
ہے وہی شعر و تصوف اس کے حق میں خوب تر
جو چھپا دے اس کی آنکھوں سے تماشائے حیات!
ہر نفس ڈرتا ہوں اس امت کی بیداری سے میں
ہے حقیقت جس کے دیں کی احتسابِ کائنات!
مست رکھو ذکر و فکرِ صبحگاہی میں اسے
پختہ تر کر دو مزاجِ خانقاہی میں اسے

پیار کا پہلا شہر مستنصر حسين تارڑ کا ایک ناول ہے۔ یہ ان کے پیرس کے سفر سے ماخوذ ہے۔پاسکل اور سنان کی دوستی اور علیحدگی ناول کا مرکزی خیال ہے۔
”پیار کا پہلا شہر ”جو ابھی تک بیسٹ سیلر ہے ۔ بقول مستنصر حسین تارڑ صرف اس ایک ناول میں سے میرے کچن کا آدھا خرچہ چلتا ہے ۔ وہ بتاتے ہیں کہ مجھے کئی معذور لڑکیاں ملی ہیں جنہوں نے اپنا نام اس ناول کی ہیروئن پر پاسکل رکھا ہوا ہے ۔

یہ ناول ماسکو یونیورسٹی کے شعبہ اردو میں بطور سلیبس شامل ہے۔

Patriotism isn’t in displaying the white and green, it is in the heart, and what is in the heart manifests itself through action. Patriotism is caring and doing for the wellbeing of your country, instead of complaining that it’s stuck in a rut, and to do that you don’t have to make million-dollar donations. Every wrapper thrown in the bin instead of being littered on the street is an expression of love for your country and consideration for its wellbeing and that of its people. Every traffic rule you obey is cooperation with the millions that share the roads with you, and concern for the lives that travel its paths. Every time you stop yourself from initiating a poisonous and ever-expanding wave of rumours, you refrain from weakening the social base of your country. Every civil word from your lips moulds the identity of your nation instead of trampling it in the dust.

It is these things, which we consider small and inconsequential, that are the true spirit of patriotism. You might say patriotism is a poison when directed the wrong way, but it is also a driving force when channelled properly. Nobody’s going to do the channelling for you. We all contribute towards directing its flow. Disposing of litter correctly and speaking civilly to your family and friends may not be acts of world-shaking proportions, but they are nation-building acts. What makes it difficult is that we think of these acts as pretty tableside manners, not to be taken seriously, no matter in what form they are presented to us. These are more than the material of parental lectures: this is the stuff of humanity. The same things that build humanity in general build nations in particular. The same drops join to form a stream that join to form a sea.

- By Iqra Asad

اس ناوَل کی مصنفہ رفعت سراج ایک منجھی ہوئی قلمکار کی حیثیت رکھتی ہیں ۔ انہوں نے بہت سے ناول قلمبند کئے ہیں۔ ان کے ناول کسی بھی طور پر بین الاقوامی معیار سے کم نہیں ہیں۔رفعت سراج اپنے ناولوں میں قاری کو ہر طرح سے اپنی گرفت میں رکھتی ہیں اور ناول کے پڑھنے کے ساتھ ساتھ یہ گرفت مضبوط ہوتی چلی جاتی ہے۔