Zeeshan,
There are no shortcuts. The only way to bring long-lasting definitive change to our society, and subsequently, our leadership, is one stone at a time, one person at a time. If I were to walk around and start preaching my message, however, I would be shunned, booed, made fun of, and turned away. The ONLY way to do it is by example. Decide for yourself that you will be all these things, and that your children, and their children will be all these things. Watch how many people around you are either shamed into honesty, or just love the way you live your life and decide to follow it. There is no shortcut. This kind of change will only manifest itself in the next generation, but we have to start somewhere, right? Sabahat From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Zeeshan Haq Sent: Friday, September 26, 2008 1:50 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [ankahi:934] Re: solutionS Sabahat, Every living human being will always be agreed with you on this matter... The biggest question that is still the we need to solve is HOW ? share us what solution you have in your mind... assume Pakistan as a room filled with 5 person and you have to build 5 qualities that you mention in your email... share us how you teach/preach/guide them such that they follow it in a way that their generation will follow it through.... Regards, ZH On Fri, Sep 26, 2008 at 12:28 AM, Sabahat Muhammad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Thank you Rehan, But I think the bigger picture here is that Islam is so distorted, especially the 5 pillars, that simply following them religiously won't solve our problems. We need to start, by example, showing Pakistan that the true spirit of Islam resides in these characteristics: 1. HONESTY 2. FAIRNESS 3. TOLERANCE 4. SIMPLICITY 5. CLEANLINESS Until we can breathe life into these words, no amount of prayer or fasting or zakat will change this society. As a simple example, Faisal repeatedly points out traffic violations by educated people – when you disobey a law of the land, and Islam strictly bids us to follow the laws of whichever land we may be in, you are neither honest nor fair nor tolerant (because in breaking one traffic light, you endanger others and you take away their right to safe travel, and you are impatient and arrogant – not qualities of a true Muslim). I can bet you that a good portion of these violators are people who pray, fast, pay alms, and have travelled for Hajj at least once in their lifetimes. They follow the tenets of religion to the letter, but have forgotten the spirit in which they are to do so. In the 1920s, Maulana Maududi removed Jihad from the 5 pillars of Islam and replaced it with Shahadah. He did this to present the world with a more peaceful face to Islam, but in doing so, he altered its meaning, and destroyed one of the most basic tenets of this religion: Struggle. We are bound, every day, to struggle for honesty and fairness and tolerance, to struggle with Iblis, and to struggle with our own wayward desires. Jihad is not 'Holy War' – there is no mention of a 'Holy War' in the Quran; war is only a means for defense against an aggressor – Jihad means to struggle with oneself, and to maintain, in the face of non-Muslims, a passive resistance to any alteration of Islam. Losing this part of the religion has damaged it immeasurably, but there seems to be no convincing people that what they learned about Islam may well be wrong. You will gauge that from the response to this post – I am sure a barrage of emails (including yourself, I am sure) will blast the notion that Jihad ever was a part of the 5 pillars, or that they may have been changed at all. Best Regards, Sabahat From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of rehan altaf Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2008 7:16 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [ankahi:925] Re: solutionS Sabahat According to your last para, I totally agree. Everyone HAS TO & WILL pay for their bad/wrong deeds in this world or after. Regardless how much he/she thinks is following Islam. All I meant was, if we cling to the basic 5pillars taught by our Beloved Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon Him) Inshallah Allah will grant us success in this world & the next. As far as judging as to if we are correct or not in our actions; our Beloved Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon Him) "more or less" (JO ILM HASIL KARO, US KE TEHKEEK ZAROOR KARO) have instructed us to investigate & confirm what you are being taught. Best regards, Syed Rehan Altaf 0300-8256858 On Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 4:58 PM, Sabahat Muhammad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Rehan, Here begins the debate. Pakistanis are intolerant and crooked for a reason: we believe in our own infallibility, and never question what we are taught. Let us recognize that what we are taught is not necessarily the right thing just because it comes with the tag of Islam. If it was, then you too should believe that suicide bombings are justified and that building 9 mosques will buy you a palace in paradise, and that every time you perform Hajj, even your murders are wiped clean from your slate. How naïve can you get? Sabahat. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Loose Ends Pakistan" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/looseendspakistan?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
