KARACHI: The people of Sindh will celebrate a unique cultural day – the ‘Sindhi Topi (cap) Day’ – for the first time in history on December 6.

Interestingly, the day was not announced by any political party but the common people of Sindh decided to celebrate the Sindhi topi after a short message service (SMS) spread throughout the province in response to the comments of a private channel anchorperson, who criticised President Asif Ali Zardari for wearing a traditional Sindhi topi during foreign tours. Following widespread criticism of these comments, nationalist parties including Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM), Sindh Tarqi Passand Party (STPP), Awami Tahreek and other groups also supported the idea.

In anticipation of the celebrations, the sale of Sindhi topi has significantly increased and in some cities, the cap has already disappeared from the markets. The Sindhi topi is regarded one of the most essential parts of the Sindhi culture and usually Sindhi people offer this traditional cap and ajrak to their guests as a token of respect. The Sindhi topi is round in shape except a portion in front, which is cut out in different patterns to expose the forehead. Hand-woven Sindhi topis are products of hard labour and made in almost every district of the province. However, the caps produced in Tharparkar, Umerkot, Sanghar and other districts of the Mirpurkhas division are rated better and fetch a better price.

The Sindhi topi is famous all over the world including Pakistan, where not only Sindhis, but also the Pukhtoons and Baloch wear the cap. It is available in different colours but the shape remains the same. There also are two qualities, one is hard and the other is soft, which is supposed to be more sophisticated and has a high price. Another unique, distinct Sindhi cap comprises colourful embroidery and the glasswork.

The National Council of Sindhi Culture and Heritage (NCHCS), in a press statement, has asked the people of Sindh to wear a Sindhi topi along with an ajrak on Dec 6. “The common people of Sindh issued a call to observe the day, thus we too support the call and would celebrate this unique day,” said NCHCS secretary general Ram Kirshan. He added that Sindhis were a nation with a culture of which the Sindhi topi and ajrak are supposed to be the most essential and sacred entities.

“Therefore, we request every Sindhi throughout the world to wear the Sindhi topi and ajrak on the day to celebrate the great civilization of Sindh.”

NCHCS President Ibrahim Kumbhar said for the last few days, some TV channel anchorpersons and journalists have been insulting the Sindh topi, which is a sign of the centuries old Sindhi culture and identity of the Sindhi nation, and therefore the Sindhi people have decided to observe this day. “Sindhis made Pakistan and became a part of the country on the assurance that Sindh would be an independent state in Pakistan, but it did not happen. If all the states in USA have their own flag, anthem and cultural values, why not the languages spoken in Pakistan such as Sindhi, Punjabi, Pushto, Saraiki, Dhatki, Baluchi and others can be made national languages,” he said.

NCHCS office-bearers Syed Syed Jamal Shah and Ghulam Rasool Kunbhar demanded the government to take action against all those involved in insulting the Sindhi culture and asked the PPP leadership to celebrate the day officially. Abrar Kazi and Zulfqar Halepoto of the Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) have also announced to hold a protest rally in Hyderabad against the offenders.

 The Sindh government has also decided to support the call given by the people of Sindh to observe the ‘Sindhi Topi Day’ on December 6, said a press statement issued by the Chief Minister’s House on Tuesday.

Sindh Chief Minister and PPP’s provincial president Qaim Ali Shah said the Sindhi culture is based on the centuries old Indus Valley Civilisation and his government would ensure this culture continues to thrive in the province.

“Every Sindhi views the Sindhi topi and ajrak as sacred entities of the Sindhi culture and they would not tolerate any disrespect of these cultural entities,” said Shah.

“Therefore, I direct the PPP leadership to observe this day throughout the province.”

The chief minister further said the Sindhi people offer this traditional cap and ajrak to their guests as a token of respect.

“The people of Sindh must celebrate this day with full enthusiasm to show short-sighted, anti-Sindh forces that the Sindhi people will sacrifice everything to protect their culture.”

Following comments of a private channel’s anchorperson criticising President Asif Ali Zardari for wearing a traditional Sindhi topi during his foreign tours, the people of Sindh reacted severely and spread an SMS throughout the province to set December 6 as the first-ever ‘Sindhi Topi Day.’

By Amar Guriro

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009%5C12%5C01%5Cstory_1-12-2009_pg12_2

“Festival of Sacrifice” 

 ”Greater Eid” is a holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God.

Eid al-Adha is the latter of two Eid festivals celebrated by Muslims, whose basis comes from the Quran. Like Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha begins with a short prayer followed by a sermon (khuṭba).

Eid al-Adha annually falls on the 10th day of the month of Zul Hijja (ذو الحجة) of the lunar Islamic calendar. The festivities last for three days or more depending on the country. Eid al-Adha occurs the day after the pilgrims conducting Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia by Muslims worldwide, descend from Mount Arafat. It happens to be approximately 70 days after the end of the month of Ramadan.

The Arabic term “Festival of Sacrifice”, ‘Īd ul-’Aḍḥā was borrowed as a unit into Indic languages such as Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati and Bengali and Austronesian languages such as Malay and Indonesian.

Another Arabic word for “sacrifice”, (Arabic: قربان‎ Qurbān), was lent into Dari Persian – Afghanistan and Iranian dialect of Persian as Eyde Ghorbân (Persian: عید قربان), into Tajik Persian as Иди Қурбон (Idi Qurbon), into Kazakh as Құрбан айт (Qurban ayt), into Uyghur as Qurban Heyit, and also into various Indic languages. Other languages combined the Arabic word qurbān with local terms for “festival”, as in Kurdish (Cejna Qurbanê [2]), Pashto (Kurbaneyy Akhtar), Chinese (Chinese: 古尔邦节 Gúěrbāng Jié), Malay and Indonesian (Hari Raya Korban, Qurbani), and Turkish (Turkish: Kurban Bayramı). The Turkish term was then later borrowed into languages such as Azeri (Qurban Bayramı), Tatar (Qorban Bäyräme), Croatian and Bosnian (Kurban-bajram), Serbian (Курбан бајрам), Russian (Курбан байрам).

Another Arabic name, ‘Īd ul-Kabīr (Arabic: عيد الكبير‎ `Īd al-Kabīr), meaning “Greater Eid/Festival”, is used in Yemen, Syria, and North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt). The term was borrowed directly into French as Aïd el-Kebir. Translations of “Big Eid” or “Greater Eid” are used in Pashto لوی اختر Loy Akhtar, Kashmiri Baed Eid, Hindi and Urdu Baṛā Īd, Malayalam Bali Perunnal, and Tamil Peru Nāl.

Another name refers to the fact that the holiday occurs after the culmination of the Hajj (حج), or pilgrimage to Mecca (Makka). Such names are used in Malay and Indonesian (Hari Raya Haji “Hajj celebration day”, Lebaran Haji), and in Tamil Hajji Peru Nāl.

In Urdu-speaking areas, the festival is also called بقرعید Baqra Īd or Baqrī Īd, stemming either from the Arabic baqarah “heifer” or the Urdu word baqrī for “goat”, as cows and goats are among the traditionally-sacrificed animals. That term was also borrowed into other languages, such as Tamil Bakr Eid Peru Nāl.

Other local names include 宰牲节 Zǎishēng Jié (“Slaughter-livestock Festival”) in Chinese, Tfaska Tamoqqart in the Berber language of Jerba, Tabaski or Tobaski in West African languages ,Babbar Sallah in Nigerian languages, and ciida gawraca in Somali.

Eid-al-Adha has other popular names across the Muslim world. The name is often simply translated into the local language, such as English Festival of Sacrifice, German Opferfest, Dutch Offerfeest, Romanian Sărbătoarea Sacrificiului and Hungarian Áldozati ünnep.

History

Four thousand years ago, the valley of Mecca was a dry and uninhabited place. According to Islamic history, the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) was instructed to bring Hajar and their child Ismael to Arabia from the land of Canaan by God’s command.

As Ibrahim made ready to return to the land of Canaan, Hajar asked him, “Who ordered you to leave us here”? When Ibrahim replied: “Allah”(God), Hajar said, “then Allah will not forget us; you can go”. Although Ibrahim had left a large quantity of food and water with Hajar and Ismael, the supplies quickly ran out and within a few days the two were suffering from hunger and dehydration.

According to the story, a desperate Hajar ran up and down between two hills called Safa and Marwa seven times, trying to find water. Finally, she collapsed beside her baby Ismael and prayed to Allah for deliverance. Ismael struck his foot on the ground, causing a spring of water to gush forth from the earth. Other accounts have the angel Jibral (Gabriel) striking the earth and causing the spring to flow. With this secure water supply, they were not only able to provide for their own needs, but were also able to trade water with passing nomads for food and supplies. When the Prophet Ibrahim returned from Canaan to check on his family, he was amazed to see them running a profitable well.

The Prophet Ibrahim was told by God to build a shrine dedicated to him adjacent to Hajar’s well (the Zamzam Well). Ibrahim and Ismael constructed a small stone structure–-the Kaaba–which was to be the gathering place for all who wished to strengthen their faith in Allah. As the years passed, Ismael was blessed with Prophethood and gave the nomads of the desert his message of surrender to Allah. After many centuries, Mecca became a thriving city and a major center for trade, thanks to its reliable water source, the well of Zamzam.

One of the main trials of Prophet Ibrahim’s life was to face the command of Allah to devote his dearest possession, his only son. Upon hearing this command, he prepared to submit to Allah’s’s will. During this preparation, when Satan tempted Prophet Ibrahim and his family, Hajar and Ismael drove Satan away by throwing pebbles at him. To remember this rejection of Satan, stones are thrown during Hajj.

At the time of sacrifice, Ibrahim discovered a sheep died instead of Ismail, whom he hacked through neck. When Ibrahim was fully prepared to complete the sacrifice, Allah revealed to him that his “sacrifice” had already been fulfilled. Ibrahim had shown that his love for his Lord superseded all others: that he would lay down his own life or the lives of those dear to him in order to submit to God. Muslims commemorate this superior act of sacrifice during Eid al-Adha.

The Hijrah

No longer safe in Mecca, the Prophet Muhammad, in the year 628 traveled to Medina (lit. the city) with 1400 of his followers. This is considered as the first ‘pilgrimage’ in Islam, seeking to re-establish the religious traditions of the Prophet Ibrahim, as he believed they were originally practiced

The Takbir and other Rituals

The Takbir is recited from the dawn of the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah to the thirteenth of it. The Takbir consists of:

Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest,

There is no deity but Allah

Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest

and to Allah goes all praise

Variation

Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest,

There is no deity but Allah

and Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest

and to Allah goes all praise, (We) sing the praises of Allah because He has shown us the Right Path. (We) gratefully thank Him because He takes care of us and looks after our interests

Traditions and practices

Men, women, and children are expected to dress in their finest clothing to perform Eid prayer (ṣalātu l-`Īdi) in a large congregation in an open area or mosque. Muslims who can afford to do so sacrifice their best domestic animals (usually sheep, but also camels, cows and goats) as a symbol of Ibrahim’s sacrifice. The sacrificed animals, called uḍiyyah (Arabic: أضحية‎, also known as “al-qurbāni”), have to meet certain age and quality standards or else the animal is considered an unacceptable sacrifice. Generally, sacrificial animals must be at least one year of age.

The regular charitable practices of the Muslim community are demonstrated during Eid al-Adha by the concerted effort to see that no impoverished person is left without sacrificial food during these days.

During Eid al-Adha, distributing meat amongst the people, chanting Takbir out loud before the Eid prayer on the first day, and after prayers throughout the four days of Eid are considered essential parts of the festival. In some countries, families that do not own livestock can make a contribution to a charity that will provide meat to those who are in need

While Eid al-Adha is always on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year since the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar and the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar. The lunar calendar is approximately eleven days shorter than the solar calendar. Each year, Eid al-Adha (like other Islamic holidays) falls on one of two different Gregorian dates in different parts of the world, due to the fact that the boundary of crescent visibility is different from the International date line.

The following list shows the official dates of Eid al-Adha for Saudi Arabia as announced by the Supreme Judicial Council. Future dates are calculated according to the Umm al-Qura calendar of Saudi Arabia. The three days after the listed date are also part of the festival. The time before the listed date the pilgrims visit the Mount Arafat and descend from it after sunrise of the listed day. Future dates of Eid al-Adha might face correction 10 days before the festivity, in case of deviant lunar sighting in Saudi Arabia for the start of the month Zul Hijja.

Courtacy of Wikipedia.

رافائیل کے خاکے کی نیلامی

’ہیڈ آف اے میوز‘ نامی یہ خاکہ 1508 اور 1511 کے درمیان کے عرصے میں بنایا گیا تھا۔ پاپائے روم جولیئس دوم نے ویٹیکن کے لیے چار ’فریسکو‘ تصاویر کا سلسلہ بنوایا تھا اور یہ خاکہ اس میں سے ایک فریسکو کی تیاری کے لیے بنایا گیا تھا۔

اس خاکے کی نیلامی آٹھ دسمبر کو آرٹ کے مشہور نیلام گھر ’کرِسٹیز‘ میں ہوگی۔

’کرسِٹیز‘ کے ایک ماہر بینجامن پیرونے کا کہنا ہے کہ یہ اس لیے اہم تصویر ہے کہ یہ نہ صرف بذات خود بہترین فن کا مظاہرہ ہے بلکہ اس کا رافایئل کے ایک یادگار منصوبے سے بھی تعلق ہے۔

رافائیل یعنی رافائیلو سانزیو کو پاپائے روم نے اس منصوبے کے لیے پندرہ سو آٹھ میں فلورنس سے روم بلالیا تھا۔ رافائیل فریسکو تیار کرنے کے عمل میں تفصیلی تیاریاں کیا کرتے تھے۔ اس نوعیت کے خاکے بنا کر ان کی لائنوں کو باریک سراخوں اور نیلے چاک کے ذریعے دیوار پر ٹریس کیا جاتا تھا۔

بشکریہ۔بی بی سی

Leonardo da Vinci

 

Da Vinci was one of the great creative minds of the Italian Renaissance, hugely influential as an artist and sculptor but also immensely talented as an engineer, scientist and inventor.

Leonardo da Vinci was born on 15 April 1452 near the Tuscan town of Vinci, the illegitimate son of a local lawyer. He was apprenticed to the sculptor and painter Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence and in 1478 became an independent master. In about 1483, he moved to Milan to work for the ruling Sforza family as an engineer, sculptor, painter and architect. From 1495 to 1497 he produced a mural of ‘The Last Supper’ in the refectory of the Monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan.

Da Vinci was in Milan until the city was invaded by the French in 1499 and the Sforza family forced to flee. He may have visited Venice before returning to Florence. During his time in Florence, he painted several portraits, but the only one that survives is the famous ‘Mona Lisa’ (1503-1506).

In 1506, da Vinci returned to Milan, remaining there until 1513. This was followed by three years based in Rome. In 1517, at the invitation of the French king Francis I, Leonardo moved to the Château of Cloux, near Amboise in France, where he died on 2 May 1519.

The fame of Da Vinci’s surviving paintings has meant that he has been regarded primarily as an artist, but the thousands of surviving pages of his notebooks reveal the most eclectic and brilliant of minds. He wrote and drew on subjects including geology, anatomy (which he studied in order to paint the human form more accurately), flight, gravity and optics, often flitting from subject to subject on a single page, and writing in left-handed mirror script. He ‘invented’ the bicycle, airplane, helicopter, and parachute some 500 years ahead of their time.

If all this work had been published in an intelligible form, da Vinci’s place as a pioneering scientist would have been beyond dispute. Yet his true genius was not as a scientist or an artist, but as a combination of the two: an ‘artist-engineer’. His painting was scientific, based on a deep understanding of the workings of the human body and the physics of light and shade. His science was expressed through art, and his drawings and diagrams show what he meant, and how he understood the world to work.

سندھ کے معروف صوفی گلوکار سہراب فقیر کا پچھتر برس کی عمر میں طویل علالت کے بعد کراچی کے ایک ہسپتال میں جمعہ کے روز انتقال ہو گیا۔ فالج کی وجہ سے ان کی وہ آواز ختم ہو چکی تھی جسے سننے کے لیے لوگ دور دراز علاقوں سے درازہ (درازہ اس گاؤں کا نام ہے جہاں سائیں سچل مدفو ن ہیں) آتے تھے۔

سہراب فقیر کے انتقال کے ساتھ ہی صوفیوں کا کلام گانے والا ایک اور نامور فنکار کم ہو گیا۔ ان کی کمی پوری کرنے کے لیے مستقبل قریب میں کوئی نظر نہیں آتا ہے۔ اسی طرح جیسے علن فقیر کا مقام حاصل کرنے کے لیے ابھی تک کوئی سامنے نہیں آسکا ہے۔

سہراب کو، جن کا پورا نام فقیر سہراب خاصخیلی تھا، سائیں سچل سرمست کا کلام خصوصاً سنگ گانے کا ملکہ حاصل تھا۔

سہراب کو، جن کا پورا نام فقیر سہراب خاصخیلی تھا، سائیں سچل سرمست کا کلام خصوصاً سنگ گانے کا ملکہ حاصل تھا

انہوں نے آٹھ برس کی عمر سے صوفیوں کا کلام گانا شروع کیا تھا اور سار ی زندگی یہی کام کیا جو ان کا ذریعہ معاش تو تھا ہی لیکن محبوب مشغلہ بھی تھا۔

یہ فن انہیں ورثہ میں ملا تھا۔ ان کے والد ہمل فقیر خود اپنے وقت کے بڑے گائک تھے اورتھری میر واہ میں مدفون بزرگ شاعر خوش خیر محمد ہسبانی کے مرید تھے۔ کچھ بیٹے کو انہوں نے تربیت دی تو کچھ بیٹے کا شوق جس نے سہراب خاصخیلی کو سہراب فقیر بنا دیا۔

یہ سہراب کی اپنے فن پر گرفت اور مقبولیت ہی تھی جو حکومت کو مجبور کرتی تھی کہ انہیں طائفہ کے ساتھ بیرونی ممالک میں بھیجا جائے۔ برطانیہ ، بھارت، ناروے، سعودی عرب اور دیگر کئی ممالک میں جا کر انہوں نے سامعین سے داد وصول کی تھی۔

سائیں سچل ہفت زبان شاعر تھے اور سہراب سندھی، سرائکی، پنجابی اور اردو زبانوں میں گاتے تھے کہ جس زبان میں گایا ایسا لگا کہ یہ ان کی ہی زبان ہے۔

وہ سائیں سچل کے علاوہ حضرت شاہ عبداللطیف بھٹائی، حضرت سلطان باہو، سا ئیں بھلے شاہ اور دیگر شعراء کا کلام بھی گایا کرتے تھے۔

بشکریہ بی بی سی

آؤ رانھڑا رہو رات

ہیرٹا مولر بارہویں خاتون ادیب ہیں جنہیں ادب کا نوبل اعزاز دیا گیا ہے

رومانوی نژاد جرمن ادیب ہیرٹا مولرکو سال دو ہزار نو کے لیے ادب کے نوبل انعام کا حقدار قرار دیا گیا ہے۔

گزشتہ سال فرانسیسی ادیت ژاں ماغی گُستاو لکلیزیو کو نوبل پرائز دیا گیا تھا جبکہ دو ہزار سات میں ادب کا نوبل پرائز برطانوی ادیب ڈورِس لیسنگ نے حاصل کیا تھا۔

سن انیس سو تریپن کو رومانیہ میں پیدا ہونے والے ہیرٹا مولر نکولائی چاشسکو کے دور میں مشکل حالات کی تصویر کسی کے مشہور ہیں۔

ہیرٹا مولر کا کہنا ہے کہ ادب کا نوبل انعام ملنے کی خبر سن کر وہ ’دنگ رہ گئیں اور انہیں اس کا یقین نہیں آیا۔‘

سویڈش اکیڈمی نے ہیرٹا مولر کی شاعری اور نثر دونوں کی تعریف کی ہے۔

’ان میں بے دخل کیے گئے لوگوں کی حالت زار بیان کرنے بے پناہ صلاحیت موجود ہے۔ ان کی تحریروں میں شاعری کی یکسوئی اور نثر کی بے تکلفی پائی جاتی ہے۔‘

مولر نے رومانیہ کی جرمن اقلیتی سے تعلق رکھنے والے ایک خاندان میں جنم لیا۔ دوسری جنگِ عظیم کے بعد ان کی والدہ کو سویت یونین میں ایک لیبر کیمپ میں بھیج دیا گیا تھا۔

انہیں ستر کی دہائی میں چاشسکو سرکار کی خفیہ پولیس سے تعاون نہ کرنے کی پاداش میں نوکری سے نکال دیا گیا جس کی وجہ سے وہ جرمنی چلی گئیں۔

سن انیس سو بہتر میں جرمن زبان میں چھپنے والے ان کے افسانوی مجموعے کو رومانیہ میں سنسر کیا گیا تھا۔

ان کی ابتدائی تحریروں کو ملک سے باہر سمگل کر دیا گیا تھا جبکہ بعد کے سالوں میں انہیں کئی ادبی اعزازوں سے نوازہ گیا۔

ادب کے نوبل ایوارڈ کے ساتھ انہیں آٹھ لاکھ بانوے ہزار پاؤنڈ کی خطیر رقم بھی دی جائے جو وہ دس دسمبر کو سٹاک ہوم میں ہونے والی ایک تقریب میں وصول کریں گے۔

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/entertainment/2009/10/09http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/1008_mueller_noble.shtml

Farid ud-Din Attar was born in Nishapur, in north-east Iran. There is disagreement over the exact dates of his birth and death but several sources confirm that he lived about 100 years. He is traditionally said to have been killed by Mongol invaders. His tomb can be seen today in Nishapur.

As a younger man, Attar went on pilgrimage to Mecca and traveled extensively throughout the region, seeking wisdom in Egypt, Damascus, India, and other areas, before finally returning to his home city of Nishapur.

The name Attar means herbalist or druggist, which was his profession. It is said that he saw as many as 500 patients a day in his shop, prescribing herbal remedies which he prepared himself, and he wrote his poetry while attending to his patients.

About thirty works by Attar survive, but his masterpiece is the Mantic at-Tayr (The Conference of the Birds). In this collection, he describes a group of birds (individual human souls) under the leadership of a hoopoe (spiritual master) who determine to search for the legendary Simurgh bird (God). The birds must confront their own individual limitations and fears while journeying through seven valleys before they ultimately find the Simurgh and complete their quest. The 30 birds who ultimately complete the quest discover that they themselves are the Simurgh they sought, playing on a pun in Persian (si and murgh can translate as 30 birds) while giving us an esoteric teaching on the presence of the Divine within us.

Attar’s poetry inspired Rumi and many other Sufi poets. It is said that Rumi actually met Attar when Attar was an old man and Rumi was a boy, though some scholars dispute this possibility.

Farid ud-Din Attar was apparently tried at one point for heresy and exiled from Nishapur, but he eventually returned to his home city and that is where he died.

A traditional story is told about Attar’s death. He was taken prisoner by a Mongol during the invasion of Nishapur. Someone soon came and tried to ransom Attar with a thousand pieces of silver. Attar advised the Mongol not to sell him for that price. The Mongol, thinking to gain an even greater sum of money, refused the silver. Later, another person came, this time offering only a sack of straw to free Attar. Attar then told the Mongol to sell him for that was all he was worth. Outraged at being made a fool, the Mongol cut off Attar’s head.

Whether or not this is literally true isn’t the point. This story is used to teach the mystical insight that the personal self isn’t of much real worth. What is valuable is the Beloved’s presence within us — and that presence isn’t threatened by the death of the body.

Poems by Farid ud-Din Attar  (1120? – 1220?)

The Nightingale

The nightingale raises his head, drugged with passion,

Pouring the oil of earthly love in such a fashion

That the other birds shaded with his song, grow mute.

The leaping mysteries of his melodies are acute.

‘I know the secrets of Love, I am their piper,’

He sings, ‘I seek a David with broken heart to decipher

Their plaintive barbs, I inspire the yearning flute,

The daemon of the plucked conversation of the lute.

The roses are dissolved into fragrance by my song,

Hearts are torn with its sobbing tone, broken along

The fault lines of longing filled with desire’s wrong.

My music is like the sky’s black ocean, I steal

The listener’s reason, the world becomes the seal

Of dreams for chosen lovers, where only the rose

Is certain. I cannot go further, I am lame, and expose

My anchored soul to the divine Way.

My love for the rose is sufficient, I shall stay

In the vicinity of its petalled image, I need

No more, it blooms for me the rose, my seed.

The hoopoe replies: ‘You love the rose without thought.

Nightingale, your foolish song is caught

By the rose’s thorns, it is a passing thing.

Velvet petal, perfume’s repose bring

You pleasure, yes, but sorrow too

For the rose’s beauty is shallow: few

Escape winter’s frost. To seek the Way

Release yourself from this love that lasts a day.

The bud nurtures its own demise as day nurtures night.

Groom yourself, pluck the deadly rose from your sight.

How long then will you seek for beauty here?

How long then will you seek for beauty here?

Seek the unseen, and beauty will appear.

When the last veil is lifted neither men

Nor all their glory will be seen again,

The universe will fade — this mighty show

In all its majesty and pomp will go,

And those who loved appearances will prove

Each other’s enemies and forfeit love,

While those who loved the absent, unseen Friend

Will enter that pure love which knows no end.

The Lover

‘A lover’, said the hoopoe, now their guide,

‘Is one in whom all thoughts of self have died;

Those who renounce the self deserve that name;

Righteous or sinful, they are all the same!

Your heart is thwarted by the self’s control;

Destroy its hold on you and reach your goal.

Give up this hindrance, give up mortal sight,

For only then can you approach the light.

If you are told: “Renounce our Faith,” obey!

The self and Faith must both be tossed away;

Blasphemers call such action blasphemy –

Tell them that love exceeds mere piety.

Love has no time for blasphemy or faith,

Nor lovers for the self, that feeble wraith.

Sindhi kalam sufi music

شاہد ملک نے استعفیٰ دے دیا۔ ۔ ۔ ۔ بی بی سی

برطانوی لیبر پارٹی کے رکن اور وزیرِ انصاف شاہد ملک نے اخبار ڈیلی ٹیلیگراف کی طرف سے لگائے گئے اخراجات میں بے قاعدگیوں کے الزامات کے بعد اپنے عہدے سے استعفیٰ دے دیا ہے۔

ان پر الزام ہے کہ انہوں نے حکومت کی طرف سے دی گئی گھر کے کرائے کے متعلق مراعات کا غلط فائدہ اٹھایا ہے۔ ان پر لگائے گئے الزمات کی تحقیقات سٹینڈرڈز کے سربراہ سر فلپ مائیر کر رہے ہیں۔

شاہد ملک نے اصرار کیا ہے کہ انہوں نے وزراء کے لیے بنائے گئے کسی کوڈ کو نہیں توڑا ہے اور وہ خوش ہیں کہ انہیں صفائی کا موقع ملا ہے۔

شاہد ملک نے جو ابھی تک اخراجات کے سکینڈل کے سب سے بڑے شکار ہیں، کہا ہے کہ میڈیا میں کردار کشی کو ختم ہونا چاہیئے۔

وزیرِ اعظم گورڈن براؤن نے سر فلپ کو کہا ہے کہ وہ جلد از جلد الزامات کی تحقیق کریں۔ یہ رپورٹ چند دنوں میں ہی سامنے آ سکتی ہے۔

اخبار ڈیلی ٹیلیگراف نے الزام لگایا ہے کہ شاہد ملک نے تین سالوں میں لندن میں اپنے دوسرے گھر کے لیے 66،827 پاؤنڈ حاصل کیے جبکہ انہوں نے اپنے انتخابی حلقے ڈیوزبری میں اپنے مرکزی گھر کے لیے سو پاؤنڈ فی ہفتہ کا رعایتی کرایہ حاصل کیا جو کہ وہ اپنی جیب سے ادا کرتے رہے۔

شاہد ملک کرائے سے متعلق لگائے گئے اس الزام کو من گھڑت قرار دے رہے ہیں۔

. . .

مبارک ہو جی ایک اور مملکت برطانیہ میں بسنے والے پاکستانی نے اپنے آپ کو اعلی مقام تک پہنچانے والی گورنمنٹ کو دھاندلی کا تمغہ دے دیا،پہلے تو لارڈ نذیر کو جو عزت ملی تھی (پاکستانی ہونے کے ناطے برطانیہ کی پارلیمنٹ میں پہنچنے کی)،  اس پر  انہوں نے عورتوں سے فحش ٹیکسٹ کرتے ہوئے ایک انسان کے اوپر گاڑی چڑھادی اور نشے کی حالت میں اپنے آپ کو یہ سوچنے کی زحمت نہیں دی کہ جو شخص ان کی جذباتی تسکین کے لئیے جان سے ہاتھ دھو بیٹھا ہے اس کے گھر والوں پر ساری زندگی کس دکھ کا سایہ رہے گا، اثر رسوخ سے وہ تو بچ گئے، اب نئی نسل کے شاہد ملک جن سے ایسے کام کی توقع نہیں تھی انہوں نے بھی ثبوت دے دیا کہ برطانیہ والے اپنے ہی ملک میں دوسری قوموں کو عزت اگر دیں گے بھی تب بھی ہم ان کی تھالی میں چھید ضرور کریں گے۔ ۔ ۔ واہ واہ واہ

ہمارا نصیب ہے کہ ہم اس ملک میں شرمندگی سے ہمیشہ نظریں جھکا کر چلتے رہیں گے اور اگر اپنی حرکتوں پر ثبوت سمیت مورد الزام ٹہرائے جائیں تب بھی سینہ زوری کے اصول کے تحت برطانیہ والوں کو ہی چور بنائیں (نسلی بغض و عناد کے حربے سے)۔

چلیں یہ سب ٹھیک ہے آپ لوگ جان کی بازی لگا کر بری بھی ہو جائیں گے لیکن سوال یہ ہے کہ پاکستانیوں پر ہی کیوں ایسے الزامات لگتے ہیں؟

جائیے ذرا پاکستان میں اپنی تنظیمیں بنائیے اور سڑکوں پر حکومت کے خلاف ایک تقریر کیجئے اس کے بعد دیکھئے کہ جیل میں کون سڑتا اور کوڑے کھاتا ہے، کون سا عہدہ اور کہاں کی سفارش کام آتی ہے،

یہ برطانیہ ہی  ہے جو سب کو اپنے ملک میں انسانی حقوق کی کچھ تو عزت رکھتے ہوئے اس مقام تک آپ کو آنے کی اجازت دیتا ہے۔ 

The Heat of Midnight Tears

Listen, my friend, this road is the heart opening,

Kissing his feet, resistance broken, tears all night.

If we could reach the Lord through immersion in water,

I would have asked to be born a fish in this life.

If we could reach Him through nothing but berries and wild nuts,

Then surely the saints would have been monkeys when they came from the womb!

If we could reach him by munching lettuce and dry leaves,

Then the goats would surely go to the Holy One before us!

If the worship of stone statues could bring us all the way,

I would have adored a granite mountain years ago.

Mirabai says: The heat of midnight tears will bring you to God.

The Music

My friend, the stain of the Great Dancer has penetrated my body.

I drank the cup of music, and I am hopelessly drunk.

Moreover I stay drunk, no matter what I do to become sober.

Rana, who disapproves, gave me one basket with a snake in it.

Mira folded the snake around her neck, it was a lover’s necklace, lovely!

Rana’s next gift was poison: “This is something for you, Mira.”

She repeated the Holy Name in her chest, and drank it, it was good!

Every name He has is praise; that’s the cup I like to drink, and only that.

“The Great Dancer is my husband,” Mira says, “rain washes off all the other colors.”

sufi music

To My Valentine

Tum meri zindagi ho – Mehnaz & Alamgir

Valentine’s Day or Saint Valentine’s Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In the English-speaking countries, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine’s cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery. The holiday is named after two among the numerous Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of “valentines”. Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards.

The sending of Valentines was a fashion in nineteenth-century Great Britain, and, in 1847, Esther Howland developed a successful business in her Worcester, Massachusetts home with hand-made Valentine cards based on British models. The popularity of Valentine cards in 19th century America, where many Valentine cards are now general greeting cards rather than declarations of love, was a harbinger of the future commercialization of holidays in the United States.

It’s considered one of the Hallmark holidays.

The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association estimates that, in the US, men spend on average twice as much money as women.

One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this:  To rise above the little things.

For last year’s words belong to last year’s language
And next year’s words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
~T.S. Eliot, “Little Gidding

Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account.  ~Oscar Wilde

We meet today
To thank Thee for the era done,
And Thee for the opening one.
~John Greenleaf Whittier

Renowned Sindhi Poet Taj Mohammed

بشکریہ ۔ بی بی سی

سندھی زبان کے شاعر تاج محمد عرف تاجل بیوس کراچی میں انتقال کر گئے ہیں۔ان کی عمر ستر برس تھی۔
گزشتہ دنوں تاجل بیوس کی دماغ کی نس پھٹ گئی تھی جس کے بعد وہ مقامی ہسپتال میں مسلسل کوما میں رہے، جہاں سنیچر کی صبح ان کا انتقال ہوگیا۔

شیخ ایاز کے بعد وہ سندھی زبان کے دوسرے بڑے شاعر تھے، انہوں نے نظم کے ساتھ نثر میں بھی طبع آزمائی کی ، وہ چونتیس کتابوں کے مصنف تھے جبکہ ان کی دس کتابیں زیر اشاعت ہیں۔

تاجل بیوس نے بائیس ستمبر انیس سو اڑتیس کو ضلع خیرپور کے شہر صوبھو دیرو میں جنم لیا۔انہوں نے اقتصادیات میں ایم اے کیا تھا، جس کے بعد انیس سو ساٹھ میں درس و تدریس سے منسلک رہے بعد میں وزارت کارپوریٹ میں تعینات ہوئے، جہاں سے بطور رجسٹرار کمپنیز ریٹائرڈ ہوئے۔
تاج بیوس ان چند سندھی ادیبوں میں سے تھے جن کا شمار متحدہ قومی موومنٹ کے ہمدردوں میں ہوتا تھا، سخت تنقید کا نشانہ بننے کے بعد انہوں نے کنارہ کشی اختیار کرلی تھی۔
ان کی آخری کتاب بینظیر بھٹو پر کیڈارو کے نام سے شائع ہوئی تھی، جس میں انہوں نے بینظیر بھٹو کی جدوجہد اور فکر کا احاطہ کیا ہے۔ کیڈارو واقعے کربلا کے پس منظر میں لکھا جاتا ہے۔

  تاج محمد کی شاعری میں دھرتی سے محبت کی جھلک نظر آتی ہے، وہ لکھتے ہیں ’سندھ میری ماں، کوئی تمہیں کاری سمجھتا ہے، تمہارے سینے کو بموں سے اڑاتا ہے ، کوئی انسانی لہو سے تمہارے دامن کو سرخ کردیتا ہے مگر پھر بھی تم ہر دور میں مومل اور قلو پطرہ کا روپ لیکر جنم لیتی رہی ہو‘۔

شیخ ایاز نے اپنی زندگی میں ہی انہیں خراج عقیدت پیش کرتے ہوئے کہا تھا کہ میرے بعد تاجل بیت اور وائی کی صنف کے اس دور کے بڑے شاعر ہیں۔

تاجل بیوس بھارت میں بھی سندھی ادبی حلقوں میں شہرت رکھتے تھے۔ ایک بھارتی ادیب لچھمن کومل انہیں خراج عقیدت پیش کرتے ہوئے لکھتے ہیں کہ تاجل کی شاعری پڑھنے کے بعد دل چاہتا ہے کہ انہیں بھی بخش علی لاکھو کی طرح قید میں رکھا جائے، دن کو تاجل بیوس کی شاعری اور رات کو ایک جام دیں باقی زندگی عیش میں گزر جائے گی۔
تاجل بیوس نے رائٹر گلڈ اور سہیوگ فاؤنڈیشن بمبئی کی جانب سے نارائن شیام ایوراڈ سمیت کئی ایوارڈ حاصل کیے۔
ان کی اکثر شاعری میں دھرتی سے محبت کی جھلک نظر آتی ہے، وہ لکھتے ہیں

’سندھ میری ماں، کوئی تمہیں کاری سمجھتا ہے، تمہارے سینے کو بموں سے اڑاتا ہے ، کوئی انسانی لہو سے تمہارے دامن کو سرخ کردیتا ہے مگر پھر بھی تم ہر دور میں مومل اور قلو پطرہ کا روپ لیکر جنم لیتی رہی ہو٬٬ ‘

تاجل بیوس کی تدفین ان کی وصیت کے مطابق کراچی میں واقع تاریخی قبرستان چوکھنڈی کے قریب کی جائے گی۔  

Iblees kia tha?

40,000 Baras tak jannat ka Khazanchi
80,000 Baras tak Malaika ka Sathi
20,000 Baras tak Malaika ko Waaz Sunata raha
30,000 baras tak Muqarben ka Sardar
1,000 Baras tak Rohaneen ka sardar
14,000 Baras tak Arsh ka tawaf karta raha
1st Asman pe Naam Abid tha
2nd per Zahid
3rd per Arif
4th per Wali
5th per Taqi
6th per Khazan
7th per Azazel
Louh E Mehfooz main Iblees tha
GHUROOR AUR TAKABBUR ne kia se kia Bana dia

نصف شب کے قریب جب یہ واضح ہو گیا کہ امریکہ میں نئی تاریخ لکھی جا رہی ہے تو سینتالیس سالہ باراک اوباما نے شکاگو میں ایک بہت بڑے مجمع سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے کہا: ‘طویل عرصے بعد ہی سہی لیکن آج امریکہ میں تبدیلی آ گئی ہے۔‘

ریپبلکن پارٹی کے امیدوار جان مکین نے اپنی شکست تسلیم کرتے ہوئے باراک اوباما کو ٹیلی فون پر مبارک باد دی اور انہیں ہر طرح کی حمایت کا یقین دلایا۔ انہوں نے اپنے ووٹروں سے بھی کہا کہ وہ اختلافات بھلا دیں اور نئے صدر کی حمایت کریں۔

زیادہ تر ریاستوں میں ابھی ووٹوں کی گنتتی جاری ہے لیکن رجحانات کی بنیاد پر اب یہ واضح ہو گیا ہے کہ جان مکین پر وہائٹ ہاؤس کے راستے بند ہوگئے ہیں۔

اوباما کی کامیابی کو امریکہ میں سیاہ اور سفید فاموں کے درمیان تعلقات میں ایک نئے باب کا آغاز قرار دیا جارہا ہے۔

جان مکین کے لیے ضروری تھا کہ اپنے امکانات زندہ رکھنے کے لیے وہ پینسلوینیا اور اوہایو میں کامیابی حاصل کریں لیکن دونوں ریاستوں نے اپنا فیصلہ اوباما کے حق میں سنایا۔

 ان خبروں کے بعد کہ اوباما فلوریڈا، ورجنیا اور کولوراڈومیں بھی جیت گئے ہیں، ڈیموکریٹ کیمپ میں زبردست ہلچل مچ گئی اور لوگ سڑکوں پر نکل آئے۔ یہ تینوں ریاستیں دو ہزار چار کے انتخاب میں صدر بش نے جیتی تھیں۔

گرینچ کے معیاری وقت کے مطابق صبح چھ بجے تک باراک اوباما نے 51 فیصد سے زیادہ جبکہ ان کے حریف جان مکین نے 47 فیصد پاپولر ووٹ حاصل کیے ہیں۔

رائے عامہ کے جائزوں کے مطابق ووٹروں کے لیے بہت بڑا مسئلہ معیشت تھا۔ کئی ریاستوں میں ٹرن آؤٹ بہت زیادہ رہا۔

مبصرین کے مطابق اس انتخاب میں ‘بریڈلی افیکٹ‘ کا کوئی اثر دیکھنے میں نہیں آیا۔ یعنی یہ خطرہ بے بنیاد ثابت ہوا کہ کچھ سفید فام ووٹر جو انتخابی جائزوں میں اوباما کی حمایت کی بات کر رہے تھے، وہ بالآخر سفیدفام امیدوار کو ووٹ دیں گے۔

ایوانِ نمائندگان میں 435 نشستوں اور سینٹ کی سو میں سے 35 نشستوں پر انتخاب ہوا ہے۔ ڈیموکریٹ پارٹی کو امید ہے کہ وہ سینٹ میں اپنی اکثریت کو 60 ووٹوں تک بڑھا لے گی۔

 کچھ علاقوں سے ووٹنگ کے دوران معمولی دشواریوں اور تکنیکی خرابیوں کی بھی اطلاعات آئیں لیکن ان پر جلدی ہی قابو پا لیا گیا۔

پولنگ سے قبل انتخابی جائزوں کے مطابق باراک اوباما کو جان مکین پر تقریباً دس پوائنٹس کی سبقت حاصل تھی لیکن جان مکین کا اصرار تھا کہ وہ جیت سکتے ہیں۔

نامہ نگار جیمس کماراسوامی کے مطابق باراک اوباما کو سبقت ضرور حاصل تھی لیکن ان کی کامیابای کا دارومدار کافی حد تک اس بات پر تھا کہ سفید فام ووٹروں نے اپنا فیصلہ کرتے وقت کس حد تک ان کی جلد کے رنگ کو نظر انداز کیا۔

امریکی تاریخ کی اس طویل ترین اور سب سے مہنگی انتخابی مہم نے ووٹروں میں زبردست جوش و خروش پیدا کیا ہے اور ماہرین کے مطابق ساٹھ کی دہائی میں جان ایف کینیڈی کے انتخاب کے بعد سے ایسا انتخابی ماحول پہلی مرتبہ دیکھنے کو ملا ہے۔

اپنا ووٹ ڈالنے کے بعد باراک اوباما نے کہا کہ’ انتخابی سفر تو اب ختم ہو جائےگا، لیکن اپنی بیٹیوں کے ساتھ ووٹ ڈالنا، یہ میرے لیے ایک اہم بات تھی۔‘

 Courtesy Of BBC

دو برس پہلے تک امریکہ کے سیاسی میدان میں اوباما دُھول کے ایک ذرّے کی طرح گمنام تھا لیکن اس نے اور اس کے ساتھیوں نے انتہائی مُنظم انتخابی مہم کے ذریعے دیکھتے ہی دیکھتے نا ممکن کو ممکن میں تبدیل کردیا۔ یقیناً ملکی اور عالمی صورتِ حال بھی اُن کی ممدومعاون ثابت ہوئی اور اس میں بھی کوئی شک نہیں کہ اس انتخابی مہم کے دوران اخراجات میں کہیں بھی کنجوسی کا مظاہرہ نہیں کیا گیا لیکن یہ شاہ خرچی اس لیے ممکن ہوئی کہ اوباما نے اپنی مہم کیلئے وفاقی فنڈ سے مشروط مالی امداد نہیں لی تھی بلکہ چندے کے لیے پرائیویٹ عطیہ دینے والوں پر انحصار کیا تھا۔ اس زِیرک منصوبہ بندی اور محتاط اندازِ کار پر اوباما کو اُن کی مخالف ری پبلکن پارٹی نے بھی داد دی ہے۔
عطیات کی شکل میں اتنی بڑی رقم اکٹھی کرنے کے لیے اوباما کی ٹیم نے انٹرنیٹ پر چندہ وصولی کا ایک وسیع نظام متعارف کرایا جسکے ذریعے ساڑھے چھ سو ملین ڈالر کے عطیات جمع ہوگئے۔ چونکہ ٹیلی ویژن پر اپنی پارٹی اور اسکے منصوبوں کی تشہیر کے لیے بہت بڑی رقم درکار تھی اس لیے اوباما کے ساتھیوں نے شروع ہی سے رقم اکٹھی کرنے کے لیے نئے اور نرالے طریقے آزمائے۔ اس سلسلے میں جدید ٹیکنالوجی اور عوام کی نفسیات سے گہری واقفیت نے کلیدی کردار ادا کیا۔ اندازہ لگایا گیا ہے کہ جتنے چندے اوباما نے اس انتخابی مہم کے دوران اکٹھے کیے ہیں اتنی رقم تو 2004 میں دونوں صدارتی امیدوار مِل کر بھی جمع نہیں کر سکے تھے۔
اوباما کی جیت میں ایک اہم عنصر عوام کو رائے دہی کے لئے گھروں سے باہر لانا بھی تھا

پیسے کی اس ریل پیل نے اوباما کو اِس قابل بنایا کہ جن ریاستوں میں کانٹے کا مقابلہ چل رہا تھا وہاں وہ کھُلے بندوں اپنی تشہیر پر پیسہ خرچ کر سکیں، چنانچہ بعض ریاستوں میں اوباما کے تشہیری اخراجات مکین سے چار گنا زیادہ تھے۔ یہ اخراجات محض ٹیلی ویژن کی سکرین پر نمودار ہونے کے لیے نہیں تھے بلکہ اِن کے ذریعے آن لائن اشتہارات جاری کئے گئے حتیٰ کہ بچوں کی ویڈیوگیمز کے آگے پیچھے بھی پارٹی کا تشہیری مواد شامل کیا گیا۔

اوباما کی جیت میں ایک اہم عنصر عوام کو رائے دہی کے لئے گھروں سے باہر لانا بھی تھا۔ امریکہ میں غیر سفید باشندے عموماً ووٹنگ میں دلچسپی نہیں لیتے۔ بعض ریاستوں میں سیاہ فام ووٹروں کا تناسب محض بیس فی صد کے قریب ہوتا ہے۔ عدم دلچسپی کے شکار اِن افراد کو پولنگ بوتھ تک چلنے اور ووٹ ڈالنے کے لیے قائل کرنا ایک ایسا مِشن تھا جس میں اوباما کے ساتھی سرخ رُو ہوئے کیونکہ انہوں نے الیکشن کے عمل سے بیزار لوگوں کو رجسٹریشن پر مائل کرنے کے لیے کافی پہلے سے تحریک چلا رکھی تھی اور صرف ریاست فلوریڈا ہی میں اُن کی کوششوں سے تین لاکھ نئے ووٹروں کا اندراج ہوگیا۔

تاہم اس حقیقت کو فراموش نہیں کیا جا سکتا کہ اس جِیت میں سب سے اہم کردار خود باراک اوباما کی شخصیت کا تھا جو کہ محنت مشقت کر کے ترقی کرنے والے کروڑوں امریکیوں کا آئیڈیل بن گئے۔

ذاتی زندگی میں بھی وہ سیدھے سادے گھریلو انسان ہیں جن کے پاس صرف ایک مکان ہے جس میں وہ بیوی بچوں کے ساتھ ہنسی خوشی زندگی گزارتے ہیں جبکہ اُن کے مدِ مقابل جان مکین نے اپنی وفاشعار بیوی کو طلاق دے دی تھی جو جنگِ ویت نام کے کڑے ایّام میں شوہر کی واپسی کا انتظار کرتی رہی تھی۔ جان مکین نے اُسے چھوڑ کر ایک مال دار عورت سے شادی کر لی اور آج انہیں یہ بھی یاد نہیں کہ اُن کی ملکیت میں کتنے مکانات ہیں اور کہاں کہاں واقع ہیں۔

باراک اوباما نے امریکی آبادی کے مختلف طبقات میں مقبولیت حاصل کی۔ سیاہ فاموں نے تو خیر انہیں ووٹ دیئے ہی، وہ نوجوان نسل میں بھی مقبول رہے اور ہسپانوی نژاد آبادی کے ساتھ ساتھ یہودی آبادی نے بھی اُن پر اعتماد کیا۔

اُن کےمدِ مقابل جان مکین محض یہی راگ الاپتے رہے کہ ٹیکسوں میں چھوٹ دُوں گا لیکن اوباما نے ملک کی مجموعی اقتصادی حالت کو بحث کا موضوع بنایا اور امریکی عوام جو آٹھ برس سے بُش کی اقتصادی اور معاشی پالیسیوں کی چکّی میں پِس رہے تھے فوراً اوباما کی طرف متوجہ ہوئے۔

آخر میں جان مکین کے پاس لے دے کر ایک ہی نکتہ رہ گیا تھا کہ انھیں جنگ کے میدانوں اور خارجہ پالیسی کے ایوانوں کا وسیع تجربہ ہے لیکن اسکا منہ توڑ جواب اوباما نے یہ دیا کہ محض تجربہ کافی نہیں ہوتا، اس تجربے سے کشید کی ہوئی بصیرت اصل چیز ہے کیونکہ یہی بصیرت آپکو کڑے لمحات میں صحیح فیصلوں کو قوت عطا کرتی ہے۔

باراک اوباما نے اپنی مہم کے دوران کہا تھا کہ وہ اُن امریکی صدور سے یقیناً مختلف نظر آتے ہیں جن کی تصویریں امریکی ڈالر کے کرنسی نوٹوں پر شائع ہوتی ہیں۔ ازراہِ تفنّن کی جانے والی یہ بات اب سنجیدگی کے پیرہن میں اُن کی انفرادیت بن کر منظرِ عام پر آنے والی ہے اور امریکی عوام کے ساتھ ساتھ دنیا بھر میں لوگ اس انفرادیت کا عملی اور افادی اطلاق دیکھنے کے منتظر معلوم ہوتے ہیں۔
Just one day before the Jan. 3, 2008 Iowa caucus, Sen. Barack Hussein Obama Jr. (D-Ill.), who is aiming to be America’s first African-American president, found himself taping a message from Iowa to Kenya for broadcast on the Voice of America.

Kenya, the homeland Obama Jr’s family’s Luo tribe, burst into post-election violence after Raila Odinga, a fiery Luo tribe opposition leader and Kenya presidential candidate, alleged the Dec. 27 voting that re-elected President Mwai Kibaki of the Kikuyu tribe was rigged

More than 360 people were killed and over 250,000 displaced provoking a humanitarian crisis in a country previously considered a stable pillar in east Africa.

“Despite irregularities in the vote tabulation, now is not the time to throw that strong democracy away. Now is a time for President Kibaki, opposition leader Odinga, and all of Kenya’s leaders to call for calm, to come together, and to start a political process to address peacefully the controversies that divide them. Now is the time for this terrible violence to end,” the senator, said in the message.

ABC’s Diane Sawyer asked Obama Jr., on Jan. 3, about his appeal to the people of Kenya and “particularly to President Kibaki of the Kikuyu tribe” to do something to stop the violence.

“If you were the president, at this moment,” Sawyer asked, “would you do more. Would you send in troops to stop that violence?”

“Well, I don’t think we’re at that stage yet. Obviously, at this point, we’re monitoring the situation,” Obama Jr. answered.

American conservatives already suspect that Obama Jr’s much proclaimed opposition to America’s war against Muslim terrorist in Iraq is more about his Muslim heritage than peace. Obama Jr’s “I don’t think we’re at that stage yet” answer to Sawyer stirred immediate reaction from a former U.S. Congressman who saw the Sawyer interview. “Yet? We all know what that means. If elected, at what stage will Barack Obama be willing to send American servicemen and women into the Kenyan meat grinder.”

Since the Kikuyu tribe of President Kibaki was the target of the killings and members of the Obama Jr’s Lou tribe were doing the killing, one can image what the Kikuyu tribe thought of U.S. presidential candidate Obama Jr’s plea for peace.

During a 2006 Kenya visit, Obama Jr. was asked if he sees himself as a Kenyan-American. He answered, “I’m an American and proud of it, and I’m also an African-American, which means I share a bond of struggle but also joy with people of African descent everywhere.”

Obama Jr made a point of saying his heritage in Africa and Asia would shape his presidency, giving him special insight and impact on “the next hot spots” around the globe.

In August, 2006, Sen. Obama Jr. made an emotional visit to Kenya, the homeland of his late father Barack Hussein Obama Senior of the Luo tribe. It was a highly publicized visit, a prelude to Obama Jr’s campaign to become President of the United States.

He has visited Kenya 3 times, in 1987, 1992, and 2006. His first, while he was in school, second while he was working as a community organizer in Chicago and third as a high profile United States Senator. He was welcomed as a U.S. Senator hero, “the son of a Luo tribesman.”

In an interview, the senator said he hoped his trip would shine a spotlight on Africa’s struggles, from the bloodshed in Sudan’s Darfur region to the promise of elections in the Congo.

Obama Jr. told the people of Kenya that he wanted everyone in America to know about their troubles and promised to push for the United States to help.

“All of you are my brothers. All of you are my sisters,” the Illinois Democrat, 46, said after his tour of Kibera, where “700,000 people jammed into 1 square mile, with little access to water and other basic services.”

Odinga capitalized on Obama Jr’s popularity by portraying Obama Jr’s 2006 trip to Kenya as a personal endorsement for Odinga against the Kibaki government.

Odinga accusations against Kibaki boil down to ethnic-based tribal issues. Kibaki is of the Kikuyu tribe, known as Kenya’s privileged tribe. Odinga is a Luo, a tribe that has long felt deprived and oppressed by the privileged. The Lou accuse the Kikuyu of continuing “imperialist exploitation and corruption.”

After Obama Jr’s 2006 visit, Odinga supporters created T-shirts and posters with computer-altered images showing Obama Jr. and Kenyan presidential candidate Odinga standing side by side with arms around each other.

That caused one excited Kenyan blogger to write, “in 2009, we might see a Luo president in Kenya, a Luo president in the USA, and a Luo ambassador in Washington, D.C.”

In December 2006, a Kenyan posted an online message claiming a car jacking and killing of a leading Kenyan professor was an attempt by the Kikuyu tribe controlled government to “ethnically cleanse” Kenya of Luo’s — Obama’s family tribe. The poster copied the senator as an indirect message to Obama Jr. — “Stand up against the persecution of your tribe.”

Just over a year later, on Sunday, Dec 30, 2007, all of Kenya was edged closer to tribal warfare when over 100 people were murdered in a church were they had fled for refuge.

More than 200 people, mainly Kikuyus, the same tribe as President Kibaki, were desperately seeking safety in the Kenya Assemblies of God church when a gang of 2000 armed young men drawn from the Luo, Kalenjin and Luhya tribes stormed and torched the church. Witnesses reported that when people – at least 80 of them children -tried to flee being burned alive, they where hacked to death with machetes.

The attackers were backers of defeated presidential candidate Odinga who is claiming that President Kibaki had rigged the election.

Obama Jr’s African roots

Obama Jr. says his quest for the presidency was “inspired” by his “love of the country [Africa] that allowed his father to triumph against astonishing odds.”

Obama Jr’s father was born a member of the Luo tribe in Nyangoma-Kogelo, Siaya District, Kenya. Senior’s Luo father (Obama Jr’s grandfather), Hussein Onyango Obama, was a prominent and wealthy farmer who converted from Christianity to Islam.

In Obama Jr’s book, Dreams From My Father, his step-grandmother Sarah Obama traces his male ancestral line in Africa back 12 generations. Obama Jr. has at least one great and revered Luo leader on the African side of his ancestry.

One of Obama Jr’s great grandfathers (several generations back), “Owiny” was said to be a powerful leader of the Luo tribe, which moved into Kenya some 400 years ago.

Sarah Obama, a devout Muslim, was quoted telling Obama Jr. “What your grandfather respected was strength. Discipline. This is also why he rejected the Christian religion, I think. For a brief time he converted [to Christianity], and even changed his name to Johnson. But he could not understand such ideas as mercy towards your enemies, or that this man Jesus could wash away a man’s sins. To your grandfather, this was a foolish sentiment, something to comfort women. And so he converted to Islam-he thought its practices conformed more closely to his beliefs.”

Obama Jr’s grandfather, for whom he was given the middle name, Hussein, was “fiercely devoted to Islam.” He had at least 3 wives: Helima, who had no children, Akuma who gave birth to Sarah Obama, Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. and Auma Obama. The third wife was Sarah, who Obama Jr. refers to as his “grandmother.” Sarah became the primary care giver for Senior after his mother, Akuma, left the family when her children were still young.

At 18, Obama Jr’s father, Barack Obama Sr. (Senior), married a girl called Kezia from a local village.

Four years later (1957) Obama Sr., because of his father’s wealth and influence, was awarded an American sponsored scholarship in economics to the University of Hawaii. The presumption was that Obama Sr. would return to Africa and use his “Western-honed skills in a new Kenya.”

At the age of 23, Obama Sr. left behind his pregnant wife Kezia and their children to become the first African student enrolled at the University of Hawaii.

Obama Sr’s other wives

While still married to Kezia, Obama Sr. married fellow University of Hawaii student Anna Dunham, an 18 year old white anthropology major. Anna gave birth to a son on August 4th, 1961 in Honolulu. Obama Sr., a Muslim, chose the Muslim Koranic name, Barack Hussein Obama, for his son. The middle name “Hussein” to honor Muslim grandfather Hussein Onyango Obama.

Two years later, Obama Sr. abandoned Anna and Obama Jr. for a scholarship to pursue a PhD program in economics at Harvard University.

In June 1964, Obama Sr. returned to Kenya to work for the Jomo Kenyatta administration. Soon after, he married another white woman, his third wife, an American-born teacher called Ruth, who he met at Harvard. She followed him back home to Africa and conceived 2 children by him. He fathered 2 more children by Kezia.

Anna divorced Obama Sr. when Obama Jr. was 6 to marry Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian Muslim. Soetoro moved his new family to Indonesia, the worlds most populous Muslim country. Obama’s half-sister, Maya Soetoro was born in Indonesia.

Obama Senior died in 1982, the result of an alcohol-related car accident (his second) in Kenya. He left behind three wives, one mistress, six sons and a daughter — also a possible eighth child by a mistress. Although Obama Jr. claims Senior was an atheist, Senior was buried as a Muslim. Obama Jr’s mother, Anna, died of cancer a few months after the publication of his 1995 memoir.

Obama Jr’s Muslim schooling

Soetoro enrolled Obama Jr. in an Indonesian Catholic school and later in one of Jakarta’s Muslim controlled public schools.

During his time in Indonesia, Obama Jr, was known as Barry Soetoro. He attended first grade at a Catholic elementary school near his home, St. Francis of Assisi Foundation School, which accepted students of any religion. Barry’s primary school teacher said he registered as a Muslim and that he attended Koranic religious class.

“At that time, Barry was also praying in a Catholic way, but Barry was Muslim. He was registered as a Muslim because his father was Muslim.” Barry’s first-grade teacher Israella Dharmawan told the San Francisco Times

“Barry was a Muslim. He went to the mosque,” boyhood buddy Zulfin Adi told the Times.

“My whole family was Muslim, and most of the people I knew were Muslim,” half sister Maya told another reporter.

In the third grade, Obama transferred to a public school, where he also registered as a Muslim. Students at the school attended weekly religion lessons about Islam which were taught by Muslims.

In his autobiography, Dreams From My Father, Obama mentioned studying the Quran and describing the public school as “a Muslim school.”

Obama Jr’s American Schooling
At age 10 Obama’s mother sent him to live with his white grandparents in Hawaii and attend the prestigious Punahou Academy.

After high school, Obama Jr. attended Columbia University and then to the streets of Chicago as a community organizer and the Trinity United Church of Christ of Chicago.

Obama Jr. denies that he has ever been a Muslim, He says he is a Christian with “deep faith rooted in the Christian tradition.”

He points to his membership in the Trinity United Church of Christ, which bears the motto “Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian.” Trinity United’s web site declares its congregation to be “an African people” who remain true to “our native land, the mother continent, the cradle of civilization.”

Obama Jr’s mentor, the Reverend Jeremiah A. Wright
As a long time member of Trinity United, Obama Jr. has been exposed to the teachings of black nationalist minister, Jeremiah A. Wright, who preaches “African-American unity through antipathy toward whites.”

Rev. Wright, a skilled and fiery orator, teaches a doctrine that reflects black liberation theology, which views the Bible in part as a record of the struggles of “people of color” against oppression. Rev. Wright’s interpretation of the Scriptures has been described as “Afrocentric.”

Today, Rev. Wright remains a major influence on the presidential candidate Obama Jr. The title of Obama Jr’s second book, The Audacity of Hope, is borrowed from one of Wright’s sermons.

One of Obama Jr’s campaign themes has been his claim that conservative evangelicals have “hijacked” Christianity, ignoring issues like poverty, AIDS, and racism.

Obama Jr’s American forebears were slave owners
Many people know that Democratic presidential candidate Obama Jr’s father was from Kenya and his mother from Kansas. But, (quoting a Mar.2, 2007 report in the Baltimore Sun), “an intriguing sliver of his [Obama Jr.] family history has received almost no attention until now: It appears that forebears of his white mother owned slaves, according to genealogical research and census records.

” . . . The records could add a new dimension to questions by some who have asked whether Obama – who was raised in East Asia and Hawaii and educated at Columbia and Harvard – is attuned to the struggles of American blacks descended from West African slaves.”

Obama Jr’s African forebears were slave traders
In the 18th century, Muslim slavers moved into the interior of Kenya for the purpose of exploiting blood rivalries between local tribes. Muslims encouraged warring tribes, Obama Jr’s Luo ancestors included, to capture “prisoners of war” and sell them into slavery.

Kenya tribe leaders, also exported slaves and ivory that had been exchanged by Africans from the interior for salt, cloth, beads, and metal goods. The slaves were then marched to the coast and shipped to Muslim Zanzibar (an island South of Kenya), to be traded again.

African slaves and ivory became hugely profitable and Zanzibar Muslims grew rich on the trade. Slave trading continued despite the public outrage in Europe demanding an end to all slave trade.

The British, eventually brought their forceful anti-slavery message directly to the Muslim Sultan.

After years of pressure, the Sultan finally relented and agreed to ban slavery in 1847. It was not until 1876, 11 years after the American Civil War had ended, that the sale of slaves was finally prohibited in Zanzibar.

بانڈ فلم نے ریکارڈ توڑ دیے

اولگا کوریلنکو اس فلم میں بانڈ کے ساتھ ہیں
سونی سٹوڈیو نے کہا ہے کہ بانڈ سیریز کی نئی فلم نے ریلیز کے پہلے ہی دن برطانیہ میں باکس آفس کے ریکارڈ توڑ دیے ہیں اور فلم نے 4.9 ملین پاؤنڈز کا بزنس کیا ہے۔
اس فلم نے ‘ہیری پوٹر اینڈ دا گوبلیٹ آف فائر‘ کی اوپننگ کا ریکارڈ توڑا ہے۔ اس فلم نے ریلیز کے پہلے دن 4.025 ملئین پاؤنڈ کا بزنس کیا تھا۔

‘ کوانٹم آف سولیس‘ نامی اس فلم ميں ڈینئل کریگ بطور ہیرو اداکاری کر رہے ہیں۔

فلم کی عوام کے لیے ریلیز سے قبل بدھ کو لندن میں ہوئے ورلڈ پریمیئر میں پرنس ولیم اور پرنس ہیری بھی شامل ہوئے تھے۔

پہلے دن کے بزنس نے دو ہزار چھ کی بانڈ فلم ‘کسینو رویال‘ کا بھی ریکارڈ توڑ دیا ہے۔ اس فلم نے ریلیز کے پہلے دن 2.9 ملین پاؤنڈز کا بزنس کیا تھا۔ حالانکہ ‘کسینو رویال ‘ کی ناقدین اور فلم شائقین دوونوں کی ہی جانب سے کافی ستائش کی گئی تھی۔

‘ کسینو رویال‘ میں ہی پہلی مرتبہ ڈینئل کریگ نے بانڈ کا کردار ادا کیا تھا۔ یہ فلم سال دو ہزار چھ کی سب سے مقبول فلم کے طورپر سامنے آئی تھی اور اس نے برطانیہ کے باکس آفس پر 50 ملین پاؤنڈز کا بزنس کیا تھا۔

بانڈ سیریز کی حالیہ فلم کی کہانی ميں بانڈ اپنی معشوقہ کے قاتلوں سے بدلہ لیتا ہے۔ فلم ناقدین نے اس فلم پر ملا جلا ردِ عمل ظاہر کیا ہے۔

ڈیلی ٹیلی گراف میں مارک موناہن نے لکھا ہے’ فلم دیکھنے والوں کو بانڈ کے کردار میں کریگ ضرور متاثر کریں گے ۔ ان کا کردار ایک غصیل، غیر جزباتی اور جنون سے بھرا ہوا ہے۔ ‘

انہوں نے مزید لکھا ہے’ لیکن بعض مکالمے بے حد سست ہیں اور اس انداز میں لکھے گئے ہیں کہ یہ پتہ نہیں چل پاتا کہ اصل میں دھوکہ کس کو کون دے رہا ہے۔‘

ٹائمز میں جیمز کرسٹوفر نے لکھا ہے کہ یہ ایک دلچسپ فلم اور نئے بانڈ کے علاوہ اس فلم میں کوئی اور اتنا اچھا کام نہیں کر سکا ہے۔

ائین فلیمنگ کے خطوط کی نیلامی

خطوط کی نیلامی فیلیمنگ کی پیدائش کے سوویں سال کے موقع پر کی جا رہی ہے
مشہورِ زمانہ جاسوس جیمز بونڈ کے خالق ائین فلیمنگ اور ان کی حقیقی مس مینی پینی کے خطوط کی نیلامی کی جا رہی ہے اور توقع ہے کہ بولی ہزارہا پاؤنڈ تک جائے گی۔
جیمز بونڈ کی فلموں میں مس مینی پینی برطانوی خفیہ ادارے کے ایجنٹ جیمز بونڈ کے سربراہ ‘ایم‘ کی سیکریٹری کے طور پر جانی جانے والی مس مینی پینی کا نام فلیمنگ کے افسانوی کردار کے طور پر جین مینی پینی ہوتا ہے۔ یہ اتفاق ہے کہ فلیمنگ کی ٹائپنگ سیکریٹری کے طور پر جس خاتون کا انتخاب کیا گیا اس کا نام بھی جین سے شروع ہوتا ہے۔

جین فریمپٹن کو شروع میں فلیمنگ کے کردار 007 کے مسودوں کو ٹائپ کرنے کے لیے ملازم رکھا گیا تھا لیکن فریمپٹن نے بتدریج اس کام میں اس حد تک مہارت حاصل کر لی کہ کہانی کی نباوٹ میں بھیح مشورے دینے لگی۔

نیلامی کے پیش کیے جانے والے خطوط میں فلیمنگ کے ناولوں ‘تھنڈر بال‘، ‘کیو اینڈ لِٹ ڈائی‘ اور ‘مین ود گولڈن گن‘ کا ذکر آتا ہے۔

ان کی خطوط کی نیلامی ڈورسٹ نامی نیلام گھر کر رہا ہے جسے نیلامی کرنے والوں کا بادشاہ تصور کیا جاتا ہے۔

فیلیمنگ کی پیدائش کے سوویں سال کے حوالے سے ان خطوط میں غیر معمولی دلچسپی پائی جاتی ہے۔

فیلنگ نے مسز فریمپٹن کے نام 1960 میں لکھے جانے والے ایک خط میں فلیمنگ نے اپنے ‘ناول تھنڈر بال‘ کا ذکر کرتے ہوئے لکھاہے: ‘میرا خیال ہے کہ یہ ٹرانسکرپٹ کچھ اچھا نہیں ہے۔ میں انتہائی ممنون ہوں گا اگر آپ اس کے کسی پہلو کے بارے میں اپنی ذہانت کو بروئے کار لائیں‘۔

مسز فریمپٹن کو کبھی فلیمنگ سے ملنے کا موقع نہیں ملا لیکن وہ ان کے جاسوس کردار میں کی مہم جوئیوں میں گہری دلچسپی رکھتی تھیں اور انہوں نے ایک موقع پر فلیمنگ کو لکھا: ‘مجھے اب تک تھنڈر بال کے اختتام پر تاسف ہے، مس سوچتی ہوں بلوفِلڈ کا کیا ہوا؟ کیا وہ ایک اور محاذ آرائی کے لیے زندہ رہا‘۔

فلمی کردار بونڈ اور مس میینی پینی فلیمنگ کے تخلیق کردہ ایسے کردار ہیں جن میں لوگوں کی دلچسپی اب تک ختم نہیں ہوئی

نیلامی کی معاون ایمی برینن کا کہنا ہے کہ ‘مسز فریمپٹن دراصل ایک ذہین خاتون تھیں۔ انہوں فرانسیسی زبان میں بھی ڈگری کی تھی جسے انہوں نے اپنے گھر والوں سے خفیہ رکھا تھا‘۔

ان کا کہنا ہے کہ ‘ اس کے علاوہ بھی ان میں کئی خوبیاں تھیں۔ وہ ناول ٹائپ کرنے کے ساتھ ساتھ انہیں پڑھنے میں بھی گھری دلچسپی رکھتی تھیں۔ اسی دلچسپی کی بنا پر وہ ناولوں کی کہانیوں کے بارے میں بھی رد و بدل کے مشورے دینے لگیں اور در حقیقیت فلیمنگ ان کے ایسے مشورے کا خیرمقدم بھی کرتے تھے‘۔

ایمی برینین کا کہنا ہے کہ ‘ٹائپسٹ ہونے کے ساتھ ساتھ وہ فلیمنگ کے ناولوں کی ایڈیٹر بھی تھیں اس کے علاوہ انہیں ہی سب سے پہلے فلیمنگ کے ناولوں کو پڑھنے کا موقع ملتا تھا‘۔

برینین کے مطابق ‘ان کے تعلقات پیشہ ورانہ بھی تھے اور دانشورانہ سطح پر ذاتی بھی‘۔

 Courtesy Of BBC

Quantum of Solace (2008) is the 22nd James Bond film by EON Productions, released in the United Kingdom on 31 October 2008 and due in North America on 14 November. The sequel to the 2006 film Casino Royale, it is directed by Marc Forster, and features Daniel Craig’s second performance as James Bond. In the film, Bond battles Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a member of the Quantum organisation posing as an environmentalist, who intends to stage a coup d’état in Bolivia to take control of its water supply. Bond seeks revenge for the death of Vesper Lynd, and is assisted by Camille (Olga Kurylenko). 

Producer Michael G. Wilson created the film’s plot while Casino Royale was shooting. Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Paul Haggis and Joshua Zetumer contributed to the script. The title was chosen from a 1960 short story in Ian Fleming’s For Your Eyes Only, though the film does not contain any elements of the original story. Location filming took place in Panama, Chile, Italy and Austria, while interior sets were built and filmed at Pinewood Studios. Forster aimed to make a modern film that also featured classic cinema motifs: an antique aeroplane was used for a dogfight sequence, and Dennis Gassner’s set designs are reminiscent of Ken Adam’s work on several early Bond films. Taking a course away from the usual Bond villains, Forster rejected any grotesque appearance for the character Dominic Greene to emphasize the hidden and secret nature of the film’s (and society’s) modern day corporate villains.

>>>>***<<<<

خیرپور+گمبٹ – سندھ کے عظیم صوفی شاعر حضرت سچل سرمست کا 187 واں عرس درازہ شریف 14 رمضان المبارک کو شروع ہوگا۔ انتظامات کیلئے ای ڈی او ریونیو احمد علی قریشی کی صدارت میں سچل یادگار کمیٹی کی سب کمیٹی کا اجلاس ہوا جس میں صوفی راگ گانے والوں، ادیبوں، شاعروں اور نامور فنکاروں کی فہرست کو حتمی شکل دی گئی۔ سندھ کے وزیراعلیٰ سید قائم علی شاہ درگاہ پر پھولوں کی چادر چڑھا کر عرس کا افتتاح کریں گے۔ ثقافت اور سیاحت کے محکمے کی طرف سے نیشنل ادبی کانفرنس ہوگی۔ اجلاس میں عابدہ پروین، حمیرا چنہ، احمد مغل، صوفی شاعروں سہراب فقیر، موٹن شاہ، فقیر سوہنو، شمن فقیر، زاہدہ پروین، شاہدہ پروین اور دیگر فنکاروں کو دعوت دینے کا فیصلہ کیا گیا۔

***پیدائش : 1739

وفات : 1242 ھجری

سندھی زبان کے مشہور شاعر جو عرف عام میں ہفت زبان شاعر کہلاتے ہیں کیوں کہ آپ کا کلام سات زبانوں میں ملتا ہے۔ سچل سرمست کی پیدائش 1739ء میں سابق ریاست خیرپور کے چھوٹے گاؤں درازا میں ایک مذہبی خاندان میں ہوئی۔ان کا اصل نام تو عبدالوہاب تھا مگر ان کی صاف گوئی کو دیکھ کر لوگ انہیں سچل یعنی سچ بولنے والا کہنے لگے۔ بعد میں ان کی شاعری کے شعلے دیکھ کر انہیں سرمست بھی کہا گیا۔ سچل سرمست کی پیدائش سندھ کے روایتی مذہبی گھرانے میں ہوئی مگر انہوں نے اپنی شاعری میں اپنی خاندانی اور اس وقت کی مذہبی روایات کو توڑ کر اپنی محفلوں میں ہندو مسلم کا فرق مٹا دیا۔ان کے عقیدت مندوں میں کئی ہندو بھی شامل ہیں۔ سچل سرمست تصوف میں وحدت الوجود کے قائل تھے۔

شاہ عبدالطیف بھٹائی اور سچل سرمست کی زندگیوں میں ستر برس کا فاصلہ ہے۔ سچل ستر برس بعد جب صوفیانہ شاعری میں آیا تو ان کی وجدانیت بھی منفرد تھی۔ان کے ساتھ صوفی ازم کی موسیقی نے بھی سرمستی کا سفر کیا اور شاہ بھٹائی کے نسبتاً دھیمے لہجے والے فقیروں سے سچل کے فقیروں کا انداز بیان منفرد اور بیباک تھا۔

سچل سرمست نے سندھ کے کلہوڑا اور تالپور حکمرانوں کے ایسے دور اقتدار میں زندگی بسر کی جب مذہبی انتہاپسندی اپنے عروج پر تھی۔انہوں نے اپنے آس پاس مذہبی نفرتوں کو دیکھ کر سندھی میں کہا:

مذہبن ملک میں ماٹھو منجھایا، شیخی پیری بیحد بھلایا۔

جس کا سادہ ترجمہ اس طرح ہے کہ مذہبوں نے ملک میں لوگوں کو مایوس کیا اور شیخی، پیری نے انہیں بھول بھلیوں میں ڈال دیا ہے۔

سچل سرمست نوّے برس کی عمر میں 14 رمضان 1242ء ھجری میں وفات کر گئے۔وہ شادی شدہ تھے مگر ان کی کوئی اولاد نہیں ہے۔انہوں نے بنیادی عربی فارسی کی تعلیم اپنے خاندان کے بزرگ اپنے چچا مرشد اور سسر خواجہ عبدالحق سے حاصل کی۔سچل سرمست کا کلام سندھی، اردو، عربی، فارسی اور سرائیکی میں موجود ہے۔ انہیں اور ان کا کلام سنانے والے فقیروں کو سندھ میں ایک منفرد مقام اس لیے بھی حاصل ہے کہ کسی بھی محفل میں جب بھی مذہبی انتہا پسندی کو للکارا جاتا ہے تو آج بھی سہارا سچل کا لیا جاتا ہے۔

یہ معلومات وکیپیڈیا سے لی گئی ہے

***

Sachal Sarmast (1739-1829) (Sindhi: سچلُ سرمستُ ) (Urdu: سچل سرمست ) was a renowned Sindhi Sufi poet during the Kalhora era. Abdul Wahab was his real name and “Sachal” was the name he used in his own poetry. Sachu means truth in Sindhi and Sachalu means truthful. Sarmast means mystic in Sindhi and Urdu. Suchal Sarmast literally means ‘truthful mystic’. Sachal Sarmast was an ardent follower of Wahdat-ul-Wujood, an Islamic Philosophy synonymous with Hamah Oost.

Poetry of Sachal Sarmast
The brave speak the truth

Let others like it or not;

For the talk of false friendship we care not.

“Sarmast” (pronounced Sarimastu in Sindhi, meaning leader of the ‘intoxicated’ or ‘mad’) is the title often used by his followers. The title, given to him first by Agha Sufi, a compiler of his Risalo (collection of poems), refers to the fact that Sachal was intoxicated by love.

Sachal Sarmast was an ardent follower of Wahdat-ul-Wujood (unity of existence), an Islamic Philosophy synonymous with Hamah Oost (all from One), and Advaita Vedanta philosophy. The concept of Hamah Oost (all from One) is similar to that found in Advaita Vedanta philosophy. Sachal says (translation by Gul Agha):

There is no other Beloved,

There is only what I see everyday!

I was sitting by the roadside,

When the path became clear to me;

In the palace the Beloved I saw,

a glimpse the Beauty gave;

Through the window was the vision,

a glimpse the Beauty saw;

Take care of the ignorant;

Our bond was made for a reason.

I truly recognized the Lord,

My companion He sure became;

‘He is the Creator of all

and intrinsic to all’,

All doubts in this perished;

With happiness shall I carry

Sisters, if your trust I have.

All the journeys, all the manifestations

The Dear One’s own;

Friend ‘Sachal’ know this correctly,

Slumber has created illusions.

Like other sufis of Sindh, Sachal made no distinctions based on religion, but regarded love as the path to spirituality:

‘Tis not in religion I believe

‘Tis love I live in.

When love comes to you.

Say Amen!

‘Tis not with the infidel

that love resides

Nor with the faithful.

Rather, Sachal advocated self-realization as the path to liberation. Sachal says (translation by Jethmal Parsram Gulrajani):

O friend! this is the only way to learn

the secrets of the path:

Follow not the road of another, however

virtuous he may be.

Rend the veil over thee,

Searcher expose thy being.

Books on Sachal
Study of Mysticism in Darazi:
School of Sufi Thought:

Author: Dr.Sakhi Qabool Muhammad Faruqi: -Sajjada Nashin.: Publisher: Darazi Publications:

Priceless Pearls Picked from Wonderous Waters of Wisdom:
Author: Dr.Sakhi Qabool Muhammad Faruqi – Sajjada Nashin.:

SachalSarmast:
Edited by:Tanveer Abbasi: Publisher: Sachal Chair:

SachalJo Kalam urf Aashiqi Ilham (Sindhi):
Publisher: Sachal Chair:

Muntakhab alam Sachal Sarmast (Urdu):
Publisher: Sachal Chair:

Sachal Sarmast (Sindh):
Author – Jethmal Parsram : Publisher-Sachal Chair: Sarmast(Sindhi) Arrangedby: Muhammad Ali Hadaad Publisher: Sachal Sarmast Yadgar Committee.

Sachal Sarmast Ja Talib (Sindhi):
Author – Dr.Nawaz Ali Shauq: Publisher-Sachal Chair

Wishing you all

A Very Happy & Blessed MONTH 

It’s the time of year to take spiritual stock
Of the things we are doing and the things we are not

It’s a blessed month and our chance to be
Cleansed of our sins if we fast sincerely

Its not just about taking no food and drink
Every part of our body should refrain from sin

Guarding eyes, ears, tongue, our body as a whole
With the conscious intent of purifying the soul.

This will soften our hearts, we will feel the pain
Of those that have little of our worldly gains

The reward of good deeds is many times multiplied
So give money, food, help, whatever you like

Make the mind and body prostrate to the Lord
Let the Quran’s message become food for your thoughts

Don’t miss the Taraweeh, such blessings it holds
It’s a great opportunity to add to the score

Remember, this is the month that generates Taqwa
Doing all those things that bring us close to Allah

Restraining ourselves from the deeds He dislikes
Having love, fear, respect, all these feelings inside

This month brings with it glad tidings, good cheer
It’s the best kind of training for the rest of the year

Wo ajeeb raat-e-saeed thi

yahan shaad thi wahan eid thi

jo Nabi (S.A.W) ko hasrart-e-deed thi

to khuda ko shoq-e-wisal tha

wo hi jalwa apna dikha gai

ke nazar main jin k jamal tha

wo hi khuwab main mere agai

mere dil main jin ka khayal tha

na bashar ka husn na hoor ka

ke wo saya-e-noor tha noor ka

tha ajab jamal huzoor ka

wo jamal rab ka jamal tha

milanoor apne hi noor se

mile or ambiya door se

koi berh saka na huzoor se

ye to ap hi ka kamal tha

Ustad Inam pours his soul into his work, only to sell it for next to nothing. His art is resold at prices many times over what he earns in upscale galleries and shops, but he works hard regardless, just to keep his craft alive.

He sits on the dusty floor by the cemented walls of his small studio in Landhi, his rough fingers skillfully engraving a dancing Anarkali on a brass vase, unaware of the fact that he is the only karigar in Karachi who specializes in engraving scenes from the Mughal era on brassware. Because he is not aware of his own value, Ustad Inam sells his art for much less than it is worth, just to ensure he can feed his family of eight.

Ustad Inam, 37, deftly engraves cultural and historical scenes on brass vases, employing the Muradabadi craft of his forefathers, generally known as khudai ka kaam. His work distinguishes itself from the regular phool patties that decorate brassware found in abundance in Peetal Gali at Golimar.

“I learnt how to engrave Mughal figures from my father, Ustad Ikram, who was the only master of this art in Karachi after partition.”

Ustad Ikram learnt this art in Muradabad, the hub of engraved art in India for centuries, and practiced it innovatively after he migrated to Karachi.

“He sketched a hundred figures in various compositions depicting Mughal culture and after years of practice, he excelled at engraving,” Inam says proudly, “After a few years, he could draw straight onto brass plates and vases from life.”

Inam himself does not know how to engrave all of the hundred figures though. “I worked with my father for 20 years, but he died before he could impart all his knowledge to me.” Inam is saddened by the fact that his father’s specialised art lays buried beneath layers of earth instead of having been passed from one generation to the next.

Attempting to preserve the centuries old art, Ustad Inam now along with his two brothers practices whatever little he had been able to learn from his father by labouring for a wholesaler in Golimar.

“The wholesaler supplies us with a lot of brassware in varying sizes which we decorate with colour and engraved sketches of flowers after working on them in different stages.”

The Mughal era comes to life the moment Inam works the last stroke on the brass surface. Mughal courts come alive as a young prince sips his wine and enjoys the dance of a seductive courtesan. A doe-eyed princess lays her head on her beloved’s shoulder and watches a lion chase deer in the woods. The haunting melody played on the rabab of the woman sitting by a snake charmer seems to mesmerize not only the young girls in the scene but the person holding the vase too. One’s heart misses a beat just viewing the etched woman playing with deer by houses emitting smoke from their chimneys. So intricate and captivating are the scenes etched onto the surfaces of Ustad Inam’s vases, that they transport the viewer into another realm.

“Detailing these figures requires a lot of hard work and is very time-consuming too,” Inam tells Kolachi while engraving the tiniest flowers on a dupatta adorning a beautiful princess. “All etching on the vases is done by hand and even the smallest jerk can ruin a day’s worth of effort,” Inam adds as he painstakingly colours the tips of leaves on the dupatta. 

Ustad Inam usually makes up to fifty vases in a month. As he is very thorough about the detailing, fully decorating even a six inch vase takes him around three to four days to complete.

 “Vases are washed in acid before anything else. Then they are sprayed with deco paint, sketched on and the background of figures is painted in different colours. Once this is done, the composition is engraved and colour is stippled in using a straw.  The final piece is dried in a furnace and polished before being plastic-coated,” he tells Kolachi.

Despite all his painstaking efforts, Inam only manages to make a paltry 10000 rupees each month, and sometimes not even that.  A pair of 40 inch vases made after a week’s labour sell for 6000 rupees at his seth’s shop in Golimar, yet earns him no more than 200 rupees.

His wholesaler, however “earns thousands for the over 50 vases I sell him a month, as he sells them to exporters.”

Brassware handicrafts don’t have a huge market in Karachi. According to a rough estimate, the city holds only five per cent of brass made handicrafts, which can be found in  Golimar, Cooperative Market, Zainab Market and a few shops in Clifton and Zamzama. The rest are sold to markets in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. A major chunk of profit is earned through exporting brassware to China, Saudi Arabia and Canada with the pieces depicting Mughal culture sold at prices approximately 25 per cent higher than the regular, uncoloured pieces worked with phool patti.

Inam on the other hand, is paid just about enough to make ends meet. “I don’t earn enough to save,” says Inam who is simply sticking to the profession for the sake of preserving his father’s art. “When I am engraving, I feel as though my father is alive.”

However, he complains that despite all his effort and hard work, the business-savvy people he deals with stand in his way forward.

 “I once tried setting up my own brassware business instead of labouring for someone else, but the venture crashed and burned as in business oriented societies the bigger fish devour the small before they can achieve anything.”

 Inam tells Kolachi that when he tried selling his vases to wholesalers, they would often reject pieces even for the smallest defect, and pay him in installments instead of paying the full amount.

“I was left with no option but to serve the same old master or my family would have been forced to starve. I have been serving him for 18 years now.”

Ustad Inam realizes that his present wholesaler exploits him by not paying him enough and never giving him a raise, but he has not considered switching jobs.

 “I owe my seth 300000 rupees. I had borrowed the money to build my house. When I ask him for a pay raise he tells me to pay back the debt and leave, which I can’t.”

As a result of the the tiny amount he earns every month, yet still being bound to the job because of his debt, almost  serving as a bonded labourer, Inam has stopped picturing any kind of change, nor does he work towards it.

 “I could earn a fortune if I were an artist. Since I don’t paint on canvas nor do I earn millions by exhibiting my work in galleries, I can’t call myself an artist. Still I believe that even the greatest artist cannot imitate my work.”

Ustad Inam makes identical circles on all vases without the help of any tool and challenges that no one except him can do it. “I could draw perfect circle even if I was blindfolded, I have been doing it for 20 years now, and flawlessly.”

Ustad Inam’s years of practice, and his chosen profession being one he is quite devoted to have ensured that his work is always finished to perfection.

Though his work demands to be appreciated for its precision and aesthetic value, Inam dreams simple dreams for himself.

Despite being proud of his skill, Ustad Inam has never exhibited his work in galleries since he neither regards himself an artist nor is he knowledgeable and resourceful enough to have access to them. “I don’t know if I can exhibit my work in galleries. I don’t even know whom to talk to if I want to book myself space in a gallery. If I could earn 15000 rupees instead of the 10000 I earn now, I would be a happy man!”

An Article from “Jang”

بیٹھی ہے مصلے پہ شب تار مری ماں

اس رات کا ہے مطلع انوار مری ماں

جسموں کو جلاتے ہوئے سورج سے یہ کہدو

اس دشت میں ہے سایٔہ دیوار مری ماں

دنیا سے الجھ کر میں چلا آتا ہوں گھر میں

دنیا سے بچالیتی ہے ہر بار مری ماں

بچے کی طرح نیند سے اٹھا تو کھلا یہ

ہے میرے لئے دولت بیدار مری ماں

میں چاند کا کہہ دوں تو دلاتی ہے مجھے چاند

کرتی ہی نہیں ہے کبھی انکار مری ماں

اس ذات کو مجھ سے کوئی لالچ ہی نہیں ہے

ایثار ہے ایثار ہے ایثار مری ماں

اس عمر میں میں نے تو عذیر اتنا ہی جانا

اس ظلم کی دنیا میں فقط پیار مری ماں

جو ابر پھیل رہا ہے وہ سب پر برسے گا

کہ ماں کسی کی ہو ہر حال میں دعا دے گی

Heaven gave us a special gift to
make life worthwhile–
someone who would always be there
to lift our spirit and make us smile;
someone with a loving heart
filled with tenderness,
to share every tear,
and each success.
Yes, God, in his
special way,
blessed us with a wonderful mother,
the one we always love
more than any other.

ماں ایک خوشبو ہے جس سے سارا جہاں مہک اٹھتا ہے

ماں ایک چھاؤں ہے جس کے پاس سستانے سے ساری تھکن اتر جاتی ہے

ماں ایک دعا ہے جو سر پہ سدا سایہ فگن ہوتی ہے

ماں ایک مشعل ہے جو ہمیشہ راہ دکھاتی ہے

ماں ایک ایسی آہ بھی ہے جو سیدھی عرش پر جاتی ہے

ماں جو اپنے پہلوٹھی کے بچے کو لیئے پھول سی کھل جاتی ہے

کہ کیسے اسے سلائے، کھلائے، پلائے،  دیکھ دیکھ مسکرائے

 اپنی گود میں ایک نازک کھلونے کی طرح لیئے حفاظت کرتی ہے

 بدلتے موسموں کی سختیوں میں بچاتی ہے

 صحت و تندرستی کے ساتھ پالتی ہے

  دکھ درد تکلیف میں بھی اوس کے قطروں کی طرح مسکراتی ہے

ماں، جس کی محبت پاش نظروں کا حصار چاند کے ہالے سے زیادہ خوبصورت  ہے

 جو بیٹیوں کو دعائیں دیتے نہیں تھکتی

 جو بیٹوں  کی بلائیں اتارتے نہں تھکتی

اسی لیئے ٬ماں٬ کسی کی بھی ہو لیکن عظیم ہوتی ہے

 اس کے قدموں تلے جنت ہوتی ہے۔

Gold Wrapping Paper

The story goes that some time ago a mother punished her five year old daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper.

Money was tight and she became even more upset when the child used the gold paper to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift box to her mother the next morning and then said, “This is for you, Momma.”

The mother was embarrassed by her earlier over reaction, but her anger flared again when she opened the box and found it was empty. She spoke to her daughter in a harsh manner.

“Don’t you know, young lady, when you give someone a present there’s supposed to be something inside the package?”

She had tears in her eyes and said, “Oh, Momma, it’s not empty! I blew kisses into it until it was full.”

The mother was crushed. She fell on her knees and put her arms around her little girl, and she begged her forgiveness for her thoughtless anger.

An accident took the life of the child only a short time later, and it is told that the mother kept that gold box by her bed for all the years of her life.

Whenever she was discouraged or faced difficult problems she would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us, as human beings, have been given a Golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends and GOD.

There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

اس طرح میرے گناہوں کو وہ دھو دیتی ہے

ماں جب غصے میں ہوتی ہے تو رو دیتی ہے

شمشاد صاحب کی گذارش پر ایک کلام پیش خدمت ہے، حالات کے تحت یہی لکھا جاسکا ہے،

 آپ سب کی رائے کی منتظر رہوں گی۔

نام اسلام کا لو کفر کے سب کام کرو

وہ جو ہے رحمت عالم اسے بدنام کرو

دینی بھائی تمہیں کہتے ہوئے شرم آتی ہے

سوچتے سوچتے چھاتی یہ پھٹی جاتی ہے

قتل معصوموں کا جس نے بھی سکھایا ہے تمہیں

کاش تم سمجھو کہ شیطان بنایا ہے تمہیں

حیف صد حیف کہ تم خود کو مسلمان کہو

خود کشی کو بھی شہادت کہو ایمان کہو

جس نے خوں ریزی کو ایمان بنایا ہوگا

اس نے اپنا کوئی قرآن بنایا ہوگا

میرا قرآن سکھاتا ہے محبت کرنا

کوئی دشمن بھی جو نادم ہو تو شفقت کرنا

لوگ کہتے ہیں کہ تم لوگ مسلمان نہیں

میں یہ کہتی ہوں کہ دراصل تم انسان نہیں

*** 

بہت اچھے اشعار ہیں فرزانہ نیناں صاحبہ، بہت داد قبول کیجیئے

جس نے خوں ریزی کو ایمان بنایا ہوگا

اس نے اپنا کوئی قرآن بنایا ہوگا

 

 

   واہ واہ واہ، سبحان اللہ۔

الف عین,  حسن علوی , دوست , سارہ خان , سیدہ شگفتہ ,

شاکرالقادری , شمشاد , فاتح , قیصرانی , محب علوی , محمد

وارث , ڈاکٹر عباس

فرزانہ ، لاجواب کلام کیا ہے ۔ مجھے الفاظ نہیں مل رہے کہ کچھ لکھ سکوں ۔ اللہ کرے کہ آپ کے الفاظ ، آپ کی سوچ ایسے سفاک اور قاتل لوگوں کی ہدایت کا سبب بن جائے ۔ آمین۔سیدہ شگفتہ

بہت زبردست لکھا ہے سسٹر ۔سارہ خان

بہت خوب۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ ضبط

بروقت اور برمحل کلام ہے اور اس طرح کی شاعری کی ضرورت بھی ہے۔

شمشاد کی فرمائش اور فرزانہ کے فرمائش پوری کرنے کا شکریہ۔محب علوی

بہت خوب آپا میں نے آج ہی آپ کا یہ خوبصورت کلام پڑا۔ بہت اچھا لگا۔ حسن علوی

بہت شکریہ نیناں جی۔
موجودہ حالات کو مدِ نظر رکھتے ہوئے بہت ہی اچھے اشعار ہیں۔ شمشاد

آپ تمام کی حوصلہ افزائی پر ممنون ہوں، یہ تو فقط جذبات ہیں
اللہ تعالی ان لفظوں میں تاثیر بھی ڈال سکتے ہیں جس کا ہر محب وطن پاکستانی منتظر ہے،
میں کیا میری بساط کیا، ہم وطن سے دور ہیں لیکن دل اسی کے نام پر دھڑکتا ہے،
خمیر تو اسی مٹی کا ہوں، اس کی مہک اپنی جانب کھینچتی ہے،
خدا ہماری ارض پاک کو تباہی و بربادی سے نکالے اور عوام کو عقل سلیم عطا فرمائے۔ آمین
بس یہی میرے دل کی خواہش و دعا ہے۔

اہل محفل بہت شکریہ۔فرزانہ نیناں

 

In 1631 Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal’s period of greatest
prosperity, was griefstricken when his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their daughter Gauhara Begum, their fourteenth child. Contemporary court chronicles concerning Shah Jahan’s grief form the basis of the love story traditionally held as the inspiration for the Taj Mahal. Construction of the Taj Mahal was begun soon after Mumtaz’s death. The principal mausoleum was completed in 1648, and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later. Visiting Agra in 1663, the French traveller François Bernier wrote the following: I shall finish this letter with a description of the two wonderful mausoleums which constitute the chief superiority of Agra over Delhi . One was erected by Jehan-guyre [sic] in honor of his father Ekbar; and Chah-Jehan raised the other to the memory of his wife Tage Mehale, that extraordinary and celebrated beauty, of whom her husband was so enamoured it is said that he was constant to her during life, and at her death was so affected as nearly to follow her to the grave.

 The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on many design traditions, particularly Persian and earlier Mughal architecture. Specific inspiration came from a number of successful Timurid and Mughal buildings. These include the Gur-e Amir (the tomb of Timur, progenitor of the Mughal dynasty, in Samarkand), Humayun’s Tomb, Itmad-Ud-Daulah’s Tomb (sometimes called the Baby Taj), and Shah Jahan’s own Jama Masjid in Delhi. Under his patronage, Mughal building reached new levels of refinement. While previous Mughal building had primarily been constructed of red sandstone, Shah Jahan promoted the use of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones. The complex is set in and around a large charbagh (a formal Mughal garden divided into four parts). Measuring 300 meters Ã- 300 meters, the garden uses raised pathways which divide each quarter of the garden into 16 sunken parterres or flowerbeds. A raised marble water tank at the center of the garden, halfway between the tomb and the gateway, and a linear reflecting pool on the North-South axis reflect the Taj Mahal. Elsewhere the garden is laid out with avenues of trees and fountains.

The charbagh garden was introduced to India by the first Mughal emperor Babur, a design inspired by Persian gardens. The charbagh is meant to reflect the gardens of Paradise (from the Persian paridaeza — a walled garden). In mystic Islamic texts of the Mughal period, paradise is described as an ideal garden, filled with abundance. Water plays a key role in these descriptions: In Paradise, these text say, four rivers source at a central spring or mountain, and separate the garden into north, west, south and east. Walkways beside reflecting pool Most Mughal charbaghs are rectangular in form, with a tomb or pavilion in the center of the garden. The Taj Mahal garden is unusual in that the main element, the tomb, is located at the end rather than at the center of the garden. But the existence of the newly discovered Mahtab Bagh or “Moonlight Garden” on the other side of the Yamuna provides a different interpretation — that the Yamuna itself was incorporated into the garden’s design, and was meant to be seen as one of the rivers of Paradise.

The Taj Mahal complex is bounded by a crenellated red sandstone wall on three sides. The river-facing side is unwalled. Outside the wall are several additional mausoleums, including those of many of Shah Jahan’s other wives, and a larger tomb for Mumtaz’s favorite servant. These structures, composed primarily of red sandstone, are typical of smaller Mughal tombs of the era. On the inner (garden) side, the wall is fronted by columned arcades, a feature typical of Hindu temples later incorporated into Mughal mosques. The wall is interspersed with domed kiosks (chattris), and small buildings which may have been viewing areas or watch towers, such as the so-called Music House, now used as a museum. The main gateway (darwaza) is a monumental structure built primarily of marble. The style is reminiscent of that of Mughal architecture of earlier emperors. Its archways mirror the shape of the tomb’s archways, and its pishtaq arches incorporate the calligraphy that decorates the tomb. It utilises bas-relief and pietra dura (inlaid) decorations with floral motifs. The vaulted ceilings and walls have elaborate geometric designs, like those found in the other sandstone buildings of the complex.

The city of Ankara lies in the center of Anatolia on the eastern edge of the great, high Anatolian Plateau, at an altitude of 850 meters. It is the center of the province of the same name, which Is a predominantly fertile wheat steppeland with forested areas in its northeast region. It is bordered by the provinces of Cankiri and Bolu to the north, Eskisehir to the west, Konya and Aksaray to the south, and Kirikkale and Kirsehir to the east. The region’s history goes back to the Bronze Age, Hatti Civilization, which was succeeded in the 2nd millennium BC by the Hittites, then the Phrygians (10th century BC); Lydians and Persians followed. After these came the Galatians, a Celtic race who were the first to make Ankara their capital (3rd century BC). It was then known as Ancyra, meaning anchor. The town subsequently fell to the Romans, Byzantines, and Selcuks under Alpaslan in 1073, and then to the Ottomans under Yildirim Beyazit in 1402, who remained in control until the First World War. The town, once an important trading center on the caravan route to the east, had declined in importance by the nineteenth century. It became an important center again when Kemal Atat?ose it as the base from which to direct the War of Liberation. In consequence of its role in the war and its strategic position, it was declared the capital of the new Turkish Republic on the 13th October,1923.

A man went to a shop, picked up a beautiful cup and said ” My God ! this cup is so beautiful.”Suddenly the cup started talking to the man.”oh, man, I am beautiful right now, but what was the state of my being before the pot maker made me so beautiful ?’

I was sheer mud when the potter pulled me out from mother earth. I felt wreathed in tremendous pain while being separated from mother earth. But the potter said , ‘JUST WAIT ‘. Then he churned me. I felt giddy when I was churned, and asked him ‘Why are you so cruel ? ‘ The potter said ‘ JUST WAIT ‘.Then he put me into an oven and heated me up. I felt completely burnt. There was tremendous pain and I asked him again ‘ Why are you so cruel ? ‘ He said ‘ JUST WAIT ‘
After that he poured hot paint on me n I felt the fumes and irritation.I again asked him ‘Why are you so cruel ? ‘ He said again ‘ JUST WAIT ‘. he put me into an oven and heated me to make me strong, I felt life was so pain ful hence pleaded with the potter to leave me free. he said ‘JUST WAIT ‘. And finally he took me to a mirror and said ‘ Now look at yourself”. Lo, What a change ! I found myself so beautiful. “
We have to wait ; our struggles have a cosmic purpose. When pur agenda is not fulfilled, it gives us pain. But universe has its own plans.

We have to wait and make our struggles sacred.Greatness lies not in being strong but in the right use of scared strength.

On 17th Ramadan Year 2nd of Hejra, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) came to BADER from MADINA

With around 300 of his Followers from the way shows in picture (Red Arrow).

Right Arrow Shows (Al Odoat Al Dunea) and on versant of it Muslims Camp, Middle Arrow Shows

the way which ABO SOFEAN Convoy pass all the way through and Left Arrow Shows Malaeka mountain

(where JEBREAL and MEKAEAL sent By ALLAH with 1000 Of Malaeka to help Muslims Army against Unbelievers.  

The names of the 14 martyr from the Followers of Prophet Mohammad where killed on BADER CONQUEST,

Malaeka Mountain

Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) Camp with his Army in this Area and The Hill in the Picture is Called (Odoat Al Dunea)

Right Arrow Shows (Al Odoat Al Dunea) and on versant of it Muslims Camp, Middle Arrow Shows

the way which ABO SOFEAN Convoy pass all the way through and Left Arrow Shows Malaeka mountain

The Arrow Shows the Moshreken (Unbelievers) Base Camp called in Quran as (Al Odoat Al Qoswa) and there army were 950 men.

This is where Muslims Army moved to where BADER WELL was at the back of them.

A different picture angle of (Al Odoat Al Dunea) and Malaeka Mountain and the new camp area where Muslims moved to.

ALARESH MASJID was built in the place where Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) built a Hut as suggested by SAAD BIN MOAD.

کبھی کبھی ،کوئی دعا ۔۔۔۔۔ ایسی کیوں ہوتی ہے جسے آپ کے سوا کوئی نہیں مانگ سکتا؟

پتہ نہیں کیوں کبھی کبھی اپنے آپ سے ملاقات کے لیئے اپنی ہی دعاؤں پر انحصار کرنا

پڑتا ہے؟

ایک چھوٹی سی بات کے لئے ساری عمر قبولیت کی گھڑی کا انتظار کرنا بہت 

کٹھن ہوتا ہے …..جس دروازے پر دستک دی جائے…. وہ صرف اسی کے لیئے کھلے …. اسی

 کے لئے مخصوص ہو …. شارع عام تو ہرکسی کے لیئے موجود ہے …. جس کا جی چاہے اٹھ

 کر چل پڑے ….. مخصوص اور منفرد ہونا بہت تکلیف دہ ہوتا ہے …. کاش ہم تم بھی اجنبی

ہوتے جس طرح اور لوگ ہوتے ہیں بے تعلق سے ۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ بے تعارف سے ۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ بے قراری نہ بے

کلی ہوتی نا مکمل نہ زندگی ہوتی یوں نہ ہوتیں اذیتیں دل کی زندگی بھی نہ ہوتی مشکل

میں آنسوؤں سے نہ دوستی کرتے اپنے دل سے نہ دشمنی کرتے کیسا دھوپ چھاؤں کا

 موسم ہے آج۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔کہیں آفتاب بن کر کوئی جگمگا رہا ہے کہیں ماہتاب نیلگوں اداسی

 میں…….ڈوبتا جا رہا ہے کیسا عجیب دن ہے۔۔۔۔۔۔ کتنا کچھ کرنے کو ہے لیکن پھر بھی لگ

 رہا ہے کہ کچھ بھی نہیں…. کیسا عجیب موسم ہے؟

 *** اجنبی شہر ہے اجنبی شام ہے

 جان من http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yfHCSvhEIk

Hazrat-e-Bishr Qarazi narrates that I was travelling with a group of traders along with fourteen camels carrying sugar. We stopped for the night in a dangerous jungle. In the early hours of the night my four loaded camels disappeared, which were not found even after a lot of search. The group also departed. The camel driver stayed back with me . In the morning I suddenly remembered that my Mentor, The King of Baghdad Huzoor Ghous-e-Pak had told me that whenever you get stuck in any problem then call me (my name), Allah willing that problem will be solved, hence I requested this way: YA SHAIKH ABDUL QADIR! MY CAMELS ARE LOST. All of sudden I saw a saintly man dressed in white clothes on a sand dune towards east, who was signaling me to come to him. As soon as I along with my camel driver reached over there the saintly Man disappeared from vision. We were strangely looking here and there when we suddenly spotted those four lost camels sitting under the sand dune. Then what happened was that we caught the camels and re-joined the group. When Sayyed-e-na Shaikh Ab-ul-Hasan Ali Khabbaz was told the incident of the lost camels He said that Hazrat-e-Shaikh Ab-ul- Qassim has said that I have heard Sayyed-e-na Shaikh Muhi-ud-Din Abdul Qadir Jilani saying:

“THE ONE WHO CRIES OUT FOR MY HELP DURING SOME PROBLEM, THE PROBLEM GETS SOLVED, THE ONE WHO CALLS OUT MY NAME IN ANY HARDSHIP, THAT HARDSHIP; GETS DISMISSED, THE ONE WHO USED ME AS A SOURCE TO ASK ALLAH FOR SOME NEED, IT WILL BE FUFILLED. THE PERSON WHO PRAYES TWO RAK’AT OF NAFL AND IN EACH RAK’AT AFTER SURAH FATIHA RECITIES SURAH IKHLAS ELEVEN TIMES, AFTER SAYING SALAAM i.e AFTER FINISHING THE PRAYER, SENDS DUROOD-O-SALAAM ON THE KING OF MADEENAH AND THEN WALKS A DISTANCE OF ELEVEN STEPS TOWARDS BAGHDAD SHAREEF AND CALLS OUT MY NAME AND PRESENTS HIS NEED, ALLAH WILLING, THAT NEED WILL BE FULFILLED’.

Why should I go from door to door when I have a mentor like You. I received every thing from you ‘O, Ghous-e-Azam Dastgir.

Dear Islamic Brother! It is possible that in someone’s mind a thought may arise that we should only ask Allah for any help and no one else, because when Allah is the One who helps then why should we ask anyone else for help? The answer to this is that this is the way he makes an unknown number of people go astray. When Allah has not refrained from asking for help from someone else then how can someone get the right of saying that don’t ask for help from anyone but Allah. Look in the Holy Quran, where Allah has in various verses allowed asking for help from someone else, but even though being the Omnipotent in every way,. He has asked for help from His beings. Therefore it is stated:

Translation: If you will help the religion of Allah, Allah will help you. (Part-26, Sura: Muhammad)

THE KING OF JINNS
Bushair bin Mahfooz states that once my daughter, Fatima, all of a sudden vanished from the roof of my house. I got worried and want to the blessed presence of Sayyed-e-na Ghouse-e-Pak and requested for help. He told me to go to Karkh, and during the night sit in a deserted place forming a fort (Hisar) around myself. Over there think about em and say:” Bismillah” During the darkness of night groups of Jinns will pass by you, their faces will be very strange, do not get scared by looking at them, at the time of sahari the KING OF JINNS will come to you and will ask you about your requirement. Tell him, “Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani has sent me from Baghdad (my requirement is that) you search my daughter.”

Hence, I went to the ruins of KARKH and followed the instructions of Huzoor Ghous-e-Azam. During the silence of night, horrifying Jinns kept on passing outside my hisar. The faces of the Jinns were so horrifying that I could not look at them. At the time of sahari, the KING OF JINNS came on a horse back, there were Jinns surrounding him. He asked my demand from outside the hisar. I told him that Huzoor Ghous-e-Azam has sent me to you. As soon as he beard this, he got down the horse and sat on the ground. The other Jinns too sat outside the hisar.

I narrated the incident of the disappearance of my daughter. He announced amongst all the Jinns, “Who has taken the girl?” Within moments the Jinns caught a Chinese Jinn and presented him as the culprit. The King of the Jinns asked him why did you pick the girl up from the city of the Highest Cadre in Spiritual Pivot (Qutub) of the time? He said, while shivering, Your Highness! After looking at her I fell in love with her. The King ordered the Chinese Jinn to be beheaded and returned my wonderful daughter to me. I thanked the King of the Jinns and said, as Allah will! You are an ardent lover of Sayyed-e-na Ghouse-e-Pak. He then replied, I SWEAR UPON ALLAH WHEN HUZOOR GHOUS-E-PAK LOOKS TOWARDS US, ALL THE JINNS START TREMBLING. WHEN ALL NOMINATES AS QUTUB OF TIME THEN ALL THE JINNS AND HUMANS ARE ORDERED TO FOLLOW HIM. (Bahjaa-tul- Asraar)
All the Jinns start trembling (with fear) on hearing your name. Your Have that majestic awe ‘O, Ghous-e-Azam Dastgir.

About Gous Pak: Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jelani was a noted Hanbali preacher, Sufi sheikh and the eponymous founder of the Qadiri Sufi order (selsela). He was born in Ramadan AH 470 (about AD 1077) in the Persian province of Gilan (Iran) south of the Caspian sea. His contribution and renown in the sciences of Sufism and Sharia was so immense that he became known as the spiritual pole of his time, al-Gauth al Azam (the “Supreme Helper” or the “Mightiest Succor”). His writings were similar to those of al-Ghazali in that they dealt with both the fundamentals of Islam and the mystical experience of Sufism.

Parents and Early Life
Abdul Qadir Jilani was a Sufi master and Syed (descendant of the Prophet Muhammad) from both his father and mother. His father Abu Saleh Jangidost, was an illustrious and God-fearing man. Once while engrossed in meditation by the bank of a river he saw an apple floating down the river. He picked it up and ate it. It struck to him that he ate the apple without paying for it so he set out in search of the owner, on the bank of the river and at last reached the owner of the apple orchard “Abdullah Somai” whom he requested to tell him the price of the apple, Abdullah Somai replied that it was an expensive thing. Syed Abu Saleh replied that he had not much by way of worldly material but he, could serve him for compensation. Abdullah Somai then asked him to work for a year in the orchard. In course of time the duration was extended several times. In the end Abdullah Somai admitted that he had served him in excess of the price and desired to reward him. Abu Saleh hesitated in accepting it but when Abdullah Somai persisted, he relented. He said he had a daughter, blind of eyes, handicapped of hands and feet and wanted to give her in marriage to him. In this way Abu Saleh was married to Abdullah Somai’s daughter, Syeda Fatimah. To his astonishment found her wondrously beautiful and wholesome. He complained to his father-in-law that he found her exactly the opposite to what he had described her. Abdullah Somai insisted on the truthfulness of his statement. She was blind because she had not seen any Ghair Mehram (a man who could marry her). She was mute because she had not uttered a word repugnant to the Shariah (Islamic law). She was deaf because she had not heard anything inconsistent with the Shariah. She was handicapped of hand and feet because she had never moved in the direction of evil.

Abdul Qadir Jilani’s father died soon after and the young orphan was reared up by his mother and his grandfather, Abdullah Somai.

Adult life
At the age of 18 he went to Baghdad on AH 488 (1095 AD), where he pursued the study of Hanbalite law under several teachers. His mother sewed 40 gold coins in his quilt so that he might spend them when needed. The dacoits struck the caravan on the way, and looted all the travelers of their belongings. They asked him what he had. He replied that he had 40 gold coins. The dacoits took his reply for a joke and took him to their chief, who asked him the same question and he again replied that he had 40 gold coins. He demanded him to show, upon whom he tore away, the quilt and produced the gold coins. He was surprised and asked him why he had given the hidden gold coins when he could have kept them hidden. Young Abdul Qadir Jilani replied that he was travelling to Baghdad to receive education and his mother had instructed him to speak the truth. This left a deep effect on the chief of the dacoits and he gave up looting.

Abdul Qadir received lessons on Islamic Jurisprudence from Abu Said Ali al-Mukharrimi, Hadith from Abu-Bakra-bin- Muzaffar, and commentary (tafseer) from the renowned commentator, Abu Muhammad Jafar.

In Sufism, his spiritual instructor was Shaikh Abu’l-Khair Hammad. From him, he received his basic training, and with his help he set out on the spiritual journey. Abu Shuja’ was also a disciple of Shaikh Hammad, once he said: “Shaikh Abdul Qadir was in the company of Shaikh Hammad, so he came and sat in front of him, observing the best of good manners, until he stood up and took his leave. I heard Shaikh Hammad say, as soon as Shaikh Abdul Qadir had left: ‘This non-Arab has a foot that will be raised, when the proper time comes, and placed upon the necks of the saints of that time. He will surely be commanded to say: This foot of mine is upon the neck of every saint of Allah. He will surely say it, and the necks of all the saints of his age will surely be bent at his disposal.’” Hazrat Junayd Baghdadi (died AD 910), who died about 167 years before the birth of Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, predicted about him on one occasion, when he was performing meditation & during that he said: “His foot will be over all Saints’ necks.” After finishing meditation, his disciples asked him about his words, he replied: “One Sufi would be born in the future, who would be greater than all saints.” Thus, Shaikh Hammad proved the words of Hazrat Junayd as right. The historians says that, later Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani also repeated the same words on many occasion by himself.
Spiritual Lineage, Shajra Mubarik
Prophet Muhammad (SW)
The Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib
Sheikh Hasan Basri
Sheikh Habib Ajami
Sheikh Dawood Taiee
Sheikh Ma’ruf Karkhi
Sheikh Sari Saqati
Sheikh Junayd al-Baghdadi
Sheikh Abu Bakr Shibli
Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Tam?m?
Sheikh Abu al-Fadl Abu al-Wahid al-Tam?m?
Sheikh Abu al-Farah Tartusi
Sheikh Abu al-Hasan Hakari
Sheikh Abu Sa’id al-Mubarak Mukharrami
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani

Popular Sufi Sheikh
After completion of education, Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani abandoned the city of Baghdad, and spent twenty-five years as a wanderer in the desert regions of Iraq as a recluse.[2] He was over fifty years old by the time he returned to Baghdad, in AH 521 (AD 1127), and began to preach in public. His hearers were profoundly affected by the style and content of his lectures, and his reputation grew and spread through all sections of society. Not only Muslims, but also Jews and Christians, not only caliphs and viziers but also farmers, merchants and traders allegedly altered their lives in response to Abdul Qadir’s perorations. [3] He moved into the school belonging to his old teacher al-Mukharrimii, there he engaged himself in teaching. Soon he became popular with his pupils. In the morning he taught hadith and tafseer, and in the afternoon held discourse on mysticism and the virtues of the Qur’an. The number of students increased so much that the seminary could no more contain them. He, therefore, decided to extend the premises of the seminary. The students and the people willingly came forward with their wholehearted contributions. The campus buildings were ready in AH 528 and thereafter it came to be known as Madarsai-e-Qadriya.Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani was a Non-Arab (ajami), so he wasn’t fluent in Arabic and was having some difficulties because of it. Once The Prophet Muhammad came to him in a dream, before the time of the midday prayer (Zuhr), and he said to him: “O my dear son, why do you not speak out?” He replied: “O dear father, I am a Non-Arab man. How can I speak fluently in the classical Arabic language of Baghdad?” Holy Prophet said: “Just open your mouth!” He opened his mouth, and The Holy Prophet put his saliva seven times in his mouth. A few moments later, Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib also came & did the same to him six times. And from that time, Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani spoke classical Arabic language with fluency, his memory increased and he felt some great positive spiritual changes in him.

Once some one asked Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani about Mansur Al-Hallaj, he replied: “His claim extended too far, so the scissors of the Sacred Law (Shari’a) were empowered to clip it.”

He busied himself for forty years in the service of the Islam from AH 521 to 561. During this period hundreds embraced Islam because of him and organized several teams to go abroad for the purpose. He arrived in Indian sub-continent in AD 1128, and stayed at Multan (Pakistan). He died in AH 561 (AD 1166) at the age of 91 years, and was buried in Baghdad.

“My Foot is on the Neck of All Walis”
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani uttered these words from the pulpit in Baghdad. All awliya, present and non-present, bowed their heads in submission. Unlike shatahat of some awliya, these words of Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani were uttered in a state of sobreity, sahw. With the exception of Sahaba and the Imams of Ahle Bait, Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani’s foot is on the neck of all awliya.

In the Name of Allah,

The Most Gracious

The Most Merciful

Who Created Allah?

Question: If everything needs a creator, then who created Allah?
Answer: This is just rhetoric and playing with words. In all practicality this scenario doesn’t exist, and here’s why: Assumption: Every thing is created by “A”
Question: Who created “A”?
Answer: “B” created “A” Question: Who created “B”?
Answer: “C” created “B” Question: Who created “C”?
Answer: “D” created “C” And so on and so forth. You can keep asking this question until we exhaust the chain of creation. Ultimately, we will all have to agree one of 2 things: Either the “creator” is a product of random chance and accident, or some “thing” outside the realm of natural creation exists who is self-existing and doesn’t need a creator.
Furthermore, things like “created” and “born” and “died” are physical things which require time and space. If there is an existence which is self-existing, then that means time doesn’t affect Him because He doesn’t get old, or get born, or dies. If time doesn’t affect Him then that means He is outside the realm of time and space. If He is outside the realm of time and space then He lived before everyone else and will live after everyone else.
To understand this better, draw a straight line with blue ink on a piece of paper. Let this blue ink represent time. We know time exists so some “thing” has to initiate this line. So now you would draw a bracket in red ink at the begining of the line. As soon as we draw this bracket in red ink outside the line of time, we right away admit that this “thing” is BEFORE time starts. With time begins all other creation, and this “time” seperates the creation from the Ultimate Creator. Since this Ultimate Creator existed before the measurement of time began, for all factual and empirical purposes that makes Him, quite literally, “Eternal and Absolute.”

Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.
Qur’an, 112:1-4

Thirst for Learning

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) says:

“After the passing away of the Prophet (Sallallaahu alaihe wasallam), I said to an Ansari friend of mine: ‘The Prophet is not now with us. But a large number of Sahabah are still among us. Let us go to them and get knowledge of the Islamic practices.’ He said: ‘ Who is going to approach you for learning a regulation in the presence of these eminent Sahabah?’ I was not discouraged. I kept up my quest for knowledge and approached every person who was supposed to have heard something from the Prophet. I managed to gather substantial information from the Ansar. If on my visit to someone of the Sahabah, I found him asleep, I spread my shawl at the gate and sat waiting. Sometimes my face and body would get covered with dust, but I kept sitting till they woke and I was able to contact them. Some of them said: ‘Abdullah you are the cousin of the Prophet(Sallallaahu alaihe wasallam); you could have sent for us. Why did you take the trouble of coming to our places?’ I said to them: ‘I must come to you, for I am a student and you are my teachers.’ Some people for whom I had waited said: ‘Since when have you been waiting for us?’ I informed them that I had been sitting there for a pretty long time. They said: ‘What a pity! You could have awakened us from our sleep.’ I said: ‘I did not like to disturb you for my own sake.’ I thus carried on my pursuits, till there came a time when people began to flock to me for learning. My Ansari friend realized this at that time and remarked: ‘This boy has surely proved himself more sensible than us.’”

Source: From the book “Stories of the Sahabah” by Shaikh Muhammad Zakariyya Kaandhlawi.

A Young Man’s Fear of Allah

One day, Malik bin Dinar (rahimaullah) was passing by a place when he noticed a young man wearing old clothes and crying by the roadside. His name was Uthbah. Sweat was dripping down his body even though the temperature was very cold at that time. Malik bin Dinar became very surprised at this scene and asked Uthbah, “Oh young man, why are you crying? And why are you sweating during this cold temperature? “

Uthbah replied, “Once, I committed a sin at this place. Today, as I was passing by this place, I remembered that sin.”

Source: Obtained from the book “Tambihul Ghafileen” by Shaikh Abul Laith Samarkandi.

Don’t Complain, Be Patient

Khabbaab ibn al-Aratt (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “We complained to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he was reclining on his cloak in the shade of the Ka’bah. We said to him: “Why do you not ask Allaah to help us (grant us victory)? Why do you not pray to Allaah for us?” He said, “A man from the people before you would be placed in a hole dug for him, then they would bring a saw and cut his head in two, yet that would not make him renounce his faith. They would use an iron comb to drag the flesh and nerves from his bones, yet that would not make him renounce his faith. By Allaah, this matter will be completed (i.e. Islam will be perfected and will prevail) until a rider travelling from Sana’ to Hadramawt will fear nobody but Allaah or the attack of a wolf on his sheep, but you are too impatient.” Source: Sahih Bukhari.

Ae maalik-e-Zameen- o-Aasmaan Khaaliq-e-Kainaat

Surah rehman ke sadqe surah Fatiha k sadqe Ayaat-e-Kareema ke sadqe

Hamesha mehfooz rakhna Be-roz-Gaari say

Tangdasti say

Aazmaish say

Haram Rizq ki kami se

Ruswai say

Qarz say

Marz say

Jahanum ki aag say

Hisab kitab say

Aulad k dukh say

Waleidain ki na farmani say

Deen ki doori say

Amanat me khayanat say ,,,,,,,,,

Aur naghaani maut say

ALLAH hum sab ko apne amaan me rakh … AAMEEN

Why do we read Quran, even if we can’t understand a single Arabic word?

This is a beautiful story.

An old American Muslim lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Quran. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.

One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa! I try to read the Quran just like you but I don’t understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Qur’an do?”

The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.”

The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, “You’ll have to move a little faster next time,” and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.

The old man said, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You’re just not trying hard enough,” and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, “See Grandpa, it’s useless!”

“So you think it is useless?” The old man said, “Look at the basket.”

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.

“Son, that’s what happens when you read the Qur’an. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Allah in our lives.”

Durrani Empire

Reign of Ahmad Shah Durrani (1747-1772)

Ahmad Shah Durrani

اف۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ میں اور میرے اندر کی لڑکی۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ اس نے عاجز کردیا ہے،

 ابھی ابھی پھر سے جنگ شروع ہوگئی ہے اور اس کی وجہ ٹی وی پر دکھایا

جانے والا ایک پروگرام ہے

“اراؤنڈ دی ورلڈ ان ایٹی گارڈنز”

میں ٹہری حسن پرست، نیچر پرست ،

پروگرام میں انڈیا کے بہت سے خوبصورت و حسین گارڈن دکھا رہے ہیں، تاج محل کے ارد گرد کے باغات، مور، ہرن، طوطے، آبشاریں،  اکدم سے نجانے کیا کیا یاد آرہا ہے اوپر سے وہ پھول نظر آ رہے ہیں جو پاکستان میں بھی ہوتے تھے جو میں بچپن میں اپنے ابو سے چھپ کرتوڑلیتی تھی یا کبھی کبھی اسکول سے آتے جاتے دوسروں کے باغ سے بھی چوری سے توڑ کر بہت خوش ہوتی، بچپن کیسا معصوم، بھولا بھالا ۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ کتنا اچھا ہوتا ہے نا۔۔۔۔۔۔۔!۔

وہ گلیاں۔۔۔۔ وہ لوگ۔۔۔۔ وہ محبتیں چھوٹے ایک زمانہ بیت گیا یا یہ سمجھوں کہ ان کو چھڑوادیا گیا، میں نہیں بچھڑی تھی، مجھے ہجر اور جدائی میری مرضی کے بغیر بخشی گئی، مسلسل ہجر، کبھی نا ختم ہونے والا، اب تو زندگی بھی جارہی ہے، یہ یادیں  یہ باتیں یہ پھول یہ پودے، ان کی ایک جھلک نجانے کیا کچھ دکھارہی ہے، انہیں کیا پتہ جو ان کے پاس ہیں ایک دوسرے  کے ساتھ ہیں۔۔۔۔۔

 انہیں کیا پتہ کہ ایک پاگل لڑکی ابھی تک ان گلیوں میں دوڑتی بھاگتی ہے، چھوٹی چھوٹی شرارتیں کرتی ہے، چپکے سے کوئی پھول چوری کر کے کتنا خوش ہوتی ہے، اس کی خوشبو سے ، بار بار مسحور ہوتی ہے، اپنی چوری کا لطف اٹھاتی ہے، ، اس کے رنگوں کو دیکھ کر خود بھی ان میں گھل جاتی ہے۔۔۔۔۔

 انہیں کیا پتہ کہ جس مٹی سے خمیر اٹھتا ہے اس کی سوندھی مہک کیسے کیسے آنسوؤں میں بھگوتی ہے۔۔۔۔

مجھے اپنے ابو یاد آگئے ہیں، ان کو گارڈننگ کا بہت شوق تھا، ہمارے محلے میں سب سے اچھا گارڈن ہمارا ہی تھا، ابو خود گارڈننگ کرتے تھے،شاید ان کا خمیر ہے جو مجھے بھی پھول پودے بہت لبھاتے ہیں، چھوٹے چھوٹے رنگین پودے، پنکھڑیاں،کلیاں، ان کی تروتازہ خوشبو،ایک سیکنڈ ایک پل کہاں سے لے جاتا ہے۔۔۔۔۔۔۔

۔اس وقت، ابھی بھی جو میرے ارد گرد ہیں انہیں کیا پتہ میں کیا محسوس کر رہی ہوں، کہاں لے گیا مجھے یہ ایک منظر، انہیں کیا پتہ کہ محرومیاں اندر ہی اندر کیسی ٹیسیں اٹھاتی ہیں، کتنی کسک بھر دیتی ہیں۔۔۔    

کہتے ہیں کہ انسانی دماغ سے زیادہ بڑا کوئی سٹوریج سسٹم نہیں، پل بھر میں آپ کو وہاں لے جاتا ہے جہاں سے آپ کو یہاں تک آنے میں کتنے برس لگتے ہیں، ، جو بھی ہے بہت تکلیف دہ ہے کبھی کبھی جی چاہتا ہے کہ کچھ یاد نہ رہے، کوئی بھی یاد نہ آئے، ذہن کا اسکرین کسی طرح  وائیپ آف ہوجائے۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔

انہیں کیا پتہ جنہوں نے ایک چھوٹی سی لڑکی کو وطن سے جدا کر کے سب سے دور بھیج دیا،انہوں نے تو اپنے سر کے بوجھ  کو اتاردیا لیکن اس کے سر میں۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ جس نے ابھی سپنے بننا شروع کیئے تھے۔۔۔۔کون سا بار ڈال دیا۔۔۔۔۔۔ 

اب وہ لڑکی انہیں گلیوں اسی مٹی کی خوشبو میں گھل کر ختم ہوجاتی ہے، پھر دوبارہ ا پنے آپ کو ڈھونڈتی ہے اور گوندھ لیتی ہے۔۔۔۔۔۔بار بار نئی نئی بن جاتی ہے ۔۔۔۔۔ 

  لیکن بار بار کا یہ جو عمل ہوتا ہے تو بے انتہا تکلیف دہ بن جاتا ہے۔۔۔۔۔

کہاں گئے وہ سب، کیوں چلے گئے ؟ کس پاتال میں رہتے ہیں 

،ان کے دل، ان کے ذہن کس چیز کے بنے ہوئے ہیں؟؟؟

کتنی عجیب بات ہے کہ ہم کسی کو سب کچھ نہیں دکھاتے،  سچ نہیں بتاتے ، کوئی نہ کوئی مصلحت، کوئی نہ کوئی احتیاط، کہیں نہ کہیں جھوٹی انا، ہم نے دکھاوے کے کردار بنائے ہوئے ہیں، نجانے کیوں؟؟؟

حالانکہ یہ چھوٹی چھوٹی معصوم باتیں ہوتی ہیں، ننھی ننھی خوشیاں،  ان کہی سی، ادھوری سی خواہشیں  جن میں بچپنا اور معصومیت ہے۔۔۔۔۔۔۔

 نجانے ہم اتنے بڑے دیو میں کیسے ڈھل جاتے ہیں کہ یہ سب کچھ ایک بونے کی طرح قدموں میں پڑا اک نظر عنایت کے لیئے ترس رہا ہوتا ہے لیکن ہمیں دکھائی ہی نہیں دیتا۔۔۔۔

انسان ۔۔۔۔۔۔۔کبھی نا سلجھنے والی گتھیوں کی طرح الجھا الجھا انسان،کس پر کھلے گا؟ کب کھلے گا ؟؟؟

بینظیر بھٹو کی کتاب سے اقتباسات

’ائرپورٹ سے نکل کر میرا بکتر بند ٹرک چیونٹی کی رفتار سے چل رہا تھا کیونکہ آس پاس مجمع بڑھتا جا رہا تھا۔شام ڈھلی تو سٹریٹ لائٹس مدھم ہوتے ہوتے بجھنے لگیں۔موبائل فون کے سگنل جیم کرنے والے آلات بھی کام نہیں کر رہے تھے، جن کا کام کسی متوقع خود کش بمبار یا بارود سے بھرے ریموٹ کنٹرولڈ کھلونا ہوائی جہاز کو میرے ٹرک کے قریب پھٹنے سے روکنا تھا۔

میرے شوہر آصف نے دبئی میں ٹی وی پر میرے قافلے کی لائیو کوریج دیکھتے ہوئے مجھ سے بات کی اور یہ سمجھانے کی کوشش کی کہ ٹرک کی چھت پر کھڑے ہو کر عوام کے سامنے آنا خطرناک ہو سکتا ہے۔ لیکن میں نے کہا کہ میں اپنے عوام کے سامنے آ کر ہی ان کا استقبال کروں گی۔

رات گیارہ بجے سے کچھ بعد میں نے ایک شخص کو دیکھا جس نے ایک شیر خوار بچے کو پیپلز پارٹی کے جھنڈے سے ملتے جلتے کپڑے پہنا رکھے تھے اور اسے ہاتھوں میں اٹھائے وہ بار بار مجھے اشارے کر رہا تھا کہ میں بچے کو تھام لوں۔میں نے ہجوم کو اشارہ کیا کہ وہ اس شخص کے لیے راستہ بنائیں۔ لیکن جب اس کے لیے راستہ بن گیا تو وہ آگے آنے سے کترانے لگا اور اس نے بچہ ہجوم میں کسی کے حوالے کرنے کی کوشش بھی کی۔ مجھے تشویش ہوئی کہ بچہ زمین پر گر کر ہجوم کے پیروں میں کچلا نہ جائے، یا کھو نہ جائے۔

میں نے اشارہ کیا کہ نہیں، بچے کو میرے پاس لے کر آؤ۔ میں نے سکیورٹی گارڈ کو بھی اشارہ کیا کہ اس شخص کو ٹرک کے اوپر آنے دیا جائے۔ تاہم جب تک وہ شخص ٹرک تک پہنچا میں ٹرک کے اندر بنے کمرے میں آ چکی تھی کیونکہ میرے پاؤں درد کرنے لگے تھے۔ ہمیں شبہ ہے کہ اسی بچے کے کپڑوں کے نیچے پلاسٹک دھماکہ خیز مواد رکھا گیا تھا۔

ایک ہی جگہ پر دس گھنٹے کھڑے رہنے سے میرے پیر سوج گئے تھے اور جوتا پہننے سے مزید تکلیف ہو رہی تھی۔ میں نے سینڈل کے سٹریپ کھولے اور اپنی سیکرٹری ناہید خان کے ساتھ اس تقریر کے مسودے پر کام کرنے لگی جو مجھے مزار قائد پر کرنی تھی اور جو میری زندگی کی سب سے اہم تقریر تھی۔

ایک نکتے پر بحث کے دوران میں نے کہا کہ ہمیں اس تقریر میں سپریم کورٹ میں دائر کی گئی اس پیٹیشن کا ذکر بھی کرنا چاہیے جس میں استدعا کی گئی ہے کہ قبائلی علاقوں میں تمام سیاسی جماعتوں کو کام کرنے کا موقعہ دیا جائے تاکہ انتہا پسندوں کا سیاسی سطح پر مقابلہ کیا جا سکے۔

ابھی میری بات پوری بھی نہیں ہوئی تھی کہ ایک زوردار دھماکے سے ٹرک لرز گیا۔ پہلے دھماکے کی آواز، پھر روشنی کا فلیش، پھر شیشے ٹوٹنے کی آواز اور اس کے بعد موت کی خاموشی۔ ذرا دیر کے بعد چیخ و پکار شروع ہوئی، اور میں نے دل میں کہا’ اوہ میرے خدا یہ نہیں ہو سکتا۔

ابھی میرے کان اس دھماکے کی شدت سے بج رہے تھے کہ دوسرا اور زیادہ زور دار دھماکہ ہوا۔عین اسی وقت کوئی چیز ٹرک سے ٹکرائی اور یوں محسوس ہوتا تھا وہ چیز ٹرک کی باڈی کے ساتھ گھوم رہی ہے۔ بعد میں میں نے ٹرک کے بائیں جانب، جہاں میرا کمرہ تھا، باڈی پر ٹکراؤ کے دو نشان دیکھے۔

میں نے باہر دیکھا تو اندھیری رات نارنجی روشنی میں نہائی ہوئی تھی اور سڑک پر لاشیں بکھری پڑی تھیں۔

اب میں جان گئی ہوں کہ پیپلز پارٹی کے رنگوں والے کپڑے پہنے بچے کے ساتھ کیا ہوا۔ پارٹی کے ایک پارلیمانی رکن آغا سراج درانی میرے ٹرک کے آگے راستہ بنا رہے تھے۔ انہوں نے مجھے بتایا کہ جب مشکوک آدمی نے بچہ ٹرک کے اوپر پہنچانا چاہا تو انہوں نے اسے منع کر کے وہاں سے چلتا کیا۔ اس پر وہ شخص بچے کو لیے ٹرک کے بائیں جانب چلنے والی ایک پولیس گاڑی کی طرف گیا جس میں موجود افراد نے بھی بچے کو لینے سے انکار کر دیا۔ اس سے آگے والی پولیس وین میں پارٹی کی ایک کونسلر رخسانہ فیصل بلوچ اور ایک کیمرہ مین بھی سوار تھے۔

جب وہ آدمی اس وین کے قریب آیا تو پچھلی پولیس گاڑی والوں نےخبردار کیا کہ ’بچے کو مت لینا، بچے کو مت لینا، بچے کو ٹرک کے اندر مت جانے دینا۔

یہ دونوں پولیس گاڑیاں ٹرک کے متوازی اسی جانب چل رہی تھیں جس طرف ٹرک کے اندر میں بیٹھی ہوئی تھی۔ جب پولیس والے اس مشکوک آدمی کو روکنے کی کوشش کر رہے تھے، اسی وقت پہلا دھماکہ ہوا۔ دوسری پولیس وین میں سوار تمام افراد مارے گئے۔

ایک منٹ سے بھی کم وقفے سے 15 کلوگرام کے ایک کار بم کا دھماکہ کیا گیا اور عینی شاہدین کے مطابق اس کے ساتھ ہی سنائپرز یا ماہر نشانچیوں کو فائرنگ کرتے بھی دیکھا گیا۔

بشکریہ بی بی سی

گڑھی خدا بخش میں پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کی مقتول سربراہ بینظیر بھٹو کے چہلم میں ملک بھر سے ہزاروں پارٹی کارکنوں نے شرکت کی ہے۔

اگرچہ پیپلز پارٹی نے اپنے رہنماؤں اور کارکنان سے اپنے اپنے علاقوں میں چہلم کی رسومات ادا کرنے کو کہا تھا تاہم ملک بھر اور آزاد کشمیر سے ہزاروں کی تعداد میں کارکنان گڑھی خدا بخش پہنچے اور قبر پر پھول چڑھائے اور فاتحہ خوانی کی۔

اس موقع پر پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے شریک چئرمین آصف علی زرداری نے کارکنوں سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ لوگ سمجھتے ہیں کہ سابق وزیراعظم بینظیر بھٹو ان کو کرسی سے باندھ کر گئی ہیں جبکہ وہ ان کو قبر سے باندھ کر گئی ہیں۔

ان کا کہنا تھا کہ پاکستان میں نظام بدلنے کی ضرورت ہے اور بینظیر نظام بدل رہی تھیں اور اسی وجہ سے ان کو قتل کیا گیا۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ وہ بینظیر کا مشن جاری رکھیں گے۔ آصف زرداری نے کارکنان سے وعدہ کیا کہ وہ گڑھی خدا بخش سے یہ عزم کر کے نکل رہے ہیں کہ یا تو وہ ٹولا ختم ہو گا اور اگر وہ اس عزم میں ناکام رہے تو وہ شہید ہو کر گڑھی خدا بخش بھٹو میں دفن ہوں گے۔ آصف علی زرداری نے مختصر خطاب سندھی میں بھی کیا اور کارکنان سے کہا ’یہ وقت سیاست کا نہیں بلکہ عبادت کا ہے۔ سیاست کے دن اور ہیں اور کارکنان سے کہا کہ اپنے غم کو طاقت میں تبدیل کریں۔

بینظیر کے چہلم کے موقع پر رضا ربانی، قائم علی شاہ، صفدر عباسی، بابر اعوان، ناہید خان اور دیگر رہنماؤں نے شرکت کی۔ پیپلز پارٹی کے مرکزی رہنما مخدوم امین فہیم وہاں موجود نہ تھے کیونکہ وہ ہالہ میں ایک بڑا تعزیتی مجلس کر وا رہے ہیں۔

بینظیر کے چہلم کی موقع پر سخت حفاظتی انتظامات کیےگئے تھے جو کہ پہلے کبھی دیکھنے میں نہیں آئے۔ سکیورٹی کی وجہ سے جلسے کے پروگرام کا بھی پہلے سے اعلان نہیں کیا گیا تھا۔

چہلم کے موقع پر بڑی تعداد میں پولیس اور رینجرز کے اہلکار تعینات کیے گئے تھے۔ بینطیر کی قبر کے گرد چار سکیورٹی حصار قائم کیے گئے تھے تاہم کارکنان حفاظتی حصار توڑتے ہوئے مزار میں داخل ہوگئے جس وجہ سے آصف علی زرداری مزار پر فاتحہ خوانی کے لیے نہ آ سکے۔

ساہیوال سے آئے ہوئے ایک کارکن نے کہا ’میں ساری رات سفر کر کے آیا ہوں اور یہاں مجھے پھول رکھنے کی اجازت نہیں دی جا رہی ہے۔ حفاظتی انتظامات اچھی بات ہے لیکن مجھے پھول رکھنے دیں جس کے بعد میں واپس چلا جاؤں گا‘۔

پشاور
 ملک کے دیگر حصوں کی طرح پشاور میں بھی پیپلز پارٹی کی مقتول سربراہ محترمہ بے نظیر بھٹو کا چہلم انتہائی عقیدت و احترام سے منایا گیا۔  اس سلسلے میں پیپلز پارٹی ضلع پشاور کے زیراہتمام جناح پارک پشاور میں ایک بڑی تقریب منعقد ہوئی جس میں پارٹی کے صوبائی رہنماؤں کے علاوہ شہر بھر سے کارکنوں نے بڑی تعداد میں شرکت کی۔ اس موقع پر خطاب کرتے ہوئے مقررین نے محترمہ بے نظیر بھٹو کے ملک کے لیے خدمات پر روشنی ڈالی اور انہیں زبردست الفاظ میں خراج تحسین پیش کیا۔

مقررین نے کہا کہ پیپلز پارٹی بینظیر بھٹو کی قتل کا بدلہ ملک میں اٹھارہ فروری کو ہونے والے انتخابات میں بیلٹ کے ذریعے سے لے گی اور مقتول رہنما کا مشن جاری رکھا جائے گا۔ تقریب کے اختتام پر فاتحہ خوانی اور اجتماعی دعا بھی کرائی گئی۔

KARACHI, Pakistan

A 101-foot-long kurta made by Pakistani craftsmen has been certified as the largest such garment by the Book of World Records.

The largest kurta measured 30.78 m (101 ft) long and 18 m (59 ft 3 in) wide.The kurta was made by Ariel Pakistan in Karachi,and displayed on 3 January 2008.

The kurta, large enough to be worn by a 175-foot tall person, was unveiled at a public ceremony.

Procter and Gamble, which sponsored the kurta, described it as a symbol of national unity as the garment worn by people across Pakistan captures the culture and identity of the country.

“The kurta weighs 800 kg and took a team of 50 hard working professional tailors 30 days to put together.”

The kurta was measured last month by professional experts of SGS Pakistan, a local certification firm.

Fashion designer Deepak Perwani, who embellished the giant kurta, said: “The kurta is an intrinsic symbol of Pakistani attire, and (this garment) has successfully put it on the global map. A kurta represents the essence of what we are and defines our individuality in today’s world. This record will go a long way in creating positive recall for Pakistani fashion in the international community.”

Gul Ahmed Textiles provided over 800 yards of cotton to make the kurta. Syed Hassan Bokhari, a representative of the firm, said, “This unique idea required a very durable fabric that could survive the challenges of strength because of its size. We used the best cottons to weave the special fabric for this project.”

The world’s largest kurta will later be used to create smaller kurtas that will be donated to children’s homes run by the Edhi Foundation, a reputed NGO.

نورجہاں عمر کے آخری اوائل میں

ملکہ ترنم مادام نورجہاں انیس سو انتالیس کی پنجابی فلم ہیر سیال میں

 ملکہ ترنم مادام نور جہاں فلم جگنو کا ایک گیت ‘امنگیں دل کی مچلیں’جبکہ
اسی فلم کا دوسرا گیت دلیپ کمار کے ساتھ مقبول ہوا تھا ‘یہاں بدلہ وفا
کا بیوفائی کے سوا کیا ہے

نورجہاں فلم کوئل میں

نورجہاں فلم انتظار میں 

نورجہاں اپنے شوہر شوکت رضوی کے ہمراہ 

نورجہاں اپنی عمر کی پچاسویں دہائی میں

نورجہاں اور طفیل نیازی فلمی تقریب میں

نورجہاں نگار ایوارڈ کی فلمی تقریب میں

نورجہاں اور پران فلم خاندان میں انیس سو بیالیس 

نورجہاں انیس سو چھپن کی فلم لخت جگر میں

نورجہاں کی فلم گل بکاؤلی  کا پوسٹر 

نورجہاں کی فلم ہیر سیال کا پوسٹر

نورجہاں، فلم موسیقار کی فلمی تقریب میں

نورجہاں کا ایک فلمی سین

 ثریا اور نورجہاں فلم .مرزا

صاحباں. میں انیس سو پینتیس کی تصویر

نورجہاں کی فلم دوپٹہ کا پوسٹر

نورجہاں .فلم انمول گھڑی میں ۔ انیس سو انچاس

 ساڑھے دس بجے، مقام کوٹ مراد خان، قصور ۔اکیس ۔سنہ انیس سو چھبیس

فتح بی بی کے ہاں ایک بیٹی جنم لیتی ہے اور اس کا نام دائی عائشہ کی فرمائش پر اللہ وسائی رکھا جاتا ہے۔ عائشہ فتح بی بی کو نومولود بچی کے بھاگوان ہونے کا عندیہ سناتی ہے۔

اللہ وسائی کی پھو پھی الٰہی جان اسے آکر گھٹی میں شہد دیتی ہے۔ الٰہی جان قصور کی چند سریلی خواتین میں سے ایک ہے۔ وہ باہر اپنے بھائی اور اللہ وسائی کے والد مدد علی سے مذاق میں کہتی ہے: ‘بچی کے رونے کا انداز بتا رہا ہے کہ یہ بڑی سریلی ہو گی ، اگلے ہی روز قصور کے سارنگی نواز استاد غلام محمد بچی کو دیکھنے کے لیے آتے ہیں۔ بچی کے سر پر ہاتھ پھیر کر اسے دُعا دیتے ہیں اور کہتے ہیں کہ اگر اللہ نے چاہا تو بچی اپنے ماں باپ کا نام روشن کرے گی، وہ بچی بھاگوان بھی ہوتی ہے اور سریلی بھی۔ اتنی سریلی کہ پورے برِ صغیر میں اس کی کوئی مثال نہیں۔ اس نے نہ صرف اپنے ماں باپ کا نام روشن کیا بلکہ وہ پاکستانی موسیقی کی آن شان اور مان ہے۔ جیسے اس نے گایا اس کی مثال ملنا بہت ہی مشکل ہے۔ ہم اسے ملکہ ترنم نورجہاں کے نام سے جانتے ہیں جو تئیس دسمبر سن دو ہزار کو ہم سے جدا ہو گئیں۔

  نورجہاں کو پانچ سال کی عمر میں استاد غلام محمد کے سپرد کر دیا گیا تاکہ وہ موسیقی کی تعلیم حاصل کر سکیں۔ استاد غلام محمد نے جب ‘سا رے گا ما پا دھا نی سا‘ کے الاپ کے ساتھ نورجہاں کو موسیقی کا سبق دینا شروع کیا تو وہ حیران رہ گئے کہ اس بچی کی آواز میں اس قدر لوچ ہے جو اس سے پہلے کسی اور آواز میں نہ سنا گیا تھا۔ دو سال کی ہی سخت محنت اور لگن کے بعد نورجہاں اس قابل ہو گئی کہ اپنی بہن عیدن اور کزن حیدر باندی کے ساتھ قصور کے سٹیج پر مختصر طور پر پرفارمنس دے سکے۔

نورجہاں نے سٹیج پر پرفارم کرنے کے لیے اس وقت کے چند مشہور گانے یاد کر رکھے تھے۔ ان میں لوک گیت ‘لنگھ آ جا پتن چناں دا‘، اختر بائی فیض آبادی کی گائی ہو غزل ‘دیوانہ بنانا ہے تو دیوانہ بنا دے‘، پنجابی نعت ‘میرے مولا مدینے بلا لے مجھے‘ وغیرہ جیسے آئٹم شامل تھے۔ قصور سے نکل کر نورجہاں اپنی بہن عیدن اور استاد غلام محمد کے ساتھ لاہور آ گئیں۔ اُسی دور میں ان کی ملاقات موسیقار جی اے چشتی سے ہو گئی جو ان دنوں گلوکاری کے ساتھ ساتھ شاعری میں بھی طبع آزمائی کرتے تھے۔ انہوں نے ایک نعت ‘ہنستے ہیں ستارے یا شاہِ مدینہ‘ کی دھن بنائی۔ یہ نعت نورجہان نے پہلی بار مہابیر تھیٹر میں پیش کی اور اسے فوری پذیرائی حاصل ہوئی۔ بعد میں نورجہاں نے لاہور کے کئی دیگر سینماؤں میں بھی فلم کے پہلے نصف کے اختتام پر ہونے والے لائیو شو میں پرفارم کیا اور بے پناہ داد وصول کی۔ لاہور میں چند ماہ قیام کے بعد ہی نورجہاں اپنی بہن عیدن، کزن حیدر باندی اورگروپ کے دیگر افراد کے ساتھ فلمی دنیا میں قسمت آزمانے کے لیے کلکتہ چلی گئیں۔ ان دنوں کلکتہ میں مختار بیگم کا شہرہ تھا اور شہر کے مشہور ہال میں ان کا تھیٹر چل رہا تھا۔ نور جہاں کے بھائی محمد شفیع نے مختار بیگم سے رابطہ کیا اور ان سے مدد کی درخواست کی۔ مختار بیگم نے جب نورجہاں کو سنا تو وہ ان کی سریلی آواز اور لے سے بہت متاثر ہوئیں اور وعدہ کیا کہ وہ اپنی کمپنی کے سیٹھ سے قصور سے آئے اس گروپ کی سفارش کریں گی۔ کمپنی میں ملازمت کے بعد اس گروپ کو ‘پنجاب میل‘ کا خطاب دیا گیا اور اللہ وسائی کا فلمی نام ‘بے بی نورجہاں‘ قرار پایا۔ نورجہاں سب سے پہلے پنجابی فلم ‘شیلا عرف پنڈ دی کڑی‘ میں ایک چائلڈ سٹار کے طور پر سامنے آئیں۔ اس فلم میں ان پر ایک گانا ‘لنگھ آجا پتن چناں دا‘ فلم بند کیا گیا۔ یہ پنجابی زبان میں بننے والی پہلی فلم تھی اور لاہور سرکٹ میں انتہائی کامیاب ثابت ہوئی۔ اُسی سال یعنی سن انیس سو پینتیس کو ہی انہیں نے فلم ‘مصر کا ستارہ‘ میں ایک چائلڈ سٹار کے طور پر کاسٹ کیا گیا۔ بعد میں انہوں نے بطور چائلڈ سٹار ‘مسٹر اینڈ مسز ممبئی‘، ‘ناری راج‘، ‘ہیر سیال‘، ‘فخر اسلام‘، ‘مسٹر 420‘، ‘تارن ہار‘، ‘ناممکن‘، ‘امپیریئل میل‘ اور ‘سسی پنوں‘ جیسی فلموں میں کام کیا۔ سن انیس سو اڑتیس میں نورجہاں کلکتہ سے واپس لاہور پہنچ گئیں۔ لاہور واپسی کے فوراً بعد انہیں فلمساز دلسکھ ایم پنچولی کی فلم ‘گُل بکاؤلی‘ میں گانے اور کام کرنے کا موقع مل گیا۔ فلم ‘گُل بکاؤلی‘ کے لیے گائے گئے ان کے گانے ‘شالا جوانیاں مانیں‘ نے پنجاب بھر میں دھوم مچا دی۔ سن انیس سو انتالیس میں ‘گُل بکاؤلی‘ کی نمائش کے ساتھ ہی پنجاب کا بچہ بچہ ان کے نام سے واقف ہو چکا تھا اور ماسٹر غلام حیدر کی موسیقی میں ان کاگایا ہوا گانا ‘شالاجوانیاں مانیں‘ بچے بچے کی زبان پر تھا۔ ‘گُل بکاؤلی‘ کی کامیابی نے نورجہاں کے لیے کامیابیوں کے راستے کھول دیئے اور انہیں فوری طور پر سیٹھ دلسکھ پنچولی کی فلم ‘خزانچی‘ اور ‘یملا جٹ‘ میں کام مل گیا۔ ماسٹر غلام حیدر کی موسیقی اور نورجہاں کی خوبصورت آواز کی بدولت ‘یملا جٹ‘ بھی ایک کامیاب فلم ثابت ہوئی۔ اِسی طرح ان کی اگلی فلم ‘چودھری‘ بھی ہٹ ہوئی۔ نورجہاں کی اِن پہ در پہ کامیابیوں نے پنچولی آرٹ پکچرز کو مالی طور پر مضبوط بنیادوں پر کھڑا ہونے میں بہت مدد دی۔دوسری عالمی جنگ کی وجہ سے ہونے والے مختصر وقفے کے بعد نورجہاں فلمی دنیا میں واپس آئیں تو وہ بے بی نورجہاں نہیں تھیں بلکہ ہدایت کار شوکت حسین رضوی کی فلم ‘خاندان‘ کی ہیروئن تھیں۔ نورجہاں کی اداکاری اور گانوں کی وجہ سے فلم ‘خاندان‘ نے کامیابی کے نئے معیار قائم کئے اور پنجاب کو کلکتہ اور ممبئی کے پہلو بہ پہلو لا کھڑا کیا۔ خاندان کی کامیابی کے ساتھ ہی شوکت حسین رضوی اور نورجہاں کے مابین محبت کے ایک ایسے تعلق کا آغاز ہوا جو نورجہاں کے بھائیوں کی مخالفت اور فریقین میں مقدمہ بازی کے باوجود ان دونوں کی شادی پر منتج ہوا۔ فلم ‘خاندان‘ کی کامیابی کے کچھ عرصہ بعد ہی نورجہاں سن رائز پکچرز کے مالک وی ایم ویاس کی دعوت پر ممبئی چلی گئیں۔ نورجہاں نے سن رائز پکچرز کے ساتھ دو فلموں میں کام کرنے کا معاہدہ ممبئی روانگی سے پہلے لاہور میں ہی کر لیا تھا۔ وی ایم ویاس اپنی دونوں فلموں کی ڈائریکشن کے لیے پہلے ہی شوکت حسین رضوی کو سائن کر چکے تھے۔وی ایم ویاس کے سرمایے کے باوجود سن رائز پکچرز کی دونوں فلمیں ‘دہائی‘ اور ‘نوکر‘ ناکام رہیں۔ نورجہان کے ممبئی میں اپنے قیام کے دوران ‘نادان‘، ‘دوست‘، ‘لال حویلی‘، ‘بڑی ماں‘ جیسی فلموں میں بھی کام کیا لیکن اِن میں سے کوئی بھی معرکۃ الآرا فلم کا مقام حاصل نہ کر سکی۔ممبئی میں نورجہاں کی کامیابیوں کا دور سن انیس سو پینتالس میں فلم ‘گاؤں کی گوری‘ سے شروع ہوتا ہے جس میں ان کی اداکاری کے ساتھ ساتھ گانے بھی سپرہٹ ہوئے۔’ کس طرح بھولے گا دل ان کا خیال آیا ہوا جا نہیں سکتا کبھی شیشے میں بال آیا ہوا‘ اور ‘بیٹھی ہوں تیری یاد کا لے کر کے سہارا آجاؤ کہ چمکے میری قسمت کا ستارہ‘ جیسے گانے ابھی تک موسیقی کے شائقین کو یاد ہیں۔ کچھ یہی حال نورجہاں کی فلم ‘زینت‘ کا رہا جس کی قوالی ‘آہیں نہ بھریں شکوے نہ کئے کچھ بھی نہ زبان سے کام کیا اس پر بھی محبت چھپ نہ سکی جب تیری کسی نے نام لیا‘ ہندوستان کے گلی کوچوں میں زبان زد عام ہوئی۔ فلم ‘زینت‘ کی کامیابی کے بعد ہدایت کار محبوب نے نورجہاں کو اپنی فلم ‘انمول گھڑی‘ میں کاسٹ کیا جو سن انیس سو چھیالیس میں ریلیز ہوئی۔ فلم ‘انمول گھڑی‘ کی کامیابی نے نورجہاں کو شہرت کی ان لازوال بلندیوں پر پہنچا دیا جس کی فلمی دنیا میں ہمیشہ خواہش کی جاتی ہے۔ موسیقار نوشاد کی دھنوں میں نورجہاں کے گائے ہوئے گانے ‘جوان ہے محبت حسیں ہے زمانہ لٹایا ہے دل نے خوشی کا خزانہ‘، ‘میرے بچپن کے ساتھی مجھے بھول نہ جانا/ دیکھو دیکھو ہنسے نہ زمانہ‘ اور سب سے بڑھ کر ‘آواز دے کہاں ہے دنیا میری جواں ہے‘ سننے والوں کے دلوں کو آج بھی اسی طرح گرماتے ہیں جس طرح تقریباً ساٹھ دہائیاں پہلے گرماتے ہیں۔

سن انیس سو چھیالیس میں ہی سید شوکت حسین رضوی اپنے ذاتی ادارے شوکت آرٹ پروڈکشن کے زیر اہتمام فلم ‘جگنو‘ بنانے کا اعلان کیا اور نورجہاں کے مقابل دلیپ کمار کو مرکزی رول میں کاسٹ کیا۔ فیروز نظامی کی موسیقی میں ریکارڈ کیے جانے والے نورجہاں کے گانوں نے فلم کے ریلیز ہونے سے پہلے ہی ہندوستان بھر میں دھوم مچا دی۔ ‘آج کی رات سازِ دل پرسوز نہ چھیڑ‘، ‘تم بھی بھلا دو میں بھی بھلا دوں پیار پرانے گزرے زمانے‘، ‘ہمیں تو شامِ غم میں کاٹنی ہے زندگی اپنی‘ اور محمد رفیع کے ساتھ گایا ہوا نورجہاں کا گانا ‘یہاں بدلہ وفا کا بے وفائی کے سوا کیا ہے/ محبت کر کے دیکھا محبت میں بھی دھوکہ ہے‘ اپنی مثال آپ ہیں۔ نورجہاں اپنے شوہر شوکت حسین رضوی اور بیٹے اکبر حسین رضوی کے ہمراہ قیام پاکستان کے بعد بحری جہاز کے ذریعے کراچی آ گئیں۔ بعد میں وہ لاہور شفٹ ہو گئیں اور دونوں میاں بیوی نے پاکستان نوزائیدہ مملکت میں سٹوڈیو قائم کر کے فلمسازی کی بنیاد رکھنے کا بیڑہ اٹھایا۔ انہیں سن انیس سو انچاس میں لاہور میں شوری سٹوڈیو الاٹ کر دیا گیا جسے انہوں نے اپنی تمام جمع پونچی خرچ کر کے شاہ نور کے نام سے بحال کیا اور اس قابل بنایا کہ ممبئی اور کلکتہ سے پاکستان آنے والے فلمساز اپنی فلموں کا آغاز کر سکیں۔

پاکستان آنے کے بعد اپنی ہدایت میں پنجابی فلم ‘چن وے‘ بنانے کا بھی اعلان کر دیا۔ فلم کے موسیقار کے طور فیروز نظامی کو چنا گیا۔ جب سن انیس سو اکیاون میں فلم ریلیز ہوئی تو نورجہاں کی آواز میں ریکارڈ کیے گئے فلم ‘چن وے‘ کے گانے ‘تیرے مکھڑے دا کالا کالا تِل وے‘، ‘چن دیا ٹوٹیا وے دلاں دیا کھوٹیا‘ اور ‘چنگا بنایا ای سانو کھڈونا آپے بناؤنا تک آپے مٹاؤنا‘ بے حد مقبول ہوئے اور فلم کی کامیابی کی وجہ بنے۔

اگلے ہی سال نورجہاں کی فلم ‘دوپٹہ‘ نمائش کے لیے پیش کی گئی۔ فلم کے موسیقار فیروز نظامی ہی تھے لیکن ہدایت سبطین فضلی صاحب نے دی تھیں۔ فلم ‘دوپٹہ‘ کے گانے ‘چاندنی راتیں سب جگ سوئے ہم جاگیں‘، ‘میں بن پتنگ اڑ جاؤں‘، ‘بات ہی بات میں جی چاندنی رات میں جی جیا میرا کھو گیا‘ وغیرہ آج تک موسیقی کے شائقین کو اپنے سحر میں لیے ہوئے ہیں۔

نورجہاں کی اگلی کامیاب فلم ‘پاٹے خان‘ تھی جو سن انیس سو پچپن میں ریلیز ہوئی۔ اس فلم کے ساتھ نورجہاں نے پلے بیک سنگر کے طور پر اپنے کیریئر کا بھی آغاز کیا۔ اس سے پہلے وہ صرف اپنی فلموں میں ہی آواز کا جادو جگاتی تھیں۔ اس فلم میں ان کے گائے ہوئے دو گانے مسرت نذیر پر پکچرائز کیے گئے۔ اس فلم میں نورجہاں نے اسلم پرویز کے مقابل مرکزی کردار ادا کیا۔ فلم کی موسیقی اختر حیسن اکھیاں نے ترتیب دی تھی۔ فلم ‘پاٹے خان‘ کا گانا ‘کلی کلی جان دکھ لکھ تے کروڑ وے‘ آج بھی تازہ ہوا کا جھونکا محسوس ہوتا ہے۔

نورجہاں کی فلم ‘انتظار‘ اس وجہ سے نورجہاں کے فنی کیریئر میں اہم مقام رکھتی ہے کیونکہ اس میں انہوں نے خواجہ خورشید انور کے ترتیب دیے ہوئے گانے گائے جو انتہائی مقبول ہوئے۔ ‘چاند ہنسے دنیا بسے روئے میرا پیار/ درد بھرے دل کے میرے ٹوٹ گئے تار‘، ‘جس دن سے پیا دل لے گئے دکھ دے گئے/ اس دن سے گھڑی پل ہائے چین نہیں آئے‘، ‘آ گئے گھر آ گئے بلم پردیسی سجن پردیسی‘، اور ‘جانے والے ٹھہرو ذرا رُک جاؤ‘، ‘چھن چھن ناچوں گی گن گن گاؤں گی‘ کس کس گانے کا ذکر کیا جائے۔ سب ہی پاکستانی فلمی موسیقی کے نگینے ہیں جن کے بغیر اس کا حسن نامکمل رہے گا۔

موسیقی کے لحاظ سے نورجہاں کی اگلی بڑی فلم ‘انارکلی‘ تھی جس میں انہوں نے رشید عطرے کی موسیقی میں چند لازوال گانے گائے۔ ‘صدا ہوں اپنے پیار کی جہاں سے بے نیاز ہوں‘، ‘ہم تیرے گلی میں آ نکلے‘، ‘بانوری چکوری کرے دنیا سے چوری چوری چندا سے پیار‘ آج بھی سننے والوں کے کانوں میں رس گھولتے ہیں۔ بطور اداکارہ نورجہاں کی آخری فلم ‘مرزا غالب‘ تھی جو بہت اچھے میوزک کے باوجود فلاپ ثابت ہوئی۔ فلم ‘مرزا غالب‘ کے ساتھ نورجہاں کے فنی سفر کا وہ دور اختتام کو پہنچا جو سن انیس سو پینتیس میں فلم ‘شیلا عرف پنڈ دی کڑی‘ میں بے بی نورجہاں نے بطور چائلڈ سٹار کلکتہ سے شروع کیا تھا۔سن انیس سو اکسٹھ میں نورجہاں نے اعلان کیا کہ وہ اب صرف بطور پلے بیک سنگر فلمی دنیا میں موجود رہیں گی۔ پہلے سال نورجہاں نے فلم ‘سلمیٰ‘ اور ‘شام ڈھلے‘ کےگانے ریکارڈ کرائے۔ مگر اگلے ہی سال ان کے گانوں سے مزین چار فلمیں ‘چراغ جلتا رہا‘، ‘قیدی‘، ‘موسیقار‘ اور ‘گھونگھٹ‘ زبردست کامیاب ہوئیں۔ سن انیس سو تریسٹھ میں نورجہاں کے گانوں کی وجہ سے فلم ‘دامن‘، ‘شکوہ‘ اور ‘ایک تیرا سہارا‘ بھی بہت پسند کی گئیں۔

پلے بیک میں ان ابتدائی کامیابیوں کے ساتھ ہی نورجہاں فلمسازوں کی ضرورت بلکہ مجبوری کی شکل اختیار کرتی گئیں باوجود اس کے کہ وہ دیگر پلے بیک سنگرز کے مقابلے میں کئی گنا زیادہ معاوضہ لیتی تھیں۔ اس وقت کی ہر ہیروئن کی خواہش ہوتی کہ نورجہاں کے گانے ہی ان پر فلمائے جائیں۔ اس وقت زبیدہ خانم، منورسلطانہ، نسیم بیگم اور کوثر پروین بھی مصروف پلے بیک سنگرز تھیں لیکن ان میں سے کوئی بھی نورجہاں کا مقابلہ نہ کر سکی اور ایک ایک کر کے پس منظر سے غائب ہوتی گئیں۔نورجہاں اگلے پندرہ سال پلے بیک سنگر کی حیثیت سے فلم انڈسٹری پر چھائی رہیں۔ اردو ہو یا پنجابی نورجہاں کی آواز کے بغیر کوئی فلم مکمل نہیں سمجھی جاتی تھی۔ اس دور میں انہوں نے خواجہ خورشید انور، ماسٹر عبداللہ، رشید عطرے، ماسٹر عنایت حسین، حسن لطیف للک، وزیر افضل، طافو، وجاہت عطرے اور دیگر موسیقاروں کی ترتیب دی ہوئی دھنوں میں فلمی گیت گائے۔ اس دور کی بڑی فلموں میں آگ کا دریا، لاکھوں میں ایک، مرزا جٹ، سالگرہ، عندلیب، ہیر رانجھا، امراؤ جان ادا اور ناگ منی خاص اہمیت رکھتی ہیں۔

سن انیس سو پچھہتر کے بعد نورجہاں نے پلے بیک دینے سے متعلق اپنی طرف سے لگائی گئی کئی شرائط بھی ختم کر دیں اور ہیروئن کے ساتھ ساتھ ویمپ اور رقاصہ کے لیے بھی گانے دینے شروع کر دیئے جس سے ان کے امیج کو بہت نقصان پہنچا۔ تاہم انہیں اپنی زندگی کے آخری ایام تک پاکستان کی فلم انڈسٹری کی اہم ترین شخصیت کی حیثیت حاصل رہی۔

ملکہِ ترنم نورجہاں پاکستان کے ان فنکاروں میں ہے جن کے بارے میں ان کی زندگی میں بہت کم لکھا گیا اور اگراس عظیم فنکارہ پر کسی نے قلم اٹھایا بھی تو اس کا موضوع ان کی شخصیت بنی نہ کہ ان کا فن۔
میڈم نورجہاں پر لکھی جانے والے پہلی کتاب ‘نورجہاں سرور جان‘ تھی جس کا موضوع تقسیم سے پہلے ممبئی کی فلم نگری میں ان کے شب و روز تھے۔بعد میں شوکت حسین رضوی کے طویل انٹرویو پر مبنی منیر احمد منیر کی کتاب ‘نورجہاں کی کہانی میری زبانی‘ آئی جس کا بظاہر مقصد نورجہاں پر کیچڑ اچھالنے کے سوا کچھ نہیں تھا۔

اس سے بڑھ کر یہ کہ اگر عام گفتگو میں بھی نورجہاں پر بات کی جاتی ہے تو ان کی فنکارانہ عظمت کو ثابت کرنے کے لیے دلیل آدھی صدی پہلے تقسیم سے قبل بننے والی ان کی فلموں ‘خاندان‘، ‘انمول گھڑی‘، ‘زینت‘ یا ‘جگنو‘ سے لائی جاتی ہے۔ بتانا یہ مقصود ہوتا ہے کہ نورجہاں بڑی فنکارہ اس لیے ہے کہ اس نےہدایت کار محبوب کی فلم ‘انمول گھڑی‘ میں موسیقار نوشاد کی کمپوز کیے ہوئے گیت گائے یا شوکت حسین رضوی کی فلم ‘جگنو‘ میں دلیپ کمار کے مقابل ہیروئن آئیں۔ دوسرے لفظوں میں موسیقار نوشاد یا دلیپ کمار کی مسلمہ عظمت کو دلیل بنا کر نورجہاں کی عظمت کا سکہ بٹھانے کی کوشش کی جاتی ہے۔ اس دور کی بھی بات کرتے ہوئے کوئی ماسٹر غلام حیدر یا فیروز نظامی کا نام نہیں لیتا کیونکہ گھر کی مرغی تو دال برابر ہی ہوتی ہے۔

اور اگر بات تقسیم سے بعد کی بھی ہو تو گفتگو نورجہان کی فلموں ‘دوپٹہ‘، ‘گلنار‘، ‘انتظار‘، ‘انار کلی‘ اور ‘کوئل‘ سے آگے نہیں بڑھتی۔ اس ساری صورتِ حال میں یہ احساس ہونے لگتا ہے کہ نورجہان کی فنکارانہ زندگی تو ساٹھ یا ستر کی دہائی میں اختتام پذیر ہو جاتی ہے باقی جو کچھ ہے وہ تو سب عامیانہ ہے۔
Film: AnarKali
Released on: June 6, 1958
Actors: Noor Jehan (as Anarkali), Sudhir (as Prince Saleem), Ragni (as Dil Aram), Shamim Ara, Zarif, Fazal Haq and Hamalia Wala (as Akbar The Great)
Producer: Mukhtar Ahmad
Director: Anwar Kemal Pasha
Story: Imtiaz Ali Taj
Music: Rasheed Attre, Inayat Hussain
Lyrics: Tanvir Naqvi
Singers: Madam Noorjahan

لیکن بات ایسی نہیں ہے۔ نورجہاں کی فنی شخصیت کوئی ایسی نہیں ہے جس کے ساتھ ایک زبان میں کیے گئے ان کے کام کو بنیاد بنا کر انصاف کیا جا سکے۔ ان کی فنی شخصیت ہمہ جہت خوبیوں سے مالا مال ہے اور اس کی جس پہلو سے بھی جائزہ لیا جائے نورجہاں کی فنکارانہ عظمت اور ان کے ہم عصروں میں ان! کا قد اور بڑھ جاتا ہے۔

نورجہاں کا کمال یہ ہے کہ انہوں نے خود کو پاکستانی فلم انڈسٹری کے بدلتے ہوئے مزاج کے مطابق ڈھالا اور شاید اِسی لیے وہ اپنے آخری ایام تک فلم انڈسری میں آؤٹ ڈیٹڈ یا غیر متعلق نظر نہیں آئیں بلکہ اس کی ہر پہلو سے ایک ضرورت بنی رہیں۔

آپ ذرا نور جہاں کے گائے ہوئے گانوں ان کی اس فہرست پر نظر ڈالیں: وے سونے دیا کنگنا (چن وریام)، وے ایک تیرا پیار (سالا صاحب)، سونے دی تویتڑی (شعلے)، دوروں دوروں اکھیاں مارے منڈا پٹواری دا (دبئی چلو)، مینو رکھ لےکلینڈر نال (اِک پتر دا ویر)، سونے دی نتھلی (مسٹر افلا طون) اور توں جے میرے ہمیشہ کول (شیرخان)۔

نورجہاں کے کچھ چاہنے والوں کو اوپر درج کیے گئے پنجابی گیت عامیانہ لگیں لیکن یہ بھی ایک حقیقت ہے کہ موسیقی کے دیوانوں کی ایک بڑی تعداد نورجہاں کو انہیں گانوں کی وجہ سے چاہتی ہے۔

اب ذرا اس فہرست کو ملاحظہ فرمائیں: حسینی لعل قلندر (آسُو بِلا)، بری بری امام بری (سجن بے پرواہ)، ہو لعل میری پت رکھیو (دلاں دے سودے)، شہباز کرے پرواز (ماں تے ماما)، سہون دے سرکار (خانزادہ)، آئی آں دوارے (دنیا پیار دی) اور رکھ لاج میرے لجپال (تہاڈی عزت دا سوال اے)۔

یہ قلندری دھمالیں بھی پنجاب، سندھ اور صوبہ سرحد میں آبادی کا ایک بڑا طبقہ بڑے ذوق و شوق سے سنتا ہے۔ وہ صرف اسی نورجہاں کو جانتی ہے جو اس دھمالوں کے ذریعے ان تک پہنچتی ہے۔

میڈم نورجہاں کے فن موسیقی کا ایک اور پہلو ان نے گائے ہوئے گیت اور غزلیں ہیں۔ ان میں مرزا غالب کی غزل ‘میں ہوں مشتاقِ جفا مجھ سے جف اور سہی‘ ہو یا داغ دہلوی کی ‘لطف وہ عشق میں پائے ہیں کہ جی جانتا ہے‘ یا پھر احمد راہی کی ‘دل کے افسانے نگاہوں کی زباں تک پہنچے‘نورجہاں نے جس غزل کو بھی چھیڑیا اس کی گائیکی میں اپنا ہی رنگ چھوڑا۔

نورجہاں کو اس بات کی بھی کریڈٹ جاتا ہے کہ انہوں نے پنجاب کے داستانوی لوک ادب میں ایک نئی زندگی دی ہے اور نئی نسل کو اس سرمایے سے روشناس کیا ہے۔

پاکستان میں ہو سکتا ہے بہت سوں نے وارث شاہ کی ‘ہیر‘ یا حافظ برخوردار کی ‘مرزا صاحباں‘ نہ پڑھی ہو لیکن وہ نورجہاں کے گائے ہوئے لازوال گیتوں ‘سنجے دل والے بوہے اجے میں نہیوں ڈھوے‘، ‘سن ونجلی دی مٹھڑی تان وے‘ اور ‘او ونجھلی والڑیا تو تاں موہ لئی آ مٹار‘ کے ذریعے پنجاب کی ثقافتی رنگوں سے ضرور آشنا ہو ئے ہوں گے۔

 An Interesting Article: This is one of a series of articles especially commissioned by FSTC to report on some Islamic Monuments and Centres of interest but are not well known to the wide public. This one is reported by FSTC’s special researcher, Mohammed Khamouch.

Qazihan Masjid, Turpan

Kucha Masjid

Jame Masjid, Kurle. CHINA

 Jaman Masjid, Hotan. CHINA.

Beytulla Masjid, Yining

This Masjid, completed in the 38th reign year of Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong (1773), was China’s first Islamic religious center built with allocations from the imperial court. It is the largest of its kind in the city. With many going there to study the Qur’an since its completion, it is also known as a leading institute of higher Islamic studies. The decaying Masjid was renovated in 1995, when the whole building was rebuilt except the entrance arch. The structure is now located on the corner of South Jiefang St. and Xinhua StQazihan Masjid, Turpan
Although situated in the new quarter of Turpan, Qazihan Masjid was built in 1747.
It underwent a complete renovation of both interior and exterior in 1983

(A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH THE FIRST MOSQUE IN CHINA)

Long before I travelled to Asia, my mind was always fascinated by China and its magical arts. I was unaware of Chinese Muslim communities and their way of life since little, if anything, was ever mentioned about them. I slowly began to learn about the areas of China where these Muslim communities lived, about their history, cultural heritage and early mosques which immensely intrigued me and I could not wait to pay homage to them.

I entered the country from the south through Hong Kong where I visited the Hong Kong Museum which has numerous Arabic coins, Islamic Burial Tablets dating back to the T’ang and Song Dynasties and a magnificent model of The Huaisheng Mosque which I was to visit.

In order to embark on my spiritual journey and pay respect to the oldest mosque in the whole of China I had to obtain another entry visa from the Chinese authorities. This great mosque is dearly precious to every Chinese Muslim. It lies in the city Guangzhou (Canton), located at the north of Zhu Jiang (The Pearl River) which is the capital of Guangdong Province – the largest and most important gateway and foreign trading hub in southern China. From Hong Kong, I was anxious but thrilled to take the 165km journey northwest to Guangzhou to visit the mosque.

The ‘Great Mosque of Guangzhou’ also known as Huaisheng Mosque which means ‘Remember the Sage’ (A Memorial Mosque to the Holy Prophet) and is also popularly called the ‘Guangta Mosque’ which translates as ‘The Beacon Tower Mosque’. Huaisheng Mosque is located on Guantgta Road (Light PagodaRoad) which runs eastwards off Renmin Zhonglu.

Prior to 500 CE and hence before the establishment of Islam, Arab seafarers had established trade relations with the “Middle Kingdom” (China). Arab ships bravely set off from Basra at the tip of the Arabian Gulf and also from the town of Qays (Siraf) in the Persian Gulf. They sailed the Indian Ocean passing Sarandip (Sri Lanka) and navigated their way through the Straits of Malacca which were between the Sumatran and Malaysian peninsulas en route to the South China Sea. They established trading posts on the south eastern coastal ports of Quanzhou and Guangzhou. Some Arabs had already settled in China and probably embraced Islam when the first Muslim deputation arrived, as their families and friends back in Arabia, had already embraced Islam during the Holy Prophet’s revelation (610-32).

Guangzhou is called Khanfu by the Arabs who later set up a Muslim quarter which became a centre of commerce. Guangzhou’s superior geographical position made it play an important role as the oldest trading and international port city in China. Witnessing a series of historical events, China has become a significant place in history and one of the fastest growing regions in the world enjoying unprecedented prosperity.

Whilst an Islamic state was founded by the Holy Prophet Muhammad, China was enduring a period of unification and defence. Early Chinese annals mentioned Muslim Arabs and called their kingdom al-Madinah (of Arabia). Islam in Chinese is called “Yisilan Jiao” (meaning “Pure Religion”). A Chinese official once described Makkah as being the birthplace of Buddha Ma-hia-wu (i.e. Holy Prophet Muhammad). There are several historical versions relating to the advent of Islam in China. Some records claim Muslims first arrived in China in two groups within as many months from al-Habasha Abyssinia (Ethiopia).

Ethiopia was the land where some early Muslims first fled in fear from the persecution of the Quraysh tribe in Makkah. Among that group of refugees were one of Prophet Muhammad’s daughters Ruqayya, her husband Uthman ibn Affan, S’ad Ibn Abi Waqqas and many other prominent Sahabah (Companions) who migrated on the advice of the Holy Prophet. They were successfully granted political asylum by al-Habashi King Atsmaha Negus in the city of Axum (c.615 CE).

However, some Sahabah never returned to Arabia. They may have travelled on in the hope of earning their livelihood elsewhere and may have eventually reached China by land or sea during the Sui Dynasty (581-618 CE). Some records relate that S’ad Ibn Abi Waqqas and three other Sahabah sailed to China in c.616 CE from Abyssinia (Ethiopia) with the backing of the king of Abyssinia. Sa’d then returned to Arabia, bringing a copy of the Holy Qur’an back to Guangzhou some 21 years later, which appropriately coincides with the account of Liu Chih who wrote “The Life of the Prophet” (12 vols).

One of the Sahabahs who lived in China is believed to have died in c.635 CE and was buried in the western urban part of Hami. His tomb is known as “Geys’ Mazars” and is revered by many in the surrounding region.
It is in the north western autonomous province of Xinjiang (Sinkiang) and about 400 miles east of the latter’s capital, Urumqi. Xinjiang is four times the size of Japan, shares its international border with eight different nations and is home to the largest indigenous group of Turkic-speaking Uyghurs. Hence, as well as being the largest Islamised area of China, Xinjiang is also of strategic importance geographically.

The Qur’an states in unequivocal words that Muhammad was sent only as a Mercy from God to all peoples (21:107), and in another verse, “We have not sent thee but as a (Messenger) to all Mankind” (34:28). This universality of Islam facilitated its acceptance by people from all races and nations and is amply demonstrated in China where the indigenous population, of ethnic varieties of Chinese Muslims today is greater than the population of many Arab countries including that of Saudi Arabia.

The history of Huaisheng Mosque represents centuries of Islamic culture dating right back to the mid-seventh century during the T’ang Dynasty (618-907) – “the golden age of Chinese history”. It was in this period, eighteen years after the death of the Holy Prophet, that Islam – the last of the three great monotheistic religions – was first introduced to China by the third Caliph, Uthman Ibn ‘Affan (644-656 CE/23-35 AH).

Uthman was one of the first to embrace Islam and memorize the Holy Qu’ran. He possessed a mild and gentle nature and he married Ruqayyah and following her death, Umm Kulthum (both were daughters of the Holy Prophet). Consequently he was given the epithet of ‘Dhu-n-Nurayn’ (the one with the two lights). Uthman was highly praised for safeguarding the manuscripts of the Qur’an against disputes by ordering its compilation from the memories of the Companions and sending copies to the four corners of the Islamic Empire.

Uthman sent a delegation to China led by Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas (d. 674 CE/55 AH) who was a much loved maternal uncle of the Prophet and one of the most famous Companions who converted to Islam at the age of just seventeen. He was a veteran of all the battles and one of the ten who it is reported that the Holy Prophet said were assured a place in paradise.

In Madina, Sa’d, using his ability in architecture added an Iwan (an arched hall used by a Persian Emperor) as a worship area. He later laid the foundation of what was to be the first Mosque in China where early Islamic architecture forged a relationship with Chinese architecture.

According to the ancient historical records of the T’ang Dynasty, an emissary from the kingdom of al-Madinah led by Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas and his deputation of Sahabah, who sailed on a special envoy to China in c.650 CE, via the Indian Ocean and the China Sea to the famous port of Guangzhou, thence travelled overland to Chang’an (present day Xi’an) via what was later known as the “Silk Route”.

Sa’d and his deputation brought presents and were warmly received at the royal court by the T’ang Emperor Kao-tsung, (r. 650-683) in c.651 CE despite a recent plea of support against the Arabs forwarded to the Emperor in that same year by Shah Peroz (the ruler of Sassanids Persia). The latter wasa son of Yazdegerd who, along with the Byzantines already had based their embassies in China over a decade earlier. Together they were the two great powers of the west. A similar plea made to Emperor Tai Tsung (r.627-649) against the simultaneous spread of Muslim forces was refused.First news of Islam had already reached the T’ang royal court during the reign of Emperor Tai Tsung when he was informed by an embassy of the Sassanian king of Persia, as well as the Byzantiums of the emergence of the Islamic rule. Both sought protection from the might of China. Nevertheless, the second year of Kao-tsung’s reign marks the first official visit by a Muslim ambassador.The emperor, after making enquiries about Islam, gave general approval to the new religion which he considered to be compatible with the teachings of Confucius. But he felt that the five daily canonical prayers and a month of fasting were requirements too severe for his taste and he did not convert. He allowed Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas and his delegation freedom to propagate their faith and expressed his admiration for Islam which consequently gained a firm foothold in the country.Sa’d later settled in Guangzhou and built the Huaisheng Mosque which was an important event in the history of Islam in China. It is reputedly the oldest surviving mosque in the whole of China and is over 1300 years old. It survived through several historical events which inevitably took place outside its door step. This mosque still stands in excellent condition in modern Guangzhou after repairs and restorations.Its contemporary Da Qingzhen Si (Great Mosque) of Chang’an (present day Xi’an) in Shaanxi Province was founded in c.742 CE. It is the largest (12,000 sq metres) and the best early mosque in China and it has been beautifully preserved as it expanded over the centuries. The present layout was constructed by the Ming Dynasty in c.1392 CE, a century before the fall of Granada, under its (ostensible) founder Hajj Zheng He who has a stone tablet at the mosque in commemoration of his generous support, which was provided by the grateful Emperor, A fine model of the Great Mosque with all its surrounding walls and the magnificent, elegant appearance of its pavilions and courtyards can be seen at the Hong Kong Museum placed gracefully besides the model of the Huaisheng Mosque. I was fortunate to visit the real mosque last year during Asr prayer, after which I met the Imam who showed me an old handwritten Qur’an and presented me with a white cap.Walking to the prayer hall is like sleepwalking through an oriental oasis confined in a city forbidden for the impure. A dragon symbol is engraved at the footstep of the entrance opposite the prayer hall demonstrating the meeting between Islam and the Chinese civilisation. All in all it is a dazzling encounter of the architecture of Oriental China with that of the indigenous fashionable taste of Harun ar-Rashid (147-194 AH/764-809 CE) of Baghdad -a newly founded city that was to become the greatest between Constantinople and China, fifty years after the time of Harun.The Sheng-You Si (Mosque of the Holy Friend), also known as the Qingjing Si (Mosque of Purity) and Al-Sahabah Mosque (Mosque of Companions), was built with pure granite in 1009 CE during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). Its architectural design and style was modelled on the Great Mosque of Damascus (709-15) in Syria thus making the pair the oldest extant Mosques to survive (in original form) into the twenty-first century.Qingjing Mosque is located at “Madinat al-Zaytun” (Quanzhou) or, in English, “City of Olives” (Olive is a symbol of peace according to Arab/Muslim tradition) in Fujian Province, where there are the Sacred Tombs of two Companions of the Holy Prophet who accompanied Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas’s envoy to China. They are known to the locals by their Chinese names of “Sa-Ke-Zu and Wu-Ku-Su” and Arabs from various countries come to pay homage.Zhen-Jiao Si (Mosque of the True Religion), also known as Feng-Huang Si (the Phoenix Mosque) in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, is believed to date back from the Tang Dynasty. It has a multi-storied portal, serving as a minaret and a platform for observing the moon. The Mosque has a long history and it has been rebuilt and renovated on a number of occasions over the centuries. It is much smaller than it used to be, especially with the widening of the road in 1929, and it was partly rebuilt in 1953.The other ancient Mosque is located in the city of Yangzhou in Jiangsu Province, once the busiest city of trade and commerce during the Song Dynasty (960-1280). Xian-He Si (Mosque of Immortal Crane) is the oldest and largest in the city and was built in c.1275CE by Pu-ha-din, a Muslim preacher who was a sixteenth-generatio n descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.

Beytulla Masjid, Yining
This Masjid, completed in the 38th reign year of Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong (1773), was China’s first Islamic religious center built with allocations from the imperial court. It is the largest of its kind in the city. With many going there to study the Qur’an since its completion, it is also known as a leading institute of higher Islamic studies. The decaying Masjid was renovated in 1995, when the whole building was rebuilt except the entrance arch. The structure is now located on the corner of South Jiefang St. and Xinhua St.According to Chinese Muslim historians, Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas died in Guangzhou where he is believed to be buried. However Arab scholars differ, stating that Sa’d died and was buried in Medina amongst other Companions. One grave definitely exists, while the other is symbolic, God only knows whether it is in China or Medina. The message of Islam took root peacefully in China. The first envoy reached the southeast via the Zhu Jiang (The Pearl River) and was later followed by contact via an overland route from the northwest. Muslim communities are present over a wide geographical area in China today, including some in the remote places of Tibet, where I once met Tibetan Muslims in the middle of nowhere, while on a trek.Mu’awiyah (d.60 AH/680 CE), the sixth Caliph and founder of the Umayyad Caliphate, was known in China as “Mo-ee” and the Chinese closely observed the progress of the Islamic Empire, noting in the T’ang annals, when Constantinople was unsuccessfully besieged by the Muslim armies, between 674 and 679, and they called the Arabs of that period “White Robed Ta-shih. After the death of Mu’awiyah in 680, his son Yezid (r. 680-3) became the new Caliph. He sent Umar, son of S’ad Ibn Abi Waqqas, who was in command of a large army. A century after the death of the Holy Prophet, the Islamic Empire extended from the Pyrenees to the Himalayas and was eventually sharing borders with China which closely observed the progress of the Islamic world.The Umayyad Dynasty had reached its zenith under the reign of al-Walid I (705-15) when expansion of the Islamic empire to the West and the East had achieved great success. When the first European lands (what is today Spain and Portugal) was conquered in 711 by Tariq Ibn Ziad and his army, Islamic rule was established right up to the Atlantic under the command of Musa Ibn Nusair. An overland expedition under Muhammad Ibn Qasim, a nephew and son-in-law of Hajjaj Ibn Yusuf,the governor of Iraq, was advancing through southern Persia and Baluchistan and reaching the lower Indus Valley.Qutaiba Ibn Muslim was appointed governor of Khurasan by Hajjaj and he launched a series of successful military campaigns, gaining control over Transoxiana in 94-5/712-3 where many Persians and Turkish inhabitants embraced Islam. Kashgar, a frontier town of China, was also raided and Qutaiba swore to take control over China but his demands were deflected by a friendly approach which included a symbolic gift by the provincial governor to release him from his solemn oath.According to the famous historian al-Tabari (225-310 AH/839-923 CE), in 96/714 there was a brief encounter with a “Ta-shih” delegation which brought precious gifts to Emperor Hsuan Tsung . The envoy refused to perform the traditional k’o t’ou (bow) and when asked why by the bemused Emperor, the reply was “in my country we only bow to God” (T’ian shen). The Emperor was angered and wanted to kill the envoy but a possible reminder of Qutaiba (who was besieging Feghana) by one of the ministers must have triggered the Emperor’s mind to recall a Chinese proverb that says: “Exchange of jade and silk is better than of swords in a battlefield”.In the battle of Talas (Central Asia) in 751, under the command of Ziyad Ibn Salih, the Chinese had suffered a decisive defeat by the Arabs who captured some prisoners, two of whom knew the art of papermaking and were later rewarded and released. Parchment or papyrus was generally used by the Arabs until the introduction of paper-making technology in Samarqand. The first paper mill was established in Baghdad thus producing a major breakthrough in education and science which were high priorities.Tu Huan (c.751-762), a Chinese clerical official who accompanied the ill-fated Chinese army in the battle of Talas under the command of Kao Hsien Chee, was held prisoner for a decade and travelled to Samarqand, Tashkent, northern Iran, Iraq and Syria before sailing back to Guangzhou from the Arabian Gulf. He wrote a book entitled “Jing Hsing Chee” (Where I Travelled) and accurately recorded the practice and fundamental belief of Islam, making it one of the earliest works of Islam in China.One year after the death of the Amir al-Mu’minin, Abu-l-Abbas as-Saffah (r. 749-54), known in China as “A-Bo-Lo-Ba”, the foe became a friend of “A-p’uch’a-fo” – the second Abbasid Caliph Abu Jafar al-Mansur (r. 754-75). The Emperor Su T’sung appealed for help in regaining control of his capital Chang’an from the treacherous commander, An Lu-Shan who was a multi linguist Tarter and governor of Pinglu and who had the wildest of ambitions and had rebelled against the Emperor.An opportunity occurred for Islamic influence to penetrate into the heart of China when al-Mansur responded by sending 4,000 warriors who recaptured the city and were well rewarded by the Emperor. Some men never returned to their native lands and were known as “Ta-shihs”. They married with Chinese women, subsequently establishing Muslim communities in Western China, descendants of which are the progenitors of the “Hui” (meaning return) nationality.The illustrious Ming Admiral Muhammad Ma Ho, Zheng He (1371-1433), his immediate lieutenant Ma H’uan (Muhammad Hassan), chronicler Fei Hsin and his Arabic interpreter Hassan, a former Imam (exemplar) of Xi’an, were among these descendents. Zheng He courageously led treasure-ship fleets and expeditions to many countries, establishing good diplomatic, political and social relations between governments.On the seventh expedition (1431-33), under the reign of Emperor Xuan De (1426-1435), Zheng He sailed with over 100 ships and 27,550 men. They visited several countries including Arabia and especially Makkah where he and some of his naval officers paid homage to al-Bayt al-Haram (Holy Ka’bah). Belonging to a very old pious Muslim family, his father and grandfather were both Hajjis who, unlike Zheng, travelled for months on horseback and camel, reaching their destination stops with great difficulty before finally reaching Makkah.Heroically admired by many, he earned the title of San Pao Kung “Our Master of the Three Jewels” from the early Chinese settlers of Southeast Asia, wherein a Mosque named after Zheng He has been erected in Surabaya to mark the many years of trade and (Islamic) religious contact.Arab merchants at this time commissioned mosques, headed by an “ahong” (from the Persian akhun, meaning religious leader) in various parts of China and expressed their commitment to Islam by building symbolic characteristics into their communities, called ‘Fan Fang’ foreign quarters clustered around a mosque. Arabs and Persians, who became permanent residents in the cities previously mentioned, were referred to as ‘Fanke’ which means guests from the outlying regions.They were allowed to marry and they had children who became known as ‘Tusheng Fanke’ (native-born guests). The latter were better known as “Hui Hui” as first noted in the literature of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). Representing the second largest of all ethnic minorities living in China today, they trace their descent from the Arabs and Persians, whom undoubtedly gained high command of the Chinese idiom, In China, Muslim places of worship have not incorporated the Arabic name of “Masjid” (Mosque) instead an alternative name such as “Qing Zhen Si” (Temple of Purity and Truth) is used. “Si” (Temple) is used for Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian places of worship. Hence most early Mosque exterior building structures,  architecturally resembled that of a temple.Followers of traditional Islam were known as “Gedimu” (from the Arabic Qadeem which translates as old) and they were exposed to various teachings described as “lao jiao” (old religious teaching) such as Qadiriyyah, a famous order founded by Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (d.56/1166) in Baghdad. A group of which was founded in China by Hilal al-Din, Qin Jingyi (c.1656-1719) . He received his early training from Khoja Abd Alla, a twenty-ninth- generation descendant of the Holy Prophet, who according to Chinese Sufi records arrived in at the port of Guangzhou in c.1674 and preached in many other cities before his eventual death in c.1689 , Hilal al-Din, known among the Hui as “Daozu” (Grand Master Qi is entombed at Linxia which was once an important stop on the silk road between Lanzhou and Yang Guan. Another Gedimu is the Naqshabandiyyah – the conspicuous Sufi order founded by Muhammad Naqshaband of Bukhara (717-791/1317- 1389).
New teachings arrived in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to replace the old ones referred to as “xin xin jiao”: The Yihewani (al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun) Muslim Brotherhood movement was brought by annual pilgrims to Makkah, and the Wahhabis, a dominant sect in Saudi Arabia and Qatar which had established footholds in many countries including Africa, India and China. Devotees of this sect named after its founder Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1115-1201 AH/1703-1787 CE).On 12th February 1949, some six months before the official inauguration of the People’s Republic of China, the luminary Imam Hassan al-Banna (c.1906-1949) was martyred in the heart of Cairo. The eminent founder of al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun (Muslim Brotherhood) , his mission spread globally from the local coffeehouse in Egypt to downtown Muslim quarters of China attracting more urban intellectuals and sustaining a strong hold throughout China today.Such impact is clearly visible in current Chinese Mosque architecture, where traditional “Gedimu” Chinese-style Mosques, which resemble that of Confucian temples, are rejected by the Yihewanis (al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun) who are of an Arabist nature. They prefer more plain white Arab-style (iconography) mosques instead, with a young Imam for leading the congregational prayers similar to the Imam of a Mosque I have visited in Luoyang who may possibly have graduated from al-Azhar University where some thirty three Hui students enrolled in c.1939.Islamic civilization steadily spread – reaching the heart of every Chinese Muslim, creating a fascinating mosaic of ethnic neighbourhoods within the “Dragon’s Den”. Once on my return trip from the Huang He (Yellow River), also called China’s Sorrow and the World’s Muddiest River, a few miles north of Kaifeng in Henan Province, I spotted an old cottage remotely located with a small white flag flying from a tree branch, inscribed in Arabic with a Qur’anic verse to keep out evil spirits. Immediately it drew my attention as this was similar to what happened in many parts of the Muslim world.Huaisheng Mosque embraces a unique ingenious architectural setting by successfully integrating Islamic architectural renderings with elements of the T’ang architectural style, producing an aura of Islamic-Chinese symmetrical architectural charm, free from ornamentation and idolatry.The mosque gave birth to a new chapter in the field of architecture in one of China’s most illustrious periods of history where efficient administrative system developed, printing appeared for the first time, custom and philosophy became even more sophisticated and creative arts flourished, producing a highly cosmopolitan empire.Huaisheng Mosque was rebuilt in 1350 during the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) under the rule of Zhizhen (1341-1368) and again during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) under the rule of Emperor Kangzi. In 1695 the mosque was destroyed by fire and was rebuilt again on the same original site. A century-old photograph of the Mosque which I was fortunate to see displays a semblance of much of what we see today except for the uncultivated gardens which are in dire need of an aspiring gardener, A decade or so after the modernization of Guangzhou city which began in the early 1920’s, where the remainder of the old city wall was demolished, the present prayer hall has undergone a complete reconstruction in 1935 using reinforced concrete. The mosque complex can accommodate one thousand worshipers and occupies an area of 2,966 square meters lying on a north-south axis.The building comprises of a main gate with a green awning facing south which is in accordance with Chinese tradition. As you enter through a narrow courtyard there is another gateway with a red plaque inscribed in four Chinese characters which translates as ‘Religion that holds in great esteem the teachings brought from the Western Region’. There are beautiful green plants on each side of the arched entrance. Another arched gateway with a two storied portal built in the seventeenth century, makes it graceful to pass through. It’s called the Moon Pavilion and leads through to a wonderfully set courtyard taking you to the prayer hall.Entering the courtyard through the arched entrance of the Moon Pavilion, one instantly leaves behind the Chinese world for the Sino-Moorish. You begin to feel the calmness, spatial beauty and quiet atmosphere as if you were going back in time, in contrast to the hustle and bustle of the world one has just left. One begins to feel elevated by the fragrant smell of the flowers in the gardens and intrigued by such illustrious techniques used to venerate this building.Instead of a dome, a gambrel (mansard) roof with upswept eaves and undulating gables is used with a small stupica (small stupa) placed in the middle with a beautiful set of beams, spaciously designed with several columns symmetrically divided with a red bricked arch entrance. Wooden sliding doors with glass patterned shapes characterized and organized into coherent patterns of form by its monumental exterior and Chinese classical colonnades mark the entrance. Several long wooden seats and chairs are situated around the colonnades available for worshipers to sit in between or after prayers.The culmination of this Qing Zhen Si (Temple of Purity and Truth), known to the local Chinese as a Muslim’s place of worship, dominates a historical overview of when the first Arabs embarked on their journey from the sands of Arabia to the silk-door steps of the “Middle Kingdom” (China).

I was lost in contemplation for a while, visualizing a theme of Arab merchants gathering in this very courtyard, reflecting on their long arduous and hazardous sea adventure. Thinking of such great men, all of whom I wish to pay tribute to, verily transported me back in time, and I was put into a kind of trance as I sat down in the cloistered courtyard.During the reign of the Abbasid Caliph al-Mansur, Arab traders sailed from the ports of al-Basrah and Siraf, in the months of May and June, enduring between three to six months of travel to the port of Guangzhou trading at different stopovers and keeping alert from pirate attacks and returned during the months of October and November following seasonal winds. Other merchants traversed the rough and hostile terrain from the Central Asian steppe along the Silk Route on camel caravans, facing constant danger as their journey progressed to their trading point.

Jaman Masjid, Hotan. CHINA.

One of the largest Masjid in Hotan, it is situated in the city’s downtown area. The structure was built in the second reign year of Qing Dynasty Emperor Guangxu (1875), and renovated in 1997 with a government allocation.Intellectual curiosity which was embedded in the Islamic doctrine led early prominent Muslim travellers like Ibn Wahhab of al-Basrah to arrive in the port of “Khanfu” (Guangzhou) around c.815 CE, thence to Chang’an (Xi’an) where he attended an audience with the Emperor, wrote a vivid account on the city of Chang’an and the imperial household. Chang’an during the T’ang Dynasty and Baghdad which reached its zenith during the Abbasid Caliphate, were the most powerful and largest cities in the world.Sulaiman al-Tajir (the Merchant), made numerous voyages to India and China from his native town of the port of Siraf where traders arriving from China first offloaded goods before distribution to al-Basrah and Baghdad via transportation vessels. He wrote about his long daring voyages in c.850 CE, describing the piracy and extreme weather en route to the port of “Khanfu” (Guangzhou) where extortionate port duties were charged on goods and finger-prints were used as signatures.The Muslim community of Guangzhou that Sulaiman visited had their own mosques, bazaars and a Qadi (judge), appointed by the emperor who kept order and applied, not Chinese, but Shari’ah law (canonical law of Islam) amongst his co-religionists, and delivered the Friday (Khutbah) sermon to the faithful.Stories of such adventures, which contain popular tales and scientific descriptions noted by early Arab travellers to China are recorded in twelfth-century Arabic manuscript entitled “Akhbar al-Sin” (Reports of China) “wal Hind” (Reports of India) relating stories of two Arab travellers. Tales of such adventurous voyages are compiled in the huge collection known as “One Thousand and One Nights”` of which the legendary “Sindbad the Sailor” and “Prince Alladin” are the most famous tales.The Muslim chronicler Abu Zaid Hassan al-Sirafi reported the massacre of some 120,000 Arabs, Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians that took place in Guangzhou and edited the account of Sulaiman al-Tajir in c.851 CE. He was a friend of the famous Abu’l-Hasan al-Mas’udi (d.345/956) who was an outstanding encyclopaedic figure, historian and scientist of Islam as well as a world traveller who sailed through the China Sea and wrote valuable observations about China in his “Meadows of Gold and Mines of Precious Gems”. One of the few depictions of Arab shipping where sail, oars and the rudder were used can be seen in the 13th century manuscript of al-Hariri’s Maqdamat which did not reach the Christian Mediterranean until several centuries later.Within the prosperous maritime network, merchants brought valuable and distinctive commodities such as silk, jade, porcelain, lapis lazuli, spices and fruits which were carried on the backs of camels. Silk was one of many precious goods that were exchanged between East and West due to the prosperous maritime network managed by Arabs who were acting as intermediaries between China, India and the Middle East.Caravans of students, scholars, ambassadors, monks, soldiers, craftsmen and traders journeyed through the arteries of this magnificent international trade route which ran over the roof of the world serving the Eurasian civilizations for eighteen centuries. They would halt at stops on the road and at well-known bazaars where Arab and Persian traders exchanged goods. Traders also gathered contributions to build mosques, many of which are of historical importance and are well preserved to this day. Men of the pen who treaded these foot paths acquired knowledge and spread Islam from the interior of China passing the Great Wall through to Central Asia.The magnificent Niujie Mosque of Khan-Baliq (present day Beijing) is a great example. It was established by an Arabian scholar Nasir al-Din who served as an official in the Liao Dynasty (907-1125). Two Arabs who came to China during the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) and served as Imams now rest beside the Mosque where their tomb stones can be seen today. Proof of commitment to this graceful land continues today by the bearers of this religion.Huaisheng Mosque is austere and simple when compared with its younger sister several thousand miles away in al-Andalus (Spain) where ‘La Mezquita’ – The Friday Mosque of Qurtabah (Cordoba). The latter mosque is famously known for its impressive interlocking multi-lobed arches and pink and white stripped arches. Its foundation had been laid down in 785 CE (after its purchase from the Christians) by Abd ar-Rahman I (756-88) who successfully sustained both the Umayyad Dynasty and its intricate arts in the West.The interior designs of the Da Qingzhen Si (Great Mosque) of Xi’an built in 742 CE and the Niujie Mosque built in 996 demonstrate that unique ancient Islamic and Chinese classical architecture were merged to produce a vivid astonishing effect and embellishment. On the other hand the prayer hall of Huaisheng Mosque reflects the preference of simplicity and tranquility. There stands a low Minbar (pulpit) beside the Mihrab (niche facing Makkah) and a naturally shaped banister by the Minbar (pulpit) for the Imam to hold on to.Two pillars decorated with nine bands of triangular Qur’anic inscriptions are located symmetrically supporting the low part of the ceiling which magnificently displays the Qura’nic verse, ” The religion before Allah is Islam (submission to his will)” (Al-Imran 18-19) and is written in an Sino-Arabic style. A few copies of the Qur’an are neatly placed on a table beside the Mihrab on the left-hand side.The Mosque currently boasts over 40 prayer mats inscripted with Arabic and Chinese dating back to the T’ang Dynasty.The ‘Guangta Tower’ is a freestanding minaret, of 36.30 m (119 ft) high. It is a cylindrical, smooth-textured minaret made from grey masonry with a balcony that served as a ritual tower for the Muezzin to call the worshipers to prayer. Another solid cylindrical tower is surmounted above the ringed balcony with a base dome decorated with two tiers of ‘dougong’. There is an elongated pointed tip with a metal rod supporting a crescent moon-shaped design. There are also windows to allow air and light onto the spiral staircase through which the Muezzin can access the balcony.During the T’ang and Song Dynasties, when the bank of the Zhu Jiang (The Pearl River) was close to the minaret, sailors would occasionally climb the minaret to observe the weather conditions prior to sailing. This minaret has served its purpose well and famously became known as the ‘Beacon Tower’ and the city’s principal landmark. A lamp was lit atop the minaret and served as a beacon for navigation that guided boats along the Zhu Jiang River during the night. Its height dominated the city’s skyline before the contruction of high-rise buildings and dwarfed everything allowing for a bird’s eye view of the city. The luminous tower also had a weathervane, placed on its roof indicating the direction of the wind.Its majestic presence played a huge role at the start of the ‘maritime silk road’. Before reaching the mainland on the Silk Road, reaching this port must have been a tremendous achievement for many anxious merchants.Another mosque in Galle, off the southern coast of what Arabs traders called Sarandib, i.e Sri Lanka, is called the Ja’ama Al-Khaira’t or The Galle Lighthouse Mosque. The light tower minaret is free-standing next to a beautiful palm tree and is situated close to the sea front where it is currently geared up to serve incoming navigations. The mosque is like a small fortress-like colonial two-storied building: white washed, symmetrically square domed twin-towered facade, crowned with a shaped-gable in the middle and a crescent-shaped tail placed above.The city of al-Zaytun which was the starting point of the Maritime Silk Route was well noted by Al-Idrissi who was born in Ceuta (492-576 AH/1099-1180 CE). He was a famous Moroccan geographer who, in 1154 CE, wrote in his book al-Kitab ar-Rujari (Book of Roger) a most elaborate description of the world. It formed the basis of European knowledge in the field at the time. He wrote about the commodities carried by Chinese ships such as leather, swords and iron and various textiles including silk which were bound for Aden. He described Hangzhou’s popular glassware and rated Zaytun’s silk as the best.By the Song Dynasty (960-1279) trade was booming and many Arab and Persian merchants flocked to port of Guangzhou where the office of the Director General of Shipping was constantly under Muslim management, due to their law-abidingness and self-disciplined nature. Abu’l-Abbas al-Hijazi, a prosperous twelfth-century merchant who spent many years in China, had seven sons whom he posted in seven different commercial centres from his base in Yemen thus establishing a successful trading network after the loss of all but one of his twelve ships in the Indian Ocean.Domination of trade from the Far East and East Africa into the Red Sea, was in the hand of the Karamis of Aden. They were one of the greatest trading families of all time and were brimming with success from agencies as far as the ports of China and earning the support of the munificent Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi (532589 AH/1138-1193 CE) – a hero, honoured by Muslims and Christians alike, who freed Jerusalem in c.1187 and ended its eighty eight year occupation by the Crusaders, In 1292 the Venetian merchant, Marco Polo (1254-1324) described al-Zaytun and Alexandria of Egypt as one of the two greatest ports in the world. He also found a flourishing Arab merchant community which he associated with the conspicuous Muslim presence in various areas of China. On his way from China in 1288 and 1293, he visited the port of Kayal in India which was full of ships from Arabia and China. He also mentioned seeing a large number of Arabian and Persian horses imported by sea into south India.Hajji Ibn battuta (1304-1369) was a noted explorer and a traveler who was born in Tangiers, Morocco into a family of judges during the Marinid Dynasty (1196-1511). He studied Islamic theology but little did his family know about his long journey at the age of 21 to perform Hajj at Makkah would take one and a half years and from which he would not return to his native town for nearly three decades.He served as a Qadi (judge) for eight years in the Sultanate of India under Sultan Muhammad Tughlaq (1326-51) before he was summoned as head of a mission to China in 1341 as an ambassador to meet the most powerful ruler in the world, the Mongol Emperor of China.The life-threatening adventure began just as he left Delhi where he was taken prisoner and hunted for eight days as a fugitive before ending up at the shores of Calicut with nothing but the clothes he wore and a prayer mat. He was blessed to be alive. He continued his journey to China via the Maldives where he became a chief judge – without the intention of becoming one – and married into the royal family.He then set sail from Sri Lanka when his ship nearly sank in a storm. He was rescued by another ship which was attacked by pirates who stole all his provisions and the precious stones given to him by the King of Ceylon. He again ended up in Calicut with no coverings but for his trousers. He set sail once more, briefly stopping at the Maldives to see his two years old son for the first time, then boarded a Chinese junk to China via Chittagong (the main port of Bangladesh) and the Muslim Kingdom of Samudra (Sumatra, Indonesia) before resuming his role as ambassador when he arrived at the port of al-Zaytun in 1345.

My first journey to China took the form of a boat ferry from Inch’on, South Korea to north China’s largest port city of Tianjin, nicknamed “Shanghai of the North”, where a well-known and sizeable Hui village of Tianmu lies situated on the northern city’s suburbs. It took over thirty horrific hours and nervous worries of what will happen once I finally reach China.Ibn Battuta, on the other hand, considered China to be the safest and most regulated of all countries in the world for a traveller and declared that of all people the Chinese were the most skilful in the arts and possessed greatest mastery of them, hence his journey to reach China.He described al-Zaytun as housing one of the largest ports in the world with about a hundred junks that could not be counted for multitude. Every city had a separate Muslim quarter where merchants and their families lived in an honoured and respected manner with their own mosques, hospitals and bazaars. The Qadi “Fanzhang” (judge) of the Muslims, the Sheikh al-Islam and the leader of the merchants all came to meet Ibn Battuta with flags, drums, trumpets and musicians.He was invited and entertained by some immensely wealthy Muslim merchants including the family of Uthman Ibn Affan of Egypt. He was well received in every city as guest of honour on his way to Beijing only to be disappointed to find the Emperor absent from the capital. He returned back to al-Zaytun before sailing back to his native land in Sha’ban 750 (13th November 1349).On the morning of Monday 24th June 1996, I arrived at Guangta Road from Shamian Dao (sand surface island) to pay homage to the Huaisheng Mosque for the first time. Entering the Mosque felt like going back in time. It was before Az-zuhr prayer and the prayer hall was totally empty. I begun by performing two Raka’at in respect of the House of God and read a few Suras of the Holy Qur’an, before exploring the mosque. After which I began to contemplate and marvel at the wonders of this precious place, this ‘House of God’.I thought about all the Muslim envoys that had come to China, resided here and who prayed in this very prayer hall. They were Muslim merchants who traded here but never returned to their home land. Ibn Battuta (1304-1369) journeyed to this far away land and is believed to have prayed in this very Mosque. He has inspired me to tread onto this soil some 600 years later.”Allahu Akbar – Allahu Akbar (God is great)”, the adhan (call to prayer) was chanted by the Muezzin summoning the faithful to prayer. I felt elation at hearing the adhan, voiced in Arabic and blended with Chinese flavour hence making it even more pleasant to hear. My first congregation prayer with my Chinese Muslim brothers at Huaisheng Mosque was led by Hajji Muhammad Rashid Yang Tang (Imam and vice president of the Mosque).Chinese Muslims, like those I have met in Central Asia and the Indian sub-continent, all wear white caps especially before Salah (prayer).This is due to the adherence to the “Hanafi school of thought”, which has the largest following amongst the Muslim community. It was founded by Abu Hanifa (81-150 AH /700-767 CE), a great Persian jurist of Kufah where he taught religious science and traded in Chinese silk, a popular commodity which made its first appearance in Europe due to the Arabs who spun the wheel of silk-weaving, interlacing Sicily and Spain with their knowledge of silk manufacture and production of textiles.Abu Yusuf, a follower of the late Abu Hanifa, became a supreme Qadi (judge) under the brilliant and luxurious reign of the fifth Abbasid Caliph Harun ar-Rashid (147-194 AH/764-809 CE), better known in China at the time as A-lun. Abbasids emissaries known as the “Black Robed Ta-shih”, also known in Byzantium, exchanged precious gifts on several visits with the Chinese Emperors thus improving and forging better future relations.Chinese Muslims established good communication links within the Muslim Ummah (community) and updates of all current issues including that of Muslim Ulama (scholars) of jurisprudence were recognised.Ibn Taymiyah (661-728 AH /1263-1328 CE), a well known jurist, was born one year before the Mongols made Beijing their capital in 1264 after China had been conquered by Kublai Khan who established the Yuan Dynasty (“first”) following the footsteps of Genghis Khan. Ibn Taymiyah was admired for his intellectual and physical prowess which he used to confront the Mongol chief Il-Khan Ghazan. He later engaged in jihad against the Mongols, winning a glorious victory for the Syrian-Egyptian army.While the eminent globetrotter Ibn Battuta was leading a peripatetic existence in Damascus, he attended a Friday Jum’ah prayer conducted by Ibn Taymiyah whom he describes, as “a man of great ability and wide learning”. His fame and influence extended beyond the boundaries of Egypt and Syria and even into China where funeral prayers in absentia were performed after he died by Chinese Muslims.Hand written Qur’ans remain in existence in China today, preciously handed over from one generation to the next, the oldest of which dates back to the eighth century and was brought by the first Arabs. The famous calligrapher Ibn al-Bawwab (d-1022 or 1032), inventor of the muhaqqaq style, himself skilfully handwrote 64 copies of the Qur’an, one of which was written in Rihani script and kept at Lalei Mosque in Istanbul.The earliest translation of the Holy Qur’an in Chinese dates back to the eighteenth century. However one of the first known translations was made in parts before the twentieth century by Sheikh Liu Che. The second is by Sheikh Ma Fu Chu who translated twenty Juz before he passed away, five of which were published after c.1927 by the Muslim Cultural Association in Shanghai. The complete Chinese translation of the Qur’an was composed from a Japanese translation based on that of Rodwell in c.1927 by Mr.Lee Tiek Tsing who embraced Islam after completing his translation.The most popular Chinese (translation) version of the holy Qur’an was made by the famous Sheikh Ilyas Wang Ching Ch’a in c.1928 with the assistance of the following Arabic scholars: Sheikh A. Rahim Ma Sun Ting, Muhammad Ma Shang Ting, Amir Mi Huang Chang, Ali Chao Chen Wu, Abu Bakr Yang Hsi Ju, Ibrahim Chen Ch’eng Kia and Yusuf Ying Po Ching. They received generous financial support from many including Muhammad Chao Wen Fu. In China today, the Holy Qur’an can be found in as many as eight different translations in the Chinese language as well as in Uygur and other Turkic languages.After the prayer, I was introduced to the Imam Haji Rashid who, once he found out I was from Morocco, began to tell me about Ibn Battuta and his travels to southern China. Haji Rashid also introduced me to Mr Hassan who was the director of the mosque; both offered assistance when I needed it. I wanted to visit the Muslim Burial place where Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas (RA) was entombed. Idris, an employee of the mosque, called a taxi and we went to the cemetery which is located on Guihua Ridge near the orchard garden. We went in to the cemetery’s courtyard and passed by the religious services hall.The cemetery is surrounded by walls and has a courtyard with a square pond in the middle surrounded by various green plants and some flowers against a backdrop of a bright red pavilion with two locked doors symmetrically placed and a gate in the middle leading to the cemetery. The pavilion opens onto a straight path in the middle of the burial ground surrounded by a 3 ft high wall on each side. Cylindrical stone graves with Chinese and Arabic scriptures can be seen from either side as you walk along the path to the grave of Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas (RA). The graves are neatly aligned facing ‘Qibla’ in Makkah.

Jame Masjid, Kurle. CHINA.
Jame Masjid was erected in 1961 on Southern Tuanjie St., Kurle.It is the largest in the city, and the most influential one in the prefectureUnlike a century ago, the mausoleum stood noticeably on its own like a miniature fort. As an architectural structure and the first of its kind ever to be erected in a distant land such as China, its roots stemmed from Arabia, bringing wisdom and prosperity to a nation as great as China. The mausoleum of Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas, which lies at the very end of the cemetery, is built like an ancient temple with a beamed roof and a thick wall circling the grave with a plaque inscribed in Arabic that “Roud’at Abi Waqqas” which means ‘Grave of Abi Waqqas’. Idris and I took off our shoes and went in to pay our respect to this great Companion who, by the will of God, helped spark a new life in the hearts of many Muslims in this great country. It was a moment of great reflection.Since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949, both Huaisheng Mosque and The Ancient Tomb at the Muslim Cemetery have been listed as historical cultural relics and are now under state protection. This is a historic testimonial of the friendship between the Chinese and Arabs.Having paid homage to The Huaisheng Mosque and the Muslim Cemetery, it was now time to return. I made my journey back to Hong Kong via Macau to visit another Mosque at Ramal Mouros Road and the Macau Museum. I arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday 27th June 1996, to prepare myself before my flight to Bangkok. I attended Isha prayer at the Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Centre which reminded me very much of the London Islamic Cultural Centre as it is a place where you can meet Muslims from all over the world.I found the museum to be amazingly interesting with its exterior designed like a ship, housing an astonishing display of artifacts, models of boats and maritime activity which centered on the China Sea. There are four individual theoretical themes which the museum is divided into, one of which stunned me as I confronted a particular map on display by the famous Moroccan geographer of the entire Middle Ages, “al-Idrisi”. It made me feel proud and homesick. There are various models of Chinese traditional vessels including a few models of Arab boats that once plied the oceans sailing towards the Zhu Jiang (Pearl River).

Zheng He (1371-1433), China’s most celebrated navigator who constructed massive ships and led Chinese armadas in his magnificent voyages, visited more than thirty countries during his seven maritime expeditions. A special feature at the museum was of his adventures, marking him as a royal “Hero” in the history of navigation. He ventured the oceans on board a giant flagship which dwarfed Christopher Columbus’s ship and he discovered America 70 years earlier. This was almost a century before Vasco da Gama, while searching for a sea route to India in 1498, was fortunate to find the most illustrious Arab navigator Ahmed Ibn Majid, who famously compiled an invaluable seamen guide, “The Advantages of Knowing the Sciences of the Sea”.Master Ahmed travelled to the land of the “Tiger and Elephant” on several occasions. With half a century experience of navigation under his belt and in possession of maritime instruments and maps never before seen by Europeans, he easily guided the Portuguese flagship from Malindi, below the Horn of East Africa, thence to the shores of South Indian (Malabar) coast.Completing a full knot, from where my journey first began, I boarded a jetfoil from Macau, en route to what used to be the old “Maritime Silk Route”. When Arab merchants sailed pass what is now Hong Kong, it must have been just a rock passed unnoticed, barely signalling a stop for the merchants while navigating through to the mouth of Zhu Jiang (Pearl River). Today it is anomalous with high rise office buildings and luxurious hotels greeting one another by ferry arrivals or below sea level via a fast train.While speeding back to Hong Kong on a jetfoil, we passed by a Chinese junk sailing back to Hong Kong harbour. I had long hoped to see such a thrilling moment -a Chinese junk in action, just like the model display I had just seen at the museum boasting its versatility and superior advanced (unchanged) design to any other ship of its time.I was staying opposite the Mosque at the Chunking Mansions. A popular place which accommodates all the foreign residents from places such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Africa and the Middle East who all live together in one big building which consist of shops,restaurants and guest houses snugly placed under one giant silk umbrella just as we once were in al-Zaytun.This created a modern centralized “vessel”, i.e. “Chunking Mansions”, docked at the Golden Mile (Nathan Road) where many modern Muslim merchants of many nationalities purchase all their required goods such as jade, ivory and electrical gadgets before setting off and travelling faster than our predecessors through the means of air travel to trade in different cities of the world.Immediately after Isha prayer ended, four very old frail gentlemen from Bangladesh stood up and one of them had a message. The men asked if some of us would like to sit for a few minutes to discuss their planned mission. Most of us agreed and sat in four separate circles where the talk began. I was immensely impressed with the gentlemen’s courage and firmness and unflinching honesty. Their mission was to travel to Guangzhou at the crack of dawn after Fajr prayer to visit The Huaisheng Mosque for the Friday Jummah prayer where a planned lecture to Muslims of Guangzhou was to be given.Soon after, I left the mosque and met two Algerian merchants dressed in loose white clothing who were on a business trip to China. They reminded me of the old Arab merchants setting sail for China once more. The merchants from Algeria together with the four gentlemen from Bangladesh on their mission to The Huaisheng Mosque make time seem like it has stood still. Kucha Masjid, Kucha. CHINA.The second largest Masjid in Xinjiang, the Kucha Mosque is located on the east side of Kucha County. Kucha Masjid, Kucha. The second largest Masjid in Xinjiang, the Kucha Masjid is located on the east side of Kucha County.

This Post Is a courtesy Of Yahoo Groups.

Short-listing Pakistan’s most influential business magnates or Groups has never been an easy task because there are the people who have been very powerful in nearly every regime that has held this country’s reins since the last 60 years and then we have had those seasonal
species that maneuvered their voice to be heard better than most within the power corridors, but later vanished into the oblivion for one reason or the other. This is  the selction of  those tycoons who have made their presence felt for a better part of country’s history, have
earned consistently, have been setting up units at regular intervals or have been legends in stocks, currency or real estate business.

The list excludes many names that have previously qualified and all of Pakistan’s most prominent feudal land lords who would definitely make it to the top 10, expect the few land owners which have declared their assets and work force and registered with the CBR Islamabad. In order to promote the new and “unknown” Pakistani magnates we have excluded
in previous entities.

Unfortunately, this extensive research does not currently include the names of a few stars that shone brightly amidst the galaxy of the influential creed of yesteryear like C.M.Latif of BECO- the Steel Man of Pakistan- who did make a lot of name once, but then got gifted with contentment somehow, although the late business wizard got very badly hit by Bhutto’s nationalization of 1970 which had inflicted an astounding thud to everybody in business then. Had it not been the case, many of our tycoons may well have managed to gain the kind of status greeting the likes of Birlas and Tatas in India today, if not the one saluting Bill Gates or Warren Buffet. Among these gifted individuals, you will find politicians-turned-businessmen, businessmen-turned-politicians or even the businessmen-cum-politicians. With malice towards none and with no intention to decorate somebody, We thus takes the pride of announcing these names, hope that this document will go a long way in serving as the most authentic endeavour of its kind for a very long time to come. It has been prepared very carefully in consultation with leading real estate barons, stock moguls, business leaders of virtue and senior bureaucrats at the Central Board of Revenue.

1 – Mian Muhammad Mansha Yaha

Ranking: 1 Worth: £1.25b ($2.5billion)Industry: Businessman Mansha has around 40 companies on board. Mansha, who owns the Muslim Commercial Bank is also setting up a $ 17m paper mill. He is one of the richest Pakistanis around. Nishat Group was country’s 15th richest family in 1970, 6th in 1990 and Number 1 in 1997. Mansha is on the
board of nearly 50 companies. He is deemed to have made investments in many bourses, currency and metal exchanges both within and outside Pakistan. He could have bought the United Bank too, but then who doesn’t have adversaries. Nishat Group comprises of textiles, cement, leasing, insurance and management companies. If Mansha was bitten by
Bhutto’s nationalization stint of 1970, his friends think he was compensated by Nawaz Sharif’s denationalization programme to a very good effect. There is no stopping Mansha and he is still on the move. Nishat group assets are $4.4Billion. He is sometimes even regarded as the richest Pakistani around by his friends claiming he does not “show it off”.

2 – Asif Ali Zardari UAE/Pakistan

Ranking: 2 Worth: £900m ($1.8billion) Industry: Politics
Asif Zardari dubbed “Mr 10%” an unknown happy-go-lucky son of a small-time businessman who struck gold by marrying one of the worlds most glamorous women Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benzair Bhutto. Taking advantage of his wife’s authority he is known to have taken
kickbacks from many deals inside and outside of Pakistan. The most famous was a $4 billion deal to buy 32 Mirage jets from the French company Dassault. Documents, which include letters from Dassault executives, indicate an agreement was reached to pay a 5%
“remuneration” – about $200m – to Marleton Business, a BVI company controlled by Zardari. Besides these many more kickback deals were taken with companies such as ARY Gold, Société Général de Surveillance (SGS), Cotecna, and ZPC Ursus, a Polish tractor company.
Zardari assets holding amount into hundreds of millions of dollars easily, Having 8 prime properties in the UK, of which once is the famous Rockwood Estate 365 acres in Surrey, worth £4.35m has now been sold and money sent back to the Govt. of Pakistan. Also 14
multi-million dollar mansions in the USA, including owning Holiday Inn
hotel Houston, Texas Owned by “Mr 10%” and Iqbal Memon and Sadar-ud-Din Hashwani.
They (Zardari and B.Bhutto) also have huge business ventures in the Middle East running into hundreds of millions if not billion mark. Mr Zardari also has huge stakes in sugar mills all over Pakistan,which include: Sakrand Sugar Mills, Nawabshah, Ansari Sugar Mills, Hyderabad, Mirza Sugar Mills, Badin, Pangrio Sugar Mills, Thatta and Bachani Sugar Mills, Sanghar.

3 – Sir Anwar Pervaiz UK

Ranking: 3 Worth: £750m ($1.5billion) Industry: Businessman Chairman of Bestway Group. The Bestway Group started in 1976 with its first Bestway cash and carry warehouse opened in London. Today the have in total around 50 Cash and Carry’s. Including their recent
takeover of rival group Batleys for around £100m. Bestway Group ventured into Pakistan’s huge the cement business in 1995 and set up cement manufacturing plant in Pakistan at a cost of $120 million. Taking Advantage of Pakistan growing economy they also acquired a
25.5% stake in United Bank Limited in 2002. Today, the Bestway Group has interests in cash & carry wholesale, property investments, retail outlets, milling of rice, lentils and pulses, cement production and more recently into banking. The group’s total sales amounted to in excess of £ 2 billion. The group provides direct employment to thousands in the UK and Pakistan. The have many interests in Pakistan too. Sir Anwar Pervaiz and his his partners sheer hard work has bought them to outstanding international levels, which definitely makes him an ideal role model for many young Pakistanis today. He still on the move!

4 – Nawaz Sharif & Shahbaz Sharif family -Saudi Arabia/Pakistan

Ranking: 4 Worth: £700m ($1.4billion) Industry: Politics/Businessman
Mr Sharif Businessman turned politician the former Prime Minister of Pakistan. He was ousted in a military coup in 1999 and was forced to forfeit $9million dollars and some of his assets including his $5m Mansion is Raiwind near Lahore. Before becoming PM he was a major share holder along with his brother and cousins of Ittefaq Group, having assets well in excess of £50m in the 90’s. However he got richer when he took commissions from foreign companies for construction in Pakistan. He build the first motorway and many new
roads and took heavy kickbacks. He then also stole $100m from the Iqra funds, he started a new scheme “Ghar Apna” in which he again looted around $40m, the “Mulk swaaro” scheme involving public & govt. money collections to help pay pf Pakistan’s debts also was pocketed. Today he lives in exile in Saudi Arabia where it is known he has a new huge business empire in various sectors.

5 – Saddaruddin Hashwani -Pakistan

Ranking: 5 Worth: £550m ($1.1billion) Industry: Businessman
Saddaruddin Hashwani is Chairman Hashoo Group is known for his dominance in Pakistan’s hotel industry, though Hashwanis are have huge strength in real estate business too. Hashwanis are involved in trading of cotton, grain and steel and till the nationalization of
cotton export in 1974, they were widely being dubbed as the Cotton Kings of Pakistan. Today, this group has excelled in export of rice, wheat, cotton and barley. It owns textile units, besides having invested billions in mines, minerals. hotels, insurance, batteries, tobacco, residential properties, construction, engineering and information technology. In 1984, Hashwani defeated the Lakhanis in the bid for Premier Tobacco but was arrested along with his brother Akbar
in 1986 for allegedly evading customs duty on cigarettes. Sadarduddin’s brother Akbar and the children of another late brother Hassan Ali Hashwani together manage around 45 companies. Akbar runs the second Hashwani Group. He is one of the most well-known magnates in Pakistan who is a regular invitee at the Diplomatic Enclave. The list of local and international bigwigs known personally to Hashwani is unending.

6 – Nasir Schon & family -U.A.E/Pakistan

Ranking: 6 (tied at 6) Worth: £500m ($1billion) Industry: Businessman Nasir Schon is a prominent business leader of Pakistan and the CEO of Schon Group. Nasir Schon is the son of Captain Ather Schon Hussain, an ex-pilot of PIA. The Schon family is one of the few striving Muhajir Urdu business families in Pakistan. Starting off in Singapore in 1982, the peek of Schon group was in 1995 when they owned National Fibres,
Schon Bank, Schon Textiles and Pak-China Fertizilers. Famous for the trend-setting roundabout, Schon Circle, Nasir Schon is also known to be one of the first people to have a Rolls-Royce in Pakistan. Directors of Schon group flew to Dubai in 1997 in exile after the
dismissal of ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The directors of Schon group were known to have close contacts with the husband of former Prime Minister, Asif Zardari. Many assets of the Schon group were auctioned by the Nawaz Sharif government. Schon Group is the only
group in Pakistan who has paid the government over 3 billion rupees ($65m) in order to return from exile. Living in Dubai gave Nasir Schon an opportunity to start businesses there. Currently working on an $830 million real estate project known as Dubai lagoon, Schon group is also fighting to get back the assets they once lost. Currently, the Schon group operates a pilot training center in Pakistan known as Schon Air.

7 – Abdul Razzaq Yakoub & family-U.A.E

Ranking: 6 (tied at 6) Worth: £500m ($1billion) Industry: Businessman
Mr Yakoub is a prominent Pakistani expatriate businessman based in Dubai. He is the president ARY group ($1.5Billion turnover) and World Memon Organization (WMO). He is one of Pakistan’s biggest media barons controlling around 7 channels. Besides this he has a huge property holdings in Karachi, Islamabad and Dubai amounting to over $200m. He is major in the gold market also having around 20 outlets in Asia. He has also been involved in paying Asif Zardari $5m in 1990’s for allowing him to import/export gold. Which he denies and claim’s is government forgeries.

8 – Rafiq Habib & Rasheed Habib-Pakistan

Ranking: 7 Worth: £450m ($900) Industry: Businessman
Legend has it that the Goddess of Wealth has been in love with the seasoned Habibs more than anybody else in Pakistan. Most pundits believe that Habibs own at least 100 companies throughout the world, but these content mega-tycoons never boast off, something which has
made it uphill for most to predict about their financial standing. This industrial group was founded by Seth Habib Mitha, born in 1878 to Esmail Ali-a factory owner in Bombay. The financial strength of the Habibs can be gauged from the fact that Muhammad Ali Habib gave a
cheque of Rs 80 million to Quaid-e-Azam in 1948 at a time when Pakistan government was penniless owing to delay in transfer of Pakistan’s share of Rs. 750 million by the Reserve Bank of India. They had offices in Europe in 1912. They incorporated the Habib Bank in
1941. They own the Habib Bank A.G Zurich, Bank Al-Habib, Indus Motors assembling Corolla cars and many dozens of units in sectors such as jute, paper sack, minerals, steel, tiles, synthetics sugar, glass, construction, concrete, farm autos, banking, oil, computers, music,
paper, packages, leasing and capital management. Habibs today are headed by Rafiq Habib and Rashid Habib in two distinct groups. What makes them extremely influential players of all times is the fact that for dozens of top businessmen today, Habib were a myth once.

9 – Tariq Saigol & Nasim Saigol -Pakistan

Ranking: 8 Worth: £425m ($850) Industry: Businessman
Hailing from Jhelum. The pioneer of the Saigol dynasty in 1890 was Amin Saigol who established a shoe shop that eventually transformed into Kohinoor Rubber Works. And then times saw them shining literally like the Kohinoor until their progress was halted by Nationalization in which they lost two-thirds of their wealth. Saigols got trifurcated
in 1976 and 15 descendents of Amin Saigols four sons got a share. The name of the Saigols has been used in this part of the world as similes describing quantum of wealth. Yousaf Saigol, along with his brothers Sayeed Saigol, Bashir Saigol and Gul Saigol then nourished an
excellent crop. In 1948, Saigols established the Kohinoor Textile Mills with a cost of Rs 8 million and this group happens to be the first to open an LC with the State Bank of Pakistan. They bought the United Bank in 1959 and then witnessed five of their units getting
nationalized. They lived in Saudi Arabia during the Bhutto regime. Today, cousins Tariq and Nasim are holding the family’s fort together and have risen to unprecedented heights in individual capacities. NAB did haunt Nasim but Tariq spent more time either accepting or refusing prized slots everywhere. Tariq is the one of the finest business brains around.

10 – Dewan Yousaf Farooqui -Pakistan

Ranking: 9 (tied at 9) Worth: £400m ($800) Industry: Businessman
Mr Farooqui. The mentor of this group has been the Sindh Minister for Local Bodies. Industries, Labour, Transport, Mines & Minerals. Dewan Mushtaq Group is one of the Pakistan’s largest industrial conglomerates in sectors like polyester acrylic fiber, manufacturing and automotives. Six of their companies are listed at the Karachi & stock Exchange and one at the Luxembourg bourse. Dewan Farooqui Motors assembles around 10,000 cars annually under technical license agreement with Hyundai and Kia Motors of Korea. The Dewan Salman Fiber is the pride of this empire as it ranks 11th in the world in total
production capacity. The group owns three textile units, a motorcycle manufacturing concern and the largest sugar unit in the country. Dewans also have business interests in India. They possess dozens of millions of shares of Saudi Cement and Pak land Cement. They also have
the franchise licence for BMW in Pakistan and now Rolls Royce showrooms.

11 – Sultan Ali Lakhani & family -Pakistan

Ranking: 9 (tied at 9) Worth: £400m ($800) Industry: Businessman
The Lakhanis are currently having a hard time at the hands of NAB. Sultan Lakhani and his three brothers run this prestigious group and the chain of McDonald’s restaurants in Pakistan. NAB has alleged the Lakhanis of having created phoney companies through worthless
directors and raised massive loans from various banks and financial institutions. Sultan is currently abroad after having served a jail term with younger sibling Amin, though the latter was released much earlier. NAB had reportedly demanded Rs 7 billion from Lakhanis, but
later agreed they pay only Rs 1.5 billion over a 10-year period. Lakhanis, like their arch-rivals Hashwanis, are the most well-known of all Ismaeli tycoons. Their stakes range from media, tobacco, paper, chemicals and surgical equipment to cotton, packaging, insurance,
detergents and other house-hold items, many of which are joint ventures with leading international conglomerates. Though Lakhanis are in turbulent waters currently, the success that greeted them during the last 25 years especially has been tremendous. They have rifts with large business empires despite being known fur their genteel nature.
Whether it is any government in Sindh or at the Federal level, Lakhanis have had trusted friends everywhere, though the present era has proved a painful exception.

12 – Malik Riaz Hussain -Pakistan

Ranking: 9 (tied at 9) Worth: £400m ($800) Industry: Businessman
Malik Riaz Hussain heads the massive project which is currently developing state-of-the-art schemes in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi/Islamabad. Emerging out of the blue, this developer has reportedly developed tremendous connections where it matters in
Pakistan-One of the few reasons why his constructed projects get completed in time without hindrance. Whether he has gifted bungalows free of cost of country’s bigwigs or offered them at highly concessional rates, the reality on the ground is that Malik has managed to mesmerize most through his generous wallet. His land-holdings both within and outside Pakistan amounts to nearly a billion dollar. He is the man behind the Bahria Town. Irrespective of
who is in power; he continues to build house after house-swelling his wealth. He is also the first man to drive a Bentley car on Pakistani soil.

13 – Sheikh Abid Hussain alias Seth Abid -Pakistan

Ranking: 10 Worth: £390m ($780) Industry: Businessman
Sheikh Abid Hussain alias Seth Abid. He is one of the most resourceful developers/builders in the country owning vast stretches of land in major cities. On this land worth many billion of rupees, Seth has constructed residential schemes under the brand name of “Green Fort.”
Seth came into this business after decades of notoriety as being one of the spearheads in cross-border smuggling. While many remember Seth for his allegedly illegal trading stints, a lot of informed circles still say with conviction that he, along with Dr.Qadeer and former
Premier Bhutto, was the brain behind the success of Pakistan’s nuclear programme. About three dozen of Seth’s very close relatives, friends and nephews are members of country’s bourses and for many years now, the Seth Abid group assumes the role of king-makers during the annual polls of these stock exchanges. He is a leading investor in stocks, metals and currency but what gives him immense pleasure is his philanthropic institution Hamza Foundation that he sponsors for the welfare of deaf and dumb children. Pakistan has not had a single ruler, politician, bureaucrat or Army General who doesn’t know the Seth who is more of a myth for most. The Seth, throughout his life, has avoided publicity-a fact known to most journalists.

14 – Mian Mohammed Latif -Pakistan

Ranking:11 Worth: £350m ($700) Industry: Businessman
Chenab Group Mian Muhammad Latif supervises this group along with his brother Mian Ashfaque- a legislator in the National Assembly of Pakistan. Founded in 1975, Chenab Limited set up its first fashion outlet “Chen One.” Chen One has seven outlets throughout Pakistan. After establishing its retail chain stores in various cities of Saudi Arabia, the group is now planning to establish its new retail chains in Bahrain, UA.E, Qatar, Kuwait and Central Asian Republics. While Chenab Group is an eight-time Export Trophy winner, its Chief Mian
Latif has won the ‘Businessman of the Year award on four different occasions from various business bodies. Chenab is principally engaged in manufacture and distribution of clothing, furniture goods, including non-iron suit, quilt cover and curtains etc. Chenab processes 50 million square metres fabric weaving and 75 million square metres fabric dyeing every year and has established a global sales network spanning across five continents. Chenab is licensed to the Swedish Texcote Technology in the manufacturing and sale of textile materials, garments and textile house-hold goods. The group’s textile products have been awarded the Oekotex 100 accreditation.

15 – Haji Abdul Ghafoor & Haji Bashir Ahmed -Pakistan

Ranking: 12 Worth: £330m ($660) Industry: Businessman
Sitara Group Started its activity with textile weaving as early as 1956, under brothers Haji Abdul Ghafoor and Haji Bashir Ahmed. It is now its textile cloth finishing and processing, textile spinning, chlor-alkali sector and in power generation. The units owned by this establishment include Sitara Chemicals, Sitara Chemicals (Textile Division 1) and Sitara Chemicals (Textile Division 11), Sitara Textiles, Sitara Energy and Yasir Spinning. The charities being managed under the aegis of Sitara group are Aziz Fatima Hospital, Ghafoor Bashir Children Hospital and Aziz Fatima Girls School. Sitara’s name with the industrial City of Faisalabad is synonymous. They are the decades-old veterans in business, who have excelled in
leaps and bounds. At their units, the owners of Sitara use technology imported from Japan, UK and Germany and are export leaders in bedding and fabric collection to South America, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Europe. Their textile divisions together operate at strength of 33,984 spindles. The Sitara (group, to a common man, is more famous for its lawn brands like Sitara Sapna and Mughal-e-Azam. The men at helm of affairs in Sitara hardly believe in setting up dozens of units, of which they are otherwise very much capable of.

16 – Sheikhani Family -Pakistan

Ranking: 13 Worth: £300m ($600) Industry: Businessman
They are one of the most reputed land developers in the country. The
Sheikhani, although not a very big industrial establishment by any means, are led by Abu Bakar Sheikhani. The Sheikhanis are famous for their construction and land development-related errands. Abu Bakar is deemed to be one of the largest investors in real estate trade at
Gwadar Port. He has all the right connections that are required to be in such business. Despite being well known to the national political circles, the man in street knew more of him during March/April 1991 when he surfaced as the single largest contributor to then Premier
Nawaz Sharif’s Debt Retirement Fund with a donation of $ 8million. Today, his adversaries dub him a land mafia man, alleging him for selling his Gwadar land at only $ 4000 per acre only to senior Army officials while the same was being sold at $ 2,50,000 per acre to
ordinary investors. But that is the way Sheikhani runs his vast land/construction empire. Accusations don’t disturb Sheikhani, who according to many large developers is a man who has managed to createtremendous impression in land business. The rumours of his landing in
any Pakistani City for land acquisition purposes, helps the price of real estate surge unprecedented overnight.

17 – Razzaq Dawood -Pakistan/UAE

Ranking: 14 (tied at 14) Worth: £250m ($500) Industry: Businessman
Razzaq presently heads one of Pakistan’s biggest construction and
engineering conglomerate know as Dawood group/Descen group. With a
roaster of impressive clients. His group has won many contracts in
Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Iraq and employ’s over 1,000 people directly.
His name was more prominent among the top 22 richest families in 1970
until the Bhutto nationalization which then made him set up abroad, he
returned to Pakistan in the early 90’s and started from scratch and
today makes it in the top easily. The group also has investment of
$300m in Bangladesh in investments in fertiliser, energy and
infrastructure and development sectors

.18 – Byram Dinshawji Avari -Pakistan

Ranking: 14 (tied at 14) Worth: £250m ($500) Industry: Businessman
Byram Dinshawji Avari is a prominent Pakistani Parsi tycoon inKarachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Together with his sons Dinshaw and Xerxes and their direct families, he owns and operates the Avari Group of companies, of which he is the chairman. Hotel management is the Avari Group’s core business. In Pakistan, the group owns and operates Avari Hotels which includes 5-star deluxe hotel in Lahore, the 5-star Avari Towers and the seafront Beach Luxury Hotel in Karachi. The group is also actively pursuing opportunities for owning and/or managing 3 and
4-star properties elsewhere in Pakistan. The Avari Group is the first Pakistani company to have obtained international hotel management contracts: they operate the 200-room 4-star hotel in Dubai in United Arab Emirates and manage the 200-room Ramada Inn in Toronto at Pearson
Airport in Canada.

19 – Rafiq Rangoonwala -Pakistan

Ranking: 15 (tied at 14) Worth: £240m ($480) Industry: Businessman
Mr. Rafiq Rangoonwala, Chief Executive Officer Cupola Group of Companies, was born in Karachi, did BA (Hons.) from University of Karachi, went to United States of America in 1979, and did Executive Development Course from Whittemore School of Business, University of
New Hampshire along with several management courses from U.K, U.S,
Canada, Australia and Singapore. In 1980, he started his career in Fast Food restaurants from KFC in Houston. Since then he has managed several other brands alongside KFC like Pizza Hut, Harry Ramsden’s, TGI Fridays, Pizza Express etc. e joined Artal Restaurants
International as CEO in October 1999 and is currently heading Cupola Group of Companies who has franchise rights in Pakistan for KFC, Indulge, Freshens and Casa. The associate Investment Company of Cupola is AL ABRAJ, with approximately US $400 million under management.

20 – Shimmy Querishi -USA

Ranking: 15 (tied at 15) Worth: £240m ($480) Industry: Businessman
A jet-setting international businessman who fly’s by jet and swings a polo mallet with some of the world’s top players, Qureshi seems a model of successful enterprise. Shimmys business interests are mainly property, which with the boom and his holidings has took his wealth to a new level. Although people may remember him for his stunt in the early 90’s with George Lindemann, the billionaire founder of Cellular One, when Lindemann took him to court claiming he has cheated them in to a deal to buy their home on Hurlingham Drive in Wellington for $3.5 million. A year before the Lindemanns filed their suit, Qureshi
bartered with another wealthy family – the al-Thanis, who rule the Arab country of Qatar – to buy Gulf Union Bank in the Cayman Islands. In May 1997, the al-Thanis agreed to sell Gulf Union to International Business Holdings – a Cayman Islands company owned by Qureshi – for
$4.5 million, according to court records. While Cayman Islands officials were reviewing the deal, Qureshi named an associate, Kazmi, to run Gulf Union and a subsidiary, First Cayman
Bank. Within three months, Kazmi, acting at Qureshi’s direction, had shunted more than $5 million from First Cayman into his own account and into accounts held by Qureshi and the al-Thanis. Shimmy Qureshi also fully manages all the properties in the USA owned by Asif
Zardari.

21 – Faruque Khan -Pakistan

Ranking:15 (tied at 15) Worth: £240m ($480) Industry: Businessman
The late Khan Bahadur Ghulam Faruque Khan (1899-1992) was a politician and industrialist of Pakistan. He belonged to the village Shaidu in Nowshera District, Nowshera is the home of the famous Pashtun Tribe the Khattaks of the NWFP Province in Pakistan. Because of his
contribution to Pakistan’s Industrial development he is sometimes described as “The Goliath who Industrialized Pakistan., today his family own Cherat Cement Company Ltd. Cherat Papersack Ltd. Cherat Electric Ltd. Mirpurkhas Sugar Mills Ltd. Faruque (pvt) Ltd Greaves
Air-Conditioning(pvt) Ltd Greaves Engineering Services(pvt) Ltd Unicol Ltd.- A JV Company Madian Hydro Power Ltd. – A JV Company Zensoft (pvt) Ltd and prime properties around Pakistan
 

22 – Shahid Luqman UK

Ranking: 16 (tied at 16) Worth: £230m ($460) Industry: Businessman
Shahid Luqman, born in Gujrat, is a financier from Manchester and has founded ‘Pearl Holdings’ for the property finance market He is a prominent property developer in the UK and in Pakistan is projects run into multi-million pounds. He also runs a loan facility. Although in
the past it has been noticed of him filling bankruptcy and pocketing huge unpaid loans.

23 – Mukhtar Ahmed -Pakistan

Ranking: 16 (tied at 16) Worth: £230m ($460) Industry: Businessman
Late Haji Sheikh Mohammad Ibrahim, founder of the Ibrahim Group, settled in Faisalabad after partition of India in 1947 and re-established his ancestral business of cloth trading by the name of “Ibrahim Agencies”. What is known in business today as Ibrahim Group with diversified business interests from Spinning to PSF, Financial Institutions to Banking and Energy, started off as a mere cloth trading agency just half a century ago. Recently Mr Ahmed bought a stake in the Allied Bank at $300m.

24 – Aqeel Karim Dhedi -Pakistan

Ranking: 16 (tied at 16) Worth: £230m ($460) Industry: Businessman Starting from interests in real estate and stock-broking in the year 1947, the late Haji Abdul Karim Dhedhi (may he rest in peace) laid the foundation of what today is the AKD group of companies, one of the
largest domestic business enterprises in Pakistan with a combined net worth of over US$ 1 billion, of which Mr Karim share is at $400m. Mr. Aqeel Karim Dhedhi, son of (late) Haji Abdul Karim Dhedhi, is the Chairman of the AKD Group. He has built the AKD Group as a leading and vibrant set of business enterprises operating in key sectors of Pakistan’s economy, ranging from stocks and shares, media, textile, real estate and Oil and Gas exlporation. Yet AKD is still on the move!

25 – Syed Family -Pakistan

Ranking: 17 (tied at 17) Worth: £220m ($440) Industry: Businessman
Listed on all three stock exchanges in Pakistan, Packages Limited has maintained a long-time credit rating of AA. The joint ventures and business alliances with some of the world’s biggest names reflect our forward-looking strategy of continuously improving customer value
through improvements in productivity. The group also acquired a good number of Coca Cola plants in Pakistan. Its famous brands include Nestle Milk Pak, Treet, Mitchells and Tri Pack Films. It has stakes in the textile, dairy, agriculture and rice sectors too. The group’s
contributions towards the cause of an independent Pakistan are unprecedented are the only packaging facility in Pakistan offering a complete range of packaging solutions including offset printed cartons, shipping containers and flexible packaging materials to individuals and businesses world-wide. They employ over 4000 people.

26 – Saif Family -Pakistan

Ranking: 17 (tied at 17) Worth: £220m ($440) Industry: Businessman
Is owned and operated by the sons of famous NWFP lady politician Begum Kalsum Saifullah. Her eldest son Javid Saifullah heads this very powerful business group. Javid obtained his Master degree in Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, USA in 1973,
followed by diversified experience of over 30 years in textiles, telecommunication, cement and Information Technology. He also remained the Chairman of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) for two years and NWFP for seven years. He has also been the member Task Force IT & Telecommunication Advisory Board, Ministry of Science and Technology, Member of Task Force (Liberalization & Privatization of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited), Ministry of Science & Technology) Javed Saifullah Khan is looking after the group businesses for the past 20 years. Saifullahs are in power always, in one form or the other. Javaid’s brothers Anwar Saifullah Khan (Former Federal Minister), Salim Saifullah Khan (king-maker in NWFP polities) and Osman Saifullah (another APTMA & wizard) have very close family ties with a lot of key politicians in the country, besides being related directly or indirectly through marriages to the families of a few leading and famous Army Generals who ruled Pakistan.

27 – Jehangir Elahi -Pakistan

Ranking: 18 (tied at 18) Worth: £200m ($400) Industry: Businessman
Jehangir Elahi is brother in law of Mian Mohammad Mansha and is ranked among the tycoons in Pakistan. He has launched several projects as joint ventures with Mian Mohammad Mansha, as for example Genertech, one of the earliest private sector power plants conceived in Pakistan. Independently his group has four companies listed on the stock
exchange.

28 – Sherazi Family -Pakistan

Ranking: 18 (tied at 18) Worth: £200m ($400) Industry: Businessman
This group was founded by Yousaf Sherazi, a former Income Tax official and journalist in 1962 with a capital of Rs 03 million only. The first company set by the Atlas Group was Sherazi Investments (Pvt) Limited and since then, there is no looking back. The East Pakistan tragedy,
however, nearly crippled Sherazi but he never lost hope and went out forming numerous joint ventures with leading Japanese concerns like Honda. Atlas-Honda today is a name to reckon with in country’s engineering sector and associated with this just one name are hundreds
of vendors. He holds stakes in insurance, financial services, information technology, leasing, warehouses, office equipment, motor cars and motorcycle-assembling units, besides running a renowned firm that manufactures batteries. Sherazi owns the Atlas Investment Bank
too. The Federal Budget 2004-05 is perhaps the only budget in country’s history that has hit the very influential car manufacturers on the head, otherwise people like Yousaf Sherazi have always managed to dictate terms where it matters. The Atlas Group owns no less than
seven companies quoted on the stock exchanges of Pakistan. The group’s assets are believed to have touched the hundreds of millions dollars mark and so have the sales.

29 – Noon family -Pakistan

Ranking: 19 Worth: £190m ($380m) Industry: Businessman
Noon family comes from Tiwana family from Mitha Tiwana. The Tiwana family lives in an old historical village in Khushab district. The Tiwana caste is a very popular landholding and influential political caste in the Khushab district. The Noon Family own 27 villages in
Bhalwal and Bhera. The fields of these villages are very cultivated and fertile. The Landlord Noon family created many bankers, industrialists, ambassadors and politicians for Pakistan. The Noon family is very popular in the area because of their character , their
attitude,their behaviour with the people and helps the poor and needy people in the area without any prejudice so Noon family is very well-wisher,well-behaved ,sympathetic with the area. On their land they own over 40 factories on total ranging from brick manufacturing
to cotton farms and production. They are a tax paying landlords for this reason they are the only feudal lords including in this edition.

30 – Mian Abdullah -Pakistan

Ranking: 19 Worth: £190m ($380m) Industry: Businessman
One of the largest manufacturers and exporters of textile products in Pakistan, Sapphire technology comes from Europe, Japan and USA. Capitalizing on the region’s principal crop, cotton, we source this locally, and augment our offerings by providing imported fiber from
the world’s best crops. We work with specialized fibers bringing in the newest innovations from major fiber and chemical producers, and our manufacturing from yarn to finished fabric is performed in our facilities in Pakistan. Synergies are formed with offshore garment
manufacturing companies. Our products are marketed to the industry’s biggest names in Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America. Over 14,000 employees ,Annual turnover US $ 500 Million Headed by a veteran industrialist Mian Abdullah, this splendid empire
owns 11 yarn spinning plants (producing 60,000 tonnes of yarn annually), 3 woven plants of greige fabric ( producing 50 million metres annually), one yarn dyeing plant (capacity 5 tonnes per day), one knitting unit (10 tonnes per day), one knitted fabric dyeing plant
(10 tonnes per day), one woven fabric dyeing and finishing plant ( 1.2 million metres per month) and three power plants having the capability to produce 40 MW of energy. Sapphire forms synergies with off-shore garments companies. The group markets its products in biggest brand names in Asia, Europe, Australia and North America. Sapphire started
with one spinning mill in 1969 and employs over 10,000 people. Mian Abdullah’s repute can be gauged from the fact during the October 2003 minis at APTMA, more than 1000 textile millers bad tendered their resignations against incumbent Chief Waqar Monnoo to him. Dozens of
leading tycoons had proposed his name to head APTMA in case of an interim setup. Having an influence among textile millers is no easy job but Mian Abdullah stands privileged in this context He is often seen part of the entourages of key business leaders to foreign
countries and provides input to fellow colleagues whenever requested.

31 – Shahzad Family -Pakistan

Ranking: 20 (tied at 20) Worth: £170m ($340m) Industry: Businessman
Shahzad Group is a reputable name which takes pride in being identified as a beacon of business development involved in almost all avenues of Nation building activities i.e. Energy, Communications, Minerals, Construction, Geophysical survey, Security and many other
ventures. Shahzad Group has , by itself, and in some cases in collaboration with foreign and local partners, who are the leading brand names in the world, identified, initiated, supervised and successfully completed major business ventures. Shahzad Group prides itself for its accomplishments during almost three decades of business activity. The Group has actively participated in enhancing Pakistan’s international competitiveness and social development, and for promotion of foreign and domestic investment in business ventures. It takes pride in delivering quality products, solutions and services that obtain a competitive advantage over others. The Group is a wholly owned Pakistani establishment with offices in
Calgary (Canada), Houston (USA), London, Kuwait, Beijing and Singapore, with a strong presence in various other metropolises all over the world. Shahzad International Group of Companies,Oil and Gas,Gold and Minerals Mining,Geological surveys,Defence supplies,Travel and Tour Operators,Flash security services and Trading Worldwide.

32 – Nazir Family -Pakistan

Ranking: 20 (tied at 20) Worth: £170m ($340m) Industry: Businessman One of Faislalabads most prominent families is the Haji Nair family. Owning Masoos textiles, Mahmood Textiles, Asim Textiles and power generation plants. Son of Mr Nazir Shahid Nazir is also a prominent
politician.

33 – Abdul Bhati -UK

Ranking: 21 (tied at 21) Worth: £150m ($300m) Industry: Businessman Bhatti, 71, is a director of London-based wholesaler Bestway, which saw profits up 27% in 2005-06 at £73m on a turnover up 26% at £1.7 billion. Bhatti and his family have a stake worth £140m as well as
other assets.

34 – Adalat Chaudhary -UK

Ranking: 21 (tied at 21) Worth: £150m ($300m) Industry: Businessman Director of the London-based Bestway cash-and-carry business established by Sir Anwar Pervez.

35 – Younis Sheikh -UK

Ranking: 21 (tied at 21) Worth: £150m ($300m) Industry: Businessman Bestway director Sheikh, 70, London cash-and-carry business Bestway continues to thrive.

36 – Chaudrey Zameer -UK

Ranking: 21 (tied at 21) Worth: £150m ($300m) Industry: Businessman Finance director of the London-based Bestway cash-and-carry business started in 1976 by Anwar Pervez . In 2004 Pervez stepped down as managing director, Choudrey took over. In 2005-06 Bestway profits rose 27% at £73m on turnover up 26% at £1.7 billion. Choudrey and his family have a 10.1% stake. They also own 70% of the Buybest supermarket chain in UK

37 – Zafar Iqbal Khwaja -Pakistan

Ranking: 21 (tied at 21) Worth: £150m ($300m) Industry: Businessman Zafar Iqbal Khawaja (born January 3rd, 1952) is a prominent Pakistani businessman who owns a number of companies around the world. He is better known in Pakistan as the “Prince of Sargodha”. Also referred to as the “Shaheen of Sargodha” (The Eagle of Sargodha). Zafar Iqbal Khawaja, is the son of a significant military commando Muhammed Sadiq Khawaja, who worked with Muhammed Ali Jinnah (The Founder of Pakistan) during the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan. Zafar Iqbal Khawaja is most widely known as the Managing Director of a multi-million dollar company called Inter Equipment. It’s Head Quarters are located at the Jebal Ali Free Zone, Dubai which is a recognized commercial capital of the Middle-East. In Mr.Khawaja’s business circle, he is known for his commitment to honest work and his ethical manner of business. Within 15 years, he has developed himself from a fresh college graduate, into a business tycoon. Currently, he is in the process of writing an auto-biography describing his success story. This auto-biography would be a must-read for any business-person pursuing major success.

38 – Shahid Hussain -Pakistan

Ranking: 22 (tied at 22) Worth: £130m ($260m) Industry: Businessman With more than 325 retail outlets and 13 wholesale depots, Service Sales Corporation (Pvt.) Limited is the leading retail and wholesale company in Pakistan with annual sales $300m. The Company has
established some of Pakistan’s leading footwear brands including DON CARLOS, CHEETAH, SKOOZ, TOZ and LIZA and has distribution agreements with CATERPILLAR and NIKE. As part of our growth strategy, we have expanded our businesses to include Service Communications, Shoe Planet (Pvt.) Limited and Soul Collections.

39 – Younis Brothers -Pakistan

Ranking: 22 (tied at 22) Worth: £130m ($260m) Industry: Businessman Yunus Brothers is actively involved in international trading of various products including Cotton & Blended Yarn, Cotton & Blended Fabrics, Garments, Rice, Sugar, Fertilizer, Earth moving equipments, Chemicals, Spare Parts and Automotive Vehicles etc. Yunus Brothers is one of the largest export houses of the Pakistan exporting mainly to the European, US, Far Eastern, Middle Eastern and African markets. Yunus Brother’s annual sales turnover exceeds USD 300/- million with 95% of the sales geared towards the export markets.

40 – Ghani Family -Pakistan

Ranking: 22 (tied at 22) Worth: £130m ($260m) Industry: Businessman Abdul Ghani Dada Bhoy was the founder of Dada Bhoy group, starting in trade and branching off into the construction business. The group has a big share of cement market in Southern Pakistan. Like other Memon groups, Dad Bhoys are closely linked through intermarriages with other leading families like Jaffer and Bawany. Abdul Ghani Dada Bhoy had five sons and two daughters, namely Noor Mohammad Dada Bhoy, Mohammad Farooq Dada Bhoy, Mohammad Hussain Dada Bhoy, Abdullah Hussain Dada Bhoy and Ghulam Mohammad Dada Bhoy. Daughters are Mrs Mehrunisa Jaffer and Mrs Zaibunisa Tanveer .

41 – Saddiq & Sons -Pakistan

Ranking: 22 (tied at 22) Worth: £130m ($260m) Industry: Businessman This group made the bulk of its fortune during the chief ministership and premiership of Nawaz Sharif when the group was sold Pasrur Sugar Mills for a token price of Rs one and its Chairman, Mohammad Saleem was appointed managing director of National Development Leasing Corporation (NDLC) replacing Rafiq Habib. Today the have invested huge amounts in prime properties around Pakistan.

42 – Afzal Kushi -UK

Ranking: 23 (tied at 23) Worth: £120m ($240m) Industry: Businessman Afzal Khushi, 51, managing director of Jacobs & Turner, last year received a CBE for services to business in Scotland. He and his brother, Akmal, 50, have made the £90m Glasgow sportswear firm a global business. They also have £30 other assets.

43 – Ghulam Hassan Khan -Pakistan

Ranking: 23 (tied at 23) Worth: £120m ($240m) Industry: Businessman The SK group of companies shares a set of five core values: integrity, adaptability, excellence, unity and responsibility. These values, which have been part of the SK Group’s beliefs and convictions from its earliest days, continue to guide and drive the business decisions of SK companies. The SK Group and its enterprises have been steadfast and distinctive in their adherence to business ethics and their commitment to corporate social responsibility. This is a legacy that
has earned the SK Group the trust of many thousand of stakeholders The SK Group comprises of six operating companies in following business segments: Information technology, Real estate, Developer and Builders, Media, Welfare, Import and exports and CNG stations. The SK Group was founded by Sardar Gulam Hassan Khan Niazi in the mid 1980’s. Sardar Khan Niazi and those who followed him aligned business opportunities with the objective of nation building. This approach remains enshrined in the SK Group’s ethos to this day. Rose Shopping Mall Companies owned by the family today: Paradise City, SK Trading, DUBAI
Gasco 2000, chain of CNG stations SK Constructions , rose club, SK plazaz, Chuna Pa chain fast food chinese., SKN tust and sk farms.

44 – Kasim Dada -Pakistan

Ranking: 24 Worth: £100m ($200m) Industry: Businessman Kasim hails from a 19th Century Memon business family known to have possessed the vision of international trade when most of their contemporaries were rather naïve on this count. This family had offices in Burma, South Africa and countries of the Far-East long before 1940. Dadas, have held decisive positions at the Karachi Stock Exchange and own shares of various Pakistani and foreign monopolies without creating any hype. Kassim Dada’s family is known to have held major local equity in multinationals like Glaxo SmithKline, Brook Bond and Berger Paints, besides being the sponsoring directors of Messrs Hyderabad Electronics, Automotive Battery Limited and Interfund Bank etc. Kassim Dada is one of the few Pakistani Tycoons who used to fly on private planes from Karachi to hit cement plants in Hyderabad. It was this family which had hired Mahatama Gandhi as a solicitor in 1890 to contest a business case in South Africa. Dada, was once a symbol of wealth. Had his assets not been nationalised by Bhutto he would definitely had the status many richest men in the world enjoy today.

Pakistani pop singer Ali Haider says he has rejected an offer to play the lead role in a Bollywood film called Osama after receiving threatening calls. The film is about a Kashmir boy, Osama, who travels to Afghanistan and ends up at the World Trade Centre in New York at the time of the 2001 attacks.

Some in Pakistan wrongly believe he was to have played the role of al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, Haider said.

Pulling out had cost him more than 10m rupees ($160,000), he told the BBC.

Benazir Bhutto cannot have adequate security – what will happen to someone like me? Singer Ali Haider

The film was a love story meant to change the image of the Pakistani people, Haider said.

“It was to show the world the other side of the coin. I felt it was my responsibility as a Muslim,” he says.

“But I have to look after a family of which I am the sole bread-winner.”

‘Important project’

Haider says his family began receiving threatening calls in November, when he first went to India to discuss the project.

“I did not think much about the threats then; it was an important project for me. I was being given the lead role and 40% rights in Pakistan and the Middle East.

“So I went back to Mumbai to read the script. The contract was signed in December.”

But when he returned to Pakistan his family and friends advised him against the project, he says.

He himself started receiving calls telling him not to take the part, sometimes as many as 10 calls a day, he says.  “They know everything about my movements; when I am at the jogging track, or when I am in the gym.”

Haider did not reveal the nature of the threat. It is not clear who made the phone calls.

“But in circumstances when an important person like Benazir Bhutto cannot have adequate security, what will happen to someone like me?”

Haider says his producers were greatly disappointed by his decision, and for a while tried to persuade him not to revoke the contract.

“But they understand my position now,” he says. “They are using my music [in the film].”

N@ina*..(*_*)..*N@ina