The One Pulling the Strings

For everything that happens, Allah is always in the background pulling the strings. We sometimes think that things have gone out of control but things were never in our control anyway. We can and should always make effort but the results and consequences are always in Allah’s hands. In order to gain Allah’s help it is necessary to make effort and do everything in our control but we cannot achieve the desired results until Allah makes us achieve them. Only Allah is dominant over everything and He is subtle in His ways. So subtle that you don’t even realize when it’s happening, when He is executing His perfect plan in His perfect way but when you look back you are awestruck at how perfectly Allah executed His perfect plan and how He had been in control all along, without us even realizing that.

تو تو پاک رب دا بانکا بچہ راج دلارا تو ہی

پاک رب دا بانکا بچہ اسکا پیارا تو ہی

مالک نے جو چنتا دی تو دور کرے گا وہ ہی

(Translation: You are the fearless kid of holy Lord, [His] dear kid is just you 
The fearless kid of holy Lord, His beloved is just you
The worry Master has given You, He will remove it Himself)

Apart from the realities and facts that we see and perceive there are also certain realities and facts those are unseen, those we do not perceive. If we were able to see the complete picture, seen and unseen altogether then we might have been able to see and comprehend Allah’s wisdom and justice. But we are unable to perceive that complete picture behind which lies Allah’s wisdom no doubt. One of the reasons for that can be to test our reliance and trust on Allah.

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The Supreme Power is on Lookout for You

You may dislike something that is good for you and you may like something that is bad for you. In other words, your knowledge of what's good for you and what's bad for you is very limited. On the other hand, Allah has complete knowledge of absolutely everything. He is all wise and the best of all planners. Above all, He loves you more than seventy mothers altogether! He wants nothing short of what's best for you. Therefore, He is always on lookout for you. He monitors your each step and if He sees that you are moving towards your own destruction thinking that it’s what you need or it's what can make you happy, He creates obstacles in your path, He stops you from walking towards your destruction. He protects you. You are too busy crying over what you cannot have or what you have lost that you are unable to see Allah’s wisdom behind it and of course we cannot comprehend Allah’s wisdom because we are too short sighted for that. But we can learn to be patient and trust Allah’s plan for us. We can bear in mind that whatever Allah does is in our best interest even if we are unable to understand His plan at times. Imagine the supreme power is on lookout for you! Cares about you like nobody else! How can anything possibly go wrong! If you look back at your life, you will realize that every missed opportunity and every loss was a blessing in itself. In one way or another it saved you or aided you. And remember Allah never takes away anything without giving something better in return J

مولا تیرا مالی او ہریالی جنگل والی

تو دے ہر گالی پہ تالی اسکی قدم قدم رکہوالی

اےوی لوک لاج کی سوچ سوج کے کیو ہے افت ڈالی

تو لے نام رب دا نام ساءین دا

(Translation: Master (God) is your gardener (caretaker), O greenery of the jungle!

You clap on every swearing (trouble), His protection (with you) at each step

Why have you created chaos by thinking about the worldly affairs?

You call the name of the Lord, the name of the one whose shade is on you)

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Blessings in Disguise

When we are going through a hard time we can get carried away and lose hope very easily and it becomes very difficult for us to recognize the blessings hidden in it. During the times of hardship and ease alike, we must bear one thing in mind:

Without difficulties and pain our growth is impossible

Let’s consider a very common example. Suppose your dream is to become an artist or a psychologist or an IT expert or whatever you like. In order to educate yourself in your field of interest and to become skillful in it you get admission in a college or school or any other educational institution. There if you are taught only the easiest lessons as a part of your curriculum then would you expect yourself to become an expert in that field after qualifying from that institution? Of course not, because without challenges and difficulties it’s impossible to learn and grow. Similarly, when we are faced with hardships in our lives, dealing with those helps in our emotional and mental growth. It’s bound to make us stronger and smarter.

Let’s consider another example, when a product is manufactured it is tested and the more difficult tests it passes the more worthy it becomes. For instance, when a car is manufactured, it is made to undergo really harsh conditions. It is driven on bumpy and un-even roads, through water and is made to perform under many similar tough conditions. As a result, the more obstacles it’s able to cross and still perform the more worthy it becomes. Moreover, the more severe the conditions were the more tolerant the car is declared and eventually becomes even more worthy. In the same way, we are tested under tough conditions so that when we bear them with patience and don’t break down, the more worthy we become in the eyes of Allah. After all, He gives the hardest battles to His strongest soldiers. That’s the reason why prophets were the people who were faced with the most difficult situations and hardships in the history. If Allah knew you were not capable of dealing with the hardships you are being put through, He wouldn’t have given those to you in the first place. How can He put you in a situation under which you are bound to break down when He loves you more than seventy mothers altogether. The only reason you are faced with the kind of difficulty you are going through is because you are capable of dealing with it and the one who created you knows it well.

‘لا يكلف الله نفسا الا وسعها'
(Translation: Allah does not burden a soul except [with that within] its capacity) 
~Al-Quran [2:286]

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Imperfect Life

We all know that this life is not perfect. This world is not perfect. It’s neither perfectly bad nor perfectly good. If it was perfectly bad then it would have been hell instead. If it was perfectly good then it would have been paradise instead.  This world is neither of them. This world is our examination hall. The purpose of this life is to test us. We are tested through hardship and ease, through sadness and happiness, through pain and peace. The purpose of hard times is to test how patient we are and the purpose of good times is to test how grateful we are.

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Embrace Suffering

Heartbroken, depressed, stressed, anxious, frustrated, worried; these are the emotional states that at one point or another we have all experienced in our lives, or may be are still experiencing and will definitely have to deal with in the future as these are inevitable for us as long as we don’t part ways with our lives. The severity and intensity of such a feeling varies from time to time and situation to situation. Sometimes the blow is huge and the pain caused by such a feeling is constant and it just completely refuses to leave you. It can be devastating, unbearable and can leave you completely shattered. You don’t know where to go, where to run, how to run away from yourself, how to escape this state which is causing you constant and intense pain. Other times the blow is comparatively lighter and causes pangs of pain every now and then. One moment it goes away. Next moment it comes back. The intensity of pain keeps fluctuating. Sometimes the pain and suffering simply refuse to leave you for what seems like eternity. Other times it fades away after striking few blows. But with the passage of time you gradually become immune to that particular pain. The intensity that you felt at the first blow was definitely greater than the current intensity. This means that the intensity of pain declines. Sometimes the rate of decline is so negligible that we don’t even realize that it’s declining. But it always declines. It’s bound to decline and eventually disappear. This is the rule of this universe. Nothing lasts forever; let it be happiness or grief. 

یہ ممکن نہی کے شب الم کی سحر نہ ہو

'وہ کہتا ہے 'ان مع العسر یسرا

(Translation: It's not possible that the night of grief is not followed by the dawn 

     He says, 'Verily, after every hardship comes ease')

Suffering is the inevitable reality of life and there is no escape from it. But only if you can learn to embrace it you shall be able to go through such periods of difficulty with much ease. Now the question is, how can I do that? How can I possibly embrace such negative feelings?

The secret lies in the recognition of two facts:

1) This life is not perfect and thus suffering is a part of it. It's inevitable.

God turns you from one feeling to another and teaches you by means of opposites, so that you will have two wings to fly. Not one.

~Rumi

2)  Allah has the best plan for you

Every experience Allah gives you, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future only He can see. 

~Dr Bilal Philips

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Compassion for Animals

Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.

– Albert Einstein

After reading the title some of you might have thought ‘what about fellow humans?’ let’s motivate people towards human compassion first! And if you thought so then at the back of your mind you would be thinking that we can think about caring for and helping animals once we are done with all the humans. My dear friends! If we keep waiting for the day when we have extended our circle of compassion to cover all the humans of the world and ‘after that’ we will extend it further to accommodate animals then such a day will never come. The root of this thinking is the thinking that human lives our more worthy than others’. It is not so my friends. Every life matters. You can and you should care for all simultaneously. Animals feel the same amount of pain as we do. The magnitude of the suffering caused when subjected to physical or emotional pain is not very different for animals than humans. Imagine that someone throws a stone at you or someone beats you up or someone wipes you with a stick or someone doesn’t give you food when you are very hungry and are unable to make any arrangement for yourself or your kids or someone snatches away your newly born child from you or someone keeps you chained outside in extremely cold or extremely hot weather or someone makes you do the tricks in front of the spectators, tricks that you don’t want to perform but are forced to because you are afraid that if you won’t then you will have to face severe consequences or if you are kidnapped from your home and are kept in a cage in an unfamiliar environment where some curious beings can have a close look at you from behind the bars. If (God forbid) you find yourself in any of these situations then the pain that you will experience is not at all different from the pain that is experienced by animals when they find themselves in the same situations. Moreover, unlike you they cannot speak up for themselves.

In order to be compassionate towards animals you don’t necessarily have to start animal welfare campaigns or open up an animal shelter or take any other such big step. Although, these are some totally great things to do and I really support and admire people who do so from the depth of my heart and one day I want to be one of them. But in this blog I will only share few simple ways to show compassion to animals around us and create a better place for them.

1.       Don’t shoo the strays away:

If a stray comes in your way then resist the urge to shoo them away and go about your business. Ignoring or shooing away a cat or a dog that comes to you is similar to ignoring or waving away the person who comes to you to greet you in a warm way. If you just wink at them they will return the wink quite affectionately ;)

2.       Look after strays:

We can see too many stray cats and dogs roaming around our residential areas, schools, colleges, universities and workplaces. Try to be kind to them. Put bowl(s) of water for them at places where they are likely to come and sit, specifically during summers. Try to feed them every now and then even if it’s a handful of meal. During summers, designate a small cozy space outside your house, in your garden, in your backyard, in your garage, at your school, college, university or workplace for them to rest. Cover that space up with some shade to keep it cozy or put a carton box there for them. During winters, make it cozy by putting a cushion or blanket or anything warm there so that they can sleep on it and keep warm. If there is a spot where birds come and sit often then keep some water, millet or shreds of roti there for them. If a stray cat, dog, bird or any uninvited friend from other specie accidentally invades your residence or workplace then instead of scaring them away you can kindly show them the way out. They are more willing to go out than you are to make them go. Trust me! :)

3.       Drive carefully:

Everyday so many stray animals become victims of road accidents. While driving, specifically look out for animals so that you won’t run over them or hit them. Before getting in your car take a look and make sure that there is no stray around your car. After starting your car wait for a while before starting the ride, so that if there is some stray around your car it will move away by the sound and heat of engine. While reversing your car not only check the rear view mirror but also take your head outside the window and make sure there is no stray at the backside.

4.       Get medical help for the injured animals:

If you accidentally hurt an animal by hitting them by your car for instance or if you see some injured or sick animal lying around then don’t overlook. That’s totally inhumane. Get them medical help immediately. If you are a Karachiite like me then following is the list of veterinary clinics available in Karachi where you can take them or you can also contact Ayesha Chundrigur Foundation. These guys are doing a great job and they come up at the spot where the animal needs help. You can also ask them for instructions about what you can do until they arrive. You just have to give them a call.

Animal Care Centre

C5E Nishat, 2 Khayaban-e-Nishat, Karachi
(021) 35851296

Pirzada Pets Clinic

Shop No.22, Royal Appartment K.D.A. Scheme No.1 Mudassir Park Road, Karachi(021) 34521859

Pirzada Pets Clinic

Plot No 4-C, 14th St, Khadda Market, DHA 5, Karachi
(021) 35852988

RC Veterinary Hospital

MA Jinnah Road, Saddar Town, Karachi
(021) 32743224

5.       Say NO to animal cruelty:

If you see animal(s) being mistreated or being subjected to cruel behavior then speak up. Try to create awareness among your friends, family and neighbors about animal cruelty and their welfare. Try to make them realize that they are living beings just like us and can feel pain just like we do. We can see so many donkey cart owners around us treating donkeys so badly and beating them up, overburdening them and then forcing them to run under the scorching sun. If you see such a thing happening around you then stop by and tell them to go easy on the poor creature. You don’t necessarily have to nag them, just tell them kindly. Most probably, they won’t pay heed but it’s always worth a shot. Or you can tell them that you are not going to buy from them because they are being cruel to the donkey. If you see someone throwing stones at a dog or a cat or scaring them due to no good reason then stop by and tell them to stop doing so and let the poor creatures be. Do not watch the entertainment shows in which animals are used whether it is a monkey show by the roadside or a well-organized, high budget dolphin show. Poor creatures are forced to do tricks that are totally against their nature and are tortured badly in the process. Do not participate in hunting or animal fights that take place in the name of sport and entertainment. Instead, speak up against these. Teach your children, family and friends that this is not entertainment but sheer cruelty. Make people realize that agonizing or killing a living being is not sport or entertainment at all. Do not go to zoos or circuses. Teach your children that wild animals are not meant to live in captivity like this. They should be set free in the wild which is their home. Where they can live the lives they have been created to live. During baqra eid season, do not at all participate in the cruel animal races that people do for so-called fun. Instead, speak up against it. It’s another debate that animals are slaughtered at this occasion but at least tell the people around you that you are supposed to take good care of these animals and look after them during the whole time they are with you, not to abuse them or use them for entertainment or show off. Do not urge the authorities for dog killings in your locality. It is completely inhumane to take away an innocent life without any justified reason. And the reason that they are causing you trouble is not a good enough reason to kill them. They are not doing it on purpose. In fact, they don’t even know that they are doing it. Instead, speak up against it. If they are causing you trouble then there are other humane ways to control that. Study about those ways and share this information with the people in your neighborhood. Please visit the following link to see this information.

Stop Killing our Dogs

You can also contribute in preventing cruelty against our voiceless fellows by boycotting products that are obtained via cruelty to them like fur or leather. Do not use products that are animal tested. Do not rent horses or horse carts for weddings or rallies etc as they are heavily drugged to stay calm in the crowd and all the noise. Since these graceful creatures are not meant to live among such loud noises and crowd so you cannot blame them if they get out of control and cause you harm due to any reason.

6.       Do not buy, only adopt:

If you are planning to keep an animal at home then do not purchase, only adopt. Do not purchase an animal whether it’s a precious breed dog from a posh family or a fine breed cat from a pet store or a chick that a guy on bicycle is selling with a cage at the rear of the vehicle containing poor babies that have been snatched away from their mothers moments after their birth. Do not promote the buying and selling business of animals as they are not commodities rather they are living beings with actual feelings and have the right of freedom. Do not take them as a pet that you own rather treat them as a new family member and you will have at least have one family member who loves you unconditionally for sure ;)

 But if you are planning to keep them chained or caged then please immediately drop the idea of adopting a pet. They are not a decoration piece for your home. They are not meant to live this way. They have the right to live freely. One thing that you must bear in mind before adopting a pet is that it’s a life time commitment. You cannot just throw them away after a while because you are fed up or because you realize later on that it was not a good idea in the first place. If you face any issues after you have adopted a pet like allergies or something then take the responsibility of finding a good home for them and do not just try to get rid of them right away. If you cannot keep them then keep them at a shelter or a foster home until you find a permanent home for them.

7.       Teach your children:

Children are naturally interested in and compassionate for animals. When they see that the society in which they grow up handles them with cruelty and treats them as scum they learn and adopt the same behavior eventually. Various researches show that kids who ill-treat the animals are more likely to develop violence in their core nature. Cruelty to animals is considered as one of the three symptoms that predict the development of a psychopath and it is included as a criterion for a conduct disorder in children by the American Psychiatric Association. Teaching your children compassion for all kinds of living beings will eventually make them kind and gender and they will be more empathetic towards all beings.

You are the one who will have to set example for your children. Do not shout at animals or curse them. Do not treat them as scum. Respect them and value their lives. If your child mistreats an animal in front of you then tell them that it is unethical and that they too feel pain like us. Appreciate your kids if they show kindness towards an animal. If you have animal companions at your home then teach your child to be kind to them, look after them and feed them. This will also develop sense of responsibility in them.

8.       Make donations for animal welfare:

Try to make donations to animal welfare programs even if it is a single penny it can make some difference. Following is the list of welfare programs that are currently, actively working for animal welfare in Pakistan. Visit their websites/social media pages and get to know more about them and the work they do.

ACAP:

https://www.facebook.com/a.c.a.pak/

PAWS:

http://pawspakistan.org/
https://www.facebook.com/pawspakistan/

ACF:

https://www.facebook.com/ACFAnimalRescue/

Broke Hospital for Animals:

http://www.thebrooke.org.pk/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brooke-Hospital-for-Animals/

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