Another Perspective

Taha Rafiq

I would like to think I am crazy (crazy is another way of saying I am brave enough and intelligent enough to entertain heterodox ideas, but doesn't rub against other peoples egos) and so, usually, get along well with a very very small part of the society. My friends are very few in number, they all have a lot in common, and new ones rarely make it into the basket.
Anyway, so a few days ago, I was talking to this dude who was the first one in FAST Karachi to get a 4.0 since the 4 year BS program was introduced. And he has written something, and I quite liked it. I loved it. So I am sharing it here. I have been meaning to share it here for some time, but I procrastinate. Here it is:

Everything that we do from the time we gain a lucid consciousness of our actions is forever etched in our minds. We do not remember everything, in the sense that we cannot replay our memories like a recorded video, but it's still all there, tucked away is some corner of our minds. I am reminded of this from time to time when I dream of things I haven't thought of for a very long time, or when I am filled with joy or regret at an action that I did many years back. What this irreversible permanence of thoughts implies is incredibly profound. Any action that we take today will become a fundamental part of who we are tomorrow. Once we have taken any action, we can not remove it from ourself. There is no going back; there can be no selective erasure of thoughts or actions.

The prominent Muslim scholar Hasan Al-Basri is reported to have said, "Son of Adam! You are nothing but a number of days, whenever each day passes then part of you has gone." If we transform our view of ourself from our physical body as defined in space, to a view of us defined in time, then what we do at any moment is not only a part of us, but rather it defines who we are. The old adage 'you are defined by your actions' gains another meaning if we look at life in this way. We are composed of what we see, hear and do at every moment in time.

If we are defined by our actions and our actions remain with us forever, then our minds are undoubtedly the sanctuary where our actions are kept, and our eyes and ears the doors to this sanctuary. Once we let something into this sanctuary, it can never leave it. Do we treat this sanctuary with the reverence that we should? Do we try to guard the doors to this sanctuary and avoid letting in content that will pollute our minds forever? We put a lot of emphasis on keeping away from physical harm, which for the most part, heals after passage of some time. However, the scars of our minds never heal completely. For the best of us, our minds are places of contentment and tranquillity; a place where we can retreat to attain peace. For the worst of us, it's a prison where we wish we could escape from, but we cannot.

— Taha Rafiq

Milk

Friend:

netherlands main har cheez processed lagti hai

milk has like 1 year expiry

me

hahahahahahaha

Friend:

so i started buying the more expensive one, which expires in 5 days

Good Question

Wahaj: I mean check out the stud in this pic with the phone.
Me: Oh God Wahaj!
How did you guys put up with me?!
Wahaj: good question
but a better question is how are we still keeping up with you?!

Stealing Slippers from Masajid

So while coming back from work a friend (Farrukh) started talking about another colleague, who had his 5000 bucks slippers stolen from masjid, the second time. And when he complained to the Imam sahab, the cleric simply gave him a pair of slippers from the spare ones which are there to be worn to the washroom.

So hearing this, Arshan told of a story of a guy who had come to a buzurg (a wise, pious man), and told him that he was afraid his slippers would get stolen from masjid. The buzurg told him one thing. He said that whenever you're entering the masjid and leaving your footwear outside, always make a prayer to Allah that whoever steals your stuff, doesn't earn gunah ('Jo bhi mera maal churaye ga, woh us per halal hoga, haram nahin hoga.'). When I heard this, I said yeah cool, but this seems like a very difficult thing to do. Because you can't even get the sucker in next life then! But then, Arshan explained what the priest meant...

The idea was, when people steal, the theft is always initiated by Shaytan's suggestions. And Shaytan always suggests things to a person which are most harmful, least beneficial. So for example, a student worrying whether he should study or watch a movie, will always be suggested by Shaytan to watch a movie; but a Student worrying whether to offer salat-e-tahajjud or study, will always be suggested to study. Anyway, when the next time a person who's need of money or slippers (or just wants to steal a pair of slippers) will come by,  Shaytan will try his best that he doesn't steal Your footwear, because then, he won't commit a sin! And so, Shaytan will lead him away to other slippers... This way your slippers are protected.

I think the same idea can be applied to other times as well. Just before bargaining, just say a little prayer to Allah, that if he charges me more than he should, I want that extra money to become charity from my side, not something that will come as wrong doing to him, I want that money to become halal (lawful) to him. If he does end up charging you extra (because you're gullible or inexperienced or something) then you are not robbed, instead, you've donated and earned so much more!

A walk in a partk

So once I was telling Wahaj on chat once about my morning walking/jogging I had started (and stopped) doing with Sharjeel; here's a small excerpt from the chat:

me: there is this mark
next to the munawwara part
first day we went to munawwara partk
but the next day the weather was to good to goto that part
so we went to this one
which we've been going to since then
Wahaj: in total you have tried to write park 4 times, but have failed to spell it correctly even once.

What Pakistanis miss the most

So, One of my friends, Wajahat* (bhai hamaray hee halkay k aik Rat hain yeh!) has gotten into graduate program. He is going to Greece/Germany/etc (note to self: put program details here!) for two years. He is a good friend, and of the only two that I meet often. And I am sort of feeling emotional that he's going. So while during one such emotional chat with him, he shared this wonderful piece of chat that he had with his sister:

Sister: sab sey ziyada kis ki yaad aayi gi?
Wajahat: hmmm...muslim shower...

*names have been changed to protect the identity of the people.**
**actually they're just changed to sound mysterious, that's all.

RATS

I and Asghar and Talal went to LUMS as friends. There my roommate, Russell Anas, became our close friend too. We were a group of many friends, but perhaps because on one or two occasions, someone's father just noticed us four, and decided to name us STAR (Saad, Talal, Asghar and Russell). A loving father, gave us a loving name. But, we being ourselves, changed it to RATS. Not because of the sequence of initials, but because the other meaning it gave. It was, and is, how we called our group. That kinda thing seemed childish. But well, we were all Rats, not just the four of us. And when Rats hung out together, there were Ratisms. So here are a few for you:

Russell: So you know she says to Asghar “Oh my god you’re the MAN!”
Saad: Look Russell don’t insult Asghar. He’s the ANIMAL.
Asghar:(sarcastically) No commentssssss…
Saad: See? Animals don’t comment.

— Rats