This mosque is by far the prettiest mosque I've seen in Pakistan. If anyone Muslim is reading this, they know why. It's because it resembles the Majid-e-Nabvi in Madinah, a place every true Muslims yearns to go. It's an amazing mosque.
Park. It just looked beautiful this day (10 Feb) in the morning. I was listening to ''You'' by Switchfoot and the mood was just really set this way.
The last foggiest day, and this is the same park. (7 Feb)
A fabulous shirt. It speaks for itself. The reason for the photo, basically, was this.
A few quotes I came up with while sitting in the bus, or being in my vulnerable moods.
''I'm not ugly. I just choose when to be beautiful.''
If you're going to attach yourself to somebody, learn to detach as well, just in case.''
''As long as you're not the reason, everything can be solved,right?''
''For all the girls who didn't give their heart yet. You're lucky. Despite what you've heard,it's not easy,it's not fun, and it's not worth it.''
8 comments:
Salaam,
Your quotes are really nice and well expressed, and the pictures are also pretty. :) I really miss Lahore.
BTW, I hope & pray you feel better, Insha'Allah.
i lovveee this format n i love being able to get a glimpse of random moments in ur day even though u are really good at describing the important ones i like pics for the random ones.
n i totally agree with the previous comment, perfect quotes
Thank you, ''Another Pakistani Girl'. Though I'm american and living here temporarily, I really have come to love Lahore. I'll take more pictures of it :)
I know Mehreen, that's why I do this format often now, because it's easier, and most of the time I don't have time to write such a long blog post, so I just take pictures all day and post them up here.
You're welcome, and yup, I knew that from having read your older posts. :)
It's been 8 years since you moved from NY, right? I have a kind of personal question in regard to that which I hope you don't mind answering. I understand you're an 'American' and eventually want to move back to the States after completing your studies, but to be honest, I can't understand why. I know that living in Pakistan perhaps one won't have the most luxurious life, but the country is giving you so much in terms of education (Insha'Allah), so wouldn't it be better to stay and give back to the society in which you were raised and its people rather than to move to America and provide your services there?
Hope you don't mind the question!
I don't mind. It's a question I often ask myself. It might sound like I'm completely selfish and want to run away at the first chance I get, but I am constantly reminded of the things that I can get here that I can't get there. I weigh my pros and cons all the time, but in the end...I don't know if you've read my blog post on America, but America, just thinking about it, gives me hope. It's what I'm working towards. I'm sure that I'll come back to Pakistan, but whatever was with you in your childhood, you'll tend to lean towards that. Pakistan has hardened me, and I'm sorry to say, has made me pessimistic, regarding the goverment and lack of religion (except for Azaan and moulvis, there are girls wearing sleeveless, and no strictness of Islamic Shar'iah) There is no security of life, and everytime I leave in the morning my mom calls me thrice a day to make sure I am where I'm supposed to be. America might not have my people, or my religion, but it has my life. And since I was able to maintain relgiion while I was there before, I think I can maintain religion there now. More than me, my parents are desperate to go back! Lol. I love Pakistan with my heart, and I love America with my heart and my head. I was never discriminated while I was there, for being a Muslim, and inshAllah I won't be this time.
It's not about luxury, I assure you. It's about comfort. I grew up in that lifestyle, and then was shunted here, where people don't even get basic necessities. I will work as a doctor here too InshAllah, but...forgive me if I may sound selfish, but my heart is there. I can't explain it any more than this.
Thanks for answering the question. I'm always really curious about why someone would leave a Muslim country for a non-Muslim one, and at times, such as this, I hear the answer is because they felt the environment in the non-Muslim country was more conducive toward their religious self.
Part of me still can't understand this argument though, because if you feel Pakistan is in such a negative state then why not try your best to contribute to society and improve the country, even if a little? Many people say that one person can't make a difference but this simply isn't true. One vote, one choice, one change can make all the difference.
I live in America, and Alhumdulillah although I live a wonderful life (I can't thank Allah enough for this), I lived an equally amazing life when I lived in Pakistan or the Middle East. And at least while living there I was able to hear adhan five times a day, there were more Islamic outlets, a huge Muslim population and so forth. It isn't the place that makes a difference. It's the environment you immerse yourself in and whom you interact with. The Pakistan I know is very different from your experiences. Believe it or not but SubhanAllah the masajid are filled during the prayers five times a day (I'm speaking of Lahore), and there are a great many people who I know live comfortable lives as practicing Muslims there. :)
I don't know... I guess what I'm trying to say is a large part of where you feel comfortable living is a matter of perspective as well. In the future, if Allah wills, my goal is move back to the Middle East or Pakistan and give back to my people and the Ummah, but that's just me. Thanks again for sharing your point of view Wafa.
Oh love, I wish I could tell you how hard I've tried to change things here. A part of me still tries all the time. I don't use illegal means to get my way (like sifarish or cheating someone) and I'm still a very honest person. When I began, I was very earnest and optimistic, and I really wanted to make a difference, to show Pakistan that not everything has to be done illegally, you don't have to do the wrong thing, you can be honest and still be happy.
But alas, it can't happen. I've been driven to believe that the Pakistanis simply don't want to change. You can't imagine how sad it makes me to say that. People will still cheat, and still lie, and still act suspicious. You know what this country is lacking, more than anything? Hope. It needs hope, it needs good people. Here, politics isn't a way of making the country a better place, it's a game. A deadly game, where the politicians only try to find their benefit.
Oh wow! You live in America? That's really cool :)
Yes, if there is one best thing about the Islamic countries, it's being able to hear the azaan 5 times a day. I definitely love that part.
Please don't mind, but I thought it was kind of funny that you said Pakistanis need hope yet it doesn't seem like you have much yourself lol. It's all good though because I do understand where you're coming from. :)
I would however, add another word next to hope, Iman. Pakistan is lacking Iman. Like you mentioned above, there is no credible government in the country, and it lacks the stable political system which in my opinion it desperately needs, Shari'ah.
I always think of the following ayah in the Qur'an when I think of Pakistan and other misguided Islamic nations.
"Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. And when Allah intends for a people ill, there is no repelling it. And there is not for them besides Him any patron."
(Surah Ar-Ra'd:11)
People need to change themselves and then Insha'Allah we'll see a change in Pakistan itself. But in order for that to happen people to need to believe there is a future for the country (which there definitely is considering the current situation in the world & paying heed to signs of the last days in Islam), and work toward making it a better place to live.
As for America being an 'awesome' place to live. Maybe 10 years ago it was, pre-9/11, but it's a very different place now. You have to be extremely careful and cautious about almost everything, especially whom you talk to about Islam. There is really no freedom in the masajid, the Muslim communities or elsewhere because of how much the government infiltrates the private lives of people. But of course they don't highlight this stuff in the media lol. I think Allama Iqbal said it best when he spoke of the West:
"The modern age prides itself on its progress in knowledge and its matchless scientific development. No doubt, the pride is justified… But in spite of all these developments, tyranny of imperialism struts abroad, covering its face in the masks of Democracy, Nationalism, Communism, Fascism, and heavens know what else besides. Under these masks, in every corner of the earth, the spirit of freedom and the dignity of man are being trampled underfoot in a way of which not even the darkest period of human history presents a parallel."
Anyway, sorry for the super long comment. I enjoyed the discussion though.
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