Juma prayer

I am living in DHA eme sector these days in Lahore. This is a decent gated society and generally a good place to live. So last Friday at the Jumma prayer of the main Jameya masjid something happened and I think it has been bothering me slightly since then. I got some to think on it today. Anyways. At the end of the prayer when the prayer leader said salam he made a short announcement before reciting the dua. From what I remember, it roughly translates as follows

“It has been observed that people tend to stay back in the mosque after prayer. Some are seen sleeping or lying down. You are all asked not to linger back after prayer and specially do not sleep in the mosque after prayer. People sitting in the Aitekaf are here and this is a security hassle and a problem for the people as well as the management. If you do not comply the security guards will be asked to make you leave which will be a discomfort for you".

I had actually been late to prayer. I listened to the announcement, said the dua with the congregation and then offered my namaz. Or as one of my friend says “make-up namaz parh li”. He uses this term every time he misses the eid prayers.

Anyways, I got back home, slept and then got busy. But this kept on bothering me.
Religiously speaking, I don’t know whether its okay to stay back in the mosque after prayer or sleep at the premises. Missing a Jumma prayer in Ramdan, (one that might have been the jumma tul widda), I am sure even if I did have a religious opinion, it wouldn’t count. However, with all the security measures already taken (gated society entrance, security guards at the mosque gates, metal detectors) I am sure that most people entering the mosque are more or less okay. Secondly, even if someone sinister enters, I am sure they would want to pick pocket or something when the entire congregation is there and use the crowd for their advantage, not when there are fewer people available.

So my take was that the people staying back to sleep are probably staying back just for a clean place to rest their heads at. Maybe with a fan running on top of them. These might be things that we take for granted but maybe some workers, or laborers can get these facilities only at the mosque. I felt that the word “security concern” was being used in place of “discomfort”, discomfort from the presence of people that don’t fall into an acceptable category.

Again, I don’t really know what’s right or wrong, but shouldn’t things like this be welcomed instead of shunned. Shouldn’t the doors of mosques be open for people who want to rest their head, straighten their backs and take a break from their tough lives? The house of Allah, is meant to be a place of spiritual respite, why can’t it be a place where people feel at home physically and mentally as well.

It’s not just this isolated incident. I see more and more mosques being closed and locked after prayer times. I read a rhetorical post online; “why do we have x number of homeless people sleeping out in the open, while we have y number of churches “(I don’t remember the exact number but y was larger than x). I felt the same applies to Islam as well, with so many people suffering in various ways while their place of escape is no longer there.  It was sad to see that doors of a tranquil place are closed for people who might need it the most.

A few years back, I remember praying regularly at the local masjid in Ramzan and often falling asleep there. It used to be such an amazing feeling. Almost as if I was doing ibadaat and receiving Allah’s rehmat at the same time.

Here’s to hoping that we open the doors of our buildings and hearts for everyone.

To all the amazing people in the world

Hello,

Yesterday, A friend of mine and I met after a year or so. We were talking about all the people from the past and we randomly decided to call up one of them. Even though we are 23 something years of age, our brains are stuck in the 20^th century. The friend we called did not have my number saved. So we thought we’d mess around before identifying ourselves.

I will use “Panda” instead of his name for the rest of the article

Hello is this panda speaking

Yes

I got your number from somewhere. I need a job.

What have you done?

What  

What have you studied

Engineering from Punjaab university

What subject

It. please can you give me a job

What is your GPA.

At this point I thought. Why is this idiot interviewing me? It’s not like he can give me a job or something being a recent graduate himself. So I asked

Panda you dash dash this is me farrae. Why are you asking questions as if you will actually do something or give an unknown caller a job?

And this is what he says

“I couldn’t have possibly given someone a job. But I was thinking if I could refer his CV to someone maybe, I might be able to help him. Lots of people are looking for jobs these days and I thought I should help”

I later asked myself what I or anyone else would have done if a random caller asked the questions. Hang up? Most probably.

There are bad people and good people and then there are these insane people with unlimited goodness in them for anyone and everyone.

I think it is these kinds of people that keep the world spinning. We owe it all to you. Thank you. 

Embarrassing Moment: 239

There is absolutely no reason why I should be posting this. While the world publishes research papers and what not, I am here writing about yet another embarrassing moment.

Last weekend I was travelling from Islamabad to Khewra. It was a Sunday. I left Islamabad at around 10 30 pm. Driving by self I prefer to wear comfortable night suits. But since I was with friends before leaving, I didn’t get the chance to change.

On the way, I stopped at a rest area named Kalar Kahar. It was late at night and there were only a dozen or so cars. I parked my car at a side. It was dark and seeing that there isn’t a single person in sight for 50 or so yards in either direction, I decided to change my clothes in the car. I got in the passenger seat and began. While taking of my pants they got stuck near my feet. This was when I saw a windshield cleaner approaching. A bucket and viper in hand.

He hadn’t seen me yet. While I scrambled to take off my jeans quickly and start putting on my shorts he reached, put down his bucket and raised the vipers. That is when he noticed what was going on inside the car. He stood still for a few seconds. I gave him a thumbs up, signaling him to continue.

The puzzled look on his face was priceless  :D

He eventually cleaned the windshield and went away. I drove off. Funny incident that was. 

I promise I will write about something useful or meaningful soon too IA. Sorry for this. 

Smile and Wave Boys

I remember back in the days, when we used to be little, going to and coming back from School was an adventure on its own. Why? Because we used to travel by bus. Imagine being this silly, jumpy, dirty kid and then imagine fifty more just like him, confined in a space of 8 by 30 ft. imagine windows open, with kids hanging out waiting for the conductor to turn around and scream. Imagine girls sitting in the front barricaded from boys via couple of rows of teachers. Imagine paper planes and loose shopping bags tied up with strings chasing the sides of the bus. The “bolo pencil, Teri shadi cancel” and the laughter that it used to spark. The “gud guddi” and the “chutkian”.

Each day. An adventure.

I remember this one car. Don’t remember the model or the make but I remember it used to look really cool. It had the same route as us. Once every few days it would meet us on the road. The driver would come honk from behind. All of us who naturally sat at the end of the bus (because we were too rowdy to sit in the front with the seniors) would plaster our faces to the rear window and wave frantically. This guy you see was our James bond our Sharukh Khan and our Superman all in one, driving this red supercar going on some insane cool mission.

So where was I. he would come from behind and we would know. We recognized the horn you see. Our heads used to go whoosh and someone would scream ”laal gaari wala banda aagaya”. We would wave. And he would wave back. We used to stick our tongues out and he would do the same. Then he would switch lanes, rev his engine and overtake us. 

We used to wave at nearly everyone who dared to look at our bus. I remember whenever someone would wave back at us, it used to make us all go crazy and when this guy did it, it would feel like we were a part of this secret mission that our James bond was about to attempt.

Today this little girl brought back these amazing memories. Was driving in the G9 area. I was slowing down to halt at a turning and so was the car next to me. In this car there was this little girl with the window rolled down, hear head resting on her arms, looking outside and enjoying the amazing weather that was there today. For some reason I looked at her and rolled my tongue. I do this on and off, you see.  I get mixed reactions. Sometimes kids poke the elder sitting next to them and point at me with their eyes saying “what is this creep doing mama”. But this little girl, she didn’t duck, she didn’t turn away, she smiled this amazing smile for a good few seconds and then she rolled her tongue back at me. I raised my hand and waved at her. She raised hers and waved back. Her hand was now drifting away and that made me realize that I too needed to move. She put her hand down and smiled that priceless smile again as if saying goodbye and then she was gone.

Thank you for making my day today, little girl  : ) may you always have a reason to smile and may your smile continue to make others smile. 

Death of a friend

I wrote this yesterday but I wasn't sure if should upload it. Here it goes

Just a couple of hours ago I heard that a very old friend of mine has died.  By very old I mean that our friendship dates back a long time, even before I knew what the word friend means and also the fact that this man was somewhere in his eighties.

Normally you are supposed to feel sad when someone dies. No?  Yes. But I feel happy.

You see this friend of mine. He used to call me his “chalgosey wala dost” before I knew his name, or who he was, I knew that I had a chalgosey wala dost. He would bring soun halwa and chalgosey from Multan and I would eat them like crazy. I used to love them and my parents told this to him. As the years went by his health deteriorated and his regular visits to Islamabad lessoned. But no matter what, there was a regular mail package addressed to “merey chalgosey wala dost”.

Getting back to why I am happy

So you see this guy, Bhai Jan Usdani everyone calls him, is my mother’s cousin. I think. He is one of those people who have spent their lives living for others and without even realizing it. He would wake up before dawn. Pray thahajud. Then pray fajar then he would go to his shop where he would practice hikmat. Homeopathic medicine, for free as far I know. He would write books, have them published and then send them off to friends and family. These books talked about how to live a good life, be happy and healthy, the right medicines etc. etc. I could go on and on about his life but you see It doesn’t matter. Not to him. He wasn’t one of those people who did things for others so that he would be remembered. He did it for the sake of doing it. I praising him wouldn’t matter to him.

I remember his bones were thin. His skin would hang loose and he would go on and about the day with the biggest smile I have ever seen. His teeth poking out. He almost looked like a happy cartoon. He was average in height but extremely week. But if someone told you of his daily schedule you would think twice before believing it.

I just realized I haven’t explained why I am happy

You see. I happy because in him I see a friend who did all he ever wanted. He raised his kids, didn’t get them money, but he taught them to be the best of people. He loved his family. He did everything for his friends and it’s not like he was waiting for something in return. Had he been waiting, I would wished that he got to see the fruit of his efforts. But he wasn’t. And apart from that, you see he was so ready to step into the next world. I really feel he deserves it. He seems like one of those people who you know will get all the promises of the hereafter. Whenever I used to meet him I would wish him to be stronger to be able to enjoy more and I think that the life into which he is entering will give him that. The thing is, it is difficult to wish for anything for a person who seems eternally satisfied. Hereafter seems like the ultimate reward for him that he is finally getting inshAlalh.

The last time I met him. I remember I went up to him nervously and asked if he remembers me. I was guilty for not visiting him in a long time. He was wearing glasses as thick as my thumb and I was sure that he would have lost me in his old memory. He didn’t answer the question. He kept eating the food in front of him while I looked down at floor embarrassed. Then he turns to me and says “chalgosey laaye ho merey dost?”

That same night. I remember one other thing he said to me. Now all of us have well-wishers and I have heard lot of people wishing for success or money or happiness for others. Bhai Jan usdani however said this “allah taaku dilli sukoon devey”. I live in a world where money success, promotions and so many other things matter to people and there he is wishing for my hearts inner peace. It was something that might never leave me.

May Allah bless him with the highest grade in paradise Ameen.

When an apple meets a banana

I just saw this, an old wall post that i wrote on a friends wall.

"an apple says to a banana, whats up
the banana replies, nothing much just talking to a fruit
the apple, surprised, says, but fruits dont talk.
the banana says, i was thinking the same thing
the apple, annoyed, says, you idiot fruits dont think
the banana says, confused, does that mean that i am a fruit
the apple says, i think so, 
the banana says, so that means that you arent a fruit,
the apple says, i am not so sure anymore.

and just like that two fruits forget who they really are and what the point of this story was. i actually wanted to stop at the first line. socha pura hi likh deta hun.
in conclusion. i miss you bro.
whats up"

A Strange Ride

When you board a bus and plan to sit next to strangers, you mentally prepare yourself for mildly unsettling encounters. Naturally, I had to interact with three people

• The guy sitting next to me: Normal
• The guy sitting in the next aisle: Normal
• The hostess:  No

Every hostess has a character of her own. Mostly they just provide you the service and you forget about them the instant you are off the bus. This one, however, was a liiittle bit strange.

The moment I got on the bus I noticed that she was someone with huge temper problems. She kept complaining to the driver about this and that, how someone didn’t count the passengers properly, how someone was trying to pin the blame of missing headphones on her and how she was making him regret it. Etc. etc.

Once the bus started moving one of the passengers ringed the bell. The hostess rose up from her seat, turned around all surprised, and asked out aloud “kis ko maslah parh gaya hey abhi sey” obviously no one dared to raise their hand. Sitting back down, exasperated, she said to the driver “ajeeb pagal log hen, abhi sey tang kar rahey hen”

This would repeat every 20 odd minutes. Whenever someone wanted water or some headphones, she would get up, glare, ask the passenger to wait. Sit back down. Only once she was satisfied that she had shown enough attitude would she actually go and serve.

"nokar samjhtey hen ajeeb"

"abhi tou paani pilyaa tha"

"kitni piyaas lagti hey"

She was handing out headphones when I asked her to kindly spray the air freshener.  Pulling out a sarcastic smile and raising her hands, stuffed with headphone bags, as if to say “cant you see”, she said “aap wait kar lein please”. I matched her smile and tone “ji bilkul. ap pareshaan mat hoya karien please”. This confused her a lot. A few minutes later she returned, smiling, with the air freshener.

An hour later she got up to distribute disposable cups. I had my headphones on so i couldn't hear her but I could see that she was in an argument with a passenger two rows ahead of me. Anyway, she hands me a cup.

“thankyou, magar mujhey nai chaieye”

“kyon” surprised

“mera roza hey”

“uffhoo mein abhi paani nahi dey rahi”

“tou phir is ka kia karun”

“aftari k time pey paani duun gi naaa”

“aftari k time tak tou hum puhanch jaiin gay”

“uff. mujhey nai samaj aa rai. Ghar ley jana aap issey”

I obviously couldn’t respond.

About an hour later she had gotten up for something. She comes up to me. Stops.

“yeh aap kia parh rahey hen”

I show her the cover of my book

“is ko parh kar kiya faida ”

“yeh acha banda tha, shayad mein kuch acha seekh jaun issey”

“nai mera nai khayal”

Leaves