Pakistan say dayar-e-Haram tak

I fell in love with the work of Nasim Hijazi right from the time when I read one of his books for the first time. Now before I start reading any of his books, I find myself in an ocean of expectations. And never has his work failed to meet all of them, thus making me more proud that there is such a Pakistani, and more so, such a devot Muslim, who brings to us stories from the past so that we can relate to them rather than relating to Western Flicks.

When I started reading this book I had the same expectations even though I knew that it was a safar nama relating to the current times more than history. But I was wrong in thinking like that. He starts his journey from the times when he so anxiously tries to complete and secure his travel documents. In a short time he had loads of work to complete, but as he rightly points out, Allah has beckoned so everything was to be completed in time.

It was the time of Ayub Khan and he was supposed to be travelling with his entourage. His writing abilities are such that I fell in love with the people who received Ayub Khan and his entourage with warmth and love. It tells that at that time, how much love the Muslim world had for Pakistan. This was not just the surface diplomatic ties which was being shown but the pure love that people had in their hearts for Pakistanis when they came out of their homes and received the President of Pakistan the country made in the name of Islam.

He travels of Iran, Beirut, Turkey and then finally Hijaz. He writes with such fondness that one wishes to visit these countries and especially the places which he has mentioned in his book. He tells of the 'Moderation and Enlightened' movement going on in Turkey at that time, and I was almost surprised with the similarities with what is going on in Pakistan today.

Old habits die hard and Nasim Sahab, doesn't miss the opportunity to raise the Emaan and 'Josh' of the Muslim youth by telling a tale of how a Muslim fleet captured an impenetrable fort, when he visits the fort.

Finally he comes to Hijaz and takes us to the various places there. He rightly mentions that its impossible for him to write his experience and his feelings, as only the one who is been there can understand.

I think today Muslims, especially the Muslim youth must go through all of Nasim Hijazi's books and learn as much from them as is possible.

In the Hands of the Taliban

By: -Yvonne Ridley

Book Review Courtesy: www.amazon.com

Synopsis
Yvonne Ridley's terrifying 10 day detainment by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan struck a chord that continues to resonate around the world. At a time when the world was plunged into a state of unprecedented chaos and uncertainty following the terrorist atrocities in the US, Yvonne faced the ordeal of her life. Captured by the Taliban as she attempted to cross the Afghan border to report on the outbreak of war for the Sunday Express, Yvonne found her life hanging in the balance in the hands of the most reviled regime in the world. For Yvonne, an unexpected survival instinct kicked in that saw her face her captors not with fear, but with anger. Her courage and gutsiness, and that of her family, prompted the Taliban to release her, glad to be rid of such a so-called 'difficult' woman. This is Yvonne's full, true story. From her capture, to the ordeal she endured at the hands of the Taliban, to her eventual release; she offers a unique perspective into a way of life that remains a mystery to many. The friendships she formed with her fellow hostages, her feelings about her captors and their beliefs, and her discoveries -- many of which surprised and baffled her -- are all exclusively revealed in detail. Yvonne's story is a truly compelling and inspirational read.

Book Review of Twenty20 Vision

Twenty20 Vision: My Life and Inspiration by Mushtaq Ahmed.

The book has got some very good reviews. One such is present here

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/reviews/content/story/281458.html

Daastaan-e-Mujhaid

You are in love with a Naseem Hijazi book, the minute you start reading the preface. In his own words, for this book he wanted to do some research on the Mujahideen, and when he did so, he had so much to chose from. Obviously this small sentence is explained in his wonderful poetic style..

The purpose of his books is not amusement and time pass, but to enrich the dying flame in the hearts of Muslim youth.

As the book starts immediately you relate yourself to the characters that he creates for his readers.You smile, you cry and you laugh. You don't want to let go off the book, till the end is reached.

The book centres around 'Naeem', a fictious but completely believable character planted in that age of history where Muslim Ummah had started to decline from the steep that they had achieved just after the few years of the birth of Islam. Naeem is shown battling with Mohammed Bin Qasim and Qutaiba the two famous Muslim generals.

One can relate to the fact that Muslims in that time were so powerful that the only enemy that could defeat them was themselves. And that eventually happened, minus the eras of a few caliphates, the Muslims went in a self destruct.

Everyone knows that there is a need to bring about a change in the thought process and spirit of Muslim youth. What that change has to be Nasim Hijazi affectively highlights it in this book. Just be what Naeem and Abdullah were, and we would be out of today's mess in no time.

Allah kee Talwaar

'O you people I place before you three conditions. 1) Accept Islam or (2) continue with your religion and pay us tax for the protection we provide to you or (3) come out and fight. For I bring an army for you, which is not afraid to die...'

This was the central theme of the letters and announcements of Hazrat Khalid Bin Waleed (Razi Allah Unho) to such mighty empires as the Romans and Persians.

Years before in the time of Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) a small army of faithfuls was sent out to fight. Khalid Bin Waleed (Razi Allah Unho) was amongst those faithfuls. The battle turned quite bad for the Muslims and resulted in the Shahadat of the first three commanders. Khalid Bin Waleed (Razi Allah Unho) relunctantly took the flag of commander and hence gave birth to Saif Ullah or the 'Sword of Allah'. Immediately he gathered and re-arranged his troops. Asked a few of his riders to go to the back of the Muslim army and run their horses on sand, so as to give rise to dust, so that the enemies come under the impression that help has arrived for the Muslim army. Meanwhile he commanded his troops to hit the enemies hard. The enemy though greater in number lost confidence by thinking that Muslims have been re-juvenated by fresh troops. Slowly but surely, the Saif Ullah, took the remaining Muslims out of the jaws of death and returned to Madina, where the Prophet of Allah named him Saif Ullah. He prooved himself worthy of this title by demonstrating great skills in fighting wars with the Mighty Armies of Non Muslims. No matter how strong the enemy was, the sheer determination of his and his Faithful Warriors was too much for his enemies to bear. History has made it quite evident that when the purpose of war was to gain favor of Allah, then winning the war was not a big issue for the Muslims. This lesson of history becomes the hope of tomorrow for us.

The book, by Abu Zaid Shibli, is well written, but it fell quite short of what I was expecting of it (the blame entirely being on my expectations). I wanted the book to concentrate more on the war tactics, the mighty resolve, the endearing faith, the miracles and power which was given to the Muslims by Allah Almighty for the immense Emaan in their hearts.

A good book anyways as it lists all the wars that were fought by the Mighty Soldier of Islam who fought more than 100 wars. It also attempts to answer some of the controversaries. But I would wait for a book to come along which would focus on the sheer genious of the tactics employed by the 'Saif Ullah'.

Khaak Aur Khoon

I came to know of 'Khak aur Khoon' (loosely meaning Ashes and Blood) while listening to a religious sermon. The writer was 'Naseem Hijazi' who is famous of writing on Islamic History in a way which would attract the younger generation of Muslims. A ploy through which he attracts the Muslim youth to know their rich culture, history and sacrifices.

'Khaak Aur Khoon' is written in the same way. Some superficious characters are made and planted in the historic times of Partition of India and birth of Pakistan. History is not tampered with, but some fiction is created so as to apprise us of the tremendous sacrifice the Muslims in that time made for Pakistan. The book is written in such a way that one is able to separate history and fiction easily.

The book starts off by painting a very beutiful picture of village life, where everyone lives happily with each other. Grievances are resolved by elders and people enjoy today more than thinking about past or worrying about tomorrow.

Trouble starts when the time of partition draws near and the village in picture starts to realize how the horrors of partition can ruin their life of happiness and carefreeness. Immediately the age old custom of village elders deciding the way forward comes into play and the village elders sit together to chalk out the future strategy.

Since the village and neighbouring villages had massive Muslim majority therefore Hindus and Sikhs were seeking protection from Muslims. Muslims immediately promised them and said that they would even fight Muslims and would be willing to die before them.

History knows the connivance of Hindus specially of Nehru and Gandhi in making the British give the Muslim populated area of Gurdaspur and its neighbouring villages to India rather than Pakistan. while Gandhi kept a very down to earth appearance advocating love and friendship, he allowed Hindus and Sikhs to freely murder Muslims at will.

Immediately the village life changed. Now the Hindus and Sikhs had an upper hand, and the people who just a few days before were begging Muslims for protection, now had no intention of giving the same to them. Rather they joined the forces who had been programmed to kill Muslims.

More importantly some of us who today talk about Hindu and Muslim friendship and about seeing no reason why we needed Pakistan as a separate homeland for Muslims, get a very detailed answer from this book.

The writer was so good in depicting the vows of Muslims that the reader immediately starts to hate Hindus and Sikhs, but the responsibility of the writer shows when he controls our emotions and divert our hatred somewhere else.

After I had finished reading the book I started hating myself more than I hated Hindus and Sikhs. Very soon they got the fruits of their evils as most of the sikhs were murdered when they asked Nehru to fulfill his promise. Gandhi was shot dead by a Hindu. Nehru and his coming generations were killed. But the reason for which our country Pakistan was made, and the reason for which millions of Muslims happily laid down their lives, have been lost somewhere.

The whole idea of having a separate land for Muslims was that Muslims would be able to follow their religion freely. That we would be able to go to our mosques without the fear of being threatened. I feel sad when I see that less than 5% of Muslims ever go to Mosques. I fear that one day the Shaheeds of 1947 would rise up and ask us the dreaded question for which we don't have any answer 'Is this why me and family were happy to be butchered?'

Profiles of Intelligence

Sometimes you read a book and it seems that you have wasted your time. Sometimes you read a book and you enjoy every bit of it. Sometimes you read a book and gain some valueable information. Very rarely you read a book and it changes your perception and how you look at particular things. 'Profiles of Intelligence' belongs to this last category.

Written by Brigadier Tirmazi who belonged to the Counter Intelligence wing of ISI. His well written book is responsible for changing my perception of how major political decisions are made in my country, how opinions are made, how personalities are made and destroyed. What we see in our daily life, through news channels and news papers is just the tip of the ice-berg. No one ever really knows the true story behind the printed story. How opinions are made through media.

The book starts of with behind the scene details of Bhutto's hanging. And the people behind his hanging. Often I used to think that I have a clear idea of who was behind his hanging, but a few more faces were uncovered.

India's RAW was also covered in detail and their working, their motto, their ideology and the length they could go in order to get state secrets were also mentioned.

A detailed chapter on MOSSAD's working and influence and reason of their success was an eye opener.

I was also overwhelmed by the presence and power of American CIA's influence on the decisions that we make.

After reading this book one can only wonder whether there is light at the end of the tunnel for Pakistan. Whether the presence of one great and God fearing leader can really change our destiny or we need a massive overhaul of our whole society.

The book is a must read for people who think that views of Media, Editorials and Talk Shows really final ?