25th December – the birthday of the Prophet Eesa (Christ) and Jinnah (Quaid-e-Azam)

The last week of December is a week of celebrations – when the entire Christian World is engrossed in celebrating the birth of Prophet Eesa (May peace be upon him) or the Jesus Christ. Yes I am talking of Christmas – falling on 25th December, the birthday of a prophet. Unlike the Christian world, for whom there is no prophet to revere after the Christ, we the Muslims have same respect as we have for any prophet that came to this world before Prophet Muhammad (May peace be upon him). For us, the birthday of a prophet is as respectful as it is for his followers.

So Happy Christmas to all Christians around the globe. And I wish everyone peace, love, prosperity and all the happiness in life. When I went to market today, I saw lot of rush on shops selling Christmas trees. Although these were made of plastic as original trees are not available, these looked colourful and bright with small tiny bulbs glittering all around the trees. Beside the trees, people were also buying presents and gifts for friends and families. Likewise there was lot of rush on confectionery and sweet stores, and bakeries for purchasing exclusively ordered and baked cakes and sweets. So it is going to be fun and exciting night tonight, specially for the children who will await the Santa Claus for him to come and deliver them the gifts to celebrate the birth of the Christ tomorrow. We join them too on this happy day.

The churches and cathedrals all over Pakistan hold special services to celebrate the day with religious fervor. Parties and family reunions are held to share the joy of the birth of the Christ. I remember one Uncle Persey who was a dear friend of my father. On every Christmas we used to be invited for dinner at his house. His only daughter Shirley was of our age and we would play games and make merry. The turkey at dinner table used to be Mrs Persey’s favourite dish, beside a number sweet dishes and cakes. Later the family went to England and we lost any contact with them. Good days.

For us in Pakistan, the day also assumes special importance as on 25th December in 1876, Muhammad Ali Jinnah was born: a man whose relentless efforts despite his illness were to win over Pakistan from the British. Pakistan became a separated homeland for the Muslims of the British India some seven decades later on 14th August 1947. He is therefore revered as the Quiad-e-Azam, the great leader, and the founder and father of Pakistan.

The day is celebrated with the mounting of a special guard of honour by the cadets of the Pakistan Military Academy on the mausoleum of the Quaid in Karachi. The ceremony is witnessed by a large number of people who come to pay homage to the great man who lies buried under the sand he had won over so that Muslims could live in an independent country.

Read more about: Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan (Pakistanpaedia)

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Happy Eid ul Azha to everyone across the globe

The Muslims all over the world celebrate the Eid ul Azha (or Adha) on the 10th of last Islamic month of Zil Hajjah. Eidain or the two Eids that is the Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Azha are the two festivities of the Muslim world which are celebrated with religious fervor and zeal. The Eid ul Fitr is celebrated just after the month of Ramadan (during the month of Ramadan, all Muslims fast for 29-30 days and abstain themselves from eating from dawn to dusk beside some other conditions) on the 1st day of the Shawal.

The word “Eid” is an Arabic word that means “festival” and Eid-ul-Azha means the Greater Festival as it is celebrated to remember the sacrifice of the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), who in obedience to the command of the Almighty took his beloved son to sacrifice in the name of his Creator. While he blindfolded himself so that his son’s blood doesn’t distract him from the supreme sacrifice, the Allah Almighty acknowledging his sacrifice and willingness to obey His command replaced Ismail with a ram. And since that day, Muslims all over the world sacrifice an animal (goat, ram, cow or even camel) to commemorate the greatest sacrifice ever.

Like many who could afford to sacrifice, I (by the grace of Almighty) also went to the animal market with my son and a friend. There were lot of buyers and animals. Every buyer was trying to purchase a good animal for a lesser cost while the sellers were trying to pocket huge profits. After lot of survey and negotiations, we finally purchased one at a cost that my pocket allowed. We took the goats home in a taxi and my sons straightaway started to feed the goat as it was our guest for one night only.

Today after the Eid prayers, we took the goat to a central place with requisite facilities and had our goat sacrificed by the butcher, which my friend had arranged. On Eid days, everyone who has the slightest knowhow of using a knife becomes a butcher and charge a very high labour to do the goat. This “butcher” happened to be a grill maker, who was doing a part time this morning. I don’t have to tell you what he did to our goat, but at least he did what he could.

The aim of sacrifice, like all other fundamentals of Islam, is to lead one to self righteousness. To explicate its purpose, Allah says in the Quran, "It is not their meat, nor their blood, that reaches Allah; it is their piety that reaches Him."

Besides following the footsteps of the Prophet Ibrahim, the aim of sacrifice has greater meanings. Each sacrificial animal’s meat is to be divided into three portions; one is to be kept for own family, while of the other two, one part is to be distributed among the poor who cannot afford to sacrifice and thus including them in our own festivities and making them feel part of the whole. The third portion is to be distributed among the relatives, but starting from the lower level of financial well being thereby also providing them a chance to celebrate the festivities.

So back home, we divided the meat into three portions and distributed as per the teachings. While we were distributing, we were also receiving meat from friends and neighbours. So while I am writing the post after having distributed the two shares, now my doorbell is constantly ringing as others are sending in. This is the spirit of the day as everyone remembers the poor and the friends and neighbours.

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End of 9/11

Well the 9/11 is almost over – isn’t it?

Yes, it is finally over. The Eid ul Fitr that we celebrated on 9/11 (lest you thought of something else). The first half of the day was spent in the usual rituals and the later half till evening was consumed in sleeping. The last part in the evening was a bit social with friends and relatives coming in and we going out.

But there wasn’t any fun. I remember the days when we were kids and the Eid day used to be a day full of celebrations. A day prior to the Eid, we used to polish and still re-polish the newly bought shoes and make them shine like mirror and would hardly sleep due to excitement of the following day. On the Eid day, we all five brothers would board a Lahore Omnibus Service, a beautiful efficient service that succumbed to mismanagement and later closed, to Shalamar Gardens for Eid prayers. Although we had mosques closer to our home, but we would go to Shalamar Bagh for a little fun besides the ritual offering.

An Eidi of one rupee used to be a fortune. A bottle of Canada Dry, the drink is long gone now, but during those days, it was very much in. The bottle cost six anas and we still had ten anas more to eat junk food or even buy some sweets and chocolates. A rupee then had 16 anas, which later became a hundred paisa. We would be visited by both our maternal and paternal families, since our father was the eldest. And our house used to be crowned with cousins and elders. Our mother would cook many dishes for the lunch and the dinner and the day would be spent in fun and laughter. And above all, more Eidi pouring in from the uncles.

But now times have changed. The number of relatives have reduced. Our children feel more comfortable sending SMSs and e-mails from their mobile phones and laptops and chatting with near and distant friends and cousins rather than going out to meet them. Now the postman no more delivers tons of Eid Cards, telegrams (which used to be specially issued for Eid greetings with colourful pages).

Perhaps, this is how things change over a period of time. Now it seems technology has over taken sentiment expression in person. Children today are more mature than we were and do not waste time in visiting market places and bazaars as we did to see other children dressed equally as we and making merry. Now making merry is all contained either in a mobile phone or a laptop.

And one thing more has changed too. Me!! I have grown up children as my father had us. And quite naturally I cannot go out holding a one rupee note to buy a Canada Dry, as now neither there is Canada Dry nor a rupee fetches anything anymore. Even a beggar on Eid day takes the one rupee coin with a No-Thank-You gesture. The only thing that remains is the nostalgia of the good old days. One thing more: there was no 9/11 then.

Get ready for the office tomorrow.

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Eid Moon Controversy - Eid Mubarak Anyway

Moon as shot by me on 10th September at Islamabad

Which should I take first? OK let us start from the good wishes – Happy Eid to all my viewers. The Eid ul Fitr is to be celebrated in Pakistan partly on 10th September (that is today) and largely on 11th (to coincide with the famous 9/11 thing) tomorrow.

Now how come there are two Eids? This is not the first time that this difference of opinion has occurred – rather it is repeated every year. The controversy starts from the northern part of Pakistan interestingly, which is far above in north than Saudi Arabia, where the moon sighting takes place earlier than the rest of the world above Saudi Arabia geographically.

Whenever the difference of opinion occurs, I always refer to Moonsighting.Com, which I believe give some scientific explanation of the occurrence of the new moon. Now as per the details given at the website, there was no chance of seeing occurrence of moon on 8th September. However on 9th September (as can be seen on the map), there was a minute chance of seeing the moon on the south-eastern tip of Pakistan with naked eye. While almost the entire Sind and half of the Balochistan could see the moon with the use of optical aids. The rest of Pakistan could have seen the moon with extreme use of optical aids only. That means the moon was there on 9th of September and the Moon Sighting Committee stationed in Quetta yesterday had all the chances to see it, if they “wanted” to see it. They did not announce the “sighting of the moon” despite some 19 authentic evidences received from Mardan, Charsadda, Shabqadar and other areas, confirming the sighting of Shawwal moon.

So the question is why didn’t they see it? With all the optical devices given to the committee, the failed to see the moon. Probably, they were averting an official Eid on Friday, which according to some superstitions is “heavy” for the sitting government, which is even otherwise under clouds and is suffering from a credibility issue. Or else their devices are so weak or the lenses were not properly cleaned which could allow a clear view of the skyline. Or maybe they wanted an Eid exactly on 9/11 and attributed as Eid 9/11.

So Happy Eid to those who are celebrating Eid today (1oth of September) and to rest of others (including me) who would celebrate the official Eid tomorrow. And I also do hope that till next year we find a credible mechanism of moon sighting to rid the country from the agonizing wait and celebrating two Eids every year.

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