Thursday, November 26, 2009

Hajj Mubarak

The Hajj currently the largest annual pilgrimage in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a moral obligation that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so. The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to Allah. The pilgrimage occurs from the 7th to 13th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic calendar. Because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, eleven days shorter than the Gregorian calendar used in the Western world, the Gregorian date of the Hajj changes from year to year. Ihram is the name given to the special state in which Muslims live whilst on the pilgrimage.

The Hajj is associated with the life of Islamic prophet Muhammad from the 7th century, but the ritual of pilgrimage to Mecca is considered by Muslims to stretch back thousands of years to the time of Hazrat Ibrahim(A.S). Pilgrims join processions of hundreds of thousands of people, who simultaneously converge on Mecca for the week of the Hajj, and perform a series of rituals: Each person walks counter-clockwise seven times about the Kabah, kisses the Black Stone in the corner of the Kaaba; runs back and forth between the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah; drinks from the Zamzam Well; goes to the plains of Mount Arafat to stand in vigil; and throws stones in a ritual Stoning of the Devil. The pilgrims then shave their heads, perform a ritual of animal sacrifice, and celebrate the three day global festival of Eid al-Adha. Read more


Muslim pilgrims leave Arafat to Muzdalifah for the next step in the Hajj,
near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, 26 Nov. 2009
~ Photo: AP

Labbaik Allah humma labbaik
Labbaik la sharika laka labbaik
Innal hamda
Wan-ni'mata
Laka walmulk
Laa sharika lak.

O my Lord, here I am at Your service, here I am.
There is no partner with You,
here I am.
Truly the praise
and the provisions are Yours,
and so is the dominion and sovereignty.

There is no partner with You.

May Allah bless us and protect us always. May Allah accept our ibadaat (Prayers) during this blessing month of Zilhijjah also make us catch the wisdom and the moral messages on it. May all the ummah who perform hajj could be back as Mabrour Hajj. Insya Allah.. Ameen Allahumma Ameen.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

The achievement of an important milestone

The manufacturing of JF 17 Thunder
aircraft as the
achievement of
an important milestone

A new JF-17 Thunder multi- role fighter plane, first of its kind made in Pakistan.
[Photo: Xinhuanet]

The first state-of-the-art JF-17 Thunder jet, a multi-role combat fighter plane indigenously assembled at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in Kamra, the country’s main facility for building and maintaining combat aircraft was handed over to Pakistan Air Force.

The sophisticated JF 17 Thunder, painted green in the colour scheme of national flag formally handing over the combat aircraft to the PAF, PM said that the PAF has played a significant role in the country's defence

Air Chief Marshal said that the PAF will always meet its obligations and spare no sacrifice in defending the motherland against all external and internal threats.

Prime Minister of Pakistan sits in the JF-17 fighter and listens
to the introduction about the fighter at the PAC in Kamra of Pakistan on Monday, Nov 23, 2009.

[Photo: Xinhuanet]

According to a PAC press release, the JF-17 has been developed to meet the tactical and strategic needs of the PAF. The aircraft is designed to accommodate future upgrades and additional requirements. Equipped with advanced avionics, it is capable of carrying multiple air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Celebrations of Eid ul Azha

Eidul Azha, just a week away, the sale of sacrificial animals have started picking up momentum as more and more animals have started arriving at the designated sale points {Cattle Market locally know as Bakra Mandi} in the cities from far flung areas of the country.

Sacrifice, as practised by Holy Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) is an essential religious rite in memory of the sacrifice performed by Prophet Abraham.God put Abraham to a most difficult trial, the details of which are described in the Quran.O my Lord! Grant me (Abraham) a righteous (son) So We gave him the good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear. Then, when the the son reached the age to work with him, he said: O my son I see in a vision that I offer you in sacrifice: Now say what is your view! (The son) said: O My father! Do as you are commanded: You will find me if God so wills, one practicing patience and constancy. So when they had both submitted their wills (to God), and he had made him prostrate on his face (for sacrifice), We called out to him:O Abraham! You have already fulfilled the vision.Thus indeed do we reward those who do right.For this was obviously a trial and We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice: and We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times: (37:100-109).

Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) said: On the 10th of Zil-Hijjah, there is no better act in the view of Allah than shedding the blood (of slaughtered animals). And verily sacrifice earns the approbation of Allah even before the drop of blood (of the slaughtered animal) falls on the ground. Hence you should offer it in good spirit. For every hair of the sacrificial animal, there is a blessing. Here are the precepts and practices pertaining to Qurbani (Sacrifice).



Saturday, November 21, 2009

Awareness walk for the children rights Pakistan

Image Google

Pakistan organized an awareness walk for the children rights in the eve of the Universal Children's Day on Friday.The walk on Thursday started from Suikarno Memorial Tower, Larkana in Sindh Province and marched across all the important thorough fares of the city and concluded in front of Press Club Larkana, Jinnah Bagh Larkana.

Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) is celebrating the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) week from Nov. 16 to Nov. 21, 2009, to mark the Universal Children's Day in various districts and other parts of Sindh.

A large number of school children and child rights activists' participated in the walk who were carrying banners and pla-cards inscribed with child rights slogans marched on the roads.Meanwhile, some other organizations as the Ladies Club Larkana and Chandka Medical College Children Hospital are also organizing different events on the Universal Children's Day

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

World Musclemania 2009 Las Vegas

“I feel proud to be the first Pakistani to make it to the
Musclemania and it would be a great honour for me when
the national anthem of Pakistan will be played in Las Vegas. Bux”
Pakistani body builder Aamir Rahim Bux, is all set to participate in the American Inc World Musclemania 2009 in Las Vegas. Training himself day and night Bux was not very confident about his departure to the US before the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) sponsored his tour to the US.

“I am extremely happy to finally receive official support from the government, the competition is weeks away and I am putting in my 100 per cent to win the title, the sponsorship by the CDGK is of great help in getting the visa and the American Sports Inc authorities also wanted government representation,” Bux told The News

Working out six hours a day and following a strict protein-based diet plan for the last two months, Bux is leaving no stone unturned in bringing recognition to Pakistan.

The competition will take place on the 21st of November and will be aired on all international sports channels. Representing Pakistan, Bux will be competing in the heavy weight category.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

New Hope for Pakistani farmers

At least 25,000 poor rural households in Pakistan are expected to benefit from $18.3 million in funding from the U.N. International Fund for Agricultural Development that will help them maximize crop yields. The funds will go towards the Crop Maximization Support Project, an initiative begun in response to the surge in food prices last year. It aims to increase crop production in 10 districts in the provinces of Balochistan, Punjab, Sindh and the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP).

Almost two thirds of the population, and 80 per cent of Pakistan's poor people, live in rural areas and agriculture is a mainstay of the economy, but the sector needs help to boost yields, according to the Rome-based IFAD, which signed the loan agreement with the Government.

The Crop Project also promotes gender and poverty mainstreaming in Pakistan's national crop productivity project, by supporting the formation of special interest groups of women and the landless, promote their involvement in community development, and enhance their access to financial resources.

To date, IFAD has funded 23 projects and programmes in Pakistan for a total investment of about $460 million. Reported by APP

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Pakistan kicked off Fashion Week

" There's so much more in Pakistan
It's not just suicide jackets and Violence "
Last week, Pakistan kicked off Fashion Week in Karachi, The event was rescheduled twice amid fears of militant violence. Because of security concerns, But sometimes when you feel like wallowing, scared in isolation, the best thing to do is get out there and have fun with pretty new clothes and friends.

“Victory of Sorts” – as CNN described it – to assert itself to Pakistan and the world in bold colours and striking poses. The international network’s description of the five-day celebrations of style sums up the organisers’ aim magnificently: “A model strikes a pose, shows a side of Pakistan the world rarely sees... with some of the attitude you may expect from the world of high fashion.

Monday, November 9, 2009

یوم ولادت محمد اقبال : Iqbal Day

Yōm-e Welādat-e Muḥammad Iqbāl: The 132nd birth anniversary of poet philosopher Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal was celebrated on Monday across the country with national zeal, fervor and enthusiasm. Various Cultural, educational and literary organizations organized different programmes across the country to mark the day in a befitting manner and pay homage to the great poet who envisioned the idea of a separate homeland for the Muslims of subcontinent. The newspapers published special edition and electronic channels aired special programmes to highlight role and service of Dr Allama Iqbal for Muslims of sub continent and getting separate homeland.

The main event held at Mazar E Iqbal in Lahore where a change of guard ceremony was held in a befitting manner and a smartly turned Pak Navy contingent assumed duties. Marching to the tunes played by the Pakistan Navy band, the Naval contingent took positions at the four corners of the mazar while simultaneously, Rangers were ceremoniously moved out by their Officer Incharge.

Iqbal day activities >>>

Dr. Muhammad Iqbal is known as Muffakir-e-Pakistan "The Thinker of Pakistan", Shair-e-Mashriq "The Poet of the East", Hakeem-ul-Ummat "The Sage of Ummah" and commonly Known as Allama Iqbal "Allama mean "Scholar".

Allama Iqbal is the best articulated Muslim response to Modernity that the Islamic world has produced in the 20th century. His response has three dimensions:

A creative engagement with the conceptual paradigm of modernism at a sophisticated philosophical level through his prose writings, mainly his The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam which present his basic philosophic insights

His Urdu and Persian poetry which is the best embodiment of poetically mediated thought, squarely in the traditional continuity of Islamic literature and perhaps the finest flowering of wisdom poetry, or contemplative poetry or inspired poetry in the modern times.

As a political activist & social reformer― rising up to his social responsibility, his calling at a critical phase of history.

He is regarded as the ideological founder of the state. His birthday is annually commemorated in Pakistan as Iqbal Day, a national holiday. Allama Iqbal is the namesake of many public institutions, including the Allama Iqbal Medical College, Allama Iqbal Open University and the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore.

He spent his final years working to establish the Idara Dar-ul-Islam, an institution where studies in classical Islam and contemporary social science would be subsidised, and advocating the demand for an independent Muslim state.

After suffering for months from his illness,Allama Iqbal died in Lahore in 1938. His tomb is located in the space between the entrance of the Badshahi Mosque and the Lahore Fort, and official guards are maintained there by the Government of Pakistan.





Read more about Allama Muhammad Iqbal

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Principles of equal opportunity for men and women

Women of Pakistan has hailed the government for incorporating an important change in the criminal justice regulations for the protection of women rights.

Government of Pakistan on Wednesday passed the Criminal law Act, 2009 which provides protection to working women at workplace from sexual advances and intimidation and violators will be punished with three years imprisonment or Rs. 500,000 fine or both.

Large number of highly educated women could not join the jobs and entrepreneurship because of insecure working environment and lack of necessary protection laws, but now they would find a legal shelter to protect from any unwanted incidents of violation of their basic rights.

Remembering Rashid Minhas Shaheed on his 52nd martyrdom anniversary.

On this day at Goth Ahmed Shah, Sujawal on 20 August 1971, We remember and honor the sacrifice of pilot officer Rashid Minhas, A true hero w...