The Dance of Martyrdom in Unity… Fragrance of Beliefs

Words are like children—innocent and naive, filled with love, tenderness, and playfulness. Sometimes they are affectionate, pampering, and charming, but at times they can be troublesome, sulking, and hard to appease, or they might even turn their backs forever. There are moments when, like innocent children, they sit in your lap, and if you caress their hair or tap their cheeks, they burst into joyful laughter. When you ask them to do something, they oblige—love conquers all. Yet, when they decide to trouble you, they become elusive, running away despite your efforts. You search for them, but they hide in silence. When you are about to give up, they reappear with a mischievous grin, saying, “Here I am…….”

Words, like children, demand much attention. And if, heaven forbid, they distance themselves and you don’t attempt to bring them back, the result is devastating. Silence falls, loneliness and sorrow seep into your being, and you end up alienated from yourself. That’s exactly how I’ve been feeling for weeks—unable to comprehend anything, life seems meaningless, and living has become burdensome. Yet, the struggle continues, for living is difficult but we live on.

Sometimes, I try to check my emails, and I am welcomed by countless messages, each carrying prayers and love. This flood of kindness reminds me of my merciful Lord’s grace, and I am filled with strength once again to face the world around me.

Resistance has a way of standing those who fall back on their feet, giving hope to the drowning, and bringing them to shore. It allows the sick to conquer illness (by Allah’s command). Just as a flickering flame burns brighter before extinguishing—perhaps a last attempt to resist darkness—a traveller trapped in a forest full of beasts will fight, for there is no other option. Even a frail patient who can’t fetch water may leap from bed in a sudden crisis.

History teaches us that worldly resistance tends to weaken and cool down in the pursuit of material success. However, if resistance is combined with faith in Allah, it never wanes. There is always a spark in the ashes, and when the power of resistance awakens, that spark ignites. But must this resistance only awaken when the threat becomes real—when the sword is about to pierce the vein, when the thunder of tanks and planes reaches our streets and rooftops, when bombs rain down like droplets from the sky? Will we only resort to resistance when we’ve lost so much that we try to salvage what’s left?

Have the Pakistani leaders made any efforts to recognise the dangers lurking just beyond the threshold? This recognition would make it clear to the enemy that provoking us is akin to inviting death. The truth is, when a nation concedes defeat without a fight, it’s not a physical but a mental retreat. The enemy then doesn’t have to work hard to conquer a nation that has already surrendered mentally. Halaku Khan’s armies-built towers from skulls. When Salahuddin Ayyubi invoked the name of the Islamic nation, a traitor sneered sarcastically, “What Islamic nation?” This was the lowest form of mental retreat—a giant man denying his own existence. But Salahuddin combined the power of resistance with faith, and, after Caliph Umar, he reclaimed Jerusalem from impure hands.

Despite economic weaknesses and political turmoil, our enemy (India, Israel, and America) has become more troubled seeing us stand firm. Even with the likelihood of a certain defeat, their desire for worldly dominance has led them into a quagmire. Their next step will mark the downfall of their superficial glory and artificial grandeur. Have we ever considered why, despite all their efforts to frighten us from our homes, they are more terrified? Their advance lacks the courage of a lion; it’s the cunning of a fox. They will continue trying to corner us, resorting to other tactics behind the scenes—plunging us into political and economic turmoil.

Today, we must understand the power of our resistance, which is based on faith. The strength that supports this resistance is Allah’s divine help, and to attain His help, we must declare His absolute authority. When a believer dedicates everything to pleasing their Lord, divine assistance descends, ensuring success in resistance. Islamic history is filled with countless examples where the resistance of unarmed Muslims forced the pharaohs of their time to lick their wounds. Even today, resistance movements around the world are flourishing. Stones have not been defeated by tanks—the world sees this in Kashmir and Gaza, where simple stones are confronting advanced technology. As oppression increases, so does the intensity of resistance.

When a tyrant, with the arrogance of his armies, storms a nation, every oppressed person takes up arms. It’s certain that in such moments, there’s no other form of resistance. But we must never forget that the first step comes long before this, and we need to remember that resistance is nothing without faith (Iman). Therefore, it is essential to protect and sustain faith before such dire times arrive. Weakness in faith leads to mental slavery and retreat, so it’s necessary to resist every attack that targets our faith today.

Our beliefs, our way of life, our education, our economy, our media – these are all battlefields where our strength of resistance is eagerly awaited. They are drowning, and it requires immense energy to pull them back to shore. A dangerous moment has arrived when a frail patient depends on a hidden force to keep the thread of life intact, a force that fills their body with a surge of power. Even the mute, the deaf, and the blind are ready to take action in these critical times. So, what’s stopping those blessed with all their abilities from making full use of their potential?

When I look towards my beloved country, a pang of sadness strikes my heart. Where are we heading? Then I think, whoever holds power, with armed groups, loyal servants, celebrations, and flatterers, loses all sense of shame. Modesty and honour no longer matter! Rising stars and their shameless worshippers lack any self-respect. They are mere walking robots. In such moments, the intoxication of power becomes overwhelming. The same person who was giving threats and advice for reform on stage just hours ago, threatening to invade homes with a band of followers, suddenly falls silent. After his software is updated, the same beastly creature remains quiet, indifferent to what was lost or gained.

However, I wish to speak of a contrasting character today, whose mention brings coolness to the eyes, comfort, and peace to the heart. Whoever they may be, wherever they may be, the word “No” doesn’t exist in their vocabulary. They don’t know what denial is. But this has always happened and will continue to happen. Rebels are born, and the defiant cry of “No” echoes time and time again. Whips strike, skin is flayed, and blood flows, but strangely, the more they try to suppress the defiant voices, the more these voices resonate. It’s not just a dance of defiance; it’s the Dance of the Dying, with the song of “No” swirling around the dancer.

What a spectacle! People are thrown into boiling oil, laid on the burning sands with boulders on their chests, and they even leap into icy waters. Yet, the rebellious cry of Monotheism (Tawheed) keeps rising. The dance doesn’t stop, and this dance of faith won’t cease. Who can stop the earth from spinning? You’re right—people can be enslaved, their means of livelihood can be cut off, though we foolishly equate sustenance solely with wealth. People can be shackled, thrown into prisons, subjected to torturous cells, and made helpless. Their loved ones can be insulted before their eyes, curses hurled at them. Yes, all this can be done, but after spending 40 years in an Indian prison, soldier Maqbool Hussain returned to kiss the soil of his homeland with such dignity, and the Pakistani forces gave him such an honourable burial that even the skies rejoiced.

For centuries, humans have witnessed this – the defiant were thrown to hungry dogs and lions before the masses, where a tyrant would sit on his throne, laughing as he sent a message to the people: “Do not rebel, or this is what will happen to you.” Every Pharaoh of time would set this stage for his own amusement and will continue to do so. It’s a stage where all roles are real—there are no actors as in films. No artificial red colour, just real, flowing blood from a living, breathing human. The screaming, the biting, the tearing—it’s all real, and it will continue to be. Pharaohism is a mindset, a disease. It’s a fraternity—a fraternity not just of Pharaohs, but of Haman, Shaddad, Qarun, Abu Lahab, and Abu Jahl. This is a fraternity that can include people of any religion or nation. The only ones who are spared are those upon whom the Lord bestows His mercy.

Everything can be imprisoned, but here’s the strange thing – this one thing can never be imprisoned. Absolutely not. It’s not just difficult; it’s impossible. Do not rush! You cannot imprison fragrance. And then fragrance isn’t just one colour or confined to one place; its shades and scents are infinite. The fragrance of words, of emotions, of sacrifice and loyalty – and now, keep walking, because the queen of all fragrances is that of our martyrs, who sacrificed their present for our future. It is the scent of their faith, the faith that made the love for this miraculous state, Pakistan, an integral part of religion. A state that came into being on the blessed night of 27th Ramadan. It’s the fragrance of religion, the fragrance of beliefs. This fragrance cannot be imprisoned. Every attempt to suppress it makes it rise stronger. As the verse reminds me:

‘جتنے بھی تو کر لے ستم

ہنس ہنس کے سہیں گے ہم

“No matter how many torments you inflict,

we will endure with smiles”.

The more blood spills, the more this fragrance spreads. And then comes a time when pain itself becomes the cure.

رنگ باتیں کریں اور باتوں سے خوشبو آئے،

درد پھولوں کی طرح مہکے اگر تو آئے۔

Let Colours Speak, and Words Bring Fragrance
May the pain bloom like flowers if it ever comes.

I share these thoughts with you because I remember the day I first read this news. Surely, you must have seen, read, or heard it. If not, perhaps I have the honour of reminding you, but no, the real credit belongs to the one who informed us, the uninformed.

(New York, Online): An American Army Specialist, Terry Holdbrooks, embraced Islam after reciting the Kalma (Islamic declaration of faith) at the infamous Guantanamo Bay detention camp. This young officer, whose duty was merely to oversee Muslim prisoners and sometimes escort them within the camp for a span of six months, was so deeply affected by the conduct and prayers of the Muslim detainees that he accepted Islam. In a brief email, Holdbrooks admitted that he was profoundly moved by the moral character of the Moroccan and other Muslim prisoners, as well as their recitation of the Holy Quran, which they would perform behind the harshest iron bars. And what else remains to be said?

Look! A lamp can be blown out with a puff of air, but who can extinguish the light? Indeed, no one can blow out the light with a mere puff. Islam is light, the Holy Quran is light, all illuminating, the straight path, a true bargain. It was to implement the teachings of this very Quran that the miraculous state of Pakistan was bestowed upon us. This land teaches us that sacrificing one’s life for it is the highest honour, and when one gives their life for this nation, not only do their parents, spouse, children, and the entire nation, but even the angels, gather to welcome them, for they have succeeded in the oath of loyalty they made to their Lord.

How can we forget the 135 soldiers at Gayari Sector, Siachen, who were buried beneath snow? They live on in our hearts to this day. Despite the world’s experts, with all their advanced technology, efforts, and experiences, declaring it impossible to recover those buried beneath the snow, their brave comrades not only retrieved the bodies but also proved that what the world deemed impossible was indeed possible. And this wasn’t the first time the impossible became possible; over eight thousand young men have thus far been consumed by these cold valleys, because they took an oath to defend this nation’s borders under any circumstance. The great poet Iqbal once said:

وفاداری بشرط  استواری اصل  ایماں ہے

مرے بت خانے میں کعبے میں گاڑو برہمن کو

“Faithful loyalty is the essence of true belief,
Even the Brahmin can find a place in the Kaaba if devoted.”

Know this: Pakistan is light, and those who sacrifice their lives for it are the lamps that have cleared this nation of all the darkness spread by its enemies. You’ve heard it and heard it many times before. My Lord has declared, His proclamation is: the martyrs are alive, receiving sustenance from their Lord. Almighty God has warned: never assume them to be dead. Now, hold your heart as I say this: even after enduring the worst of torture, when these prisoners and soldiers defending their homeland still smile, what force can make them waver in their resolve? Could it be that a martyr is looking upon them with admiration… When the examples of the martyrs of Badr or Uhud fill their hearts with light, what fear can possibly remain?

These brave soldiers and martyrs have unlocked the secret of their strength today, a strength born from faith tied to their love for the God-given nation of Pakistan. This is the trench of faith, which guarantees eternal victory to those who take refuge in it. Cultivating faith is the foremost need of the hour. Resistance is bound to the strength of faith. If we lose that, we will lose everything! All our martyrs are the crown upon our heads, a priceless gift from God. Never forget that those who find God lose nothing, and those who lose God find nothing.

“We love Pakistan, and we love our martyrs!”