Every morning, I receive hundreds of emails and letters from readers, many of whom are quite agitated and anxious about Pakistan’s security. The conversations over the phone often linger on the accusation that I constantly lament over the country’s wounded state. They claim I keep presenting a scene of its downfall, making them cry even if I don’t. They question why I don’t write a few words of comfort or hopeful statements. These loving complaints often turn into heated arguments as they vent their frustrations, asking when the solutions I propose will be implemented and if anyone will heed them.
I am often astonished by these demands. For years, I have mourned the loss of our past glory and values, and I frequently identify the causes of this downfall. I also suggest remedies based on my understanding, emphasizing that our salvation lies in returning to those lost values. However, the real challenge is: how do we embark on this return journey?
It seems we have strayed far from our path. Times have changed, and the demands of this era are different from the past. In today’s world, we no longer travel on horses and camels but on supersonic jets, and instead of swords, we have dangerous nuclear weapons, and pilotless drones. These advancements are often cited by those who resist returning to our values. However, I am puzzled as to why such modern weaponry is necessary for establishing justice. Justice can be served even while sitting on the bare ground under a tree. No modern computer or device is needed to fulfill promises of justice. Integrity, honor, and truth have been the hallmarks of nations for centuries, and speaking the truth does not require any advanced technology. It is a fundamental aspect of a person’s awakened conscience. Whether in any position of authority, they despise deceit, lies, treachery, and cunning. They are so intoxicated with truth that deceit and lies cannot even come close to them. They are so captivated by the allure of truth that they are willing to sacrifice their lives for it, enduring great losses and disgrace without a second thought. This can be achieved even in poverty and destitution, without needing help from the IMF or the World Bank.
Since these values became obsolete among us, disgrace and humiliation have become our fate. These values once brought us blessings and made us feared and respected by other nations. Even intellectuals from other nations were compelled to write that if there had been another Umar in Islam, the entire world would have adopted its system of justice. Despite belonging to a renowned Christian family, a Western scholar placed the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) first, Umar second, and Jesus (PBUH) third in his book ‘The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History’.
When the Roman ambassador inquired about the king who established this system of justice in Medina, he was told that there was no king among them, but a man they had appointed as their leader. If he wished to meet him, he would find him sleeping under a tree, resting his head on a stone, unafraid of any danger. Seeing his face, the ambassador exclaimed that such a just system deserved to lead the world. These were the same Arabs about whom the Persian king mockingly said, “O ignorant and uncivilized Bedouins of Arabia! Are you the same who would immediately retreat to your desert tents when we sent a few border guards to discipline you?” Poet Ferdowsi preserved this scene in his Shahnameh:
“O camel milk drinkers and lizard eaters, Has the time come for Arabs to aspire for the throne of Iran? Shame on you, O revolving sky, shame on you!”
The Arabs, who once drank camel’s milk and ate lizards, now aspired for the throne of Iran, much to the bewilderment and scorn of others. What a spectacle this is, and shame on you, O sky.
But has anyone ever thought about what scientific advancement and technology transformed the state of those ignorant, nomadic, and desert-dwelling Bedouins? Technology and progress were at their peak even back then, according to the standards of that era. Those who study the measurements of the Egyptian pyramids and the astronomical alignments reveal that humanity was at the pinnacle of algebra and science at that time. Rome was reaching its zenith. The grandeur and splendor of the Persian court were worth seeing. The magnificent gardens and palaces of Babylon and Nineveh are now part of history. What was it then that made my Lord entrust the leadership of the world to people whose cheeks were sunken from hunger and whose stomachs clung to their backs, who didn’t even have proper scabbards for their swords and wrapped them in old rags? What were the qualities that not only political but also scientific and intellectual leadership of the world came into their hands?
These were the people whose cities and civic amenities became a model for the entire world. The world then learned how streets and roads were built with bricks and stones. They introduced the concept of hot water in baths and lighting lamps in the streets late at night so that travelers would not face any difficulty walking at night. They became the custodians of observatories for the movements of celestial bodies, masters of algebra, physics, chemistry, and medicine. Their invented formulas hold fundamental significance in all modern scientific progress today, and their reign continued for many centuries. Did all of this happen under any prevailing scientific and cultural principles of the world?
Similarly, a nation had risen from the deserts of Mongolia. Genghis Khan united a few tribes of this nation, and then this nation swept through the entire region like a storm. However, today, apart from tales of cruelty and barbarism, there is no mention of this nation in history, and they are known worldwide only as a symbol of hatred. But what miraculous feat did these ignorant, unlettered Bedouins of Arabia accomplish that no historian, despite any bias, can deny their contributions to architecture, philosophy, medicine, calligraphy, and numerous other sciences? Why did all these skills and arts come knocking at their doors? It was because the purification brought by my beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) instilled in them the qualities that make the Creator of the universe gracious.
They trembled upon hearing the command of their Lord from their mentor, who was known as the truthful and trustworthy (Al-Amin and Al-Sadiq) by every child in that land, “Beware! Do not let your tribal loyalty compel you to abandon justice.” They firmly believed that if they established the system of justice decreed by Allah on this earth, He would shower them with the treasures of His blessings and mercy. This is why, during the time of the second Caliph, Umar, when the doors of conquests opened, the heaps of spoils of war were so large in one battle that people sitting around could not see each other. Seeing these blessings, Caliph Umar and his companions began to weep, fearing that perhaps the rewards of the Hereafter were being showered upon them in this world.
They had heard from their master and mentor, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), that a believer might commit sins such as adultery or theft, but a believer could never be a liar. They had also heard from their master and mentor, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), that when a person lies, a foul odour emanates from his body, causing the angels of mercy to flee several leagues away. This very attribute of truthfulness fostered such courage in the people of that era that they confessed to their crimes of adultery and presented themselves for punishment. They honoured their promises because their Lord told them that they would be questioned about their promises. This was the excellence that my beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) instilled in their lives.
They were also clearly told that a hypocrite has three signs: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when entrusted with something, he betrays that trust. The foundation of progress for this Ummah and indeed the whole world rests on these three pillars. Now you decide for yourself whether my lament and wailing are justified—that our salvation lies in returning to these lost values.
How boldly and shamelessly do we lie in the streets, markets, courtrooms, assemblies, and halls of power, taking oaths and giving false testimonies, betraying the trust placed in us. Haven’t we repeatedly and cunningly declared in front of the entire world, after making verbal and written promises, that these promises are not bound by any divine or prophetic principles? The trust placed upon us, that when you become rulers, establish a system of justice, are we not openly betraying it? Have we not, by defying the orders of the highest courts, made a mockery of justice? Moreover, we have deceived the high judiciary by writing to Swiss courts to close all cases related to the nation’s looted wealth. The nation still remembers that bizarre spectacle when the impoverished nation was suffering from the devastations of floods, while the country’s leader, President Zardari, was enjoying a pleasant vacation in Paris with his children, strolling the world-famous Champs-Élysées, enjoying French museums and ruins, and relishing the hospitality of the French government, only to end up being humiliated during a pointless visit to Britain by one of his own party members. Yet, the nation is trapped in such a system that once again, a tested president is reinstalled in the same position.
An Indian high official, the eternal enemy of the miraculous state founded on the two-nation theory, testifies under oath in his own supreme court that the Indian government was involved in the parliament and Mumbai attacks, while here, traitors like Najam Sethi openly defend India on our media, shamelessly accusing Pakistani institutions. Despite all this, how can you boldly demand respect and success for yourself? Until you change all this, boycott this so-called media group, and repent from the false propaganda against this ideological state, the angels of mercy from my Lord will continue to stay far away from this falsehood.
Remember, our disgrace and humiliation will not end until we begin our journey back. The promise is clear: if you do not fulfill your promises, you will be disgraced among the worst nations of the world. Today, if we have forgotten our loyalty to the soil of this nation, it means we have also forgotten our recognition of the Prophet who granted us this pure land in the month of Ramadan. The reason for our current disgrace and humiliation in the world is perhaps that instead of asking from our Creator, the Lord and Provider of the entire world, the owner of all the treasures of this world and the hereafter, we are wandering door to door with a begging bowl, accepting all conditions of the IMF and international organizations without question to sustain our government, risking our integrity by subjugating ourselves to the USA and India. Meanwhile, a political party reaches out to the very country it accused of overthrowing its government, to seek the release of its leader from jail, writing letters to international financial institutions against the country, and now openly misleading the nation by opposing the operation against terrorists. The same America has now openly revealed its face by passing a resolution against the elections in Pakistan to stop the operation, while the party demanding its leader’s release, which used to challenge America, now finds itself in a dilemma.
What can be said of a politician who presents himself as a religious scholar, a Mufti, and the leader of a religious party, who for years called Imran Khan a Jewish agent, and Imran Khan, in turn, used to mock him in his rallies, and now both are eager to embrace each other. Were they lying then, or are they now uniting based on lies? It is divine retribution that has torn apart all the masks from their faces. But I wonder, on the Day of Judgment, when no one will be able to move a step without accounting for every word they uttered, what will they say then?
کچھ تو سمٹو کہ نظر ہم بھی اٹھا کر دیکھیں
ہم کو اے جلوۂ بے باک حیا آتی ہے
Let us gather ourselves so that we may look up
For the bold display of impudence brings shame to us.
