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The following verses of the Holy Qur'an are closely related with Pakistan and our own
life here. Although these verses were revealed in a different context, it seems as if
they describe our own conditions.
In the first verse it is said:
 Transliteration:
Wazkuru_ iz antum qalilum mustad'afu_na fil ardi takha_fu_na ay yatakhattafakumun
na_su faa_wa_kum wa ayyadakum bi nasrihi wa razaqakum minat tayyiba_ti
la'allakum tasykuru_n(a).
"Call to mind when ye were a small (band) despised through the land and afraid
that men may despoil and kidnap you. But He provided a safe asylum for
you, strengthened you with His aid, and gave you good things for sustenance
that ye might be grateful" (Surah Al-Anfal, viii. 26).
This verse takes us to our past, when we were subjects of a foreign power. We were
at that time considered to be a minority in relation to a majority. We
lacked strength and power. But, by the mercy of God, we got a new homeland, Pakistan.
In the second verse, God Almighty says:
Transliteration:
Ya_ ayyuhal lazina a_manuzkuru_ ni'matalla_hi 'alaikum iz hamma qaumun
ay yabsutu_ ilaikum aidiyahum fa kaffa aidiyahum 'ankum, wattaqulla_h(a),
wa 'alalla_hi falyatawakkalil mu'minu_n(a).
"O ye who believe! call in remembrance the favour of God unto you when certain
men formed the design to stretch out their hands against you. But God
held back their hands from you. So fear God. And on God let believers
put all their trust" (Surah Al-Maida, v. 11).
This verse brings to mind the war of 1965, when falsehood clashed with truth. It
is a special favour of God that He gave us victory in this war.
In the third verse, it is stated:
Transliteration:
Summa ja'alna_kum khala_'ifa fil ardi mim ba'dihim liyanzura kaifa ta'malu_n(a).
"Then We made you heirs in the land after them, to see how ye would behave" (Surah Yunus, x. 14).
This shows that while freedom is a great gift of God, it is at the same time a hard
test. Now we have to raise the standard of our individual and collective
conduct and show that we are worthy of this great gift.
In the fourth verse, God Almighty says:
Transliteration:
Fa kula_ mimma_ razaqakumulla_hu hala_lan tayyiba_(w), wa-sykuru_ ni'matalla_hi
in kuntum iyya_hu ta'budu_n(a).
"So eat of the sustenance which God has provided for you, lawful and good,
and be greatful for the favours of God, if it is He whom ye serve" (Surah An-Nahl, xvi. 114)
The land given to us by God after we attained our freedom is rich in natural resources.
These gifts should make us grateful to Him and the right way for expressing
this gratitude is that we should make proper use of these resources.
It is a fact that God has showered innumerable favours on us, the people of Pakistan.
Therefore, it is incumbent on us that we should make ourselves into a
grateful nation before God and His creatures.
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"In a nutshell, Patient Welfare Society wants to join - and lead - others in helping the world see. One way we achieve
this goal is by giving the Gift of Sight to needy people in
Pakistan... read more
SURAH AL-ANFAL, VIII. 26
All religions hold the belief that God sends suitable men into the world
to work out his plans from time to time, and at critical junctures.
I regard Mr. Jinnah as the man who has been called upon to correct the
wrong ways into which the people of India have been lead by the Congress,
under the leadership of Mr. Gandhi. The Congress did a great service
to the country so long as it followed the lines of critical cooperation
and cooperative criticism towards the British Government, as laid down
by Dadabhai Naoroji and Gokhale. But it took a wrong turn when it adopted
wholesale the non-cooperation programme of Mr. Gandhi and assumed an
attitude of open hostility towards Britain, and tried to infuse in the
minds of the people a spirit of defiance of law and civil disobedience,
more or less thinly veiled under a formula of truth and non-violence.
Moreover, by 'Mahatamafying' Mr. Gandhi, it appealed to the idolatrous
superstitions of the Hindus, thus converting the religious adherence
of the Hindu section of the population of the Mahatama into political
support of his non-cooperation programme. While this strategy was of
some avail in hustling the British Government to yield more and more
to the demands of Congress, it divided the people into Hindu and non-Hindu
sections.
