As much as one doesn’t want to believe, the enemies seems to be going further and is penetrating right into the heart of the country. Hitting  students has been the worst blow to young and tender minds who shall be the strength of Pakistan tomorrow. How do you explain to a kid why their school is closed? Because some maniac out there wants to kill you and we would not be able to protect you when he does. (only Allah will!) How would an eight year old feel about it? What is he acquiring in his initial learning stages? Ten years down the road, how would he feel about Pakistan? What does he imagine his country as?

The answer lies in HOW we are going to show them the picture. We talk about gruesome attacks and what a pitiful condition we are stuck into. We rant about the  indecisiveness of our leaders. We curse foreign invasions. But is this about all that makes up Pakistan and Pakistanis? Are we going to tell them how tough we have always proved to be. How we have pulled through critical times before when there seemed no end to it.  This time would be no different inshaAllah! The enemies of Pakistan shall not triumph. We need to do our duties confidently and keep faith in Allah. We should embrace our differences and keep united against all that is to come. We will educate ourselves and our youth no matter how many bombs they throw in our yards. We will carve a peaceful and people-loving image of Pakistan that it truly is! After all isn’t it amazing that amongst all this bombings and chaos, Edhi wins a prize for non-violence! Let not our children get disheartened at what they are seeing today. Teach them patience, hardwork,  love and persistence and then see how nations can rise from ruins.

I am going to quote some verses from Quran which I have been thinking over before writing this post.

وَلاَ تَهِنُواْ وَلاَ تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنتُمُ الاٌّعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

So do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will be superior (in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers. [3:139]

إِن يَمْسَسْكُمْ قَرْحٌ فَقَدْ مَسَّ الْقَوْمَ قَرْحٌ مِّثْلُهُ وَتِلْكَ الأيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَيَتَّخِذَ مِنكُمْ شُهَدَاء وَاللّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ

If a wound (and killing) has touched you, be sure a similar wound (and killing) has touched the others. And so are the days (good and not so good), We give to men by turns, that Allâh may test those who believe, and that He may take martyrs from among you. And Allâh likes not the Zâlimun. [3:140]

وَلِيُمَحِّصَ اللّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَيَمْحَقَ الْكَافِرِينَ

And that Allâh may test (or purify) the believers (from sins) and destroy the disbelievers [3:141]

أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ اللّهُ الَّذِينَ جَاهَدُواْ مِنكُمْ وَيَعْلَمَ الصَّابِرِينَ

Do you think that you will enter Paradise before Allâh tests those of you who fought (in His Cause) and (also) tests those who are As-Sâbirun (the patient)? [3:142]