Man in search of God

God Almighty has concealed the seed of His recognition in the chemistry of human race. In the favorable climate of heart and soul, it nourishes and grows into a tall tree but in the adverse circumstances all attempts of its growth go to the wall and the soil of heart remains barren where the shrubs of worldly desires raise their heads and ultimately take the man in the valley of sin, physical and mental unrest. Since the very dawn of his creation, man had been trying to seek and love his creator. He remained busy in search of his God but multitudes of people diverted their way and made their aspirations, cravings, and delights, their God. Those who stepped forward for the right faith without the divine light entered into the deep and dark world of confusions.

Man has always remained the captive of his senses. He could not accept the vague and abstract concept of his Lord. He wanted to bow before; whom he could touch, feel, and even see with his own eyes. Therefore, the big and heavenly bodies like sun and the moon were the favorite to satisfy his quest and they were accepted as God in some parts of the world. Every big and strange thing was given the status of Lord, the snake and elephant are the examples in this respect. It was the utmost desire of man to see his creator in material shape; therefore, he made idols for worship and a new institution of idolatry was introduced among most of the world population.

Causes of Stress and its effects on us

Tension or stress is the part of our daily life. At breakfast, on hearing that today is the last date for depositing the examination fee of the younger daughter, we become tense. On the road when traffic is jammed, we have no other option to express our anxiety but to dash our hands on the steering wheel. This mental stress or tension causes many diseases in our body. Sometimes people suffer from severe heart failure and meet with their ultimate death.

Human body reacts against the stimulus of stress by excreting some hormones in blood. Para-Sympathetic and Sympathetic nervous system are very significant in this regard. In normal states and conditions, our Para-Sympathetic nervous system controls our inner organs and their functions. However, in emergency our sympathetic nervous system comes forward and makes us prepare to meet the situation by releasing Adrenaline hormone in our blood. This hormone tries to save the body but afterwards the same excretion becomes a big hurdle in the way of body to perform its functions.

Some interesting facts behind terminology

The scientific terminology that we study today has some interesting background. The scientific words that we come across in books of science have their strange and meaningful origins. The elements are mostly named after the name of their country or deceased scientists.

Madam Curie discovered the element 84. She was called Marie Sklodowska before her marriage. She belonged to Poland that is why the element she discovered was named on her native land as ‘Polonium’. In 1886, a German scientist discovered element 32. He gave it the name on his country as Germanium, which was the clear sign of his love and patriotism for his country. The element Americium was named after America because the group of scientists who discovered it belonged to US. Similar was the case with Francium 87, which was discovered by a French scientist in 1939.

Kangaroo is the name of the most famous Australian animal among the mammals. Its name holds an interesting story behind it. In 1770, an English researcher James Cook reached Australia in his ship. He saw a strange animal there with a bag near its breast. When he asked the name of that wonderful animal the natives say ’Kangaroo’ which was meant for ‘what are you saying’? The visitors took it as the name of this animal. Thus, the misunderstanding gave a new name to animal that spread all over the world.

How we teach science subjects in schools

The magic spell of science has crept in our lives so silently that we sometimes take it granted.  Our sense of astonishment has grown weaker day by day. Miracles are opening their eyes but man does not pay attention to them, as it should be. Every occupation, from peace to war, bows before the goddess of science.  In this age, the battlefields will be deserted and schools and universities will be flourished. Nations will compete each other in economics, science and technology, in learning and knowledge, in modern facilities and standards of life.

It is a pity that in 21^st century, we are still mourning over the plight of our educational institutions. Our way of teaching science subjects at school level is not up date. Our examination system has yet to be credible. Our experiments at school education have no limitations. How will we meet the future challenges and how will we live while keeping up our chins in the international communities. No doubt, we are poor nation unable to facilitate properly our institutions; but we are not poor in commitment and dedication. We have an ability to translate our dreams into vivid realities.

Love changes everything..

Love is a celestial and universal passion having extreme vigor although apparently seems frail and delicate. It is not special for humans but brutes also recognize and respond to it.  Perhaps the sole purpose of creation is draped in the philosophy of love. All the prophets, saints and the pioneers of the worldly religions emphasized and preached love but going a step ahead essence of all the divine worship revolves round it. How one can bow before the Lord and pay gratitude to Him if he is missing the passion. It breeds in hearts and revolutionizes the minds, unites the human race and can change everything coming its way.

Lemony Sincket says ‘Love can change a person the way a parent can change a baby’. Imagine when two souls kindle with its light what changes we earthly people observe in them. The sincerity and sacrifice naturally become the part of the personalities. The apparent look, the way of conversation, the dress, the hairstyle and what does not change. If it is not exaggeration, the man transforms into a new personality who can do everything for his beloved even if it is beyond the limits of man. The man who pampers the love of this world and worldly possessions gathers every luxury for himself. It does not matter if he uses the legitimate ways for the fulfillment of his desires or chooses unfair means. When one gets acquainted with the love of his creator, his soul and heart illuminate with the divine light. All the worldly desires surrender before the love of Lord. Man seeks only the will of God and all other things become less important in his eyes. He becomes conscious in every act lest he earns the anger and goes astray.

The golden age

The ripen grapes excrete sweet sap naturally which cannot be controlled. It is excellent in taste but cannot be preserved for long time. Our old people are just like these grapes laden with great experiences of life but their company is not long lasting. Their conversation and wisdom between the lines act as a lighthouse but we have no time to sit and heed upon their thoughts. We, without listening and knowing, give a notion of rejection, labeling them the old-fashioned thoughts. By God, they are the live histories, eyewitnesses of great changes of world, an important part of past, and having great insight in them. Unfortunately, we cannot keep this treasure in our possession for long, because they are drawing near their destination by every passing moment.

They are just like a fountain sprinkling their past memories and always wish to wet their listener. They had spent a vigorous and adventurous life as we are currently leading. They have gone through the experience as we are trying to undergo. We can learn more from them but we cannot help the exploring nature of man who wants to do everything by himself whether he gains profit or loss. They are a great source of blessing for us if we value them, they are experienced guides if we admit them and they are unending treasure if we find them. What we are now, owe to their sacrifices.  This age is called old age, but must be named as the golden age.

Birds of nature

Nature reflects itself in various forms; sometimes it properly clads the silvery dress of snow, sometimes the running rivers and streams with their crystal clear water reveal its innocent beauty. At other times, it smiles confronting man as beautiful flowers, and sometimes as birds with untold beauty and fascination of their scheme of colors which snatches words from pen and man’s power of discourse. Birds are a source of love and beauty and are a way to pay a humble tribute on the part of man to his Lord, for His mastery and skill, which is the slightest manifestation of His genius. What are like these birds when twitter look singing the praise of the Almighty at breaking dawn. The dusk also reflect their chirping and the atmosphere fills with pure passions and lofty sacredness.

What are dreams?

Whenever I think of dreams, a well-known character of literature “Sheikh Chilli” comes to my imagination who was himself a dream from head to toe. Certainly, he would be a source of entertainment for many of us but personally, I am very much impressed by his character. Although he was in the habit of seeing dreams with open eyes, yet he opens the world of action for his readers. He goes to the market with a basket of eggs on his head and thinks about future plans. This is not mere entertainment but a very strong desire to do something marvelous and astonishing in life.

Seeing dreams in life is a compulsory thing for all of us because they produce a stir in us to do something great. These act as a road map for us to follow. The unique ideas in every field are a dream at the very outset. The immortal works of arts, literature, architecture, and engineering were ambiguous dreams in the minds of their creators. Alexander Fleming was working in his laboratory when a fungus dropped in the culture plate, the organisms in the plate died at once. The inspiration that struck his mind bestowed a strange gift to mankind was surly a fulfillment of a dream which he had seen in the labyrinths of his brain very long ago.

Freud is of the view that dreams are in fact our thoughts, desires and longings, which remained unfulfilled, and we in our dreams, like a good poet, see our own created world. When our conscious mind sleeps, unconscious mind awakes and the depressed and broken desires take their entity and we see them, as we wanted to see in our real life. The dreams are pleasant as well as nightmares. It is our inner fear that remains sitting anywhere in our unconsciousness and apparently, we totally forget about it.

Mango is the king in fruits

Once the legend of Urdu Literature, Mirza Ghalib, was leisurely sitting among his contemporaries where ‘mango’ was under discussion. All were counting the qualities of a good mango. When Mirza Ghalib was asked he plainly replied, “Mango must be sweet and plentiful in quantity”. This shows the strong liking of Ghalib for mangoes. Late Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, a well-known politician of Pakistan and highly reputed in making alliances against the existing governments, the evergreen symbol of opposition and great critic of ruling parties, was in habit of sending baskets of mangoes to his fellow politicians. He continued this tradition throughout his life. The former president of Pakistan Mr. Asif Ali Zardari too never forgets his colleagues including opposition leaders to send mangoes as a gift in mango seasons .It is considered a sign of love and confidence in sub-continent. The people living in mango-cultivated areas do send baskets of mangoes as gifts to their relatives and friends.

India is the home of mango. It was grown in India about 5000 years ago. The legend says that Mahatma Buddha meditated under the cool shade of mango and got tranquility. The word mango is derived from a Tamil word ‘mangkay’ or ‘man-gay’. When Portuguese came to India and settled in the western part of the country, they named this fruit ‘manga’, which afterwards became mango. The traders from Middle East and Africa introduced the fruit in their countries. In India, it is treated reverently and regarded as a sacred tree, which can fulfill every desire of man. Hindus on holy occasions clean their teeth with the twig of mango tree.   

Great men of Medical Science

The marvelous development of Medical Science that we witness today has a long and painful story of trials behind it. In 5^th century B.C., when young Hippocrates decided to take medicine as his profession, there was a monopoly of church over this field. The illiterate religious leaders and soothsayers were responsible for the health of people. He was sent to the church of Aesculapius for medical education. He observed the patients were absolutely ignored and hated there. The profession was quite lucrative, so it was under the possession of the church. Hippocrates then took a decision, which proved a foundation stone for the coming generations. He, along with his other softhearted fellows, started curing the patients. Sympathetic thinking and scientific way of working was the sole purpose of this group of physicians. He introduced the unique and different way of curing the diseases and soothing the patients. The inquiry about the disease and examining its effects on the patient, the extreme care, and preventive measures resulted in quick recovery of the patients. For the first time in medical history, the record of the brief history of the diseases and the patients was maintained. The mental and spiritual state of the patients was given importance during treatment. He was of the view if the patient is disturbed mentally and spiritually, he would feel the disease intensively. The medicine of his time was an experimental procedure, but the care, sympathy and winning the trust of patients made recovery of the patients very quick. It was not only curing the diseases but also a great research process. Hippocrates and his co physicians prepared many volumes of the brief history of the disease and the patients. He kept in mind the environment in which the patient lived while studying a patient and advising him the remedies. Although it was not a very big leap, yet a step ahead to explore the new methods and ways in medical science. It was the foundation on which later generations could build the magnificent buildings. It was the defeat of false obsessions and the gateway for the servants of humankind and for the curious souls.

The frightened men of knowledge

An orphan boy used to play in the streets of a town, named Thorn, on the bank of River Vistula, near the Baltic Sea, in Poland. No one was aware that he would prove fourteen centuries old and accepted theories wrong and irrational. These theories were not only the matter of scientific knowledge for the people, instead a matter of religious belief. In Cracow University of Poland, his worthy teachers sew the seed of deep interest of Mathematics and Astronomy in his curious mind having boundless love for knowledge. Then his thirst for knowledge took him to Bologna University where he studied Law and enhanced his knowledge of Astronomy and Mathematics. He also learnt Greek to have direct approach over the translations that came from Arabic origin. In Rome, he started his career as a university lecturer of Astronomy. He had to teach Ptolemy’s well known Geocentric Theory to his students. The professor was not an ordinary person but was Nicolas Copernicus. Very soon, he resigned from the lectureship of university because he was not sure about the authenticity that he was teaching. He went back to his native town and started working for what he had left his job. There was a huge problem was of fog and he could not see the sky clear, but his passion was beyond limits. He remained busy making his observations and keeping a record of his findings. He silently went on the path of knowledge, studied stars, planets, observed eclipses, made estimations, and then proved them with the help of mathematical formulas. After years’ toil and tiresome struggle, at last he proved that earth is not the center of this universe. Earth is also moving along with other heavenly bodies around the sun, which is stationery. This great success gave the scientist a boundless joy as well as a lot of fear. He concealed his research work because he could not find courage to reveal the truth. He was well aware of hostility of church, which in no time would announce him a pagan and have him hanged. He agreed to publish his work when he was at the edge of grave. He put his book in the name of Pop Paul 3^rd in order to please the church. The publisher wrote in the preface of the book that the contents of the book are not based on reality but a mere joke. When the book came before Copernicus, he was at his deathbed and could not find time to have bird’s eye view of his book for which he had spent all his life.

Is death the ultimate reality?

I am neither a philosopher nor an intellectual to make you digest the tangled, knotty and abstract concept of metaphysics. Nor am I a religious preacher to tell you the horrible and frightening details of the life after death. I just intend to discuss with you the death whose mere name is enough to make us shudder.

Sometimes death looks like a phenomenon, which cannot be comprehended, and at the same time, all its aspects illuminate every corner of my mind and heart. Now and then, I think death is nothing but a gateway to the world hereafter. If it meant the death of elements with which humans are composed, then you all know that the decomposition of the mortal body will release the elements and the immortal thing will bow before the LORD. Our spirit does not accept it and elements return to their source. What is death then? 

Man and Animals

Let the reins of imagination at large, the civilized man of today would be found hunting animals centuries ago in the past. Scarcity of food compelled him for the enmity of animals. This was the primitive relationship of man with animals. As time moved forward, man learnt agriculture and freed himself from the fear of starvation. He became friendly with animals. He did his best to tame animal for his benefits. Cows, buffaloes, donkeys, sheep and goats were chosen as pets in the beginning. Now the standard of his food raised and he was in no more need of meat for food. He got milk from cows and buffaloes. Donkey was used for carrying loads, hens laid eggs, dog watched and protected animals and home and the life was contented.   

Man is selfish by nature. When he was busy getting hold of the resources of earth, he tried to overpower the animals but he partially succeeded. He got frightened of the animals he was not able to overcome. Then he associated the bravery to lion, cleverness to the tiger, and cunningness to the fox. He made fun of his pets, cow was jeered at for her simplicity and buffalo was considered as a duffer animal. The societies where agriculture could not take roots or remained impossible, man used animals for food. For example in the desert of Arabia and the forests of Africa, animals were killed or slaughtered for food.

Why should we smile?

I love smile and smiling people. It seems a trivial thing but it opens a gateway of favors for us. I am not interested in the hairsplitting and bring before you its scientific and biological reasons. I am not in the mood of explaining the boring details of contraction and relaxation of muscles. I leave this difficult task to the scientists and biologists. The thing I want to share with all of you is that it opens a soft window to the hearts of others and they accept you with your smile. Smiling people look innocent and friendly. Everyone wishes to meet them. If you greet the people with smile, its radiations impress them directly and strongly.     

It is not only a strong sign language but also a tool to convey your message to others. Your smile will reveal the inner and concealed intentions of your heart. The sincere smile is a pure, simple, and plain. It does not only satisfy yourself but also consoles the person to whom you pass it. It has the capability to make friends for you. It is a key to boosting your relations to the people you do not know. Convenience and ease is the outcome of smile in difficult situations. If face is the index of mind, the smiling face is the world of love, affection, sincerity, and confidence.  

In movies, time and again, you watch a villain adoring his face with hypocritical smile. You can fully understand his mischief and black intentions before his delivery of dialogues. It is impossible to conceal his heart desires behind the curtain of smile. Smile leads you to the insight whether the person is liable to be trusted.

Why should we study history?

The details of works of the great people, important events and occurrences, the rise and fall of nations, the information about prophets, saints, reformers, warriors and great generals of the past, all add up to make history. If a person in some family gets high rank in learning, becomes a great scientist or earns fame as brave solider, the other members of the family, consciously or unconsciously, try to follow him. No matter whether Peron lives in present or is a tale of past. Whenever he is recalled, he comes before us as a fact, as an example to be followed. We inspire our children giving examples of his achievements in life. Actually, we are impressed by history. This is one of the sole aims to study history. 

No nation can achieve its glory and a respectable place a in the world unless being well aware of its existing history. The progress, prosperity and power of affecting world’s politics need a complete awareness about past. Individuals, as well as nations, if plan to correct the state and condition of their present deteriorating plight, they must look into their past mistakes, blunders, and follies. If Pakistan’s young generation do not know about the causes and reasons of separation of West Pakistan, how they will be able to save the rest of their country. Pakistan’s attaining nuclear power is the result of this thinking. China’s wonderful progress is the outcome of their acquaintance with their history. The nations who did not learn from history became a lesson for the others. The leading politicians must have good knowledge about the world history. They have to steer the nation through thick and thin, they have to make decisions pertaining to the destiny of the nation. They have to be well aware of the mistakes of the past to acquire a respectable and glorious place among the world community. The generals, whether it is war or peace, must remain in close connection with history, so that they might be able to do the best in the light of past, in their current circumstances. The great figures not only affect their own era but the ages after them. An individual can have an excellent chance to extract the tips to uplift his life, to get the nobleness of mind, to have a good character.

Books are our best friends

In the ancient times when man initially learnt how to live and the wheel of civilization started moving, he needed to save this information and memories somewhere. Perhaps it was the time when he too realized the necessity of writing. Man started knowing the art of writing gradually like everything else when he felt the need. I am not going to discuss the history of writing and compiling books. I just plan to highlight that the relationship of book and human being is as old as human civilization.

The affiliation of man with books remains strong in all the ages of civilizations. I have an audacity to say that the development and transformation of culture and civilization was only possible when man gathered his knowledge in the form of books and preserved it for the next generation. Man had been learning from his experiences through centuries and was able to establish the different branches of knowledge. In the beginning, he wrote his information, which was the result of his experiments, on pages and these were joined together afterwards. Books always remained the major source of learning and knowledge. After Johann Gutenberg’s invention of printing press, there came a tremendous revolution in the field of book publishing and it was established as an industry.       

Books stood shoulder to shoulder to man in his way to progress and prosperity. Great scholars, intellectuals, reformers, scientists and men of learning remain very close to books. They not only benefited themselves but also contributed a lot to their coming generations. The glamour’s progress of today, the ease and facility in every sphere of life is the result of books written by great people.

How water is affecting us

In scorching hot summer, a glass of clean and cool water seems the only hope of life. Traveling long when we get no chance to have a shower due to unavailability of water or any other reason, water becomes a very important thing. No doubt, it is the most important, rather, one of the great blessings of Allah Almighty. The scarcity of it in some areas of the world causes terrible famines. The cultivation of crops depends upon water availability. The air and sunlight can clean the dirt but water is the most important for this purpose. Sunlight and air take months but water acts quickly .Our houses can become a place of living only when water is available. Otherwise, they will turn into a source of dirt, garbage and ill smelling. We go to our work every morning wearing clean, shining, and well-pressed dresses, which greatly owe to water. Think deep about the importance of water.

In Second World War, Singapore was well fortified by the English. The British forces proudly termed it invulnerable. Its water supply was totally linked with Malaya, which was conquered by the Japanese. They disconnected the water supply and the British Governor surrendered before the Japanese within few hours. He had to accept a shameful defeat in spite of having large number of weapons and huge quantity of food. It proves that water has been used as a weapon in wars in past. 

How flowers help humans

Flowers represent beauty in its real form. Presence of flowers in your lawn gives a unique grace to that piece of land. An orchard with flowers attracts the visitors with amusing colors and sweet fragrance. The vicinity too looks decorated and pleasant. They make everybody pleased and delighted. Actually, flowers are a great boon of God. They not only satisfy our aesthetic sense but also have great effect on our moods and temperaments. If you are sitting alone in sad and gloomy mood, they can release your pressure and tension. Their colors directly affect man and he feels relieved. When you visit your friends and relatives in their ailment, often you offer them bouquets. Flowers really console and please the patients and this is helpful to recover them soon.

Flowers decorate our homes and instill passion of love among us. The interior decoration of houses with flowers makes the inmates happy. Flowers also enhance grace and a sense of sacredness of funerals. The flower petals put on the bed of the deceased person, wreaths of flowers highlight the graves. The tombs of prominent national heroes when visited, people pay homage by offering flowers. The reception of Barat in marriages is conventionally associated with flowers. Birthday parties seem dull without them. The young children offer small bouquets to their favorite teachers when they get high ranks in their exams.

The rose symbolizes love and affection. It is a common observation people offer roses to their beloved ones. Huge spending is seen on Valentine’s Day. Kids to their parents, husbands to their wives and young boys and girls to their partners offer red roses. It shows that they are the symbol of love and integrity.

Why Students Avoid Mathematics?

“Mathematics is the mother of all sciences “is frequently heard saying. It does not bother the logical minds because of its concrete facts. However, it is hard to capture by literary and poetic nature. The concept prevails upon our students. The myth that math is a difficult subject to comprehend is baseless. As you climb stairs systematically and ultimately you find yourself on the roof, similarly in mathematics after some logical steps you get hold of the whole idea. If your behavior is rational, your mind will be of a mathematician.

Mathematics anxiety is not a common problem with our students only but I think it is an air, which goes throughout the whole world. A research in United States stunned me to know that only 17 percent of their High school seniors are proficient in mathematic. The job opportunities are much more for mathematics graduates than other disciplines. The proficiency in mathematics is not sufficient to meet US workforce demands. The students do not study mathematics because they are unable to get good grades in it. They had to labor hard but with poor outcome.

Why I Desire a peaceful World?

Today’s global village is helpless in the shackles of conspiracies, mutual disputes, cold and hot wars, so called upheavals and hue and cry of propaganda of the opponents. The fumes of fanatic racism and religious terrorism can be observed on the horizons of the world. The state aggression and tyranny against freedom movements is draped in the cloth of good governance. The piles of bombs, missiles and nuclear weapons are leading my heaven towards the hell of unending wars. This world must be the place of peace, harmony, progress and prosperity. The trivial disputes cause arms accumulation. If the leading nations of the world step forward for peace, the destination of prosperity is no more far away. Why the peace of the world is necessary? The people of this world are facing greater difficulties than are put forth by the magical propaganda. Here, I have the audacity to expose the facts about the most serious problem of the world called pollution. Lahore and Karachi of Pakistan have 20 times more air pollution than the set standards of World Health Organization. Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, is draped in the thick layer of smog. A study in Pakistan reveals 4 percent reduction in rice yield due to pollution. According to Key Energy Statistics 2008, coal is responsible for 42 percent of the world carbon dioxide emission. Pakistan intended to shift powerhouses on coal in near future. World Bank statistics show that 20 most polluted cities of world are in China while around 400,000 people die prematurely each year of respiratory disease and lungs cancer.