THE SIBLING BLOGGERS

Have you read our previous post on The Philosophy of Hope? If not then I recommend you check that out first because it’s a deep insight into what hope means to me. And as I mentioned previously, in the next article I am going to differentiate between the two very similar yet different terms i.e. hope and expectation.

Before starting our article I want you to take a deep dive in the ocean of your mind and explore what hope and expectation mean to you. What do you think they are? Are they the same thing or is there any difference between them? And if there is any kind of difference than what it is? Take a minute and stop reading, first ask yourself the above question.

Are You Done? The Truth Reveals! Hope VS Expectation

Are you done? Then proceed on to read my views on the topic.

When I began writing this debate over hopes and expectations an idea sparked in my mind why not google the meaning of hope and expectation. And here’s what I found.

EXPECTATION: A strong belief that something will happen or be the case.

HOPE: A feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen.

Uh oh! I think the google mixed up these two, but Janani Sree drew a line between these two words that seem synonyms to each other yet are different.

“There is a thin line between hope and expectation

Know that boundary,

Always hope for the best and expect for the worst.”

The line is so thin that we often mistook hope with expectation. Hope and expectations are an entirely different thing. With one being the solution to miseries the other add up on the miseries. Hope as I previously said is to hold the grip on one’s reality and only thinking that whatever might happen will be good for us. On the other hand, the expectation is when you are sure that a certain thing or person will appear as how you want them to be but sometimes, no most of the time opposite occurs and we are ended with broken hearts.

While expecting a certain thing, you knew in your heart that this thing is going to happen for sure this feeling of surety creates a negative influence that leads to great pains because when it doesn't happen you are let down. And even when it does happen, you don't feel too happy because it was always the part of the surety. You knew it’s going to happen anyway then what’s there to be happy about.

Hope is something not assured, you never knew if it’s going to happen or not, so when something does happen you feel the happiness of it. It’s like a sweet blessing in disguise. But when it doesn’t happen you are still cool about it because nevertheless, you weren’t sure about it in the first place.

Didn’t quite understood? No problem I’ve got you. Just keep reading.

Example for Better Understanding

Let me give you an example that I am sure most of you can relate,
When a student gets in the ninth class (SSC Part 1) especially in the Sindh board he/she is taught one biggest thing apart from academic studying. A quote you might have heard too, (btw I wrote it above too)

Hope for the best, and expect the worst.

If you are someone from Sindh board then you possibly got the idea *smiles sarcastically*. In Sindh board no matter how hard you do in your exams it is always your luck that’s going to decide your future and not your hard-work.

Now I suggest you take a moment and consider yourself as the ninth-class student, which you might have been or will be one day; working damn hard to ace your exams. You are working day and night and as hard as you could and you are confident and expect that you will get 90% easily and the result comes out and you saw that you only got 70%. What’s going to happen to you now? (P.S. I am not going in detail of the circumstances because I have faced them myself and it’s too painful to dig those memories out again. BTW it happened to me in intermediate and not matriculation).

On the other hand, you are the same as the ninth class student working as hard as your body could afford. Did your best in exams too and expected nothing. You do hope and pray for yourself but you are not expecting to get 90%. When the result came and you got the same 70% but you are happy because at least you didn’t fail, at least you got an A, and at least some things are going to make you happy.

Check out our article on “Students and their percentage”

Don’t Get me Wrong

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying to give up on hard work but whatever you do, enjoy it as it is. Live your life to the fullest and do your best in whatever you do. Life is full of uncertainty, maybe the hard work you do today will bore fruit in the distant future. So don’t give up, and always have a positive mindset because happiness comes to you when you are positive from within.

Accept your life as it is and let go of the false attachments and expectations, whether you expect things from certain people or the circumstances, free yourself of this misery and when you do let go then trust me your mind would be a lot more peaceful than before.

How to NOT Expect

After reading this debate the question might have been raised in your mind that is, why do we expect? Why our minds can’t accept the fact that not all the things we want to go our way? We know that expectations hurt then why do we still expect?

Because the problem lies in our minds. When you start expecting things from yourself and people around you, you begin confining yourself in a small room without an exit. We expect people to live up to the expectations we have for them and when they don’t, our soul is filled with anguish for them. We hate them for being them, we don’t accept their uniqueness just because they didn’t fulfill our criteria for them. You see these expectations are just a bunch of negative feelings or I call it the poison our minds pour for our soul to drink and die. To let go of expectations you have to control your emotions, create a positive mindset for everything in your life only then you would be able to lead a life that is filled with countless happiness and most importantly a peaceful life.

We hope we have met your expectation with this article there is more to write about the difference but as this was getting long and we know time is money, so we hope that you get the gist of what we are trying to convey. You can add more in the comment section below. We would love to hear from you.

---Written By: Rameen Fatima Basri

---Edited By: Aheed Uddin Basri

Hope Vs Expectation

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are known to cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). All coronaviruses are zoonotic. They start in animals and can then, following mutation, recombination, and adaptation, passed on to humans. This process is called ‘spillover.’ The first coronavirus was discovered in chickens in the 1930s. It was a few decades until the first human coronavirus got discovered in the 1960s. To date, seven coronaviruses can cause disease in humans. Four are endemic (regularly found among particular people or in a specific area) and are responsible for about 10-15% of common colds, mostly during winter. The coronaviruses that cause mild to moderate disease in humans are called: 229E, OC43, NL63, and HKU1. Thus, most of us will be infected with a coronavirus at least once in our life (but luckily there isn’t anything to worry about). The other three – SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 – appear to have jumped to the human population more recently. Worryingly, these three result in a high mortality rate.

In 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) caused an outbreak of the disease Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in mainland China and Hong Kong. Similarly, in 2012 the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) led to an outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and The Republic of Korea. In both cases, the coronaviruses were new to science. Happily, both outbreaks were contained thanks to a combination of human intervention and still unknown natural circumstances. Currently, the whole world is fighting from COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2.

COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 initiated from a wet market in Wuhan, China. The hunt for the animal source of Covid-19 is still unknown. Some researchers relate it to the type of coronavirus found in bats, and others link it to pangolin. While the cause of the current outbreak was initially unknown, on January 7, Chinese health authorities identified that it was caused by a strain of coronavirus that had not been encountered in humans before. Five days later, the Chinese government shared the genetic sequence of the virus so that other countries could develop their diagnostic kits. World Health Organization (WHO) characterized it as a ‘pandemic’ on 11th March’20. According to mathematical models designed by American researchers, the primary reproductive number (Ro –R naught) of Covid-19 is 2.3, meaning each infected person can infect 2.3 persons. Under the current lockdown restrictions, Ro is now estimated to have dropped to somewhere between 0.6 and 0.9. This means that the pandemic is shrinking – although not uniformly.

Covid-19 unexpectedly hit the world. Starting from a city, now, the whole world is under its threat. An only known method to fight it is social distancing and lockdowns. These ways of preventions completely transformed the world how it used to work. Lockdowns have limited the human movement either by land or by air. This resulted in lesser pollution, which the world wanted to do for several years. Educational institutes changed their traditional way of classroom teaching and started online classes. Social distancing and quarantine gave people a chance to spend time with family, create a stronger bond, and learn or improve their skill set. It also altered the banking sectors around the globe. People switched to online banking and contactless payments. All these points might sound gains of coronavirus, but this pandemic badly hits world economies. The world is on the path to depression, and by some analysts, this economic depression will be the worst than The Great Depression of the 1930s. Due to this, unemployment and poverty will be increased.

The world will take years to cope with the aftermath of this global crisis. This crisis will be cited in future writing as a historical event like World War I and II and how it changed the human lives socially, economically, and digitally. The world will have to learn a lesson from it and should start focusing more on the weak health sectors. It is also a possibility that the phenomenon of ‘Globalization’ will be replaced by that of ‘Nationalism.’ The effect of this transformation on world politics and the economy is a whole new debate and topic for some other day. At the moment, humans should practice social distancing and win the battle against this virus.

--Written By: Syyed Roshaan

--Edited By: The Sibling Bloggers

P.S: Writer can be reached out at roshaan.rehman@gmail.com

What Everyone Mus Know About Corona Virus

Islam, in the early 7th century, emerged in Makkah (Holy city for Muslims) and rapidly spread under the leadership of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.), the last messenger of ALLAH. Under his supervision and guidance, many people in Arab came under the light of Islam. After His (S.A.W.) death in 632 A.D., Islam started spreading out of the Arabic peninsula under the rule of Khulfa-e-Rashideen and gradually covered parts of Northern Africa, Central Asia, and Europe. By the 8th century, the Umayyad Caliphate extended from Iberia in the West to the Indus River in the east. Polities such as those ruled by the Umayyads and Abbasid Caliphate (in the Middle East and later in Spain and Southern Italy), Fatimids, Seljuks, Ayyubids, Mamluks, Ottomans, and Mughals were among the most influential powers in the world. The Islamic Golden Age gave rise to many centers of culture and science and produced notable polymaths, astronomers, mathematicians, physicians, and philosophers during the Middle Ages. Muslims ruled the world with pride for centuries. Unfortunately, these dynasties started collapsing in the 17th century, and Muslim’s power finally ended prior First World War. Today, approximately 1.8 Billion Muslims, making up around 24.1% of the world population is in a state of crisis. As a nation, they are unable to highlight Palestine, Kashmir, Xinjiang, and Myanmar issues, to name some, on international forums, and find a permanent solution to these problems.

Islam which was once considered as “Peaceful and Progressive Religion,” is considered synonymous with “Terrorism.” Around the world, Muslims are fighting with each other due to conflicts of sects, resources, and power. As a religion, it always commanded to respect other religions. According to Maria Rosa at Yale University said: “Tolerance was an inherent aspect of Andularian society.” Jews regarded Muslim’s Spanish rule as the “Golden era of their Diaspora.” Spain and Baghdad were considered the epicenter for education in the Golden Era of Muslim rule; this period is regarded as Dark Age in modern English literature, which admittedly was not darker than the Medieval Age (pun intended). People belonging to different religions and ethnic groups traveled here to learn modern education. Translation of Arabic books to Spanish and Latin gave Christians new opportunities for learning science, literature, and other modern subjects of that age. Even though many of these books were destroyed and burnt by some Muslim rulers and Mongol Conquerors, therefore Muslim’s legacy is very much lost in the recorded history. Even Hindus of India were never threatened under the Mughal Rule and enjoyed religious freedom for around 180 years. All these epitomes show how peace-loving and liberal Muslims were in history. However, today their new generation is considered “Terrorist,” and the whole world is afraid of the concept of “Islamophobia,” which is rapidly spreading, especially in the West.

Algebra, Medicine, Music, Literature, and Philosophy are some of the subjects which reached new heights, and new horizons were discovered by Muslims scientist, researchers, and philosophers. Most of the modern devices work on the principles which were invented by Muslim scientists. Opium, discovered by Al-Razi, saved a large number of lives during surgery and is still a key part of modern surgery. Ibn al-Haitham revolutionized optics, taking the subject from one being discussed philosophically to an actual science-based on experiments. He rejected the Greek idea that an invisible light emitted from the eye caused sight, and instead rightly stated that vision was caused by light reflecting off an object and entering the eye. Abbas ibn Firnas was the first person to make a real attempt to construct a flying machine and fly. In the 9th century, he designed a winged apparatus that roughly resembled a bird costume. In his most famous trial, near Cordoba in Spain, Firnas flew upward for a few moments, before plummeting to the ground and partially breaking his back. His designs would have undoubtedly been an inspiration for the famous Italian artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci some six hundred years later.

Similarly, the bug of traveling had bitten the 7th century Muslims and they soon began to leave their homes for trade and religious reasons, to explore the world they lived in. They walked routes, sometimes merely gathering knowledge about new places, and when they returned, they gave accounts of the ways they had trodden and the people and sights they had encountered. First, this was by word of mouth, but with the introduction of paper in Baghdad in the 8th century, the first maps and travel guides could be produced. These traders even helped to spread Islam to faraway places like Indonesia. Al-Kindi used musical notation: the system of writing down music. They also named the notes of a musical scale with syllables instead of letters, called solmization. These syllables make up the necessary scale in music today, and we are all familiar with doh, ray, me, far, so, la, tee. The Arabic alphabet for these notes is Dal, Ra, Mim, Fa, Sad, Lam, Sin. The phonetic similarity between today’s scale and the Arabic alphabet used in the 9th century is astonishing.

On top of that, Muslims were also developing musical instruments. These are some notable inventions/discoveries of Muslims of the past. However, these legacies are now just a part of history, and modern Muslims are walking far away from this glorious path. Today not a single university from Muslim country is ranked in the list of Top 100 universities. Only three Muslim scientists are able to win prestigious Nobel Prize, Ahmed Zewail in 1999, and Aziz Sancar in 2015 for contribution in Chemistry and Dr. Muhammad Abdus Salam, also regarded as “First ~~Muslim~~ Nobel Laureate,” in 1979 for contribution in the field of physics. This shows the seriousness of Muslims towards education and primarily scientific education.

Once Muslims were considered as “Muslim Ummah” (Ummah means community in Arabic), but in present days Muslims are divided into different sects and fighting for different identities. The entire Muslim world is collapsed and fighting with either each other or for fundamental rights. Iran-Iraq war, Palestine-Israel war, Syria war, Yemen cold war, and Saudi-Iran proxy war are few of many conflicts. Some other significant conflicts like Kashmir Issue, Palestine never supported Pakistan on this issue in U.N. even though Pakistan has always backed Palestine. This shows differences and dissonance between fellow Muslim states. Organization of Islamic Cooperation (O.I.C.), previously known as the Organization of Islamic Conference founded in Sept’ 1969, has also failed to create harmony and unity between Muslims and to address their hardships to other international forums. This creates a significant gap in the representation of Muslim countries in front of other countries, and this leads to unsolved conflicts and more significant crises. One big role in these conflicts is the leadership of the Muslim world, particularly of the Arab world. The Arab world has failed to produce wise and progressive leaders in the last century. No Muslim leader, after the fall of the Ottoman Empire comes in mind when we talk about leadership or think of someone as a role model. Early 20th-century Muslim countries were mostly ruled by monarchs and following that by dictators who were somehow inspired by monarchs. These forms of government lack freedom of people, and this was a big reason to ignite the fire of “Arab Spring,” which started in the early 2010s from Tunisia and gradually spread throughout the Arab world. Arab spring was a sign that The Muslim population was never happy under their leaders because revolutions do not come in days, they need years to spread across the countries and wanted a democratic government (Government of the people, by the people, for the people).

Analyzing all these issues, one can easily conclude that Muslims are surely in a terrible situation. Nevertheless, the irony is that no one wants to change these conditions and want to live in the dreams of a glorious past or blaming others for the downfall of Muslims. Looking in the last 100 years or even 200 years, Muslims have not contributed to the prosperity of humans. We always look towards the West for medicines or technology to help us in diseases or fight disasters. We travel to the West for better education, work opportunities, or sometimes better lives. We should start focusing more on education and should produce better scientists, engineers, and doctors. Today countries are not respected on their power show but the quality of education in their country. Germany and England set a great example of this during World War II when both countries mutually agreed not to attack each other’s universities, and in the post 2nd world war period, they again raised as strong nations, only due to their education. We should learn a lesson from this. Similarly, Muslims should try to elect better leaders who can lead them to a peaceful future and can also maintain good diplomatic relationships with other Muslim and even non-Muslim countries. Now is the best time to think and take serious steps to create a better future for our upcoming generations in which they are not labeled as “Terrorist” but as an example for others also.

Written By: Syyed Roshaan
Edited By: The Sibling Bloggers

P.S: This article is the Masterpiece of Syed Roshaan Ur-Rehman and not by The Sibling Bloggers. This is pure Collaborative work.

Muslims, Then & Now

Hope, a four-word letter but with meaning so deep that even words become short describing it. Hope is something that, despite all the darkness you long for light, your tired eyes still see the light shining through a tiny hole.

Hope is that faint light that glows the world filled with utter darkness. Hope is when you know things aren't going your way, but you still believe that a pure revelation would turn its way towards you. Or maybe what you have planned doesn't happen, but something much better than it is anticipating you in the future, but you don't realize it yet. You will come soon. In Shaa Allah.

Hope is the key to live in this world. No individual in this world is happy, but hope rekindled in his soul makes him live in the moment. One can't deny the fact that there are no worries or sadness. Life is the name of living through thousands of battles each day, and each giving us a new lesson to learn. They say happiness doesn't last long, but neither does the sadness.

Hope is something you should carry all the time; it's a sword that helps to fight odds, failures, negativity, etc. I know most of you would even say I am stupid, but believe me, hopelessness is a big disaster because when it comes, it only brings misery, depression, suicidal thoughts, negativity, and all the wrong things. Suddenly you don't want to live on and think of ways to end your life. Still, on the other hand, if you hope for a better future, your worries will soon be dissolved into a puddle of contentment, your sadness will be replaced by happiness, then believe me one day, maybe not too fast but one day it will happen. I'll write dialogue from one of my favorite dramas to help you better understand my point.

If you want to die, then you can – but do it tomorrow. If you still want to kill yourself tomorrow, then do it the day after. If you still have the same pain on the next day, it's still not too late to die the day after or the day after that. If you live your life pass each day like that, a good day will come. Then one day, you will tell yourself, "good that I didn't kill myself that day."

See, I am a nature freak, so let me give you an example from nature. Sunsets tell us that every chapter of life, either worse or happy, should end, and sunrise tells us that no matter how the ending was, you can always begin again.

Hope is at the mercy of Allah, believing His plans for you, trusting Him with everything in you. The eyes that only see the worst side of their circumstances can never feel the contentment even in light situations; at least is what I have witnessed. So open your heart and see the positivity even in the worst condition of your life. I am sure you will be able to find plenty you have to change the view of seeing it because Allah has promised us not once but twice that with every difficulty there is ease. Challenge and comfort come together, so you have to change how you view situations.

I have learned to accept the fact that there are some of my plans for myself and Allah's plans for me. My plots go with my desires, while Allah's plans are according to His infinite wisdom. I need to trust Him with all my heart and remember that what He has planned for me is better than my plans. Always. And whatever my dreams are, I need to have faith in Allah, who is the best handler of our affairs.

Allah's timing is always perfect, it's either we who are being impatient or that thing is not going to benefit us in any way. In both situations, put your affairs in His hands because Allah is the best disposer of affairs. Sooner or later, what is meant for you will find its way to you.

Believe Him, hope, and do your best, and Allah will do the rest. And remember,

"The world is full of suffering, but it is also filled with overcoming it." (Helen Keller)

Always Hope but never expect, want to know why? Then stay tuned.

Written By: Rameen Fatima Basri

Edited By: Aheed Uddin Basri

The Philosophy Of HOPE

This article is dedicated to all the people in the world because, in my opinion, I don’t think there is a single soul on this planet who doesn’t have fears inside him. It is a matter of fact that every person fears one thing or another, like some fear from injections other fears from there secrets, but one way or another everyone has fear in them.

Now reading till here you might be thinking that the beginning of this article is different from the name of the article, so I must tell you this first to hold down to your horses and get ready for an amazing journey of facts ahead of you.

Why I am writing this article : -

Well, the real reason for me to write this article was because of something I saw not a long time ago from now. I know some of you might be thinking what was the thing that I saw that inspired me so much that I am writing this article, but I am not going to tell you that :) because that is something I fear to tell the world. See! Even I have fears. Just like that everyone fears something, and it is not a bad thing to be afraid, because the people who became courageous are the ones who are most afraid. Now you must be thinking is this guy mad or something; how can a person who is courageous is the most afraid one. So if you are this much curious then keep on reading this article.

How do the most afraid people become courageous : -

Let me cool down your curiosity. In the above statement, I wrote that people with the most fears become courageous ones, and that is true. How? Because they are mostly afraid to lose things that are dear to them, and because of that fear, they have to muster up the courage so that they can protect that thing or person with all their life; and that is how the most frightened person becomes one of the most courageous people. If you are still not satisfied to let me give you an example, that will help you more.

Look! If a person likes their smartphone, he or she will do anything to protect it. Either from falling or getting the phone snatched. They will buy the most protective cover they can find under their budget to protect it, also they will take all the protective measures they can to protect their dear phone. Another example can be taken like military hides all their secret weapons like (atom bomb) because they are afraid that if the bombs go to someone who will use them at their disadvantage it will cause harm to many people, many lives will be at stake or the whole world might be at stake. So to protect it they take all the security measures they can to protect it.

Just like that people take protective measures to protect the things that are most dear to them and to do that they have to be courageous enough.

“Of all the liars in the world, sometimes the worst are our own fears.”

— Rudyard Kipling

The Real Topic Starts From Here : -

Just like the heading tells us, the real topic starts from here. So what is the real topic and why did I tell you about fears? The answer is simple, it’s because anyhow creating personalities is somewhat connected with having fears, and for some people, it is not any kind of fears but it’s something that has broken their hearts completely. If you are still confused let me give you a simple example. Think about yourself for a minute, are you the same kind of person with everyone you meet? Go ahead stop reading and first ponder into the question I just threw at you.

Are You Done Thinking? Then Keep On Reading : -

So, what is the answer? Let Me Guess, and the answer is…….. NO!

Oh WOW, I am so great at guessing games 😀 Just Kidding! Well, how did I knew the answer? It is simple, nobody in this world is the same as every other person he/she meets. For example, If a person is meeting with his/her parents or their teachers or someone elder, they might act more formal and respective towards them; the tone in which they talk to them might be very different than when they talk to someone of their age or designation. If a person is talking to their friend they might act differently or if someone is talking to their loved ones (you know what I mean 😉) they will act differently. So, how is this connected to one’s fear? Well, deep down it is the fear that holds us and makes us a completely different person in front of different kinds of people. I guess you don’t want your parents to see how you behave in front of your friends, and because of that fear, your personality changes completely. For some people they become a completely different person; and by a completely different person, I mean a totally new person, a person with a different name, different mindset, etc. Well, what kind of people are they? Let me tell you in a bit, but first, have you ever heard of the word DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) a.k.a Multiple personality disorder? If no, then keep on reading and even if the answer is yes then still keep on reading.

Dissociative Identity Disorder : -

First, let’s go through some boring definitions so that it can help you better understand what DID is.

Dissociative identity disorder, formerly referred to as multiple -personality disorder, is characterized by a person's identity fragmenting into two or more distinct personality states. People with this condition are often victims of severe abuse.

Dissociative identity disorder (DID), previously known as multiple personality disorder (MPD), is a mental disorder characterized by the maintenance of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states. This is accompanied by memory gaps beyond what would be explained by ordinary forgetfulness. The personalities alternately show in a person's behavior; presentations, however, are variable. Other problems that often occur in people with DID include borderline personality disorder (BPD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, substance use disorders, self-harm, and anxiety.

So, as you read above and even if you go on the internet and search more about this condition you would find that people having these kinds of problems are mainly abused by someone or something, and to remove those kinds of pain they create multiple personalities within them. Those personalities are created as a defense mechanism so that they can keep the real person away from harm. Some professionals believe that DID is caused due to childhood trauma. In about 90% of cases, there is a history of abuse in childhood, while other cases are linked to experiences of war or health problems during childhood.

The connection between Fear and Personality : -

Well, it is clear that when a person is abused, mostly in childhood they create the mental state know as DID. It is their fear that tears their heart into pieces and to hide their pain they create different versions of themselves (a false image). It is not that a DID is incurable but once it is created it is extremely difficult to get rid of it. Once you are broken in tiny little pieces it very difficult to mend them just like a glass. If you break a glass into tiny pieces and then try to glue it all together, it might come back in one piece but all the cracks within cannot be gone EVER!; and just like that it loses all of its beauty. That’s the same case with human’s feeling once it is broken into pieces, it might heal but the cracks remain in it.

Just like that this conversation can go on and on, so let me jump to conclusions now. So that you don’t get bored a lot.

I know Your Time is Important : -

Heading says it all. So what we got to know during our time with this article is that it doesn’t take much to be good to someone. Also remember that fear is just a lie, most of the great things lie ahead of your fear. Remember fear has two meanings, and you might have heard of it.

F: Face F: Forget

E: Everything E: Everything

A: And A: And

R: Rise R: Run

Tell us your story in the comments section below. It helps when you share your stories with other people. Keep reading, stay Healthy and remember to be courageous.

Thank-You!

--Written By Aheed Uddin Basri

--Edited By Rameen Fatima Basri

Personality

This article is dedicated to all those students recently got their SSC result.

July 25th, 2019

Just a normal day for people like us, but was it a normal day for the students of SSC board Karachi?

The answer may differ from person to person but the truth is that it was a really special day for each and every child whose result came out. For some, it was happy memories while for others it was the day when a sorrow broke out on them. Well, few don’t care about what happened because they were happy that they are actually matric passed. Wooh!

My Bittersweet Memories: -

Recently the result for SSC Part 2 has been announced and it took me back to the days when I was waiting for my result. My bittersweet memories of receiving a decent percentage. Because a good percentage means good college and eventually a good university. This is how things in Pakistan works. We work hard for a higher percentage but not to gain any knowledge from it. We "rattafy" contents of chapters for sake of percentage and not to dive deep within the chapters to know what it actually wants to teach us.

Well, only students are not to hold accountable for the "rattafication" this is something our board demands from us. If we don't get enough percentage we won't be admitted to a decent college and that will result in more decline in percentage and a road to shattering dreams. But there are more flexibilities to this article.

The Purpose of the article: -

The purpose of this article is to reach out to every student and tell them that no matter what happened on that day, no matter how much percentage you got, it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that were you grateful to Allah that you got that percentage? were you happy with it? If the answer to those question is no then kiddo you are going the wrong way. Believe me on that one. I have also gone through those tormenting days, but somehow, I got the answers that is why I am writing this article. Now if you are thinking what is this idiot saying, I didn’t get the percentage I deserved then how can I be happy about it? How can I be grateful for it? Then let me clear out your misunderstanding. But before that take some time out, stop reading this article and ask your self did you or did you not get the percentage you deserved. Did you work hard enough to reach this destination or somewhere in the middle you fell down? I’ll be right here go ahead ask that.

If you are not satisfied, I am over here, Keep on reading!

If you are satisfied with your answer then congratulations, but if not then keep reading. In Shaa Allah I hope it will satisfy you. So, let me throw some worldly facts towards you.

Most of the kids think that percentage has everything to do with their future but I must tell you that it doesn’t, not a single job interview asks you about your matriculation percentage. It is just an idiotic stereotype in Pakistan that the brown parents lie to their kids. Another fun fact is that even in the industry the only thing that matters is how skillful you are. If you even think about it as the company aspects what good can you give to an industry with your percentage? Brag about it? Hide it? In any of that, what is the profitable work that you are doing for the company or even for yourself? Can you answer that? If not then you are starting to get into the right direction.

Undeniable Facts: -

Let’s talk about tech giants like Google or Microsoft, they don’t even require your undergrad degree, the only thing they ask for is what skills can you provide to the company.

Do you know what percentage did Mark Zinger burger (Zuckerberg) got when he was doing his high school or what grade did Thomas Alva Edison got when he got rejected from elementary school because he was special? His mother homeschooled him and look what he achieved. Everyone knows that Bill Gates dropped out of the university before he became one of the richest men on earth, or do you know what degree Albert Einstein has? All of these and other people like them did wonders to the earth we live on. How, just because of their abilities and not the grades they got. People tend to remember what are your contributions to society rather than what percentage you got in your matriculation or intermediate.

A great mind once said: -

Tomorrow is my exam, but I don’t’ care because a single sheet of paper can’t decide my future.

--Thomas Alva Edison

But don’t take it for granted because this system won’t.

[I really hope this doesn’t get to the Mark, cause I really can’t pronounce ‘Zuckerberg’] [Just Kidding!]

Don’t Drop Out Because of Reading this: -

All those facts were not to encourage you to drop out start doing your own things. NO, PLEASE DON’T EVEN THINK OF DOING THAT. Otherwise, your parents will run on me saying this happened because of your article. All I am trying to say is follow your dream, because if you are not doing what you like then you are wasting your time.

One of my respectful teachers once said that no person or not a single test you take in this world can judge your true ability. It’s just a matter of time until you dare to show the world what you truly are. Even if you look in-depth for it, it becomes clear that how can bubbling some answers can judge what are your true abilities. Some kids are good at theory while others are good at performing practical’s that is how all these fields were made. Some require extensive knowledge over theory than practical while others require knowledge over practical work. Take the example of computer science and computer engineering, computer science is about the theories of computer while computer engineering mostly works based on making and operating computers. And like those, there are many other fields. I can only give you those examples because I am doing computer science right now.

Dedication of this article: -

This article is dedicated to all those students who think that percentages decide their future. Well, they are wrong about it, it doesn’t. Only you and Allah decide your future. You only know what is in the present or what has passed by, but Allah knows your future. So, don’t lose hope in Him. What happened to you today was probably the best thing happened to you, for your sake. You might not understand it today but someday you will. And when you will, you'll be really grateful for it. Trust me on that one. So, I hope the cracks in your heart have mended a little. Well, they'll be completely fine in a few days In Shaa Allah.

Trust me on this one too 😉

--Written By Aheed Uddin Basri

-- Edited By Rameen Fatima

Students & Their Percentage

First Check Me Out !

What is Stereotype?

"We slaughter one another in our words and attitudes. We slaughter one another in the stereotypes and mistrust that linger in our heads, and words of hate we spew from our lips"

-Nelson Mandela-

We cannot change someone’s perspective of seeing the world in a specific way rather an experience can change the view. It is said that ‘’Judging a person doesn’t define who they are. It defines who you are.’’ The perspective of viewing this world is different for each, but stereotypes created by this world has enabled the person to view it in a definite way.

Are all the Muslims, living in the world terrorist?

All the girls are bad drivers?

Are all the Africans infected by the Ebola virus?

These were some of the questions raised in my mind, and believe me, there are millions of other more like these.

All these questions have only one answer that is NO! A big NO.

Why judge the whole flock of white sheep, just because of one black sheep (bad person). It is an undeniable fact that any group, race or herd have a black sheep in them, but it is also true that judging any particular group just because of a black sheep is also wrong. Stereotypes are a kind of gossip about a certain group of people or a person, gossip is something that makes us prejudge people before we even lay eyes on them.

Why Stereotype Exist?

We tend to stereotype because it helps us make sense of a highly confusing world.

These abnormal norms created by society has changed a person’s view of seeing everything positively rather every other person is judged for something they do or behave. If a girl and boy are traveling together then they must be a couple dating each other. Oh hello! they can be brother and sister or husband and wife. But an idea of a girl and boy together clicks the image of boyfriend and girlfriend only. This is how negatively these stereotypes are affecting a person’s mind.

Another stereotype is if a girl is 26 and not married the aunties sees them as 62 and too old to get married now. I hate this norm. Like there may be some reason why hasn't she gotten married yet. Maybe she gets the proposals but she got rejected every time because either she is fat, black or not pretty. This is another stereotype we have created that girls should be pretty, have model-like figures, knows all the maid kind work i.e. How to cook, sew, wash, etc. As if you're marrying a robot and not a girl. Deep within her, she is struggling to get married but no we tend to judge her on outside without knowing the real cause.

People who can’t speak English are considered illiterate in Pakistan. Let’s talk about China which is one of the biggest country in the world regarding population, well, most of the people in china cannot speak or even understand English, and like that there are many other countries in the world.

I've also seen some wrong perspectives in the name of stereotypes. People are spreading negativity using the name of stereotype giving their own personal views over an idea or something. I suggest to refrain from such comments or post and don't spread hate over a wrong stereotype.

"Stereotypes develop and persist because they are useful. They reduce the tremendous complexity of the world around us into a few simple guidelines, which we use in our everyday thoughts and decisions. However, the simpler and more convenient the stereotype, the more likely it is to be inaccurate, at least in part."

-Stuart Oskamp-

Conclusion: -

Stereotypes do exist but we have to walk through them. Don’t let society define who you are. You are one unique self that no one can ever be. It’s the nature of human being to judge and be judged. F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote, "Begin with an individual, and before you know it you have created a type; begin with a type, and you find you have created nothing.".

Don’t let yourself fall in the trap of societal norms rather be the one to break the stereotypes. Spread the positive impact around the world about yourself. Because your actions define you not your physical identity. You don't have to prove anyone anything, because Allah has created everyone beautiful just the way they are.

BREAK THE STEREOTYPE!!!!

--Written By Rameen Fatima Basri
-- Edited By Aheed Uddin Basri

How Stereotype Works

I will not be married until I become something

Today's generation has a thought that being married is something that can stop them from achieving their dreams. Especially, nowadays girls are not getting married until they complete their studies or set a career. Their first priority has now changed to establishing a career rather than marrying at a suitable age.

But why such stupid thinking has seized our minds? Because we think after getting married our freedom, our fantasies, our dreams will be over and we will have to dedicate our life for others. Marriage is the name of an adventure full of responsibilities, sacrifice, companionship, understanding, to forgive and forget and to live for your family by forgetting yourself completely.

As a girl, most of us think that marriage means depending on someone for support and to end our freedom and live in a cage of darkness and anguish. Because singlehood has its own charm, we live in a life without responsibilities, where no one restricts us, where we don’t think about others, this is the life where you are responsible for taking care of yourself, you have your own privacy, your own dreams to follow.

This type of thinking perished our society because when proposals came girls think of such stereotypes and refuse to marry and instead she follows what her heart and the stereotype (Check out our complete article on How Stereotype Works) taught her and when she gets the degree sets a career, and establish herself as an entrepreneur she reached in her 30s’ and all she gets then are the proposals of men of 40’s or older than that. Sometimes the man who is divorced or have children almost of her own age. Which may result in no marriage or marriage with compromise, every girl has a dream that the man whom she gets married to would be handsome, good in appearance and befriend her which might not be possible after the ’30s.

Well, I am going to share my experience what I wanted to be and what I became so, my story begins. Hello, my name's Ayesha and I belong to a family where my parents want me to get higher education and become something great, as I grew up my father and my mother always treats me as a friend, they take care of every need of mine. A girl living in her father house is like heaven on earth no one is harsh on you scold you, you live in your own fantasies, follow your own rules, live life as you want. Free from all kind of tensions, problems. Because in the end you know if you fall in the trap of any kind your parents would be there for you to pull you out from any kind of pits. You are living on your own, interacting with all different types of people all while gaining new experiences.

So, I also had a dream of studying more and more and I was very conscious about my studies, but after some circumstances, I had to commit myself into a relationship, my father got seriously ill. Doctors diagnosed him multiple myeloma after all as I’m older one my father wants to see me as a bride but when he first expressed his feelings to me I wasn't ready for it because I have my own dreams I was in university and my 2nd year has ended and the third year would be starting soo but before I enter my 3rd year I have to begin my married life.

Internally I was very disheartened because my father served for me since my KG’s to my university life when the time was so near to give him a result and I was very near to my destination I had to end my studies and get married.

A good marriage is a contest of generosity

But whatever I have thought it went totally opposite my husband loves me so much he allowed me to continue my studies after a week of marriage and my mother in law, what should I write about her she is an amazing woman. As the word mother in law seems like a woman full of aggression, danger or a monster but my mother in law has completely changed the definition of it. She is a gift from ALLAH to me, she supports me she understands me and helps me out in every situation whenever I need her. My husband is a precious gift because without him I could not continue my university. if I’m studying my father is the reason, he is my inspiration I want to give him something worthy and after my father supports my husband became another hand, He is everything to me.

My perception of my life has changed if you get the right man at the right time you will succeed in your life because this is the real success of life. As I lost hope of fulfilling my dreams but it did not happen as the way I thought so losing hope is the biggest defeat of ours. As a result, concluded that never lose hope and as married life has its own fantasies it depends on your partner how he treats you.

P.S Note: -

These Are The Comments From Me That Is Rameen

[These are the experiences Syeda Ayesha Tahir has faced in her life. However, there are always two sides to a coin. The other side of marriages will be discussed soon In Shaa Allah and I believe it's a topic we should talk about in detail.]

Written By -- Syeda Ayesha Tahir

Edited By -- The Sibling Bloggers (Rameen Fatima)