152 Perished

Airbus A321

I spent my whole day watching TV, waiting...if there are any survivors of the plane crash this morning in Margalla Hills, Islamabad.90 charred bodies were recovered so far.152 are confirmed dead(146 passengers & 6 crewmembers).For more of the news, read here.

Shab-e-Barat

"Shab-e-Barat" is considered the night of reverence and fervour and  will be observed across the country with great religious zeal tonight. Muslims would offer special nightlong prayers to seek forgiveness for their sins and Allah Almighty’s blessing on this occasion to achieve success in the world and hereafter.On the occasion of ‘Shab-e-Barat’, Muslims believe, Allah Almighty showers infinite mercy and blessing upon human beings.According to Hazrat Ayesha Siddiqa, “Allah Almighty opens the doors of Mercy and Grace for the mankind, the door remains open throughout the night till the ‘Fajr’ prayers in which He exonerates those seeking forgiveness.” Faithful would gather at mosques after ‘Isha’ and offer night- long special prayers, while different gatherings and ‘Mahafil-e-Naat’ would be arranged to mark this holy night. Houses, streets and especially mosques are decorated with colourful pennants and buntings whereas at night these were well illuminated by means of electric lights, candles or even oil lamps.




photo by Raja Islam

Working Donkeys

carrying sacks of rice

carrying crates of mangoes

 This is my third entry about Donkeys in Camera Critters.I admire these strong & small creatures which have been oppressed since ages.I see them everywhere, struggling terribly with carts that are way beyond their strength.

Pornistan?

Pakistan has banned content on more than a dozen websites because of offensive and blasphemous material. This Muslim country, which has laws on dress codes, has banned Facebook and Youtube before.So here's the irony: Google ranks Pakistan  #1 in the world in searches for pornographic terms, outranking every other country in the world in searches per person for certain sex related content.For more of the story, peep here.

.

Badshahi Mosque

The Badshahi Mosque  or The Emperor's Mosque was built in 1673 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan. It is one of the city's best known landmarks and a major tourist attraction epitomising the beauty and grandeur of the Mughal era.
Capable of accommodating over 55,000 worshippers, Badshahi is the second largest mosque in Pakistan, after the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. The design of the Badshahi Masjid is closely related to the Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, which was built in 1648 by Aurangzeb's father, Emperor Shah Jahan.
Though it is just a 5-minute walk from our house, I haven't visited the Mosque.

Shab-e-Mairaj

The Shab-e-Mairaj-un-Nabi or the Night of Ascent would be observed tonight.Muslims every year on  the 27th of Rajab (Lunar calendar) observe the Shab-e-Miraj in which the Holy Prophet (PBUH) went on a special journey to meet Allah Almighty, crossing seven skies on the heavenly animal named ‘al-Buraq’.
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) continued his heavenly tour until he reached very close to the Throne of Allah Almighty and attained the utmost nearness to Him. After having drunk fully at the Divine fountain of spiritual knowledge, He came down to impart the knowledge to mankind.On that Night of Ascent, Allah Almighty also gave the order of the five daily Salat (Prayers) as being mandatory upon the Muslims.Faithful would gather at mosques after Isha to offer special prayers that would continue till Fajr prayers, while different gatherings and Mahafil-e-Naat are being arranged to mark the holy night.Ulema and religious scholars in their sermons would highlight the teachings and various aspects of the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).The houses, streets and specially mosques are decorated with colorful pennants and buntings whereas at night these are well illuminated by means of electric lights, candles or even oil lamps.People visit graves of their loved ones, seeking Allah Almighty’s blessings for the departed souls.










































.