Zeeshan Rasool Khan

  By – Zeeshan Rasool Khan To create global awareness about the importance of a healthy environment, world environment day is celebrated every year on June 5. Also known as, Eco day or simply Environment day, world environment day was established by UN General Assembly in 1972. Its celebrations are theme-based and each year a particular theme is declared by United Nations. The theme of first-world environment day held in 1974 was ‘only one earth’ and this year it is ‘Ecosystem Restoration’. What is an Ecosystem? The term Ecosystem was introduced by A.G Tansley in 1935. He defined it as; the system resulting from the interaction of all living and non-living factors of the environment. In fact, in nature, the living organisms and their non-living environment interact with each other and they are so much inseparably interlinked that there is a frequent exchange of material and energy leading to a tropic structure, biotic diversity, and material cycle (i.e exchange of materials...

  By – Zeeshan Rasool Khan There was a time when people would believe ‘Parents are next to God’. But, as the desire for materialism grew, most of us are no longer holding this opinion. Time has changed our priorities. While on one hand, we flauntingly celebrate days to honor parents but on the other hand, parents are not valued much in most families. Sanctity of the sacred Parent-Child relationship has become fouled in many households. Nowadays there exists disagreement of worst kind between parent and ward. Some homes have broken due to parent-child discord. Especially old-aged people are being maltreated and are having poignant tales to narrate. Ill-fated families prefer to get rid of them by consigning them to Old-age homes which have increased in number worldwide. The fact that Muslims are no exception to these acts makes the situation more depressing. Scholars, writers, clerics, and activists are making efforts to remove mistrust among youngsters and elders of the family a...

We are in the last days of Ramadan. The end of Ramadan is marked by the festival – ‘Eid-ul Fitr’ an Islamic festivals of great significance. Eid – means merriment and Fitr – means breaking a fast; it is a day of joy celebrated on the first Shawal- month that follows Ramadan- as per the Islamic Calendar. Like every other festival, Eid is characterized by festivity for which preparations start much before the Eid day (s) and involve activities including cleaning and decorating the house, inviting friends and relatives, shopping, etc. The Eid prayer that is usually held openly in Eid-Gah (open-air enclosure reserved for Eid prayers) makes the essence of this festival. But, since last year, we are on a precipice because of the pandemic and situation is much worse this time. The 2 nd  wave of the Corona virus has not only affected more people and caused more fatalities; it has also influenced us mentally and economically. And this time Eid-celebration would not be different from the pre...

  FATIMA (may Allah be pleased with her) – daughter of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Khadijah (R.a), needs no introduction. No believer can be unfamiliar with this name. However, Fatima is not just a name but an institution from where we can get inspiration change our life for the better. For that purpose, we need to know her more although understanding her to the fullest is not possible. Syeda Fatima, also known as Fatima az-Zehra (Zehra- meaning sparklingly bright and beautiful) was born in 605 in Mecca. Her childhood was different from others. Averse to normal childhood activities, she would spend most of her time with her mother Khadijah, absorbing the best qualities from her. Her habits resembled mostly Muhammad (SAW). According to Aisha Siddiqa, ‘I have not seen anyone the like of Allah’s Messenger in manners, habits, character, and way of sitting and standing more than Fatima, the daughter of merciful Prophet (pbuh) (Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi). She is known by many titles like ...

  Aishmuqam – A town in Anantnag district is a well-known place in Kashmir. Its fame is attributed to a great saint and one of the successors of Shaykhul Aalam Shaykh Noor u Din Noorani Sahb (R.a) namely Hazrat Sakhi Zain-uddin Wali sahb (R.a) who performed divine meditation there. In this scenic and spiritually fertile area is settled a devout ‘Siddiqui dynasty’ – descendant of Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddiq (R.a) that gave birth to spiritual-greats from time to time, who contributed considerably in promotion and propagation of true Sufism. One among them is Peer Rafiq-ul-Aalam Siddiqui who made a place in the millions of hearts owing to his extraordinary character. Like begets like, this saying suits well in case of Peer Rafiq Sahb. Rafiq Sahb’s father Hazrat Peer Ghulam Hassan Sahib was not an ordinary person. He was a mystic having his own identity and overwhelming influence over the masses. Thus, we can safely say that Rafeeq Sahb’s spiritual greatness had something to do with in...

P rophet Muhammad (SAW) was born in Mecca in 570 A.D in the tribe of Quraysh, which enjoyed great prestige all over Arabia and the neighboring countries. It was the time when humans had lost humanity and were devoid of all the virtues. They had gone astray and were treating wrong as right. However, with the blessed birth of Muhammad (SAW), things changed greatly. The humanitarian characteristics reappeared. The prevailing social and religious evils steadily vanished. People found their lost track and sense of understanding of right and wrong redeveloped and improved colossally. All this transformation was possible owing to the exemplary, unparalleled, and pristine character of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), which he displayed throughout his life especially when the opposition of enemies intensified. He was attacked with stones in Maidaan’e Taif. The garbage and waste of slaughtered camel was thrown on him. Thorns were laid down on his way to injure him, but he never lost his cool. He stood fi...

  Every year, 5 June is celebrated as World Environment Day globally. Also called People’s day, this day is meant to encourage people to save and protect the environment. World Environment Day 2020 is spotlighting the importance of Biodiversity. According to the United Nations, the theme for this year is ‘Biodiversity’ with the slogan ‘Time for Nature’. Biodiversity refers to the total variety of life on earth. It includes a vast array of species of microorganisms, algae, fungi, plants, and animals existing on the earth either in terrestrial or aquatic habitats. From the smallest bacteria to the largest vertebrate, every living organism is imperative. All the organisms are interconnected, show interdependence, and maintain Ecological balance that is vital to the survival of all life on earth. The loss of a single element from nature can lead to an imbalance that can disrupt the natural balance of an ecosystem. As of now, nature has undergone upsetting to a great degree due to biodi...