Eid ul Adha - 27th November 2009

I'd like to wish everyone a very happy Eid.

May Allah (swt) guide us on the right path and bring peace to Pakistan and its people, Ameen.

In the footsteps of Ibrahim (Peace be upon him)

With only 2 days left til Eid I wanted to share the story of Ibrahim (PBUH) to remind us why Muslims across the world celebrate Eid ul Adha.

"A father and son make their way in the early light of dawn, to fulfill an obligation that weighs heavily on their shoulders. The father, Ibrahim AS, is facing the ultimate test of his faith. In the days which lead to this morning, he has had recurring visions which instructed him to sacrifice his own son.

Yet this is the child Allah had bestowed on him like a miracle. The boy they had named Isma’el, meaning God shall hear, because he was Allah’s answer to the Ibrahim’s AS supplication, when he was still childless.

Only a handful of years has passed between then and this morning. Isma’el AS is still only a child, but the child follows his father to his imminent death with immovable faith. As they near their destination, his forbearance is tested. Doubt manifests itself in the shape of the doubt-casters whispering, but he remains steadfast, hurling stones at the Devil. When they reach the place of sacrifice the boy does not hesitate. He lies face down in submission to his father’s knife, and with a heavy heart, Ibrahim AS presses the blade against his son’s neck.

‘Oh Ibrahim’ Allah calls out at that moment. ‘You have fulfilled the vision!’ Then, as a ransom for Isma’el AS, the angel Jibra’il brings them a ram to sacrifice in his place, shouting, “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar!” to stop Ibrahim’s AS hand. Overwhelmed with relief, on beholding the angel’s arrival, Ibrahim AS cries “Laa ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar!” And his son Isma’el AS, rises to his feet, exclaiming in thanks, “Allahu akbar wa lillahil hamd.”

This is the story of Prophet Ibrahim AS and Isma’el AS, who were prepared to make one of human history’s greatest sacrifices. Allah comforted them with news of His pleasure in the strength of their faith, and he promised to preserve the symbol of their submission in the tradition of generations to come.

So every year we celebrate Eid ul-Adha, making and sharing our sacrifices with our communities, in the spirit of a splendid history."

Taken from Muslim Aid.

My mother's mother's mother's mother

How well do you know your matrilineal lines? Unfortunately, I don't know the name of my 2nd great grandma (from my mother's side) but I know the next best thing, her daughter's name. So I have the name of my great grandma.

5) --?--
4) Great grandma
3) Grandma
2) Mum
1) Me

It's difficult to find women on many family trees created by Pakistanis as many researchers fail to include them. But should we be looking for our female ancestors in the same way as our male ancestors? Click here to watch an online seminar I came across which covers aspects to researching your matrilineal lines. It's narrated by Julie Helen Otto, a NEHGS genealogist.

What if it were the other way round? What if the question was, who is your father's father's father's father? Would you have the answer?

Remembering our shaheed .. 5

I'm posting more announcements of our shaheed (martyred) who are fighting for our country, our people and our freedom. See my previous posts here, here, here and here.

Monday November 9th 2009

'Terrorists fired rockets at security forces check post in Makeen, resultantly 4 soldiers embraced shahadat and one got injured ' (The News)

'Tribal sources said a convoy of security forces was on its way to Baizai Tehsil when a group of militants attacked it in the Chamarkand area in Safi Tehsil. As a result, two soldiers were killed and eight others sustained injuries.' (The News)

A soldier was killed and four others, including two security personnel, sustained injuries during clashes in various areas of the Bajaur Agency on Sunday. (The News)

Thursday November 12th 2009

15 soldiers were killed in fighting, while a roadside bomb killed two soldiers in Sararogha area further east. (Dawn)

'Eight soldiers and a passerby were killed when their vehicle was blown up by the mine detonated by remote control in Dwa Jungi ... two soldiers of the Frontier Corps were killed in clashes after a convoy was ambushed in Manzari Kandho on Tuesday night.' (Dawn)


Note: I can only provide you with names if I find them in the news articles I browse. If you think something needs correcting, please do leave me a message. I try my best.

We should all pray for these men and their families and recognise their courage and sacrifice for their country.

Are you related to a soldier? Do you have memories of a loved one dying? Do you have a message for the soldiers fighting? Leave me a comment.

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I feel now more than ever we should be supporting our army who are fighting the Taliban as we see the terror and destruction they spread in places such as Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar.

Allama Iqbal Day

It's 132 years ago today that the Urdu poet, Allama Iqbal was born. Here's a recital of a poem he wrote in Lahore in 1911:





To learn more about him, click here.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Randall Style

I've been reading Randall Seaver's blog for some time now but never participated in his weekly fun games but this week I thought I'd give it a go. (Yes, I do realise it's Monday not Saturday :p)

The task was to find the geographical distribution of your surname by visiting www.publicprofiler.org which shows you a map with colours that reflect the high or low frequency of a particular surname. I typed in my surname and clicked on United Kingdom and my region - it came up with these results:

(a snapshot of the webpage)

Top countries:

United Kingdom
India
Norway
Denmark
New-Zealand

Top regions:

Yorkshire and Humberside, United Kingdom
West Midlands, United Kingdom
Oslo, Norway
North West, United Kingdom
South East, United Kingdom

Top cities:

Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom
Bradford, Yorkshire, United Kingdom
London E1, South East, United Kingdom
Manchester, North West, United Kingdom
Wakefield, Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Top forenames:

Mohammed
Abid
Syed
Sajid
Khalid

Interestingly, there were no female names in the top 5. Men rule, eh?

Seven lives lost

Sunday November 1st 2009

The names of the seven soldiers killed by a roadside bomb were released in a statement by the Frontier Corps. The slain personnel belonged to the Mehsud Scouts.

Naib Subedar Gran Zada of Landikotal in Khyber Agency
Sepoy Ashfaq Khan belonging to Nowshera
Sepoy Rasool Khan from Hangu
Lance Naik Shan Gul from Tank
Lance Naik Haider Khan from Kalaya in Orakzai Agency
Naik Muhammad Jan from Landikotal
Lance Naik Muhammad Jamil from Bara.

RIP