ATP Editor’s Comment: It turns out that, in fact, the said line (husool-e-rizq-e-halal ibaadat hai) does still exist on the new note. Our thanks to the readers who were able to catch the oversight that we failed to. However, we have kept the post live partly because the discussion is itself interesting and partly because the issue of whether having such a line on the note makes any difference on people’s behavior on ‘rizq-e-halal’, is itself an interesting topic.
Original Post: For many years every banknote in Pakistan reminded its owners that to make an honest living was a form of piety in itself.
No one really paid heed. And those who did probably laughed it away as a joke. The State Bank of Pakistan has therefore decided to stop that nonsense once and for all. If you don’t believe what I am saying then believe your own eyes here:
The old currency notes at the back were all inscribed in Urdu:
husool-e-rizq-e-halal ibaadat hai
making an honest income is prayer
Here is the face and back images of the old currency note of Rupee 10 denomination, prominently displaying that powerful statement:
And abracadabra: That wording has vanished from the all of the new currency denominations issued in 2006 onwards.
Witness for yourself this image of the new currency notes of Rupee 10 denomination below. Same is true for all other denominations too.
This could not have been decided by some graphic designer. No could it be attributed to some artist playing a practical joke on the Government, the State Bank or the Nation itself. It must be a conscious decision.
Has the government accepted its defeat in fighting corruption and removed whatever little symbolic semblance of ‘conscience-pricking’ these words might have generated? The guilt-trip imbeded into this little statement on the banknotes never did really work. Now we can accept something less that “rizq-e-halal” without even that reminder of guilt!
“Zinda Baad Rishwatâ€
Reference: World Paper Money Image Gallery.
See ATP Post on Coins of Pakistan.
Rafay Kashmiri
Kuchh pale nahein parha. Harram ka matlab gandgi keise nikal lia. Harram lafz Arbi mein ‘hurmat’ (Something having significance in religion) se nikla he.
Masjid-il-Harram is perhaps the one in Khana-e-Kaabah.
Insan bhi ‘Harram’ he aur suar (pig) bhi. Haqiqat yih kih Urdu-Punjabi ya kisi gher-Arbi zaban mein lafz ‘Harram’ ka koi sahih badal (substitute) nahein he aur issi lie yih confusion hota he kih harram ko ham gande mahnon mein istehmal karte aur lete hein jo kih sariihan ghalat he.
Readinglord,
Haraam earning Haraami loog, kaun si masjid ko haraam
kartay hein ? wo to sirf apni gundagi liay phirtay hein, kia
masjid unsay gandy hoti hay ? kia masjid unkay baap ki hay ?
ya kisi kazib massih-e- maude ki ?
GANDAH INSAAN HUA KARTA HAY, NA KAH MASJID !
The discussion so far on the topic brings this point up quite well that how insensitive we, as a nation, have become to any kind of ethical values. Having spent all my life in Pakistan when I visited some developed countries for the first time, it was surprising for me that people there care about things as simple as it is a civilized thing to watch out for the pedestrians crossing the road if you are driving a car. I found them discussing such issues in a way of reminding each other that what is right and what we should care about.
However when it comes to our society, it is quite a shame to see that we have built an attitude of being totally insensitive to caring about any good values. We seems to mock those who care and look up towards those who do not care anything other than what suites to them. It is really a pity.
Yih haram alaal kia hota he. Hadees he Sahih Bukhari ki:
“Un cheezon se apne aap ko bacha jin ko Allah haraam qaraar deta he”
Magar bandah bhi haraam he aur masjid bhi aur yih haraam bande haraam kama kar haram masjid ki taraf dourhe jaate hein, ghaliban haraam laundering ke lie. Kia isi lie kehte hein ‘Maal-e-haraam bajaaye haraam raft’.
Husool-e-rizq-e-halaan Ayn ebadat hai
Magar Pakistan maiN sirf kahawat hai