himmat-e-mardaaN…

Posted on October 27, 2008
Filed Under >Owais Mughal, Photo of the Day
18 Comments
Total Views: 132836

Owais Mughal

The scene below is from June 01, 2008 where people are seen pushing a broken down bus near S.M. College, Karachi. The photo is a very good representative of our society in literal as well as philosophical way.

Let me tell you why I think so..

(1) Literal in a sense that such scenes are very common in Pakistan where passengers of a bus are also asked to push it when the engine dies down.

(2) Philosophical in a sense that note the dua (prayers) written on the bus as ‘allah nigehban’ (May God Protect You) and ‘allah mehrban’ (May God be Benevolent to you). But unlike our symbolic and ritualistic society these brave men are not waiting for some divine help to appear. They are taking matters in their own hands and should I say..‘himmat-e-mardaaN, madad-e-khuda’ (God helps those who show courage).

I’ve read somewhere that while the war of independence in 1857 was getting crushed by the British, the ladies in old city Delhi were heard saying:

‘khuda karay faraNgioN ki topouN mein keeRay paReN” (May God put pests in the guns of colonial powers). Of course such prayers were not going to be heard. In the end Delhi lost its power seat for the next 90 years.

Allama Iqbal has also said:

Khuda ne aaj tak us qaum ki haalat naheeN badli
na ho jis ko khyal aap apni haalat ke badalnay ka

Photo Credits: Jehangir Khan at Associated Press of Pakistan

18 responses to “himmat-e-mardaaN…

  1. Zia Ahmed says:

    That means Pakistanies are no doubt very helping peoples, in this case they could have already paid the fair charges and still they are pushing the broken down bus ! What a nature.

  2. Sajjad Junaidi says:

    Dear Fine Balance

    I think you are trying to take this discussion to a different topic. You should discuss that in some other forum but not this one. I am not an editor of this website, just a regular reader and occasionally contribute in the comments field. I have no problem with you expressing your point of view and some people might agree with you too.

    I personally believe not here. Have a good day.

  3. Shaheed Faiz says:

    The guy on the left, who doesn’t seem to be helping at all, looks like the conductor of the bus.

  4. A Fine Balance says:

    Guys try to think:

    1. Why won’t God heal amputees? If He listens to prayers (or he exists) surely atleast one amputee in the history of mankind must have been healed (with proof).

    2. Why do bad things happen in equal proportion statistically to evil and good people? Surely either God has no system of fairness on earth (life is unfair) or God does not exist.

    3. Why do so many innocent children die in earthquakes?

    4. Why does God never show up? Why did he not leave any solid evidence of His existence (the way we understand Him) that can stand in an impartial human court of law?

    Now to “himmat-e-mardan, madad-e-Khuda”

    If a society makes endeavors, they get results because they have made the efforts, not because God suddenly starts helping them LOL. By this logic, even I can proclaim to be God and I will help you finish a task only when you yourself finish it!! I am soo great :)

    Now people will start their imagined concocted explanations that has nothing to do with objective reality. Remember, any argument for God should be able to stand in a court of law as a solid evidence, not on subjective and blind beliefs.

    There is none.

    All we have are imagined concoctions to give us hope and help us through the difficulties of lives, that one day we will be in heaven and our enemies in hell :) (of course without proof of any such eventuality).

  5. MQ says:

    Well said, Ayesha!

    And why is only “himaat-e-mardaaN …”. Why not also “himmat-e- aurataaN” for a change?

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