Man used to live alone in caves. Then he made a family and moved into the huts. Family got extended and he started living in houses. This used to be the unit he loved and defended. Then many families lived together and a village came into being. Villages grew into towns and towns into cities. But towns got attacked and plundered so man enlarged his concept of home to country. It became a place which would be centre of his loyalty, where most people spoke his language, had some common interests and share the same dreams.
Man had developed many weapons in the meanwhile and when interests of one country clashed with that of other, wars started. With passage of time wars become more devastating and men looked for a break so the nations agreed to make an league of nations which later gave way to United Nations. But Wars still take place; weaker nations are still attacked by powerful ones and the rich nations get richer by making rules of business for the poorer ones. I do not want to go back in history and show the destructions wars among nations brought to humanity. Only in the twenty first century, USA attacked Sudan,Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan and conspired against Iran, Pakistan and North Korea. So in spite of all progress and growth in science and technology and ideology, humanity remains divided, disturbed and devastated. Lamenting on the destruction brought by the concept of nation state, Dr Iqbal said:
” The biggest idol today is the concept of nation state, which in fact is the coffin of religion”
God Almighty sent His messengers from the time first man laid his feet on earth. Adam, the first man was also a prophet. And the coming of prophets continued till His last prophet Muhammad SAW broght a lasting message for humanity. According to his teachings , man has only two options in this world. Either to live as an obedient and protected friend of Allah Almighty or a slave of his own wishes and desires living on his own. The former make one nation and the later another. All the people who believe in Allah and choose to follow the code of conduct prescribed by Him are called Muslims (Those who submit to His Sovereignty) and wherever they live, they are ONE nation. Allah is the Protecting Friend of Muslims and has undertaken to support them, as long as they remain loyal to Him. Success belongs to friends of Allah:
” Faint not nor grieve, for ye will overcome them if ye are (indeed) believers.”
(139:Family of Imran:Quran)
So thinking Muslim saints, writers and philosphers have always had a vision of a nation which follows Allah SWT’s instruction both at the individual and national levels The first Muslim state was established by Holy Propeht Muhammad in Medinah and then kingship replaced the caliphate. But visionaries like Jamaluddin Afghani, Allamah Iqbal, Saeed Nursi and Mufti Abdul Qadir Abdhu kept the dream alive till the Muslims of the South East Asian sub-continent were bestowed with an opportunity to establish a country on the basis of Islam. Pakistan’s coming into being was a gift of Almighty Allah who wanted to reward the sacrifices of Syed Ahmed Shaheed and give an opportunity to Muslims of the sub-continent to play a balancing role in the end of time scenario. Pakistan came into being just when the diabolical powers had succeeded in establishing an illegal and illegitimate country Israel by snatching and grabbing Arab land, in the Muslim heartland.Today only Pakistan has the will and means to defeat the dirty designs of Judo-Christian Alliance. We have Alhmdo Lillah beaten and dismembered USSR in Afghanistan and will Insha Allah defeat USA to liberate Afghanistan from American occupation, no matter what sacrifices are needed.
I do not love Pakistan because our national language is Urdu or people of my region dominate her politics. But like most Pakistanis I love Pakistan because it is a gift of my Merciful God and is destined to become a role model for rest of Muslim nations in the world, so that the dream of a unified Ummah given by Islam could be brought to reality.
Muhammad Javed Iqbal
