Whispers of the Soul by Nadia Nizam

Piles of Property and the Massacre of the Present By Nadia Nizam Today, as I stand under the scorching sun of life, my father’s presence returns to me like a dense, cool, sheltering tree. I write this piece not only in his memory, but also as a lament for that lost simplicity which has quietly vanished from our times. Walking in his footsteps, I realize with piercing clarity that life was never a burden—we turned it into one ourselves. My father was a living book of logic and reason. He never accepted nonsense, yet paradoxically, his own life was built upon the logic of love. A modest salary, six children, and a three-room house in Islamabad—where my uncle also lived—felt like a small guesthouse. I still remember how the aroma from the kitchen and the laughter of guests could not be contained within the walls. Whether friends or relatives, my father’s dining table never felt small, because its measure was not his income, but the openness of his heart and my mother’s patience. While the...

  یہ سچ قبول کرنا مشکل ہے، مگر حقیقت یہی ہے. بیرونِ ملک برسوں کی محنت سے کمائی گئی رقم اکثر خاموشی سے اپنے ہی خاندان کے لوگ نچوڑ لیتے ہیں۔ ہم میں سے بہت سے لوگ یہ جانتے ہیں، مگر پھر بھی نظرانداز کر دیتے ہیں—شاید اس لیے کہ رشتوں کا بوجھ سچ سے زیادہ بھاری محسوس ہوتا ہے۔ اکثر کوئی رشتہ دار یا جاننے والا نشانہ بناتا ہے۔ ذہن میں ایک بیج بویا جاتا ہے: “یہ بات اپنے شوہر/بیوی کو مت بتانا۔” “یہ تو ہنگامی ضرورت ہے۔” “میں واپس کر دوں گا/دوں گی۔” “ہم تمہارے مستقبل کے لیے سرمایہ کاری کریں گے۔” “بہن بھائیوں کا خیال رکھنا روایت اور دین ہے۔” “لوگ طعنے دیتے ہیں۔” “ہماری شان بن جائے گی۔” “فلاں کے بیٹے/بیٹی نے باہر سے فلاں برانڈ بھیجا ہے۔” “تم باہر ہو، قیمتی تحفہ تمہاری طرف سے ہونا چاہیے۔” “لوگ کیا کہیں گے؟” یہیں سے ایک خاموش مگر خطرناک کھیل شروع ہوتا ہے—جذباتی بلیک میلنگ، ہمدردی، مجبوری کا دباؤ، رشتوں کا واسطہ، اور کبھی کبھی دین کا سہارا۔ مقصد ایک ہی ہوتا ہے: آپ کی محنت کی کمائی، آپ کے علم کے بغیر حاصل کرنا۔ چونکہ اوورسیز پاکستانی خاندان سے دور رہتے ہیں، اس لیے یہ دھوکہ دہی آسان ہو جاتی ہے۔ کبھی شوہ...

   " A Dollar Sign" A Bitter Message for Overseas Pakistanis This truth is hard to accept, but it is reality: the money earned through years of hard work abroad is often quietly drained by people from one’s own family. Many of us know this, yet choose to ignore it—perhaps because the weight of relationships feels heavier than the truth itself. Often, a close relative or acquaintance targets them. A seed is planted in the mind: “Don’t tell your husband/wife about this money.” "It's Urgency " "I will pay you back" "We will invest it for your future" "This is a tradition or religious to take care of your siblings" "Loag Tannay detay haen" "Hmari shaan bn jaegi" "Flah ko betay/beti ne bahir se flah brand bhaija he" "Tum bahir ho, qeemti tohfa tumhari trf se hona chaheay" "Loag Kia kahaen ge" That is where a silent but dangerous game begins—emotional manipulation, sympathy, pressure throu...

Why We Should Focus on Hope Rather Than Fear Why do we so rarely speak of the profound blessings that the grave holds for the righteous? Why don't we proclaim with conviction that the most glorious day of our existence will be the one when we finally stand before our Lord, enveloped in His infinite mercy? Imagine that moment: departing from this transient world to enter the boundless embrace of Ar-Rahman, the Most Merciful, whose compassion surpasses even that of the most devoted mother. This isn't mere poetry; it's a divine truth rooted in our sacred texts. Consider the beautiful hadith narrated by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He once observed a mother animal carefully avoiding stepping on her young with her hoof, protecting it with utmost tenderness. Turning to his companions, he remarked, "Indeed, our Lord is far more merciful to us than this mother is to her child." (Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim). This analogy isn't just comforting—it's a p...

 Karma—known as "Mukafat-e-Amal" in Urdu—is the universe's ultimate, unchanging law. It's like an automated justice system where no court is needed; verdicts enforce themselves. You reap exactly what you sow, whether it's a harvest of wheat or thorns. In this post, we'll explore 15 timeless principles of karma that remind us how our actions echo back in profound ways. 1. The Boomerang Effect Whatever you throw into the world comes circling back. Just as a stone tossed into the air falls to earth due to gravity, your acts of kindness or cruelty will return to you. It's impossible to block someone's path without the universe blocking yours in return. 2. Returns with Interest The universe doesn't just balance the scales—it adds compound interest. If you've slapped someone once, life might hit you with tenfold force. Whether good or bad, karma's payback always exceeds the original deed, amplifying the impact. 3. The Power of the Victim's Si...