Allah has blessed us with a great blessing, and the name of this blessing is Pakistan. How should we appreciate such a blessing? How should we protect it? The method for this has been shown by the last messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He said, ‘The case of those who guard the limits set by Allah and those who trespass therein (those who ruin the system) is like the case of people who drew lots for their seats in a boat (a ship). Some of them got seats in the upper part, and some got them in the lower part. When the lower ones needed water, they had to go up to bring water (and that troubled the upper ones), so they thought it would be better if they made a hole in their share of the ship (and saved the upper ones from trouble).’ If the upper ones left the lower ones to do what they had suggested, all the people of the ship would be ruined. But if they prevented them, both parties would be safe.”

“O People of Pakistan! The state of Medina, under the rule of the great and last messenger (peace be upon him), had a system that was just, transparent, and clear. It was a mercy upon mercy for the sincere, and a warning for the wicked. His system was like a ship sailing on the high seas, not a ship for drinking water or other purposes. It was a large ship sailing on vast oceans. I have had the opportunity to travel on such a ship. I boarded a five-compartment ship with hundreds of people from Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, to Astrakhan, and traveled for five days and nights. This was the Volga River, with cool and sweet water. At some points, it was as wide as six kilometers. The rivers Ganges and Yamuna in India, where they meet in Bangladesh, are up to twelve kilometers wide. I have also crossed them on a ship.”

“We, the people, laid the foundation of Pakistan on the basis of ‘La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah’. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is guiding us through his teachings to live together, fulfill each other’s needs, and lead a cooperative life. Imam Muhammad bin Ismail Al-Bukhari has included the following Hadith, also known as ‘Hadith Safina’ or ‘Book of Partnership’, which emphasizes that life prospers through cooperation and partnership. Life begins to wither away when it revolves around ‘me and mine’, but it flourishes when it starts with ‘yours and mine’, emphasizing cooperation and partnership. Now we must decide whether we want to struggle on the brink of death or sway in the gardens of life.

This is only possible when every individual and group stays within their limits. Some judges of the judiciary are writing letters that interference is occurring within their jurisdiction, while some decisions of the judiciary are being targeted by the administration, indicating interference in their work. Such behaviors from institutions are injuring their dignity. Our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) warned us through his Hadith that the officials of the ship of the state should step forward and hold the hands of those whose hands carry axes. If they do not hold their hands, everyone will drown, but those who hold the hands should do so justly. Such justice should be such that even the hand they hold is righteous. Through such righteousness, the atmosphere of our pure homeland will be filled with the fragrance of justice.

Peaceful protest is the right of every Pakistani, but speaking against the state is equivalent to holding an axe in hand. Insulting the flag is akin to holding an axe in hand. Speaking of secession is an attack on the ship. Causing damage to government properties is wielding an axe. Burning government vehicles and risking the lives of young boarders is a severe blow to the ship’s deck where 250 million people are aboard. Some are in the upper floors where clean water is available, rivers flow, and dams are built. Gilgit, Baltistan, Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are on the upper floors, while Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan are on the lower floors. That means there are three levels of upper floors and three levels of lower floors, so fundamentally Pakistan’s ship has two floors as well. People from these floors will gather their region’s resources and enjoy the blessings.

O people of Pakistan! At this time, our ship is in the midst of fierce economic and political storms. Instead of fighting each other, catch the hands of the looters. Robbing the wealth of this pure ship, cleaning the hands of the 25 crore passengers on board, looting their wheat, is like wielding an axe to sink the ship. Those whose hands wielded this axe should be punished openly, and then the ship will be safe and sound. By confiscating the properties of these people inside and outside the country, the nation’s losses will be compensated, and behold! The ship will be safe.

Imam Bukhari brought the first Hadith in the ‘Book of Partnership’, summarizing that to protect the Medina state of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), a regiment of three hundred horsemen was dispatched towards the coastal area. Hazrat Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah was the commander of this regiment. This regiment was still on its way when the rations ran out. The commander of the regiment ordered everyone to gather their rations in one place, so two big bags of dates were filled. The regiment continued its journey towards its destination. Those who were in danger for Medina turned back upon seeing this regiment in their area. There was a time when every soldier of the regiment received only one date daily. Then those also ran out, so this regiment was at the coast. What do we see? The waves of the Red Sea lifted a big fish and threw it on the shore.

The people of the regiment stayed here for several days and ate it. The state’s market rate was also established throughout the region. The fish was also eaten on the way back, and it was also taken for the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). This fish was so big that its rib bones were erected, and a rider mounted on a camel was taken across the middle, and even then the rib bones were above. Yes! The Prophet (peace be upon him) had appointed the colonel of this regiment as the ‘guardian of the nation’, which was the mark of integrity. O Gracious Allah! Grant us the blessings of this mark as well. Amen.”

Written By:Moulana Ameer Hamza