Washed Away!!!

Washed away the sins of the land are,
By the very waters that give life,
for what is given will be taken,
So was said Ages ago, 
is said again/ for those who have forgotten
a reminder it is, by the very God who nourishes us.
Remember the truth/remember the purity
once within, now lost, to a world 
twisting/ tearing/ eating the pure and innocence of hearts
Washed away the sins of the land are,
may the purity awaken,......
A revolution in the making is...
Rise with the tide, change all that once was pure back.
Rise and Rise
for washed away are the sins of the land 
By the waters that give life and death
as seen by the God that sees all, and knows all
Rise and Rise.

© 2010 posted by Mustafa Ali Khan Afreedi (DarkMystic)

Destiny's Road!!!

aj hum kismat ki rahoo par kamzan hay
aik mor kismat layi hay hamaray samnay
himat hay toh agay barhoo
is anjani rah par qadam barha 
.Badlday Apni soch, apnay iraday, apnay azam
Khuda kay banday Badal dey Pakistan ko,
 is ki taqdeer ko
aj tumhara waqt hay, tumhara azam hay.
badal doh Pakistan ko 
aay aj kay naujawan !!!






ENGLISH TRANSLATION


We tread the path of destiny today
Facing a crossroads as destiny confronts us,
walk ahead with courage
on the paths unknown
changing our thoughts, our aspirations,our ideals
Oh God's creation, change Pakistan,
its Destiny
for your time is now,
change Pakistan
Oh youth of Today.

© 2010 posted by Mustafa Ali Khan Afreedi (DarkMystic)

A piece of my mind today!!!

Zindagi kay safar pay 
agayay aik aisay mor par
nah koi aas hay nah koi umeed
undekhi rahay hay, 
nah koi manzil nah koi thraoo
bas aik sawal hay is na umeedi may
Kahan hoon may,kidhar chal para hoon
Zindagi kay safay par 
is nah ummedi kay mor say
bas chal para hoon/ bas chal para hoon..

© 2010 posted by Mustafa Ali Khan Afreedi (DarkMystic)

Ramadan Explained!!!!

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calender (the Islamic calender follows the lunar cycles), and one of its holiest months, because it is the firm belief of Muslims that the first verses of Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad(P.B.U.H) by the angel Gabriel during this month.



During the month of Ramadan Muslims fast during the daylight hours which involves taking a pre-fast meal called sehri before the morning fajar prayers and the fast is broken at the evening prayer of Maghrib (that is sundown).; this meal is known as iftar. Muslims usually break the fast with dates and water and then offer their prayers, afterwards a more wholesome meal is eaten. They are no dietry restrictions other than the restrictions according to Islamic teachings.




We Muslims say Ramadan Mubarak (it literally translates to Happy Ramadan) because it is our belief that this a month of blessings and forgiveness granted to us by God. It is a training period for us a kind of yearly refresher course to strengthen our mind,body and soul, and allow us to develop the self control to steer clear of the deadly sins. 

 WHAT DOES FASTING INVOLVE?




During the daylight hours, eating, smoking drinking and sexual activity  are prohibited while fast is being observed. Also Muslims are expected to refrain from indulging in violence, anger, envy, greed, lust, backbiting, in fact everyone must make an extra effort to refrain from committing any sins. Fast is broken at dusk with the Maghrib prayers, after which eating, drinking and sexual activity are permitted till the next morning.

FASTING AND SIN DO NOT GO TOGETHER:

Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) said


"Allah has no need for the hunger and thirst of the person who does restrain from telling lies and acting upon them even while observing fast"


During fast if one performs any of the prohibited acts, fasting is null and void; it is simply a hunger strike without any purpose.



PEOPLE EXEMPTED FROM FASTING:

• Children before onset of puberty. However, if puberty is delayed fasting becomes obligatory for males and females after a certain age.
• Soldiers on the battlefield*
• Travelers*
• Weak, elderly and sick people.
• Pregnant women if they feel it might endanger the child*
• Women who are breastfeeding their babies*
• Chronically ill people.
• Menstruating Women*

*Should fast an equivalent number of days in later months.

Ramadan fasting is relaxed for these groups based on the conditions. Upon Recovery, they must fast to compensate for the lost day of fasting Ramadan, day for day. If they choose they may fast during Ramadan but it is suggested that they opt for the relaxation

WHY FASTING?

The goal of fasting to develop self restraint


The Holy Quran states 
    "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you so that you may develop taqwa"


Taqwa is an Arabic word which describes a state of heart that motivates virtuous conduct prevents evil actions.

ANNUAL TRAINING OF CHARACTER BUILDING:

Ramadan provides an annual refresher course, a reminder of how we should act, live our lives, and build our character through rest of the year.

DEVELOPING ETHICS:

CULTIVATING FEELINGS FOR THE POOR AND HUNGRY:

As one fasts the condition of hunger and the state of poor people is highlighted leading a fasting person to:

• Care and concern for the poor and hungry
• Develop a helping attitude towards the underprivileged
• Get involved with charity and donations
• Refrain from wasting food and drinks
• Sense of social responsibility

FASTING FOR GOOD HEALTH:


Fasting as per Islamic traditions since the time of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) 1400 years ago has many extra benefits for the health of an individual which are as follows:

• It promotes elimination of metabolic waste
• Helps keep your body's fat under control
• Helps detoxify the body
• It permits the rerouting and conversion of energy within the body.
• It clears and strengthens the mind

Speaking from personal experience I find it easier, to get fit during Ramadan then any other time of the year. 2 years back, I was overweight and during Ramadan combining exercise with my fasting I was able to loose 8 Kgs (or approx 18 lbs) to get back into the healthy range according to the BMI (Body Mass Index)

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT FASTING:


Fasting does not:

• cause stomach to atrophy
• paralyze the bowls
• deplete the blood
• reduce resistance to disease
• harm the teeth, nervous system, glands or the vital organs
• produce anemia 

FASTING IN OTHER RELIGIONS:



Lent in christianity, Yom Kippu, Tisha B`av, Fast of the esther, Tzom Gedalia the Seventeenth of Tamuz and the Tenth of Tevet all in Judaism are also times of fasting. Like Muslims they refrain from drinking and eating unless they are children o are physically unable to fast. Fasting is also a feature of ascetic traditions in religions such as Hindusim and Buddhism.Although the fasting traditions may differ from religion to religion but the basic principles and goals remain the same.



EID-UL-FITAR:



The holiday of Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan and the first day of the following month, after another new moon has been sighted. It is a special celebration (kind of like Christmas is for Christians). Food is donated to the poor, everyone puts on their best, usually new clothes and communal prayers are held early in the morning, following by feasting and visiting relatives and friends.



CONCLUSION:

This post has been written for the purpose of reminding those who have forgetten what truly Ramadan is about, and to share with our fellow humans the Islamic tradition of fasting, to build bridges by getting to know the culture, traditions and religious festivals and holy months of each other.


I sincerely hope that this provides adequate inforamtion about fasting in Ramadan in the simplest way possible.


If any questions are there, feel free to ask in the comments and I will answer to the best of my abilities.

© 2010 posted by Mustafa Ali Khan Afreedi (DarkMystic)

Another Day Another Pearl!!!

When I was a child, my speech, feelings, and thinking were all those of a child; now that I am a man, I have no more use for childish ways. What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror; then we shall see face-to-face. What I know now is only partial; then it will be complete-as complete as God's knowledge of me!!

© 2010 posted by Mustafa Ali Khan Afreedi (DarkMystic)

Avatar the Last Airbender

                                                  

Since 2007 Avatar the Last Airbender has captivated me and millions around the globe, irrespective of any specific demographic boundaries. 

Avatar the Last Airbender, is a Nickelodeon Animated series about a twelve year old boy freed from an iceberg only to discover he's been frozen for a hundred years, the world is engulfed in war and his entire people have been wiped out.

The series was created and produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, who served as executive producers along with Aaron Ehasz. Avatar is set in an Asian-influenced world of Chinese martial arts and elemental manipulation. The show drew on elements from traditional Asian culture, blending the styles of anime and US domestic cartoons.

It is right to say that this series is pretty much the pokemon and dragonball z of this decade defining a generation of fans. 

Since it's release it has won numerous awards for its compelling characters, brilliant writing and superb animation, including Annie Awards for three years in a row, a Genesis Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Peabody Award for "Unusually complex character and  healthy respect for the consequences of warfare."

Series Overview:

Avatar: The Last Airbender takes place in a world that is home to humans, fantastic animals, and spirits. Human civilization is divided into four nations: the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Air Nomads, and the Fire Nation. Each nation has its own natural element, on which it bases its society. Furthermore, people known as Benders have the ability to manipulate the eponymous element of their nation using the physical motions of martial arts. The show’s creators based each Bending style on a style of real-world martial art, leading to visual differences in the techniques used by Waterbenders (tai chi chuan), Earthbenders (Hung Ga kung fu, for the most part), Firebenders (Northern Shaolin kung fu) and Airbenders (baguazhang). Each country is also associated with a season: autumn for the Air Nomads, winter for the Water Tribe, spring for the Earth Kingdom and summer for the Fire Nation.

At any given time, there is only one person alive in the world of Avatar who is capable of bending all four elements: the show's titular Avatar, the spirit of the planet manifested in human form. When an Avatar dies, he or she is reincarnated into the next nation in the Avatar Cycle, in the order of the seasons. Legend holds the Avatar must master each bending art in seasonal order as well, starting with their native element. For the Avatar, learning to bend their opposite element can be extremely difficult; the example shown in the series is Aang's inability to stand his ground head-on while Earthbending, his Airbender training having placed emphasis on circling, approaching from new angles and adapting on the fly.

The Avatar possesses a unique power called the Avatar State, which endows the Avatar with the knowledge and abilities of all past Avatars and acts as a self-triggering defense mechanism, although it can be made subject to the will of the user through various methods, such as extensive trial and training (such as Avatar Roku), or if he/she opens his/her bodily Chakras. If an Avatar is killed in the Avatar State, the reincarnation cycle will be broken, and the Avatar will cease to exist.Through the ages, countless incarnations of Avatar have served to keep the four nations in harmony, and maintain world order. The Avatar serves as the bridge between the physical world and the Spirit World, allowing him or her to solve problems that normal benders cannot.

The series aired for 3 season, each season is named after the element Aang trains to master during that season, which are Water, Earth and the final season being fire.

Main Characters:

Aang  is the 12 year old fun-loving, protagonist of the series who had been frozen in ice with his flying bison, Appa, for about 100 years. He is freed by a young Waterbender named Katara who later becomes his love interest. He is the current incarnation of the Avatar, the spirit of the planet manifested in human form. Aang is a reluctant hero trying to return balance to the world.

Katara  is a powerful 14 year old Waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. Katara and her brother, Sokka, discover and free Aang from a block of ice in which he had been frozen for 100 years. With her brother Sokka, she accompanies Aang on his quest to defeat the Fire Lord and, eventually, becomes his Waterbending teacher. Katara is also one of the only Waterbenders that have the ability to Bloodbend, which allows her to control any person by bending the water inside the blood; although she is reluctant to use the ability. 

Sokka  is a 15 year old warrior of the Southern Water Tribe. With his sister, Katara, he accompanies Aang on his quest to defeat the Fire Lord. As both the joker and the idea man of the group, Sokka describes himself as "meat-loving" and "sarcastic". Unlike his companions, Sokka does not have any bending ability; however the series, though it often makes him the victim of comedy at his expense, frequently grants him opportunities to use his ingenuity and weapons, including his trusty boomerang and a sword he forged from a meteorite. From creator Michael Dante DiMartino it was revealed that Sokka also had some waterbending potential, but never realized it.

Toph Bei Fong (Jessie Flower) is a 12 year old  blind, tough Earthbender who first appears in the second season of the show. Not long after meeting Aang and his friends, she leaves her wealthy family and comfortable home to join Aang on his quest and a plan to teach him Earthbending. Though blind, Toph "sees" by feeling vibrations in the ground through her feet. She is the only Earthbender to learn to bend metal and is considered one of the most powerful Earthbenders.(She learns metal bending while trapped inside a metal box.)

Zuko  is the 16 year old exiled prince of the Fire Nation and original antagonist of the series. Due to events in Zuko's past, his father Fire Lord Ozai, deems him a complete failure, and Zuko feels he must capture the Avatar to regain his honor. Over time, Zuko struggles to deal with his anger, self-pity, and complex familial relationships. Over the course of the series he grows sympathetic to the people his nation has terrorized. He takes on the identity of "the blue spirit" at the end of season one and beginning of season two. In season three, he defects from the Fire Nation and joins the Avatar and the team in order to teach Aang Firebending. At the end of the series, he is crowned ruler of the Fire Nation.

Azula  is the manipulative princess of the Fire Nation. She is Zuko's younger sister and one of the major antagonists of the series. Azula is a Firebending prodigy and is one of the few living Firebenders capable of casting lightning. She uses fear to control her relatives or friends Mai and Ty Lee, reserving her family loyalty for her father alone.

Iroh  is a retired Fire Nation general, known as the Dragon of the West, and Prince Zuko's uncle and mentor. Iroh was the original heir to the Fire Nation throne until his brother usurped the throne after Fire Lord Azulon's death. On the surface, Iroh is a cheerful, kind, optimistically eccentric tea-loving old man, but he still remains a powerful warrior and a devoted surrogate parent to Zuko. Iroh is a Grand Master of the Order of the White Lotus, a secret society of men from all nations and helps retake Ba Sing Se during the series finale. Unlike most Firebenders, Iroh does not use anger as the source of his strength; instead he uses the original Firebending skills learned from the Dragons

The character development in the series is complex and realistic, the characters face the same emotional and ethical challenges as one would if thrust into a similar situation in the real world. Each of the character is not one-dimensional as is seen in many shows, they are complex, with many layers and each has a history and proper personality development.

Cultural Influences:

Avatar borrows extensively from Asian art and mythology to bring its universe to life. The show's character design is heavily influenced by anime as well as Chinese art and history, Hinduism, Taoism Buddhism and Yoga. Traditional East Asian calligraphy is used for nearly all the writing in the show. The show employed a cultural consultant and a calligrapher as consultant for the show's cultural influences. 

The music and sound used in the series was done by Jeremy Zucherman and Banjamin Wynn. They made use of a wide variety of asian instruments such as guzheng, pipa and duduk to compose a background score that fits into this fantastic world.

Avatar:

Avatar comes from the Sanskrit Language. The word Avatara (Sanskrit: अवतार) which means "descent", its roots are ava, "down" and tri "to pass". In Hindu scriptures avatara signifies the descent of divinity into flesh. One who attains union with spirit and then returns to earth to help humanity is called an avatar. The Chinese Characters that appear at the top of the show's title card mean "the divine medium who has descended upon the mortal world"

During the series it is revealed that the Avatar's identity is discovered in each cycle when the avatar chooses four toys out of thousands which were the childhood toys of the previous avatars. This mirrors the tradition in Tibetan Buddhism where there is a similar test for reincarnations of a Tulku Lama, where the child must pick out amongst thousands of things which belonged to the late tulku, thus showing that he recognizes the things which were theirs in their previous life.Each successor is expected to show signs of continuity with the previous Avatar, such as being born within a week of the death.

Elements & Fighting Style:

Avatar draws on the four classical elements common to many ancient philosophies for its bending arts: Water, Earth, Fire and Air. In the show’s opening, each element is accompanied by two Chinese characters: an ancient Chinese seal script character on the left representing the element being shown and a modern Chinese character on the right describing some feature of the element. The character 水 (pinyin: shui), which stands for water, is shown with 善 (pinyin: shan), which means benevolence and adaptivity. The character 土 (pinyin: tu), which stands for earth, is shown with 強 (pinyin: qiang), which means for strength and stability. The character 火 (pinyin: huo), which stands for fire, is shown with 烈 (pinyin: lie), which means intensity and passion. Finally, the character 气 (pinyin: qi), which stands for air, is shown with 和 (pinyin: he), which means peace and harmony.

In addition to the use of four classical elements in the series, the fighting styles associated with each element are all taken from different styles of Chinese martial arts. The series employed Sifu Kisu of the Harmonious Fist Chinese Athletic Association as a martial arts consultant. Each fighting style was chosen to represent the element it projected. Tai Chi was used for "Waterbending" in the series, and it focuses on alignment, body structure, breath, and visualization. Hung Gar was used for "Earthbending" in the series, and was chosen for its firmly rooted stances and powerful strikes to present the solid nature of earth. Northern Shaolin, which uses strong arm and leg movements was used for "Firebending". And Ba Gua, which uses dynamic circular movements and quick directional changes, was used for "Airbending". The only exception to these styles is Toph (the blind earth-bender), who can be seen practicing a Chu Gar Southern Praying Mantis style.

Not exactly A kid's Cartoon:

So many times so many of the older fans of the series have heard this from non-fans, Avatar comes on Nickelodeon isn't that a kids toon. Well the series is more than that, its brilliance lies in the fact that it is able to tell a compelling and complex story while tackling the issues of war, genocide, racism, honor, love, friendship, ethics without shedding a single drop of blood. Therefore this show can be enjoyed by people of all ages for it teaches us the lessons of understanding, honor etc. Unlike other cartoons on nick and other channels, Avatar The last airbender is steeped deeply in real world culture, mythology and traditions making it a rather unique experience to watch it.

Conclusion:

One of the best animated series of our generation, it teaches many life lessons. The characters, story reflects real life, in a mythical and beautiful world. It will be enjoyed by many generations to come.

The reason behind writing this post was, to share with the non-fans of the world what avatar the last airbender is all about? how is this show different? and what makes it different? the real world cultural references? and the lessons it can teach all of us.

Where to get info on the series?:

http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender_Portal

Where to watch the series?:

http://www.animefreak.tv/watch/avatar-last-airbender

© 2010 posted by Mustafa Ali Khan Afreedi (DarkMystic)