Empowering Independent Voices: Nurturing Critical Thinking and Youth Leadership

I feel as though I reside in a country where talented and critical-thinking youth are not afforded platforms to ask questions, provide answers, and guide others. Instead, those who act as mere pawns for the elites seem to effortlessly achieve their desired positions, such as public speakers, motivational speakers, and heads of NGOs, among others. It is difficult to find individuals who are independent operators, working for genuine causes without being subservient to politicians or influential figures, or without following an agenda that restricts freedom of choice and promotes a specific narrative. And If you think you are independent while thinking and acting then let me know.

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DHUL-QARNAYN'S SPACE TRAVEL

DHUL-QARNAYN'S SPACE TRAVEL In every age, there have been certain verses of the Quran that could not be fathomed. Surah al-Kahf is one of the most interesting Surahs of the Quran. This surah is very ambiguous, in the sense that every story in this Surah contains subtle and profound meanings. The story of Moses and Khidr (PBUH) is placed right before the story of Dhul-Qarnayn, and it recounts the patience of Moses who couldn’t make any sense of even perceived as evil- the actions of Khidr, and it tells his learning of the true nature of those actions when his patience was exhausted. The main message of that story is: Even if you don’t comprehend the insights of certain things that came from God, keep holding on tenaciously to God and His religion. In order to test whether we have internalized this message or not, God narrates a very ambiguous story, story of Dhul-Qarnayn right after the story of Moses and Khidr (PBUH). Since it is sprinkled with many weird phrases and expressions,...

Hedonic Treadmill: Understanding the Concept and its Impact on Human Happiness

The pursuit of happiness is ingrained in human nature. Every individual strives to achieve a state of contentment and joy in their life. However, despite our efforts to reach this elusive goal, the feeling of happiness seems to be fleeting. This phenomenon can be explained by the concept of hedonic treadmill, also known as hedonic adaptation. The term "hedonic treadmill" was coined by Brickman and Campbell in 1971, based on their research on happiness. It refers to the tendency of individuals to return to their baseline level of happiness despite experiencing positive or negative events in their lives. In simpler terms, it means that individuals get used to changes in their life, both positive and negative, and their overall level of happiness remains relatively constant. To understand this concept better, let us take an example. Imagine that you have been dreaming of a new car for a long time and finally, you are able to buy it. You feel ecstatic and thrilled with your new p...

A thought without a title

I was born into a time when things had meanings, friendship was akin to brotherhood, and parents and grandparents were our first teachers. We mimicked their actions, and neighbors would hold up our good behavior as examples for their own children. As a child, everything seemed fresh and new; we were learning the real, albeit simple, truths of the world. I remember feeling terrified of taking written exams on a clipboard because, until third grade in our government school, we only had verbal exams. Life was different then; it had meaning. Days were long enough to play cricket twice when school was off. We shared so little—a plate of biryani with friends, or a kulfi with my brother—yet it brought immense happiness. There were no life aims or strategies to achieve them; it was simply me, living a comfortable life with family and friends, blissfully unaware of the harsh realities of the world. But what seems real is often a fabrication by those who benefit from our ignorance. What ...

Aqeel Ahmad

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