Back from Pakistan

Salaams to all,

I arrived back from Pakistan on Thursday, the 20th of October, Alhamdulillah. The earthquake and it's nightmare will continue to impact on the people of Kashmir and it's surroundings for decades to come. It seems that the death toll will approach 250 000 while millions are homeless. Hundreds of thousands have been orphaned and disabled and the most affected are the poorest of the poor. What struck us outsiders the most, was the iman shown by these most unfortunate of people. Their hearts are pure gold, for while they posessed very little in material objects, they offered us everything. May Allah give them His blessings for they are indeed of the patient ones.

The experience has been incredible for me and I would not be able to do any justice in relating them. The child who was able to smile even though he was the only survivor from his entire school or village, the patience shown by the father who was told that his only daughter had passed away in hospital, the repeated words muttered by a woman "the mountain came down to us" before an operation to amputate her leg, the eyes of the brother who looked at his only surviving family, his sister while she battled to stay allive in ICU, the insistant taxi driver who refused to take money from us because we had come to help his people, the tired pakistani doctors who worked without sleep until they collapsed with exhaustion are only some of the images that will forever reamain with us. May Allah grant the deceased Jannat and make it easy for those that have survived.

All well back home and it is great to be back. the fasting is going alright. Ashraf seems to be missing the South African taraweeh. Hang in there. How is the new job?

Make dua and salaams to all.

Asad