“My longing comes to my lips as a supplication of mine 

O God! May like the candle be the life of mine!

 

May the world’s darkness disappear through the life of mine! 

May every place light up with the sparkling light of mine!

 

May my homeland through me attain elegance

As the garden through flowers attains elegance

 

May my life like that of the moth be, O Lord!

May I love the lamp of knowledge, O Lord!

 

May supportive of the poor my life’s way be 

May loving the old, the suffering my way be

 

O God! Protect me from the evil ways 

Show me the path leading to the good ways”

-Allama Iqbal

Footsteps of Heritage:

Being the great grandchild of the first generation Pakistani diaspora, I have felt that the connection to my homeland is being lost; as life moves forward fast, we all often forget our humble beginnings.

The ancestral grandfather who tilled the land, the cries of our grandmother as she gave birth alone in the cover of the night, the father who survived colonial rule, the mother who courageously fought for her education, the father who worked in the scorching heat so that his family could eat; it is true, our existence is but a beautiful infusion of our ancestral history. Each love story, every pang of pain, every burst of laughter, and every moment of suffering was a precursor serving as a prelude to our very being. Our presence is a testament to the struggles and triumphs of those who came before us. We are not just individuals; we are the living, breathing embodiment of their narrative.

This realisation, this reflection, often makes me ponder about my great grandfather. What a courageous soul who made that one decision to immigrate from the familiar warmth of his homeland to the cold expanse of Britain. This one decision that changed the course of his lineage, opening doors of opportunity and freedom. His inner strength is testament of his bravery, resilience, and power. Thinking of him, I am in awe.

Soulful Return:

Going through life’s many challenges, God tore my heart open multiple times, pushing me to surrender to his divine wisdom. With every step I took in the pursuit of knowing Him, I fell deeper and deeper in love. I felt that I was alive again, everywhere I looked, I saw Him. With every letter, every number, every person I knew it was Him. Through my laughter, through my tears, every sound vibrated His name.

Arriving in the Punjab, after years of inner healing I was overwhelmed with emotion. The spiritual majesty of my homeland was indescribable. The energy that flows through the land that God created me from, engulfed me in a profound sense of connection and belonging, as if each step resonated with the whispers of my heritage and the timeless stories woven into the land beneath my feet. It truly was the purest source of healing.

Walking barefoot through the fertile lands, I felt a surge of electrical energy deeply connect to the perfect rhythm of my heart, it was such a profound encounter with nature’s purest force, that I felt it drew me closer to the spiritual vibrations of the earth. Through this experience, I was able to finally appreciate the illusion of separation as a beautiful mosaic of Oneness. The breath of life in every living thing, is just a reflection of His names, of the One. From the lub dub of my heart, to the singing of the birds at dawn, to the sound of the waves, it is truly Him in all His divine forms.

Through this, I finally realised that travelling for me, is when I get to meet God over and over again!