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Mini-Course: How to Speak Pashto - Lesson 4 - Present Tense First Person

When you are starting your journey on how to learn Pashto, the very first thing you need to master is the "identity" ending. In the KPK dialect , especially the way we speak in Kohat , the verb usually comes at the very end of the sentence. This is where the rules of Yam and Yu come into play. The word Yam (یم) is used exclusively for yourself. Whenever you start a sentence with " Za " (meaning I), you must finish it with "Yam." It functions like the word "am" in English. For instance, if you want to tell someone you are fine, you say "Za kha yam." Whether you are hungry, tired, or happy, as long as you are talking about yourself, "Yam" is your anchor. It is a simple pattern that builds immediate confidence in your speaking ability. On the other hand, we have Yu (یو). This is the plural form used when you are talking as a group. In our culture, the "we" is often more important than the "I...

Major Commandments in the Holy Quran and Similarity in Other Scriptures

The other day I was reading the Holy Quran I came across the commandments given to Muslims in Chapter 17 ( Surah Israa ), I found that similar commandments are also found in the  Old and New Testaments (the  10 commandments and the  seven deadly sins ), and even in non-Semitic religions, i.e., Buddhism .  People who have read those will find the similarity here (as the Holy Quran confirms what is in the previous books and makes corrections where necessary).  Don’t associate any partner with God. (Chapter: Surah Israa 17, Verse 22) Worship Him alone. (Chapter 17, Verse 23) Respect and Good behavior towards parents. (17, 23) Keeping the ties of Kinship. (17, 26)   Spending in the way of Allah on relatives, destitute, and way-travelers . Avoiding wasting wealth. (17, 26) Don’t kill your children out of fear of poverty. (17, 31) Avoiding extramarital relationship/fornication . (17, 32) Don’t kill the innocent. (17, 33) Don’t devour the wealth of orphans/wido...

5 Gross Habits Pakistanis Should Stop Doing Immediately

Pakistanis are amazing people. When they realize their full potential, they go nuclear on their own. Make fighter jets . Win sports world cups . However, they have a fair share of useless and gross habits. Pakistan would be better off without these: 1.    Spitting in every nook and corner One of the grossest things you would experience in Pakistan is the patches of saliva almost everywhere. The habit isn’t limited to the uneducated folks, even the well-off and educated people indulge in this gross habit. Some spit the Naswar balls, others the ground Chhalya , and the rest, the Pan . Besides having these sweet ‘confectionaries’, people feel compelled to prove their masculinity by hurling the spittle in the most distant trajectories. Believe me, no girl has ever got impressed with this ‘show’ of masculinity. 2.    ‘ Safai Muhim ’ of their noses You would find some people so engrossed (almost ecstatic) in cleaning their noses and making small balls of boogers tha...

Soul Mate: Script

Soul Mate (Script Inspired by a story in Reader's Digest) By: M. Danish Hussain Qureshi Characters Fariha: A young girl, who is unaware of her fatal disease Kamal: Fariha’s father Sameena: Fariha’s mother Arsalan: Boy who receives cornea donation Eye Surgeon, Doctor 1, Doctor 2: Different doctors Act I Scene 1 FADE IN INT - Home -  Day Synopsis: Fariha, an 18 years old girl is talking to her mother. She shows her a sketch, she drew. Woman sitting on a sofa, a girl enters the room with a paper in her hands. Girl pulls out ear plugs attached to her mp3 player, from her ears Girl sits on the sofa besides the woman and takes out the paper in front of her Woman looks at the paper Woman looks at the girl’s face Girl talks looking at the paper Girl gets up and puts the ear plugs in her ears Girl gets out...

10 Facts about Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, You Didn't Know

      1.  Jinnah was the eldest of seven siblings Most people only know about Ms. Fatima Jinnah, but Jinnah had 5 more siblings. Bunde Ali died in childhood, but the rest of his siblings lived, married, and had children. His brother, Ahmed Ali, married an Englishwoman, Emmy. He lived in London and had a daughter with her.  Quaid's Brother Ahmed Ali with his wife Emmy Jinnah Quaid's Sisters: Rehmatbai, Maryambai, Shireen, and Fatima Jinnah 2. Quaid-e-Azam was named Muhammadali Jinnahbhai. Quaid-e-Azam was named Muhammadali Jinnahbhai by his father Jinnahbhai Poonja. He changed it to Muhammad Ali Jinnah or M. A. Jinnah when he studied at Lincoln's Inn in London. 3. Jinnah wasn't very good at studies until he went to London Quaid wasn't very interested in studies during his early schooling. He disliked arithmetic. Instead, he would prefer to play outdoors with his friends. He admit...