Nasir Zaidi

                                                                        A smile that melted the stony hearts of the enemies. A smile that is no less in valour than the smiler's uncle’s gallantry. A smile that is as stirring as the smiler's brother’s speech in the court of the damned ruler. A smile that is as legendary as the strike of the smiler's illustrious grandfather. A smile that brought the enemies down to its knees. A smile that made the heavenly beings weep. A smile that shook the very foundation of humanity. A smile that won the war for the smiler's father.   A smile that is historic. A smile that is momentous. A smile that is unforgettable. A smile that makes people cry even after 1400 years. A smile that is matchless. A smile that still stuns the mind. A smile that is a philosophy in ...

The other day a fellow blogger said to me, ‘No one reads my blogs.’ I said, ‘Why should anyone read your blogs?’ He looked at me quizzically and said, ‘But what’s the point in writing if no one reads?’ ‘Precisely,’ I said. ‘So, stop writing.’ ‘But I love writing,’ he said. ‘Then keep writing,’ I told him. ‘I don’t understand you,’ he said. ‘One time you are saying stop writing and the other time you are saying keep writing.’ I said: ‘If you are passionate about writing - almost to the point of obsession - then nothing can stop you from writing (certainly not those who don’t read your blogs) but if your sole aim is for others to read then you can’t sustain for long because you don’t have control over people. It’s for them to decide whether they want to read your blog or not.’ There are many budding writers who want to become an overnight sensation. They don’t understand that writing is not a joke. It’s the most thankless job, the most unrewarding activity....

        When things around you go wrong, Sing a song, sing a song, sing a song. Let not difficult times dampen you; Remember, they don’t stay for long. March ahead on the path of optimism, Lift the spirits of all as you go along. When hurdles hamper your progress,     Take a step, then a yard, then a furlong. We have one Father and that is God; We are one and to Him we all belong. When things around you go wrong, Sing a song, sing a song, sing a song. -           NZ 29.8.2019 BN: 111

                                                              Rape is a condemnable act and the perpetrators of such a crime should be punished severely. Rape is sex without consent and no man has the right to force a woman to have sex with him .  For pleasure-seeking (read sex-seeking) men or women there is a plethora of options available in society. But does rape apply in marriage too? That’s a sensitive question to answer. At the time of marriage, the woman gives her consent either through nikah or a marriage vow or whatever is the custom of that land or religion she belongs to. Shouldn’t that be considered as blanket authorization? If so, then no need for me to write further on marital rape because then it ceases to exist. The truth is different, though. Martial rape does exist because several countries have cri...

                                             I have picked India’s All Time Dream Cabinet. The condition was that whoever I picked must have had managed that portfolio in their political career. Given below are the luminaries who if by quirk of fate would have got together in one team, then it would be a dream come true. I am sure there will be disagreements with my selection but then it’s a personal choice. I would be interested to know if any reader has a difference of opinion.       Head of State (President): A P J Abdul Kalam Vice President: S Radhakrishnan Head of Government (Prime Minister): Pandit Nehru           Deputy Prime Minister: Sardar Patel Home Minister: Indira Gandhi Defence Minister: R. Venkatraman Foreign Minister: Salman Khurshid Finance Minister: Manmohan Singh Law Minister: Dr. Am...

                                                               After finding 10 Gabbar Singhs (the blog 10 Actors who could have played Gabbar Singh was well appreciated), I decided to find 10 Anarkalis. Mughal-e-Azam was a milestone in Hindi cinema and Madhubala as Anarkali was phenomenal, just like Amjad Khan as Gabbar Singh. Both were iconic roles and both cannot be imagined without the artistes who played them. Yet, here are my 10 best bets for the Anarkali role. They are in no particular order but if a gun is put at my head and I am asked to choose only one, then I’ll put my money on Madhuri Dixit.   Suraiya : Thick lips, high cheekbones, and a lopsided smile, just about makes her an ideal choice for the Anarkali role. Aishwarya Rai : She’ll add oodles of glamour. Rai as Anarkali will sear the screen. ...

                                                         Many people believe that Zaidis and Wastis are two separate surnames. The truth is that it isn’t. Zaidis and Wastis hail from a place in Iraq called Wasit. Wasti is actually Wasiti but over time, it became Wasti. They are descended from the fourth Imam Ali bin Hussain, also known as Zain-ul-Abedin. His eldest son’s name was Zaid. Hence the name Zaidi. These people are Sayyeds meaning they can trace their ancestry to the Holy Prophet. In the 11 th century, Sayyid Abul Farah Al Hussaini Al Wasti (son of Syed Daud al Hussaini), came to India from Iraq, with his twelve sons, and most of the Zaidis and Wastis in India and Pakistan are their descendants. Let me clarify one point here. There are Zaidis who are not Wastis. They are those who believe that Zaid and not Mohammad Baqir ...

                                               In this blog, I will mention 9 ways through which a woman can meet a man. There are many single women looking for company and comfort and hoping to get married. If they try these methods, they can meet with success. But there’s a caveat. These ways will help a woman to find a man but whether he is Mr. Right, that is for her to judge.  Here are those 9 ways: 1.    Spend some money on buying a first class / business class ticket. All the rich men fly first or business class – and almost 99% of the times, they are alone. So, that’s the best way to attract attention. If the cards are played correctly then you can land up with a big catch. 2.    Wear a T shirt with a BOLD message printed across it. Something like SINGLE, READY to MINGLE or SEEKING COMPANY or WANT to KNOW MORE about M...

                                                   Born in Kajgaon, a sleepy hamlet in the district of Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, Syed Ahmad Mujtaba Zaidi al Wasti aka Wamiq Jaunpuri went on to make a name for himself in the world of Urdu poetry. But the tragedy is such that not many people now know about him. Students of Urdu literature are also lost when his name is mentioned. In my childhood days whenever I visited Kajgaon - my native place - I’d hear elders talk about him in reverential tones. I have faint recollection of going to his house on couple of occasions, and even catching a glimpse or two of him, but that’s all. I came to know about him as a poet when I read his masterpieces Bhooka Bangal (about the Bengal famine in 1943 when millions died) and Karl Marx (perhaps, the greatest tribute paid to Karl Marx in Urdu poetry). He writes about M...

                                                      One minute of kissing can burn up to 26 calories.                 A wide, full beard with rounded bottom and integrated moustache is called Garibaldi. Termites are found in all the states of America except Alaska. There is a big difference between ‘time’ and ‘time perception’ – that is exactly why a ‘watched pot never boils.’ In Alexandria, Minnesota, it is illegal for a man to have sex with his wife if his breath smells of garlic, onions or sardines, and his wife can legally demand that her husband brushes his teeth before having sex with her. Edward De Bono coined a word ‘valufacture’ to indicate the creation of value. Logic does not change emotions but if perception changes, then emotions change. You’ll get 10% to 15% more for...

                                                                  Words hurt, words humiliate, words humble; words titillate, words motivate, words instigate. Words are like tonic, words are like honey, words are like poison. Words can break a relationship; words can repair a relationship. Words haunt, words mock, words spur, words taunt; words caress, words soothe, words bulldoze, words heal. Words detach, words attach. Words can rip you apart. Words can work like balm. Words can shellshock you. Words can make you speechless. Words can bring out the worst in you. Words can bring out the best in you. Words puzzle, words confuse; words can demoralise, words can send you soaring. Words stitch, words ditch; words can bring people closer or create distance between them. Words cause bloodshed, words...

    A caravan moves slowly towards its destination. It is on its way to Medina from Mecca. About one hundred thousand people are part of this caravan. They are all Hajj pilgrims. Suddenly the leader of the caravan stops the procession. The spot where this command is given is Ghadeer-Khumm. It is approximately 4km away from Juhfa, which is 64kms to the north of Mecca. Ghadeer-Khumm is the name of a pond and because of availability of water and shady trees, caravans passing through this route stop to relax and recoup. When the leader asks the caravan to stop, people think that he wants them to relax and recoup. But then he gives another command. Those who have gone ahead should come back and those who are lagging behind should arrive at the same spot. Pilgrims start whispering among themselves. ‘The leader is surely going to make an important announcement otherwise why should he want everyone to gather here?’ Finally, all are assembled. Everyone’s eyes are glu...

                                                         Yesterday I completed 100 days of blogging. In 100 days, I have blogged 100 times. For some blogs, I received rave reviews, for some lukewarm.   I have tried to be as versatile as possible keeping in mind my reader’s profile, background and interests. My readers range from family members to friends and relatives to my ex and current bosses to my ex and current colleagues (both juniors and seniors) to schoolmates to acquaintances to that mysterious reader in Portugal whose identity till now I do not know. There are some readers who are voracious readers and some who haven’t read a single book in their lives. The senior most reader is in his 70’s and the junior most is a teenager. There are students, teachers, professionals, housewives, and one CEO and three authors among the...