Oh Almighty, in your hands is life and death, and all in between. Oh Almighty, protect our children, if protection from all evils is not in their Takdeer(fate), call them back. Because, with a poisonous society around, with suffocation at every corner, and with the systems where deception masquerades as brilliance and greed is mistaken for ambition, we do not wish for our children to chase hollow victories. The world teaches them that success is measured in wealth, in power, in the applause of strangers. But we know better. We know that beneath the glittering surface of high salaries and grand titles often lay exhaustion, compromise, and a slow erosion of the soul. We do not wish for our children to become casualties of this ruthless race. We do not dream of them drowning in stress just to be called accomplished. We do not want them to surrender their peace, their kindness, their honesty—just to fit into society’s narrow definition of success. If keeping their hearts untainted means they never become doctors, engineers, CEOs, or high-salaried employees, then so be it. When the new generation is raised in the era of Smartphone globalization, a generation that drowns in distractions instead of dreams—Has become enslaved by addiction, intoxication, waywardness, gambling, and mindless indulgence.
“In a world that prioritizes ambition, we pray for them to prioritize meaning. And in a time where many live to impress, we pray for them to simply live. Oh Almighty, We wish—oh, how we wish—that they remain whole, remain good, remain free.”
We wish nothing of material wealth for our children. We do not wish for their hands to hold riches if those riches cost them their sleep. We do not wish for them to stand atop corporate ladders if, in doing so, they lose sight of who they are. We do not wish for them to be envied if it means they must live a life they themselves do not enjoy. Instead, we raise our fariyaad—A different prayer not for fortune, but for fulfillment. A plea not for power, but for purity of heart. A wish not for worldly success, but for a life of dignity and peace. May they walk paths where honesty is not a weakness but a strength. May they build a life where happiness is not borrowed from external validation but grows from within. May they define success in their own way, even if the world does not understand it. For what is wealth without peace? What is power without purpose? What is admiration if, deep inside, they feel lost? In a society that worships the artificial, we pray for our children to remain real. In a world that prioritizes ambition, we pray for them to prioritize meaning. And in a time where many live to impress, we pray for them to simply live. Oh Almighty, We wish—oh, how we wish—that they remain whole, remain good, remain free.
(The author a freelancer is also teacher and a researcher based in Gowhar Pora Chadoora. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
