The crisis is not that relationships have disappeared. The crisis is that their meaning is changing. Trust is becoming weaker. Patience is becoming shorter. Loyalty is becoming conditional. Understanding is becoming rare. People want attention. They often forget to give it. They want respect. They sometimes fail to show it. They want loyalty. They may still keep other options open. Modern relationships are also influenced by instant satisfaction. People want quick replies. They want constant attention. They want immediate reassurance. A delayed message can create doubt. Someone being online can create suspicion. A simple like can become an argument. A new follower can create insecurity. Social media has turned small things into emotional issues.

Technology is not the real problem. Its misuse is. A phone can bring two distant people closer. It can also separate two people sitting in the same room. Couples may sit together while looking at different screens. Parents may sit beside their children without knowing what they are thinking. Friends may meet but remain busy with their phones. Attention has become a rare form of love. People want to be heard. But they do not always listen. They want understanding. But they do not always understand. They want patience when they make mistakes. But they quickly lose patience with others.

Social media has created another problem. It has created unrealistic expectations. People see perfect couples. They see expensive gifts. They see holidays. They see romantic photographs. They see happy families. They rarely see what happens behind the camera. They do not see the arguments. They do not see financial problems. They do not see insecurity. They do not see loneliness. They do not see emotional exhaustion. They see selected moments. Then they compare those moments with their complete lives. This comparison creates dissatisfaction. Someone may look at another couple and think their own relationship is weak. Someone may see another person’s lifestyle and feel unsuccessful. Someone may believe that real love must always look exciting. But real relationships are rarely perfect.

Real love exists in ordinary moments. It exists in responsibility. It exists in patience. It exists in caring for someone when they are sick. It exists in helping during difficult days. It exists in staying respectful during disagreement. It exists when there is nothing impressive to post online. Patience is becoming another casualty. People often want perfect relationships with imperfect people. The first serious disagreement can become a reason to leave. Some people block instead of talking. Some disappear instead of explaining. Some replace instead of repairing. Leaving can be necessary. Nobody should remain in abuse or violence. Nobody should accept repeated humiliation or manipulation. Repeated betrayal should not be normalised. But every argument is not abuse. Every disagreement is not betrayal. Every difficult phase does not mean that love has ended. A strong relationship needs patience. It needs maturity. It needs accountability. It needs the ability to say, “Let us fix this.” It needs the courage to discuss uncomfortable issues.

Marriage shows this reality clearly. Before marriage, people often show their best side. After marriage, real life begins. Habits become visible. Weaknesses become visible. Financial problems appear. Family responsibilities increase. Health may change. Children bring new duties. Parents grow older. Marriage is not a permanent celebration. It is a partnership. It passes through different seasons. Sometimes life is comfortable. Sometimes it is difficult. Sometimes one person has more strength. Sometimes the other person does. Problems are normal. Silence is dangerous. Many couples talk about bills. They talk about children. They talk about work. They talk about shopping. But they avoid deeper conversations. They do not talk about loneliness. They do not discuss disappointment. They hide insecurity. They avoid emotional needs. Two people can live in the same house and still become strangers. They can know each other’s routine but not each other’s heart. Communication can prevent this distance. Communication does not mean talking constantly. It means talking honestly. It means expressing pain without insulting. It means listening without preparing an immediate defence. It means asking what happened before making assumptions. Sometimes one sentence can change a relationship. “Tell me what hurt you.” Another can heal it. “I understand why you felt that way.” Another can restore respect. “I was wrong.”

Trust is equally important. Yet many people confuse trust with control. They demand passwords. They demand constant updates. They check phones. They monitor locations. They question every interaction. Control cannot create loyalty. Surveillance cannot create love. Real trust comes from consistent behaviour. It comes when words match actions. It comes when a person respects boundaries. It comes when loyalty remains even when nobody is watching. Trust takes time to build. It can disappear quickly. When trust is broken, an apology matters. But behaviour matters more. Trust returns through consistent honesty. Forgiveness also needs wisdom. Forgiving someone does not mean accepting repeated harm. You can forgive someone and still create boundaries. You can love someone and still say no to unacceptable behaviour. Forgiveness can release anger. It does not require you to ignore reality. Friendship is facing a crisis too. Many people have hundreds of online friends. Few have real friends. People react to photographs. They exchange greetings. They comment on posts. Yet they may know nothing about each other’s private struggles.

Real friendship appears during difficult times. A genuine friend does not come only for entertainment. They do not come only when they need something. They can celebrate your success without jealousy. They can correct you without hatred. They can stay when you have nothing to offer. Family relationships are also changing. Life has become busy. Parents work. Children study. Everyone has a phone. Everyone has a separate schedule. Family members can sit in the same room and still live in different worlds. Parents may provide money. But children may still need their attention. Children may love their parents. But they may hide their problems because they fear judgment. Elderly parents may receive financial support. Yet they may still feel lonely. Sometimes time is the greatest gift. Sit with your parents. Listen to their stories. Call a friend without needing anything. Ask your partner how they feel. Put your phone away when someone is speaking. Look at them. Listen properly.

 “Digital connectivity has replaced true intimacy, leaving us aware of everyone’s status but distant from their struggles. Real wealth is not online visibility or widespread recognition, but offering presence, trust, and respect to the few who truly know your heart.”

Emotional presence matters. A person can sit beside you and still make you feel alone. Being physically present is not enough. Emotional presence means noticing silence. It means noticing changes. It means remembering what worries someone. It means giving full attention. Ego also destroys relationships. Sometimes love remains. Ego becomes stronger. Two people wait for each other to apologise. Both know they made mistakes. Neither wants to take the first step. They start keeping records. Who called first? Who apologised first? Who sacrificed more? Who was more wrong? The relationship becomes a competition. Love cannot survive like that. Kindness should not become a transaction. A relationship is not a balance sheet. Sometimes one person gives more. The other may be struggling. At another time, the roles may change. People must also understand the difference between love and dependency. Loving someone does not mean losing yourself. You can love deeply and still have your own identity. You can have personal interests. You can maintain healthy friendships. You can have boundaries. A healthy relationship gives support. It does not destroy individuality.

Commitment is another problem. Some people want closeness without responsibility. They want affection. They want attention. They want emotional support. But they avoid clarity. This creates confusion. If you cannot commit, be honest. Do not keep another person emotionally attached simply because you enjoy their attention. Modern culture can also make people believe that everyone is replaceable. Social media can create the feeling that another person is always available. One disagreement happens. Someone thinks, “I can find someone else.” This mindset destroys patience. Human beings are not products. Relationships need time. They need investment. They need forgiveness. They need growth. No person is perfect. A strong relationship is built when two imperfect people choose to improve together. Money creates another source of pressure. Financial problems can affect marriages and families. Unemployment can create stress. Debt can create arguments.

Rising expenses can increase pressure. Different spending habits can cause conflict. Couples need financial honesty. They should discuss responsibilities. They should understand spending. They should discuss savings and debts. Hidden financial problems often become bigger relationship problems.

Expectations also need discussion. People enter relationships with different ideas. One person may want constant attention. Another may need personal space. One may want children soon. Another may want to wait. One may want to live with family. Another may prefer a separate home. Unspoken expectations become resentment. Maturity means talking about important things before they become serious problems. Self-respect also matters. Some people remain in painful relationships because they fear loneliness. They accept humiliation because they fear starting again. But being alone can sometimes be healthier than being constantly disrespected. At the same time, leaving should not become the first response to every problem. Strength is not always walking away. Sometimes strength is repairing. Sometimes it is apologising. Sometimes it is forgiving. Sometimes it is setting boundaries. Sometimes it is leaving. Wisdom is knowing the difference. A healthy relationship does not demand perfection. It demands sincerity. It needs honesty. It needs respect. It needs loyalty. It needs patience. It needs responsibility. Do not expose someone’s private weaknesses. Do not use their vulnerability against them. Do not constantly compare your partner with people online. Do not make someone repeatedly prove their love. Do not use silence as punishment when a mature conversation is possible.

If you love someone, give them security. Do not give them constant confusion. If someone stands beside you during difficult days, value them. Do not wait until they leave to understand their importance.

Many people realise someone’s value only after losing them. They understand the importance of parents after their death. They understand the value of a friend after the friendship ends. They understand the importance of a partner after emotional distance becomes permanent. We should not wait for absence to teach us appreciation. The crisis of relationships is also a crisis of priorities. People work hard for money. They chase status. They build careers. They seek recognition. They collect followers. But they sometimes forget the people who give their lives meaning. A person can have money and still feel empty. A person can have status and still feel lonely. A person can have thousands of followers and still have nobody to call during a crisis. People do not always need more connections. They need deeper connections. The world will continue changing. Technology will become faster. Social media will become more powerful. Work will become more demanding. But human needs will remain. People will still need trust. They will still need respect. They will still need affection. They will still need loyalty. They will still need someone who genuinely cares. Technology cannot solve the crisis of relationships. Human behaviour must change. Talk instead of assuming. Listen instead of judging. Forgive when forgiveness is deserved.

Set boundaries when needed. Stay when something deserves repair. Leave when staying destroys your dignity. Give time to people who matter. Protect the trust people place in you. The strongest relationships are not those without conflict. They are those where conflict does not destroy respect. They are relationships where two people can disagree without humiliating each other. They can admit mistakes. They can forgive. They can grow. A relationship becomes meaningful when people see each other’s imperfections and still choose respect. It becomes strong when honesty is safe. It becomes lasting when both understand that love is more than a feeling. Love is also responsibility. Today’s world does not need more relationships. It needs better relationships. We need friendships where loyalty matters more than convenience. We need marriages where respect matters more than appearance. We need families where conversation matters more than screens. We need relationships where trust matters more than surveillance. The real crisis is not that people have stopped needing one another. They have forgotten how to value one another. We are connected to everyone. Yet we are close to very few. We know people’s status. We often do not know their struggles. We can reach anyone instantly. Yet we sometimes cannot reach the heart of the person sitting beside us. The solution begins with simple things. Give people your time. Give them attention. Give them honesty. Give them patience. Give them respect. Do not make them fight for your attention. Do not make them prove their worth every day. When the noise becomes silent, social media will not matter. Followers will not matter. Money will not matter in the same way. What will matter is human connection. You will remember who stayed. You will remember who listened. You will remember who respected you. You will remember who stood beside you when life became difficult.

The greatest wealth is not having many people who know your name. It is having a few people who truly know your heart.

(The author a teacher by profession is a freelancer. 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”)

World Nature Conservation Day should not be another date on the calendar that prompts a few good speeches and then fades into the noise of everyday life. It should unsettle us a little, because the damage around us is no longer distant or abstract. We can feel it in harsher summers, in odd weather, in shrinking snow cover, in cloudbursts that arrive with frightening force, in rivers that carry more waste than water, and in landscapes that still look beautiful in photographs even as they quietly absorb the burden of human carelessness.
Nature conservation has become urgent not because the idea is fashionable, but because the warning signs are now visible to ordinary people, in ordinary places. Across the Himalayan region, changing snowfall patterns, reduced snow cover, glacier retreat, and more intense extreme rainfall are among the climate risks scientists have repeatedly highlighted, while human-driven pollution and land-use change continue to weaken ecosystems further. The science is clear, but what gives it meaning is the human reality behind it: roads carved too fast, forests thinned too carelessly, plastic used too casually, waste discarded too easily, and development pursued as though natural systems have no limit.
We speak about protecting nature with real feeling, and yet many of us do the opposite the moment we step into a meadow, a forest, or beside a stream. We praise clean rivers, but we leave bottles and wrappers near their banks. We admire mountain silence, but we disturb it with litter, noise, and careless camping. We call a valley pristine, and then treat it like a place where someone else will pick up after us. That contradiction is one of the most uncomfortable truths of environmental work: the same people who post conservation messages often leave behind the very waste they condemn in principle.
This is not a matter of preaching from a distance. It is a matter of looking honestly at ourselves. A person can attend an awareness program, share a nature quote, and still throw a food wrapper out of a car window on the way home. That is why conservation cannot remain a public performance. It has to become a private habit.
Kashmir makes this contradiction painfully visible because its natural beauty is not imagined; it is immediate. Pahalgam, Aharbal, Gurez Valley, Bangus Valley, and many other meadows, forests, rivers, and mountain landscapes have long carried the quiet power of places that seem untouched, even when they are not truly untouched at all. As tourism, social media, travel videos, and easier access have brought more people to these destinations; many first-time visitors arrive in genuine awe. They see green slopes, clear air, flowing water, and open sky, and they reach for their cameras almost instinctively.
That first response is understandable. Beauty still has the power to stop us. But the problem begins after the photographs are taken and the visitors leave. Reports from several offbeat Kashmir destinations have described littering, plastic waste, and pressure on fragile sites as tourism has grown, especially in places such as Bangus and Gurez, where waste management remains a serious challenge. What remains on the ground after the reel is uploaded is often far less beautiful: bottles, wrappers, disposable cups, plates, bags, and scattered waste in meadows and near rivers.
The damage is not limited to what can be seen from a distance. Waste near rivers and streams can contaminate water, disturb wildlife, and degrade the quality of ecosystems that support both people and biodiversity. Open defecation or poor sanitation practices near natural water bodies and tourist areas can introduce serious health and environmental risks, especially where infrastructure is weak and visitor numbers are rising. Bathing, washing, and dumping waste into sensitive water systems may seem minor in the moment, but in fragile landscapes small actions accumulate quickly.
This is the irony of modern tourism. People go to these places because they want to experience something clean, calm, and unspoiled, yet their own behaviour slowly destroys the conditions that made the place worth visiting. A meadow does not stop being a meadow the moment a bottle is left behind, but the erosion of care begins there.
There is also a difficult conversation to be had about restricting access to fragile places. When authorities regulate visitor numbers or temporarily close destinations, people often react with anger, as though access to nature were an unquestionable right. But restrictions are not always about denying enjoyment. Sometimes they are about giving ecosystems room to breathe, reducing waste pressure, protecting wildlife, conserving water, and preventing irreversible damage.
That does not mean every government decision should be applauded uncritically. The real question is whether tourism is being managed sustainably, or whether fragile destinations are being sacrificed for short-term gains. Carrying-capacity-based tourism, better waste systems, regulated visitor numbers, plastic reduction, local participation, and strict enforcement against littering are not luxuries; they are basic conditions for keeping these places alive for the future.

“Conservation isn’t built on speeches or annual observances—it requires daily responsibility over empty applause.”

One of the most dangerous habits in environmental damage is the thought that one more bottle, one more wrapper, one more bag will not matter. When there is already waste on the ground, it becomes tempting to add to it and tell ourselves that the place is already spoiled. That is exactly how ecosystems are pushed beyond recovery. Environmental decline rarely begins with one catastrophic act; it begins with repeated small permissions we give ourselves.
The better thought is simple: because waste already exists, I should not add mine to it. That single decision matters more than it appears to in the moment. People notice restraint. A person who refuses to litter can influence another person nearby, just as careless behaviour can normalize carelessness. Environmental conduct is contagious in both directions.
There is also a hard question that education forces on us. What is the value of our degrees, our speeches, our awareness campaigns, if we still knowingly pollute the places we visit? Real education is not only the ability to explain conservation; it is the ability to practise it when no one is watching. Environmental responsibility is not limited to highly educated people either. Sometimes someone with little formal schooling behaves far more responsibly toward nature than a highly educated person who knows better and still litters.
That is why the test of awareness is not language but behaviour. If our knowledge does not change how we travel, how we consume, and how we dispose of waste, then it remains incomplete. Conservation begins to mean something only when it changes habits.
The changes we are seeing in Kashmir and across the Himalayas should not be dismissed as isolated incidents. Research and assessments have warned that mountain regions are especially vulnerable to warming, shifting precipitation, retreating snowlines, shrinking snow cover, and more intense rainfall extremes. In places like Gulmarg, winters that once felt reliably snowy have in some recent seasons shown noticeably reduced snow cover, though the exact conditions vary year to year and should never be overstated as if snow has vanished completely.
At the same time, cloudbursts, flash floods, and other extreme weather events have been reported with troubling frequency in Jammu and Kashmir, and scientists caution that such events are influenced by both natural variability and human-driven climate change. Nature is not “taking revenge.” It is responding to pressure. When ecosystems are constantly pushed, altered, and polluted, the consequences eventually return to society in the form of water stress, hazards, biodiversity loss, and instability.
This is why nature conservation cannot be assigned to one department, one ministry, one activist, or one school campaign. Individuals must stop littering. Tourists must travel responsibly. Local communities must be supported as partners in conservation. Authorities must provide waste management, sanitation, and enforcement. Governments must regulate harmful practices. Educational institutions must turn awareness into conduct. Businesses must cut waste and pollution rather than externalizing them onto fragile landscapes.
There is no honest way to protect nature while continuing to treat it as an unlimited storehouse. Conservation is not a celebration of untouched beauty alone; it is a discipline of restraint. That discipline has to appear in the smallest acts: carrying waste back, refusing single-use plastic, using designated toilets, respecting vegetation, avoiding fires where they are unsafe, disturbing wildlife as little as possible, and encouraging others gently but firmly not to litter.
World Nature Conservation Day should leave us with discomfort, not sentimentality. It should remind us that the environment does not need more praise from us; it needs fewer excuses. Every river that is polluted, every meadow left with waste, every forest edge scarred by careless visitors, and every warning sign of climate change is asking the same question in a different voice: will we change our behaviour, or only our language?
The answer cannot remain in speeches, social media posts, or one-day observances. Nature conservation has to become a daily habit, reflected in how we travel, what we consume, what we throw away, and how seriously we respect the places that sustain us. If our actions keep contradicting our words, then no number of awareness days will be enough. The real tribute to nature is not admiration. It is responsibility.
(Mariya Mushtaq is a Research Scholar and Dr Bilal A Bhat Professor & Head (Agri. Econ & Statistics, FOA at S K University Of Agriculture Sciences & Technology Kashmir SKUAST-K, Srinagar, J&K. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the authors and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
bhat_bilal@rediffmail.com

“True transformation happens within: when you anchor your heart in sincere faith, life’s fleeting problems vanish, revealing a world full of His constant mercy, wisdom, and blessings.”

Changing your perspective does not mean pretending that pain does not exist. Islam does not ask people to hide their sadness. Even the Prophets cried. Prophet Yaqub wept because he missed his son Yusuf. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, shed tears when those he loved passed away. Tears are part of being human. Losing hope in Allah is not. Faith teaches us to be patient without becoming hopeless. Many disappointments are actually hidden blessings. Sometimes Allah delays your prayer because the right time has not yet arrived. Sometimes He closes one door because another door will bring greater good. Sometimes He removes something from your life because it would have harmed you later. We often judge life by what we see today. Allah sees what we cannot see. His knowledge is perfect. His wisdom never fails.
One of the greatest causes of unhappiness today is comparison. People compare their ordinary lives with the best moments of others. They compare their beginning with someone else’s success. This creates jealousy, dissatisfaction, and endless frustration. Every person carries struggles that others cannot see. The happiest smile may hide deep pain. The richest person may struggle to find peace. The strongest person may fight silent battles. Comparing lives only blinds us to our own blessings.
The company we keep also shapes our thinking. Constant negativity spreads quickly. Spending time with people who always complain, criticize, and spread hopelessness slowly changes the way we think. Good company does the opposite. People who remember Allah, encourage goodness, remain patient, and speak with kindness help us see life with clearer eyes.
Forgiveness is another way to clean the heart. Anger and hatred are heavy burdens. Holding on to them does not change the past. It only steals today’s peace. Allah loves those who forgive because forgiveness frees the heart from bitterness. A peaceful heart sees beauty where an angry heart sees only darkness.
Real change begins with small daily habits. Begin every morning by thanking Allah. Pray with sincerity instead of rushing through your prayers. Read the Quran every day, even if it is only a few verses. Speak kindly to people. Help someone without expecting anything in return. Avoid unnecessary complaints. Replace negative thoughts with remembrance of Allah. These simple actions slowly change the way you think, and the way you think changes the way you live. Life will never become free from tests.
There will always be another challenge waiting ahead. But a heart connected to Allah becomes stronger than every challenge. A believer does not find peace because life becomes easy. He finds peace because he knows that Allah is always with those who trust Him. The greatest transformation always begins within. Change your thoughts before asking for a different life. Change your attitude before asking for different results. Replace complaints with gratitude. Replace fear with trust. Replace jealousy with contentment. Replace despair with hope. Replace doubt with faith. When your heart changes, your actions change. When your actions change, your life begins to change.
Never forget that this world is temporary. Wealth is temporary. Success is temporary. Failure is temporary. Happiness and sadness both pass. The only thing that remains forever is your relationship with Allah. Build that relationship with sincerity, patience, gratitude, and complete trust. When your heart sees life through the light of faith instead of the darkness of negativity, you begin to discover something extraordinary. The same world that once looked full of problems begins to reveal countless signs of Allah’s mercy, wisdom, and blessings. That is when you realize that the greatest change was never outside you. It was always inside your heart.
(The author a teacher by profession is a freelancer. 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”)
jaanaftaab5@gmail.com

“Unemployment among youth in Jammu and Kashmir restricts their potential to drive innovation, enterprise, and social progress. Addressing this crisis requires going beyond job creation to restore trust in a merit-based system. Rebuilding this confidence renews hope and motivation, boosting productivity and ultimately securing the region’s long-term social and economic stability.”

Another invisible consequence is learned helplessness. Psychology describes learned helplessness as a condition where repeated failures convince individuals that future efforts are useless. After years of unsuccessful attempts, some candidates stop preparing altogether. They no longer believe hard work matters because previous efforts produced no results. This mental state is extremely dangerous because potential remains present while motivation disappears.
Parents experience psychological distress alongside unemployed children. Fathers often worry about financial security. Mothers silently experience emotional pain watching educated children lose confidence. Families sometimes face conflict because prolonged unemployment increases stress inside households. Small disagreements become larger arguments. Financial difficulties increase tension. Everyone begins carrying invisible emotional burdens. The wider society also pays a heavy price. Every unemployed graduate represents lost productivity. Years of education, public investment, family sacrifice, and individual effort remain underutilized. Innovation slows. Entrepreneurship declines when fear replaces confidence. Brain drain increases as talented youth migrate elsewhere seeking opportunities. Communities lose skilled professionals who could have contributed locally.
Recent official figures have shown unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir remaining above the national average, while large numbers of registered job seekers continue waiting for opportunities. This reflects that unemployment remains a significant structural challenge rather than an individual failure. Women experience unique psychological challenges. Despite earning impressive educational qualifications, many remain unemployed because of limited opportunities, mobility concerns, family responsibilities, or social expectations. Repeated disappointment sometimes discourages highly talented women from participating in the workforce altogether. This not only affects individual confidence but also reduces economic participation and societal development.
The uncertainty surrounding recruitment processes creates another layer of emotional exhaustion. Aspirants often prepare for several examinations simultaneously because they cannot predict which recruitment will be completed first. Years become organized around examination calendars rather than personal growth. Birthdays, family celebrations, and festivals are frequently sacrificed for preparation. Every postponed notification feels like another year disappearing. Physical inactivity further worsens mental health. Many unemployed youth spend long hours studying while sitting indoors. Lack of exercise reduces production of endorphins, affects sleep quality, increases obesity risk, and weakens emotional resilience.
Regular physical activity remains one of the most effective scientifically supported methods for reducing symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.
The psychological burden also affects decision making. Fear of failure makes many individuals avoid entrepreneurship or private employment because they continue waiting for government jobs. Others hesitate to learn new skills because uncertainty has already reduced confidence. Thus unemployment indirectly limits adaptability in a rapidly changing labour market. Children growing up inside families affected by prolonged unemployment may also experience emotional consequences. They observe parental stress, financial anxiety, delayed aspirations, and family tension. These experiences influence their understanding of education, success, and future expectations. Therefore unemployment affects not only one generation but may shape attitudes across generations. Communities must recognize that unemployed youth need empathy rather than judgment. Asking insensitive questions, comparing individuals with others, or assuming laziness only increases emotional suffering. Every unemployed person carries a unique story involving preparation, sacrifice, disappointment, and hope. Respectful encouragement produces far healthier outcomes than criticism.
Mental health services should become more accessible for unemployed youth. Counselling should not remain limited to psychiatric illness. Psychological support helps individuals manage stress, build resilience, improve coping strategies, strengthen confidence, and maintain motivation during prolonged uncertainty. Seeking psychological help reflects strength rather than weakness.
Educational institutions should also prepare students beyond academic knowledge. Career guidance, entrepreneurship training, communication skills, digital literacy, internships, financial education, emotional resilience, and problem solving abilities increase adaptability within changing employment markets. Degrees alone cannot guarantee employment unless supported by practical skills. Governments, educational institutions, industries, civil society organizations, and families all share responsibility. Employment generation remains essential, but equally important is protecting the mental health of those still waiting. Transparent recruitment, timely examinations, skill development programmes, entrepreneurship support, career counselling, and accessible psychological services can reduce emotional suffering while improving long term productivity. Faith also plays an important role in psychological resilience. Believing that every hardship has purpose, maintaining patience during uncertainty, continuing sincere effort, helping others despite personal struggles, and refusing to lose hope strengthen emotional endurance. Hope grounded in action protects individuals from surrendering to despair. However, faith should never replace practical efforts. It should strengthen determination while encouraging continuous learning, perseverance, and responsible action.
Every unemployed youth deserves to remember one important truth. A delayed opportunity does not define intelligence.
A rejected application does not measure human worth. An examination result cannot capture character, compassion, resilience, creativity, or potential. Employment is important, but human dignity is greater than any designation. Societies flourish when they protect both economic opportunity and psychological well being. Jammu and Kashmir possesses one of its greatest resources in its educated young population. Allowing that generation to lose confidence through prolonged unemployment would represent a loss far greater than economic statistics can ever describe. The deepest psychological wound created by unemployment is not the absence of income. It is the gradual disappearance of hope. Protecting hope through opportunity, compassion, timely employment, and strong mental health support is therefore not only an economic responsibility but also a moral responsibility toward the future of Jammu and Kashmir. Another psychological consequence that often goes unnoticed is the gradual loss of ambition. Many unemployed youth begin their journey with clear goals, disciplined routines, and unwavering determination. They dream of serving society as teachers, doctors, engineers, researchers, civil servants, police officers, entrepreneurs, or professionals in different fields. However, years of uncertainty slowly replace ambition with survival.
Instead of planning five or ten years ahead, many begin worrying only about the next examination notification or interview. Their vision of life becomes narrower because continuous uncertainty consumes emotional energy that could otherwise be invested in creativity, innovation, research, community service, or entrepreneurship. This loss of long term thinking affects not only individuals but also the overall development of society. A generation that should be contributing new ideas, scientific discoveries, businesses, and social reforms often remains trapped in prolonged waiting. Restoring confidence among unemployed youth therefore requires more than creating vacancies. It requires rebuilding trust that sincere effort, talent, and merit will eventually receive fair recognition. When hope is restored, motivation returns. When motivation returns, productivity increases. When productive youth receive opportunities, families become stronger, communities become healthier, and the social and economic future of Jammu and Kashmir becomes more secure for generations to come.
(The author a teacher by profession is a freelancer. 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”)

jaanaftaab5@gmail.com

“Fitness is a lifelong commitment rather than a short-term goal. Whether starting with daily walks or gym workouts, consistency in movement, proper nutrition, and rest builds a healthy, resilient body capable of serving oneself and others throughout life. Ultimately, the choice is not between specific exercises, but between an active lifestyle and an inactive one.”

Gym memberships may also create financial barriers, while lack of motivation causes many individuals to quit after only a few weeks. Walking avoids many of these barriers because it is simple, inexpensive, and easily integrated into daily life. Scientific evidence increasingly shows that the most effective approach is not choosing between walking and the gym, but combining both. Walking develops cardiovascular endurance, while resistance training develops muscular strength and bone health. Together they improve body composition, physical performance, metabolic health, and longevity more effectively than either alone. Flexibility exercises maintain joint mobility, while balance exercises reduce fall risk, particularly among older adults. Nutrition remains equally important because exercise alone cannot compensate for unhealthy eating habits. Muscles require adequate protein for repair, carbohydrates replenish glycogen stores after exercise, healthy fats support hormone production, vitamins and minerals regulate metabolism, and water maintains blood volume, body temperature, and muscle function. Even mild dehydration reduces physical performance, concentration, and endurance. Recovery is another essential component of fitness because muscles grow during rest rather than during exercise itself. Adequate sleep supports tissue repair, immune function, hormone regulation, memory formation, and mental recovery. Overtraining without sufficient recovery increases injury risk, suppresses immunity, elevates cortisol, reduces performance, and causes persistent fatigue. According to the World Health Organization, adults should perform at least
one hundred fifty to three hundred minutes of moderate intensity physical activity each week or seventy five to one hundred fifty minutes of vigorous activity, together with muscle strengthening exercises on at least two days every week. Following these recommendations significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, several cancers, depression, dementia, and premature death. Exercise is also associated with healthier blood vessels, improved endothelial function, reduced systemic inflammation, stronger immunity, better digestion, improved respiratory efficiency, healthier skin through enhanced circulation, and greater overall quality of life. Many myths continue to discourage people. Some believe walking cannot reduce belly fat, while others think the gym is only for bodybuilders. Scientific evidence disproves both beliefs. Belly fat decreases when total body fat decreases through sustained calorie balance and regular activity, while gyms are designed for people of every age and fitness level, from rehabilitation patients to elite athletes. There is no perfect exercise for everyone because health goals differ. Someone recovering from illness may benefit most from daily walking, while an athlete seeking greater strength requires structured resistance training. Older adults often benefit from combining walking with light strength exercises to preserve mobility and prevent falls.
Office workers should interrupt prolonged sitting with frequent movement because long periods of uninterrupted sitting increase the risk of metabolic disease even among people who exercise regularly. From an Islamic perspective, maintaining physical health is part of responsible living. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, “The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, though there is good in both.” Strength includes physical fitness, mental resilience, discipline, and the ability to fulfill responsibilities toward family, society, and worship. Islam encourages moderation, cleanliness, self discipline, and avoiding harmful habits that damage the body. Good health enables a person to worship with greater energy, serve humanity more effectively, and live a productive life. The greatest secret behind lifelong fitness is not finding the perfect exercise but developing consistency. Every walk strengthens the heart. Every strength workout preserves muscle. Every healthy meal supports recovery. Every good night’s sleep repairs the body. Every small decision repeated daily creates lasting health. Walking and gym training should never be viewed as rivals because they complement each other. Walking protects the heart, improves endurance, reduces stress, and supports lifelong mobility. Gym training builds strength, preserves muscle, strengthens bones, improves metabolism, enhances physical performance, and protects against age related decline. When combined with balanced nutrition, sufficient sleep, hydration, and consistency, they form one of the most powerful strategies for preventing disease, extending lifespan, improving mental health, and enhancing the quality of every stage of human life.
Beyond physical appearance, exercise is one of the greatest investments in long term health. Every step you take and every repetition you perform influences nearly every organ in your body. Regular physical activity improves the efficiency of the heart, lungs, muscles, bones, brain, liver, kidneys, and immune system. It reduces chronic inflammation, improves blood circulation, enhances oxygen delivery, regulates hormones, and supports healthy aging. Scientific evidence shows that physically active people generally enjoy a longer life, fewer hospital visits, lower healthcare costs, better mental health, stronger social relationships, and a higher quality of life. Fitness should never be viewed as a temporary challenge or a seasonal goal. It is a lifelong commitment to protecting the body that has been entrusted to us. Whether you begin with a ten minute walk or your first gym session, every effort matters because small actions performed consistently produce extraordinary results over time. The strongest body is not always the one with the biggest muscles, but the one that remains healthy, active, resilient, and capable of serving family, society, and faith throughout every stage of life. The choice between walking and the gym is therefore not about deciding which is superior. The real choice is between an active life and an inactive one. Movement is medicine. Consistency is the treatment. Good nutrition is the foundation. Rest is the recovery. Together they create a healthier body, a sharper mind, and a longer, more productive life.
(The author a teacher by profession is a freelancer. 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”)
jaanaftaab5@gmail.com

“Kashmir’s legacy of success across diverse fields demonstrates that greatness extends beyond a single profession. True educational progress occurs when we stop defining a child’s future by a single exam, empowering students to pursue learning out of passion rather than fear, conform to their own abilities over societal expectations, and realize that one test does not define a lifetime.”

Ironically, India has many examinations that demand equal or even greater academic dedication. Becoming an Assistant Professor requires years of undergraduate education, postgraduate study, qualifying NET or SET, often completing a PhD, conducting research, publishing scholarly work, attending interviews, and continuously contributing to academic knowledge. Civil Services examinations test candidates across multiple disciplines and require years of preparation. Scientists devote decades to research. Engineers solve complex national problems. Entrepreneurs build companies that create employment for thousands. Teachers educate future generations. Lawyers defend justice. Researchers produce discoveries that improve healthcare, agriculture, technology, and society itself. Yet these achievements rarely receive the same emotional recognition that NEET receives in many Kashmiri households. This imbalance damages the educational ecosystem. Schools proudly celebrate medical admissions, but often fail to celebrate achievements in research, education, civil services, entrepreneurship, innovation, sports, literature, or the arts with equal enthusiasm.
Children absorb these messages from an early age. They begin believing that some dreams deserve applause while others deserve silence. Parents must remember that success cannot be imposed. A child forced into someone else’s dream may achieve a degree but never experience fulfilment. True excellence emerges when talent meets passion. A student who genuinely loves medicine will become a better doctor than one who enters the profession only because of social pressure. The same principle applies to every profession. Mental health is another silent casualty of this obsession. Anxiety, self doubt, burnout, loneliness, and fear of failure become common companions for many aspirants. Some lose confidence after repeated attempts. Others begin questioning their intelligence despite years of hard work. A few even develop the dangerous belief that life has no value if they do not qualify. No examination should ever have that much power over a young mind.
Society must also rethink the language it uses. Instead of asking children whether they will become doctors, ask them what problems they want to solve. Instead of praising only medical admissions, celebrate every achievement earned through honesty and dedication. Instead of comparing children with cousins and neighbours, encourage them to become better versions of themselves.
The future of Kashmir does not depend solely on doctors. Hospitals need researchers who develop medicines, engineers who design medical equipment, teachers who educate healthcare professionals, administrators who manage institutions, economists who shape policy, psychologists who care for mental health, and scientists who create new technologies. Every profession strengthens another. No society can progress if everyone is expected to follow the same path. A healthy society values diversity in talent. It understands that intelligence has many forms. It recognises that success cannot be reduced to one examination or one profession. It encourages children to dream according to their abilities instead of public expectations. It respects effort regardless of the career chosen. The greatest gift parents can give their children is unconditional support. The greatest gift teachers can give is confidence. The greatest gift society can give is freedom from unnecessary comparison. When children know they are valued regardless of one examination, they learn with curiosity instead of fear. They pursue excellence instead of approval.
NEET is important. It opens the door to a respected profession. It deserves sincere preparation and genuine respect. But it is still only an entrance examination. It is not a certificate of intelligence. It is not a measure of character. It is not a measure of human potential. Above all, it is not the only path to success. Kashmir has produced outstanding teachers, professors, scientists, researchers, civil servants, engineers, entrepreneurs, writers, athletes, artists, and innovators. Every one of them has contributed to society in a meaningful way. Their achievements remind us that greatness has never belonged to a single profession. The day we stop measuring every child’s future through one examination will be the day we truly begin respecting education. That day our students will study because they love learning, not because they fear judgment. They will choose careers that match their abilities instead of social expectations. They will grow with confidence instead of anxiety. Most importantly, they will finally understand that one examination may shape a career, but it can never define an entire life.
(The author is a teacher at Govt High School Brakpora Anantnag. 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”)
jaanaftaab5@gmail.com

“Allah tests those He loves most—exemplified by the Prophets—to purify their hearts and elevate their spiritual status. Facing these hardships with patience, prayer, and trust creates enduring rewards, revealing that every worldly trial ultimately conceals a greater divine mercy and blessing on the Day of Judgment.”

Tawakkul is not an excuse for inaction. It is the strength that keeps a believer moving forward. One of the greatest traps of Shaytan is convincing people that their sins have placed them beyond Allah’s mercy. Yet Allah says, “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.” (Surah Az Zumar 39:53). No matter how far a person has fallen, the door of repentance remains open until the final breath. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said that Allah descends every night to the lowest heaven during the last third of the night and says, “Who is calling upon Me so that I may answer him? Who is asking of Me so that I may give him? Who is seeking My forgiveness so that I may forgive him?” (Sahih Al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). What greater invitation could there be than the Creator Himself calling His servants to ask from Him?
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said, “How wonderful is the affair of the believer. There is good for him in every matter. If something pleasing happens to him, he is grateful, and that is good for him. If hardship befalls him, he remains patient, and that is good for him.” (Sahih Muslim). This hadith transforms the believer’s outlook. Success becomes an opportunity for gratitude. Hardship becomes an opportunity for patience. Both bring a believer closer to Allah. Allah says, “We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to the patient.” (Surah Al Baqarah 2:155). Trials are not evidence that Allah has abandoned His servants. They are often the means through which He purifies hearts, forgives sins, raises ranks, and strengthens faith. Every hardship carries wisdom, even when that wisdom remains hidden for years.
When relief finally arrives, believers often discover that Allah’s timing was infinitely better than their own. Looking back, they realize that the delay protected them, the hardship strengthened them, and the unanswered prayers guided them toward something greater than what they had originally requested. Allah says, “Perhaps you dislike something while it is good for you, and perhaps you love something while it is bad for you. Allah knows, while you do not know.” (Surah Al Baqarah 2:216). This verse alone is enough to calm every anxious heart. If your destiny has already been written, let that truth remove your fear. What Allah has written for you will never be taken by another person. No jealousy, injustice, delay, or obstacle can prevent His decree from reaching you. At the same time, never allow destiny to become an excuse for abandoning dua. Raise your hands every day. Remember Allah in times of ease before you remember Him in times of hardship. Continue striving with honesty, repenting with humility, trusting with certainty, and waiting with patience. The Pen has written every page of your story, yet the hands must continue to rise because Allah loves the servant who never loses hope.
One day every hidden wisdom will become clear, every unanswered question will receive its answer, every tear shed for His sake will be rewarded, and every sincere dua will be seen in its full beauty. On that Day, every believer who trusted Allah despite not understanding His plan will know with complete certainty that not a single moment of patience was wasted, not a single sincere supplication was ignored, and not a single decree of Allah was without purpose, justice, mercy, and perfect wisdom.There are moments in every believer’s life when Allah removes every visible support so that the heart learns to depend upon Him alone. It is during those moments of loneliness, uncertainty, and weakness that faith reveals its true strength. When people disappoint you, Allah reminds you that He never breaks His promises. When worldly doors close, He opens the door of dua. When your plans fall apart, He begins unfolding His own plan, a plan based not on your limited vision but on His infinite knowledge. How many times have people cried over something they lost, only to thank Allah years later for taking it away? How many opportunities seemed perfect but would have led to regret? How many delays protected believers from harm they could never see? Allah alone knows the unseen, and because He knows the unseen, every decree He makes is filled with wisdom, even when the wisdom remains hidden from us. The Qur’an repeatedly calls believers to reflect upon the signs of Allah in creation. The sun rises every morning without fail. The rain falls upon dry land and brings it back to life.
A tiny seed buried beneath layers of soil eventually grows into a mighty tree. These are not merely natural events. They are reminders that Allah brings life from death, ease from hardship, and hope from despair. If He can revive a lifeless earth with a single rainfall, He can certainly revive a broken heart with a single command. If He can split the sea for Musa, cool the fire for Ibrahim, heal Ayyub after years of suffering, reunite Yaqub with Yusuf after decades of separation, and rescue Yunus from the darkness of the whale, then no difficulty in your life is beyond His power. The same Allah who performed those miracles remains the Lord of the heavens and the earth today. His power has never diminished, His mercy has never decreased, and His promise has never failed.
Never measure Allah’s love by the number of comforts you possess. Sometimes the people whom Allah loves the most are tested the hardest because those trials elevate their ranks and purify their hearts. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The people who are tested the most are the Prophets, then those most like them, then those most like them.” (Jami at Tirmidhi). Every difficulty borne with patience, every tear shed in sincere prayer, every act of worship performed despite hardship, and every moment of trust in Allah becomes a treasure that will never be lost. On the Day of Judgment, when the reality of Allah’s wisdom becomes clear, the believer will realize that every trial carried a hidden mercy and every delay concealed a blessing far greater than anything this temporary world could ever offer.

(The author a teacher by profession is a freelancer. 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”)
jaanaftaab5@gmail.com

Every human life is a story written with joy, loss, hope, disappointment, victories, and invisible wounds. Some stories are celebrated. Others remain buried behind silent faces and forced smiles. Pain has no language, no religion, no nationality, and no age. It visits the rich and the poor, the powerful and the weak, the young and the old. Every person you meet is carrying something you cannot see. Some carry the grief of losing a loved one. Some carry the burden of poverty. Some fight depression behind a successful career. Some battle loneliness in a house full of people. Others struggle with guilt, regret, anxiety, illness, or dreams that slowly faded into memories. Human beings have learned to hide pain because the world often rewards appearances instead of honesty. We ask people how they are, but rarely wait long enough to hear the truth.
Pain begins long before tears appear. Modern neuroscience shows that emotional pain activates many of the same regions of the brain that respond to physical pain. Rejection, betrayal, humiliation, and grief are not simply emotions. They create measurable biological responses. Stress hormones such as cortisol rise. Sleep becomes disturbed. Memory weakens. The immune system loses efficiency. Blood pressure may increase. Chronic stress affects digestion, appetite, metabolism, and even the health of the heart. The body cannot always distinguish between physical danger and emotional suffering. This explains why people experiencing deep emotional pain often complain of headaches, chest tightness, stomach discomfort, fatigue, and unexplained body aches. Their pain is real, even when no medical scan can fully explain it.
Psychologists describe emotional suffering as one of the greatest hidden health crises of modern society. Depression is not ordinary sadness. Anxiety is not simple fear. Trauma is not just remembering a bad experience. These conditions alter the way the brain processes emotions, memories, and future expectations. Someone suffering from depression may lose interest in activities they once loved. Anxiety can convince the mind that danger exists even when everything appears safe. Trauma can force a person to relive painful moments years after the event has ended. These struggles remain invisible because they exist within the most complex organ ever created, the human brain.
Society often misunderstands pain because it prefers visible evidence. A broken arm receives sympathy immediately. A broken heart is often told to “move on.” A person recovering from surgery is encouraged to rest. A person recovering from emotional trauma is expected to function as though nothing happened. This imbalance forces many people to suffer in silence. They become experts at pretending. They attend work, smile in photographs, complete responsibilities, and laugh during conversations while quietly fighting battles that no one notices.
Pain changes the way people see the world. Trust becomes difficult after betrayal. Love becomes frightening after heartbreak. Hope weakens after repeated disappointments. A child who grows up in constant criticism may spend adulthood believing they are never good enough. A person repeatedly rejected may stop believing in their own potential. Experiences shape the brain through a process known as neuroplasticity. Every repeated experience strengthens certain neural pathways. Fear strengthens fear. Confidence strengthens confidence. This is why painful experiences leave lasting psychological fingerprints. Fortunately, neuroplasticity also offers hope. Healing experiences, supportive relationships, learning, therapy, gratitude, and healthy habits can slowly rebuild healthier pathways within the brain.
Life itself contains unavoidable suffering. Philosophers across civilizations recognized this truth centuries before modern psychology. Birth involves struggle. Growth requires sacrifice. Love creates vulnerability. Aging brings change. Loss eventually touches every family. No human being escapes hardship completely. The difference lies not in who suffers, but in how suffering shapes them. Some allow pain to harden the heart. Others allow it to deepen compassion. Some become bitter. Others become wiser.
Modern society has become more connected through technology than at any point in history, yet loneliness continues to rise. Social media often displays carefully selected moments of success, beauty, and happiness while hiding failure, grief, financial struggles, illness, and emotional breakdowns. Constant comparison convinces many people that everyone else is living a better life. In reality, every profile hides chapters that never appear on a screen. Comparing your entire life to someone else’s highlights creates unnecessary suffering.
Science also explains why prolonged emotional stress changes the body. High cortisol levels over months or years may contribute to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, weakened immunity, digestive disorders, sleep disturbances, reduced concentration, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Researchers studying psychoneuroimmunology have demonstrated the close relationship between emotional health, brain function, hormones, and immune responses. Mental suffering does not remain inside the mind. It influences every major system within the human body.

“True human worth is measured not by the absence of suffering, but by the compassion, wisdom, and resilience born from it. While external achievements fade, lasting impact comes from remaining empathetic, finding purpose, and growing stronger through pain.”

Yet pain also possesses an unexpected power. Throughout history, many of humanity’s greatest discoveries, works of literature, scientific breakthroughs, artistic masterpieces, and humanitarian movements emerged from individuals who transformed suffering into purpose. Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist who survived Nazi concentration camps, wrote that those who found meaning were more likely to endure unimaginable hardship. Modern positive psychology similarly suggests that adversity can lead to post traumatic growth, a phenomenon in which individuals develop greater resilience, appreciation for life, stronger relationships, and deeper personal values after surviving difficult experiences. Pain itself is never desirable. Growth does not erase suffering. Yet suffering can become the foundation upon which wisdom is built.
The human brain naturally remembers negative experiences more strongly than positive ones. This evolutionary tendency, known as negativity bias, once helped our ancestors survive danger. Today, however, it often traps people in cycles of worry, regret, and self criticism. A single insult may remain in memory for years while dozens of compliments disappear within hours. Understanding this bias helps explain why healing requires conscious effort. Gratitude, mindfulness, meaningful relationships, physical activity, proper sleep, and professional mental health support are not signs of weakness. They are evidence based strategies that strengthen psychological resilience.
Pain also changes relationships. True friends become visible during difficult times. Wealth attracts attention. Success gathers applause. Failure reveals character. Hardship strips away superficial relationships and exposes those who genuinely care. This painful process often leaves fewer people around us, but those who remain usually become the strongest pillars of support.
Every generation faces unique struggles. Previous generations fought wars, famine, and infectious diseases. Modern generations increasingly battle burnout, chronic stress, information overload, financial uncertainty, social isolation, and mental health disorders. Progress has improved technology, transportation, and medicine, but it has not removed emotional suffering. Human beings still seek the same timeless needs: love, belonging, purpose, security, and hope.
Pain also raises difficult questions. Why do innocent people suffer? Why do good people experience hardship while others appear to escape consequences? Philosophy, science, and religion have explored these questions for centuries without complete agreement. Science explains mechanisms. Philosophy explores meaning. Faith offers hope beyond what can be measured. Together they remind us that human understanding remains limited. Not every question receives an immediate answer.
Perhaps the greatest misunderstanding about strength is the belief that strong people never cry, never struggle, and never break. True strength is different. Strength is asking for help when you need it. Strength is continuing after repeated failures. Strength is remaining kind in a world that often rewards cruelty. Strength is refusing to surrender your humanity despite everything life has taken from you.
Every scar tells a biological story of healing. Skin repairs itself through inflammation, tissue formation, and remodeling. Emotional healing follows no simple timeline. Some wounds close within weeks. Others require years. Some never disappear completely. Instead, people learn to carry them with dignity. Healing does not mean forgetting. Healing means the memory no longer controls your future.
Life does not promise comfort. It promises change. Seasons change. Circumstances change. Health changes. Relationships change. Success changes. Failure changes. Nothing remains permanent. This scientific truth, philosophical observation, and spiritual reality remind us that even our darkest moments will not last forever. Time continues moving whether we welcome it or not.
My life has known pain. Your life has known pain. Every heartbeat carries stories that no photograph can capture. Yet pain is not the final chapter of any life. Human history is filled with ordinary people who survived extraordinary hardships. They continued walking despite uncertainty. They chose hope despite despair. They rebuilt after losing everything. Their victories were not the absence of pain. Their victories were the refusal to let pain define who they became. The greatest measure of a human life is not how little suffering it contains. It is how much compassion, wisdom, courage, integrity, and hope emerge from that suffering. Long after wealth disappears and achievements fade, people remember those who remained human despite every reason to become cold. Your pain may never completely disappear. But it can become the place where resilience is born, where empathy grows, where purpose awakens, and where the strongest version of yourself quietly begins to rise.
(The author a teacher by profession is a freelancer. 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”)

jaanaftaab5@gmail.com

The word Shukr in Arabic means gratitude, thankfulness, and acknowledgment of blessings. In the Qur’an, it is not just about saying “thank you,” but about recognizing Allah’s favors with the heart, expressing them with the tongue, and using them through righteous actions. Gratitude in Islam is a form of worship. It is a way of affirming that all blessings come from Allah alone, and that human beings are dependent on Him for everything. Allah says in the Qur’an: “If you are grateful, I will surely increase you; but if you deny, indeed My punishment is severe” (Qur’an 14:7). This verse shows that gratitude is directly linked to increase in blessings, while ingratitude leads to loss and punishment.Shukr is not limited to words. It is a state of the heart and a way of life. The Qur’an teaches that gratitude is part of ‘ibadah (worship). When a believer acknowledges Allah’s favors, he or she is fulfilling a duty of servitude. In fact, the Qur’an often pairs Shukr with Iman (faith). To be a true believer is to be grateful.Allah reminds us: “So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me.” (Qur’an 2:152) Here, gratitude is placed alongside remembrance (dhikr), showing that both are essential acts of devotion.The Qur’an presents gratitude as the opposite of kufr (disbelief or ingratitude). To be ungrateful is to deny Allah’s favors. In fact, the word kafir literally means “one who covers up,” and ingratitude is seen as covering up the blessings of Allah. Thus, Shukr is not just a moral quality—it is a sign of faith, while ingratitude is a sign of disbelief.Allah says: “And Allah brought you out of the wombs of your mothers not knowing anything, and He gave you hearing, sight, and hearts that you might give thanks.” (Qur’an 16:78) This verse shows that the very faculties of human life—hearing, sight, and intellect—are gifts meant to lead us to gratitude.The Qur’an gives us examples of Prophets who embodied Shukr:
• Prophet Nuh(Noah)(AS): He endured rejection but remained grateful to Allah for guidance.
• Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham)(AS): He thanked Allah for making him a leader of nations and for granting him righteous offspring.
• Prophet Musa (Moses)(AS): He expressed gratitude after being saved from Pharaoh and receiving the Torah.
• Prophet Dawud (David)(AS): Allah says: “Work, O family of Dawud, in gratitude.” (Qur’an 34:13). His gratitude was expressed through worship and righteous deeds.
• Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) : He would stand in prayer at night until his feet swelled, and when asked why, he replied: “Should I not be a grateful servant?” (Hadith in Sahih Muslim).
These examples show that gratitude is not passive—it is active, lived through worship, patience, and service.The Qur’an emphasizes that gratitude is required in both prosperity and adversity. When blessings are abundant, gratitude prevents arrogance. When trials occur, gratitude teaches patience and reliance on Allah. This balance is beautifully expressed in the verse: “Indeed, with hardship comes ease.” (Qur’an 94:6) The believer sees even hardship as an opportunity for gratitude, because it brings spiritual growth and eventual relief.The Qur’an links gratitude to success in this world and the Hereafter. Allah says: “And whoever is grateful—his gratitude is only for the benefit of himself. And whoever denies—then indeed, Allah is Free of need and Praiseworthy.” (Qur’an 31:12) This means that gratitude benefits the believer, while Allah is beyond need. Gratitude purifies the soul, strengthens faith, and brings divine mercy.The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was the living example of gratitude. His entire life reflected Shukr—in worship, in speech, and in action. He taught that gratitude is not only directed to Allah but also to people. In fact, he said “He who does not thank people, does not thank Allah.” (Hadith in Musnad Ahmad) This shows that gratitude is holistic: it begins with Allah but extends to human relationships. The Prophet (PBUH) encouraged Muslims to weave gratitude into daily life. Examples include:
• Morning & Evening Supplications: Thanking Allah for life, health, and sustenance.
• Eating, drinking: Saying Bismillah before and Alhamdulillah after meals.
• Prayer (Salah): Each prayer is an act of gratitude, acknowledging Allah’s mercy.
• Duas Of Waking, Sleeping: Recognizing Allah’s gift of rest and renewal.
These small acts remind believers that gratitude is not occasional—it is continuous. The Prophet (PBUH) taught that gratitude is not only for times of ease. He said: “How wonderful is the affair of the believer! For him there is good in every matter, and this is not the case with anyone except the believer. If he is happy, then he thanks Allah, and thus there is good for him. If he is harmed, then he shows patience, and thus there is good for him.” (Hadith in Sahih Muslim) This hadith shows that gratitude and patience are two sides of the same coin. In ease, gratitude; in hardship, patience. Both are forms of worship. Examples from the Prophet’s Life
• Gratitude In Worship: The Prophet (PBUH) prayed long into the night until his feet swelled. When asked why, he replied: “Should I not be a grateful servant?” (Sahih Muslim).
• Gratitude In Victory: After battles, he would thank Allah for protection and success.
• Gratitude In Trials: Even in loss, such as the death of his children, he expressed patience and reliance on Allah.
His life shows that gratitude is not just words—it is lived through devotion and resilience.The Prophet (PBUH) constantly reminded his companions to be grateful. He taught them to say Alhamdulillah in all circumstances. He emphasized that gratitude protects blessings and brings increase. He also warned against arrogance and ingratitude, which lead to spiritual decline. Islamic gratitude is not limited to Allah.

“Shukr (Islamic gratitude) aligns with modern psychology to provide peace, resilience, and protection against digital-age envy. By fostering environmental responsibility and societal compassion, it shields believers from despair and serves as the ultimate path to lifelong contentment and success in both worlds.”

The Prophet (PBUH) taught that thanking people is part of faith. He said: “Whoever does not thank people has not thanked Allah.” This means that acknowledging the kindness of others—parents, teachers, neighbors—is part of Shukr. Gratitude strengthens social bonds and builds a compassionate community.Gratitude begins in the heart. The believer recognizes that every blessing—life, health, family, sustenance—comes from Allah. This inner awareness is the foundation of Shukr. The Qur’an says: “And whatever of blessings you have, it is from Allah.” (Qur’an 16:53) The heart that acknowledges this truth is protected from arrogance and pride. It becomes humble, knowing that nothing is achieved without Allah’s will.The tongue expresses gratitude through words of praise. Saying Alhamdulillah is the simplest and most powerful form of Shukr. The Prophet (PBUH) taught that the best remembrance is La ilahailla Allah and the best supplication is Alhamdulillah. Gratitude of the tongue also includes thanking people, acknowledging their kindness, and spreading positivity. A grateful tongue avoids complaint and instead speaks words of appreciation.True gratitude is shown in action. Using blessings in the way Allah intended is Shukr of the limbs. For example:
• Using wealth to help the poor.
• Using knowledge to guide others.
• Using health to worship Allah.
• Using time for beneficial deeds.
The Qur’an praises the family of Dawud: “Work, O family of Dawud, in gratitude.” (Qur’an 34:13) This shows that gratitude is not only spoken—it is lived through righteous deeds.Faith (iman) and gratitude are inseparable. A believer who is truly grateful strengthens his faith, while ingratitude weakens it. The Qur’an often pairs Shukr with Iman, showing that gratitude is a sign of true belief. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “The affair of the believer is amazing… if he is given ease, he is grateful, and if he is tested, he is patient.” (Muslim) This balance of gratitude and patience defines the believer’s spiritual strength.Islamic spirituality, especially in Sufi teachings, emphasizes gratitude as a path to closeness with Allah. Sufi poets like Rumi and Imam al Ghazali wrote that gratitude transforms the soul. They taught that every breath is a blessing, and every moment is an opportunity for Shukr. Through remembrance (dhikr), poetry, and reflection, they cultivated gratitude as a constant state of awareness.Shukr leads to qana‘ah (contentment). A grateful person is satisfied with what Allah has given, even if it seems little. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Richness is not having many possessions, but richness is being content with oneself.” (Bukhari, Muslim) Gratitude protects the heart from greed and envy. It brings peace, because the believer trusts that Allah provides exactly what is needed. Scholars describe three levels of Shukr:
1. Basic Gratitude: Saying Alhamdulillah for blessings.
2. Deeper Gratitude: Using blessings in obedience to Allah.
3. Highest Gratitude: Thanking Allah even for trials, seeing them as opportunities for growth.
This highest level reflects true submission, where the believer sees every situation as a gift from Allah.The Qur’an repeatedly emphasizes gratitude to parents alongside gratitude to Allah. Allah says: “Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the final return.” (Qur’an 31:14) Parents are the means through which life, care, and upbringing are given. Showing gratitude to them is part of worship. This includes respect, obedience in what is good, and kindness in old age. Gratitude here is not only verbal but expressed through service and compassion.Islamic tradition honors those who impart knowledge. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “The best among you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it.” (Bukhari) Gratitude toward teachers means respecting them, acknowledging their role, and carrying forward their teachings. This strengthens the chain of knowledge and preserves Islamic heritage.The Prophet (PBUH) emphasized the rights of neighbors, saying: “He is not a believer whose neighbor is not safe from his harm.” (Muslim) Gratitude toward neighbors means living peacefully, helping in times of need, and showing kindness. In a broader sense, gratitude toward community means recognizing collective blessings and working for social harmony.Shukr is not only personal—it has social implications. Recognizing blessings means sharing them. Zakat and sadaqah are forms of gratitude expressed through wealth. By giving to the poor, Muslims acknowledge that wealth is a trust from Allah. Gratitude thus becomes a foundation for social justice and equity.The Qur’an prohibits arrogance and exploitation. Gratitude in economics means fair trade, honesty, and generosity. A grateful businessman sees wealth as a blessing to be used responsibly. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “The truthful and trustworthy merchant will be with the Prophets, the truthful, and the martyrs.” (Tirmidhi) This shows that gratitude in commerce elevates one’s spiritual rank.Islamic governance is built on justice and accountability. Leaders are reminded to be grateful for their position by serving people with fairness. Ingratitude leads to corruption and tyranny. Gratitude in leadership means humility, service, and recognition that authority is a trust from Allah.Shukr strengthens social bonds. A grateful society is less prone to envy, greed, and conflict. When people appreciate each other’s contributions, peace and cooperation flourish. Gratitude thus becomes a social ethic that sustains harmony.
In Conclusion, Gratitude (Shukr) in Islam is not a small act but a complete way of life. The Qur’an and Sunnah show that thankfulness is the essence of faith. A believer recognizes that every blessing—life, health, family, wealth, and guidance—comes from Allah alone. To be grateful is to acknowledge His favors with the heart, praise Him with the tongue, and use His blessings through righteous actions. Ingratitude, on the other hand, is linked to disbelief, because it denies the source of all good.The Prophets were living examples of gratitude. From Prophet Ibrahim’s thankfulness for guidance, to Prophet Dawud’s worship in gratitude, to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) standing in prayer at night saying, “Should I not be a grateful servant?”—their lives remind us that Shukr is expressed in both ease and hardship. Gratitude is not only for abundance but also for patience in trials, because even difficulties carry hidden blessings.Shukr also extends to society. Islam teaches gratitude toward parents, teachers, neighbors, and community. It is expressed through charity, fairness in trade, and justice in leadership. A grateful society is one that values peace, compassion, and cooperation. Gratitude protects against arrogance, greed, and envy, creating harmony among people. In today’s world, Shukr remains deeply relevant. Modern psychology confirms what Islam taught centuries ago: gratitude brings peace of mind. In times of crisis, gratitude strengthens resilience. In the digital age, it protects against envy and comparison. In environmental challenges, it inspires responsibility as caretakers of the Earth. Ultimately, Shukr is a lifelong journey. It is the believer’s shield against despair and the key to contentment. By living with gratitude, Muslims fulfill their duty to Allah, strengthen their faith, and build a compassionate society. Truly, Shukr is the path to success in this world and the Hereafter.
(The authors write regularly on Islamic Topics exclusively for the opinion pages of “Kashmir Horizon”. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the authors and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)

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“The Omega Block is a dangerous atmospheric pattern that creates persistent, extreme heat waves. Fueled by climate change raising global temperatures, this pattern has evolved from a scientific curiosity into an active humanitarian crisis. As currently seen in Europe, these prolonged heat waves pose immediate threats to public health, infrastructure, agriculture, and global economies, highlighting the urgent need to understand and prepare for intense future weather extremes.”

High temperatures accelerate the formation of ground level ozone, a harmful air pollutant produced when sunlight reacts with vehicle emissions and industrial gases. Ozone irritates the airways, worsens asthma, reduces lung function, and increases hospital admissions for respiratory diseases. Wildfire smoke adds fine particulate matter that penetrates deep into the lungs and bloodstream, increasing the risk of stroke, heart disease, and chronic respiratory illness. Agriculture experiences enormous losses during Omega Block events. Crops require both sunlight and water for healthy growth. Under prolonged heat and drought, photosynthesis slows dramatically. Plants close tiny pores called stomata to conserve water, but this also limits carbon dioxide uptake, reducing growth and grain production. Livestock suffer from heat stress, producing less milk, eating less food, and becoming more susceptible to disease. Farmers face declining harvests, while food prices rise because supply decreases. Freshwater resources also decline during persistent heat waves.
Rivers, reservoirs, and lakes lose water rapidly through evaporation. Reduced river flow affects drinking water supplies, irrigation, shipping, and hydroelectric power generation. Aquatic ecosystems experience severe stress because warmer water contains less dissolved oxygen. Fish and other aquatic organisms may die during prolonged periods of extreme heat. Scientists have found that climate change does not necessarily create Omega Blocks, but it makes their consequences far more severe. Rising global temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emissions mean that when an Omega Block forms, it traps much warmer air than it would have decades ago. Research also suggests that rapid warming in the Arctic may weaken the temperature difference between polar and tropical regions. This reduced contrast can influence the jet stream, causing it to become slower and more wavy. A slower jet stream increases the likelihood that blocking patterns such as the Omega Block remain stationary for longer periods, prolonging extreme weather.
The United States has also experienced severe Omega Block events. When such a pattern develops over North America, some regions endure prolonged heat while neighboring areas experience persistent rainfall and flooding beneath the adjacent low pressure systems. This demonstrates that the Omega Block creates weather extremes on both sides of the atmospheric pattern. One region bakes under relentless sunshine while another suffers repeated storms and flooding.
Climate scientists increasingly describe extreme heat as one of the deadliest natural hazards on Earth. Unlike hurricanes or earthquakes, heat waves often receive less public attention because their destruction is less visible. Yet they silently claim thousands of lives each year through cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, respiratory illness, and heat stroke. Many deaths occur indoors, particularly among elderly individuals living alone without adequate cooling.
Protecting communities from future Omega Block events requires both adaptation and mitigation.
Governments need stronger heat warning systems, greener urban planning, expanded tree cover, reflective building materials, and improved emergency healthcare. Individuals should remain hydrated, avoid strenuous outdoor activity during peak afternoon hours, wear light colored clothing, check regularly on elderly relatives, and recognize early symptoms of heat illness. At the global level, reducing greenhouse gas emissions remains essential to limit future warming and reduce the intensity of heat waves. The Omega Block is more than a scientific curiosity. It is an atmospheric pattern capable of transforming ordinary summers into humanitarian emergencies. As climate change raises background temperatures, each future Omega Block carries the potential to become more dangerous than the last. Europe’s current crisis demonstrates that extreme heat is no longer a distant possibility. It is a present reality that challenges public health, agriculture, ecosystems, infrastructure, and economies across the world. Understanding the science behind the Omega Block is the first step toward preparing for a future in which persistent heat waves may become one of humanity’s greatest environmental challenges.
(The author a teacher by profession is a freelancer. 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”)

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