Religious Beliefs. Pakistan was formed as an Islamic nation, & Islam continues to be the religion of about 95 percent of the population. There’s also tiny groups of Buddhists, Christians, Parsis, & Hindus. The Muslim religion was Houses in Baltit. Pakistan’s landscape includes snow capped mountains & valleys such as this, as well as sunny beaches.founded by the prophet Muhammad in the seventh century, when, according to Islamic belief, he received messages from God & wrote them down in what became the Qur’an, the Islamic book that instructs Muslims on how to conduct their lives.Rituals & Holy Places. One of the prevalent rituals for Muslims is the month of Ramadan, in the work of which time they are necessary to speedy from dawn to sundown (this is not necessary of young children, the elderly, or pregnant females). Ramadan is & a time when Muslims thank Allah for his blessings in the work of the past year. An additional requirement in the work of Ramadan is that all Muslims must help the less blessed with both funds & food gifts. The Eid, or day ending Ramadan, starts with an elaborate breakfast; then Muslims go to a mosque or special park for prayer.An equally important Muslim celebration is Eid-I-Milad-un-Nabi, the birth of the prophet Muhammad, on the twelfth day of Rabi-uh-Awwal, which is the third month of the Muslim calendar. In addition to special gatherings in mosques, where the story of the life & mission of Muhammad is told, giant groups of Muslims parade through the streets singing praise to Muhammad. Even private homes are decorated (as are the mosques) in celebration & praise of Muhammad.Another important Muslim religious festival is Shab-I-Barat, which is held on the fourteenth day of Shaban, the eighth month of the Muslim year. The belief is that on this day the lives & fortunes of mankind are registered in Heaven for the approaching year. In the work of Muharram, which is the first month of the Muslim calendar, the martyrdom of Imam Husain, the grandson of Muhammad, is commemorated. For the first nine days of the month the death is recounted, & then on the tenth day, which is the day he was murdered, there’s barefoot processions with persons carrying banners relating to the tragedy of his death.Other religions in Pakistan also have special festivals/rituals & holidays, with Christmas & Easter being the special ones of the 750,000 Pakistani Christians. Christmas coincides with the birthday of the Ali Jinnah, acclaimed as Pakistan’s founder, so both Muslims & Christians celebrate on this day.The main festival of the Buddhist community is Baisakhi Purnima, the day on which Buddha was born; it is the same calendar date when later in his life he is believed to have attained his great wisdom of enlightenment.Parsi residents of Pakistan celebrate their New Year (Naoroz) on 21 March. About fifty-five hundred Parsis live near Karachi.Pakistani Hindus also have various festivals; the two most special ones are Diwali (Festival of Lights) & Holi (Festival of Colors). The Festival of Lights is held in Lahore at the Shalimar Gardens, which are filled with multicolored lights & where folk music & dances are performed.A colorful & fascinating festival is held in North-West Frontier Province in April, in the Peshawar stadium. Events include the Khattak famous dance of the Pathans & musical concerts; tribal people participate in colorful costumes.In the work of Eid, tribesmen collect around the shrine of Baba Kharwari in Ziarat Valley, & wrestling & marksmanship contests are held. A giant number of people visit it regularly to offer sacrifices in memory of the saint.The Quaid-I-Azam Residency in Ziarat Valley was Ali Jinnah’s residence in the work of his last disease & now houses relics of him & is a highly revered sacred site. It was originally built in l882 by the British & used by the agent to the governor as his summer headquarters.Takht Bhai is one of the holy places of Buddhism. The Buddhist monastery of Takht Bhai stands 500 feet (152 meters) above the plain on the hill. The Buddhists selected this spot to construct a religious complex where the monks & students could pursue their rituals & studies. The main stupa is surrounded on two sides by chapels in which images of both the Buddha & Buddhisattva were installed.Makli Hill, near Thatta town is where over a million graves of kings, queens, saints, students, philosophers, & soldiers can be found. Gravestones & mausoleums are thought about masterpieces in stone carving representing different eras & dynasties.Death & the Afterlife. Shab-I-Barat is also celebrated as a remembrance day of deceased relatives & friends. Special illumination of the mosques takes place & food is distributed among the poor. It is & a time when children participate in fireworks. After distribution of the food the Qur’an is read & prayers are said; then most Muslims visit cemeteries & put flowers & lights on the graves of deceased relatives & friends.
