Welcome to my website!

Thanks for stopping by. Have a look around and get to know me. I welcome your thoughts, comments, tips or personal contact requests. Please use the contact form to get in touch. 

 

This website is being migrated from an old to a newer version of a website builder. Please be patient as this process completes.

 

 

THE PERCEPTION OF OUR REALITY RULES US

                   Welcome to

        Aqab's Personal Website

 

 

Hello,

This is me!! Aqab.


Although this site will be under continuous construction for a while, why not have a look around.

 

 

                       Who am I  ?

This is one of the ultimate questions, and one that I have asked myself since before my teens. I have always been a questioning mind, and the course that my life has taken signifies my early questions.

Once you know yourself, you can judge your reality and the path you take will be more prolific. (AMM)

Recently, a colleague questioned me about my pursuit of knowledge.

He states:

"You will not be able to have any money or wealth by being an academic, and what is the point of writing a book that nobody will read?"

Needless to say, this person did not have an inclination towards education and learning. But, what he stated also provoked me into thinking about the purpose of learning and acquiring knowledge. Without a questioning mind, the pursuit of knowledge has no purpose. 

Knowledge for the sake of knowledge is useful only for the satisfaction of an individual's personal aspirations, but no use to anyone else unless it is utilised for the benefit of others, the society around us, the environment we live in, and to add to our understanding of ourselves.

We will never be anything until we recognise that we are nothing. And only until we understand that we are insignificant will we actually become significant. (AMM)

I am Aqab M. Malik, and I was born and brought up in the UK. I had all the benefits that a "Western Democracy" could provide me, a social system that helped me pursue knowledge and work to make my life better. However, this society could not have evolved without the pursuit of knowledge and its practical application. Needless to say, the UK is not without fault. After all it is governed by "insaan" (humans), and we are subject to countless flaws. But, the journey to build a society that can provide its populous the benefits of security, healthcare, education, opportunity, and the perceived promise of a better existence is a prolific path to take. Nevertheless, many mistakes have been made on this journey. The most pre-eminent of which is the abuse of many others for the gain of a few. The UK is not alone in this abhorration, countless other societies in the past and present have gained at the cost of others with the excuse of survival.

It may be within our genetic make-up to survive at all costs, and whilst the debate between"nature" and "nurture" is perpetual, we have the knowledge and the ability to rise above and beyond ourselves for the benefit of all. This is not only what we should do, but it is essential to our survival as a species.

It was with this perspective that I grew to question who I am and what my purpose is in the limited life that I have on this beautiful earth. My quest began with the pursuit of understanding my mind, how it works, the processes involved within the brain, and how I rationalised the conflicts within me, and therefore, learn to direct my thoughts and reasoning to overcome these conflicts.

It is only when you are willing to go beyond and confront the shackles of the initial knowledge you are provided by those that rear and school you; the cultural and traditional constrains that ground you; the social norms and mores that imprison your mind; to give up all that you have known and the reality that you have perceived to be true; to jump into the endless abyss and darkness knowing that you may never be the same or that you may never even come out alive, and after you overcome all the socio-cultural obstacles and barriers that prevent you from this; and it is only when you have the strength and steadfastness to do this, that you will begin to discover yourself and those around you for what you and they really are.

Your perception of reality will undoubtedly change, your paradigm will have been transformed, and for your betterness. But, this can only be done when you are willing to pursue knowledge to the ends of the earth and beyond to the stars, what ever it may be and where ever it may lead you. This is the wealth that I have pursued, and the prolific richness that I have gained is beyond measure, and certainly beyond any monetary wealth that can be taken from this earth. (AMM)

From understanding and overcoming my internal conflicts, continued questioning led me to appreciate the roots of our conflicts as individual beings, to our societal and civilisational conflicts. My initial pursuit of knowledge has enabled me to travel the globe, interact on all perceived social strata, and the strength to confront and overcome immense hurdles and obstacles. 

                      My Name

.

So, what's in a "Name"?

"Aqab": This was the name given to me by my father. I had no choice in it, but accept it whole-heartedly. 'Aqab', is prounounced as 'Auqaab' in Farsi, Arabic, and even Urdu. Thus, the name's origins can be found in the Middle East. If you've noticed, my son, Aryan's surname is also Auqaab, but with the correct romanised pronounciation provided. Unfortunately, I was stuck with the wrong spelling after my birth certificate was written.

'Auqaab' has a profound meaning. Not only in what it refers to in the literal sense, but also in the abstract and philosphical sense. In all of the above languages, it literally refers to the exhaultation bestowed upon the mightiest of all flying creatures, the 'Eagle'. More importantly, 'Auqaab' refers to the qualities of the eagle, and all the associations that are provided with the cultural meaning of the word.

So, as you may imagine, I've had a real task of keeping up with the meaning of my name, but I don't think I've done so badly. Names referring to various animals have often been given to children in the Middle East to provide a strong sense of grounding (or, as is the case with me, a strong sense of flight!!!), and role models for children to aspire to inculcate the strengths of such animals. For me, it was the ability to rise above the adversities that beset my childhood and early adulthood. I learned a lot from overcoming a constant barrage of obstacles. It made me stronger as an indivdual, and provided a questioning and curious mindset that facilitated the ability to think openly and objectively. I aspired to achieve the highest goals at any given time. Looking back, I think this name has given me a sense of purpose and belonging, but always as an independent individual that follows his own course, and not that taken by the crowd.

This is just a start for my site, so have a browse in the other pages, and you can also leave a message if you like.

 

 

Print | Sitemap
Have a good day!!!