(Lahore, 25 September 2009) After the success of two Coke Studio seasons and in the interests of further promoting a sense of Unity and Pride, the Coke Studio music platform extend their financial support to the retail community through the United Brands For Pakistan [UBP].

Speaking about the introduction of UBP, Country manager the Coca-Cola Export Company, Rizwan U Khan has said “Coke Studio’s very ethos rests on the principles of unity, equality, solidarity and pride. It has struck a chord with Pakistani’s youth who believe in its cause and in its spirit. We want to promote a vibrant and healthy nation through its youth and if this can be achieved through promoting a new initiative such as UBP and consequently an all encompassing Coke Studio platform, we are there.”

Led by Fashion Designer Maria Butt, UBP is looking to bring contemporary Pakistani fashion brands and retailers on a united platform in an endeavour to give back more to Pakistan. Indeed this is the first time that the country will witness unity between such powerhouse brands, including: Amir Adnan, Chen One, CrossRoads, Generation, Guddu and Shani, Karma Pink, Maria B, Men’s Store, Gen-Y, Khaadi, Fnk Asia and Stoneage. Within this show of strength and in a bid to spread the message of solidarity, the United Brands for Pakistan launch themselves with a line of patriotic T Shirts which will retail across Pakistan and outlets of all the aforementioned brands the proceeds of which will be given towards the rehabilitation and repatriation of Pakistan’s Internally Displaced People.

Rohail Hyatt commented ‘By supporting UBP, Coke Studio cherishes the wonderful opportunity to give back some of the love and affection it has received from the people of Pakistan. This project stands for the unity of Pakistan and this is adequately represented by the two different art forms, fashion and music, coming together to support a greater cause. The fact that the needy people in our country will benefit from the proceeds of the sales, certainly strikes the right chord with the values we try to pursue at Coke Studio. I wish the project and it’s founder, Maria Butt, all the success and good wishes on behalf of the Coke Studio team.’

Founder United Brands For Pakistan, Maria Butt has said “I wanted to inspire the youth, to be patriotic is desirable. I wanted to be able to say that facets and industries like Fashion and Music stands united for the love of Pakistan. However, one brand or person was not strong enough to make the kind of impact I wanted which is why I approached the biggest, trendiest brands in Pakistan who reach out to millions of people on a daily basis. Coke Studio itself is a label associated with supporting talent and instilling a sense of pride and unity in our youth. Together we believe that we can be so much more than the sum of our parts”

With Coke Studio’s support, United Brands For Pakistan look to introduce a diversity of concepts and ideas in the future that inspire Pakistan’s future generations. Their T shirt line is currently available for retail across Pakistan at PKR 550 for their Men’s T-shirt, PKR 750 for their Men’s polo tee, PKR 950 for their Women’s T-shirt and PKR 950 for their Women’s long tunic.

There is hardly a woman that doesn’t let fashion dictate her lifestyle. Day in day out fashion is important in every aspect of life. Dress gets the most attention since what you wear can never be possible anything but fashion defining.

A few basics for the fashion conscious so you never go wrong with fashion again not even if you feel you have far too many flaws to be talking about fashion:

• A straight cut and full legged dress bottoms will hide large thighs.
• When you are wearing a white dress top, wear a bra close to your skin colour.
• To hide wide hips, try an a-line style dress.
• Give a new updated look to an old dress top by sewing on new buttons.
• Pleats add pounds.
• If a dress doesn’t fit, have it altered, otherwise that dress will go out of fashion and stay unworn.
• Pin a safety pin to the inside of your slacks in case of an emergency. If a button comes off or the zipper breaks you will be prepared.

Fashion is customized; adopt it according to your needs. Wear what looks right on you and wear it in a way that’s right for you.

“I did not create the Jinn and the humans but to ya’bodoon (submit to me) (ibadah).” Surat At-Thariat, (Verse 56) 

Ibada, translated “worship”, is connected with related words literally meaning “slavery”, and has connotations of obedience, submission, and humility. In terms of Islam, ibadah is the ultimate obedience, the ultimate submission, and humility to God along with the ultimate love for Him. Ibadah in Islam is the peak of submission to Allah, the connecting step between the creatures and the Creator. ‘Ibaadah which we are commanded to perform includes the meaning of humility and love.

In short, your entire life is `ibadah if they are in accordance with the law of God, and your heart is filled with His fear, and your ultimate objective is to seek the pleasure of God. But many Muslims nowadays think that the meaning of ibadah is establishing the prescribed forms of ibadah acts only.

“O men, a great, Ramadan has cast its shadow upon you. Ramadan is a month, which contains a night far better than one thousand months, Ramadan a month Allah, has made it obligatory to fast therein and made it commendable to stand up praying in its nights. If someone seeks Allah’s nearness by offering an optional act of ibadah in Ramadan, it will be as rewarding as to offer an obligatory ibadah in other days, and if someone performs an obligatory act of ibadah in Ramadan, it will carry as much reward as the reward of performing seventy obligatory acts of ibadah in other days. Ramadan is the month of patience and the reward of patience is Jannah (paradise). Ramadan is a month of sympathy, a month in which the provision for a believer is increased.

If someone provides another person with food to make Iftar (terminate one’s fast by eating or drinking something) it will cause forgiveness to his sins and freeing his neck from hell and he will be awarded the same sawab as the fasting person will be rewarded for his fast, without decreasing his own sawab.” (Bukhari)

Ibadah is also something that comes from the heart, or sincerity, as a result of belief in Islam. Therefore, ibadah is something that can not be forced upon another person.

Mehndi being a part of our rich tradition has its own important and touchy place. Mehndi has been the part of our culture form centuries, but with the passage of time, the ways to use it has changed.

In today’s era, now there are plenty of ways of its utilization, also the new trends and styles of Mehndi give it a fresh boost.  Particularly in Asian countries and in Middle-east, Mehndi is most popular and every region of Asia has its own conventional styles of Mehndi. In our country Pakistan as well, no customary function and occasion, like Wedding, Eid etc, is ever complete without Mehndi.  No matter which part of the country it is but every bride on her wedding day and almost every girl on others marriages and Eid festivals must decorate her hands with the beautiful Mehndi designs. The true colors of Mehndi more purify our culture and enhance the beauty and happiness of the occasion or function.

Mehndi which is actually a dye produced from a tree Lawsonia inermis. The leaves of the tree, when obtained dried and then mixed with boiling water, and then it marks the skin with the lovely hena color.

There are many different types of Mehndi designs,popular in Asia (and in Pakistan too), from all over the world; like Arabic designs, Magalia Styles, baby designs, Indian designs, etc and our very own Pakistani rounded Mehndi design. There are a number of other examples related to Mehndi designs like, the peacock style, which is the national bird if India, an elephant with a raised trunk, which is a symbol of good luck, and the lotus flower. Now at international level its gaining fame because of its use, other than on hands, arms and feet, it can be apply on bellies and on back as well. The beats, Mehndi with colorful tattoo, glitters and other such accessories are in use now-a-days on the Mehndi designs; now the simple colored Mehndi is out of Fashion and Mehndi designs with the glitters touch, in particular, is like & preferable.

So ladies choose your preferred design of Mehndi on this Eid and enjoy the Eid to its fullest.

With the end of Ramadan in sight, people have set up Eid stalls to sell bangles, artificial jewellery, henna, clothes and other products related to the festivities. In preparation for Eid, most shops are offering special Eid discounts and the malls are full of customers. In Lahore, Liberty Market, Fortress Stadium, Anarkali, Ichra, Link Road, Moon Market and shopping malls are the center points for the eid shoppers.

The shopkeepers have displayed a variety of things, particularly new designs of clothes and shoes. Most of the women who go shopping are interested in having beautiful designs of henna applied on their hands and feet and some of the stall owners hire experts to apply different designs on their customers.

A small number of people have already completed their Eid shopping at the start of Ramadan, while majority of them will do their eid shopping in the last days of Ramadan. Sidewalks of the roads, mostly occupied by temporary stalls and vendors, offering jeans and T-shirts and ready-made clothes were seen packed with the buyers of all age groups.  The sadness and gloom which had overshadowed the traditional hustle and bustle of the bazaars has now seemed to disappear, as rush of the shoppers with their full passions and glittering faces seem to be bitten by the eid shopping bug.

Eid is one festival Pakistanis really know how to celebrate and the witness of this is the over crowded shopping malls.

Ramadan is a month of blessings unleashed. There are numerous Hadith and Quran verses telling us to benefit from Ramadan to the maximum. These also talk about a powerful night in the last ten days of Ramadan; Lailatul Qadr.

Lailat al Qadr, the Night of Power occurs in Ramadan. Muslims have been asked to strive in the final days of Ramadan. Ramadan should end with us asking Allah to pardon us and to save us from the Hellfire. Laylatul Qadr is to be searched for in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan. Shabe Qadr is the best night among the nights of whole year. The night on which the first verses of Quran were revealed to the Prophet (PBUP) the Shab e Qadr is better than thousand months.

Oh Allah, indeed we are sinners and indeed you are the best of all forgivers so we seek forgiveness in these last days of Ramadan, please forgive us.

You have a year to waste, for this one month make worship your priority and no doubt you shall be rewarded.

Sublime celebrates this festive season with their discounted Eid Collection and the introduction of a Sublime T line for Men!

(Lahore: September 17 2009) Celebrate Sublime’s Eid collection as designer Sara Shahid introduces an accessible and affordable Eid with style and lots of colour! This season Sublime presents a versatile festive collection with a diversity of colours ranging from pastels to strong hues of plum to bright sunshine yellows. The Sublime silhouette is flowy with fabric layering, floral printed tunics, kaftans, the longer A line shirt, wide pants and lightly embroidered motifs for a subtle yet stylish season.

Sara Shahid and Meher Tareen’s collaborative limited edition label Sublime T is also celebrating the season with the introduction of an exclusive Sublime T Men’s line, on popular demand. This introductory capsule collection marks Sublime debut into menswear. Sublime.T for men is 100% organic cotton and this collection is based in white, khaki, black and red and includes slogans such as ‘Celebrating Pakistan’ and ‘Cricket and Lahore’. The fashion house intends to keep this line dynamic through the introduction of new designs every season.

Speaking about Sublime designer Sara Shahid has said: “I have just launched at Soiree in Dubai and now look forward to bringing by first ever menswear line to Sublime.T and an Eid collection that is retail friendly and ready to wear! I will also be introducing my new website within October. All in all, I am thoroughly enjoying keeping Sublime dynamic and accessible and have more lines, collections and collaborations planned for 2009 – 2010”

Sublime T for Men and Sublime’s Eid collection will be launched September 17 11 AM – 10 PM and available at the Sublime Flagship store in Lahore and later at The Boulevard, 10 Q.

Our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the life to come and keep us safe from the torment of the Fire (2:201)

Last ashrah of Ramadan consists of one of the most important ten days of the whole year. Ramadan calls for blessings and mercy from hellfire. Ramadan last few days before Eid are most spiritually charged. It is in these Ramadan days that Laila-al-Qadir occurs too.

Ramadan is for all sinners and saints alike to try come closer to Allah. While we worship hard and fast during Ramadan we should be making resolutions for post-Ramadan. It is time to resolve to continue praying and reciting Quran after Ramadan too.

Ayesha (RA) related to us that ‘the Apostle of Allah (PBUH) strove harder and took greater pains to observe prayers etc, during the last ten days of Ramadan than during the other days.’

For Ramadan keeping this Sunnah alive and to earning as much favor of Allah as we can should be the uppermost in our priorities.

Tarawih is an Arabic phrase referring to extra prayers given by Muslims at night in the month of Ramadan. The word taraweeh comes from Arabic word which means to rest and relax. The tarawih prayer can be very long, during which one stands upright to read from the Qur’an and performs many cycles of movement (standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting). In Ramadan it is recommended that Muslims attend the taraweeh prayers in the mosque (after ‘Isha, the last evening prayer), to pray in congregation.

“The one, who observes the tarawih salah at night during Ramadan with complete faith and devotion only for the sake of the recompense of the hearafter, will have all of his previous sins forgiven by Allah.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

The gentle exercises performed in Taraweeh prayers improve physical fitness, emotional well-being and increase the longevity of the Namazi. When a little extra effort is made, as in performing the Taraweeh prayers, there will be betterment in the endurance, stamina, in flexibility and strength. Islam is the only religion where physical movements of Taraweeh prayers are combined with spiritual exercise. When Taraweeh prayers are practised throughout a person’s life, recurring every few hours or so, trains a person to undertake the difficult task of meditation during physical manoeuvres of Taraweeh prayers in Ramadan, so that the Namazi(one who performs the taraweeh) benefits both from spiritual as well as physical exercise.

Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, has regarded the tarawih salah as a means of the forgiveness of sins.

Though all parts of Ramadan are full of blessings and rewards, its last ashra hold a special status reflected in the recommendations and practices of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and his companions. The last ashra of Ramadan are very special days in the life of every Muslim. Last ashra is the most blessed days in the blessed month of Ramadan, the month, the Qur’an was revealed.

The last ashra are also known for i`tikaf (spiritual retreat). The Prophet (PBUH) used to perform i`tikaf in the mosque during the last ashra of Ramadan, barely sleeping during that time. I`tikaf requires a total devotion to Allah.

‘Aisha reported that” the Prophet (PBUH), used to practice I`tikaf in the last ashra of Ramadan till he died and then his wives used to practice I`tikaf after him.” [Bukhari]

Laylat Al-Qadr also occurs during the last ashra of Ramadan.

The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Any Muslim who stands in Prayer during Laylat Al-Qadr out of faith and sincerity, his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Bukhari)

As the last ashra nights are now upon us, it is time to re-evaluate how far we have come. Two-thirds of the month have already passed and will not return. However, we still have enough time to make a final push in Ramadan.

The last ashra of Ramadan is a very important time for all Muslims and we should try gain as much blessings and forgiveness from Allah as we can.