Dr. Muhammad Rasheed Arshad | Falsafa e Naimat o Musibat | Maulana Qari Muhammad Tayyab | Book Talk

The Punjab University Library proudly hosted the inaugural program of the January 2024 Book Club, reinforcing its commitment to fostering vibrant intellectual discussions within the university community. This month's featured selections, "If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution" by Vincent Bevins and "Falsafa e Naimat o Musibat" by Maulana Qari Muhammad Tayyab, ignited thought-provoking conversations among a diverse gathering of students, faculty, and book enthusiasts eager to explore the rich narratives presented by these chosen books.
Dr. Shahzeb Khan, esteemed Associate Professor at the Institute of English Studies, Punjab University, led an engaging session, unraveling the intricacies of "If We Burn." Vincent Bevins' scholarly work explores the unprecedented surge in global protests from 2010 to 2020, encompassing historic movements such as the Arab Spring, Gezi Park in Turkey, Ukraine’s Euromaidan, and student rebellions in Chile and Hong Kong. During the session, Dr. Khan delved into the dynamics of societal protests, exploring their far-reaching effects and providing essential insights into terminology, concepts, and slogans associated with these movements. The narrative masterfully balanced interviews with activists and Bevins’s own firsthand reporting, providing a comprehensive view of the mass protest decade. Dr. Shahzeb Khan concluded the session with a poignant touch, reciting verses from the poetic masterpiece of Munnu Bhai’s Nazam “Ki Hoya Aye" and highlighted Bevin’s thought-provoking insight that “failure is always an option. Possibility, the lifeblood of revolution, leaves room for both success and failure.”
In a parallel intellectual endeavor, Dr. Muhammad Rasheed Arshad, Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Punjab University, delivered a captivating talk on "Falsafa e Naimat o Musibat." The lecture illuminated profound philosophical insights into the nature of good and evil. Dr. Arshad emphasized that evil is not just a problem but a persistent challenge, addressing the three forms of theodicy: The Logical Problem of Evil, The Evidential Problem of Evil, and The Existential Problem of Evil. His discourse provided a nuanced understanding of the complexities surrounding the concept of evil. According to Dr. Arshad, the existence belongs to God, and non-existence is a realm for humans. He attributed natural evil primarily to the abuse of human free will. In his talk, he underscored the importance of not denying the existence of God amidst hardships or problems, urging individuals to acknowledge the blessings bestowed upon them. The session concluded on a poetic note, with Dr. Muhammad Rasheed Arshad sharing verses that added a cultural and artistic touch to the philosophical exploration.
The Punjab University Library, as a nurturing hub of knowledge, remains dedicated to cultivating an environment conducive to meaningful academic discourse.