Advent of 1500th Century Hijra (March 7, 1981)

The Advent of 15th Century Hijra is being celebrated throughout the Muslim world with zeal and fervour. Pakistan Post Office had issued three commemorative postage stamps of Paisa 40, Rs. 2/- and Rs. 3/- denominations and a souvenir sheet of Rs.4/-denomination on 1st Moharramul Haram, 1401 Hijra, corresponding to 10th November, 1 980. The fourth Hijra stamp in the design approved by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference is now being issued by the Pakistan Post Office on 29th Rabi-us-Sani, 1401 Hijra, corresponding to 7th March, 1981.
The auspicious event of Hijra reminds us of the supreme sacrifice offered by the Prophet of Islam for. the fulfillment of his mission of disseminating the divine message to mankind. He had to leave all his worldly belongings, even his kith and kin and had to undertake an arduous journey to a distant and unfamiliar land in order to fulfil his mission. This event has served for the succeeding generations of Muslims as stimulus to transcend their petty and personal gains with a view to working for a higher divine purpose. The message of Hijra lies in preparing the Muslims to give up every thing that they have, even their contact with hearth and home or with their kith and kin for the achievement of the objectives set forth by the divine message.
The end of one century of the Hijra calendar and the beginning of another is an occasion for the renewal of our commitment to the fundamental beliefs, tenets and concepts of Islam, to the strengthening of the unity of the Ummah and to the re-emergence of a dynamic Muslim civilization in order to promote true equality, justice, universal peace, progress and happiness of all mankind. The commemoration of the occasion will help to create among Muslims a sense of history together with a sense of destiny which proclaims that, despite the recent past, the next phase of history will witness the reemergence of Islam as a living, dynamic and growing civilization. “Let us”, as exhorted by President Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq in his address to the nation on 19th November, 1979, “on the advent 5th Century Hijra, resolve to dedicate our lives to the glory and greatness of Islam. We should create a society where social justice prevails, where there is no poverty and ignorance, where honesty and hard work are pursued and where research and a spirit of enquiry prevail. Let us all turn to Allah and pray that He may bless our efforts with success.
The issuance of the Hijra commemorative stamp on 29th Rabi-us-Sani, correspon-ding to the 7th March, 1981, completes the series of stamps issued by the Pakistan Post Office to commemorate the advent of 1 5th Century Hijra.