Before I start, I'd like to make a disclaimer. Some readers might find that this article contains statements of questionable orthodoxy. I take no responsibility for any offence caused to those who think they are more orthodox in religion than the rest of us.

During Christmas 1994, I visited Karachi and met up with my cousin. Athar was a dreamy chap, a young man caught between the seemingly divergent paths of Sufi spirituality and a mundane career in information technology. I was determined to learn about God from books and jurists. He was determined to experience God.