The Black Ring, the White Ring, the Prophet & His Companions

40. The Rasul and His Friends

Roses from the Garden,

And stars in the sky,

Will make good company

In your travels, my child.

(The poem is inspired by a famous hadis (saying) of the Prophet, "My companions are like stars in the night sky. Follow any of them, surely they will guide you to God and me.")

The prose above predates the black ring by 7 years. When I purchased this black crystal beauty in Mecca last week, my companion pilgrims keep asking, "Is that for your girl, then?". I keep having to explain to them that "Yeees, I bought it at the men's section, and yeees, the salesman said it was a man's ring." I admit that the ring is bling, but what star does not bling and blink at you in the night sky? So you see, there is always a story behind a ring. This is not the One Ring, but it reminds me of the Prophet and His Companions, and that is enough of a reason to submit to the sexism and ridicule of my beloved friends!

And the White Ring? My companion traveller now in Jakarta with me insisted that I take the picture together with my black ring. Its symbolic of the ying and yang, he says. Okaaay. I am tolerant of the quirky requests from him, for he is one of my great friends. We all have our great friends, don't we? And we tolerate and love their eccentricities. After all, true friendship... it is a wonderful gift.

31.A gift of gifts!!

In my life I am blessed,

As the Lord ensures me

The companionship of true friends,

They who enliven my days

with wit, joy and wisdom.

Honoured, inspite of myself,

To be honoured with their brotherhood.

O'Lord of Gifts,

In this which you reward me,

Is a gift of gifts!!

Life is better with friends, life will be dull or colourless without them. If we feel the same way about our friends as the Prophet did, surely, you and I, we must be brothers and sisters. And how happy am I to have finally found you... sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa