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Monday, May 14, 2012

The Heavenly Harbour Master, the Salawat and the Way of God

When you praise and call blessings unto the Prophet, God and His Angels
raise a fleet of praises and blessings on your behalf for the Prophet.
Now tell me how God does not love you so?

7. The Heavenly Harbour Master
We docked and the harbour master came
Inquiring of our cargo,
“What do you bring to my harbour?”
Our captain replied,
“Praise for Muhammad!”
The harbour master grunted,
“This small ship, you say? Is this all?”

A chuckle escaped from our captain before replying,
“Yes, it is small. But look behind us, Harbour Master!”

The old man jumped in surprise,
Perceiving, a flotilla of ships on the water,
Blocking the view of the sea,
A flight of vessels in the sky,
Blocking the horizon from east to west,
With banners emblazoned with Light,
Declaring the ships not of human origin,
But displaying the holy colours of the Lord Himself,
And the countless insignias
Of His Arch-Angels.
......................

Orientalists of old called Muslims 'Mohamedans'. Ill-informed and indignant, I was one of many who thought such labels as confusing and misleading, intended to confuse the Muslim nation. But now, coming into 42 years old, I take it as a mark of honour to be known as a 'Mohamedan'. For you cannot be a Muslim if you are not a Mohamedan. It was in those school years that I unquestioningly accepted some of the 'knowledge' rolled-out from the Wahabi school, such as it is wrong and an evil innovation (bida'ah) to celebrate the Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) birthday. Now I am not so deceived.

Today most Muslims continue to revel in the singing of beautiful songs giving honorable greetings to the Prophet and weaving praise for him all night long (They call it salawat). For it is the only form of devotion shared between mankind and God and His Endless Cohorts of Angels. It says so in the Holy Quran...


Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation. (33:56, Marmaduke Pickthall translation)

Thus, if the religion of Islam is based on the Holy Quran and the Sunnaturasul (The Ways of the Prophet), then the practice of salawat is a Sunnatullah (The Ways of God).

Thus, if you wish to know of the Mohamedans, ask them of their Prophet Muhammad(pbuh). For that is the best example that they would wish to share with you. And if you ask them as to their religion, some shall say that they have none, and that they are merely taking shelter in the ways of the the Adab (courtly courtesies), the knowledge and the wisdom, the mercy and the compassion, the beauty, delicacy and laws as bestowed by God unto His Muhammad(pbuh) in God's Infinite Kindness, Compassion and Love for His creation. 

For all His Creation, for whom, God has an Unquenchable Love. This you would know with unfettered certainty, if you but knew a little of Him. You must not take this from me, an anonymous writer in an anonymous blog and an inscrutable fat fellow of doubtful history. Look for Him yourself... For He is certainly looking for you...

What a lovely day this is turning out to be, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam
Love will show the Way

*Painting by Russian Black Sea Fleet on a Parade in 1849, by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1886.

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