Pearls from the Ahad Ocean and Stars plucked from the Ahmad Skies - and cats too...

Pearls from the Ahad Ocean, and Stars plucked from the Ahmad Skies

I have called you here, my sons and daughters,

To give you pearls from the Ahad Ocean

And stars plucked from the Ahmad Skies,

Yet, instead of offering your hand

To take what I am offering

You bring to me plastic trinkets and broken toys

Asking, “Ya Sayeedi! Help me fix them!”

O’ my son and daughters, I shall grasp your hand

And shake your spirit, for it is not these trivial things

That require remedy, but your will and spirit

That are fixated to them.

O’ my sons and daughters, there is a universe to be conquered and surrended,

A Throne to be erected and mirrors to be polished,

Great chivalrous deeds await to be done

By one who would deign to wear

The servant’s sandals,

So help me help you!

..........................

I was at the office today (yes, on a Sunday) clearing up seven years of clutter. There is perhaps no profession that collects so much clutter than a solicitor. But as I was tidying up, I was about to chuck an old notebook of mine into the garbage bag when instinctively I decided to flip through the notebook. There, in between pages and pages of notes, minutes, schedules, legal workflows, dry comments and random doodling were some old forgotten prose. Two poems in fact, recorded on 27th December 2004. Above is the first one.

I guess I must smile and chuckle a little reading this prose again. But I remember those days when I was a little more uptight and censorious. I am quite relaxed now (well, at least on most days). If you are in the company of a Shaykh, it really doesn't matter whether the problems you bring to the Shaykh is big or small, trivial or of cosmic significance. For he will treat you kindly, and attend to such things as that matter dearly to you. I have heard a Shaykh even commiserate and pray over a mureed's (student's) sick tabby cat. He he he.

Cats or NOT trivial things. In ancient Egypt we were worshiped as gods!

Thank you for coming by today, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way