BLUE SKY, GOD & YOU - the haze, the hermitage

The Song of Solitude

I am caressed by the silence,

Listening to the song of solitude,

Alone, here in the hermitage in the sky,

I am as I am, asking God,

The pre-Eternal question...

"Who, what, how and why?"

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

After almost one week away, I am back at the hermitage, accompanied with the blue sky that was painfully absent for one week since the smoggy haze enveloped my sad country. But now, the blue and white wispy clouds are back, and I think my fellow countrymen have learned not to take anything for granted, certainly not the heavenly roof of the Earth. In any affliction, there is always wisdom to learn.

Lest You Forget

I made the sky of beautiful blue hue,

And the clouds of white luster,

And it is I Who keep them blue and white,

Lest you forget who is their Creator!

Lest you forget who is your Creator!

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

Yesterday an old friend of mine accompanied me home for awhile. He was delighted to find a balcony which opened up into the sky, and there he prayed his Asr and Maghrib prayers. Later last night, I sent him home.

But the hermitage is not a place for friends, I think. Well, at least not living, tangible ones. I find this place a calm quite oasis of solitude, and in this palpable silence, the voices of those whom we consider 'dead' are very much alive. I put 'alive' in quotes because Allah (s.w.t.) has said that those who pass away in the state of witnessing (syahid) is very much alive (and well). And I believe that Allah's declaration of these souls' life means more than the brief life that you and I are currently breathing, sunshine. These souls are of course the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), His Family, Companions and Saints. Like stars twinkling in the twilight mist they are a joy constant, an assurance eternal and a sign of hope warranted by the Creator Himself, Allah the Beautiful, Allah the Just and All-Merciful.

Some fair thoughts, sunshine, on this fair and blue Friday.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE COMFORTER, THE MOON AND THE ANSWER - three mirrors of contemplation...

The Comforter. I am most comfortable with my Love for He knows me and my answers. He misses not one nuance in my words, though I may miss it myself. So while others may judge me too quickly, He would not. "Ah, Taufiq... " my Love would say, "I know you too well..." That is my God. How is yours? Is He not one and the same?

The Moon. Tonight the moon is so close to Earth that I think I may find someone sitting under it, holding a rope to the Moon. The man I imagine would smile and say, "Speak BismillahirRahmaniRahim* and climb."

The Answer. To most questions that you may ask me tonight, I may reply yes or no. Stay or go. Do or do not. And both types of answers are valid and feasible. For I cannot create your world for you. So marry her or leave her! Migrate or stay put. Choose the coffee or the tea! Choose envy or choose me! For in this journey the end is not as important as me! Who am I? Let the speaker be clear... for I am 'Me' - the Delight of your Soul if you but knew a little of you. There is the beginning of your journey.

Have a lovely Wednesday, sunshine. The air is a little clearer today, alhamdulillah (God be praised!).

wa min Allah at-taufiq

*In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

TOUGH BUT TRUE - Love and Discourses of Love with the Great Shaykh Abdul Qader Geylani

Actual excerpts from the Jila' al-Khatir

Nothing happens by chance, and everything happens for a reason. How many years ago was it, when I first came across the discourses of Shaykh Abdul Qader Geylani, the great Shaykh and Sufi Master? Maybe 17 years ago? ...all those many moons ago when I was still a paid-up member of a bachelor pad in Bandar Utama that was full, not surprisingly, of bachelors.

Now all of those bachelors are happily married, with their own little brood. None of them are rolling in the riches, but they appear to me to be happy and contented with their lot. But I bet that however they have matured as men and husbands and fathers, when they begin to furtively open their old books of the Great Shaykh Abdul Qader, they are prepared to be criticised, lambasted and generally made aware of their terrible shortcomings.

He he he. It is called tough love. 

For me at least, the discourses of the Great Shaykh is always a direct conversation, as his sincerity and love for Allah (s.w.t.) and the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) resonates through his words. And this is true even though they have been translated by different people. I say it is a conversation, but I guess it is almost always a divine monologue, with me cringing, and mumbling my acceptance of my poor state as Shaykh Abdul Qader dissects through the many layers of my ego, "...yes, yes, Shaykh... yes, yes... yes, Shaykh..."

If you have not read any of his discourses, why haven't you? Step up and  take it like a man (or woman). It will make your day.

He he he. God bless you, sunshine.  

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

A Cup Full - the importance of not knowing, to be desired by the Knower and He Who is Ever-Aware!

Knowing Nothing

I don't know,

I don't know,

I don't know,

That should be your constant refrain,

Your continuing recitation,

In your every waking moment,

And as you fall asleep.

So that the Lord might take pity on you,

O' empty vessel, o' hollow shell...

This is Who I am,

This is who you are,

This is Who I am,

This is who you are...

O' you who knew nothing

Until I came and filled your cup of life

With meaning!

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

Labels. My dear friends. Do not be deceived by the classification and labeling of knowledge. For however that knowledge is clothed, it comes from the single source of all knowledge, the Creator and Knower of all things, that being Allah (s.w.t.). It may be dressed in the physical sciences, it may be dressed in the art of beauty and form, it may be mathematical, it may be astronomy, music or the economy. But however and whatever you may have experienced in life, to the Ocean of God do all human knowledge and experiences flow to and from.

A Cup Full. To know nothing is all about adab (good manners). If your cup is full, who will fill it? Oh no, you have already seen and read it all. What is there left to teach you, when your ego has taught you well already? Oh Allah the Most Compassionate, may You support us to reject the hubris of our own thoughts and ego.

For some people, there is no need for the presence of anyone else to illicit and provoke their ego. Even alone, humility is hard to grasp as they struggle and wrestle with their ego. And their ego is laughing, "Ha ha ha! You fight me as if I am tangible and real!"

Alone or in a crowd, we seek shelter in the Love and Compelling Power of Allah (s.w.t.), and we seek support from those who love us more than we can ever love ourselves... our Beloved Prophet, Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), His Companions and His Saints. In truth, if there is any real substance, they are our substance, our guide and our meaning, the dictionary and the grammar by which we seek to speak the Language of the Soul, the Language of Love of Allah (s.w.t.), a Love Compelling and Certain beyond human reckoning.

God bless you, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

ON THIS DAY WHEN THE SUN IS RED - farming, the haze and our greed and consumerism

Nothing seem to us more natural than farming. After all, our ancestors have been doing it since the first time they noticed how the sapling shoot out of the ground. With attention and care, they manage to replicate what mother nature does, but on a bigger scale.

Management of a Disturbed Eco-system. But truth be told, farming is anything but natural. As a professor cousin of mine once said, "Farming is the management of a disturbed eco-system". For you see, nature (naturally) doesn't want to create a mono-crop valley or meadow. Nature wants all sorts of crop and plants to grow, wherever and however it wants to. Nature doesn't need to answer to an annual general meeting of its shareholders, and explain why its profit has not increased this year. 

The Haze. One day perhaps, we shall look into the intensive farming industry and how it is generally affecting our world. But for today my focus is on The Haze. No, nature did not intend this for it is wholly man-made. The Haze has become an annual event here in south east asia, but most affected countries are Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. I have to focus on it because the acrid smell is everywhere. And if you can smell the smoke even in your washroom, you know that it must be very bad outdoors.

The Haze appears to be coming from the slash and burn clearing of forests in Indonesia, commonly in Sumatera and Kalimantan. And while we understand the Indonesians placing some of the blame on Malaysian and Singaporean multinational oil palm companies operating in the republic, ultimately the issue resides in the sovereign country of Indonesia and involves legal enforcement of its local laws. 

Indonesia. At the end of the day, Indonesia often considers itself the big brother of the south east asian region. Largest and most populated country here. But there is little point being touchy or sensitive about The Haze, when there is little doubt where The Haze originates from. Malaysian and Singaporean firms operate in Indonesia because Indonesia has a lot of land and labour, and I guess is relatively cost-effective to develop compared to other countries. If there are environmental laws that govern the problem of slash and burn clearing of forests or plantations, there is no other authority that can enforce the law but the Indonesian government.

A Symptom. The Indonesians are correct in that there must be some blaming finger pointing at the multinational mega-corporations. But the truth is that under the fiat (paper) money system and the overwhelming usurious global banking and credit system, megacorporations are animals bred to maximise profit, at whatever the cost to the environment. And the government of Indonesia, just like the governments of Malaysia and Singapore, are willing participants in this credit-consumer driven casino.

The Haze is a reflection of the human spirit, and in this context should we be surprised that we are reaping the firestorm of our greed and ostentatious consumerism? 

Something to think about, sunshine... on this day when the sun is red.

May Allah (s.w.t.) not leave humanity to our caprice. We seek guidance and support always from the Prophet of the Middle Path, Muhammad Habibullah (s.a.w.s.),

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE REMOVER OF WORRIES - Muhammad, Sayyidina Kashiful Kurab... and a bit of something about nothingness and Angel Archers...

Angel Archer

Sometimes I want less of something,

Sometimes I want less of less,

Sometimes I need less of nothing,

So sometimes I simply wait and see

And take whatever the Angel brings.

Be it a pot of gold,

A sliver of silver,

A ghost of a fright,

Or an arrow of light,

As sharp as a bee sting.

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

I can understand what less of something means. But less of less? Does that mean more of something? After all, more of less means lesser (I guess...). And what about less of nothing? Does that mean we want more of something or more of nothing? My friend, Moses, would accuse me of purposely obfuscating what I mean. 

But sometimes I am not sure what I mean. Some days are like that, don't you agree?

Anyways, it is Sabbath, sunshine. So I will not tire you with my confusion. Today I hope to rest, just like you. And to recall my Master and Prophet, Muhammad Habibullah (Beloved of God). And all my care and worry, I pass upon his magnificent mercy, flowing from the Mercy Ocean of Allah (s.w.t.)... Thus, I am adrift, floating like a leaf in the stream of...

Muhammad, Sayyidina Kashiful Kurab (The Remover of Worries) (s.a.w.s.)

Have a perfectly fine Sabbath, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

GOD IS NOT A SACK OF POTATOES - ... you better let Him lead.

Love is Love

You are confused,

Asking and thinking you are not being asked for,

Desiring and thinking you are not desirable,

Searching and all this time thinking

That you are yourself not sought.

It would be good

That you dispel such confusion,

And come to know a little of that which you seek...

Our Beloved and True God.

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

Man like to think that we are the only one putting the effort in our relationship(s). And it doesn't matter whether it is our relationship with our spouse or lover, or in our relationship with our Maker. We err in thinking that God is the Most Desirable One, when He is also God the Most Desiring One.

Sometimes we are so far up our self-righteous wazoo, that we forget that it takes two to tango, and that the other has to be a proactive and reactive tango partner. After all, you don't want to be swishing and gliding across the dance floor as if you are lugging a sack of potatoes. Oh no.

So cease your ignorance in thinking that God is like a sack of potatoes. He is waiting for your dance together. And He will be setting the music. And though this is unusual (as you may be a Man), you gotta let God lead.

Because I reckon that the reason we always trip and fall in our dance is because of our refusal to let God lead. Our pig-stubborn ego, constantly rebellious and refusing to follow God. So come on, sunshine, stop listening to your ego. Get off the floor. Your life has not ended and God is waiting to begin your dance again. 

Yes. He waits, the Most Patient One. That is His Love for you... and in the Completeness of His Understanding and Knowledge over you. And not just about your skill (or lack of skill) at tango. He knows every atom and sub-atomic particle that makes up the transient and fragile reality that you call you.

In this we are more blessed than we can imagine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE KEY TO THE GARDEN - Muhammad Sayyidina Miftahul Jannat (saws) and His blessed Nation

You may find Beauty in the Garden,

You may find Mercy in the Garden,

You may find Compassion in the Garden,

You may find Light in the Garden,

You may find Truth in the Garden,

You may find Love in the Garden,

And you may find yourself in the Garden,

So seek the One who has the Key to the Garden,

Seek the One who is the Key,

There is no mystery,

It is Him that you speak of...

Muhammad Mustafa, Sayyidina Miftahul Jannat!

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

What is Dalail-i Hayrat? Or to give its complete name... 

Dalail-i Hayrat 

wa Shawarqi'l Anwar fi Zikris Salat ala Nabiyil-Mukhtahar

It is a book written by Shaykh Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Suleiman Abu Bakar al-Jazuli al-Simlali, containing prose and verse of praise for the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s). Therefore, the title is translated thus - 

Guide of Good Deeds 

and the Brilliant Burst of Light in the Remembrance of Blessing on the Chosen Prophet.

It is a wonderful little book. For all those times when a Muslim is at lost of words to describe his (or her) love for the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s), this little guide nurtures this love and introduces them to the bewildering names and titles of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.). So much so, that you will find yourself pausing and smiling... thinking happily over one of his titles, "Yea... I did imagine the Prophet that way..."

Click Here to a PDF copy of this wonderful book by Shaykh Jazuli. Courtesy of the Naksibendi...

And do you know what is the amazing thing..? I do believe that the Dalail-i Hayrat is still be written. As the devoted lovers and followers of Muhammad (saws) continue in their study and understanding of his prophetic station, which is rising with each moment passing in creation, there are more wonderous names to discover, more wonderous titles to remember him by, this person whom God Himself calls Habibullah (Beloved of God).

Have a wonderful day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

LAMP OF THE LAMP, LANTERN OF THE LANTERN - books, saints and experiences

Why I Read

I read to sooth my nerves,

Tossed about like a ship in a storm,

I seek a quiet harbour full of divine words,

Stories of God and His Prophets...

I read to sooth my nerves,

Pulled and pushed by Love,

Driven to distraction by Beauty,

Pained by the bitter sweet taste of Truth!

I read to sooth my nerves,

To settle my ship in calmer waters,

And see how and where Love may take me

On my next love-drunk journey!

I read to sooth my nerves,

Torn ragged and sundered from my flesh,

To pass back through history

To the time of Adam and Eve,

And finding assurance in the Assurances of God,

His Words intimate, personal 

And oh so compelling!

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

Fitrah. Oh my friend, you and I, we are so alike, yet different. Heaven knows what divine fitrah (essence) that God has placed in your being... to be a cook, a leader, a soldier, a poet or a judge, or perhaps a singer or dancer? Or a preacher man preaching from the soapbox? And to be the best that you can be in your essence. May Allah (s.w.t.) guide you there. Me? I am the dog!

Book and Man. No book is comparable to experience and there is no book comparable to the Holy Quran and the walking, talking breathing manifestation and mirror of the Holy Criterion... that being our beloved Prophet, Muhammad Seal of the Prophets (s.a.w.s.). We look to our Murshid as he walks  us step by step, each moment closer and closer to the most exalted presence of Muhammad (s.a.w.s.). May Allah Almighty sanctify the secrets of the Saints who walk amongst us as a lamp of the Lamp and lantern of the Lantern, shining a bright starlight to guide us through the maze that is our life. insyaAllah...

May Allah bring you peace, and give you the ability to recognise peace. I stand outside your door, sunshine, to be your companion and friend always. Woof!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

A DOG'S TALE

"And where did you wander off to just now?"
The dervish asked me.

Going, Coming and Waiting

I would not be wandering

If God did not put the wanderlust in me,

I would not be asking

If God did not put the question in me,

I would not be thirsty for understanding,

If God did not send a thirst in my heart,

I would not be me, 

I would be something totally different,

Had God not touched my life

Through ever changing conditions...

Like the ebb of the tide of the ocean

Like the barking of my companion,

Like the stars in its countless constellations,

I am moved and I am stayed,

Going when I am told to go,

Coming when I am told to come,

Waiting when I am told to wait.

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

A Dog's Tale, I often sketch the picture of a wandering dervish. And nowadays he is often accompanied by a dog. If you ask me whether the pictures are in fact autobiographical, I must confess that it is. For I am the dog in the picture.

Sometimes I wish the dervish would put a leash on me, but he wouldn't. "For you must be with me because you want to be with me..."

I do, I really do, but sometimes I just get distracted and wander off, smelling a cat nearby or chasing after butterflies and squirrels.

I do that a lot, even at my age. But I am still with the dervish, after all these years...

Have a lovely day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

ATHEISTS, THE LAST ROMANTICS - of science, knowledge, mathematics, probabilities, nothingness, atheism and all creation of God Almighty

"Yes... you have a question to ask me?" inquired the World.

11. It is sometimes

The world is ready with all the answers

To your most intimate query.

And the world itself is also an answer.

Only you must know the right questions to ask.

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

 A friend tells me that (one of) the key of happiness is finding the right answers. But before we begin that quest, we must first learn the right questions to ask. And often enough, the questions are the basic and common inquiry of the human mind - Who am I? Where did I come from? Who or what created me?

Atheists like to say that chance created humanity. However unlikely and improbable the chance of that happening as they speculate by their limited sciences. 

It sounds boring, but when they conjure and weave the baffling mathematical probabilities, it is almost magical, elegant even, this thing that they call chance.

But chance is also a creation of God. And so is mathematics and the physical sciences. I do not understand the scientific paradigm by which humanity choose to interpret the world and the existence or non-existence of God, when all knowledge that are unknown and yet to be discovered are all flowing from the creation of God, and His Existence exists separate from 'knowledge'.

Atheists are the last real romantics, I guess. Infatuated by the little drop of knowledge that they feel they alone have discovered, as if their knowledge was conjured out from nothingness by nothingness.

And even 'nothing' and 'nothingness' is a creation of God. Just like 'disbelief' and 'atheism'.

By their existence they affirm the existence of God, and reaffirm the intimate relationship between God and His creation, and yea... even Atheists, those poor romantics.

He he he.

Have a lovely day, sunshine. Find a question to ask the Universe.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE SUPERNOVA OF OPTIMISM - from the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) to His Nation

What are the Muslims frantic about? They are doing just fine
from where I am looking... it is the Quraish that are in trouble!

13. Siege? What Siege? (With Poon)

Someone said to someone else during the siege of Medina,

“O’ brother! We are trapped, we are trapped by the Quraish!”

The someone else replied quietly,

“Trapped? We are not trapped, it is they who are trapped.”

“Whatever do you mean?!

How can they be trapped?

It is we who are encircled!” retorted the someone.

The someone else sighed and nodded.

“O’ my excitable brother, do listen.

Yes, the city of Medina is encircled, I agree.

But it is the Quraish who are trapped.

Trapped between us and the rest of the world!”

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

Win! A winning disposition. A positive reinforcement. A bright look towards life in the face of great adversity. It is all about perspectives. So try to keep up a good and optimistic look towards everything that you are enduring, it will make for a better read in your biography later. After all, "He endured and he overcame" sounds far more riveting than "He wilted, capitulated and laid down to wait for death's bitter kiss..." He he he. 

Muslims! What people are entitled to have this optimism? It is the Muslims, for if they believe what they preach, verily, Allah (s.w.t.) has favoured them to have success not only in the afterlife, but also in the here and now. All they have to do is to follow His edicts and the traditions (Sunnah) of His Beloved, Muhammad Sayyidinna Alamul Huda s.a.w. (the Flag of Guidance). And this is no brash optimism. This is a Divine Warranty that cannot be unmade or unwritten... If the Muslims actually believe and do what they preach.

So take stock of your actions and hidden desires. Make them as close as possible to the ways of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.). For to try to imitate somone is the best form of flattery, and it is the clearest evidence of that intangible force that drives all of Creation - Divine Love.

A Divine Supernova. The Companions of the Prophet did this with the direct physical support and presence of the Prophet, while we are bereft of such blessings. But our days are part of the End of Time, and if we look into our hearts we can see God's own bright lamp, the divine lantern that shines like the Piercing Star through the darkest of our night sky - Muhammad, Sayyidina al-Najm ath-Thaqib (s.a.w.s). In that divine supernova is born all our hopes and optimism. InsyaAllah (Godwilling), take it for it is your inheritance.

From here onward, despair, hopelessness and all its anxieties are forbidden for you, my friend.

Have a bright beautiful day.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

NOT LOST, MERELY A LONGER LEASH - of happiness and its many veils

Merely a Longer Leash

Tell me not your happiness is best

While mine is a veil,

Who is to judge which of our happiness is true?

Would that person be you?

Tell me not that I need guiding

Because I am lost,

For my Lord has merely given me

A leash longer than yours!

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

It is tempting to bath in the sunshine of our spiritual happiness. To shower under the glazed rain of our inchoate joy. And for those seekers, it is also a common habit to see others and wonder, "Why are they taking their happiness from that which is other than God Almighty or the most sought company of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.)? They are partying like its New Years Eve, when they could be attending a gracious Mawlud (congregational dzikr and salawat)."

I made the mistake of sharing my observation with an old friend.

"Do not stray there, my friend..." my old buddy-buddy interjected, "Who are you to say that your happiness is true and his happiness is a hijab (veil)? For truth be told (and as painful as it is), by you questioning his happiness, you have thrown a hijab over your own happiness and closeness to Goodness." 

I have?

"Yes. This is an important lesson. Do not forget." He concluded.

Poor foolish me. Always being reprimanded and admonished.

Oh well. Maybe the middle is the best place to be. He he he.

May Allah (s.w.t.) bless you always. And if ever, I have doubted your happiness (or sadness, now that I think about it further)... please do forgive me.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way 

MOMENTS & THE SAYYIDINA MUBASHIR (s.a.w.s.) - moments of clarity, miracles and homecoming

A moment captured - Clarity, the smile of your child.

One Moment of Clarity

Not a million words,

Not a billion essays,

Not a trillion books

Will equal one moment of creation,

One moment of experience,

One moment of charity,

One moment of clarity,

One moment of praise and worship.

So stop all that writing for awhile,

And savour your son's innocent smile,

So rest your eyes for awhile,

And pick up that shovel,

Close that book for awhile,

And pick up the phone,

Place the book back on the shelf,

You can read it later

And put on your walking shoes,

Turn off the internet

And turn to God.

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

We (meaning I) live such a docile life. I think I think too much, I read and I write. But sometimes, there comes a point when reading and writing, although wonderful in itself is not enough. Sometimes we need the moment to ourselves, to do physical things and attend to dunya (worldly) matters.

For dunya may be a distraction - from your work to your bills, from your health to your wealth, But dunya is also the mirror by which we may look into ourselves (and others) and see God's resplendent creation and recreation. In each and every precious moment. 

A moment experienced - Miracles, there is no need for Taufiq to divide the Red Sea,
For Moses (a.s.) has done it before. Other, countless miracles are there already,
potent and very much real.

We do not need magic and miracles. For the magic and miracles of God is in this world already. And this is the message of Muhammad Prophet of God(s.a.w.s.), to spread the good news to all Mankind, whatever your race or colour or creed. And this entire world, this entire dunya is his mission.

Muhammad, Sayyidina Mubashir ( The Spreader of Good News) (s.a.w.s.)

Have a beautiful Monday, sunshine. And may your day be filled with countless moments of clarity.

A moment cherished - Homecoming, lo Paradise is not far away, it is only 20 minutes
drive from my house. And this is only a foretaste of God's promised land
for His servants for whom His Compassion is without measure,
for whom His Love is beyond compare,
For whom His Presence is the
long-sought homecoming.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE FLAG OF GUIDANCE, THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE JOY OF GOD - three names of the Prophet (s.a.w.s) and the little matter of the jihad

The Kalimah of Jihad

There is no G but G, and M is the M of G.

There is no jihad but G-Heart,

And in this venture, there is no messenger better.

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

G-HEART. What is jihad? Jihad is about bringing God into your heart, which directly brings goodness into the world. It is about translating our humble life to magnify the Greatness of Allah (s.w.t.), to suppress our ego and nafs (base animal desires) and raise the Flag of Guidance in our heart, who is none other than that 'M'... Muhammad Prophet of God (s.a.w.s).

Guide us, ya Sayyidina Alamul Huda (s.a.w.s.)!

GEE-HEART. And if you are a Christian? What is Jihad for you? It is not the crusade of ancient times, nor the poor facsimile of the crusades now. It is to stop saying 'Gee Whiz!" or 'Golly Gee!" but to instead resonate the Gee (G) of Jesus Christ in your heart. And for this, there is no wiser arbiter than the Holy Spirit, who is none other than Muhammad Prophet of God(s.a.w.s).

Guide us, ya Sayyidina Ruhul Quds (s.a.w.s.)!

JOYFUL HEART. Banish the pain and sorrow of your life thrown up in the pursuit of being something, when nothing is much simpler. Hold the bridle tightly on the donkey (ego) and say, "Go straight! Let us ride upon the Path of Haqq (Truth). O' my ego, you tell me to turn here and there, to turn left and be distracted by this world, to turn right and be overcome by my sensual desires, you promise me that by following your nature, I will find joy, but you are deceitful, for what is joy if it is not the Joy of Allah, who is none other than Muhammad Prophet of God (s.a.w.s.)? Come, on our way now, the Prophet beckons!"

Guide us, ya Sayyidina Sa'dullah (s.a.w.s.)!

Lovely. Have a beautiful Sunday, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way 

He Watches Over Those Who Are On His Path

Dervish Pen

This morning I woke up

And found a dervish who

Drew himself from the ink

Of my pen.

"Help me, o' Lord...

Help me, o' Lord..."

He said, while clutching his breast.

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

Salam Jumaat the Blessed, my friends. However you seek the Lord's succour and mercy, you will find Him the Listener and the Gatherer of those who is asking for Him. Lay your weariness at the Door of His Help, cast your love-yearning spirit at the Cradle of His Ministration, turn away from this world's distraction and perceive this world in its true nature as a reflection in the Mirror of God.

Assuredly that is the best path to seek Him. And assuredly the path-maker, the one who tends to the path's straightness, the one who watches over those who tread his path, is none other than God's Own Path-Maker - the Seal of the Messengers and Prophets, Muhammad ibn Abdullah (s.a.w.s.).

ya Muhammad, Sayyidina Siratullah s.a.w.s.!

(Path of Allah)

ya Muhammad, Sayyidina Harisun Alaykum s.a.w.s.!

(Watchful Over You)

So fret not while on the path, sunshine. Keep your eyes straight on the object of your journey, even though you may stray a little. Have faith that He is watching over you... 

After all, it is His path that you are on! 

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE VEIL OF WORDS - Love, in all its shapes, forms and disguises - blame Allah!

Last night at a Sufi Zawiya, Bukit Damansara.

The Veil of Words

I am passing through the Veil of Words,

Running from the Form of Meanings.

Until a moment is not a moment

But a journey to your understanding.

I am spying through the Veil of Words,

Looking for God in their hidden meanings,

Until no moment is left unexplored,

All Forms pried open to reveal their blessings.

I am hidden in the Veil of Words,

Strewn around my feet are shells of moments,

I was born, I was alive, once I was in Heaven

That Form of Joy in His Divine Presence,

You read me and see my Veil of Words

That I weave so carefully,

But believe me when I say

That my Words are

Not Me. 

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

O' parents, o' grandparents, uncles and aunties! Love carefully whom and what you love, for verily, the children are enthused by your enthusiasm, and made passionate by your passion, and made curious by your curiosity. Don't go into that wolves' den, do not peek over your neighbour's fence! Don't try tasting poison and don't flirt 

with the sorcery of envy!

My friend Moses brought his wandering tribe of six children to the Zawiya last night. I came alone Mikhail-less, but when he saw me stooping down to sit, he immediately came over and his family came with him. And I felt the warmth of friendship and kinship, though I felt a stranger in the Sufi Order.

If you see me alone, come and talk to me. Allah will bless your generosity!

Love, in all its shapes forms and disguises... I blame Allah for such things!

And I blame Allah for you, sunshine!

Oh Allah...

Have a lovely day.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way