HAPPINESS & THE NEW YEAR 2014... an adventure at sea with Mr. Ikhlas

"It was happiness." said my old friend, Mr. Ikhlas, as he recounted a tale in his distant past. "I was about 17, I think, and our family headed for a fishing trip off the east coast, near Kuantan, Pahang. If I recall well, there was my grandfather and me, my two uncles, one auntie, and our family's driver who was also my good friend and confidante. The sea was calm, the sky was bright and blue with no hint of dark clouds in sight. Then, about noon the sea turned mean and high. Out little boat was tossing and turning helplessly before suddenly a giant wave overturned us and I was flung into the treacherous ocean.

He then paused before continuing, his brown eyes glinting in a sea-grey outer ring that I always found interesting. "I managed to grab hold of a floating plank and an empty water tank. I could not see anyone else although my friend managed to join me. Of my grandfather, auntie and two uncles there were no sight or sound, nothing but the constant rise and fall of the waves beneath a bright afternoon sun. Perfect day for fishing, I remember recalling, except that we are now two rather desperate men, being carried further and further into the vast South China Sea by the low tide. I divined this as I noticed the satellite dish on top the cliff near Sungai Karang (Karang river) slowly drop out of sight over the rising horizon of the sea. 

Unhappy though I was, I was grateful for my little pieces of wood and tank, which helped us to stay above water. I would have to last as long as I can, and the thought that the next day would be Friday, on which no fishermen would go out to sea, left me concerned about my mortality. Is this to be the end of me? To lighten myself, I considered taking off my trousers, which was hampering my movement and was not a little damn heavy. But to be indecently exposed? After all, I was not alone, my friend was still with me, gamely hanging on. It was then I began a conversation with God... 'Surely God, You would forgive me this little sin? After all, survival is also a duty in religion.' After a while, I felt confident that God wouldn't mind at all, and so I unbuttoned and dropped my trousers into the dark blue depth. But not before I checked my wallet, and carefully took out my identity card. This identification paper I then carefully secured in a knot tied at the bottom of my shirt. 'Well, at least people won't find it hard to identify my body if it comes to that.' I remember thinking.'

The day quickly turned into night, and despite our predicament, what I recall best of all was the night sky. For you see, there was no artificial light anywhere near us to spoil the magnificent beauty of the million of stars and constellations that dot the heavens. The celestial lamps were as bright and twinkling as they were millions of years ago and as I looked on, I felt privileged. Privileged and honoured. This, and many other thoughts I shared with God. 

Then, as if by plan, we noticed the lights. They were a bare glimmer in the far horizon, but they were unmistakably lights! We began to swim towards them, but now our journey made easier by the current of the rising sea, carrying my friend and I back to shore."

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

Happily, everyone made it alive. Either picked up or able to swim to safety. Such was the story related to me by Mr. Ikhlas (with a little poetic license on my side). The crux of his tale was that the maritime episode was probably the first ever occasion in which he really spoke to God. "And I have never stopped since. I talk to God all the time."

Today is the last day of 2013, sunshine. Did anything happen to you this year that availed you to conversations with God? Some unfortunate illness? Some pressing financial difficulties? Perhaps a marital upheaval that made you open up to God? It is funny (to me) that as Muslims we are suppose to already be in intimate congress with God Almighty at least five times a day. And yet troubles continue to dog our life, biting at our heels like many malevolent hounds... and in the process chasing us to Him. It is as if God is saying... "I want meaning when you say you need Me. I want passion when you say you love Me. I want true gratitude when you say you adore Me. And if you won't talk to Me, I can make you talk to me."

He he he.

I guess I don't have the answer. Perhaps if I was cast overboard like Mr. Ikhlas, I may find the answer. But maybe this form of oceanic intervention is not for everyone. "Do this to Taufiq?" an Angel might inquire God. "O' God, he will sink like a stone."

He he he.

Have a happy new year and may you find new fulfillment talking to God, sunshine. I am told He listens.  All the time.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way 

A LIFE IN ETERNITY

Life in Eternity

Time, ticking slowly on the wall is an illusion

For those who have awaken to the realisation

That eternity has already begun...

And thus they are already living a life in eternity,

So what ails thee that 

they may wear this garb or that garb?

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

You! Here?! I think we best overcome the test of this life when we know that each and every single person that we meet, we shall meet in the afterlife. Imagine that! Having to spend an eternity with the neighbour you hate, or the mother-in-law you dislike, or the love rival you detest. Thus, it would be good to keep our report book clean and unblemished, no secret hatred, no malice, no condemnation on another fellow human being. It is hard... but we must try, yes?

Alhamdulillah! And it is also good to remember that we shall also be reunited with our dearly departed - our mothers and fathers who cared for us. Our sisters and brother... friends, cousins, aunts and uncles. And our masters, to whom we have sworn love and devotion. We only ask that we are blessed with mercy (for we have done so many sins and forgotten ourselves), so that we are brought to the company of the saints and the saintly, and into the Divine Presence of Allah (swt) and His Beloved Muhammad (saws).

al-fatiha...

Goodnight, sunshine. Have a beautiful eternity tomorrow and everlasting...

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

GIVE YOUR SALAM (GREETINGS OF PEACE) EVEN TO YOUR ENEMY...

Dear You,

You have hurt me,

In your words and deeds,

So my mind turns to you,

To dig deep into you and

Find out why you say what you said

And do what you did...

Some dark past, a bitter history

To make you thus unkind to me?

And what did I uncover instead?

I peered into your diary

And saw you had your good days,

And you had your bad days,

And on some days, you wondered why God 

Even bothered waking you in the morning,

I saw your petty crimes and pretty lies,

And in between I saw your kindness 

And forgiveness residing still in your eyes,

So neither precious stones, silver nor gold

Did I find in the depth of your earth,

Rather, I found you had a soul...

Still recognizably human

Though tired and old,

And it is thus how I found you...

Not altogether good,

Not altogether a bad, 

And in finding a little of your soul,

I recognised in you, a little of me,

Just another wanderer

 Walking in from the cold...

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

The Veil of Separation Between Us. We have personal identities, separate and distinct from one another. There is the 'me' and the 'you', not to mention the 'us' and the 'them'. But this distinction is only true at the very most shallow end of our ocean of understanding. The truth is that human beings are much more porous and absorbent than we care to admit. We are like a sponge, absorbing our surroundings and the people we interact with.

Understanding Through Prosperity and Adversity. So we are asking Allah (swt) and His Prophet (saws) to bring us to favourable circumstances and in the company of favoured souls. But we are also asking God the Illuminating One to teach us humility and understanding if life in testing company and circumstances is to be our fate. For in both conditions of 'prosperity' and 'adversity' there is much to learn of our soul, and the mettle of our courage and patience.

Peace. So give salam (greetings of peace) even to your enemy(assuming you have one), for he holds within him an understanding of your own self. And truth be told, how you act with someone you disagree with can reveal more of you than the manner you act with someone you adore...

Do you not agree, sunshine?

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

GOD MOST FAIR, FAIR EVEN UNTO THE DEVIL - the Power of Remembrance and the Gift of Forgetfulness

The Devil

I don't hate the Devil,

But I hate what he does.

I hate his conspiracies to spread

The corruption, the oppression,

The lies, the violence, the selfishness,

The exploitation, the wars, the genocides,

The murders, the rapes, the insults and jibes,

The confusion, the hubris and the ignorance of mankind,

Seeding in our society envy and anarchy,

But most of all, I hate what he does

Because he makes me hate me...

And makes me despair of my own humanity.

So this begs another question...

Why do I listen to him?

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

The Devil is real. I think we should be very clear about this. He is not some intangible malevolent force in the human consciousness, like a typhoon blazing destruction across the plains of your soul. Mr. D has a personality, he is intelligent, belligerent and has amassed countless years of experience to hone his skill in his job description - which is to morally corrupt all children of Adam and Eve, and lead them to utter spiritual and physical annihilation. 

But we are also not stupid. God All Wise, in His wisdom has given us akal, the cerebral faculty to reason things out, to weigh the pros and cons of our actions (or inactions), to judge which is the best path to take, and to learn from our own history, the History of Man that is often bloodied with wars, oppression, xenophobia, hubris, ignorance and hate, but are also shining with beautiful examples of messengers, prophets, saints and everyday simple people who were hardworking and intelligent, grateful and worshipful to their Maker, aka God Almighty. Surely, with such knowledge of our shared past, we would not fall to the deceit and dark whispering of Beelzebub.

Old Tricks New Suckers. But we do fall for his tricks, again and again. On a daily basis. Perhaps not murdering, pillaging or robbing a bank... but small 'white sins' that this sinner himself must admit to. I leave it to your imagination to contemplate this.

The Power of Remembrance. Which goes back to our enemy. If only we can always remember... remember God, remember our beloved Prophet, remember the kindness of our parents and siblings, the tolerance of our friends... remember the common history shared by all humanity... and learn from the lessons that our past can teach us...  how would the Devil fool us?

He won't be able to. 

But this would not fit God's plan for us.

The Gift of Forgetfulness. So I guess that is why we are also built with the capacity to forget. To give the Devil the opportunity to fool us and to corrupt us. So you see, God has leveled the playing field between Adam's Children and the Devil to give the Devil an even chance defeat mankind. Which goes without saying that Allah (swt), aka God Almighty is the fairest of them all... fair even unto the Devil himself.

And this also speaks of another thing... God's belief in us and in our inherent courage and goodness, that  mercy-rich fitra (essence) of Muhammad (saws) that is in all humanity (not just them Muslims).  

So perhaps we should remember all this and believe in God too.

I am trying. In my inevitably bumbling and clownish way. 

Some Shaykh: "O' Taufiq. If you clown around too much, you will always
risk dropping and shattering your heart. I am here to help you, but
what if I am not? What then?
The Clown: You will always be here, wherever you may be...

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

LAYLA'S LAMENT - God, Man, Love and the Language of Music

Layla's Lament

Oh Majnun, 

Say not that you love me, 

And Majnun, 

Say not that you care, 

For it is you 

Who has always denied me, 

So couch no lies in your words so fair,

Oh Majnun, 

Say not that you seek me, 

And in your search 

Oh how you despair, 

For I am always

There beside you, 

It is you who act 

Like I am not there,

Oh Majnun, 

Say not that you believe, 

And in your heart 

You do not deceive, 

For I am often 

The One lied to, 

Oh, how shall it be 

If I am as untrue? 

Oh Majnun, 

How hollow is your smile, 

For in your life 

You mix truth with your lies, 

And the crown that you wear 

Was never meant for you, 

And the path you choose 

Will take you no where. 

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

A Love Story. Everyone (I assume) have heard or read the story of Layla and Majnun. About the poor love-struck Majnun who was utterly, helplessly besotted with Layla, a woman with the unfortunate condition of being someone else's wife. Uh oh. Trouble.

Adam, my nephew, recording Layla's Lament first rough (very rough) cut.
We have passed it on to our singer and composer friend, Azri to flesh out
the song and add a little sparkle. 

God and Man. The story of Layla and Majnun was also read and interpreted as a parable of the love between Man and God. And it is in this context that Layla's Lament was written, way back in 21st November 2005. The date was in fact its original title, and just to add another level of myopia, the poem also had a second name, being 'Qubruz Bluez 2'. So Layla's Lament is its third and final (let's hope so!) incarnation.

I am forced to this rare change because the poem is being adapted for music, and let's face it... '21st November 2005 (Qubruz Bluez 2)' is a little long and vague for a song title. I am no musician, but with a little help from some very gifted friends, we hope to have an acceptable song within the next couple of months. 

My Infidelity. And I guess this is where I must confess... that I have been spending a lot of my free time working on the lyric and music for Layla's Lament. I am having an adulterous affair with music, leaving this almanac untouched for days on end. And it is not just Layla... but many, many other songs and prose, including instrumentals that have torn my attention away from my writing. I have been a bad, bad boy.

But to be honest... At 43, I am thankful to God Almighty and the Prophet (saws) for giving me another chance. Reawakening an ancient passion to fill my days. For I am enjoying becoming a student once again... learning the language of music, making my first untutored, awkward steps to God-knows-what-end. And finding the infinite space in the syllable of each word that is uttered or sang with love. 

184. Cathedral of Beauty

If Layla had not sent Majnun to guide us,

How long would we stray still in the temples of lesser devotions,

Never to set foot in the Cathedral of Beauty?

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

I have the story already, you see. Thousands upon thousands. But now I want someone to sing it!

Wish me luck, sunshine, in this new adventure, and for those still yet unknown who will be my travelling companions in this journey.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

IF THIS WORLD IS A DISH, ALLAH IS THE PLEASURE - war, conflict, politics... what of such trivial things?

...And Win

Lay to rest thy weary mind,

Ever in conflict with this world unkind,

Brothers fighting shouting aloud,

"This is not thine! This is mine!"

Lay to rest your sword of right,

Forget the glories that might have been, 

Say to the rabble, "This is not my fight,"

Turn to God, turn to the Prophet 

Know thyself 

And win.

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

Every spoken word, written or heard, if it does not meander its way ultimately to the only true worthy thing that you can gain in this world, why say such a word? And why bother to write or read it?

Beautiful Garnish. It is this driving love, that propels the dervish, the sufis, the mystics to disdain wasted words, and wasted breaths. For the shining beacon on the shore of this world is Allah (swt) and His Muhammad (saws), the only true absolute discovery that you may ever find through this transient and illusory world. Everything else are only beautiful garnish and signposts to mark your way to God Almighty and His Messenger (saws).

This is not my war. The newspaper, today, yesterday and tomorrow will be full of hateful things, hateful people and hateful conflict. But this is not your war. This is not your conflict. The very definition of words and names for which people are killing or killed does not resonate in your heart. Money, power, religious authority, political gain, global domination, usurious profit and exploitation of the world are words meaningless to you.

Allah the Most Compassionate and Most Merciful has already picked you, and your eyes are forever drawn to the unseen and unknowable behind the curtain.  

This divine love does not make you an alien to this world. It does not leave you loveless with no affection for this world and its inhabitants. It will make you and those you touch better...

How blessed you are, sunshine!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

SAILING THE SEA OF MATRIMONY - all roads and all knowledge inevitably leads to Hu... and to you.

1. Universe Within

Galaxies swim within my veins,

Stars make home in each cell of my body,

Cosmic winds rise from my lips,

As creation mingle sweetly in my eyes.

                                                     

                                  I am the intangible vessel,                                 

The wandering soul,

Tasked to find and record,

The Speech of the One.

I am the broken vessel,

Holed below my waterline,

Sailing an unbroken sea,

With a smile and verily, a fool’s hope!

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

If you are reading this, know that you are reading the memoirs of a fool. But alhamdulillah you are with a smiling fool. 

I don't know about anyone else, but I am contented to be a fool than a morose scholar, forever crying "Oh woe! Oh sadness! Oh, the things that I know!!" . Instead I am happy to constantly be amused, astonished and struck speechless by this life, on a course set by Him., until the day that it pleases Him to take me back.

But as I am still alive and writing, I guess there are still secrets and surprises left to be uncovered. And in the entwined limbs of lovers in rapture there are secrets to know, for there is nothing of value if that thing does not take you closer in your understanding of God Almighty.

Whether you are sailing across an ocean or the stormy waters of the matrimonial bed, seek God!

Consummated passion and more importantly, safety, is there. 

He he he. And to grease the machinery of your impending marriage (assuming you are getting wed) do remember this fine line spoken by a friend of mine to his betrothed...

Dear Love,

Our contract of marriage is a strange thing,
For the definitions are waiting to be explored,
The meaning of words and names are waiting to be written...

So write me, and who I am,

For I am without meaning until you tell me

What I mean to you...  

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

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE TYRANNY OF DISTANCE - the mercy in coming closer to one another...

What Have I Done?

The minister sitting behind his minimalist desk,

The drone-pilot fingering the fire button,

The fat cats purring in their towers of usury,  

The directors spilling ink across a deep clean sea,

The scientists tinkering far from the mushroom cloud...

The more distant you are from something or someone,

The more callous you may become,

So we wonder, if ever such people were troubled by doubt...

What have I done?

What have I done?

What have I done?

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

Ordinary people doing wrong. Save for the barely human psychopaths that paper the walls of salacious tv docos and websites that records (and lets face it, glorifies) violent crimes, evil, that is taking the right of someone (or something) without just cause often occurs in the most mundane of circumstances, and by people of unlikely malice. Many are married. Have good paying jobs, a nice house, children that they love and probably a pet dog or cat. They don't consider themselves bad people, much less evil. After all, evil is an epithet for the truly malignant, the infamous figures like Jack the Ripper, Hitler, Jeffry Dalhmer, Pol Pot, Attila the Hun etc. The pages of human history are red by the blood of their victims.

The distance. It is of course the distance that is the problem. Sometimes the distance between the action and the consequence is physical, like the drone-operator somewhere in the US raining hell with a drone in a remote backwater in Pakistan or Yemen. At other times the distance is wealth. After all, how become it possible for Wall Street CEOs to escape imprisonment for bringing devastating economic crisis in 2008? And no BP directors were jailed when they inadvertently leaked oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Yet in some ways, the tragedy that they have inflicted on mankind, and on planet Earth is terrible. It is of course quite simple, wealth can buy you a lot of smart lawyers and corrupt politicians.

The distant gods. God has no problem of distance. Many people looked up to the sky, wondering where He is and what He is doing. Others looked even further, and through their looking glass into the night sky, they try to interpret God's plan for Man's destiny in the movement of the celestial lanterns. They sought God through some strange Morse code that only they can understand. 

God Most Near. It is therefore an enlightenment of no small measure when the Prophet from Mecca, Muhammad (saws) brought the faith of a very near God. For this completion of knowledge in God that was championed by the previous prophets from Adam (as) to Jesus (as) is in direct contrast to the widespread perception held by Man that God is arrogant, prideful, wayward and can often be callous and indifferent to the pain of humanity... the gods of Mount Olympus or Asgard, or some further place, utterly remote from humanity. But God Almighty has revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (saws) that... 

We verily created man and We know what his soul whispereth to him, 

and We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. (Quran 50:16, Marmaduke Pickthall)

God is no oppressor. And for those thinking themselves safe and contented in their ivory towers who have oppressed thousands to millions of people blanketed in the anonymity of distance? They are committing a terrible wrong. In one of the blessed hadith (oral traditions) of the Prophet Muhammad (saws), God spoke clearly...   

"O My servants ! I have forbidden oppression for Myself, and I have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another. 

The Future. Bringing this chit chat down to our daily life, I guess the lesson here is for us to be near to whomever we are considering to oppress. Reflect upon that man or woman's life. Consider their antecedents and history. Walk at least on day in their shoes, these poor, disenfranchised and forgotten people. If, as a banker, a politician, a king or a preacher we still oppress such people, well... maybe we do deserve the world that we have created. But what of our children's future and the world that they will inherit? We can fool ourselves that the 'little' evil we do is for their welfare.

Such is the blindness, self-deception and madness of Man. 

We are asking Allah (swt) and His Prophet (saws) to bless us and keep us safe always, despite our sins and forgetfulness. May we always draw closer together, regardless of our creed, colour or nationality. Perhaps then, we will not oppress one another.

Don't you agree, sunshine?

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way    

A FATHER'S MEMOIR - the shy doctor

A Memoir. My father is writing his memoir. After the unexpected passing of my brother, Abang Chik (a.k.a. Poone) last September, my dad turned rather quiet and sober. And this is for someone naturally quiet and sober. Talking about this with Mr. Ikhlas, my old friend suggested that this would be a good time for my dad to finally complete his memoir in time for his 80th birthday this coming March 2014. At the very least it would be a project to distract him from the painful memory of having buried his second son. So I mentioned this to my father, and since then there is no stopping him. He is now giving the finishing touches to his latest draft which he typed with an old manual Olympia typewriter. He is also sorting out some grand old pictures to be part of the memoir. 

A Typist. His draft needs to be keyed into the computer for editing, and originally I planned to get a typist to do it. But after glancing briefly, there is much I discovered in his recollections that I didn't know about his life... and I am keen to find out more. So I have volunteered my typing skills. Though it must have pleased him, since then my father has been strangely reluctant to part with his manuscript for me to type. Every other day, I keep nagging him for it, and each time he said it is not ready yet.

Is the doctor shy? I think he is just contented to have something cerebral to fill his days.

A Fathers' Poem. Some years back, I wrote something for my dad on Fathers' Day. It is a little late in the day to share it with you, but here it is...

5. Now That I am a Father

Now that I am a father,

Worrying becomes second nature,

As I look at my son and wonder,

How will he fare when

I am here no longer?

Now that I am a father,

I can share my father’s joy and sorrow

And his firmness that grated people so,

By taking the high road,

When easier seemed the low.

Now that I myself am a father,

I think, finally…

I know mine a little better.

And on this day,

Which celebrates fathers everywhere,

I have my own to share with you,

Abdul Khalid, my dad,

From the tips of his toes

To the ends of his white hair!

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

Have a lovely day, sunshine. Don't forget to tell your father and mother that you love them so. No matter that your love for them will never equal their love and sacrifice... and I think we certainly don't need a parent's memoir to realise this God-beautiful truth.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE DERVISH IN THE FLOWER POT... and his Lord of beguiling beauty and riddles

The Dervish in the Flower Pot

I found him entangled among the branches and leaves,

The little dervish caught in a flower pot,

 Upon his head rested a yellow turban,

Upon his lips rested praises of God,

And teardrops glistened like jewels

On his flowing robe of white.

The mark in remembrance 

of the Prophet and His Lord.

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

No Mundane Day. I saw this flower at a florist right next to the mini market where I normally buy groceries. It is some atonement for my sins that I notice such things. I do not know why, but it gladdens my heart. Giving a beautiful gloss over my otherwise mundane day.

We all have our work to do. Our  daily schedule of chores, appointments and datelines. But I think, if we step over the threshold of our house into a brand new day, there is always some divine garnish that awaits us out there in the world. And often it is in the most unlikely and surprising of places and times. 

"If you look for good, you will find God. And if you look for God, you will find Good.", so an old friend of mine says. But sometimes, you may be looking for neither, distracted as you are by the imposing realities of being mortal and very much human, with all our faults and forgetfulness. 

God does not forget. So I guess it is our blessing to be made by a Maker Most Loving of His creatures that He does not wait for us to turn to Him. He will intervene, as He does... daily, to remind us of Him. Through beguiling beauty, riddles and nuances which is all His own. Drawing us to Him like a cat to milk. Like a mureed to the mursheed.

"...meow... meow..."

Have a lovely day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way 

THE HADRA... Immortals whirl and Nightingales sing!

The Hadra

You see guitars, drums, clarinets and cellos,

But I see instruments of worship with sounds hallowed,

You hear pop songs and think they sound wrong,

But I hear echos of choirs and heavenly songs,

You see kids jumping and dancing mad,

But I see bright young souls yearning

For the Hadra they never had

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

The Hadra. According to the Wiki.. "Haḍra (Arabic: حضرة‎) is a collective supererogatory ritual performed by Sufi orders. It is often held on Thursday evenings after the night prayer, on Fridays after Jum`a prayer or on Sunday evenings, and can also celebrated on special Islamic festivals and at rites of passage. It may be held at home, in a mosque, in a Sufi hospice or elsewhere. The term in Arabic literally means "presence"..."

Whirling Calling Praising

Whirling, whirling, whirling,

Words pour out of mortal hearts,

Calling, calling, calling,

Prayers stumble from human lips,

Praising, praising, praising,

While the tired pass the night in sleep

Immortals whirl and Nightingales sing,

Drinking the Ocean timeless and deep!

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

I have been out of touch with the band of dervishes that make their spiritual home not far from my house. Been busy, ya' know.... with dunya (worldly) matters. He he he.

Missing Kuching. The pictures above however are not from my neighbourhood, but was taken in Kuching, Sarawak on the island of Kalimantan/Borneo. I was there in February this year for the funeral and tahlil of a good man.

Many things in my life have turned and changed in the course of these past couple of months. I wanted to write about them now but strangely it is The Hadra that is written instead.

Perhaps there is a reason that I am unaware of. But sometimes it is okay not to follow too closely the clouds that pass through our thoughts... after all, we are just sinners here.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way 

AT THE COURT OF THE KING, IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD EVERLASTING... someone is waiting.

If I knew me, I would envy me

Weeping widows would envy my sorrow,

Smiling babies would envy my joy,

Beggars would envy my poverty,

Kings would envy my riches,

Thinkers would envy my knowledge,

Lovers would envy my sadness

Pharaohs would envy my pride,

But above all. I would definitely envy me, 

If only God would lead me to me and tell me... 

" Here. Here you are.

With Me.

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

It is a tiring journey, don't you reckon? This never-ending search for yourself. Yet, there you are, sitting comfortably in your sofa. Lying in bed. Eating, living, drinking, breathing. But however happy you may be in this life, however contented you may feel, the truth is that there is an emptiness inside you. And life is all about finding meaning to fill that emptiness. To give meaning to who you are, where you came from, where you are heading to. For the answers to all these questions will lead you to some realisation of who you truly are. And the man (or woman) who knows himself, ultimately, will know of God.

But this little quest does not seem to have an ending, does it? You travel, from one horizon of your life to the next. And when you have scaled one hill, you find another, then another... and another. From birth to the cradle, childhood to the teenage years, through schools, colleges and universities, work to marriage to children to grandchildren, to grey bearded dotage.

This morning someone told me of the wisdom of this endless journey, this timeless quest, is because something is purposely delayed by your Maker. And the only reason why some good thing is postponed, is directly in relation to the worth of that something. So do not fret (too much) in your discontent. For that is a sign that God is keeping something that will satisfy you only when you arrive in the Divine Presence. And it is not something that this world and universe is worthy of holding. It awaits you across the threshold.

So live life well, and let go of it in good spirit. Something sovereign in value awaits you at the Court of the King, in the Kingdom of God Everlasting - Muhammad Habibullah (saws)... and you. 

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

BEING NOT WORTHY, AND BEING HAPPY WITH THAT...

My arwah brother Saiful (Poone) with saintly friends in Jordan

Not Worthy

You may think I am too praiseworthy of you,

But I saw the goodness in you that you try so hard to hide,

You may think I am too forgiving of you,

But I saw the humanity in you

And saw instead the errors in me,

You may think I am too helpful to you,

But I saw in you a light, and the light said, "Aid me to light him."

You may think all these of me,

But truth be told, 

I will never be worthy of you,

And it is this tale 

That will keep me company

As I grow old.

.......................... 

Cousins, Mika and Imran

I reckon there is always someone in our life who would fit the acclaim of "he / she of whom we are not worthy of". It could be your mother, your father, your sister, your school friend, your wife, your teacher, your minister or even your butcher. It is a humbling thought for me. And by God, do I have a lot to be humble about.

He he he.

All praises to God, alhamdulillah. But there is no harm, indeed I think it is a necessary avenue that we come to the all-praise worthy One, a.k.a God, through our estimation of people, simple everyday folks or giants of history, that are praiseworthy themselves. And of course that brings us knocking on the door of Muhammad Sayyidina Miftahur Rahmati (The Key of Mercy), His noble family, companions and saints that is to this day still peddling their wares, knocking in turn upon our hearts, and asking... "Let the Light in, turn on the Light..."

Beneath the quilt of my life, I am warmed by the people who have come into my life and left me, and those who are still here. I am a little tired, but I am not sleeping forever yet. Who knows when... but for now I am happy to share this Earth with you, sunshine. 

And I know I am blessed, for I will never be worthy of you. So the only way left for me is up, up, up! It is these thoughts that makes me feel so good of God, ya Ahad, ya Samad...

He he he.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way