The Prophet and the Dragon - heaven is wherever your Beloved is...

Heavenly Dragons & The Prophet's Presence

Only heavenly shoulders will bear your heavenly burden

Only with heavenly eyes can see heavenly dragons.

From heavenly lips you will hear heavenly sermons,

From heavenly books came the heavenly commandments,

With heavenly guidance you may reach the seventh heaven,

But only with his intercession may you reach the Prophet's presence,

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

Heavenly address. We are told by resourceful and informative sources that there are quite a few heavens up there in the afterlife. And each plot of holy land already has a name written in the deed, and verily your piece of heaven is already yearning for your presence. But it appears that the best heavenly postcode to have is 101, Abu Bakar Avenue, Muhammad Heaven.

Pretentious, presumptuous Sufi attachments perhaps, but for the followers of Muhammad Habibullah, Prophet of God(pbuh), there is no yearning more bittersweet, no desire more complete than to finally be in the presence of the Prophet, Mercy to the Worlds(pbuh). And I reckon they would not care whatever or however the place is called in the Divine Yellow Pages, because it is only in the Prophet's presence will they find their whole true selves and happiness. The perfection of God's heaven is really wherever Muhammad(pbuh) is, you see.

Well, this is what they tell me, anyway.

You will get to see J.R.R. Tolkien's Smaug the Dragon in a couple of year's time
when the third part of 'The Hobbit' will be playing in a cinema near you.
You will not help but feel some empathy for Smaug, because Tolkien's Smaug,
much like our heavenly dragon considers himself exceedingly beautiful and
wise. Because you see, just like Mankind, dragons too have
rather large egos, which means that the Devil has something
to manipulate the dragon with. Just as He has manipulated
Man since the very beginning.

Dragons! Dragons have gotten some pretty bad rep, but the very first original dragons were heavenly beautiful creatures, splendid in their golden skin and mighty wings. Alas, one ancient dragon was tricked by the Devil to convey him into paradise, where the Accursed One proceeded to conspire and fool the First Couple to partake the forbidden fruit. Because of that single error the dragon lost his limbs, wings and heavenly finery, becoming a loathsome and despised thing, a limbless serpent both hated and feared by mankind... aka the snake.

What a bummer for the poor dragon. And yet how many amongst us who were also attentive listeners to the whispers of the Devil? Quite a few I suspect.

As for the Accursed One(the Devil), he was already cursed, but not by God, but from his very own lips. But perhaps that is an interesting tale for another posting...

The Prophet and the Dragon. A happy treat for a happy day. After all, it is still Ramadhan and the sinner (hurrah!) is finally well.

God bless you, sunshine. Always happy to have your company.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Patience, Servanthood and Adab - a Divine Manna-back guarantee

Psst... Do not despair in the rude manners of your fellow creatures.
God Himself sent me to keep you company.

INSULTS AND ANGELS. An old friend shared this on his FB wall earlier this morning. It is an oral tradition of the Prophet(pbuh), as narrated by Abu Dawud. It involves the Prophet and Abu Bakar, his bestest ever friend-cum-companion in this life and in the next. It went something like this -

Once the Prophet s.a.w. was sitting with his Companions, and one person used insulting words against Abu Bakr r.a. causing him pain. But Abu Bakr r.a. remained silent. The person again used bitter words against Abu Bakr r.a., and still Abu Bakr r.a. did not respond. The third time when this ignorant person hurt Abu Bakr r.a. with his tongue, Abu Bakr r.a. tried answering back.

At this point the Prophet s.a.w. got up. Abu Bakr r.a. asked him, “Are you displeased with me, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet s.a.w. replied, “No, but (when you remained silent) an angel came down from the heaven responding to this man’s talk. But the moment you started replying to that man, the angel went away and the devil sat down. And I cannot sit where the devil is sitting.” (Abu Dawud)

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

I wonder what was the insulting words used to have caused hurt to Abu Bakar. I don't do Arabic, so I don't know any of the curses and insults available to them. Was it something like "You son of a cross-eyed camel!" Or maybe something along the line of "If I was a camel dying of thirst in the desert and found my way to an oasis and YOU were there, I would look for the next oasis..." We can only conjecture. Abu Bakar (ra) is well known but little is known of him. He is the silent one, compared to the towering personalities of the other uber-Companions of the Prophet, Umar and Ali. Usman however is also known to be shy and reticent, a soul of modesty.

When I think Arab and I think insults, somehow or rather, Camels always
come into the picture. I am predictable that way, I guess. 

And when the angel came down 'responding to this man's talk', what does that mean? Did the angel talk back? And obviously even if the angel responded on behalf of Abu Bakar, it is clear that the guy didn't hear it, because he went on haranguing dear Abu Bakar. Imagine if you were insulting someone and suddenly a disembodied voice from nowhere spoke with angelic gravity, "Hey, mortal! Stop it, thou art a bully!" I think you would have fainted out of fright. But it didn't happen in this case. I wonder why...

And when did the devil come into the picture? Was he a quiet witness all along, observing the tirade? And why did he sit down?

PATIENCE. I guess the morale of the story, at this level (which is not very high, mind you) at least, is that you do not allow your ego to respond to the provocation of another's ego. You just take it. You sit down, you smile and you ignore. As the Christians like to say, you turn the other cheek. And you have faith in God that He will not leave you alone in the face of unwarranted rebuke or insult. Thus, you avoid giving the devil the evil enjoyment to savour success in inducing conflict between man and man.

I AM SURROUNDED BY IDIOTS! It is not easy - this patience exercise which the Prophet(pbuh) likes to stress upon his followers. Patience, patience, patience. Servanthood, servanthood, servanthood. And Adab, Adab, Adab (good manners). None of this virtuous troika is easy. Not when we KNOW that there are fools and bad people we must contend and tolerate on a daily basis.

It's population is small because it is not easy to get in.
...But you can.

BUT THEN AGAIN... I myself have been a fool many(MANY) times in my life. And I have erred and done bad things too. Yet my family tolerates me. And so do my friends and co-workers. Hmm... but I have not done much insulting of people though (my brother Poon might debate this claim). Maybe I should, and bring an angel down from heaven... (I am just kidding here).

Patience. Servanthood. Adab. Words to live by, sunshine. It works fine more than 1,300 years ago, it will work fine now. Manna-back guarantee from God Himself. 

God bless you!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Standing in front of the Holy Kaaba and thinking 'Hmm. Not so big after all.' - Umrah Pilgrimage Part 22

FROM MEDINA TO MECCA

After my last posting entitled "Medina is all about Muhammad and his Nation - Umrah Pilgrimage Part 21", this is logically Part 22 and long overdue extension of the Umrah story. The tale continues from the day the sinner and friends are leaving Medina, City of the Prophet, to make our way to Mecca, the City of God - From Soft Love to Hot Love (or so I thought). The notes below were written at 8pm in Mecca, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the night after I arrived in the Holiest City of Islam. Texts in brackets are my insertions to make sense of my abridged notes. What was I thinking?...



Athos, Porthos, Aramis and D'Artagnan - 7 hours to Mecca

- Trip from Medina to Mecca – Delayed for 2 hours - Left at 4.30pm and arrived about 10.30pm - Grouchy and tired (but on the way to Mecca, stopped by) a Lay-by (along the highway) and had roast chicken and rice...


Where is that damn chicken?

Before that we stopped by Bir Ali (Mosque) the place for Miqat to pray the sunat umrah ihram (supererogatory prayers to confirm our intention to perform the umrah / small pilgrimage and comply with the rules of the umrah, including inter alia, the wearing of the ihram, which by the way, was very comfortable)...

That doesn't look like an easy walk, o' Prophet!

Massive no. of Iranians and Turks and to a lesser extent Indonesians (at Bir Ali) - Dry and barren route (to Mecca). Imagine the tribulation of M + AB (Muhammad and His companion, Abu Bakar) making their secret way to Medina from Mecca (the famous Hijra / migration ordered by God for the Prophet and his followers to flee their enemies in Mecca and reinvigorate His prophetic mission in Medina, then known as Yathrib)

Bus was comfortable.


THE UMRAH IN MECCA


Finally. Hmm... Not so big after all.

- exhausted, made my way with Arjuna to the Masjidil Haram (the Holiest Mosque of the Faith, wherein sits the majestic Kaaba) - was still very busy at 11.45pm – Did the Tawaf (7 orbits around the Kaaba) – Mind Blank – Can’t think – Followed AA(Ariffin), Arjuna and Ijan from Tawaf to Saei - By this time my cracked skin of my sole painful and even considered wheelchair – but changed mind bec I wanted to walk – Tho each step I pray God will give me health and protect my feet, which is no joke for a diabetic – after one 1 hour – by 3.30am finally finished! – Couldn’t have done it without support of AA, Arjuna and Ijan (my heroes) – Cut my hair and finally I have completed the Umrah – dragged myself back to hotel but wandered first with Arjuna and had chai (tea), murtabak (imagine Pratha bread with meat inside) and kebab which we found – ate at hotel – fell asleep in my ihram – just too tired to even change …

4am... Don't these people sleep?

- I remember talking with AA, saying – if Nabi didn’t do this and ask us to do it, for sure I wouldn’t do it – Kaaba – BLACK SQUARE BUILDING – but I ‘feel’ emptiness – and I said I do not love you, but I love your Lord – a bit presumptious and rude – but I felt that…

People always say that it is 'easier' in Medina than Mecca - See earlier posting 'Dzikr & Salawat, Hot & Cold, Mecca & Medina, New York & North Dakota - Umrah Pilgrimage Part 5'. So I had my own preconceptions as to how my stay in Mecca would turn out to be. Surely nothing can trump Medina, I mused. Happily, I will be proven wrong, as you will later read.

Each day, is in essence a spiritual pilgrimage. So have a beautiful day, bright light.

Pax Taufiqa.

Footnote - Correction: 'Ben Ali' to 'Bir Ali' (Sorry, my handwriting is appalling during the trip!)

Abu Bakar, Muhammad, the Gunny Sack and Gabriel Part 1 - Origin of Whirling

55. Attachments, expectations and satisfaction
Without attachment
There would be
No expectation.

Without expectation
There would be
No dissatisfaction.

But if you cannot be displeased,
Verily, you can never be pleased,
And was not Abu Bakar
Pleased with God?

So have attachments and expectations,
For that state is demanded of you.

Say... though you find
It difficult still to believe, that...

"I have no expectations but God,
And Muhammad is the
Messenger of my Expectation."

"I have no attachment but God,
And Muhammad is the
Messenger of my Attachment."

THE WHIRLING. It is one story that the Sufis whirl because Abu Bakar whirled. And this is how (it is said) to have happened...

HE GAVE AWAY EVERYTHING. When the Meccans arrived in Medina, the Prophet organised a Baitul Mal (Public Treasure) to provide assistance to the Muhajirins (Literally 'the Immigrants' - meaning the Meccans who followed the Prophet to Medina to escape the persecution by the Quraish in Mecca). Answering the call of Muhammad, the Ansars (Literally "the Helpers" - meaning the local Medinans who are providing support and shelter to the Muhajirins) and Muhajirins both donated whatever they could afford from their wealth or poverty. But above all was Abu Bakar, who donated beyond what he could afford, even down to the clothes on his back. So on that auspicious day, Abu Bakar, most close companion to Muhammad Beloved of God, literally had nothing, not even the clothes on his back.

THE GUNNY SACK AND THE ANGELS. But he can't stay hidden indoors forever, and he wanted to meet the Prophet. So alone in the little house that accommodated him, Abu Bakar happily found some ragged gunny sack and had the bright idea of stitching up some robe or cloth that he may be able to wear. He was unaware that as he commenced his sewing, he was being watched from afar. A congregation of Angels earlier saw him donating everything he ever had, and they were awed by his selfless generosity, "Oh what glorious soul, oh what magnificent specimen of mankind..." they intoned. "What is he doing now?" they puzzled, "Where is he going?" they asked. "He is going to see the Prophet, Muhammad, my brethren...", someone amongst the angelic audience said. "Then he cannot walk alone! Someone amongst us must accompany him!" - the host of God were in a state of high agitation.

GABRIEL AS HIS COMPANION. Suddenly a voice rang out, "I shall accompany Abu Bakar, my brethren." It was the Archangel Gabriel. The rest of the angels silently agreed (Well, who's going to argue with the Boss Angel?).

Abu Bakar was satisfied after he put on his newly stitched gunny-attire. At the very least, I am decently dressed, he thought to himself. He then left the house, but not long in walking he was suddenly accosted by a man, also wearing a similar gunny-sack-cloth. The man (who was in fact Gabriel the Archangel, Herald of the Holy Revelations) inquired gently of Abu Bakar, "Kind sir, where are you going?"Abu Bakar replied, "I am on my way to see Muhammad, Prophet of God". The man then asked whether he could accompany Abu Bakar, to which he consented.

THE QUESTIONS. After awhile, the pair arrived at the Prophet's home and was led to his presence. Abu Bakar was settling down when the his companion suddenly asked the Prophet, "O'Rasulullah (Prophet of God), who is this man?" gesturing to Abu Bakar who looked a little astonished. The Prophet replied, "He is my closest friend, Abu Bakar." The man then said, "O' Rasulullah, ask him, if he is pleased with God." Muhammad addressed his childhood friend, "O' Abu Bakar, you heard his question. Are you pleased with God?" Abu Bakar stood up and replied, "O' Rasulullah, I am ever so pleased with God and what He has granted me, Alhamdulillah!(Praise be to God!)"

GOD'S REPLY. The man acknowledged Abu Bakar's answer and said, "Tell him, o' Rasulullah, that I am Gabriel, and God sends His Greetings of Salam (Peace) to Abu Bakar." Muhammad the Mercy of the Worlds, then turned to Abu Bakar smiling and said, "O' Abu Bakar, God Himself sends greetings of Salam unto you!"

ABU BAKAR WHIRLS. Carried by an overwhelming feeling of happiness, his heart ablaze with God's greetings of peace and entwined by pleasure, Abu Bakar then started to whirl, with his right hand raised and open to receive the blessings of this Divine Pleasure, and his left hand open and extended to pass on the rahmat and baraka (blessings) to the assembled companions, and now today, to me and you as you read this.

Thank you for sharing your time with me, sunshine. I am so happy to share this story with you.

Pax Taufiqa.

I am the Luckiest Guy Alive in Medina - Umrah Pilgrimage Part 16

On Thursday, 24th March 2011, around brunch, and if you were strolling in Masjid Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) you may find a black bundle of a man sprawled across the soft red blue carpet of mosque. You may hear him mumbling nonsense, and once in a while, taking out his handphone and taking pictures of the interior. You may even have seen him jotting down some intelligible notes in his journal - "Immigration (exhausion)... couldn't sleep good... Hunger... confusion... (wrote) an emo sms to Heche...". You must forgive him, because this sinner just arrived in Medina from Jerusalem via Jericho and Amman, had to go through Medina's infamously disorganised passport control and finally crawled into bed the night before, barely half the man he was when he left the Holy Land Hotel in the Old Quarter. And later I found that the airconditioner wasn't working.

So here I am. In Medina, in the home of the Prophet after he left Mecca all those years ago upon a pilgrimage to change the world. Later the same day, I found the cafeteria which served excellent food and the sinner was rejuvenated. You must forgive the sinner for being so food-driven, after all, he's not used to going without a meal for more than 24 hours. To be honest, I am not that guy who can be jolly and happy regardless of the state of his stomach. Once I had some yummy in my tummy, suddenly it dawned upon me... Yeah! I am in Medina! The City of the Prophet! Wuu Huuu!

The mosque of my Prophet is beautiful. And that umbrella thingy they have installed on the exterior, very lovely and shady. It was warm when we were in Medina, but because of the dry weather, it's much more bearable. As compared to hot and humid Malaysia, when you can break into a sweat just getting dressed up after shower. I kid you not.

After lunch the sinner wandered back to the mosque, wondering what to do next. Happily I bumped into Saiful, my friend and part of the group. He was heading to the Turkish quarter of Medina (which lies just outside Bab as-Salam (The Gate of Peace) which leads to the entrance of the Raudah (the Prophet's Tomb), which is the epicentre, the central focus of the Masjid Nabawi. "We will visit the Raudah after we check out my friend's shop", he said. Alas, when we reached the Turkish shop, we found out that the establishment has just closed down for good. So no chance to get Saiful's Turkish robe (I think he's talking about he Naqshbandiya Khalidiya robe which we see a lot of Turkish pilgrims wearing here in Medina - they are here, by the thousands). We resigned ourselves to fate and enjoyed a cup of milky chai in front of the mighty gates of this amazing mosque. I looked at him and smiled, thinking, "Yeaah!... I am in the Prophet's city, just a few steps away from his Raudah." I felt like the luckiest guy alive, sunshine.

We later made our way through Bab as-Salam, passing through nervous and excited pilgrims, their eyes ever searching to the front... "Where is it? Where is the Raudah? Where is he? Where is my Prophet?" And me, sunshine? What was crossing my mind? I don't know why, but these words were running through my heart... "You are the lake of my lake, the sun of my sun, the sea of my sea..." and similarly odd words and phrases. I would not understand the meaning of this until much later. Slowly I walked towards the Raudah with my fellow pilgrims. My throat felt dry, my heart was beating fast and although crowded by humanity, I felt alone and priviliged, I am going to say Hello to him, to my Prophet Muhammad, to his Companions Abu Bakar and Umar, and also to his beloved daughter, Fatima az-Zahra... Again, I felt like the luckiest guy alive, sunshine.

If you will notice the picture above, there is inscribed in Arabic script the name of Muhammad, the Prophet of God. This is in fact right behind the Raudah and is one of the older parts of the mosque - built during the Ottoman times. And as far as I am aware this is the only part of the Masjid Nabawi where the name of the Prophet Muhammad is exhibited as well as the name of God. This is the way in which almost all homes and mosques in Malaysia exhibits the name of God, ie. God's name on the right, with the Prophet's name on the left and on the same height. This is an important fact to note, sunshine.

And beneath the name of God and His Prophet lies the suffah, a platform which was originally in the Prophet's mosque from his time. The suffah (I thought he said 'sofa' - and I thought, "A sofa, behind the Raudah? Really? How convenient!") was famous even in the Beloved's days because that was where the 'especially involved' early Muslims used to stay all the time, praying and doing dzikr (remembrance of God). They are called the lovers of God and His Prophet, and from that name arose the title 'Sufi'. (Yes, yes... I know there is also another theory as to how the Sufis got their name, but bear with me, okay?) If you are looking for the strangest and weirdest of people in Masjid Nabawi, this is where you may find them. But I looked around and saw just ordinary people, patently happy. But I bet none felt luckier than me, sunshine. Hehehe. Because here I am! The incorrigible sinner, right at the suffah! What irony! Wuu Huu!

Outside my hotel and adjacent to the mosque, street traders made brisk business selling their slippers, rosary beads, skullcaps, perfumes, robes, shoes and cellphone simcards and credit top-ups to the voracious shoppers amongst the pilgrims. There is a spot I picked just outside my hotel where I would spend my lazy time, just looking and observing. And one day this was what I wrote "...Chilling until zuhr (afternoon prayers) at "my spot" near the entrance of the Mosque. I like people watching - so many thousands who come to you, o' Rasul (Prophet) in endless shapes and sizes. You don't need me... But you still want... thank u !..."

Perfumes, Haji?!

22. More and more love
As the Prophet ascends the
Ladder of spiritual stations,
He draws more and more Love
From the Lord’s Sea of Infinite Love.
And the Prophet passes what
He has gained to you.

O’seeker, do you now see?
The Prophet is ever falling
More and more in love
With you.

How do you treat
One such as him?

God bless you, sunshine. I have been to Medina. And I am contented. Alhamdulillah.

Pax Taufiqa.

Dear God

Dear God,

Thank You for everything.
But most of all,
Thank You for You.

I am extremely happy with You
And dare I hope
That You can be a little pleased with me?
Or at least less annoyed?

And if this love-affair is one sided,
Should I nitpick? For who am I
When on the other side stands You…?

..........

.

I have no idea what transpired for me to write the little note above. It was in July 2005. 5 years have passed since then, Mikhail is turning 7 next year and I have been unmarried for more than 3 years.

.

Do I still feel the same, you ask? Yes. For you see, God has a soft spot for sinners. They tend to need Him more than any other sort.
.

Have a good monday, sunshine.

.

Pax Taufiqa.

Anonymity in the Oneness of God, Abu Bakar, Mary and that Descartes Dude

WE ARE ALL ANONYMOUS. I don’t know who most of my readers are. This used to bother me, but now I am just happy for someone to drop by. And it made me wonder– do we really know any other person? Do you really know your best friend? Your wife? Even your mother? Your husband? You see them daily, you eat and drink with them, you share joys and tears together. You support the same football team. But really, do we understand the depth of emotions, experience and personality that makes up another human being?

WE DON’T REALLY KNOW EACH OTHER. Of course not. To a large extent, we transact only with the surface of the man / woman. We exchange pleasantries and speak their names. But the deeper substrata, the subconscious personality of the person is often beyond our immediate attention or contemplation. So in a manner of speaking, we are often anonymous to one another.

WE DON’T EVEN KNOW OURSELVES. Matters become more complicated when we are often propelled by self-delusions. For me, I often catch myself saying / doing things which are abnormal to my general attitude. I would like to think that I am kind, hard working, loving and patient. But the truth of the matter is I can do the exact opposite sometimes. I can be mean. I can be selfish, and sometimes cruel words come out of my mouth. Words I wish I had never uttered, but in that split second I forgot who I was – train wrecking myself on sleepers laid down by my ego.

.

I think that anonymity is the true nature of Reality– ergo the first part of the Islamic declaration of faith, that ‘I bear witness that there is no god but God…’. Thus I remembered Abu Bakar, the Shadow of the Prophet, in a little poem that I wrote…

39. The Lament of Abu Bakar & Then Some
If only I was blade of rye,
About to be cut by a swing of the scythe.

If only I was lost and nameless,
Nothing even to my deceiving self.

Like a book unread,
Gathering dust on the shelf.

The ‘…And Then Some’ in the title of the prose above is a reference to Mary, Mother of Jesus. She uttered the exact same sentiments as Abu Bakar as-Siddique.

I AM NOTHING SPECIAL but my ego always likes to claim that I am special. Whether as a sinner or a believer, whether I am drowning in sins, or performing prayers and charity – my ego stakes a claim on my behalf to be somehow different, special from the rest of humanity. The ego is subtle you see, even when you are down and out, a penniless bum on skid row, your ego can be as gigantic as the richest man in the world. Only true anonymity will keep the ego at bay…

190. Mundane
The thought of finding pleasure in the mundane,
The thought that you might be mundane,
Is almost too much for your ego to bear.

In a world where everyone craves a name,
Anonymity is arsenic.

BUT WAIT A MINUTE… To conclude this posting, I refer to the second limb of the declaration of faith, “…And that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.” This is not merely a statement of the Prophethood of Muhammad, but also the statement of our plurality as human beings. It is by this second part that mankind is created, to exhibit the many attributes of the Beloved, to be the ink by which we write ourselves (or are written) unto the consciousness of God.

GOD THINKS THEREFORE I AM. I like to believe that we are all anonymous in the Oneness of God, but we become identifiable through His Love for the Prophet and for us. To reassess what old Rene Descartes once said, "I think therefore I am ", to “ God Thinks therefore I am”. I hope Rene doesn't mind...
.

Have a thoughtful Monday, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.

Footnotes – An earlier posting about Abu Bakar and Abu Yazid may interest you. Click here.

‘The Lament of Abu Bakar and Then Some” and “Mundane” are prose from chapter 1, ‘The Dam.SunSun.Ana (circa June 2004).

Abu Bakar, Abu Yazid, the End of Hell Part II, Calvin & Hobbes and My Left Foot

An anonymous reader left a comment in the earlier posting entitled "God Heart, the Light of Love, the End of Hell and Childhood Memories" asking me to recall the story of Abu Yazid, Abu Bakar and the End of Hell. So here it is. But before we go there, I would like to introduce them both by way of my earlier writings on this worthy fellows. To put these fine chaps in my context.

Abu Bakar as-Siddique was the constant companion of the Prophet. He is generally accepted to be the closest companion of the Prophet. He was the first man to accept the prophethood of Muhammad ibn Abdullah and Islam. His love for his Prophet is beyond my stumbling prose to describe. But I wrote the poem anyway of course…

26. The Stingy Bartender
What is this love you speak of?
A fanciful plaything
We appraise others with,
Conditional and poured from its vessel
In stingy measured draughts.

We should be ashamed to name it love
In the presence of
Muhammad and his Abu Bakar.
……….
Chapter 11, ‘Winter & Rain’, December 2004

Abu Yazid al-Bistami is a saint famously known as the rebuffed visitor at God’s Door. Again and again he was refused entry by God. Each time, God asked him, “Who is knocking on My door?” And each time Abu Yazid replied, “It is I, Abu Yazid, your servant!” Then one day he finally gave the right reply – Abu Yazid answered God’s question, saying, “Oh, It is you, O’ Lord!”. The above cartoon was an early work and inspired by the story of Abu Yazid. The twist in the tale is courtesy of my brother, ergo the ‘by Poon’. Poon is a common Malay nickname for ‘Saiful’. Don’t ask me why. It makes no sense to me too.

THE STORY
(If you wish for an authoritative version, read a book. Or if you happen to bump into any saint, well just ask him/her. I can only recall bits and pieces of what I was told, and which I read in a book. And of course, I have taken great liberty with the language and personality of God and His Saint. I am incorrigible, I know)

So now you know that old Abu Yazid is a great mystic, a champion of Fana-fillah (Annihilation in the Oneness of God), a saint of the highest order, a lover of Muhammad and a true servant of God.

Well, one rosy day, Abu Yazid got it into his head to take his Love of Muhammad one step further. He prayed to God Almighty that he, Abu Yazid, be manifested in Hell, in such an enormous size to fill up each valley, abyss and dungeon of Hades – so that not one member of the Nation of Muhammad shall be fated to dwell and suffer the tribulations of Hell.

God the Lord Creator, being in a buddy-pal relationship with Abu Yazid, answered the saint’s prayers. God said, “Sure, A.Y. But perhaps, before we begin transmogrifying you (to use a Calvin & Hobbes phrase), let me show you Hell first’" The Lord lifted the veil and manifested the unimaginable vision of Hell to poor old Abu Yazid. He was speechless and transfixed, for he saw that the whole of Hell was already fully occupied by a gigantenormous left foot. It was breath-taking. In awe, Abu Yazid asked, “Whose left foot is that?!” God replied (and I would like to think He did so with a smile and a little chuckle), “It is Abu Bakar’s". God-Dramatic-Pause-Here. “He beat you to it. Sorry.”

PROLOGUE
Now your friends are gonna ask - So does Hell exist still? Are we sinners going to be thrown into its welcoming inferno? So what is Abu Bakar’s shoe size? And what about all those infidels? What will their fate be?

Does it matter what the answers are, my friends? If we do good, shouldn’t we feel the joy of kindness and love already? If we do bad, shouldn’t our conscience hurt already? Does the Almighty really need to constantly wield the Carrot of Heaven and the Stick of Hell to herd us lambs in the right path? Sigh…

I do believe in the End of Times. But not as envisioned by some of the fans of Armageddon theology (and I mean both Muslims and Christians). For I believe that in each moment of Creation, the spiritual station of the Prophet and the Saints are rising and rising. That love, mercy and compassion of the divine messengers and prophets is growing ever larger, and we have the good fortune to take shelter under their wing.

I am a poor sickly felon. Please don't rely on me. But you are one of those who are establishing true Lordly worship. I am taking a little sweet from your pantry of sweets. God will bless you for your generous attention towards this guilty but stubbornly happy sinner.

And happily, it is Sunday again, sunshine!

.

Pax Taufiqa.

God Heart, the Light of Love, the End of Hell and Childhood Memories

34. Spinning
Send me if You will, into the blackest places of the Earth!
But will I not bring back the brightest of rubies for You?
And send me if You choose, yea, even to the Valley of Darkness!
And will I not set the Valley ablaze with the Light of Love?

O’ Lord! Your creation cannot contain me,
But Your Heart can.

… And I am the sleeper who mumbles nonsense,
Judged by the bookworms as both mad and reckless.
…………………..
Poem is from the 13th Chapter entitled ‘What is in Your Basket” circa May 2005.

Paragraph 1 is an allegory on an ancient mystic tale pertaining to the End of Hell, and how saints of past have competed to be the first to end Hell. I have heard such stories concerning Abu Bakar as-Siddique and Abu Yazid al-Bistami. It is a wonderful tale and worth recalling. I may do it one day if God Wills and I feel like it.

Paragraph 2 is a play of an often quoted verse, “Neither My Earth nor My Heavens can contain Me, but the heart of a Believing Servant, contains Me.”
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Paragraph 3 is my own admission of impudence for turning the said verse backwards. But you see, My Lord says He is the First and the Last. And He is the Lord that is Apparent and Hidden. So between the mirror, the reflection and the world, I just get really, really confused. But my confusion is a happy one, like a child running back and forth, torn between the loving embrace of my mother or the welcoming arms of my father.

Can you recall such feelings? God bless you. If we share such childhood memories, how can we not be brothers and sisters?

Have a wonderful day, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.

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P/P/S Friday 5th Nov 2010 - I now recall an earlier posting pertaining to the End of Hell. Please click 'Mercy and the End of Hell'. The particular poem is the last one in the posting, it is entitled 'The Bridge'.

P/S - I opt for a 'Light' poem to welcome Deepavali tomorrow for my Hindu brethren, especially my friend Sumathi with whom I have spent many hours trading war-stories about our path and search for the inner light.

The Carbon Footprints of Muhammad

Muhammad was the first
To leave carbon footprints,
Long ago he wandered across
The desert of my heart,

Leaving behind diamonds
Twinkling like stars
In the night sky,

One was called Abu Bakar,
Another Omar, the third was Usman,
The fourth, Ali, Hassan, Hussein
And thereafer more
And more and
more.

Prose is from current and untitled chapter. It is a flower from the lore of Sufis that the Companions of the Prophets, are like the stars in the desert twilight, follow any one of them, and surely he will lead you to the Prophet, to God, to Love.

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So, I beg you, as one tired wanderer to another, look for the stars, high in the celestial sky, or in the closeness of your own heart... they are there, all of them.

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For if God can be contained in the heart of a true believer, what more His Friends and Saints?!

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Pax Taufica.

Nameless and Anonymous

Were I good,
Rest assured
I would not be writing.

I would be silent,
Nameless and anonymous
As a raindrop.

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

This is a prose entitled 'Take me not as a master' recorded circa 2007. It is an important note for me, for it clearly illustrates my predicament. It is easier to write, but much more harder to do. The 'nameless and anonymous' bit comes as nothing new in Muslim lore, and was said many times before by scripture worthies like Abu Bakar, the Prophet's shadow and Mary, blessed mother of Jesus.

I am not of such ilk. Rather, I look to others, my parents, my family and friends, and in them, I see the virtue of simply being good. Nice. Not desiring to change the world, but merely to better themselves. But perhaps, by changing ourselves, we change the world. And there lies another perfume scented from an ocean of sweetness that I cannot comprehend, but daily it laps on the shore of my heart... Ah, how nice it feels to be in love.

Thank you all, for allowing me to share a little in your perfume. It is intoxicating, and more beautiful than anonymity.

Salams, and Godbless.