ONE SEA ONE GOD - the whens, the wheres, the hows and the whys of our world...

The Universe Speaking

I am waiting for the Universe to speak,

And past me, a couple walked by,

The lady wearing bright red heels.

I am waiting for the Universe to speak,

And beneath me, a little kitty curled

Around my feet, looking hungry.

I am waiting for the Universe to speak,

And across the street I see

Two old pensioners talking,

I am waiting for the Universe to speak,

Until finally the Universe replied impatiently,

"Well... what are you waiting for?

Say something.

.

What you speak I speak."

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

One Sea. We are all here together on the Ocean of God. Some call it the Mercy Ocean, others call it the Ocean of Knowledge. But to me it is the Sea. And you may be swimming close to me, or far on some distant horizon. 

One Lord. According to where we are in the Sea, our perception of the Universe is coloured by when, where, how and why we take knowledge from the Sea. So for some, they become scientists and teachers. Others become firemen, lawyers, doctors and street-cleaners. For the aesthetic gang, they become singers, dancers, writers and poets. The Sea of God is rich beyond count, varied beyond measure, to serve the many fancies and passions of humanity. So whether you become knowledgeable in mathematics and quantum mechanics, so whether you have found the perfect swing and motion to sweep with a broom. Whether you have learned the art of persuasion as a politician or a preacher... in all these knowledge and endeavour... it all comes from the Sea. Thus is His infinite generosity, the Lord of the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the wise and the ignorant, the believers and the unbelievers... being the only One, being Allah (swt).

Set Adrift

Set adrift in the Sea of Mercy,

Some sail fast and smooth,

Others swim according to their own pace,

A few struggle, unconvinced by the Sea,

While others, give up the fight and surrender,

But regardless, here is all of humanity,

In all its beauty, wonder and infamy.

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

One Sea. One God. We are all here. It is our choice that colours our world. So let us make this world beautiful, vivid and exciting. Something to remember, sunshine, on  this blessed Friday.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE SPARROW-ALHAMDULILLAH! - Friday the Blessed, the Sabbath for contemplation

It was Friday the Blessed yesterday, and you would find a sinner loitering outside the Mosque, finishing his cigarette before making his way in, a sinner amongst the pious, into the Mosque for ablutions and prayers.  

A Young Man Without Any Arms. Cars were parking illegally all over the place, as like on all Fridays, ordinary traffic regulations are not enforced so long as you do not actually block a road. A space opened by the pavement right in front of me and a small car slipped in. A Chinese lady came out of the driver seat and I was thinking to myself, "Huh, even the Chinese take advantage of Friday!" when suddenly from the front passenger seat, out jumped a young man and I literally jumped out of my skin, because he had no arms at all. He walked pass me with a spring in his step, as I continued to stare at him. He looked well-pleased with himself and I wanted to smile at him. He noticed me watching and we smiled at each other shyly. Dammit. He looked happy. He looked contented. How could he be, when he didn't have any arms?

So I knew, you see... that this Friday, the last Friday of the Holy Month of Sya'ban would be an extraordinarily good Friday.

The sparrow-Alhamdulillah

Alhamdulillah... Praise be unto God,

Alhamdulillah... Praise be unto God,

Alhamdulillah... Praise be unto God,

I recited, my voice spoke, my heart ignited,

Alhamdulillah... my soul sang and sent

All my Alhamdulillah to the spirits of the dearly departed,

To my Beloved Prophet and His beloved Family,

To His Companions and His Saints, alive and living,

Alhamdulillah... my spirit sang and sent

All my Alhamdulillah like a flock of sparrows in their thousands

Flying towards the beloved faces of my mother and father,

Towards my brothers, my uncles and aunties and all my cousins,

To all my nieces and nephews and all my friends and their children,

And as the flock arrived, they descended toward my beloveds,

And they begin to whirl round and round my beloveds,

The flock of sparrow-Alhamdulillah continued to encircle them,

A circumambulation of love around my beloveds,

Until a desire sparked in me and I found that I myself

Have become one of my own sparrow-Alhamdulillah,

...I could feel the wind rushing over my feathered wings

As I flew with scriptural speed around these familiar faces...
Whirling and spiraling like blue lightning,

...Oh mother! Oh father! Oh brothers! Oh my loves!

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

Have a wonderful Sabbath, sunshine. Keep your light on, remember Allah (s.w.t.) always and devote your life and love to His Beloved Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), His Anointed Mercy to all the Worlds.

From the strangest places and avenues do mercy come, and yesterday it began with a disarming smile from a young man with no arms. May Allah bless him always... for the journey ended in the flight of the sparrow-Alhamdulillah!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way 

MY LEAVING WILL COST ME NOTHING - al-Najm ath-Thaqib (s.a.w.s.)

A Funeral Wreath

Let this day be the last day of my life,

It this is best for me,

Let this night be the last night of my life,

It this is best for me,

Let this breath be the last breath for me,

If this is best for me,

Let these words be the last words that I write,

It this is best for me,

Let these thoughts of You be the last that passes through my mind,

Let this thirst for You be the last thirst that I feel,

Let this hunger for You be the last pain that I feel,

It this is best for me, quench my thirst and sate my hunger...

Let my eyelids close for the last time knowing You are waiting for me,

Let my family not cry nor mourn my passing,

For my leaving will costs me nothing...

With You are the end of all my restless dreaming,

Tiresome scheming and fruitless thinking.

For You are my beginning

And my ending.

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

Good Friday. If you can pick a day to pass away, it is said that Friday is a good day to do so. Indeed, Friday is a good day to do anything really, whether it is to move house, to change work, to marry, to begin a journey, to rest, to contemplate and reflect, to visit friends and relatives, to visit the graves of our dearly departed. 

It is also a good day to ask things from God. It is of course not necessary that you wait until today, but as today is already here, why let this Friday go to waste? Hmm, what can I ask God? Ah yes, something like this has been sheltering under the shade of my soul last night, a presumptuous little prayer...

The Servant that Didn't Happen

Oh Lord, 

You, Who has made me fall in love with You,

Therefore, You must care for me

And let me stray not one moment from You!

You, Who can make anything happen,

Make me to be the servant that didn't happen!

A moment that didn't occur,

A second that didn't pass,

The insignificant nothing

To Your Compelling

Everything!

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

He he he. So many exclamation marks! I guess this is not to everyone's taste. And even to my lips, this cup of prayer tastes strange and foreign. But this is Friday the Blessed, so I think we are granted a little dispensation, yes? And anyway, even in this strangeness there is familiarity. Like the familiarity of al-Najm ath-Thaqib s.a.w.s. (Piercing Star) whose brightness lights up the darkest of our skies. Al-Najm ath-Thaqib is one of the inspired names of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.). May God Almighty preserve us in the Path of His Light (s.a.w.s.). 

And though we cannot pick the day that we die, Oh Lord... please pick us! Please pick us!

Have a lovely Friday, sunshine. Dare and do!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way