THE SINNER AND THE SKY FULL OF STARS - Nabi Muhammad (saws) and Coldplay. It all makes perfect sense.

A Sky Full of Stars

...'Cause you're a sky full of stars,

I am going to give you my heart...

...'Cause you're a sky full of stars,

And 'Cause you light up the path...

I don't care, go on and tear me apart,

I don't care if you do,

'Cause in a sky, cause in a sky full of stars,

I think I saw you...

'Cause you're a sky, cause you're a sky full of stars,

I wanna die in your arms,

'Cause you get lighter the more it  gets dark,

I am gonna give you my heart,

You're a sky, you're a sky full of stars,

Such a heavenly view,

You are such a heavenly view.

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

So ran selected extracts of the Coldplay song, "A Sky Full of Stars".

And many eons before, the Prophet Muhammad (saws) said,

My Companions are like stars (on a dark night)

Whichever of them you follow,

You will be guided.

Coincidence or Karma? He he he. Of course you know the truth, sunshine. There is no such thing as coincidences, which is merely a convenient word to describe an event whose thread of cause and effect we are not able to discern yet. It is a lazy man's escape.

But we are not lazy, you and I. Not when the meanings of meanings blaze a trail like a comet through our soul's sky. White, blue, orange or purple... the Truth guides us, cherishes us and raise our petty worldly burdens off our tired shoulders. So is it a pop song performed by a British band? Or is it a universal pledge of guidance spoken by the Habibullah (saws), re-animated for us?

Enjoy the vid, peeps.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Notrumi Embun, 25th June 2014

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Physical Gloss over the Spiritual Essence - knowledge and learning in the embrace of the Master

I asked a friend of mine recently, "Have you read Shaykh Abdul Qader Geylani?* (*a famous Sufi Grandshaykh of the Syariat (the Law) and the Tarikat (the Path)). To which he replied in the negative. And I think he was amused by my crestfallen reaction (which I think I found hard to hide) for he said, "He is not in my priority of reading..." 

So I asked him what was his priority reading, and he said, "The Holy Quran, the Hadith (verbal traditions of the Prophet), perhaps the books of the four school (mahzabs) of jurisprudence of Islam..." He felt that it is important for him to focus on these basic groundings and not be distracted by other books, which I guess appear to him to be secondary and collateral to these books.

My first (and emotional) reaction was to spring on him and shake his structure- Oh why oh why would you not want to open yourself to the love manifested by someone such as Shaykh Abdul Qader? A love of divine presence connected through the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) and the Companions and Saints? A love that you can sense, taste and feel through his spiritual discourses? Why would you not want to grab hold of this Saint's robe and let him drag you through our simple hypocrisies though it may hurt our spiritual sensibilities? Why would you not want Love at all? But then someone interrupted us and he whispered to me,

In the Kiss, In the Embrace

Love cannot be informed upon,

Love cannot be explained,

Love cannot be told from 

One person to another.

Love must be transmitted in a kiss,

In the embrace of the Master 

And submission by the apprentice.

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

So I said no more on this matter.

But the next day, another old friend of mine dropped by in the hallow of my thoughts and by this he challenged my friend's view - You say that you wish your religious study not to be distracted by other spiritual books than the Holy Quran and the Hadith and the books of the four Imams of Jurisprudence. But in your life you are reading the newspaper, you are reading about politics, the economy and society in general. You are driving and you would be studying the advertisement billboard that litter the roadside. You are reading books, journals, magazines, brochures for computers and surfing the internet and reading all sorts of things, written by all sorts of people. And this you say is okay because those reading material are not spiritual or religious in nature. 

But what is 'nature'? At another level everything in its very nature is spiritual. Whether it is about health or wealth, science or technology, people and society, politics and ideologies, banking and commerce - Such things sometimes appear with a gloss of materialism because we are dealing with the physical world and its inhabitants. But truth be told, the knowledge is coming from the same source and MORE importantly, one way or another, it is TALKING about that same source - the One Originator of all things physical, felt or deserving of our contemplation, our One Lord God.

Coming and Returning

All knowledge comes from God,

And all knowledge returns to God...

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

But I cannot share such things with him because there is of course adab (good manners) to consider. I cannot intrude into the bridal chamber of Love. So I ask of Love for Love and no more. Love will bide His time as He wishes.

Have a lovely day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

TRUE FOR ME, TRUE FOR YOU - the Way of the Prophet and the Way with the Prophet

True For Me, True For You

You think I am looking for death?

Truth is I am looking for Muhammad.

You think I am looking for wealth?

Truth is I am looking for Muhammad.

You think I am looking for knowledge?

Truth is I am looking for Muhammad.

You think I am looking for love?

Truth is I am looking for Muhammad.

You think it is light that you perceive?

Truth is what you see is Muhammad.

You think it is goodness that you receive?

Truth is it is Muhammad that you receive.

No books will tell you this. No spoken words.

It is the reverberations in your heart

By which you know this to be true...

True for me, true for you,

True for all.

Verily, my friend...
Does your heart not recall?

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

I was driving early this morning, while the sky was still dark and the Sun has not risen yet over the East. And while on the road I was listening to the radio. It was a local forum where people would write in for the ustaz (religious teacher) to answer. So this morning someone asked the question, "Are we permitted to pray for death?" And this was his answer.

"It is prohibited generally because death is in the power and sole authority of God to determine. However there is a way for someone to pray for death. And it is in the Hadis (oral traditions) of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.). The prescribed prayer is thus - 'O' God, if living is better for me, then give me life. If death is better for me, then give me death.' After all, are we entirely aware of our state at any point in time in our life? We may be doing Qiamullail every night (extended supererogatory prayers to be done in the early hours of the morning) and fasting every other day, but we cannot know for certain of our state. And it is not for Man to (try to) run from the destiny that God has determined for him."

The Way of Muhammad. We do not know what God has in store for us today. Who does? Nor are we merely asking or even waiting for death in some sleepy dervish daze. Our Masters are teaching us to forever ask for Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), and not to ask for life or death, save for a life with Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) and death with Muhammad (s.a.w.s.). And what of work, play, love, marriage, ambition, food, companionship, dreams, fun, recreation, money, health, wealth, you might ask? What of these things which we (or our ego) desire? Such things, I am told, are best with Muhammad(s.a.w.s.). 

The Way with Muhammad. You know, sunshine, you can choose to live life in ignorance of Muhammad (s.a.w.s.). But why would you desire that way? Even to fully enjoy a simple apple (or orange), there is no better way than to eat it in the Way of Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) (also known as the Prophet's Sunnah), and in the Way with Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) which can be your own Sunnah.

At the final resting place of almarhum Sultanul Qulb Shaykh Raja Ashman Shah ibn Sultan Raja Azlan
Shah. These simple things I write today I learnt from him, but I cannot recall much of what he said.
For me at least he spoke little, but his adab (good manners) spoke volumes.
And indeed, even to this day his adab still speaks with beautiful clarity.
al fatiha

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Prophet, Isms and Education

THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION in the words of Muhammad Habibullah. I will fall silent here, and share with you 4 guided and guiding Hadis (saying) of Muhammad, Mercy to the worlds. I am aware of the 2 earlier Hadis below, but the third is a gem amongst gems and the fourth is one which I cannot recall without emotion…

To acquire knowledge is binding upon all Muslims, whether male or female.

The ink of the scholar is more holy than the blood of the martyr.

He who travels in the search of knowledge, to him God shows the way of Paradise.

Acquire knowledge, because he who acquires it, in the way of the Lord, performs an act of piety; who speaks of it praises the Lord; who seeks it, adores God, who dispenses instruction in it, bestows alms; and who imparts it to its fitting objects, performs an act of devotion to God. Knowledge enables its possessor to distinguish what is forbidden from what is not; lights the way to Heaven; it is our friend in the desert, our companion in solitude, our companion, when bereft of friends; it guides us to happiness; it sustains us in misery; it is our ornament in the company of friends; it serves as an armor against our enemies. With knowledge the creatures of God rises to the heights of goodness and to noble position, associates with the sovereigns in this world and attains the perfection of happiness in the next.

STOP LIMITING WHAT THE PROPHET MEANT. And I do not think the Prophet here is talking solely about studying the Al Quran and the Sunnah (Traditions of the Prophet). Oh no. He is talking about the entire corpus of science and learning; history, physics, biology, chemistry, psychology, and all manner of Arts or Sciences subjects… – of which is after all, what the al Quran and the Sunnah encompasses and is about. So for those who are trying to limit what the Prophet intended when he says ‘knowledge’ to mere theology, such persons are qualifying the grandeur, mystery and magnificence of the holy scriptures. They are drawing false borders in the Ocean of Knowledge because their authority and influence comes from their limited vision. Do not listen to them! The Prophet knew what he was talking about, God bless his heart…

ISMS AND EDUCATION. And this is what I intended to also share with you today. A prose freshly baked in the morning air of this beautiful sunny Sabbath. It makes sense to me, I hope it makes sense to you...

Isms and Education
Democracy without education will lead anarchy,
Populism without education leads to manipulation,
Socialism without education will lead to poverty,
Capitalism without education will lead to exploitation,
Communism without education will lead to dictatorship,
Patriotism without education will lead to jingoism.

It is a painful lesson for countries to learn… And I think I have written about the importance of education vis-à-vis government systems earlier. Wait, okay… yeah! Here they are. Click on the titles…
- Meritocracy, Democracy, Moderation, Revolution and the Conscience
- Japanese Tsunami, Democratic Tsunami, Education & the Informed Voter

Have a good Sabbath, sunshine. And remember… study, study, study!

Pax Taufiqa.

The Will of All Causes & Consequences, Muhammad the Mercy and a Guide to How to Read the Universe

THE SUNNAH (traditions) of the Prophet consists of the entire corpus of his sayings (Hadis) and practices while he was walking about as a living man. Although distinct from the Al-Quran, it is an essential part to understanding the Al-Quran and is the completion of the way of Islam. He is the embodiment and living example of the Al-Quran. Muhammad is the merciful rain that falls from the clouds of the Al-Quran, a relief for those living in doubt, a river of joy and justice in a heart where once there was only drought. It is the mode of best conduct, the breath of compassion, the light of love evidenced in the Holy Scriptures, made alive in the manners, action and words of the Man described as The Mercy to the Worlds, Most Beloved of God. Without his Sunnah, Islam is incomplete, and the blessing of God is never incomplete.

THE COMPANIONS. The companions of the Prophet were not timid wee timorous men and women. They were strong in valour and passionate in their action and words. Some of the Companions are headstrong and determined in their views and attitudes. They are not the sort to brook compromise. But in the hands of Muhammad, they were devoted followers and lovers of the Prophet. They were called The Best of my Nation by the Prophet, yet they were mortals, just like you and I.

HOW TO READ / HEAR A HADIS. After the blessed passing of the Prophet at the age of 62, the Companions still remember and seek succor and guidance in his blessed sayings. Many remember them, while others would refer to the written Hadis (and there were many Recorders of the Hadis). For us who have not had the joy to hear the words directly from the pearly lips of the Most Beloved, alas, we fall within the second category. A friend of a friend of a murid (student) of a Shaykh (Master), shared with me what the Shaykh said as to the proper approach to reading a saying of the Prophet.

1. Take Wuduq (ablution for prayers)
2. Approach a Book of the Hadis as if you are entering the Prophet’s Presence.
3. Read the words as if you are hearing it directly from the Prophet, with him seating or standing in front of you, gazing into your eyes with The Compassion of the Prophet.

This approach is wholly sensible. Because really, you don’t want to be presumptuous, speaking in your head, “Yes, yes, I understand already!” before the Prophet has completed what he desires to say to you.

HOW TO READ / HEAR THE UNIVERSE. This was confided to me by another friend of a friend of a… oh you get it by now. The gentleman says that what is appropriate in understanding the Hadis of the Prophet is appropriate to understanding the sayings of God. He did not mean the Holy Quran as a mere book, but the Holy Quran as the Book of the Universe, and thus, the entire world and your entire life becomes part of this understanding. So…

1. Take Wuduq (again same-same)
2. Approach this world and your life as if you are entering the Divine Presence. (So sweetot)
3. Read and hear events, circumstances and actions of the world and its inhabitants as if you are hearing / reading them directly from The Will of all Cause and Consequences, which is of course, God Himself.

And in that context, let us not act presumptuous to our Lord, interjecting in His conversation and communion with us with “Yea, yea, I get it already! You had me at hello!’ before God has finished what He wants to share with us - which would also include our intercourse with our brothers and sisters, friends and enemies. For direct interaction with the creation of the Creator, is an indirect interaction with the Creator.

PATIENCE. So you see, if we have no patience with our fellow human beings… we are not being patient with God. Let us be patient and Let God have His Say from the moment we are born until the instance of our death… and on and on.

PAPA IS JUST LIKE GRANDPA. It is jest surely that I am writing this. I am very impatient as even my best of friends would tell you. Mikhail made an observation just last night after witnessing me explode because of some innocuous irritation , “Papa, you are just like Tok Wan (his grandfather), but only grumpier and angrier.” Sigh, yes Mika. I know.


Between God Almighty, the Prophet and Prophets, the Saints and Angels, you would think that the odds are greatly in my favour. But despite such advantages, I appear to have this amazing talent to always get into trouble. So, I still need you, sunshine… Don’t forget me and keep me in your prayers always.

Pax Taufiqa.