Finding our way in the Dream State - the soul's nightly journey

Outside the Soul, Inside a Dream

Outside my window the rain is falling

With her sad sorry sighs,

Outside my window the wind is blowing

And parting my curtains like a bride's unveiling,

Outside my window the leaves are rolling

Down the road like a gambler’s dice,

Inside sits the writer, busy scribbling prose

Disguised as writings of the wise,

And what he does write is…

Outside, a thousand birds are twittering,

A thousand sleeping souls are returning

To their homes, to bed, carrying missives

They plucked like seagulls from the Sea of Love

While flying with angels on the Wings of Love,

With eyes closed, dreaming an ocean of meanings

More vast than the living seas that mortal men go sailing.

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

The great Muslim luvvie, Imam Ghazali (1058-1111 AD) once wrote in his book, The Ihya' Ulum al-Din (The Revival of Religious Sciences) about a recommended spiritual exercise - to be awake in a dream. To retain consciousness and cognitive faculties during that dream state we all fall in when asleep.

This can be done, but it requires training and discipline, words which are unfortunately, strangers to this sinner. But you can try. The requisite condition however is that we lead a moderate, sensible and loving life. Respecting God, Man and all creatures created. Not wasting anything, working hard, acting responsibly with everyone that we encounter. With sincerity, humility and good Adab (courtly courtesies). Thus it seems that if you are good, while in that mini-death state which we call sleep, our souls take flight to another place - a hallowed place blessed by hosting a congregation of prophets, saints and angels, in the Divine Presence of the Lord and the Prophet(pbuh). The alternative destination reserved for the bad, Imam Ghazali does not go into much details. But it does not seem to be a very nice place to visit, even for the 6 hours or so that we sleep nightly.

Maybe that is why I do not recall much of what I dreamt. But truth be told, I tend to wake up happy or at least contented, regardless where my soul went in its twilight travels. And I know I have done nothing to deserve this feeling of gladness, and I have done much to deserve waking up sorrowful, sullen and scared. The fact that I don't must be evident of the kind and magnanimous nature of God, Lord or our wakefulness and unconsciousness.  

Have a lovely Sunday, sunshine. Can you remember what YOU dreamt last night?

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Door of My Soul - Hu is behind it?

The Door of My Soul

We do not question God,

We question ourselves,

Raising awkward inquiries

And intimate questions

Bound to raise the blushes

Of the most hardened rake

Amongst us.

We do not question God,

But put ourselves through

The grinding windmill

Of our own complexity

And confusion.

We do this,

Time and again,

Until finally, tired and worn,

We reply,

"Enough! I cannot answer thy questions anymore,

Cast thy impertinent interrogation on the Door of my Soul,

And see now Hu will answer thee!"

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

I am away from the city, in the hill-side of Janda Baik (literally, The Good Widow), a rural hill village in the state of Pahang, about one hour from my home. I am here with my friend, Moses, taking a break from the city-scape for some green jungle and cool evening breeze. It is in fact very cold here now, because as the sun came down, a torrential downpour also arrive to soak this quiet little retreat.

Moses agreed to follow, which is fortunate, because we are the only paying customers in this little guest house. Apart from us there are only two or three resident staff staying here. I also brought along Imam Ghazali for company, in his slim volume entitled The Alchemy of Happiness. Am I searching for happiness? I am, just like everyone else. And I have a sneaky feeling that my happiness is in finding out who is behind the Door of my Soul.

Oh dear, the rain is starting again. I better go dry up. God bless you and have a wonderful day.  

Take care, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Quest of Knowledge and the Light of Empathy

Kiara Cemetery

I Did Not Know...

I did not know how many people walk everywhere

Until my car had a puncture in the middle of town,

I did not know how many people use chairs in their prayers

Until my knee was injured and I had to use a chair myself in the mosque,

I did not know how many people are orphans

Until my mother passed away ten years ago,

I did not know how patient people can be

Until I saw myself as a test of patience for someone else,

I did not know how often a grave is dug in the cemetery

Until I frequent the cemetery regularly,

I did not know how hopeful people can be

Until I myself fell in love and wondered,

“Dear God, what will this mean for me?”

The Quest of Knowledge. I do not desire to bring forward the date of my demise or anyone else's. But the fact is we do not know when we are fated to die. But I do hope to learn something while I am here. I do not wish to go back totally without education. Imam Ghazali, a man who contemplated life and death with saintly vigour had this to say in his chapter entitled The Alchemy of Happiness... "God has sent on earth a hundred and twenty-four thousand prophets to teach men the prescription of this alchemy, and how to purify their hearts from baser qualities in the crucible of abstinence. This alchemy may be briefly described as turning away from the world to God, and its constituents are four:

1. The knowledge of self.

2. The knowledge of God.

3. The knowledge of this world as it really is.

4. The knowledge of the next world as it really is."

Then the Great Shaykh goes on to elaborate further in his amazing discourse. 

The Light of Empathy. There are not many lights that can shine a more illuminating path to understanding such realities than the Light of Empathy. We cannot be walking in EVERYONE'S shoes, so a sense of empathy is the only way we can have some limited perception of someone else's perspectives of life. My admiration for those with a highly sensitive sense of empathy knows no bounds. They are all my great teachers...

Have a lovely Friday, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Essence of God and the Nature of Knowledge - God's profile and persona

WHO IS GOD? We are not talking about God per se. We are talking about representations of God as how God deems it fit to disclose to us. And I think that God, in His Wisdom chooses to disclose to us according to His Plan, however good or bad, wise or stupid we think we may be.

HE IS WHAT HE SAYS HE IS. Such disclosure is not of His Essence, such disclosure is as how He chooses to build His profile. You know, its like Facebook. Your profile and your internet persona is not you. Simply what you choose for people to know. Same thing with creation and the knowledge within creation, it is whatever God chooses to fill in and any Divine information outside creation remains forever unknown, unless of course, God decides to 'update' His profile or to make public (at least to you). We have no choice about this, really. His world, His rules...

IMAM GHAZALI AND THINKING GOOD. In Imam Ghazali's great opus, the Ihya Ulum-id-din, the great soul referred to mankind's innate curiosity about their Maker. And so we are invited to reflect and contemplate upon the immeasurable magnificence of God's handiwork in our world, and the many, many Divine Attributes that is reflected in the wonder and mystery of creation. But there is a threshold which we are unable to cross. In the words of Imam Ghazali himself (May God sanctify his secrets)...

"The Almighty enjoined us to do good and He Praises those who think good. He says; They remember Allah standing, sitting and lying on their sides and think of the creation of the heavens and earth : O God, Thou hast not created this in vain. Hazrat Ibn Abbas said : A party of man were thinking of God, when the Prophet said : Ponder over the creation of Allah, and don't ponder over Allah because you cannot realise His power."

YOUNGER ME. When I was younger I considered this rule to be a little demotivating. Of course, I would like to know God. And if it means to know the very Essence of God, why not? Ah, the passionate young. What a fool I was.

OLDER ME. Now, much older, and perhaps less foolish, I am more accepting of the Prophet's caution. For the more I appear to learn about people, about society, about the natural world and the workings of the human ego, spirit, conscience and heart, the more certain I am that I in fact know very, very, very little about anything really.

THE RIGHT QUESTION TO ASK. But the good thing is that even this vague acknowledgement of not-knowing-anything-really has given fruit to some pretty darn good thoughts and emotion about this world, its inhabitants and of course, ultimately about God and His Prophet. This is my kernel of an echo of knowledge, me, a sinner. For you, sunshine... ah, such sublime knowledge and pleasure is yours for the asking. You need only to know the right questions.

What are the right questions to ask yourself? Well, we have to start with the basics, of course. Try asking yourself this..

Who am I?

You? You are an uber-cute baby, Emina.

May your day today bring you self-knowledge and a better understanding of the Lord.

wa min Allah at-taufiq.

Hate has no place in Islam.

Love will show the Way.

The Nature of Happiness - Have Hope and Remember

29. Real Happiness for God, Veil of Happiness for Mankind
For God, and those God has appointed unto you
As your Prophet and Saints,
Present unto Him and He
And unto them
Happiness both Real and Apparent,
For that is your highest obligation
In praise of Love and Mercy.

For your fellow brothers and sisters,
Present unto them
The Veil of Happiness,
Which is only Apparent.
For that is your highest obligation to them
In praise of Love and Mercy.

So now you ask me,
“So will I ever share real happiness?”

Yes, of course.
Whenever you cry out, “Oh God.”
In the unveiling of who you really are,
In the love and passing of your parents,
In the unveiling of your mate,
In the ecstasy of your wedding bed,
In the life of your child,
In the sighs of growing old,
And upon your lips,
In your last breath,
As you die.

Do not fret,
He will be there, o’ seeker.
Have hope
And remember.

This is a good place where we are, pet. Because here, in this mortal coil we can discern a little of eternity. But what of eternity if we are not happy? I do not wish for an eternity to be miserable. So far however, the pre-screening of eternity that we have seen is good. It is all good. I am a sinner, you see. But I am also a cheer leader of life, and of you.

And for so long as you have hope, you have nothing to fear. For hope is the bridge that connects Man to the Divine. So do not despair in your unpaid bills, your unrequited love or your spilled milk. Retreat, replan and rise again. You are not hopeless, sunshine. ...Have Hope and Remember.

Pax Taufiqa.

Tolerance is a Sign of Strength, Intolerance is Sign of Weakness

The cave of the terrorists
Is not the Cave of Hira,

The belt of explosives
Of the suicide bomber
Is not the steel-mail shirt
Of Saladin,

The preachers of hate
Are not Imam Ghazali,

The Jihad postings on the web
Is not the Qasida Burdah,

The murder of innocents
Is not the war of Khalid al-Walid,

Fatalism is not
Submission,

The mad mob jumping
And screaming 'AllahuAkbar'
Is not the noble beauty
Of the whirling Rumi,

The beardies sending boys
To their early doom
Are not the Companions of Mercy,

The fatwas of the Taliban Council
Are not the judgments of Noble Ali,

The burning of books by ‘Islamic’ fighters
Are not the traditions of

The Ancient Libraries of Baghdad and Andalusia,

The claims for ‘rights and freedoms’
Are not the claims of servanthood,

And for some…
Labeling something as Islamic
Is the easiest lie of them all.

Glossary for Poem -

Cave of Hira is the cave where Muhammad regularly retreats to for meditation, and where he first received revelation from God through the archangel Gabrial.

Imam Ghazali is an ancient master of the Shariat (Law) and Tarikat (Path-sufism) of Islam.

The Qasidah Burdah is an ancient song of praise for the Prophet. CLICK HERE for a beautiful rendition of the music (with translation)

Khalid al-Walid, companion of the Prophet is also known as Saifullah, the Sword of God. CLICK HERE for an amazing video depiction of him.

Submission is the essence of Islam.

Noble Ali is a Companion and the 4th and last of the Rightly-guided Qaliphs

Why is the sinner sharing this with you, sunshine? Simply because tonight a little bird perched on my right shoulder, and into my ear he whispered...

Tolerance & Intolerance

Intolerance is not a sign of strength, it is a sign of weakness,

Tolerance is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength.

Have a good rest this Sunday, pet.

Pax Taufiqa.

Imam Ghazali and the Heart of all Divine Guidance - Love

WE ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD. So long as we are alive, we are subject to the physical world, although by our true nature we are creatures of the heart, spiritual creatures infused with the Breath of God all that eons ago when Adam was created from clay. Imam Al-Ghazali recorded this observation in his seminal writing about our nature and the nature of this world. He further said that it is only upon death that our spirit reconciles itself to the spiritual world, and our soul is made whole. He also mentioned that mankind must desire this one expression of his servanthood - and that is to place his body, with all its needs and earthly desires, as instruments and subject to his heart. To be led in words and action according to the dictate of his conscience, the well spring of which is the contented heart...

22. The Antechamber

Words are clumsy tools for expressing ideas,

And a mind cannot bear the transmission of belief.

It is the heart, the hidden heart, the Antechamber of the Throne

Wherein love is communicated and affirmed.

And where there is love, O’ seeker, There is always belief.

Illahi Anta maqsudi wa ridaKa matlubi.

THE HEART OF ALL DIVINE GUIDANCE. I once heard someone argue that surely religion cannot be that simple. That it is simply about acting good, following our heart and conscience. After all, the Al Quran is not actually a slim divine booklet. But it is that simple. Despite the bulky appearence of the Al Quran, and indeed all divine scriptures, from the Bible, the Torah to the Guru Granth Sahib, it is my certain belief that God would not impose difficulty upon us. The simple basic truths are all the same in all religion - don't steal, don't be a glutton, don't waste, don't break a promise, etc. It is only mankind that is often distracted - confusing knowledge with wisdom, confusing listening with learning, and most importantly, confusing means as ends. Then alas, they fail to see that the central theme, the centre spread, the Heart of all divine guidance is Love.

You know, I cannot stress more sincerely my abject lack of wisdom, but even this sinner can grasp this simple belief - that while we may express our love for God through different words and sentences, we are still loving the One God through a spiritual connection that is our shared path. So lead me, sunshine, by your loving example, and surely I shall follow you.

But first I think I will have breakfast and fill the needs of this physical reality.

Pax Taufiqa.

Mawlana Abul Kalam Azad Part 2

No.9 Wonderful
Beauty made the world a canvas,
To paint His Names
In cosmic colour and hue.

And in between the First suns and the Last moons,
Beauty found time to create you.

MECCA, 1888. Mawlana Abul Kalam Azad was born to a migrant Indian family in Mecca in the year 1888. This boon companion of Mahatma Gandhi was described by the Mahatma himself as ‘The Emperor of Learning” and “a person of the calibre of Plato, Aristotle and Pythagorus”.

His father was reputed to be Sufi pir of the Qadiri and Naqshbandi Sufi Orders. Yet Mawlana Abul, although educated in the Islamic classic traditions, had a willful heart to explore beyond the books and sermons of the madrasah. His proficiency in Arabic, English, Urdu, Hindi, Persian and Bengali permitted him to study many knowledge and lore which would otherwise be locked away from him. When married with a highly astute mind and a compassionate heart, is it any wonder that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's referred to him as “a very brave and gallant gentleman, a finished product of the culture that, in these days, pertains to few”. When you consider the giant personalities of Gandhi and Nehru, you would know that such personal accolades are not something to take lightly.

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MY FIRST ENCOUNTER with Mawlana Abul’s book “THE OPENING CHAPTER OF THE QURAN” (Mawlana Abul Kalam Azad, Edited & rendered into English by Dr. Syed Abdul Latiff) was some 10 years ago while I was collecting notes and insights on the idea of Islam and the Environment for my book (grandly) entitled "THIS WORLD IS MY MOSQUE - A Walk Through a Twilight Forest under a Crescent Moon". Perhaps one day I should post some readable parts of my unfinished book.

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Anyways, while searching through my old notes last night, I came across this following extract from Maulana Abul’s book – “To visualize God as Rabbul’-Alamin or the Rabb (Lord) of all creation is to conceive Him as not only the Creator of everything in the universe but its nourisher and sustainer as well. The provision that He has made for the sustenance and growth of everything is made under a plan, so marvelous that every being is furnished with all that its particular nature demands for its existence, and at the same time, it is furnished in a manner that takes cognizance of every changing situation and need.”

GOD THE PAINTER. I remember thinking about Mawlana’s words and how if I consider God as the Ultimate Artist and Painter, God would not be any ordinary sort of painter. Such is the vacuum of meanings and substance before Creation that God’s canvas would be made of unimaginable nothingness. A canvas empty even of emptiness and devoid of even voidness. And upon this divine canvas, God found the time to paint each ant, each zebra, the forest and mountains, the lakes and the seas, the sky and the vast expanse of outer space and beyond. And while working on His Masterpiece, He found the inspiration to create you. Little ol’ you.

But as the Rabbul’-Alamin, the Painter of this vast Creation doesn’t stop painting. Indeed not a moment past from Untime to this moment when you are reading this post, that God has ever stopped painting. And were He like us, to grow tired and bored – and turns away from His Creation, all of Creation would cease to be nourished and sustained by His Grace and we, together with everything else would simply slip back into the unimaginable emptiness. All the colours of the worlds, each infinitesimal dot and speck of paint would fall from the canvas. A ripple of creation blinked away into a sea of absolute zero, where even memories would cease to exist.

RUBUBIYAT. But (thankfully) God is not like us. He loves all of Creation with a Love and Power which humbles our mind, thus wrote the Mawlana – “Indeed there are countless varieties of creation infinitesimally small in form that our naked eye cannot perceive them. For them, also, the Rububiyat of God has made the requisite provision for sustenance and growth with as much care as for the bulk elephant or the intelligent man. All this man can observe in his external world. Should he look into himself, he will notice that his life, at every moment of its existence, discloses a world of activity propelled by the Rububiyat* of God.”

LOVE THAT HAS NO LIMITATION. Such is the love that God has for you. Someone once commented about this blog. “Surely it isn’t as simple as that. Surely it is not just about love, kindness and mercy”. To my friend I reply here – It is. And the eternal sadness of mankind is that however we talk of love, singing and praising love in poems and novels, we fail to understand His Love. We refuse to believe that such Love as His Love could possibly exist. And we don’t even try. We put limitations on God when He Himself says He has none.

IMAM GHAZALI. Oh my dear friends, believe. And set yourself free of your mortal cage. Your body is imprisoned for awhile here in this world. But your heart, as Imam Ghazali once noted – is not of this world. Believe in His love and let your heart be the wings to fly you to Him…

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On this wonderful Wednesday, when I am sharing thoughts with Maulana Azad and Imam Ghazali (not to mention Nehru and the Mahatma), I bid you peace and love. Not of a sinner, but from these elevated souls to whom I owe so much.

Pax Taufiqa.

Footnotes:
Earlier posting - Mawlana Abul Kalam Azad Part 1 - Click Here.

* Rububiyat means, as quoted from Maulana Azad’s book, “…in Arabic, Rububiyat means nourishing. But the term is to be conceived here in its widest sense, for in the opinion of some of the leading lexicographers, the terms means, “to develop a thing from a stage to stage in accordance with its inherent aptitudes, needs and its different aspects of existence, and also in a manner affording the requisite freedom to attain its full stature”.

The poem ‘Wonderful’ is from chapter 8 ‘Dawn Came, the Song’ circa October 2004.

FOOLISH SINNER, EGO, SMUGNESS, BIG HEARTED, MUHAMMAD, GOD MOST FUSSY AND THE ANSWERS

49. A Little Knowledge Is Dangerous In The Hands Of Man
When you were uncertain, He plants in you the seed of knowledge,
When you became knowledgeable, He plants in you the seed of wisdom,
When you became wise, He plants in you the seed of arrogance,
When you became arrogant, He plants in you the seed of uncertainty.

What else can you do in these circumstances but plead;
O’ God! Harvest me! Harvest me when I look best to Thee!

FOOLISH SINNER. A wise man was once quoted as saying “God Save us from pious fools!” Well, I think being foolish and looking foolish is the standard operating procedure for us all. At some time in our life, perhaps last week or maybe 1 hour ago, your wisdom was found to be wanting and you ended up looking like a fool.

THE EGO(AGAIN). It happened to me on Thursday night. I was waiting for Heche and left the car double-parked. I stood in front of the car having a smoke when a couple of gentlemen descended from a nearby pub and entered a car parked in front of mine. The driver honked and gestured angrily asking “Is this your car, I cannot get out laa!” Frankly, I was surprised he couldn’t get out, but when I approached him replying through gritted teeth, “Yes, but please don’t honk again.” his alcohol infused breath hit me. I felt foolish, because really, a drunk needs to be managed, not glowered at. I felt even more foolish because I continued to feel angry. It is often our bruised ego that makes us look foolish, and a combustible scene even more combustible. You can be as smart as an Owl, but if you let the Donkey of your ego ride you… down the drain goes all your years of education and experiences.

SMUGNESS. I can be pretty smug. My closest friend said this of me, “Taufiq is even worse, he knows he’s smart!” I admit to the charge, I am guilty. And I fear what sort of mess my smugness will get myself into one day. No doubt I will look stupid and foolish again. It is fated, and in this desperate helplessness, I look to God for protection and cure for my own smugittude…
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15. Smugness
Some fear smugness
Which comes with knowledge.

But it is a useful sign
To reassess where you are,

And to realize that
After all your study and struggle,
You really know nothing,
And oh boy, are you in trouble!

BIG HEARTED I am not. But I am big about the heart. That great, great Muslim saint and theologian, Imam Ghazali was big on the heart too. His writing and eloquent life inspired my forefathers, and he remains a pre-eminent figure in South East Asia, despite critiques of him by ‘Muslim Modernists and Reformers’. I think the trick to controlling your ego is to make your heart as loving as possible – making it so big that your ego is lost in the COSMIC VASTNESS of your conscience. But your ego can also grow to great vastness if you are not careful. I try to follow my heart and not be arrogant with what little knowledge I may have. But as I said, I can be smug. Be patient with me, my friends, because for me, it is a constant battle to let my heart rule my head in the quest for Truth…
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109. Truth, The Heart & The Mind
Truth is always felt.
Never reasoned out;

Your mind helps to identify
And connect the dots
That represent what meager
Knowledge you have acquired so far.

But the last mile, the complete picture,
Only your heart can comprehend.

FIGURING GOD. Wonderful thing, knowledge is. I often imagine us being little toddlers in the great kindergarten of God, with God Hiding Himself around a corner and having fun looking at us trying to figure Him out. Late in my life, I came across an old man who said, “Figure yourself out first, then you can figure God” I have lived by that advice since. So have I figured God? Of course not! I am still going through the multi-layered cake that is me. Some parts I find sweet, some parts I find sour, some parts I cannot discern a taste. Perhaps we are all like that…

13. A, B, C
God has left His Signs,
Like Alphabetical Blocks,
In the playpen of Man.

Some have raised them as towers to reach the sky,
Some have strewn the blocks and spread them far and wide,
Some have lost them,
While others give these blocks
Only perfunctory acknowledgement,
Seeing His Signs
Within themselves,
And greatest of them all
In the heart of a man, a shepherd orphan
Most delicate of all servants.

MUHAMMAD AND THE BURDEN OF KNOWLEDGE. Anyway, above all signs of God, even such signs as I may find in myself, I am enraptured most of all by the COSMIC NEON LIGHTS of Muhammad. His name has been bad-mouthed of late. He is depicted as mad and bad by some people who ought to really know better. Muhammad is not to be blamed; it is we who have been neglectful of his teachings of love, mercy and patience. Thus we must bear some blame for causing other people to misconstrue the Prophet. How I rue the day when I would face Muhammad and admit, “Yes, my Master… they were misled as to your nature and your message by MY NEGLIGENCE. Forgive me, please.” I am laying the blame at my threshold and that of the Muslims because we claim to be followers of Muhammad. And it is only because of the delicate nature of Muhammad Most Beloved that I can even hope for his forgiveness and intercessions…

GOD MOST FUSSY. All questions that you may frame, all answers that your mind may conjecture, if you trace their origin, all will ultimately bring you back to Him. He is the Creator of Languages by which He communicates with us and we communicate with one other. He is also the Creator of Knowledge itself. His Essence is therefore beyond human contemplation. Yet, He says He wants to be known (‘I am a Hidden Jewel and I desire to be known’, a famous Sufi quote) and He asks that you strive to know Him. But God is also Most Odd, the One and Only. Whenever I wrap my head around one idea of His Attractiveness, He reveals Himself to me even more beautiful in another aspect. He keeps me on my toes wanting more of His Infinite Variety, and curious as to what He has Planned for me - So I do believe that God is the Lord Most Curious.

6. My Lord Most Curious
My Lord Most Curious,
Creator of the how,
Creator of the who,
Creator of the why,

Mightiest Examiner,
Setter of the Questions,
The Crossroad of all knowledge,
The Spring of all Answer.

The Fountain of thoughtful query,
The Mirror of human reflection.

But the curiosity runs both ways. It is not a one-way street. I think we are often curious of God and his Mysterious Ways, but when it comes to it, our curiosity cannot be compared to His inquisitiveness over us, His beloved servants.

Forever, our Lord is inquiring over us… Are you fine? How is that ankle injury? Did you sleep well last night? Why are you crying? Are you sad someone got promoted over you? Do you have enough money to last the end of the month? Did someone cut you by some heartless jibe? Why are you distracted? Am I not incomparable in my Beauty? Ugliness cannot create beauty, and you are often enchanted by My creation – Yet you ignore Me. Why are you so blind? Even a mother cat would grieve for her kitten, do you not think I grieve for you? Do you remember Me? Do you know Me? I have created the stars in the night sky and all the fishes in the sea just for you, do you not know Me at all? My dear servants, do you even know who you really are?

Of course, He does it in an entirely UberCool Godly way and not like a nervous mother hen fussing over her chicks. But you get what I am getting at.

THE ANSWERS ARE IN YOUR HEART. Life is about answering God’s questions, isn’t it? But unlike most examinations that we have to sit for, in this exam we need only to ask the Chief Examiner Himself, and He will pass you a note while the Angelic moderators are not watching. A little God-note slipped into the folds of your heart. So look for the answers you need there. The answers, and God Himself, is in your heart, always.

Have a happy Monday, Sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa

Footnotes – ‘A Little Knowledge Is Dangerous In The Hands Of Man’ and ‘Truth, The Heart & The Mind’ are from Chapter 2, ‘The Dam.Munir.Ana’, 2004. ‘Smugness’ is from Chapter 26, ‘Stay Clear’.’A,B,C’ is from Chapter 19, ‘Tiramesu’. ‘My Lord Most Curious’ is from Chapter 23, ‘My Lord has Answered Me’.