THE FIRST STRUGGLE ... illusion and the self-delusion of humble glory

The Greater Struggle

Every breath is a struggle,

Every blink of your eye,

Every thought that passes

Through your mind,

Every passion stirs

In your heart.

Do you need for arms,

Armours and wages of war

Before your struggle starts?

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

Muslims often say, "Jihad is not just war. The Jihad ul-Akbar (the Greater Struggle) is the personal struggle against our own ego and nafs (base desires)." Yeah... we say a lot of stuff. But we don't actually mean it, for time and time again, I observe than we are often overwrought and impressed by military history, weapons of destruction and violent sentiments. Of course we couch it in the name of God and His Beloved Muhammad (saws). 

So I say now that...

The First Struggle

The first struggle for you

Is to overcome your self-delusion

That you truly understand 

What is the Greater Struggle,

And for you to mind your manners with

The ant under your feet,

The woman that you claim to love,

The air that you breathe but do not own,

The God that you claim to worship but Whom you keep distant

And the Prophet that you claim to love but do not follow.

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

I read someone who decries why Muslims are not "jihad-ing" like how we used to in the past. The struggle, right from the moment of the prophet of Muhammad Habibullah (saws) continues. Look with your heart and see our struggle! Not one moment passes that we are not walking upon the path between right and wrong!

Mika completed his first khatam quran yesterday at his mummy's house.
And it was a struggle. How beautiful it was
because it was indeed a struggle!

wa min Allah at-taufiq.

- Notrumi Embun, 28th May 2014

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Extremism and Moderation, the Syrian Crisis and King Abdullah II, the Caliph of Islam - in the Land of Shams the Saints are Marching in

1. Arabi's Arrows and Darts

Do we not have All Eternity?

And from our heart,

Do we not shoot

Volleys of Ibn Arabi’s arrows?

And rain on the enemy whistling darts?

For it is we who are besieging doubt,

Our Master has taken to the field, you see

And He is saying unto the enemy,

Come out! Come out!

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

Faith is not a numbers game. If you were to trawl the cyber ocean of the Internet, you would grow despondent and sad at the countless millions of websites, blogs, forums, commentaries, tweets and postings that appear to exhibit humanity at our very worse - all the hate, hubris, anger, bias, despair and that unending cacophony baying for war, war, war. And that is only in English. Heaven knows what other malevolence are expressed in the other languages of Man.

Neither Christianity, Islam, Democracy, Sharia or very smart... this is simply hubris, ignorance and despair.

I would think that Christians, with the teaching of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, would be the first to preach love and understanding. And I would have thought that Muslims, with the Sunnah (traditions) of Muhammad (s.a.w.) would have promoted moderation, compassion and mercy. And wouldn't you think that the unbelieving Atheists themselves would be a big force for openness and understanding? 

Atheism - not very open-minded

But alas, not. For many Christians, many Muslims, many Atheists and many believers of other religions and ideologies have forgotten the singular factor that affects the human politic - manners and courtesies. Instead of exhibiting humility as human beings, a little sparse dot of life in the great cosmos, people are wont to be swaggering bullies. And when they should show magnanimity, they show instead condescension. Patience is replaced with impatience, and understanding is replaced with intolerance. 

The truth of the matter is that the extreme forces of hate is arrayed against each other according to their different banners and flags that they follow. Yes, you may be a Muslim or a Christian, or even an Atheist. But by your rude manners, you are following the Religion of Hubris and your fight, your revolution, your great crusade or jihad has nothing to do with us. Indeed, you are just bandits, mercenaries and pirates - Neo-conservative chicken hawks, old mad clerics, despotic tyrants, the neo-Young Turks, Salafis, closed-minded academicians, reformist political Islamists, arms-dealers, warmongers and crooked politicians. They dress differently and perform different rituals and prayers... but all are united in the Religion of Hate.

Well, this cannot continue forever. The Era of the Lost Caliphate has ended, King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is the new Caliph of Islam and the Commander of the Faithful. Next door in Syria, violent forces are gripped in a proxy battle. But the word is for the faithful of Shams (the old name for Syria) to stay indoors, to keep their family close, to pray upon their sajadah (prayer mat) for peace and understanding. And not to lay hand on a single weapon. 

Ignore those who seek to define their faith with AK47s, grenades, bombs, drones, missiles, jet fighters and destruction. It is not faith nor certainty that adorn their actions, but doubt and despair, masked in hubris. Have faith, sunshine... for in the holy land of Shams, the Saints are marching in. Lo... they have never forsaken her! For they remember the Prophet's promise!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Devil's Domino and the Salvation in Servanthood - America, Christians, Muslims, the Middle-east, Iraq, Afghanistan and the War on Terror

10. Armour

People grow armour,

When they should grow flowers,

And they think themselves protected,

Hiding beneath the hard exterior

Of their adopted personality.

Unable to drink

When they have found the river,

Dying and burning in their thousands

Under a radiant morning Sun,

As they walk in their armour,

Cast from molten fire,

In moulds made of hate and fear.

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

Dehumanizing War. The War on Terror is a dehumanizing term because it suggests that it is not a human being behind the bombs and the murders. That terrorism exists in our time because it simply is and there is no point studying the root causes - as if people or a religion (or at least the 'other' people and the 'other religions) are by their nature, evil. I don't know whether this is planned or merely an unintended consequence behind the resurgence in patriotism, wars and defense spending in the U.S. But intentional or otherwise, I think we have read and watched enough news report of 'incidents' where innocent men, women and children in Iraq and Afghanistan have died for no reason whatsoever save that they were in the wrong place and at the wrong time. And I also believe in my heart that they were also guilty of being of the wrong colour, ethnicity and religion. Because I  cannot imagine that the American government would be so cavalier with the extent of 'collateral damage' (yet another dehumanizing term introduced since the First Gulf War) if they had to invade a predominantly white country.

Terrorists? Or simply a case of wrong time, wrong place,
wrong ethnicity and wrong religion?

What Mission? After President Bush declared 'Mission Accomplished!', it is patently clear that the U.S. led coalition has not. Unless of course it was the mission objective to destroy completely the national infrastructure of Iraq, unhinge the fine balance between the Sunni and Shia populace, create a lawless free-for-all state of mayhem, set in motion the undeclared civil war between Sunnis and Shias, promote the influence of Iran amongst the Shia majority in Iraq, help cultivate the al-Qaeda support in the Sunni communities where previously none existed, give billions of Dollars in infra and oil work to American crony corporations, issue contracts to mercenary defense-contractors (Blackwater, now renamed a more respectable "The Academy") - an unhinged collection of war profiteers unregulated even by the U.S. Army handbook... Where do I stop? My litany of woe can go on and on and on.

War on 'the others'. The U.S. government insists that the War on Terror is not a war on Islam or Muslim Arabs. And I agree, because firstly, I do not think that the U.S. government understands what Islam is. So at a contextual basis, Islam as taught by the Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) is not in the picture. But such is the influence and penetration of Islamophobia into the national psyche and Western mainstream media, that despite this official line, the lives of many, many innocent Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan have been cut short... in the hundreds of thousands. The U.S. military may not have pulled the trigger on each of these deaths and undoubtedly many were killed due to sectarian strife, but as a famous Chinese proverb says, "If you save someone's life, you are responsible for it." So if the U.S. government wanted to save Iraq and Afghanistan and went in to topple the dastardly Saddam and Talibans and bring democracy, freedom and progress... well the smarty-pants must take responsibility.

Seconds later, the American gunship tore through feeble human flesh.
"The good Iraqis stayed indoors. If they were out they were up to something." was the
feeble reasons given. Would this happen in a white country?

Unprepared for war or peace. The U.S. Army and Marine cultural preparation of their soldiers for the war on Iraq was woefully inadequate and at times misguided. Saddam was a ruthless dictator who gassed his own people, true, and certainly deserved to be toppled. But for many of these young men (and women), their Iraq tour was their first trip abroad, and certainly their first encounter with the Middle East, the Arabs and their religion and culture. Sadly, the leaked pictures (and videos) of the 'Ugly American' became just all too common during and after the Iraq War. Donald Rumsfeld was asked about the American troops trashing the Baghdad museums and Saddam's palaces during the capture of Baghdad, and he basically said that it was not a big deal, just a case of the 'boys' letting off steam. For the U.S. Secretary of Defense to utter such a cavalier remark is astonishing. During the U.S. entry into Baghdad and Nazariah, there were many innocent lives lost in the fire-fight. A senior ranking U.S. military officer said that all the innocent good people were in their homes, and those out on the streets were obviously up to no good... Really? And this comment did not come during the heat of the war, but many, many years later in a television documentary about the tactical and strategic mistakes of the Iraq invasion. Even in hindsight, some soldiers still want to defend the indefensible. This is sad because by comparison, there has been many other fellow American soldiers and marines who have come out to complain and confess their own participation in some of the mindless slaughter of unarmed civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan, to prick the conscience of a nation deluded by politicians and mainstream propaganda.

The politicians and generals must take responsibility. But President Obama is
not interested in 'looking back'. Thus the architects of one of the most ill-conceived
U.S. invasion of a foreign country, and criminals who authorized torture and
water-boarding walks freely on the streets of America, without fear of prosecution.

The core issues. As the almanac has mentioned before, there is a need to address all problems at its inner core. Why are the Arabs becoming terrorists? Why are the Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan? Why is there so much hate being spouted from both sides of the no-man's land? Who is an Arab? What does it mean to be a Muslim or a Christian? What is our common shared heritage? What can we learn from our past conflicts?

The Devil's Domino. As human beings we are taught to control our egos, nafs (base human desires) and reject the wicked promptings of the Devil. If we say that the West is corrupt, are we so perfect? For the West has gain ascendancy since colonial times, and for that reason the Devil has also focused his attention on the western civilization. He will first corrupt the West and with its dominance spread his cruel lies and tricks the world over. In a manner of speaking, the Western society is one of the first domino to fall in the Devil's plan to corrupt and enslave all of humanity to our ego and nafs. The other domino is the fall of the last Ottoman Caliphate, an event that would not have occurred without the connivance of Muslims themselves, especially in the Middle East.

War is a special condition of the human state. And it must be governed
by rules of engagement. For Muslims this would mean no civilians must
be harmed or placed in harm's way. Even as we condemn the U.S. attitude towards
the Geneva Convention, so too we must condemn the cruel tactics of suicide bombings
and killings of innocent civilians perpetrated by the so-called jihadis.

So while the conservative war hawks in Washington and Moscow (yes, the Russians are simply biding their time) are focusing their hatred on Islam and Muslims, and the misguided 'jihadis' are pouring all their hate and bile against 'the grand western conspiracy', somewhere in his laboratory of fear and hate, the Devil is smiling and laughing, musing to himself, "Ah... the fools! They NEVER learn..." 

Salvation is in Servanthood. Things are happening as it is written. Lines have been drawn on the sand of human conflict. But it is the Devil who is actually holding the stick and drawing the lines. O' Muslims, do not be deceived! O' Christians, do not be deceived! O' Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs... do not be deceived! If there is a noble conflict worthy for the children of Adam, this is it - who amongst us is the kindest, most generous, intelligent, wise and compassionate towards his fellowmen? Who amongst us best reflects the benevolent and divine attributes of our One beloved God? Who is willing to be a servant of God and of all humanity?

Despite all this, I am hopeful. For this is what
the Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) is teaching
his nation and all of humanity.
Salvation through servanthood.

Have a thoughtful Thursday, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Slaying the Beast of Debt - the Crusade-Jihad against Banks, Usury and Fiat Money of all Religion

14. The Pyramid

There is no get-rich-quick schemes,

No multi-level marketing pyramids

More heinous and globally prevalent

Than the interest-banking

And fiat currency systems of the world.

And lo! Its illusion is guarded by watchdogs

Zealous in their affairs.

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

Which Christians will now complete the mission of Jesus to rid the world of the money-changers and the contagion of usury? Which Muslims will now rise to expel the new Islamic banking hegemony from the halls of power and influence?

Bankers in Jerusalem had to migrate their business due to
a regulatory change in the Temple. But they are back.
With a vengeance.

The rich nations become richer and the poor becomes poorer, and not by the natural state of human talent and endeavour. Oh no. Because if you are in the class of those who set the rules of the game, you can do anything, because you can change the rules to suit your fraud.

For every dollar of 'aid' sent by the rich north to the poor south, many times more are repaid by these southern nations back to the Western banks to service the interest payments for such loans often pushed upon the weaker countries who knew not to trust the bankers, the IMF and the World Bank.

Those who make it their vocation to study and chronicle the fluctuating fortunes of the world, cannot but be amazed at how forgetful Mankind is. Just how many times do we need to pay the price for overweening greed of the ruling rich, the banks and corporations? Only five years ago the world was shaken by the 2008 debt crisis. Worldwide, millions upon millions lost their jobs as demand dried up, and millions more will lose their homes by the connivance of banks and mortgage companies who fleece the uninformed and poor class who did not read the fine print in their mortgage contracts. Because of the sub-prime fiasco, credit dried up as financial institutions refused to lend each other, global trade froze and mighty banks and insurance companies that once ruled Wall Street fell like dominoes. And yet, it was the tax payers that paid to save the too-big-to-fail banks. Yes, I know that it is the (future) US taxpayers who is bearing the direct cost. But trust me, at the end, everyone man, woman and child on Earth will be footing the bill. Trillions upon trillions upon trillions... 

Obama has done nothing, because he is a creature of the very same establishment which caused the crisis.

So who among the Christians and Muslims are going to take the quest to slay the Beast of Debt? I promise it shan't be easy, but I can almost guarantee you that it will never be boring.

Have a lovely interest-free day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Servants of The Lord of Forever - The Muslims and the Believers

1. I found Forever II

We have the form,

We have the essence,

And we have true measure

Of the enemy that

Stands before us!

And while they scurry

Like madmen to meet

Their deadlines,

We meet them at leisure

In the instructions

Of Forever.

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

The fearsome West think that they are against the Muslims, but they have not met them yet. The fearsome East think that they are fighting for the Muslims, but they too have not met them yet. Both peddlers of ancient hates and prejudices are so busy conquering and dominating mainstream mass media and the geo-political world, that they are not bothered with the Muslims and the believers. They are dressed as padres and preachers, evangelical crusaders and neo-jihadis, ulamaks and imams and priests, issuing forth from the pit of despair and bringing whatever creed they believe in as a religion of despair, death and destruction. They speak of God, on behalf of God and with God in a most unruly, angry and ego-driven tone. They have blood on their hands and have chosen to worship at the altar of terror and death.

But the Muslims and all believers of One God are biding their time, being servants of God, Most Compasionate, Most Merciful - Creator of Time and the Lord of Forever. And I think such benevolent men and women are everywhere, on all the points of the divine compass.

May we be blessed to be in the company of such people.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

If you REALLY MUST do a Jihad, do THIS Jihad!

61. Jihad of the Heart

There is a perfect jihad

To undertake, where you can

Do so with reasonable belief

That you will not be breaching

The conditions of jihad, as laid down

By the Prophet, not to harm old men,

Women, children, animals and trees,

Nor break into a temple

Of worshipers in worship.

The jihad of the heart.

Or do you think that Jihad al Akbar

Is purely a personal jihad?

I am in a jihad. It is called Jihad al Akbar, which basically means an internal jihad to master my ego and nafs (lower desires). Oh no, it is not about destroying the ego or nafs, since I am still a man, but it is about mastering the ego and nafs, so that whatever action (or omission) I undertake, I do so for the right reasons. To find the right reasons, I follow my heart and my conscience, and whatever lessons God has kindly brought to my attention from my history of the Prophets and Saints of God, and any other saintly persons I have bumped into in my short life. It is my profound blessing that I have come to know a great many of them. Oh, to get back to the prose, the Jihad al Akbar is not purely personal because if you become better, how can it be anything but good for your family, friends and co-workers? Alhamdulillah!

I cannot say, with all honesty, that I am winning in this jihad. But I guess I am not losing. I am somewhere in between, feeling good sometimes, and less good in another hour. But generally I am happy about 85% of my waking hour, and I think that is an acceptable statistics, don't you?

I have no time for the other sort of jihad, that armed jihad which is the fixation of the misguided and despairing. Indeed, I reject the mindless violence and insane hatred that these people propagate. I reject them all with my words, and if push comes to shove, I shall reject them with my hands.

I am a keeper of a secret which is not a secret, but one which people often forget. That all humanity are in unity of worship and praise of just One God. And it is in that ideal I write to you, sunshine.

You are not just an anonymous reader, my friend. You are to me my hope for a better future.

wa min Allah at-taufiq.

Suicide Bombers do not Defy Death, They Simply Give Up - Prose of Ramadhan Part 51

Hubris and its followers
(Ramadhan Verses #27)

Suicide bombers do not defy death,

How can they, when they cannot even defy life?

They do not realize this, guided as they are

By the misguided - Those foolish men

In their Religion of Hubris,
Their Creed of Despair.

Bombs do not kill the innocent victims,

It is the false words and evil encouragement

Of these false men of a false religion that kill.

Terrible is the woe wrought

By their black words

And black hearts!

Reject these madmen!

Rumi and the Itch - Prose of Ramadhan Part 44

73. Beauty

Without the Essence

There cannot be the Form.

Without the Light,

There cannot be the Veil.

A wise old man once said, “Everything is known by its opposites.” When you are walking the spiritual path of religion (which to many people is not the same thing), you will encounter many things that shall disturb you.

TERRORISM IS CAUSED BY AN ITCH. Rumi asks “How will your mirror be polished if you are irritated by every rub.” But old Rumi is already talking about the highest state of consciousness, the essence of Submission which by any other name is called Islam. But where most people are now, we are all irritated one way or the other. Otherwise the newspapers would not be so full of stories of crime, violence and terrorism. While waiting for Mikhail to get ready for school I made the mistake of turning to CNN, which informs me that there has been a spate of bombings in Afghanistan and also in Iraq where at least 75 people have died. Someone was very irritated when they decided to explode the bombs, or themselves often enough.

So we are not at Rumi’s level. But we are certainly also not at the level of those terrorists. The Talibans and al-Qaedas must have an itch that is driving them crazy… somewhere on their back where their hand cannot reach, an itch so maddening that they are gonna strap that C4 on their back to blow themselves and that itch to Kingdom Come. They are mad, bad and dangerous to know.

ALWAYS SOMEONE ELSE. And now Norway has sadly also experienced the same, with a ‘pseudo-Crusader’ bombing Oslo and killing children like it was a video game - he did it all that because he had this incredible itch which he cannot scratch and in his frustration, he killed more than 80 innocent people. The itch was called multiculturalism and Islamization of Europe, whatever that means. For the ‘neo-jihadis’ the terrible itch was called Western Imperialism or some other thing. It is always SOMEONE ELSE or SOMETHING ELSE that is the itch, never us. Typical.

TAKE A BATH, PLEASE. I think mankind should shed its filthy cloth of egoism, throw away that overused underwear of religious and ideological hubris, pick the lice of corporate greed, scrub away the dirt of consumerism, trim its nails of vanity, and wash away the muck of envy from the sole of their feet. Having done so, mankind should then have a collective shower of Mercy, Compassion, Understanding and Knowledge. I hope mankind will remember to use the Soap of Love, and the Toothpaste of Discretion. And in the tradition of human unity, I will scrub your back and you can scrub my back. That way maybe the itch will go away.

Have a clean day, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.

The Martyrs of Conscience, Norway - Prose of Ramadhan Part 11

Undoubtedly the most harrowing time to be wearing this badge. Poor guy.

A couple of days back, I found that the Norwegian Ministry of Justice & Police in its website (Click Here) had issued out the final list of the deceased victims of the Norwegian massacre. Less than a fortnight after the attack, the Norway tragedy headlines have all ebbed away in most mainstream media, with the highest focus currently on the US Congress-White House tussle on the impending debt default of US government debt papers (Well, Obama signed off the debt limit legislation into law a few hours ago) . But for me and my friends, the story has not passed its expiry date. So many people. So many very young men and women in the bloom of their priceless youth, murdered in cold blood. And in Norway of all places. And it appears to be by a single perpetrator - a 30-something blond Scandinavian espousing some mad crusade against immigration, Marxism, liberalism and of course, everyone's current favourite villain, 'Islam'.

People like to comment, "Oh, let not their death be in vain." And it shan't be. Whether the world wakes up to the bigoted, narrow-minded, extremist and violent ideology of Islamophobia which is spreading its wings in the US and Europe, their passing shall not be in vain. The innocent have become caught in the crossfire of two mad and hubris-centric dogmas, between the fanatical 'Judeo-Christian Civilisation' and the maniacal 'Islamic Civilisation'. I am forced to put the faiths all in open and close inverted commas because in all honesty, I do not believe that such insane people represent the reality of their religion. Frankly, whether he is a blond Scandinavian 'crusader' or a brunette Arabian 'jihadi', in truth they are plying the Religion of Hubris. They just call their idols (which is actually their egos masquerading as god) by different names. They collectively worship at the altar of hate which requires constant human sacrifice. We must continue to reject these followers of death and destruction in whatever religious or political mould that they are hiding in. 

In this blessed month of Ramadhan, let us read the names of the fallen. Read when they were born and their origin. Someone shall be missing them come their next birthdays. Their father and mother, grandparents, their siblings and lovers. Their teachers and classmates. Their pastor and preacher. The postman that used to deliver their Valentine cards. The owner of the corner shop down the road from their house. Their barber and best friend. Their pet dog/cat/parakeet. May God, the Creator of All, Bless their passing and send unto them Prophets, Saints and Angels to guide their after life. We too shall join them one day. Let us remember them and their bereaving families in our prayers. 

THE MARTYRS OF CONSCIENCE

Guys MUSTAFA Qasim born 22.02.92, from Vestby. ANDREAS EDVARDSEN born 30.11.92, from Sarpsborg. RONJA Sweet JOHANSEN born 03.02.94, from Vefsn. EMIL OKKENHAUG born 02.11.95, from Levanger. Asta SOFIE Helland DAHL born 19.11.94, from Sortland. MONICA Iselin Didriksen born 18.02.93, from Sund, RUNE Havdal born 16.12.67, from Upper Spokes. TORE EIKELAND born 18.05.90, from Bergen. ESPEN JØRGENSEN born 06.06.94, from Bodo. KARIN ELENA HOLSTER born 18.08.95, from Rana. Aleksandar AAS ERIKSEN born 29.08.94, from Meråker. VICTORIA Stenberg born 23.10.93, from Nes. RUTH BENEDICHTE VATNDAL NILSEN born 01.10.95, from Tønsberg. ISABEL VICTORIA GREEN SOGN born 18.03.94, from Oslo. IDA Beathe EGGS born 08.11.93, from East Toten. ELISABETH Trønnes LIE born 09.03.95, from Halden. MONICA ELISABETH Bosei born 1/20/66, from Hole. HÅVARD lived HOUSING born 10.11.89, from Oslo. CARINA BORGUND born 25.03.93, from Oslo. INGRID BERG Heggelund born 20.09.92, from Ås. Tarald Kuven Mjelde born 23.01.93, from Osterøy. PORNTIP ARDAM born 18.01.90, from Oslo. Andrín GROUND Espeland born 30.07.94, from Fredrikstad. Torjusen Jakobsen BLATT MANN born 19.09.93, from Kristiansand. Rafal Jamil Mohamad Jamil born 05.03.91, from Eigersund. TINA SUKUVARA born 02.09.92, from Vadsø. FREDRIK LUND Schjetne born 16.08.92, from Eidsvold. STEINAR JESS born 17.01.95, from Alta. Lejla SELACI born 09.01.94, from Fredrikstad. HENRIK RASMUSSEN born 18.02.93, from Hadsel. THOMAS Margido ANTONSEN born 25.06.95, from Oslo. MONA ABDINUR born 03.02.93, from Oslo. Anders Kristiansen born 30.01.93, from Bardstown. JON VEGARD Lervåg born 17.02.79, from Oslo (ministries). IDA MARIE HILL born 20.02.77, from Oslo (ministries). HANNE Ekroll Løvlien born 29.06.81, from Oslo (ministries). Tamta LIPARTELLIANI born 7/1/88, from Georgia. KEVIN Daae Berland born 6/24/96, from Askøy. SILJE Stamnes HAGEN born 5/15/93, from Askøy. Hanna Kristine FRIDTUN born 8/15/91, from Stryn. KJERSTI SAND BERG born 10.10.84, from Nord-Odal (ministries). HÅKON ØDEGAARD born 5/18/94, from Trondheim. SONDRE Furseth DALE born 2/19/94, from Haugesund. Henrik Pedersen born 2/19/84, from Porsanger. Eivind Hovden born 1/26/96, from Tokke. ROLF CHRISTOPHER JOHANSEN PERREAU born 6/9/86, from Trondheim. SVERRE FLEET Bjørkavåg born 1/1/83, from Sula. EVA Kathinka LÜTKEN born 3/7/94, from Sarpsborg. Ismail Haji AHMED born 8/23/91, from Hamar. MARIA MAAGERØ JOHANNESEN born 3/24/94, from Sem. MODUPE ELLEN AWOYEMI born 8/14/95, from Drammen. LENE MARIA Bergum born 16.03.92, from Namsos. Guro Vartdal HÅVOLL born 6/17/93, from Ørsta. MARIANNE SANDVIK born 3/14/95, from Stavanger. ANDREAS DALBY Grønnesby born 7/16/94, from Strange. SONDRE DRIVING born 6/16/94, from Orkdal. BENDIK ROSNÆS ELLINGSEN born 1/26/93, from Rygge. Gizem Doğan born 1/5/94, from Trondheim. SNORRE HALLER born 4/29/81, from Trondheim. JOHANNES MUO born 5/11/96, from Mandal. SHARIDYN SVEBAKK-Bohn born 7/17/97, from Drammen. SILJE MERETE Fjellbu born 13.11.93, from Tin. HANNE A. Balch Fjalestadborn: 13.10.67 from Lunner. BAÑO ABOBAKAR Rashid born: 28.12.92, from Nesodden. Syvert Knudsen born: 21.08.93, from Lyngdal. Diderik AAMODT OLSEN born: 03.06.92, from Nesodden. SIMON SÆBØ born: 25.07.92, from Salang. Synnà Røyneland born: 18.01.93, Oslo. ANNE LISE HOLTET born: 16.09.59, from Norway, Østfold (ministries).TROND BERNTSEN born: 12.05.60, from the Upper Spokes. BIRGITTE SMETBAK born: 25.02.96, from Sem. MARGRETHE Bøyum Clubs born: 03.03.95, from Bærum. EVEN FLUGSTAD Malmedal born: 06.12.92, from Gjøvik. GUNNAR LINAK born 7/7/88, from Bardstown. TOVE ÅSHILL KNUTSEN born 31.07.54, Oslo (ministries). HANNA M. Orvik ENDRESEN born 21.03.50, Oslo (ministries). KAI HAUGE born 31.07.78, Oslo (ministries).

Ahmad Shah Massoud, the Lion of Panjshir Chapter 1 - Prose of Ramadhan Part 6

The Lion of Panjshir (Ramadhan Verses #7)

Massoud, where are you now?

You were the breath of Islam

And you maintained the balance

In the Path of the Middle Way,

The Path of the Nation of Muhammad.

Massoud, what are you doing now?

You were the handsome leader,

The Commander of men,

Lettered and wise, feeling with emotion

The Feeling that a true leader should have.

Why did they want you dead?

Massoud, who are you smiling at now?

Beneath the sky of God,

You fought for your people

On the soil of your ancestors,

But some were ashamed of you,

Because they did not understand

The Light of Love that animated

Your strength and your compassion.

Massoud, how are you?

You who once surveyed the land

From the top of a mountain,

And you look upon your nation,

Tired, poor and dispossessed,

But you saw the coming of the pirates,

Who came to your valley with

A foreign hatred and a foreign bullet.

They said they were Muslims, these Talibans and al-Qaedas

But what faith were they following?

You stood in their way,

And with certainty you said,

“I reject you and your horrifying interpretations!”

Massoud, who are your companions now?

This Ramadhan, once again I know

That you are not with me anymore.

You have left us and only ghosts

And whispers are left of you

To counsel us, to caution us.

You were the Lion of Panjshir,

But you shall always be to me

The Lion of Islam,

For I claim you

In the name of

The Nation.

How can the world now forget

Massoud?

Who tried in his own tireless way

To do good?

This man, Ahmad Shah Massoud was instrumental in the defeat of the Soviet invasion and occupation of his homeland, Afghanistan. Later he was murdered in a lowly and cowardly assassination by the ruthless mechanism of his own co-religionists, when he rejected the Taliban and al-Qaeda as portraying a very wrong idea of Islam. His passing marked the end of the one real hope for the country before it fell into the hands of the evildoers.

"The only thing standing in the way of future Taliban massacres is Ahmad Shah Massoud."

—National Geographic, "Inside the Taliban"(2007)

I expect to be writing more about him during this month, ergo, this is Chapter 1.

Osama bin Laden is a blurry footnote of a footnote of a footnote in the page of history that belongs to Ahmad Shah Massoud. And with the killer’s demise, his mad ideology should perish too. But I fear that people will remember Osama more than Massoud - the Muslim bodypolitik are so easily manipulated, and a large chunk of Muslims are showing time and time again, why they do not deserve a leader like the Lion of Panjshir.

When leaders like Massoud is shining upon the Muslim nation, their compassion and courage only shows up the horrible ugliness of those other ‘Muslim leaders’ who continue to defame the Prophet’s legacy by their hate, hubris, arrogance and violence. Such managers of suicide-bombers and 'moral guardians' may be sincere in their convictions, but madmen can be sincere too, so we reject them utterly.

Especially in this holy month, we shall give them no quarter, and no respite.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

LOVE FAITH CHIVALRY - Abd al-Qadir al-Jazairi, Pickthall, Sherif and the little town of Alkader, Iowa, USA

BRAVE HEARTS. In my earlier posting, I mentioned the book, “Brave Hearts”, a short little book by M.A. Sherif giving a brief but poignant overview of the lives of Marmaduke Pickthall and St. John Philby (See Posting entitled 'Book connects us all - Lat. Marmaduke Pickthall and Yusuf Ali", Click Here).

SEARCHING FOR SOLACE. My first encounter with the writing of M.A. Sherif was in his touching biography of Yusuf Ali, the eminent translator of the al-Quran (like Pickthall), entitled “Searching for Solace”. Yusuf Ali’s Quranic translation was however, perhaps more accessible to my young mind then, with footnotes and a poetic introduction to each Chapter of the holy scriptures. What I remember of the autobiography was my profound surprise, as to why someone so gifted and inspired as Yusuf Ali, had so much family problems which deeply affected his life. Ten years on, and having been through my own stumbling and dramatic 30s, I am not so surprised. This is simply life, and often the bitter mixes with the sweet… only to magnify the sweet. God be Praised.

SAID THE FISHERMAN. I am only in the early part of Brave Hearts, but already I am moved to read in the book an excerpt from Pickthall’s first book which brought him some fame, entitled “Said the Fisherman.” In the book, as recounted by Sherif, was a story which illustrated the rescue of French nuns in Damascus by the Algerian mujahid Abd al-Qadir al-Jazairi, in the face of an angry Muslim mob, baying for blood, rape and revenge. From the view of his main character in the book, Said, this was what Pickthall wrote…

Abd al-Qadir al-Jazairi of Love, Faith & Chivalry

“The mob…set to work once more. “To the French convent!” Someone shouted. “Let the nuns be ravished and then slain!” The cry was taken up on all hands with laughter and coarse jibes…those in front hammered at a strong door (of the convent)…All at once there was a backward movement. Another panic got hold of the crowd. A cry, “The soldiers!” was again raised…A small troop of armed men rode up to the door of the monastery. They were seen plainly for all, towering as they did on horseback above the seething mass on foot. Most of them rode with their chargers at the foremost, who drew back in alarm, while a few, among whom was the leader, dismounted and entered the convent, the door of which was promptly open to them.

A mighty roar went up from the multitude.
“It’s Abdul Cader!” – “May Allah preserve his Grace!”-“He goes to take vengeance upon his enemies!”-“It was the French who wronged and imprisoned him, though he fought them brave as a lion!”-“He is come to claim all the French nuns for his harim!”-“Allah is just!”-“May all the Franks perish, and their women be dishonoured!”-“Long live the might of Islam!”-“May Allah preserve Abdul Cader, the glory of the Faith!”

But the applause was turned into oaths and howls of rage when the hero and his officers reappeared, escorting with respect a train of black-robed nuns, each with the obnoxious cross shining on her bosom. The horsemen closed around them as a bodyguard, the leaders sprang to their saddles. Then the fury of the crowd broke all bounds. The coolness of the rescuers as they rode away had a point of contempt which stung the rout to madness, raging like a winter-torrent, the crowd surged forward in pursuit. The horsemen were constrained to a foot’s pace, having regard for the women in their midst. The mob was close upon them. Stones and other missile began to whiz through the air. Of a sudden the whole mass swayed back, every man jostling his neighbour.

Abdul Cader had turned his horse about and was sitting motionless, his eyes ranging sternly over the sea of turbaned heads and swarthy, malignant faces. A last stone, flung at random from the heart of the throng, struck his arm and mad him wince. He raised his hand to his tarbush, commanding silence. An awe-stricken hush spread like a breath over the crowd. This man was the established idol of the populace. He was the greatest living hero of Islam, and at heart they gloried in his intrepidity.

“What is this, O my friends?” His voice rang out clear and measured. “Will you provoke the wrath of Allah against this city? Will you anger Him so that He turn away His face from us for ever? It has been told to you how I have fought for Islam - ay, and borne imprisonment and exile for our holy Faith. But I tell you I would rather be the meanest Christian slain this day in the sight of Allah than one of you whose hands are red with his blood. Shame on you, Muslimun! Shame on you, I say! Would to Allah I had gone to my grave ere ever this day dawned for the faith!”

He gazed for a moment, on the silent crowd, then, turning, set spurs to his horse and cantered away. But the foremost, among whom was Said, saw that his eyes glistened…”

ELKADER, IOWA, USA (Population (2000 census) 1,645). The connection between the past and present is often forgotten. And do many Muslims and even American know this? – That the small town of Elkader, Iowa, USA was named after him by the founders, Timothy Davis, John Thompson, and Chester Sage – in honour of his chivalric struggle against the French invasion of Algeria in 1830, before his defeat and exile to Damascus.

If we would only scratch the surface of history a little, and ignore the one-eyed one-sided speeches of bigots from all faiths, we would find a golden chain, linking good souls, many from different races, religions and nationalities, but linked inexorably by a thread that can never be severed – the connection of the Heart and the Conscience. And did I say ‘defeat’? Abd al-Qadir will never be defeated so long as his shining example lights the history of humanity with Love, Faith and Chivalry (Futuwat)… a blessing to all humanity, a blessing to all faiths.

Have a happy day, sunshine. Now that I have found this little gem of history, I am contented. I must visit this tiny community of Elkader one day. And to my brethren, to my co-religionists who claim to be Muslims, let me share with you a little advice I received only moments ago -

If you, as a Muslim, are not a blessing to people of all faiths, then TRULY, you have not done your duty! And let the bandits of today who disguise their madness and despair in the cloak of 'jihad' and 'Islam' bear witness that we see through their deceit! We reject them utterly.



Elkader, Iowa, USA

Spread the word.

Pax Taufiqa.

Let the Mounts of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse Starve. Facing the One True Conspiracy - The Human Ego

Quite a few people bump into this almanac because they googled up ‘sword ali zulfiqar’. And it is good because the Muslims (and non-Muslims, come to think about it) should always learn more about Muslim lore. There are also quite a few hits arising from search words like ‘dajjal’, ‘antichrist’, ‘Obama’ and of course, the inevitable favourite - ‘jihad’.

CONSPIRACIES. This obsession however, with the so-called conspiracies and grand designs of 'the Bad Guys' in coming to the end of time is worrying. Simply because a large chunk of what is out here in the worldwideweb is rubbish. The internet casts the illusion of knowledge. It builds a façade of information in the absence of real life experience. Like the television, and religion to a big segment of humanity, the cyberworld has become an opium of the masses. A disinformation superhighway, and the car crashes and wrecks are piling up, my friends.

THE HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE. If you want to look for anti-Christian sites, they are all here. If you want to drown in a sea of hate for the Muslims, they are here. If you desire to read about the anti-Israeli sites, you need only press a button. If you want to bask in the glory of your faith, ideology or country – it is all here, splendid in their sanctimonious and arrogant postures. Hate, fear, despair, envy and hubris – all these Horsemen of the Apocalypse, they are all here. And the tragic thing is these websites or Facebook pages all portray themselves as being the saviour. The warner. The superhero that is warning humanity of the impending doom and how the problem is never ever ‘us’ but always ‘them’ and ‘the others’. THE EGO. Things never change. From the year dot, mankind has been troubled by the most cunning and wily adversary. And no, I am not talking about Azazil the Accursed (you can call him Satan or Bezelbub or Iblis or Mephisto). My prying mind is addressing that thing which all of mankind carries in their pocket. Our ego. And I do not wish to talk to your ego. I wish to talk to you. Can you tell the difference?

192. An Egologue II
Ego! These words are not for you.
They are meant for that poor fool
You have bound and trampled
Under your cloven hooves.

THE ENEMY OF ALL. It is through the human ego that the very worst of our nature arises. Ego is the fodder that fuels the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. It is from the ego that all our hate, fear, despair, envy and hubris manifests itself – in all things. Each second of the day, each moment of your life is an ego-moment, unless you are rightly guided and have the conviction of your conscience to overcome it. Even in Sufism, even in your highest aspiration to goodness and servanthood to God, whether you are a Hindu priest, a Jewish Rabbi or a Christian Pastor – your ego will seek to misguide you. For a Muslim, especially those dutiful aspirants of the Tariqah order, shelter under the protection of the Master is no guarantee of safety from the ego.

13. Beware
Even the ego
Will love the Shaykh,
But for its own
Selfish reasons.

THE CUNNING OF THE EGO. It is easy for us to grasp upon the big conspiracies to validate our smallness in the face of the vast cosmos. The bigger the Masonic conspiracy, the bigger the Illuminati plans, the bigger our egos grow to meet our so-called enemies. Such is the delicate test which this life has to offer us. Even when we think we are learning, when we are acquiring knowledge, we are in truth only feeding the human ego – whose appetite has no limits. For the Masters of the Tariqah, what is more important? Is it the so-called devious establishment of the New World Order? Or is it about how you brush your teeth or button up your shirt? You will be surprised by the answer.

THE HUMAN CONSCIENCE. The only hope that mankind has rests within them too, it is the human conscience. Just like the ego. But our ego, encouraged by the what’s-in-it-for-me generation and mass consumerism has grown to such proportions that we have become confused where we begin and our egos end. Instead of our ego being submissive to our conscience, it is our conscience that has adapted to fight a guerrilla war against our dominant ego. But thank God – the Conscience is winning. Indeed, the Conscience must win. Otherwise, the future will be black for our children and grandchildren.

157. Dear Man-Ego
You think you are on your own,
You think you will have it all your way.
But your soul, your secret name
That common man call conscience,
Is already planning his next trespass.

So do not be fooled, sunshine. Do not take part in the mass hysteria of despair, crusade and jihad which is being fanned by the extreme religious and economic zealots on one hand, and the mass media on the other hand. It is all lies. It is all a pack of lies.

Today, the Sun is still shining. And I have just sent my son to school. Shortly I will be going to work. And it is my prayer, that I will be guided in all that I do by my conscience. For this is what my Prophet Muhammad is teaching. Religion of the Conscience, of which Love is the Highest Law.
LET THEIR HORSES STARVE. I offer my hand, though it is sinful. I offer my eyes, though it has seen many bad things. I offer my heart though it is unpolished, to you. You must make a difference in this world. You are the hope on which all Creation rests. So do good in the name of Love, God, Beauty, and in the very best etiquette of Servanthood. Even if it is simply brushing your teeth or buttoning up your shirt. Your ego will hate you for being concerned and taking pleasure in such mundane things. And that is the best way to take away the fodder from the black stallions of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Let them starve, I say.

Have a conscionable day, pet.

Pax Taufiqa.