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 Undying Promise of the Prophet, Wahhabism and the Fall of the Lies of the End of Time

198. After The Prophet

Both brethren and foes

Declare, “Damn you

For fathering innovations

After the Prophet.”

How can we explain

That there is no ‘after the Prophet’,

A notion which we instead read

As being most mischievous

Of innovations?

...........

I recall an old interview where a Sufi Shaykh quoted his beloved Master, that 'There is no innovation in worship.' If I remember correctly, it was in a television show on an Indonesian channel.

The Nine Saints of God of our blessed Neighbour. Recently in a local newspaper in Malaysia, a prominent Muslim scholar said that we must go save our Muslim Indonesians from the conversion efforts of Christian missionaries there. Millions have been converted he alleges. I don't know whether it is true or not. But I reckon we should pay attention to our own local problems. Not about conversions, but about the very meaning of Islam. For it is my observation that in Indonesia, the traditional teachings of the old shaykhs and scholars still resonates strongly in the heart of a lot of our brethren out there. I think it is because most of their Pesantren ( independent local religious schools, mostly small but some very big ones) retained the essence of their faith distilled for centuries, through the spiritual sultans of Java - the Wali Songo (The Nine Saints), may God sanctify their secrets.

No such thing as a free lunch. In Malaysia, we have been perhaps too relaxed in accepting favours and monies from a rich Middle Eastern Kingdom, which came with a proviso - send us your young and pious and we shall teach them in our Universities. This offer we readily accepted, because we were a young country and needed money for development, and after all, how many countries are out there willing to teach our students for free? And of course, being Malays, we were rather innocent and impressionable, and look to the Arabs as the true inheritors and protectors of the Prophet Muhammad's message (pbuh). How were we to know back then that there was a thriving and bitter debate between the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah (followers of the Ways of the Prophet, which accounts for the majority of Muslims in the world) and a strange, rude offshoot of Islam known as Wahhabism. Some people say we should not say "Wahhabism" or 'Wahabis' because it is one of the Divine Names of God, meaning 'the All-Giver' of unimaginable mercy, grace and generosity. Well, all I can say is that I bet there must be a couple of thieves, murderers or even rapists alive or dead who rejoiced under the name of Abdul Wahhab, so does calling them by their given name tarnish God's Divine Name? It doesn't make sense at all. God is above mortal ridicule. They just want to convince the Muslims that they don't exist.

Malaysia and Wahhabism. But I am deviating (no pun intended). What is suggested is that in some aspects, Indonesia is more open to host strange old Sufis coming around and talking on national television. Sadly, Malaysia is the opposite. Our experience are replete with our country's official and non-official religious bodies not just permitting, but indeed welcoming the purveyors of Wahhabism. A couple of years back, a fairly well-known Wahhabi from the USA arrived to give a talk, sponsored by one of the country's biggest GLC(Government-linked companies). And again, in a northern state in Malaysia, a senior politician once even went on air to defend Wahhabism. I wonder what scholarly credentials he had to make such a broadcast... 

They hate almost everyone else. Especially Muslims who disagree with them. Wahhabis like to argue that there is no such thing as Wahhabism. And they pour scorn upon the teachings of even such luminaries in the Islamic World as Imam Ghazali. Of course they would have no time for the more mystical scholars like Ibn Arabi and Jelaludin Rumi. "Western Philosophy tainted and poetic scholars!" the Wahhabis would grumble. Of the Sufi Tariqas, they have nothing but utter contempt. Sadly, the Wahhabi poison has infected the Well of Islam, that many drink from the poisoned well thinking such lessons to be true... so much so that when such things are exposed as Wahhabism, there would be many amongst us who would protest, "Yea, we are like that! But we are not Wahhabis. That is just good sense."

Reason for the Schism.The clear defining line between a Wahhabi and a member of the Sunnah wal Jamaah is simple really. One group believes in the Undying Message of the Al-Quran and the (very) active participation and intercessions in this world and the hereafter by Muhammad the Prophet of God(pbuh). The Wahhabis however has this world view, worded in prose as a reply to their terrible schism -

119. The 'inheritors' (a reply)

Oh, my inheritors, reflect!

What have you made me to be?

A malignant messenger-boy?

Cursing, cursory and desultory?

Dropping the Criterion on your laps,

Saying, “Well, okay then, must hurry!”?

What foul impressions have you wrought?

Why have my story you cut short?

Cease your endless prattle,

And lay not your salutary wreath on Muhammad’s tomb.

I am sent by my Lord

As a herald of Mercy, not doom.

And yet strangely, this pleases you not!

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

We pray to God, and they pray to God. We follow the teachings of Muhammad and they follow the teachings of Muhammad. But our Masters are schooled in the ways of the Prophet, His Companions and the Living Saints. Their Masters are lost in the rigid dogmas of positivism, 'reformation', humanism and strangely for a religious group, materialism. The Wahhabis also have much in common with the extreme Communists with their ideas of Year Zero and wiping the slate of humanity free of history, traditions and Adab (good manners) - Oh, everything that happened before us are bad. So only listen to our views and interpretations. They are not the Khmer Rouge, but their overbearing hubris has created for Muslims our very own Re-education Camps and Killing Fields, where Love, Knowledge, Mercy, Truth, Reason and Beauty are the first casualties.

That is why they shall never agree that...

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Wheels are in motion. But thank God (and the Prophet) that the Malays and Indian-Muslim community here are (generally) even-handed and not particularly thrown to bouts of self-righteousness and hubris, the hallmark of the dyed-in-the-wool Wahhabi. As we speak we are aware of the inner struggle within the State-sanctioned religious bureaucracy between the Ulamas (religious scholars) of the Sunnah wal Jamaah and the Wahhabi preachers. And this backlash against the tide of Wahhabism is happening even in its very birthplace, Saudi Arabia. And now in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the news come that the Caliph of Islam has been announced... Hmm. Wheels are in motion, sunshine. Wheels are in motion... Mercy, is ordained. And Truth is declared. The deception of Wahhabism and many, many Lies of the End of Time is exposed for those who would pause from their mindless and heartless obeisance to the 'regular' and the 'accepted norms' that has caged their hearts in an invisible prison for far too long already. That is the Prophet's undying promise to God for the benefit of all humanity whom the Prophet loves... 

122. Not Dead 

Oh, my Lord!

I have not left my flock unattended,

I have not left any fences unmended,

I have left stars that any, if lost, may follow home.

But a cold wind is blowing,

Carrying my memories far away,

Blackness is creeping in,

And though they know how to pray,

They have left my way.

Save for my heirs and heralds,

The fulcrum of this Age,

Still toiling in their mortal cage,

Long-bearded, the white, the black and the grey,

In their hearts, evil holds no sway,

In their hearts, Your Name resonates,

In their hearts, I still live,

Not dead.

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

Pax Taufiqa

In this Epic you are not an Extra - God the Greatest Writer and His creation that is you

In this picture, the believers are seen besieging the towers of the One Eyed King,
aka the Dajjal aka the AntiChrist. But we reckon the malevolent spirit at
the end of time will give special attention to each and every child
of Adam and Eve. So don't worry about missing the action.
He will come to you.

Like all good epic story, however big the scope of events, World Wars, Famine, Civil Wars, Aliens invading Earth... a good writer would devolve the fundamental issues to a very micro and personal level of the characters in the story, however humble or nondescript they may be - A janitor caught in a firefight with alien monsters from Planet Zorg. A shoe-salesmen saving his daughter from a burning house. Ultimately, the writer draws the audience's attention to the personal and often profound inner struggle of the characters of the piece.

 

The Caliph. 

In these heady days of Middle East crisis (has there ever been a day in the Middle East without some crisis?), the announcement of the new Caliph of Islam, His Majesty King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the bitter violent civil war in Sham (Syria) and the Arab Spring, many earnest hearts are looking towards the End of Time sequence, with the coming of the Imam Mahdi and second coming of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. All sorts of fascinating, and often frightening things are prophesied to occur.

Ancestor of the Caliph on a walkabout in Jerusalem some years back.
Shadowed by a Saint.

But much like the writer of epics, God (and let's face it... who is a better writer than He?) has it planned for all of us to play a significant part in the ensuing struggle of Hope vs Despair, Love vs Hate, Truth vs Lies and Humility vs Hubris. No one will be left a bystander in the cosmic movement of events. For however big the stake is, we will all face our own personal Dajjal, our very own personal AntiChrist... and this is how he will come to us -

97. Do I Look Familiar?

Do you think the anti-Christ shall come garbed in black,

With black crows on his shoulders,

And a robe of black on his back?

No.

He shall descend as a man of God,

Calling himself Christ,

And come to you,

As you,

Offering paradise.

O’ self-indulgent one,

Will you be able resist yourself?

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

So, you have been informed. Follow your conscience, subdue your Ego and your Nafs (base desires), and seek God's protection always. InsyaAllah you will be alright. We wish this for all believers, whatever your faith and however you worship our One Creator.

Amen, sunshine!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Arab King and the Arab Spring - The Caliph of Islam and the River of Time

24. For freedom or for the King?

Historians are prone

To garnish history

With the trends

Of today.

Imputing alien ideas

And foreign motivation

To those who cannot,

Alas, respond.

We too,

Could be labeled the same,

Save that the subjects

Of our constant study,

Do react,

Most passionately.

Hahaha!

Our predecessors are reacting now.

And they are telling us,

"We studied you

Before you studied us."

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

History is not passive. So recorded the sinner in the month of Ramadhan, 2008. And this is the thing, for my friends who are avid students of history and its personalities, the past is not a passive thing to be studied. In Islam, in particular in the mystic's path of Sufism, the past is a reactive thing that reacts to our study. And to the sufis, there is no personality more alive and more reactive and active than that of Muhammad, the Prophet of God(pbuh). And the same goes, in smaller doses of awesomeness, in the spirits of all Prophets, the Companions of the Prophet(pbuh) and the Saints. And that is how the prose ends with this beguiling reply to all mureeds (students of the Path) - "We studied you before you studied us."

Upstream or downstream in the River of Time. In the mystical path, time is not linear, moving in a single direction. Time is essentially a river, and though its preponderance is to make its way to the Ocean, you can actually swim upstream or downstream. Really, it is up to you. The only limitation is your stamina and swimming skills. Some people are gifted by birth, but most people can study and practice under the guidance of the Masters of the Sufi Orders.

The Caliph.

Servanthood of a King. Modern pop culture likes to paint the struggle, civil wars, rebellions and conflicts of the past in simple black and white. Liberty vs Oppression. Enlightenment vs Ignorance. They are not wrong, but they are not wholly correct. For it is often in the past that liberty and enlightenment is manifested in a single personage - a King, a Sultan, an Emperor, an Emir, a Prince or a Khalifah. And in this world of individualism and consumerism, it goes against the grain of this times to talk about servanthood. For servanthood was an important aspect of traditional life, for even a King or a Sultan is ultimately a servant of God, and one who is responsible for the spiritual and physical well-being of his subjects. It is no easy burden. 

The Arab King and the Arab Spring. That is why the Arab Spring of 2012 does not fill us with hopeful anticipation. Sober hearts are reading the changes in the Arab countries as one form of tyranny being replaced with another form - Change happening for the sake of change, and not fostered by culture, Adab or education. Change that is 'managed'. And to hoist the crude politics of socialism, liberalism, conservatism or even populism upon the most noble mantle of Muhammad Habibullah(pbuh) is to insinuate a dogmatic approach that is alien to the nature of the Prophet, Mercy to the Worlds(pbuh). Perhaps that is why our friends are earnestly looking to King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Caliph of Islam of this epoch, Commander of the Believers, Lion of God.  

If you ask me how this event will play out, I shall have to confess that I don't know. How can I, when the principle actors of this Divine Stage are still acting out their roles and reacting to the congress of the wise, however long they have been laid to rest in the bosom of the welcoming Earth?

But look to Shams (Syria), and look to Jordan and Turkey. And Russia too.

Have a thoughtful day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Bring Your Extraordinary to Your Game - The Caliph of Islam and the Times (they are a changin'...)

15. Extraordinary Friend

Dear friend,

Your ordinary is already very good,

So your extraordinary

Must be something really special.

Were it for your sake alone,

I would be contented with the ordinary you,

But the days are growing short,

And really,

Only your extraordinary

Would be good enough now

for me.

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

Hi, sunshine. You, like many of my other friends, are really a good person. Charming, witty, kind and generous. Patient when times are tough and thoughtful when times are good. Unlike me, you are not easily swayed by your emotion nor do you stray far from the path of goodness. With your sort of people still walking on this Earth, I know that in humanity there shall always be hope.

The Caliph

But the days are getting shorter and shorter. The times are a changin' and after more than 80 years, the Caliph of Islam has made a reappearance in the form of King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. And many saints and masters have discarded their earthly shell to find, as one Grandshaykh puts it, Real Power.

These changes, while occurring perhaps far from where you live, will have significant impact on the balance of the World, the ying and yang, a ripple in the Force, a blip in the Matrix. Oh, it is all good, of course, as things move in the manner, timing and momentum pre-ordained by God and managed by the Prophet, the Saints and the Angels. With such events happening, perhaps we need to up our game, to become stronger, to improve our lives, to eat better, work better, play and sleep better.

Ordinarily, I would not ask people to change for any reason. But we are at the cusp of an extraordinary age, and I want you to change for the better. So that I too might improve, following your extraordinary example. For I shall always be a follower, you see... and I would like to follow good examples.

God bless the Caliph, God bless the Saints, God bless you and may God forgive this weak, vacillating servant.

Have a lovely day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Djinn Battles above Kuala Lumpur, circa early 1970s - the Djinns, the Caliph and the coming melee

The sky seems empty but for the gorgeous sunset. But what is
going on up there that we do not see?

Sunday ended beautifully with a dimming sunset in red and golden hue. But it was under this same sky, some 40 years ago that a young Mr. Ikhlas (see below on my earlier postings about Mr.Ikhlas) was driving to Kuala Lumpur one auspicious night. He was travelling along one of the main tributaries into the capital city, Jalan Kuching, which was then a single lane trunk road winding its way through a quiet and very much rural scene when he suddenly notice something very strange overhead. Very strange indeed. He stopped the car by the side of the road and came out to have a better look.

The Djinns were in a pitch battle with each other above the skies of Kuala Lumpur. "It was a pitiless fight, a very bloody battle. No quarter was given and none was expected...", said Mr. Ikhlas.

It is funny that coincidentally I am informed that there is a right ruckus now in the Djinn nations. With the advent of the new Caliph of Islam, King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the ancient veteran Djinn soldiers of the Caliphs are mobilising in battle orders for yet another upcoming melee against their old adversaries, the evil Djinns.

Fascinating stuffs. These are interesting times that we live in, sunshine. And just when you think that the sinner is only writing about love, mercy and beauty. But such events are occurring even as I am writing this. Just as the saints and angels go about their business often unseen, so too do the Djinns, and belief in their existence is an implicit part of our faith. Not many people are given (I shall not say blessed, because it is a burden) the third eye to see the Djinns, but for some, like Mr.Ikhlas and others, it is already a part of their life.

It is only with the grace of God and the guidance of the Prophet(pbuh) and the saints that such men are able to carry the weight of their responsibility with a light heart but a determined will. For contacts between mankind and djinnkind is always fraught with dangers, both physical and spiritual. And some men and djinns, alas, have fallen very low indeed. May God have mercy on them.

Contacts with Djinns is like climbing a mountain.
You get to see interesting things but lo, if you misstep
and lose your foothold and slip!

My prayers and thoughts today go to Mr.Ikhlas and such men who unbeknownst to the rest of mankind have toiled hard in the dark spaces between our reality and the Djinn's world to keep at bay the hounds of hate that ever seek to possess and misguide the human spirit.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Earlier Postings on Mr.Ikhlas -
*The Holy Quran, Mr. Ikhlas and Katmir the Dog - Man's Best Friend
*Mr. Ikhlas, Black Magic and The Divine Shyness in the Presence of Villainy

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Hijaz, The Caliph and The Star of Al-Saud - the story of a good custodian

Some Background Information

I sometimes visit the sohbet (sermon) website of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Adil ("the Mawlana"). He is the grandshaykh of the Naqshbandi Sufi Order currently residing in Lefke, Cyprus. It was he who shared with the world news of the new Caliph of Islam for this epoch, his majesty King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. This information has not been picked up by mainstream media, but the divine stone has been cast into the ocean of creation, and its ripples will become waves and the waves will become tsunamis. It is a reckoning for Truth, Love and Mercy prophesied, but in God's own time.

Recently there was a sohbet entitted “The Star of Al-Saud”, and the sinner was surprised by the mere title. This is because, since the advent of the Saud family in Hijaz and their capture of Mecca, Medina and the rest of the Arabian peninsular, they have been active proponents of Wahhabism, that black aberration of Islam and the cause of great discord and violence not only amongst the nation of Muhammad, but has spilled out in its terrible fury upon the non-Muslim world... an aberration fueled by oil money, drilled and sucked out of the Arabian desert sands with the connivance of western oil mega-corporations.

Exporting oil and Wahhabism world wide...

For the Naqshbandis, and indeed for all Sufis and rightful thinking Muslims, the number one sin, the numero uno error and the Great Lie perpetrated by the Wahhabis is their active policy to destroy the religious practice of venerating the Prophet(pbuh) and his household, which stands not as a prop or optional accessory of being a Muslim, but a sacred and sacrosanct tenet of the Islamic Faith - For you cannot be a Muslim if you are not a Muhammadan. In their blind hatred of history, and ill-thought ignorance and prejudices, the Saud-backed Wahhabis not only have sought to disconnect the Prophet(pbuh) from his nation, but also to destroy the essence of Islam, which is the teachings of the tariqas (Sufi Orders) of the Saints of Islam. To this end they and their followers the world over have sought to destroy the books, tombs and graves of great Muslim Saints, as well as suppressing tahlils (periodical Muslim prayers for the dearly departed) and visitations to the graves of our kin. Not even being a Companion of the Prophet saved the tombs of some of the great Companions of Muhammad(pbuh). Such is their shameful conduct and for which they must answer to God and the Prophet(pbuh), these defilers of maqams (tombs).

1. If The Kaaba …

If the Kaaba is a diamond,

The defilers of maqams are conspiring to pry off the gemstones

That dot her ornate setting,

If the Kaaba is life,

The defilers of maqams are conspiring to choke her breath,

If the Kaaba is the sun,

The defilers of maqams are conspiring to eclipse her moons,

If the Kaaba is justice,

The defilers of maqams are conspiring to conceal her mercy,

If the Kaaba is the universe,

The defilers of maqams are conspiring to rewrite her history,

If the Kaaba is a writer,

The defilers of maqams are conspiring to be her censors,

If the Kaaba is Rapunzel,

The defilers of maqams are conspiring to cut off her golden tresses.

That is want they want.

But who can they harm but themselves?

And what can they defile but their own name?

Thus it is with this foreknowledge that our friends were surprised by the title of the sohbet – A star of Al-Saud?? Surely not! But surely yes, because God in His Infinite Mercy and the Prophet in His Blessed Station are not limited by human prejudices - Always our Lord looks for good reasons to forgive and to rain blessings upon us.  Read on...

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

The Star of al-Saud

In his Sermon (Click Here to go to the Video and click on the subtitles for your preferred language), the Mawlana recounted his experience of being awaken one night by an inspiration to his heart. Some words and visions bestowed with great force upon his old frame concerning the passing of Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the age of 79. In the vision, brought unto him by the Saints of the holy city of Mecca, was that of the Crown Prince, having died in Switzerland on the blessed night of Laylatul Mikraj, and a sight of angels descending from heaven and taking his soul, and praying over him in the holy city of Mecca, as per his wish to be buried in the Haram precinct.

The Star of Al-Saud, the late Crown Prince Nayef.
al-fatiha...

The Crown Prince (said the Mawlana) was dressed in divine light, his face was calm and peaceful as the angels and saints prayed over him. He even smiled and blinked at the Mawlana when he notice the Mawlana looking on. Mawlana declared that no other previous king or prince of the Saud house has ever reached this spiritual station, the example of Godly reward for a believer... even for one who is a prince of the Saud House. And what was it that he did to earn this miraculous gift?

Breaking into sincere tears, the Mawlana shared that the crown prince had 2 secret desires…

The First Desire

The crown prince, inspired by God by his belief in doing the right thing, desired to return Hijaz and the two holy cities of Islam, Mecca and Medina to the rightful owners, which is the household of the Prophet(pbuh). Yet, perhaps it came too late in his life, by which time he had no powers left in his hands to manifest this secret desire. Had he lived longer? But it was simply not meant to be...

The Prophet's Mosque in Medina wherein resides his tomb

The Second Desire

Secondly, the crown prince was inspired to desire spending and giving away his wealth and treasures. For he was awaken to the danger and risk of hoarding wealth. For those who are not generous with the treasures that God has given them, God shall withhold His treasures from reaching them. Hoarding like Qarun, hiding their assets in secret bank accounts, secured warehouses and offshore tax-free havens, what good is wealth to them who have passed away? For Mawlana reminds us that the good believers are those concerned only with obeying God and doing the right thing. To such blessed souls, this world and all its treasures are less than the dust beneath their feet - Most honoured are they in the Divine Presence! But alas, this too the crown prince was prevented from achieving by his death.

But such is the generosity and mercy of God, that even though the crown prince was prevented from achieving these two good intentions, his secret desires reached the Knowledge of God and the Knowledge of the Prophet. And verily, by merely holding these sincere good intentions, he was rewarded in magnificent heavenly splendor when finally, his body breathed its last and his heart stopped beating.

Aye, the crown prince did. He rocked for Mustafa* and Mustafa heard!
(*Mustafa is an epithet for Muhammad(pbuh) meaning The Chosen One)

The Reminder

Had you but one atom of goodness in you, surely God would forgive you and bring you into the company of the angels and blessed souls. But to the reigning sons of Saud, the Mawlana had one final word to say. A reminder from the Prophet – In the end of time, tell them that God Himself prays (and gives praise) over me. And yet you prevent prayers to be made over me? On the Day of Judgment, I shall be your opponent!

A beautiful sermon but alas summarized. Do not take my word for it, sunshine. Click on the link and watch for yourself. Watch the Mawlana, look at his eyes, his posture and his tears overcome with love and mercy, his tired sitting, and his trembling frame as he stands in prayers that he enjoins for the sake of humanity.

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

Thus what is the conclusion of this? Will the Saud family (with their many, many princes) return the Hijaz and the two holy cities to the rightful owners, the Household of the Prophet(pbuh), one heir being King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan - the Caliph of Islam and Commander of the Believers? Will it happen in our lifetime? When our little band was in Medina and Mecca last year, already our friends sensed a change in the air. Ah, such is the suspense and wonderful tension being written upon the script of destiny by the Greatest Writer of them all, aka God Himself.

King Abdullah II of Jordan, Caliph of Islam, Commander of the Believers,
Shadow of God on Earth, Lion of God (far right, sitting), at the funeral of Prince Nayef,
the Star of Al-Saud. 

We are living in interesting times, sunshine. Stay by me and I shall keep you posted, so long as it is thus fated. 

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Hashemite King as the Caliph of Islam - after 7 centuries of the Holy Ottoman Caliphate

10. The King

I held his hand,

This dying king,

But in his eyes,

I saw nothing.

No castles, no knights

No courtiers bold

No helms raised high

No lovers of old.

Only the eyes of a king

Returning to his King,

So ends one flight

Of a dragonfly’s wing.

…………………….

Thus ended the Holy Ottoman Caliphate almost 100 years ago. For a long time it was already referred to as the sick old man of Europe. It was indeed old, 700 years old. And alas, sickly it was also - With the rise of the Young Turks within the ranks of the imperial Turkish army, the rebellion of the Arabs and the dwindling authority and influence of the last Caliph of the Ottomans, the caliphate was in its final death throes.

Istanbul, previous seat of the Holy Ottoman Caliphate for 7 centuries. And now where
is the seat of the Caliphate? Why, wherever the living Caliph is of course...

But worst was yet to come. Slowly the history and stories of the caliphates began to be modified, adjusted and finally ignored totally. There was a movement within the Muslim world, fueled by oil money that propagated a revisionist program, casting doubts over the relevance and indeed, the legitimacy of the caliphates after the Kalifah ar-Rashiddin (the four rightly-guided caliphs immediately after the passing of Prophet Muhammad(pbuh), Abu Bakar, Umar, Usman and Ali).

For almost 1300 years, Muslims have lived under the authority of a living Caliph. In less than one century of revisionist programs of ‘New Islam’ and ‘reformation’, they have been taught to unlearn history. To forget and cast away the memories of the Caliphates - the Umayads, the Abbasids, the Andalusia-Umayads, the Fatimids and lastly, the longest reigning caliphate of the Turkish Ottomans. At best, they were recalled like two-dimensional comic characters of a comic book, a fairy tale even.

But the Sufis have not forgotten. And now that a living, breathing Caliph has been proclaimed, King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, they are revisiting the old songs and prose. Prophecies of hope and love…

11. Songs Revisited

Songs have ceased to bear

The same old meanings;

The King is taking the clothes of the rebel

And making it His own,

The King is taking the words of the jester

And making it His speech.

His claim is Highest and True.

And into the hearts of men,

He is now saying,

I have not forsaken you!

Ho, words now weigh heavier,

Sighs are drawn longer,

Passions have become eternal,

Tears run into a deep clear water,

As Love grows bold and Hope mightier!

…………………….

Already aspersions and doubts have been passed over His Majesty’s ‘right’ and ‘entitlement’ to be the Caliph of Islam, Commander of the Believers. He doesn’t seem the sort, does he? A bit too Westernised. A bit too close (especially his late father, al-Malik Hussein) to the British Royal Family. I am told he is a Star Trek fan and loves big bikes. Surely, this is not the Caliph!?

Oh, but he is, sunshine..,

Oh, well. You cannot please everyone. But my friends are happy. Well pleased to be alive in the time of a living Caliph, no matter if he does not fit the mental image that many Muslims may have of a ‘proper’ Caliph. Not Arab enough. Not traditional enough. Not conservative enough. And perhaps not tall enough. And not even a mustache now (above picture is old)! But that is okay. People will have their own standards that they aspire to.

But my friends are fine with this Caliph. Indeed, they have already given their solemn oath to His Majesty. They do not care at all if he is not a ‘proper’ Caliph. To them, he is already THE Caliph, the Shadow of God on Earth. And, insyaAllah, they will follow him to the ends of the Earth.

How beautiful faith is. And crazy.

Hehehe.

God bless you, sunshine. Thank you for dropping in today.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will find the Way

In Jordan now reigns The Living Caliph - Heirs of the Shepherd vs The Three Horsemen of Despair

The Horsemen of Despair are forever our nemesis. We ride out against them
yesterday, today, tomorrow and everyday!

21. Heirs of Shepherds

The Three Horsemen of Despair

Ride in and out of our history books,

Garbed in the absence of Light

That folk call blackness

They spread misery and uncertainty

Beneath their banners that declaims;

Ego! Anger! Envy!

Their followers grow in numbers,

But between Points of Light and invincible fences

The heirs of Shepherds guard

And guide the frenzied herd

Into the Consuming Sea of Mercy.

…………….

I think very few people are willing to hazard a view that, “Oh wow, we are living in wonderful times!” There is no need to look far for problems, you can click the news on your computer and you can read about them in the newspapers. I think some newspapers should change their name from the Daily Herald to the Daily Trouble. Things are difficult the world over, and if we are not careful, trouble would come knocking on our door, asking to be let in. They often come in the guise of the human ego, anger and envy.

But however the world may turn, however high the price of oil and food is climbing, things are moving as planned. Of this, we must have a certain faith and belief – we cannot choose the times and epoch of our existence, but if you are born in these troubling days, it must mean only one thing – that you are meant to be here, with all the latent potential and promise within you to face whatever challenges fate may throw at you.

Against the Horsemen of Despair we have our own Horsemen for these times, often they are riding on the mount of humility, patience and servanthood. If you ask them they will say that they are nothing. But in these times when everyone wants to be famous and celebrities, that is REALLY something.

And do you know what else is quite something these days? The Living Caliph, King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. These little signals and clues are emanating from Lefke in the Island of Cyprus… From the Heirs to the Shepherds of God.

Have a lovely day, sunshine. Thank you for coming by.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Cup of Knowledge and The Cup of Love - Pictures from Jordan

My friends and my brother traveled to Jordan recently. They converted their money
to both the US Dollar and the Jordanian Dinar. But they also kept their Currency of Love,
and they found Love in the most unlikely of places... under a Bedouin tent... 

The currency of spirituality is not knowledge alone, an ancient friend once shared with me. The true currency is love, and the highest denomination of love is Mercy. This is an important conclusion, he said. Because knowledge is a double-edged sword, and can turn against its wielder if wrongly used. "Even spiritual knowledge?" I asked. He smiled and said, "Especially spiritual knowledge."

Why is this so, I ventured to know. And this was his reply. "If knowledge is akin to sword-play, then the attainment of knowledge is to become a master swordsman. But you cannot become a master of anything if you have not attained servanthood. As you read your books and listen to the religious sermons, you start to gain a foothold in the path of religious knowledge. But every moment, your ego is whispering - 'Ah! So wise... Ah! So intelligent you are becoming!' So every moment that you sup the cup of knowledge, you must be cautious and wary of your ego, lest it supplant your heart, turning your path away from becoming a servant of God, into a slave of your ego." Then he paused before concluding, "You see, you must always remember that no knowledge can encompass God..."

No Knowledge Encompasses God

Unlock your heart and throw away the key

The rising tide is waiting to flood your library,

To topple the shelves and book cabinets over the water's edge

As you realize that no books can encompass God

And that it is God Who encompasses all knowledge!

I guess it is fitting for those destined to be ruled by knowledge, that they are so ruled. But it is also fitting that if you are chosen for the path of Love and Mercy that many, many doors shall open to you - as you find this world an infinite reflection of God's divine attribute of Love, Mercy and yea... great, great Beauty. 'In everything that you see with your heart, is rendered sweet and beautiful by a sweet and beautiful heart' - so sang an old Persian poet to me. And I do believe that my friends found it all in Jordan last week. And yea, more than they ever imagined possible!

.... and great beauty in the field of competition...

Cup of Love

Open your heart and keep the doors open

And see what marvelous truths come in

To glorify The Lord of Love in

His Infinite Attributes

And Meanings.

It is loveliness in each timeless moment,

It is beauty in each blink of the eye,

It is wonderment and awe

With each Cup of Love

That you draw from

A Sea of Infinite

Beauty.

……………….

.... and it was courage and valour that gathered them here, in Jordan.
Or do you think that everything is coincidental?

May you learn and unlearn such knowledge as is necessary to bring you ever closer to the Lord of Love. Have a lovely day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way