THE BOWYER... Mr.Moses and the hyperbolic sinner.

The Bowyer
The sinew in the bow
Is my sinew,
The skin on the bow
Is my skin,
The inner strength of the bow
Is my strength,
The draw of the bowstring
Is my effort,
The flight of the arrow
Is my prayers,
And wherever the arrow lands,
That is my destiny.

So if you wish to know the real me,
Find where my arrow lands,

And if you want to know the real you,
Find where your arrow lands...
.................

I dropped by dear old Moses's home yesterday morning. What was meant to be a short hi-bye ended up to a 2 hours visitation. We are fixing the grip back to my original 35lb bow, you see. I have done the preps, tearing away the decorative covering (which I kinda considered a little naff) and carving the rubber grip to make it smaller and more suitable for us Asians with our tiny hands. 

Unfortunately, I did not do a good job and Moses had to repair my repair work, carving away the entire side of the grip, and curving the edges to make it more ergonomic. He then measured a paper pattern for the grip and proceeded to cut a lovely black leather (medium soft). And this was the easy part.

Next came the actual chore of glueing and pressing (very very hard indeed) the leather unto the grip and bow, being careful not to leave any spare leather to bubble up. To do this he had to carefully remove any surplus as he turned the leather around the awkward shapes of the bow and the grip. 

If it sounds like hard work, it is. But if you are obsessed with doing a good job, and a stickler of getting things right, then it is just another day in Moses's House of Fine Leather. He he he.

And I don't want to get overboard with my hyperbole (well, I do actually... its my thing, you see), but while I was there in his ever-cluttered home, I felt privileged to witness  Moses's worshipful work. Although it was not the regular form of Muslim prayers, the giddy atoms in the living room was spinning with joy. And this only happens in state of worshipful devotion. 

As always, my friend offered me food (which I had to decline) and we chatted about the profound and the profane as he worked, while in the background, dzikr (remembrance of God) songs and mawluds (songs in salutations and praise of Nabi Muhammad s.a.w.) waft through the air like angelic pearls gliding in love and glory. Later, Mrs. Moses returned from exercising the horse, Samurai, and our little jemaah (assembly) was thus complete.

God bless you, sunshine. And may Allah (swt) forgive me for my awkward hyperboles. 

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Notrumi Embun, 20th June 2014

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Distant Cathay and Nourishing your Soul - about knowledge, stars, and introducing Aaron the Dog.

There is often a cat and a dog in my sketches. The cat's name is Moses. So I find
it strange that only after the longest time that the name of the dog is apparent.
Of course, it has to be Aaron. He he he.

The Prophet (May Allah raise his station, increase his peace and contentment!) has famously admonished his followers to search for knowledge, be it to distant Cathay. With our space telescope floating precariously some 559 kilometres above our heads, our sights are trained much further than China. Far into the distant galaxies, our astronomers are gazing into the depth of space, and into the deepness of time, as star lights originating millions of years ago are observed and captured for the very first time in beautiful pictures by the Hubble telescope...

The Veil Nebula. 

The Orion Nebula

The Spiral Galaxy M74. Amazing photos from the official website, you can go there by
clicking here The Hubble Site.

God is challenging us. With flirtatious glimpses behind the veil, which may only be an echo of an echo of His Beauty, so we, like Majnun, would go mad in love. But God is also the instructing God, the Guiding One. And He cautions us to remain sober, and to obey those who have authority over us, and to love and care for those who we have authority over. Like our pets. That is the perfect adab (good manners) of a seeker.

So, search for knowledge and discover the world, and discover your God. Set your gaze further than Cathay, and even further than the furthest galaxies that can be observed by the Hubble telescope. But please, in your quest for knowledge, don't forget to feed your dog. Or cat. Or budgerigar.

And before I forget, in the name of The Piercing Star, Sayyidina An Najmus Saqib (s.a.w.s.), please don't neglect to feed your soul. For above all, your soul is in need of nourishment. Even more so than your pets.

Have a beautiful sabbath, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Khidr and the Seal of the Prophets - in the Muhammadan Glow

' ilVerde / Alkhidr ' by Cristina Colombo

The Prophet Khidr & The Seal of the Prophets

He is a man unlike any other,

He is a world changer,

And while I attend to matters

That is beyond normal men's

Ability to comprehend in the beginning,

He is the Master in the beginning and the end,

And nothing is hidden from him...

He is a Prophet unlike any other,

And lo now I do remember

My little time with Moses the firebrand,

Who stayed by me till my deeds

His heart could not withstand...

But this man? This Muhammad Habibullah?

His many layers of good manners

Would confound even me

Who is wont to confound others...

He is a world changer

By changing the state of a man's heart,

And even I, Khidr will be exposed

And melting like the morning snow

Before the Ahmad of Ahad

In his Muhammadan Glow..

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

Khidr (a.s.) is a Prophet of God and he appears in many pages in the history of mankind. Famously he had a brief interlude with Moses, who accompanied him until Moses Kalimullah could not stand Khidr's deeds which appeared to be against the Law (sharia) and just plain wrong. Against his own promise, Moses  (a.s.)ultimately ended up questioning Khidr (a.s.) too many times, and there ends the short commune of two illustrious Prophets of God. 

Khidr (a.s.) also made a showing in the Hikayat Hang Tuah, an ancient fable of the mighty Admiral Hang Tuah of the old Melakan sultanate. Hang Tuah was on a mission to the Caliph of Islam and resolved along the way to perform pilgrimage to Mecca. Just before arriving in Mecca, he met someone among the Arabian sand dunes...

"Thereupon, the Laksamana walked towards a secluded place to relieve himself. And along the way he saw an old man sitting upon a white rock ( that is as white) like washed cotton. And when the old man saw the Laksamana coming near, immediately the old man came down and walked towards the Laksamana, with greetings of salam (peace) upon the Laksamana. And verily did the Laksamana return the courteous salutations of the old man. "O' Laksamana (said the old man), please lend me a silver tale, for I am a hungry poor dervish (darwish) unable to buy even bread.

Looking at the old man closer, the Laksamana felt, "This is no dervish, to my mind, this is either a Prophet or a Saint of God." The Laksamana then took two to three silver riyal from his pocket and offered them to the old man. But the old man only took one riyal and thereafter he embraced the Laksamana and kissed his head while saying, "My son Laksamana, please take this chembul (a pot or small receptacle to keep liquid) and when you are unable to speak the language of the people (that you will meet), pour out some of the water in this chembul and wipe it on your lips and your ears, that you may converse with them." Then just before the old man suddenly disappeared into thin air he said this to the Laksmana, "(oh, by the way) I am the Prophet Khidr".

I do not recall an encounter between the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) and the Prophet Khidr(a.s.). If someone has any such tale, I would love to hear about it. But it is my reckoning that what had astonished Moses (a.s.) would probably not have the same effect upon Muhammad (s.a.w.). In all probability it would be Khidr (a.s.) who would come away from a meeting with Muhammad, Seal of the Prophets somehow changed.

Because love changes people, you see. Especially Prophets...

Maybe yes. Maybe no. Whatever the case may be, thank God for God, and thank God for his Prophets Moses and Khidr, and the Master of the Prophets, Muhammad Habibullah... 

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Have a beautiful day...

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Fishing for Happiness where the Bounty is Richest

Ripples in Creation

God made the light of Muhammad and it was still as a calm sea,

Beautiful in its infinite hue.

Then He made Adam and later Eve,

From whence through many seasons of love passing came me and you.

Making ripples in the Sea of Mercy,

We fished for happiness where the bounty was richest,

.
And Gladness filled the Lord's ocean

As He contemplated you, me 
and the cat called Moses
With Infinite Affection

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

We came from one place, and we shall return to the same place. In between the beginning and the infinite end, we make friends and sometimes we adopt a cat, whose name may be Moses. Or is it Moses who actually adopt us? You know how cats are...

Love is true, highest and mighty in the Lord's infinite sea of banners that magnify and glorify His Attributes. If you have found Love, or Love has found you, do not let go and hold on to your God with all your latent passion and talent for affection.

I was away because of work, but now I am home. And I am so pleased to find you here, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Moses and Me (But which me???)

Moses and Me (But which me?)

I am me.

But I am also

Me that is present,

The past me and the future me.

Then I also have the private me

And the public me, the working me

And the playing me. I am the praying me

And the sinning me. The witnessing me

And the witnessed me. I am also my ego, my heart,

My conscience and my soul. And my soul may be

Referring to the soul in my body

Or the soul still in

The Divine Presence.

All this I told Moses.

Moses says that I am running away from accountability.

Moses may have a point. Which is why, however many personas we may have in our lives, we are thankfully fortunate enough to have but One God to turn to. So that no matter how we approach God, and by whichever name we call Him, God is absolutely and resoundingly One. 

This thought is somehow comforting to me. All of me...

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

LIFE AS A DIVINE CONVERSATION - "You Love Me?" Asked God. "Why?"

You Love Me? Why?

The most venerable of traditions,

The most eloquent books of praise

I read and recited for God,

And I found religion.

Then one night,

As I was reciting some ancient spell

Extolling love and yearning

For our Creator, He answered and asked,

"Why? Why all these beautiful words for Me?"

"Why? Because You told me to, of course."

"Really, is that the only reason?" He replied and said no more.

From that night on I always sought to find the answer.

Religion is easy. Just do as you are told. But in the context of spirituality, it requires a little more exploration, a bit of adventure through this world. And to answer God's ultimate question - You say you love Me? But why? And it is not enough for us to say "Well, the holy scriptures and traditions of your Prophet (and Prophets and Saints) all say that we ought to love You." For we are not Angels without error. We are human with the innate power of choice, or some would call it a crown of thorns or a bed of nails. We can choose, so it is in that choosing that we may find the answer to God's question.

To briefly answer God, I guess we can say that we love Him because of what He has ordained for us. That we awake in the morning, alert and fresh. That we turn to find our children by our side, their eyes sparkling like heavenly pearls stolen from God's own treasury. That the Sun gracefully peeks through the open doorway like a kindly uncle coming once again into our life, to banish darkness and bring light. That for all our mistakes and judgement errors, we are not dispossessed of hope. That despite the cunning duplicity of our egos and how it tries to divide humanity, we can still look across race, religion and nation and still feel empathy. That the love which God says He has for us is felt in every quivering of the restless atom, in every thought which is planted in our mind, in every affectionate gesture we receive from our family, our friends and our lovers.

A Divine Conversation through the Garden of Creation. It was last night when Heche said, "I love you." To which I queried, "Why?" And really, is life not finding God's grace in the best, in the biggest and the smallest drop of Mercy and Compassion which He constantly rain in our lives? What is life if it is not a divine conversation - A walk through the Garden of Creation with the sublime company of God's inspirations? To this end, I walk this world with my Prophet, Muhammad the Mercy to all the Worlds. Perhaps you are walking with Jesus, the Prince of Peace, Son of Mary. Or maybe Buddha? Or perhaps Moses the Red-haired?

Well, whoever you are walking with, I am happy you are with me today, sunshine. I cannot think of any other company finer than thee.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Moses at the Red Sea Toll and the Malaysian Toll Weddings

Toll Roads. As Malaysians, we are quite experienced with tolls. And this is a short blurb from Wikipedia which is roughly correct - "Malaysia has extensive toll roads that forms the majority of country's expressways which in length spans more than 1400 km ranging North to the Thai border, South to the Causeway and Second Link to Singapore, West to Klang and Pulau Indah and East towards Kuantan. Most of the toll roads are in major cities and conurbations such as Klang Valley, Johor Bahru and Penang. All of Malaysian toll roads are managed in the Build-Operate-Transfer basis as in Hong Kong and Japan..." The number of tolls are enough to be a pinch to your wallet and depending on where you stay and where you work, the pinch can be really painful. I am very lucky not to feel that pinch because my office is less than 5 minutes from my house (by car) and about 45 minutes if I walk. So I never walk.

Toll Weddings. One of my closest friend, John (aka Faizal), got married in the southern state of Johor about 13 years ago. As was the case with Johor, I was concerned with the possibility of 'tolls'. Johor Wedding tolls is a quaint tradition (quaint for the bride's family that is) where some members of the bride's family would block entry of the groom and his entourage into the bride's home unless he pays the 'toll'. The amount to be paid depends on the circumstances, not to mention the number of tolls AND toll operators. At the main gate of the house, there may be a toll. Crossing from the drive way to the porch may be a toll. There may also be another toll at the front door and finally as you make your way in, you could find the Mak Andam (traditional make-up artist) sitting primly on YOUR pelamin (a raised dais 'throne' for the bride and groom on the wedding day - ergo the term 'Raja Sehari' meaning King and Queen for the Day in reference to the happy couple). Yes, weddings are a little complicated down south.

In my friend's case John told me that the bride's family assured him that there would certainly be NO toll whatsoever. I believed him, but I had less belief about his soon to be in-law's assurances, so I brought some spare cash just in case Of course, as it turned out there were tolls. But only two, an old geezer blocked our entrance through the porch grilled door, and on John's pelamin sat the Mak Andam, smiling at us. At the first toll, Amirul (the Best Man) admitted later that he was tempted to simply push the old man aside, but good manners restrained his action. I handed the beleaguered John the money and he simply paid his dues and the wedding continued as planned. They are still happily married and have 5 children.

I am happy to share a happy ending with you. In this world with depressing news coverage we should always look around for the beautiful stories, yes?

May your day today be part of your own beautiful story, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.

Golden Bull does Credit Crunch at Wall Street - The Disconnect between Risk and Profit, Action and Consequence

95. Oh stop it, you! (Blogged in providence)

Oh stop it, you!

Playing Moses

To my Aaron.

While you are communing

On top of the mountain,

I have golden bulls

To deal with down here.

BULLS AT WALL STREET. I find it interesting how the financial sector is sometimes called the financial industry, suggesting that it actually builds or makes something. I think essentially, the financial sector is a service sector. It is important to remember this, that the original aim of banking is to facilitate credit to finance the manufacturing, building, agriculture and infrastructure sectors.

CREDIT CRUNCH 2008. The credit crunch of 2008, the effects of which is still reverberating to this day arose when the bank or finance house which issues out the housing loans sell the loans to investment banks, who in turn packages the loans into CDOs (something like bonds/private debt securities), which in turn is rated as AAA by rating agencies (even if some or much of the loans in the CDOs have been given to subprime borrowers aka people who have little or bad credit history), and thereafter sold by the investment banks to investors all over the world. That in one sentence is basically what happened in 2008. So basically Mr. Joe Banker doesn't have to worry one bit whether Mr. Al Borrower will actually pay the loan. Because the risk of default has been passed way down the line to Mr. OMG Investor. And to make things worse, because of this disconnect between action and consequence, Mr. Joe Banker prefers to give the loan to subprime borrowers. Why? Because in subprime housing loans, the interest rates are much, much higher. So increase in the Bank's profit but at zero increase in the bank's risk. It's like magic!

The magic never lasts...

TEMPORAL BULL OR SPIRITUAL BULL? So when Moses came down the mountain and found his flock performing some ghastly dance around the golden bull (or is it golden calf? Oh who cares...), he was faced with a spiritual challenge. And he resorted to resolve this spiritual problem with the intensity for which Moses is well known for. The Golden Bull of Wall Street may appear at first instance to be a wholly temporal bull. But this is not so. Otherwise, why did Jesus chase the money lenders out of the temple?

The spiritual problem with credit is essentially two - Firstly, it is the creation of value (meaning the loans banks can give out) from nothing (whereby you put a capital of USD1 but by some magical legislative alchemy, you are able to lend out USD10. Where did that USD9 came from?) In financial jargon this is called leveraging. In spiritual terms, this is called trying to usurp the attributes of God, the Only One who can create something out of nothing. I say 'trying' because you cannot actually usurp any Divine Attributes. You simply create a lie and convince humanity to believe the deceit.

Secondly, this 'easy credit' is an enabler. In the current slang introduced to me by Heche, enabler is not a nice term. It suggests someone or something which enables or creates the scenario which is conducive for someone else to do something not nice - Like being greedy, selfish and foolhardy (with other people's money). The 2008 credit scenario above is an advanced example of greed permitted to grow into a global cancer with the connivance of the regulators, the banks, the rating agencies and the investment banks.

THE OLD WAYS. In the olden days things weren't so bad. Pre-Reagonomics, high street banks (ie. retail and commercial banks) were not permitted to speculate with their depositor's money. That is left to investment banks, who were then mostly partnerships - in other words even if they do speculate, they do so with their own money (more or less). During Reagan's time, the clear demarcation between high street banks and investment banks were broken, and high street banks were permitted to speculate with their capital and depositor's money. This led to the Savings & Loans debacle in the USA in the 1980s. That decade also saw investment banks becoming public listed companies, which basically means that they are not playing just with their own capital anymore, but investing public's money too. 

Any suggestions, sunshine?

Oh well, this is the world we have inherited now. I don't have any clever suggestions to make. I wish I did. Perhaps you have a solution?

DIVINE CREDIT. While you are thinking about it, I hope you will have a beautiful day, sunshine. But if it turns out to be a beautiful day, please... I don't want any credit. It's all God's.

wa min Allah at-taufiq.

The Sinner & the Phoenix - Umrah Pilgrimage Part 19

THE FIREBIRD. The mythical firebird known as the Phoenix exists in perhaps all great civilizations across the globe. This flaming pigoen appears in Persian, Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Japanese and Chinese lore. This bird is like the dragon (and also the Green Man) who appears to make their appearances in the most unlikely (and unconnected) of folklores and traditional beliefs. Where there is smoke there is fire they say (well, unless its dry ice!). But we are not here to delve into the story of the mythical Phoenix, interesting as it may be. For you see, during his pilgrimage the sinner was accompanied by his very own Phoenix too, albeit of the wooden sort. Below is a picture of my own firebird (sans beak)...KING OF SAINTS. I purchased my Phoenix walking stick from my good buddy Ahmad Alatas from Indonesia. I asked him what sorta bird whose head crowns the cane. He said it was the Rajawali bird. In Malay that means the King of Saints (or the Saint King). I chuckled thinking that I would need all the help I can get as I begin my pilgrimage, and what better help for a sinner than a saint? And a King of Saints at that! Later, I found out that Rajawali is the Malay name for the mythical Phoenix.

BROKEN BEAK. Alas, even before arriving in Jerusalem I must have accidentally dropped my Phoenix, and a bit of the upper beak was broken. Distraught (and rather tired) I resolved to just dump the bally thing in Queen Alia Airport, Jordan. But my buddy, Ariffin, advised me not to, and to at least keep it until we reach Medina. There, he said, you can leave it at Masjid Nabawi (the Prophet's Mosque). Reluctantly, I agreed.

And so my Phoenix accompanied me all day and night for the entire 14 days of my pilgrimage. It followed me into the Masjidil Aqsa and Rabia's shrine in Jerusalem, Moses's shrine along the way to Jericho, to the Prophet's Raudah (Garden) in the Masjid Nabawi in Medina, and finally, when I performed the tawaf (the 7 circumambulation around the Holy Kaaba, Mecca), it was there with me, my support and constant companion. Rarely was I ever without my Phoenix. And rarely did I not drop it, so that when it came to the last day in Mecca a friend of mine suggested, "Taufiq, if we stay just a couple more days here, I reckon not only will your bird be beakless, it will be headless." And I think he is right.

I HIT SOMEONE IN FRONT OF THE HOLY KAABA. Well, I never did leave the cane in Masjid Nabawi. I have grown too fond of its ugly and broken beak, and the crease and carving of its head have become familiar in my hands. Initially, I was worried that perhaps the guards in the two great mosques in Medina and Mecca might not take kindly to a pilgrim lugging a walking stick depicting an animal (in strict Wahabbi regulation - I do not think it is actually permissable). But nobody stopped me, nobody questioned me, even when I was raising the Phoenix's head high amongst the masses of pilgrims circumambulating the Holy Kaaba. I didn't want to accidentally hit someone's legs or body, you see - And this is the embarassing bit - because I did in fact hit someone's head - the head belonged to a poor Turkish lady, and I accidentally hit her when an idiot behind me nudged my elbow. Wait, wait... It wasn't a hard knock really, so don't judge me. Maybe it was a divine intervention because she was thinking some impure thoughts? Hehehe. Okaaay... I am just kidding!

Well, such is life. Go to the Holy Kaaba, and you get beaned by a sinner.

Have a nice day, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.

Jesus, Rabia, Moses and the Pigeons - Umrah Pilgrimage Part 14

JERUSALEM, WEDNESDAY 23RD MARCH 2011, 4AM. What do you do when you are up and wide awake at 4am in Jerusalem? What else can you do but wash your underwear? My sainted mother would have been so proud. Anyway it was difficult to return back to sleep, not when Arjuna was snoring like a buffalo in heat in the next bed. As light dawned upon a cold (very very cold) and rainy morning in the Old City, I wandered out to the balcony for a cigarette. While shivering and puffing in my towel, I noticed that just across the road was a lawyer's office, "R.M. BEDOUN ADVOCATE" (zoom in on above pic). It crossed my mind to pay a visit to my learned friend later in the morning, but alas our tour schedule did not permit it. I stamped out the cancer stick on a bed of flowers and went indoors to the warmth of the room and my friend's melodious snoring. I remember wondering that, if we both snored at the same sound frequency, whether we would actually cancel out each other's snore. I never found out the answer.

WARM MILK is an excellent beverage when you find yourself being whipped by a bracing cold breeze in wet wet Jerusalem. It appears that despite what Abu Ayob said (No rain at all this year), we Malaysians have brought our Malaysian weather to the Holy Land. We are rainmakers. You can do the same too. Just try washing your car. While sipping my white drink, my friends returned from morning prayers at the al-Aqsa (yes, Taufiq... there was something better to do then washing your underwear). Less than 5 minute later a group of French Catholics returned from their morning worship too (probably not in the al-Aqsa). I timidly ventured a bonjour, and the old bidies replied cheerfully back Bonjour!

WHERE IS THE BUS?! Ariffin, myself and Ijan (who looked like Genghiz Khan in his furry hat) out in the entrance of the Holy Land Hotel. Waiting and waiting (and waiting) for the tour bus to arrive. As it turned out, the bus arrived almost 2 hours late, thereby pushing our scheduled tour, already precariously hanging on the ledge, into the ravine of the impossible. It will have dire effect later when the bus had to cross the border and reach Queen Alia Airport, Amman by 6pm to catch our flight to Medina.

THE DIVINE ELEVATOR. We visited the Chapel of the Ascension (on the Mount of Olives), where Christians (some at least) believed that Jesus ascended to heaven after calming down his companions following the exaggerated news of his death. Right next to the Chapel was a surau (small mosque). The signs says it clearly I think, but Ariffin, being Ariffin, went in anyway. I was shy and only took pictures from the outside. Yup. I should have just gone in. The secret of a successful pilgrimage is knowing when to follow the rules and when to disobey them. But I always get mixed up.

Well, there you see it - the Chapel of the Ascension, or some calls it the Dome of the Ascension. Both Muslims and Christians frequent this spot, much like many other holy places in this amazing city. One faith would enter the Chapel, examine the inside and probably pray to God, then the next would enter and repeat just the same.

Probably the most celebrated feature of the Chapel is the reputed footprint of Jesus. I looked pretty closely, but I cannot see it. Well, try and zoom into the picture and see if you can trace the outline. Maybe you can do better than me.

I noticed a pair of pigeons in the ledge of the Chapel. It would be the first pair of thousands of pigeons which appear to inhabit all the holy places that I would soon to visit, ergo the Maqam of Moses, the Prophet's Mosque, and the Masjidil Haram in Mecca.

"Well...? Are they Muslims or Christians?" one pigeon asked the other, perched on their bird's eye view of our group. The other replied in pigeon talk, "I don't know, Earl. They look kinda the same from here..."

"Jesus? You are looking for him? And so is Herod and the Elders? Well, I think he went thataway..."

RABI'AH AL-'ADAWIYAH. Her maqam was just next door to the Chapel of the Ascension. (But before we continue, let us be clear that when we refer to 'maqam' it doesn't necessarily mean 'tomb' or 'grave'. For many maqams, it is essentially a place of significance of the dead Prophet or Saint. He or she perhaps prayed or even lived there for awhile during their sainted lives. It makes sense really, as maqam also means 'station'. So you can say that this Maqam of Rabia's is her Jerusalem Station. Where she is in fact actually (and finally) buried is in the knowledge of her Friend, God. Well, station, substation or shrine, we were very delighted to finally arrive at Rabia's maqam. Most did not stay long in the subterranean cavern, but myself, Saiful and Ariffin remained for awhile longer with the presence of this amazing female saint, who was so sought after by many, many male saints of her day. If you do find yourself on Mount Olive, remember to contact and make prior arrangements with the custodian family of the shrine. They hold the key to her maqam.

ON THE SLOPES OF THE MOUNT OF OLIVES is a famous Jewish cemetery. Believing Jews would love to be buried here as according to their faith, whoever is buried on this holy slopes shall be the first ones to be judged by God and ergo, not to dwell too long in limbo. Our guide informs us that it can cost as much as USD90,000 for a single plot here. But if what theJews believe is true, I think it is a worthwhile investment to avoid an eternity in limbo, don't you?

MAQAM OF MOSES. After taking pictures in the freezing rain, we finally left Jerusalem on our way to the Shrine of Moses. (I will use the term maqam and shrine interchangeably. Why? Because I can. Okay, no more back-talk). After about 45 minutes drive across a grey and brown desert, the highway passing by many construction sites (what the heck are they building in the middle of this desert wilderness?), we finally arrived at our destination. Moses's Shrine stood in a solitary building complex (small-ish) far from any human settlement. Outside, Arab traders were making brisk business in ice-cream, rosary beads and a camel ride - "This camel, is the grandchild of the grandchild of the grandchild of the 300th generation of a camel that Moses once rode!" Okay, I am making that up. But you must remember that Jerusalem and Palestine-Israel has been in the God-bothering pilgrims' guidebook for centuries.

I was shy with the memory of the fiery red-headed and red-bearded Prophet. After all, he was known to be a strict Prophet (and I am not using the term 'strict' lightly here). After meandering about the compound listlessly, finally I took courage and entered the surau.MOSES KALAMULLAH, PROPHET OF GOD. In the cosy green carpeted interior I pulled out my journal, full of prayers and messages for Prophets from my friends and family. I went through the wish list of my friend Shal the Longhair, my brother Zahurein, my second brother Saiful and lastly my auntie, Mak Ndak. Then I spoke a little, sharing my feeling of happiness to be here, my desire for a better future, about my hopes and dreams. I even spoke of my regrets and sadness. I complained about my weariness of spirit and body. I think I may have drifted to sleep, because next thing I remember was a gentle nudge from the Shrine's custodian. Everyone else have left the surau. I gathered up my cane and bag, said goodbye to whoever was listening and walked out again into the cold desert air. Outside I met, Arjuna and Saiful. They smiled at me, and then took the picture of me below. It was lovely. And yes, as I mentioned earlier, there were pigeons here too.

It was a lovely visit, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.

Objectivity? What Objectivity? Part 4

I mean what I write but not necessarily what you read...

I mean what I said but not necessarily what you heard...

.

REGRET. In the last posting, I promised to share with you what I think is the significance of the three earlier posts entitled "Objectivity? What Objectivity?". I woefully regret my vows because I do not know how to now conclude the topic.

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FACTS? WHAT FACTS? The post which I anticipated to now write is my conclusion that facts - cold hard damnable facts do not truly exists. Simply because I remember writing a prose about it. And now I cannot find the damn poem! Maybe facts do not exist because I, your poor sinner has trouble remembering them.

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NO EXPIRY DATE. NO SELL BY DATE. GOOD FOR YOU FOR ALL TIMES. So I shall not go down that road. Instead I will make a safer conclusion, and one that is more easily believed and digestable. I think that anyone who has a religion with holy scriptures can accept that their divine books must contain meanings which continue to be applicable from the first moment that a holy prophet wrote or uttered such words. And this goes to what I wish to share with you. A friend of a friend of a Murid (student) of a Sufi Master once had this to say about the Sunnah (traditions and sayings) of Muhammad Prophet of God - "Oh... the sayings of the Prophet can be used for all times!" And I bet a Jew would say the same about Moses, a Buddhist would agree that it applies to Buddha, and the Christians would vouch that the gospel of Jesus is undoubtedly applicable in year dot as it is now in year 2011.

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When we consider our earlier theory that the meaning of words changes as it slides, curves, swerves and bends in their majestic journey across the space and time continuum, it all makes sense, doesn't it (Well it does to me. Hehehe). And what is ultimately important to remember is that however the meaning of such utterances changes, the speaker is still a Prophet of God... and you, my precious friend... you are still the listener. You are not like the Modern Man...

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21. Modern Man II
Modern man thinks
He is thinking,
Sadly, he is only drifting.

He could have chosen safety,
And stayed in the harbour,
But he is disdainful of his elders,
And seeks a reputation
For wisdom and adventure.

He has no sail or anchor,
He is without a rudder,
Really, he has no ship whatsoever,
For such things are inventions
Of another era, and in his pride
He thinks he can do better.
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THE ANCIENT MAN. Whether you are 14 or 40 years old, you seek love, and the wisdom of those who have long passed away many years ago, but are in truth never absent from your presence...

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22. Wise is he
Wise is he who
Takes into account
Everyone, whether
They are present
Or absent.
Nothing is regretted,
No words misheard.
All things occurring as fated.

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Pax Taufiqa.

(The addenda are the 3 last paras added at 7.29am, 8th Mar 2011.)

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Part 1

Part 2

Part 3