5 PROSE TO MUHAMMAD, SAYYIDINA SA'DULLAH (S.A.W.S), THE JOY OF ALLAH! - The Ramadan Story, Part 20

1. Despair

Tell despair that I shan't drink the wine from its cellar,

For I am happy with what God has bestowed,

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

Because we only despair when we are dissatisfied. So be happy!

2. Doubt

Tell the troll of doubt that it shan't grab me from under its bridge,

For my God has given me wings to fly high in the sky,

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

Because you need a pair of them, the wing of ilm (knowledge) and the wing of adab (good manners) to fly. And as a bonus, an ancient friend just shared with me that a lot of salawat (greetings of peace and invocations of praise for Muhammad s.a.w.s.) will bring a nice breeze to help you in your flight to Hu knows where! Rejoice!

3. Hubris 

Tell the minions of hubris that they will not confound me again,

For I have seen the errors of my ways, in the past, 

In the present

And in the future,

............'

Because hubris comes from certainty. And awareness of our mistakes reminds us that certainty is only with God, not us. Be a mureed (follower/student) always!

4. Usury

Tell the warlocks of usury in their towers of greed

That I see through their deceit,

For my God has forbidden to us usury,

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

Because one of the worse apparent blackmagic is the sorcery of usury. And God Almighty and His Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has declared war on usury. Join the winning team!

5. Deceit

Tell the spin-witches of public relations that I will not be distracted,

For there is no brand, no name, no glamour I desire more

Than the presence of God and His pleasure! 

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

Because Allah (s.w.t.) is utterly wonderful beyond words, and His Pleasure is none other than the Prophet Muhammad, Sayyidina Sa'dullah (The Joy of Allah). So be joyful with the most joyful of all mankind! The most joyful of all Creation!

May you have a wonderful (and divinely joyous) last day of Ramadan the Blessed, sunshine.

This read, is a Joyful Book.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

BREAKING FAST WITH CELESTIAL THOUGHTS - The Ramadan Story, Part 15

Time & the Heart

A second ago is not just one second long,

It can be as long as eternity

And shorter than even one second.

And a thousand years ago is not just one thousand years long,

For that too can be as long as eternity

And much, much shorter than one thousand years.

Such is the vast expanse of a believing heart,

Whose expansion and contraction cannot

Be counted or measured

By physical limits.

And alas, such is also the smallness of a heart

Constrained by hate, bigotry

And hubris,

Deceived by the pettiness of its piety

Or completeness of its knowledge.

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

How strange the month of Ramadan can be. For it pulls, stretches and manipulates the normal order of nature, the proper sequence of events, of cause and consequence, and of time itself.

Still many hours to go. Perhaps it is the hunger or thirst that makes the day long. The constant inquiring glance at the clock. Oh, no! Six more hours to go. Then again. Oh no! Still five hours and fifty-five minutes to go before iftar!(the breaking of the fast at sunset and upon the call of the Muezzin for the Maghrib prayers) For a smoker, this wait is often interesting (and always challenging). Even in the last 10 days of this fasting month. He he he.

Praying while fasting. For those pious Muslims, I think the best part of Ramadan is their prayers during fasting. How beautiful and melancholic it must be, to be praying in the state of fasting, their bodies and all their senses suddenly focused in the magical moment, on that intimate occasion and sweet transaction, between the created and the Creator, between the one of many and the Absolute One (Ahad). Each recitation, each posture and gesture that he (or she) makes, in perfect union with the Universe, prostrating before the Unimaginable Beauty of Allah (s.w.t.), before His Unrivaled Mercy, before His Infinite ways by which He shows His Love for all His creatures... How I envy them.

Celestial thoughts. I like to break fast alone sometimes. I am not being antisocial or that I dislike company. It is just sometimes, when I am sitting alone, taking that first sip of water and first crust of bread, I feel like I am breaking fast with celestial thoughts. How gentle is that moment and how reassuring for a sinner like me. It is as if, God is saying, "Who will keep him company? Surely he shall not break his fast alone."

I am not a good person. I wish I was. I only hope that God shall continue to show me the way to commemorate Him better, serve Him better and thank Him better!

For you see, there is still much room for improvement. 

Have a lovely day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

A COCKTAIL OF TEARS, A SEA OF LOVE & LAUGHTER - The Ramadan Story, Part 7

Only If They Ask, Part 2
...And if they ask why are your eyes closed,

Tell them that you don't want to open them

For fear of unleashing another flood

That neither seawall nor dyke can stem.

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

1. A Cocktail of Tears. Mix a little knowledge, add a bushel of sins. Pour a sea of neglect. Sprinkle some remembrance. Top off with a cherry of regret. Stir ingredients in a colourless crystal goblet, and you would get me. When this is me, you must ask why I don't cry more. 

2. Here and There. Everywhere. But I don't. In fact in my life, there is still a lot to smile and even laugh at. Something to warm the cockles of my heart. Something to reignite my faith in my humanity, in my brothers and my sister. I think it is perhaps because however we may be, sweet or sour, good or bad, forgetful or grateful, ugly or beautiful, God is always there. I mean here. With me. And I also mean there, with you. It gets kinda confusing with God and with True Love. For He is one and the same, the Unique One. Transcending the elemental time and space of this physical world. It is easy for Him, He is after all, God.

3. Choose battles that you can win. But the world is not sitting still, letting you go so easily. It throws at you the horrors and hatred, the bigotry and hubris, the greed and selfishness, the apathy and lethargy, the tired old sad stories. So do yourself a favour this month, don't read the newspapers. It is good to be knowledgeable. But sometimes too much knowledge makes us weary. Especially bad news. Especially when we can do almost nothing about it. So my thought for today is - let us choose battles that we can win. And that starts with ourselves. Quit drinking. Quit smoking. Quit neglecting our body. Quit wasting time. Quit sleeping too much. Quit procrastinating. Quit bitching (does this count?). Quit judging people. 

"Don't even think about it." said the Angel of Quitting Bad Things

4. Stop it. It is funny that the biggest battle is really about quitting something. But sometimes quitting is necessary to begin a better life. God willing, I think this is true. Note to self - God and Goodness always wins when bad men (read me) stop doing bad things. 

5. Loveliness... I started this posting with a typically melancholy love prose as befitting my quasi-sufi pretensions. But it is Ramadan the Blessed. And this month refuses to allow me to wallow in sadness. And I am glad that I can end the almanac with loveliness instead. The Loveliness of Allah (s.w.t.), the Loveliness of Muhammad Habibullah (s.a.w.s.) and the loveliness that is all you, ministered between Ahad and Ahmad, between the Chooser and the Chosen.

May you have a beautiful day, sunshine.Tears or laughter, it is all about Love after all.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

JUST TRY... AND LEAVE THE REST TO ME! - The Ramadan Story, Part 6

Mikhail, bless his heart, tries. And holds 100% clean record
for fasting so far this month. But either way, he is already my success.

Only If They Ask

If they ask if you are mad, tell them that you are in love,

If they ask if you are a bandit, tell them that your law is love,

If they ask if you are lost, tell them that your destiny is love,

If they ask of your journey, tell them that your path is love,

If they ask more, tell them that you are like a knot being undone,

Like a book being returned to the library,

Like a river flowing to the sea,

Like a number collapsing into the One,

Whatever that number might be... two, three or infinity!

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

Nikmat Puasa. It was a quiet breaking of the fast yesterday. And in the moment after the end of the muezzin's call of the evening prayers, a moment loaded with meaning could be sensed. And that meaning was the overwhelming peace and happiness of water from the river of paradise running over a parched soul. Is that a good description, sunshine? Aah. Maybe this is what the Muslims mean when they say nikmat puasa (the pleasure of fasting). And it was not the food or drink that they partake to end the fast, but instead their perception of completeness of Allah's (s.w.t.) blessing to humanity - a third eye being opened somewhere in the deep recesses of our consciousness to realise the goodness of God that our ancestors already knew long, long ago. Alhamdulillah.

A particularly excellent entourage
of those who try.

Just Try. I cry a lot nowadays. And if you count the number of times tears well up in my eyes, it is even more. Happily, most of the tears are tears of joy from some personal realization. You know, things like... I am lucky to be alive. I am fortunate to have God in my life. I am blessed to be a believer. And at the end of the day, whatever the test may be, Allah (s.w.t.) is only asking that I try. "Just try, kiddo, and leave the rest to Me... " I reckon God would say.

Earned Love. Those not familiar with the mystical path of Islam like to insinuate that Love is easy-peasy lemon-squeezy. They imagine Sufis to be bearded beatniks or hippies. But the truth is Love is not the easiest path. It is after all the foundation and building blocks of faith. So God has made Love to be sturdy, resilient and ever-lasting. And God has also made Love to be something that is earned.

May we all earn a place in His Love through the intercessions of His Own Beloved, Muhammad Habibullah (s.a.w.s.). And though ultimately, we can never truly earn either... we must try. Like I said, God is simply telling us, "Just try... and leave the rest to Me..."

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way  

THE COMPLAINING ONE - The Ramadan Story, Part 3

There too, Allah Verily Goes

Give Him a moment in your day,

And Allah will give you an eternity,

Give Him a smile in your day,

And Allah will give you something worth smiling for,

Give Him an entry in your day,

And Allah will give you a thousand doors,

Give Him a word in your day,

And Allah will give you a chamber of echoes,

For wherever His servant goes,

There too, step by step, word by word,

With every sigh of contentment,

Allah verily goes.

For is He not 
Very best of company,
The very best of hosts?

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

It is coming into the third morning of Ramadan, and I would like to make a confession here.

I wish I was one of those who can submit to illness with a smile in his heart and faith in his bosom, whatever may happen. Instead, if I feel hurt, I will grimace and maybe even emit a pitiful groan. If I am in pain, I do not hide my pain. Instead I shamelessly parade my pain in front of my Lord... "Oh God, I am hurting here... real baaad!" I bitch, gripe, moan, complain and register my list of dissatisfaction with the Almighty, wherever and whenever it happens.

Physical pain has a way of making us forget temporarily, our blessings. And through the noise and litany of grievances, I guess there must be some good here. Even in this illness(es) that is affecting my Ramadan.

My only prayer to the Almighty (and I know that He is aware of this) is this...

4. Too good a disguise

Lord! Oh Lordly, Lordly Lord!

You say that in all hardship and trials

There lies a silver lining.

A blessing in disguise.

But please.

Don’t make the disguise so good

That I cannot finally see through it. 

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

Patience is often a molehill. A hillock or sometimes
a mighty mountain to climb.

Have a lovely healthy day, sunshine. Have a good one for me.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE SAD SUFI CLOWN - The Ramadan Story, Part 2

Action-Figure. Not a Doll. My partner, Alex, is a collector of dolls. Oops, sorry, my bad, I mean action-figures. And in the pursuit of this hobby he has spent thousands for Iron Man, the Joker, Batman, the Predator and other assortment of American and Manga characters. On a smaller scale, he also buys small mini-Lego figures for his four-year old son. The only problem is you don't actually know what you would get when you buy a Lego packet, because the packet is not transparent. So what the 40-year old property and banking lawyer would do is spend some time standing in front of the Toys'r'Us counter, softly massaging the packaging to try and guess what figurine is inside. "Wait.. wait!" Alex would breathe excitedly, "I think I can feel the trident / sword / roman helmet!" Yes. Yes. This is the sort of lawyers working with me. Awesome.

Sad Clown. Anyways, perusing the current catalog (Lego comes out with different series of mini-figures), I found one which caught my fancy - a sad-clown figurine with a pointy hat. I have a thing for pointy-hats. The wizards in the Lord of the Ring wears them, and the Shaykhs of the Naqshbandi Sufi Order wears them. So I challenged Alex if he could find me the clown. And last Monday, he didn't fail me and triumphantly brought a small mini-Lego package for me to open. And God bless his heart, for it was indeed the sad-clown!

Clownish Obsession. I have always been fond of clowns, and have sketched a couple in the past for this almanac. I guess I have empathy for the vocation of clownship, for in my life I have often found my face splattered by custard pie, feeling both foolish and embarrassed. And just like my own clown, the Lego clown also has a tear running down his face.

Coincidence? I think not. After all, it is Ramadan! 

Alhamdulillah. Is there any seriousity at all in this meandering story about clowns and Lego? He he he. I am not sure really. Perhaps I am writing this because I never expected anyone to give me, a crusty, life-worn 42-year old man, a Lego toy. Me and Alex joked about it later. And our conclusion is that we are fortunate to be one of those who can be made happy by the simple, whimsical things in life. Like a little toy figurine. Like afternoon rain... Like a smile playing on our children's faces. Like the assuring handshake between two friends. Alhamdulillah (Praise unto God!).

183. The Little Things

If I am not your distraction,

Shall I ever be your devotion?

If you do not remember Me in the little things,

Will any miracle persuade you into believing?

Something to think about on this second day of Ramadan, sunshine, in a month when I reckon that goodness and mercy are like little divine dominoes simply waiting to fall into your life. Like rain... like falling in love... like a life as how Allah (s.w.t.) and His Habibullah (s.a.w.s.) would like you to live yours - A life lit with adab (good manners) and ilm (knowledge). Don't you agree?

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Ramadan al-Mubarak and the Nourishment of Love - The Ramadan Story, Part 1

The Month of Sinners. Do you know that this blessed month of Ramadan is the month of us sinners? Oh yeah. Well, it is also a month for all sorts of things... it is also the Month of Quran, the Month of Light, the Month of the Poor, the Month of Repentance, the Month of Invocation and Standing in Supplication, the Month of Doing One's Best, the Month of Victory and Success and the list goes on and on. And just so you and I are not mistaken in the divine awesomeness of Ramadan, it is also known as Sayyid al-Shuhur, the Master of All Months. 

ADAB (Good Manners) YA HU (Oh He!) This, in two very short and perhaps surprising phrase for some, is inscribed above the doorway of a Sufi Grandmaster, in his little abode in Lefke, Turkish-Cyprus. In a breathless act of grandstanding, this sinner is also putting one up above the entrance to the hermitage in the sky. Below are practice sketches of the writing by my good ol' buddy, Moses. I think they look beautiful, don't you?

There is only a few minutes left before fasting on this very 1st day of Ramadhan. So I bid you a wonderful and joyous Ramadan al-Mubarak, and though we may empty ourselves of food and water for awhile, may we also gain eternal light, peace, good manners, knowledge, patience, constancy and contentment that is the Nourishment of Love. And this is a dish served especially in this blessed month.

Have a lovely month, sunshine!

wa min allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Eid Celebrations, Family and a Greedy Little Pig - oink! oink!

Coming to the end of Ramadhan and the Eidul Fitri celebrations on 1st of Syawal to mark one month of fasting by the Muslims, it is common for us to receive festive greetings via snail mail, Facebook, sms-es and WhatsApp (well, for us Android users at least). I have been a bit busy yesterday as we had a drove of wonderful, bright-eyed, brilliant and good-looking relatives come visit us on the first day (well, I have to be complimentary if I want them to come again next year... Or am I spreading the butter too thick?).

So I am finally able to catch my breath today, and have been typing my late replies. If you did not receive my reply because you never sent me an Eid Mubarak greetings (And by the way, why didn't you? *sad*), well here is my best reply sent out today -

Salams sunshine,... If you but knew me a bit better perhaps you would not like me, but if I knew a bit more of you I am sure to grow fonder of you. So my Salam and prayer for us this Eid is for God and His Prophet to veil my wickedness and to unveil your goodness that I might continue to be blessed with your love and companionship... alhamdulillah, God be praised! Madad ya Saideena Muhammad, madadul Haqq!

For those who came yesterday, thank you kindly for your company and smiles... It was wonderful. A note of thanks for my brother, Zahurein, for cooking up a mouth-watering Mee Rebus (a local noodle dish in beef, oxtail, shrimp, chilli and sweet potato broth). I am ashamed to confess here that I, a greedy little pig, had 4 servings.

He was THE host, but he had 4 servings! Shameless...

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

A Love Letter in Ramadhan - how shall I answer the Lord?

A Love Letter in Ramadhan

Lay your weary head on My names,

The Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful,

And dwell not in your folly and error,

Cast your line into the Sea of My Mercy,

And fish for the bounty that is Me,

And worry not of going hungry,

Close your eyes and listen to Me,

In the temples and in the churches,

In the synagogues and in the mosques,

High upon the hills and through the Mountain passes,

Deep in the forests, farms and meadows,

Wherever you go, there My blessings go,

Glory to Me, mercy for you,

Praise to Me, guidance for you,

Even before you were given life,

Before you first opened your eyes,

Verily, I cherished you and loved you,

And My own angels gathered around

Fascinated by My fascination for you,

And lo, they doubt My faith in you

And touched by the devil’s treachery,

They asked, ‘'Will you bring unto us

The nation of Adam that will bring

Strife and destruction?”

And when you were silent,

I spoke for you,

And when you could not answer,

Verily, I defended you and replied,

Saying unto My heavenly heralds,

“I am God, I know what ye knows not.”

And that is My love for humanity

Before a single child was ever born,

And that is My faith I declared

Before the first church was ever raised,

And that is My blessing for you

Before a single word of praise for Me

Was ever uttered by the children of Adam and Eve.

How I looked forward to your first breath of air,

How careful I gathered and plotted your birth,

Glory be! Glory unto Me! How I yearned for you,

Will you now not yearn for Me?

Will you now not love Me?

Will you now not even

Remember Me?

……………………………….

Ramadhan is coming to an end I am told. In the small bundle of greeting and festive cards we received in our home, one arrived rather late. It was a love letter.

I am sharing it with you today because perhaps you can help me write a decent reply. I am quite at lost for words right now. A rare thing, but it does happen once in a while.

I hope you are enjoying your very last day of Ramadhan. Come evening, the month of Syawal beckons us to another day of hope, praise and love unto the One God, and His beloved Prophet Muhammad Habibullah (pbuh).

See you there, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Mikhail, his Baju Melayus and the Cunning Bait of Beauty - picture tell stories

Sometimes I write and choose the photos to accompany the piece. On some days however, I post the photos and let the pictures choose the words. Like today...

Mikhail is 8 years old. That lime green baju melayu johor (traditional Malay attire)
is almost exactly one year old and he is already having trouble getting out of it.
He is wearing it because he just had his weekly lesson with his young Ustaz (religious
scholar who teaches kids to read Arabic script and the Al-Quran). The Ustaz is a kind and
soft-spoken young man, unlike the fearsome fire-breathing old Ustazs in my days. 

As I was writing last night, Mika came up for a chat. He saw I was online and
asked to borrow the laptop. He said he wanted to chat with Aqheel, his cousin. He
took the laptop away and told me not to spy on him. 

Later he found an old cardboard box. And like all children he wanted to see
if he can fit in. And he did. "Look, Papa! I can get into the box!" But he found getting
out of the box a greater problem, and I had to help him out. I guess that's what
parents are for, to help our kids out of tight spots that they inevitably find themselves in.
But a Dad's job is also to take embarrassing photos of our kids and post them online,
so before I helped him out of  his box I took a couple of shots for prosperity.
He just smiled wanly and bleated, "Papaaaaa!!!" 

I think this picture is absolutely priceless. 

But you know, he does have some nice photos of himself. His mom, Gina, forked up some hard-earned money to purchase him new baju melayus for this coming Eidul Fitri celebrations (1st day of the month of Syawal, marking the end of Ramadhan and fasting) and I think in the picture below he looks like a heart-breaker. But I recall having a conversation once with Mikhail and he confessed to me, "Papa... I am not good-looking at all." And I think that is the most cunning bait of beauty, when the person does not even notice the beauty in himself/herself. And I like that. I hope such sentiments will accompany Mikhail all through his life...

Have a lovely day, sunshine. Work is knocking on my door now and I gotta attend to it.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Apakah Agama Tanpa Nabi? What is religion without the Prophet? - Our Hari Raya cards....

Our office is finalizing our Eidul Fitri greeting cards to be sent to our friends and clientele to mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadhan and the 1st day of Syawal. Here in Malaysia such cards are commonly known as 'Hari Raya' cards, meaning 'Day of Festivities / Celebration' in Malay. Our girls have chosen the design and I was asked to do the inlay text, but this time in Malay. I initially had an idea and the first line of the prose to be printed in the greeting card went like this -

Apakah hidup tanpa mati?

(What is life without death?)

I emailed out the suggestion to Aeenzy, who is organizing the printing of the cards. Immediately I got a call from our latest (and youngest) addition to our office, who asked me earnestly, "TK? Are you SURE you want this in the Raya card?" I answered in the affirmative. Why not? After all, isn't death also an event worthy to be celebrated? When we are united with our Maker? But I guess it depends on how you die. He he he.

But sometimes there is no need to share ALL truths. And I think most people are less keen to be reminded of their mortality when they open a greeting card, especially a Hari Raya greeting card. So after some thought, I amended the prose, and the poem inside of our card will now read thus...

Apakah...?

Apakah jasad tanpa hati?

Apakah jantung tanpa nadi?

Apakah iman tanpa erti?

Apakah agama tanpa Nabi?

What is...?

What is a body without a heart?

What is a heart without a pulse?

What is faith without understanding?

What is religion with the Prophet?

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

It sounds better in my native Malay, I guess. It rolls off the tongue quite well, don't you agree? But then again, I am biased. He he he.

I like bringing the Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) into the picture. I think he is a one-Prophet-fit-for-all-occasion-kinda-divine-emissary. It is not protocol or spiritual etiquette. It just feels good. Like breathing.

I guess we all have our own way of breathing. But whatever creed you may be holding, may your own breath that you exhale glorify the Lord, and may the next breath that you inhale give thanks to His all-encompassing Mercy and Compassion.

Have a lovely night, sunshine. For it is night here and the fast is over for today.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Prophet & His Nation - Pictures fade but Love never

Pictures fade but Love never.

12. A Faded Rose in the Garden of the Prophet

Oh my rose,

If your colour has faded,

And your scent diminished,

If the weather of your world

Has been unkind,

And your beauty worn by time,

Come to me.

For I am created to tend to you,

With gentle ministration

And mercy.

So come to me,

O’ faded rose,

Come to me.

I shan’t give up on you,

For how can I?

When you were made for me,

And I for you.

And If you know me,

Then you would know that

I am one who is not wont

To take my Lord’s gifts

For granted.

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

The connection between the Prophet(pbuh) and his nation is something that one can only suspect. For it is impossible to weigh by mortal scale, though both the Prophet(pbuh) and his nation are indeed mortals. There has been many times in this life that the sinner is overwrought and overcome with grief and regret. But every time, and after each error or mistake it is the very same words that float into the expanse of our soul. To sooth us, to assure us that the Prophet(pbuh) has not forsaken his connection to us.

This grace does not come by our own efforts, so woefully weak are we. But through an association and connection to our betters, to those whom God has blessed to have authority over us. And just like the Prophet, our connection cannot be broken by distance or by death.

It's breaking of the first day of fasting now but I am just having a date, a cup of coffee and a piece of sponge cake for now. I guess as we get older, it is less important to break fast with food and water, and I am pleased to break fast with words, and in the company of my family...

God bless. Have a lovely night, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Holy Ramadhan and Shaykh Raja Ashman - The Prince Part 23

"... rain is falling before the Gates of Ramadhan..."

3. Thank you?

My Master spoke to me tonight,

“Thank you for your writings.”

Thank you?

Hahaha!

Thank you for the Moon,

Thank you for the stars,

Thank you for the seas

Of a million worlds

Waiting to pour from my eyes,

Leaving streaks of teardrops

Luminous with meaning,

Thank you for the celestial beings

Waiting outside the threshold of my soul,

Ready to say 'Hello' and 'How do you do?'

Thank you for all,

And thank you for you!

Happy birthday to me!

And happy birthday to you!

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

Four years ago, in the holy month of Ramadhan, thus recorded the sinner the above prose. I cannot recall exactly the circumstances, but it was undoubtedly one of those rare occasions that I bumped into the late al-marhum Shaykh Raja Ashman Shah ibni Sultan Azlan Shah (Shaykh Raja). And that was what he said. "Thank you for your writings."

It is deeply poignant for me to come across these very same words now. Hitting me unprepared.

The friends, mureeds and groupies of Shaykh Raja have cried many tears, I know. And they have been looking at his old pictures, with deep longing. I pity them for their trial and tribulation, without the physical presence of their Shaykh and Master. For he is their Master with utmost certainty. Ariffin my friend recalls his visit with Shaykh Raja to Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, the Grandmaster of the Naqshbandi Sufi Order. During one of the gathering, Ku Ash prompted Ariffin to quickly go to the Mawlana and salam (take his hand in greeting and kiss it) the Mawlana. So being the dutiful man that he is, Ariffin immediately approached the Mawlana with his hand extended, only for the Mawlana to strike it and say, "No! Salam your Shaykh first!", gesturing to Shaykh Raja. 

He He He.

Poor Ariffin. He felt that he could have dropped dead right there and then.

al-fatiha

So, to the Shaykh Raja, and to my sainted mother and family and friends who have all passed away, wherever they are and in whoever company they are blessed to be in, I would like to wish them Ramadhan Mubarak! It is simply not the same world without their presence. And yet people still think it strange that the Sufis make a regular habit of visiting graves and maqams (tombs) of their beloveds and even strangers.

"Are you a Sufi?", they will ask you. "No," you will reply, "I am simply a human being. And in their life times these departed souls filled my world with truth, knowledge, love and sympathy. Is it not natural for us to recall and remember their spirit and memories with attendance to their graves in good Adab(courtly courtesies) and prayers?"

God bless you, sunshine. And this evening even the Earth is especially blessed. The heavens have opened up and rain is falling before the Gates of Ramadhan, extolling... "Mercy! Mercy! Mercy is Here! Blessed Ramadhan Karim is here! Rejoice o' sons of Adam! Rejoice o' Nation of Muhammad!"

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Today is lovely, but I assure you tomorrow will be lovelier... it's Ramadhan!

201. Windfall from the Lote Tree for Father

Thou have come this far,

O’ beloved companion.

Thou have survived birth,

Childhood and the rebellious

Years of youth.

Thou have come this far,

And for all the trouble

That harried thy way

Thou art here today.

O’ thou beloved companion,

O’ thou oft-blessed friend,

O’ thou shining pearl of Muhammad,

Thou have come this far.

Anything more is a windfall

From the Lote Tree.

How lucky art thee!

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

Indeed, you are. And now this morning, you are at the cusp of the Month of Ramadhan. A mere hours away from the end of today and the beginning of the holy month of fasting, which is the joy for many of my brethren. For my non-Muslim readers, let it be known that for Muslims, the day begins with sunset, thus the 1st of Ramadhan begins upon the call of the muezzin for the Maghrib prayers today, and fasting begins tomorrow at day break until the sun sets on the blessed Sabbath. There... sorted, first day of fasting!

In 2008, the sinner recorded 300 prose during this month. The above poem was the 201th of that collection. I wonder where and how I found the time to do so. Was I even working? I doubt whether I will be as productive this year, but we will see...

o' Ramadhan... is that thou knocking on my door?

This is wishing all my friends and readers, all my sunshine that brightens my grey sky, the very best, the very 'goodest' Ramadhan of your life. For each breath we take is better than the one before. Each day we live is better than yesterday, and tomorrow will, insyaAllah be more awesome. And this Ramadhan shall surely trounce all other past Ramadhan of yours... So long as we recall God in His Most Merciful aspects, and His most benevolent gift to the Worlds, being the reason for creation itself - Muhammad Habibullah, the Red Rose, the Most Gracious, Most Beautiful Flower in Heavenly Bloom in God's Garden of Recreation.

Have a lovely day, sunshine. But I assure you, tomorrow will be lovelier... it's Ramadhan!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Syawal the Nursemaid and the Hairy Baby - contemplation of life's ups and down

1. I wonder

Ramadhan left, leaving me

In the cradle of Syawal,

And though pleased with

My new nursemaid,

I will miss my old one

And look forward

To see her again,

Next year.

While we are still in the blessed month of Syawal, I have been looking back at my prose, and in particular, the above poem recorded on the 1st day of Syawal in 2008.

EID 2008. I remember that year to be a particularly difficult year, the very first Eid that I was officially single. And it was also that same Eidul Fitri that I first waved Mikhail goodbye as he drove off with his mother and her family to Melaka, and I was left twiddling my fingers, wondering, "What the heck am I gonna do now?"

But it was also around that same time when the first unspoken emotions crept into my heart as to a possible new person in my life. That too I recorded as prose in coded words and double meanings, so that no one might know its true meaning. But back then I had very little hope.

EID 2011. So things have changed, this year Mikhail celebrated the first Eid with me and my family and on Syawal eve Heche sneaked into my house to sample my spaghetti.

Life is moving on, and I am looking at new pastures and new ambition. Things are not easy, but they are not impossible. And even if men are sometimes just big babies in need of nursemaids, we can take succour that above everyone else and above all things created, the Lord is keeping a kindly eye and ear upon all humanity, even us big babies!

And thank you, sunshine. For spending some quality time with us sinners today. May God bless you!

wa min Allah at-taufiq.