The Lamb, The Lion and The Eagle

There are lambs, lions and eagles in our lives. And here in this picture.
How they may be so also depends on who you are. And really, who are you?

Plain & Simple

Though I sleep with lambs, I am no lamb,

Though I hunt with lions, I am no lion,

Though I fly with eagles, I am no eagle,

I am me, a weak servant, a donkey…

Plain and simple.

……………………….

I may appear fluffy and innocent, but alas, I am no lamb. I may sound menacing and courageous, but I am no lion and although the prose I write presume to ascend some lofty peak, I am no eagle. I am a just scribe, taking down notes and hurling them into the inner space of the internet.

Not me.

I am just fortunate to meet and know some true lambs, lions and eagles. I have people who work with me, who blink with innocent surprise and shock at my indiscretions. I have friends who are true warriors, followers of the Futuwat, the knightly code of chivalry of Ali, the Fourth Caliph of Islam. And then, I am in the company of some truly insightful people, who carries knowledge that shames me with its breadth and horizon. But none of these fellas (and females) feel the drive (or vanity) to write a blog. Hehehe. Decent and awfully nice Joes and Janes you would not mind spending an afternoon with.

Not me.

And this is generally most people I know. Of course they are not angels, but on the cosmic scale of human decency, I must confess my admiration for their principled stand towards whatever life offers them in terms of trials and tribulations. I am honoured (and not a little bit surprised) that God permits me to be with such folks. Sometimes though we are tested when our close friend or kin displays an action which makes us doubt our initial good assessment of their character. But from my experience, judgment must always be suspended since after all, who are we to judge? Often with time, fate reveals the reason behind their error which makes us reflect. As in the case of a friend who has been an absolute pain and we do not know the reasons why – only to find out much later that he has been carrying a secret sorrow for his father who may have contracted a terminal disease. Poor guy. Inevitably time reveals the truth and makes us empathize... and realize that we are in the company of real lambs, lions and eagles.

Not me.

But if you force my hand to choose an animal that best exudes my character... hmm. This requires some thinking. After all, postings online may potentially last forever so I gotta be careful not to make the wrong choice. Hmm. Ah yes. Here it is... the fitting totem for me.

Me.

Take care, sunshine. Talk to you tomorrow!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Heavenly Dragon, The Heart Shield and Zulfiqar the Renowned!

In Islam, in the name of Ali, the Cousin and Companion of the Prophet, Consort to our Lady Fatima az-Zahra, the 4th Rightly-guided Caliph, and He who wields the two-bladed sword Zulfiqar, there is no hate. Not even in times of war. In times of war, a high banner of chivalry is raised - it is named The Futuwat.

The shield is shaped like the spiritual heart for therein God has established the Throne for He Who Shall Sit On It. And it is also shaped thus because the enemy of hate is Love. And we take shelter in God and the Prophet(pbuh), The Loving and the Beloved from the whispers of hate, envy, pride and hubris fashioned from the black fires and furnaces of the Enemy, the Devil himself. As we also take shelter from his legions of Djinn armies and the traitorous Ego that works within us. Amen.

The wielder of the sword and the shield is symbolized in the form of the dragon, which in the deeper lore of Islam is a heavenly creature, before he was tricked by the Devil. And the dragon is crowned with the pointed hat of the Naqshbandis and turban cloth of royal purple, the tail of which is fluttering in the wind. There is always a breeze, you see, because wherever this particular dragon goes, so does the salawat (hymns and songs of praise for the Prophet). And the salawat calls the wind, which in the deeper lore of Islam is also a creature and creation of God. Blessed be all of God's heavenly creatures.

The sword shaped like the renowned Zulfiqar is held downwards in the dragon’s claws as a token of peace to Man, but it is unsheathed because iron and particularly sharpened iron is a semboyan (signal) to the Djinns that are ever lurking near to beware and to not trespass upon us. It works. Sometimes.

I like to explain things. I like things when they are just so... at their proper places, and properly named, properly posed. Like ending this posting in the very same way I have done for many, many moons…

Have a lovely day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Dealing with Perceived Betrayal - Chivalry & Empathy

159. Zulfiqar I

Victory without chivalry is not victory.

Defeat with chivalry is not defeat.

Not War.

And I think this is the best way forward for anyone anytime. The prose was written about war, a serious endeavour at any time, but for many of us, thankfully, we are not involved in any adventurous land war. We are middling our way through life, working, sleeping and playing. No war zone for thousands of miles, no war correspondence embedded in our daily life to witness and record our enduring joy and sadness, and our conflicts with our neighbours, co-workers and family.

Conflicts.

Because so long as we are a part of humanity, conflicts will arise. Betrayal, or perception of betrayal is not war, but it is something which we all have faced to a certain degree. But betrayal, just like war, must be handled with care. And chivalry. To win vengeance or revenge is no victory, not when it is done in hot-temper or cold-blooded malice. Oh, how we are often tempted by our perception of someone's betrayal to act against that person. Thankfully, nowadays we seldom reach for our gun or our dagger. But often enough we hit back... With mankind's own Weapon of Mass Destruction, the WMD of Words.

Betrayal. 

I do not know how people resolve their feelings of betrayal. I myself, find such feelings a dirty, dirty stain in my conscience. So I distrust my mental calculations, I discount my anger, and I try (as humanly possible) to detach myself from my mind's sense of injustice, and its machinations against the betrayer. How can I believe my feelings and my so-called reason, when the entire scheme is all about feeling betrayed, and the accompanying feeling of hate and anger.

Two sides of a Coin. 

The reason why I detach myself is because everything that happen is for the ultimate good end. And the ultimate good end is the knowledge of myself, the knowledge of God, the knowledge of both this world and the next. That is the ultimate reward that we are playing for. We are not desiring short term gratification offered by this world, nor are we desiring something other than God in the next. These things we must consider especially when we are in the throes of righteous indignation. After all, we do not know what is in the heart of the betrayer. We do not know even that he considers his deed as an act of betrayal. And on our side, have we TRULY been honest and transparent, and have we ourselves TRULY kept to our side of the bargain?

Chivalry 24/7. 

To release ourselves from the bitter poison of human failings we must do this - to see other people in the best light possible, and to see ourselves in the worst light possible. And we must do this in the most dire straits - when we think we have been betrayed. It is easy to love the lovely, it is easy to trust the trustworthy, but when we are so biased and prejudiced, and we must accept the fact that this is our natural baser habits, we must learn to love the unlovely, and we must learn to trust the untrustworthy.

GOD.

For God loves this way. Everyday He looks at us unlovely humans, and He thinks us lovely. Everyday He looks at us untrustworthy humans, and decides to trust us. Again and again and again.

Don't you agree, sunshine?

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

BESA - Muslims who saved Jews in World War II, by Norman H. Gershman

BEAUTIFUL STORIES. We are all looking for beautiful stories, truths in history that gives us strength and wisdom to prevail over the appalling present bigotry that has fallen between people of all faith. But today, we are talking specifically about the Jews and the Muslims. And specifically about the Jews, the Albanians and their Code of Besa during World War II under the conquering jackboots of the Nazis…

BESA is a code of honour amongst the Muslim Albanians. The code basically means that if someone is a guest in your home, it is beholden upon you to not only serve and show hospitality, but protect him/her, even at the risk of your own life. On this basis, during World War II thousands of Jews in Albania were protected and saved by the Albanian Muslims. As the Jewish website Yad Vashem noted -

“Albania, the only European country with a Muslim majority, succeeded in the place where other European nations failed. Almost all Jews living within Albanian borders during the German occupation, those of Albanian origin and refugees alike, were saved, except members of a single family. Impressively, there were more Jews in Albania at the end of the war than beforehand.”

Good ol' Norm.

In 2009, Norman H. Gershman, a renowned Fine Art Photographer, took up this labour of love to photograph and write the above book, as well as produce a documentary on this amazing story. You can watch Part 1 of the documentary by Clicking Here.

My thanks to my friend, Khalid Ajmain for posting the BESA link on Facebook and sharing this wonderful story.

May God, the Owner of all beautiful days bestow one upon you, sunshine.

Hate has no place in Islam

GOD, LOVE & AIKIDO - The other worldly Morihei Ueshiba

Can you feel that? I do that with love.

Try with Love

If you cannot see God,

Try hearing Him,

If you cannot hear God,

Try tasting Him,

If you cannot taste God,

Try touching Him,

And if thus your senses

Have all failed

And you cannot do

Any of the above,

Try and try still,

But this time,

Try with Love.

Love is the best bet of them all. It is not the safest, for the path of love is often beset with obstacles and ogres. But for God, Who is greater in aggregate than all the sleeping beauties, princesses, queens of our fairy tales, He is the ultimate quest. The Holy Grail worthy of attention for all knights.

You and I, we are not knights. The world is growing full of distractions and chivalry is now seen as an ancient lore, buried and fit only for feature films, libraries and museums, much like the dinasours.

But in my very(very) brief read on Aikido for my earlier posting today, I came across the wikiograpy of the founder, as well as this interesting biography of him on aikidofaq.com (Click Here). I am not a martial art exponent but I am a curator of words, and I found these words of Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969) beautiful and inspiring-

"...I felt the universe suddenly quake, and that a golden spirit sprang up from the ground, veiled my body, and changed my body into a golden one. At the same time my body became light. I was able to understand the whispering of the birds, and was clearly aware of the mind of God, the creator of the universe. At that moment I was enlightened: the source of budo is God's love - the spirit of loving protection for all beings... Budo is not the felling of an opponent by force; nor is it a tool to lead the world to destruction with arms. True Budo is to accept the spirit of the universe, keep the peace of the world, correctly produce, protect and cultivate all beings in nature."

"Around 2am as I was performing misogi, I suddenly forgot all the martial techniques I had ever learned. The techniques of my teachers appeared completely new. Now they were vehicles for the cultivation of life, knowledge, and virtue, not devices to throw people with."

"The Way of the Warrior has been misunderstood. It is not a means to kill and destroy others. Those who seek to compete and better one another are making a terrible mistake. To smash, injure, or destroy is the worst thing a human being can do. The real Way of a Warrior is to prevent such slaughter - it is the Art of Peace, the power of love."

Of course, Wiki information must be treated with caution, so if you desire to know more about Aikido and this very impressive Japanese gentleman, look for a book. A friend of mine is a sensei of Aikido, and I am writing this in honour of being his friend. I was a nothing, you see. A forgotten old fool, before fate had it to throw me into his path, honouring my life with his wonderful company and priceless friendship. And I am also writing this because a grandmaster of a Sufi Order once perchance to observe the photograph of Morihei Ueshiba and commented "This is no ordinary man - He is a saint."

This guy is like Yoda...
"Hate, Envy, Hubris? To the Dark Side it will take you."

God bless all saints, in whatever guise they are in, whether they are still walking this earth or already passed on, gazing upon us from their high perch in the hidden passes of the afterlife, praying always for our happiness and salvation in the all-consuming Wonder that is God, our Most Beloved Creator. 

So perhaps there is still a future for chivalry, yes? Of course!

wa min Allah at-taufiq.

Ahmad Shah Massoud - Assassinated 2 days before 9/11 - Forget him not...

Today is 9th September 2011. Exactly ten years ago in Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Massoud was murdered and a light of promise died with him. Two days after that, on 11th September 2001, the Twin Towers in New York was attacked.

Before he died he visited the West to warn it of the impending danger and violent attacks from the likes of the al Qaeda. When he did that, to the malevolent forces of hubris, Massoud has signed his own death warrant.

In the early hours of the morning before he was assassinated by Muslim bandits, he spent some time with his old friends reading passages from a book of poetry of the eminent Persian poet Hafez Sharizi. Massoud spoke Persian, Pashtu, Urdu, Hindi and French. It is an old Pashtun custom, whereby the reader would randomly open a page from the book, recite the verse then to be discussed by the small circle of friends. A few hours later he surrendered his physical body to fate and his soul departed this earth to return to the Lord.

If you have not, you may wish to read "Ahmad Shah Massoud, the Lion of Panjshir Chapter 1 - Prose of Ramadhan Part 6"

May God light his soul with the light of Muhammad Habibullah!

wa min Allah at-taufiq.

The Dragon, the Damsel and the Knight

67. Dragon’s Lair

Really, if you are about

To rescue the damsel in distress

From the dragon’s lair, just a

Few words of advice;

Make sure that the damsel

Wants to be rescued by you,

Bring your own light,

And if your light grows dim

Inside the cave, get out!

Oh don’t worry, there are

Other dragons to brave,

And other damsels

Chained inside caves.

WOMEN. Cannot live with them. Cannot live without them. And just how many times have some innocent knight or chevalier said, "What? A DID(Damsel-in-Distress)? And a dragon to slay?! Quick, show me where!"

MEN. We are guilty of pretensions. We say women are vain, but we can be narcissistic. We say women waste money on luxuries, but we too can spend a lot on toys. Oh, we say we need the new super-blaster drill, the mega-super water pump and a motorcycle (at least 900cc) so we can scooter around the traffic... but truth be told, we love our toys.

So it has always been a dream for men to brave the dragon and save the damsel. But all too often it is we ourselves that need salvation. Especially from the very real dragon that all men (and women too, come to think of it) nurse in the secret dungeon of their personality - the human ego.

DRAGON OR DAMSEL? I was spending some time with a soul tonight. He read my poem and commented, "You know, you can make fun of us knights (for he was a bona fide one), but for myself, I did face down a dragon and saved the damsel-in-distress. And we were married soon after." But then he looked rueful and continued. "I am still married to her. Sometimes I wished I slayed her and brought the dragon back instead..."

So, men, this is the advice for today. Be careful what you wish for. God might just grant your wish! Hehehe.

wa min Allah at-taufiq.

Another observation about men and women - Click Here  for 'If only Adam was awake when God created Eve - The Creation of Women & the Bewilderment of Men.' 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



Elkader, Iowa, USA

Spread the word.

Pax Taufiqa.

Crusade & Chivalry, Jihad & Futuwat - United in Love against the Hemlock of Hubris Unholy

The Christians must recall history through the path of love, for surely they will continue to fight a battle different to the battles that the Muslims have fought and continue to fight, though in the past

they fought each other in the same plains and valleys of war.

For the Muslims, they too must revisit history through the path of love, for surely they will persist to fight a battle far different from the battles that the Muslims in the past have fought,

for so long as they think that glory in arms is the enlightened end.

The irony of these days is that it is not a Holy War that is consuming

the Christians and Muslims, it is the Hemlock of Hubris Unholy

– offered in a cup held by deceitful hands

while proclaiming themselves as heirs of Crusaders and Jihadis.

The way of glory is easy - It is the vain path of all would-be heroes,

martyrs and historians.

The Path of Love - ‘tis the hardest and most bitterly fought.

Here is the true Crusade and Chivalry. Here is the true Jihad and Futuwat.

And if anyone contests what you say, then tell them that it is I, Zulfiqar who says this!

And if they disbelieve you, so what!
………

Glory to God this wonderful Sabbath, pet. In this silent and bracing morning, I do not hear the Universe disagreeing with me at all.

Pax Taufiqa.

The Stray Dog & the Happier Truth!

Woof! .

.

I AM A STRAY DOG. And I strayed from the conventional education of my religion, drifting into books of masters and saints of what people conveniently call Sufism. In their gentle company I found the beautiful interpretation of my religion through an ancient lore. But the wisdom contained within their grasp is as fresh as if it were first uttered by the Prophet Muhammad a moment ago, as if it was acted upon by Umar the Mighty only this morning, and illustrated by the Chilvarous Ali presently by his valour and the sword Zulfiqar. In the wonderous and often humorous escapades of the Murids (students) I find great joy and wit, only to rest upon the eyes of the Masters for balance, patience and moderation. I am a stray, and I strayed into a courtyard of lovers - seeking love and desiring to learn the ways of love. There is no difficulty here. There is only ease.
.

,

WHAT IS ACTUALLY CONVENTIONAL? What was discovered in the teachings of the Sufi Masters is both glorious and delicate - as magnificent as the Hagia Sofia, but more subtle than the fluttering of a butterfly;s wings. And it showed to me that what I first assumed to be the conventional teaching of Islam to be unconventional in its incompleteness. It is not the fault of anyone, but somewhere, somehow, Islam became a 'religion', a 'syllabus', a 'Phd' and a 'doctorate". Then it transformed into an 'Islamic state' with 'Islamic banks', 'Islamic Revolutions' and 'Islamic ways of dressing.' In the dire finality, Islam became an excuse. It loss the lustre of love - the Islam of Muhammad was the Sun during the day, and the Moon at night, but by the time I came to school in the 1970s, it turned into realpolitik. When I was young, Islam did not speak to me. The voice of Muhammad was still and mute in the religious books that was prescribed for my reading. I knew of him. But really, I knew nothing at all about him. In Sufi lore, I found him and a happier truth.
.
THE HAPPIER TRUTH. What I say here, my friends, it is not the Complete Truth. But so far as I can see, it is certainly the Happier Truth. Yet there are some who would contest this Happier Truth, saying to us -.
.

1. Surely, the religion is not as simple as you claim it to be.
.
2. Surely, the religion is not as 'happy' as you say it is.
.
CERTAINTY IN GOD IS THROUGH CERTAINTY IN HIS PROPHET. But why not? After all, the Prophet had to leave behind such divine lore so clearly fundamental so as to take into account the really slow-witted (such as me), and yet brilliantly fascinating to keep the most hard-to-please of his nation (such as you) captivated by its beauty and passion. He would not be Muhammad, had he not given to us the grace of his traditions, to exemplify and embody the Completeness of the Holy Quran. Of this I am certain.

.
Have a lovely Thursday, sunshine. I am gonna have breakfast now, will you join me in a cup of certain-tea?

.

.
Pax Taufiqa
.
Earlier posting on certainty entitled "Having a Cup of Certainty at Rumi's Famous Tea Room"
(Click Here)

Mikhail - Just turned 7 years old and already heart-broken

Mika was in bed this night, when he suddenly asked me, “Am I in love, Papa?”
My eyebrows climb an inch, “I don’t know. Are you?”
He replied wistfully, “I was. But now the love is broken.”
“What do you mean, Mika?” I sat up, interested.
“Well, you know, I was in TTDI*, then I was transferred to SKBD*. So she’s not in my new class.” He explained.
“Gee, what was her name?”
“I don’t know, Papa, she didn’t have a name tag.”
Then we fell asleep. I didn’t want to enquire too much too soon. He will share more with me when he’s ready.

Later this same night I woke up and found my son missing. A few minutes later he came back into the room. He said he was thirsty, so he went down to get a small jug. Thoughtfully he offered me some. While drinking, I ventured to ask further information about his broken love.
“Why did you like her?”
“Oh, umm… she liked me, then I like her.” Love is so easy when you are 7 years old.
“Yes, but HOW DID you know she liked you?”
Mikhail answered, “She borrowed pencil sharpener from me. She liked me.” So simple. He then elaborated. “You see Papa, my pencil sharpener is special, she can use it without having to go all the way to the rubbish bin.”

I commiserated with the young beau, “Oh, I am sorry, Mika.” But my son was philosophical about his first heart-break, “That’s okay, Papa. I just have to find a new girl. But maybe not in my new class..."

Is anything more sweet than Young Love? God bless their sweet, generous and pencil sharpening hearts…

Have a nice night, sunshine. And a Happy Chinese New (Bunny) Year tomorrow morning.

Pax Taufiqa.

*TTDI is a school in the adjacent suburb of Taman Tun Dr Ismail. But after only 2 weeks in TTDI Mikhail was transferred to SKBD, which is my neighbourhood school.

P.S. (1.34am). I remembered telling Mika not to trust girls. And what does he do? He falls for the first pretty thing that asks to borrow his pencil sharpener. *Sigh* See related postings:-

Mika, Usman Awang, Orientation Day and a Debt that shall never be paid and Mika Early Days in School - Will I Get Paid?

The Ever-Present God, the Lady Fatima az-Zahra, Knights of the White Flame and the Quest

Present Love
Even when I was
In great turmoil and doubt,
Love came to me and smiled
Saying, “Oh seeker, here am I!”

Then Love gazed upon
My shameful countenance,
And said,
“If you never fail,
You would not
Seek My Guiding.
Then we would both
Lose a precious thing,
The you that is
Always seeking Me,
The Most Sought,
And the Me that is
Always with you,
As your Ever-Present God.
……………

THE SCIENCE OF FAILING. It is okay to fail. That is what makes us human. And this sinner is an expert in failure. Initially I only obtained a Degree in the Science of Failing (DsF) from University of Life. Later I progressed to Masters in Failures (MsF). I have a talent for this sorta things. I need very little help to be a fool.

I am making ha-ha.
.

BUT SERIOUSLY. The above prose was recorded in May – April 2009. It is the electrical fire that runs through the soul circuitry.

CLUBBED. It is 6.30 a.m. on the second Sunday of 2011. I was out attending a birthday soiree at a club in town. I am winding down the night at a 24/7 Indian Muslim restaurant near my house. It is now full of boys and girls back from the clubs. I am not gonna sleep as I am going to pick up my buddy, King, for a super-early breakfast.
....
FULL LIFE. I guess you could say that my life is full. It was once full of failures, but now, with Heche and Mika turning my life upside-down, it is also full of wholesome goodness. Thank God for that and thank you for spending a few precious minutes with me.

THE QUEST. Just a final note, my sweet – Love doesn’t provide all the answers. But it makes the quest for the answers worth it. And yes, do not be fooled, for IT IS a Quest. And you are all knights of the White Fire, heralds in the bridal train of the Lady Fatima az-Zahra. You did not choose to be knights and heralds? You did, my friends – when you fell in love with love.

Have a sunny Sunday, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.

Saturday Cheer and Sunday Slaughter ( The Lunatics Strike Again)

SATURDAY CHEER. On Saturday the sinner was in good cheer and love for all mankind. Belatedly, he replied a New Year’s greeting from a friend, Major (r) Chan with the following missive…

.

“Happy new year, major chan! U n I, we r soldiers of love, truth is our defence n mercy is our shield. We seek shelter in d Lord n His Blessings in our charity n hard work! May Christ rain showers of grace unto u n yr family. Amen wasalam.”

Immediately upon receipt of the message, the man called me, giving thanks for my greetings and saying how liberal and progressive I appear to be. The good Major said that this was the first time he had a message mentioning the Lord’s name from a Muslim. I replied, “Major, this is what my religion teaches me.”

SUNDAY SLAUGHTER. Then early Sunday morning as I was reading the newspaper I came across this news. Oh, boy, did it spoil my breakfast…

.

What do I say now to Major Chan? I am sickened by the news as if it happened to churchgoers in my own neighbourhood. It is sick, sick, sick. The men who planned this terrible violence, the men who actually perpetrated the crime are all sick - diseased in the head and empty in the heart.

NO GREY AREA. As an abject sinner, I often talk about the grey area that most men find themselves in. That huge plain of doubt where right and wrong, black and white mixes. Well, what happened in Egypt, this church bombing, falls so far in the wrong, that it cannot be accommodated by any sane human being. Whether it is in Rwanda, Palestine, London, Madrid, Chechnya or Kosovo, any act of violence against innocent civilians are absolutely unacceptable. They say they are ‘fighting’ for their race and religion. They say they are ‘fighting’ for their sovereign right as a nation. They are not fighting. They are murdering, on a scale that would draw smiles of approval from Hitler and Stalin. These men, whether they profess to be Jewish, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs or Muslims, are all sick, sick, sick men. They are bandits with guns and bombs. They fall outside the forum of civilized discourse, and each atrocity that they commit, so called in the name of their God, Country or Race… is an affront and an insult on that which they claim to hold dear…

Who is this God?
This God you seek is not the God that I seek,
I seek the Merciful One at His Mercy Door,
Those tears you weep are not the tears I weep,
May you never find this god
That you are foolishly looking for.

FUCK IT. Some people may say, “Oh, no, Taufiq, you don’t know what is going on in Egypt with the Coptic Christians.” My answer is concise and easily comprehensible – “Fuck it. That is all appeasement bullshit.”
.

LIBERAL AND PROGRESSIVE? NO, JUST MUSLIMS. We are the ones picking up the pieces of our faith, while these mad mullahs and ill-advised young men carry on with their insane crusade against the ‘infidels’, allegedly in the name of God and the Prophet. We are the ones having to explain to the Major Chans of this world that Islam is about peace, tolerance and love. We are the ones having to explain that we are liberal and progressive because we are Muslims, not in spite of us being Muslims.

NOT JIHAD. The line is drawn in the sand. I am a sinner, but at least I know not to drag God into some egoistic malevolence that these men call ‘Jihad’. This is not Jihad. This is cruelty. And as I once said before, if the Caliphate was still around, these terrorist groups would be hunted down, tried and sentenced as the heartless bandits that they truly are.

LOGIC AND A HAPPY MUSLIM. I am writing as a happy and proud follower of the Prophet. I am not a good follower but I at least am not a prone to blow myself or anyone else to Kingdome Come. – such atrocities are acts of desperation founded upon despair, and no true believer despairs of anything. How can we, when we presume to have God and the Prophet on our side? This is simple logic, but mad people blinded by anger and anguish will never understand.

Thank you for reading this rant. I am just upset, you know… Forgive me, sunshine.

A FEW GOOD MEN. I am joining the Masters asking God to send unto mankind a few good men. Men who will save us from the misguided pronouncements of our religious hubris. Men of Mercy, Valour and Chivalry.

I am no one, a nobody, not even a ‘great’ sinner. But you, my friends… you are my hope for the world. You are with me, right?

Pax Taufiqa.
Related Postings:-

The Shining Lanterns, the Mother of All Jihad and the Garden of God(11 Dec 2010)
A god of war, Neo-Jihadis, Neo-Crusaders, Children, the Ego, the Business End of a Bullet and a Message of Mercy (23 Nov 2010)
Jihad, War, Caliph Ali and the sword Zulfiqar, Futuwat Code of Chivalry and Armchair Generals (17 Nov 2010)
Al-Qaeda can shove it. Taliban can stuff it. Osama is a nutjob - Putting the Joy back in Jihad, Putting the Fun in Fana!(9 Nov 2010)
Mad Jihadis, Crazy Crusaders and God, Christ, Jesus, Jehovah, Allah, Buddha, Tuhan, Father and Ram (29 Oct 2010)
The highest Jihad and Crusade, the Angels of Mons, a Cigarette, the Throne and you (18 Oct 2010)