I Will Be Anything For You - the universality of Muhammad's message and the course of true love

I will be anything for you

I will be a Persian orphan for you,

I will be an Indian merchant for you,

I will be a Victorian barrister for you,

I will be a Chilean miner for you,

I will be an American rapper for you,

I will be an African farmer for you,

I will be a German cellist for you,

I will be a Canadian lumberjack for you,

I will be an Ottoman soldier for you,

I will be a Japanese Samurai for you,

I will be a Brazilian dancer for you,

I will be an Irish Peer for you,

I will be a Welsh rugby player for you,

I will be a Chinese magistrate for you,

I will be a dervish beggar for you,

I will be an Eastern prince for you,

I will be a Swedish designer for you,

I will be a Scottish inventor for you,

However pleasing you want me to be,

From your most noble to the very dregs of your society,

I will be anything for you...

What will you be for me?

………………………..

Someone thoughtfully shared a BBC documentary with me entitled 'Great British Islam' covering three Victorian Muslims - Marmaduke Pickthall, Baron Headly (Irish Peer) and William Henry Quilliam (Liverpudian lawyer).

The first gentleman I am aware of, being in fact the first Muslim Englishman who translated the al-Quran into his native language (and indeed his version is the very first Quran I found in my home). His tale is covered in a small way earlier in a posting entitled Books connect us all - Lat, Marmaduke Pickthall and Yusuf Ali (Click Here to read).

Abdullah Quilliam and the mosque he built in Liverpool.

Baron Headley

But the other two Victorians were a complete mystery to me, so I found it a great joy to learn a bit about them from this thoughtful little documentary. As I watched it, I learned something - Sometimes what makes you special is the sincerity and earnestness that you exemplify by showing that really, when you cut through the veneer of class, nationality and creed, we are all just human beings driven with the very same ambitions, hopes, desires, fears and vulnerabilities. What is suppose to make Islam, and by default Muslims, special is their ability to blend and integrate into any nation and class. For people like Baron Headley and Quilliam did not try to propagate and defend Islam by demanding for special privileges and with fiery sermons from the pulpit. Instead through their meetings, gentile afternoon teas and publications, they spoke and wrote of poetry, literature, the aesthetics as well as science, business and industry - things which would appeal to the devout Christians of the Victorian era to help them see the Muslims in a different and better light.

For I think this is the universality of the Prophet's message (pbuh) which is often lost to our current generation. And I make this charge and challenge against the most 'fundamentalist' to the most 'liberal' amongst the Muslims - prove me wrong, please. 

Well, that was what I got from watching the video. It just struck a poignant chord in my heart, like how a true love story should. Why don't you watch it and decide for yourself? 

. Have a great Friday, sunshine. . wa min Allah at-taufiq .

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Lord is Not Cruel - Prose of Ramadhan Part 15

52. The hard road

Forgive me, my Lord,

For taking the hard road,

When You have made an easy one,

For making the hard choice,

When You have given an easy one,

For being ever so hard,

When You wanted me to be soft.

For being cruel to myself,

When You are not cruel at all.

I do not think that the Lord is cruel. But I often make mistakes and fall into some appalling circumstances, only to suddenly turn to God and foolishly say, "Why are You so cruel..." But of course, many, many things happen for all sorts of reasons. So what about 'bad things' that happen without your knowledge or neglect.

I have a cousin who must be in her 60s. A decade or more ago, she lost her eldest son to an illness. A year after that, her second eldest son also passed away. Both deaths occurred with no warning nor any symptoms of a serious sickness whatsoever. Today, my cousin and her husband, whom I love dearly, are still living and loving. Their four living children all grown up, two married already and one already blessed with a child.

I asked her how was her life nowadays. "Well, you know, with the kids all grown up, they are away most of the time. So on weekdays, me and my hubby are Romeo and Juliet again, but on weekends they will come back to visit and sometimes stay."

During the two eventful years which shocked the rest of the family, one and all, we were full of admiration and respect as to how this loving couple was able to soak up the knock that Fate had delivered them to bury two of their own children, both of whom were in the cusp of their life, full of beauty and promise. How did she do it? I asked her and this was her reply. "Nobody can understand. But it was not easy."

Life is often not easy. But not giving up, and remembering our responsibilities for others who still live and depend on us, is the mark of a good person. And I am deeply honoured to know this lady and her charming husband. They have been a constant source of happiness and comfort for so many people. So you see, I know God is not cruel, because of such people who is able to overcome the most saddest of slight of fate. You must know people like my two relatives here. We must cherish them for the strength that they show, and the hope that they inspire in us.

Pax Taufiqa.

Prophets and the Long Victory

WOOF! WOOF! I am dog tired, sunshine, and I ain’t kidding. I was just telling Russell that I don’t know what the heck am I gonna write this morning. I am just sipping my cup of coffee and the nicotine is slowly coursing through my tired limbs. I have the newspaper next to me, but it’s the same old bla-bla-bla. Note to self – Must sleep earlier.

As always, whenever I don’t know actually what to write, I just flip through my old stuff. Hmm… let me just search ‘morning’ and see what I can find. Ah… here’s one!

Hey, hey, I Saved The World Today

This morning, 6th October 2004,

I imagined a happy picture,

Of the Prophet singing

To the Eurhythmics tune,

‘…hey, hey, I saved the world today,..

everybody’s happy now,

the bad things gone away…’

What a brilliant musical duo is Annie Lennox and David Stewart (Click for the Song).

THE PROPHETS’ SONGS. The Prophet, wherever he may be now, may like the song. It is after all  a wistful, melancholic but hopeful song - Just like the songs of all the Prophets through the ages. It appears that although there have been occasions of triumphant victories (Joseph – Prince of Egypt), a whole lot of prophetic tales involve a far more complex dissertation of the human psyche (look at Noah, Abraham, Lot). After all, you must admit that we can be complex and complicated (read confused) creatures. For myself, since I know more of about Muhammad Habibullah than any other prophets, I think that the Prophets’ Way is the way of the Long Victory.

THE LONG VICTORY is not about momentary triumphs or short-lived victories. It is about winning in the small and almost mundane things in our lives. How we sleep, how we eat, how we walk, how we breath and talk. How we greet our elders, how we drink our tea, how we work and how we play. Because above all, his teaching is about means not ends. Why wait for Heaven when you can bring heaven down to earth now? Why wait to flood Hell and extinguish its flames when you can end Hell now? All this he said we can do – if we are sincere in our good intentions in everything that we endeavour to do.

IKHLAS. If you aspire to the inner lore of religion, the hidden depth of Love, Servanthood and Submission which is taught in all the major religions, then you cannot do it in your prayers but leave it behind in your daily life. For such things to benefit you, it must be your life. But the way is not easy. It is the hardest thing you can choose to do in this world (For a previous posting on sincerity entitled 'The Essence of Ikhlas and Sincerity' Click Here)

YOU CAN SAVE THE WORLD. But it is also the best thing you can do in your short time here on mothership Earth. When you walk out the door today to go to work, to buy your groceries or to simply visit a friend, think of the Long Victory. And aspire to change to reveal the very best of you that the Prophet already knows you hold within your grasp. Unlock your grip to the happenstances and short-lived aspirations of your ego and set you soul free with good intentions and sincerity. For I believe that in that way, you WILL TRULY save the world today in a small but utterly real way. Don't be a useless old sinner like me, pet. Be better.

God bless your world, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.

"Psst... Can I also be your Friend?" Whispered God

An Ode to Friendship – A Better You
In the company of true friends
No dream is ever broken,
No promise is ever forgotten,
No opportunity is ever wasted,
No love is ever unrequited.

In the company of true friends
Stale food tastes good,
The most boring job
Becomes an adventure,
And your smallest victories
Get a ticker tape parade.

In the company of true friends
Life is exceedingly livelier,
Your looks never looked better,
Your future never seemed brighter,
And what poverty you now suffer
Troubles you no longer.

In the company of true friends
You get better quicker,
Your wake up earlier,
You get tired slower,
You run faster,
You jump higher.

In the company of true friends
You don’t need to be somebody else,
You don’t have to pretend
To be smarter or richer,
Funnier or prettier.

Because by their company,
Your friends already make
You better.

Is there a finer gift? A more beautiful and thoughtful present beneath the Christmas Tree than friendship? Is there a Taj Mahal or a Blue Mosque more glorious than friends? Is there a temple, a synagogue, a tokong (Chinese temple), or a kuil (Hindu temple) more welcoming than friends? Is there any ice-cream, chocolate, cake or pastry, wine, beer or any comfort food or drink more consoling than a friendly hand on your shoulder as he / she utters, “I understand…”

I declare today, Friday the 10th of June in the Year of our Lord 2011 as being Friends’ Day. I bid you, sunshine, to join me in the toast to Friendship, in the name of God, the Prophet and the Companions, and all Apostles and Saints. Perhaps God and these transcendental souls are too high for us to be pals with, to watch the game on tv with, or shoot some pools down at the diner. But honestly, if you are a good friend, do not be surprised if one day, any of them (yea… even God Himself.) walks into the garden of your soul and whispers into your astonished heart, “Psst… Can I also be your friend?”

Have a friendly Friday, pet.

Pax Taufiqa.
Footnote: Click Here for 'God - The Friend of Friends', an earlier posting.

Love - final, real, sweet, now... at last.

Love
Love came to me like a church choir
And uncluttered my mind,
Love came to me like a hand
Stretching across a sea of doubt
And assured me,, “Of course I understand.”

Love came to me in a song
And in the painting
Of a house and a country path,
Love said, “My love,
This is me. Welcome home.”

Love came to me through books,
Through poetry and movies,
Love tucked me in
And held me down,
Saying, “Do not resist”.

Love tore through my pain,
Love broke down my barriers,
Love took me and all my failures,
Love broke the witch’s spell,
Love flooded my personal hell,
Love told me not to run,
Love kissed me
And then Love coyly asked,
“Is this not what you want?”

Love undiminished by the past,
Love forever and more tomorrow,
Love - final, real, sweet, now…at last.


May Love grace this Sunday for you, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.

Mika Mr. Big Heart, How to Recognise a Saint, and Being Saintly

Driving through a wealthy neighbourhood one day, Mika observed, “Wow, Papa, these houses are HUGE!”

I am not poor. I am okay. But in my life, we have seen happy people living in a tiny house, and I have seen frustrated and sad souls surrounded by all the luxuries that this life can offer. I know of an elderly woman, who travels from one family home to another, with no fixed address or house to call her own, but who has the clarity of mind greater than someone half her age. She is beloved wherever she minds to stay.
.

Along that point, I said to Mika in response to his observation, “Mika, if you live in a small house but have a big heart, you are okay. On the other hand, if you live in a big house but have a small heart, you are in trouble.” He was quiet and thoughtful, so I asked him, “What about you, do you have a big heart?”

“Papa, I have the biggest heart!”, he responded excitedly.

I queried my son further, “And how come you have a big heart?”

He turned to me and said with great serious-ity, “Because I never give up, Papa.”

I was struck by Mika’s reply, as I anticipated his stock answer, which would be “Oh, because God and Nabi Muhammad is in my heart, Papa.” Mika’s words takes me back a couple of months ago when I bumped into Nun Tuck’s blog. The very first posting which I came across was one entitled “Saints are sinners who keep on trying.” Click here to read this wonderful article.

You can be a bona fide saint or you can be plain old saintly. You can try to be a saint if you want, but I know of no saint who actually wants to be a saint. It is a 24/7 job with parallel responsibilities running along the different dimensions and pseudo-worlds. On top of that, as a de jure Saint, you have to deal with the appalling manners and constant bleating of sinners like me...
.

10. Blue Mosque
Someone has given me
Sinan’s building plans,
Though I know not
How to even build up a sweat.

Someone has given me
The key to Baghdad’s library,
Though I lie easily,
So whatever is learnt is easily forgotten.

Someone has brought me
To the attention of a Master,
Though when I was in school,
I was indifferent.
……….

So why not be saintly, my friend? Just keep on trying and don't give up (on sinners like me).

Pax Taufiqa.

Footnote: ‘Blue Mosque’ is from Chapter 4, ‘The Eighteen Verses’. First picture is of Mika and his cousin, Aqil attending a thursday night God-remembering (Dzikr) function.

Practice makes the Perfect Swing, Revelation or Evolution, Hubris, God the All-Excuse, Planet Xylophone and Bill Maher

ACTUALLY, I think practice doesn’t make perfect. I believe that practice increases the chances of achieving moments of perfection. If you are a golfer, don't you wonder sometimes, “Whaoo… look at that ball go! But heck… How did I do that?" To this question I propose a solution, and here it goes…

PERFECTION is granted by God as His reward for all your hard work and dedication. Moving on from the perfect swing metaphor, who do you think suggested the perfect bridge in your musical composition, who do you think dropped the big hint about that algorithm in your perfect mathematical equation, who guided your gaze to the herb needed to make your soup just perfect, and who really made that perfect day you spent on the beach with your lover?

AND THE ANSWER IS ALLAH. Well, Yes and No. It doesn’t matter if you call it/him Jesus, Buddha, Ram, Fate, Happenstances or simply a Lucky Break. The fact is you are already cool in my books because you have recognized that really, perfection that is constant is unattainable, and that by practicing, we are only helping to increase our chance of hitting the jackpot. And that, my friends, is what we call humility (or at least ‘being realistic with your chances’).

REVELATION OR EVOLUTION? TO-MAY-TO OR TO-MAH-TO? The only difference is that people who believe in God believe that the brief moment of your perfect golf swing is just one glorious moment God is sharing with you from his Infinite Ocean of Glorious Moments. And really, He doesn’t have to share it with you, He doesn’t need to recognize your efforts, but He does anyway because simply, He loves you regardless of whether you call him Allah, Yehovah, Shiva, Crom, Fate, Chance or Spacegod from Planet Xylophone. Think about it.

The problem atheists have with God is really not because of God or religion, but how ‘believers’ end up using Him as THE validation for all their greed, bigotry, arrogance, violence, ignorance and apathy. The ‘believers’ have hijacked God to be not God the Almighty, but God the All-Excuse for their own stupidity and degeneracy.

So if you believe in God, then please… just try to be nice. Have some good manners to your neighbours… Follow your conscience, and don’t be goaded by your hubris that somehow, God made you better than the person sitting next to you in the bus. And ultimately, be patient and merciful. And not in that condescending way that ‘believers’ end up being sometimes. Be nice. And mean it.

STOP BEING SO CONDESCENDING. Whether we believe in God or not, whether we call God Christ, Allah, Yehovah, Ram, Ra or Spacegod, please stop being condescending or patronizing to one another. Stop saying ‘No, it’s not that I look down on you, I WAS ONCE LIKE YOU, but now that I have found Darwin / Jesus / Muhammad / Ra, I want to help you’ because really, such statement drips of hubris. Bill Maher, that ridiculous but painfully honest comedian/host atheist made me see this. So Bill, thank you.

And thank you too for dropping by, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.

God, the Permanence of Happiness and the Angel Artiya'il

My Lord is Ever Faithful with me

My happiness
Is permanent
And absolute,

My sadness
Is transient,
A temporary
Forgetfulness
Self-inflicted.
..................................

From current and untitled chapter

I seldom wake up feeling empty, but sadly, today was one of those mornings. Immediately, I wrote the poem above, as a reminder, but with a weakening conviction.

I should have had more faith. For not more than 1 hour after the poem was written, suddenly happiness came, my sadness diminished, and Artiya’il spoke and said that all is well again.

I could then hear the pealing of heaven’s bells, and gladness enveloped me in her gentle embrace.

What else the day holds for me I cannot foretell, but I am already happy. So here concludes my Sunday’s poetry and prophecy – That However Weak My Faith May Be, My Lord is Ever Faithful With Me.

Have a wonderful rest of the day, sunshine, you deserve it!

Pax Taufiqa.

PostScript: I wrote this posting earlier to the accompaniment of Journey's song, 'Faithfully'. Many will say its a just a song about a musicman and his girl. I say yes and no. Like all things beautiful, it is more than that. I love the song for what it speaks to me.