THE GOSSAMER WEB OF GOD ...and the great inner-verse of emptiness

Gossamer Web of God
The slightest nuance 
May break me,
Some thoughtless words 
May kill me,
A bad idea may despoil
And end my story,

I am spun in a loom,
I am made from the finest thread,
I am fatal as your burial shroud
And your wedding bed, 

I am a string of thoughts
Woven into a form,
Given meaning and a name;
I am a Gossamer Web
Of God,

I am you. 

I am only waiting for you 
To remember... 

...........

As you grow old, as the invincibility of your youth leaves you, as you take time to ponder, you will realise that we are so intangible. 

It is as if, God created us to fill an emptiness, but in doing so, we come to also feel the emptiness, and thus, although we have a form, we  continue to remain empty. 

And what fills the great emptiness that lay between our smallest sub-atomic particles that make up us? Nothing. A great inner-verse of emptiness. In that state lies the sirr (secret) of  dzikr, the remembrance of God Almighty - For as opposites attract, so we are naturally drawn towards the Reality and Truly Tangible, yearning for the Absolute and the Eternal, and that is Him the One and Only.

Help me remember, o' Prophet!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

LOVE ON STEROIDS - the non-linear nature of time in the kingdom of love

Who is Remembering Who?

If I had you near me now,

I would press my head

To your bosom,

I would stop thinking,

Stop worrying,

I would simply take in

With each soulful breath,

Your scent, your warmth,

And those words of assurance

That long have I waited to hear,

"Do not worry, I will always be here,

Just recall me and I will be near,

In fact, I would be there even before

Your first murmurs of melancholy for me

Strikes your despairing soul,

You must realise...

You are remembering me 

Because I am first

To remember

You."

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

Here, time is linear. When we are talking about our dearly departed who has passed on, we need to stop thinking in the normal way. For we are living in the material world that is linear - time moves on, we are born, we grow old then we die. 

Here, time ceases to be linear. But when we recall our beautiful mothers, our excellent fathers, our friends and kin who have all left us, we are trespassing into the spiritual world, though there is still breath in our bodies. And time is not linear at all here. It goes forward and backwards, it bounces about like a beach ball. It is like undisciplined electrons, whirling and turning according to our wilful purpose. 

You are dead. Don't you have anything better to do? So you see, I am thinking of my mother now, simply because she is thinking of me first. And I would say the same for my late brother, and all my many aunties and uncles, friends and cousins. So now you may be wondering about your late mum/dad/sis/bff - "You are all thinking of me, remembering me... surely there is something more beneficial for you to do in the Hereafter..."

Death is Love on Steroids. Well, the truth is simple and undeniable (well...  you can deny it if you want to be a spoilsport / a partypooper, he he he). The doorway of death does not extinguish love. Actually it augments love. It is love on steroids. And this world, this material world is literally pulsating with the hidden lines that love is drawing across our lives - making our days and nights better, richer and more meaningful.

Such things you may find in thinking of your God and your Prophet (saws). Whether you are contemplating alone or in the presence of your betters. For when it comes to love's power and the truth it represents... is there any comparison to Allah (swt) and His Love for Muhammad Habibullah (saws)?

So, if there is a soul you are longing to meet again, to hear from... he/she is there in the Divine Presence, waiting for you. And his/her longing for you precedes your longing for him/her. 

Love on Steroids. Like I said.

He he he.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

-Notrumi Embun, 17th June 2014

Hate has no place in Islam

Love all show the Way 

GOD'S DZIKR (REMEMBRANCE) OF YOU ... in a moment split into infinite moments

God's Dzikr (Remembrance)

I am such an irritant,

But God is listening,

I complain and complain and complain,

But God is listening,

I am such a sinner,

But God is forgiving,

I am lost to myself,

Lost to the crowd,

Lost to the world,

But God is listening,

He does, all the time.

Even when I am forgetting,

God... He is remembering...

Remembering me in a beautiful place,

Remembering me in the best of ways,

Oh how they measure their remembrances of Him!

When His remembrance of us is more constant,

More infinite, more subtle and more certain

Moment after moment after blessed moment!

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

If we forget Him, nothing happens to God. We cannot touch His Omnipotence and Greatness which is greater than the greatest analogy our feeble mind can bring.

If we forget to praise Him, God is not dishonoured. His Glory is outside this reality and is furnished and burnished by something beyond our mortal inkling. 

If we forget to be grateful, God does not stop giving. He is beyond our petty need for gratitude and praise. How else do the ingrates sometimes live in large houses and the grateful dervish is destined for the gutter?

But if God forgets us? If God grows weary of us... tired of our constant forwards and backwards. Fed-up with our hypocrisy, lies and corruption? 

If God neglects even for a nano-second of His remembrance of us... where would we be? Certainly we would presently stop existing. But what past would we have? Would we be erased even before we were created? No history of me. Not even to mourn over my unfortunate story?

How sad.

But for the sake of the Prophet Muhammad(saws)...

Thankfully, God is God. Unlike any other, He is Most Compassionate. 
Unlike any other, He is Most Merciful. 
Only that reason merits why this sinner continues to exist. 
Continues to trouble your heart with these words.

But perhaps, I hope what is written here will give you 
Some solace, and some comfort. 
An assurance that when God says 
He is Unique and Most Forgiving of His creation... 
He is merely sharing the Truth of Himself with you...

Don't you agree, sunshine?

wa min Allah at-taufiq

-Notrumi Embun, 13th June 2014

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE HOUSE OF A FRIEND IN JANDA BAIK... and the Reality that you choose, and that has chosen you

"It is so green here, Papa."

After 2 weeks of no-holiday-holiday (according to Mikhail), we finally managed to break the grip of endless tuitions (for him) and work (for myself) to escape the city and make our way up to Janda Baik, that idyllic little village nesting in the hills outside Kuala Lumpur.

Nothing to do but lie in bed with the laptop. But to be honest we just spent a short time
in the room before heading out to explore the resort.

There is a small balcony fronting the lake which is actually pool-sized. But the fishes
make a happy company, coming under the balcony hoping to be fed whenever you
venture out. Can they see us from down there, or do they have another sense
that alerts them to the presence of an obliging human?

The flowers are in full bloom up here in Janda Baik.
This giant yellomindus blimeyidontknowthenamus
is at least 3 inches long from stem to petal.

We headed to a nearby house of a Friend. Another friend is caretaker but he was not
at home. Mikhail tried to make friends with the many(many) cats of the house. But
he observed, "These village cats are different. They are not so friendly." 

We got lost looking for the family retreat of another friend, Sheik Feisal Bajrai. With
almost zero network in some parts of the village, it was difficult going. But next morning
we woke up early and found the house. The gate was shut, but Mika opened it and we happily
trespassed in. I walked around the back and found Feisal's mum and dad and a Singaporean
relative having early coffee. Uncle Bajrai invited us in, and they fed us fried rice.
This is what you call Hadramaut hospitality. He he he.

We brought our bow and arrows, so after breakfast we set for some serious play at archery.
For almost 2 hours, I reckoned, we shot arrows, together with Feisal's relations from
Temasek. Balqies, his daughter also joined in the fray. I am happy to say that the new
45 pounder bow excelled! Feisal showed me his 60 pounder whose strings I could
barely budge. What a beautiful morning in their 1.4 acre estate... lovely.

After the easy archery exercise, we bade our gratitude and farewell to the Bajrais
before heading back to the House of a Friend. And again, we missed our custodian
friend, Tutak. But we did not mind much. We sat around under the ancient house and
Mikhail made friends successfully this time with his cats. Nothing better than a little
bribe to seal a friendship, I always believe. He he he.

It seemed a sin not to stop by the streams that run through the village.
So on the way back we took a break by a nice bend of river and Mikhail played
in the shallows. Unfortunately the shorts he wore was not meant for such
aquatic fun and kept dropping down. He was mooning everyone there. And I
was constantly shouting to him without any effect, "Pull your pants up, Mika!!"

Well, that's my short record of our road trip, sunshine. My final observation is the many, many sightings of moths, butterflies and dragonflies through out the trip. They were everywhere, hovering and buzzing about, their wings flapping energetically in the breeze. With each flap of their wing, a dzikr (remembrance) of Allah's (swt) name can be heard, but even more, can be seen. You just need a little of that God-given imagination of yours to realise the manifestation of love that is welling up in your heart. And of course, if you have asked God for your firstborn to be a tasbih (rosary) to ever remind you of Him and His Beloved Muhammad (saws), it is no mere imagination. 

It is the Reality you choose, and the Reality that has chosen you.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

-Notrumi Embun, 12th June 2014

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE DERVISH IN THE FLOWER POT... and his Lord of beguiling beauty and riddles

The Dervish in the Flower Pot

I found him entangled among the branches and leaves,

The little dervish caught in a flower pot,

 Upon his head rested a yellow turban,

Upon his lips rested praises of God,

And teardrops glistened like jewels

On his flowing robe of white.

The mark in remembrance 

of the Prophet and His Lord.

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

No Mundane Day. I saw this flower at a florist right next to the mini market where I normally buy groceries. It is some atonement for my sins that I notice such things. I do not know why, but it gladdens my heart. Giving a beautiful gloss over my otherwise mundane day.

We all have our work to do. Our  daily schedule of chores, appointments and datelines. But I think, if we step over the threshold of our house into a brand new day, there is always some divine garnish that awaits us out there in the world. And often it is in the most unlikely and surprising of places and times. 

"If you look for good, you will find God. And if you look for God, you will find Good.", so an old friend of mine says. But sometimes, you may be looking for neither, distracted as you are by the imposing realities of being mortal and very much human, with all our faults and forgetfulness. 

God does not forget. So I guess it is our blessing to be made by a Maker Most Loving of His creatures that He does not wait for us to turn to Him. He will intervene, as He does... daily, to remind us of Him. Through beguiling beauty, riddles and nuances which is all His own. Drawing us to Him like a cat to milk. Like a mureed to the mursheed.

"...meow... meow..."

Have a lovely day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way 

THE SPARROW-ALHAMDULILLAH! - Friday the Blessed, the Sabbath for contemplation

It was Friday the Blessed yesterday, and you would find a sinner loitering outside the Mosque, finishing his cigarette before making his way in, a sinner amongst the pious, into the Mosque for ablutions and prayers.  

A Young Man Without Any Arms. Cars were parking illegally all over the place, as like on all Fridays, ordinary traffic regulations are not enforced so long as you do not actually block a road. A space opened by the pavement right in front of me and a small car slipped in. A Chinese lady came out of the driver seat and I was thinking to myself, "Huh, even the Chinese take advantage of Friday!" when suddenly from the front passenger seat, out jumped a young man and I literally jumped out of my skin, because he had no arms at all. He walked pass me with a spring in his step, as I continued to stare at him. He looked well-pleased with himself and I wanted to smile at him. He noticed me watching and we smiled at each other shyly. Dammit. He looked happy. He looked contented. How could he be, when he didn't have any arms?

So I knew, you see... that this Friday, the last Friday of the Holy Month of Sya'ban would be an extraordinarily good Friday.

The sparrow-Alhamdulillah

Alhamdulillah... Praise be unto God,

Alhamdulillah... Praise be unto God,

Alhamdulillah... Praise be unto God,

I recited, my voice spoke, my heart ignited,

Alhamdulillah... my soul sang and sent

All my Alhamdulillah to the spirits of the dearly departed,

To my Beloved Prophet and His beloved Family,

To His Companions and His Saints, alive and living,

Alhamdulillah... my spirit sang and sent

All my Alhamdulillah like a flock of sparrows in their thousands

Flying towards the beloved faces of my mother and father,

Towards my brothers, my uncles and aunties and all my cousins,

To all my nieces and nephews and all my friends and their children,

And as the flock arrived, they descended toward my beloveds,

And they begin to whirl round and round my beloveds,

The flock of sparrow-Alhamdulillah continued to encircle them,

A circumambulation of love around my beloveds,

Until a desire sparked in me and I found that I myself

Have become one of my own sparrow-Alhamdulillah,

...I could feel the wind rushing over my feathered wings

As I flew with scriptural speed around these familiar faces...
Whirling and spiraling like blue lightning,

...Oh mother! Oh father! Oh brothers! Oh my loves!

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

Have a wonderful Sabbath, sunshine. Keep your light on, remember Allah (s.w.t.) always and devote your life and love to His Beloved Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), His Anointed Mercy to all the Worlds.

From the strangest places and avenues do mercy come, and yesterday it began with a disarming smile from a young man with no arms. May Allah bless him always... for the journey ended in the flight of the sparrow-Alhamdulillah!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way 

REASON BEHIND RELIGION & SAYYIDINA AYNUN NA'IM (s.a.w.s.) - the vocabulary of love, knowledge and good manners, and the hidden secularism of wahhabism

Poorer Richer

It is Sunday,

And I am poorer by one day,

For another day of my life has passed,

But I am also richer by one day,

For it is another day less of waiting 

For my fated reunion...

That long-anticipated meeting,

That long-yearned homecoming,

That long-sought peace and contentment,

For this world and this life,

This magnificent tapestry of colours, textures and tastes,

We live and breath God's creation and recreation,

But one day, we shall all run the last lap of this race,

So let no moment go to waste!

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

Don't waste. Every time we are sad, angry, despondent, bitter, envious, despairing or mournful... that is a moment wasted. Every time we are torn or overthrown by some negativity, that is a moment lost. Every time we feel hopeless, that there is no cure to our sorrow, that is another moment lost. In this way, I fear that I have lost many moments in my life. Perhaps years...

Trinity of SDS. I find it strange that educated Muslims often seek happiness, balance and contentment through meditation, travel, exploration and holidays, when the best form of meditation is the SDS... solat (prayers), dzikr (remembrance of Allah s.w.t.) and salawat (praise and veneration of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.s.). The best travel is living your life to the fullest in contemplation of God's wonderous creation which we call our home, the best exploration is tassawuf (contemplation and learning of yourself to learn of God) and the best holiday possible is the haj and the umrah, the pilgrimage and minor pilgrimage beholden and privileged upon all Muslims.

Fountain of Goodness. Muslims often talk of love, beauty, restful contemplation, reflection and intimacy, but all too often their approach is that there is one form of pleasure for the temporal world, and another form of pleasure for the spiritual world. Indeed, this is true but it is also true that pleasure is still pleasure. Knowledge is knowledge, Love is Love and Beauty is Beauty, and whether worldly or spiritual, all such Goodness comes ultimately from the Fountain of Goodness, that is Allah (s.w.t.).

Many Muslims are not to be blamed though. Because they have often been educated and brought up in a Wahhabi-influenced education syllabus and political system, which is in truth a very secular-centric approach to religion -thus to many Muslims, Islam appears to be rigid, dogmatic, illiberal, extreme and just so pack full of rules and strict regulations. Where is the pleasure there? Where is the restfulness there?

Syariat. When some Muslims think of Islam, do they think Islam  is a chore, a pain, a necessary difficulty, a mandatory requirement that they must go through in this life? That the Syaria (Muslim Law) is some difficult burden imposed upon the Muslims by God? But isn't Islam supposed to be the ultimate flowering of Man's regency on this Earth in the name of the King of Humanity that is Allah (s.w.t.)? That eternally sought-for dream, that ancient human quest for happiness, knowledge and good manners? The preservation of the beauty and natural balance of this world, and the entrusting of authority to those who would care for the weak, the poor and the oppressed? The Syaria is not the placing of burden, but its relief, it is not the imposing of difficulties, but the removal of difficulties. Together with the tenets of the Tariqat, Haqiqat and Maqrifat, the Syaria is and has always been the best path.

The Vocabulary of Love. God's own favourite names are ar-Rahman (Most Compassionate) and ar-Rahim (Most Merciful). And there is no flower ever created in the garden of creation, more beautiful, more resonant in its perfume and more yielding in its stewardship of Man than the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) -  Muslims like to say that God is Good, and the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) is Good. But often, they do not comprehend what they are saying and end up spouting sound bites. But in Islam there are no sound bites, artificial protocols or party political broadcasts. There is however the Vocabulary of Love, Ilmu and Adab (Knowledge and good manners), and that is something Muslims must attend to, lest they forget the reason behind their religion.

So today is as good a day to learn the Vocabulary. And one of my firm favourite is learning the beautiful names of the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) Here is one, ...Sayyidina Aynun Na'im s.a.w.s. Meaning 'The Spring of Bliss'. 

Have a blissful Sunday, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Sea of Golden Memories - the infinite blessings of remembering

Set sail upon the Sea of Golden Memories, the path of love ordained
by God Himself for your past, your present and your future.

The Blessing of Remembering

Blessed is he that remembers...

Remembers his past, his parents and ancestors,

Remembers his future, his children and lineage,

Remembers such memories before the memories are made,

Remembering that God knows the beginning and the ending,

And that God has planned it all for him 

In His perfect planning,

Blessed is he that remembers...

Remembers his prophet and his living history,

Remembers his place in the Nation of the Nabee,

Remembers the love promised by God Almighty,

Who has forbidden upon Himself to forget nor be unjust,

Golden memories to remember forever,

Never to rot nor turn to rust.

Blessed is he that remembers...

That in remembrance of both past and future,

He dons the garb of the servant,

That he may address this very moment, this present,

As both the servant, and the master.

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

I am quite forgetful. Sometimes unintentionally, and at other times, there is undoubtedly a hint of pre-meditated forgetfulness - My road tax has expired? Gee... I must have not realised it. I didn't file in my taxes? Honestly, I am such a dodo head!

And let us be honest here, it is not merely these worldly matters that I am forgetful of. In my remembrance of God, I can also be very forgetful. Neglecting the golden memories, distracted by this world, and above all, distracted by the God-awful noise my ego often makes in the hall of my consciousness. So my chances of being a good servant (let us not even attempt to calculate the possibility of being a master) is quite small. Insignificantly small. It would take some form of miracle to get me out of my Hole of Forgetfulness.

Remembering can be beautiful,
inspiring and a pleasure
indescribable in
words. 

Happily, I am assured by two truths - Firstly, that God made us to be forgetful, clumsy and often neglectful, that we may, in times of realisation of our utter helplessness, turn to Him for forgiveness. For God Himself has said that He made us to forget and to sin, that we may turn to Him seeking mercy, that His attributes of ar-Rahman (the Most Compassionate One) and ar-Rahim (the Most Forgiving One) is exalted in this world.

Secondly, the form of miracle blessed unto humanity (and all the world(s)) in this End of Time has indeed appeared in the form of Muhammad Habibullah (s.a.w.) - the Guiding Lantern for all creation, held by the Hand of God Himself, shining the straight and safe path for us to follow. Lo, how beautiful does the Nur of Muhammad (Light of Muhammad) shines. To light the darkest corner of our vanity, to dispel the blackest mist of our hubris - to bring Truth which is Beauty by any other name, into our hearts - that being Allah s.w.t.

Dzikrullah. As for this old sinner, where am I in this fascinating spiritual station of dzikrullah (Remembrance of God)? I am afraid that I am at a mean low stage - somewhere in the state of trying to remember that I should try to remember these Golden Memories.

But thankfully, God is Most Forgiving of his weakest of servants!

Don't you agree, sunshine?

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Missing you, remembering you - under a sky rent asunder by the light of love

Missing you, Remember you

When I cry,

It is not me alone crying,

But the Earth, the Sky and the Moon,

Missing you.

When I remember you,

It is not me alone remembering,

But the Earth, the Sky and the Moon,

Remembering you.

When I collect beautiful memories,

It is in reality Truth that I collect,

And the most beautiful memory

That I possess is you.

Love, what be the reasons

For our separation?

Save that I might yearn for you.

And from a distance 

That I might remember you.

Knowing that

You would never forsake me.

No matter how far my sins or piety may take me. 

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

It is May Day today, a public holiday celebrating the contribution of workers the world over. I reckon that most workers are taking the opportunity to sleep in this morning. But for me my real passion continues - remembering and writing - Taking ink from the velvet blue sky, rent asunder by the light of love that touches the nib of my pen.

Have a lovely holiday, sunshine. And remember me in your prayers please, for the sake of Him that we adore above all else.  

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way 

Who am I? Hu is He? - lighting our way with remembrance... Allah Allah Allah...

Who am I? Hu is He?

When I am in the dark,

When all life appears black,

And there is no light to be seen,

I simply remember...

Who I am,

And Hu He is...

"Oh Lord, you are my Lord!

And I, your tired, helpless servant!"

And just like that a light appears,

First as a tiny flicker, then a white flame

Before bursting into a mighty blazing light,

A living light, a governing light!

Banishing away all my sadness,

All my fears and all my despair...

As my soul voices a whimper,

A whisper of gratitude...

"Oh Lord, I knew You would always care..."

('Hu' is used in Arabic, to mean 'He', signifying the only He in Absolute Existence, being God Almighty)

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

Yesterday I was unwell and kept to my bed, and today I am still a little weak. But the worst appears over, and things are looking up. I will not lie to you, sunshine, and say that my mind and emotion was unaffected. Seized in some moments, words tumble from my lips, Why... why, God... why?"

But then I remember Him, and that I am addressing Him. And that happenstances of 'good' and 'bad' fortunes are but labels we put to events that God has fated for us. So I say, "Alhamdulillah (praise to God), it could have been far, far worse. Thank You, God."

And to top it off, my ugly bout of eczema on my hands and feet seems to have faded away with a little gel cream I purchased from my neighbourhood pharmacy. And of course, I have passed through yet another chapter in my life with God, so when all things are considered, is there any other words I can express but Thank You to You, Allah(s.w.t.) and to Your Rasul, Muhammad Habibullah(s.a.w.s.)?

And thank you to you also, sunshine. For sharing a little corner of your thoughts with me today.

Even the longest storm has an end... 

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE ADAB OF THE NIGHTINGALE & THE MUREED - The Prince Part 28

The Adab of the Nightingale and the Mureed

One night I saw a nightingale and a mureed take flight,

The nightingale flew with a pair of dull-feathered wing,

But the mureed flew with the wings of knowledge and love,

But the flying itself? The flapping of the wings 

And catching the draft and the wind?

That was the adab of the nightingale and the mureed!

And though neither disclosed this secret to me

In song or sermon,

Their flying adab was eloquent in its confession.

This I witnessed that night, 

In the flight of the nightingale and the mureed

To Hu knows where across His Mercy Ocean...

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

al Fatiha...

One year ago today, almarhum Shaykh Raja Ashman Shah ibni Sultan Azlan Shah (q.s.) passed on from the cage of this physical world. This afternoon I myself passed my Sabbath at Istana Iskandariah in the royal town of Kuala Kangsar, Perak for Shaykh Raja's tahlil (prayers for the deceased) and mawlud (remembrance and praise for God (s.w.t.) and His Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.s.). Having never been there before, it was an eye-opener for me.

Across a blue sea of turbans, I watched as the mureeds (students) sang praise of the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) in loving dedication and memory for their beloved Shaykh Raja. For these fine fellows (and gals) the anniversary of their Shaykh's passing is not just a time of remembrance, but also celebration. And they did it wonderfully under the presence of Shaykh Bahauddin Adil, who flew in from Cyprus to grace this occasion for his spiritual brother...

This was how I have been spending my Sabbath. How was yours, sunshine? I pray it was good too!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE LORD'S DZIKR - our remembrance of God and His Perfect Remembrance of us...

Remember Me - Dzikr, that is both the art and spiritual science of the remembrance of God through His Divine Names and Attributes (of which commonly known are ninety-nine in number) is not just about remembering God.

Remember you - It is also about remembering you yourself, for only through the divine reverberation of His names may you know yourself better, of who you are, where you came from, and the purpose of your creation. Following this, you will also learn the art of living happily and contentedly, with patience, love, mercy and kindness.

Perhaps the change is not overnight. For cure of our worldly malady (and all maladies are worldly) is a natural and organic process. It is the unfolding of a leaf, the rising of a sun, the slow cautious blooming of a rose in the garden of divine pleasure.

But I remember best - Evidence of God's manifest love and mercy for us surrounds us like the air we breath. Dzikr helps us lift the veil of our spiritual blindness - our mad coveting for worldly and material pleasure. Until a time may come when a gentle breeze, a little flower by the roadside waving in it, the falling of leaves, the singing of birds in the trees, the rich taste of tea that we drink, the kindly smile of an elderly man, the pressing assurance of our lover's hand, or sometimes, a simple silence... everything that we see, smell, hear and touch.. everything manifests as a great joy for us - living in certainty that we are ever in the embrace and remembrance of God, for His dzikr is perfect, and ever-compelling...

Have a perfect Friday, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way  

GANG RELATED DRIVE-BY HU-ING

"Watch out! It's the Habibi St Crew!
Grab your tasbihs (rosaries)!!"

Nothing kills a joke like explaining it. So I won't commit humouricide so early this morning. If you get it, you get it. If you don't, don't worry. Be happy. 

I haven't sketched for ages. This toon was conceived when I recall that I used to come by a Sufi zawiya (small mosque) and park outside, listened and participated in their dzikr (remembrance of God by recitation of His names and divine attributes) while still in my car (Can I be more lazy?). Then I imagine a gang of Sufis hitting their opposing crew on the other side of town with recitations of dzikr, shooting love instead of bullets out of their hearts instead of an Uzi. You know... gang-related drive-by Hu-ing.

Have a beautiful Monday, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

A Ship of Salawat on the Sea of Dzikr - thoughts and musings under the emerald eaves...

Strange thoughts may come to you, walking under the emerald eaves...

I went walking yesterday afternoon. In between preparing a due diligence report for a solicitor friend and a billion Euro deal, I sneaked out for a walk. Don't worry about the billion Euro thingy, for it is my experience that the bigger the value of a contract, the lesser the likelihood that it will actually succeed. But you never know, I guess.

It is important to walk away sometimes. Even for only 30 minutes. Away from the laptop, the phone calls, the sms-es and the WhatsApp. Away from the newspapers, away from the office. As I strolled under the emerald eaves of the park, I would listen to my Ipod. Although I sing terribly, I love songs. And in the Ipod is a playlist of songs I named 'The Red Rose'. It is a compilation of rock love ballads, pop love songs, folksy music and mawlud songs venerating and praising the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). Of course, perhaps the songwriters never originally intended the songs to speak of the love of Muhammad and God, but I have an ear for such things. He he he.

Salawat for the Prophet (giving worthy greetings and calling upon blessings of God for the Prophet), which is the fundamental basis of mawlud songs, is important to Muslims. It is the necessary accompaniment to the Dzikr (remembrance of God). It is like a ship traversing calmly across a sea. It is like a stroll in a park, when all animate and inanimate things just feels good.

I soon finished my walk and returned, alas too soon, to the mundane stuff of billion Euro deals.

Have a lovely day, sunshine. A billion Euro here or there means nothings if you are not happy. So look for happiness.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

So Much to Smile for - even in our sleep...

101. The Wasteland

In the wasteland of thy material afflictions

In thy overflowing cup of blame and sorrow

In thy rapture of all things hollow

Know this if you must know one thing

That it is never too late

To turn love from hate

To save joy from misery

To pry thyself free

Of false gods and false liberties.

And that,

As a man

Or as a woman

His Beautiful Face

His Merciful Gaze

His Enduring Embrace

Awaits thee,

Wherever thy gaze may turn.

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

Dzikr. The dzikr (remembrance of God) is often explained to be the verbal or silent recitation of God's Divine Names. But like all things of this world, the form hides the essence, and the calm surface of the ocean hides the many fathoms of hidden meaning, mercy and beauty that is God by any other name. The world becomes to the seeker a Yellow Pages of God, an almanac, a dictionary, a thesaurus, a bibliography, an index by which humanity may seek and take assurance and pleasure in knowing the Source of Knowledge, the He who Is Known Absolutely only to Himself, our one God, Lord of humanity and all creation. 

The best way. I am a sinner, so normally I do not out of my own volition do the dizkr. I am not impelled by any discipline required as a Muslim, nor am I freely remembering God for nothing. I give something for what is given to me. So it is God in all His unaccountable Richness that has spread His Wealth of love, affection, knowledge, humour and beauty into our lives that make us impelled to recall His many names and virtues. Not for me is the tribulation of Saints and Prophets... I am always looking for the easiest way, the straightest path and the smoothest road. And on top of this litany of wants, I also want a beautiful view, gentle and smart travel-companions, and little rest stops where I can lean back and chill before continuing on the journey towards the Divine Presence.

We may not get what we wish for, but this hopeful thought is enough to keep us smiling most of the time. Even in my sleep, when my eyes are closed to this world and I fall into a dream state under the shadows of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), His Companions (r.a.) and the Saints of the End of Time, there is still so much to smile for...

Have a lovely day, sunshine. The sun is shining on our faces.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way