PINCHED AND SO CLOSE... and yet so far

All Pinched

The love of the Prophet is a garden in my heart. 

And it is so beautiful, so wondrous that at times 

I pinch myself that it is indeed here at all. 

By Allah the Generous, 

That is why you find me in this state... 

So bruised by so many pinching. 

So Close Yet So Far

I take these words and passing thoughts of you to present to you, o' Beloved,

But they are never enough. for I see and can barely comprehend 

Your beauty and magnificent mercy, 

Only for Allah to raise your noble station higher and more honoured. 

Yet you say you care for my soul far better than I myself?... 

By Allah the Tender, 

That makes me feel so close to you

And yet so far from you.

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

The worth of man or a woman is measured by how close he or she brings us nearer to you, o' Prophet, O' Most Beautiful Rose in Allah's Secret Garden of Roses, ya Muhammad the Veiled Moon shining upon the forest of incoherent reflection of your blessed eminence and light... so guide the guide to us, and leave us not to our own caprice!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Notrumi Embun, 7th September 2014

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

FROM MORTAL TO IMMORTAL REALITY - the complete soul, the bridge and Adam's exile

I Have Come

I have come to lay to rest the lie,

I have come to bury the deception,

That there is any truth to you or I,

Nor any weight to this creation,

I have come to fish out pearls of heaven,

Deep in this infinite Mercy Ocean,

Trawling for signs of the Unique One,

More secret than a love potion,

More apparent than the rising Sun,

I have come bearing missives from heaven,

To you, to me, to anyone who would listen,

To remind us all of our final destination,

And why, in truth, 

Perhaps we have

Never left His 

Presence?

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

The Complete Soul. It is good to recall an interesting Hadith (oral tradition) of the Prophet Muhammad (saws), when he said words to the effect that... "When I die, I shall ask God to return to me my complete soul." It is also good to recall that learned scholars have acknowledged this important message, that the soul we hold directly in our earthly experience in our body that we wear, is not our complete soul. Only a smattering of rays of the light of our soul animates our mortal vessel. Substantially, we still remain in His Presence, no doubt besotted by God the all-Besotting One! No doubt so utterly captivated and devoted to God the all-Attractive One, the all-Captivating One, the all-Beautiful One and the One Whom we cannot bear to be separated from.

Adam's Exile. Of course, all this high-fallutin' transcendental reflection does not mean that we should all simply let waste our life here and wait to die and rejoin God and our complete soul. For we are still experiencing our journey through the hardship and happiness of this world, the sweet and sour fruit of Adam (as)'s exile. Reflection upon our immortal spirit, its connection to God Almighty, and the spiritual bridge between us and Allah (swt) that is the Prophet Muhammad (saws) makes this life all too precious to ignore. 

The Song of the Habibullah. So let us tread the earth of this world firmly and with great resolution. But let us be guided by the moral and spiritual compass that Allah the all-Loving has left in all of us... our heart and conscience. And in our heart, have no doubt that there is no music more enlightening, no song more true than the words and wisdom of God's own mercy to all the worlds, our beloved Nabi Muhammad Habibullah (saws).

Have a lovely Friday, sunshine...

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

IGNORANCE IS BAD, BUT AWARENESS OF IGNORANCE IS SOMETHING ELSE - The Ramadan Story, Part 11

Pleasing to Thee

Make me pleasing to Thee,

Make my thoughts inviting to Thee,

Make my words speak of Thee,

Awake, asleep or drifting in a dream!

Make me pleasing to Thee,

Make my gestures thoughtful of Thee,

Make my longing only for Thee,

Make me regret each moment

I am away from Thee! 

Make me pleasing to Thee,

Make my heart Thy abode,

Make my eyes Thy lantern,

Make me Thy grateful servant!

Make me pleasing to Thee,

Make my smiles Thy laughter,

Make my solitude Thy intimacy

And a secret consummation

My tears, the river

Streaming through the heaven

Of Thy Divine Presence!

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

Love. When people read love prose, they assume that the poet is 'there', and they say, "Oh, how I wish I am there too."

Ignorance is bad. But Awareness of Ignorance is Something Else. But true love is neither here nor there. It is not confined to time or space. And that is why the very best lovers of this world love the Infinite and Beyond the Infinite. They are loved and fall in love with Knowledge and what is beyond Knowledge. It would be madness for our reason had not Allah (s.w.t.) assure us that beyond understanding is Adab (good manners and courtesy). Adab for the Guider and the guided. Adab for the Best Guide, who is none other than Muhammad Sayyidina Alamul Huda s.a.w.s. (Flag of Guidance) and for his beloved Nation, those who are forever seeking his guidance. But this 'forever seeking' also means a certain degree of ignorance. After all, if you know what you are doing, where is the faith in that? Where is the love? What would you seek?

The Knowledge of Ignorance. This is the knowledge of one's ignorance, and an important step towards abasing our ego and hubris of 'knowing stuff' and 'knowing it all'. In truth, we hardly even know 'knowing' at all. Such is our dire state and need for Allah (s.w.t.) and His Habibullah (s.a.w.s.).

Half-Life at 43. We do not want to die. But we do not want to live a half-life. A life bereft of God Almighty and His Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.). And as I countdown my 43rd year today, I hope to let go and let God in. Pray for me, sunshine? For by God, I am in need of your kind thoughts and wishes always...

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE LEARNING WITHOUT ENDING - a simple reflection for a simpleton

May Allah Honour Him and Grant Him Peace. They asked the old man, "Why do you say 'sallallahu alayhi wasalam' after you write or say 'Muhammad'? To which his answer was, "I used to wonder the same. But no more. For now I am glad to say 'Muhammad' because it gives me the opportunity to follow thereafter with 'sallalahu alayhi wasalam'. 

"And what made you wonder no more?", they pressed him further. 

He replied, "Since I have come to understand that the love Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) has for us is manifested in every likeness, every fondness, every happy familiarity, every touching moment, every love, every intimacy, every pleasure, every relief, every discovery, every contentment, every cure, every success, every knowledge, every wisdom, every beautiful feeling, every enlightened thought, every epiphany, every inspiration, every beauty, every acts of mercy and kindness, every generosity, every thoughtfulness, every spark of empathy, every inventiveness, every solution, every answer, every acts of courage, virtue and chivalry, every embrace, every greeting, every friendly moment, every association, every reunion, every healing of discord and enmity that we have ever experienced... and that every joy that has ever passed through this world comes through Muhammad's (s.a.w.s.), because he intercedes on behalf of all of us before Allah (s.w.t.) Himself. For God Almighty has made Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) of the most exalted nature."

"And how come you to understand this?"

The man smiled and said, "How can I not? Each day, and each moment within each day, this world declares and bears witness to this. I was taught to silence the noise of my ego, and to learn instead to watch, observe, listen and obey. And so I have gained some belief. But do you know what is the best thing of all?"

"No, tell us." They asked.

"I am still leaning."

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

Good morning, sunshine. Don't worry wherever you may be and however low you think your learning is. That you are searching is already very good indeed. Leave your guidance to the One Who Guides. There is no end in this journey, and there is no end in what your Lord can teach you. And foremost is perhaps this, that the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) is no optional extra to the faith of Islam...

for Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) is the Messenger, and the Embodiment of the Message. 

Have a wonderful Sabbath.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Just Like Old Times - of friendship, chance meeting and the shedding of bitterness

My Old Friend

I met him, 

I saw him last night,

And we exchange pleasantries,

I saw him last night,

And I thought him beautiful

As the first time we met,

All my bitterness,

All my sadness,

All my sorrow fell away

Like leaves on a beautiful autumn day,

We spoke for a while only,

But it was enough for me,

He was my friend, you see.

And the funny thing was last night... 

My heart unconditionally confirmed, 

"You fool, Taufiq. He still is!"

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

I was outside the banquet hall at a wedding. It was there that I chance into my old friend, just minding his cigarette under a bleak evening rain. He was also invited to the wedding because he is a cousin to the bride.

I anticipated this meeting, but not the outcome. For you see, he had some harsh words that he once wrote me, and I was hurt. And for the longest time, I kept my sadness and, I must admit it here, my bitterness. Like a troll sulking in the cave, I nursed my pain and bitterness like a burning itch. But after a while, even this troll grew tired of being separated from his friend. Yet even then, I did not look for my friend, and indeed, in a couple of occasions when I saw him in a social function, I slipped away. Still a troll, I guess.

So it was a relief for me, that when I bumped into him last night, with no chance of evading an encounter, my heart delighted in seeing his smiling face, shedding in an instance, two years of hurt, regret and sorrow. I was happy because I did not even have to think about it, I was simply glad to finally talk to him. And being reminded once again in his kind words and thoughtful remarks, why he is my friend.

It was just like old times. I count this as a win for the Prophet, and glory unto God, Friend of the Friends, and Best Fixer-Upper of Petty Squabbles. 

Amongst Friends... and Shaykh Raja. Sometime in 2006, I reckon.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way 

Seeing Through the Nothingness of Self - the garden, the stage and the Stage Master, Muhammad Habibullah (s.a.w.s.)

Black or White, Tiger or Mousedeer?

If you are the black

Will I be the white?

If you are tiger

Shall I be the mousedeer?

If you are the hunter

Will I be your prey?

If you will be the Moon at night

Shall I be the Sun at daybreak?

If you are the shore

Will I be the sea?

If you are the accused

Shall I be the jury?

If you are struck blind

Would you still see me?

If you will be the Pharaoh

Shall I be Moses and Aaron?

If you are the Queen of Hearts

Can I be your knight errant?

If you will be the damsel in distress

Shall I be the gunslinger?

If you will be right

Will I be wrong?

We can be this, that and the other,

So long as we remember, my love...

To whom we all belong. 

People walk by,

Passing us unknowing

Of the universe we create

And the roles we play

In our mould of clay.

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

al-marhum Shaykh Raja Ashman Shah
ibni Sultan Azlan Shah ('coach')

Dear God, I need Thy love, sweet and beautiful as it is, and however Thou may imagine in Thy infinite imagination. I have found myself, and I saw nothing there. Then I saw through the nothingness to see Thy perfect order and subtle ministration of this beautiful, beautiful world Thou has created for us, us poor weak servants - too playful and foolish, naughty little children let loose in Thy Garden of Paradise called Earth. Protect us from the accursed one who ever seeks to lead us astray. Help us, o' Lord of the Garden!

Dear God, in whatever role I may play with my opposite, in whatever mask I wear, in whatever masquerade party I am invited to, let me be Thy answer to the eternal questions of Mankind - who am I? why was I created? Where did I come from and to whom shall I return to?

Dear God, I can play the bad part. I can play the good part. Guide me always to the good part. Send me the script, send me the director, send me my acting coach, send me my agent and only true Master... bring me unto the guiding light of Thy Prophet Muhammad Habibullah (s.a.w.s.), Thy Own Beloved, and anointed mercy to all actors upon this stage that we call the world.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

With the right coach, you will feel like you are walking on air...

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

He Let His Adab Do The Talking - The Prince Part 24

Make Use of Me

I have no use for my mind
If it is not used
To contemplate you,
O' Muhammad,

I have no use for my hands
If it is not used
To praise Whom you praise,
To help whom you help,
And to protect
Whom you protect,

I have no use for my eyes
If I cannot see as you see,
No use for my ears
If I cannot hear as you hear,
No use for my feet
If they are not running to
Where you are now,

I have no use for my heart
If it is empty of you,
o' Muhammad...

O' Prophet of God,
For the longest time
I have been useless...
Useless to my family,
Useless to my friends,
Useless even to myself,

O' Beloved of God,
I implore you
To make use
Of me
For I have been
Pretty useless
At making use
Of what God
Has granted
Me.
......................

al fatiha

Someone gave me a short audio recording of a rare sohbet (sermon) given by the late al-Marhum Shaykh Raja Ashman Shah ibni Sultan Azlan Shah (Ku Ash). And when I mean rare it is not because this is one of those rare sermons of his that is hard to get. It is simply because this royal prince and Sufi Shaykh rarely gives sermons. Though he had the blessings of the Mawlana and royal blood, he very (very) rarely gave sermons. He is one to let his Adab (courtly good manners) do the talking for him.

And even late last night, as I played the recording on my cellphone, I found it hard to concentrate on what he was actually saying. I guess it is the strange sensation of listening to his unmistakable voice after more than 3 months of his passing. I guess if Ku Ash knows of this, he would probably say something like, "See! Even when I speak, they NEVER pay attention."

But the fact of the matter is I was simply basking in the warmth of his voice, falling from some other place... Sorry, I am lazy that way. But then again, when it rains, do we go counting every little drop of rain that falls from the sky? No. I am just thankful that it rained. And that it was Ku Ash.

Thank you, sunshine, for listening to a weary heart that still needs so much guidance and help. May the Prophet send clouds of mercy to rain upon the landscape of your eternal soul. 

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

S. Bahauddin Adil - the Smiling Shaykh, the Laughing Shaykh, the Coffee-Talk Shaykh, the Twinkling-Eye Shaykh, the Now-I-Am-Happy-Because-I-Have-A-Job Shaykh, the Lovely Shaykh, the Rainbow Shaykh etc...

S. Bahauddin Adil having a rollicking good time with his brother of
heaven and earth, the late al-marhum Shaykh Raja Ashman Shah ibni
Sultan Azlan Shah by his side... 

The Smiling Shaykh, also known (to me at least) as the Laughing Shaykh or the Coffee-Talk Shaykh said in a recent sohbet (his sermon cum coffeetalk) that we are fortunate to be believers. And that we are believers, or at least trying to be believers. And in this, we have no choice really, being ‘forced’ to do so. But the Twinkling-Eye Shaykh (I am not done coming up with names for him yet, so bear with me, okay?) says this is good. This is very good. Because it only means that someone up there (or upstairs) loves us enough to force and cajole us.

This ‘loss of choice’ appears to be an anathema to any right-thinking person, whether you are a liberal secular Atheist or a Muslim or a believer. After all, did God not say there is no compulsion in religion…?

“Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things.” (Quran 2:256, Yusuf Ali)

So surely, the statement by the Now-I-Am-Happy-Because-I-Have-A-Job Shaykh is open to be disputed. But alas, not. He is correct. Not that I am presuming to judge, of course. And of course not because I am wanting to win brownie points from the Rainbow Shaykh (But I won't say no, if offered. Hehehe) I am only sharing… Ahem. Okay, enough qualifications... let's roll...

He gets around, this fella. Here
with the father of his spiritual brother,
His Majesty the Sultan of Perak.

Because although he was talking of religion, Shaykh Bahauddin Adil was specifically talking of love. It is because of love that those who have authority over us (Mothers, fathers, Shaykhs, aunties and uncles etc.), with God’s will and the Prophet’s permission, do good unto us. And sometimes, let’s face it – our parents have to literally force us to take our medicine. We know it is good for us, but perhaps we think the taste bitter and hard to swallow. It is just the same in the connection between the Master (Shaykh) and the Mureed. And those mureeds have willingly agreed to follow a Master, because they KNOW they are incapable of making through this life alone and unguided. They know, we know… that we are neither very virtuous nor very smart. So we place our head at the feet of our betters. This is the technical rationale of anyone being in a Sufi Tariqa (Order).

That is the reason at one level of understanding. But at the opening where the Lovely Shaykh is talking about, it is at the door of divine love. The level of those love-sick fools who have fallen in love with the Mawlana GrandShaykh Nazim (his daddy) and the other Shaykhs. At this level our mind and mental faculties do play a role, but it has become subservient to our heart and soul. Love has robbed Man of his choice. For when truly in a state of unconditional love, he is lost to reason…

5. Alone with You III

Ah, Love!

That disposer of choice,

That anathema of free-will,

Dethroning the thin king

Called logic.

…………………………..

Enough of my chit-chat. You can watch Shaykh Bahauddin Adil yourself at SaltanatTv. Just look for the video entitled 'Look For Hope', uploaded on 10.07.2012.

'The Love'
al-fatiha

Glory be! Look at the time! Must run, sunshine. See you tomorrow… Godwilling.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

An Inspired Person is a Divine Shortcut

23. By The Sun Do You See The Sun II

If you are not an angel,

How would you recognize an angel?

If you are not Iblis,

How would you know if that stranger is Iblis?

If you are not Muhammad,

Would you know him if you met him?

And if you are not God,

How would you ever know Him?

Ah, seekers!

Only God Knows

In His Absolute Sense. And His Prophet knows

In his Prophetic sense! And His Friends know

In their inspired sense!

So talk less

And keep your beady eyes on the back of a Friend

If you have had the good fortune of meeting one!

Knowledge and man is a tricky proposition. A lot of information is lost in the transmission from you to me and from me to you. Only God knows whether what we discourse here is true or false, original or facsimile, pure or tainted.

Inspiration is not just about the transcendental knowledge of man and the Divine. It is not merely about Angels and other heavenly creatures. Inspiration is about how we wake up in the morning, and how we go to bed. How we make tea and how we serve it. How we attend to our personal hygiene and how we keep ourselves groomed and presentable. Of course, you can go your own way and by the process of trial and error, you may find the best way to do EVERYTHING. But the problem is we have only as short time here in this life. There is not enough time in our egg-timer to sort out all the best habits and chores we must attend to on a daily basis. So what we need is a shortcut of sorts. An inspired person.

So if you bump into one, whether you call him mother or father, a padre, a saint, a scientist or a dervish, it is a good idea to apply your reason and intuition and listen to him / her. For even if you are not an inspired man / woman yourself, you have enough sensibility to recognise inspiration. And really, that is very good for you already.

Lovely bubbly. Take care, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Godly Sight of Children - Prose of Ramadhan Part 43

Godly Sight of Children (Ramadhan Verses #25)

They do not carry the weight of regret that we do,

They do not harp with bitterness at the world and its unfairness,

They do not question truths, grasping truths with a heart embolden by youth,

They are saintly without being saints,

Awake they change the world, drawing smiles and laughter from the dour crowd,

Asleep their faces are bright and golden, love's own glittering beacon.

They are both hard and soft, partial and fair,

Adorable without measure, naughty beyond compare.

They take us as their elders, forgiving our sin of being imperfect,

They always see something good in us

While we grumble for what we lack,

They tolerate our company, loyally laughing at our most foolish jokes,

However the day may be, and however the world may turn,

Is there any sight more Godly to us than the sight of our children?

I am not a good dad, but I know a good advice when I hear it. An old friend said this to me - May we cherish our children (and other children, of course) and remember how we too were once children, and reflect upon life's twist and turn which have brought us to this juncture in our life. If we are at a good place, alhamdulillah (all praise to God), if we are not, may the Lord of Children guide us as we truly are, souls ever in need of divine guidance...however old we are now.

Have a wonderful day, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa

Fat Trees and Tall Thin Trees - Gurindam's Tale

I am fat. I think I have been clear on this in my earlier posting. It is a downer... but once in a while I come across some tenuous rationale which makes me happy at being err... stocky. Gurindam shared with me a story about fat trees and thin trees (he does that a lot, being a planter).

"My dear boy..." Began Gurindam. "A tree is a good analogy for a man. Like a tree, we must grow, and like a tree, we can be a source of protection and nourishment for other people. If our tree is shady with lots of sweet fruits, many people will come flocking to our presence. They will pluck our fruits and eat them, muttering 'Oh, yummy!' However, if our tree bears bitter fruits and has little leaves, no one will be bothered with us and we will be that cranky lonely old tree at the corner of the street, avoided and unloved. So Taufiq, you must be a shady foliage so you can provide shelter and people will sit under you and remark happily, 'What a lovely old tree!'"

"And you must remember...." Gurindam continued, "A tree needs a lot of fertilizer to grow well. So you must be able to accept a lot of crap from people and still be happy."

"That is not easy," I said.

"If something is worthwhile to attain, normally it isn't easy. That is the way of the world." Replied Gurindam. "But to continue, you should also make sure that you don't grow tall and barren. You may attract attention, but you give little shade, you offer no fruits, and you become a lightning rod in a storm. So instead of being a beneficial thing, you become a source of danger. And if you become a source of danger, you have drifted far from the ideals of the Prophet."

"Prophet?"

Gurindam smiled and patted my shoulder, "Have you forgotten? Someone once asked the Prophet, 'Who is a Muslim?' And Muhammad Habibullah (Beloved of God) answered beautifully, 'He is someone from whom everyone is safe from harm, whether from his words or his deeds'"

Dear sunshine. How many amongst us can now fall into this category? God bless the Living Memory of the Prophet, and God bless you, whoever you may be, and by whatever name you call our One God.

Pax Taufiqa

Once Upon a Time in America

12. It is ok
It is good to be lost sometimes,
For otherwise,
You would not be found.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA, a handsome white-bearded Shaykh was giving a talk at a community centre (if I recall correctly). In his talk (it’s never a speech, you know) he said he noticed outside the hall a ‘Lost & Found’ board on the wall. He commented that your life is a journey (nothing new here), and here you strive to find your bearings, to read the maps properly, and where possible (and fated), you will receive direct guidance from such people who have been appointed for your welfare.

OUR LORD, THE SAVIOR. But despite the best of efforts we often find ourselves lost. You made a mistake but this is okay says the Shaykh. For it is okay to be lost, to become the innocent babe in the woods once again, to be marooned in an unchartered island in the Bermuda Triangle. Because in this perfect storm, God and the Good will come to our rescue. Otherwise how will God be known as The Savior? Yes… it is good to be lost sometimes. If only to find that our God has not, and has never actually forgotten us.

SPIRITUAL TRAUMA CENTER. We also come to hurt because we get distracted desiring something other than the Lord’s pleasure. We want a new car, we want a new wife, we want to win the lottery, we want to be promoted… but even in our spiritual journey we can lose focus – we get mesmerized by magic-laser light shows, we are fooled by people’s praise, we forget our aim, and become fixated with the view along the sacred highway… we don’t see the Deer of God crossing the road and a moment later… *BANG!* The deer goes flying through your windshield and you are in a Saint John’s ambulance heading for the Spiritual Trauma Center. And there… lying on the operating table, suddenly a bright light appears and a voice asks you…”Dear boy, what have you done with yourself?”

“Master… is that You?” I replied.

“Well, I am not Colonel Sanders, old chum.” Then he continued, “You are hurt.”

“I know…*Ouch*… but it’s worth it.” I answered, wincing through the pain.

“Really? How so?”

I cannot but smile, “Because you came for me.”

Then the Master smiled an even wider grin, “Oh no, you silly-billy. It was I who called for you.”

…………….

Have a lovely day, sunshine. May we be lost and rescued by our Lord, the Savior.

Pax Taufiqa.

Inspirations and Creative Thoughts

I have found a website, called Inspirations and Creative Thoughts, by a young man called Sadiq Alam, of Dhaka, Bangladesh. So much more than mine, his postings are well thought out and draws inspiration from mystics past and present. He is a sincere seeker, in search of the Lover and the Beloved. May he find what he desires!

His postings are sprinkled generously with quotes and stories from all streams of the Divine Fountain, from the Kabbalah, the Hindu traditions, Christian mysticisms, Sufism and more.

There is a tune running in the background of his website, and I am listening to it now... it is calling for tears of remembrance, although, in truth, I am not sure I understand the song at all.

This is the path of the sinner like me, you see. To hear a heavenly melody beating upon my conscience, but to completely understand it? Perhaps never. But how the laments make me weep! If you need any reason to visit his site, surely this sublime love song is reason enough.

Salams,

Taufiq.

The Carbon Footprints of Muhammad

Muhammad was the first
To leave carbon footprints,
Long ago he wandered across
The desert of my heart,

Leaving behind diamonds
Twinkling like stars
In the night sky,

One was called Abu Bakar,
Another Omar, the third was Usman,
The fourth, Ali, Hassan, Hussein
And thereafer more
And more and
more.

Prose is from current and untitled chapter. It is a flower from the lore of Sufis that the Companions of the Prophets, are like the stars in the desert twilight, follow any one of them, and surely he will lead you to the Prophet, to God, to Love.

.

So, I beg you, as one tired wanderer to another, look for the stars, high in the celestial sky, or in the closeness of your own heart... they are there, all of them.

.

For if God can be contained in the heart of a true believer, what more His Friends and Saints?!

.

Pax Taufica.