Love found me sheltering under the bridge, that was when I left everything...

Love and the Path

When context is everything,

Who is right and who is wrong?

For the longest time, o' Lord

I have been asleep.

When one preacher says this,

And another says that,

Who is right and who is wrong?

For the longest time, o' Lord

I have been misinformed.

When one book says go,

And another says stop,

Which is the right one for me?

For the longest time, o' Lord

I knew not the road.

Until finally, I stopped looking,

And let Love find me...

Sheltering under a bridge,

A fool caught without an umbrella,

As God's own lightnings thundered

Across the grey wash sky...

...and Love drew me out

From under the bridge

Though I did protest,

"It is raining, we will get wet!"

And then Love smiled and Love said,

"This is the way, if you want to play

You have to get a little wet."

So I let Love take me by the hand

As we walked through the park,

A solitary anonymous pair...

While the grey wash sky

Continues its shower

Unabated.

While books and preachers

Continue their

Endless debates...

But I am leaving them all behind, you see

Having at last found Love,

Having at last found the Path
That is right for me.

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

Love is a romance, and Love with God is a romance unfolding with every breath that you take. Asleep or awake, He is with you. Good or bad, He is with you. It would be heart-breaking for us if we knew just how concerned is He for us, and how He feels when we persist in hurting ourselves.

"My Mercy is greater than My wrath..." the Lord assures us. But of course it is greater, because He is the Most Merciful and He is Mercy itself. While that wrath bit? That wrath is carried not by Him but by Mankind in our overbearing ego, hatred and anger. So thank God that He is bigger and infinitely greater than us. But in this brief span of time that we are alive? By God we can be very, very good at hurting ourselves.

Well, I am tired of this life's anxiety and worries. I cannot continue to huddle under the bridge, forever afraid and nervous. I want Love to lead me. Love to lead me down the Path, however and wherever it may go. And yes, even in the pouring rain.

Have a thoughtful day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

*1st picture entitled 'Hyde Park, Couple in the Rain, London' by Aldo Cervato, Italy.

God's Divine Devices & Denominations - love's proxy on Earth

Even in the darkest labyrinth, Love can light your path.

Divine Device and Denomination

O' Love, be with me always

And leave me not alone with myself

And my capricious ego.

And if I cannot see You, O' Love...

Then let me rest in the goodwill of my friends,

Let me sit beneath the shade of my family tree,

Let me seek solace in the company of good deeds

And good thoughts of my kin past, present and future,

Let me take comfort in the kindness of a stranger,

Let me be happy in the smile of a kindly acquaintance,

Let me be guided by the wise and inspired master,

Let me be guarded in the wisdom of those with patience,

Let me take shelter in you, o’ God, o’ Prophet,

In whatever divine device and denomination

You have chosen to express

Your Love, Mercy and

Compassion.

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

This is how I normally fall from the
peak into the valley.

I do not know about you, but I myself have never ever seen God. Oh, I have heard a lot about Him, and like most controversial personalities, there are those who adore Him (most believers) and there are those who abhor Him (such as they are). Neither of both groups have actually seen God, yet they hold very strong and passionate views about Him.

I would like to confess that I adore God 24/7, but my feelings towards Him are sometimes ambivalent, and has its peaks and valleys. Sometimes the peaks appear to reach so high that I can imagine hearing Angels and Saints singing His praise. At other times my valleys are so far down that I can almost smell the crackling black flames of Hades. It does not smell good.

So I am stuck with this world and the proxies of Divine devices and denomination - they can be people and events, things which strike my heart as bearing some beautiful favour and grace from God. Mostly they are my family and friends, but goodness can (and has) come from strangers and unexpected sources. Help and assistance can come from a Muslim, a Christian, a Buddhist or a Jew. Even an Atheist and Agnostic, funnily enough. God has so much to give you that He will use all necessary means to get to you. So if a stranger knocks on the door of your heart, do not be afraid. Give the greetings of peace and invite the stranger in.

Give the greetings of peace and invite the stranger in.

Have a lovely Monday, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Women, The French and Their Wicked Witty Wisdom... of sorts

Heche presented to me a couple of very old looking books, all of which I shall share with you one day. But perhaps the most quirky little hardcover is a book entitled ‘A Thousand Flashes of French Wit, Wisdom & Wickedness’ - A compendium of collectible French quotes and proverbs by one J. De Finod. The book was first published in 1880 and this particular copy being the 1916 publication. The book is almost 100 years old with 100 years old social niceties and prejudices. People were quite conservative in those days, priggish even. Or at least Finod himself had that impression, when he wrote in his prefatory to the collection…

“In compiling this book, I have carefully excluded everything that would seem objectionable to you, my liberal but virtuous reader, the English language being the more austere than the French in its expressions; but, after having paid a legitimate tribute to your just susceptibilities, I have, without timorous scruples, preserved such piquant gems as could be enjoyed without endangering your morals.”

He is afraid of endangering your morals. But I think we will do just fine, sunshine. Moving on he writes…

“A final word to the lady reader: You will see, fair reader, that much good has been said of you, and, alas! Much bad also; this is because no subject more worthy of attention has ever haunted the minds of all great philosophers of the world. But listen to this well-meant injunction: Believe unhesitatingly all that is said in your favor, and deny energetically, as myself do, all that is said to your prejudice. Do not criminate an innocent compiler, who would not exchange one of your smiles for all the wisdoms of Solomon, and who has inserted in his book the malicious remarks of certain ill-natured philosophers, only to show how far man’s ingratitude can go. “

De Finod

My initial impression was - An Apologia pathetic and groveling to womankind. But having read some of the quotable quotes from the French about women, I am not surprised. Perhaps he was not compiling all these French sayings alone. Perhaps De Finod was married, and his wife (or mistress) was hovering around him, reading the manuscripts and muttering, “Hmm… I hope you yourself do not subscribe to some of these vicious things that the French say about women!” To which De Finod may have protested, “Of course not, my little pumpkin! I condemn such prejudices from the core of my being. They are after all, just being French”

Just perhaps.

Well, without further ado, these are some of the more succulent morsels of French wit, wisdom and wickedness that I found worthy for my reader’s attention. And just like De Finod, let me tell you that I am just quoting. Please don’t shoot the messenger. 

 Poor old Hugo. Either he fell irresistibly in love with a Femme Fatal
or maybe his Landlady kicked him out.

Criticism of the sex does not totally come from the opposite. 

I disagree with this 17th century writer. I think that wrinkles are
the grave of vanity, not love at all. But of course some are
prone to treat them both alike.

 True. And boy, are men good kindler of fire!

Uh oh.

 Who's gonna argue with De Sade?

*Gulp* 

Have a lovely Friday, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Fences, Saints and Feral Dogs

108. Tall Fences

Come to your senses

My would-be martyrs!

And rely not on man-made borders

That keep outsiders out,

For today you may be within

Come tomorrow you may be without.

Then we shall see how well you fare

Clambering up your proud fences

Built tall and fair

With your incessant and foul pretences.

Marx was right. Religion is often the opiate of the masses, not being the fault of the religion itself. Today religion can be an olive branch, but tomorrow it may be an assault rifle. Religion grows the form of what the man holds within. If he is ruled by his heart and conscience, he will be dressed in his heart and conscience, and whatever he does will permeate with love, mercy, kindness, delicacy, patience, tolerance and empathy. If he is ruled by his ego, his action will often reflect the hate, hubris, envy, jealousy, bitterness, despair and sorrow that he nurses within.

We are our worst enemy. For my own religion, I see a defining group who has the habit of labeling what is Islamic and Unislamic. They meander through the body and society politic, delivering judgments with their words and eyes. No, they are not the politicians and preachers only. They are also us, we ourselves who in our daily lives often judge people. Questioning the veracity of their spirit and soul. But who questions the questioners? Such people often build up fences, saying, "We are the right ones. You are the wrong ones." But who's to say that is true? Already they are wrong, for acting without etiquette, which is the essence of the Adab (good manners) of Islam.

Love. Both good and evil has its pretences. If you want to be good, leave the pretences of piety and goodness behind. Stay awhile here with me, on earth where both saints and sinners can mix, do not deny that we are imperfect in so many ways, and that only common empathy and compassion stands between our peace and the war of feral dogs. It is raining now, so you see... even the sky agrees with me.

Have a perfect Sabbath and xmas, sunshine. And happy solstice too!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Are you trying to be a Sufi, Papa?

Can we be too humble? I think, depending upon your personality, aptitude, upbringing, education and social condition, we all have our pretentiousness. That little white facade which we cloak ourselves in - to be known as a wise man. To be known as pious. To be known as generous and kind. To be known as tolerant. To be known as funny. To be known as 'cool'. But most difficult is to be known as a person without any pretension whatsoever. Someone who appears to be happy and contented just existing. A person happy in the skin he or she is living in. There are precious few of such people about. 

Children are smart and honest. And sometimes you are surprised by their observations, expecting them to be concerned only with cartoons, toys and games. But children are also discreet, and they are wise enough to the antics of us adults that sometimes they do not tell you the truth. Because they are canny already to notice that these truths often make adults uneasy.

If you have children, I hope you will be very close to them. And that you will kiss and hug them every day. And that whatever they say, you can accept without blowing your top. You would think that this is such a natural thing to do, but in this hasty and artificial life which we sometimes get caught up in, the most natural thing can often be the most awkward thing to do. I know because I find it awkward too. 

But I have faith in you. Have a playful day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq.

Hate has no place in Islam.

You THINK you have Faith (Iman). Now that is where all the problem begins...

You have Iman? Think again!

If you think you have iman,

There arises the fear

That someone can come

And overcome your iman.

Break into your soul

And steal away that

Precious faith of yours!

If you think you have none,

What can any devil, mugger or illuminati

Ever steal away from you?

Become nothing, my friend...

For there is nothing in nothing.

Nothing for anyone to steal away from you.

Not even you.

Glossary.

There are many meanings associated to the word 'iman'. Most commonly used is faith or belief. Like many Arabic words, especially those associated with religion, there are several technical and literal meanings, which is beyond the intelligence (or dedication) of this sinner to explore. I would have to study hard and end up writing an entire book on iman. But I just have 20 minutes. Sorry.

YOU THINK YOU HAVE. Of course, you should have faith. You should pursue and make it your ambition to have faith. But that is something very, very different from THINKING you have faith.

INTERFAITH. We are not dicing the meaning of words for no reason. The problem sometimes with people of any religion talking and opening up with people of other religion is because they think that they already have faith. That they have this wonderful and perfect answer in them already. And that to spend time with the unbelievers may cause them to somehow lose this iman-faith that they claim they already possess. So yet again, God gets blamed because of the narrow mindedness of people who assume that they know God best.

WE KNOW THAT GOD IS NOT TO BE BLAMED. So let's be nice to everyone, regardless of how and by which name they call upon our One God. Then maybe God will reward us for being kind and compassionate to ALL of God's creatures, yes?

wa min Allah at-taufiq.

Grief is Pretence, Happiness writes me and is my pen

Pretence & Happiness

Sorrow and grief

Is only pretence,

Happiness writes me

And is my pen.

Sorrow and grief

Is my temporary empathy,

Happiness is what

Defines and consumes me.

SUFIS. With their beady little eyes on the end game, Sufis are profoundly affected by happiness. What is the passing of your mortal life? It is merely a changing of clothes, passing through the threshold of Azra'il (Angel of Death). It is not something to rail against, since you will never win. But the end and defeat of your earthly bodies is the beginning of your spiritual whole, as your soul and your heart is made complete in the Divine Presence. Have faith, sunshine, in the All-Encompassing Mercy and Compassion of your Lord. 

FRIENDS. Yesterday a lucky fellow celebrated his birthday, Malaysia's 54th Independence Day and the 2nd Day of Eidul Fitri all in a single day. Nubile frauleins graced the celebrations, playing with fireworks while igniting fireworks in the hearts of men that looked on. 

God bless you, pet. Have an exceedingly satisfying day.

wa min Allah at-taufiq.

I was born a Pristine Nothing, then I became Something - the path to egoism and back to servanthood

I was born a Pristine Nothing

I was born a pristine nothing,

Though my mother and father

Undoubtedly thought me

Quite a something.

God bless their

saintly souls!

But as I grew old

I began to disobey,

Refusing to listen

And simply following

My nasty little ways.

So day by day,

I began to accumulate

Labels and stickers

Upon my pristine nothing,

Till nothing was left of my nothing.

I became something,

Defined, labelled and named

By the stickers and labels

Of my own making.

I am to be blamed...

I am no more that pristine nothing

That my mother gave birth to,

Sadly, this is me,

The sinner, the something,

The fool that you see now

Standing before you.

Do not worry, sunshine. I guess the prose is a little sad, but when you think about it, the beginning of a journey requires a reason. And this is the reason - for me to scratch and peel away at all the ugly labels and stickers which I, by my own failings, have stuck onto my pristine nothing. This is after all the Sinners' Almanac.

I have not come across the mirror of servanthood, so I have not seen the reflection of my spiritual form. But I know without even needing to look, my friend. I know that my spiritual form, with all the labels and stickers now upon it, is misshapen, deformed with weird sharp edges, sharp enough to cut anyone who comes too close to me. Otherwise, how is it that I often hurt people who are close and who love me? A biting remark, a scathing look... I can do all that very well.

So this is me, sunshine. And this is where I stand. I know you are a beautiful soul. But do not judge me too kindly simply because I can weave a beautiful yarn about God, Prophet, Humanity, Love and Compassion. I need all the prayers you can offer me, and all the kind thoughts and encouragement you can spare. I shall never be able to repay you, but for any kindness you show to this sinner, your recompense shall be with God. And I do believe, in spite of all my weaknesses in my faith, that God is Most Generous and Most Rewarding.

'Tis Thursday, have a blessed day.

wa min Allah at-taufiq.

A Cup of Heresy from a Cellar of Wine - Prose of Ramadhan Part 74

The Cup of Heresy (Ramadhan Verses #39)

We sip heavy from the cup of heresy

That men call theology.

We pray on a premise of faith,

And men think high of the words

Which we recite like holy spells -

When they desire candy,

We give them candy.

When they desire wizardry,

We give them wizardry.

And when they desire an idea of the divine,

Verily, we give them our cellar of wine.

Lo, if only they had asked for servanthood!

Lo, if only they had sought patience,

We would not offer them such meager rations.

God took away my chance to die young - The Band Perry

25. Skins
It is worrying how some people live life
At odds with the skin that they wear,

It is my life’s hope
To find peace
With mine.

SKINS. Not even the musical company of Louis Armstrong and Aretha Franklin will console you if you are unhappy in the skin you are wearing. I have no problem with the tone of my skin nor the scars that dot me. Its just that I was born with a very large skin. So I had to err... eat a lot and 'expand' to fill up the excess skin. Hehehe. I am not complaining, I am only sharing.

DEATH'S JOKE ON ME. The best joke of it all is that just at the moment I become happy with the skin I am in, Mr. Death may just suddenly appear *Poof* whispering into my shell-like, "Hey, Taufiq ol' chum. Time to go. Say goodbye to your old skin." Well, it may happen... Hu knows?

THE BAND PERRY. Death is not always morbid. How can it be when it can inspire Kimberley Perry to write such a sufi-esque song entitled "If I die young"? Her haunting lyrics begins...

...If I die young bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song...

Is it so strange to find sufi songs in Tennessee, USA? Written by a southern belle singing in a American country band? It isn't, sunshine. It is the most natural thing in the world.

God took away my chance to die young, but 41 years old come this July, I have no regrets. Not when I am writing and being read by you, sunshine. Your attendance to my daily almanac makes it all worth it, however and whenever God may call me home. Just like the song's ending, I think "... I have had just enough time..."

Have a nice day, pet.

Pax Taufiqa.
Click here to the Band Perry and 'If I Die Young'.

NAME? RELIGION? REMEMBER?

All Ours
All things invented and made,
All things written and read,
All things of beautiful birth
Are in truth, ours.
.

NAME? We don’t care if your name is Otto, Joshua, Ahmad, Lee, Loo, Kim, Katherine, Ambiga, Billy Bob, Sarah, Hana, Anne, Arnu, Sven, or Svetlana. You were once a beautiful baby… sprung in a beautiful birth from a beautiful mother.

.

RELIGION? Differing faiths doesn’t stand in the way of Love. In fact, differing faiths is the necessary precedence of Love. It is so easy to love what is familiar. True Love, the Brightest Star in the Firmament of Divine Reflection is to love what is unfamiliar and strange.

REMEMBER? But you are not a stranger to us. The colour of your skin maybe different, the mantra that you recite is unlike ours… But you are still familiar to us. We met once before. Before Time began we vowed our love for one another. Then God said, “Go find each other on earth!” So we were separated for awhile. But now you are here and we remember our ancient contract.

Who are we?

We are you.
.

.
Its true, you know…

Pax Taufiqa.

SINCERITY IS EASY

.

Sincerity is Easy

It is easy

to be sincere

if you are good at

lying to yourself.

.

Oops.

.

Did I say that out loud?

.

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

I hope you are having a great Friday, sunshine.

.

Pax Taufiqa.

At the Conference of the Earnest I Found the Religion of Hubris

.

CONFERENCE OF THE EARNEST. I spied upon a congregation of earnest people. Some of them looked slick and oily, others bright and sparkly like models in a skin whitening advertisement. Some were bearded and wore turbans, others wore the Jewish skullcap. Some looked like Christian bishops, and amongst the crowd I saw Mullahs with AK-47 strapped on their backs. There were also mystics, political lobbyists and cult leaders. They were all holding onto their respective holy books for dear life. A lot of them were shouting, and in the back, I could see a crowd of young ones, clamouring “Jihad! Crusade! Jihad! Crusade! The Dajjal! Red Heifer! Democracy! Capitalism! Jerusalem! Unity! Purity! Lies! Death! Eternal Life! Gog and Magog!” In a corner all to their own were priests of ideologies and dogmas in fevered debates - the Darwinists, Capitalists, Communists, Socialists, and all the other ‘-ists’ that your mind can google.

.

NEMESIS OF MANKIND. On the pulpit was a man with white hair and he was raising the crowd’s spirit commanding, “We must fight for our religion! We must die for God! For Freedom! For Equal Rights! We must defend ……… (Well, just fill the blank space with whatever religion / ideology you want – it doesn’t matter really). Scurrying between the heaving mass of capitalist crusaders, armed bigots, and fuzzy muhajideens were a couple of nemesis of mankind – I recognize them, they were Uncertainty, Envy and Anger, unmasked and looking like pubescent trolls. They looked happy.

I CATCH ENVY. Behind the curtains I ducked, waiting for my chance. Then one of the little troll ran pass by and I managed to catch it by its collar. It was Envy. It looked hideous. It had hair but the colour is never the same, it had a face, but it changed every second, its shape shifting according to men’s insatiable and ever-changing desire and greed.

THE REAL RELIGION. I asked it, “What is this place?! Who are all these people? Envy smirked and said, “Look around, Taufiq. They are people who are adepts in the forms of their religion or beliefs – See, that is a big time Rabbi, and there you see an Evangelical TV star, and look, hey, that’s a world famous Jihadi! And I think we even have a Monetarist here somewhere…”

This evil imp wasn’t answering my question right. “Yes, yes, but what are they all doing here?”

Envy hissed, barring sharp carnivorous fangs, “They worship in their religion here.”

“What religion? All religions and ideologies are represented here!”, I argued.

“Bah! That is only the religion of their outer form, pet. The creed that they are truly following is the Religion of Hubris.”

Then smiling, Envy asked me, “Are you an intruder here, Taufiq, or are you here by SPECIAL invitation?”

Ouch. I immediately dropped Envy and ran for dear life.

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

How many times have we become the unwitting acolytes in the Religion of Hubris? May we all be guided by our conscience and our heart, elevated and unsullied by hubris. It is not an easy task, but in you I hope to find my guide and support - My brothers and sisters in the Religion of the Conscience, the Religion of Love. The most delicate and beautiful manifestation of our respective faiths, whatever it may be.

Have a good hubris-free day, Sunshine!

Pax Taufiqa.

Your life is a like a ship in a vast sea. And you have a stowaway... Me!

Dear readers,

You are quite lucky to have the very best of me. You don’t have to deal with me on a daily basis, you know. Not with the real me, just my writings. You don’t have to see me at my worse, for I can be cold, hard and cruel. And I can be impatient too. You don’t have to see my face when it is most smug, nor see me turn away, uncaring.

You don’t have to look into my eyes and see envy, and you don’t have to see me eating alone, a glutton. You do not see me disappointing people, being irresponsible and foolish in my 41st year of my life. What you get here is a sanitized version of my life. It is surely the greatest joke that at the end of it all, at the highest apex of my representation to you, all I want to be, all I believe I can ever achieve, is to be a good sinner.

Heche says I write well. But I have stumbled into a sea of melancholy and it is gripping me. I am so melancholic I almost feel French. I hear they are rather good at it.

What do I do, sunshine? What do I do when my writing is better than my living? I must admit that perhaps this blog is a form of escapism. A mad avenue for me to compensate for my real life’s shortcomings. I write and readers read, it almost feels real. Surely it must be real. But is it?

I do not want to waste this posting entirely on melancholy. I love garlic, and I think Paris is very beautiful… but this is not me. Let me trawl my old prose and see what I can come up with. Wait a minute, will you?

Hi, sunshine. Thanks for waiting. I found a rather sweetot little prose which even has a date in it, it sounds rather like this…

12. I am aglow
I am aglow with happiness,
For a sun has risen on my landscape,
And he is shining into every nook and corner,
Banishing the dark that once shadowed me.

Lest, I forget, let me remember this day,
That on the 9th of February 2008,
I felt myself a sailor on a good ship,
With a good breeze behind the sails,
And a good captain at the wheel.

Me and my mates,
Near and far,
I may not see as they see,
And I may not feel as they feel,
But the salty taste in the air is our common communion,
And we know that we are on a sea journey,
Together, traversing an ocean of mercy,
Together, harvesting pearls of wisdom
From her bosom.

I guess its true what the prose says. We are in this journey together. Even if you can only know me through my writings, we are in the same ship called planet Earth. But for a lot of you, you will probably never get to see me. And is shall never have the delight to meet you. Anyways, I am a little tired today, world-weary and confined to my cabin.

So today I leave you to live your life as you wish. To guide your life by that North Star that men call conscience. Sail your life well, sunshine, for wherever you are taking your ship to, you are taking me there too. I will also try to live my life better, sweetness. For wherever I am going, so long as you read my writings, so long as you are sharing my life, I am bringing you with me.

.

Pax Taufiqa.

Red Heifer and Red Sulphur, Grand Nature and Beautiful Gesture - the Jihad, the Ego and You

14. And a Quiet Day it was
I set sail on Mercy’s Ocean,
And a quiet day it was,
With nets spun of golden thread,
And the wind behind us,
We headed west.

Fear would have filled me
As blackness rose to greet us,
Until my look-out cried,
“Look to the stern!”
And I glanced back to see
That we had the Sun in tow
Like a kite in the sky.



.
The above prose is what you may call a GRAND prose. Befitting perhaps for a mystic commencing his quest for the holy grail, the red sulphur and maybe even the red heifer.

THE GRAND JIHAD. But really, that great struggle, that GRANDEST OF JIHAD (Jihad ul-Akbar) is not very grand really. Certainly not in the way dreamt by arm-chair generals and warrior priests…

6. War
The war with the Ego is not the clash of great armies,
It is a war of small firefights and drive-by shootings.
And if the absence of a great battle disappoints you
Verily, the first skirmish is already lost!

MUNDANE DAILY STRUGGLE. It is the daily struggle between your heart and your ego, between your mind and your nafs (desires)… Should I have that extra teaspoon of sugar? It’s a Saturday anyways, I am sure no handicap would be wanting the parking space!... I could pay him today, but really, the bank is so far away. Oh never mind, I will just do it tomorrow… or maybe the day after that. So you see, really mundane and boring struggle. The path is not intended for those desiring recognition. Each strand of hair on your body must desire the opposite... anonymity, silence and nothingness, and without pretensions... (The way is not easy. Whoever said it was?)

2. Permission To Be Good, Ya Sayeedi! II
If you desire to make grand gestures,
Join an opera company.

Here, it is toil!
Mundane grind!
Day after day after day!

Allah! Rasulullah!
Give us joy
In our anonymity,
Though the world
May call us
Boring old farts!

BUT BEAUTY… has its own reasons and passions. And to deny the beauty of the path is also to deny an essence of the journey. And God has never attracted mankind with the ugly and deceitful, which is repugnant to us. Always He has sent someone of beautiful passions, to speak words of beauty and call upon us to do beautiful deeds of charity and love. This is the way of all faiths. A prose was recorded of such a man...

4. The Roadbuilder
I build roads,
Not walls.
For my message
Is peace,
Not war.

I grow roses
Not weeds,
For my message
Is beauty,
Not deceit.

SO I BELIEVE THAT…. there shall always be a place for beauty in the path. Such beauty may be grand and awe-inspiring, such as the Sun in a sinner's poem. But other beauty may be manifested more subtly, like the shy smile of your young niece. Or the sight of your son making friends with a stray cat.

Have a nice Monday, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.

If you are curious for related postings on jihad just search 'jihad' in the searchbox on top right corner. There are about 8 previous write-ups.
Poems - And a Quiet Day it was is from Chapter 23 entitled ‘My Lord has Answered me’ (Mar 2007) War is from Chapter 19 entitled ‘Tiramesu’ (circa 2006)
The Roadbuilder is from Chapter 17 entitled ‘East of Albion’ (circa January 2006)
Permission To Be Good, Ya Sayeedi! II is from Chapter 5 entitled ‘The Profane & the Profound’ (circa September 2004)

Seriously, Stop Taking Yourself So Seriously.

A FOOL. I think we sometimes read too much into situations. Giving meaning to events that never occured and reading people out of context. It happens more often than we care to admit. Thus, however interesting your assumptions may be, you may in fact be reading the circumstances all wrong. So perhaps it is wiser to keep silent. As the story goes - it is better not to say anything and let people suspect that you are a fool, then to open your mouth and leave people with no doubt that you are a fool..

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SERIOUSLY? Whether you are an aspirant of the mystical path or not. Whether you are a Christian, Jew, Buddhist, Wiccan or Muslim, I think it is important to have a sense of humour and the wisdom not to take yourself too seriously.

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I AM THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE. People aspiring to spiritual stations like to do this all the time - "Oh, humble me! Is there anyone more humble than me? I would love to think about you, but I am truly astounded by my own uniqueness and complexity."

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BLOGEGO. Some of these people are truly the worst of the worst, a dark whirling pool of self-centred obsession - and you know how to recognise one? Well, they often write blogs.

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Hehehe.

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Have a bright Sunday, sunshine.

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Pax Taufiqa.

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Footnotes - Toon is from unpublished archive

I met Today that other Day.

10. Today Greeted Me
Late this morning, Today greeted me,
"Peace of the morning to you,
And Peace of the gentle night
That passed you by, o' Taufiq,
Peace! From the Lord who created me, Today,
For mankind and for the djinns!"

Shyly I replied, "Peace, o' Today."

Today explained, "In my left hand,
I carry the happiness of this world,
In all its curious shapes and forms,
And in my right hand I bear the happiness
Of the hidden world, in all its many
Truths and certainties.”

Today then continued, "I am commanded
By our Lord Who Creates to offer
Both of these gifts to you. Will you
Take the Lord's gifts?"

I did not pause, thanking God
And Today in gratitude,
Before enquiring, "But how did you
Know where to find me, o' Today?

Today smiled and answered,
"It was an easy thing for me to do.
I simply followed the gentle voices
And music of the Maulud that was
Playing in your ears and pouring like
An ocean turned upside down
Inside your heart, o' Taufiq!"

Today placed his hands upon
His breast and explained,
“The songs of praise for
Muhammad Habibullah is
Ever like a siren call to me!”

Today then took a seat
Near me, looking at me
And asked,
“Any more questions?”

“Just one more, o’ Today”, I replied.
“Who are Yesterday and
Tomorrow? Are they
Your brothers?”

Today chuckled in answer,
“Good question, my mortal!
Nay, they are not my brothers,
They are me, and I am them,
In a different place and time.
But we are, in Truth, one.”

“What a fascinating creature
You are, Mr. Yesterday-Today
And Tomorrow!”, I exclaimed.

Then, Today suddenly stood up,
Looking at me in a happy surprise,
He put in plain speak,
“Me? I am fascinating?
Hehehe. O’ mortal, there
Is no creature
More fascinating
And beguiling
Than man! And I bear witness
That verily you are at a lost,
Save for those of you that join together
In the mutual teaching of
Truth, Patience and Constancy!
MasyaAllah! MasyaAllah!

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

MAN PROPOSES BUT... This conversation was recorded around April - May 2009 in my chapter entitled 'Muhammad, My Only Other'. I think people generally worry too much AND too little about the future. It may be mystic / sufic sensibilities to suggest that we should not plan anything, after all, doesn't the saying goes that 'Man proposes but God disposes'?

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NO EXCUSE. Well, I think that is just an excuse and misinterpretation to suit my laziness. Yes, of course God ultimately is the Will of Creation, whatever we plan or scheme. But the whole point is we are SUPPOSE to plan, regardless.

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PLAN! I have made the mistake of not planning. I plan to do so from now on. Oops. Hehehe, what I mean to say is... I will do so and plan from now on.

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BTW, the last bit in the story above is in reference to Surah Al-Asr of the Quran, which is the 103rd chapter of the Holy Scripture. I am sure you noted that, my pretties.

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Ah well, have a great planned Saturday, sunshine. God wants it. And I intend to fulfill His Wishes!

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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.
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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...
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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.

God is Eternal/Internal, and a 6-year old question that I have not answered

Association III
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We can teach you,
To heal the lameness of your limbs,
The blindness of your hearts,
The deafness of your ears,
And tame the obstinacy of your mind.

We can teach you,
To read signs and signposts,
Maps and compasses,
Omens and ciphers,
Books and letters,
That continuously whisper;
This way, o’ Seeker, this way!

Yea, all these we can teach you, and more.

But o’ acolytes of your own image,
Apostles of your private idols,
Are you willing to listen and learn?
Are you willing to listen and obey?
……….

For the past 2 years I have been having my morning coffee in the Chinese Kopitiam (restaurant) downstairs of my office. I always sit at the tables in the back lane so as to avoid the hot morning sun. One day, I noticed a graffiti scrawled on the column exactly in front of where I was sitting. I looked closer and thus I read…

My guess is as good as yours. Did the person intend to write ‘God is Eternal’? Or is the message suppose to read ‘God is Internal’? Was the writer male or female? Was he/she perhaps drunk? (My neighbourhood is famous for its watering holes)

If you wish to plumb down into mass phobia, you may ask why is the second ‘E’ facing backwards and the ‘A’ upside down. Is this some Masonic device (feel free to replace ‘Masonic’ with another favourite devilish secret society), full of diabolical meaning and ill-intention? Or perhaps it is merely an indictment of the quality of edoocasyen in our skools?

Being the optimist, I am prepared to take the words as candies for me. A little reminder from the Benevolent Fate that in the most unlikely of places you may find signs…

...That continuously whisper;
This way, o’ Seeker, this way!

And being the sort of man who finds great happiness in sharing (especially when it costs him nothing whatsoever), I want to share my prose and candies with you this morning.

Bon appetit!

Footnote: ‘Association III’ is from chapter 2, ‘The Dam.Munir.Ana’ (circa Nov 2004). I met a wise man that year, and he did ask of me, are you willing to listen and obey?

6 years on, I have still not replied him.