WELL... WOULDN'T YOU? - Divine assurance, sunnah archery lesson No.1 and the delinquent arrow

I Know Nothin' about Nothin'

I don't know the time exactly,

I am not aware of the state of my body,

I do not hold in my head the entire corpus

Of physics, biology, chemistry and all other sciences,

Nor do I have at my fingertips all the laws of the land,

So I try to get help where I can,

And I try to get help from the One who knows it all,

Who I ask to cover my decisions in all that I do,

Knowing fully well how little I know about anything at all,

Well, if you are as empty-headed as me,

Wouldn't you?

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

Moses and Mustard Seeds. I spent some time with my friend Moses a couple of days ago. And he shared with me his attempts at making mustard from mustard seeds (makes sense). It was delicious. He also made a very good attempt at a Malaysian version of the Tabasco sauce, which was different but also very delicious. I neither had the vision nor the wit to try either. So I know... I don't know anything about most things.

Divine Assurance. I pity Atheists (may God bless their hearts) because they don't have the Divine assurance. That special mercy from Allah (swt) that covers all our acts and omissions, simply because our Creator knows fully well our limitations, and  as God as made unto Himself forbidden the nature of being unfair or oppressive, He guarantees His help to us poor sinners and malcontents - 

Thinking of Him

...think of Him and call unto Him by His many names, 

and He shall mention you in a company 

Infinitely greater!

Ask for His aid and His aid shall come to you, 

And none better! 

His divine plans cover all eventualities of our daily life... our happiness and sadness, our successes and failures. Thus, blessed are the believers who believe in God of Infinite Wisdom, Love and Mercy.

The Delinquent Arrow. I know I am posting a lot about archery. But in archery, my master teaches me to contemplate my form and the result of my form - my few successes and my many, many failures. And we are taught to try and maintain a peaceful contentment, the Qalban Salima (contented heart) that is the cherished aim of all men, women and children... An inner peace to be gained regardless whether we succeed or fail - no matter whether your arrow flies straight to the bulls eye or wanders off to have coffee at Starbucks. 

Sunnah Archery Lesson No.1
Wherever the arrow goes, that is where the Lord wills it to go.

He he he.

May God bless you this wonderful Monday, sunshine.  

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

A COCKTAIL OF TEARS, A SEA OF LOVE & LAUGHTER - The Ramadan Story, Part 7

Only If They Ask, Part 2
...And if they ask why are your eyes closed,

Tell them that you don't want to open them

For fear of unleashing another flood

That neither seawall nor dyke can stem.

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

1. A Cocktail of Tears. Mix a little knowledge, add a bushel of sins. Pour a sea of neglect. Sprinkle some remembrance. Top off with a cherry of regret. Stir ingredients in a colourless crystal goblet, and you would get me. When this is me, you must ask why I don't cry more. 

2. Here and There. Everywhere. But I don't. In fact in my life, there is still a lot to smile and even laugh at. Something to warm the cockles of my heart. Something to reignite my faith in my humanity, in my brothers and my sister. I think it is perhaps because however we may be, sweet or sour, good or bad, forgetful or grateful, ugly or beautiful, God is always there. I mean here. With me. And I also mean there, with you. It gets kinda confusing with God and with True Love. For He is one and the same, the Unique One. Transcending the elemental time and space of this physical world. It is easy for Him, He is after all, God.

3. Choose battles that you can win. But the world is not sitting still, letting you go so easily. It throws at you the horrors and hatred, the bigotry and hubris, the greed and selfishness, the apathy and lethargy, the tired old sad stories. So do yourself a favour this month, don't read the newspapers. It is good to be knowledgeable. But sometimes too much knowledge makes us weary. Especially bad news. Especially when we can do almost nothing about it. So my thought for today is - let us choose battles that we can win. And that starts with ourselves. Quit drinking. Quit smoking. Quit neglecting our body. Quit wasting time. Quit sleeping too much. Quit procrastinating. Quit bitching (does this count?). Quit judging people. 

"Don't even think about it." said the Angel of Quitting Bad Things

4. Stop it. It is funny that the biggest battle is really about quitting something. But sometimes quitting is necessary to begin a better life. God willing, I think this is true. Note to self - God and Goodness always wins when bad men (read me) stop doing bad things. 

5. Loveliness... I started this posting with a typically melancholy love prose as befitting my quasi-sufi pretensions. But it is Ramadan the Blessed. And this month refuses to allow me to wallow in sadness. And I am glad that I can end the almanac with loveliness instead. The Loveliness of Allah (s.w.t.), the Loveliness of Muhammad Habibullah (s.a.w.s.) and the loveliness that is all you, ministered between Ahad and Ahmad, between the Chooser and the Chosen.

May you have a beautiful day, sunshine.Tears or laughter, it is all about Love after all.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

LIVING UNDER THE CONSTANT THREAT OF SUCCESS - convergence of the saint and the sinner

Hey, Mr. Spiritual Aspirant. What are you having? A tea break?

10. Not That Drunk

You say you are drunk in His Ocean

Besotted in His Love,

But yea, still sober enough to request for intermissions,

While treading the Path.

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

Almost 10 years ago, this prose was recorded by me. And it is as true today as it was all those many years and many kilograms ago (I am still well-filled, but less so now. He he he).

...steady ...steady there...

And I am still crawling down the Path. With one foot firmly planted in this world, while the other foot is barely maintaining a foothold in the spiritual mountain. And like it or not, I sometimes let slip and fall, or even more embarrassingly, the seam of my pants bursts open due to the titanic struggle between my heart and my ego...

6. Seams

With one foot on the path

And the other on this world

Is it any wonder that your trousers

Constantly burst at its seam?

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

Living under the constant threat of success. Failure, and the constant threat of failure is our inevitable lot. But success, and the constant threat of succeeding is also our lot. And I think that often, we are in fact succeeding, but we hesitate because we cannot comprehend the incomprehensible nor fully know the unknowable - by which I mean the Infinite Sea of Mercy and Generosity that is God's grant for humanity. So we falter when we need not have faltered, and we hesitate when the Door of Forgiveness is shining unhesitatingly in brilliant green and purple neon lights... "Come in! Come in! You are forgiven! But then you pause, you turn around and you beat a hasty retreat... Hey?! Hey, come in! Where are you running off to now?!"

I am off for a tea break, o' Door of Forgiveness, I am entitled to it! It is there in my collective agreement with the Murshids and Mashaikhs (Masters) of the tariqa (path), negotiated by the Confederated Union of Amalgamated and Assorted Sinners (C.U.A.A.S.). But I will be back, don't go anywhere (please).

Divine Accidents on the Saints' Autobahn. This is the life in the slow-heavy-goods-lane of the spiritual highway. The only danger is inadvertently losing your focus and drifting into the fast-lane of the saintly or the super-fast-autobahn lanes of the saints, then heaven knows where we would end up. There is no speed-limit you see, on the Saints' path. The only speed and mileage being set by the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) himself. But insyaAllah (Godwilling) we are all hoping for this divine accident one day... only Allah (s.w.t.) and His Beloved Muhammad Habibullah (s.a.w.s.) can make this convergence of the saint and the sinner happen.

15. Ali’s Prayer (or Groupies 2)

We, groupies of Naqshband

Cling to the Saidis’ coat tails

On our way to the Sun of the sun

While being peppered by snow, rain and hail.

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

Ah. So this is us... an accident waiting to happen. Or is the divine accident happening already, drawn out across an extended measure of the autobahn until we breath our last? Hu knows... (He knows)

Have a lovely Monday, sunshine. I am told that Monday is the day on which the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), God's anointed Mercy to all the worlds was born all those years ago. So it is a good day to say Alhamdulillah (God be praised)!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Heat of Politics - there is no good without good manners...

No Good Without Good Manners

There is no good

Without good manners...

There is no success if you

Attain it without good manners,

Nor is there failure if you

Fail despite your good manners,

Good manners is the precondition

And the condition precedent of success,

Thus if you win or fall in this life,

Keep your adab to God and His Prophet,

To your family, to your friends, to all of humanity,

To all creation of God,

For above all

Only God knows best,

Most Merciful, Most Compassionate is He,

Who saw fit to teach us good manners

To refrain from the egoistic habit

Of allocating blame,

And naming names.

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

The political temperature in Malaysia is becoming feverish, in so far as we Malaysians want to get hot and bothered when the real temperature has become already warm these past few days. More heat? Forget it. 

And of  course, with the coming not-to-be-delayed-much-longer General Election, political parties on both sides of the parliamentary aisle have been throwing accusations and criticisms at each other. More heat? Forget it.

So enough of the allocation of blame. Enough with the naming of names, the revelation of secret documents, the scandals, the leaks, the paranoid hypotheses and the righteous indignation. More heat? Forget it.

I am a little tired today of this world's noises. I am going to look for a good book, a book about Adab (good manners). Anyways, the day is much too warm already for anything else. More heat? Forget it!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way   

Silver Medal but Golden Heart - Lee Chong Wei, Lin Dan and the heart of Malaysia

Not Olympic champion, but our champion.

Last night, at about 9.30pm I left my house to pick up Mikhail. The road was empty with only a few cars making their way through the overcast Malaysian night. I knew where everyone were... they were at home in front of their television, recovering from (watching) an epic battle between David and Goliath, between our Lee Chong Wei vs the People's Republic of China's Lin Dan in the finals of the men's badminton competition in London.

After winning the first set and trouncing Lin Dan at 21-15, Chong Wei faced a resurgent Lin Dan who won the 2nd set with a confidence-boosting 21-10. In the nail-biting see-saw battle of the final set, the PRC player, seen by many badminton pundits as one the most talented and dominant player in the sport's history finally overcame our Chong Wei at 21-19. The scores barely hint at the drama that was being played on court and in the homes of millions of Malaysians as once again, our champion lost to the amazing Lin Dan.

Because truth be told, I suspect many Malaysians, when they knew that Chong Wei was to face Lin Dan in the finals, kinda sighed a mute resignation, "Oh, well... silver is already an achievement." That is the level of awe inspired by the unquestionable ability of Lin Dan.

Lin Dan. Simply amazing. 

I was close to tears watching the last few minutes of the 79-minute ordeal because my gut feeling was that Chong Wei was not going to make it. And alas, the hopes of millions of my countrymen perished after Chong Wei lost the battle of nerves with only 2 points away from our country's first gold medal. 5 minutes later I was on the road to pick up my son.

Don't fret, my friend. For you have won your place
in the hearts of milions of us back home.

But during the drive I recalled the British female commentator when she exclaimed that Lin Dan had once again broken the hearts of millions of Malaysians rooting for our champion, and it got me thinking... Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God), that we as Malaysians had a heart to be broken. And for that thrilling 79 minutes, we forgot our communal and religious differences, our political agendas and historical baggage, our gripes and complaints... to find a common cause and a common hope in the heart of that thin lanky young man standing alone in the centre court of Wembley Arena, London.

Yes, I am right. Alhamdulillah that we had a heart to be broken. For it is a precious thing in this strange and often troubling times that we live in.

Thank you for sharing our sadness and happiness this morning, sunshine. God bless you.

Postscript 10.46am - And after the match the fella actually went and tweeted an apology to the 28 million Malaysians that were rooting for him to defeat Lin Dan... How can you not but love this guy? *smiling through tears...*

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

King Abdullah of Jordan, the Caliph of Islam, Emir of All the Believers - May God grant his reign to be merciful and beautiful

The Lion of the Desert

O’ rightful heir,

O’ rightful king,

O’ rightful deputy,

We are in the desert of ignorance,

We are thirsty for guidance,

We are waiting for a leader,

We are proclaiming our allegiance to thee,

Following a full moon shining over Qubruz,

We are proclaiming our allegiance to thee,

O’ Lion of the Desert,

O’ Lion of God!

Accept our allegiance

With kisses on your blessed hands and feet,

Accept our allegiance

As weak servants to thee,

O’ Sultan!

O’ Lion of the Desert!

O’ Lion of God!

With your three regiments,

Bearing the Banner of the Prophet!

The banner of the Mahdi!

And your royal standard!

Truth is with you, we are with Truth!

Falsehood is broken and wounded!

Truth is with you, we are with Truth!

Falsehood is broken as Truth commanded!

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

We have all been waiting...

This is what I call a technical prose and perhaps more relevant to the Muslims, as it is related to the new Caliph of Islam, Amirul Muqminin (Leader of the Believers) - His Majesty King Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. But Muslim, believer or otherwise, you will want to be able to answer your kid, "Hey Dad, where were you when the new Caliph of Islam was announced?" Your reply: "Oh my son, I was reading that fatuous blog 'The Sinners Almanac'. In fact I got the news from there, of all the unlikely places!" But to share a little bit more disclosure than is common by your reticent writer, the pronouncement by the Sufi shaykh in the small town of Lefke, Cyprus can be seen on video by Clicking Here - The pertinent videos are entitled "To King Abdullah" (28.04.2012). And you can scroll down to the earlier video entitled "Arshu Sham" (08.04.2012). For English, click on the subtitle.

Have a beautiful Sunday, sunshine. God bless you.

Earlier Postings on the New Caliph:
* ISLAM'S CALIPH ON THE THRONE OF JORDAN? - Islam came as a stranger and will come back as a stranger... Therefore give glad tidings to the strangers...
* IN THE STRUGGLE IN THE MEANING OF WORDS THE LION OF GOD IS NOT SLEEPING - The Caliph, The Believers and the Banner of Truth

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Footnote 30.04.2012: There is a little bit more flurry of activity about the pronouncement on the new Caliph. And perhaps it is enlightening (but predictable) that it has become some subject of ridicule and even vilification in some Muslim forums. It is also ironic that the only online coverage is by Muslims forums that attack the good King Abdullah as either unworthy (read too Western), a traitor to the Arabs, a CIA flunky or even worse, an Israeli-zionist agent on one hand, and on the other hand are a whole tribe of neo-con fundamentalist 'Christian' end-of-time Dominionist websites (like Jihadwatch) that have long eyed King Abdullah, being a direct descendant of the Prophet (pbuh) as a likely candidate for the Caliph.

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Turning Introspection into Inspiration - Meeting the 'BOSS'

The Boss. I attended a pre-launch function for a potential client last night. It was organized at a fancy pant-sie restaurant not far from my house. No sooner that I arrived I was led to the private room behind the stage (it was also a jazz club) to meet the ‘Boss’. Inside I was introduced to the Boss, and I guess the immediate impression was that the Boss would be perfectly casted to play a Chinese triad chieftain in a Jackie Chan movie. His stern demeanour and the clucking underlings that deferentially hovered around him made the atmosphere even more convincing.

Come to the back. My boss wants to meet you. *Gulp*

Engak Bisa. The Boss was very polite and we discussed potential work. That took about 20 minutes. After that, curious as I was (and talkative as he was), we continued to chat about work, business and politics, especially in Indonesia. Oh, I forgot to mention that he is Indonesian. He shared many experiences and lessons about his life, work and family. But his main passion was in marketing and motivation, and in that sphere I found the Boss to be very passionate. Although he spoke in Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesia Official Language), I was quite able to follow him as my Malay language and Bahasa Indonesia are closely related. Anyhow, He had one particular perspective about life, ambition and success which I found to be enlightening. He said…

Walaupun kamu tahu, engak pasti kamu mengerti. Sekiranya kamu mengerti, engak pasti kamu bisa. Walaupun kamu bisa, engak pasti kamu dapat. Dan walaupun kamu dapat, engak pasti apa yang kamu dapat itu bagus!

(Meaning - Just because you know, it does necessarily mean that you understand. Even if you do understand, it does not mean that you are applying your understanding consistently. And even if you do apply your understanding regularly, it does not mean that you are guaranteed success. And even if you do succeed, it does not mean that what you succeed in achieving is necessarily a good thing for you!)

Learning this is a good start. But it is still a looong
way to the Conductor's baton of the
Vienna Philharmonic...

“The problem with a lot of people...” the Boss continued, “... is because they leap from a little knowledge to imagining their grand moment of personal achievement. They learn to play ‘Mary had a Little Lamb’ on the piano with one finger in the morning, and they go to bed at night imagining themselves conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. That is just ridiculous!”

I think I am just like that. A bit of a daydreamer. But the truth is that there is no guarantee of success, and certainly there will be none if you are not willing to sweat and work like a dog. Throughout our conversation, my mind kept drifting back to my own career and how woefully short I am in that aspect. The introspection made me feel a little sad. But I hope to turn this introspection into an inspiration.

Pray for me and wish me luck, sunshine!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

My mother defines my meaning of success

My mother, circa 1973-75

10. Heart Surgery II

We associate to mend hearts,

Not argue theology.

So let us not quibble on dogma

And leave such pastimes

To those bewitched with religion.

Unbearable Me. So we are here because we need a little help. A little emergency heart procedure. Something to heal our broken heart and dreams, our addiction to ......{please fill in your poison here - drugs, alcohol, money, cigarettes, Louis Vuitton, etc}..., and to cure ourselves from our own intolerance, hatred, bigotry, sloth, wastefulness, envy and the rest of our very human failings which makes life difficult and makes us unbearable to be with. You know, sometimes we find our own company unbearable. I do.  

Religion. I find the religion of Islam fascinating. Of course, I am undoubtedly bias, but this is who I am, and this is how I have been brought up, and it is merely Providence that have sprinkled interesting and inspiring personalities in my life to push me this way. I never sought spirituality, and never really cared much about the Afterlife. My main concern was finding happiness here and now. I was never too interested in suffering in this world for a post-death gratification once I am dead and buried.  

I do not think that Islam is like that anyway. For in our regular prayers, we are always asking God for success (and safety) in this life and in the Hereafter. For me that is a dream worth chasing, don't you think?

But what is Succcess? Of course, there is a little grey area because words are open to interpretation - What tantamount to success in this life? A house? A studio apartment? 2 children? 10 children? A car? 100 cars even? A summer house in the French Riviera? A butler? A personal trainer? USD 5 billion in an offshore bank account?

My late mother. I think we can be poor but contented or rich but desperately unhappy. Well, that is what my mother's life has taught me. My mum chose to seek happiness in her heart. By being nice. To everyone, whether you are the Prime Minister's wife, or the garbage man that daily took our household rubbish away. She took time to live life and enjoy God's blessings. She took time to be part of charitable organisations, and on her own, in secret, doing her personal bit for the unfortunate. Not just those in the big city, but deep into the hinterlands of my country. At the same time she maintained a rich tapestry of friendship with friends and family all over the world. And through it all, she still had time for my father, my two brothers and me. So I guess, to me, my mother is a good definition of Success.

Of course, my mum is not perfect. But I have no doubt that in everything that she did, she did it all with patience and sincerity. And I think that was the key to her success. I do not think that God is asking us for more than that. After all, He made us and above anyone else, He understand our strengths and weaknesses. But I think God especially loves my mother for her unassuming and unpretentious nature. This is just a guess, mind you.  

Have a beautiful day, sunshine. Let us love, love, love our mothers.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam.

Love will show the Way.

God is Listening. Even when we think He isn't. Believing this is called Faith.

God.... Are You even listening to me?!

121. Idol-esque God (Poon)

Just as you are cautioned

Not to attribute to idols

Attributes of God.

So too,
Should you avoid
Attributing to God
Attributes of idols.

It is a fine line drawn here,
So alas, many cross it,
Attributing to God
Attributes of being stone-deaf,
Rigid and blind,
Cold and unsympathetic,
While throwing back echoes
Of their own voices,
Masquerading as
The voice of God.

Of course God listens. He is after all God (you know... All-Knowing, All-Seeing, All-Hearing. The Ultimate Know-It-All). But who has not received a rejection and for a moment at least felt and thought, "Oh Gawwwwd! Why are you not listening to my prayers!!!" Sometimes the sentiment blasts through your consciousness so fast that you do not even notice it was there. But the feeling that God did not listen to you (or even worse, God listened but did not care) normally leaves a sticky sickly taste in your soul. Suddenly you feel alone. Lost. Discontented, like a toddler missing his comfort blanket.

It is only human to err. Sometimes I succumb to the culture of entitlement, that after all my sweat and tears to produce that perfect Novel, I feel entitled to be published. Alas, reality kicks in and my book is rejected by some anonymous philistine editor of a publishing house. Probably not even read. Disappointments are part of life, I guess.

But we are still alive, you and I. So it means you can still write that amazing Novel. You can still be that Nobel Prize Winner for Literature. Who's to say you cannot?

The most important thing is to do what you love, and do it well. And even if the entire world does not appreciate your efforts, God would. And He would love you for it. And that is worth more than being No.1 on any Bestseller List. 

Have a lovely day, pet.

wa min Allah at-taufiq.

I met the Sun, the Sea but the Moon spoke for all three - An Ancient Promise

"We have grown old, you and I." said the Sun.

The Sun, the Sea and the Moon
I live untold lives,
Living a particular way
That is all my own.

"Marry me." said the Sea.

But I have grown old,
I have fallen into the sea,
I cannot deny the day its due,
Nor can I resist the night.

The sun says to me
while I shelter under
the shade of a tree,
"Yes, we have grown old, you and I."

I walked by the sea,
And when she saw me,
she said, "I know you. Marry me."

I braced my heart walking
Under a full moon,
She called me a familiar soul,
And a tear fell from my eye.

"A familiar soul!" exclaimed the Moon.

I did not ask for all this...
To which the moon replied,
"Yes, you did. But you do not remember.

... Before we three ever came to be
You were here already,
In the promises that God gave to us -
That there will come a time in our age,
When a creature will be born, created, made
Of sublime nature and sorrowful beauty.
Called Adam and Eve, they will walk upon the Earth,
Giving us some strange thoughts and calling us
The Moon, the Sun and the Sea."
...............

I do believe we should take some comfort, some level of assurance, that however low we fall, and indeed, however high we deemed we have climbed, we are still just part of an ancient promise. A story long ago wrought by God, before we ever felt our first tinge of sorrow, before we ever tasted our first cup of love, before we ever grew in stature to understand the pleasure of success, the anguish of failure and the strength of hope.

May you have a wonderful day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq.

The Tree of Success from the Seed of Contemplation - Prose of Ramadhan Part 14

Remember, read it from the bottom up! After all, how else do trees grow?

HOW TO GROW YOUR OWN TREE OF SUCCESS. I found a little pamphlet in a rarely-visited corner of my soul. The instructions is pretty long-ish, so I will summarise for you the basic points.

1. The seed of contemplation must be a good seed. There are many seeds out there which you can buy. You must purchase the seed that can be grown in the soil of any soul. You should avoid seeds that comes with a warning like "Only for Asians", or "Good only in Caucasian soil", or even "Will grow well in African earth". The best seed I have found is the one that can be planted and flourish in any type of person, whether you are black, brown, white, yellow or magenta.

2. Once the sapling breaks through the soil, you must ensure it gets enough Sun. There is only one Sun (as far as I am aware) that can help nourish your young tree, just like there is only one God. So make sure your tree gets enough sunlight. 

3. You have to tend to the tree regularly. Although hardy, it requires constant care every second of the day. You must water it of course. 5 times a day is highly recommended. An excellent water for this tree is Love. Even better still is those mineral-rich water you will only find in the Highlands of Servanthood. The water is called Mercy. 

4. Often you may forget your responsibility over the tree. Sometimes, you even do the wrong things. But that is okay. You are expected to make mistakes. With enough love, servanthood and mercy, those wasted breaths of yours will become fertilizer for the tree. The important things is never to give up.

5. People often ask me how high can the Tree of Success grow. My answer is to quote God the Creator of All Trees, when He said - All of creation cannot contain Me, but the heart of a true believer can. And as the Tree of Success is planted and cared in the hearts of man, well... you tell me, sunshine!

May your Tree of Success grow and flourish until it reaches the 8th Heaven.

Have a wonderful day, greenthumb!

Pax Taufiqa.