FORMLESS, FORMED, FORMLESS - a little reflection on traditional sunnah archery

The Form of Archery and Life 

(or Formless, Formed, Formless)

Formless, the intention is sparked

Like a light within a light,

The intention is formed 

As you pick the arrow

And set it upon the bowstring,

You raise the bow

Drawing the bowstring,

Then you aim and release the arrow,

Thus completing your intention,

Your intention returns to its formless state, 

The arrow is flying, whirling through the air

Landing at a place pre-destined an eternity ago,

Landing at a place only God will know where...

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

An old friend said to me, "You know, it is pointless to be disappointed when the arrow misses the target. And it is as pointless to rejoice when the arrows hits the bulls eye."

Eh?

"Why be torn between two polar extremes of emotions, when you can have a constant state of calm happiness?" He continued. "After all, the form of archery, the physical aspects of the sport, and the formless state being your intention to follow the sunnah archery of our beloved Prophet (saws) is already a blessing in itself!"

Really?

"Yes... really. And if you do not believe me, then ask the regiment of angel archers that is shooting arrows with you because you are honouring the traditions of the Habibullah (saws)..."

I am obsessed by an obsession. I don't know how long it will last, but I am so happy to see my brother, my son and all my nephews similarly captivated. 

So do be careful, sunshine. Don't pick up that bow and arrow if you do not want to spend hours and hours shooting arrows, fixing arrows, repairing and installing targets. And to be thrown into a circle of friends who are kind, generous, hilarious and exceedingly good-looking. May Allah bless their big hearts!

He he he.

Have a lovely day, sunshine. 

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

TWO BOW-LENGTHS - sunnah archery, whirling dervishes and the unity of Allah (swt)

Two Bow-Lengths

Beneath ten million stars

Across the plains of America

High in the mountains of the Himalayas, 

Deep in the sea of the Pacific,

Hidden in the dunes of old Arabia,

In the Artic tundra,

On the steppes of Russia,

In the hollow of a rainforest

In rural hilly Malaysia

We whirl...

Following the one

Brought closest to the One

Till he was at a distant of but two bow-lengths

Or even nearer.

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

All roads lead to God. The art of the whirling dervish and the prophetic tradition of archery appear to be two very different activities. That is true at one level, but at another level it is essentially one and the same, just like the God we all pray to. And if you follow the spiritual path, there are many, many more levels for you to traverse. Across a seemingly impossible divide between the temporal and spiritual, the physical and the mystical. Slowly, you will notice the blurring of borders between religious ritual and daily life, between this world and that world. 

And most importantly, between you and I, between us and them.

The last sentence in the prose references a Quranic verse depicting the arrival of God's Beloved Muhammad (saws) beyond the last veil, through which not even the Archangel Gabriel would pass. And it was there (wherever 'there' is) that Muhammad Habibullah (saws) was brought to the divine presence of Allah (swt), God of all Creation. As the Quran informs us...

While he was in the highest part of the horizon

Then he approached and came closer

And was at a distant of but two bow-lengths or (even) nearer.

(Quran 58:7-9, Yusuf Ali)

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

In this month of the Prophet Muhammad's (saws) birth, the Muslims are busying themselves in remembrance of their beloved Prophet, polishing the old connection and reasserting their passionate love for the Habibullah (saws) in the celebrations of his prophetic attributes. Why, even sinners such as I cannot but get dragged along for the ride...

So have a good one, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE SPRING OF BLISS & THE HAPPY, JOYOUS STATE - the Maulidur Rasul and why we need not fear...

Beguiled by beauty? Fear not, for your Prophet is beauty personified! 

46. The Turban and the Nightingales

There are folds in the Prophet’s turban

Like unto petals of a fragrant rose

Before any nightingale sang in heaven

Muhammad was Allah’s first prose.

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

This evening marks the 12th day of Rabi' al-Awwal, coinciding in the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (saws). It also coincides in a flu-fever for the sinner. But I cannot permit this day to end without something for the Almanac, and I have taken the judicious solution of digging from my stash of old prose about our beloved Prophet (saws). Three of which is reanimated here... I hope you like them all.

207. The Waiting II

Muhammad is waiting under the Lote Tree,

Sitting under the shade of My Mercy,

Resting his back on the trunk of My Support,

Tasting the fruits of My Generosity,

Taking delight in the manifestation of My Beauty.

Attended to by the Best of Hosts,

He is already in the Best of Company,

Yet his gaze returns to thee,

Asking, “Join me! Join me!”

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

Doggone day? Fear not, for your Prophet is calling you out of the storm!

18. Love and Servanthood

Nothing is taught here,

But the Art of Love;

How to love,

And how to be loved.

Nothing is taught here,

But the Art of Servanthood;

How to serve,

And how to be served.

From perfect love comes perfect servanthood,

And from perfect servanthood comes perfect love.

From the perfection of both characters,

Comes the perfection that He looks for,

And that only He may Bestow.

Allah!

By any other name, such perfection is he, Muhammad,

Best of Creation,

The Chosen Intercessor,

Lover and Servant,

Most Beloved of God.

Allah!

What happy, joyous state is he!

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

Salam Maulidur Rasul, sunshine. May we all enter the Divine Presence and the Happy Joyous State that is with Muhammad Sayyidina Aynun Na'im (The Spring of Bliss) (saws), Prophet of Allah Almighty and Mercy to all the Worlds.

Blinded by the world? Fear not, for your Prophet is bringing you the Light of Knowledge!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way 

INFINITY IS JUST ONE MOMENT - the words of the Prophet (saws) comes tumbling through time for us

Momentarily, please...

What is a moment?

When does a moment begin and when does it end?

Between two breaths?

Between the draw of a bowstring and the release of an arrow?

Between your birth and your death and what follows?

How many todays are left for us, o' Saad?

And how many tomorrows?

How far shall your arrow fly?

And wherefore shall your soul go?

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

The Oxford Dictionary (which I here summarize) says that a 'moment' means a very brief period of time or a particular or exact point in time or course of event. 

But for God Almighty, time itself is a point of creation. And though we are forced to live our daily life from the crib to the grave in periodically significant moments such as days and nights, births and deaths, work and rest, sleep and play... to God, all these occasions, which may be broken into countless and infinitesimally small apportionment of time, can all count to be one single moment for Him. After all, from the point of creation to the end of whatever end may be, it is in a single glance of God's divine vision... simply because the created can never, even clothed in that barely imaginable idea of infinity, encompass the Creator Himself. 

So like all things manifested by Our Loving God, even infinity is an instrument for human conjecture and reflection. 

Err... I appear to have wandered off topic. Alright, the prose above is actually referencing a hadith (verbal sayings of the Prophet Muhammad saws) - for one day, while walking with his four illustrious Companions, Abu Bakar, Umar, Usman and Ali, the Prophet (saws) came upon his uncle, Saad ibn Abi Waqqas, who was his mother's cousin. Famous for being one of the earliest Muslims, and a courageous and skillful archer, Saad was practising his archery skills when  the Prophet (saws) came by. Looking on, the Prophet (saws) encouragingly said to him, "O' Saad, shoot an arrow for me...".  

And so it is for you, sunshine. Whatever good deed or work you may be doing, however humble. Planting a sapling, cooking a pot roast, cleaning your room, reading a book, embracing your mother, honing your archery skills, or going for a walk... do you not hear our Master? Do it for me... do it in my name... do it on my behalf... do it for my pleasure... in all our prayer, pleasure, pastime or passion.

The words of encouragement from the heart of Muhammad Habibullah (saws) comes to us, passing through the vast expanse of time and space as if it were all just one moment in the Vision of Allah (swt) the All-Knowing, the All-seeing! Because the truth is, it really is.

So let us strive to a beautiful and purposeful life, sunshine. Not for my sake, and nor even yours. But for his sake, for the sake the Light of Creation, Sayyidina Miftahul Jannat (Key to the Garden), our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saws).

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

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

The Dervish in the Flower Pot

I found him entangled among the branches and leaves,

The little dervish caught in a flower pot,

 Upon his head rested a yellow turban,

Upon his lips rested praises of God,

And teardrops glistened like jewels

On his flowing robe of white.

The mark in remembrance 

of the Prophet and His Lord.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a lovely day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way 

BEAUTY . MUSIC . GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT - following the Scent of the Sunnah

What Innovation?

There is no innovation in worship,

There is no innovation in music,

So sing!

Dance!

Jump!

Move you hands!

Move your legs!

Sway and whirl!

Do not let polite society

Writhing in some obscure regret

For some ancient sin not of their making

Dampen your expressions of love

In the prison of their posturing!

.................................   

I am getting old. Too old of a dog to be chained to pretensions and acquired postures of piety. Let me free, and let me sniff out the trail through the witch's forest and find the Divine Presence. Tucked away in some sinner's covert sorrow or a street-walker's hidden tears. 

I love beauty. And I love beautiful things. The high minarets and the palatial domes draws our eyes up, higher and higher to the sky and beyond. "Look unto us, o' Man!", the celestial heavens seem to speak to us at night... "How small and petty you appear to be." , they abjure us. "But remember your smallness, for therein is the sign of your nobility.", as they point us towards submission and total servanthood to God, our common Creator. 

I love music. And I am taught by a gentle, sensitive spirit to love music. And once there was a time, when saintly speech, beauty and music seem to work hand in hand. Connecting humanity, through all shades of creed, race, nationality and colour.

Music. Beauty. Generosity of Spirit. These are the virtues that give me the greatest succour in these strange days of ours where wealth, hubris and hate has possessed a large swath of mankind. So if you find me with my eyes closed during the daytime, do not think I am asleep. I am listening to the symphony of love, I am walking through the temples of beauty, following an enchanting scent. The scent that is the words, the life and the wisdom of Allah's (swt) Mercy to all the Worlds, Muhammad Sayyidina Miftahul Jannat (saws) . 

You have been there, sunshine. I have seen you. 

Hey! Hey! Let me in! You are my heart and I demand to be let in!
Key? What key? What in God's name are you talking about!?

We are taught that to gain entry into our own hearts, and into the heart of our heart, we shall need a key. The Sayyidina Miftahul Jannat, the Key to the Garden, that being none other than the one most honoured, yet most humble of all His Creation, the Prophet Muhammad Habibullah (saws).

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place

Love will show the Way

THE HAND OF FATE - take the hand and make your fate

Love Regardless

If love didn't wake you up this morning,

Let love put you to sleep in the evening,

If love did not begin your conversation,

Let love still be its conclusion,

And if you began everything with love,

In prayer, leisure, work or play,

Then by God, let love end them all the same way!

With love, through love, in the Name of Love,

That is God and no one else 

To whom you turn and pray!

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

God has created the world with love, and filled it with infinite means and causes by which love may be displayed. This is very, very good. But this also means that this world is filled with many, many trials and tribulations, doubts, errors and corruption that will test your love. As this sinner recorded almost 10 years ago in a prose about our Beloved God Almighty...

55. Love Test

I am He who heals all wounds

I am He who cherishes the afflicted

I am He whom you claim to love

What is love if it is not tested?

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

So don't worry if you start something with love, only for it falls over the side into unlove and regret. You are still alive after all, and it is still in your hands to determine the contents of your destiny.

Love Test 2

O' My servants...

In My hand is the fate of all things,

So take My hand and have no fear

To lose everything that you hold dear!

For am I not the one you must hold dearest...?

Above and beyond any other?

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

We need not face up to the conniving enemy, our ego and hubris all alone. We need not be looking for God by our own little knowledge and caprice. For in the Hand of God are all His Prophets and Saints... So wherever you will find these holy souls, verily you will find Him. 

We seek support always in this and all our undertaking, from the Seal of the Prophets himself, Muhammad Sayyidina Safiyullah (s.a.w.s.) (the Intimate of God).

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE GARDEN OF PRAYER & THE ENDURING SALAWAT - The Ramadan Story, Part 8

O' Prophet, if I could, I would

If I could wrap myself around you, I would,

Like a ring of gold and silver

On your little finger,

To mark our engagement

And long-sought union...

Or like a humble black string

A little forget-me-not,

Tied with the Knot of God

By you, o' Master...

I am saying all this because

I don't know what else to say,

Your love, your beauty and mercy

Confound my words

Day after day after day...

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

Double Assurance. Is there a place better than this for us, o' Muslims? On one hand, you can praise God Almighty with beautiful praises, and the Prophet will undoubtedly say, "This thing that you say and do, this is good!" On the other hand, you can also venerate and plead for glorious blessings from God for the Prophet (s.a.w.s.), and God too will say, "This thing that you say and do, this is good!" It is a double divine assurance. A back to back warranty that you are in a good place and heading to a better place.

The Garden of Prayer & Praise. And however you sincerely sing Allah's (s.w.t.) absolute praises and venerate Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) - there is simply no full-stop to your inspiration or veneration. Your every breath is there to magnify God Almighty and His Beloved (s.a.w.s.), your every gesture, movement and thought can become a Garden of Prayer. And in such a place, you become the gardener, the tiller, the seed, the bloom, the flower and the fruit! Perhaps your only worry is the average life-expectancy in your country. For you are blessed with the certainty that however hard you try, till your voice is raised by the Angels to the heavenly sky, no amount of prayer or praise will suffice to mirror His Love... Leaving you ultimately gasping for words...  

May the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) be surrounded by his garden of praise, from one invisible horizon to the other invisible horizon. Is this life not well-lived already if we have perished only to be a flower in such a garden? Amidst an infinite bloom of salawats showered upon him already by Allah (s.w.t.) Himself and His Host of Angels? 

Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet.
O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him
with a worthy salutation! (Quran 33:56 Marmaduke Pickthall)

Compensating for Sincerity? On a final note, I might add that it doesn't matter if you are not a wordsmith or a poet, that you cannot string two eloquent words  together to save your life. For it is the sincerity of the speaker that really matters, not the words themselves. And I guess I go overboard textually because I am compensating for my lack of sincerity? Perhaps this is okay... after all, you cannot spell sincerity without sin.

And in each breath, our journey is just beginning. 

Have a lovely day, sunshine, and a blessed fast.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

SAYYIDINA MIFTAH (saws) in the SHAHR AL-MIFTAH - The Ramadan Story, Part 4

The Further Prophet

Oh Prophet of God,

Oh Muhammad, the Flag of Guidance,

Oh Muhammad, the Key to the Garden,

Verily, the further in history you are,

The more there is to know of you,

Like a glittering star,

The more distant you appear to be,

The more fascinating your story,

The more immense your personality,

The more complete your mercy.

The Greatest Master

And the Greatest Servant,

The One who is named after the Only One,

The Reason for Creation,

God's Mercy to all the Worlds!

............................ 

End of Time. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s) departed this world in the year 632 A.D. But unlike any other person before him and since, his story has not ended with his demise. Indeed, his story continues to flourish with greater vigour and spirit, despite the best efforts of those who would cut short his prophethood. 

120. The Wounded Shepherd (With our own mason)

I hurt, I bleed.

But not a drop

Of my blood must fall

On the soil of Ta’if.

Am I not the prophet for the end of time?

And the end of time is not here yet, O’ Gibrail.

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

A Dynamic Life. And flowing from this understanding of the Messenger's (s.a.w.s.) unique station that transcends time and space, comes the supporting life tales of the holy host of Messengers, Prophets and Saints before him and of Saints after him, that are sent by our One Loving God to guide all of humanity towards adab (good manners) and ilm (knowledge), and to forsake our hubris, hate, bigotry, pride and selfishness. This dynamic nature of spiritual lore that both transcends and governs physical knowledge is the particular hallmark of Islam, which is manifested by the Criterion, the Book of the Universe called the Holy Quran, and the traditions of the Chosen One, Muhammad Habibullah, known as the Sunnah.

The Guide and the Key. But I cannot say anything anymore on this. For beyond this is the path of experience and love. And for this, you need to find your guide. So for heaven's sake, don't forget to ask God for your guide, who will lead you, on a direct course for the Key. The Key to Creation, the Key to Mercy and Compassion, the Key to knowing best the person that you call "me" or "I", that being none other than Muhammad Sayyidina Miftah, Most Beloved of God (s.a.w.s.).

And since this month of Ramadan is also known as Shahr al-Miftah (the Month of the Key), I think this is most apt. Don't you agree, sunshine?

Wake Up!

Do not despair in this world and its nightmares!

Wake up to Him! Wake up to Love! Wake up to Truth!

Wake up to Beauty, Mercy and the real you!

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

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way  

THE REMOVER OF WORRIES - Muhammad, Sayyidina Kashiful Kurab... and a bit of something about nothingness and Angel Archers...

Angel Archer

Sometimes I want less of something,

Sometimes I want less of less,

Sometimes I need less of nothing,

So sometimes I simply wait and see

And take whatever the Angel brings.

Be it a pot of gold,

A sliver of silver,

A ghost of a fright,

Or an arrow of light,

As sharp as a bee sting.

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

I can understand what less of something means. But less of less? Does that mean more of something? After all, more of less means lesser (I guess...). And what about less of nothing? Does that mean we want more of something or more of nothing? My friend, Moses, would accuse me of purposely obfuscating what I mean. 

But sometimes I am not sure what I mean. Some days are like that, don't you agree?

Anyways, it is Sabbath, sunshine. So I will not tire you with my confusion. Today I hope to rest, just like you. And to recall my Master and Prophet, Muhammad Habibullah (Beloved of God). And all my care and worry, I pass upon his magnificent mercy, flowing from the Mercy Ocean of Allah (s.w.t.)... Thus, I am adrift, floating like a leaf in the stream of...

Muhammad, Sayyidina Kashiful Kurab (The Remover of Worries) (s.a.w.s.)

Have a perfectly fine Sabbath, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE KEY TO THE GARDEN - Muhammad Sayyidina Miftahul Jannat (saws) and His blessed Nation

You may find Beauty in the Garden,

You may find Mercy in the Garden,

You may find Compassion in the Garden,

You may find Light in the Garden,

You may find Truth in the Garden,

You may find Love in the Garden,

And you may find yourself in the Garden,

So seek the One who has the Key to the Garden,

Seek the One who is the Key,

There is no mystery,

It is Him that you speak of...

Muhammad Mustafa, Sayyidina Miftahul Jannat!

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

What is Dalail-i Hayrat? Or to give its complete name... 

Dalail-i Hayrat 

wa Shawarqi'l Anwar fi Zikris Salat ala Nabiyil-Mukhtahar

It is a book written by Shaykh Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Suleiman Abu Bakar al-Jazuli al-Simlali, containing prose and verse of praise for the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s). Therefore, the title is translated thus - 

Guide of Good Deeds 

and the Brilliant Burst of Light in the Remembrance of Blessing on the Chosen Prophet.

It is a wonderful little book. For all those times when a Muslim is at lost of words to describe his (or her) love for the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s), this little guide nurtures this love and introduces them to the bewildering names and titles of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.). So much so, that you will find yourself pausing and smiling... thinking happily over one of his titles, "Yea... I did imagine the Prophet that way..."

Click Here to a PDF copy of this wonderful book by Shaykh Jazuli. Courtesy of the Naksibendi...

And do you know what is the amazing thing..? I do believe that the Dalail-i Hayrat is still be written. As the devoted lovers and followers of Muhammad (saws) continue in their study and understanding of his prophetic station, which is rising with each moment passing in creation, there are more wonderous names to discover, more wonderous titles to remember him by, this person whom God Himself calls Habibullah (Beloved of God).

Have a wonderful day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE FLAG OF GUIDANCE, THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE JOY OF GOD - three names of the Prophet (s.a.w.s) and the little matter of the jihad

The Kalimah of Jihad

There is no G but G, and M is the M of G.

There is no jihad but G-Heart,

And in this venture, there is no messenger better.

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

G-HEART. What is jihad? Jihad is about bringing God into your heart, which directly brings goodness into the world. It is about translating our humble life to magnify the Greatness of Allah (s.w.t.), to suppress our ego and nafs (base animal desires) and raise the Flag of Guidance in our heart, who is none other than that 'M'... Muhammad Prophet of God (s.a.w.s).

Guide us, ya Sayyidina Alamul Huda (s.a.w.s.)!

GEE-HEART. And if you are a Christian? What is Jihad for you? It is not the crusade of ancient times, nor the poor facsimile of the crusades now. It is to stop saying 'Gee Whiz!" or 'Golly Gee!" but to instead resonate the Gee (G) of Jesus Christ in your heart. And for this, there is no wiser arbiter than the Holy Spirit, who is none other than Muhammad Prophet of God(s.a.w.s).

Guide us, ya Sayyidina Ruhul Quds (s.a.w.s.)!

JOYFUL HEART. Banish the pain and sorrow of your life thrown up in the pursuit of being something, when nothing is much simpler. Hold the bridle tightly on the donkey (ego) and say, "Go straight! Let us ride upon the Path of Haqq (Truth). O' my ego, you tell me to turn here and there, to turn left and be distracted by this world, to turn right and be overcome by my sensual desires, you promise me that by following your nature, I will find joy, but you are deceitful, for what is joy if it is not the Joy of Allah, who is none other than Muhammad Prophet of God (s.a.w.s.)? Come, on our way now, the Prophet beckons!"

Guide us, ya Sayyidina Sa'dullah (s.a.w.s.)!

Lovely. Have a beautiful Sunday, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way 

A BOUQUET OF SALAWAT - the meaning of salawat... and we are not even scratching the surface.

A Bouquet of Salawat
I wanted to present the Prophet 
With a gift of a smile,
So I smiled at my father,
I wanted to present the Prophet
With a gift of honey,
So I gave my auntie a flask of Yemeni,
I wanted to present the Prophet
A gift of assistance and succour,
So I turned away from the TV adverts
And gave my money to the needy instead,
I wanted to present the Prophet
With greetings of peace and praise,
So I gathered all these gifts in my heart
And recited the Salawat for him,
And tied the Words of Light together 
With binds of love, gossamer and frail
In a bouquet of words whose endings trail,
High above me... 
Gently swaying in the breeze
Of Angels' Wings as they take my Salawat
To bear them to the Prophetic Presence,
To be graciously accepted by the One created by Allah
To be gracious beyond compare.

So now... whither my Salawat is, 
Verily I know with certainty,
The Prophet is there.

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

(Salawat, the greeting of Peace and calling upon Allah's (s.w.t.) blessings for the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.s.)

Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation. (Marmaduke Pickthall)

The blooms withers not. The perfume does not die away with the passing of earthly seasons, its scent lingering in the Prophetic Presence. That is the value of your Salawat.

Birds do it. Bees do it. Even educated fleas do it. Let's do it. Let's fall in love and give him the Salawat.

The stalk does not break or bend. The colors do not fade with the passing of time, nor shed its petals. It will last longer than the longest rerun of the longest Indian tele-drama ever produced. That is timelessness of your Salawat.

Wise men say, "Only fools rush in... but I can't help falling in love with you... and giving you, Oooh my Prophet, your Salawat..." (Extended ElviSalawat Remix)

Words of Light, bound with the band of love and human frailty, growing luminous. You say you understand the meaning of Salawat? Verily, you are presumptuous. One day, if Allah(s.w.t.) wills it, you will be brought to the Place of Salawats, and there will you lose reckoning of your limited understanding. Glory be to He Who Reveals His Glory and Who Hides His Glory!

Gemstones, gold and silver stumble from your lips. If the giant megacorporations were to know of the value of the Salawat, verily they would bribe governments to buy the mining concession on your lips and mine your Salawat. 

If the United States knew of the value of the Salawat, they would incite a regime change on your lips, that they might benefit directly from your Salawat. That is the attraction of your Salawat.

If teenage girls (or middle aged women with teenage hearts) knew the value of the Salawat, not the most pretty, wiggle-wiggle dancing, androgynous K-Pop boyband can make their heart sway the way the Salawat would. Psy would supersede his Gangnam hit with his Salawat hit. And it will be listed in the Heavenly Top One Hundred Billboard. That is the value of your Salawat.

Ahh. That's about enough reasons for the Salawat, don't you agree? And I have not even scratched the surface of the surface of the surface of the meanings. Have a beautiful day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way