Schism, Diversity and Unity - a pocket-book guide to avoid some big potholes along the road to you-know-Hu

God, the Saints and You

There are some close to God,

But cannot stand that God permits

Others less ‘holy’ to be with Him,

To be near Him, unassailed

By any Retribution.

There are some close to the Saint,

But cannot stand that the Saint permits

Others less ‘correct’ to be with Him,

To be loved by Him, unhindered

By any Judgment.

We do not own God

But we presume to speak on His behalf,

We do not own the Saint

But we presume to judge others

That the Saint has, with love, shown mercy.

Do you now see?

That is what makes a Saint a saint,

And we mere jesters and observers.

Do not stand in the Saints way...

For alive or dead their stories continue

In the unveiling of Truth above falsehood,

So now... Of that part, which is fit for you?

…………………………

Schism is an ugly word in religion. In Islam's history we have seen the rise of two co-existing caliphates, the Abbasids in Baghdad and the second Ummayad Caliphate in Andalusia, Spain. We also have the 4 jurisprudence schools of Hanbali, Maliki, Syafie and Hanafi dividing the Muslim nation as well as numerous sufi orders - Adawiyya, Chishti, Mehlevi, Qadiriyya, Rifa'i, Naqshbandi etc. But is this really schism?

But in religion, diversity and unity are really beautiful words. If God had wanted a single-one-type utopia He would have made everyone alike. but He didn't. He didn't even make His Angels the same, what more Djinn or Mankind with our varying passions, wisdom and foolishness? I think that this reflects the Unity through Diversity or Plurality... a reflection of the infinite multi-faceted attributes of God. After all, even God has many names and attributes, although a couple are clearly His favourites - Most Compassionate and Most Merciful, ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim.

Thus He has decide to reveal Himself to us, in God's single-absolute-unique Oneness but One whose attributes are so vast that really, we only know Him as He guides us to know Him. Clearly it was fated that from the seed of Adam, there would grow this rich diversity in our differing races and cultures. And I see no harm in this. So long as we know where we came from (from Him) and where we shall one day return to (to Him again). And even in this understanding we must withhold judgment on those who are still travelling in the journey... as we all are.

73. HU-man-ity

I always believed that

Man was just man.

Until HU came

And changed man into HUman.

Then HU made me see,

That from Ahmad’s single Nur

Came plurality,

Thus, HUman became HUmanity.

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

In terrible danger are those who think that they have 'found' God and that their journey is at its spiritual end while they still live. For they are always at risk to pride, hubris and the ego-driven alienating feeling of 'us' and 'them'. And yes, this danger is alive in all of us, whether we are laypeople or clerics, Muslims as well as those who aspire to the Tariqas (the Path) of Islam. Thank God that God and the Prophet is ever attentive to our mischiefs, and correcting us along each step of our own personal journeys.

If the storm clouds of schism is over your house, remember God, the Prophet
and observe patience and tolerance towards those whom you think are different.

Alhamdulillah then, praise be unto God, that you are you and I am I. Two separate personalities but united in the belief and worship of One God. May God make your journey easy (but always interesting). Of course, the funny thing is that often, when the journey becomes really interesting it becomes less easy. Hehehe. Just a thought, sunshine.

Have a happy, happy day.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will shown the Way

Hari Malaysia Poem 2011 - The Alchemy of Malaysia

The Alchemy of Malaysia is...

The Art of uniting people

Of different racial, religious, ethnic,

Economic, cultural, and political background

Into a Golden Realm.

Hehehe. We are far from being a Golden Realm. But since 16.09.1963, when Sabah and Sarawak joined the Federation of Malaya (which earlier gained its independence in 1957) to create Malaysia, we have stumbled and grumbled our way through 48 years of general amity with glitches of disunity.

It is okay to dream. In fact I think there is nothing wrong at all thinking that Malaysia can be better. We may not be golden, and we have become a little rusty and rough around the edges. But I was born from a kindly family, just as my Indian, Chinese, Iban, Kadazan, Orang Asli etc... were all sprung from a noble heritage. 

I think that in the pursuit of unity in diversity, we must always remember our heritage and traditions. For that is what makes any country as rich in diversity as Malaysia unique. To step forward holding hands, we should know how we got here in the first place, yes?

But before I leave you to enjoy our Friday, I must share with you a posting by Aida Tourer entitled the Alchemy of Colors (CLICK HERE), which made me think about my country and its own alchemy. Thank you, Aida. 

From Malaysia, to the rest of the world, our greeting of peace, love and also beauty. Beauty because we are really damn good looking (okay... hehehe. Just kidding).

wa min Allah at-taufiq

The Kingship of God and the Kinship of Humanity - Some Facets of the NurMuhammad

Candy from the Ahad Candy Store

Ahad has given us all

Varying candies of Ahmad,

With different flavours and textures.

Yet all have that creamy caramel centre

That men like to call Love.

You wanna share yours with mine?

AHAD. This is one of those technical prose that I record whenever my whim fancies. This was written in the month of March 2010. Ahad is one of the Name Attribute of our One God (which Muslim often refers as Allah), and is the God that is worshiped in all religion and creed.

AHMAD is also one of the name attribute of the Prophet Muhammad. It is part of Muslim Lore (dissected to its inner infinite meaning through the traditions of the Sufis) that within Adam and Eve, and within all their grandsons and granddaughters, lie the essence of Muhammad. For the Prophet has recounted that “I was already a Prophet before Adam.” Which kinda makes you wonder, who was he Prophet to, since mankind and djinn was not in existence? This was the question posed to me by Longhair in our late night meeting last blessed Sunday.

THE ESSENCE. (According to our belief) It is the essence of Muhammad that we are fated to reflect its distinct taste and flavour within us– some will become teachers, others will be doctors and kings, some will be beggars and others will be rich merchants. Some will be wordy poets, some will be silent wise men while a few others will be noisy jesters, entertaining people and kings in their royal courts. There will be scientists cracking open the atoms, there would be kindly mothers and fathers, contented to dot over their children. And there would be readers and writers, lovers and warriors. It is the all encompassing nature of the essence of Muhammad that all of us would reflect him when we are best at what we are meant to be.

NURMUHAMMAD. Thus for a true believer, a soul awaken in the light of understanding of Essences and the Overriding Writ of Love of the Almighty God, there is never an ‘us and them’ or a ‘you and I’. Our common heritage goes beyond the creation of Adam and Eve, you see. Indeed, our bond of Love and Servanthood was there before Time itself, before the creation of the Angels, the heavens and hells. It was there before creation of the Pen of Creation. So what ink did God use in the Pen to write what He is Writing now? “It is the Light of Muhammad – that which was created before everything. Before even the creation of the Throne and the Heavenly Court of God, and before the creation of the Angels of the Throne that have before Time itself, been encircling the Throne and pouring glorious praise for God.”

KINSHIP. I do not like to waste time writing about technical bits and ends about the Universe and the procedures of Divine Creation unless we have something to gain out of it all. And what I wish to gain here, if I could, is to remind ourselves of our closeness and kinship - regardless of religion, race or nationality. For you see, we were always brothers and sisters, you and I – even before Adam was sprung into heavenly paradise.

And if you, like me, find it difficult sometimes to look to the far off past, then simply remember to look up at the night sky. And gaze upon the countless twinkling stars at night, the light of which was undoubtedly created some millions upon billions of years ago. Such are the signs and clues with which God has graced our world to remind us of our common kinship under the Writ of Love - When humanity submits to the Kingship of God, we all gain our Kinship, as witnessed by the heavenly stars eons ago.

Have a starry day, sunshine. As you can see, Moses the cat is in total agreement with me.

Pax Taufiqa.

The Black Ring, the White Ring, the Prophet & His Companions

40. The Rasul and His Friends

Roses from the Garden,

And stars in the sky,

Will make good company

In your travels, my child.

(The poem is inspired by a famous hadis (saying) of the Prophet, "My companions are like stars in the night sky. Follow any of them, surely they will guide you to God and me.")

The prose above predates the black ring by 7 years. When I purchased this black crystal beauty in Mecca last week, my companion pilgrims keep asking, "Is that for your girl, then?". I keep having to explain to them that "Yeees, I bought it at the men's section, and yeees, the salesman said it was a man's ring." I admit that the ring is bling, but what star does not bling and blink at you in the night sky? So you see, there is always a story behind a ring. This is not the One Ring, but it reminds me of the Prophet and His Companions, and that is enough of a reason to submit to the sexism and ridicule of my beloved friends!

And the White Ring? My companion traveller now in Jakarta with me insisted that I take the picture together with my black ring. Its symbolic of the ying and yang, he says. Okaaay. I am tolerant of the quirky requests from him, for he is one of my great friends. We all have our great friends, don't we? And we tolerate and love their eccentricities. After all, true friendship... it is a wonderful gift.

31.A gift of gifts!!

In my life I am blessed,

As the Lord ensures me

The companionship of true friends,

They who enliven my days

with wit, joy and wisdom.

Honoured, inspite of myself,

To be honoured with their brotherhood.

O'Lord of Gifts,

In this which you reward me,

Is a gift of gifts!!

Life is better with friends, life will be dull or colourless without them. If we feel the same way about our friends as the Prophet did, surely, you and I, we must be brothers and sisters. And how happy am I to have finally found you... sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa