NO FAITH WITHOUT WONDER

The Created and the Uncreated

The perfume cannot comprehend the perfumer,

The arrow cannot comprehend the archer, 

The created cannot comprehend the uncreated,

Yet the scent of the perfume excites the maiden, you can smell it!

And the arrow is flying on its trajectory towards the deer, you can see it!

Thus all of God's creatures sense their own created beings,

But what lies beyond our physical senses...?

Oh Wonder! You are a wondrous thing!

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

Physical Senses. If you stop wondering, you stop living. Oh, you can live physically, since all of our senses are geared towards the purpose of continuing our own life and existence - Hungry? Eat. Thirsty? Drink. Horny? Procreate. 

Inner Senses. But the problem with physical senses is that  they act at a very basic animal instinct. And unless we are prepared to live as animals, we must address the substrata of our conscious existence, that is our emotions and thoughts that is beyond our base desires. And once we explore our inner consciousness, we are in a different world altogether, a world of flux often pulled by opposing forces of love and hate, generosity and greed, attachment and detachment, companionship and loneliness, humility and hubris. 

Such things we 'sense' within ourselves according to our mind and our heart. And it is in this horizon of intangible feelings, that we find the need for assurance, hope, redemption, knowledge and contentment. This is the hidden form of this world, and the door of exploration that God has laid in the well of our conscience. 

The Outer World and the Inner World. For however wondrous is a storm at sea. However mysterious and beguiling is a night sky full of stars, however maddening is the beauty of a human child, it is our inner understanding, our inner self that is reacting to all these physical expressions of this world and giving meaning to them.

And so religious faith is all about that really. It is our natural inclination towards the inner uncreated reality that is God, helping us towards finding the true meaning of our deeds, our emotions and ultimately, this world and our purpose in life. This is the basic tenets of all religion whatever faith you may be dressed in.

The Inner Uncreated Reality is More Real Than Our Physical Created Reality,

Giving understanding and meaning to it all.

And though meanings find their expression through our actions (and omissions), it is essentially our inner reflections through which we may find our happiness  and success in this life and in the next, towards that One uncreated Being, the incomparable Absoluteness, that is God the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate, the Lord of Mercy and the Giver of Mercy...

All about You

When I contemplate life, 

When I listen to you,

When I consider myself,

When I read the books of the wise,

When I look at the world,

The birds flying in the sky,

When I listen to the world,

The dogs barking in the night,

When I dip my feet in a cool forest stream,

When I see a candle light 

And the near wandering moth,

In truth,

It is God that 

I wonder of.  

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

So you see. If you have stopped wondering, where is your faith? For faith is not about the certainty by which you judge yourself or other people. It is faith in the certainty that God Almighty does not discriminate between one person to another save by our good deeds, good thoughts and helpfulness to others. 

God. The True Wonder of all, beyond wonder, beyond all!

Don't you agree, sunshine? Even if I do tend to ramble on? I wonder...

He he he.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Going Green - the good, the bad, the sinner, the saintly, the saints...

Green Kuching

In the city of Kuching, Sarawak,

On the Island of Borneo,

There runs a mighty river,

Beside the river there sits a mosque,

And in the compound of the mosque

There is a cemetery,

In the cemetery there is a grave,

And on the grave rests a headstone

Carved of wood and shaped into a point,

Around the headstone is wrapped

A turban of green.

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

Green Jakarta

In the city of Jakarta, Indonesia,

On the Island of Java

There is a small hotel,

And in the hotel there sits a man,

He is a sinner, a wandering fool,

A desperate soul clinging to goodness

Like a rat in a flood,

Around his finger is wrapped a ring of silver

And set upon the ring is

A stone of green.

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

I am a sinner. But you know... the good thing about being bad is that you tend to see all these saints and the saintly in our life - as a mark contradistinction from ourselves. A beautiful view... alhamdulillah! (praise be unto God!) Of course we do not condone 'badness' and we have no intention to be bad all the time or forever. So God has generously sprinkled around us bad ones, the Good Ones. No doubt as a lesson for us, an example to emulate... and a mercy to experience.

And the Good Ones are always with God the One. Goodness all around, permeating the air that we breath, the water that we drink, the hand that we kiss with affection. We seek their company always. Like the moth we are drawn to the light.

A happy optimistic note for a happy hopeful Monday! God bless you, sunshine.

A Good One... 

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

NONE BUT ONE - mankind, our labels, pride and petty squabbles

They Say
They may say…
I am Westernized,
I am Orthodox,

Kiara Cemetery.

I am a Liberal,
I am a Libertine,

They may say…
I am a Fundamentalist,
I am a Progressive,
I am an Extremist,
I am a Moderate,

They may say…
I am political,
I am immoral,
I am a Mason,
I have no scruples,

They may say…
I am an Idealist,
I am a Socialist,
I am Spiritual,
I am a Realist,

They may say…
I am an Anarchist,
I am a Hedonist,
I am a Humanist,
I am a Pacifist.

They may say…
I am a Believer,
I am a Heretic,
I am an Innovator,
I am a fake.

They can call me by any name they want,
For that is their way...

The way of men and their labels,
Their pride and petty squabbles,
When their God is none but One.

When I hear people talk about defending the faith, upholding the spirit of the religion, protecting the sanctity of the scriptures, fighting back against the tide of hedonism and immorality... well, I turn to another TV channel.

Those godly people of religion always proclaim that God is One, that there is no god but God, One, True and Absolute. Now that is very wonderful, but when they imply (they always imply, they dare not say it) that God is their God and no one else's? Where does it leave us poor sinners and suckers, who are neither very pious, very good or very religious? The horde of humanity living smack in mid-town, Faithville?

God is God. Straight and simple. And He is God of both the Believers and Unbelievers. As a Believer, Sinner or Unbeliever, please don't take God away from me... I need Him as much as you do.

Have a thoughtful day, sunshine. We will stick together, yes?

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

I Found God in the Company of Friends. And they came in many colour and creed.

I found God in the company of Friends

I did not find God anywhere else.

Preachers and politicians

Hustled and bustled,

Hurrying me from

One sermon to

Another,

From one religious

Function to

Another,

From one brilliant

Deduction to

Another,

But in none did

I find God.

Until one day,

I was in the company of friends,

And as we huddled over

The Story of the Spider

A voice over my shoulders I heard…

“Ahh… you like what you are reading?”

And I turned around and found no one

Saying anything at all.

So I returned to the verse

And again a disembodied voice whispered,

“You are pleased with His book?”

This time I did not turn, but yielded,

“Yes, I am happy with His book.”

Then after a briefest of pause. answered the voice,

“And I am happy with the reader.”

I LIKE WRITING. Hi, sunshine. After a couple of days of contemplation, the sinner is back. In the brief time away, I have come to a fundamental conclusion - I like writing. I hate not writing. It would not be an overstatement to confess that I lost my footing. So here I am, glad to be back - huddled together with you once again, in the great cyber space of the human soul.

A CUP OF NOTHING. This is the working title of the next compilation of prose. I have sifted through the old (and new) writings and have amassed hundreds of prose pertaining to the Prophet Muhammad. Upon contacting my publisher, Russell Streur of poetsdemocracy has indicated that they would consider publishing the book. "Yes to everything, sounds like fun." was his busy reply. Needless to say I am happy.

NEW LOOK. Sadly, not me but the blog... Do you like the new header and background for this Almanac? Black and Grey is not actually my colour, so the appearance of this blog may yet change in the near future.

OH WAIT. I guess I should tip in Chapter 29 (surah al-Ankabut meaning the Spider), verse 46 to which the prose made reference to...

Marmaduke Pickthall thus translated the verse -

And argue not with the People of the Scripture unless it be in (a way) that is better, save with such of them as do wrong; and say: We believe in that which hath been revealed unto us and revealed unto you; our Allah and your Allah is One, and unto Him we surrender.

I love the conclusion of the verse - Our God (that we worship) and your God (that you worship) is One, and unto Him we surrender (submit). An unequivocal declaration of the Unity of mankind through the Oneness of God - No Christian God. No Judaic God. No Muslim God. Just God. God says so Himself. So why are there among us fighting at all?

Again, it is nice to be back, sunshine. In the company of my beautiful friends, sharing succinct observation from the Divine Observation. God bless the peacemakers, peacekeepers and those anonymous ones, without publicity or name who has quietly decided to do what is right in their daily lives. You spur me with your exemplary conduct.

God bless you all.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Unity of God, Worship and Acceptance of Others

196. Pray if you sin IV (about unity and acceptance)

Islam is about unity,

But it is also about the

Acceptance of man’s plurality,

And that each man and women

Are truly unique and different.

And that too is a reflection

Of the Uniqueness of God,

For there is only one you

That you are aware of.

If you cannot accept

People and their

Differing values,

Then you are denying

Your own uniqueness

And that of others,

And in so doing

You are denying

An important precept

In the Unity of God.

There are many of us, and it is fitting, because it shows (in comparison) the Absolute Oneness that is God Almighty. Indeed, if plurality does not exist, how will unity ever be evidenced?

And of course, being accepting of others is an important precondition precedent for marriage and making babies. I don't know about your parents, but my father and late mum are quite different. Ostensibly they are Malays and Muslims, but that is where it ends. On many aspects, they are significantly not ad idem (Latin - meaning of one mind). My father is careful with spending, my mum is pretty generous. My dad takes a while to take a shine on people, while my mother is shiny on the word go. But there are some aspects which they commonly share, they are both hard working and they love their family.

What am I trying to say? Oh yes, this is it. If your mother and father took a pause for a second and decided "Look, this doesn't makes sense. You like chocolate, I like vanilla. You like basketball, I like football. Naah... we are so not alike. Let's break up.", the likelihood is that you would not even exist right now. But here you are, healthy and good-looking, and spending your Sunday in a quality way, reading the sinners almanac. Kudos for you and kudos for me. Hehehe.

So have an accepting Sunday, precious. Accept God and accept people.

wa min Allah at-taufiq.

The Ego, the Riddle and Humanity - Prose of Ramadhan Part 78

The Riddle of Me (Ramadhan Verses 78)

I was whole,

A complete ego

Unto myself.

Then love came

And ravished my mind -

Love drew open each veil,

Unlocking each door,

Turning each page,

And freeing my soul

From its cage.

I was whole,

But I was wholly unhappy.
When love came

Love gave me light,

Love gave me hope,

Love gave everything to me.

Solving each riddle

Of this world,

The greatest of all

Being the Riddle of Me.

It is the nature of the ego to say that we, each Adam and Eve on earth is complete unto ourselves. But we never are. We need people and interaction. We need smiles and laughter, and family dinners. We need to taste sweet victory and bitter defeat at the bowling alley. We need to share our worries and disappointments, as we prop each other up as a friend or family.

It is the nature of what I do that I spend many hours in solitude. But what I write comes from people I meet and talk to. And I am not particularly sociable. If there is goodness at all that you find in this almanac, it is solely because of my friends and family, and the examples of many people out there, past and present, whose struggle and courage showed me how to live a life as a good person. And behind the curtain of humanity, I sense the thread that connects us all to the Loving God, the One and Only God, He who is worshipped by everyone, whatever religion that they worship in.

Alone, our ego will convince us of our independence. That we need no one and nothing. That in the pursuit of our self-interest is the source of all happiness. But together, you and I, and the cat named Moses, we are greater than the sum of our parts. My happiness is being in your company. So thank you, sunshine, for dropping by today. And believe me, I need you.

God bless you, pet.

wa min Allah at-taufiq.

The Malaysian Flag, the Plastic Water Meter and the Successful Marriage of Mr. & Mrs. Lee

This is the Malaysian Flag, which is called Jalur Gemilang, roughly translated to mean the Glorious Stripes. Yes, the name is rather pretentious but you know, when people wanna name the flag of their country, they tend to be rather uppity. We have been around for quite a while, and in spite of earlier predictions that the young country, born in 1957 will descend into chaos and civil war in 7 years, that hasn't happened. To a large extent I think that is based upon the traditional, sensible and reasonable-mindedness of the forefathers of the nation. And also to the everyday typical Malaysian of all stripes, brown, yellow and fair, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Animist and Muslim, who simply wants to live in peace, bring up their children in a safe environment and given an opportunity to earn a decent wage. Of course, we could do so much better. But that is not something to be frustrated about. It simply means that we can do so much better. And that should be both a reason for national celebration and motivation.
The copper water meter has been replaced by a plastic water meter. And it is one of the few tool / equipment in Malaysia's daily life which actually has to be named. There is a reason behind this - for years, drug addicts and other enterprising entrepreneurs have been stealing the copper water meter (any thing with copper in fact - including electrical wires and cables) to pawn off the copper for money. This criminal hobby has become a national problem due to the high prices of copper now in the international commodities market. And given the likely mental state of the copper thief, zonked in their hallucinogenic high, the authorities thought it necessary to spell it out, ... "Yes this is a plastic meter. Your eyes do not deceive you. So don't bother stealing it!"

Mr. and Mrs. Lee are chained together in wedlock. It was an arranged marriage. "She too short and fat", Mr. Lee initially said to his mother. "He too tall and skinny!" the soon-to-be Mrs. Lee complained to her friends. But as it turned out it, it was a happy and convenient marriage. "I cook. You sell.", Mrs. Lee whispered to her husband as they lie in bed, basking in a sweaty post-coital glow of their wedding night.

The happy customers of Mr. and Mrs. Lee.

Have a lovely Sabbath, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.

"Psst... Can I also be your Friend?" Whispered God

An Ode to Friendship – A Better You
In the company of true friends
No dream is ever broken,
No promise is ever forgotten,
No opportunity is ever wasted,
No love is ever unrequited.

In the company of true friends
Stale food tastes good,
The most boring job
Becomes an adventure,
And your smallest victories
Get a ticker tape parade.

In the company of true friends
Life is exceedingly livelier,
Your looks never looked better,
Your future never seemed brighter,
And what poverty you now suffer
Troubles you no longer.

In the company of true friends
You get better quicker,
Your wake up earlier,
You get tired slower,
You run faster,
You jump higher.

In the company of true friends
You don’t need to be somebody else,
You don’t have to pretend
To be smarter or richer,
Funnier or prettier.

Because by their company,
Your friends already make
You better.

Is there a finer gift? A more beautiful and thoughtful present beneath the Christmas Tree than friendship? Is there a Taj Mahal or a Blue Mosque more glorious than friends? Is there a temple, a synagogue, a tokong (Chinese temple), or a kuil (Hindu temple) more welcoming than friends? Is there any ice-cream, chocolate, cake or pastry, wine, beer or any comfort food or drink more consoling than a friendly hand on your shoulder as he / she utters, “I understand…”

I declare today, Friday the 10th of June in the Year of our Lord 2011 as being Friends’ Day. I bid you, sunshine, to join me in the toast to Friendship, in the name of God, the Prophet and the Companions, and all Apostles and Saints. Perhaps God and these transcendental souls are too high for us to be pals with, to watch the game on tv with, or shoot some pools down at the diner. But honestly, if you are a good friend, do not be surprised if one day, any of them (yea… even God Himself.) walks into the garden of your soul and whispers into your astonished heart, “Psst… Can I also be your friend?”

Have a friendly Friday, pet.

Pax Taufiqa.
Footnote: Click Here for 'God - The Friend of Friends', an earlier posting.

The Saints of Spices, Bladder Stones & Fairies - Pictures with Stories

I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE. I tease my son, Mika, to no end. He may need therapy one day. That’s why I always tells him to study hard and earn lots of money, “Otherwise, Mikhail… How will you be able to afford therapy to treat your ‘childhood’ issues?”

Yesterday I took him to the dentist. To fill the time, we played his favourite game, which is “I Spy with my Little Eye…”. Well, to cut the story short, while playing I noticed Mika’s growing belly. It’s not very big really (nothing compared to mine), but its there – a cute little paunch. So I wanted to tease the little tike and asked, “Mika, I see with my little eye, something that is very close to you, in front of you in fact. It is big and round and it starts with the letter ‘T’ (for tummy).” Mika paused for a millisecond before replying, “Taufiq!”

*Sigh* Maybe, I will be the one needing therapy.

REMOVE BLADDER STONES AND FAIRIES. I keep seeing this banner all over the city. The sign reads (for those who do not understand malay) “Treatment for removal of bladder stones and fairies.” I do not know what is the correlation between bladder stones and fairies, and how being adept at removing one means you are good at removing the other. Happily, most people just go to the hospital to remove them (bladder stones that is). Drink lots of water, my dad says. That’s the trick. And don’t hold if you gotta go. I had a friend who suffered from it and he said it was like pissing razor blades. Just thinking about it makes me cringe.


SAINTS OF SPICES. This is a sight which 99% of Malaysians grow up with. The vision of a Mamak gentleman (Indian Muslim) cooking up his Mee Goreng (Fried Noodles) in a flaming wok. It tends to be on the spicy side, but I have the stomach lining of asbestos, so when I order it’s always, “Mee Goreng Mamak Satu. Kasi PEDAS punya!” (One Mamak Fried Noodle, and make it spicy!). The Mamak joint is the melting pot of my country, where rich, poor, local and foreigners would regularly frequent. The food is cheap and decent. I won’t lie and say that it is all delicious, but there are some restaurants which can cook food of cosmic greatness. They tend to not be in my town however, but in the island state of Penang. Once or twice a year I undertake a gastronomic pilgrimage to visit the saints of spices.

Have a delicious day, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.

We are all 'Live' Performances from One Single Concerto of Love

2. Music, Truth and Mercy
Music is prohibited for none,
Advisable for a few,
Optional for others,
Highly recommended for the rest,
And mandatory for a number.

Truth is for all.
And Mercy is for the asking.
Heh!

No two 'live' playing of a song is ever the same. To replicate accurately the way Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart played his concertos is to be Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart playing his concertos. And even then, each performance of his music will be different from one to the next. There are simply immeasurable factors to replicate accurately.

I think mankind is a 'live' performance of God’s Own Concerto. Each man is different from another man. Each Eve is absolutely different from another Eve. And it gets even more cloudy when the Taufiq typing this blog now is different from the Taufiq having his lunch some five hours ago. Thus we are different from each other, and in ourselves we are different from one moment to the next. And yet, we have only One Conductor, and the piece of music that we manifest resonates from One Single Concerto of Love.

I am no renaissance man. My musical interest spans classical music, the happy hippies of the 60s, the rockers of the 70s, the happy (but hideous fashion) New Wavers of the 80s, right up to the new millennium. I am happy with Bach, Mozart, Duran Duran, the Carpenters, the Who, and yes... even Lady GaGa (despite her music videos being both ridiculous and contrived)

Music crosses borders, sexes, race and religion. I could be hearing the words of the Band Perry, Cat Stevens (aka Yusuf Islam) or Led Zeppelin… but to my soul’s ear, it is one single lament for love, a yearning for the Divine Infinity while we are still tied to our very human mortality.

It is all good and beautiful, sunshine. What is love without a little yearning?

And as the prose says… Truth is for all, and Mercy is for the asking. So ask...

Pax Taufiqa.

If you are a newbie, I have written earlier postings on music. Here are some of them -

God, Prophet & Rock & Roll (Click Here), God, Prophet and Rock & Roll Part 2 (Click Here), Night of the Nightingales (Click Here), God took away my chance to die young - The Band Perry (Click Here).

A Silly Little Man With Too Much To Say

THIS BLOG CONSISTS OF ONE SINGLE WRITTEN DOCUMENT BUT BROKEN UP INTO POSTINGS. I have noticed that in all the prose recorded by the sinner over almost 8 years (and they are a lot!), I have often had to fight the impulse to continue writing a poem. This is simply, from where I am writing, one story crosses into another story, and on and on and on. You might say that I have written up to now (since July 2010, when I really started getting serious about this blog) only 1 single writing - its just that it has been divided into 299 as of now.

BUT HONESTLY AND TRULY - I am writing about the same thing again and again, it's just that the perspectives are always different… I am describing an apple, but this apple is unimaginably beautiful and forms layer upon layer of infinite meanings. This singular apple is our Maker (aka God) in all His beautiful Attributes. In this picturesque apple is also mankind, resting between the Lord's and the Messenger's Hand, a constellation of stars adorning the night sky between the rising sun of Ahad and the setting Moon of Ahmad. This is how I see you. And this is how I see the world really.

BUT I AM NO HIPPY. You know, this doesn’t mean I am a hippy. I do not have a rose-tinted view of the world. My work itself (I am a solicitor doing mostly corporate work) means that I am daily dealing with rights, privileges, obligations and promises made for money. From my experience there is no such thing as a free lunch in the reality of any commercial enterprises, whether you are running a children’s television show, a fish farm, a design house or a public listed construction company. At the end of the day, it is all about fulfilling our responsibility and differing roles – which in my case would be as a friend, lover, a service provider, boss, father, son, brother and nephew. And I know, it is not the easiest thing in the world for you too.

SO A TOAST TO YOU - For your own present and future success in fulfilling your responsibilities. Responsibilities are not obstacles or even diversions in your search for the meaning of life, love and God. It is the path by which all lovers come to fully comprehend the meaning of love… for isn’t God Ultimately Responsible for us too? So rest your responsibility upon His responsibility for you. And open your heart to those around you who are there to ease your burden and share your every day worries, riddles, exasperation and tears – our beloved family and friends.

Today I open my heart to you, sunshine. It is dusty, cluttered and needs tidying up, but it’s all I have for you. So I hope you can accept me as I am. Just a silly little man with too much to say!

Hehehe,

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

Meritocracy, Democracy, Moderation, Revolution and the Conscience

NOT REALLY MERITOCRACY. Meritocracy can lead to elitism and perpetuate hidden prejudices, and inevitably it will be the Rule of the Few over the Many. Yet, we know that not all of the elites are right. But without meritocracy, the country would fall into disrepair and its worth will decline. So we need some level of meritocracy..
.

NOT REALLY DEMOCRACY. Democracy can lead to mediocrity and perpetuate hidden weaknesses, and inevitably it will be the Rule of the Many over the Few. But the majority may be wrong. Yet, without democracy, people will be oppressed, so we need some form of democracy in the country.

.

.

MODERATION. I believe whole-heartedly in neither meritocracy or democracy. I believe in moderation – Not the elitism of Capitalism, not the mediocrity of Democracy, not the poverty of Communism, and certainly not the extremity of revolutions of any ideology.

.

NOT REVOLUTION. For I believe that revolution is not the highest pinnacle of human endeavour – such honour, at least to my mind, being reserved to Moderation. To be moderate when challenged by falsehood, arrogance and ignorance. To be merciful when the rabble is baying for blood, to be circumspect when the technocrats are proposing cuts in education and health, to be sensible though dogged by Priests and Lobbyists with their prescription of a Clean Slate for society, ergo – to be Moderate in all that we endeavour to pursue and achieve. Such is the ethics that my conscience is ever trying to teach me.

.

.

MUHAMMAD. So help me, my friends, to be one of the Nation of the Middle Way – the Nation of Moderation, the Nation of Muhammad – Sanctified Soul of Purity, Divine Countenance of Delicacy, the Chosen Vessel of Mercy – Most sublime and graceful in thought, action and conscience. I am not worthy to utter his name, though I named my son after him, I am not worthy to write his name, though I write it again and again. Such is the way of love – To seek something, someone greater, better than yourself. May we find the path to the halo of greatness, though we ourselves are not great. Amen.

.

.

Have a wonderful Monday, sunshine.

.

Pax Taufiqa.

.

Btw, awesome book this. Read it please...

No Division in Knowledge, and Disbelief is a Servant of God

When God created, it is to teach man about himself, about the world that surrounds him and how it interconnects to the singular Beauty that is God. Thus, the world is like a classroom and it is only ONE classroom. And your short life is essentially only ONE period of a day in school. And in that period you are to learn all that is needed to be learned for you to find God, peace and happiness. Teachers come in different hats carrying different books but ultimately they are teaching you from one single source - God the Loving Himself. But man are easily confused with labels of knowledge and it is sad that...

.

The division of knowledge
Between spiritual knowledge
And physical knowledge is
The biggest lie swallowed
By modern man.

The boss of your office, the headmaster of your school, and some priests of your church, mosque or synogogue will draw the line between the material and the spiritual practises - Saying they are not the same. Yet the truth is known to other priests, and they would confide in you that...
.

The division of life
Between secular habit and
Spiritual ritual is another
Whopper of a lie often
Swallowed by man.

I say this, because the Universe is conspiring to tell us every freakin' moment that...

Your Lord has no divisions,
He is One and unto Him
There is no partition.
All things, all creatures
And all occurrences
Bear witness to this,

To bring you, me and the cat named Moses to this truly fascinating conclusion, that...

Ultimately, there
Can be no real disbelief,
For even disbelief
Is a creation and
Servant of God.

Have a perfect Saturday, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa

Related post - Richard Dawkins is not Godless, the Essence of Belief and Disbelief, and a Bagel.

Mawlana Abul Kalam Azad Part 1

THE BOOK. About 7 or eight years back I came across this book. I was amazed by the beauty of the Author’s words, and found great love and solace in his compassionate exposition on the Al Fatihah. This is the first chapter of the Al Quran, and the name of the writer is Mawlana Abul Kalam Azad.

From the Movie 'Gandhi', Mawlana's character is wearing sunglasses, sitting next to Viscount Mountbatten

INDIA. If you happen to have a dvd copy of Richard Attenborough’s epic movie, Gandhi, you would have seen Mawlana Abul, as acted by Virendra Razdan, a famous Indian actor. For you see, Mawlana Abul was a boon companion of the Mahatma, and he broke ranks with his Muslim political allies, when he chose for a united India instead of a separate state for the Muslims. This was what he had to say …

“I am Muslim and profoundly conscious of the fact that I have inherited Islam’s glorious tradition of the last thirteen hundred years. I am not prepared to lose even a small part of that legacy. The history and teachings of Islam, its art and letters, its culture and civilization are part of my wealth and it is my duty to guard and cherish them. But, with all these feelings, I have another equally deep realization, born out of my life’s experience, which is strengthened and not hindered by the Islamic spirit. I am equally proud of the fact that I am Indian, an essential part of the indivisible unity of the Indian nationhood, a vital factor in its total makeup, without which this noble edifice will remain incomplete. I can never give up this sincere claim. (Presidential Address I.N.C Ramgarth, 1940)”

GANDHI. The breadth of his vision is difficult for me to put down to words, so there is nothing better than to quote the Mahatma himself who said, “Maulana Azad is the most forceful, truthful, and fearless satyagrahi and fighter against oppression and injustice that I have come across”.

He was a leader of great stature, and as a fighter for the freedom and independence of India, he was jailed together with Gandhi, Nehru, Patel and others for six years. In 1993, Mawlana Abul Kalam Azad was posthumously awarded India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna.

The Mawlana is a man after your own heart – He stood for the unity of man, when politics were causing division between Muslims and Hindus, he stood for hope, when all were despairing to find any peace in post-British India, and above all, he was a man of God, his words and action reflecting his deep and profound understanding of the Most Beloved God, Lord of all Mankind…

“In all that a Muslim does, it should be a rule of action that he help whoever that may be doing good, even if a non-Muslim or an opponent, and avoid helping whoever may be doing evil, even if a Muslim and a companion… even if an idolater honour and worship God in his own way, he should not be shown disrespect, for the honour and worship of God, is, in any event, the honour and worship of God.”

When he passed away in 22nd February 1958, India and the world lost a shining beacon of Truth, Love and humanity. But he is still speaking, you see. His words ring with such compassion and humanity that the Lord of Words shall not allow such a man, such a voice to be still merely by the happenstance of death. He is often in my thoughts, and I hope that he is now in yours too. Oh, by the way, ‘Azad’ is his adopted pen name. It means Free.

So, go forth, sunshine! Exercise your freedom as the Mawlana once did, and just like he, remember… always choose love, charity, unity and compassion. Your example will lead sinners like me to some good, Godwilling.

Pax Taufiqa.

Footnote: As and when I shall continue writing about him, because really, a single posting does him no justice whatsoever. Here are some news / blogs links on the Mawlana that you may wish to read, Ummid, pilot-pooja, and 4to40.

God Heart, the Light of Love, the End of Hell and Childhood Memories

34. Spinning
Send me if You will, into the blackest places of the Earth!
But will I not bring back the brightest of rubies for You?
And send me if You choose, yea, even to the Valley of Darkness!
And will I not set the Valley ablaze with the Light of Love?

O’ Lord! Your creation cannot contain me,
But Your Heart can.

… And I am the sleeper who mumbles nonsense,
Judged by the bookworms as both mad and reckless.
…………………..
Poem is from the 13th Chapter entitled ‘What is in Your Basket” circa May 2005.

Paragraph 1 is an allegory on an ancient mystic tale pertaining to the End of Hell, and how saints of past have competed to be the first to end Hell. I have heard such stories concerning Abu Bakar as-Siddique and Abu Yazid al-Bistami. It is a wonderful tale and worth recalling. I may do it one day if God Wills and I feel like it.

Paragraph 2 is a play of an often quoted verse, “Neither My Earth nor My Heavens can contain Me, but the heart of a Believing Servant, contains Me.”
.

Paragraph 3 is my own admission of impudence for turning the said verse backwards. But you see, My Lord says He is the First and the Last. And He is the Lord that is Apparent and Hidden. So between the mirror, the reflection and the world, I just get really, really confused. But my confusion is a happy one, like a child running back and forth, torn between the loving embrace of my mother or the welcoming arms of my father.

Can you recall such feelings? God bless you. If we share such childhood memories, how can we not be brothers and sisters?

Have a wonderful day, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.

.

P/P/S Friday 5th Nov 2010 - I now recall an earlier posting pertaining to the End of Hell. Please click 'Mercy and the End of Hell'. The particular poem is the last one in the posting, it is entitled 'The Bridge'.

P/S - I opt for a 'Light' poem to welcome Deepavali tomorrow for my Hindu brethren, especially my friend Sumathi with whom I have spent many hours trading war-stories about our path and search for the inner light.

All about God, Good and Evil, Angels, Michael, Artiya'il and a Cat named Moses

I woke today resolved to post a good blog. A happy blog. Full of soul-lickin’ goodness. I scrolled my manuscripts until I came across this…

1. Indiscriminate Mercy
They come with the clouds
And ride the falling raindrops,
Each sparkling pearl,
That feed the earth
And fill the sea,
Heralds of a Lord
Whose Bounty falls
On the heads of the Muslims,
Jews, Christians, Atheists,
Agnostics, Buddhists and Hindus alike.
…………………..
From chapter 20 entitled ‘Raindrops’. “Ya Huu!"or even "Yahoo!" means in Arabic (roughly) “Oh He!” as in He who is God.

The ‘They’ are Angels, of course. Sufi lore discloses some aspects of their presence, for instance, are you aware that: -

- With each rain drop, rides an angel?
- With each dew and misty drop from the Niagara Falls also clings an angel?
- On each leaf on each tree, stands seven angels?
- There is an angel called Artiya’il whose job description is to visit and heal the sorrowful?
- Arch-Angel Mikhail / Michael (a.s.), is overall in charge with the workings of the Universe, the disposition of rain, and generally wealth and prosperity (and I guess poverty too)

Holy Geronimo. That’s a whole lot of angels and divine love. More than enough for you, me and the cat named Moses. In fact it is mind-boggling, isn’t it? Just from where I am drinking Nescafe in the back alley of a Chinese Kopitiam, I can clearly see 16 trees. Say we assume there’s on average 300 leaves (the trees are those dwarfish urban types), that’s already 33,600 angels. This is not counting your guardian angels (of which I do not know our individual quotas), nor other angels attending to the Sun, the air, the clouds high above me, nor the two busybody angels sitting on my shoulder, diligently recording my good and bad deeds even as I type this blog.

The whole point of what I am saying is this. The numbers between good and evil is disproportionately in favour of Good. Ergo, in favour of you.

Good trounces evil. Hands down, evil is not even in the same league. Not even in the same dimension of meaning. Good is God, and evil simply the absence of a goodly conscience. Just as darkness has no substance but merely the manifest absence of light.

So today is Monday. The beginning of our working week. But the Angels work 24/7, tireless in their absolute obedience to our God.

Your God and my God, compadre - He is the One and the Same. There may be some amongst the Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Taoists, Zoroastrians or Wiccan telling you otherwise. Well, that is their right to say so. But this time, their right is simply wrong.

So maybe it is time to follow God's way - and let us stop discriminating in our mercy and love for one another. Ameen.

Pax Taufica.

p/s - Sketch is mine, fresh as the coffee I had this morning. The pictures are ancient Persian Muslim depictions of Angels. Sourced from this delightful site called Isodore of Seville.

p/p/s - Moses the cat is in reference to the cat in Joshua Kadison's song "Jessie', and not the Prophet Moses Kalimullah. But I am fond of him too.