Making the Prose of Rumi more Beautiful and the Discourses of Geylani more Meaningful - honest toil and the virtues of household chores

Prose does not put food on the table, the kitchen stocked
nor the pathways and bathrooms clean...
For that we need the honest toil of workers and domesticity
of the home-makers. Blessed be the Prose of God in action!

(Prologue: This write-up is inspired by the exhaustion of the sinner after only two days' prep and household chores for yesterday's Eid open house. I plonked dead on my bed at 10pm, waking up 12 hours later...)

Kids... Mikhail and Imran.
You want them not to make the mistakes
you have made, and the easiest way is for you
to nag them. But the best way is by example.
You know it, I know it and
they know it too! (dammit)

Secrets. So what? There are secrets, and there are secrets of secrets. On the spiritual path, you will be pleased to know that many veils of such secrets are lifted,... and hey! Kudos to you because you now know! But so what?

For what is the point of knowledge if it is not manifested in your every day life? And as a registered sinner, I am the first to admit that this is not easy. But there are some very basic things which is important and we must at least try to do.

Self Improvement. The path (tarikat) does not enjoin the seekers to give up on the world, for there is much to do and improve, if we would only realise this. And of course it all begins with our own selves, first and last. For the journey to improving our habits and life style does not end until we exhale our last. So for acolytes of the mystic ways to espouse great transcendental knowledge about God and humanity, about the ordering and corruption of society... they must ask first what they are doing (or trying to do) to remedy their own faults - Their own personal health and eating habits. Their own exercise and concern for the household and their neighbours. After all, if nothing is attempted, nothing is gained. 

With Knowledge comes Responsibility. But for those blessed with secret knowledge, the responsibility is heavier. For as Imam Shafi'e said - Knowledge without practice is arrogance. In other words, you are principled in words and thoughts, but unprincipled in actions. This is not a good place to be in. In fact, it would be better to know less or nothing at all.

Honest Living. If you toil every day for an honest living, you gain money and wealth. With that prosperity, you can share it with your family and friends, your neighbours and needful charities, and there are a great number of people needing help out there. If you do not work, what are you contributing to the world? Whether you are trading, working for people, there is always room to work. 

Mikhail is a grandson of a great and efficient home-maker.
Though he never got the opportunity to meet my mum,
I hope to instill a little of my mum's domesticity in him.
(And in my own lazy self, come to think of it.)

The Prose of Rumi, the Discourses of Geylani. Even if you have no job whatsoever, you can at least be helpful about the house. For me, fixing the toilet, changing the light bulbs, sweeping the garden and throwing away the rubbish properly, are all a necessary and distinguished part of life. For it makes life for ourselves and everyone around us better. Menial though these chores may be, but the truth is they make the prose of Rumi and the discourses of Geylani even more beautiful, poignant and moving. Otherwise, are we not merely pandering to our spiritual ego?

Household Chores. Such things must be taught when young. And we must take the effort and be patient with our children. Otherwise, they will grow up dismissive of domestic chores, giving little credit to the little wives, mothers and sisters without whom a house can turn into a dung heap really, really fast.

So God bless all house-makers, and may we always be reminded to help them in their virtuous work!

Oh, and thank you to all who came yesterday. Most of all, I did the open house in loving memory of my late mother, Arbayah binti Haji Hashim, who made us a loving and generous home. May Allah (s.w.t.) bless her in the company of His friends.

My late-mum, the efficient home-maker. She only rested when she died.
But I wonder if she is now just as efficient in the Hereafter as she was here,
...watering the roses and weeding the Eternal Garden of the eternal weeds. He he he
al fatiha

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

ISLAM & THE HEART OF MUHAMMAD - The Ramadan Story, Part 21

For Your Sake

Tell Me that I am the One,

And that you shall love Me forever,

Tell me that I am the One,

And that you shall leave Me never,

Tell Me this,

And do as I tell you to do,

Not for My sake,

But in truth, 

For you.

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

Allah (s.w.t.) is asking us to avoid certain things, because He knows best of all what is bad for us. And Allah (s.w.t.) encourages us to do certain things, because there is no one better who knows what is good for us and pleasing to Him.

I

Islam & the Heart of Muhammad. And because He loves us so, Allah (s.w.t.) does not allow us to wander into danger without clear and apparent warning and cautions. This is true in how we treat our body, how we treat our family, our friends and our neighbours. And such is the completeness of the Islam that God has bestowed upon humanity, that Allah (s.w.t.) even posts danger signs along the neglectful or abusive way in which we order our society, our economy and the natural world. All this He does through His Love for His Beloved, Muhammad Habibullah Sayyidina Sa'dullah (s.a.w.s). 

And if you wonder how vast is the expanse of the Heart of Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), look up to the night sky and ask its billion stars, for they will testify the truth that even this entire Universe cannot encompass the Heart of Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), for only God knows the true reality of His Beloved. 

His Pleasure. This morning, being the 1st of Syawal, I wish all my readers a wonderful Eid and pray that Allah (s.w.t.) bestows upon you such blessings and grace as is His pleasure to give from His Infinite Ocean of Mercy.

Ask. For if you do not know that Allah (s.w.t.) derives His pleasure in bestowing His gifts to you, then sadly, you do not know Him at all. You need only turn to Him, following the shadowless path of His Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) the best that you can, and ask - Asking for forgiveness, hope, salvation and love in this world and in the hereafter. 

Surely, God shall not reject you.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

5 PROSE TO MUHAMMAD, SAYYIDINA SA'DULLAH (S.A.W.S), THE JOY OF ALLAH! - The Ramadan Story, Part 20

1. Despair

Tell despair that I shan't drink the wine from its cellar,

For I am happy with what God has bestowed,

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

Because we only despair when we are dissatisfied. So be happy!

2. Doubt

Tell the troll of doubt that it shan't grab me from under its bridge,

For my God has given me wings to fly high in the sky,

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

Because you need a pair of them, the wing of ilm (knowledge) and the wing of adab (good manners) to fly. And as a bonus, an ancient friend just shared with me that a lot of salawat (greetings of peace and invocations of praise for Muhammad s.a.w.s.) will bring a nice breeze to help you in your flight to Hu knows where! Rejoice!

3. Hubris 

Tell the minions of hubris that they will not confound me again,

For I have seen the errors of my ways, in the past, 

In the present

And in the future,

............'

Because hubris comes from certainty. And awareness of our mistakes reminds us that certainty is only with God, not us. Be a mureed (follower/student) always!

4. Usury

Tell the warlocks of usury in their towers of greed

That I see through their deceit,

For my God has forbidden to us usury,

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

Because one of the worse apparent blackmagic is the sorcery of usury. And God Almighty and His Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has declared war on usury. Join the winning team!

5. Deceit

Tell the spin-witches of public relations that I will not be distracted,

For there is no brand, no name, no glamour I desire more

Than the presence of God and His pleasure! 

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

Because Allah (s.w.t.) is utterly wonderful beyond words, and His Pleasure is none other than the Prophet Muhammad, Sayyidina Sa'dullah (The Joy of Allah). So be joyful with the most joyful of all mankind! The most joyful of all Creation!

May you have a wonderful (and divinely joyous) last day of Ramadan the Blessed, sunshine.

This read, is a Joyful Book.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

FRIENDSHIP OF THE COLLECTOR & THE COMPANION - The Ramadan Story, Part 19

The Collector & the Companion

Mr. A: Who are you?

Mr. B: I am a collector.

Mr. A: What do you collect?

Mr. B: I collect stories and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad.

Mr. A: Where did you come from?

Mr. B: I am from the future.

Mr. A: How did you get here?

Mr. B: I neither walked nor strayed here,

It is you who have come to me from the past.

Mr. A: I have? Well, Alhamdulillah!

Mr. B: Indeed... Alhamdulillah!

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

A Rose of Infinite Petals. I spent some time after iftar this evening with an old, old friend. He isn't actually very old, but whenever I talk to him, he makes me feel young again, because almost inevitably without fail, he would trot out a story of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) that I have not heard before. I would just sit there contented as his words fall over me like a refreshing spring water, as the story of Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) unfolds yet again like a rose of infinite petals, told with the passion of an enthusiastic storyteller...

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.

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

Falling for a Friend (again). It has been perhaps more than one decade since I first met my old friend. And even then, I found him brilliant, beautiful and with a wonderful sense of irony. Not for him was the same old script of theology and religion. He is one who has helped to shape my life with love and companionship, enriching my understanding of Muhammad and His Islam. and the serious and often hilarious tales of the Companions and the Saints, making them more human and approachable, yet even more divine and lovely. It would not be overestimating our chance meet tonight to say that I have fallen in love with my friend all over again, and with his Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.). Of course, my friend did not time-travel from the past, but his words are weighed with centuries of contemplation of Muhammad. Perhaps, it is not his centuries we are talking about, but then again, there is nothing really new under the Sun, and there is nothing wrong in borrowed wisdom.

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!”

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

And yes, it is his Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), as I have my Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), our idea and concept of the Beloved of God being absolutely personal and distinct to ourselves, according to our milestone in our individual lives. What ties us in common is our love for the Prophet (s.a.w.s.), and the only difference being the eagerness by which we race to learn more about Muhammad's (s.a.w.s.) Prophetic mission, and how better to please the Prophet (s.a.w.s.). And by 'eagerness' I mean his eagerness and my woeful blundering journey.

24. For you, For Muhammad.

I have given you the most beautiful dress that is your skin

For you to wear,

I have placed in you two revolving sapphire moons,

So that you might see,

I have plucked from My Garden two rose petals as your lips,

For you to kiss your lover with.

But for Muhammad, and no one else,

I have erected My Throne in your heart.

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

My friend though is a class act all by himself, and as I watched his retreating back after our all too short meeting, I hope and pray for the next encounter with him to come real soon. 

For I know my Muhammadan muse has many, many more stories to share.

May God bless his furry little heart (He is furry, Shahzad is. He is my friend, but I shan't lie). I guess I shall never be like him, for I have made myself to be a mistake that needs constant reference to His Mercy and His Compassion. Nonetheless I am happy to bask (however intermittently) in the warmth of his knowledge, and most importantly, sincere friendship.

In this world, what more can one ask, sunshine?

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way 

FORGIVENESS, FEAR OF GOD - The Ramadan Story, Part 18

Forgive me, o' Lord

Forgive me, o' Patience

For not knowing your better,

Forgive me, o' Wisdom

For thinking I have already attained you,

Forgive me, o' Hope

For abandoning you again and again,

Forgive me, o' Beauty

For failing to distinguish you from Vanity,

Forgive me, o' Mercy

For putting limits to your vastness,

Forgive me, o' Love

For putting a lie to you

And accepting a mere facsimile,

Forgive me, o' Me

For wavering in my quest

To understand You.

Forgive me, o' Forgiveness

By the Light of the Moon

And the Ocean that washes upon my shore,

I am standing here beneath the crying seagulls,

Counting my daily errors and unspoken curses,

Realising that more than ever before,

I am in need of Your Attention,

Your Conciliation,

Your Forgiveness...

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

Ramadan is the time not only to restrain
our hunger, but perhaps more importantly,
our wayward ego.

The Ego Sickness. Every single day, there is always something that happens to send me scurrying like a frightened mouse back to God. And what 'happens' is actually me, driven by some angry thought, bitter recriminations and hubris, motivated by my wayward ego. And it happens so often that I am led to realise that at this juncture of my life, I am more comfortable with my ego, allowing it to become my habit, which of course means that my ego has become me. This is not good news.

Good and Bad Days. Well, awareness of our own sickness is a beginning, I guess. And there is no better month than the month of Ramadan to try to bring our ego under containment and control. For the obligatory fasting is intended to also help quell our ego and nafs (base-desires). This requires some practice, because I have witnessed even the most gentle souls breaking into anger and impatience during fasting, as it occurred today just minutes before iftar (breaking of the fast at sunset) between a newly married couple who are otherwise contented and happy on any other day. But they soon get over it, and were back to their lovey-dovey default mode.

Fear only God. I guess we all have our peaks and valleys, and though we always try to put a brave happy face, we are in fact constantly being pulled and pushed by some anxiety or subconscious fear of something - money, health, marriage and relationships, work, tax, debt and career failures. To this, the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s) has said and exemplified the important and very fundamental tenet of the Muslim faith, which is - fear only God, so that you need not fear anything else.

39. Taqwa (With Poon)

Fear of God is not paranoia,

It is the certainty that you need not fear anything but Him,

Since nothing exists but Him.

It is therefore not the affirmation of your fears,

But the affirmation of His Oneness.

It is not the negation of His Mercy,

But the negation of all that is illusory.

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

Nice... but mind the mountain goat.

Muhammad's Faith. The Islam of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) isn't and has never been the hermetic, lets-leave-the-world-and-find-a-lonely-mountain-top-to-occupy. After all, not many mountain tops are lonely, and you would probably be unfairly evicting a mountain goat or a golden eagle who has lived there for generations. No, your life belongs here, amidst the crowd of humanity, striving and working for a honest living. Being born, growing up, learning and working, getting married and having children, before withering gently into contented, forgetful dotage. In this sense, what the Faith of Muhammad has to offer are the tools and instruments that we need (if we only knew better!) to face such a life, with a good heart and a healthy active conscience. And to leave this world one day, if not better, at least not making it any worse, for our children and grandchildren. And one of the greatest sunnah (Prophetic tradition) is to fear Allah (s.w.t.). For that is the equalising factor between people, whether you are rich or poor, old or young, a king or a beggar in the gutter...

O' mighty kings! Fear God!

O' religious preachers! Fear God!

O' presidents and prime ministers! Fear God!

O' generals and leaders of men! Fear God!

Fear God and obey His Prophet!

And how worthy is God to be the only centre of your fear and anxiety to please! For no one, nothing created or uncreated, past, present or future, known or unknown, will ever love you more or know you better than your Maker, who coincidentally, is also my Maker... a.k.a. God Almighty, Allah (s.w.t.) - the One God and most Beloved of His Beloved, Muhammad Habibullah (s.a.w.s.).

And that is the happy conclusion of our travel through this form of 'fear'... into the all-welcoming arms of God - the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, Lord of Mercy, Giver of Mercy, that being none other than Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), the Mercy to all the Worlds...

Fear of God is the balloon by which you can float above
the valley of illusory fears that has plagued not just
you, but all of humanity since time immemorial.

So are we not blessed in infinite ways, sunshine? 

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE MEANINGS OF AS-SALAMU ALAYKUM & THE GARDEN BEFORE THE GARDEN - The Ramadan Story, Part 17

I don't need your salam! Go awaaay...!!!

The Ego's Salam

As-salamu alaykum!

I am a Muslim!

As-salamu alaykum!

I am about to say something

Rather important and heavy here!

Hey you!

Did you not hear?

I said As-salamu alaykum!

Listen and pay attention to me!

I am about to divulge information

Of great serious-ity!

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

3 Meanings. People use words in all sorts of different ways, as my brother likes to say. And this is the same regardless of what words they are. My brother was mentioning this yesterday in the context of the greeting most used by the Muslims, which is As-salamu alaykum, meaning (as generally accepted) 'Peace be upon you'. Most people of course knows this, but perhaps we can go a little further. 

This beautiful greeting is recorded in the al-Quran in context of the Angels coming to greet the believers who have successfully endured the trials and tribulation of this life to receive the Pleasure from Allah (s.w.t.) in a number of connected verses of Chapter 13. In the 23rd, the Angels are...

(Saying) : Peace be unto you because ye persevered. Ah, passing sweet will be
the sequel of the (heavenly) Home. (Quran 13:23, Marmaduke Pickthall)

1. The Angelic Affirmation of Human Perseverance, Prophetic Intercession and Divine Compassion. When the Angels thus spoke, the greeting is their affirmation of what has come to pass for you - a celestial garden of joy and pleasure for you. An eternal abode for the patience that you have shown in your devotion, and ultimately, submission to what God had bequeathed you in this world. All the smiles and tears, all the success and failures, all the laughter and sorrow that make up our life, each and every single day we are here. But of course this cannot happen, the Muslims believe, by our efforts alone. Above our struggle is the divine intercessions of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), in answer to which is the unimaginable Mercy and Compassion of Allah (s.w.t.), He Who forever looks upon His creation through His infinite Ocean of Forgiveness.

2. The Beautiful Prayer. And as for us wingless non-Angels? One Grandshaykh describes the greeting as a prayer. And how beautiful is the prayer! - I am greeting you with brotherly love, and looking upon your graceful countenance, I am asking Allah (s.w.t.)... 

"O' my Lord! Let our discourse begin with peace and end with peace!

Grant unto him the peace that only You can give. 

Grant to us in our meeting the brotherly peace that only You can bestow, 

Grant us Your peace for our today and all our tomorrows."

Praying.

Whatever conversation that may transpire after that... be it about personal matters, about work, about money or health, isn't this a good beginning? May we always remember how we began!

3. The Ego's Salam or 'Overcome by the Gravity of the Situation'. And of course, humans are sometimes overcome by the brevity of the occasion - an example is when he/she is a politician / preacher about to begin some important religious or political sermon. Then he/she will say As-salamu alaykum in a heavy, serious and modulated tone... to accentuate that he/she is about to say something really, really important and that you had better pay attention.  He he he. 

My brother's view, and I agree with him, is - Oh come on, just get over yourself, will you? 

Salam to the Perfect World. So to conclude this meandering tale, we reckon that the best way to give salam is with a smile, a skip and a joyful hop, as if the world is perfect, that there is no hate or hubris, and the certainty that the Eternal Garden awaits us at the end of our journey through this world's garden of beautiful souls, inspired by the Inspired Mercy that is Muhammad Habibullah (s.a.w.s). For actually the world is perfect, isn't it? Would Allah (s.w.t.) have given us an imperfect abode, even if it is only temporary?

Dunya, The Perfect Fascmile

Peace be unto thee, o' Dunya,

If you are transient, You are perfectly transient,

If you are illusory, You are perfectly illusory,

If you are a fascimile, You are the perfect fascimile,

And I shall take you as my beautiful abode,

The Garden before the Garden,

If only for a while.

Also praying.

43 years old, and only just starting to learn how to say As-salamu Alaykum. I am a late-bloomer, what other excuse can I give?

But you will forgive this old sinner, won't you, sunshine?

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

THE ONE ABSOLUTE TRUTH : THE TRUE ABSOLUTE ONE, about God, the nature of energy and the laws of thermodynamics - The Ramadan Story, Part 17

The One Absolute Truth : The True Absolute One
As the wind blows, so it must dissipate,
As the sapling grows, so it must wither,
As the child is born, so begins his end,
As the Sun burns, so it must, one day, die.

As you throw a ball in the air,
So it will return to you,
For you are the center,
You are the originator,
You are the cause
Of its flight.

O' man, so is it any wonder,
That however far your journey,
However long or fleeting your time here,
You will return to Him?

He who is the Center of all centers!
The Originator of all originators!
The Cause of all causes!

And the longer you are in your mortal shell,
The faster is your journey back,
Gaining speed with each breath,
With each thought that temporarily
Occupies your mind,
Whether it is a distraction
Or musing of your inevitable return...

Until one day, just like the Sun,
You end at your homecoming,
To the One Absolute Truth,
To the True Absolute One,

To the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
Most Abiding in His Ministration for you;

"Verily, my servant, I have been thinking of you...
And I know, you have been thinking of Me..."
................................

Scientific Documentaries. When I watch BBC documentaries on the sciences, on nature and on the continuing opening of physical knowledge, I am compelled more and more into believing in God. And perhaps even more importantly, how God has created and continue to create and recreate each and every second that passes in our Universe with breath-taking colour, wonder and vigour. Manifesting His truly unimaginable Love and Wisdom in infinite layers.

What God? As I have said before, some scientists experience and explain God through their scientific discoveries. While other scientists, are convinced that the knowledge they have gained in fact explains away God. But perhaps such is destiny, and the existence of the karmic opposites is a necessary outline, a border by which we distinguish our knowledge, understanding and ultimately, faith.

You know he is smart when he can write and read squiggly mathematical equations.
My own mathematical ability is on par with the Great Apes - One, Two, Many...

Prof Jim. Professor Jim Al-Khalili of the University of Surrey, UK, is a famed theoretical physicist. He is also a well-known broadcaster and writer and has hosted many BBC documentaries on Science. In one fascinating documentary, Jim opened up the important contribution of Muslim scholars during the times of the Baghdad and Spanish Umayad Caliphates, and how these brilliant Muslims affected the world of mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy and engineering even to this day. But for now, I am keen to share with you another of his documentaries, which is about the nature of energy in the Universe, and how through the natural flow of order to disorder, this world and everything here was enabled and created. You will be exposed to the Laws of Thermodynamics, the history of their discoveries by the great European minds. And at the end Jim even hints at what lay ahead for humanity, involving the creation of a mini-Sun, right here on Earth (Good luck with that). You can watch it by clicking Here.

The above prose 'The One Absolute Truth : The True Absolute One' was written after viewing the documentary. Perhaps after watching it, you will understand why, despite the good Professor not mentioning anything about God at all in this particular program, he still inspired me to think about God and His ordering (and disordering) of this Universe of ours. Fascinating stuff...

Have a lovely day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way