Category: Uncategorized

Al-Tariq – the night visitor

Assalamu alaikum, peace be with you!

This was written a few days ago and I think inspired by the wonder that is looking at the stars. It is always beguiling to me, amazing, stupendous, incredible…that the light that touches my retina from each star left that star millions of light years ago. I often wonder how those self same stars I am casting my sight upon are at the moment I am looking at them. One chapter or sura of the Quran is called al-Taariq’. ‘taariq’ is translated as ‘the night visitor’. There are various interpretations on what that really means, but one I really love is that it is the light from the stars. More commonly it is considered to mean ‘the evening star’ or ‘venus’. However, it is a beautiful word (a popular name for Boys too in the Muslim world) and has several layers of meaning. What is it about the light of stars that draws us closer to home? Coming from the extraterrestrial, it seems to pierce through our bodies and journey deep to where our soul lies inside, to remind us…perhaps of where we are heading to…

 

Al- Tariq

 

My home calls me
In whispered breath that escapes
When a blade of grass is bent
By some unknowing child’s caressing hand
Eager to pick a dandelion flower
And blow those petals away
On the arms of a waiting wind

My home calls me
In tears that lace my lower eyelid
Not strong enough to flow and wet
A cheek bathed in soft moonlight
As I stare at distant planets
Visible as drops of piercing light
Retina welcomes this transcendent visitor

My home calls me
In that knowing gleam in the eye
Of the lone stork that came to sit
On the very tip of the weeping willow
By the shores of a small hidden pond
In a park by the ocean where
I went to walk to soothe my aching heart

My home calls me
And O my Lord, you are my only witness
How gloriously rich to have
My home’s master
be my constant Guide and closest Confidant
It eases this parting and I am joyful
Knowing I would not be here except You willed it so

Ah, but my home calls me
And its call cannot be drowned out but
By the mirthful chatter of tedious yet necessary
fleeting pleasure. So happy then are days
Balanced between summer joys and winter suns
Happy to live and living not forget
That happier home to which I am every day
Drawing closer.

 

***

Copyright Joymanifest 2013

 

Love in Islam

For all those who think or say that there is no understanding of love in Islam’s concept of the Godhead, please do listen to this. It is only 15 mins and is excerpted from one of our foremost scholars today. We have a deep deep and wide understanding of love in our tradition. Unfortunately many of us, even among the Muslims, are divorced from this reality in the modern world. One of the greatest tragedies to befall the Muslim nation is our loss of our knowledge sources which happened to a large extent during the colonial period. So the past 200 years or so has seen the Muslim nation loose much of its base. I think it is almost akin to the other great tragedy that befell the Muslim nation which is when the Mongol hoards sacked Baghdad (Genghis Khan’s grandson lead that campaign). Thankfully knowledge is coming back into Muslims from what has been preserved now, as it did in our history some decades after the sacking of Baghdad. Ironically the descendants of the invaders themselves became Muslim and contributed much to the Muslim world. But let me not go off on a tangent. For now, by God’s grace, nNew scholars are emerging, teaching and spreading knowledge and books are being unearthed and translated. God will preserve His teaching. And this is true for all true traditions that lead to the worship of the Source. May we all be reunited with the One we love. And God’s peace and blessings be upon His messenger Muhammed

Peace be with you all, Assalamu alaikum

FWD : An open letter to “islamic” extremists

Thanks to a friend, this was forwarded to me. Please read and forward widely. Again (sadly have to use that word) disgusted by these despicable people who call them Muslims.

N.B. – The youtube at the bottom features Sh. Abdullah bin Bayyah, a very prominent scholar in the Muslim world, of great stature and reach.

This is from the following source

http://muzlimbuzz.sg/2013/09/24/an-open-letter-to-islamic-extremists/

An Open Letter to “Islamic” Extremists

Open Letter banner

Dear “Islamic” Extremists,

As you would have noticed, I used quotation marks around the word Islamic because there is nothing Islamic about what you are doing. Your status in the sight of Allah is between you and Him so I will not go so far as to commit takfir on you, like you are wont to do to the rest of us who do not practice your literalist, fundamentalist Islam.

I generally enjoy my editorial duties: assigning work to my writers, coming up with new story ideas for the magazine, and I tend to go for the uplifting, spiritually-rejuvenating type of articles because God knows we all need it. But coming to the office this week with the Kenyan mall shooting and suicide bombing at a Pakistani church still fresh in my head, I decided that I had had enough.

Honestly, you kind of… suck.

You are a disgrace to the millions of Muslims who are struggling daily (yes, the ACTUAL meaning of Jihad) to be the best version of themselves, to restrain their basest desires and manifest Divine Characteristics and Attributes in themselves. You cause our scholars to release press statements to say they condemn your senseless killings and suicide bombing, over and over again, when their precious time can be used to uplift others, spread the teachings of Islam and other, you know, significantly-beneficial things!

You make us, the majority of the Muslims in the world, carry the burden of having to reiterate again and again that Islam literally comes from the root word “salaam” which means peace, and then put up with incredulous looks from our non-Muslim friends and colleagues who read about your suicide bombings and shootings.

You make it difficult for some of us to wear the hijab, or properly grow a beard for fear of being attacked. You even make it difficult for Sikhs to live a normal life wearing their turbans, thank you very much. I am SO convinced that all your killing and threats have made this world a better place.

You claim to be doing the work of God but you cannot possibly be referring to Allah, The Most Compassionate and The Most Merciful right? I mean, why would a God who introduces Himself as Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem (Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, respectively) ask you to take the lives of others?

Also, if you claim to be doing this in the name of Islam then you must have read the Qur’an (you know, the Holy Book that contains the revelations received by our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)) and must have somehow come across the following verses?

[quote]Qur’an 6:161: “…Take not life, which Allah has made sacred..”[/quote]

[quote]Qur’an 5:53: “… Whoso kills a soul, unless it be for murder or for wreaking corruption in the land, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind.”[/quote]

[quote]Qur’an 2:190: “Fight in the way of God against those who fight against you, but BEGIN NOT HOSTILITIES. Lo! God does not love the aggressors.”[/quote]

No?

How about some Hadith then (collection of sayings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him)?

1. “Do not be people without minds of your own, saying that if others treat you well you will treat them well, and that if they do wrong you will do wrong to them. Instead, accustom yourselves to do good if people do good and not to do wrong (even) if they do evil.”

2. ”Do not kill any old person.”

3. “Do not kill any women.”

4. “Do not kill any children.”

5. “Do not kill any people in places of worship.”

Did you know points 2 to 5 referred specifically to wartime, when people generally take lives, and yet these are the guidelines that the Prophet (pbuh) has laid down for his Companions, and here you are, killing women AND children AND old persons at a shopping mall (seriously?) and at a church and there isn’t even a war happening! Shame on you!

Terrorism and its crime against civilians is impermissible under any interpretation of Islamic law. I understand that you have grievances, you have stands to make, messages to send out to certain parties, but seriously, you are doing it all wrong!

As Imam Zaid Shakir says,

“True religion is not found in a self-glorying end brought on by a hail of bullets or a murderous act of suicide. Rather, true religion provides the spiritual direction needed to find one’s self-worth and human value in ones relationship with God.

True religion provides the solace and succor needed to find inner peace even when outer realities are crushing. True religion provides nobility that empowers its possessor to fearlessly challenge oppressors while mercifully protecting life, regardless of the race, religion, color or creed of the living. True religion provides a path to heaven that is paved with devotion, lofty morals, patience, and struggling in a dignified manner against the guiles of one’s ego, the vicissitudes of the world and the vagaries of both power and powerlessness.”

Please take 8 minutes of your time and watch what Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah has got to say, and then later if you still have a few more minutes, read the other links I’ve attached below.

Further reading:

1. Top Ten Ways Islamic Law forbids Terrorism: http://www.juancole.com/2013/04/islamic-forbids-terrorism.html

2. Islamic Statements Against Terrorism: http://kurzman.unc.edu/islamic-statements-against-terrorism/

3. Prohibition of Suicide and Suicide Bombing: http://www.islamicsupremecouncil.org/understanding-islam/legal-rulings/21-jihad-classical-islamic-perspective.html?start=15

Sincerely,

Ameera Begum, on behalf of a significant number of Muslims who are equally disgusted
Ameera is the Editor of Muzlimbuzz.sg, a chronic reader and a news junkie.

The unbridled Pacific ocean

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Subhahanallah! After eight years of living in Vancouver, for the first time I have been blessed to travel to the western shore of Vancouver island and can witness the untamed Pacific ocean. It is a sight for a sore heart for sure 🙂

This picture is from the Wild Pacific trail in Ucluelet.

Allah’s blessings are so abundant here it is hard not to be in sujood all the time

Subhahanallahi wabihamdihi, subhahanallahil adheem

Standing Before The Perfect

It has been a long time since I read a post by Dr. Hassaballa. He is a courageous man who shared his pain on loosing his daughter… this post strips away the veils from the heart and says what is essential, we all need to hear it. It’s our ego that prevents us from acknowledging how much we need to run back to that source of love, just to say sorry and go back to where we know love is waiting for us.

Hesham A. Hassaballa's avatarGod, Faith, and a Pen

In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved Lord

Here is another example of another famous artist making a song with an incredibly inspiring message. When I listen to this song, “Perfect” by Pink, there are so many images that come into my head. I imagine myself saying these very same words to any one of my daughters:

You’re so mean
When you talk
About yourself
You are wrong
Change the voices
In your head
Make them like you
Instead
So complicated
Look how big you’ll make it
Filled with so much hatred
Such a tired game
It’s enough
I’ve done all I can think of
Chased down all my demons
See you do the same

And, in fact, I have actually said to my eldest daughter that I echo these lyrics:

Pretty, pretty please
Don’t you ever, ever feel
Like you’re less than
less than perfect
Pretty…

View original post 416 more words

One from one of my favourite poets – may God rest her soul

Hope is the thing

with feathers

that perches in the soul

and sings the tune

without the words,

and never stops at all…

– Emily Dickinson

 

I would add, I would call this the voice of God, ar- Raqeeb, The Watchful One*

* Ar- Raqeeb mentioned in the Quran –

Now, verily, it is We who have created man,and we know what his innermost self whispers within him: for We are closer to him than his neck-vein. And so, whenever the two demands of his nature come face to face, contending from the right and from the left, not even a word can he utter but there is a watcher with him, ever present.

-Quran, Surah Qaf 50:16-18, Interpretation by Muhammed Asad

And so, as Imam Ghazali and others have said, despair is not the condition of the believer.

 

***

Joymanifest

Recall Notice

Someone sent me this in an email. I thought you’d enjoy the read so here’s sharing 🙂

***

RECALL NOTICE:

The Maker of all human beings (ALLAH) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.

This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been
identified as “Subsequential Internal Non- morality,” more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.

Some of the symptoms include:
1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion

The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory- authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect. The Repair Technician, ALLAH, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required. The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R. Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, ALLAH, into the heart component.

No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, ALLAH will replace it with:

1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control

Please see the operating manual, the QURAN (BEST Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.

WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list, and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, call on ALLAH.

DANGER: The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility.

Thank you for your attention!

-ALLAH

P.S. Please assist where possible by notifying others of this important recall notice, and you may contact ALLAH any time. Because HE Lives!

Working for God on earth doesn’t pay much…but His retirement plan is out of this world!

Trust

InshaAllah one day I will be able to share several life events that have been miraculous…and not just single big miraculous events, but several events that are a series of one thing leading to another each bringing the other on and all in perfect symphony. A symphony that takes time to unravel. But for now I wanted to say I am mesmerized by the perfection with which Allah looks after the affairs of the slaves who entrust themselves to Him. So be patient and trust your Lord, Allah does things in His own time, and verily His timing is perfect with a perfection we cannot predict, being ourselves trapped in the time-dimension, while He, Exalted, Beautiful, Holy, Light upon Light, The One and Eternal Refuge, is the Master of time. So trust and be patient, verily we are hasty by our nature so don’t go hard on yourself if you are hasty…just call on your Lord to help you be patient.