Posted in Original Compilations & Writings on January 21, 2009 by Abu Sabaya
In the Name of Allah, we invoke peace and blessings upon His Messenger.
Going back and thinking of the emotions felt over the last 25 days, one word which found a constant presence in our hearts was ‘helpless’ – the reality that we were helpless, and that we were silently witnessing a helpless people – our helpless people – trapped as Israeli killers patiently bombed them to bits while seated comfortably in the cockpits of American F-16s, as if to fulfill former IDF Chief of Staff Raphael Eitan’s April 1983 wish to see them “scurry around like drugged cockroaches in a bottle.”
The images of the charred bodies of infants, blood-soaked hijabs of sobbing mothers, mosques turned into rubble, stockpiles of food being fed to white phosphorous flames instead of the starving people they were meant for, fathers frantically and tearfully pulling corpses of family from the remains of bombed out homes – these images will forever remain in our conscience. From a material perspective, this was defeat and loss at its worst. What befell our brethren in Palestine has caused, and will continue to cause, much pain, anxiety, and sorrow in our hearts.
This reality mirrors one experienced by none other than the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) and his Companions 1,427 years ago following their military defeat at Uhud. When reviewing the events surrounding this defeat, one cannot help but be affected by the helplessness felt by the Muslims the moment they realized just how deep their material loss was in this battle, just as we are feeling at this moment when reflecting on what was taken from us as a result of the Israeli attack on Gaza. However, in reviewing these events, one can also not help but to take his feeling of helplessness and despair and transform it into firmness and strength.
First, let us examine the magnitude of the loss at Uhud.
Uhud affected the Muslims on many fronts. First of all, in what was possibly the most dangerous hour in the life of the Messenger of Allah, he found himself unprotected and exposed to the enemy on the battlefield, except for the presence of Talhah and Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas. This led to the disbelievers rushing to take advantage of the opportunity to inflict as much physical pain on him as they could, and they followed through by pelting him with stones (breaking his tooth and cutting his lip), cleaving his forehead, striking his shoulder with a sword, and striking him in the face so forcefully that his helmet pierced his cheek and caused a gaping wound. This audacity of the disbelievers so affected the Prophet that while wiping the blood from his face, he asked: “How can people who cut the face of their Prophet and break his incisor tooth - he who calls them to worship Allah - how can such people thrive or be successful?”
Imagine also the emotion felt by the Prophet and the Companions at the sight of Mus’ab bin ‘Umayr - who was personally appointed by the Prophet to bring Islam to Madinah in the first place - as both of his hands were amputated by the disbelievers in his attempt to secure the banner of the Muslims before they killed him. Picture in your mind the disbelievers mistaking the corpse of Mus’ab for the Prophet, yelling “Muhammad has been killed!” and sending a wave of disbelief through the Muslim ranks that demoralized many of them and caused them to give up the fight and turn back for Madinah.
Imagine the sadness that swept over the Companions as they assessed the aftermath of the battle to find the corpses of seventy of their brethren scattered around the battlefield, mutilated and disfigured by the spiteful disbelievers. Imagine then the shock and pain of the Prophet as he recognized the body of his beloved uncle, the Lion of Allah, Hamzah, as he lay among the casualties. Ibn Mas’ud said: “We have never seen the Messenger of Allah weeping so much as he was for Hamzah bin ‘Abd al-Muttalib.” To make matters worse, Hamzah’s burial was not quick and easy such that the Prophet could quickly put behind him the immense personal loss he had just experienced, as Khabbab bin al-Arrat said: “No shroud long enough was available for Hamzah except a white-darkish garment. When they covered his head with it, it was too short to cover his feet. Similarly, if they covered his feet, his head would be revealed.”
Imagine how the army returning to Madinah must have felt as they had to inform the family members of each of those seventy Companions killed that they would not be seeing their loved ones again in this life, one of whom was a woman who had lost her husband, father, and brother that day.
Imagine the dismay the Muslims must have felt that after their groundbreaking victory at Badr only a year earlier, they had now lost seventy of their brethren compared to the disbelievers’ casualties that amounted to only 22 men – less than a third of the Muslims’ losses. Such a loss would not only demoralize the Muslim army, but would also leave their military reputation, credibility, and dignity damaged in the eyes of the people.
All of this was the result of one single avoidable act of disobedience to the Prophet on the part of the archers stationed on the hill…all of this death, loss, sadness, and sorrow was easily avoidable had they simply obeyed a single command…
Undoubtedly, such circumstances would bring down any group and cause them immense pain, helplessness, and dismay. Undoubtedly, such circumstances would leave any group feeling that they had just experienced a loss from which they would not recover. However, the Prophet and his Companions were not just any group. They were a group who lived by the slogan {“And do not despair or be sad, as you are the most superior so long as you are believers.”} [Al ‘Imran; 139] They were a group who knew how to take advantage of their situation and hold their heads up high no matter what the odds were stacked against them, and no matter what their enemies did to intimidate them. They were a group who were able to emanate honor and power despite material loss.
Now, let us examine the attitude of the Muslims who had just experienced this loss firsthand.
When the disbelievers had completed their attacks and mutilation of the corpses of the Companions, Abu Sufyan scaled Mount Uhud looking for the Prophet, Abu Bakr, and ‘Umar. He called out to them and taunted them, but ‘Umar did not give the response of a defeated, dismayed, weak, and submissive victim. Rather he replied: “O enemy of Allah, those whom you have just mentioned, I tell you that they are still alive. Allah has maintained what you hate!”
Abu Sufyan replied: “The mutilation of your dead is something I did not order. However, it did not displease me. May Hubal be sublime!”
At the behest of the Prophet, ‘Umar replied: “Allah is more Sublime, Exalted, and Mightier!”
Abu Sufyan then shouted: “al-’Uzza is ours, and you have no ‘Uzza!”
‘Umar then made his famous statement: “Allah is our Helper, and you have no helper (الله مولانا و لا مولى لكم)!”
Frustrated, Abu Sufyan muttered: “Today is revenge for Badr, as war is conducted with alternating successes.”
Unrelenting, ‘Umar yelled back: “No, we are not the same. Our dead are in Paradise, while your dead are in Hell!”
The honor, strength, and confidence with which ‘Umar stood up to the leader of the army that had just inflicted defeat upon his own speaks for itself. This shows that material victory or loss meant very little to these people compared to the true victory of the honor associated with being a believer. He was not intimidated or dismayed in the least despite directly conversing with the man whose happiness and joy was in seeing the Muslims tortured and eradicated, and despite the fact that this conversation was taking place directly on the heels of the first military defeat ever experienced by the Muslims.
This shows that no matter how demoralizing a loss may be for you, the Muslim - no matter how many mosques are bombed to rubble, how many children are made into orphans or are themselves burned to a crisp by white phosphorous bombs, how distressing it is that even basic food and medicine are held back from our brothers and sisters by those who have no regard for human life – no matter how cruel a hand you as a Muslim are dealt, you always keeps your head up, your boldness intact, and put aside your anxiety and dismay.
Then came Hamra’ al-Asad.
While the disbelievers were still on their way back to Makkah, the Muslims had arrived back in Madinah in a state of exhaustion, pain, and sorrow. They were also in a state of alert, as they were expecting the disbelievers to turn back and attempt to invade Madinah in light of the perceived weakness of the Muslim army.
However, none of these hindrances prevented the Prophet from what he was about to do next: he went around and gathered all of the injured Muslims who had fought at Uhud the day before in order to lead them in pursuit of the army that had just defeated them. Many fresh, uninjured fighters were available and desperate to join, such as ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy and Jabir bin ‘Abdillah. However, the Prophet only wanted those injured and exhausted soldiers who were still recovering from their wounds to join him. This was unheard of: an army composed exclusively of crippled fighters who had just experienced a major military defeat?!
With the Prophet still recovering from his own wounds, they marched to an area outside of Madinah called Hamra’ al-Asad, only to receive word that their assumptions were true – the disbelievers had turned back and considered attacking Madinah. They still haven’t recovered from Uhud, and they now have to defend Madinah against the same enemy? However, the Prophet’s ability to take advantage of the situation was now going to reverse the psychological loss the Muslims had suffered at Uhud.
He sent a messenger to relay to Abu Sufyan and his troops that the Muslims had regrouped, recovered, and were hot on their heels. Abu Sufyan could not believe his ears, and the anxiety and panic that had gripped the Muslims only the day before was now spread among his own troops. He then decided that it was in his best interests to retreat to Makkah and cancel his plan to attack Madinah.
However, in an attempt to frighten and intimidate the Muslims from pursuing him, Abu Sufyan sent a message back to the Muslims that he had gathered the ranks of all the Makkans to lay waste to the Prophet and his army: {“Those to whom the people said: “Verily, the people have gathered against you a great army. So, fear them.””} [Al ‘Imran; 173] What was the response of the injured Prophet and his small group of crippled fighters to this threat from the man who had just dealt them defeat the day before? {“…But it only increased them in faith, and they said: “Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.””} [Al ‘Imran; 173] And the injured Prophet stayed at Hamra’ al-Asad with his crippled group, waiting for three whole days to confront this great army that Abu Sufyan had supposedly gathered against them. In the end, when it became clear that Abu Sufyan and the disbelievers were simply bluffing and were too afraid to pull through with their threats, he decided to turn back and return to Madinah. Would anyone have expected the disbelievers to act so cowardly only a day after Uhud?
Reflect on how the Prophet was able to so effectively reverse the devastation of Uhud in just a matter of days:
He revived the morale of the crippled Muslims who had just experienced loss and defeat by insisting that they be the ones to accompany him in pursuit of the very enemy that had just defeated them.
He decreased the morale of the disbelievers who had just experienced victory by showing them that no matter how devastating a blow the Muslim is dealt, he still has his honor, bravery, and the will to face those who challenge him.
He restored the military reputation and power of the Muslims that had temporarily suffered as a result of te ev
s at Uhud.
The effectiveness of the Prophet as a leader in times of crisis cannot be overstated. It is often said that a person can be judged by how he handles crisis and disaster, as anyone can be calm and composed in times of ease. This concept can be applied to groups and nations as well as individuals. Therefore, this episode in the Sirah teaches us that even at the worst times and in the midst of the most depressing crises, it is possible to reverse the loss, psychologically if not materially. All it takes is a sharp mind to observe the situation and see what holes in the wall there are from which one may take advantage and turn the tables to be in his favor, thus turning defeat into victory.
Let us now examine the bounty Allah granted the Muslims as a result of the attitude they showed in the face of loss and defeat.
It should be noted that even after the events of Hamra’ al-Asad, the Muslims were once again dealt tragic losses at ar-Raji’ (where a group of Muslims were betrayed and captured, leading to the famous crucifixion of Khubayb in Makkah) and the Well of Ma’unah (where, in a painful repeat of Uhud, seventy more of the best Companions were killed, this time as the result of betrayal). Victory is not a stagnant condition that remains once it is achieved. Rather, Allah gives and takes it even from the best of people (صلى الله عليه و سلم), and He intertwines it with loss and defeat in order to see how we will deal with each of the respective situations.
The Muslims whose act of disobedience to the Prophet was the single precursor to the devastating loss at Uhud undoubtedly learned their lesson and repented for their error. As a result, when the Prophet laid siege to the fortresses of Banu an-Nathir only a few months later, the Muslims were able to achieve victory without any fighting even occurring. Allah had directly used the weapon of fear and intimidation by placing these into the hearts of Banu an-Nathir, as He Said: {“…and He cast terror into their hearts, so that they destroyed their own dwellings with their own hands and the hands of the believers…”} [al-Hashr; 2] The same blessing was granted to them by Allah only a few months later when the second battle at Badr took place, with the Muslims waiting eight whole days for Abu Sufyan and his army to show up while he meanwhile had decided to return to Makkah instead of taking his chances in facing the Prophet and his Companions. Such blessings were partly the result of the Muslims learning from their mistakes at Uhud and reviewing what it was they had done to contribute to the loss and defeat that had affected the Ummah as a whole. Their unconditional obedience to the Prophet in going out to Hamra’ al-Asad despite their crippled state, as well as the faith, certainty, and bravery they displayed even when threatened by Abu Sufyan’s army, were among the many reasons for the swift victories at Banu an-Nathir and the second Badr.
Similarly, it is upon us to examine ourselves as individuals and groups and see if we are reacting to the devastation and loss experienced in Gaza in the proper way and with the proper attitude. The bravery of the Prophet at Hamra’ al-Asad, the post-defeat boldness of ‘Umar while speaking down to Abu Sufyan, the cleverness of Khalid bin al-Walid in reversing the flanks in the face of an imminent loss at Mu’tah – these should all serve to strengthen us and teach us that despair, pain, anxiety, and victimization should not be in the dictionary of the Muslim. Rather, we should always maintain our honor and confidence following defeat, keep our heads raised high in the face of loss, and face those who continue to challenge us in a bold, smart, and effective way.
{“And do not despair or be sad, as you are the most superior so long as you are believers. If a disaster befalls you, be sure that a disaster has likewise befallen them. And such are the days, we rotate them between the people…”}
Saturday, January 24
Self Worth - True Self Worth
"Not only were we taught to be victims of people, places, and things, we were taught to be victims of ourselves, of our own humanity. We were taught to take our ego-strength, our self-definition from external manifestations of our being.
Our bodies are not who we are - they are a part of our being in this lifetime - but they are not who we Truly are.
Looks deteriorate, talent dissipates, intelligence erodes. If we define ourselves by these external manifestations, then we will be victimized by the power we give them. We will hate ourself for being human and aging.
Looks, talent, intelligence - external manifestations of our being are gifts to be celebrated. They are temporary gifts. They are not our total being. They do not define us or dictate if we have worth.
We were taught to do it backwards. To take our self-definition and self-worth from temporary illusions outside of, or external to our beings. It does not work. It is dysfunctional.
As was stated earlier, Codependence could more accurately be called outer or external dependence. Outside influences (people, places, and things; money, property, and prestige) or external manifestations (looks, talent, intelligence) can not fill the hole within. They can distract us and make us feel better temporarily but they cannot address the core issue - they cannot fulfill us Spiritually. They can give us ego-strength but they cannot give us self-worth.
True self-worth does not come from temporary conditions. True self-worth comes from accessing the eternal Truth within, from remembering the state of Grace that is our True condition.
No one outside of you can define for you what your Truth is.
Nothing outside of you can bring you True fulfillment. You can only be fully filled by accessing the transcendent Truth that already exists within.
This Age of Healing and Joy is a time for each individual to access the Truth within. It is not a time for gurus or cults or channeled entities, or anyone else, to tell you who you are.
Accessing your own Truth is remembering.
It is following your own path.
It is finding your bliss.
Codependence does not work. It is dysfunctional. It is backwards.
IN - dependence is the answer.
Looking outside of ourselves for self-definition and self-worth means that we have to judge people in order to feel good about ourselves. There is no other way to do it when you look outside.
We were taught to have ego-strength through judgment - better than, prettier than, smarter than, richer than, stronger than, etc., etc.
In a Codependent society everyone has to have someone to look down on in order to feel positive about him/herself. This is the root of all bigotry, racism, sexism, and prejudice in the world.
True self-worth does not come from looking down on anyone or anything. True self-worth comes from awakening to our connection to everyone and everything.
The Truth is that we are like snowflakes: Each individual is unique and different and special and we are all made from the same thing. We are all cut from the same cloth. We are all part of the Eternal ONENESS that is the Great Spirit.
When we start looking within and celebrating the Truth of who we Truly are, then we can celebrate our unique differences instead of judging them out of fear."
Our bodies are not who we are - they are a part of our being in this lifetime - but they are not who we Truly are.
Looks deteriorate, talent dissipates, intelligence erodes. If we define ourselves by these external manifestations, then we will be victimized by the power we give them. We will hate ourself for being human and aging.
Looks, talent, intelligence - external manifestations of our being are gifts to be celebrated. They are temporary gifts. They are not our total being. They do not define us or dictate if we have worth.
We were taught to do it backwards. To take our self-definition and self-worth from temporary illusions outside of, or external to our beings. It does not work. It is dysfunctional.
As was stated earlier, Codependence could more accurately be called outer or external dependence. Outside influences (people, places, and things; money, property, and prestige) or external manifestations (looks, talent, intelligence) can not fill the hole within. They can distract us and make us feel better temporarily but they cannot address the core issue - they cannot fulfill us Spiritually. They can give us ego-strength but they cannot give us self-worth.
True self-worth does not come from temporary conditions. True self-worth comes from accessing the eternal Truth within, from remembering the state of Grace that is our True condition.
No one outside of you can define for you what your Truth is.
Nothing outside of you can bring you True fulfillment. You can only be fully filled by accessing the transcendent Truth that already exists within.
This Age of Healing and Joy is a time for each individual to access the Truth within. It is not a time for gurus or cults or channeled entities, or anyone else, to tell you who you are.
Accessing your own Truth is remembering.
It is following your own path.
It is finding your bliss.
Codependence does not work. It is dysfunctional. It is backwards.
IN - dependence is the answer.
Looking outside of ourselves for self-definition and self-worth means that we have to judge people in order to feel good about ourselves. There is no other way to do it when you look outside.
We were taught to have ego-strength through judgment - better than, prettier than, smarter than, richer than, stronger than, etc., etc.
In a Codependent society everyone has to have someone to look down on in order to feel positive about him/herself. This is the root of all bigotry, racism, sexism, and prejudice in the world.
True self-worth does not come from looking down on anyone or anything. True self-worth comes from awakening to our connection to everyone and everything.
The Truth is that we are like snowflakes: Each individual is unique and different and special and we are all made from the same thing. We are all cut from the same cloth. We are all part of the Eternal ONENESS that is the Great Spirit.
When we start looking within and celebrating the Truth of who we Truly are, then we can celebrate our unique differences instead of judging them out of fear."
Friday, January 23
Imam Mahdi - Series - Part 1 of 2
Al Mahdi's Lineage, Physical Appearance and Characteristics:
- Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, said: "Al Mahdi is (descended) from me. His forehead will be radiant, and his nose prominent. He will fill the earth with both fairness and justice just as it will have been filled by oppression and injustice, and he will govern for seven years."
- "At the end of Time, a stern trial from their governor will come upon my nation - never before will they have heard of a trial such as it. The wide earth will shrink before them and the earth will become full of oppression and injustice so that believers find no refuge from harm. So, Allah, the Mighty, the Purified will send a man from my pure musked descendants who will fill the earth with fairness and justice, just as it was filled by oppression and injustice. The inhabitants of Heaven and Earth will be pleased with him. The earth will not withhold any of its seed -- all will be produced. Nor will the Heaven withhold any of its showers except that Allah pours it upon them in abundance. And he will live among them seven, eight or nine years; the dead will wish for life because of that! Allah, the Mighty, the Glorified will give the inhabitants of the earth from His Goodness."
- "I bear good tidings for you concerning Al Mahdi. He will be sent when people differ and the earth quakes!"
(The preceding narrations were reported by Abi Said Al Khudri in the reference of Abi Dawood, Al Hakim, At-Tirmizi, Ahmad, ibn Hibban, Muslim, Al Tabarani (in his middle dictionary), Al Barudi and Abu Nuaym in his forty Hadith concerning Al Mahdi.)
The Certainty of his Appearance
- "Even if there remained only one day left to be lived, Allah will prolong that day until He sends a man from me. His name is like my name, and his father's name is like my father's name. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it was filled by oppression and injustice."
- "The days will not end and life will not vanish until the Arabs are governed by a man from the Family of my House -- his name is the same as mine."
- Ibn Masood reported: "We went to the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, and he came out with good news and happiness was easily recognizable upon his face... until a party from the Bani Hashim passed by amongst whom were Al Hasan and Al Hussain, peace be upon them. When he saw them he hugged them with tears in his eyes, so we asked: 'O Messenger of Allah' we see something has changed your face which distresses us.' Thereupon he replied: 'We are a Family of a House for whom Allah has chosen the Hereafter rather than the present. After me, my family will be refugees, driven out of countries until the Black Banners are raised in the east.
They will ask for the truth but they will not be given it, so they will ask again for it, and they will not be given it, so they will fight and be given victory. Those of you or your descendants who live during that time go to the Imam of the Family of my house even if you have to crawl over ice to him. Indeed, they are banners of guidance. They will deliver it to a man from the Family of my House his name is the same as my name, and the name of his father is the same as my father, and he will fill the ground with fairness and justice."
(This hadith is in found in the references of Abu Dawood, Al Hakim, At-Tirmizi, Ibn Hibban, Ibn Majhah, Au Ash-Shaykh, Ibn Adiy, Abu Dhabi, Ibn Asakir and Abu Nuaym.)
When and Where Al Mahdi is given Allegiance (Bayat)
- "Differences will occur after the death of a caliph and a man from the people of Medina will escape to Mecca. Then, some of the people of Mecca will come to him and drag him out against his desire and give him their allegiance between Ar-Rukn and Al Makam. An army will be sent against him from Syria that will be swallowed up in Al Bayda - desert between Mecca and Medina. When people see this, the Abdal of Syria will come to him as well as a group of people from Iraq and pledge their allegiance between Ar-Rukn and Al Makam. Then a man from the Koraysh will come whose cousins are from Kalb, and he will send an army to them that will overcome them and this will become known as the Battle of Kalb.
Whosoever does not witness the spoils of war from Kalb is lost! And he (Al Mahdi) will distribute wealth and practice the Sunnah of their Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, with the people. And Islam will spread throughout the earth. He will remain seven years then die, and the believers will pray for him."
(This hadith was reported by Lady Ummu Salamah, wife of the Prophet, Mother of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with her, and is found in the references of Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah, Al Hakim, Ibn Hibban and At-Tabarani.)
The Black Banners
- If you see the Black Banners coming from Khurasan go to them immediately, even if you must crawl over ice, because indeed amongst them is the Caliph, Al Mahdi."
- "The Black Banners will come to you from the East, their hearts are like iron. Whosoever hears about them let them go crawling -- even over ice!"
(The preceding Hadith was reported by Thawban and is found in the references of Ibn Majah, Al Busiri, Al Hakim, Ahmad, Nuaym, Ad- Daylami, Al Hasan, son of Sufyan, and Abu Nuaym. )
- "A man named As-Sufyani will come from the center of Damascus. The majority of his followers will be from the tribe of Kalb. He will kill until he rips women open and kills children. So the tribe of Kays will rise up in retaliation and he will slaughter all of them! Then a man from the Family of my House will come in Al Hirrah and the news will reach As-Sufyani. Then he will send his army but it will suffer defeat. As-Sufyani will march with his followers to him until they reach a desert and the ground will swallow them up. None will be saved except the one bearing the news."
The Emergence of the False Messiah
- "The Romans will surround a leader from my pure musked children. His name will be the same as mine. They will fight each other at a place called Al Imak and one third, or thereabouts, of the Muslims will be killed. They will fight again on another day and again one third or thereabouts of the Muslims will be killed. On the third day they will fight again and the Romans will be defeated. And they will remain there until they open Constantinople. It is whilst they are distributing the spoils of war that a messenger will come informing them that the false messiah is in their home town with their children."
(Reported by Abu Hurayrah in the reference of Ibn Hibban, At-Tirmizi, Abuya'li, at Tabarani, Al Bazaar, Abu Nuaym and Al Hakim.)
Thursday, January 15
Oh Soul!
Oh soul,
you worry too much.
You have seen your own strength.
You have seen your own beauty.
You have seen your golden wings.
Of anything less,
why do you worry?
You are in truth
the soul, of the soul, of the soul.”
~ Jalal ad-Din Rumi
you worry too much.
You have seen your own strength.
You have seen your own beauty.
You have seen your golden wings.
Of anything less,
why do you worry?
You are in truth
the soul, of the soul, of the soul.”
~ Jalal ad-Din Rumi
Tuesday, January 13
Durood
Once Jibrail (alaihissalam) came to Prophet (sulallah alaih waalihe wasalum) said: Allah has given me the knowledge to count every leaf on earth, every fish in the sea, every star in the sky and every particle of sand on earth, but there's only one thing i cant count. Prophet (SulAllah alaihe waalhe Wasulum ) asked Jibrail {Alaihe Salam}:what is it? Jibrail {Alaihe Salam} replied..."When one of your Ummati recited Durood ow Salaams to you the blessings Allah showers upon him becomes impossible for me to count."
Tuesday, December 30
Luck!
Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known.
Hurting the Feelings of Others
Hurting the Feelings of Others
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani |
Saturday, Dec 13, 2008 | Washington, DC US
SufiLive.com
A`udhu billah min ash-shaytan ir-rajeem
Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem
Nawaytu'l-arba`een, nawaytu'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu'l-khalwah, nawaytu'l-riyaada, nawaytu's-salook, nawaytu'l-`uzlah lillahi ta`ala fee hadha'l-masjid
They say that if speaking is from silver, if you like to talk, it is equal to silver, then to be silent is equal to gold because we cannot as a human being control our tongues. And the biggest problem in this world is that people are not able to control their tongues from talking. And the Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (s) he said, in the meaning of his hadith, tradition, part of the hadith is that “anyone who can guarantee for me,” he is saying, “can guarantee for me his tongue,” he didn’t say “his tongue” but he said, "what is between his jaws, I will guarantee for him Paradise.” Because you don’t know how you might address people and you hurt their feelings.
I heard my master in his teachings to many Muslim and non-Muslim. …As I said, "the place is small but the hearts are big.”
So… the Prophet (s), I heard my teacher many times was saying that “people might commit sins, too many and they might do things that are not allowed.” It means they might lie or they might cheat or they might because of their greediness, they might raise prices more than it should be, or they might do other things, not listening to the mother or the father or the elders, or not following what they need to follow in their beliefs, all that if you ask repentance, Allah will forgive you. God will forgive you. Anything that is between you and God, Allah swt, you do something wrong and you might take something to your advantage from the rights of your Lord, you repent, Allah is merciful He will forgive you.
As it is said in the Holy Qur'an, “Say [O Muhammad] to the people, ‘If they were oppressors to themselves, let them not lose hope of My forgiveness. I will forgive them, just let them repent.”
God is always merciful. But the problem is that when we hurt the feeling of someone else or we backbite someone else or we spread a bad rumor about someone else, the problem is not that you repent and god will forgive. The problem is that the person you hurt you must ask forgiveness. So there is a problem there. Might be the person you ask will not forgive you. So what happens? You are falling into a valley that has not bottom.
When the Prophet (s) asked his companions about the meaning of bankruptcy, and we have lot of bankruptcy going around today. He asked them, “who is the bankrupt one?” They said, "whoever loses his wealth.” He said, "No, this is not the real meaning of bankrupt." Although that is what we understand, bankruptcy is whoever lost all his wealth. He said, "No, the bankrupt one is the one who has no good deeds to present to God on Judgment Day.” And the companions said, "even if he is praying and fasting?” and he said, "even if he is praying and fasting, he might not have any good deeds.” They were surprised.
So it means on the Day of Judgment, and it is called judgment like you are judged here in a court, one person accuses the other. So on the Day of Judgment whoever has been harmed he will give from his good deeds to give to you. If he hurt you a lot then all the good deeds he did in his life will be transferred to you. Then he will be left with nothing, bankrupted.
So we said at the beginning that the Prophet (s) Muhammad (s) and Jesus Alayhissalam and Moses Alayhissalam and Abraham Alayhissalam and Noah Alayhissalam, all these heavenly religions came to discipline us and to teach how to behave with each other and to be relate with each other. That is the message that we have to carry with us.
Unfortunately many of us they try to hurt the others… in different ways. Look. Some Muslims hurt the majority of Muslims. Why? Because they thought this is their way, so even though they prayed and fasted, as the prophet said, because they hurted the other they are bankrupted in the presence of Allah they have nothing, they deserve punishment. Those who blended or branded or labeled the name of Islam and Muslim as terrorists because of their actions that they killed innocent people, they hurt the whole Muslim community. And not only the Muslim community, but they hurt the whole human race. What do you think the punishment will be on them. It is not going to be an easy punishment.
Antichrist, and we know in the Holy Bible and in the Torah of Moses Alayhissalam and in the Holy Qur'an and the holy hadith of the prophet, about the last days we know that Antichrist is coming. Antichrist means the one who does not accept Jesus Alayhissalam coming back on earth .it means he does not accept except his own belief. How many Antichrist we now have around this world?
Prophet Muhammad (s) came 1400 years ago and delivered his message and he said, "Tis message will go to the Day of Judgment and in the Last Days Jesus Alayhissalam will come back, and him and one of my grandchildren, Mahdi Alayhissalam, will come to eliminate injustice." But before that a lot of confusion that Antichrist will bring on earth before Jesus Alayhissalam comes. So Jesus Alayhissalam will come to eliminate what the Antichrist is doing.
So how many nowadays can be called “Antichrist on earth” that they are damaging the reputation of Islam and Muslims and against all heavenly messages? And they are coming against all messages and they are coming against every one who doesn’t accept them and the Antichrist will come against the whole world because they don’t accept him, and he will come and conquer one land after another. You found this in Bible in and in the hadith of the Holy Prophet (s). So he will establish himself in one place and then use that place to take over other places. That is the point of departure, intilaq in Arabic, to take over different places in order to take over the whole world.
And the Prophet (s) said, "His evil power will move from one place to another.” Look today you see these circles of evilness, they are forming circles of evilness and they are doing all kinds of miseries around the world, problems around the world; terrorism around the world; fighting around the world; hijacking now, vessels and boats around the world. All kinds of evil work they are doing and this is because they are inheritors of what the Antichrist is coming with, they are paving the road for Antichrist. That means they are his supporters and we are looking and we are surprised how many of them coming around the world, destroying all kinds of beliefs.
“Antichrist,” the Prophet (s) said, "he will not accept except his own beliefs.” He will say to you “if you accept me ok, if you don’t accept me…” he will eliminate them. And he will eliminate anyone who does not accept his belief and he will use massive elimination. And are we not seeing massive eliminations? Yes, look in Iraq, with suicide bombings. In other countries. And 911, after 911, before 911. Look in Africa how they are fighting. All of that is like a collection of different places around the world, with the same behavior and same ideology. Even if their belief is not Muslim but they are from different religions, but their focus, their belief, is to create confusion on earth either by their speeches or by their actions. Listen to what they say in their speeches. They are fiery speeches. And the Prophet (s) said, "Anyone who can guarantee what is between his jaws … I will guarantee for him Paradise.”
These people we don’t hear from them except threatenings and Antichrist comes with threatenings, he cannot come with other than that. He comes before Jesus Alayhissalam, before `Isa Alayhissalam. And as I said, he has supporters. These supporters are coming out of their caves now and are spreading this earth with all these kinds of confusion. Unfortunately there is no end for it. The end will come with arrival of Antichrist. Because the evil power always going to be from century to century And in this century it is increasing a lot.
So what we have to do then is, as the Prophet (s) said, "There will coming a time that there will be huge confusions around the world. Like chunks,… You know how you look at the sky at night and you don’t see any stars, there are huge chunks of dark night. He said, "Confusions will be so dark and so huge,” as if someone looking in the sky and seeing huge darkness there, no light. So at that time he said, "there will be lot of confusions around the world.” He said, "the one sitting, the one who is sitting, means sitting at home or sitting looking after his work, and sitting looking after his children and his family is better than the one standing and looking from the window.” He might receives something that might hurt him. The one looking is exposed. The one who is sitting on his chair, he is not looking outside there is no exposure for anything. He is not going to be exposed. He said, "the one who is sitting, is better than the one who is
standing the one who is standing better than one walking the one walking on the street is better…?
And he said, "If you get angry at that time, then hit on a stone.” Hit your hand or your stick, it means get your anger out on that stone, until you break your stick. At that time “take your bow and arrow and hit it on the rock.” Don’t involve with anyone as something might hurt you. We are in such days.
That is why one of the companions of the Prophet (s), Sayyidina `Ali (r), karam-Allahu wajha, wa Alayhissalam, he said, "you have to be careful what you are saying and what you want to say.” Today what makes people falling into problems is they have to know what they have to speak and what they have to say. He said, "before you speak judge yourself before you talk anything."
Does anyone judge himself before he speaks? Look today these talk shows. Did you see any show they didn’t criticize each other? This one criticize this one and that one criticize that one. They say two opinions. What is the benefit? You are making more confusion with two opinions that one says something and that one says another: Who is right and who is wrong? Both consider they are right.
So the best is to keep silent. Study, learn, raise a family. Look at your work and don’t involve yourself too much with issues that don’t concern you. I don’t want to be long, but as he said, Sayyidina `Ali (r):
اعمل لدنياك كأنك تعيش أبداً ، و اعمل لآخرتك كأنك تموت غدا
A`amal li-dunyaka ka-annaka ta`ayshu abadan wa a`amal li akhiratika ka-annaka tamootu ghaddan - do for you lifetime that you are living on this earth as if you are living forever.”
It means be ambitious do what you want to do, but check what you want to say, but try to do the maximum, No problem. But make sure you do for your other life, the afterlife, as if you are dying tomorrow.
So look at the both sides. He said, "look at this world as if you are living forever. But keep in mind you might die tomorrow. You have to keep both sides, as any time you might be called and asked.
So the best in this time is to raise good children and a good family and to as soon as possible to get them married. You cannot leave your children without marriage. Too much temptations. Too much unacceptable acts that might make your children to fall down, as we are seeing outside in the streets, too much between girls and boys with drugs that are ruining their lives. Why? Because we are delaying their studies and we are delaying, we are not encouraging them to finish as quick as possible and then get married. Everyone is saying to wait and wait and wait, until they become 60 years old.
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani |
Saturday, Dec 13, 2008 | Washington, DC US
SufiLive.com
A`udhu billah min ash-shaytan ir-rajeem
Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem
Nawaytu'l-arba`een, nawaytu'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu'l-khalwah, nawaytu'l-riyaada, nawaytu's-salook, nawaytu'l-`uzlah lillahi ta`ala fee hadha'l-masjid
They say that if speaking is from silver, if you like to talk, it is equal to silver, then to be silent is equal to gold because we cannot as a human being control our tongues. And the biggest problem in this world is that people are not able to control their tongues from talking. And the Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (s) he said, in the meaning of his hadith, tradition, part of the hadith is that “anyone who can guarantee for me,” he is saying, “can guarantee for me his tongue,” he didn’t say “his tongue” but he said, "what is between his jaws, I will guarantee for him Paradise.” Because you don’t know how you might address people and you hurt their feelings.
I heard my master in his teachings to many Muslim and non-Muslim. …As I said, "the place is small but the hearts are big.”
So… the Prophet (s), I heard my teacher many times was saying that “people might commit sins, too many and they might do things that are not allowed.” It means they might lie or they might cheat or they might because of their greediness, they might raise prices more than it should be, or they might do other things, not listening to the mother or the father or the elders, or not following what they need to follow in their beliefs, all that if you ask repentance, Allah will forgive you. God will forgive you. Anything that is between you and God, Allah swt, you do something wrong and you might take something to your advantage from the rights of your Lord, you repent, Allah is merciful He will forgive you.
As it is said in the Holy Qur'an, “Say [O Muhammad] to the people, ‘If they were oppressors to themselves, let them not lose hope of My forgiveness. I will forgive them, just let them repent.”
God is always merciful. But the problem is that when we hurt the feeling of someone else or we backbite someone else or we spread a bad rumor about someone else, the problem is not that you repent and god will forgive. The problem is that the person you hurt you must ask forgiveness. So there is a problem there. Might be the person you ask will not forgive you. So what happens? You are falling into a valley that has not bottom.
When the Prophet (s) asked his companions about the meaning of bankruptcy, and we have lot of bankruptcy going around today. He asked them, “who is the bankrupt one?” They said, "whoever loses his wealth.” He said, "No, this is not the real meaning of bankrupt." Although that is what we understand, bankruptcy is whoever lost all his wealth. He said, "No, the bankrupt one is the one who has no good deeds to present to God on Judgment Day.” And the companions said, "even if he is praying and fasting?” and he said, "even if he is praying and fasting, he might not have any good deeds.” They were surprised.
So it means on the Day of Judgment, and it is called judgment like you are judged here in a court, one person accuses the other. So on the Day of Judgment whoever has been harmed he will give from his good deeds to give to you. If he hurt you a lot then all the good deeds he did in his life will be transferred to you. Then he will be left with nothing, bankrupted.
So we said at the beginning that the Prophet (s) Muhammad (s) and Jesus Alayhissalam and Moses Alayhissalam and Abraham Alayhissalam and Noah Alayhissalam, all these heavenly religions came to discipline us and to teach how to behave with each other and to be relate with each other. That is the message that we have to carry with us.
Unfortunately many of us they try to hurt the others… in different ways. Look. Some Muslims hurt the majority of Muslims. Why? Because they thought this is their way, so even though they prayed and fasted, as the prophet said, because they hurted the other they are bankrupted in the presence of Allah they have nothing, they deserve punishment. Those who blended or branded or labeled the name of Islam and Muslim as terrorists because of their actions that they killed innocent people, they hurt the whole Muslim community. And not only the Muslim community, but they hurt the whole human race. What do you think the punishment will be on them. It is not going to be an easy punishment.
Antichrist, and we know in the Holy Bible and in the Torah of Moses Alayhissalam and in the Holy Qur'an and the holy hadith of the prophet, about the last days we know that Antichrist is coming. Antichrist means the one who does not accept Jesus Alayhissalam coming back on earth .it means he does not accept except his own belief. How many Antichrist we now have around this world?
Prophet Muhammad (s) came 1400 years ago and delivered his message and he said, "Tis message will go to the Day of Judgment and in the Last Days Jesus Alayhissalam will come back, and him and one of my grandchildren, Mahdi Alayhissalam, will come to eliminate injustice." But before that a lot of confusion that Antichrist will bring on earth before Jesus Alayhissalam comes. So Jesus Alayhissalam will come to eliminate what the Antichrist is doing.
So how many nowadays can be called “Antichrist on earth” that they are damaging the reputation of Islam and Muslims and against all heavenly messages? And they are coming against all messages and they are coming against every one who doesn’t accept them and the Antichrist will come against the whole world because they don’t accept him, and he will come and conquer one land after another. You found this in Bible in and in the hadith of the Holy Prophet (s). So he will establish himself in one place and then use that place to take over other places. That is the point of departure, intilaq in Arabic, to take over different places in order to take over the whole world.
And the Prophet (s) said, "His evil power will move from one place to another.” Look today you see these circles of evilness, they are forming circles of evilness and they are doing all kinds of miseries around the world, problems around the world; terrorism around the world; fighting around the world; hijacking now, vessels and boats around the world. All kinds of evil work they are doing and this is because they are inheritors of what the Antichrist is coming with, they are paving the road for Antichrist. That means they are his supporters and we are looking and we are surprised how many of them coming around the world, destroying all kinds of beliefs.
“Antichrist,” the Prophet (s) said, "he will not accept except his own beliefs.” He will say to you “if you accept me ok, if you don’t accept me…” he will eliminate them. And he will eliminate anyone who does not accept his belief and he will use massive elimination. And are we not seeing massive eliminations? Yes, look in Iraq, with suicide bombings. In other countries. And 911, after 911, before 911. Look in Africa how they are fighting. All of that is like a collection of different places around the world, with the same behavior and same ideology. Even if their belief is not Muslim but they are from different religions, but their focus, their belief, is to create confusion on earth either by their speeches or by their actions. Listen to what they say in their speeches. They are fiery speeches. And the Prophet (s) said, "Anyone who can guarantee what is between his jaws … I will guarantee for him Paradise.”
These people we don’t hear from them except threatenings and Antichrist comes with threatenings, he cannot come with other than that. He comes before Jesus Alayhissalam, before `Isa Alayhissalam. And as I said, he has supporters. These supporters are coming out of their caves now and are spreading this earth with all these kinds of confusion. Unfortunately there is no end for it. The end will come with arrival of Antichrist. Because the evil power always going to be from century to century And in this century it is increasing a lot.
So what we have to do then is, as the Prophet (s) said, "There will coming a time that there will be huge confusions around the world. Like chunks,… You know how you look at the sky at night and you don’t see any stars, there are huge chunks of dark night. He said, "Confusions will be so dark and so huge,” as if someone looking in the sky and seeing huge darkness there, no light. So at that time he said, "there will be lot of confusions around the world.” He said, "the one sitting, the one who is sitting, means sitting at home or sitting looking after his work, and sitting looking after his children and his family is better than the one standing and looking from the window.” He might receives something that might hurt him. The one looking is exposed. The one who is sitting on his chair, he is not looking outside there is no exposure for anything. He is not going to be exposed. He said, "the one who is sitting, is better than the one who is
standing the one who is standing better than one walking the one walking on the street is better…?
And he said, "If you get angry at that time, then hit on a stone.” Hit your hand or your stick, it means get your anger out on that stone, until you break your stick. At that time “take your bow and arrow and hit it on the rock.” Don’t involve with anyone as something might hurt you. We are in such days.
That is why one of the companions of the Prophet (s), Sayyidina `Ali (r), karam-Allahu wajha, wa Alayhissalam, he said, "you have to be careful what you are saying and what you want to say.” Today what makes people falling into problems is they have to know what they have to speak and what they have to say. He said, "before you speak judge yourself before you talk anything."
Does anyone judge himself before he speaks? Look today these talk shows. Did you see any show they didn’t criticize each other? This one criticize this one and that one criticize that one. They say two opinions. What is the benefit? You are making more confusion with two opinions that one says something and that one says another: Who is right and who is wrong? Both consider they are right.
So the best is to keep silent. Study, learn, raise a family. Look at your work and don’t involve yourself too much with issues that don’t concern you. I don’t want to be long, but as he said, Sayyidina `Ali (r):
اعمل لدنياك كأنك تعيش أبداً ، و اعمل لآخرتك كأنك تموت غدا
A`amal li-dunyaka ka-annaka ta`ayshu abadan wa a`amal li akhiratika ka-annaka tamootu ghaddan - do for you lifetime that you are living on this earth as if you are living forever.”
It means be ambitious do what you want to do, but check what you want to say, but try to do the maximum, No problem. But make sure you do for your other life, the afterlife, as if you are dying tomorrow.
So look at the both sides. He said, "look at this world as if you are living forever. But keep in mind you might die tomorrow. You have to keep both sides, as any time you might be called and asked.
So the best in this time is to raise good children and a good family and to as soon as possible to get them married. You cannot leave your children without marriage. Too much temptations. Too much unacceptable acts that might make your children to fall down, as we are seeing outside in the streets, too much between girls and boys with drugs that are ruining their lives. Why? Because we are delaying their studies and we are delaying, we are not encouraging them to finish as quick as possible and then get married. Everyone is saying to wait and wait and wait, until they become 60 years old.
Sunday, December 28
You are not the ego
You are not the ego, so when you become aware of the ego in you, it does not mean you know who you are--- it means you know who you are not. But it is through knowing who you are not that the greatest obstacle to truly knowing yourself is removed.
Nobody can tell you who you are.
Nobody can tell you who you are.
Saturday, December 27
Accept
Create loving energy around yourself. Love your body and love your mind. Love your whole mechanism, your whole organism. By love is meant: accept it as it is, don’t try to repress. We repress only when we hate something, we repress only when we are against something. Don’t repress, because if you repress how are you going to watch?
We cannot look the enemy eye to eye; we can look only in the eyes of our beloved. If you are not a lover of yourself you will not be able to look into your own eyes, into your own face, into your own reality.
We cannot look the enemy eye to eye; we can look only in the eyes of our beloved. If you are not a lover of yourself you will not be able to look into your own eyes, into your own face, into your own reality.
Sufi Mysticism of the Indus Valley
Sufi Mysticism of the Indus Valley
Hassan N. Gardezi
From the tyranny of religious dogma
Love will set you free.
_ Fakir Bedil (A Sindhi Sufi)
The rise of militant Islamic fundamentalism in conjunction with geo-political conflicts in different parts of the non-Western world has become the major focus of media and scholarly comment for the last few decades. What is being lost sight of in the process is the existence of a vibrant tradition of Islamic Sufi mysticism which still informs the daily lives and shared understandings of millions of ordinary Muslims around the world, with its message of love, tolerance, peace, equality, and respect for all creation.
The association of the words Sufi and Sufism with the English usage of the term mysticism often leaves the impression on those not too well acquainted with the Sufi way that it is some kind of a mysterious cult centred around enigmatic figures called Sufis. This impression may be reinforced if one approaches Sufism as a system of abstract ideas, but when encountered in real life the Sufi way turns out to be a body of practical wisdom or knowledge employed by people to live harmoniously with one another, with their natural environment and the world beyond. In contrast to the monolithic and doctrinaire projection of orthodox Islam the Sufi tradition exists in a rich variety of real life expressions blended with local cultures, and their semiotics, imagery and symbolism. The way of the Sufi can be best understood by looking at how it is articulated within a specific culture, country and climate (Shah, Idries, p. 9).
This paper will attempt to introduce the Sufi way by exploring one of its specific traditions that has taken shape over centuries, outside the mosque and the academy, in the Indus valley which now constitutes the heartland of Pakistan. The exponents of this tradition are a long line of Sufi poets of few pretensions but much wisdom who have made a creative use of the native languages of their land to establish a shared universe of discourse which brings close together people of different religions and ethnic backgrounds. But before we explore the content of this poetic tradition and its significance for the contemporary human communities, a few words about the geophysical and cultural history of the Indus Valley will be helpful to visualise the setting.
The Indus Valley The hing from the north-western foothills of the Himalayas to the Arabian sea in the middle of which the mighty Indus river has for centuries run a meandering course in a multitude of channels. The shifting landscape around the Indus also varies greatly ranging from verdant farmlands and orchards to forbidding deserts and barren mountain folds. In these constantly changing natural habitats have flourished and blended many cultural traditions since time immemorial. There are scattered throughout the land several sites of a neolithic urban civilization dating back to c3000 B. C. Mass migrations and invasions since 1500 B. C. brought into the Indus valley a great diversity of human races and cultural traditions including the Vedic Aryans, Greeks, Mongols, Turks, Persians, Afghans and Arabs. During the middle ages of Islam many contemplating and religious minded persons were attracted to the towns and cities of the Indus valley for their reputation for peaceful life and respect for the learned, thus setting the stage for the emergence of a rich tradition of Sufi poetry that has served to unify and synthesise the diverse cultural heritage of the people and their folk wisdom.
A Pioneer
A pioneering sage to compose Sufi poetry in Siraiki, one of the oldest native languages of the Indus valley was Shaikh Faridudin Shakarganj popularly known as Baba Fareed. A Sufi of the Chishti order, Fareed was born in c. 1175 A. D. of parents who had immigrated from Persia. Today a substantial part of his verse is incorporated in Adi Garanth, the most sacred book of the Sikh religion. He preached that the path to Divine Union that all Sufis seek lies in love of fellow human beings irrespective of colour creed or status. The following verse in Siraiki captures the motto of his life and the essence of his spirituality.
Every human heart is a pearl
If you seek the beloved, do not break anyone's heart
No religion has monopoly of the path to God, neither do prestige and status make one human being superior than the other. This theme finds expression in a verse with much simplicity which is the hallmark of his style.
In conceit, I have kept the turban on my head free of dirt
Forgetful that my very head is to be consumed by dirt one day.
The metaphor of a clean turban is used here to debunk the illusion of prestige and superiority over others in the face of a common fate awaiting all human beings.
The Golden Age
What might be called the Golden Age of the Indus valley Sufi poetry spans some three hundred years beginning with the verse of Madhu Lal Hussain or Shah Hussain (c. 1539-1594 A.D.) who lived during the time of Moghal Emperor Akbar. From here on a succession of renowned Sufis composed poetry of rare beauty in the native language of the valley, Sindhi, Siraiki, Balochi and Punjabi to spread their message of love and tolerance. Although many of these poets came from a background of rigorous instruction in orthodox Islamic tradition and were well-versed in Persian and Arabic, they chose native languages of ordinary peasants and workers, as a medium of their literary expression. Unlike the Arab and Persian Sufi poets who use a great deal of complex symbolic expression, these poets use the straight idiom of their people. Their poetry is composed in lyrical forms set to the tunes of local folk music. Their mission is to reach the hearts of ordinary men and women. The similes and metaphors that they do employ are drawn from the vocations of the largely rural people, their domestic industries, kinship relations and social customs. For example, charkha, the spinning wheel, is a common symbol for this world, and the poets's persona is represented as a maiden whose work of spinning cotton stands for good deeds. The "good deeds" in turn represent any time spent in contemplation of the Divine Beloved, the "God" of the monotheistic religions or the supreme deity of any religion, also represented as Truth or Eternal Reality. It should be noted here that the male Sufi in this tradition uses the female gender for himself or his surrogate and male gender for the object of his love. This tradition is consistent with the conventions of the ancient Indus Valley civilization where females were not dominated by men. Down the ages Hindus have celebrated the love of Radha for Krishna, and the legendary heroic lovers in the Punjabi and Sindhi folk-tales have been women; Heer pursued Ranjha, Sasi and Sohni gave their lives trying to unite with their male beloveds, Punnu and Mahiwal. Symbolically the beloved stands for God, the supreme deity of any religion or Universal Spirit, but in its human manifestation the male beloved in the Sufi poetry is a highly sensuous person of real life. This extends the appeal of Sufi love poems much beyond the circles of the initiated. `The love of another human being and divine love are not mutually exclusive. The love of another human being can be conceived as a bridge that leads to love of the Divine. Conversely a person who hates other human beings is devoid of true religious or spiritual experience and can never hope to receive divine blessing, no matter how much time spent on ritual prayers and worship.
Central to the understanding of the content of Sufi poetry being reviewed here is the unique cosmology or the theory of origins of the universe in which it is embedded. The centrepiece of this cosmology is the Sufi belief in wahdat-ul-wajud, the oneness of all beings. The poet's message of universal fraternity, love and respect for all creation is firmly rooted in this pivotal concept. The God of the Muslims, according to this view is the symbol of this Oneness, variously perceived as Universal Beauty, Truth or Eternal Reality from which all creation emanates, just as light radiates from the sun. If one cultivates the love of God, or the Beloved of the Sufi poetic parlance, His reflection can be seen in all creatures including in one's own self. Conversely, it is the destiny of all creation to be reunited with Him, the source of all beauty, growth and knowledge. Shah Hussain, for example, portrays such a union with the Beloved through a poetic rendering of the famous Punjabi folk tale celebrating the love of Heer for Ranjha. Says Heer in the words of Shah Hussain:
I have become Ranjha.
Call me Ranjha everyone
Not Heer any more.
For so long have I yearned for my beloved
Called his name so many times
Now I have become Ranjha myself and Heer is no more
Through this rendering of the folk tale the poet is conveying the idea of union with the beloved. The religious act becomes the act of love for the Beloved, rather than ritual prayer offered to an impersonal deity. Shah Hussain , the most latitudinarian of these Sufi poets used to drink, dance and sing freely in the streets of Lahore and was deeply in love with Madhu Lal, a handsome Brahman boy whose name he appended to his own to become known as Maddhu Lal Hussain. The strict moral code of Islamic shari'a would of course prohibit such acts, yet to this day his shrine is the site of an annual pilgrimage and fair where Muslim villagers from far and wide gather to celebrate his vision and sing his poems.
All Sufi poets portray the pangs of separation from the Beloved with whom all creation was once united, but none excels the pathos of a rare poem composed by Madhu Lal Hussain. He says in the voice of a young maiden separated from her beloved
O' Mother to whom shall I tell the story of my separation's grief.
The fire lit inside me by the teacher smolders and smokes
As I stir the ambers, I see the red Jewel
The pain of separation has driven me mad
Suffering is the bread I eat
Pain is my curry dip, sighs of grief my cooking fire
I roam the jungles and deserts in vain
Says Hussain, the God's fakir:
How happy I will be to find my prince
Shah Hussain's antinomianism is matched by the anti-authoritarianism of another Sufi poet, Sultan Bahu (c. 1631-1691 A. D.). Bahu's father was a strict Muslim and a noble who was warded a jagir (estate) by the Moghal court, yet Bahu exhibits a special aversion to the secular and religious authorities. The religious clerics and priests come under censure in particular as Bahu says
Lofty are the gateways to religions
But the way to God is a narrow path
Better to hide from the pandits and mullas
They kick their heels and stir up conflicts
For the compassionate is the song of union (with the Beloved)
The place to live is where no pretenders be
Bahu reminds those who are enchanted by this-worldly power that religious rituals will not wash away their heartless deeds, as in the following verses
Gone are my worries since the teacher handed me the cup
What good are your unguided nightly vigils?
What use your nights of prayer and days of tyranny?
The vocation of the fakir is true kingship
This-worldly throne is only an illusion
Here the poet is alluding to the actions of the reigning Emperor Aurangzeb, known in history as a staunch orthodox Muslim and a ruthlessly cruel ruler who used to spend his nights in prayer. As for Bahu himself who was brought up with rigorous religious instruction and was known for his scholarship in Arabic and Persian, we get only a few disclaimers in his Siraiki poems, such as
I am not knowledgeable, nor a learned man
Neither a Jurist, nor a qazi (judge)
No desire for hell in my heart, nor heaven do I seek
I do not keep the thirty fasts or say the five prayers
Without union with Allah, this world is an illusory game
According to the Sufi belief, God as Truth and Beauty is the Eternal Reality. Eventually emanated from this Reality the infinite physical forms found in the universe today ranging from the lowliest of all creatures to the most elevated saints , prophets and deities of all religions. Another Sufi poet, Bulhe Shah (1680-1758 A. D.) captures this thought in the following Punjabi poem
Now I see the beautiful Friend
When the One was alone by itself, sending no light to view
There was no God, Prophet or Allah
No Omnipotent or the Wrathful
The One was without any likeness or simile
Without any shape or form
Now he appears in shapes galore
Now I see the beautiful Friend
These poets articulate a cosmology which bridges gaps between Greek Gnosticism, Judaic- Christian-Islamic monotheism, Hindu Vedantism and ancient animism. Sufi's God is not the God of institutionalized religions, feared more often by humans for their sins than loved. Neither is the Sufi God, a mere metaphorical abstraction. Sufi God or Beloved is the all pervasive spirit which manifests its glory in the physical beauty of a human face or body, now in the person of a murshid, (the teacher), again in a Hindu deity, Krishna, or the various attitudes of Lord Buddha. Sufi God is a playful beloved who appears so close at times, yet evades one's attempts at union. Bulhe Shah, perhaps the greatest of the Punjabi Sufi poets, sees his beloved appearing at various times as Krishna, Rama and Allah as visualized in the following verses
How long this hide-and-seek
You are the Cowherd in the Jungles of Bindraban
You are the Victor in the land of Lanka
You are the Pilgrim coming to Mecca
How lovely the colours you change
How long this hide-and-seek
Bulhe Shah finds the conventional labels of good and evil, clean and unclean too static and perverse to describe different forms and levels of existence, for all existence reflects the same Divine Beloved. Pondering his own being Bulha muses:
Bulha, how can I tell who I am?
Neither am I a true Muslim in the Mosque
Nor am I in the ways of paganism
Neither among the pure, nor the unclean
Neither am I the Moses, nor the Pharaoh
What do I know who I am?Neither in happiness, nor in sorrow
Neither in sin nor in purity
Neither of water, nor of earth.
Bulha, how can I tell who I am?
I am the first and the last
None else do I recognize; none wiser than me.
Bulha who is the true master here?
After all the questions, the state of being defined in the last lines of this poem points to the ultimate stage of union with the Beloved or Eternal Truth. No Indus valley Sufi poet claims to have reached that state of union in this life, although Buhla comes very close. Mansur Al-Hallaj of Baghdad was one of the first to claim such a union by declaring annal-haq, I am the Truth (God). The Qazis (Muslim judges) of Baghdad convicted him of blasphemy and he was hanged in the 9th century A.D. only to make him immortal in the folklore of the world of Sufis. It is this concept of oneness of all manifest reality, even in its apparently contradictory forms, out of which flows the Sufi poet's message of fellowship, tolerance and love transcending colour, caste, creed and status.
For Shah Abdul Latif. (1689-1752), one of the most popular of the Indus valley Sufi poets who composed highly lyrical poems rich in local imagery and always set to the tunes of prevailing musical notes, the many different ways in which the supreme Deity is conceived in different religions makes little difference because in their own ways they have visualised the same One. He illustrates this by invoking some familiar sensory experiences as in the following verses:
The echo is the call itself
If you understand the puzzle
One sound but heard twice
Many doors and windows opening into one palace
Where ever I look, the same God I see
Latif, just as the other Indus valley poets, draws upon the many popular folk tales of love and passion that abound in the region. The belief that one can see the reflection of the beloved in one's own self, if freed from false illusions, is conveyed in the following lines of a poem about the love of Sasui for Punnu. Latif addresses Sasui, who is said to have scorched herself to death while in hot pursuit of her beloved's camel on foot on the mid-day sands of the Sindh desert, in the following verses:
The loved one that thau suffereth for
Of very sooth resides in thee
Why go to Wankar, if not here
Thou searchest thy Belov'd to see?
Go with thy heart towards thy love
Cease, Sasui, wanderings of thy feet
Ask not the sand how lies the path
To travel soul-fully is meet
(Translation in verse by H. T. Sorley)
None other among these Sufi poets has had as deep and as pervasive an influence on the character of the ordinary people among whom they lived as did Latif. A senior British civil servant who worked in the province of Sindh for a long time and translated Latif's poems into
English, observed a widespread "conviction of the tenets of tolerant Sufism" and noted the extraordinary fact that Latif's poems steeped in Islamic mysticism were "loved in Sind by Hindus as much as Muslims (Sorely, H. T. , p. 216).
The list of renowned Sufi poets of the Indus valley is very long, but we will refer to only one more of their line who carried this tradition into the dawn of the 20th century. Khawja Ghulam Fareed (1845-1901) who composed poems in Siraiki is unique in using a highly sensuous imagery for his Beloved. In one of his poems Fareed speaks as a female lover who attempts to lure her beloved into her house by extending compelling temptations. Says Fareed
If for once you stepped into my humble place
I'll pull down the shades and serve your pleasure
I'll surround you with flowers and feast you to your heart's content
Will bathe you in rose water and massage your body
Make you colourful with applications of henna
Dress you as a bridegroom and seat you in front
If just for once you stepped into my humble place
Timeless Ethics
Whatever the poetic style, the Sufi believes that without the spark of love no true knowledge of oneself or the external reality can be achieved, and above all it is love that teaches higher values, cures alienation of humans from themselves, their fellow beings and all that exists in nature. Although the Sufi way, as knowledge and practice, predates the breath-taking scientific discoveries and mechanical and social innovations that have modernized and changed the face of the planet Earth, much can still be learned from some of the insights found in the simple poems of the Indus valley sages composed centuries ago and transmitted as an oral tradition which is still part of the daily social life of the people of the region.
What is notable is that the Sufi cosmology articulated in these poems is not incompatible with the modern science of astrophysics and evolutionary biology. Both point to the essential unity and time-mediated interconnectedness of all existence and life forms. However for modern scientists no moral precepts flow from this central maxim, while the Sufi invites people to read into it a message of profound reverence and love for all manifestations of life and nature. The pursuit of dispassionate, value-free knowledge has created a spiritual void in the institutions of formal education. Scientific knowledge in our commercialised world has become a mere tool of exploitation of the Earth's resources and promotion of consumerism at the expense of environmental integrity and human development.
On the other hand the onslaught of globalization is leading to an unprecedented trend of people withdrawing into the shelters of their narrowly defined ethnic and religious identities, breeding prejudice and triggering wars of mutual hatred. Under these circumstances the Sufi message of respect for all creation, tolerance and love articulated in the little known Indus valley tradition assumes a real contemporary and global relevance. The assessment of the place of people in our universe elucidated clearly and coherently in the Sufi poems reviewed shows how important it is to live in harmony with nature and how un-divine and destructive of human spirit are the many lethal conflicts still being waged in this age of enlightenment and mastery over nature in the name of religious and ethnic loyalties.
Lessons For Pakistan
It is ironic that Pakistan's ruling elite have had to rely on the very hypocritical, power hungry, orthodox clergy against whose spiritual bankruptcy and political ambitions the Sufi poets of the Indus valley have warned for centuries. The sectarian bloodshed, honour killings of women, abuse of blasphemy laws, repression of labour and authoritarian rule are only a few consequences of abandoning the values inherent in Pakistan's own indigenous spiritual heritage, and instead following an alien Islamic orthodoxy in the name of national ideology. It is a sad situation that the power elite of Pakistan are not even literate in the native languages in which the Sufi poets of the land expressed their wisdom.
Notes
Since the Indus valley Sufi poets quoted in this paper rarely, if ever, wrote down their verse for publication, the existing anthologies of their poetry give different versions of the same poems. This, however, is a matter of diction, rhyme and style rather than content.
Not all poems quoted here are in their entirety.
The English translations are literal as far as possible. Closest English idioms have been used where a literal translation from the original language of composition would make little sense in English.
The following anthologies and critical works have been used as source materials:
1. Kafian Shah Hussain, Islamabad, National Institute of Folk Heritage, 1977.
2. Kalam Bulhe Shah, Lahore, Pakistan International Printers Ltd., n.d.
3. Kafian Buhle Shah, Islamabad, National Institute of Folk Heritage, 1975.
4. Kuliat-e-Bahu, Lahore, Aina-e-Adab, 1978.
5. Devan-e-Farid, Bahawalpur, Maktaba Azizia, 1963.
6. Lajwanti Rama Krishna, Punjabi Sufi Poets, Karachi, Indus Publications, 1977 (Reprint).
7. Syed Ali Abbas Jalalpuri, Wahdat-ul-Wajud Te Punjabi Shairi, Lahore, Pakistan Punjabi Adabi Board, 1977.
References:
Shah, Idries, The Way of the Sufi, Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1974.
Sorley, H. T., Shah Abdul Latif of Bhit: His Poetry, Life and
Times, Karachi, Oxford University Press, 1966.
Wednesday, December 24
Is it a individual journey?
All the teachers say that spiritual treasure is something one finds alone. So why are we all here together?’ asked a disciple of a Sufi master.
You are all here together because a forest is always stronger than a lone tree,' Sufi master replied. The forest maintains the humidity in the air, it resists the hurricane, and it helps to make the soil fertile. But what makes a tree strong is its root, and the root of one plant cannot help another plant to grow. Working together towards the same end and allowing each one to grow in his own way, that is the path for those who wish to commune with Allah.
You are all here together because a forest is always stronger than a lone tree,' Sufi master replied. The forest maintains the humidity in the air, it resists the hurricane, and it helps to make the soil fertile. But what makes a tree strong is its root, and the root of one plant cannot help another plant to grow. Working together towards the same end and allowing each one to grow in his own way, that is the path for those who wish to commune with Allah.
Tuesday, December 16
Secret of Peace
All masters are moving towards Heaven and through the Seven Heavens. But first you must cut the tunnel of your ego. When you reach out of that tunnel you will find that there are no more bad desires remaining with you. You will be pure. At that moment you will taste the Sweetness of Lights, the Sweetness of Mercy, the Sweetness of Beauty, the Sweetness of Love, the Sweetness of Knowledge, the Sweetness of Wisdom, the Sweetness of Will Power and the Sweetness of Perfection.
Until then you must be patient and follow. You must not say, "Oh, how long do I have to follow without seeing anything?" No, the tunnel is according to your ego, long or short. May Allah grant you to reach your Heavenly Stations; you will then be happy, absolutely happy.
Source: as quoted from the sohbet(discourse)
by As-Sayyid Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani
Until then you must be patient and follow. You must not say, "Oh, how long do I have to follow without seeing anything?" No, the tunnel is according to your ego, long or short. May Allah grant you to reach your Heavenly Stations; you will then be happy, absolutely happy.
Source: as quoted from the sohbet(discourse)
by As-Sayyid Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani
Thursday, December 4
Sunday, November 30
Fray - You Found Me
Have you ever struggled with your faith during your tough times? The Fray, a US based rock band has a song that touches this subject in their own creative way.
“You Found Me is a tough song for me. Its about the disappointment, the heart ache, the let down that comes with life. Sometimes you’re let down, sometimes you’re the one who lets someone else down. It gets hard to know who you can trust, who you can count on. This song came out of a tough time, and I’m still right in the thick of it. There’s some difficult circumstances my family and friends have been going through over the past year or so and can be overwhelming. It wears on me. It demands so much of my faith to keep believing, keep hoping in the unseen. Sometimes the tunnel has a light at the end, but usually they just look black as night. This song is about that feeling, and the hope that I still have, buried deep in my chest.”
“You Found Me is a tough song for me. Its about the disappointment, the heart ache, the let down that comes with life. Sometimes you’re let down, sometimes you’re the one who lets someone else down. It gets hard to know who you can trust, who you can count on. This song came out of a tough time, and I’m still right in the thick of it. There’s some difficult circumstances my family and friends have been going through over the past year or so and can be overwhelming. It wears on me. It demands so much of my faith to keep believing, keep hoping in the unseen. Sometimes the tunnel has a light at the end, but usually they just look black as night. This song is about that feeling, and the hope that I still have, buried deep in my chest.”
The Fray - You Found Me
I found god
I found god
On the corner of first and Amistad
Where the west was all but won
All alone, smoking his last cigarette
I Said where you been, he said ask anything
Where were you?
When everything was falling apart
All my days were spent by the telephone
It never rang
And all I needed was a call
That never came
To the corner of first and Amistad
Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lying on the floor
Surrounded, surrounded
Why’d you have to wait?
Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late
You found me, you found me
In the end everyone ends up alone
Losing her, the only one who’s ever known
Who I am, who I’m not, who I want to be
No way to know how long she will be next to me
Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lying on the floor
Surrounded, surrounded
Why’d you have to wait?
Where were you, where were you?
Just a little late
You found me, you found me
Early morning, City breaks
I’ve been calling for years and years and years and years
And you never left me no messages
You never send me no letters
You got some kind of nerve, taking all I want
Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lying on the floor
Where were you where were you
Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lying on the floor
Surrounded, surrounded
Why’d you have to wait?
Where were you, where were you?
Just a little late
You found me, you found me
Why’d you have to wait?
To find me, to find me
Song Information
Released November 21, 2008 (US)
Length 4:03
Label Epic Records
Saturday, November 29
Love - Rumi
Are you fleeing from Love because of a single humiliation?
What do you know of Love except the name?
Love has a hundred forms of pride and disdain,
and is gained by a hundred means of persuasion.
Since Love is loyal, it purchases one who is loyal:
it has no interest in a disloyal companion.
The human being resembles a tree; its root is a covenant with God:
that root must be cherished with all one's might.
A weak covenant is a rotten root, without grace or fruit.
Though the boughs and leaves of the date palm are green,
greenness brings no benefit if the root is corrupt.
If a branch is without green leaves, yet has a good root,
a hundred leaves will put forth their hands in the end.
Mevlana Rumi
What do you know of Love except the name?
Love has a hundred forms of pride and disdain,
and is gained by a hundred means of persuasion.
Since Love is loyal, it purchases one who is loyal:
it has no interest in a disloyal companion.
The human being resembles a tree; its root is a covenant with God:
that root must be cherished with all one's might.
A weak covenant is a rotten root, without grace or fruit.
Though the boughs and leaves of the date palm are green,
greenness brings no benefit if the root is corrupt.
If a branch is without green leaves, yet has a good root,
a hundred leaves will put forth their hands in the end.
Mevlana Rumi
Thursday, November 27
How to Control Anger?
Seeking refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytaan when feeling angry. Al-Bukhaari (3282) and Muslim (2610) narrated that Sulaymaan ibn Surad said: I was sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and two men were trading insults, One of them was red in the face and his veins were standing out. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "I know a word which, if he said it, what he is feeling would go away. If he said, 'I seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan,' what he is feeling would go away."
2 – Changing one's posture when feeling angry. Abu Dawood (4782) narrated that Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to us: "If one of you gets angry when he is standing, let him sit down; if his anger disappears, all well and good, otherwise let him lie down." Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
3 – Bring to mind the reward for patience, forbearance and restraining your anger, for that is the characteristic of the pious who are promised Paradise, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for Al-Muttaqoon (the pious).
134. Those who spend (in Allaah's Cause) in prosperity and in adversity, who repress anger, and who pardon men; verily, Allaah loves Al-Muhsinoon (the good‑doers)"
[Aal 'Imraan 3:133-134]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever restrains his anger when he is able to act upon it, Allaah will fill his heart with pleasure on the Day of Resurrection." Narrated by Ibn Abi'l-Dunya; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 2623.
Source I & Q -
Surah Isra 17 verse 80 Say: "O my Lord! let my entry be by the Gate of Truth and Honor and likewise my exit by the Gate of Truth and Honor; and grant me from Thy Presence an authority to aid (me)."
Ameen
Transliteration :Wa qur rabbi adkhilni mudkhala sidqiw wa akhrijni mukhraja sidqiw wa-j'al li mil ladunka sulta_nan nasira_(n).
Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 2482 Narrated by AbuHurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) used to say, " O Allah, grant me benefit in what Thou hast taught me, teach me what will benefit me, and increase my knowledge. Praise be to Allah in all circumstances. I seek refuge in Allah from the state of those who go to Hell."
Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a tradition whose isnad is gharib.
2 – Changing one's posture when feeling angry. Abu Dawood (4782) narrated that Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to us: "If one of you gets angry when he is standing, let him sit down; if his anger disappears, all well and good, otherwise let him lie down." Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
3 – Bring to mind the reward for patience, forbearance and restraining your anger, for that is the characteristic of the pious who are promised Paradise, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for Al-Muttaqoon (the pious).
134. Those who spend (in Allaah's Cause) in prosperity and in adversity, who repress anger, and who pardon men; verily, Allaah loves Al-Muhsinoon (the good‑doers)"
[Aal 'Imraan 3:133-134]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever restrains his anger when he is able to act upon it, Allaah will fill his heart with pleasure on the Day of Resurrection." Narrated by Ibn Abi'l-Dunya; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 2623.
Source I & Q -
Surah Isra 17 verse 80 Say: "O my Lord! let my entry be by the Gate of Truth and Honor and likewise my exit by the Gate of Truth and Honor; and grant me from Thy Presence an authority to aid (me)."
Ameen
Transliteration :Wa qur rabbi adkhilni mudkhala sidqiw wa akhrijni mukhraja sidqiw wa-j'al li mil ladunka sulta_nan nasira_(n).
Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 2482 Narrated by AbuHurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) used to say, " O Allah, grant me benefit in what Thou hast taught me, teach me what will benefit me, and increase my knowledge. Praise be to Allah in all circumstances. I seek refuge in Allah from the state of those who go to Hell."
Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a tradition whose isnad is gharib.
Tuesday, November 18
Why read Quran if you don't understand Arabic?
Why do we read Quran, even if we can't understand a single Arabic word???? This is a beautiful story.
An old American Muslim lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Quran. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.
One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa! I try to read the Quran just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Qur'an do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water."
The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.
The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!"
"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.
"Son, that's what happens when you read the Qur'an. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Allah in our lives."
If you feel this email is worth reading, please forward to your contacts/friends. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH & his family) says: *"The one who guides to good will be rewarded equally"*
An old American Muslim lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Quran. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.
One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa! I try to read the Quran just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Qur'an do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water."
The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.
The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!"
"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.
"Son, that's what happens when you read the Qur'an. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Allah in our lives."
If you feel this email is worth reading, please forward to your contacts/friends. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH & his family) says: *"The one who guides to good will be rewarded equally"*
Wednesday, November 12
When the power of love is greater than the love of power
A simple, yet insightful post for tonight. When the power of love is greater than the love of power, world will know peace.
Monday, November 10
Old Man and his Happiness
Once there was an old and very wise man. Every day he would sit outside a gas station in his rocking chair and wait to greet motorists as they passed through his small town. On this day, his granddaughter knelt down at the foot of his chair and slowly passed the time with him.
As they sat and watched the people come and go, a tall man who surely had to be a tourist since they knew everyone in the town began looking around as if he were checking out the area for a place to live.
The stranger walked up and asked,"So what kind of town is this that we're in?"
The older gentleman slowly turned to the man and replied," Well, what kind of town are you from?"
The tourist said,"In the town I'm from everyone is very critical of each other. The neighbours all gossip about everyone, and it's a real negative place to live. I'm sure glad to be leaving. It is not a very cheerful place. "
The man in the chair looked at the stranger and said," You know, that's just how this town is."
An hour or so later a family that was also passing through stopped for gas. The car slowly turned in and rolled to a stop in front of where the older gentleman and his granddaughter were sitting. The mother jumped out with two small children and asked where the restrooms were. The man in the chair pointed to a small, bent-up sign that was barely hanging by one nail on the side of the door.
The father stepped out of the car and also asked the man,"Is this town a pretty good place to live?"
The man in the chair replied," What about the town you are from? How is it?"
The father looked at him and said,"Well, in the town I'm from everyone is very close and always willing to lend their neighbour a helping hand. There's always a hello and thank you everywhere you go. I really hate to leave. I feel almost like we are leaving family. "
The older gentlemen turned to the father and gave him a warm smile. "You know, that's a lot like this small town."
Then the family returned to the car, said their thank yous, waved goodbye and drove away.
After the family was in the distance, the granddaughter looked up at her grandfather and asked,"Grandpa, how come when the first man came into our town you told him it was a terrible place to live and when the family came in to town you told them it was a wonderful place to live? "
The grandfather lovingly looked down at this granddaughter's wondering blue eyes and said,"No matter where you move, you take your own attitude with you and that's what makes it terrible or wonderful. "
( It's your attitude, not your aptitude that determines your altitude. Happiness is not something you find, it's something you create. )
As they sat and watched the people come and go, a tall man who surely had to be a tourist since they knew everyone in the town began looking around as if he were checking out the area for a place to live.
The stranger walked up and asked,"So what kind of town is this that we're in?"
The older gentleman slowly turned to the man and replied," Well, what kind of town are you from?"
The tourist said,"In the town I'm from everyone is very critical of each other. The neighbours all gossip about everyone, and it's a real negative place to live. I'm sure glad to be leaving. It is not a very cheerful place. "
The man in the chair looked at the stranger and said," You know, that's just how this town is."
An hour or so later a family that was also passing through stopped for gas. The car slowly turned in and rolled to a stop in front of where the older gentleman and his granddaughter were sitting. The mother jumped out with two small children and asked where the restrooms were. The man in the chair pointed to a small, bent-up sign that was barely hanging by one nail on the side of the door.
The father stepped out of the car and also asked the man,"Is this town a pretty good place to live?"
The man in the chair replied," What about the town you are from? How is it?"
The father looked at him and said,"Well, in the town I'm from everyone is very close and always willing to lend their neighbour a helping hand. There's always a hello and thank you everywhere you go. I really hate to leave. I feel almost like we are leaving family. "
The older gentlemen turned to the father and gave him a warm smile. "You know, that's a lot like this small town."
Then the family returned to the car, said their thank yous, waved goodbye and drove away.
After the family was in the distance, the granddaughter looked up at her grandfather and asked,"Grandpa, how come when the first man came into our town you told him it was a terrible place to live and when the family came in to town you told them it was a wonderful place to live? "
The grandfather lovingly looked down at this granddaughter's wondering blue eyes and said,"No matter where you move, you take your own attitude with you and that's what makes it terrible or wonderful. "
( It's your attitude, not your aptitude that determines your altitude. Happiness is not something you find, it's something you create. )
Friday, November 7
Sadness vs Happiness
Sadness is self-inflicted, as is happiness. But neither can exist without the other. How can you know what happiness really is when you've never felt sad? How would you know you're sad if you've never known how happy you can be?
So what is it to be happy? Perhaps happiness is eternal peace, like that in the life of a child. To be so innocent and naive, oblivious to all the animosity and malice in the world around you. No thoughts of your fast approaching future and what labyrinthine path it is likely to hold. Not a worry in your head but raindrops and candy canes. Eternal peace: a concept way out of our reach no matter how hard we struggle to grasp it. A longing for serenity that only exists deep in the subconscious pits of our preoccupied minds. Yet, as children we assumed such tranquility to be inevitable and eternal. Now we endeavor in every way and opt to re-conquer the peace that was once unconditionally ours, never quite quenching the thirst, hence scouring for happiness as long as we are here.
Then how do we achieve happiness? We simply don’t. Happiness is not a goal you can achieve and check off your things-to-do list. Instead of chasing happiness we should pause every now and then and look around ourselves. Inhale the true essence of all that is life, rather than depriving ourselves of what we have today only to strive for what we can perhaps never have. Live life one day at a time and reminisce on all the positive attributes the day entails, as opposed to dwelling on less appeasing matters.
So what is it to be happy? Perhaps happiness is eternal peace, like that in the life of a child. To be so innocent and naive, oblivious to all the animosity and malice in the world around you. No thoughts of your fast approaching future and what labyrinthine path it is likely to hold. Not a worry in your head but raindrops and candy canes. Eternal peace: a concept way out of our reach no matter how hard we struggle to grasp it. A longing for serenity that only exists deep in the subconscious pits of our preoccupied minds. Yet, as children we assumed such tranquility to be inevitable and eternal. Now we endeavor in every way and opt to re-conquer the peace that was once unconditionally ours, never quite quenching the thirst, hence scouring for happiness as long as we are here.
Then how do we achieve happiness? We simply don’t. Happiness is not a goal you can achieve and check off your things-to-do list. Instead of chasing happiness we should pause every now and then and look around ourselves. Inhale the true essence of all that is life, rather than depriving ourselves of what we have today only to strive for what we can perhaps never have. Live life one day at a time and reminisce on all the positive attributes the day entails, as opposed to dwelling on less appeasing matters.
Wednesday, November 5
Imam Abu Hanfia & Three Questions
Many years ago, during the time of the Taabi'een (the generation of Muslims after the Sahabah), Baghdad was a great city of Islam. In fact, it was the capital of the Islamic Empire and because of the great number of scholars who lived there, it was the center of Islamic knowledge. One day, the ruler of Rome at that time sent an envoy to Baghdad with three challenges for the Muslims. When the messenger reached the city, he informed the Khalifah that he had three questions which he challenged the Muslims to answer. The Khalifah gathered together all the scholars of the city and the Roman messenger climbed upon a high platform and said,
I have come with three questions. If you answer them, then I will leave with you a great amount of wealth which I have brought from the king of Rome." As for the questions, they! were: 'What was there before Allah?' 'In which direction does Allah face?' 'What is Allah engaged in at this moment?'
The great assembly of people were silent. (Can you think of answers to these questions?) In the midst of these brilliant scholars and students of Islam, there was a man looking on with his young son. "O my dear father! I will answer him and silence him!" said the youth. So the boy sought the permission of the Khalifah to give the answers and he was given the permission to do so.
The Roman addressed the young Muslim and repeated his first question, "What was there before Allah?" The boy asked, "Do you know how to count?" "Yes," said the man. "Then count down from ten!" So the Roman counted down, "ten, nine, eight, ..." until he reached "one" and he stopped counting. "But what comes before 'one'?" asked the boy. "There is nothing before one - that is it!" said the man. "Well then, if there obviously is nothing before the arithmetic 'one', then how do you expect that there should be anything before the 'One' who is Absolute truth, All-Eternal, Everlasting the First, the Last, the Manifest, the Hidden?"
Now the man was surprised by this direct answer which he could not dispute.
So he asked, "Then tell me, in which direction is Allah facing?" "Bring a candle and light it," said the boy, "and tell me in which direction the flame is facing." "But the flame is just light - it spreads in each of the four directions, North, South, East and West. It does not face any one direction only," said the man in wonderment. The boy cried, "Then if this physical light spreads in all four directions such that you cannot tell me which way it faces, then what do you expect of the Nur-us-Samawati- wal-'Ard: Allah - the Light of the Heavens and the Earth!? Light upon Light, Allah faces all directions at all times."
The Roman was stupefied and astounded that here was a young child answering his challenges in such a way that he could not argue against the proofs. So, he desperately wanted to try his final question. But before doing so, the boy said, "Wait! You are the one who is asking the questions and I am the one who is giving the answers to these challenges. It is only fair that you should come down to where I am standing and that I should go up where you are right now, in order that the answers may be heard as clearly as the questions." This seemed reasonable to the Roman, so he came down from where he was standing and the boy ascended the platform. Then the man repeated his final challenge, "Tell me, what is Allah doing at this moment?" The boy proudly answered, "At this moment, when Allah found upon this high platform a liar and mocker of Islam, He caused him to descend and brought him low. And as for the one who believed in the Oneness of Allah, He raised him up and established the Truth. Every day He exercises (universal) power (Surah 55 ar-Rahman, Verse 29)." The Roman had nothing to say except to leave and return back to his country, defeated.
Meanwhile, this young boy grew up to become one of the most famous scholars of Islam. Allah, the Exalted, blessed him with special wisdom and knowledge of the Deen (religion). His name was Abu Hanifah (rahmatullah alayhi - May Allah have mercy on him) and he is known today as Imam Abu Hanifah (Imam-e-Azam) , the Great Imam and scholar of Islam.
I have come with three questions. If you answer them, then I will leave with you a great amount of wealth which I have brought from the king of Rome." As for the questions, they! were: 'What was there before Allah?' 'In which direction does Allah face?' 'What is Allah engaged in at this moment?'
The great assembly of people were silent. (Can you think of answers to these questions?) In the midst of these brilliant scholars and students of Islam, there was a man looking on with his young son. "O my dear father! I will answer him and silence him!" said the youth. So the boy sought the permission of the Khalifah to give the answers and he was given the permission to do so.
The Roman addressed the young Muslim and repeated his first question, "What was there before Allah?" The boy asked, "Do you know how to count?" "Yes," said the man. "Then count down from ten!" So the Roman counted down, "ten, nine, eight, ..." until he reached "one" and he stopped counting. "But what comes before 'one'?" asked the boy. "There is nothing before one - that is it!" said the man. "Well then, if there obviously is nothing before the arithmetic 'one', then how do you expect that there should be anything before the 'One' who is Absolute truth, All-Eternal, Everlasting the First, the Last, the Manifest, the Hidden?"
Now the man was surprised by this direct answer which he could not dispute.
So he asked, "Then tell me, in which direction is Allah facing?" "Bring a candle and light it," said the boy, "and tell me in which direction the flame is facing." "But the flame is just light - it spreads in each of the four directions, North, South, East and West. It does not face any one direction only," said the man in wonderment. The boy cried, "Then if this physical light spreads in all four directions such that you cannot tell me which way it faces, then what do you expect of the Nur-us-Samawati- wal-'Ard: Allah - the Light of the Heavens and the Earth!? Light upon Light, Allah faces all directions at all times."
The Roman was stupefied and astounded that here was a young child answering his challenges in such a way that he could not argue against the proofs. So, he desperately wanted to try his final question. But before doing so, the boy said, "Wait! You are the one who is asking the questions and I am the one who is giving the answers to these challenges. It is only fair that you should come down to where I am standing and that I should go up where you are right now, in order that the answers may be heard as clearly as the questions." This seemed reasonable to the Roman, so he came down from where he was standing and the boy ascended the platform. Then the man repeated his final challenge, "Tell me, what is Allah doing at this moment?" The boy proudly answered, "At this moment, when Allah found upon this high platform a liar and mocker of Islam, He caused him to descend and brought him low. And as for the one who believed in the Oneness of Allah, He raised him up and established the Truth. Every day He exercises (universal) power (Surah 55 ar-Rahman, Verse 29)." The Roman had nothing to say except to leave and return back to his country, defeated.
Meanwhile, this young boy grew up to become one of the most famous scholars of Islam. Allah, the Exalted, blessed him with special wisdom and knowledge of the Deen (religion). His name was Abu Hanifah (rahmatullah alayhi - May Allah have mercy on him) and he is known today as Imam Abu Hanifah (Imam-e-Azam) , the Great Imam and scholar of Islam.
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