AT THE COURT OF THE KING, IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD EVERLASTING... someone is waiting.

If I knew me, I would envy me

Weeping widows would envy my sorrow,

Smiling babies would envy my joy,

Beggars would envy my poverty,

Kings would envy my riches,

Thinkers would envy my knowledge,

Lovers would envy my sadness

Pharaohs would envy my pride,

But above all. I would definitely envy me, 

If only God would lead me to me and tell me... 

" Here. Here you are.

With Me.

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

It is a tiring journey, don't you reckon? This never-ending search for yourself. Yet, there you are, sitting comfortably in your sofa. Lying in bed. Eating, living, drinking, breathing. But however happy you may be in this life, however contented you may feel, the truth is that there is an emptiness inside you. And life is all about finding meaning to fill that emptiness. To give meaning to who you are, where you came from, where you are heading to. For the answers to all these questions will lead you to some realisation of who you truly are. And the man (or woman) who knows himself, ultimately, will know of God.

But this little quest does not seem to have an ending, does it? You travel, from one horizon of your life to the next. And when you have scaled one hill, you find another, then another... and another. From birth to the cradle, childhood to the teenage years, through schools, colleges and universities, work to marriage to children to grandchildren, to grey bearded dotage.

This morning someone told me of the wisdom of this endless journey, this timeless quest, is because something is purposely delayed by your Maker. And the only reason why some good thing is postponed, is directly in relation to the worth of that something. So do not fret (too much) in your discontent. For that is a sign that God is keeping something that will satisfy you only when you arrive in the Divine Presence. And it is not something that this world and universe is worthy of holding. It awaits you across the threshold.

So live life well, and let go of it in good spirit. Something sovereign in value awaits you at the Court of the King, in the Kingdom of God Everlasting - Muhammad Habibullah (saws)... and you. 

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

BEING NOT WORTHY, AND BEING HAPPY WITH THAT...

My arwah brother Saiful (Poone) with saintly friends in Jordan

Not Worthy

You may think I am too praiseworthy of you,

But I saw the goodness in you that you try so hard to hide,

You may think I am too forgiving of you,

But I saw the humanity in you

And saw instead the errors in me,

You may think I am too helpful to you,

But I saw in you a light, and the light said, "Aid me to light him."

You may think all these of me,

But truth be told, 

I will never be worthy of you,

And it is this tale 

That will keep me company

As I grow old.

.......................... 

Cousins, Mika and Imran

I reckon there is always someone in our life who would fit the acclaim of "he / she of whom we are not worthy of". It could be your mother, your father, your sister, your school friend, your wife, your teacher, your minister or even your butcher. It is a humbling thought for me. And by God, do I have a lot to be humble about.

He he he.

All praises to God, alhamdulillah. But there is no harm, indeed I think it is a necessary avenue that we come to the all-praise worthy One, a.k.a God, through our estimation of people, simple everyday folks or giants of history, that are praiseworthy themselves. And of course that brings us knocking on the door of Muhammad Sayyidina Miftahur Rahmati (The Key of Mercy), His noble family, companions and saints that is to this day still peddling their wares, knocking in turn upon our hearts, and asking... "Let the Light in, turn on the Light..."

Beneath the quilt of my life, I am warmed by the people who have come into my life and left me, and those who are still here. I am a little tired, but I am not sleeping forever yet. Who knows when... but for now I am happy to share this Earth with you, sunshine. 

And I know I am blessed, for I will never be worthy of you. So the only way left for me is up, up, up! It is these thoughts that makes me feel so good of God, ya Ahad, ya Samad...

He he he.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

SOFTLINE MUSLIM - Don't let your religion blind you to God

Don't Let Religion Blind You

Don't let your knocking stop you from entering,

Don't let your walking stop you from arriving,

Don't let your knowledge tie you down,

Don't let your religion blind you to God.

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

Softline. I am not a hardline Muslim. For my line is soft and yielding, embracing and entwining. I like to tie the different strands of humanity, our varying colour, race and creed into a knot impossible to unravel. It is called Love.

So you can call me a softline Muslim. This is what is taught to me by my mother and brother, my friends and my Masters.

Doors. God does not discard any of His doors. By His own attributes and names He has at least 99 of them. Knock on any of them (or all of them). And if He invites you in, it is polite to enter... After all, why were you knocking in the first place if not to be let into the Divine Presence?

Religious Blindness. Sometimes (and I think you may agree with me) I feel that religion is a terrible hindrance in our journey to the Divine Presence. People get confused between religion and spirituality. Between knowledge and wisdom. Between self-love and Divine Love. Between strength and intolerance. Between nobility and hubris. 

I say this because I am often at odds myself. It is a challenging journey, this life of ours. So one day, when you are invited to the Divine Presence, don't stand in doubt and dither any longer. Go quickly and may Allah (swt) bless you and the Prophet Muhammad (saws) welcome you!

Have a lovely Sunday, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

NOT EVERY EYE CAN SEE. NOT EVERY EAR CAN HEAR

Assumptions

Not everyone who is breathing is living,

Not everyone who is reading is learning,

Not everyone who is hearing is listening,

Not everyone who is talking is sharing,

Not everyone who is bent down in prayer is praying,

Not everyone who is smiling is happy,

Not every eye can see,

Not every ear can hear, 

Not every success is sweet,

Not every failure is bitter, 

.........

Think long. Drink deep your wine of contemplation. Every person you meet, every happenstance in your life, each breath, each moment is worthy of an infinity of reflection. 

So put down that iPhone. Shut down that Samsung. Disconnect for awhile and show courtesy to your friend and family, to your dinner companion, to the stranger sitting next to you in the bus. They are looking to you for a little mercy, a little compassion. And mercy is often heralded by sweet human courtesies. 

Many people assume themselves to be part of humanity, but they are often away, Lost in the distractions of Twitters, Instagrams, emails and Whatsapp. "I am here, I am alive and real.", their companion is beseeching them for attention and empathy, but alas they hear but do not listen.

So let us disconnect for awhile, and reconnect with each other. There is still so much goodness in this world to give, to receive and to share.   

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

GOD HIDES. YOU HIDE. WE ALL HIDE. - mortal faith, love and hope in the promises of an unseen God.

Hiding

Lovers embracing, hiding in an old chestnut tree,

Children playing, hiding under stairs and in broom closets,

Thunder rumbling, hiding in an overcast sky,

My soul is praying, hiding in unspoken gestures,

My spirit is with my Lord, hiding far from you and I,

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

Hiding Humans. We all hide. Such is the nature of things. We hide in our clothes, in our makeup. We hide in our wallets, we hide in our credit card accounts. We hide behind our beard and our veils. We hide behind our academic qualifications and in our office title. We hide behind our smiles and charity. Sometimes the form betrays the true reality of our inner selves. But often they are disguises. I am not saying hiding is necessarily a bad thing. It is just how we are wired.

God Hides Too. Indeed, He is the best player in hide and seek. He is perhaps comparable to Time and Sound. For both natural events, like God, cannot be seen, but can be indirectly observed through the movement of the hand on a clock, and experienced by our sense of hearing. And God? Well it is that good feeling you have when you find your lost wallet. The descending calmness of acceptance in the demise of a brother. The smile from a stranger. The encouraging word from a colleague at work. So God is hidden, but He is also felt in our heart. For what other reason would He have made Man with a heart? 

Revelation is a created thing too, an expression of the Divine Will. God is hidden in this world and also in the hereafter. It is only by His choosing that He elects to reveal Himself. But what is true revelation when He is the Creator of revelations and the divine presence? Can the Uncreated One manifest His desire and will in a created thing? A created event? He can of course. It is up to Him. He sets the rules of Creation, He sets the script and the music. He can unbend anything and unmake anything. So in such circumstances are we constantly made aware of His presence and His Goodness. But what direct evidence do we have of His existence? 

Only in our hope upon His assurances... that He is Most Loving, Most Powerful, Most Compassionate and Merciful to us. The All-Knowing, All-Seeing and All-Hearing One. Such is the form He deigns to wear for our sake. What is the Essence of the form? It is beyond our conjecture, for such question is an existential rabbit hole that will break our mind and may possibly drive us blinking mad. I am not going speculating in that direction, for I see only emptiness and madness.

So all we have is in truth, Hope in His Promises. And I guess this is what is called faith (iman) that dwells in the heart of a believer. No one will understand this logic if he or she is not A Student of Love.

Thank God we all are!

Have a beautiful evening, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

DRUMS BEATING IN THE NIGHT, SUFIS WHIRLING IN DELIGHT

A Journey in the Meaning of Sound

Life begins as a journey in the meaning of sound,

As you cry out for your mother's milk,

Then, as you grow and learn to discern reality,

Stringing sentences to encapsulate your understanding,

Life becomes a journey in words and their ever-changing meaning,

But for the music writer, 

The composer in all of us,
Listening to nature,

Life still remains  a thing

To be understood in the ebb and tide,

And the tone and tempo of raw sound,

The oboe, the cello, the guitar and the flute,

The piano, the synth, the stirring cup of music,
The songs of the nightingale,
The watery speech of the sperm whale,

Drums beating in the night,

Sufis whirling in delight.

Like the child we once were... 
Crying for our mother's milk,

They raise their voice

In words formed yet formless,

Praising a God felt yet unseen,

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

Why is a sound pleasant to us? Why is Mozart's music often uplifting, Bach's symphonies thought provoking? What is in the nature of a particular melody or chord that strikes us with sadness, joy and melancholy? Even without words, instrumental music has been instrumental (forgive the pun) in shaping our thoughts and our feelings.

The appreciation of music has been wired into the human soul. It is one of the most visceral form of communications we have been granted by God, the Most Musical and Melodious One. To appreciate God and His Attributes through song and music is a gift beyond measure.

If you are musical, do not fret, for you are in good company. As I recorded with a merry nonchalance many, many years ago...

2. Music, Truth and Mercy

Music is prohibited for some,

Not advisable for a few,

Optional for others,

Highly recommended for the rest,

And mandatory for a number.

Truth is for all.

And Mercy is for the asking.

Heh! 

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

So let the music play, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

YA MAWLA YA MAWLANA - some words strung together. But loosely. You may fit a few infinities between the letters.

Awake in Sleep, Asleep in Wakefulness

O' Allah the Wondrous One,

Let not my attachment to You

Be a hindrance to You,

O' Allah Most Melodious One,

Let not my praises for You

Be a barrier to You,

O' Allah Sender of Dreams,

Let not the waking hours of my apostasy

Drug me to sleep far from You,

O' Allah Owner of Sweetness,

Let not my blessings make

Me one moment forgetful of You,

O' Allah Most Gentle,

Let not my words imprison me,

Let not my life defeat me,

Lead not my hopes astray,

O' Allah,

My words stop here,

But You are Eternal!

Unfathomable, Unique 

The all-Arresting One,

So arrest me, charge me of my crimes,

Imprison me in Your love,

Tether me like a donkey

To Your unspoken Reality!

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

I am such a sinner. And I have a sin to confess to you. Since writing this blog, I used to schedule my uploads. Sometimes writing them many hours ahead before actually posting them here in the Almanac. But who is to say if God would give me time to live that long? How shameful I have been, taking time for granted... taking God for granted.

So here are the words, pressed into service as fast as my fingers can type them. No delay. As we should not delay in service to Him.

For why delay a lovely thing? Why delay beauty? Why delay our prayers?

Ya Mawla... ya Mawlana...

I had dream. I woke up. I prayed. It lead me here. To you, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

DO NOT JUDGE, BUT LOOK! - your temporary home in the motel of the human spirit.

Look!

Judge ye not my home

By the measure of my little room,

Nor the smallness of my hearth

And kitchen where I cook,

For my true abode is my heart,

And therein beats the name

Of Ahad and Ahmad,

Do not judge, but look! Look!

Judge ye not my grave

By the measure of its length and width,

For my final abode is built 

With the love from my Lord,

And it is finer than any house

Mortal hands may wrought,

Do not judge, but look! Look! 

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

Build your home, but do not be tied to it. Build your home, but do not make it a prison. For your house, your apartment, your flat, your bed-sit is nothing but a temporary place for you. At best it is the highway motel of the human spirit. So look for companions that will aid you in your journey and speed you towards the Divine Presence. And travel as light as you can.

Have a lovely Sunday, sunshine. I have always said that writing a poem is like composing a song. It is not about arranging as much words and smart sentences as we can, but what to leave out. So short and simple is always nice. God bless you always...

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

ONE SEA ONE GOD - the whens, the wheres, the hows and the whys of our world...

The Universe Speaking

I am waiting for the Universe to speak,

And past me, a couple walked by,

The lady wearing bright red heels.

I am waiting for the Universe to speak,

And beneath me, a little kitty curled

Around my feet, looking hungry.

I am waiting for the Universe to speak,

And across the street I see

Two old pensioners talking,

I am waiting for the Universe to speak,

Until finally the Universe replied impatiently,

"Well... what are you waiting for?

Say something.

.

What you speak I speak."

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

One Sea. We are all here together on the Ocean of God. Some call it the Mercy Ocean, others call it the Ocean of Knowledge. But to me it is the Sea. And you may be swimming close to me, or far on some distant horizon. 

One Lord. According to where we are in the Sea, our perception of the Universe is coloured by when, where, how and why we take knowledge from the Sea. So for some, they become scientists and teachers. Others become firemen, lawyers, doctors and street-cleaners. For the aesthetic gang, they become singers, dancers, writers and poets. The Sea of God is rich beyond count, varied beyond measure, to serve the many fancies and passions of humanity. So whether you become knowledgeable in mathematics and quantum mechanics, so whether you have found the perfect swing and motion to sweep with a broom. Whether you have learned the art of persuasion as a politician or a preacher... in all these knowledge and endeavour... it all comes from the Sea. Thus is His infinite generosity, the Lord of the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the wise and the ignorant, the believers and the unbelievers... being the only One, being Allah (swt).

Set Adrift

Set adrift in the Sea of Mercy,

Some sail fast and smooth,

Others swim according to their own pace,

A few struggle, unconvinced by the Sea,

While others, give up the fight and surrender,

But regardless, here is all of humanity,

In all its beauty, wonder and infamy.

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

One Sea. One God. We are all here. It is our choice that colours our world. So let us make this world beautiful, vivid and exciting. Something to remember, sunshine, on  this blessed Friday.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way