tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85812722024-03-05T18:20:26.650+08:00Life PoetSuch short-life one does have. With just one chance to make it right. Much triviality complex and redundant. Adding spices to an otherwise bland and tasteless trial.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-11899589025237498662014-01-30T11:57:00.001+08:002014-01-30T11:57:48.082+08:00OceanheartIn the heat of passion,<br />
clouded illusion of thoughtless desire<br />
Forgeting not the haunting pain and sadness..<br />
To mask the nagging loneliness and emptiness..<br />
<br />
Maybe, Perhaps, Probably<br />
<br />
Such is the sensual dance of the moon and sun<br />
Playing eternally in the heavenly sky<br />
A testament to many songs and lamenting sighs,<br />
An ode of the many faces of life<br />
<br />
Experiences..Memories...Lessons<br />
<br />
Soft light touches...along the curves of life<br />
Moist sweet memories inevitable<br />
Pleading a closure and peace<br />
to be Drunk and Lost<br />
in the oceanheart of endless emotions<br />
<br />
- M K Aslan 2014Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-80919763821181206382011-07-06T11:07:00.001+08:002011-07-06T11:09:34.763+08:00Tear Drops ....For whom does your heart weep?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-28526587748940141682011-06-22T12:47:00.001+08:002011-06-22T12:48:41.732+08:00When in pain<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0u1GOV58cEyHQW4qR3J9HJ0t_JWcEsUpXTsWqgSMf6L__CnXpdiqtC0pXNAqArpdxmhs8psJIvbKdr95uZI4go_WaXkoRMV0pqXBrXad-9jJYEMHxjAKTqleESKd8Nx30K71/s1600/pain.gif"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0u1GOV58cEyHQW4qR3J9HJ0t_JWcEsUpXTsWqgSMf6L__CnXpdiqtC0pXNAqArpdxmhs8psJIvbKdr95uZI4go_WaXkoRMV0pqXBrXad-9jJYEMHxjAKTqleESKd8Nx30K71/s400/pain.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620901510789688066" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-22540176433578665922011-06-22T12:20:00.002+08:002011-06-22T12:24:27.827+08:00HeedlessnessI found myself deviating from the way,<br />heedlessness chasing after the donkey.<br />Once near, it will kick me down<br />And I had to chase it once again.<br /><br />Stupid Donkey, Stupid Donkey.<br />Why don't you let me near?<br />It would look and bray<br />For it is I who are the stupid one.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-87742619652252124472011-06-21T15:45:00.003+08:002011-06-21T15:52:38.064+08:00Gone and Back AgainIt is already the year 2011. It had been more than a year since I stopped writing here. Many things had happened since.<br /><br />Life is but a journey.<br />A collection of memories.<br />Snapshots of random events.<br /><br />Many faces come and go.<br />But the deeds remain..<br />For good or otherwise.<br /><br />Every heart beat,<br />A witness to be<br />In the testament of Life.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-63022865031029742792009-12-12T06:08:00.003+08:002009-12-12T06:11:01.542+08:003 yearsThree years have passed<br />So swiftly unnoticed<br />Events that transpire<br />both devastating and enriching<br />that fill the gaps of time<br /><br />Three years have gone<br />In flashes of moments<br />Unknowingly revealing<br />the strengths and characters<br />that would otherwise<br />lay dormant unused...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-7455639723893961922009-12-12T06:05:00.002+08:002009-12-12T06:07:21.751+08:00Of Hopes and Loveof hopes and love<br />in times of despair and disappointment<br />saddened not for the Lord<br />ever-Watching and Loving<br />doth not burden you<br />but only to give you strength<br />and so blessed you in His heavenly court...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-1157341078430570742006-09-04T11:36:00.000+08:002006-09-04T11:37:58.436+08:00To Love is the greatest grace..<h3 class="post-title">Mercy in Creation </h3> <div class="post-body"> <p> </p>Mercy in Creation<br />Hadith Qudsi says that Allah said, “I was a hidden treasure, and I wished that I be recognized, and this is why I created.” Hence the reason for creation was love (mohobbah). Allah created everything out of love, and therefore He loves what He has created. Subsequently He loves the believers even more intensely.<br /><br />Hadith also says that Allah divided His Mercy into seventy parts, and distributed one of those parts in the creation around us. Let us think of all the love in this world; be it between a mother and child, a husband and wife, a brother and sister, be it between animals and their young, be it between friends. All the love amongst these people and in this world comprises just one part out of seventy of Allah’s Mercy. This brings to mind the question that what tremendous mercy might Allah show on the Day of Judgment?<br /><br />A bird is a very weak little thing. It builds a nest for its young and leaves to get food. Now if the nest was in a house and the door is closed upon the bird’s return, this little bird will frantically search for some way to get to its nest, flapping its wings at one wall and then the next. She gets tired but keeps struggling to find a way to her young so she can feed them. If the door opens she flies hurriedly to feed her young, but if it remains shut then she will die flapping against the door, looking for some passage to her young. This bird is such a little thing but Allah has put such love inside it that she is willing to die but cannot tolerate her young going hungry.<br /><br />A chicken is also a very delicate little creature, but it protects its young in its wings against a cat. It knows that it is no match for the cat, but the mother’s love inside this chicken compels it to stand up against the cat, because it knows that the cat will harm its children. Such is the love that Allah has put inside this chicken that it is prepared to give its life in defense of her children.<br /><br />Only a mother can know and understand how much love Allah has put in her heart for her children. This love is a mountain and no one has been able to scale its heights; this love is an ocean and no one has been able to calculate its depths.<br /><br />A mother loves her children unconditionally, with no display. A mother loves her child whether the child is obedient or disobedient, honorable or dishonorable. After Allah and His Messenger, only a mother can love even the disobedient. This world likes the successful and good, but hates those who are hateful and disrespectful and rejects them. However, a mother is a mother and loves her children no matter is they are obedient or disobedient, kind or unkind. A mother cannot be separated from her child.<br /><br />A Woman’s Yearning<br />A woman’s greatest wish is to become a mother, because that is how Allah has made her. She gets worried if after marriage she somehow cannot have children, and prays day and night in every prayer and in tahajjud. When she goes for Umra and Hajj she will pray for children. She has such a yearning in her heart for motherhood that this becomes the first thing that she prays for and it starts to consume her. Allah might have given a big house and a successful husband who loves her, but something will be missing from her life and she will be sad. She will only have one wish despite all this, and that is the wish to become a mother.<br /><br />This same woman’s life will be transformed if Allah blesses her with children. Her face will gleam and she will say that spring has come to her house. She spends all day running after this child and stays awake all night catering to this child’s needs. She stays sleepless and hungry for this child’s sake, but this struggle and hardship seem easy for her. Why? This is only because Allah has put the love of her children in her heart.<br /><br />Now she forgets herself after begetting children. She goes to the market but does not look for adult clothes for herself, but searches for little clothes for her child and anything else she can decorate the nursery with. If she becomes tired, one look at her child relieves her of her fatigue; if she is worried, she hugs the child close to her and forgets all these worries, and thinks that she has gained all the happiness in the world.<br /><br />She even forgets her relations, in that if her sister dislikes the child then she does not consider her a sister. Now the child becomes the purpose and focal point of her life. This child grows up and starts working, but the mother keeps worrying and stays up late waiting for him. The rest of the household sleeps but this mother stays awake waiting and worrying about whether the child has eaten or not.<br /><br />If the child hurts the mother to such a degree that the mother says that she will never speak to him again, the child only has to come and beg forgiveness and the mother will immediately do so because she is a mother. If the mother has been hurt worse than this and says that she will not forgive him, then if the child falls to her feet she will immediately pardon him since a mother cannot bear to see her young son begging her thus. If the mother is hurt worse than this and is angrier still, vowing not to forgive him because he is so disobedient and hurtful, then he cries and begs for forgiveness. The mother’s heart melts because she cannot bear to see her child cry. Just a minute ago she was angry, vowing not to speak to her child, but now she wipes his tears with her own shawl forgetting how this child had hurt and angered her.<br /><br />A mother loves her children so much that she cannot bear to see tears coming from their eyes. Allah loves His creation much more than a mother loves her children and cannot bear to see tears either. No matter how much someone has strayed from the right path, Allah will forgive this person if he begs for forgiveness with a sincere heart and vows to amend his ways. If an ashamed servant of Allah comes to Him asking for forgiveness with a true heart, Allah forgives him because of the tears that he sheds.<br /><br />Examples of Mercy<br />Allah is extremely merciful. An idol worshipper used to worship an idol named Sanam. He sat up calling the name “Ya Sanam” all night, and towards the dawn he started getting drowsy and so he mistakenly took one of the Glorious Names of Allah, “Ya Samad.” Allah immediately turned His attention and asked, “What do you want My servant?” The angels said in astonishment, “O Allah, this is an idol worshipper and only took Your Name in forgetfulness.” Allah said, “This person calls on these idols all night and they don’t answer him. What difference is there between Me and the idols if I don’t answer him either?”<br /><br />Allah wants us to seek forgiveness and come towards Him. Hadith says that the Messenger of Allah was traveling and stopped on the way at a village. A woman was cooking at a fire nearby and he noticed that she constantly had to push her child back who would come forward. She said to the Prophet, “I work with this fire all day, my son wants to play with it but I have to push him back all the time because I’m frightened for him. If Allah loves us more than we love our children, how can He put us in Hell?”<br /><br />Hearing this the Messenger of Allah sat with his head bowed and his eyes filled with tears. He cried for some time and then said, “Allah does not want to send His creation into Hell, but it is man himself who buys Hell for himself through his disobedience to Allah. He forgets where he has come from and who his Caretaker is. He does not seek forgiveness from his Creator.”<br /><br />The Merciful Creator<br />Allah is a Merciful God who wants to forgive us and His Mercy tries to find excuses for forgiving us. We must take advantage of the time that we have in this life and seek forgiveness and amend our ways. May Allah give us the ability to seek His forgiveness and amend our ways. Ameen<br /><br />Extracted from <a href="http://al-ihsaan.blogspot.com">al-ihsaan.blogspot.com</a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-1157340626536938182006-09-04T11:30:00.000+08:002006-09-04T11:30:26.536+08:00Sweeter than SugarShaykh Jalãludeen Rumi (R) says:<br /><br />“0 Heart! Is Sugar sweet?<br />Or is the Creator of sugar<br />sweeter.”Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-1157340574314599142006-09-04T11:29:00.000+08:002006-09-04T11:29:34.326+08:00Mad LoverShaykh .Jalãludeen Rumi (R) says:<br /><br />One will never attain success, <br />until he does not<br />Become a mad lover of Allah,<br />but first You have to meet one<br />who is already mad with the<br />love of Allah.”Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-1157077085692447592006-09-01T10:03:00.000+08:002006-09-01T10:18:39.526+08:00Salawat Al-Fatih<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6409/484/1600/salawat_al_fatih.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6409/484/320/salawat_al_fatih.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p>Salawat Al-Fatih<br /><br />English Translation :</p><p><em>O God bless our Master Muhammad (pbuh) who opened what had been closed, and who is the Seal of what had gone before, he who makes the Truth Victorious by the Truth, the guide to thy straight path, and bless his household as is the due of his immense position and grandeur.</em> </p><p></p><p></p><p>Arabic Transliteration :</p><p><em>Allahumma salli ' wa sallim was baarik ala Sayyidina Muhammadilnil-fatihi lima Ughliqa wal khatimi lima sabaqa wan-naa-siril-haqqibil-haqqi wal-hadi ila Sirati-kal-mustaqima sal-lal-lahu 'alayhiwa 'ala alihi wa-ashaabihi haqqa qadrihi wa-miq-da rihil-'azim.</em><br /></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-1155264052839829762006-08-11T10:34:00.000+08:002006-08-11T10:40:52.850+08:00Don't WorryExtracted from Shaykh Nazim's Ocean of Unity Sobhets<br /><br />Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim<br /><br />Don't Worry<br /><br />The Seal of Prophets, Sayyidina Muhammad, peace be upon him, imparted this good advice to mankind: "If you awaken in the morning and find that you are lacking nothing in the way of material sustenance, and that you and your family are in good health, then don't burden yourself with worry".<br /><br />The Holy Prophet advises us not to make problems for ourselves. If there are immediate and pressing problems, that is another story, but so many "problems" in people's minds are not problems at all except in their minds. They are only "projected problems" which may or may not ever materialize. This is the affliction of twentieth century man: anxiety, or suffering inflicted upon oneself over the possibility of future suffering. As a result of this neurotic anxiety people may suffer intensely over a long period of time, although none of what they fear ever materializes This is the epitome of foolishness.<br /><br />We are shouldering weekly, monthly and yearly burdens each day. Why carry such baggage when you may walk unburdened and find all that you need awaiting your arrival at each station of your journey? You only exist here and now. Tomorrow's "you" is only a fantasy, as you can't even know if you'll live that long. By inventing so many problems for yourself you are only making yourself ill. Is this advice of the Prophet not enough evidence of his adherence to a way that leads man to felicity?<br /><br />Allah Almighty doesn't want His servants to suffer needless self-inflicted misery, and He says: "Oh My servants, don't load heavy burdens on yourselves by worrying about the future. Just bring yourselves in line with My will; accord with my purposes this moment, and then rest assured that I will help you keep your future moments similarly aligned with My will".<br /><br />Perhaps you may understand my point from the following example. When a new railway track is laid, before a locomotive and train are ever sent over it, a two-wheeled cart is first drawn over it to check whether the tracks have been laid straight.<br /><br />In the same way, if you can align your will to that of your Lord even for one moment, without carrying a heavy burden, you may be sure that your way is right, and that, even should times get rough, and so many burdens be coupled to your locomotive, your track is straight and true and you will pass along it smoothly and safely.<br /><br />A solution to this moment's problem is the solution to next year's derailment.<br /><br />When I am here in western countries I daily encounter people carrying the weight of anticipated problems, It is so difficult in the modern world to escape from having this perspective, and to concentrate on the moment in order to put it right.<br /><br />With tens of thousands of problems in front of you all at once how should a solution seem possible?<br /><br />I often see people running into the mosque, saying the obligatory prayers quickly and running out.<br /><br />Sometimes I ask them: "What's the rush?"<br /><br />Then they nervously look at their watches and say: "We have tarried in the mosque too long already. We have so many things to do today!"<br /><br />I reply: "It is laudable to be industrious and to look after your affairs well, but who would look after your affairs were you to drop dead here and now?"<br /><br />I am not encouraging people to spend their whole days in the mosque, but only trying to remind people who are not only running after their sustenance, but leaping, head over heels after ambitious all-encompassing undertakings that it is impossible to "master the world", and destructive to devote so much energy to their attempt, and with so much abandon.<br /><br />First of all, the world already has a Master, and addressing Him humbly and with presence of mind (not hurriedly) in your prayers is even more instrumental in attaining your sustenance than rushing through the city.<br /><br />Secondly, far from attending to your affairs more efficiently by running, you are only likely to have a heart attack and die young!<br /><br />Don't live in a world of great big-time schemes, for such schemes will not save you from trouble, but entangle you in it even further.<br /><br />Simplify your problems so that the solutions may be simple, also don't regard your problems with a magnifying glass, so that they are out of perspective: that habit will destroy you physically and spiritually.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-1139677537257014682006-02-12T01:04:00.000+08:002006-02-13T15:05:35.170+08:00LonelinessLoneliness is just a shell<br />A wall created for irony<br />Expressions free but meaningless illusions<br /><br />People coming, talking and going<br />With so much things to share<br />Yet there was silence<br /><br />No whispers, no connection<br />No warm, no love<br /><br />When finally it hits me,<br />That the Real self is infact missing.<br /><br />By MK AslanUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-1138631697323549542006-01-30T22:31:00.000+08:002006-01-30T22:34:57.333+08:00Love CoupletsYou talk about loving God while you disobey Him;<br />I swear by my life that this is something very strange.<br />If you were truthful in your love, you would obey Him,<br />For a lover obeys whom he loves.<br /><br />by Sufi saint Rabi'a al-'Adawiya r.a.*<br /><br />*Rabi'ah al-Adawiyya, a major spiritual influence in the classical Islamic world, is one of the central figures of the spiritual tradition. She was born around the year 717 C.E. in what is now IraqUnknownnoreply@blogger.com119tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-1138429573720583492006-01-28T14:23:00.000+08:002006-01-28T14:26:13.733+08:00Nail In the FenceThere once was a little boy who had a bad temper. <br /><br />His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.<br /><br />The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. <br /><br />Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, The number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. <br /><br />He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. <br /><br />Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. <br /><br />He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy <br />Now, pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. <br /><br />The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father <br />That all the nails were gone. <br /><br />The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. <br /><br />He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. <br /><br />The fence will never be the same.<br /><br /> When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. <br /><br />You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. <br /><br />" A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.<br /><br />Family and friends are very rare jewels, indeed. <br /><br />They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. <br /><br />They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us." <br /><br />Show your family and friends how much you care. <br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Please forgive me if I have ever left a hole.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">(by anonymous)</span></strong>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-1137126164753747892006-01-13T12:20:00.000+08:002006-01-13T12:22:44.766+08:00Power and RecognitionPower and recognition are conditions conducive to worldliness.<br /><br />The ego will never neglect such an opportunity to demand its share of the excitement and admiration, and by so doing taint the whole process of spiritual endeavor.<br /><br />So beware . . .Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-1136533151803115332006-01-06T15:38:00.000+08:002006-01-06T15:39:11.816+08:00The Persian, the Arab, the Turk and the Greek..Four persons, a Persian, an Arab, a Turk, and a Greek, were travelling together, and received a present of a Durham.<br /><br />The Persian said he would buy "angur" with it, the Arab said he would buy "inab," while the Turk and the Greek were for buying "uzum" and "astaphil" (staphyle), respectively.<br /><br />Now all these words mean one and the same thing, viz. "grapes."<br /><br />But, owing to their ignorance of each other's languages, they fancied they each wanted to buy something different, and accordingly a violent quarrel arose between them.<br /><br />At last a wise man who knew all their languages came up and explained to them that they were all wishing for one and the same thing.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-1136529365162122842006-01-06T14:31:00.000+08:002006-01-06T14:40:35.406+08:00Signs of relying on one's deeds...Extracted in most parts from "Book of Wisdoms: al-Hikam al-'Ata'iyya" by Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller<br /><br /><br />"Allah created you and that which you do" (Qur’an 37:96).<br /><br />The method of the spiritual ascent is threefold, consisting of knowledge (‘ilm), practice (‘amal), and the resultant state (hal) bestowed by Allah. Knowledge here means everything conveyed to us by the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), which is the content of the Sacred Law or shari‘a.<br /><br />The practice of this knowledge, inwardly and outwardly, with heart and limbs, is the spiritual path or tariqa.<br /><br />The resultant state, Allah’s drawing near to the heart that thus draws near to Him, is the dawning of the Divine Presence upon the soul, termed by Sufis "ultimate reality" or haqiqa.<br /><br />Ibn ‘Ata' Illah, as a spiritual guide, is concerned in this work with the second moment of this ascent, that of way and works, so begins his book by letting the traveller know that the matter of his spiritual progress is in Allah’s hands alone.<br /><br />Discouragement at the inevitable mistakes one makes in the path is a sign of relying on one’s deeds rather than on Allah.<br /><br />Works, whether prayer, or the dhikr or "remembrance" of Allah, or fasting, or jihad, do not cause one to reach the end of the path, but are merely proper manners before the majesty of the Divine while on it.<br /><br />Just as putting one’s net in the sea does not produce fish, though one must keep it there so that if Allah sends fish they can be caught—so too works are a net, and their spiritual outcomes are from Allah.<br /><br />Abu Hurayra (Allah be well pleased with him) heard the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) say:<br />"None of you shall be saved by his works." A man said, "Not even you yourself, O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "Not even me myself, unless Allah envelopes me in mercy from Him. But aim to do right" (Muslim, 4.2169: 2816).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-1136510378052491422006-01-06T09:17:00.000+08:002006-01-06T14:39:02.800+08:00The Master was Present..and then, quietly he was Gone!"It is related about one of the great Sufis of Khorasan: That he worked for long hours as a brickmaker, and when people offered him money in return, he refused it. He also used to have long talks with people, teaching them, encouraging them, and then was not to be seen for a long period of time, sometimes months on end. This confused the people who tried to learn from him.<br /><br />One day, a man who used to be his student and now has since left him, complained bitterly to him about it and asked for an explanation of his conduct, saying: "If i have failed to understand, tell me, so that i may again be your student." The Sufi said: "I am afraid that i can say nothing to you about all this". This man then talked to others about the Sufi (whom he abandoned as his teacher) and soon, more and more complaints were heard about the Sufi from the other students. Gradually, more students began to lose interest in the Sufi. They instead, now attach themselves to all manner of frivolous and more exciting things of the world.<br /><br />Eventually, a small group of them found another teacher - a venerable dervish - to whom they later confided their dissapointment of the Sufi, their teacher whom they have abandoned. Their new teacher replied to them the following:<br />"O you luckless one!<br /><br />(1) He was working as a brickmaker because to take your money, raw and vulnerable as you were, would have harmed you - and he took on the harm upon himself, preferring to labour, sacrificed his life and sweat in the burning sun for just a small salary;<br />(2) When he left you on your own, it was sometimes his attention, through your own weaknessess, would have inflated you and made you worse;<br />(3) At other times, he forsook you because he had to make supplications to ask from Allah that you, should not die before he could help you;<br />(4) At other times, he left you alone because other people in greater need than you were to be attended to.<br />You are the kind of people who see all his actions, which are all worthy ones - as faults, because you cannot perceive goodness and reality, and because you think only of your ownselves and that the whole world revolves around your ownselves!"<br /><br />When the students heard this, they were ashamed, and they said: "O teacher! Give us permission to return to our ex-Master, to make amends to him!"<br />He answered, "The permission is easy, and you have it; but the performance is impossible. He is now dead, because his earthly life had to stop the moment you deserted him; the moment you stopped listening to him; the moment his hand could not hold your hand to guide you. When he had nobody to attend to him, he had to continue on this journey, on his own - in another world - where he is more useful, and loved."<br /><br />They cried upon hearing this and regretted deeply, for their great Master was now gone! They asked their teacher : "How did you know all this?"<br />He said: "I am the solitary remaining disciple of that same Master of yours whom you have all abandoned! Only one in a thousand people really want to learn. We were, at the outset, that one thousand people. As for the rest of your friends who are not here today and like you, have also abandoned the Sufi: they are not dead, but they - like you - have long ago decided that our late Master was insufficient to their needs. The consequence of this added belief, born out of the madness of the world, is that they are all still alive, and now more than proud of themselves, and all of them are flourishing in this world, and all of them are doomed for their attachment of this world - without that guiding hand to guide them out of this labyrinth!"<br /><br />... by Idries ShahUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-1136443222106127332006-01-05T14:37:00.000+08:002006-01-05T14:40:22.173+08:00Blindness in the way of the wilayaExtracted from Al-Hikam Al-'ata'iyya : The Book of Wisdom by Sheykh Nuh Ha Min Keller<br /><br />Desire means change,<br /><br />1) first by takhliya or "ridding oneself " of the acts, motives, and states unacceptable to Allah; then<br />2) tahliya or "adorning oneself " with good traits such as sincerity (ikhlas), trust (tawakkul), remembrance of Allah,<br /> and finally<br />3) ma`rifa or knowledge of the Divine with which Allah remembers the person of dhikr who perseveres in these.<br /><br />To rely on one's own efforts to bring about what Allah has already decided is "your striving for what is ensured to you," while not to change oneself is the "neglect of what is sought from you."<br /><br />Both are blindness in the way of wilaya.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-1136345486202752212006-01-04T11:26:00.000+08:002006-01-04T11:31:26.213+08:00Lack of knowledge...Do not belittle people who seemingly lack of knowledge but instead strive to guide them with love and compassion..<br /><br />Knowledge by itself is not only useless but may be a mortal trap that leads to Satanic pride. Neither the proud nor the ignorant are excused; yet the loving, sincere, and repentent Sufi who suffers even severe gaps in his knowledge and adab is closer to Allah Most High and to knowledge of Allah than the knowledgeable Sufi who harbors a speck of pride in his heart. May Allah protect you and us!<br /><br />Ibrahim al-Khawwass said knowledge is not to know much but to obey the Sunna and practice what one knows even if a little. Imam Malik said knowledge is not to know many things but is a light Allah casts in the heart.Imam al-Shafi'i said knowledge is not to know proofs but to know what is beneficial.And when someone said of Ma'ruf al-Karkhi, "He is not very knowledgeable," Imam Ahmad said: " Mah! Allah forgive you! Is anything meant by Knowledge other than what Ma'ruf attained?!"<br /><br /><br />Much of this was extracted from <a href="http://sultanulawliya.blogspot.com/2005/06/glimpse-at-our-beloved-mawlana-shaykh.html">http://sultanulawliya.blogspot.com/2005/06/glimpse-at-our-beloved-mawlana-shaykh.html</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-1135863951324325122005-12-29T21:43:00.000+08:002005-12-29T21:45:51.326+08:00Allah knows best...'What seems from outside to be good for you, might 'in actual' be bad for you; and what seems from outside to be bad for you, might 'in actual' be good for you.'<br /> <br />- our beloved Maulana Sheikh Nazim Al Haqqani Al Qubrusi<br /> <br /> -------------------<br />A story is told about a King in Africa who had a close friend that he grew up with.<br /><br />The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) by remarking, "This is good, Almighty knows best"<br /><br />One day the King and his friend were out on a hunting expedition.<br /><br />The friend would load and prepare the guns for the King. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the King fired it and his thumb was blown off.<br /><br />Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good! Almighty knows best."To which the King replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and ordered his soldiers to put his friend into jail.<br /><br />About a year later, the King was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of.<br /><br />Cannibals captured the King and took him to their village.<br /><br />They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake.<br /><br />As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the King was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone who was less than whole.<br /><br />So after untying the King, they chased him out of the village.<br /><br />When the King reached his Palace, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend.<br /><br />He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend."You were right" the King said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off."<br /><br />And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened.<br /><br /> " I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this."<br /><br />"No," his friend replied, "this is good ... Almighty knows best"<br /><br />"What do you mean, 'this is good'! How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?"<br /><br />The King's friend replied: "Remember that the Almighty knows best and if I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you(on this hunting trip)."<br /><br /><br />"He knows what is before them and what is behind them: And to Allah go back all questions (for decision)" Qur'an:Surah Al Hajj 22:76Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-1135863520322214732005-12-29T21:37:00.000+08:002005-12-29T21:38:40.330+08:00Open to the Secret of SecretsIf you could get rid of yourself just once,<br />The secret of secrets<br />Would open to you.<br />The face of the unknown,<br />Hidden beyond the universe<br />Would appear on the<br />Mirror of your perception.<br /> <br /><br />- Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi, may Allah sanctify his soul, & bless his secretUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-1135860814062276272005-12-29T20:47:00.000+08:002005-12-29T20:53:34.086+08:00Becoming an Artisan..I found this most delightful story on <a href="http://anab-whitehouse.blogspot.com">http://anab-whitehouse.blogspot.com</a><br /><br />There once lived a person who was sincere skeptic concerning the mystical path.<br /><br />In other words, although this individual was willing to allow for the possibility of truths and realities beyond the sensory, material realms, nevertheless, there were a lot of things concerning spirituality which didn’t make a whole lot of sense to him, and over which he puzzled.<br /><br />For example, he questioned why mysticism seemed to be couched in so much secrecy.<br /><br />Moreover, he didn’t understand why there appeared to be such a hide-and-seek quality to the whole process –- that is, he didn’t understand why the truths of the mystical path just couldn’t be laid out for everyone to see so that those who were interested could obtain what they needed.<br /><br />In addition, he didn’t really see the need for a teacher, or, stated in an alternative way, he wondered why Divinity just didn’t approach people directly through either their rational and/or their spiritual faculties rather than seeming to channel things through a mystical guide.<br /><br />This man also had a variety of questions about philosophy, government, and science.<br /><br />However, the questions to which he kept returning were the ones he had concerning the mystical path, and these sort of questions seemed, for him, at least, more important than the other questions which preoccupied him from time to time.<br /><br />Life being what it is, such questions often had to be put aside as he went about trying to earn a living and support his family. In fact, although this person was a hard worker, he had been encountering considerable difficulty finding a steady job because of the condition of the economy.This person had a college degree, but he preferred working with his hands.<br /><br />Over the years, he had become fairly proficient in a wide variety of skills -– from light carpentry, to electrical work, and, as well, he had a smattering of mechanical abilities.<br /><br />Since he was a resourceful person, he often was able to scramble sufficiently well to earn enough money to pay rent, purchase food, and buy clothes for his family, but not much more. Nonetheless, through a combination of factors -– among which was the lack of a union card -– he always seemed to be engaged in a financial high wire balancing act in which he worked without a net, and, quite frequently, wondered if the would be able to stretch what little money he had to reach the end of the month.<br /><br />He had learned to be flexible and adaptable with respect to the jobs he took. Furthermore, he always was looking out for new opportunities -– things that either would allow him to develop additional skills or which might open up new career possibilities that offered more permanent job status.<br /><br />Currently, he was in between jobs and was scouring the Internet, the newspaper classifieds, and job agencies, looking for work.<br /><br />The only thing which was available involved using his hands -- an apprenticeship position in a pottery shop.<br /><br />The job was located within a reasonable distance from his house.He called the indicated number, and after several tries, got through to the owner of the shop.<br /><br />She was an elderly woman who was getting too old for certain aspects of her business and was looking for someone who would help her out.She couldn’t afford to pay much more than minimum wage, but the work would be steady for the foreseeable future, and, as a sort of compensation for the low wages, she was prepared to train the person she hired to become a potter.<br /><br />She even indicated that if she found the right person, she would consider selling the business.Due, among other things, to an increase in relatively wealthy clientele who, on the one hand, were looking for original works of art, and, who, on the other hand, were searching for certain kinds of pots to use in cooking and baking, the woman’s business was more thriving than it had ever been.<br /><br />People were looking for products of durability and quality, and they were quite ready to pay good prices for the right sort of pots. The woman specialized in cooking pots. However, she was an expert craftsperson in all manner of pottery.After talking with the woman, the man discussed the situation with his wife.<br /><br />He went over the pros and cons of the possibility, and, eventually, they both decided that the job seemed to have considerable potential -- both short-term and long-term.He phoned the owner of the shop again and said he would like to apply for the job. They arranged to meet the next afternoon, and by the end of the day, he was hired as the woman’s apprentice.<br /><br />The woman was very meticulous in her training methods, and there was far more to learn than the man originally had suspected. The woman wanted to impress on her newly hired apprentice that there were significant differences between pots which were mass-produced and those which were done in the traditional way.<br /><br />And, so, at the end of the first week, after he had been given enough information which would enable him to make a pot that would be similar in quality to the ones which were mass-produced, she had him fashion several baking pots.<br /><br />The process only took a short time, and when he completed the assignment, she had him set the pots aside, on a storage shelf, as a reminder of his first efforts. The next day she continued on with his apprenticeship program.<br /><br />After a number of years, he had become quite adept in all facets of making pots, and the owner was quite pleased with his progress.One day she informed her apprentice that she wanted to retire and, with certain reservations, might be willing to turn the whole business over to him.<br /><br />She knew he was not a wealthy person and said she was prepared to take regular payments for the business until such time as it was completely paid for.However, before she retired, she wanted to make sure the man really had mastered everything he needed to know about the making of pots.<br /><br />Her shop had developed a considerable reputation, and she didn’t want to see all that hard work go to waste as a result of a decline in the quality of the pots which were sold through the store.<br /><br />Consequently, she informed him that she wanted to be his first customer, and she commissioned him to make a special cooking pot -– one that was particularly difficult to make because, among other things, it had to impart a certain, precise taste to the foods which were cooked in it. This aspect of taste was very subtle, and if the pot was not made in just the right way, that taste would not be imparted, even though the pot might be perfectly serviceable in every other respect.<br /><br />The process for producing such a pot was very complicated and time-consuming. Among other things, not just any kind of clay could be used in making the pot. Furthermore, there were certain natural ingredients that had to be prepared in an exacting manner and which had to be added at precisely the right time during the process, and, finally, the pot had to kept in a kiln for an extended period at a carefully regulated temperature.<br /><br />She had taught him everything he needed to know to accomplish the task. Now, however, she wanted to determine if the appropriate lessons had been learned. If he was able to produce the desired pot, then, whatever reservations the woman had about turning the shop over to him would disappear, and she would be able to retire with a clear conscience.The man set about making the pot, and nearly six week later, the pot was completed.<br /><br />Now, the quality of the pot had to be tested.The woman prepared some food to put in the pot. Since she had made more food than the pot could hold, she took several more pots down from the shelf, and filled them, as well.<br /><br />All three pots were covered and placed in the cooking oven.An hour later, the oven was opened, and the woman set about removing the cooked food. Unfortunately, one of the pots had shattered, although the other two were intact.After cleaning up the mess from the shattered container, the woman turned her attention to the other two pots.<br /><br />She took several wooden spoons and dipped each spoon into a different pot.She tasted from the first spoon, and her nose wrinkled. She shook her head in a disapproving manner.She tasted from the second spoon. A gleam came into her eyes, and her countenance radiated with approval.Then, she invited her apprentice to dip the two spoons into the respective pots and taste the contents of the spoons as she had done.<br /><br />Upon tasting, the apprentice’s reactions were much as the shop’s owner had been.The shop owner turned to her former apprentice and said: “The pot which shattered was one of the two you had made when you first came here. It was made in haste and, as a result, was not able to withstand the heat of the oven.“The pot which yielded the distasteful food was the other pot you made shortly after you first arrived.<br /><br />Although it managed to survive the heat intact, nonetheless, it spoiled the taste of the food because of its poor quality. The average person might not have been able to notice the problem, but a true artisan would have detected the defect and its effect upon the food.“The pot which contained the very tasty food was the one you just completed, and, I am happy to say it was made perfectly.<br /><br />So, you, obviously, have mastered everything which I tried to teach you, and you are no longer an apprentice, but, now you are an artisan.<br /><br />Furthermore, I see no reason why we can’t go ahead and draw up the papers for transferring the shop to you.”The man was very happy with the outcome of things and thanked her for all her help, knowledge, and patience across the years. He was excited and wanted to call his wife and tell her the good news.<br /><br />The man was about to make the call when the woman stopped him, and said: “There is something more which I have to say to you.” The man put the phone down and waited for her to speak.She said: “You not only know how to make pots, you also have the answer to some of your questions about the mystical path which you had when you first started working with me.”<br /><br />The man was rather startled because he had never talked to the woman about such matters. While he was trying to figure out how she knew, she continued on.“Many of the techniques which I have taught you are secret because if they were to fall into the hands of the wrong people who had little, or no, appreciation for the artistry of pot-making, they would exploit such knowledge by trying to cut corners and, in the process, produce pots which either were not able to withstand theheat or which imparted an offensive taste to the food. The same is true in mysticism.“<br /><br />Secondly, just as it took time for you to learn the intricacies of pottery through combining knowledge and an appropriate set of experiences, so, too, it takes time to learn the intricacies of the mystical path. One needs more than information in order to be able to accomplish this -- one also needs the right set of experiences, and, as well, one needs to work with someone who knows how to utilize those experiences in order to help an apprentice develop a deeper understanding of what is needed to become an artisan.<br /><br /> “And, the former point leads into my final comment. There are many books on pottery which are available in trade stores. You could have read all of those books and still not have understood what you have learned by interacting with me over an extended time. The learning which takes place between an artisan and her or his apprentice is much different than the learning that occurs when someone reads a book. “You could not have made the pot you just did merely by reading books.<br /><br />There has been a special chemistry between the two of us which has developed over the years, and it is that chemistry which has found its way into this pot you recently made, and it is that chemistry which an artisan passes on to an apprentice and which transforms the apprentice into an artisan.”The woman, paused for a moment, and, then, said: “<br /><br />The questions you have had about the realm of spirituality were sincere ones, and Divinity responded to that sincerity by sending you to me.<br /><br />If you are ready and interested, perhaps, I could use my retirement to help you learn about the real purpose of life -– which, by the way, is not to make pots ... even ones of quality. Rather, the making of quality pots merely represents a worthwhile point of departure.”Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8581272.post-1134699802179070212005-12-16T10:20:00.000+08:002005-12-16T10:23:22.190+08:00ImpatienceImpatience is a clear indicator of your level of trust in God's will.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0