Kept Apart
Sun light from the Earth
A wave from the shore
Wind from the trees
Love from each other
Light from your heart
Water from your lips
Heat from your hands
A kiss from your Love
Darkness blinds the inhabitants
Thirst consumes life
Cold destroys comfort
Love, ever embracing
Love blinds you to light or dark
Love keeps you fed and full
Love whispers sweetness
Love is what I yearn for
Love will find you in every state
in no state
in company
or alone
Come find me then
I am a hidden treasure
Your only desire
Your only salvation
[Rouzbeh]
Patience in the face of everything
If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished?
[Mevlana Jalalluddin Rumi]
Wine of Love
Intoxicated by the Wine of Love.
From each a mystic silence Love demands.
What do all seek so earnestly? 'Tis Love.
What do they whisper to each other? Love.
Love is the subject of their inmost thoughts.
...In Love no longer 'thou' and 'I' exist,
For Self has passed away in the Beloved. He who would know the secret of both worlds,
Will find the secret of them both, is Love.
[Fariduddin Attar]
Muharram
"The believers abstain from drinking pure water throughout these ten days in memory and in honor of the martyrs of Karbalā’. Throughout the Mātam, all Bektashis additionally shun luxury and pleasantries and instead proceed to tekke in order to recall the unforgettable events of this battle with gloomy hearts, keeping t...he words “Ya Imām! Ya Husayn!” on their lips."
- (nga BEKTASHIZMI DHE TEQEJA SHQIPTARE NË AMERIKË)
Commemorating the First Day of Snow with a Poem by Haji Bektash
For those who have Awareness,
a hint is quite enough.
For the multitudes of heedless
mere knowledge is useless.
[Haji Bektash Veli]
Gift of Mevlana's Words from a Friend
Tonight I am not here. Don’t look for me tonight for I have departed from this world and gone into the arms of my Beloved. My soul lives only where he exists. I have dissolved into him and there is no more of ‘me’ left; I am Him. All that remains is my body. My heart and my soul are far away from this place you call the Universe … Don’t look for me tonight. Tonight I don’t exist.
The Making of a Saint
It is said that Khusrau, at the age of eight years, was coerced by his mother to visit the saint's khaneqah (monastary) for the first time. When he reached there, he didn't enter at once - he wanted to test him out. He sat down at the gate and composed the following lines in his heart:
Tu aan shahi ke ber aiwan-e qasrat
Kabutar gar nasheenad, baaz gardad
Ghareeb-e mustamand-e ber der aamed
Be-yaayad andaroon, ya baaz gardad
Kabutar gar nasheenad, baaz gardad
Ghareeb-e mustamand-e ber der aamed
Be-yaayad andaroon, ya baaz gardad
(You are a king at the gate of whose palace / even a pigeon becomes a hawk. / A poor traveller has come to your gate, / should he enter, or should he return?)
It is said that Nizamuddin Aulia at once asked one of his servants to go out at the gate and narrate the following lines to a boy who is sitting there :
Be-yaayad andaroon mard-e haqeeqat
Ke ba ma yek nafas hamraaz gardad
Agar abla buvad aan mard-e naadan
Azaan raah-e ke aamad baaz gardad
Ke ba ma yek nafas hamraaz gardad
Agar abla buvad aan mard-e naadan
Azaan raah-e ke aamad baaz gardad
(Oh you the man of reality, come inside / so you become for a while my confidant / but if the one who enters is foolish / then he should return the way he came.)
Hearing this Khusrau decided that he has come to the right place and entered.
The Crooked CapNizamuddin Aulia and Khusrau sat one morning on the banks of river Yamuna looking at the people bathing and worshipping. Nizamuddin Aulia drew Khusrau's attention to them saying:
Har qaum raast raahay, deenay wa qibla gaahay
(Every sect has a faith, a qibla which they turn to.)
(Every sect has a faith, a qibla which they turn to.)
Incidently Nizamuddin Aulia wore his cap in a slightly crooked way, to which Khusrau pointed and said :
Men qibla raast kardam, ber terf-e kajkulaahay.
(I have straightened my qibla in the direction of this crooked cap)
(I have straightened my qibla in the direction of this crooked cap)
Keep me away from myself
O my God, don’t leave me in the hand of this unreliable self.
Don’t make me agree with anyone but You.
I run to You from deceits, troubles of ‘myself’,
I am Yours.
Don’t give myself back to me.
[Melvana Jalaluddin Rumi]
Don’t make me agree with anyone but You.
I run to You from deceits, troubles of ‘myself’,
I am Yours.
Don’t give myself back to me.
[Melvana Jalaluddin Rumi]
Unification
I come to you without me, come to me without you.
Self is the thorn in the sole of the soul.
Merge with others,
If you stay in self, you are a grain, you are a drop,
If you merge with others, you are an ocean, you are a mine.
[Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi]
Detachment
Detachment is not that you should own nothing, but that nothing should own you.
[Hazrat Ali]
Glimmer in your Eyes
"God wants to see more playfulness in your eyes for that is your greatest witness to Him."
Insomnia
When I am with you, we stay up all night. When you're not here, I can't go to sleep. Praise God for those two insomnias! And the difference between them.
[Mevlana Celaluddin Rumi]
Separation (A Prayer)
I feel this Separation deeply,
I endure its sweet pain,
The fruit of my Patience,
Still yet to be found,
Forgive me O' Lord,
For I feel no Separation from You,
I endure this pain for another,
One whom you have Created,
My Love for Thee,
O' Beautiful Creator,
Is as Endless as Your Oceans of Wisdom,
Your Infinite Mercy,
Yet tonight, I weep not from being far from You,
Instead, I weep from being far from one of Yours,
This ecstasy fills me, blinds me, consumes me,
I use it to know You, I endure it to come closer to You,
Tonight, however, I just want to be close to Your Servant,
Forgive me my trespass, I know it is You I should pine for,
Forgive my Love, my Lord, Forgive me this Separation,
I pray unto You to relieve this constant Pain,
I ask this Pain to be relieved in oh but One form,
The end of this Separation,
I know I know little, I know I may be asking for more pain,
But tonight, my mind has fused with my heart, they are One,
They beat together, they ask for one thing in this moment,
To be with Your Servant now and forever,
Will this bring me Closer to You in the End?
Will my naive request be fulfilled?
Forgive me my trespass, for Emotion has blinded me,
To know that my Emotion has taken over is to contradict this Fact,
I see clearly because of Your Constant Presence in my Life,
I hear clearly because of Your Constant Presence in my Life,
I cannot claim to be anywhere near your Men,
I cannot claim to be anywhere near your Angels,
I cannot claim to be anywhere near your Humble Servants,
I can only claim that I Love You.
[Rouzbeh]
I endure its sweet pain,
The fruit of my Patience,
Still yet to be found,
Forgive me O' Lord,
For I feel no Separation from You,
I endure this pain for another,
One whom you have Created,
My Love for Thee,
O' Beautiful Creator,
Is as Endless as Your Oceans of Wisdom,
Your Infinite Mercy,
Yet tonight, I weep not from being far from You,
Instead, I weep from being far from one of Yours,
This ecstasy fills me, blinds me, consumes me,
I use it to know You, I endure it to come closer to You,
Tonight, however, I just want to be close to Your Servant,
Forgive me my trespass, I know it is You I should pine for,
Forgive my Love, my Lord, Forgive me this Separation,
I pray unto You to relieve this constant Pain,
I ask this Pain to be relieved in oh but One form,
The end of this Separation,
I know I know little, I know I may be asking for more pain,
But tonight, my mind has fused with my heart, they are One,
They beat together, they ask for one thing in this moment,
To be with Your Servant now and forever,
Will this bring me Closer to You in the End?
Will my naive request be fulfilled?
Forgive me my trespass, for Emotion has blinded me,
To know that my Emotion has taken over is to contradict this Fact,
I see clearly because of Your Constant Presence in my Life,
I hear clearly because of Your Constant Presence in my Life,
I cannot claim to be anywhere near your Men,
I cannot claim to be anywhere near your Angels,
I cannot claim to be anywhere near your Humble Servants,
I can only claim that I Love You.
[Rouzbeh]
Seeker of Silence
A seeker of silence am I, and what treasures have I found with silences that I may dispense with confidence?
[Kahlil Gibran]
The Sweetness of the Fast
There is an unseen sweetness in the stomach’s emptiness. We are lutes. When the soundbox is filled, no music can come forth. When the brain and the belly burn from fasting, every moment a new song rises out of the fire.
[Mevlana Jelalluddin Rumi]
The Importance of Kind Words
Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.
[Mother Teresa]
What My Heart Desires
My heart desires to know what is True,
It feels the warmth of a presence unknown,
The unknown is yet familiar,
Looking for what it means to be free,
Repressed emotions bring about devotion
Knowing thy self propels you deeper into this Ocean
Begging others for guidance You become my true guide,
Helplessly helping the cause of Man
Not knowing while knowing,
Tears flow down my cheeks,
Carrying this weight of wisdom
This weight of Truth belongs to Your Lovers,
Seperated from you only brings me closer,
Feeling this burn and distance constantly,
When will it be for us to be reunited,
Seeking for what is Real here and now,
Walking in the shadows filled with light,
Hearing the whispers yet listening to Him,
Love, love, love...
My heart desires to know You.
[Rouzbeh]
It feels the warmth of a presence unknown,
The unknown is yet familiar,
Looking for what it means to be free,
Repressed emotions bring about devotion
Knowing thy self propels you deeper into this Ocean
Begging others for guidance You become my true guide,
Helplessly helping the cause of Man
Not knowing while knowing,
Tears flow down my cheeks,
Carrying this weight of wisdom
This weight of Truth belongs to Your Lovers,
Seperated from you only brings me closer,
Feeling this burn and distance constantly,
When will it be for us to be reunited,
Seeking for what is Real here and now,
Walking in the shadows filled with light,
Hearing the whispers yet listening to Him,
Love, love, love...
My heart desires to know You.
[Rouzbeh]
Eyvallah!
You are the remedy for my despair; You are the origin of my sorrow; You have within the Four Elements; In you is Sanctuary! Around your waist is the girdle; The crown is atop your head; Illumination emanates from your visage, O Hacı Bektaş!
To Know One Self
For years, copying other people, I tried to know myself.
From within, I couldn't decide what to do.
Unable to see, I heard my name being called.
Then I walked outside.
[Mevlana Jalalludin Rumi]
From within, I couldn't decide what to do.
Unable to see, I heard my name being called.
Then I walked outside.
[Mevlana Jalalludin Rumi]
Bawa Muhayideen's Wise Words
"Peace, unity, and equality...when we are in one place, when we live in one place, eat in one place, sleep in one place, disappear in one place, die in one place, when our final judgment is given in one place, and when we finally join together in heaven in one place, that is unity. Even when we go to that (final) place, we all live together in freedom as one family, one group. In this world and in the next world we live together in freedom, as one family of peace. This is Islam. If we find this way of peace, this is Islam."
— M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
Shaikh Abdul Qadir's Wise Words
"Know that you will receive what He has assigned to you at the proper moment and time."
[Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani]
Extracts from FUTUH AL GHAIB(Revelations of the Unseen)
Some extracts form Hazrat Ghous-e-Samadani Kutab-e-Rabbani Shahbaaz-e-La'makani Syedina Shaiykh Abdul Qadir Jillani(radi Allah anhu)'s book "FUTUH AL GHAIB (Revelations of the Unseen)"
...........
THE SELF
There is Allah, and there is your own self [nafsuka], and you must address the situation. The self is the opponent and enemy of Allah. All things are subordinate to Allah, and the self really belongs to Him as a creature and a possession, but the self entertains presumptions and aspirations bound up with carnal appetite and sensual desire. So if you ally yourself with the divine Truth in opposition and hostility toward the self, you will be for Allah's sake an adversary to your own self. As Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) said to David (peace be upon him): "O David, I am your indispensable support, so hold fast to your support. True servitude means being an adversary to your own self."
It is then that your friendship and servitude to Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) will be confirmed in reality. All that is allotted to you will then come to you for your enjoyment and pleasure. You will be held in honor and esteem, and all things will be ready to serve you with dignity and respect, for they are all subordinate to their Lord and in conformity with Him, since He is their Creator and Originator and they acknowledge their
servitude to Him.
Allah (Exalted is He) has said:
There is not a thing that does not celebrate His praise, and yet you do not understand their celebration. (17:44)
[Then He turned to the heaven when it was smoke] and said to it and to the earth: "Come both of you, willingly or unwillingly." They said: "We come, obedient." (41:11)
Thus servitude-all servitude-consists in opposing your own self. Allah (Exalted is He) says:
Follow not desire, lest it lead you astray from Allah's path. (38:26)
-Futuh al-Ghaib, discourse no. 10-
................................................
TWO CONDITIONS OF THE SELF (NAFS)
The self [nafs] has two conditions and no third: The state of wellbeing and the state of tribulation. When it is undergoing tribulation, the signs are anxiety, complaining, resentment, protest and suspicion toward the Lord of Truth (Glorious and Exalted is He), and lack of patience, contentment and compliance. Indeed, there is likely to be ill-mannered behavior, the association of creatures and material objects with the Creator, and unbelief. When, on the other hand, it is in the state of well-being, the signs are greed, impetuosity, and the pursuit of carnal lusts and pleasures. As soon as it gratifies one desire, it goes after another, belittling the blessings it already possesses, such as food, drink, clothing, spouse, dwelling and means of transport. It finds faults and defects in each one of these blessings, wanting something superior and finer that is not part of its destined lot, while shunning what has been allotted to it.
If the self had behaved itself well when the affliction was removed, and had practiced obedience, gratitude and contentment with its lot, things would have been better for it in this world and the hereafter. It would have experienced increasing comfort, well-being, approval from Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He), pleasure, and help toward success. Anyone who wishes for safety in this world and the hereafter must therefore cultivate patience and contentment. He must give up complaining to people, submit his needs to his Lord (Almighty and Glorious is He), practice obedience to Him, wait for happiness to come from Him, and be devoted exclusively to Him (Almighty and Glorious is He), since He is better than any other and than His entire creation. His deprivation is actually a gift, His punishment a blessing, His trial a remedy, His promise ready cash, His word a deed, His will a state of being. Surely His word "and His command when He intends a thing, is to say to it 'Be,' and it is" (36:82).
-Futuh al-Ghaib, discourse no. 42-
.............................
TRUST AND ITS STAGES
Nothing blocks you from direct receiving of Allah's grace and favor except your reliance upon people and connections, on good turns and handouts. Thus creatures are your obstacle to gaining a proper livelihood, in keeping with the exemplary practice of the Prophet. As long as you continue to depend on fellow creatures, hoping for their gifts and favors, going from door to door with your requests, you are associating His creation with Allah. He will therefore punish you with deprivation of that proper livelihood, namely the lawful earnings of this world.
Then, when you have renounced the habit of depending on people and associating them with your Lord (Almighty and Glorious is He), and have resorted to earning your own livelihood, you get to rely on this earning power and become complacent about it, forgetting the gracious favor of your Lord. You are once again behaving like a polytheist [mushrik], only now the polytheism [shirk] is concealed, of a subtler nature than the previous kind. Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) will therefore punish you by depriving you of His favor and of direct access to Him.
When you turn from this in repentance, ceasing to allow the encroachment of polytheism, and forsaking reliance on your own earning power and abilities, you will see that Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) is the Provider. It is He who supplies the means, the facilities and the energy one needs to make a living, and He is the One who enables all good results to be achieved. All sustenance is in His hand. At times He may supply it to you by way of other people, through your appealing to them while in distress or trying straits, or in response to your appeal to Him (Almighty and Glorious is He), sometimes by way of earned remuneration, and at still other times by His spontaneous favor, in such a way that you do not see the intervening cause and means.
Observe your duty to Allah. Allah will teach you. (2:282)
-Futuh al-Ghaib, discourse no. 16-
............................................
SUBMISSION TO ALLAH'S COMMAND
Do not exert yourself to attract prosperity or to avert misfortune. Prosperity will come to you if it is your lot, whether you seek to acquire it or view it with distaste. Misfortune will likewise overtake you if it is meant for you by destiny's decree, whether you be averse to it, or pray for it to go away, or confront it with patience and fortitude to please the Lord.
Your only resort is total surrender, allowing the process to work within you. If the experience proves to be a happy one, you must endeavor to show gratitude. Should it be an ordeal, you must exercise patience and perseverance, try to accept it with good grace, or lose yourself in it and become detached by virtue of the spiritual states [halat] you are given to traverse, and the stations [manazil] to which you are made to travel on the path of the Lord, whom you are commanded to obey and befriend, that you may get to meet the Companion Most High.
-Futuh al-Ghaib, discourse no. 13-
Welcome
Welcome, O my soul that flows like water, welcome.
O sweet-tongued, sugar-lipped, soul-stealing beauty, welcome. Angelic darling, on your path I'd surrender my life. Beloved of God, since you said, 'My flesh is your flesh, my blood is your blood', welcome. O my face, my reason, my purpose, my skin, and my heart - since I found no one e...lse suitable to my soul, welcome.
O sweet-tongued, sugar-lipped, soul-stealing beauty, welcome. Angelic darling, on your path I'd surrender my life. Beloved of God, since you said, 'My flesh is your flesh, my blood is your blood', welcome. O my face, my reason, my purpose, my skin, and my heart - since I found no one e...lse suitable to my soul, welcome.
[Nesimi]
Deutsches!
"Das Leben ist ein zu kompliziertes Spiel mit zu vielen Bugs und keinen Patches. Aber die Grafik ist unschlagbar!"
[Meinen Cousin Adil Hazeen]
Extraordinary Lover
"I do not resemble your other lovers, my lady...Should another give you a cloud...I give you rain...Should he give you a lantern...I will give you the moon...Should he give you a branch...I will give you the trees...And if another gives you a ship...I shall give you the journey."
[Nizar Qabbani]
Seek the Divine Love,
"Your earthly lover can be charming and coquettish, but never very faithful. The true lover is the one who, on your final day, opens a thousand doors."
[Mevlana]
Be a great mind, not a small mind.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people."
[Eleanor Roosevelt]
[Eleanor Roosevelt]
Ahh...World... the Mysteries you Possess
Unlock for me your mysteries
Help me see with Your eyes
Help me see with Your eyes
Teach me how to see again
Using my inner eye as my guide
Searching for the Love restlessly
I don't want to go back
I must keep forward,
No sense in returning to a time lost
Knowledge gained is irreversible
Living in denial leads to imbalance
Rush forth to the Truth
It will come after you as well
Inner explosion - implosion
Shows outwardly, this new reality
Brought about by acquired wisdom
Found on the path to the Garden
Remain steadfast on your path
The vertical path ascending to the Heavens
Follow your guide and obey His orders
Be taught to one day be able to teach.
[Rouzbeh]
[Rouzbeh]
One of my favorite Nasheeds
TALAMA ASHKU GHARAMI
Hadha qalbi Ya Ilahi, Hadha qalbi Ya Ilahi
Hadhi hi ruhi Ya Ilahi, Hadhi hi ruhi Ya Ilahi
Yuhibuka Ya Rab, Yuhibuka Ya Rab
Wa yuhibu nabiyakal kareem
Chorus:
Talama ashku gharami ya nural wujood
Wa unadi ya tihami ya ma’dinal jud
Wa unadi ya tihami ya ma’dinal jud
Mun yati aksa marami ahza bish-shuhood
Mun yati aksa marami ahza bish-shuhood
Wa ara babas-salaami ya zakil judood
Chorus
Ya tirazal kawni inni aashiq mustahaam
Mugramun wal madhu fani ya badrat-tamaam
Chorus
Isrifil a’a raada anni adnanil ghraam
Isrifil a’a raada anni adnanil ghraam
Fiqa qad ahsantu zanni ya samil uhood
Chorus
Ya sirajal ambiyaa-i ya a’alil janaab
Ya sirajal ambiyaa-i ya a’alil janaab
Ya imaamal atqiyaa-i inna qalbi zaab
Chorus
Wa a’laykal-lahu salla Rabbi zul jalaal
Wa a’laykal-lahu salla Rabbi zul jalaal
Yakfi ya nural ahillah inna hajri taal
Yakfi ya nural ahillah inna hajri taal
Chorus
Allah Hu Allah (repeat)
Ya Rahman
Ya Rahmanu Ya Allah
Ya Rahimu Ya Allah
Ya Maliku Ya Allah
Ya Quddusu Ya Allah
Ya Salaamu Ya Allah
Al-Mu’minu Ya Allah
Allah Hu Allah (repeat)
Ya Sultan
Ya Sultanu Ya Allah
Ya Subhanu Ya Allah
Ya Hannanu Ya Allah
Ya Mannanu Ya Allah
Ya Dayyanu Ya Allah
Ya Wadudu Ya Allah
Allah Hu Allah (repeat)
Translation
As long as i protest my love to you
ya Allah this is my heart, ya Allah this is my heart
ya allah This is my soul, ya allah This is my soul
ya allah they both Love you
and Love your greatest prophet
Chorus:
as long as i protest my love to you,O' the light of existance.
and i keep Calling O' tihami(prophet Mohammed), the kind,
the generous.
and i keep Calling O' tihami(prophet Mohammed), the kind,
the generous.
Chorus:
My hope, The utmost aim is that i have the
witnesses in the judgment day
My hope, The utmost aim is that i have the
witnesses in the judgment day
and see AL SALAM Gate in my own eyes O' Allah who guided our grandfathers to Islam
Chorus:
O' my Brothers, iam a lover, iam An infatuated.
O' my Brothers, iam a lover, iam An infatuated.
A criminal in it, and the praise mortal.
Chorus:
O' Israfil (Angel) what a Death, The love exhausted me.
O' Israfil what a Death, The love exhausted me.
In you a suffering has mastered O' Loyal of the promises.
Chorus:
O the prophets lamp, O' O a high-ranking (ya Mohammed).
O the prophets lamp, O' O a high-ranking (ya MOhammed).
O' Devouts Leader, My heart has dissolved.
Chorus:
Allah with the magnificence invoked peace upon you.
Allah with the magnificence invoked peace upon you.
O' the light of existance ya Allah, My abandonment lengthened.
O' the light of existance ya Allah, My abandonment lengthened.
ALLAH O' ALLAH (repeat)
Ya Rahman
Ya Rahmanu Ya Allah
Ya Rahimu Ya Allah
Ya Maliku Ya Allah
Ya Quddusu ( a Holy) Ya Allah
Ya Salaamu Ya Allah
Al-Mu’minu Ya Allah
ALLAH O' ALLAH (repeat)
Ya Sultan
Ya Sultanu Ya Allah
Ya Subhanu Ya Allah
Ya Hannanu Ya Allah
Ya Mannanu Ya Allah
Ya Dayyanu Ya Allah
Ya Wadudu (Ya Allah
ALLAH O' ALLAH (repeat)
-------------------------------------------
*Tihami: he is the Prophet Mohamed peace be upon him, because he was born in Makkah, and Makkah is In region Called Tihama
*Israfil: the Angel who blows in the trumpet to declare a judgment day by Allah's command.
Hadha qalbi Ya Ilahi, Hadha qalbi Ya Ilahi
Hadhi hi ruhi Ya Ilahi, Hadhi hi ruhi Ya Ilahi
Yuhibuka Ya Rab, Yuhibuka Ya Rab
Wa yuhibu nabiyakal kareem
Chorus:
Talama ashku gharami ya nural wujood
Wa unadi ya tihami ya ma’dinal jud
Wa unadi ya tihami ya ma’dinal jud
Mun yati aksa marami ahza bish-shuhood
Mun yati aksa marami ahza bish-shuhood
Wa ara babas-salaami ya zakil judood
Chorus
Ya tirazal kawni inni aashiq mustahaam
Mugramun wal madhu fani ya badrat-tamaam
Chorus
Isrifil a’a raada anni adnanil ghraam
Isrifil a’a raada anni adnanil ghraam
Fiqa qad ahsantu zanni ya samil uhood
Chorus
Ya sirajal ambiyaa-i ya a’alil janaab
Ya sirajal ambiyaa-i ya a’alil janaab
Ya imaamal atqiyaa-i inna qalbi zaab
Chorus
Wa a’laykal-lahu salla Rabbi zul jalaal
Wa a’laykal-lahu salla Rabbi zul jalaal
Yakfi ya nural ahillah inna hajri taal
Yakfi ya nural ahillah inna hajri taal
Chorus
Allah Hu Allah (repeat)
Ya Rahman
Ya Rahmanu Ya Allah
Ya Rahimu Ya Allah
Ya Maliku Ya Allah
Ya Quddusu Ya Allah
Ya Salaamu Ya Allah
Al-Mu’minu Ya Allah
Allah Hu Allah (repeat)
Ya Sultan
Ya Sultanu Ya Allah
Ya Subhanu Ya Allah
Ya Hannanu Ya Allah
Ya Mannanu Ya Allah
Ya Dayyanu Ya Allah
Ya Wadudu Ya Allah
Allah Hu Allah (repeat)
Translation
As long as i protest my love to you
ya Allah this is my heart, ya Allah this is my heart
ya allah This is my soul, ya allah This is my soul
ya allah they both Love you
and Love your greatest prophet
Chorus:
as long as i protest my love to you,O' the light of existance.
and i keep Calling O' tihami(prophet Mohammed), the kind,
the generous.
and i keep Calling O' tihami(prophet Mohammed), the kind,
the generous.
Chorus:
My hope, The utmost aim is that i have the
witnesses in the judgment day
My hope, The utmost aim is that i have the
witnesses in the judgment day
and see AL SALAM Gate in my own eyes O' Allah who guided our grandfathers to Islam
Chorus:
O' my Brothers, iam a lover, iam An infatuated.
O' my Brothers, iam a lover, iam An infatuated.
A criminal in it, and the praise mortal.
Chorus:
O' Israfil (Angel) what a Death, The love exhausted me.
O' Israfil what a Death, The love exhausted me.
In you a suffering has mastered O' Loyal of the promises.
Chorus:
O the prophets lamp, O' O a high-ranking (ya Mohammed).
O the prophets lamp, O' O a high-ranking (ya MOhammed).
O' Devouts Leader, My heart has dissolved.
Chorus:
Allah with the magnificence invoked peace upon you.
Allah with the magnificence invoked peace upon you.
O' the light of existance ya Allah, My abandonment lengthened.
O' the light of existance ya Allah, My abandonment lengthened.
ALLAH O' ALLAH (repeat)
Ya Rahman
Ya Rahmanu Ya Allah
Ya Rahimu Ya Allah
Ya Maliku Ya Allah
Ya Quddusu ( a Holy) Ya Allah
Ya Salaamu Ya Allah
Al-Mu’minu Ya Allah
ALLAH O' ALLAH (repeat)
Ya Sultan
Ya Sultanu Ya Allah
Ya Subhanu Ya Allah
Ya Hannanu Ya Allah
Ya Mannanu Ya Allah
Ya Dayyanu Ya Allah
Ya Wadudu (Ya Allah
ALLAH O' ALLAH (repeat)
-------------------------------------------
*Tihami: he is the Prophet Mohamed peace be upon him, because he was born in Makkah, and Makkah is In region Called Tihama
*Israfil: the Angel who blows in the trumpet to declare a judgment day by Allah's command.
Some some
Ever read "The Garden of Truth"?
Amazing book thus far, as I delve further into it, my mind seems to keep growing more open and larger... hahha...
Well, thank you Syed Hussain Nasr, his words are truly eye-opening.
I am writing because I feel the itch, I know I won't be able to satiate it unless I say something. So allow me a few moments of your time.
I have realized, thanks to Nasr, that any love one feels towards anyone or anything, is a version, an attempt at, an innate desire to love God. We all have this yearning to love someone or something.
I loved my cat, I had a burning desire to please and love her. Now I realize, because of this love, I know how to love my God, and that my love for her was really a way for me to learn how to express my love for Him.
Not to belittle my love for my cat at all... it's just that... in this temporal realm, isn't it better to love the infinite? Then again... are we all not infinite?
Before you start calling me a blasphemer.... please think about it for a moment, then call me one.
Enjoy your day!
Amazing book thus far, as I delve further into it, my mind seems to keep growing more open and larger... hahha...
Well, thank you Syed Hussain Nasr, his words are truly eye-opening.
I am writing because I feel the itch, I know I won't be able to satiate it unless I say something. So allow me a few moments of your time.
I have realized, thanks to Nasr, that any love one feels towards anyone or anything, is a version, an attempt at, an innate desire to love God. We all have this yearning to love someone or something.
I loved my cat, I had a burning desire to please and love her. Now I realize, because of this love, I know how to love my God, and that my love for her was really a way for me to learn how to express my love for Him.
Not to belittle my love for my cat at all... it's just that... in this temporal realm, isn't it better to love the infinite? Then again... are we all not infinite?
Before you start calling me a blasphemer.... please think about it for a moment, then call me one.
Enjoy your day!
The Wisdom of Jesus
Once Jesus (peace be with him) met Iblis [Satan] & Iblis said, "Is it not true that only what has been decreed will happen?" Jesus replied, "That is true." Then Iblis said, "So throw yourself down from the top of this mountain, & let us see if you live or not!" Jesus answered, "The servant does not test his Master; rather, it is the Master who tests His servant."
Hamza Yusuf's "Walk on Water: The Wisdom of Jesus"
Use Your Wings!
“You were born with wings. Why prefer to crawl through life?”
[Mevlana Jalaludding Rumi]
Now don't just read this beautiful verse and then forget it. Why not dwell on it a moment or two?
I personally take this literally. I just need to find my wings.
Kaise Paheli Hai Ye, Kaise Paheli Zindagani
Enjoy one of my favorite songs, this song is from the Hindi movie Parineeta, a classic.
What does it all really mean?
We find ourselves unconsciously and of course many times consciously judging others.
Looking at someone not as well dressed as inferior, not as well learned as inferior, not as well mannered as inferior. You can take any singular quality of another, evaluate it and determine how they rank up to you, not how you rank up to them. This is me at least. I have recently become aware of this malady of mine. It's disturbing that it took so long, but I am grateful I have realized this at last.
Everything happens at its appropriate time and knowledge is bestowed upon one when they are able to comprehend and bare it.
Treat everyone you meet or see as your teacher, they have something to teach you whether you want to learn or not, the simple fact that we observe others makes this point inevitable.
The point and character trait I am trying to stress on myself is humbleness, God knows I really lack this quality.
This post is an incomplete conversation I had with myself, usually whilst riding the train to work, I guess that's when my mind is most active in thought not related to the monotonous routine that is life.
Whatever. Ponder as you wish.
Anyway, I find it really strange when people look at others and honest to God think
Mystical Musings on the Train Ride In
As of late, I have been reading a lot of poetry, mystical poetry to be exact, as I ride the "El" to work everyday. I have read through two books and have started my third in a matter of a week.
I don't know how many of you are familiar with mystical poetry, so I will give you a definition that I myself have applied to the term.
Let's break it down.
Mystic refers not to someone with magical powers and foresight into the beyond, necessarily. In my mind and in the classical Islamic view, mystic refers to someone with deep spiritual insight, often times a friend of God, which is a loose interpretation of the Arabic Awliya, or Evliya in Turkish, which is to mean "Intimate Friend of God", a more common term used as its synonym is the term "Saint". You Catholics might appreciate that >_<
To be mystical is to have the attributes of a mystic, that's somewhat of a bizarre tautology, but I think it gets the message across. What defines a mystical attribute? From the outwardly, as far as I can see and am aware, the following attributes seem almost necessary for any mystic:
Patience
Humbleness
Love
Respect
Piety (although one that is subtle and not obvious)
Self-Control
Self-Discipline
Generousness
Contentment
Mystics tend to always have their faces graced with a vibrant smile and as cliche as it may sound, a twinkle in their eyes.
However, the inwardly is not something I have experienced, but merely have read about, so what I can share is based on book knowledge and the experience of intimate friends.
Absolute Contentment
Divine Wisdom
Constant Smiles
Emanation of Light
Being in their presence removes doubt, pain and worries, and replaces them with happiness.
Extremely Compassionate
Loving and Generous
Ahhh.... words... why do you limit my intentions so much!? Honestly, words do no justice when describing saintly people. It's an experience each and every one of us should pray to have, it's beyond words and imagination, that's no exaggeration. Like Hamza Yusuf described it, looking at such a person is like watching the sun rise, he meant that literally.
Anyway...
My whole point of even writing this is that I went to my favorite bookstore a couple weeks ago and had the intention of buying mystical poetry by actual mystics, I bought three books and came home elated. It turned out that I know very little about mysticism, or at least, very little about its noted practitioners.
I bought a book by Khalil Gibran, entitled "The Prophet" it was an amazing book, an epic poem, it inspired and enlightened just as I anticipated it would, it turns out he wasn't Sufi at all, he was a Meronite Christian. Regardless, his words were beautiful. Then I began to read the second book, "The Kasidah" by haji Abdu Eydaz (I may have gotten his name wrong btw), and I read through it, and started get hints of something I am not used to when I read poets like Rumi and Hafez, and as I read I finished and read the notes, the notes on this poetry was half the length of the book. His dear friend, a Briton, Sir such and such (I will get the name for you once I can), gave his commentary on the man and his words and it was interesting to say the least.
I was surprised to see the contradictory-ness in the notes and what the poetry to me described. It seemed like the poet had a love-hate relationship with mysticism, but I think that may just be due to my ignorance on the subject. More research is necessary!
I finally came to my this and final book, "The Rubaiyaat of Omar Khayyam", written by Omar Khayyam of course, Rubaiyaat means Quartrains, or four-lined poems, I found it interesting how that translated because in Arabic Arba'a means four and you can also say Rabi'a, hence Rubaiyaat. In English, you have four and then a quarter which signifies something divided by four, hence Quartrains, it is just funny to me that essentially the way the words were coined came from two ends of the spectrum, Rabi'a meaning four and quarter meaning one-fourth, two ends making a whole, haha... anyway, apologies.
I read the whole Rabiyaat, it was wonderful to read yet it lacked a certain luster which I crave, and lo and behold as I read the narrative about the author I learned that he was directly opposed to Sufi thought and ideals and actually mocked them. This I would absurdly astounding. Yet, I believe Omar too requires further research, thank God for Wiki!
That's what I wanted to share, all three are still great books, but I think now is a good time to return to the classics, Hafez, Rumi, Attar, these giants and saintly men are keys to the divine.
Some Emily Wisdom
"Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune--without the words, And never stops at all, And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm That could abash the little bird. That kept so many warm. I've heard it in the chillest land, And on the strangest sea; Yet, never, in extremity, It asked a crumb of me"
[Emily Dickinson]
Ye Hum Naheen
Finally, some anti-terrorism propaganda by Pakistanis
http://www.yehhumnaheen.org/
Please take a look at the following video:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=375957338053&ref=mf
Violence is ignorance.
Lefke and Istanbul
Thursday, March 3, 2010
Welcome back!
I would like to share my journey with you all. What a journey it was.
I just typed out 400+ picture captions, so I am going to take a break from typing right now. Considering the rest of my work day consists of typing numerous emails, I should save my fingers. Although, until I regain feeling in my hands, you can enjoy one of my favorite images from Istanbul!
Welcome back!
I would like to share my journey with you all. What a journey it was.
I just typed out 400+ picture captions, so I am going to take a break from typing right now. Considering the rest of my work day consists of typing numerous emails, I should save my fingers. Although, until I regain feeling in my hands, you can enjoy one of my favorite images from Istanbul!
The Sultan Ahmet Camii, also known as the Blue Mosque
Istanbul was Constantinople
Insha'Allah I leave today for Istanbul.
This is a very serious and tough journey, it's my first deliberate spiritual journey.
Insha'Allah whatever happens, we all come back better human beings and raised higher in spiritual rank.
Take care my friends.
Here is a song for you:
Pain and its Benefits
How is pain a good thing?
I think it's a wonderful thing, why don't you?
Let's not get all sadistic and crazy now. I really do feel, that experiencing pain relinquishes insight and knowledges from the heavens that we could not otherwise perceive. For example, you are living the life, making the dough, livin' it up with your boys and tappin' every girl you see, you are untouchable. Then, one curious evening, your heart stops, you can't breath, you are on the floor inhaling what you believe are your last breaths.
You recover.
Life has a new meaning to you now. You see the fruitlessness of your past life, your past actions, you see your true worth, nothing. Why, then, will you revert to your old forlorn ways? You won't will you?
Ignorance is bliss, but when you are given knowledge that will act in your favor, choosing to use it makes use of that knowledge, choosing not to, only destroys the path to more knowledge.
Any person that reverts to a self-destructive cycle after having a so-called "near-death experience" really has lost all true will to live. So I believe.
That is an extreme case, let's consider something minor.
When you fall and hurt yourself, anywhere, doesn't matter where, even if all you hurt was your pride because you tried jumping off the tire swing to impress your 5th grade crush and face-planted instead. Any small obstacle can have profound effects on a person. Cleansing of the soul and spirit through pain is essential. Your ego won't get too big, your contentment with life and what God gives you will increase, in a word, you will reach enlightenment, in the form of happiness.
I am talking out of my arse, I have yet to acheive anything I have written about, I am not even sure if what I have written makes sense to anyone else or if it's accurate, but there is only one way to find out, trial and error, the age old method of amateur scientists, it's a gem.
Currently, I am pretty damn sick, it's really quite stupid how I fell ill... I lost my temper and ran outside into the cold bare foot, two nights in a row, clearly I was not thinking, there was not room for much else in my head when I allowed it to be filled with anger. Fortunately, the harm came primarily to me, but why did it come to begin with? To teach me not to be an idiot. Who the hell goes outside barefoot in below freezing weather? I was outside for a good 10 minutes too.
Essentially, we can look at this as a domino effect, starting with my present situation.
I am in bed, tissues spread all around, soup coming in the bowl fulls, my mum asking every 15 minutes how I feel, and I feel like crap. I haven't been this ill in several years. Yet I have the strength to write this, I guess I must not be that ill.
Anyway, I had a long day at work these past two days, while I was slowly conjuring the sickness without my knowledge. I had been off work for four days straight since I had planned to go to Miami but that tanked due to somewhat foreseeable circumstances. I have a LOT to do since work piled up in my absence, I am working non-stop, and getting worse by the hour.
What happened before, I was at home, something happened and as hard as I tried to control my anger, I lost control and instead of blowing up I decided I would cool down, literally, so I ran outside my house and walked down the block and back incidentally barefoot.
The same thing happened the next night and even though I had much better success in controlling my anger, for a longer time, once the fue was lit, I was out the door again. I didn't want to make things worse at home, so I left it to cool off, and then came back, unknowingly dragging a cold along with it.
Really, this whole sickness situation could have been avoided. Only if I controlled my anger. I am working on it and have been for a very long time, I hope God will help me.
The Strong man is not the good wrestler but the one who can control his anger
That's what the Prophet Muhammad (S) said, I always think of that when I get angry and most of the time it works, Insha'Allah I get better.
Good night.
I think it's a wonderful thing, why don't you?
Let's not get all sadistic and crazy now. I really do feel, that experiencing pain relinquishes insight and knowledges from the heavens that we could not otherwise perceive. For example, you are living the life, making the dough, livin' it up with your boys and tappin' every girl you see, you are untouchable. Then, one curious evening, your heart stops, you can't breath, you are on the floor inhaling what you believe are your last breaths.
You recover.
Life has a new meaning to you now. You see the fruitlessness of your past life, your past actions, you see your true worth, nothing. Why, then, will you revert to your old forlorn ways? You won't will you?
Ignorance is bliss, but when you are given knowledge that will act in your favor, choosing to use it makes use of that knowledge, choosing not to, only destroys the path to more knowledge.
Any person that reverts to a self-destructive cycle after having a so-called "near-death experience" really has lost all true will to live. So I believe.
That is an extreme case, let's consider something minor.
When you fall and hurt yourself, anywhere, doesn't matter where, even if all you hurt was your pride because you tried jumping off the tire swing to impress your 5th grade crush and face-planted instead. Any small obstacle can have profound effects on a person. Cleansing of the soul and spirit through pain is essential. Your ego won't get too big, your contentment with life and what God gives you will increase, in a word, you will reach enlightenment, in the form of happiness.
I am talking out of my arse, I have yet to acheive anything I have written about, I am not even sure if what I have written makes sense to anyone else or if it's accurate, but there is only one way to find out, trial and error, the age old method of amateur scientists, it's a gem.
Currently, I am pretty damn sick, it's really quite stupid how I fell ill... I lost my temper and ran outside into the cold bare foot, two nights in a row, clearly I was not thinking, there was not room for much else in my head when I allowed it to be filled with anger. Fortunately, the harm came primarily to me, but why did it come to begin with? To teach me not to be an idiot. Who the hell goes outside barefoot in below freezing weather? I was outside for a good 10 minutes too.
Essentially, we can look at this as a domino effect, starting with my present situation.
I am in bed, tissues spread all around, soup coming in the bowl fulls, my mum asking every 15 minutes how I feel, and I feel like crap. I haven't been this ill in several years. Yet I have the strength to write this, I guess I must not be that ill.
Anyway, I had a long day at work these past two days, while I was slowly conjuring the sickness without my knowledge. I had been off work for four days straight since I had planned to go to Miami but that tanked due to somewhat foreseeable circumstances. I have a LOT to do since work piled up in my absence, I am working non-stop, and getting worse by the hour.
What happened before, I was at home, something happened and as hard as I tried to control my anger, I lost control and instead of blowing up I decided I would cool down, literally, so I ran outside my house and walked down the block and back incidentally barefoot.
The same thing happened the next night and even though I had much better success in controlling my anger, for a longer time, once the fue was lit, I was out the door again. I didn't want to make things worse at home, so I left it to cool off, and then came back, unknowingly dragging a cold along with it.
Really, this whole sickness situation could have been avoided. Only if I controlled my anger. I am working on it and have been for a very long time, I hope God will help me.
The Strong man is not the good wrestler but the one who can control his anger
That's what the Prophet Muhammad (S) said, I always think of that when I get angry and most of the time it works, Insha'Allah I get better.
Good night.
Reality of Myth?
"Death by wife is every man's fate, you can't avoid it."
~From the movie, "Shades of Ray"
Incomprehensible
I worship the moon. Tell me of the soft glow of a candle light and the sweetness of my moon. Don't talk about sorrow, tell me of that treasure, hidden if it is to you, then just remain silent. Last night I lost my grip on reality and welcomed insanity. I said, O Love what kind of face is this, ... angelic, or human? Love said to me, this is beyond anything that you know. Be silent.
[Mevlana Jalalludin Rumi]
iPod + Mushroom = iPad
So we all know about the new iPad coming out, right?
Well, if you don't, take a spin over to www.apple.com and check it out, it's Apple's latest in new age gadgetry, their "tablet pc". I think it's really spiffy, honestly, and for the money, it makes for an expensive toy, but I am very eager to get one. I know it's probably impractical considering all the toys I currently have, but, something about it is just calling out to me. Maybe it's the price, but honestly, I think it's the concept for a Super Sized iPod Touch.
This thing is more like an eBook reader, but you can also surf the web and take notes and run Office and other programs like a normal computer. One thing that sort of puts me off is the fact that the apps on here seem to be the primary software focus. This is where it really manifests the iPhone technology. You can get a 3G version, watch, soon you'll be making web calls with your 10" iPhone. Haha.
I will be very honest with you, I just wrote a bunch of bs up there simply so I could post the following image, I needed some text to go with the image below so you wouldn't be COMPLETELY lost.
Apple has taken the American ideal of "Bigger is Better" to heart, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce....
The Conception of the iPad
iPad A.K.A. iPod on CrackMy Islam
A man asked the Prophet (pbuh): "Which type of Islam is the best?"
The Prophet (pbuh) replied: "To feed poor people, and to say salaam (greetings) to those people you know and to those people you do not know."
(Bukhari 1:2:11)
The Prophet (pbuh) replied: "To feed poor people, and to say salaam (greetings) to those people you know and to those people you do not know."
(Bukhari 1:2:11)
His Majesty
"What he commands, I'll do, but in my heart We shall not-for one instant-live apart; And what have I to do with majesty? To see my king is realm enough for me."
[Farid Ud-Din Attar]
[Farid Ud-Din Attar]
Where to Find Happiness
"Happiness resides not in posessions and not in gold; the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul."
Knowledge of Four
Excerpt from Kashf-ul-Mahjoob
Hatim al-Asamm said:
"I have chosen four things to know, and discarded all the knowledge in the world besides." He was asked: "What are they?"
"One," he answered, is this; I know that my daily bread is apportioned to me, and will neither be increased nor diminished; consequently I have ceased to seek to augment it.
Secondly, I know that I owe to God a debt which no other person can pay instead of me; therefore I am occupied with paying it.
Thirdly, I know that there is one pursuing me (i.e. Death) from whom I cannot escape; accordingly I have prepared myself to meet him.
Fourthly, I know that God is observing me; therefore I am ashamed to do what I ought not."
[Hazrat Data Gunj Bakhsh Ali Hajvery]
Hatim al-Asamm said:
"I have chosen four things to know, and discarded all the knowledge in the world besides." He was asked: "What are they?"
"One," he answered, is this; I know that my daily bread is apportioned to me, and will neither be increased nor diminished; consequently I have ceased to seek to augment it.
Secondly, I know that I owe to God a debt which no other person can pay instead of me; therefore I am occupied with paying it.
Thirdly, I know that there is one pursuing me (i.e. Death) from whom I cannot escape; accordingly I have prepared myself to meet him.
Fourthly, I know that God is observing me; therefore I am ashamed to do what I ought not."
[Hazrat Data Gunj Bakhsh Ali Hajvery]
4 Year Old Wisdom
My dear friend's four year old nephew shared an epiphany:
"You can never escape your mind, until you open your eyes."
War Profiteering
Please read this article, or at least skim it, because this is ridiclous:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/8481774.stm
I simply don't understand how people can claim to achieve a specific capability with a product meant to save lives, full-knowing they are lying. It is so evil and selfish. For money, these people will risk the lives of thousands. Goodness... money is truly the root of a lot of evil, I wouldn't say it is the root of all evil, some people don't care for money and commit the most heinous crimes.
Pretty much, these "bomb detectors" are made of the cheapest piece of electric hardware, which is nothing really, technology with a worth of a few pennies, and they sell each supposed bomb detecting device for $40,000 a piece.
Now, I won't blame the manufacturer of this product completely, the governments that employ this kind of technology are also to blame since obviously they didn't test the products, they just trusted the manufacturer and bought their products by the boat load. It's funny to note that this comes from a British manufacturer and was used by the British army in Iraq, and after several hundred people died due to failed bomb detection, they started to question the capability of the device.
Could this be a conspiracy? I wouldn't go so far, even if it was, who cares? Believing it is a conspiracy or not won't change the fact that this stuff happens and is currently happening and will continue to happen.
War profiteering is as old as modern civilization, how can you put an end to the most lucrative business in this capitalistic world? We just might get hit with another recession or worse, depression.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/8481774.stm
I simply don't understand how people can claim to achieve a specific capability with a product meant to save lives, full-knowing they are lying. It is so evil and selfish. For money, these people will risk the lives of thousands. Goodness... money is truly the root of a lot of evil, I wouldn't say it is the root of all evil, some people don't care for money and commit the most heinous crimes.
Pretty much, these "bomb detectors" are made of the cheapest piece of electric hardware, which is nothing really, technology with a worth of a few pennies, and they sell each supposed bomb detecting device for $40,000 a piece.
Now, I won't blame the manufacturer of this product completely, the governments that employ this kind of technology are also to blame since obviously they didn't test the products, they just trusted the manufacturer and bought their products by the boat load. It's funny to note that this comes from a British manufacturer and was used by the British army in Iraq, and after several hundred people died due to failed bomb detection, they started to question the capability of the device.
Could this be a conspiracy? I wouldn't go so far, even if it was, who cares? Believing it is a conspiracy or not won't change the fact that this stuff happens and is currently happening and will continue to happen.
War profiteering is as old as modern civilization, how can you put an end to the most lucrative business in this capitalistic world? We just might get hit with another recession or worse, depression.
3 Idiots
Ahhhhh.....
Life is good, isn't it?
I am pumped and sore at the same time, that's what kickboxing does to you I guess, feel the burn!
Anyway, I recently saw THE BEST BOLLYWOOD MOVIE OF ALL TIME twice in theaters, once with a friend and once with my whole family, even Ehan loved it, it's Aamir Khan's latest masterpiece and it was amazingly beautifully hilariously enterainingly profound.
Basically, you are a waste of space unless you watch this movie. Harsh words, but that's the reality of it, suck it up and watch this movie, you won't regret it, promise.
STOP
READING
THIS
.......
GO
WATCH
3 IDIOTS!!!!
Chase Excellence. Success Will Follow
AAL IZZ WELL!!!
Whom do You see in Your Cup?
My favorite poet, Mevlana Jalalludin Rumi once said, When you look in your cup, whom do you see? Is it you or God? This is a paraphrase of a very beautiful poem. I was struck deeply by this when it was read to me. Hence the lack of a direct quote. In any case, the message, I hope, has been effectively transferred.
When you look in your cup, you gaze at the reflection, whom do you see? Is it yourself, staring back, or is it God smiling back? To me, this means a world of thoughts and love. If you see yourself, you can be several things, oblivious, ungrateful, preoccupied, or simply ignorant. If you see God, you are aware, grateful, and knowledgeable.
Sure, I may have used some synonyms to describe these two states, but each word hold different weight and hence different meaning and feeling, each word is deliberate and necessary.
When you see yourself in your cup, you don't realize who delivered this sustenance, this blessing to you? You may think, "I work for a living, I earned the money I used to buy this tea, I thank myself for being proactive and hardworking." You are so incredibly mistaken. I am sorry, just take a step back, look up at the sky and think, did your hard work make the sky as beautiful as it is? Do you bring the sun up and down, the moon around?
No, not at all. You do nothing of your own accord.
When you realize that everything in your life, your success, your wealth, your tea, is because God blessed you with it, then you will see your Lord and Master in your cup, then you will smile as He smiles at you, and you will know that God is happy with you and provided you with a sip of His love. Or perhaps, God is testing you now with the blessing he gave you, so use it wisely, be grateful, be generous, and always show compassion, as your Master is endlessly showing it to you.
How egotistic are we? To presume that a bum on the street deserves the life he or she earned, that as we walk in our fine business attire across the Monroe St. bridge, passing beggars in this city of progress and capitalism, that we think they are the weak ones who could not make it in a city of opportunity, that maybe if they just got a job they would not be in such a predicament. It's disgusting sometimes, to actually realize this is how we think. No! Do not be that person. Sooner or later, you might be there and you will know the course of events that led you there, and you will realize that no matter how hard you worked, it may have all been to teach you how to be grateful.
I am not saying that even if you work hard you will one day be begging for alms, but I am saying that you need to be grateful. For everything in your life, for everyone, for God.
May God have mercy on us all, Ameen.
[Tuesday, January 19, 2010]