Higgs Boson aka "God Particle"

A Higgs-Boson walks into a church. The priest says, "We don't allow your kind in here." The HB asks, "But without me how can you have mass?"

Proof of Love

Truly when a man loves a thing, he repeatedly mentions it, and when he repeatedly mentions a thing, even if that may be burdensome, he loves it.

[Imam Abu Hamid al Ghazali]

You vs. the World

The world is a vehicle for you. If you drive it, it will deliver you to your destination. If it drives you, you will be destroyed.

 Imam Hasan al-Basri

"Submission to Allah’s Will is the best companion; wisdom is the noblest heritage; theoretical and practical knowledge are the best signs of distinction; deep thinking will present the clearest picture of every problem. " ~Imam Ali (as)~

Unconditional

"The sun never says to the earth,
'You owe me.'

Look what happens with a love like that.
It lights up the whole sky."

Hafiz

Are you a Thief or a Saint?

"When a thief sees a saint, all he sees are his pockets."

[Robert Frager]

From the book:   Heart, Self & Soul: the Sufi psychology of growth, balance, and harmony

A Muhabbet Ceremony from the new Haci Bektas Biography

Pirlere Niyaz Ederiz - Muhteşem Yüzyıl Dizisinden

Fell in love with a sunrise

Lightning strikes at dawn,
A crescent forms in the horizon,
Your smile glows with intense fire,
I see you for the first time,


It’s love at first sight,
Belittling the horizon is impossible,
Reaching for it is equally improbable,
Yet here I am, trying, always,


I travel in your direction,
Moving as quickly as I can,
Yet the distance between us remains unchanged,
I love you, why don’t you make it easier,


To reach you,
I have to climb mountains,
Swim across oceans,
Travese space itself,


The light years go by,
My love remaining unchanged,
Growing stronger in fact,
Like my unwavering intent,


To be in your glorious divine luminescence,
To be warmed by your Grace,
To be welcomed as a lover,
Only to finally behold the Beloved.


[Rouzbeh]

Separation from You

Listen to the reed (flute),  how it is complaining! It is telling
about separations

(Saying), "Ever since I was severed from the reed field, men
and women have lamented in (the presence of) my shrill cries,

"(But) I want a heart (which is) torn, torn from separation, so that
I may explain the pain of yearning.

[Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi]

The moon has become a dancer

at this festival of love.

This dance of light,

This sacred blessing,

This divine love,

beckons us

to a world beyond

only lovers can see

with their eyes of fiery passion.

They are the chosen ones

who have surrendered.

Once they were particles of light

now they are the radiant sun.

They have left behind

the world of deceitful games.

They are the privileged lovers

who create a new world

with their eyes of fiery passion.

[Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi]

A lover asked his beloved,

Do you love yourself more

than you love me?

The beloved replied,

I have died to myself

and I live for you.

I’ve disappeared from myself

and my attributes.

I am present only for you.

I have forgotten all my learning,

but from knowing you

I have become a scholar.

I have lost all my strength,

but from your power

I am able.

If I love myself

I love you.

If I love you

I love myself.

[Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi]

My Favorite Book

Over the years,
I came to love books,
I read many many
Books.


Some Western Classics,
Some Greek Philosophy,
Some Christian Mysticism,
MANY Islamic Mysticism.


Each new book read,
Meant more knowledge gained,
More insight into the ordinary,
Enabling the extraordinary.


I began to see God everywhere,
Ah... Yes... God is indeed in the words,
Which I read, over and over again,
He is the inspiration of “Original Thought”.


I read about Heroes and their Loves,
I read about Mystics and their Loves,
I actualized my reading knowledge,
By traveling to new places in far away spaces.


But my favorite book was not obvious to me,
This book has a pale cover, with a tint of hazel,
This book is always changing, forcing me to reread regularly,
This book is my favorite because I see Love the way it is supposed to be.

[Rouzbeh] 

Play Tow

"You cannot conceive the many without the one." 

Plato

Something beautiful ...

You are the soul of my soul, and
I have no peace without You,
If You are not in paradise, I swear
I will never even look up there.

Wherever I look my eyes see only You,
Whatever I say my words are only You,
My only desire is to be Your witness,
And yet I have no desire.

Traveling on my way to You,
I have forgotten myself already,
Whatever I say, whatever state I'm in,
Without You, I have no peace.

If You kill me and bring me back to life
Seventy times, like Cercis, just
Take me back to You again,
I have lost all my pride in Your love.

Yunus falls into Your love too,
So reveal Your face to him,
You are my only Beloved, my heart
Is in love with nothing but You.

[Yunus Emre] 

Some Chaucer

For in their hearts doth Nature stir them so
Then people long on pilgrimage to go
And palmers to be seeking foreign strands
To distant shrines renowned in sundry lands.

[Geoffrey Chaucer]

No Nationalism

He is not one of us who calls for nationalism, who fights for nationalism or who dies for nationalism.

 Prophet Muhammad (S)

Prayer

Satisfaction

It may be that the satisfaction I need depends on my going away, so that when I’ve gone and come back, I’ll find it at home. 

[Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi]

Devilish Citations

The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.

William Shakespeare
Merchant of Venice

Hate can lead to Conversion

As a general proposition it can be stated that when a man possessing a religious nature hates and persecutes a religion, he is, circumstances permitting, on the verge of being converted to it.

[Frithjof Schuon]

What leads to unbelief?

So it is that religion, according to the measure in which it denies metaphysical and initiatory realities and becomes crystallized in a literalistic dogmatism, inevitably engenders unbelief.

[Frithjof Schuon]

Dreading Dawn

I whirl with my Lover
And talk to my Heart:
O Lord
May the key to the dawn
Be lost tonight.
[Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi]

The Highest Rank

The highest rank (maqam) is for who is able to leave what is forbidden to them and escape from what is permitted to them.

 

[Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Adil Al-Haqqani]

Chicago Sunrises in June 2011

Good Morning Chicago - Your daily sunrise for the month of June from Craig Shimala on Vimeo.

Ode To Baba Rexheb

Oh my Baba!
The trouble you have endured,
The life you have lived,
It makes one ashamed to ever complain or regret.

Dear Baba,
May God bless your tears,
May you find peace in His presence.
Allow us, pray for us, that we may help you attain that eternal Peace.

Allow us to be of your Silsila.
Guardians of your Heart and Legacy,
Guide us to reach our potential.
Be with us always, we cannot sail without our captain.

God’s Mercy Oceans lay before us, the horizon not in sight,
Trembling, we embark on the Ark of Noah,
Trusting in Him whom you trusted with all your Heart.
Bless us, so we are seen safely across to our destination by His Friends.

I prayed deeply for a vision of your noble face,
You have graciously granted me one of my dearest wishes,
I have no doubt, I have no hopelessness, I have certainty,
My anchor will not leave the ship, sailing continuously to the Divine.

My flaws are many, the more I see of the Divine,
The more I see of myself, there is much work left to be done.
It scares me, I quake, I am overwhelmed by this Love,
Yet, with you in my Heart, I over come this Fear.

God be with You blessed Baba and God-Willing,
He will be with me, through your divine Grace.
I anticipate our meeting, I will kiss your Hands a thousand times.
One day, when I am allowed to leave, I will come to You.

Ameen.
HU BABA! HU ERENLER!

[Rouzbeh] 

A Touching Sentiment

Wednesday, June 29, 2011


The fiance of one of my old college friends is undergoing chemotherapy, he's now bald, my friend buzzed her hair in an attempt to support him. 

God Bless Them Both.

The Submission of Love

I am at your mercy, the slave of your smile. You are the music within music that stole my heart. If I see beauty it's because I look through your eyes but when I come back I find no one there. My King, I am your falcon and when I hear your drum I will spread my wings. If you offer me your love I'll be drunk with joy, but if you do not, I will accept, lower my head and surrender.

 

[Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi]

Pray For Lightning

"He saw the lightning in the east and he longed for the east; but if it had flashed in the west, he would have longed for the west.

My Desire is for the lightning and its gleam, not for the places and the earth."

[Ibn 'Arabi] from the "Interpreter of Desires"

Fleet Foxes - Blue Ridge Mountains (Performed in Paris)

The Cosmos

The neighborhoods of Chicago

A Map describing the Neighborhoods of Chicago

Moving By

Where to look

"I searched for Him in Mecca, but He was not to be found. I looked for Him on the Cross of Jesus; He was absent...from there...But when I looked into my own Heart, there I found Him, There!" 

[Haci Bektash Veli]

Who is a Lover?

"Dashuruës është ai njeri që, kur gjithë bota vdes, ai mbetet tërë jetën i gjallë dhe i pavdekur. Dashuruës është ai njeri që ka brenda thesarin e diamantit në veten e tij dhe i zbulohet." 

[Baba Rexhebi]

 "A lover is the one who, when the whole world is over and forgotten with, remains alive and everlasting. A lover is one who has revealed within himself a diamond treasure."

[Baba Rexhebi]

Finding your Heart

”Seek out your heart in three situations first, when you are listening to the Qur'an, second when you are part of a gathering of Dhikr (Remembrance) and third, when you are alone and away from the world and its distractions. If you cannot find your heart in these situations, then ask Allah to bestow upon you a heart, for indeed you are bereft of one.” 

[Ibn Qayyim]

If I wasn't Muslim

I thought this was funny

Where to seek Treasures

Treasures are hidden amongst ruins. A broken heart hides many treasures.

Hazreti Ali on a Real Friend

"A friend cannot be considered a friend until he is tested in three occasions: In time of need, behind your back, and after your death."

 

[Hazreti Ali ibn Abi Talib]

Tic Tac Orchestra

I just really enjoy this

Interpretation

"The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose."

from The Merchant of Venice
[William Shakespeare]

Beni Beni - Bektashi Poetry

Persian

beni beni

bab-i ihsanindan mürüvvet eyle mürüvvet eyle
karistirma her bir esyaya beni
bakma isyanima merhamet eyle
ulastir menzili dost dost a'laya beni beni dost beni beni
beni beni beni beni sevdigim beni beni
ulastir menzili dost dost a'laya beni beni dost beni beni
kün buyurdun her esyayi yitirdin yali yitirdin
mevcudati kemaline getirdin
yaptin ars'i kürs'ü çiktin oturdun
düsürdün dünyayi dost dost kavgaya beni beni dost beni beni
beni beni beni beni sevdigim beni beni
düsürdün dünyayi dost dost kavgaya beni beni dost beni beni
dertliye tükenmez nice dert verdin ala dert verdin
ne çekmeye sabir ne gayret verdin verdin
ne saltanat verdin ne devlet verdin
ya niçin getirdin dost dost dünyaya beni beni dost beni beni
beni beni beni beni sevdigim beni beni
çok sükür bir dara dost dost yitirdin beni beni dost beni beni
beni beni beni beni sevdigim beni beni
ulastir menzili dost dost a'laya beni beni
dost beni beni
dost beni beni
dost beni beni



Source: Beni Beni Lyrics

English

beni beni

From your Door of Benevolence, cast your generosity upon me
Don't let me mix into the world of matters
Overlook my rebellion, show compassion
Take me, O Friend, to my goal - the ultimate destination
(Take) me me me me, O Beloved, (take) me me
Take me, O Friend, to my goal - the ultimate destination
"Be!" You ordered, and You created every object
You brought the existance to Your perfection
You made the Ninth Heaven a throne, and placed Yourself there
Then you reduced me, O Friend, down into the struggle of the world
(Take) me me me me, O Beloved, (take) me me
You reduced me, O Friend, down into the struggle of the world
You gave unending pain after pain to Dertli* (poet's nickname, meaning 'The Painful')
You gave neither the patience, nor the effort
Neither the reign to him, nor the state
Why on earth, O Friend, have you brought me to this world
(Take) me me me me, O Beloved, (take) me me
Countless thanks, O Friend, you made my way to a safe haven at last
(Take) me me me me, O Beloved, (take) me me
Take me, O Friend, to my goal - the ultimate destination

http://lyricstranslate.c

Imam Ghazali: Concerning hatred of one’s enemies

Imam Ghazali: Concerning hatred of one’s enemies


By Imam Al-Ghazali
Know that blessedness follows when someone swallows his anger by means of choice and (the power of) religion. However, if he swallows it by weakness or necessity, then it collects inside him, ferments, and turns into hatred. The Messenger, peace be upon him, says: “The believer is not full of hatred.”
Therefore, hatred is the offspring of anger, and from it eight grandchildren are born, each one of which is a cause of the destruction of religion:

1. Envy, so that one is saddened by the happiness of a person and made happy by his sorrow,
2. Malicious joy, that a person rejoices when (his enemy) is afflicted with a calamity, and he makes that apparent.
3. That one restrain one’s tongue and not reply to the other’s greeting of peace.
4. That one look upon him with hatred and scorn.
5. That one talk about him; backbiting, lying, and insulting; that one lay open a person’s private matters and secrets.
6. That one mimic and ridicule him.
7. That one strike and injure him when the opportunity occurs, or that one persuade someone else to beat him.
8. That one commit some shortcoming in fulfilling his rights, nor honor the connection of kinship, nor repay debts to him, nor turn oppression away from him, nor seek pardon from him.

…
When Mistah, who was a relative of Abu Bakr, spoke about Aisha during the Incident of the Slander, Abu Bakr, who had been paying his stipend, took the money back and swore that he would never give him money again. Upon this Allah revealed:

And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give [aid] to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the cause of Allah , and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. (24:22)

The Prophet said, “Do not swear that you will not do good to a person who is unkind to you. Do you not desire that Allah will forgive you?” Abu Bakr said, “By Allah! I want that!” and he resumed paying the stipend (to Mistah).
Therefore, anyone who harbors a grudge against someone is not free of three concerns:

1. He either struggles against himself in order to do good (to his enemy) and increase his consideration; this is the degree of the truly righteous, or…
2. He does not do any good or evil deeds. This is the degree of the moderate, or…
3. He does rude things to him and does not do any good; this is the degree of the vicious and the oppressors.

There is no intimacy with Allah greater than this: that you do good to him who does evil to you. If you are unable to do that, at least forgive him; for the virtue of forgiveness is great.
Excerpt from [al-Ġhazzālī, Crook, J. R., & Bakhtiar, L. (2005). Alchemy of happiness (Kimiya al-saadat). Chicago, IL: Great Books of the Islamic World. P. 539-540]

The Curious Case of the Mu'min

"Strange is the case of the believer. Everything turns to his advantage only. If adversity befalls him, he patiently accepts it, and is rewarded for it. If prosperity happens to him, he shows gratitude to his Lord, and is rewarded for it."

[Prophet Muhammad (S)]

Oh sweet bitterness
I will soothe you and heal you
I will bring you roses
I, too, have been covered with thorns

[Mevlana Rumi]

The Beauty of Music

Music is the wine which inspires one to new generative processes, and I am Bacchus who presses out this glorious wine for mankind and makes them spiritually drunken. 

[Beethoven]

Through Love...

Through love bitter things seem sweet.

Through love scraps of copper are turned to gold.

Through love dregs taste like clear wine.

Through love agonies are healing balms.

Through love thorns become roses.

Through love vinegar becomes rich wine.

Through love the scaffold becomes a throne.

Through love disaster becomes good fortune.

Through love a prison becomes a rose garden.

Through love burning fire is a fragrant light.

Through love the devil becomes an angel.

Through love stones become soft as butter.

Through love grief is like delight.

Through love demons become servants of God.

Through love stings are like honey.

Through love lions are harmless as mice.

Through love sickness is health.

Through love the dead are resurrected.

Through love the emperor becomes a slave.

 

[Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi]

"If the believer understood the meaning of the saying 'the colour of the water is the colour of the receptacle', he would admit the validity of all beliefs and he would recognise God in every form and every object of faith." 

 

Ibn 'Arabi, Fusûs al-Hikam

Cart

Cart - The Film from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

In The Footsteps of Marco Polo

Watch the full episode. See more THIRTEEN Specials.