Words of Pearls

How Perfect Are You? | Paul Coelho

2009-04-12T20:01:00.005+08:00

He was talking to a friend, who asked him: Have you never considered getting married?

I have, he replied. In my youth, I resolved to find the perfect woman. I crossed the desert and reached Damascus, and I met a lovely, very spiritual woman, but she knew nothing of the world. I continued my journey and went to Isfahan; there I met a woman who knew both the spiritual and the material world, but she was not pretty. Then I decided to go to Cairo, where I dined in the house of a beautiful woman, who was both religious and a connoisseur of material reality.

Why didn't you marry her, then?
Alas! my friend, she was looking for the perfect man, he replied.

- From Stories for Parents, Children and Grandchildren by Paulo Coelho

- Paul Coelho is brazilian Novelist and a Lyricist and one of the most influential authors of all time

Nasruddin Stories | What is fate?

2009-04-04T11:19:00.004+08:00

At one point of one's life, the question of what is fate exactly would have sprung in the mind.

It's a difficult question to answer without proper knowledge and it's hard to answer.

The most common counter-logic is if, everything has already been predestined, then why the punishment of hell & rewards of heaven. God said we have free-will but fate is the contradiction of that statement. The correct understand and reasoning about fate is quite issential in Islamic studies. I will blog a post about fate at another time, as i want to share Nasruddin's interesting and maybe hilarious view of what is fate.

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A certain man asked the famous Mulla Nasrudin, "What is the meaning of fate?"
Mulla replied, "Assumptions."
"In what way?" the man asked again.
Mulla looked at him and said, "You assume things are going to go well and when they do not, you call that bad luck. You assume things are going to go badly and when they do not, you call that good luck. You assume certain things are going to happen or not happen a certain way, but you do not know what is going to actually happen. You assume the future is unknown. When you are caught out (things do not work out for you), you call that Fate."

Im not your friend

2009-03-19T20:22:00.003+08:00

i'm neither your friend; nor your relation.

i'm your shadow, maybe even closer.

if you understand this,

you are my friend,

...maybe even closer.

- luqman

The Mind | The Silent Mind

2009-03-15T23:44:00.005+08:00

To a mind that is still,

the whole universe surrenders.

Chuang-tzu(ancient zen master)

In sufism and in other spiritual movements, great importance is shown to meditation. The power of meditation cannot be under-estimated in the path of spirutualism. It's bringing the mind into a state of 'one'-ness, and bringing it beyond the normal human's level of thinking. It leads to a deeper state of relaxation and awareness into one's soul. It ultimately leads to purification of the heart, and allows one to find peace within themselves.

In this modern world, with all sorts of turbulance going on daily, mediatation is becoming a daily part of everyone's life, now that yoga has spread to the western part of the world. The west has adapted the normally eastern techniques of meditation, and uses it in their daily practice.

Islam requires us to pray 5 times a day, where we focus our mind on God by reading verses of the Quran. But how many of us can actually say our mind is totally focused during prayers. The beginning stages of meditation is a playful mind. Where thoughts jump from 1 point to another. The founder of Zen Buddhism, Siddharta Gautama, recieved enlightenment after years of Mediation, under a tree.

1 has to realise the mind and heart connection. For the heart to recieve illumination and enlightenment, the mind must be able to focus and fix on a single point without wandering. I.e Total focus and attention. The perfect mind and heart, is the perfect mirror where the secrets will be reflected.

There is the story of Daniel. who entered the den of lions, and the lions were tamed instantly. Did he will them to be so? No. It was the calm and peace of the heart of Daniel reflected upon the lions that made them quiet like him. His own peace became their piece; they became peaceful.

The ocean of milk is the mind or the human consciousness.

The mind is like an ocean while the thoughts and emotions are the waves in the ocean.

-Samudra Manthan

*The phenomenon of reflection differs in its nature and character by reason of the nature of different personalities. The person whose thought becomes reflected in the heart or another may have a concrete form in his thought and may be able to hold it as one design or picture. In that case the reflection falls in the heart of another being clearly: but if the mind is so weak that it cannot hold a thought properly, then the thought is moving and it cannot reflect in the mind of another properly. If the mind of the person is not in good condition then the picture is not clear. If a person’s mind is not clear, if it is upset or too active, then the mind cannot convey the reflection fully.

Your wandering mind is with all things, people and ideas, never with your self. Bring your self into focus, and become aware of your own existence.

*The mind can be likened to a lake. If the wind is blowing and the water is disturbed, then the reflection will not be clear; but when the water is still the reflection is clear. And so it is with the mind: the mind which is still is capable of receiving reflections. The mind which is powerful, capable of making and holding a thought, a picture can project its thought beyond any boundaries that may be there to hinder it.

By trying to bring the mind into a single point of focus, we may be able to recieve illumination from God into the heart, and find peace with ourselves. When this stage has been reached, the secret doors of reality will opened in the inner depths of our heart.

It is as though you have an eye

That sees all forms But does not see itself.

This is how your mind is. Its light penetrates everywhere And engulfs everything,

So why does it not know itself?

-Foyan(zen master)

*Taken from The Sufi Message of Hazrat Inayat Khan http://www.anaflora.com/articles/saints-sages/saint-3.html

12th of Rabi-Ul-Awwal | Birth of Our Holy Prophet (s.a.w)

2009-03-08T21:36:00.003+08:00

EID MILAD-UN-NABI
Birthday Celebrations of the Most Honoured of Creation,HAZRAT MUHAMMAD MUSTAFA (SAW)

“Were It Not For You (O’ Muhammad صلي الله عليه و سلم),

I Would Not Have Created The Universe.”

A minority of people often, and sometimes rather vocally raise objections to the organisation and celebration of mehfil Eid Milad-un–Nabi (saw). The gathering to commemorate the birth of the Holy Prophet (saw).Eid Milad-un-Nabi (saw) is the name given to a gathering comprising both zikr-ullah and zikr-e-Rasool (saw), both of which are the foundations and the fruits of Islamic teachings.

Rabi-ul-Awwal is one of the most important months in the Islamic calendar, when mankind was bestowed with the blessing of the birth of Holy Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (saw). It marks the beginning of an unparalleled evolutionary process whose impact is with us today. At a time when mankind was steeped in the midst of ignorance, Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (saw) elevated man from darkness into light, greed into selflessness, and arrogance into piety. This culminated into the most perfect system for Humanity by which it could conduct all of its affairs - Islam.He is the greatest leader mankind has ever seen and indeed will ever see. He is the seal of all of the Prophets and raised mankind out of the depths of despair into the highest of creation. It is for this reason that the birth of Holy Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (saw) is celebrated by millions of Muslims all over the world.

Who can doubt that the greatest mercy bestowed on mankind by Almighty Allah, is the birth and subsequent life of his blessed Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (saw) Indeed Allah Almighty states in the Quran; "and we have not sent you (O'Prophet) but as a mercy to the whole of mankind" (Al Ambiyah 21:7).

There can be no doubt that the coming of Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (saw) into the world was a momentous event. If celebrating and rejoicing the mercies of Almighty Allah is an express divine command by Allah. Then surely we should celebrate, with great favour and force the greatest mercy that he sent, the birth of our beloved Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (saw). "God did confer a great favour upon the believers when he sent them an apostle" (Al-lmran 3:164)

The Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (saw) was asked about the fast on a Monday, to which he replied; "on this day I was born". Through this statement the Holy Prophet (saw) established the high status of this month, in which lies the day of his birth. Thus we should treat this month with great respect and honour the Islamic traditions of the Muslims of the past.Today, Eid Milad -Un- Nabi is celebrated by Muslims all over the world, an action that pleases Allah Almighty and his Rasool (saw). To see Muslims and non-Muslims adapting their worldly lives to the pure code of life of the most perfect creation in the whole world - Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (Peace be upon him).

Eventually God called you to Him

even He could not resist seeing you.

O my beloved draped in blanket! The whole world loves you.

What to say of your beauty, even the Lord is mad in your love.

-Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

The Excellence of The Prophet(S.A.W.)

2009-03-06T00:26:00.004+08:00

SUPERIOR QUALITIES OF SAYYIDUNA RASOOLULLAH (SALLAL LAAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM)

(1) Almighty Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala wrote Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam's) name in the Heavens and in the seven skies.

(2) The Angels were commanded to bow down to Nabi Adam (alaihis salaam), because he had the Nur (Light) of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) on his blessed forehead.

(3) After the birth of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), Shaytaan could not go into the skies and steal news from the Angels.

(4) Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) used to be cradled by the Angels when he was a child.

(5) While he was in his cradle, he used to speak to the moon and the moon used to move in the whichever direction Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam's) blessed fingers moved.(6) He could see behind him while looking in front of him.

(7) He could see in the darkness as well as he could see in the daylight.

(8) His blessed saliva revived those who were sick.

(9) While his eyes were closed, his heart was awake.

(10) He never yawned during his entire lifetime.

(11) His perspiration had the scent of sweet roses.

(12) Although he was of medium height, he looked taller when he stood next to a tall person.

(13) He did not have a shadow, either in the sunlight or the moonlight.

(14) No flies, mosquitoes or any other kind of insects ever came onto his blessed body or clothes.

(15) His clothes never got dirty, no matter how long he wore them.

(16) The Angels followed him wherever he walked.

(17) When he stepped on a rock, his footprint would be left on it.

(18) He possessed the greatest wisdom of all creations.

(19) Almighty Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala put the name of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) next to His Name in the Kalimah Shahaadah.

(20) Other Ambiya were Prophets for a certain country or special nation. He was the Prophet unto the entire creation.

(21) The Ummah of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), are more than that of all the Ummahs of all the other Ambiya put together.

(22) To call to Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) with his name or to speak loudly before him is prohibited since it is disrespectful to do so.

(23) He was visited approximately twenty four thousand times by Sayyiduna Jibra'el (alaihis salaam).

(24) Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam's) wives and daughters are the best in the world. There are no women more superior to them.

(25) The soil in the grave of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is superior to every other place, including that of the Holy Kaaba.

(26) Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is alive in his grave. He reads the Holy Quran and even performs his Salaah in the grave.

(27) His grave is visited by thousands of Angels daily. Those Angels who visit his grave once, do no get a second chance to visit his grave.

(28) It is obligatory on every Muslim to love Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). The sign of love for him is to adapt his way of life and always remember him.

(29) It is Waajib (compulsory) to follow and love the Ahle Bait (Family of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) declared: "He who has hostility towards my Ahle Bait is a hypocrite."

(30) It is also necessary to love all the Companions (Sahaba) of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) declared, "After my demise, do not feel hostility towards my Sahaba. Loving them means loving me. He who hurts them also hurts me. He who hurts me also hurts Almighty Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala and those who hurt Almighty Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala are tormented by Him."

(31) Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is aware of all the actions of his Ummah.

(32) He was granted Mee'raj by Almighty Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala.

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Oh Moon, never mind if

I tell you the truth

Sometimes you are dim

Sometimes you are bright

Still, your brightness is not equal

To an atom of the dust

From the foot of Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam)

-Shah Abdul Lateef Bhitai(Great Sufi Poet)

The Beauty of The Prophet (s.a.w)

2009-03-03T23:14:00.003+08:00

People love one another is beauty; the heart becomes inclined towards anything beautiful. Mere words cannot describe the beauty of the Messenger of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. We are told in hadith:

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala is beautiful and likes beauty. - Hadith

A poet has penned the following verses:

Beauty itself boasts about the beauty of the Messenger

The beauty of galaxies is only the dust of your feet

O Caravan of the desirous! Walk barefoot towards Madinah

The thorns on your way are softer than flowers.

When Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala Himself likes beauty, we can only imagine how beautiful He would have made the one whom He chose as His beloved. Hadrat Anas Radi Allahu anhu said that the Messenger of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'alawas the most handsome amongst all the prophets and that his hands were softer than silk.

My eye has not seen anything as beautiful as you,

No woman has ever borne anyone as beautiful as you,

Pure from imperfections,

as if your features are of your own choosing

Hadrat Aishah Siddiqa (Radi Allahu anha) is known to have said, "O' Zulaikha, you only cut your fingers at seeing (Hadrat) Yusuf alayhis 'salam. Had you seen the Messenger of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, you would have cut open your heart!¨ She also said, "The sky has its sun, and we have our own sun!¨

In yet another narration, we are told that Halima Sadia Radi Allahu anhu's daughter Shima used to ask her mother to send her brother with her when she would go to tend the sheep. When asked why, Shima said to her mother, "I notice that the sheep graze quickly whenever my brother Muhammad is with me. The sheep then gather around where I sit with my brother, and both I and the sheep gaze at his beautiful face.¨

One night, Hadrat Jabir alayhis 'salam entered the Mosque of the Prophet and found the Messenger of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala sitting therein. The full moon was shining brightly, and Hadrat Jabir alayhis 'salam shifted his gaze to and fro between the moon and the Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam's beautiful face. He did this a few times as if comparing the two, and finally decided that the Messenger of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala was far more beautiful than the moon. Furthermore,

Hadrat Ali Radi Allahu anhu said: Whoever laid but a glance upon the Messenger was awestruck; whoever looked upon him repeatedly was drowned in love and said in praise, "I have neither seen anything so awesome before nor will I see the like again."

-compiled by Zainul Abdeen Qadri

The Birth of Sayyidina Muhammad( Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)

2009-02-26T01:00:00.005+08:00

Today is the First day of Rabi-ul Awal. I would like to share the history of the Miraculous Birth of Sayyidina Muhammad( Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). It is a long post, possibly my longest, but all this words are not enough to justify the praise of Blessed His blessed birth. Hope this post will enlighten all of us, and will make us understand why He's so Special and reverred greatly. And to realise, He's not a normal man like me and you.
For his Name sits right beside Allah. Insha-Allah.

Prophecy of Hazrat Sayyidina Isa bin Maryam Alaihis Salaam

1.The forerunner to Hazrat Isa Alaihis Salaam was Hazrat Yahya, the son of Hazrat Zakariya Alaihis-Salaam. He was beheaded by king Herod, the Tetrarch of Galilee. Hazrat Yahya's body was buried by his disciples. They tried to wash the blood-stained clothes but the stains would not come clean. Because Hazrat Isa Alaihis-Salaam was one of the disciples of Hazrat Yahya Alaihis-Salaam , they went and reported the matter to Hazrat Isa Alaihis-Salaam. He foretold that these blood-stains would not come off the clothes until the date of the birth of the father of the Promised Prophet. On this day the blood would become fresh and by itself flow off the clothes miraculously, leaving them pure white. On the day of the birth of Hazrat Abdullah, the father of Hazrat Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, the Jewish elders in Syria saw the blood-stains become fresh and drip off miraculously from Hazrat Yahya's preserved blood-stained clothes, until they became pure white. Thereupon some of the learned Jews came from Palestine and Syria to Mecca to enquire about this newborn child. When they saw the 'Nur-e-Muhammadi' (Light of Muhammad) on the forehead of the child Abdullah, they recognised him and said this is 'Nur-e-Muhammadi' of the Promised Prophet. Hence they realised that Hazrat Abdullah was going to be the father of the Promised Prophet; as foretold by Hazrat Isa Alaihis-Salaam in relation to the blood-soaked clothes of Hazrat Yahya Alaihis-Salaam.

Attempt to Murder Hazrat Abdullah

2.The Jews of those days, who were famous for murdering their prophets, decided to send an armed band of 90 persons from Syria to kill Hazrat Abdullah. This incident took place when Hazrat Abdullah had grown up into a young man but before he got married. Thus they conspired to prevent the birth of the Promised Prophet, so as to ensure that the prophethood which had for so long been amongst the children of Hazrat Ishaaq Alaihis-Salaam (the Jews) may not get transferred to the children of Hazrat Isma'eel Alaihis-Salaam as foretold repeatedly in the Holy Bible. Before the 90 attackers could even touch Hazrat Abdullah, a number of horsemen came down from the sky and slew all 90 attackers.

Bibi Aaminah (alayhas-Salaam) visited by Angels

3.Hazrat Abdullah Radiyallahu-Anhu was married to his cousin Bibi Aaminah Radiyallahu-Anha, the daughter of his uncle Wahb bin Abdul Manaf. The very night of their marriage , the 'Nur-e-Muhammadi' went from the forehead of Hazrat Abdullah , into the forehead of Bibi Aaminah. Shortly after that, Hazrat Abdullah left for Yathrib but did not return as he passed away on the return journey. An expectant Bibi Aaminah Radiyallahu-Anha informed the members of the household that she was often being visited by angels and the previous prophets who announced that the child that she was bearing was Hazrat Muhammad, the Promised Prophet, through whom the world would be blessed.

Hazrat Ibrahim Alaihis-Salaam

4.Hazrat Ibrahim Alaihis-Salaam said to Bibi Aaminah : "The child now in you, whose name will be Muhammad, is the only prophet from the descendants of my first son and heir, Isma'eel.(Ahsan ul Muwaiz). Hazrat Ibrahim Alaihis-Salaam then explained that the reason for the visit of the angels and previous prophets to her were due to the fact that she was the mother of the Promised Prophet. Thus Bibi Aaminah Radiyallahu-Anha became the third woman in the whole of creation to receive direct visits of angels. The first was Bibi Sarah, the first wife of Hazrat Ibrahim Alahis-Salaam and the second was Bibi Maryam, the mother of Hazrat Isa Alaihis-Salaam.

The Holy Birth

An angel came and asked her to drink from a cup in his hand. This drink was whiter than milk and sweeter than honey. She then saw the gates of Heaven open. The angels came down for the adoration of the new babe. Three angels went towards the Kaabah. One angel stayed over the Kaabah, one went to the East and the other towards the West. A light then spread out lighting up the universe. In this miraculous light, Bibi Aaminah Radiyallahu-Anha could see distinctly the palaces of Palestine and Syria.

Then three Ladies appeared miraculously before Bibi Aaminah Radiyallahu-Anha to attend to the delivery of the child. The first, said she was Bibi Hajira,the mother of Hazrat Isma'eel. The second was Bibi Maryam, the mother of Hazrat Isa Alaihis Salaam. The third was Queen Asiya, the wife of the Pharoah, who raised Hazrat Musa Alaihis-Salaam. She was the first person in Pharoah's court who believed in Allah.

Hazrat Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam was born without an umbilical (navel) cord, circumcised and his body miraculously pure and clean without any kind of blood or dirt on it.

Thus Hazrat Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam was born on Monday the 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal at dawn, 53 lunar years before Hijrah, which corresponds to the 20th April 570 A.D.

Miraculous happenings after birth

5.Immediately after birth, the baby Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam prostrated to Allah and recited in a clear voice with his index finger of the right hand raised, and said the following words:" I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. I am Muhammad, the messenger of Allah. O Sustainer of the Universe bless me and those who follow me." At once Allah spoke to His beloved and replied: I have blessed you and those who follow you. O Angels, be ye witness of the fact that when he has not forgotten his followers upon his birth, then how can he forget them on the Day of Judgement."

Thereafter three angels appeared. One of them took a seal and marked the right shoulder and handed the child over to the mother. When Bibi Aaminah looked upon the face of the child, it was shining like the full moon and perfume of the finest otto(sweet -smelling essence) was coming from the body.

A white cloud then appeared inexplicably and covered him and took him away saying:"O animals on the face of the earth, fish in the seas, and the trees remember the name of this child (Muhammad) and recognise him well. He has combined in himself all the wonderful and good qualities that were in all the prophets that have come on earth from Adam to Isa."

At the time of the birth of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) the idols fell and prostrated.

Abdul Muttalib, the grandfather of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu-Alaihi-Wasallam, and some other Meccans were at the Kaabah at this early hour before dawn. All of a sudden they were surprised to see the walls of the Kaabah bow miraculously before Maqam-e-Ibrahim. Then , miraculously, the Kaabah spoke (translation from the Arabic) : Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. He is the sustainer of Muhammad, who will purify the Kaabah from idols and idolatory and restore it to (its honoured position of) the house of Allah."

Abdul Muttalib hearing the walls of the Kaabah talk and seeing all the idols fall, ran home to verify if his daughter-in-law had given birth. He did not find the Nur-e-Muhammadi shining from the forehead of Bibi Aaminah Radiyallahu-Anha. He thus knew that the child was already born, so he asked her to show him his grandchild. Bibi Aaminah Radiyallahu-Anha replied that he was in the next room but nobody could see him for three days, as the angels and the dwellers of heaven were paying homage to the child. Abdul Muttalib tried to force his way into that room, but he was confronted by an angel who told the grandfather that he could not see the child until the spiritual dwellers of heaven had completed their adoration.

There were a number of people at the Kaabah at the time of the birth of Hazrat Muhammad Sallallahu-Alaihi-Wasallam, when all the idols fell prostrate. They picked up and erected the fallen idols, but the idols fell down again on their faces. They propped them up again but the idols collapsed for a third time. These idols remained prostrate on the floor for a full twenty-four hours. No amount of effort to refit them throughout the world were successful. It was only on the next day that they were refitted. This was witnessed by thousands , not only at Mecca but all over the world.

After three days, Abdul Muttalib took his grandchild to the Kaabah and named him Muhammad. As soon as this child was taken to the Kaabah for the naming ceremony ,the four corners of the walls of the Kaabah declared:" There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is the seal of Prophethood."

Persia Fell

6.At the date and time of birth of the Holy Prohet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam the following miracles took place:

1. The fire in the Magi temple of the Zoroastrians which had been alight for thousands of years, became quenched for the first time in recorded history. It had always burned ever since it was lit in the days of King Nimrod.

2. Fourteen towers of the Royal palace of Nausherwan, the Emperor of Persia, broke and fell.

3. The famous stone on which the fabulous throne of Persia was kept, cracked.

4. The deep and fast flowing river Sawa in the Persian Empire dried up instantly.

5. The river Samawa in the Persian Empire which had been dry for the past thousand years or more, started flowing immediately.

6. Emperor Nausherwan had a dream that very night in which he saw Arabian camels drag away the Iranian horses across the Tigris and spread themselves throughout Persia.

Rome Fell

7.The Roman emperor Justin II was frightened and alarmed on the day of the birth of Hazrat Muhammad Salallahu-Alaihi-Wasallam. When he went into the Royal Chapel to pray on that morning he was very surprised to find that the beautiful statue of Jesus Christ had very strangely come out of its firm base and was lying on the ground. It reminded him of the foretellings of Jesus that on the date of birth of the Promised Prophet, all idols all over the world would fall down. As he lifted up the idol of Christ it spoke and again fell on its face on the floor and declared:

1. A child has been born with his foreskin circumcised miraculously.

2. This child will be the greatest personage to come on earth and he will be from amongst the circumcised people.

3. This baby is not from a Jewish family but from the brethren of the Jews.

4. He will be a destroyer of idols and lay the foundation for the destruction of idolatry.

5. Those who will not listen to his teachings would be losers in this world and in thehereafter.

6. He will be the light of learning, which will be the cause of filling the earth with wisdom and knowledge and removing the darkness of ignorance.

8.The Angels of heaven, the trees, the mountains and the animals also celebrated the birth of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu-Alaihi-Wasallam.

-Compiled by Zainul Abdeen Qadri.

The light of God is reflected in you

God is hidden but present are you

Who can imagine your greatness; when

There is God and thereafter you.

Sayings Of Sayyidina Muhammad(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)

2009-02-25T01:18:00.002+08:00

As the day of the Birth of our Blessed Prophet draws close, in the month of Rabi-ul Awal, i would like to share some of His(s.a.w) sayings, which holds great wisdom.

Mishaps

Whatever mishap may befall you, it is on account of something which you have done.

No misfortune or vexation befalleth a servant of God, small or great, but on account of his faults committed: and most of these God forgiveth.

Parents

Heaven lieth at the feet of mothers.
God's pleasure is in a father's pleasure; and God's displeasure is in a father's displeasure.
He who wisheth to enter Paradise at the best door must please his father and mother.
A man is bound to do good to his parents, although they may have injured him.
There is no child, a doer of good to his parents, who looketh on them with kindness and affection, but God will grant with every look the rewards for an approved pilgrimage.

Poetry

Some poetry is dressed in knowledge and art.
The truest words spoken by any poet are those of Labid: "Know that everything is vanity save God."
God hath treasures beneath the Throne, the keys whereof are the tongues of poets.
Some poetry containeth much wisdom.

Prayer

Prayer is the miraj (union with, or annihilation in, the Divine Essence by means of continual upward progress) of the Faithful.
The Lord doth not regard a prayer in which the heart doth not accompany the body.
He whom prayer preventeth not from wrongdoing and evil, increaseth in naught save in remoteness from the Lord.
The key of Paradise is Prayer, and the key of prayer is ablution.
Say your prayers standing; but if you are not able, sitting; and if unable, on your sides.

These are just a few. A drop from the Ocean.

Shams-Ud Duha, Badr-ud-dujaa, O the bright sun!, O the moon in darkness!, you are revered greatly.O the king of mankind!, your face is an image of God.

Tales of Mullah Nasruddin l Moving Friend & Clothes Shopping

2009-02-24T00:57:00.004+08:00

The Moving Friend

"Nasrudin," a friend said one day, "I am moving to another village. Can I have your ring, so that I will remember you every time I look at it?"

Nasrudin replied, “Well, you might lose the ring and then forget about me. How about I don’t give you a ring in the first place—that way, every time that you look at your finger and don’t see a ring, you will definitely remember me.”

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Nasrudin Gets Engaged

Nasrudin got engaged to a woman. The fiancée’s mother invited Nasrudin to her house to ask him some questions.

“Tell me,” she said, “are you sure this is the first time you are getting married?”

“Yes,” Nasrudin replied, “I swear on my two kids that I have never been married before.”

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enjoy. =)

Silent Wisdom

2009-02-22T20:38:00.003+08:00

1.There is a certain knowledge, that can not be understood by hearing, by reading sacred scriptures or by any form of a medium. The only way this can be understood is by the transmission from heart to heart. This knowledge gained, is never shared by the tongue or written in a paper. The reciever of the Sacred Wisdom, enjoys the wisdom, like the taste honey in the tongue, Savoring it. It is through realising, the Sacred Wisdom, which is already in You!

2.One day, in ancient India, the Buddha was giving a teaching to his followers. On this day however, instead of a verbal teaching, he simply held up a flower. One of his disciples, Mahakasyapa, smiled. The Buddha said: "Today, I gave a silent teaching and Mahakasyapa alone understood it." - Zen Wisdom

3.....There is another kind of tablet, one

already completed and preserved inside you.

A spring overflowing its springbox. A freshness

in the center of the chest.

This other intelligence

does not turn yellow or stagnate.

It's fluid,and it doesn't move from outside to inside

through conduits of plumbing-learning.

This second knowing is a fountainhead

from within you, moving out.

(Jalaluddin Rumi)

4. Since the beginning of Man, the sacred Wisdom has been transmitted by person to person, right up to today's modern Sufi and Zen Masters.

Only You.

2009-02-21T02:13:00.003+08:00

Everywhere,

one face.

Some say Jew or Hindi,

some say Arab or Russian,

I see only You.

Some say pleasure,

some say pain,

I see only You.

Some say evil,

some say good,

I see only You.

Everywhere,
one face.

I see only You.

(garden of flowers-Wahiduddin)

To Allah belong the east and the West: Whithersoever ye turn, there is the presence of Allah. For Allah is all-Pervading, all-Knowing.

(Holy Quran, 2:115 Yusuf Ali)

The Bootlace

2009-02-19T20:11:00.004+08:00

I would like to share this particular thought today, which occured to me while i was untying my army boots lace. The way the boots is tied is with many loop knots(i don't know what it's exactly called) and then tied at the top end. But to untie lace is pretty easy. All you got to do, is pull the end of the string and all the knots at once gets undone.

Right once im done, this thought came to my mind. In life, all it takes is just 1 mistake to make the knots of hardwork get undone. We build so many relationship with people in this world. If you make a terrible mistake, will the people look at you the same way again?

This reasoning has a profound impact especially on the individual in the path of Knowledge. If that individual does plenty of Zikr of Allah*, it is of no use if he follows it up with a sin. It's like tying a stone to a helium-filled balloon. It will never reach the sky.

If you take a white piece of paper, and put a black dot on it, the first place the eyes goes to, is to the black dot. The first thought is ''there's a black dot on the paper.'' It doesn't matter how much white space is on the paper. The bottomline is, there's a black dot on the paper. Like this the person striving for spiritual perfection, has to make sure his heart is pure, free from defects to make progress.

It is like the loose thread which sticks out from the edge of a piece of cloth -

pull on it and the whole weaving comes undone.

[pg 92, letters of the journey, Amatullah Armstrong.]

* Zikr Of Allah, is the repetions of a certain phrase or Name of God, Asma-ul-Husna, for the purification of the heart.

Random Thoughts

2009-02-18T23:50:00.003+08:00

What is love?
What is freedom?
Why do we love and yet seek freedom?
We go on a holiday pretending to be happy, but its because we feel obliged to be happy because of the money spent.
What is happiness? What is sadness?
Who is this 'I' and 'You'?
I have lots of random thoughts.

But do we actually ask, where did all this thoughts originate from?

Muharram - 1st month on the islamic calendar.

2008-12-29T00:54:00.006+08:00

"Four of them ( Zil-Qadah, Zil-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab) are sacred."

(Surah At-Tawbah:36)

1. With the sighting of the new moon, the Islamic new year is ushered in. The first month Muharram, is a month of great reward and virtue. Muharram itself means `sacred' and is from those months which have been mentioned as sacred in the Quran.

"The best of fasts besides the month of Ramadhan is the fasting of Allah's month of Muharram." -Sahih Muslim

2. Fasting on this month is greatly reccomended. Especially on the 9th of Ashura.

Hazrat Ibn Abbas (Radiyallahu 'anh) relates that when the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam) said: "If I survive till next year, I will definitely observe fast on the 9th of Muharram (as well)."-Sahih Muslim

3. The day of Ashura marks the climax of the month. It's on the 10th of Muharram. It's a day of great importance to muslims. Alot of major events has taken place on that day. And one of them, possibly the most significant, is the Matrydom of Sayedina Husain Ibn Ali. Grandson of the blessed Prophet and 1 of the great warriors in Islam history.

He was killed in the Battle of Karbala, beheaded and along with His army of 72 men from his tribe, their bodies were left there without burial for 3 days.

Its a month of great rewards. And with Allah's blessing, may we all reap the benefits from it Insha-Allah. Wishing all my muslim brothers and sisters, a Happy Blessed new islamic year.

Magical Bird

2008-12-13T13:03:00.003+08:00

O' magical bird

where did you fly to?

in the skies i cant see you

the fragrance u left in the air

is keeping me alive now.

where are you?

come come show me a sign of you.

even if u bring a whirlwind with you in flight, come.

i'll trace the winds that enters your hearing

i'll find the light, which enters your sight

come forth, from behind the veil

reveal a glimpse of yourself

there are tales to be told

i'll wait under the tree u left

come O' magical bird,

im only half-alive..

Ashes to Rose

2008-12-05T00:06:00.004+08:00

im lost in a love, so great
burning in a flame which never dies
with the glass of wine in one hand
i sing the nightingale song

seek deep, love
in pain, the hidden secrets reveal itself
pour the wine
let the senses ignite

this world is all, but what we fantasize
all there is is me and you
my heart is a shipwreck
yet i stay afloat

i throw the wine cup away
who needs that, when her glance is enough
from rose to ashes you say
from ashes to rose i say

Wisdom | Nasruddin Stories

2008-11-26T22:29:00.004+08:00

1.
Once, when Mullah Nasruddin was visiting a Western town, he was invited to attend a fashion show. He went, and afterwards he was asked how he liked it. "It's a complete swindle!" he exclaimed indignantly. "Whatever do you mean?" he was asked. "They show you the women - and then try to sell you the clothes!"

One day Nasruddin went to a banquet. As he was dressed rather shabbily, no one let him in. So he ran home, put on his best robe and fur coat and returned. Immediately, the host came over, greeted him and ushered him to the head of an elaborate banquet table. When the food was served, Nasruddin took some soup with spoon and pushed it to the his fur coat and said, ''Eat my fur coat, eat! It's obvious that you're the real guest of honor today, not me! ''

3.
One day Mullah Nasruddin lost his ring down in the basement of his house, where it was very dark. There being no chance of his finding it in that darkness, he went out on the street and started looking for it there. Somebody passing by stopped and enquire: "What are you looking for, Mullah Nasruddin ? Have you lost something?" "Yes, I've lost my ring down in the basement." "But Mullah Nasruddin , why don't you look for it down in the basement where you have lost it?" asked the man in surprise. "Don't be silly, man! How do you expect me to find anything in that darkness!"

I Am An Astronomer

2008-11-25T22:00:00.005+08:00

In the shadow of the temple my friend and I saw a blind man sitting alone. And my friend said, “Behold the wisest man of our land.”

Then I left my friend and approached the blind man and greeted him. And we conversed.
After a while I said, “Forgive my question; but since when has thou been blind?”

“From my birth,” he answered.

Said I, “And what path of wisdom followest thou?”

Said he, “I am an astronomer.”

Then he placed his hand upon his breast saying, “I watch all these suns and moons and stars.”

-The Madman, Kahlil Gibran

The Universe

2008-11-24T23:02:00.008+08:00

"He is the Originator of the

heavens and the earth."

(The Qur'an, 6:101)

As we know, the deeper we look into space, further back into time are we travelling.

For eg. If we see a star exploding 20 million light years away, it means in reality, the star has already exploded 20 million years ago, because that is the amount of time light took travel to us for us to see it exploding.

Thanks to the Hubble Space Telescope, we have been able to look deeper into the cosmos than mankind has ever had. Thus, the deeper we look into the cosmos, we are infact going back to the time of origin. The universe as we know is a vast vast space. So huge it's vastness is actually unfathomable.

"I was a hidden treasure desiring to be known,

and I created the universe

so that I might be known."

-Hadith

The reality is, all the 18 thousand universe and worlds is within us. It depends on how we visualize the world. From the outside in? or the inside out?

"You thought yourself a part, small;

Whereas in you there is a universe, the greatest."

-Amir-Al-Momenin Ali

The life of the cosmos, the stars, conforms to the life cycle described by the Sufis. Birth, Growth, Death and rebirth. All religious philosophy tries to understand the divinity within ourselves through that understanding.

The universe as the scientist say was started by the Big Bang. It is from that point of origin, which the universe came to be known.

"Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation),before We clove them asunder,

and We made from water every living thing.

Will they not then believe?" - (The Qur'an, 21:30)

That is the point of origin, which we have to return to. Just like the telescope seeing deep into space, the deeper we venture within ourselves, to our divine origin We return back to. The secret of our inner reality is understood.

We, Man, carry the beauty of the entire universe within us. But we are too ignorant to realise it. ''In short, you and I, is the complete one, eternal, timeless, boundless.'' It is with that understanding the mystic says, "I thought I was person and then discovered that I am part of the Divine."

"Earth and heaven do not contain me, but the heart of my believing servent contains me...''

The next time you look up at the night sky filled with stars, know, you are actually looking, within yourself.

Get rid of the Self

2008-11-22T23:53:00.002+08:00

Who is hearing?

Your physical being doesn’t hear,

Nor does the void.

Then what does?

Strive to find out.

Put aside your rational Intellect,

Give up all techniques.

Just get rid of the notion of self.

- Bassui

Mistake

2008-11-18T22:21:00.005+08:00

Yesterday i played a chess match against this player from Malaysia in Chesspark. The usual site i play in. He was a much stronger opponent,1900+ rating and i was 1700+ only, and i thought of just trying to give him a tough fight. The fact that he had the white pieces, which means he gets to go first, made it even harder for me. And i had won 99 games in total of 187 matches. So i thought my 100th victory will have to wait a little while more.

Fast forward to the middle of the match. He made a terrible mistake. He lost his queen, the most powerful piece on the board. And he couldn't capture back the minor piece which captured his queen. Meaning he lost a whole queen for nothing! I had a totally dominant position and very safe king and he's king was stuck in the middle of the board, his pieces were undeveloped. Whereas i have a potential huge attack against him.

At this point, he went missing. He didn't get disconnected. He was in the game, but was not making any move. Maybe realising he made a terrible blunder. Or he went away for awhile. The clock was running down on him. I had about 11mins left. He had only 7minutes. After analysing the position abit while waiting for him, i realise that there was no way back for him. So i started typing in the our game chat. I told him,
''there's no hope for you in this position.
for a 1900+ player, you are not alert enough. you attack so prematurely against me.
even if you cheat now using computer help, also lose. You are down 1 whole queen. no way to catch me.''
And i actually said this ''Thank you for giving me my 100th victory.'' He didn't reply anything.

Eventually he did make a move which i expected. He had only 4minutes left. And i had 11minutes. I played fast knowing that i can smell victory. As the match went on, i made mistakes after mistakes. And as you would have guessed it by now. I actually lost the match! I blew a promising position and after 53 moves i resigned.

The previous chess post, i wrote about presense of mind even in winning position. I didn't have that. And my worst mistake is showing disrespect to my opposition. Call it arrogance or over confidence. I realised in any situation in life, be it work or home, respect for others is of utmost importance. In competition of any sport, no matter how weak their situation is suppose to be, you have to respect them and finish the game off by doing your best. This match thought me alot in life. I was so pissed, i played another 3 matches to get my 100th victory and didn't win any 1 of them. So i took a break and eventually got my 100th win this morning.

Im thankful for this lose. As i can say, i learnt a lesson in life. For those who play chess, can view the match below.

At the end of the game, once i resigned, he finally typed, and he said
''i caught you.''

Timur's Gift | Nasruddin Stories

2008-11-17T22:42:00.003+08:00

Timur's Gift

Timur's armies were plundering the entire Central Asia and the rumors were that Timur was heading for Mullah's village. Hearing this, Mullah in his Friday sermon called for a collective prayer. "Let us all pray for the death of Timur the Lame before he comes". All villagers said Amen loudly.
A man stood up from among the worshipers and asked, "Have you ever seen Timur?".
Mullah replied, "No, and I have not seen you before either".
The man said, "You are right, because I am Timur".
Mullah was stunned by the news, and so were all the villagers. Mullah calmly resumed his sermon. "Let us pray once more collectively, this time our Janazah (funeral prayer)".
"How can you pray your own Janazah you fool", asked Timur, "Janazah is prayed by the living on the dead".
"Yes my lord but you see" replied Mullah "We are all about to be dead with no one to pray Janazah on us. So we have to take care of our Janazah ourselves".Timur laughed his heart out and pardoned Mullah and gave an elephant as his gift to the village.

The purpose

2008-11-16T15:20:00.005+08:00

Venturing into the depths of ourselves is neither to gain knowledge,
nor to understand how Moses opened the sea,
nor to understand the secrets in our self,
nor to call our self a Sufi,
nor to call ourselves a mystic,
nor a philosopher,
nor to understand the secrets in the Holy books,
nor to understand our divinity,
nor to see God through his veil,
nor to understand profound poetry,
nor to have the knowledge of the Unseen,
nor to fly through hidden skies,

its simple. it's just being a good person with a good character. This is spiritualism. The one who has understood this,
is the Mystic.

©Luqman.WordsofPearls.

Who are we, really?

2008-11-06T00:31:00.003+08:00

Enlightenment is understanding oneself. The inner reality within.
This zen poem is so profound, yet so simple.

“before Enlightenment, cut wood, carry water; after Enlightenment, cut wood, carry water.”

After you reach enlightenment, you still do the same thing. So, what is the difference between the 1 who cuts wood without enlightenment and one who does it after?

thoughts...

Silence is the key

2008-11-04T22:52:00.003+08:00

There's a saying. Words are valuable. But Silence is precious.
In the path of any religious spiritualism, silence is always mentioned.
What is there in silence? The mystic speaks of mystic silence.

''In spite of whatever wisdom we may have; we can make a mistake if we have no control over our words. And we can easily find examples of this truth; those who talk much have less power than those who talk little. For a talkative person may not be able to express an idea in a thousand words which those who are masters of silence express in one word. ''

It is within human nature, to express one's thought.
But is within human nature to err too.
There comes a time when expressing one' thought, may not be the right thing.
In life it's about doing the right thing at the right time.

By holding back certain opinion or thought a problem can be avoided. To be silent is to struggle within yourself. Its controlling an impulse. There's a thin line from self expression to doing the right thing. In the materialistic world, silence brings peace. In the mystic world, a thousand wisdom enters the heart in a moment of absolute silence. The difference is, the silence of the physical tongue, and the silence of the heart. A person with a physically silent tongue may have a of commotion in his heart. Wisdom is only born when you bring your heart to absolute silence.

• Silence for the ordinary people is with their tongues, silence for the mystics is with their hearts, and silence for the lovers is with restraining the stray thoughts that come to their innermost beings.

Two person can talk all their lives, and know nothing about each other. But to two close souls, A lover and a beloved, a nod of the head or a glance will send the message across. That's the secret conversation of a mystic with god. Its through silence of the heart. Deep within ourselves. There is a inner dialog waiting to happen. There's a inner voice constantly coming. The one who is silent hears it. The seers, the saints, the sages, the prophets, the masters, they have heard that voice which comes from within by making themselves silent.

I will now begin my silence by ending with a story of Buddha.

According to legend, when Buddha was growing old he convened his disciples for an important discourse. And when they gathered and sat down silently, reverently waiting to hear their aging Master speak, the Buddha arose, came forward on the flower-decked platform, looked over his audience of disciples and monks, then bent down and picked up a flower which he raised to the level of his eyes. Then, without uttering a word, he returned to his seat. His followers looked at each other in bewilderment, not understanding the meaning of his silence. Only the venerable Mahakasyapa serenely smiled at the Master. And the Master smiled back at him and wordlessly bequeathed to him the spiritual meaning of his wordless sermon. And that, according to legend, was the moment Zen was born.

Silence is the key.

*Italics taken from wahiuddin.net

Tales of Mullah Nasruddin

2008-10-28T20:13:00.009+08:00

Mullah Nasruddin riding a horse

Nasruddin is a legendary Sufi figure in the arabian culture. Some say he lived in turkey. But each nation claim that Nasruddin is their own. From the Afghans to Iran to Uzbekistan culture. There are people who say its just a fictional character who didn't exist. Made up by people who wanted to convey a message. In each culture he has a different name. Some call him just 'Mullah'. Some 'Nasreddin'. 'Hodja' to 'Effendi'. But 1 thing was certain. He was a philosopher and a wise man with numerous funny stories attributed to him.

I came across his legends and little stories when i was searching for some philosophical articles to blog. And i across him. ''Much of Nasreddin's actions can be described as illogical yet logical, rational yet irrational, bizarre yet normal, foolish yet sharp, and simple yet profound. What adds even further to his uniqueness is the way he gets across his messages in unconventional yet very effective methods in a profound simplicity.'' "quoted from wikipedia. In some tales, Nasruddin is a beggar, others a king. He plays a wide range of roles, depending on what the author or philosopher is trying to convey.

I found most of his stories ranging from downright funny to strangely intriguing. Nasruddin was a popular figure especially in the Sufi path. The Sufi path can be a tough and difficult journey. To make the journey more enjoyable and still learning along the way, stories of Mullah Nasruddin was published in the 1600s by Sultan Idries Shah, a great philosopher himself.

The beauty of his tales is that beneath the jokes there is a moral to it. At first glance, it can be a funny tale but there is a gem hidden within the story just waiting to be realized. By understanding the simple morals within the story, a mystic can go further in the path of inner realization while having a few laughs in the path. In his tales, there is multiple level or layers of meaning. An individual can dig out many different meanings, depending on the level of his own understanding.

There are some tales, which are so short i actually find it bizarre. You begin to wonder 'what great wisdom might be in this?!' To great thinkers, is this kind of thought which is important to avoid. You will find the greatest of wisdom in the most unlikeliest of places! I will put up some of his short tales most which are amusing and hope it will be a stepping stone to great wisdom. I will carry on posting his tales on a daily basis as i come across them.

Delivering a Khutba

Once, Nasreddin was invited to deliver a khutba (sermon). When he got on the minbar (pulpit), he asked "Do you know what I am going to say?" The audience replied "NO", so he announced "I have no desire to speak to people who don't even know what I will be talking about" and he left.

The people felt embarrassed and called him back again the next day. This time when he asked the same question, the people replied "YES". So Nasreddin said, "Well, since you already know what I am going to say, I won't waste any more of your time" and he left.

Now the people were really perplexed. They decided to try one more time and once again invited the Mullah to speak the following week. Once again he asked the same question - "Do you know what I am going to say?" Now the people were prepared and so half of them answered "YES" while the other half replied "NO". So Nasreddin said "The half who know what I am going to say, tell it to the other half" and he left!

Two sides of a river

Nasreddin sat on a river bank when someone shouted to him from the opposite side:

- "Hey! how do I get to the other side?"

- "You are on the other side!" Nasreddin shouted back.

Whom do you trust

A neighbour comes to the gate of Mulla Nasreddin's yard. The Mulla goes out to meet him outside.

"Would you mind, Mulla," the neighbour asks, "lending me your donkey today? I have some goods to transport to the next town."

The Mulla doesn't feel inclined to lend out the animal to that particular man, however; so, not to seem rude, he answers:

"I'm sorry, but I've already lent him to somebody else."

Suddenly the donkey can be heard braying loudly behind the wall of the yard.

"You lied to me, Mulla!" the neighbour exclaims. "There it is behind that wall!"

"What do you mean?" the Mulla replies indignantly. "Whom would you rather believe, a donkey or your Mulla?"

Chess In Life

2008-10-23T21:17:00.008+08:00

The Great Mikhail Tal(November 9, 1936 – June 28, 1992)

The picture above is of the Mikhail Tal. Probarbly the greatest attacking chess player to have ever lived. I took chess as my serious hobby after watching some of his games. Featuring brilliant sacrifices, he was 1 of the most imaginative player ever over the board. People throw money onto the board after watching his games. Even now, replaying his games brings the hair on the back of your neck stand. They call him, the Magician From Riga(his birthplace).

So what is exactly chess? Chess enthusiast call it an insult to call it a hobby. Some say it's more than a game. Some say it's life itself. I call it poetry. The best quote i believe sums up the argument.

"Ultimately chess is just chess - not the best thing in the world
and not the worst thing in the world, but there is nothing quite like it."

The beauty of chess, is its complexity. Seeing players, staring over a board, matching their wits with 1 another, with wooden pieces init, for hours and hours.

I fell in love with just that. The complexity. I grew up playing chess. I aren't a brilliant player. For my age, just an average player. Chess allowed me to explore my imagination and love the difficulty encompassing it.

I have won many games, with people around the world. The joy i get when i win games with brilliant sacrifices. Playing like Tal. But to be honest, i don't quite remember the wins. Its the defeat that's hard to digest. I remember it most. How i blew a winning position with 1 simple mistake. In defeats, chess thought me the most valuable life lessons.

Chess is not just a game. To an open mind and heart. It's a fascinating game, allow you to play the game how you want it. You control the pieces. You dictate it. Chess can be a road to self discovery. Self realization. When you understand why you lost, you evolve as a human being. It teaches you to handle and approach life challenges in the correct way. With the correct state of mind. When you smell a victory coming, your heart starts beating fast, you start thinking about what you are going to do after the match. That's when you have lost. Chess trains you to focus even in the most hardest situation.

Chess thought me countless important elements in life. Patience, the downward spiral, illusion of certainty and so much more. This is not a post to get you interested in chess. It's to show, you can learn important life lessons, from the least expected source. Catching a butterfly? Why not. It's how you see things in life. Everything in life has something to teach you. Approach it with an open mind, and be willing to learn and unlearn.

Life is a blur. Just like how you need glasses to correct your vision. Look at life through the glasses of art. Chess is art.
It allows you to envision life in a different perspective. It makes you a better person.

I sum up this post with a couple of quotes. To get us all thinking.

“Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make people happy”

“You sit at the board and suddenly your heart leaps. Your hand trembles to pick up the piece and move it. But what Chess teaches you is that you
must sit there calmly and think about whether it’s really a good idea
and whether there are other better ideas”

“Chess is the art which expresses the science of logic”

“The Chess pieces are the block alphabet which shapes thoughts; and
these thoughts, although making a visual design on the chessboard,
express their beauty abstractly, like a poem”
(Marcel Duchamp)

Wine or Poison?

2007-12-08T02:19:00.000+08:00

What have i drunk in your presence?
Was it wine or poison?
At first i danced in joy of drunkenness
Now sorrow is all thats left.
Even the insane have started calling me insane.
The birds fled the tree i take shade in.
In the form of thunders, the skies are having their commotion,
watching my plight.
The people wait anxiously for Qiyamat.
But ey Allah, you have already given my heart Qiyamat!
In prayers, i only seek more torment,
to fall upon my heart.
Let me be in this pain,
for this is my cure.
O' people, don't go away like the ripples formed.
Gather around me,
for the Love Nightingale tells it tale now..

©Luqman.WordsOfPearls.

Her Name

2007-11-29T20:29:00.000+08:00

Love songs sings your praises,

the lyrics are your name.
Some call u Ranjha,
Sometimes, Shams,
Other time, Layla.
You, the Thousand-named One,
the kingdom of my heart
you have set ablaze.
I have forgotten my name,
ever since i knew yours.
O' moon-faced beauty,
Replace my name,
With yours.

©Luqman.WordsOfPearls.

Pain & Sorrow

2007-11-26T00:08:00.000+08:00

Look, how she combs her hair, admiring the mirror

Unaware of the flame this mad lover possess.
Smart lovers seek joy
But joy i have thrown away.
Each night i speak to sorrow
and its plan for tomorrow to kill my heart.
Friends have left me, enemies are present.
I no longer have the need for them.
In this love, i have given myself away.
What can pain & sorrow do to me now?
May pain & sorrow,
always fill the heart of this mad lover.

©Luqman.WordsOfPearls.

The Inner Secrets of Fasting(1)

2007-09-24T16:38:00.001+08:00

"O who believe, fasting is decreed for you as it was decreed for those before you; perchance you will guard yourselves. (2:183)

Worldly knowledge allows the intellect to grow whereas Islamic knowledge allows one to enlighten the inner and outer self, allowing the heart to grow.

There are 3 Levels of Fasting:

Fast of the Layman:

This is the fast of the average person and is the lowest type of fasting where one just abstains from food, drink and sexual intercourse from dawn until sunset.

Fast of the Elect:

This is the fast of people who have a desire to reach Allah. Sawm means to stay away or to strip yourself from. The elect would try to refrain from the harms of the world, ultimately allowing the heart to beat in purity.

The Fast of the Elite from the Elect:

This is the highest level. The elite have been selected from the elect that were walking towards Allah. Hearts are already beating with this light the elect are trying to attain.

FASTING OF THE ELECT

A shaykh said 'the heart is a vast ocean.' The eyes, ears and limbs are sources of the ocean inside. If the eyes, ears, tongue and limbs are contaminated, heart will be contaminated.

1. Fasting of the eyes: We need to keep eyes away from everything which takes you away from the remembrance of Allah, not necessarily sinful to look at the object, but a mere glance could be a distraction, hence destructible. This could be not looking at ghair mahrams, avoiding looking at adverts, reading nonsense, cutting down the amount of time spent in front of the television etc.

2. Fasting of the ears: We should avoid exposing our ears to anything which is not beneficial, anything which is harmful should be avoided. You should only listen to somebody's problem if you can genuinely help them.

'The one who backbite and the one who listens are equal in the crime.' (hadith)

We should expose good things to the ears I.e. recitation of the Qur'an, Islamic lectures, nasheeds etc.

3. Fasting of the tongue: The eyes are covered by one eyelid, the ears in order to avoid something creeping in you must use your hands to cover them . Whereas in order to misuse the tongue one must separate the two lips and separate one's teeth, much more effort is required just to allow movement in the tongue, hence engaging in sin.

The tongue is like a 2 edged sword-it can either cause you to reach Allah or to the lowest pits of hell.

4. Fasting of the limbs: One must not walk towards sins or bad places. One should walk towards that which is beneficial and will draw one close to Allah. One should avoid misusing their hands I.e. using hem for cursing or hitting.

5. Abstaining from that which is permissible: One should not eat too much when breaking the fast. 'The sons of Adam have not filled a vessel worse than their own stomachs.' Eating too much breaks the spirit of what one has been dong all day. The gratefulness one feels for having the ability to choose what one desires or having hot food etc is lost as one only realises the worth of something when it is absent.

Shaytan reaches to a person through desire, so one must avoid indulging in their desires even if they are permissible as you become slaves of your desires rather than a slave of Allah.

Benefits of Ramadhan

2007-09-24T16:12:00.001+08:00

O young man, the word Ramadhan consists of five letters:

1 - ra'

2 - meem

3 - dhad

4 - alif

5 - noon.

The ra' is derived from rahma (mercy),

the meem from mujazat (recompense), mahabba (love) & minna (favour),

the dhad from dhaman lilthawab (assurance of reward),

the alif from ulfa (affinity) & qurb (nearness) &

the noon from nur (light) & nawal [the receiving (of grace)].

If you give this month its due and act properly during it, these things will come to you from the True One (‘Azza wa Jall).

They will come to you in this world as strengthening and enlightening for your hearts, & as favour & receiving of grace, outwardly and inwardly.

In the hereafter there will come to you what no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard & has never occurred to any human heart.

O People give up habitual practice and keep to worship. Fast for the sake of Allah (‘Azza wa Jall). Do not get bored of fasting & worshipping in this month. Do righteous deeds, during it, & make sure that you act with sincerity. Make a regular practice of the prayers of taraweeh. Illuminate the mosques, for this will be a light for you on the Day of Resurrection. When you fast, give up lying, giving false witness, backbiting, defaming people & embezzling their properties. In principle, you fast in order to purify yourselves of your sins & keep away from them, so what benefit could you derive from your fasting if you commit, these sins yet again?

Woe unto you! What Benefit would you derive from fasting if you break it on unlawful food & Sleep during these noble nights having committed acts of disobedience? You fast out of dissimulation & hypocrisy as long as you are among creatures, & once you are on you own you break your fast! Then you come out & say: “I am keeping the fast”, while throughout the day you are involved in verbal abuse, levelling defamatory accusations, swearing false oaths & taking people’s money by way of defrauding, trickery & exaction. This sort of behaviour makes you no good at all and does not count as a fast.

The Prophet (Salla Allah ta’ala ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

“There are so many people who fast yet get nothing out of their fasting other than hunger & thirst & there are so many people who spend the night in worshipful acts yet earn nothing out of their worship other than fatigue & vigil”

When one of you fasts, let his ears, his sights, his hands, his legs, his limbs & organs & his heart all fast.

In this month, there is a night that is the greatest night of the year, which is Laylat al-Qadr. This night has signs that the righteous can recognize. Among the servants of Allah (‘Azza wa Jall) there are those who have the veil removed from their eyes so they see the lights of divinity that is held in the hands of the angels, the light of their faces, the light of the doors of heaven & the light of the countenance of the True One (‘Azza wa Jall) because on that Night He manifests Himself to the people of the earth.

O People do not make obtaining your food your concern because it is a low concern. You have been put to test through eating & drinking, but you have been saved the trouble of securing sustenance, so do not have any concern about it. Glory be to the Self – Sustained One who never eats, drinks or sleeps. Your greedy keenness has increased, while your pious restraint and faith have decreased. Woe unto you! This world lasts only one hour, so spend it in obedience.

By Shaikh Abd al-Qadir al-Gaylani

At night, I Whirl

2007-08-23T01:01:00.000+08:00

O' Beloved, in my love for you,

all night i whirl.

the prayer mat and
rosary beads i have thrown away

my hands reaching the heavens
soul in rapture.

now the heavens whirl with me,
caught by my drunken gaze

im the envy of birds,
for i fly even higher

with the 'I' spinning into
non-existence,

i look around
in search for Luqman

and Lo! into the arms of the beloved he disappeared
like a drop, into the ocean.

©Luqman.WordsOfPearls.

The Silent

2007-08-21T00:02:00.000+08:00

this silence engulfes me
totally now.

she says nothing
i only nod at her every glance.

even the veils have been removed
to celebrate this silence

the secret of the cosmos
springs to life from this silence now

love whispers a thousand words to me
but without a word!

away from sound
away from words
away from relations

when u become this silent
your heart shines brighter than a thousand suns

when you have put aside both the worlds
come find me in that silence.

in silence i will tell you the secrets
jus nod, like what Luqman does.

Rumi says Khamush.
O Luqman, all this words now...
whats the use?

©Luqman.WordsOfPearls.

What is Yours?

2007-08-17T00:56:00.000+08:00

What you think is yours,

is not yours, really.

The past is already gone.

The present cant be touched.

The future already written.

All your knowledge is all, but a grain of sand.

All your experience is all, but a fleeting moment.

All these kingdom, gone in a gush of wind.

Life, taken over by death.

Nothing is yours.

What is yours than?

Who are You, really.

When you understand this,

You are the Sultan of your Heart.

©Luqman.WordsOfPearls.

This Love

2007-08-16T23:55:00.000+08:00

Fall in love, leave this world.
Fly towards that secret sky.
Your heart is worth more than a gold-mine,
Give it to no-one but to the One that holds the Secret Wine.

---------

I am the Sun that rises in the morning,
And the Moon that appears in the night-sky.
I Am in All,
And All is in Me.

---------

©Luqman.WordsOfPearls.

I Am, I Am Not

2007-08-07T01:12:00.000+08:00

Wisdom tells me, I am.

Love tells me, I am not.

This concept of my existence,

I let my beloved decide.

Am I? Am I not?

In these thoughts,

Luqman's life flows.

©Luqman.WordsOfPearls.

l Haiku l

2007-07-22T00:38:00.000+08:00

summer night

sitting on the rooftop
the moonlight washes me.

---

morning breeze--
meaningful thoughts arrive in ease
like the meaning of this line.

----

love and hate
rose and thorn
their argument, i admire.

----

from emptiness i arrived
into emptiness i ventured
emptiness i became.

:: picture - blue by *werol on deviantart
©Luqman.WordsOfPearls.

One Sip

2007-07-19T00:41:00.000+08:00

Look at what love has done
Was clear; became drunk,
But only in drunkedness did i gain clearness!
Was free; became trapped,
Only in being trapped i gained freedom!
Marvel at the wine of love!
At the first sip im drunk
In haste, drank one cup full
But i yearn for one more sip.
The world's ocean cant quench this thirst
I will give myself away for that one sip.
A wretched beggar i am in the lane of love.
Like a mad-man i wander.
Somewhere within me there is wine-tavern i hear.
if i cant get in, i shall make dying at its doorstep my aim.

One glance from the wine-bearer and
Luqman's life has never been the same again.

©Luqman.WordsOfPearls.

Sufi Wisdom

2007-06-27T21:45:00.000+08:00

Asking good questions is half of learning.

- Prophet Muhammad(May Peace and blessing Be upon Him)

--------

A donkey with a load of holy books is still a donkey.

-Traditional (Essential Sufism)

-----

Whatever you have in your mind - forget it;
Whatever you have in your hand - give it;
Whatever is to be your fate - face it!

-Abu Sa'id

--------

A seeker went to ask a sage for guidance on the Sufi way.

The sage counseled,

"if you have never trodden the path of love, go away and fall in love;
then come back and see us."

-Jami

-------------------------------

If words come out of the heart, they will enter the heart, but if they come from the tongue, they will not pass beyond the ears.

-Al-Suhrawardi

------

:: Further read- http://www.katinkahesselink.net

:: Picture. Pastel doplets by ~Katosu

Sufi Love

2007-06-21T22:25:00.000+08:00

All human beings during their lives tend to experience love and friendship. Human love can be classified into three basic categories according to its intensity, quality and limitations. The first form of love is the friendship that is based on social conventions where two people behave in accordance with the following principle: "I for myself, you for yourself; we love each other, and we have no expectations of each other." This form of love is that of ordinary people, whose love relationships tend to be of this nature.

The second form of love is based on a more solid foundation and those who live together usually experience this kind of love: "I for you, you for me; we love each other, having mutual expectations of each other." This form of love includes profound love as well as the love found within most families, involving emotional give and take on an equal footing.

The third kind of love transcends all conventions based on mutual expectations and is based on the following principle: "I am for you, you are for whoever you choose; I accept whatever you want without any expectations whatsoever."

The Sufi's devotion to God and to the master of the Path represents this latter form of love. This third kind of love is not based upon any constraints or conditions, and the Sufi who possesses this kind of love says with contentment and submission to God: "I am satisfied with whatever You want without any expectations, and love You without any thought of reward."

The Sufi's love of God is not based upon any expectation of reward or fear of punishment, for the Sufi does not have any wishes and demands. The Sufi embraces and loves God's wrath as much as His grace, His hardheartedness as much as His fidelity.

Only a few Sufis have managed to annihilate themselves in the Beloved through the path of such love and friendship. It is about these Sufis that Rumi has said:

Everything is the Beloved,

and the lover but a veil;

The Beloved is alive,

while the lover is dead.

Thus, we see that the highest form of human love is 'Sufi Love'. Alas, it is a polo ball that only the most distinguished and perfected human beings are worthy of putting into play.

-Dr Javad Nurbakhsh(Present Master of the Nimatullahi Order)

::Picture courtesy of Somewhere Pure by *Lilyas on Deviantart::

Her Bird-Flower Self

2007-06-20T22:27:00.000+08:00

Without sight of the root,

That flower sways in the night breeze,

Like a bird flying towards the invisible moon.

Into the night, that white flower speaks,

In bliss, I bless Her Bird-Flower Self.

©Luqman.WordsOfPearls.

Thoughts of you, Today

2007-06-20T00:33:00.001+08:00

You taught me to be here with my full attention,
To cherish each moment as precious:
More sacred than memory
Or the dreams that tomorrow may bring.

Today
Is the milk that sustains us
And in it is a beauty and wonder
That I used to search for,
Imagining it was far yonder.

Today
Is a flower in crescendo,
Vibrant with the full colour
Of all its yesterdays.

Here and now, I am the sum total of all my days.
You have taught me the mindfulness of being
And I honour this, with gratitude and stillness:
The song of you, present in the core of me.


-Lord Buddha

Hafiz l Ghazal 42

2007-06-14T23:16:00.000+08:00

I long to open up my heart

For my heart do my part.

My story was yesterday’s news

From rivals cannot keep apart.

On this holy night stay with me

Till the morning, do not depart.

On a night so dark as this,

My course, how can I chart?

O breath of life, help me tonight

That in the morn

I make a start. In my love for you,

I will My self and ego thwart.

Like Hafiz, being love smart;

I long to master that art.

-Hafiz Of Shiraz

A Cup full of water

2007-06-07T18:28:00.000+08:00

''Keep pouring!'' you scream.
''The Cup is already full. It's overflowing! No more can go in!'' the reply comes.

Why try to hold water in a Cup?
Become the Ocean Itself!
But to understand this,
You have to first empty the Cup!

©Luqman.WordsOfPearls.

On Death l Kahlil Gibran

2007-06-06T21:45:00.000+08:00

You would know the secret of death.
But how shall you find it
unless you seek it in the heart of life?

The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind
unto the day cannot unveil the mystery of light.

If you would indeed behold the spirit of death,
open your heart wide unto the body of life.

For life and death are one,
even as the river and the sea are one.

In the depth of your hopes and desires lies
your silent knowledge of the beyond;
And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow
your heart dreams of spring.

Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden
the gate to eternity.

Your fear of death is but the trembling of the shepherd
when he stands before the king
whose hand is to be laid upon him in honour.
Is the shepherd not joyful beneath his trembling,
that he shall wear the mark of the king?
Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?

For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind
and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing,
but to free the breath from its restless tides,
that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?

Only when you drink from the river of silence
shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top,
then you shall begin to climb.

And when the earth shall claim your limbs,
then shall you truly dance.

- Kahlil Gibran

Kahlil Gibran

2007-06-06T21:03:00.000+08:00

Khalil Gibran artist, poet, writer, philosopher. He was born in today's Lebanon and spent much of his productive life in the United States.

Much of Gibran's writings deal with Christianity, mostly condemning the corrupt practices of the Eastern churches and their clergies during that era. His poetry is notable for its use of formal language, as well as insights on topics of life using spiritual terms.

One of his most notable lines of poetry in the English speaking world is from 'Sand and Foam' , which reads : 'Half of what I say is meaningless, but I say it so that the other half may reach you'. This was taken by John Lennon into the song Julia from The Beatles.

Gibran died in New York City on April 10, 1931: the cause was determined to be cirrhosis of the liver and tubercolosis. Before his death, Gibran expressed the wish that he be buried in Lebanon. This wish was fulfilled in 1932, when Mary Haskell and his sister Mariana purchased the Mar Sarkis Monastery in Lebanon.
Kahlil Gibran remains the most popular Lebanese-American writer ever.

Kahlil Gibran Memorial in Washington, DC

---------------

I have learned silence from the talkative,
toleration from the intolerant,
and kindness from the unkind;
yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers.

-Kahlil Gibran

Up at the sky

2007-06-02T00:39:00.000+08:00

On the grass i lie, and up the sky, at the Full Moon i look.
And i forget myself.

With such grace she sits in the clouds.
In this night, her beauty outshines the Sun.
Even the stars hides behind the clouds.
How radiant her face.
WIthout lips, she gives me kisses.
Without hands, she touches me.
I wish my eyes were the Moon.
Within me, she is present. The Mystics tell me.

But on the grass i lie, and up the sky, at the Full Moon i look.
And i forget myself.

©Luqman.HiddenRealms.

The Seeker

2007-05-28T23:16:00.000+08:00

If you are a seeker of light
Make your heart light.

Clean your heart
like you clean your house for the Eids.

Forget both the worlds
Forget the words 'You' & 'I'.

Forget even Yourself
Just remember the Beloved's Name.

Let the flame of love
engulf you completely

Inside this flame, die
and remain silent.

If you seek light,
embrace the darkness.

When the heart is empty,
the Beloved appears.

Like a Full moon,
Rising up the Night sky.

©Luqman.HiddenRealms.

The Ultimate Attainment

2007-05-24T21:16:00.001+08:00

The past is already past.
Don't try to regain it.

The present does not stay.
Don't try to touch it.

From moment to moment.
The future has not come;

Don't think about it
Beforehand.

Whatever comes to the eye,
Leave it be.

There are no commandments
To be kept;

There's no filth to be cleansed.

With empty mind really
Penetrated, the dharmas

Have no life.

When you can be like this,

You've completed

The ultimate attainment.

-Pang Yun ( Zen Master)

My Place is Placeless

2007-05-17T18:23:00.000+08:00

My place is the Placeless,
My trace is the Traceless;
'Tis neither body nor soul,
for I belong to the soul of the Beloved.
I have put duality away,
I have seen that the two worlds are one;
One I seek, One I know, One I see, One I call.
He is the first, He is the last,
He is the outward, He is the inward;
I know none other except
'Ya Hu' and 'Ya man Hu.'

- Jalaluddin Rumi from the Diwan-e-Shams

Are you looking for me?

2007-05-13T20:35:00.000+08:00

Are you looking for me? I am in the next seat.

My shoulder is against yours.
you will not find me in the stupas, not in Indian shrine
rooms, nor in synagogues, nor in cathedrals:
not in masses, nor kirtans, not in legs winding
around your own neck, nor in eating nothing but
vegetables.

When you really look for me, you will see me
instantly --
you will find me in the tiniest house of time.

Kabir says: Student, tell me, what is God?

He is the breath inside the breath.

-Kabir

What is love

2007-05-12T21:05:00.000+08:00

In the marketplace of love, i met unloving across the street
It called out ''O' lover, what is love?''
''Love alone can describe love & its lovers',' i replied.
''What language does it speak?'', it asked.
''Silence''.

Love is my religion
Wherever its camel takes me,
I follow.

©Luqman.HiddenRealms.

When the mind is cleansed

2007-05-11T23:21:00.000+08:00

When my mind was cleansed of impurities,
like a mirror of its dust and dirt, I
recognized the Self in me:
When I saw Him dwelling in me,
I realized that He was the Everything
and I was nothing.

-Lalla

Lalla was a great female saint and mystic from the Kashmir province of India. She lived in the 14th Century, which was a period of great religious upheaval and change. Lalla had a profound impact on both and Hindus & Muslims her wisdom stemming from a profound self realization as Lalla. This period in which Lalla lived was an important time. It was one in which the divisions between religions were broken down. A saint like Lalla was able to appeal to the heart of the people. Her spiritual realisations cross caste and religious barriers and is still admired today.

Layla & Majnun - The Immortal Love Story

2007-05-10T23:01:00.000+08:00

By Nizami

A lad called Majnun from childhood had shown love in his nature, revealing to the eye of the seers the tragedy of his life. When Majnun was at school he became fond of Laila. In time the spark grew into a flame, and Majnun did not feel at rest if Laila was a little late in coming to school. With his book in his hand, he fixed his eyes on the entrance, which amused the scoffers and disturbed everybody there. The flame in time rose into a blaze and then Laila's heart became kindled by Majnun's love. Each looked at the other. She did not see anyone in the class but Majnun, nor did he see anyone save Laila. In reading from the book Majnun would read the name of Laila, in writing from dictation Laila would cover her slate with the name of Majnun. 'All else disappears when the thought of the beloved occupies the mind of the lover.'

Everyone in the school whispered to each other, pointing them out. The teachers were worried and wrote to the parents of both that the children were crazy and intensely fond of one another, and that there seemed no way to divert their attention from their love-affair which had stopped every possibility of their progress in study.

Laila's parents removed her at once, and kept a careful watch over her. In this way they took her away from Majnun, but who could take Majnun away from her heart? She had no thought but of Majnun. Majnun, without her, in his heart's unrest and grief, kept the whole school in a turmoil, until his parents were compelled to take him home, as there seemed to be nothing left for him in the school. Majnun's parents called physicians, soothsayers, healers, magicians, and poured money at their feet, asking them for some remedy to take away from the heart of Majnun the thought of Laila. But how could it be done? 'Even Luqman the great physician of the ancients, had no cure for the lovesick.'

No one has ever healed a patient of love. Friends came, relations came, well-wishers came, wise counselors came, and all tried their best to efface from his mind the thought of Laila, but all was in vain. Someone said to him, 'O Majnun, why do you sorrow at the separation from Laila? She is not beautiful. I can show you a thousand fairer and more charming maidens, and can let you choose your mate from among them.' Majnun answered, 'O, to see the beauty of Laila the eyes of Majnun are needed.'

When no remedy had been left untried, the parents of Majnun resolved to seek the refuge of the Kaba as their last resort. They took Majnun on the pilgrimage to Kabatullah. When they drew near to the Kaba a great crowd gathered to see them. The parents, each in turn, went and prayed to God, saying, 'O Lord, Thou art most merciful and compassionate, grant Thy favor to our only son, that the heart of Majnun may be released from the pain of the love of Laila.' Everybody there listened to this intently, and wonderingly awaited what Majnun had to say. Then Majnun was asked by his parents, 'Child, go and pray that the love of Laila may be taken away from your heart.' Majnun replied, 'Shall I meet my Laila if I pray?' They, with the greatest disappointment, said, 'Pray, child, whatever you like to pray.' He went there and said, 'I want my Laila,' and everyone present said, 'Amen.' 'The world echoes to the lover's call.'

When the parents had sought in every way to cure Majnun of his craze for Laila, in the end they thought the best way was to approach the parents of Laila, for this was the last hope of saving Majnun's life. They sent a message to Laila's parents, who were of another faith, saying, 'We have done all we can to take away from Majnun the thought of Laila, but so far we have not succeeded, nor is there any hope of success lift to us except one, that is your consent to their marriage.' They, in answer, said, 'Although it exposes us to the scorn of our people, still Laila seems never to forget the thought of Majnun for one single moment, and since we have taken her away from school she pines away every day. Therefore we should not mind giving Laila in marriage to Majnun, if only we were convinced that he is sane.'

On hearing this the parents of Majnun were much pleased and advised Majnun to behave sensibly, so that Laila's parents might have no cause to suspect him of being out of his mind. Majnun agreed to do everything his parents desired, if he could only meet his Laila. They went, according to the custom of the East, in procession to the house of the bride, where a special seat was made for the bridegroom, who was covered with garlands of flowers. But as they say in the East that the gods are against lovers, so destiny did not grant these perfect lovers the happiness of being together. The dog that used to accompany Laila to school happened to come into the room where they were sitting. As soon as Majnun's eyes fell on this dog his emotion broke out. He could not sit in the high seat and look at the dog. He ran to the dog and kissed its paws and put all the garlands of flowers on the neck of the dog. There was no sign of reverence or worship that Majnun did not show to this dog. 'The dust of the beloved's dwelling is the earth of Kaba to the lover.' This conduct plainly proved him insane. As love's language is gibberish to the loveless, so the action of Majnun was held by those present to be mere folly. They were all greatly disappointed, and Majnun was taken back home and Laila's parents refused their consent to the marriage.

This utter disappointment made Majnun's parents altogether hopeless, and they no longer kept watch over him, seeing that life and death to him were both the same, and this gave Majnun freedom to wander about the town in search of Laila, inquiring of everyone he met about Laila. By chance he met a letter-carrier who was carrying mail on the back of a camel, and when Majnun asked this man Laila's whereabouts, he said, 'Her parents have left this country and have gone to live a hundred miles from here.' Majnun begged him to give his message to Laila. He said, 'With pleasure.' But when Majnun began to tell the message the telling continued for a long, long time. 'The message of love has no end.'

The letter-carrier was partly amused and partly he sympathized with his earnestness. Although Majnun, walking with his camel, was company for him on his long journey, still, out of pity, he said, 'Now you have walked ten miles giving me your message, how long will it take me to deliver it to Laila? Now go your way, I will see to it.' Then Majnun turned back, but he had not gone a hundred yards before he returned to say, 'O kind friend, I have forgotten to tell you a few things that you might tell my Laila.' When he continued his message it carried him another ten miles on the way. The carrier said, 'For mercy's sake, go back. You have walked a long way. How shall I be able to remember all the message you have given me? Still, I will do my best. Now go back, you are far from home.' Majnun again went back a few yards and again remembered something to tell the message-bearer and went after him. In this way the whole journey was accomplished, and he himself arrived at the place to which he was sending the message.

The letter-carrier was astonished at this earnest love, and said to him, 'You have already arrived in the land where your Laila lives. Now stay in this ruined mosque. This is outside the town. If you go with me into the town they will torment you before you can reach Laila. The best thing is for you to rest here now, as you have walked so very far, and I will convey your message to Laila as soon as I can reach her.' 'Love's intoxication sees no time or space.'

Majnun listened to his advice and stayed there, and felt inclined to rest, but the idea that he was in the town where Laila dwelt made him wonder in which direction he should stretch out his legs. He thought of the north, south, east, and west, and thought to himself, 'If Laila were on this side it would be insolence on my part to stretch out my feet towards her. The best thing, then, would be to hang my feet by a rope from above, for surely she will not be there.' 'The lover's Kaba is the dwelling-place of the beloved.' He was thirsty, and could find no water except some rainwater that had collected in a disused tank.

When the letter-carrier entered the house of Laila's parents he saw Laila and said to her, 'I had to make a great effort to speak with you. Your lover Majnun, who is a lover without compare in all the world, gave me a message for you, and he continued to speak with me throughout the journey and has walked as far as this town with the camel.' She said, 'For heavens sake! Poor Majnun! I wonder what will become of him.' She asked her old nurse, 'What becomes of a person who has walked a hundred miles without a break?' The nurse said rashly, 'Such a person must die.' Laila said, 'Is there any remedy?' She said, 'He must drink some rainwater collected for a year past and from that water a snake must drink, and then his feet must be tied and he must be hung up in the air with his head down for a very long time. That might save his life.' Laila said, 'Oh, but how difficult it is to obtain!' God, who Himself is love, was the guide of Majnun, therefore everything came to Majnun as was best for him. 'Verily love is the healer of its own wounds.'

The next morning Laila put her food aside, and sent it secretly, by a maid whom she took into her confidence, with a message to tell Majnun that she longed to see him as much as he to see her, the difference being only of chains. As soon as she had and opportunity, she said, she would come at once.

The maid went to the ruined mosque, and saw two people sitting there, one who seemed self-absorbed, unaware of his surroundings, and the other a fat, robust man. She thought that Laila could not possibly love a person like this dreamy one whom she herself would not have cared to love. But in order to make sure, she asked which of them was named Majnun. The mind of Majnun was deeply sunk in his thought and far away from her words, but this man, who was out of work, was rather glad to see the dinner-basket in her hand, and said, 'For whom are you looking?' She said, 'I am asked to give this to Majnun. Are you Majnun?' He readily stretched out his hands to take the basket, and said, 'I am the one for whom you have brought it,' and spoke a word or two with her in jest, and she was delighted.

On the maid's return Laila asked, 'Did you give it to him?' She said, 'Yes, I did.' Laila then sent to Majnun every day the larger part of her meals, which was received every day by this man, who was very glad to have it while out of work. Laila one day asked her maid, 'You never tell me what he says and how he eats.' She said, 'He says that he sends very many thanks to you and he appreciates it very much, and he is a pleasant-spoken man. You must not worry for one moment. He is getting fatter every day.' Laila said, 'But my Majnun has never been fat, and has never had a tendency to become fat, and he is too deep in his thought to say pleasant things to anyone. He is too sad to speak.' Laila at once suspected that the dinner might have been handed to the wrong person. She said, 'Is anybody else there?' The maid said, 'Yes, there is another person sitting there also, but he seems to be beside himself. He never notices who comes or who goes, nor does he hear a word said by anybody there. He cannot possibly be the man that you love.' Laila said, 'I think he must be the man. Alas, if you have all this time given the food to the wrong person! Well, to make sure, today take on the plate a knife instead of food and say to that one whom you gave the food, 'For Laila a few drops of your blood are needed, to cure her of an illness.''

When the maid next went to the mosque the man as usual came most eagerly to take his meal, and seeing the knife was surprised. The maid told him that a few drops of his blood were needed to cure Laila. He said, 'No, certainly I am not Majnun. There is Majnun. Ask him for it.' The maid foolishly went to him and said to him aloud, 'Laila wants a few drops of your blood to cure her.' Majnun most readily took the knife in his hand and said, 'How fortunate am I that my blood may be of some use to my Laila. This is nothing, even if my life were to become a sacrifice for her cure, I would consider myself most fortunate to give it.' 'Whatever the lover did for the beloved, it could never be too much.' He gashed his arm in several places, but the starvation of months had left no blood, nothing but skin and bone. When a great many places had been cut hardly one drop of blood came out. He said, 'That is what is left. You may take that.' 'Love means pain, but the lover alone is above all pain.'

Majnun's coming to the town soon became known, and when Laila's parents knew of it they thought, 'Surly Laila will go out of her mind if she ever sees Majnun.' Therefore they resolved to leave the town for some time, thinking that Majnun would make his way home when he found that Laila was not there. Before leaving the place Laila sent a message to Majnun to say, 'We are leaving this town for a while, and I am most unhappy that I have not been able to meet you. The only chance of our meeting is that we should meet on the way, if you will go on before and wait for me in the Sahara.'

Majnun started most happily to go to the Sahara, with great hope of once more seeing his Laila. When the caravan arrived in the desert and halted there for a while, the mind of Laila's parents became a little relieved, and they saw Laila also a little happier for the change, as they thought, not knowing the true reason.

Laila went for a walk in the Sahara with her maid, and suddenly came upon Majnun, whose eyes had been fixed for long, long time on the way by which she was to come. She came and said, 'Majnun, I am here.' There remained no power in the tongue of Majnun to express his joy. He held her hands and pressed them to his breast, and said, 'Laila, you will not leave me any more?' She said, 'Majnun, I have been able to come for one moment. If I stay any longer my people will seek for me and your life will not be safe.' Majnun said, 'I do not care for life. You are my life, O stay, do not leave me any more.' Laila said, 'Majnun, be sensible and believe me. I will surely come back.' Majnun let go her hands and said, 'Surely I believe you.' So Laila left Majnun, with heavy heart, and Majnun, who had so long lived on his own flesh and blood, could no more stand erect, but fell backward against the trunk of a tree, which propped him up, and he remained there, living only on hope.

Years passed and this half-dead body of Majnun was exposed to all things, cold and heat and rain, frost and storm. The hands that were holding the branches became branches themselves, his body became a part of the tree. Laila was as unhappy as before on her travels, and the parents lost hope of her life. She was living only in one hope, that she might once fulfill her promise given to Majnun at the moment of parting, saying, 'I will come back.' She wondered if he were alive or dead, or had gone away or whether the animals in the Sahara had carried him off.

When they returned their caravan halted in the same place, and Laila's heart became full of joy and sorrow, of cheerfulness and gloom, of hope and fear. She began looking for the place where she had left Majnun. At long last, she found Majnun, sitting beneath the exact tree she left him. She saw Majnun turned almost into the tree. Flesh and blood had already wasted, and the skin and bone that remained, by contact with the tree, had become like its branches. Laila called him aloud, 'Majnun!' He answered, 'Laila!' She said, 'I am here as I promised, O Majnun.' He answered, 'I am Laila.' She said, 'Majnun, come to your senses. I am Laila. Look at me.' Majnun said, 'Are you Laila? Then I am not,' and he was dead. Laila, seeing this perfection in love, could not live a single moment more. She at the same time cried the name of Majnun and fell down and died.

The beloved is all, the lover only veils him.

The beloved is all that lives, the lover a dead thing.
Jalaluddin Rumi, Mathnawi I, 30

Layla & Majnun - The History

2007-05-10T17:22:00.000+08:00

Poems attributed to Qays bin al-Mullawah, regarding Layla,

'' I pass by these walls, the walls of Layla

And I kiss this wall and that wall

It’s not Love of the houses that has taken my heart

But of the One who dwells in those houses ''

Layla and Majnun is a classical middle eastern love story made famous by Nizami and well loved by the Sufis. A story of a Man's perfection in love. It is based on the real story of a young man called Qays ibn al-Mullawah, from the northern Arabian Peninsula in the Umayyad era during the 7th century. There were two Arabic versions of the story at the time. In one version, he spent his youth together with Layla tending their flocks. In the other version, upon seeing Layla he fell in a most passionate love with her.

In both versions, however, he went mad when her father prevented him from marrying her; for that reason he came to be called Majnun Layla, which means "Driven mad by Layla".

In Turkey, the phrase "To feel like Layla" is used to mean the feeling one gets when one is completely "out-of-it" and dazed, and also, to feel like Majnun, means to be crazily in love. These phrases originate from the above love story. The word 'Majnun' (or Majnoon) in Persian and Arabic means 'crazy'.

In all the versions of the story, Layla is said to be dark & ugly, and not wanted by men. There was once Majnun, the great lover of Persia was asked, 'Oh, Majnun,' they said, 'your girl is not as beautiful as you think. You are sacrificing your life. You grieve for ages and ages for that girl. But she is not so beautiful.' Majnun answered, 'You should see my Laila with my eyes. It is the eyes of my heart you need. My heart has made my Laila.' That is called an ideal. And the ideal of perfection makes it beauty.

The story of Ultimate love.

Poem In Praise of Shaik Abdul Qadir Jilani

2007-04-28T12:09:00.000+08:00

The fire of Hell cant burn me down because i am the lover of Gaus Paak and Paak Panjatan are my Beloved!

The dogs of Gaus Paak is enough to beat the hell out of Najdi!

Sufism was incomplete Without u , You complete the sufism and Mysticism!

I was nothing but by selling myself to you i became Immortal!I am pleased to be your slave , Because your slaves are having Higher Ranks than Kings Yaa Gaus!

My chest is filled with your love , My eyes have Madina and my heart has Bagdad , It all because of your blessing and grace I go in ecstacy when people calls me your slave , i got spiritually uplifted when i hear your blessed names!

People do tawaaf of Kaaba , O my beloved Kaaba do Tawaaf of yours!

You are my helper , You are my Saviour in both the world!

I request you to come with the angle of death , so that i can see your blessed and the most beautiful face during the departure from this world , No doubt i will be placed in Jannat , because Allah Azwajaal loves you so much that he will not burn the eyes which have your blessed face and heart that is filled with your love!

The fire of hell is nothing in front of you , the hell fire dont have guts to burn your slaves!I became Qadri and your slave because you show mercy on me and you select this sinner from the Millions!

I am crazy about Gaus Paak , I am the lover of Gaus Paak ,

The fire of hell cant dare to burn me because my beloved is Paak Panjatan!

‘Urs -e- Ghous -e- Jīlānī (11th Rabī’ al-Ākhir)

2007-04-28T11:56:00.000+08:00

The venerable Muhyiddin Abu Muhammed Abdul Qadir, may his soul be sanctified, is AL-Gawth Azam, the manifestation of Allah's attribute the all powerful,who hears the cry for help and saves the ones in need,and Al-Qutub Al-Azam,the pole , the centre,the summit of spiritual evolution, the spiritual ruler of the world,the sourse of wisdom,container of all knowledge,the example of faith and islam,a true inheritor of the perfection of the Prophet Muhammad, a perfect man , the king of the Awliyas and founder of the Qadriya ,the mystical order that has spread far and wide and preserved the true meaning off Islamic Sufism throughout these centuries until our time.

11th rabi-ul-akhir The fourth month of the Islamic calendar is Rabi al Thani or sometimes known as Akhir. In this very month is the anniversary of the King of Baghdad, Chief of the contented souls, the incomparable, Hadrat Ghawthal-A'zam, Sayyadina Shaykh Muhiyudin, Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani, al-Hasaniw'al-Husaini, BhagdadiMuslims throughout the world in this month zealously make arrangements to offer Niyaz and Fateha of the Saint of Baghdad. Charity is also given in the name of Pious Saints of Islam as a means of conveying reward to these blessed from which not only the poor and beggars benefit a great deal but the souls of the believers also obtain peace and contentment.

A saying of Shaykh Sayyadina Abd'al-Qadir al JilaniGhawth al-A'zam said that, "Whosoever in his distress cries to me for help, he will be relieved of his distress; whosoever in his difficulty calls by my name, his difficulty will be solved; whosoever in his time of need-makes me as his intermediary to Allah Ta Aala , his needs will be fulfilled.

What is Sufism

2007-04-24T22:13:00.000+08:00

What is a Sufi?
One who does not separate himself from others by opinion or dogma; and who realizes the heart as the Shrine of God.

What does the Sufi desire?
To remove the false self and discover God within.

What does the Sufi teach?
Happiness.

What does the Sufi seek?
Illumination.

What does the Sufi see?
Harmony.

What does the Sufi give?
Love to all created things.

What does the Sufi get?
A greater power of love.

What does the Sufi find?
GOD.

And lose?
Self.

- A beautiful poem of what Sufism is all about by Hazrat Inayat Khan
founder of Universal Sufism and the Sufi Order International, and also responsible for the rise of Sufism in the West.

Understanding Islamic Mysticism

2007-04-24T21:40:00.000+08:00

Whirling Dervish from the Mevlavi Order

Islam and Sufis

Sufism is commonly called the mystical branch of Islam, but many Sufis would argue the point, saying that Sufism existed before the advent of the Prophet Mohammed. This perspective makes Sufism a non-dogmatic tradition of devotion and mystical technology, somewhat parallel to the role of Yoga in India. Others, however, find this argument offensive, asserting that Sufism is well-rooted within the religion of Islam. Either way, it is a holy well of sacred experience and has inspired some of the finest mystical poetry given to the world.

The Sufis

Sufis are sometimes called the Masters of Love because the Sufi path strives for ecstatic ego annihilation in the fires of Divine Love.

The origin and meaning of the word Sufi is often debated. It is often said to derive from the Arabic word for wool (suf), and a reference to the simple, rough clothing often associated with early Muslim ascetics. Other possible meanings for the term relate to purity, the chosen ones, even a reference to the Greek word for wise man (sophos). The truth is that all of those possible meanings tell us something of what it means to be a Sufi.

The Sufi commentator Qushayri gives a beautiful description of the Sufi ideal:

Sufism is entry into exemplary behavior and departure from unworthy behavior.
Sufism means that God makes you die to yourself and makes you live in him.
The Sufi is single in essence; nothing changes him, nor does he change anything.
The sign of the sincere Sufi is that he feels poor when he has wealth, is humble when he has power, and is hidden when he has fame.
Sufism means that you own nothing and are owned by nothing.
Sufism means entrusting the soul to God most high for whatever he wishes.
Sufism means seizing spiritual realities and giving up on what creatures possess.
Sufism means kneeling at the door of the Beloved, even if he turns you away.
Sufism is a state in which the conditions of humanity disappear.
Sufism is a blazing lightning bolt.

(quoted in Sufism: An essential introduction to the philosophy and practice of the mystical tradition of Islam, by Carl W. Ernst, PhD)

Though not as widely known or practiced in the West today as Yoga, Sufism has had a profound effect on the mystical traditions of the world, both East and West, since the Middle Ages. The Sufi tradition seems to have influenced developments in modern Yoga, particularly the ecstatic devotional practices of Bhakti Yoga. In Europe, as well, where mysticism often had to remain underground and look for mystical traditions "lost" or suppressed in mainstream expressions of Christianity, the Sufis greatly inspired Christian mystics, reaching them through Moorish Spain, through the interaction of the Crusades, and through the influence of Islamic physicians and scientists in service at various European courts.

Sufi Poetry

Poetry has been a revered art in every world culture, but this is particularly so throughout the Islamic world. This is partly due to the traditional Islamic prohibition on representational art. Since portrayal of people and things was largely forbidden, the visual arts tended to focus on rich, elaborate patterns and calligraphy, while much of the Islamic artistic genius emphasized the power of words over the visual image. And the Quran itself uses highly poetic language which, of course, inspires a tendency among Muslims to express themselves in a similarly poetic fashion. Perhaps the desert environments that predominate in many Islamic countries likewise contributed to a vocal rather than a visual focus.

The poetic tradition within Islam, still very much alive today, has given us an amazing bounty of sacred and mystical poetry from the Sufi and Muslim traditions.

You're That.

2007-04-18T23:39:00.000+08:00

I swear my dear son
No one in the entire world
is as precious as you are

Look at that mirror
Take a good look at yourself
Who else is there above and beyond you

Now give yourself a kiss
And with sweet whispers
Fill your ears to the brim

Watch for all that beauty
Reflecting from you
And sing a love song to your existence

You can never overdo
Praising your own soul
You can never over-pamper your heart

You are both
The father and the son
The sugar and the sugar cane

Who else but you
Please tell me who else
Can ever take your place

Now give yourself a smile
What is the worth of a diamond
if it doesn't smile

How can i ever put a price
On the diamond that you are
You are the Entire Treasure of the House

You and Your shadow
Are forever present in this world
You're that Glorious Bird of Paradise.

-Rumi

I am Before, I am After

2007-04-17T11:10:00.000+08:00

I am before, I am after
The soul for all souls all the way.
I'm the one with a helping hand
Ready for those gone wild, astray.

I made the ground flat where it lies,
On it I had those mountains rise,
I designed the vault of the shies,
For I hold all things in my sway.

To countless lovers I have been
A guide for faith and religion.
I am sacrilege in men's hearts
Also the true faith and Islam's way.

I make men love peace and unite;
Putting down the black words on white,
I wrote the four holy books right
I'm the Koran for those who pray.

It's not Yunus who says all this:
It speaks its own realities:
To doubt this would be blasphemous:
"I'm before-I'm after," I say

- Yunus Emre

The Mystic

2007-04-12T23:40:00.000+08:00

The mystic plunged into the ocean.
Someone called." Come on out. You're done."
He replied in rapture, " How can I?
I am the ocean! I can't do anyting."

-Rumi

The Beloved is Enough

2007-04-10T17:46:00.000+08:00

A person who sees Your face once
Will never forget You all his life,
On his prayer beads he recites only Your name,
He can't remember anything except You.

If an ascetic, always in prayer to You,
Should catch sight of You once,
He will forget his prayer
And prostrate before You alone.

If his eyes happen to fall upon You
With sugar in his mouth,
He forgets the sugar, he no longer needs
To chew and swallow that kind of sweetness.

If they ask me what You are worth,
Because of my love for You,
I'd say the wealth of the two worlds
Would not be enough to describe it.

If these two worlds were nothing but
Vineyards and gardens of roses,
No rose would grow in any garden
With a fragrance better than Yours.

For lovers the Beloved is enough,
He is the scent of roses and sweet basil,
The Beloved stands before
The lover every instant, every moment.

When the sound of Israfil's trumpet
Makes everything rise from the grave,
My ear will still hear nothing more
Than the pure resonance of Your voice.

If Venus herself were to come down
To earth and sing her sweetest songs,
A lover's gaze would never turn to look,
Since You are all the lover's joy.

What can the wealth of this world
Or the next mean without You?
Let no one doubt both worlds
Are sacrificed to You.

If the houris of the eight heavens
Come to me adorned in their beauty,
My heart will never accept
Any other love but Yours.

Whatever exists in this world
Will be there in the hereafter,
When houris and the servants of paradise come,
The lover should not reach out to them.

Ever since Yunus fell in love with You,
Happiness has come to his soul,
At every moment he is reborn,
His life is always young.

-Yunus Emre

See

2007-04-09T21:07:00.000+08:00

The Ignorant
search for God.

The Wise know,
there is no search.
For God has never been lost,
to go on a search.

He sits patiently beside you,
in every instance
hoping you would see him.

©Luqman.HiddenRealms.

Who hears?

2007-04-08T21:44:00.000+08:00

Who is hearing?
Your physical being doesn’t hear,
Nor does the void.
Then what does?
Strive to find out.
Put aside your rational Intellect,
Give up all techniques.
Just get rid of the notion of Self.

-Zen Teaching

Shed All...

2007-04-08T21:35:00.000+08:00