Things

What Are you going to do with "things" when they bury you? Now that you think about it, there's not a lot of things you can do with "things" when they bury you!"

-Shaykh Nuh

I am vendor of my soul

“Your time should not be without any structure, such that you occupy yourself arbitrarily with whatever comes along.  Rather, you must take account of yourself and order your worship during the day and the night, assigning to each period of time an activity that must not be neglected nor replaced by another activity.  By this ordering of time, the blessing in time will show itself.  A person who leaves himself without a plan as animals do, not knowing what he is to do at any given moment, will spend most of his time fruitlessly.

Your time is your life, and your life is your capital: by it you make your trade, and by it you will reach the eternal bounties in the proximity of Allah.  Every single breath of yours is a priceless jewel, because it is irreplaceable; once it is gone, there is no return for it.  So do not be like fools who rejoice each day as their wealth increases while their lives decrease.  What good is there in wealth that increases while one’s lifespan decreases?

Do not rejoice except in an increase of knowledge or an increase of good works.  Truly they are your two friends who will accompany you in your grave, when your spouse, your wealth, your children, and your friends will remain behind.”

-Al Ghazzali 

-Bidayat al Hadayat

The dua of elders

"When an elder dies, one of your doors for dua has closed. So while they‟re living, make the best of that relationship and ask them for their duas" - Imam Tahir Anwar.

So many deep meanings in life, hidden within the beauty of every relationship we have, subahannallah.

To choose and To be chosen

You don't choose happiness

Happiness chooses you

Laughter of the soul, graciously granted

When you see your dreams come true

You don't choose the wind that blows

As it blows past, it chooses you

To make you believe, in the unseen

You see, blessings have proof

You don't choose beauty

In it's radiance it chooses you

To make you realise, that you hold the prize

Clearly you are among the blessed too

And you don't choose your tests

The hardships choose you

A trial of life, to test your faith

You may possess strength you never knew

But you do choose your friends

In its sincerity friendship is chosen by you

To make you decide what qualities override

The opportunity to decipher the bad from the good

And you do choose how you spend your time

Your actions are chosen by you

Reason over feeling in a choice

Is a formula used by few

You have the power to choose your words

What leaves your mouth is chosen by you

Will you be one who keeps clean their tongue...

Be one who is known by the integrity of truth?

And you choose your intentions

The reasons behind what you do is chosen by you

Will you be moved by sincerity or greed...

Will you be kind hearted or cruel?

Ultimately you choose your faith

How you walk over the bridge of life is chosen by you

Whether in firm belief of The Lord or in ignorance

In the afterlife you will surely receive what is due

Under Cover Sis

(C) 2011

May your calling be victory!

It's an exam which many have sat

Some are currently sitting

Others are yet to sit

3 hours is all it is

But each hour feels like a number of years.

Childhood. Maturity. Old Age.

Though most exams are three hours, there's a great unknown,

whether yours would be one, you weren't prior told.

Some classmates' exams are taken by the examiner early,

without notice the end has come for their turn,

they must leave the exam hall at once,

leaving us to pray for their success,

and from their methods learn.

Others get a golden ticket, a longer timed exam,

the only problem is the more time you got the more mistakes you can make

and the more likely you'll forget the plan.

So too is it true that the longer the exam, the harder it gets to find the pages

which were wrong and the parts to rub out

for realisation and rectification has many stages.

Some choose to submit their exam in early, though this is against the rules,

they give up, sometimes due to their fellow classmates,

sometimes due to other pressures of the examination room.

But alas they didn't realise,

before choosing to depart,

that you must stick to the end of the time given,

to even be considered for a final mark.

Ah, the final mark.

We will all gather soon to find out our results

and our Examiner will be Most Kind with feedback

every word that was written will be annotated clearly, with a tick or a cross-

the marks weighed on a scale to keep track

Graduation will be held on a thin bridge,

not really what most would call ideal,

for those who fail will realise it then,

but there's no chance of retakes or repeats!

It said so on the instructions of the exam,

but not everyone did read.

But those who read and did pace themselves

may find they passed with flying colours indeed.

Even those with basic pass grades will have such joy on their faces

such joy that joy will be realised never to prior have held any meaning!!

What can be said then of those who got the best mark in the class?!

Amongst a class of trillions of billions of millions of students,

how amazing if one has a top mark!

They will be sent to a unique VIP graduation party

where the Headboy and school prefects too will be

Their calling shall be victory.

Understandably, the exam seems mystical and many will not believe what I profess

For surely you must be questioning; "such rewards for but a 3 hour test?!"

Know that this is the examination hall

You are in the 2nd hour of the exam

The exam better known as Life itself.

It's the circle of life

"This world is a mountain, and our deeds are a shout echoed back to us"

-Tales from the Masnavi

Concealed in words

An Iranian Prince once composed a verse of poetry...

"A black and white pearl is rare indeed"

He tried his best to add a second verse to this, but failed. He requested a number of other poets to help, but none of them succeeded. In desperation, he wrote to the King of Delhi, requesting for a second verse to be sent to him. The poets of Delhi were also unsuccessful. Zaibunisa Makhfi, the daughter of Alamgir Aurangzeb, was one day applying antimony and a teardrop fell from her eyes. Immediately, she composed the second verse:

"A black and white pearl is rare indeed,
Except in the surma mingled teardrop that falls from the eyes of the beloved"

The king sent the verses to the Iranian prince. After reading them, he requested that the poet be sent to him. Zaibunnisa wrote back with her answer in poetic verses:

"As the fragrance is concealed in the petals, I am concealed in my words.
Whoever desires to see me should read my verses"

~ A righteous and intellegent woman realises that her beauty is not to be subjected to the lustful glances of all and sundry. ~

-Khawatine Islam ke Iman Waqi'at, p230
as quoted in "Pearls from the Path", compiled by Moulana Afzal Ismail, Vol 2

Holding their hands for a while... their hearts forever. Mother.

It is said that under a mothers feet lies paradise. For the months which she held you, in our case held two. She would talk to us and tell us to look after each other. In reality she was the one taking care of us. Allah was Taking care of her. For the hours in labour she faced in pain, and yet for such an assault never did she complain. For the years spent weaning, caring and raising, for us to take our fathers name. Why did she only work part time? So her face we’d see after school, be there rain or shine. For the patience endured during moments of rebellion, for the wisdom which penetrated through any advice given. For the warm hugs, the warm words, the warm smiles, for making me feel like her most loved child...and when there are 4 adult children each claiming to be the most loved, that says something.

In her eyes I see love, my mother.

In her arms I feel protection, my mother.

And under her feet I envisage paradise, my mother.

Life Outlook

"It is amazing how people overlook the blessings bestowed on them by the Grace of God and covet what the wealthy enjoy. Had they observed those inferior to them they would have seen the wonderful gifts with which God Blessed them.

More amazing is the fact that they notice those inferior to them in religion, but seldom those who are better than themselves."

-Al Ghazzali, Ihya Ulum Id-Din

The Reality of Life

"The adhan is made in the baby's ear at birth
While the prayer is delayed till death
A sign that life is short
Just like the time between adhan and prayer."

A pearl among pearls, found in the excellent book,
'The Value of Time' by Shaykh Abd' al Fattah Abu Ghuddah