This goes out to all Jews and Christians who are Islamophobes. If you are not an Islamophobe Jew or a Christian, disregard this post and move on ...
Idolaters Killed 1. Then I heard Him call out in a loud voice, "Bring the guards of the city here, each with a weapon in his hand." 2. And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar. 3. Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the LORD called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side 4. and said to him, "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it."
5. As I listened, He said to the others, "Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. 6. Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple.
7. Then He said to them, "Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go!" So they went out and began killing throughout the city. 8. While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell facedown, crying out, "Ah, Sovereign LORD! Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?"
9. He answered me, "The sin of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. They say, 'The LORD has forsaken the land; the LORD does not see.' 10. So I will not look on them with pity or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done."
11. Then the man in linen with the writing kit at his side brought back word, saying, "I have done as you commanded."
I have not left any Verse from Chapter 9 of the Book of Ezekiel, so as not to hear I've misquoted or partially quoted. It's from the NIV, the other older versions are even harsher. Next time someone hears those scumbags Nick Griffin (Chairman of BNP in UK), Robert Spencer (author of numerous so-called exposition of Islamic terrorism books) and other scumbags like them talk about taking out the Quraan, while they think they can portray Judaism and Christianity as peace-loving, tolerable religions, tell them to swallow these Verses (and MANY like them) with a gulp first. Heck, these Islamophobes are no better than the disgusting terrorist Osama bin Laden.
I tell you what: the Islamophobic Jews and Christians are sheer hypocrites. No exaggeration there. You keep defying what 'your Lord' says in the Bible you hold onto, and think you can attack Islam with your petty talks. Your version of god would probably have come and wrestled you on the earth, if that version was true. In fact, look at what "your Lord" says in the Chapter quoted. For all the bloodshed, injustice and idolatry that you hold onto, "your Lord" would probably have asked someone bloodthirsty like Osama bin Laden (OBL) to wipe you out. OBL should hide behind the Hebrew Bible when he kills the innocents, not the Quran or Islam; because it's the Bible that authorizes indiscriminate killing. (For just one refutation out of the tens of refutations of filthy terrorism that the likes of OBL promote, read this.)
The man in linen did as his Lord commanded: which is killing them all, showing no mercy. So you as a God-loving Jew or a Christian, would you not do the same as that man in linen?
Filth and hypocrisy is all these Islamophobes can offer. God willing, just as many others have exposed these hypocrites, I'd produce more detailed posts addressing them and their "proofs" later.
A beneficial blog from one of our brothers should be checked by those who question their souls. The brother is a Chicano who left Christianity for Islam.
Ever wondered what a white British lady would sound like speaking English with a Chinese accent? No, she is not a comedian or doing it for any show. She had migraine issues and developed what is called a Foreign Accent Syndrome. So all women out there, beware!
Well I guess I developed it too, playing too much GTA 4 over a 6-month period! Or maybe I just like the accent of Eastern Europeans and want to sound like them. I so wish one day I wake up with an Irish accent -- that's the only cool accent I can't do no matter how hard I try.
Strange world!
A woman from Devon has begun speaking with a Chinese accent after suffering severe migraines.
Thirty-five-year-old Sarah Colwill puts the startling change down to an extremely rare medical condition known as Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS).
"I knew I sounded different but I didn't know how much and people said I sounded a bit Chinese.
"Then I had another attack and when the ambulance crew arrived they said I definitely sounded Chinese."
The rare disorder is thought to be caused by strokes and brain injuries and causes sufferers to lose the ability to talk in their native accent.
There have been an estimated 60 recorded cases of FAS since it was first identified in the 1940s.
I am frustrated to sound like this. I just want my own voice back, but I don't know if I will get it back.
Sarah Colwill
Mrs Colwill, who lives in St Budeaux in Plymouth, Devon, with her husband Patrick said her accent change had been startling.
"I spoke to my stepdaughter on the phone from hospital and she didn't recognise who I was.
"She said I sounded Chinese. Since then I have had my friends hanging up on me because they think I'm a hoax caller."
After researching FAS on the internet Mrs Colwill has been in contact with doctors from Oxford University who are interested in studying her plight.
She is undergoing speech therapy to try to revert to her West Country accent.
"I am frustrated to sound like this. I just want my own voice back, but I don't know if I will get it back."
John Coleman, a professor of phonetics at Oxford University, said: "FAS is extremely diverse, almost certainly not 'one thing', not a well-defined medical phenomenon.
Sarah Colwill -Pics from SWNS agreed by Grippo
Sarah Colwill says her stepdaughter failed to recognise her voice
"It is not the kind of problem that there are any easy generalisations about."
Sufferers can develop an accent without ever having been exposed to it as it is the change in speech patterns from a brain injury which causes the lengthening of syllables, change in pitch or mispronunciation of sounds.
Experts believe FAS is triggered following a stroke or head injury, when tiny areas of the left side of the brain linked with language, pitch and speech patterns are damaged.
The result is often a drawing out or clipping of the vowels that mimic the accent of a particular country, even though the sufferer may have had limited exposure to that accent.
One of the first reported cases was in 1941 when a Norwegian woman developed a German accent after being hit by bomb shrapnel during an air raid.
As a result, she was shunned by her community, who falsely believed she was a German spy.
In 2006 Linda Walker, 60, woke from a stroke to find that her Geordie accent had been transformed into a Jamaican one. (Sky News)
Look at some of the comments. One said it's all fake because she is now using incorrect English grammar like many Chinese people in UK. Haha I'd be rich if you'd give me a pound for every time I hear a British speaking with an incorrect English grammar even with a British accent. Allow. It's normal to say "How's you" and not "How're you"...
It's funny because only few weeks back I watched this episode of TV series Lost, where this South Korean lady forgot how to speak English after she hit her head and became unconscious. Now she could speak and understand English before that happened, but after the accident, she can understand English and write in English but can't speak English. I thought that's only possible in a strange serial such as Lost, but not in the real world. Well, reality is often stranger than fiction!
I don't watch American Idol or Indian Idol or whatever idol you got going. I don't see singers as any kind of idols. Do you all know the Chris Brown story? The 19-year old who whacked his ex-girfriend Rihanna? There's the idol for the singer lovers. Stand-up comedian D L Hughley rightly said about Chris Brown:
"They said Chris Brown was the role model. Let me tell you something: Chris Brown is a 19 year old boy. If you have a 19-year old child as your fuckin' role model, you're a goddamn idiot. That's the fuck you are. I've got a 19 year old son and I don't even leave him home by himself!"
Yeah the truth hurts. Anyway, this youtube video was sent to me by a friend of mine.
I just got thinking, is this retard for real? But he got some good comments right there. "As a tax paying American, I wanna see your working visa" to the British Simon Cowell. Yeah that red passport ain't that red on the other side of the Atlantic.
Time for some more ramble. To keep up with the rest of the 'normal' bloggers.
So I had today what is called 'Hoisin Duck'. It's a Chinese main dish that's got sliced duck with green peppers and water chestnuts in a hoisin sauce. Is it me or do all Chinese dishes are just too saucy?
When people say, Indian dish, you'd think yeah it's 'spicy'. And it's true. South Asians have a thing for extreme spice and extreme sweets. And no, that vindaloo dish ain't spicy at all. It's been watered down so that non-Indians can eat that! Similarly, when people say Middle Eastern dish, you'd think some 'meaty kebab' dish. If you're around Bristol in England, I recommend trying the Lebanese restaurant called Sands Restaurant. I went there some years back and my taste buds still haven't forgotten whatever lamb dish I had.
Anyway, back to hoisin duck. I am a meat-eater and I LOVE meat and would victimise the vegetarians. Yeah, that's me. The more meaty it is, the better. So I had good thoughts about hoisin duck but it kinda disappointed me. Maybe because I don't find the idea of cooking anything with a lot of sauce a good thing. And Chinese dishes are full of sauce. It's soya sauce AND that vinegar AND hoisin sauce or this and that sauce.
I had a Chinese housemate few years back and he invited me to this dinner and since then, I realised Chinese dishes are saucy. Maybe if you're up for a saucy meal, this hoisin duck would do just the thing for you.
How come Brits get to eat Oriental meal with chopsticks?
I'm serious. I went to this social dinner with my work colleagues last summer and we went to this Chinese restaurant. Now everybody except me started eating with chopsticks. And I can't even hold them right, let alone eat with them. So I raised this point in the table. And they reminded me the fact that Brits of the old have ruled and exploited much of the world so Brits can do it all. They are more Chinese than the new-age Chinese-Brits. It made sense.
I am not a poet. I don't do poems. But I would share some poems from this individual called Stanley Smith from England. I think I saw him in a mosque or a community hall once, but I can't be sure. He's a white man past his 50s - a man who embraced Islam, who embraced the truth. The poems are quite good I'd say, for what it's worth.
From his words:
"These poems would never have been written had it not been for the inspiration I received from reading the Koran (it's pronounced Qur'aan, Uncle) and for all the help I have received from my friends, who have helped me to begin to understand and opened my eyes.
I only hope that in some way these verses will touch the hearts of those that read them.
I hope I continue to progress and that I can be worthy."
One Step Nearer
Are you one step nearer To fulfilling your dream Or has it become just a might have been The star you saw within your grasp Did it slip through your fingers A thing of the past
Are you footsore and weary Made many mistakes But don't give up now You are reaching the gates The gates that will open like the sun after rain Restoring your soul All has not been in vain
Allah was with you And when you were weak Gave you rest for a moment Put salve on your feet Kept the light burning You knew from within Although the flame flickered It never went dim
The time will come surely Before Him we stand Here I am Allah Await your command And hopefully then You will realize too The dream that you had Has become really true
I had to share this. I just had to. It is sufficient to say that I love the Salaf (righteous predecessors) that followed the Messenger of Allah and exemplified the way for the believers to be righteous and fearful of the Most Majestic, the Lord of the Universe.
I am talking about the two distinguished Imams (leaders) of the Ummah - Muhammad ibn Idrees ash-Shaafi'ee and Ahmad ibn Hanbal ash-Shaybanee. The latter came after the former and was a student of the former.
Things Are Not Always What They Seem…
Imam Ahmad used to mention the virtues of his Shaykh (teacher), Imam ash-Shafi'ee, to his wife. He would mention to her the extensive and superb knowledge of Imam Ash Shafi'ee as well as his taqwaa (i.e. piety).
Imam Ahmad invited Imam Ash Shafi'ee to come visit him at his home. When the time for dinner arrived, Imam Ash Shafi'ee ate until he was full and went to the guest room for some sleep.
The wife of Imam Ahmad said to him: "O Ahmad! Is this the same Shafi'ee that you used to tell me so much about?"
Imam Ahmad said: "Indeed he is!"
So she said: "I noticed three things about him worthy of criticism! Firstly, when we served him the food, he ate plenty of it! Secondly, when he went into the guest room, he went to sleep without standing up to perform the night prayer (i.e. tahujjud)! Lastly, when he prayed Salat ul Fajr (Fajr prayer) with us, he did not perform ablution (i.e. wudhu)?!"
So Imam Ahmad went to Imam Ash Shafi'ee to ask him about these three matters his wife noticed.
Imam Ash Shafi'ee said to him, (the way a father would explain to his son):
"O Ahmad! I ate plenty because I know for certain that your food is halaal (i.e. permissible islamically) and you are a generous man! And the food that comes from a generous man is a cure, while the food that comes from a stingy man is a disease!
However, I didn’t eat plenty of food in order to achieve my fill; rather I ate plenty of your food in order to derive the cure from it! As for the reason I didn’t stand up at night to perform the night prayer, when I laid my head down to get some sleep, I looked and all I could see was the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet (Sallahu alaihi wa salam) right in front of my face! So I deducted 72 fiqh(jurisprudence) related benefits from them for the Muslims to benefit from.
Thus there was no opportunity for me to stand and perform the night prayer!
As for the reason why I prayed Salat ul Fajr without performing ablution, by Allah! My eyes never tasted the sweetness of sleep in order for me to renew my wudhu (ablution)! I was awake the whole night, so I prayed Salat ul Fajr with the same wudhu I had for Salat ul Isha (Isha prayer)!"
(Collected by Al Hafidh Ibn Hajr in Fath ul Bari concisely and by Abu Nu’aim in Hilya tul Awliyaa’ Translated by Abu Azzubayr Shadeed Muhammad on 3/30/2010 in the City of Riyadh Saudi Arabia)
What can I say? May Allaah have mercy on Imam ash-Shafi'i. There is the example of the Inheritor of the Messenger of Allaah, there is the example of a man worthy of respect and love.
This is a simple but often overlooked and misunderstood matter for many. All people have the custom of greeting one another. The Arabs used to greet one another with the words “An’im sabaahan” or “An’imu sabaahan” [equivalent to “Good morning”], using words derived from “al-ni’mah”, which means good living after the morning. The idea was that because the morning is the first part of the day, if a person encounters something good in the morning, the rest of the day will be good too. Like in English-speaking nations, it is the custom to greet one another using the word 'Hi', 'Hello' or 'Hey' and on a more formal tone, to say 'Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening'.
When Islam came, Allaah prescribed that the manner of greeting among Muslims should be “assalaamu alaykum (السلام عليكم)". This is the general form of greeting used in Muslim lands and nations, even though local influence may have caused it to modify it or even distort it, for instance saying 'slamalaikum' which do not have any useful meaning as far as I know.
Meaning of assalamu alaikum
Salaam (سلام) is literally translated into 'peace'. When the definite article al- is used, as in al-salaam which is pronounced as 'as-Salaam', then that is one of the beautiful names of our Lord, Glorified be He, free from all imperfections and need. This is one of the glorification that Muslims can say verbally after completing the obligatory prayer (Salaah/Namaaz), as reported in Saheeh Muslim (1/414) from the words of the Prophet of Allaah, peace and blessings be on him, "اللهم أنت السلام ، ومنك السلام" meaning "O Allaah, You are the Peace and from You is all peace (meaning, all peace and tranquility only comes through You)".
The usage of the preposition ‘ala in ‘alaykum (upon you) indicates that the greeting is inclusive. The plural pronoun (-kum) implies everyone if it is in a group or family. Hence the phrase assalamu alaykum translates into 'peace be on you all' and it is an invocation to the Lord for safety and harmlessness for the person (to which assalamu alaykum is said).
Importance for saying assalamu alaikum
The companion 'Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar , may Allaah be pleased with both 'Abdullaah and 'Umar, reported that a man asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
“What is the best thing in Islam?” He said, “Feeding others and giving the greeting of salaam to those whom you know and those whom you do not know.” (Saheehayn and others)
((أن رجلا سأل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : أي الإسلام خير ؟ قال : تطعم الطعام ، وتقرأ السلام على من عرفت ومن لم تعرف))
The great Scholar of the past, al-Qaadee 'Ayaad (القاضي عياض) said in Ikmaal al-Mu’allim (1/276):
"Here the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was urging the believers to soften their hearts. The best Islamic attitude is to love one another and greet one another, and this is achieved by words and deeds. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) urged the Muslims to foster love between one another by exchanging gifts and food, and by spreading salaam, and he forbade the opposite, namely forsaking one another, turning away from one another, spying on one another, seeking out information about one another, stirring up trouble and being two faced.
Love is one of the duties of Islam and one of the pillars of the Islamic system. One should give salaams to those whom one knows and those whom one does not know, out of sincerity towards Allaah; one should not try to impress other people by giving salaams only to those whom one knows and no-one else. This also entails an attitude of humility and spreading the symbols of this ummah through the word of salaam.”
Thus the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained that this salaam spreads love and brotherhood. The companion Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you about something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread salaam amongst yourselves.” (Saheeh Muslim and others)
((لا تدخلون الجنة حتى تؤمنوا ولا تؤمنوا حتى تحابوا أولا أدلكم على شيء إذا فعلتموه تحاببتم أفشو السلام بينكم))
al-Qaadee ‘Ayaad said in Ikmaal al-Mu’allim (1/304):
"This is urging us to spread salaam, as mentioned above, among those whom we know and those whom we do not know. Salaam is the first level of righteousness and the first quality of brotherhood, and it is the key to creating love. By spreading salaam the Muslims’ love for one another grows stronger and they demonstrate their distinctive symbols and spread a feeling of security amongst themselves. This is the meaning of Islam.”
And there are other hadiths that stress the importance of salam in Islam. Such as:
On the authority of al-Bara' bin 'Azib (may Allah be pleased with them) the Messenger of Allaah commanded us to do seven things: to visit the sick, to follow the funeral (of a dead believer), to invoke the Mercy of Allah upon one who sneezes, to support the weak, to help the oppressed, to promote the greeting of 'As-Salamu 'Alaikum', and to help those who swear to do something to keep their oaths. (Saheehayn, as quoted in Riyadus Saliheen of Imam an-Nawawi)
In fact, one can see how the great Scholars of Islam stressed the importance of salaam, due to the fact that the Messenger of Allaah stressed it so much. Imam Yahya an-Nawawi, in his widely known book 'Riyadus Saliheen', has dedicated one whole section on greetings, calling it 'The Book on Greetings'. Within this section, he has 13 chapters conveying A-Z about 'salaam' in Islam! This petty post cannot stress enough the importance and blessings of this simple saying: 'Assalamu Alaikum'. What to say to spread salam?
One can say either 'Assalamu Alaikum (السلام عليكم)' or 'Salamun Alaikum (سلامٌ عليكم)' and they are both correct and acceptable as reported in the authentic texts. What is even better is to say 'Assalamu alaikum warahmatullah/Salamun alaikum warahmatullah(سلامٌ عليكم ورحمة الله)' and the best thing is to say 'Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh/Salamun alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh (سلامٌ عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته)'.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained the reward earned by the one who says salaam, as was reported in Saheeh Ibn Hibbaan and others. The companion Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said that a man passed by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) whilst he was sitting with some others, and said “Salaam ‘alaykum (peace be upon you).” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “[He will have] ten hasanaat (rewards).” Another man passed by and said “Salaam ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaah (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allaah).” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “[He will have] twenty hasanaat (rewards).” Another man passed by and said “Salaam ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings).” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “[He will have] thirty hasanaat (rewards).”
Our Lord tells us that the greeting of the angels to the people of Paradise will be “Salaamun ‘alaykum” as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
And angels shall enter unto them from every gate (saying): ‘Salaamun ‘Alaykum (peace be upon you) for you persevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the final home!' ((وَالْمَلائِكَةُ يَدْخُلُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ بَابٍ سَلامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِمَا صَبَرْتُمْ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ))
[Surah ar-Ra’d 13/23, 24]
Saying 'wassalam' at the end of a letter or post
There is nothing wrong with ending a letter with the phrase “wassalaam (والسلام)” and it is not a condition that the phrase should be used in full, because when a written abbreviation is used, what the writer means is the complete expression. So when a person says “wassalam”, what he or she means is “was salaamu ‘alaykum.” But if the person sending the letter writes “wassalaamu 'alayka” or “wassalaamu ‘alaykum” at the end, this is better. The companion 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him, ended his letter to the Qaadee (Judge) Shurayh with the words “wassalaamu ‘alayka” [Sunan an-Nasa'i].
However, the person sending the letter should greet the addressee with the complete phrase (“Assalaamu 'alaykum”) at the beginning of the letter, as has been the habit of the Muslims from the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) until the present. And Allaah knows best.
Don't be a miser or try to be too correct grammatically!
This is an important reminder. Some Muslims, who are aware that plural pronoun ends with -kum and masculine pronoun ends with -ka and feminine pronoun ends with -ki in Arabic words to refer to a person or people, resort to saying "assalaamu 'alayka or assalamu 'alayki" instead of "assalamu alaykum". While this is not wrong or unacceptable, this is an unnecessary correction that restricts the supplication to only the person that the greeting of salaam is being sent to, and excludes the angels that are present (but invisible) and the person's family.
Yes, you have completed the bare minimum and yes, you have been 'grammatically correct' in your greeting, but please do not exclude my family from your supplication for granting peace and blessings and mercy from the Lord of the Universe! Don't be a miser in your supplication.
Returning the reply to salaam
It is obligatory that you return the greeting of salaam with something equivalent or better. In some cultures, when a lower-class person gives salaam to an upper-class person, the latter do not bother to return the reply. This is contradictory to the teaching of Islaam and we seek refuge in Allaah from such superiority complex.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to return salaams, and made it a right and a duty. It is reported on the authority of the companion Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Muslim has five rights over his fellow-Muslim: he should return his salaams, visit him when he is sick, attend his funeral, accept his invitation, and pray for mercy for him [say “Yarhamuk Allaah”] when he sneezes.” (Saheehayn and others)
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or (at least) return it equally”
[Surah an-Nisa’ 4:86]
Why say Assalamu Alaikum to the Muslim
Would you not agree that you'd rather have someone supplicate to our Lord for you and your family instead of saying 'hello'? I agree it is probably easier saying 'hi' as it's shorter containing just two alphabets, but if you really wish good for a person, then invoke Allaah's safety and security for the person.
This is something that may not be known or understood correctly by non-Muslims and even many laymen Muslims. Yes, assalamu alaikum is a Muslim thing, but ponder for a moment the beauty of the teaching of Islam that asks one another to supplicate for safety and blessings and mercy and thereby increase love and respect between one another, instead of giving a 'hello' or 'good morning' out of courtesy.
May our Lord increase love and respect between one another and guide us all to that which is true and beautiful.
People post all kinds of things in their blogs - random, useless stuff like what they eat, what they wear, which guy she dated and all that. I have kept my blog quite clean so far from such stuff but I guess it's time I ramble about useless stuff too - at least this one time. Allow.
My summer outfit
I had to go to this appointment today for some 'healthcare'. I put on a three-quarter pant, a T-shirt, a sunglass and sandals. Now that's what I call summer time! It's the only time when I can wear sandals outdoors without someone saying I wear it because I'm ethnically Asian. But I love wearing sandals. I don't have to put on socks, I don't have to wash the socks and deal with the ewww smell of it and all that thing. Nobody seems to appreciate the simple and easy comfort that sandals provide, unless it's summer or they're strolling down a beach. I mean, of course you'd have to be dumb to wear sandals outdoors during winter time, but why do you always wear socks indoors? Your feet SMELLS.
I could also put on the three-quarter pant (or shant!) and it felt good. Guess why? Because last summer, I was so fat that I couldn't fit myself in it! And now, only a summer down the line, this shant was falling off and I struggled the whole way to maintain it. So if someone says, why don't you buy a new pair that IS YOUR size? Well, there is no such thing as MY size. What can I do? I change weight like the British weather. One season I'm fat like a pig and the next season people want to be like me!
On my way to business ...
Right, you could sense summer is in the air, just by looking at your surroundings. Forget the sun; people would remind you it's summer. As I walked past the park, I could see tens of groups of people enjoying the sun as they say. Almost every other person has put on the shades just like me and almost every other guy is wearing shorts. Not to mention the girls, I guess you all know how they enjoy the sun. It's like they've been waiting for this moment their entire lives. Although I always wondered how do they not tremble and shiver on the evenings (even in winter) as they're about to hit a club wearing next to nothing? I couldn't do it! Those girls must have some balls.
It's worse in England because you don't have proper sun in here most of the year. I like saying, "Even the sun is cold in this country!". So when you have that slightest feeling of summer in the air, you get all summer crazy. It's only April, so I gotta get used to what's coming in July.
I saw a group of ladies, over 10 of them sitting in a circle on the soft grass. See, with shades on, you have the advantage of looking at people and things without them knowing anything and it's perfect for pervs (hey, I'm NOT a perv!). I mean such a huge group of ladies and not a single man amongst them - I couldn't help but wonder is that a feminist picnic on a Saturday afternoon?
The roads and streets are busy too. You have roofless, two-door cars popping up from everywhere in summer. It's good if you're a sports car fan - you'd see people banging their heads with loud music and chicks giggling inside the car. That's 'fun'. It was nice to see a South Asian couple in the city centre (extreme South). Finally some ethnically similar people! Saw a grandma and her 14ish grandson carrying grocery bags and that was the only thing that is not exclusive during summer time. Right, I'm there for the appointment.
My appointment
So I was there for some facial treatment as it's called. The receptionist told me to sit and wait so I was glancing through some of the magazines in the salon. It's been some time since I touched a fashion magazine and I tell you what, they say it's the newest trend and collections but it's all the same. It's like old wine in new bottle. You have thin-as-hell models wearing or putting on those collections and when people say is it the flesh you want me to look at or the cloth, I can't disagree. Where's all the feminists?
Now I'm not a fashion person; I never was. Meaning I don't usually buy cologne and suits from Hugo Boss or something. If I see something flashy or catchy, I'd buy it. It doesn't matter which brand it is or if this trend was so yesterday. And I'm cheap. I mean it's a sensitive word to say, but I don't like spending uncontrollably. I'd go for the £1 body spray to keep my odour away. But then a comment in the magazine caught my eyes. It's an article by one of the stylist-turned-fashion designer in England and she is probably famous to those who keep up with this kind of stuff. I forgot her name even. So she comments:
"Style is about how you wear something. It is about attitude. It is about knowing who you are"
Cool. She, an expert in whatever she does, didn't mention about 'brand' even once. Style is NOT about which brand you choose. This is soothing to read coz I can now say I've got style!
So the beauty therapist goes through this facial thing. Now last time I did it, it was back in 2009 and the therapist was quite surprised knowing it, saying I should be doing it once every 4-6 weeks. Give me a break! It costs £47 for 45 min and I wasn't quite satisfied with all that was put in my face! I've done it for something like £15 for 45 min in South Asia, and they had put more stuff and all that steam and mumbo jumbo creams. I'm not going back there next time. The only soothing thing was to hear the therapist say I've got a pretty good skin for a man. Well I try! But my forehead is a bit 'dehydrated', so I should drink more water. They also gave me a small serum sample to apply on my forehead. How nice.
The therapist ended the session by applying this moisturizing skin toner I guess and told me to leave it as it is until tomorrow morning. Good thing I cooked all that Desi dishes involving oil, turmeric and chill powder yesterday! I'm not quite sure if it made the difference I wanted to have, especially with summer in the air! Sure my skin feels more glossy, but I need to check it with my mother and aunt to see if it was worth it.
(You might have to take your top off during the session so it's best to ask for a male/female therapist of your preference and that is usually available.)
Coming back to my flat ...
It's pretty much the same. Only this time I got past this cricket field and saw there was a cricket match going on. Now I'm not the usual South Asian who loves Cricket. I find Cricket a boring sport except maybe the new 20-20 format. Oh as I am typing this, my family's come online. I gotta check my face with them!
So, summer is almost here. And people would do what they do. Just please don't put retarded comments on the internet or rape some woman or murder some man you got beef with. I've got loads of work in the coming weeks so I might not be around. And with summer in the air, I guess people are busy enjoying the sun rather than reading blog posts.
Well I was supposed to continue with my family values and wisdom posts, but this particular message caught me suddenly and I couldn't help myself but address it.
So this internet person called Angus McFarlane made a comment in response to a news that reported President Obama's administration gave a "Wanted: Dead or Alive" pass to one of the radical Muslim terrorists. McFarlane writes:
"Targeting the messenger is confusing the messenger with the message. It's the message that needs to be taken out. That is, Al Qur'an."
Another internet person, called 'Sole Man' replied wittily:
"I hope you realize that there are 1.57 billion Muslims, making up 23% of the world population ... You are not suggesting to target them .. are you?"
Thank you Sole Man for raising this point. Let me put this simply: Angus McFarlane is just another Islamophobic idiot. I searched him on google and I found one guy on facebook with his name, but maybe he's not the same person. Anyway, let me try put some sense into that thick head of yours McFarlane ...
The messenger you're referring to McFarlane, called Anwar Awlaki, has been refuted by the Inheritors of the Messenger of Allah and the students of the Inheritors of the Messenger of Allah over and over again. If you had spent more time researching the truth and less time posting bullshit comments on the Internet, it would probably have created less Muslims who hate you with everything they got. I really wish to know if you have a religion McFarlane, coz don't let me pull the Bible or the Torah to show you how many 'messages' are there in them that should be taken out according to your rationale. Well I'd do it anyway, in future, God willing.
And if you're the usual atheist, 'worshipping' Richard Dawkins, then I think you should have made it clear that the message that needs to be taken out is not just the Quran, but the Bible and the Torah included. And I think, with that line of attitude, Obama would give you the "Wanted: Dead or Alive" pass in no time.
Denouncing the messenger Anwar Awlaki
Well McFarlane, since idiots like you don't have a soul to question, let me put a comprehensive refutation of the dangerous views of Anwar Awlaki here for anyone else reading it, showing what he's calling for is not what the Messenger of Allah and the Inheritors of the Messenger of Allah call for. But idiots like McFarlane exist, just as terrorists like Awlaki do.
This post is for everyone who has been afflicted with the calamity of not even knowing who is in the family, let alone speak to them or visit them or aid them to the best of ability. No, one does not have to have a major in Sociology to understand and appreciate this post. You only need to question your soul to appreciate it!
What is family?
Well I have to touch a bit on sociology here to sound academic. In the West, the word family usually refers to what is known as a nuclear family, consisting either of a married couple (or a divorced or widowed parent) with unmarried children or of a married couple without children. So this nuclear family contains the parents and their non-adult, unmarried children or only the husband and the wife, with no children.
This is not the usual case elsewhere. Well it was not the case back in the days. In Asia (including Far East, Middle East, North, South), Latin America, Africa and many parts of Europe, family usually referred to what is known as an extended or joint family, and would include parents, children, spouse, grandparents, uncles and aunts, siblings and cousins. All do not necessarily have to live under one roof or even in one town, but when you mean family, your cousin from your second paternal uncle is also included in this structure. Obviously, just as with many other things in the society, Westernisation and 'modernisation' and 'industrialisation' and what-not have had a drastic effect on today's family structure. Just look at the many immigrant 'families' residing in the West; the son does not recognise anyone except his siblings and parents to be his family, yet has 500 facebook friends whom he keeps in touch with every day! This is the reality now.
The negative perception towards extended family
I am not sure if I'm generalising too much on this, but from what I have experienced, the new generations (say post 1980s) consider extended family to be an unnecessary burden, an unnecessary load on their shoulders. Why have your 80-year old grandpa in your house when there's an old care centre only 100 miles down the road? Why visit your maternal aunt in Ethiopia when you can have a summer trip to Barcelona? Why send a £100 gift to your cousin in Argentina, when you can spend it in the club this coming Friday? Why, why?
Some of the negative perceptions are not without proofs. For instance, many newly wed couples do not want to stay in the same house with their parents or in-laws because of the friction, jealousy and power control inside the house. Many put this as a marriage condition: "I'm not staying with your parents if we get married." Or later in the marriage, when they have kids, "I'm not gonna let my kids hang out with your cousins/mother/siblings/etc." Sometimes it makes sense, because your cousin might be a porn-addict or your dad might be a chain-smoker or your mother might enjoy gossiping about others and while you do not backbite about them, you may not want your children to take on those habits. So not all negative perceptions are necessarily unreasonable.
Why bother about your parents, siblings and relatives?
If you are a Muslim, then because it is the Commandment of Allaah and His Messenger. Even Hindus and Buddhists keep ties with their relatives, well at least, that was the traditional way.
The importance of upholding and maintaining ties of kinship in Islam is highlighted in Part 2.
Following on from Part 1b, it is a good time to expound on the other Verses of our Lord cited for aid in understanding and following.
The Prophet of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam, said:
1. "Whoever says anything about the Quran without knowledge, then he should take his abode (home) in hell" (Sunan Abu Dawud)
2. "Whoever talks about the Quran on the basis of his opinion, and even if he says something true in it, he has made a mistake" (Sunan Abu Dawud, Sunan an-Nasa'i)
Translated Verse from Quran
2. "And follow not ( i.e., say not or do not or witness not) what you have no knowledge of. Indeed the hearing, sight and the heart, one will be questioned of all of those" [Surah al Israa 17:36]
Do not speak without Knowledge
'Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Abdullah ibn 'Abbas (Companion of Prophet) said: "This means do not say (anything of which you have no knowledge).'' Al-'Awfi said: "Do not accuse anyone of that of which you have no knowledge.'' Muhammad bin Al-Hanafiyyah said: "It means bearing false witness.'' Qatadah said: "Do not say: 'I have seen', when you did not see anything, or: 'I have heard', when you did not hear anything, or: 'I know', when you do not know; for Allah will ask you about all of that.''
In conclusion, what they said means that Allah forbids speaking without knowledge and only on the basis of suspicion, which is mere imagination and illusions. As Allah says (as translated): (Avoid much suspicion; indeed some suspicions are sins.) [49:12]
According to a Hadith, the Prophet said:
«إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظَّنَّنَفَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكْذَبُ الْحَدِيث» (Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the falsest of speech.)
And the Prophet said, as found in Sunan Abu Dawud:
«بِئْسَ مَطِيَّةُ الرَّجُلِ: زَعَمُوا» (What an evil habit it is for a man to say: 'They claimed...')
According to another Hadith, the Prophet said:
«إِنَّ أَفْرَى الْفِرَى أَنْ يُرِيَ الرَّجُلُ عَيْنَيْهِ مَا لَمْ تَرَيَا» (The worst of lies is for a man to claim to have seen something that he has not seen.)
The Prophet says as reported in Saheeh:
«مَنْ تَحَلَّمَ حُلْمًا كُلِّفَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَنْ يَعْقِدَ بَيْنَ شَعِيرَتَيْنِ وَلَيْسَ بِفَاعِل» (Whoever claims to have seen a dream (when he has not seen) will be told on the Day of Resurrection to make a knot between two barley grains, and he will not be able to do it.)
Each of hearing, sight and the heart will be questioned, meaning, the person will be asked about them on the Day of Resurrection, and they will be asked about him and what he did with them. [Tafseer Ibn Katheer]
Following on from Part 1a, it is a good time to expound on the Verses of our Lord for aid in understanding and following.
The Prophet of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam, said:
1. "Whoever says anything about the Quran without knowledge, then he should take his abode (home) in hell" (Sunan Abu Dawud)
2. "Whoever talks about the Quran on the basis of his opinion, and even if he says something true in it, he has made a mistake" (Sunan Abu Dawud, Sunan an-Nasa'i)
Translated Verse from Quran
1. "Say: this is my way, I call to Allaah upon sure knowledge (Baseerah); I and whosoever follows me ..." [Surah Yusuf 12:108]
The Messenger's Way
Allah orders His Messenger to say to mankind and the spirits (Jinns) that this is his way, meaning, his method, path and Sunnah, concentrating on calling to the testimony that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone without partners. The Messenger calls to this testimonial with sure knowledge, certainty and firm evidence. He calls to this way, and those who followed him call to what Allah's Messenger called to with sure knowledge, certainty and evidence, whether logical or religious evidence. [Tafseer Ibn Katheer]
Baseerah here means that the da'wah of the noble Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, is not based on some summary view of things; rather, it is the outcome of insight, reason and wisdom. In this act of 'full cognition', the Prophet has included his followers as well.
According to Abdullah ibn Abbas, the companion of the Prophet, it refers to the noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all. They are the soldiers of Allah, Glorified be He. Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, another companion of the Prophet said, "The Companions of the Prophet are the best people of this whole Ummah. Their hearts are pure and their knowledge is deep. They are far removed from formality. Allah has chosen them to accompany and serve their Messenger. You should learntheir morals, habits and ways because they are the ones who are on the Straight Path (i.e. the Path to Success)."
It is also possible to take the expression "and whomsoever follows me" in the general sense whereby it would mean every person who is doing the duty of conveying the da'wah of the Messenger of Allah to his Ummah right through the last day before end of the world.
Background This is a beautiful reminder from the great great grandson of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be on him. The poem (Arabic: Qaseedah قصيدة) is called 'Laysal Ghareeb' (ليس الغريب) which literally translates into 'The Stranger is Not'. It is a self-provoking, soul-searching poem reflecting on life, death and beyond.
It's a very popular poem in Yemen and elsewhere. Ponder upon the words of the poem for a moment ...
Listen to the poem
Listen with subtitles in French, in Dutch. Listen to other Recitors of the same poem here and here. Download audio version of the recitation from here.
Arabic Poem with Translation
لزين العابدين علي بن الحسين ين علي بن أبي طالب Written by Zain al-'Aabideen ‘Alee bin al-Hussayn bin ‘Alee bin Abee Taalib [The Great great grandson of the Prophet]
لَيْسَ الغَريبُ غَريبَ الشَّأمِ واليَمَنِ إِنَّ الغَريبَ غَريبُ اللَّحدِ والكَفَنِ The stranger is not the stranger to Yemen or Shaam (Syria) But the stranger is the stranger to the grave and the coffin
إِنَّ الغَريِبَ لَهُ حَقٌّ لِغُرْبَتـِهِ على الْمُقيمينَ في الأَوطــانِ والسَّكَنِ Verily the stranger has rights for his absence Over the residents of the dwellings & homelands
لاتنهـــرن غريب حال غربته الدهـــر ينهــــره بالـــــذل والمحــن Don’t chase away the outlander in his state of unfamiliarity For time is also chasing him with hardship & distress
سَفَري بَعيدٌ وَزادي لَنْ يُبَلِّغَنـي وَقُوَّتي ضَعُفَتْ والمـوتُ يَطلُبُنـي My travels are far and my provisions will not suffice me My strength has weakened and death is calling unto me
وَلي بَقايــا ذُنوبٍ لَسْتُ أَعْلَمُها الله يَعْلَمُهــا في السِّرِ والعَلَنِ I still have sins which I know not of Allah knows of them; those made in secret & in manifest
مـَا أَحْلَمَ اللهَ عَني حَيْثُ أَمْهَلَني وقَدْ تَمـادَيْتُ في ذَنْبي ويَسْتُرُنِي How merciful has Allah been to me by giving me respite And I have increased in sins but Allah has always shielded me
تَمُرُّ سـاعـاتُ أَيّـَامي بِلا نَدَمٍ ولا بُكاءٍ وَلاخَـوْفٍ ولا حـَزَنِ The hours of my days pass by without regret No crying, no fear, no sadness
أَنَـا الَّذِي أُغْلِقُ الأَبْوابَ مُجْتَهِداً عَلى المعاصِي وَعَيْنُ اللهِ تَنْظُرُنـي I am the one who closes the doors with fatigue On disobedience, And the Eye of Allah watches over me..
يَـا زَلَّةً كُتِبَتْ في غَفْلَةٍ ذَهَبَتْ يَـا حَسْرَةً بَقِيَتْ في القَلبِ تُحْرِقُني O’ that which was written in a moment of heedlessness O’ the sorrow which remains in my heart is burning me
دَعْني أَنُوحُ عَلى نَفْسي وَأَنْدِبُـهـا وَأَقْطَعُ الدَّهْرَ بِالتَّذْكِيـرِ وَالحَزَنِ Leave me to bewail myself and weep and pass the time in sadness and remembrance
دَعْ عَنْكَ عَذْلي يَا مَنْ كان يَعْذِلُني لَوْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ مَا بي كُنْت تَعْذُرُني Leave off your blaming of me O’ you who do so If you were but to know my situation you would have excused me..
دَعْني أَسِحُّ دُمُوعاً لا انْقِطَاعَ لَهَا فَهَلْ عَسَى عَبْرَةٌ مِنْهَا تُخَلِّصُني Let me cry out tears that have no ending to them for there will be no lesson that will set me free
كَأَنَّني بَينَ تلك الأَهلِ مُنطَرِحــَاً عَلى الفِراشِ وَأَيْديهِمْ تُقَلِّبُنــي It is as though I am with that family, laying.. Upon the mattress with their hands turning me over
وَقد أَتَوْا بِطَبيبٍ كَـيْ يُعالِجَنـي وَلَمْ أَرَ الطِّبَّ هـذا اليـومَ يَنْفَعُني And they came to me with a doctor that he may cure me.. But of today, I think not that medicine will benefit me..
واشَتد نَزْعِي وَصَار المَوتُ يَجْذِبُـها مِن كُلِّ عِرْقٍ بِلا رِفقٍ ولا هَوَنِ My sufferings increased and death began to pull at me.. From every vein, without ease or comfort..
واستَخْرَجَ الرُّوحَ مِني في تَغَرْغُرِها وصـَارَ رِيقي مَريراً حِينَ غَرْغَرَني My soul was then removed from me with a gurgle.. And my saliva became bitter at that point..
وَغَمَّضُوني وَراحَ الكُلُّ وانْصَرَفوا بَعْدَ الإِياسِ وَجَدُّوا في شِرَا الكَفَنِ They then shut my eyes and left me… after a long moment of despair ... they hurried to the purchase of the shroud
وَقـامَ مَنْ كانَ حِبَّ النّاسِ في عَجَلٍ نَحْوَ المُغَسِّلِ يَأْتينـي يُغَسِّلُنــي And he who was dearest to me got up in a hurry.. To summon the person who was to wash me..
وَقــالَ يـا قَوْمِ نَبْغِي غاسِلاً حَذِقاً حُراً أَرِيباً لَبِيبـاً عَارِفـاً فَطِنِ He said: O’ my people we have attained a Washer who is skillful, clever, bright & intelligent..
فَجــاءَني رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ فَجَرَّدَني مِنَ الثِّيــابِ وَأَعْرَاني وأَفْرَدَني So then one of the men came and removed my clothing.. He undressed me and denuded me…
وَأَوْدَعوني عَلى الأَلْواحِ مُنْطَرِحـاً وَصـَارَ فَوْقي خَرِيرُ الماءِ يَنْظِفُني They then placed me on top of a board And the sound of water above me began to clean me
وَأَسْكَبَ الماءَ مِنْ فَوقي وَغَسَّلَني غُسْلاً ثَلاثاً وَنَادَى القَوْمَ بِالكَفَنِ He poured the water on top of me and washed me.. Three times, before calling out to the people for the shroud..
وَأَلْبَسُوني ثِيابـاً لا كِمامَ لهـا وَصارَ زَادي حَنُوطِي حيـنَ حَنَّطَني They shrouded me in a sleeveless garment.. And my provisions became the embalmment in which they embalmed me
وأَخْرَجوني مِنَ الدُّنيـا فَوا أَسَفاً عَلى رَحِيـلٍ بِلا زادٍ يُبَلِّغُنـي They bore me towards my journey out of this world, oh how sorrowful! Will be this journey for which I have no provisions to take along with me
وَحَمَّلوني على الأْكتـافِ أَربَعَةٌ مِنَ الرِّجـالِ وَخَلْفِي مَنْ يُشَيِّعُني Upon their shoulders, they carried me, Four…. Men, and behind me are those who come to bid me farewell
وَقَدَّموني إِلى المحرابِ وانصَرَفوا خَلْفَ الإِمـَامِ فَصَلَّى ثـمّ وَدَّعَني They set me before the mihraab then turned away from me Behind the Imam they went and he prayed on me then bade me farewell
صَلَّوْا عَلَيَّ صَلاةً لا رُكوعَ لهـا ولا سُجـودَ لَعَلَّ اللـهَ يَرْحَمُني They prayed over me a prayer consisting of neither Rukoo’ (bowing) nor Sujood (prostration) Asking that Allah may have mercy upon me
وَأَنْزَلوني إلـى قَبري على مَهَلٍ وَقَدَّمُوا واحِداً مِنهـم يُلَحِّدُنـي They lowered me into my grave slowly And one of them came forward to place me in the Lahd
وَكَشَّفَ الثّوْبَ عَن وَجْهي لِيَنْظُرَني وَأَسْكَبَ الدَّمْعَ مِنْ عَيْنيهِ أَغْرَقَني He raised the garment from my face to gaze upon me And the tears spilt from his eyes awashing me
فَقامَ مُحتَرِمــاً بِالعَزمِ مُشْتَمِلاً وَصَفَّفَ اللَّبِنَ مِنْ فَوْقِي وفـارَقَني Then he stood, honouring me, firm and resolute And lined the bricks on my body then left me
وقَالَ هُلُّوا عليه التُّرْبَ واغْتَنِموا حُسْنَ الثَّوابِ مِنَ الرَّحمنِ ذِي المِنَنِ Then he stood, honoring me, firm and resolute And lined the bricks on my body then left me
في ظُلْمَةِ القبرِ لا أُمٌّ هنــاك ولا أَبٌ شَفـيقٌ ولا أَخٌ يُؤَنِّسُنــي In the darkness of the grave, no mother is there nor, Is there an affectionate father, or a brother to comfort me
فَرِيدٌ .. وَحِيدُ القبرِ، يــا أَسَفـاً عَلى الفِراقِ بِلا عَمَلٍ يُزَوِّدُنـي Alone….The only inhabitant of the Grave, oh how Sorrowful! Am I on parting the world bearing no deeds to provision me
وَهالَني صُورَةً في العينِ إِذْ نَظَرَتْ مِنْ هَوْلِ مَطْلَعِ ما قَدْ كان أَدهَشَني And a sight which beheld my eye struck terror into me From a place of terror it came and startled me..
مِنْ مُنكَرٍ ونكيرٍ مـا أَقولُ لهم قَدْ هــَالَني أَمْرُهُمْ جِداً فَأَفْزَعَني Munkar and Nakeer (Angels in Grave), what shall I say to them? The thought of them strikes terror into me, it causes me fear
وَأَقْعَدوني وَجَدُّوا في سُؤالِهـِمُ مَـالِي سِوَاكَ إِلهـي مَنْ يُخَلِّصُنِي And they made me to sit and put forth their questions I have none other than You now, O Lord to deliver me!
فَامْنُنْ عَلَيَّ بِعَفْوٍ مِنك يــا أَمَلي فَإِنَّني مُوثَقٌ بِالذَّنْبِ مُرْتَهــَنِ So bestow upon me from your mercy, O Lord; how I hope in You! For verily I am fettered in my sins, I am confined by them
تَقاسمَ الأهْلُ مالي بعدما انْصَرَفُوا وَصَارَ وِزْرِي عَلى ظَهْرِي فَأَثْقَلَني The relatives have divided my wealth amongst them after leaving me And my sins are now upon my back, burdening me
واستَبْدَلَتْ زَوجَتي بَعْلاً لهـا بَدَلي وَحَكَّمَتْهُ فِي الأَمْوَالِ والسَّكَـنِ My wife has taken another husband in my place And she has appointed him as overseer over my wealth and my home
وَصَيَّرَتْ وَلَدي عَبْداً لِيَخْدُمَهــا وَصَارَ مَـالي لهم حـِلاً بِلا ثَمَنِ She has made my children into servants to bid unto her needs And my wealth has become to them a worthless means of enjoyment
فَلا تَغُرَّنَّكَ الدُّنْيــا وَزِينَتُها وانْظُرْ إلى فِعْلِهــا في الأَهْلِ والوَطَنِ So let not this world and its adornments deceive you And look at its (evil) effects in your family and homeland
وانْظُرْ إِلى مَنْ حَوَى الدُّنْيا بِأَجْمَعِها هَلْ رَاحَ مِنْها بِغَيْرِ الحَنْطِ والكَفَنِ And look at the one who collects the wealth of this dunya (life in this world) in abundance Will he depart from this world bearing other than the death shroud and embalmment?
خُذِ القَنـَاعَةَ مِنْ دُنْيَاك وارْضَ بِها لَوْ لم يَكُنْ لَكَ إِلا رَاحَةُ البَدَنِ Take from the dunya (worldly life) that which suffices you and be content with that Even if you were to have nothing but good health
يَـا زَارِعَ الخَيْرِ تحصُدْ بَعْدَهُ ثَمَراً يَا زَارِعَ الشَّرِّ مَوْقُوفٌ عَلَى الوَهَنِ O you who sow good, you will reap the fruit of your efforts O you who sow evil you will find yourselves overcome with grief
يـَا نَفْسُ كُفِّي عَنِ العِصْيانِ واكْتَسِبِي فِعْلاً جميلاً لَعَلَّ اللهَ يَرحَمُني O soul of mine, abstain from sinning and attain instead Deeds which are beautiful, for which Allah may be merciful towards me
يَا نَفْسُ وَيْحَكِ تُوبي واعمَلِي حَسَناً عَسى تُجازَيْنَ بَعْدَ الموتِ بِالحَسَنِ O soul of mine, woe upon you! Turn towards your Lord in repentance, and do that which is good So that you will be recompensed after your death with that which is delightful
ثمَّ الصلاةُ على الْمُختـارِ سَيِّدِنـا مَا وَضّـأ البَرْقَ في شَّامٍ وفي يَمَنِ Lastly sending prayers upon the Chosen One, our Sayyid (leader) Of that which the light has lit up in Shaam and in Yemen
I'm me. I am just an average guy from an average neighbourhood. Nothing special, nothing extraordinary.
Read this for more information about myself and the blog: http://questionyoursoul.blogspot.com/p/me-and-my-blog.html
