2 quotes from ‘The Forty Rules of the Religion of Love –Shams of Tabriz’, taken from the “The Forty Rules of Love” by Elif Shafak:

“Whatever happens in your life, no matter how troubling things might seem, do not enter the neighbourhood of despair. Even when all doors remained closed, God will open up a new path only for you.  Be thankful! It is easy to be thankful when all is well.  A Sufi is thankful not only for what he has been given but also for all that he has been denied.”

“Patience does not mean to passively endure.  It means to be farsighted enough to trust the end result of a process. What does patience mean?  It means to look at the thorn and see the rose, to look at the night and see the dawn.  Impatience means to be shortsighted as to not be able to see the outcome.  The lovers of God never run out of patience, for they know that time is needed for the crescent moon to become full.”

I have also made a network of friends here that have become my family–and many of them are international students. I have made friends from Sudan, India, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Tibet.  Alhamdulilah I love learning about the issues within these cultures and I love meeting new people on the whole.

People ask me if I miss home and wonder why I don’t go home as often as I could.  I want to explain to them that my home is where my ambition is.  Home is where my hopes and ideals are.  It may not be tangible, because I can feel at home with a new friend in a foreign country.  Feeling at home for me is to be at ease.  To be happy, and to be content with your surroundings.  May God preserve the ease within our surroundings and homes.  Ameen.

The fear of ignorance, the fear of slavery.
An escape from the grasp of the world.
A means to achieve it requires much bravery.
This sweet drink; rich with wisdom unfurled.

All I ever craved lies within these hands.
How I longed to drink in endless bliss.
No care have I for the beauties in the lands.
Of mirage, deception; items I dismiss.

I dive head first into the drink of pure musk.
Its taste and aroma warm as the sun.
My heart finally matured, like the onset of dusk.
An instrument played solely by One.

Bend over and peer at this seedling
That has now blossomed into a rose
The fragrance; amorous and giving
Entranced me into an unstable pose

Wandering aimlessly, I am drunk
Tears and smiles fall from my eyes
My filled heart has sunk,
Heavy with images, actions, and sighs

The deceitful forms are so beautiful
So transitory, yet mighty
I sing to the rose aiming to lull
Hoping it will notice me

But I am not enough
To contain its flouncing soul
It is unstoppable and tough
Bound to the laws of its role

“I am but a guide” The rose says
“But I want to keep you” I respond
“I am but a reflection” The rose says
“I know, but I am weak” I respond

The rose shakes its head
And flutters away in the wind
I am alone and stagnant as lead
But with a heart brimming and unpinned

http://sandala.org/blog/2011/06/21/where-are-the-no-smoking-signs-in-medina/

The article is about the blindness of our hearts to certain realities in Medina that deteriorate the environment–physical and spiritual.  We have become so obsessed with material acquisition and forget that we are merely here on earth for good character acquisition.  Thus, we should not complain about the West but rather we should look inward to rectify our inner selves.  Why are we so greedy, heedless, and selfish?  We seriously need to fix our hearts before Allah helps us change our societies at large.

The Most Harmful Thing
by Shaheen Ahmad

“These days I have been listening to a series of lectures based on the topic of how to become an excellent teacher of Quran. Surprisingly I have learned things which I had not even expected. For example, the concept that external problems or hurdles are not the real obstacle in the way of success… Rather it is our sins which have the most damaging effect on our lives. This reminded me of the countless times I have told others that I could not do such and such thing or could not complete the target I had in mind because of this problem or that hurdle… sometimes blaming people, other times crying over health problems… always a string of excuses which are nothing more than that… excuses! Because If I had truly wanted to do something and sincerely asked Allah, then why would he not let me do things which I want to do only for his sake? Surely there must be something wrong inside my own self?

I remember a few years ago I had gone to visit my parents. The next morning there was no water in the taps… very strange!!! Because the night before they had got the water tank refilled… so where did those gallons of water disappear? Plumbers were called and they began digging to find the leakage… the whole house was in an uproar, with people coming in and out… nothing else could be done because everything depends on water. Finally the broken pipe was discovered and repaired, the tank was filled again and life restored back to normal.

But when the same story happens with our tank of faith and knowledge; it never becomes an issue of concern. We fill our hearts and minds with the knowledge of Quran and Hadith… but the next day when we face any situation and open the tap, nothing comes out… no patience, no gratitude, no kindness with others… where did all the knowledge go? Nobody is worried… no one tries to find the leakage of the heart…

But we must realize that just as life stops if there is no water, similarly the soul dies if there is no faith… our very survival depends on it… so if the knowledge is not coming out in deeds then it means that there is some serious leakage problem. For me it remained a mystery for many years but Alhamdulillah I just found out that every sin for which we do not feel guilty nor do taubah nor correct it… then it creates a crack in our heart from where faith keeps dripping out and we don’t even realize it. So whenever we feel lack of motivation, lack of energy, then immediately we should pray to Allah to show us where we went wrong and then honestly and sincerely ask Allah for forgiveness. So as to mend the crack and ensure that our tank of faith remains full.

May Allah protect us from our self conceit and give us insight with which we might realize our mistakes and correct our ways. Because no one else can do it for us. Each one of us has to be responsible for his own life.

Wassalam,

Shaheen Ahmad
Al Huda Institute, Canada

This heart laughs at every ravishing form
it communicates with.
Every illusion, obstacle, companion in a dorm,
it lavishes with.

This heart satiates every one of its fibers
with the pleasure of its scene.
It drinks up the happiness it gains
from the beautiful illusions of others.

As a result this heart has become sick.
The mind cries at night when the reality
approaches it.
Yet it is also content with the little
Happiness it receives.

How foolish this heart
when it can be free from flaws
by satiating itself with Dhikr-
clear-flowing water that nourishes
every living thing in its path.

satiated with
Love and Constancy,
Enveloped in
Sincerity and Longing,
for divine connection and
Consummation.

The Ka’ba is the spiritual heart of the terrestrial world, and it is also the projection on the material plane of all the Houses in the higher heavens up to the Populous House, which is the heart of the Universe. The Ka’ba therefore corresponds outwardly to what the heart is inwardly, and this is why we term the Ka’ba the ‘heart of the world’, and the Populous House the ‘heart of the universe.’ Thus the Qur’an verse, Purify My House for those who circle around it, retreat in it, bow and prostrate (22:26), is taken by Imam al-Haddad to refer to the heart with the various influences from the surrounding dimensions revolving around it. Similarly, the physical heart which sends blood and warmth throughout the body is a symbol of the heart of the man of God which radiates lights. The Ka’ba, which radiates the blessings it receives from the higher world throughout the terrestrial world, and the Populous House, which radiates light throughout the universe, are also symbolized by the heart.”

Excerpt from Man and the Universe, by Dr. Badawi

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was the most beloved creature to God in the history of mankind, yet he was also tried with the most calamities and tribulations.  Whenever he got sick, his illness would be 3X as worse than that of a regular person (mentioned in a hadith).  Tribulations are meant to make us strong individuals, purify us of our sins, and make us strong Warriors in the way of Allah.  This warrior is not meant in the narrow-minded way of fighting on the field.  It is the warrior of the soul, the capacity to have great morality, great generosity, great manners, and great character towards others.  A true warrior of God doesn’t lose control over his emotions, he never allows his anger to take hold of him.  He never allows his miserliness to prevent him from giving to others.  How do we reach this level?  Certainly not by being pampered and being treated like a prince/princess for the rest of our life.

Thus, tribulations given to us from Allah are also a mercy from Him.  It is better to undergo tribulations on earth, rather than to endure tribulations in Jahannam (hellfire).  The Prophet (pbuh) had the toughest life on earth but he also had the highest place in Paradise.  Our response to Allah’s tribulations is what determines our place and worth in Paradise.

Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said:
“Never a believer is stricken with a discomfort, an illness, an anxiety, a grief or mental worry, or even the pricking of the thorn but that Allah will expiate his sins on account of his patience.”
Al Bukhari and Muslim