Things Are Not Always What They Seem…

Imam Ahmad used to mention the virtues of his sheikh, 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 taqwah (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 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 halal (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 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!! I was awake the whole night, so I prayed Salat ul Fajr  with the same wudhu I had for Salat ul Isha!!!

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

Lesson: “Judgements prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances.”

Once you become attached to a person’s personality, it is extremely hard to let go.  But essentially this is the purpose and idea behind the life of this world.  Do not become stuck at a level and you will attain spiritual ascension.

Rumi discusses this when he speaks about the “tresses” of God’s “hair”.  The tresses are the beautiful attributes of God that manifest through his creations.  People hold onto the tresses and become so infatuated that they forget that the sole purpose behind the tress was to guide them to the Being behind it.

Yes, people are beautiful, intelligent, generous, loving.  The world is beautiful, intelligent, generous, loving.  But do not allow these things to block your view of the Being behind them all.  Try not to allow yourself to hold onto a tress for so long that you cry when it is time to let it go.

It’s so hard sometimes because you wonder why you had to encounter the tress in the first place.  Yet there is a wisdom behind it, you may not understand it now, nor 10 years from now.  But use it as a tool to get beneath the “hair” that covers God.  Use it as a way of understanding the vastness and wonder of God.  Do not fall in love with the painting.  Like the painting but fall in love with the Painter.

Goodbye beautiful tress.

The more I study Buddhism, the stronger I become in my own faith.

Islam believes that there were 124,000 messengers of God who came to bring His message.  Buddha HAD to be one, inshAllah….

The greatest achievement is selflessness.
The greatest worth is self-mastery.
The greatest quality is seeking to serve others.
The greatest precept is continual awareness.
The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.
The greatest action is not conforming with the worlds ways.
The greatest magic is transmuting the passions.
The greatest generosity is non-attachment.
The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind.
The greatest patience is humility.
The greatest effort is not concerned with results.
The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go.
The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

-Atisha (11th century Tibetan Buddhist master)

I agree and disagree. I agree that the most important bond in a companionship is spiritual affinity, but I also think it takes longer than a moment to find that affinity.

Kahlil Gibran is such a deep thinker, I love his quotes.

This one I agree with whole-heartedly:
“Let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.”

But I have heard that this rarely happens in marriage. And this is what depresses me.

InshAllah I will not fall into this mold.

A spouse to me is someone much more than one who you share affection and financial assets together. Your spouse is your stepping (or falling) stone to God. If you have a spouse that shares your enthusiasm, your drive for knowledge, your drive for ihsan, then to me THIS is a marriage.

I don’t want my marriage to become a mundane discussion of food and money transactions.

Maybe I’m naive, maybe I’m being too idealistic. But much more than romance what I crave in a marriage is to be able to enjoy the remembrance of God in each other’s presence.

I pray we all experience the same.

My father’s death was a blessing (inshAllah).  He was finally relieved of his suffering from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).
May his soul find peace and beauty in the barzakh, the Day of Judgment, and in the Hereafter. Ameen.  I pray Allah grants him residence in Paradise near to the beloved Prophet (pbuh) and his companions.  My dad was amazing, he sacrificed his sleep and spare time to take me to countless of Islamic programs and events when I was a child.  I could write more but it would not do justice.  I’ll just keep my satisfaction and love for him in my heart for now.

I wasn’t sad at my dad’s wake nor at his janazah.  I was happy.  Happy because iA he is going to meet the Being that is the most beloved to him.  :)  My duty now is to carry on his legacy. <3 <3

I was complaining, and my friend said that complaints are only a result of my weaknesses and misjudgment of God’s wisdom.

Someone also said, “What is Tasawwuf?  Finding happiness in the heart upon the arrival of grief.”  Every sorrow and difficulty that one undergoes in the dunya is a window into a future happiness in Paradise, God-willing.  The difficulty may also be a part of a training process Allah wants us to pass.  This way we become stronger in our character and faith.

Tasawwuf is the most difficult science in Islam.  The most difficult, but the most rewarding. :)

Materialistic people who cannot burst out of their bubbles:  They are driven by the brand-name fashion industry in which they cannot leave and realize that there are much more important matters to be worrying about.  Instead of acquiring a PhD to make a difference, they are bubbling with excitement about the future car they want to buy along with their entire coach collection of purses.  Some of these people complain that they cannot stand it when their parents or scholars of Islam tell them what to do…then why are they allowing a bunch of men who control the fashion industry to influence their minds and tell them what to wear?

The person who is bound to their culture by every thread.  I have no problem with this person unless they begin to demean people of other cultures and criticize others who choose to marry outside of their culture.  Yes.  I have heard (through secondary sources) that people have called my brother a “wannabe Arab” after he married a girl who traces her roots back to Yemen.  There is a line in the Quran where God says that he created people into different tribes and cultures so that we may learn from each other.  What better way for inter-cultural exchange and harmony than to marry people from a different culture?  A partner for marriage (in my opinion) is someone with which you have a harmonious, mutual understanding in the views that mean the most to you.  If I find this harmony in a person of a different culture or race, then by all means I will consider him.  I am also disappointed when people place priority on culture over religion.  The stigmas and ideologies developed by men through a culture can never outweigh the divine sources of religion.

Finally, people who are not willing to accept or even consider religious viewpoints that are different from their own.  I have countless of examples for this, but I will list only a few.  Intelligence to me is something that grows over time.  If one is stuck in a certain ideology, or in an ideology that inherently inhibits growth, then I will begin to feel suffocated.  The Quran is a guidance to all men for eternity.  This means that its guidance will oversee many eras of culture, fashion, governance, music, food etc.  This does not mean that the fashion, food, and culture that existed during the time of the prophet is superior to all others!  What is superior during the Prophet’s time was the Muslims’ character, knowledge, manners, and intimacy with God.  As long as a Muslim is covering the necessary areas of their body with modest clothing, I do not think that their intimacy with God is limited by their failure to wear a black abayah and niqab (face-covering).  The Quran did not come down to turn humanity into robots-it came to guide us into realizing that everything that exists is a proof of God and His oneness-including the culture, fashion, and food that changes throughout time.  I have no problem with niqab, I just have a problem with those who believe that to not wear it is restricting their relationship with God.

Of course this is an extreme example, but this “niqab” is a symbol for ideologies too.  My cousin-in-law told me once that he was criticized for playing basketball because it was a biddah (innovation) and had no place in the Quran and Sunnah.  This is ridiculous and sad at the same time.  One of my favorite scholars said that the reason so many Saudi youth are turning to “western” music is because their own display of musical creativity (Nasheeds, Qasidahs, etc) is being shunned in their land as a biddah, thus they have no means to express it except though foreign music.

Another example of this close-mindedness happened recently after a conference.  The conference had different sessions: one discussing the socio-psychological perspective of Islam, one discussing the political perspective of Islam, another discussing the spiritual perspective of Islam, and another discussing business marketing and how to use it to improve the west’s understanding of Islam.  A lot of my friends went.  At first I heard many criticisms about the atmosphere because it was not gender segregated and did not offer a lot in terms of Islamic knowledge.  Then however, I heard a completely different perspective.  My own cousin and his wife told me how much they enjoyed it, and another one of my good friends said it was amazing.  When I told them about the initial criticisms, they were shocked and said that the quality and comprehensiveness of the conference outweighed the fact that it was gender-mixed.  In fact, men and women sat in clusters so it was not completely mixed.  Conclusion: do not let a petty discomfort prevent you from benefiting from something larger and substantial.

These are three main qualities that I have difficulty coming to terms with.  However one of my friends told me that you should NEVER hold antipathy towards a person who says something hurtful.  What you should hold antipathy towards is the statement that was made.  This is beautiful.

At the end of the day, everyone is raised differently and has different experiences that make them who they are.  Maybe I need to learn to open my mind, too.

How would you feel while staying in a room filled with racist people; particularly against blacks?  Their racial comments are not harsh, but bitter and blunt.  The racists are all educated too; all with at least a bachelors degree.  This is how I would feel: disgusted.  I would want to leave immediately.  I know I would start feeling “suffocated.”

Lately I have been realizing that my passions are not shared by those who I love.  Let me give you an example.  Let’s suppose you have a fascination for art. You cannot explain in words how much pleasure you receive by drawing and molding structures out of clay. It is bliss.  Moving your hands through the damp clay is the most stress-relieving, happiness-inducing movement ever.  It is ecstasy. One day your FAVORITE art scholar has appeared in town. But there is more to add to this. Your favorite art scholar designs his art around religious symbols and themes. He uses art to express his love of God and religion. OF COURSE you are excited to go.  However, you know two of your friends would not go. They are not the artsy type.  They think it is a waste of time.  They don’t realize that without art, no mosque, temple, or place of worship would be beautiful.  Some people are tempted to pray more because of the beauty and serenity of a prayer area.  Anyway.  You ask your last closest friend to attend the event with you.  Her response?  ”No, I think art and Islam coupled together is a harmful innovation.”  You let her words sink in before you respond. Your heart freezes but you don’t show it visibly.

Once you are in safe haven you stare at the mirror in utter shock at the narrow-mindedness and ignorance of the world.  But that’s not so much an issue.  You can handle narrow-mindedness.  But when everyone around you criticizes and demeans art…your heart eventually crumbles.

This is the end of my example but not the end of my post, iA it will continue this weekend.  Further explanation is necessary.

The graphics and scenery were amazing too, however, in terms of beauty, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for wii blew my mind away. And the wii game is even better since you are actually playing the main character in the game.  One of my friends mentioned that the movie made her think of the beauty of Jannah.  That is exactly what The Legend of Zelda did for me.

Anyway, here are the turn-offs of the movie for me:

Cliche love story: This reminded me of “Pocahontas”.  Of course the protagonist just happens to bump into the daughter of the leader of the tribe.  In reality, what are the chances of this happening?  Also, Neytiri is in charge of teaching Jake Sully.  Hmmm.  Very predictable.  Maybe they were cute, but I think the growing relationship between Jake and Grace the scientist was more intriguing.

Cliche Plot:  Again this reminded me of “Pocahontas,” and even “V for Vendetta”.  The perceived enemy is really not what you think they are.  The evil, white humans want to reap the natural resources, destroy nature, make money, and kill the indigenous.  The movie was predictable from the start.  Of course Jake is going to side with the natives.  After all, he becomes an Avatar.

Scantily clad female (and male) Avatar: This is added for greater effect.  The movie has all the weak-nafs pleasing elements; including attractive female heroines, and lots of violence and action.  The Avatar creatures actually reminded me of Jack from “The Nightmare Before Christmas”.

Turn-ons:

The dramatic change in relationship between Colonel Miles and Jake.  This reminded me of the same kind of plot in “Crimson Tide”.  There is a strong pact and understanding in the beginning, but it later changes because of a moral dilemma.   This reminded me that sometimes the right course of action is sometimes the most difficult to undertake.

Nature.  I love trees.  Yes.  I am a tree-hugger. :)  The appreciation of nature, animals, and its preservation.  It’s interesting because the same people who loved “Avatar” are also afraid of all pets that walk.

A new perspective of the so called “enemy”.  In the beginning of the movie, the Avatar are the ferocious enemy.  This is still evident when Naytiri tries to kill Jake.  Her gentleness begins to show when she shows regret and sorrow for killing the creatures that were attacking Jake.  When Jake later learns to slaughter the sacred Avatar way, he thanks the animal.  This reminded me of zabiha meat and showing gratitude.

When Colonol Miles says, “Let’s fight terror with terror.”  I love this!  Hopefully this will open many minds!  At this point the audience is routing for the Avatar to win the battle.  Clearly the movie makes an allusion that what we perceive to be terror or terrorists may not be true.  In fact, the humans were clearly terrorizing the Avatar by destroying their sacred tree, chasing them out of their homeland, and killing innocent Avatar.

Reality of the Avatar World.  When Jake admits that the land of the Avatar was becoming reality, and that his life on the space station was turning into a dream.  My friend pointed out that this reminded her of Akhira vs. Dunya.  Akhira=land of the Avatar!  After all, when we die, we wake up!

Limb Liberation.  The fact that Jake gets to use his legs again in the land of the Avatar.  Although I am not paralyzed from my hip down, I could feel a sense of his liberation and joy.

My Favorite:

The network and the sacred energy that passed on from the ancestors to the modern Avatar.  SubhanAllah, this reminded me of Tasawwuf and barakah.  The unbroken chain of ijazas that lead back to the Prophet (pbuh) is like the chain of energy and understanding that the avatar receive from their holy tree with the connection to their ancestors.  Also, the energy reminds me of barakah.  The more energy the Avatar have, the more their God is pleased with their actions.

Overall, the movie was very nice.  The perspective of the “enemy” and the realization of their innocence is the theme I liked most.