Imam Rabbani (ks) on importance of Shaykhs

BismillahirRahmanirRahim

Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi, radhiAllahu anh, in Mabda wa Ma'ad


"You may know that the obligation to the Shaykh is above the obligationto any one else, except for the Divine blessings and the Propheticfavors, (the obligation to Allah T’ala for His blessings and theobligation to His Messenger (salAllahu alaihi wasallam) for hisfavors). And in reality, the Messenger of Allah himself (salAllahualaihi wasallam) is everyone’s true Shaykh. (That is, one’s Shaykhis the representative and inheritor of the Prophet, salAllahu alaihiwasallam, in this life)

And though one’s physical birth is from one’s parents, the spiritualbirth is from the Shaykh. This physical life is only for a few days,but the spiritual life is ever-lasting."

City of Dignity

BismillahirRahmanirRahim


“O people, by Allâh I have visited kings. I went to Caesar, Chosroes and the Negus, but by Allâh I never saw a king whose companions venerated him as much as the companions of Muhammad venerated Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him). By Allâh, whenever he spat it never fell on the ground, it fell into into the hand of one his companions, then they wiped their faces and skins with it. If he instructed them to do something, they would hasten to do as he commanded. When he did wudû’, they would almost fight over his water. When he spoke they would lower their voices in his presence; and they did not stare at him out of respect for him.” ( al-Bukhârî, 3/178, no. 2731, 2732; al-Fath, 5/388).



Muhammad ibn `Umar said: “(Imam) Malik’s circle was a circle of dignity and courtesy. He was a man of majestic countenance and nobility. There was no part for self-display, vain talk, or loud speech in his circle. His reader would read for all, and no-one looked into his own book, nor asked questions, out of awe before Malik and out of respect for him.”


Is it possible to take the typical second, third, fourth generation Muslim and shoehorn them into the circles described above? What would be their experience?


More than likely it would be filled with boredom, confusion, and criticism all stemming from how very different this circle is than any other gathering they have participated in earlier in the day.

Sitting cross legged is already difficult enough for us, much less being surrounded by air which is infused with odd things such as ‘awe’, ‘nobility’, ‘dignity’, ‘respect’. We don’t know how to handle or envision such words in literature, and we certainly are unprepared to be faced with the practical reality of them.


Which movie prepares us for this environment? Which show? Which video game?

None.

In this void, awkwardness fills us and most peoples chests are pressed with an instinctive reaction to remove ourselves from the heat of uncomfortably.


Surrounded by people that are genuinely devoted to another individual on the basis of their superior knowledge and religious practice is disturbing in a culture which raises us towards complete self-reliance and the total equality of all men in all aspects.


Add a dash of some form of group expression of faith that we are unfamiliar with, and the field is ripe for the ego to rebel.

There are just so many ‘outs’.


The convenient (yet arbitrary) distinction between religious life and the life dedicated to this world, especially when it is intertwined with the buzzword of ‘innovation’ gives us the most convenient of explanations to categorize our reaction.

*I don’t like it, because it feels weird.*

Self knowledge tempers this.

When one realizes the weakness of ones own faith, prayer, worship, it makes it more difficult to come to grandiose conclusions condemning people who dedicate themselves to the same.

Humility dictates to us that we aren’t good judges, much less good prosecutors of others.

It is only when one confronts their own bias, in which one finds the reflection of sworn self-esteem and pavlovian pride, that one get past this haze which limits spiritual awakening.
Introducing the arbitrary categorization of the innovation when applied to worldly life vs religion contains within it the supposition that life is separate from religion.

A conclusion which has far hitting impacts.

In this model, watching TV feels quite alright, at least if you try to avoid some ‘bad scenes’. And watching 25 pictures per second on a wall mounted LCD screen is for some reason, so much harder to complain about than having a picture of a holy man who reminds us of prophecy, faith, improvement.

Under this mentality we think: Rock groups haraam?

Let us have Islamic pop stars.

Let’s have Muslim comedians.

Muslim fiction writers.

Muslim movie studios.

Muslim news channels.

All the while, we don’t exclude ourselves to the ‘Muslim’ version of these institutions of mimicry.

So they do not help in creating a Islamic culture in the West, what they do is create a bridge of acceptance.

To watch a ‘Muslim pop star’, you still have to enter a concert hall. And to see a ‘Muslim film’ you still have to sit on a couch.

These issues reflect the implicit approval by the Muslim community of dramatic shifts away from the cultures which underwent a millenia of Islamization, and towards those which are challenging those cultures at every turn.

Islam was so much more than a filter of existing cultures, it brought something new. And these accomplishments are written in sand swept stone of Mughal architecture to the grand prayer halls of the Ottomans, to the poetry of Mevlana Rumi and the ironic statements on humanity from Nasruddin Hoja.

This system has put the final wall up between knowledge and practice. It’s done this by actually turning Islam away from traditional values and a culture in which people of dramatic faith and unique characteristics were raised and nurtured.

Modern institutions catering to Muslims have been continuing the century old transition from Muslim culture and values to Western ones, all under the name of preaching Islam. And its not always so obtuse as obvious as Azhari recent ban on niqaab. Pay-as-you-go ‘Islamic classes’ have cloaked an entirely foreign idea of Western style instruction in the mantle of religiosity.

And when examining this issue of cultural adoption, what we have chosen is not hamburgers over curry. We have settled for abandoning circles of dignity.


by Yursil Kidwai !!

Friend! Nobody veils you, but yourself.

In your path there is no thorn or weed,

but yourself.

You said:

Shall I reach the Beloved or not?

Between you and the Beloved there is nobody,

but yourself.

-Awhadoddin Kermani

Life is an invitation;

it asks to be discovered by the one who lives it.

Often,

I say to myself,

"Go ahead and explore what you're curious about."

This is my life, a lived by me.

Your Hand in Mine...

Listen for the stream
that tells you one thing.
Die on this bank.
Begin in me
the way of rivers with the sea


--Rumi



I wonder
from these thousand of "me's",
which one am I?
Listen to my cry, do not drown my voice
I am completely filled with the thought of you.
Don't lay broken glass on my path
I will crush it into dust.
I am nothing, just a mirror in the palm of your hand,
reflecting your kindness, your sadness, your anger.
If you were a blade of grass or a tiny flower
I will pitch my tent in your shadow.
Only your presence revives my withered heart.
You are the candle that lights the whole world
and I am an empty vessel for your light.

--Rumi - Hidden Music

Rumi...

This being human is a guest-house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of it's furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

Come closer so I can hear you breathe, the rhythm of your existence ever so sweet. Whirl in this melody, you are heavens treat, deep in my heart, you will hear my soul beat...


by Zakir

The source of belief, is love.

The source of proof, is doubt.

Oh Lord, let love be sufficient for me, and make me not of those who require proof.

My Master taught me a lesson:



“Any moment you are negligent
in remembrance of God
is a moment spent in denial of God.”





- Sultan Bahu, from Death Before Dying



— The Sufi Poems of Sultan Bahu, by Jamal J. Elias

I have always known
that at last I would
take this road, but yesterday
I did not know that it would be today.

- Narihira (9th century Japan), translated by Kenneth Rexroth

I'll be Gone

I'm drowning in this,
Falling apart in the mist,
I'd rather see you one more time then die,
I'd love to see you smile,

To see the sun walking upon the miles,
But time has chosen to take me,
To suck me up in darkness,
Away from you,

I don't want to go but I have to know this is true,
I won't be here tomorrow,
I won't be here for another day,
I'll be gone by the next day,


But please don’t forget me,
Keep me in your sorrow,
Keep in mind that our hearts aren’t borrowed.

I am on a journey of love


I am on a journey of love

The journey that I am on has said to gain a lover
Oh lovers let me find this supreme lover that never stops loving

I am on a journey of love

The ones who have fallen in love with him
Has said that this path is full of thorns I care not
My lover will save me

I am on a journey of love

The ones who have fallen in love with him have given me the tools
These tools are small but very powerful


I am on a journey of love

This journey has caused the dust vast pain
But the lover has cured that pain

I am on a journey of love

This journey of love has showed me a lott
his journey of love has taught me a lot

I am on a journey of love
lol this is my poem that i tried to write.

The butterfly throws itself into the burning fire

If you must love, then you will need that much courage

At each step, the heart is pushed to its limits,

At each breath, it is tested,

If you must love, then you will need that much courage.

Like a quiet river, this song-of-mine is so deep and so silent and so wise, that I can only speak of it with my eyes.”


—Heather K. O’Hara

Peace be unto Stranger

Peace be unto thee, stranger, enter and be not afraid.
I have left the gate open and thou art welcome to my home.

There is room in my house for all.
I have swept the hearth and lighted the fire.

The room is warm and cheerful and you will find comfort and rest within.
The table is laid and the fruits of life are spread before thee.
The wine is here also, it sparkles in the light.


I have set a chair for you where the sunbeams dance through the shade.
Sit and rest and refresh your soul.


Eat of the fruit and drink the wine.
All, all is yours, and you are welcome.

The entire world, in sama,

whirls in ecstasy.

But what in a mirror does a blind man see?

Shaikh Sa'di of Shiraaz

the direction of love..

The map of love has no cardinal points, for the compass of the lover directs only to the Beloved. When the lover meets the Beloved, the east is lost in the west, and the west is lost in the east. Look then upon That which transcends direction. For in the destiny of this journey, the explorer becomes the explored, and the explored becomes the explorer. Where then is the need for a north and a south? Encompassed within this Axis of Spirituality is indeed the direction of Love. For this destiny is the beginning to which there is no end!

I saw my Lord with the eye of my heart.

I said ,” No doubt, You are the One, You are, You are “.

You are the One that has sensed every “where”

where there is no “where” but You.

There is no way for the “where” to know where are You,

because there is no “where” except You.

No Imagination can contain You,

because it will not be able to find how You are.

Your knowledge encompasses everything and in everything

I see Your Oneness.

In my annihilation my annihilation was annihilated, and in my annihilated

annihilation I found You.

(i actually do not know its by whom)

Your Soul was created on earth

Solely to accompany my Soul

Journeying on the ocean of life until the end

What I need is not your mortal form

But your Soul,

For me to take back to eternity

Where there is neither boundary nor time limit

You also know,

That True Love cannot be denied

For it comes from the bottom of the heart

It originates in the ocean of

The Divine Presence

And is free of desires and the ego…

This is called… True Love

I will waken your Soul

That has been sleeping for too long

So your Soul will be alive with Heavenly senses

Because

I am You

and

You are I

When someone arrives at our

door step,we know who sent him,

so we can't refuse"

Sulthanul Awliya Mawlana Syaikh Muhammad Nazim Adil al Haqqani

"Do you think we came from the Divine Presence with our whole originality, our whole personality? Never. We are like one ray of the sun. We are, in our originality, in reality, still in Divine Presence. Not moving, out of time and space there is no movement. We are continuously worshipping, always in the Divine Presence for service. Here, in this life, there is only one ray from that timeless 'sun' for us. We are here for a little time only."



-Grandsheykh Mevlana Nazim al-Hakkani al-Kibrisi

The Alchemy of Heart

The heart of man has been constituted by the Almighty that, like a flint, it contains a hidden fire which is evoked by music and harmony and renders man beside himself with ecstasy. These harmonies are echoes of that higher world of beauty which we call the world of spirits; they remind man of his relationship with that world and produce in him an emotion so deep and strange that he himself is powerless to explain it. The effects of music and dancing fan into a flame whatever love is already dormant in the heart, wether it be earthly and sensual, or divine and spiritual.


Imam Ghazzali continues that "pure religious music is used by the Sufis to stir up in themselves greater love toward God often obtaining spiritual visions and ecstasies, their heart becoming as clean as silver in the flame of a furnace."

Kinds ov Heart

The Messenger of God said,

"There are four kinds of hearts:

There is a bare heart within which is a shining lamp, and this is the heart of the person of faith.

There is a black and inverted heart, and this is the heart of the unbeliever.

There is a heart bound by attachments, and this is the heart of the hypocrite.

And there is a layered heart, within which are both faith and hypocrisy.

The faith within it is like a plant nourished by sweet water, while the hypocrisy within it is like a boil nourished by pus and filth.

The heart will be judged by whichever nourishment dominates over it"

If you are coming here like this cup you are not taking anything.

This cup is full.

Whatever you put in,

it is not going to take more.

If you are bringing the cup empty then you are going to find your cup getting

filled again, and every time

you are tasting from that cup you are going to know that

it's different than what was in it before.

But if a person is coming with his cup filled,

then he is only going to take what he brought.

Nothing else.

_Sheik Nazim Adil Haqani

If you could get rid

Of yourself just once,

The secret of secrets

Would open to you.

The face of the unknown,

Hidden beyond the universe

Would appear on the

Mirror of your perception.

- Rumi

Rumi says about this direction as follows:

The direction for kings is the crown and the belt; and the direction for the worldly-minded is gold and silver; and the direction for those who love material beings is idols; and the direction for lovers of spirit is the heart and the soul; and the direction for ascetics is the niche of a mosque; and the direction for the careless is unnecessary works; and the direction for the lazy is to sleep and eat; and the direction for humans is knowledge and wisdom.



The direction for the lover is eternal union; and the direction for the wise person is the Face of Allah; and the direction for the worldly-minded is possessions and rank; and the direction for dervishes is the provisions of religious orders; and the direction for passion is worldly desires; and the direction for the people of confinement is putting trust in Allah.


We must be aware that the direction we face for prayer is not the building of the Ka’bah, but it is the place where the Ka’bah is located. If the Ka’bah is moved to another place it cannot be the direction for prayer there.”


So one is supposed to direct his heart to Allah while directing his body towards the Ka’bah. Because the direction for the heart is Allah.



On the other hand, in order to accomplish pious reverence in prayer one is supposed to have a perfect intention to perform his prayer in accordance with the following saying of the Prophet (pbuh), “acts are judged by intentions.” This means being conscious of whose presence we are in as we pray. This requires examining the desires of the heart and also divorcing all aims except the approval of Allah.



it keeps you engaged this way ;)

insha'allah.

Heart has died.

Thought I tried.

Evil mind,

So unkind,

Stole you away.

Not a day

Passes by

Without a sigh.

Thinking of you.

What shall I do?

Whatever I do, the responsibility is mine,

but like one who plants an orchard,

what comes of what I do, the fruit,

will be for others.

I offer the actions of this life

to the God within,

and wherever I go, the way is blessed.

—

Lalla

letters to a Young poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

I want to beg of you much as I can to be patient

toward all that's unsolved in your heart,

and learn to love the questions themselves,

like locked rooms, or like books that are

written in a very foreign tongue.

Do not seek the answers, which cannot be given you,

because you would not be able to live them,

and the point is to live everything.

Live the question now,

perhaps you will then, gradually, without noticing it,

live along some distant day into the answer."

One regret dear world,
that I am determined not to have
when I am lying on my deathbed
is that I did not kiss you enough.

by Hafiz

whirling Dervish

As waves upon my head,

the circling curl.

So in this sacred dance,

weave ye and whirl.

Dance then O heart,

a whirling circle be.

Burn in this flame,

is not the candle He!

Knowledge is like a lamp.

Love is like the sun.

Upon the rising of the sun,

the lamp is rendered useless!

Until you see,

how can you find?

This is true for all but Lovers:

For how can they seek the Beloved being Blind,

Until they have discovered

- Rumi

I have become drunk in the fermentation of Love.

O Lord, what is to be done?

My mind sees 2 but my heart sees 1.

O Giver of life!

Grant me a life in Love!

O Giver of death!

Grants me a death in Love!

And O Lover of ur Beloved!

Raise me once again in the company of your Beloved!

The eye of the mind is blinded by reality,

while the eye of the heart is enlightened by divinity.

Yet still, both are limited by material conjugality!

The science of the heart is taught within the faculty of love.

The mind perceives fantasy while the heart experiences reality!

Is it not strange that the beauty of the sun can only be perceived from its reflection on the moon? Yet we say the moon is beautiful!

Love is the wine!

The ego is the swine!

When two flames unite,

a single fire is born!

The flame is not the fire,

nor is it other than the fire!

by Zakir

Oh dreamer, be the dream!

Oh lover, be the beloved!

And

Oh seeker, be the sought after!

The melody of love can only be heard by the heart.

Compassion be thy grape,

the sweetest in taste,

all harvested in respect for Thy sake.

Matured over time,

no doing of mine,

let love be thy wine!

truth..

When the madness,

being love,

enters the faculty of truth,

being the heart,

the heart is rendered mad,

and love demonstrates the truth...

The difference between love and hate, is that one consumes the heart, while the other consumes the mind...

by Zakir.

When I ask you to listen to me,

And you start giving me advice,

You have not done what I asked.

When I ask that you listen to me,

And you begin to tell me why I shouldn't feel that way,

You are trampling on my feelings.

When I ask you to listen to me,

And you feel you have to do something to solve my problems,

You have failed me, strange as that may seem.

Listen.

All that I ask is that you listen,

Not talk or do - just hear me.

When you do something for me

That I need to do for myself,

You contribute to my fear and feelings of inadequacy.

But when you accept as a simple fact

That I do feel what I feel, no matter how irrational,

Then I can quit trying to convince you

And go about the business

Of understanding what's behind my feelings.

So, please listen and just hear me

And, if you want to talk,

Wait a minute for your turn - and I'll listen to you.

It is better to sit alone than in company with the bad; and it is better still to sit with the good than alone. It is better to speak to a seeker of knowledge than to remain silent; but silence is better than idle words. (Bukhari)

The Sufi Way by Seyh Ibrahim Efendi

They say the Sufi way
is to give one’s life away.

The Sufi way is to become a sultan
on the throne of the soul.

In the station of the Path,
it is to destroy appearances.

In the station of Reality,
it is to become a guestin the inner
most palace of the heart.

They say it is to be pure of body,
the light of the Beloved.

The Sufi way is to gradually take off
the dress of earth and water.

They say it is to burn up in Love’s fire–

The Sufi way is to be utterly inflamed
with the light of the Beloved.

They say it is to believe and follow the rules–

The Sufi way is to discover the rules
of the multitude of heavens.

They say it is to become a medicine for every ailment–

The Sufi way is to know and become all the secrets
of creation.

They say it is to destroy the illusion of bodies–

The Sufi way is to open the secrets of the body
with the key of the Divine Names.

O Sufi, to comprehend it,
one must be it.

The one who gets lost in words
will never be their meaning.


They say it is to become the secret of God
within one’s innermost heart–

The Sufi way is to read the outer signs
and know the inner meanings.

They say it is to be in wonder
at the greatness of creation–

The Sufi way is to be constantly amazed
by the nature of Reality.

They say it is to make each heart
the throne of God–

The Sufi way is to remove all else but God
from the heart’s dwelling.

They say it is to watch over all humanity–

The Sufi way is to cover East and West
with every breath.

They say it is to shine as brightly as the sun–

The Sufi way is to perceive God
in every minute thing.

They say it is to be in harmony
with every kind of person–

The Sufi way is to appearin a hundred thousand forms daily.

They say it is to be like Solomon
to the whole universe;

The Sufi way is to understand
and speak in every language.

They say it is to become an ocean
from a single drop–

The Sufi way is to make your heart a cellar
to hold the wine of the Truth.


They say it is to become a human being
illuminated with the light of Being–

The Sufi way is to destroy Being utterly
in the light of Non-Being.


They say it is to become a life
for each particle of life

–The Sufi way is to die a thousand times
and return to life each moment.


They say it is to become a master
of wisdom and eternal justice–

The Sufi way is to become an eye
looking out from every hair.


They say it is to surrender
your soul to the Beloved–

The Sufi way is to become
the soul of the Beloved.

They say it is the proof
of Muhammad’s message–

The Sufi way, O Ibrahim,
is to embody God as one’s own self.

YYOU CAN`T CHANGE THE WORLD...


In the old times, there was a king who ruled a prosperous country. One day, he went for a trip to some distant areas of his country. When he was back to his palace, he complained that his feet were very painful, because it was the first time that he went for such a long trip, and the road that he went through was very ROUGH and STONY. He then ordered his people to cover every road of the entire country with leather... Definitely, this would need thousands of cows' skin, and would cost a huge amount of money. Then one of his wise men told this to the king : "Why do you have to spend that unnecessary amount of money ? Why don't you just cut a little piece of leather and cover your feet instead ?"The king was surprised, but he later agreed to his suggestion, to make a "shoe" for himself.. and thus came the invention of the "Sandal"..There is actually a valuable lesson of life in this story : To make this world a happy place to live, you better change yourself - your heart; and not the world..

KNOW
WHEN TO CHANGE COURSE..


Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities. Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, "Light, bearing on the starboard bow." "Is it steady or moving astern?" the captain called out. The lookout replied, "Steady, captain," which meant it was on a dangerous collision course with their ship. The captain then shouted to the signalman, "Signal the ship: We are on a collision course. Advice you to change course 20 degrees." Back came a signal, "Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees!" In reply, the captain said, "Send: I'm a ship's captain. Change course 20 degrees, now!" "I'm a seaman second class, "came the reply, "You had better change course 20 degrees, now!" By that time, the captain was furious. He spit out a command, "Send: This is a battleship. Change your course immediately."


Back came the flashing light's reply :

'THIS IS A LIGHTHOUSE !!"


These who would be costant in happiness and wisdomMust often change...~ Conficius~


It is not the strongest of the species that survive..but the most responsive to change..~ Clarence Darrow~

Have an awesome weekend..

Do less.. but do perfectly! The imprint, or impression which you are leaving over the time, and this planet is the action you are doing! Your contribution will persist after you in this world in the form of your action. Same like an old man who is planting a fruit tree, although he understand the reality the he will not able to see its fruit in his life.. but he has a hope that his grandparents will enjoy its fruit and climb over its shoots.. passersby will take rest under its shade during hot summer, or rainy winters.. and birds will take shelter in its leaves.. the pray of gratitude will directly or indirectly appear for him from every heart of whoever will get benefit.. The old man is not doing that virtue for money or any consideration from any one in this world, he is doing it.. because virtue in its very essence is itself a return, it is giving to his heart and his action has become a source of pleasure for him! Allah is a great Admirer of virtue, He never keeps any thing, and always returns every good deed with the best consideration! He is The King of the kings, and nothing ever decreases in His treasure!




So, whenever you have chosen a job, finish it with due diligence. Just burn yourself completely, get absorbed in it completely and forget every negative thought and eliminate the wall made by the negative emotions which is causing disruption in the way of action. You will find a peace to your existence. When you have fulfilled your duty with wholeheartedly, it is followed by a deep pleasure, a mental satisfaction. And the respect will follow you as well.





~+~





The two worst strategic mistakes to make are acting prematurely and letting an opportunity slip; to avoid this, the warrior treats each situation as if it were unique and never resorts to formulae, recipes or other people's opinions. - Paulo Coelho





“When you do something, you should burn yourself up completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself” - Shunryu Suzuki





"Whatsoever you do, do it with deep alertness; then even small things become sacred." – Osho





Whatever you are doing, do it as if it is a question of life & death. Put your total energy into it, and it will give you tremendous bliss - Osho


~+~





But the Messenger and those who believe with him strive hard with their property and their persons; and these it is who shall have the good things and these it is who shall be successful. - Quran 009.088





And (there are) others who have acknowledged their faults. They mixed a righteous action with another that was bad. It may be that Allah will relent toward them. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. - Quran 009.102

I'm a big believer in growth. Life is not about achievement, it's about learning and growth, and developing qualities like compassion, patience, perseverance, love, and joy, and so forth. And so if that is the case, then I think our goals should include something which STRECHES us.
(Jack Canfield)

WHAT I LEARNED IN LIFE


I've learned -
that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.

I've learned-
that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.

I've learned-
that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

I've learned-
that it's not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.

I've learned-
that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you'd better know something.

I've learned-
that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do.

I've learned-
that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I've learned-
that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I've learned-
that you can keep going long after you can't.

I've learned-
that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I've learned-
that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I've learned-
that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades
and there had better be something else to take its place.

I've learned-
that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I've learned-
that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I've learned-
that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I've learned-
that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down
will be the ones to help you get back up.

I've learned-
that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I've learned-
that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I've learned-
that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I've learned-
that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I've learned-
that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.

I've learned-
that your family won't always be there for you. It may seem funny, how people you aren't related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren't always biological.

I've learned-
that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I've learned-
that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you are to learn to forgive yourself.

I've learned-
that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I've learned-
that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I've learned-
that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I've learned-
that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I've learned-
that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I've learned-
that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I've learned-
that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.

I've learned-
that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I've learned-
that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I've learned-
that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I've learned-
that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I've learned-
that it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people's feelings and standing up for what you believe.

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

...and here are some great qoutes about the subject :

* Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.
~Chinese Proverb

* Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn and you will. ~Vernon Howard

* I find four great classes of students: The dumb who stay dumb. The dumb who become wise. The wise who go dumb. The wise who remain wise. ~Martin H. Fischer

* No matter how one may think himself accomplished, when he sets out to learn a new language, science, or the bicycle, he has entered a new realm as truly as if he were a child newly born into the world.
~Frances Willard

* Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.
~Henry Ford

* We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself.
~Lloyd Alexander

* I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think - ~Socrates

* I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.
~ Albert Einstein

* The teacher if he is indeed wise does not teach bid you to enter the house of wisdom but leads you to the threshold of your own mind.
- Kahlil Gilbran


Have an awesome weekend..

Among Imam Shafi’i’s words which carried Sufi values were :



"A man who is cruel to himself, is one who lowers himself to someone who does not respect him, and one who likes something which does not bring him any benefit, and one who is praised by someone who does not really know him. One who is not honoured for his Taqwa, is not a person who is honoured. To probe into a man’s secret, is more cruel than investigating an animal. If I know that such an investigation will affect my honour, I shall not drink even if I am thirsty. Among the true signs of Ukhwah is to accept criticisms from friends, and to protect a friend’s honour and forgive his mistakes."

....

Abu Maalik Al-Ash’ari narrates that the Prophet (pbuh) says, “Certainly in the paradise, there are chambers. Its outside can be seen from inside and its inside can be seen from outside. Allah has prepared these chambers for those who feeds others and spreads salaams and performs Salaah in the night when people are asleep."


Abu Hurairah (r.a) says, “I said, “O Prophet of Allah, whenever my eyes fall upon you, I am overjoyed and my eyes are cooled. Inform me of everything? The prophet (pbuh) said, “Everything is created from water”, and then I asked him to inform me of an act, that if I do it, I will enter into paradise. He (the prophet) said, “Feed others and spread Salaams and join family ties and pray at night when people are asleep, you will enter paradise peacefully”.

Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Adil Haqqani


The Lord created us and loves us; that is why everyone loves love. No one complains of love or wants it to be taken from him, but all want to be loved more. Where are you seeking love? Are you taking pure water from the gushing source, or muddy, slimy water from the ditch? You love people, but they will die. Perhaps your love will be unrequited, or because of a small error or indiscretion on your part that person's heart will harden to you and love will be no more. You say that you love him or her, but do you love him or her unconditionally? Is your love permanent-love for the real immaculate divine essence living in that person, or temporary, as a result of some desirable attributes: beauty, youth, wealth, station or wit? When that beautiful, young, wealthy, clever, amiable socialite becomes an ugly, old, penniless, senile, grumpy outcast will you still love her? Is your love of the spirit or of the world?


Oh people, seek real love, a love that cannot go astray. That love is the love of God and the love of his creatures for the sake of His love for them. That love emanation may bind all receptive hearts. There is a common saying: "The friend of a friend is a friend", so love people if you love God, for you must know that He loves them. It is not always easy to love people, even good people, so what about the Korahs of this world?

Love pertaining to the ego is not love, as all the ego knows is to love itself, and what is commonly called love is but a mutual understanding to support each other's egoism. Don't trust your ego, nor anyone else's, for the ego is disloyal by nature. When the spirit gains ascendancy the ego may be harnessed and put to good use, as the Holy Prophet (sallallaho alayahi wasallam) said: "Your ego is your mount", but left to its whims it will take you many miles from your path in search of herbage.


This discourse is an Ocean, its summary is: what is of the world beware of, and pay attention to the dose. When crossing that ocean embark on a sturdy ship with well maintained lifeboats and life-preservers, and if you swim in it keep your head above water!

lost by Atif

I lost someone,

in the woods of darkness,

trying to find a way,

back to the earth.

I left someone,

in the hell of silence,

pushing the brakes,

hitting me back,

paralizing me in those immortal thoughts.

I am being seperated from someone,

in the way of that unknown path,

where I couldn't get a hint of liquor of truth,

nor a wing to hold from start to last.

The lost someone is nobody else,

but me in the fits of fears,

which made me hate the darkness,

which I loved before, around the sphere.

And at the end,the tears says,

the truth carves on the rocks of ever,

that I am lost forever,who can be rescued never.

-Atif Hussain

I guess you didnt notice how i looked into ur eyes,

And saw how your soul screamed

For the truth through all the lies.

And now you're with him

when it should be me.

i guess that you're too oblivious to see,

how happy I am

when you're with me,

but now you're gone

And my heart bleeds

There is a secret path to the heartwinding through a rose,

where deep between

the layers of roseness,

a lover can find the wayto the embedded clues of the truth,

hidden there by the warriors of love.

There is no battle cry, no army,

no weapons, no flag to carry,

for the wayfarer must enter

the deep jungle of fragranceand alluring silken beauty

to find the heart within the rose.
Enter the rose with Rumi,

and he will show you the way,

spinning you around and dancing

you into laughter and wonder.

The mystics know the way of the heart

and guard the secrets well.

No map exists, and no words can describe

the alchemy of the journey

that turns you into light.
Fall out of your well laid plans,

and fall deeply into love.

Love will meet you inside the rose,

and you will awakenin the beauty of your heart.

(c) whispering mystic

Look at Love...
how it tangles
with the one fallen in love
look at spirit
how it fuses with earth
giving it new life
why are you so busy
with this or that or good or bad
pay attention to how things blend
why talk about all
the known and the unknown
see how unknown merges into the known
why think separately
of this life and the next
when one is born from the last
look at your heart and tongue
one feels but deaf and dumb
the other speaks in words and signs
look at water and fire
earth and wind
enemies and friends all at once
the wolf and the lamb
the lion and the deer
far away yet together
look at the unity of this
spring and winter
manifested in the equinox
you too must mingle my friends
since the earth and the sky
are mingled just for you and me
be like sugarcane
sweet yet silent
don't get mixed up with bitter words
my beloved grows
right out of my own heart
how much more union can there be
- Rumi

.

God came to my house and asked for charity.

And I fell on my knees and

cried, “Beloved,

what may I

give?”

“Just love,” He said.

“Just love”

Remember of the Divine is not the job,

of a useless idler,

And return to God is not the way

of any worthless wanderer.

In the school of lovers, silence is better than speech

reality ....

...

In love, nothing exists between heart and heart.
Speech is born out of longing,
True description from the real taste.
The one who tastes, knows;
the one who explains, lies.
How can you describe the true form of Something
In whose presence you are blotted out?
And in whose being you still exist?
And who lives as a sign for your journey?

Love has given me wings,

So I must fly far, far away.

And if that means leaving this life behind,

Then I leave it without sorrow.

It’s my time to go,

A new beginning calls to me.

I’ll never forget,

I'll always remember,

And if fate allows it,

we will meet again.

Never have been I welcomed,

So driving away is no goodbye.

I forgive your mistakes, your choices,

But now it’s my turn to make my own.

If I never see you again,

My never ending love is forever yours.

You brought me into this world,

And I plan on making the best of what I was given.

Love has given me wings,

So I must fly far,

far away.

And if that means leaving you behind,

Then I leave you without looking back...

It took me losing you twice,

To honestly realize you were the one.

Now that you're gone,

I realize I'll never get you back..

Poison runs through my veins,

It's slowly killing the human in me,

But I can't stop it,

I need more.

When it's apart of you,

There's no point in fighting,

Just embrace what you've been given,

Take charge and feed the hunger.

They'll never understand why I'm doing this,

But one day they'll realize,

I was right ;

The Monster was right...

It feels as though,

A century has faded,

Since you left,

My love.

And yet I feel you with me,

Every step I take,

Every move I make,

I feel you in the the wind.

I shall never love another,

As I have loved you.

Our love may be forbidden,

But I still long for your touch.

Our love was passionate,

Our love was strong.

It ended in a flash,

But I will die loving only you.

In a thousand years,

No one will remember our names,

No one will remember our story,

No one will remember our love.

Our memory,

Will die with our souls,

So will our names,

And our story.

But not our love,

Forbidden or not,

It shall survive,

It shall remain alive...

words of wisdom from Quran...

1. Respect and honour all human beings irrespective of their religion, color, race, sex, language, status, property, birth, profession/job and so on [17/70]

2. Talk straight, to the point, without any ambiguity or deception [33/70]

3. Choose best words to speak and say them in the best possible way [17/53, 2/83]

4. Do not shout. Speak politely keeping your voice low. [31/19]

5. Always speak the truth. Shun words that are deceitful and ostentatious [22/30]

6. Do not confound truth with falsehood [2/42]

7. Say with your mouth what is in your heart [3/167]

8. Speak in a civilized manner in a language that is recognised by the society and is commonly used [4/5]

9. When you voice an opinion, be just, even if it is against a relative [6/152]

10. Do not be a bragging boaster [31/18]

11. Do not talk, listen or do anything vain [23/3, 28/55]

12. Do not participate in any paltry. If you pass near a futile play, then pass by with dignity [25/72]

13. Do not verge upon any immodesty or lewdness whether surreptitious or overt [6/151].

14. If, unintentionally, any misconduct occurs by you, then correct yourself expeditiously [3/134].

15. Do not be contemptuous or arrogant with people [31/18]

16. Do not walk haughtily or with conceit [17/37, 31/18]

17. Be moderate in thy pace [31/19]

18. Walk with humility and sedateness [25/63]

19. Keep your gazes lowered devoid of any lecherous leers and salacious stares [24/30-31, 40/19].

20. If you do not have complete knowledge about anything, better keep your mouth shut. You might think that speaking about something without full knowledge is a trivial matter. But it might have grave consequences [24/15-16]

21. When you hear something malicious about someone, keep a favorable view about him/her until you attain full knowledge about the matter. Consider others innocent until they are proven guilty with solid and truthful evidence [24/12-13]

22. Ascertain the truth of any news, lest you smite someone in ignorance and afterwards repent of what you did [49/6]

23. Do not follow blindly any information of which you have no direct knowledge. (Using your faculties of perception and conception) you must verify it for yourself. In the Court of your Lord, you will be held accountable for your hearing, sight, and the faculty of reasoning [17/36].

24. Never think that you have reached the final stage of knowledge and nobody knows more than yourself. Remember! Above everyone endowed with knowledge is another endowed with more knowledge [12/76]. Even the Prophet [p.b.u.h] was asked to keep praying, "O My sustainer! Advance me in knowledge." [20:114]

25. The believers are but a single Brotherhood. Live like members of one family, brothers and sisters unto one another [49/10].

26. Do not make mockery of others or ridicule others [49/11]

27. Do not defame others [49/11]

28. Do not insult others by nicknames [49/11]

29. Avoid suspicion and guesswork. Suspicion and guesswork might deplete your communal energy [49/12]

30. Spy not upon one another [49/12]

31. Do not backbite one another [49/12]

32. When you meet each other, offer good wishes and blessings for safety. One who conveys to you a message of safety and security and also when a courteous greeting is offered to you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous or (at least) of equal courtesy [4/86]

33. When you enter your own home or the home of somebody else, compliment the inmates [24/61]

34. Do not enter houses other than your own until you have sought permission; and then greet the inmates and wish them a life of blessing, purity and pleasure [24/27]

35. Treat kindly " Your parents " Relatives " The orphans " And those who have been left alone in the society [4/36]

36. Take care of " The needy, " The disabled " Those whose hard earned income is insufficient to meet their needs " And those whose businesses have stalled " And those who have lost their jobs. [4/36]

37. Treat kindly " Your related neighbours, and unrelated neighbours " Companions by your side in public gatherings, or public transportation. [4/36]

38. Be generous to the needy wayfarer, the homeless son of the street, and the one who reaches you in a destitute condition [4/36]

39. Be nice to people who work under your care. [4/36]

40. Do not follow up what you have given to others to afflict them with reminders of your generosity [2/262].

41. Do not expect a return for your good behaviour, not even thanks [76/9]

42. Cooperate with one another in good deeds and do not cooperate with others in evil and bad matters [5/2]

43. Do not try to impress people on account of self-proclaimed virtues [53/32]

44. You should enjoin right conduct on others but mend your own ways first. Actions speak louder than words. You must first practice good deeds yourself, then preach [2/44]

45. Correct yourself and your families first [before trying to correct others] [66/6]

46. Pardon gracefully if anyone among you who commits a bad deed out of ignorance, and then repents and amends [6/54, 3/134]

47. Divert and sublimate your anger and potentially virulent emotions to creative energy, and become a source of tranquility and comfort to people [3/134]

48. Call people to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful exhortation. Reason with them most decently [16/125]

49. Leave to themselves those who do not give any importance to the Divine code and have adopted and consider it as mere play and amusement [6/70]

50. Sit not in the company of those who ridicule Divine Law unless they engage in some other conversation [4/140]

51. Do not be jealous of those who are blessed [4/54]

52. In your collective life, make rooms for others [58/11]

53. When invited to dine, Go at the appointed time. Do not arrive too early to wait for the preparation of meal or linger after eating to engage in bootless babble. Such things may cause inconvenience to the host [33/53]

54. Eat and drink [what is lawful] in moderation [7/31].

55. Do not squander your wealth senselessly [17/26]

56. Fulfill your promises and commitments [17/34]

57. Keep yourself clean, pure [9/108, 4/43, 5/6].

58. Dress-up in agreeable attire and adorn yourself with exquisite character from inside out [7/26]

59. Seek your provision only by fair endeavor [29/17, 2/188]

60. Do not devour the wealth and property of others unjustly, nor bribe the officials or the judges to deprive others of their possessions

at the moment you were leaving,
the heart
seemed dry,
and no tears!
at the moment you have left,
the heart is
like a sponge,
shrinks,
giving off a lot of water!

Prisoner of Love..

I am a prisoner of love, completely captive, bird whose wings wish only to fan the face of his Beloved. What need have I to fly? Where in this world can I go? Bound with the invisible thread of devotion, I pace my inner courtyard, rave silently beneath a local moon and wait for his return. To call this a jail is a lie when all I want to do is crawl further in, dig my tunnel deeper to the one forever guarding me.

A prisoner of love, yes, that's what I am!

Howling at the half moon, screaming for the full, I turn my self in, keep turning myself in and in and in to the only one worth being in love and alone with. Why dream of other times and places when the one who has the key is knocking at your door?

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.

Ocean of my Dreams.. by Ibn Arabi, Rumi and A. yaseen.

Ocean of my Dreams

I sail with you in the Ocean of dreams
To a far away distant places
Of great beauty
And tranquaility.

Where pain and suffering
Do not exist.

Where we give praises for,
Our joy and happiness,
Where our love intertwines,
With the love for all things.

O’ beloved Compainion of my heart,
Keeper of my soul,
You have reached out and touched
The essence of my being,
And showed me the way,
To the higher plane,
Your love has awaken me,
From my years of slumber,
A beckoned call to spiritual world,
Where my body is mist in the mountains,
This is where my heart belongs,
This is where my soul lives,
Because I love you,
Yes ‘ I love you,
Ya Allah , I love you.


Compainion of my heart,
Keeper of my soul.


No one knows desire except for,
The one who bears it,
Nor fervent longing except for,
The one who suffers from it.


When I am with you we stay up all night,
When you are not here, I cant sleep,
Praise God for these two insomnias!
And the difference between them.

A moment of happiness,
Thou and I together here,
And in the timeless sweet land,
We feel the flowing water of life here,
With the garden’s beauty,
And the birds singing.

The stars will be watching us,
And we will show them,
What is it to be a thin, crescent moon.

This is where my heart belongs,
This is where my soul lives.

Because I love you,
Yes I love you,
Ya Allah, I love you!

Companion of my heart ,
Keeper of my soul.

the Conference OF Devils :::

The king of devils called a worldwide conference of all his minions.
In his opening address he said,
“We can’t keep believers from their prayers and meditations.”
“We can’t keep them from reading their holy scriptures and knowing the truth.”
“We can’t even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their Lord.”
“Once they gain that connection with their Creator, our power over them is broken.”
“So let them go to their houses of worship; let them have their community dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don’t have time to develop a relationship with God.”
“This is what I want you to do,” said the Devil:
“Distract them from remembering their Lord and maintaining that vital connection throughout the day!”
“How shall we do this?” his helpers asked.
“Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life, inventing innumerable schemes to occupy their minds, bodies and souls” he answered.
“Tempt people to keep spending with no end in sight, continually borrowing to fund their addiction!”
“Persuade people to go to work all hours of the day and night, 6-7 days each week, so they can afford their empty lifestyles.”
“Keep them from spending time with their children.”
“As their families fragment, soon their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of life!”
“Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice.”
“Entice them to play the radio constantly whenever they drive, and further entertainment throughout the day and night in their homes! Make sure there is no escape from our entertainments, so they get so lost in the material world, they begin to forget their spiritual reality…”
“This will jam their minds and break their union with God.”
“Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers.”
“Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day.”
“Invade their driving moments with billboards.”
“Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogues, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotion offering free products, services and false hopes.”
“Keep skinny, beautiful models on magazines and TV, so husbands will believe that outward beauty is what’s important, and they’ll become dissatisfied with their wives. Women will be so distracted trying to attain these impossible looks, they’ll have no time for the more important things in life, destroying their health into the bargain!”
“Keep husbands and wives too tired, to spend time loving each other at night. Give them headaches too!”
“If they don’t give their spouses the love they need, they may begin to look elsewhere…”
“That will fragment families quickly!”
“Even in their recreation, let them go to excess!”
“Have them return from their recreation exhausted.”
“Keep them too busy to take walks in the park, amongst the natural world, preventing their reflection upon God’s creation. Send them instead to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies. Keeping them ever so busy!”
“And when they go to their congregational prayers, involve them in internal politics, gossip and small talk, so they leave with troubled hearts…”
“Crowd their lives with ever so many distractions, they have no time to seek the pleasure of their Lord.”
“Soon they will be working on their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.”
“It will work!” “It will work!”
It was quite a plan!
The devils went eagerly to their assignments, causing believers everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there. Having little time for God or their families. Having no time to tell others, about the infinite love and mercy of the Almighty to change lives.
I guess the question is, have the devils been successful in their schemes?
You be the judge…
Does “BUSY” mean:
B-eing
U-nder
S-atan’s
Y-oke?
Please pass this on, if you aren’t too BUSY!

The breath of zekr inhales love and exhales kindness/ The heartbeat keeps time to the rhythm of intention/ Steady the breath with silence and good works/ Listen to the heart beat La illa ha ill Allah!/ O seeker, the traveler on this path takes no provisions but love.


Irving Karchmar

Quotes !!

Anger is a destroyer for the heart of a sage; and he who does not have his anger under his control does not have his wisdom under his control, either."

"Be the friend of he who may grace you, not of one whom you are better than." (i.e make friends with ones who are higher than you so that you progress.)”

"Piety is that Allah does not miss you in the place where He has commanded you to be, and does not see (find) you where He has forbidden you from."

“The believer should live between two fears the past sin that he does not know what Allah will do about it and the remaining days that he does not know what misfortunes he will encounter during them. Thus, the believer begins his day fearfully and ends his day fearfully. Except fear, nothing mends the believer.”

“The world is the believer's jail, patience is his fortress, and Paradise is his abode. The world is the disbeliever's paradise, grave is his jail, and Hell is his abode.”


"Someone who possesses knowledge on a subject but conceals it when he is asked will be bridled with reins of fire." (Therefore, if a person possesses information that would help a bewildered person and improve his situation but he remains silent, he has surely committed a great sin.)


“At the (appointed) time of every prayer, I hear a caller who calls and says, ‘O children of Adam! Keep up prayers in order to extinguish the fire you have lit against yourselves (by committing sin).’


“Whoever has not made any improvements in one day has lost.”

“Say each of your prayers as if it were your last prayer.”


“He who travels in the search of knowledge, to him God shows the way of Paradise.”


“Keep yourselves far from envy, because it eats up and takes away good actions, like the fire that eats up and burns wood.”


“Deal gently with a people, and be not harsh; cheer them and condemn not.”

“As for those who practice without guidance, they are like him who walks without choosing a definite path. The more he walks, the remoter he becomes.”

... From the lips of the Prophet Muhammad {peace be upon him} ...
came the saying, Mutu qabla an tamutu (Die before you die): leave this world with your own will before you are faced with the necessity of leaving it at the end of your life.

There are three steps to achieving eternal life by dying to the world.

The first step is to protect oneself against the love, the ambition, the lust, the pleasures of this world, whose attractions pull us down to it and whose illusions distract us from Truth.

The second step is to try to live in strict accordance with the divine precepts -- not in a forced way but in seeking and assuming the divine attributes, the beautiful names of Allah, and in making them one's character in sincerity. The most ordinary sort of example of this is when a sincere man is dead and buried, beautiful memories of him live on.

The third and final step is to efface oneself, all that one has done, and all that one was -- including the divine attributes with which one has characterized oneself, such ass the Living One, the Hearing One, the Seeing One, the Knowing One, the Speaking One, the One with Power, the One with Will, the One Who Can Create -- all and everything, and to realize that there is no existence except allah. There is no you, but He and you are lost in Him, and you exist with Him. This is truly dying before dying.

Such a person is in continuous remembrance and continually conscious; his consciousness extends this world into the other. Therefore, he will be alive eternally.

Continuous remembrance, total consciousness, is the goal and the sign of the perfect man. It is also the beginning, the means, and the key to perfection. Perfection is in Allah and is from Allah, and man attains it in the measure of his closeness to Allah.

To come close to Allah is only possible through loving Him, and to love Him is only possible through remembering Him. The Beloved of Allah, Muhammad {peace be upon him}, said: Man remembers often the one whom he loves.

Frequent remembrance of Allah increases His love in one's heart. If one's heart and mind are preoccupied with other things, one will forget the Creator and Sustainer of that heart and will neither remember nor love Him.

It is impossible to realize the Creator only with one's senses and one's mind. It is not easy to submit to Him through reason. But if one remembers Him often, that remembrance will penetrate into one's being -- into every part, every cell, deep into one's essence, making one able to remember Him without effort, like a heartbeat. Then the effort to be conscious will be replaced by the pleasure of consciousness. That pleasure will bring the love of Allah. Allah says: Remember Allah so often so that you will find deliverance from heedlessness, and find happiness. (Juma', 10). And: Those who remember Allah standing and sitting and lying on their sides... (Al-i'Imran, 191) are the heedful who see the signs of the creation of the heavens and the earth and know that they were not created in vain.

Realization of this is the reward of remembrance. The pleasure of seeing the harmony in the creation, the love felt for the Maker of this creation, are the signs that Allah has opened the eyes of one's heart and the gates of His Paradise.

There are only two rewards which Allah bestows upon a human being that He never takes back. One is the pleasure given in the remembrance of Him; the other is the lifting of dark veils from the eye of the heart, so that wherever one looks one sees the Truth in the beauty and power of the Creator.


An excerpt from

Inspirations: On the Path of Blame
Shaikh Badruddin of Simawna
Translation and commentaryby Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi

Rumi...

Joyful the moment when we sat in the bower, Thou and I;
In two forms and with two faces - with one soul, Thou and I.


The colour of the garden and the song of the birds give the elixir of immortality
The instant we come into the orchard, Thou and I.


The stars of Heaven come out to look upon us
We shall show the moon herself to them, Thou and I.
Thou and I, with no 'Thou' or 'I', shall become one through our tasting;
Happy, safe from idle talking, Thou and I.


The spirited parrots of heaven will envy us
When we shall laugh in such a way, Thou and I.


This is stranger, that Thou and I,
in this corner here...


Are both in one breath here and there - Thou and I





(i just love this poem so thot to share with u all)

my courage failing,

and shelter in friendship gone

re-evaluateto renew past acquaintance

and specify a path home.





(In the past few days I have come to know the horror of friendship lost, and of the difficulty in clawing back a dignified existence from the ashes of that situation. Not for myself, I've felt no tragedy in my personal life for some time, no - instead, a friend is suffering. i thought of her, and these few lines came to me)

Beware! Don't allow yourself to do what you know is wrong, relying on the thought.

A sip ov Wine

Love draws us to love, pulls us into this sweet abyss, melts away attachments, drowns us in ecstacy. Who would not give away everything for another taste of this intoxicating substance? The Sufi's say that one sip of this wine and you are lost, you would sell everything for just another sip.
- I felt the butterfly wings of love at the edge of my heart, I knew I was given more than I thought could ever be given. And later the love came again, richer, deeper, more complete, more intoxicating. All one can think is, why me? What have I done to deserve this? And the heart is so greatful.
- In this love affair all of our patterns of seduction, the games we play to keep our lover, are useless. We become so vulnerable. We are loves prey.
In human relationships we have been taught to look after ourselves, to draw boundaries and not be victimized. We know that we shouldn't be taken advantage of, that we shouldn't be violated. This is very important, learning to keep our human integrity and sense of self, not to sell ourself for what appears as love or the promise of security. But the ways of mystical love are very different. In the relationship with our souls Beloved we have to give ourself without restrictions, and we are violated, abused, and loved beyond compare. We are taken by force, abducted and transformed, and we give ourself willingly to this self-destruction through love.
- Love takes us by force beyond every limit, beyond what we think is possible; we are tortured and made whole by love - time and time again we lose and rediscover ourself, only to fall deeper and deeper into loves endless abyss.
- Loves ocean is real and endless, a place not for the fainthearted, not for those who like security or safety. The mystic is seduced and dragged into this love, seduced by its softness, dragged by its power. This love abuses our sense of self, destroys our patterns of control, violates our deepest beliefs, and takes us back to God. In this love there is neither form nor limit, only a completeness beyond even our dreaming, a sweetness beyond imagining, and a terror that belongs to the absolute. Love takes us into the infinite emptiness of His presence, into the vastness that is hidden within our own heart.
- This is why the sufi's call the lane of love a one-way street. Once this primal passion has been awakened the lover cannot return to the rational world, to the world of the ego. You can only give yourself, and give yourself and give yourself.
" Love is the only thing that every soul brings to earth with it"
" The outer beauty of a person must merge with the inner beauty and become one. This is the source of true beauty " - Sufi Wisdom
" Love is a net where hearts are caught like fish " - Sufi Wisdom
" A heart enlightened by love is more precious than all of the diamonds and gold in the world"
- Sufi Message
" Greatfulness in the character is like fragrance in the flower " Sufi Wisdom
" A worldly loss often turns into a spiritual gain "
" We can never pray enough, or give enough, or share enough, or care about the world enough, and we could never love enough to repay God for His gifts to us "
" Do you not love for Allah to forgive you? ( Qur'an )
" You will never attain piety, until you spend from what you love " ( Qur'an )
( This is how you rid yourself from wealth and desire )
" They hear no word but the words of God. They never cease from the remembrance of God. Everywhere they behold God's Beauty. Their aim is God alone, and their desire is God's good pleasure"
" Whoever desires to purify his heart, then let him prefer Allah to his desires "
" When I touch the ground in prayer, I have no other purpse but You.