Reflection is Remedy

I don’t usually listen to Urdu Qasidahs (since I only speak English), but I fell in love with this translation and had to post it!

From the Album “O’ My Lord” by Ehsaan Tahmid

‘Tis is longtime desire – to sight the beauty of Mustafa
Want to see the leader of messengers, beloved of God
He because of whom even the morning got its luster
Want to see that leader who enlightened the environment
He whose blessings and abundance fills this world
My troubled heart wants to view that precious pearl
Steps are outside Madinah but the heart firmly there
Lord, O my Lord, I want to see the limits of gandeur
This world is baseless, treacherous and an abode of sorrow
The intention is to get a sight of loyalty at the door of betrayal
He the first of creations, peace and blessings upon him
O Lord give me an opportunity, I want to see the last Prophet
Some times the meeting of beauty, some times indulgent views
Sometimes in the chains of tears, I want to sight lover’s call
The messenger, distributor of bounties in this world and the hereafter
I do want to see Prophet Mujtaba, the intercessor of my wretched self
Want to reach the gate of Jannah together with the holy Prophet
O Lord of mine, I do want to witness this scene of intercession

Video can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DxLXL-_cL8

A bunch of friends and I have started a new organization and website:

Gatherings of Remembrance-New York
http://GathertoRemember.wordpress.com

For now we are a gathering of only females, trying to rekindle the tradition of singing qasa’id (poems) that have been passed down from generation to generation from our beloved scholars in the past: Imam Al Haddad, Imam Al Busiri, Imam Zain ul Abideen, and more. This tradition is drastically needed in a time when much of popular music has directed our souls to lust, status, and fame. We need to remind our souls that all yearning and love from the heart should be directed to the Divine.

On another note my teacher at M.E.C.C.A. Center has started a new website:
http://studentsofimamamin.com
I have written one article thus far, which the webmaster decided to divide into two parts:
http://studentsofimamamin.com/2013/12/09/levels-of-time-consciousness-part-1.

Imam Amin’s website is also initiating a revival of Tasawwuf in a region where many stereotypes regarding this science are still strong. May God place sincerity and barakah into these efforts, Ameen.

1. Don’t use plastic water bottles. Use a water filter or carry a water dispenser container.
2. Avoid eating a lot of meat. For starters, eliminate it from your diet on Monday and Thursday.
3. Don’t listen to popular music, and avoid it’s negative effects.
4. Don’t watch TV.
5. Plant a garden and start producing your own food.
6. Plant trees.
7. Find your passion. Then, equip yourself to share this passion with others.
8. Read more. Allah (God) commanded us with ‘Iqra’. He did not say “shāhid” (watch).
9. Do not let a day go by without reading a portion from the Qur’an.
10. Make abundant Salawāt every single day.

I have been working in a clinic where vitamin and chelation therapy is done for patients diagnosed with various diseases, heavy metal toxicity, and vitamin deficiencies. I have become very comfortable with several of the patients, some have even become my friends. One day a sweet, elderly patient was leaving. I am very fond of her. Unfortunately she is diagnosed with cancer of the bone and blood. Last week she became blind in one eye. As she was leaving, I waved to her and called out her name. I wanted to wish her a warm goodbye. She is such a beautiful soul. However she responded very sadly: “I never thought that I would get blind…” I have seen her cry about this before. I didn’t know what to do, so I immediately spoke from my heart on a subject I love to talk about: spirituality.

I said (paraphrased): “There are people in this world who can see but have blind hearts. They lack compassion, they lack depth of understanding from within. You, however, have a heart of compassion and understanding. It is better to be outwardly blind but inwardly perceptive, rather than inwardly blind and outwardly able to see.” I think she and her daughter pondered this for a minute, responded with “thank you” and continued on their way. I hope I was able to help her in the slightest way. What else could I have said? Before saying this I used to just repeat “I’m sorry” to her when she was telling me about her loss of vision.  This time her daughter was smiling at me when they walked away. May God make it easy for them both.

Later it reminded me of the ayah in the Qur’an: “It is not the eyes that are blind, but it is the hearts.” (22:46)

“Nothing is more practical than finding God; that is, falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you will do with your evenings, how you will spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love; stay in love, and it will decide everything.”
- Pedro Arrupe

I thought this was an excellent article on Sufism written by my role model Mohamed Ghilan. I am amazed at his ability to balance his studies in the hard sciences and the religious/philosophical sciences so well! May God increase him in good and allow me to embody his good qualities, Ameen.

Are you one of those Sufis?

Find your role in life and play it out with excellence.
For some this self-discovery takes decades. For others it takes one failed relationship. But realize that your role is not less or more important than the roles of others.

“You will continue to be healthy as a society as long as you have degrees of excellence, but should you all become the same, you will be destroyed.” -Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

My Shaykha is Rabi’a al ‘Adawiyyah

“I carry a torch in one hand,
And a bucket of water in the other:
With these things I am going to set fire to Heaven,
And put out the flames of Hell,
So that voyagers to God can rip the veils,
And see the Real Goal.”

― Rābiʻah al-ʻAdawīyah

“Congratulations to those who leave the world before it deserts them; to those who build their graves before they enter them; and to those who please their Lord before they meet Him.” -Yahya ibn Mu’adh