Mar 17, 2008
Posted by arif in Reviews, Spirituality | 6 comments
We’ve (me and Ali) recently been hearing the podcasts of Oprah and Eckhart’s webcast discussion of “A New Earth”. These webcasts are a chapter by chapter discussion of Eckhart’s latest book A New Earth. I must say that I finding it fascinating. I’m currently in the middle of Chapter 2 of the podcast series. Eckhart is always a pleasure to listen to and Oprah…well she provides good comic-relief now and then. I do hope to join the webcast in one of the forthcoming sessions. Meanwhile, pickup the book or do hear these podcasts, when you get the chance.
Where we first got to know this stuff
We were introduced to the subject by Kahlil Jaffer’s series of lectures entitled “End of Negative Suffering”. What he basically says in the series of lectures is that yes that we are human and having this material form we are bound to go through hunger, sickness ie physical suffering. But we need not endure anger, jealousy, resentment, depression ie emotional/negative suffering. Infact we are not designed to do so.
Who is Spiritually Enlightened?
Spiritually enlightened is he, who realises his true self and in doing so dissolves “the story of I” (aka the Ego) playing in his head, which is where all negative sufferings take birth. And then you just smile along with life, not confusing your true self, with the objects in your life (my car, my home) or with the roles you play (that of being a father, an employee, an Indian). And once that happens you can’t help it but a smile bursts forth on your face. You realise who you are not. Thereby waking up to who you are. Your really true self. The pure consciousness.
Was that a little heavy? Listen to the lectures by Khalil Jaffer (scroll half way down the page after clicking this link) or the podcasts by Oprah & Eckhart. They’re not that deep. Be patient give it a complete hearing before making judgments. And may you awaken to a whole new world.
Keep smiling :-)
Mar 16, 2008
Posted by arif in Reviews | 6 comments
Out of the 154 or so blogs that I’ve subscribed to in my NetVibes page, there are four that are distinct Star Bloggers in my books. What makes them more exclusive than others is that, these bloggers write for the passion of writing. They don’t care about comments, or even if someone’s reading their posts or not. And probably that’s the reason why almost each of their posts are a refereshing treat.
Arsalan Zaidi’s Blog Posts
Arsalan’s posts have been on management, software projects he’s worked upon & even on Steve Irwin. Each of them are written with such depth and wit (a highly winning combo) that even if it’s on something that I have no idea about, I’m compelled to finish reading it. His posts have this aura of spontaneity yet they’re so intense that Ali has wondered, that does Arsalan just hash out his article and hits publish as soon as he finishes his first draft, or does he spend painful time, ensuring his metaphors sound just right and his adjectives fit perfectly. As soon as either of us spot a new post by Arsalan, me and Ali shoot of a mail to each other that his latest post is also a must-read.
From Where I Sit
Being an ardent GTD implementer that too using a Blackberry & a Mac, it didn’t take me long to stumble upon Michael’s blog on Working Smart. Here he lists his tips and tricks on getting through a typical work day. It’s only when Michael did his last post on Working Smart that I discovered From Where I Sit, his other regular blog.
The more of I read his writings, the more similarities I see in our ways of thinking. Out of curiosity I had to ask if he was a Libran too. Still waiting for a reply. But then that’s just me.
Interim Thoughts
Neelakantan & Ramesh are the contributors behind Interim Thoughts. I tried to do a bit of Googling but failed to find much about this duo. Their views on recent events in the country (specifically around Bangalore and Mumbai) have a point-of-view that I often fail to see the first time. Very often Interim Thoughts offer a more handy and more concise picture than the editorials in our local dailies. Few of my favourite posts have been:
How to write about Indian IT
Foreign Visitor in India
I, Salaried Class
Nishma & Curry
I looked high, I looked low, yet I failed to find a funnier blogger than the great Melvin Durai. Sometimes he completely cracks me up but most of the time his writing gets me into this addictive chuckling fit, that leaves me eager to read more. Born in India, having lived in Zambia and now in US, his diverse background never leaves Melvin short of good material which is consistently delivered with a unique universal appeal. Nishma and Curry is a great place to go to relax after a stressful morning. Click here to see all his posts on India & Indians and click here to read the best of Melvin Durai (,as per Melvin Durai).
Well There you have it folks. Four great blogs for your reading pleasuare, other than the Arif & Ali blog ofcourse :-)
Keep smiling :-)
Mar 9, 2008
Posted by arif in Spirituality | 18 comments
Regular readers of our blog may have noticed that we’re quite fond of the lectures delivered by Sheikh Arif Abdulhussain. Me and Ali both would highly recommend hearing these lectures. Most of them are delivered in English and deals with topics that would be interest to anyone who’s even slightly religiously inclined, Muslim or not. Sheikh Arif doesn’t have too many of his lectures available online, below is the complete resource of lectures that I’m aware of that’s currently up for grabs:
1. Lecture delivered at Satwa Imambargha, Dubai, UAE
Link details: Once you click on the above link you’ll have to scroll half-way down the page to find this lecture.
If it’s just one lecture that you hear from this page. Let this be the one. It quite well summarises most of the topics that Sheikh Arif is fond of reciting. His main theme is an attempt to answer, “Why are we here? What’s the purpose of our existence?”
A moving quote from this majlis “I’m confined in this mass of a body today, which gives me the ability to say, “I am.”. But what are you, O man? Have you looked at yourself from the top of a lofty mountain and seen how insignficant you are?”
2. Lectures delivered at Masumeen Islamic Centre, Brampton, Ontario, Canada, Link details: The Multimedia library of Masumeen Centre seems currently down. I’m sure they’ll have it back up soon.
Update: The Masumeen lectures have now been uploaded to the IslamiCentre website.
These are the first set of lectures of Sheikh Arif that I had heard and since then I began to see the world with different eyes altogether. Now, this may not have the same effect to all who hear this, but I’ve seen it happen to many. There are various themes takes up in this series:
- Our concept of God is limited by just that, our concept. Afterall, is there anything other than God? When looking at the Ocean, We see only the waves, but is there anything other than the Ocean.
- Why should God stop the Tsunami, when we are God’s hand in doing so.
- The mind-boggling proximity that God has with us, (that He’s even closer to us than our own souls).
- Miracles, what was their purpose anyway.
- And best of all is the little Urdu portion that Sheikh Arif recites at the end of each of these series on the topic, “Akhir Allah, kya Chahta hai?” (Afterall what does God Want?)
3. Lecture on Imam Ali’s letter to Malik-e-Ashtar
Link details: The audio/video library of Masumeen Centre is down, inshallah should be up soon.
Also available at the library of Masumeen Centre is a 6 part series of lectures by Sheikh Arif on the letter which Imam Ali (AS) wrote to the then Governer of Egypt. A series of lectures where I have picked up invaluable Leadership and Management advice.
To those interested the letter is available here.
4. Lectures delivered at Haideri Centre, London, UK,
The lectures here are a continuation of the topics that began in the lectures that were delivered in Masumeen Centre, Brampton, Canada.
5. Majlises listed on website Imambargah.com
In this series Sheikh Arif takes on again many different topics, a key topic is centred around the theme of Life after death, Heaven & Hell. As mentioned earlier, even if you are not Muslim but do believe in the after-life you’ll have a lot to take back from this series. Few memorable bits from this series:
- Sure Allah Swt can put us all into heaven, even his most despicable slave, but then what would the degree mean to a child who’s not been through the rigor of college education. It would just be a piece of paper, it would mean nothing.
- Our sense perception is highly limited by our material body. What we see is limited by the strength of our eyes, we hear only what our ears allow us to, we taste only what our taste-buds on our tongues can taste. Once you remove these material limitations, the sense perceptions would be at a different level altogether.
Below are the lectures that I’ve not yet heard in depth and am really looking forward to:
6. Dar al Tabligh Centre
Dar-es-Salaam, East Africa
7. Al Muntazar Audio Library
Link details: under reciters, select Shekih Arif
8. Islamic Unit Society
Link details: one lecture here.
9. IslamiCentre.org
These lectures were delivered in 2001 on proving the existence of God.
Mar 2, 2008
Posted by arif in Personal, Spirituality | 0 comments
As Muslims if we happen to miss one of our Daily Prayers, we don’t get off the hook that easily, we first have to make up for it by completing that very same prayer with the intention of it being “Qazaa” (ie late/delayed), as opposed to it being “Adhaa” (ie on-time). I’m not a pristine, pure soul and have a few qazaa namaazes to complete. Sometime back, I had made a firm intention to make up for my back-log. I do it by praying an additonal prayer together with my regular prayer.
Prayer as a Burden
Rarely (read that as Ver Rarely) it does feel delicously wonderful that Allah SWT has given the “Toufiq” (awareness), strength, and time to make up for my qazaa namaazes and I get to do it. But many times it feels heavy and burdensome too. Just when I finish my daily set of prayer, I have to drag myself to get up and pray it all over again. Just yesterday the thought did cross my head, “Oh God, why have You made this so difficult?”
But God Loves You
And like a flash of lightening in a clear blue sky, in popped the answer, Quran (Chapter 2, Verse 185) “Allah (Swt) desires ease for you, He does not desire difficulty.”
God is indeed the Most Benfecient the Most Merciful. He Loves his worst slave 70 times more than a mother loves her best son. 70 times! Just take time a moment for that to settle in. What does a mother’s love mean. What does a father’s love mean. What won’t a parent do to ensure that their child grows. What sacrifice a father won’t give to ensure that his son doesn’t become the best he can make out of him. When a mother disciplines her son by grounding him or punishing him so that he studies, it’s out of nothing but love for the child that she does that. The boy may feel that his mother hates him. But the son doesn’t realise that the pain his mother goes through on having a firm hand for her darling is greater than the pain he feels. And once he’s a young man and realises the value of college education, he would thank his mother again and again for being strict with him. Infact he may even say, ‘Oh mother, why didn’t you correct me earlier. I was but a child, what did I know?”
Be a Mountain-Man
Prayers, fasting, are minute disciplinary acts that help us break from this struggle for wealth and power. The trouble, burden of prayer is nothing compared to the liberation of the attachment/desires to this world. The pain of getting up before dawn to remember one’s Lord is utterly insignifcant, to the inner strength one will develop in times of deep adversity. The whole world may collapse, but a Lover of the Lord will be standing tall and strong as He would have built a mountain inside of him.
Prayer reminds us that we are not Masters of our time. It reminds us we are other than not our body, thoughts & intentions. These are merely tools to help us realise our true & higher self. It reminds us that we have come from nothing. And it’s just a matter of moments when we’ll return to nothing. When this hulk of a body, that we feed, perfume & love will become fodder for the earthworms.
May Allah SWT continue to provide us with “Toufiq” to be His obedient worshipers and may He provide us with strength to fulfill all our obligations. Ameen.
(Part of this post has been inspired from the lectures of Sheikh Arif, available here). Currently the site seems down should be up soon.
