Jul 5, 2009 Posted by arif in Spirituality | 0 comments

The Secret to Enlightenment

Promise Me two things and I promise you enlightenment; no anxiety about your provisions and no fear of creation. – Abul hassan ash-Shadhili

Jul 5, 2009 Posted by arif in Spirituality | 0 comments

How should a person take account of himself, at the end of everyday?

It was asked from Hazrat Ali (as): How should a person take account of himself?

Hazrat Ali (as) replied:

When a person ends his day, then he should turn towards himself and say ‘O self! This day that has passed will not return. Allah (SWT) will ask you about how you wasted your day. He will ask you about the actions you performed, whether you remembered Him and praised Him? Whether you fulfilled a right of your fellow believer? Did you remove a difficulty that befell upon a believer? Did you protect his children in his absence? Did you safeguard his rights after his death? Did you – on account of your position – prevent anyone from backbiting your believing brother? Did you help any Muslim throughout the day?

Jun 19, 2009 Posted by arif in Spirituality | 0 comments

What can my enemies do to me? – A Quote

“What can my enemies do to me? I have in my breast both my heaven and my garden. If I travel they are with me, never leaving me. Imprisonment for me is a chance to be alone with my Lord. To be killed is martyrdom and to be exiled from my land is a spiritual journey.’ Ibn Taymiyyah  

Disclaimer: I strongly disagree with Ibn Taymiyyah’s views on Shia-ism, Non-Muslims, the visiting of Shrines and many other matters. However, the above quote is nonetheless beautiful. (Thank you Nadia).

Jun 16, 2009 Posted by arif in Spirituality | 6 comments

Man passes away while in Sajdah at Masjid an Nabawi

I am not sure how authentic this is, however the picture looks as real as it can get.

Either way, what a stirring moment. Of all times in the day that one is close to God, you are closest to Him in your prayers. And within prayers one of the closest positions is that of prostration, where in total submission man brings his head to the ground and declares, “Glory be to You, O Allah. Glory be to You.” Here’s a man, who arrives at the one of the Holiest places on earth, Medina. He commences prayer, begins conversing with His Beloved. He moves to prostration, surrendering himself completely. Just when He is closest to God as one can be, the Lord brings His hand and lifts His lover to himself saying, “I love you too much to have even this much distance between ourselves. Come even closer to me, my Son. Even Closer.” Subhanallah. “Aisee maut, Allah sab ko naseeb karay.”

May 14, 2009 Posted by arif in Spirituality | 0 comments

The Universe that lies within

photo credit: ~jjjohn~

The Astronomer

In the shadow of the temple my friend and I saw a blind man sitting alone. And my friend said, “Behold the wisest man of our land.”
Then I left my friend and approached the blind man and greeted him. And we conversed.
After a while I said, “Forgive my question, but since when hast thou been blind?”
“From my birth,” he answered.
Said I, “And what path of wisdom followest thou?”
Said he, “I am an astronomer.”
Then he placed his hand upon his breast, saying, “I watch all these suns and moons and stars.”

I know I have blogged the above story earlier but it’s really my most oft-recalled story from Khalil Gibran’s The Madman. Have you observed your own soul? If not then I invite you to Behold the wonder in observing your emotions float by. In a way it’s not different from watching clouds float along or sometimes a distant planet through a telescope. The trick is to catch yourself when you’re emotions are racing away. It could because your angry, upset or just delieriously happy. Observe yourself and try not to get attached to what you are seeing. Then you will get a glimpse of the universe that lies within.

You may read the all the short stories of Khalil Gibran’s the Madman here or better yet, hear it by downloading this free audio book.