May 14, 2009
Posted by arif in Spirituality | 0 comments
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.
Apr 20, 2009
Posted by arif in Personal, Spirituality | 3 comments
photo credit: TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³
O God, as the great grandson of the Prophet (SAW) Imam Zainul Abideen says in his prayer of Thankfulness,
“The most thankful of Thy servants
has not the capacity to thank Thee,
and the most worshipful of them
falls short of obeying Thee…”
but still we try O Lord.
1. I’m so utterly grateful for having received the parents and grandparents that I received.
2. I’m so grateful for the brother that I have. He’s my confidant, my business partner and my coffee-buddy. (I’m also grateful that recently he’s been taking more interest in the blog :-p)
3. I’m grateful for my wonderful extended family, my uncles, aunts, brothers and cousins. Even though we are so far apart, when we meet it’s amazing, it’s as if we were never away at all.
4. I’m so grateful for my pious and loving wife and my beautiful little princess that God gifted me through her.
5. I’m grateful that My car starts every morning.
6. I’m grateful that myself, family members and all friends around me are in the best possible health that they can be.
7. I’m grateful for the warm cup of coffee that I receive every morning.
8. I’m utterly grateful fo the the wonderful teachers that I have received in my life. They are the giants on whose shoulders I am standing.
9. I’m grateful for the love of reading and writing. I am grateful for having an inquisitive mind which is propelling me to search for the Ultimate Truth.
10. I’m grateful for the friends in my life, those who I grew up with in Dubai and friends that I’m still growing with here in Bangalore. God bless you all!
11. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of this wonderful company called Vakil Housing. We work with fantastic people, both within the organisation as well as beyond it (ie our Vendors, Contractors and of course our Customers).
12. I’m grateful for this blog and it’s readers. Me and Ali blog because simply because we like to, and the compliments we receive make it more than worthwhile.
13. I’m grateful for the fact that we can afford the things that I can and still have money left over to give away.
14. Oh, I’m so grateful for my health. (Over the last week I have come across people who have suffered from cleft lip, paralysis, polio and cancer). Every breath is such an invaluable gift, cherish it and make the most of it.
15. I’m grateful for having that opportunity and ability to maintain my health too.
16. I’m grateful for the religion that I received and the religious education which I am still receiving.
17. I’m grateful for the insight that this world is so temporary. Our stint in this world is that of the traveller who is taking shade under a tree only to resume his journey.
18. I’m grateful for the problems and the challenging situations that I’m presented with, which make me stronger at every passing moment.
19. I’m grateful for the Golden Era of Information that we live in. So many problems are just a Google search away. Thanks to which one can overindulge in so many forms of knowledge. One can get the best of the best of books, lectures and DVD’s. I’m so grateful that my learning doesn’t need to stop.
20. I’m grateful for having learnt GTD. It has truly accelarated my learning, helped me clarified my vision in life and provided me with lazer sharp focus.
21. I’m grateful for the conviction that there is indeed a Creator to the universe and for the certainty that it’s a trial that we are under.
22. I’m grateful for the realisation that whatever you do is completely useless, unless God Almighty is pleased with it. On the flip side it d
23. I’m grateful for learning that success does not mean a faster car, a bigger home or more money. But these are just means to true success which is spiritual purification, (ie getting closer to God by knowing who you really are).
24. I’m grateful for exposed to the wonderful authors that I have been exposed to (Sheikh Fadhlallah Haeri, Eckhart Tolle, Arundathi Roy are a few names that come to mind now).
25. I’m grateful for exposed to the wonderful lectures by the enlightened Zakirs in my life which have transformed and upgraded my thinking in ways I think nobody could have (Malim Hassanain Rajabali, Malim Khalil Jaffer, Sheikh Arif Abdul Hussain, Dr. Murtaza Alidina)
O Allah SWT, please guide us on to the straight path. The path where we utilise all these gifts and more the way You have intended us to. To get closer to You. Not in the way that we go astray from You, neither in the way that we attract Your wrath.
Any of the above resonated with you? So, what are you grateful for? Do the math people,…count your blessings. ☺
Feb 24, 2009
Posted by arif in Spirituality | 1 comment
When my Sorrow was born
When my sorrow was born I nursed it with care, and watched over it with loving tenderness.
And my Sorrow grew like all living things, strong and beautiful and full of wondrous delights.
And we loved one another, my Sorrow and I, and we loved the world about us; for Sorrow had a kindly heart and mine was kindly with Sorrow.
And when we conversed, my Sorrow and I, our days were winged and our nights were girdled with dreams; for Sorrow had an eloquent tongue, and mine was eloquent with Sorrow.
And when we sang together, my Sorrow and I, our neighbors sat at their windows and listenend; for our songs were deep as the sea and our melodies were full of strange memories.
And when we walked together, my Sorrow and I, people gazed at us with gentle eyes and whispered in words of exceeding sweetness. And there were those who looked with envy upon us, for Sorrow was a noble thing and I was proud with Sorrow.
But my Sorrow died, like all living things, and alone I am left to muse and ponder.
And now when I speak my words fall heavily upon my ears.
And when I sing my songs my neighbours come not to listen.
And when I walk the streets no one looks at me.
Only in my sleep I hear voices saying in pity, “See, there lies the man whose Sorrow is dead.”
When my Joy was born
And when my joy was born I held it in my arms and stood on the house-top shouting, “Come ye, my neighbours, come and see, for Joy this day is born unto me. Come and behold this gladsome thing that laugheth in the sun.”
But none of my neighbours came to look upon my Joy, and great was my astonishment.
And every day for seven moons I proclaimed my Joy from the house-top — and yet no one heeded me. And my Joy and I were alone, unsought and unvisited.
Then my Joy grew pale and weary because no other heart but mine held its loveliness and no other lips kissed its lips.
Then my Joy died of isolation.
And now I only remember my dead Joy in remembering my dead Sorrow. But memory is an autumn leaf that murmurs in the wind and then is heard no more.
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.”
You may read the complete short book here or hear it from this free audio book.
Dec 12, 2008
Posted by arif in Spirituality | 1 comment
photo credit: steve_263
I clearly remember the day, when I was introduced to this book by Ali. He excitedly brought Hadith-e-Muffadal to me and said, Arif, you must read this book. “Thanks Ali,” I replied, “but I’ve got just so much to read and much more to do, that I just don’t have the time to add another book to my reading list.” He thought for a while and then quipped back, “Okay Arif, do this. Hold the book in your hand, open to any page and read any paragraph.” That was a reasonable enough. So I took the book, opened a page randomly, picked a paragraph to read and I began. As soon as I did, I was dumbfounded in awe. My mind had just been shattered to a million pieces. Oh, the vision and perspective with which Imam Jaffer-as-Sadiq viewed the world. That too when? In the year 700 AD! That’s 1,300 years from today. Forget about of Radio, TV or Google back in 700 AD there were hardly any books!
Anyway, The book is divided in to five chapters, briefly which cover:
1. Introduction
The background how Muffadal came to approach the Imam on this topic
2. The Human Being
The ingeniuty of God’s design of the Human Being. Why has man been designed in the way he has been designed? Is there an All Knowing, All Wise, All Merciful Creator? Or is it a result of nature and Evolution? Look for the response to that argument in this section.
3. The Animal Kingdom
The wisdom of God’s design in the Animal Kingdom. My favourite bit in this section is the beginning portion titled The Animal World, where Imam speaks of the wisdom in; the design of the muscular structure of the animals, their skeletal structure, the difference between carnivorous and herbivorous animals etc. By the way, look out for the answer to Darwin’s observation, why is it that man so closely resembles the monkey.
4. The Environment
The balance with which there exist day & night, summer & winter. The wisdom present in the size of the earth, the plentitude of water, the abundanc of air, the lack of fire etc.
5. Natural Disasters
The answer to Question if God is All Merciful and All Powerful, why do we have Natural Disasters? Why is there injustice and evil? Is it just so that we appreciate and value goodness? But then why couldn’t God create us to be good as well as appreciate good at the same time?
The book is not too big, just 60 odd pages, but exhaustive. It’s deep, yet highly readable. It’s truly with great honour and pleasure I present to all my dear blog readers, Hadith-e-Muffadal. You may download the pdf by clicking here.
Here are few (lengthy) excerpts that have touched me deeply.
Creation of Man
We now start with a description of the creation of Man before you to learn a lesson there from. The first step in the creation of Man refers to the state when the embryo in the womb is adjusted, though it is confined within three distinct kinds of coverings and three kinds of darkness. The first being that of the outer wall, the second of the womb and the third of the placenta. This is a time when the embryo can neither manage its nutrition nor ward off any harm from itself.
The menstrual flow is diverted to serve him as nutriment, just as water carries nutriment to the plants. So this process goes on until such time as his constitution is perfected, the skin over his body gets tough enough to withstand the atmosphere -so that it does not receive any harm from the air – and his eyes get capacity to withstand light. When all this is accomplished, its mother gets labour pangs, which severely shake her to uneasiness, culminating in the birth of the infant.
With the birth of the infant, the menstrual flow which served as nutrition in the womb is diverted to the mother’s breasts. Its taste is altered, as well as its colour, and it becomes a nutriment of quite a different kind, which exactly suits the temperament of the infant, as and when it needs the same, compared with the flow of blood.
Simultaneously with its birth, it starts moving and licking its lips with its tongue to indicate its desire for milk. It finds its mothers pair of breasts as luscious reservoirs hanging to provide nutrition for it. He gets its nutrition from milk in this way until such time as his body remains delicate, his organs and bowels soft and weak.
Grains
Consider how agriculture is ordained to thrive. A hundred or so grains spring from a single seed. A single grain from
a single seed would have been logical. Why then such multiplication? Surely to amplify the grain so that the same
may serve as food to last till the next crop besides provision as seed for the farmers.
Consider a monarch intending to populate a town. lie plans to provide such quantities of grain as would suffice the
residents to serve as food till the next crop besides provision for seed. See how this plan is adumbrated in the scheme
of the Almighty Allah, Glory be to Him, that agriculture should lead to such multiplication as to serve both the need
for nutrition as well as that for seeding.
Similar is the case with the trees, vegetation and the date-tree. They generate abundant fruit. You see that there is a
single root, but there are many off-shoots. Why? Surely for the purpose of propagating the progeny from the seeds,
after people have put them to their use. If there had been a single root without the branches shooting off in such
abundance, it would not have been feasible to take off anything from it for sowing or any other business. In the case
of a sudden calamity the original would have perished with no chance for another plant to replace it.
Existence of God
Above all them, are the atheists to be pitied, who demand to see with their physical eyes One Who is inscrutable even to the intellect. This being impossible, they took to flat denial of His Existence. They demanded, why He cannot be encompassed within the intellect? He transcends intellect just as things beyond the visual field cannot be perceived by the eyes.
As an example, if you see a piece of stone flying up in the air, the logical conclusion you draw is that someone has hurled it above. The eye may not have seen it and yet the intellect realises it because of its discerning capacity, in that the piece of stone cannot go up by itself. You see that the eye stopped at a point and could not advance further. Similarly the intellect stops short at its prescribed limit in the matter of the Divine Immanence. It cannot advance further.
Nov 16, 2008
Posted by admin in Spirituality | 9 comments
I know I’ve blogged about this before, but as it’s affected me so deeply, I really have to discuss it again. What’s the purpose of life? Why are we here? Why don’t we get eternal satisfaction from material pleasures? For those who’ve got everything, you can almost hear them screaming, “Dammit, I’m always travelling first class, I’ve got men & women fawning about me all the time, I’ve can buy anything that I ever want, but so what? What’s the point of it all? It’s so meaningless.”
Between 1990 and 2000 the Chinese saw an incredible boom in their economy such that millions were pulled up out of poverty to earn a decent living wage. However, in 1990 28% of Chinese people described themselves as very happy, but by 2000 this figure had dropped to 12%. (Source). We don’t have to go to China for examples, a look at our own lives is sufficient. India is having a boom of it’s own. Many have experienced new found wealth which they didn’t have before. Especially those who have lived the 1970’s and 80’s in India, many are now exceptionally well off. Rate yourself (or your parents) on a scale of 1 to 10 your level of happiness then and your level of happiness now. Is it much different? Were you severely depressed then and deliriously happy now?
So if health & wealth is not the source of ALL happiness then what use are they? Well these are not the source of happiness, but the tools to help us achieve eternal bliss. To quote Imam Ghazzali’s Analogy, our life in this world is like that of a person (let’s call him Abdul) going for pilgrimage on a camel. Without his camel, Abdul certainly wouldn’t be able to complete his obligatory journey. However, what would be his plight, if he cares for his camel (feeds it, clothes it, gives it adequate rest & relaxation) but has forgotten the purpose of setting off on his ride in the first place. He just wanders along the desert, trying his best to keep his camel in as good humor as a camel can be. Soon Abdul’s steed grows his old, his faithful camel cannot support his master’s burden anymore. And drops off and dies. Leaving his master alone and stranded in the desert. Miles away from his home, and even further away from his destination.
The story of those of us who are searching for Eternal Bliss or Meaining of Life in wealth, fame, material objects is not much different from Abdul’s story. Just like Abdul we have forgotten the purpose of our journey and are fully focussed on our wealth, health, status, which are mere tools/vehicles which are there to help us complete our voyage. They are not the purpose of it. So what’s the purpose of our journey/voyage? Abdul’s was to complete his spiritual pilgrimage. Ours is the same.
