CROSSROADS -- CHOOSING OUR WAY

Well, certainly grave dangers lie ahead. But there is also light at the end of the tunnel. And it is towards that light we are ultimately headed. To find that light we must look beyond the many crises now facing us and investigate their underlying cause. Why does humanity continue to behave in ways that are clearly not in its best interest? Is there something wrong with us? LIGHT WON’T COME TO YOU… YOU NEED TO MOVE !!! "I came to understand that I am not the light or the source of light. But light -- truth, understanding, knowledge -- is there, and it will only shine in many dark places if I reflect it." -- Alexander Papaderosby Looking for the self is rather like being in a room at night with only a flashlight, looking for the source of the light. All you would find would be the various objects in the room that the light fell upon. It is the same when we try to look for the self which is the subject of all experience. All we find are the various ideas, images, and feelings that the attention falls upon. But these are all objects of experience; they cannot therefore be the subject of the experience. For this reason, the self cannot be known in the way that anything else is known. "No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it." -- Albert Einstein

YOU'RE WHY CAVEMEN CHISELED ON WALLS.

The word "art" derives from the Latin ars, which can be translated "to arrange". Taking the broadest view, art is a generic term for the product of creative human activity. Whenever a person makes something primarily for aesthetic reasons, he or she is certainly creating a work of art. Another definition of art is anything made for the purpose of being experienced as art. There are many other uses of the word art, but all are related to its Latin root. There is substantial disagreement about a precise definition of ?arts?. The plural form, arts, indicates that a broad sense of the word art should be used. The arts generally refers to myriad types of art. Types of activity considered to be an art vary from culture to culture and over the course of time. In academia, the arts are usually grouped with the humanities . There is significant overlap between what is included with the arts and what is included in the humanities, however neither is entirely a subset of the other. The earliest surviving art works are paintings on the walls of caves and carved bone. It is likely that early humans also sang and created other kinds of music. Since art is the product of creative human activity, it could be said that much human knowledge sprang from the pursuit of art. Artists work under the influence of other artists of the past and present. In a sense, there is a continuum of artistic expression stretching from the distant past to the present day. The concept of what art is has continuously changed over human history. There are ongoing swings between inclusiveness and exclusiveness in what is and is not considered art. Likewise there is a balance between utility and aesthetic expression in even the most utilitarian pursuits. For example a rug is sometimes simply a floor covering with an entirely practical purpose. But since their invention, artistic designs have been woven into them. SOMEONE ONCE SAID: "YOU'RE WHY CAVEMEN CHISELED ON WALLS. " ISN'T THAT SOMETHING?

Loneliness in the Midst of Plenty !

I'M HOME ALONE RIGHT NOW..I DUNNO WETHER I'M BEING SENSIBLE OR HARD; BUT THE "LONELINESS" I FEEL RIGHT NOW IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE "LONELINESS" I FEEL WHEN I'M OUT! IT'S SPOOKY OUT THERE! AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT GIVES ME THE CHILLS SEEING THE REAL WORLD... I AM TRUELY SCARED AND HAVE A LOT OF FEARS... JUST WANNA HOLD ON TO MY TEDDY, AND PRAY THAT TOMMORROW WOULD BE A BETTER ONE. "I know what I have to do now. I have to keep breathing. Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?" "We live and we die by time. And we must not commit the sin of turning our back on time."

A BURDEN IS...

A BURDEN ISN'T WHAT YOUR BACK CARRIES, BUT RATHER, WHAT YOUR CHEST HOLDS... THAT'S WHAT MY MAMA TOLD ME 2 DAYS AGO...

The Dawn (Al-Fajr)

The time for Fajr prayer lasts from the beginning of the pre-sunrise twilight so long as the sun has not yet started to rise...

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said,

"There are angels who take turns in visiting you by night and by day, and they all assemble at the dawn (Fajr) and the afternoon (`Asr) prayers. Those who have spent the night with you, ascend to the heaven and their Rubb, Who knows better about them, asks: `In what condition did you leave My slaves?' They reply: `We left them while they were performing Salat and we went to them while they were performing Salat.'''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
[89:1] By the dawn.
[89:2] And the ten nights.
[89:3] By the even and the odd.
[89:4] By the night as it passes.
[89:5] A profound oath, for one who possesses intelligence.
[89:6] Have you noted what your Lord did to `Aad?
[89:7] Erum; the town with tall buildings.
[89:8] There was nothing like it anywhere.
[89:9] Also Thamoud, who carved the rocks in their valley.
[89:10] And Pharaoh who possessed might.
[89:11] They all transgressed in the land.
[89:12] They spread evil throughout.
[89:13] Consequently, your Lord poured upon them a whipping retribution.
[89:14] Your Lord is ever watchful.
[89:15] When the human being is tested by his Lord, through blessings and joy, he says, "My Lord is generous towards me."
[89:16] But if He tests him through reduction in provisions, he says, "My Lord is humiliating me!"
[89:17] Wrong! It is you who brought it on yourselves by not regarding the orphan.
[89:18] And not advocating charity towards the poor.
[89:19] And consuming the inheritance of helpless orphans.
[89:20] And loving the money too much.
[89:21] Indeed, when the earth is crushed, utterly crushed.
[89:22] And your Lord comes, together with the angels in row after row.
[89:23] On that day, Gehenna will be brought forth. On that day, the human being will remember - but what a remembrance - it will be too late.
[89:24] He will say, "Oh, I wish I prepared for my (eternal) life."
[89:25] On that day, no retribution could be worse than His retribution.
[89:26] And no confinement is as effective as His confinement.
[89:27] As for you, O content soul.
[89:28] Return to your Lord, pleased and pleasing.
[89:29] Welcome into My servants.
[89:30] Welcome into My Paradise.

C-R-A-S-H !

It's the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you (not literally). NOWADAYS, nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something.

“LAMA” --S-I-G-H

“IF THERE BE A VISION...” “We must break the bonds of our fear, master our impulse to see things only in black and white, recapture our critical spirit, the sense of complexity, and our ability to listen. We must reconcile ourselves with our own intelligence and that of our neighbors. We must once more become “subjects”: that and nothing else. And yet, to do so seems so difficult.Our very conception of man and life are at stake. Far more than simple politics, this new ideology-and the challenge of our times-raises issues of conviction, faith, understanding, ethics and behavior. If there be a vision that must emerge, as a response to the ideology of fear, it must be one of self-liberation. This “act of self-liberation” is located precisely at the core of spiritual experience: when the emotions urge us to let ourselves go, spirituality requires of us that we educate ourselves...” “EVERY LIVING CREATURE IS BORN WITH A RIGHTEOUS NATURE” I taught kids from ages 6-12 in a school for the past year (but quitted for some good reasons!)… & there was this one kid “LAMA”, who brought joy and tenderness to my heart whenever I saw her. I taught her arts…Her folks used to wait outside until the bell rings to thank me every week! They used to tell me how much she loved me, and woke up early every Monday ‘cuz she has arts… Back then she was 6 and was a grade one student and 1C precisely!1 week ago, a close friend of mine, (who happens to be a teacher there) told me that Lama had a severe chicken pox that affected her lungs and back…It’s funny how we always think that kids aren’t exposed to any harm… I mean, we expect anything but not BELIEVE that anything might happen… MAY ALLAH SAVE US FROM THE EVIL OF THIS WORLD, AND MAKE US ALL CAPABLE OF BEING PATIENT AND EVEN IF WE DON’T SEE THE WISDOM BEHIND THINGS TAKING PLACE... AMEN. ANYHOW, when Lama heard my voice in the other end of the phone, she GOT BETTER!YEP BETTER!I’m not trying to tell you here how amazing I am, ALL I’M TRYING TO SAY, IS THAT THOSE KIDS DO KNOW HOW TO TRULY LOVE!SHE GOT BETTER AND TOLD ME THAT AS SOON AS SHE GETS BETTER, WE’LL GO OUT TOGETHER…SHE LITERALLY ASKED ME OUT ;)I wish grown ups would learn how to love, love till no end, love with no reason… THIS IS A LINK TO SOME CRAZY LOVE ;)http://soulheartmindbody.blogspot.com/2005/03/sweet-and-sour-incident.html#comments THE END "- How big is the universe? -- Infinite. - How do you know? -- I know because all the data indicates it's infinite. - But it hasn't been proven yet. -- No. - You haven't seen it. --No. - How do you know for sure? -- I don't, I just believe it. - It's the same with love I guess.”

KEEP ME IN YOUR PRAYERS PLEASE.

“Allah would make the burden light for you, for the human being was created weak.” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 28] In a state of weakness we were first created, and in a state of weakness we end our lives. I FEEL SOOO Weak, Frail, Trivial, Little, Fragile... I NEED YOUR PRAYERS SISTERS AND BROTHERS... I might not post for a while...

PUT YOUR LIGHTS UP !

Shine a light up, Brothers and Sisters, go get brighter Even though the media (will) try to demonize us We need to be wiser, we got our eyes wide shut We aint gonna get no where, so man, listen up Race or color, it aint half empty, its half full Life is a test, we face many obstacles America, do you realize that the taxes that you pay Feed the forces that traumatize my every living day So if I won't be here tomorrow It's written in my fate May the future bring a brighter day The end of our wait Do you know the truth of where your money goes? Do you let your media deceive your mind? Is this a truth nobody, nobody, nobody knows? Someone tell me?

NATIONALISTS? OBLIGATIONS? MIGRATE?

"We are not nationalists. We are commanded to migrate from the country where we cannot discharge our religious obligations."

Peace of the Heart --by Tariq RAMADAN

Who among human beings can affirm within the depths of his soul not to sometimes know violence, aggression, hatred, the excitation of a destructive instinct, or anger? Self control, serenity, respect of the Other, and tenderness are not natural but are acquired and exact a price of permanent personal effort. Such is the toil of men: they approach the shores of humanity through long and hard, thoughtful and measured work on one’s self. Each individual knows this, each heart feels it. All literature, since the dawn of time, reflects this tension which at times quiets down, at times agitates, sometimes tears the intimacy of men. From the Bhagavad Gita to the Torah to the Gospels, from Dostoyevsky to Baudelaire, the human horizon remains the same. The Qu’ran confirms this everyday experience: “By the soul and what balanced it and inspired its liberation and piety. He will most certainly be content he who purifies it, he will most certainly be lost, he who corrupts it.” Both paths are explicit and instruct in a manner both superbly animated and ethical to the ever present reminder of the afterlife. Life is a test of this balance for men, for better or worse. This spiritual force is symbolized by choosing the path of righteousness, good deeds for oneself and for others. “It is He (God) who created death and life so that he may test you and show who is best amongst you in conduct.” To reform best one’s inner space, to soothe one’s heart close to the recognition of the Creator and in the density of an action which is both human and generous to love in transparency and live in the light: such is the meaning of Islamic spirituality. It links the horizon of all spirituality requiring man to acquire a force of being, rather than to undergo despotic relentlessness of a life reduced to mere instinct. This tension, leading to mastery of the self, is translated into Arabic as the word jihâd. God wanted this tension, and made its management an ultimate condition towards accessing faith and humanity.

"Half of Your Faith" --by Tariq RAMADAN

Perhaps you, sisters and brothers, are preparing yourselves to engage in this life experience of marriage, known as "half of your faith". Or perhaps you have already started sharing your life with someone. In this, your expectations, thank God, were more than met but sometimes doubts have emerged. This... is not what you had expected. Brothers and sisters, nothing should be idealized.

Exile toward the Beginning --by Tariq RAMADAN

Where to? Where to then? Towards Him, towards you, close to Him in you. Before your eyes is a child ... life, dependence, fragility and innocence. Pride is to affirm outward independence by maintaining the illusion of liberty at the heart of one’s being. Humility is to rediscover the breath of the primordial need of Him at the heart of our being, in order to live in total outward independence.

"It may be that you dislike a thing, which is good for you and that you like a thing, which is bad for you. Allah knows, but you do not know." Al Quran 2.216 Remember, Allah knows, we do not know. TRY NOT TO GO THROUGH IT ALONE...

BELONGINGNESS ...

The deep need to belong Sense of belonging BELONGINGNESS It's amazing to see how my li'l cousin (who's 1 year and 9 months old) speaking her Egyptian language and really belonging to it! I mean how wonderful this is?! Seeing a li'l girl putting sounds together and belonging to the very same language of her tribe. Eating their very same food! Even those li'l creatures BELONG! It makes me sick seeing grown ups trying to belong, and not even knowing how to!!! Just faking it! Belongingness is a gift that one should appreciate. and I mean belonging to what's true, real and upright, and clinging to it. You belong in the world of balance, where everything has two sides and everything is not always what it appears on the outside. Of course, if you have a sense of humor, you may find employment as a sarcastic comedian. If not, enjoy the choices that are presented to you through life, they will always have two sides to them,one which leads you to the light, and the other which entrenches you in darkness. Walk on with hope, my SISTERS & BROTHERS.

"O people, if you have any doubt about resurrection, (remember that) we created you from dust, and subsequently from a tiny drop, which turns into a hanging (embryo), then it becomes a fetus that is given life or deemed lifeless. We thus clarify things for you. We settle in the wombs whatever we will for a predetermined period.* We then bring you out as infants, then you reach maturity. While some of you die young, others live to the worst age, only to find out that no more knowledge can be attained beyond a certain limit. Also, you look at a land that is dead, then as soon as we shower it with water, it vibrates with life and grows all kinds of beautiful plants." QUR'AN - 22:5

INFINITY --- did i just lose u?

REACHING INFINITY WITH OUR EYES... Describe infinity? There's not enough time. Not enough space, not enough rhyme. If you try to stop it, it gives you the slip. You'll never reach it, just enjoy the trip. How could you count up all the nebula number all the stars, order all the grains of sand on beaches near and far... I FEEL FOUND !

PENCILS ONLY FOR ME !

One of the reasons I enjoy researching word histories is the regular discovery that some things I take for granted just aren't so. Like the connection between pens and pencils. After all, the words sound similar, the objects themselves look about the same, and they are used for roughly the same purpose. Common sense suggests that they have the same linguistic roots, and that they're just two slightly different versions of the same thing... Strike one for common sense. The word pen had already been borrowed into Japanese 200 years ago, along with the object itself. But what did a pen of that era look like? Basically... a feather! The word made its way into English long ago, originally from the Latin penna, for 'feather, wing,' and for over a 1000 years pens were indeed made of feathers, cut into appropriate shapes for handling and holding ink. Quill pens, usually of goose feathers, were used in western countries until about a hundred years ago. What we think of as pens today are mainly the results of 19th C. solutions to two problems: quills are relatively soft, and so tend to wear out fairly quickly, and they have to be continually dipped in ink. So a pen was originally a feather. What about the pencil? A kind of little pen? Wrong again! In fact, for most of its 600-year history in English, the word referred to a small, fine-pointed brush used in painting. It comes from penicillus, the diminutive form of the Latin word for tail, penis, and meant, literally, 'little tail.' (This same Latin word gives us penicillin, from the brush-like shape of the Penicillium mold from which it is produced.) Now if a pencil was referred to as a 'lead pencil' in English, then certainly the Japanese word enpitsu must be a direct translation: en (namari) 'lead' + hitsu (fude) 'brush'. Why else would they make the same 'mistake'? Strike two for common sense. Enpitsu apparently dates back to the 13th or 14th C., for a type of powdered lead-based ink, used with a brush, and with no connection to the English word pencil. The loan-words penshiru, ri-do peneshiru (lead pencil), and penseru appear in Meiji documents, but today enpitsu has replaced them all in regular use, with one exception: While I personally wondered why a mechanical pencil is called sha?pu-pen (sharp pen) in Japanese, most Japanese are probably aware that it's just another case of word-shortening, from the original form, sha?pu-penshiru, dating back some 30 years. So now I've learned that pens were feathers and pencils were brushes, and once more that words with similar shapes and meanings don't necessarily share their linguistic roots. That a Japanese 'lead brush' was not related to an English 'lead pencil,' and that only one of them has anything to do with lead at all. And that a 'sharp-pen' was never a pen. Once again, my own common sense has proved an inadequate substitute for research, and the history of words has led to more interesting discoveries... about things we take for granted. http://www.trussel.com/ Well, I always disliked pens... never longed to have them, and in the 5th grade I remember kids getting all those different coulored pens... and it didn't fascinate me at all...And I remember having a bad handwriting while using them,,, even up untill now...I guess this has to do with my "freaking out" syndrome ! ; )I'm serious... I've always had this "in-complete" illnesssssss !OK... let me elaborate more...whenever I park the car for instance, I feel like I forgot something, and have to look back thru its glass to be sure I didnt forget anythin' !!!!Whenever I read a book, I can't complete it... I get tooooooo attached that I don't want to finish reading it !!!!!A-N-Y-H-O-W,,,THANK GOD FOR CREATING THE MAN WHO INVENTED PENCILS ;)

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.

THE AWAKENING -- By Virginia Swift

People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges... With courage in your heart and with God by your side, take a stand, take a deep breath, and begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.

LONELY BENCH !

The leaves of the tree have withered away. The horizon yonder beckons. 'Tis not for long I am here to stay, I am on my way to heaven. "Walked past this bench countless times. Sat on it once."

WATER -- according to moi ; )

lovely shot, I KNOW I KNOW, THANX ; ) Water to me is like... dunno how to describe it... "I haven't made eyes" at anything like it.. Don't even know wether to say it or them ! (ie. precious water molecules)I don't have the "percision of words" talent to describe its delicacy & power...IT JUST HELPS ME TO KEEP MY CHIN UP SOMEHOW...AND I DON'T MEAN HERE WATER WE DRINK. (unfortunately, I don't drink water as much as I am supposed to) WATER ON OUR SKIN ! Every water molecule has its own unmistakable identity... Water is in a constant state of flowing; it moves continuously as long as it is able to. Water Purification, Elegance = Simplicity Bright water, Dark clouds

WHILE BREATHING !!!

WHILE SITTING IN THE BALCONY ... I was sitting there, feeling this "leathery" rug, and thinking to myself: ( BREATHING ... HUH?) PRAISE THE LORD OF THE WORLDS! REALLY... I am asthmatic. Eversince I was a li'l girl, I had ASTHMA (difficulty of breathing, sometimes 'cuz of different circumstances like smoke, humidity, and other times, 'cuz of stress, etc...) So I got sooooooooooooo connected to my inhaler (as it helps me breath easily)... and not just physically connected, EMOTIONALLY as well... And as I was sitting, I really felt that I should "THANK GOD FOR BREATHING EASILY" ! WHAT A BLESSING...

I am nothing but a memory that would fade eventually.

Memories The distant sounds, of equally distant waves The fading face, of a fading wanderman Walking through the days Striking down the waves Catching - catching the sun's rays Distant - distant wandering eyes Searching for a careless dream Speaking in whispers Discovering the truth Within that cove, treasures behold With those held hands Seeking - seeking far lands Eyes that lower to the rising sun Run - run with falling feet Over the red sands Dreaming of this distant feeling Speaking with fading words Wandering into the distance Like a shadow that passes through time Caress - caress a sweet dream Speak with soft words Be - be all you have to be In this world where nothing is as it seems The distant sounds, of equally distant waves The fading face, of a fading dream

REFLECT ON THIS ...

WHY are you repenting? Sometimes the human being regrets a sin that he/she perpetrated, not because of sincere shyness and regret in front of the divine gaze, but more so because of what people would say if they found out... i.e., the person in question repents to Allah out of the fear of others, and not out of fear and concern for ones own relationship with Allah Himself. It is as if he/she is afraid that if they don't repent, Allah may expose their faults to others, either in this life, or in the next (which would be faaaaar worse, of course)... My point in saying this is this: let your repentance to Allah, and your turning back to Him, be sincerely and solely for HIS SAKE alone, and not for any other motive, ulterior or otherwise. realize that what you (i.e., any person) have done is not pleasing to Allah and that it is unbecoming of a believer, and especially one following the path of tasawwuf (Islamic Spirituality), to fall into repeated mistakes in front of the gaze of the Divine... ask HIM to forgive you for what has transpired, not for any other reason but that you genuinely feel sorry and have recognized your fault... The question may now arise here, what kind of sins are we talking about here? Ohhhhh, the types, shades, and colors of sin are many, many, and many!!! [My God protect us...] For example, one day i was at the post office here in the UAE (where I am currently living). There was a local woman (i.e., a UAE national) working at the "customs inspection" desk. I had a package from the U.S. that had lots ......

B I R D Y Y Y Y Y !

"Within people there is a longing and a desire such that, even if a hundred thousand worlds were theirs to own, still they would find no rest or comfort. They try every trade and craft, studying astronomy, medicine and every other subject, but they reach no completion, for they have not found their true desire. Poets call the Beloved “heart’s ease,” because there the heart finds ease. How can we find peace and rest in anything but the Beloved?" ONE OF THE THINGS THAT RESTS MY HEART, IS SEEING THIS LI'L BIRD... IT MATTERS A LOT TO ME SEEING IT EVERY NOW AND THEN, COMING TO MY WINDOW AND HUMMING...HMMMMMMMM... LOVELY!

Soil is the well spring from which nature brings our essence.

"From soil we take our sustenance, to soil we return. Soil is an entire world below our feet." A Line from Here to Eternity "Is there any doubt that we walk a line between the finite and the eternal?" I say as I turn to my comrade "What do you mean?" my companion replies, sitting down on the shores of a dried up Martian lakebed. I pick up some of the red soil, scattering it to the wind of this alien world. I stood up, looking out to the stars "follow me, and you will see." Each star in a cataclysmic cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth. the blazing phoenixes that dot our night sky. Have you ever parasailed through the vibrant clouds of a nebula? Or gone ice fishing on Jupiter's moon, Europa? We live in the universe, the eternal, yet we are the inhabitants, the finite. The vast expanse that we call our home, and these tiny specks that we call life. "Come," I say to my friend. "Let's go somewhere far away, to cross the sky and touch a star, a journey from finite to eternal."

THE PLACE THAT CRADLED ME... no no, God Who created me...

TALKING ABOUT "US" BROTHER MOHAMED SAID: "People show their personality, some others show layers and layers on top of their personalities which they made in response to all the externalities (outer events) around us. Personalities as simple as I see them are the outer interface that people see you through; All Personalities are a reflection of the “self”. For how well you develop your own ”self “ means how well you can learn lessons from the externalities around you. This is why some people might go through the same tragedy and hate the world and others go through the same tragedy and love the world for it.The human “self” has tendencies to be evil or to grow more enlightened and pass beyond angels. For ones own”self” to reach high above Angels is to have your “Soul” to dominate over your own “self”. What I’ve said is there is this chain that makes a single human being. Soul?Self?Personality We know Souls are what our creator talked to and asked “2alasto Brabbekom? Fakalo Bala” souls are the only part of us that knows this answer; souls are what make all humans equal, and they all testified saying “yes” to HIM…no one said NO.For this very reason when your soul takes over your own self (in the struggle that lasts as long as you live) you become enlightened and your personality becomes a reflection of this victory of soul over self. Our own self is not constant and it struggles back, eventually for those of us struggle long enough and well enough it weakens and surrenders to the light shining throw the soul. This is the entire quest for us, who are “made of Clay to become better persons”. ? …. We are all made of Clay. The road is long, seems impossible with all the “selves” and “personalities” running the world, some of which are close some a very faraway, just remember always to speak to the Souls, for that 1400 years ago it seemed as impossible to the single man who believed in this. Peace be upon you, and May your soul shine today, and on “the day” " AND HERE IS WHAT I'M SAYING: "YOU ARE RIGHT... REALLY ASTOUNDING… HUMANS are treated like puppets in boxes (NOT ALL)... AND ITS "THEM" CAUSING THAT… its sooooo difficult to get anywhere easily… I just hate it when we (humans) run out of time…… but time isn’t the problem,---IT IS THOSE LAYERS--- I DON'T KNOW HOW DO PPL MOVE AROUND CARRYING THIS AMOUNT OF WIEGHT?! MAY THE LORD ALMIGHTY PROTECT US FROM ILLNESSES OF OUR OWN SELVES, AND PROTECT US FROM THOSE THICK LAYERS OF: -MISERLINESS- -WANTONNESS- -HATRED- -INIQUITY- -LOVE OF THE WORLD- -ENVY- -BLAMEWORTHY MODESTY- -FANTASIZING- -FEAR OF POVERTY- -OSTENTATION- -RELYING ON OTHER THAN GOD- -DISPLEASURE OF THE DIVINE DECREE- -SEEKING REPUTATION- -FALSE HOPES- -NEGATIVE THOUGHTS- -VANITY- -FRAUD- -ANGER- -HEEDLESSNESS- -RANCOR- -BOASTING AND ARROGANCE- -DISPLEASURE WITH BLAME- -ANTIPATHY TOWARD DEATH- -OBLIVIOUSNESS TO BLESSINGS- -DERISION- I discovered that libertinism is unequal to freedom….WAllahi I rejoice in Quran… I feel the “unity through diversity”… Guess, no, actually believe, that this is our world, sky and earth, water and fire, men and women, protons and electrons, sincerity, and ostentation… “Tu’rafu al’omor be dedehaa” "THINGS ARE KNOWN FROM THEIR OPPOSITES" Giving lip service isn’t the solution… ... PERIOD. "MAY ALMIGHTY ALLAH LEAD US TO TRUTH AND MAKE US VIEW IT AS IT REALLY IS, AND DISTRACT US FROM FALSHOOD AND MAKE US VIEW IT AS IT REALLY IS…AMEN.

FROM WHERE I STAND... I FEEL "THE THING"

"WITH EYES WIDE-OPEN" NOPE... "WITH HEARTS WIDE-OPEN" "KHAMADOLIS" is a south african word, that means a place in the middle of no where... "KAPELLA" is a south african word, that means different sides of the river... LETS LEAVE THE KHAMADOLIS WE'VE PUT OURSELVES IN AND NOT SPREAD ON DIFFERENT KAPELLAS....... JUST HOLD ON TOGETHER... TOGETHER.......AND STAND TOGETHER. YEAH THATS THE WORD...BUT BEFORE THAT FIND OURSELVES........ IN ORDER TO FIND OTHERS AND TRUELY SEE AND FEEL THEM... A BROTHER SAID THIS DESCRIBING HIMSELF: "Born in Egypt and lived in Egypt, I travelled a lot and lived in other places, everywhere I’ve been I saw the very same faces. Colours change, people get richer or poorer, they may as well talk different and act funny, but still one “thing” remains the same. This “thing” is very hard to articulate, yet we know it. We know what we can’t “yet” articulate. This blog is for all intelligent carbon life forms in pursue of a perfect framing and articulation of “THE THING"

ANY GIVEN TIME -- By Outlandish

ANY GIVEN TIME Chorus: any given time You’ll be there I don’t really have to say no more any give time He’s right here better believe its (?) for sure any given time I’ll see the beauty that’s has always been any given time swear by the Lord of the moon split in two 5 o’clock in the mornin I be callin’ u I’m totally lost without Your light I’m finding myself strivin’ hard all the time not a single day goes by Waqas: I’m out to fight the devil but never fought myself I read a thousand books but I never read myself my soul starving needs to be fed Lord I need your help the hell with the devil my biggest enemy is myself it makes me wonder am I doin this for the right reasons? I mean the money the fame and game all sounds appealin but instead of entertainin’ I prefer to elighten but then again who am I to be in a position to represent a whole generation of kids and to make them believe when to this day I still struggle to uphold my deen I read a hundred “God is great” in less than a minute and though my tongue is fast, I twist and my heart is not in it *chorus* by the way whoes has my soul if there’s no match to you think a spider couldn’t weave a curtain just like that I wouldn’t be here without your light findin myself on a strive all the time not a single day goes by Lenny (in spanish) *chorus* Isam: mercy without boasting gifts without terms goodness without anger forgive without reason any given time I do my best to strive in Your name I’ll rise the apple of my eye even when I’m not alone closer than the veins in my neck even when I’m all alone even when I’m asleep closer than the veins in my neck even when I’m in it so deep even when I’m all gone closer than the veins in my neck even as im singin’ this song even when I’m on a high closer than the veins in my neck even when I try to touch the sky *chorus*

Outlandish, 'Closer than Veins' QUR'AN[50:16] "We created the human, and we know what he whispers to himself. We are closer to him than his jugular vein. " 1. Introspective 2. Any Given Time 3. Look Into My Eyes 4. Just Me 5. Kom Igen - feat. U$O, ADL & Salah Edin 6. Nothing Left To Do 7. Beyond Words - feat. Burhan G 8. Words Stuck To Heart 9. Reggada - feat. Taibi & Dany Raï 10. Callin’ U 11. Sakeena 12. I’ve Seen - feat. Sami Yusuf 13. Una Palabra - feat. Majid 14. I Only Ask of God 15. Appreciatin’ Listen to Closer Than Veins & My Ummah (FULL ALBUMS!) AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE.(LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE ALBUM !) 2 "Any Given Time" 2 Im out to fight the devil but never fought myself… I read a thousand books but I never read myself, My soul starving and I fear, Lord I need your help! the hell with the devil my biggest enemy is myself it makes me wonder if im doing this for the right reasons i mean the money the fame, the game all sounds appealin but instead of entertaining i prefer to enlighten but then again who am i to be in the position to represent a whole generation of kids and to make them believe when till this day i still struggle to uphold my deen i read a hundred God is Greats in less than a minute and though my tounge is fast, im twisted, as my hearts not in it

WELL, NO NO, NOT THAAAAAAT WELL,... ANYHOW, I WAS EATING THE OTHER DAY, AND BY MISTAKE, INSTEAD OF EATING THE NEXT BITE FROM MY FOOD, I BIT MY FINGER TIP... AND THAT WAS REALLY PAINFUL... TRUELY... AND THEN I THOUGHT TO MYSELF "IS THIS HOW HARSH WE ARE ON THE FOOD WE EAT?!" HMMMMMMMMMM !!!!!!!!!!

SERENDIPITY COINCIDENCE

~SERENDIPITY~CHANCE~FATE~ ~UPSHOT~DESTINY~KARMA~ ~PROVIDENCE~LUCK~FORTUNE~ ~COINCIDENCE~FLUKE~ACCIDENT~ To start with, this is a topic that I wanted to talk about since million and a half hours ago. But simply didn’t… However I happened to meet this person, who “brought it back to action”… Didn’t know what to name this post, so I simply put some words up together… “If we are to live life in harmony with the universe we must all possess a powerful faith in what the ancients used to call fatum, what we currently refer to as destiny.” “Life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences, but rather, it's a tapestry of events that culminate in an exquisite sublime plan.” “When love feels like magic, it's called Destiny. When destiny has a sense of humor, it’s called Serendipity.” “I've always believed in fate. I've always believed that life is more than a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences. But rather, a tapestry of events that culminate into an exquisite plan.” ANY COMMENTS? PLEASE, FILL ME IN …

UP AND UP AND UP..................AMEN.

About that wheel… wohooooooooooooooooooow… it’s a big deal…ill try to make it short… Well, it’s my granny’s small front wheel from her wheelchair… yep, “wheelchair”… 2 months ago, my granny took off (she stays here, and in Egypt sometimes) to go to my uncle’s place, who lives in another city here in U.A.E. to stay with him for only a couple of days… and there she tripped over a tiny winy stair in their flat, and broke her ankle, it turned out to be three fractions and she needed a big surgery to walk on it again. SHES 82, AND ORIGINALLY TURKISH... AT THE TIME TURKEY TOOK OVER EGYPT, SHE CAME WITH HER DAD AND HER GRANDMA (NONO) AND STAYED THERE... AND THEY HAD A LIFE OF “NOT-REALLY-DOWN-TO-EARTH” PEOPLE!!! JUST TRYING TO GIVE A GLIMPSE OF THE CHARACTER I'M DISCUSSING HERE... SHE'S REALLY KIND AND SWEET-HEARTED, BUT GETS MAD REALLY FAST...NOW, SHE'S BROKEN, WITH MORE THAN 150 KGS, CAN'T WALK, ('CUZ THE LEFT ANCKLE IS SOOOOOOO SQUAHSED) AND LONGS FOR CONTINOUS ATTENTION AND AFFECTION AND 24/7 CARE ETC... SO I GO LIKE HUHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, AND GET MAD, AND ANGRY, AND THE VEIN THAT’S ON MY FOREHEAD SHOWS UP AND GOES RED... BUT WHEN I DISCUSSED THE MATTER WITH MY MOM... SHE SAID " SAROORA, YOU MAY THINK THIS WON'T EVER HAPPEN TO YOU. BUT IT MIGHT" WALLAHI, BY ALLAH, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN THE NEXT MOMENT, REALLY....OOOOOOOOOOOHH, WE REALLY DUNNO...I MEAN, THERE WAS THIS THING... IN THE VERY SAME ROOM THAT MY GRANNY STAYED IN... THERE WAS THIS LITTLE 12 YEAR OLD BOY, WHO WAS ADMITTED IN THE HOSPITAL, AND GUESS WHY, 'CUZ WHEM HIS MOM WOKE HIME UP, SHE FOUND THAT HE WAS PARALYZED!!!!!!!!!!!!AND THE DOCTORS SAID THAT THERE WAS NO VIVID REASON.... PRAISE THE LORD... PRAISE THE LORD OF THE WORLDS... I'M OVER-WHELMED & SOOOOOOO EMOTIONAL AND FELT LIKE WRITING ALLL THIS... HOPE YOU GET ME...SORRY FOR THE LENGTH...AND LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST, KEEP ON PRAYING FOR YOUR MIND TO ALWAYS BE THERE ... AND DOING AAAAAAALLLLL THAT IS RIGHT...AND MAY ALL YOUR CELLS BE IN TOTAL PEACE AND NATIVE TRANQUILITY THAT ONLY GOD INSTILLS.......LOVE PEOPLE AND THINGS FOR WHAT YHEY REALLY ARE...AND YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH UP AND UP AND MAY WE ALWAYS BE ALWAYS GOING UP AND NEVER GET DOWN.... ESPECIALLY WHEN WE DIE (God Willing after a life full of fruitful aims and missions) KEEP ON ELEVATING TO THE HIGHEST HEAVEN, WITH ALL THOSE WE LOVE.... THIS SMALL WHEEL !!!! ITS THIS SMALL WHEEL... JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT SOMETHING BEING SMALL, DOESN'T MEAN ITS OF LESS IMPORTANCE...JUST BECAUSE OF THAT WHEEL, WE SUFFERED FOR A WHILE UNTIL WE FOUND ANOTHER ONE WITH THE SAME SIZE... 'CUZ SIMPLY WE HAD TO MOVE HER WITH THE COMPUTER'S CHAIR, (AS IT HAS WHEELS) WHICH GAVE OUR BACKS A VERY HARD TIME !

***REVIVING THE ISLAMIC SPIRIT*** Toronto

HOW AMAZING THE 23rd-29th OF DECEMBER FOR THOSE WHO'LL BE IN TORONTO THEN ........... ITS THE 4TH RIS Convention/Concert/... (http://www.revivingtheislamicspirit.com/) WATCH THE TRAILER HERE: www.revivingtheislamicspirit.com/trailer/ris4trailer.wmv Shaykh Abdallah Bin Bayyah (Mauritania) ------------------- Dr. Tareq Suwaidan (Kuwait) ------------------------------- Shaykh Hamza Yusuf (USA) ------------------------------------ Ms. Atalla Shabazz (USA) ----------------------------- Dr. Omar Abdel Kafi (Egypt) ---------------------------------- Dr. Zakir Naik (India) ------------------------------ Dr. Tariq Ramadan (Switzerland) ------------------- Imam Zaid Shakir (USA) ---------------------------------- Mr. Eric Margolis ------------------------------ Shaykh Mohammad Jebril (Egypt) ---------------------- Shaykh Riyadh Ul Haq (UK) ---------------- Shaykh Sulaiman Mulla (South Africa) -------------------- Imam Suhaib Webb (USA) ----------------------------- Shaykh Abdullah Adhami (Syria) ---------- Dr. Jamal Badawi (Canada) -------------------- Dr. Ingrid Mattson (USA) -------------------------------- Shaykh Muhammed AlShareef (Canada) ----------------- ARE ALL GOING TO BE THERE INSHAA'ALLAH...

Chili's Salsa...(THE SPECIAL SENSE)

Ingredients: 1 Can Tomatoes and Green Chills (14.5 oz can)1 Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes (14.5 oz can, plus the juice)1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. Jalapenos (canned,diced, not pickled)1/4 C. Yellow Onion (diced)1/2 - 3/4 tsp. Garlic Salt1/2 tsp. Cumin1/4 tsp. Sugar Preparation: In food processor place jalapenos and onions. Process for just a few seconds. Add both cans of tomatoes, salt, sugar, and cumin. Process all ingredients until well blended but do not puree. Place in covered container and chill. A couple of hours of chilling will help blend and enrich the flavor.Serve with your favorite thin corn tortilla chips.

BUT THAT'S NOT THE THING... WHAT'S FUNNY IS HOW SUGAR AND GARLIC SALT BLEND TOGETHER AND MAKE THIS DELICIOUS OUTCOME...
THE "SPECIAL SENSE" IS EXCLUSIVELY HUMAN, VITAL FOR CARRYING ON HUMAN ACTIVITY. WITHOUT THIS "SPECIAL SENSE" ALL HUMAN PROGRESS WOULD CEASE.'HUMAN IMAGINATION' HAS ALLOWED MANKIND TO DISCOVER SOME OF THE MYSTERIES OF NATURE - TO BEHOLD THE WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSE. IT WAS A TOTALLY NEW DIMENSION FOR LIFE ON EARTH! IT CREATED THE "MIND" OF MANKIND - THE VAST NETWORK OF HUMAN MINDS THAT CAN COMMUNICATE ACROSS TIME AND DISTANCE.

SWEET AND SOUR ; )

Letter to the Lord --- By Hesham Hassaballa

Most Magnificent Lord and Creator: All praise and thanks is due to thee, O Lord, the Light of Whose Countenance illuminates the heavens and the earth. All praise and thanks is due to thee, O Lord, Who created everything out of nothing, and Who created me, even though You did not need me. Lord, I know that You know everything that is within me, yet I do not know all that is within You. Yet, it helps me to "write" You a letter, and so I ask Your merciful indulgence as I write this to You. Lord, how can I face Your Magnificent Presence? Every day, the weakness of the human condition overtakes me, and I fall short of the standards You called me to uphold. How can I face Your Magnificent Presence? You have given me so much, yet so many times, I have sinned against You. How can I face Your Magnificent Presence? When I think about all the bounties, and blessings, and mercy You have showered upon me, I am strengthened and inspired to rise above the flesh that so often drags me to this earth. Yet, when I am alone - faced with my demons in the darkness - I frequently fall short of Your Grace. Lord, I don't know how I could face Your Magnificent Presence.

Yet, You are still here for me, Lord. In fact, You have always been there for me, Lord. When I was ...

Lord, I love You with all my heart, all my mind, all my soul.

Lord, I ask for Your Love for me. My Most Holy Creator, on the Day when we all will meet You, let me into Your Magnificent and Holy Presence. Let me be with Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Let me be his neighbor in Paradise. Let me be able to talk to him there, tell him about my life, and listen to him about his. Lord God, let me see Your Glorious Face in the highest of Gardens. Let me into Your Presence by Your Wonderful, Gentle, and Soothing Grace. Lord God, I thank you for all You have given me, and I ask You to forgive me for never being a fully grateful servant. In Your Most Holy Name, O Lord, I ask all of these things. Amen.