Wednesday, March 30, 2005
A Riddle
MSA elections are upon us again to bring forth a new breed of torch bearers ready to convey the message of Islam to everyone on campus. Another leader will emerge forth to guide and move through the trenches.
Its a strange beast--this 'leadership.' The word itselfs conjures up images of men like Napoleon and Alexander, marching their enormous armies to conquer as far as the eye can see. But the true heroes are those who devote their time, their wealth, their property.......even their whole life.........
"Those who believed and fled (their homes), and strove hard in Allah's way with their property and their souls, are much higher in rank with Allah; and those are they who are the achievers (of their objects)." (Tawba v:20)
We hear of men who have changed the world and we seemingly assume them to be the best of us. But how many have passed through who have devoted their lives only to achieve seemingly nothing in return. They do not want anything for the gift they would eventually receive will be better than any mind can think of!!!
The Prophet said, "The people of Paradise will look at the dwellers of the lofty mansions (i.e. a superior place in Paradise) in the same way as one looks at a brilliant star far away in the East or in the West on the horizon; all that is because of their superiority over one another (in rewards)." (sahih bukhair Volume 4, Book 54, Number 478)
Many will come and pass. Their sole purpose to gain the glitter of this world and some will succeed only to realize their eternal failure. But how many are going to keep working trying their best to keep their achievements concealed, for they are the true believers.
It's easy to get caught up in the praise and accolade that comes with Islamic work. Sometimes I wonder, am I doing this for the right reason??? Time and time again I check but the question is never answered.....
......because the answer is not a simples yes or no.........
......its hidden in my actions and thoughts, in the way I walk, I talk, I act, I live......
How much pleasure do I get when someone finds about something I did or how well do I try to keep my good deeds a secret???
Everyone time I look to solve these riddles, I realize only one thing.......
.......I have a long way to go.......
Its a strange beast--this 'leadership.' The word itselfs conjures up images of men like Napoleon and Alexander, marching their enormous armies to conquer as far as the eye can see. But the true heroes are those who devote their time, their wealth, their property.......even their whole life.........
"Those who believed and fled (their homes), and strove hard in Allah's way with their property and their souls, are much higher in rank with Allah; and those are they who are the achievers (of their objects)." (Tawba v:20)
We hear of men who have changed the world and we seemingly assume them to be the best of us. But how many have passed through who have devoted their lives only to achieve seemingly nothing in return. They do not want anything for the gift they would eventually receive will be better than any mind can think of!!!
The Prophet said, "The people of Paradise will look at the dwellers of the lofty mansions (i.e. a superior place in Paradise) in the same way as one looks at a brilliant star far away in the East or in the West on the horizon; all that is because of their superiority over one another (in rewards)." (sahih bukhair Volume 4, Book 54, Number 478)
Many will come and pass. Their sole purpose to gain the glitter of this world and some will succeed only to realize their eternal failure. But how many are going to keep working trying their best to keep their achievements concealed, for they are the true believers.
It's easy to get caught up in the praise and accolade that comes with Islamic work. Sometimes I wonder, am I doing this for the right reason??? Time and time again I check but the question is never answered.....
......because the answer is not a simples yes or no.........
......its hidden in my actions and thoughts, in the way I walk, I talk, I act, I live......
How much pleasure do I get when someone finds about something I did or how well do I try to keep my good deeds a secret???
Everyone time I look to solve these riddles, I realize only one thing.......
.......I have a long way to go.......
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
PHI = 1.618
The long weekend is looming on the horizon, calling and waiting. But I have become wary of its deception. It entices and charms me but I am fully aware of its betrayal. After all, why would it behave differently than any of its predecessors? Ohhh, how I dream and make plans inolving just the two of us.....only if it knew.
They all promise the same thing and do they bother to deliver? NO!! They give hope and a false sense of security, only to pull out the rug from underneath at the last moment. Thats how its always been, since grade school to now. But no more.....
.....no more will I look forward to a holiday to catch up on studies nor finish any projects! I'm going in without any elaborate plans for maybe that might yield a more productive holiday.
I want to talk about another important issue but sadly, time permits not. But insha Allah my next blog shall be dedicated to it.
Following is an excerpt from the The Da Vinci Code (with some editing to make sense of it). Next blog, insha Allah, more excerpts from the book.
"The PHI was derived from the Fibonacci sequence--a progression famous not only because the sum of adjacent terms equaled the next term, but because the quotients of adjacent terms possessed the astonishing property of approaching the number 1.618--PHI!
Depsite PHI's seemingly mystical mathematical origins, the truly mind-boggling aspect of PHI was its role as a fundamental building block in nature. Plants, animals, and even huma beings all possessed dimensional properties that adhered with eerie exactitude to the ratio of PHI to 1.
Ever study the relationship between females and males in a honeybee community? Did you know that if you divide the number of female bees by the number of male bees in any beehive in the world, you always get the same number? PHI!!
Sunflower seeds grow in opposing spirals. Can you guess the ratio of each rotation's diameter to the next? BINGO!!
What do sprialed pinecone petals, leaf arrangement on plant stalks, insect segmentation all have in common? You guessed it!
Want more examples?? Measure the distance from your shoulder to your fingertips, and then divide it by the distance from your elbow to your fingertips. Hip to floor divided by knee to floor. PHI again. Finger joints. Toes. Spinal divisions. PHI. PHI. PHI. My friends, each of you is a walking tribute to the Divine Proportion."
As one of my friends said, ".....and then they claim that everything was created by a mere coincidence."
They all promise the same thing and do they bother to deliver? NO!! They give hope and a false sense of security, only to pull out the rug from underneath at the last moment. Thats how its always been, since grade school to now. But no more.....
.....no more will I look forward to a holiday to catch up on studies nor finish any projects! I'm going in without any elaborate plans for maybe that might yield a more productive holiday.
I want to talk about another important issue but sadly, time permits not. But insha Allah my next blog shall be dedicated to it.
Following is an excerpt from the The Da Vinci Code (with some editing to make sense of it). Next blog, insha Allah, more excerpts from the book.
"The PHI was derived from the Fibonacci sequence--a progression famous not only because the sum of adjacent terms equaled the next term, but because the quotients of adjacent terms possessed the astonishing property of approaching the number 1.618--PHI!
Depsite PHI's seemingly mystical mathematical origins, the truly mind-boggling aspect of PHI was its role as a fundamental building block in nature. Plants, animals, and even huma beings all possessed dimensional properties that adhered with eerie exactitude to the ratio of PHI to 1.
Ever study the relationship between females and males in a honeybee community? Did you know that if you divide the number of female bees by the number of male bees in any beehive in the world, you always get the same number? PHI!!
Sunflower seeds grow in opposing spirals. Can you guess the ratio of each rotation's diameter to the next? BINGO!!
What do sprialed pinecone petals, leaf arrangement on plant stalks, insect segmentation all have in common? You guessed it!
Want more examples?? Measure the distance from your shoulder to your fingertips, and then divide it by the distance from your elbow to your fingertips. Hip to floor divided by knee to floor. PHI again. Finger joints. Toes. Spinal divisions. PHI. PHI. PHI. My friends, each of you is a walking tribute to the Divine Proportion."
As one of my friends said, ".....and then they claim that everything was created by a mere coincidence."
Thursday, March 17, 2005
A Trip Down Memory Lane
I looked out the window unable to properly see due to layers of mud that seemed to had found a permanent home. Not the one to give up without a fight, I strained my eyes to get a better view of the passing world only to be taken back by a sudden onslaught of memories. My senses became alight like a bee on sight of nectar.
Could it be? Has school really taken its toll to the extent of hallucination?
Roughly ten years ago, I was sitting on a similar bus travelling along a very familiar path. I looked around to see what had really changed...............nothing was the answer. The posts with circular lights, the neon signboards, the busy intersections..........the only thing missing was the hot and humid temperature but that was an unwelcome guest even back then and especially now.
If it wasn't for the occasional English phrase that would cross my ear, I could have bet my life I was back in Abu Dhabi. A person always remembers his childhood no matter how good or bad. I don't really know why now after so many years I felt like travelling through those same streets one more time.
The biggest shock was realizing the long way I had come not in terms of physical distance but rather on an emotional, intellectual and spiritual level. Who would have thought I'd find true Islam after travelling thousands of miles to what an originally was an economical move.
How did it happen? Where did it all start?
I sit back and wonder. What were the odds? Was it meant to be? What good deed did I do to deserve this?
It almost seems like a dream.............waiting to be shattered. But no, it can't be broken that easily for that is the strength of iman!!!!
Where will I be ten years from now??
We all think we control our lives. Nobody is a bigger proponent of that concept than I but how many times the decisions have already been made for us? Its a scary thought when one realizes the vast number of events that effect us but are not under our control. I get on the bus and hope the driver is safe enough not to get into an accident. Or how about that drunk driver who might decide to run light at the same time as I'm crossing it.
Its natural to think our actions are the single determining factor of our lives. But the moment we realize what we are up against, dua' seems to be the only option!!!
Could it be? Has school really taken its toll to the extent of hallucination?
Roughly ten years ago, I was sitting on a similar bus travelling along a very familiar path. I looked around to see what had really changed...............nothing was the answer. The posts with circular lights, the neon signboards, the busy intersections..........the only thing missing was the hot and humid temperature but that was an unwelcome guest even back then and especially now.
If it wasn't for the occasional English phrase that would cross my ear, I could have bet my life I was back in Abu Dhabi. A person always remembers his childhood no matter how good or bad. I don't really know why now after so many years I felt like travelling through those same streets one more time.
The biggest shock was realizing the long way I had come not in terms of physical distance but rather on an emotional, intellectual and spiritual level. Who would have thought I'd find true Islam after travelling thousands of miles to what an originally was an economical move.
How did it happen? Where did it all start?
I sit back and wonder. What were the odds? Was it meant to be? What good deed did I do to deserve this?
It almost seems like a dream.............waiting to be shattered. But no, it can't be broken that easily for that is the strength of iman!!!!
Where will I be ten years from now??
We all think we control our lives. Nobody is a bigger proponent of that concept than I but how many times the decisions have already been made for us? Its a scary thought when one realizes the vast number of events that effect us but are not under our control. I get on the bus and hope the driver is safe enough not to get into an accident. Or how about that drunk driver who might decide to run light at the same time as I'm crossing it.
Its natural to think our actions are the single determining factor of our lives. But the moment we realize what we are up against, dua' seems to be the only option!!!
Sunday, March 13, 2005
"I've Placed My Heart on the Palm........"
Each moment flows the ocean of life,
From all things in manifest the rush of life.
Peace and permanence a mere illusion,
Each atom throbs, pulsates with life.
Caravan of existence never makes a halt,
Every moment the glory of creation is renewed:
Thinkest thou that life is a riddle?
Nothing but the passion of flight it is!
Means of sustenance to it is travel,
Movement is truth, halting a delusion.
In the East and the West I am a stranger,
Friendless and forlorn, no confidant have I:
I relate my sorrow to my own heart,
How innocently loneliness do I cheat.
I've placed my heart on the palm but there were no takers,
I possess the merchandise but where's the plunderer?
Come and make my bosom your home,
Because no Muslim is lonelier than me.
(Mohammed Iqbal 1877-1938)
......the words ring true to this day......for times may have changed but people have not!
From all things in manifest the rush of life.
Peace and permanence a mere illusion,
Each atom throbs, pulsates with life.
Caravan of existence never makes a halt,
Every moment the glory of creation is renewed:
Thinkest thou that life is a riddle?
Nothing but the passion of flight it is!
Means of sustenance to it is travel,
Movement is truth, halting a delusion.
In the East and the West I am a stranger,
Friendless and forlorn, no confidant have I:
I relate my sorrow to my own heart,
How innocently loneliness do I cheat.
I've placed my heart on the palm but there were no takers,
I possess the merchandise but where's the plunderer?
Come and make my bosom your home,
Because no Muslim is lonelier than me.
(Mohammed Iqbal 1877-1938)
......the words ring true to this day......for times may have changed but people have not!
Monday, March 07, 2005
The Greatest Sports Rivalry
Ahhhh, it seems like yesterday that I had returned from my workterm. I can still vivdly recall my first day back.........and here we are now, three months later with final exams looming on the horizon. How fast the time flew by.....but then again, you ask an 80 year old and he will say it feels like his life flew by too!!!
In about an hour's time, the greatest rivalry in any sport is about to begin. For those of you thinking Yankees-Red Sox or Barcelona-Real Madrid, I'm talking about Pakistan-India. Some might even say that with these two countries, 'its much much more than just a game.' But in the end, hopefully, people from both sides have the common sense to accept whatever comes their way, be it defeat or victory.
I've really been meaning to get back into some kind of sports. Cricket is not going to start for another two months and its already too late for any indoor teams. It looks like I'll just have to keep my self fit for the time being until summer rolls around. Then cricket is a surity, insha Allah I will make time for soccer too and maybe even a third sport, time permitting. Not to mention, I'll be taking a full course load of school plus any non-sports extra-cirricular activites that come my way. Looks to be a busy and exciting summer.
In about an hour's time, the greatest rivalry in any sport is about to begin. For those of you thinking Yankees-Red Sox or Barcelona-Real Madrid, I'm talking about Pakistan-India. Some might even say that with these two countries, 'its much much more than just a game.' But in the end, hopefully, people from both sides have the common sense to accept whatever comes their way, be it defeat or victory.
I've really been meaning to get back into some kind of sports. Cricket is not going to start for another two months and its already too late for any indoor teams. It looks like I'll just have to keep my self fit for the time being until summer rolls around. Then cricket is a surity, insha Allah I will make time for soccer too and maybe even a third sport, time permitting. Not to mention, I'll be taking a full course load of school plus any non-sports extra-cirricular activites that come my way. Looks to be a busy and exciting summer.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
In the Blink of an Eye................
"To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return" (al-baqaarah v:156)
The verse came racing to my mind when I found out about the death of my good friend's father. In the blink of an eye, he was gone....just like that.......taken away......similar to how each and everyone of us will go one day. It serves as a reminder until its memory begins to slowly fade away only to be brought back by another similar incident.
How much did he make? How many degrees did he have? What were his aspirations?? his goals???......................Does it really matter anymore?? Is any of that going to help him where he is now?????
Did he wake up that morning knowing that he would be the only person to die in a car accident which leaves all the other passengers alive???? What were his thoughts while in the car???? when the train hit???
We go about living and planning and planning and planning.......oblivious to everything.....to the truth......thinking our achievements will last us a lifetime and beyond, looking to leave a legacy that will have our names echoed through the ages.......will it happen????
........that we cannot control.
But I GUARANTEE you this much: we will all be together again for one last time. Whose name will then be echoed and whom will be forgotten??
.......that much is upto us.
The verse came racing to my mind when I found out about the death of my good friend's father. In the blink of an eye, he was gone....just like that.......taken away......similar to how each and everyone of us will go one day. It serves as a reminder until its memory begins to slowly fade away only to be brought back by another similar incident.
How much did he make? How many degrees did he have? What were his aspirations?? his goals???......................Does it really matter anymore?? Is any of that going to help him where he is now?????
Did he wake up that morning knowing that he would be the only person to die in a car accident which leaves all the other passengers alive???? What were his thoughts while in the car???? when the train hit???
We go about living and planning and planning and planning.......oblivious to everything.....to the truth......thinking our achievements will last us a lifetime and beyond, looking to leave a legacy that will have our names echoed through the ages.......will it happen????
........that we cannot control.
But I GUARANTEE you this much: we will all be together again for one last time. Whose name will then be echoed and whom will be forgotten??
.......that much is upto us.