Of Scars And Warriors

We all, people of flesh, have scars. Some wear scars on their sleeve, some lock them up in the dark recesses of the heart.

A scar turns into an ugly wound when we are ashamed of having one. 

Warriors are never embarrassed of having scars. 

A warrior's wounds are a reminder of the battles they fought, of the valour they showed ... Scars are their medals! 

Embrace your brokenness and dance! For nothing is more beautiful than a broken heart that whirls holding its pieces together.

Dast afshaan chalo, mast-o-raqsaaN chalo

Khaak bar-sar chalo, khoon bada-maaN chalo!

Footprints

Ameen!

It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

اللهُمَّ لا سَهْلَ إلا مَا جَعَلتَهُ سَهْلا وَ أنتَ تَجْعَلُ الحزْنَ إذا شِئْتَ سَهْلا

“O Allah! Nothing is easy but that which You make easy and You can make hardship easy if You will.”

َ.إِنَّكَ عَلَى مَا تَشَاءُ قَدِيرٌ وَ أَنْتَ حَسْـبُنَا اللَّهُ وَ نِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ

“O Allah! You do whatever You wish, and You are my Availer and Protector and Best of aid.”

And HE Beckoned

Aj subah mujhay Allah ji pe bohat pyar aya.. Bohat sara. I realized kay banda apnay zarf ka aseer hai, aur Maa'bood ka zarf Uski shaan hai!

Apparently, kuch aisa nahi hoa jo koi mark of achievement ho. Balkay rationally speaking, all that could/couldn't go wrong... went wrong.

Aur us waqt when, deeply distressed, I took up my sick, crying prince up in my arms and he hid his face in the crook of my neck, mujhay Allah ji pe bohat pyar aya.

My kid was in pain, and he came to me with all his guards down, convinced of my touch to heal him. That is exactly how we behave.

Pain, takleef are just a means to draw one close. Close to the One WHO is the healer.

Jab WOH khud apni panah, aur us main simat aanay kay jawaaz bhi de raha ho, tou kaun ho ga jo apnay naseeb pe nazaaN na ho!

Thirsty Fish

One night a baby fish was sleeping under some coral when God appeared to him in a dream. "I want you to go forth with a message to all the fish in the sea,"

God said. "What should I tell them?" the little fish asked. "Just tell them you’re thirsty," God replied. "And see what they do." Then without another word, He disappeared. The next morning the little fish woke up and remembered his dream. "What a strange thing God wants me to do," he thought to himself. But as soon as he saw a large tuna swimming by, the little fish piped up, "Excuse me, but I’m thirsty." "Then you must be a fool," then tuna said. And with a disdainful flick of his tail, he swam away. The little fish did feel rather foolish, but he had his orders. The next fish he saw was a grinning shark. Keeping a safe distance, the little fish called out, "Excuse me, sir, but I’m thirsty." "Then you must be crazy," the shark replied. Noticing a rather hungry look in the shark’s eye, the little fish swam away quickly.

All day he met cod and mackerels and swordfish and groupers, but every time he made his short speech, they turned their backs and would have nothing to do with him.

Feeling hopelessly confused, the little fish sought out the wisest creature in the sea, who happened to be an old blue whale with three harpoon scars on his side. "Excuse me, but I’m thirsty!" the little fish shouted, wondering if the old whale could even see him, he was such a tiny speck. But the wise one stopped in his tracks. "You’ve seen God, haven’t you?" he said. "How did you know?" "Because I was thirsty once, too." The old whale laughed. The little fish looked very surprised. "Please tell me what this message from God means," he implored. "It means that we are looking for Him in the wrong places," the old whale explained. "We look high and low for God, but somehow He’s not there. So we blame Him and tell ourselves that He must have forgotten us. Or else we decide that He left a long time ago, if He was ever around." "How strange," the little fish said, "to miss what is everywhere." "Very strange," the old whale agreed. "Doesn’t it remind you of fish who say they’re thirsty?"

By Michael Jackson.

We Shall.

Thou knowest all - I cannot see.

I trust I shall not live in vain,

I know that we shall meet again

In some divine eternity.

Oscar Wilde

When the brown branches shall bear the red flowers,
Then, my Love,
We shall meet

Then, we shall meet

When the koonj (cranes) shall return from their journey,
Filling the world with a joyous cackle,
Then, my Love,
We shall meet.

Then, we shall meet

When this forlorn cheek of mine has soaked
all tears trailing from my eyes,
Then, my Love,
We shall meet.

Then, we shall meet 

This gulf of separation is a folly of the fool
Hence,
We shall meet.

Then, we shall meet

Artist: Allan Faqir

Sindhi Kalaam: Sheikh Ayaz

Inapt Translation: mine

Let Not the Moment Pass Unattended!

Hasti ke zohur mikonad dar hame shai’

Khaahi ke bari be haale vai baa hame pai

Rav bar sare mai habaab raa bin ke chesaan

Mai vai bovad andar mai o vai dar mai mai

(Jami)

Translation:

Being manifests Itself in everything.
If you want to discover Its state in everything,
Go and see how the bubbles are on top of the wine:
The wine is they in them and they are wine in the wine!

The Two-Way Road

No lover ever seeks union with his beloved,

But his beloved is also seeking union with him.

But the lover's love makes his body lean,

While the Beloved's love makes her fair and lusty.

When in this heart the lightning spark of love arises,

Be sure this Love is reciprocated in that heart.

When the Love of God arises in thy heart,

Without doubt God also feels love for thee.


Rumi

Rescue

Abu Ya ‘la Dailami and Ibn Asakir narrated: Abu Hurairah and Anas Ibn Malik said: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: 

"Allah loves rescuing the one who needs rescue."

Easy To Find Here

"The best thing for being sad," replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, "is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn."

T.H. White, "The Once and Future King"

Secret... Of 'The Secret'

Just a little while back, taking a recommendation, I searched for the 2006 movie, "The Secret". 

You know what this reminded me of?

They say, one day when Moses was on his way to Sinai, an exuberantly wealthy man stopped him on his way. 'What do ye ask of me?' asked Moses. 

'When you meet the generous Lord, ask Him to lessen my hordes, for I am now falling short of space to keep the bounties', replied the man.

Moses promised that he would ask the Lord as the man had sought.

He had hardly taken a few steps forward that he was again interrupted. This time by a decrepit wreck, poor man.

'What do ye require of me?' Moses asked.

'When you meet your Lord, ask Him why on earth He would deprive me of all the good things when I see Him flooding the world with them?' The man conveyed his grievance.

'I shall, just as you ask', Moses promised and continued on his way.

When Moses reached the Court, he presented the two petitions he had gathered on his way to the Lord. The Lord gave His word.

When Moses returned, he was met by the two men eagerly awaiting him. 

'Now pray tell what did the Lord say to our requests', asked the rich man.

'The Lord has asked me to suggest you to cease being grateful for His bounties, and He shall stop showering them upon you.'

'Oh my!' cried the man. 'How can I ever think of not being grateful to the Lord, whose beneficence fills my world? My heart never skips a moment when its not flowing of gratitude for Him!'

'Thou shall not have of less then', Moses conveyed the Lord's word.

'Did you forget to ask your Lord of me?' Asked the poor man.

'No, no my friend,' Moses answered. 'The Lord has asked me to suggest you to be thankful to Him, and He shall begin granting you lavishly'.

'Are you crazy?' the man grunted angrily. 'Can't you see, what have I got to be thankful for? He never gives me anything and now asks me to be thankful for this misery He has imposed upon me. That can not be!'

'Thou can not have of more then', Moses gave the Lord's word.

Patience, Persevrance

A Warrior of Light needs patience and speed at the same time.

The two biggest mistakes of a strategy are

• to act prematurely
• to let the opportunity pass by.

To avoid making these mistakes, the warrior copes with each situation as if it were unique, and applies no formulas, prescriptions or the opinions of others.

Caliph Moauiyat asked Omar Ben Al-Aas what was the secret of his great political skill:

“I have never gotten involved in any matter without first studying the way out;

“on the other hand, I have never become involved and wanted to get out right away,” was his answer.

- Paulo Coelho blog.

Buying Jannah At Sale?

(The following prose has also been published at  Chowk.com and Pak Tea House )

Fida'yaan-e Muhammed!

Do you know what this means?

"The lovesomes of the Prophet"!

This is what they declared they were.

I still hadn't recovered from the distress that the realization of the state of affairs in my land that Mr. Shehbaz Bhatti's murder had brought with it all too starkly (and ah-just-so-yet-again!), when today the tv screen began flashing with the scenes from the bomb blast site in Nowshehra, a mosque where people had gathered together for the Friday congregation!

11 people had died. Many others injured.

So what is it really? THIS MUCH bloodshed! All in the name of ISLAM - The religion that names Peace?

I am going berserk trying to decipher who is killing whom? Who is the bad guy in the thriller, and who plays the good cop? Could anyone please inundate me?

Cringing I try to push back this numbing pain and try to focus on these chips once again... No, no interpretations. Just plain, simple FACTS.

Facts without any leanings of fiction so as to not stray away from logic!

This time I wont let my personal biases interfere: enough of it, THANK YOU!

Hmm.... So where do I start from? .... Mr. Shehbaz Bhatti?

Here goes my attempts at trying to understand the picture...

FACTS

Regarding Mr. Shehbaz Bhatti:

• A fellow human being. CHECK
• A fellow countryman . CHECK
• A responsible member of the society. CHECK
• A person brave enough to speak his mind. CHECK

So what went wrong between him and the 'claiming' devotees of the Prophet that made him lose his life and put them on a sure track to Jannah? 

Lets try to understand through this image of the pamphlet they dropped at the killing site 

(sourced from web) 

Since its not a wholesome shot of the script, the readable words are: 

 "In the Islamic law, a blasphemer of the Prophet ..... Either you will remain alive, or us ..... And one Christian infidel Shehbaz Bhatti ..... And now by the grace and glory of Allah ...."

I do not have to state my religious leanings to those who have been frequenting this space. As for others, before you go ahead with labeling me as yet another, in vogue, religion-basher, I am a proud adherent of "lā elaha ella Allahu, Muhammad ur-rasul Allah".

I am a proud bearer of my identity as a Muslim, and as a believer .... until of course, I come across these self appointed arbitrators of the echelons of faith and belief (and everything that falls in between).

The much in-trend zealous concept of Jihad, having a loose interpretation of bloodshed of the infidels makes me check back with the Scripture I follow. Is it really the faith they are trying to implement, or the absolute lack of it, I wonder. 

So, as I begin wondering, lets get back to FACTS...

FACTS, Once Again

• The over-hyped blasphemy Law is a MAN MADE LAW! CHECK
• Criticizing the law, by any means, through any definition under the sun, DOES NOT amount to blasphemy. CHECK
• Without going to Law, killing someone on the charge of such auto-sentenced blasphemy, in person; is MURDER. CHECK
• Anyone, with the slightest regard for the teachings of the Prophet can not call a gang of serial killers as Fida'yaan-e Muhammed! CHECK

I reach here and the excruciating heart ache begins to take the better of me. 

Why am I saying all this? 

Does it matter anyway?

Does anything matter at all?

I dont carry a sub-machine and dont kill people in cold blood, so does this make me an inferior Muslim? 

I listen to all that fast-track JJJ (Jannah-ensuring jingoist jargon) of the AK47, and I am left stupefied.  Whatever happened to the God's word: 

And fight in the path of God with those who are fighting with you and do not transgress, God loves not those who transgress.(2:190) 

DO NOT TRANSGRESS!

O, we, the holy warriors of the Lord, 

Do we even understand what is meant by transgress?

Do we have even an inkling of what is described as limits?

Why cant we answer an argument by an argument?

Why cant we listen to a dissent of opinion before setting out on a barge of lamentation of a perpetually endangered Islam in the Islamic Republic that is this land?

Why do all them uber-believers opt for Jihad Bis-saif (Jihad of the sowrd) over Jihad Bil-nafs (Jihad with the self), whereas its the latter that is more preferred?

You want to know the reason?

Here join me for the facts...

FACTS, Yet Again

• Taming the self is a far more unpublicized, and much more difficult job than pushing the trigger of a gun. CHECK
• Everyone looks for a shorter route to success. CHECK
• Firing squads amid short cuts to Jannah always lead astray. DOUBLE CHECK

Wa Allahu Alam.

PS:
In the dark ages Europe, the clergy declared those opting for physical cleanliness, as infidels.
In today's Pakistan, the self-proclaimed "fida'yaan" declare those defying the hypocritical practices, as infidels.


Little difference, eh?

Barley .....

Maybe I just dont to have to look around for it anymore! ;) InshaAllah.

Lutf'e Peer'e

These days I am spell bound to the following track, whose audio has been very graciously shared by a kind reader. 

Many thanks :)

I think this is one of the most beautiful musical pieces I have ever come across....

The lyrics mean:

my heart will not be still
it is trapped in His noose
if it does not perish in this passion
it is because of the master's grace

His pain is the real cure
heart ache and burning has no end
if the burning continues,
it is because of the master's grace

oh Lord make me more of a lover
make me give up my intellect
do believe me, if I am sincere
it is because of the master's grace

I do not seek drunkenness
i have nothing in hand
if i do not possess any existance
it is because of the master's grace

I shall throw out wisdom
And begin madness
If i succeed to destroy alienation in the world
it is because of the master's grace

i am afflicted with pain and have given up my heart
not concnered with anything,
In short, If i have lost myself
it is because of the master's grace

I am a poor wretched soul
in love with pain and clamaity
If I am afflcied with his pain
it is because of the master's grace

His love is the hope of my soul
it brings comfort to the hearts and is my refuge
If my heart knows none other than him
it is because of the master's grace

if my heart has leapt up
flown away and found peace
in his sky
it is because of the master's grace

if my heart wanders in his district
to see his beautiful face
And is in constant desire for Him
it is because of the master's grace

I am both candle and moth
I am both treasure and ruin
If I am stranger to my self
it is because of the master's grace


I am a begger of His love
Calling his name day and night
If i keep talking about His beauty
it is because of the master's grace

The fire of the heart is the light
buring the ego away
and if it seals my lips
it is because of the masters grace

I seek none other than him
if he looks on me for a moment
I become the life bestower of both the sun and moon,
but this too, I know
it is because of the masters grace

I totally loved putting these beautiful images from the web to accompany the audio tracks.

I Learnt It The Hard Way

How do you make peace with a negative past and with those who have wronged you? (Alex asked Paulo Coelho)

Coelho answers:

In order to move from the past to the present you need to accept your scars. But you need to do everything in your power in order to heal them so that the ghosts of your past will no longer barge in your present life.

It is a long and difficult process I grant you – but it’s a way out of guilt and hatred in my eyes.

......... But I am glad I did learn.

Bheek Milay

Though I have no doubt that NO qawaali could ever surpass the greatness of Tajdar e Haram, shared in the last post, there are a few others of the Sabri brothers that never fail to make one's heart yearn in the agony of an anguished lover .....

mujhay nazr e karam ki bheek milay

main jholi khali laya hoon ........

Ik Nazar Ka Sawal Hai!!!!

Tajdar-e-Haram


kismat mein meri chain say jeena likh day
dhobe na kabi mera safina likh day
jannat bhe gawara hai magar mere liye
Ay Qatib-e-tadqeer bs Madina likh day

Taajdaar-e-Haram ho Nigaah-e-Karam
Hum ghareeboon k din bhe sanwar jaein gay

Chashm-e-Rehmat bakusha soo-e-manandaaz nazar
Ay Qureshi laqabi Hashmi o Muttalabi

Taajdaar-e-Haram ho Nigaah-e-Karam...
Hum ghareeboon k din bhe sanwar jaein gay


Ya Rasool Allah  ba ahwal e kharab e maa bibiin
Roo ba khaak uftaada am az sharmo isiyan dar zameen
Muznab e choon man na baashad dar tamami ummatat
Rehmatun bar haali ma ya Rehmatan Lil aalamiin 

Taajdaar-e-Haram ho Nigaah-e-Karam.
Hum ghareeboon k din bhe sanwar jaein gay

Kya Tum se kahun Ay Rab ke kunwar  Tum jaanat ho mann ki batiya
kar fursat to Ay Ummi Laqab  kate na katat hain ab ratiya
Tori deed mein sud bud sub pisri kab tak ye rahegi bekhabari
taa hema fighan duzdeeda nazar kabhi sun bhi to lo humri batiya

Taajdaar-e-Haram ho Nigaah-e-Karam.
Taajdaar-e-Haram ho Nigaah-e-Karam

Ya Mustafa  Ya Mujtaba  irham lana dast e hama bechara ra daamaan tui
man asiyam, man ajizam, man bekasam, haale mara, ya shafi e roze jaza  pursaan tui
ae mushqi be zanbar fishan, ae ke naseem e subh dam, ae charagar, zeeshan nafas
ae moonis e beemar e gham, ae qasid e farkhunda e tujh ko usi gul ki qasam

ey mushq bezam barzisha baiqe naseere subah dam

ey charagar essa nafas ey mulis e beemar e gham
ey qasid e farkhunda pe tujh ko usi gul ki qasam
in nilta ya rihas sabah youman ila ardil haram
baligh salami rouztan fihan Nabi al Mohtaram 

Taajdaar-e-Haram ho Nigaah-e-Karam...
Hum ghareeboon k din bhe sanwar jaein gay

hami e beqasa kya kahay ga jahaan
Aap ke dar se khaali agar jain ge

koi apna nahi gham ke maray hein hum
aap ke dar pe faryaad laye hein hum
ho nigah e karam warna choukhat pe hum
Aap ka naam le le ke mar jain ge

ho nigah e karam...

maikasho aao aao Madina chalein
aao madine chalein aao Madine chalein...
dukh dard o alam sub kat'te hein hasnain ke sadqe bat'te hein
maikasho aao Madina chalein
aao Madine chalein aao Madine chalein...

Tajallion ki ajab hai faza Madine mein
Nigah-e-shouq ki hai intiha Madine mein
gham-e-hayat na khouf-e-qaza Madine mein
namaaz-e-ishq karin ge adaa Madine mein

idhar udhar na bhatak'te phiro khuda ke liyeh
barah-e-rast hai raah-e-khuda madine mein
Madein chalein aao madine chalein aao madine chalein
maikasho aao aao madina chalein dast-e-saqi-e-kauser se pene chalein

Yaad rakho agar uth gayi ik nazar, jitne khali hein sab jaam bhar jaein ge
khouf-e-toofan hai bijlion ka hai dar, sakht mushkil hai Aaqa kidhar jain hum
Aap he gar na lain ge hamari khabar, hum musibat ke maray kidhar jaein ge

Taajdaar-e-Haram ho Nigaah-e-Karam.
Taajdaar-e-Haram ho Nigaah-e-Karam

    

From, "The Alchemist"

“Why do we have to listen to our hearts?” the boy asked, when they had made camp that day.

“Because, wherever your heart is, that is where you’ll find your treasure.”

“But my heart is agitated,” the boy said. “It has its dreams, it gets emotional, and it’s become passionate over a woman of the desert. It asks things of me, and it keeps me from sleeping many nights, when I’m thinking about her.”

“Well, that’s good. Your heart is alive. Keep listening to what it has to say.”

“My heart is a traitor,” the boy said to the alchemist, when they had paused to rest the horses. “It doesn’t want me to go on.”

“That makes sense. Naturally it’s afraid that, in pursuing your dream, you might lose everything you’ve won.”

“Well, then, why should I listen to my heart?”

“Because you will never again be able to keep it quiet. Even if you pretend not to have heard what it tells you, it will always be there inside you, repeating to you what you’re thinking about life and about the world.”

“You mean I should listen, even if it’s treasonous?”

“Treason is a blow that comes unexpectedly. If you know your heart well, it will never be able to do that to you. Because you’ll know its dreams and wishes, and will know how to deal with them.

“My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer,” the boy told the alchemist one night as they looked up at the moonless sky.

“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.”

“Every second of the search is an encounter with God,” the boy told his heart.

“Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him,” his heart said. “We, people’s hearts, seldom say much about those treasures, because people no longer want to go in search of them. We speak of them only to children. Later, we simply let life proceed, in its own direction, toward its own fate. But, unfortunately, very few follow the path laid out for them—the path to their destinies, and to happiness. Most people see the world as a threatening place, and, because they do, the world turns out indeed, to be threatening place.

“So, we, their hearts, speak more and more softly. We never stop speaking out, but we begin to hope that our words won’t be heard: we don’t want people to suffer because they don’t follow their hearts.”

Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho