What Day Is It?

On days when the shoulders may get too burdened or the heart may feel too anxious, it might be a good idea to relive the trajectory of Musa's journey from one escape to another. 

Musa escaped Egypt twice. 

The first time he escaped as a fugitive from a crime scene, with nothing but a pair of clothes on his body. In his desolate forlorn state he offered a prayer which Quran fondly recounts as:

”So he watered [their flock] for them: and when he withdrew into the shade and prayed: “O my Sustainer! Verily, in dire need am I of any good which Thou mayest bestow upon me!” 

- 28:24

The second time he's documented to be escaping Egypt, he's a Prophet accompanied by an army of the faithful.
This time, Musa is the leader of a prosecuted nation challenging the greatest monarch and his military might. Quran proudly shares the khutba he gave to his followers:

"And [remember the time] when your Sustainer made [this promise] known: 'If you are grateful [to Me], I shall most certainly give you more and more" 

- 14:7

Life, on any given day, is an event somewhere on the line connecting these two points. A day to be grateful, or a day to be grateful!

Too Beautiful To Put Into Words

If you need something badly enough, it finds you. They say.

Look, what I found just now... Both things simultaneously flowed into my domain, as if on their own, just when I needed them the most... We all need assurances, don't we?  

"In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary." Said Aaron Rose.

If they make sense to you, be sure your need got addressed! :) 

1. "No one believes the sincere except the honest." - Kahlil Gibran
2. 
   

Magic Moments

Have you ever noticed the magic in prayer, 'dua'?

The dua that someone makes for you. A genuine, sincere dua.

That is magic.

As the car moved close to his shabby bicycle, the silver bearded baba peddled it faster. The small tiffinbox and a dirty tool bag hanging from its handles, jolted violently. The car window rolled down, someone gently called out, "baba ji, sunnain!"

Baba looked away, clearly terrified. The car, with its hazard lights blinking now, kept its lazy pace beside his cycle. Baba peddled still harder. 

Another window, this time in the rear, rolled down. A six year old's innocent voice rang out most passionately, "baba ji, please baat sun lain!"

This worked.

The cycle slowed down, and the hazard lights parked in front of it on the left of the road.

Baba parked his cycle over its stand and walked to the car. Out of the window in front, emerged two bags weighing not more than two kgs. "Ye qurbani ka gosht hai, ye lay lain."

Unlike majority of the recipients of the evening, he didn't rush to grab the bags. He made a very slow, deliberate move. Held the bags in both hands, and peeped inside the window.

His eyes looked most earnestly at his new friends, fully aware of their interest in him, and equally reciprocating. He looked too tall to be doubled over by someone's kindness. The man knew that he was fully capable to acknowledge the kindness and return it in kind. The dignity with which he expressed his gratitude was astounding. 

And that's when the baba donned a magician's hat in place of his white namaz wali topi. His duas, murmured between his lips like a secret spell, wrapped my heart in a rainbow. 

The magician smiled a smile I'm still in trance of.

It was the smile of pure happiness. Such happiness that is a rarity to find in adults!

Every year around this time, carrying out this same simple ritual driving for a few hours, I meet a magician. A magician who gives me a few magic moments that keep one going till the next Eid arrives. 

Such simple pleasures. Such genuine expressions! 

Incidentally those were the last two bags. The job was done. All the meat had been distributed.

The hazard lights switched off and quickly the car's back lights diminished into the fast approaching night.

While the magic of gratitude remains in the air.

Love Letter

Source: her0inchic.tumblr.com via Susan on Pinterest

" 

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey.  She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her.  I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words: 

Dear God, Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her. Love, Meredith 

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. 

A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet.  I told her that I thought He had. 

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, ‘To Meredith’ in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, ‘When a Pet Dies.’ Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note: 

Dear Meredith, Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn’t sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don’t need our bodies in heaven, I don’t have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.  Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I’m easy to find, I am wherever there is love. Love, God…

"

Author anonymous.

Five

EXACTLY five years back, I was up at this hour of the night.

Fear and anxiety had me engulfed like that room’s window drapes, and all I longed for was some soft, soothing murmuring that could keep on telling me that all would be fine.

It was a long night.

Five years later, I am up at this hour of the night. 

A sense of serene gratitude ripples through me, and it’s the sweet ache of a heart in love that along with his breath’s soft sound, whispers to me that all is great!

It’s a lovely night.

Alhamdolillah…

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow? 

55:16 Al- Quran